Comics of April 30, 2014

First off, this is the second Wednesday in a row when I’ve had internet problems at home. I hope this doesn’t become a regular thing.

So I’m finished the third draft of my novel, and the post third draft spelling/grammar/sentence structure sweep. Does that make it draft 3.5? Anyway, it’s time to look into different publishing and editing options. But enough about that – today is new comic day.

As with most months with five Wednesdays, the last is a fairly small week. I picked up Amazing Spider-Man 1, Hulk 2, X-Force 4, Avengers AI 12, All New X-Men 26 and the Batgirl 2014 annual. Here are my first impressions; links to full reviews will be added as they’re posted. And I also have a few comments about recent comic news after the first impressions portion.

All New X-Men 26 review

Batgirl Annual 2014 review

Amazing Spiderman 1

Amazing Spider-Man 1 was great. There’s so much stuffed into this one issue. The main story features Peter Parker in his first day back as Spider-Man, dealing with some of the Superior Spider-Man aftermath and trying to catch up with his life. It’s fun, often hilarious and has another one of those Parker luck endings. There are two backup stories by Dan Slott and Christos Gage featuring two villains that will most certainly factor into Amazing Spider-Man in the near future. Another backup story explains Spider-Man’s powers to newcomers in an amusing way, not that anyone will really need it. Then there’s the Spider-Man 2099 and the Scarlet Spider shorts. And last but not least, it also includes the first issue of Inhuman (which I haven’t read yet, but I will now). For $6, you’re getting at least $10 worth of comic, and it’s an easy recommendation for anyone who’s been longing for Peter Parker’s return.

Hulk 2 was fun. The mystery behind the hulk’s kidnappers is explored more, along with Bruce Banner’s condition. Throw in a Hulk vs. Abomination fight in a small town, and high-tech agents trying to kill Maria Hill and you have an enjoyable comic. There’s not much else to say about this in a short paragraph. Although Bruce’s intellectual and memory losses may anger some people, so far this is a fun story that’s worth reading for Hulk fans.

X-Force 4 was good. So far each issue has focused on one X-Force member’s mindset, and this issue is Fantomex’s turn. He’s having his first conversation with EVA in a long time, while in the middle of a mission in France. Also, Simon Spurrier makes fun of his fake French accent a lot in this, which really adds to the fun factor. While I wasn’t a huge fan of the first issue, this series is great so far. If you’re interested in a mutant black-ops team, give this title a chance if you haven’t already.

Avengers AI 12 (final issue) was a satisfying conclusion to a fun series. The final confrontation between the team and Dimitrios commences in both the Diamond AI world and in the distant future. Keeping in fashion with earlier issues, the fight scenes are very creative. It’s a shame this title didn’t sell better than it did, because it had a unique charm to it.

 

On the comic news front, they’ve pretty much announced that Wolverine’s going to be killed off. I haven’t been reading his solo titles for a while, but I’ll probably read 3-months to live and the Death of Wolverine mini-series. I’ve heard the main Wolverine book has been good since Killable, and Charles Soule is writing the death mini. I also look forward to seeing what Marvel does with his absence.

Also, Kraig Kyle and Chris Yost are writing X-23 again. Whether that’s for one storyline or for their Amazing X-Men run, sing me up.

And on the DC side, they’re doing another themed month this September. Future month, really? Does September always need to be a themed month for you? Zero month was a gimmick that kind of worked, but Villain month was just confusing and interrupted a number of good storylines, and now Future Month? I just … I like some of DC’s superheroes, but all these gimmicks and editorial controversies are making it harder to care. Also, I kind of hated last year’s Man of Steel movie, so hearing that Zack Snyder is directing a Justice League movie for 2018 is just depressing to me.