end task

drive-by readings

Taskmaster #1 (Marvel) "The Exquisite Palace" Fred Van Lente Jefte Palo Jean Francois Beaulieu Dave Lanphear

what we learned: on the premise that Taskmaster, that unparalleled trainer of every asskicking wannabe in the Marvel U, has gone over to the light side, every single group of bad guys (with matching branded gym bags and watches, natch!), including the ridiculous ones (the Inquisition. really.) are gunning for him, on orders of The Org (ooooh, scary!). of course, he wants to know why he's being set up. what do you really know about Taskmaster, except that he's a Crossbones-faced human version of the Super Adaptoid?
oh shit moment: who are these losers? (all those who make their first appearance this issue) ok, seriously, who does have some longevity? i'll pick ... the Trenchcoat Mafia ('cause there will always be FPS games, bitches!).
what's next: anti-hero takes waitress on the run from evil forces. sounds like a B-movie.


Militiamen? really? what's next? Tea Party Patriots? oh, wait ...

the doctor is out

drive-by readings

Doomwar #6 (Marvel) Jonathan Maberry Scot Eaton Robert Campanella Jaime Mendoza David Meikis Jean-Francois Beaulieu Joe Caramagna John Romita Jr/Klaus Janson/Dean White (cover)

what we learned: and the endgame is finally here. Dr. Doom dons his vibranium armor, which is connected to the WWV (world wide vibranium). T'Challa politely asks him to stand down, and as is with power-mad dictators, sneers and spits at the offered hand. punching ensues.
oh shit moment: T'Challa takes the one (un)natural resource of Wakanda off the board, sending his country back to the Stone Age (circa 1965).
what's next: someone's going to reverse-engineer the inert vibranium. yeah, you know that's coming.


in brightest day, in blackest night, no vibranium shall escape my sight ...

snaps: Doomwar #1

... where we see a much sensible powerplay unfold as compared to invading a mythical kingdom over Oklahoma. Doomwar plays second banana to Siege, but Dr. Doom takes a backseat to no one, even as he's been cast out of Norman Osborn's Cabal. Doom's messing with the Asgardians was part of Loki's machinations, as much as Siege is. failing that (and he had these things in play much much earlier), Doom concentrates on taking the vibranium from Wakanda, which despite a highly tech-savvy country is one of the most unstable as all Black Panther stories (go ahead, check 'em) have T'Challa dealing with coup d'etats and invasions in one form or another. oh, and right now, he's gone to ask the X-Men for help to rescue his bride and take his homeland back.

what do you mean, "mutant peoples"??


oh, oh! you wanna play it that way, Mister High and Mighty Cause He Got Hissown Island?


rumor has it that Latveria used to be a Confederate state ...


why does it look like they're headed for the beach? and it looks like Logan's gonna scoooooooore!


oooohhhh Shuri! your father, Tom Cruise, won't like that!

no wonder there's a Dark Reign

Steve Rogers is dead, Tony Stark is AWOL and a wanted criminal, Thor's been kicked out of Asgard, Nick Fury's still underground, Spider-Man's two worst enemies are in positions of power, the Hulk is not even in his own book, the X-Men are in Frisco, there's been a couple of cosmic wars already that nobody on Earth knows about, and the two of the biggest brains around would rather engage in a pre-pubescent pissing contest.

WWJT? (what would Jan think?)

am sure Dan Slott had the same reaction as Johnny Storm on that scene, when he wrote it.

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Mighty Avengers #25