Ever wondered what it is that makes perfectly sound people transcend to violent criminals and psychopaths? What separates us from them?
‘One Bad Day’
The Joker, escapes from Arkham Asylum to experiment on Jim Gordon, to find out if its really true that “all it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man to lunacy.”
The final chapter of Mark Millar’s Ocean’s Eleven with super villains mini-series, SuperCrooks, has come to an end. The four part series has been well received by fans and critics alike. Combining Millar’s writing and Leinil Yu’s artwork SuperCrooks has been one of the best series this year. SuperCrooks #4 carries on this precedent and ends the mini-series with style.
Carol Danvers, otherwise known as Ms. Marvel, has been kicking butt along side The Avengers and other major Marvel characters for 35 years. She is a great addition to Marvel lore and one badass female character who will hopefully make it to the big screen one day. Recently, Marvel decided that Carol would take up the mantle of Captain Marvel after the death of Captain Mar-Vell, a Kree alien who’s DNA merges with Danvers giving her superpowers. After reading Captain Marvel #1 I’m happy to say Carol is still there but she is so much more.
Normally, I like to wait for comic book story arcs to run their course before throwing up a review. Most times its damn near impossible to write a proper review of just one weekly comic; never enough meat on those bones. However, The Massive, was one I was really looking forward too and it really pulls you in rather quickly.
Superman is the most recognizable character in comics history. Why shouldn’t he be, he is indestructible. He is like a superhero messiah that has defied even death. Why wouldn’t Mark Millar want to use him as a starting place for his superb adaptation of a familiar comic book trope? In Superior the reader is given a heaping helping of Superman, with a dash of Captain Marvel a.k.a. Shazam, bit of the monkey’s paw, and the movie Big for good measure. I absolutely loved this series. I read it in just over an hour and hope that another installment is on the horizon.
Thief of Thieves is a new property for Image Comics from the minds of Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) and Nick Spencer (Morning Glories). The same power story weaving that both writers are known for comes in loud and clear in this new outing.
IMAGE comics Peter Panzerfaust is a comic series from writer Kurtis J. Weibe and artist Tyler Jenkins that takes place during World War II. The story is that of the first French city to fall to the Germans, Calais. The story centers on a charismatic boy, Peter, and his band of rag-tag lost boys. Sound familiar in part? It should, the story is a mash-up of the classic Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie and something akin to HBO’s Band of Brothers.
Marvel’s five issue series about the meager beginnings of one of their most infamous villains is a great blend of fictional and non-fictional brutality. The mix of actual history is what gives Incarnate such a different and immensely appealing feel. The story follows young Johann Schmidt as he is in a home for wayward boys in 1923. Here we get our first glimpses into the pre-Hitler Germany and the life of Schmidt before he is hardened into the super villain, as we know him today.
Note: Marvel’s 2011 company-wide event is now available as one trade paper back in local stores and online. No spoilers below.
Fear Itself begins with rebuilding of Asgard on Earth with a backdrop of a particular real life political issue. The first book, written by Ed Brubaker, works to construct the idea of fear as a weapon which is coursing throughout America and the world. This fear is the general overarching message throughout the series. Sin, the daughter of Red Skull, is working to gain a weapon/power that she believes will help her not only kill Captain America, but rule the world. This weapon is something that her father was working on during the World War 2. She constantly berates her father’s memory let him know that she will achieve something he could never do.
Over the holiday I read the 400 page hardback compilation of the Dark Avengers series written by Brian Bendis. If you are not familiar with the series, the storyline places the Avengers underground after the Skrull invasion. Harry Osborne, aka the Green Goblin, had the good fortune of being a key figure in repelling the Skrull threat. Because of this Osborne has been assigned to be the head of S.H.E.I.L.D. which he renames H.A.M.M.E.R. He takes the organization from a defensive to offensive position. He creates his own version of the Avengers placing himself as Iron Patriot the leader of the team. The rest of the team includes a team of villains posing as heroes: “Spider-man”, “Hawkeye”, “Ms. Marvel”, “Wolverine”, Captain Marvel, Ares, and Sentry. The quotes are used because these are not the original key players of these heroes’ identities as Avengers.