Perennials Preview - October 2015

Age of Apocalypse #5 (of 5)

(W) Fabian Nicieza (A) Iban Coello (CA) Gerardo Sandoval

The philosophy of Apocalypse has always been "let the fittest survive," but by its ultimate extension, that would only leave one person standing! As mutants fall from the shocking release of a devastating plague, who will live and who will die? And if Apocalypse falls, who will rule in his place...?

Note: This Secret Wars mini was chosen as the Uncanny X-Men replacement (even though Uncanny X-Men has technically not yet ended).

Amazing Spider-Man #1

(W) Dan Slott (A) Giuseppe Camuncoli, Various (CA) Alex Ross

Spider-Man has gone global! Parker Industries is more successful than ever, with offices in New York, Shanghai, London and San Francisco and Peter Parker is racking up the frequent flyer miles with his "bodyguard" Spider-Man in tow, of course. But success breeds enemies and a reinvigorated Zodiac have also widened their scope to threaten the whole world. Join Dan Slott and Giuseppe Camuncoli as they take Spider-Man to the next level! This huge first issue also includes stories featuring Silk, Spidey 2099, Spider-Woman and much more!

Amazing Spider-Man #2

(W) Dan Slott (A) Giuseppe Camuncoli, Various (CA) Alex Ross

Captain America: Sam Wilson #1

(W) Nick Spencer (A/CA) Daniel Acuña

When Steve Rogers was restored to his natural age, he chose one of his closest and most trusted allies to take up his shield. Now Sam Wilson, formerly the Avenger known as Falcon, carries on the fight for liberty and justice as the all-new, all-different Captain America!

Note: This is a variant cover for issue #1

Captain America: Sam Wilson #2

(W) Nick Spencer (A/CA) Daniel Acuña

Civil War #5 (of 5)

(W) Charles Soule (A/CA) Leinil Francis Yu

• The final battle of the Civil War. Heroes and Villains from both sides of the Divide clash in an epic confrontation to determine the future of the Warzone once and for all!

Note: This Secret Wars mini was chosen as the Avengers replacement.

Extraordinary X-Men #1

(W) Jeff Lemire (A/CA) Humberto Ramos

The fate of mutantkind is decided here! Staring down the threat of extinction once more, veteran X-Man Storm pulls together the team she'll need to ensure her race's survival. Together, these EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN will struggle with the familiar burden of being hated and feared, while facing threats the likes of which they've never seen. Here's hoping they survive the experience!

Extraordinary X-Men #2

(W) Jeff Lemire (A/CA) Humberto Ramos

Invincible Iron Man #1 & 2

(W) Brian Michael Bendis (A/CA) David Marquez

Exploding out of the pages of SECRET WARS, one of the most popular super heroes in the world gets a gigantic new series. From the creators that brought you ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN comes new armor, new supporting cast, new villains and a new purpose that is going to tear itself across the entire Marvel Universe and beyond. With a shocker of a last page that will have everyone talking and the return of one of Tony's biggest nemeses, you will not want to miss this!! Also, who are Tony's biological parents? The quest begins here!

Secret Wars #6 & 7 (of 9)

(W) Jonathan Hickman (A) Esad Ribic (CA) Alex Ross

THE FINAL WAR!

Thors #4 (of 4)

(W) Jason Aaron (A/CA) Chris Sprouse

• The shocking conclusion.
• The murderer revealed.
• The last stand of the Thors!

Note: This Secret Wars mini was chosen to replace Thor.

The Perennials are Changing

For the past 4 years, I have been collecting DC's New 52 Perennials:

• Justice League
• Superman
• Action Comics
• Batman
• Detective Comics
• Wonder Woman
• Green Lantern
• Flash
• Aquaman

Recently, I have had the desire to do other things, so I had to figure out a way to reduce my pull list. I looked over the 4 years of stories that DC has produced in the New 52 and I can safely say only Justice League was compelling. Greg Pak did some enjoyable things with Action Comics, but it played second-fiddle to Superman. Batman has had a nice run, but it hasn't spilled over into any grand ideas that influenced anything else. Some titles have not yet found their footing. For those reasons, I have to abandon my DC pull. I just don't enjoy their stories anymore.

An additional casualty is Daredevil. The idea of Perennials has two components: big characters and big stories. Daredevil has been around a long time, but his stories are always so insular and have almost zero impact in the Marvel Universe at large. He could disappear tomorrow and would create no ripple effect.

Thus, what I am left with are 8 solid Marvel Perennials, which will now be referred to as simple The Perennials. They include:

• All-New, All-Different Avengers by Mark Waid
• Extraordinary X-Men by Jeff Lemire
• Secret Wars by Jonathan Hickman (My Fantastic Four book)
• Amazing Spider-Man by Dan Slott
• Totally Awesome Hulk by Greg Pak
• Captain America: Sam Wilson by Nick Spencer
• Invincible Iron Man by Brian Michael Bendis
• Mighty Thor by Jason Aaron

It has always been my intention to write reviews and explore the Perennials in further depth, but given the scope of the Perennials in the past, I couldn't realistic accomplish that goal. Now, with the scope of the Perennials being 8 series (plus future crossovers or event minis). I should be able to start working on that kind of coverage. No guarantees.

Perennials Preview - September 16th, 2015

Superman/Wonder Woman #21

(W) Peter J. Tomasi (A) Doug Mahnke, Jaime Mendoza (CA) Paulo Siqueira

The epic "Truth" arc hits close to the heart as dark secrets come to light, forcing Superman and Wonder Woman to question whether their relationship can work in this new world of identities revealed and questionable actions.

Wonder Woman #44

(W) Meredith Finch (A/CA) David Finch, Jonathan Glapion

Wonder Woman is on the trail of Donna Troy, who seeks refuge in London from both Diana and her past. But a new friend may be more trouble than help for the fleeing Amazon outcast!

Age of Apocalypse #4 (of 5)

(W) Fabian Nicieza (A) Iban Coello (CA) Gerardo Sandoval

The philosophy of Apocalypse has always been "let the fittest survive," but by its ultimate extension, that would only leave one person standing! As mutants fall from the shocking release of a devastating plague, who will live and who will die? And if Apocalypse falls, who will rule in his place...?

Armor Wars #5 (of 5)

(W) James Robinson (A) Marcio Takara (CA) Paul Rivoche

ATTACK OF THE FIFTY FOOT MECHA!
• With the STARK FAMILY secret revealed...
• One the STARK BROTHERS must pay the price...
• Plus: Justice for SPYDER-MAN

Guardians of Knowhere #4 (of 4)

(W) Brian Michael Bendis (A/CA) Mike Deodato

• Who is this mysterious woman and how could she have taken out Gamora?
• Knowhere is in turmoil and, some would say, easy-pickings. Who's going to take it all?

House of M #3 (of 4)

(W) Dennis Hopeless, Cullen Bunn (A) Ario Anindito (CA) Kris Anka

• In order to retake everything he has lost, MAGNETO, the rightful patriarch of the House of Magnus, must ally himself with those he has sworn to rule-LUKE CAGE and the rest of the human resistance!

The Risk of J. J. Abrams Directing Star Wars: The Force Awakens

If there is one element which ties all of J. J. Abrams work together is the idea of the great reveal. Secrets and reveals were the cornerstone of LOST, the ABC serialized drama which put his name on the pop culture map. His subsequent films including Super 8, hinged on a reveal that once known allowed the film to be seen on its own merits, which usually didn't amount to much. The only time where one of J. J. Abram's films was able to stand on its own, his only enduring work, is Star Trek. The film is as watchable now as it was when it was first released. It doesn't rely as heavily on the reveal and Abrams would be wise to follow that framework for Star Wars.

People will discover the secrets of Star Wars: The Force Awakens before it is released. The film will be leaked. Secrets will be spilled. Abrams needs to make sure that the work isn't diminished by the inevitable reveals. The greatness of the current Star Wars is that they are enjoyable and watchable even after you learn that Darth Vader is Luke's father. That's what Abrams should be aiming for. Have secrets and reveals in the film, sure, but also make sure the work is able to stand as a shining example of cinema even after fans memorize every scene of the film.

DC/Marvel Perennials Preview - September 9th, 2015

Perennials is the word I use to describe the most popular and enduring characters from the DC/Marvel canon. I try to limit my comics purchases somehow, lest I go broke. So I settled on the Perennials.

Action Comics #44 (#948)

(W) Greg Pak, Aaron Kuder (A/CA) Aaron Kuder

The epic "Truth" arc reaches its finale as Superman makes some brutal choices and discovers the source of the Shadow Warriors.

Batman #44 (#757)

(W) Scott Snyder (A/CA) Jock

It's the origin of new villain Mr. Bloom! In a tale from Bruce Wayne's past, Batman must investigate a vicious crime in the shadowy area of Gotham City known as the Narrows. Don't miss this special issue illustrated by superstar artist Jock (Wytches, GREEN ARROW YEAR ONE)!

Batman/Superman #24

(W) Greg Pak (A/CA) Ardian Syaf, Vicente Cifuentes

The epic "Truth" arc reaches its finale as Superman discovers the true fate of Batman and makes a fateful decision.

Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #5 (of 5)

(W) Dan Slott (A/CA) Adam Kubert

• The Parkers vs. Regent.

Civil War #4 (of 5)

(W) Charles Soule (A/CA) Leinil Francis Yu

• Tony Stark comes face-to-face with his true enemy, while General Rogers commences a massive military effort to end the Civil War once and for all.

Planet Hulk #5 (of 5)

(W) Sam Humphries (A) Marc Laming (CA) Mike Del Mundo

BRANDED BY BATTLE! ABSOLVED BY BLOOD!
• For STEVE ROGERS and DEVIL DINOSAUR...there is no end to HULK, no promise of salvation.
• Crawl in the mud and the blood, until the claws of death reach your throat!
• THERE IS NO ESCAPE...PLANET HULK IS INSIDE US ALL!

Marvel Studios Thriftiness Hurts Film Quality

By many measures Marvel Studios has been a major success story. What began as an experiment to see if Iron Man could make it on the big screen has turned into a whole tapestry of films which tie into each other. This success was not guaranteed and I argue it Marvel Studios has been damn lucky so far. Currently they risk their luck running out and imploding upon their own lofty expectations. But how? By not investing in the tools of the trade - good writers and directors.

Recall that the first Marvel Studio film in the Cinematic Universe was Iron Man. Who directed that film? Happy Hogan himself, Jon Favreau. Not a fantastic director by any means, but cheap and pliable. Marvel got lucky in that the film was successful with those parts, taking a risk on a recovering Robert Downey Jr. who was past his prime.

Years later and we have a history of films directors and actors, which all point to the same conclusion - hire cheap and hope for the best. Marvel again got lucky with James Gunn and the Russo Brothers as their filmography was no guarantee of a good film, but they were cheap and pliable.

Recently, Marvel Studios has gotten competition from Warner Bros who owns DC Comics and is crafting their own comic book-based super-hero cinematic universe led by Superman and Batman. Who do they hire to make their films? Zach Snyder, David Ayer, James Wan, the writers/directors of The Lego Movie and Ben Affleck as writer/director/actor. Warner is investing heavily in actual established talent. Just look at the cast of Suicide Squad which casts former tent-pole actor Will Smith as just one of many popular actors in an ensemble cast.

Today comes word that Marvel Studios is breaking away from Marvel because of limits on costs and creativity. So Disney is not stupid and has seen what Warner Bros. is doing and realizes that Marvel needs to actually invest in their films to guarantee quality. This is a good development for the studio, but the damage has already been done. Doctor Strange and Spider-Man have already had directors with spotty (or non-existent) track records attached to them. If those film bomb, Marvel has no one to blame but themselves. I still mourn the Edgar Wright Ant-Man film I never got to see and will continue to for the rest of my life.

Pull List - April 1st, 2015

Amazing Spider-Man #17
(W) Dan Slott (A/CA) Humberto Ramos
• The Ghost has invaded Parker Industries!
• With this super-powered saboteur, no secret is safe-- no PEOPLE are safe, either, for that matter.

Avengers #43

(W) Jonathan Hickman (A) Mike Mayhew (CA) Adam Kubert
IN TWO MONTHS...TIME RUNS OUT!

Cyclops #12

(W) John Layman (A) Javi Garron (CA) Alexander Lozano
• If power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, whaddaya think near-infinite cosmic power granted by the Black Vortex does?
• Jean Grey is about to find out, which spells very bad news for both Jean Grey-- and the universe!
• But there's one man who might be able to stop her, who might be able to save her... except in this case it's not exactly a man, it's a 16-year-old space-pirate-in-training and (maybe) the love of Jean Grey's life... Scott Summers.
• Can Cyclops save the day? Maybe. But we can't guarantee he'll survive the experience.

Uncanny Avengers #3

(W) Rick Remender, Gerry Duggan (A/CA) Daniel Acuña
• It was a perfect day on Counter Earth, then Sabretooth showed up.
• The Avengers are divided; the hunt for their missing friends unearths a terrible secret.
• What evil lurks on the moon of Counter Earth?

Uncanny Inhumans #0

(W) Charles Soule (A/CA) Steve McNiven
• The industry's best-selling artist comes to the Inhumans!
• The prelude to one of Marvel's biggest launches of 2015 is here!
• Think you know Black Bolt? Think again, as the men who killed Wolverine show you a side of the Inhuman King you've never seen before!

Wolverines #13

(W) Ray Fawkes, Charles Soule (A) Jason Masters (CA) Guillem March
THIS IS IT! THE MOMENT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!
• Make sure to pick up this issue for the DEBUT of a very special guest.
• Also, special appearances by some of your favorite Marvel Universe heroes (and even some villains).
• But what will the Paradise and Wolverines team think of the return?

Secret Wars Pre-Event Analysis

So Secret Wars is happening over at Marvel. It is an 8-issue event series, affecting just about every other book that Marvel publishes in its 616 universe of titles. Rumors swirled that this was a reboot of sorts for the continuity. I still don't know whether that will be the case or not. Let's go over what we do know.

• The Marvel Universe (and all multiverses and timelines) are being destroyed and mapped into a single planet known as Battleworld. Each continuity exists as its own country on this planet.
• Most of the existing series taking place in the Marvel Universe are being ended and starting in May will be replaced by series which seem to homage previous events. For example, Infinity Gauntlet and Planet Hulk.
• After having seen all the current replacement series, I can safely say that not a single 616-er is the focus or among any of these series. These are series about non-616 versions of 616 characters or in some cases characters that Marvel hasn't used for decades (Weirdworld).
• These series are advertised as series and not mini-series, which means they have the potential to keep going after Secret Wars has ended.

We have seen something similar to this in the past with the Age of Apocalypse storyline in X-Men during the 1990's. Each of the major X-Men titles were replaced by mini-series which told new and interesting stories from that timeline. The existing continuity ceased to exist and then after the event was over, the previous continuity continued. There is a major here and that difference is intriguing.

• A lot of these are advertised as ongoing series, rather than minis-series. How can these series work on their own if after the event, things go back to some semblance of normalcy? Will Battleworld exist separately from the Marvel 616 Universe? Will these warzones as they are described be transported back to their own place in the timeline and multiverse after the event is over? I think that seems more likely.

Don't forget that X-Man become a series after Age of Apocalypse ended when the titular character was transported to main-line continuity, but that was more of a surprise than expectation.

Other interesting tidbits include:

• Marvel is saying that these series will have legs and affect what kind of outcome Secret Wars has. Is Marvel really going to do a Survivor-esque game to determine what the future Marvel looks like based on the sales of these new ongoing series? If 1872 sells the most of all the other titles, will the new Marvel Universe become a Western-themed one? That's a strange thought. How would they be able to accommodate a Western-setting with alternate versions of Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and Bruce Banner in the new 616 that may appear out of the end of Secret wars?
• There isn't a single X-Men series announced so far which includes an exclusive creator as the writing lead. I don't mean writers who only write for Marvel, but those who have signed an exclusive contract and therefore are put on the most high-profile books and take part in the Writer summits that occur several times a year. Sure we have Old Man Logan by Brian Michael Bendis, but that storyline was known as a Wolverine book with very few X-Men in it. We still have House of M, I believe, as the last outstanding series that would be X-Men-related and could be considered a major X-Men replacement.
• There is no Daredevil. Sure there was mention of a Daredevil in one of the series, but there is no book with Daredevil as the lead. A privilege the character has enjoyed for decades. Rumor has it that Daredevil is not affected by Secret Wars, however Daredevil is conspicuously absent from the latest June solicitations.

Ultimately, I think Marvel is using this event to try to throw some new ideas and concepts at the wall without having to rely on their core 616 characters (who I assume will all be stuck in the Secret Wars mini-proper). There are some exceptions to that idea, namely Ultimate End, Thors and Inhumans: Attilan Rising, all of which include 616 references of one kind or another. We can easily explain Ultimate End as taking place during the incursion between 616 and Ultimate Marvel. However, Thors and Inhumans: Attilan Rising both use references to the existing female Thor. Maybe it is only the Warzone titles which won't include 616 characters, while the Battleworld titles won't have such a restriction. 

At this stage, who can say? This is all horribly confusing and I wish Marvel would provide more clarity in their intentions. I don't want spoilers or the ending of the Secret Wars event ruined for me. What I want is assurances on which books are the most important to the publisher. As a Marvel fan who is mostly concerned with continuity, I would find that most comforting. Right now, the only thing I have to go by are which titles have exclusive creators on them. Those include:

Ultimate End	Bendis
Old Man Logan	Bendis
Guardians of Knowhere	Bendis
Inhumans: Attilan Rising	Charles Soule
Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows	Dan Slott
A-Force	G. Willow Wilson
1872	Gerry Duggan
Mrs. Deadpool and the Howling Commandos	Gerry Duggan
Infinity Gauntlet	Gerry Duggan
Age of Ultron vs. Marvel Zombies	James Robinson
Armor Wars	James Robinson
Thors	Jason Aaron
Weirdworld	Jason Aaron
1602: Witch Hunter Angela	Kieron Gillen
Future Imperfect	Peter David, Greg Land
Star-Lord & Kitty Pryde	Sam Humphries
Planet Hulk	Sam Humphries

Future Imperfect is iffy, if only because Peter David has a history of not working on high-profile titles within the publisher or being a major fixture at the Marvel summits. Greg Land, however, is known to work the more high-profile titles within Marvel. That combination is why I included Future Imperfect. 

Rick Remender is conspicuously absent from any of these Secret Wars shenanigans. Maybe he sees it as a good time to take a break and get some creator-owned work completed. I also expected Tom Taylor to be present, since he is writing Superior Iron Man, but he is also missing. I don't know for sure if he is an exclusive creator at this point in time, but working on Iron Man does make him a high-profile creator for Marvel. Also missing is Mark Waid, though I have no idea what his future plans with Marvel are after his exit from Daredevil takes place. Maybe just Star Wars comics.

Green Lantern #40 Review

I will be the first to admit when I am wrong. I was wrong about Robert Venditti.

After Geoff Johns left Green Lantern, I was pessimistic that Venditti could fill his shoes. Johns had a legendary run. The first few issues and arcs felt a bit rocky, one event after another, but I see the big picture now. I see the groundwork that was being laid to led us to this moment. The moment when Hal Jordan leaves the Green Lantern Corps determined to go from it's greatest member to its greatest enemy.

Of course this sounds familiar. We have been here before in Emerald Twilight under different circumstances. The main difference here is that Hal Jordan is not evil, merely executing a plan to being the Green Lantern Corps back to greatness.

Because of the myriad of events, trials, and tribulations over the existing Venditti run, the universe no longer desires to have the Green Lantern Corps around. Hal's plan and that of the Guardians is to have Hal steal Krona's Gauntlet, leave the Corps and divert the hate from the Corps itself to Hal. Because Hal was the leader of the Corps when the people lost faith in it, he can become an antagonist for the Corps to triumph against and rebuild their reputation with him.

There was a very touching moment in the issue where Hal had to fight Kilowog, the only person he could confess his plan to, in order to make the betrayal appear more genuine. Kilowog made Hal beat him up real good. Kilowog would have it no other way.

How this will affect his return to the Justice League, I have no idea. Maybe in an effort to diversify the Green Lantern from the Power Ring, they can have Hal running around with the Gauntlet in Justice League as well. I am interested to see how the other DC titles are going to change for their pre-Convergence issues.