It’s not very often when I have more non-Marvel comics than Marvel comics in a given week. Then again, with Marvel not knowing how to scatter their releases enough it’s bound to happen on occasion. My novel writing is going well so far. I’m more than half-way to the 50,000 words I need to win Nanowrimo, but my goal is over 50,000 words anyway. Yesterday I wrote the scariest scene I’ve ever written. I’ll probably talk more of that later today or tomorrow, but this is a comic post.
The comics I picked up this week are Amazing X-Men 1, Captain Marvel 17, X-Men Legacy 19, Legends of Red Sonja 1, The Star Wars 3, Superman Unchained 4 and Cyber Force 7. Here are my first impressions; I’ll add any links to full reviews as they’re posted, but there will probably be only one this week.
Captain Marvel 17 was very good. The double-sized issue finally addresses Carol Danvers and her memory loss. There are a number of cute scenes with her little “sidekick” that still bring a lot of emotional depth. All of the side-characters through the series make some sort of appearance, each helping Captain Marvel in their own way. As always, the dialogue is pretty much perfect. Of course it wouldn’t be a Carol Danvers book without some sort of superheroic smackdown, and the action scene certainly doesn’t disappoint. I’m not a fan of the art style, but it works well enough. If this is the end of Kelly Sue DeConnick’s Captain Marvel run, it’s a very fitting one. It’s a must read for Captain Marvel fans, or even anyone who wants to give the character a chance.
On a related note, I’m not yet sure how I feel about the recently announced Miss Marvel series or the related ending teaser. It has all the warning signs of a failed Marvel series: a brand new character in the title role, a borrowed name from a character who is still at large, a female character (they don’t tend to do well at Marvel), a Muslim (there’s a lot of prejudice towards them these days) and it’ll be $4. I’ll probably read the first issue, but I’d be surprised if this series lasts very long even if it’s good. – update, there’s a very good interview about this series here – http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=48952
X-Men Legacy 19 was decent. It’s mostly David Haller facing a number of accusations regarding his actions throughout the series. The ending teaser will certainly get a few shouts of “what” though. Whether that’s an excited, surprised or angry shout may depend on the reader – I’m somewhere between excited and surprised. It’s worth reading for regular Legacy readers, but it’s not the greatest jumping on point.
Legends of Red Sonja 1 was great. For those who don’t know, this mini-series is a compilation of stories from various female writers, celebrating the character’s upcoming anniversary. This issue has three stories, which are blended together in a seamless fashion. If not for the art, it would be difficult to figure out where one story ends and another begins. Gail Simone, the writer of the newly rebooted series, is acting as the editor for this mini-series. It’s off to a great start, and this is an easy recommendation for either fans of the character or those who want to check the red headed she-devil out.
The Star Wars 3 was good. The series is based on George Lucas’s original script for Star Wars. It’s an interesting alternate reality when compared to the movies. The first two issues are very different from the movies, but this issue is where the similarities start to show. It’s a comic with great art, good writing and an interesting look at what could have been. If this sounds interesting to you, read it.
Superman Unchained 4 was alright. The bulk of it is Superman teaming up with another powerful being. The action is good and the writing is solid enough, but it’s not nearly as good as Scott Snider’s batman series. Still, it seems much better than any of the other Superman books out there right now. Not sure whether to recommend it or not.
Cyber Force 7 was decent. Now that I’ve finally been able to pick up an issue on its release day I can talk about it. The bulk of this issue is about a potential new villain, and a formidable and slightly crazy one at that. Apart from that, there’s nothing all that special about this one. I finally pick up an issue on time, only to wonder if I want to continue with this series or not. If you’ve been enjoying Cyber Force so far though, you’ll likely enjoy this one.
healed1337 
Amazing X-Men was OK. Not bad, not great. Aaron wrote a fantastic Nightcrawler. There’s a lot less slapstick here than in WatXM. But it still didn’t really wow me.
Captain Marvel was really nice. It would’ve been better if it had come immediately after #14. The Infinity tie-in issues sucked some of the momentum out. But it was still a really emotional issue. The “I Am Captain Marvel!” bit was cheesy, but a nice tribute to the Carol Corps. Also, the fact that DeConnick basically threw in Ayn Rand as a villain made me happy. Because Objectivism sucks. Now I’m sad I’ll have to wait until March before the next volume, though. I guess I’ll still have DeConnick’s Avengers Assemble and Pretty Deadly to pass the time. But it’ll still be nice to have her Captain Marvel back come March.
As for the new Ms. Marvel, it probably won’t sell well, but I think it’s still fantastic. The character herself seems really cool. The fact that she’s taking on the Ms. Marvel name is a really nice touch, a cool way of honouring Carol’s legacy. And the fact that Marvel is taking a chance by putting out a solo book with a female Muslim is appreciated, I think.
X-Men Legacy was cool. I still hate the art, but Spurrier’s doing a fantastic job on the writing.
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