just in time for the elections!

somewhere in Alaska, and in the Tea Party headquarters, heads just exploded.

teething

drive-by readings

Ultimate Avengers #3 (Marvel) "Blade Versus The Avengers, Part One of Six" Mark Millar Steve Dillon Andy Lanning Matt Hollingsworth Cory Petit Leinil Francis Yu/Marte Gracia (cover) Greg Land/Justin Ponsor (variant cover)

what we learned: not sure why this title is still rolling. the first incarnation of the Ultimates were fantastic, and had great resonance with the 616 Universe because they were dark mirrors of the real deal. now its just like scraping the bottom of the barrel. its probably the trendy vampire thing (i'm still chewing on X-Men #1-2) - now they have the undead biting on heroes and the black ops Avengers are called in, because Stick, the lameass Daredevil-who's-not-Matt-Murdock ("Ray Connor"? really?), and possibly the Hulk have all fallen in with the bloodsuckers. basically, its just a Blade comic crossed with the Daredevil and Elektra movies sprinkled with some Kick Ass. Steve Dillon makes it bearable. just.
oh shit moment: just when we're getting sympathetic with Connor, the dork gets bitten. now we just hate the kid.
what's next: is Cassidy gonna show up?


Blade doesn't give head, he takes them.

closer

drive-by readings

Punisher MAX #9 (Marvel) "Bullseye Part Four" Jason Aaron Steve Dillon Matt Hollingsworth Cory Petit Dave Johnson (cover)

what we learned: after Frank guns down a corrupt cop, the NYPD guns after him, but Bullseye takes his sweet time and tries to get more into Frank's head, not to mention irritating the hell out of Kingpin. its 95% amusing, because we all want the mano-a-mano between the Punisher and Bullseye to commence, but somehow you feel it might not be worth it, because status quo reigns here - nobody friggin' dies.
oh shit moment: Bullseye brazenly walking into a Punisher safehouse, knowing he's there and he's going to wipe out everyone.
what's next: just get it on, dammit!!!


no, its black and white, you dumb ass.

snaps: Punisher MAX #4

... where "The Mennonite" (uber-cool handle, brah) meets up with Frank and trades tips on crippling moves. also, Wilson Fisk's diabolical plan to take control of the New York underworld is coming to fruition. if the Tea Party hires this guy, its all over.

"no, i am going to use a spade. happy now?"


and then there was that time when Donald Blake ran into Frank Castle.


and there goes the next generation of hardcore Mennonite farmer-killers.


hey, hey, hey!! don't you know competent Asian manicurists are an endangered species??


the Mafia's ignorance of technology puts them at par with the Mennonites then?

closing circle

drive-by readings

Punisher Max #3 (Marvel) "Kingpin Part Three" Jason Aaron Steve Dillon Matt Hollingsworth Cory Petit Dave Johnson (cover) here we get our first encounter between Wilson and Frank, and it ends inconclusively, as they end up killing Mamma Cesare, mother hen to the East Coast mafia. its mildly surprising that they didn't shoot themselves after seeing her in the buff - gaaaah. we also have a mysterious assassin in the mix, a Mennonite who's reluctant to go back to his murderous roots, but a family tragedy may give him no choice. though we have an idea somewhat where all of these is headed, Jason Aaron makes it a thrilling slowburn ride.

king of the mountain

drive-by readings

Punisher Max #2 (Marvel) "Kingpin Part Two" Jason Aaron Steve Dillon Matt Hollingsworth Cory Petit Dave Johnson (cover)

after my initial misgivings, this is a better read than i thought. and no, its not because of the sex and violence allowed in a Max title. and no, its not the edgy scary tinkering of the mind of Jason Aaron. nor is it the simple yet powerful etchings of artist Steve Dillon (who could draw Frank in his sleep). no, it must be ... wait, yeah, you're right.

i think there might have been one or two superb Kingpin origin stories in the past, but this version by Aaron takes a backseat to no one. a master schemer and manipulator, the once-bullied fat boy takes his lumps, bides his time, leaves no loose ends, and is poised to take over current mob boss Rigoletto's empire. which leaves him obviously on a collision course with the Punisher, whom Rigoletto aims to herd into their crosshairs.

its amazing that the non-superpowered Fisk is considered a 'supervillain' in Marvel canon and has gone toe to toe with everybody including the likes of the Red Skull and Hydra and still manages to survive, time and time again. he'll probably still escape a direct confrontation with the Sentry. ok, that's a stretch.

Jason Aaron is impressing me, as usual.

fat man rising

drive-by readings

Punisher MAX #1 (Marvel) "Kingpin, Part One" Jason Aaron Steve Dillon Matt Hollingsworth Cory Petit Dave Johnson (cover)

so, this is essentially a reboot. i mean, over in the other Punisher series, he's been reborn as Frankenstein. here, we have him harkening back to his mob-killing days, slightly after the Garth Ennis run. i'm just a little confused to have Barracuda referenced here, then the key point of putting in Wilson Fisk as an ambitious enforcer, presumably preceding his ascent to eventual Kingpin status (it is, because that's his wife Vanessa and his son Richard - the future Rose). i guess am just used to have the Frank's timeline in my head. Steve Dillon returns for another go-round, and it remains to be seen if his team up with Jason Aaron, no mean SOB himself, will scale the heights he did with Ennis.

tipping points

with a is-he-a-murderer-or-not Jericho inside Nightwing, the latter has to make a decision when the JLA comes a-calling ... and of course, 'Wing's gonna say:


of course, we like to cheer heroes beating up on each other.

speaking of beating, Frank Castle's heart is still cool as a cucumber although Molly Von Richtofen's heart is probably doing calisthenics, and not because she spotted a hottie.

we all await the final chapter where we bury Elite and this Ma Gnucci nonsense once and for all (heh! snort!)