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Author Archives: Sebastian Villegas

Review: Black Bolt #10

Posted on February 18, 2018 by Sebastian Villegas

Where we last left Black Bolt, he had returned to Earth as a changed man, took Blinky with him after defeating the Jailer and had to meet up with Titania, the wife of the Absorbing Man and during the funeral service, Lash returns to kidnap Blinky and it is up to the Midnight King himself and Titania for a rescue mission.

Saladin Ahmed‘s Black Bolt has garnered well deserved critical praise since last year. Ahmed who has previously written novels made a big splash on the comic book scene working for Marvel with Black Bolt as part of their new Inhumans titles of the “ResurXion” line. Say what you will about the Inhumans but their books have gotten better and better with Black Bolt being one of the best if not the best of them. The book not only has taken the character of Black Bolt in new scenarios but also further develops him. The first arc of the book changed him for the better between his friendship with the Absorbing Man and Blinky, who in a way has become something of an adoptive daughter for him.

And it’s further expanded upon and empathized in issues 8 and 9 and the trend continues in this issue. The issue deals with something else from his past, the fallout of “Infinity” where Black Bolt in the end unleashed a Terrigen Bomb (long story) that created a lot of new Inhumans, basically people who had Inhuman DNA in them but never went through the process. So the narration makes it clear that Black Bolt has regrets doing that as it’s one of those things where he thought it could save his people against Thanos. It kind of did but brought along a lot of fallout and of course, Lash and his minions are among the fallout. But he fights them anyway to get Blinky back.

The book delves further into Black Bolt gaining humanity more and more when it came to Lash holding Blinky hostage. Yes, it sounds like a cliché when I type it but Ahmed doesn’t make it written like a cliché. The book makes it clear that this is a tough decision to make. He cares about Blinky, he doesn’t want her harmed so he does what he has to do but it’s not a decision you think he’ll make. Traditionally, some hero would think of a clever way to beat the villain and rescue the hostage. This is not what happens and it’s an understandable one. It’s not portrayed as a weakness which is very refreshing to see.

Lash’s plan basically involves ruling humanity, despising Black Bolt for unleashing the Terrigen Bomb. Which that second part may suggest a bit of classist in him as he sees himself superior than other Inhumans and he has created a makeshift device that’s similar in concept.

As everything escalates, the issue reaches the highest point of such when it came to the ending which I won’t give away because I certainly didn’t see it coming.

Ahmed still nails the characters in this book, either further developing than how other writers have done so before or giving them unique voices. As I mentioned, Black Bolt has been given a lot of development and that continues especially in a section connected to Inhumans: Judgment Day. It’s just as much of a touching scene as it is in that one shot and blends together very well-seamlessly even. Ahmed of course nails the action as well as he never writes a boring book. Dude just knows what to write.

Christian Ward‘s art as always nails everything. With a watercolor look, a splash of colors, it fits the tone the book is going for and something of an appropriate Sci-Fi feel to it like the first arc and can be gothic too which can appeal to me. But not only that, he knows how to convey emotions-artwise. Ahmed nails that as well mind you. With Ahmed, he doesn’t beat you over the head as to what Black Bolt is feeling and Ward’s art empathizes the facial expressions like in the first couple of pages where he looks distraught and helpless-it’s astonishingly well executed. And the one section with art by Stephanie Hans with the scenes between Black Bolt and Medusa are beautiful. Like, when has her art never been beautiful?

Black Bolt just remains to be one of the most in sync books between writer and artist I have seen.

I’m not just saying this as a Marvel fan or a fan of the Inhumans, Black Bolt is a book I highly recommend reading and this issue does not disappoint and has me dying to know what will happen in issue 11. There is a lot to love and if you’re a fan of the character or Ahmed’s work or Christian Ward’s, check it out.

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Jean Grey #11

Posted on February 17, 2018 by Sebastian Villegas

Where we last left off Jean Grey, she had decided to face the Phoenix head on despite getting much reinforcements to assist her in the battle against the Phoenix Force but alas, it came at a price but has survived that price?

With the events of Phoenix Resurrection over and done with, the (sadly) final issue of Jean Grey can commence given issue 10 left off with a whopper of an ending where the Phoenix force straight up blew up the time displaced Jean Grey. It certainly left me dying to know what happens next.

The book written by Dennis Hopeless with art by Victor Ibanez has been a very engaging read for me even when it was first announced. I loved the writer, I loved Jean Grey’s new look and upon looking at the book, I was definitely entertained and it’s not just the best the time displaced Jean Grey had ever been written, it’s the best the character has been written-period. I love this character’s attitude and her responses to certain situations and what her future self has done, even with Emma Frost. It’s very engaging and entertaining and certainly the entire course of the book made her sympathetic to her plight about not wanting to have the same fate as her future counterpart. Hell, the lampshading on what came before was among the things enough to sell me on this book.

It’s among those that have me rooting for the character to survive especially with issue 10 as I was constantly worried if she was going to make it or not. Hopeless is extremely good at writing characters whether it’d be women or men. He brings a lot of energy and is able to make any character compelling to read even when they already were. If somebody wasn’t a fan of Jean Grey before, I’d like to think this would be the book to sell them on the character especially time displaced Jean.

While I’m sad that this is the final issue of the book, it does end up being the most appropriate way to end the title. The entire issue culminates into her jumping into different time periods of meeting different hosts to facing the Phoenix Force itself head on. And it’s actually pretty clever and it kind of felt like Quantum Leap meets Silent Hill in a way. Okay, it’s not graphic save for one moment as to how the time displaced Jean gets resurrected and brought back to Earth which felt something straight out of Hellraiser, but I mean more on the psychological side of things. Which culminates into a great moment where the Phoenix Force is pissed at her despite resurrecting the OG adult Jean Grey completely, it just hates teen Jean but she doesn’t let what the Phoenix Force say bother her. I don’t want to give it away completely but it encapsulates everything I love about this iteration of the character.

Dennis Hopeless really sells this issue. It seems pretty clear he knew this would be the final issue and decided to give it his all until the very end (and setting up what happens in X-Men: Red for Tom Taylor to write). The book simply never has a dull moment and how can it given what’s at stake for Jean herself? It’s well executed. The art by Ibanez along with assistance from Alberto Albuquerque help much as they provide plenty of fun facial expressions from everyone from teen Jean’s smirk to the rage of each Phoenix host. They certainly nailed those moments very well enough.

If you love the works of Dennis Hopeless or liked Jean Grey before, this is the book to pick up. Buy the trades, buy this issue or previous ones, whichever. I highly recommend this title through and through. Check it out!

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #29

Posted on February 17, 2018 by Sebastian Villegas

Where we last left Squirrel Girl and company, Nancy had been finally rescued thanks to the combined efforts of Squirrel Girl herself, Loki, Tippy Toe and Drax after Squirrel Girl had been conned by space hunks especially one who claimed to be the Silver Surfer himself. However upon confronting the perps, the real Silver Surfer arrives and Squirrel Girl assumed he’s the con artist and it’s up to the others to stop her from making a horrible mistake.

Compared to other Marvel books, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is definitely the most cartoonish of the bunch and that is saying something given superhero books are technically absurd but this is book takes things up to eleven but that’s not a bad thing though.

What the book does well is establishing its sense of humor, it’s kind of like a comic strip except not structured like one, actually I take that back, it’s like a fun webcomic to be more accurate. It is drawn like one, like, it’s just that that’s what it feels like but again, that’s not a slight against it. The book’s writing and art do make it a distinct Marvel book from the rest and reading it, it’s very easy to see why this book has caught on for so many people especially given she’s now going to get a shot being in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the upcoming New Warriors series. While she has gained popularity over the years, the book by Ryan North and Erica Henderson may have been the very book to soar her into popularity full time.

And yes, I am among this book’s fans. There is something endearing about Squirrel Girl in general whether it’d be her optimism or absurd power set where she can take down the most powerful characters in the Marvel universe. And the book really keeps that spirit but also cranks it up to eleven as I mentioned beforehand.

This arc is no exception. She’s taken on Galactus already so she might as well meet the Silver Surfer but if it’s Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, there’s bound to be something absurd to make it all happen. And it’s a hilarious read from here to kingdom come really such as the efforts to stop Squirrel Girl from fighting the Surfer himself to essentially the climax of the issue (this arc isn’t done yet actually).

The jokes do land for the most part, some wouldn’t land quite as much but the book does have an absurd sense of humor that I can get into, kind of like say for a random example, The Pink Panther Strikes Again where both rely on high concept absurdist humor to maximum but great effect. Ryan North has a knack for writing good characterization especially given the friendship between her and Nancy and how to make a joke work. It’s not just the Squirrel Girl show, he knew to include somebody as a counteract to Squirrel Girl herself and Nancy is effective as something of a straight man to the book’s insanity. There are small details like random comments pertaining to anything underneath the pages like “I don’t want to sound too serious but I will go on a limb and say that, yes, friendship is eventually worth it.” As if North had envisioned Ron Howard saying that.

The art style definitely fits the proceedings. Erica Henderson’s art may not be for everyone but I quite like it. Again, it fits the book’s tone. If it’s going to act like a cartoon, then have it look like a cartoon to boot. It’s yet another Marvel book where it feels like the writer and artist are in sync with each other and it’s very effective in that regard. And I do like that the next issue is apparently going to be the punchline to the this entire arc. The space hunks or spacebros as I call them have been caught yes but their punishment still needs to be decided. So I imagine that will be fun.

If you like this book and the Squirrel Girl character in general or just like very cartoonish stuff, this book is for you. If not, I’m sure there’s something else but this book is very endearing, check it out.

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Marvel Two-In-One #3

Posted on February 17, 2018 by Sebastian Villegas

Where we last left off, Ben Grimm/Thing and Johnny Storm/Human Torch encountered Victor Von Doom as they battled the Mole Man and his monsters on Monster Island and in private, Doom as left Thing with the Multisect, a device that will allow the ability to travel through the multiverse. However, Johnny has been losing his powers and they now have to get answers as to what’s happening.

While not exactly the resurrection of Fantastic Four fans have been clamoring for, Marvel Two-In-One is the start of something akin to that with Ben Grimm/Thing and Johnny Storm/Human Torch being the main leads of the book all the while using a past Marvel title which could count as a revival. And who better than to write these characters than Chip Zdarsky? And there is a reason he is among Marvel’s MVP of writers as of late.

From the first issue to Marvel Two-In-One #3, Zdarsky has a clear grasp on character, emotion and action. He also excels at humor excellently as well (see his Howard the Duck run for example) but I digress. He not only understands these characters but really develops them and make them more humor especially given Ben lied to Johnny that Reed and Sue could be still alive and yet, they’re going on a multiverse journey anyway which does make for a solid storytelling engine because of the dramatics it’d bring.

For this issue however, Hercules not only guest stars but a character from a previous issue appears in a major role, Rachna Koul via Hercules. And I got to say, Zdarsky really delivers when it comes to writing the dialogue for Hercules. It’s crazy spot on to a T while adding his unique touches such as how he deals with whatever Zeus says to him and the best part? That’s no doubt a callback to an issue of Secret Warriors. They don’t share the same writer but I’m sure a lot of writers in the Marvel offices share their stories with each other so I don’t doubt Zdarsky got wind of what Matthew Rosenberg wrote concerning that issue’s brief mention of Hercules.

Rachna Koul is also interesting of herself. You know the quote in Thor where it’s said that magic is a science people don’t understand? That’s kind of what happens here as she explains every single thing as to how even Hercules’s abilities work. It’s bizarre but also fascinating as to what Zdarsky even wrote. And it’s interesting to see what she has to say about superheroes with her main problem being they act better than everyone…yet she claims to be better than everyone else because of her own intelligence especially given how she managed to fight off a particular villain. All that and she’s very to read with her snarkiness and don’t care attitude and all.

Zdarsky does put in plenty of intrigue as well given the issue bookends itself with the presence of Victor Von Doom (or Iron Doom as I refer to him as) and the Mad Thinker. I can see why Zdarsky loves writing Doom. He gets Doom, he honestly does even when he’s in Iron Man armor. It’s just delightful to read, I can’t explain it. And the cliffhanger certainly has an interesting setup for things to come as to what could happen next in issue 4. And it kind of plays off like as if Zdarsky understands horror too, which, I’d be up for.

Zdarsky always knows how to tell a good story-even in his comedic ones and understands characters and can write in fun action scenes. The art by Valerio Schiti certainly helps matters especially when it came to the scenes with Doom and Mad Thinker. Plenty of shadows that give Doom a menacing look to him especially when there’s green glow surrounding him-having him look like a figure of death to creepy effect, same goes for the last couple of pages. And the rest, well staged and no doubt elevated what Zdarsky wrote. Again, another Marvel book where writer and artist are clearly in sync with each other.

And I should mention, this is a two page “end credits” kind of thing that humorously serves as an amusing punchline to a particular action beat.

If you’ve been enjoying Marvel Two-in-One, the book is still going strong and I recommend it to even people whoa aren’t fans of the Fantastic Four. If this is your jam, check it out!

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Advance Review: Catalyst Prime: Superb #7

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Sebastian Villegas

Where we last left our heroes, Amina and Cosmosis have rescued Corinna from Foresight all the while trying to rescue their parents and learn the secrets of Foresight but is all what it seems?

Superb comes from the recent superhero universe Catalyst Prime from Lion Forge Comics and seems to be slowly but surely developing a following. And that has piqued my interest in checking out the buzz. I decided to start with Superb since I thought that sounded like an appealing book. I’ve found recent superhero books with teenagers to be rather fun whether it’d be Ms. Marvel or Unstoppable Wasp as examples. And Superb, at least Catalyst Prime as a whole, seems to appeal to me as much as Marvel does since I do care about the characters and relate to their actions. It’s a simple superhero story right with a mysterious organization added to boot. Kayla Tate/Amina and Jonah Watkins/Cosmosis are very likeable leads. And hey, cool that Watkins is a superhero with Down syndrome.

You also have to remember, they are kids. Some actions they’ve committed simply seemed like a good idea at the time to them but they learn. And that’s very relatable to me.

Writers Sheena C. Howard and David F. Walker (Luke Cage) certainly nail the characters hard. Not one moment feels off, every action and every bit of dialogue feels natural coming from everyone and I like the structure of the whole mystery surrounding Foresight. Especially the introduction of what looks like some kind of injector device, I don’t know, it kind of looked like an oversized needle to me but while it’s still setup, it’s good setup that could come into play later.

And concerning a certain character, I admit I didn’t see coming so kudos to Howard and Walker for that especially given the cliffhanger sets up a new fight.

The art itself by Alitha Martinez is decent enough, nothing to write home about but I quite like the art anyway and fits the book itself. Then again, the book does look like it could fit in with the Marvel universe so maybe that’s part of why I like Superb thus far.

If you’re already a fan of this book or Catalyst Prime itself, the book’s energy and intrigue with its likeable leads is still going strong. If you want a superhero book that isn’t Marvel or DC, this is the book for you, check it out.

Lion Forge Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Invader Zim #28

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Sebastian Villegas

Welcome back, Zim! We’ve missed ya and while it’s not a television revival, Oni Press clearly saw the potential in Invader Zim enough to bring him back into pop culture in comic book form.

And because of the episodic format of the comic, I don’t have anything recap to anyone which is honestly for the best really given save for the occasional two-parter, longer form storytelling wouldn’t exactly work for Invader Zim given you’d have to pad out the story for jokes and let’s face it, Zim isn’t known for serial storytelling. It can work for superhero books and others but I don’t think so for Zim. But how does this book hold up? Very well.

In Invader Zim #28, Zim has to retrieve some time device with a bendy straw that was last seen on a moon and given this is Invader Zim we’re talking about, the task is far from simple and pleasant. Writer Sam Logan really crafted a sadistically hilarious story where it wouldn’t feel out of place in the actual show. You have Zim discovering survivors underneath the moon and for whatever silly thing he wants from them that would take ages, he’d use some kind of bubble to shield himself from the effects of the time device, he’s fine but everyone else is visibly aged. That to me is how you get Zim down and it’s clear that writer Sam Logan understands the material and what makes him tick.

Zim is a jerk but he is a hilarious jerk you’re entertained by and this issue, screw it, the entire comic holds true to that. Much of the jokes land as I found myself laughing and chuckling at whatever abuse is given to Zim or how he treats others. I mean, he has Irken survivors build a chair for him to think and it took months while merely a few minutes for him. And most importantly, Logan does nail the voices of these characters hard. Everyone is in character and I can easily picture the voice actors from the show uttering these lines.

The art by Mady G is decent but I feel how Zim is drawn, his face looks too round, he doesn’t look very angular like in the cartoon. He looked kind of off model to me. I mean, Gir and the Almighty Tallests looked fine but somehow with Zim, he looked pretty off. But Mady G does succeed in assisting the timing of the jokes such as the panels where Zim falls down multiple times. And the colors by Fred C. Stresing are very well done, matching the show’s aesthetic. Maybe the colors could have been somewhat darker but it works.

If you’re a fan of Invader Zim already and new to this comic, this is not a bad issue to start with. If you’ve been enjoying this comic already, the quality is still strong. Check it out!

Oni Press provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Falcon #5

Posted on February 15, 2018 by Sebastian Villegas

Where we last left Falcon, he and Patriot continued to fight off against Blackheart in Chicago who is bent on corrupting the streets of Chicago. However, Sam Wilson had been sent to hell but with the help of Two Gun and Snap Wilson, an ancestor of his, escaped the wrath of Mephisto and now it’s back to fighting Blackheart-head on.

Admittedly upon hearing about the new Falcon ongoing series the first time, I certainly didn’t expect his first adversary to be Blackheart of all people as I had assumed maybe HYDRA agents or something like that. That and I greatly miss him as Captain America but I suppose Secret Empire put a stop to that despite him putting on the costume again for the last couple of issues of that event. But execution always matters after all.

So in comes Falcon #5 and I quite enjoy it fine. Sometimes the banter can feel off. In fact, some dialogue choices I feel are kind of weird like Blackheart saying “You have been a fly in my ointment” which, don’t know how to feel about him saying that honestly. But what writer Rodney Barnes has done is provide plenty of good character moments and action beats. Like the first couple of pages with Sam Wilson, Patriot and Joaquin, the current other Falcon. You do get the sense of comradely between the three as well as an action set piece involving Falcon punching Blackheart and telling him off.

It’s very standard superhero stuff but it’s fun at the same time, I think writer Rodney Barnes does have a good head on his shoulders especially given the premise of the first arc. You have at one point, Doctor Voodoo confronting Dray, a leader of one of the Chicago gangs, who had made a deal with Blackheart promising everything he desires. The motive is understandable and Voodoo warns him that Blackheart is likely to betray him and such. So I can get behind the simple Faustian-will he or will he not kind of plot.

Barnes despite being new to the comic book scene, seems to at least have a good grasp of how to write comic books as the pacing doesn’t feel off going from page to page and panel to panel. The art by Joshua Cassara certainly helped matters with the shaded look to the proceedings. The art does seem to fit what the book is going so it at least feels very in sync with Barnes’s writing.

And this is just a nitpicking personal thing with me, I’m not sure about the running gag about Patriot suggesting the Joaquin-Falcon a new codename. Like for one, it was fine in the last couple of pages but during the climax of the arc, it had the action screech to a halt a bit. I get what Barnes was going for in that he wanted to emulate the MCU banter which, cool but it didn’t seem to work in this book as much as the films using it perfectly. And two, well this goes along with me wanting Sam Wilson to be Captain America again and Joaquin being Falcon still.

All in all, pretty fun issue to Falcon and a good ending to the first arc. There’s some promise for future stories based on Blackheart and Mephisto’s conversation but there’s also the promise of another type of creature for the next arc and I did appreciate the pun there given I happen to like Wes Craven’s work. Check it out.

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: X-Men: Blue #21

Posted on February 15, 2018 by Sebastian Villegas

So, where else can you take the Blue team X-Men after time travel/dimensional shenanigans? Well, screw it, take them to space! It’s not like it’s the first time the X-Men have traveled to space. Though Venom is an added bonus given as we speak, Marvel is hooked on Venom yet again, just in time for his movie coming this October. Regardless of what you think of the character, Venom is here to stay and…I don’t mind it, I’m sorry, I like Venom. He’s a better Spider-Man villain than the Green Goblin anyway. Bias talking, yeah but still.

Regardless, this is the next arc for the Blue team of our merry mutants. Our merry, time displaced teenage mutants but still. X-Men: Blue #21 continues off from the annual issue where Corsair and the Starjammers are captured by space pirates. By the way, for those new to comics, Corsair is the father of Scott Summers a.k.a. Cyclops. Why is his dad in space? Long, long story but bear with me here. Anyway, it’s basically a search for his father with Scott hellbent on finding him and the rest of the team consisting of Jean Grey (Marvel Girl), Angel and Beast are along with the ride and along with the main symbiote himself, Venom.

And it turns out the space pirates who kidnapped Corsair and the Starjammers are space pirates infected with symbiotes. To be fair, I imagine this will be a better executed version of Planet of the Symbiotes.

So it’s an overall race to find answers as to what’s even going on and where are they whilst being on the run and of course, Venom has his own methods of finding answers. Spoiler alert, it’s not pretty. Then again, it’s Venom, nothing ever ends pretty.

Characterization is decent, Cullen Bunn is still writing the time displaced X-Men pretty well with each character feeling distinct and Cyclops does the most narration that never felt over the top, so there’s a feel as to how personally he’s taking this whole scenario. Venom is even well written himself. He’s brutal, tough and is just kind of casual about himself and the symbiote. And what’s interesting of note is that during a fight scene, he explains what having the symbiote is like, saying it’s like having a rush but it’s like a bad relationship the more you stick with it. This reminded of a conversation I had in that the relationship between Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote, is a literal toxic relationship. Yeah it’s easy to call it a drug metaphor but toxic relationships is a better analog between this comic and the Venom stories before it because it really kind of is. Venom in a nutshell can be manifestations of Eddie Brock’s violent, inner rage and the symbiote feeds that and given the ending with the X-Men, this will not end well for everyone.

Art by Jacopo Camagni at first I thought is decent but the more I look and think back to it, the more it not only fits but it does look very good. Nothing seems amiss with how the characters are drawn. Got to say though, this is the most normal I’ve ever seen Venom looked. Nothing is very exaggerated with how he’s drawn. I’m so used to how he’s usually dawn with the very sharp teeth and too muscular body but here, he looks perfect. He’s buff but not ridiculously so. I do wish for more sharp teeth but he looks very cool and much praise to the action as well, seems like good sync between Bunn’s writing and Camagni’s art. And the colors on the book are smooth and well lit. Kudos to the colorists really.

It’s a good arc so far and there’s promising stuff, if you’re a fan of either this book or the Venom character, check it out. You may like this one.

Ms. Marvel #27

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Sebastian Villegas

Where we last left off, Red Dagger has now come into the fray as a few of Ms. Marvel’s supporting cast have taken up the costume to pick up the slack of defending Jersey City as Ms. Marvel herself is missing. All while an old enemy of hers returns and is up to his old tricks once again.

This current arc of Ms. Marvel deals with the fallout of an issue that came before this current arc. Kamala felt underappreciated that she was old news-not helped by Red Dagger coming to Jersey City himself. So despite saving a runaway train and Red Dagger saying Ms. Marvel saved the day as it was her plan to stop the train, the press ignored her in favor of him. As a result-feeling dejected, Kamala feels she should take a break. It’s basically classic superhero stuff especially for the Marvel universe. I mean, Peter Parker has gone through this before.

While the book starts off with Naftali and Alanna searching for her and a cliffhanger to those pages, the rest of the book concentrates on the, and this will be my nickname for them, the Ms. Marvelous Wannabe Group and Red Dagger now looking for Zoe as she and Harold disappeared and surprise, surprise via GPS on Zoe’s phone, they found her, as well as the villain of this arc as also surprise, surprise, it’s The Inventor. Sort of. It’s technically Gregory Knox, his creator but he’s taken up the mantle which, kind of does fit in with the Marvel Legacy thing in an odd way.

And dear lord, what comes next after the group shows up to rescue Zoe and Harold is the weird insanity I adore so much from this book. Aside from the usual bots the Inventor dishes out, we have a giant friggin’ turtle that ends up going on a rampage. It is glorious to behold. But characters come first though and the book still delivers. A touching scene where Zoe felt if she put on the costume to help others, it’d recapture the same magic but realizes it’s Ms. Marvel herself who can bring in the magic but that doesn’t stop Zoe from trying though. She still stands up the Inventor even when tied to a chair.

G. Willow Wilson‘s writing is still at its strongest especially with how the characters bounce off each other between Red Dagger, Zoe, Nakia, Mike and Gabe especially with how they try to take care of the situation as well as the ending. I’ll get to that in a bit. But yes, this arc so far is showing the book is staying strong with its supporting cast being the focus this time around and how they’re trying their best to defend Jersey City themselves. Think of it as if some people decided to impersonate the Powerpuff Girls to defend Townsville themselves. That’s the equivalent right there.

There’s also some nice touching moments between Nakia and Zoe especially when the latter sees that Nakia strongly cares for her and returns the favor along with a cute and funny moment of Zoe giving the peace sign underneath the rubble ton indicate she’s unharmed. How Zoe survived being stomped on by a giant turtle, I don’t know, it’s superhero books.

As for the ending, I don’t want to give it away because it is a very nice surprise especially to fans of this particular character but I will say, it’s not Bruno. I know fans want him back but it’s not him but I argue it’s somebody better anyway. And given the cover of issue 28, I greatly anticipate what comes next but it’s a nice carryover from one of the previous arcs.

Nico Leon‘s art is exceptionally well done. The art and colors especially gel well with Wilson’s writing from the facial expressions to the overall pacing. It all looks distinct from a lot of other superhero books and there’s just something very charming about how this was drawn overall. I can’t explain it, it just fits the book overall. It feels like excellent chemistry between author and artist.

If you’re a fan of Ms. Marvel already, this issue does not disappoint. The mystery of this current arc is well handled thus far and I’m eager to read what happens next. Check it out.

Review: Avengers #680

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Sebastian Villegas

Avengers: No Surrender continues with the stakes upped between the death of Johnny Storm and the return of the Black Order! But they are Avengers and they will fight to the end.

Yes, Johnny Storm is dead, though what the hell is going on with Marvel Two in One is anyone’s guess but I assume dude gets resurrected anyway since, well, it’s comic books. In superhero books, no one stays dead forever and this technically has happened to him before anyway. However, it doesn’t stop this issue from having heart to it. Because the character who is hurting the most is Rogue. In the very first issue, at least in the All-New All-Different Marvel era, Rogue had dated Johnny Storm but remained friends and in the Jim Zub run, there were more scenes of the two conversing and it’s clear what chemistry they originally had. And the writers do a good job conveying that loss and how far she went and boy do they show how far she went between the narration and the issue’s big action scene.

I admit, I’m taking about Rogue out of bias given she’s one of my favorite Marvel characters but Rogue is extremely well written here and how far she has been developed in other books since. Out of the three writers of this event, I think Zub understands her the most. He gets her voice very well, her actions are understandable within the context of the book and gave a lot of time for her to shine, it is glorious to behold and I felt for her through and through. And given a particular panel that I’ll mention later, there is promise of where Rogue could possibly go. It’s also why I feel Rogue as an avenger is well deserved than her as a member of the X-Men as by placing her on the Avengers, she not only has new people and scenarios to interact with but what she could also learn from them and how she deals with it. Rogue is a leader and she makes for a compelling leader and Zub is a writer who understands that and expands on the idea especially since given what had happened previously, it’s very personal.

But the other Avengers get a good amount of panels themselves as well however. We have sad moments with Nadia Pym/Wasp, Beast (that is the older, blue furry Beast) and Wonder Man (and it’s fun seeing the two together anyway especially with that hug which got a delightful chuckle out of me just thinking about it) which give the book some extra emotion. You really do get the sense of comradely with the Avengers in this event-probably even than before with the other books. Mark Waid, Al Ewing and Jim Zub are among the writers who understand character and really nail the humanity of these characters hard whether they’d be at their lowest or at their most promising like the pages with Scarlet Witch and Brother Voodoo. Though, Voyager, okay, who she has a long story if you haven’t caught up yet but I will say, I don’t dislike. In fact, there is story potential with her but I don’t feel the connection with her and the other Avengers yet. I think she’ll need to be developed further as this event goes along or if she’ll appear in a future Avengers book after this one. She’s not a bad character, far from it but I just don’t get the sense of her emotional connection even with her origin but hey, that could change.

I’d say overall, writers Mark Waid, Al Ewing, and Zub don’t skimp out in that department and the action scenes. The panels of Rogue taking on Corvus Glaive are appropriately brutal. It’s like you can feel the punches Rogue is delivering-especially the final blow and panel of Rogue standing on top of him. It’s a striking image. Really, nothing about this story feels slow, forced or even off. It feels like there is a lot of cohesiveness involved in what’s going on and the ending while obvious if you saw the marketing, does have some good build up to it.

The art by Kim Jacinto fits the tone of the story with its clean but also shaded look. The art adds to the writing especially with the aforementioned panels with Rogue which elevated than what was on page. Hell, the colors even add to the story’s epic tone.

Avengers: No Surrender continues to entertain but also provide emotion to the proceedings. Characters like Rogue are allowed to shine and be developed further that it’s not a bad event book for these specific titles. I’d say check it out-even if you’re just noticing this story.

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