Galactus threatened to destroy the Ultimate Universe, and it took the brave sacrifice of Captain America to save the day. Who is left? What will happen next?
First things first, the funeral for the captain and the president.
“You’ve got all these characters [that] have been through hell together and now they’re coming out the other side and they’re kind of committed to each other, now that Captain America’s gone and some other characters aren’t making it back,” says writer Brian Michael Bendis. "A lot of these characters are very young, and with that comes a lot of emotion, a lot of drama, a lot of people making some disastrous mistakes both in their professional and in their personal lives; and all of that will be on display right away.”
Bendis also says that this is a great time to jump on board the Ultimate Universe. "One could argue, if you look at what the Ultimate Universe was when we started, and how much of it has been co-opted by the movies and by television, we were kind of a couple of years ahead of our time, and we’re very proud of that. With that said, we’re kind of stripping away everything that’s been co-opted by other mediums, and putting in all new stuff, and that’s very exciting to us."
Check out this first look at Survive #1, with art and a variant cover from Joe Quinones, and featuring a cover from Olivier Coipel.
If anyone was curious about Rick Remender’s intentions for Uncanny Avengers, look no further than issue #17. This story has nothing to do with the rest of the Marvel Universe. Those who scratched their heads at the indiscriminate slaughter of Scarlet Witch, Rogue, and Wolverine, wonder no more. The happenings of this issue should leave no doubt that Remender has been playing us for suckers from the get go.
When I say playing us for suckers, I don’t mean it in a negative way, I mean he’s been a master huckster and I applaud him for it. First, let me explain what happens.
There will be spoilers ahead, matey, so beware!!
Okay, you’ve decided to read on. The Apocalypse Twins have seized their day. The Earth’s destruction is at hand, brought on by the arrival of a Celestial called The Executioner. All of the Avengers and the X-Men have gathered all their power to stop the destruction. Problem is, nothing is working. Tony Stark has created a machine to generate a field around the Earth, one that will only work using the Hulk as connector between two points. Hulk must hold steady against the pounding of the Executioner.
As Hulk and Stark try to keep the Executioner at bay, Thor has his hands full attempting defeated Eimin, the blind Apocalypse Twin who is still alive. The battle rages, and does not favor Thor. Meanwhile, Wasp is trying to fight off Grim Reaper, but refuses to kill him. Enter Captain America, who attempts to take out the Reaper, only to be slaughtered mercilessly. Outside, the Hulk fails, and the Executioner destroys the world, taking the heroes with it. Only Thor is left, and when he lands in a desolate and scorched place, his father is there to explain that Ragnarok was destined for Earth, and things happened as they had to.
It’s genius!! Right now, everything having to do with the Avengers is about multiple worlds crashing down into our reality. The X-Men are dealing with past versions of themselves in the current time stream, and even Thor is embroiled in a new story arc where he is lord of Asgard and the Earth has been destroyed. All of this is leading up to the next big Marvel event, the death of the Watcher.
Thinking about all of that, I would venture an educated guess that the entire world Remender has introduced to us in Uncanny Avengers is actually a duplicate dimension. All the dimensions are collapsing on us, and Remender is showing us one possible Avengers future. It’s brilliant, because he has gotten us to invest in this world the way we would the actual Marvel Universe. Now that we’re hooked, this destruction and death is heartbreaking. Even once it becomes clear what the reality (or at least what I hope is the reality) is, you’re too far gone to not care. So wonderfully played. Bravo. Mr. Remender.
Of course, if that’s not what this is, I’ll be back in a month to shred Remender.
Artist Steve McNiven is allowed to let loose in this issue. McNiven has always had a strong comic style, good with action and faces, but here, there is no holding back. From the glorious Captain American splash page, to the so-brutal-you-can-feel-it bashing between Eimin and Thor, McNiven nails every panel. Ships, multiple characters, explosions, galactic fighting and even up close and personal fisticuffs – this is some of the most exciting work McNiven has given us thus far.
What has always made Matt Fraction’s take on Hawkeye so magical is how the story shifts from really funny to seriously emotional instantly. I have not always been a fan of Fraction’s work, but he has continuously brought his “A” game to this series. Issue #15 is no different, and has an ending that will make fans vibrate with anticipation over the next issue.
Hawkeye is in trouble. Real trouble. The kind where Russian mobsters in tracksuits are surrounding him with guns, and Hawkeye (aka Clint Barton) has no pants. Well, he does, but they’re around his ankles. Why? More on that later. The main problem is that Clint has these guns in his face, no arrows, and he’s not exactly brimming with super powers. How does one get out of such a predicament? Why, magic of course.
The trick in question is Barney Barton, Clint’s crossword-puzzle-obssessed, typically wayward, hard-hitting brother. Clint gets his tracksuit attackers to scream Barney’s name, and then the beat down is on. The suits are attacking Clint’s building for multiple reasons. The most pressing reason is the land developers, who are trying to force Clint out in order to build a mega-complex of some kind in the neighborhood. While various amounts of mob tactics have been used to get Clint out of the building, it turns out the easiest way was right in front of his enemies’ eye. Clint is technically a worker in the building, and it’s not actually owned by him.
That realization has led to Clint’s current circumstances. With his brother as his only ally, Clint sets about trying to rid the building of the tracksuits who are trying to kill him, his brother and the tenants. Fraction does what he does best here, he keeps the action high end, the humor flying and the stakes high. The investment in the story becomes such that you never see the ending coming. When it does, it’s a smack across the face – one that I won’t spoil, but I assure you is savage. How it all works out is very unclear. Fraction leaves things in such a way that the visuals tell a story that can’t possibly be real. Of the entire run of Hawkeye, this is probably one of the most powerful issues thus far.
Fraction has taken care of keeping Hawkeye’s writing something unique from the rest of comic books, and his art team is no less driven. David Aja’s work is without equal. I say this because it’s difficult to describe exactly what his style is. Sure, there are aspects of Silver Age books in what he does, as well as pop art and minimalist modern art. Still, that’s only a surface description, and it doesn’t’ relay how well he takes those images and makes them very specifically comic book art. It’s more than just great penciling – Aja’s whole approach is very different.
Helping to fully realize the composition are Matt Hollingsworth’s colors. He understands the visual style Aja is working with and applies the colors perfectly. As scenes change, so do the themes of the colors in the pages. It’s all subtle, but with great impact to the overall visuals.
Hawkeye doesn’t just entertain, it inspires. Fraction and Aja have raised the bar by completely rethinking the narrative and visuals in comics.
“It’s fun, it’s full of adventure, and it wears its love of the Marvel Universe on its sleeve,” says Spider-Man writer Dan Slott of his new ongoing Silver Surfer series with Michael Allred.
One might say that Earth girls are easy, but Norrin Radd's new foil Dawn Greenwood is apparently going to challenge him in new ways, to do new things, when he finds her on a distant planet, having been abducted by aliens years ago.
“One of the limitations of the Surfer character is that, by his nature, he’s alone most of the time,” says Executive Editor Tom Brevoort. “So right off the bat, we’re giving him somebody new to bounce off of: the new character Dawn Greenwood. The two of them wind up traveling together, and this gives the Surfer somebody to bond with and relate to along the journey.”
Slott has long been a Silver Surfer fan, but he assures us this won't affect his beloved Spider-Man run. "I wake up every morning thinking of Spider-Man and going to sleep every night dreaming of Spider-Man, [so] it's nice to have a new flavor on the plate. I never want to stop writing Spider-Man, but it's nice to have that other flavor, and for it to be so different. Everyone who knows me knows I'm a big sci-fi geek. I love sci-fi, and this is my chance at an ongoing sci-fi book."
Also a huge fan of who Slott describes as "the most Kirby-ish character of all time" is Allred, who Brevoort thinks is the first actual surfer to illustrate the character. He also notes that Allred "had one specific quality that we knew was going to be invaluable in putting the series over: since so much of the premise revolves around Dawn, the new character, we needed an artist that was going to make you love her and care about her from the very first frame she showed up in."
Check out this first look at Silver Surfer #1, featuring variant covers from Francesco Francavilla, Chris Samnee and Skottie Young.
You've seen Skottie Young doing a lot of adorable variant covers for Marvel Comics, and now he's going to put those talents to perfect use by bringing us a new ongoing series featuring the soon-to-be-movie-star named Rocket of the Guardians of the Galaxy. And yes, Groot will be along for the ride as well as Rocket deals with being framed for a crime he didn't commit.
“I figure that a guy like Rocket, with his attitude, has swindled his way over many planets and charmed many ladies,” says writer/artist Young. “He’s racked up a militia of ex-girlfriends I’m dubbing the Exterminators. They’re all fed up and they’ve decided it’s time they dish out some payback on his furry little tail.”
Check out this first look at Rocket Raccoon #1, due out this July. And, while we're on the topic of Rocket, see how you can help the family of his creator, Bill Mantlo, and his ongoing medical care after a tragic accident.
Where once IDW had the rights to Doctor Who comics, they've now gone over to Titan Books, and they've just released the first cover images and the details about creative teams on books for both The Tenth and The Eleventh Doctors, both due out on July 23.
Check it out!
Official blurb: Eisner Award-winning writer Nick Abadzis (Laika) and fan-favorite artist Elena Casagrande (Angel, Suicide Risk, Doctor Who, Star Trek) take control of the TARDIS for their first five-issue arc with the Tenth Doctor! And don't miss the second arc, by fellow series architect Robbie Morrison (Drowntown, Nikolai Dante, The Authority)!
Word is he'll also have a brand new companion. How does that grab you?
Official blurb: Series architects Al Ewing (Loki: Agent of Asgard, Mighty Avengers, Trifecta) and Rob Williams (Revolutionary War, Ordinary, Miss Fury, The Royals: Masters of War, Trifecta) kick off a whirlwind adventure through eternity for the Eleventh Doctor, with artist Simon Fraser (Nikolai Dante, Grindhouse, Doctor Who)!
[VIDEO] On this week’s episode, we have Oscars Predictions 2014 with William Bibbiani, Nash explores Sydney, Australia and there’s one final installment from Hot Karate.
Things are bad for the Lucius Fox family. His daughters are missing and his son Luke, currently known as Batwing, has started to unravel in his attempts to find his sisters – to the point where both Batman and Alfred are concerned for his state of mind.
Check out this Crave Online exclusive preview of Batwing #29, due out next week.
