New Beginnings - Iron Man #23.NOW

by Matt Puddy

For fans of Kieron Gillen’s run on Iron Man this may seem like an odd choice for a New Beginning article, since Gillen started on the title last year, and is rumoured to be continuing well into 2015. The Iron Metropolitan story arc has just finished and this issue is the first part of Rings Of The Mandarin, which by virtue of the title may give a hint as to why we are re-visiting this fan favourite.

Although this is a continuation of the work Gillen has been doing, it’s fair to say that it’s been written in a way that new readers or lapsed fans jumping back on at this point are brought up to speed with recent events. Essentially Stark’s vision of making a new city in the remains of Mandarin City is brought to a grinding halt when terrorists attack. The difference that makes the impact though is that each terrorist has been sought out and emotionally manipulated by some of the ten rings of the late Mandarin, now working as autonomous individuals with a common goal. All they needed was an animosity towards Tony Stark and the drive to carry out what was necessary. Unfortunately these first three agents went on to not only be beaten, but to have their rings removed - occasionally in a bloody fashion - by none other than Malekith the Accursed.

Malekith is well known at the moment after having starred as the villain (played by Christopher Eccleston) in the most recent Thor movie, but a little more depth of character is expressed here, especially his willpower and presence of mind. When Influence tries to bring Malkieth into the fold as Mandarin Four, he is strong enough to realise what is happening and alter the situation to his preference as well. This all happens in the shadows, with Iron Man none the wiser as to who is behind the scenes.

Tony on the other hand is trying to move forward. His life is forever in the spotlight, but the commercial applications of this seem endless, including a stage show depicting his life that is currently in production. This in itself is a vehicle for further predicament. The original - and now spurned director - has found a new partner in becoming Mandarin Eight, and a fight is inevitable. However it’s not Stark who prevails as Malekith steps in to relieve our newborn villain of his ring... and finger.

In order to combat this Tony has to turn to a specialist. Not Thor as some may imagine (whom Tony is trying to keep out of this due to potential political ramifications) but Dark Angel, a former Marvel UK character who is knowledgeable in mystical and technological combination. With new associate and guidance, combined with an adjusted suit, Tony steps forward through a magical door and into the fray. From the frying pan and into the fire for sure.

Luke Ross is the artist for issue and has taken over from Bennett and Larocca – as previous examples- with a style that is very similar. Whereas it is not as clean lined as the aforementioned artists it is still really good to read. It is a little softer on the eye and smoother in texture but some of that will have also been provided by Guru eFX who has provided the colouring for quite some time. (It is also a leap forward from the horrific art by Greg Land that launched this title last year and so enraged my fanboy mind. BF)

The cover is quite a striking, as well as foreboding, piece as well from Michael Del Mundo which I felt really set off the comic to begin with.

As a jump on point, story wise it’s great and artistically it’s good, but I would go back through the last year for better examples, especially the Secret Origin Of Tony Stark storyline. Anyone looking to pick it up wouldn’t go wrong with this one but the back catalogue is also worth grabbing if you can.

Matt Puddy is getting back into Madden gaming.

This issue of Iron Man is just £2 at Proud Lion, with a free Skottie Young lithograph while stock last. First come, first served.

Marvel Now Iron Man - SPECIAL OFFER!

After being gravely disappointed with the first issue of the new Iron Man series, I have to say issues #2 and #3 were a mild improvement for me, but still left me pining for ol' Shellhead's better days.

Thankfully, I'm pleased to discover that with issue #4, Kieron Gillen may have finally found his feet! It's a wonderful issue, one that feels fresh and compelling, rather than trading on past glories. The story also plays to Greg Land's strengths too, and leaves an interesting thread for future storytelling.

To celebrate, here's a special offer for all the blog readers. Buy Iron Man #4 at full price, and get any or all of the previous issues for only £1.50 per issue. That's a saving of over 50% on the back issues!

Offer available whilst stock last. Merry Christmas Tony Stark!

New Beginnings - Iron Man #1 (MARVEL NOW)

Let's start with a confession that won't be news to long term readers. Iron Man was my first American superhero, occasionally tucked in the back of weekly Transformers comics. Years later I renewed my connection with the Golden Avenger and found I loved his stories.

When they were good.

Some damn shiny Iron Man stories!

Great storylines like Armor Wars and Demon In A Bottle; in fact most of the Micheline/Layton run. Or Kurt Busiek's Heroes Return run and Joe Quesada's The Mask in the Iron Man storyline. Sadly after Joe Q moved on the comic had a long slump in quality, similar to the sad days of The Crossing and teen Tony. It wasn't until Warren Ellis and Adi Granov came along with Extremis that Iron Man regained it's spark. The Civil War that came soon after was spellbinding, followed by the intricate and compelling work from the Knaufs on Iron Man, Director Of SHIELD.

Then came Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca, with the run that finished last month. Superb work that ranks alongside the Micheline/Layton stories for pace and characterisation. So going into Marvel Now, I knew I'd be one of the harshest critics for Kieron Gillen and Greg Land's new beginning with ol' Shellhead.

That said, I have enjoyed the majority of Gillen's computer games journalism and comic work thus far (from the sublime Phonogram, to his run on Uncanny X-Men and the much missed SWORD series, right through to his truly excellent  work with Kid Loki) and I'd say his Young Avengers is one of the Marvel Now titles I'm most looking forward to.

Sadly, Iron Man #1 is closer to his muddled work on Generation Hope (which now seems to have been consigned to obscurity by Avengers Vs X-Men).

It's a slow start, with Stark suited up and flying over a modern urban sprawl, beautifully lit up at night by the sunset and the city lights. The visual certainly reflects the technological beauty of our protagonist  but it's juxtaposed with a maudlin voiceover from Tony himself. As a solo title, Tony's monologues have always been his stock in trade and should be the perfect place to establish the writer's own characterisation on the hero. Instead it's revealed to be a clumsy effort by Tony to talk to a pretty blonde at his table, as we cut to a bar in New York.

In the same transition, we push from two pages of satisfying work from Greg Land, to four pages of frankly horrible line art. The thing that really stands out is how plastic and wooden the people look, like disturbing real dolls. The amount of top front row teeth on display is laughably distracting and does little to convey a wealthy playboy. Instead the result is terrifyingly creepy. Land's work isn't bad when he's drawing Tony in the armour, but the rest of the time it's serviceable at best and unsettling at it's worst.

I just couldn't bring myself to show you the awful wooden faces and plastic teeth!

Staying in the bar, things slip further into shambolic dialogue as Tony briefly addresses his status as a recovering alcoholic before lurching into verbal sparring with Pepper and a bunch of exposition reestablishing Tony's current business status with regards to Resilient, the company he established during Fraction's run.

It's here that Pepper brands Tony as a man having a midlife crisis, and that's certainly how this book feels. After a high of seven years of mostly great storytelling, this is sadly pedestrian. The meat of the story comes from a brief reappearance by Maya Hansen before seemingly being unceremoniously killed by what I assume is an Extremis-enhanced AIM agent. Hopefully Hansen herself was also similarly upgraded and will survive to return at a later date, otherwise it's a disgraceful quick exit for a pivotal character.

Please let issue #2 be better!

The rest of the story is shamelessly built on the Extremis storyline. In the past Gillen's writing has always including a hook to bring you back for more with some exciting foreshadowing of what's to come. Sadly here, all we get here is the lead that there are four more people using Extremis enhanciles in the world. It adds little to Ellis and Granov's work - trading entirely on past glories - with Tony even obliquely referencing the Armor Wars and Demon In A Bottle as he vows to liberate Hansen's work from the hands of these madmen.

It's pains me to say, but this comic is disappointing and it's the first comic I've read from Kieron Gillen that doesn't leave me wanting more. It reads like a filler issue, rather than a bold launch of a new ongoing title that in turn is part of a larger brand relaunch. Hopefully issue #2 (out in just two weeks time), wil start to fulfil Gillen's promise of depicting Tony as a technological visionary bright knight rather than the introspective midlife crisis on display here.

Ben Fardon reluctantly refers to the classic storyline as Armor Wars and not Armour Wars, in deference to it's American authors.

Why Should I Read... The Ultimates?

I hate Captain America. There, I said it.

I'm a lifetime comic nut and I have watched all the classic good guys and bad guys waging war through the eons with each other. But there's no villain, no matter how disturbed or vile, in fact no other character that I detest more than Captain America. I have never been one to enjoy the mainstream, let alone embrace the American dream. The idea of this star spangled moron running around in spandex being everything that Americans should stand for - and bleating about how much better things were a few years back - is just so stomach-churningly irritating. Anyone who's encountered me on this subject knows that my staple response to this insipid super soldier is that he's a whining pussy liberal. He's a throwback to the Golden Age of comics, when villains were laughable and the realism that draws us in and allows us to believe the unbelievable was just plain absent.

This is why I was never big on the Avengers. I didn't really get behind a lot of the headline heroes from yesteryears. After a few years without comics, I returned to the stores and steered clear of both the big universes, and went for the kind of the things I have written about in previous articles. So when my erstwhile comic retailer suggested the Ultimates (One and Two) for reading on a business trip, it's safe to say I baulked at the idea. Then he flipped to the page where Captain America is smashing some guy's face until he died. Oh, and he cracked a terrible joke about the French while he did it.

So I bought Ultimates One and Two.

The Ultimate universe is based on a wonderful comic staple; what if? Where events and individuals are changed to show alternate outcomes. Ultimates is actually one of the best examples of this I've read. The changes they make aren't drastic. Some of them aren't even significant - Nick Fury can be a grizzled old black guy who smokes cigars and is missing an eye, or a grizzled old white guy who is missing an eye and smokes cigars. It doesn't make a whole heap of difference, unless you're a casting agent.

What is wonderful about the Ultimates is that a lot of the stark truth (no pun intended) of stories you may have already come to know is brought to the forefront. The veneer of the Golden Age of comics is stripped away, and the very harsh reality of everything that's only been hinted at for our group of heroes is shown, often in a very intense way. I don't know if you realise this, but on discovering your have abilities beyond the norm, the regular response is not "Right, I need a spandex suit and a lawyer, I'm about to go assault people!" even if a guy who looks suspiciously like Samuel L. Jackson tells you it's OK. If a person decides to do that, even in the Marvel Universe, they better have either a damn good reason, or a damn good therapist.

Ultimates takes this premise and runs riot with it, highlighting all the issues that before may have only been approached tongue-in-cheek, or passed over entirely. Subjects such as addiction, depression and spousal abuse are covered, and although not the central focus, they are covered well. These aren't new premises for the as-was Avengers, but it could put off those readers who are loyal to the original team. It shouldn't, nothing is being dishonoured here, just remoulded for a modern age.

There are touches to the action, too. The Hulk is my favourite example. Back in the day, our big green wrecking machine threw things and punched stuff, but ultimately left with a body count no worse than an original A-Team episode. But stop and think for a moment. If a scientific accident causes a man to become a monster with no rational thought and immense strength, do you really think that there won't be a casualty or two? Ultimates doesn't. It's this conceptualisation which epitomises the Ultimates for me. I feel like I'm being told the adult version of the history I've learned as a child. This lack of propaganda appeals to me, in a way that the Avengers never did.

These articles aren't meant to be a review. There is enough of those. I want to persuade you to pick up the books, and enjoy them in the same way I have. The Ultimates is damned good reading, especially if you're familiar with the 'regular' Marvel Universe. This is apparent with the new range of movies, as much of the story and character backgrounds are from Ultimates - including this universe's S.H.I.E.L.D. and it's most famous agents. So ultimately, it comes down to this; how can Samuel L. Jackson be wrong?

Chris Boyle will warn you away from Ultimates 3. Yuck. Jeph Loeb, get out!

The Watcher - Marvel's Avengers Assemble

Dreams do indeed come true, over the last few years we’ve seen the threads of the Marvel universe come together and finally we see the culmination of all of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Most thought this ambitious task to be impossible, how could you make a movie with all these massive characters and their varied worlds and succeed? One man, Joss Whedon was assigned to orchestrate this very task and by Odin succeed he did! Every star has their moment to shine, all while making the best superhero action flick yet.

Loki returns and plans to rain destruction down on earth by using the Tesseract to allow an unknown alien force called the Chitauri to invade our planet. This obviously gains the attention of Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D - Fury decides that it is about time to bring together our heroes and find the troublesome demigod along with the Tesseract.

While on the awesome looking S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier the egos of our big heroes begin to clash as Loki gets under their skin. It takes one good man to bring them together as a team - all they needed was that little push. Once united they stand tall ready to defend Earth, the following battle with the Chitauri is immense. Each Avenger shows why they’re part of the team and how the down to earth characters like Black Widow, Hawkeye and Captain America can stand next to the more monumental Hulk, Thor and Iron Man and be their equals.

Joss manages to pulls strong performances out of all the cast members - he makes the characters and their motives believable. You will see that while they may be super-solders, intellectual giants, gods and raging green monsters, they’re all still like us at heart - not perfect.

Robert Downey Jr presents his usual swagger as Iron Man, Chris Evans is ever the honest leader as Captain America and Chris Hemsworth as Thor brings the Yin to Loki’s Yang. It's a shame his relationship with Jane Foster only briefly gets touched on. Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is a lot less of a brat this time around, he is much more full of evil and disdain, driven on by the ordeal of his exile from Asgard.

Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk is great - as Banner he’s bigger than what we’ve been used to but at the same time very quiet and vulnerable. Using motion capture on his face adds a lot more of an emotional element, making his initial transformation into the Hulk quite intense and rather scary.

Last but not least, the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) both kick ass - a lot. Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) seems to show more of his deceptive side but it’s all still for the greater good. As always, Agent Phil Coulson played by Clark Gregg is wonderful and has some great moments, he will forever be a favourite of mine. Finally, newcomer Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders)  doesn't have a lot to do after the opening sequence, but I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of her in the future.

I struggled to find negative points to write about. I did see it in 3D and it didn’t add a lot but it didn’t feel intrusive ether. The few things that were niggling at me were the Chitauri being an army of faceless drones, ready to be beaten with little insight into their further motivations. Their massive battleships reminded me a little to much of the Transformers movies too. A couple of things were also left unexplained, like Thor’s hesitation to pick up his hammer - is this a worry about whether he is worthy? And was Loki’s staff affecting the emotions of our heroes, we’re just left to assume that this is the case. These are only really very small complaints and they don’t spoil the experience one bit.

During the earlier promotional interviews for the film, it was said that this would not be like Whedon’s usual work. This worried me due to the fact I loved most of his previous creations. Fear not! His trademark clever writing and wit is present in bucket loads, I laughed out loud and squealed with geek joy many times. He also directs the big blockbuster action sequences brilliantly, the movie feels big! It runs at two and half hours in length but never feels overly long, the editing keeps the pace up and gives the story chance to unfold nicely.

All that is left to say is assemble and enjoy the ride!

Stefan Harkins may go to see this movie again and again!

New Beginnings - AvX Versus #1

A couple of weeks ago I reviewed Avengers Vs X-Men issues #0 and #1. Now the fun has started. With the miniseries underway the fight to decide who is “right” is now underway. Issue #2 was recently released as well, delving further into the story. So it’s now the Avengers fully against the X-Men without holding back just to prove a point.

Spreading out across the Marvel Universe the fighting begins, but not everyone will want to know the stories. In an interesting move marvel have created a six issue mini-series dedicated to just the fights too. Even the opening which describes itself as “the FIGHTINGEST book you’ve EVER READ” is aggressive in its own nature.

This issue takes on two fights, Iron Man against Magneto and The Thing versus Namor. Each has been given their own creative team to match.

Iron Man and Magneto have Jason Aaron, one of Marvel's Architects, with Adam Kubert providing the artwork too. A triumphant match after their wonderful Astonishing Spider-Man and Wolverine miniseries. Arguably, these are two extremely powerful and significant individuals within the Marvel Universe and so the heavy hitting team behind them gives further weight to it.

The thing to remember is that even though both of these characters are considered to be heroes (well at the moment), this is still a fight. There will be a winner and a loser, and considering the stakes they both mean business - so there is little time for banter. A lot of the writing is internal monologue, feeling each other out, testing the waters and finding new and alternative ways to finish things.

There is still a small tongue-in-cheek element though with the occasional AvX Fun Fact popping up with snippets of random information.

There are elements of the story which are classic cartoon fight style. The escalation keeps creeping up raising things higher each step including the last minute epiphany too. On the surface this should be a clear cut case but will it really be?

The second fight, penned and pencilled by the Immonens, is between the Thing and Namor. Not a fight I would have normally expected and potentially not a fair one considering it is in water most of the time too. In contrast to the first fight, this is heavier in conversation, despite the underwater sections where the Thing can’t speak.

Also, as an opposite end of the scale, this is an all out slug fest between the two of them rather than the chess game Tony and Erik played. The fun facts still appear but even these are more directly related to the fight. How hard each hits, how hot things are or how much braces for sea monsters cost! If anything the dialogue and side notes are also more raw than in the first fight. Even with the underlying innuendo put in for good measure.

Both fights are entertaining but the dilemma for any writer is how do you finish them without upsetting fans or making things appear unrealistic. There’s also the matter of both sides being known for not actually killing anyone (on purpose).

This is going to make for an interesting little series and a good side collection too. It may also end, or further provoke, arguments or discussions on who would really beat who in a fight.

A nice distraction from the main line and a resourceful use of six comics to support or provide levity to the main arc. It's fair to say that the end of the Iron Man versus Magneto fight certainly adds gravitas to the main series too.

Matt Puddy picks up four new titles to review next week. Exciting! Look for those reviews over the next three weeks.

The Lion's Share - Avengers Assemble

It's almost here. Tomorrow, Joss Whedon's Avengers movie opens in UK cinemas.

I grew up reading comic books - getting a weekly issue of Transformers from our local newsagent, delivered with the newspaper. Transformers UK featured a serialised chunk of the monthly Transformers US comic, an original black and white Transformers comic by British creators, and a reprint of something else. For a brief time, it was Iron Man - in his red and silver Centurion armour heyday.

It was my first exposure to American superheroes and I loved it. Eventually Tony was replaced by Visionaries and finally Action Force/GI Joe, but I never forgot the Armoured Avengers. Years later as a college student, I found an American comic shop in Swindon - True Believers. It was during the chaos of the Onslaught saga, but as the dust settled Marvel announced two things that caught my interest. The first was the Thunderbolts - which remains one of my favourite comics fifteen years later. Though, quick aside - damn you Marvel for rebranding it as Dark Avengers in the coming months - that sucks.

The second was Heroes Reborn - the classic Avengers titles, reimagined by Image creators. I loved the chance to pick up an all new Iron Man comic and enjoyed the way the Hulk's origin was linked to Tony becoming Iron Man. Sadly the Heroes Reborn experiment was as flawed as it was inventive and eventually the idea was shelved, replaced by the Heroes Return titles. With Thunderbolt's co-creator Kurt Busiek at the head of both Avengers and Iron Man, this was a golden age for this fan.

Heroes Reborn however, did lead the way to the Ultimate universe and following the success of Ultimate Spidey and Ultimate X-Men, Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch brought us the incredible Ultimates book (coming soon - Why Should I Read... The Ultimates!). This arguably gave a fresh modern take on the Avengers that incorporated the Millar/Hitch "widescreen" flavour of comic storytelling. It seemingly became the blueprint for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starting with the incredible Iron Man film.

2008 will always have a special place in my heart. I opened my own comic shop! After years of working for others I was finally my own master. Then Marvel gave us the most amazing superhero film with Iron Man. Managing to be both respectful to the source material and yet forging its own story, the film combined action with real emotion and gravitas plus a great sense of humour.

The post credits scene hinted at a larger shared story to come, with Samuel L Jackson bringing the Ultimate Nick Fury to life. The Incredible Hulk movie a few months later chased the taste of the Ang Lee travesty out of my mouth and continued to show that there was a larger plan behind these movies. After that came Iron Man 2 and that first glimpse of Thor's hammer. At the end of Thor, we saw the cosmic cube (aka the Tesseract) that was a key plot point in Captain America, and at the end of Cap, we find Steve in present day ready for a new mission. Help save the world.

(There are so many more connections between the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, from the super soldier serum in The Incredible Hulk, to the Tesseract in Iron Man 2 and the World Tree in Captain America - it's a wonderfully rich tapestry that reveals the shared universe ethos of Marvel comics transposed onto the big screen.)

So, for me, Avengers Assemble is the most anticipated film of the year. Sure, I've obsessively watched the Prometheus trailer. I've devoured every bit of info on The Dark Knight Rises. And I've championed The Amazing Spider-Man even in the face of that dire Mirror's Edge-style sequence in the first trailer. But Avengers is the one for me this year.

To that end, on Thursday 26th April, Proud Lion will not be opening until 2pm. In the morning, this self-employed smuck with no company or statutory sick pay and no minimum four weeks holiday a year, is taking the morning off. I'll be making a fannish pilgrimage to Cineworld, to see the first showing of Avengers Assemble.

Then as a reward for your patience, I'll be open 2-6pm and there'll be a special bonus. 

ALL AVENGERS STOCK WILL BE 20% OFF! FOR ONE AFTERNOON ONLY!

That includes comics, graphic novels, action figures, t-shirts. It also includes Avengers team members' solo stuff such as Iron Man, Cap, Thor, Black Widow and even Spidey and Wolverine. It even includes Reservation Service folder comics. It DOES NOT include back issues from upstairs though. Sorry about that.

So, come on down from 2pm and grab a bargain. Just remember, I'll be closed tomorrow morning. Just this once.

Ben Fardon CAN.NOT.WAIT!

New Beginnings - The Iron Age #1

It seems that at the moment everyone in comics is playing the time travel card. By far the most obvious is the whole of DC with Flashpoint set to be the key to rebooting the entire universe and starting off 52 titles. Marvel are also dabbling.

A few weeks ago there was a prelude issue for the Iron Age, where Tony Stark has been thrown back in time to one of his lowest personal points of his life after attempting to stop Donald Birch from using the Dark Pheonix from destroying the world. (For full story see The Iron Age Alpha) Now we see where this picks up and how Stark has to “Fight for the Future... Beginning in the Past”.

Whereas Alpha was written by Rob Williams, Iron Age #1 has been penned by Christos Gage who is most recently linked to Avengers Academy. Admittedly this has filled me with apprehension as I tried the first issue and left it at that. Other titles to his credit include World War Hulk and House of M tie-ins alongside a whole raft of comics from the Wildstorm universe but nothing that actually screams mainstream or that stands out at first glance. So is this his stepping up title? I’m not sure and I think that it falls into tie in category and I’m not yet sure if he is returning for subsequent parts either. Rob Williams has taken over for the second part. Before I continue it is also fair to say that Rob Williams hasn’t written anything ground breaking or standalone for Marvel either but has worked a lot with Andy Diggle on 2000AD and somehow his work feels stronger. I'm pleased to say he'll be working on the new Ghost Rider too.

What has been done, however, is not go for the obvious, and I would hazard a guess that an appreciation for 90's tv show Quantum Leap has had an influence. Instead of having an obvious and linear route through the comic it is more episodal with each part plunging Tony into different parts of his own timeline hunting for parts of Doom’s time platform which does form a paradox from Alpha if honest (if Stark finds the scattered parts, how can Birch also do so to create this situation?) but means the door is open to cross over into every previous comic arc and also giving endless possibilities.

Williams also touches on this as well when in the 'Panic on the Streets of London' story when he sees a much younger version of Birch completely prone and easily removed from being a threat thus ending things swiftly but the option is not taken. Gage had a much more fundamental twist on this as he points out that Tony has the chance to change EVERYTHING - Civil War, Secret Invasion, Dark Reign and the Fall of Asgard. None of this has to now happen and all Ton has to do is make a few changes or hints. But does he, and more importantly should he?

Both parts are written well but the change in writers have given them different prominent aspects. Gage’s part, as an opening, uses more shock of the situation and dire straits that Stark is in. There is a hint of desperation in the beginning as the task at hand is huge. Williams, with a stronger foundation, pushes more towards a grounded Iron Man with the emotion being directed through his focus on the plan in action. Amongst my concerns with Gage I will be the first to admit that I was a little over zealous and that it’s not that bad at all. It doesn’t set the world on fire but it’s not bad either. Williams on the other hand comes across as a lot stronger but I also think that this is due to the look and feel of the part as well.

As well as splitting writers, artwork has been separated too. Lee Weeks, accompanying Gages work, has drawn more in the style of the time of the original comic. His cover work does display a more “present” style as well though and to prove that Marvel are forward thinking it was created more than 6 months ago as he’s dated it 2010.

Ben Oliver, drawing for Williams, has taken a much smoother approach, very similar to Clayton Crain’s recent work on the Carnage miniseries. Of the two styles my preference is Oliver's but both are good and suit the stories for different reasons. For once, the old school style of drawing, hasn’t disheartened me or put me off.

As an Iron Man fan I’m interested in how this all turns out. It’s only one of three so far so I’m not getting my hopes up for anything deep and meaningful. This has disappointed me slightly as the advertising made it look as if it could be so much more. I’ll be collecting them to complete this mini series but as it is going to happen completely outside of the current universe and not likely to have an impact elsewhere I’m not expecting massive things. What I am dying to see, however unlikely it is, is for the first words in any of the episodes just for once to be “Oh boy....”

Matt Puddy leapt in to the Quantum Leap Accelerator and vanished.

The Watcher Retrospective - Hulks on film

Marvel fans are in for exciting times at the movies. With two dazzling Iron Man films; the imminent release of Kenneth Brannagh's Thor; plus a steady stream of Captain America footage knocking our socks off - all the pieces of Marvel's ambitious plan for a shared screen universe are finally coming together.

'Nuff said? Well... let's spare a thought for the Hulk. His two big screen outings - the Eric Bana starring 'Hulk' (2003) and Ed Norton's reboot 'The Incredible Hulk' (2008) - although financially 'successful' are both seen as relative failures by fans, critics and even the studio. To add insult to injury, Hulk has now not only been recast once more, but is set for whipping boy duties, as it's rumoured that his above mentioned Marvel team mates are set to 'get medieval on his ass' in 2012's 'Avengers'.

Ironic then, that over thirty years ago, 'The Incredible Hulk' (1977) ruled television for five years, practically shaping the rules of the live action superhero genre alongside DC’s Superman (1979) and establishing the Hulk himself as an iconic character; who doesn’t remember that catchphrase, "Don’t make me angry, you wouldn't like me when I’m ANGRY!", or appreciate the haunting closing theme 'The Lonely Man' as genre music at its finest?

Watching the series now is something of a revelation. Eschewing the camp approach of the 1960s Batman, producer Kenneth Johnson made a virtue of perceived limitations. Unable to recreate the fantastic scope of the comics, the series is grounded in believable reality (wink, wink, Christopher Nolan), following David 'Bruce' Banner's lonely journey from town to town, barely one step ahead of the paparazzi. The combination of Bill Bixby's charismatic 'everyman' in Banner and Lou Ferringo's imposing yet heartfelt Hulk gel surprisingly well and with considerable pathos. Suspension of disbelief is definitely required, but it adds up to an altogether more real Hulk than Bana, Norton and their CGI alter egos.

That's not to say the 1970s vibe doesn't also deliver a few chuckles. The decision to have Banner's first 'Hulk Out' be the result of a flat tyre is wonderfully silly. Not to mention the frequent use of slow-mo, the Hulk's almost prescient proclivity for ripped jeans, and a format somewhere betwixt 'The A-Team' and 'The Littlest Hobo', all of which provide just the right balance of nostalgia, action and entertainment, while still showing a genuine respect for the character from all involved.

Tellingly, Norton's film paid frequent homage to Johnson's series, not only including that catchphrase, but hardware, stars, music cues, those chilling green eyes and even Ferringo as the voice of the Hulk. But somehow, Norton's over-earnest portrayal, the CGI Hulk's lack of genuine substance and perhaps most importantly, a complete lack of humour render this Hulk a little lifeless. Lets hope it's third time lucky for Marvel Studios.

So, far from the lesser son of the screen Marvel, Hulk is actually its trailblazer. Notably the TV Movies that followed the series pioneered both the now obligatory Stan Lee cameo, and with the inclusion of both Thor and Daredevil, also introduced the concept of the shared Marvel universe to a wider audience. Hulk's most important contribution of all is the proof that screen superheroes could be portrayed both with fun AND credibility, which considering the HUGE success of Marvel Movies in recent times, deserves kudos indeed.

Next time, Robert Barton-Ancliffe turns his attention to the God of Thunder

New Beginnings - Iron Man 2.0 #1

I am a fairly new Iron Man fan but even so I am aware of the back stories and history. A major component - or character should I say - is Colonel James Rhodes, Rhodey as he is affectionately known or War Machine as he is destructively known. Over time Rhodey has grown and developed and now we have a new beginning for him in Iron Man 2.0.

Written by Nick Spenser the story opens with a seemingly random piece of information, which falls into place a little later, simple and nice as it gives you a lightbulb moment. Spenser did a good job of setting the scene quickly and easily for bigger things.

Switching the scene, Spenser then goes on to explain the why of War Machine. The dynamic between Stark and Rhodes is still a jovial one, banter at worst but underlying sincerity at best, and this simple vehicle gives the issue its credibility. Working under the principle of “If it’s not me then it’ll be someone else in a Stark suit”, Rhodey becomes another Government lackey, unfortunately for him under someone who really doesn’t like him. The change in story works but there is also another change which I found tricky to swallow.

Here we have an issue with one central writer and four artists which on a 21 page issue seems excessive. With each perspective shift we are given a different style ranging from Larroca (who only did the cover but has done some great work in The Invincible Iron Man) to sections, which are lacking definition and feel almost messy. In what I can only describe as the watercolour equivalent of comic book art the changes, almost by the page, becomes confusing and detracts from the story.

I have liked comics in the past for the story even if the artwork isn’t the strongest. This is true to a degree here but for the wrong reasons. If you strip away the whistles and bells the premise that is alluded to is one from another genre I like, Asian horror, where we see (and I could be wrong as I am making a big assumption here) the body parts of a person influencing another.

I can see this being a relatively short arc as a result and wonder if this has simply been used to push War Machine back into the mainstream. The bigger picture is of course War Machine, the military tool, but how far can this really go? There is the 'rock' and 'hard place' feel for Rhodey when you consider his position between a boss who detests him and a team who resent him but we’ve been given nothing but for surface details and nothing to really digest.

The issue felt conflicted and in places contrived, as it fell in between scene setting and character embedding without fully committing to either enough to make you feel satisfied. Combined with the changing artwork I am left wondering about a great many things. Half of which have nothing to do with the comic.

For once I have to say that this is a comic that hasn’t grabbed me either visually or intellectually. I may flick through a copy from time to time out of curiosity but this one isn’t for me.

Matt Puddy was warned...

New Beginnings - Invincible Iron Man #500.1

Welcome to the brand new shiny world of Marvel.1!

Starting with Iron Man, Marvel have created brand new jump-on points for readers with many title having a .1 editions. Whether or not the same formula and format is used in other comics, this style has given a very definite and concise insight into the world of Tony Stark and subsequently Iron Man too. This means that avid fans will relate while new readers can also feel like they know who they are reading about without having read the 500 previous issues.

Working in a narrative fashion the issue is given to the reader by Tony himself in a frank, open and almost humble dialogue. Beginning at a point of obvious weakness and expressing himself to complete strangers you get to hear - straight from the horse’s mouth - how he became the giant he was, the business empire, the genius, the head of a superpower and more importantly the self-destructive cycle that takes it all away time and time again.

This has all been epitomised by the title that was strangely hidden at the very end, “What it was like, what happened, and what it’s like now.”

Matt Fraction has written quite an in-depth piece in such a small amount of space, producing an easy-to-read and easy-to-follow storyline. Complete with both Larroca and D’Armata as artist and colourist there has also been a great continuity in style from the preceding issues as well. If I’m honest, the artwork hasn’t really been a hit with me but the story has carried it along instead. The lines are fine and detailed but lack the depth and clout that I have come to associate with Iron Man. It feels a little too clean to be the Tony Stark I know, but would a new reader think the same?

The issue itself is completely separate from the current storyline, coming across as a sidestep from the norm which was made easier by the break and relief that issue #500 created. Now in essence this is a good thing, as you are given everything you need to understand the character, but I am left wondering how they will bring this back into line with the current story arcs without the need for wasting a large proportion of the next issue on flashbacks and catch ups - especially without losing or confusing new readers.

For the avid fan I can see this on par with a one-shot, something to collect and treasure. For the new reader it’s a valuable edition to fill in so many blanks and get a good taste for what is happening and where to look for great storylines to catch up on. For those who fall in between, well, I’ll let them decide for themselves as I can see it being loved or left alike. I have it as I now fall into the former category and it’s helped me play catch up easily. All I can say from seeing the final advertising spread is roll on the new stories, as the promise it shows us and teases us with is great!

Matt Puddy is one point ahead of the opposition

New Beginnings - Avengers Prime #1

Lurking amongst the other four big Avengers titles launching the Heroic Age is Avengers Prime, a series focusing on the ‘Big Three’ Avengers; Thor, Captain America and Iron Man. Taking place between scenes at the end of Siege, though there are internal inconsistencies on this, the three are assessing the ruins of Asgard and also bickering quite a bit.

Considering the Heroic Age is meant to be about heroes being heroes again and not fighting amongst themselves, it seems a bit odd that writer Brian Bendis would play so heavily on the in-fighting between the three (well, between Stark and Rogers, with Thor stuck in the middle), especially when he has to drive Rogers out of character so much to make it work. Steve here completely contradicts everything he stood and died for in Civil War, making him look like a hypocrite for no particularly good reason or effect.

Before long, the three are sucked through a damaged Asgardian portal and dumped across the nine realms of Norse mythology, lost and alone. Well, Thor’s not lost, obviously. Which only really serves to further make him seem like a third wheel.

Splitting up the characters is a mistake. All these three characters have solo books. Therefore, they don’t really need a joint title doing character pieces on them, unless it’s going to focus on them as a group and as friends. Splitting them up robs the book of its reason for existing, especially as you don’t gain any sort of extra insight to the three when they’re alone. Steve manages to get into a fight with some goblins, which is fun, but all it serves to do is put him in a rough approximation of his Captain America costume – which tells us what exactly? That he’s Captain America? Well, a) we know that and b) he isn’t any more, which is what these new Avengers titles are all trying to establish.

The biggest problem is though that we already know what happens next. This issue takes place before Avengers #1, which still has Tony and Steve hostile to each other and Thor stuck in the middle. If the rest of this series does go on to have some manner of reconciliation between the three, it’s immediately irrelevant, because the reader already knows it doesn’t stick.

The only real saving grace for the issue is the art by Alan Davis, quite possibly one of the best artists currently working in the medium. That’s a bit of a shame really though. I’d like to think there’s more interesting titles he could be putting his talents towards. He seems wasted on this title, even if he does draw the nine realms very nicely.

Avengers Prime really does feel like a waste of time. It’s so busy retreading old ground that we should all be moving away from, with little in the way of return or reward, that it forgets to do anything worthwhile with itself. It’s a character study that doesn’t study its characters.

Martin S Smith is an author and blogger. He’s just released his first book, The Redundancy of Flightless Birds, and reviews stuff every week over at The Taste of Rising Bile.

Wouldn't that be something...

Wow, what a week. Two new amazing trailers blew my big cat brain this week. So much, so I've only just got around to blogging.

So here they are. I'm sure you've seen them already, but regardless - feast your eyes on the new trailers for Iron Man 2 and Tron Legacy.

Shiny.

IRON MAN 2 TRAILER




TRON LEGACY TEASER

Free Comic Book Day is coming...

Every May, the comic book industry does something brilliant. They give away free comic books on the first Saturday of the month, and this year is no exception.


Now into its ninth year, Free Comic Book Day returns and this will be the third year running Proud Lion has joined in the celebrations.

For those of you on Facebook, you can add FCBD @ Proud Lion as an event.

For 2010, we are serving up nine awesome titles for you to come and grab (whilst stocks last). And here they are...

IRON MAN/THOR FCBD 2010 EDITION

Creative Team: (W) Matt Fraction (A/C) John Romita, Jr.

Publisher: MARVEL COMICS

The perfect jumping-on point for any and all readers...and it's FREE! When rogue mega-billionaires with world-destroying technology threaten the safety of the entire world...and the moon...Thor and Iron Man join forces! In time for the exciting launch of new stories and a bold new direction for Invincible Iron Man and Thor, superstars Matt Fraction and John Romita Jr. team up to bring you two of Marvel's heaviest hitters like you've never seen them before! A major new direction for the Marvel Universe kicks off HERE - on Free Comic Book Day!

PREVIEW PAGES

IRON MAN: SUPERNOVA FCBD 2010 EDITION

Creative Team: (W) Paul Tobin (A) Craig Rousseau (C) Ed McGuinness

Publisher: MARVEL COMICS

What happens when an armored billionaire teams up with a hot-headed, cosmic-powered teen to fight a trio of massively-powered super-apes? Find out when Iron Man and Nova take on Red Ghost and The Super-Apes! Out-numbered, the Golden Avenger and the Human Rocket will have to trust an apparent traitor in the gorillas' midst if they are to survive and save an entire city. Will they succeed or are they being played? Find out in this all-new, action-packed adventure, which happens to be FREE!

WAR OF THE SUPERMEN #0 FCBD 2010 EDITION

Creative Team: (W) James Robinson (A) Eddy Barrows, Ruy José (C) J.G. Jones.

Publisher: DC COMICS

A war is coming, and all that stands between Earth and 100,000 vengeful supermen is one Superman! The conflict between Superman and General Zod erupts into all-out war this summer in a series that will shatter the worlds of Superman, Supergirl and the entire DC Universe — all brought to you by the hit creative team of James Robinson and Eddy Barrows! This special #0 issue featuring all-new material previews the conflicts to come while spotlighting a savage strike on Metropolis and the world — an attack that will shake Superman to his very core. After this, there’s no turning back — the War of the Supermen is here!

DC KIDS MEGA-SAMPLER FCBD 2010 EDITION

Creative Team: (W) Landry Walker, Art Baltazar, Franco, Sholly Fisch (A) Eric Jones, Art Baltazar, Mike Norton, Dario Brizuela (C) Baltazar

Publisher: DC COMICS

This sampler is the perfect place to check out the sensational line of titles aimed at readers of all ages! It includes exciting, all-new stories starring Batman: The Brave & The Bold, Tiny Titans, Billy Batson & the Magic of Shazam! and Super Friends!

ARTIFACTS: FIRST LOOK FCBD 2010 EDITION

Creative Team: (W) Ron Marz (A) Top Cow's Finest (C) Stjepan Sejic

Publisher: IMAGE COMICS/TOP COW STUDIOS

Building on the success of First Born and Broken Trinity, Top Cow finally reveals the secrets of all 13 Artifacts - which include The Darkness, Witchblade, Angelus, Magdalena's Spear of Destiny, and more. Launching a massive 13-issue event beginning in July 2010, this series will literally define and redefine the nature of the Top Cow Universe! The final identity of the remaining hidden Artifacts will be revealed, characters will perish, and the very existence of the Top Cow Universe will be at stake. And it begins here!

GREEN HORNET #1 FCBD 2010 EDITION

Creative Team: (W) Kevin Smith (A) Jonathan Lau, Ariel Padilla, Aaron Campbell (C) Alex Ross

Publisher: D.E./DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENTENT

Dynamite Entertainment proudly presents the return of the Green Hornet! In 2010, Dynamite will unveil three brand-new Green Hornet series, starting with the worldwide debut of Kevin Smith's vision for the masked crusader (based on his unproduced screenplay)! Get a first look with this special edition featuring not only Smith's version, but the award-winning work of creators Matt Wagner and Brett Matthews as well! All in one Free Comic Book Day comic event!

IRREDEEMABLE #1 FCBD 2010 EDITION

Creative Team: (W) Mark Waid (A) Peter Krause (C) John Cassaday

Publisher: BOOM! STUDIOS

Last year's comic book industry event is this year's best way to get more readers hooked on Mark Waid's best-selling original title, Irredeemable, the series that dared to ask the question: what if the world's greatest hero decided to become the world's greatest villain? And 12 issues later, that question has been answered with a best-selling comic series, two best-selling trade collections and Incorruptible, the companion series.

MOUSE GUARD/FRAGGLE ROCK FCBD 2010 Edition

Creative Team: (W/A) David Petersen, TBD.

Publisher: Archaia Entertainment

Archaia is proud to present two amazing all-new stories in one fantastic flip-book! In the spring of 1153 the Mouse Guard deal with the onset of the spring thaw and the havoc it wreaks on their territories. Meanwhile, it’s time to dance your cares away as Gobo, Mokey, Wembley, Boober and Red return for a brand-new series of hilarious and heartfelt Fraggle Rock adventures written and drawn by some of the most imaginative creators in comics!

THE SIXTH GUN #1 FCBD 2010 EDITION

Creative Team: (W) Cullen Bunn (A/C) Brian Hurtt

Publisher: ONI PRESS

During the darkest days of the Civil War, wicked cutthroats came into possession of six pistols of otherworldly power. In time, the Sixth Gun - the most dangerous of the weapons - vanished. When the gun resurfaces in the hands of an innocent girl, dark forces reawaken. Vile men thought long dead set their sights on retrieving the gun and killing the girl. Only Drake Sinclair, a gunfighter with a shadowy past, stands in their way!

As well as these nine exciting comics, we also have a free HeroClix miniature of War Machine, co-star of Iron Man 2!

MARVEL HEROCLIX: WAR MACHINE FCBD 2010 FIGURE

Publisher: WIZKIDS/NECA

When Iron Man needs backup, he calls upon War Machine! War Machine is slated to be a major part of the May 2010 Iron Man 2 movie, and to capitalize on this, WizKids will be modifying the popular War Machine sculpt from the Marvel HeroClix: Armor Wars series as 2010's Free Comic Book Day figure. This exclusive figure comes with an all-new dial and character card.

These are the freebies we will have available on the day. All you have to do is pop in on the day!

There are other titles available on Free Comic Book Day 2010. Proud Lion Reservation Service customers may pre-order up to FIVE titles from the list below at no extra charge. For more information head to the Free Comic Book Day website.

ARCHIES SUMMER SPLASH

ATOMIC ROBO AND FRIENDS

BONGO COMICS FREE FOR ALL

DEL REY SHOWCASE

DOCTOR SOLAR MAGNUS ROBOT HUNTER

FEARLESS DAWN ASYLUM PRESS SAMPLER

FRACTURED FABLES

FREEDOM FORMULA SPEED METAL OVERTURES

GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #155 1/2

LIBRARY OF AMERICAN COMICS #0

LOVE & CAPES #13

ONI PRESS FREE FOR ALL

OVERSTREET GUIDE TO COLLECTING COMICS

OWLY & FRIENDS

RADICAL BIGGER BOOKS BIGGER VALUE

S E HINTON FAME #1

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG HIDE SEEK DESTROY #1

STUFF OF LEGEND & MORTAL INSTRUMENTS

TICK #1 SPECIAL EDITION

WEATHERCRAFT

WORLDS OF ASPEN

YOW THE JOHN STANLEY LIBRARY

You can email your orders to us or pop in store.

Orders must be received by Sunday April 18th.