My Week in Comics: Secret Wars – Tidying Up the Multi-Verse.

Secret Wars

With Marvel’s Secret Wars event in full swing, the entire universe is slowly beginning to pull together, with whole new #1’s tying up loose ends and planting new seeds. These multi-crossover titles add extra depth to the Secret Wars scenario, but are they worth jumping on board with?

Secret Wars #3

Completely bewildered by the events of Secret Wars so far? Join the club! Lucky for us, all begins to become clear in issue three of the eight-part series.  Universes are colliding, and the past is starting to resurface for the characters under Doom’s rule. Having re-read the first three issues together, it’s obvious that by the time Secret Wars finishes, it will be epic in scale. Now that the multi-verses are undergoing huge upheaval, I cannot wait to see how and where things end, and where new beginnings lie for so many beloved characters.

The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1

With our Secret Wars heroes facing little but destruction and devastation at the moment, Peter Parker has a tough choice to make. Now a husband and father, he begins to question his duty as Spider-Man. Is risking his life to aid the Avengers worth it if it means possibly losing MJ and Annie? In an event which is primarily an examination of survival, it’s an interesting perspective to see Parker struggle with this choice. Either way, he is heroic. He can actively save lives by being in the Avengers, or he can hang up the suit and save his family. It will be interesting to see how his final choice affects him, and everyone around him, in upcoming issues.

Is it worth picking up as a Secret Wars tie-in?: Absolutely. A completely new take on the complexities of being a superhero during huge events, where we’re reminded that they’re also human. It’s a question of priorities, and the flux of what great responsibilities really are as heroes grow older and their lives begin to change.

Armour Wars #1

You’ve probably guessed it already, but Armour Wars is centred on the Starks. Set in Technopolis, we see a world which relies primarily on technology for advancement. Opening with Albert Einstein’s quote, “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. The human spirit must prevail” is a powerful sentiment which echoes throughout the whole book. In a completely armoured world, where humanity and technology appear to have merged into one, and memories of running free without being encased in metal are distant and melancholic, it’s a haunting examination of how reliant humanity has become on technology. It’s also disturbing to imagine a world which feels it needs to be encased in a world of armour.

Is it worth picking up as a Secret Wars tie-in?: It’s a very interesting idea, and sets up for a much larger storyline. Establishing a feud within the ever turbulent Stark family, it’s raised a number of questions which are yet to be answered. A fun tie-in for Iron Man fans, or those with a particular interest in the human relationship and reliance on technology.

Giant Size Little Marvel: AvX #1

Skottie Young strikes gold again with his adorable and hilarious take on the characters of the Marvel Universe. Giant Size Little Marvel plays exactly to Young’s strengths: his unique artwork and tongue-in-cheek writing style makes a comic about tiny avengers and x-men appealing to audiences of all ages. Filled with quick-quips, subtle jokes which make you linger over every panel, and over-the-top references, there’s something in this book that every Marvel reader of all ages will enjoy.

Is it worth picking up as a Secret Wars tie-in?: If you’re looking for light relief from all the fighting and universe upheaval, Giant Size Little Marvel is the book for you. Any Skottie Young fan will be delighted with his latest work, and its self-aware silliness only adds to its appeal. Full-on fun!

Old Man Logan #1

Alongside creating brand new stories, Marvel are revisiting some of their older renowned stories to see how their universes are coping under the stress of Secret Wars. Old Man Logan is one of these titles. With Bendis picking up the powerful pen which Mark Millar once wielded, we return to the gritty world of Old Man Logan. Much darker than most of the titles on offer from the Secret Wars range, it was a fascinating read which enthrals and entices the reader. Exploring a desolate wasteland after the heroes are gone, Logan is determined to discover more of what’s going on. With the tone of a dark Western Gangster movie, with absolutely stunning art and colours from Andrea Sorrentino and Marcelo Maiolo, it’s a welcomed return to the comics-verse for the old man.

Is it worth picking up as a Secret Wars tie-in?: Yes. Dark and gritty, not only is it stunning to look at, but it’s a compelling read which carries the tone of a Japanese vengeance movie in the grim underworld of the wild west. Bendis is a worthy successor, offering a much more personal view of how Secret Wars is impacting the multi-verse.

Years of Future Past #1

The mutants are never going to have an easy time of it, and alongside the death of so many during the Secret Wars, it’s inevitable that humans have once again pointed their finger-of-judgement towards those they fear for being different: mutant-kind. This time, we follow Christina Pryde, Kitty’s daughter, in the struggles against the Sentinels that are hunting the few remaining mutants. It’s a very powerful book, which brings the haunting history of the holocaust crashing into the modern era. Yes, it retraces a lot of Days of Future Past’s steps, but seeing it through new eyes, it’s an interesting examination of right and wrong, and what makes people “human”.

Is it worth picking up as a Secret Wars tie-in?: All fans of X-Men will undoubtedly enjoy this tie-in, and it’s a good one for anyone not keeping up with Secret Wars. Although there are a few references, it’s easy enough to follow without having to know the entire back story. With the style and tone of its predecessor, Years of Future Past is a great read with a lot of potential.

Outside of Secret Wars

It’s not all one big Marvel mish-mash of stories tying into one – many of our favourites are still continuing as usual, as well as a few new additions!

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #6

If you hadn’t already guessed, I adore Squirrel Girl, and it’s only getting better. This issue, we meet some new characters, our narrator is wittier than ever, and there’s a Girl Squirrel talking chiit to people. Charming as ever, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl goes from strength to strength! You’d be nuts to miss it!

Princess Leia #4

Princess Leia also seems to be finding its stride, and with astonishing sales figures each month, it’s great to see so many people invested in following her solo adventure. I cannot get over how gorgeous the art in this book is, and each issue I continue to admire Leia’s strong will. There’s an interesting parallel between Leia and women in comics and sci-fi, in that she is constantly being underestimated by everyone. Yet, she knows her own power and continues to fight to do the right thing. A new hope in comics!

Groot #1

On the back of Rocket Raccoon’s solo story success, the loveable tree-rogue, Groot, now has his very own series. It’s very sweet, and an interesting idea which will undoubtedly face challenges. How do you keep a character who only speaks three words from becoming boring? Surely the novelty will wear off? Yet, for having limited vocabulary, Groot is astonishingly expressive and emotion-filled in this first issue. There’s character beneath the bark. It will be fascinating to see if Groot’s roots can plant itself firmly in the comics’ universe.

The First Rule of Fight Club…

The long awaited sequel to Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club has arrived! Being an overly-obsessive Palahniuk fan, I was excited yet wary to see how the sequel to his smash hit novel (although, apparently more people disappointingly recognise it from the Fincher movie) would work in comics form. It’s fantastic that Palahniuk is penning the story himself. We are not forced into an adaptation, but to the natural continuation of the story by the man who knows it best. What happened once we closed the final chapter of Fight Club?

We return to the life of our unnamed narrator (now named Sebastian). He is now on multiple medications for his ‘mental-illness’; is married to Marla and is father to a child; and is unhappy as hell. His life is falling apart. Palahniuk confronts the return to ‘normalcy’ as bluntly as possible: Sebastian’s life is crap – he’s unappreciated at a dead-end job, he feels very little, and he’s very aware that his wife is in love (or lust…) with his alter-ego. Tyler Durden is both the best and worst thing about himself.

Not all authors can transition their work from book to comic, but Chuck Palahniuk’s writing suits the comic structure perfectly. The timing, tone and tension are masterfully crafted. This is only enhanced by Cameron Stewart’s fantastic artwork. Combined, each panel is carefully and cleverly structured to add depth to the undoubtedly unravelling mind of Sebastian/Tyler. The distortion and disruption of panels by pills and petals demonstrate a sense of disarray in everyday life. Clever and gripping, Fight Club 2 looks to be a promising work of art, in both the literary and visual sense.

My Week in Comics: International Women’s Day Edition.

Webbed Women

Okay, so I’m backtracking a few weeks here. But I’m a big spidey fan – always have been. It’s no accident I named the blog after MJ’s infamous quote. So to say I’m excited by all the amazing spider-women coverage over the past 3 weeks is a massive understatement.

I may have read Spider-Gwen #1 at least 4 times. Like most, I instantly fell in love with the character when she appeared in Edge of Spider-Verse. A role-reversed version of the Peter/Gwen story, a fantastic female, a drummer in a rock band – there’s so much going for her. And that costume – amazing. Feminine, but comfort over cat-suit, and flats over heels. The colour scheme is fantastic. I can’t wait to see the cosplay response, and am desperately hoping Spider-Gwen hoodies will be a thing.

Issue #1 of Spider-Gwen takes everything we loved about her Spider-Verse appearance and builds on it. It’s a visually stunning book, from the cover all the way through. Rico Renzi’s colours are gorgeous – bold and bright shades working together to create subtle tones for different scenes. Each panel is a joy to look at. The art itself (Robbie Rodriguez) fits the book perfectly. It’s obviously a superhero comic, but has a completely different feel from 90% of the supers-books on the market right now.

As for storytelling, I’m very intrigued. I like that Spider-Gwen is a conflicted character. She wants to be in The Mary Janes, but knows she has responsibility, so walks away. I particularly like the attention to female friendships. We’ve all felt guilty because we’ve wanted to be involved in something with our best friends so badly but have had to step aside, and we’ve been annoyed at that friend who has to put other commitments first. But the girls don’t bitch about her. They’re not horrible girls you wouldn’t want to hang out with. They’re normal. They’re trying to find solutions – they want Gwen as a drummer, but she’s a no-show, what do they do? Fall out? Yes. But I have a feeling they’ll all be jamming again after a 10-minute cool-down. It wouldn’t be a supers comic if there wasn’t an ego-check lesson, after all.

Her father knows and is trying to help her clear her name, which is good. No family secrets – a nice twist to have someone in law enforcement on pro-webslinger for once! Finally, there’s the spider-sass. A vital component of every spider-character. She’s got the quick quips that seems to come with a radioactive spider-bite, but she’s also very aware of her limits, even if does come a bit late. The climactic battle with the Vulture particularly shows this: Too Far. Too Fast. Too High.

What I particularly like about Spider-Gwen is that it has a very feminine feel to it. Not in that every page is pink and guys would be embarrassed to like it, but more in: if Gwen Stacey had been bitten by a radioactive spider instead of Peter Parker, this is what it would look like. She’d be a real girl, facing real girl struggles, with all the difficulties of saving the world piled on top.

But Gwen’s not the only female wall-crawler staring in her own solo spider series this month. We also have Silk #1. Again, I have read and re-read this, and can confidently say I love Cindy Moon. For one thing, she took that spider-bite like a champ when Dan Slott first introduced her – barely flinching while Peter Parker made quite the scene rolling around the floor.

The events of Spider-Verse were centred around Silk. Having spent years hiding in a bunker from the Inheritors, Cindy Moon’s now re-joined the world. Here we have the classic ‘out-of-time’ hero trying to fit in: but here’s where Silk is different – she totally represents those awkward teenage/twenteenage years, that space between childhood and adulthood where you’re not quite sure what’s relevant and important anymore. Not, ‘omg, a mobile telephone? What are internet?’, but trying to fit in while still being independent. This is comically poked at when Silk questions the status of Pokemon today. Can she still joke about them? Sure, she’ll call Spider-Man for a chat, but she wants to figure things out on her own. Be on her own.

Again, the art is beautiful. Feminine, but strong.  And I don’t think I have to explain how fantastic it is to have an Asian female superhero. Pushing all the boundaries. Bravo, Marvel.

Finally, we have Spider-Woman #5. We surely all know Jessica Drew by now, so no introductions necessary. The most significant feature of this issue is, of course, the costume change! We’ve all known it’s been coming for a while, but it’s finally official: on the comics page itself!

I am loving the new look. Goodbye body paint, hello practical crime fighting gear. Jessica Drew is looking awesome: riding a motorbike in a spider-jacket, cool sunglasses, compact web-wings, and comfortable trousers, a new day has dawned for super-women and fashion! I think this could open Spider-Woman to a whole new world of readers, previously put off by her previous look (looking at you, Manara!). While the story was mainly setting up Drew’s departure from the Avengers, it’s a great hopping on point for new readers. Something’s clearly a-foot, with this Ben Urich character seeming as trustworthy as a snake. I’m curious to see how this new J-Drew progresses – a promising new debut.

Overall, 5 webs out of 5 for Spider-Women in comics!

Non-Compliant

If you’re not reading the amazing Kelly Sue Deconnick’s Bitch Planet, you’re not comicsing right. Deconnick has completely hit the nail on the head with this series, and I’m so happy it’s a thing. In case you’ve been living under a rock: Bitch Planet is a futuristic women’s prison in space, where women deemed troublesome and offensive by the patriarchy are shipped off until they learn to comply. Deconnick openly confronts the issues us ladies have in trying to cope with everyday life in a manner that’s entertaining, accessible, and eye-opening.

The latest issue (#3) focuses on Penny Role, and has perhaps been the most accessible portrayal of women in western societies today. Penny’s a big girl. Amongst various crimes (mostly assault), she’s on BP for her “wanton obesity”. She’s separated from her loving family, put in to care, taught to control her hair so it’s “either black or white” – not somewhere in between, and continually ridiculed for her weight. She has to “learn to see yourself through the fathers’ eyes”. It’s no wonder she has those assault charges!

The highlight of the issue, however, was when the patriarchy scanned Penny to discover her ideal identity and compare it to their own ‘goal’ of how everyone should be. But Penny’s ideal self is, well, herself. She is who she wants to be, and she’s embraced it totally: which is the most empowering thing anyone can do.

Every issue of Bitch Planet also contains an essay regarding feminism. And each issue, my eyes are opened a little wider to just how widespread these issues are, and how far we still have to go. These opinions and experiences are just as powerful as the comic itself. I strongly believe Kelly Sue is doing a fantastic thing with Bitch Planet, and would recommend everyone read it and ask: Are You Non-Compliant?

What the… Walking Dead?!

Wait…what?! Is Maggie..?! That eye-socket scene…?! Curse you, Kirkman!

I Love New Thor

Solid story-telling, brilliant art, fun plots. These pages pretty much speak for themselves. If you’re not reading Jason Aaron’s current Thor run, I’d recommend you rush to your nearest comics store now:

The Force is Strong in this one.

Yup, another #1. Princess Leia has her own comic! And, guess what?! That’s right – I loved it! Leia is perhaps one of the most famous female sci-fi figures, and now we have reason to admire her for more than just that gold bikini (seriously, get over it.)

As with most #1’s, this was very much a set up (again, with absolutely stunning art). The rebels don’t have a whole lot of time to celebrate or mourn following events with the Empire – and being in charge, Leia’s got herself a negative reputation already: the Ice Princess. Luckily, she’s not singing any songs about letting it go or building snowmen. Instead, she’s taking charge of the situation. She refuses to be held in Yavin, knowing she would be best out in the field, helping.

Enter Evaan: the fighter pilot with an attitude. A strong believer in continuing tradition, she has her issues with Leia. However, it’s clear a strong bond is being built and they’ll be besties before long. Both Leia and Evaan are headstrong and driven, they’re smart, cunning, and determined. And, significantly, they stand together despite their differing perspectives. I’m very interested in seeing where Marvel will take Leia and Evaan, aside from Naboo.

Ain’t No Thing Like Me, ‘Cept Me.

I love Skottie Young. His Oz series was amazing, I buy all of his variant covers, and have prints of his art. It’s adorable. So, of course I’d be reading Rocket Raccoon – and TPB #1 is finally here! Rocket Raccoon: A Chasing Tale. This book is so much fun. First of all, a tiny rodent with big guns – hilarious, in any situation. But Rocket really has heart. There’s no thing like him, except maybe there is. This first collection throws our favourite talking raccoon into the deep end when a mysterious doppelganger gets him into, well, more trouble than he’s usually in anyway.

Rocket Raccoon is pretty much everything you’d imagine it to be and then some. It’s funny, it’s colourful, it’s action-packed, and there’s such a strong sense of loyalty, friendship and – saving your own ass. A very welcomed addition to the usual Superhero titles.

This leads me nicely to Guardians Team-Up #1. Everyone loves a cross-over event, don’t they?! And what better than two of the biggest movie franchises teaming up – the Guardians and the Avengers. Cool! Again, first issues spend a bit of time setting up. The pacing is good, the idea solid, but the action was a bit of a mess once the Guardians crash-landed on earth. Too many cooks spoil the broth, as they say, and the same can be said for too many heroes throwing punches in one panel.

But, the final reveal has me intrigued. You win again, Marvel. Take all my money.

Age of Ultron

I need this. Now.

The new Age of Ultron trailer has been released and it looks awesome. See for yourself:

Supergirl Outfit.

Jessica Drew’s not the only one changing wardrobes this week. CW have released Supergirl’s new look for the upcoming TV series, and yay! It’s respectable! No low cut crop-top, no teeny tiny skirt and bare legs, no plastic boots. Just all-round practical crime-fighting gear (well, except the cape, but we can let that one slide). It’s still classically Supergirl, but with the modern grimey edge the CW DC adaptations seem to be taking. I’m a fan!

Real Life Heroes

Finally, Chris Evans upheld his side of the deal: after losing a Superbowl bet, the Captain America actor visited a children’s hospital in Seattle with Guardians of the Galaxy front man (and TV’s greatest FBI Agent/Karate legend), Chris Pratt. Real heroes using their powers for good. Way to go, guys!