Yes yes more from the marvel whore! Ha ha very funny Rascal. Unfortunately my list of comics doesn’t help me out this week with 3 X titles and a punisher. So into the kinkier side of Marvel this time. I hate you Rascal you indie slut, guess what? Bart Allen is still dead!
X-force #2
Now the first issue surprised me, I only picked it up to keep in touch with divided we stand (make more references to my comic persuasion here) and expected it to be a very average x-men comic making wolverine look badass in a number of different, used before, ways.
Imagine the surprise to find out that X-Force is pretty much a MAX version of the x-men. For those that don’t know MAX is a medium for marvels mature content publications including Punisher MAX and Alias. Dirty and gore filled from issue one this carries on from the cliff hanger that made little to no sense at the end of the last issue.
The Plot continues to develop characters as they should be, Wolverine is against others being involved in a world he feels he should suffer alone, X-23 has become a weapon again showing no restrain in completing her mission and Warpath does whatever he does, oh yeah stabs things. The plot deepens and actually looks to show promise. The best part about the story is you actually feel the desperation that seems to be missing from the other divided we stand tie in’s, you really feel that Scott Summers has decided how to move forward and its more wolverines style than one would expect.
The art has been amazing, detail abundant, clear images and horrific gore scenes that finally show what a certain some one does best and what he does ain’t nice. Panels are clear and you can always tell what’s going on. Unlike some comics at the minute everyone looks very different and just by looking at shape you can tell who your looking at. So much attention to detail has been paid that even later in the issue where people have changed cloths the blood that was on their faces is still there in the same place!
If I was to suggest one X comic to anyone right now it would be this one, you need to know nothing and you’ll pick up who the characters that you don’t recognize very quickly. Give issue 1 or 2 a shot and see what you think, I would imagine you wouldn’t be disappointed.
8/10
Cable #1
He has his own comic again for better or worse, Cable’s travels with the beginning or the end of the mutant race begins here. After reading the first part expecting a lot after messiah complex I can’t call which way this one is going to go.
The story as previously mentioned follows cable with the child everyone was fighting over throughout messiah complex and it’s very bland. Nothing happens you didn’t expect apart from the last frame, which to be honest was more of a sigh moment than a ‘WOW’ moment. Cable gets in bad situation, proves he can kick ass and then is given an enemy protagonist. Oh well. The writing isn’t that bad for what’s there just the plot is poor. You expect better from Swierczynski who has an impressive history. Artwork is immediately recognizable from the man that did the initial run on punisher war journal; Ariel Olivetti makes everything look exactly the same and it takes you a while to realise your not reading the Punisher.
Pick it up if you are following all the parts of divided we stand, defiantly if you’re a cable fan (I have to live with spider-man being crap) and only think about it if not. Get X-force instead! Not much more can be said. So it won’t be.
4/10
Uncanny X-men #496
A terrible plot along side a really enjoyable one, Uncanny X-men this month shows us why Wolverine appears in every team on the planet. In the last issue X-men were finally brought into the marvel universe with Cyclops talking to Iron man about the events in messiah complex and how mutants should not apply to the SHRA as they are not given the choice to fight or not. Wolverine, nightcrawler and colossus travelled back to Russia and Angel got forced to become a hippy.
So starting where we left off, the angel story has to have a point somewhere other than a physic is making everyone believe it’s the 60’s, however none was forth coming and I began to lose all hope. However the Russian field trip proved to be a great read and saves the issue from getting slated like there is no tomorrow. Unfortunately for those reading Astonishing X-men you might want to give this one a miss as a serious and I mean ‘Jesus, that pissed me off’ spoiler is in it as Astonishing is taking so much time. I’m assuming its Astonishing by the way as it has not happened in any standard issues.
A discussion is had as to what the group believe in now that Charles Xavier is now dead and with him the dream they held. This is done very well and again a writer gets down wolverines character. The dialogue is generally of a high standard and enjoyable for any fan. The art is actually very nice with only one or two substandard panels. X-men comics have been fantastic ever since the endangered species arc and seem to be keeping up the tempo, with only the last issue of the newly named X-men legacy and cable letting the side down. Now is a good time to be getting back into the uncanny.
7/10
Punisher War Journal #17
Killing this one while it’s young is becoming more and more of an enticing prospect. If Frank Castle looked at this travesty that has become his 616 life he would put it out of its misery. I reviewed last issue and had my doubts about the direction it was taking, this issue kicks me square in the jaw for being foolish enough to come back.
The art sucks, the dialogue is crap and nothing is going for this comic. Franks new partner Stuart Clark is the focus of this issue. It talks about his past and his apparent old rivalry with that cad and bounder Tony Stark. I would be interested if maybe the world had ended and nothing else existed but unfortunately for this comic that demographic is not one that does very well. Mr Clark meets up with some old friends from his super villain days, yes that’s right I’m bringing this back up HE’S A FRIKKIN EX SUPER VILLIAN! Frank does not deal with current or past villains, he kills them dead, a lot! Anyway the 2 friends seem to be trying to play him and the whole thing is sorted out by our new huge jawed, 3 lines an issue Punisher. It goes nowhere does nothing for me and just makes me hate the world a little more since OMD. I’m seriously going to drop this one depending on the next issue, 3 strikes and out.
1/10 (grudgingly)
Reaper
Was that the fecking Phalanx at the end of X-Force?!
Xeall
sorry what? let me think its early in the morning and i can't remember
Batmanuel
Has to be said, i too picked up X-Force from issue one, and.. well it has been out of the lime light Just long enough to do something different. And different it is, for the better i might add, if you are a Marvel Zombie looking for some high octane entertainment, then this could be for you. Bloody Variant and all.
Great reviews old bean, and could it be... could The Punisher War Journal get our lowest review score EVER???? seems so, but i am sure as hell not going to read it to make sure
