Marvel Teases "Rad!" "Mindbubble" and "Corporate" as Part of All-New Marvel NOW!

Another two teasers have been released from Marvel for their All-New Marvel NOW! with a project written by Dan Slott teased as "Rad!" which will feature artwork from Michael Allred, and another written by Rick Remender teased as "Mindbubble" featuring artwork from Pascal Alixe and Nic Klein. Also like the previous teasers full details won't be released until the New York Comic Con.

My Thoughts

Now the "Mindbubble" teaser would appear to be a continuation of Remender's Captain America series, as during an interview with Newsarama he talked about a new character that he'd be introducing in his fourth arc of Captain America who will be named Dr. Mindbubble. I do however believe that the other teaser, "Rad!" will be a brand new series featuring the Silver Surfer, as with the lettering being in Silver, and Silver Surfers real name being Norrin Radd it's a no brainer.

Update

Since I posted this Marvel has released yet another teaser this one teased as "Corporate" written by Peter David with artwork from Carmine Di Giandomenico and once againfull details won't be released until the New York Comic Con. 

My Thoughts

This one initially had me rather stumped, but after thinking it through realising it has to be an X-Men title due to being revealed at the All-New X-Men panel I came to the conclusion that it could be a revival of X-Corp. It could however also have something to do with CORTEX Incorporated who are mentioned in the Mighty Avengers #4 solicit. This CORTEX may refer to the X-Factor villain with the same name that was one of Madrox's dupes, as with the X-Factor series coming to an end it might be a brand new X-Factor series.

Thanks for taking the time to view this article and please leave any comments, as well as your thoughts on these teasers bellow.

Punisher: War Zone #5 Review

Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico

The final issue of Greg Rucka's run on Punisher has finally arrived, and I'm both happy and sad. Happy that the issues out as I've been excited to read it, but sad in the knowledge that this is Rucka's last issue on the character. Also after dropping Thunderbolts due to it's poor quality this will probably be the last time I see Frank for a while.

Plot

After helping Rachel Alves escape prison, and stealing a set of Iron Man's armour the Avengers are assembled and out to take down Frank once and for all.

Review

This was a brilliant issue, and a tremendous way to end Rucka's run on Punisher. Ruck has done a fabulous job over his run, and although this wasn't the best overall issue that he's written it was still very very good, and up there with the best Punisher story/series endings. In this issue Ruck continued to produce the exciting, suspenseful plot line that I have loved from his run, and he showed that even with the entire Avengers against him that he's not easy to beat. As I've said over my reviews for the rest of this series, I was expecting a big fight between the Avengers and Frank that lasted a few comics, but having built up to this big fight I think that it was really good, and might not have been as good over multiple issues. This may be the end of Rucka's run on Punisher but I for one am interested on what he will work on next.

The artwork throughout this series has been amazing, and Carmine Di Giandomenico has really done a fabulous job. As I've said with each review, I still would have liked to have seen Marco Checchetto doing the art on the series, but Di Giandomenico has been the perfect replacement, and I'm happy that Checchetto has still been able to do the covers. Di Giandomenico went above and beyond with this issue, as everything looked visually stunning. With a big fight between the Avengers and any character is a challenge, but Di Giandomenico really pulled it off, and it looked amazing. I also really liked the colours throughout this series, and think that Matt Hollingsworth has done a brilliant job of setting the tone of the series.

I loved the sequence at the start of the issue with the Avengers regrouped and focused on finding Frank. What I really liked was that it was explained exactly what happened to Iron Man in the previous issue, and it made Tony look a bit silly. Actually Tony looked silly through quite a bit of this issue, and I liked that as being probably the smartest Avenger, Frank made him look the dumbest. It was also nice to see Tony in the old red and gold armour, as with Frank nicking his new black and gold armour he needed something to wear.

The interaction between Frank and Alves was also interesting. What I liked most about this sequence was that Alves didn't actually know exactly what Frank's mission was. It was also nice to see Wolverine in this issue as due to helping Frank in the first issue Captain America left him on the sidelines. I won't say what role Wolverine had in the comic, but it was very nice to see him.

Finally I'll talk about the fight between Frank and the Avengers. The fight was nothing short of epic. Although I hoped for a good fight from Frank, and knowing that he was capable of it, I still always expected to see him get obliterated, so I was happy to see him put up a fight. Rucka put a lot of thought into the fight as he would have to have Frank fighting using tactics, as it's what he's used to having been in the army, and what he'd need to do against all the superhuman's. What I really liked about the fight was that Frank got the opportunity to fight nearly ever member of the Avengers on their own, which gave him more of a chance. My favourite fight was probably Frank against Black Widow, although Frank against Thor was also very good. In fact it was all good.

My favourite part of the issue however was seeing Frank face to face with Captain America. I won't talk about what happened as to avoid spoilers, but I will say why I liked it. Having known Frank's history pretty well, I know that Frank looks up to Captain America. Having known this I was looking forward to see the two fight each other, or even just confront each other during the series, and kept thinking of possibilities. In the end I wasn't surprised with what happened between the two characters, and was very happy.

Final Verdict

This was a fabulous issue, and a brilliant way to end Rucka's run on Punisher, and will miss it. I would highly recommend this issue, as well as both this series and Rucka's entire run as it's been a truly wonderful ride, and he's created some of the best Punisher stories ever. I am now going to wait to see when Frank will next appear besides in the Thunderbolts.

Rating: 5/5

Punisher: War Zone #4 Review

Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico

This has been a brilliant series, and has continued Greg Rucka's run on Punisher brilliantly. Although I personally hoped for something different in this series it has still been very good, and I will be upset to see Ruck leave Punisher.

Plot

This issue sees the Avengers expecting a break out attempt from Punisher during Rachel Alves trial.

Review

This was a very good issue, but it was slightly slow, and the worst of the mini-series so far. I was expecting a lot of action in the last two issues of this series, and to be honest this issue slightly disappointed with that. I wanted to love this issue as much as the others, but I couldn't quite. Ruck did however still do a very good job, and I've liked how he's used the Avengers throughout this series. I do however hope that he does a much better job on the final issue, as despite doing a good job this issue, I know that he can do a perfect job on the final issue, if he wants to.

Once again I liked Carmine Di Giandomenico art. I'd never really liked his art prior to this series, and although I'd still prefer Marco Checchetto doing the artwork, Di Giandomenico has been phenomenally brilliant. He draws all the characters amazingly, and although some are better than others, it's still great. I also think that he's laid out the art brilliantly, as it looks perfect, and wouldn't look as good any other way. I also have to give a lot of credit to Matt Hollingsworth, as his colours have been brilliant, and has really brought an amazing tone to the series, making it feel very dynamic.

The main reason I like this issue less than the previous issues is that it's a bit slow, and spends too much time setting things up. I liked that the Avengers thought through Punisher's possible actions, and especially that Black Widow knew that they won't know what he's going to do until he does it. I think that this took up too much of the issue, and that it could have taken more time on during the final sequence.

The thing I liked most about this issue was that Punisher showed that he was back in New York, and that criminals weren't safe. I also liked that he used this in a bigger picture to help his future plans, and that he'd planed his actions precisely, just like you'd expect from Punisher.

I also liked that Wolverine was involved in this issue, and hope he makes an appearance in the final issue. I liked the conversation between Wolverine and Captain America, and that it was still questionable to what side Wolverine was on. Although this wasn't a long sequence it still reminded me that there are lots of different perceptions of Punisher's actions, and that none are fully wrong. Like Wolverine's perception that killing certain criminals is a worthy cause as it could save innocent lives is just, whereas Captain America is also right when he says that killing people whether criminals or innocent is never right.

The action sequence at the end was also a brilliant sequence, and by far the best in the issue. It was well thought out, and I really liked the twist in the conclusion. I won't spoil the ending but it was very good. I still think however that they could have spent a bit more time on this, as it felt a bit sudden, and could have been much more dramatic.

Final Verdict

Overall this was a brilliant issue, but more of a set-up towards the final issue. I'd still recommend this issue, as although being slightly slow it is still very good. I would also recommend this issue to newer readers but only if you get the remainder of the series.

Rating: 4/5

Punisher: War Zone #3 Review

Writer: Greg Rucka

Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico

This has been a brilliant mini-series so far, and a more than fitting way to end Greg Rucka's run on Punisher. Greg Rucka's work on the Punisher over the last year, and a bit has been phenomenal, and I'm among the many who are sad to see his run come to an end, especially considering the circumstances.

Plot

This issue sees the God of Thunder Thor in search of Punisher. Punisher won't make this easy for Thor, and has a few things up his sleeves.

Review

Another fabulous issue, and Rucka has done a brilliant job putting Thor against the Punisher. I love how he wrote both characters, and how he made it a cat and mouse chase, making it obvious that Punisher couldn't defeat Thor, whilst giving him hope. The only thing that has slightly annoyed me over this mini-series has been that they've been stand alone issues, and although this isn't a bad idea, I personally would have preferred a huge build up, with it showing Punisher, and the Avengers as pure enemies, but there's still a couple of issues in the series to do that. Although I say that I'd prefer a clear line in the sand between the Avengers, and Punisher, I do understand that the Avengers won't see Punisher as a bad guy, just an insane guy, with bad motives. This has however only been a small thing that's annoyed me, and I've overall loved the series, and this issue in particular. With all these big names involved over this mini-series it's easy to make a mistake, and I think Rucka has handled it well, and although I don't necessarily like it 100%, featuring one main Avenger in each issue was probably the best way to use these big names, and not ruin them.

The art was once again phenomenal, and I'm starting to like Carmine Di Giandomenico more, and more each issue. As I've probably said in the past I didn't like Di Giandomenicio's art prior to this, and especially disliked it on Journey Into Mystery, but so far on this series it has amazed me, showing that he has a lot of talent. I would however still have preferred Marco Checchetto working on this series, as I love his art even more, but I doubt there would be any artist I'd prefer on the Punisher over Checchetto, as he's really made Rucka's run outstanding. Although I disliked Di Giandomenicio's art on JIM, a Thor series, his interpretation of Thor on this issue was much better, and although still not perfect it was much better. Di Giandomenicio's art on the action sequences throughout this series has also been brilliant, and really nice to look at, giving the perfect Punisher action feel to the issue.

When I heard that Thor would be the next person to face the Punisher I wasn't too sure how it play out, and felt that Punisher would be at a major disadvantage. It wasn't however as easy as you'd have thought for Thor to find Punisher, as despite Thor's being the God of Thunder, Punisher is a very resourceful person, and should never be counted out, no matter what the situation. It was also very interesting seeing how the locals reacted to Thor, and how Thor managed to get information out of them.

In Search of Punisher

What was more impressive was how Punisher reacted to Thor's presence, and how he used Thor's presence to his advantage, using him as, "bait," (as Thor put it). I also loved how this lead into a chase between Thor, and Punisher, and especially how this played even more into Punisher's favour. The fast pace of this won't however be to everyone's liking, and if you are a quick reader who mainly reads the text, with the art being a bonus, I'd advice slowing down on this issue, as it's easy to miss things, and the experience is much more enjoyable that way (I personally had to look back over a few pages as I read one part too quickly). Although this was a fast paced sequence it was however very well handled, as it felt like a big action/shoot-out scene from an action film like Expendables, and suited the tone of this issue brilliantly.

WARNING: SMALL SPOILER AHEAD!

I usually try to avoid spoilers, but it would be hard to talk about my favourite point in this issue without spoiling it. I will however still try and spoil as little as possible. Later in the issue Thor and Punisher sit down to have a beer, and they have a discussion over Punisher's methods. It's always brilliant seeing Thor sitting down with a beer, and a sight we don't see as often as we should, especially in recent years (although it is featured in Thor: God of Thunder). This showed how Thor felt about the Punisher situation, and I felt it was very true to his character. The main thing I loved about this sequence was that Punisher began to question himself at the end of the conversation. I will be looking forward to seeing how this affects the next issue, if it does at all, and what Avengers will feature.

Punisher and Thor Talk over Beer

Final Verdict

This was another brilliant issue, and although I will be sad to see Rucka's run come to an end I can't wait till the next, and penultimate issue comes out. I would highly recommend this issue, the entire mini-series so far, and all of Rucka's run.

Rating: 5/5

Punisher: War Zone #2 Review

Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico

I have been a Punisher fan for most of my life and Greg Rucka's run on the Punisher has been one of the best I've ever read. It's due to this that I'm a little upset that he won't be writing any more Punisher issues after this series, let alone Punisher not having his own series any more. I've also really enjoyed Marco Checchetto's art throughout the series and was also upset when hearing that he was unable to do the art on this series, but Carmine Di Giandomenico has been a decent substitute.

Plot

This issue sees Black Widow in search of the Punisher following the Avengers decision to finally deal with the Punisher. Her search included disguising herself in an attempt to retrieve information from Rachel Alves, and travelling round half the world in search of the Punisher.

Review

This was a brilliant issue and I'm enjoying this series very much. Although I've dreamed of the Punisher vs. the Avengers for a long time I question whether it's worth losing the great series that Rucka was working on. The answer to that is no but it's a great consolation prize. What Rucka has been doing over this mini series has also been amazing and I love how both issues that have been out so far have been very reader friendly, being perfect stand alone issues whilst fitting into the bigger picture. The only thing that has slipped this issue from the 5 stars it has received through most of my ratings is due to the lack of Punisher, he's not in this issue as much as I'd hoped and at one point it looked like it was turning into a Black Widow comic.

The art in this issue was phenomenal and although I said I'd prefer Checchetto was doing the art Di Giandomenico did an amazing job. I am however happy that Checchetto managed to do the covers, but looking at how brilliantly he draws the Avengers as well as his already brilliant Punisher makes me wish more that some how he was able to do the art. Di Giandomenico's art however is very good and I love how he draws most of the characters and adds drama and suspense to the series. There are still minor things that bug me about his art, like the way he draws some faces but overall it's brilliant and much better than the work he produced whilst on Journey Into Mystery.

Alves' appearance at the start of the issue was a nice addition as she was one of the things I liked about the previous Punisher series, and felt that she was one of the best ally Punisher has had. I also liked how she continues to correct people saying that it's Rachel Alves not Cole as she took her husbands name. It's also nice to see that she won't give the Punisher up and when Widow revealed to Wolverine that she knew she wouldn't it made me question why she went to all the trouble. It was also interesting seeing Widow in disguise at the start of this issue as she's not done anything spy like for a long time now.

Black Widow's search in this issue was an interesting addition and it showed how easily Punisher could make himself disappear. I did however feel that this dragged on a bit and would have preferred to have seen a bit more of Punisher and Widow fighting than we did. It was also interesting to see the length's the Avengers would go to capture the Punisher now that they've decided to do so, as with anyone like the Punisher who isn't a threat to the world would usually get forgotten about after leaving the country. I also liked how during this search apart from all the different countries Widow goes to, that Widow was still able to keep very calm and patient travelling to multiple sighting's to find he's disappeared, but still moving on to the next.

When Punisher and Black Widow finally met it was interesting and the fight that broke out was stunning. The fight alone made this issue worth buying and I enjoyed seeing these two highly trained characters square of against each other. The way they countered each other was also brilliant and the way it was drawn showing them in almost mirror images between attacks was very nice. I also liked how neither one backed down and how Punisher as usual knows how to pick his fights and when to use underhanded tactics.

Final Verdict

This was an amazing issue and this series is looking to be one of the best Punisher mini series I've ever read. This issue would have gotten a perfect 5/5 if it wasn't for the fact that Punisher wasn't in the issue long enough, which was a shame. Otherwise this is a great issue and due to Rucka making them stand alone issues which fit into the whole series it's easy to join the story at this issue if you can't find the previous, although I'd recommend trying to get a copy. I'd also recommend this issue and am looking forward to seeing Punisher square of against Thor next issue.

Rating: 4.5/5