There’s no denying that Avengers vs. X-Men #8 is a definite step up in quality and clarity from last issue, but holy crap this is a frustrating comic. I’m trying to stay objective in this, I really am. But speaking as someone who supports Cyclops and the X-Men, Marvel doesn’t seem to have any idea what they’re trying to say with this story. Everything reads as if they’re trying to paint the X-Men as the overwhelming bad guys and the Avengers as the scrappy underdogs. But while that may be implied, at least in my opinion, it is not reflected in what actually happens on the page.
Avengers vs. X-Men #8
Or maybe I’m just reading this comic wrong. I just don’t know anymore. Suffice to say, this was an entertaining issue with a great fight scene and actual emotion and nuance pushing the narrative forward. Unfortunately, it’s just so damn frustrating!
Comic rating: 3/5: Alright!
I’ll get to specifics when I get to the synopsis, because I don’t want to spoil anything here in the opening segment. But basically the X-Men are painted as evil, violent monsters who must be stopped – but other than Namor attacking Wakanda, the X-Men have done nothing wrong. In fact, they’re doing great things that are making the world a better place. But they must be stopped, just because. Meanwhile, the Avengers are pig-headed bullies who are blindly following an arrogant and stubborn Captain America. Even Black Panther and Beast, who dared to question him two issues ago, are still gladly following Cap’s command.
Yet there are specific and actual lines of dialogue in this issue that reveal Captain America to be the jackass I said he was, who’s only interested in being right. It boggles the mind. If Marvel had decided to just go for it and have the Avengers be heroes and the X-Men be villains, maybe I’d like this comic book more. But they’ve so greatly smudged the two sides that it’s just getting too frustrating to fully enjoy.
At least the art is still great. This time by Adam Kubert. Marvel got some major art talent on this series. Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and a better explanation about what I’m getting at.
Batman has the best bad guys in all of comics. From the Joker to Two-Face to Poison Ivy, each one represents a dark reflection of different aspects of Batman’s character. Joker is the chaos to Batman’s order. The duality of Two-Face and Harvey Dent reflects the duality of Batman and Bruce Wayne. Poison Ivy is all about sexuality, which underlines Batman’s own manliness and sexual prowess. Ladies. All of the classic Bat-villains are a dark, twisted version of Batman himself. You can’t say the same thing for any of Spider-Man’s villains.
Best. Rogues Gallery. Ever.
So with The Dark Knight Rises due to come out this weekend, I’ve decided to share with you my favorite Batman villains. You already know that my favorite character from the world of Batman is his sidekick Robin. But what about the bad guys? Here is the list of my top 6 Batman bad guys! And I would love to hear your own choices in the comments!
For every lady who has a nerdy boyfriend like mine, Shauna Sweeney brings a tribute to the massive geeks in our lives…and the geeky ladies who love them.
Learn more about this artist at http://shawnasweeney.com
I declare this to be an absolutely perfect issue of Scarlet Spider – though the new artist leaves a bit to be desired. This is a wonderful little comic, full of comedy, action and spontaneity. I was worried that Kaine was going to be stuck in a rut after the past few issues, at least as far as his cast is concerned, but writer Christopher Yost threw me a curveball that I never would have seen coming. And I like what it might mean for the series in the future. We also get a new villainous enterprise to deal with, one with a definite Houston-esque feel to it. And that last page cliffhanger practically screams ‘Texas!’
Scarlet Spider #7
And this issue is funny! Like, laugh-out-loud funny. Kaine isn’t cracking wise and making quips like his Manhattan ‘cousin’, but the writing in this issue is top notch.
Comic rating: 5/5: Great.
The only problem, and it’s not much of a problem, is new artist Khoi Pham. Previous artist, Ryan Stegman, has been promoted to the Fantastic Four series, so I imagine that’s a big step up from something like Scarlet Spider. More power to him. But Pham does not do as good a job with the Scarlet Spider character, his costume, and definitely not the action. Stegman drew fantastic, inventive action scenes that were full of energy. Pham, not so much. But it’s not that big of a deal. The rest of the issue is drawn quite well, and I’ve no doubt that Pham, if he’s sticking around, will get the hang of it.
Best of all, this issue really shines with Kaine and his unique personality. The tagline ‘All of the power, none of the responsibility’ lives up to its bold claim this issue. Kaine is a little wild, he’s a little cruel, and he’s definitely struggling with this whole ‘superhero’ thing. He’s not just a goody-two-shoes like Peter Parker, and it definitely shines through in this issue. I hope Yost really pushes this personality in Kaine, because I think he has the potential to be a really cool protagonist.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
This needs to be made by a real studio, right now.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Y: The Last Man, I’ll give you a synopsis:
A mysterious plague has wiped out every human male on the planet, except for one. How does the hero cope as the last of his kind, in a world ruled by women? It’s smart, well-written, genuinely funny at times, and now it has its own fan-film.
Check out my comic, Gamer Girl & Vixen!
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