S.H.I.E.L.D., Vol. 1: Perfect Bullets

I really enjoyed ABC's Agents of SHIELD. Sure, a lot of it has to do with me being a big fan of Nick Fury and the spy elements of the Marvel Universe. Regardless, Agents of SHIELD was a show that got better with age. Ironically, as the series progressed, it strayed further from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That's because it was established that despite Agent Phil Coulson dying at the hands of Loki, everything that happened afterwards followed a slightly different timeline on another universe. So despite what you think about Spider-Man: No Way Home introducing the multiverse to Marvel movie fans, it was Marvel's Agents of SHIELD that did it first.

And before I get into my review of this book, can I just comment on the actor who brought Phil Coulson to life on many occasions? Clark Gregg is just wonderful as the walking Encyclopedia Britannica of superheroes and their adversaries. I may not agree with all of the actor's politics. But I thought he brought such an energy to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the show. I hope he's not truly retired from the role. I'd love to see him interact with Tom Holland's Spider-Man and Cumberbatch 's Sorcerer Supreme.

This series, penned by Mark Waid, was Marvel's attempt to bring the Agents of SHIELD into the Marvel 616 Universe. Waid's been known to make some controversial changes to established DC and Marvel canon. But he did a fantastic job here. 

One of the smartest moves was to essentially have each issue be a team-up with at least one superhero. Coulson, May, Fitz and Simmons conduct missions with the likes of Spidey, Ms. Marvel, The Invisible Woman and many others. The first assignment has Phil Coulson spread extremely thin when creatures from all of the nine realms begin an all out invasion of Midgard. There's literally dozens of comics brightest stars in that story, including Tony Stark who's in his Superior Iron Man stage of life. 

6 different artists pencil an issue in this book. My favorite was Alan Davis' work in the Spider-Man story that takes place in Doctor Stranger's Sanctum Sanctorum. He evoked a mix of Steve Ditko and Steve Englehart's tenures on the good doctor's title. 

The book concludes with an odd little segment of comic strips about Agent Fitz and his new artificial intelligence program H.E.N.R.Y., which takes the holographic form of a green Capuchin monkey. I felt like there were clues or maybe some Easter eggs that were hinting to what will occur in Volume 2. However, if that's the case, I was a really bad detective.

I really enjoyed this volume. Too bad, I don't have the next volume immediately on hand. But I've got trade credit and a hole burning in my pocket. So maybe I'll continue these adventures real soon.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Captain America: Operation: Rebirth

Immediately just to clarify, Operation: Rebirth is NOT in any way related to Heroes Reborn. So don't get confused. 1996's Heroes Reborn was a return of several beloved Marvel icons, including Captain America, to the 616 Universe after a very stupid (and poorly received) attempt to modernize some aging super heroes. Instead, Operation: Rebirth begins right after Steve Rogers dies in the 616.

The Super Solider Serum inside of Steve's body was deteriorating. For a brief period of time, Captain America had to operate inside a suit of armor built by Tony Stark as he had lost his super strength. Ultimately, Cap also lost his life. 

The general public is aware of all this. In fact, there was a very public funeral at Arlington held for the World War II veteran. What the populace doesn't know is that the casket is empty! That's because soon after Steve Rogers died, someone stole the body!

The story opens with Steve Rogers in return to his super strong form thanks to the Red Skull! Why is the Sentenil of Liberty's greatest foe helping him to the point of fantastic resurrection? It's because someone has gotten their hands on that blasted Cosmic Cube and altered reality. AGAIN! The Third Reich is still in power in this new world, having never lost the second world war. Normally, the Red Skull would be okay with this; if he was the man in charge. Instead, the leader of these Nazis is none other that Adolph Hitler himself, the Hate Monger!

With this story taking place in 1995, that would put ol' Adolph in his late 80s. Suffering from dementia and extremely paranoid, the Hate Monger fears being deposed. Armed with nukes and ready to use them, this new reality stares down the barrel of World War III. With his arch-enemy on one side and a blast from his past on the other, Captain America must find the Cosmic Cube and change history back or it will be up to only the Watcher to prevent a global nuclear apocalypse!

This trade paperback collects issue #445-448 of Captain America. Mark Waid was the writer and he does an amazing job as usual. True, I feel like I've read this story before what with Cosmic Cube changing the world and all that. But as I said before, this book collects material from 1995 and some of those stories came AFTER this tale. So I can't fault Waid for a lack of originality. (I might accuse Nick Spencer with his Hydra Cap storyline of it...) 

The artwork was my biggest complaint. Ron Garney seems to be a student of the Rob Liefeld School of Over-Exaggerated Comic Book Art. But I don't think he was an honor student as it wasn't that bad. But just enough to get on my nerves. I will admit that Garney's Red Skull is perhaps one of the most menacing versions of the villains that I've ever encountered. But I don't want to give too much praise for a Nazi...

A good story, though I've read it before. The artwork was very 90s but not my least favorite of the era. 

Cap and Red Skull- a match made in hell. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

High Rollers

Who can forget the action drama High Rollers? The 2008 blockbuster was filled with A List in roles you never imagined some of your favorites ever playing.

Jamie Foxx played CQ, a captain in one of L.A.'s deadliest gangs.

Will Smith starred as Trey Loc, the coke-addled leader of a South Central drug empire.

Thandie Newton portrayed Rita, a desperate woman willing to make a deal with the devil to save her family.

Ben Stiller as Machete, a smarmy bookie with a knack for the ponies.

Wait a minute? You've never heard of this film? Oh, that's right. That's because High Rollers was a 2008 graphic novel from Boom Studios. But I didn't lie about the amazing cast that fills these pages. Artist Sergio Carrera (Green Lantern) illustrates a slew of amazing talent as the players in this story that has no heroes; only devils and fallen angels. Carrera also casts Matthew Modine, Jason Stratham and Outkast's Andre3000 in important roles in this story. There might be other celebs in here that I just don't recognize. But thanks to the likenesses I did recognize, High Rollers feels like watching a movie from an alternate earth.

High Rollers is written by crime novelist Gary Phillips (Perdition, U.S.A.). With titles like Peepland and Vigilante: Southland under his belt, this is not the author's first and only foray into comics and graphic novels. However, I liked his overall story a lot better than the prose chapter that introduces all the major players at the beginning of this book. I am also glad I didn't give up on High Rollers because of that opening segment.

The prose part of High Rollers is filled with dime paperback cliches. The dialogue reads like a stereotype of blacks and South Central gangs. Not the kind of stuff I'd expect from an award winning author. Phillips in an interview with Greg Rucka (Whiteout), found at the back of this book, mentions that editor Mark Waid (Daredevil) made some notes on story improvement that Phillips wasn't a big fan of. But he did agree on some 'compromises.' With such a large cast and how the story begins in the middle of CQ's latest assignment from his boss, perhaps some story setup was needed. However, the quality of those pages didn't meet the superiority of the majority of this book.

This story is presented in 4 chapters. Chapters 1-3 of High Rollers is action-packed as CQ rises in the ranks as head of the gang. The first half of chapter 4 continues at that pace. But the way everything feels rushed to the conclusion, I wasn't satisfied with the ending. I like more definite endings. High Rollers concludes with the promise of more to come. Yet, it's 14 years later and there doesn't seem to be a sequel out there. 

I also know that we aren't supposed to judge a book by its cover. But when the cover includes items that you cannot find anywhere in the book, that annoys me. The outline of the stripper is okay as even though there are no scenes occurring in a strip club, it is mentioned a couple of times that some characters enjoy the company of them as lovers. However, there are playing cards on the front and a roulette wheel on the back cover and that's not the kind of gambling that occurs in High Rollers. Machete is a bookie to whom Rita's husband is greatly in debt. I'm also assuming that the 'high' in the title is in regards to the drugs dealt by CQ's gang. 

High Rollers was originally released as a 4-issue miniseries. The prose prologue was added just to the graphic novel. So if I had read the floppies instead of the trade paper back, I might have a slightly different attitude towards the beginning of the story. That still leaves the ending, which in my mind is still unforgivable. 

Also, I read this as a trade. So while I understand that my attitude towards the cover and chosen title might also be varied, my feelings towards this format remains the same. It's like watching Blade Runner. You have differing attitudes to the director's cut version you view. Still, the interior artwork was an amazing star-studded affair that kept me reading. So did the improved storytelling. I would just recommend that you find the back issues instead of reading the trade if High Rollers is of interest to you!

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

The Flash #87

A Flash Christmas issue? Yes!

Santas with guns? Oh, Yes!

Murderous Santas wearing Hawaiian shirts and matching Bermuda shorts? Yes, please!

Christmas is rapidly approaching Keystone City and the thermometer is approaching triple digits! With this holiday heatwave, crime is on the rise. And this means Wally West is being run ragged!

This also means bad things for Wally and his girlfriend Linda Park. Being the Flash keeps Wally from meeting Linda's parents. Any time spent together is tense and terse. And Wally missed the Christmas party Linda planned! Could it get any worse? 

Absolutely!

This was a good holiday themed Flash. Mark Waid (Superman) crafted a very fast paced story that perfectly balances the holiday spirit and superhero comics. But I was very disappointed that the secret behind the heatwave wasn't addressed. 

Okay. Maybe this is just a normal heatwave. But there's a scene where after Wally decorates his Christmas tree and you see what looks like this haze steaming off of the holiday lights. I thought it would have been really awesome if Heatwave or Weather Wizard or one of the Rogues had fixed up the town's lights to generate heat. Alas, that didn't happen here. But it would have been a great way to bend this plot line around.

Enjoyable read but I had other ideas on how this could have/should have turned out.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars. 

Flash and Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold

Collecting the six-issue miniseries from 1999-2000, this volume recounts the long and complicated friendship between the Barry Allen Flash and the Hal Jordan Green Lantern.

This is a friendship that on paper shouldn't really be. Barry is a nerd, nebbish and sorta a prude. Plus he's a family man, married to Iris West and surrogate father to Wally. Hal is a playboy, a loner, a rebel. He's devoted to Carol Ferris but he plays the field quite a bit. The closet he has to a family is a pair of brothers that he only sees maybe for Thanksgiving and Christmas if lucky.

Clearly this friendship is proof that opposites attract. 

This book is beautifully illustrated by A.D. 2000's Barry Kitson and Tom Grindberg. It's topped off by the epic storytelling of Mark Waid (Daredevil) and Tom Peyer (Batman '66). 

Just as with the history of these two characters, there's highs and lows. I thought the entire book was great. But I hated seeing how both characters were affected by loss and tragedy. Both Hal and Barry have gone through some really crappy stuff in their nearly 70 some years of existence. 

The best chapter has Barry and Hal going on an intergalactic camping trip with their Earth-2 predecessors Jay Garrick and Alan Scott. It's very funny seeing the generation gap between Jordan and Scott and how much Barry and Jay are like mirror images of each other.

A great book that is a must for any fan of the Silver Age Flash and Green Lantern! But be sure to read with tissues nearby.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Captain America: Man Out of Time

Back around 1963, when Kirby and Lee revived Captain America, he was clearly a man out of his own time, but he seemed okay with being stuck in the modern day world. Yes, the death of his partner Bucky haunted him, but Steve Rogers seemed content to keep the American Dream he fought for during World War II alive. It helped having both Baron Zemo and the Red Skull survive the fall of the Third Reich to keep Capt.motivated to protect the 1960s from fascism.

  Well what if Steve Rogers wanted to get back to the 1940s?

   In Man Out of Time, after the Avengers free Steve Rogers from being frozen, Captain America thinks that everything he's witnesses is a Nazi trap. Over time, the hero learns that he is in fact 70 years into the future and makes it his duty to get back home. To prevent Capt from altering the timeline, the President orders the Avengers to make Rogers a member. Captain America seems to be fitting into his new role quite well. But when Earth’s Mightiest Heroes face the time travelling villain Kang the Conqueror, the baddie grants Steve Rogers his ultimate wish.

  Awaking in 1945 Brooklyn, Steve learns that the war in Europe is over, the campaign in the Pacific rages on, and American mourns the loss of it's hero, Captain America. This puts the good Captain in a awkward position: should he make his presence known and enlist in the conflict with Japan, stroll off into the sunset and live the rest of his days in hiding, or get back to the future?!

This unique look at Captain America's earliest days back from the frozen brink was very clever and well thought out. I liked that the editor's decided to include a reprinting of Capt's first modern era tale from Avengers #4. It really rounded out the story as a whole.

Mark Waid, whose recent run on Daredevil has made the Man Without Fear one of my new favors characters, was behind this story and he did another fantastic job. The art by Jorge Molina was pretty good but the covers by Bryan Hitch were superb. Just look at the amazing job on Man Out of Time's cover; the renderings of every President since FDR were quite good! Hitch should be asked to do the portrait of whomever is elected POTUS in November for the National Gallery!

Worth Consuming

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Daredevil, Volume 4: The Autobiography of Matt Murdock

 You would think that life is going quite well for Matt Murdock. Foggy Nelson's cancer seems to be getting under control. Matt's got a great new girlfriend and law firm in San Francisco. Plus, he's got a multi-million dollar book deal in the works and a new Daredevil persona.

   But Matt Murdock is the Charlie Brown of Marvel Universe! With his new persona comes the fact that everyone and their brother knows that the blind lawyer and the Man Without Fear are one in the same. Thus Foggy, his new girl, even his clients are all targets thanks in no small part to a multi-media surveillance system run by the Shroud.

   So in order to protect his friends, Murdock decides to make a deal with the devil himself- the Kingpin! But what can the lawyer offer the man who seemingly has everything? Why, the death of Matt Murdock, of course!

   The Autobiography of Matt Murdock signals the end of the epic run of Mark Waid and Chris Samnee, whose art is exceptional and his vintage style, I think, makes him the next Darwyn Cooke. Waid, whose been the driving force behind the Man Without Fear for about 4 years now, made a very depressing character fun again. Waid added heart and humor to the character. But there was more than enough zaniness in the Waid run like run ins with zombies, stuntmen, and even Stilt-Man! Plus, Waid's Daredevil was full of awesome courtroom drama. It was like a comic book version of Law & Order with the Order part being represented by a costumed vigilante.

   The first couple of chapters fit this formula quite real and they were great reads with one bothersome fly in the ointment: the Shroud. I hate the Shroud. I've thought him to be a D-list character since he first popped up in the pages of Spider-Woman all the way back in the late 70s. He's a total Batman AND Daredevil copycat if there ever was one. But, the Shroud's place in this story, while an annoyance, still carried a whimsical theme to the book.

   Once the Kingpin rears his big fat ugly head, the tone of the book got much more serious and to me, a lot less enjoyable. I long to read a collected version of Frank Miller's run on Daredevil. Yet, I have a feeling based on how I like a more light-hearted Hero of Hell's Kitchen, I probably will not enjoy it as much as I think I would.

   A good read that could've been better but still Worth Consuming in the end.

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Indestructible Hulk, Volume 4: Humanity Bomb (Marvel NOW!)

 

    With the destruction of Attilan, the Inhumans' reserves of terrigen mist have been unleashed upon an unsuspecting populace. Anyone with even the slightest bit of Inhuman DNA is in danger of transforming into an unimaginable assortment of beasts, mutated humans, or even a super-powered hero like the Kamala Kahn Ms. Marvel. Leading the charge for a cure is Bruce Banner and his think tank of scientists at SHIELD. However, when it's revealed that Banner's cure is in the form of yet another bomb, the Avengers have visions of gamma disaster that created the Hulk. In other words, Iron Man, Beast, and Ant-Man typically act before they speak and massive carnage ensues.

   Unfortunately for one of Banner's team, the cure unlocks their latent Inhuman potential and is transformed into a ferocious monster that feeds on anger. How will the Hulk be able to stop the newest member of the Inhuman family when this new foe keeps siphoning away any trace of rage and continuously reverts the Hulk back into a human? For once, Bruce Banner will have to save the day!

   This volume marks the end of the Stan Lee/ Jack Kirby Hulk. Up next are the reality changing events of Secret Wars that reboots the original Marvel Universe in DC Comics Crisis fashion for the first time ever. Unfortunately, the ending left me really confused as the volume ends with a cliffhanger and the promise to be continued in Hulk #1!

   What Hulk #1 is it? Is it Totally Awesome Hulk which star wunderkind Amadeus Cho taking on the role of the Green Goliath? Or is the answers to the end of this series found in one of the many one-shots and miniseries that accompany the Secret Wars storyline? For the sake of spoilers, I've not been able to find out what happens next. (But, folks, if you know- please feel free to spill the beans. Because I have to know what happens next!)

   Another Marvel NOW! triumph by Mark Waid with a cool Bruce Banner/ Tony Stark team-up by Jeff Parker.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Indestructible Hulk, Volume 4: S.M.A.S.H. Time (Marvel NOW!)

 

    Disappearing Airports... Rampaging Dinosaurs... Invading armies comprised of Vikings, pirates, and P-47 Thunderbolts... Someone is messing with time and only the Hulk can save it! 

    Because his gamma radiation can withstand the destructive currents of the time vortex, the Big Green Machine will team up with some of your favorite Marvel heroes of yesteryear in order to save tomorrow. But since the Hulk isn't really known for keeping on task, he'll be aided by a drone that comprises the brain patterns of Bruce Banner. For the first time ever- it's mighty Hulk and puny Banner teamed together to save time itself. Yet there's a caveat- should the Hulk calm down at any point during his quest, he'll morph back into his human self, stuck in a vegetative state  somewhere past unable to reconnect with his Banner persona.

   This volume was a fun ride. I love stories about time travel and this chapter of the Indestructible Hulk doesn't disappoint. Guest-starring the Black Knight, Kid Colt, Betty and Thunderbolt Ross, and a slew of characters that exist in the Marvel Universe's past, I was so stoked. I only wish that Hulk traveled to more time periods and meet further characters (maybe a few real-life historic figures too!) 

   This volume was written by Mark Waid, who I've really become a fan of with his work on latest runs of Daredevil. He's known as the only man to have ever read everything ever published about Superman. Well, I must say I think he's done quite a bit of reading up on the Marvel Universe as Waid crafted a story that paid loving tribute to the Marvel Age of Comics created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and many more comics legends. 

   Aiding Mark Waid is the stunning Mateo Scalera (Black Science.) His ability to capture 1,000s and 1,000s of years of history in a seamless setting of time periods was awesome. Plus, I think he stole some designs from his work on Black Science as the suits worn by some of the time travelers looked very similar to that of the time displaced crew of that crafty Image series.

   It's a nearly flawless time traveling romp that pays homage to the Hulk family.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Daredevil, Volume 3: The Daredevil You Know (Marvel NOW!)

   

   Matt Murdock agrees to defend an aged stunt driver in a copyright infringement case. Age and injury have caused the former thrill seeker to give up the rights to his original stage name, 'The Stuntman', to a pharmaceutical company. In turn, the corporation has hired out a young upstart that has taken to taunting his namesake.

     The attacks become so merciless, that the old man takes his own life unable to withstand the pressure of the looming court battle. This enrages Murdock to challenge the new Stuntman in order to restore his client's good name. But should the hero lose in a race across the Golden Gate Bridge, it will mean that he too must forfeit his right to the title of 'The Man Without Fear.'

     Speaking of the title- that's also what Murdock and his ghost writer Foggy Nelson is calling his autobiography. Making his deadline isn't going to be easy with a slew of baddies, mishaps, and betrayals will get in Daredevils way. All this leads to what is probably the worst Daredevil costume variant of all-time and in the superhero forging a deal with a most unexpected devil.

       Volume 3 is the penultimate Marvel NOW! collection by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee before the events of 2015's Secret Wars that will reboot not just the Daredevil franchise but the entire Marvel Universe. This was yet another fantastic offering by Waid and Samnee and it's Daredevil at his best.

     Things have been going pretty well for Matt Murdock lately. Yet, it can be said that Daredevil is at his best when he is at his lowest. And by the end of this volume, things are going to get so low, he may just have to sell his soul to his own personal devil if he's ever going to get another chance to make things right again.

    Worth Consuming but I wasn't such a big fan of the first story arc involving the Stuntman as I was in the rest of the comics reprinted in this edition.

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Daredevil Volume 2: West Coast Scenario (Marvel NOW!)

   

   Mark Waid continues his epically fun run of the Man Without Fear in this volume that doubles as a tie-in to the 'Original Sin' storyline. In that miniseries, a character called the Orb has caused superheroes to relive their deepest darkest secrets. With Daredevil, he has visions of his beloved father abusing him and his mother, Maggie. Seeking answers, Daredevil learns that his mother has been arrested and extradited to Wakanda without due process. In order to save her, Daredevil will have to call in some favors at SHIELD and pull a few shrewd  legal eagle maneuvers that borderline as an international incident. 

   But before all that, celebrate Daredevil's 50th Anniversary with a special issue that looks at two potential futures and a rather forgettable moment in Matt Murdock's history. The first story takes place in the distant future of San Francisco in which something has caused most of it's residents to lose their vision. Speak about the blind leading the blind... Then in a prose story, a possible wife of Murdock's writes her last will and testament along with some of her personal history with the hero, to her unborn child. It's a chilling story that leaves the reader breathless at the very end. Lastly, while Murdock and Nelson are closing their practice, Reed Richards uncovers the last will and testament of Matt's twin brother Mike. It's a goofy tale taken from a rather goofy time in the life of Daredevil as a way to throw Foggy and Karen Page of the scent that Matt Murdock is really a superhero.

    Then wrapping up this volume is a story involving a villain named the Purple Man. I'm not familiar with this guy, but he's super strong, nigh invulnerable, has wicked mind control powers- oh did I mention he's purple. He just may be my new favorite Daredevil villain. I really would like to find more tales starring this super creepy baddie!

    A lot happens in this volume but Mark Waid and his artist in residence, Chris Samnee, did another marvelous job chronicling another chapter of the Daredevil family. (Okay- the Mike Murdock story was corny, but it ended on a high note.) Secrets are revealed, mysteries finally solved, and a lot of kick-butt action and thrills is had by all players. Another triumph of dynamic writing and cutting-edge art- both of which are lightyears ahead of their time

     Worth Consuming

    Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Archie #1 (2015)

Archie #1 came out with over 20 variant covers.
This is the cover to issue #1U, art by T-Rex.

    

 74 years after his debut in issue #22 of Pep Comics, the powers that be decided to reboot Archie Andrews and his gang. Tackling that momentous task are Mark Waid (writer) and Fiona Staples (art.) Now Archie is a character that's going through many incarnations- Little Archie, a caveman, a rocker, a zombie, and countless other roles. But at the heart of each story, the Riverdale gang was wholesome and innocent.

   Archie couldn't decide between Betty or Veronica. Jughead was lazy and addicted to food. Reggie was also trying to one up Arch and Moose and Midge were the perfect couple. That was the Archie gang in it's very essence; whether they were living in colonial times or performing a parody of MASH (as the Archie Players.)

    It's not like Archie didn't adapt with the times either. Moose wasn't stupid, turns out he was dyslexic. Archie entered a bi-racial relationship with Valerie from Josie and the Pussycats. Even a gay character moved into town in the form of Kevin Keller.

   So why did Archie have to be completely remade? Don't get me wrong, I love Mark Waid. If you've read my blog much, you'll know how much I am a fan of his recent work on Daredevil. Waid is a great writer and when I met him a few years back, at a mass signing he was only 1 of 2 who actually talked to the fans and not just grunted 'hey' before passing the book to the next guy to sign.

   In Archie #1 Archie and Betty have just broken up but neither is sure if that was the right thing to do or not. Complicating matters is that Betty decides to go to a school dance with another guy as Archie keeps avoiding her. But thankfully, the day is saved when Archie fills in for the lead guitarist who is a no-show. However, things are not all hunky dory as at the very end of the book, Arch walks past a giant billboard proclaiming that Lodge Industries are moving into town.

    That's right folks, Veronica doesn't even appear in this book. Along with that, Jughead is more of a slacker than ever before as he doesn't even have food as a motivator for him to do anything and Reggie is virtually a non-entity.

From what I can tell about the future of this book is that when the Lodge's move to Riverdale, the love triangle between Archie/ Betty/ and Veronica will begin and I am assuming so will the Archie/ Veronica/ Reggie one as well. Why did we have to reboot Archie for that? Presumably, Mr. Lodge's company moving to town will impact someone, probably Mr. Andrews, into losing their job and Veronica's dad will probably be more cunning in trying to remove Archie from the picture altogether. But, you don't need a reboot to do that stuff either.

   Making Archie black or gay, or even a woman would be a true reboot. All Mark Waid does is take a beloved childhood icon and make him unrecognizable with new art and designs by Fiona Staples. But again, why do that at all? It was just announced this weekend at Comic-Con that Archie and the Ramones will be teaming up for a special issue. The artwork is to be in the classic Archie Comics style that have thrived for over 40 years.

   This issue also reprints the very first appearance of Archie in that issue of Pep I mentioned earlier. It's supposed to show the reader that times change. Yes- the Archie of 1941 looks very different from the Archie of 1970,96, or 2014. But so did Superman, Batman, and Captain America when they first arrived in the Golden Age of Comics. But with all of these characters, their iconic looks evolved while maintaining a timeless style that any child could point out of a line-up. (Don't believe me- take a picture of Batman from 1938 and a picture of Archie from this issue. The child will instant point out Batman but be clueless as to who this red-headed guy is.)

My point is: the Archie gang of 2015 looks more like kids you would see at the mall- not Pop's Chok'lit Shoppe.

   If this was a book made up of completely new characters, I would be singing it's praises. For a contemporary look at teen life in the New Millennium, it's flawless. But as the next generation's Archie- it lacks depth, nostalgia, and recognizability.

    Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars: Princess Leia #1

   Star Wars has returned to it's original home- Marvel Comics. I've not been able to get my hands on that series but was lucky enough to find this premiere issue of Princess Leia in a grab bag during this year's Free Comic Book Day.

   Leia takes place immediately after the credits to Episode IV begin to roll. The celebration for the destruction of the Death Star is short lived as the Empire now knows where the Rebels' hidden base is located. As Luke, Han, Threepio, and the rest of the Rebellion begin to pack up and move out, Leia is left to grieve for her beloved Alderaan. But the fiery Princess wants action and demands the right to serve her cause.

    However, with the Empire just issuing a 10 milloin credits bounty on her head, General Dodonna refuses to let the last living member of the ruling House of Organa off planet without an assault garrison, much less out of his sight. As rumors swirl that the Empire is capturing and murdering Alderaanian survivors in retaliation to the Princess' involvement with the destruction on the Death Star, Leia is determined to gather up as many refugees as possible before it is too late.

    This series looks to explore Leia's pivotal role in the Rebellion post Battle of Yavin. Along with R2-D2 and a House of Organa hand maiden turned X-wing pilot, this looks to be an exciting series that will take Princess Leia to the furthest reaches of the Star Wars universe.

   Next stop: Naboo!- home of Leia's birth mother Padme Amidala.

   I really enjoyed this opening chapter. The art by the great Terry Dodson (who was an artist on some of Dark Horse Publishing's Star Wars titles) is stunning. Dodson does a fantastic job with his photo-realistic renderings of not only the iconic characters but the vehicles as well. Directing Dodson into which corners of the Star Wars galaxy to explore is one of my favorite writers- Mark (Daredevil) Waid! He answers some lingering questions about the Battle of Yavin, such as 'Was Admiral Ackbar there?' Short answer- Yep, he was!

   I hope to get my hands on the rest of this storyline if not the entire series. I was thrilled to see that Marvel was getting it's hands back on Star Wars and with this first taste, I'm hungry for more.

   As Lord Vader would say "Impressive...Most Impressive."

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Daredevil, Volume 1: Devil At Bay (2014 Marvel NOW!)

   Daredevil is back with an all-new series, an all-new city, and an all-new law partner. After being disbarred in New York, Matt Murdock must move back to San Francisco if he has any hope of getting to practice law again. Though Murdock has lived in the city by the bay before, he's having a tough time adjusting to the landscape. If only San Francisco had more skyscrapers...

    Sadly, Foggy Nelson couldn't make the trip West. But it wasn't because of the cancer he battled in the previous volume. Always wanting to be the hero, Nelson finally got the chance to save the day but it cost him his life. Or did it? This is a comic book of course.

   Though Daredevil has gone through quite a few changes, one thing that stayed the same is the creative force of Mark Waid and Chris Samnee. Waid continues to write the adventures of the 'Man Without Fear' with heart, humor, and hubris. Samnee still has the pop art style that I'm a huge fan of and it's lovingly embellished once again by the great Javier Rodriguez.

   There's also a flashback story set during Murdock's move to California. It's also written by Waid and it's not a bad tale. However, the art is not by Chris Samnee and there's just something missing in the formula. It's probably why it's my least favorite offering in this volume. Otherwise, this is a near-flawless collection of new Daredevil comics.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Amazing Spider-Man: Family Business

   This original graphic novel pits Peter Parker with two of his oldest foes- the Kingpin and Parker's family history. When commandos ransack his apartment, Peter finds himself on the run only to be saved by a mysterious secret agent claiming to be his long-lost sister. Now Peter and possibly sister Teresa Parker go on a globe-trotting adventure in search for the truth about 'Sis' and hopefully uncover why Kingpin is after him.
    The opening act of this graphic novel was weak. Some of it was disjointed and most of the pages were just a whirlwind of action that was short on plot. Once Peter and Teresa finally make it to a safe house, the story slows down enough to explain why this CIA operative thinks she's Peter's sister. The intermission also sheds light on why the Kingpin and the CIA are both on the hunt for Parker.
    Spinning out of the pages of 1960s 'Tales to Astonish' and issues 100-104 of 'Captain America', the second act reveals that Peter's parents (secret agents themselves) assisted the good Captain to defeat one of the Red Skull's Sleepers. Mr. Parker used his DNA and a facial recognition program to bind the colossus into  a sleep mode. Should  Richard Parker look-alike Peter gaze into and touch the safety lock, he could unleash this sleeper on an unsuspecting Cairo. So, the CIA wants to bury the Sleeper under 50 worth of rock while Kingpin wants the Nazi robot to help him conquer the world.
     I really enjoyed the second act as well as the killer ending and intriguing epilogue. I'm hoping there's more to this story to come soon! With exotic locales, suave tuxedos, and more secret gadgets than a weekend of James Bond movies, this was an exciting Spider-Man story with a fresh take on America's favorite wall-crawler. However, you might feel like you've haven't received your Spider-Man quotient as Peter appears and battles more without his costume and mask than possibly any other Spidey story ever written.
     With fantastic art and a great script by Mark Waid (that guy has been popping up on my blog a lot lately), Marvel continues to amaze with its original graphic novel series.

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
 
 

JLA #60

 

  This adorable Christmas themed issue of JLA borrows a few pages from Princess Bride when Plastic Man tries to get his unruly nephew to go to sleep on Christmas Eve. The hero tells the story of how Santa Claus joined the League. It's clearly a rouse to get the tyke to sleep, but it makes for a comedy of errors. Of course, you know the real Santa is going to pop up by stories end.

   The story in general was written by Mark Waid, who've I've lately become a fan of thanks to his recent work on Daredevil. I'm also trying to collect the entire run of JLA. So it's very good to know that I'm going to have more great Mark Waid stories to look forward to when I get my run complete and ready to read it. The art is a little inconsistent but with the story teller being very fluid with the true, I think it works. Plastic Man goes back and forth on his tale and the varying artistic styles might be deliberate to reflect that aspect. Plus, with a character like Plas who can assume any shape, there will be times that the narrator or his characters will morph like he does.
 
 Individually, these story devices might not seem to work very well on their own. But when you put it all together, every aspect of this story worked together to form a great tale. I loved it.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Daredevil, Volume 3

Well, it took a good while and I did it in the most convoluted way possible but I completed Waid, Samnee, and Rodriguez’ first run on Daredevil. I would say before reading this series, Daredevil was just alright with me. I loved the Ben Affleck Daredevil! (hey, calm down! Two Words: Jennifer Garner!) But I wasn’t a fan.

Then BOOM! This series hit me like a ton of bricks! I’m hooked on wanting to read more about the adventures of Matt Murdock: Daredevil!

Waid’s writing is darn near flawless. But I would have to say it was Samnee and Rodriguez way of showing how Daredevil saw the world with his 4 remaining senses and his radar-sense. The use of onomatopoeia to fill in the lines of birds, trees, people, etc… was brilliant! And the use of color and shading, I felt like I really was looking through the eyes of Daredevil.

In this volume, Daredevil still has the hard drive that’s made every terrorist organization from Hydra to AIM froth at the mouth. Now with Spider-man and the Punisher on his side, the Man Without Fear makes a final play to show the underworld whose really in charge. Then Daredevil is kidnapped to Latveria where he must deal with the most brutal torture of all; the loss of all of his senses!

A fantastic volume with some of the best variant covers EVER!

Worth Consuming

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Daredevil: Volume 5 (2011-2014)

Volume 5 sees a return to the standard of excellence I’ve expected from Mark Waid and Chris Samnee. I think my biggest problem with volume 4 was that Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson work better when they are a team and have each other’s back. When there’s a hint of doubt in the trust between the two of them, it really ruins the character of this series. I don’t expect things to always be peaches and cream with them but seeing them at ends, refusing to talk to one another, and basically enemies is like the Lone Ranger pursuing Tonto for murder. It just doesn’t work.

   It’s a good thing that Matt and Foggy have reunited because Foggy has just been handed the news that he’s got a very rare and dangerous cancer. While trying to be his law partner’s main line of support, Matt discovers a plot to destroy him and everyone around him systematically. The ploy of the Coyote in Volume 4 comes full circle, when Daredevil learns of a program designed to create virtual ‘clones’ of him by reenacting the accident that blinded him as a child on kidnapped homeless men.

  This issue had excitement, action, and most of all, heart. The art continues to be a highlight of this series as well. I wasn’t much of a Daredevil fan, by the run I’ve had on this series has turned me into one. Not only in this volume required reading for comic book aficionados but so is the entire 2011-2014 Waid/ Samnee run as well.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Daredevil: volume 4 (2011-2014)

   What a stroke of luck! My library had 2 more volumes of the fantastic Mark Waid and Chris Samnee run of Daredevil! That’s awesome. Add to that the fact that one of my all-time favorite artists, Michael Allred does an issue as an added bonus! SCORE!

  In this volume, Daredevil may be going insane. But is it all because of the guilt and trauma he’s racked up over the years fighting the Kingpin, Bullseye, and having just about everyone he loves die tragically in front of him? Or is it because he’s accidentally switched brains with Hank (Antman) Pym? Waid will keep you guessing in this multi-issue mystery fraught with chills and thrills. Just who did put Matt’s father’s remains in his desk while he was fighting Doctor Doom in Latveria?

While the mystery part of the story was fantastic and I loved every minute of it. I wasn’t so happy with this volume’s conclusion. Keep in mind, that I’ve already read the last 2 volumes in the series prior to getting my hands of a couple of the middle meaty parts of this Daredevil sandwich. So, when I say that the storyline involving the antagonist is never revealed. I’m not talking about in this volume. I do realize as I type this that I still have volume 5 to read, so maybe that will come to pass. Regardless, there was something missing to the dynamic formula of Waid + Samnee = Genius. I’m not sure if it was the humor that was off or that there just wasn’t enough of Matt Murdock as a defense attorney in this volume or what. But there was something that was the other volumes before and after that I read that was missing from volume 4.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Daredevil (2011-2014), volume 7

Mark Waid’s first epic run on Daredevil is coming to a close. But before the final curtain, Daredevil has to bring down the Society of Serpents. Having discovered that there is something more sinister behind the hate group than just your average case of racism and bigotry, the Man without fear must team up with the Legion of Monsters!

Once again, the storytelling is top notch. Waid has done it again. The same must be said about the fantastic collaborations of art by Samnee, Copeland, and Rodriguez. They’re style is very clean and a wonderful color palette; which says volumes for a comic that was known to have only used the colors red, gray, black and raven blue.

The ending is kinda a shock and kinda not. I like where I think Mark Waid is going with this but I will have to wait until I can get my hands on the next series. There’s been some confusion as to whether this series is considered Marvel NOW! or not. I would have to say not. Yes, some of this series ran as Marvel was retooling its line and this volume (as is the previous volume) published in the style of the Marvel NOW! books.

    Honestly, I don’t understand why Marvel felt they needed to cancel this series and ‘start over.’ The series, despite the big change coming by the volume’s final issue, does not warrant yet another rechristening. Obviously, Marvel has it in their head that first issues sell comics, whereas issue #37 (the next issue if this series were to be allowed to have continued as is) would just wind up in a dollar bin. Before you know it, every issue is going to be numbered 1 and confusion with drive away potential readers collectors.

Well, until that happens, Make Mine Marvel NOW! (But please don’t let this prediction come to pass!)

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.