The Mast Blogs/Reviews: Tired of Comic Con Talk? Tough! & Thursday's Comics (29/7/2010).

You can't fight in here! This is The War Room!

It's crazy to me that it's July 29th already, man. Where did the time go? Last I checked it was New Year's Eve 2009! We're half way through a year already. Insanity!

My blog is being used more and more like a blog nowadays. In a way, I'm glad for Comic Con because it gives me a chance to flesh my posts out with more than just my opinions about the comics I buy. I'm not a blogger who reviews whatever comes out, I review what I read.

With that said, here's some more Comic Con goodness. There's a Thor movie coming out, not too sure if you heard about that. Well, here's an amazing image of a certain Asgardian armour that will be showing up in the movie:



That is the aptly titled Asgardian Destroyer. Also known as The Destroyer. It's a mystical, sentient armour that can be worn or operate on its own. How will it fit into the movie? I know not. Am I excited to see? Yes. Very excited.

It looks so simplistic and brutal. Unf, I love it.

There was something else, too. An announcement that caused all kinds of, for lack of a more eloquent term, nerd-gasms. Marvel revealed this:



That is The Infinity Gauntlet. If you don't know what it is, go to THIS LINK for a heads-up.

Now, upon reading that, you'll know precisely why I'm wilding out over it. How will they incorporate it? When? Why?! Also, this is made all the more interesting by knowing that, in the Captain America teaser they showed, the Red Skull is seen discovering what seems to be the Cosmic Cube, referred to as one of Odin's treasures. For every bit of continuity Marvel lose with an actor change, they regain it by pulling something like this.

Could The Avengers be a cosmic affair of epic proportions? I don't know if Marvel's ambition should worry me or excite me. At the very least I am indeed curious. Speaking of The Avengers, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner? A capable actor, but not Edward Norton. Marvel dropped the ball there. I think Marvel should go the Mortal Kombat route of putting Ruffalo in a short film so we can get used to him and feel him as the character.

More exciting is that Jeremy Renner will be playing none other than Clint Barton, Hawkeye. I think this could be as perfect a casting choice as R.D.J. was for Iron Man and I BELIEVE Tom Hiddleston was for Loki. We shall see. All of this considered, I maintain that if this movie is no longer than two and a half hours, it's going to be a clusterfuck. It's exciting to see how it'll all unfold.

One last piece of news, but by no means least exciting, is that Frank fucking Castle, The Punisher, is back under the legal rights of Marvel Studios! Does this mean we can finally get an R-rated Punisher movie, or would it be overkill having produced two attempts at a reboot (Three Punisher movies if you count the Dolph Lundgren one)? What do you think?



I think The Punisher needs an R-rated movie and anything else is stupid. He's not Spider-Man, he's not meant to be someone younger people can relate to. If anything, he's one of the very few solely adult properties Marvel has and deserves to be represented as such.

Look at that! I almost forgot about the most important thing!

The comics!


Uncanny X-Men #526,

Shining brightly out of dark recesses of The X-Men's history comes The Five Lights. As always, it's penned by Matt Fraction, but features pencils by Whilce Portacio.

Hope embarks on her trip to Alaska as promised, accompanied by Dr. Nemesis, Rogue and Cypher. The conversations she has with Cypher on the ride over there are quite funny. Cypher, detached as always, non-chalantly informs her of all the relatives he's discovered that have passed on, even offering to search for dead pets when Dr. Nemesis sarcastically suggests he do so.

Turns out her birth name is Spalding, quite shit really. Hope Spalding. She meets with her grandmother, without her grandmother knowing who she is, and asks questions about her mother. Never revealing who she truly is. Her mother has passed away, and we get to see her visit her grave before all this, which is where she meets her grandmother, ironically.

It's kind of nice, I suppose, but it feels like it was all for nothing. It's well written, but kind of unnecessary. It all culminates in Hope noticing how her mother was a firefighter, choosing to be in harm's way to save lives, and this settles her decision to be an X-chick. Surely she could've picked up the whole, "Sometimes putting yourself in harm's way to protect others." from...I dunno, CABLE DOING IT FOR HER ALL THIS TIME. Ehh.

Anyway, the issue consists of various groupings of X-Men looking for these newly manifested mutants. One of them is intercepted by Hope and the like on their way home. About to commit suicide, Hope dives off the building and saves her.

Instantly, this girl, revealed to be called Laurie, fully transforms into what looks like Nocturne. Clearly she's not Nocturne, I'm just noting the resemblance. I think it's implied that Hope is capable of bringing forth these mutations in a painless way. Laurie flies Hope back to the rooftop, no longer distraught, and requests to go with them. The issue ends with Hope optimistically asking Rogue who's next.

It's a fairly decent jumping on point, but it felt a little disjointed to me. Also, there was a little side part that I loved, but didn't love. Emma Frost informs Cyclops that she's going off to have dinner with a rich, handsome man. That would be Tony Stark. Now, Cyclops is her man...and Emma Frost is a chick who turns heads without trying to, but does so anyway. If you're Cyclops and you know your woman used to be fuck buddies with the guy she's having dinner with...do you not protest the fucking meeting?!

Seriously, Cyke. SERIOUSLY. Maybe I'm just an untrusting guy, but I'd have at least made a comment. She doesn't even dress conservatively, either. When she meets him, for whatever reason (I assume there is one), she looks NICE. I mean, ravishing. I assume there's a plot thread there, but I just wanted to add my thoughts on that.

I loved it because I really miss the corrosive, snobbish, "Yeah, Jean. I'm having a psychic affair with your man, bitch." style of Emma Frost. Oppositely, I would feel bad for Cyke if she started messing around behind his back.

I'll keep buying this series until it convinces me otherwise. Considering my history with X-Men on-goings, this won't be long. I dropped out of it for two issues, because that whole Nation X thing made me sick, and then Second Coming dragged me back in.

I'd recommend Second Coming before this, but if you've read my reviews then jump on with me. Let's see where this heads.


Secret Avengers #3.

Interesting. Very interesting.

Brubaker is an amazing writer and so I'm not gonna spend time harping on that point. The same goes for Deodato's art, which is SO suited to these characters.

So, where do we stand? Nova's donned one of three Serpent Crowns and has gone quite mental, with the Secret Avengers there to retrieve their teammate and Ant-Man got blasted by some kind of energy and has ended up in the base of The Shadow Empire.

It sounds like not a lot happens and, to be fair, not much really does. What does happen is fairly interesting and does well to lure you into what seems like a story with plenty of revelations.

Brubaker kicks the issue off with a tale of Western travellers who encounter something known as The Abyss, when looking for someone they were pursuing. One of these men, Aloysius Thorndrake, is revealed to be the present day leader of The Shadow Empire, already possessing one of the crowns and Nick Fury as his second-in-command. He wants the crown and gives Fury orders to send their men on a one-way trip to Mars in order to retrieve it or something of that sot. Deodato draws him very well, he strikes you as an ageless leader who knows way more than he's letting on.

Indeed, as with all Brubaker series' I've read, this does have a heavy crime and espionage feel about it. Through the character dialogue and the story that's been revealed so far, the spy and mental combat element that's common in so many espionage tales is very much a presense.

After confronting the guardian of the temple in the last issue, Archon, Steve Rogers and co. explain that they are not a threat, that they share a common goal. It was very subtle, but Archon's immediate agreement to pursue Nova and the crown really did give the whole ordeal a sense of urgency. It felt like, as a true guardian would, he had no time to be messing around and if they were going to help him find what he needs, he'd be up for it.

Eventually War Machine brings Valkyrie back to Steve, where as Black Widow and Moon Knight are unconscious from the fight. I'm not entirely sure if they get brought back, though.

The big exposition comes from Archon, revealing that Nova seaks to break the seal that will release The Darkest Child and The Nameless Father, an evil so dense that it's almost unimaginable. Archon fights Nova, they find him naturally, and is swiftly defeated, citing something usually strong about his power as the reason, leaving everyone to wonder just what comes next as Nova breaks the seal.

Oh, I should mention that Nova dropped his helmet, which contains the Xandarian Worldmind. Steve picks it up earlier in the issue and I assume this will have some relevance.

In all, it's a well-written story with some gorgeous, delicious artwork. I must admit, I thought that the cool black-ops team would be doing a lot more than fleshing out a story like this. It feels like we've got stories similar to it going on in The Avengers AND The Thanos Imperative. That is my only criticism, really.

This doesn't read like a story that is necessary for Moon Knight, Valkyrie and War Machine to be involved in. Still, what can you do but wait and see?

You should be able to get the first two issues, but I'm not sure I entirely recommend this series for the uninitiated. Give it a shot if you feel inclined, though!


Haunt #8.

This is one of those titles that gets delayed SO often, in between everything else I read, that I end up losing where the story left off.

Boy, does this pick up! Oh, be sure to read my Haunt reviews or look it up online if you don't know what the story is, because I'm not explainng it again!

Daniel Kilgore is now a full member of The Agency, working with his deceased brother's ghost to form Haunt. Think Spawn mixed with Spider-Man and The X-Files. They've got Daniel working up a major sweat to get him ready for the missions he'll be undertaking, and everyone is aware, if not comfortable, with Kurt's ghost being there at all times.

It does lead to some funny dialogue, though. There's a part where this massively over-eager assistant is hassling Daniel, who politely accepts his help. Kurt is all the while dissing him in his other ear. As the assistant says he and Kurt were buds, Kurt says they weren't. It's darkly funny to me.

I'm not sold on Greg Capullo doing the art yet. It's nice, but after Ryan Ottley...it'll take a bit of getting used to.

Elsewhere in the world, Cobra tells Mr. Hurg he's leaving to go trash Haunt. Haunt, of course, being the guy that caved Cobra's face in earlier on in the series. Hurg says he'll leave when he says he can, and walks off. Cobra Vs Haunt 2 is surely coming...and I'm excited. The art IS amazing on this part, I will say. The way the window cracks and smears with Cobra's blood as Hurg jams his face into it...ugh. Brilliant.

Daniel decides to go for a little exercise as Haunt (Who I refer to as "They", not "Him") and Kurt warns him not to push too far. Obviously, Daniel wants to know what it feels like to approach the limit so that he can stop when he does. Inevitably, he drains them both and falls ever so painfully to the ground below, smashing his head on a wall in the process. Nevertheless, he recovers.

The issue wraps up with immense promise, which pleased me. The last thing I wanted was for this ever-delayed series to feel like it wasn't going anywhere. Back at The Agency, Director Tosh (She's hot) receives a distress call from one of her soldiers in the field, telling of their entire team being slaughtered by something.

She ends the issue with the hair-raising line:

"Get me Agent Kilgore. We're sending in Haunt."

There is a trade out of the first...six or seven issues, so BUY IT. I guarantee you won't regret it. It's not entirely original, but it's violent, sexy and very nasty. All accompanied by a rather intriguing plot that keeps getting better. Robert Kirkman, my hat is off.

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That's about it for now!

As always, thanks so much for reading and be sure to keep your eyes open for this week's episode of Direct Edition! I'm not on it, but I am on last week's episode AND last Monday's news episode, which I don't think I stated. I will in all likelihood be guesting next week, so keep your eyes open!

We both upload new comic delicacies every Thursday, so if you're reading this...be sure to also be watching the show! Vice versa.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Blogs: A Crushing Cresendo of Comic Con Concerns, Shiny Helmets & Other Business.

Good news! You are not the father!

Anyway, as many of you will be aware, San Diego Comic Con is happening right now. It's a place where many people gather to see what's cool in an industry they generally couldn't give a shit about most of the time. To see what I mean, check out It'sJustSomeRandomGuy's rather hilarious take on Comic Con, by way of Deadpool parody, over at HIS CHANNEL OF COURSE.

Check Random Guy's other videos, too. They're really well done and very funny. I say HIS, but he does them with his partner, known as Random Gal.

Where was I? Oh yes, Comic Con!



San Diego Comic Con is, to those who are unaware, a convention of massive proportions. It deals with comics, video games and other elements of cult culture, as well as serving as a preview board for all kinds of movies coming out. It used to be way more comic-centric, but has slowly become more and more mainstream and all-inclusive over the years. That's fine, I guess. There'll always be more cons everywhere to take its place.

Even so, Comic Con affords fans the chance to meet a lot of their favourite mainstream and independent comic workers under one roof. Stan Lee, for example, is a regular attendee.

One announcement that has got everyone fairly excited is the 2011 series, The Flash: Speed Force. Now, I am not ENTIRELY sure if Geoff Johns is penning this, but it involves Wally West AND Bart Allen. I'm looking forward to it, even though The Flash: Rebirth wasn't brilliant.

There are rumours of Nathan Fillion being cast as Ant-Man in The Avengers, which would be pretty amazing. I say they're rumours, but Joss Whedon DID announce it. The problem everyone's having is that we don't know if he was joking or not.

For me, the biggest shocker was that Marvel's controversial Red Hulk is going to join The Avengers. Red Hulk, or Rulk, has totally divided opinion. Many fans hate the character and how Jeph Loeb has portrayed him, as well as the drawn out storyline of what his identity was (Thunderbolt Ross, by the way. Like we didn't see it coming).



On the other hand, it was a tremendously well-selling series. I personally do not like that Rulk is joining. I WILL give Bendis the chance to sway me, but it's not looking good by any means. I love Bendis' work, but if The Avengers doesn't pick itself off the train tracks, I won't be able to justify it as a continual purchase.

Additionally, I was handed another dose of worrying news. I don't like to be one of those guys who imagines what might happen and then assumes that it will. The following news item does not mean anything until anything happens. I'm just more negatively suspicious than excited.

Post-Shadowland, it has been revealed that there will be a NEW "Man without Fear", whatever that means. I don't understand that, because being The Man without Fear is not a title. It's not like being a Black Panther or a Green Lantern. You don't get it handed down to you. During Civil War, I quite liked the intricate way that Danny Rand (Iron Fist) became Daredevil to help Matt out.



If it's a temporary measure or whatever, I may enjoy it. Nobody knows what it means, so I won't assume.

There have been teaser posters, yet to be seen online, of various heroes with the tagline asking, "Is *Insert Name* the new Man without Fear?". Something like that. One was Nova, which is totally ridiculous, and the other was Gambit. I don't think I need to express my opinions on Gambit being anywhere near a Daredevil comic...but I shall. He needs to be NOWHERE NEAR a Daredevil comic. Why? Because fuck Gambit. That's why.

Like I said, I dunno what the deal is. I'll wait and see. I know what I HOPE won't happen. I just really hope that Marvel do not start messing with a title like Daredevil. It may not be the biggest seller, but it has a rabidly dedicated fanbase, sells well enough and has a consistently tight set of storylines. It is NOT a comic series that is in dire need of tinkering or tweaking. It's not broken, so please, don't try to fix it. Ok, Marvel? Greaaat.

The Rocket Raccoon & Groot mini-series sounds pretty funny, and the proposed Cosmic Avengers on-going seems to be all but officially confirmed now. In general, the panels I kept up with just raised more questions than they gave answers. Usually, I steer clear of Comic Con announcements for precisely this reason. I learned my lesson.

What announcements or revelations did you like, dislike, or find interesting for whatever reason?

Something that pleased a lot of people is the announcement and presentation of one small, but simultaneously major detail regarding the Thor movie. He will have a helmet!



They also had Loki's and Odin's, but you've seen those by now. Honestly, picturing Chris Hemsworth wearing that helmet as Thor is very, VERY exciting to me. Of course, what counts is how it all looks next May, the day we all go in to see the movie.

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Well, that's about all I've got in me today.

Furthermore, do remember to check out Direct Edition on YouTube! Yours truly guests on the latest review episode, which is already up, and the news episode, which'll air on Monday!

Before I leave, I want to talk aloud for a second. To anyone who reads this, feel free to leave comments and opinions, constructively negative or positive. I've noticed that, for whatever reason, I am getting a bit more attention on here. I do not particularly care if you find my blog to be a total bore and my writing to be sleep-inducing. If you have any negative criticism that I can consider, maybe to make my posts and writing more enjoyable, PLEASE, feel free to send it my way!

If all you plan to do is yell abuse then I simply won't dignify your comment with publishing. Calling me a twat and such really isn't going to help anyone. If your problem is how I do things, be constructive and I might be able to take it into consideration. Who knows? Maybe I may end up altering things so you no longer hold your negative opinions. Rabbiting on about how stupid I am isn't helpful to anyone, and it's a waste of energy. Your comment won't get published and it'll be deleted almost as soon as I see it.

I just wanted to address that once and once only. No longer will I dignify such idiocy with a response.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Blogs/Reviews: More Interesting Thor Pictures & Thursday's Comics (22/7/2010).

Welcome back and shut your mouthes.

Hello, you. Welcome to this blog. It's a blog about comics. It's called Welcome to the Mast and I am The Mast, but so is the blog! Multiple meanings, I likes them.

Today, I make a painful decision. I am no longer going to be reviewing Deadpool's comics on this blog until further notice. In less uncertain terms, until Deadpool's comics actually start being worth my time, I'm not gonna give them the time. Deadpool: Wade Wilson's War and anything by Duane Swierczynski aside, don't expect to see anymore Deadpool here.

Before we get onto talking about the printed deliciousness that we all love so much, I have something excellent to share.

The previous pictures from the Thor movie have left people with mixed feelings, myself included. The new ones are no different, but they've certainly done a lot more to ease my mind!



Odin and his throne room. To the right you can see Hogan and Fandral of The Warriors Three, with what I assume to be Volstagg's leg. In the centre, of course we have Thor. To the far left, and most importantly, we have Frigga (Odin's wife) and Loki. Loki has his HORN HELMET. This is joyous, absolutely joyous.

Now, many have said it looks too shiny, clean and too much like a scene from the long-forgotten Masters of the Universe movie. In a way, it definitely does, but I don't think it looks bad at all. We've seen many different depictions of Asgard, and while I would have preferred a darker tone, maybe it will work well. You never know. Someone made a tremendous point regarding Odin's costume when they said that, in the comics, Odin has been seen wearing far more flamboyant and ridiculous attire.

So far, though, Loki and Thor look utterly brilliant in most shots.



Here we see the god of thunder with his father, Odin. I'm glad they're making Hopkins look bigger than Hemsworth, it really is a good idea. Odin is the Asgardian ruler, he SHOULD be immense. That's a thoughtful touch, I must say. Thor, again, looks terrific I feel. I do wonder where his helmet is, and I do hope he has it, but if he doesn't, it won't be the end of the world. That said, Loki has one and Odin has one. I see no reason why the most iconic of them all would be missing his.

Finally, the one that silenced by doubts most of all...



I saw Chris Hemsworth in Star Trek and I had seen publicity shots of him, neither of which gave me the vibe that he was going to look the part. This proves just what kind of dedication he appears to have to the role. He actually looks like Thor, a believable god of thunder. No, that is not him hitting something with Mjolnir. I'm guessing that is him removing Mjolnir from its crater, as seen after the credits of Iron Man 2.

My one curiosity above all else, besides whether or not it'll be good, is whether they'll have him use Asgardian dialect. I hope they do. I hope they don't welch out on it just because they think audiences will find it boring.

Get psyched!

Anyway, on to the comics!


The Avengers #3.

Let me prefix this review by saying that I love certain things that John Romita Jr. does as an artist. I love his Daredevil run, his first major run on any comic. I loved his work on The Man without Fear, a mini-series he did with Frank Miller. I generally like most of his early work.

On The Avengers? I must say that I am waiting to be sold on it. It was pretty good in the first issue, but I feel like as soon as action happens, it is the worst style to use nowadays.

So, The Horsemen of Apocalypse and Apocalypse himself have burst into the present day via an opening in time, caused by the various dilly-dallyings of Kang and The Next Avengers killing Immortus in the future. A gigantic battle erupts in which Bendis shows how well he can write Thor, punctuated by some pretty tense action pieces involving the other members of the team.

Eventually, Thor whoops them all and they disappear through time before he can finish the job. Maria Hill is on scene to call the shots, and I'm glad to see Bendis is still writing her character.

Iron Man and The Protector (Noh-Varr) are tasked with making a new time machine, necessary due to Wonder Man destroying the previous one. Noh-Varr does this fairly instantly while Hawkeye, Spidey and a few others take off to deal with some other business. Lo and behold, another time-travelling inhabitant arrives in the present day; Killraven. He also brought a dinosaur.

Now, I am very curious to see the development of this story and these characters. Bendis writes, as always, with extreme competence and makes it no hard task for you to enjoy the dialogue he packs the book with. My issue lies with the fact that the story has lost all sense of urgency to me. On top of that, I really need Romita Jr. to hook me in with his art. A combination of the less-than-enthralling story AND art that I'm not enjoying is a surefire way to bore me. Being that it IS The Avengers, I'm less inclined to ditch the comic, but to be considering that at such an early stage is no good sign.

It's only three issues in, so if this is something you're interested in, go grab the first two. I don't necessarily think the art or the story will make it too easy for readers with no prior knowledge, but I'm always here to fill in any gaps.


The New Avengers #2.

The problem I have with this, The Avengers and the Marvel Universe in general right now, is the fact that there are way too many conflicting stories.

I'm sick of Wolverine and Spider-Man. Please have one or the other, and one team each. Spider-Man being on this team, while doing his own thing in The Amazing Spider-Man, AND being on The Avengers...it's too much of a stretch for me. Wolverine more so! He's an X-Man, he's in X-Force, he's in two Avengers teams...you know? I totally respect how hard writers work to make continuity smooth, and thus I am willing to overlook certain errors in it.

Right now, though, it seems as if they're ignoring continuity for the sake of pushing certain characters into the market. Spider-Man sells, Wolverine sells. They do not need to be this over-exposed. It just makes it a little harder for me to lose myself to the continuity.

Anyway, that aside, this book really did grab my attention. I enjoy the specificity of magic-based stories because they require certain characters to be involved. Luke Cage is possessed, as are Daimon Hellstrom and Dr. Strange, which is NO good for The New Avengers. As they struggle to keep the Eye of Agamotto from the possessed heroes, a battle breaks out across Central Park. The dialogue, also by Bendis, is really enjoyable here. The interactions between Spidey, Dr. Strange and Wolverine are quite sharp. Ms. Marvel, thankfully, gets a lot of play here and I hope she remains a regular member.

As the epic battle breaks out through the park, drawn impeccably by the remarkable Stuart Immonen, Dr. Strange and Daimon Hellstrom come around back to normal. The Thing and Ms. Marvel take the lead in trying to subdue the maddened Luke Cage, and succeed in getting the Eye to Iron Fist. They do so just in time to see the, as yet, unknown demon transfer right into Iron Fist's body in a desperate attempt He disappears with the Eye of Agamotto, much to the horror of all the magic wielders present. Dr. Voodoo, having just shown up, is met with a lashing by Hellstrom. Deservedly so, being that he was the Sorcerer Supeme and should've protected it.

Dr. Strange ominously tells The New Avengers that without the Eye, they forfeit. When asked what is being forfeited, he says, "Everything". The sky is shown to be a fiery red, ripping open in a hellish blaze.

It's a terrific image to end the issue on, and one of my favourite splash pages of recent memory.

Like I said, I really enjoy that magical stories are more of a specialist situation, thus requiring more of a story/character driven scenario. I'm excited to see where this goes! It's only two issues in and you don't REALLY need prior knowledge, to MY knowledge at least, to get into it.

I do apologise if my reviews of Avengers titles can be a little non-descript lately. It's just that with so many of them out, spaced apart, and with all the other things I read and enjoy more, it's hard for me to be too invested.

I hope you still enjoy them though!

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That's about it for now. The only other comics that came out this week were Deadpool #25, Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth #13 (The final issue of that series) and Lady Deadpool's one-shot. As you've read and can probably imagine, it's not happening. Not until they give me reason to review them.

If any of you are at Comic Con, you suck. I just saw the Marvel booth's signing schedule and cried myself into submission.

Regarding comics, next week SHOULD be better, if a little quiet, and I will be back tomorrow with a pretty cool and timely reminder of something!

Until then, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Blogs: The Future of Welcome to the Mast.

Somebody's poisoned the waterhole!

I want to keep this very tight and to the point, so I'll be as clear and precise as possible.

I am HIGHLY considering transfering my blog and all its posts to an actual domain. A domain I will be paying for. This will afford me the opportunity to track my readers, observe the traffic I'm getting, and hopefully get some search engine recognition. In a direct sense, it'll also allow me to properly and fully customise my page.

Now, don't get me wrong, I do love this page. It IS just Blogspot, though. There are people who probably have the same layout as I, so I'd really love one that's MINE. I've already got big ideas, so we'll see.

The point is, I don't want to do through this for nothing. Currently, I don't know how many viewers I get on average. I know a few certain folks who read it, but I really do not know if I'm getting the kind of readership that would warrant me changing. I do this because I love it, but at the same time I want to know if it's being seen or even liked.

What do those of you who read this blog actually think? Thoughts and replies in a comment, please. Also, if you like my blog, tell someone. Tell someone who might be interested even if you're not.

Anyway, thanks for reading.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Blogs/Reviews: First Looks at Odin/Loki in Thor, The Green Lantern Movie Costume & Thursday's Comics (15/7/2010).

...and then, they made me their King!

Oh, sorry! Didn't see you all there. I do have some exciting stuff to say AND talk about today, though! So, all yous guys lucked out.

First, the picture that's causing some ruckus in the comics community. Nope, not the up-skirts of Psylocke we all wanted, but something else! Marvel posted the first publicity still of Odin and Loki! Thor is in shot, but we've seen him already.



Loki...looks fine. Well, his costume is cool, and I've always said Tom Hiddleston looks perfect. Here he just looks calm. I wish they'd had him devilishly smirking, but most of all, I WISH HE HAD HIS HELMET. Seriosuly. Thor not having one would suck, but I'd get over it. Loki NEEDS his horns, man! Oh well.

Odin...just looks...like a pirate. I'll reserve judgement on performance of course, but he just looks ridiculous. He does not look like the ruler of Asgard. Maybe I'll warm up to it.

Another first was seeing Ryan Reynolds in the Green Lantern costume for the first time! It's been getting mixed responses.



Now, I like Green Lantern, a couple of the incarnations anyway. I'm not a mad enough fan that I will be as critical of the movie as his fans will, to be honest. It's SAID that the costume will be C.G.I. also. Now, I think it makes sense to have a bit more to the costume than it just looking like a body suit, or something like Daredevil or Spider-Man wear. The guy is recruited into an inter-galactic peacekeeping and defence force. You'd think they'd offer him more than spandex.

Regardless, I've never seen the suit as something that defines him. I think it's familiar enough, but it's not so different that it'll cause backlash. None that's reasonable anyway. For example, I didn't think Daredevil's movie outfit was bad at all. I think Affleck was too big, mass wise, to play Daredevil. Yet, I thought the costume was extremely realistic and practical. A flexible leather would make a lot of sense. I hope Green Lantern fans can see this the same way.

Well, like I said, this is a bit of a bumper post. LOTS of comics to talk about today, and they're all pretty spectacular!


The Thanos Imperative #2 of 6.

The big guns and heavy-hitters are really coming out in this one.

The war between The Cancerverse and Earth/Space's combined forces continues with great urgency in this issue. The unparalleled space-masters, Abnett and Lanning, pile on the dread and let you know that shit is not going to be easy. The Guardians of the Galaxy make hilariously short work of the evil version of The Defenders, but with what's going on in this issue, I don't mind. Thanos cleans up and notes that he can cause permanent death, even in their universe.

The big fight is out at the opening, however. In what I considered to be a really epic moment, The Silver Surfer bursts through one of the monsters to announce his arrival and aid of the Kree/Shi'ar forces. The art on that particular picture was incredible. It conveyed such a sense of speed and eruption.

Surfer didn't come alone. He says to Nova, "I am but a herald, Richard Rider of Earth.", and reveals that all the massive, cosmic abstracts have joined the fight.

Holy shit, is what I said.

We're talking Galactus, Celestials etc. They're here and they're actually fighting. Not since The Infinity Gauntlet or The Annihilation War has a situation been so grave that their involvement was needed.

Unfortunately, things are about to get worse. From out of The Fault comes a gigantic construction/organism known as The Galactus Engine. It is modelled after its namesake's head and dwarfs even Galactus himself.

What is this contraption? What does it mean for everyone else?

All I know is that I'm not gonna miss this. The one worry I have is whether or not I will be able to devote attention to it. There's so many great series I'm into, I just always find myself not totally into this. I mean, it's great when you read it, but if you've got a lot of other comics in between issues, it can kill the anticipation.

Nevertheless, it IS looking good. I wouldn't recommend it to you guys, though. Only read it if you read War of Kings and did research on Realm of Kings (Asking me would probably be better), and even then, you may not like the space characters.


X-Force: Sex & Violence #1 of 3.

I'm way more inclined to check out three part mini-series than any other kind of mini-series, simply because if it flops, it's only three parts.

My problem with Marvel flooding the market is the question of continuity. I'm normally not too big a stickler for it, but it's getting to the point that I'm wondering things. I'm wondering how Wolverine is a member of The Avengers, The New Avengers, The X-Men and X-Force. I'm wondering when all these stories are happening.

Regardless, this looks to be pretty much what it says on the cover. Sex and violence. A three-parter exploring the sexual tension between Domino and Wolverine, as he helps her out of a bit of trouble she's in. They kill lots of people together, too. The cover is very sexy and the art is very good. It has a gritty, grindhouse feel to it, really.

It could be a surprise hit! Check back for my opinion of issue #2 when it comes out.

I love Kyle/Yost's work on the X-Force books/characters. This is no exception.

Plus, the violence is epic. I'm VERY critical of what Wolverine material/stories I do like, but there must be very few characters who are as fun to write off-the-chain violence for.


X-Men: Second Coming #2 (Second Coming: Chapter 13).

It all ends here.

In a jam-packed issue, we're treated to a myriad of different plotlines. Mutantkind has been saved by Hope, but how? Who is she? What is she? These are the questions we head into this comic with.

Lots of this issue is just detailing how the team are settling after such an ordeal. Beast leaves, for good, unable to take Scott's decisions with forgiveness. I assume he's gone to be a full time Secret Avenger (He's meant to be on Mars, but that's what I mean about continuity).

Various X-Kids are being patched up after the battle, too. Magneto tells Hope that a lot of good can come of being perceived as dangerous, and gets rather annoyed when Hellion hilariously asks if there's a bidet anywhere, having lost his hands in the battle.

Most touching of all is Cable's funeral. Hope describes him to a T, by saying that nobody should cry for him because he died as he wanted to; fighting for something that matters, alongside people he loves. Deadpool even makes a cameo, looking rather saddened in the background. That's what got to me. Those two became the closest thing to best friends that I think either of them have ever had. It was sad.

Storm confronts Cyclops about X-Force after Cyclops puts Rogue on suspension for risking Hope in the battke. Another pivotal moment, and great piece of Kyle/Yost writing, comes when Wolverine and Storm have a talk. These two are close, they've always been close. She expresses great disappointment in Wolverine's decision and, when he says he'd do it all again, says that this may be the last conversation they ever have.

It's all very sad. It's dawn, but at what cost, you know? On a similar note, Cyclops tells Wolverine that X-Force is no longer needed, it's disbanded and over. Wolverine agrees after some debating, only to walk to a hidden area of the island and into a darkened room. He speaks to some unseen characters and it is revealed, epically, that he is going to continue X-Force in secret.

The team?



It's ok, I nearly had to change underwear too. You may remember, during my X-Force Annual review, that I loved Kyle/Yost's depiction of Deadpool in the mini-story they included. Well...THEY'RE NOT WRITING THE NEW UNCANNY X-FORCE BOOK. Rick Remender is.

We'll see.

Anyway, things culminate at the very end when Emma Frost is watching after Hope. Hope begins radiating fire and, with a smirk toward Emma Frost, begins showing the Phoenix symbol in her hand. Emma, running to tell Cyke, discovers him smiling at a computerised image of the world. Five new mutant births/signals have appears across the world.

The mutant race has been born again.

I must say, I both loved and disliked things about this ending. On one hand it felt complete, like the battle had been won and that the mutant race had been revived. It had. On the other hand, I just feel as though they're gonna drag this Hope thing out for longer. I had the impression THIS was going to be the story to reveal who and what she is.

Aside from that, I have to say Second Coming was an absolutely blistering, exciting ride. One I never expected The X-Men and it's associated teams to give me, outside of X-Force.

Definitely unexpected.

So, a second coming for mutants and in my opinion, a second coming for the quality of X-Books. Will this resurrection of quality be upheld? Let's see.


Avengers Academy #2.

I suspect these issues will start off a little slow as we're introduced to the characters and their histories, which is cool as long as it picks up later.

This time, we are treated to a Finesse-focused issue, the polymath capable of learning anything instantly.

She is kind of like a female Spock. Every intellectual excellence under the Sun, but zero ability to interact with people on a human level, even though she is human.

The issue consists of some nice, fitting art by McKone that compliments Gage's writing. Speaking of which, he seems to have really worked out how he wants to individualise these characters.

Finesse ultimately seeks guidance from Quicksilver, but not the kind you'd expect. She wants him to teach her what he learned during his time in The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. He neglects, but she blackmails him by saying that she knows he was never copied by The Skrulls, that everything he did during their invasion was him.

Edgy stuff! I would say it's a great series for new fans, too. It's not just a good jumping-on point for existing characters; these are brand new characters. You would be getting to know them with everyone else.

Check it out!


X-Men Origins: Deadpool.

I swear to God and every available deity, if Duane Swierczynski isn't given the main Deadpool title soon...

This is fucking...amazing. Deadpool opens the narration by telling us that a movie adaptation of his story is coming out, but before they mess it up, he wants to get the real story out there.

In this gem, this delicious gem of a comic, we get treated to Deadpool hiring two screenwriters to pitch their ideas. One says they should do Michael Bay shit, so Deadpool shoots him in the arm. The other wants to scrap the merc stuff and have him play a country singer, so he shoots him in the leg.

Eventually, and among some TERRIFIC dialogue, Deadpool meets one who simply asks him to tell the story rather than it being pitched.

Now, nobody really knows what Deadpool's true origin is, in detail. Thus, the freedom with an origin story! Anyone can write anything and say, "Well, Deadpool lies a lot." It can cause real shoddy work, or creative bursts of genius. That's what this is.

Eventually the movie is made and it's awful, resulting in Deadpool blowing up the director's car. It's just...such a cleverly done, excellently written Deadpool story. It's the Deadpool I fell in love with.

What I didn't expect was the heart-breaking emotional story that Swierczynski has woven into it. Whether or not it's true, whether or not Deadpool is lying, I don't know.

During his convo with the director, Deadpool says that he loved his Dad. He says that, as a kid, his Dad would go outside the door and they'd actually act out knock-knock jokes. When he ends the tale with, "One day Dad slipped behind the door and never came back. I used to act out our knock-knock routine just to see if he was waiting me out, but he wasn't.", it's truly saddening. I mean, I felt something. Even though Deadpool wipes a tear away and acts like he's just sweaty, you know he's not.

This thread continues when the director asks Deadpool, as he's leaving, what he'd ask his Dad if he had the chance. Deadpool simply replies, "My Dad? I think I'd ask him for the punchline."

It's such a truly, honestly sad and depressing portrayal.

The worst part, and the most heart-wrenching piece of Swierczynski's writing in this book, comes at the end. Feeling down due to the flopped premiere and an overwhelming sense that nothing in his life is really genuine, he drives off to an address he claims to have had for a while. Walking up to a rickety old house, he knocks on the door and the man behind asks who it is. He says "It's Wade." The man opens the door, decrepit and old, replying "Wade? Wade who?"

Deadpool ends the issue by pulling off his mask and saying, with the most forlorn look of sadness:

"Wade until you see what happened to me...Dad."

It's the kind of stuff that people cry over in movies.

I honestly felt so emotionally drawn into this issue that I had to take a break from reading the others.

It's only a one-shot, so please...if you can, pick it up.

Absolutely breathtaking.


Daredevil #508.

This truly is Matt Murdock's downward spiral. It's the worst I've ever seen him.

Whatever The Hand did to him, it's truly taking its toll. Matt has become distant, reclusive and has alienated his remaining friends. The Hand, and especially White Tiger, are very protective of him. When Dakota North and Foggy Nelson go to Shadowland to speak with him over murdering Bullseye, they are threatened by White Tiger and told he doesn't want to see them.

White Tiger, possibly being manipulated by The Hand's magic herself, is really pulling off the devil-on-shoulder role. Diggle KILLS this writing, he really does. So does Johnston. The art, compiments of the sickeningly excellent Roberto De la Torre, is just mindblowing. It's Noir without the Noir.

Things just go horribly wrong. Matt is talking to himself and losing the battle with whatever force is controlling him, and The Hand cause Dakota North and Foggy Nelson to endure a near fatal car crash which they may not walk away from.

Of course, though, what is Daredevil without a shocking end?

Master Izo is seen speaking to an off-panel character, describing his opinion that Matt is way over his head, not in control. The off-panel character says that Matt probably planned for all this and IS in control.

Izo asks if that's what this person believes, or if it's their love for Matt Murdock speaking.

The last page reveals this person to be none other than ELEKTRA! Motherfucking Elektra! I swear.

I sorta knew she'd turn up from the unavoidable teaser posters (That reveal entirely too much, Marvel!), but her presense in a Daredevil comic is ALWAYS so mindblowing.

To quote Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys 2, shit just got real.

BRING ON SHADOWLAND #2 FOR GOD'S SAKE!

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That's about it for today, guys and humans without guy parts.

Catch me on Saturday with a blog post regarding the future of Welcome to the Mast!

Don't forget to check out, and subscribe to, Direct Edition on YouTube! This week's episode should be up soon, as well as their customary Monday news episode. Sorry to Iyare for my lack of guesting this week, as I'd LOVED to review Daredevil #508, but hopefully I'll have a catch up next week! Congrats on the job opportunity too! Whatever it is. Happy for you, bro.

Take care, everyone.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Blogs: Promotions!

Mr. Sulu! Ahead Warp Nine!

I'm just swinging by to let you ALL know a few things.

1. I have a blog post in the pipeline that will be detailing the possible future of this blog. That will come tomorrow, posshap. Maybe Saturday.

2. You should be subscribed to Direct Edition on YouTube if you aren't already.

3. My guest appearance on last week's news episode is up now! We filmed it at the same time as the other one, don't think we're all wearing the same clothes. Guess what? You should go watch that too!

4. The first rule of Direct Edition and Welcome to the Mast is that you DO talk about Direct Editon and Welcome to the Mast. It's not like Fight Club, we're not elitist pricks like those guys (Ok, I am). Spread the word around, even if you HATE both our projects/sites, just tell people you think might dig them.

That's all I have until Thursday. So come back then and hear me talk some comic words real nice like.

Until then, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Blogs/Reviews: The Mast on Direct Edition & Thursday's Comics (8/7/2010).

The mystic portal awaits!

Greetings one and all! This is Welcome to the Mast, I'm The Mast and if you didn't know that by now, get out.

This is a pretty big post for me, true believers. I have a big announcement!

Iyare of the YouTube comics show, Direct Edition, graciously allowed me to do a guest appearance on both this week's comic review show AND Monday's news show! That's right! If you want to see The Mast talk some comics with others who like to talk comics, get your ass on over to Direct Edition on YouTube! Watch all the videos, pass the link on, and check out the most recent video! It's the one I'm in!



Big thanks to Iyare and Chris for having me on. I very much appreciate it. Those of you who have shown love to this blog, show some love to those guys.

Next, to the comics! Only two, but they're fucking wicked. I reviewed one of them VERY briefly in the show, but this will be more in depth.

To the Blogmobile!

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X-Force #28 (Second Coming: Chapter 13).

...and then there were two.

The penultimate chapter in the 14 chapter epic that is Second Coming is upon us. X-Force #28 combines tragedy and apparant triumph in a blistering final burst toward the finish line. With the last chapter just around the corner, though, we're still not much closer to finding out how this will all end.

In an attempt to get X-Force back through the portal in the dome, Cable let his long-at-bay techno-organic virus take him over. He passes through and brings all the others with him. Hope is overjoyed, but it's short-lived. Cable crumbles away and is seemingly lost. I didn't treat this as a death scene because I'm not sure it is one, but if it is, I am saddened!

Bastion, pissed as anyone would be, attempts to kill Hope himself. In the midst of trashing the Golden Gate bridge, Hope lets all her rage and emotion burst forth from within; beams of fire erupt from her eyes as she disintegrates Bastion with a glance. A further, omni-directional burst of flame-like energy shatters the dome, reuniting everyone.

The end shot is of Hope floating in mid-air, glowing.

It's a tricky issue, a penultimate one. You don't wanna reveal much, but you also want to make it worthwhile. It was pretty good, but it DID feel somewhat out of nowhere. It felt as though the collaborative writers thought, "SHIT! Second from last issue, make shit happen!"

Regardless, I am so very excited for the end of Second Coming. My only hope is that the ending lives up to the manner in which the story has progressed.


Shadowland #1 of 5.

As a Daredevil fan, this is what I've been waiting for. As stated on Direct Edition, this issue is THRILLING.

Shadowland has been constructed. A Pagoda-style fortress designed to house The Hand and the criminals they get rid of has been erected in the middle of Hell's Kitchen. As you can imagine, this gets the attention of pretty much every hero dwelling within the city.

The Avengers themselves offer their support, telling Iron Fist and Luke Cage to pass the message on. Bucky highlights the fact that, despite having his back, the building is to come down as soon as the streets are reasonably safe again. Ominously stating that it would be unwise to ignore this.

The most shocking turn of events occurs when Bullseye sadistically escapes his prison transport by using defibrilator pads on the guards' faces. Donning his old uniform, he travels to Shadowland and challenges Daredevil to a fight. A quite poetic site, really. Especially since it's built on the site that Bullseye blew up, causing Daredevil to decide to lead The Hand anyway.

I truly hope Daredevil's new costume is just temporary. I don't really like it at the cost of his traditional one. It does capture his darker side, but I really hope it doesn't stick.

Bullseye manages to coax Daredevil out and deals with all the ninjas that are sent his way. Luke Cage and Iron Fist are rather perturbed that when offering help, Daredevil makes them swear allegiance to The Hand or get out of his way. After dealing with the ninjas, Bullseye goads an angry and taunted Daredevil into combat. Shocked by his new-found decision to fight without compromise, Bullseye starts to beg Daredevil to end the fight, which he does.

Iron Fist and Luke Cage attempt to intervene, but they cannot do so in time. Daredevil picks a bloodied Bullseye off the ground and impales him through the chest with his own sai, much like Bullseye did to Elektra all those years ago.

I have to emphasise and give praise to Billy Tan's art here. The look of sheer contempt on Daredevil's face as Bullseye's face contorts with the pain of impalement is brilliant. It's a poignent and markedly game-changing image for any Daredevil fan.

Daredevil, having committed murder before his friends and collegues' very eyes, has now truly began his journey down the darkest path he's known.

I cannot wait for this to tie into Daredevil #508. Will Second Coming have a rival for Story-Arc of the Year? Perhaps!

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That's about all I've got time for right now, but I hope I've pursuaded some or all of you to check some of this stuff out. Marvel are flooding the market right now, and while that may make it harder to find a starting point, it also provides lots of choice. It's a very prolific time to be a comic fan!

Please remember to check out Direct Edition and as Iyare says, "If you're feeling the show, let somebody know."

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Reviews/Blogs: Thursday's Comics (1/7/2010) & More Shameless Promotion.

This is the newest month of all time.

A weird opening sentence, but true nonetheless. It's a little joke for those of you who appreciate temporal contemplation.

I'm giving Thor reviews a rest until the mop-up after Siege is done. They story is good, and so is Thor #611, but I just feel like it's a stop gap between Siege and Fraction's run. Gillen's Thor is DEFINITELY something you should grab trades of, though. Following J.M.S. couldn't have been easy, but he's doing splendid. He's also a man after mine own heart in that he's very articulate.

Anyway, as a result, I only have two comics to review this week. I was GOING to review The Invincible Iron Man Annual, but as good as I think it is, it's essentially just a flashback story of The Mandarin.


Secret Avengers #2.

I predicted this would be my favourite series of the new Avengers material, and it is. Granted, it's very early, but it's really pleasing me.

Ed Brubaker's experience in crime/thriller comics really does allow him to add a degree of taut expressiveness to his stories, and that really grabs you with meathooks when it needs to. Mike Deodato has a style so deliciously suited to what this is meant to be; a blockbuster comic. Though it does feel like what it is, that being a black-ops version of The Avengers, it feels like it is definitely not anything less than a main title.

I was amped for him to be working with Brubaker and the characters in these pages.

So, we left off with Nova getting himself into a spot of bother on Mars, the Secret Avengers being formed and sent on individual missions and Nick Fury revealing that he now leads something called the Shadow Empire. He revealed this to Sharon Carter after he knocked her out, of course! Genius.

So, Sharon goes off to track down the people who stole the Serpent Crown and realises that they used S.H.I.E.L.D. stealth suits. Gasp! The rest of the guys and girls are on Mars when they discover that the Roxxon dig sites have been visited recently, despite them being unused or shut down for a few months. After being unsuccessfully ambushed by the Shadow Empire fodder, they split up to find Nova. Each team successfully, or unsuccessfully, finds themselves encountering something that explodes or generally isn't very safe.

War Machine and Ant-Man, who I really love the tense interactions of, discover some kind of weird window/portal thing (To my memory), where as everyone else ends up finding Nova. The bad news is that Nova is now wearing the crowd he was apparantly sent to receive, so can you guess what happens? Nova has gone all brain-washy and decides to attack the team he had only just become a member of.

I really like the way the story progresses and I think the choice of characters is something pretty fresh. It's ANOTHER new team, but it IS a NEW team. You know? It feels legitimately as though Cap. Rogers looked over a file, decided who would work well as a team that wasn't already IN one, and put it together.

The art is gorgeous, as expected, and you'd do well to pick this series up.


Deadpool: Wade Wilson's War #2 of 4.

Why...the fuck...is Duane Swierczynski NOT writing the main Deadpool series?

Look, Daniel Way had a good first 12 issues. He did. Since then, Deadpool had been saturating the market and, let's be honest, NONE has been acceptable. There's been an odd issue here that's been good, but otherwise, no. It's causing MASSIVE Anti-Deadpool backlash and my boy deserves better.

This guy? The best Deadpool writer since Gail Simone and they give him a non-canon MINI-SERIES?! JUSTICE! RABBLE! RABBLE, RABBLE, RABBLE!

As you can guess, I am so pleased with this. After what has felt like eons of disgustingly poor Deadpool material, we get this. No head-voices, here! Just corrosively funny wit, pop culture references and fourth wall-breaking. Deadpool remains in court where we last saw him remove his mask, from behind, as he tells the Senate of his military exploits.

Under his mask? Another mask. A Michael Jackson mask. He then starts singing Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'. What more do you want? The story progresses well, with typical Deadpool past-altering tales and mockery of everyone but himself. It ends with an investigative reporter telling his boss that Deadpool eventually lost his mind and thought him and his team were comic book heroes. Thus resulting in the deaths of many, many civilians somehow.

The story is told perfectly and it's truly hilarious. Moments like when Deadpool takes a tank shell to the chest and then acts proud because now they have one less bullet are exactly what's been missing. The violence isn't shy, either. Deadpool kills people in the first issue. Hopefully it continues.

I really fucking love this. I love the art, I love the feel. It's making me very happy. As someone who spent roughly a grand collecting all of Deadpool's appearances EVER, to be rewarded with something this good is pleasing.

It's just a shame it's out of continuity and only a four-parter.

When this comes out as a trade, BUY THE FUCKER. If the sales of this go through the roof, Marvel might put Swierczynski on the main title. So please, buy it. Better yet, go buy the single issues!

Fantastic.

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That's all I got today, you scumshits. Before I go, I want to give a shout-out to Iyare and Aleks over at Direct Edition. They create and host a quickfire comic book reviews and news show over at YouTube, also called Direct Edition. I've watched it for a while, and they film it in Comicana Comics! So, if you've ever wanted a visual companion to the spectacular service I give you here, go watch it!

This is the link you'd click to do that thing I just said then: Direct Edition on YouTube.

Subscribe and pass the word on!

If all goes well, you MAY be seeing none other than THE MAST HIMSELF on the show. Ever wanted to know my real name? MAYBE YOU'LL FIND OUT IF THEY DON'T LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF AS THE MAST! I hope they do, I've had issues with stalkers!

Exciting and crazy times to be a comic book fan.

Go check that badness, or Iyare will punch your face off. He's Luke Cage, I'm certain.

Thanks for reading, guys and girls.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast