Comics Bundle: 09.17.09 Pt. 1

Most of you who have been following this blog know that I always pick up my comics late. Some of you might have even noticed that I didn't have a "Comics Bundle" post last month. That's because I didn't pick my comics for two months. The owner of the store was about to call me yesterday when I strolled in her store to get my comics, which was a thick stack and costs almost a $100. But I really missed my comics and read all Marvel/Walt Disney comics right away.

Anyways, here are the good -and also the not so good- ones that I've read. This should be quick since I still need to finish reading my DC/Image/Vertigo titles.

Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Exodus #1
8.0 0f 10
While I did love the first issue of the Utopia crossover between the X-Men and Dark Avengers, the rest of the issues were just bland. It just didn't meet my expectations, which is action. Fights between the mutants and the Avengers just didn't erupt at all. Exodus, however, became a saving grace of the whole event. It satisfied my want and saw some match ups -like Colossus vs. Venom or Dani Moonstar vs. Ares- that are rare or even unthinkable in the Marvel Universe. There were also some surprises here. The most notable one perhaps is what happened to Emma Frost. All in all, Exodus is yet another issue that perfectly closed one chapter and opened another for the X-Men.

Deadpool #15
7.9 of 10
I've never seen Deadpool so serious before this issue. Well...serious in his standards anyways because there are still a lot of crazy things going on in here. Stranded in the middle of the sea, Deadpool finally had the time to re-evaluate his life and figured out that he is alone. This, of course, has led him to a decision to join the X-Men. I cocked a brow at the idea. But, really, I want the writers to push this one through. Deadpool joining the X-Men sounds like a lot of fun to me.

Thor Annual #1
3.0 of 10
I know this might sound very unconstructive and subjective but skip this book. Yeah, it's bad. So bad I don't have the words for it.

Dark Avengers #8
8.6 of 10
This is probably the most surprising issue of the Dark Avengers yet. In this issue, due to its cover, I was expecting Ares, The God of War, beating the crap out of Nick Fury and his Secret Warriors in order to reclaim his son. He didn't, however, and the whole encounter turned into a man to man, father to son talk. I liked it a lot because it showed a different side to Ares. I mean, I didn't know that a God of War have a softer side.

Thunderbolts #135
8.3 of 10
I love Deadpool. But I must admit that the Thunderbolts/Deadpool crossover was a disaster, although still funny. I was even thinking of taking it off of my pull list. But then they executed a twist and gave us Natasha Romanov, the first Black Widow. With the twist also comes the back-stabbing, double-crossing, and all manners of betrayal. Suddenly, this title has gotten interesting again, and I want to know where it all ends.

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Comics Bundle: 07.22.09 Pt. 1

I rarely pull my comics on time. Hence I always end up with a pile of books during weekends. But this week's bundle, worth 7 weeks of comic book releases, is just too enormous for me. So, as per usual, I'm just gonna write a pithy review of all the Marvel books that I liked and get back into reading the rest of my bundle.

Avengers: The Initiative #26
8.4 of 10
I almost canceled this title off my pull sheet. But I'm glad I didn't because it really got interesting, now that Taskmaster and The Hood are both in charge of the newly restructured Initiative. Like most of Osborn's Dark Reign teams (Dark Avengers and Dark X-Men), the Initiative has also become a twisted version of its former self. Instead of training heroes to become proper heroes, it's now teaching B-list villains on how to become better villains but act as heroes in the public eye. Just as The Hood had said, it's the guys in suits and power who rip-off the public much worse than the common criminal.

Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia #1
8.5 of 10
The X-Men titles have always tackled bigotry and defended those who are a bit different in their stories. That's why, as a minority and whose taste differs from the norm, it's my favorite comic book, even though its quality have degraded. The latest Marvel event, a Dark Avengers and X-Men crossover, entitled Utopia, explores the same themes. But what makes it really special is its setting, as it pays homage to the struggle of gay rights back when Anita Bryant marched into the streets of San Francisco and when they banned same-sex marriage just a few months ago. Plus, the art of Marc Silvestri here is just awesome.

Deadpool #12
8.4 of 10
In the past couple issues, Deadpool had the opportunity to meet with his past "frenemies". First it was Taskmaster, whom he asked to help him fight the Thunderbolts. Now, in the latest story arc, Norman Osborn sends Bullseye to assasinate our hero. Since Bullseye and Deadpool had been rivals in the past, and that they're both crazy, this arc turned out to be a lot of fun. There's just a lot of violent slapstick humor and crazy dialogues between the two characters that readers don't want to miss.

Runaways #12
9.0 of 10
Runaways Vol.3 pretty much had a rocky start. While the books still has its teenage charm, it just doesn't hold a candle if compared to the series when Brian K. Vaughn was still on the reins. But the new team -composed of all female- had a very promising debut. They've already killed a member and now, on this issue, they're showing us that, despite they've been together for so long, the team still don't know each other that well. If this goodness continues -and I hope it will- this new team will definitely put the Runaways back on track.

Thor #602
9.5 of 10
As always, JM Stratczynski did a marvelous job with another issue of Thor. But what I really love about this issue is that William and Kelda had some significant face time. What I didn't like about this is that it's missing Oliver Copiel's art work. Nonetheless, Djurdjevic's work is still pretty decent.

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Comics Bundle: 02.18.09 Pt. 1

I haven't picked up my comics for some time...like a month. So I ended up reading a bundle of comics that were released in the last four weeks. I enjoyed reading it, of course. But writing decent reviews about these books is too much for me. So I decided to split these into two parts (click here for part two), and I'll go fast too so I can get back to playing my new game, Dawn of War II.

Thor #600
10 of 10
Thor finally jumps to its 600th issue, and it's a heck of an issue. Loki, after scheming and planning in the past 12 issues, finally set his motion into plan by resurrecting Bor, Odin's father, and bound him with a reality distorting spell that sent him rampaging. Eventually, Thor defeated Bor, who unbeknownst to him was his grandfather and the king of Asgard. Bor's death carried great repurcussions and it all fell on Thor's shoulders, changing the course of this title. From here on, I think it's going to get darker with Loki having more room to move about.

The Dark Avengers #2
8.0 of 10
I didn't like this issue as much as the first. But the sarcasm and perversity still continues in this issue (which reminds me of Warren Ellis' run on the Thunderbolts) and that's what makes this title different from other books. The fun dialogue between bad guys who are trying to be good public figures is still worth my $3.00.

Wolverine: Manifest Destiny #4
8.5 of 10
This, perhaps, is the only Manifest Destiny tie-in that I really liked. It's a lot of fun and brings me back to my childhood watching Kung Fu films. In this series' conclusion, the reason why Logan ticked off the Chinatown Tongs was finally revealed. We also see Wolverine at his best, fighting the Black Dragon Tong and defeated most of them without "snikting" he claws out. But the most fun of all, we finally know what makes him happy, which were few: Jean Grey, Mariko Yashida, Beer and killing people.

X-Men: Magneto Testament #5
9.4 of 10
This title has finally reached its conclusion. I've been waiting for this issue to see what happens in the end. In truth, I was disappointed at first. I thought I'd see Magneto hurling train cars at the Nazi. But that didn't happen. Then I remembered that this isn't really a Magneto origins book. It's about his testament, his solemn vow that he won't stand idly, fearing any kind of reprisals, and let any genocide happen again. So far, as we know it, he's not standing around anymore, and have been fighting to prevent mutant genocide.

Secret Warriors #1
8.9 of 10
I thought it was very cool when I saw the Secret Warriors being assembled, in the pages of Secret Invasion tie-in of The Mighty Avengers, by Nick Fury. The idea of a hardened veteran mentoring a group of unknown and unproven super powered teenagers just got me going. It's like The Runaways in boot camp. Now they have their own series and the first issue was a lot of fun and full of character. But the best thing about this issue is the revelation in the end. I won't talk about it because it's so big...probably bigger than Dark Reign.

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Upcoming Comics-to-Films That I Want To See

It's good to be a comic aficionado and a movie goer in these times. Why, you say? Well both are the cheapest sort of entertainment, and comics to film adaptation are plenty nowadays. 2008, especially, saw a rise of good comics to film. We saw great movies like Wanted, Hulk, Iron Man and, of course, The Dark Knight. But, the fun doesn't stop there. Besides sequels to Iron Man and The Dark Knight, there are many more comics to film that are coming out this year and the next. So, having said that, here's a few comics-to-film that I'm looking forward to see.

8. Fathom

I don't know anything about this comic-book. Except that, the story revolves around the race of people that lives underwater, its pages are rife with well-drawn bikini clad women that can make love starved comic geeks go nuts. Admittedly, I'm only interested in this film because I want to see Megan Fox, an aesthetically perfect choice to play Aspen Matthews, wet and wild in a skinny mini bikini.

7. Avengers

One of the biggest team in comics is finally coming to the big screen. At first, I actually thought that this was impossible to make without being campy. But after reading Mark Millar's (Wanted) The Ultimates, and saw what they did with Iron Man and Hulk, the idea of an Avengers film isn't too far-fetched anymore. In addition, Marvel is also smart enough to release films for each major characters, but still tying them altogether, before the big team up.

6. Thor

I wasn't a big fan of Thor before. But after reading an issue of Thor volume 3, by J.M. Straczynski and Oliver Copiel, I was blown away by the writing and the art, and Thor become one of my favorite comic-book characters. However, as much as I love the original version (Earth 616) of Thor, I wish that the film will be using the origin of Ultimate Thor instead. Film wise, Ultimate Thor is just much more dimensional and realistic.

5. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

A lot of people know that I'm a G.I. Joe geek. I've been a collector of toys and comics since my grade school days. So I've been waiting for this film since...forever. But, honestly, I can't look at the stills of this film, or even think about it, without reminding me of the campiness that Street Fighter hit me with. Well, at least, all the female characters look good, and they were decent enough to cast a real model (Karolina Kurkova) to play Cover Girl and a real fighter (Ray Park, a.k.a. Darth Maul) to play Snake Eyes.

4. Y: The Last Man

This is probably one of the best stories I've ever read in comics. That's why I'm so excited about the movie. The comic-book is about the only man who survived a mysterious plague that caused the death of all males. Men have this fantasy of being the only guy alive so they can have all the chicks. I used to have that fantasy too. But this series changed all that. If you wish that you're the only guy alive, then just think about those ugly girls running after your balls.

3. Kick-Ass

Kick-Ass may only be five issues young but, I'll bet you my four meager paychecks, this movie will, literally and figuratively, kick some ass. The book, written by Mark Millar, the guy who also wrote Wanted, is about a comic-book geek who decides to become a superhero. He has no superpowers, fighting skills, or gadgets to help him. He only has his ambition, a YouTube video that made him popular, and a MySpace account so people can reach him. This film is about comic book guys, made by comic guys, for comic book guys.

2. Runaways

This is the coolest and spunkiest comic-book title I've ever read. It's about a group of teenagers who ran away from their homes when they discovered that their parents are villains who plans to destroy the world. But why I'm really looking forward to see this film is because I want to know who'll play Nico Minoru. She's the leader of the team, a Japanese girl with an affinity to dark magic, and I have a nerd love for her.

1. Watchmen

I don't have to say anything about this film. Except, maybe, that it's the greatest graphic novel, written by one of the best comic-book writers, and now it's coming to the theaters. Read it, watch it, love it.

So these are the comics to film I'm looking forward to see. Some of them already have their release dates schedule but most are still in pre-production stage. So we might not see most of the films I listed in here.

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Comics Bundle: 01.02.09

I haven't picked up my comics for the last three weeks. Not that I didn't had the time. It's just that I was snowed in. But, man, this is the best bundle I've picked up so far since every comics I read was just good. I guess Secret Invasion is, indeed, over.

X-Men: Magneto Testament #4
10 of 10
Writer: Greg Pak
Artists: Carmine Di Giandomenico, Matt Hollingsworth





Honestly, I can't review this book without repeating myself. But, seriously this is probably the best origins story that Marvel has put out since...ever. It's dramatic, it's not campy -there's no costumes and super powers in here- and it's historically accurate as well. If you haven't read this book, I urge you to pick up all four issues now.

Thor #12
10 of 10
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artists: Oliver Copiel, Mark Morales, Laura Martin





So far, Thor hasn't failed me. Each issue is just a joy to read. But this #12 went beyond my expectations with its art and writing. This is, perhaps, Straczynski's and Copiel's best issue. Thor isn't here, however, as the story focused on Loki and his origins, which shows how mentally damaged and emotionally scarred he is. Although the big hammer drop in this issue was the revelation as to why Loki's new appearance is a woman.

New Avengers #48
9.0 of 10
Writer: Michael Bendis
Artists: Billy Tan, Matt Banning, Justin Ponsor





This should be entitled Renewed Avengers. Seriously, though, this issue really feels fresh and renewed. Part because of the new team members (yup, thats Bucky on the cover), and part because the team are finally getting back together without fighting the shape-shifting green man. I can't wait for this issue to start rolling.

Wolverine #70
9.0 of 10
Writer: Mark Miller
Artists: Steve McNiven, Dexter Vines, Morry Hollowell





I find the Old Man Logan arc to be very interesting. Wolverine becoming a pacifist farmer, and especially the post-apocalyptic setting where the Villains of the Marvel Universe rule. But for the last four issues the question "Why did Wolverine become a pacifist?" loomed over my head. This issue finally answers that, and it was awesome, but sad too. It's actually so sad it even made Wolverine cry.

Wolverine: Manifest Destiny #3
8.5 of 10
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artists: Stephen Segovia, John Rauch





Out of all Manifest Destiny tie-ins this is the only book that I like. It's action-packed, which pays homage to old Kung Fu movies, and it's funny as well. Wolverine had a beat down with the Black Dragon Tong, a group of Chinatown bad-asses with a member that can damage your soul (no healing factor can heal this kind of attack). So he decides to take lessons from a master of 82 marital arts, an elderly person who is very Pai Mei. I actually liked the old guy, and the scene where he ridicules Wolverine, on how he relies on his healing factor instead of his skills, was fun.

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