As stated, I came back to give you the catch-up on the grand number of TWO comics I consider to be worthwhile reading over the past two weeks.
By the way, someone said to me recently, "You don't seem to buy a lot of comics." I get how it seems that way, but what you have to consider is that I buy sometimes as many as 10 comics a week. Not all of those are ones I'm madly into, some are just for Deadpool appearances. Other series' I read are series I read in trade paperback. I can't review monthly issues of Captain America, Scalped, Invincible or The Walking Dead because I don't read those individually.
ANYWAY, onward.
Thursday's Comics.
Avengers Academy #4.
Once again, Christos Gage and Mike McKone have churned out another wonderful issue of Marvel's best Avengers-Centric title right now.
Understandably, these issues are a mixture of current story, origin story of a certain character in the academy AND how the two relate. You can't entirely expect a free flowing story arc quite yet because we need to get to know the characters. This time, we get the origin of fan favourite, Ken Mack. Known to us readers as Mettle.
His story is definitely one of the more tragic. A typically laid back guy who enjoys surfing and never really had any worries in life, Ken Mack discovered his condition during an accident on the waves. After a fellow boarder crashed into his face, the arriving paramedics and bystanders noticed that as his broken and tattered flesh was left in ribbons, he was entirely fine. The reason for this is because the red, hard and skeletal armour you see covering him was under his skin the whole time.
Norman Osborn, as he has done with ALL these unfortunate students, gets a hold of him and experiments on him, stripping him of his skin and leaving him as he is seen today.
Fast forward to the present and Mettle, Hazmat (My favourite of this series) and Veil have broken into Osborn's cell aboard The Raft. Hazmat wants to kill him before the blackout is over, but due to some deft manipulation by Osborn, none of them do. He manages to get inside their heads, Mettle's especially, by convincing them that he can cure them. Personally, I think it just paints the characters as frustratingly naive, not in a good way either. I'll overlook it for now.
There's a really great sense of desperation and uncertainty amongst all these students and you never really know who will end up where. I'm fairly certain that Striker (His origin issue, and the final one I believe, besides maybe Reptil, comes next) will end up as the main villain to stray from the group first, along with Finesse. Besides that, there's a lot of ambiguity in their attitudes. Mettle seems like he is too painfully desperate to NOT follow Osborn, Hazmat seems like a complete bitch, but one that would stay on the side of responsibility etc. There's a lot of great things to be done with these entirely fresh slates.
After the 5th or 6th issue, I expect things to really start picking up speed. The most curious aspect of the story is how Gage is going to work with Robbie Baldwin's secret, that he's still having trouble letting go of Penance.
The first trade paperback release of this series shouldn't be, again, more than two or one issue away. Be sure to pick it up if you're interested!
The Avengers: Prime #3 of 5.
Despite being criminally late and throwing people through a complete fucking loop as to where in God's name this all fits into continuity (An issue Bendis has said will be resolved in or by #5), this is shaping to be a nice little series.
If you don't recall, it's set IMMEDIATELY after Siege, and The Trinity (Iron Man, Steve Rogers/formerly Cap, Thor) have been split through the Nine Realms. The goal, of course, to re-affirm their brotherhood and meet up to figure a way home. Sort of like a super-powered Dungeons and Dragons.
I have to say, I'm really not a fan of how differently Iron Man is being written across the board. I've said this before, and I'll say it again to get it refreshed. In Fraction's Iron Man he is written as I'd say you'd expect, but the flaw is that there's very little in the way of superheroism at the moment. In anything Bendis writes, he comes across as the douche to end douches. He's always been kind of a dick, but this is just a bit too abrasive. Everything out of his mouth is a snarky joke or something you can tell he thinks is just hilarious.
It cleared up a bit by this issue, but it's still there.
Iron Man is caught by all this trolls and the troll dragon, Fafnir. Steve Rogers, in oh-so-epic fashion, appears and saves him by throwing an old shield in between the jaws of Fafnir. They escape and head for the lightning, where they believe Thor is.
Thor, meanwhile, is getting resoundly whooped by Hela, loses Mjolnir and ends up outside her castle. The three of them gather and retreat to safety where Thor, rather fearfully, tells them that he thinks they are dead.
I'm really tired of how delayed this series is, but I'm definitely curious to see where it goes and how/where it all fits into continuity. Of course, if it doesn't, that's entire bullshit...
The best thing about this issue and series, which has a lot going for it I suppose, is Alan Davis' art. It is just absolutely delicious. A tantalising blend of Alex Ross-esque classic feel with an almost Deodato-esque robustness and solidity. It feels like an olden days comic in the now. Quite an appropriate art style for a story about time and realm displacement!
I can't really recommend this to anyone who isn't up on the whole Siege thing/Thor current story (Which I won't be reviewing until Fraction impresses me more. Yes, his run HAS started). You can always try though! I'd wait for trades.
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That's about all I have for you today, except SOME NEWS.
Not only will Mr. Dan "Co-Cosmic Saviour" Abnett (Because Lanning does co-write with him) be answering my questions, but none other than Mr. Fred Van Lente will be returning to give us the low-down on his upcoming Chaos War arc! Despite the massive wave of events Marvel churn out, I am stoked for Chaos War and a Van Lente-helmed event is gravy to me.
Be sure to tune in tomorrow to catch that!
Until next time, peace.
-The Mast
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