I bought Batwing #9 only because it was part of the Night of the Owls crossover. Don’t just me unworthy, even a geek with a blog has a comic book budget. I was impressed with this new hero and enjoyed Judd Winick and Marcus To’s tie-in to the crossover.
Spinning out of Batman, The Court of Owls have unleashed their Talons on targets all over Gotham City. Bruce Wayne’s trusted ally Lucius Fox has been judged unworthy. Batwing must stop the death sentence during a Batman Incorporated event.
The script was tight and action packed but gives you insight into David – and I was immediately engaged. It’s too obvious and cliche to say he reminds me of working man’s Black Panther because they’re both from Africa but I also see the some of Hawkeye’s personality in David. This was my first Batwing issue and the first of many more.
What a strange trippy week in Seattle for heroes and villains in comics and in reality.
Let’s start with comics – Peter David and Leonard Kirk’s excellent X-Factor #235 saw the mutant detectives go undercover in Seattle’s real life super hero movement – we really have one! Shatterstar and Madrox go undercover to join the X-Ceptionals (an Emerald City based group of wannabe costumed heroes) after other would be heroes are sliced and diced by a mystery attacker. The tone twists from comic to tragic with clever dialogue and expressive art.
Let’s get back to reality – Citizen Heroes and The Collectibles co-sponsored the Avengers Assemble film series at SIFF Cinema. Citizen Heroes is a documentary of the real super hero movement in the Pacific Northwest. Director Matt Harrison – my interview with him here – and local masked crimefighters helped introduced the Marvel solo movies this week. The biggest star of this phenomenon is Seattle’s Phoenix Jones of the Rain City Super Hero Movement.
courtesy Rex Velvet?
Jones has apparently inspired “an enemy.” This week a challenge was declared in this video by a man calling himself Rex Velvet who claims to be Seattle’s greatest super villain. Velvet delivered this video to the Comics Blend Facebook page.
And I got the meet some of The Collectibles this week – think Avengers meets The Office. Here’s my interview with the Seattle stars of this comedy web series.
A very strange week of coincidences in Seattle indeed.
Steve Rogers is ruled by his sense of responsibility. Scott Summers is ruled by passion for his cause. Logan is driven by both. The lone wolf mutant is on his own again and maybe the only hero willing to do the unheroic acts to save the world.
Avengers vs. X-Men #3 is packed with plots within plots. We learn the aftermath of a supernatural showdown I really hope we see in AvX Vs or another tie-in book. I’m not giving this away because you can see it on the cover and you should have seen it coming – but there’s a brutal battle of wills, claws, and a shield between Cap and Wolverine.
Round 3 supports my devotion to the mutants. I still suspect Cyclops’ actions aren’t entirely his own (the Void is still locked in his brain) but I want him to win maybe because he’s leading a hopeless cause against overwhelming odds. Cap is fighting for the Earth. Cyclops is fighting for a future. Like Scott, I have to believe that there’s a reason the Phoenix keeps coming back to the mutants.
The Night of the Owls crossover events violently tears into Detective Comics #9 as Talons invade Arkham Asylum. The Court of Owls have judged Jeremiah Arkham unworthy. The inmates of Arkham may be the only thing saving him from a death sentence until Batman joins the chaos.
The pencils are plot are eerie and violent mirroring the madness and manipulation inside Gotham’s notorious address. The Black Mask, Clayface and all of Arkham’s “patients” are pawns in his plan to escape the Council of Owls’ assassins. This a thrilling hour during Night of the Owls you don’t want to miss.
In my interview with Tony Daniel (see below) the man behind Detective Comics expressed his hope to work on a Clayface story. In this issue the classic villain has brief moments that are a great tease for what Daniel might do with him.
This issue features a back story starring Two-Face. Tony Daniel (see his interview link below) takes Harvey Dent into a dark, seedy deal with a devil and sets him for an anti-hero to cheer for. Syzmon Kudranski created a murky violent underworld for Harvey to creep through on his mission.
Here’s my interview with Tony Daniel at Fan Expo Vancouver (with more video clips from the creator in his own words.) I asked Daniel about Batman’s Rogues Gallery, the Two-Face back story in Detective Comics, the villains he wants to use next and how rock legends KISS inspired him.
Marvel's Avengers The Hulk courtesy Marvel Studios
When the Hulk leaps into action to save Iron Man in the Avengers trailer – the screams from the crowd huddled around my computer were filled with joy! The Hulk must really be awesome in Earth’s Mightiest Movie because Mark Ruffalo revealed he’s signed a 6 picture deal with Marvel Films to Collider.
(Ruffalo also reveals there’s a deleted scene with the great Harry Dean Stanton.)
So Avengers 2 is a given but how about a Hulk solo movie? What comic book story would you want to see on the big screen?
I love Peter David’s run on The Incredible Hulk. I especially enjoyed when the merged Hulk – Banner’s mind in control of the monster body – was allied with a group of heroes called the Pantheon. This organization answered to no government and their missions often brought them into conflict with other heroes. I could see a great Pantheon-SHIELD conflict orchestrated by The Leader, a scientist mutated by gamma radiation in a very different way. While the members of the Pantheon took names inspired by Greek mythology, their leader Agamemnon, was half-Asgardian. See the Thor cameo?
Planet Hulk image courtesy Marvel.com
Greg Pak’s Planet Hulk would be an out of this world – literally – adventure for the Green Goliath. It’s already an animated movie. The Illumanati (Tony Stark, Reed Richard, Doctor Strange, Professor X, Namor) decide the rampaging Hulk has done enough damage and blast him off to an uninhabited planet to live in peace. The thing about programmed spaceships with a Hulk on board – they can go off course. The Hulk goes through a wormhole and lands on a barbaric world, is forced to become a gladiator, becomes a hero and leads a revolution against the planet’s cruel leader. In the sequel World War Hulk, the Hulk and his Warbound (allies from the arena) come back to Earth to lay down some serious vengeance on the Illumanati. Hulk doesn’t realize until later that he fathered a son on Sakaar until Skaar arrives on Earth ready to resolve his daddy issues with some serious fighting!
I’me enjoying Avengers vs X-Men but I think I’m liking the tie-in issues even more.
Warning
Spoiler Ahead
If you have NOT Avengers vs X-Men #3 then you may NOT want to keep reading.
OK
Here it comes…
Wolverine and the X-Men #10 courtesy Marvel
In Wolverine and the X-Men #10 Cyclops arrives at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning after escaping near capture by the Avengers on Utopia. Scott “just wants to talk.” Cyclops makes a plea for Logan to join him against the Avengers but was that really his endgame?
Jason Aaron weaves several compelling stories about identity in this issue. Cyclops asking Logan to decide if he’s really an X-Man, Warren’s belief that he’s really an Angel or something else, and Genesis coping with who he hopes to be versus what we fear he could become…Apocalypse.
From issue #1 this book has been a pure joy to read because of the great mix of action and humor. Aaron and Chris Bachalo pack plenty of action but this an issue that delves into the hearts and minds of these characters.
The action will definitely kick in next issue as Gladiator is headed to Earth to get his son out of Logan’s school and off the planet before the Phoenix arrives. And the Emperor has ordered his Shiar Death Commandos to eradicate Hope and anyone standing in their way.
Avengers vs X-Men #3 Hope flares up as the Phoenix force speeds towards Earth. With the Avengers and X-Men at war, the mutant messiah sets out on her own agenda. Wolverine switches sides.
Wolverine and the X-Men: Alpha & Omega #5 Logan and Armor escape Kid Omega’s mental prison but the war isn’t over yet. Wolverine faces the Berserker and what will happen to Quentin when one of them wins
X-O Manowar #1 A Visigoth hero has an alien encounter. Aric escapes with the strange invaders’ high tech suit of armor to liberate his people from the Roman Empire but learns hundreds of years have passed. He’s a man out of time with the universe’s most powerful weapon trapped in our age. This marks the relaunch of the Valiant Universe of characters and the first talking comic book cover.
Earth 2 #1 courtesy DC Comics
Action Comics #9 Move over Clark Kent, make room for President Superman. The tale of an African-America Superman from an alternative reality taking on the new villain, SuperDoom!
Earth 2 #1 Who are the heroes of this alternative world? Old school favorites like Jay Garrick (the first Flash) and Alan Scott (the first Green Lantern) star in this brand new as DC Comics The New 52 launches a Second Wave where anything can happen.
Don’t forget this Saturday is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! Go get a freebie, pick up something new and support your local comic book shop!
What is the connection between Danny Rand and the Phoenix Force? New Avengers #25 revealed an ancient secret: X-Man Jean Grey was NOT the first vessel for the entity.
Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato continue their beautiful tale of another red-haired girl, the prophecy of an approaching firebird, and how the Phoenix was once in Kun Lun issue 26.
Fans of Jonathan Hickman’s SHIELD series (like me) will be pleasantly surprised by a guest star who aids Master Yu Ti in the search for answers to the girl and his dream. My only qualm is the misleading cover but I’m confident this tale of the past will tie into the meeting of Danny Rand and Hope as the Phoenix approaches Earth.
