Front Lines - Secret Wars (Week of June 24, 2015)

Reviews by Mike Maillaro, Mike Weaver, Gina Maillaro, and Grey Scherl

AGE OF ULTRON VS MARVEL ZOMBIES #1 by James Robinson and Steve Pugh

Summary:  Tigra has been tossed over the shield wall as punishment for trying to rebel against her domain’s “weak, demented Baron.”  It is expected that anyone in the Deadlands is pretty much toast between the zombies, Ultrons, bugs, and other horrible creatures.  Tigra is being chased by Marvel Zombies, including Sabretooth, Bullseye, Vulture, and the always popular Stilt Man.  Tigra knows she is likely going to die, but she feels some satisfaction that she will die free from her Baron.  Before the Zombies can get her, a small army of Ultrons arrive.  The zombie and Ultrons start to fight.  

The story flashbacks to give the origins of these Ultrons.  And then the story takes a weird detour, showing us Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne of the Timely Domain who are currently on the shield wall as punishment.  Janet is assumed to the wall, but Hank is being tossed into the Deadlands because of his crimes for tinkering with “clockwork mechanical men.”  Hank asks to be tossed into the Ultrons’ section (which they call Perfection).  But he finds zombie versions of Rhino and Owl there.  Before they can get him, he is rescued by Vision, the Original Human Torch, and Wonder Man who offer him the chance to “change the world.”

Gina: As an isolated book, I think James Robinson does well in integrating multiple voices representing the different domains of Battleworld.  I am looking forward to seeing Steampunk Pym interact with his new android allies.

Mike: Are we sure they are all androids? That was my first thought to, but then I realized that Wonder Man has never been a robot...not that I can remember at least.  If they were going for all robots, they could have had Machine Man or Jocasta.  If I remember correctly, Vision’s body was patterned after Human Torch...and his mental patterns were based on Wonder Man.  So the characters are all sort of connected.  I think.  My memory sucks for that kind of thing.

Gina: Speaking about being related, while the storyline itself is interesting, it seriously calls into question the intention of Secret Wars.  The rules of Battleworld that are established in one book, don’t seem to apply here in the severity that would occur elsewhere.  And the rules for character use seem to be non-existent.  It is unclear whether it is the intention of Marvel, Doom, or random editors to have multiple versions of characters running around in the different domains of Battleworld.  

While it does not detract from the enjoyment of the individual books, it calls to question whether or not there is an overarching plan for Secret Wars.  As I am not inclined to read every book that crosses into the Secret Wars arc, I have relegated my choices to “fringe” books whose characters are unlikely to appear in the other domains.  While it works for me, there continues to be a nagging feeling that the end of Secret Wars will parallel the ending of the movie “Magnolia.”   “This concept seems to have gotten away from us, gentlemen, lets just make it rain frogs, and call it ‘The End’.

Mike: I agree with you about the inconsistencies in Battleworld.  At first it really felt like Marvel was going out of their way to give us one version of each character, but that quickly broke down.  Also, it’s not always clear what the nature of the domains are.  OLD MAN LOGAN distinctly told us that characters have no idea there are other domains...which doesn’t make a lot of sense (something Grey and I talked about some last week).    Here characters seemed very comfortable traveling between domains, which is supposed be to a big crime in Battleworld.  Also, you’d think a Thor or two would have shown up here.  They are all over the place, and in the one book where it would make sense for them to appear, no Thors.

Score: 3.5/5

BLACK WIDOW #19 by Nathan Edmondson and Phil Noto

Summary: As the final incursion is about to happen, Widow is tasked with piloting one of the “life rafts.”  She flashbacks to her time in the Red Room.  She was sent to retrieve a family from Cuba who has information Moscow wants before the Americans can get it.  Black Widow meets the family and is certain that they have already been talking to the Americans.  Widow decides to make them paranoid and desperate so they will turn to her for help.  She even blows up their car.  She finally gets them to agree to be smuggled out of Cuba.  Then Widow’s controller tells her that she needs to take out her friend Marina, who seems to have gone native.  

Maillaro: There was pretty much NOTHING about this issue that was SECRET WARS related except for the first page.  The rest of this comic was a flashback telling us “Black Widow did really bad things when she was a Russian agent.”  Something I think anyone who has ever read the character or seen the movies already knew.  This wasn’t a bad comic, just not something I would have bought if it wasn’t a SECRET WARS tie-in.  

Score: 3.5/5

E IS FOR EXTINCTION #1 by Chris Burnham & Ramon Villalobos

Summary: This issue starts with Xavier holding two guns to his own head and threatening to shoot unless Cassandra Nova gets out of his head.  The next panel shows a very dead Xavier.  We jump a few years into the future to a mutant nightclub called Club Morlox.  A group of U-Foes come in determined to steal mutant body parts to get mutant powers.  Beak tries to stop them, but he’s upstaged by the arrival of Magneto and his X-Men.  After the problem is solved, a very old Cyclops and Emma Frost arrive. The X-Men mock them and send them off, embarrassed.

The X-Men attend the Xavier Memorial Education Nexus (AKA The Atom Institute).  Humans with exceptional gifts are invited to attend, though the school is primarily mutants.   Magneto has the Phoenix Force contained, and asks Quintin Quire to wake Jean up.  Meanwhile, Cyclops asks a worn down Wolverine to help rescue Jean. They seek out the U-Men to get more power, because the U-Men have Xorn held captive.

Maillaro: This was definitely Morrison-like in it’s tone and weirdness.  You could easily call this a Valentine to NEW X-MEN.  For the most part, I thought this one worked real well.  There was a lot of things going on here, like Beast encountering a demutated Hank McCoy that makes me want the next issue now.  Though I could probably do without Xorn…  I loved New X-Men and this was definitely a worthy successor.

Score: 4.5/5

THE INFINITY GAUNTLET #2 by Gerry Duggan and Dustin Weaver

Summary: Nova arrives to save her family from the Annihilation Wave.  Nova gives each of her family access to the Nova Force, including the family dog.  Her daughter reveals that she found the mind stone.  The Annihilation Wave is in hot pursuit, and Nova is able to use the gem to cause them to fly off.  She takes her family to Nova HQ, but the base has already been destroyed by the bugs.  In the destruction, someone took the gem that was being held there.  Whoever stole the gem left behind a control gauntlet that the Novas developed to help harness the gems.  We find out that Starlord and Gamora where the ones who took advantage of the bug attack to steal the gem, but Starlord tries to lie to Gamora about recovering the jump.

The issue jumps to the future.  Thanos has murdered Nova’s family.  Nova is fighting him, demanding justice.  They each have two infinity gems at this point.  Thanos teleports back the the past, murdering his past self to steal his gem.

Maillaro:  I liked this issue more than the first one.  This new Nova is pretty cool, though I suspect the “future Nova” we see towards the end of this issue was her daughter.  I know Sam Alexander seems to still be Nova after SECRET WARS, but I still want to see more of these characters too.

Score: 4/5

KORVAC SAGA #1 by Dan Abnett and Otto Schmidt

Summary: A strange man sits by an abandoned merry go round, ranting about how he used to be a monster and how things don’t feel real.  He notably talks about how there should be stars and wondering why they no longer exist.  The Guardians show up to confront him, and initially think he may just be a crazy drunk, but they fear it could be another outbreak of “the madness.”  It’s revealed that he is Emil Blonsky, and he predictably turns into the Abomination.  Abomination beats up the Guardians for a while until Yondu kills him with an arrow to the head.

Meanwhile, the Baron of this realm, Michael Korvac, is preparing for a visit from Baron Simon Williams from the Holy Wood (groan).  Everyone seems to be a huge fan of Williams, including Korvac’s wife, but Korvac himself despises him.  Williams shows up with the Avengers, there’s some PR work, and Williams gives a very firm undertone that he intends Korvac’s realm to become subservient to his.  Korvac meanwhile is concerned with trying to hide “the madness” from Williams and by extension Dr. Doom as it might lead to a hostile takeover.  At the end, Korvac’s wife starts murmuring “Where are the stars?” indicating that she now has the madness.

Weaver: This comic was terrible, which is a shame.  I feel like there were enough serviceable ideas in Abnett’s plot to make it a good comic, but it just never quite found its way there.  The art was a major culprit, I haven’t seen professional comic art this messy and rushed feeling in a long time.  It became even worse when the Avengers showed up, and partly because I hoped that the “Holy Wood” Avengers would look stylistically different than the normal Avengers, but no.  The strongest points were Emil’s crazy ranting in the opening and then Korvac’s wife getting the madness in a great cliffhanger at the end.  The worst part about that is: none of the major characters did anything memorable.  The cold open villain and supporting character of a supporting character get the only good parts.

Score: 1.5/5

LOKI: AGENT OF ASGARD #15 by Al Ewing and Lee Garbett

Summary: Throughout this issue, we get Verity’s back story..  Years ago, her grandfather had given her father a ring that let’s him see though all lies and illusions.  As a baby, Verity ended up swallowing that ring, which is how she grew up to be a human lie detector.  We also see the impact that had on her life, how difficult it was to be around other people and their lies.

In the present, Odin and Freyja are going all Rambo against Hel, King Loki, and their invading forces.  As Asgardian soldiers fall, they are immediately resurrected into Hel’s own army.  Freyja ends up sacrificing her life to take out the Midgard Serpent.  Asgard’s enemies take advantage of the chaos to stage their own attacks.  Odin summons the Gjallarhorn to signal the last battle.

Meanwhile, we find out that Loki was getting Verily to tell Verity’s life story.  Loki takes the story, and Verity’s spirit seems to exit her body.  Loki promises that she knows what she is doing here.

Maillaro: Verity’s story was really well done here.  I also love Odin and Freyja going full blown action movie.  But, I still think the Last Days segments of SECRET WARS are the weakest parts of the story.  It’s hard to care about what was going on before SECRET WARS wiped out all reality.  I would much rather read about Battleworld.

Score: 3.5/5

MODOK ASSASSIN #2 by Christopher Yost and Amilcar Pinna

Summary: Angela was fighting in the Monarchy of M.  Magneto warns her about Killville as a danger to Doom’s rule.  Angela goes to check it out, but is blasted from the sky.  She wakes up to find MODOK staring at her.  She attacks him.  MODOK’s instincts are to kill her, but he also finds himself very attracted to her.  Angela continues to attack, forcing him to use telekinesis to push her away, which he immediately feels guilty about.  Angela realizes something is interfering with her hammer, Devilslayer. MODOK offers to help, but she continues to attack him.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Killsville, Shroud, Viper, and the Kingpin are pissed that Bullseye was killed by MODOK.  Bullseye should have been protected by his assassin status, but Baron Mordo feels he needs MODOK, so he refuses to act against him.  They vow that MODOK will pay.

MODOK tries to convince Angela that he was not the one who attacked her.  Finally, he realizes that the only way to stop her is to use a Null Bomb.  But at the last second, he decides to protect her from the blast.  The energy hits him hard.  Angela realizes that he’s been telling the truth.

Meanwhile, the Assassins Guild has gotten approval to take out MODOD.  They decide to send everyone they have after him.

Maillaro: MODOK’s conflict on whether or not he should kill Angela created a lot of fun moments here.  And I loved the alliance of Kingpin, Shroud, and Viper.  Yost manages to make a comic starring MODOK enjoyable.  That definitely is not an easy task, but I have enjoyed this series much more than I expected to.

Score: 4/5

PLANET HULK #2 by Sam Humphries and Marc Laming

Summary: Steve Rogers and Devil Dinosaur have been sent by Doom into Greenland to assassinate the Red King.  They encounter Doc Green, who seems to have encountered quite a few Steve Rogers from several different domains over the years.  Doc Green will leads them to the Mud Kingdom to find the Red King and rescue Bucky.  On their journey, they encounter plants and animals all mutated by Gamma radiation.  Even the river is gamma mutated.  They end up separated from Devil Dinosaur and they are attacked by a massive water beast.

Maillaro: Not a lot happened here to move the story forward.  I liked a lot of the characterization and the world, but it just felt like a stall in a lot of ways.  I am real curious about where this Steve Rogers came from.  It’s hinted that he came from a forgotten land, and he seems to have a grudge against Doom.  Actually, I was real curious about Doc Green too, who seemed almost like he could be 616 Hulk.  He had a much better understanding of Battleworld than most of the other characters we’ve seen in SECRET WARS.  

Score: 3.5/5

WHERE MONSTERS DWELL #2 by Garth Ennis and Russ Braun

Summary: When we last left our heroes, Karl Kaufmann was inadvertantly leaning against a T-Rex leg that he thought was a tree after crash-landing in a land of dinosaurs along with passenger Clemmie Franklin-Cox.  This book picks right up there with Karl chased by the T Rex while Clemmie secures the plane’s gun for future use.  Karl luckily manages to find a village of pygmies that the T Rex happily devours in his stead.  Karl confronts Clemmie about not coming to his rescue, and she generally doesn’t care.  She suggests they follow a river to the ocean so that they can spot boats and more easily get rescued, Karl begrudgingly agrees.  They see a fire on an island in the horizon and decide to use the conveniently located boat to go over there, thinking that there must be some kind of developed society there.  Crossing the water, they get attacked by a giant crocodile which is in turn attacked by a giant shark.  Kaufmann loses the main gun trying to get away, and so they manage to wash up on shore with only a pistol.  Kaufmann and Clemmie begin to air their many grievances about each other when they are interrupted by a group of Amazons, which both of them seem to be in favor of.

Weaver: It’s clear that Garth Ennis has a large love for the old pulp serial style adventures.  This is beautifully written and plotted, and the art succeeds at helping realize the world.  It’s just good all around.  I like to pick out something of an opposing notion in a review, like something that I saw negative about this book, but I honestly didn’t see anything negative.  The dialogue was clever yet realistic, the setting was beautiful, and I’m engaged in wanting to see what happens next.

Score: 5/5

X-MEN ‘92 by Chad Bowers, Chris Sims, and Scott Koblish

Summary: In the “Mind FIeld,” Wolverine is forced to deal with many of his greatest enemies...IN HIS MIND.  The villains all take off disguises to be revealed as past versions of Wolverine.  Wolverine manages to fight his way through the illusions, and tries to confront Cassandra Nova, but she easily beats him back down.  Her mental manipulations force him to become nicer and kinder.

Elsewhere in the compound, Jubilee is confronted by a telepathic projection by the mutant Artie.  The projection leads her into the compound.  She gives chase.

Meanwhile, Cassandra continues her manipulations of the X-Men.  This time, she’s forcing Storm to face her own past versions.  Nova wants Storm to lead her “New X-Men.”  Cassandra also reveals herself to Storm as the Shadow King.  Storm refuses to work with Shadow King, who knocks her unconscious and labels her a failed project.

Jubilees is led to several strange looking mutants called the Rej-X.

Maillaro: This was much better than the second issue. Once they got past all of the exposition, the story moved forward much better.  Maybe I am just a sucker because of how excited I was to see Chamber, Sauron, and Maggor in this issue.  It was also great to how this domain was connected to Battleworld.  The first two issues had almost excited in their own little bubble.  They sort of got rid of that here, and that made it a much better comic, in my opinion.

Score: 3.5/5