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Review: Avengers #1

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Brett

The time has come! Their ranks shattered by Civil War, their spirits weighted down by a toll both personal and spiritual, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes must find the resolve to stand united one final time against their greatest foe! Captain America! Thor! The Vision! The Wasp! Spider-Man! Hercules! When the dust settles, not a one of these valiant heroes will make it to the final page alive! This is KANG WAR ONE!

Writer Mark Waid kicks off Avengers #1 with a new status-quo following whatever transpires in the finale of Civil War II. And that’s the one armed tied behind the back aspect of this debut issue of the mightiest heroes’ latest comic series. Without knowing how Marvel’s event ends we’re left with teases and a statement here and there as to what transpired and why the team is in the situation they’re in. It’s a bit odd, and could work in a jump forward sort of way that transpired post-Secret Wars, but this isn’t a jump forward so it’s a bit clunky and the issue might have been read differently if Marvel‘s release plans had worked out originally and not be hampered by Civil War II‘s delays. So that’s the bad thing about the comic.

What’s good is Waid writes the comic so that it’s still new reader friendly and doesn’t spoil the ending of Marvel’s event. Instead, we have a new Avengers team that’s short on members and without a base. In steps Peter Parker to help them out filling the role of a socially awkward Tony Stark-ish benefactor. It’s an interesting direction for the team and Parker as a character and is just different enough that it doesn’t feel like the same ole with different characters plugged in. The inclusion of Parker/Spider-Man is interesting especially considering how he was originally part of Captain America’s Unity squad but quit due to the inclusion of Deadpool.

But, what Waid does really well is focus on the characters themselves and their interactions, both good and bad. The Wasp has issues with Spider-Man, Sam Wilson is a bit uneasy with the way things are, there’s a good bit of humor, it all blends together into a fun read and a bit of a throwback to the more “loose and fun” Avengers of old.

Waid too sets up what comes next well having the team take on Kang who is after Vision. We get a solid explanation as to why everything is going on and the end of the issue sets up what’s next really well with some twists that actually should be really fun to see how it plays out. It’s Kang, so there’s lots of time travel involved, but Waid explains it as best he can and there’s a point you just go with it.

Artist Mike Del Mundo‘s art fits the tone of the comic perfectly and the action sequences are fantastic to look at. As I said, Waid mixes action with humor and Del Mundo’s art reflects that in many ways. It’s a solid combo of writer and artist and the two together really pull things together in a visual treat that’s as much fun to look at as it is to read.

And fun is a key thing here. Waid is clearly going for a tone between this series and Champions and that tone is a return to fun comics that don’t linger on the grim and dark. I had gotten a bit tired of the Avengers as a team, but this first issue has me interested again and wanting to see where things go from here.

Story: Mark Waid Art: Mike Del Mundo
Story: 7.75 Art: 8.15 Overall: 7.85 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Occupy Avengers #1

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Logan Dalton

Although it’s super sad Nighthawk was canceled, writer David Walker has yet another socially conscious Marvel comic book. It’s called Occupy Avengers #1 and is extremely relevant in light of the Standing Rock/Dakota Access pipeline protests in North Dakota, and the ongoing Flint, Michigan water crisis. The comic features Hawkeye as a protagonist as he travels across the United States like some kind of purple and black T-shirt wearing Robin Hood and tries to comes to terms with his killing of Bruce Banner in Civil War II. The first stop on his guilt trip is Santa Rosa, New Mexico where 100% of the inhabitants live under the poverty line, and the water on the Native American reservation is poisoned, which was their main source of income. Hawkeye wants to help, but this is a different and more nuanced challenge that shooting aliens with arrows.

Occupy Avengers #1 features artwork from Carlos Pacheco with inks from Rafael Fonteriz. Pacheco is a veteran artist, and his credits include the time-spanning epic Avengers Forever, a couple Uncanny X-Men runs, and a stint on the weekly series Trinity. Except the final few pages, Occupy Avengers isn’t a traditional superhero comic, but Pacheco is up for the switch in style. The first half of the comic is a slow burn focused on facial expressions as Hawkeye tries to figure out what’s going on in Santa Rosa, and Red Wolf, the town’s deputy and a superhero in his own right, looks on in disdain. The second half is all action, and Pacheco gets to cut loose with a double page, canyon-hopping motorcycle chase as Hawkeye is on the run from men who bear a resemblance to the troopers at Standing Rock. (But some of them have skull bandannas because this is a Marvel comic after all.) Pacheco lays out pages like a stained glass window showing off Hawkeye’s precision as an archer before opting for a bigger panels as Red Wolf, who is more of a hand to hand brawler, gets involved. And colorist Sonia Oback adds filters and a brown meets purple color palette to capture the tension of one guy with a bow and arrow fighting an entire group of men with machine guns.

Along with being a wonderful character study of Clint Barton and having some exciting fight scenes, David Walker explores the futility of the white savior narrative in dialogue, narration, and even in the action towards the end in Occupy Avengers #1. Granny Fireheart, a leader on the reservation, thinks he’s a journalist looking for a scoop or a “bleeding heart environmentalist” here to make himself feel good by going to Santa Rosa. The second is partially true even though he is more trained in the art of medieval-era violence. Hawkeye wants to help, but he doesn’t know where to start. He makes some ill-informed comments about the people of Santa Rosa moving away, but Red Wolf quickly educates him on the reality of this area’s poverty, and he kind of shuts up. Walker shows the importance of listening in activism and not barreling with a Messiah complex with a side of Instagram. He melds this listening with superhero action in the final third of the comic as Hawkeye lets Red Wolf take the lead against the soldiers watching the reservation.

Occupy Avengers #1 has a lot of narrative caption boxes for a comic book in 2016. However, Walker uses them to develop Hawkeye’s character, his feelings about killing the Hulk, and the situation on hand along with the occasional wry one-liner. Even though he murdered his friend, Hawkeye is just a regular guy from Iowa and currently Bed-Stuy that happens to be really good at shooting a bow and arrow and is an Avenger. Walker sets him up as the well-meaning, liberal white guy who needs to learn more about intersectionality and curing the roots of social problems and not just the symptoms but does it through quick, witty dialogue and an action narrative. And occasionally, the narration becomes pure poetry as Hawkeye describes why he uses a bow instead of a gun or a knife as Pacheco uses a nine-panel grid to show each creative hand to hand or archery move. (He is basically one of those writers, who still use typewriters instead of Word processors or CMSes.) It adds to the comic instead of just covering Pacheco and Fonteriz’s art.

David Walker’s ability to meld socially relevant themes with action-packed superhero narratives continues in Occupy Avengers #1. The inclusion of Hydro Man at the end seems a little on-the-nose and shoehorned to give the book a traditional “supervillain”, but it could be the beginning of a bold reimagining of the character. Carlos Pacheco and Rafael Fonteriz’s art gives the book an almost photorealistic style while Sonia Oback’s earth tones color palette sets the tone of Santa Rosa. The best parts of the comic are when Red Wolf cuts loose and Pacheco foregoes photorealism for bold moves and poses as he fights to protect his home and still doesn’t really trust Hawkeye for good reasons and not the usual “fight, then team up” cliches.

Basically, Occupy Avengers #1 is a 21st-century take on Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams’ “Hard Traveling Heroes” run of Green Arrow/Green Lantern, but with a lot more nuance and intersectionality thanks to its diverse creative team.

Story: David F. Walker Pencils: Carlos Pacheco Inks: Rafael Fonteriz Colors: Sonia Oback
Story: 9.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Catwoman: Election Night #1

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Brett

It’s mayoral election time in Gotham City, and while the city is up in arms, Catwoman couldn’t care less! But when the candidates get personal, the Feline Fatale decides to get involved—much to the detriment of…well, everyone! This issue contains a special bonus story featuring the return of President Beth Ross from the critically acclaimed PREZ miniseries.

Catwoman: Election Night #1 is a one-shot special timed for the Presidential election and is a comic that lends itself to a lot of debate about the fine details within.

With a main story written by Meredith Finch and art by Shane Davis, Catwoman is thrown into the Gotham Mayoral election that pits Penguin against another candidate with a past and forces us to ask the question of who’s worse?

Finch has no problem taking a jab at the current state of American politics and she has Penguin channeling Trump with his over the top proclamations and focus on building a wall. But beyond that pretty clear riff, what Finch does is much subtler than that.

Without giving the full story away, the people of Gotham are asked to choose the lesser of two evils a situation many find themselves in this election. The fact the candidates are a businessman with questionable dealings turn politician vs. a female politician it makes it pretty clear that this is analogous to the current Presidential campaign. There’s a lot you could debate about when the story wraps up and what Finch is saying, but the fact you can actually debate the story is impressive.

Davis’ art is really good and reminds me of some past Catwoman art I’ve seen. There’s some really great panels that stand out from the art and the story has a horror tinge that Davis nails really well when the time is right.

Joining Catwoman’s tale is writer Mark Russell and artist Ben Caldwell with a swan-song for President Beth Ross and the absolutely amazing Prez. The story doesn’t address the current election directly, instead giving us one more legislative battle for Ross. This time the issue is birth control and the right to bear arms.

As usual Russell gives us humorous jabs at the politics of it all and resolves the issue with a creative solution that pokes even more fun of our political priorities. The jokes fly quickly in the story and much of that lies with Caldwell as Russell’s humor is more than what’s spoken, but also what is visually there too. The details are key as jokes and statements are made with every small item on the page. Each says as much about Caldwell’s artistic talent as it does Russell’s storytelling abilities. The combo of the two is an amazing one and I wish we could get more of President Ross. The short story is a reminder that Prez was a comic that was too smart for its audience and too ahead of its time.

One-shots like this I usually roll my eyes about, but Catwoman: Election Night is an entertaining comic that actually has a lot to say about the current state of politics and the Presidential election. But, what it also does is provide an escape from it all as Finch and Russell put story before politics. Whether you’re a politico who wants a little politics in your comics or a comic fan looking for an entertaining story, Catwoman: Election Night is worth checking out.

Story: Mark Russell, Meredith Finch Art: Ben Caldwell, Shane Davis
Story: 7.7 Art: 7.7 Overall: 7.7 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Midnighter and Apollo #2

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Logan Dalton

In Midnighter and Apollo #2, Midnighter is so struck by the “death” of his boyfriend Apollo that he shuts everyone out of his life in a quest to bring him back through whatever means necessary. Writer Steve Orlando and artist Fernando Blanco take time out of the non-stop fights and torture of Apollo in Hell to show Midnighter’s feelings about the loss of his boyfriend. Orlando also singlehandedly redeems the formerly stereotypical gay DC Comics superhero/magician, who in the past fought an “AIDS vampire”, into a kind of Dr. Strange reality bender with an adopted angel child.

Blanco’s layouts continue to be a highlight of Midnighter and Apollo #2 as the comic opens with Bendix talking trash to Midnighter about designing his fight computer and setting up a kind of obstacle course that his teleporter can’t bust through. Well, he kind of obliterates the course in a double page spread that is like an ultraviolent version of a spiral ham or a planetary orbit complete with inset panels, cybernetic, a crimson color palette from Romulo Fajardo, and Mawzir, the demonic goon of the Lords of the Gun from the Garth Ennis and John McCrea Hitman comics doing his thing. Orlando is really a master of using obscure-ish DC or Wildstorm characters in cool or exciting ways and uses Mawzir’s dialogue to draw parallels between him and Midnighter. Even though he doesn’t serve a demonic cult, both Mawzir and Midnighter love violence for violence’s sake, and Blanco shows this by going beyond your average punch-up and getting creative with the fight choreography. I could feel that sweeping leg kick through the page.

Even though it seems like Bendix will end up being the “final boss” of Midnighter and Apollo, Orlando and Blanco craft a powerful, kind of out of Midnighter’s league bad guy to challenge him in this issue and beyond. It’s Neron, a reality warping demon from the 1995 Underworld Unleashed crossover and also popped up in Grant Morrison’s JLA run. He’s the living embodiment of a mind screwer, and Blanco gets all Hieronymus Bosch with his art style while depicting Apollo trying to break him and fellow, but it’s just a trick on him and superhero comics readers expecting some kind of miraculous escape and fight scene. Apollo might be as strong (or stronger) than Superman, but the darkness of Hell negates his power. He is really out of his depth with demons and other dimensions because he can’t defeat with a well-timed punch or burst of solar energy.

Fajardo shows Apollo bursting out of his stocks (The punishments are pretty retro down in hell.) with a burst of golden heat vision, but slowly obscures the yellow with red as Neron exercises his power over Apollo and binds him and his fellow captives. Orlando doesn’t quote or reference the scene directly, but this sequence reminded me of a quote from the first arc of Sandman where Morpheus wins a duel with demon with the word “hope” and says, “What power would hell have if those imprisoned here would not be able to dream of Heaven?” However, this idea has a much more negative connotation in Midnighter and Apollo as the only hope for Apollo is Midnighter kicking everyone’s asses, and him fighting demons should be super fun to watch unfold in the next issue.

In Midnighter and Apollo #2, Steve Orlando, Fernando Blanco, and Romulo Fajardo show the bond between Apollo and Midnighter mostly through Midnighter’s ceaseless pursuit of violence and even magical means to save his love and help. Blanco’s skill at layouts makes the reality bending and action scenes super thrilling, and he can also slow down and bask in emotions like when Midnighter cradles Apollo’s lifeless body. It’s yet another violent, vulnerable chapter in a miniseries that looks to get even more exciting thanks to the final page with its great Midnighter one-liner.

Story: Steve Orlando Art: Fernando Blanco Colors: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Story: 8 Art: 9 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: DC Super Hero Girls Vol. 2: Hits and Myths

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Brett

“Intro to Epics” is one of Wonder Woman’s favorite classes at DC Super Hero High, but even for an overachiever, balancing high school literature assignments with learning to be a superhero can be tough. But you know what they say about learning-experience is the best teacher! So when Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Supergirl, Bumblebee, Poison Ivy, Katana, and Harley Quinn fight a cyclops, a witch, and a bevy of sirens, they’re sure to learn a thing or two about The Odyssey-if they survive their epic battle in the underworld!

I’ll admit I love DC Super Hero Girls. The concept is great. The animated videos and toys are great. And the comics that have come out have been really entertaining too.

DC Super Hero Girls: Hits and Myths is the second graphic novel in the series. Written by Shea Fontana the story is broken up into chapters as the girls attempt to get to a sleepover but Batgirl’s plane has been stolen!

The story is much more interesting than that might seem in that Fontana plays with the Odyssey giving kids their own version in some ways. She plays with that classic story updating it for kids to enjoy. And it’s really enjoyable. These kids feel like kids and the new versions of these classic characters are really fun. I think that’s something I’ve really enjoyed about the property as a whole is seeing things slightly changed. And Fontana keeps that up with an introduction of Lobo to the comic and it all works! It works because it’s fun!

Yancey Labat‘s art continues the consistent style we’ve seen run through everything. The property doesn’t vary much at all when it comes to the visuals which isn’t a bad thing at all. The character designs are top notch but Labat adds in the superheroic stances that make it visually entertaining. The heroes get solid spreads and panels with them flying, punching, and more.

A fantastic property continues to be fantastic in a new graphic novel that continues the fun. This is a perfect read for kids and adults alike and fans of the DC Super Hero Girls won’t be disappointed.

Story: Shea Fontana Art: Yancey Labat
Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Death of X #3

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Brett

In Death of X #3, Cyclops and Emma Frost start to hatch their plan and The Inhumans cross a line with the mutants.

With one more issue to go we’re getting closer to the answer as to what exactly happened that drove such a schism between the Inhumans and Mutants.

Death of X #3 continues to stretch out the story which so far feels like it could have been completed in a tighter two issues. Written by Charles Soule and Jeff Lemire, the issue balances a decent amount as forces are gathered and moves are made by the players.

There are some good things in the issue as it all flows really well and the missteps and actions feel natural. But, that’s part of the issue too, in that those missteps feel like they’ve been played out so many times in so many different media. The miscommunication ups the stress of the situation and someone accidently pulls a trigger that sets things off. It’s a pretty simple setup, but it’s done pretty well with a lot of small moments really making up the stronger whole.

Aaron Kuder and Javier Gorgón handle the pencils which I think have been pretty weak for the event. None of it is bad, but the characters feel like they’re stretched out a bit. It’s the artist’s style and my take is just a personal one. I do dig some of the panel layouts. There’s actually some really cool things that get me to take notice of the page and spend time looking at all of the small details.

I said it with the first issue, I’m waiting for the end to really see how it all ends. This has been a rather odd miniseries to read as we know where things are and this fills in the gap. Who lives? Who dies? That’s the questions this answers and the main draw for me. And in the end, it’s all prequel for the event series to come next.

Story: Charles Soule, Jeff Lemire Art: Aaron Kuder, Javier Gorgón
Story: 6.85 Art: 7.0 Overall: 6.90 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Southern Bastards #15

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Joe Ryan

Trouble is brewing in Craw County.

Roberta Tubbs has come home, and the Runnin’ Rebs have just lost their homecoming game. These parallels are not a coincidence, and Jason Aaron ties them together in a clever way. Losing the football game and the loss Roberta is feeling can both be blamed on Coach Boss. Both of these things ended very ugly, and both Roberta and Coach Boss plan to get some revenge for each of these things in their own way.

Southern Bastards #15 continues the story of not only The Tubbs family and Craw County but of Coach Boss. The Coach who has become so used to winning on and off the field has another rough day as he deals with yet another loss. Things haven’t been easy for his team since he lost his mentor and defensive coordinator, Coach Big. I won’t lie, it is fun to see Coach Boss suffer after all of the horrible things he’s done so far. While it may seem like it’s only football, to him, football is his life.

I am glad Roberta is finally home. This series puts you through the ringer unless you’re rooting for the bad guys. Jason Aaron has made us wait for another hero for the most part, and I’ll be curious to see what Roberta does as she tries to find out what happened to Earl. We’ve already got a glimpse at how capable she is as a fighter, and I’m all for seeing her beat up some more racists.

We get to see more of the Mayor and his wife, Leddy, who is running things with him being sick. This issue has some fun back and forth between former high school lovers Ms. Compson and the Sherrif. The Sheriff is becoming a very interesting character, like most in this series, and time will tell if he will truly stand up to Coach Boss, especially now that Leddy has revealed her goal.

Jason Latour has a very original art style that I really like. It is raw, and fits the book perfectly. The way he draws older angry characters like Coach Boss and Earl make me think they’re some of his favorites to draw. The arching brows, gritting teeth, and big shoulders add so much to Coach Boss. It gives you the feeling that at any minute, he’s going to bash someone’s head in. As a football fan, I also love seeing the full panels of players smashing into either other, catching a pass, or making a big play. It’s the little things that give this book the authenticity and realization that football is life to Coach Boss, and the art is a big part of that.

I love this series, and like Roberta Tubbs, I am gritting my teeth and trying to stay patient. I want to know what happens. I want to know the final score. Will a man who’s not used to losing continue to do so? Will he have to cheat to win? Is he paying too much attention to football and not enough to his other opponents? You have to wonder if Coach Boss finally has some things that he can’t beat, both on and off the field.

Story: Jason Aaron Art: Jason Latour
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Image provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: The Unworthy Thor #1

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Brett

Odinson’s desperate search to regain his worthiness has taken him out into the cosmos, where he’s learned of the existence of a mysterious other Mjolnir. This weapon of unimaginable power, a relic from a dead universe, is the key to Odinson’s redemption – but some of the greatest villains of the Marvel Universe are now anxious to get their hands on it as well. Can The Odinson reclaim his honor, or will the power of thunder be wielded for evil? The quest for the hammer begins here.

Marvel really shook things up in what feels like ages ago when they changed the iconic wording of Thor’s hammer introducing a new champion and proclaiming Thor Odinson unworthy of Mjolnir. Flash forward years later and a second Mjolnir now exists in the Marvel Universe thanks to Secret Wars providing Thor a chance to reclaim his mantle. But is he worthy? Has he found redemption? Will he find redemption?

That’s the heart of this new series which will send Thor on a quest claim this hammer before others can do so themselves. And it’s a solid start as we see Thor as broken and dejected as you’d expect. He lacks direction and is pretty down on himself.

The comic has is an interesting one in that it feels more like a sci-fi series than fantasy and that’s with the issue kicking off with Thor fighting Trolls… on the moon! And that awesome tone is thanks to writer Jason Aaron who has shied away from the stereotypical fantasy take on Thor we’ve seen in the past instead giving us a blend and a sci-fi fantasy feel. And “feel” is a keyword here as Aaron gets us to really feel for Thor and the position he’s in. He’s at his lowest point and you can absolutely tell that by every word spoken.

But, what I like most is Aaron really pulling in a lot of the Marvel Universe in some cool ways. A mysterious being is put forth to send Thor on his quest and the issue ends with another being from Thor’s past as well. It’s a fun take that is forging something new while giving nods to the past.

Olivier Coipel‘s art is absolutely fantastic. Coipel is one of my favorite artists currently and my only gripe is that the art is a bit dark at times. Still, it’s beautiful to look at and as much fun to linger on the pages as it is to read Aaron’s words. Just great action and a vibe and mood that oozes off the page.

I had no idea what to expect going into this and I want more immediately after reading it. This feels like the start of an epic Thor story and I can’t wait to see what Aaron has up his sleeve.

Story: Jason Aaron Art: Olivier Coipel
Story: 8.65 Art: 9.15 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Batman #10

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Joe Ryan

Tom King likes his Batman vulnerable. That is the biggest takeaway I have noticed so far from this series, and I love it. From the first issue where he is trying to stop a plane that is going to crash into Gotham City and face his own demise, to realizing that having other heroes like Gotham and Gotham Girl around to help isn’t such a bad idea. Even the lengths of physical pain he is willing to endure to save someone show that the caped crusader is the true definition of a hero. Batman has no super power. His super power is his heart. Sure the dark knight may act cold at times, but his purpose now as an older and wiser hero is to keep not only the citizens of his city safe but the members of the bat family as well. That family now includes Gotham Girl.

Bruce has always wanted to make things right. That is part of the brilliance of his character. His whole reasoning behind being a hero in the first place is to not only avenge his parent’s death, but to make them proud of him. His honor and pride are his greatest strengths and simultaneously his greatest weaknesses. Is Batman trying to help Gotham Girl for her, or because he has to make things right? It’s something I’ve always loved about the character, because as much as he has it together, he is also somewhat of a mess. Tom King gets that, and shows it in this issue.

In Batman #10 we return to Santa Prisca prison, the birthplace of Bane. It was fun seeing the Batplane in a dogfight with Bane’s soldiers, and then having him take on the army in hand to hand combat once he was shot down. Once he was finally beaten to the point of crawling, Batman enters the prison to be greeted by the man who broke the bat, Bane. We don’t get the venom induced version who broke Batman’s back in Knightfall many years ago, but we do still get a very menacing version who pulls no punches.

There is a very cool storytelling technique used throughout the book where we are reading narration in what appears to be passages from a letter. I won’t spoil anything, but by the end it made me smile when I realized what was going on. It was clever, and I enjoyed being surprised by the end of the book. I cannot wait to see where “I Am Suicide” goes and why Batman picked the members he did for his team. We know he does everything for a reason, and seems one step ahead of his enemy most of the time. So it is interesting that we get an issue where he goes in fists swinging first. Batman is up to something here, and I cannot wait to see what it is.

Mikel Janin does a great job on art, and he covers a lot of distance. Whether it’s the Batplane in a dogfight ripping over the water and through the clouds, or the inside of the prison where Bane dwells in the shadows. The art is fantastic. June Chung on colors does a nice job of switching between the dull shades of the prison and the bright scenes outside.

There are some things that happen in this book, especially one, where I had to question the logic. That isn’t a bad thing because it happened in a comic book. A Batman comic book to be exact, where I find the book to be at its best when it is just a little over the top in its action and violence, and this issue certainly exceeds at both. Once I read Vision, I knew that Tom King had earned the right to make me be patient and wait to see where a story goes. I trust him on this book, and I am just along for the ride.

Story: Tom King Art: Mikel Janin Color: June Chung
Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Marvel Dice Masters: Deadpool: Agent X

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Brett

This November sees the newest release for WizKids‘ Dice Masters, Marvel Dice Masters: Deadpool. The set is focused on Deadpool’s world including the X-Men and Weapon X, but the set also includes some other familiar characters and the first appearance of the Inhumans team affiliation. I’ll be reviewing a card a day until the set’s release in a few weeks. But, beyond discussing the cards and how they fit into the Dice Masters game, I’ll also focus on the characters themselves and if the card reflects their comic history.

Next up is Agent X: Earth-2 Counterpart, the rare version of the card.

Art: Alvin Lee, Agent X #1

Comic origin: Created by writer Gail Simone and artist Alvin Lee in 2002, Agent X was spun out of Deadpool which at the time wasn’t selling well and got his own mini-series that lasted for 15 issues.

The character’s real name is Nijo (also known as Alex Hayden) who’s an assassin and mercenary who blamed Deadpool for his brother’s death. There’s a story that I can’t even wrap up that involves the character wanting to be the best mercenary there was and may or not actually being Deadpool. Nijo/Alex was eventually trained by Taskmaster.

His abilities include a regenerative healing factor, foreign chemical resistance, disease immunity, extended longevity, telepathic immunity, superhuman strength, superhuman stamina, superhuman agility, and superhuman reflexes.

Live action version: None

Card playability: This is an interesting one. Being able to draw a die is useful and there’s a lot of new ways to redirect or gain life. This can be great to get crucial dice and/or a way to get rid of Sidekick dice too. Also being able to field a 5A for 1 die is pretty solid, so you also get a decent attacker out of it all.

Card vs. Comic: I’m not sure there’s a big connection between the card’s ability and the character. Being able to get needed supplies fits a bit, but that’s about it.

Final Thoughts: This card could be pretty useful in a game and I can see it being added to a few decks. It’s not a fame changing card, since there’s so many ways to draw dice now, but it’ll be interesting to see how it fits in to the rest of the set which may change my final thougts on the card’s use.

WizKids provided Graphic Policy with FREE product for review.

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