Top of the Pile - 7/3/2014

Uncanny X-Men #23 and #24

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artist: Kris Anka

Marvel Comics

The very provocative, minimal cover is what made me put this on the top of my pile this week. I’ve been behind picking up by stack from the comic shop (with Comic Con and everything) so officially issue 23 came out a couple weeks ago and 24 today, which was good since it ended in a big cliffhanger.

In these issues, the main plotline involved the reading of Charles Xavier’s will. With the first couple pages showing the resident Marvel lawyer who isn’t Matt Murdock, Jennifer Walters (She Hulk), to preside over the reading of the last will and testament of Prof. X. But of course all the people named in the will need to be present, and since the whole breakup of the mutant clan and Cyclops on the outs from pretty much everyone else, that is there the tension in these book lay.

Other story threads include the emergence of a new mutant and the hunt for Mystique after she held Dazzler captive. Bendis is great at keeping all the crazy super stuff within a human mentality. Consequently, the most ridiculous situations still seem “normal”. People are sad, upset, angry, confused at the reading of the will, like any family member would be after losing a loved one. This touch makes Bendis’ writing always interesting.

And for Anka’s art. It is very good. I initially picked up this book for the work of Chris Bachalo, but Anka has a similar style. Bold lines, broad colors,, clear action, it was easy on the eyes and exciting to look at.

For adding this series to a library. with ongoing books that is always a tough call. Like genre novels in a series, where does one start and stop the collection? Subject wise, it’s fine for any graphic novel area in a public library. But again, if it’s popular, fans might ask for the entire run in trade paperback.

Top of the Pile - 6/19/2013

Age of Ultron #10
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Brandon Peterson
Marvel Comics

Here’s the end of the limited series that is one of the current Marvel cross title, universe destroying, end of all things books. The series started with the Marvel heroes at their wits end as Ultron, the malevolent AI created by Hank Pym, is close to destroying all life on earth. Fortunately, Wolverine finds a time machine and goes back to kill Pym before he created the Ultron program. And things go downhill from there. Timelines cross. Different evils destroy different universes. Different Wolverines battle each other, both being the best at what they do. All in all, an action packed ride.
But I didn’t really get into this book. I liked the start. The post-apocalyptic, battle for your life, nothing of civilization is left vibe was cool. I liked when Luke Cage and She Hulk, being the strongest, go into Ultrons layer to parlay with him. I enjoyed when Taskmaster and Black Widow are on the west coast tracking down Nick Fury’s safe houses. But once the time traveling began, I lost interest. And with it concluded, it was the usual “let’s just go back in time and tell us how bad things get so we don’t do that” kind of ending. And the big reveal at the end is that the Neil Gaiman character that has been in copyright limbo for the past 20 years, Angela, makes her appearance in the Marvel Universe.

As an individual issue culminating a 10 issue series, I thought it was ok. But instead of a satisfying conclusion, we get dragged into a new cross-title cluster of books that deal with the fallout of the time travel from this story. Sigh. I will not be picking them up for myself.

So is this series library worthy? I would certainly consider it optional. The story is ok but the art is better than average. Kids will pick it up and read it in the library as they hang out after school. But I would not consider it classic and certainly it isn’t a stand-alone story.

Top of the Pile - 2/27/13

Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1
Writer Brian Michael Bendis
Penciler Steve McNiven
Inker John Dell
Colors Justin Ponsor
Marvel Comics

Yet another Marvel NOW! book, this is a prelude to the Guardians of the Galaxy. In it, we learn the origin of Star Lord Peter Quill. As a child of a space traveler and an Earth woman, we are given a very quick look at how growing up was difficult for him.

This made the top of the pile because it’s new. Normally, a new run on a comic would start with #0.1 issue instead of a #1. I guess they wanted to tell more of the backstory before they start the real story arc of the book.

Bendis loves to invoke emotional content into the characters he writes. We see the crisis’ that the characters experience and hear about how they feel. Young Peter Quill is shown displaying a deep sense of justice defending a girl from a bully. Peter’s mother is shown anguishing over her son as he tries to deal with his missing space bound father. Emotion is rife throughout.

And the artwork is very good. I’ve been yammering on about the emotion of the writing, and the artwork conveys most of these feelings. There are a two page wordless spread where the Peter’s parents first fall in love. McNiven is able to show the expressions and with the added benefits of Dell’s inks and Ponsor’s colors, the whole book tells a nice heartfelt story with the potential for cosmic consequences.

I’ll continue getting Guardians. I hope Bendis is able to give Groot, the royal tree entity, a good part. But with a Marvel movie coming out of the Guardians, I suspect there will be interest in this lesser known property. I would pick up the collected volumes when they come out for my library.