Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artists: John Romita Jr & Klaus Janson
After the abysmal Avengers issue, Fallen Son gets a little better, but not much. This issue's theme is "Bargaining" and features Iron Man, Clint Barton, and Captain America? Can you guess where this is going? Yup, you guessed it! Tony wants Clint, formerly Hawkeye, to be the new Cap. Clint even puts on "the flag" and goes out with Tony to try and capture Patriot and Hawkeye (the girl one, confused yet?). Clint lets them get away, and takes off "the flag," basically undoing whatever this issue tried to do. All this issue proved is that Steve Rogers is the only Captain America there can ever be. We all knew that to begin with. What am I missing here that makes this story one that needs to be told? Each of these issues seems to be missing a point, or even their theme. Like last issue, bargaining only came up once in the issue, the rest was focusing on the future of Captain America. This issue was a okay read, but in the end I still feel like I could have saved my $2.99 for another book next week. I feel like this book is an excuse for Marvel to print money, and ugly Michael Turner Variant Covers. In the end, since nothing really happened in this issue that "changed the landscape of the Marvel Universe" you could skip it and not miss anything.
Even the John Romita Jr. art is not enough for me to compel you to buy this book. JRJR is a master artist, one of the best when he's on Spider-Man, and maybe that's the problem here. For me JRJR is best on Spider-man. I liked his Eternals stuff but it just doesn't fit here. And the coloring by Morry Hollowell makes JRJR look like Steve McNiven in one panel. So if you are a McNiven clone, have Morry Hollowell color you, and if you're Steve McNiven, don't lose Morry, because you are not that good without him. I'll keep reading this series for the next two issues, only to tell you that you can skip it. Well, maybe the David Finch Spider-Man art might make me tell you to buy the book, but we'll see. C-
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Stefano Caselli
Since New Avengers and Mighty Avengers seem to not come out very often, and are so wrapped up in each other's storylines, this seems like the only real Avengers book out there. Who knew that we really did need another Avengers book? I guess Dan Slott. Slott writes a good book here, as the new kid recruits feel young and inexperienced and all have distinct charcteristics. They may be a little cliche (there is a naive one, a hothead, an emo kid, and the jock), but at least they are there. Last issue it seemed like this book was going to be about these kids, but this issue proves its also about the staff. Dr. Hank Pym has an emotional breakdown, the Nazi doctor and Henry Gyrich are up to no good, and The Gauntlet has no other purpose other than to be a dick to these kids. Hydra attacks the President's Ranch in Texas from the air and these "New Avengers" are dispatched to stop them. They travel from Connecticut, through the negative zone, to Texas. Some of the recruits show that they will make excellent Avengers, while others start to realize that its not the same in the field as it is in the video games. Stefano Caselli's art is good, it has the young feel that this book needs, and he can also do action scequenced very well. But I've said all this before. If you're tired of New and Mighty Avengers going nowhere 2 or 3 issues in a row, give this book a try as your real Avengers title, you might be suprised. B
Incredible Hulk #106
Writer: Greg Pak
Artists: Gary Frank & Jion Sibal
World War Hulk Prologue
Writers: Peter David, Chris Giarrusso
Artists: Al Rio, Sean Phillips, Chris Giarrusso, & Takeshi Miyazawa
Marvel's next event launches this week, and it's starting out strong. Two issues came out this week, Incredible Hulk #106 and the World War Hulk Prologue. Having not read Planet Hulk, I'm coming into this event fresh and was hoping that these issues would give me enough information to understand the plot of the event other than "Hulk Smash Marvel U," and I was pleasantly suprised. Both manage to tell a cohesive story leading into the main World War Hulk mini-series. Incredible Hulk starts out with She-Hulk meeting Amadeus Cho, Hulk's biggest fan, and talking to him about the Hulk and how Hulk is not the hero Amadeus thinks it to be. Doc Samson shows up at Mr. Fantastic's request to try to take Cho in, or stop him from what he is planning to do, whatever that is. A fight breaks out and Jen winds up smashin Samson into the next state. Pak writes some good dialogue between the three, summarizing the arguments for both sides without sounding tired like some of the registration arguments did. Gary Frank does the art here, and does a great job. This book has set me up for World War Hulk, and I think that I'm going to be getting the Incredible Hulk issues along with the main series. B
The World War Hulk Prologue picks up where Incredible Hulk 106 left off with more conversation between She-Hulk and Doc Samson, so pick up both and read Incredible Hulk first. It also focuses on the Hulk and his "warbound" as they travel towards Earth in thier stone spaceship. The Hulk has to stop some aliens from taking over his ship and goes beserk on them, and when his allies come to help, he sees them as the Illuminati, and not his allies. This causes concern amoung the "warbound," because they worry that Hulk's rage will consume him and even they will not be safe. One of the warbound takes Hulk aside and helps Hulk meditate and focus his rage. Hulk tells him about the Illuminati, what they did to him over the years, and what their weaknesses are. What we're seeing here is an actual plot devoloping rather than Hulk just going down a checklist. I thought that this book would tell the Planet Hulk saga in 32 pages so I would not have to read it. Rather, it summarized it in a few sentences and set up these warbound characters from it so well that I now want to go back and read the Planet Hulk arc as well as the World War Hulk mini. That says a lot about this comic. Along with the main story, the comic contains a mini-marvels short by Chris Giarrusso which is hilariously funny. The 6 pages alone are worth the $3.99. Also included are is the Amadeus Cho short story from Amazing Fantasy #15, also written by Greg Pak. This is the story of how Amadeus Cho met the Hulk that was recounted in Incredible Hulk #106. Overall, this was a good comic, and really was not what I expected. B
