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

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?

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?

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?

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?

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.

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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?

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).

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.

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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