Marvel SPOILERS - Books Shipping Dec 17th

[lighthouse]

I joked in another thread I might start doing this after the first of the year, but since I have a little free time on a Wednesday and I am tired of prepping for the year-end inventory... here goes...

 

THIS THREAD CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!!!!!!

 

The advance books for next week are:

 

Captain Marvel 17 - medium spoilers

Daredevil 55 - very mild spoilers

Exiles 39 - medium spoilers

Fantastic Four 508 - HOLY [!@#%^&^] SPOILERS

New X-Men 150 - medium spoilers

Runaways 9 - very mild spoilers

Spidey / Doc Ock 2 - this one spoiled before it left the presses

Uncanny X-Men 435 - medium spoilers

Wolverine 9 - no spoilers

X-Treme X-Men 37 - no spoilers

 

These won't be the only Marvel books shipping next week, of course, but they are the ones I received copies of...

 

Captain Marvel 17

 

This title has been hit or miss for me for most of the last 4 years. When Peter David brings his "A" game he's one of the best writers around (Skippy The Jedi Droid), but he's also more than capable of going through the motions. Some of his Aquaman stuff was as exciting as a Facts Of Life retrospective, and his work on Hulk was hardly consistent.

 

He's been pushing the last few months to try to make this title more grandiose, and it's pretty evident in this issue. We get more buildup to the upcoming Skrull-Kree-Marv slugfest, although it's all posturing at this stage. Rick Jones does his best to be a real character instead of a plot-device, but that's a tough gig. The bulk of this issue is a brawl between Marv and Phyla, his (sister?) who may be from an alternate timeline. Marv remembers her, but doesn't. He recognizes her, but doesn't. Mostly it's an excuse for lots of shots of the two of them between slammed into buildings while they do their best Smothers Brothers' "mom liked you best" routine. The issue closes with Marv trying to send her (and his mother) back to whatever timeline they came from and getting sucked in with them.

 

Issue was okay... but there's still a little too much "Hey come watch me brood!" for my taste...

 

Daredevil 55

 

A lot of folks don't care for David Mack's work. And I am the first to admit I have to be in the right mood to read it. But like Frank Miller's Sin City stuff, I think Mack's work will more than stand the test of time. One of those creative works that really won't be fully appreciated until years down the road. I hate reading his stuff in pamphlet form, because he uses the page like it's a multimedia canvas. And the interruption of advertising affects his work a lot more than most. Mack's layouts are designed to be fluid from one page to the next, keeping a mood, and seeing a "Crazyworld" ad in the middle of it makes that tough.

 

This is the fifth part of the "Echo" story arc, and it brings closure to the story. I can't really spoil anything here, other than the fact that no one dies. But the final kiss between DD and Maya was very well done. As much as I enjoyed seeing Maya as a badass assassin, this stuff is good too...

 

Exiles 39

 

As much as I prefer the Judd Winick work on this title, it's hard to argue with lines like:

 

"Yeah, that's a healthy relationship in the making. She's just kissing her dead boyfriend, you know!"

 

One great thing about the Exiles concept is that the writers can do virtually anything they want ( a la What If?) but also get the joy of continuity. So we can follow the group of heroes from world to world interacting with strange versions of themselves and still have a long-term story to follow. The version of Spider-Man in this sequence is insufferable fluff and I have no idea why he is included. But Hyperion shows himself to be the kind of nightmare every writer loves to have. When's the last time you got to see a guy kill Wolverine, Mystique and Magneto all in the span of one issue? Good stuff...

 

Second best exchange in the issue:

 

Hyperion: You cannot defeat me.

Magneto: Everyone has an Achilles heel!

Hyperion: Only Achilles had an Achilles heel.

 

Fantastic Four 508

 

Gee... They thought Doom went away... they were wrong... That's a first...

 

I hate the cover art on this issue, but after reading the story I can't even remember why I care about the cover. We closed last issue with Doom returning from hell and possessing Sue and all her powers. The anticipated brawl ensues as the FF try to stop Doom without hurting Sue, while keeping Fury and the military at bay. Doom is less than pleased with what Reed has done to his country in his absence.

 

Mark Waid writes a heckuva fight scene, as Doom battles the FF first as Sue, then Johnny, and finally Ben, possessing each in turn. There's some great one-liners, including Ben's amazement that Doom doesn't watch Trading Spaces (since clearly he would have known Reed was gonna redecorate the mansion if he did), and a quip from Johnny that siblings everywhere will understand "What, like my sister and I haven't already fought, like, a million times? It must suck being an only child!"

 

Even though I get advance word about books, I still wasn't prepared for the outcome here, as Doom possesses Ben and breaks Johnny over his knee, preparing to crush him like glass if Reed doesn't kill him. The artwork on that page is flatout stunning. Reed tries to get through to Ben, convince him to fight off Doom's control. And eventually Ben is able to summon enough strength to tell Reed to kill him.

 

And he does...

 

Not a hoax, not a dream... As the epilogue to the story shows, it really does happen. Reed kills Ben... It's gonna be a long 30 days waiting for the next issue...

 

New X-Men 150

 

The "conclusion" to the current storyline. Featuring the return of some characters who have been away for a while. I hate to say this, but I think Grant Morrison is losing his touch. His work on JLA was compelling and his early run on this title was great, but the writing here is sloppier than it should be. I think he has gotten caught up in the same trap that so many X-writers fall into. There are so many compelling characters available that it's just too tempting to use too many of them.

 

The issue really doesn't flow the way it should, and sounds better in summary than in the actual execution. That's a shame.

 

We get the return of Jean-Phoenix. We get some great fight sequences. A couple characters die. And we get a great splash page of Wolverine decapitating Magneto-Xorn. But it just doesn't flow as a story. And the ending epilogue, 150 years in the future, when the Phoenix egg is rediscovered, feels hollow...

 

For an anniversary issue, this should have been better.

 

Runaways 9

 

It's hard to write about just one issue of this title because it just reads so much better in trade form. Two kisses. On fight scene. Two characters revealed to be not what they seem. I like the less dramatic background art, although it could use more consistency in the texturing. This is one of those books that I really hope it keeps going, because Vaughan has no intentions of giving us a quick solution to anything...

 

Spidey / Doc Ock 2

 

It's not the absolute worst cover ever, but I hate it almost that much. Doc Ock looks like a store fixture at Wal-Mart that someone put cargo pants on.

 

Strangely enough, the interior art bothers me even more, although I suppose it actually demonstrates more talent. Why the hell does Doc Ock have suction cups on the inside of his arms like a squid? Yeah, he's like an octopus. I get that. But the suction cups scream Batman 1966...

 

The opening scene in the bank vault is drawn pretty well. But the following pages at the Army Center are horrible! Joanna could draw far better than that! Spidey is drawn as a stick in one scene, then like himself, then he looks like a 350lb offensive lineman. It's terrible! I would scan that panel for you (where he says "That's all ya got?"), but I am afraid my scanner would spontaneously combust in a desperate attempt to save creation!

 

The next page looks almost as bad as the Berzerker 1 cover, then we get 12-feet-tall jarhead-Spidey. And you know what? It gets worse from there! Spidey gets his ankle trapped under a fallen beam and his ankle is drawn smaller than a breadstick at Olive Garden, then in the very next panel he's back to weighing 350lbs and doing squats again... Two pages later he has the combo package, stick figure ankles and wrists to go with his 55-inch waist... I liked forced perspective as much as the next guy, but there are panels in this book you have to see to believe.

 

There's probably a story going on in this issue, but I honestly think I am going to cancel all my orders for issues 3-5, and tell my subscribers that I won't sell them the book. It's the least I can do for the industry.

 

Uncanny X-Men 435

 

Buy those early Squidboy appearances now... You know he's the next Wolverine!

 

Three act play, here... First act has about 9 million words in just a few pages. Second act has a kick butt fight between Juggernaut and Rhino. Third act has about 8 million more words in the aftermath of the fight.

 

Fluffy, but good...

 

And worth it for the sex scene between Juggernaut and She-Hulk, which is preceded by one of the best flirtation exchanges between a hero and villain I have seen in a while. The little background details as they bask in the afterglow are priceless...

 

Wolverine 9

 

I actually am not reading this yet, since I haven't read issue 8 yet, and I am enjoying Rucka's work enough that I don't want to spoil it for myself...

 

X-Treme X-Men 37

 

I tried to read this issue, I really did... I am a big fan of books with heavy dialogue. I handsold Powers 1 when it came out on the strength of the dialogue. But I really think Claremont has lost his touch, and probably lost it years ago. I just don't find this book compelling enough to sit through. And he doesn't make the process easy. I don't need fight scenes on every page, I read plenty of books that don't ever involve any violence. But this title, and this issue in particular, just doesn't flow for me...

 

 

Well that's it for next week's Marvels. If I get some response to this I will probably keep doing it. If not I may do it anyway.

 

'House

 

[Darthdiesel]

[FlyingDonut]

I joked in another thread I might start doing this after the first of the year, but since I have a little free time on a Wednesday and I am tired of prepping for the year-end inventory... here goes...

 

THIS THREAD CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!!!!!!

 

The advance books for next week are:

 

Captain Marvel 17 - medium spoilers

Daredevil 55 - very mild spoilers

Exiles 39 - medium spoilers

Fantastic Four 508 - HOLY [!@#%^&^] SPOILERS

New X-Men 150 - medium spoilers

Runaways 9 - very mild spoilers

Spidey / Doc Ock 2 - this one spoiled before it left the presses

Uncanny X-Men 435 - medium spoilers

Wolverine 9 - no spoilers

X-Treme X-Men 37 - no spoilers

 

These won't be the only Marvel books shipping next week, of course, but they are the ones I received copies of...

 

Captain Marvel 17

 

This title has been hit or miss for me for most of the last 4 years. When Peter David brings his "A" game he's one of the best writers around (Skippy The Jedi Droid), but he's also more than capable of going through the motions. Some of his Aquaman stuff was as exciting as a Facts Of Life retrospective, and his work on Hulk was hardly consistent.

 

He's been pushing the last few months to try to make this title more grandiose, and it's pretty evident in this issue. We get more buildup to the upcoming Skrull-Kree-Marv slugfest, although it's all posturing at this stage. Rick Jones does his best to be a real character instead of a plot-device, but that's a tough gig. The bulk of this issue is a brawl between Marv and Phyla, his (sister?) who may be from an alternate timeline. Marv remembers her, but doesn't. He recognizes her, but doesn't. Mostly it's an excuse for lots of shots of the two of them between slammed into buildings while they do their best Smothers Brothers' "mom liked you best" routine. The issue closes with Marv trying to send her (and his mother) back to whatever timeline they came from and getting sucked in with them.

 

Issue was okay... but there's still a little too much "Hey come watch me brood!" for my taste...

 

Daredevil 55

 

A lot of folks don't care for David Mack's work. And I am the first to admit I have to be in the right mood to read it. But like Frank Miller's Sin City stuff, I think Mack's work will more than stand the test of time. One of those creative works that really won't be fully appreciated until years down the road. I hate reading his stuff in pamphlet form, because he uses the page like it's a multimedia canvas. And the interruption of advertising affects his work a lot more than most. Mack's layouts are designed to be fluid from one page to the next, keeping a mood, and seeing a "Crazyworld" ad in the middle of it makes that tough.

 

This is the fifth part of the "Echo" story arc, and it brings closure to the story. I can't really spoil anything here, other than the fact that no one dies. But the final kiss between DD and Maya was very well done. As much as I enjoyed seeing Maya as a badass assassin, this stuff is good too...

 

Exiles 39

 

As much as I prefer the Judd Winick work on this title, it's hard to argue with lines like:

 

"Yeah, that's a healthy relationship in the making. She's just kissing her dead boyfriend, you know!"

 

One great thing about the Exiles concept is that the writers can do virtually anything they want ( a la What If?) but also get the joy of continuity. So we can follow the group of heroes from world to world interacting with strange versions of themselves and still have a long-term story to follow. The version of Spider-Man in this sequence is insufferable fluff and I have no idea why he is included. But Hyperion shows himself to be the kind of nightmare every writer loves to have. When's the last time you got to see a guy kill Wolverine, Mystique and Magneto all in the span of one issue? Good stuff...

 

Second best exchange in the issue:

 

Hyperion: You cannot defeat me.

Magneto: Everyone has an Achilles heel!

Hyperion: Only Achilles had an Achilles heel.

 

Fantastic Four 508

 

Gee... They thought Doom went away... they were wrong... That's a first...

 

I hate the cover art on this issue, but after reading the story I can't even remember why I care about the cover. We closed last issue with Doom returning from hell and possessing Sue and all her powers. The anticipated brawl ensues as the FF try to stop Doom without hurting Sue, while keeping Fury and the military at bay. Doom is less than pleased with what Reed has done to his country in his absence.

 

Mark Waid writes a heckuva fight scene, as Doom battles the FF first as Sue, then Johnny, and finally Ben, possessing each in turn. There's some great one-liners, including Ben's amazement that Doom doesn't watch Trading Spaces (since clearly he would have known Reed was gonna redecorate the mansion if he did), and a quip from Johnny that siblings everywhere will understand "What, like my sister and I haven't already fought, like, a million times? It must suck being an only child!"

 

Even though I get advance word about books, I still wasn't prepared for the outcome here, as Doom possesses Ben and breaks Johnny over his knee, preparing to crush him like glass if Reed doesn't kill him. The artwork on that page is flatout stunning. Reed tries to get through to Ben, convince him to fight off Doom's control. And eventually Ben is able to summon enough strength to tell Reed to kill him.

 

And he does...

 

Not a hoax, not a dream... As the epilogue to the story shows, it really does happen. Reed kills Ben... It's gonna be a long 30 days waiting for the next issue...

 

New X-Men 150

 

The "conclusion" to the current storyline. Featuring the return of some characters who have been away for a while. I hate to say this, but I think Grant Morrison is losing his touch. His work on JLA was compelling and his early run on this title was great, but the writing here is sloppier than it should be. I think he has gotten caught up in the same trap that so many X-writers fall into. There are so many compelling characters available that it's just too tempting to use too many of them.

 

The issue really doesn't flow the way it should, and sounds better in summary than in the actual execution. That's a shame.

 

We get the return of Jean-Phoenix. We get some great fight sequences. A couple characters die. And we get a great splash page of Wolverine decapitating Magneto-Xorn. But it just doesn't flow as a story. And the ending epilogue, 150 years in the future, when the Phoenix egg is rediscovered, feels hollow...

 

For an anniversary issue, this should have been better.

 

Runaways 9

 

It's hard to write about just one issue of this title because it just reads so much better in trade form. Two kisses. On fight scene. Two characters revealed to be not what they seem. I like the less dramatic background art, although it could use more consistency in the texturing. This is one of those books that I really hope it keeps going, because Vaughan has no intentions of giving us a quick solution to anything...

 

Spidey / Doc Ock 2

 

It's not the absolute worst cover ever, but I hate it almost that much. Doc Ock looks like a store fixture at Wal-Mart that someone put cargo pants on.

 

Strangely enough, the interior art bothers me even more, although I suppose it actually demonstrates more talent. Why the hell does Doc Ock have suction cups on the inside of his arms like a squid? Yeah, he's like an octopus. I get that. But the suction cups scream Batman 1966...

 

The opening scene in the bank vault is drawn pretty well. But the following pages at the Army Center are horrible! Joanna could draw far better than that! Spidey is drawn as a stick in one scene, then like himself, then he looks like a 350lb offensive lineman. It's terrible! I would scan that panel for you (where he says "That's all ya got?"), but I am afraid my scanner would spontaneously combust in a desperate attempt to save creation!

 

The next page looks almost as bad as the Berzerker 1 cover, then we get 12-feet-tall jarhead-Spidey. And you know what? It gets worse from there! Spidey gets his ankle trapped under a fallen beam and his ankle is drawn smaller than a breadstick at Olive Garden, then in the very next panel he's back to weighing 350lbs and doing squats again... Two pages later he has the combo package, stick figure ankles and wrists to go with his 55-inch waist... I liked forced perspective as much as the next guy, but there are panels in this book you have to see to believe.

 

There's probably a story going on in this issue, but I honestly think I am going to cancel all my orders for issues 3-5, and tell my subscribers that I won't sell them the book. It's the least I can do for the industry.

 

Uncanny X-Men 435

 

Buy those early Squidboy appearances now... You know he's the next Wolverine!

 

Three act play, here... First act has about 9 million words in just a few pages. Second act has a kick butt fight between Juggernaut and Rhino. Third act has about 8 million more words in the aftermath of the fight.

 

Fluffy, but good...

 

And worth it for the sex scene between Juggernaut and She-Hulk, which is preceded by one of the best flirtation exchanges between a hero and villain I have seen in a while. The little background details as they bask in the afterglow are priceless...

 

Wolverine 9

 

I actually am not reading this yet, since I haven't read issue 8 yet, and I am enjoying Rucka's work enough that I don't want to spoil it for myself...

 

X-Treme X-Men 37

 

I tried to read this issue, I really did... I am a big fan of books with heavy dialogue. I handsold Powers 1 when it came out on the strength of the dialogue. But I really think Claremont has lost his touch, and probably lost it years ago. I just don't find this book compelling enough to sit through. And he doesn't make the process easy. I don't need fight scenes on every page, I read plenty of books that don't ever involve any violence. But this title, and this issue in particular, just doesn't flow for me...

 

 

Well that's it for next week's Marvels. If I get some response to this I will probably keep doing it. If not I may do it anyway.

 

'House

 

Having read FF 508 - Whoo hoo whoo hoo whoo hooo whoo hoo!

[uluru]

 

[Jagull]

 

now i need to pick up the next Fan4

 

now how many more issues until Mahneto returns?

-__________-

[RTBrandy]

**********X-Treme X-Men 37

 

I tried to read this issue, I really did... I am a big fan of books with heavy dialogue. I handsold Powers 1 when it came out on the strength of the dialogue. But I really think Claremont has lost his touch, and probably lost it years ago. I just don't find this book compelling enough to sit through. And he doesn't make the process easy. I don't need fight scenes on every page, I read plenty of books that don't ever involve any violence. But this title, and this issue in particular, just doesn't flow for me...

 

 

Well that's it for next week's Marvels. If I get some response to this I will probably keep doing it. If not I may do it anyway.***************************

 

 

At the risk of having to kick my own [!@#%^&^], I agree here. This title is compostable_fertilizer. I'm re-reading it from the start, and I'm pretty sure it's always been compostable_fertilizer. Claremont is a King, but this title just sucks. I don't even know why I'm reading it.......

[chrisco37]

House, just wanted to say thanks for the "Spoiler Alert". Being a big FF fan, I can't wait to see how "Authoritative Action" will play out. I purposely avoided reading this thread b/c of the "Holy &%$^%$^%$ Spoiler". I was at my LCS yesterday, and they let me read their advance copy and, boy, were you right! That was Holy %$@%^$# all the way! It was a great issue! I couldn't believe it; I think I almost cried.

 

I'm so glad that Waid didn't leave the book. I really enjoy his take on the FF. The title is better than it's been in 20 years. I really thing Waid's run will go down as one of the top runs. Equal to Simonson's and Byrne's. Another great line (besides the one's you mentioned) was when Doom had taken control of Johnny and was fleeing to go to his armory, "Richards, you egomanic....". ! Talk about the pot and the kettle!

 

But, what about Doom? Is that the last we'll ever see of the Lord of Latveria. (Yeah, right!)

 

Chris

[lighthouse]

You know it won't be the last we see of him... although I hope they do something cool with his return.

 

I am in the minority on this, but I loved the DOOM miniseries that takes place right after Onslaught. Watching Doom arrive stark naked in the desert and seeing him reach the point of planetary control in such a short time was great. I loved that he didn't dwell on his circumstances, just asked "Ok, what's next?" and did what he had to do...

 

That artwork near the climax of 508 was amazing... Much better than I expect to see on FF...