Tag Archives: david wachter

Head Back to 2099 this May

In 1992, Marvel embarked on its first trip to the dystopian far-future of 2099, and fans discovered a new age of Marvels filled with fascinating takes on their favorite heroes such as the X-Men, the Avengers, and of course, Spider-Man! Presenting a twisted corporate-run society and the inspiring characters who sought to overthrow it, the stories set in Marvel 2099 had a tremendous impact on readers and now 30 years later, Spider-Man 2099: Exodus will revisit this rich world in a saga that will revolutionize its role in the tapestry that is the Marvel multiverse.

Beginning in May’s Spider-Man 2099: Exodus – Alpha #1, this all-new limited series will be written by Steve Orlando and brought to life by an all-star lineup of artists from throughout Marvel comics including Paul Fry, David Wachter, Marco Castiello, Ze Carlos, Alessandro Mircola, and Kim Jacinto. The story will kick off when a Celestial falls to Earth, bringing a glimmer of hope to this broken world. Sensing a chance for real change, fan-favorite hero Spider-Man 2099 will undertake a journey that will bring him into contact with all corners of the Marvel Universe from Asgard to mutantkind! Each issue will shift focus to a new character or team, debuting exciting new characters along the way such as 2099 Winter Soldier, a new version of 2099 Loki, and new members of the 2099 X-Men. Recontextualizing the core elements of the 2099 mythos, Spider-Man’s quest for a better tomorrow will be a perfect entry point for 2099 newcomers and an essential chapter for those who have enjoyed past 2099 adventures!

After fighting battles across the timestream, Miguel O’Hara is at last back defending his present and the world’s future! For Spider-Man 2099, the only thing constant about life in Nueva York is change. So when a cataclysmic crash creates a new Garden of Eden in what was once the American Wastelands, Spider-Man knows exactly what the next atrocity will be. Watch as the mysterious group known as The Cabal plans to set society ablaze and find out which Marvel villain is leading them in Spider-Man 2099: Exodus – Alpha #1!

Then in Spider-Man 2099: Exodus #1, meet the Winter Solider of 2099 aka Winter Soldier 13! It’s not just The Cabal who is hungry to control the Garden. Salvaged from the black market as a child, the Winter Soldier — raised on mad science — is bent on vengeance and rebirth. What power will he find in the Garden and how will she use it?

Also coming in May, witness Loki 2099 in Spider-Man 2099: Exodus #2! The Prince of Lies, last survivor of Asgard’s Ragnarok, sponsored by ALCHEMAX’s Aesir program — is now the Prince of Outcasts. While The Cabal preys upon society’s dregs, Loki schemes to resurrect Asgard on his own terms. But when Loki’s involved, can mischief be far behind? What’s the secret of Loki’s last trick, and how does it affect the future of Asgard and Midgard alike?

The revolution of 2099 begins this May in Spider-Man 2099: Exodus – Alpha #1! Check out the covers of the first three issues as well as new characters designs and stay tuned for more details in the coming months! Spider-Man 2099: Exodus – Alpha #1 features a cover by Leinil Francis Yu, Spider-Man 2099: Exodus #1 and #2 feature covers by Ryan Stegman.

Marvel Reveals Star Wars: The High Republic: Trail of Shadows

Marvel has revealed Star Wars: The High Republic: Trail of Shadows, a brand-new series coming in October! The new limited series will be the latest story set in the exciting High Republic era, the publishing-led Star Wars storytelling initiative that began earlier this year. Written by Daniel José Older with art by David Wachter, Star Wars: The High Republic: Trail of Shadows will mark Marvel’s second venture into The High Republic, following the hit ongoing series, Star Wars: The High Republic.

The noir-style mystery will unfold after the shocking events of the Republic Fair and introduce new key High Republic players such as Sian Holt and Jedi Emerick Caphtor, two detectives tasked with uncovering the source of a strange new threat that could bring darkness to the Jedi Order’s golden age. The story will directly tie into the events of other High Republic sagas, including the upcoming new Cavan Scott novel The Rising Storm.

Check out a variant cover below by artist Ario Anindito and Rachelle Rosenberg below and stay tuned for more information about this thrilling new High Republic adventure! The series features a main cover by David López.

Star Wars: The High Republic: Trail of Shadows

Review: Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #1

IRON FIST: HEART OF THE DRAGON #1

One of my favorite characters in the Marvel universe is Iron Fist and I’ve been excited for Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon written by Larry Hama. Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #1 is pretty straightforward: A bunch of undead fighters are looking to kill off the dragons that Iron Fist is protecting and we have bad guys and gals such as Taskmaster and Lady Bullseye in the mix. Taskmaster gets the best of Iron Fist and the heroes are left with a lot of questions as an unexpected death shows up.

Hama mixes a lot of action with a bit of humor, which overall, makes for a pretty good story. It’s a given that Luke Cage is going to be around and his involvement makes for some of the biggest fun. And this is just my opinion but when Taskmaster is involved, I feel like he knows enough people’s fighting styles that he’s even going to beat Danny Rand. When the child Pei struck Lady Bullseye, I thought it was quite hilarious. I really like what I read of Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #1.

David Wachter did the art on this issue. I’m not at all familiar with him but he’s got a great-looking style. An Iron Fist book should be filled with action and this book is wall-to-wall action so Wachter had a lot of action sequences to pencil. I love the look and feel of what is put to the page. Neeraj Menon’s colors compliment the pencils and have the proper color pallette for a penciller like Wachter.

This was a really enjoyable first issue that’s got me excited for the next issue. Iron Fist managed to stop the bad guys in this issue. I have been reading Hama’s work on G.I. Joe for years and I’m glad to see him working on a character like Iron Fist. I might not like this as much as his work on the Joes but add in a fantastic artist and this ends up being just what a fan of this half of the Heroes For Hire needs.

Story: Larry Hama Art: David Wachter
Color: Neeraj Menon Letterer: Travis Lanham
Story: 7.0 Art: 6.0 Overall: 6.5

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review


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Review: Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #1

Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #1

Writer Larry Hama brings his talents to Marvel’s Iron Fist. Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #1 kicks off a new adventure for the character which has him attempting to protect the Heavenly Cities as someone is hunting the dragons that power them.

The debut issue is an interesting one dropping readers mostly into the story and only slightly teasing details out. Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #1 feels much like Hama’s G.I. Joe work. There’s lots of focus on action sequences as the issue goes from one beat to another. It works in some ways but the packed in issue that has not one, but two major villains to battle, feels a bit too much like a video game. The first level has been cleared, so lets move on to the next.

In his journey, Iron Fist is joined by Fooh who feels more like a comedic extra and also the inventory screen in this video game like story.

Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #1 only slightly works as is. It might have been due to the high expectations from Hama writing but there’s something off overall. The comic is a bit choppy and doesn’t feature a natural flow as much as it does levels. First up is Taskmaster to battle and after is Lady Bullseye. There’s little explanation other than they have a mission to get a dragon’s heart, so it all comes off a bit as a thin plot mostly focused on the action. There’s a lot thrown in there but it’s all very thinly connected.

Dave Wachter‘s art is decent. With colors by Neeraj Menon and letterer Travis Lanham, the art captures the action and the packed in sequences. Iron Fist himself looks a little off with the face a bit too round and feels off. The eyes feel apart and face just looks odd. But, there’s some good action sequences and battles, each having a nice flow to them. As the comic moves along there feels like there’s more packed in which is handled without things being overwhelming and it being pretty clear to follow.

Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #1 is a bit mixed overall. It might have helped to have slowed things down a little and give more time to let the story be explained and details filled in. As is, the comic is pretty quick paced with the actual story being a little thin and specifics. There’s potential here with a turn your brain off sort of adventure. While it doesn’t meet of expectations, Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #1 still delivers some fun.

Story: Larry Hama Art: David Wachter
Color: Neeraj Menon Letterer: Travis Lanham
Story: 6.95 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review


Purchase: comiXologyAmazonKindleZeus Comics