snaps: Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine #1

... where our intrepid heroes find themselves in the Savage Land after a weird event at a bank robbery. turns out its not the Savage Land, and its not Kansas either. am not sure how the characterization works with Logan and Peter - at one point, they kind of regret being trapped there together, but for me, Logan's like the big grim brother to him and their time as Avengers solidified this (i recall Logan telling him that Peter can't miss next time he gets a shot at Norman Osborn - am waiting if Siege #4 delivers on that). the hyped pairing of Jason Aaron and Adam Kubert has beget a story that looks like a raucous adventure even though am not sure where its going.

well, i guess not everyone wants to be on Survivor: Heroes & Villains, even if you're a hero.


how much you wanna bet there's a little Logan or two among these people?


what, now we have to change the song lyrics??


stop whining. you could be stuck with Daken and J. Jonah Jameson, respectively!


Angar the Screamer has a crew? that's a ... scream.


Devil Dinosaur doesn't get no respect. damn you, Warren Ellis.

beat dat, Otto Octavius!

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Red Robin #7

Fury's 11

drive-by readings

Dark Reign - The List: Secret Warriors one shot (Marvel) "Leviathan" Jonathan Hickman Ed McGuinness Chris Sotomayor Dave Lanphear Tom Palmer McGuinness/Dexter Vines/John Rauch (cover)

should we still call them "Secret Warriors"? Nick Fury practically operates in the open these days (to the chagrin of Contessa LaFontaine), and he has two teams already at his disposal - his Warriors, and the reborn/reconstructed Howling Commandos. all he needs is a YouTube channel and a Twitter page.

so breaking in Avengers tower (with some help from Ares - what, is he another Fury plant, that kind of trick that beats us over our head with "hey-am-20-steps-ahead-of-everyone-else"? NO. we have to read Secret Warriors #9 on sale 10/28/2009. whooopeee.) and appearing in your current enemy's bedroom (creepy - why can't he just call? what if Norman had a date?), smacks of not-so-secret for me. and for what? to steal something under H.A.M.M.E.R.'s nose. that really paints that target on you, Nicky Boy.

and that something actually tells us that ... oh hey, is the Zodiac in this gig? and Nick is Gemini? oh yeah, he was, years back. 'cause his dead brother Jake was Scorpio. or is. i smell resurrection!!!!

by the way, Norman, a couple of things:

everyone seems to be penetrating the Tower these days ... change the goddamn locks. or go live on the moon.

let me just present your fandangled "list":
- neutralize Clint Barton
- eliminate Daredevil
- kill Namor
- kill Frank Castle
- kill Nick Fury
- neutralize Bruce Banner
- control the world
- kill Spider-Man

that's just 1 out of 8 so far (Barton, you hotheaded punk, you never change). Frank's probably smug he's on the list. i don't see Tony Stark in there. he's probably dead. or dumb as a rock.

only Santa has a list that works.

the ultimate Hulk vs Wolverine

drive-by readings

Giant Size Wolverine: Old Man Logan (Marvel) "Old Man Logan: Conclusion" Mark Millar Steve McNiven Dexter Vines Mark Morales Morry Hollowell Cory Petit Paolo Rivera/Ed McGuinness/Chris Sotomayor (variant covers)

so it ends. i thought this would come out in 2010. providing a much more satisfying conclusion than the rightfully-maligned Ultimate Wolverine vs Hulk, Mark Millar pulls out all the stops (ass jokes about the cover aside, heh) with his Civil War cohorts and bangs out the final confrontation between a not-really-old Wolverine and the surprisingly redneck (greennecks?) and inbred Banner Gang (who live in RVs. huh.).

actually, am not totally blown away with Millar writes anymore (after Kick-Ass, everything gets bloody anyway) - which is why am waiting to be really knocked off my feet by Ultimate Avengers. Steve McNiven, obviously drawing from a cinematic script, is his usual gorgeous self, albeit simplistic generally yet detailed in close ups.

having done his patriotic duty, Logan goes home to settle personal debts, as his family has been wiped out by the Banner Gang. the theme of Western style justice is prevalent here, crossed with those hillbillies from Deliverance. there is a twist of course, plus another which really isn't. i mean, destroying one from within isn't a new trick in the book, and the Hulk could've bitten Logan's head off first (there, i spoiled it for you. sue me.). lesson: do not be greedy, just like those people my friend Matt rants about.

so is this the end? judging by the way Logan rides off into the sunset ... you'd think it is. but maybe it isn't. especially if its gonna sell (2007-09 House of M spinoffs, anyone?)

drive-by readings: Ultimate Avengers #2

Ultimate Avengers #2 (Marvel) "The Next Generation, Part 2 of 6" Mark Millar Carlos Pacheco Danny Miki Dexter Vines Justin Ponsor Cory Petit Laura Martin

the question has probably been posed out there already: is there still anybody who cares about the Ultimate Universe? i'm not sure what the sales numbers are for this title. suffice it to say it does maintain my interest, with the return of original writer Mark Millar, and exciting new work from Carlos Pacheco. looks like Millar isn't done peeling back the layers of his re-imagined Marvel characters - there's always a nasty surprise hidden somewhere. so what if Cap's not as squeaky clean as the original? we loved him kicking the crap out of Hank Pym. and his son is the Red Skull, trained by the US government in a black op facility reminiscent of Weapon X? bring it on. once Cap learns the truth, he goes underground (not without kissing Hawkeye's face with his boot). man, sometimes Millar makes it hard to like these characters though. and who is blond new (elder) Stark? my guess is Robert Downey Jr.

what Steve Rogers can't do ...

... Old Man Logan can!


i'll let the part where he knows the codes to the Iron Man armor and flies it to California (and the fact that it still has juice in it, long after being on display in the Red Skull's trophy room), slide, just for this wonderful Steve McNiven splash page.

bring on the giant-sized conclusion! (also known in the Marvel offices as "k-ching!")

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Wolverine #72

Peter Parker liplocks NYC Mayor

not only once, but twice!


can you imagine Hizzoner Mike Bloomberg in this pose? eeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwww.

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Amazing Spider-Man #547, 554

how to beat Wolverine

how do you beat an adamantium-laced, practically immortal killing machine?


do you take his head off?




do you skewer him good?



do you stop the production of beer?



Mark Millar has the answer:

you make him kill everyone else.

continuing the Old Man Logan storyline, we learn how Wolverine lost his edge: an illusion cast by Mysterio had him going on a killing spree, believing the supervillains attacked the mansion en masse, but he was actually slaughtering the X-Men instead.

(i call a bit of BS on this. Emma would warn Cyclops and he'd take Logan's head off)


so in one clever stroke, Wolverine is removed as a threat and the apocalyptic future of the Marvel Universe is set into motion.

and that's how you do it.

"Logan ... am sorry i joined the New Warriors ..."

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Wolverine #70

yeah, tell us!

continuing the apocalyptic Old Man Logan storyline ...



for answers to Hawkeye's question, we have to wait another month.

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Wolverine #69