shadowboxing

drive-by readings

Shadowland #3 (Marvel) Andy Diggle Billy Tan Victor Olazaba Christina Strain Guru eFX Joe Caramagna John Cassaday/Laura Martin (cover) Tan/Olazaba/Guru eFX (variant cover)

what we learned: with the Ghost Rider sent by the Kingpin to rile things up in Shadowland, it basically turns a testy dialogue into an all-out punch-a-rama, broken up only by the guns of the now-unFrankencastled Punisher. Daredevil, miffed that his minions are not even worthy of battling the Pet Avengers, goes out to find his champion (hint: his name begins with a B and he's dead). Master Izo, the wiseass pint who started this shit in the first place, tells the heroes of the true power behind everything, because that dude right there is no longer Matt Murdock. well, let's see if Moon Knight can take him (oy, your woman's messed up).
oh shit moment: aside from Shang-Chi realizing he's not all that cracked up to be, it probably was when i realized who the hell Matt was digging up. nice revival there, Marvel. death never really means anything - they never try anymore.
what's next: Daredevil gets hornier. just to point out too, that because of scheduling issues, Shadowland #3 jumps in front of whatever you are reading about FrankenCastle, Shadowland: Moon Knight, and Shadowland: Daughters of the Shadow. hey, what are the odds that Bullseye is gonna be the next Man Without Fear?


Shang Chi never felt so embarrassed, not even during his first cancellation.

hell boys and girls

drive-by readings

New Mutants #16 (Marvel) "What is Project Purgatory?" Zeb Wells Leonard Kirk Guru eFX Joe Caramagna Dave Wilkins (cover)

what we learned: so this General Ulysses (his name's so macho, there was no choice except to join the military) was really trapped in Limbo by General Combest when demons started attacking them. now its payback time as he brings in his weaponized mutants (those babies in Inferno) - bang! Scott Summers wasted time keeping Hope safe when there were other mutants out there anyway. kidding.
oh shit moment: the audacity of the US military to put a base in Limbo and create weapons is mind-boggling.
what's next: fight, fight, fight!


which translates as "the doors are open! its Black Friday sale!!!"

forty idiots and a funeral

drive-by readings

Shadowland: Bullseye #1 (Marvel) "Bullseye: Dead On Arrival" John Layman Sean Chen Sandu Florea Guru eFX Joe Caramagna John Christopher Tyler (cover)

what we learned: Bullseye is dead. for now. some writer still has to figure out how to bring him back. actually, his death should resonate a lot more, being a pivotal figure in the Daredevil mythos, but i don't seem to feel the shock waves as a reader. maybe its because death has no meaning anymore in comicbookland.
oh shit moment: did Matt Murdock crack a hint of an honest smile? in his dark duds? when he found Ben Urich's bread crumbs? and while he's thinking of ways to control Hell's Kitchen all the more?
what's next: a one-shot with Shroud doing his Pig Pen thing ... just panels and panels of him walking around Manhattan with that dark dust billowing on his feet.


i hate crazy people, because they have a goddamn excuse.

from hell

drive-by readings

New Mutants #15 (Marvel) Zeb Wells Leonard Kirk Guru eFX Joe Caramagna Dave Wilkins (cover) Art Adams (variant cover)

what we learned: the US black ops soldiers who actually lived in Limbo are now back to take Illyana, whom they believe to be a very dangerous person, despite orders from their high command. great timing because Sam and the rest have been sent to Texas on forced R&R by Cyclops.
oh shit moment: you've seen it before but the proper use of a red herring always works: the ambush of a mutant you weren't expecting. oh and Dani and Sam kissing. that's like, overdue for 25 years.
what's next: maybe this time Pixie will let go of that chip on her shoulder.


hey, i didn't see this in Lethal Weapon 3.

heart of darkness

drive-by readings
man, with the LeBron James reality show, fighting Burning Maniacs and Spiderants in Borderlands, the oppressive heatwave in the East Coast, and this little thing called the day job, i didn't have time to do anything with the funnybooks. trying to correct that ... right about ... now.

Shadowland #1 (Marvel) Andy Diggle Billy Tan Batt Christina Strain GuruEFx Joe Caramagna John Cassaday/Laura Martin (cover)

just like the Stark Tower before it, a new skyline attraction has sprouted up in Manhattan in the Hell's Kitchen district. the Stark Tower, despite being built only a few years ago has been destroyed and rebuilt several times already, probably at a rate not even the original Avengers Mansion endured. will Shadowland go through the same thing?

not if the Avengers have anything to say about it. the Big Three thinks its a blight on the landscape and on the Heroic Age they're trying to establish. Luke Cage and Danny Rand, more of street-level heroes than most and with stronger ties to Matt Murdock, prefer to give him the benefit of the doubt. considering they don't really know what the devil Matt's doing with it (or whatever his endgame is), that's pretty much a big leap of faith, and this series will explore how that's going to turn out.


welcome to this summer's crossover du jour (Second Coming is ending, so what else is out there?). Andy Diggle puts his stamp on Daredevil by placing him in Punisher territory, with the difference being he didn't start out like Frank Castle did. it certainly intrigues the fans as to how this thing will end - has The Hand really changed Daredevil, and will he turn a heel for the foreseeable future? or will he make a last-second turnaround, make the sacrifice play and destroy the Snakeroot once and for all? for Daredevil followers like me, it does make me happy to see the Snakeroot back, and to see Bullseye get the royal asskicking he richly deserves since getting a bullseye carved on his head back in the Bendis run. the last page is an obvious homage to the Frank Miller era. their costumes, now eerily similar, poses the question of "what's the difference between them now?".

not a big fan of Billy Tan, and this reminds me why. he's mostly competent, but there are times when things seem off (like long limbs and weird faces?). that's fine though; it won't dissuade my interest. i'm going to follow Matt down this dark path, and see where it takes him.

you hit like a girl #21

time for some girl on girl action!!






Lyra's getting the short stick around here.

snaps: Fall of the Hulks - Savage She Hulks #1

... where i still don't understand where this is all going, though it involves a lot of manipulation and backstabbing and punching and kicking. hey, that defines "crossover" very well. so Marvel has no problem there.

what is it with the Hulks wanting to kill their parents all the time?


you want to blend in? where's your sex tape?


not just her - all the Hulks have a problem listening. especially to reason.


who knew that the Frosted Mini Wheat mascot was a closet nerd??


no, you're not. Namor had dibs.

snaps: Ultimate Armor Wars #4

... where Tony discovers what a bitch the crazies in your family can be. and how unlucky he is in relationships. and how effective he is even when fighting in his underwear (just like Moon Knight). great job and twist by Warren Ellis.

then there was time Master Chief saved Tony's keister.


damn, old people just won't die.


hey, Tones ... doesn't she remind you of someone?


what are the odds that this tech-killing machine came from 616? hmmmmm ....


so, how the hell are you gonna get out of that chair now that everyone's dead, smart guy?

snaps: Incredible Hulk #606

... where i find myself confused as to what the Fall of the Hulks is all about. well, if it ends up reducing the Hulk population to 1, then that's fine. as much as i liked Planet Hulk and World War Hulk, they begat crazy shit that Peter David would cringe at. we wouldn't get any answers anytime soon anyway (unless you troll the message boards), so let's just make fun of this as we go along. Jeph Loeb contributes to this thing, so draw your own conclusions.

New Yorkers already forgot what the Hulk did a couple of years ago.


how do they get Old Power anyway? Sakaar sends a weekly supply via FedEx?


Dr. Doom is a difficult music teacher to work under.


i guess Skaar doesn't like talking to the hand.


in the last couple of months, Doom has been humiliated by Norman Osborn, the Black Panthers, and now Bruce Banner and the Leader. a dumb ray? even Reed Richards didn't think of that.


"ummmm ... Douchebag!"


we know Jennifer was a snot-nosed kid back then, but this is just ridiculous.

so i guess his tumor hasn't killed him yet

drive-by readings

Ultimate Armor Wars #1 (Marvel) Warren Ellis Steve Kurth Jeffrey Huet Guru eFX Joe Sabino Brandon Peterson (cover) Kurth/Kai Spannuth (alternate cover)

so, over in the Ultimates - sorry, Ultimate Avengers, we have his older brother Dr. whatsisname Stark making his appearance, and not much Tony. why, because he's here fighting this universe's version of his Armor Wars. Warren Ellis delivers more of a talky first issue, considering Tony is quite interesting when he's chatty, though i kinda miss that gay old Jarvis - their tête-à-tête verbal swordplay was cutting entertainment. i think the appearance of the (Ultimate) Ghost was telegraphed way too early and frequently. the Ghost steals a Stark property called Remnant 242 (like the Front?), and Tony has only Justin Hammer's dying-of-superpowers daughter, Justine (duh), to rely on finding him. looks like someone has been stealing Stark Tech and reverse engineering it for sinister purposes. the 616 people should have told him it was useless against the Skrulls. anyway, penciler Steve Kurth is one to watch - he's trying on Bryan Hitch's shoes.

i just can wait to be king

drive-by readings

War of Kings: Who Will Rule? one shot (Marvel) Dan Abnett Andy Lanning Paul Pelletier Andrew Hennessy Guru eFX Joe Caramagna Brandon Peterson (cover)

the one thing i really liked about War of Kings is that it finally elevated Gladiator (no, not Russell Crowe) from a two-dimensional muscle-bound powerhouse into a fleshed-out ethical soldier with leadership potential. actually, DnA, in taking reins of Marvel's cosmic crossovers/space operas since 2006's Annihilation (with Keith Giffen), have breathed new life into C-list characters and moved them up the ladder (ex. Nova, Ronan, Super-Skrull, Rocket Raccoon, Star Lord - even Maximus became more than a cardboard cutout insane villain) or at least made them readable again. with the seeming deaths of Black Bolt and former Shi'ar Majestor Vulcan, Gladiator (true name: Kallark ... you know, like that guy from Kansas via Krypton) tries to hold the fragile Shi'ar Imperium together and at the same time, bury his former Majestrix Lilandra, a casualty of the War of Kings (did somebody tell Xavier yet?). he still thinks himself as a soldier, and prefers to have someone else take the reins of the Empire, whether its someone within the Shi'ar heirarchy or a regent from presumably their new rulers, the Kree/Inhumans. Crystal feels Medusa will appoint her, and she herself is reluctant to take the position. in the end, Gladiator doesn't have a choice: he's the best suited individual at this point for the job. unfortunately, its what suits the Fraternity of Raptors - and the Magus (the now-i'm-crazy-again Adam Warlock). up next: Realm of Kings.

drive-by readings: House of M: Masters of Evil #1

House of M: Masters of Evil #1 (Marvel) "Chapter 1: This Thing of Ours" Christos N. Gage Manuel Garcia Jesse Delperdang Nathan Fairbairn Dave Sharpe Mike Perkins/Guru eFX (cover)

do we really need more House of M spinoffs? four years after the fact, we still have Bendis' 2005 puppy yapping at us, and Bendis doesn't even own it anymore. this time, we have the evil anti-Dr. Strange Parker Robbins (commonly known as the Hood), putting together all the supervillains who want to make the easy buck (where did i read that before?). this reads so much like the current storylines, except they're up against the mutant majority, and i don't really see this heading anywhere except the morgue. just to keep you interested: Wolverine guest stars next issue. of course, this will be the Wolverine before he remembers anything so expect hacking and slashing.

drive-by readings: War of Kings: Ascension #4

War of Kings: Ascension #4 (Marvel) "Fugitive" Dan Abnett Andy Lanning Wellinton Alves Scott Hanna Guru eFX Cory Petit Brandon Peterson (cover)

last time we left Chris Powell, a.k.a. Darkhawk, he wrests back control of the suit from the Raptor Razor, but just right after the latter assassinates Lilandra for Vulcan. this immediately makes him somewhat Sh'iar Public Enemy Number One (depending on who you talk to), and the anti-BFF of Gladiator and the Starjammers. give him credit for making the best out of a really bad situation and taking the fight back to the Fraternity of Raptors. this series started out slow, but ends up a winner. and the open ending paves the way for the next cosmic crossover? right? right??

drive-by readings: War of Kings: Ascension #3

War of Kings: Ascension #3 (Marvel) "The End of All Things" Dan Abnett Andy Lanning Wellinton Alves Scott Hanna Nelson Pereira Guru eFX Cory Petit Brandon Peterson (cover)

holy crap, i didn't see that coming. yes, i may be a doofus, but screw you, this is my page. this is also why DnA have revitalized Marvel's cosmic titles in the last 3 years, and made for better entertainment than the crossovers happening in terra firma. deftly springing off from War of Kings #4, Chris Powell rightfully takes back the Darkhawk armor, but at the completely wrong time (you sly foxes, DnA!). so what's the point of gaining the advantage of knowledge over the Fraternity of Raptors (includes the ones from Toronto), when everyone thinks you're just a bully who shoots women for fun?

and hey, somebody answer this for me, as even Google is confused. is it Wellinton Alves or Wellington Alves?

oh, its on!

to: Silverhawks (snort)
from: Worldmind



do not think we will take this insult lightly, you winged abominations. "minor guardians of order" indeed. the Xandarians have no use for ugly flying objects as yourselves, as the Earthmen do sometimes to deliver their correspondences in absence of what they call a "postage stamp".

be forewarned that i will be sending my most powerful officer on you to open up that armor and squeeze you out like corned meat.


Richard, it is important that you listen at this time ...

wait, didn't i just take the Nova Force away from that Earthling ...

%%%%$&*#^@%!!
amp;*#^@%!!
amp;*#^@%!!

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War of Kings: Ascension #1

point taken

this is why Dark Reign is a much more intriguing "series" (more like an umbrella theme) than say, House of M, or World War Hulk, or even Secret Invasion. they were semi-contained stories to resolve an issue. but then again, we have all of that to thank, to be able to get to this point. Tony Stark now a "domestic terrorist"? how the mighty have fallen. Steve Rogers must be spinning and laughing in his grave.

Dark Reign somehow allows Marvel to fully explore the belly of the underworld beast, with characters we already know and hate (here's looking at you, Osborn). and the ascension of the bad guys wasn't a forced thing, not like a revised reality or time travel anomaly which needed to be corrected. the circumstances seem a bit over the top, and i can't believe Ben Urich is the only civilian questioning the whole thing (its like Fox News took over and everyone is drinking from their Kool Aid).

with a massive campaign of spinoffs and one-shots, Marvel is telling us 'hey, you don't need to buy it if you don't want to' (as is their usual line). i would like them to tell great stories and try to hit it out of the ballpark everytime and not just roll out spinoffs just for the sake of striking while the iron is hot.

Dark Reign: Hawkeye follows the 2nd most interesting Dark Avenger (yes, admittedly, i'd like to see the Iron Effin' Patriot get his comeuppance, after scheming and manipulating his way to eternity) - Bullseye. as we can see, donning Hawkeye's duds is the only thing he has in common with Clint Barton.

Bullseye is the real badass of the Marvel Universe, because he doesn't need a moral compass. even 'savage Wolverine' or 'Hand assassin Wolverine' is still deep down, Wolverine with a sliver of humanity. if Bullseye can kill you by looking at you, he would.

there's something delicious about solo Bullseye stories in this vein, pretty much like The Punisher/Garth Ennis reboot. Daniel Way hit the nail in recent memory (with Ennis co-conspirator Steve Dillon, no less) with Bullseye's Greatest Hits. Andy Diggle has moved seamlessly from Green Arrow to (Dark) Hawkeye, doing a complete 180 degree shift character-wise and it is so much fun. i have high hopes for this limited series. and i think Bullseye is gonna mess the whole gig up for Osborn.

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Dark Reign: Hawkeye #1