Wolverine: Origin Review

Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artist: Andy Kubert

Origin has been one of the most innovative Wolverine stories in the last couple of decades, but just how good is this tale? Read on to find out. 

The official description from Marvel:

Marvel's best-kept mutant mystery revealed! Before the X-Men, before Weapon X, Wolverine's struggle with his subconscious savagery first flourished in family tragedy. Some of Marvel's most acclaimed creators unite to tell the tale that shaped mutantdom's mightiest misfit.

Origin has had a lot of mixed comments over the years, having caused a spot of controversy, but at the end of the day it is in my opinion one of the most crucial Wolverine stories ever told, as though it may not be the best, it shows how he became the man we know.

Now although Paul Jenkins is the main writer on this story the then Editor-in-Chief of Marvel, Joe Quesada, and the former vice president of Marvel, Bill Jemas had a lot to do with the story’s plot. The overall story was simply amazing, as despite the fact that this isn't your normal Wolverine story, it also had a lot of depth to it, as well as have the perfect tone for a Wolverine origin story. I also loved how this showed Wolverine in a different light, whilst also showing the path that has lead him to the character he is today, with this being a very emotional and impactful tale.

The artwork from Andy Kubert was also spectacular, and with Richard Isanove’s phenomenal colours it made this a visually stunning tale. I especially loved how between Kubert and Isanove they both managed to due the time setting justice, whilst also giving a dramatic and outstanding tone at the same time. Kubert’s layouts also made the story that much more intense, making it flow smoothly as well. I also loved the emotion that Kubert showed in the characters throughout this story, as it was truly needed to not only show the tone of the story, but to show just how much Wolverine has changed over the years.

Overall this is a truly amazing tale, and a must read for any Wolverine fan, especially if you’re considering giving Origin II a shot.

Rating: 9/10

The Amazing Spider-Man by JMS Volume 5 Review

Writers: J. Michael Straczynski & Joe Quesada
Artists: Ron Garney, Tyler Kirkham & Joe Quesada

A few months ago I started going through my Spider-Man collection, re-reading, and reviewing them, starting with the The Amazing Spider-Man by JMS Ultimate Collection. I have took some time getting back round to them, but I finally have, and this is the last review on that series, but I will be continuing onto the stories that would follow this run.

Plots

Civil War

Whilst the superhero Civil War is going on, Spider-Man (Peter Parker) has to decide which side he's one, which would lead him to revealing his identity to the public, and suffering the consequences.

Back in Black

Aunt May has been shot, and is dying, and Peter goes somewhere he hasn't gone before, wanting vengeance on anyone involved in the shooting.

One More Day

Peter is desperate to save Aunt May, and will go to any lengths to save her.

Review

This was a brilliant book, but probably the most inconsistent in the run, having one brilliant story, a average/good story, and a questionably poor story. J. Michael Straczynskii did an amazing job during his run on Spider-Man, and this book showed that, but it also showed inconsistency as well. I did however enjoy how all three stories from this book go great together, as you'd be able to enjoy this book, without reading the previous ones. I also loved the emotion throughout this book, and enjoyed seeing Peter become a bit dark as well. Joe Quesada would also contribute to the writing in this volume, co-writing the final story, One More Day. Now Quesada always seems to jump on board whenever there's a controversial idea, and this was a very controversial one. I personally didn't like that story myself, but unlike most people it's not really the drastic change that I didn't like, but the way it was handled.

The art on this volume would main be from Ron Garney, but Tyler Kirkham would have art feature in the Civil War prequel, and Joe Quesada would do the artwork on One More Day. Now I wasn't really a fan of any of these artists work on Spider-Man, as although I've enjoyed their art on other series, there were things that I disliked about their Spider-Man art. Garney's art however was probably the best, as it was very dynamic, and dark, showing plenty of emotion. It also had some amazing action sequences, also having a brilliant layout as well. Kirkham's small art contribution was also good, but I felt that his art was a little too rough at times. Quesdada's art was also not as good as I've seen it in other stuff such as Daredevil, as although it was realistic at times, I wasn't a fan of how he drew Peter. I did however like his drawings of Peter in the Spider-Man costume, and there was a huge amount of detail in his art as well.

Now I usually talk about certain things I liked throughout the graphic novel, or comic at this point, but due to this being a collection of three stories I felt that it'd be appropriate to talk about them individually, also rating them individually. I won't however be taking more on the writer, and artists unless absolutely necessary, as I've talked about there work in general throughout this entire book, and feel it unnecessary to add anything more.

Civil War

Civil War changed a lot in the superhero world, but individually Spider-Man would be one of the most affected by this. Both the Mr. Parker Goes to Washington prequel story, as well as the main Civil War story itself were great, and although they weren't special, they were a good tie-in to the main event. The build-up in the prequel story was just brilliant, as although it was nothing special, the interaction between Peter, and Iron Man (Tony Stark) was amazing, and I found it interesting how Tony had a different view on the Super-Human Registration Act in this.

The main thing that would change in Spider-Man's life during Civil War was that he revealed his identity, something that he has guarded closely all his life. Now this was a risky decision to make, but ultimately a very interesting one. I did however feel that the way Peter thought over it in this wasn't brilliant, as although it showed him contemplating the pros, and cons, I thought it would've taken him longer than it was. I was however in two minds over this showing of it, as although it's nice that they didn't copy the Civil War sequence completely, it made it feel a bit broken, as if it wasn't a whole sequence, but only part of one.

The consequences for this would be shown quickly, with civilians being very upset with this decision. I personally enjoyed this, as it gave a more realistic, and gritty tone to the story, also allowing it to be very unique compared to the other Civil War tie-ins. I also enjoyed seeing Peter contemplate whether he's made the right decision, which added more suspense, and drama to the story, as did the interaction between him, Aunt May, and Mary Jane.

This story would also see Spidey go up against Captain America himself. I just loved how this was handled, and how it was clear that Spider-Man had nothing but respect for Cap. I also enjoyed the interaction between Cap, and Spidey throughout this encounter, and how both characters didn't want to fight, but gave it their all, making for something really exciting. I also loved the art during this sequence, as it was so majestic, being truly awe-inspiring.

Verdict

This is a brilliant tie-in story, as although it isn't amazing, having a few holes in the plot, it was still very entertaining, having some outstanding interactions, as well as some exciting sequences.

Rating: 7/10

Back in Black

WARNING: THIS WILL SPOIL CIVIL WAR!

Back in Black has to be one of Straczynski's best stories during his magnificent run, as although this book is inconsistent overall, this story was phenomenal. Spider-Man going back to the black suit was also cool, as it showed that he was in a totally different mood now. I've also always loved seeing the black suit, as I think it's nice and sleek, also adding plenty of mood, and tone to the story, whilst helping with the overall atmosphere.

The reason that Peter is in this mood is due to his Aunt May getting shot, and put into a coma. This just goes to show the consequences of revealing his identity, and that the fears he had were justified. It was also interesting to see Peter beat himself up due to this, as it added so much emotion to the story. It was also nice to see how Mary Jane reacted to this, and how the two of them managed to get her into a hospital was very interesting.

This story would also see a darker side to Peter, something that I loved, as although when I first started reading this story I questioned whether it was the right path for Spidey to go down, as the darker side of being a superhero has never done him any favours in the past, I ultimately feel that it was as good thing. It was especially good for the story, as giving the circumstances it'd be hard to make something out of the situation. I also ultimately felt that this darker side was what made this such a great story, as it was so emotionally brilliant.

WARNING: SPOILER AHEAD!

I try to avoid spoilers as much as I can, but this next part is hard to avoid, so I thought I'd warn anyone who knows nothing about the story. The person revealed to be behind the shooting of Aunt May was none other than the Kingpin, with this actually being revealed at the end of Civil War. I though this added the perfect villain to this story, as although during Straczynski's run we've seen mostly new villains, with the only other classic villain being Doctor Octopus, it was nice to have another classic make an appearance, and who better than the Kingpin? There would also be a great fight sequence between Spidey, and Kingpin in this story, which was truly awesome, being both exciting, and entertaining, as well as emotional, and dark.

Verdict

This was an amazing story, and possibly the best that Straczynski would produce in his run on the series, being very emotional, and dark, with great drama, and brilliant depth.

Rating: 10/10

One More Day

This story would see the continuation of Peter trying to save his Aunt May, being willing to go to any lengths to do so. Now when I first read the sequence where Aunt May getting shot, as well as the story of her in hospital up until now interesting, I felt now that it was going on a little long. I do however feel that it was a good decision not to have resolved it in Back in Black though, as it would have taken away from the story's mood, and was happy that it was to be finished in this story.

This story has become pretty famous over the years, but not in the way you'd hope, as it's one of the most controversial stories in the last ten years, causing a lot of Spider-Man fans to drop the series. I myself wasn't very happy with this story, but to be honest it wasn't as much down to the controversy, as although I personally wasn't happy with the decision, there have been others that I have seriously been upset about. I was however not happy with how this controversial change was made, as it was in a very sudden, and dull way, which wasn't nice.

This story would also feature a certain magician named Doctor Strange, who Spidey goes to for help in saving Aunt May. Now I'm not the biggest Doctor Strange fan, but I do like it when he makes an appearance, and although this wasn't the best, it was still a good choice, even if slightly obvious. The interaction he had with Spidey during this was also brilliant, and I loved how it worked itself into a flashback, as I always enjoy flashbacks.

Another character that would appear in this story was Mephisto, who makes Peter the ultimate deal to save Aunt May. Mephisto is a great villain when used properly, and although like Doctor Strange this was far from his best appearance, he was handled brilliantly. What I loved most about Mephisto's part in this story was that it was classic Mephisto, with him wanting to make a deal. I also enjoyed the sinister tone he added to the story, as well as the elaborate illusions that he place throughout the story.

Verdict

From one of Straczynski's best stories to one of his worst, this was a story full of controversy, and although that isn't what I disliked most, it didn't help make it any better, as with the story being dull, with poor pacing it's sad to see another problem with it.

Rating: 5/10

Final Verdict

Although probably the most inconsistent book in Straczynski's run this was still an amazing volume, having some brilliant moments. It also would have some bad moments, but the amazing moments made up for the poor ones. The volume itself had some brilliant action, and a lot of emotion, as well as a lot of drama, and some suspense. I am however torn on recommending this book, as although it's brilliant, and I would do, I'd probably only really recommend the Civil War, and Back in Black parts (especially Black in Black), so if you can get them cheaper than this book I'd recommend that.

Rating: 7/10

The next Spider-Man book I'll be reviewing will be Spider-Man: Brand New Day Volume 1.

Age of Ultron #10 Review

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artists: Alex Maleev, Bryan Hitch, Butch Guice, Brandon Peterson, Carlos Pacheco, David Marquez & Joe Quesada

Finally the end of Age of Ultron has arrived, and the series that I was so looking forward to, to only be a huge disappointment comes to an end. The only hope is that this issue will end the bellow mediocre story on a high, and even more so have a spectacular ending.

Plot

Time is running out, and can the events that have happened in Age of Ultron be rectified?

Review

This was a decent issue, and an very interesting way to end the series, but it was still far from perfect, and didn't rectify the series' overall poor quality. I hate to hate Brian Michael Bendis for what he's done here, as although the last few years of his Avengers run were poor, the entire run was relatively good, having a phenomenal start. I also find it hard to hate him as his current work on Marvel NOW! although at times slightly poor, has also been overall brilliant. I do however feel that he's seriously dropped the ball with this series, and although I wouldn't go quite as strong as to say that I hated him, I will say that I am very disappointed, as well as frustrated about this series, which I initially had high hopes for, and I seriously wish I'd just left it alone. Anyway, there were some good things about this issue, and it probably was one of the better issues in the series. At the same time it felt a little anticlimactic at times, as well as also re-printing parts of Avengers #12.1, but I'll talk more on that later. There was however a lot of excitement, and suspense in this issue, something that the series hasn't given much of, and overall it was enjoyable, just not spectacular, or overly memorable.

There were a lot of artist working on this issue, with everyone from Bryan Hitch, Alex Maleev, Jackson Butch Guice, David Marquez, Joe Quesada, and more. Now due to this I won't go into detail on every artists work, but I will mention the artists who's work stood out the most, as well as my overall feelings on the style, and layout. Anyway my favourite art had to be from Hitch, as although it was just a re-print of his work from Avengers #12.1, it was still amazing, and some of the most amazing, and explosive art this series has seen. It was also much better that his art on the earlier issue of this series that he worked on, having a lot more detail. The other art that really stood out to me was the small double page from Marquez, and the final few pages from Quesada, which were both truly phenomenal, with ton's of detail, and vibrancy. I did however find the overall style of the art to be inconsistent, which is expected when many artists collaborate on the same issue, and is the reason I don't like this sort of thing. Now I don't mind montages, in Finale issues, but as this was telling the end of the story I felt it should have had as few artists as possible, or artists with similar style, as although there wasn't one artist who's work I hated, the overall style didn't allow the story to flow as smoothly as it should have.

During the last issue we saw Hank Pym being persuaded to help stop Ultron without affecting the timeline. Now we see a continuation of this as the Hank Pym of the present receives a message from his past self. Now I won't go into any more details, as to avoid spoilers, but what would happen during this was very intriguing. It also was a interesting way of setting up the end of this story, and although it wasn't the most exciting way to do it, it was still very interesting, and appropriate. Besides this I also loved seeing the current Pym's reaction to this message, as although it was as expected, it was still brilliant, and added more drama, and suspense to the issue.

As I said earlier this issue took parts from Avengers #12.1 to finish the story, adding additional text to make it look, and seem like a different encounter. Now I wasn't too sure if I loved or hated this, as although I didn't initially notice that it was nearly an exact copy of Avengers #12.1, when I found out I wasn't sure is this was a brilliant, or terrible decision on Bendis part. I say this as part of me feels cheated, having what is virtually a previous used sequence added to this final issue. On the other hand I liked how the whole story has went full circle, with it starting, and ending with nearly the exact same sequence, in the exact same moment.

We did also get to see a fight between the Avengers, and Ultron, and although I won't go into too much detail, as well as zero story detail, to avoid spoilers, I will say what I thought of the sequence. First off, finally the Avengers/Ultron fight I was hoping for in this story, and although some of it was from the Avengers #12.1 issue, I was still happy to see the fight, as well as the fact that it was expanded, with Guice continuing from Hitch's art from Avenger #12.1. The fight itself wasn't spectacular, but it was still exciting, and clever, and although it still doesn't make up for the lack of Ultron in this series, as well as the overall quality of the series, it was still nice.

Now this issue speculated that there will once again be change in the Marvel Universe. Now I will once again avoid going into much detail as not to spoil anything, but I will say my thoughts on this. Now this for me was what made this issue so interesting, and really has me hooked on what may happen in the future. I will however say that although I liked the change that was shown at the end of the issue that was drawn by Quesada, I didn't understand the need for secrecy, as although I won't say what it was, I will say that it was something that was already mentioned prior. I did however still love this addition, and felt it was perfect considering what's to come, and although I still question the need for secrecy, it was still a nice surprise, all be it, not as big a surprise as I initially expected.

WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD!

Now this is only me speculating, but I wonder if the events in this series have anything to do with the upcoming Infinity story arc. Now I very much doubt it, but I ask this question as there was a double page spread not long after the half way point, that had a similar smashed panel affect as the Free Comic Book Day Infinity issue had. Now this could easily be a coincidence, but with this also showing things to come, as well as the fractured timeline, it's a possibility, and although I personally feel that it is just coincidence, I felt it was worth sharing.

Final Verdict

This was a good way to finish the series, but at the same time it didn't make up for the previous down points during the series, and overall was itself not spectacular. It did however have some action, and excitement, as well as suspense, and drama, something that the series hasn't always had. It also showed that there will be some changes coming, which has me hooked, but still doesn't make up for the fact that this was a seriously poor series. I would only recommend this issue to people who have already been getting the series, as well as others who want to get a teaser for the upcoming changes, as although you should be able to find these changes on the internet, I found it more interesting finding them out through this issue.

Rating: 3/5

Why Age of Ultron Hasn't Hit the Mark... So Far

I was really looking forward to this series for a few years now, and ever since it was teased way back in Avengers #12.1 (April 2011) I felt that this series couldn't come sooner. After a long wait I started to feel that this series may never come out, but just shy off two years following this point one issue the series has finally hit the shops, and I question has it been worth it?

Length

Now I know that it's a little early to criticise the entire series, with only three out of the ten issues haven been released, and seven still to come, as well as the tie-ins, but in my opinion this series is too ambitious length wise. The previous big event at Marvel was Avengers vs. X-Men, which lasted twelve issues, which was way too long. Avengers vs. X-Men was considered by many as a disaster, but in fact I felt it wasn't a bad story, just that it was spread over too many issues, and had way too many tie-ins, which lead to it being slow and boring most of the time (luckily Age of Ultron isn't quite that long, and doesn't have as many tie-ins). If you look at the better crossover events in Marvel like Siege and Civil War, neither have near as many issues as either Avengers vs. X-Men or Age of Ultron, with Civil War having seven issues, and Siege even less with only four, and both of these series were brilliant, and if they were longer I'm sure they'd be a bit slow.

Story So Far...

So far the story has consisted of Hawkeye saving Spider-Man (revealed to still be Doctor Octopus), and took him to an underground bunker, where the remaining superhero's live. Captain America finally came up with a plan that involved selling She-Hulk to Ultron, making a shocking discovery (won't spoil that).

As you can probably tell from that summary the story hasn't been the most entertaining one in the world, and in fact it's been rather slow. The first two issues basically showed the superhero's mopping about their situation, and not knowing what to do, and even when Cap does come up with a plan it takes half an issue to explain it, which slowed that particular issue down, although I was happy that the series was finally making progress. The second half of issue three was however very good, and exciting, with Red Hulk (Thunderbolt Ross) attacking an Ultron and removing it's head, giving the head to Black Panther and Taskmaster to run away with. At the same time however this sequence had very little dialogue, meaning that it didn't last long. Although I've got all these complaints about the construct of the story so far my main complaint is the fact that we've had not backstory to how this all happened, and how Ultron suddenly took over the Earth, apart from certain superhero's recounts (Spider-Man and Fantastic Four) of seeing the world go to hell. I do however think that the backstory will get told in Ultron #1AU, although I hope we also get some proper backstory in the main series.

Tie-Ins

Now there have only been two tie-ins released so far, Superior Spider-Man #6AU, and Fantastic Four #5AU, but I already start to question the necessity of these tie-ins. To be fair both tie-ins weren't bad, and both good to a certain extent, with fun and unique stories, but I still question were they necessary? Most tie-ins to comic book events don't actually do anything for the overall story, and although some actually do, there are many against that one that don't, but mugs like me continue to try and get as many tie-ins hoping that they help develop a certain part of the story a bit more.

Anyway the tie-ins in this so far are no different, with Doc Ock trying to control the Ultron's in Superior Spider-Man, failing, and all of the Fantstic Four apart from Sue Storm getting killed by the Ultron's whilst Sue and Reed's children, Franklin and Val watch a goodbye video. As I said both of these issues were fun, and entertaining, to a certain point, but they didn't really do anything to help the story as a whole, and although you could say that's a good thing as it doesn't ruin the main story, they still could have made the issues achieve something small that helps with the development of the story.

Future tie-ins include, Ultron #AU (which I already mentioned), Avengers Assemble #14AU &15AU, Wolverine and the X-Men #27AU, Uncanny Avengers #8AU, Fearless Defenders #4AU, and Age of Ultron Epilogue, all of which beside the Epilogue, and Ultron#1AU I believe will also do nothing for the series, but I hope that I'm wrong (even though I won't be getting all the tie-ins).

Best Part About the Event So Far

The best part about this event so far is easily Bryan Hitch's artwork. I know that you can argue that he hasn't really been used properly on this series, drawing mostly rubble, but I think that his artwork has been astonishing  and easily the best thing about the main series, as well as the event. His art has been nothing short of phenomenal, and although some may argue that his work on The Ultimates, The Ultimates 2, and Fantastic Four (Fantastic Four: World's Greatest & The Master of Doom) I personally feel that some of his best art has been featured in this series so far, as the entire scenery (even if most of it's rubble) is beautifully detailed, and the art on the characters, and action is simply stunning as well as dramatic, and I can't really fault anything about his art. His art also feels like you're watching a movie, as it's so lifelike, and the character emotion is brilliant, with everything looking perfect. The bad news however is that Hitch is only working on the first five issues (with only two left), and after that the series will have Brandon Peterson, and Carlos Pacheco doing the artwork, with Marvel's Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada drawing the final part of issue 10.

Future of the Series

What do I see in the future of this event? Like Avengers vs. X-Men, I expect that this event will be brilliant in the long run, and that it will have some really exciting, and shocking moments throughout. I do however still have some fears that this series will continue to be slow and mundane, and nothing more than a reason for Marvel to have an event, but my faith in the series outweighs that, and I really expect that this series will be remembered as a fantastic series that had a horrific start. Also from the events in the last issue, I expect that the next issue will have some dramatic events, and from the preview it looks to have more action than the series has had so far, and I hope that the series continues to have plenty of action, whilst also actually developing the story (which as I said has been the big problem).

Thanks for taking the time to read this feature and please feel free to leave a comment expressing your thought on this topic, and what you think of Age of Ultron so far.