Super Hero Squad: Infinity Sword Quest

Super Hero Squad: Infinity Sword Quest
Marvel Comics
(w) Various
(a) Various
FC, 176 pgs, $16.99 USD

I believe many of the superhero comics published by Marvel and DC are inappropriate for young children. Violence, mature storylines, complex plots, and the occasional sexually suggestive moment make mainstream superhero comics more suitable for teens and adults. Marketing to those demographics is certainly important, but a lot of publishers have also turned their attention to a younger generation in an effort to attract new readers and develop them into long-term readers of comics. One of the ways to do this is to make available quality, age appropriate comics to the younger readers and- equally important- to their parents. While there are many excellent, highly recommended comics and graphic novels for this young demographic, very few of these are within the superhero genre.

Secret Avengers #1

Secret Avengers #1
Marvel Comics
(w) Ed Brubaker
(a) Mike Deodato
FC 32 pgs w/ ads $3.99 US / Higher In Canada

The second of Marvel’s relaunched Avenger titles debuted this week. Ed Brubaker is tackling this title instead of Brian Michael Bendis (who writes almost all the flagship Avenger titles) or even Dan Slott who was writing The Mighty Avengers before the new Heroic Age began. It seems like an odd but welcome choice.

This team of Avengers is run by Steve (formally Captain America) Rogers who is now running S.H.I.E.L.D. / H.A.M.M.E.R. or whatever they’re calling it now. Steve has put together a team of Avengers to covertly tackle various problems before they become problems. The team, it seems, will be a rotating cast of heroes depending on the mission but for starters the team is Steve, Black Widow, Valkyrie, Beast, Moon Knight, War Machine, The Irredeemable Ant Man and Nova. Ant Man seems like an odd choice considering he was just on the Thunderbolts but he kind of works here, especially given the covert mission statement.

Rogers’ organization has discovered that another Serpent Crown has been found and it’s currently in the hands of the evil corporation R.O.X.X.O.N. It’s funny how these evil corporations in comics are always dealing with things like evil magic crowns or cubes but they never seem to do something really evil like dump gillions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. I’m just saying. Apparently R.O.X.X.O.N. found the crown on Mars and there seems to trouble brewing there.

This was a pretty good first issue. I like the idea of the team but I’m always wary of Brubaker handling super-hero team books. I was never all that enthralled with his run on X-Men. Brubaker has always better with more down to Earth super-heroics (Daredevil, Captain America, I’d love to see him tackle the Punisher) but this series is intriguing enough that it might work in his favour. (Shane Hnetka)

Avengers #1

The Avengers #1
Marvel Comics
(w) Brian Michael Bendis
(a) John Romita Jr. & Klaus Janson
FC 32 pgs w/ ads $3.99 US / Higher in Canada

And so Marvel moves the Marvel U. from Dark Reign to the Heroic Age. But what does that really mean? A lighter, brighter day? Or just more super-heroics? Well, it seems to mean that there’s a whole bunch of new number one’s from the look at it. And here’s the first – Brian Michael Bendis’ re-launched Avengers title. After a little over 5 years and 64 issues, I guess the New Avengers stopped being new (although there is a new New Avengers title on it’s way). Steve Rogers is now in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D. / H.A.M.M.E.R. or whatever they are calling it these days and he’s put together a new team of Avengers. The team is pretty much the old New Avengers with Thor and Iron Man added to the line up.

Most of this issue is just Steve Rogers establishing the team. and then they face their first threat which seems to be Kang the Conqueror returning from the future and demanding that something must be done about the Avengers’ kids. Bendis’ fills the issue with his usual witty dialogue “Please don’t say West Coast. Please don’t say West Coast. Please don’t say West Coast.” Romita’s art – well, I’ve never been a fan of his style. Everybody looks like an aging boxer that has gone one too many rounds in the ring. That said, this was a fun read and it should be interesting to see where the Secret Avengers and the new New Avengers fit in to the new status quo. (Shane Hnetka)

Iron Man: Noir #1

Iron Man: Noir #1
Marvel Comics
(w) Scott Snyder
(a) Manuel Garcia & Lorenzo Ruggiero
FC 32 pgs w/ ads $3.99 US / Higher in Canada

I’ve been picking up all of Marvel’s Noir line since it’s inception. For the most part I’ve enjoyed the various takes different creative teams have had on popular Marvel characters. But there has been something fundamentally wrong with this line. It’s the moniker noir. The term film noir describes a large group of films, primarily crime films from the 1940′s and 50′s. The comics have tried to embrace this, X-Men: Noir, Wolverine: Noir, Luke Cage: Noir have come the closest. But being super-hero comics, their pulp origins tend to come through. Spider-Man: Noir and this comic are quite clearly more pulp influenced. There’s nothing wrong with this. I enjoy the stories all the same but at the same time, I can’t help but think that Marvel might think about a better name for the line.

As I said this comic is clearly more pulp than noir. Tony Stark is a world traveling adventurer. Complete with his own biographer for his pulp magazine stories that chronicle his various adventures, Stark and his team search the globe for artifacts that might cure his damaged heart. His current assistant, Dr. Gia Nefaria betrays him on his latest quest. (With a name like Nefaria, how could she not?) His next quest is taking him in search of Atlantis. So far Stark has had to wear any special armour but it’s only the first issue.

This is a pretty entertaining read – but it’s not noir. (Shane Hnetka)

Black Widow #1

Black Widow #1
Marvel Comics
(w) Marjorie Liu
(a) Daniel Acuna
FC 32 pgs w/ ads $3.99 US / Higher in Canada

The Black Widow finally has an ongoing series. This is more likely do in part with her appearance in Iron Man 2 movie rather than her being popular enough to support an ongoing title. The Black Widow has had several mini-series over the years. And for the most part they’ve been pretty good – except for the more recent Deadly Origin. The Richard K. Morgan mini’s were the best.

Now Marjorie Liu – the better part of the writing team for Dark Wolverine has taken on the task of telling Natalia Romanova’s adventures. The first issue starts with one heck of a kick. The Widow is ambushed on the street – sedated, then cut open as her attackers look for something inside her. The rest of the issue deals with a team of surgeon’s trying to put her back together while making sure that nothing important is missing. Unfortunately for the Widow, she’s been merely paralyzed by the drug and is fully aware of what is happening and how painful it all is. This is a really good opening issue. I’m intrigued, there’s terror and mystery afoot. And somebody’s going to pay. I enjoy Daniel Acuna’s art style – I’m aware that some people dislike it but it’s their loss. Marjorie Liu has taken Wolverine’s son Daken to some dark and terrible places so it should be interesting to see where she takes Black Widow. (Shane Hnetka)

S.H.I.E.L.D. #1

S.H.I.E.L.D. #1
Marvel Comics
(w) Jonathan Hickman
(a) Dustin Weaver
FC 40 pgs w/ ads $3.99 US / Higher in Canada

Well that was an unexpected issue. I’ve been enjoying most of Jonathan Hickman’s comics. Secret Warriors, Fantastic Four and his creator owned Image titles have all been good. And with Hickman writing Nick Fury in Secret Warriors, I figured that this series was an extension of Secret Warriors.

I was wrong. Apparently this series is about a completely different organization called S.H.I.EL.D that has been around since the days of the Egyptian pharaoh Imhotep. In fact it was his shield that was used during a Brood invasion that the organization is named for. Apparently Leonardo Da Vinci, Issac Newton, Zhang Heng and Galileo have all been members of this secret organization and have fought such beings as Galactus, the Brood and the Celestials throughout time.

At first I thought that this was a secret history of the Marvel universe but after reading the comic, there was a couple of hints that this might be an alternate reality Earth. The fact that Stark and Richards are some sort of secret agents kinda of gave it away. The comic was an intriguing read and the art was impressive but with the title of S.H.I.E.L.D. I was expecting something else. While I’m not sure what Hickman is doing with this title, the premise seems interesting enough to keep my interest for a couple of issues. I’ll give Hickman the benefit of the doubt for now. (Shane Hnetka)

Nemesis #1

Nemesis #1
Icon / Marvel Comics
(w) Mark Millar
(a) Steve McNiven
FC 32 pgs w/ ads $2.99 US / Higher in Canada

The tag line on the cover of the comic proclaims that Mark Millar’s latest “Makes Kick-Ass Look Like Shit”. It’s the kind of statement that Garth Ennis made when he started up The Boys. He was going to out Preacher Preacher. Millar likes to hype up his work. It’s good for business. But does this latest venture actual surpass Kick-Ass? Or Millar’s previous work.

Maximum Fantastic Four

Maximum Fantastic Four
Marvel Comics
Writer: Jack Kirby w/ Walter Mosley & Mark Evanier
Art: Jack Kirby
FC, 224 pgs, $49.99 US / More in Canada

There have been thousands of words written about the first issue of Fantastic Four and the impact this comic book had on the modern day superhero. It changed everything– how comics were made, read and enjoyed. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s team book, essentially a rip off of their competitor’s Justice League of America, revolutionized an entire industry.

Powers #3

Powers #3
Icon / Marvel Comics
(w) Brian Michael Bendis
(a) Michael Avon Oeming
FC 41 pgs $3.95 US / Higher in Canada

So far this new arc in Bendis and Oeming’s Powers has been just okay. Walker and his new partner are trying to solve a murder. They’ve arrested the daughter of an old school super-hero. And the daughter’s mother isn’t happy about it.

I don’t if it’s because both Bendis and Oeming are busy with other projects but Powers just hasn’t had the same intensity it once had. At one point this comic was one of my favorites and now, well,  it’s not terrible by any means, but it has lost some of its zip. I don’t think it’s the change in partners either. Sure Pilgrim was extremely entertaining but Enki Sunrise hasn’t had much of chance to build up her character or form any sort of dynamic with Walker other than they’re partners. But the last arc with Pilgrim was where the series started to lose its punch.

I keep hoping Bendis and Oeming will kick things up. They are trying – this issue was 41 pages of super violent car chasing but there still feels like something is missing. Maybe it is Pilgrim. Still it’s better than most of the other comics being put out there right now. (Shane Hnetka)

Ultimate Comics New Ultimates #1

Ultimate Comics New Ultimates #1
Marvel Comics
(w) Jeph Loeb
(a) Frank Cho
FC 32 pgs w/ ads $3.99 US / Higher in Canada

The last of the new post-Ultimatum ongoing Ultimate titles makes its debut. It’s essentially a continuation of Jeph Loeb’s run from Ultimates 3 and Ultimatum. While Millar has been playing around with Cap and a bunch of new Ultimates, Loeb’s team is still Iron Man, Hawkeye, Captain America, Black Panther, Valkyrie, and Supreme Power refugee Zarda.

The story has what’s left of the team recuperating after Ultimatum and Loki has decided to attack. It’s a neat trick since Thor killed him at the end of Ultimates 2 but this is a comic book. Loeb’s story is alright, he doesn’t take the characters too far off their usual characterizations like he did in Ultimates 3 but there’s nothing here to make you jump up and down either. Frank Cho’s art is amazing and is really the highlight of this issue. The series is also on a bi-monthly schedule to accommodate the slower moving Cho.

I don’t have high hopes for this series and while I was hoping that Mark Millar’s Ultimate Avengers would be be better than it has been I’m hoping it picks up with his second arc because the relaunch of the Ultimate titles in general has been blah. (Shane Hnetka)