Well, it’s Memorial Day Weekend, which I’m late with this week’s article.  Lots of barbecue.  So, this week, Convergence reaches its penultimate chapter and the Secret War tie-ins start.  Plus both companies start their campaigns for what comes next!  So let’s get started with an “All-New, All-Different” that’s still just for “You” Spandex and Capes!

 

Review List
May 24th, 2015

“If that Static kid can have a floating disc, so can I!” - L. Luthor

 

PREVIOUSLY…

Marvel Upcoming:  So Marvel has let a lot out this week for what’s coming after Secret Wars – including Uncanny X-Men #600.  That’s right the book to wrap up Mr. Bendis ridiculous run on Uncanny and All-New X-Men has been pushed back until after Secret Wars is done.  It will the only book that comes out that isn’t “All-New, All-Different”, Marvel’s newest reason to launch a whole bunch of new ones.  The new status quo will be set 8 Months Later… and will includes such teams as the all-female A-Force.

New Campaign: DC Comics has unveiled their newest ad campaign: DC You.  I wonder how many hours it took someone to think of that play on words.   They also announced that they would be launch new kid friendly webcomic sites featuring Scooby Doo, Supergirl, and Looney Tunes.

Long Time Coming: So it looks like DC will have 47 series going until October when the final of the announced 48 June titles comes out.  Mystic U will have its first issue in the Witching Month, a full five months after it was supposed to debut.

Solicitations:Once more, solicitations are upon us.  So here they are in alphabetical order: Boom Studios; Dark Horse; DC Comics; IDW Publishing; Image Comics; Marvel Comics; Valiant Comics

REVIEWS

Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars (Marvel)
By Cullen Bunn with art by Matteo Lolli
Sigh.  No.  I’m sorry, there was no need for this.  None at all and I’m not doing it.  I’m not reading it, I’m not reviewing it, I’m not even going to look at the rest of it.  Deadpool has never been my thing and he’s more annoying than ever here.  This may have worked if they had inserted him quietly into the background with characters that we knew were there, but weren’t utilized much.  But they put Deadpool front and center with all of his fourth wall breaking.  It just doesn’t work for this event.

A-Force #1 (Marvel)
By Marguerite Bennett and G. Willow Wilson with art by Jorge Molina
So, the first issue of A-Force is pretty good.  It established the players well – even going so far as to show Medusa as a potential rival for She-Hulk.  It gave us a good up-close view of how Doom’s Battleworld works (perhaps even better than Secret Wars itself did.  The artwork is good outside of the opening fight scene.  That was a little hectic and at points I wasn’t sure what exactly was happening (like did the shark shot a laser from its mouth?).  However, I still have a problem with the concept – taking all of the women to make an female team in opinion lessen them.  It’s like saying, they’re not good enough to stand with Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America, so you’ll give them a team where they can stand.  Still, the book was good – the name is still horrible though.

Convergence #7 (DC)
By Jeff King and Scott Lobdell with art by Aaron Lopresti
So Convergence might be the first event series in recent memory to finish stronger than it started.  As we reach the penultimate chapter of the story, we get a throw down to end all throw downs as almost every timeline DC has ever had fights every other one.  It’s a little wacky, but it’s the fun kind of wacky.  It also seems odd who winds up on which side, but I think the writers were less worried about that than they were about what would make a cool scene.  And since most of these characters will most likely never be seen again, I can forgive the odd placements.  I find it interesting at the end, Oracle (the DC Watcher) is destroyed and he reveals to Superman and Supergirl that their futures as unknown.  It’s like DC is trying to show us that what we may expect from these characters aren’t necessarily going to happen.

Archie vs. Predator #2 (Archie); Avengers World #21 (Marvel); Batman: Arkham Knight #13 (DC); Convergence: Adventures of Superman #2 (DC); Convergence: Batman and the Outsiders #2 (DC); Convergence: Green Lantern Corps #2 (DC); Convergence: Hawkman #2 (DC); Convergence: Justice League of America #2 (DC); Convergence: Superboy and the Legion of Superheroes #2 (DC); Convergence: Swamp Thing #2 (DC); Convergence: The Flash #2 (DC); Convergence: The New Teen Titans #2 (DC); Convergence: Wonder Woman #2 (DC); Daredevil #15.1 (Marvel); Deathlok #8 (Marvel); Ghosted #20 (Image); Guardians of the Galaxy #27 (Marvel); Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Four #3 (DC); Letter 44 #16 (Oni Press); Loki: Agent of Asgard #14 (Marvel); Master of Kung Fu #1 (Marvel); Moon Knight #15 (Marvel); Mortal Kombat X #20 (DC); Planet Hulk #1 (Marvel); Secret Wars: Battleworld #1 (Marvel); Sensation Comics featuring Wonder Woman #35 (DC); Star Wars #5 (Marvel); Ultimate End #1 (Marvel)

Spider-Verse #1 (Marvel)
By Mike Costa with art by Andre Araujo
So, for those of you worried that Marvel’s latest golden goose wouldn’t be in Secret Wars, never fear!  Spider-Gwen is here.  As is Spider-Pig, who Marvel realized could also make them a lot of money.  So on this domain of Battleworld, the team that was going to patrol the multiverse as replacements for all of the dead Spider-Men have all woken up without memory of each other.  So we get to see the team start to find each other and come together.  Again.  Plus Spider-Gwen is here.  Because she’s vital to the story, not because she’s been shoe-horned in to make a buck.  Also why is it only THIS group of Spiders can sense something’s wrong with the world?  No other Spider has been able to.  Half of this book doesn’t make sense to me and the other half just annoys me.

Ultimate End #1 (Marvel)
By Brian Michael Bendis with art by Mark Bagley
So first off, that two page spread on pages two and three?  If that’s a future battle, that’s really kind of overkill on the part of the 616 don’t you think?  I mean seriously.  This book hinges on a throw away scene from Ultimate Spider-Man that happened so long ago I couldn’t remember which Miles Morales volume it happened in.  Then we get the hodgepodge of 616 heros – Iron Man before Axis, but Doc Green from after.  Scott in his “target my face” costume, but apparently getting along with Storm.  It’s a very weird feel.  Also it made no sense in the context of the overall Secret War story:  If Battleworld is all there is, was, and will be – where did the dimensional rift come from in the first place?  Also Spider-Man’s been here before – why doesn’t he remember?  So many bad parts of this book.  And honestly – if this is the end of the Ultimate Universe – it’s not shaping up to be a good end.

Peek Reviews

Batman Beyond
By Dan Jurgens with art by Bernard Chang
While this was a good issue, there just wasn’t enough here to keep me interested.  This book is going to be a hard sell and everyone seems to know it.  Even the blurb in Comixology is talking about the animated series and Justice League Beyond to try and keep interest.
Verdict: This will be a trade pick up.

Batman/Superman
By Greg Pak with art by Ardian Syaf
I’m not sure about this one – on one hand, it looks like it’s part of “Truth”, but on the other hand I’m not sure I like the interaction between Superman and Gordon.  Though I will say Lex Luthor doing his best Static impression was hysterical.
Verdict: Grabbing it for at least as long as the “Truth” arc lasts.

Catwoman
By Genevieve Valentine with art by David Messina
This could actually be the first time in a long time I’m interested in Catwoman.  Crime boss by day and vigilante thief by night?  This could be awesome.
Verdict: Checking out the first few issue

Gotham Academy
By Becky Cloonan and Brenden Fletcher with art by Mingjue Helen Chen
Yeah, still don’t care about this one.  I am definitely not the target audience.
Verdict: Still out on this one.

Grayson
By Tom King and Tim Seeley with art by Mikel Janin
While I appreciate the attempt to do something new with Dick Grayson.  I miss Nightwing and his interactions with the rest of the DC universe.  I think he should have come back to life after Batman died.
Verdict: I’ll be skipping this for now.

Martian Manhunter
By Rob Williams with art by Eddie Barrows and Gabe Eltaeb
While, the Manhunter has been one of my favorite characters, the New 52 version has always bugged me.  He doesn’t have the same value core that older versions have.  Plus we have the added bonus of recycling a story line.  Still, it is J’onn.
Verdict: At least checking out the first issue.

Robin: Son of Batman
By Patrick Gleason with art by Patrick Gleason
Robin goes solo as his father dies for the second time and he’s brought along his pet were-bat…?  What?  While a little ridiculous, the premise could be fun and I’m wondering what the Year of Blood is.
Verdict: In for the first arc.

Suicide Squad
By Sean Ryan with art by Phil Briones and Rob Hunter
Guess what?  It’s the Suicide Squad.  And It’s getting shut down.  Again.  And I can’t care.
Verdict: Not interesting enough.

Secret Six
By Gail Simone with art by Dale Eaglesham
This could have been eight blank pages and I would have been in.  I love the Secret Six.
Verdict: Buying this

Teen Titans
By Will Pfeifer with art by Kenneth Rocafort
I used to love the Teen Titans, but this version is really grating on me.  I wish they would do some kind of reckon on the team after this arc.
Verdict: Honestly, I’m not sure.