Sunday, December 2, 2012

Quick Reviews: All New X-Men #1-2, Amazing Spider-Man #698, and more *SPOILERS*



All-New X-Men #1-2 by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen
Cyclops, Emma Frost, and Magneto are wanted by the government and gathering new mutants. The X-Men are faced with increased government scrutiny but can’t go after them for fear of creating a mutant civil war.

Best decides to bring the original team back through time to talk sense into Scott. The original team’s arrival rips open old wounds while exposing the original team to a future they were working hard to prevent. But Beast wants to set everything right because the next stage of his mutation is killing him.

Good: No one but Brian Michael Bendis can have two issues with almost no action be two of the best issues of X-Men I’ve read in years. Having the original X-Men in the current title doesn’t just challenge the characters but, as a reader, it forced me to think about everything the characters have been through. The chaos is entertaining and bittersweet to watch. It’s easily one of the best titles Marvel has put out in years.

Bad: Beast dying is a little over the top. I’m tired of X-Men dying to generate drama. Still, his dying might have been the only reason he’d ever bring the original team to the present.


Freelancers #1 by Ian Brill, and Joshua Covey
Cassie and Val were raised in an orphanage that taught them kung-fu so they’d be able to take care of themselves in the real world. Now they’re mercenaries who have agents who pair them with rich benefactors who need things done.

Good: It’s an interesting idea.

Bad: Everything else.


Amazing Spider-Man #698 by Dan Slott and Richard Elson
Spider-Man has been kicking Doctor Octopus’ butt for decades. So what chance does a dying Doc Ock have of getting the final victory over his enemy? It turns out that he’ll not only get the final victory and cheat death, but he’ll also kill Peter Parker and take over his life.

Good: The issue reads like a typical issue of Spider-Man until he visits his old enemy Doc Ock. That’s when the reader discovers that Ock has been in Spidey’s body for a while and that Peter Parker is trapped in Ock’s body when he dies.

Bad: Ock in Spidey’s body? I can’t wait for people to figure it out and restore Peter Parker back to his body where he’ll have to undo all the damage Ock does to his life.


Green Lantern #14 by Geoff Johns, Doug Mahnke, and Christian Alamy
The Justice League have to determine if Baz is wrongly accused or not but Baz’s Green Lantern ring isn’t going to make it easy to catch him because it seems to have a mind of its own.

Good: Hilarious dialogue and great action. Using the ring to create a lot of cars to cover his escape is a good idea.

Bad: This is the first time I’ve read about Baz but Power Girl had a story about a guy who tries to save a crashing plane when he’s mistaken for a terrorist so it feels a little stale for subject matter. Why does a new Arab-American character always have to be mistaken as a terrorist first?


Batman #14 by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, and Jonathan Glapion
The Joker is out for revenge (what else is new) and after all of Batman’s friends and allies. Unfortunately that includes Alfred.

Good: Most good Joker stories are horror stories and this is no exception. The writing and the art are sharp and the Joker is unpredictable.

Bad: With the stakes this high and the story arc promises a lot of damage, the only solution that makes sense is killing the Joker. Things have been going that way for years and there’s only so many times he can do the kind of fatal, irreparable damage without paying the ultimate price.

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