The Good , the Bad and the Ugly [1-8-12]

[SUPERECWFAN1]

#85

Its a new year and a new group of some great comics. This year starts off good with books by Jason Aaron , Brian Bendis and Jonathon Hickman . So lets get the new year started right and lets get roooollling...


SPOILERS AHEAD...

LAST CHANCE....


The Good


Ultimate Comics Must Have :Spiderman #1-#3: This book basically is a cheap reprint of issues 1-3 of the latest new Ultimate Spider-Man launch. The issue basically has Norman Osborn and a scientist discussing the experiment that made Spider-Man. Norman wants it repeated but the scientist and him are unsure how and what spider led to Spidey's powers.

Norman threatens the scientist and is later seen arrested in the Daily Bugle. We soon see a Spider escape due to a thief . He steals a canister and the Spider hops along for the ride. The story then changes to seeing the introduction of a smart young kid Mark Morales . He is seen with his parents at a special school lottery where really smart kids are chosen by lottery balls. His mom sits and prays for him and celebrates like crazy when he gets in !

Mark then goes to visit his caring uncle who is a bit shady. We see with the same bag he is the thief who robbed the lab. The spider crawls out and bites Mark. Which makes him foam at the mouth. His uncle calls his dad and the 2 argue over why Mark was visiting him. This makes Mark leave and he turns invisible !

Morales learns he can blend into the background of things to hide. He also takes off and leaps over a vendor , making people scream he's a mutant. Morales is trying to get used to it all and bullies in his neighborhood start picking on him. Morales stingers from his hands sting the guy and knocks him out which freaks everyone out !

His dad later explains why he doesn't want him around his uncle. He's ashamed of his past and tells Mark that he stole like his uncle. But he quit once he saw he could have the "dream" and achieve it. He wants his son to have every chance he never got growing up to be better. Its a nice father/son moment.

Later Morales tells his best friend about his powers and he tells Mark he should become a hero. The friend searches online and finds out Morales has the same Spider powers like Spider-Man had. That he is Spider-Man now. Morales doesn't want that. But he sees a fire break out and saves a woman and kid. Getting props from the people there.

At the end Morales learns that Spider-Man was shot and killed on the bridge !

Its a very good 1-3 run that I tried to break down best I could. Bendis was firing on all cylinders here. It really reminds me of his good run when he started USM back in 2001. He has a character people will like. Its the best Bendis work I have lived in years. It makes me wanna pick up USM actually. So I may just start doing that.


Batman #4 : Bruce Wayne is stuck in an exploding building which he triggered last issue by a tripwire . He uses his brains to manage to escape the building and get home. Its there with Dick Grayson he discusses the case and the Court of Owls conspiracy that began in the 1800's. It began with his great great grandfather , Alan Wayne. Of course Bruce doesn't believe a real Court of Owls exist now .

He details right after his parents murder he spent weeks working a case believing it was an elaborate conspiracy by the Court of Owls. He did some investigation work and soon realized after being locked in a secret room a week and being in the hospital , he let his own motivation dictate a case.

Bruce later goes to the sewers where his great great grandfather was found . Its there he finds really old marks. He gets jumped by Talon and dragged down. Bruce awakes in a puzzle of sorts , with no utility belt . People in owl masks having in trapped in the puzzle.

Its a great read and I can't wait to see Bruce find a way to get out of the death trap/puzzle. I always like that in a way with Batman. Him using his brains to figure out a puzzle of sorts.


Fantastic Four #601 : The Fantastic Four are facing an invasion by the Kree forces. The Supreme Intelligence that has returned wants to raze the Earth . Sue Storm is trying to hold her shield above NYC as a bomb explodes. The Supreme Intelligence wants another bomb used. Elsewhere Ben Grimm is taking a beaten from some Kree and seems on the verge of losing.

Inside we see the return of Johnny Storm. Peter is over-joyed by this and hugs him. The 2 share a joke about the horrible costumes Reed has made and then goes to rally everyone once Spidey tells him about the Kree invasion. He does just that with a lit 4 sign. Sue cries seeing it as Ben Grimm sees and rallies back.

Ronin in this time realizes the horror he has unleashed. The Supreme intelligence allows him to live and watch what unfolds. Ronin and Crystal can't believe what is happening.

Reed and Johnny know things are bad. The Light Brigade will help stop the Kree in space. But they need more help. Johnny wants to use his Annilihation wave he has control over. In space he has the ship and gonna lead it into battle. But the Kree still feel more powerful. Until the Inhumans emerge and decide they will make war with the Kree as well.

Another bomb is launched and Reed admits , they may win this war , but the Earth may not survive !

Its a hell of a good issue. I did love seeing the crying reactions of Sue and Ben seeing that Johnny was back. It was a touching scene. And now the big war will happen next issue.


Hellblazer #286 : The trenchcoat saga hits its end as John Constantine is busy helping his niece Gemma . He shows up at Tasmin's place and has her book of demons. John basically tells her she won't be using the book anymore and sets it on fire. She swears revenge on him and he tells her to get in line.

Later he meets with Terry Graves who details that the Jersey mob is coming and have a hit on him . Constantine isn't worried as Graves tells him at some point he's gonna get old and get sloppy.

Georgie , the girl who was the 1st to find Constantine's coat , rambles to a cab driver about the evil of the coat killing her mom. She arrives there and finds the hit man from Jersey wearing the coat. She tries to tell the man that the coat is the one doing it all , but the coat has control now.

Constantine and Epiphany get told by Chas about the strange woman who discussed an evil coat. They go to her house and find she has been shot dead in the face. The guy emerges influenced by the coat and tries to kill Constantine and Epiphany. John talks to the coat and brings up their past , how close they are and what they shared over the years. The coat remembers Constantine and kills the mob guy.

Epiphany is stunned as Constantine puts the coat back on and he claims it just wanted to find its way home. They arrive home and open the door stunned at the next sight. Gemma is caught having sex with Terry Graves. She basically blackmails John to help her save her mom's soul in hell over this. Constantine realizes to get Gemma from stop having sex with Graves , he has to save her mom.

Its really amping up and it should be interesting to see what happens in the next big arc. Where Constantine goes to hell to free Gemma's mom. I can't wait to read that .


Witch Doctor #4 of (4): The story begins as Doctor Morrow details to the board on how he and his assistant Gast survived. After some prodding he begins where the fish-men wanted human males to breed with their fish women. Which Gast is totally against ! We learn that Morrow moments earlier gave him special pills to help him fry them.

Gast soon runs out of spark and Penny Dreadful ends up saving them. They escape back to Dr.Morrow's house as we get a comical scene where Morrow yells he's tired of people storming his place like he's Frankenstein. They get there and Morrow needs to take a pill to learn how to beat these fish people.

So he gives Gast a big gun and Excalibur . He warns him not to stab or the sword will get stuck and he can't pull it out. Gast is fighting and one by accident seems to fall into the sword making him stab him. The sword gets stuck. Gast gets jumped by the numbers and looks near death as he hopes Dr.Morrow can get the answer.

end of part 1... 2nd part coming.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Its there he finds the answer . ANTIBOTICS. He uses them to kill every creature there and save Gast. This pisses off the 2 on the board who claim Morrow shouldn't have killed them all. That he needs to give up his position and have his magical powers removed. Morrow stands up and rips them , claiming if they can be the chosen ones to save the universe they can !

They don't take up his offer to pull the sword from the table. Instead they let Morrow keep his position. After some word on Penny's arms and his work on Gast's ribs they discuss the future. That they wonder if one could have escaped.

Its a very fun read and I loved the monsters that Morrow faced. Evil fairy eating babies and now a creature from the black lagoon to finish. Nice finish and I could get behind a series of this.


Wolverine and the X-Men #3 : This fun ride continues as Kade Kilgore (the descendant of Doctor Frankenstein) has launched an army of Frankenstein monsters and other creatures . Kilgore is the Black King of the new Hellfire Club.

The issue opens as Quentin Quire discusses how he has came to be at Jean Grey School . Wolverine is seen telling Cap , that Quire deserves a chance to try and change direction of his life. That if he goes to a special prison he could end up a worse monster. Captain America agrees and wants status reports on him. The moment things get worse , the Avengers will retake Quire.

A monster comes smashing through his room as he watches. Broo and Idie come in as they don't know who Quire is. Then Kid Gladiator comes crashing through to fight the monster. He too has no clue who Quire is as it irks him. Outside the ground by Kraoka is trying to destroy the school .

Quire has a close discussion with it and comes to a deal with it. Rachel Gray herself claims that she has reached the living ground's mind. It was lonely and wanting to belong. The descendant of Frankenstein used it. Rachel learns it wants to be an X-Man and Wolverine allows it as the battles end.

At the end he warns Kilgore to never come back to the school. Kitty tries to brush off the kiss Bobby Drake gave her. The school admins from upstate leave happy as they have no memory of the past 24 hours . In his office we see that Matt Murdock was hired to deliver a summons to Kilgore. Its there we learn Wolverine is suing him for over $800+ million dollars due to his attack on the school !

At the end of the issue Kilgore has hired Sabertooth to get his revenge ! Quire is happy to relax by the pool as Wolverine wonders if he had a hand in it. Kroaka is happy to defend the school.


The Bad

F.F (Future Foundation) #13: The issue basically opens with the kids opening the dimensional gateway bridge for the other Reed Richards. The kids are stunned at what they see. On the bridge as they walk the Celestial's are busy fighting . That the war is coming and that this is what Nathaniel Richards warned his grand daughter Valeria about.

We see a flashback as Nathaniel discusses the 4 cities and how they will hit . Valeria wonders if they can change it from happening and as he details , no. The future can't be changed. It can however cause the events not to happen all at once and give them time to deal with them. To make it easier.

Doom demands he be freed as does Kristoff. The other Reed objects at 1st. But Valeria pushes he be freed if he wants the weapon she carries. He agrees freeing Doom from his neck brace.

Franklin Richards interacts with a Celestial and they basically detail he's an Omega level mutant. They claim he will be hated and scorned for what he does and be sentenced to a nothingness existence . He pushes against that and frees himself. At this point the Celestial's know they are there and try to keep the gateway open.

That Reed claims he will hold the bridge til they get away. Doom agrees to stay as well and help which Valeria doesn't want her uncle to do. He tells her , he will be fine...because he is DOOM.. 'Destroyer of Worlds , what God dares stand up to me ?!"

Its a good story so how does it end up on my bad list ? Its the horrible shitty art by Juan Bobillo where you question just how fucking bad it can be. I have never seen art distract so bad from a story since ...well in a looong long time. Hickman is telling a solid story , but the art is so godawful bad , you hate reading it.

Unless the art improves by 15 , its likely I am gonna drop it.


The Ugly

No Ugly books on the list this week folks. Happy reading and thanks for any comments ya drop.