Time to return to our Marvel Now coverage. We discuss the number one issues of FF, Avengers and Thunderbolts and touch on the number two issues of All-New X-men, Uncanny Avengers, A+X, X-Men Legacy and Thor: God of Thunder. (1:20:10)
Avengers #1 might be the kick off of a great story, but on its own I found it kinda lacking. I also thought it read entirely too much like Giant Size X-Men #1 - team flies off to exotic locale, gets their ass kicked by vegetation, leader is sent packing to recruit more heroes so they can go and rescue the first bunch. I may check it out in trade down the line, but it didn't motivate me to immediately need to see what comes next the way that, say, Indestructible Hulk did (or Hawkeye did a few months back). I'm curious and I'd give it a Borrow, but considering how much I wanted to love this, that's a pretty disappointing ranking for me.
FF also wasn't what I was expecting, but that's a good thing here. I wondered if Fraction and Allred would be a good pairing, but this is a lighter touch from Fraction, I think, and if this first issue is any indication, he'll be writing to Allred's strength, which is "mad ideas that would look goofy with any other penciler (coughcoughMissThingcough) but with Allred they somehow kinda work." This could be, dare I say, ginchy? A Buy, at least for the next issue or two to see where it goes, and then we'll see from there.
And yeah, I liked FF better than Fantastic Four, too. That feels weird to say.
Any chance of Matt sitting out the next Marvel NOW episode? His negativity is starting to grate, maybe he should just stick to reading DC and cheer up!
Peter Parker's brain is in someone else's body and the Superior Spider-Man is not him so pretty sure he's not available for FF membership
I don't think anyone knows for certain if Superior Spider-Man is not Peter Parker. Plus, the timelines here are not completely linear across the board. Marvel has admitted that some things are happening before of after other upcoming events, and anyway, there isn't necessarily strict continuity across all the titles. For example, Cap's new costume at the end of Avengers vs. the one he wears in Uncanny Avengers and his own title. A small detail, but still...
My LCS still hasn't gotten their reorder of FF #1, hoping it will be there today.
Avengers #1 was pretty decent, no complaints on the writing or the art. I have no idea who some of the people are on the team Cap was with at the end, looking foward to issue two.
Didn't pick up Thunderbolts, the interior art is not my cup o' tea.
Any chance of Matt sitting out the next Marvel NOW episode? His negativity is starting to grate, maybe he should just stick to reading DC and cheer up!
"Stick to reading DC..." I haven't read any DC since I agreed to the relaunch episodes, and that was only for the initial batch of #1s.
I usually agree with the geeks but this was different. I can't even fathom that someone liked Avengers # 1. I found this to be confusing, boring and virtually unreadable. I was never able to decipher what was happening at any point.
I loved Thunderbolts # 1. I started reading it begrudgingly and ended up liking it more and more as I went. By the end when I realized it was Written by Way and drawn by Dillon I was sold. A great duo on a great first issue.
Also pumped that Matt has been around more, always like hearing his input.
Murd, why will you pay 3.99 for the 32-page My Little Pony, but staunchly refuse to pay the same for a flagship Marvel title? I'm just curious.
I find it easier to justify paying the higher cover price for comics from independent publishers because I find it easier to accept such publishers' justification for charging that much (i.e., they [usually] have smaller volume of sales than the Big Two and so need to charge more than the once-standard $2.99 to stay profitable--plus, in the case of a company like IDW, which specializes in comics based on licensed entertainment properties, licensing fees have to be factored into the cost of the product). It becomes even easier to justify paying $3.99 for a 32-page comic, independent or otherwise, when it's co-created by a personal friend like Katie Cook.
Anyway, my refusal to support Marvel's $3.99 titles isn't as staunch as I'd intended: I've already conceded my willingness to continue buying All-New X-Men, which is not only $3.99/32pp. but is also double-shipping three months in a row! :((
Just wanted to chime in and say that I'm enjoying the Marvel Now episodes very much.
I had a lot of reservations about Bendis on X-Men as well, and for what it's worth I've been very pleased with the results. I haven't read issue #3 yet, but in issue #2 I don't detect much (if any) shift back to the Bendis-isms of the recent past.
Also, Matt can be as negative as he wants for all I care. When asked to review an entire LINE of comics, I think it stands to reason that MOST comics won't be for everyone, otherwise we'd all be buying nearly every comic on the stands. Also, one can dislike (or pass on, or "pants") the majority of a line of comics and still be happy enough with the company behind them. For example, I would say I personally have liked the New 52 and would judge it a success, even though I'm "only" buying around 12 DC titles. I'm in effect passing on or "pantsing" most of their comics, because I'm simply not interested in them. Yet I'm happy enough about their whole line overall, because it serves my needs. To put it another way: I don't need to eat everything in a supermarket to say that the store is a good store that I'm happy shopping in.
Any chance of Matt sitting out the next Marvel NOW episode? His negativity is starting to grate, maybe he should just stick to reading DC and cheer up!
Do you find Pants' enthusiasm for most of the titles equally grating? I just see it as a group giving honest opinions..and that's all I ask for.
On the question of why Johnny chose non=-powered unknown Darla Deering as his replacement - I think it was kind of a joke: everyone else had done their homework and picked a reasonable choice, but Johnny goofed off and didn't do anything - so faced with a deadline crunch, he just asked his most recent girlfriend to fill in. It was only going to be 4 minutes anyway, so what was the harm, right?
Was it initially lost on anyone else that it is Red Hulk, who is actually Thunderbolt Ross, that is assembling the...Thunderbolts?
Can't believe I didn't notice this right away, but it made me feel a bit better about the use of the title for this book. I am hoping this provides some comfort to Murd who doesn't want the Thunderbolts once great name to be unnecessarily sullied.
Also note that Daniel Way just completed a great run on Deadpool. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes how he's using Deadpool in this book.
Comments
FF also wasn't what I was expecting, but that's a good thing here. I wondered if Fraction and Allred would be a good pairing, but this is a lighter touch from Fraction, I think, and if this first issue is any indication, he'll be writing to Allred's strength, which is "mad ideas that would look goofy with any other penciler (coughcoughMissThingcough) but with Allred they somehow kinda work." This could be, dare I say, ginchy? A Buy, at least for the next issue or two to see where it goes, and then we'll see from there.
And yeah, I liked FF better than Fantastic Four, too. That feels weird to say.
Avengers #1 was pretty decent, no complaints on the writing or the art. I have no idea who some of the people are on the team Cap was with at the end, looking foward to issue two.
Didn't pick up Thunderbolts, the interior art is not my cup o' tea.
What part of the negativity is grating?
M.
I loved Thunderbolts # 1. I started reading it begrudgingly and ended up liking it more and more as I went. By the end when I realized it was Written by Way and drawn by Dillon I was sold. A great duo on a great first issue.
Also pumped that Matt has been around more, always like hearing his input.
Anyway, my refusal to support Marvel's $3.99 titles isn't as staunch as I'd intended: I've already conceded my willingness to continue buying All-New X-Men, which is not only $3.99/32pp. but is also double-shipping three months in a row! :((
I had a lot of reservations about Bendis on X-Men as well, and for what it's worth I've been very pleased with the results. I haven't read issue #3 yet, but in issue #2 I don't detect much (if any) shift back to the Bendis-isms of the recent past.
Also, Matt can be as negative as he wants for all I care. When asked to review an entire LINE of comics, I think it stands to reason that MOST comics won't be for everyone, otherwise we'd all be buying nearly every comic on the stands. Also, one can dislike (or pass on, or "pants") the majority of a line of comics and still be happy enough with the company behind them. For example, I would say I personally have liked the New 52 and would judge it a success, even though I'm "only" buying around 12 DC titles. I'm in effect passing on or "pantsing" most of their comics, because I'm simply not interested in them. Yet I'm happy enough about their whole line overall, because it serves my needs. To put it another way: I don't need to eat everything in a supermarket to say that the store is a good store that I'm happy shopping in.
Pants was right.
On the question of why Johnny chose non=-powered unknown Darla Deering as his replacement - I think it was kind of a joke: everyone else had done their homework and picked a reasonable choice, but Johnny goofed off and didn't do anything - so faced with a deadline crunch, he just asked his most recent girlfriend to fill in. It was only going to be 4 minutes anyway, so what was the harm, right?
e
L nny
Can't believe I didn't notice this right away, but it made me feel a bit better about the use of the title for this book.
I am hoping this provides some comfort to Murd who doesn't want the Thunderbolts once great name to be unnecessarily sullied.
Also note that Daniel Way just completed a great run on Deadpool. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes how he's using Deadpool in this book.