The Weekly Crisis - Comic Book Review Blog

UPDATED - Weekly Crisis Comic Book Reviews for 11/04/09

2009-11-07T13:23:00.000-04:00

The Weekly Crisis Comic Book Reviews gets back on schedule with a Wednesday set of reviews for a change. Things just kept piling up over the past few weeks since I took that trip to Toronto. Only managed a couple of quick reviews for you, one for Assault on New Olympus and another for Black Widow: Deadly Origin, but I'll be updating with the other two or three books I bought this week before the weekend for those looking for more reviews. Hit the jump to see what I thought of these two books.

UPDATE - Added reviews for Amazing Spider-Man, Secret Six, Ghost Riders: Heavens on Fire, & Deadpool Team-Up.

ASSAULT ON NEW OLYMPUS PROLOGUE #1
Written by Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente

Art by Rodney Buchemi

Assault on New Olympus begins here with what read more like a regular issue of Incredible Hercules than a prologue to a major (well, I'd like to think it's major, what with the whole "extinction of all life" as the central problem our heroes have to deal with) event which is both a good and a bad thing.

The good part is that Incredible Hercules is a comic you should be reading. The fact this issue has the same quality and charm as a regular issue of Incredible Hercules is more than enough reason to recommend it to someone. Add a Spider-Man that is actually fun to read to the mix and you've got the makings of a great issue.

In fact, the Spider-Man parts of the issue outshine the Hercules ones, from his kissing Hebe and the Spider Sense going off as Hercules sees him kissing his wife to his reference to the classic 'trapped under mountain of rubble', it was the first time Spider-Man had made me smile while reading his dialogue in a long, long time.

Other great parts dealt with Hebe finally slapping some sense into Hercules and everyone pointing out how he's a womanizer before the two finally reconciled. I'm not sold on the whole Herc settling down with one woman deal, especially after the romp with the Dark Elves in the Mighty Thorcules story that just wrapped up, but it was a well written moment that makes me want to see more between the two. Although, she did, up until recently, have a crazy stalker girl shrine to Herc and went off to lead a cult or something before ending up at the homeless shelter. Maybe Herc should stay a little clear of the crazy lady. But, then again, Wonder Girl did the same thing and is now hooking up with Superboy again, so who am I to judge?

However, getting back to the bad part of being 'just another iHerc issue' is that this one-shot lacked any kind of impact or snare for new readers, which I imagine was the whole point of making it an event like this and tossing Spider-Man, Wolverine and others into the mix instead of just restricting it to the pages of Incredible Hercules.

Personally, I look at Marvel's cosmic events of late for my standard for "prologue" issues. Annihilaton, Conquest and War of Kings each had a mind blowing setup in their prologue issues that provided ample reason for sticking with the event. Annihilation had the Annihilation Wave wipe out the Nova Corps and had Annihilus ride a wave of destruction into our universe, Conquest had the Phalanx take over the Kree homeworld and War of Kings had Black Bolt lead his people to the decimated Kree and conquered them while sparking a war between them and the Shi'ar.

While you don't have to have a big, jaw dropping reveal or universe altering moment in a prologue, there should be something unique and compelling that makes you want to keep reading that event no matter what. Assault on New Olympus had none of that. There was a short summary of events for new Herc readers, Hera hinting at what Continuum is (we still don't know what it physically is, just what it does) and how it will lead to the extinction of mankind. We needed some cold, hard facts here or some kind of demonstration of this threat, not platitudes and monologuing. Even that was limited to little more than a cameo by Hera and not even a focus to the issue, which was more about Herc fighting Spider-Man before getting back together with Hebe. That's great for an issue of Incredible Hercules, but lackluster in terms of an event prologue designed to sell new or casual readers on following this event.

One thing of note was that this was the first issue with the Agents of Atlas backup. I've tried to get into AoA a few times, but, outside of a few random moments or funny/awesome panels, it's just never clicked with me. As such, this backup really didn't do anything for me, though it did have a couple of those odd little panels that I like to spotlight in the Moments of the Week, such as a huge, ancient god speaking perfect English, which was commented on by the always sarcastic Gorilla Man only to have it explained as the creature speaking 'God', which everyone can understand. Never thought of it that way before, so was amused at the explanation.

Verdict - Check It. While I personally enjoyed the issue a great deal, I'm only giving it a Check It for the simple fact that it fails to accomplish what I perceived as the objective of the one-shot - to sell people on the concept of this new event and get new readers on board. Hercules fans and most that pick it up will likely enjoy the book, but enough to buy into an event?

BLACK WIDOW: DEADLY ORIGIN #1
Written by Paul Cornell

Art by Tom Raney & John Paul Leon

As someone who isn't overly familiar with Black Widow's origin, I've actually been looking forward to this, especially with Paul Cornell listed as the writer. It's not that I was unfamiliar with Black Widow, but I had just never really read or bothered to learn what her origin actually was outside of being a Russian superspy.

I'm happy to report that I was right - she is a Russian superspy. Go me. However, there is a bit more to it than that. For instance, I did not know she had a super soldier-like serum that's kept her young for all these years (she was born in the early 1900's). I imagine it's the same stuff that Nick Fury must have used, since he's as old as dirt, too, and still kicking and looking rather spry. Other than that, though, she's just your typical orphaned girl that grew up to become a spy for the Russians during the early World War era of history. She trained with people, went AWOL from her handlers and fought nazis. Pretty much everything I had expected or knew of her origin.

It seems the catch for this minseries is how Cornell is playing off present day shenanigens with things that happened in her past. It seems someone or, possibly due to the mission Black Widow started the book with, something has caused an "icepick protocal" to be activated on some Russian computer, which is purging Black Widow and her loved ones. This began with the death of Ivan, Natasha's father figure of sorts, and ends with Natasha vowing to hunt down whoever killed him and getting revenge.

Ivan's death, of course, segued into the 'origin sequence' of the book, which was, by far, my favourite part. Tom Raney does a serviceable job on the art chores for the present day part of the story, but John Paul Leon, channelling a style not unlike Tommy Lee Edwards (Marvel 1985). It was quite a surprise seeing this style of art and it really fit the type of story they were telling. Add some top notch panel composition, especially in regards to a sparring session between Wolverine (just Logan here) and a 12 year old Natasha as well as another sequence where a combination of the colouring and art really set off the focus for the action during a scene where Logan kills the young Natasha's handler. It's really hard to describe the latter one, but, as it's a relatively simple scene, it's just shocking at how effective the technique was.

However, it wasn't just the art during the origin section that impressed me. The way the origin was told and how it cut between time periods and even the inclusion of Logan, which didn't feel like a forced Wolverine appearance. They actually make reference to the old Uncanny X-Men issue with Wolverine and Black Widow in it, though you'd probably need to have read that issue to even notice as it's very subtle.

Which brings me to what I disliked about this issue - the present day framing sequence. I don't know why we need to have some overly dramatic spy thriller framing and tying into the origin. It feels contrived simply to give them a reason to tell the origin. Maybe the present day story will get better as the miniseries goes on, but at this point, I'd prefer if it had just been Cornell and Leon doing 22 pages of the flashbacks instead of adding in the present day happenings.

Verdict - Check It. More present day than actual origin story, which disappointed me, but the six or so pages of origin were fantastic, especially in terms of art. I like Black Widow, but have never really read her origin before, so was looking forward to that aspect. Wish it had been played up more than it was.

UPDATED - New reviews start here.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #610

Written by Marc Guggenheim

Art by Marco Chechetto and Luke Ross

Holy crap, did this ever go south fast. The first two parts of this story weren't especially great, but they did a decent job of reintroducing several aspects of the Clone Saga after Marvel's decade long ban of any and all mention of it outside of the Spider-Girl series, which still kept any mention of clones to a bare minimum for the most part. They even had an serviceable mystery plot that shed some light on Ben Reilly's and Kaine's past. The only down side, really, was the whole Raptor villain, but I was able to overlook him for the most part.

Jump back to this issue and it's just gone completely off the tracks. The big mystery fire that killed Raptor's family? As expected, it was due to Kaine's involvement in the past, but amounted to Ben Reilly throwing Kaine into a fire place, which happened to be off in some random room of the house for no apparent reason (anyone else keep a fireplace in the upstairs spare bedroom/storage/lab room and at a roaring pace when no one was in that room? No one? Just checking.). Absurdity of the location and Ben throwing Kaine into a lit fireplace aside, the rest of the mystery amounts to Ben confronting Raptor, punching him around a bit, Raptor begging Ben to spare his family and then Ben revealing that Raptor had already killed them while Ben was fighting Kaine. Yes, Raptor left the room after Kaine bust in to go slaughter his family and now blames Ben Reilly/Peter Parker for it.

But wait, it gets "better". Kaine, who has done everything in his life to help Peter Parker live the life he couldn't and hated Ben for being a better clone, is now working with Raptor in the present day because he believes the screw up doctor that hasn't done any science or lab work in years can help cure Kaine's clone degeneration. Kaine is a smart guy on a Peter Parker level. He should know Raptor is an idiot that injected himself with freaking dinosaur DNA and has no knowledge of cloning or the possible degeneration side effects, yet is only working for him so he can antagonize Peter and get his degeneration problem fixed.

On top of this, Kaine, who was willing to turn himself into the police so Peter would not reveal his identity during the Trial of Peter Parker (Kaine had framed Ben, but Peter was taking the fall for the same finger prints/looks) and changed his life to help Peter (even supposedly recovered Peter and MJ's baby, though that subplot was completely ignored with all things Clone Saga), yet here unmasks Spider-Man to that Z-list villain, Raptor, for shits and giggles.

Verdict - Avoid It. Just about everything about this conclusion was awful and I can't even put to words my disappointment with how this debacle turned out. They had a golden opportunity to reintroduce some of the better parts of the Clone Saga and turned into into a complete waste of paper. Even me, a Clone Saga fan, does not even want to see any more of this garbage if this is the best they can muster.

DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #899

Written by Fred Van Lente

Art by Dalibor Talajic

While there was no beer drinking contests with Thor and Wolverine, Hercules and Deadpool did end up going to Tijuana and got completely plastered whilst wearing ponchos and subreros and drinking tequilla with bloodshot eyes (Moment of the week? Definitely.), so I'll let the promised keg party that cover implied slide this time.

As for the rest of the content from this new Deadpool ongoing, all I can say is, combined with his work on Deadpool #900, Fred Van Lente should be writing a Deadpool book on a regular basis. He writes an acutally funny Deadpool and when Van Lente has him break the 4th wall, it's not just for a cheap gag, but actually flows with what is happening in the book. Too many times, writers seem to feel it's their job to make Deadpool break the 4th wall, but take no time to really think of a unique or funny way to do it. They just throw it in there at random and expect it to be funny for the simple fact that it breaks the 4th wall. Nice to see some actual thought go into its useage for a change.

On the plot side of things, Arcade and Nightmare team up to entrap Hercules and Deadpool. Arcade hates Deadpool because he's more popular than he is and is getting all the assassination contracts while Nightmare has issues with Herc. They lure both heroes to one of Arcade's Murderworlds, which is modified by Nightmare's powers, and that's the basis for the story. It works in so far as it brings Herc and Wade together, both of which play off each other surprisingly well.

Speaking of surprises, with Van Lente on writing chores, I was surprised to see Hercules acting more like older versions of the character. He wasn't speaking in Olde English or anything, but was, for lack of a better description, acting more like a Greek god than he does in his own book, which Van Lente co-writes. He was still Hercules, but his dialogue seemed off a bit. Nothing that overly distracted me from the story, but worth pointing out.

The only real disappointment I had with this issue was the art. Dalibor Talajic's art was average at best and I was honestly expecting something a little better from the first issue of a new series. It almost feels like they are literally cashing on Deadpool's surge in popularity and aren't even trying now, simply letting the book run on Deadpool's name alone. It had a rushed, Countdown-like feel to it. Backgrounds were, in most cases, non-existent or consisting of a solid colour background. The only good thing I can say is that I really enjoyed the facial expressions, such as Arcade's look when he sees Deadpool lobotomize himself.

Verdict - Buy It. An enjoyable, done-in-one tale that reminded me of the old Cable & Deadpool series (with Herc replacing Cable). I'm not sure if I'll stick with the ongoing, as Van Lente is only doing this first issue, but I'll be sure to check in on it from time to time whenever the story or creative team appeals to me.

GHOST RIDERS: HEAVENS ON FIRE #4

Written by Jason Aaron

Art by Roland Boschi
+ Enjoyed the issue, but felt like we didn't really go anywhere in terms of plot (more on this in the negatives). Curious about these villains, whom I have no knowledge of, and regret not having read the rest of the series (again, more on this in the negatives) after seeing them here.
+ Roland Boschi is really impressing me on the art for this title. You won't see his name mentioned with the McNiven's or Quitely's, but it's still very solid work with great expressions, detailed backgrounds and it's a very dark and moody look that lends itself well to the demons and other craziness of this book.
+ The last page with Kowalski/Vengence. He really is my new favourite character. He's just so over the top insane with a mad on for the Ghost Riders. Looking forward to seeing him in action next month.
- Felt like a "middle chapter", which, at issue four, it technically is, but I'm referring more to the middle chapter syndrome of modern day decompressed storytelling to fit trades. This is compounded by the fact the two Ghost Riders do not even show up in this issue (Danny and Johnny are shown in a one panel cameo) as the story focuses on the side characters. The big bad, Zadkiel, still has yet to make an appearance or really show any kind of presence in the book aside from the various Ghost Rider villains that have been recruited.
- I had no idea who either of the villains were nor what their powers were and was given no clear indication of what kind of threat they pose. For instance, there's a crazy guy with a child's bubble gun. The bubbles were fired, there was some dynamic panelling showing shock on Jane Cutter's face, but then she just punched the guy in the face. He later uses some kind of mind control/penance stare on her and I still don't know what happened. Was it just a regular bubble gun? Didn't need a wikipedia entry, but some kind of indication of their power/threat level would have been nice, but this is also an 'end of run' event aimed more at longtime readers than people like me jumping on right at the end, so I can't complain too much.

Verdict - Check It. The negatives seem to overpower this quick shot review, but I did enjoy this issue. I just felt that not much happened to drive this "event" (more of an extension of the now-cancelled Ghost Rider series) forward and I was a bit confused over the villains and their powers. However, I imagine longtime Ghost Rider readers are loving it as I'm still quite impressed with what I see here.

SECRET SIX #15

Written by John Ostrander

Art by Jim Calafiore

John Ostrander and Jim Calafiore take over for Gail Simone and Nikola Scott for a few issues starting with this Deadshot centric story. Ostrander wrote some definitive Suicide Squad stories in the 80's and is particularly associated with Deadshot, having fleshed out the mercenary's character throughout his run. It is for this reason that a lot of people have been anticipating this issue.

With that said, how was Ostrander's return to the character he is most associated with? It was good, but felt like a one-shot/filler issue. There are vague references to previous Secret Six stories, but it didn't read like an issue of Secret Six and felt like something out of Paul Dini's Streets of Gotham. Again, this isn't a bad thing, per se, but this isn't the same style of book that made my top 10 list of 10 Comics You Should be Reading either.

The issue revolves around Deadshot meeting an old pastor from his time in prison and discussing new urges to kill that are gradually overtaking him. There has been no indication of this behaviour seeded by Simone and he still felt quite carefree throughout the last arc. It also was set up so as to stem out of the death of Batman and Deadshot's history with the character and guilt from the death of his brother. He's apparently projecting the fact that his brother and Batman, both good people, died while he, a bad person, gets to live. It's a very safe story and ties into Deadshot's background that worked as a simple done-in-one character piece about Deadshot.

Speaking of Dini's Streets of Gotham, the urges to kill that Deadshot are feeling were illustrated identical to Dini's interpretation of Zsasz's urges to kill from that book with the shots of living people talking followed up with the same scene filled with how Zsasz would kill them and the panel coloured with blood red and black. In this case, Deadshot sees everyone shot or himself shooting up the location and the same blood red colouring. If I had not seen it with Streets of Gotham already, I'd probably be impressed with it. With how comics work, I imagine this was mere coincidence as these are written and drawn months in advance and this is handled by a different editor as well. Still, lessened the impact of what more than likely would have been a strong and original narrative if it had come first.

Verdict - Check It. Ostrander tells a safe character driven story that fleshes out Deadshot's past for readers unfamiliar with it, but it also reads unlike what Secret Six fans are accustomed to and is more like a one-shot for Deadshot than a continuation of the series. After the bombshell conclusion to last issue, I was disappointed there was no follow up here, too. All in all, a good story, but not up to typical Secret Six standards either.

Siege - Who Is Norman Osborn's Secret Weapon?

2009-11-06T17:09:00.002-04:00

Pictured from right to left, top to bottom: Odin (deceased), Beyonder, Scarlet Witch, Molecule Man, Thanos (deceased), X-Man (deceased; got better), Mephisto & Norman Osborn

Marvel released a couple of new Siege: The Cabal teasers today, which I found via Comic Book Resources and the first of which can you can see above (second after the jump), and the first one reminds me of the old One More Day teasers, which Marvel failed to deliver on in any way and was a complete cop out. Hit the jump for the other teaser and some thoughts on my part.

Teaser #1

As I said in the intro, this reminds me of the One More Day teaser. I imagine the same result will occur - none of the characters are Norman's "secret weapon" and it's a complete red herring by Marvel. But, for the sake of argument, let's say it's not complete nonsense and do some odds here.

Odin

Dead. Sure, people, gods and little ponies all come back to life in comics, but this one doesn't make a lick of sense. Why'd they even list him? Maybe they think with Thor losing the Odinforce, people would contemplate that power going somewhere else, possibly returning his father to life? Still, none of that really makes any sense in relation to why he'd work for Norman Osborn.

Odds - 1,000,000:1

The Beyonder

Not even sure what his status is these days. Bendis did reintroduce him in the Illuminati miniseries and he's shown as a thrall of the Molecule Man in the recent Dark Avengers (probably a fake created by MM though) and we won't even go into the retcons Bendis introduced and whether they are real or just something the Beyonder made the Illuminati believe, but, even so, why would the Beyonder work for Osborn?

Also, Doom wouldn't bow to the Beyonder in Secret Wars and would not fear him in any way (he'd acknowledge his power, but not serve/fear Osborn's retribution enough to join his Cabal). Bendis is hardly a stickler for these types of things and usually seeds his stories in advance, so maybe the Beyonder has a chance of being used, though it makes as much sense as Odin, meaning none.

Odds - 30:1

Scarlet Witch

She hasn't been seen, to my knowledge, since Hawkeye tracked her down (rest of the world couldn't, but freaking Hawkeye did?) and had sex with her. Bendis and Marvel amped up her powers for the whole No More Mutants/House of M event and her plot defying power could have been used to put Norman in power and possibly give pause to everyone on the Cabal.

However, I seriously doubt Loki would start impersonating her to form the Mighty Avengers nor would Emma Frost not tell anyone that the woman responsible for wiping out mutantkind is still alive and working for Norman Osborn. Also, do not know why she would work for Norman, but at least she makes some kind of sense compared to the first two.

Odds - 20:1

Molecule Man

Only character currently appearing in any comics and a Bendis written one at that. Norman seemed surprised to see Molecule Man at the end of the recent issue, so maybe he knows of him and his 'secret weapon' has turned on him?

Of all the people listed, Molecule Man is the only one that makes any sense as a possible threat to everyone on the Cabal. The one thing he does not have is the imposing stature of the shadowy figure Osborn introduced that everyone assumed to be the Sentry. Molecule Man's obvious choice nature also leads to his being the least likely.

Odds - 10:1

Thanos

He's dead. Doesn't stop him from being the secret weapon, but there's no rhyme or reason behind it either. Complete swerve thrown out by Marvel.

Odds - 500,000:1

X-Man

He's dead, but coming back to life in Dark X-Men, a Cabal oriented miniseries. He has godlike power, depending on who writes him, and could be a threat to everyone the Cabal consists of or could throw at him. Just doesn't really fit with how sudden he's returning, his relatively convuluted past nor how the Dark X-Men series has been described so far.

Odds - 250,000:1

Mephisto

Spider-Man made a deal with him recently that royally screwed his life up. Norman Osborn is a major part of Spider-Man's life. Norman's been living the good life since Peter made the deal with the devil. As pretty much everyone has speculated on already, maybe that deal is responsible for everything pertaining to Norman. Again, not sure why Mephisto would work/help Norman nor why Dr Doom would fear him when he's had brush ins with him before (Dr Strange/Dr Doom Triumph and Torment for one), but why sweat over little details in a big ticket event book from Marvel, it has to be him, assuming Marvel isn't pulling the wool over our eyes like usual.

Odds - 1:1

Teaser #2

Siege teaser image featuring Not-Superman

Sentry, right? Hard to imagine anyone else, but there's also the possibility of Clor, the MIA robot/clone/cyborg-thingy of Thor, who hasn't been seen since his appearance in Avengers: The Initiative, where he left Camp Hammond in search of the real Thor. Not sure who else flies, gets to be put in a Superman-like teaser image and is a Marvel character. Marvelman didn't really wear a cape, so no go on him.

My guess? Sentry one-shot or miniseries for Siege and unrelated to Osborn's secret character.

Thoughts?

What say you? Who in the teaser is Norman's "secret weapon"? Is it all a swerve? If it's not someone on that teaser, who do you think it is? Also, is the man in the second teaser the secret weapon or just the Sentry and advertising some other Siege related title?

Comic Book Review Power Rankings for 11/04/09

2009-11-05T19:34:00.004-04:00

It’s Thursday evening and you know what that means—it’s time to countdown the week’s best comics, or at least the comics that I picked up this week. Eight books made it home with me and I’ll be reviewing them all. All the way from A to Z…or more accurately although way from A (Amazing Spider-Man) to X (X-Men vs Agents of Atlas) and everywhere in between! But enough stalling—let’s get on to the Rankings!

For the uninitiated, the Comic Book Review Power Rankings is a countdown from worst-to-best of my weekly comic book haul. Before reading the issues, I preRank them based on the creative team, previous issues, solicitations, and gut instinct. The final Ranking number is based upon how the issues actually turned out. I attempt to keep everything as spoiler free as possible, but keep in mind that there may be the occasional minor spoiler that I overlook. As always, I can be reached via responses to this thread or at ryanreviews@gmail.com.

08. X-MEN VS. AGENTS OF ATLAS #2

Written by Jeff Parker

Art by Carlo Paguylayan, Gabriel Hardman, Chris Samnee, Carlos Rodriguez, Jason Paz, Terry Pallot, Wilfredo Quintana, and Veronica Gandini

Letters by Joe Caramagna

Cover by Adi Granov

preRanking: 05

• The brief battle between the X-Men and the Agents of Atlas wraps up in the second issue of the aptly-named X-Men vs. Agents of Atlas this week as Namor makes it clear to everyone that this was all just one big misunderstanding.

• This was really just a whirlwind of action and quipping, as the incredibly light story doesn’t offer room for much else—at least not until the surprise backup story that ties everything into the Assault on New Olympus storyline. This felt a bit forced, but I also haven’t been reading Agents of Atlas, so perhaps the seeds for this have been building for a while.

• I liked the “flashback” story from the previous issue, which seemed to be little more than a fluffy backup, actually tied-into the main story. The explanation for this is a bit hazy because of the unfocused nature of the writing, but it was still a cool swerve.

• I really liked seeing Namor showing off his authority. It’s been far too long since I’ve seen him written as such a commanding presence.

• There are simply too many artists working on this issue. I understanding having different artists on the “flashback” and the backup stories, but the main story becomes far too incoherent because there are too many cooks in the kitchen.

• That being said, Chris Samnee rocks pretty hard during the flashback sequence. His open line work is full of energy and personality, plus the coloring by Veronica Gandini is the perfect fit for this style.

Verdict: Read with Caution. Unless you are a huge fan of the Agents of Atlas or you plan on following Assault on New Olympus very closely, you can take a pass on this one. It’s fun for the action, but there really isn’t anything else here (other than the awesome art by Chris Samnee); and, quite frankly, there are better action books out there this week.

07. BLACK WIDOW: DEADLY ORIGIN #1

Written by Paul Cornell

Art by Tom Raney, Scott Hannah, Matt Milla, and Jean Paul Leon

Letters by Cory Petit

Cover by Adi Granov

preRanking: 07

• Just in time to start building hype for her appearance in the upcoming Iron Man 2 movie, Paul Cornell and Company take a look at Black Widow’s origins in this issue (bet you didn’t see that coming did you?).

• Widow’s origin story is framed with a present day story that follows the titular character as she reacts to her father figure, Ivan, is killed after something called the Ice Pick Protocol has been activated. Fro there its off to pre-World War II Russia where we see how she was raised and her first encounters with Wolverine and the Winter Soldier.

• The writing is fast and loose. There isn’t a ton of personality in the dialogue, as Cornell focuses more on building character through the situations that Black Widow faced during her childhood. This one is certainly more about plot than character.

• The briskness of how Natalia’s early years make them a bit hard to follow, especially when Russian politics and militaristic maneuvering is involved. It’s all interesting stuff, but Cornell doesn’t give it much time to develop.

• I did dig how Widow is linked early on to future allies Wolverine and Bucky—especially since it is very likely that the two will become embroiled in her search for answers about the Ice Pick Protocol.

• Tom Raney and Jean Paul Leon share the art chores, focusing on the present day and flashbacks respectively. Both artists face a major problem with consistency.

• Raney’s take on Black Widow is all over the place. Her age, build, hair style, and facial features seem to shift from page to page. If you were to look at two scenes simultaneously, you’d never guess that it was supposed to be the same character in the same time period.

• Leon does some cool stuff with the flashbacks, as he mixes up styles from scene to scene. This seems to be a conscious shift as his 7 pages cover a large time frame, but unfortunately, because so little time is spent on each scene, the shifts are incredibly jarring and the effectiveness of this style never really takes hold.

Verdict: Check It. While I’m very harsh on the specifics of this issue, I will say that it was still pretty enjoyable in the long run. The framing device and mystery surrounding Ivan’s death is a good choice for revisiting Black Widow’s origins and makes the character all the more intriguing. Unfortunately, the pacing is almost too brisk to be effective and the haphazard nature of the art keeps this issue from fulfilling its potential.

06. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #610

Written by Marc Guggenheim

Art by Marco Checchetto, Luke Ross, Rick Magyar, Fabio D’Auria, and Jeromy Cox

Letters by Joe Caramagna

Cover by Adi Granov

preRanking: 06

• Marc Guggenheim’s final story as part of the Amazing Spider-Man Brain Trust comes to a close this week with an all out brawl between Spider-Man, Raptor, and Kaine inside Aunt May’s house.

• If you are looking for lots of punching, then this is probably the issue for you. In both the main story and the flashbacks, there isn’t a lot more going on in this issue than the characters punching one another and causing all sorts of destruction.

• While I’m glad to see that Raptor’s irrationality is explained a bit more in the flashbacks, I still feel that the villains act far too one-dimensionally here. It would be different if the real Ben Reilly made an appearance, but in the end, I don’t feel that the mistaken identity end of this story can really serve as the backbone for the entire conflict.

• Screwball’s appearance in the midst of the fight was a lot of fun. As annoyed as I was with the character when she was first introduced, she is really starting to grow on me. I think there is a lot of the opportunity for the character if she were to drop being strictly a villain and move more into being an opportunist that will take either side for the sake of web-ratings.

• The art was a big step up in this issue in terms of quality and consistency. Both artists did a much better job with the action, but still broke down a bit when things got really chaotic. Also, while I know that this story builds off of stories from the 90s, I see no reason that the art should look like it stepped out of 1994.

• I’m still a bit confused by the lack of damage to Aunt May’s house in the epilogue. After that huge battle, including Raptor lighting stuff on fire, shouldn’t it be a bit more beat up?

Verdict: Check It. I will give this story kudos for ending stronger than it started, with all involved stepping up their game. Unfortunately, between the lack of a real resolution, the major plot holes, and the dated looking art, the stronger effort can only carry this issue so far. It’s too bad considering Guggenheim has been the strongest member of the ASM writing team; I would have much rather seen him go out on a better story.

05. THE BOYS #36

Written by Garth Ennis

Art by Darick Robertson and Tony Avina

Letters by Simon Bowland

Cover by Darick Robertson

preRanking: 08

• Having revealed his earliest years last issue, The Boys continues its exploration of Mother’s Milk’s origin in this issue, focusing on an early outing between Milk and Butcher as the two attempt to retrieve Milk’s daughter from her mother and some crazy cracked out dudes.

• This issue answers a lot of questions about Milk that began developing in the earliest issues of the series and adds some depth to the character.

• I’m glad we are getting to see glimpses of a more “human” side to Butcher—both in his attempts to help Milk, but also in his bruised pride after the massive beatdown he faces here.

• The solid pacing adds a lot of weight to the story. Garth Ennis perfectly positions the scenes to maximize the emphasis on important points.

• The biggest problem is that the story completely breaks down in the final pages as Milk compares his disillusionment with the team to the Brooklyn Bridge (which, in The Boys’ universe was destroyed on 9/11). I get the overall idea for what he is trying to say, but the specifics of the comments simply don’t make that much sense.

• I like the strong relationship between the writing and the art in this issue. Ennis backs off when its best for Darick Robertson to be the main story teller. This is a refreshing change of pace, especially since there have been so many weak fill-ins on the art for this series lately.

• It seems like Robertson might be switching gears with his art a bit here. He is using smoother lines and drawing much rounder characters. It is a subtle change, but if are really used to his usual style, it can be a bit jarring.

Verdict: Check It. This is one of the strongest issues for The Boys this year and would have easily jumped into Buy It status if not for the poor execution of the last few pages. So much of the issue builds up to that moment that its failure reflects poorly on the issue as a whole. Still, it is a good reminder of how strong this series used to be and promises some interesting twists in the future for this once-great series.

04. CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN #4

Written by Ed Brubaker

Art by Bryan Hitch, Butch Guice, and Paul Mounts

Letters by Joe Caramagna

Covers by Various

preRanking: 02

• The story in Captain America: Reborn picks up in a HUGE way this week as Sharon Carter’s role in returning Steve Rogers from his time displacement is revealed and the villainous team of Zola, Dr. Doom, and the Red Skull make a major power play.

• It still isn’t really clear to me how this time displacement stuff works, especially in regards to Steve’s body and it continues to get glossed over in a lot ways here. While I would like more answers, I think it is best just not to focus on it.

• The interaction between the villains was a lot of fun, especially when the Red Skull and his crew arrive in Latveria. It was a lot of fun seeing him and Dr. Doom attempt to one-up one another.

• Really, though, all of Ed Brubaker’s character work is just phenomenal. There isn’t a single character in this issue that isn’t fantastically written.

• Bryan Hitch seems to be playing around with his art styles a lot in this issue. Each scene brings something different, which has varying degrees of success. I’d much rather have seem him stick to just a few styles like he had in the last few issues—one for Cap in the past and one for the present. I think it would have made the issue that much more coherent.

• I did absolutely love the amazing spread of Cap’s time displacement, which features him surrounded by memories and past events. It is definitely one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen Hitch draw.

Verdict: Buy It. This series was off to a very, very rocky start, but the last two issues have been great. This issue features the biggest advancement in the plot and answers a lot of questions that have been lingering since Steve was “killed” a few years back. If you’ve been following the Captain America saga since then, this is building up to be a great payoff and, this issue in particular, features some of Ed Brubaker’s best superhero character work.

03. NOVA #31

Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning

Art by Andrea Divito and Bruno Hang

Letters by Cory Petit

Cover by Brandon Peterson

preRanking: 04

• Just in case you didn’t get enough Nova last week (and really, who can ever get enough Nova?), another issue dropped this week, this time following the titular hero as he tracks down his fugitive friend Darkhawk, who is wanted for the murder of Lilandra during War of Kings. Meanwhile, the members of the Nova Corps don’t too kindly to being knocked down the ranks for retraining under the new Nova Corps drill sergeant.

• I would probably been even more excited about this had I read War of Kings: Ascension, which explains Darkhawk’s relationship to the Raptors (not to be confused with the lame villain from this week’s Spider-Man or the lame basketball team from Toronto).

• As it stands though, I still really dug this one thanks to the awesome character work from Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. Every character is a joy to read and the interaction between everyone is phenomenal, whether it be Nova and Darkhawk dealing with their past or the cadets attempting to cope with their new status quo.

• The pacing in this issue worked really well to build up towards the shocking ending. You can sense something big about to happen, but it’s so easy to get wrapped up in Nova’s chase after Darkhawk that you forget about how unstable their location is.

• I’m glad to see the writers tying this story not only to the War of Kings events, but also to Darkhawk and Nova’s involvement in Secret Invasion. It makes the issue feel like the story has been building for a long time and adds some weight to the conflict.

• Andrea Divito does a wonderful job here. The art works especially well during action sequences thanks to the fluidity, strong layouts, and varied perspectives. Divito also does a great job at handling the various races and species present in the issue.

• The only complain I have about the art is the lack of depth. Everything looks really flat at times, which is partially due to the limited backgrounds. More work done on this aspect would really elevate the look of the issue.

Verdict: Must Read. Even without having a ton of knowledge about Darkhawk’s situation, I found myself completely enthralled by this issue. The strong character work sucks you, while the fast paced action and interesting twists keeps you begging for more. Andrea Divito tops it off with a strong effort with the art. After slightly disappointing me last week, this series bounces back in a big way here.

02. ULTIMATE COMICS: SPIDER-MAN #4

Written by Brian Michael Bendis

Art by David Lafuente and Justin Ponsor

Letters by Cory Petit

Cover by David Lafuente and Justin Ponsor

preRanking: 01

• Just when it seems like things couldn’t get any weirder for Ultimate Spider-Man, Mary Jane makes a very interesting confession to our hero, Johnny Storm makes an equally as interesting decision, and Mysterio keeps things interesting with an attack on New York.

• It’s great to see Brian Michael Bendis branching away from the 616 storylines and taking the characters into new directions here with fun twists like Johnny Storm wanting a secret identity or the Gwen/MJ/Peter love triangle.

• The dialogue in this issue is amazing. It’s clean, fast-paced, and full of personality. Bendis really understands the mindset of the characters and, despite the extraordinary circumstances, writes them convincingly well.

• The balance between Spider-Man’s adventures and Peter’s personal life works really well and I’m glad to see that neither one overpowers the other. Both are really interesting and at no time do I wish that one side was shown more often than the other.

• As much as I was on the fence about Mysterio before, his involvement in this issue was top-notched. It was telegraphed a bit, but still played out great to help elevate the character.

• David Lafuente’s art is so perfect for this series. He brings so much life and energy to the characters, with a crisp, modern flair that simply fits. I can’t imagine any artists that would do a better job (except perhaps Adrian Alphona, maybe?).

• Lafuente utilizes some very interesting layouts in the issue. Everything is grid-based, so there aren’t any overlapping panels, but he sets them up interesting ways, especially on his spreads. It’s very cool, very inventive, but, most importantly, very readable.

Verdict: Must Read. I’ll keep it simple with this one. The worse part about Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man is that it isn’t the Spidey book that is released thrice monthly—once a month simply isn’t enough for this spectacular series.

01. SECRET SIX #15

Written by John Ostrander

Art by Jim Calafiore and Jason Wright

Letters by Travis Lanham

Cover by Daniel Luvisi

preRanking: 03

• Gail Simone has done such a brilliant job with this series that I approached this issue with some hesitation. Yes, Deadshot is the character that John Ostrander is perhaps best known for, but I was still cautious with my favorite mainstream monthly book being in the hands of another writer. This was very, very, very foolish of me.

• This issue is an awesome look into the mind of Deadshot, who reaches out to the former clergyman of Belle Reve after he feels that he is out of control with his homicidal tendencies.

• Ostrander does an amazing job of fleshing out and adding more depth to Deadshot without alienating his cold-blooded core.

• I love the parallels that Ostrander makes between Deadshot and Batman, including their origins and their early connections. That is a very cool move that isn’t excessively heavy-handed.

• This issue shows a great approach to retcons. Ostrander isn’t necessarily reinventing or reinterpreting the character, but rather just reevaluating him. He is breaking down what makes Deadshot tick, then building from there.

• Jim Calafiore has been one of my favorite underrated artists for some time now and he does not let me down here. His anatomy has a touch of realism that fuses well with the standard superhero conventions. Its more of the same here.

• Calafiore’s panel progression is always strong and this issue is no different with great layouts and strong storytelling.

• How awesome was the “Deadshot vision” that allowed for the art to unveil bits of Deadshot’s psyche without having to rely on the writing?

• I like the sense of depth that Jason Wright adds with the colors. His shadows are impressive and keep Calafiore from having to use heavy blacks, which wouldn’t work well with this style.

Verdict: Must Read. John Ostrander proves that he hasn’t lost a beat with his signature character in this excellent story that does wonders at getting into Deadshot’s psyche. Ostrander builds a perfect bridge from his classic interpretation of the character to Gail Simone’s current take while adding more depth to Deadshot than I think has ever been presented before. When you add in the stellar work by Jim Calafiore, you’ve got not only the best book of the week, but also one of the stronger issues of the year and Secret Six’s unprecedented 7th Book of the Week honor for 2009.