Happy Belated Avengers Day!!
This week was an amazing week in comics and truly cannot be put in words just how awesome it was. Avengers fan's rejoice, we're given a brand new issue number one as the new series with JRJR and Brian Bendis hit the shelves. Legion of Superheroes fans also had their day in the sun as the new series by long time fan favorite writer Paul Levitz also dropped this week. So much goodness, so little space...lets just jump into it because I'VE GOT SOMETHING TO SAY!!
AVENGERS VOL. 4 #1
On a day unlike any other, Earth's mightiest would heed the call. Steve Rogers now taking the place of Norman Osborn as America's "Top Cop", has decided to re-establish order in this chaotic world. No more S.H.I.E.L.D and no more H.A.M.M.E.R, now everything will be based around The Avengers. In doing so a new team of Avengers must be picked and the process started all over again. On this new incarnation of the Avengers we have: Wolverine, Bucky (Captain America), Iron Man, Thor, Spider-man, Hawkeye, Mockingbird and Spider-Woman along with the newly appointed team Captain, Maria Hill.
Steve heads out and begins the recruitment process. In his travels, he goes to talk to Simon Williams aka Wonder-Man and gets a surprising answer of "No!" as he asks the former Avenger to join the new team. Simon explains that no matter what, everything that has gone wrong in the world the past couple of years is all The Avengers fault and he doesn't want anything to do with the team. In fact, he mumbles under his breathe that if Steve persists in creating this team (which you know he will) that Simon will stop him...That's subplot number one.
The second subplot to the story is the conversation that Tony Stark and Steve Rogers have as they talk about Tony being on the team. Tony states that things have changed so much that he and Steve cannot be on the same team seeing as how they both don't see eye to eye on things anymore and that "They will wind up killing each other eventually." This is where Steve let's Tony know that he will not be on the team and Maria Hill will be filling in the void for him.
In the middle of putting the finishing touches on the team in the new Avengers tower, Kang The Conqueror shows up to alert the Avengers of a terrible event far into the future that they must stop. The world had been taken over by Ultron and the only one's capable of defeating him are The Avengers children (who resemble the kids from the Avengers Next animated movie)
Subplot number three is how Bucky doesn't know who Kang is and what he's capable of. It's interesting to see one of the three major players on the team have no idea of the threats he will face because he's been on ice for so many years as the Winter Soldier.
It's revealed that Tony Stark thought about a doomsday device, never planned on ever making it, yet, Kang has it in his hands and threatens the heroes with unleashing it if they don't attempt to get to the future and stop their kids. that's subplot number four.
This issue really sets the pace for what Bendis has in store for us and as far as starting off an issue this is one hell of a starting point!
5 out of 5!!
SPIDER-MAN PRESENTS: AMERICAN SON #1 (OF 4)
What do you do when your father was the head of the nations security and one of the most infamous villains ever? You wait for him to fall and his true face to finally see the light of day right? wrong! Harry Osborn has been in the shadow of his father since the day he was born and now with Norman behind bars and his entire company turned to shit, Harry has to attempt to pick up the pieces of his shattered life and move on.
The American Son armor that Norman made for his son has gone missing and everyone is pointing the finger at Harry. Norah Roberts decides to head down to the Coffee Bean and check up on Harry and see if he is in fact running around thwarting crime as American Son. Harry gladly informs her that he is in fact not running around in the armor and doesn't understand how whomever is because it's keyed to Osborn DNA, which means someone from the Osborn lineage is. A big point made in this issue is that Harry is once again taking drugs. After his little conversation with Norah, Harry heads into the back room where he pops two Oxycodone. This is really bad considering that Harry has had a long and troubled history of drug addiction.
Due to his recent drug problems along with his father's recent downfall, Mary Jane calls Peter Parker to go and check on Harry because he's acting very strange of late and she's worried that Harry might be doing something to harm himself.
Peter in typical fashion, heads down to the Coffee Bean as Spider-Man to check up on his friend only to be attacked by Harry and cheered on by the growing crowd. To Peter's surprise, letting Harry kick his ass helps the failing business as everyone wants to go there instead of the Star Bucks across the street.
After that Gabriel Stacy, Harry's thus far unknown "brother" shows up and shoots Harry point blank. Gabriel Stacy? Did Norman have a trist with Peter's one time love Gwen Stacy? Is this the son of the Gwen Stacy clone? Are Norman's ghosts finally coming out of the closet now that he's out of power and can't cover for himself anymore? We'll just have to wait and see but I strongly recommend this book.
5 out of 5
BRIGHTEST DAY #2
The Atom and Professor Stein are attempting to split Jason and Ronnie from each other and from the Firestorm Matrix. The Atom shrinks down to subatomic size and see's first hand that there is something very wrong with the Matrix and gets caught in an explosion along with the two boys.
In Pearl, NY, a family is about to have a nice dinner when the mother starts killing everyone and peels her own skin off to reveal that she's a White Martian.
Hawkman and Hawkgirl find Hath-Set's secret base in search for their remains. They want the endless cycle of dying and being reborn to stop once and for all but to no avail cannot find the fiend or their bones.
In Denver, Colorado, The Martian Manhunter assumes the form of the doctor who initially brought him to Earth and talks with his now elderly daughter. The two remember the night he was brought to Earth and the horror she witnessed as The Martian went from one form to another as he ascended to earth, the explosion and the eventual death of her father. Slowly but surely, Manhunter is putting together the pieces of his recent dreams.
In Dubai, Boston Brand follows Aquaman and Mera as he's transported to the Anti-Matter Universe to do battle with one of the most powerful villains ever...The Anti-Monitor.
So far so good, the pieces to the puzzle are slowly being laid out and things are starting to be fleshed out. What is the white rings ultimate goal and what surprises are in store for us.. another book in which we'll have to wait and see.
4 out of 5
DC UNIVERSE LEGACIES #1
Written by the great Len Wein, this book is a look back on the past of the DCU. It's an illustrated update to the old "History Of The DC Universe". In this first issue the first sightings of the Mystery Men and the formation of The Justice Society are laid down. In this story, a young boy named Paul Lincoln takes us through the first couple of years as these "Mystery Men" begin to make themselves known as they battle back the Mob in the early 1940's. Pauly as he's known in the book is a small time crook along side his friend Jimmy. They start off running numbers for a small time crime boss but as he gets busted, they find new employment running alcohol off a boat during prohibition. One night, they witness The Sandman and The Atom Smasher break up the delivery and set Pauly on the right path.
This is an interesting start to a retelling of the history of the DCU. It's a quick read and I can't wait til they get into the introduction of Superman and Batman and really show how these heroes showing up changed so many things. Any fan of the DCU will love this book and anyone interested in seeing just how things started need to get this book and read as history unfolds in your hands.
5 out of 5
LEGION OF SUPERHEROES #1
Spinning out of Geoff Johns' story "Superman and the Legion of Superheroes", "The Legion of Three Worlds" and the most recent issues of "Adventure Comics" comes this revamped ongoing about everyone's favorite 31st century super team. Written by legendary Legion scribe Paul Levitz, this new series picks up all the pieces and runs with it.
With Xenophobia running rampant on Earth due to Earth Man and his false Legion, The Legion is tasked with allowing him on the team as part of the terms they've come to adhere to, to keep their base of operations on Earth.
While on Titan, Saturn Girl is dealing with all the events that have happened of late as her home planet literally begins to come apart due to a group of scientists opening a time hole and watching the beginning of creation.
To make matters worse, Saturn Girl also bears witness to the disappearance of her two sons in some kind of quantum flux, only to watch later on as her entire planet explodes.
On Oa, the last remaining Green Lantern Sodom Yat bears witness to a green creature pop out of the ground, take his ring and disappear, only to re-appear on Earth to give the duty of Green Lantern to sector 2814 to the most unlikely of people, Earth Man.
Talk about starting off with a bang, Paul Levitz does an amazing job of setting off this new series with so much to look forward to. Not only are there references to things that have yet to happen like the upcoming Flash miniseries "Flashpoint" but all the pieces that have been laid out in the three stories I mentioned and everything that's happened in Superman, this book is going to be the face of the future of the DCU literally.
5 out of 5
Zatanna #1
Another number one issue from DC this week is the long anticipated series written by comics legend Paul Dini.
Zatanna is asked by Detective Dale Colton to come and advise on a case dealing with magic. The two arrive at a hang out spot for criminals and villains to find everyone inside mutilated or transformed into some kind of creature by some unknown force of magic. At first the two suspect The Spectre, seeing as this is his typical M.O, but with finding one of the waiters still alive, Zatanna reads his memories and finds out that this isn't The Spectre at all but an crime boss from the magical underworld known as Brother Night. Having pity for the slain criminals, Zatanna returns them to their human forms and heads down to Brother Nights hang out in the underworld. There Zatana finds out that Brother Night has taken over the underworld crime scene and has decided to spread out into the mundane world. Zatanna quickly lets him know that if he continues his new plan that she will gladly see to his demise without hesitation. This series has a lot of potential seeing as how more and more recent events in the DCU are leading towards a new age of magic and with it a new age of magical villains and threats to the mundane world. Expect this book to have some serious ramifications later on down the line. I strongly suggest you pick this book up and see what all the fuss is about.
5 out of 5
X-Men Legacy #236
Utopia and half of San Fransisco are trapped under Bastion's force field. No one can escape and no one can get in. Donald Pierce, plays his role as he blows up on Utopia, crippling their means of communications. Amidst the chaos, The Avengers show up and try to help as best they can. Thor tries to smash the field down but to no avail is he even able to make a dent. Inside the field, Cyclops and a small team consisting of Emma, Archangel and Iceman attempt to break the field. They quickly find out that no matter what, they can't get out and no one can get in. On the Golden Gate Bridge there is some kind of epicenter that they feel is the cause of the containment field. Soon enough, they find out it's actually a worm hole that has opened and is letting in NIMRODS from Rachel Summer's future.
Again, Hope is put to the test as Cable continues to tell her that if she feels that she's not ready, he still has one time jump left and they can leave and let everyone deal with Bastion alone. This time however, she says that she is ready and the two ready themselves for war.
With six parts remaining, time is of the essence. Bastion has strategically removed all the X-Men's teleporters off the board and trapped almost every last mutant alive on Utopia. Now trapped inside with an army of Nimrods coming through and the two people capable of helping defeat them no where to be found, what are the X-Men going to do? Is this timeline that Bastion opened a potential future or is it THE future? Only time will tell. Until next week.
5 out of 5
and that's all for me folks!!
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