Spider-Woman: Agent of SWORD (Hardcover Edition; includes motion comic DVD)

  In the aftermath of the Secret Invasion of the Skrulls, Jessica Drew, AKA Spider-Woman, is having trouble finding her place in the world. The Skrull Queen kidnapped the heroine, impersonating her, and nearly enslaving the human race. Restored to humanity and looking very much like the face of the Skrull invaders, Drew has lost friendships, relationships, and her self-esteem. 

   So when a woman with green hair comes around offering Spider-Woman a chance to get revenge on the Skrull race who did her wrong (and make a little money to boot) it's not very hard for her to ask 'Where do I sign?'  Spider-Woman might want to eat those words when her first assignment sends her to the seediest place on earth- Madripoor. 

    This mini-series from 2009 was originally released as a groundbreaking motion comic through iTunes. It was supposed to the be the first in a long line of comics that Marvel would publish in the new digital format for years to come.  But due to a score of delays, numerous burnt-out artists, and a general lack of interest, the Marvel motion comic project fizzled after just a couple of releases. 

   Thankfully, that was not the end of Jessica's story as Agent of SWORD was later released in single issue form a few months later. This volume collects all 6 issues and includes a copy of the comic in the digital form as intended by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Alex Maleev. 

   While Bendis doesn't disappoint with his deft storytelling, it's the art that is what makes this book worth owning. Maleev uses real models and then through the magic of digital paint, he renders the subject into an array of heroes, villains, and everything in-between. His painted covers are a sultry delight as well.

   The coloring of this story was quite dim and it doesn't translate very well online. Maybe the choice of colors was some sort of cameraman's trick to make the special effects pop,  but I just didn't like the motion comic version of this story. I also didn't like the voice actors used. Now, I think the big problem with that was not so much that they weren't talented but since I read the print version before watching the DVD, I had built up the voices in my head, so that what I heard just didn't fit my preconceived notions. 

   I bought this book on discount and I was very excited to own it. Now that I'm done, I feel like I got a really good read out of it and a disappointing cartoon version to boot. To be honest, I'm not going to keep this one. It's going to end up in my pile of books to sell. If you live in the central North Carolina area, keep an eye out as my copy might be popping up on a used bookstore shelf near you.

   Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

The New Fantastic Four: Monsters Unleashed

  

  When a rogue Skrull, impersonating the Invisible Woman incapacitates the Fantastic Four, the alien fakes their deaths in order to recruit a new team. Comprised of Wolverine, Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, and the gray Hulk, here comes the New Fantastic Four. Their formation will take them to the mysterious lair of the Mole Man called Monster Island to apprehend the supposed murderers of the First Family of the Marvel Universe.
   
 Written by the legendary Walt Simonson with art by the master of Monsters, Art Adams, Monsters Unleashed collects the epic three issue run that has become a fan favorite and is regarded as a classic FF storyline. It's so well respected that this all new team spawned not one but two 'What If...' Specials in the last decade. That's a testament to this 25-year old storyline's staying power amongst fans! 

    Featuring a slew of Skrulls, superheroes, crazy inventions of Reed Richards, and giant monster cameos, this is the perfect Fantastic Four story. I, like many other fans just wish the new line up would have lasted a little longer than a trio of issues.

   Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.



     

Annihilation: Super Skrull #1-4 (Annihilation Week)

Cover to Issue #2

  The Annihilation Wave is swarming at the edge of Skrull space ready to devour. With infighting amongst Skrull warlords, the only one who sees the oncoming threat is the Super Skrull. As the homeworld of his only offspring is in the immediate crosshairs of Annihilus, the warrior Skrull decides to take the battle to the Negative Zone.

    Skrull's mission is to scour the Zone in search of a weapon powerful enough to cause the amount of damage that Annihilus is leveling in our universe. What Super Skrull finds is a Negative Zone penal colony full of misfit prisoners, used in weapons testing, ready to take their frustrations out on the allies of Annihilus. Now the race is one for Super Skrull to bust through to our universe again and save his only child before the Annihilation Wave can strike.

   This was a gritty war story in the vein of the Dirty Dozen or the original Expendables movie. I loved the story's tone and thought that its deliberate lack of humor was a smart move. The Super Skrull has a personal stake in this war and to have him cracking jokes would be inappropriate. There is a side-kick to Super Skrull, a dwarf Skrull mechanic desperate to one day become a warrior. But he's more of the Jiminy Cricket to Super Skrull's Pinnochio and any humor he might postulate is balanced by the horrors of war that the diminutive sidekick experiences for the first time.

   Worth Consuming with a final chapter that will leave you stunned.

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

   Next Up: Annihilation: Ronan.

Franklin Richards, Son of a Genius: Not-So-Secret Invasion #1

I know that the Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius books are geared for kids, but they are funny! Drawn like Calvin and Hobbes, there’s a sort of C&H magic/ banter between Franklin and his robot nanny and bodyguard H.E.R.B.I.E.

In this issue, there are 3 short stories involving the boy and his android. First, the cover tale in which a young Skrull tries to assume Franklin’s persona. But he acts like a perfect gentleman and that makes everybody weary. Then Franklin is summoned to the deep to help his buddy, Squid-boy.  

Finally, another one of Franklin’s attempts to become a super athlete using one of Mr. Fantastic’s inventions goes awry.

All ages fun that has a little something for everyone.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four Vol. 6: Monsters & Mysteries

WORTH CONSUMING!

Marvel Adventures are just the best! Sure, there geared for Kids, but the cover says “All-ages”!

This volume has the FF solving a Whodunnit in Atlantis, Fighting a Skrull invasion by what could only be summed up as the only foursome dumber than the guys in “Tropic Thunder”, The Thing becomes the King of the Mole-people, and the group is sent back in time to met Rama-Tut.

 

 The Tut story is the best. Alicia gets her sight back and Thing finally gets an answer as to whether the girl would still love her if she wasn’t blind. Sadly, it all gets ret-conned at the end and the event never really happens (try explaining this all to my wife and watch her head explode.)