Morning Glories: P.E. Review

Writer: Nick Spencer

Artist: Joe Eisma

How will the Glories fair at P.E.? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

The critically acclaimed smash hit series rolls on with this collection of the blockbuster third arc, 'P.E.!' The first days were just the beginning - when the faculty cancel classes and send the students on an outing in the nearby woods, all hell breaks loose - sending the Glories on a mysterious journey through time and space. Nothing is what it seems to be as Academy's hold on the kids collapses and new threats emerge!

The first couple of volumes of Morning Glories has proven that it's not only a very exciting and interesting series, but that it's also one of the most unique series', proving yet again why Image produces some of the best comics out the now. This volume is not different, taking the Glories to new places, and setting up new developments for the series' future.

Nick Spencer yet again does a fantastic job of adding mystery to this series, by making you ask new questions, and changing the overall tempo of the series slightly. Spencer also yet again goes deeper into the characters personalities, creating some brilliant new developments. Spencer also creates a terrific overall plot to the volume, making it feel self contained at the same time, thus making it new reader friendly. Added to that the way that he continues to tie all the sub plots together alongside the supernatural tone of the series and you can't help but want to read more and more of this great series.

The artwork from Joe Eisma is much the same as it's been throughout the entire series, and it's this consistency along with the overall tone that makes it appeal as much as it does. Eisma adds a lot of depth and energy to the story through his layouts, with them also helping Spencer's script to flow smoothly. Eisma also handles the characters facial expressions perfectly as well, adding a lot of emotion and intensity to the volume. The colours from Alex Sollazzo also give the perfect final tone to the volume, having a very dark and gritty feel to it.

Morning Glories continues to amaze with it's dark and mysterious nature, with the character and overall story development being very intriguing. Highly recommended.

Rating: 8/10

Morning Glories: All Will Be Free Review

Writer: Nick Spencer

Artist: Joe Eisma

What will we learn from the Glories past, and how will this affect the series as a whole? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image: 

Collecting the second story arc of the smash series in one volume. Learn (some) of the secrets in the Glories' lives as we delve into their pasts and see how it affects their present. Each chapter focuses on a different Glory while maintaining the narrative and moving the mystery forward.

The first volume of Morning Glories simply amazed me, proving just why it's got so much praise over the years. Due to this I was expecting a lot from this second volume, but unfortunately it didn't quite live up to it. That doesn't mean that this was a bad volume far from it, just not quite as good as the first.

Nick Spencer does a great job of developing the backstories of the Glories, adding yet more mystery at the same time. I also really enjoyed the addition of the character Abraham, finding the connection he has with the Glories to be very intriguing. On top of this it was also nice to finally get an explanation to the two Jun's we saw at the end of issue two, with this particular development being very dramatic and gripping to read. The only minor thing that bugged me from time to time was the timeline, as certain sequences would be repeated several times, showing that parts of later issues happened earlier than the end of the previous. This however wasn't a huge problem, and actually set-up the specific sequences brilliantly.

Joe Eisma yet again did a terrific job with the artwork on this volume, with the detail being very consistent throughout. Eisma's layouts would also be wonderful, adding a lot more intensity and overall depth to Spencer's story, making the dramatic sequences pop out. The overall style of Eisma's art would also grow on me more throughout this issue, as having found certain facial expressions from the last volume to be a bit awkward, I now find that they add more charm and uniqueness to Eisma's art. I also felt that the colours from Alex Sollazzo added a great finish to Eisma's art, having a terrific overtone.

This volume of Morning Glories may not have surpassed the opening volume, but it does continue to build the mystery and continues to be extremely entertaining. Highly recommended.

Rating: 8/10

Avengers World #1 Review

Writers: Jonathan Hickman and Nick Spencer

Artist: Stefano Caselli

Will Avengers World be a worthy addition or does it just prove that there’s too many Avengers titles out the now? Read on to find out.

The official description from Marvel:

Earth's Mightiest Heroes have returned from the stars-- but on the world they left behind, new threats have emerged, and The Avengers will be tested like never before. In one cataclysmic day, the face of the Marvel Universe will change forever-- and the fight for Earth's future will begin. A globe-spanning epic of empires and armies, and the brave few who stand between them and us.

The big question that I keep asking is: do we really need more Avengers series’? The answer is no, but like most Avengers fans it’s hard not to get as many as you can, especially when they’re written by the likes of Jonathan Hickman and Nick Spencer. In saying that it is still not necessary to have three main Avengers series’, with over five other Avengers related series and the quality of this opening issue further proved that.

Hickman and Spencer did a great job of introducing us to the new series, which has a very interesting concept behind it. I did however feel that they tried to do a little too much too soon in this issue, as despite the argument that it’s necessary, the amount of different side plots could have been diluted down a bit. Or started over two issues instead of one. Hickman and Spencer did however give us a lot of suspense in this issue, with the mysterious nature behind the threat being extremely intriguing. I do however kind of wish that they’d use a different roster than the one from the main Avengers series though.

Stefano Caselli did a phenomenal job of the art in this issue, much like he did in his short stint on the main Avengers series. The detail in Caselli’s art never fails to impress, with every page and every panel being simply beautiful. The layout of Caselli’s art also helps with the story’s flow, as well as giving a lot of tone and atmosphere, with some sequences looking simply awesome. There is also a lot of tension and emotion shown throughout the characters facial expressions, and despite them feeling ever so slightly stiff and awkward at times, this gave a lot of realism as well as a serious tone to the story.

Avengers Word may take a few issues to get off the ground, but this is a decent start. It does however feel a little unnecessary so far as they could have easily saved this story for the main Avengers series. I do however still recommend giving this a try, and especially if you’re a fan of the main series.

Rating: 7/10

Morning Glories: For a Better Future Review

Writer: Nick Spencer
Artist: Joe Eisma

You think that life at high school is bad? Just count yourself lucky that you don’t go to Morning Glory then.

Official description from Image: 

Morning Glory Academy is one of the most prestigious prep schools in the country, but something sinister and deadly lurks behind its walls. When six gifted but troubled new students arrive, they find themselves trapped and fighting for their lives as the secrets of the academy reveal themselves!

Now there’s a saying that goes, “don’t judge a book by it’s cover,” and that’s very true with this series, as despite all the praise it has had over the years the general style of the cover, along with the title font put me off, as it didn't look like a series that I’d enjoy.

Nick Spencer did however produce some of his best work in this volume and it’s easy to tell how it’s gained the praise it gets. The suspense and drama on top of the unique setting makes this a very spontaneous and exciting tale that keeps you questioning what will happen next, whilst also making you want to read more when you’ve finished it. Spencer also did a great job of not only introducing all these new characters, but at developing them, as after the six issues in this collection you already get a certain perspective towards the characters, as well as also having certain expectations of their future.

The artwork in this story was also amazing, with Joe Eisma producing some outstanding work. The detail throughout is overall very consistent, but it was be the layout that made it really stand out, with it adding a lot more intensity and excitement to the story. Eisma’s artwork was however not quite perfect, with the facial expressions having the odd awkward moment. This however didn't overshadow the overall quality of Eisma’s art, as it added a lot of quality to Spencer’s already brilliant script.

For a Better Future is one of the better opening volumes that I’ve seen over the last few years, and if the rest of Morning Glories is like this than it will soon become one of my favourite series. Highly recommended.

Rating: 9/10

Secret Avengers: Reverie Review

Writer: Nick Spencer
Artist:  Luke Ross

Being a huge fan of the original Secret Avengers series I was disappointed that my budget wouldn't allow me to get this series. I have however decided to get the series in trade, and now that the first one is out I can see exactly why it has gotten so much praise since it started.

Plot

Maria Hill puts together a team of Avengers that go into missions that are that top secret that even the members themselves can't have any memories of them.

Review

This was a fantastic story, and a terrific introduction to the series. Nick Spencer isn't a writer that I'm overly familiar with, as although I've heard good things about some of his previous and current work having only read his minor work on the previous Secret Avengers series, as well as his work on Thief of Thieves and Ultimate Comics X-Men. His work on this story however was outstanding, and much better than anything that I've read from him before, being very unique and interesting. I also loved that it had the perfect espionage feel to it, as although that is expected from spy stories, a lot neglect that for more flashier content. There would also be a lot of mystery in this story, which Spencer handled perfectly, using it to make the story that much more suspenseful and dramatic. The follow of the story however could have been better, as the transitions between issues was very noticeable.

The artwork on this story was also fantastic, and Luke Ross did an outstanding job. I've seen Ross' artwork on a few stories in the past, but I have to say his artwork in this one was simply phenomenal, being very highly detailed throughout. I also felt that the layout of his art was also fantastic, as although not quite as unique or dynamic as other artists it did a brilliant job of adding drama and suspense to the story, setting the perfect tone and mood. The action sequences throughout the story would also be amazing, adding a lot of excitement and entertainment. Besides the brilliant detail it would be the spectacular way that Ross handled the characters facial expressions and emotions that would impress me, as it would help to add yet more depth to the story, making it feel more realistic. On top of that the colours from Matthew Wilson and Lee Loughridge would also help give tone and mood to the story as well.

Whenever a new team book starts it's always the team members that I'm most interested in. This series would have a perfect choice of characters, with Hawkeye, Black Widow, Nick Fury Jr., Phil Coulson, Mockingbird, and Hulk all being a part of the team, with Maria Hill and Daisy Johnson also being key characters in the story. Now the main character I was interested in was Nick Fury Jr., as although I've read him in other series he's more of a supporting character, whereas due to being a main character in this series he should have more depth. I also found Hawkeye working with his ex-wife Mokingbird to be very interesting, and the addition of the Hulk made me really happy, even if he was only in one issue.

The main concept in this was that the team members couldn't have any recollection of their missions, with the code word, "reverie" activating the mind wipe. Now the word itself already gave the clue that the story would have characters forgetting things, but the idea itself was very interesting, as it made it feel more mysterious, being the perfect concept for a spy story. I also found it very interesting to see the sneaky way that Coulson got Hawkeye and Black Widow to agree to the program, and how they were basically used as guinea pigs throughout the first issue.

The mains villains in the story would be A.I.M. who are lead by their newest Scientist Supreme Andrew Forson. Now A.I.M has been a very inconsistent team in my opinion, as there are times were they are very interesting, and other times were they aren't, feeling like pushovers. I did however enjoy this version of A.I.M. with their actions throughout the story making things even more interesting. I also found Forson himself to be very interesting, being very dark and mysterious. I also thought that Forson was the perfect type of villain for a spy story, as his characteristics was very similar to some of the James Bond villains, being similar to Dr. No.

The story would also reintroduce the Iron Patriot armour that was most famously worn by Norman Osborn during the Dark Reign, also being used by James "Rhodey" Rhodes in the Iron Man 3 film. Now in this story the Iron Patriot wouldn't have a human pilot, with it being run by A.I. software. Now although not necessarily original, this was a very interesting idea, and the way the story would develop it would become even more interesting. I also loved seeing the way that Daisy Johnson reacted when Senator Robert Ralston revealed the armour, with the fight that it would have with a certain character later on in the story being very exciting.

Final Verdict

This was an amazing story, being very appropriate to the series title. The story itself would also be extremely suspenseful and dramatic, having some exciting sequences. It was however the tone and mood of the story from both writer and artist that made it brilliant, with the unique style making it stand out. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this story and can't wait to read the next volume when it's released.

Rating: 8/10

Marvel Teases "The End!" and "Global" as Part of All-New Marvel NOW!

Marvel released yet another two teasers today for their All-New Marvel NOW! with another project written by Dan Slott teased as "The End" featuring artwork from Giuseppe Camuncoli, and a project written by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Spencer teased as "Global" featuring artwork from Stefano Caselli. Also like the previous teasers full details won't be released until the New York Comic Con.

My Thoughts

Both of these seem rather obvious to me. The first teaser, "The End" has to be Spider-Man related as besides the fact that further details will be revealed at the Superior Spider-Man panel at New York Comic Con, Camuncoli has been a long time artist on the series even prior to it changing to Superior Spider-Man. I personally believe it will see the last stand of Otto Octavius as Spider-Man, and given the fact the teaser is in purple I believe it will be at the hands of the Green Goblin as with the build-up in recent months it is going to happen so why not then. The other teaser, " Global" has to be a continuation of the Avengers seeing them get a new team which will have members from around the globe.

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