Welcome to the Mast

The Mast Blogs: Movin' on Up...to D.E. side.

2011-02-16T18:31:00.002Z

Was I forgotten or missed? I'll assume so.

As you may have guessed, Welcome to the Mast has come to a halt. However, if you enjoyed the time we spent together on this place, then you can check out the further exploits of The Mast over on ANOTHER SITE!

Go to the new Direct Edition website!

I am the primary webmaster and operator of that site. You can find blog posts, interviews and episodes of Direct Edition ALL on that site. It will eventually be a .co.uk site, but we haven't got that far yet. The banner is temporary, so get off my ass if you're gonna diss it.

Anyway, pass the link around and favourite it, bookmark it and hopefully, if you like it, support it!

I don't want to say Welcome to the Mast is dead, it's just comatose. So, for now, thank you ALL...SO much, for everything you've done or said. Thank you to all the writers who contributed interviews to this place, it was an honour.

See you around!

Until then, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Blogs/Reviews: Humanising Krypton's Last Son, Marvel Movie Madness & Thursday's Comics (28/10/2010).

2010-10-29T15:15:00.000+01:00

Greetings and salutations. I am Associate Mast.

This is the first post in a while that's going to contain NEWS besides reviews. Aren't you just overly thrilled? All 10 of you?

First on the cards today, I would like to draw your attention to something that looks quite intriguing to me.

This is the first original graphic novel in the series called D.C: Earth One. It's D.C.'s equivilant to Marvel's Ultimate universe, really. I think it's a great idea, even if I don't read much from either companies alternative universes. It allows great writers to take on characters free of continuity, and I think that's good.

So, this graphic novel is intended to reintroduce Superman to a current generation. Some people don't like the idea, some do. J. Michael Straczynski is writing it, so I don't have any reason to feel like it'll suck. I just sincerely hope that they don't give him the sweepy bangs and make him a scene kid. I really, really fucking hope that's not the case.

The cover is fucking madness. I love it. I just hope he's not gonna be this brooding, dark loner. It's been done.

I guess the intent is to humanise Superman, and this is where the debate comes in. I don't buy Superman when he's humanised. He is what he is, you know? He's a god-like super alien. I understand that love and emotions affect us all, I'm not asking the dude to be a robot. However, when he's upset about Lois Lane, that's ALL he really has to worry about. It's not like he has to worry about staying alive when he stops any of his villains. If Spider-Man gets distracted, he could get killed. I just think that for all Superman has going for him, he should be able to suck it up.

I like him when he is what he is meant to be. Case in point: The Death of Superman. He was the last line of defense and he was the ultimate hero, doing what no other being could. That's what he needs to be. He's TOO good. That's the thing. I just...I don't know where the balance would be, or if there is one when writing Superman, though. Still, if you're curious about Superman's mythos and don't wanna dive into the existing, mainstream continuity, go for Superman: Earth One. If you get it before me, let me know how it is!

Iron Man 3 has been given the release date of May 13th, 2013. Iron Man will be the first one, it seems, to get a post-The Avengers movie, movie. I can't say I'm surprised, I'm actually quite pleased! With all this interlocking continuity, you're never really short of stories.

Secondly, we have this:

That is the first official press picture of Captain America. I didn't expect spandex, but why couldn't they have figured the red stripes in? I mean, the dude has a the white, the blue and the star. Why not give him the red stripes? I guess they figured they'd mix the practical with the actual and give him some red braces (Suspenders as they're known Stateside). I don't have any issues with it, but I am curious as to how they'll depict him being so agile in what appears to be a sort of armoured costume.

Also, would it have KILLED you to dye the dude's hair? They can create an Iron Man suit from a suitcase, seamlessly bonding itself to Robert Downey Jr., but they can't make Steve blonde?

I guess the other issue I have is one that will come in time. Cap is young in this movie, and sure, he gets frozen in ice (I guess. That's what happened in comics) with the serum preserving his body. I've just always seen Steve as an older, mature man. He looks too young. Chris Hemsworth looks kinda young as Thor, but he pulls it off.

I know they're giving him a helmet and it has painted wing details, so I guess I'll wait and see. This IS meant to be his revised World War 2 outfit, so I'm guessing he'll get an updated one for The Avengers. My concern is how he acts, like Hemsworth as Thor. I just...as soon as I saw Hemsworth as Thor, I immediately said, "Yep." I don't get that vibe from Evans.

Anyway, COMICS!

Thursday's Comics.

Secret Avengers #6.

This book was losing direction and I'm glad they found it again with this issue. There are pros and cons, as always.

Deodato's art is always fantastic. One thing I've noticed is that he always works so well with dimly lit rooms. There's a scene where Captain Rogers and Sharon Carter on a bed, half naked, and it looks so good. The way the light floats over them and such is really good.

The story is...it's confusing in intention. Things started off with a very clear, exciting, espionage-based purpose. Then they went to space, then there as all this shit with Nick Fury's clone brother and I was sitting here wondering what the fuck was going on. Now, Brubaker has just decided there needs to be a new story that has enough connection to the one they started in the beginning, all so that it doesn't look crowbarred. That's what I feel.

Luckily, it is a good story. The story revolves around The Shadow Empire trying to require The Eyes of the Serpent. They do this using Shang-Chi's thought-dead father's clan of ninja. Thus, boom. Shang-Chi teams up with Rogers and Co. to get to the bottom of things and steal the gems before The Shadow Empire can.

The part where they infiltrate the museum, the part before it where they're planning the infiltration, it's all SO very well done. It reminds me of the first issue. The actual infiltration scenes are cut with Steve telling Shang how they're gonna do it. It's like a really cool spy movie.

Shang Chi's old man is back and up to no good, but we'll see where this all leads. I'm not entirely sold.

The Avengers #6.

THIS, however, is a gsme-changer.

Bendis pulls out all the stops on this issue. He packs this issue full of little easter eggs of information that could be important in the future and...yes, it works. All the threads of the time/space plot start to come together as The Avengers finally confront the future Ultron and speak to him of what's gone wrong, Kang's part in it and what needs to be done to change it.

The dialogue is plentiful and it's GREAT. Bendis, known for heavy dialogue, hadn't been using as much recently. This issue packs it in.

John Romita Jr.'s art is, sadly, immensely divisive. People either love or hate it. In this issue, one epic scene in particular, he NAILS it. At other times, it's completely distracting and messy. He never seems to do shading, leaving characters looking blocky and flat, on top of the already washed colours.

Maestro Hulk's dialogue with the future children of The Avengers is MADDENINGLY exciting, especially what he says about Bucky Barnes, considering Bucky is on trial right now. There's lots of things the future folk seem to know that's gonna have a huge impact in the present's future stories. The end of the issue is really epic and it really was an, "OHHH! I SEE!" moment.

I definitely think that this is a trade series right now. It's definitely gonna work better in trade for the first six issues. Next, Red Hulk joins the team! Yeah...no comment. We'll see.

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That's about all I've got for today. Not much came out worth reviewing besides those two!

Thanks for reading, thanks for taking the time to indulge my blog. I appreciate it.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Reviews: Thursday's Comics (21/10/2010).

2010-10-22T18:50:00.000+01:00

I'm just grab a Dr. Pepper from the cooler.

Welcome back to this blog place, and let me hit you with some knowledge, LaFleur.

Thursday's Comics has been moved to Friday! It will still be called Thursday's Comics, as that's what they are. The move, however, gives me an entire day to processes the comics, read them through and form my opinions on them. I don't feel as crammed.

This may mean shorter reviews, but more succinct ones. Unless, of course, I desire to talk in depth.

Thursday's Comics.

Daredevil #511.

By now, you all know how I feel about Daredevil's current stories, so I won't tread the waters of familiarity. If my guest post isn't approved for Weekly Crisis, I'll post it here, as said.

Another month and another issue of DAREDEVIL'S on-going series, tying into DAREDEVIL'S first major crossover, Shadowland. This would be great in any other situation. Why isn't it? Well...because, ladies and gentlemen, like the window of the Texas School Book Depository, the guy who is supposed to be there, isn't.

Shadowland was meant to be the ultimate fall from grace for our hero, and it was to culminate, dramatically, with his first ever Marvel death (Now we know). A total balls-up and this issue does nothing to change that.

The issue tells the tale of how Hell's Kitchen is going to shit and how people are "handling" it. Seriously. That's it. Daredevil isn't in it until the last few pages, and those pages would've been ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING had this entire arc not been fucked more than Annabel Chong. It ends with Foggy Nelson CLIMBING INTO SHADOWLAND (Yes, Foggy Nelson. Daredevil's erstwhile best friend and chubby law firm partner) to talk him out of his dark stupor, hopefully. Daredevil basically stops White Tiger from executing him, only to dramatically proclaim that this "whiney maggot" will be killed by him.

What? We're meant to be shocked by that? Matt's being controlled. You've fucked it.

The art is, as always, breathtaking. De la Torre's artwork combined with Diggle's earlier runs? Mmm! Now? It's just...depressing.

I was hoping this could be something, overall, that I'd cite as one of the best watermarks and most important eras in Daredevil's soon to be 512 issue history...but it's not. I'm almost relieved they're ending it at the next issue, really. OH! Not to fear! In January, Black Panther: The Man without Fear #...513 comes out! YES! Oh man.

Moving on, before gaskets are blown.

Carnage #1 of 5.

After the Carnage symbiote was ripped apart by The Sentry in The New Avengers #2 Vol. 1, it was a matter of time before they brought him back. In fairness, it's been over half a decade. That's...a hefty amount of time for someone that has been historically well-liked.

I don't mind Carnage. I've always thought that he was unnecessary, or that he would've been if they'd just kept Venom as a full-on villain. Still, Zeb Wells is a good enough writer and Clayton Crain is a great artist. What the Hell, right? Give it a whirl.

What a terrific, edgy start! Spider-Man's doppleganger...Doppleganger, is chasing after this van and Iron Man gives chase. The issue revolves around him and Spidey tracking it down, grinding it to a halt and stopping Doppleganger. Two rather inexperienced new characters, like BRAND new, show up; Royal Blue and Firebrick (I can't decide if those are boring or good). They cause some irresponsible, but well-intentioned ruckus etc and things are settled down.

It's revealed that the Carnage symbiote has been returned to Earth under heavy security and containment, hence Doppleganger chasing it. In the van (To my memory it was the van), we see Shriek who is viewing the contained symbiote with some fear.

It's all left very murky, but lets you want way more. This could be a very nice, exciting arc in the same vein as the brilliant Maximum Carnage story (READ IT, CHRIST!). It has all the same, or similar, players and a great duo heading it up. Wells gets the characters, he writes them well and Clayton Crain's art serves up a gritty sense of violence to it all, of which Wells has promised more of.

Unfortunatly, it's once-a-month! Darn!

Cletus Kasady doesn't appear, and that's a testament to build-up. They're probably gonna make us wait to see the symbiote and its most famous wearer re-united.

This is one to keep an eye on, folks.

A quick piece of funny irony, though! I thought the cover was odd. Why would Carnage not be on the cover if it's HIS series? I thought the Carnage variants were more fitting. The comedy is, he isn't in it yet! Carnage being on the cover would've been misleading. Just goes to show, never judge a comic by its variants!

Haunt #10.

Shit's getting GOOD.

After being captured, we see Daniel Kilgore getting a BRUTAL, BRUTAL beating. There's a close-up of his face during this scene, with Mr. Hurg talking shit, and it's BRILLIANT. It's so disturbingly violent. The way his eyes and cheeks are swollen, ugh. Such nice artwork.

For some unknown reason, Kurt separated from his brother, effectively disabling Haunt and allowing them to get caught. Regardless, they soon re-bond and escape, tackling Hurg out of the building and plummeting to the ground below. It's such a well-paced issue. Almost Kirby-esque during his run on Daredevil. Quick, but not rushed.

Haunt calls in the reinforcements and The Agency takes both him AND Hurg back to H.Q. Fear not, though, the story hasn't blown its wad that early. Hurg cockily taunts his interrogators and before you know it, these hulking great beasts burst through the wall. Mutated soldiers, it seems.

The big reveal being that this is what they wanted Shillinger's notes for. Now you've got an army of mega-dangerous brutes about to bust this guy out of jail, and Haunt isn't exactly in the greatest shape.

Kirkman really does know how to do a lot with a little, I'll tell you that much. He really has all his genre bases covered. Between this, Invincible and The Walking Dead, he's just above covering everything a comic fan could want, and covering it brilliantly.

Haunt is definitely going to go unnoticed by many, I think, so DO NOT sleep on this series.

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That's about all for today. The Loki mini-series kicked off this week, too. Another brilliant issue that I think you should get. I may update this with a review of that, provided Comic Vine get off their asses and upload the artwork!

Thanks for reading, people. I very much appreciate it.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Reviews/Blogs: Thursday's Comics (14/10/2010) & A Change in Thursday's Comics.

2010-10-15T18:54:00.001+01:00

Greetings, humans.

I am back, after having left, like a boomerang or non-lethal shuriken.

Once again, I totally forgot to get a comic this week. That's what happens when everything you buy isn't on your subscription list.

Sadly, I've decided to drop Thor. I really didn't like either the art or the writing. I don't know what happened since Fraction last wrote Thor (Loved that), but it's just not working for me. I grabbed Chaos War #1, so you can possibly expect an updated edition of LAST week's Thursday's Comics. S.H.I.E.L.D. will definitely have to be left as a retrospective, I think. It's just too densely packed and the once-every-two-months schedule really isn't helping.

Aside from that, I forgot to get Superman #703. I don't even review that series, though, so it's not a big deal.

Thursday's Comics.

The Invincible Iron Man #31.

Firstly, that is NOT the main cover. It is the vampire variant that Marvel has a thing for lately. It's just the only one they had on Comic Vine.

I figured that this series had to debut on Thursday's Comics sooner or later, but I wasn't sure if I'd end up dropping the title or not. For a while I was seriously considering it, but it seems to be gaining steam once more.

To sum up the current storyline...

Stark got ousted by Norman Osborn during Dark Reign. He erased all the info he had on his superhero buddies, leaving only his mind as the last place to contain the information. Slowly but surely, this too began being erased. Stark, over time, regressed to the point that he could only operate earlier, simpler versions of Iron Man armour (He only had one, anyway). On the run from H.A.M.M.E.R., he was joined by Maria Hill. The tension eventually won out and they ended up in a weird sexual relationship/pseudo-relationship.

Stark eventually fell into a coma for the duration of Siege, appearing at the end and thus, leading to this. He has no memory of whatever happened before he was brought out of the coma, and has set about making amends. He has no company anymore and, until not long ago, no money either. Thor, having patched things up, chose to let Stark have his fill of Asgardian gold. Using this, Stark formed Stark Resilient, a company with the intent to supply clean energy to the world so that all the energy and fuelling problems will be solved.

His first step is to build a car based on repulsor technology. This is proven to be not so simple. Why? Because the late Justin Hammer's wife and daughter have proven to be back in business and intent on humiliating/destroying Stark's new efforts. Having created an armoured behemoth themselves (Detroit Steel), they use the gamers of the world to aid Steel in his missions. Through the diabolically clever guise of iPhone apps, people play as bomb squadrons and attack places set by the "game". Little do they know that they are actually doing this. Then there's the small matter that Sasha Hammer, Justin's sexually aggressive daughter, has been augmented by Ezekiel Stane (Marvel Database, kids. I can't be bothered to go into it, haha).

Welcome to now. Stark previously tried to test out his car and found out it had been sabotaged by Spymaster, at the request of the Hammer ladies. He survived, and that's where issue #31 begins.

I very much got tired of the chasm between styles of writing Iron Man. As I've mentioned before, Fraction tends to write him in a very contemplative and condensed manner. There hasn't been much out-and-out action in a while. He's a great storyteller and the Stark: Disassembled arc was amazing, but it felt odd. Especially when you consider that Bendis had been writing him as this wise-cracking, sarcastic super-douche. I like consistency wherever possible.

This is a steam-building issue, really. Fraction does very well to put across the impression of Stark as a man trying to re-define his place in the world and being continually met with roadblocks. I suppose the Hammers mirror who he used to be, aside from the bad guy part. I don't know if he realises that or if that's very much reader acknowledgement, but either way, it's a nice dynamic. It's also more interesting that they're chicks. I don't know why, but it's not unreasonable. I mean, in a world where women can pretty much do everything a man can, business wise, why is arms dealing not one of them?

The culmination of this issue is Stark rushing to get another car built so as to demonstrate it before they can attack again. It all comes to light when, at the demo, one of Stark's organisers is playing a Detroit Steel "game" and quickly realises that the game map is identical to the place they are testing the car. It's a real sort of nail-biter that feels like it could've been a scene from The Bourne Identity. That's exactly what this comic feels like, actually. It feels like a Paul Greengrass movie, in a good way.

I think there's a lot to praise and criticise about Salvador LaRocca's art. One one hand it's very nice to look at, but on the other it tends to be a little too...milky. That's the best way I can describe it, I think. It's the way he draws light and/or light reflections sometimes, it looks too pale. Oh well.

If this storyline pays off, I can easily recommend the series to you as an ends justifying means sort of thing. If it doesn't, the previous four or five issues will have felt like they're for nothing, and I'm not sure I'll be happy with where the story is heading.

Let's wait and see!

The Thanos Imperative #5 of 6.

The penultimate issue of Abnett and Lanning's cosmic blow-out has arrived, and it is very, very good.

At this point, the story has been gestating and it's time to make shit happen. All parties involved are making their final push and they're all pushing in opposite directions. The impossibly large Galactus Engine is proving a challenge, even for Galactus and the other universal abstracts, and things get no better when Queen Medusa of The Kree Empire receives word that even LARGER threats await behind it.

The whole issue is just paced so well. It focuses on one area, packs it full of suspenseful excitement and then pulls away, then as you're thinking, "NO!"...the comic pulls you into another area of tense developments. The art is just classic. It feels like Surfer circa Vol. 2.

The Revengers battle with the Guardians in The Fault soon ends when their version of Scarlet Witch turns on them. She transports all of our heroes, plus Thanos, to the site of The Necropsy. The place where the ritual that caused ALL this anti-death was performed. Lord Mar-Vell quickly shows up and things get out of hand. Again, everyone wants what they need, they need what they want, and you just wonder who's gonna fall or crumble first.

Nova leaving the frontline, even at Gladiator's behest, was quite pivotal. He wants to go help Starlord and they need him there etc. It's all very dramatic.

The big shocker is that Thanos, mid-fight, totally gives up and refers to Lord Mar-Vell as is undying lord, begging him to give him death. He hates being alive and separated from his love, so he longs for it. The last page is just dynamite dialogue from Abnett. Starlord says, to some degree, "Is it me, or did Thanos just royally screw us over...big time?", and Rocket Raccoon (WHO I LOVE) replies, "Oh...you have NO idea."

There couldn't be a bigger cliffhanger for the final issue. That's how you lead in. I'm not sitting here feeling like things haven't developed enough as I did in Realm of Kings. I genuinely feel like everything is perfectly poised and it can't get any better. It feels like every question has been answered except the ones they HAVE to answer in #6.

Would I recommend it? Yes, definitely. I do think you'd need to pick the whole cosmic saga up in trade form, though. I honestly think that from Annihilation through to The Thanos Imperative, Marvel's cosmic players have been in the most consistently excellent stories since Daredevil's series took a nose-dive.

For those curious, that's as follows:

Annihilation
Annihilation: Conquest
War of Kings
Realm of Kings
The Thanos Imperative

The New Avengers #5.

Speaking of everything building to a point, this is an example of that.

What's very odd is that Bendis almost immediately trashes the prior cliffhanger. You know, the one about how Iron Fist returned from his spiritual experience with the belief that Dr. Strange stole the eye and wanted an explanation? Yeah. Bendis has Dr. Strange basically say, "I didn't do any of that." and Iron Fist apologises. I felt like I was short-changed there. I was particularly thrilled at the idea of the straight-shooting Dr. Strange having a bit of a darker, more nefarious past than we know of.

I was kind of getting tired of the whole, "Let's stand around and try to figure out how or why this is happening, but not really get anywhere." thing. I was fairly pissed that they chose to continue that...until they showed where they were going.

For some reason, Agamotto himself is implied to want the eye back. Agamotto being a being of power beyond human comprehension or contemplation as one of the three omnipotent Vishanti. The current Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Voodoo, shows up and decides to challenge Agamotto. Daimon Hellstrom (Who I do really like in this), laughs it off and offers the suggestion of diving under a bus, as they'd both achieve the same result.

I think Bendis borrowed from Joss Whedon here, because the next part reminds me of that Buffy episode where they all give her their essense so she can defeat Adam. Dr. Voodoo suggests, in no uncertain terms, "Hey, guys. Give me your shit and I'll go put the smackdown."

Out of nowhere, which really did bother me, Wolverine appears like the fucking poster child he is, and does the whole, tried and played-out, "I'm the killer here, bub. Let me at 'im." routine. So bored of it. Seriously. They all agree, shockingly, and then Wolverine ends up with all their essenses, ready to go to war. He does look bad-ass with the mystic markings, but that's because Stuart Immonen's art is destroying everything, in a good way.

I am very excited to see where this goes, but crowbarring Wolverine into a mystic scenario just seems wrong. It should be Dr. Strange or Dr. Voodoo...someone magical, not Marvel's poster boy. The emphasis should be on the fact that there are some things that violence won't achieve.

Some of the Spider-Man dialogue is just brilliant, though. Bendis really does capture his character, I feel. When he asks if the procedure of essense-taking has been done, this particular spell anyway, Dr. Voodoo says that it hasn't. Spider-Man says, "Ooooh, GOOOOOOD!" It just oozes sarcasm. It reminds me of when Christian Bale said it in his infamous Bale-out.

It's five issues in, so...the first trade shouldn't be too far away. Pick it up if you are majorly curious. I think it may read better as trades.

Shadowland #4 of 5.

I just want to say that Elektra brutally wiping out ninja of The Hand will never get old to me. It's honestly just beautiful. She does that in this.

You should all know my opinion of Daredevil's current quality by now. If you don't, you can check out my guest post on Weekly Crisis (If it ever makes it up). If it doesn't get posted, I'll post it.

Either way, this issue does nothing to dissuade my opinion and I don't have much to say. The art is good, same as always, but I can't help thinking that it all just looks a tad silly. I didn't mind before, but as I re-read the Bendis/Mack, Bendis/Maleev, Diggle/De la Torre issues...it really does come off as overly colourful and a bit blocky. In comparison, I mean. Daredevil was such a neo-noir, hard-boiled, darker comic and it just feels odd to me now. It's odd that Daredevil's first big crossover, the one that was meant to be his darkest story...has the lightest feel.

We pretty much get more of the street-level heroes wondering how or what it'll take to stop Daredevil. There's some interesting pages (Two to be precise, I think) of Lady Bullseye and The Kingpin discussing the events. Lady Bullseye wants to fight, but The Kingpin assures her that the time will come, as power is shifting back to him. They take off in a chopper and, as L.B. tells him the fires are spreading, he ominously says to let them burn, he no longer needs them.

Do they develop that? Nah. Will they? Hopefully.

It ends in a big fight with Matt being pinned down. Elektra tries talking sense into him and he explodes in dire and typical fashion with the cringe-worthy line, "Matt Murdock is no more. There is only...THE BEAST!"

I'm serious. Elongated horns and everything. I think they may have even given him sharp teeth. It's all just pants, to be firm and honest. It's all just gone into the shitter. I know the guys over at Speak of the Devil (An excellent podcast which Johnny M has said I can guest on at some point) are really liking it, but I wonder what they make of this issue.

Daredevil #511 is out next week, I guess we'll see what happens.

I just...this isn't good, man. It's honestly not cool. This really is a case of something not being broken, but a repair job being thought necessary anyway. There's also a lot made of Daredevil's attempt to resurrect Bullseye, it's even on the (Supremely bland) cover. Is it part of this issue? Not that I can see.

Diggle, I loved your run on Daredevil, pre-Shadowland. I loved Shadowland #1. What the fuck has happened?

My issue is simple. I try to never be THAT guy. I try not to be the guy who says Marvel should run shit this way, or do things that way. What do I know about running a business? However, I've loved Daredevil since I was six years old and I own more or less, barring a few issues, all of his #510/#511 issue run. As it stands, I am starting to not give a shit about what's going on because I feel like I've been short-changed.

Now, I still do not wanna be that guy, and I hate to end Thursday's Comics on a bad note, but here's my summation; when you can turn a fan like me away from a character he has adored and loved for most of his life, is it not time to put your hands on your heart and consider that you might have fucked up?

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That's all for now, but thanks for reading, as always. I'm considering moving Thursday's Comics to Friday (Same title, since they come out on Thursdays here). The reason for this is two fold.

The first is rather simple. I sometimes buy anywhere from three to eight comics every Thursday. I don't review 'em all, but I usually review at least two. In small number it's not bad, but any more and I encounter an issue. I feel as though cramming stories in, writing what I think and trying to do this all in the free time I get on Thursday just doesn't do anything, or ANYONE, justice.

I feel like I could give myself a day to read the comics, digest the stories. Re-read them and properly establish my opinion. I think that is a key element in what used to, and sometimes still does, make my reviews a little more synopsis-based and a little less review-based. I can only really tell you what happens because I generally haven't formulated an iron clad opinion yet. Not always, mind you. Sometimes I really can just churn it out well, but even when I do, I feel rushed.

I guess, in starting this blog I wanted to be known as punctual and on-time, resultantly giving myself set days to post things and very rarely straying outside of those. Sometimes I'll get home, read comics, do my day-to-day errands and then, bam! Next thing I know, it's 8-9pm and I'm tired, yet I have a blog post to do.

I really am trying to think of ways to fill the gaps between each Thursday. I'm seriously lacking in retro reviews and things like that, but I simply haven't had the time and I am coming up short on ideas. Well, I have lots of shit in the pipeline, don't get me wrong. I plan to do retrospectives on Blackest Night and the two preceding stories (Green Lantern: Rebirth and The Sinestro Corps War), Scalped, Invincible, Captain America and The Walking Dead. However, it's gonna take a lot of time and money to catch up on those trades (Not so much the very former, but the rest), so you probably won't get them soon.

The second reason is superficial. I get all my cover art from Comic Vine, an excellent all-round comic website. Sometimes they just don't have the new artwork uploaded in time, and I really can't bring myself to post without it.

I do recommend you check the site out, though. The reviews and videos are good, even if I do have a lot of disagreements with the opinions of both G-Man and Sara "Babs" Lima, their love of the medium does come across more often than not. Speaking of which, the ever-busy Ms. Lima (Not Adriana, though Sara is also Brazilian-born) said she would enjoy doing an interview for Welcome to the Mast sometime. Don't hold your breath, though. I can't always find time to update THIS blog, but she is editor of Comic Vine, so you can imagine the workload.

This turned into a bit of a review/blog today, whaddya know?

Take care of yourselves. I DID have something planned for Saturday, but I'm going to see Killing Joke live and I doubt I'll be in any condition to type after. If not, never fear! I will see you next week!

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Meets: Dan Abnett.

2010-10-09T20:19:00.001+01:00

Back like a spinal column.

Today, as promised, I will be posting an interview I was rather excited to get! None other than Mr. Dan Abnett has graced the pages of my blog! I'd like to give a big thank you to him for doing this.

The Mast Meets: Dan Abnett.

The Mast: First of all, thanks for coming onto my blog. It's a pleasure to have you on here. I suppose, right out of the blocks I'd like to ask you where this all began for you? Being a fan, I suppose I've read the story to some extent, but for those who aren't familiar with you, how did the love of the medium and the writing of comics start for you?

Dan Abnett: My favourite pass times when I was a kid were reading, writing stories and drawing pictures, the latter two I soon combined into writing and drawing my own comics. After studying English at university, I ended up working at Marvel Comics in London, on the editorial side, but freelancing as a writer, which is where I learned the ropes (Working on junior titles like Ghostbusters, Thundercats and Care Bears). Ultimately I went freelance full time.

The Mast: One thing I've noticed about your writing style, however intentional or unintentional it may be, is that you seem to balance such expansive dialogue in which action. It feels like everything is happening, but not in a bad way. Is this a style you, or Lanning (Forgive me, I never know who writes what and I'd hate to miscredit anyone), just naturally birth, or does your style come from being inspired by any other writers?

Dan Abnett: The dialogue is usually me. It's just my natural inclination to write that way, though I'm sure there are vast subliminal influences from all sorts of writers whose work I've enjoyed.

The Mast: I've written some knock-about fan-fic scripts involving Marvel characters and what not. Obviously, when flying solo you can literally just throw any idea you want onto a page, so it could seem as if you have unlimited freedom. At face value, collaborative writing may seem restrictive to many.

In recent years, though, it seems some of the best penned-work has come from collaborative writing. Yourself and Lanning, Diggle and Johnston, Pak and Van Lente; what is it about the creative/collaborative process between you and Lanning specifically that works so well, and how do you usually go about handling a story?

Dan Abnett: Andy and I have worked together for two decades, mainly because we enjoy the fun of the process. We both work separately (Me with the novels and 2000 A.D., Andy as an inker). Getting together once a week or so and having fun whilst sharing a love of comics (We like similar things) means we can both stave off the classic freelancer blight of cabin fever. We also riff on each others ideas all the time and that takes the story to places neither of us would have got to alone.

The Mast: This could be considered a lead-off for the prior question, but I've always been curious. How much of the writing is you and how much is Lanning? I have such a habit of just referring to your name first, which is quite bad really! Props to you both, either way.

Dan Abnett: We plan and plot together in the same room, then the finished scripts get "processed" by me. I guess you could say Andy's focus is plot and concept, and mine are character and dialogue, though it's nothing like as clean cut as that. I basically script stuff we've worked up together while he's doing his other job as an inker. Except for the times we do it the other way round for fun ;).

The Mast: Being that you have made a great name for yourself on Marvel's cosmic scene, was that more organic for you than writing a character that has stricter mythos and continuity? By that I mean Nova, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Kree/Shi'ar Empires; these entities don't have the strict continuity of a Daredevil, Spider-Man, Superman or a Batman. Does writing for characters that are perceived as low-priority mean that you can have greater room to move, or due to some of their cult statuses, is it more restricting?

Dan Abnett: To an extent, yes, and also because they were freed from the mainstream continuity of the Marvel Earth, but they come with great (powers and) responsibilities of their own. You've got to keep the galaxy's continuity straight.

The Mast: Of all the things you've written so far, what would you say is your proudest achievement as a writer? What piece, throughout your career, really made you sit back and smile at what you'd done?

Dan Abnett: Personally, several of my novels and my work on Sinister Dexter for 2000 A.D. As a team with Andy, Guardians of the Galaxy and Legion of Superheroes.

The Mast: Regarding what you're up to now, The Thanos Imperative is pretty enormous. Many are, sadly, seeing it as or assuming it to be the last hurrah for Marvel's cosmic resurgence. We've had Annihilation: Conquest, the Nova/Guardians on-goings, War of Kings, Realm of Kings and now The Thanos Imperative. When you took over the cosmic stuff, did you have this all planned out, what exactly was your goal and is this the last installment of your wide-spanning cosmic epic, or do you plan to remain on the cosmic scene for more time to come?

Dan Abnett: We had big plans, but we shifted and adjusted as they grew (Expended following successes, re-trenched when things were less popular etc). There was no set timetable, however. We're delighted to have had the opportunity to play everything out to a proper end - quite often, you don't get that chance. The Thanos Imperative is the big FULL STOP to our cosmic cycle in terms of satisfying closure and reaching the place we were kind of aiming for...however, inevitably, there is more to come; Rocket and Groot, and...well, I can't say ;)

The Mast: Rumours, which I'm sure you are obliged to not address (Understandably), are running wild that you may be penning a new Silver Surfer on-going. Is there any truth to this? Also, I really, really loved what you did with Gabe Summers in War of Kings. Arguably the most believably despicable villain in a long, long time. Is there any future for the third Summers brother?

Dan Abnett: All I can say to both is, I’m afraid, no comment ;).

The Mast: In keeping with the prior question, you've been revealed as the writer for the upcoming Heroes for Hire series. What else can we expect to see you on? That you are permitted to talk about, that is.

Dan Abnett: Heroes for Hire is big for us, and we're very excited. We're deliberately going to something as un-cosmic as possible, just for a change of pace and to recharge our batteries. Street-level vigilante heroes is about as far as you can get from cosmic. I think readers will really enjoy the tight thriller concept and off-beat set up of the series, not mention the trademark D'n'A oddball team combo, forgotten character revival and shock twists.

The Mast: Last and by no means least...who is your favourite character to write? I think you write a mean Surfer, but I'd go with Nova. He's essentially gone from this powered New Yorker to a legitimate cosmic protector that transcends being Earthbound. He really has come into his own and, being that he is a fav of mine, I'd like to thank you.

Dan Abnett: Thank you. Nova is a fave. Oddly, it's some of the tangential characters you get a real fondness for: Mantis and Gamora, Ronan, Jack Flagg and Cosmo.

The Mast: Thank you SO much for taking the time, I really do appreciate it. Keep up the fantastic work because you're making a lot of folks happy!

Dan Abnett: Thank you! My pleasure!

---

What a lovely chap Dan Abnett is, huh? Thanks again to Dan for grabbing some time to come by, and if you've not been hooked on the cosmic sagas he and Lanning weave, you should be now! The fact that he chose not to comment on a future for Surfer OR Gabriel Summers is as exciting as can be, for me anyway.

Thanks for reading, if you did, as always.

What kind of posts would you like to see on here? As readers, is there anything you were curious about that you'd like my take on, or a question you'd like to ask? Decent questions, please. Bless ya little hearts. Not childish, get-deleted-right-away questions.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Reviews: Thursday's Comics (7/10/2010).

2010-10-07T21:20:00.000+01:00

We found a severed finger by the crockpot!

Due to very unfortunate circumstances I was unable to film with Iyare on this week's episode of Direct Edition, which sucks, because I really wanna guest again. I love that show and those who make it.

Be sure to go check it out and subscribe if you haven't, or tell those you think might like it to do the same.

Also, to the super-tough person who attempts to leave me negative comments and simply gets them laughed at and deleted, I hope you do realise the contradiction of calling someone a pussy while anonymous.

Still, send me your address and I'll send you an autographed picture. I love ALL my fans.

This week was a pretty damn good week for comics. I bought some comic backing boards because I needed them, but I got home to find out they were too small for the sleeves. I'm O.C.D. about my comics, shut up. Now I have 100 backer boards that I bought for £8 and can do nothing with them.

Don't forget, this Saturday comes my interview with Mr. Dan Abnett! Definitely something you'll wanna check out if you've been loving the cosmic stuff. For now, though, COMICS!

Thursday's Comics.

Deadpool: Max #1.

Most of you know, I have wanted an unleashed, violent and explicit Deadpool depiction for a long time now.

Despite being out of continuity, I really did always want a MAX series for Deadpool. What is MAX? MAX is the adult off-shoot of Marvel comics really. Anything with the suffix of MAX means it is explicit and for older readers. The Punisher had his most acclaimed series when Garth Ennis penned The Punisher: MAX, for example. It's simply way more suited to some characters.

Deadpool: MAX #1 sees a down-on-his-times guy named Bob (Always Bob) telling a voice on the other end of a telephone about his last mission. Deadpool was hired, or decided, to assassinate reclusive head of A.I.M., Hammerhead. To infiltrate the building he crafted a careful plan that involved this mole, Bob, getting anally raped, beaten and generally threatened by a sadist named Bruno. All while feeding Deadpool information.

Through various fake death scenarios, Deadpool finally gets to the paranoid Hammerhead and shoves a combat knife through his face. The proficiency with which he kills the guards is just...unf. It's what I've been waiting for. A snarky, rather mean and understated, yet still hilarious Deadpool.

It's all here, really; violence, death, nudity, harsh language. This is shaping up to be yet another series that resurrects the reputation of Deadpool among fans. Like I said, it's just such a shame it's not in continuity.

I don't know if I'd consider it a jumping on point as far as getting to know Deadpool, but if you feel like giving it a whirl, by all means do! The artwork is pretty zany, but Deadpool looks very lean and assassin-like. He really does look gracefully lethal and ironically centered in a chaotic art style. I like it.

Avengers Academy #5.

Another part origin, part continuation issue.

Striker gets the treatment this time, and it's a little cliched to be honest. The most obviously brash and arrogant one is shown to have been a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of one of many men his fame-craving mother would bring home. A true golddigger, she used him to get famous when she couldn't any longer.

It's typical and it sort of takes away credibility from any angst he may have. He re-tells his origina to Jocasta as she mindlessly wanders around the mansion at night, which I felt did give it a nice touch.

The story progresses with him hitting on various students, Veil and Finesse in particular, and lashing out during a training section. This time they bring in none other than Steve Rogers to teach the kids about hand-to-hand combat. It's brilliant, really. Hazmat (How I love thee) remarks that this session is dumb because she could just fry him if she wanted to. At this point, like a pimp, Steve just throws Finesse's baton at her chest and says something about how she COULD kill him, but he COULD'VE aimed for her trachea and caused her to suffocate to death too.

His main lesson is that even an unarmed, non-powered opponent can be lethal. It's pretty neat seeing Mettle and Reptil all starstruck. Striker is less impressed and begins getting impatient about how they should be famous and not hiding away, which really worries Steve. Nobody, according to him, ever joined The Avengers to be a celebrity or to get fame.

Christos Gage is doing really, incredibly well giving each character motive for something else. There really is so many possibilities for these characters, as I've said before. The art gives great characterisation to the characters, too. Even with Hazmat's mask, Mettle's expressionless face etc, they're FULL of personality.

The issue culminates with the students being exposed after Whirlwind mounts an ill-fated attack on Hank Pym. Striker proposes that they don't wind up with the adulthood to match his childhood, and that if they don't combat the press now, it'll get worse. The school is exposed and Striker wraps up his story to Jocasta, whose red eyes provide the closing shot of the comic.

If I haven't sold you on this series yet, I'm not sure what more I can do. It's one of my favourite on-going titles right now, it really is. Hazmat is someone I feel an immediate bond with and truly hope she gets used more.

Join the class, people.

Uncanny X-Force #1.

Is it my birthday? No? Then why the epic Deadpool trend?

He's not in it for much this issue, but what he DOES do as a new member of the NEW X-Force? Oh boy. Infiltrating an ancient temple, looking for an unnamed (It's obvious who it is) enemy, he rants and raves to himself WITHOUT THE TWO VOICES IN THE HEAD. It's so funny. The team seems very well balanced, all the characters either have workable history or could easily build a great connection.

The concept of Fantomex/Deadpool interaction just makes me smile. Also, Wade's looking mighty slick in his new black/white/red lenses X-Force threads.

That's where we end up, basically. Warren Worthington III is struggling to control his Angel/Archangel, but does so with the help of his lover, Psylocke (Mirroring Scott/Emma, but I'll try to dig it). Fantomex is the new guy, and Wolverine's the old guy. Deadpool is the guy Archangel has been sending on tracking missions for a year, all leading up to this point.

Deadpool gets captured after he informed the team that he has found what they're looking for, and when we later catch up with him and they save him, he is singing Conga by The Miami Sound Machine while being tortured. That's just...I love that. That's just typical Deadpool, he WOULD like Gloria Estefan, and I love that Remender knows that.

The target is revealed to be none other than the reverted child form of Apocalypse. I'm not sure what the deal is, but I doubt we're meant to. Archangel harbours a grudge against Apocalypse like NOOOOOO other. It's one of the biggest in Marvel history. So, naturally, Wolverine's a little concerned about his emotional state. There's just lots of great threads of story to be worked with here. I just hope Deadpool isn't a fleeting member.

Deadpool's continuity really is all out of goose right now, though. Where does this take place? When? All in relation to Daniel Way's shit, I mean. I don't care much. I'll just assume Uncanny X-Force is where he's at currently.

Opena's art is just eye-damagingly pretty. Solid, watercolour-esque and very, very fluid. The sequence at the end of this book (With MORE Deadpool bad-assery/shitty joke telling) shows how everything flows. He almost has a Kirby-like touch in the sense that everything is like quick punches.

GET ON IT, YO. Seriously. Such a cool opening issue.

---

I didn't get S.H.I.E.L.D. #4 or Chaos War #1. The former because I forgot and the second because by the time I got my hands on the comic, there was one left and someone in the store was specifically asking about it, so I did my good deed and gave it away. Shame, because I think there's only gonna be a second printing variant now.

You MAY get this post updated tomorrow, because I may go back and get my backer boards/comic sleeves. We'll see.

I'm probably dropping S.H.I.E.L.D. from Thursday's Comics. It's one issue every two months and so densely packed that it probably reads better as trades. So, what I'll do is just review it once every...four issues. I might even wait until it's finished and just do one huge review. I've heard it won't be a full on-going anyway. It's probably, conceptually, my favourite on-going. We'll see where it goes.

That's about all I've got for you today, folks. Thanks so much for reading.

-The Mast

The Mast Meets: Fred Van Lente (Pt. 2).

2010-10-04T13:38:00.001+01:00

Greetings to you all.

I come bearing one of TWO upcoming new interviews. Isn't that just the way? You wait ages for your next bus and then two come along at once.

None other than Fred Van Lente, the man I interviewed first, has come back to talk our faces off with some exciting comics talk, as well as the next big event he is working on.

First I'd like to thank him a great deal for coming back, and secondly, you, for reading.

Let us get right into it!

The Mast Meets: Fred Van Lente (Pt. 2).

The Mast: Before we get onto the big issue, I want ton say congrats on the Taskmaster mini-series! I'm glad someone with a sense of lethality and humour took him under their wing. You write a pretty humourous Deadpool and I am thrilled you're doing Tasky's mini. Is that something that came out of the blue, or did you want to handle the character for some time?

F.V.L: Thanks so much! I haven't, it's something editrix Lauren Sankovitch brought to me, just to do something with Taskmaster. At first I didn't quite see the appeal but the idea lodged in my brain in the idea of doing a story about a guy with a super-memory that erases his recollections of his own past seemed really cool to me, and Jefte Palo's art is just killing on it.

The Mast: For the uninitatied people who sadly don't keep up with comic books, specifically the Marvel Universe (Squares, as they're called), how would you describe Chaos War?

F.V.L: Chaos War is a big-budget disaster movie on a super hero scale. While super heroes aren't much impressed by towering infernos or Armaggeddon-size asteroids, in Chaos War they face a threat on the scale of which they've never seen before. The Chaos King is all that existed in the multiverse before there was a multiverse, and he seeks to destroy all of reality to make himself the only thing in existence once more. The last stand is -- where else? -- Earth and his heroes, which Chaos King has attacked with his army of slave gods. He's not just knocking over buildings, he's destroyed reality piecemeal -- the Land of Dreams and the Underworld are among his targets. So our heroes have to contend not just with collateral damage on Earth but in the psychic and metaphysical realms as well. Like I said: A disaster movie beyond all imagining!

The Mast: With all that's going on in the M.U. right now, what would you say is its (Chaos War's) relation to the current Marvel status quo and why it's something people should be reading?

F.V.L: Not only is it crucial to the direction of the current Marvel Universe (With serious ramifications for one hero team in particular), it may actually be physically painful for you not to read it, not solely because I will send guys to your house.

The Mast: You seem to have a bit of a knack for writing these godly characters! The Incredible Hercules, as I'm sure I've said, was really good and I love your work on Amadeus Cho. Is there anyone specifically you had/have a blast writing in this book that you hadn't written for before, or one you loved returning to?

F.V.L: I have always been a huge Sersi fan from when she was an Avengers mainstay, and it was great to bring her back to a kick-ass heroic role as the resident wise-ass on the God Squad, the ultra-powerful team Hercules assembles to stop the Chaos King.

The Mast: Something I'm quite excited for is the Chaos War: Alpha Flight #1 one-shot. I always liked them and kind of thought it was a bit of a throwaway death when they got wiped out by The Collective. DID they get wiped out by The Collective, or did something more complicated happen? Is it a "Read and find out" scenario?

F.V.L: If you'll look on the beautiful Salva Espin cover, the floating heads were killed by The Collective (Well, except Marinna, who bought it during Dark Reign), but they have a second chance at life thanks to the, er, chaos of the Chaos War! Whether or not that becomes permanent is a true "Wait and see" scenario.

The Mast: Without revealing too much, obviously, are there any installments or parts of Chaos War that you got abnormally excited about, or are particularly excited to see reactions to?

F.V.L: It's had for me to say and sound sincere, but I keep reading the lettering proofs and keep getting surprised myself just how far Greg and Khoi and I are going with bringing the "shock and awe" of super hero event comics to this book. This is bigger than you think. It redefines big. It makes Blackest Night look like Slightly Cloudy. It makes Civil War look like Friendly Disagreement. Be prepared to scrape your brains off the walls at the end of #1, because your mind will be blown.

The Mast: Thanks for your time once more Fred. I really appreciate it!

F.V.L: My pleasure. Thanks for asking.

---

So, there you have it! If you needed any more reason to pick up issue #1 of Chaos War, there are plenty there! Deaths, fighting, excitement and a sincere threat from Van Lente that he will send guys to your house. You know what to do!

If you still haven't bought Fred Van Lente's Action Philosophers in trade paperback, you're a bad human.

On Wednesday I guest on Direct Edition, after that comes Thursday's Comics (It does look like a fairly awesome week), then on the Saturday I will be posting an interview with someone I've wanted to chat to for a LONG time now. That someone is Mr. Dan Abnett, Marvel's supreme cosmic scribe! Be sure to check back as we talk about lots of things past, present and spacey.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Reviews/Blogs: Thursday's Comics (22 and 30/9/2010) & MORE Exciting News.

2010-10-02T12:55:00.001+01:00

I'll give YOU what fer!

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.

---

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

The Mast Blogs: Time Away, What Happened to Thursday's Comics/The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom & Some Exciting News.

2010-10-01T13:44:00.000+01:00

Well look what the wind dragged in!

I have been gone for a week! No updates, no anything! I apologise for this and I plan to make amends after I have finished writing this line, any minute now...yep...here we go...spacial relationships...

Time Away.

When I push myself to post things on as tight as schedule as I do, I sometimes find everything thrown entirely out of whack when that little thing called life decides to mess with me. Due to one reason or another, I have been absent for what feels like forever, even though it's not that long.

Just bear that in mind when I appear to vanish.

Thursday's Comics.

Thursday's Comics has been remarkably bare lately, you see. Last week there were three comics and this week there's just one. I don't feel it's warranted to do an entire post for that. So, what I'll do is just combine the two I would've reviewed last week, and the one that came out this week, all in a little catch-up post. In all fairness, you didn't miss much. Secret Avengers #5 wasn't brilliant, The Avengers #5 was good, but not good enough to warrant me dropping life's calling to come review it, and Avengers Academy #4 was fucking great, but not hugely revelatory.

Now, regarding The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom. The remaining questions were getting kind of poor and I decided to ditch it, simply because I'd rather abandon it than force myself to churn out half-assed updates every day. I'm very glad you all seemed to enjoy the stuff that WAS posted, though.

Some Exciting News.

If you recall, I've had some teasers suggesting I'd have some very exciting news soon. I now have it!

Firstly, Mr. Ryan K. Lindsay of Weekly Crisis had personally requested I do a guest post on the rather huge comic book news/review website he partakes in. Of course, I accepted!

It's currently being processed/reviewed/edited I guess, so the final product may or may not be an exact replica of what I wrote, but I doubt they'd warp it. As soon as it's up, IF they post it, I will let you all know. It's a rather weighty post about Daredevil and his current state of flux, which I have called The State of Hell's Kitchen Address.

MEANWHILE, IN THE NEXT PART OF THIS POST, I will give you the next bit of news.

Dan Abnett, Marvel's premier cosmic penman himself, has agreed to do an interview with me for this blog! It was going to be on Skype, but due to the time constraints of such a busy schedule, he requested that I email him questions instead. As soon as I've mailed those off to him, I will await his reply and post it here for y'all to see. I said y'all, deal with it.

---

I just wanted to come and let you all know I'm not dead and neither is the blog. It's just that a multitude of things crashed together and Welcome to the Mast took a spot on the backburner for a bit. It will almost definitely happen again, but whatever.

For those of you who've forgotten, you can still check out Direct Edition on YouTube. I will be returning next week alongside the ever-dashing Mr. Chris Starks and the Luke Cage lookalike/host, Iyare.

I'll do my level best to either catch up on the past two weeks/three comics worth of my reading list, but if not, TRUST me when I say NEXT week's will be worth reading.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 22): What Is Your Favourite Universe?

2010-09-19T20:09:00.000+01:00

We'll show them...Chinese BOXING!

I am so rushed for time lately, I don't normally arrive home until later from whatever I'm doing and these posts always seem to get up late!

A thousand apologies!

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 22): What Is Your Favourite Universe?

This question is often asked to me by many people, more of a WHY than a WHAT, but it should be fun to answer I think.

My favourite comic universe is...

The Marvel Universe.

Now, you probably thought this was just too obvious. It is, I suppose.

I love many comics and many characters across MANY different companies, but Marvel was the first company to introduce real world locations in any sense of community. Stan Lee humanised his characters, unlike Superman, and placed them in a real world setting with unreal inhabitants.

Most of the Marvel Universe dwell in the States, so why wouldn't they run into each other? Stan Lee addressed all these issues. If Reed Richards needed a lawyer? Well, he'd go to Matt Murdock. If anyone needed scientific advice, they'd go to Reed Richards. There was someone everywhere, and it felt very believable.

For example, in Civil War we see the heroes split down the middle by their respective beliefs, with neither side truly right nor wrong. In other companies, I feel as if there is right and wrong, and maybe some in between, but nowhere near the sense that Marvel has.

It really does feel like you're watching the lives of these people unfold.

Superman has emotions, lots of them. I never got why someone who is as powerful as him would ever be upset by his issues with Lois, or things that humans are bothered by. He's Superman. Obviously, love can affect us all, but Superman doesn't have to be careful in battle. If he is distracted by emotions or things in his personal life, say, during his attempt to stop a robbery? It doesn't matter if he slips attention and gets shot.

If that happened to Spidey, he could get killed.

They're just very realistically unrealistic, I love it and I love what they do with it (Most of the time).

I guess I love the fact that they seem to match up, too. Luke Cage didn't marry some civilian damsel-in-distress. He married Jessica Jones, a superhero bodyguard. It's not a case of Superman falling for a woman he has to keep saving every five minutes.

What do YOU like in your comics? Why do YOU prefer one universe or another? Let me know!

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I've been considering actually doing a post on my comic collection! Taking pics and actually showing you all why this blog exists. Good idea? Bad idea? Self-indulgent for better or worse?

Anyway, all of you scumbags take care. I'm off to watch The Simpsons.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 21): What Is the Most Memorable Death?

2010-09-17T21:16:00.001+01:00

The frogurt comes with a curse.

A shocking and unprecedented event has occured. There are NO COMICS TO REVIEW THIS WEEK! Let me rephrase that, actually. There are lots of comics out every week, but none came out this week that I review on here.

Deadpool #27, which was kinda funny, but ultimately what you'd expect; pointless. Then there were a couple of Shadowland tie-ins with varying degrees of necessity, but I don't review those anyway.

Saying this, I've been scouring my collection to find a suitable comic that could serve as a good edition of The Mast Looks Back, since I haven't done those in a while, or I may even do another 101/Where to Start with So and So post. We'll see!

That's for then, not now. Why? Because tonight WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DEATH.

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 21): What Is the Most Memorable Death?

I'm gonna go ahead right now and give this as little an introduction as possible. Why? Because there can honestly be only one, for me. Sure, Superman's death rocked the world, but for me personally? There is just this and only this in contention.

The Death of Elektra.

Elektra has become somewhat of a cult character. She has a fanbase that isn't comparable to the likes of Spider-Man, even Daredevil, but among Daredevil fans she is a total favourite, usually.

As I stated in the other installment of this list, the romance one, I have a deep affinity for Elektra and her relationship, not just with Matt Murdock/Daredevil, but his existence. I had read most of the stories up until Daredevil #181 (The death issue), including her debut in #168 (Not the actual comic at this point, just a reprinted story), even before I had actively started searching out Daredevil's back issues. I couldn't get to a comic store with regularity as a child, so I got a few single issues frequently, but mostly kept up with the stories through collected editions or what not.

I didn't have the appreciation for Elektra I do now, but she was a refreshingly useful character even then, and I knew that. She was throwing Daredevil through a loop in a manner I hadn't seen a female character do before.

By the time I eventually got around to reading Daredevil #181 in an actual single issue form, I was very much caught up on things. I received this comic as a gift when I was...I don't even know how young, and opened the wrapping paper to see this:

What a striking cover that is. Even for today, it's a truly attention-grabbing piece.

To appreciate what kind of stir it caused to advertise a death on the front cover, you have to remember that this issue came out in April of 1982. There was no internet, no rumour mill, no discussion board. If you wanted to voice an opinion on a comic you had to write a letter to the Marvel Bullpen and hope it got published.

Can you imagine just how amazing and more suspenseful comics were back then? No endlessly spoilerific solicits, no spoilers in general. Everything was so easy to keep secret.

Naturally, by the time I read this, Elektra had died and come back long ago. Still, it was by first time reading it. One of Daredevil's most fierce and hated foes is fighting his first and arguably most intense love interest, and one of them dies? For real? I couldn't read the book fast enough. Bullseye and Elektra fight and in his inimitable and sadistic tone, Bullseye says, after getting the better of her:

"You put up a pretty good fight, toots. You're pretty good, but me? I'm magic."

Click that to see the page in large, beautiful glory.

After doing what he does on that page, he then grabs one of her own sais and, in an intentional moment of rather aggressive sexual and violent symbolism (Remember, this was in the '80s and in a comic book, when censoring shit was big), thrusts it right through her body and out the other side.

He doesn't do it fast, it's not drawn as a quick or fast action. He PUSHES it through her, as if intending to make a hole from which her life can drain out of her, with a grin on his face.

She crawls to Matt's doorstep and dies in his arms. It's a shocking, violent and in many ways, disturbing scene. Miller referred to it as a rape-murder in a superhero comic, simply because of how he penetrates her with her own weapon. That symbolism wasn't lost on anyone, at all. Now, consider in the 2000s where they won't even let Wolverine smoke anymore (Not that I care, but it just seems odd), what uproar such inter-gender violence caused back then.

This was 13 issues after her debut and she had been killed off. Frank Miller never intended her to return. I'm partially glad she did, because I think her later involvement and development is what makes her earlier involvement that much more epic, but I do respect Miller too much to disagree with him here. If he says she should've stayed dead, she should've.

It was just...a perfectly done scene. It had to be Elektra, and it had to be Bullseye. It all worked so, so well. In many ways, that's why everyone was so hyped for Shadowland and why the Bullseye death, in the same manner, got such acclaim. It was seen as the first real exploding point after Matt had bottled all this up.

Matt carried this particular loss with him for his whole life, right up until now. He probably always will. She's back, and has been for ages, but you don't forget something like that. That is why, to me, this is the most memorable death.

Daredevil #181 is honestly one of the best comics I've ever read on its own, and you can probably get one for a very reasonable price on eBay, really. I do heartily recommend reading from Daredevil #168 to #181, seriously. I'm pretty certain it's out in a trade too.

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I really enjoyed this post. I guess, due to how fucking ruined Daredevil is getting, I am appreciating how good we've always had it. More on THAT later, though.

Thanks for reading, thanks for commenting and thanks for supporting Welcome to the Mast.

*Plays Simply the Best by Tina Turner in the background*

I've been The Mast, YOU'VE been the best!

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 20): What Is Your Best Casting of a Character (If You Were Casting)?

2010-09-16T20:51:00.001+01:00

"Do you even know which one of our kids I'm talking about?", "G...Gordon?"

As I type out today's post on this chilly London night, I am provided with a soundtrack by Rocket from the Crypt, a seemingly little known popish punk band that have split, but were AWESOME. I'm just keeping the memory alive by telling you to go check them out.

I'm pretty excited for this installment, simply because this is one that I'm curious about other peoples' opinions on. So, let's get to it!

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 20): What Is Your Best Casting of a Character (If You Were Casting)?

It's something every comic book fan wonders, isn't it? "Who would play THAT role? Who could play that role BETTER? Who should've played her/him?"

I'm here to tell you who I think would be the best casting of a single character that hasn't been done yet. If you think I'm wrong, I honestly believe you're a bit retarded in the mind. You've got mental problems, man.

Hugh Laurie as Dr. Strange.

Come onnn. Don't even act like it isn't the best possible casting out of all the "known" actors".

He plays an arrogant doctor already, so let's get him to play an arrogant surgeon as Dr. Stephen Strange. Granted, he's quite different after he has undergone his training and the accident that leads to the end of his medical career, but I feel Laurie definitely has the acting chops to pull it off.

I'm full of faith that he could extend his hands in that familiar pattern, utter the words, "By the omnipotent Vishanti!" and cast a spell in such grand and epic fashion. I really do.

On top of all that, he does kind of look like him. If his hair was darker, he would look really, scarily like Dr. Strange.

I dunno, I've just always wanted him in that role. There was a part of me that was screaming for Angelina Jolie as Maria Hill, but if I had to pick one, it'd be the one I picked.

Who would you pick?

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You know the drill.

Thanks so much for reading, take care of yourselves and I'll be back tomorrow! I didn't get Thursday's Comics today due to having things to attend to, but tomorrow I shall!

Until then, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 19): What Is Your Most Hated Comic-to-Screen Character Adaptation?

2010-09-15T19:36:00.000+01:00

Bam!

Sup, yo?

This post has fallen at a delightfully fitting time. My beloved Arsenal F.C. are playing in the Champions' League (Wiki it) tonight and I wouldn't miss it. So, obviously, I have to get this post up as soon as possible.

Thankfully, this was SO easy.

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 19): What Is Your Most Hated Comic-to-Screen Character Adaptation?

My least favourite comic-to-screen adaptation? You wanna know what it is?

I'm gonna go ahead and quote Highlander and say, "There can be only one."

Juggernaut from X-Men: The Last Stand.

Let's begin with the obvious, shall we? The above is movie Juggernaut, not-so-affectionally known as Jonesernaut.

This is comic Juggernaut:

Do ya see the difference? Do you see how one is a hulking, imposing and rather awesome looking force? The other is just a man in a suit that makes him look bigger, despite there being actual men bigger than that anyway.

What else is there to say about Vinnie Jones's Juggernaut?

He's English.
He's a mutant. Meaning he WASN'T turned into the Juggernaut by reading the inscription on the crimson gem of Cytorrak.
He has absolutely NOTHING to do with Charles Xavier and is not portrayed as his half-brother.

Need I go on, in all seriousness?

He serves as nothing more than a pathetic, stupid lackey for Magneto in this movie. There's literally no interest in his character or anything. They wanted to cram as many people into this movie as possible, and so many characters suffered. Juggernaut most of all.

I genuinely think this is the worst, or one of the worst comic-to-screen character adaptations of all time. I've never been more annoyed.

Daredevil's movie was Sin City compared to this.

Then consider the fact that, to cash in on the famous internet meme, they had him say, "Don't you know who I am? I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!"

Truly, utterly pathetic. That's why he is my most hated comic-to-screen adaptation ever.

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I have hardly any time for a lengthy sign off, so I'll simply say thanks and keep reading!

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast.

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 18): What Is Your Favourite Comic-to-Screen Character Adaptation?

2010-09-14T23:29:00.001+01:00

Brought to you by Dettol!

I really need to stop doing these posts late.

This is how dedicated I am to Welcome to the Mast. Maybe I'm tired, maybe seeing a friend play Halo: Reach just put me to sleep (Such a dire series), but either way, sleep or a nap is required.

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 18): What Is Your Favourite Comic-to-Screen Character Adaptation?

An interesting topic, this one.

What character do I feel was best taken from the page to the screen? You would be utterly surprised! This isn't who I consider to be the BEST, maybe. It's definitely one of my favourites. Who? You'll never guess. My favourite comic to movie character adaptation is...

Knives Chau from Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World.

Now, I know what those of you who have read the Scott Pilgrim books are thinking, because I agree. They DID leave SO much out of the movie that it was really frustrating.

However, reading the books, I always loved Knives Chau. She gave off such an adorable, protective, cute and territorial madness. There's such an innocently obsessive nature about her that it makes he so compelling.

This is where the movie benefited, I think. The books have some real cool art, but they're black and white, and very crudely drawn. The movie afforded life to the parts of the story and characters that it DID include, that the art alone could not.

Knives was my absolute favourite. I felt everything I felt reading the books, but MORE so. Ellen Wong plays the 17 year old Knives to perfection, I think. They cut a LOT of her role and dialogue down, but what IS there is so charmingly memorable. The scene where Scott breaks up with her made me want to punch him in the face, simply because she looks SO heartbroken. The voice, also, is what carries it.

Even little touches like her meekly coming to Wallace/Scott's place and asking, "Is Scott here...?" They all make her a character you want to wrap in cotton wool and protect.

The irony is, she's a total badass. You only get to see glimpses of it in the movie, but that's a testament to how good she was.

She just thinks everything Scott does is amazing and without fault, and he shits on her heart. It's really sad.

I LOVED the depiction of her temper tantrum when she finds out Scott is with Ramona. It's honestly so perfectly female, and I know so many females who have said they've done the same. The way she just starts calling her a fat-ass and making all these terrible insults and excuses as to why Scott must like her, as if it takes away the legitimacy of his crush.

Very adorable and, whether or not others agree, I found it to be exactly as I read her. Better, because Ellen Wong carried such an inherent disarming quality over to the character that it just made her all the more of a character worthy of sympathy.

I must admit, Todd Ingram as played by Brandon Routh was amazing, too. I tell you, compared to his part as Superman in Superman Returns...he was brilliant in this. He truly was. So many people were candidates for this; R.D.J.'s Tony Stark, Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker etc. I do think those were BETTER, but this was my favourite.

I just got such a fun kick out of watching her on screen, and I think you would too. Hence why she is my favourite comic-to-screen character adaptation.

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Once again and as always, thanks to whoever reads this. I really appreciate it.

I often wonder who, if anyone, is actually getting into comics through this blog/me. If you haven't, you should.

That's me done for today. Tomorrow comes the OPPOSITE of this post, as we take a look at what my LEAST favourite comic-to-screen character adaptation is!

Be there or you're an idiot.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 17): Who Is Your Favourite God?

2010-09-13T21:05:00.001+01:00

It's milk and eggs, bitch.

Honestly, I'm almost bursting at the seams with excitement regarding the aforementioned pieces of news I may or may not have to deliver. I wish I could tell you, but I've learned never to announce something until it's done or confirmed.

I hope to have them confirmed soon, though.

Now, as this blog post is being typed while listening to Marvin Gaye, a god of music, I think this topic is rather fitting!

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 17): Who Is Your Favourite God?

THOR...is what you're probably all thinking. YOU'RE WRONG.

Well, not really.

He's tied first, but he probably gets all the praise, so I'm gonna show some respect to someone who, over the more recent years, has become increasingly badass and has been further embraced by the comic reading community.

Of course, my favourite god is...

Ares.

The literal Greek god of war, you'd be TERRIBLY hard-pressed to find a more masculine figure in Marvel than Ares.

He was never a major player in Marvel, but when Norman Osborn came into power and decided to for the Dark Avengers, he needed a god. The Avengers have a god, so he needed one.

He's not on the level of Thor, but nevertheless, he is an utter beast in combat as you can imagine. This brings me to the story that solidified my adoration of Ares. Kieron Gillen wrote a mini-series in three parts entitled Dark Avengers: Ares. In it, Ares was requested, by Norman Osborn, to take a group of H.A.M.M.E.R.'s best soldiers and turn them into soldiers worthy of fighting with the god of war.

Ares testing the group's awareness and reflexes by swinging at them mid-speech was truly hilarious. His training methods were brutal and his speeches were rousing.

Ares does things like this:

The man is training his men by firing a chaingun at them...with one hand, without looking. Why isn't he looking? He's drinking beer.

No big deal, really.

It's all the sadder, then, that Ares found himself unknowingly dragged into the Siege of Asgard for the wrong reasons, even though he was suspicious. He told Osborn he would cut his head off if he had forced him to fight his deity brothers (Greek gods and Norse gods share a friendship I believe) for undue reasons.

He did. When Ares realised this, he charged as Osborn. What followed was a battle with The Void/The Sentry, ending in him being completely ripped in half. It was honestly a shocking moment, simply because he had been so liked and hyped in recent times.

Rest assured, Ares will be back because he is a god, but that was a testament to the death scene. We knew he'd be back as it happened and it was still a shock.

I'm not one who goes for the whole idea of what typically makes a man, but Ares is a real man where I DO agree with it. Ares has a son and his son is Phobos, the god of fear. Phobos was a member of Nick Fury's Secret Warriors and Ares did not agree with this at first. After confronting Fury, Ares decided he would trust his son's judgement. Not necessarily great parenting, but where he lacks parenting skills he has overwhelming desire to love and protect his son from anything.

Of course, the greatest Ares quote comes IN Dark Avengers: Ares #1. When speaking to his supposed troops, he says:

"The chain of command. Rules of engagement. This Geneva Convention thing. Medical evac. Supply lines. The white flag. The Red Cross. Worrying about evacuees and refugees. Taking prisoners. Losing the battle, but winning the war. Cursed diplomats. The proper standard of grooming. Sensible things like having enough bullets before you go into battle, that's the dung my sister cares about. I'm the OTHER God of War."

He embodies what war is at its heart. It's a fight. Ares simply believes you should be there to win at all and any cost or you should fuck off.

It's for these reasons that Ares, god of war, is my favourite god.

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Thank you for reading, I had a fun time doing this one. It's always nice to talk about the more unsung of your favourite characters, really.

As always, I'm back tomorrow with yet another installment.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 16): Who Is the Most Powerful Character?

2010-09-12T20:38:00.000+01:00

You slimy git.

Today, I almost forgot to even post this!

Sometimes a day goes by so fast that before you know it, bam, it's almost 8:30pm and you've not got a blog post up yet!

Fohgivuhness, prease!

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 16): Who Is the Most Powerful Character?

This is a very tricky question to answer, so rather than focusing on a specific character, this post will be about the abstracts of various universes.

The most powerful would depend on which universe we're discussing and such. Marvel, DC et al have their own respective characters. The one most powerful in Marvel, for all intents and purposed, would be The One Above All. Not the Celestial of that name, but the actual being The One Above All. It is Marvel's creator, basically.

So, those kind of characters are the most powerful, really.

Then, you have those beneath them. Those like The Living Tribunal, Eternity, The Spectre, Celestials. These characters aren't the pinnacle of their universes, but they are practically gods. They have varying degrees of omnipotence, omnipresense or omniscience.

Occassionally, you'll get someone like Dr. Manhattan who is a normal man that ends up with powers akin to these abstracts. That's usually the most intriguing kind, because you see the transformation of a character and their perception. Abstracts that are forces of nature, they more or less don't have much character.

Galactus is arguably the most characterful of the lot, and he's very stoic.

So, really, I could've answered this with a one word answer for each universe, but I wanted to add some depth.

In DC's entirely published history, I guess Dr. Manhattan would be their most powerful Earth born character, or one of. Marvel's...hmm. I'd have to think on that. I'd say Dr. Strange at the peak of his powers was pretty beastly. Molecule Man would also be a top contender, just based on his powers.

A bit of an odd topic, really. Sorry I couldn't deliver something less abstract, but that's the subject matter!

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I am going to go on a mission to procure Asian food with an associate or two, so I will catch up with you guys soon! Tomorrow's installment is going to be quite fun, so tune in!

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 15): What Is Your Favourite Rivalry?

2010-09-11T19:03:00.000+01:00

You gotta call yourself the devil in his house?!

Another day, another box of stolen pens. Also, another blog post!

With this blog now up and rolling again, YOU can definitely expect The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom to be continuing with alarming regularity. That's right, not regular regularity. Alarming regularity.

I had a massive subject to tackle, but I'm saving that for something else. It also pertains to one of the two delicious pieces of news I claimed I had.

So treat your eyes like bananas and keep 'em peeled.

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 15): What Is Your Favourite Rivalry?

This was going to go one of three ways, but again, the more I analysed it, the more I realised that the closest tie-breakers often end with a massive winner.

Without further ado, my favourite comic book rivalry is...

Batman & The Joker.

Batman and The Joker have a rivalry so massive that it's known by folks who don't even read comic books.

I'm willing to bet that if you went outside and asked someone who Batman's most famous villain is, they'd tell you it's The Joker. Whether it comes down to the movies or the comics, everybody knows about these two, or at least that the rivalry exists.

The truth is, it deserves its fame.

Superman and Batman both share the same rule; no killing. However, Batman would scare the living shit out of me, day or night, if he approached me with the intention of intimidating me. Superman, to me, isn't scary. Batman is someone that even Superman, a man who is a god for all intents and purposes, is slightly brown-pants afraid of.

Take this into account when remembering that The Joker is not, in the very smallest way conceivable, scared of Batman.

The Joker wouldn't want Batman off his back if he could. Of course, over the years, he's had schemes to kill Batman, but he doesn't want that. As stated in the movie, he simply finds Batman to be too much fun. What balls do you have to have, or lack of mental faculties at least, to use Batman as some kind of experiment?

Even when The Joker murdered Jason Todd, then Robin, by battering him with a crowbar (This happened in the CLASSIC story, A Death in the Family. Read it now if you never have), Batman refused to kill him. It's this element of incorruptibility that The Joker finds fascinating, I think. He loves the idea that Batman would rather live with the torment of his existence than know he was the cause of him being dead.

The definitive take on The Joker was arguably given in The Killing Joke by Alan Moore. A story in which The Joker and Batman get down to having one of their most revealing conversations. Batman goes to see The Joker in Arkham Asylum and says, in so many words, "Look, pal. I don't wanna be at this with you forever, because one of us will end up dead. I really don't want that."

He reaches out and wants to end the feud (Best I can remember).

Somewhere in the comic, The Joker rather candidly details one of the reasons for doing what he's doing:

"All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day. You had a bad day once. Am I right? I know I am. I can tell. You had a bad day and everything changed. Why else would you dress up like a flying rat?"

The Joker makes an amazing argument toward the idea that Batman is honestly just as mental as the people he faces. It's an idea Alan Moore would introduce as far back as Watchmen, really. If Batman did exist, you wouldn't necessarily think he's cool, right? You'd think that he's a fucking lunatic for dressing up like a bat and administering street justice to the world's criminals, whether the results worked or not.

Granted, Batman's no murderer, but he clearly has issues to do that in the first place. Who wouldn't? The whole point is that The Joker nails it. In many ways, The Joker and Batman need each other. At the very least, Batman has needed The Joker to find out things about himself that he couldn't have known otherwise.

They're just locked in an eternal struggle with neither willing to give up.

I'm of the belief that Batman would be eternally justified in killing The Joker, but The Joker has psychologically convinced him that it'd prove him right. It wouldn't, really, but he's convinced him of that I think. If he did, we'd not have the legendary rivalry and feud that we have today (Well, not TODAY, because Dick Grayson is currently Batman, but you get the point).

For all these reasons, this is my favourite rivalry.

Coming close were Wolverine/Sabretooth, Daredevil/Bullseye, Spider-Man/Osborn and Spawn/Everyone he fights, Reed Richards/Dr. Doom, Superman/Luthor etc. I decided to go with this one, though.

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That's it for today. I'm off to the movies, so I will return tomorrow with yet another installment.

Thanks for reading, yo.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Reviews: Thursday's Comics (9/9/2010).

2010-09-10T20:33:00.000+01:00

Is he a martyr or a jalfresi?!

Welcome to the Mast! You know the purpose of this blog, why I'm here and what my name is. That makes it reasonably hard to do an introduction, so from this moment henceforth onward, I will be called Ruddiger.

Jokes aside, I have come back with this week's edition of Thursday's Comics!

Also, not only will The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom be rolling again (Starting below), but I may have two doses of pretty sweet news over the coming weeks!

For now, though, let's talk some story!

Thursday's Comics.

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

A rather decent end to what has been a surprising series.

I don't believe this series could've gone beyond three issues as it simply doesn't have enough to carry it. What IS there, however, is really excellent. I've been singing the praises of this mini since it came out, so I'll try to keep this short and not tread old ground.

Basically, it's like issues #1 and #2. There's lots of fighting, Domino and Wolverine are taken to The Assassins' Guild and Belladonna orders them dead. Lots of blood, lots of fighting and a final appearance by the traditional X-Force line-up, adding more blood and violence to the proceedings.

All works out in the end. Wolverine and Domino, thanks for X-Force, escape and the money stolen gets donated to an orphanage. Well, some of it, thanks to Domino, haha. She shows up at the end having bought Wolverine what looks like a Ford Mustang. Not too shabby!

They drive off together and Wolverine insists he's still mad while, and no I'm not lying, Domino gives him oral sex. You don't see it, naturally, but she tells him to keep his eyes on the road and then the last shot only shows Wolverine in the driving seat. Presumably because she's doing other things!

If you can, and you should be able to, get the trade of this series as soon as possible. It should read really well and it's a deliciously brutal, fun, sexy piece of drawn candy. Dell'Otto's art is, as always, very nice and Yost/Kyle prove why they are such a successful duo at writing these characters.

A hearty recommendation.

The Thanos Imperative #4 of 6.

This is a series that I am glad is picking up a glorious head of steam in the run up to its finale.

Thanos, having been killed in The Cancerverse by Drax in the last issue, almost immediately comes back to life. What's his first action? He kills Drax. Thanos is so fucking badass. You don't even get it, man.

The whole push is that Nova's assembled team (Gladiator, Surfer, Ronan, Quasar, Beta Ray Bill) have gone into the enemy starship in an attempt to hit them where it hurts and end the war for good. In doing so, Lord Mar-Vell reveals that he is now aware that they are but a distraction, and that the avatar of Death (Thanos) is in THEIR universe.

Let me just say that for someone I barely cared about, Lord Mar-Vell is becoming a really sinister, believably formidable antagonist. Abnett and Lanning have done a stellar job of making everyone nail their roles.

Something really awesome, for me, was just how brilliantly Abnett writes Surfer. There's a part during the attack where Nova shouts out that The Revengers are the big guns to look out for. Surfer obliterates them and says, "After this, we shall review how the weight behind that term differs between us." Basically saying, "Yeah, I just whooped the so-called big guns. I'm the fucking man. Polish my surfboard."

It's epic. If Surfer gets another on-going and Marvel don't intend to cancel it after 14 fucking issues, I want Abnett on it.

What I really love in comics, above most other aspects, is a really delicious ending. A lovely splash page that makes you salivate for the next issue.

After Lord Mar-Vell heads to The Cancerverse with The Revengers to get Thanos, he blows up the starship with the whole of Nova's team still inside. They survive, naturally, but only for Surfer to tell them that they have vastly underestimated the opposition. I agree, and that's what surprised me, again, about Lord Mar-Vell. He BEASTS Nova in this issue. Nova. It's epic.

In The Cancerverse, The Guardians of the Galaxy are met with The Revengers on the last page, complete with The Cancerverse's version of War Machine.

I would say that this probably reads better in trade format, same for Realm of Kings. Opposed to War of Kings, which reads awesome in any fucking format.

If cosmic Marvel is something that tickles your noodle, or you want it to, then Abnett is where the action is, and so is The Thanos Imperative.

The New Avengers #4.

Hmm.

The New Avengers...it's definitely not the worst of the newest Avenger-centric titles, but it's certainly not the best.

I have raised my issues with Bendis as of late, and I don't see any of those problems rearing their head in this title, but I would honestly like it if the line-ups were properly defined, without sharing three members with The Avengers.

So, the last issue ended with The Ancient One revealing himself to be behind all the magical chaos. What else was said between him and Danny Rand, Iron Fist, is unknown...until now.

This issue contains varying assortments of chaos, but I have one gripe. It seems to be that the characters, until the end, are simply telling us that loads of shit is happening. There never seems to be much HAPPENING, just lots of dialogue saying it is. Once again, Bendis shines with Luke and Jessica Jones-Cage. He writes them so brilliantly that any scene with them is just a joy to behold.

Spider-Man is another character he writes well, but I'm getting a little burn-out from him. Not EVERY line he says has to be funny. We get it, he's a wise-cracker and cracks wise in situations that aren't always best, but...ALL the time? I do think his dialogue between himself and The Thing, as well as Ms. Marvel, is something that can develop into one of the best character dynamics Marvel has, though.

With that said, it's only four issues in and it does feel like a lot has happened, but not...at the same time.

We're a little the wiser as to what's going on. Iron Fist falls out of the crack in the sky with a brand new white and gold suit, before punching Dr. Strange in the face. That's the culmination of this issue, really. Danny says that The Ancient One told him how this attack is minor compared to what will happen if The Eye of Agamotto isn't given back to its rightful place. Now, what that rightful place is, who it belongs to, and just what Dr. Strange is hiding? Nobody knows besides Bendis. I must admit, I am intrigued now.

I shall watch carefully.

Daredevil #510.

Let me quickly and briefly re-cap Shadowland #3.

Daredevil gets into a fight with his former friends, The Kingpin proposes he be stopped once and for all, with some heroes inclined to agree. Elektra enters the fray and appears to take his side. Master Izo reveals that he is being used as a vessel for The Beast, the demon that The Hand worship. Killing Bullseye weakened the barrier between the worlds and allowed him to get a total grip on Daredevil. The biggest revelation is that Daredevil reveals he needs a new champion, a fighter he can trust. He is then seen digging up Bullseye from his grave.

Enter Daredevil #510.

Daredevil falls further and further off the deep end as he almost kills Black Tarantula for daring to suggest this has gone far enough. With Elektra and Typhoid Mary at his side, he seems to be almost inapproachable and unstoppable at this point. Whatever magic or power is affecting him has started to affect Hell's Kitchen throughout.

Looters, rioters, muggers. It's all happening.

Dakota North and Foggy Nelson are soon accosted by ninja claiming to be from The Hand, but they're not. Almost meeting their end, Black Tarantula saves them and expresses his worry that Matt has gone beyond being stopped safely, wondering what it's going to take.

When he approaches the possessed White Tiger about this, accompanied by many ninja of The Hand, she says that all looters and rioters are to be executed by order of Lord Daredevil.

Now, I've not got many negative things to say about Andy Diggle. I do think this whole series is really well written and gives a dramatically overwhelming sense of dread toward Daredevil. However, I think that he's playing fast and loose with plot details a bit.

So, the issue ends, shockingly, with White Tiger murdering Black Tarantula with a katana and throwing him off a roof. Even though B.T. isn't someone I'm totally fond of, his death did shock me. One, because I didn't expect it. Two, because it can't seriously be the final death in the story. I'm wondering who's next!

The question is, as a Daredevil aficionado, what do I think?

I think Shadowland has suffered. It started brilliantly, but it has suffered. We have not seen enough Daredevil throughout, it's not clear how this is all affecting him or what he's thinking/feeling. Not in Shadowland, nor in his main title. It has also suffered due to Marvel's obsessive habit of spoiling stories months in advanced with explicit solicits. Now, I don't read them, but I know there's gonna be a new Man without Fear.

This is why Shadowland is suffering. People are way too concerned with what's gonna happen after that they're not totally invested in what's happening NOW anymore. I must sadly agree, I am one.

I said this to my good friend Andrew a while back, Daredevil has been blessed with such amazing stories and such a long succession of competent writers that it's only a matter of time before Marvel decides it's working too well and fuck it up.

Now it has been revealed that there's this new Daredevil: Reborn mini-series in January. Like, it's been on the rumour mill that Matt was gonna die, for a while now anyway. It would've had minimal impact as it is, unless done right, but now we know that he's gonna come back, and when?

I'm so fucking angry about all this, but my logic is key and I will wait to see what happens before I truly commit that anger.

Shadowland has fallen under what I consider to be horribly mismanaged marketing and timing. It's the fall of Matt Murdock, but not in the way we all were interested in.

---

That's about all I've got time for today.

Stay tuned for the latest installment of The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom tomorrow, as well as some possibly delicious news to come!

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast.

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 14): What Is Your Favourite Romance?

2010-09-10T15:45:00.002+01:00

Did I catch you fuckers at a bad time?

Yes! We are BACK, ladies and gentlemen! My computer is alive and kicking, punching and using every other available appendage to attack your face. Due to the covers for Thursday's Comics not being uploaded to Comic Vine yet, I am just gonna get the ball rolling by continuing The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom!

You've waited long enough, so lets get down to it!

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 14): What Is Your Favourite Romance?

I know, I know. Romance? Bleugh! You have to accept, though, that romance and love are both a huge part of life and, as a result, almost all stories that are born out of that. Human and non-human alike, we've all felt love for whatever reason and that's why I thought this section would be interesting. Therefore, my favourite romance is...

Daredevil & Elektra.

Frank Miller once said, "Is there anything more insipid than seeing a superhero love scene, and then in the end it's just a guy who looks like us, in bed, naked?"

What Miller aimed to do with Elektra and Daredevil, in the space of time that he had her alive for anyway, was create a very tense, anti-relationship. These were two people who were only really in love according to some people, it was definitely more on Matt's end than the other. On top of that, they had the most tumultuous of times. Again, to quote Miller, "Why would there be a Lois Lane to Superman? Why wouldn't be running around with Wonder Woman? She could match him. Why aren't these people as grand and operatic in their love-making as they are in combat? These people need to be bringing down buildings with their passion."

Elektra was Matt's university sweetheart. Inevitably, she took off to pursue the life we know her to be living now, for various reasons, and Matt was understandably cut up. He DID move on, all until that fateful day when she was hired to kill Daredevil (Daredevil #168, I believe), unaware of who he was. Matt? Matt knew, Matt caught a whiff of her smell and might as well have been rendered catatonic. It was a tremendous piece of writing, dialogue and relatable material that shows how anyone can be brought to their knees by the whim of a heart.

To this day, he still dreams about her, as evidenced here:

So, why these two? Matt is deeply in love with Elektra, or at least he was, and she was definitely into him. We all know the story, though. Right? We've all been there, on either her end or his. You either love someone so much, but can't be with them because they want to pursue something you can't support, or you're the one pursuing that thing.

Elektra is sexy, she's an incredibly useful character and whenever she shows up in Daredevil, fans generally grin wider than the Cheshire Cat. However, she is, undeniably, a very bad person. Sure, she feels bad about being bad, but she IS bad. She has a Marvel Universe kill count second only to Wolverine, maybe. She commits murder with all the consideration or taking a piss in the morning, and Matt has never been able to handle that.

The torture of those two being inevitably drawn to one another is so painful, but it's a car crash you can't avoid watching.

Now, she's showing up in Shadowland with almost a quiet pride in seeing the fact that Matt has been possessed by The Beast (The Hand's ancient master, the whole purpose of Matt's corruption. See Shadowland #3, which came out during The Great Compufail of 2010, hence lack of review), and is now a dark, demonically motivated figure. What's her real intention? Who knows? That's another great element.

We've known the character, as Matt has, for SO long...and yet she's as unreadable as a book written by Christopher Reeve.

It's all these elements combining that make the connection between Daredevil and Elektra my favourite romance (If you can call it that).

---

That's about all I've got today. I will TRY to get Thursday's Comics up as soon as the cover art images are uploaded. Nothing much happened last week, so I can recap this week.

Regarding the above post, it's something I'd love to get your opinions on too, so drop me a comment. Anyone is welcome to comment, so long as it's constructive. Constructively negative OR positive, just be constructive or you simply won't have the comment approved.

That includes any 40 year old, sad, pathetic men out there who may be stalking this page and my appearances on YouTube. All of this despite maintaining for many years that The Mast really isn't someone they care about. Regardless, I love my fans.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Blogs: Direct Edition's Scott Pilgrim Special.

2010-08-27T02:37:00.000+01:00

Bang!

I'm grabbing some internet to tell you all to go check out Direct Edition's Scott Pilgrim Special!

It includes the opinions of ourselves and the fans who showed up to Bryan Lee O'Malley's signing, as well as my interview with the man himself.

I'm SO sorry for the audio on my interview, but it was on the fly and by a main road. We got the quick chance to interview him, so we took it. Not the best location, but what can you do?

Until my computer is fixed, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Blogs: When Technology Fails.

2010-08-25T21:20:00.001+01:00

Greetings, human and alien alike.

This is a tiny update to let everyone know that my internet/computer has been a complete bastard and died on me.

It should be fixed soon enough and I will commense onward with The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom.

I apologise SO much for this, but stick around and we'll be right back!

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Blogs: Welcome to the Mast's 100th Post!

2010-08-23T16:24:00.001+01:00

Greetings!

I really didn't mean to skip out without doing a post yesterday. The problem is that I didn't want my 100th post to go to waste, so I couldn't post anything until I had done my 100th post.

I decided that I wouldn't do anything too elaborate, but I'd say what honestly needs to be said.

The reason I started this blog was because I love comics. Pure and simply, I love comics. I love reading them, reading about them and talking about them. They've been a monumental part of my life since I was six years old. Unfortunately, I hate feeling like I'm talking to myself, as good a conversationalist as I am. On my first few posts, for a long time, I was getting NO commments or any feedback. It's hard enough getting my blog out there NOW, much less back then.

Welcome to the Mast began in November as, I suppose, part service and part vanity project. I love the knowledge I have and as arrogant as it may seem, I love reading my own posts. I guess it's like George Lucas said about Star Wars; his main aim was to make a movie everyone would copy, so that he could relax and watch the copies. It wasn't all arrogance, though, because I also started this site so that I could educate people on what I like and what comics are about.

With the current wave of comic book movies, people are gaining more and more interest in these characters, however fleeting it may be. Seemingly people lose interest once they leave the cinema, but this blog is here for the opposite reason. If people wish to know what is going on and how to get into comics, I like to think that I can provide all that info, as a fan.

The very fact that I've introduced at least a few people to comics is enough for me to know what I'm doing is good. The comments are coming in on a way more frequent basis, and I'm starting to feel as though people really are getting to know my blog (If you read this and have a blog yourself, please, shout mine out).

On top of that, Welcome to the Mast has afforded me the opportunity to promote something. It was due to me promoting my site that I met Iyare of Direct Edition fame, and as a result, I am on the regular broadcasting team for that show now.

Not only that, but I've done interviews with comic creators such as Fred Van Lente, Kieron Gillen, Bryan Lee O'Malley. I also got the opportunity to interview one of my favourite hip hop MCs of all time, and huge comics fan, Vast Aire. None of this would've occured if I didn't just make the leap of faith and start this blog.

I don't want to act like this whole situation is bigger than it is, but in November I was starting a comic blog with no idea if I'd even be continuing it into the next few months. Now, I'm sitting here having done in-person, filmed comics journalism with real comic creators. It's a big deal to ME.

To be honest, I never imagined this would be happening and I hope that it can only get bigger. Iyare and I have some legitimately large, progressive plans for both our individual and collective selves, and I will reveal them if and when they materialise. It feels like it's going somewhere, and if it doesn't, I had a blast at least.

Sometimes, due to keeping myself fairly rigid on time, I know my posts may seem rushed or phoned-in. I guess I can't help that. Sometimes you're having a bad or tiring day, busy days even, and I just can't find the time or effort to post something on time AND have it come across as totally enthusiastic. Thanks for being understanding about that, though.

All in all, that's what I've got. I don't have anything super special, just a tremendous, immense and heartfelt thank you to every single person who has viewed this blog, left a comment or commented to me elsewhere.

I really, really cannot thank any of you enough. I never expected 100 posts, but here we are.

Stick around, because I hope things will only get better.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 13): What Is Your Least Favourite Event?

2010-08-21T23:25:00.000+01:00

You dumb bastard! It's not a schooner, it's a sailboat!

This is my 99th POST! Tomorrow, I am putting off The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom in favour of doing something rather special for my 100th post. I've no idea what I'll do and such, but I want it to be special.

I have an idea, but we'll see what feels right.

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 13): What Is Your Least Favourite Event?

If you know me well, or if you've watched this week's episode of Direct Edition, you may guess what the winner of this category would be. I was going to pick War of the Supermen, which I was thoroughly let-down by, but there's only one winner really. My LEAST favourite event of all time is...

One More Day.

Absolute...garbage.

I think Spider-Man revealing his identity in Civil War was needed. It needed to happen for the event to gain the weight it did. They pulled this deus ex machina as a means of re-setting the consciousness of Marvel's inhabitants. It was Marvel's way of making his identity a secret again.

What happened? Well, because I know some who haven't read Civil War, I will say it like this. Something happens that makes Spider-Man desperate. In his desperation, he and Mary-Jane make a deal with Mephisto in order to rectify the desperate situation. In exchange for this, Spider-Man and Mary-Jane's marriage will be erased from history, consciousness and memory. It'll be like they've never even met.

This caused mass amounts of historical continuity errors and, among other things, a tidal wave of scathing fan backlash.

I think that such a deus ex machina was needed because Spidey couldn't go on with a public identity. My issue concerned the fact of how it was done. There are probably a million and one ways to reset the man's secret rather than the way they did it.

People, believe it or not, love Mary-Jane and Peter being together. Their wedding issue is famous for good reason, it's an excellent and memorable piece. In the chaotic world of superheroism, it was a big step for Parker to take.

So...all of that was gone and fucked out the window.

It was followed by Brand New Day, the continuation of Spidey's new status quo. That was also terrible. As it stands, there's an event occuring called One Moment in Time. It's written by Joe Quesada (Marvel's Editor in Chief and man responsible for O.M.D. and B.N.D.) and looks to reset Spidey and Mary-Jane back to how they were, I believe.

It's about time, but it smacks of Marvel giving the nod to say that they fucked up with One More Day. I don't think Quesada deserve the abuse and reactionary idiocy that has been levelled, though. He made a mistake and shit happens.

It really is just a terrible, awful story in premise and execution. The last time Marvel messed up this big was with The Clone Saga. It wasn't as bad in terms of being out of the blue or continuity ruination, but it was dire in terms of plot. It, too, was a Spider-Man story. None touch One More Day, though. That is why it's my least favourite event.

---

As I head into my centennial post, I want to say that I appreciate every one of you who has ever browsed my blog, commented or given me feedback. Constructively negative or positive, I appreciate it.

Thank you, very much.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 12): Who Is Your Least Favourite Character?

2010-08-20T21:49:00.000+01:00

You're afraid of noise!

Welcome! Welcome to the Mast, ladies and gentlemen. Sorry for the belatedness of this post, but I was at the movies watching The Expendables.

Today we get nasty, we get into who I dislike above all else.

Do ya wanna know who it is? DO YA, PUNK?! I've been waiting to rip this dude, and Andrew should dig this also.

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 12): Who Is Your Least Favourite Character?

This guy needs no introduction, but I'll give him one...

Gambit.

Where do I start? Let's make a list!

I hate his face. I hate his pathetic, stupid, not-cool-in-any-sense accent. I hate how he manages to stand out for all the wrong reasons in ANY comic book he's in.

Can you tell I don't like Gambit?

I actually think Gambit is one of the reasons I never really enjoyed The X-Men for extended periods throughout the '90s. It's hard to put my finger on, but I hear he is consistently voted as one of the very worst characters of all time.

What is there to the guy? Honestly, if you're a Gambit fan, please tell me what draws you to the character. I really don't understand it. It's not as if I haven't tried, I have! You know what really made me hate him recently? Second Coming: Hellbound.

The New Mutants went to Limbo to rescue Magik, Gambit went with them and ended up getting possessed, then trying to kill them. Why take the douchebag in the first place?!

Grrr. NO time for Gambit, at all. This is turning into a bit of a hate post! I apologise.

---

My word, these recent posts have been kind of short, huh?! I guess that's why the comments have momentarily stopped. I do apologise for that, but some of these questions are real barrel-scrapers, you know?

If you haven't done so, go check out Direct Edition on YouTube!

I'm co-hosting this week. LAST week's delayed news episode will hopefully be up this weekend, and don't you DARE forget to check back on Monday. Why? FOR THE SCOTT PILGRIM NEWS SPECIAL, OF COURSE! It's also your chance to see my very FIRST, filmed, one-on-one interview with Mr. Bryan Lee O'Malley!

Again, I truly apologise for the lack of depth to some of these, but I've scouted the list and there are definitely some incredibly nice questions to run through. It IS only Day 12 after all.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Blogs/Reviews: A Rather Hefty Announcement & Thursday's Comics (19/8/2010).

2010-08-19T19:59:00.001+01:00

BANG! I'm James Bond.

So, as promised, I have a rather chunkadelic announcement to make. Not only did I once again co-host Direct Edition this week, BUT I actually did a one-on-one mini-interview with Scott Pilgrim creator, Bryan Lee O'Malley!

Granted, the traffic was murderously loud and we snagged him on his way to a signing, but for an interview that lasted all of two or three questions, it was pretty good! Cutthroat reporting, yo.

He's a terribly nice guy and, whether the movie's good or not, you should buy the books. They're not Watchmen, but they're fun reads.

So, yes, don't forget to check out Direct Edition on YouTube. I know the review portion is up today, but the interview/Scott Pilgrim news special will be out on M-M-Monday.

Today's edition of Thursday's Comics is very Avenger-centric, so I am very sorry if you don't give a shit about them. Out of the nine comics I bought this week, I can honestly only say four were worth reviewing.

Thursday's Comics.

Shadowland: Daughters of the Shadow #1 of 3.

Here's my problem with how Shadowland is largely playing out, just to be clear.

Shadowland involves everyone, but the tie-ins are specific to certain other involved characters. That'd be totally cool with me if Daredevil's actual series was about Daredevil. My problem is that we're not seeing into his mind enough. It's why I'm not reviewing the Shadowland: Power Man or Shadowland: Blood on the Streets four-parters. I'll just fill in the gaps if anything big happens.

Aside from that, this first issue does appear to develop things a bit. Colleen Wing, former partner of Misty Knight, busts open this massage parlour to release the girls the hold there. She's taken away and the cops, presumably corrupt, tell her their hands are tied.

In her apartment, while she's sleeping, The Hand's ninjas leave her a message that counts as a veiled invitation to go to Shadowland. This is where the bulk of the interesting things happen.

I'm not the biggest fan of Colleen Wing, so this reveal was more exciting just because of how far Daredevil is going to secure the iron grip of The Hand. He reveals that her grandfather (The guy who raised/trained her in Japan) trained her mother, whom she knows next to nothing about. This backfired when her mother joined The Hand's elite group of female assassins, cheesily called The Nail.

He brings out a group of females and basically tells her that it's her destiny to be by his side and lead them like her mother did.

It's cool to see the corruption of New York, by The Hand, start to grow ever wider. I think it'd be quite a big deal for Matt to land a hero-for-hire and get her to work for him, but we'll see.

I can't recommend this to anybody who isn't already into either the arc, the characters or both. It's a tie-in in every sense of the word.

Secret Avengers #4.

This issue is one I have a problem with, as well as The New Avengers, but this one more so.

Nova is the fucking man. Let me start out by saying that. I love Nova, Nova is amazing. So, as excited as I was for him being on a team I loved, written and drawn by a writer/artist team I love, I was still a bit wary of how he'd be used. He's a powerhouse, way too powerful for this team or for Earth troubles.

I loved how this story kicked off, but I felt like Nova's role could've been anybody. Now, Brubaker has committed a crime that many can often fall for.

Captain Rogers is an out-and-out hero. He is to be respected above perhaps any other. However, his presense is no excuse to write him like that in the presense of someone way more powerful. Does Nova have the experience Rogers does? In a way, no, but in a way, kind of. Nova has been through two massive cosmic wars and is in the process of a third. Why is he being written like a starstruck kid while Rogers pulls rank on him?

What happens is this. Captain Rogers puts on Nova's helmet and Worldmind helps him defeat the evil, thorny-crowned Nova. I can swallow him being able to handle the Nova Force simply because he has handled the power of Thor before and not succumbed to warrior madness.

What I cannot swallow is Nova almost meekly asking Rogers for his helmet back afterward. What is this? Generally the dialogue is all pretty awesome and the art is bang on from Deodato, as always. Deodato has a great way, specifically, of lighting and darkening his characters.

Toward the end of the issue they're heading back to Earth and it's revealed to them that Nick Fury is a part of The Shadow Empire. What I gained from this is that Nova will no longer be a member. It's happening early on, but surely Brubaker realised that Nova had no place in this book to begin with.

I mean, they give the excuse of Nova having to fly off and deal with a cosmic emergency (The Fault War), thus them not being sure if he'll be available as a resource in future. I'm glad, but I think he could've just been left out.

Hopefully, now, we can get back to a more espionage-based feel like there was in the first two issues.

I'd still definitely recommend this series to anybody. Get on it while you can!

The New Avengers #3.

I liked this issue more than Secret Avengers #4, but I have major problems with this one too.

As most of you know, I had Bendis's back throughout Dark Reign. The way he carried that saga on his back and into Siege was amazing to me. Not only that, but he churned out multiple great titles.

Now, on both The Avengers and The New Avengers, I feel as if he's losing track of what he's doing. The way he writes Spider-Man is magical, it's so brilliant. The way he is writing everyone else, that being like Spider-Man, is not ok.

Packed with thrilling magical and practical in-your-face combat, sprawled across Central Park and New York City, this is a dangerously fun issue. Lots of characters have immense moments of badass showtime, and what can be said about Stuart Immonen that isn't being said by everyone with half a brain cell? The man's art is delicious.

I am torn between loving the banter and finding it to be over-egged. Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel and The Thing having a discussion about Ghostbusters, mid-demon battle, was hilarious. Seeing how riddled with disbelief they were at Ms. Marvel not having seen it was truly funny, especially with The Thing mentioning it again later. I just feel as though it was a bit much at times. Ms. Marvel serves as a good foil for the Spider-Man and The Thing. She's not above humour, but she IS seen to be taking care of business.

I love her and I'm glad she's in a main on-going.

My problem is that, again, I feel Wolverine and Spider-Man really need to be in one or the other, especially since Bendis is writing them both in The Avengers, too. The New Avengers spent 60+ issues being a really great series, building up certain characters. Now I feel like they're just kind of tossing that away in hopes it will sell mega issues.

I also have an issue with Bendis's grasp of magical rules, although I'll see how he plays this out.

Daimon Hellstrom is a much needed character in the midst of Dr. Strange and Dr. Voodoo (Is he even Dr. Voodoo anymore now that he lost The Aye of Agamotto?), simply because he's the non-straight man. That said, his constant bickering with Dr. Voodoo COULD get old fast.

My favourite scenes were the ones with Iron Fist. Trapped in some kind of magical limbo, he is being spoken to by the two unseen magical abstracts that are causing all this trouble. One recognises the symbol on his chest and realises he's protected. Though offering to let him go, Iron Fist pushes his luck and tries to keep the eye.

The reveal that none other than The Ancient One (Dr. Strange's former master) is partially behind all this is a very nice one, but therein lies my other issue. Surely there are so many more magical characters, with potential and underused, that they could've picked.

You can't argue that they'd be unknown, because who knows The Ancient One besides actual fans? I don't know.

The issue seems to be picking up and I enjoyed it greatly, I just have gripes about Bendis right now.

In many ways I can see this series as a good jump-on point, but in others I can't say. I guess pick the first three issues up if you want to and let me know where you stand.

Avengers Academy #3.

If you're not reading this, you're a terrible person.

The entire cast of new characters was a risk that Marvel were prepared to run. Why should we care about NEW characters? Christos Gage took this title and MADE me care. If the buzz is anything to go by, the same happened to many people. Gage does SO much right with this issue and I will tell you why.

This issue is half continuation, half origin story. To my delight, this issue is Hazmat's origin story. I've taken a liking to Hazmat, immensely so. She's such a confrontational bitch, but not in that mistaken way either. She's a genuine bitch in that she says things to hurt people. It's totally a defense mechanism, cliched, but workable.

Let me put on my movie trailer voice...

Jennifer Takeda was a normal teenager. She had everything she could want and her financially wealthy parents saw that this remained the case. At age 16, she had a platinum card with a four figure limit. A model student, she was seemingly breezing through life without a care in the world, accompanied by her boyfriend, Greg. Then, things...went...wrong!

In all seriousness, it is quite a tragic tale. Comparisons have been drawn to Rogue, being that Hazmat's powers manifested during a make-out session with her man, but I don't feel too bad about that. Mike McKone really draws this whole scene, and series, well. Greg falling to the floor and going white-eyed/foaming at the mouth is just very impactful.

Turns out that she visited various Roxxon plants/labs with her parents and was "exposed to something" that caused her powers. Again, very cliched, but she's so well developed even now that I really don't mind. This is where the tragedy gets greater for her than it did for Rogue. Jennifer gained the ability to radiate any and all kinds of radiation, but she does so constantly. Becoming Hazmat (HAZardous MATerial), she has to live the rest of her life inside a radiation suit, or others around her have to be wearing one for her to be out of hers.

They even have to train with wooden swords so that her suit can't be cut. I do think this part would be remedied by someone like Reed Richards making her a suit, though. They can't send her into battle with a tearable suit.

I wish we'd gotten a bit more of Hazmat's origins, but I liked it very much and it really whet my appetite for more development to come.

The issue itself revolves around what you should expect at this stage; various training sessions occur, with varying results and guest instructors. Iron Fist faces off against the supremely arrogant Finesse, and it ends with her in a demonstrated chokehold. I loved that.

The interaction between all of these characters really works well. If you've been through school, you'll find the humour and dynamics both relatable and funny. Mettle is establishing himself as a fan favourite due to his combination of humility and shyness, despite being a gigantic, red, skeletal looking superhero-in-training. Others like Striker and Reptil are less developed, but I guess they will come into their own.

Another great facet of this series is how the humour is placed. Seeing Valkyrie talk to Hazmat, Veil and Finesse about feminism...IN A KITCHEN...when she's meant to be teaching them combat was just brilliantly timed. It highlighted both the need for females to feel independent, and the inherent ridiculousness that comes with blind feminism. The speech itself consisted of Valk telling them than society is "phallocentric" and dominated by men, men that will let them down sexually and intellectually. She's even goes so far as telling them not to worry about the former due to "inventions" that mortals have created.

In case you're that dense, she means vibrators.

It's really just a terrifically well done scene that could've made Valkyrie look stupid, but it didn't.

The main aim of this issue is two things, which I'll break down.

The first was the students going on a field trip to The Raft (This being maximum security super-prison that The Thunderbolts operate out of) and Hazmat's desire to pay a visit to Norman Osborn (For those reading at home, he's the guy who made a lot of these kids worse) while there. Reluctantly, she seems to have dragged Mettle and Veil along for the ride.

Luke Cage shows them around and it's all very stark. Such a contrast between dark and light tones doesn't disrupt the series, it enhances it. Seeing Crossbones muzzled so that, as Cage says, "he can't use his teeth as projectiles", really does hit home what The Raft is. The teeth thing would've been nice if Bullseye hadn't done it first, but it's good.

There's a few funny parts (Reptil asking Juggernaut to say his catchphrase is a good one), but it ends with Hazmat knocking the power out, showing she can use electrical impulses, and escaping to Osborn's cell. Once there, she states her intent to kill him.

Whilst that scene brings the issue to a close, I want to draw attention to the second plot thread. Despite the constant bickering of the instructors on how to deal with the students, one such instructor is still seen as a liability. Robbie Baldwin, formerly known as Speedball and the man who became Penance during Civil War, is Speedball again.

Praiseworthy, sure, but the other teachers really aren't sure that he has any place teaching people. Some think he's perfectly placed, conversely. I'd agree with both, to be fair. He's been through shit, but he also knows, better than anyone, what it's like to have your powers misused or go out of control. His powers as Penance stemmed from his own physical pain, and he took to wearing a sado-masochistic suit that hurt him in repentance for the death of all those in Stamford (See: Civil War #1/Trade).

It's revealed in this issue that he is a cutter, not so much out of cliched angst, but because he is secretly Penance, still. This isn't entirely clear in the comic, and it does come off as angsty, but Christos Gage apologised for this on C.B.R. Forums and cleared up why he's doing it.

It's all brought out in the open by Moonstone during the visit to The Raft. She asks why he's threatening her with the blue kinetic energy he used as Penance, and I suppose that'll be dealt with next issue.

Seriously, guys, this shit is fucking amazing. It's really such a good issue, way better than Avengers: The Initiative (Which was decent). I do miss the way Dan Slott characterised Hank Pym in The Mighty Avengers, and I'm not terribly fond of how Gage writes him, but it's a small price to pay for what is CLEAAARLY the best Avengers-centric title on the market.

Join The Academy and get your education, people.

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That's about all I've got time for right now, I'm afraid.

I'll be back again later with today's installment of The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom, or I may save it for tomorrow, just to prevent overload and so this doesn't get pushed down the page. Actually, I'll probably do just that.

So, on that note, I'll see you tomorrow! Keep the comments coming and keep advertising my blog or shouting it out where you can.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 11): What Is Your Favourite Power?

2010-08-18T19:27:00.000+01:00

You think that because a guy reads comics that he can't start some shit?!

Before I get into this, I just want to give a very simple piece of information out to my readers, however many there may be.

Tomorrow (At latest, Friday) there will be an EPIC post. Just keep your eyes peeled.

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 11): What Is Your Favourite Power?

Do you think you guessed what this one is?

Total and Complete Control of...Everything.

Yes, that's right!

I didn't pick a ring that affords the wearer special powers, I didn't pick someone who is blind and can see via echolation, nor a man with the ability to shoot webbing from his hands.

My favourite power, if you can call it such, is the ability that all comic abstracts possess. You know, whether it's in D.C. or Marvel, Vertigo or wherever else, that if cosmic abstracts show up, shit is serious.

It's a hard concept to wrap your head around unless you find this kind of thing interesting, but just imagine being able to do ANYTHING. Yes, flying would be awesome, so would super strength. Imagine the ability to make your very thought come true, become real and materialise as you think of it. Just consider that you have the ability to perceive and control time itself. Trippy, huh? Past, present and future or all three at once, yours to bend and command.

The possibilities are, quite literally, endless. Such users of these abilities include most of the Marvel and D.C. abstracts, Dr. Manhattan and The Beyonder etc.

I suppose that if I had to pick a fairer power, I would go with the likes of Superman. I'd like the ability to do everything on SOME level. Either a cosmic or minor scale, really. I'm a megalomaniacal control freak at heart, what can I say?

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Sorry that this one is a bit short, but it IS an abstract power!

What would you choose? Let me know in a comment! Thank you for reading and prepare for the epicness of post-al announcements tomorrow!

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 10): What Is Your Favourite Costume?

2010-08-17T23:00:00.001+01:00

Is Pinocchio said, "My nose will not grow now!", what would happen?

Paradox aside, welcome!

Today's installment of The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom is presented to you by me, The Mast. It probably won't be that deep or that amazing, but it's a fun question that nobody really needs to think too much about. A surprisingly hard category, though, considering I'd never really thought of it before!

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 10): What Is Your Favourite Costume?

Costumes, nowadays at least, seem to be significantly less extravagant than they were back in the day. How do you judge a costume? I opted to go for looks, practicality and how well it reflects the person and their intentions when wearing the suit.

I was going to go with Bullseye, simply because his outfit says it all. Then I was going to go with Ms. Marvel, simply because her outfit is a mixture of superhero and femininity. Simple, but memorable.

One costume, throughout comicdom, stands out as a total exhibition of character, though. Therefore, my favourite costume is...

Batman's Costume.

Many, MANY artists have drawn Batman and depicted him in different ways. So that's something I took into account when weighing up the ideas for what costume to pick.

The picture you see above is Jim Lee's take on Batman and one of the reasons I chose to pick The Dark Knight's attire above all others.

When you see Batman in that costume, or most of his costumes bar the extremely campy, ridiculous ones...you KNOW exactly what he is about. The way the cape flows, the colours, the symbol and the way the cowl is often moulded into a frown, all these things just exude the essense of what Batman is and what he represents.

As intimidating as it is sleek, and accompanied with Batman's infamous utility belt, known for carrying more gadgets than a lesbian slumber party, it's instantly recognisable. Not only that, but it is culturally known as being Batman's costume. The very symbol on his chest is legendary, even forgetting the man wearing it.

What's so captivating is that Batman is a good guy. Good guys, especially around the time Batman came out, AND for ages after, typically wore much lighter colours in order to inspire hope among a city's citizens. Batman doesn't care about being an inspirational dresser. He puts on the suit, goes out at night and threatens criminals into stopping their criminal ways. He's one of the first superhero vigilantes who actually started seeking the crime out as opposed to just waiting for it to happen.

That's why he's The Dark Knight. A shadowy figure protecting Gotham City, and his costume reflects that. A lot of people always ask why Batman has white eyes when he has the cowl on, and the same for many superhero outfits. I've always maintained that they were built in lenses that stopped bystanders or onlookers from recognising someone by their eyes.

You could be wearing a full face mask and someone you know could pin your identity on your eyes.

Besides, it gives Batman such a vacant look. An empty fury that, to sound cliche, really does strike terror into the hearts of most criminals.

Only in fully appreciating what a scary motherfucker Batman is (A character I do truly love when done right) can one truly appreciate The Joker. Look at Batman and tell me that this is someone who you would opt to terrorise and antagonise.

The is no more fitting costume, in my opinion, in the entire comic universe than Batman. Hence why it is my favourite costume.

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Tomorrow's installment is where things get REALLY interesting. I predict many of you will definitely have your own take on THAT one, so I look forward to it.

Thank you very much, again, for reading.

Take care of yourselves.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 9): Who Is Your Favourite Classic Character?

2010-08-16T21:24:00.001+01:00

Spatial relationships!

Today's installment is one that I think many people can involve themselves in, and I think my choice is going to be shared by a lot of people for a lot of reasons.

So, with all being said, let's get to this...you scumbags!

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 9): Who Is Your Favourite Classic Character?

When I think of classic characters, I take that to mean those in the comic world that have become pop culture icons. Characters who appear on t-shirts, are embedded in consciousness and have transcended the medium to become household names.

You can't argue that there are some good choices, and it ultimately came down to three choices. My favourite classic character is...

Spider-Man.

Whilst comic book fans will undoubtedly know more about Spidey than the average person, many more people know about his character than any other candidates in this category, I would say. You have Batman, you've got Superman, you've got The Hulk Captain America maybe? The Flash? I'd say those are icons, but not on the same level as the others.

Superman was the FIRST and he IS the most famous. This is an undeniable fact.

However, due to the various mediums Spider-Man has been exposed in, I think people gravitate toward him a lot more. Let me tell you why I love Spider-Man.

I don't love him because he's the everyman, despite his powers. I love Spidey because I respect Spidey. I respect him the most of possibly any Marvel character or comics character ever. He is one of, if not THE, most selfless superheroes and people you could ever imagine. He never enters a situation concerned about his own well being in a cowardly way.

NEVER will you catch Spidey worried about dying if he fights a certain person, and then running away. He will, without fail, give everything he has to help and protect both the people of New York/Earth AND his loved ones. Spider-Man's comics have given us some memorable, terrific and diabolical villains.

They've given us everyone from the Green Goblin, to Venom. From The Scorpion to The Kingpin (THANK YOU). He's never had it easy.

His most impactful moment of trauma came not long after becoming a superhero! Spidey saw his girlfriend (Gwen Stacy at the time) thrown off a bridge by the Green Goblin. In an attempt to save her he desperately shot out a webline. Little did he know, he didn't have the measure of his powers or how to use them. The sudden jerk of being stopped by webbing caused her neck to snap. He pulled her up, thinking she was safe, and found her body limp, lifeless...dead.

What endeared me to Spidey was the fact that I can't imagine what it's like to be a superhero AND Peter Parker. If I've ever had a fight with a girlfriend, a loved one or someone else over something that's stuck with me, it's not unlikely that I'll have issues going about my day with full concentration. That's fine if you work in retail, or most other areas. What if you're a mortal superhero?

If Spider-Man's stressed about bills (Not so much now, he's financially decent NOW), his love-life or taking care of a perpetually ailing Aunt May, he then has to go fight crime. How do you HANDLE that shit? I used to get stressed if I had too much homework as a teenager. This dude goes and fights the Green Goblin, and does so willingly. Unlike Batman, his nudge toward superheroism came later. Upon being bitten, he did what any normal human would do! That's what I love! He hid the fact that he had powers and went to make money off himself.

The murder of his beloved Uncle Ben fell onto his shoulders, as we all know, because he ignored the robber that would eventually go on to commit that murder. The great line was birthed before this tragic event, and it IS a line that we can all learn from.

There aren't many truer statements than saying, "With great power comes great responsibility."

Civil War, I came to realise, is a major Spidey moment. He may not be the lead, but he gains so much from that whole time period, and loses a lot too. We see Spidey, for the first time in ages, crippled by indecision and doubt. The tie-ins, especially, show how hard the whole ordeal was for him and what certain actions did with his life.

I won't spoil it, but it was major. Of course, Joe Quesada then anal fucked the continuity into oblivion, but in hindsight I think the decision of what he did during the Civil War story was for the betterment of it.

The Amazing Spider-Man is fast approaching 700 issues (We're up to #640 or something), being published on a tri-monthly basis. Everyone has their favourite author, and everyone pretty much has their favourite Spider-Man moment.

My favourite moment came in The Amazing Spider-Man #33. The now famous scene where he is trapped beneath rubble and debris, fighting his way out from underneath the crushing weight as the room fills with water. It was Steve Ditko's finest hour on the title and an absolutely mind-blowing, heart-swelling tribute to the human spirit, and the spirit that Spider-Man would come to embody.

If you've not read much Spidey, do. Grab Maximum Carnage, grab Kraven's Last Hunt, grab Grim Hunt, grab Shed. So many of his stories are just brilliant. Now, he's a member of The Avengers and rightfully taken his place among the Marvel Universe's big boys for good.

He is one of the most known, loved and legendary characters in human creation. Not bad for a scrawny science geek from Queens, huh? For all of these reasons, he is my favourite classic character.

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Really. I'm not someone who buys The Amazing Spider-Man regularly, but he's had some good recent stories and some damn fine ones over the years. Check them out.

Thanks for reading, thanks for commenting, thank you for all of that shit. I'm off to play Xbox since I just got my new one. Bullseye!

Have a good day/week and be sure to tune in tomorrow for a...fashion orientated installment?! Indeed!

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 8): What Is Your Favourite Comic Book Movie?

2010-08-15T23:06:00.000+01:00

Blackwatch PLAID!

You know, it's a new day. You must, therefore, blatantly be aware of what that means. It means that there's a new installment of The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom!

Once more I want to prefix this by addressing the ambiguity of the question. It WAS entitled What Is Your Favourite Movie?, so I ASSUMED this to pertain to comic book movies, but if you wish to tell me what your favourite movie is, then by all means do.

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 8): What Is Your Favourite Comic Book Movie?

This was very hard to choose for, simply because I wasn't what sure to go by! I know which movie I had the most exciting fun at, the one which contained the characters to which I have the greater attachment etc. I thought that'd win, but it didn't. I decided to be a little more objective and go with this...

Batman Begins.

Right now, I suppose there are scores of people screaming, "WHAT ABOUT THE DARK KNIGHT?! WHAT ABOUT IRON MAN 2?!" Let me tell you. I had the most fun at Iron Man 2 and it contains characters I enjoy more, yes. It was between the three, but there's a reason I chose this one.

I think in terms of Iron Man 2 being the best superhero movie ever, but not the best comic book movie ever. Why? Because Iron Man 2 feels like an absolutely amazing, can't-get-better superhero flick. Batman Begins and The Dark Knight feel like they break into the area of simply being astoundingly well-crafted movies that just happen to have superheroes in.

So, why Batman Begins over The Dark Knight? I love them both equally in most term, but what I appreciate is how you take a character that's been done, done terribly, and revitalise his movie franchise in a manner that not only receives fan acclaim, but undeniable critical acclaim too.

Batman Begins is the painstakingly detailed rise of, well, Batman. I LOVE the idea of Batman. I think his mythos is truly one of the greatest, even if I only enjoy the execution of him under the pen of certain writers and in few certain stories. This is one of my favourite Batman stories ever, including the comics. We all know the story. His parents are killed and he becomes a vigilante to strike fear into the hearts of those who'd make his city a cesspool of crime and decay.

What's expertly done in this film, by Christopher Nolan, is the genesis of Batman. The way he becomes Batman is SO well done and it never feels as if they're going off pace. It feels as if it's all happening seamlessly, too. It's not a case of Nolan thinking, "Ok...story, story, ACTION, story, bit of suit-making montage, STORY!" It all just feels very organic.

My favourite part about it, besides Christian Bale doing a magnificent job, is how it shows Batman as what he is. He's a man with a vision of how things can get better, his role in that and how he can act as a catalyst for it to happen and remain that way. Grant Morrison said it best when he said that, sure, Batman started as this great citizen who had a generally good idea. As time's gone on, though, he has caused trauma to those around him and tragedy awaits him at every turn. You sort of look at his life story and timeline with the thought of, "What the fuck have you been doing, Bruce?"

It really doesn't TOTALLY express that, but Batman Begins definitely does push Batman's idea of himself and what HE wants to be. It doesn't present him as someone who would've avoided being a vigilante if he could've, and just feels obliged to do it due to his parents getting offed. It presents Bruce Wayne and Batman as someone who BECAME that choice. It was a case of coming to a crossroads and instead of walking away, he CHOSE to become what he is and embraces his choice without acting like he was cursed by fate.

Also, it tapped into the one thing I loved about Batman, but never liked about Superman. Neither of them are killers, nor will they kill directly. However, Superman doesn't scare me. If he appeared, I wouldn't fear for my life as a criminal. I'd be fairly scared, but not entirely. If Batman is dangling you from a building, it doesn't fucking matter whether or not he's no killer and you know that. You are SCARED.

I mean, that scene where he is intimidating/interrogating Detective Flass by trapping his foot in a cable and lifting him up to the top of the building...it's genius. Flass is saying things like, "I don't know anything! I swear to God!", and like an animal, Batman retorts, "SWEAR TO ME!"

Perfect.

Bale portrays Bruce Wayne and Batman differently. He's not just a great Bruce or Batman, he's great at both. No, I never found the voice ridiculous. I find it ridiculous when all someone does to disguise themselves is put on a suit and glasses and nobody recognises them...Clark Kent. When you're a superhero vigilante in a city where everyone knows you as Bruce Wayne, you'll cover up and act like someone else when you're doing the Batman thing. It's just sensible to me. Did he seem to ham it up in The Dark Knight? A bit. Did it matter to me? No.

Batman Begins winning this category does not specifically mean I like it more than The Dark Knight or Iron Man. They're all beloved for many reasons. I do think that there's just something about Batman, under Nolan's direction, that propels his movies beyond superhero classification. They're action thrillers with a superhero in. Me admitting Iron Man 2 is my more beloved for the characters, universe and excitement I had watching it, doesn't stop me admitting what I feel is a genuinely better MOVIE.

I don't even necessarily think Batman Begins is better or worse than The Dark Knight, but I had to pick and I don't know, it's not something easily explained. For all intents and purposes, though, Batman Begins is my favourite comic book movie.

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Well, that wraps up another day for me on this marathon trek of 30 days! I hope you enjoyed it, be sure to comment and let me know what you think. Also, go read my previous one if you haven't, I didn't get to promote it much, but it IS there.

I will see you ladies and gentlemen tomorrow with another post! Stay safe.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 7): What/Who Is Your Favourite Creature?

2010-08-14T22:41:00.001+01:00

Ay, there's the rub. Ha ha! Rub...

Yes! It's time for another piece of monthly comicdom in The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom.

Now, I was scouring my brain about who I would pick for this next category, and I may have came to this conclusion based on a technicality. Nevertheless, it still counts.

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 7): What/Who Is Your Favourite Creature?

We're heading into the D.C. Universe for this one!

In the world of supervillains, so many have had varying degrees of success. Dr. Doom runs and owns his own nation, has handed many heroes their asses on multiple occasions and is seen as one of the world's biggest threats. Yet, people like Stilt-Man are forced to pack up due to being tired of having their asses beat by their nemeses.

It's rare that a villain will ever do what they set out to do. Tom never gets Jerry, you know? That's why this...thing...is the winner of this category. My favourite creature is, of course...

Doomsday.

Created by an alien named Bertron, he qualifies as a creature. A creature that has possibly the most apt name in the history of comic books. Before I tell you why, let's figure out where he came from. Doomsday's origins were not told with his first appearance.

His genesis came on a far distant past version of Krypton, at a time when Krypton was basically a Hell of the universe. It was the absolute worst planet possible. Think Sakaar from World War Hulk times by a billion. So heinous and forsaken was this planet's environment that the beings who survived and adapted were considered to be the universe's most threatening. This was before what we came to know as Kryptonians inhabited it.

Bertron had a baby sent to this planet, only to meet its death instantly. Each time, long story short, he would harvest whatever was left and use it to create a superior version of itself. Essentially it was the same genetics, but build from remains. To put it in an even more compact nutshell, this being eventually evolved to come back from death, immune to whatever specific instance had killed it before.

For example: if Doomsday is killed by radiation, he is resurrected incapable of being killed by radiation again.

This creature became Doomsday and eventually killed his creator (Don't they all?).

Doomsday was perfect. He was the Great White Shark. Utterly perfect with no need to evolve. Instead of swimming, eating and making babies, Doomsday just lived to extinguish any and all life that he could. No intellect or emotions to speak of, just unparalleled destructive force. He began a killing spree across several planets, ending in his "death" and being shot into space. Naturally, he evolved past his death, but remained in stasis due to crashing on Earth.

The world was none the wiser...but then he woke up, and the horror began.

Doomsday's first appearance begins here.

In what would become the most famous debut of all time and one of the most famous stories, Doomsday awoke and began a path of destruction the likes of which the comic-reading world had never seen. Taking out a majority of Earth's heroes with one arm tied behind him, he was dubbed Doomsday by Booster Gold, as that's what it felt like to the heroes.

The combined powers of Earth's heroes couldn't scratch his surface, much less put him down. Bear in mind, this was the Justice League at the time. Just to give you a feeling of how unstoppable he was. Naturally, it was a matter of time before a certain red and blue man of steel showed up to save the day.

For a review on this actual story, by the way, go read the one I did before.

The reason I picked Doomsday is because Superman DID save the day, but at a cost nobody expected, not even Superman. Superman fought Doomsday, one-on-one, to the very death. Doomsday and Superman fought for miles, and into Metropolis itself. Superman was battered and even bleeding, with Doomsday not really showing any signs of slowing down.

It was the titanic impact of simultaneous punches that caused the death (Not technically, but that's another story) of BOTH combatants. Superman, the first superhero and the most legendary of all, was dead. He had been killed by a debuting villain.

Let me tell you, if you were not around at the time this happened, you cannot imagine the impact this had on the comic world. Superman DYING was big enough, but in a fist fight with a villain who just showed up and never even said a word? It actually got news coverage around the world. It was an event in the comics world whereby people were calling each other to inform one another. Like music fans can ask, "Where were you when Michael Jackson died?", that's what it was like (Though nowhere near as big) when Superman was killed.

The speed with which he was brought "back to life" was met with heavy criticism, and Doomsday didn't stay dead either (The whole evolutionary regenerative healing factor coming into play), but we didn't know that at the time.

When you see the image of Superman's bruised and broken body, facial welts and all, being cradles by Lois Lane as she weeps over his body, you realise it's a big deal. Even today, it's a powerful image.

Doomsday did that...with brute force. Not magic, not technology either. He beat Superman by fighting him. Sadly, after a debut like this, you can go no further. Doomsday has never quite reached the heights he did in The Death of Superman, and never will again. Just as punk rock existed because it had to, and died when it was no longer necessary, so ended Doomsday's usefulness as a character.

So, if you're still wondering why he's my favourite creature, I'll end with a piece of info to consider in the grand scheme of things.

If there's ever a supervillain convention, many will be able to claim their own countries, maybe even their own planets! They may have tasted victory over their nemesis or nemeses, sure.

Only one being in history, though, will ever be able to put his hand up in the air and say he killed Superman on his first try.

Only one being can say he took The Man of Tomorrow and ended his future.

Only one can say he took The Man of Steel and bent him to breaking point, then broke him.

That being would be Doomsday, and that's why he is my favourite creature.

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Again, as always, thank you so much for indulging me. It's always appreciated and I thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this installment, the ones before it and the ones to come.

I'm having fun doing this.

Tomorrow's installment is a fun one indeed! One I'm sure will be met with lots of opinion, and gladly so. Feel free to leave your opinions or comments as always, and special thanks to the massive six people following me OFFICIALLY!

Until next time, peace.

-The Mastr

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 6): What Is Your Favourite Organisation?

2010-08-13T15:32:00.001+01:00

Hey, you guys. Shut up, yous.

I am feeling somewhat better than yesterday, so I can return here and present you with the latest installment of The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom!

Personally, I'm doing my level best to stop it becoming too Marvel-heavy, but you can only answer questions truthfully. If most of the answers pertain to Marvel, then that's the way the cookie crumbles, I suppose. Also, some of these questions are so specific that there aren't many answers you can give.

For example, this one and the next one too. I am tempted to re-write some of the questions because I don't want to screw my readers out of a post, but still. Oooh! Actually, I just had a tremendous and sneaky idea...but tune in tomorrow for that.

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 6): What Is Your Favourite Organisation?

Without trying to play it up too much, there were only a few choices for this category, simply because it's such a specific question. So, without further ado, my favourite organisation is...

S.H.I.E.L.D.

S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't win this category because I am so fond of their comic history or anything like that (Though, that is currently shaping up to be true, what with the current series). They, as an organisation, won because I love the IDEA of what they are. Not so much how they're executed in comics.

Granted, I loved the role they played in Secret War, with Nick Fury invading a foreign country in the most controversial of ways, and being forced to go into hiding. I loved the role S.H.I.E.L.D. played in Civil War under Maria Hill, too.

That's what I love so much about the current series that explores their secret origins, or previously unrevealed origins. Showing how they became an organisation dedicated to the protection and advancement of humanity, to a corrupt organisation that was focused on power and dominance. I'm HOPING that ties into the revelation that Hydra, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s villainous rival, had been the ones secretly in control of S.H.I.E.L.D. all along.

Something about this kind of story really grabs me. I love secret histories of things, true or false. I love the idea of super-secret cells or operations that go around the world, either keeping peace or creating havoc with no one the wiser.

I suppose that's where conspiracy theory was born, coming from the idea that there's way more shit going on in this world than we'll ever know about. Of course, many conspiracy theorists also tend to spiral into immense idiocy, but if it's done right, it can be very intriguing.

S.H.I.E.L.D., or the Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage and Logistics Directorate, have had many a famous leader. Well, "leader". The most iconic would definitely have to be Nick Fury, and he's one that many fans favour. He was a super spy and a very astute man when it came to all things clandestine. Despite leading the world's biggest policing and peacekeeping force, he never totally seemed like the straightest arrow. This came to prominence during Secret War which ended, effectively, with him being forced into hiding for his choices.

Maria Hill, is someone that totally splits opinion. For more on her you can scroll back down to Day 4, as she was the winner of that category.

Tony Stark, Iron Man himself, was given the position of Director post-Civil War. Much to Hill's behest, but she got over it eventually.

Although technically the next leader would be Norman Osborn, he disbanded S.H.I.E.L.D. and gave us H.A.M.M.E.R. (For which the acronym is still unknown). So as of right now, the leader is, of course...

Captain Steve Rogers has not technically given S.H.I.E.L.D. its name back yet, but he is Marvel's top cop, as it were. He is in charge of everything in the same manner that Fury, Hill and Stark were. Appointed by the President of the United States himself, Rogers took this post after being convinced that Bucky could handle being Captain America.

As revealed in the current series, S.H.I.E.L.D. was once run by such people as Leonardo Da Vinci. So they're definitely not short of big names.

To be perfectly honest, I've never been a big enough fan of Fury to give you the ins and outs in a manner that someone else could. Everyone has their speciality characters, you know? So I apologise if this wasn't as mega detailed as it could be. I just like S.H.I.E.L.D. as the kind of organisation that shows up as shit is going down, and that's how you know it's serious. That's why S.H.I.E.L.D. are my favourite organisation.

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Thanks again to anyone reading and enjoying this. If you haven't read and commented on my prior installments or Thursday's Comics, please do. Let me know your opinions on the printed medium we love so much. Is there something you'd like to know my thoughts on or see a post about? Ask me in comments!

If you haven't watched Direct Edition, make sure you do that, too.

Talking about all this has made me want to play Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 on the Xbox...but I can't because I need a new console! If you have a gamertag and wish to do battle over a certain game or play through M:U.A. 2 together (Which I need to do at some point), let me know in a comment.

I'll be back tomorrow with another slice of The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom. So I'll see you then.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Reviews/Blogs: Thursday's Comics (12/8/2010) & Direct Edition Updates.

2010-08-12T17:44:00.003+01:00

Bert! Feed me!

Today there is a grand total of three comics that I've decided are worth reviewing. Shadowland: Blood on the Streets is good and did a good job of convincing me that The Shroud would make a good Daredevil fill-in, but besides that it didn't really do anything for me, so that is why you will find it absent.

The Invincible Iron Man #29 also came out, and I was going to do start including the series in my reviews from #30. However, I'm considering dropping it because it really does feel like it's going absolutely nowhere.

Thursday's Comics.

The Thanos Imperative #3 of 6.

After the epic reveal that The Cancerverse had an approximation of Galactus, you'd be forgiven for thinking this issue would see it play major prominence!

You'd be wrong. The Galactus Engine is absolutely NOWHERE to be seen in this issue at all, to my recollection. Besides that, this is a fairly decent issue, but it makes me realise just what the pitfalls of the past two cosmic arcs (Including this) have been.

Thanos and the Guardians of the Galaxy continue into The Cancerverse to that universe's version of Titan, Thanos's homeworld. They learn of The Cancerverse's origins via Titan's computer system, I.S.A.A.C.

What happened is this...Captain Mar-Vell did not die of cancer in this universe as he did in the regular one. They performed a ritual that involved sacrificing the avatar of Death and thus, life won and death was killed. Now, I personally took this to mean that it was The Cancerverse's version of Thanos. I don't know who it could be if not him, but it's an interesting development. Lord Mar-Vell and his lackies seek to perform this again, in the regular universe, thus they need Thanos.

The problem is that Drax the Destroyer, ever the idiot, decides to strap an anti-matter device to Thanos's chest and disintegrate him. His hatred always seems to jeopardise missions, but this raises a question: how can someone die in a universe where there's no death? Hmm!

Elsewhere, The Cancerverse's forces are busting through The Fault and really taking it to our heroes. They even manage to destroy one of the cosmic abstracts, Aegis, which causes a psionic backlash that renders Nova comatose for a bit.

The coolest development of this issue is when Nova and the others regroup on a moon to discuss battle options, and Nova requests a small strike team to head into The Fault. He wants to do this with a view to striking The Cancerverse's armies at the source and ending the war. He team he assembles is himself, Gladiator, The Silver Surfer, Quasar, Ronan the Accusor and Beta Ray Bill. It's a pretty hefty team and the team that many think will be formed into a permanent group, the focus of an upcoming Cosmic Avengers team.

If nothing else, the scene of them walking together is just...ugh. It's hype-tastic.

The issue ends with Thanos's aforementioned disintegration, leaving us all to wonder just what the Hell is going to happen now.

It's a decent issue, the art is decent, but I'd like to go back to me saying I figured out what was lacking in these cosmic events since Realm of Kings. A VILLAIN. Yes, it's all very good having this terrifying, grotesque and cancerous source of unlife from another dimension, but they're all faceless, Lovecraftian monsters. War of Kings was so excellent because it has a brilliant and despicably evil tyrant, Vulcan, at the head of the bad guys. It wasn't just the forces of good continually trying to work out what they were fighting and why.

Sure, you've got Lord Mar-Vell and The Revengers etc, but they don't have nearly enough time to make you feel like there's any equality there. Even Thanos is currently aiding the forces of good. Conflicts need to have two discernable sides in wars like this, and I feel this hasn't got that.

Still, if you're a mega cosmic fan or if Realm of Kings made you wonder how all of this will end, The Thanos Imperative is probably for you. I wouldn't recommend it to many others, and I'd definitely say that the trade would be as effective.

Don't get me wrong, I'm loving The Thanos Imperative as a concept. As a story it's tremendous and Abnett/Lanning really do know the cosmic stuff.

They've essentially given it its own personality again. They've re-established it and its heroes as a majorly important segment of the Marvel Universe. In fact, they've established that the cosmics really are the big players and that Earth is just one planet.

This series continues to do that and I feel that if you have the trades of all three sagas, four if you include Annihilation, then it'll be some of the best comic book material of the last decade.

Just be prepared to give it time.

X-Force: Sex & Violence #2 of 3.

If Craig Kyle and Chris Yost don't take over Uncanny X-Men after Matt Fraction, then I seriously question Marvel's sanity. This is a case similar to having Duane Swierczynski on a Deadpool title that is a mini and isn't even canon.

They are the main reason I loved the now finished X-Force series so much. Rick Remender really does have his work cut out for him in October when Uncanny X-Force launches.

This issue continues immediately after #1, with Wolverine being pissed that Domino didn't give him the whole story and the two of them having to fend off the on-rushing agents of The Assassin's Guild, lead by Razorfist. The tense, one-way banter from Domino to Wolverine is really well done during this scene. It really is. Dell'Otto's art is ABSOLTUELY BRILLIANT on this mini-series, truly. It has a magnifcent sense of blurry grittiness about it that almost seems watercoloured and photographed.

Case in point, the art is perfect for the aforementioned fight scene. It's mouth-wateringly violent and it shows Wolverine in a light that we really don't get to see him in much. He creatively despatches his opponents in varieties of gruesome ways, and Dell'Otto makes a point of showing every directional incision as well as the aftermath of said attacks. If Wolverine slices someone's arm in three, you see the gashes, then the separation, then the parts falling to the ground.

This is in stark contrast to Domino's distance-based gunplay, and it works tremendously.

The story is as you'd expect and it's nothing revolutionary. Domino took a job, people got screwed and Wolverine's stuck in the middle, but he's helping her because they're friends/fuck buddies-for-now. It's ok, but it really acts as nothing more than a serviceable framework from which Kyle and Yost can hang their tremendous dialogue, decorated by Dell'Otto's art.

It is, indeed, sex and violence. Sex? Oh yes.

After the fight, Domino shows Wolverine all the money she found/stole and then suggests they go to a hotel room to "work stuff out". They then have sex, and it's shown. Not explicitly in any anatomical sense, but you see them slam each other into walls and eventually onto the bed, entirely naked and covered by a blanket. I guess that's the pitfall of it being mainstream and not on the MAX label; you can't show anything graphic.

In such a heated and furious sexual encounter, why would they bother with a blanket to cover themselves up? Not a problem, but it adds a romantic feeling where there DEEEFINITELY was no romance. NONE. It says that there's explicit content on the cover, but I think that's the violence. I will never understand why it's ok to show Wolverine slicing a man into three pieces, but they can't show an aerial view of his ass while he's fucking Domino. You don't need to show penis, Marvel, but if you're gonna so ultraviolent fights, at least show softcore sex scenes in the same comic.

I realise this seems like I'm lobbying to see Wolverine's ass...I'm not. Domino's? Yes, please. I'd like that. Ass, either way, though. It's hypocritical otherwise. Sex is a natural thing that all people should experience, as is the human body. Cutting a fellow human up is not, yet that's the thing they'll show in all its glory! I don't get it.

Belladonna, leader of The Assassin's Guild hires most of the world's best assassins to track them down and bring them in. One of which, Bushwacker, attempts an assassination and is promptly relieved of his arm by Wolverine.

This mini-series is just an adrenaline-fuelled romp that showcases two of humanity's primal urges, those being sex and violence. It's done with brilliant dialogue and fantastic artwork. It doesn't try to be an intricate story for a three-parter, but it doesn't shirk responsibility either. The story is simple, but it's feasible, unlike Avatar. That movie was an example of truly dire plotline, terrible dialogue and mind-blowing visuals. X-Force: Sex & Violence is a combination of decent plot, and superb...well, everything else.

If you feel like getting your first comics, if this blog inspires you to do so, go for this mini-series. It doesn't require any knowledge you can't get from here, or any at all...arguably. You can more or less dive straight in, have a blast and be shown exactly what comics are capable of. It's three parts, so there's no sense in waiting for a trade either. Just eBay issue #1 if you can't find it!

Don't miss out on this, it's delicious.

Daredevil #509.

What is essentially a prequel issue to Shadowland #2, Daredevil #509 does nothing to aid the reader in guessing where this story might go.

I'm someone who enjoys guessing, but not too much. I won't sit there and plot out where I think things should or shouldn't go, might or might not, but I'll give my thoughts on it if asked. This issue doesn't even let you really do that. It, like Shadowland, gives us many possible reasons to believe that the ultimate conclusion could be any one of a million options.

First and most notably, I want to highlight Roberto De la Torre's art. I'll say that he definitely draws certain geographical locations better than others, but overall he just gives such an unreal feeling of contrast. He'll take a sparse location or setting and make it seem as though it is chock full of majesty. The Hand's headquarters atop a mountain, for example. You could print that image out and hang it on your wall without consideration for it being comic art.

Daredevil #509 was really enjoyable, it was my favourite comic of the week until I read the X-Force mini's latest issue, but...something juuust feels lacking. Maybe it's the lack of Daredevil, I don't quite know. At the end of Shadowland #1, trust me, I literally couldn't wait for Daredevil #508. Then, at the end of Daredevil #508, I couldn't wait until Shadowland #2. After Shadowland #2 and Daredevil #509, however, I don't find myself riveted as much. I find myself simply wanting to find out what happens rather than being on edge and dying to know what happens.

Typhoid Mary is back, and that's an interesting development. Someone who previously manipulated Matt in the past isn't someone you'd want around him at this point, but she claims to be reformed and offers to help him. Oddly, he accepts. The leaders of The Hand tell White Tiger, via magic communication, that she must begin taking out all those closest to Daredevil.

Lots of people are starting to get involved and they all appear to have endgames. My worry is that there are too many and not all of them will be resolved, or resolved with great impact. I think it may have been better to just sacrifice a few of them, if only in favour of making those that DO appear have a more relevant involvement. Elektra gets sent to New York to do what, according to Master Izo (They were spying on The Hand's leaders, got chased and he stayed behind to hold off the various ninjas), "must be done". Typhoid Mary probably has an endgame, too. Then consider that The Kingpin is involved and we've got three parts to go yet.

Dakota North and Foggy Nelson are to be the first victims of White Tiger's cleansing of Matt's social circle. Saved by Luke Cage and Iron Fist (Totally awesome moment), they hole up in a safehouse and, at the end of the issue, see an explosion erupt from Shadowland. This, obviously, would be during the events that ended Shadowland #2. Either something exploded during the fight with Daredevil or it signifies Ghost Rider's arrival.

Andy Diggle and Andrew Johnston do a good job co-writing, but it doesn't really have a distinct style of dialogue. That doesn't bother me, because I only feel certain writers have distinct dialogue. I care about how they portray Matt and such, though.

I'm really nervous that Marvel could be tinkering with a title that doesn't need it, and they are. I initially thought Shadowland was a chance for Daredevil to get an event that would just enhance his history, character and give the subsequent issues of his on-going series something fresh to go by. Naive? Perhaps so, as it now seems to be nothing more than a reason for Marvel to change Daredevil's name into a more marketable concept.

This campaign about getting someone to be a new version of The Man without Fear just smacks of money, to me anyway. Daredevil is, was and will forever be fine as Matt Murdock. If it stops selling well, try a new writer or cancel it. The readers would rather you do that than anything that could be considered bastardising or compromising. The title ran to issue #380 in Vol. 1, but ultimately it wasn't doing well. So, Kevin Smith came on and revamped it. He was followed by Bendis, and so the run of excellent stories, continuity and general enjoyment began.

All of this Shadowland story is meant to be about Daredevil's darkest downward spiral ever. Not just into self-doubt, but into actually bad practices, and I feel like it's being wasted on people who aren't Matt. There's nowhere near enough internal dialogue in these issues, or in Daredevil #509. It's a very good comic, but if you're looking to get into Daredevil as a character, I can't recommend Daredevil OR Shadowland by the looks of things. Simply because it doesn't seem to be about him. Proof? Those who dissed the prior installments of this saga are now praising Shadowland #2 and such.

I thought it would be about Matt, and it looks like it's veering away from that and into something that doesn't benefit the Daredevil mythos.

I will remain open-minded, though. I have my own opinions on how this could go amazingly, but I know it won't happen like that.

Keep your eyes peeled. For better or worse, it's a major time to be a Daredevil fan.

Direct Edition Updates.

That's right, I guested on Direct Edition again! The comic review show is up, and the news episode will be up on Monday as always. I had a blast doing it and it was my first time flying solo with Iyare, who so graciously invited me back. The better news is that he is considering naming me as an official member of the Direct Edition team! I am very honoured and want to give him a big shout-out there.

As always, you can watch Direct Edition RIGHT HERE! So go do that. Subscribe if you haven't done so already, and don't forget to pass it on if you like it or know someone who might.

If you have Twitter (No, I don't, nor will I ever), you can follow Direct Edition HERE!

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That's all I have for you today!

I will say now that you MAY have to wait until tomorrow for the latest installment of The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom. I've been kind of busy today, and after typing all of this out, the tiredness/eye strain is starting to take its ugly toll. Plus, I'm not feeling entirely well.

Sorry, truly, for any inconvenience this caused. I'm sure that you know I do bust my head open to try and get these posts up on time and with as much competence as they deserve, thus I would gladly sacrifice being a day late to make the posts good, rather than uploading it on time and half-assing it.

Thanks again and take care.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 5): What Is Your Favourite Team?

2010-08-11T19:42:00.001+01:00

Everyone! Get in here!

I have yet another day of comic talkery for your faces to digest.

Pressed for time, I am thankful this one is kind of simple!

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 5): What Is Your Favourite Team?

X-Force.

Formed by Cyclops in a clandestine move that proved to me he was a true leader I could like, THIS version of X-Force are not your Papa's X-Men.

X-Force operated as a black-ops, wetworks team that were put together to eliminate the bad guys before they eliminated THEM. A pre-emptive attack force with licence and preference to kill any and all dangerous enemies they come across. Granted, the people they killed absolutely deserved it, but that is the wonder of the dynamic.

How far can you go? Do the ends justify the means? By brutally hunting and killing people who brutally hunt mutants, age and gender all inclusively, are you as bad? That's why the debate rages on about whether Cyclops was right to form them, or if others were right to find it disturbing.

Originally it consisted of Warpath, Wolverine, X-23 and Wolfsbane. It shifted somewhat over time, but it didn't really have long enough to solidify anything. The series ran for almost 30 issues and, penned by Craig Kyle and Chris Yost, it utterly floored me. I am not a fan of X-Books, Second Coming was a revival of what must have been a decade or more of not liking them. X-Force, however, did not feel like an X-Book.

It was violent, sexy and immensely intriguing all in one. My breath remains bated for the upcoming Uncanny X-Force #1 issue in October. Wolverine and Archangel are still there, but into the fold comes Fantomex, Psylocke and Deadpool! Rick Remender has the chance to knock this out of the part and, along with Duane Swierczynski, re-establish 'Pool as a snarky, corrosive mercenary. I also dig the matching outfits.

Regardless, the volume of X-Force I'm referring to is what I hope Secret Avengers will eventually become an evolution of, with less violence.

I'm sure there will be four trades or so by the time it's all been compiled, but do yourself a favour, ok? Go pick up book one, Angels and Demons, right now. Like, now. Go to Amazon and buy that shit. Chop suey!

You are probably wondering why I didn't pick The Avengers. The reason is because The Avengers are at their best when the roster works for you. I love The Trinity, but it hasn't produced my consistently favourite team.

There's not a great deal you can say about X-Force. There wasn't a massive amount of character development due to all the characters and team members being massively developed. This series was more a showcase of the teams gory privileges and mission statements, and a stark reflection of what Cyclops, one of mutantkind's most rigid heroes, had been forced to resort to.

I enjoyed X-Force way more than ANY team book I've probably ever read save for early issues of The New Mutants. That is why they win as my favourite team!

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Sorry if this one is a bit short, but I realised in writing it that there really isn't much more you CAN say, to be fair.

I really hope you liked it, I love doing it. Stay tuned tomorrow for TWO posts in ONE day. Thursday's Comics, accompanied by some bloggish updates and the latest installment of The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom! I feel this'll be a short one also as it's a bit of a shit question, but hey, you do what you must, right?

Thanks for reading, following, commenting and spreading the word if you are.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 4): Who Is Your Favourite Supporting Character?

2010-08-10T19:55:00.001+01:00

This ain't no trap door, David Blaine shit!

Originally this category was called My Favourite Royal, but I really can't think of many royals I like enough to call a favourite. Thusly, it has been edited to include this category.

As a heads-up, I'm also going to be on Direct Edition again tomorrow! Don't forget to tune in, subscribe and let people know!

On with the show!

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 4): Who Is Your Favourite Supporting Character?

There are so many characters that I truly love in comics that are not leading characters or characters with their own books, so this was something I thought on. I also suspect it'll prove a little controversial among comic fans. My favourite supporting character is...

Maria Hill.

I've never been entirely sure that you can separate Maria Hill as a soldier-type and Maria Hill the person, because I've never been sure which one I'm reading. Similarly, I'm not entirely sure if people dislike her so much because she's done some bad things, or if they think she's a bad character.

First appearing in The New Avengers #4, Maria Hill came to immediate prominance during Civil War. She was initially brought in to replace Nick Fury as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. due his indiscretions during Secret War and his subsequent disappearance. Nick Fury has always been somewhat of a scoundrel, but for the most part he was trusted by the heroes. All of a sudden there's this chick in the hot seat and she's telling people like Captain America and Iron Man what to do.

She came off as quite a cocky bitch, almost antagonistic. It was seen, I suppose, as a Sarah Palin-esque development. Maria Hill had never been in a comic before The New Avengers #4 and she hadn't had a huge S.H.I.E.L.D. career.

Her first big role as a supporting character came in Civil War, acting more as a main character. As Director, she was placed in the centre of the controversy that surrounded the Stamford incident. Very much forcing and promoting the Superhero Registration Act, she quickly told all heroes and villains that you either register or pay the price with detainment and jail time. Unflinching and uncompromising, I grew to have respect for her.

The scene that did it for me was when Captain America (Steve Rogers at this point) faces her down and tells her she's wrong. Hill, ever brave and resolute, told him to his face that he could either surrender or be forced to. Captain America escaped, but it was her strength that really won me over. I mean, here stands this absolute legend, this war hero and modern superhero...and you're an upstart, got-lucky S.H.I.E.L.D. Director? You've gotta have guts to do what she did.

She went along with things that ultimately have caused major negative consequence, but I think that she's very much like Stark in that sense, you know? She wouldn't apologise for doing her job or what she feels may be the right thing for all the people of America at the time.

I think the contradiction is that she's a VERY attractive woman, but they gave her very confident qualities to go with her femininity. She's not like Victoria Hand who, serving as Osborn's aide during Dark Reign, was very womanly. Maria Hill has got the short hair, the S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform and some salty language to go with it.

Maria Hill's just the kind of woman to be like, "Yeah, I wear lip gloss and mascara to work. Problem? Don't look at me funny or I'll break your nose." I kind of dig that.

After Civil War she serves as Commander of S.H.I.E.L.D. and second-in-command to Tony Stark. When everything went to shit, she went into hiding with Stark and eventually had a sexual relationship with him. I wasn't fond of this, simply because I think it added to her strength that she was the one woman he hadn't fucked. They're not dating or all lovey-dovey, but which is why I think it wasn't worth it.

During Siege, she did one very notable thing. She showed up on the battlefield in Oklahoma with a rocket launcher and started firing it at Norman Osborn, while riding in the back of a pick-up truck. It was quite epic, but some folks didn't like it...because some don't like Maria Hill! Some even see her as a war criminal.

Currently, as well as being the main supporting character in The Invincible Iron Man, she's serving as the boss of The Avengers. Not so much as a member, of course, but I'd Steve Rogers put her and Victoria Hand as his left and right hand women. Hill oversees The Avengers and Hand is overseeing The New Avengers.

As someone without powers, I think it's always going to be hard for her to ever stake a massive claim in the Marvel Universe, but she's doing a pretty good job. Love or hate the woman, she's not going anywhere. I'm glad. I would like to see her get developed more as a character, I think there's a lot that could be done. She's very entertaining and awesome to read when written well, and that's why she's my favourite supporting character.

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Thanks so much for reading, I really do appreciate it. Thanks to all the new people commenting, too! If you dig my blog, pass the link around! Tell people! If you have a site, shout me out. It's all appreciated. I'm not doing anything a million others aren't doing, but I like to think I can offer an enjoyable read regardless.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 3): Who Is Your Favourite Female Character?

2010-08-09T20:45:00.002+01:00

You're entering a world of pain.

First off, thanks for the interest that you people are giving this series of posts. Really. I started this thinking it'd be this fun thing and it's turning out that I'm getting more comments than ever, as well as new readers.

Thank you for that, you bastards.

With that all said, let's get this going on.

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 3): Who Is Your Favourite Female Character?

I had three major candidates for this category and it drove me insane trying to chose. I thought about how I felt about them and their stories, I wrote down pros and cons, I weighed up legacy and influence. Characterisation, versatility and memorable nature all came into play when deciding the winner of this.

It's with pleasure, then, that I announce that my favourite female character is...

Emma Frost.

With the exception of My Favourite Character, things are probably going to be cut pretty fine in terms of who gets mentioned and who doesn't. This is without a doubt the tightest call I'd ever have to make on favourites. Many would expect Elektra, and for the longest time she WAS my favourite female in comics.

I had never really cared much for Emma Frost. I mean, we all knew her as The White Queen of The Hellfire Club. We all knew her as that blonde psychic chick who wore barely any clothes to speak of. So why is she my favourite female character? It wasn't until Grant Morrison brought her in and attached her to The X-Men, or New X-Men as it became known (Changing title at Uncanny X-Men #114, becoming New X-Men #114, I believe), that I really gravitated toward the character. I think it's the same for many people with her, and The X-Men in general.

How best to describe Emma Frost? Well...she has all the characteristics of someone your girlfriend would absolutely hate, but you'd have the major hots for. She's the kind of woman your eyes would pop out of your head for, but your girlfriend would stand there giving the screwface to. I don't think there has been a female in Marvel, or maybe even in comics, that walks the line of classy and trash as much as Emma Frost. In clothing, but especially attitude, she does this better than any female I've ever read. She walks that line like a model walks a runway.

Her earlier outfits very much did fall more onto the side of trashy more than classy, but the outfits she began donning during Morrison's run really reflected her attitude, or the attitude he brought out in her.

Emma Frost is extremely rich, traffic-stoppingly attractive and immensely powerful. She knows this, too. She isn't humble, she isn't fond of discretion. She has all of the qualities that, in any other woman, would make you turn away in an instant. She's a bitch to end all bitches and possibly the snobbiest woman you'll ever encounter. It's for this reason that her revival as an X-Men character is crucial. Not only did Morrison bring her back to the forefront, he had her join the team.

I found myself with a great distaste toward Emma Frost. Why? It's simple. I believe in faithfulness in dealing with the opposite/same sex, whatever your choice is. Honesty at the very least. Want something serious? Cool. Something casual? Cool. I don't dig infidelity, so it became a point of note for me when Emma Frost decided (Yes, decided) that she had taken a liking to Cyclops and wanted him, despite Jean Grey still being on the scene. Eventually, Cyke and Emma began having a psychic affair that went unnoticed by Jean.

Cyclops fell victim to this. Should he have? No. Thus is the lure of Emma Frost in all its strangeness. She's the kind of woman that will stand in front of you, look down her nose and tell you with the thickest air of snobbiness that you simply aren't good enough, and still somehow make you want to be with her for at least a night.

Emma's grooming of Cyclops was so deliciously intricate, but you didn't want it to stop because it was a train wreck waiting to happen. It was the boy scout leader actually getting himself into shit by being a bit of a, well, pussy hound. This was made all the more entertaining being that she's the hot blonde who has admitted to having brest implants. She IS the woman that Jean Grey or any other woman would have thought, "What do you see in her? She's not even that hot."

Jean eventually finds out and shit, to say the least, hits the fan.

Throughout her stint on Morrison's New X-Men and Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men, Emma Frost became a centrepiece of The X-Men. Over time, though maintaining an unmistakably snobby and classy/bitchy exterior, Emma did fall in love with Cyclops genuinely and, after Jean's passing/blessing, they formed a relationship which runs to this day. They learned from each other; Emma learned that she doesn't have to be a total bitch all the time, what it means to be vulnerable and accept that. Cyclops learned that he needs to man the fuck up and just be a little like Emma sometimes.

She's that woman you wish with all your morality that you could hate, but you can't. It reminds me of that quote in Fight Club about Marla being that little flap of skin, you know? It'd go away if you stopped tonguing it, but you just can't. Except you have no control over Emma. If she decides she's going to be in your life, she will be until she decides to leave.

On top of all this, consider that she's one of mutantkind's most powerful ever telepaths. She's definitely not someone people need to be pissing off.

Her confidence is not an act, but she came from beginnings that aren't unfamiliar to girls everywhere. She's been rich for most of her life, owned Frost International and was born into a fairly rich family. However, it was recently revealed (To my knowledge at least) that her school years were fraught with torment from her peers. Day in and day out she would receive hateful notes about how she was flat-chested, ugly, gross and just plain unwanted.

The rest, as they say, is history. Give or take some bad decisions and her school (The Massachusetts Academy) being shut down due to most of the students getting killed, she's made a success of herself.

Something else I always loved about Emma Frost was that she had the sharpest wit. She could say the most sexually crude things in the most elegant or classiest of ways that it seemed so sexy, instead of slutty. There's one part where Nightcrawler asks her if she prays or if she's religious, to which she replies, "These are $200, Italian cashmere, Kiki de Montparnass stockings, Kurt. I won't kneel in them unless absolutely necessary."

We quite clearly know what kind of sexual innuendo that is, but it's said it such a snarky and charming manner that you don't think she's a slut for making an oral sex joke. You find it alluring. When Wolverine and Cyclops are arguing over, I believe, Jean Grey, she churns out another amazing line. She says to Beast, "I have scintillating wit and the best body money can buy, but I STILL rate below a corpse."

There's her classic line about being her own best friend because she can turn into diamond, and who can forget her constant baiting and tormenting of Shadowcat? So brilliantly written by Whedon.

Despite being forced into being independent growing up, despite all of the teasing and the abuse, Emma Frost realised she could let it ruin her or she could do what Emma Frost was destined to do. She grew up, used her powers and skill to make money, bought the best body money could buy with that money and decided to take the world by the mind, getting exactly what she wanted out of it, when she wanted and how she wanted. You've got to admire that, really.

Sadly, she isn't being written as she deserves to be at the moment. She hasn't been for some time. At her best, under Morrison and Whedon, Emma Frost is a woman you would wish was a just a TINY bit nicer than she was, but a woman you can't fault for being the way she is.

She is someone everyone loves to hate or hates to love, peers and readers alike, and that's just the way she likes it. It's why she's my favourite female character.

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That's another one down and I want to thank you all for reading YET AGAIN.

As stated, there's a new one every day until all 30 have been posted. Three down, 27 to go. I hope you have enjoyed this one, the others, and I hope you enjoy the rest to come.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 2): Who Is Your Favourite Villain?

2010-08-08T23:10:00.003+01:00

On the second day of Comicdom...

In all seriousness, that's what this is. Welcome and thank you for reading this with your eyes, unless you are a cyclops, in which case forgive my use of plural.

Well, we all know what we're here for!

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 2): Who Is Your Favourite Villain?

I was tossing and turning this decision over in my head like some kind of weird pancake, and then I realised there was really only one choice. My favourite villain is of course...

Loki.

It really was such a close call between this guy and Dr. Doom. Recent events, however, just made it clear that Loki was the guy, but why?

In many ways, Loki Laufeyson is the typical cliche. The younger brother who never becomes quite the man his brother is. He develops envy and then hatred etc. You know the drill. Loki, adopted son of Odin (His real father was Laufey, a frost giant), is a very simple character...but one that has a load of depth.

The God of Mischief is definitely someone who lives up to his name, and whilst I haven't been a life-long fan of Loki, he has catapulted into my ranks over the years. Naturally, he is a liesmith, he crafts lie upon lie to achieve his own ends. You would think that, by now, those around him would be aware of his traits and never listen to a word he says. Such is the genius and diabolical skill in his craft, and why I love the guy so much. Even his language, when written well, just smacks of sarcasm and mischief.

Loki is SO good as what he does that it doesn't matter if he's lied to you 100 times before, he will plant a seed, however small, that causes that tiny element of doubt. Then, when it takes root, he will have your ear. Look no further than his plot to have Thor cast out of Asgard. Now, what are the chances that Loki, a grand liar of unfathomable proportions, could achieve such a thing? Thor, hero of Asgard and son of Odin, cast out due to the machinations of a known trickster?

Loki resurrected Bor, father of Odin, and transported him to Earth. Cast under the spell that caused him to see everything as a demon, Bor wrecked everything he saw until Thor was forced to take him down, entirely unaware of who he was. Loki, during this battle, told King Balder who Bor was and suggested they go there to stop Thor killing him, though it was too late. Loki knew this. When it was revealed that Thor had killed a royal Asgardian, he was placed on trial and Loki so charmingly and sarcastically said, pretty much, "Oh...but isn't the punishment supposed to be banishment from Asgard forever? My, my! It is!"

You could tell Thor knew something was up, and Loki knew that he knew, but that's what made his plan all the sweeter. With a smirk on his face, he had seen his half-brother exiled, and he barely lifted a finger. It was just such a brilliant moment. It doesn't matter that Loki manipulated Bor either, because the fact remained that Thor had killed a royal Asgardian, so he met exile regardless.

It doesn't stop there. In an attempt to get Asgard back under his own ruling, he even caused the entire Siege event. Getting into the ear of Osborn he said that the reason Civil War happened was due to an inciting incident with a super-powered being. Then went so far as to say that the only reason Osborn would need to invade Asgard is to do the same with an Asgardian, thus leading to Volstagg's unfortunate situation and the whole Siege event.

Diabolically clever, throughout Siege he barely lifted a finger. He appeared to empower The Hood's gang with Norn stone power, and the event did end with his uncharacteristically noble sacrifice, but do you ever know with Loki? Never. That's the beauty of his character. He must be a dream to write because you can write him as logically out of character as you want and then reveal it to be a plot.

I am so pleased that Tom Hiddleston is playing him in the movie, he looks amazing in the outfit. He gets it too. Loki IS exactly like Edmund from King Lear, just meaner and more manipulative. The dialogue between Loki and Dr. Doom in the early issues of Kieron Gillen's run on Thor was amazing. Dr. Doom didn't appear TOO unsettled by Loki, because he's just that badass, but you could tell Loki had such audacity that he was manipulating Dr. Doom without him knowing it.

What's so good about Loki is that, well, he shows us all what power lies in the lie. Telling lies is a very powerful and influential skill if you can do so and do so well. How many of us, in our lives, have told lies that we didn't need to? Lied to get what we wanted? Maybe you've lied to craft a day off school or work. As bad or wrong or mischievous as that may be, nobody can deny that feeling of victory when a crafty tale ends up working in your favour. I think that is what's so brilliant about Loki. Of course, then there was the time that he was trapped in Sif's body and thus, was effectively a woman for a while...

I really do recommend reading J. Michael Straczynski's run on Thor if you're interested in seeing some seriously awesome tinkering by the man himself. He did #1 to #12 and then they re-numbered it, from which he did #600 to the Giant-Size Finale #1, which is between #603 and #604.

Loki is someone so diabolically charming, such an enchanting ne'er-do-well that it's impossible to call him evil. He isn't evil, but he is most certainly a villain. He is my favourite villain, for all the above reasons.

---

Another day, another post.

The questions get more and more interesting as time goes on, so be sure to keep your eyes glued to this blog over the coming 30 days!

Thank you very much for reading, thanks for the comments (Keep leaving comments, they're awesome. Let me know what you're thinking) and the continued support, too. It's very much appreciated.

For now, though, I bid you adieu until tomorrow.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 1): Who Is Your Favourite Character?

2010-08-07T23:55:00.001+01:00

Pass me the anti-shark bat-spray!

It feels weird actually updating for someone that isn't many things, and I don't know what I mean by that exactly.

Regardless, I really think this is going to be very fun and I hope to have one of these up, in order, for the next 30 days. Barring special circumstances, I will do just that. This is my 85th post now and I have some ideas for my fast-approaching 100th post, but I haven't decided yet.

Anyway, let the games begin! As Alex from Comicana would say (Seriously, if you're in there longer than an hour, he'll come out with it).

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 1): Who Is Your Favourite Character?

If you don't know by now, you are a stoopit! My favourite character is, of course...

Daredevil.

I did a whole post/month dedicated to this guy and why he has a very special place in the comic-inked section of my heart, namely the #1 spot. Still, it can't hurt to tell anyone again.

I was drawn in at Daredevil #187, I was 6 and that's how this whole comic thing began.

Never before had I seen such a simplistically drawn character with such inimitable grace. He wasn't as colourful or awkward as Peter Parker, even Spider-Man, but he moved with the majesty of someone much greater. The way he fought, the way he looked, it was just like watching ballet on a page to me. Then, I find out the dude is BLIND?! John Romita Jr. pretty much nailed it when HE described why he loves Daredevil so much.

So deep is my attachment to this character that I refer to him on first name purposes as much as I call him Daredevil. To me, he's Matt Murdock. A Frank Miller showed, Matt Murdock is the undeniable hero. Daredevil is who he is when he puts on the suit, but Matt Murdock is the hero. The outfit dresses up the hero, that's all.

No matter what befalls him, he never gives up on anything or anyone. He is just like his dad. He is his father's son in that respect, at the very least. I don't go into comics to relate to anything, but Daredevil forced me to. Seeing someone as void of fear and apprehension as Daredevil/Matt Murdock gives you something to aspire to. Seeing this stonewall, morally and emotionally strong guy brought to his knees by the love of a woman or the loss of one, however, is something that I defy anyone to nod their head and feel for.

It doesn't matter how many punches he can take from The Kingpin, because when Karen Page was murdered or when Elektra first re-appeared as an assassin and he knew it was her from the smell of her, he might as well have been in a wheelchair. It's his totally human weaknesses that we all have, in contradiction with his otherwise fearless nature, that make him as admirable as he is.

The fact that he does what he does while being able to disarmed by some of the same things we are, it's what I love. Spider-Man is the same in many ways, totally self-less. It doesn't matter if he dies, because he sees his role as a responsibility, and the same goes for Matt Murdock and Daredevil. He's come back from being destitute and from emotional wreckage. He's dealt with moral uncertainty and lives with the knowledge that he and his most implaccable foe, The Kingpin, know each other's identities, causing a perpetual stalemate of nail-biting proportions. He has overcome loss, psychological turmoil and back-breaking guilt that would've caused a lesser man to crumble.

Despite deadly enemies, trials and tribulations, he does this because he is a hero, however flawed. He does all this for the sake of innocent people, his friends, his loved ones and most notably, Hell's Kitchen. That's his neighbourhood. He's there if heroes need him, but he doesn't try to do more than he can, he does what is sensible. He protects the one neighbourhood and helps elsewhere when he can.

The contradiction of him being a lawyer by day and law-disregarding vigilante (Because what these heroes do strictly isn't legal, or wasn't until Captain Rogers got at the helm of S.H.I.E.L.D.) at night is one that nobody else really embodies. These elements, coupled with the fact that he is a wavering Catholic who dresses as a devil, make my love for him what it is. It makes for amazing stories in the right hands and, truly, I recommend him to everybody.

He has gone from a B-grade character and the poor man's Spider-Man with potential, to someone who has become an amazing character in his own right, even if he's not an A-lister. Marvel have embarked upon a marketing campaign that said there will be a new character becoming The Man without Fear post-Shadowland, as I've said. This makes me nervous, but even if it's bad, I stick by him through thick and thin. One can only hope he pulls himself out of the darkest hole he's ever been in, before it pulls him in for good.

He is my absolute favourite overall character of all time, consistently. While Deadpool is always hot on his heels, Matt Murdock/Daredevil is always there ahead of everyone else. It's for the reasons I've stated that I've named him my favourite character.

He should be popping up in some of the other 29 days, but how? Wait and see!

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Thanks to everyone for reading this, I really appreciate it.

If you want to know more about Daredevil, browse through my posts to find my posts on Daredevil and all things related that I did during Daredevil Month. That or toss me a comment with your questions.

Take care and tune in to my blog every day from today, for the next 30 days, for a new installment!

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Reviews: Thursday's Comics (5/8/2010).

2010-08-05T20:58:00.002+01:00

As far as I'm concerned, you're BOTH potential murderers!

Greetings and welcome to Welcome to the Mast! Yes, name of blog and also a greeting! I am The Mast, I am back to talk your rotten faces off with some words arranged in order. When read in order, my opinions will be revealed!

I don't think I have much to blog about today. There is a teaser to The Avengers online, somewhere. It's just Nick Fury's voiceover saying that there comes a day when Earth's mightiest heroes have to unite to fight a force they cannot defeat alone, and on that day, The Avengers were born.

It's pretty nice, but the movie hasn't even begun shooting yet so...people need to chill. It's nice that it all feels very, very real, though.

I bought nine comics today, but I will be reviewing just four. It saves time and after all, this blog IS about what comics I enjoyed most and think you should get. Shadowland: Bullseye is a pretty fun, yet inconsequential and non-essential one-shot about how he's haunting some kid from beyond the grave. I hope his death sticks, but we'll see.

Let's get this cracking.

S.H.I.E.L.D. #3.

Once again, I really cannot say much of this series because hardly ANYTHING is being revealed!

So far, Leonardo Da Vinci has travelled forward in time (Though still in the past) to apparently re-write a wrong that the original Brotherhood of the Shield has committed, or will commit. He is passing his role on to young Leonid, who doesn't feature in this issue. Don't feel bad for not having a clue what's going on, because it's not clear yet.

One thing I will say is that if you are not versed in history, science or even very dense vocabulary, then you will find this series confusing or boring. It has the potential to be one of the greatest series' of all time, to me. It combines so many great, well written elements.

This issue is told from the narrative stance of Sir Isaac Newton. Taken under the wing of Galileo, he has been seeking answers to things he cannot find anywhere he has been looking. Galileo sends him off to find said knowledge in the kingdom of The Deviants, an alien race. He mates with one of their females, is accepted into their culture and absorbs their secret knowledge for the purposes of The Brotherhood of the Shield. It is implied, I believe, that Newton is a mutant. I cannot confirm this, but the leader of the aliens says he is very unique.

Don't get me wrong, Hickman's writing is stellar and he clearly is the guy to be writing these characters in these settings, with this subject matter. I do strongly feel that this story will read immeasurably better as a trade, though. It has such a dense plot that reveals nothing much, and it's going at one issue every two months. I'm gonna stick with it because I've started, but if you haven't and you ARE interested, wait for the trades.

The art...well. I would dare say it's among the best in any comic as of this time. Dustin Weaver is absolutely FLAWLESS. Majestic. Any superlative I could use is applicable. I appreciate it more so because I also have the sketch variant of #1, but the colours and inking all come together to prove what is essentially amazing pieces of art in a comic book.

My favourite part was Galileo confronting Galactus with a being of unknown energy advising him. A younger Galileo, mind you, back in Rome circa the 1500s. Instead of letting Galactus destroy Earth, they devise a contraption that can create an entirely new world. A new world that would serve as home should Earth ever be destroyed. Now...I think that instead of doing this...they just use the energy to satiate Galactus directly.

It really is all very clandestine, especially considering I last read this series when S.H.I.E.L.D. #2 came out back on June 2nd!

I can't recommend it, I can't. Trades? For sure. I'm not avoiding recommendation due to quality, just the subject matter and the fact that this series is on a delayed schedule.

Deadpool: Wade Wilson's War #3 of 4.

With the end to this mini-series fast approaching, I cry. Where will Duane Swierczynski, arguably Deadpool's greatest writer since Kelly's run, go? Probably nowhere near Deadpool.

Such a fucking brilliant series. It's packed with violence, gore, hilarious quips by Deadpool and the fourth wall-breaking everyone loved him for.

Still on trial, we just get Deadpool continuing to tell the Senate of his exploits as a member of a U.S. government secretly sanctioned team. It involves lots of killing, his team mates (Bullseye, Silver Sable and Domino) getting killed and him conveniently escaping. A satellite, the Senator reveals, proves he is lying about how events transpired, but Deadpool insists.

Domino is proven to be alive, to Deadpool's shock, and shoots him upon being brought into the courtroom.

This is packed full of tremendous dialogue and very Tarantino-esque artwork courtesy of Pearson. Deadpool even references Robert Rodriguez, the soon-to-be Deadpool movie director (We hope!). He even goes so far as to use the first issue of this series as proof of what he is saying.

It's just so self-aware and so brilliant. Definitely a trade that any Deadpool-curious person should be picking up and looking out for.

The Avengers: Prime #2 of 5.

Another mini-series that suffers delays, but nonetheless, one I've been waiting for.

The team of Bendis and Davis works real well in many areas, not so good in others. That is to mean that Bendis seems to be losing his touch in certain areas, where as the art of Alan Davis is fucking beautifully classic on every page.

The Trinity (The unofficial name for Iron Man, Thor and Steve Rogers) have been split up, each ending up in one of the nine realms; Thor is trapped by The Enchantress in one, Captain Rogers is caught in another and Iron Man is in what I believe could be Svartalfheim or Vaneheim. The general gist of this story is how each man must overcome their respective pickles to end up back on Earth/Midgard. So with that said, let me tell you what I LOVE and dislike.

Bendis writes a badass Thor, he really does. The sections where Thor and The Enchantress go at it verbally and physically are extremely well drawn and scripted. The Captain Rogers stuff seems pretty bland, but it's the Iron Man parts that bug me. I don't know if it's the influence of the movies, but he's being portrayed in many different ways. Bendis tends to portray him as an arrogant douche with too much immaturity, where as Fraction is portraying him as a semi-repentant hero who has forgot what it means to be a hero.

Some of the things that Stark says in this issue just smack of Robert Downey Jr. It's not as good when it's read as it is when he's saying it. Granted, it's not as bad as Bendis' diabolical Iron Man dialogue in The Avengers, but it's still a bit uncharacteristic. Also, why does Captain Rogers say that he speaks a little Italian? Sure, the comment was made in jest, but as someone who has been through what he has, does what he does and knows what he knows, surely he'd speak more languages. I'm pretty sure it's a known fac that he speaks German and Russian. Additionally, why does he seem surprised that Earth is called Midgard? He knows that. It's not like Bendis, in my opinion, to be so sloppy.

The Enchantress reveals to Thor that his moving of Asgard to Earth has caused tremendous unsettlement in all other of the nine realms. Realms are bleeding into each other and, she says, it's Thor's doing. Hela, to cap it all off, has reclaimed the area Thor is in as her new Hel. Naturally, Thor and Hela get into violence over it and the effects of the battle bleed into the realm Stark is in.

I'm totally excited to see where this goes and how it resolves. Thhis takes place immediately after Siege. Like, right after the battle has ended. So everything else is happening after they presumably get home. How do they? How do they resolve their differences? That's what everyone's waiting to find out. I personally have a harder time agreeing that a Bendis-written Iron Man would regain a friendship with Thor, as opposed to the more humble Fraction-written Iron Man. There are multiple continuity/character errors as it stands, but Bendis claims it will all make sense in the end.

Check it out. With the delays, you should easily be able to get the first issue, too.

Shadowland #2 of 5.

People seem to have issues with this mini-series, so let me tell you what I think about that.

Those consistently criticising Daredevil and Shadowland seem to have no regular interest nor overall connection to his character. This is a brilliant Daredevil story and Diggle/Johnston totally get the character. People who don't really need to stop talking like they do.

Anyway, Shadowland #2...

Matt's going far. Too far. The Kingpin approaches Luke Cage and Iron Fist in a sly attempt to reclaim New York, specifically Hell's Kitchen, from The Hand's clutches. He has a point, really. Like it or not, Daredevil needs to be stopped. How? That's what the big question is. Luke Cage, Iron Fist and a few others trick their way into Shadowland to have words. It appears, thankfully, that Daredevil DOES have some reasoning skills, but ultimately he chooses to adopt the with-or-against mentality that he is fond of recently. Interestingly, Misty Knight informs Daredevil that mob bosses are getting assassinated, to which he says The Hand has a no-kill policy. So either he's lying, or there's a rogue cell...

Diggle really nails some good Spider-Man dialogue, also showing up at this time, when he says something about the black suit thing never ending well. It gave me a real chuckle.

The Kingpin makes his big move when he summons none other than Ghost Rider, who is revealed at the end to be tearing his way into Shadowland's basement and working his way up. This is where things WILL pick up, and the art on those last couple of splash pages is PHENOMENAL. Billy Tan nails that shit. Ghost Rider won't mess around, at all. He'll go in and he'll do damage.

I'm so excited to see how shit all unfolds. Elektra's involvement is to be revealed, on top of it all.

It's all heading to a car crash finale, and with Marvel already advertising that there'll be a new character that becomes The Man without Fear (Don't...get...me...started), I'm riveted.

---

Thank you SO much for reading, I appreciate it greatly.

To the people who have been commenting more frequenly, thank you! I really do appreciate your words and your comments. Sincerely.

Don't forget to drop me a comment if you're interested in getting into comics, or tell me if my blog has spurred you to do just that. What are YOU reading? What do you think of it? What do you think of what I'M reading if you read it too? Let's talk!

Tune in on Saturday for my 85th post and the 1st day of The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom!

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Blogs: Thor Comic Con Footage Reviewed & The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom.

2010-08-02T21:36:00.001+01:00

Today's Headline: The Mast Refreshed After Three Days on Cross.

This post won't be especially chock full of goodness, but the goodness it contains will hopefully satiate your stomachs and cause salivation profuse enough to drown a horse. I do have a link to it that is currently working, but I cannot guarantee for how long, nor can I post it. Drop me a contact email and I may be able to help you.

The title is ACCURATE. I have indeed seen the Thor Comic Con preview. I don't class it as a trailer because it's five minutes long, but what did I think of it?

It didn't reveal much for a five minute piece of footage, but it revealed enough for me to gather an opinion of the feel of the footage. I doubt I'll watch any more trailers for this movie, though. They reveal so much nowadays.

The footage contains shots of Asgard and what I THINK was Jotunheim (Seeming more likely by Colm Feore having been cast as Loki's father, Frost Giant Laufey). I'm sure there is a lot more post-production to be done, but what we were treated to looked quite tantalising.

After being initially hesitant that Chris Hemsworth didn't look like someone who could play Thor, I am forced to retract said statement. I didn't think he was as tall and buff as he is, for one thing. Having seen him in live footage I can safely say he has given me every confidence that he will do well.

Loki didn't get a large appearance, but he appears during Odin's lambasting of Thor and it made me very happy. It looks as if he really is going to be every inch the manipulative and devious conspirator that he is in the comics. Odin himself looks...not too bad. I'm still not entirely sold, but it's growing on me. Hopkins really does deliver his lines with fire, though. I totally support that side of his casting.

The Warriors Three look REALLY good, Fandral especially. Hogun isn't featured much, but Volstagg looks acceptable. I wish he was more fat, as his character is, but you can't have it all I suppose. My one worry is Sif, to be sure. I'm convinced she'll be portrayed as the badass warrior chick, which she is, but without the side of her that they show in the comics. Think Velasquez in Aliens.

It definitely looks like they won't explicitly call the Asgardians gods. That cheeses me off, but as long as they don't deny it either...it can pass as something to be assumed. I like the idea that Thor says something like, "Your ancestors call it magic. You call it science. I come from a place where they're one and the same." It suggests that the unexplained phenomena of the world could be considered scientific to higher beings who know how it all works. The line between superstition, religion and science is the fact that things can be explained and proven.

To put in in a nutshell, would the otherworldly and speculative nature of spirituality remain so to someone equally as otherworldly who was capable of logically explaining why certain things happen? Show a baby a magnet and you can convince them it's magic. Show it to a scientist and they'll explain how it works.

I'm actually really liking that idea.

It all looks very exciting and, of course, The Destroyer's little scene at the end left my jaw on the ground.

What matters most is how it all plays out and how it all fits together as a movie. For that conclusion, we must wait until May.

Either way...

I'm psyched.

The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom.

Yeah, I also decided to separate subjects with a mini-header. All neat and tidy!

You're probably asking yourself, "The Mast, what exactly is 30 Days of Comicdom and why does it matter? Why, in Christ's name, why?" I'll tell you.

It's very simple. I stole a 30 question survey regarding comics and decided I would answer a question a day! It will open people up to short, sharp bursts of comic opinion and recommendation, and will hopefully let people know more about the tastes of yours truly.

Here are the questions, in order:

Day 1: Who Is Your Favourite Character?
Day 2: Who Is Your Favourite Villain?
Day 3: Who Is Your Favourite Female Character?
Day 4: Who Is Your Favourite Royal?
Day 5: What Is Your Favourite Team?
Day 6: What Is Your Favourite Organisation?
Day 7: Who Is Your Favourite Creature?
Day 8: What Is Your Favourite Movie?
Day 9: Who Is Your Favourite Classic Character?
Day 10: What Is Your Favourite Costume?
Day 11: What Is Your Favourite Power?
Day 12: What Is Your Favourite Weapon?
Day 13: Who Is Your Least Favourite Character?
Day 14: What Is Your Favourite Romance?
Day 15: What Is the Best Rivalry?
Day 16: Who Is the Most Powerful Character?
Day 17: Who Is Your Favourite God?
Day 18: What Is Your Favourite Comic-to-Screen Character Adaptation?
Day 19: What Is Your Least Favourite Comic-to-Screen Character Adaptation?
Day 20: What Is Your Best Casting of a Character (If You Were Casting)?
Day 21: What Is the Most Memorable Death?
Day 22: What Is Your Favourite Universe/Dimension?
Day 23: What Is the Best Form of Transportation?
Day 24: What Is Your Favourite Cartoon Adaptation?
Day 25: What Is Your Favourite Video Game?
Day 26: Who Is the Most Underrated Character?
Day 27: What Is Your Favourite Non-Human Race?
Day 28: Who Is the Most Overrated Character?
Day 29: What Is Your Favourite Comics Event?
Day 30: What Is Your Favourite Series You Would Suggest to Read?

So, if you're at all interested in knowing the answers to those questions, be sure to keep glued to my blog from this Saturday!

Thanks so much for reading and take care.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

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

2010-07-29T21:29:00.005+01:00

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.

2010-07-24T19:17:00.000+01:00

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).

2010-07-22T18:14:00.001+01:00

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.

2010-07-18T04:45:00.000+01:00

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).

2010-07-15T23:46:00.004+01:00

...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!

2010-07-12T23:09:00.001+01:00

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).

2010-07-08T19:59:00.001+01:00

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.

2010-07-01T19:45:00.003+01:00

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.

---

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

The Mast Blogs: The iPad Cometh, New Fans & Geek Chic's Non-Existence.

2010-06-30T16:10:00.001+01:00

Ha, ha, haaa! Loins...

Greetings chaps and chaps who are women. Welcome to this blog, it's called Welcome to the Mast. I am The Mast and I have made this thing where I can talk comics.

I've been thinking about how to tackle this post, because it's liable to become an essay of heft-meister proportions. I've had many discussions about both topics and thus I wanted one source I could just direct people to. Ultimately, I put a lot of effort into having to make no effort.

With the invention of the iPad, many people have been wondering what this means for regular, physical reading material. The debate and concerns about whether or not the iPad will be to books and comics what the iPod is to CDs has raged like a horse's erect spermhammer, with no signs of pleasant resolution in sight. To continue the metaphor; things only get more sticky the longer it goes on.

Yes, the iPad is a revolutionary tool that will change the way people enjoy certain luxury items. I, however, see no reason to start engraving the gravestone of written, physical literature just yet.

You listen to music wherever you are, whatever you're doing, and this is the difference between a book and a CD. You could be strolling along the street and feel the sudden urge to listen to The Smiths, or if you have less desireable taste and are an idiot, Miley Cyrus or somethin, and an iPod allows you to instantly do so. You can change and choose from multiple hundreds of albums at your own desire.

By that same hand, I don't see anyone strolling along the street and suddenly getting the urge to crack out Pride and Prejudice, War and Peace or À La Recherche du Temps Perdu. Typically, reading while travelling or out in the world is done on trains or in coffee shops. I can understand the functionality of the iPad in this sense. Despite everything, I will always believe that when people take time to sit down and enjoy a book, it will make no difference if it's digital or physical. You still have to hold it and you still own it.

People, I think, will still buy books and comics. Reading is a much more engrossing and demanding experience than listening to music is. Even reading something so much as a tabloid newspaper, reading is something people do specifically because they enjoy it. I don't think the advent of the iPad is really changing enough about the act of reading that will do damage, significant or otherwise, to the way we've always done it. More and more people out of necessity and convenience may want to just digitally buy books, but I don't think there'll be any danger of losing bookstores.

How will comics suffer OR benefit specifically? The worst case scenario, for comics, is that single issue will no longer be made. That would be greatly saddening to me, I have to say. However, I do not think this means comics will die. To echo the sentiments of my friend Andrew, I think comic companies may just end up serialising their issues online and putting them all in a physical trade paperback every few months. It's not what I love most, but it's better than having to settle for looking at comics on a screen.

If anything, the reverse could happen. People could slowly gain greater interest in comics and comic stores, this ensuring the lifespan of the physical medium. That's the beauty of the way things are going now, really. The comic stores in London are all a stone's throw away from each other, but I still have to get three trains to get there. It takes me 30 mins on a good day, and I love the journey/experience. Some do not and some CANNOT make the journey, though. This is a really good way for people to not only get INTO comics, but to STAY into comics.

I really don't think it's doom and gloom. I think the medium is changing, undoubtedly, and it COULD spell distress for certain comic fans and some areas of the medium...but all in all, I really don't think there's anything to worry about.

MP3s are exactly the same as what you get on CD, sometimes even better quality. I am a big supporter of owning an actual item, but that's the truth of it regarding CDs. Comics are NOT the same on a screen as they are in person. It is more of an experience. When you rip music from a CD, the CD effectively becomes useless. You can read a comic, but then you can read it again and again. You don't always feel like sitting at your computer and clicking through pages, you want to relax with the book or comic.

There is way too much going for the medium and for physical literature for it to be killed off by anything digital.

Saying that, comics thrive on the idea of being a collector. If you don't care about owning them physically, then the game changes in terms of how a physical item will survive.

That's what I think, anyway. What do YOU think? The comment link is below, use that bitch.

That's the Marvel iPad app, I believe. DC have one too, but I'm not sure of others. It looks very impressive and IS very impressive. It's not a comic, though.

So! From one area of discussion to another. One that has had people either cheering for me or cursing me out, so I wanted to open up my blog to comments or replies regarding this topic.

New Fans: Wot's de Big Oidear? *End Irish Accent*

Let me clarify, right away. I have NO problem with people getting into comics. Why on Earth would I? I have this blog and we all had to start somewhere, right? So, what is the problem I have?

My problem is NOT with new fans of ANYTHING. It's with new people PRETENDING to be fans or being rather disrespectful about their new found interests. Allow me to elaborate that point and explode it out like Britney Spears' waistline.

I know readers of this blog who have become more aware of comics or comic characters due to movies or hearing me talk about them, and have asked me for recommendation. I'm flattered when this happens and, to those who have asked, I hope I helped. My issue (HAW!) is with those who pose.

When I was a kid, long story short, I was made fun of and picked on for liking comic books. I was teased for having a Spider-Man keychain hanging from my Arsenal F.C. backpack in Secondary School. Sometimes it was just silly comments, but sometimes people were unspeakably rude. What, in Christ's name, does this have to do with anything? I'll tell you.

I do not like the fact that the people who gave me so much shit for an interest I love are now going on dates with their girls, or boys, to see the likes of Iron Man and Iron Man 2. I hate that, "Why so serious?", became a catchphrase for every boy or girl who never knew that people in comics were actually the shit. I hate that, far from being realised as an extremely intricate character, Rorschach is known as that badass dude who threw hot oil into that guy's face in Watchmen.

People never did, and still don't in many cases, get why I love comics. So it DOES piss me off that they suddenly try to, and still fail. Rorschach is not "cool", he's a murderous, borderline fascist psychopath.

I hear tales of people saying that certain people in comic book stores act like assholes when you ask for help and you're a new fan. I've never experienced that, but I'm certainly not gonna jump out and condemn it. There's no excuse for bad manners, but I AM of the mentality, "Oh, so we're cool enough for you now?" sometimes. I can't help it.

Let me give examples. I have seen so many newer fans TELLING ME that Iron Man is better than characters I like, based on the movies. Firstly, any self-respecting geek knows that only sources are canon. Secondly, how do you get to do that? Don't sit there and tell me that a character I've been following since I was about eight is awesome. I am aware. I've been aware. This sort of thing reminds me of The Great Muse Bandwagonning of '04, as it's now known. Everyone suddenly discovered Muse existed, and thus began hoardes of Americans telling us they're a great band, despite the fact that Brits had heard them on the Steve Lamacq show before they even had an album.

That's what I hate the most. With the exception of the fashionably iconic Batman and Superman logos, don't go around wearing a shirt with The Avengers on if you aren't a fan. It's not cool. This brings me to my third and final point...

It's actually just something I want to say to any males or, specifically, females who may read this (HAHAH!). There is no such thing as Geek Chic. Lemme pop that bubble. I'm gonna do a Bill Hicks and talk to the women here. You do not find nerds or geeks sexy, do you? Let's find the chase, grab some scissors and cut right to that motherfucker. You do not find geeks sexy, you find fashionable people wearing specs and chequered sweaters to be sexy. Those are not geeks.

The key word is Geek, right? To be a geek, you must do more than wear an Argyle sweater, spectacles and carry a back-pack. You are not a geek because you do these things, so please stop it.

I'm not even saying I am or am not one, I'm not saying there's a list of rules. I just know what absolutely is NOT a geek. To anyone this applies to:

Stop trying to put yourselves into a group of people that your kind probably would've beaten up at school. If you must, don't do so and then have the bold-faced nerve to try and make it a fashion trend. Dane Cook will do stand-up in my house, with Russell fucking Peters as a support act, before that kind of behaviour becomes acceptable. Speaking of unacceptable, here's a story...

During the end of Iron Man 2, the credits were rolling and I was talking with my Dad about the franchise and how everything fits. Some guy noticed my Captain America shirt and asked if I was excited to have seen the shield, and we chatted for a bit. He insisted he was a fan of the comics and loved The Avengers etc, so I didn't press the matter.

Upon the end of the EPIC post-credits scene where Mjolnir, Thor's hammer, is revealed, I went crazy. The guy said how awesome it was, too. Fast-forward and I'm waiting outside for my Dad when the guy walks by. He doesn't see me, but I overheard him say, "I waited all that time to see a fucking hammer? What's that supposed to be?"

That, ladies and gents, is how NOT to live your life.

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I've had this in me for a while now, so excuse the long post. Feel free to comment on any of the issues or opinions contained herein, you're always welcome to.

Thanks for reading!

Until tomorrow, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Blogs/Reviews: Upcoming Goodness/Thursday's Comics (24/6/2010).

2010-06-24T20:35:00.001+01:00

BANG!

Today has been a sensationally packed week, but I haven't forgotten about you people. I have a number of scripted ideas for posts, it's just a matter of when and why.

I'm planning to give you guys the heads-up on some trades you can pick up, and what I'm reading lately. Most noteworthy of all is Scalped, the F.B.I./Native American crime thriller by Jason Aaron. It's fucking brilliant.

There are seven volumes and I don't have all of them yet. I don't know if I wanna do an in-depth review of the story so far when I HAVE caught up, or if I want to just go by what I've read and give a spoiler-less article for you to read. We shall see!

On top of that, I have a post coming up regarding something a lot of people have asked me, which will be coming this weekend.

I actually only have two comics to review this week, but next week is looking PRETTY sick.

The Avengers #2.

I must admit, as much as I'm warming up to John Jr.'s art, I think the writing is a little disjointed.

It's not like Bendis, but I sort of feel as though he doesn't know where he's going with the story. He does, obviously. As a reader, though, it's hard to tell. Maestro Hulk obviously has plans involving The Avengers, time and many other things. Kang is a part of that and it still isn't stated why.

Marvel Boy - now calling himself The Protector - helps The Avengers build a time machine. Rather, a machine that can see all possible futures of Earth at once. This is possible because time, according to Stark, is not linear. Time has many different and simultaneously existing sides, like Dr. Manhattan said in Watchmen.

During this time, The Avengers are trying to figure out what the Hell is going on. They see the Next Avengers execute Immortus (Kang before he was Kang) and are not sure what it all means. Wonder Man appears and goes ape at the group.

This is what I mean about it feeling disjointed. Wonder Man warned Captain Rogers not to reform The Avengers, and this is him giving them his opinion I suppose. Then, he disappears into thin air. Stark vows to not let another friend and ex-member fall from grace.

No sooner has all this happened than an alternate version of Apocalypse and his Four Horsemen appear.

I really enjoyed these first two issues, but I just feel like Bendis MAY...MAY be trying to do too much. I hope the Simon Williams (Wonder Man) thread doesn't unravel. It has the potential to be a great story. I suppose we'll see.

Romita Jr.'s art is warming up. I'm getting used to it again. I REALLY like how he draws Captain America, I must admit.

I recommend it!

X-Men Legacy #237 (Second Coming: Chapter 12).

With Second Coming almost over and us readers being literally none the wiser to how it'll all end, we get the third from last chapter of the story.

The Battle of San Francisco is still underway and this time, Magneto has joined the fray. For a man of half-health, he fares fairly well. After taking out a good few Nimrod Sentinels, he is almost killed. Hope and Rogue arrive and rescue Storm, then head back to Cyclops and Emma Frost.

X-Force begin their assault on Bastion's production facility in the future, and do so with reasonable success. With Cable protecting him, Cypher begins interfacing with Master Mold's computer and drops all the Sentinels. In the dome, present day, all the Nimrod Sentinels drop down and de-activate. They try to figure out how to get back through the portal, as nothing organic can pass through. The answer is Cable, who we last see struggling to emerge from the portal on the Golden Gate bridge.

Bastion admits the setback, but the dome is still sealed. He ominously states that the only change is WHO will end mutantkind.

I dig the way Greg Land draws his women, I'm sorry. I'm a sucker for a Greg Land drawn Emma or Psylocke.

Still, I really have no fucking clue what is gonna happen in the next two issues of this story! I hope it doesn't feel rushed. 12 chapters in, though, I can't say I feel they'll fail on the last two. What exactly IS Hope's role? Will any others die? What WILL THE END GAME BE?! AHH! I'm excited.

I just hope they wrap it up nicely. If they do, they'll have sold me on the on-going series of Uncanny X-Men again.

I think that eBay is the best option for you guys and girls looking to catch this series, by now. Not the most recent issues, but the older ones. Otherwise, buy the trade. TRUST ME.

Special mentions and props to Adi Granov, too. The man has absolutely nailed every single Second Coming tie-in cover. He's a god.

---

That's all I've got for you monkeys.

Like I said, though, stay tuned for more posts in the pipeline! Tell your friends about me, like Batman said. Tell them to tell their friends, and their friends' friends!

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Reviews: Thursday's Comics (17/6/2010).

2010-06-17T17:26:00.002+01:00

Tonight's forecast: A FREEZE is coming!

My interview with Kieron Gillen DID happen. Why isn't it here? BECAUSE SKYPE DIDN'T RECORD IT.

Joyous.

I am fairly busy so I'll get RIGHT onto this week's comics!

Deadpool #24.

This would have been barely tolerable as it is, but following the exceptional first issue of Deadpool: Wade Wilson's War, this is just about as intolerable as you can get.

It took a capable Deadpool writer to show Way for what he really is (On Deadpool); garbage.

New Mutants #98.

You all know where we're at by now, and you all know where I stand on Second Coming.

As we draw ever closer to its conclusion, the story shows absolute signs that it will end on a breathtaking note.

Zeb Wells nails yet another issue of New Mutants and further details the exploits of X-Force infiltrating Bastion's future headquarters. Hope decides that now is the time for her to stand up and defend the people defending her, whether she's a messiah or not.

Meanwhile, the X-Men are getting over-run by the Nimrod Sentinels. Beast leaves the sickbay to go fight, but a desperate Magneto rises from his bed and tells Hank he'll take care of the enemies.

All in all, it's a pretty terrific episode. Not much happens by means of development, but by now you all know what the plot is and I guess all that's left, really, is to nail the end.

I'm superbly excited to see how this ends.

The New Avengers #1.

I still don't get why they re-launched The New Avengers. It's still Bendis, Immonen and the same (With a few roster changes) characters.

I figured it was for The Heroic Age, but Thunderbolts didn't get re-numbered. Oh well.

This issue starts off decently, but it feels a little slow. It feels a little like the team and the members establishing their purpose are out of place. Well, more like out of purpose. With Avengers Academy, Secret Avengers AND The Avengers, I'm wondering where this roster will fit in. I'm wondering who the members will be permanently, too. I'm sick of Wolverine being on four teams. It screws up continuity, really. How is he in the future...and in New York?

It seems to revolve a lot around the mystic arts, which DOES intrigue me. Lots of Dr. Voodoo/Dr. Strange/Daimon Hellstrom badness going down. I approve. Plus, who DOESN'T love Luke and Jessica Jones-Cage? Really?

The art is gorgeous, courtesy of Immonen, and Bendis does a solid job as usual.

I had a feeling this'd be the series I'd drop, if any. I feel like this may be true. Saying that, though, I just consider it the second volume of The New Avengers. It might as well not have ended. Really, they've just given us three new Avengers titles, not four.

I'll recommend this series if it becomes worthy. As it stands, you CAN safely skip out on it.

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Sorry, again, for the lack of interview and somewhat speedy edition of Thursday's Comics, guys and girls. That and the lack of posting is due to lots going on, personally. When things settle, I should be posting with more frequent regularity outside of every Thursday.

Thanks for reading, as always.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Reviews/Blogs: Thursday's Comics (10/6/2010) & A Special Guest.

2010-06-10T22:20:00.002+01:00

I can't believe it! I'm losin' to a rug!

When writing the editions of Thursday's Comics, I now try to whittle it down to specifically what's worth reviewing. I immediately stop covering series' I feel are dire, both for myself and your convenience.

Despite doing that this week, I still have six comics to review. It's possibly the happiest I've been with a week's comics in a long time! You'll see why if you keep reading this text, stop, and move onto the next piece!

Second Coming: Hellbound #2 of 3.

This story is pretty relevant to what's going on in Second Coming, but not directly. It's not an aimless tie-in, but you can go without reading it. Personally? I am enjoying this, it's pretty good to know what's going on and really helps the scope of Second Coming.

The X-Club (As Cyke calls them) are off in Limbo trying to find Magik (Illyana Rasputin), with various manner of trapped demon after them, Gambit has turned into the Horseman known as Death...again (Just fuck off, Gambit), and N'Astirth attempts to corrupt the very innocent Pixie.

Things take a turn for the worst when Gambit totally corrupts and changes Dazzler and Northstar, seemingly about to engage Sam (Cannonball) and Anole in combat. If that wasn't enough, N'Astirth uses Pixie's grudge against Magik to convince her of something; to get out of Limbo she has to bring him Magik's soulsword. She has to kill Magik.

It seems pretty damn good that the end of this (The whole point being to get Magik back to San Francisco/Utopia in time to help The X-Men) is coinciding with the end of Second Coming. If they run together, it'll be awesome. Well, obviously Magik will come back first, but it's such an amazing story arc.

The art is decent enough, but the enjoyment comes from Chris Yost. Second Coming is being made on its writers. If one failed, they'd all fail. Speaking of which...

Uncanny X-Men #526 (Second Coming: Chapter 10).

Oh man.

Hope is pissed. The issue opens with her entirely bitching out Cyclops for sending X-Force, and Cable especially, on what's effectively a suicide mission. As she storms off, Cyke notes to Emma that her eyes were glowing...like his.

I don't like Terry Dodson's art. It's no more evident than when he draws Emma Frost, too. She's this sleek, elegant, sexual and powerful female figure...but he draws her with such ditzy facial expressions.

There's no joy on the outside of the dome either. The Avengers and The Fantastic Four have absolutely no success getting in and time is running out.

It's X-Force showing up in the Days of Future Past timeline that strikes home the most, though. It feels like The X-Men have continually battled for their present and future over their existence, and this is the one to seal it. Clad in their EXTREMELY slick black and silver outfits (Cable also, nice touch), they take out a few armed mechs and Cable gives the speech:

"Cable: Here's the plan. We kill our way from here to there. Then, we kill our way inside.
Wolverine: Let's do this."

It's epic stuff. Bastion's heavy weaponry is in the present, so it's an easier ride than expected, but X-23 realises they have to kill EVERYTHING, then return home (HA!) and do it there to prevent this from happening again.

Utopia seems to be going down and Dr. Nemesis, on scene with The Avengers et al, says that if they don't get into the dome in a few hours, mutantkind will perish.

Matt Fraction, I salute you. I salute you with both hands.

The trade sales of this story are gonna go through the fucking roof. I swear.

Probably 2010's best story arc.

S.H.I.E.L.D. #2.

The best art on any Marvel comics right now is in this book, on these pages. Dustin Weaver is phenomenal.

Leonardo Da Vinci arrives in Leonid's time and reveals to him that the Council who exposed him to S.H.I.E.L.D. are seeking an END to time, vastly contradictory to Newton's eternal life theory. This won't stand, naturally.

It IS revealed that Nathanial Richards and Howard Stark, fathers of Reed and Tony respectively, were part of S.H.I.E.L.D. during Leonid's time.

Nothing much is revealed, really. There's clearly a lot for Hickman to flesh out here, but I do think it'd benefit with being more frequently released. A lot happens in each issue without a lot specifically happening. A month or two later and you've forgotten stuff, especially if you're buying between four and eight comics a week.

Definitely one to catch-up on though, guys.

Daredevil #507.

In the run-up to Shadowland, White Tiger is ordered by the three daimyo to put The Hand's plan into action. What is their plan? Who knows? You know what Asian ninja lords are like.

I like the art, but I can't wait for De la Torre to return during Shadowland. Speaking of Shadowland, nobody knows what it is yet. What IS revealed is that The Hand caused White Tiger to give Matt the idea, and it leads into something called Snakeroot. Very clandestine stuff.

Bakuto is killed by White Tiger, along with all of his men, and made to look like seppuku. Matt is accosted by a clan of ninja sent by the daimyo and defeats them all, with this made to look like a last ditch attempt by Bakuto to prevent Matt from leading The Hand.

The critical character moment, for me, is when Daredevil (I interchange between Daredevil and Matt, sorry) investigates the brutal scene of Bakuto's murder. He knows something's up, but is convinced by White Tiger to let it go and return to New York now he has The Hand. He never would've done that, so he's clearly on a downward spiral here. As a lawyer, it's his job never to ignore the truth or evidence...but he's doing so.

A very exciting time to be a Daredevil fan, Shadowland is just around the corner and I really can't wait.

Deadpool: Wade Wilson's War #1 of 4.

Fucking yes. FUCKING...YES. What a comic. Oh man.

THIS feels like Deadpool of old. Not OLDEST, but proper, golden-era. Duane Swierczynski, I love you for this.

A hilariously witty issue that chronicles the beginning of an alternate take on Deadpool's history. He's re-telling a special ops mission from a courtroom and it's just fucking excellent. He breaks the fourth wall, he doesn't make dumb jokes and best of all?! THERE ARE NO HEAD VOICES! NONE!

Oh my god.

It's also brilliantly violent. Bullseye brutalises people on the mission Deadpool speaks of, even putting out a small fire on a desk by cutting a guy's throat and causing the guy's artery to spray blood on it.

I don't even know if I'm so starved that it seems better, but I don't think so.

Please, Marvel, give him Swiercynzki the main series. I beg you. It's only a four issue mini-series, but I'll cherish this if it's good.

My biggest question is whether or not this'll be retconned (RETroactive CONtinuity: Re-writing a character's history or editing it as appropriate for a modern story) as his history, or whether this is just another wacky lie told by Deadpool. I suppose that's such a great get-out clause for writers. They can say what they want, and then just say that Deadpool might be making it up.

Amazing.

Avengers Academy #1.

I was never into Avengers: The Initiative. It was fine in premise, but the characters were mostly existing and I didn't really identify with them or enjoy them.

Avengers Academy is what it says. An academic complex whereby certain members of a superhero faculty help to teach the elite, chosen heroes of tomorrow. Never again d the Marvel heroes and heroines want to endure Dark Reign, so they've taken it upon themselves to nurture and teach in hopes of preventing future mishaps.

On the faculty we have Tigra, Justice, Hank Pym, Quicksilver and Speedball (Formerly Penance, and Speedball before that). It's been said there are gonna be guest instructors, but the most interesting choice is Speedball. He was the leader of The New Warriors and it was their foolhardy nature that caused the Stamford Incident, and then Civil War. He leads the group on a training exercise, but is revealed to be a bit of a haunted soul when he snaps at one for making a mistake that COULD be costly.

The plot threads seem to be based around the students themselves and the teachers. The teachers are still unsure on how to teach, and what, reaching both disagreements and agreements. The group themselves are just meeting for the first time.

I do like the appearance and choices of these mostly all-new characters. They were originally kidnapped by Norman Osborn due to being promising, and experimented on horribly. He wanted to augment their powers and it left many of them traumatised, physically (Revealed in this issue).

Mettle (Ken Mack) is a guy who has been described as Colossus if he couldn't change back, except red and kind of has a skeleton head. Very much your sensitive giant of the group.

Reptil (Humberto Lopez) is an energetic yet cautious guy who can change his body parts to different kinds of dinosaur.

Veil (Maddy Berry) is the one the issue focuses on most. She can turn herself into many kinds of gasses, but it's slowly killing her. Hank Pym (Wasp, Giant Man etc) believes that if they don't fix it within five or 10 years, she'll just dissolve. No rush, but enough for her to worry. Kind of an outcasted youth, but personable and friendly.

Striker has control over electricity and appears to be the most insecurly arrogant of the group. Though he isn't mean, just flashy and over-eager.

Finesse is a polymath. She absorbs knowledge at an alarmingly accelerated rate and can learn any skill more or less instantly. Taskmaster meets Daredevil without the blindness, pretty much. She lacks more or less any social skills, though. Actually, she's Taskmaster meets Data from Star Trek. She seems to admit she knows she's attractive and doesn't appear to care for bonding, just to be better.

Hazmat (Jennifer Takeda) LOOKS the coolest, and has the most tragic story, even before her origin was explained. Her power is to be able to exude radiation, toxic waste and other such things, but here's the kicker. Due to Osborn experimenting on her, she has to wear a HAZardous MATerials suit at almost all times; her breath, saliva, skin etc are ALL toxic. She killed her dog unintentionally as a result, and her boyfriend is in the hospital.

It's like Rogue, but more dangerous. She's the student that Speedball bitches out after she gets angry during training and unleshes an unprotected radiation blast at a droid.

They're not the most original characters, but they really do seem to have their own distinct personalities. Not just from each other, but other characters.

Not only does Hazmat look the coolest, but she's SUUUCH a bitch. She's biting, sharp, confrontational and clearly doesn't mind hurting feelings. Mettle says that Finesse is hot and Hazmat says, "What do you care? Can you even feel it when someone touches you?" I don't think she necessarily tries to hurt feelings, but she just doesn't care. I predict it's a defense mechanism, but it'd be real cool if she was just a bitch. I would be too, probably. She got a hard deal. I really can't wait until they delve more into her past.

Before training with Speedball, they all murmer about how they don't think a guy who indirectly caused so much carnage should teach, and Mettle acts as the voice of reason with an amazing quote:

"Mettle: Look at us; Big Monster Guy, The Human Electric Chair, Poison Gas Girl, Assassin Chick and Chernobyl by Abercrombie & Fitch. One wrong move and any one of us could be a murderer. Don't know about you, but I'll be taking real good notes."

I thought that was brilliant. It sort of touches on that youthful element of looking at a problematic teen and smugly being glad you're not like that. Yet, all it takes is a wrong move in a bad moment and you could BE that person.

Finesse overhears Speedball and Quicksilver arguing about having to lie to the kids, that they can't know what they are. The group elects to sneak a peek at their permanent records or some sort, and Striker presents the findings to the group:

Striker: We're NOT the most powerful. We're NOT the smartest. We're the ones Osborn tortured the worst, the ones whose psych tests set off alarms, the ones who could take out a city block. We're not here cos they think we have what it takes to be the next Captain America. We're here cos they're worried we'll be the next Red Skull. They're AFRAID of us."

Finesse says that they should be and Veil's voice-over says that she should've known there was more to it, that she doesn't feel anyone'll ever like her or invest time in her without a motive.

The issue ends.

A very, VERY promising first outing for Gage and McKone, writer and artist respectively. The art is almost like Deodato meets McKelvie and as I said, Gage really does his part to characterise all of these people well.

If I have to drop one of the four new titles centred around The Avengers, it won't be this one, I'd bet.

It's a really awesome jumping on point, too. I'd say if you've never read comics, this is a cool one to get into. New characters, new start.

Class is in session. Don't skip.

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SUCH an excellent week and next week will possibly be as good.

I've no clue what's due out, but I have a SPECIAL GUEST!

On Tuesday/Wednesday, depending on when I get around to putting it up, I will be joined by none other than Kieron Gillen! That's right!

In my second vocal interview ever, Kieron Gillen of Thor and Phonogram fame will be here to discuss the medium we love so much. Make sure you tune in and download yourself a copy of it! My second Marvel writer to grace the blog and I'm very thankful for his time.

Thanks for reading, true believers.

Until next week, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Blogs/Reviews: A Massive Thank You & Thursday's Comics (3/6/2010).

2010-06-04T18:20:00.003+01:00

DON'T...YOU...DO IT!

First and foremost, I want to say a big thank you to everyone who reads this blog. I do this for myself and my love of comics, primarily. Comics have changed my life for the better since I was a child and I honestly couldn't live happily without them.

However, if I never had at least some readership, I'd have the feeling of speaking into a phone with nobody on the other end. On that note, I want to thank everyone who encourages me and helped this blog get to 70 posts! That's right! Only 30 more and I'll have hit my 100th post.

I like to think this blog is interesting, prolific and offering something worthwhile. Regardless, I'm glad I love doing it and that others seem to dig it.

With that all said, I only have two comics to review today. Next week I'll have eight. Night and day, you know?

Additionally, there's a signing at Gosh! Comics tomorrow! Come down if you're in the London area, or if you can reach it regardless. Kieron Gillen (Thor, Phonogram), Jamie McKelvie (Phonogram, Suburban Glamour) and Becky Cloonan (Demo) will be signing copies of their stuff. It's going to be sick beats.

TO THE COMICSMOBILE!

The Thanos Imperative #1 of 6.

Following on from Ignition, this is the start of Abnett/Lanning's final cosmic space opera proper.

Everything that was set up prior is furthered a bit in this issue, with The Revengers from the Cancerverse appearing to presumably wreck havoc sooner or later, and Lord Mar-Vell expressing his desire to sacrifice the Marvel Universe's avatar of death, Thanos. As a result of this sacrifice, the Cancerverse can spread through yet another universe, void of death. You see, the Cancerverse is a place where life has won. Like an overgrowing garden than is so ripe, eventually consuming all. Quite terrifyingly designed, I might add.

Many, MANY grotesque and horrifying creatures burst through the Fault and begin causing mayhem for those trying to defend themselves. Both the Shi'ar and the Kree are sustaining quite the pounding, all while the Guardians of the Galaxy are trying to stop Thanos killing Star-Lord.

It's pretty well set-up, and it's probably not going to be the most predictable series, but I hope it does the cosmic side of Marvel justice. Abnett/Lanning have done such an amazing job with these stories, it'd be a shame to see it flop. The art is nice enough; not amazing, not poor. Fairly standard, really. Though, with me, I know whose art I like/love and then I can pick out the styles of other artists. Mostly, they all just blend to me.

One pretty cool moment came when there was this gigantic explosion during the Shi'ar's battle with the Cancerversians (I shall call them this). From a distance we see none other than The Silver Surfer observing them. It was one shot, one panel, but it was EPIC. I'm so glad he's back.

The Guardians essentially agree with Thanos, finally out of his feral state, when he suggests that he be given to the Cancerverse. Heading off into the dark, grim world that threatens to greet every living being with its end, Thanos and the Guardians find themselves in deep trouble. No sooner have they arrived when Thanos collapses due to the sheer amount of lifeforce surrounding him. A bad time, too, because the Guardians are being confronted with the Cancerverse's version of The Defenders.

Just so you know how bad it is, this means they have to fight Cancerverse versions of The Hulk, Namor, Dr. Strange and Surfer. I didn't notice a counterpart for Surfer, but still. I have to give props to Hulk's art here; SO terrifying. He has a pentagram carved in his chest, glowing red eyes and Baphomet-esque horns. Really, this is what sold me on the next issue. If there's one thing I love, it's seeing how people will get out of apparantly impossible situations.

It seems to be a pretty easy jump-on point too, if you do a bit of research. I recommend it!

The Avengers: Prime #1 of 5.

I have plenty of time for Alan Davis. His art is gorgeous and has a delightfully classic feel to it, as evidenced by that cover.

This mini-series is set before The Avengers #1 that was recently release, but immediately after Siege, detailing how The Trinity (Dubbed by fans) came back together.

One thing I was looking forward to, and indeed so were many, was seeing how the tensions between the three ended up being resolved. Stark and Thor, in my opinion, had a light years-wide chasm between them after Civil War. Plus, we all know what happened between Stark and Steve Rogers around that time (See: Civil War). I was MIGHTILY pleased to see that the first thing occuring was an argument.

SO pleased.

Iron Man basically tells Thor and Captain Rogers that he won't be much help in an armour so old, but tells them that they should see his new stuff. Rogers quickly interrupts and says, more or less, "Hahaha, yeah. Erm...you caused most of this shit and therefore don't assume I'm gonna consider you responsible enough to wear armour anymore." It's epic. It causes a gigantic argument between the two, which leads into a TERRIFIC piece of poignent diaogue (Bendis nails it). Rogers says that he'll discuss Stark's status as Iron Man at a more appropriate time.

"Iron Man: Let me tell you something that I can promise is true. There will NEVER be an appropriate time to tell me than I can't have what's rightfully mine!
Captain Rogers: Well, looks who's for civil rights all of a sudden..."

It's such a brilliantly included piece because so many people had sort of felt like Stark had got away with facing the music. Although he IS allowed to remain as Iron Man, this conversation, and presumably the series, really does make me feel satisfied. Regardless, they both agree to help Thor in whatever way they can.

The Rainbow Bridge, the link between realms that is guarded by the injured Heimdall, has been significantly damaged; Thor's primary concern is fixing this.

Before anything can be done, a blast of multi-coloured light erupts and sends the three into different parts of the nine realms. Thor ends up in Vanaheim, confronted by Enchantress, where as Iron Man and Rogers end up in undisclosed realms respectively.

I really cannot wait to see how this unfolds. The art is gorgeous, the writing and concept is utterly necessary; get it. Get it especially if you are someone who wanted to know what is necessary to catch up on Siege. Well, not now, of course. Purchase it after you've caught up!

Such a promising series. Really.

---

I'm still considering what I can do reviews on or talk about in between Thursday's Comics. It's difficult to decide as there's so much I'd love to review. I may do a review of the second Phonogram book, because it's more special than a get together at the Palin household (I went there, suck it).

Any other suggestions?

Anyway, that's about all you'll get from me today. I'll catch you sometime next week!

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Blogs: Shipping Delays & Two Thirds of the Trio.

2010-06-03T12:51:00.002+01:00

Spock! Sabotage the system...

Greetings, true believers! The Mast is here and I am winning you back, like Bart Simpson.

Thursday's Comics are delayed until tomorrow due to slow shipping, BUT...I have some potentially exciting news!

With the upcoming Thor and Captain America movies being very anticipated, especially due to the success of Iron Man/Iron Man 2, people are wondering what the characters will look like. Now, we've already seen a from-above shot of Thor (I posted it to this blog) and he looks pretty dang good. What of Captain America?

I am always skeptical when it comes to rumours, so here are some ALLEGED shots of Captain America's design, as well as a new Thor shot.

The Thor one looks decidedly more real, so I'll discuss that first. If this is the movie costume, I am pleased. I wish the outfit was black instead of the armour being a black/blue colour, and I don't particularly dig the trousers on him. I would have liked a style more alike to the top half, J. Michael Straczynski style (As in the silvery material on his arms and black boots).

Regardless, I think he looks pretty awesome. I'm hoping they give him some kind of helmet, because to give him everything else and not a helmet would suck, but I'm generally fine with the way he looks. Bearing in mind, that is a heavily photoshopped picture against a white background, it's not doing justice.

As for Cap...well. If that IS the official outfit, despite having to see Chris Evans in it to be able to judge, I'm madly into it. It may be one of my fav comic-to-movie costume adaptations. Bearing in mind that's just his first uniform, it's pretty fitting for a World War 2 movie. I did kind of hope they'd give him the helmet instead of a full mask, but it looks good. They kept the A on his head, but I'm wondering if they'll ditch the wings for his modern suit. I wouldn't mind if they did, so long as they keep the A.

What do you think? Let me know! Don't forget to tune in for Thursday's comics tomorrow, too.

Until then, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Blogs: Who Likes Winning Stuff? YOU?!

2010-05-31T13:02:00.000+01:00

Bam!

This is just a quick post that I thought would be cool.

If any of you Americans use iTunes and have an iTunes store account, you can win a free downloadable episode of Iron Man: Extremis, the motion comic. I've read the graphic novel of Extremis and it's a brilliant story. It's by Warren Ellis and has art throughout by Adi Granov, and we all know how much I love him.

Does this interest you?

WELL IF IT DOES...ANSWER THIS QUESTION:

Who was Norman Osborn's assistant/second-in-command during Dark Reign?

The first two correct answers will win. I have two codes, and that's it. Answers in a comment!

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Reviews: Thursday's Comics (27/5/2010).

2010-05-27T17:58:00.003+01:00

You fuckers.

Welcome to this place, it's called Welcome to the Mast. I am The Mast...or ARE I?

Today's edition of Thursday's Comics contains a LONG AWAITED comic and does it disappoint? Find out next! Over to you, The Mast!

Thanks.

Thor #610.

This issue is very much a stop gap between Siege and Thor's next story.

After the fall of Asgard, Ragnarok (Clone of Thor) had been crushed under the rubble and the rest of the Asgardians are left to ponder what could have been done to avoid such a tragedy.

Balder invites Thor to becoming King, he denies, but offers to be Balder's advisor. When The Warriors Three unearth someone they THINK is Thor, it turns out to be Ragnarok and they end up severely wounded. Thor kills Ragnarok and all is right with Asgard again.

It's very much a loose-end issue, but the cover is pretty badass. I may even consider getting Kieron Gillen to sign it when he comes to Gosh! Comics.

The next issue, it seems, is written by Matt Fraction with #612 written by Gillen again. I'm not sure when Fraction's run starts, but based on his minis (I FINALLY read them), I'm happy it's him. Do I want Gillen to leave Thor? No.

Stay. Stay Kieron. Stay and write us an epic thunder god for many more times to come.

The Thanos Imperative: Ignition #1.

The Master of Madness, The Titan of Terror, The...Mad Titan!

It's Thanos. He's back, and what a role to play. Leading on from Realm of Kings, the word is out on the Fault and its dangerous inhabitants.

Nova is chasing down the evil Quasar and the real Quasar aids him. Upon chasing him down to The U.C.T.'s H.Q., they discover Adam Magus. The dark alter-ego of Adam Warlock has lead The Universal Church of Truth to the edge of The Fault. In a massive intended explosion of all The Church's worlds, The Fault rips open completely.

It's revealed that the Cancerverse (The universe inside the Fault where nothing dies) is being lead by none other than that universe's version of the long-gone Captain Mar-Vell. He sends for The Revengers (I'm guessing this is the Cancerverse's alternative to The Avengers) and the issue ends.

Throughout, it's shown that the Guardians of the Galaxy have kept the awakened/resurrected Thanos captive on Knowhere. Still in a very feral state, some wish to kill him, some want to use him against the Fault's creatures.

Ignition is the set up to the event entitled The Thanos Imperative. I'm not entirely sure what this is going to entail, but I know the big guns are coming out. The Silver Surfer AND Thanos are involved, so that's how big it is.

The first issue launches next week, so we'll see.

I really dig Dan Abnett's cosmic writing, I've said that so many times. I didn't REALLY dig Realm of Kings, but I kind of hope this is good.

X-Force #27 (Second Coming: Chapter 9).

Remember when I said I didn't get how The Avengers and such could be there to help if the dome had sealed everyone in? Turns out Cyclops, a few others AND The Avengers are outside the dome, trying to find a way in.

I took a bit of a wild guess as to where exactly the portal inside the dome lead to, the one birthing all the Nimrod Sentinels. Turns out I was right. The portal that Bastion created in the dome happens to lead to the Days of Future Past timeline. For those of you who don't know what that is, click here.

An incredible story, it's the timeline where Sentinels rule North America and all surviving mutants are hunted or put into concentration camps.

Nimrod, the advanced hunter-Sentinel from that timeline, was a big deal in this time. With Nimrod eventually going on to be merged with Master Mold, becoming Bastion, it's actually quite poetic.

A huge battle ensues at the portal opening. It's wordless art for the first few pages of this issue and, courtesy of Mr. Choi, it really doesn't disappoint.

After a crunch meeting and with several X-Members in a terrible state (Hellion, for example, has a both hands and part of a forearm missing from the battle). Cyclops gives a pretty foreboding pep talk. With a calculated 170,000 Nimrods coming through that portal, they only have one option: to send X-Force into that timeline and destroy Bastion's production of Sentinels. As common with ALL Second Coming stories, this one really does pile on the epic sense of impending doom.

For example, when it's revealed that X-Force can't actually come back due to Cable only having enough power left for one more time jump, it truly feels shocking. Even though you know Wolverine and Co. will return, it's still a magnificently poised scene.

The most genuinely killer scene is at the end. You see the look of undeniable fear on the faces of those X-Men left in the dome, facing the portal, as Colossus says, "We need to not be here." As the issue finishes, the last panel depicts an ungodly amount of Nimrod Sentinels passing through, ready to end mutantkind for good.

Look, I'm not gonna say it again. Read this story-arc.

If you do not buy these issues now, I am going to ram advertising for the trade paperback down everyone's throat until someone purchases it.

Of all the series' I never expected to be a brilliant read, it had to be the franchise I couldn't stand for many years. The one franchise I'd always been let down by, The X-Men, has finally delivered.

Secret Avengers #1.

If I've been awaiting one series, it's this. The writer of my all time favourite Daredevil run outside of Frank Miller, Ed Brubaker...and Mike Deodato, one of my favourite artists right now.

Secret Avengers sees Captain Steve Rogers reveal his post-Siege, post-Captain America role in the world of Marvel. The book opens with his voice-over telling us that he's afraid of the threats in today's world that people DON'T know about, the ones that you can't see until it's too late.

Let me start by saying the art on this issue is fucking gorgeous. I'm so glad Deodato didn't just stop doing a series I loved after Dark Avengers.

A balding, fat male is being accompanied to his private quarters by two very voluptuous female escorts. After revealing he works for Roxxon you just know he's in for some violence. You'd be right! His hands make themselves a bit busier than one of the escorts would like and she decks him. Who are they? None other than Black Widow and Valkyrie of course! After calling for extraction, they fight off the guy's guards and locate the case they came for. Close to being overwhelmed, Captain Rogers just barrels through the window and just starts taking everyone out.

It's actually too heroic. Even without the outfit and the shield, the dude does the business. It's a terribly exciting and well drawn scene, seriously.

The rest of the issue is a well plotted explanation of how this team came to be, and why. It borrows from the Thunderbolts theme of having some less than savoury characters that are out for redemption (Moon Knight, Eric O'Grady/Ant Man) and The Avengers theme of having out and out heroes (Everyone else: Nova, Valkyrie, War Machine, Beast etc).

Nova is in space, but lost contact with the rest of the team and so they go off to rescue him. You see, the team are after these special artifacts for some unexplained reason. One is apparantly on Mars, one is in the possession of the Secret Avengers. Nova lost radio contact while retrieving one piece, hence the rescue. The other was in the bald man's case.

Anyway, the real big, HUUUGE reveal comes when the team take off for space. Sharon Carter is left to hold down the forte and finds herself knocked unconscious. Who by? Nick Fury! Nick Fury's new outfit claim rights to these artifacts and nobody knows why.

What I do know is that this shit is epic and I'm in.

Get in, guys.

---

Thanks for reading this edition of Thursday's Comics. I appreciate all readers AND comments (Of which there have been lots of lately! My threats worked!, so really, thanks.

According to some kind of irrelevant British working vacation day, Thursday's Comics will be delayed next week. I don't actually know when they'll be available, but as soon as they are, you bet your kids and house that I'll review them!

I'm sure I'll get another review up between now and then. What do YOU guys want to hear more about? What characters, series or graphic novel are you interested in?

We shall see!

Also, due to my internet being fucking ridiculous lately thanks to line faults, I may not be as quick with the updates. Bear with me.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Blogs: A Siege/The Heroic Age Catch-Up Post.

2010-05-22T19:42:00.002+01:00

It's The Mast, and he's winning us back!

Due to a fairly hefty amount of requests, I bring you this post. I bring it to your very faces, so now you can all shut up and read comics!

Joking, I like most of you.

So, what's this post about?

Some of you want to read Siege and I have even had comments asking whether or not all seven years worth of material leading up to it is necessary. As I told my associate, Mouse, Siege is a pay-off event. Unless you are invested in what lead to it, it won't have impact. I like the impact it had. Thus, this post.

First of all, let's examine the claim of Siege being seven years in the making. Is it true? Not strickly speaking. If you consider the series that started it all, then no. The first part in all of the build up was The Avengers: Disassembled, and that came out in August of 2004. So, it's five years and a bit. Still, that's a long time.

Where to begin? HERE'S WHERE! *Grabs crotch*

I kid, but seriously...

The Avengers: Disassembled.

This is where it all started. The event that, as the titled suggests, tragically disassembled Earth's mightiest heroes and set Wanda Maximoff, Scarlet Witch, on a downward spiral.

A controversial storyline to this day, based on the decisions Bendis made. A storyline that I wouldn't say ranks up there with the best, but it's definitely more capable of being appreciated now.

This is your first stop.

House of M.

Not ENTIRELY necessary, but very much considered a follow-up of The Avengers: Disassembled.

I'd say this is more essential to appreciating Second Coming than Siege or what have you, but if you want to see how Scarlet Witch developed from House of M and what caused everything after for The X-Men, then check this out. It's connected to The Avengers: Disassembled, but then goes off in a different direction.

Civil War.

This is the next big storyline.

After The Avengers endured the events of The Avengers: Disassembled, the long-running tension between the members and associates was insanely tender. The interesting aspect about Civil War is that the event which ignited it all, namely The New Warriors' indirectly causing 500 people to get killed, actually came close to bringing The Avengers back together.

The following events and differences caused rifts that haven't been mended until...well, now. Nothing was really the same after this, and it birthed an incredibly tentative period in Marvel history.

An essential piece of the puzzle.

Secret Invasion.

Carrying on from the paranoia that surrounded the Marvel Universe after Civil War, Secret Invasion ramps it up to a whole other level.

Essentially, this is Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Marvel. The Skrulls, a shape-shifting race of aliens, have been monitoring the Earth for decades. Finally, they attempt an invasion by replicating certain Earth heroes and villains. Who? Find out by reading!

Not entirely original, but regardless, the way it's laid out is quite intriguing and it's a pretty nail-biting story. Everyone is on edge, suspicious and looking over their own shoulder. Rather than unifying the Marvel Universe, it ends in tragedy and shock.

The final piece of the puzzle before leading into the next part.

I should take this opportunity to inform you that the first REAL part of Dark Reign occurs in this one-shot:

Secret Invasion: Dark Reign.

It's pretty essentially. I wouldn't bet on getting it anywhere besides eBay, though it should be cheap. However, it's been compiled with a bunch of other stuff in the Dark Reign: Accept Change trade paperback, which is available from all good webstores and such. Definitely get that. It takes place IMMEDIATELY after Secret Invasion.

Now, Dark Reign is a status quo change as a result of how Secret Invasion ends. A long time ago I posted a Dark Reign retrospective, which I will provide the link for. Now, I would HONESTLY recommend you don't read it yet. Read the above trade paperback's first and then read my Dark Reign post.

Why? Because it essentially spoils Civil War and Secret Invasion.

I would advise reading my Dark Reign retrospective over the actual material if you're looking to just get into Siege. I say this because lots of important things happen over a number of different series' and one-shots. Once you've read the stories I've told you to read, check this post out:

The Mast's Dark Reign Retrospective.

Alternatively, for a more extensive Dark Reign low-down:

The Marvel Database's Dark Reign Page.

It actually gets cut short, but I can fill in the gaps. Regardless, you should be able to get all the info you need in the post I linked to. Regarding the Dark Reign material, if you do want to know everything that happened and where you CAN get the reading material, just ask me in a comment and I will provide you with a list of trades that involve Dark Reign's touch on various series'. Just get there, first. If things aren't making sense, then I'm always available.

Naturally, there are compilation tie-ins for Secret Invasion and Dark Reign (Secret Invasion: Thor, Secret Invasion: Spider-Man, Dark Reign: Elektra etc), but you CAN safely avoid those without losing much, I'd say. Just go by the assumption that, unless I specifically tell you to get it, it's not madly necessary. If you WANT to investigate further, I can help you.

Really, though, I can't stress enough that a lot of this paying off relies on investment in the stories and characters. If you just read it online, you won't feel a thing, quite likely. The trades are NOT expensive! Get them from a store, or if you want them even cheaper, your respective country's Amazon site (Use Amazon Marketplace, it's usually cheaper). Book stores typically carry trade paperbacks now, too. Still, there is enough info in my Dark Reign post AND The Marvel Database to get you up to plot speed. I just don't think it's the best idea.

After you're up to speed on everything, you can dive into Siege. The first trade, containing all Siege build-up issues, is already out.

Siege: Prelude.

Hopefully, by the time you reach this point, these stories will have made a comic fan out of you! Siege, as a trade paperback, will be out not long from now. The Heroic Age is in fledgling stages, so get on it!

---

I really got inspired to go back and read all of these stories while writing this, so thanks to all the people who have requested the info, Mouse especially.

Let me know if this helps or if you actually found it useful! If you read the stories, let me know what you think! Swing me a comment!

Thanks so much for reading.

Until next time, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Reviews: Thursday's Comics (20/5/2010).

2010-05-20T21:15:00.001+01:00

Now, I will kill you until you die from it!

What's happening? Yeah, cool.

I'm back, back with another skin-peelingly awesome edition of Thursday's Comics. The awesomeness in this week's edition will leave you more sore than if you took a hot bath with fresh surgery scars.

Although it's been coming for a while, and it SORT of started with the end of Siege, I'd say The Heroic Age actually kicks off now. Did it get off to a good start? You bet your life on it.

Haunt #7.

After...I don't even KNOW how many months of waiting, finally, we get Haunt #7. If you've never read a review of Haunt before and wish to get familiar, go read mine. They're great stuff.

#5 was essentially the end of the first arc, #6 was the first arc told from Mirage's point of view and now we progress. With Greg Capullo taking over as the main artist, a new story arc begins. To kick off, Capullo's art is really nice in this book. I think it bears a nice resemblance to the prior art, so it's not too much of a jarring difference, but it's also Capullo's. Clearly. I do want to see how he handles the more brutal scenes, but from the ones we got in this...he's gonna make me happy.

So, where were we?

Daniel is now part of The Agency, combining with his dead brother's (Kurt) ghost to become Haunt. This issue re-establishes the intentions of the characters now that we're heading into the next arc.

Mr. Kurg has Dr. Shillinger's notebook and has his scientists analysing it to great success. They experiment on all manner of animal, leaving them deformed and horrifying, while informing Kurg that they'll be ready for human testing soon. What are they working on? What was Shillinger working on? It's not clear, but purposefully so.

During the issue, Daniel goes to visit one of his old fuck buddies from his days in priesthood. Well, she's a prostitute essentially. He wants to spend time with her because he says that, outside of the monetarily reimbursed sex, he felt they had a connection. It's a bit out of the blue, but I can handle it. She's interrupted by her pimp, he hurls her to the ground and tells Daniel to leave. When Daniel asks her if she wants him to, she says no and he proceeds to burst through the door.

The next scene is genuinely quite wicked. Upon discovering he has burst in on four pimps with guns, he quickly transforms into Haunt. Dispatching the four pimps by detaching body parts from other body parts, leaving them bloodied and quivering on the floor, he frees Crystal (I think that's her name).

Daniel, along with Kurt's ghost as always, goes to visit Amanda. He tells her who Kurt was, really. She is stunned to hear of his secret job, especially since Daniel reveals the secret armoury in their pantry. Yet, this is eased by the fact that she receives a hefty sum of mega-life insurance. Kurt's pretty cut up about everything that happened to Amanda, but Daniel consoles him and the two have a long convo about their pasts.

I'm liking how Kirkman portrays these two. They will obviously form a totally successful union eventually, but right now, they still seem to be unsettled with each other's actions. It really gives a twist to the heavily dependent situation they're in.

When the issue ends, Kurg is at the bed-side of long out of action villain, Cobra. You may remember him trying to attack Haunt and getting his face caved in for his troubles. As they remove Cobra's bandages, the surrounding people try to stomach their disgust. Capullo really does make the dude look repellant. He has skin grafts all over his face, scars on his head and what appears to be a cleft-lip.

I mean, you have to see this picture to believe it.

Admittedly I did think they'd have revealed a little more by now about who they're dealing with, why etc. It's a slow-burning series that COULD damage itself without a decent pay-off. However, I think that it's a very nice series and I always have. The art is delicious and Kirkman is one of the best writers going. It's only the second arc, so I expect this one to start getting heavy.

If you want to get into Haunt, the first trade paperback is out now, and it collects issues #1 to #5. It's on Amazon and such, but your local comic book store should have it. Pick it up!

Deadpool #23.

Considering Deadpool #22 was honestly one of the worst issues in Daniel Way's THEN 22 issue run, I had no real hopes that this one would be better. Thankfully, it's not a continuing arc. It seems like the dire events of Deadpool #22 were not to be continued, but more on that later.

Deadpool #23 centres around our favourite merc continually trying to become a hero. As the word gets around that Osborn is down and everything's getting back to normal, the news covers a celebration party happening at a casino. One of the participants praises various heroes, but makes the mistake of dissing Deadpool.

Slightly perturbed, Deadpool makes his way down there to have some not-so-polite words with the guy. Almost intimidating the guy to death, Deadpool is satisfied with his night's work and goes to win some money. The owner, not fond of being punked out, sends someone after Deadpool. The hulking, mechanoid suit that Deadpool ends up combating seemed like a throwaway hero at first. Calling itself The House, he roughs Deadpool up a bit, seemingly aware of who he is, addressing him as Wade.

Confused, Deadpool asks if he knows him. It's revealed that The House is none other than Weasel! This admittedly shocked me, because Weasel is Deadpool's LOOONG term secondary character/best friend/abuse cushion. It's nice to see him being brought back.

They stop fighting and Weasel explains everything. He tells Deadpool to take off, to leave HIM to protect the city now. Deadpool doesn't like this idea and tells him he has a deal for him that he may like.

I'll take this opportunity to say that, yes, I do still love Barberi's Deadpool. I love how robust he makes him seem. Very nice, almost Udon-esque art.

The next time we see Deadpool and Weasel, they're fighting off an attack by Grizzly in their mechanoid suits (Deadpool's being red and black of course), having formed some kind of protection racket. Weasel addresses him as his sidekick, calling him The Wildcard, and I thought that was kinda cool...but Deadpool didn't.

Deadpool flies Grizzly into the air and reveals himself. Shocked at who's inside, Deadpool tells Grizzly to stop fighting because he has an offer for him. One he may like.

Now, Daniel Way did a lot right with this issue. It felt so much closer to the Deadpool I love than so much of his other stuff. It's STILL not entirely working for me, though.

I'm so tired of Deadpool's on-going series essentially containing one-and-done stories, or story arcs that have no damn substance. I guess what's critically missing is the fact that Deadpool is being written totally different nowadays; no pop culture references, hardly any violence, hardly any mission-based stories, no fourth wall breaking.

Even accepting all those, I wish the stories were better. Props to him introducing Weasel and giving Deadpool a SLIGHT mean streak again, but there's a lot of work to be done. I really, really hope he goes somewhere with this.

I don't want Deadpool to end up cancelled, because there are many who could write him well. At this point, though, I'm considering conceding that no Deadpool would be better than any we're getting.

X-Men Legacy #236 (Second Coming: Chapter 8).

Bastion's endgame becomes dangerously apparant. Shit gets real.

Trapped on Utopia, preparing for an invasion that has all intent of wiping out the entire mutant race, the X-Men have a job on their hands.

Bastion has imprisoned...not just Utopia, but the entire Bay Area in what looks like an impenetrable dome. Why? So they can't escape, but there must be more! Upon ordering Namor to check if they can dive under the ocean and swim out, he delivers the bad news. It's not a dome, it's a sphere. Bastion has psionically sealed them in a gigantic, inescapable sphere that has cut off anything outside of it.

Hope feels extreme guilt over what she is causing, but Cable tells her that his responsibility is to take care of her wellbeing. With one more time jump left, Cable offers to take her back to the future and let her see how this battle turns out. She declines, offering to give her aid in whatever way she can.

Cyclops and other X-Men, having failed to destroy the dome, go off to explore and hopefully find some explanation for it. Might I just add that I love how Greg Land draws Psylocke? I'm just saying.

The Avengers show up to help crack the dome. I'm not entirely sure how, but I'm gonna guess they were already in it. Thor has no success at first, with a single blow of Mjolnir, but prepares to put a lot more power into his second attempt. Meanwhile, on the Golden Gate bridge, there appears to be a portal. Beast, in radio contact with Cyclops, says that it's the source of the sphere...but it isn't radiating energy.

I love how tense this series is! I know I keep saying that, but it's so true. Every writer is upping their game on this. Mike Carey puts across such an intense feeling of impending danger and claustrophobia, it's all very cat-and-mouse. The scene where Bastion muses, almost sadly, over the fact that he'll be purposeless when mutants are gone, is brilliant.

Upon approaching the portal, a terrifying enemy is revealed. For any person who knows their X-Men history, this was a pretty big deal.

None other than a group of Nimrod Sentinels come through the portal and reveal their purpose is to kill and exterminate. Now...I often find my imagination to be dangerous.

Too many fans imagine where a story should or could go, and then blame the writers for it not being correct. I will try not to do the same, but if they're going where I think...then Second Coming is going to turn up the epic nature of itself tenfold. We'll see next week, I guess.

Seriously, I will keep telling you to get into this until you all tell me you have. Don't miss this, I swear. It's half way done, or so, but you NEED to pick the issues up. The trade paperback won't have the suspenseful feel that the issues do (Though it's an amazing story).

GET ON THE BOAT.

The Avengers #1.

Volume 4 of The Avengers. The reunion of a team that was split up seven years ago.

While the roster situation is still not entirely resolved, I feel, this issue was very...very good. At first I wasn't sure if I'd dig on John Romita Jr's artwork, but I really like it. It works well. I do think a few of the parts are off, and his facial structure leaves something to be desired sometimes, but it's generally real cool.

The issue opens with a fairly cryptic scene. In the pouring rain, Immortus has apparantly met defeat at the hands of The Next Avengers, an incarnation of The Avengers that, until now, was only in an animated movie.

Next scene takes us to Soldier Field, Chicago. Remember? Where Volstagg unintentionally destroyed the place, thus giving Osborn his reason to invade Asgard? Everyone is lending a helping hand to repair it, including Wonder Man. After being asked to return to The Avengers, Wonder Man (Simon Williams, for future ref. I may call him Simon) is not best pleased. He freaks out and blames The Avengers for everything that has gone wrong over the past seven or eight years. He tells Steve to reconsider his stance in reforming the team, then under his breath, suggests that HE will force him to change his mind if he can't do it alone.

Captain Rogers gathers the team to explain what their purpose is, why they're together and what to expect. His dialogue with Iron Man is especially good, given the things they've been through. There's a part where Stark asks who's gonna lead the team (He's initially reluctant), and Steve says he picked the best person for the job. Stark asks if this is him and Steve just laughs. It's a brilliant little couple of lines that essentially promotes Steve's position as being, "You're my friend, we're cool, but don't push it."

Bendis said that The Heroic Age is what happens if Steve Rogers is in control. We've seen the world according to Nick Fury, Tony Stark AND Norman Osborn. All of those people are contentious among the Marvel Universe. Steve isn't. Nobody says anything bad about Steve, and that dialogue really showed that he's taking his job seriously. That the same mistakes won't be made again.

The team over-seer is none other than Maria Hill! Steve said they are to report to her. I guess she's not leading the team, but they're now a team with higher authority. Not just a team with a leader who have nobody to answer to. Genius, really.

I must admit, I'm a little confused about how Iron Man will fit into all this, continuity wise. I mean, how can he be in THIS series and his own series? They can't take place at the same time.

Anyway, the group is interrupted by the arrival of Kang the Conquerer. No sooner after Kang shows up is he smacked by Thor and blown across the room, out of the building and onto the roof of an adjacent one. Thor is clearly not in the mood for Kang's shit.

Kang tells them that their children, The Next Avengers, have ruined the future timeline. Unless the current heroes stop them, the world will cease to exist. Kang's method of pursuasion here is a doomsday device. One invented by Stark, but not created due to it's dangerous nature. If they don't do what he says, and the kids succeed, he'll return to this time and use it.

What's also cool is that Captain America doesn't know who Kang is. Remember, Bucky is Cap now. He hasn't had the pleasure of being in The Avengers for longer than a day and dealing with Kang. This is evident also when he introduces himself to Thor properly, and Thor just replies, "I'm sorry, I have NO idea who you are." I'm very intrigued to see how those two get along, because Thor and Steve are VERY close.

Regardless, they need to get to the future, fast. Wolverine says he knows just who to call (He was just on Utopia, so again, I find the continuity a little odd).

The issue ends on a spectacular cliffhanger. Kang returns to the aforementioned timeline and is spoken to by an unseen master, with Kang telling him that everything is going to plan.

It's revealed that the Future Imperfect incarnation of The Hulk, known as The Maestro, is responsible. The Maestro, folks, is The Hulk on steroids...if such a thing were possible. Ridiculously and abnormally smart with it. I'm very much looking forward to how it all pans out.

All in all, this is a fairly exciting issue that doesn't disappoint. I'd definitely recommend it to people. Anyone, really. Knowing Bendis and his ability to carry books for a LONG while, I'd suggest grabbing an issue #1 now.

Tremendous stuff, I really do like it. Heavy recommendation.

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So, I've got a pretty chunkadelic post coming on Saturday. Tune in on Saturday for my huge catch-up post. For those of you who want to join in on The Heroic Age, or want to read Siege, this coming post will give you EVERYTHING you need to get up to speed, one way or another.

I will be telling you what story arcs you need to read, and where to go from there.

Don't miss it. For now, though, thanks for reading!

Until then, peace.

-The Mast

The Mast Looks Back: Vol. 8 (The New Mutants #98).

2010-05-18T18:13:00.001+01:00

I tell ya, I will love it if we beat them.

There are a few pretty interesting posts I have in the pipeline, but I wanted to get this one done for multiple reasons. I enjoy doing The Mast Looks Back, it gives me a sense of enjoyment and hopefully exposes people to comic/character history a bit more.

The New Mutants #98.

Now, why this issue?

I liked The New Mutants, it was a pretty decent alternative series to mainstream team books. Some of the characters were uniquely enjoyable (Sunspot for one) and it had some decent storylines. Its first volume was cancelled at issue #100 to make way for X-Force #1. So why did I choose to review this issue?

The New Mutants #98 contains the debut and first appearance of my joint favourite character ever, Deadpool.

Long story short, Deadpool is sent to assassinate Cable and gives The New Mutants way more of a fight than they ever suspected. The corrosive and sarcastic wit that Deadpool came to be known and loved for is all here, during the fights no less! One of the first things he says, to Cable, is that Cable shouldn't take it personally when he kills him.

Typical Deadpool.

It's a great first appearance and it was the acclaim he was met with that kickstarted the popularity of anti-heroes.

Around this time, generally everyone who was a bad-ass had to speak like a bad-ass, you know? Everyone had to have impressively cool one-liners and such, but Deadpool just appears and starts mocking people during his fights. Combined with breaking the fourth wall, he really stamped a unique feel to the books he appeared in, and it wasn't long until he got his own mini series, The Circle Chase.

I think that it's sad how Deadpool is now, compared to most of his existence.

Part of me is glad that his damaging levels of popularity have caused his older stories to be compiled in trade paperback. If you're curious as to what Deadpool is really like, pick up the first three volumes of Deadpool: Classic.

I believe the first volume contains The New Mutants #98. I'd imagine so, anyway, considering the cover contains Deadpool's pose from the front cover of that issue.

When buying first appearances, there's always a chance of increasing value. The New Mutants #98 is not an especially hard issue to find on eBay, but it seems to be increasing in worth.

Some people get lucky, but the general price of these issues seems to be anywhere from £25 to £115. If you can get one for relatively cheap, in comparison, I'd recommend doing so if you want to get into Deadpool. It's a POSSIBLE investment, but I wouldn't bank on it being worth thousands. It won't be.

So, you can get it. It's not an arduous task, even for non-comic fans. Just be prepared to pay a bit more than you might otherwise.

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Lots of people have asked me what the big difference is between Deadpool then and Deadpool now. You can read a more in-depth post if you track down the post entitled The Mast Blogs: Deadpool & Me, but I wanted to let people know about this first appearance.

I have a pretty big post coming up soon in which I will detail all the reading you will need to do if you wish to get into Siege. Multiple people have requested read orders for Second Coming, which you can find in the post below this one, but I've also received multiple requests for info on how to get into Siege.

So, keep your eyes peeled for my big catch-up post on that. That's about all I've got for you today!

Until Thursday, peace.

-The Mast