First things first: Lina, my partner in Marvel crime, has started her own blog called The Nerdette’s Guide. Good reading for nerds and nerdettes alike!
I’m really loving that Second Coming is a weekly story spread over different titles, unlike Siege which is taking forever. Just a few titles this week.
Spoilers for: Siege: Spider-Man, X-Factor, X-Men Legacy, Marvel Her-Oes.
Siege: Spider-Man
Writer: Brian Reed
Artist: Marco Santucci
Story: 4/5
Art: 4/5
The one and only major problem I have with this issue is that Carnage is not the person Spider-Man should be having a story with. Yeah, Osborn’s reached a level that requires the Avengers, but he’s always been a Spider-Man villain, and has an intensely personal relationship with Peter Parker.
Anyway, that aside, I really enjoyed this one-shot. I still think most of these aren’t adding to the overall Siege storyline as a whole, but some of them are delivering when it comes to the little things.
Reed knows how to write a funny Spider-Man without being too over the top, and he handles Ms Marvel well (when not tied down to a solo book he had no clue what to do with anymore). While I really and truly enjoy Peter and Carol’s friendship, the hints at something more make me a little wary. It could work, but I’m not sure they’re a good fit, romance wise.
The art was really great as well, except for every single panel that showcased Ms Marvel’s face. Oh, and all the gratuitous ass shots. Really, Santucci? Was that necessary?
X-Factor #204
Writer: Peter David
Artist: Valentine De Landro
Story: 3/5
Art: 4/5
Ever since the previews for this issue, I’ve been waiting for it madly – because that one glimpse of Siryn in a single panel is more than we’ve had of her for nearly four months, which is an age in comic book time. And even longer when she’s your favorite character in the entire Marvel U. At least this issue lets us know that the entire team will finally be back together in the next issue, which is going to be such a relief after all the turmoil in the past 15 issues.
But let’s get to the story: while this more a side story to Second Coming, it’s still intriguing seeing the sorts of plans Bastion has for all mutants, not just those on Utopia and Hope. This issue was mostly exposition, I think, which didn’t really help it much. It’s the first time I’d rate anything coming out of X-Factor lower than a 4/5, and to tell the truth, only the crazy splash page the end made up for it. I can’t wait for the next issue.
And not just for Siryn, I promise.
X-Men Legacy #235 (Second Coming Chapter 4)
Writer: Mike Carey
Artist: Greg Land
Story: 5/5
Art: 3/5
Second Coming is easily shaping up to be one of the best X-crossovers. The story is so well plotted, so tightly written by all the various writers and so engrossing, it makes me glad every time I realize there’s a new chapter coming out only the next week.
Carey truly has a way with the mutants, because every beat in this was well done, every move, every emotion, every death made sense. Or, if not sense, then at least we saw how it led there.
And can I get a HELL YEAH WARLOCK?
I surprised myself by liking some of Land’s art. I feel a little dirty, but there it is. Even though some of his stuff was obviously ripped off — that Warlock splash, for instance — and Emma had some cross-eyed action going on and I’m not sure neither Land nor the colorist knew how to make the comic art in one book seem uniform. Adi Granov’s covers continue to blow everyone else’s art out of the water, though, so it doesn’t really matter to me. I get the gorgeous stuff anyway.
Marvel Her-Oes #1
Writer: Grace Randolph
Artist: Craig Rousseau
Story: 3/5
Art: 5/5
I was surprised by this dubious foray into the female market Marvel’s had failure connecting with lately. (We do not talk about Marvel Divas in these parts.) The problem is that they do have women readers, but the women who want to read comics with strong female role models are not the women who want to read about catty friends and crushes on high school boys.
Yeah, most of us didn’t fit in, which is a theme that does ring true here, but everything else…why did Jen have to put Jan down almost every single time they talked? Why is Namorita such a Regina King character? Why are we still buying into these stereotypes of teenage girls?
If that prized cash cow Marvel’s looking for happens to get this for one reason or another, why is Jan trying to be herself the only good storyline in an introductory issue? I really hope that teenager take that away from this, and not that spying Namorina George to use information to get the popular boy to seem interested in Jan is something that works in real life.
Let’s not even talk about the title. What’s so wrong with “Heroines,” Marvel? Well okay yeah, I get that, but why not just stick with Heroes? How the hell do you even pronounce Her-Oes? All I hear in my head is Hurrrr-oes, which is so not fetch.
Rousseau’s art is fantastic. His manga-like style coupled with Veronica Gandini’s colours is what’s going to make a teenage girl pick this book up. I just hope the storyline improves when she does.
Girls Read Comics Too 