Superheroes Books - Page 5

Essential Iron Man, Vol. 1 (v. 1)

Stan Lee, Larry Lieber

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Classic or Dated? 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This early Iron Man stuff probably needs two reviews to do an honest job. Old-time comic fans will appreciate this collection of these early stories and the introductions of so many classic Iron Man enemies. The 1960s writing is a nice bit of nostalgia, and the art by people like Steve Ditko and Don Heck is very fun to look at.

But to a younger person, perhaps coming to Iron Man from seeing the movie...not so much. The stories and enemies will seem hokey and the "red menace" stuff will lack the meaning it had to people my age who lived through the Cold War.

I love the marvel essentials series, but let's face it...these are pieces of nostalgia. Early marvels were pretty poorly written stuff. Once Stan Lee established the formula of a hero who whined and carped about his personal life all the time, it became formulaic very quickly. These stories fit in that mold, 18 pages of fighting some communist and a few panels of Stark whining about the metal plate on his chest.

If you understand what you are getting this is a great inexpensive way to grab all these early Iron Man comics...but I wouldn't buy it for a kid.

Editorial Review:

Inventor, business-man, playboy...super hero! Gravely injured in combat, billionaire genius Tony Stark saved his own life by designing a life-sustaining shell - the hi-tech protective covering that transformed him into the invincible Iron Man! Now, the world believes him to be Tony Stark's personal bodyguard. In this dual role, he faces boardroom intrigue and super-powered menaces. A modern-day knight in armor, he fights injustice wherever it rears its ugly head! Collects Tales of Suspense #39-72.

The Ultimates 2, Vol. 1: Gods and Monsters

Mark Millar, Bryan Hitch

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

great tpb... 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

i hated the ultimates 1 vol 1, the ultimates 1 vol 2 was a lot better but still not great.
the ultimates 2 vol 1 however is great. i still hate the idea of bruce banner being a scumbag, and there are a bunch of other ultimate universe things that carry into this that i don't like. but overall this is a great tpb and highly recommended.

The best of Ultimate Marvel 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

In a nutshell, "the Ultimates" AKA the Ultimate Avengers is far and away the best of Marvel's Ultimate titles, as evidenced by its top-rating among all of Millar's books. Interestingly, it rates higher than his other Ultimate titles...I think in general the tone is the most adult and most serious of the Ultimate books - closer to the new Battlestar Galactica or Season 5 of 24 than than to its comic peers.

While I liked Ultimate Fantastic Four, Ultimate X-men, etc - this is the standard bearer of the line - even if you don't follow the avengers, this is an easy to grasp title. And Volume 2 is far better than volume 1!

Editorial Review:

It's been one year since they stopped an alien invasion, and now things get hard. New members, new costumes, and 12 months of gossip to catch up on! Who's getting married? Who's divorced? Who's gone nuts since we last saw them? Why, just in this first story, we see Ultimate Hulk and the secret origin of Ultimate Thor, and get a look at the entire Ultimate Universe as drawn by Bryan Hitch! It's guest-stars galore - featuring the X-Men, Daredevil, Captain Britain, and even the Defenders! Collects The Ultimates 2 #1-6.

Ultimate X-Men: Ultimate Collection, Vol. 1

Mark Millar, Geoff Johns

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The X-Men, 60% More Ultimatey! 3 out of 5 stars.
3 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This soft cover collects Mark Millar's Ultimate X-Men 1-12, plus the 1/2 issue by Geoff Johns. I've enjoyed a lot of Millar's previous work, especially The Ultimates. He has a knack for action and politics, and for crafting very enjoyable reads.

This volume... not my favorite Millar. A re-imagining of the X-Men for Marvel's new Ultimate Universe, instead of Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Angel, and Iceman, we're absent Angel but with the additions of fan-favorite Wolverine, and Colossus. This being the Ultimate World, their origins and drives are very different from, and sometimes sensationalistic-ally opposite to, the originals. The purest in me found some of them (especially the Wolverine angles) hard to digest, and while they did set the book apart, it seemed at times to be at the expense of creating vibrant characters in their own right.

The story deals with the formation of the team (recruited on Prof. X's behalf by a newer, sexier, Jean Grey), and their battle with Ultimate Magneto and his Ultimate Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (his children, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, as well as Toad, Mastermind, and others).

Like much of the Ultimate Universe, real-world touches like George Bush being President of the United States are thrown in. Also, the stakes are immediately much higher; as the story begins, on presidential order, Sentinels are hunting down and executing mutants without benefit of warrant or trial.
Great setup. However, the elaboration didn't flow as well as other Millar work I've enjoyed, something which was aided not at all by the artwork, from the usually excellent Kubert bros. Top-notch figures, dynamic action... but panel-to-panel story-telling was difficult to follow and, at times, downright confusing.

Overall, a mixed bag. Enough to challenge my preconceptions but not shatter them.

As an added bonus, the soft cover provides the original Ultimate X-Men script by Brian Bendis, which is a VERY different take from Millar's version as well.

Editorial Review:

Collecting the first year of Mark Millar's groundbreaking ULTIMATE X-MEN - issues #1-12 - in one colossal trade paperback! Featuring an all-new cover by ULTIMATE HULK VS. WOLVERINE artist Leinil Francis Yu! The world stands on the brink of genetic war. Mankind has made the first move, launching an army of giant, cybernetic executioners called Sentinels - programmed to target and eliminate the mutant DNA strand. Now, Magneto and his mutant terrorist cell are preparing to follow through on their threats of Homo sapien genocide. The only force that can prevent total annihilation: five awkward teenagers and their crippled mentor! Plus: The inexperienced X-Men must rely on the enigmatic and unproven Wolverine when they become pawns of the mysterious Weapon X program. Can Logan go it alone against the shadow-ops organization that transformed him into one of the world's most lethal killing machines? Also featuring the rare ULTIMATE X-MEN #1/2!

Superman/Batman: The Search for Kryptonite

Michael Green, Mike Johnson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

With friends like these... 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

After yet another perilous encounter involving the deadly substance kryptonite, Superman decides to enlist the aid of his World's Finest buddy Batman to help him ferret out the nasty and malicious element in order to hopefully get rid of his natural Achilles' heel once and for all. However these two men are about to be in for quite a revelation. Kryptonite is everywhere, from massive chunks the size of small mountains to tiny dust particles of microscopic proportions, in all of its haunting and paradoxical beauty. The sad irony not lost on Superman is that the only remnants of the revered planet of his birth are now cruelly lethal to him on his adopted home planet. Unfortunately this is just the tip of the kryptonite iceberg, as more unexpected obstacles are to follow. To their surprise, not everyone sees the value of their arduous quest, most specifically the new Aquaman and two other mysterious players, one predictable and the other undoubtedly not. Expediency can certainly make for strange bedfellows, and while this peculiar pairing may be the regrettable result of a symbiotic relationship more governed by happenstance than design, the shameful consequences are the same nonetheless. Whether or not the rationale is to safeguard the world against future possibilities of Superman going "rogue" or more pragmatic purposes, no measures are inconceivable by them to deter our intrepid heroes from accomplishing their honorable mission. The final reveal of the one astonishing adversary may come as a slight shock to some and be somewhat controversial, but the character is rarely used anyways, so some leeway and risks are warranted, especially considering their current role in the DCU. It could also pave the path for future storylines with more intricate and greater import. This trade ultimately ended up being an excellent example of illustrating how a plot that appears generic and unoriginal on the surface can be elevated above its inherent simplicity by solid and exceptional execution.

Showcase Presents: Supergirl Vol. 2

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Superman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told, Vol. 2

Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Loses a star due to the lag between volumes 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 10 people found this review helpful.

Almost a year after the release of Volume 1, DC finally gives us SUPERMAN CHRONICLES VOLUME 2, continuing the admirable but somewhat laughable effort (at this rate, at least) of reprinting every Superman appearance in chronological order. This book features classic tales from Action Comics #14-20 and Superman #2 & 3, from 1939-1940. All stories are written and illustrated by Superman co-creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Keep in mind that these are some of the earliest adventures of Superman from comics' Golden Age, so the style is very direct, almost to a fault. Looking back on them, there's no real narrative complexity or character development - more like Siegel and Shuster were simply producing stories to fill a demand. It actually seems that the boys from Cleveland weren't quite sure what to do with their fantastic creation now that he was finally in comics. Superman didn't have much of a rogues gallery at this point; instead, he deals with white-collar criminals and thugs, with everyone behaving similarly to what was seen in the Superman TV series of the `50s. The only remarkable villain is the Ultra-Humanite, whose appearance in the final story of this volume is something no fan of James Robinson's THE GOLDEN AGE will want to miss. In any case, you're experiencing comics history in the making, getting a look at stories that your parents or grandparents enjoyed as kids, and gaining an understanding of why comics caught on as they did in a world that had a need for fantastic heroes. Even though these stories may be somewhat bland, they have an appeal that can't be ingnored.

I just wish DC would speed up their reprinting of these stories so that readers don't grow old before the Golden Age stories wrap up. There are certainly plenty of stories and other characters to choose from to keep these books coming. Get it in gear, DC!

Editorial Review:

Experience the history of Superman with this series thatreprints the early adventures of the Man of Tomorrow in chronologicalorder.This volume features classic tales from 1939 and 1940 written andillustrated by Superman co-creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, in whichthe Man of Tomorrow battles crooked politicians and slumlords as he bringsjustice to the downtrodden masses.

Countdown to Final Crisis, Vol. 2

Paul Dini

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Counting to none 2 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Countdown, DC's second attempt at a weekly, year-long series, is supposedly an attempt at detailing the events leading up to Final Crisis, but like the first collected volume before it, the second volume of Countdown is a boring failure. As this collection picks up, we are once again focused on the developments of Jimmy Olsen, Mary Marvel, Flash rogues Piper and Trickster, and more relatively minor characters besides. Believe it or not, the most interesting story element of Countdown are the developments with Karate Kid. The Legion of Superheroes member destiny appears to become a little more apparent here, but a majority of Countdown just seems woefully paced, and ever-boring. Considering that the usually talented Paul Dini layed out the groundwork of Countdown, there just isn't enough here to hold your interest. Even the adventures of Kyle Rayner, Donna Troy, Jason Todd, and Bon the Monitor as they search for Ray Palmer across the various Earth's come off as lame. Between the boring developments, rushed artwork (which looks worse than anything in the much better 52), and uninteresting characters; Countdown is a supreme disappointment. All in all, if you've been closely following the developments leading to Grant Morrison's Final Crisis, Countdown may be worth looking at, but it can also be easily avoided for practically everyone else.

Countdown to Final Crisis, Vol. 1

Paul Dini

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

ugh. 1 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

No...just...no. Countdown supposedly follows up on the threads that were left off from Infinite Crisis and 52 as the product description will lead you to believe. Grant Morrison, the writer in charge of DC's current event that this series was counting down to, Final Crisis, had plotted Final Crisis out nearly two years ago. He had said he'd laid down the threads for Final Crisis in Seven Soldiers and in 52. He gave these plots out to Paul Dini and his cavalcade of D-list writers for Countdown. Within this first volume, we see nearly all the plot details Mr. Morrison had laid down realized by the writers of Countdown. But after that? These writers decided they would go off on their own tangents, because they had the obligation of filling twenty-four pages per week for a year straight, due to the nature of the book. The editors of the book failed to let Paul Dini know what Grant Morrison intended, and we ended up with Countdown. Had Grant Morrison been involved with this book, and had DC put a staff of A-list or B-list writers on this book, things certainly might have been different.

The good things I can say for this volume? Well, it's the first 13 issues of a weekly series, and it takes the threads Morrison had put down and begins to run with them, being the first few issues and all. It moves relatively slowly, and you think you'll have high hopes for the series, that it will end up being good at the end. But trust me when I say this, the quality only gets worse from here on out. By the end of the last issue, you will be kicking yourself for spending $80 on the collected version of this, and asking yourself "Did anything really change?". By the end of this book, nothing has changed.

If you intend on reading Final Crisis, ignore Countdown. Ignore Death of the New Gods. Ignore Salvation Run. Read 52 (52, Vol. 1, 52, Vol. 2, 52, Vol. 3, 52, Vol. 4), which Grant Morrison had a hand in, and is a much better weekly series (due to the fact that they had an A-list writing staff on the book), and read Morrison's "megaseries" Seven Soldiers ( Seven Soldiers of Victory, Vol. 1, Seven Soldiers of Victory, Vol. 2, Seven Soldiers of Victory, Vol. 3, Seven Soldiers of Victory, Vol. 4), which is one of the most adventurous writings in modern comics (seven four issue mini series' bookended by a zero issue, and issue one).

Editorial Review:

The first of four volumes, COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS VOL. ONE collects the incredible tale starring Jimmy Olsen, Mary Marvel, Donna Troy and all the major characters of the DC Universe.

COUNTDOWN follows up the events of bestsellers INFINITE CRISIS and 52 and leads into DC's next major event, FINAL CRISIS. When a surprising character dies in chapter one, it sets off an unexpected ripple that will touch virtually every character in the DC Universe and change the status quo forever.

Asterix and Cleopatra

Rene Goscinny

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Truly a nose - I mean story - of legendary proportions!!! 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is by far my favorite of all the Asterix and Obelix stories. Goscinny is truly in his prime here. It's all there: the frustrated, abused bard, the shipwrecked pirates and of course, the nose of Cleopatra (a nose whose beauty is unsurpassed). As an added bonus, we finally get to see how the Sphinx lost its nose (and where it was rather conspicuously buried). Just for that, this thing is worth it!

Magic Potion... 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Queen Cleopatra has been challenged by Julius Caesar. Queen Cleopatra challenges Edifis. They've got three months to build Julius an Egyptian estate. Edifis sails to Gaul to get his friend Getafix. Getafix's got a magic potion. May help speed up things...

"Asterix and Cleopatra" is Asterix #6. Special sort of one, I thought. Fun, colourful and kind of exotic. Feels like a holiday for Asterix and Obelix. Saw the "Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra" film. Sort of coloured it for me, re-reading the comic. Saw a bit more of the French-ness in it. Funny.

Editorial Review:

To impress Julius Caesar, Queen Cleopatra promises to build the Roman Emperor a magnificent palace in just three months. Of course, Asterix has to get involved. By the time his feisty group from Gaul have finished, they’ve outwitted the Roman army, too.

New Avengers, Vol. 7: The Trust (v. 7)

Brian Michael Bendis

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

"Do you feel Skrully?" 4 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

The New Avengers can't catch a break. As if the Civil War wasn't enough. Or the fact that they're wanted criminals, and with their former teammates hunting them down. As if it's not enough that they've just faced off against Electra and her deadly group of ninja assassins, the Hand. Now the fit really hits the shan. In the last issue (see New Avengers Vol. 6: Revolution) it's revealed that Electra is actually a shape-shifting Skrull. This causes a big, big problem as these outlaw Avengers now suspect that a secret invasion is in the works. But how long have the Skrulls been skulking around? And how big the conspiracy, how deep the infiltration? Could the Skrulls have been somehow responsible for the Civil War? So, these renegade heroes now don't even know if they can trust each other ("Do you feel Skrully?" asks one Avenger to another). Paranoia sows its seed and quickly threatens to shatter the group. In fact, one member promptly skedaddles.

On top of it all, a demon-ridden villain calling himself the Hood ('cause, y'know, he has a hood) is scheming to take over New York's criminal underworld. And he's making quick headway. The Hood is a thinking criminal, and he espouses organization and cooperation amongst New York's criminal element. It also strikes him that, with the Superhuman Registration Act lending ready access to the identities of many in the superhero community, one way to build up instant credibility is to make an example of a superhero. To quote the Hood: "One by one. We get them where they live. All of them. No one is safe. Not the icons, not the up-and-comers." His actions put him and his superpowered crime syndicate on a collision course with Luke Cage and his crumbling outlaw band. So far Dr. Strange's mystical dwelling had provided a foolproof sanctuary for these fugitive Avengers. But not anymore.

Oh, and there's also some nonsense about all of New York City being transformed into symbiotes (like Venom). This might've been interesting except that amongst the infected are the New Avengers, so that's no fun. Plus, it was told in broad-stroked flashback by Luke Cage, one of the two who didn't get infected (him because of his invulnerable skin, Wolverine because of his healing factor). Apparently, this symbiote storyline is told in full in an issue of Mighty Avengers. But since I don't follow that series much ("bleccch!" to the Mighty Avengers), I guess I won't get the full lowdown on what happened.

This is THE NEW AVENGERS Vol. 7: THE TRUST and it collects issues #32-37 and The New Avengers Annual #2. I figure, as long as Brian Michael Bendis keeps churning out New Avengers stuff, I'll keep reading 'em. To be honest, though, I was getting pretty tired of the Hand story arc, so I'm glad Bendis has (for now) moved on. This new arc paves the way for the next big Marvel Comics event, Secret Invasion, which is an 8-issue limited series. In an IGN interview, Bendis let out that he'd been planning this thing for years and that there's been a hint of the Skrull invasion even as far back as New Avengers #1. Color me intrigued.

Although the suspicions and hostility stemming from the Electra Skrull debacle continue to nag our team, the Hood proves to be a hell of a distraction. Yup, I've read Brian K. Vaughan's gritty limited series The Hood (New Avengers). I liked Parker Robbins as a fractured, small-time thug who kind of had the best intentions; I never thought he had it in him to become a formidable crime boss. Obviously the demon in the cloak is influencing the crap out of him. How tough is the Hood? Well, he busted Wolverine up pretty good. In fact, what he did to old Wolvie made me cringe a lot.

I can't say much for the Hood's super-powered yoyos. They're mostly lower-tiered villains (Madame Masque, the Wizard, Chemistro, etc.), and I'm pretty sure even Howard the Duck could wipe the floor with them. The only respectable bunch in the Hood's group is the Wrecking Crew. Let's face it, it's pretty much the Hood's intelligence and planning (and a bit of that brimstone mojo) which make him a force to be reckoned with.

In a personal way, the splitting of the Avengers into two very different teams is a good thing. The Mighty Avengers took away the characters I didn't really care for (Iron Man, the Sentry), while the New Avengers stuck with the cool set (Luke Cage, Wolverine & Spidey). The New Avengers have recently welcomed Dr. Strange, Iron Fist, and a resurrected Clint Barton into their ranks, and two of 'em are still around by the end of this collection. It's disappointing, though, that Fist and Luke haven't interacted more in these pages. On the other hand, I'm definitely digging Luke's marital relationship with Jessica Jones. Luke and Jessica just feel like a real couple. Currently, their relationship is bordering on rocky, what with the fugitive status and that Skrull thingie. Come to think of it, the way the final issue here ends, it's guaranteed to tick the hell out of Luke Cage.

There's really nothing more to say about Brian Michael Bendis, except that the dude is gold. Leinil Yu provides the brunt of the artwork, which tends to come rough and rugged. Nevertheless, it definitely has its own energy and raw appeal. Meanwhile, Carlo Pagulayan's more polished looking stuff is showcased in The New Avengers Annual #2, the site of the no-holds-barred rumble between the New Avengers and the Hood & his supervillain crew. This collection guest-stars Tigra, the Night Nurse, Deathlok (kind of), and the government-sponsored Mighty Avengers (who might actually boast a conscience after all, underneath all that self-righteous bluster).

Oh, and in issue #37, Spidey makes Wolverine laugh.

Editorial Review:

The New Avengers have found a huge clue to the threat that has faced them since the day they banded together. And now just the knowledge of that threat is tearing them apart. What secret could be so damning that it could do to the New Avengers what the Civil War could not?? Collects New Avengers #32-37 and Annual #2.