Greetings from Battleworld: Secret Wars Week 18

Three Secret Wars mini-series wrap up this week. Dan Grote looks at the end of Mrs. Deadpool and the Howling Commandos and Red Skull, while I say farewell to Marville in Giant-Size Little Marvels: AvX.

Mrs. Deadpool and the Howling Commandos #4 (of 4)

Story: Gerry Duggan

Art: Salva Espin and Val Staples

Well, that took a turn.

Mrs. Deadpool and the Howling Commandos wraps as a Shakespearean tragedy of Hamlet-ish proportions, but with monsters. And a ghost, because there’s always a bloody ghost.

In the end, and regardless of the outcome, the fighting between Shiklah and Dracula was futile because, as Deadpool’s ghost rightly points out, there’s a bigger monster up on the surface world: God Emperor Doom. And Doom can’t be taken out with a MacGuffin left on a world he created. Also he has Thors, lots and lots of Thors.

P.S.: Kudos to Salva Espin for drawing Thors that don’t look like the Thors from all the other Secret Wars books. Most books are still drawing Beta Ray Bill even though he (at least one of him) died at the end of Thors #1. And Eric Masterson. Espin’s got funky-afro Thor, lizard-Thor, monkey-Thor, centaur-Thor, a Thor that looks like Marvel editor Jordan White, etc.

Shiklah’s fate in this reality spooks ghost Deadpool – who, like us, already knows he’ll be alive again after Secret Wars ends – and drives him to look up foreshadowing in the dictionary. Writer Gerry Duggan has said on his Tumblr that he has “big plans for her,” which is good, because I enjoy the dynamic between Shiklah and Deadpool. She’s certainly a healthier paramour for him than Death, even if she is a demon succubus.

As for the Howling Commandos, look for them and SHIELD mainstay Dum Dum Dugan in a new series written by Frank Barbiere and drawn by Brent Schoonover.

Red Skull #3 (of 3)

Story: Joshua Williamson

Art: Luca Pizzari and Rainier Beredo

The first two Secret Wars books I read all the way through – Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders and Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde – had happy endings. This week’s miniseries finales, not so much.

One could argue there was never anyone to really root for in Red Skull. The Skull was clearly trying to make himself a mythic figure and a symbol of rebellion, but he was still the same Nazi scum who spent decades plaguing Captain America by doing ridiculous things like disguising himself as a Hollywood producer and the secretary of defense. Magneto has his moments where he’s a tragic figure trying to do right in a world that hates and fears him, but he’s neutered so frequently in this book that by the end you just feel sorry for him. Who does that leave? The snarky zombies shuffling around the Deadlands looking for scraps? Annihilus’ bugs? Crossbones, who arranged this whole suicide mission in the first place?

Certainly if this book has a hero, it’s the concept of doublecrossing, which shines brighter than any of the villains practicing this lost art. There’s also Abigail Brand – a friendly, green-haired face I haven’t seen in a long time – who makes short work of protecting the Shield from the Skull’s insurrection without calling in a single Thor, just a squadron of plastic Sentinels.

So hooray for doublecrossing! Here’s hoping it gets its own All-New, All-Different series and that Williamson, Pizzari and Beredo get to continue on as the creative team.

Giant-Size Little Marvel: AvX #4
Story: Skottie Young
Art: Skottie Young & Jean-Francois Beaulieu

The Secret Wars mini-series are ending, and I'm going to miss many of them, but none more than Giant-Size Little Marvel. Skottie Young had produced four issues of hilarious fun that reaches it's climax this issue with the X-Men, the Avengers, and now the Guardians of the Galaxy competing to get twins Zoe and Zachary to join their teams. This issue is, more than any of the prior issues, a showcase of Young's skills as an artist. There are three two page spreads, one at the opening and two in the middle, full of details and characters that you should pour over to see all the details. Everyone will see a particular version of a character that will grab their attention: for me, a child of '90s X-books, it was seeing a classic Shatterstar in Little Marvels style. Who ever thought they'd see that? The issue ends with another group joining in, and there's a great bit about the fallacy of naming your team the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Oh, and the little cute "theme song" sequence at the beginning of each issue? This one includes a panel with a variety of versions of Cyclops (try to name them all), including "Quitely Lips and floppy 90s hair." That alone is worth the price of admission. I don't expect to see a Little Marvel ongoing popping up anytime soon, partially because Young is going to be busy with his creator owned I Hate Fairyland and writing the new Rocket Raccoon and Groot series, but I would love to see an annual special set in Marville, just to see how many different characters Young can squeeze into an issue.

Greetings from Battleworld: Secret Wars Week 15

This week, we're getting two one shots from Secret Wars. Dan Grote lets us in on Howard the Human, and I dig into Secret Love...

Howard the Human

Story: Skottie Young

Art: Jim Mahfood and Justin Stewart

Who’s the hairless ape now?

Whether duck or human, Howard remains trapped in a world he never made. For the purposes of Secret Wars, he’s the only human in New Quack City, a domain full of anthropomorphic animals. The Lizard runs the local bar, the Vulture is a gangster surrounded by chicken henchmen, the Black Cat looks like something out of an anime furry video, Daredevil is a mouse, the Kingpin is a gorilla, the Hand are monkeys and the police are dogs (which incidentally makes me nostalgic for that issue of Hawkeye where Clint, Wolverine and Spider-Man discuss the show “Dog Cops”).

Writer Skottie Young (Rocket Raccoon, Giant Size Little Marvels: A vs. X) gives us, in the Vulture’s own words, a “Raymond Chandler novel of the day” in which Howard has to solve the case of a dead possum while keeping his various enemies off his back, ultimately by playing them all off each other. As a one-off, the story works perfectly. Young knows what he’s going for, tells the story efficiently and it neither feels rushed nor overstays its welcome. Jim Mahfood’s art adds to the heightened surrealism of New Quack City, turning Marvel’s favorite mallard into a triangle-faced, bushy-mustached, big-haired blond P.I. (Come to think of it, he kind of looks like Wade after his face gets healed in Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars).

In the end though, more than a closed case, more than the money he owes all over town, all Howard wants is an egg. Some bacon would be nice, too. Living in a city of animals forces one to adopt a vegan diet, so when one of the Vulture’s crew lays an egg out of surprise (who doesn’t love a classic cartoon bit?), Howard loses all sense but still comes out on top.

Done-in-one storytelling sometimes feels like a lost art, and no one who complains that Secret Wars is too sprawling and continuity-dense would be wrong. But if you’re looking for an accessible, light read amid all the sturm und drang, this is a good’un.

Secret Wars: Secret Love
Creator credits listed with each story

I think I've mentioned my love for anthologies before, but in case I haven't, or haven't lately: I love anthologies, both in comic and short story form. There's something for everyone, and it's a great way to stumble across new writers/characters you've never encountered before (I'm currently reading a short story collection from Moonstone Books called Sex, Lies, and Private Eyes as my between novel cleanser, that includes a Maze Agency short by Mike W. Barr and a Silencers short by Fred Van Lente, as well as a bunch of others, some of which I've really enjoyed). So, after seeing some good buzz on this, I picked it up and found myself pleasantly surprised at the consistently high quality across the board on the stories:

Guilty Pleasure
Story & Art: Michael Fiffe

Set in the Inferno domain of Battleworld (new issue of Inferno came out this week as well, by the way, and was enjoyable. Mr. Sinister!), this story features Karen Page, who is unsure if her husband, Matt Murdock a.k.a. Daredevil, is being faithful. Seeing Matt out fighting Typhoid Mary, the reason for one of Matt and Karen's numerous break-ups in the 616 (the code for the regular Marvel universe), the reader could easily be swayed to Karen's point of view. But as she follows Matt out into the night, we see there's more to this than meets the eye. A decent enough story, the art on this story is what really grabbed me; Michael Fiffe draws some great demons.

Fan of a Fan
Story & Art: Felipe Smith

Between Dan and I, we've written quite a bit about current Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan, and her series. I am much less familiar with the current Ghost Rider, Robbie Reyes. In all fairness, Ghost Rider is probably the Marvel horror hero I'm least familiar with; the character never did much for me. That didn't matter much , as Felipe Smith does a good job of establishing Robbie and his supporting cast, as well and Kamala and Bruno, her BFF, who are working at the concession stand at the big arena that I would assume the current Ghost Racers mini-series takes place. The cover of the issue features Kamala and Robbie, and I'm happy to say the cover has nothing to do with the story. It's fun, light, and very true to character.

Misty and Danny Forever
Story: Jeremy Whitley
Art: Gurihiru

Here's the highlight of this book. I've written plenty of reviews of Jeremy Whitley's work (heck, just yesterday I wrote up something about the new issue of his Raven: The Pirate Princess), but this is the first thing I've read by him outside his creator owned work. And it's really good. Heck, I'll say it's great. I like Danny Rand and Misty Knight, but have never read either character religiously. This story, set in Manhattan on Battleworld, sees a married Danny and Misty trying to go out for a night and recapture the spark they had before they got married; they feel like something's missing. We get cameos by Misty's partner Colleen Wing, plus Danny's old pal Luke Cage and his family, Jessica Jones and baby Dani, as well as Danny and Misty's daughter, a character created for here, as far as I know. The story has a dinosaur fight and kung fu movies, but what I really love is it's a great portrait of a marriage. It's a beautiful portrait of remembering why you loved someone in the first place, and why that person, for all the ups and downs, is THE person for you. Add in the charming art of Gurihiru, best known for Marvel's all ages Power Pack minis from the early 00s and the Dark Horse continuation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and you have a perfect little short story that makes me want to track down more stories of Danny and Misty together.

Squirrel Girl Wins a Date with Thor
Story: Marguerite Bennett
Art: Kris Anka

The title on this one pretty much says it all. Set on, I believe, Arcadia, the realm of A-Force, Squirrel Girl goes out on a date with Thor Odinson. It's a night of dancing and hijnks, and right in line with Squirrel Girl's portrayal in her ongoing. Kris Anka draws some great crowd scenes, filled with lots of Marvel cameos, and gives is a chariot drawn by giant squirrels, which is the perfect cap to this story.

Happy Ant-Iversary
Story & Art: Katie Cook

Set on Earth 0.616, where the Avengers are all bugs, this story follows the Wasp as she is lead on a trail by notes and clues left by Ant-Ant (that's the only logical name for a Hank Pym ant, right?). We see all sorts of Avengers bugs, including Black Widow as a real Black Widow, which leads to a couple great gags. Light on words, cartoonist Katie Cook uses the pictures to tell most of the story, which serves beautifully. I love Cook's Gronk, and actually have a framed piece by her on my mantle, so it was nice to see her heartwarming little story round out this solid collection of Marvel love stories.

Greeting from Battleword: Secret Wars Week 14

Dan Grote starts us off this week with Kamala Khan's last adventure on Earth-616, and Red Skull and Magneto make the world's most awkward partnership...

Ms. Marvel #17

Story: G. Willow Wilson

Art: Adrian Alphona and Ian Herring (cover by Kris Anka)

The world is ending. The renegade Inhumans have kidnapped Kamala Khan’s brother. People are abandoning kittens and stealing electrical wires all over Jersey City.

Seems like as good a time as any for Kamala to meet her hero: Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel.

Even with a planet from another reality careening toward Earth, Kamala remains the most adorable superhero in the Marvel Universe. She freezes, she forgets her prepared speech, she screams “Everything sucks except for you!” and Carol takes it all in regal stride, while agreeing to help Ms. M save her brother amid the chaos in the streets (not bad, considering she has a space-raft to catch).

And of course, it wouldn’t be an issue of Ms. Marvel without our hero a) lecturing goons about their responsibility to use their skills to help people and b) learning one of the tougher lessons about life in the mask game. Kamala’s heart breaks when she realizes she has neither the time nor the ability to save a building full of purposely-drawn-adorable kittens she stumbles upon in the search for her brother. Had those cats been dogs, I’d be right there with her.

Colorist Ian Herring keeps the focus on Kamala, muting the world around her – including Carol – in shades of twilight gold.

Oh, and if you liked the cover art of Carol by Kris Anka, better get used to it, as Anka will be the regular artist on Captain Marvel come the fall.

Red Skull #2

Story: Joshua Williamson

Art: Luca Pizzari and Rainier Beredo

What started out as a Thunderbolts-style romp through the Shield last issue quickly becomes a tale of two of Marvel’s biggest bads – the Red Skull and Magneto – plotting to overthrow an even bigger bad –Dr. Doom.

If you were at all concerned that the Skull would be playing a hero in this book, you needn’t worry. He still makes Walter White look like Steve Rogers (whom he still very much hates, btw). He basically keeps Magneto on an inhibitor-collar leash the entire issue, until such time as he requires Mags’ full power. He also keeps a copy of Mein Kampf in his Sentinel-head bunker, drinks a can of Trask-brand Sentinel coolant (“keeps me on edge”) and practically does a Mr. Burns-style “excellent” at issue’s end.

The Magneto of this book does not appear to be an all-the-way evil Magneto. After being knocked out by the Skull, he dreams about his reality’s incursion, where he apparently leads if not the, then some X-Men, including Rogue and Gambit. He also feels a bit broken. This is a Magneto who has been captured, castrated via inhibitor collar and keeps getting his ass handed to him by the only person who can give him his freedom back.

(Then, of course, there’s the whole general dynamic of a Jewish mutant who survived the Holocaust being forced to work for Marvel’s most famous Nazi.)

Together, the two plot to break the Shield, the barrier holding back Battleworld’s nastiest hordes, and overthrow God Emperor Doom. To do that, the Skull seeks to enlist one of those hordes, specifically Annihilus’ drones, by letting Magneto off the chain to rage-kill a bunch of them.

Will their plan work? Probably not in any way they intended. Can the Skull, Magneto and Annihilus go an issue without stabbing each other in the back? Definitely not. Does Sentinel coolant taste good? Can’t imagine so.

And I go back to the cutest realm on Battleworld...

Giant-Size Little Marvel A Vs. X #3

Story & Art: Skottie Young

Colors: Jean-Francis Beaulieu

I love this comic. There are a lot of comics that are grim for no more reason then to be grim, but this one is fun for no other reason than to be fun. From the first page, with Skottie Young visions of other Battleworld realms to the final, where we see Little Marvel versions of the Guardians of the Galaxy, every page is jammed with jokes, Easter eggs, and the delightful designs that have made Skottie Young a comic book star. This issue still sees the X-Men and Avengers competing to get new-in-town twins Zachary and Zoe to join their respective teams. The X-Men's treehouse tour includes a visit to Beast's lab where the twins get mutated, a trip through Iceman's ice-slide rollercoaster, and of course The Danger Room, while the Avengers show them a set of special twins Iron Man armor, a web-fluid bouncy room, and Asgard. Every locale is designed with Young's wonderfully detailed style, and is a sight to behold. There are some laugh out loud funny moments, including a fastball special with Blob serving as a soft target, Avengers paintball, Wolverine popping up on both teams as a meta-gag, and a blink and you'll miss it background shot of Kitty Pryde walking Lockheed the dragon. Oh, and there's Fin Fang Foom, who makes pretty much any comic he's in better. The final pages introduce the Guardians, as I said above, as well as Little Marvel Galactus and Thanos, and I never thought I could enjoy a cute Thanos as much as I did here. Fans of Marvel Comics should be reading this just to test their knowledge of all the characters and little in jokes, yet none of that is necessary to enjoy the comic. Marvel, seriously, make this an ongoing out of Secret Wars and I will buy it, and encourage everyone else to do so.

Greetings from Battleworld: Secret Wars Week 9

Red Skull #1

Story by Joshua Williamson

Art by Luca Pizzari and Rainier Beredo

I’m gonna start off this review by shaming myself. I thought I had never heard the name Joshua Williamson prior to reading Red Skull #1. Then I scrolled through this very blog and realized Matt has reviewed his work. A lot. So if you haven’t read his indie series Nailbiter (crime), Ghosted (supernatural) or Birthright (adventure/fantasy), please do so, and perhaps I need to do the same.

As for this book, the first issue sets it up to be the Secret Wars equivalent of Thunderbolts. A team of baddies - Magneto, Electro, Moonstone, Jack O’Lantern, Lady Deathstryke and the Winter Soldier - are tasked by Crossbones with confirming proof of the Red Skull’s death. The Skull apparently led an uprising against Doom and was summarily tossed over the Shield – Battleworld’s barrier against scores of zombies, Ultron robots, and Annihilus drones. If the bad guys don’t comply, they get nasty shocks from the collars around their necks, a callback to Warren Ellis’ run on the ’Bolts. Also, if they fail to find evidence of the Skull’s death within 24 hours, they’re stuck there.

There are a lot of great little moments, many of which involve Electro, who spends the book being an annoying little s--- until [spoiler, but easily my favorite panel in the book and in the top 5 for Secret Wars]. When the team’s plane lands outside the Shield, Electro is freaked out by the sight of a T-rex, which Crossbones then casually shoots through the head, not long before leaving the conscripted degenerates to die in the deadlands. Even the zombies crack wise.

By the “Come with me if you want to live” scene at the end of the issue, you get the impression this can no longer be a team book.

Artist Luca Pizzari draws a few nice cameos, including Miss America Chavez, last seen being arrested in the first issue of A-Force, and everyone’s favorite ’90s lumberjack Thor, Eric Masterson. Then we get to the Shield, and it’s a free-for-all of squinting to try to recognize zombies by bits of tattered costume in a sea of dark shading.

Parting thought: While normally I’d jump all over any T-shirt that says “(X Marvel character) was right,” I think I might have to pass on the “Red Skull was right” shirt featured in this issue.

Secret Wars #4

Story by Jonathan Hickman

Art by Esad Ribic and Ive Svorcina

If man is meant to fear God, then what does God fear?

God fears Reed Richards.

The halfway point of Secret Wars is partly a battle between the survivors of the old worlds: the heroes of Earth 616 who escaped in Reed Richards’ Raft and the villains of Earth 616 who escaped in the raft of the Reed Richards of Earth 1610. Reed 616 has been depicted as bearded, exhausted and shellshocked by the weight of learning that Dr. Doom not only saved reality from being destroyed by the Beyonders but is now the god emporer of all that remains. Even this issue he is still being carried around by the Black Panther. But when Doom discovers Reed 616 among the survivors, he responds with a true display of his power. A couple people die. Important people. Given we’ve already seen previews of what’s to come, you can take as much stock in that as you like. It’s still pretty chilling to see who and how, though.

Oh, and Doom walks right past Reed 1610, pays him no mind whatsoever. Maybe it’s that weird miner’s helmet that covers half his face.

A-Force #2

Story by Marguerite Bennett and G. Willow Wilson

Art by Jorge Molina and Laura Martin

Arcadia has a portal problem. It has also an adorable new resident who is black and sparkly, has the innocence of a child and appears to be the source of said portal problem.

Singularity, the character teased in early art of A-Force, doesn’t speak but takes on the appearance of a girl in her early teens. Perhaps that’s a by-product of the fact that the first person she encountered, at the end of last issue, was Nico Minoru. Perhaps she’s just young. Way too early to say.

Either way, she appears to be explicitly connected to the portals that have been opening up around Arcadia, which so far have led to attacks by a megalodon and a Sentinel. (P.S.: This book gets @Midnight-style POINTS for creative Sentinel death, having She-Hulk run one through with an obelisk while saying “Time we put a pin in it.”)

The portal from whence the megalodon came is a swirling mass of preview art from other Secret Wars books. Few are recognizable, though you can clearly see bits of Future Imperfect and Giant Size Little Marvels: A vs. X. The second portal, meanwhile, appears to be a gateway straight to the New York of Years of Future Past, which would explain the Sentinel.

Considering how big a deal it is that people not cross the borders of Battleworld, having someone around who can make it that easy is bound to incur the Wrath of Doom, who is extra angry after the events of Secret Wars #4. So get ready for an escalation.

Easter egg: Nico has an Iron Man statue in her bedroom. Does Arcadia have a Tony Stark? He hasn’t really been a major character in SW outside Civil War, at least not that I’ve seen.

Future Imperfect #2
Story: Peter David
Art: Greg Land

Well, that was a twist I didn't see coming. At the end of the last issue, the Thing was revealed as the leader of the resistance against the Maestro. The opening of this issue shows the origin of the Thing, who in this reality is Thunderbolt Ross. We see Ross and Glen Talbot trying to beat the Russians to space, and pretty much the FF origin plays out as expected, and we see Ross turned into the Thing. From there, the likon's share of the issue is a Hulk/Thing fight, except it's a Maestro/Ross-Thing fight, so it's considerably more brutal. Not just in how the two combatants are beating on each other, but in how they deal with collateral damage. This is equivalent to the end of Man of Steel, with buildings collapsing, and Maestro flat out saying he cares nothing for the lives of those around them, and Thing admitting if he can kill Maestro, it's worth it. Peter David has never shied away from moral relativity, and so it's not surprising his "hero" is only a shade less dark than his villain. Greg Land continues to show that his art is rebounding to something closer to his early style, with well produced carnage. He still has the problem that all his female faces look the same, and if it weren't for Janis and Ruby's distinct hair styles and skin tones, they would be hard to tell apart. But the end of the issue has two reveals, one is completely expected one that is so Peter David I should have seen it coming. The fact that the Maestro is a treacherous monster who is planning to fight god shouldn't shock anyone, but once again, Peter David drops the appearance of one of his trademark characters in (again, she's a blonde female character, so thank Doom part of her shtick is dropping her name, or I would have thought she was Sue Storm), Layla Miller, who David turned from a cipher in House of M into one of the best characters on X-Factor history. I'm looking forward to see how Layla fits into this world, and she what "stuff" she knows in this world.

Giant-Size Little Marvel: A Vs. X #2
Story and Art: Skottie Young

This is going to be a short one. Seriously, if you read and liked the first issue, you're going to like this one. It's cute, and it's great to watch Skottie Young cram in as many cameos as he can into the book (who would have thought Apocalypse could ever look cute?). For a little idea of the plot, basically the X-Men and the Avengers are competing to get the new twins at their school, Zachary and Zoe, to join their groups, with mayhem ensuing. There is possibly my favorite panels involving Arcade ever. But the highlight joke is at the end, when the two teams are having their big fight, and Zachary and Zoe are watching. As they observe Cable decked out in a Skottie Young version of his early '90s costume, they address him as "Big-Guns McShoulder-Pad" and "Pouchy McGee" which made me laugh really hard, because as much as I love Cable, and I really do, it's so accurate. That kind of level of self awareness adds the cherry to the top of this delightful series.

Greetings from Battleworld: Secret Wars Week 5

Welcome back to Battleworld, everyone. This week, Dan Grote looks at the new issue of the core Secret Wars title, and the much anticipated return of a married Spider-Man...

Secret Wars #3

Story: Jonathan Hickman

Art: Esad Ribic and Ive Svorcina

Imagine you survived the end of the world. Now imagine you were supposed to survive the end with all your loved ones, but you watched them ripped away from you at the last second. NOW imagine you wake up in a new world where your sworn enemy isn’t just its ruler or its savior but its GOD. Not only that, but, as Dr. Strange puts it, “He is very, very good at playing God.” NOW imagine how Reed will react next issue or whenever he finds out his wife and daughter are Doom’s most trusted advisers, his son spends all day playing in the palm of a planet-eating giant and his brother-in-law is [spoiler].

And we were worried Marvel didn’t care about the FF anymore.

Secret Wars #3 dedicates itself primarily to answering questions, which is good because I’ve had a lot of them since this event started. As of this issue, we now know:

• What happened to Reed Richards’ Raft ™ from the 616 universe and its passengers, which if you’ll recall from issue #1 included Black Panther, Spider-Man, Star-Lord, Captain Marvel, Thor, and a Phoenixed-up Cyclops.     
• A very few select characters remember what happened before Battleworld, and we know why the rest don’t recall.
•  How much time has passed since the final incursion.
• Where Johnny Storm is, and oo-da-lolli it’s a mini gut punch that makes perfect sense.
• Why Dr. Strange is the right hand of God Emperor Doom ™, and what happened to the Molecule Man, last seen confronting the Beyonders alongside Doom and Strange in New Avengers #33.
• How many Spider-Men survived the final incursion (although if you saw some of Marvel’s post-Secret Wars teaser images, I suppose you’ve already had that spoiled).

It’s a lot to take in, and besides most readers who haven’t seen everything Jonathan Hickman’s written for Marvel since Secret Warriors, nobody’s having a harder time with this than 616 Reed Richards, whom Esad Ribic draws in a perpetual state of exhausted, bearded shellshock. But I can only imagine the moment of clarity issue #3 provides will be brief, as Battleworld has much more to reveal, and we’re not even halfway there.

Side note: As someone who’s met him at cons, I very much appreciated the full-page house ad toward the end of the issue memorializing Herb Trimpe, who was the first Marvel artist to draw Wolverine for publication, among his many other credits for the company. Trimpe died in April at 75.

Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1

Story: Dan Slott

Art:  Adam Kubert, John Dell and Justin Ponsor

Some Secret Wars comics are meant to tell the complex story of Battleword (Secret Wars). Some are meant to be jumping-on points for new readers (A-Force, MODOK: Assassin). And some, unabashedly, are love letters to Comics Fans of a Certain Age. This book (and the digital-first X-Men ’92) is most certainly the latter.

Renew Your Vows takes place in what, at least to start, feels like a simpler time. Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson are married and have a young daughter, Annie. He works at the Daily Bugle and brings hot-scoop photos to an always-yelling J. Jonah Jameson. He’s not an Avenger. He patrols the streets of New York with other street-level heroes like Daredevil, the Punisher and Moon Knight. Captain America wears his old wing-tipped mask. Eddie Brock is still Venom and looks like a big, slobbering black-and-white monster.

Dan Slott’s name may be on the cover, but it sure reads like David Michelinie or J.M. DeMatteis to me. And it’s all being drawn by Adam Kubert, one of Marvel’s rock-star artists in the years after the Image exodus. For Spider-fans, this book is a warm, fuzzy blanket.

At least to start.

When a supervillain named Regent starts killing off superheroes and claiming their powers as his own, and Venom escapes from prison and threatens his family, Peter is forced to make a choice that will inform the series going forward.

“That was the day I learned what trumps great power … an even greater responsibility.”

We’ve seen alternate-future takes on Spider-spawn – “Mayday” Parker swings immediately to mind – but we’ve never seen Peter actively raise a child, at least to my recollection. “Renew Your Vows” turns back the clock on basically every Spider-Man story of the past decade, but it also sets it forward, showing us the darkness of a world where “One More Day” never happened. Is this Spider-Man’s darkest timeline (and if so, is there still paintball)? It’s too early to tell, but it’s worth sticking around to see.


...While I examine the return of the evil future Hulk and the most light-hearted of any tie-in you're likely to see.

Future Imperfect #1
Story: Peter David
Art: Greg Land

Peter David has a long history with Marvel comics, and despite famed runs on Spider-Man and X-Factor, it will be his Hulk run that he is most remembered for. And of that run, Future Imperfect, the story of the Hulk going into the future to fight an evil version of himself called the Maestro, is probably the most famous, so it makes sense that if Marvel was picking and choosing great alternate history stories to make realms of Battleworld it would be one of them, and make even more sense they'd get Peter David to write it. David jumps right into the deep end, referencing the Secret Wars status quo with Maestro as this realm's Baron. Not only do we get the Maestro and Janis, Rick Jones's granddaughter introduced in the original story and who plays a role not only there but in the back end of David's original run on the ongoing Hulk series, but Ruby Summers, the daughter of Scott Summers and Emma Frost introduced in a dystopic future X-Factor story. The issue establishes what Dystopia, the city ruled by the Maestro, is like, and we see that there's a rebellion in place against it, which includes Ruby and Janis. The desert, the city, it's all classic dark future stuff, but David works with it and keeps it feeling fresh. When Ruby stumbles across a old man in an eyepatch wandering the desert claiming to be Odin, she thinks she's struck gold for the rebellion. Unfortunately, after she brings him to their base, it's clearly not Odin. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to reveal that "Odin" is in fact the Maestro reverted to human form, and a battle commences. Greg Land is an artist I can take or leave (I was a huge fan of his early work on Birds of Prey and Nightwing, but his excessive photo-referencing in recent years leaves me cold), and while in combat nearly all his characters have screaming their heads off expressions on their faces, his page layouts were solid for the fight between the rebels and the Maestro, and it came together well in the end. As with a lot of these Secret Wars tie-in first issues, the final page has a shock reveal, this time of a surviving hero who is leading the rebellion, and it's a nice reveal, one that should lead to a classic throw down in the next issue. With its nods to previous Peter David work, and his usual quick ear for witty dialogue, Future Imperfect looks to be a solid entry to the Secret Wars tie-ins, and since Marvel has said the Maestro is here to stay after the event, this would be a good place to get to know him.

Giant-Size Little Marvel: A Vs. X #1
Story and Art: Skottie Young

All these dark Secret Wars tie-ins got you down? Well, Giant Size Little Marvel is the cure for what ails you! The opening montage, which has musical notes bouncing around the narration and made me try to read them to the tune of the Tiny Toon Adventures theme song, lays out exactly what Secret Wars is about before before bringing us into the kingdom of Marville (not to be confused with the Bill Jemas series of the same name, possible the worst comic Marvel ever published), where at the intersection of Avengers Street and X-Men Way, the little heroes get into all kinds of mischief. The opening fight scene, which is perfectly tame and all ages, is a result of Iron Man melting one of Magik's toy ponies, and her summoning a monster to eat him. The main plot of the issue revolves around an escalating battle to build the best food stand at the corner, from lemonade, to hit dogs, to hamburgers, to Asgardian ribs, and so on, until it all breaks out in a brawl. Skottie Young is a master of drawing adorable little versions of Marvel characters, and the cameos fly fast and furious throughout the comic. While this isn't going to give you insight into the greater working of Battleworld and God King Doom, it's delightful fun and a good palette cleanser. Between this series, Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, and the new Groot ongoing from Marvel, and DC's new Bat-Mite and Bizarro series, it's a good time for all-ages superheroes from the Big 2.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 3/4

Descender #1
Story: Jeff Lemire
Art: Dustin Nguyen

Oh, Image Comics, you are going to break my bank. Descender is the new series from Image from Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen, a sci-fi series set out on non-Earth worlds, and this first issue is a sterling start. The series opens on Niyata, the hubworld of the United Galactic Council (UGC), as a giant robot appears in space. A robot that dwarfs the planet. Dr. Jin Quin, the leading expert on robotics, is called to investigate, just before the robot attacks. Flashforward ten years, and we are on the moon Dirishu-6, as a young boy wakes up. He wanders the seemingly abandoned moon, looking for his mom and Andy, and finds his robot dog, Bandit, at which time we learn that Tim-21 is, in fact, a robot child. We spend the issue with Tim learning about what happened when the Harvesters, the giant robots, attacked the various worlds of the UGC. We also return to Niyata, where Dr. Quin has fallen from the height of society to the dregs when he is contacted by Captain Telsa of the UGC. It seems analysis has shown that the Tim robots are the progenitors of the Harvesters, and while it was thought all the Tim's were destroyed in the anti-robot purges after the Harvester attacks, Tim-21 went on-line to search for his lost family, they now know he's out there. Lemire does a great job of getting the reader immediately on Tim's side. The appearance of a child, and the quest to find his family, makes him a sympathetic character, and since he's been shut down for a decade, it gives the reader a way to learn what happened with the Harvester attack without it seeming like awkward, out of place exposition. But what made me snag this book initially was the stunning art from Dustin Nguyen. Having commented last week on how his art in Batman #39 was so strikingly different from his Li'l Gotham art, this issue is yet another departure. He draws three distinct science fiction worlds, the desolated Dirishu-6, the upper crust Niyata from before the harvester attack, and the more run down Niyata of the post-Harvester attack. He draws various aliens, giving them distinct designs. I'm curious to see each of the other eight prime planets of the UGC and what those worlds look like. Add in ther gorgeous water colors that Nguyen works with over his own line work, and you have the best looking comic of the week. Descender #1 is a strong start to a series that has the potential to rank with Saga as one of Image's strong sci-fi titles, one that explores the nature of humanity as much as the galaxy.

Hero Cats #4
Stroy: Kyle Puttkammer
Art: Marcus Williams

Action Lab has some of the best all ages titles out there. with Princeless and Fight Like a Girl, and while Hero Cats skews younger than those two books, it's still an enjoyable read for all. Hero Cats features six cats, each with a special ability, who help protect Stellar City from all sorts of robots, monsters, and crooks. This issue sees the cats entering a mysterious sinkhole and finding an underground civilization beneath the streets they protect. The team splits up, and we spend time with Cassiopeia, the team's newest recruit and our point of view cat for the series, learning about some team history from Rocket, the super fast cat who claims to be an alien. It's a good jumping on point for new readers, as we get to learn how team leader Ace met Midnight, the Batman to Ace's Superman, and how they brought Belle, the telepathic cat, out of a life of crime. The action of the issue sees the Hero Cats meet Eastly the Brave, a member of the culture that lives in the city beneath Stellar City, and aid him in defeating the Coaliod warriors that have conquered his city. Belle is the cat who gets to take center stage, since it's her telepathy that allows the cats to communicate with the underdwellers. It's a story with a lot of great action pieces, and some wonderful subterranean designs by artist Marcus Williams, both the general look of the tunnels and the various creatures that inhabit the world. I'm a cat lover (although, God bless her, my cat Bess could never be a Hero Cat; it would require way more effort than she has ever done and she's actually afraid of mice, so I don't know what she'd do about a monster) and a lover of all ages comics, so Hero Cats is right up my alley, and is a book I love sharing with my niece, so it's a winner all around.

Rocket Raccoon #9

Story: Skottie Young

Art: Jake Parker

Rocket Raccoon is a comic that finds a good balance between fun action and some darker places, but it's at it's core a comic about the friendship between it's title character and his best tree pal, Groot. And no issue has shown that better than this one. The issue opens in what seems to be a future where a Kaiju-sized Groot is menacing Earth and the Avengers seem unable to stop him. The only hope that they have is to send out and Iron Man drone to find the one being who they think can get through to Groot: his old pal, Rocket. When Iron man contacts a grizzled, older Rocket, he gets the brush off, but under everything else, Rocket is still Groot's friend, and so he heads off to Earth for the big confrontation that, well doesn't go as anyone expects. I won't ruin the ending, but what initially seems to be a tragic ending comes back to being a much more hopeful one. Young does a great job of establishing exactly why Groot is on Earth, why he has become the giant monster that he has, and why Rocket isn't with him. Artist Jake Parker does a great job of working in a style similar to that of writer and series initial artist Skottie Young without aping his style, and so the book feels seamless to what has come before. He draws some incredible spreads, really showing the scale of the monster Groot and draws an awesome giant Rocket mech (yeah you read that right. Giant. Rocket. Mech). While we see the deaths of the Avengers, and we see friend fighting friend, the conflict isn't gratuitous, and setting it in a future like this would allow younger readers to still know everything will work out ok in the here and now. As the Guardians of the Galaxy have expanded to take up their own family of titles in the Marvel Universe, each book has taken up it's own flavor. Rocket Raccoon is a high action, high octane, buddy comedy. But between the last two parter and this issue, it's clear that the "buddy" part of the equation is the most important aspect of the title.

Star Wars: Princess Leia #1

Story: Mark Waid

Art: Terry & Rachel Dodson

The third title in Marvel's new Star Wars initiative features Princess Leia, adding to Marvel's growing number of female led titles. While  it remains set in that era in  between the original Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back, as the other two titles do, this one feels like it needs to be in that particular pocket, and for a reason that makes a lot of sense. In the original film, Alderaan, Leia's homeworld, is destroyed. In the remaining two films, Leia never really mentions that nearly everyone she knew and loved were wiped out in one fell swoop by the Empire. And while some EU writers dealt with Leia's grief, like Brian Wood in his monthly for Dark Horse and Martha Wells in her Leia-centric novel Razor's Edge, what should have been a central part of Leia's character arc is usually left alone. But in an issue that picks up right where the first film ends, Mark Waid is taking this front and center. With the Rebellion fleeing Yavin-4, Leia is at ends. Everyone is handling her with kid gloves, and General Dodanna tells her flat out that he's protecting her because the Empire has a massive bounty on her head so she will be guarded at all times. Meanwhile, we meet Evaan, a female Rebel pilot who is also from Alderaan, and is dealing with the loss of her world in her own way. Soon, the two women are running away from the Rebel fleet so Leia can do what she feels she must; gathering the diaspora that has been left behind by Alderaan's destruction. It's a strong mission statement for the book and the character, and it's important to note the book is called Princess Leia, not "Leia" or "Senator Organa." The nature of Leia as a princess of Alderaan is the defining aspect of her character for the plot of this story. Waid has captured the voices of all the movie characters well, and wins extra points for adding in two of my favorite movie characters, Admiral Ackbar and Wedge Antilles. I understand in a post-EU world there's a need to establish new characters and new settings, but the movies give writers plenty of small characters who can be used, and Waid gets this; he is a writer long used to working in shared universes and it shows. While both Star Wars and Darth Vader have been big action comics, it seems Princess Leia will be more character-centric, despite there being a really well drawn spacecraft chase scene drawn by the Dodsons, who do their usual great job on this issue. Now with all three titles up and running, I can safely say that Marvel is handling the Star Wars license well, and I look forward to seeing where it will grow.

And here's another #1 written by Jeff Lemire, reviewed by Dan Grote

All-New Hawkeye #1

Story: Jeff Lemire

Art: Ramon Perez and Ian Herring

The previous volume of Hawkeye, by Matt Fraction, David Aja et al, was easily one of Marvel’s best titles of the past five years and had a distinct voice and vision. Put more bluntly, I loved every damn page of it, from the tracksuit draculas to Lucky the Pizza Dog to dear, departed Grills.

But it’s time to move on.

All-New Hawkeye starts with a beautifully painted, swirling purple flashback to young Clint Barton and his brother, Barney, catching frogs and escaping their abusive foster father. That, paired with the cover, hammers home to the reader that they’re picking up a different book from what had gone before.

Or is it? By the sixth page of story, we’re back to good-old #hawkguy Clint Barton and Kate Bishop, sniping at each other and shooting arrows at Hydra goons in a situation that, just a few months ago, would have started with a purple narration box that says, “OK, this looks bad.” Ramon Perez’s style on the present-day pages even mirrors Aja’s, which is nothing if not comforting.

The past and present narratives switch back and forth faster and faster as the issue progresses, becoming more and more intertwined. Clint and Barney get separated upon their return home to their foster father. Clint and Kate get separated by a sliding door at the Hydra base. Barney takes a beating from the old man – and gives him one right back. Kate ignores orders to retreat and keeps ripping through goons till she finds what Team Hawkeye has been tasked with uncovering. The silhouette of a Hydra agent serves as a flashback panel. Finally, in a splash page drawn like a face playing card, young Clint and Barney stand in wide-eyed awe of their future, while Kate discovers what Hydra’s been hiding and is made ill by the sight.

My only teeny, tiny nitpick is I’m kind of over new Marvel series opening with raids on Hydra bases and ending with reveals of what Hydra is hiding. All-New Captain America #1 used the exact same plot device just a few months ago. Maybe it’s a concentrated effort on the part of editorial, something to do with Secret Wars or whatever, but there’s lots more villains to punch in the 616 than the boys in the green-and-yellow tunics and bug-eye masks.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 12/10

Afterlife with Archie #7
Story: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa 
Art: Francecso Francavilla

I never thought I'd say Archie and horror in the same breath. I read and enjoyed Archie's Weird Mysteries in the 90s and 00s, but those weren't horror comics; they were supernatural adventure books that wouldn't scare anybody over the age of four. But Afterlife with Archie, the story of a zombie apocalypse that started in Riverdale, is definitely a horror comics, and it's a great one, full of genuine scares and tremendous character work. This issue picks up with the survivors of Archie and the gang having fled Riverdale, with a ravening horde of zombies led by Jughead following them (even in death and zombification, Jughead is still always hungry). Betty is trying to recreate her lost diaries, so we see flashbacks to Betty's time in Riverdale, the problems in her family wither her sister, her meeting Archie, and the turbulent relationship between her and Veronica. Meanwhile, we see more about just how warped the Blossom household in this reality is, with some flashbacks to Cheryl Blossom's family Thanksgivings. Taking Riverdale and mixing in some Peyton Place and some Flowers in the Attic could easily turn into something that feels exploitative and tacky, but Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa clearly has long plans for these characters, and isn't just throwing in shocks for shock value. He is developing these characters down unexplored territory, while still having them feel like the characters that Archie readers know. The atmosphere is only heightened by the dark, moody art from Francesco Francavilla, who draws not only some seriously creepy zombies, but such realistic facial expressions that you can read the full spectrum of emotions that run  through each character. If you're all caught up on The Walking Dead and are looking for something else to satisfy your zombie/horror fix, Afterlife with Archie is one of the best horror comics on the market. Also worth noting, each issue has a back up from the classic Archie published horror comics on the silver age, which are creepy in the EC Comics vein; I'd love to see some collections of those in the future as well.

Copperhead #4
Story: Jay Faerber
Art: Scott Godlewski

Copperhead, Jay Faerber and Scott Godlewski's sci-fi western, continues it's first arc, as Sheriff Clara Bronson and her deputy, Budroxifinicus (Boo for short and from here on out), close in on the killer of the Sewell family. Bronson goes on the hint for Ishmael, the artificial being ("artie") that saved her son and he saw with a stolen object from the Sewell house, only after getting into an argument with the local mine owner and land baron. It's through his inquiries that we learn exactly why Bronson is now out in the galactic backwater of Copperhead. She immediately jumps to the conclusion that Ishmael is guilty, reinforcing the knowledge that she dislikes arties, and we begin to get more details about the war that was fought, now knowing that the arties were designed to fight Boo's people. With Bronson away, Boo gets the spotlight as he heads to investigate a break in at the local doctors office (the doctor is a drunk, a classic western trope). While Boo pursues the being who broke in, we see a flashback to his time in the war, and get the idea of exactly how tough Boo is and was. Four issues isn't a lot of time, but Faerber has done a good job of letting us know who each of these characters are; still there's a lot to learn. We also see the first real clash between Clara and her son, Zeke, who absolutely believes that Ishmael is not the killer since Ishmael saved his live. Zeke's a good kid, but like all kids, they think they know better than their parents sometimes. I'm curious to see which is right. Scott Godlewski, artist on the series, impresses me by giving non-human faces very clear emotions. The Sewells and Boo are only slightly near human, and many artists would have a hard time conveying mood and emotion, but Godlewski does  a great job of helping us get right into Boo's head.

Rocket Raccoon #6

Story: Skottie Young

Art: Jake Parker

Rocket Raccoon continues to be one of Marvels' most charming comics. Rocket is now working to pay off the debt to the numerous princesses he has wronged in his life, but this issue he has to step away from that task to help out another old friend. Cosmo, the psychic Russian space dog who is the head of security at Knowhere, gets in touch with Rocket to help a robot, whose name is only given in binary, to help locate some of his friends, who all live on a colony of warbots who have forsaken violence to live a peaceful life. So Rocket and the robot go on a crazy adventure where Rocket actually has to act as the cool head, trying to keep the robot from blasting everyone; if your friends were taken by slavers, you'd be a little prickly too. From a weapons dealer to a weapons auction, Rocket and his robot sidekick leave a swath of carnage. Groot isn't around this issue, so the robot takes the place of Rocket's usual sidekick, but since not only is the robot's name in binary, but that's all he can speak, it's not like his vocabulary is much wider than Groot's. I wanted to talk about this issue for two very simple reasons. First, it's just fun. While yes, robot slavery is an important topic that should be discussed, this is a comic in the old model, a perfect done in one story with some good jokes, some good action, and a lovable cast. Second, it has Cosmo. I love Cosmo, but since the return of the cosmic Marvel Universe in the past three years or so, he hasn't really appeared much, so an issue with a lot of Cosmo is something I wanted to call out. Artist Jake Parker's style is reminiscent of Skottie Young's own while not being a direct clone, so it keeps with the tone of the first arc, and he draws absolutely adorable animals, so he's made for this book. If Rocket Raccoon can continue to tell fun stories like this, it will be the jewel in Marvel's cosmic crown.

The Valiant #1

Story: Jeff Lemire & Matt Kindt

Art: Paolo Rivera

When it comes to consistency, Valiant really can't be beat. Since they started publishing two years and change ago, they've done a good job of keeping up a consistent high quality. And while they have done a couple of crossovers, Harbinger Wars and Armor Hunters, each of those connected small corners of the Valiant Universe. This week saw the debut of The Valiant, a four issue mini-series that looks to tie the whole universe together. The issue opens with a history of Gilad Anni-Padda, the Eternal Warrior, and his battle with a creature called the Eternal Enemy. Three times before, the Eternal Enemy has come, and three times it has slain the Geomancer, the person who speaks for the Earth. And each time, Gilad has gotten a scar on his face; the origin of the scars has been hotly debated since Gilad first appeared in the new Valiant, and it's a cool history to them, adding something to make Gilad's arch-foe a much bigger threat. From there, we see the current Geomancer, Kay McHenry, having a discussion with Armstrong, Gilad's also immortal brother about what she should be doing. I haven't read anything with Kay since her first appearance in Archer & Armstrong, so it was nice to get a refresher on who she is, as she is going to be important to this series. The issue also features an action sequence with Bloodshot, the nanite infused hero, fighting his former masters at Project: Rising Spirit on the behest of MI6. This sequence not only gives a nice action centerpiece to the issue, but catches readers up on Bloodhot's current status quo. The issue ends with Kay trying her hand at being a more active Geomancer, Gilad talking to X-O Manowar about the coming of a threat, and the rise of the Eternal Enemy. Writers Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt do a very solid job of making it clear exactly who all these characters are even if you haven't read anything with them before, while keeping the story moving and it never feeling like an info dump. Paolo Rivera is an outstanding artist, and his work is as amazing as ever. His action sequences, especially Bloodshot versus a pair of mechs, flow perfectly, giving a sense of motion and action, and his design for the monstrous Eternal Enemy is the stuff of nightmares. If you've ever thought about trying out a Valiant comic and have been hesitant or if you're an old school Valiant fan who wants to try the new books, this is a book that is the perfect place to jump on. And if you've been reading Valiant regularly, this is a great showing that will feature the characters you're reading already, so go out and pick up The Valiant.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 7/2

Daredevil #0.1
Story: Mark Waid
Art: Peter Krause

I've been enjoying Mark Waid's new volume of Daredevil, with Daredevil now operating out of San Francisco, and this new issue collects the digital first story that bridges the gap between the first volume and the second. Called, "Road Warrior," it tells the story of Matt Murdock travelling with Kirsten McDuffie, his partner and love interest. Of course, Matt is Daredevil, and so when their flight is grounded halfway across the country by weather, and he finds one of the passengers has not heartbeat but is moving around, he goes to investigate and leaves Kirsten behind and gets into an adventure involving an Adaptoid and the Mad Thinker. There are a lot of things in this issue to love. Firstly, it stand completely alone; you need little knowledge of Daredevil going in, and while the story ends with Matt on his way to complete his journey, there is no cliffhanger. Waid has done more to really underline that Daredevil is blind and his senses and experience of the world are not like everyone else's than any writer I can think of, and this issue really uses those perceptions well. It opens with an internal monologue of Matt trying to put into words how his "radar sense" works, and not having the words because they don't exist, and I think that's a very cool observation. I also was impressed with the final fight for a couple of reasons. First, I like it when Daredevil is out of his depth. He isn't anywhere near the most powerful hero in the Marvel Universe, and so often when he has to fight a villain who isn't one of his rogues, he has to rely on his mind, not his powers, to win, and he does so in a very clever way here. Waid also takes one of the main tropes of science fiction, the robot who wants to be human, and completely subverts it here. The Adaptoid, a robot Mad Thinker built, has begin to think it's human, and at the end, well, let's just say it's not Mister Data. If you haven't tried out any of Waid's run on Daredevil and want to dip your toe in, this is a great place to start.

Fairest #27
Story: Mark Buckingham
Art: Russel Braun

The final arc of Fairest begins. I'm going to miss the heck out of Fables and the universe of spin offs that it has built, and this final arc of Fairest ties very heavily into the events that are taking place in the home title. There is unrest at the Farm, the home for Fables who can't pass for human, caused partly by Reynard, the wily fox, rubbing his new ability to transform into a human form, and the other animal and non-human Fables deciding they are finally due the similar glamour that they were promised. Tying back into an earlier issue of Fairest, we spend a lot of time with Reynard, who is mourning his clumsiness and lack of romantic luck in his human form. With dissent building, Rose Red, the queen of the new Camelot she is building on the Farm, calls for King Cole and the Witches of Fabletown to come along and help settle the rumblings. It's a complex issue, with lots of moving pieces and different characters, but it's enjoyable if you have been reading Fables and Fairest for a while. There is also a feeling of symmetry, as the first arc that featured the Farm dealt with an attempted coup, and now we're here at the end with chaos about the ensue again. It's also interesting since this story is written by Mark Buckingham, the principle artist on much of Fables, whose first arc was that initial Farm story. While Fairest has mostly featured the female cast of Fables, and I'm sure they will play a big roll as this continues, this story was a spotlight for Reynard, whose final page reveal of who he has decided to woo is only going to lead to a bigger problem for him and some comedic chaos that I am very much looking forward to.

Rocket Raccoon #1
Story & Art: Skottie Young

From foxes to raccoons, we're now off to space to spend a little time with the Guardians of the Galaxy's favorite rodent and his tree sidekick. Rocket has been a character I've loved since he was re-introduced back during the Annihilation: Conquest event, and his recently raised profile thanks to what I'm sure will be a star turn in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy film has led Marvel to launch this ongoing series from cartoonist Skottie Young. This first issue is a ton of fun, starting with a princess rescue, followed by Rocket on a date watching Groot, his partner who happens to be a walking and talking tree monster, in a wrestling match, and then Rocket on the run with a bounty on his head. It's a wacky buddy comedy sort of adventure issue, which is the perfect tone for this book; nobody wants a grim and gritty adventure about a talking raccoon. I must point out that you don't get a story that works on its own. This is very much the beginning of an arc, and has lots of hints of what's to come in this first arc. But it does better than many first issue in that we get a lot of character mixed in with a ton of action; this isn't a talking heads comic. If you're coming for a fun, light story, though, you're staying for Skottie Young's incredible art. His style is fun and cartoony, perfect for Rocket and Groot, but is hyper-detailed at the same time. You can spend hours pouring over the panels of the city Rocket is in, looking at the backgrounds with all the crazy creatures and designs. And when the other Guardians appear briefly, while they are all in Young's distinct style, they are still very much themselves. Marvel has done a lot of interesting, different comics lately, and this new series is a perfect addition of that stable: a sci-fi/action/humor comic. If you enjoy crazy outer space action with talking animals, you need to try out Rocket Raccoon.

Southern Bastards #3
Story: Jason Aaron
Art: Jason Latour

It seems that in one of those cases of bad fortune, the weeks I've missed doing reviews the past couple months have overlapped with the release of Jason Aaron's new southern crime series, Southern Bastards. I've talked about Scalped here before, and this book is a worthy successor to that title. Earl Tubbs has returned to his home town in Craw County, Alabama to put family affairs in order, only to find the place rotten to the core, and after the death of his old friend Dusty last issue, it's time for Earl to get some answers. Armed with a big stick, one very reminiscent of the one his father, who was the sheriff and a local legend, wielded, Earl heads into town and makes a show of beating down a couple of the thugs who work for Coach Boss, the local football coach and crime boss/gang leader/all around bad guy. It's an exciting scene, and the reverence the townsfolk play to the stick makes me even more curious to see what exactly the story is of Earl's father. And the more we see of the town, a town that seems deep friend and crinkly around the edges, and almost completely lacking in southern hospitality, the more we see how rotten things are. The issue ends with a message being prepared by Coach Boss's tugs for Earl, one that isn't a peace offering. Earl continues to leave voicemails for a mystery woman, someone I hope we get some answers about soon. It's a great series, full of atmosphere and grit. Plus there's a recipe for deep friend apple pie from Jason Aaron's mom, which looks delicious. If a comic can also provide deliciousness, you know it's a keeper.

And as a final addition, check out this blog post from my coworker, Annie Gribbins. Annie brought her daughter to her first con a couple weeks back, Wizard World Philly, to meet Evan Peters, of X-Men: Days of Future Past and American Horror Story fame. It's a great post, and fun for a grizzled vetran like me to read the reaction of a first time con goer.