The Negative Zone

I was just thinking...

2012-09-15T00:23:00.000-07:00

More evidence that Marvel are screwing their timeline with All-New X-Men NOW!

2012-08-21T13:06:00.001-07:00

Do these look like teenagers from 12 years ago?

Libraries are your friend! Avengers: Prime

2012-08-18T02:16:00.002-07:00

Brian Michael Bendis and Alan Davis

It is a universal truth that certain artists bring out the best in some writers, and so it is with this collaboration between Brian Michael Bendis and Alan Davis.

Bendis is not particularly useful at infusing his comic books with any drama, so Davis, an artist that can tell a whole story within a single panel and knows how to keep a comic book moving, brings a much needed extra dimension to Bendis’ script and one-note dialogue. Something that can’t be said for some of Bendis’ other collaborators (I’m looking at you Michael Gaydos).

Bendis’ brief here is to reunite three old friends, who have been torn apart by their actions during Civil War, Dark Reign and Siege. This he does by unleashing their inner fratboy (poor Patsy Walker, what did she do to deserve being cast as the Avengers bike?) and allowing Captain America, Iron Man and Thor to recall the good times they’ve shared, all while fighting Hela, the Asgardian Goddess of Death.

Bendis’ dialogue is what you’d expect, and if you like that sort of thing, then this thing is what you’d like. One exchange, though, summed up nicely what I don’t like.

Iron Man: She didn’t bring Thor’s hammer.

Captain America: I don’t see it.

Iron Man: That’s what I’m saying.

Bendis would do well to note the old adage less is more.

Joe Kubert R.I.P.

2012-08-12T15:21:00.001-07:00

Nothing else to say.

Libraries are your friend! Secret Avengers: Mission to Mars

2012-08-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artists: Mike Deodato, Will Conrad, David Aja, Michael Lark & Stefano Gaudiano

Readers of my other blog are probably well aware of my predilection for Marvel comics from the 70s.

With that in mind, this slim volume collecting the first five issues of Secret Avengers promised to push all the right buttons. An Avengers team that includes Valkyrie, The Beast and Nova fighting Roxxon Oil and a Serpent Crown, with some Nick Fury LMDs and ‘Who is Scorpio?’ thrown in? Oh yeah.

I wasn't disappointed. It was a rather spiffy read that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a quick rummage through the Marvel Universe with a nod to Marvel stories of yore.

My one gripe? All the alternative cover page-fillers; glad I wasn’t paying for ‘em.

Tony Stark was no stranger to some rough trade...

2012-08-05T11:51:00.001-07:00

All-New X-Men NOW!

2012-08-05T09:59:00.001-07:00

As part of the up-coming NOW! branding, Marvel have announced a new title by Brian Bendis. The All-New X-Men (does Bendis have shares in the word ‘New’?) is to feature the original (Huh? I thought this was All-New?) five members of the X-Men time-travelling to the NOW! and being generally disappointed that within 10 years or so some of them have died and come back at least once, and life is a bit crap. Or something.

Here’s what I don’t understand.

Supposedly the hook is these five characters from a simpler time (the Sixties) being all ‘I don’t believe it!’ about life and shit for Mutants in 2012. Except, Marvel’s sliding time-line means that they’re actually from, oh, the year 2000. Think about that.

I don’t know about you, but things haven’t changed that much in the last 12 years - certainly not enough to get all nostalgic for simpler times.

Supposedly this is all in aid of bringing back a Jean Grey that isn’t a clone. Or resurrected again. I do hope that when she eventually returns to her own time that she remembers to let one of the other All New All Different X-Men pilot that shuttle back to Earth in, erm, 2004. It would save a lot of anguish.

Justice League #11

2012-08-05T06:57:00.000-07:00

I recently gave my best friend’s 11 year old son the first six issues of Justice League, and he loved them. I can understand why; they’re fast and furious, with lots of punching and kicking. If he could afford to buy comics, DC would have another customer.This issue also has a lot of punching and kicking - and slicing - as Wonder Woman goes on a rampage against her team-mates. Maybe ‘mates’ is not the right word, because this Justice League is anything but friendly.

Wonder Woman wants to cut the villain’s head off - which isn’t something the League do (Phew!) - and Steve Trevor’s sister promises Wonder Woman that if she doesn’t bring Steve home that she’ll haunt her for the rest of her life. Oops!

In the back-up, Billy Batson is still a brat.