Avengers #4

          This has been a solid series. Although It has been a little confusing, but when there is a brake in the time stream, thats all you can really expect. I'm very happy that John Romita Jr. is drawing this series, I  love his work, he's a great artist. I do like this arc, but I'm exited for the next story arc, when things have calmed down a little.
          In this issue Wolverine, Noh-Varr, Captain America and Ironman are in the future, and the rest of the Avengers are in the present. The man who appeared last issue is apparently an old friend of Spiderman named John Killraven, who was shot back in time and now is slowly coming back. The team that went to the future are knocked out and brought to the old Hulk, and an old Tony Stark, Hulk is holding Ironman and the future Ironman is about to stab him.
         First off, I have to address the cover, nothing was bad about it, it's just so close to the cover of Secret Avengers #4 (review coming soon) If that was done on purpose, cool, if it was done by accident, I guess it's still cool.
        In every issue that has been in this series so far, Bendis writes an okay comic, and then at the end he has a scene that makes the comic so much better. This one definitely had that. The rest of the story was okay, it was just one weird thing after the next, and when that happens there are to many thing going on the plot gets to complicated, I get confused and suddenly the comic doesn't live up to its potential. I could have done without  John Killraven, and just getting rid of that would have made this comic, and this series much better.
        So right now there is a huge, uncontrollable battle in the future, and there is a huge, uncontrollable battle in the present. I wish that Bendis would focus on the future more. His sections about the present were dull. They should be there, otherwise people would wonder what happened, but I just wish Bendis would focus just a little more on the future.
        This issue was a disappointment, last issue was the best issue in the series, and this I'm afraid is the worst one. The future stuff was good, actually it was great, there just wasn't enough of it, and the rest of the comic was complicated and boring. Buy this one if you really, really want to, but otherwise don't waste your money.
       Just one more thing, on the next issues cover there is a picture of Vision, I really hope he's not just on the cover and then doesn't appear in the comic, but if he does appear in the comic, it's going to be really good. I'm very exited for the next issue but this one was a disappointment.



Grade: 5/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Captain America #608

          I know I missed the last issue, but it was Amazing Spiderman and Captain America, I just couldn't think of anything to say about those issues. These past couple arcs have been big ones in the world of Captain America, with killing someone who looked exactly like Steve Rogers, almost watching Falcone die, and then attacking police officers. (see last issue)  I've been so happy with Brubaker , I've been beyond thrilled with Guice. I love this series.
         In this issue some new Beetle attacks Captain America and Black Widow, which of the Beetle loses. When she's being interrogated she reveals that she knows that Cap is Bucky. Then the media gets hold of it, and the fact that he was the Winter Soldier. Later of corse, Black Widow figures out that Zemo is behind it.
           I'm very, very exited about this arc, and the next couple arcs after this. I really want a "Bucky on the run" kind of thing. Like Batman and Spiderman when they are hated by their cities. I really hope that Brubaker doesn't make this a dream or something, or have this solved by just fighting Zemo, or just accepting it. I want a little, not knowing what to do. Otherwise this would just be a waste. I'm usually one of the people always to complain about people revealing secret identities, and this is one of the only times that I've been really happy about it, and seen potential for success not disaster, so I really need this to be good. I really have to complement the art again. It is amazing, it works perfectly with the somewhat dark nature of the series, and, well... Guice can just draw.



Grade: 9/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Captain America #606

             A while back I published a post called "Marvel's Blackest Night." This post was all about how marvel needed to fix its self, they needed away to put all the teams back together, to edit some characters and to un-edit some, possibly even to delete some. (Red Hulk) In that post I thought Siege was going to be "Marvel's Blackest Night" apparently I was wrong, now it looks like it is going to be the Heroic Age, although this comic didn't really address that. In this issue Bucky is upset about last story arch (see my previous Captain America reviews)
- Bucky "He's not the first person I've killed and he probably won't be the last."
- Falcon "Probably the first that looked just like Steve an' wore his uniform."
Bucky was acting reckless during fights and was just in an all around bad mood. Those quotes were taken from and intervention that Steve and Falcon were having because of Bucky. Meanwhile Baron Zemo is running around recruiting people and learning Bucky's weakness'.
         I've always liked Baron Zemo from the old comics, so I'm glad that he's back. Even if he isn't the same one, I'm glad some version of him is back. That was really the only good thing about the story. The rest of it could have been done in five pages, instead of doing that whole Bucky is distant bit, I would have rather seen more Baron Zemo or just have them make the story different and hopefully better. There is one thing about all Captain America comic (in the past couple years) and that is the art. It is always outstanding. There are a couple panels with Zemo in the rain that could go in a museum of art. But this time it was even better, not because of the panels but the cover was amazing. There are not words to describe how good it is, so you'll just have to look. (see picture) I hope that Marko Djurdjevic stays on Captain America cover art, because this is more than worthy of and Eisner award. There has been no better cover in the past two years. (If you disagree send me a picture of a better cover in a comment)
        So overall not a horrible comic, just Ed Brubaker had been doing so well with the "Two Americas" thing I just hope the next couple of issues are better, but I'm concerned he is going to drag out this Bucky upset thing for another couple of issues, which I do not want.


Grade: 5/10
buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Captain America #605

           This was a fantastic conclusion to a fantastic story arch, one of the best I have ever seen in my comic reading years. In this issue Bucky broke free of the Bad Cap's control, (using his metal arm) and Falcon got in a helicopter and flew above to help defeat "Captain Un-America," before he blew up Hoover Dam. In this comic there was a couple thought bubbles that intrigued me very much.

[This is during the fight between Bucky and Bad Cap]

"My biggest problem here isn't the watchdogs or how strong this crazy cap is...
Or even the bomb their scientist is assembling.
No. My trouble is that I've read this guy's [bad cap's] secret file.
I know all about him
Well... Okay the bomb is a problem too
but this guy, he started out with the best intentions. As a patriot.
Wanted to be just like Cap an' me.
To fight for what's right
But the chemicals that made him a super-soldier drove him crazy...
Twisted him all around.
Turned him into a guy who's willing to use bombs to make a point.
And I know firsthand, a bomb only has one thing to say.
But somewhere inside this guy...
there's a good man who thinks he is doing the right thing."

For a while I had been wondering about villains like this, people who think that they are doing the right thing. What happens then? Especially for a WW11 character like Captain America, this comic related to WW11 a lot. Did Hitler think that he was doing the right thing? What was going through his head?
But even besides the relation to WW11 and Bucky's thought bubble, this comic was really good. One thing that I noticed when I went back to this comic, was the panels, I love the way they are thrown like cards onto the page, it makes the comic slightly more fun to read.
        There is one thing that I noticed and did not like. Flacon was talking to a scientist, and they were wondering how to get off a high speed train full of explosives, and then from nowhere he picks up a watchdog and interrogates him. (mind you that he already threw all the watchdogs off the train. But after thinking about that one panel for a while you disregard this and go back to praising the book. I am concerned that Captain America or even Marvel will  be able to top this story arc in the next ten to fifteen years.

Grade: A
buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Marvel's Blackest Night

            I don't know what has gotten inside the head of the people at Marvel, but they need to straighten out and quickly. Hulk being red, and not Bruce Banner, Bucky being Captain America and Peter Parker being fierd. I don't know if Siege is their attempt at bringing back the old Marvel Universe that I used to know and love. (I used to like Marvel better than DC, now it is the opposite, and very, very in favor of DC) Manly I want the recreation of the Hulk, Now that Abomination out of the way, it will be easier to make him his own villain, but before we get their, Marvel has to make Bruce Banner the Hulk again. After that they have to fix the main characters of Marvel: Spiderman, Captain America. All I want, are two comic universes like the original ones.

New Ultimates #1

              I have admired Loeb for a while now (see 1, 2, 3, 4?) I thought he was the Geoff Johns of the Marvel universe, until now. Mind you I have never read the Ultimates before, and I don't mind that, my main issue with this comic is one panel long, and that is, a hellish type woman forcing herself on Thor. I can tell that the reason Jeph Loeb made that happen is just to be edgy, and I hate that kind of thing. All this comic is, is just Hawk Eye and Iron Man fighting, Tony Stark talking about drinking and that scene I discribed with Thor, plus a little with Loki at the end.
            Actually I have another bone to pick with this comic, when DC came out with there hero the Shield, I was disappointed with them for completely copying Captain America, now I see Hell Cat and Night Hawk, who were both characters before, but now they have been edited to look exactly like Cheetah, and Batman, I understand that isn't as bad as the Shield, Captain America thing but it is pretty bad.
                   Normally a comic could make up for these mistakes in quality of writing, especially when you have Jeph Loeb, but the writing simply wasn't good enough. This is a horrendous start to the New Ultimates series.


Grade: C
buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Captain America #604

              This issue was good, but not as good as the others in the Two Americas story arc.
In this issue, Bucky and Falcone are already kidnapped by the Watchdogs and "Bad Cap." Falcone is on a train with a huge supply of bombs, and Bucky is being forced to dress up in his old costume and fallow "Bad Cap" around. (A little strange, I know) The "Bad Cap's" plan is not unlike any plan I have seen a super villain plot [spoiler alert] he is going to try and blow up Hoover Dam. This was just a little annoying because Bukcky's face looked like this was going to be a complete original, destroy the whole of America, kind of plan, which it  wasn't.
             The writing was done very well. It captured exactly what an insane, or just arrogant man would sound like. It also captured what people who were kidnaped by an insane or just arrogant man would sound like. They didn't sound angry, just frustrated.
             The art was done especially well in this issue, again, the colorists have been on a roll. It was the crispness of the art which made this issue very special, The way Falcone was really red, and the Watchdogs were really white.
             But there was one thing that was better than both of those. The fight scenes. Especially when Falcone does a backflip on top of a moving train, it's just...WOW!
             I have high hopes for May's and the concluding issue of The Two Americas



Grade: B+
buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Captain America #603

The story of The Two Americas continues in this fantastic issue. One main thing that popped out was the fight scenes. While being intense, and realistic, They were quick, and didn't force you to skim over any dialogue. Often times when I fight scene/ conversation goes on for too long, I will skip a word bubble that seems not to important. I did not have to do that with this issue.

Pencil artists are highly praised, as they should be. But in this certain series (mainly the covers) the person who really deserves credit is Dean White, the colorist. His smudgy style on the cover and crisp style in the book, goes together in such a way that is impossible to describe. Of course there would be no comic at all (or at least a bad one) if it weren't for the writer, in this case Ed Brubaker did a remarkable job describing what was going on inside the mind of some one who was so fascinated by Captain America, that he had plastic sugary to make himself look more like Steve Rogers.

The book had many interesting minor plot twists, and was filled of action packed scenes, that I might have to hunt you down if you do not buy this comic.

Grade: A-/ A

buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Captain America #602

I am not an avid reader of Captain America, since Steve Rogers most recent death, I can't sit and see Bucky holding the shield. One day I was board in Stop and Shop went over to the comic wrack and found this amongst the Simpsons. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this comic was amazing. The title Two Americas might mislead you. There actually "three americas." Bucky, Steve Rogers, and William Burnside.

This comic is beautifully written. (by Ed Brubaker) and even more beautifully drawn (Luke Ross) Buy it if you haven't already

Grade: A-

buy at: www.mycomicshop.com