Captain America and the Mighty Avengers #2 (released 11/26)
Are the artist and writer even trying to make an interesting comic? This issue strikes me as as sloppy and mediocre—more Captain Meh and the Mighty Average—and I am so disappointed because I should love, I want to love this combination of characters, but all we get is what feels like a rehash of some plot that was probably part of score of other team books before without actually extracting any pleasure through self-reference or an ironic take. The fight against the Fast Five was okay, I guess. . . but the choreography of the battle and the hackneyed nature of the art sucks any pleasure out of whatever pure over the top superhero adventure that might be possible. If doesn’t help that this is a crossover with a pretty much reviled Marvel “event.” Not sure I can stick with this title.

 

 

 

Captain Marvel vol 8, #10 (released 12/17)
This is the 100th issue of a solo Carol Danvers book (original Ms. Marvel [23] + Ms. Marvel vol.2 [50] + Captain Marvel vol. 7 [17] + Captain Marvel vol. 8 [10] = 100), and I liked it. The story was fun and the various artists taking turns with each section of the story as told by a different character in letter form to Carol did a great job for the most part. However, for a 100th issue (even if an artificial one), there was not nearly enough Captain Marvel! Boo! Still, I liked it. Especially since the cool-ass throwback cover claims, “Follow Captain Marvel’s 100th Solo Adventure!”

 

 

Mind MGMT #29 (released 11/26)
Mind MGMT gets real, and is getting to feel like it is nearing an end. Kindt’s art continues to amaze and he has written a fantastic development of the lead character Meru. This series has an expected run of 36 issues, so it should be around into the summer, but do yourself a favor, if you haven’t picked this up yet, get the hardcover trades (they are up to Volume 4 and they come out fairly quickly), they are beautiful, relatively cheap and totally worth it! Mind MGMT was also Multiversity’s top pick for Best On-Going Series, both by its staff and its readers. It is also on AV club’s list of 2014’s best comics.

 

 

 

 

Ms. Marvel vol 3, #10 (released 12/17)
Is there even any point to my reviewing this anymore? Just buy it already. Or get the trade that came out at the end of October. P.S. the use of Lockjaw (my favorite Inhuman) as her partner/mentor/sidekick just makes it that much better.

 

 

 

 

 

The Multiversity: Pax Americana (released 11/19)
I’ll be coming back to this, but on first read (and now second), this is Grant Morrison at his derivative worst. Frank Quietly’s art is beautiful. I may keep it for the art, but Pax Americana is Morrison playing with Watchmen tropes to no apparent end. It is all style and no substance. That works for All-Star Superman, but for Watchmen? For Watchmen you actually have to have something to say, comment on an absence. Something. But no. Same shit we’ve been getting from Morrison for years, leaning on one mildly clever idea—superhero-parent death as politician origin story—and hoping the pastiche does the rest of the work. Don’t get me wrong. It is the best of the Multiversity books so far, by a long shot, but still more a nose thumbed at his idol/nemesis Alan Moore, than anything nearly as good as Moore’s work in its own right.

 

 

The Multiversity: Thunderworld Adventures (released 12/17)
Well. . . I like that he’s called Captain Marvel in this as he should be (Shazam is the wizard, god damn it!). This was a bit of a gesture of a story, but not really much of a story itself. Still, I do like the characterization of Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, and Captain Marvel, Jr. The art has a perfectly apt cartoon quality. I’d love an actual series like this aimed at kids, but with enough of a subtext for adults to enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

Saga vol. 4 (released 12/17)
If I haven’t reviewed an issue of Saga before, it’s because I don’t buy these monthly, but wait for the very timely trade collections to come out. But that doesn’t means it isn’t an amazing comic, a pulpy sex space opera that has a real heartbreaking quality to it and fantastic art by Fiona Staples. Destined to be a classic. Buy it. If you say you don’t enjoy it, all I can imagine is that you’re lying. . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

Storm #5 & #6 (released 11/19 & 12/17)
#5 is part two of Storm cleaning up the now dead Wolverine’s left over messes with Yukio. It was a decent story, but didn’t need to be a two-parter. I am still not feeling the art. #6 was much better, though I have to wonder why Storm has to take a plane to fly cross country when we saw her fly back and forth to a fictional Caribbean island in issue #1. Still, a story of her dealing with the consequences to those around her due to her superheroine-on-the-edge routine is a good one.

 

 

 

 

 

Superior Foes of Spider-Man #17 (released 11/19)
A fitting ending to a surprisingly great series, but simultaneously evidence that endings don’t matter. Shit, they even make a Lost and a Sopranos reference in it, because no series’ ending can ever live up to the hype of its on-goingness. I heard Spencer and Lieber are starting their own creator-owned series at Image Comics. Be on the look out for it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thor #3 (released 12/10)
The art! I love the art in this comic. Dauterman’s work is really impressive, but Matthew Wilson’s colors are carrying a fair share of the art duty as well. Bright and beautiful palette. The story itself is over the top, Thor killing Frost Giants, so what’s not to love? And the confrontation between The Minotaur and Malekith was fun. This issue won me over to this new Thor, even if we still don’t know who she is. Oh, and the cliffhanger is weird, what with Thor Odinson showing up with a mechanical arm, but hopefully next issue will explain it. This feels like what a superhero comic should be. Thumbs up!