***Book of the Week***
Realm of Kings: Inhumans #1Writer: Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning / Artist: Pablo Raimondi
This book has got a lot going for it. First of all, it stars the Inhumans, which will almost always get you "Book of the Week" status. This group is by far the most interesting ensemble in the Marvel Universe. I love their various powers, personalities, and ambitions, but their best quality is their family structure. The Inhumans succeed because they love each other and know their responsibilities to their people. Whether it's Medusa's mourning, Crystals sympathy, Gorgon's anger, or Maximus's scheming, Abnett and Lanning do a fantastic job reiterating all the qualities that make this cast amazing. Another thing the book has going for it is that it shows the Inhumans' dominance over other races. Too many times, I've seen this powerful team beaten by the likes of the Fantastic Four or some weird humanoids. My Inhumans really pummel any would-be rioters in this book in the most refreshing of ways. I also loved some budding story elements. Gorgon's popularity amongst the people seems to be a particularly juicy element that could cause some dissension. And thank goodness Maximus is mischievous and conniving again. He was a little subservient in War of Kings, which really rubbed me the wrong way. The only thing about this book that I didn't absolutely love, is Pablo Raimondi's art. His characters are a little stiff looking and have a doll-like quality to them. His choice of a black dress inspired by Black Bolt for Medusa was a particularly nice touch though. If you have ever read Silent War or any other book with the Inhumans in it, make sure you pick this one up. IGN - 8.4/10
Comic Book Resources - 3.5/5
Realm of Kings (one-shot)
Writer: Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning / Artist: Leonardo Manco, Mahmud A. Asrar
For anyone who is a huge Quasar fan or extremely interested in what lies beyond that big rip in space caused by Black Bolt and Vulcan, this book is for you. Myself? I've hardly ever heard the name Quasar and I got the gist of the Fault from Realm of Kings: Inhumans (it's dangerous). Despite its mostly uninteresting premise, Abnett and Lanning do tell an entertaining action story of an alternate universe where the good guys (and everyone else for that matter) are evil. That story has been told a millions times before though. Heck, isn't that what Dark Avengers is about? The art is also a little back and forth, due to two different artists with vastly different styles. Their difference actually resembles an episode of Sponge Bob Square Pants when he goes onto dry land and they use real life shots (hilarious in that, but not in this). Even though this one-shot turned out to be not-so-important, I still enjoyed seeing a different take on some of my favorite heroes and got a small glimpse into why the Fault is such a danger to the Marvel Universe.IGN - 8.3/10
Comic Book Resources - 3/5
Comics Bulletin - 3/5
Amazing Spider-Man #612
Writer: Mark Waid, Joe Kelly / Artist: Paul Azaceta, Ken Niimura
Did you expect this book to sell out in stores so fast? Marvel has been hyping the Gauntlet vigorously, but a Spider-Man comic hardly ever sells out. Kudos to the Marvel hype machine. I was able to get a copy and I have to say it was mediocre...but with a lot of potential. I appreciate the new take on Electro quite a bit, but for anyone who finds Norman Osborn's recent rise to power and popularity a little unbelievable, you will hate this book. Still, even though Electro makes a painfully cliche mockery of our political and economic situation, he provides a cool conflict to Spider-Man and I am excited to see their duel. Azaceta's art would be a great fit for the book if he can find a way to tone down some of the grit of it. As if Electo's story wasn't a good enough for us, we get treated to another great Black Cat tale written by Joe Kelly. This story about Spider-Man once again debating the ethics of his relationship with Cat is fantastically entertaining and funny. I absolutely loved Niimura's simplistic newspaper-cartoon style of art that is a perfect fit for a light-hearted backup story like this one. You won't hear any complaints from me about this book selling so well. Each story is good enough to stand on its own, but putting them together gets you an extraordinary book.IGN - 7.8/10
Dark Reign: The List - Amazing Spider-Man
Writer: Dan Slott / Artist: Adam Kubert
I think I understand The List now. For months, I thought the series was about Norman Osborn taking care of people that were on his list. But this issue has finally opened his eyes. The List is about people who have Norman Osborn on their lists and they all beat him up in their respective issues. Fittingly, Spider-Man delivers the harshest blow when he exposes some of the illegal activity Osborn has been up to. Most of the issue turns out to be Peter Parker complaining about Osborn being in charge and working up the courage to take him down. Didn't we already see that in the first issue of "American Son?" Still, Waid writes a great Spider-Man, nailing his narration and wisecracks. Adam Kubert's art is awesome. His action is enticing and his characters are spot-on. The man can draw one heck of a splash page, but am I the only one who hates the vertical ones? They're just too hard to read. We're also treated to a reprint of "The Pulse" where Spider-Man first exposes Norman Osborn as the Green Goblin as a nice comparison piece to present times. I just wish The List was even half as good as that one was.IGN - 8.7/10
Comic Book Resources - 3.5/5
Comics Bulletin - 4/5
Dark Avengers #11
Writer: Brian Bendis / Artist: Mike Deodato Jr., Greg Horn
This book was being touted as "the one that will make you a fan of Victoria Hand." I still don't care about her. How dare she question Nick Fury! I'm glad she got fired and hope she does again. Other than that, Molecule Man got to taunt the Dark Avengers a little bit. That was kind of cool. I enjoyed him trying to understand them and subconsciously realizing that they will eventually beat him. That is something I am very much looking forward to. You know I love Mike Deodato. Don't ever make him split pages with anyone. Greg Horn may be decent and was almost effective in his otherworldly sequences, but he doesn't even compare to my boy, Deodato. Let him do his thing for the entirety of this series. If Bendis follows that piece of advice and keeps telling interesting character pieces on his band of villains, this book will continue to succeed.P.S. I love the cover - a tribute to one of Todd McFarlane's classics
IGN - 7.1/10
Comic Book Resources - 3/5
Mighty Avengers #31
Writer: Dan Slott, Christos Gage / Artist: Sean Chen
Last issue's brilliance wears thin this time around. No character pieces quite measure up to that of Hank Pym's when he talked to the Universe. And the "Whoa! Cool!" moments are less frequent. Still, some cool moments did take place. Hawkeye using the bow is always a welcome sight and I particularly liked his team-up with Stature and Captain America. I also appreciated Hercules's brand of barbarism with Amadeus's problem solving. With all that going on, this issue is nothing more than a cheesy fight with the cliche overpowering bad buy, who started off cool, but turned out to be really corny. Speaking of corny, the heroes didn't have to mention that Hank Pym was a founding Avenger every time they saw him. You can't force him to be cool. That's pathetic. Chen's art is not pathetic, however. He has a crisp and vibrant style that perfectly fits the tone of the series. If the writing and significance can't keep up though, I fear my interest will begin to wane.IGN - 5.2/10
Spider-Woman #3
Writer: Brian Bendis / Artist: Alex Maleev
There are two sides to this Spider-Woman coin. On the one side, Brian Bendis is doing a fantastic job characterizing Jessica Drew and making her one of the cooler females in the Marvel Universe. I like to compare her rise to popularity to that of Nick Fury's. Both are the center piece of successful books and are involved in enticing espionage stories. The other side of the coin is the constant retelling of Spider-Woman's past. She doesn't have to narrate her entire history in every book. Last month we got her pheromone powers. This month is her past with Madame HYDRA. I realize you want to catch new readers up with her, but just mention some of her key moments in history and let the newbs research it if they're interested. There are no two sides about Maleev's art. It's great. The dark, gritty nature is both captivating and haunting, perfectly depicted the danger of Spider-Woman's predicament. If you can get past all the history lessons, you'll find a highly interesting tale of superhero trying to find where she belongs in an unfamiliar world where everyone, good or bad, could use someone like her.IGN - 7.5/10
Comic Book Resources - 3.5/5
Comics Bulletin - 3/5
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