The Marvel Space Race Pt 2: Guardians of the Galaxy #1

Following on from our review of Nova, we continue our intergalactic Marvel space race with Guardians of the Galaxy. With the upcoming movie and the need for Marvel NOW to take to the stars, where else is there to start (apart from with Nova of course...).

How any reboot's have been seen that rehash the same story of origin over and over again - Peter and that spider, Batman and that mugger. But when the hero isn't at the forefront of the public domain, this type of introductions is so gratifying.

Issue #1 recounts the history of Peter Quill aka Star Lord in 3 different time periods in the event's leading up to his birth and later his mantle as Star Lord. And true to Bendis form, the story is comprised of the usual character archetypes and enough dialogue to make the head spin. In other word this bad boy read like a good episode of One Tree Hill. There was mummy issues, daddy issues and a few kills here and there.

There are some great moments in this story - in particular the first meeting and later romance between Meredith Quill and J'son. It all happens so fast but you really don't question it. So rarely so we see this kind of true fleeting romance in the Marvel world, so any excuse to fall for it is welcomed. And penciller - McNiven, is definitely instrumental to this. His work is stunning. It's full of detail and expression, and McNiven is able to capture so many emotions throughout the panels. He really makes this story so easy on the eye despite all the dialogue. I really feel that the sum of his work is displayed in that beautiful spread of young Peter running away as his home is destroyed. And let's not forget colourist Justin Ponsor who really captures the varying moods and dynamics in this issue.

All in all, this issue doesn't come off a pre-requisite to the story, but it's definitely worth it for a reintroduction to Quill as well as some amazing artwork. There are so many shifting tones that really gave this issue pace and adventure, and it almost read's like the movie itself. We place the future of this title in Bendis' more than capable hands and this more than fitting song.

What Would Doom Do? Simple. Kick back and wait for the Nova crossovers to start kicking in, and then beggg that the GG swoop down into Avengers Arena issue and save the hell out of Cammi. True story.

The Marvel Space Race Pt 1: Nova #1

Fresh off the back of LSCC, overspending, and casual banter with Kieron (Karen) Gillen, we've found ourselves climbing on board for the Marvel NOW intergalactic space-race with the reboot of Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy.

First off I should say that I liked to keep my feet firmly on earth's 616 ground (and various alt universes) - Much of my galaxy corps learnings have come from my blogging partner in crime. So I must say that these #1's were the perfect introduction to the Marvel Galaxy.

In Loeb and McGuinness' Nova reboot, the mantle is about to be passed on from Richard Ryder to one of Marvel's newest recruits, 15 year old Sam Alexander (Avengers vs X-Men, Ultimate Spiderman - the cartoon!). For a Nova newbie (kinda), it's great to start a fresh. Loeb is able to fill you in on the NovaCorp history through a clever sequence of 'tales' from Sam's 'no-good' dad Jessie - a former wearer of the helmet. A rather amusing twist is that within a world of mutants, Sentential's, Civil Wars and all sorts - Sam doesn't believe his dad's stories!

What I really love about this issue is that Loeb is able to make such a far-fetched story seem so far-fetched but within a realistic setting. For once, we get to see a glimpse of 'real life' outside of the world of aliens and super-powered people - where the character's aren't focused on the next bad guy or their newest costume, but real life issues. Sam's a teenager facing typical teenage problems, as well as he added stresses of family life. But of course, that's already about to change.

If the story has one downfall then it's that we've seen it so many times before. But Loeb and McGuinness really make this work. McGuinness' work is perfect for this series. It's clean, action filled and just stunning to look at, and inker and colorist Dexter Vines and Marte Gracia really help to bring this all together.

Nova is already shaping up to be a great tale. It's so slick and already fun. It'll be great to see where they take this once Sam has established his powers. Even if it is just a story about growth, it's definitely one to make the SamAlex haterz give it read!

What Would Doom Do?
FIND OUT IN PART II!! (tomorrow)

Why we love Deadpool

Now we've written about Deadpool on 2 previous occasions (Here and of course Here), and now we've reached #5 we felt that it was time to revisit and re-evaluate.

The merc with the mouth is now 2/3's of the way through his task to dispose of the resurrected Presidents, and #5 see's him take his hunt intergalactic to gank Reagan.

There isn't really much to distinguish this issue from the others - Posehn and Duggan's dialogue is as fluid and witty as ever, and they do an awesome job of moving - what could easily be a typical Deadpool story - along. But what's really interesting is the developing 'relationship' between Wade and Preston. Through such an unlikely, seemingly un-moving pairing, Posehn and Duggan provide a rare 'magic moment' of Deadpool showing a bit of heart through his reaction to Preston's death at the hands of a George Washington.

Now that's one reason why we love Deadpool.


But if that wasn't enough, then Moore's lines and Staples' colours really seal the deal. We had our reservations at first - whilst it seems like the perfect style for the nature of Deadpool, it just seemed a bit 'much', but it's safe to say they now have our seal of approval (yes we are that important). Some of the panels are so garish and grotesque that it almost seems like you should be looking away. It's all blood and guts but somehow...just somehow they manage to make it look good...and dare we say it...fun? The closing page is hilariously sad, and even Preston's death makes you want to chuckle. But nothing beats the full page spread of Reagan's guts and jelly beans spewing through Zero G's.

So on what note...What Would Doom Do?
He'd show you a bad-ass picture of Reagan spewing his guts. If that ain't enough to get you to read this series, well then quite frankly you ain't good enough to be a future resurrected president.

Billy stole Teddys bling!!

And so the day finally arrived...the return of the Young Avengers.

The brain child of Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung has now been left in the more than capable hands of Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvin as Marvel high-tails it into the age of Marvel Now.

#1 reintroduces the YA (now 17+) dealing with life after the events of Children's Crusade - Kate is exploring her feminity and Teddy is cheating on Billy with superheroism. We're also re-introduced to Noh-Varr (Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways), Kid Loki - who is obviously up to no good and looking to dispose of Billy (why?!) and Miss America who seems bent on stopping him. And then the little surprise at the end in the form of Mrs Atlman

Now, if you've read any of our previous ramblings about YA, then you'll know that we're MASSIVE fans of the YA and as far as we're concerned, Heinberg and Cheung have a center place in the What Would Doom Do Hall of Fame, so there was always a bit of apprehension about this new line up.

So...what did we think? Well...there were a few things...

Teddy is minus ALOT of bling, Kate is all grown up, Billy gained some bling and more importantly became Billy CAPLAN (We always thought the K has a certain charm you know?).

But apart from that, it was an amazing first issue.

Gillen has always said from the very beginning that he's not looking to recreate Cheung and Heinberg's YA's. His YA's are no longer tweens, his are about being 18 and no longer aspiring to be part of the adult world but actually being in it. Already this issue definitely has a much older vibe and it actually feels like the YA aren't just kids anymore, and Gillen pretty much shows this from the very beginning with Kate.

Our only worry is if/how Gillen will part from the characteristics we've come to identify the previous characters with - Billy in particular. Not only has he become Billy Caplan, but we'd really hate to see his sarcastic wit evaporate with his tweenage years, but based on what Gillen is trying to achieve, this could easily and understandably be something that our fave Wiccan has grown out of.

To aid his revival of the YA's Gillen has teamed up with his self confessed partner in crime Jamie McKelvie, and it couldn't be a better match. Along with Matthew Wilson's colors, the pages are amazing. They've created an amazing youthful, cool and dare we say 'hip' vibe, especially with the opening pages. They pretty much read like music, and we really understand what Gillen means when he talks about creating a playlist for his new Young Avengers. One thing that we're really liking is that McKelvie's art definitely screams less action and more late night partying which is definitely what we'd be expecting from our 18 year old Avengers. 

Aliens, shape shifters, gods and sorcerers...we may be missing a little bit of speed and a super soldier, but I think we can forgive that for now.
What would doom do.
It's time to get over his hay days of Children's Crusade and realise that these young nippers are almost all grown up, and it all starts with this. Oh yeh...and he'd get the O'Malley variant.

I am not looking forward to Young Avengers...

No, not at all. And do you know why? Well I shall tell you. Its because of HIM, yes him, Kieron Gillen. That damned, cruel, beautiful, genius beast of a man. He has taken too much from me already. I have already given him all my love, and hope and joy, and he deserved it. Every measly scrap. Everything he touches seems to be gold, in my rose tinted eyes anyway. 

So why I hear you ask, am I not looking forward to Young Avengers? Because I fear it will be the death of me, or at least of all the joy and prettiness inside me that I have left, and trust me it's not much. It will destroy me, I have barely survived my previous encounters with the shattering beauty that is Gillen's work, (have you seen his work on Marvel NOW!'s Iron Man and he's taking him into Guardians of the Galaxy, I think I might weep.) but his genius, with Jamie McKelvie's artwork is just too much. I can't take it. Young Avengers will squeeze every last drop of goodness out of me, it will drain me completely and I will no longer be able to enjoy anything else. All because of Gillen.

For this reason I must stay away from Young Avengers, I must! Since if I don't, I will be ruined. And it will all be at the hands of Kieron Gillen. I think I finally understand how Bella felt. Now I must go blow my brains out since I once promised myself that if I ever made a Twilight reference I no longer deserve to live.

See what you have done Gillen, you have wrought both my destruction and a Twilight reference! 

Please don't ever change.

Hulk: Has the green behemoth actually changed?

Seeing that Marvel NOW is well and truly under way I thought I would take this chance to look back on some of my favourite characters and see whether they have really changed or if they just look like they have.

First up lets look at the Hulk, who, thanks in part to the Joss Whedon's masterpiece, is now more popular than ever.

In 1962 we were given the first ever issue of The Incredible Hulk, but who was he/it really? And how different is he from today's NOW version.

Well, first of he was grey, but that's just an aesthetic thing that while was a significant change when it happen isn't all that changing to the character in my opinion. No, the true aspect of the character was personal conflict, the scientist and man of reason Bruce Banner and the irrational destroyer the Hulk. Both at odds with one another, so much so that Banner takes it upon himself to rid the world of the Hulk and takes himself as far away from humanity as he can. Bruce dedicates himself to ridding the world, and himself, of the Hulk. While the Hulk fights against this, and everyone else. Especially those who come after him, whenever anyone tries to bring him in he usually attacks, he sees an enemy in everyone and refuses to join (for the most part).

So, we have two beings, both trying to rid themselves of the other and staying away from everyone, as they believe it to be the best for both themselves and others.

But, how have things changed, if at all?

Well, most notably the Hulk looks better, seems to have been working out. As for the character development and story, it has a changed, a lot. No longer is this a story of inner conflict and a man's quest to rid himself of his inner demons. Rather, Banner has excepted the Hulk and allows to him to destroy, but when needed, and in the right places. Both Banner and the Hulk have rejoined humanity, Hulk has even excepted joining forces to allow him to live in peace while also getting to smash. He just smashes what deserves to smashed now. And as for Banner, he now builds, he was always a genius, but he had let his need to destroy the Hulk take over his life, but now he has excepted that part of him he can use his mind to help improve life for everyone by using his most powerful aspect, his mind.

So, instead of two beings at odds with one another and the rest of the world we now have two beings that can work together with the rest of the world, to smash what would harm humanity and build that which can help them. A very different story from how it all began, and a better comic book for it.

What Would Doom Do? 

Nothing, it's the Hulk combined with one of the smartest men on the planet, Doom isn't an idiot, they can do anything they want. Doom will now take a nap.

Captain A-MEH-rica: The Underwhelming story.

For today, I have chosen to discuss Marvel NOW!'s (and I'm sick of using NOW!, so will just be using now, from now on (though I guess that could get confusing in situations like now, so maybe not.)) new Captain America book.

Having recently read issue #1 of the new Captain America book from Rick Remender, John Romita, Klaus Janson and Dean White. I was disappointed, I found the artwork jarring and difficult to relate to, it seemed to prevented me from really engaging with the story.

And then there is the story. Oh look, its Armin Zola, again, one of the most ridiculous looking villains possible, even M.O.D.O.K looks more intimidating. And oh, Captain America has been transported away and locked up...how many times does that make it?







Anyway, I wasn't a fan, but then came issue #2.

Wow was I wrong, this is actually an incredibly good book, maybe still not the best, but much better than I first thought. I'm still not the biggest fan of the artwork but I finding that the story more than makes up for it. What we are being given here is a Captain America that hasn't really been explored, or at least not recently. A Captain that is on the verge of losing hope, with no country, no home and on the edge of exhaustion.

Plus, Captain America is a baby stealer!!! Though probably for the best of course, but this adds another dimension to the book. It could be said that Steve Rogers is a father figure in the Marvel universe, but now he really has to take on the role, he has to look after a child and keep him safe, and in another dimension as well. So although I had a bit of a rocky start I will now definitely keep reading to the end of this arc at least and see how it goes from there.

And finally they became Fantastic

Let's keep this short and under 300 words.

Welcome back Fantastic Four.

Matt Fraction has taken the helm to lead this new series of the Fantastic Four (as well as the FF) and i'm finally falling back in love with this team. Fraction has taken it back to basics by returning them to the "astronaut family" that they really are. But of course this is Reed Richards, so of course there is a hidden agenda. After being bitten by a dinosaur (lol), upon further investigation Reed discovers that the molecular reconstruction that made these 4 'fantastic' is now deconstructing. So in an attempt to save his family, Reed whisks them off into space - under the guise of teaching the kids and showing them the universe- in an attempt to find answers and a cure.

The story is well written, witty and as far as i'm concerned it makes perfect sense, and it's great to see them returning to their roots. Jonny is back on top form (presenting his number to Darla in a ring box) and Ben is as awesome as ever. The introduction of the new FF aligns perfectly with where Fraction left with FF #1, and to be honest it makes sense to read both, if not for continuity, but Fractions work is not to be missed.

Mark Bagley and Mark Farmer are leaving their mark on this series, and I really can't fault their work at all. Very excited to see what they will produce for the space and action scenes.

This series just screams action and fun, and personally I think it's something that's been missing from the Fantastic Four recently, and with Franklin and Valeria in tow (FINALLY) you just know it's gonna be good.

What would Doom do?
Well this would definitely be a massive sore spot from his highness of Latervia, but hey there might be a chance of a cameo?! So he'd hold his banner high and chant "Yay for family fun!"

Bring on the Battle: Avengers Arena #1

Yes, just absolute yes. Now this right here is what I've been waiting for. Marvel NOW is DOMINATING our lives at the moment. There are already some fantastic heavy hitters - Iron Man, FF, Cable and X-Force, All New X-Men...just to name a few. And now Avengers Arena for me has just rocketed right up there.

Yes, we all know the story of Battle Royale (and The Hunger Games...FYI, both the BR book and film are in my top 5 ultimate faves hence all the excitement), and Hopeless gets this out of the way by acknowledging that the idea of AA came to the villain Arcade after reading "a couple of kids' books". 16 of Marvel's next generation of young heroes - including Hazmat & Mettle (Avengers Academy), Chase & Nico (The Runaways), X-23, Darkhawk, Kid Briton - find themselves zapped into kill or be killed scenario run by Arcade.

From the get go you can tell which characters are not destined for survival, not only does the cover art give this away, but you also know which characters are currently major players in the Marvel Universe. But what im really impressed with is the choice of characters - a mix of known and unknown, giving the unknown a chance to rise to the forefront of Marvels' younger generation. And for me I get to broaden my own knowledge of these characters.

I'm already loving what Hopeless is doing with with Cable, and AA doesn't disappoint. The dialogue is quick, witty and differentiates easily between each character. I'm not too clued up on all of them, but from the one's I do know, Hopeless has them on point. But at the same time this issue isn't too bogged down with text (it really doesn't need to be), all the basics are there and it gets right to the point. Although it does suffer from the same pitfull as Cable - why these characters and why this situation? There's no real explanation except that Arcade likes to see people die. This seriously can't be all? If that's gonna come later, then good, but if it's 'just because' then that's a little lame...so fingers crossed.

The artists at the moment are really owning these new series', and Kev Walker with colours by Frank Martin are on top form. This story is gonna be full of action sequences, and they are certainly up to the challenge. As soon as I got to the pages with Hazmat and X-23, I knew I was in for something pretty awesome. The colours are just brilliant. Theya re gonna play a big part in defining each character and Martin has got this locked down straight away. The scene where Mettle goes splat is beyond great...Hazmat's reaction is perfect. Although i do which this that particular scene had a whoe page dedicated to itself and that there had been no text. It definitely would have made it more powerful I think.

This is probably the first series so far where I have no conceive able idea of whats gonna happen next and how this is gonna pan out. Will they kill each other off completely? will they be saved. What the hell is gonna happen!

What would Doom do?
Whack on his best shiny cameo and hid real good in those bushes. How else is he gonna watch all this badass action happen. Keen.

Thunderbolts #1: More like a light drizzle

Now this is a series that i've been wanting to read since it was announced. The Thunderbolts - a team of (mismatched) 'reformed' heroes/villians looking to deal their own brand of justice. So whilst the premise is always good, sadly enough this issue was not.

General Thaddeus Ross is back and setting up the new Thunderbolts, traveling the world to recruit his new team - now comprised of Punisher, Deadpool, Elektra, Venom and sooner or later Mercy.

Unfortunately I felt that the issue fell a little flat on Way's side, all the ground work was there, but it just didn't seem to rise to much. It was pretty anti-climatic and predictable and to be honest I don't think that Steve Dillion's work is doing it any favours. I don't think that he's able to capture the 'epicness' of the Hulk or Venom, which I think will really become an issue as the series goes on; especially when it boils down to the big action sequences.

It's probably worth sticking with to see if Way can make it work, if not just to see the next gen. of Thunderbolts.

What would doom do?

He'd kick back and really, there's definitely no worry of Way's latest set of vigilantes turned hero trekking their way to his back yard. But it wouldn't hurt to keep his ear to the ground

Doom's guide to Deadpool

Ok, lets keep this short and simple. I am loving this new series of Deadpool. Our Merc with a mouth is on a quest to kill resurrected dead Presidents, followed by his new pal; the ghost of Ben Franklin.

Brian Posehn & Gerry Duggan are the perfect duo for this project, with a good amount of violence, humor and awesome one-liners. Anyone who can make the likes Dr Strange hilarious definitely have my vote - and who knew that Ben Franklin stole his woman!

Only 3 issues in and Deadpool is shooting and slashing his way through POTIS's galore in stunning fashion. Tony Moore's work is perfect. It's slapstick, gore-filled and just hilarious. Wade has been sliced and diced in every fashion...i've never seen so many way's to keep impaling a man! (the elephant was a perfect touch).

My only gripe with this is amount of times they've shown Wade without the mask. Of course we're no stranger to how he looks without it, but I feel like the element of mystery has been taken away.

But nevertheless this is a great series so far and a nice interval between the more intense/serious issues of Marvel NOW that are currently out.

What would doom do?
Fish out his finest Latverian dollar, hire himself a certain Merc with a mouth and get this monkey to keep on dancing.

Marvel NOW! X-Men: Legacy #1 - WTF?! Hehehe, Awesome

Well, I have now got round to reading X-Men Legacy #1 and I believe the post title sums this one up completely, its pure craziness it's weird and fantastic. I went into this knowing nothing, except that Simon Spurrier is a great writer and he hasn't let me down. I'll admit I know very little about Charles Xavier's son so I didn't have any prior knowledge to bring to this book, whether that be good or bad but I still enjoyed it thoroughly.

I was able to just sit back and follow along on the wacky ride that Simon is running, and wacky it is. Half the time I had no idea what was going on until about halfway through, and I imagine that's pretty much the same way our main character felt. I recommend picking this one up completely, and I think its only going to get better, at at least I'm hoping it will Simon, you hear me, I don't want to be disappointed in a few months when you find something else new and exciting, we are in this for the long haul ok?

Now, for the artwork, its just as crazy as the story but still easy to see, you don't have to struggle to make out what's going on which is always a good thing. So a big thank you to Tan Eng Huat and the ability to match a level of wackiness with Simon Spurrier and yet remain understandable. It is a pleasure to see the inner psyche of David Haller, our protagonist. The shear insane nature of the imagery coupled with the imagination and ability to bring this imagery to life really adds another dimension to this comic and Simon's writing. A great pairing that I cant wait to see the future of.

What Would Doom Do? 

Well, probably bleed from his eyes as he attempts to comprehend the true nature of this work, but do it with a wide grin on his face and joy in his heart and maniacally rock back and forth in eager anticipation of the next issue.

Marvel NOW! Iron Man #1, Yes! Yes! Oh God Yes!

Iron man #1 - Writer: Kieron Gillen, Penciler: Greg Land, Inker: Jay Leisten, Colourist: Guru eFX

Judgement: I loved it, from start to finish I loved it. Gillen has got the tone just right, and he seems to know Tony Stark better than Tony Stark does, with just the right mix of confidence and questioning doubt. Then there is the story, which has of course only just begun, but I already feel like we are moving along nicely and cant wait for further issues. Yes, extremis returns, yes A.I.M returns, but it at no point feels like recycling old stories, it all feels natural and fits in nicely. its also nice to see Gillen have some fun with the character, or more specifically his facial hair and he obviously has some fantastic ideas of where to take the armour. I realise some people may have a few issues over it not being the classic red and gold any more  but I like it, I think it works and I'm looking forward to more.

Then we have the art work, which, if you ask me fits perfectly it's that right mix of smooth polish and sharp edges without being forced that really complements Iron Man. And congratulations to the team of Land, Leisten and Guru who have managed to bring so much emotion and attitude to what is essentially a piece of metal, very well done.

What Would Doom Do?

He would even take his mask of to read this to let all the goodness flow right into his eyeballs. And then proceed to send Kieron some rather disturbing messages demanding to know the secret of 'putty' armour.

All New X-Men has the X-factor

So i've decided to kick off my Marvel NOW journey with All New X-Men #1 and what better place to start. I've had my hit and miss moments with the X-men in recent years - with Cyclops in particular, but this first issue has pretty much restored my faith.

Fresh off the heels of AvX and Scott's reign of terror, Bendis is beginning to take us back to the core of the X-men in an attempt to restore it's original values and ideals - which its recent incarnations appear to have forgotten (not that i'm bitter or anything...). However this will be a battle from 3 sides...

So to the present, and cue Scott, Emma and Magneto attempting to track down mutants discovering their powers, and offering them a safe haven.
As I said in my 'slanderous' account of AvX, i'm Team Scott, so I was pretty happy to see him taking this route...in my eyes he doesn't have to atone for anything, but hey.

Lest we not forget the new leaders of the pack. Storm, Bobby, Kitty and Beast still provide a very strong backbone for what's left of the X-Men, and Storm brings her weatherbitch fierceness in a way that I don't find annoying surprisingly ..and I really think that this is an Ororo that I can actually begin to like (Halle Berry ruined her for me soz). And for the first time I feel like their all on an even footing - they're all gonna bring something to this fight.

And finally the golden oldies. I've always been a major fan of the original X-Men lineup (Bobby Bobby everywhere..) so it was great to see them together again in all their glory. I also think it's a great way to bring back Jean without her being to annoying and phoenixy and to reassemble a team that we tend to forget about and no long really associate each other with. I really hope that they take their own stance on the events (in other words, i'm not very keen for them to team up with Wolverine)

So those are the contestants, lets move on.
The artwork of Immonen, Grawbadger and Gracia is strong, really strong, and the type of work that i've come to expect from some of the best X-Men issues. It's vibrant, consistent, dazzling, yet dark and the double page spread in which we witness a new mutants powers first appearing is pretty electric. Basically, I love it.

ANXM#1 is definitely at the top of my Marvel NOW list so far, and with Bendis behind the wheel, i'm pretty sure that the best is yet to come (cheesy much?).

So what would doom do? he'd find himself a nice little spot on his doom shaped sofa and be prepared to dig deep, cause a lot of time and money is about to be reinvested into our favourite misunderstood mutants.

Marvel NOW! Deadpool #1: Dead in the Water?

Well, I've got round to reading Deadpool #1, and I'm sure you're all hear desperate to know my opinion on the subject, so here it is, enjoy, or don't, it's your choice.

I love Deadpool, I want to make that clear, and I couldn't wait for this book, and I so wanted to love it. I really wanted to be able to enjoy it and be desperate for the next issue. But unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case. I just couldn't like it, I can't quite pin down what it was, but something was just off. Maybe it has become overdone? Or maybe it wasn't quite as humorously horrific as I'm used to, and they had Wade spend far too much time with his mask off. 

Though I do realise we have a new team in the form of writers Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn writing the 'merc with a mouth' and it may just take a few issues to find its feet. However, in defence there were some excellent moments I did laugh out loud on occasion as I have come to expect from a Deadpool book. I'd like to think that things will get better, and due to my love of Deadpool, or at least the Deadpool of old I will be giving Duggan and Posehn a fair chance. I can see the potential, I think if they mix in just the right amount of inner torment for Wade this could be very good. 

And now, a brief mention of the art work, hmmmmm. Not sure what to make of it, I think I like it. I think I'm just scared of change, but change can be good. And yes, now that I've had time to consider it I like it. Bravo Tony Moore and Val Staples. 

Furthermore, you can't dislike anyone that can draw and colour giant monster nipples. And for that reason alone you should probably at least give Deadpool a chance, just to check out the monster nipples.

The not so canny return of the Uncanny X-Men?!

I'll keep this short and sweet...but Bendis and Bachalo have managed to completely blow my mind. I'm absolutely LOVING this Marvel NOW! teasers.

The potential return of the Uncanny X-Men is definitely something i'd love to see. Although i'm a bit confused considering that they'd stated that it wouldn't be part of Marvel NOW, and Bendis is working on The All New X-Men...There are definitely big thing's a'coming...

Battle of the Variants..

The battle has begun! With Marvel claiming that their variant covers are pretty damn successful, they have been met with the accusation of artificially inflating sales through their multitude of covers.

Variant covers of issues was a very popular practice during the Avengers vs X-Men series, and if i'm honest I found myself not only getting pretty confused about whether I was getting the right issue, but it also left me feeling pretty pissed off if I ended up with the cover art that I didn't want cause the other ones were all sold out!

I like to keep all my comics pretty ordered and 'in sync' so in the case of AvX, having covers that didn't match was pretty annoying (not that im OCD or anything)..so in that aspect I kinda wished that they'd just bore off...Until I came across the next set of variants that they've got geared up.

With Marvel NOW fast approaching, Marvel have stated that there will be an increased number of variants, and one that definitely caught my eye is the one they've got lined up for Young Avengers #. The original cover - pencilled by McKelvie, will be rivalled by the artwork of the one and only Bryan Lee O'Malley (Scott Pilgram)

Cover by McKelvie

Cover by O'Malley

I am absolutely LOVING this. It presents the YA as what they really are...young, fun teenagers. It says soooo much but yet gives away so little, and I will be majorly bummed if I miss out on getting O'Malley's variant cover!

Did I also add that i'll be getting the original too?

And what would doom do? he'd bloody well dig deep and make sure he had enough pennies to pick up both versions of this bad boy, and pray to himself that this is the only awesome variant that this title has to offer, otherwise Latervia will be in some serious debt...

Marvel NOW! Point One: A collection of my thinky things

Well, its been bought, its been read, its been mulled over and thoroughly thought through.
So here are my rash and entirely irrational thoughts on Point one and the teasers contained within.

The framing sequence (or the stuff with Fury and Coulson) is good, solid art work with decent writing and lots of questions raised. Plus we get to see a badass Coulson, fantastic. Looking forward to more of Fury and Coulson and their crazy, frolicking fun.

Next up is the Star Lord introduction, yes, I will definitely be picking this up. I've been a long time fan of Peter Quill and I'm very interested in seeing how this develops and seeing Bendis' and McNiven's handling of the character, considering the last time they worked together we got the Sentry, I'm excited to see what happens. Plus the artwork is pretty, always a plus, thank you Mr McNiven. I think we have a top selling run here, I'm very excited to see how the Guardians of the Galaxy turn out, I was a fan of them before, and I hope to be a fan of them again, with a start like this, I think I will be. Over to you Bendis

Nova, no, sorry but no. I think it may be that I'm still biased towards Richard Rider, I don't seem able to move on from DnA's Nova and the Annihilation wave and War of Kings and all that cosmic awesomeness  I cant see myself picking up this new Nova, I didn't connect with him immediately as I did with Rich. And no Worldmind?! maybe this is still to come, but still.... It also felt like it was pandering to a younger audience, both in terms of writing and artwork. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that, but its just not for me, though I will still keep an eye on how it develops, maybe it can win me over.

Young Avengers/Miss America, again similar complaints as with Nova, but I will reserve judgement on this one till we see the rest of the team and let things develop a little. Young Avengers have a great selection of characters and relationships and I am a fan of Kieron Gillen ( did you see his work with Uncanny X - Men? Wow), so I'll probably be picking up the next few issues of this to see how things go. And I'm sure my co-contributor will agree, its not Young Avengers till we have Wiccan and Hulkling there.

Ant man, this is an odd one, really not to  sure what to make of it. Did I enjoy it? I think so. Do I love the work of Matt Fraction? Yes I do. Did I like the Artwork of Michael Allred? It's growing on me, it reminds me of the Golden Age, I may grow to love it, or hate it, only time will tell. I think this could be a slow burner, I'll be keeping an eye on it, and I suggest you do the same.

Cable and X-force, this is a definite yes, mostly because I love Forge, but still seems awesome to me. We had Forge fixing his own brain?! How can you not love it already? so far its been very well put together, and I particular like the Cable reveal at the end, thank you Sir Gabriel Hernandez Walta. Really looking forward to seeing the future of this one, very excited to see the introduction of the other characters. And I have no idea the direction the story will take, you never can tell with Cable, so even if its terrible at least it'll be fun finding out.
Gotta love some X-force.







What Would Doom Do?
Why, go read it again of course, then make a note of all the release dates for the titles he is most looking forward to, which just so happen to be the same as my favourites, me and Doom, sitting in a tree....

Uncanny Avengers #1......Meh

So, I've read Uncanny Avengers issue one, and as the title post says, meh. I didn't hate it, but neither did I love it. Did it feel like a brand new series, a paradigm shifting issue? No, it just felt like another issue except with a 1 on the front. Though it is still of course early on, I'm sure that as things continue I'll become far more enthralled by it. Perhaps I had just built it up far too much, after all the line up is fairly interesting, a new combination of heroes that we haven't really seen working together before. Both in terms of power sets and relationships.

Though I don't want to give you the impression that I didn't enjoy it, I did, its worth a read just for the few excellent moments, the last page for example did have me a little speechless, and the image of Captain America flying away with his legs spread? Priceless, an image that will  stay with me for years to come. Yes, the issue itself didn't fill me with joy like others have, but while not in itself the most impressive thing I've read, it has started laying the groundwork for what could be some really fun and captivating stories.

Now, as for the artwork, I like it, I like it a lot. Its clean and clear, not over done or too gritty, we don't have any over muscled steroid pumped heroes, instead we have some true comic artwork that shows people as they might actually be, just the right mix of reality and fantasy. Which I feel is also reflected by the writing, with characters admitting to the reality of their situation  such as Captain America admitting that they didn't do enough to help mutants. What we have here, I feel, is a slightly more grounded Marvel comic book, whether they keep their feet on the ground remains to be seen. But I certainly do like the combination of Remender and Cassaday, if they continue like this then I fear I may be writing angry letters to them if they attempt to split up, its not all about you two, think of the readers! Think of the readers!!

And What Would Doom Do?  He would calmly enjoy it, he would also add it to his pull list as he has seen the future and knows that big things are just around the corner. Big things. Just around the corner. He also has a soft spot for Havok so for that reason alone will be buying every issue.