Author Archives: Paul Manzato

Review: Thors #2

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THORSAs Battleworld keeps on turning, and regions of this patchwork planet give us glimpses of reimagined Marvel stories and it’s characters, there is one constant throughout; Doom rules all.  And to see that his laws are upheld, he has created the Thors, police force to Battleworld.  And it has given us one of the best books to emerge from Secret Wars.

It is a somber opening to this second issue of Thors as the Thors have gathered to honour their fallen comrade, Beta Ray Thor, who was killed by an informant who turned on him in the first issue, while investigating a series of deaths, where victims who have been dead for months are being moved and left for the Thors to find.  Words of farewell are spoken, and a toast of mead is raised for the fallen, and Ray’s partner, “Ultimate” Thor steps forward an utters only one word for his partners passing…..vengeance.

The Thors move quickly, moving from region to region, rounding up and interrogating the more seedy and suspicious characters who inhabit Battleworld, but come up with no real answers except for a name; Jane Foster.  Ultimate Thor investigates a medical center which is the last known place this regions Jane Foster worked, only to find that she has seemingly disappeared and not seen for some time.  While questioning a nurse, Ultimate Thor is told that another Thor is responsible for Jane Fosters belongings being taken.  When he asks which Thor is responsible, he is given his answer with the arrival of Thor the Unworthy; an ex member of the Thors who was stripped of his power.  He gives Ultimate Thor a dire warning; forget the name Jane Foster, lest he wishes to end up stripped of his power as the Unworthy, or dead like Beta Ray.  The two Thors to come to blows, with the Unworthy walking away in the end, reminding Ultimate to drop the search for Jane Foster.

Ultimate then meets up with two of his colleagues, Thrr and Throg, Throg being the medical examiner for the Thors.  It is revealed that all the bodies that have been found thus far all match the DNA of Jane Foster; different versions from various regions of Battleworld.  The investigation takes another strange turn as the trio investigate another body that has been found; this time a man, Donald Blake.  As the three question the latest discovery, they are interrupted by an unknown person who has gotten into their crime scene, and attacks Thrr who goes after him.  Ultimate takes the person down with his lightning, and reveals they have found their first suspect…a man who calls himself Loki.

There are many elements of this book that I am really enjoying.  This is a great detective story with a few intriguing mysteries to be solved; I am absolutely loving seeing different characters from the Marvel universe serving as a Thor, and seeing some familiar past faces (such as Throg).  But what I am enjoying the most is the whole idea of these Thors; there isn’t only one who is worthy on Battleworld, there is a whole force of Thors deemed worthy to serve and protect.  Jason Aaron lays out a great mystery for us, and really brings out the different aspects and personalities of the various Thors in this story.  Chris Sprouse and Goran Sudzuka do a great job with the art in this book; from the dark mood of the opening pages, to the action in the fight scenes, to the various Thors and their varying,  yet similar looks.

This has been a fantastic book from issue one and I am really excited to see where the third issue takes us; what answers are found to this mystery, but also what new questions will undoubtedly be raised.  I encourage anyone who hasn’t read this title to grab the first issue and jump on board – you will not be disappointed.

Story: Jason Aaron Art: Chris Sprouse & Goran Sudzuka
Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde #1

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StarkatThis book opens with Peter Quill singing “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid, and it is the perfect note to start this book off on.  Sure, Disney song in a Marvel book, owned by Disney…and this book is heavily influenced by Disney; it’s movies and animation…and that may turn some people off from checking out this book. But trust me, this Secret Wars tie in is definitely one you want to dive into.

We’re introduced to Peter Quill; THE Peter Quill from the original Marvel Universe, and explains how he was rescued on the ship that Reed Richards built, and was able to ferry a handful of original characters away from the earth they knew before the final incursion destroyed it all. Now, Peter is hiding out in Manhattan at The Quiet Room, the lead singer to the house band, going by the name Stevie Rogers. All the women love him and constantly seek to gain his attention, but Peter is still mourning the loss of his fiancée, Kitty Pryde…..until she walks into the club.

Kitty has arrived, an agent of Valeria Von Doom, to attend a meeting with Gambit the Collector, who has some “anomaly” that Kitty is very anxious to get back to the Foundation. After some flirting on Gambit’s part, and the promised payment from Kitty Pryde, Gambit hands over what looks to be a lock of hair, which Kitty scans and it is shown to be of unknown origins. Gambit is thrilled by this and collects his payment…but also wishes to further his time with Kitty. Kitty makes her intentions very clear, brandishing her own set of claws…but has also caught the eye of Peter Quill, who can’t believe he is seeing the love of his life in the same room. He intervenes on her behalf, causing Gambit to suspect a double cross, and a scuffle breaks out which results in Gambit getting away with his payment AND the anomaly…Peter planting a whopper of a kiss on Kitty…and Kitty planting her fist to Peter’s face. Which, yields a surprising result for Kitty, and she makes sure not to let Peter out of her sight.

This book was a breath of fresh air after reading so many darker, grittier stories taking place in Secret Wars.  We have a great perspective from Peter, being from the original Marvel universe, and how he is getting by in this region of Battleworld. This is Star-Lord as I know him from Guardians of the Galaxy, and I am very happy to see his humour and the light tone follow from that book to this one. Sam Humphries, who also wrote Guardians of the Galaxy, clearly shows his grasp of Peter’s character is spot on, giving us the joking, easy going space traveller we have all come to love. Alti Firmansyah‘s art work, along with Jessica Kholinne‘s colors, are beautiful. As mentioned, this book is heavy on the Disney influence, and the art work totally brings it to the forefront, with the animated facial expressions and the gown on Kitty, which would befit any Disney princess. The art just raises this story to the next level, giving us a more colourful and light hearted look into Battleworld, which is something I think a lot of readers will look forward to.

From the cover of this book, this is not the story I was expecting to be told with Peter and Kitty…but I loved every minute of this. The familiarity from Peter, the art work and colors (I can’t say enough about them) and just the overall light tone of this book made it a great read for me and I cannot wait for the next issue.

Story: Sam Humphries Art: Alti Firmansyah Colours: Jessica Kholinne
Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Captain Britain and The Mighty Defenders #1

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DefendersAs Secret Wars moves along, we are getting more books showing us the different regions of Battleworld and where the characters from the Marvel and Ultimate Marvel universes have ended up and how they’ve changed.  And to that, we get Captain Britain and The Mighty Defenders, a book modeled after the Mighty Avengers and featuring new versions of some of it’s members.

The story opens on a familiar scene to most Marvel readers; Tony Stark and Dr Ho Yinsen in the cave where they were held captive and Tony created his first Iron Man suit…but Dr Yinsen is in the suit, and Tony sacrifices himself for the doctor to get away.  Then forward to Dr Yinsen addressing a crowd in Yinsen City, talking about all the good the city has done…and then a giant red plant appearing in the sky…and then Baron Ho Yinsen being awakened from a dream, having nodded off while receiving a briefing from this regions Thor, She-Hulk.  Yinsen asks Jennifer is she has been having any strange dreams, and questions her about this world they live in and their God, Doom.  Jennifer reminds him that such talk could have him sent away, but to herself reveals that she has been having strange dreams.

We then are introduced to other members of this regions ‘defenders’; Spider Hero, who has memories of a Spider-Man and having a spider sense..but has no recollection of what they are; Antonia Yinsen, Kid Rescue, daughter to Baron Yinsen, who is also known as Rescue; and White Tiger.  There seems to be something happening beyond the walls of Yinsen City, and they ask for Jennifer’s assistance.  They find, to their surprise, a lone woman walking towards the city through the warzone.  Jennifer forbids any assistance, as it is against the law to allow crossing between domains in Battleworld….but the mysterious woman raises a sword and smashes through their supposed to be unbreakable wall.  The woman introduces herself as Dr. Faiza Hussain, also known as Captain Britain.  She explains her memories of how she gained that title, and that she comes from Great Britain…all people and places that don’t exist in this world.  The group is joined by Baron Yinsen, in time to hear Captain Britain denounce Doom and the entire word they live in…and he agrees with her.  The group realize they all have their doubts and decide to help the Captain realize the truth…but are interrupted by Doom, listening to all that happens in his world.  He strips Jennifer of her Thor status, and as punishment, breaks the walls between Yinsen City and neighbouring, war like Mondo City.  The heroes take up defense, doing what they can, but Captain Britain is taken down by Boss Frost…and awakens to find she is now the prisoner of Boss Cage.

This was an alright story for me.  I wasn’t wowed by it, but I wasn’t disappointed by it.  I enjoyed this unusual group of heroes, and anything with She-Hulk is always a good read, but I felt that the backgrounds of the characters and the flashbacks kind of dragged on and felt like a slow walk getting to the meat of the story.  I really like the fact that these people are questioning Doom and his world and are having dreams about a different world they were apart of.  It would seem that Doom’s hold on this world he created may be slipping, and people are now wanting to find answers.  Al Ewing does a good job writing these characters and bringing us into this domain in Battleworld, although as mentioned the pacing was a little slow.  I’ve always enjoyed Alan Davis’ art, and he doesn’t disappoint in this book, giving me exactly what I would expect from his work.

I am looking forward to the second issue of this story and I am very eager to see more of Mondo City and the Bosses who make it up (and I hope others catch the similarities to another known comic character that Mondo City seems to be based on).  I really enjoyed Captain Britain, even though I am not familiar with this character and look forward to seeing more from her.  I only wish this title wasn’t only 2 issues long, and allow more time to flesh this story out.

Story: Al Ewing Art: Alan Davis
Story: 7 Art: 8 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Read

Review: Siege #1

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SiegeIf the title of this book has you thinking this is a new region of Battleworld where the Siege of Asgard plays out daily, with a new and different cast of characters…you would be wrong. With Secret Wars giving us new tie in books weekly, this title is not a re-envisioned look at characters and events, but rather a story taking place that could have dire consequences for all of Battleworld.

From an opening flashback. we’re introduced to Abigail Brand, who is in charge of The Shield, a 200+ foot wall that stretches across the entire planet, protecting all of Battleworld from the dangerous Deadlands and the various threats that dwell there. Brand is awakened by her second in command, Leah (who calls herself a shieldmaiden) and alerted to a threat that the forces of The Shield must prepare for.  Anyone who is a fan of Abigail will see that she hasn’t lost her wit and sarcasm in this new world, and she quickly takes charge and begins preparing for the coming threat.

Called together to execute Abigail’s plan, we are introduced to a very eclectic assembly of heroes to take up the fight; Leah the shieldmaiden, Leonardo Da Vinci , Lady Katherine of Bishop, Ms. America, Kang the Conqueror and the Endless Summers (what appears to be a large squadron of what I’m guessing are clones of Scott ‘Cyclops’ Summers).  We see Abigail interacting with the various members of this team, and through past entries of her ‘battle journal’ we see the various threats that have faced The Shield and how she has dealt with them. Kang questions Abigail’s ability to effectively led The Shield to victory, and with her smart mouth and straight to the point attitude, she points out that there is never victory on The Shield, they just can’t fail. Just then, another Kang warps in through a time field, badly injured he gives Abigail a dire warning before dying and disappearing in another temporal shift.

I didn’t really know what to expect when jumping into this book, but I am so glad that I did. I have always been a fan of Abigail Brand, and I was glad to see she was the same as I remembered her; smart mouth, fiery temper and ready to jump head first into action. I really enjoyed the cast of characters brought together for this story, seeing just how different they all are and how they interact.  For the most part, they are all battle ready and grim, no doubt from their time on The Shield, but Lady Katherine and Ms. America were a brief breath of fresh air, bringing in a youthful, optimistic view of the coming battle.  Kieron Gillen does a fantastic job of weaving this story, bringing the seriousness and dire tone to the situation, but as mentioned, able to break it up with a few lighter moments through characters.  I didn’t mind Filipe Andrade’s art, though I found his characters were drawn with sharp, hard angles. I also found that the colours seemed to be muddy throughout (although, the guest artists who contributed to the splash pages of past battles did a good job, brightening up the pages with their work).  An argument could be made that the sharp style and muddy colouring added to the tone of the story, but it definitely didn’t wow me or stand out.

Overall, I was thoroughly satisfied with this story, and I can’t wait for the next issue. I love the characters and want to see more from them, and the warning of what’s to come has me eagerly anticipating the continuation of the story and see how this band of heroes come together to face it.

Story: Kieron Gillen Art: Filipe Andrade
Story: 9 Art: 7 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Read 

Review: Runaways #2

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runawaysIt’s final exam day at the Victor Von Doom Institute for Gifted Youths.  This is the day where the students of the institute put everything they have learned into practice, wanting to prove to their headmaster Valeria Von Doom, that they belong in the institute and are strong enough to serve Doom.

Being late to the exam sign up, due to serving detention because of a disagreement between Jubilee and Sanna, our rag tag band of students have been put together as team Puce, and must rely on each other to pass this test.  Amadeus Cho quickly takes charge of the group, telling them to lay low in a “glitch” in the simulation room, and just survive.  At that moment, a wall slides open and reveals a squad of training drones ready to attack the students.  Instead of running, Sanna charges head long into the battle, forcing the other members of her team to engage.  Barely holding their own, they come to the realization that they have to retreat and the team tries to pull back…but lose Pixie in the cross fire, watching her teleported away, to see her after the exercise.   The kids run for the glitch and intend to keep their heads down and wait it out….until they discover the bodies.  Shocked and horrified, the kids quickly realize they weren’t fighting against training drones during the exam…they were fighting other students.  It all falls into place for them, Dooms “only the strong shall survive” motto playing in their heads…when Jubilee discovers Pixie lying dead with the other defeated students.  At the moment, the kids decide they have to leave the institute; if they’re found out, or it is found out they know the truth behind the exam, they will end up like their fallen school mates.   Sneaking out of their rooms, Jubilee getting Molly Hayes to go with them, and hot wiring a transport, the students make good on their escape….but realize one of their own is missing.

I really enjoyed the first issue of this Secret Wars book, but to be honest I lost some of that enjoyment reading this second issue.  The reveal of the true nature of the exam was good, but the in-fighting and little quips between the kids just feels flat for me, like something we’ve seen in countless team books before.  Nothing has really made these characters stand out, to me anyways, though I did enjoy them escaping from the school and now truly becoming ‘runaways’.  Noelle Stevenson does an ok job with the story, but the dialogue and character interaction really did nothing for me.  Sanford Greene’s art is again, ok for me, but didn’t really shine.  It definitely captures the youthful feel of the book, but some of the facial expressions and depictions in certain panels felt a little rough, though I enjoyed the darker colours through the issue, adding to the darker tone from the first issue.

As I mentioned, this second issue lost a lot of steam from the first issue.  It felt to me that the characters themselves just lost something for me between the issues; there really wasn’t any growth here, and the story just played itself out as one note for me.  I know not all of the Secret Wars books are going to be number one with me, but after the high issue one left me on, issue two dropped me down hard.

Story: Noelle Stevenson Art: Sanford Greene
Story: 5 Art: 4.5 Overall: 4.75 Recommendation: Pass

Review: Age of Apocalypse #1

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AoAThe tie ins to Secret Wars have been a roller coaster of emotions, at least to this reader; some titles have hit the mark, drawing me in and leaving me wanting more.  Others have left me feeling bored and let down, wishing there was more.  And then I heard they were doing an Age of Apocalypse book.  One of my favourite storylines to come out of Marvel, revisited?  After 20 years?  Should I be excited?  Or keep my expectations low so I am not too disappointed?  I went in cautiously, but came out absolutely thrilled with this book!

The story opens in the Savage Land, dubbed ‘Sanctuary’ by the humans and mutants living there in peace, having fled from Baron Apocalypse’s iron rule in this region of Battleworld.  Holocaust, one of Apocalypse’s Horsemen (and his son) has come in search of a young mutant named Douglas Ramsey, also known as Cypher; and to turn this Sanctuary to ash, showing the inhabitants here they cannot escape Apocalypse.  Things go almost too easy for Holocaust, quickly locating and capturing Doug, until resistance is revealed in the form of the X-Men; a group of mutants who have banded together to fight against the genocidal rule of Apocalypse.  Being one of the most powerful mutants, Holocaust does not see them as much resistance…until the combined efforts of the X-Men manage to stop Holocaust, if only momentarily.  They are able to extract Doug and get him to safety…but at the cost of their own lives.

Cypher is taken to New Cairo, the centre of Apocalypse’s kingdom, and is left to Sinister and his Elite Mutant Force for interrogation, trying to find answers as to why Apocalypse is so interested in a mutant who’s talent is understanding languages.  Seeing things from Cypher and his use of his ability, we see these mutants have a hard time working together, but we also find out there are underlying fears and a sense of confusion that Cypher can’t quiet understand.  Sinister then orders his team to take Cypher to the human ghettos and use him to find any leads on Magneto and his X-Men.  We are introduced to sheriff Carol Danvers and Peter Corbeau, who acts as human liaison to the mutant force.  Through their exchange, Cypher comes to a shocking realization of a secret that could drastically change the landscape of Apocalypse’s rule.  As if on cue, there is a sudden burst of energy, an attack on Cyclops on his group…and Magneto makes his presence known…wanting Cypher released to him.

This was a packed first issue, and it felt like I was right back in the story I loved from 20 years ago.  All the returning characters from the original story are depicted exactly as I remember them, and the new ones introduced, as well as this new story, felt like an excellent extension of the story first laid out for us when the Age of Apocalypse first began. Fabian Nicieza does a fantastic job of telling this story, and bringing it to us through the eyes of Cypher.  Instead of us being on the outside looking in, we’re right there in the thick of it with Cypher, getting his thoughts and feelings as things progress before him.  Gerardo Sandoval’s art is beautiful, bringing in the look and feel of the original story, but giving it his own spin, which really adds to feel of this story and the world it is set in.  Even when depicting characters who make a brief appearance (Magneto and Wolverine, for example) Sandoval doesn’t hold back, giving their brief glimpse such life and presence for the panel(s) they are in.

I cannot wait for the second issue of this book!  I was a huge fan of the Age of Apocalypse way back when, and I thank Marvel for reigniting my love of this world and bringing it back in a new and exciting way.  Definitely go out and pick this title up; you will not be disappointed.

Story: Fabian Nicieza Art: Gerardo Sandoval
Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Secret Wars Journal #3

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SecreWarsJournalSecret Wars is in full swing, and there are many tie in books out there for readers to choose from.  Many of the mainstream characters are featured in these books, but some people (like myself) might be wondering about other, less featured characters and where they have ended up in Battleworld.  Well wonder no more, Secret Wars Journal brings us two shorter stories, giving us a glimpse into other regions of this new world.

Who Killed Tony Stark?

This story opens in Old Town, with Detective Logan looking over the body of Tony Stark, lying lifeless and bloodied with a dagger through his chest.  He questions Pepper Potts, the woman who discovered Tony that morning.  Logan recognizes the weapon used against Tony, tied to a Chinese gang knows as The Triad, run by the Mandarin.  Pepper reveals that Tony did discover an artifact that the Mandarin wanted for himself, thus setting Logan off after his first lead.  Logan confronts the Mandarin and quickly realizes that this is not the Mandarin he is familiar with.  Things take a turn for Logan and he almost killed, but a masked man arrives in time to help him out; Frank Castle, Jr. dubbed ‘The Punisher’.  Logan explains the situation and Frank reveals that he himself has encountered a double of his own.  The two of them put their heads together and realize there are people from another part of Battleworld sneaking into theirs and taking their counterparts place.

This was an ok story for me.  The best part for me was the reveal of a new region of Battleworld that we haven’t seen yet, and I hope there is a book coming out to explore this new part. Frank Tieri does a good enough job telling this murder mystery, and the characters felt familiar.  Richard Isanove’s art is pretty good, though a few character depictions looked a little off to me.  Not a terribly memorable story, but as I mentioned, I did enjoy the little reveal in here and hope they explore that further.

Story: Frank Tieri Art: Richard Isanove
Story: 6 Art: 6 Overall: 6

The Smashing Cure

This story takes place near Greenland, a region of Battleworld where a gamma cloud blanketed the city and every resident exposed to the radiation left with severe anger issues.  We follow Dr. Leonard Samson, who specializes in anger management therapy, and how he deals with his clients and the population as a whole in this town of Hulks.  We see through his eyes, just how easily tempers can flare and anger takes over, and his feelings that this condition will lead to the end of civilization.  Leonard then has an appointment with a young Peter Parker, who is dealing with feelings of guilt regarding the death of his uncle Ben.  Leonard talks Peter through his grief and his feelings, explaining to him that life does go on and those we have lost would want us to move on and live.  Peter has a hard time coming to grips Samson’s ideas and has an episode..to which Leonard is more then ready to deal with.  He does manage to calm Peter, and explain to him how to come to terms with his guilt and control his anger.

I really enjoyed this story.  More then once I found myself thinking about our world, and how things would turn out if everyone could turn into a Hulk every time they got angry.  Scott Aukerman does a great job of showing this ‘Hulk world’ through Leonard Samson’s eyes; his doubt that civilization can continue giving into their baser feelings, but also the change in his attitude and outlook after his session with Peter.  I loved RB Silva’s art for this story.  Every panel was used to it’s fullest, full of colour and action…and I loved how he depicted our characters in their Hulk state. This was a story that I would love to see explored deeper, and would want Aukerman and Silva to be the two to bring it to life.

Story: Scott Aukerman Art: RB Silva
Story: 8.5 Art: 9 Overall 8.75 Recommendation: Read

Review: X-Tinction Agenda #2

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X-TinctionThe island nation of Genosha is under quarantine, the mutant inhabitants dying from a virus that is running unchecked, with no cure found to help them.  Havok and Wolfsbane have reached out to their ‘friends’ in X-City, begging for help from their fellow mutants, but reluctant to break the quarantine and expose more mutant to the virus, X-City has turned it’s back on Genosha.  Havok has made the decision to storm the city and take the help they need.

This issue opens in X-City, where we see that Beast is still messing around with time travel.  Phoenix (Rachel Grey) and him are discussing the activities of three mutants, Thunderbird, Wolverine and Banshee; three mutants that Beast plucked from the time stream, just before their untimely deaths, to bring them to the present and give them a second chance at life.  Phoenix is not happy that Beast has done this, but, as usual, he explains that nothing could possibly go wrong having their friends and colleagues back.  Before they can further their discussion, explosions rock the city.  Havok and his team from Genosha have crashed the walls of X-City, seeking out Triage, a mutant with the ability to heal, and to Havok, the last ray of hope for the mutants of Genosha.  The battle is fast and fierce, pitting mutant against mutant, and showing that Havok is taking no chances in reaching his end goal (particularly great moments are shown with Mystique and Karma).  Triage is found and Havok pulls the team back to Genosha, taking former friends as prisoners along the way.  Tests are set up to ensure that Triage’s powers will work against the virus….and the sinister secret plan to rid the island nation of its disease is revealed.

Being a fan of pre Cassandra Nova Genosha from Earth 616 (‘our’ Marvel Universe), I have really enjoyed this tie in to Secret Wars.  It shows the X-Men doing what they have always done best; rising up against the people and situations that would see mutants persecuted and taken out completely.  What I like most about this book is the two different sides of this battle; X-City, where mutants live a happy, healthy life free of any turmoil; and Genosha, mutants dying by the hundreds of a disease that cannot be cured.  Mutants all, but one faction effectively turning their backs on their friends to ensure their self preservation.

Marc Guggenheim does a good job telling this story, and bringing across the desperation that we feel from Havok and the mutants of Genosha and Carmine Di Giandomenico’s art is really nice, especially the battle scenes, showing the ferocity between the two sides trying to defend what each are fighting for.

I for one am really looking forward to the next issue of this book; I want to see how X-City retaliates against Genosha and how the true ‘cure’ revealed at the end is going to impact the island nation of mutants.  Pick this one up folks; you won’t be disappointed.

Story: Marc Guggenheim Art: Carmine Di Giandomenico
Story: 8.5 Art: 8 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Read

Review: X-Men ’92 #1

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X-Men92The 90’s are back, and so are the X-Men most of us woke up to on Saturday mornings.  I have to admit, when I saw the solicits for this Secret Wars tie in I thought we would be seeing the X-Men from the comics in the 90’s… but it is very clear this book is more like the cartoon version of our merry mutants. And I’m more then ok with that.

We open to our team engaging in a training session… playing lazer tag at the local mall. Plenty of character references from the cartoon are thrown at us here, from Storm referring to Jubilee as ‘child’ and giving out nature themed speeches before using her powers, to Jean Grey doting all over Cyclops, to Wolverine contradicting everything Cyclops says. The two, of course, have a disagreement and Wolverine decides he has better things to do… like go shopping?? (this  felt way out of character to me, cartoon or not… so did the scene where he is shopping and talking with the sales girl… a Wolverine I haven’t seen before). But I digress. The training session is interrupted when a group of Sentinels attack, seeking to terminate the mutants. Our team comes together and defeats the ‘free range Sentinels’ in time for Baron Robert Kelly to arrive.

His arrival gives us some background to this part of Battleworld, telling us about the Westchester wars where Magneto and his brotherhood rose up to fight for mutant rule, and the X-Men stood against them. The X-Men were victorious, are now seen as saviors and the mutants left after the war were sent to a camp called “Clear Mountain”; a place where mutants can be rehabilitated to live as accepted members of society. Of course, the X-Men are suspicious of this and Cyclops insists on investigating… and then quit the team to live a normal life. The X-Men arrive at Clear Mountain and are greeted by its director… Cassandra Nova.

As I said earlier, I was expecting the comic book version of the team, not the Saturday morning cartoon version, but I have to admit this was really fun to read. As I turned the pages, seeing the team in the costumes we all know and love, I couldn’t help but play the cartoon theme song in my head as I read. The shopping Wolverine, and the sugary sweet exchanges between Jean and Cyclops not withstanding, Chad Bowers and Chris Sims give us the X-Men we remember, as well as some background to this region of Battleworld, something a lot of the other tie in books don’t explain. Scott Koblish’s art is perfect for this title, giving it the cartoon feel that sells the feel of the animated series. I am curious to see more about Clear Mountain, Casandra Nova and the sinister secret I’m sure this rehabilitation camp is hiding.

If you’re as big an X fan as I am and looking for a throwback to Saturday mornings, I recommend checking this title out.

Story: Chad Bowers and Chris Sims Art: Scott Koblish
Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Read

Review: Magneto #19

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Magneto_Vol_3_19_TextlessTwo worlds are coming to an end. The final Incursion has started, and fighting on the front lines to try and save his planet is…Magneto? We open Magneto #19 to New Yorkers looking skyward, watching as the energies of 2 planets inching closer to impact cascade and send chaos through the streets. Flying high above them, Magneto (aided by his daughter, Polaris) are taking the fight to this ‘other’ Earth, battling the parallel Sentinels sent after them. Polaris is shocked to see the energy levels her father is exhibiting, all the while trying to protect the people caught in the crossfire of Magneto and the Sentinels. Magneto clearly has one goal in mind, clearly shown as he rips a building to pieces to use against the killer robots; Polaris chides him for so reckless an action, as people in the building fall to the ground below…and his advice to her…”then catch them”.

For his attitude, this is the Magneto all of us know; not caring much for the collateral damage, or the human lives at risk, but rather making sure that he and his fellow mutants are protected and safe. But the level of power he is exhibiting is something fans of this book have not seen in Magneto for some time. To answer this, we get a flash back of Magneto and his current right hand, Briar, working with a chemist under Magnetos employ to pump him up with a new cocktail of various drugs to amp up his powers (MGH, Kick, etc..). But to face this Incursion, Magneto needs further assistance, and seeks out a geneticist who can do the kind of work he needs…and he finds Sugar Man (a cast away from the Age of Apocalypse I didn’t know was still around). From him, Magneto acquires the means to initiate his plan, and thanks him in true Magneto style. We move back to present time and see this plan working, Magneto using the very magnetic forces of the planet to aid him, but very quickly taking a deadly toll.

I have enjoyed this book from the start, showing Magneto going back to his roots and doing what he always strived to do; protect his fellow mutants. Away from the X-Men, Magneto has gone back to doing whatever necessary, even spilling blood, to see his goals attained, and this is the Magneto I have always liked reading.  I have not been a big fan of Briar, at his side serving as guide and counsel, but in this issue it is revealed Magneto as his doubts about her as well. Cullen Bunn has given a great voice to Magneto and getting the reader into the story; and Paul Davdison‘s art really made me feel the action, but also the darkness and mood of the flashbacks. The end is coming with the Incursion, and I am looking forward to see how Magento will face it.

Story: Cullen Bunn Art: Paul Davidson
Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Read

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