Avengers #239 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

This comic book came out with a cover date of January, 1984. I was 5 years of age. To say that by the time I was 5 that this comic book was my introduction to David Letterman would be a good guess. But you would be wrong.

My parents were on the young side when they had my in 1977. By 1983, neither were the age of 30 yet

 My mom, a nurse, worked nights. My dad was in college. They were night owls. They were hip-ish. To say that the exploits of David Letterman, his musical sidekick Paul Shaffer and the rest of the Late Night crew was already a nearly nightly session at my home would be an accurate description. The infamous interview between Jerry Lawler and Andy Kaufman in a cervical collar, was an early childhood memory for me. A traumatizing one. But one that I remember fondly. That's for sure.

This is one of those issues that I owned in my original childhood collection. The one that I foolishly allowed to be stolen when I was in middle school. I don't remember where I bought it. Heck, my dad might have bought it and then it ended up in my collection. But I could guess 3 possible locations that it was bought at: the Grocery Boy Jr., 7/11 or Tales Resold. All from the Raleigh Brentwood area. 

The story is a classic. Wonder Man's movie career has stalled. To help jump start it, Simon's agent gets him booked to Late Night With David Letterman. Unfortunately, since Wonder Man is currently on reserve status with Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the show's producers are wanting some more well known Avengers to tag along as well. With heavy hitters Captain America and Thor away on personal missions, Hawkeye and the Vision call in as many favors as they can to support Simon's big break. 

Along with Hawkeye, the Beast, Black Widow and Black Panther are all able to make. (I just realized that it appears that Clint Barton and Vision only made it to the letter B of the Avengers roll call!) Also in attendance is Fabian Stankowicz, a recent lottery winner who's been creating ways to attack the Avengers in order to make a name for himself. Using his knowledge of mechanics, Stankowicz turns Letterman's studio into an arena of death! 

This story also features the SHIELD super heroine Mockingbird. Fresh from their honeymoon, Hawkeye introduced her to his teammates and it's a good thing too because Stankowicz hadn't planned on Mockingbird being in attendance and she pretty much is the catalyst that saves the day! Though Letterman and Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band lend hands as well. 

This issue was part of Marvel's notorious 1984 Assistant Editor's Month event.  In 1983, Shooter and his editors went to the West Coast for Comic-Con and left the junior editors to take over the reigns for a month. As a result, some of the most off-the-wall stories and ideas were brandied about, such as the canon story where Aunt May temporarily becomes a herald of Galactus! I've got a few of these issues. I'd love for Marvel to reprint all of those issues as an omnibus. Though with GI Joe, Conan the Barbarian and other titles not being licensed by Marvel anymore, such a collection might be impossible. Perhaps I will add them to my already rather large wish list...

A fantastic issue that I am more than excited to have back in my collection!

Script by Roger Stern. Art and cover by Al Milgrom and Joe Sinnott. Michael Carlin is the editor to blame for this story!

Completing this review completes Task #9 (An Avengers Comic from the 1980s) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #1

The second miniseries to star Vision and the Scarlet Witch begins with quite a few changes. What do you expect? 3 years have elapsed since then. Here's a small rundown of important things that have some impact of the current plot:

• The American Government has decreed that there are too many Avengers. The team has been trimmed down to 7 members with Hawkeye and Iron Man going to California to start the West Coast Avengers. 
• Since revealing that he is the father of the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, Magneto has pledged to repent of his past sins against humanity and is currently on trial for his past crimes as the leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants.
• Ultron, acting through a super-computer, turned Vision temporarily evil. Just inches away from taking over the world, the Avenger reclaimed his synthetic humanity and is awaiting being cleared of any dark influences on him...

Issue #1 opens with Wanda and Vision quitting the Avengers due to how Vision has been held by the government without due process. But the heroes' freedom is short-lived when the biological brother of Simon Williams, the Grim Reaper, sends an army of zombies to capture Vision and Scarlet Witch. Meanwhile on the West Coast, Ultron has tracked down Wonder Woman and kidnapped him, leading Hawkeye and his team on a search for their missing comrade.

One of my greatest pet peeves about comic books takes place at the closure of this issue. It ended on a cliffhanger. But instead of being resolved by reading issue #2 of this mini, you have to read issue #2 of West Coast Avengers. Normally, I would have held off on reading any further. But I really want to get to a certain issue of this series before Turkey Day. As I've been waiting almost all year to read these books, I said 'screw it' and went on ahead to the next issue. 

If you are someone who has to have all the correlating issues in your possession before reading the whole story, take note. Otherwise, trust that the team of Steve Englehart and Richard Powell will keep readers abreast of what was missed out if you decide like me to forgo reading West Coast Avengers #2 first.

Worth Consuming! -but losing points for the cliffhanger pet peeve.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

What If? Dark Avengers

I really think What If?, the alternate reality series from Marvel Comics, works better the more you're familiar with the subject content. There are 6 issues reprinted in this collection. Of those 6, the stories I liked the most was a switcheroo in which Tony Stark becomes the roommate of the dreaded Victor Von Doom instead of Reed Richards and a bloody romp in which Deadpool becomes the host of the symbiote Venom. Stories involving Spider-Man succumbing to some weird spider curse and Norman Osborn's reign of terror that comes about with the leader of SWORD conquering Asgard were my least favorite stories because I haven't read Grim Hunt or Reign. (Okay- who am I kidding, the Spider-Man: Grim Hunt one-shot was hot garbage.)

The remaining 2 stories were fair reads. Mostly because I am quite familiar with the characters and have a passing knowledge of the original stories. Wolverine: Father explores what would happen if Logan raised his illegitimate son Daken. This wasn't a story based on an established story. Instead, this truly was a What If? story that explores the conflict of nature vs. nurture. Tale #6 has Hawkeye succeeding in killing Norman Osborn preventing the madman from taking over the super-spy agency SHIELD and preventing the Dark Reign of super heroes from happening. This story was a thrilling manhunt as the superheroing world has to undo the damage Clint Barton caused and that means having to take down one of their own!

I want to own all of the What If? stories. But cost is something that is keeping me from owning some of those stories as individual first run issues. Thank goodness for collections such as these. That Deadpool/Venom issue is not cheap. I think the most affordable copies I have seen are being listed for $200 each. I got this traced paperback used for less than $10. I'll take affordability over authenticity any day!

This volume reprints what is considered the 200th overall What If issue printed over the Marvel properties vast print runs since it first debuted in 1977. That anniversary issue has a bunch of cool extras like a story that ponders what if the Watcher killed Galactus?, a reprint of a Daredevil story from the first series and overview of all 200 issues published from 1977-2011 (when this collection was first print). That database was actually a big help with some missing gaps in my collection.

I would assume that the quality of 5 of the 6 stories was really good. I just wasn't familiar with everything in order to get the most enjoyment of this read. That's okay. I saved a ton of cash on that Deadpool story. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #161

Take a look at this image. The female on the cover is a superhero named Turbo. That has got to be the most ridiculous headgear I have seen this side of Hela. And what is up with the laser disc sized braclets? Seems quite unwieldy. 

Now the story in which Turbo stars is one that I am taking great delight in. I like the time travelling slant. I'm totally digging the inclusion of Slapstick. Plus I like the gender-bending twist with Turbo as a pair of college students trade off wearing the costume. One week it's Ms. Mickey Musashi. The next week, it's Mr. Michael Jefferies wearing the suit. As you can tell from the cover, it's Mickey's week to play superhero. 

The latest Vengeance story continues to creep me out. There's the demonic little girl who goes around asking for help finding her missing playmate. Adults take interest, thinking 'why is such a youngster walking around Manhattan all by her lonesome?' In the end, they find Playmate, which happens to be this gruesomely hungry green blob. Through osmosis or some other devilry, the little girl gets stronger and as a result, the Spirit of Vengeance gets more terrified of the evil that is growing. It's kinda like how the Hulk refused to Hulk out after being b-slapped by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity Wars.

The Hawkeye story comes to an end. Pretty lackluster if you ask me. The Mace story begins with a death and dips into a birth with the origin of the cloned ninja master revealed. It too was pretty lackluster as the origin story sounds like so many other 90s cloning tales.

Overall, this wasn't a bad read. Just after 2 very strong segments with the New Warriors/Slapstick and Vengeance, the Hawkeye and Mace chapters were rather cliched. 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #160

Where to start with this issue?

The cover feature is a cloned ninja assassin who goes by the moniker of Mace. He's the product of a secret society to be it's ultimate killing machine. With DNA from some of the Japanese based Sunrise Society, Mace is nearly unstoppable. But Dr. Ito, Mace's creator, has developed a fatherly bond with the assassin and hopes to help Mace escape the warrior sect he was designed to serve. 

This issue is technically Mace's first appearance. Maybe a week prior, the character debuted in a Symbiote heavy miniseries titled Venom: Mace. Though the 3-parter came out first, this story occurs chronologically first. The premise is interesting but with elements from TMNT, Species, Remo Williams, and countless other 90s action franchises, I feel that the originality factor is servely lacking.

Vengeance returns in another multi-parter that chills me to my core. The antagonist is a scary-ass witch-child called Diabolique. The little blonde haired demon has a special friend named Playmate. Playmate is a real killer. But it's Diabolique who gives not just me, but Michael Badilino nightmares. So much to the point, Vengeance is refusing to come forth to smite this duo of evil.

The Hawkeye segment opens in a way that reminds me of a scene from the first Lord of the Rings film. There's a scene where the dwarf Gimli is terrified of being in the forest realm of elves. At one point, an elf sneaks up on Gimli and tells him that he's so loud that the elf could've killed him in the dark. Well, that's basically how this segment starts when U.S. Agent thinks he's got the advantage on Hawkeye. But the archer is the one in the catbird seat. 

I still don't have a clue as to why Hawkeye is playing the fugitive here. But I love this cloak and dagger type story. It's clever and kinda mysterious.

Our last segment continues with the New Warriors and their very special guest star, Slapstick. The young heroes are visiting the American Museum of Natural History when a time-traveling villain named Dr. Yesterday runs amok. History is literally repeating itself as the exhibits come alive. But unlike A Night at the Museum, when these exhibits become animated, it's because Dr. Yesterday has figured out a way for the past to come alive; not because a wax dummy of Teddy Roosevelt came to life. It's a tool many a history teacher probably wishes they could utilize and with the inclusion of the Living Cartoon, Slapstick, this has been a fantastic story thus far.

Scary. Thrilling. Funny. And maybe a bit cliched. But this was another solid issue of MCP.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #159

As the Vengeance story comes to a close, 3 new segments appear in this book. Two are the beginning of multi-parters. One is a one-and-done short story.

The Vengeance story is on fire- literally! As great as the female Spirit of Vengeance known as Phantome is; this 4-parter is her only appearances in the MCU. Why hasn't she returned? This is a matter CB Cebluski needs to fix right away! Bring Phantome back and I'll start buying new issues of Ghost Rider monthly!

The Hawkeye story is actually more of a U.S. Agent and Force Works story. Hawkeye has gone rogue for some reason. Force Works has the chance to bring him in but they refuse. That is except for U.S. Agent who goes all half-cocked and decides to find the Avenger/Thunderbolt/former circus performer on his own.

The New Warriors story actually has New Warriors in it this time. First of all, I hadn't realized that the Namorita/Kymaera story had ended last issue. Oops. But it appears that having the whole team around makes for a much better story. Plus, Slapstick the living cartoon is involved! This looks to be a fun one!

The single issue story stars one of my personal favs- Nick Fury. Again, I don't understand why Wolverine gets over 100 issues of appearances and Fury only gets an occasional one-shot here and there. But it seems that the head of SHIELD can do about a dozen issues worth of action and adventure in just 8 short pages. Kudos to writer Glenn Greenberg (Star Trek: Untold Voyages) for making me feel like I experienced a blockbuster spy thriller with one of my absolute favorite characters!

An all-around fun issue. Full of action but nothing too preachy or sentimental for once. Plus, NO WOLVERINE!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Avengers Spotlight #29

The 'Acts of Vengeance' have come to a close. In the aftermath, Hawkeye is tasked to rescue the madcap anti-hero Madcap from a group of thugs seeking payback with Daredevil. Meanwhile, back at the Vault, as the prisoners start piling in, Iron Man completes the training of the security force with some new Stark powered armor and tech.

It's interesting seeing Madcap before he became a thorn in the side of Deadpool. Compared to how the character is now, this 30 year old plus version is way less powerful and nowhere near as nutty.

I loved how the story about the Vault takes the Acts of Vengeance full circle. Dwayne McDuffie started that huge story line in the humble pages of this Avengers spin-off. And the first issue was almost 100% contained within the walls of this super villain prison. And I loved how the story closed. True, the ending was very similar to stories of police violence that we're seeing way too much these days. But I think only McDuffie could pull it off. 

Dwayne McDuffie was a black man and so his views on how the police operate is a completely different view from mine. The ending to this story is one that we the reader roots for as it's a good guy getting revenge on a baddie. But, when you think more about this, you realize that a prison guard getting their own personal form of justice and blaming the injury of the prisoner of being clumsy, is still an action of injustice. No matter how much the villain might deserve what he's got coming to him. 

A great issue with a poignant layer hidden deep under the superheroing and zany antics.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars. 

Avengers Spotlight #28

Hawkeye and Mockingbird travel to Denver to investigate reports of the both of them committing a series of robberies in the Mile High City. Meanwhile, the Mad Thinker must take action to prevent the passing of the Superhero Registration Act, lest the new law spoil plans that the fiend has been putting into place for years. 

That mysterious guy in the trench coat I mentioned during my review of issue #26 pops back up in the Mad Thinker story. Based on clues laid in the Mad Thinker's dialogue with him, I think I've got this mystery man's identity figured out. Upon a later Wiki search, I discovered I was right!

What I've been reading so far, a minuscule amount of course, I've really enjoyed. So much that I'd really like to read the entire Acts of Vengeance story line. There are 4 MASSIVE omnibuses out there. But they're all out of print. And they aren't cheap. There's also some smaller collections. I'm just not sure if the extra time to find the non-collected stuff is worth the money saved. 

At least I've got one more AoV themed book to read. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Avengers Spotlight #27

Hawkeye is treated for an infection after being bitten by a villain in a previous story that occurred before the Acts of Vengeance. After just one dose of antibiotics, the Avenging Archer is ready to take on yet another baddie. Like that! Really?

I tell you what, Clint Barton must be made of tougher stuff than I. If I'm so ill that I need antibiotics, it will be 24-48 hours before you can expect my butt back at work. So forgive me if out of 45 years of being an avid reader of comics, this is the plot point that I am just unable to suspend my disbelief! 

Meanwhile, Stingray, Moondragon, Black Widow and several other Avengers reservists are clearing the rubble of the recently destroyed Avengers headquarters when they are attacked by the Awesome Android.

Howard Mackie joins Dwayne McDuffie on writing duties here. If this was a contest, McDuffie would be the winning section writer by a mile. Mackie's story isn't terrible. I just disagree with how able Hawkeye is to take on a super villain and rescue countless others from a burning building after being diagnosed with a bladder infection. Which, I must ask, just where did Hawkeye get bit on his body to end up with a bladder infection? 

Oh well, they can't all be Dwayne McDuffie, I guess. 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Avengers Spotlight #26 (2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Acts of Vengeance; Marvel's massive crossover that occurred in books dated December 1989-February 1990 begins here! 

These first two chapters (this issue is broken into 2 parts) of the beginning of Acts of Vengeance were crafted by the great Dwayne McDuffie (DC's Milestone imprint, Marvel's Damage Control). Acts of Vengeance itself was a company-wide crossover that focused on the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. The previous 3 summer crossovers were mutant heavy and Marvel's editors felt it was time for a shift in focus in order to not get stale. 

Along with this issue, the following 3 editions of Avengers Spotlight highlighted the Acts of Vengeance story line. Each issue was broken into 2 parts with Howard Mackie (Ghost Rider) spinning his tales around featured character Hawkeye and his lady fair, Mockingbird. McDuffie would feature other Avengers members, usually ones who didn't have their own series or would be considered B or C list material.

In the super-villain maximum security prison, The Vault, new procedures and protocols have been enacted as the result of Tony Stark's 'Armor Wars'. No longer equipped with Stark Tech, the guards at The Vault are armed with far less superior Stane machinery. As a result, new inmate The Wizard is able to overload the armor of the chief of security and initiate a full inmate escape! (Though to be honest, the mysterious guy in a trench coat might have also helped with the outbreak...)

Avengers Spotlight wasn't the only entry Dwayne McDuffie made to the Acts of Vengeance story line. Because of the widespread destruction that occurs in the Big Apple, McDuffie utilized the resources of the superpower disaster repair company Damage Control. Created by McDuffie in 1988, Damage Control was a tongue-in-cheek miniseries that continues to operate in the Marvel Universe to this day. The Acts of Vengeance 4-issue mini was the second volume of Damage Control.

Dwayne McDuffie is considered a pioneer to other black writers and creators in the comics field today. Though others came before him, McDuffie opened a ton of doors due to his amazing career. Shortly after Acts of Vengeance, McDuffie along with several other comic creators of color established Milestone Media to create a line of books that features a more honest representation of minorities in the comic book industry. 

During this time, Mcduffie created fan favorite Static, a black teen who gains electric based powers after being accidentally doused in chemicals during a gang war battle the youth was caught in the crossfire of.  After Milestone folded, McDuffie brought the character back with his own Cartoon Network series Static Shock! Static would even have crossovers with members of the Justice League in both the Static Shock series and Justice League Unlimited. Though not the first cartoon to star an African American, the show, which ran for 4 seasons, has been cited as an influence for other minority focused animated series like Boondocks and The Proud Family.

The legacy of Static and others lives on as in the past couple of years, DC has revitalized the Milestone universe with several new series, albeit slightly rebooted for a 2020's audience. Sadly, Dwayne McDuffie did not get to experience this new found revival of his Milestone. McDuffie passed away due to complications from emergency heart surgery in February, 2011. He was 49 years old.

Completing this review completes Task #9 (From an African American author/artist) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge. 

Marvel Comics Presents #83

Fire seems to be the theme in this issue. 

First off, you've got the cover in which the Weapon X project attempts to destroy Weapon X with a napalm-like chemical. Jump to chapter 11 of the Weapon X origin story and it appears that Logan's ashes can regenerate just as well as a bloodied corpse could.

Then chapter 2 of the Firestar story continues with Angelica Jones risking her personal freedom to save the life of her dad.

There's an 8-pager starring Johnny Storm. His opponent is an all new character called Moth who has the ability to absorb flame. Let's just say that the story was explosive with a somewhat sad ending...

Only the one-and-done starring Hawkeye is the only story in this issue that appears to be fireproof. So, yeah with 3 out of 4 stories utilizing fire, I would have to say that this is indeed a fire themed issue of Marvel Comics Presents and the results for this whole issue was en fuego!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Avengers: Endgame

Endgame is in my opinion, the second most anticipated film of 2019. With nearly 40 years of wait for the ninth Star Wars film, I think 'Rise of Skywalker' beats the Avengers if only for the length of wait time. All that being said, with the number of people wanting to see this film and how 10 years and 21 Marvel movies comes to a close; I'm going to have to do my review a lot differently. 

ABSOLUTELY NO SPOILERS!

If you have been following the speculation behind Endgame, some fans hit the plot right on the head. While this is the story of how the Avengers fight back against Thanos and seek a way to reverse the universal-wide mass murder; above all Endgame is a 3-hour thank you to the millions of fans. 

There are literal tons of Easter eggs in this movie. While not every character that ever appeared in a Marvel film is in this movie, there's quite a few cameos. I'm not going to list who's who. Instead, let's focus on the Jar Jar Binks of the Marvel Universe: Carol Danvers.

Brie Larson's portrayal of Captain Marvel and the very silly way usually gruff Nick Fury comes across was a big put off for some fans. Well, if you are not wanting to see Endgame because you think it's going to be a giant love fest to the modern feminist icon, you can sleep well at night. Danvers is barely in this movie. She's so underused here that it's a bit of a head-scratcher as to why invite her to the party at all.

If you are a fan of the original 6- Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hawkeye, Black Widow and the Hulk, then this is the film you've been waiting for. They all play a major role here. Plus you've got the added elements of Ant-Man, Rocket, Nebula and War Monger and this makes for the ultimate superhero flick!

Endgame is 3 hours long. And yet not a single minute was wasted. The first 2/3 of the film is filled with exciting twists and turns. And then you've got that third and final act. Wow. Just, wow. And the finale for one of my all-time favorite characters- it was perfect!

This feels like a vague review. But with almost a billion dollars in ticket sales and more to follow, I don't want to risk any sort of plot slip. This was the perfect Marvel film. So perfect that I am going to give Endgame a rating that I hardly ever give-

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 11 out of 10 stars!

Hawkeye Vs. Deadpool

It's Halloween and Hawkeye isn't giving out the king sized Snickers this year.
Even worse, a desperate man shows up at his door in need of help from an
Avenger. Unfortunately, Clint Barton thinks the guy is a whack job and slams
the door in his face.

Shortly thereafter, the desperate man runs into Deadpool who's trick-or-treating

with his daughter Ellie. During that confrontation, the guy slips a data stick into

Wade's bucket right before being grisly murdered by The Punisher!?

Upon learning that the zip drive has the key to unlocking information of all

clandestined SHIELD agents, Deadpool and Hawkeye and Hawkeye team up

to find out who killed the whistleblower. Along the way they hope to recover the

stolen data. But making things difficult is the addition of Felicia Hardy, the Black

Cat and her legion of brain controlled minions dressed as superherooes. They

want the data too!

Hawkeye Vs Deadpool was another hilarious romp by Gerry Duggan. Along with

being extremely funny, it was a great cat and mouse story in the vein of 1960s era

spy movies. The addition of a second zip drive was a little bit confusing. But it was necessary for the development of the plot.

One thing I wish was that I had known if it was a Halloween set story. I would

have read this in October instead of just now. I love the very meta moment in

which the Kate Bishop Hawkeye dresses as Hawkeye from M*A*S*H*. It took

me a couple of minutes to catch on but when I got it, I was in awe of the brilliance.

When I need a pick me up, Deadpool is a good source of enjoyment and cheer.

Deadpool and the Hawkeye's make a great team up. However there was one

nagging nit that annoyed me end.

In this story, Clint Barton is deaf due to a previous encounter. He says from just

about the very beginning that he can only read lips. Yet there are countless panels

in which he is seen conversing with other characters but he's not looking at their

faces!!! If you are going to constantly remind the reader that Hawkeye can't hear

what Deadpool is saying when he wears his mask then you can't pick and

choose what Hawkeye hears! Consistency, people!

A funny read full of action and espionage. But it's got a major plot hole running

throughout. I'm a little disappointed in you Gerry Duggan. I know you are the

writer but you have a keen eye on detail. How did you miss the Hawkeye lip

reading goofs in Matteo Lolli and Jacopo Camagni's art? If all three of you would

like to try to get it right a second time in a sequel, I'll allow it. I'm sure the rest of

the Deadpool and Hawkeye legions of fans would eagerly agree.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Avengers/Thunderbolts, Vol. 2: Best Intentions

I go from the very first Thunderbolts story to one of their last. 

Baron Zemo has reformed the Thunderbolts and is on a mission to rid the world of nukes and other abnormal energy sources that he fears will result in the ultimate destruction of mankind. Of course, Captain America and the Avengers do not trust the goosestepping hero. For Capt., it's once a Nazi, always a Nazi. But for Hawkeye, one-time leader of the Thunderbolts and a former baddie himself, he sees a opportunity for good in his former teammates. 

Hence one of the most action-packed and thrilling stories I have ever read, whilst doubling as an almost to-dull-for-words morality play. There's just so much poetic waxing about human goodness with an unclear debate over nature vs. nurture and self-reform in this book. It's the type of Marvel story that could have only been thanks to the influence of Stan Lee. Too bad, The Man didn't write it...

While I was pleased with the story by Thunderbolts creator Kurt Busiek*, I thought the art was kinda weird. Baron Zemo looks like he's wearing Uggs. Anybody not wearing a mask appears to be turning into a Klingon with odd looking winkles on their head. And what's with everyone looking puffy in this book? It's like George Perez did the art and then all of the characters put on about 20lbs of water weight. Who is to blame on this- Barry Kitson or Tom Grummett?

Another thing I took issue with was the character design for a character known as Blackheath, AKA Plant Man. This character is tapped into the Earth's mystical growing powers known as THE GREEN (I thought that was Swamp Thing's thing). Formerly a costumed villain, Blackheath is now comprised of organic plant-based material. With an afro made of a shrub and fu-manchu moss, there's no other way around it- Marvel stole Jason Woodrue, the Floronic Man, and made him a Thunderbolt! How did that one escape DC's law department?

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I'm very intrigued to not only collect the original Thunderbolts series but to learn more of Hawkeye's tenure as team leader. However, I don't think that I need to hold on to this volume in order to feel like one day, my collection will be complete. But this was a good starting place for someone trying to decide if the Thunderbolts is worth pursing. If you've read the very first issue of Thunderbolts, there's a great moment that acts as an Easter egg to the team's first adventure. And you see a decent progression of how many of the characters have evolved,

For me, Avengers/Thunderbolts Volume 2 is Worth Consuming, I just don't feel that it's worth keeping. This one's going to the used book store for trade credit. 

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

*Fabian Nicieza (New Warriors) was also a writer on this book.

Gwenpool Holiday Special #1

    Though the newest member of the Deadpool family is on the cover and this Marvel holiday special's title star, Gwenpool is hardly in this book. Really, the star is She-Hulk, but I guess she's not a big enough draw to shoppers. Thus, the Pink Merc from another Earth is center of attention.
    In this holiday special from last year, the building that She-Hulk's law office resides is about to be sold to some shady developers. It's determined that the landlord has been put under some kind of spell prompting the sale. But if they can keep the owner happy until dawn the next day, when the spell is at it's weakest, then all should be saved and She-Hulk can keep her law firm. So prepare for the wildest superhero party on this side of the Bronx!
    With short-stories starring Deadpool, the Hawkeyes, Ms. Marvel, and even Gwenpool- this special is a highlight of the new generation of stars of Marvel. Hardly any of the original old school Marvel heroes are in this book- Tony Stark and Steve Rogers make brief cameos and yet Howard the Duck and Aunt May have more lines than they do. Plus, characters like Spider-Man, the Hulk, Thor, or the Fantastic Four don't even appear here.
    Even without these titans of the House of Ideas, this was a good issue. It was very funny and I loved that She-Hulk got some major love in this special. But it was also very different. 
     I would look forward to sharing the holidays with my favorite Marvel characters every year. It would be the one time that I'd pay full price for a comic book as opposed to waiting to find it in a bargain bin years later. But quality and care at Marvel has waned over the years. That's why with this book, I waited until I found it for only a dollar during my 2016 FCBD exploits- thus why I'm reading and reviewing this book now...
     Over the years, DC has managed to evolve while still devoting it's focus to it's main body of heroes like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash. But with the influence of (relatively) new owner Disney (compared to how long Warner Bros. has owned DC), Marvel has been forced to shy away from many of their 'unprofitable' properties, as well as those that have been licensed out to other financial rivals of the House of Mouse. 
     Marvel's got another Gwenpool Christmas comic coming out next week. I may get one if I can find it. But because Marvel's owner seems more interested in attracting a new audience than pleasing comic fans who've been around for decades, my hard earn money is devoted to DC's new holiday special which also drops December 14th.
      A fun read that just doesn't feel as familiar as it used too.

   Worth Consuming

    Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Avengers Assemble, Volume 2: Science Bros (Marvel NOW!)

A friendly wager between Tony Stark and Bruce Banner takes the heroes on a global race against time to locate and rescue a missing scientist with Captains Marvel and America playing the role of referees. But this competition is no longer fun and games when the Avengers come face to face with a bio- terrorist whose kinda a big deal. Well, at least in HIS mind…

  Then the Black Widow's past comes back to haunt her when she is summoned by the widow of one of her hits requests that she find her missing daughter. Widow's search joined by Hawkeye and Spider-Woman will lead them to a mysterious sewer lair where the laws of nature have been horribly perverted.

  Quests seem to be the theme of this volume as the final story involves a newly reconstructed Vision who is struggling with his role in a world that passed him by after being disassembled by his ex-wife, the Scarlet Witch. His latest mission is to locate a corporate hero who has recently learned that he's outlived his usefulness to the execs at Roxxon. As the Vision sees how discarded this fellow hero is, it causes the Avenger to reevaluate his own position on a team that he no longer recognizes.

   Avengers Assemble starts off with the humor and fun banter that won me over as an Avengers fan. After some pretty heavy plots involving the end of the universe and numerous betrayals, it’s great to finally get some laughs. It just seemed weird to up and forget these horrors that had yet to come to a definite conclusion. It was also a little confusing but I got over it and enjoyed the stories regardless. I figured they'll get back to those crises eventually.

Well…

  See this book is actually a series I haven't gotten into yet. Since Marvel has this unfortunate habit of canceling titles and renumbering them all under the Marvel NOW! Imprint, I accidentally skipped volume 1. Plus, now Marvel has started to carry over different series into the trades instead of issuing them as separate works making for even more confusion. (For example, All-New Hawkeye #1-6 were collected as Hawkeye Volume 5 instead of ANH Volume 1.) So just what exactly did I read?

Avengers Assemble is a series from 2012 meant to reflect the cinematic version of the team. To be a starting point for new readers is all well and good, but Spider- Woman, Captain Marvel, and the Vision don't even appear in the first Avengers movie. But these characters do play heavily into the plots of the 2014 Avengers series that I thought this book was a continuation of. Geez… no wonder I was confused.

  Still, this wasn't a bad read and I'm more than willing to give volume 1 a go. But come on Marvel- get with it. You're giving my wish list fits with your convoluted numbering!

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Hawkeye, Volume 5: All-New Hawkeye

Jeff Lemire’s run on Hawkeye begins with this volume that explores Clint Barton's origin. As the Hawkeyes execute a mission for SHIELD, the situation which involves a trio of children exploited by Hydra experiments into becoming a weapon, things hit too close to home. As a result, Clint keeps flashing back to his early days in the circus and what led him to first become a villain.

Lemeie's story was epic, set in both the past, present, and maybe even the future. But what really sets this All-New Hawkeye apart from Fraction and Aja’s glorious series is the unique art by Ramon Perez. His art that takes place during the present is gritty and chaotic much like the world today. But when the story goes back in time, the artwork changes to an almost water-colored effect, symbolizing Clint's romanticizing of his childhood  which was anything but bittersweet at best.

  I had my reservations about the new team in charge of the Clint and Katie Hawkeye's and their odd relationship. But this volume has put me at ease! Long live the adventures of the all-new Hawkeye team of Lemire and Perez.

  Worth Consuming.

  Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Hawkeye, Volume 4: Rio Bravo (Marvel NOW!)

    Clint Barton's war with the Track Suit Bros comes to a head with the addition of Clint's brother Barney (AKA Trickshot) and a clown-faced assassin cum real estate lawyer. But the biggest shocker in a story line about things coming to an end is the epic run of writer Matt Fraction and artist David Aja. 

   Together Fraction and Aja reenergized the character of Hawkeye into a grittier more human character instead of a purple costumed buffoon. I hate to see them go. I am quite afraid that without Fraction this series is going to lose its heart. And without Aja, all of the unique art techniques and creative framing will be no more. 

   My wait will not be long. Along with this volume, I was able to get my hands on volume 5. I'm eagerly anticipating Jeff Lemire's run on Hawkeye as I really have enjoyed what he did with Justice League United. But replacing Fraction is with anyone, no matter how talented, is like substituting Jim Morrison for John Lennon. He's great but the Lizard King just wouldn't work as the lead man for the Fab Four. 

  Matt Fraction = unreplaceable!

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

The Pulse #10

 

 Welcome to the House of M. In this alternate timeline of the Marvel Universe, mutants are the dominant species over the human race. They are lead by Magneto and his two children, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. The House of M is due to the fractured psyche of the Scarlet Witch, who went insane upon discovering that the children she mourned over so passionately were figments of her imagination. Unable to cope with this revelation, the mutant viciously attacked her closest friends, the Avengers, killing several and subsequently this resulted in the team's ultimate disbandment.

  In this House of M crossover, one of the victim's of the Scarlet Witch's assault has returned from the dead- Hawkeye. Possessing knowledge that he shouldn't be alive, Clint Barton infiltrates the archives of the Daily Bugle is order to learn more about this new version of reality. His break-in attracts the attention of a Bugle reporter who assists him in his quest for knowledge. But with anti-human Sentinels closing in, will the reporter be able to continue with Hawkeye in his quest of returning the universe back to normal by killing the Scarlet Witch?  

    I had read the House of M many years ago and I loved that alternate reality mutant thriller. Like with just about any Marvel crossover event, there are dozens of tie-in issues and storylines contained in the pages of the publisher's monthly titles.        

   Maybe it's because I erroneously thought that Marvel only tied in the X-titles. (Silly Madman...) Since I've been trying to collect and eventually read this entire series, this is my first real glimpse at the House of M from a non-mutant point of view.

   The Pulse #10 was very interesting. By making humans second class citizens, the tables have been reversed with the mutants getting the accolades, positions or power, and chance to rule for once. I had always thought of House of M as a dynamic alternate history story. But at its heart, M is a top notch look at civil rights. The added twist is that the majority (humans) are in fact the minority because they do not have special powers.

    Bendis just keeps writing gems like this. I don't know how he does it and I am a little jealous. This story is self-contained enough that you do not have to read House of M to follow or enjoy this issue- but you really should! Also featured really excellent art by Michael Lark (Daredevil) and yet another wicked cover by series artist Mike Mayhew.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

 It's getting to be a Free Comic Book Day Tradition for Marvel to issue a new live-action feature film during that same weekend. It started with the first Thor movie in 2011 and has continued ever since. The media was making a big deal that this week was the biggest week in sports history what with the Red Sox and Yankees playing, NBA and NHL playoffs, the NFL draft, a NASCAR race, and the Mayweather fight. But I argue that with the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron, along with FCBD, this is the biggest weekend in geekdom!

    Age of Ultron was fantastic. It's the Empire Strikes Back of Marvel sequels as it was 10 times better than the first Avengers movie. Why it's even set to break all of the records the first film did in 2012. So if you have yet to see it, you are in for a treat, just be sure to get to it early as even on a Sunday afternoon, it was pretty crowded. 

    Age of Ultron starts off with the team attacking a Hydra base in Central Europe in hopes of retrieving Loki's staff, stolen during Winter Soldier. When the Avengers finally take the base, Tony Stark is ambushed by the Hydra influenced Maximoff Twins, Pietro and Wanda, who show Stark a vision of the future in which Iron Man's failures resulted in the end of life on earth. 

    Determined to not let this happen, Tony and Bruce Banner work to design an Artificial Intelligence that would cover the earth in a defensive shell and hopefully put the super hero in retirement. But when the programming takes a life of its own in the form of Ultron, the Avengers find themselves on the run of their lives. 

    This film has everything- action, adventure, a budding romance between two Avengers, great banter and running jokes galore. It also has a ton of superhero cameos, along with the occasional villain. But with the numerous interweaving plots and threads in this film, it's getting to the point where if you aren't watching all of the films, you're going to get lost quickly and that includes the supposedly unconnected Guardians of the Galaxy. When it comes to comic books, I hate it when you have to read a different title for the story to continue but since Marvel films come out at a rate of about once every few months, I actually like the interlocking storylines of the movies.

   The film as I mentioned before was heavy on action. While the opening attack on Hydra had some sequences that looked a little fake, the majority of the special effects were stunning. Speaking of stunning, the Iron Monger suit that's been popping up in the films as an easter egg since the end of the Edward Norton Hulk film finally gets some use. Thanks to some nasty tricks of the Scarlett Witch, the Hulk goes on a rampage that only Tony Stark's mighty armor can stop and holy cow! (And established fans, be ready to be overwhelmed by a scene at the end of the film in which all of the Avengers battle a legion of Ultrons. It was like that moment was taken from the dreams of George Perez, as there's so much happening in such a confined space.)

   I must warn you that some of the action in that scene is too intense for a very young child. I know this from personal experience as no less than 3 kids under the age of 5 went into simultaneous fits because if the violence during the showing I went too.

    As for whether this is a film for the whole family, I'm going to say no. The are some violent scenes that might be too much for those under the age of 10. There's also a little bit of language though that's not too much of an issue as there aren't any biggies. But this is a PG-13 movie for goodness sakes and the character of Ultron did seem to scare some kids in the theater.

    Speaking of Ultron, he was voiced by the always amazing James Spader. He gave the terrifying robot a very scary vibe balanced with some great one-liners that help prevent the character from being a total 'monster.' As for monsters, Mark Ruffalo's troubled Bruce Banner and his quest to balance the beast within was very well done and he should be nominated for a Golden Globe for his dual role of man and monster/ Hulk.

   The film had a ton of easter eggs. Most of them hint as the next chapter in the series; Infinity Gauntlet, parts one and two. But the seeds of descension planted by the mind games of the Scarlett Witch, played by a very goth Elizabeth Olsen, I think will play heavily into the next Captain America film based on the epic Civil War storyline. The line for that 2016 film starts right here, behind me!

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.