Old Man Logan #1 (Secret Wars)

Old Man Logan #1 (Secret Wars) 

Written by: Brian Michael Bendis 

Art by: Andrea Sorrentino 

Cover by: Andrea Sorrentino 

Released: May 27, 2015 

As far as Marvel “what if” tales go, Old Man Logan is one of those books that seemingly can’t be topped. The book’s dystopian future, warped heroes and symbiote dinosaurs made for a Wolverine tale unlike any other, its popularity spurred by the creative team of Mark Millar and Steve McNiven. Seeking to capture said lightning in a bottle yet again, Logan (a Logan, anyway) returns to exact more old-timerly justice, this time in the hands of Brian Michael Bendis and Andrea Sorrentino. The end result isn’t quite as wall-to-wall bananas as the series that preceded it, but it’s nonetheless an exciting and well constructed return.

Though visually quite different, Old Man Logan #1 does an excellent job of immediately capturing the look and feel of the original series. The issue picks up sometime after Logan’s gut bursting run in with the Hulk gang, his past efforts having done little to stem the tide of criminal influence. New factions have quickly moved into the territories left open, using the emblems of heroes and villains long past to mark their claim. In all I would rate this issue an 8.5/10 that’s all for this issue and as always keep on marveling. 

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Avengers vs X-Men #7

Avengers vs X-Men #7

Written by: Matt Fraction 

Art by: Olivier Coipel 

Released: July 4, 2012 

 This issue does a lot right, as well. Fraction does a fine job of capturing the growing tension on the Avengers side. The interaction between Black Panther and Tony Stark stands out particularly. These two have never had the warmest of relationships to start with, but here Tony’s latent death wish becomes a major source of friction for them both. With Wolverine continuing to fade into the background in Act 2, it’s really Panther of all characters that is stepping us as the neutral party and moderate voice of reason. Marvel has also been promising a major game-changer with this issue. While I’m not sure I would describe the final pages as “game-changing,” Fraction does deliver an impressive escalation in the conflict that promises a very memorable issue in #8. In all I would rate this issue a 7.5/10 that’s all for this issue and as always keep on marveling!

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Avengers vs X-Men #6

Avengers vs X-Men #6

Written by: Jonathen Hickman 

Art by: Olivier Coipel 

Released: June 20, 2012 

All told, this issue does what a first issue should: it excites you for what’s to come.  Hickman teases the reader by introducing some cool little plot elements.  Are the Phoenix’s Five’s need to do good part of something needed to create that threatens to overwhelm them (they can never do enough)?  What’s with Iron Fist’s relationship to the Phoenix and his out of nowhere defense against its powers?  Why are the Phoenix Five so rebuffed by the Scarlet Witch?  All are compelling plot elements that I can’t wait to see addressed.  Moreover, it empowers and showcases two beloved characters: Iron Fist and Scarlet Witch.

If there’s one downside to the book, it’s that the last page would’ve been much more effective had Marvel’s solicitations not already used Scott’s words as a marketing tool, but that’s comics.

 Against all odds, AvX #6 gives us plenty to be excited about.  If you’ve been unhappy with AvX thus far, give this issue a chance; Marvel promised that this was the start of “Act 2″ and that last month really changed the game, and they’ve delivered.  This is a very different book from what we’ve been getting for the past five issues. In all I would rate this issue a 8/10 that’s all for this issue and as always keep on maveling!

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Age of Ultron #9

Age of Ultron #9

Written by: Brian Michael Bendis 

Art by: Carlos Pacheco, Brandon Peterson

Released: June 5, 2013 

This  issue does pick up significantly once Wolverine ditches the hellish world he created and heads back to clean up his mess. As the cover suggests, Wolverine is forced to confront his own self from several hours ago and prevent him from killing Pym. Luckily, unlike the cover image, the two versions of the character are given separate costumes so as to make the interaction less confusing. What ensues is a tense showdown where one Wolverine fights to save Pym’s life and both struggle to convince the Avenger that Ultron is bad news.

Luckily, Invisible Woman joins in the fracas, and those disappointed that she allowed Pym to be killed in issue #6 will be pleased to see a certain amount of redemption now the the crime has been undone. One thing this script excels at from start to finish is reflecting the full horror of Ultron’s reign in how both Sue and Logan are portrayed. Part of me wishes that Bendis had played up the humor inherent to two time-traveling Wolverines a little, but in the end that approach probably would have felt out of place. Back to the Future this isn’t. This issue had great artwork and I’m glad we focus more on the main topic and not the alternate time line. In all I would rate this issue a 8/10 that’s all for this issue and As always keep on marveling!

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X-Men Legacy #267

X-Men Legacy #267

Written by: Gage 

Art by: Rosenberg 

Released: May 30, 2012 

I would be happy if there were a few less Avengers and X-Men books tying into the events of Avengers vs. X-Men. X-Men Legacy in particular is a series that doesn’t really “need” to act as an event tie-in. Issue #267 adds little to the greater conflict, instead depicting one continuous battle between Rogue’s squad and the Avengers B-team. But if nothing else, this issue serves as a solid character study for Rogue, who has a somewhat colorful history with the Avengers

Unfortunately, the rest of the Legacy group feels pretty much wasted in this issue. Gambit in particular seems to be the designated punching bag of AvX. Perhaps this is inevitable given the way Gage is framing these issues around individual characters, but a team book deserves a slightly more well-rounded focus. In all I would rate this book a 7/10 that’s all for this issue and as always keep on marveling. 

Wolverine and the X-Men #11

Wolverine and the X-Men #11

Written by: Jason Aaron 

Art by: Nick Bradshaw 

Released: May 30, 2012 

Jason Aaron focuses the bulk of this issue on the Wolverine and Hope team-up seen in AvX #4. The difference here is that the script examines Logan’s mindset and his inner struggle with the need to save the world weighed against his unwillingness to murder a child. It adds a greater sense of context to his actions. And frankly, it’s nice to see at least one book acknowledge the events of The Dark Phoenix Saga in a direct way. The two also enjoy the most expansive fight scene of the issue, as they clash with Gladiator’s death squad and Hope gets the chance to take Wolverine’s powers for a test drive.

Nick Bradshaw returns to the pencil on this issue. His work offers the clarity Chris Bachalo’s can sometimes lack, However Bradshaw’s pencils are no more consistent in terms of line-work and detail than Bachalo’s because of the changing inkers. The final quarter of the book in particular is annoyingly loose and floaty. In all I would rate this book a 7.5/10 that’s all for today and as always keep on marveling!

Avengers vs X-Men #4

Avengers vs X-Men #4

Written by: Jonathen Hichman 

Art by: John Romita Jr. 

Released: May 16, 2012

The war between the Avengers and X-Men goes global as the two teams split into various squads in order to track down Hope. This portion of the storyline feels almost entirely superfluous, as the scenes of the teams investigating the Savage Land, Tabula Rasa, etc. are reduced to a brief clip show. Once again, whole chunks of the plot are being broken away from AvX and shoved into tie-in books. It’s enough to wonder why Hope’s cloaking device was even worked into the series if it was going to have so little impact on the main book. Once again, if it’s action or extended battle scenes you crave, you’ll have to turn to books like AvX: VS or Uncanny X-Men for that.

The nice thing about Avengers vs. X-Men is that, even if individual issues prove frustrating, there’s always the hope that the next incoming writer will be able to turn the book around. That hope bears fruit in issue #4. Though it doesn’t necessarily address the core storytelling flaws of the series, Avengers vs. X-Men #4 is still a marked improvement over the last few chapters. Jonathan Hickman makes his AvX debut on this installment, and his distinctive voice helps elevate the material. The art work is not the best I’ve seen but it’s fairly good. I would rate this book a 8/10 that’s all for this issue and as always keep on marveling!

Wolverine and the X-Men #10

Wolverine and the X-Men #10

Written by: Chris Bachalo 

Art by: Jason Aaron 

Released: May 9, 2012 

This book has a whole lot to offer, with fantastic character development, effective humor, and exquisite use of symbolism. Shoot, this book even has a cool looking cover. I love Angel’s new direction and how Aaron puts a clear divider in the ground for the character, clearing up any residual ambiguity from the Dark Angel Saga. Each character has a turn at being tremendously entertaining in this book, but the true sign that this issue is outstanding is that Cyclops and Wolverine are so real and relatable. If there is one thing I didn’t like it was the art. Especially how they drew Ice man. He looked like a stone. I don’t know, but I didn’t like it. But other than that it was ok. I would rate it a 7/10 that’s all for today and as always keep on marveling!

Avengers vs X-Men #3

Avengers Vs X-Men #3

Written by: Ed Brubaker 

Art by: John Romita Jr. 

Released: May 2, 2012 

In this issue Captain America gets tired of Wolverine not taking orders so they go toe-to-toe and Captain America kicks Wolverine out of the airplane. Nothing really happens in this issue, nothing too important, although the X-Men do surrender to the avengers but the Avengers find out that it was a trap. They were never there it was just an illusion. There’s no question that Avengers vs. X-Men could be a good, solid event comic. The operative word being “could.” It’s continuously frustrating to see writers doing such great work in the tie-in books and delivering so little of that quality and content on the main series I would rate this issue a 7.7/10 that’s all for today and as always keep on marveling!

Wolverine and the X-Men #9

Wolverine and the X-Men #9

Written by: Jason Aaron

Art by: Chris Bachalo 

Released: April 18, 2012 

The events of Avengers vs. X-Men have riled up the Jean Grey School and now Captain America has arrived, forcing Wolverine to take a side either with the Avengers or his fellow mutants on Utopia. If picking up both titles this week, readers will definitely want to read this before they dive into Avengers vs. X-Men #2, as it sets up what Wolverine does there. While the main conflict concerning the Phoenix will no doubt tie up Wolverine’s schedule for a bit, the rest of the school is still buzzing about, plus Jason Aaron begins a new plot involving a favorite space-faring character.

In terms of how good this issue was, it wasn’t that great. This issue just realy informs you that Wolverine is with the Avengers for the time. That could change who knows? The art is ok you could say. Not my favorite style. I would rate this book a 7/10 that’s all for this issue and as always keep on marveling!