King Thor #1

“Chapter One:  Twilight of the Thunder God”

Writer:  Jason Aaron

Artist: Esad Ribic

Cover Art:  Esad Ribic

The final run of Jason Aaron’s Thor arc of nearly seven years is starting with the new issue of King Thor#1 (although this is technically not a new series.  It’s legacy number is #723 so it is considered the continuation of Thor, which is not currently being created).

Not only is this Aaron’s final run, but he is reunited with Esad Ribic, who worked with Aaron in the early parts of the epic run.

We are now in the future and we are featuring a knock down, drag out battle between the older King Thor and Loki the All-Butcher, in the way the brothers are destined to go.

However, I have to say, that I am so loving the new Loki series written by Daniel Kibblesmith, that I was having a hard time seeing Loki in this futuristic manner, and that was a problem with the book for me.  Still, I am able to get past that because this version of Loki feels different than the one in Kibblesmith’s book.

The story also features the Girls of Thunder, returning from their roles in the previous storyline involving King Thor.  It’s funny that these ladies are involved at the Hall of All-Knowing, and so was Loki in the new Loki#3 issue out this same week.  Coincidence?

The King Thor-Loki battle had a bunch of twists and turns and ends with a final page that is just epic if you have followed Jason Aaron’s Thor run.

I have a feeling this may be some of the best Thor we have seen in a while and I am looking forward to seeing how Aaron wraps this whole thing up.

Web of Black Widow #1

Writer: Jody Houser

Artist:  Stephen Mooney

Cover Art:  Junggeun Yoon

A new Black Widow series arrived this week and it was a great start.  The series threw Natasha into the fire immediately, under cover and infiltrating a party where her old friend Tony Stark was attending.

By the way, Tony Stark has suddenly become the 2019 version of Punisher/Spidey/Wolverine as he is guest starring in practically every book Marvel has put out.  Just off the top of my head, besides the books he regularly stars in such as Tony Stark: Iron Man and Avengers, he was guest starring in Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, The Magnificent Ms. Marvel, Ironheart, Captain America, The Invaders, Loki, Captain Marvel… are there more?  Could be.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the spy drama of the Black Widow.  Told as a noir, the series really worked with flashbacks and some stunning art.

I feel this is similar to the recent Invisible Woman series, as the series features a more down to earth battle and is a more personal, character-driven tale.  It kept me intrigued the whole issue and makes me really look forward to where they plan on taking the character.

The Immortal Hulk #23

“The Face of the Enemy”

Writer: Al Ewing

Artist: Joe Bennett

Cover Art:  Alex Ross

One of the most consistent of the Marvel Comics over the last two years, The Immortal Hulk from Al Ewing continues to be a thrill-a-page and ends again in issue #23 with a final page that causes our jaw to drop.

Who knew that turning the Hulk into a horror monster and placing him in downright frightening situations would be so epic?  Any time this comic has a new issue due, it is one of the first, if not the first, comic I read that week.  It rarely lets me down.

Al Ewing has quickly become a personal favorite of mine and he provides such a flair to the book that this run of Hulk rivals the very best runs on the character over the years, from Peter David to Greg Pak.

This comic really feels like it is building to something big, and with The Immortal Hulk #25 on the radar for October, a double sized issue as well, things look to be really become huge for the immortal one.

Oh, and shout out to Puck in this issue.  He shows that he is a true kick ass.

Another magnificent issue from Ewing/Bennett.  The Alex Ross covers continue to make this book all the more special.

Batman/Superman #1

“Who are the Secret Six? Part One”

Writer:  Joshua Williamson

Artist:  David Marquez

Cover Art:  Leinil Yu & Tomeu Morey

Once again, I am a Marvel fan.  I prefer the characters and the style of the comics.  That does not mean that I dislike DC, but there is only so many comics that I can buy in a month.  I liked the Lois Lane#1, but decided against continuing that series.

However, Batman/Superman#1 is a different case.

This was outstanding.

I really liked the idea of the Batman Who Laughs.  This was my introduction to that character, even though I know he appeared in another series.  The ideas here were just not what I was expecting.

And the shocking ending literally made me gasp.  I really loved it.  Go read it.  It is a shock for sure.

The best part of the book so far was the interaction between Bruce and Clark.  The way they placed them as opposites sides of the same coin set the stage for a strong narrative.

My copy is the variant cover, which is a lovely piece of art from Leinil Yu and Tomeu Morey.

Can’t wait to see where this goes from here.

Spider-Man: Life Story #1-6

Writer: Chip Zdarsky

Artist: Mark Bagley

Cover Art; Chip Zdarsky

I am a huge Spider-Man fan.  He is my favorite fictional character from anywhere…not just comic books but movies, TV, literature…everything.  So there is a pretty good chance that if you put out a Spider-Man book that I’ll get it.

When you add that it is being written by Chip Zdarsky, who I have become a huge fan of recently- especially his transcendent Peter Parker#310, and is drawn from one of my favorite Spidey artist ever, Mark Bagley, then you know that I am in.  Just take my money.

However,looking through the new release comics coming up that week at Marvel.com, I saw that Spider-Man: Life Story #2 was due to be released… and I had not gotten number one yet!  So I made sure that I had #2 on my pull list and my comic shop found me a copy of number one.  I also missed out on number three.

It was strange that this was happening.  So I made a decision.  I was quite behind on my reading and there was a pretty large pile of book I needed to get through.  I decided that I would hold off on Life Story until after I got all six issues of the limited series.  I would sit down and read them all together.  It became something to look forward to.

It was tough too because the cover art on each one, which I know now was done by Chip Zdarsky too, really was attractive and beautiful.  It made putting this series aside all the more challenging, but I continued to do it.

This week, Spider-Man: Life Story#6 was released.  This morning, I sat down with all six issues and read through it.

Actually, it was probably a good thing that I did it the way I did because I did not know that this story was a alternate/non-continuity version of the Spider-Man mythos.  If I had known that, it may have affected my desire to buy the series.  I am typically not a fan of the alternate reality stories that tell the heroes tale in a different manner.  I like What If? but other than that, I have never gravitated to these types of series.  Even things like X-Men: Age of Apocalypse never did it for me.

And this was basically What If Time Moved for Spider-Man Like It Does in the Real World?  Peter Parker gets bitten by the radioactive spider in issue one in 1962 and the final issue takes place in 2019.  Peter Parker ages, people die and the world changes.  I did not know that at the start.

Issue one was very fascinating as it dealt with the Vietnam War and Peter’s sense of responsibility directed towards it.  They dealt with Flash Thompson’s enlistment and how Peter wondered if he should be using his powers in the wake of the war.  I thought it was well done (although some of the sixties dialogue, aka ‘bread’ etc, was distracting), but I did not realize until the very end, with the cameo of Captain America, that this series was going in a different direction.  And it wasn’t for sure until the beginning of issue #2 when Peter was talking to the grave of Flash that the series was going to take the world of Spider-Man, and the Marvel Universe, into a whole new world.

Life Story takes Peter through most of his most major storylines: from the Green Goblin to the Clone Saga to Secret Wars to Kraven’s Last Stand to Civil War.  Each one had parts that were recognizable but were adjusted for the current timeline.

I will say that there were some moments in the middle of the series that Peter Parker felt as if it was not really Peter Parker.  I understand that the events around him may have changed him some, but, even doing these kind of series, you need to keep the core part of the character recognizable and Life Story threatened to take Peter too far off the line.  However, it was able to navigate the problems well and made it through showing the key components to the character of Peter Parker.

Issue six was a classic Spider-Man story of responsibility and sacrifice, showing that the heart of this character is the same no matter what has happened to him over his lifetime.  It was a beautiful conclusion to a series that, at times, I thought felt inconsistent.  Perhaps it was more that I was afraid that the different developments was going to turn Peter Parker into someone who I did not know. There were some moments when it felt as if Peter might step over the edge, whether it be with his family or with his enemies, but Peter always pulled himself back before he turned into someone unrecognizable.  I was thankful for that.

The series is remarkably written and drawn, but that should not come as a surprise with the masters that were behind Life Story.  Chip Zdarsky is quickly becoming a personal favorite and his covers were breathtaking.  Mark Bagley’s Peter is iconic and he does not disappoint here either.

Spider-Man is the best hero in the Marvel Universe and it is awesome when a series comes along that helps highlight that.  Tony Stark specifically tells Spidey (and Cap) that “you two are the best of us” and I agree completely.

She-Hulk Annual #1

“Acts of Evil”

Writer:  Alexandra Petri

Artist:  Andy MacDonald

Cover Art:  Mirka Andolfo

I have missed the She-Hulk.

The current version of the character being used in the most recent run in Avengers is one of my least favorite character changes in the last several years at Marvel Comics.  One of the best parts of She-Hulk was that she was really just Jennifer Walters all the time, in the body of a giant green powerhouse.  She was not the dumb, “Hulk Smash” type of character.  We already had that.  I miss the lawyer, fourth-wall-breaking She-Hulk.

With the release of this annual that featured the lawyer version of the character and the upcoming Disney + series called She-Hulk, I really hope that barbaric version of Jen Walters is heading for a revamp.

They have also been calling her just Hulk in the Avengers books and that annoyed me as well.  The name She-Hulk does not put her down.  It is just who she is.  And with that same basic idea being used in the Marvel Comics #1000 anthology book that came out this week, maybe they will soon be calling her She-Hulk once again.

I enjoyed this annual, which included Bullseye and Machinesmith along with She-Hulk.  There was a weird mind swap story going on, but the best part of it was the use of intelligent She-Hulk again and having her narrate the story worked well.

I sure hope that this is a signal from Marvel that they are going to do right by the Green Goliath and return her to the strong and intelligent character that she was.  Please….

80 years of Marvel Comics is celebrated in one gigantic book featuring 80 pages with 80 creative teams.

That’s right, each creative team has one page to weave the story together.

Some of the pages are dealing with honoring the characters of the Marvel Universe and some of the pages are running a continuous story thread throughout it dealing the chase of “The Mask” and what appears to be the creation of a new hero for 2020.

I have to say, I was intrigued by the book and the format.  Some of the pages were extremely strong, some were weaker.  I did like the story that Al Ewing was credited with blending into the random feeling aspect of the book.

Sure, some of the major characters of Marvel Comics may have been shorted (such as The Fantastic Four), but there were a great deal of examples showing how various the Marvel Universe has been over the years.

I actually enjoyed the first part of the story a lot with the inclusion of a bunch of characters that I had not heard of before.  How these characters were blended into the fabric of the one universe concept was interesting.  I must say that the page with Star Wars felt out of place, though.  Of course, the Conan page felt as if it fit.  Strange, I know.

There were a ton of creative teams involved here and many special guests too.  The art was great.  I really enjoyed the different styles shown throughout the book.  Many of the pages were beautiful pieces of art.

The book had a disconnect at times, which I think is because of the way the format is set up.  However, I did not have much issue with this.  And I have to say that I loved the end of the book. The last couple of pages really brought the story to a strong conclusion.

It might have been challenging to read Marvel Comics #1000, but I was very pleased with the end result.

80 years is quite the accomplishment.  Here’s to 80 more!

Ghost Spider#1

Writer:  Seanan McGuire

Artist:  Takeshri Miyazawa

Cover Art:  Jorge Molina

Gwen Stacy of Earth-65 has returned to the comic rack this week with the release of Ghost Spider#1.

Gwen Stacy’s secret identity has been revealed in her home dimension, and she is finding that to be a problem with her normal life.  So Gwen decided that she still wanted to attend college like any girl.  However, it turned out to be not quite like any girl.

She applied to Empire State University, on Earth-616.  Yes, that is the earth where Peter Parker lives.

Peter used his “contacts” at ESU to get Gwen accepted in the program.  Gwen’s plans, go to college in 6161 and fight crime in 65.

What could go wrong?

The first issue was a strong start, working Gwen through the set up of the dimensional traveling aspect of the story.  Peter Parker/Spidey guest starred here as well, helping round the Ghost Spider in the lore of 616 immediately.

However, the end of the story reached back to another story in Spider-history as a major villain makes an appearance in Earth-65.

Book started out fun and looks to be an interesting continuation of Gwen Stacy moving forward unlike any other superhero before her.

Age of Conan:  Valeria #1

“Chapter One:  Child of War”

Writer:  Meredith Finch

Artist:  Aneke

Cover Art:  Jay Anacleto & Romulo Fajardo Jr.

Another book set in the world of Conan the Barbarian came out this week.  In the vein of Belit, Valeria exists in the Conan Universe, but Conan does not appear in this story.

I have, apparently, become a huge sucker for anything with Conan in it from Marvel over this last year.  I had never been a huge Conan fan, but I have been thoroughly engaged by Jason Aaron’s work, the Savage Sword and the beautiful, near-wordless Exodus.  I skipped most of Belit, not because I disliked it, but because it did not grab me as much.  Valeria is in the same boat.

I did enjoy the book.  I enjoyed the strong female character and the story they were building.  I found the flashbacks interesting and I thought the art was original and uncommon.  Then, there was a solid cliffhanger.

I’m just not 100% sure how I felt about the book as a whole.  Sure, the pieces were all pretty strong.  I am just not sure how they fit together.

I think. much like Belit, I need to see a few more issues before I can determine exactly if I want to continue collecting the book.  I lean toward positive on the book, but, as of yet, it is a wait and see.

Punisher Kill Krew #1

Writer:  Gerry Duggan

Artist:  Juan Ferreyra

Cover Art:  Tony Moore

So, I am not much of a fan of Frank Castle, the Punisher.  And I was not a fan of The War of the Realms series.  So the series that continues the idea with Frank casing after some Frost Giant he promised to kill was a stretch for me.  How did I like it?

The art was awesome.

Other than that, I was not a fan of this book.  Where as the other books that have come out of The War of the Realms have been great (Thor, Loki, Valkyrie), this one is weak.

I dislike the silly helmet on Frank’s head and I am not really sure why this is Frank Castle’s story.  Is it simply the fish-out-of-water idea taking the supposedly down-to-earth Punisher and throw him into the world of fantasy and Norse mythology?

Is it to see Frank buy a bunch of kids pizza?  Frank wants them to draw the monsters that killed their families and he would take care of them for these kids.  Is he expecting these kids to be able to give him first hand witness reports…enough for him to know what he was killing?

I had very low expectations for this.  I had even thought about just bagging it up and not reading it, but I persisted.  The book was not very good.  I did think the art inside was exceptional though.  Otherwise, don’t bother with this one.  Read Loki instead!

Captain Marvel #9

“Falling Star Part 2”

Writer:  Kelly Thompson

Artist:  Carmen Carnero

Cover Art:  Mark Brooks

Captain Marvel has found a story that is intriguing.  Carol has been moving along through the multiple versions of her book for several years, and, while many of these issues have been fine, few of them have been stand out.

But when I arrived at my comic shop today, I saw Captain Marvel #9 listed atop the store’s Top 5 list of comics for the week.  I was shocked.  So I read the book, and I was very interested.

Seems that Carol Danvers has been having trouble with her powers.  And this mystery of what is happening is very compelling.  It seemed as if there was an obvious answer and Carol pursued that possibility only to discover that there is more than what she expected.

Tony Stark made an appearance in this issue too, showing strong Banter with Captain Marvel as well as Spider-Man (from Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #10).  There are also great scenes with Carol and Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman.  I loved their relationship over the past several years (especially in Jessica’s own book) and it is nice to see them reconnect.

There is a beautiful cover on this issue as well, from Mark Brooks.

The idea/theme of this story feels as if it is ripped out of the headlines as the country has started to see Captain Marvel as an alien, more Kree than earth hear.  Meanwhile, we are seeing the arrival of a new hero in the Marvel Universe, named Star.  We get a little more with her during this issue.  I suspect she is involved in the overall story, but I am excited to see where it takes me.

It is nice to see such a legacy character as Carol Danvers be placed in an engaging and entertaining story.  We can also relate to her since we all know what it feels like to be afraid that you are sick more than you know.

Hopefully this continues to improve each month.

Conan the Barbarian: Exodus #1

“Exodus”

Writer:  Esad Ribic

Artist:  Esad Ribic

Cover Art: Esad Ribic

Conan the Barbarian has been consistently one of the best characters at Marvel since the Cimmerian returned to the comic company.  The reason is the creative forces behind the barbarian have not been restrained to tell the same stories that we have seen.

This is a beautiful example.  Written and drawn by Esad Ribic, Exodus tells the story of a young Conan who left his homeland for the first time, traveling across the frozen land of Cimmeria.  The story  is told through the beautifully rendered art and the wonderfully colored pages.  There is little to no dialogue (and what there is, looks to be in non-English) and no boxes of text.  Esad Ribic has chosen to tell this story, almost exclusively, from the images on the page and the breathtaking art.

The story is full of dramatic tension and it builds it honestly, with each visual the pages displays.

This shows how powerful art can be.  You do not need to have words to tell a story when you can present a masterful piece of art as this.  I really loved this comic.  It may be my favorite Conan story to the current moment.

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #10

“Feast or Famine: Part Four”

Writer:  Tom Taylor

Artists:  Ken Lashley, Scott Hanna, Luca Maresca

Cover Art:  Andrew C. Robinson

This issue brings to a close the four part story arc with Spider-Man and the Prowler.  I have to say, as a huge Spider-Man fan, this series has consistently had the best version of Peter Parker and his costumed alter-ego that there is in comics today.  I swear the creative team, in particular, writer Tom Taylor, has a fantastic grasp on what makes Peter Parker the hero Spider-Man, and he puts in on display in clever, funny and dramatic ways.

Tony Stark is in the issue as well, as we saw last issue, and he is tremendously funny.  Spider-Man and Tony Stark have a wonderful banter between them that picks the dialogue up as the book moves along.

The story not only shows Spidey’s will and determination, but also his creativity and intelligence.  The ending is pure gold and

The art is wonderful.  The three artists worked on different sections of the book, but they flow together seamlessly.  Many times when you have separate artists for part of the story, there are dramatic and obvious differences, but these three artists complement one another perfectly.

Tom Taylor has a grasp on Spider-Man, the hero that he is and the strength of his will.  I hope this book continues its run of excellence.

Daredevil#9

“No Devils, Only God Part 4”

Writer:  Chip Zdarsky

Artist:  Lalit Kumar Sharma

Cover Art:  Julian Totino Tedesco

Chip Zdarsky has been taking Daredevil, or should I say, Matt Murdock on a journey through this arc of Daredevil of spiritual questioning.  Matt Murdock is lost, doubting his own faith, and uncertain of what he wants, needs or is expected to do.  And it is as compelling as it can be.

In a book that starts off with Matt playing chess and engaging in a fascinating discussion with Reed Richards about the existence of God, Matt continues to spiral out of control.

Having given up being Daredevil, the call of the vigilante life keeps pulling on Matt, with forces around him pressing him back to the life.  Or is it a sign from God?

These questions are within the book, but the character of Matt Murdock is having a tough time dealing with those pressures.  The ending event of this issue was shocking for a man of faith as Matt Murdock and really goes to show how lost he has become.

The side story with vigilante-hating detective Cole North took a turn in the book as well, creating a bigger problem for Detective Cole than just the spandex crew he is after.

This book is heavily dialogue driven, but it works well.  Daredevil has been through many highs and lows in his life, and Zdarsky has taken those and built a realistic and deep set doubt inside Matt that has shaken the man to the core.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the beautiful interior art from Lalit Kumar Sharma.  The shades and the imagery perfectly corresponds to the crisis of character happening inside Mat Murdock’s soul.  There is a realness to it, a texture that fits wonderfully with the story being told.  Finally, the cover by Julian Totino Tedesco is a piece of art worthy of hanging on a wall.

Black Cat #3

“Holiest of Holies Part 2“

Writer:  Jed MacKay

Artist:  Travel Foreman

Flashback artist:  Michael Dowling

Cover Art:  J. Scott Campbell & Sabine Rich

Three issues in, I have found the new Black Cat series from Marvel to be very entertaining and a fun read.

In issue #3, Felicia Hardy heads into Dr. Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum to try and push off her newest problem, Xander the Merciless, off on Dr. Strange.  However, Dr. Strange was not home and all Felicia found was Bats, Dr. Strange’s ghost dog.

There were some great jokes in the story.  One in particular that found Bats mistaking Felicia for Silver Sable.  It was a fast-paced, enjoyable and engaging story.

Last issue, they had a short story at the end dealing with Silver Fox and Dracula.  This time, this was handled as a flashback during the story.  I liked that too.

Black Cat #3 was a lot of fun and I enjoyed reading it.