MAKE MINE MARVEL
I’ve always been a Marvel Comics fan first and foremost when it comes to my comic selection. Up until DC Comics did the New 52, titles going out of the Marvel horizon for me was a short list that wouldn’t always be a must have. Though that list has grown and I’m now buying nearly equal amount of DC titles as I am of Marvel, I still consider myself a Marvel fan first and here’s why.
SECRET AVENGERS
This title started off being on my list to read because they put Moon Knight on the team when they had canceled his main title. I’ve been a Moon Knight fan for many years because the guy is basically the Batman of the Marvel universe (one that has multiple personalities, drinks, is a womanizer, and won’t think twice about beating a bad guy nearly to death), with a cool costume (he has a cape and wears a white mask that just looks really cool), so how can I not like him. That is why I started reading the title but what kept me reading it was the stories that involved the characters that are the B-listers.
Over the 20 issues that’s been put out there’s been 4 writers, Ed Brubaker who was as the start of the title, Nick Spencer, Warren Ellis, and Rick Remender, while there’s been quite a few artists lending their talents to the title. Now the writing has been pretty good, what I’ve liked about the title is that it showcases the other members of the Avengers. Sure I love reading about how Spider-Man, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Vision, and other A-list heroes go fight the evil alien hordes that have decided to attack Earth this day or like now where Norman Osborn is making his presence known again by forcing the heroes out of their comfort zone by making the public think they are the ones doing something wrong while Norman is the real hero looking out for the well being of the people.
Those are some great reads but let me tell you this, reading issue 16 of Secret Avengers was one of the most fun reads I’ve had from a comic for awhile. This issue has all the ingredients, great artwork by Jamie McKelvie where there is a splash page of Moon Knight gliding over a city that I would love to have as a wall poster, then there’s the story by Warren Ellis that gives these characters more life and realism than I’ve seen these characters have, and the colors by Matthew Wilson bring it all out. I could go on and on just on the is one title. We have page 1 where there’s the front to the car and the bland looking buildings in the background. Page 2 shows how Moon Knight can look really cool even without his cape while showing how the Black Widow is a car girl, and the Beast is a smartass.
Page 3 goes further to show that Beast is not only a smartass but he’s actually talking down to Moon Knight and is a bit smug it seems like. Not only that but how freaking cool is it that Captain America turns to Moon Knight to tell him to get aerial recon and Moon Knight goes diving off the building, a man who can’t fly, off he went. Pages 5 and 6 are the splash pages of Moon Knight gliding, man I love this artwork, it’s art like this that makes me wish that I could draw. Page 7 has Cap, Widow, and Beast in the car with Beast talking about time travel, it’s basically what I and other fanboys/geeks/nerds talk about as we sit around trying to figure out how time travel would really work. Though I can give why each and every page of this title is so cool I won’t, it would take up my whole blog but if you haven’t read Secret Avengers issue 16 than you should try to go find it, it’s October 2011 issue and if you check out a local comic shop you should be able to pick it up.
Now that’s not the only issue that’s great, there’s the follow 17 with a cover that reminds me of Maximum Overdrive (it’s a movie that was based off the book by Stephen King and if you haven’t watched it you should it’s a really good movie, don’t watch the remake). As cool as the cover is I love that Valkyrie is in this story, which is how this title showcases the other characters like I was saying, it’s this format that is working for the title. As a side note, why don’t Valkyrie get more stories? She’s a really cool character, she’s the female Thor, and she has a really big sword. The conversation that War Machine and Valkyrie has had me laughing the first time I read and even now after reading it again for about the 5th time it’s still funny.
Val. “What means “Combat Separation”?”
W.M. “That we’re probably going to die in a fireball.”
Val. “Magnificent.”
W.M. “The worst thing is that I know you’re not being sarcastic.”
With issue 18 you get to see what makes Shang-Chi so cool and looks like Bruce Lee but in issue 19 Michael Lark has drawn Moon Knight in a suit and his mask making him look so cool that I want to get the suit and mask as a Halloween costume and one for conventions. But that’s one of the cool titles that Marvel has, there’s also the other team title.
THE AVENGERS
Norman Osborn is back! Man that should be all that needs to be said right? Maybe not 10 years ago when all he was is a major thorn in the side for Spider-Man but after the Civil War and Dark Reign Norman has become the nemesis of every superhero in the Marvel Universe. This man can make any of the heroes look like idiots that cause more harm than do good while also making the public that once loved and wanted them to hate, fear, and want them gone. What makes me like these new stories with Normal is that it finally shows the other heroes that Spidey has had to deal with this lunatic for a long time without any help from any other hero and now they are getting put in their place. Though Spidey has been telling them not to trust Victoria Hand (come on why would anyone trust a woman that worked for Norman Osborn, not only worked for but was his right hand) except for Steve Rogers. Man what a stupid move on his part.
Now look Norman is going around with his own Avengers team again, taking out the real Avengers team one by one, again, while making the public distrust the Avengers, again. As long as I’ve been reading Spider-Man I never figured Norman Osborn would be such a huge villain beyond his Green Goblin guise, and that’s just it ain’t it, he’s not even using his Green Goblin side (well not in the way that he’s in the costume flying around on that glider laughing). Nope, it’s just crazy Norman Osborn in a suit and tie that’s causing the American people to want the Avengers out of their manor and out of the hero business. What I’m looking forward to is Spider-Man getting his I told you so moment when they confront Victoria Hand.
Now since I’ve talked Marvel Comics this time around I’ll continue with the theme by doing character of the week as a Marvel character.
CHARACTER OF THE WEEK NUMBER 6
MOLECULE MAN
Owen Reece, not such an imposing name, which I think is why Marvel choose it, but the man is one of or possibly the strongest and most powerful person in the Marvel Universe. His powers come from the cosmic cube and from the Beyonders reality, he can pretty much do whatever he wants, including creating a whole universe out of nothing, which is what he does, create and destroy anything he wants by thinking about it. He’s always beat by the good guys and in the case of the Sentry kind of beat by a bad guy, but make no mistake, Owen Reece is near the level of power as the Celestials are. Molecule Man has destroyed Captain Americas shield and remade it, he’s destroyed the Silver Surfers board, and even Thors hammer (now you do know that the hammer is of a god with the power infused in it by Odin himself) and yet it was Owen Reece that broke them. This guy if he would get over his own self doubts, fears, loathing of himself, and have some confidence in himself as say Steve Rogers has in himself, well the Marvel Universe would go bye bye. Food for thought, I think that the Molecule Man would be a good way for Marvel to really have the zombies attack the 616 heroes and then can have it fixed by him fixing it.
