Full review posted to cxPulp.com.
Story: 3.5/5
Art: 4.5/5
Overall: 4/5
Filed under: Avengers vs. X-Men, Avengers vs. X-Men (event), cxPulp.com, MARVEL, Marvel Universe | Tagged: Andrew Hennessy, Avx, Clayton Cowles, colossus, Comic Reviews, Consequences, cxPulp, Cyclops, David Curiel, Hope, Jim Charalampidis, Jordan D. White, Kieron Gillen, magneto, Mark Brooks, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Namor, Nick Lowe, salvador larroca, Wolverine | Leave a comment »
Full review posted to cxPulp.com.
Story: 3.5/5
Art: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5
Filed under: Avengers vs. X-Men, Avengers vs. X-Men (event), cxPulp.com, MARVEL, Marvel Universe | Tagged: Andrew Hennessy, avengers, Avx, Clayton Cowles, Comic Reviews, Consequences, cxPulp, Cyclops, Hope, Iron Man, Jason Keith, Jim Charalampidis, Jordan D. White, Kieron Gillen, Magik, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Nick Lowe, Ron Garney, Scot Eaton, x-men | Leave a comment »
Death of Spider-Man: Part 5 of 5
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciler: Mark Bagley
Inker: Andy Lanning with Andrew Hennessy
Colorist: Justin Ponsor
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Cover Art: Bagley & Ponsor
Assistant Editor: Sana Amant
Senior Editor: Mark Paniccia
Published by: Marvel Comics
So, this issue is mostly one big fight scene. Seems the Green Goblin’s been busy, and it’s all come back down to Norman Osborn vs. Peter Parker. But unlike that first time the Goblin came back–when it was Mary Jane who was thrown off a bridge, playing on readers’ knowledge of what happened to Gwen in the regular Marvel Universe–this time, it just feels like little more than a ripoff of a two-decades-old Superman story. Yet, it works.
The villain apparently rose…many have fallen, and it’s down to the titular hero to save those around him from said villain.
Face it…the title of the story, the branding of the last few issues of this title and the Ultimate Avengers thing–it gives it all away. Much like knowing weeks before the story even began that Doomsday! was a tale that would end with the death of Superman. It was the journey to get there, watching the hero gradually take more and more of a beating, attempting to dish it back, and ultimately making a final sacrifice to save those he loves from a monster’s rampage.
The story itself–pretty simplistic. I haven’t read the first four chapters of it in this title, and bought (but wound up only skimming) the issue where Peter takes the bullet for Cap….yet, the recap page at the beginning of this issue sum things up pretty succinctly–I don’t need those chapters to “get” this.
The art–maybe not fantastic, but after recently reading the first tpb of the post-Ultimatum Ultimate Comics Spider-Man…Bagley‘s art–which I’ve always enjoyed and associated with Ultimate Spider-Man–is SUCH a thing of beauty. The characters actually look like I’d expect, as I got used to. The way they looked over the course of all those practically biweekly issues in college and all those TPBs after that when I went back to the series last year and caught up on over 60 issues of story.
As a whole…not truly worth the $3.99 cover price. Not even with that black plastic bag with the hero’s logo in red on it. But y’know? I missed out on Ultimate Spider-Man #1; I wasn’t able to acquire any issues til #4 or so, and was only able to get back to #3. But by and large (I got the first hardcover with those first 13 fantastic issues) I got in at the beginning. So I couldn’t bring myself to entirely “pass” on this ending.
If you’re already buying this title, sticking with the singles after the Ultimatum stuff and the renumbering and the re-renumbering, the changes in art and all that…if you read the earlier chapters of this story…again, face it: you were already going to or have bought this issue already. If you’ve sat things out, wondering at simply waiting for the collected volume: keep to that route. You’ll get a full story. If you’ve avoided this story on principle…hold to it.
This isn’t going to be for everyone. In many ways, I should be appalled at this. To see the character I so enjoyed reading about–and the supporting cast–put in this (albeit fictitious) situation, to see things come to this…it’s horrible. Heart-wrenching. But when you come down to it…this issue makes this version of Peter Parker, Spider-Man, much more real, at least in the moment. We saw his origin. His beginnings. His career. And now, his end.
If you can find this issue, without being taken for a marked-up price…I recommend it. If you’re a lapsed fan of the series, it might be worth getting to be there for the end. If nothing else–consider the collected volume.
Story: 4/10
Art: 9/10
Overall: 7/10
Filed under: MARVEL, Spider-Man, Ultimate Comics | Tagged: Andrew Hennessy, Andy Lanning, Brian Michael Bendis, Comic Reviews, Cory Petit, Death of Spider-Man, Green Goblin, Justin Ponsor, Mark Bagley, Mark Paniccia, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Sana Amant, Spider-Man, Ultimate Comics, ultimate comics spider-man, ultimate spider-man | 3 Comments »
Salvage (part one)
Writer: Mike Carey
Penciller: Scot Eaton
Inker: Andrew Hennessy
Colorist: Frank D’Armata
Cover: Lee Bermejo
Publisher: Marvel Comics
This issue continue’s Xavier’s quest for self-understanding via reconnecting with those who have played important roles in his life–or who have otherwise been significantly impacted by his own existence in their lives.
We open with a flashback to events during the Secret Invasion…than transition to Xavier and Gambit over a meal as they discuss where they’re headed and what they expect will come of seeking out Rogue. (Rogue made it clear awhile back she didn’t want Gambit following her and wants nothing to do with Xavier). We’re given a glimpse of what Rogue is up to these days in a ghost town where she and other X-Men apparently had once taken residence. While there, she is approached by a stranger supposedly looking to study the history of the town…but as Rogue quickly discovers, appearances can be quite deceiving. The issue ends with a revelation of who the stranger is, why she sought Rogue, and a vaguely familiar kind of cliffhanger as Xavier and Gambit are en route.
The art on this issue is good stuff…not only does it simply fit and serve the story, but I actually like this depiction of Xavier, Gambit, and Rogue visually. No complaints on this aspect of the issue.
Story-wise, it feels like we’re FINALLY getting somewhere with this book. Part of my initial interest a year or so ago in this title was that it’d basically feature Xavier, Gambit, and Rogue. This year later I’ve nearly lost interest in the waiting and the promised premise finally seems about to come about. The characters all come across as in-character with what’s been recently established.
This issue seems to have left out creator credits. The cover tells us that “Carey / Eaton / Hennessy” are to be associated with this issue. The interior features no credits–I had to go to Marvel’s website to research what creators were involved with the issue, and that’s assuming the site is accurate to this final product.
All in all, if you’re interested in the current Gambit/Rogue dynamic with Xavier, this seems a decent enough point to jump in, or to come back if you’ve lapsed for lack of the promised characters. The Xavier-tracking-down-old-acquaintances-to-find-himself is getting a bit old at this point…it remains to be seen how long that element drives the title and if it’ll be a point that’s beaten to death before resolution.
You could do far worse than this title–and as this X-book seems to be playing outside the stuff tied to Dark Reign and whatnot, it’s a chance to read a mainstream Marvel book without being subjected to that branding.
Story: 7/10
Art: 8/10
Whole: 7.5/10
Filed under: Comic Reviews 2009, MARVEL, Marvel Universe, X-Men: Legacy | Tagged: Andrew Hennessy, Comic Reviews 2008, Frank D'Armata, Gambit, Lee Bermejo, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Mike Carey, Rogue, Salvage, Scot Eaton, x-men, X-Men: Legacy | Leave a comment »
Original Sin part four
Writer: Mike Carey
Penciller: Scott Eaton
Inker: Andrew Hennessy
Colorists: Jason Keith with Brian Reber
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Production: Joe Sabino
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Cover: Mike Deodato
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Wolverine and Professor Xavier infiltrate the place Daken is being held, and a battle erupts between them and Sebastian Shaw with Miss Sinister…Daken caught in the middle.
The story is at once simple and somewhat boring. I don’t care about Daken, I knew nothing of the character prior to this Original Sin story. I do not like the way Marvel (in general) seems to be shoehorning so much crap into the past of their characters, casting a 180 on how they were viewed for the last three to four decades.
It’s fairly interesting seeing Wolverine and Xavier interact–I have long enjoyed their dynamic, as Wolverine struggles to be his own person, and almost grudgingly respects the professor–the man who helped him reclaim his humanity. This story suggests that a certain amount of Wolverine’s memory loss was actually caused by Xavier himself all those years ago–that Wolverine joined the X-Men intent upon killing Xavier, and I just don’t buy that. I have never found the Hellfire Club interesting, nor do I care one bit about their internal political maneuvering…I just don’t find it engaging at all.
The art of the issue is the best part–it’s pretty good, and I actually like the way Xavier and Wolverine are depicted. No real complaint visually…or at least, any visual complaint would have to do (Daken) with a story element I disagree with.
You could probably do much worse than this issue…but if you’re not interested in Daken-Son-of-Wolverine, and you’re not already following this Original Sin story, you’re just as well skipping this issue and coming back when X-Men Legacy is its own story again.
Story: 6/10
Art: 8/10
Whole: 7/10
Filed under: Comic Reviews 2008, MARVEL, X-Men: Legacy | Tagged: Andrew Hennessy, Brian Reber, Comic Reviews 2008, Cory Petit, Daniel Ketchum, Jason Keith, Joe Sabino, Marvel Comics, Mike Carey, Mike Deodato, Nick Lowe, Original Sin, Professor X, Scott Eaton, Wolverine, x-men, X-Men: Legacy, Xavier | Leave a comment »
Comic Reviews by Walt 