Fantastic Four #13 Review

You've heard the phrase "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride"? That seems to apply to Karl Kesel when it comes to the Fantastic Four franchise. Kesel has often been called upon to write fill-in arcs and shorter adventures, but the closest he's ever come to writing an ongoing Fantastic Four book was his short-lived Human Torch solo series.

So Kesel was the logical choice to step in for Matt Fraction and help bring this series to a conclusion. He has the experience, certainly. And this issue is immediately more enjoyable than the previous two muddled, overcrowded installments. But while a solid read, this is still a Fraction comic that's missing some of the trademark Fraction charm. And Mark Bagley's artwork remains more rough and jagged than usual. As ever, FF is the real draw with this franchise.

This issue veers into much darker territory as the writers explore an alternate universe with a very specific bearing on the current conflict. The script is actually a bit frustrating in how it first seems to be focused on the regular cast, and then reveals itself to be an alternate universe story but still takes its sweet time making those connections clear. But eventually everything comes together nicely enough. Kesel shows that he still has a firm handle on the Richards clan in any universe, and the pacing is much smoother and more straightforward than it has been.

Again, the diminished humor is a concern, with only a brief scene between Johnny Storm and Bentley "Wiz-Kid" Whitman offering any real levity. But this issue doesn't necessarily call for that approach considering the darker nature of the conflict. We'll see if the remaining few issues can invoke more laughs, or if it's all grim and serious from here on out.

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Death of Wolverine: The Weapon X Program #2

They’ve escaped and now anything goes from here when they have to fight for their freedom and keep it as Weapon X will take them back dead or alive. Just those three questions asking what will kill them first between their pasts, their strange new powers, or their mysterious connection to the Wolverine is more than enough reason to give this series a shot as much as the rest which are spinning out of the Death of Wolverine.

With issue #2 of Death of Wolverine: The Weapon X Program, Charles Soule continues to do what he does best when it comes to take characters with potential and doing something creative with them. This is his cup of tea when he is able to take these new characters with new abilities and explore what they are capable of when their backs are against the wall. This issue of Death of Wolverine: The Weapon X Program further shows how unique some of the escapees powers are while also using what they are capable of as a way to create an identity for them beyond who they once were. In fact where he goes beyond the cliche is avoiding altogether trying to force these characters into a position where the have to know who they were before Weapon X. It’s all about where they are in the here and now with the exception of Sharp.

Character development is a big thing going into Death of Wolverine: The Weapon X Program. This issue takes more time fleshing out the characters in a way that their personalities are more distinctive than fearful. Now that they had a little bit of breathing room, characters like Junk, Neuron, Endo, and Skel are able to show what makes them tick. Even if they were experimented on, who they are at the core is still intact.

The mystery of Sharp is definitely something we all should want to follow closely as this story progresses. While there is the question of everyone else’s connection to Wolverine, Sharp obviously stands out as the one who has more to him than meets the eye. Especially when he looks like Logan, has some of his memories, and may even have some of his abilities as well. There is much to be revealed about Sharp that’s being hidden from us and the escapees that we should anticipate finding out.

Death of Wolverine: The Weapon X Program #2 shows that this series has a lot of potential spinning out of the death of a beloved character to many fans. From here one has to wonder what they will do next, what next Weapon X will throw at them, and who they could possibly turn to for help that would better tie these newly created characters to the rest of the Marvel Universe.

Get the full review from Geeked Out Nation here

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Deadpool #37 Review

You have to hand it to Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn. Somehow they're able to keep this series humming along despite the constant cycle of event tie-ins. Original Sin fit perfectly into their plans of exploring Wade's past. Now AXIS comes at an ideal time. Wade's personality has been inverted just as he's finally achieving some semblance of normality and happiness in his personal life. It turns out that inner peace can be a terrible thing when it's just forced on you by a giant, red and purple psychic demon.

That's the thrust of this issue, as Wade finds himself slipping away from his friends, his daughter, and even his new bride. I wish Shiklah had been more of a focus in recent months so that this rift was a little more meaningful. Regardless, Wade's new psychological shift adds a nice bit of drama to the book. It also ties in nicely with the ongoing conflict involving the North Korean mutants.

As always, there's ample humor to balance out the drama. The writers dust off the idea of a disembodied spirit being trapped in Wade's mind, except now rather than Agent Preston it's the old Deadpool. This Wade's horrified reactions to seeing his new self coddle villains and shy away from cutting a Thanksgiving turkey are consistently amusing. And honestly, it would be nice if more characters in AXIS showed this level of mental anguish over being changed.

Mike Hawthorne delivers another engaging set of pages with this issue. His work isn't as detailed as some Deadpool artists, but it is energetic, expressive, and cleanly laid out. The writers give Hawthorne plenty of good material to work with, especially as Wade enters the X-Men's Danger Room and waltzes into a Wild West setting.

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Axis Revolutions #2 Review

This was a pretty much one big fight scene, but despite that we get plenty of character stuff from the comments being made by both men and the actions they're willing to take. Creed is trying to be a better man, but still he was still willing to fight back. And Kurt is angry, bitter and in full revenge mode.

I loved seeing Kurt cut loose and we got some pretty impressive action from him in this story. (How the hell did Mystique survive an encounter with him during AXIS) Teleporting off limbs, sword play, acrobatics, rapid teleporting, dropping cars and even the tail came in to play.

Extremely enjoyable to see, especially when there's no consequences to worry about for Kurt's character because Creed will heal.

The art was great in this, both Creed and Kurt looked menacing. And the flow of the action and teleporting was captured very well.

The only flaws I really had with the story were Creed's explanation for predicting where Kurt would strike and the fact that Kurt didn't continue attacking after Creed walked away. other than that it was great - not that you could go that wrong with an extended fight scene, but you never know.


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Black Widow #12 Review

Natasha’s past comes back to haunt her in a very public way in Black Widow #12. As Anderson Cooper exposes Natasha’s recent activity, both as a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative and contracted agent, the rest of the superhero and espionage communities at large must scramble to deal with the backlash. While “celebrity guest appearances” such as the one made here tend to be campy, the use of the news anchor serves to ground the story in a semblance of realism and considerably raises the stakes of Natasha.

In Somalia, Natasha is far removed from the troubles brewing back home during a routine mission with the Howling Commandos. After the recent dilemma with Chaos she welcomes the change of pace, even as the Avengers confer with Maria Hill to try to minimize the damage of the report. Every mission since the title began is put under the microscope, her actions and motivations analyzed and debated as eye witnesses give accounts of her very public encounters with assorted antagonists.

In the age of whistleblowers and the demand for government transparency, Black Widow #12 strikes a timely chord. Such an investigation into the scope of Natasha’s missions as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and member of the Avengers calls both of their authorities into question; considering what these entities have recently been up to in Avengers and New Avengers respectively, the public is surely watching people like Natasha quite closely. Edmondson also brings up an interesting point of contrast, whether implicitly or not, between how the public (and the reader) views operatives like Black Widow or Hawkeye and “heroes” like Iron Man or Captain America.

While Natasha’s reputation as an assassin is well-known, all of them have done questionable, sometimes even treacherous things in the name of larger causes. The only thing that really separates them is the fact that people like Natasha primarily use violence as their means, whereas people like Tony Stark are largely Machiavellian, scheming and manipulating people and scenarios to achieve their desired outcomes. Of course the Avengers have been scrutinized by both the public and the government in various storylines, but it still raises the interesting question of who bears the guilt when secrets such as these come to light.

With strong scripting and artwork from start to finish, Black Widow #12 is another solid read from this creative team.

Get the full review from Nerds Unchained here

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