JOHN CASSADAY Dies Age 52

The comic book industry has lost an amazing talent, with John Cassaday passing away on Monday at the age of 52. Having worked as an artist for both Marvel and DC Comics, the talent has contributed to the likes of the X-Men, Captain America, Star Wars and Flash. The news was originally broken by Cassaday's sister Robin, who took to Facebook to announce his passing, revealing that he had been admitted to ICU four days earlier.

Comic book writer Mark Waid, who worked with Cassaday on several projects would also pay tribute to the late artist, posting the following on Facebook:

My dear friend John Cassaday passed today at the absurdly young age of 52 and I miss him already. I met John in, I ...

Posted by Mark Waid on Monday 9 September 2024

Having had a huge influence on the industry for the better part of thirty years, Cassaday has produced some of the best cover art out there, with his Astonishing X-Men and Captain America covers being simply sensational. Though recent years have seen the talent mainly focusing on cover art, he has featured on various projects in a wider capacity, with his layouts and interior artwork during his Star Wars run being dynamic to say the least.

Though Cassaday has been linked with various mainstream Marvel and DC Comics characters over the years, he is probably best known for co-creating Planetary alongside Warren Ellis. The series, originally published through DC Comics imprint WildStorm, would run twenty-seven issues long between. 1998 and 2009. The series focused on a group of anti-heroes that included Elijah Snow, Jakita Wagner and The Drummer.

I'd like to extend my sincere condolences to John Cassaday’s family and friends during this sad time.

Astonishing X-Men: Unstoppable Review

Writer: Joss Whedon
Artist:  John Cassaday

I have recently decided to read, and re-read certain X-Men stories, having a mixture of both classic, and modern stories, with most of them being critically acclaimed. I decided to go through some of the Astonishing X-Men series, with this being my fourth review on the series.

Plot

After being beamed onto a S.W.O.R.D., the X-Men head to Breakworld to prevent the Earth's destruction.

Review

This was a phenomenal story, and although it still doesn't quite beat Gifted, it is the next best story from Joss Whedon's run on this series. Whedon did a tremendous job at brining his time on the X-Men to an end, and although the set-up to this story hurt Torn, the story itself didn't disappoint. It was a very interesting, and dramatic story, with plenty of suspense, and emotion, as well as some mystery. It also had some fantastic action, as well as great character development. The story also had tons of depth, and tone, which really helped make the story that much more gritty, and dynamic. I also loved how Whedon toned down the comedy, whilst still adding the odd humorous line, making the story feel as serious as it should. The dialogue during this story was also expertly handled, with every interaction, and discussion feeling very natural, and realist, and it's a shame Whedon didn't spend longer on this series.

The art from John Cassaday was once again spectacular, and Cassaday kept up his high standered of quality right to the end. The way Cassaday drew every character was amazing, with all of them looking outstanding, as usual. I also loved how Cassaday drew the additional characters in the Giant-Size issue, especially how he drew Spider-Man, who looked as dynamic as ever, making me want to see him work on a Spidey title. The detail was also brilliant, with most of the art being near flawless, with only minor imperfections during the Giant-Size issue, as with everything that was going on, the odd side character looked slightly weird, but overall most of Cassaday's art was amazing. The action sequences were also handled perfectly, being very explosive, and exciting, making this finale even more dramatic. The emotion was also perfectly shown, and I'm overall ecstatic that Cassaday was on this run alongside Whedon.

The main focus of this story would be the X-Men going with Abigail Brand to the Breakworld in an attempt to save the Earth. I've enjoyed seeing the Breakworld in other stories, but this has to be the best, as although the first appearance of anything's usually regarded highly, the art, and tone of the place was just amazing. I also loved the different type of people who lived on the planet, and how they lived in general. It was also nice to see Ord return, even if he didn't have a huge role, and the other Breakworlders like Kruun, and Aghanne were also interesting, as well as very different, adding more depth to their world.

The last story, Torn would reveal Colossus to be the X-Man who'll destory the Breakworld, but this story would shed more light on the prophesy. I won't go into any details as to avoid spoilers, but I will say what I thought of the development. When it was revealed I found it to be very interesting, and appropriate, as due to Colossus being brought back to life at the start of Whedon, and Cassaday's run, it's appropriate that he's heavily involved in this concluding story, especially considering Ord of the Breakworld brought him back to life. I also loved how Colossus reacted to this knowledge, and how although certain other X-Men seemed to know the stakes, that Colossus was conflicted about what to do, making things really interesting.

Torn would also see Cyclops loose his powers, and that would continue into this story. Now I didn't want to talk about this during my review of Torn, to avoid spoilers, but seems it continued into this story I felt that I would mention it, as well as what I thought of it, and how it affected this story. The fact that Cyclops didn't have his powers was a very interesting development in my opinion, as although it's cool to see him use his optic-blast, this allowed him to show his true ability as a leader, as well as a good man (as after more recent events it's nice to be reminded of what Cyclops was). I also loved how the other X-Men reacted to Cyclops in this state, and overall it added more drama, also adding a surprise at one point.

The final part of this story would be a Giant-Size issue, which would also see the heroes on Earth. Once again I won't go into any plot details as to avoid spoilers, but I will say what I thought of this addition. I loved seeing all these additional characters, and especially with it starting with Spider-Man interacting with X-Men members Storm, Iceman, and Nightcrawler, who previously hadn't featured in this series. I also enjoyed seeing the Fantastic Four again, as well as certain Avengers members, and other X-Men members who didn't feature in this series prior. I also loved how Whedon intergrated them in a way that best helped the story, and he certainly went all out to end his run on a very high note.

Final Verdict

This was an astonishing conclusion to one of the bes X-Men runs in the last decade, and I'm glad that I finally got to experience it. The story itself had everything you would want from a comic book story, being suspenseful, dramatic, emotional, exciting, as well as having some mystery to it as well. It's extremely easy to recommend this story, and I'd also highly recommend the rest of Whedon, and Cassadays's run, as it's simply outstanding, and any comic book fan, whether a X-Men fan or not will love it.

Rating: 10/10

Astonishing X-Men: Torn Review

Writer: Joss Whedon
Artist: John Cassaday

I have recently decided to read, and re-read certain X-Men stories, having a mixture of both classic, and modern stories, with most of them being critically acclaimed. I decided to go through some of the Astonishing X-Men series, with this being my third review on this series.

Plot

Emma Frost's strange behaviour finally comes to light, as the Hellfire Club attacks the X-Men.

Review

This was a very good story, but easily the worst of Joss Whedon's run so far. Don't get me wrong, Whedon has once again produced a unique, and interesting story, with plenty of excitement, it's just that it didn't feel to the same level of quality as his previous two stories. I did however enjoy how Whedon used the Hellfire Club in a very unique way, with all the members being perfectly depicted. I did however feel that this story was too jokey at times, and although it added humour, and fun, making for something very unique, I also felt that it was a bit much, also feeling a little forced at times, eventually becoming slightly boring as well. There was also a lot of set-up towards the next story, which would be Whedon's final story, which I wasn't sure whether I liked or not, as although I like set-up, it also took away from the main story. There was however still some brilliant action, and mystery, and overall Whedon did a great job.

John Cassaday once again produced some amazing artwork, with the art in this story being simply phenomenal. The detail in Cassaday's art was simply outstanding, with everything looking spectacular, with little to no imperfections. The way Cassaday handled the characters expressions in this story was also brilliant, and stood out more due to the style of the story, giving more depth, and emotion to the story. Cassaday also handled the action sequences perfectly, as although there wasn't quite as much action as there was in Dangerous, what there was looked amazing. Cassaday's layouts also added more depth, and drama to the story, also making it a bit more dynamic. The colouring from Laura Martin was also once again brilliant, adding vibrancy, and tone to Cassaday's artwork, helping create this amazing finished work of art.

Throughout Whedon's run Emma has been acting very strange, and it's been very questionable whether her loyalties lie with the X-Men, or not. The end of the last story would give an an answer as it would appear that Emma has re-aligned herself with the Hellfire Club. She would however still continue acting strange in this story, which added some interest to the start, as although it's obvious where it's ending due to it being comics there's still a hint of speculation. I did however find the development leading up to the Hellfire Club's attack to be very suspenseful, as from Emma's expressions it looked as if she was battling with what decision to make.

The revelation at the end of the last story about the Hellfire Club being in this story was amazing, and a really spectacular way to end it (probably more so for people at the time due to the gap after that). Their appearance in this story however was much more interesting, as although it was bound to be, the uniqueness, along with the suspense, and mystery made it that much more exciting than I originally thought. I also loved seeing Sebastian Shaw again, as it's hard to think of the Hellfire Club or Shaw without thinking of the other. I did however feel that they were mainly atmosphere, and they didn't seem quite as evil as they have in the past, as at first there didn't appear to be any obvious agenda to their actions.

As I said earlier in my review, there would be some humour in this story, with the main part coming from Wolverine, and Beast, as Beast was turned into the animal that he physically is, and Wolverine was turned into a bit of a sissy, being timid, and afraid. Now at first I found this to be slightly hilarious, even though it was at the same time slightly disrespectful of their characters. I could however get over that fact due to it making sense for the story, but I would then come back to slightly dislike it as I felt it was dragged on for longer than necessary, feeling a bit stale, and redundant by the time it finished. It was however still a very unique, and genius thought, and there's probably a fair few people who found it hilarious from start to end, I personally however felt that it was a little bit over the top.

This story would also see some characters from the previous story feature in the background, with Danger, Ord, and the government organisation known as S.W.O.R.D. all featuring in sequences based on the Peak. Now all these characters were very interesting in their own stories, and although last story would also briefly show a connection between the whole of Whedon's run, this would put clarrify that, setting up the final part of his run, which looks to feature elements from the previous stories, showing that everythings been leading up to this one point. Now I personally like a good set-up, which this was, but at the same time I felt that it took away from the story, also giving a awkward ending to this one. I am however looking forward to the next story more now, which is another plus side to this.

Final Verdict

This was a great story, but easily the weakest of the first three stories in Whedon's run. It was however still amazing, as although it wasn't quite phenomenal, it had a very interesting story, with brilliant development. It also had amazing action, as well as great suspense, and drama, with a hint of mystery. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this story, as although I'd recommend the previous two over it, it's still well worth reading.

Rating: 8/10

Astonishing X-Men: Dangerous Review

Writer: Joss Whedon
Artist: John Cassaday

I have recently decided to read, and re-read certain X-Men stories, having a mixture of both classic, and modern stories, with most of them being critically acclaimed. I decided to go through some of the Astonishing X-Men series, with this being my second review on the series.

Plot

After the X-Men team-up with the Fantastic Four to take out a giant monster they are attacked by a foe closer to home... the Danger Room.

Review

This was an amazing story, and a terrific follow-up to Gifted, as although it wasn't quite as good as Gifted, it wasn't far behind, excelling over Gifted in certain areas, whilst not quite being as good in others. Joss Whedon did however continue to give great creativity to the series with this story, as he went from a story that had some action coming out of a development, to a story with a lot of action fuelled by a development. The story had plenty of tone, and drama, also having tons of action, suspense, and mystery, which Whedon managed to balance perfectly. Whedon also managed to add subtle humour, and excitement when necessary, whilst overall making the story very deep, and interesting. I also loved the emotion that Whedon put into this story, yet again coming up with a unique concept that so genius, yet at the same time very simple, showing just how good a writer he is.

John Cassaday's art blew me away, with his artwork being just as phenomenal as it was on Gifted, if not that little bit better. The attention to detail in Cassaday's art is simply outstanding, and it's easy to understand why he doesn't usually work long stints on ongoing series. Cassaday also once again did an excellent job with the characterisations, with every character looking perfect, as well as dynamic, and interesting, with even Colossus looking amazing this time. Besides that the other brilliant thing about Cassaday's art was his action sequences, which were simply amazing, being very explosive, and exciting. The emotion was also handled perfectly, as although it was more of a fast, action paced story, Cassaday showed the characters emotions brilliantly. Colourist Laura Martin also once again did a spectacular job of adding more tone, and depth to Cassaday's art, with her vibrant style.

During Gifted a young mutant named Wing lost his powers due to the mutant cure. The start of this story would see how Wing would cope with the change, now being just an ordinary human. I felt that this sequence was very interesting, with a lot of emotion to it, showing how although there'd be mutants wanting the cure, that if forced onto mutants that don't then it could have a huge mental affect on them. I also enjoyed the continued interaction between Wing, and Armor, and how this change has affected that relationship as well, making for some awkward moments between the two, which added a lot of drama, and realism to the story.

The early part of this story would also see the X-Men team-up with the Fantastic Four to take down a giant monster in Manhattan. Now I loved this as although I'm not the biggest Fantastic Four fan in the world, I do like them, so to see them team-up with one of my favourite comic book teams was nice, especially considering the differences in how the media sees both teams, with the Fantastic Four being branded heroes, and the X-Men menaces. The interaction between the two teams was also amazing, and brilliantly handled by Whedon, who really made this a fun, and entertaining meeting. I also found the battle against the monster to be very exciting, and entertaining, with the dialogue adding yet more fun to the overall sequence.

The villain in this story would be a home grown problem, as unlike their normal foes, this time the X-Men were against their own Danger Room, which would manifest itself into the character we now know as Danger. I found this to be an extremely interesting development, and Whedon continued to make drastic changes with this. I did however feel that it was pulled off perfectly, and that it didn't just make this story great, but would introduce the character Danger into the Marvel Universe. The concept behind this development was also very interesting, and although I won't go into details as to avoid spoilers, I will say that it added a lot of drama, suspense, and mystery to the story, as well as depth, and tone. The action against Danger was also amazing, and overall this was a great story development.

This story would also see an appearance of Professor X, and although I won't go into any details as why he's involved, as to avoid spoilers, I will say what I though about his appearance. I'll start by saying that due to not following comics at this time I'm not entirely sure why Professor X was away from the group, as although I have ideas as to why he was missing, I'm not entirely sure. Anyway his appearance in this story was brilliant, adding more suspense, and drama, as well as more atmosphere, and mystery. I also loved seeing the interaction he'd have with certain characters, as well as the shocking way that his role was developed.

Final Verdict

Although not quite as good as Gifted, this was still a phenomenal story, and a brilliant continuation to Whedon's X-Men run. It had tons of action, and excitement, as well as some emotional points as well. It also had some mystery, and suspense, and overall was simply astonishing. Due to all this I'd recommend this story time and time again, and although you can easily read this without reading Gifted I'd also recommend reading that as well, as not only is that another great story, but they have much more impact together.

Rating: 10/10

Astonishing X-Men: Gifted Review

Writer: Joss Whedon
Artist: John Cassaday

I have recently decided to read, and re-read certain X-Men stories, having a mixture of both classic, and modern stories, with most of them being critically acclaimed. This however is the first modern one I have reached since I made this decision, and I plan on reading/reviewing more from this series.

Plot

The announcement of a mutant cure rocks the mutant population with some wanting it, and some like the X-Men against it. In their attempt to find out how this cure came about the X-Men face an alien from the Breakworld named Ord who really hates mutants, and especially the X-Men.

Review

This was a outstanding story, and although I loved it the first time round, I loved it even more after re-reading it. Joss Whedon shows throughout this story why he's such a great storyteller, as the story was perfectly structured, and the characters perfectly depicted throughout. The suspense, and drama that Whedon added to the story was also amazing, with there also being a hint of mysteriousness as well. The way Whedon handled the action throughout this story was also brilliant, and I loved how he even managed to add some fun to this story as well, making it very diverse, and interesting. Besides this Whedon also added great emotion, with the split in opinions adding to the atmosphere, and tone of the story. I also loved the dialogue, which was very fresh, and unique, adding great tone, and atmosphere to the story, as well as yet more drama, and overall Whedon did a great job with this story.

The art in this story was simply phenomenal, and although I've seen John Cassaday produce some amazing art over the years, I feel that this is the best work that he has ever done. The detail was simply astonishing, with everything looking wonderful. The way he drew the characters was also brilliantly, with everyone looking amazing. I did however find his drawings of Colossuslooked a bit weird near the end of the story, as he looked a little awkward, and unrealistic. This however was a small problem, and Cassaday made up for it time, and time again, with great character emotion, in which you could easily tell their feelings, lots of depth, and outstanding action, which was exciting, and explosive. I also have to give credit to colourist Laura Martin, who's colours were simply beautiful, adding so much tone, and texture to Cassaday's pencils, and the story in general.

I thought that I'd next go onto talk about the team, as with the start of each new X-Men series there is usually an introduction to it's roster, and this story was no different. The roster in this story would be Cyclops leading, with Emma Frost, Wolverine, Beast, Kitty Pryde, Lockheed, and eventually Colossus. The way the team was introduced was very subtle, with everyone getting development time, allowing for a natural tone. It was also nice to see Cyclops, and Wolverine getting along, as although they fight at one point, they seemed to get along better overall, with this being one of few times prior to Regenesis. It was also brilliant that Emma had a doubter in Kitty, as given her background, especially with Kitty it's natural, also adding a possible development route later in the series. The teamwork in the story was also great, and Whedon handled that aspect of the story perfectly, as he did with everything else.

The main story centred around the announcement of a mutant cure, with Dr. Kavita Raodescribing mutation as a disease. I loved the concept behind this, and loved the tension that it added to the story. I also enjoyed the division that it would give in the mutant population, with even one of the X-Men not sure of whether it's a good or bad thing, which was natural, and realistic, as there'd bound to be some mutants that'd want rid of what they'd consider a curse. I also felt that this direction, although risky adds great atmosphere, and tone to the series, which paid off, as Whedon handled everything about it perfectly, making every thing exciting, and interesting, as well as dynamic.

The villain in this story would be an alien from the Breakworld named Ord. Now I've seen the Breakworld in other stories, but this would be their first introduction. I found Ord to be a very interesting character, and although he won't rank as one of the best X-Men villains ever, he added a lot of excitement, and suspense to the story, and the fight he'd have with the X-Men was outstanding. I also found the reasoning behind his attack on the mutants, and X-Men to be very interesting, and exciting, with his connection to the cure having the same affect.

This story would also see the return of beloved X-Man Colossus, following his death in The Uncanny X-Men #390 where he sacrificed himself to stop the Legacy Virus. Although I didn't read this story when it was originally out I have to thank it for bringing one of my favourite X-Man back from the dead, as although I feel that comic book deaths aren't always as meaningful as they should be, he was brought back in a very interesting way, and we've had some great stories with him since. Besides this I really enjoyed Colossus' appearance in this story, and although it won't go down as one of his best occasions, with the artwork being awkward at times, what do you expect considering he's just returned.

This story would also see the government involved, with both S.H.I.E.L.D., and then new organisation, S.W.O.R.D. making appearances. Now I won't go into any detail over their appearance in this story, as although some of them are easy to guess I want to avoid spoilers. I've liked S.W.O.R.D. ever since I started collecting comics, and although they aren't one of my favourite groups, it's always nice to see them, especially in an X-Men story. I did however feel their appearance in this story to be a little different from what I've read before, and although they did act like government employees, being similar to S.H.I.E.L.D., they still seemed slightly different than usual. I do however assume this is due to this being their first appearance, along with the fact that they know none of the characters personally. Overall however their appearance was a nice addition to the story, adding more mystery, and suspense.

Final Verdict

This was a brilliant, and amazing story, and Joss Whedon started his X-Men run perfectly. The story contains some interesting, and unique concepts, which add tone, and depth to it. The story also has some amazing action, as well as being fun, and entertaining. Due to all this I'd easily recommend this story to anyone, as it's one of the best modern X-Men stories and well worth reading.

Rating: 10/10

Uncanny Avengers #4 Review

Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: John Cassaday

This series has been very interesting so far, and although it was a bit bumpy quality wise, as well as the scheduling being all over the place, it's starting to pick up, and become a very entertaining story. Rick Remender has done a brilliant job of brining the Avengers Unity Squad together, and it's the perfect blend of Avengers and X-Men, and with the re-emergence of the Red Skull how could this not be exciting.

Plot

Red Skull, and his S-Men continue their fight against the mutants of New York City, and with the God of Thunder, Thor now working for the Red Skull, it doesn't look good for the Avengers Unity Squad.

Review

This was a brilliant issue, and a terrific end to what was at times a slow story. Overall the story was very good, and having read it all together, not having to remember what happened has really helped, and has made it much more enjoyable, as I really felt that it was the shipping delays that sucked the life out of this series, and although it was worth the wait, it was still annoying. Rick Remender has however once again done a marvellous job with the writing of this series, and although it's still got minor faults I can easily forget them, as the rest is truly amazing. Remender has done a brilliant job of keeping this story very exciting, and suspenseful, and although it has been slow at times, that's been necessary, and you expect the odd slow moment when introducing a new team anyway. I did however feel that this issue was much more dramatic and suspenseful after reading it a second time, this time having read the previous three issues along with it, as everything being fresh in my memory it made it much more clearer, which itself made it more interesting, and entertaining. Remender has also done an amazing job at handling the action, and this issue he probably did it the best, as it was really energetic, and exciting. I also loved how Remender continued to write with the narration, as it really added ton's of depth to the story.

Although it's been the cause of all the shipping delays, I've still really enjoyed John Cassaday's art throughout this series, and although it'll help with the shipping schedule, I'll still miss his art. Anyway, Cassaday went out of the series with a bang, as his art was truly wonderful, and although there were certain panels that weren't as perfect as his art usually is, the others were much better, and overall it was amazing. The only thing that was imperfect at times was the detail, as there were some panels that looked a bit rushed, not being as detailed as they'd normally be, but besides that the detail in the rest of the issue was marvellous, and to the high quality that Cassaday usually produces. The way Cassaday drew the action sequences in this issue was what made it better than the rest of his art in the series so far, and although he's done a brilliant job in previous issues, he's really surpassed himself this time, especially when certain characters were against Thor. Cassaday also did a brilliant job at showing the character's emotions, as although he's not the best at drawing facial features, with it sometimes looking weird, he's still did a marvellous job, and you can tell that he's made an effort. I was however not as fond of the way he drew the likes of Havok with a swollen eye, as it didn't look quite realistic, and although Wolverine's injuries looked a little more realists it still looked a bit odd. Overall Cassaday has done a phenomenal job on the art for both this issue, and the series so far, and although I'll miss seeing his art, I'll still be looking forward to seeing his covers (as he's continuing to draw the cover art).

Last issue saw Honest John use his powers to persuade Thor to join the Red Skull's cause, and the consequences of this couldn't be any better. This was a brilliant surprise at the end of the last issue, and I found it both shocking, and dramatic. As if Red Skull and his S-Men weren't a hard enough opponent for the Avengers Unity Squad, they have they're most powerful member taken from them, and used against them, making things near impossible for this newly formed team. Although when Thor crushed Wolverine in the last issue's still my favourite moment with Thor against his own team, this issue also provided some amazing moments, with Thor battling both Scarlet Witch, and Havok. These fights were nothing short of phenomenal, and although I've loved the art throughout this took it to another level, as they was expertly laid out by Cassaday, making them very dramatic, as well as being very exciting, and overall entertaining.

There was a part in this issue were the Red Skull showed Captain America the future he has planned for the mutants, which was brilliant. This sequence also gave a brilliant reference to one of the biggest X-Men events of all time, Days of Future Past and a future were the mutants are persecuted. I liked how this was handled as although Days of Future Past was prevented this shows that there's still the possibility of it happening, but in a different way, and to see Havok, and Scarlet Witch replace Wolverine, and Kitty Pryde on this famous piece of art was wonderful, as it doesn't just give a brilliant homage to the story, and artwork, it also shows something unique, and a possible future event in the series.

Besides this Red Skull continues to use his psychic abilities that he stole from the dead Professor X to make certain members of the Avengers Unity Squad believe what he wants them to, and although I won't go into details as to avoid spoilers I will say how I felt about this. Although he wasn't really doing much prior to his death I was disappointed that Professor X died, the way that Remender's used this to change the Red Skull is fantastic, and although he's only scratched the surface in this story, it should be interesting to see what he has planned down the line. What he did in this issue was interesting, and surprising, and although I won't spoil anything, I will say that I think what Remender did in a certain sequence was very clever.

Captain America, and Red Skull finally get to fight in this issue, which I really liked. I was contemplating whether or not this was a spoiler, but with it being the last issue, and the fact that they haven't fought so far made it quite obvious that the pair would fight at some point. I won't go into details as to avoid any major spoilers, but I felt that this was a very interesting, and exciting turn of events, and it was nice to see Cap get his hands on the Red Skull, especially considering he's not been able to fight him for a few years.

There was a kind of epilogue to this issue, and although I won't go into too much detail, I will say that it shows possible things to come, whilst also teasing the next story arc, and it has me very excited for the future of this series.

Final Verdict

This was an amazing finish to the story, and although it wasn't perfect, it was still very good. This story overall wasn't anything extraordinary, but after re-reading all the issues together I've enjoyed it much more this time round, and it was a brilliant opening story for this new team, and I look froward to what the future holds for the Avengers Unity Squad. I would highly recommend this issue, and the entire story, but I would also recommend that you read the story as a whole, as it flows much smoother, and the shipping schedule really hurt the impact that this had on me the first time round, even though I still enjoyed it then.

Rating: 4/5

Uncanny Avengers #3 Review

Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: John Cassaday

This has been a very interesting series so far, and although it's not quite hit it's stride, it is still a very interesting story. The return of the Red Skull as well as the coming together of this team containing both Avengers and X-Men has been very interesting, and although the last issue was a little slow, I still have hope that this series will become amazing.

Plot

The Red Skull is using his new psychic abilities that he's taken from the dead Professor X to turn the humans against the mutants, and the Avengers Unity Squad are stuck in the middle.

Review

This was a brilliant issue, and the series really seems to be picking up. The scheduling of this series hasn't helped this series, and although having re-read this, the first time I read it I'd forgotten a few things from the previous issue, which isn't good. Anyway, Rick Remender is continuing to give us a story that's not just interesting, and entertaining, but one that's worthy of the characters involved. As I said the last issue was a little slow, and although this one was also slightly slow at times, it felt much more exciting, and actually felt like a team book (even though Captain America, Thor, Wolverine, and Havok worked together last issue). I've also much preferred the way Remender's written this issue, and really loved how it had a narrative, as although it felt a bit weird at the start, it really helped the story, and made it feel more emotional, whilst also giving it more depth. I've also loved how Remender's made the story much more suspenseful now, as with Red Skull having the ability to control minds it really changes things, but I'll talk more about that later on in my review.

John Cassaday continues to amaze me with his art, and although that was the reason for the delays in shipping, it was well worth the wait. The detail in Cassaday's art is simply stunning, as everything looks amazing, and even the smaller details look realistic. I also love the emotion he shows in the characters facial expressions, and the way the move, as although he's not necessarily the best artist at showing character emotion, he still manages to do it, and you can easily see that he makes an effort, which is always nice, as it also makes the art more dramatic. Speaking of dramatic, I also love the way Cassaday lays out his artwork, and how he knows where to position the characters, and whether or not to have them in the foreground or distance, as although Remender will have the description in the script, Cassaday's art also shows it brilliantly, giving a very dramatic tone to the issue. Cassaday also handles the action brilliantly, as everything feels so exciting, and at certain times nothing short of epic.

Red Skull was powerful enough before, but now that he's got Professor X's psychic abilities, he's virtually invincible. The return of the Red Skull has been about the best thing about this story, and although I've also enjoyed seeing the coming together of the Avengers Unity Squad, it's been the Red Skull that's stole this story, and rightfully so. I briefly said how I felt about the return of the Red Skull in my review for issue 2, but I'll continue a bit more now as I didn't go into detail as to avoid spoilers. What I liked most about Red Skull's return was that it was very unique, and although it seemed a bit obvious after I found out, I still felt that it was much more interesting than just bringing him back from the dead. I've also liked that he's been involved in this opening story, as due to him being typically a Captain America villains it's perfect to have him in a story that features him, but due to the Red Skull being a very racist person, it makes sense that he'd hate mutants, seeing them as scum, and monsters.

Red Skull's S-Men have also been a very interesting addition to this story, and although they've already featured in the past, I felt that they were more interesting in this issue. The way that the S-Men, and the human's controlled by Red Skull attacked the mutants was just brilliant, and very brutal, which I found amazing. What I liked best about this was that despite seeing how easily human's can be controlled by a telepath, we also got to see a bit more about the S-Men's personalities, as well as how they became what they were. I also loved how they were emotionally charged, and that they saw the Red Skull's dreams as the greater good for humanity, which was very nice, all be it unjustified.

Although Cap, Thor, Wolverine, and Havok have worked as a team prior to this issue, I felt that they operated as unit much more efficiently, and although they would split up, it still felt like a team. I also really liked how Havok took charge, and that although he's still new, and nervous in this leadership role, he's not going to waste time. I also found it very interesting that Cap would disagree with Havok's decisions, seeing that it's better to stick as a team, but I found it more interesting that Havok stood up for himself saying that if Cap wants him to lead then he shouldn't second guess him. What I also loved was that Havok got a lot more confidence in this moment, and he quickly went from someone that was nervous, to someone that was confident in what he was doing.

WARNING: SMALL SPOILER AHEAD!

I try and avoid spoilers, but due to the issue having been released a few months ago, as well as the fact I found this particularly interesting I felt that I'd mention it, so those who haven't read this and don't like spoilers of any kind (like me) you've been warned. There was a sequence at about the half way mark of the issue were Captain America would become conflicted, as Red Skull's telepathic command for any humans to kill, the mutants was fighting his moral resolve. This was brilliant, as with Red Skull being Cap's arch enemy, for there to be a chance that he could control him to do his bidding was amazing, and really interesting, and emotional. The best thing about this sequence in my opinion was the way Remender wrote it, as it was really emotional, and although there wasn't quite as much narrative as there's been in the rest of the issue, it was used properly, making the sequence feel more dramatic. I also loved the way Cassaday drew the sequence as you could see the struggle going on in Cap's head, and between the Remender and Cassaday they really produced a sequence that was both dramatic, and emotional, as well as adding a lot of depth to it.

The issue also had a very surprising ending, and although I won't say any details as to avoid spoiling it, I will say that it was unexpected, and the follow-up in the next issue should be very interesting.

Final Verdict

This series is finally starting to pick-up, and although the shipping schedule has hurt the overall flow of the series on release, if you re-read the issue along with the others it feels so much more exciting. This issue was full of amazing emotional conflicts, as well as having some surprising, and very interesting moment, which were simply outstanding. I would highly recommend this issue, but would also recommend reading it as a whole, along with issue 1, 2, and 4, as it's a much smoother read.

Rating: 4/5

Uncanny Avengers #2 Review

Writer: Rick Remender

Artist: John Cassaday

I enjoyed the first issue in this series but it's been a longer wait than expected for the second to be released. This series has a very interesting concept putting together a team consisting of both Avengers and X-Men, and after the events of Avengers Vs. X-Men this sort of team is perfect to show how Mutant's are beginning to be accepted into the world.

Plot

This issue sees the aftermath of last issue with the Avengers along with Havok clearing up the mess. Meanwhile Rogue is dealing with her captors and the Red Skull is trying to persuade Scarlet Witch to join his cause.

Review

This was a good issue but I feel that the story is going along a little slowly and think/hope that the series will get better within the next couple of issues. I also feel that due to the story being split that it doesn't yet feel like a team book and once the two stories eventually merge it should be interesting to see how the team comes together. I think that Rick Remender has done a descent job on this series so far and that there is no one better to bring these two communities together than him. His work on Uncanny X-Force and Secret Avengers shows that he can handle both Mutant related series' and Avengers series, and I hope that he can bring some of the elements featured during them series' into this. Although the story is split in two I like how he handles both stories brilliantly and I am looking forward to seeing how he brings the two together, as he did a brilliant job of this during his Uncanny X-Force series.

John Cassaday's art over the first two issues have been amazing and I'm happy to see him doing interiors for a series. His art is just amazing and suits all of the characters. I wasn't initially sure if I liked the way he drew the Red Skull but as I kept reading I began to like it and thought it was nice to see a more retro feel to him making him look similar to the Red Skull that was in the earlier Captain America Comics. Although this issue was delayed by a couple of weeks it was worth the wait, even if it's just for Cassaday's art, and although I'd prefer the series to keep on schedule, I'd wouldn't mind it a little late rather than look rushed. I don't know what to make of Cassaday's use of emotion during his work, as in most sequences there is very little emotion, making the characters look a bit stiff, but when he does add emotion it adds a brilliant feel to the great dialogue and is done extremely well. The action sequences have also been drawn perfectly and I love the thought that ha went into the fight's between Remender's writing and Cassaday's art.

It has been nice to see a Avengers series without Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man all being in the main three. Having Wolverine in Iron Man's place is brilliant and isn't just fitting for the type of series, but shows just how popular the Wolverine character has become. I t was also nice seeing Wolverine having a bigger role in this series than he's had in previous Avengers series' as after having a huge involvement in AvX as well as him possibly being considered the true leader of the X-Men after Cyclops's fall from grace, it wouldn't be right not having him in this series. Also choosing Iron Man as the man to leave out was the right choice as Thor is very unbiased towards the Mutant community and you need Captain America to lead the team. It will also be interesting to see what Mutants and Avengers will be added to the roster down the line, and with the announcement of returning Avengers Wasp, and Wonder Man along with the Mutant anti-hero Sunfire it should be interesting to see how this expanding team will cooperate.

 

The return of the Red Skull has been the biggest thing to have came out of this series so far, and I was happy to see an explanation to his return from the grave. I won't divulge how he's back from the dead to avoid spoilers but it was a very interesting and his reaction to the way the world is in the wake of the events of AvX was also interesting. I think Red Skull is a good villain for this series, as who is a better villain against mutants than someone who felt the human race wasn't prefect let alone the addition of Mutant's to this imperfect world. Red Skull having the deceased Charles Xavier's brain merged with his own is also an interesting addition to this plot, and makes the connection between the Avengers and X-Men in this series even stronger. I am also looking forward to seeing how Captain America reacts to the return of his greatest foe and how he will deal with him.

 

The fight between Rogue and Scarlet Witch in this issue was very well done and it was nice to see the changes in the way Rogue felt towards Scarlet Witch as the issue progressed. Both Rogue and Scarlet Witch's journey throughout this issue were very interesting and it was nice to see how the two connected near the end, eventually leading to the fight. The way Red Skull tried to convert Scarlet Witch to his cause throughout this issue was very interesting, and the changes in Scarlet Witch's attitude during and after this conversation was also very effective.

Final Verdict

This was a brilliant issue but the series hasn't quite hit the peek that some of the other Marvel NOW! series have, but it is still a very good series and I expect it to become one of the best Marvel NOW! series within the next few issues. I would highly recommend this issue and am looking forward to the next issue.

Rating: 4/5

Uncanny Avengers #1 Review

Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: John Cassaday

First issue of the new series coming out of Avengers Vs. X-Men, and is the first issue to be released from the Marvel NOW! concept. I was really looking forward to this series as it made AvX feel more meaningful, and the idea of an Avengers team consisting of both Avengers, and X-Men, especially with everything that went down in AvX, I was very intrigued.

Plot

This issue sees Wolverine remembering Professor X and talking at his funeral. Meanwhile Havok (Alex Summers) goes to visit his brother Cyclops (Scott Summers), who's imprisoned in a ruby-quartz jail cell. Captain America, along with Thor then try to recruit Alex to lead a team which consists of both Avengers and X-Men.

Review

This was a brilliant start to the series, and was a brilliant aftermath to the death of Professor X. I've enjoyed Rick Remender work over the last few years (mainly Uncanny X-Force), and when I heard he was working on this series I was ecstatic, and he didn't disappoint. Remender produced in this issue something that was truly amazing, being both emotional and entertaining, whilst still interesting. What I liked most about the way Remender wrote this issue was that he showed the effects that AvX had on the Marvel Universe perfectly, whilst also building something that was new and unique, which was very nice. Remender also did a brilliant job of writing all the characters, as although I've seen how good he can write certain characters involved, he didn't half do a splendid job on the rest, and I'm not surprised, as he's truly a very talented writer, and one of the best Marvel currently have working for them. I also loved how Remender was able to develop two different sub-plots in this issue, whilst also giving plenty of action, and emotion, whilst also showing that they're both part of a bigger picture, which was a nice.

The art from John Cassaday was nothing short of amazing, and I'm not surprised. I've really loved Cassaday's art over the years, as besides being one of the best cover artists, he also did a fantastic job on Astonishing X-Men, which had amazing artwork throughout his time on the series, and I'm happy to see him on interiors once more. The detail in Cassaday's art is simply wonderful, as even the small details looked realistic. The emotion showed on the characters facial expressions were also brilliant, and although there were the odd expression of art that looked slightly awkward, it was overall very well drawn, and showed the emotions brilliantly. Cassaday did an amazing job on all the characters in this issue, but in my opinion the best artwork Cassaday has produced has been on Captain America, whether from his run on the Captain America series written by John Ney Rieber, or his variant covers for other series, as he always makes Cap look magnificent, and the powerful symbol that he's meant to be, and he did the same in this issue, which was brilliant. I also loved the way that Cassaday showed a lot of drama, and emotion throughout the layout of his art, as it really gave more depth to the story.

This issue started with Wolverine thinking of Professor X, and then talking at his funeral. Although Wolverine has always been close to the Professor, if you told me say five to ten years ago that the Professor was going to die I would never of thought of Wolverine as the main person to have talked at his funeral, with it being someone from the original X-Men, and most likely Cyclops, but due to the events that occurred in AvX it was obvious that it wouldn't be Cyclops speaking at his funeral as it'd be a bit tasteless, and due to that on top of the fact that Wolverine's the person that been the polar opposite, it made sense for him to have been the speaker at this time. The dialogue itself was very emotional, and a fitting send of to the Professor, but the thing that made this more emotional was how Wolverine remembered him, as it showed great a more sensitive, side to Wolverine, as he knew how much the Professor believed in him.

Alex's visit to Scott in his ruby-quartz cell was also very emotionally driven, as well as being very interesting. The best thing about this sequence was the way Cassaday drew the ruby-quartz cell, as well as the way Laura Martin coloured, as it truly looked stunning, as well as looking beautiful. Seeing Alex and Scott speak itself was an interesting thing, as no matter what the circumstances it's always interesting whenever the two meet, giving for some exciting, and sometimes volatile situations. Due to the circumstances of this visit it wouldn't be realistic if it got volatile, and it would have also taken away some of the emotions. Anyway, it was very interesting seeing Alex someone who although he respected the Professor, didn't ever follow him, talking to the man who killed him, a man who followed Professor for years about his funeral. The thing for me that made this sequence so emotional was the lack of remorse in Scott, as he appeared to see death of the Professor as a small thing compared to the fact that there are new mutants in the world.

There was also a sequence later in the issue where Scarlet Witch pays her respects to the Professor, which Rogue isn't happy about. I won't go into a lot of detail as to avoid spoilers but I will still say how I felt on the subject. I found this a really powerful, and yet again emotional sequence, and it really showed the feelings between each character perfectly. With Scarlet Witch being the cause of no more mutants in the first place, during House of M, you can see why she may be at least partly to blame for the Professor's death, as if it wasn't for that Scott wouldn't have been so determined to find a way of brining the mutants back, hence the Professor wouldn't be dead. This subjects a thing that didn't really get said much after the Scarlet Witch's return, at least not until later on in AvX, and I was happy to see it brought up again, and it made for a really entertaining sequence.

There was also a surprise at the end of this issue, and although I won't spoil it I will say that due to Marvel's advertising it's not a big surprise, and could have been much bigger. Anyone who's seen the cover for issue 2 will know what I mean, but I'll still say no more as to avoid spoiling it for those who've avoided the cover.

Final Verdict

A nice start to this new series and I hope it continues, as it's has so much potential, and there isn't an Avengers title that's both consistent, and good. I would highly recommend this issue to anyone as it's truly wonderful, and I'd also recommend anyone that's bought AVX: Consequences #1 to read this issue first as the events take place before AVX: Consequences #1.

Rating: 4/5