Tag Archives: Power Man & Iron FIst

Four Color Forum

Ranking Marvel NOW! 40 – 26

40
Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows

Gerry Conway and Ryan Stegman

So much fun! This book has everything I want from a Spider-story, slice-of-life Peter Parker mayhem, wisecracking Spider-Man, dinosaurs! Oh yeah, it also has this excellent new Spider-team consisting of the Webhead, Mary Jane, and their daughter Annie. Great writing, great art, great all-around. I loved this book, and will absolutely be reading more. – IP

I’m glad they have the Earth-2 stuff still going (been around longer than the Ultimate U!) but I’ve never been into it, and this book isn’t changing my mind. – MMDG

First collection: Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows Vol. 1: Brawl in the Family (June)

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39
Kingpin

Matthew Rosenberg and Ben Torres

Good, not great. Still a big fan of Rosenberg’s work, so, even though I’m not partial to the “other side of villainy” tales, I trust that this writer – especially with the titular character – can make it work. – MMDG

First collection: Kingpin Vol. 1: Born Against (September)

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Four Color Forum

Iron Fist

In this new heroic age of superpowered entertainment, I’ve begrudgingly accepted the fact that Hollywood is now driving the bus. Characters I’ve known and loved for decades have undergone some subtle and some not-so-subtle transformations in recent years, as the origin stories and personality traits developed onscreen work to inform their comic book identities. I’ve made peace with it. I like this world we’re living in, and I appreciate the fact that, given movies like this month’s Logan, folks are finally starting to realize that “superhero” isn’t a genre unto itself. Superpowers are a tool, not unlike science-fiction tropes or fantasy archetypes, that are being used to tell lots of different stories and to explore many different themes. It’s a fun time to be a comic book fan.

And I appreciate the fact that so many of Netflix’s MCU shows have been so damn good that we expect big things from their new Iron Fist series. But what happens when the show doesn’t live up to expectations? If Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange had been lousy, would Marvel have yanked Jason Aaron from the monthly series? Would we never have seen the development of the recent Sorcerers Supreme comic? And if Netflix’s Fist ends up being as bad as the critics seems to indicate (and as at least one Idler has attested), will the new Iron Fist comic by Ed Brisson and Mike Perkins suffer neglect and early cancellation?

Hopefully not. Whatever this comic is, and whatever editorial or departmental mandates it’s trying to fulfill, it’s first and foremost a gritty, kung-fu slugfest. And so long as that’s the case, I’m interested.

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Four Color Forum

Ranking the All New All Different Marvel: 20 – 11

20
Uncanny X-Men

Cullen Bunn & Greg Land
An X-Book that is straight to business from the get-go. This is the classic X-Men premise of mutants protecting the world, and protecting themselves from the world. Except now Magneto is at the center, and he doesn’t seem as peaceful as he’s been in previous conversions. Once you get past the roll call in the first few pages, the real plot picks up, and I’m into the Inhumans/Mutants race war. The “Dark Riders” don’t seem to have a lot of allure outside of being mutant-hating Inhumans, but I’ll look forward to seeing this badass X-team go off on chumps. On a Greg Land note, outside of the cover, it seems he’s stepped back a little from his signature photo-realistic style, and I still think it looks crisp, but now it’s got grit. Also: What happened to Angel? Can we stick a mutant’s brain in there or something? – RF

First collection: Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 1: Survival of the Fittest (July)

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19
Squadron Supreme

James Robinson & Leonard Kirk
Awesome. Both James Robinson books are must-reads for me. Feels like one of the early Millar/Bendis Ultimate U books. Maybe it’s a bit confusing with all the references to the Incursions and the atrocities committed by Namor and The Cabal… but I think the shock value is intact. Plus, I freaking hate Namor. – MMDG

This is easily gonna be one of my favorite capes ‘n’ tights books of this ANADM. I have liked the alternate realities of Squadron Supreme that I’ve read, and seeing them combined permanently in the Marvel U (not just an Ultimates crossover) is exciting. I think Marvel is pretty excited too because they’re letting Ross do the covers. The Squadron I’m familiar with has always been about gritty interpretations of classic hero types (Superman, Batman, Flash Wonder Woman, etc.) and the less sentimental Squadron will easily clash with the moral stances of many classic Marvel heroes. I’m surprised this cover doesn’t advertise the Namor fight; that seems like kind of a huge deal. Next issue they face one of the oldest MU characters ever, as well as their newest, strangest Avengers team, and as long as this book can maintain it’s “MAX-line” quality, I think I’ll keep reading. – RF

First collection: Deadpool, Vol. 1: By Any Means Necessary! (June)

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