Infinity #1 Review

Infinity #1 
Jonathan Hickman, Jim Cheung 
Marvel Comics 
$4.99 (oversized issue)

I’m a lifelong Marvelite and I almost didn’t buy this.

Why? Well, when it comes to Hickman’s writing I’m very fickle. I loved his run on Fantastic Four and FF, but lost interest in his Avengers titles very early on and I have no desire to read East of West or The Manhattan Projects. I find he’s great at coming up with a very strong premise, but he usually loses me in a delivery that’s bogged down by pseudoscience and convoluted dialogue. Maybe I’m still just having a hard time seeing the Avengers without Bendis’ words behind them.

Even though I’m not reading Avengers or New Avengers, I found the story to be mostly accessible and self-contained. To his credit, the lush, broad, sci-fi scope Hickman employs really does make it feel pretty epic. Cheung’s art is nothing less than stunning in many places. Truly excellent. He even sneaks in a few familiar faces from the Star Wars universe into the background. That always earns you points in my book.

I hope that this issue, with its unfamiliar characters and concepts, serves to set the stage and that the focus will turn to the characters that we know and love as they face Thanos’ latest end-of-the-world scenario. I have my doubts that Hickman will deliver that, but I’m going to be along for the ride to find out either way and I just might enjoy it regardless.

Oh, and that 4.99 price tag? That accounts for it being a pretty thick funnybook, but it’s only longer because it includes the Free Comic Book Day Infinity teaser. So, if you already have it, you’ll be getting it again. It just costs more this time. 

Rating: 3 .5 out of 5 infinity gems

Jack Welcomes the Return of the Webhead

Hey everybody, this is Jack reporting in once again. Hope you all had a great Fourth of July, and more importantly, that you all had a chance to go and see the Amazing Spider-Man. I know I was first in line Tuesday evening, but before I delve into my review, allow me to share with you the following personal story.

I’ll never forget when, ten years ago, the very first Spider-Man movie hit the big screens. Back then, good superhero flicks were the Holy Grail of fanboys everywhere. We all wanted to believe it was possible to make a decent live-action comic book, but had yet to really see it. The original Batman films were good for their day, but even as a kid I was keenly aware of just how corny they were. But then, just when all hope seemed lost, the X-Men movie debuted and was a surprising hit. Not long after, the ads started to roll for a Spider-Man film and instantly I was hooked. My best friend bought me the movie poster to which I immediately hung on the bedroom wall. Teaser trailers appeared online depicting a helicopter caught in a giant web between the World Trade Center towers. (The ad was later pulled after 9/11.)  You couldn’t read a Marvel issue without a full page ad of Spidey swinging right at you and seemingly off the page. When the day finally arrived I bolted from school, piled into the car of my only friend with a license, and made haste for the nearest theater.

Now, a decade later, we’re blessed to live in an age where superhero movies have become their own genre. Not a year goes by without at least two or three, and for the most part, they’ve all been very successful. With the exception of the Hulk, that is. Oh well. At least he was badass in the Avengers. Even Batman managed to turn it around with their reboot of the franchise. Yet, of all the great movies we’ve been given over the years, I still feel that the original Spider-Man was my favorite experience. Not just because it revolutionized the industry, but also because it was the first film that truly made me feel like I could be a hero too. So the question is: does the Amazing Spider-Man hold up to the original?

The short answer is yes, absolutely. As comic book movies go, it’s everything you could hope for and more. Although don’t be too surprised if you wind up comparing it to the original every step of the way. Yes, it’s true that the story feels awfully familiar right from the start, and not just because Spider-Man’s origin is common knowledge. It’s mainly in part because the previews didn’t do a great job of portraying it as a complete reboot. The tagline: “The Untold Story” led me to believe that Amazing was going to be a prequel of sorts, touching only briefly on his origins. I mean, we’ve seen that part already, right? With that in mind, I certainly wasn’t expecting his origin to be drawn out through the entire first half of the movie. To me, this is an overused device in filmmaking. When Stan Lee first created these characters, their origin was summed up in the first page of the issue and then hit the ground running. If only that were the case at the box office. At a certain point I always find myself getting impatient. It’s like: “C’mon already, get bit by the spider. Is Uncle Ben dead yet? Let’s get this show on the road.”

That being said, I have to admit that everything else was a pure delight. Andrew Garfield’s performance is spot on for both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. As Peter, he’s the lovable misfit we all felt like in our younger years. Yet as Spider-Man, he’s as confident and compassionate as well all strive to be. Not to mention that unlike Tobey Maguire, this Spidey is downright funny, just the way he should be. Hell, Amazing Spider-Man has more jokes in the trailer than the original three films combined. With the addition of web-shooters this time around, we actually get to see Peter’s scientific mind in action; a refreshing change of pace.

Additionally, the inclusion of Gwen Stacy as the love interest was not only more accurate to the original story, but also a nice reward for those of us who’ve followed the comics long enough to know who the Stacys are, and let’s face it, Emma Stone isn’t hard to look at for two hours either. But I think my favorite concept was the relationship between Peter and Captain Stacy. There’s nothing worse than the anxiety of meeting your girlfriend’s dad for the first time. Now imagine being the masked vigilante her detective father is publicly trying to apprehend on top of that. As if first impressions aren't hard enough. There's a dinner table scene in particular where the tension between the two gave me horrible flashbacks of my own adolecent dating experiences. Trust me. You've all been there before.

Lastly, I'd like to make mention of how great a choice the Lizard was as the villain. He's a scientist who turns into a giant raging reptile. Our hero is a student with the powers of an arachnid. The symmetry of the two has such a natural flow, and I love the friends/enemies dynamic. Plus, the special effects really bring the Lizard to life in a believable way, and even Dr. Connors' missing limb is convincing rather than a cheap camera trick or an actor with his arm so obviously tucked into his shirt. With Spider-Man, my favorite villains were always the animal themed ones. I know Norman Osborn is the main event, but personally, I'll take the Vulture or Doc Ock any day.

So there it is. If you've found yourself asking: "is it as good as the original?" the answer is yes. As for: "did it need to be rebooted?," well, probably not, but it is a solid film with something for everyone. I won't give anything away, but I will tell you the movie even has some genuine heart. There's a scene towards the end that's particularly touching where some New Yorkers rally to help everyone's favorite wallcrawler in his darkest hour. I'm sure all you True Believers know to stay put during the end credits because, as always, there's a teaser. A brief one at that, but check it out anyway.

To those of you who have already seen the Amazing Spider-Man I hope you liked it as much as I did.  Those of you who haven't: what are you still doing reading this? Get to the box office, you slackers!

Jack of all Trade Paperbacks
Contributing Writer
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If you'd like to contribute to Salt City Fanboy, either as a writer, an artist, or otherwise, shoot me an email at saltcityfanboy@gmail.com.

Halfway Through Avengers vs. X-Men, Jack asks "Is it over yet?"

Hi. I’m Jack, and I’m a nerd. And no, I don’t mean the kind of nerd who wears pocket protectors or has a lucky inhaler. I’m talking about the comic book collecting, lightsaber owning, renaissance fair attending, Magic: the Gathering playing kind of nerd. I’m sure you can relate. You see, I tell you this because I want you to know that I’m on your side. That every time you wait in line for opening day tickets to the next big superhero movie, I’m there with you. Making out your contingency plan for the zombie apocalypse? Yup, I’ll help you with that. Or how about staying up to date with Marvel’s latest mega-event? Of course. So, my friends, I hope you’ll forgive me when I make the following confession: I hate Avengers vs. X-Men.

It hurts me to say it, but it’s true. Now I know that there are many who would disagree with me. In the past few months, I’ve been unable to so much as step into my local comic shop without overhearing the thrilled reactions of each and every fanboy who flips through the pages of the latest issue. I know it has the industry’s greatest talents behind it. And I love when a story brings fans together in such a way as this one has. But for me, A vs. X just isn’t doing it. So bear with me as I discuss my reasoning for what sucks about the series. That is, if you’re still reading this instead of tracking me down for a public lynching on account of hating anything connected to Brian Michaels Bendis.

I think my anxiety began at the first mention that A vs. X would center on the Phoenix Force. For me, my big issue with the Phoenix is that it’s something that never seems to be clearly defined. Sometimes it’s some sort of hostile alien. Other times it’s a destructive force of nature. Occasionally it’s portrayed as Jean Grey’s evil split personality or her own powers gone haywire, as with X3: The Last Stand. Although more often than not, it’s lazily written in as nothing more than Jean’s ticket back from the grave. The one thing that always remains true about the Phoenix is that every story involving it gives me a headache. Hell, back in the early nineties it even managed to ruin the X-Men Animates Series, the single greatest joy of my nine year old existence save for my Micro Machines Millennium Falcon and blue raspberry flavored Warheads.

My misgivings for the Phoenix aside, A vs. X also didn’t strike me as a terribly creative concept. I mean, Civil War was a mere five years ago. The memory of our favorite heroes going toe to toe is still fresh in my mind. And the fact that the X-Men were primarily absent from said conflict just makes the current title seem less like a sequel and more of a do-over. It’s as if the writers are saying: “Oh, you guys wanted to see more X-Men in Civil War? Our bad. Tell you what. We’ll just do it again, ok?”

For the record, I loved Civil War. Not just because it was the first time that we ever saw friends, teammates, and families at each other’s throats, but also because the story had undertones of real problems in America today. The Superhuman Registration Act represented Big Brother, and the general loss of privacy we all experience in an increasingly digital world. Not to mention the forever game-changing plot twists such as the reveal of Spider-Man’s secret identity and the death of Captain America. Sadly, Marvel demonstrated its typical haste to renege on both plotlines before either gained any real momentum.

Unfortunately, A vs. X seems to be less interested in setting up a hard hitting story and more focused on showing us who would win in a fight. It’s essentially the comic book version of the little kid taunt: “My dad could beat up your dad”. Yeah, maybe he could, but what difference would it really make? Why would they even fight in the first place? Apparently Marvel doesn’t know either. And so far, I’ve seen very little in the way of the ground breaking plot twists we’ve all come to love and expect. The roster for both teams has been predictable at best. My biggest complaint is that as big a pain in the ass as the Phoenix has been previously, the only two X-Men to have a problem with its return are Wolverine and Beast? So essentially, unless you’re a card-carrying Avenger, you just go along with anything Cyclops says? Especially since the outcome of the Schism mega event, this just doesn’t seem right to me. So far, the only highlight for me has been Tony Stark’s construction of a giant Iron Man rocket designed to murder the Phoenix once and for all, thus furthering my love for the billionaire playboy philanthropist. If only it had worked. At this point I have to warn you, if you haven’t read Avengers vs. X-Men #5, read no further. There will be spoilers.

Now I know what many of you will say. “No plot twists? What about the Phoenix Five?” Ok, I’ll admit, I didn’t see that one coming. Doesn’t mean it was a good or interesting twist in any way. So Hope decides she doesn’t want the Phoenix after all. Good choice. But as Tony’s rocket fails to destroy the giant bird, it instead splits into five pieces and enters as many X-Men. Because really, what’s more annoying than a Phoenix? Five Phoenixes, that’s what. I literally laughed out loud when I turned the page and saw the five of them standing there, all wearing costumes that look like knock-offs of DC Comics’Nightwing. The one host in particular that drives me crazy is Colossus. Doesn’t he have enough going on right now? I swear they should change the name from“Avengers vs. X-Men” to “The Many Personas of Colossus”. Let’s think about it. He’s already an X-Man who turns into organic steel. But lately he’s also been the Juggernaut. Now he’s the Phoenix too? What’s next? His mind gets merged with Xavier’s and Magneto’s and he becomes Onslaught as well? Marvel needs to stop ruining this beloved character and give us back the real Juggernaut as the iconic villain we love to hate.

Finally, I would like to point out that at least the set up for the next six issues looks a bit more interesting. I’m stoked to finally see the return of the Scarlet Witch, and the recent development of Iron Fist as some kind of destined savior seems pretty original. Plus, the godlike abilities of the Phoenix Five reshaping the world as we know it raises some tough ethical questions. But we all know how this one ends. History shows that no matter how good ultimate power may seem, that it’s only a matter of time before the Phoenix goes bat shit crazy and tries to kill us all. Good luck killing all five, Wolverine.

In conclusion, I feel like we all need to just take a step back and admit that maybe these mega events aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. I miss when I was a kid and every issue you bought was a stand-alone story. You never needed to know any back history or buy six other titles just to stay afloat with the plotlines. Those were good times. Nowadays, you can’t even choose to ignore these events, since they have a way of seeping into all the other monthly titles. I’m beginning to cringe at the giant A vs. X banners on the cover of my beloved publications, especially since it’s only at the halfway point. Every time it leaves me asking myself: “Is it over yet?” Or, to quote everyone’s favorite webhead: “Remember the old days when heroes would cross paths, have a little misunderstanding and fight for a while, then put aside their differences to team up and save the day? Boy, I sure do miss those days.”

Me too, Spidey. Me too.

Jack of all Trade Paperbacks
Contributing Writer

 

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If you'd like to contribute to Salt City Fanboy, either as a writer, an artist, or otherwise, shoot me an email at saltcityfanboy@gmail.com.

New Spidey Poster Suggests Involvement of Mysterio - Updated

UPDATE! (Dec. 17, 2011)

I feel compelled to address my rant about "The Amazing Spider-Man" from earlier this week. That's because the movie's website was updated with lots of nice new images and character descriptions that seem to point to "The Untold Story" being the tale of Peter's mom and dad's death and how that helps shape him as a hero. This could be an interesting new spin on his origin, since it's never been addressed in the comics in a very serious way.

Sorry to jump to conclusions, Mr. Mysterio, sir. Carry on.
__________________________________

Original Blog Entry (Dec. 13, 2011)

You see, I'm starting to think that Mysterio is handling the marketing of the new Spider-Man movie.

The teaser poster for "The Amazing Spider-Man" was released last week, and as most things tend to do these days, it ignited a minor Internet uproar. Many (myself included) have been critical of the teaser trailer that was released many months ago, largely because it looked like the movie will be rehashing the same ground that Spider-Man movie from 2002 covered - in essence, the origin of Spidey.

Now, this poster adds a new fold to the controversy by including the tag line, "The Untold Story." See, I thought this was a relaunch. Is it not? Is it a story that just got left out of the universe of the original three movies? I really did not think that this was the intent of this film. If it is then has Curt Connors been the Lizard the whole time? Did Pete really fall for Gwen Stacy before MJ? Did Tobey Maguire turn into a more attractive British actor for a brief stint? It just raises too many questions and complicates what should be a clean start.

My hope is that we can chalk this up to bad marketing, but if that's so, why is director Mark Webb (yes, Webb) putting his stamp of approval on it? I'm not going to lie fanboys and girls, it has me a mite bit worried.

All will be revealed when the movie is released on July 3, 2012 in a theater near you. Until then, I suppose we can let Mysterio have his fun.



The Amazing Spider-Man Teaser Poster 
(Click to Enlarge This Head-scratcher)



This Means (Another) War!

Do we really need another Avengers vs. X-Men crossover? Yes. Yes we do.

It was announced this week that Marvel's first big event for 2012 will pit the Earth's Mightiest Heroes against the Children of the Atom in a 12-issue miniseries. Naturally, that has invoked some criticism from mother's basements all around the world. Entirely well-thought-out arguments include: "Didn't they just do a Civil War?," "This doesn't make sense because there are X-Men on the Avengers." and my personal favorite, "MARVEL SUX!" Ah, trolls.

Anyway, Marvel is pulling out all the stops for this one and loading up on the creative talent involved. Writing this latest epic are Brian Bendis, Jason Aaron, Jonathan Hickman, Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction and on art duties we have my personal all-time favorite, John Romita Jr., as well as Olivier Coipel and Adam Kubert. I mean, are you kidding me? Even if the writers blow it (which I highly, highly doubt) this series is going to be beautiful. Just check out Coipel's stunning preview art below.

On top of all this, you can purchase this series in print and digitally on the day of its release, but if you buy print, you get a digital copy for free. So, I recommend marching your sweet little behind down to your local comic book shop and buying the print copy there. Then, check out the digital version, or better yet, give a budding comic book fan your digital code. Spread the love, people.


Cyke and the gang sign up to have their butts handed to them by Cap's team
(Click to enlarge, Fanboys)



Top Billing: Cable vs. The Avengers

This December, Cable is hunting Avengers. And that's impressive because he's ... you know.. dead.

Nevertheless, Nathan is returning somehow and he's picking up where he left off - protecting Hope, the first mutant born after the Scarlet Witch uttered "No More Mutants." You see, he had been jumping around through time with Hope to protect her after Bishop decided that she must die because she's the catalyst that creates the dystopian future that he's from. After run-ins with the new X-Force and Stryfe in "Messiah War," they return to the current timeline and Cable promptly bites the big one and Hope (now full-grown) puts together her team "Generation Hope."

So, how does all of this lead to Cable going after the Earth's Mightiest Heroes? It's not entirely clear at this point, but it's definitely something worth looking forward to with Jeph Loeb & Ed McGuinness at the helm of this four-part miniseries called "Avengers: X-Sanction."

No matter how you feel about the ever-polarizing Loeb, you have to admit that it's going to be interesting to see these characters interact and that McGuinness' art will be outstanding. Now if it was Cable's creator, Rob Liefeld, handling the pencils I'd be singing a very different tune about the whole project, so I suppose Ed's art might just have me overlooking the potential pitfalls ahead. Time will tell.

For more details, check out the a complete run-down at Comics Alliance.

The Art of Marvel Comics (in November)

When it comes to comics, nothing degrades or enhances a story more than the artwork. For me, bad art is not just a negative when reading a comic, it's a complete deal breaker. On the other hand, I've stuck it out with some pretty damn poor writing when the art's pretty. I definitely see the pencils, inks and colors as the main reason to purchase a book, with the storyline a very close second. Don't get me wrong. When I say "close" I mean uncomfortably close, but the art still wins.

That's probably why I get all twitterpated every month when Marvel releases its solicitations for the comics due to be released 3 months in the future. Sure, I read the description, but really I want to see the latest Romita, Quesada, Granov, Bachalo or McNiven. This is not to say that I don't peruse Image and DC's solicitations as well, but hell, even with just the A-list artists I've listed here, those companies' talent pools just seem shallow.

Marvel released its November solicitations recently, so I've pulled out a few of the highlights for you, loyal reader. Keep in mind, lithographs of these prints are always great gift ideas. You know...for me.

For the complete Marvel Comics November solicitations all in one place, visit the good people at Newsarama.com

AVENGERS #19
Pencils & Cover by Daniel Acuna

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #674
Variant Cover by Paqual Ferry

FANTASTIC FOUR #600
 Variant Cover by Joe Quesada

AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #1
Pencils & Cover by Joe Madureira

X-MEN #20
Cover by Adi Granov

THE INCREDIBLE HULK #2
Pencils & Cover by Marc Silvestri

ULTIMATE COMICS HAWKEYE #4
Cover by Kaare Andrews

The Man Without Fear Returns

The last Daredevil #1 was a pretty major relaunch. Kevin Smith of Clerks and Mallrats fame teamed with Joe Quesada for the "Guardian Devil" storyline under the brand new Marvel Knights imprint. The art was beautiful and the storyline was wild (even if it doesn't completely hold up over 12 years later). It was one of the story lines that got me back into comics after a clone saga-induced hiatus, so I have a soft spot for that book and it's protagonist.

While that storyline wasn't the cheeriest (Karen Page AIDS hoax, anyone?), it wasn't until Brian Bendis took over the title with Alex Maleev that the title became really dark, gritty and noir. For a while, that approach was fantastic. It was very serious, adult storytelling, and I owe it to myself to go back and reread those arcs. Alas, after many years, that tone got a little old. No fun at all. Bendis and Maleev left the title, Ed Brubaker kept the title's head above water quite well, but then the title eventually tanked after the seriously bad "Shadowland" crossover. It looked like Matt Murdock was going to be a full-blown villain after taking control of the Hand. To be honest, that concept really had me interested. Ultimately though, Marvel copped out and decided that the man without fear was possessed or something - explaining his new bad boy persona. Lame.

Hence the need to relaunch. This time, super-writer Mark Waid lightens the mood considerably as Matt Murdock dons his red uniform to fight crime again as a light-hearted, swashbuckler - swooping in to save a little girl from being kidnapped by the Spot at a mob wedding. After he saves the girl in dramatic fashion, he even lays one on the bride-to-be when the smell of her perfume "drives him wild." Bendis' Daredevil this is not.

The rest of the book lays the groundwork for future story lines. People still believe that Matt is Daredevil and it's affecting his law career. A sexy new assistant D.A. shows up to suggest that there may be more to a case Matt's working on - something that could maybe use DD's help. She probably won't become a love interest or anything. An unlikely, big Marvel character shows up at the end to kick his butt. Overall, I feel that the book served to strike a new tone for the character and his supporting cast - to let us loyal fans know that it's going to be more fun than it's been in a long time. This I like.

In the end, it didn't knock my socks off, but it seems like it could shape up to be something good. The art by Paolo and Joe Rivera gets the job done, but I found myself wishing they picked a more colorful artist like Romita for this relaunch. I'm in for now, but it hasn't made my pull list just yet.

How about that cover though? Freaking beautiful. If you find it available as a litho, just remember that you didn't get me a present for my birthday this year.

Death of Spidey, Birth of Blog

Well they finally did it. After many months and many books subtitled "Death of Spider-Man," Peter Parker officially bit the big one. Oh....uh...spoiler alert. And oh yeah, I started a blog! But anyway...

By reuniting artist Mark Bagley and writer Brian Bendis for the arc, Marvel might as well have set up an automatic withdrawal from my checking account, so I was damn pleased when this story delivered.

When the all of the ultimate baddies in Spidey's life team up with a shared knowledge of his secret identity courtesy of a supposed-to-be-dead Norman Osborne/Green Goblin you know things aren't going to be good, but usually in the funny books, the villains usually decide to hold it over the hero's head or something equally silly and status-quo-preserving. Here, Bendis takes it to a simple, but much more realistic place. Gobby and his gang mobilize to Pete's Queens home to murder his family and friends to draw him in and to murder him too. Simple. Realistic. Impactful.

You fear for the lives of Peter's supporting cast as he does, and then, when Peter shows up ready to enter the fray of an unwinnable fight ,with a bullet through his stomach (courtesy of Ultimate Frank Castle), your concern immediately turns to him. I mean, he's just a kid here. Sure he's Spider-Man, but he's what? 16? And here is a group of twisted grown adults murdering him in front of his family, friends and neighbors. Really, Bendis doesn't kill Spider-Man, the lovable cartoon character, he kills Peter Parker, the lovable teenager. That's how this becomes such an emotional story.

The follow-up to all this is shaping up to be just as interesting as this story. It starts in this week's Ultimate Fallout #1 (dare you not to cry) and will continue in a sort-of relaunch for the Ultimate line: All-New Spider-Man ('cause we need some Spidey in our lives, even if it ain't Pete), X-Men, Ultimates (i.e. the Avengers) and Hawkeye. I'll be reviewing those in the coming weeks.

The first printing of "Death of Spider-Man" is all but gone now, but you should still be able to track it down. If anything, buy the complete trade when it's published, sit down and read it in one sitting.

Just don't let anybody catch you crying over a cartoon character.