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Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 11/24/12
Holy mackerel, it’s a big week in comic books for me! I know I buy a lot of comics each week, but for some reason, a veritable ton of books were waiting for me in the comic shop. I’m lucky I managed to get through them all! I may have to start bleeding over some titles into the week after if I get anymore weeks like this. I’m only one man, after all. So what do we have in store for us this week? A nice smattering of DC and Marvel, with a few new Marvel NOW! starts, including The Indestructible Hulk, the title I was most looking forward to. Did it live up to the hype? Maybe. How about the big Amazing Spider-Man surprise? That definitely lived up to the hype.
But surprise, surprise, the Comic Book of the Week turned out to be Captain Marvel #7! I’m glad to see that title finally carrying its weight.
Comic Reviews: Amazing Spider-Man #698, Batwoman #14, Captain America #1, Captain Marvel #7, Green Lantern: New Guardians #14, Hawkeye #4, Indestructible Hulk #1, Justice League #14, Nightwing #14, Red Hood and the Outlaws #14, Uncanny X-Force # 34, Wolverine and the X-Men #21, and Wonder Woman #14.
The Captain American Sequel Has Made a Good Choice for Its Villain
The man who killed Captain America has been cast as the villain in Captain America: Winter Soldier. The villainous mercenary Crossbones will be played by Frank Grillo, who I’ve never heard of.
I think this is an awesome choice of villain! If you’ve been reading Captain America over the past few years, especially around the time he was killed after Civil War, then you know just how badass and mencing Crossbones can be. He’s a big, tough, brickhouse of a man, with a truly sinister mask. And best of all, he doesn’t have some silly superhero costume. He dresses like a badass mercenary, a perfect fit in the more realistic-looking Marvel Movieverse. Crossbones could be a really gritty foe, able to get up close and personal in a fight with Cap, which is just what the next movie needs.
As for Frank Grillo, I have no idea. Apparently he’s appeared in stuff like The Grey and End of Watch, but I haven’t seen either. Does anybody have any idea whether or not Grillo would be good in the role?
For those of you who don’t know, the Winter Solder is actually Captain America’s sidekick, Bucky, who we all saw was killed in the first movie when he fell into that gorge. But as any comics fan will tell you: if there’s no body, he’s not dead. In the comics, Bucky’s body was recovered by the Soviets, and they turned him into a mind-controlled assassin. The name ‘Winter Soldier’ comes from the fact that they would put him in cryogenic freezing between missions, and unfreeze him every few years to kill somebody. This kept Bucky relatively young, and allows him to reappear in the modern day without being an 80-year-old geezer.
So if the new Captain America sequel follows the comic, we can bet that Bucky is going to be re-awakened in the modern day to face Captain America. In the comics, Bucky was woken up by the Red Skull, who was working with his henchman Crossbones and his daughter Sin. This was all part of a plot to destroy Cap, which included his assassination. Crossbones killed Cap with a sniper bullet on federal courthouse steps after Captain America was taken into custody following the superhero Civil War. Long story.
But with Crossbones now cast in the film, do you think we might see the death of Captain America? Or something similar?
And do you think Crossbones could carry a movie by himself? He’ll definitely be aided by the Winter Soldier, most likely. There’s been no word on whether or not the Red Skull would return, but actor Hugo Weaving has gone on record as saying he has no interest in returning to the role. I think that’s pretty much garbage, but then I have little patience for actors who consider themselves better than their roles.
Honestly though, I don’t even want the Red Skull to return for the sequel. He had his go, and definitely fit better when he could be surrounded by actual Nazis in World War II. Captain America is in the modern world now, and he should deal with modern problems. Leave the past in the past. He should face problems list terrorism and mercenary violence, so I think Crossbones is a great choice for the villain in Captain America: Winter Soldier.
What do you guys and girls think? Let me know in the comments!
Review: Avengers vs. X-Men #12
Cyclops was right. About everything. With the final issue of this mega crossover now upon us, I can say with clarity and confidence that Cyclops is the true hero of Avengers vs. X-Men. Oh sure, they want you to believe that Captain America is the real hero. And that Cyclops’ supposed ‘crimes’ are beyond redemption. But I’ve been saying it for a long time now: Marvel was unwilling to just make Cyclops a mustache-twirling bad guy. And this issue finally reveals why. Everything Cyclops set out to do in Avengers vs. X-Men was for good reason, and everything he fought for and people died for, will have been worth it thanks to the surprise ending of this series.
Avengers vs. X-Men #12 was a fantastic and exciting finale! It’s a little muddied with an over reliance on flashbacks, but the story is straightforward and the victory well deserved.
Comic rating: 5/5: Great!
In hindsight, I haven’t really liked most of the big crossovers at Marvel. I didn’t particularly care for Fear Itself last year. Secret Invasion was a dud. Civil War was alright, but Seige was quite dull. Avengers vs. X-Men, however, is one damn fine comic. Hero vs. hero, the fate of the world at stake! And even though the writers never really explored the deeper questions of faith and hope prevalent in the series, it’s still an exciting superhero comic. There were times I was annoyed with the series, and very frustrated at what Marvel was seemingly trying to say. But this issue alleviated all of my worries and frustrations with some solid follow through on Cyclops’ story arc.
Forget Hope, forget the Scarlet Witch, forget Captain America or Wolverine. Cyclops is the true star of this comic. He’s the only character who really grew or changed, who learned something from all of this. He’s the only character man enough to accept responsibility, while Captain America sticks with his petty bravado and arrogance.
This was a marvelous comic, settling all of my disputes in a big, bombastic climax. Although I’m not sure why Iron Man is featured so prominently on the cover. Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review.
New Avengers Deleted Scenes Goodies!
UPDATE: Unfortunately, all these videos have since been taken down off the Internet. I guess Marvel actually wants people to buy The Avengers DVD for the extras. Who knew?
After that Hulk deleted scene yesterday, more deleted scenes from The Avengers have hit the web. They’re all pretty sweet, but you can kind of tell why they were deleted. Some are a little long in the tooth, and give away some of the awesomeness that would come later in the film. These are still some fantastic deleted scenes. New Avengers content is like early Christmas!
First we have an alternate opening/closing sequence using Maria Hill to bring us into and out of the movie.
The opening:
The closing:
And then there is this awesome new Captain America intro that showcases his ‘man out of time’ aspect. It even gives us a look at Peggy Carter and that waitress who becomes so important at the of the film.
There is even more Avengers goodness to reveal today! I’ll post some more later.
Congratulations Legion Fans
Are you a fan of Legion, the erstwhile son of Professor X who happens to be crazy? Then you’re in luck! Legion is going to get his own series as part of the Marvel NOW! relaunch, he’ll be taking over the X-Men: Legacy series from Rogue. For once, the title of this comic actually makes sense, seeing as how Legion is Professor X’s son.
You can read more about the series here.
Personally, I don’t care about the character in the slightest, so I won’t be picking up the title. However, considering one of my favorite X-Men is the Mimic, I can’t exactly blame anyone for loving Legion. I’m sure he has his fans somewhere…though I doubt he has enough to support his own ongoing series. I don’t think writer Si Spurrier is much of a draw either. Cool cover, at least.
To round out the rest of the Marvel NOW! titles, we have Rick Remender on the new Captain America, along with artist John Romita Jr. Both are very good, so I’m a little tempted to pick up this series…except that Cap continues to piss me off in Avengers vs. X-Men. So I dunno.
And lastly, we have Kelley Sue DeConnick writing Avengers Assemble. I’m a fan of DeConnick’s work on the new Captain Marvel series. And my friend Katie is a huge fan. Though I don’t know if it’s enough to get me to pick up Avengers Assemble. The title was put together to be as close to The Avengers movie as possible while still being part of the normal Marvel Universe. So basically writer Brian Michael Bendis is telling a story where the movie Avengers team up, but in the normal Marvel Universe, not the Movieverse. It’s a fine idea, having a comic similar to the movie for potential new fans, but according to the Internet, the series isn’t very good. So I haven’t bothered with it.
And based on the cover, it doesn’t even look like she’s going to be sticking to the Movieverse team roster. Does this mean it’ll just be another ordinary Avengers comic? Sadly, count me out on this way.
So what do you guys think of the various new Marvel NOW! comics announced this week? My favorite continues to be the new FF starring Ant-Man. But I may pick up Indestructible Hulk and Iron Man. How about you? Let me know in the comments!








