Episode 009: Wagon Full of Heads

Episode 009: Wagon Full of Heads

This week, Vince and I cover a couple awesome mini-series; Astonishing Spider-Man and Wolverine, and Marvel Universe vs The Punisher....

Episode 008: Old Man Logan

Episode 008: Old Man Logan

To make up for our last hate-filled episode, this week, Vince and myself discuss the Wolverine family; Daken, X-23 and Logan himself. While we don’t have anything nice to say about Daken, X-23 shows promise....

Episode 007: One More Nonsense

Episode 007: One More Nonsense

This week, Vince and Roger cover two Spider-Man story arcs; One More Day and One Moment in Time. Neither fare very well, and lead to full on ranting and frustration… which let’s be honest, is always fun to listen to. Discussion Spider-Man: “One More Day” (2007) Amazing Spider-Man: “One Moment in Time” (2010) Reference New Releases Batman Beyond #4 Brightest Day #10 Amazing Spider-Man #643 Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine #3 New Mutants #17 Thunderbolts #148 X-23 #1 iTunes | RSS feed If you enjoy the show, please make certain to stop by iTunes and leave us a review! [Editor’s Note: This podcast was recorded and released under our prior name; Bow Down To Us.]...

Amazing Spider-Man Issue 641 “One Moment in Time, Part 4”

Amazing Spider-Man Issue 641 “One Moment in Time, Part 4”

I’m actually getting tired of talking about this storyline. It started off quite well in Issue 638, but has been experiencing a steady decline in quality. It’s now absolutely clear that Quesada had no solid plan for how to execute this story. Well, maybe he had a plan and it just sucked. Over the past decade, Quesada has been an integral part of Marvel as Editor-in-Chief. He’s been a good decision maker and has taken the company from the brink of disaster to the top of the mountain. He’s even a good artist, though his style is very mid-90s. One thing he isn’t is a writer. Sure, he’s had some solid ideas for storylines, but he’s always had actual writers to steer the ship. As much criticism as “One More Day” has received over the years, it at least made sense. Sure, J Michael Straczynski didn’t want to write it and phoned in a lot of the dialog, but the story itself worked. At this point, “One Moment in Time” just doesn’t make sense. The story continues with Doctor Strange meeting with Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic on the astral plane. The plan is to use a massive spell to make everyone forget Spider-Man’s true identity. Apparently, it’s something they’ve done before with the Sentry, and the operation requires all three of them. The problem with this scene is the characterization. Strange manages to talk Stark and Richards into agreeing with him, which is something they, Stark specifically, simply would not do. Peter’s decision to abandon Tony and the Pro-Registration side during the Civil War was simply unforgivable to Stark. He had so much hatred for Peter at the time of this story, he simply would not have agreed to this plan. If previous issues of “One Moment in Time” have established that the timeline has not changed, why would Stark continue to hunt down Peter and the other renegade heroes, even after deciding to give Peter his secret identity back? It just doesn’t make sense. Then, Peter decides he doesn’t want everyone to forget; he needs Mary Jane to share his secret. Once everything is over, MJ completely freaks out. Apparently, she doesn’t want to be the only one to know Peter’s secret. Wait a minute, prior to Peter publicly revealing his identity, MJ was the only one to share his secret. Sure, they decided not to get married, but still lived happily together for years. Now, she can’t handle it anymore? There’s some sort of explanation that somehow MJ knowing Peter’s identity would put her family at risk, but in the end, it just doesn’t make sense. Why, after all this time would MJ decide that she can’t be with Peter, that somehow things would be better if he were to somehow go on being Spider-Man without her knowing? Even worse than the character shift with Tony Stark, this goes against everything that’s been established for Mary Jane, both in the original continuity and within “One Moment in Time” itself. At the end of “One More Day,” despite the tremendous upheaval it created, readers were left with hope. MJ swore to Peter that they were meant to be, and that eventually they would be together again. “One Moment in Time” was supposed to reinforce the story of “One More Day.” Instead, all it did was tear it down, pissing off many of the fans they had left. Amazing Spider-Man Issue 641 “One Moment in Time, Part 4” Marvel Comics Story: Joe Quesada Art: Joe Quesada, Paolo Rivera, Danny Miki, Richard Isanove...

Episode 006: Drowning in Wolverine Titles

Episode 006: Drowning in Wolverine Titles

This week, Vince and Roger discuss one of their favorite miniseries; Shadowland. The series is heating up, and really starting to come together very nicely. Also discussed is the new Wolverine series; Goes to Hell....

Batman Beyond Issue 1 of 6

Batman Beyond Issue 1 of 6

As part of an effort to add Batman Beyond into the mainstream DC Universe, Terry McGinnis’ Batman has been making more appearances in comics, including a lead spot in the Superman/Batman Annual #4 (2010), which was actually quite good (expect a review soon). We’re also being treated to a six-part limited series which has Batman battling an old nemesis of Buce’s; Hush. This series takes place in 2039, and in terms of continuity, it’s after McGinnis defeats the “reborn Joker” in the movie Batman Beyond – Return of the Joker (check out the Original Uncut Version). Issue 1 starts with the mysterious break out of a subject at the Cadmus facility. Not much information is given here, and it’s basically just a setup for later. The action begins a few pages later with Batman fighting Spellbinder. The fight lasts 5 pages, and it’s very well choreographed, however it goes on far too long considering Spellbinder never gets off a hypnotism spell. This just doesn’t fit. Spellbinder was a high school counsellor, and yet he’s holding his own against Batman for 5 pages, doing backflips and aerial kicks. As if that were not confusing enough, Batman gets visited by Micron asking if Batman would reconsider their offer to join the Justice League. I’m hoping there will be a reason for this later in the series and that it wasn’t just put there for the few interesting panels between Terry and Bruce as they discuss Bruce’s involvement in the Justice League many years earlier. There is real friction between Bruce and Terry in this issue, and having read the next couple, I can safely say it gets worse. As Terry investigates who is killing old foes of the original Batman, he’s also having to deal with Bruce in his cowl. With the exception of the Spellbinder fight at the start, I was very impressed with this first issue. Had they chosen another foe, perhaps Inque, whom he mentions at the start of the issue, I’d have been a lot happier with it as a whole. Still, the art is absolutely fantastic, and the writing is solid. Dialogue between all of the characters is engaging, especially between Bruce and Terry. And, of course, the action doesn’t slow down for very long, which is something we’re used to with the Batman Beyond IP. Batman Beyond Issue 1 of 6 DC Comics Story: Adam Beechen Art: Ryan Benjamin, John Stanisci, David Baron...

Avengers: The Children’s Crusade Issue 2 of 9

Avengers: The Children’s Crusade Issue 2 of 9

This issue turns out to be even more fun than the first. It picks up right where Issue 1 leaves off, with Magneto finding his “grandsons.” He tries to take off with Wiccan and Speed, and chaos ensues. The other Young Avengers aren’t about to let a known terrorist take off with their friends, and the actual Avengers aren’t letting the kids go anywhere, with or without Magneto. After some fighting and pulling the kids back and forth, Wiccan magics the kids and Magento to Wundagore, the Scarlet witch’s birthplace. Walking through the countryside, Heinberg takes the opportunity for some character development. We see some nice moments between Patriot and Hawkeye, as well as Stature and Vision. Of course, the big focus is between the twins and Magneto, but it’s nice to see them not dominating the story. All of the Young Avengers are well-developed characters, and they each get a little bit of love. While we do get more romantic developments, none of the problems I had with the first issue in that regard are present here; it’s just good, solid character development. Of course, if the Scarlet Witch is a feature of the story, it’s not long before Magento’s other offspring shows up. Quicksilver makes a dramatic entrance, completing the family reunion. There are some great scenes with him and Speed until his attention turns to his father. Considering Magneto tried to kill him the last time they met, the two do not get along. Everything builds to a stunning resolution, nicely setting up the next issue. Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #2 features great writing, great character development, a solid plot and truly phenomenal art. That being said, there are too many negative aspects of this comic that I can’t overlook. Due to contractual obligations to DC, Heinberg’s work on Young Avengers has been sporadic over the years. As I mentioned in my review of the first issue, some of the anachronisms are very noticeable. Reading this now, it’s clear to me this story was intended to occur before the Civil War. That’s four years ago. The result is a story conceptualized in 2006 being shoehorned into the continuity of 2010. Some things just don’t match up. I can overlook some of the inconsistencies with the Avengers, since they’re a minor part of the story. However, the characterizations of Magneto and Quicksilver are just off, completely contrasting recent developments in comics like Uncanny X-Men and Mighty Avengers. As good as it is, I just have trouble connecting with this comic. Additionally, I made a mistake in my first review; I said this title would be publishing every two weeks. Instead, it’s publishing every two MONTHS. At nine issues, it will take a year and a half for this miniseries to finish. That is more of a time investment than I’m willing to give a “miniseries.” As such, I will likely not be reading any future issues. Avengers: The Children’s Crusade Issue 2 of 9 Marvel Comics Story: Allan Heinberg Art: Jim Cheung, Mark Morales, Justin Ponsor...

Episode 005: Site Launch Day

Episode 005: Site Launch Day

Despite Vince stating this is Issue 3 at the top of the podcast, it is actually Issue 5. Don’t be too hard on him folks… he’s still getting used to hosting. This week, we celebrate Joe Quesada’s 10 year reign as Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief, and also discuss Wonder Woman, X-Men Legacy and Moon Knight. News Joe Quesada’s 10th anniversary as Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief Discussion Wonder Woman #602 X-Men Legacy #239 Shadowland: Moon Knight #1 New Releases Brightest Day #9 Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #2 Shadowland #3 Wolverine #1 Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers TPB Dark X-Men TPB iTunes | RSS feed If you enjoy the show, please make certain to stop by iTunes and leave us a review! [Editor’s Note: This podcast was recorded and released under our prior name; Bow Down To Us.]...

Shadowland Issue 3 of 5

Shadowland Issue 3 of 5

I can’t believe I ever doubted this miniseries. Diggle, Tann and the rest of the creative team just seem to get better with each issue. Shadowland 3 brings about some interesting developments. On the bright side, we no longer have to worry about Matt Murdock’s soul. Apparently, it’s his damn mind that he’s lost, going so far as to order his ninja to kill his former friends. The ensuing battle rapidly gets out of hand, with Daredevil even outmatching Iron Fist and Shang-Chi in hand-to-hand combat. Only the stunning arrival of one more ally gets them out of Shadowland alive. As if the fight at the top of the tower isn’t enough, complete chaos has erupted in the dungeons. Ghost Rider doesn’t like being controlled and the last thing anyone wants to do is piss off the Spirit of Vengeance. Amidst the flames, chains and ninja, Moon Knight is also unleashing his badass best. I just have one question, though I may not like the answer; where was he keeping that costume? Outside, all hell is breaking loose in Hell’s Kitchen. The foul presence corrupting Daredevil and those around him is starting to effect the civilians, as well. Battered, beaten and clueless our heroes regroup and attempt to come up with a plan. We finally get a glimpse as to what the Hand’s endgame is in all this, with Cage & Co seemingly screwed as Daredevil continues to increase his ranks. Altogether, this was a very successful issue. It did a great job closing out the first half of the story, both sides having engaged each other and fallen back to regroup. The outside factors of Moon Knight, Ghost Rider and even Kingpin are put in place and the overall plot is starting to mesh together. Right now, I’d put Shadowland on par with Civil War in quality, just on a slightly smaller scale. Shadowland Issue 3 of 5 Marvel Comics Story: Andy Diggle Art: Billy Tann, Victor Olazaba, Christina Strain...

Amazing Spider-Man Issue 640: “One Moment in Time, Part 3”

Amazing Spider-Man Issue 640: “One Moment in Time, Part 3”

I still really want to like this storyline. I applaud Quesada for actually telling it. It would have been very easy to just say “Mephisto did it” and move on like “One More Day” was no big deal. However, with that story being so controversial, he felt the fans deserved this story. Then again, the fans that were most pissed off about “One More Day” have no interest in “One Moment in Time.” So, it’s a storyline explaining another storyline, written for people who aren’t going to read it. That said, I felt that if it was pulled off well, it would go down as one of the most important stories in Spider-Man’s history. Unfortunately, with each issue, it feels more and more like Quesada didn’t have a solid plan going in. At the end of last issue, they showed Peter saving Aunt May’s life. This issue starts off explaining how Peter was able to succeed where the doctors could not. Aunt May’s life was saved through the power of love. Peter Parker; your Friendly Neighborhood Care Bear. With Aunt May’s life saved, this issue focused on the second major development of “One More Day”; the restoration of Peter’s secret identity. It was a huge deal when Iron man talked Peter into publicly revealing his identity as Spider-Man during Civil War. Moreso than almost any major hero, Spider-Man has a good reason for his secret identity. The reason Aunt May almost died was because Kingpin wanted to hurt Spider-Man, and in this issue we see him going after Mary Jane and her family. The thought of losing MJ causes Peter to look for help restoring his identity. Who does he go to? Doctor freaking Strange. If the whole point of this storyline is to explain how things happen, replacing “Mephisto did it” with “A wizard did it” is not an acceptable solution. I still want to like this, but the plot is making it difficult. There’s only one issue left, and things still aren’t making a whole lot of sense. Amazing Spider-Man Issue 640: “One Moment in Time, Part 3” Marvel Comics Story: Joe Quesada Art: Joe Quesada, Paolo Rivera, Danny Miki, Richard Isanove...

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