sunburst's Reviews

With this impressive issue, this comic has come of age much like its young heroes. It offers a tense and emotionally engaging story - all that I want from a good comic. There were just so many good things about this issue. First, KIA is the first truly formidable enemy whom our young heroes have faced - okay, the Hulk was a heavyweight, but he's not a truly evil opponent - and the full extent of KIA's threat is conveyed very well in this last chapter of his story. He has a sense of madness and real menace about him, and he kills with extreme prejudice. Chilling stuff. This point leads to the second great aspect of this comic, the necessary appearance and intervention of the Mighty Avengers. What is great is that their intervention does not undermine or overshadow that of the Camp Hammond recruits. The two teams - experienced and inexperienced - work extremely well together, and it's our young heroes who ultimately win the day. Third, the team work really closely together in this issue, creating a strong emotional core. In particular, the exchanges between Hardball and Komodo are genuinely moving. I want to see much more of this "sticking up for each other" in future. It creates a real sense of unity that has been a bit lacking up until now in this otherwise very good team-based comic. So why not 5 stars? Because of one thing. I considered the art and the colours to be a bit murky here and there, and I found myself squinting to make out the detail in a couple of places. Don't get me wrong. The art is dynamic and the battle scenes are extremely well done. But there needs to be a bit more sharpness for it to be a truly satisfying read. That one quibble aside, this comic book rocks. Well worth the price of admission.

This issue helps me to realise why I love this X-book more than any other X-book. Once again, Peter David blows me away with his consistent ability to generate utterly brilliant dialogue. His witty turn of phrase - sometimes caustic, sometimes laugh out loud - is on fine display here. The current issue also features some strong storytelling flair to go along with the trademark humour, with moments of high drama including Rictor in a homage to the Pit and the Pendulum (think of nasty split trousers), Strong Guy in a homage to Raiders of the Lost Ark (think of large rolling boulders), and Jamie Madrox in a homage to Westworld (think of homicidal robots). It's all fantastic fun, courtesy of the sadistic Arcade. It's also great to look at, with Valentine De Landro turning in some beautiful visuals highly reminiscent of Pablo Raimondi. Kudos to Marvel for giving us the same kind of artistic continuity in X-Factor that we have seen elsewhere in Captain America with Butch Guice, Mike Perkins and Steve Epting providing a seamless look to that book. The cliffhanger to this issue is also worth mentioning. The closing dialogue before the dreadful truth hits our heroes is just some of the best comic book writing I have ever read. Gripping. To the extent that I can't wait to read the next issue, and that is surely a sign of great writing. Highly recommended.

Seven issues in and I am utterly blown away. This is one of the weirdest comic books I have ever read. It is just so off the planet. Seriously. However, you'd really have to be in at the start of this crazy head trip or else you are going to be hideously lost. Therefore, if you're not on board already, I highly recommend getting hold of back issues or waiting for the trade. When I say weird, I do not mean obscure and incomprehensible; I mean wild and wonderful. What I find so refreshing about this book is that the characters constantly say the funniest and most unexpected things. I laughed out loud twice during this issue. I found it so outrageously spontaneous. I just feel so privileged to be reading this comic because there is honestly nothing like it on the stands at the moment. The art is so richly detailed and there are plenty of strange things to look at along with the strange words. This particular issue is stuffed full of intrigue and ends with a wonderful moment that has me psyched up for the next issue. I just can't recommend this book highly enough. Unique and awesome.

Looking for action? Then better give this one a miss. Try Hulk or Hercules instead. But if intrigue and mystery are your thing, then this comic delivers in spades. It's also a vital part of a larger canvas being painted by Bendis. If you want to know what Nick Fury did following Secret War and how his temporary disppearance ties into the current Skrull invasion, then this book tells that story. There's a lovely Jason Bourne/James Bond vibe going on here, helped by Alex Maleev's dark moody art and the wonderful muted colours of Matt Hollingsworth (I particularly love his use of sunburnt orange here). A perfect match with Bendis' spy-novel tone. For a long-time reader like myself, this is a very welcome touch. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby revamped WWII-veteran Nick Fury as a secret agent in Strange Tales #135 on the back of James Bond's popularity in the 60s, and Jim Steranko cranked up the Bond element to an all-time high with his subsequent stellar run. Thus Bendis nods reverently to Nick Fury's secret agent legacy while putting his own inimitable stamp on the proceedings. The stand-out moment for me is a wonderful and witty exchange between Nick Fury and Maria Hill. Fantastic dialogue bringing out the full and distinct flavours of each character. There's also a wonderful double-page splash at the end with photographs of Marvel heroes' faces, some ringed in blue and some in red. What that means is unclear. What it does is stoke the reader's desire to witness the storm ahead. I loved this issue, but it's clear that it's going to polarise the readership. Reviews across various comic sites confirm this. It's a love it or loathe it thing. Me? I'm lovin' it.

This is a strange comic. Difficult to fully enjoy, but not without its merits. There are some cool moments. The flashbacks - courtesy of Greg Land - are stand-out. The Genosha sequence in particular is just eye-popping goodness, despite Chris Martin from Coldplay making an inexplicable appearance (Land needs to dispense with the photo-referencing). Mike Carey's dialogue is also as strong as ever.

What falls a bit flat for me, however, is that we have to take it largely on trust that we are going somewhere special. After three issues, Legacy still feels like a car journey with fairly pleasant - sometimes even breathtaking - scenery, but a car journey nevertheless; not the actual destination itself. Which is okay when you definitely know that you are going somewhere interesting. But I'm just not sure, even with the two upcoming stories hinted at the end of this issue.

Having said this, I will be tuning in for a little while longer in the hope that the pay-off makes it all worthwhile. Mike Carey is playing a risky game here. But it's still better than Uncanny X-men. At least for now.

This is a fine closing chapter for those who have been around since the first issue. It's not a good jumping on point for new readers; that will come next issue. The appearance of Iron Man gives this issue some real gravitas and Tony Stark's spoken deliberations during an internal investigation allows some decent analysis of what has gone wrong (and right) at Hammond Camp over the last 12 months. The one real let-down this issue is the artwork. Steve Uy has to be one of my least favourite comic artists just now. His style largely leaves me cold, although he is capable of pulling out the stops from time to time. For an example of his better work, check the large panel featuring Iron Man, the New Warriors, and the Initiative recruits. Why he can't maintain that excellent standard throughout escapes me. That said, it's still a good issue.

I picked this up at my local comic shop on account of the low price and because I am curious to see if DC can match or exceed Secret Invasion this summer. Based on the contents of this book, I have some grave doubts.

On the plus side, Morrison's short teaser on the upcoming Batman RIP story was by far the best segment of this book. All that happens is a conversation between the Dark Knight and his nemesis the Joker, but what a great conversation it is. Full of menace and foreboding. It has piqued my interest in that particular storyline and therefore it has done its job - namely, pull in the reader. This comic would also have earned 5 stars if this had been the standard throughout.

But as for the rest, all I can say is "Meh!" In particular, the "trailer" for Green Lantern's Blackest Night is really poor. A 2-page spread of narrow vertical strips is wasted. Not enough story - or perhaps clarity of story - is expressed in either the pictures or the words. An uncharacteristically poor attempt by Johns.

As for the last panel, the net has been buzzing about the reveal contained therein. But I'm not a long-time DC reader and so it really didn't mean anything to me. I'm assuming it's a pant-wetter if you've eaten DC for breakfast, lunch and dinner over the last 20 years.

Overall, I wan't impressed, but that doesn't mean that the stories advertised here won't rock. I just wouldn't assume that they would on this form.

This event has been pitch-perfect so far. It's unfolding like a great action movie. Where the first issue was solid set-up, this second issue gives us an intense battle in the Savage Land, and it offers some of the best eye candy I have ever seen in a comic. The last time I remember experiencing this kind of rush was when reading Civil War #7. Several 2-page splashes are used to wonderful effect throughout this book. The pace of this event also feels just right, and it's a marked improvement on Bendis' previous effort "House of M" (which I also nevertheless enjoyed).

On another note, I have read some negative reviews about this issue which has been dismissed in some quarters as "mere fill-in". Sheesh! There's just no pleasing some people. One minute Bendis is accused of ruining an issue with a tendency to be slow and wordy, the next he is accused of wasting an entire issue on a mindless fight. People are entitled to their opinion, but in my view Bendis is entirely right to give us a glorious punch up early in the event. The same critics would whine about the lack of action, or delayed action, in an action movie. A superhero book no less requires great action, and Bendis and Yu do not fail here. This event is delivering 5-star entertainment and I am hoping it stays that way.

The resurrection of the cosmic corner of the Marvel universe by DnA has been nothing short of genius. These guys really know how to write space stories and Nova in particular. This issue is one of their best so far and a great jumping-on point for new readers. There is a lot going on here but it is never confusing.

What I like the most about this story is that instead of the hero seeking to prevent Galactus from lunching on some populated planet, here we have a story where the hero knows he can't realistically put a stop to the cosmic behemoth's ugly feeding habit. This simple stroke of genius allows the writers to come up with some fascinating moral dilemmas, psychological interplays, and physical challenges which all play out in well-constructed fashion as our hero attempts to prioritise what he needs to do in order to save as many lives as possible. I particularly enjoyed the bitter clashes between Nova and the dying planet's ruler. Although DnA bestow these two characters with very polar views, the reader is allowed to see the merits in both of their arguments (even if we know that Nova is right). This is intelligent comic book writing.

On the side of the art, Wellinton Alves returns with a splash. The visuals are suitably lush and alien with plenty to enjoy. The last few off-world pages, including the last cliffhanger panel, are particulary outstanding.

All I can say is that this book just keeps getting better.

I am not a great fan of those comics which focus on team building. They usually play out in a fairly similar fashion with a tired sense of deja vu hanging over them. But to give Bendis some credit, he is a master of dialogue, even if his characters sometimes tend to have the same voice. So we get some entertaining dialogue as Nick Fury's recruitment officer goes about her business picking up inexperienced young heroes in various parts of the world to participate in Fury's Skrull-busting venture. And that's it really.

Bendis is taking his time in Mighty Avengers and won't be rushed. We can only hope that his leisurely stroll in the park is going to have a massive pay-off. I live in hope.

This post was not intended and I can't seem to delete it. So to add to what I have written below...

The villain of the piece, Ezekiel Stane, grabs the reader's attention. He has all the qualities of a psychopath but does not come across as 2-dimensional. He has quirky humour, a sharp intelligence, insecurities, and egomania. He also demonstrates a real sense of menace. Human life is beneath him. You get a sense that there is no atrocity he would not commit in order to achieve his goals. And that makes him a worthy adversary of Tony Stark. One to watch.

I am a Nova fan, so I was really looking forward to this one. And I am not disappointed. In fact, I'm blown away. But I'll come back to that.

Recently I dropped "X-men: Legacy" and "Avengers: Initiative" from my pull list. They weren't awful comics, in fact they were both decent compared to many other books. But they just weren't really exciting me any more. So I now have two gaps to fill. Last week the "Invincible Iron Man" was looking like it might help fill that gap. But now I can safely say that this is definitely going to be the one that does that.

I liked almost every bit of this book. DnA are masters of storytelling and dialogue. Throughout the story there are some wonderful interview scenes with some of the 9 new Guardians of the Galaxy. The interviews with Rocket Racoon made me laugh out loud once or twice. His wit and sarcasm is definitely a highlight of this book.

However, there was one slightly false note in the writing with respect to Gamora in her interviews which is why I have not given 5 stars. She comes across as a wisecracker, a side to her that I haven't seen before and it just doesn't quite ring true. Up until now she has been quite serious and I would have preferred that she remained so. It would be okay to give her a bit of humour to make her a rounded character, but her constant quipping didn't feel right. But that might just be me. I may yet warm to that side of Gamora, so we'll see.

The rest of the book was brilliant. Cosmo the talking dog with Russian accent makes a welcome return. And the art was suitably epic and otherworldly. Some of the single page splashes were absolutely stunning, to the point that I wondered if this level can be maintained on a monthly schedule. Here's hoping.

This is the best debut I've read in a long while and I am defintely coming back next month, especially on account of the intriguing cliffhanger.