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Review: New Avengers #11 (Marvel)

Apr14

by Carlos Rodrigues on April 14, 2011 and modified on April 14, 2011.

Posted In: Reviews

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artist: Mike Deodato, Howard Chaykin

Colors: Rain Beredo, Edgar Delgado

Letters: Joe Caramagna

Editor: Lauren Sankovitch, Tom Brevoort

Cover: Mike Deodato, Rain Beredo

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Cover Date: June 2011

Cover Price: $3.99

After nearly being defeated by Superia in the last issue, Dr. Strange, Spider-Man, and The Thing manage to bring a critically injured Mockingbird to a local hospital where she barely clings on to life. Leaving her with the surgical team, the heroes meet up with the rest of the New Avengers where Spider-Man proposes that they may have been set up.

Victoria Hand – co-creator of H.A.M.M.E.R. and Norman Osborn’s former right-hand lady – is currently the New Avengers’ liaison and sent them on the mission that resulted in nearly killing Mockingbird. That doesn’t sit well with some members of the team.

Meanwhile, while the story in the present plays itself out, we flash back to 1959 for the majority of the book, this time focusing on the first mission for Nick Fury’s Black Ops Initiative aka The Avengers. The group is assembled in Helsingborg, Sweden in order to take down the Red Skull who is reforming The Reich. After shooting their way through a large amount of Nazis, including some help from Namora in a fantastic double page spread, the team manages to come close to the villain. But what they find is much more disturbing than they could have ever imagined.

Even though Mike Deodato does a good job with the present story, this issue is all Howard Chaykin. His stylized and dynamic style fits in perfectly with Bendis’ script in the origin story. The double page spread with Namora is so over-the-top yet SO classic Chaykin it got a smile and laugh out of me. That should have been the cover of this book!

Speaking of covers… While the cover features Wolverine, The Thing, and Spider-Man making their way through a tunnel in a very determined fashion, not once does this take place in the story. I know it’s nitpicking, but I would have rather seen a Howard Chaykin cover featuring the 1959 Avengers just standing around than a meaningless ‘stock’ cover. It’s a nice Deodato cover nonetheless.

- The Comic Book Critic

Comic Book Critic Rating: 8.0

└ Tags: Brian Michael Bendis, Edgar Delgado, Howard Chaykin, Joe Caramagna, Lauren Sankovitch, Marvel Comics, Mike Deodato, New Avengers #11, Rain Beredo, Tom Brevoort

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Review: Uncanny X-Men #534.1 (Marvel Comics)

Apr12

by Carlos Rodrigues on April 12, 2011 and modified on April 13, 2011.

Posted In: Reviews

Writer: Kieron Gillen

Pencils: Carlos Pacheco

Inks: Cam Smith, Dan Green, Nathan Lee

Colors: Frank D’Armata

Letters: Joe Caramagna

Editor: Jordan D. White, Daniel Ketchum, Nick Lowe

Cover: Carlos Pacheco, Cam Smith, Sotocolor

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Cover Date: June 2011

Cover Price: $2.99

This issue is part of Marvels Comics’ POINT ONE initiative that provides a reader unfamiliar with the title a starting point to begin reading it.

Kate Kildare, the superhuman public relations specialist, needs to spin a story that may be incendiary if released without warning. The story being the fact that Erik Lensherr aka Magneto, the world’s most hated mutant, has joined the Uncanny X-Men. She must work her PR skills in order to save mutants from possible attacks by humans if the story is conveyed in the wrong light. But Magneto isn’t one for change and doesn’t care what humans think of him. He resists effort by Kate to urge him to change his appearance and seem ‘nicer’ on the outside.

While this is happening, A.I.M. agents are extorting money from corporations who are trying to prevent them from creating a catastrophic earthquake in San Francisco. These agents aren’t who they seem to be and are keeping the millions of dollars in extortion money for themselves – and have disappeared. Sadie Sinclair, the Mayor of San Francisco, calls upon the X-Men to find them and to stop the earthquake from being triggered. They have just ONE hour to do so or the city faces massive devastation.

Kieron Gillen crafts a well written X-Men story. Even though there’s action in the story, it’s really about Magneto; how even though he puts up a tough exterior, in his heart he truly cares about people. Sometimes he needs a really good PR person to bring that across! After this event, some humans may see him in a different light.

Carlos Pacheco’s art is on par with the story. Then again, he always does a great job. Although I find it hard to believe that Emma Frost found the time to go from beltless short-shorts to one with an X belt on them. They only had one hour to save San Francisco! Maybe the Blackbird has an extra wardrobe closet?

As an intro point for new readers, it does a fine job by being a somewhat self-contained story. Magneto is also fleshed out a bit for those that don’t know him, but some past references will be unknown to most. That’s ok because it just generates more interest in the character and those that want to know have plenty of resources to find out.

- The Comic Book Critic

Comic Book Critic Rating: 7.0

└ Tags: Cam Smith, Carlos Pacheco, Dan Green, Daniel Ketchum, Frank D’Armata, Joe Caramagna, Jordan D. White, Kieron Gillen, Marvel Comics, Nathan Lee, Nick Lowe, Uncanny X-Men #534.1

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Review: Captain America #615.1 (Marvel Comics)

Apr07

by Carlos Rodrigues on April 7, 2011 and modified on April 7, 2011.

Posted In: Reviews

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Mitch Breitweiser

Colorist: Bettie Breitweiser

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Art: Daniel Acuña

Editor: Lauren Sankovitch, Tom Brevoort

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Cover Date: May 2011

Cover Price: $2.99

Part of Marvel’s POINT ONE Initiative, this issue serves as a jumping on point for new Captain America readers.

While Steve Rogers reminisces about what his life was like before giving up the mantle, Dr. Malus and Power Brokers Incorporated are busy training a new Captain America. Special Forces soldier David Rickford is stronger and faster than Steve Rogers, but does he have what it takes to carry the shield? Steve Rodgers and Sharon Carter are watching him closely to discover the answer to that question.

But when the new Cap gets into trouble, who is there to save him? Who is the head of Power Brokers Incorporated and why does he have a vested interest in this new version of Captain America? If you read this issue, you’ll find out.

While Marvel’s POINT ONE Initiative doesn’t do much for me, I find Ed Brubaker writes a well crafted and compelling story that will surely lead to change in this title soon. There’s plenty of action and plot in this issue to keep a new reader wanting to continue picking up the book. The art style by Mitch and Bettie Breitweiser fits in perfectly with the storytelling.

Despite being one of my favorite characters, I haven’t read a Captain America story in a long time. This issue made me glad that I returned to the title.

- The Comic Book Critic

Comic Book Critic Rating: 7.0

└ Tags: Bettie Breitweiser, Captain America #315.1, Daniel Acuna, Ed Brubaker, Joe Caramagna, Lauren Sankovitch, Marvel Comics, Mitch Breitweiser, Point One Initiative, Tom Brevoort

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Review: New Avengers #10 (Marvel)

Apr04

by Carlos Rodrigues on April 4, 2011 and modified on April 4, 2011.

Posted In: Reviews

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artists: Mike Deodato, Howard Chaykin

Colors: Rain Beredo, Edgar Delgado

Letters: Joe Caramagna

Cover: Mike Deodato, Rain Beredo

Editors: Lauren Sankovitch, Tom Brevoort

Marvel Comics – May 2011 – $3.99

New Avengers #10 leads into Marvel’s big Spring cross-over event – Fear Itself – and the story is split into a past/present narrative. The current storyline is illustrated by Mike Deodato, while the past is done by Howard Chaykin. The cover, by Deodato and Beredo, features Kraven the Hunter, Dum Dum Dugan, Ulysses Bloodstone, Dominic Fortune, Namora, and Sabretooth from 1959.

While the Avengers are locked in battle with Superia, Mockingbird is injured and our heroes try their best to save her from dying. This takes up most of the present storyline, while in 1959, Nick Fury and Dum Dum Dugan travel around the world seeking to form a ‘Black Ops Initiative’ by request of the President. Their goal: Take down the Red Skull who is seeking to establish a Fourth Reich. The team assembled by Fury and his pal includes everyone on the cover plus Ernst Sablinova, the original Silver Sable.

The 2 storilines seem to have nothing in common and are very different in tone; Deodato presents an all-out urgent battle in the present and Chaykin’s more deliberate illustrative style depicts the different type of action in the past. Howard Chaykin’s artwork is always a delight and he doesn’t disappoint on this book.

Other than the fact that Fury is assembling a new Black Ops team to do the dirty work that The Howling Commandos wouldn’t do, I don’t see much of a tie-in to Fear Itself. The stop-start nature of the storytelling didn’t really appeal to me and I would have rather seen the 2 tales separated and not intertwined. Otherwise the story was enjoyable, and I’m looking forward to reading more as Fear Itself unwinds.

- The Comic Book Critic

Comic Book Critic Rating: 7.0