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Post by D. Golightly on Oct 15, 2018 13:59:02 GMT -5
Get it while it's hot! And don't miss the exciting return of Jeff Melton! marvel2k.weebly.com/new-releases.htmlFeaturing: Black Panther #6 Deadpool #7 Fantastic Four #79 Ghost Rider Annual 2018 Marvel Fanfare #94 Max 2000 #47 New Mutants #3 New Warriors #34 Thor #38 Young Avengers #11
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Post by Gavin McMahon on Oct 15, 2018 15:32:39 GMT -5
I guess I’ll kick things off, beware these are reviews so obviously there are SPOILERS. Once again, any negatives are just my opinion and are intended to be taken as constructive criticism.
Black Panther #6: It’s great that Aneka survived, primarily because I wouldn’t have liked to have lost two strong female characters in a fell swoop. We already know my take on Queen Ramonda’s death. General Okoye’s fate is a nice twist, but one thing caught me off-guard, you said S’Yan was her father? Shouldn’t that line have been about Shuri? There was a good sense of chaos to the future-set scene and the characters have been appearing in Black Panther thus far. I felt Tony and Carol seemed a little out of character, accepting a fate that wasn’t yet certain, but that was a minor issue. It ended with a sense of intrigue about who the metal-armed youth was? Overall, I enjoy this series. I would say that, as a solo series technically, my biggest complaint is that T’Challa has frequently taken a backseat. It’s the same concern I have with Marvel’s current Iceman series, the protagonist isn’t leading the series.
Deadpool #7 – “Eye of the Storm”: I think it’s been awhile since this series updated but I do think I read the previous issue (at least), so let’s see if I can follow it. I think Wade’s voice is handled perfectly in this issue and, despite some interesting side characters (I liked the earnestness of Weasel and Peepers), he retains the reigns as the star of his show. He’s notably less zany, I’m not sure if that’s a conscious decision, because whilst there is humour, it’s not as . . . out there as I’ve come to expect from Deadpool (particularly in his recent slew of books and the movies). Deadpool and Cable is a classic combination because Cable works great as the straight man to Wade’s . . . overzealous man-child with a death wish. I think you nailed it on the head here. Wisdom and Siryn? Count me in. I like that there’s two factions moving against the item and a third moving against stopping Wade from getting himself into his usual amount of trouble,
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Post by strawhatjugh24 on Oct 15, 2018 16:06:52 GMT -5
No I retconned Okoye and T’Challa being cousins. Shuri’s father has always been T’Chaka through his second marriage
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Post by Gavin McMahon on Oct 15, 2018 21:07:15 GMT -5
Beware these are reviews so obviously there are SPOILERS. Once again, any negatives are just my opinion and are intended to be taken as constructive criticism.
Fantastic Four #79 – “The Quest for Franklin Richards”: So, I’m not sure if I’ve read this series before, but I’m going to read this issue. It wouldn’t have detracted from the narrative then moving backwards. Fantastic Four works best when it’s about family and I think Sue’s character in this issue and her concerns, her expectations, all really hound that theme. You have Ben’s voice really spot on, it feels like Ben when I’m reading it. Same with Reed, his absent-mindedness fuelled by his curiosity of worlds they visit. Overall, the story-telling was good. I had a few dislikes with the issue. There’s a reason she’s often presented as the heart of the team and this shows it. The opener with Alicia was an idea but it was just an idea. It could’ve been a lot more striking if it was more than a single line, some in-depth analysis of what’s going through her mind as she’s crippled in pain and such. Same with the Yoshi scene. This could be a personal pet peeve because I don’t like scenes that don’t at least present the current mind of the character. They’re too fleeting to be effective. This arc has also been going on for what seems like a long time, spanning at least three different series, and I’m eager for its conclusion to see where these stories are going next.
The New Warriors #34 – “Quest for Franklin Richards”: I read this one straight after Fantastic Four because their sharing a storyline. Although, the appearance of Kodi Richards makes me think I should’ve read this one first. It’s nice to see that the side plots are still playing around: I’m very interested in Josiah as well as how they’re going to save Cannonball. I think there’s a fun dynamic when the team are working together, and it would be great to see them facing off against something new and fresh after all this time. I think Ms Marvel feels a little flat when compared to the other. I’m not sure how much I like Alpha, but I didn’t like him much in the comics, so I probably just need a little more exposure to him. I think this series has great potential, a strong foundation to build upon, because there is a nice dynamic. However, it doesn’t always get a chance to shine because everything revolves around Franklin. It’s hard to get a clear picture of who actually is a New Warrior. Joshua and Franklin’s “true love” thing is also bit . . . heavy. They aren’t really old enough or experienced enough to warrant it. Still, I like Tobias’ writing and know that he does great character work so I’m sticking around to see what the next arc brings.
I don’t mean for any of that to be disheartening.
Ghost Rider 2018 Annual – “Champions”: Hercules never gets enough action so I’m incredibly excited to see him in this issue! I liked that this issue dealt with A.I.M. as that’s not usually Ghost Rider territory. It’s always refreshing to take a character out of the situations we’re used to seeing them in. Black Widow’s voice was captured well, I liked the “hug me and I’ll shoot you” line and there was enough mystery to make her seem enigmatic. I’m not sure if it was Bobby Drake but the “Iceman” pilot was a nice touch to make that little connection to the past. Your Darkstar update was great and I would love to see more of her (although her name should be Laynia rather than Ilayona, no?). Giant Man’s upgrade, tech-based, was also great. Your Hercules felt every bit the aged immortal, uncertain in the passing of time and the realities faced by mortals but still jovial enough to be recognisable. The buffoonish of Maelstrom, kind of like a court jester, lightened the mood and stopped it from being too dark. Overall it was a fun adventure into the future! The negative? The issue could’ve done with an extra read-through just to correct some of the mistyped words.
Max 2000 #47 – “Made Men”: As with most of the characters that make their way into John’s issues, I wasn’t familiar with quite a few of them. I’m not even sure which are originals, and which are canon, but he writes them all well. I liked the basic background of Ramon, a former villain down-on-his-luck and working at Walmart. It was good fun and, even at fifty, he proved to be more than was expected of him. Jacqueline is one I did actually know. I liked the exploration of her confinement, the fact that she was considered dangerous, so the young guard felt it was acceptable to abuse her. Her revenge was sweet. Imago, Vanessa and Rodd’s story was an interesting one, it seemed like a horror story. The ending wasn’t entirely clear but I do have a feeling that this new Butterfly was taking one host after another, and Rodd was left infected. Manfred’s was the shortest and least intricate story, perhaps because it was the only story that could be considered heroic. As such, he was the least developed but there was a solid foundation to be built upon. Gale Day is the name of a wind-based villain? Hahahah. Other than the name, I enjoyed the character. She was interesting, a legacy that was tragic in formation. I would thoroughly enjoy seeing these characters again, and hope that we do. As for the negatives: another edit would have been beneficial to catch spelling mistakes (such as Doctor Lemuel Dorcas).
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Post by Tobias Christopher on Oct 16, 2018 4:38:23 GMT -5
Beware these are reviews so obviously there are SPOILERS. Once again, any negatives are just my opinion and are intended to be taken as constructive criticism.
Fantastic Four #79 – “The Quest for Franklin Richards”: So, I’m not sure if I’ve read this series before, but I’m going to read this issue. It wouldn’t have detracted from the narrative then moving backwards. Fantastic Four works best when it’s about family and I think Sue’s character in this issue and her concerns, her expectations, all really hound that theme. You have Ben’s voice really spot on, it feels like Ben when I’m reading it. Same with Reed, his absent-mindedness fuelled by his curiosity of worlds they visit. Overall, the story-telling was good. I had a few dislikes with the issue. There’s a reason she’s often presented as the heart of the team and this shows it. The opener with Alicia was an idea but it was just an idea. It could’ve been a lot more striking if it was more than a single line, some in-depth analysis of what’s going through her mind as she’s crippled in pain and such. Same with the Yoshi scene. This could be a personal pet peeve because I don’t like scenes that don’t at least present the current mind of the character. They’re too fleeting to be effective. This arc has also been going on for what seems like a long time, spanning at least three different series, and I’m eager for its conclusion to see where these stories are going next.
The New Warriors #34 – “Quest for Franklin Richards”: I read this one straight after Fantastic Four because their sharing a storyline. Although, the appearance of Kodi Richards makes me think I should’ve read this one first. It’s nice to see that the side plots are still playing around: I’m very interested in Josiah as well as how they’re going to save Cannonball. I think there’s a fun dynamic when the team are working together, and it would be great to see them facing off against something new and fresh after all this time. I think Ms Marvel feels a little flat when compared to the other. I’m not sure how much I like Alpha, but I didn’t like him much in the comics, so I probably just need a little more exposure to him. I think this series has great potential, a strong foundation to build upon, because there is a nice dynamic. However, it doesn’t always get a chance to shine because everything revolves around Franklin. It’s hard to get a clear picture of who actually is a New Warrior. Joshua and Franklin’s “true love” thing is also bit . . . heavy. They aren’t really old enough or experienced enough to warrant it. Still, I like Tobias’ writing and know that he does great character work so I’m sticking around to see what the next arc brings.
I don’t mean for any of that to be disheartening.
Oh, no, I like constructive criticism. It helps make my writing stronger. I openly admit the Franklin/Josh stuff did get a bit heavy as time went along. Originally it was going to be Alpha that was gay, but Franklin/Josh felt more natural to me, but this storyline kind of went six issues longer than intended. After this storyline wraps in #36, the romance will take a backseat for a while so that the others can get some time in the spotlight. Several big threats are coming, including the one teased at the end of this issue.
On the F4 end, this issue was the last tie-in for the storyline so #80 (whenever Jason sends me the next outline) will be back to business for the Richards. Thanks for the review. I'll have to catch up on everyone's stuff on my next day off.
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goncet
Virgin-4-Lyfe
Posts: 96
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Post by goncet on Oct 16, 2018 10:09:14 GMT -5
Deadpool #7 – “Eye of the Storm”: I think it’s been awhile since this series updated but I do think I read the previous issue (at least), so let’s see if I can follow it. I think Wade’s voice is handled perfectly in this issue and, despite some interesting side characters (I liked the earnestness of Weasel and Peepers), he retains the reigns as the star of his show. He’s notably less zany, I’m not sure if that’s a conscious decision, because whilst there is humour, it’s not as . . . out there as I’ve come to expect from Deadpool (particularly in his recent slew of books and the movies). Deadpool and Cable is a classic combination because Cable works great as the straight man to Wade’s . . . overzealous man-child with a death wish. I think you nailed it on the head here. Wisdom and Siryn? Count me in. I like that there’s two factions moving against the item and a third moving against stopping Wade from getting himself into his usual amount of trouble,
Thanks for the review! Yeah, the zaniness is a bit toned down this issue but we'll be going to some truly wild places throughout this arc. When I started the series, I made the conscious decision to not use the standard inner monologue that Deadpool has a lot of the time and I think that also contributes to him coming off as a little less manic. Glad you enjoyed it!
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Post by Gavin McMahon on Oct 16, 2018 10:51:23 GMT -5
Oh, no, I like constructive criticism. It helps make my writing stronger. I openly admit the Franklin/Josh stuff did get a bit heavy as time went along. Originally it was going to be Alpha that was gay, but Franklin/Josh felt more natural to me, but this storyline kind of went six issues longer than intended. After this storyline wraps in #36, the romance will take a backseat for a while so that the others can get some time in the spotlight. Several big threats are coming, including the one teased at the end of this issue.
On the F4 end, this issue was the last tie-in for the storyline so #80 (whenever Jason sends me the next outline) will be back to business for the Richards. Thanks for the review. I'll have to catch up on everyone's stuff on my next day off.
I'm glad it wasn't disheartening because I know it wasn't entirely positive. I should probably point out that I don't have an issue with the Franklin and Joshua romance being at the fore, I'm all for it being explored. I just think the intensity of it seems a little much, particularly when they've now been separated for almost as long as they ever knew one another. I like the other characters that are dibbed to the series, so I'd love to see more of them. I look forward to seeing which step the New Warriors will take next and hope that it becomes a true ensemble, showcasing them all because there's a breadth of characterisation that could be utilised her. Ms Marvel is a breakout character for a reason, so I hope she soon gets her chance to shine! And so, on with the last two reviews. As always: Beware these are reviews so obviously there are SPOILERS. Once again, any negatives are just my opinion and are intended to be taken as constructive criticism.
Thor #38 – “Asgard Gone Mad, Part III”: This is my first foray into this series, and possibly Jeff’s work, so I’m excited to see this take on the God of Thunder as Thor’s solo makes a return. The previously on is helpful, and a tool I’d love more issues to use, since it let me jump straight in without worrying about what had happened before. I think you did incredibly well capturing the voices of each of the characters, particularly Thor and Loki. Their trademark speech mannerisms were used well, not distracting from the plot, and it was nice to see Loki used as a true menace after so many years of Marvel watering him down to semi-hero status. The narrative was very reminiscent of the Silver Age of comics, which is probably why there were so many mentions to previous issues, and I think in a series such as Thor, that nostalgia does work. Your passion is clear and there were strong moments of sorrow in the writing of Sigyn which I liked, particularly after a battle. Small nit-pick: I’m not a fan of the tense that’s used, but that’s a personal thing, as it feels less like we can get into the characters mind and thoughts.
Young Avengers #11 – “House of Tomorrow, Part II”: Dan was gracious enough to let me borrow one of his characters, so I was eager to see what else was occurring with the others. I must admit; the characters are an odd mix of what you would expect from a Young Avengers title with some fresh blood. I liked the opener and, I assume, this is the world I’ve seen in other series recently. The one ravaged by Valeria and Victor. This has truly taken a lot of the relationships, romantic and otherwise, that we’ve known and broken them. Billy and Teddy are distant whilst Billy stands in the way of Victor and Nico. Tommy seems to be completely reworked, gone is the superhuman speed – which I’ll miss – for another chaos magic user. Chanté is interesting, because I’ve had little experience with her. On the whole, I think the series did a great job at portraying multiple personalities and it definitely felt like an ensemble series. My one negative would be primarily that the scene breaks, skipping between present and future, could have been clearer since it was noted only once. Perhaps even that this doesn’t feel like the Tommy I’m a fan of but that’s a personal qualm. There’s a great set up here, using a foundation of some lingering plots from the original comics, so I’m looking forward to the future. And that's it. Every issue reviewed.
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Post by johncheese on Oct 16, 2018 14:16:53 GMT -5
Beware these are reviews so obviously there are SPOILERS. Once again, any negatives are just my opinion and are intended to be taken as constructive criticism.
Max 2000 #47 – “Made Men”: As with most of the characters that make their way into John’s issues, I wasn’t familiar with quite a few of them. I’m not even sure which are originals, and which are canon, but he writes them all well. I liked the basic background of Ramon, a former villain down-on-his-luck and working at Walmart. It was good fun and, even at fifty, he proved to be more than was expected of him. Jacqueline is one I did actually know. I liked the exploration of her confinement, the fact that she was considered dangerous, so the young guard felt it was acceptable to abuse her. Her revenge was sweet. Imago, Vanessa and Rodd’s story was an interesting one, it seemed like a horror story. The ending wasn’t entirely clear but I do have a feeling that this new Butterfly was taking one host after another, and Rodd was left infected. Manfred’s was the shortest and least intricate story, perhaps because it was the only story that could be considered heroic. As such, he was the least developed but there was a solid foundation to be built upon. Gale Day is the name of a wind-based villain? Hahahah. Other than the name, I enjoyed the character. She was interesting, a legacy that was tragic in formation. I would thoroughly enjoy seeing these characters again, and hope that we do. As for the negatives: another edit would have been beneficial to catch spelling mistakes (such as Doctor Lemuel Dorcas).
First of all thanks for the review, it was most unexpected considering these were five short pieces of free writing lumped together. While all of these characters are canon (except Whirlwind) it has been interesting to give them some depth since they had little before. Ramon is indeed punching above his supposed weight in his tale by just attempting to confront Taskmaster, let alone his trainees, alumni and staff. Jaqueline's tale was largely improvised but was probably the one I was most sure would lead somewhere. Let's just say things will be getting a little insane in the Seine very soon for a certain demon swordswoman. The Butterfly tale was one I worked hard on, especially with naming every character after butterfly or moth latin names. You're right in your assumption regarding Rodd, he is indeed the new host. Expect more Butterfly action soon, possibly as a Halloween B-Side vs a certain group of minor magical menaces. Haller was a character I wanted to do justice, although he's the oddball in this line-up. Hopefully I can pick this story up and make it run, since he's a character who could be a supreme force for good if pushed into an appropriate story. And finally the OC, ever since Whirly 2's apperance in V4H I've been creating a backstory (and even a fake one) for her. The story may not go anywhere but she's now here, and ready to party if anyone wishes to use her. Once again, many thanks and I hope to do this again soon.
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Post by Tobias Christopher on Oct 16, 2018 16:20:36 GMT -5
Yeah, it's going to more of an ensemble in the coming issues as the team deals with new (and more dangerous threats), mixed in with issues devoted to individual members such as The Rawhide Kid's origins, Cannonball dealing with fatherhood, Ms. Marvel's homelife, Juston's newfound desperation, and how Alpha is what TV Tropes calls a 'Stepford Smiler' among other things. The Doom Twins are also going to be reduced to just appearing in F4 unless I can think of a huge story for them. I feel like I've way overused those two as villains.
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Post by johncheese on Oct 17, 2018 3:20:12 GMT -5
Well it's time for part one of three reviews for this particular release. Expect the other pieces soon once I've completed a few pollution surveys. But for now let's see if the first titles up to bat are pristine soil or contaminated land...
Deadpool #7 - I have somewhat been waiting for the next part of Liam Goncet's Deadpool series, particularly after watching a particularly disappointing film featuring the Merc with a Mouth. That said it's the supporting crew that shines here, with Peepers in particular stealing focus for me. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for him as this crazy cast of characters continues its wacky shenanigans.
Rating - 8.5/10 (Clean Soil)
Ghost Rider Annual - Annuals are tricky things, often taking characters away from their current srorylines, as evidenced by Travis Hiltz's offering. But then this isn't necessarily a bad thing, and this classic Champions-esque action was most suprising and crucially nailed the voices and behaviours of the characters, particularly Black Widow. That said it did feel like a distraction for the Spirit of Vengence, and hopefully he'll hit the road soon and get back to more demonic business.
Rating - 8.5/10 (Clean Soil)
New Mutants #3 - While no one ever had to be told 'Never stab a sleeping Demon Bear' Gavin McMahon makes sure Magik learns that lesson the hard way. One thing that shone out in this issue was the relationship between Magma and Rictor, sure it's nothing romantic (yet?) and heroes using their powers in concert isn't anything new, but somehow it works really well. I honestly believe that Gavin may be a contender for the Best Writer Tookie for 2018. Only time will tell, but I'm sure that the next installment will be awesome.
Rating - 9.5/10 (Clean Soil)
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Post by johncheese on Oct 17, 2018 13:57:46 GMT -5
And on we go for another trinity of reviews as I continue gathering soil samples on site. But will the next three issues reviewed be as the rolling stone or will they be gathering moss in the corner. Let's find out...now
Black Panther #6 - So Jake Hawkins gave us another issue of Black Panther, one full of interesting twists and turns. Ones including a figure rising from the dead as a 'Beast of the Hand', a metal handed villain and an interesting parentage for a certain character. Some of the characterisation did feel a little weak as others have mentioned, but despite that the core characters are well written. Hopefully we'll see them again very soon.
Rating - 8.5/10 (Rolling Stone)
Fantastic Four #79 - As the search for Franklin Richards concludes we get a glimpse of what might be coming up. As with many of his other titles, Tobias Christopher's titles are based around family, and it looks like this is going to continue very soon. Hopefully we'll see more of some other characters, with Franklin being close to being found, they could deserve some time in the sun.
And
New Warriors #34 - Things continue as the New Warriors jump through dimensions looking for Franklin Richards. Well Tobias Christopher does write relationships very well, this arc has suffered from being too long and introducing too many characters that were surplus to the storyline. Hopefully the next arc will be shorter and more concise to avoid such issues.
Rating - 9/10 & 8.5/10 for Fantastic Four and New Warriors respectively (Rolling Stone)
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Post by Tobias Christopher on Oct 17, 2018 15:32:31 GMT -5
Like I said in Gavin's review, I admit that this went about six issues too long, and for exactly the reasons you mentioned. The inclusion of Ms. Marvel, Spider-Girl and Rawhide Kid pushed the arc back, then the thing with Riley, and then I wanted to introduce Josiah. In hindsight they should have all been separate arcs apart from the already too-long one. #37 is when I'm going to aim for more self-contained arcs and stories to give more time to everyone else. Thanks for the review.
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Post by claypot on Oct 17, 2018 15:42:33 GMT -5
Like I said in Gavin's review, I admit that this went about six issues too long, and for exactly the reasons you mentioned. The inclusion of Ms. Marvel, Spider-Girl and Rawhide Kid pushed the arc back, then the thing with Riley, and then I wanted to introduce Josiah. In hindsight they should have all been separate arcs apart from the already too-long one. #37 is when I'm going to aim for more self-contained arcs and stories to give more time to everyone else. Thanks for the review. I have one weird question. Who the freak is the evil Pennywise clown? Are we getting the return of Obnoxio?
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Post by Tobias Christopher on Oct 17, 2018 15:46:09 GMT -5
All the clowns the team encountered on that world are OC's, as well as the one we're going to meet soon, whose going to be modeled off of Heath Ledger's Joker with a hilarious (to me least) twist. If you read my Fanfiction.net Alpha series, you know the one I'm talking about.
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Post by Gavin McMahon on Oct 20, 2018 9:49:28 GMT -5
New Mutants #3 - While no one ever had to be told 'Never stab a sleeping Demon Bear' Gavin McMahon makes sure Magik learns that lesson the hard way. One thing that shone out in this issue was the relationship between Magma and Rictor, sure it's nothing romantic (yet?) and heroes using their powers in concert isn't anything new, but somehow it works really well. I honestly believe that Gavin may be a contender for the Best Writer Tookie for 2018. Only time will tell, but I'm sure that the next installment will be awesome. Rating - 9.5/10 (Clean Soil) Thank you, John! That's some incredibly high praise and I'm super-stoked that you're enjoying the series thus far! It's a series I've attempted before (different cast, different ethos) but I'm glad to finally feel like I've got the series on track. This series is about staying true to who the New Mutants are (ie, Magik being a notorious hot head that can't differentiate these battles from those of Limbo) and developing new, fresh dynamics for them (ie, Rictor and Magma). There is a romance brewing for Magma but it's not with Rictor. If I haven't clearly established it, he has a boyfriend and was dragged from normalcy to assist in this. I'm really glad you're enjoying it and hopefully you'll continue to do so as the series continues. Friendships with live and die, relationships will grow and strain. This series is very much about twentysomethings finding their way in the world and, sometimes, you've to leave childhood friends behind to grow.
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