AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Review

One could make an argument that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the most anticipated film of 2015. Truth be told, that's probably the case. Still, many would claim that the highly awaited Avengers sequel, Age of Ultron is. (It could be a moot point anyway since both movies are both distributed by Disney!) When "The Avengers" came on the scene three years ago it forever changed the comic book movie landscape, landing as the third greatest film in the box office. And it definitely deserves it, for it is enjoyable from the start to finish. "Age of Ultron" brings back the characters for another excellent adventure. While perhaps lacking in iconic moments than the first one, it's nonetheless a worthy sequel to one of the most enjoyable movies of the decade.

When Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) jumpstarts a dormant peacekeeping program, things go terribly awry, forcing him, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and the rest of the Avengers to reassemble. As the fate of Earth hangs in the balance, the team is put to the ultimate test as they battle Ultron (James Spader), a technological terror hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they encounter two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff.

From the film's action-filled opening, you know you're in for something truly exciting. Director Joss Whedon once again incorporates the heroes and their unique personalities well. While sometimes the sarcasm feels like it's there just to be there, the dialogue is almost always enjoyable. And that's the way it should be when you have Earth's Mightiest Heroes together. Pace wise, like the first one there are practically no moments that drag on. Is it better than the first movie however? Of course, nothing will ever beat the "wow they're all together!" factor, but nonetheless I'm inclined to say the previous one is a little better and there are basically no plotholes, unlike this one. Still, any negatives that are about to be said don't hinder the enjoyment.

Almost all of the characters are of course great. Let's us however address one plothole: the Hulk. In the climax of the first movie Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) reveals that he's able to control his green alter ego since "He's always angry." Yet here he seems to have almost no control, which was disappointing. Because of this hole, Banner ended up being a lot less notable than his self in the first film. Another thing is the romance between him and Black Widow. (Scarlett Johansson.) It comes out of nowhere, but I can let that go slightly since at the same time it doesn't feel too forced while watching the film.

Chris Evans delivers another fantastic portrayal as Captain America. As the leader of the Avengers should be, he commands a level of inspiration every time he's on screen. Robert Downy Jr, while not having as many great lines as in the first movie, gives another great portrayal of Tony Stark/Iron Man. It's the same with Black Widow and of course Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury who doesn't appear much but when he does, he commands a presence. While before I thought there could have been someone better for the role of Thor, Chris Hemsworth proves here that he is a very good Prince of Thunder. The film also makes great use of previous characters in the franchise. Let us however talk about the new characters. When it was unveiled that Quicksilver, Scarlett Witch, and Vision would be appearing, many thought it would be too much of an overload. Somehow, the film makes it all work without making everything seem too crammed in.

The twins have an adequate amount of backstory, nicely setting them up as sympathetic without delving too much into that aspect. Scarlet Witch, being a major Avenger in the comics, has some nice scenes in the climax. Sadly, Quicksilver fans might be disappointed with his role in comparison. Vision doesn't get too much screen time, yet he still manages to be a highlight. If this were another movie it would have felt crammed, but not in the Avengers. A surprise highlight was Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye. It was as if if Whedon was saying "sorry" for his role in the first movie, being mind-controlled for most of it. Here he actually ends up being one of the big highlights. Now, onto perhaps the biggest reason for watching this...ULTRON.

Many fans were shocked when it was revealed at Comic Con two years ago that Ultron would be the antagonist. Thanos is perhaps Marvel's greatest villain, but as far as Avengers enemies go, Ultron can't be beat. As a longtime fan of the character, I know the different versions of him in the comics well. The movie's version to say the least is definitely engaging. James Spader delivers a terrific voice portrayal. Character wise, he's definitely a greatly written character, but how about as an Ultron adaption? While his dialogue is almost always enjoyable, it seems to me that he was chosen to be sarcastic because the team is. It seems that what the film was going for is a dark mirror of Tony Stark's personality. It would have been interesting to see if the film used his more serious, logical robot persona. Still, at the end of the day despite any personal preferences what we get is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's greatest antagonists. He commands a presence, and thankfully the film doesn't shy away from how powerful he is. (I still think his design from the Comic Con teaser would have been better.)

From the opening until the climax, the film has a lot of impressive action scenes. Perhaps the most hyped one was the Hulk Buster vs. Hulk battle. It definitely doesn't disappoint, but my personal favorite one was when Cap battles Ultron himself on top of a truck. Marvel continues to improve with the intensity and choreography of the action scenes. The final battle, like the first movie, has the team battle an army. This is entertaining, but it would have been nice to see more of a fight with Ultron himself. He only really battles the team one on one at a time, which is rather disappointing. Soundtrack wise, it's pretty standard as far as comic book movies go. We have the usual heroic themes which are always utilized well. The soft opera used during the climax was used extremely well, further making apparent of the rather bleak situation.

Overall, the Age of Ultron delivers. While not necessarily better than the first movie, there's no denying how enjoyable and great it is regardless. Yes, there are somethings that could be fixed and tweaked a bit, but really when you're watching Iron Man take on the Hulk in the streets it's hard to complain. Ultron is fantastic, and while it would have been nice to see a more serious take, there's denying that he was a blast to watch on screen. The action is amped-up, with plenty of incredible battle scenes scattered throughout. Marvel has done it again.

4.5/5

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Review

Many people, myself included, were a bit perplexed when Marvel decided to hire Chris Evans to play the leader of the Marvel Universe. When The First Avenger came out, audiences were genuinely surprised by the portrayal and when The Avengers assembled, people were sold. The Winter Solider kicks off this year's superhero films. It's been getting a lot of hype, each trailer has been met with magnificent praise. Unlike Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World, this one looked to be an actual film of quality storytelling. Not only is it by far the best Phase 2 MCU film, it's also the best solo move since the first Iron Man in 2008.

The story follows Cap who is on the hunt for the man who assassinated Nick Fury, the 'Winter Soldier.' As the plot unravels, it turns out there are bigger things at work. S.H.I.E.L.D. is compromised, and the Winter Soldier turns out be an old friend...

The first Captain America movie was pretty solid. One thing it didn't really do right however was Bucky. That's why I was personally shocked to see the Winter Soldier storyline used so prominently. This film explains the friendship between the two in flashbacks than the whole first movie! The Winter Soldier himself doesn't disappoint. Somehow amidst killing many people on screen, the film makes you feels sorry for him later on. While I'm not sure the film should have been called "The Winter Soldier," (since only a part of the story focuses on him) he definitely doesn't disappoint as a character, Sebastian Stan does a really good job. While Cap is the main character, a great deal of focus is on Nick Fury. This is definitely his best role yet. It's another example why Samuel L. Jackson is the perfect Nick Fury.

The Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) at first was pretty surprising to see get such a big role. Then we remembered, while this is a Cap movie, it's also in part a S.H.I.E.L.D. film. The last time she was in a solo film was in Iron Man 2. She's definitely a highlight here, and proves that the character can hold up her own film if the time ever arose. Interestingly, she actually doesn't end up being a love interest for Steve. Agent 13, aka Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) is instead introduced. Her character wasn't bad, just not very fleshed out. We'll see that in the third film. Anthony Mackie plays the Falcon, which was a welcome addition, since the two have been close friends for years in the comics. He has many genuinely funny lines whenever he's on screen.

Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce didn't really do anything for me. He's portrayed as another arrogant, annoying businessman, much like Killian from Iron Man 3. He won't be remembered. It's really cool how Marvel manages to make this an expansive universe over media. We had Agent Sitwell who appeared in last week's episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and now in this movie. The plot twist regarding him was well-done and unexpected. The soundtrack is definitely one of the stronger ones from Marvel. Each theme nicely fits the scene, and makes the battles even more epic. (The theme that played when Cap battled Batroc springs to mind.)

One of the greatest things I liked about about this film is how well it displays Cap's strength, speed, and agility. I have never seen a movie, film, or comic that such accurately displayed how powerful he is. The climax was definitely exciting and the best MCU climax since The Avengers. The film has some of the best action sequences from any comic book movie. How sad is it that we have such mediocre climaxes in Thor: The Dark World and Iron Man 3 when one character has god-like strength and the other a metal suit of armor? It goes to show that sometimes the better fight scenes come from simple punches.

Overall, the Russo brothers deliver the best outing for Captain America yet. The story unfolds nicely with plenty of big plot twists that actually do affect the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The action is great, some of the most impressive fight scenes in the MCU are seen here. Also with the great pacing, you'll never feel bored or wondering what time is it. The Winter Solider part of the story was well done with the appropriate emotion induced. One thing's for sure, we're all ready for Cap's next adventure.

4.5/5

LEGO Marvel Superheroes Review

The last time the Marvel Universe banded together for a world-encompassing game was in the less than stellar Ultimate Alliance 2 five years ago. (Yes we're all still wondering why The Avengers game adaption was replaced by Battle for Earth.) The LEGO format by now is no stranger. We've had the very successful LEGO Star Wars and more recently LEGO Batman. (If that wasn't enough, expect LEGO The Hobbit soon.) As shocking as it may be, Warner Bros. actually produced this game. That's basically the equivalent of a Marvel show airing on Cartoon Network. So, does this game cash-in on the Marvel Cinematic Universe phase using the LEGO format or is it something a little more? LEGO Marvel Superheroes is a very nice time for longtime and new fans alike. It perfectly strikes a balance that appeals to everyone. In a world where gory violence dominates the industry, it's very nice to see a happy and cheerful gaming experience.

Loki has returned and alongside Dr. Doom has banded together all the major villains of the Marvel world. It'll take the combined forces of the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Spider-Man and more to stop them and the hungry Galactus whom is edging closer and closer to Earth. The game knows what it is: a parody of the comics and Cinematic Universe. It's a lot of fun, and surprisingly the writing is very good. I say surprising because with anything modern Marvel related when it comes to cartoons and the like, you'll see the writing is geared toward the younger audience with no care whatsoever about its longtime fans. Here it's legitimately funny, you'll find yourself smiling throughout the surprisingly long playthrough.

The gameplay is identical to the other LEGO games. Of course, playing as the Marvel heroes should be a different experience, and it is. Every character's abilities is wonderfully realized. From Spider-Man's webslinging to Storm's lightning, the game makes great use of the characters and their unique abilities. The actual levels are pretty well thought out. Despite the game's often large cast per level, each character is put to good, equal use. The playthrough is definitely long, you'll most likely be spending a week on it. Plus, that's only about 12% of the entire game. The Hub World (New York City) is home to an abundance of other things to do. So this game has plenty of replay value after you beat the main story. (And the fact there are over 100 characters to unlock adds to that incentive.)

The obvious negative is the really odd decision to make the characters invincible. It's impossible for you to lose. If you explode into a million LEGO pieces, you reform seconds after. It doesn't really hurt the gameplay experience, but it must be mentioned. Every video game should be able to make you lose, otherwise there's no challenge. That's what a game is, you win or lose. That's why I don't like the recent things Nintendo has done with their games, such as in Super Mario Galaxy 2 and New Super Mario Bros. U where if you keep losing the game gives the option of bypassing the level.

Despite being in the loading screen, the Silver Surfer doesn't do anything in the story and ends up being knocked out for most of it. Fans of Galactus will probably be disappointed with his portrayal. Throughout the story he's hyped as the big boss but in the end Loki ends up controlling him for the final fight. (Gotta love how Marvel prioritizes him over characters like Galactus.) The boss fights are definitely solid. The final battle is nicely grand in scale. I am particularly pleased with the way Spider-Man was portrayed throughout. (He's better portrayed here than in his own cartoon!) This being based mainly on the Cinematic Universe, you'll be having plenty of laughs. (Such as Coulson promising Cap he'll make sure the Statue pf Liberty is repaired.) Speaking of that, it was genius to have Magneto controlling the Statue of Liberty and using it as a weapon, I don't think we've ever seen something like that before.

Overall, LEGO Marvel genuinely surprised me. I wasn't expecting much, but it ended up being one of the most fun times I've ever had with Marvel. The writing is fantastic, you'll be having a blast watching the cutscenes. With a pretty solid comic book-like soundtrack, the game rarely becomes boring. There's plenty to do to in the really expansive New York City hub world. Whether you're a fan who's been reading since 1962 or a brand new fan thanks to the movies, LEGO Marvel Superheroes is well worth your time.

4/5

Why INFINITY is the BEST Marvel Event in a Long Time

Like it or not, in today's Marvel comic world, events are everything. Whereas in the past they were used scarcely, they come extremely fast these days. In fact, sometimes an event is announced while the current one is still going! Sadly, there hasn't been a really "wow, that's epic" event in awhile, until Infinity came along. Age of Ultron was a huge disappointment for many reasons. To this day I'm still wondering what happened to the 'epic conclusion' the final issue promised. What a great thing Marvel butchered, a slap in the face to people like me who had been waiting years to read it. Anyways, a little bit before that Avengers vs. X-Men came out, which was really solid for the most part.

Siege, Fear Itself and Secret Invasion were all lacking. Siege was simple and to the point, but lacked any real impact on the reader. Fear Itself had an absolutely fantastic first issue, but the rest fell flat. (I still can't get over how 'the Mighty' appeared literally out of nowhere with no hype whatsoever.) Secret Invasion had some neat ideas and the build-up was good, but the actual 8 issue series was anything but. (And because of it there's a running gag about Skrulls that's still in the comics today, it's really annoying.) AVX rises above all of those, but is it on the same level of Civil War or The Infinity Gauntlet? At this point nothing will ever be. But at least Infinity tries its best to be the most epic thing the comic world has seen.

When you have comic book movies releasing simultaneously with comics, you have to expect the company to capitalize. With Thanos gaining popularity thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was inevitable he was going to be brought back. It was definitely welcome, after his horrid appearance in Avengers Assemble, (what was Bendis thinking, oh right, Bendis, the same writer as Age of Ultron...) it was time for a true Thanos story. Infinity's writer Johnathan Hickman must love poetry, because the writing is very poetic. It's admittedly overdone, but some of it is very good. While no one can quite write Thanos like Jim Starlin, Hickman wrote a really good version of the Mad Titan.

The story is divided into two sections: The Avengers whom are conveniently in outer space and on Earth where Thanos hopes to find his only living son. The son, Thane, was an interesting character for the most part. Sadly by the end, it looks like he's going to be on the evil side, which is unfortunate since the comic basically showed us that he's not his father. It's too ambiguous, which is disappointing since a good chunk of the story revolves around him. Now the climax is pretty epic. Could the fight between Thanos and the Avengers been longer? Yes. But I'll take what we got. We had quite a few fantastic shots, such as an amazing one of Thor taking on the Titan. It actually felt like a true epic climax, something every major comic event needs to have. (Looks at Secret Invasion.)

How about some negatives? Not every event is perfect, unless you're Civil War or Infinity Gauntlet. Ex Nihilo joining the Avengers was an unexpected and cool thing. Readers like myself were looking forward to seeing this guy trade punches with Thanos. We got none of that, in fact Nihilo did practically nothing in the event, which is a true shame since he's one of the better new characters from Marvel. And this is more of a personal gripe, but I can't be the only one that noticed Issue 3 stole Ultron's 'Submit or perish' line from Age of Ultron. But beyond those things, there aren't many other bad things to say about this event. Unlike Age of Ultron, this feels like the story it set out to be: an Avengers vs. Thanos space epic.

Besides the climax, perhaps the best scene in the entire thing is the short fight between Black Bolt and Thanos. Bolt has remained an interesting figure in Marvel. He's always regarded as legendary thanks to his power. So when he loses, such as in World War Hulk, it's a big shock to the heroes and readers. The dialogue from Thanos is fantastic, such as him calling Bolt "Little King." And the way he beats him, by simply slamming him to the ground, is so simplistic and even gritty that it works.

Infinity is a poetic epic, something Johnathan Hickman seems to like writing. Admittedly sometimes it's a little difficult to follow what's happening in the space scenes, but I guess that shows just how complex this story is in comparison to previous events. It might not be as good as the other big Thanos story, Infinity Gauntlet, but it's truly a great read admist lackluster comics today. And once it comes out in trade format, it'll read like a really good poetic epic.

Avengers Assemble 'The Avengers Protocol' Review

Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes was one of Marvel's greatest toons. Some might even call it the best. (The only real competition is X-Men and Spider-Man.) So when it was announced that it would be cancelled so Marvel could have a 'clean slate' for animated programs, it caused a great uproar. The Surtur sub plot, the major arc of Season 2, would never be finished. Many were biased against Assemble from the start cause it was replacing EMH. To calm everyone, it was said that it would be in the same continuity as EMH. I highly doubt that was in the original plan, but we'll never know. The trailer came and wowed people, the animation looked really good and more 'traditional.' Sadly it appeared to be similar in tone with Ultimate Spider-Man, which too looked good in the beginning. (And you saw how that turned out.) Based on marketing an promotion, Assemble used the film's atmosphere and characters. It's basically something for people who saw last year's movie to hop aboard. It gives the illusion that it's in the same universe. So do we have a quality show or a shameless cash-in to the movie? Despite marketing pointing to the latter, it's actually very fun.

The story takes place a few years after for some odd unexplained reason the Avengers disbanded. The Red Skull is back, and has MODOK on his side. Iron Man decides to launch the 'Avengers Protocol,' re-gathering Earth's Mightiest Heroes. A lot of things happen during the forty minutes, which includes Cap supposedly dying and Red Skull stealing Tony's armor and becoming the Iron Skull. First off, I like how bold the premiere starts. Cap gets picked off early on, sending a shock to the viewer. We obviously know he's not dead, but it's still an interesting way to start off. It's obvious this series is taking a less serious approach in hopes of trying to mimic the film's and Ultimate Spider-Man's atmosphere. It surprisingly works, it isn't too comical like USM, yet has enough comedy fans and newcomers can have fun with. Hulk's banter with Thor every Avenger nevers gets old. I'm really glad they stayed with his EMH personality as opposed to the film's. Character portrayals are pretty solid for the most part. Tony Stark's voice sounded off in the beginning, but it grows on you over the course of 40 minutes. (People didn't like his EMH voice either at first.) The only questionable character is the Black Widow. Her personality doesn't match the film's, EMH's or even the comics. She's actually sometimes annoying.

Red Skull is the primary antagonist of the premiere, and looks to be a recurring force. It's a pretty decent portrayal, about on par with EMH's. The big thing is him taking the Iron Man armor from Tony. It's a pretty dramatic scene that had an amazing amount of tension. Now dubbed 'Iron Skull,' he made some modifications to the look, which was great. It's good to see the show taking some unique routes. The action is pretty solid. I will admit the teasing of a true Hulk/Thor fight is kinda sad, but oh well. The animation is more traditional than EMH. Most people really didn't like the animation of the previous show at first, but overtime it grew on them. Much like from the Spectacular Spider-Man to Ultimate, Assemble looks more like a 'normal' toon, much like Justice League or X-Men. It looks good, not quite as much as the aforementioned shows, but solid.

Avengers Assemble Is off to a very good start. It successfully captures the fun atmosphere of the movie without sinking to Ultimate Spider-Man level of comedy. Characters, aside from Black Widow, are great as always. The story nicely sets things up for the coming episodes. Avengers 2 comes out in two years, so let us enjoy this fun show in the meantime.

4/5

Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes 'Avengers Assemble' Review

I remember when Earth's Mightiest Heroes was first announced. It was four years ago when they released a promo image, featuring Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man, Wasp, and Hulk, it was pretty exciting. The previous and only Avengers show, United They Stand, not too many people were fond of. (I still enjoy it.) This series looked to be the definitive Avengers show and quite possibly the Justice League of Marvel Animation. When the trailer was released it got for the most part positive reception. There were quite a few however who did not like the art style, in fact, some thought it would be kiddy because of it. But, when Breakout premiered two years ago, it was met with positive reception. Today, a lot of fans are disappointed that it's been cancelled in favor of the upcoming Avengers Assemble. (Technically it takes place after EMH, so we'll see.) There was a rather long hiatus between Season 1 and Season 2, about a year. The first part of Season 2 was about the Skrull Invasion with the Surtur subplot in the background. After the Skrulls were finished, the show went on to tell some one-shot stories, aside from the Kree two parter. Now we're at the final episode, which ironically is called 'Avengers Assemble.' It's pretty much an episode comic fans will have fun with, seeing all the heroes battling Galactus for the first time in amimation is pretty exciting. It's a cool episode, but would have worked better as a two-parter. It feels too rushed and Galactus was handled horribly. 

The beginning is pretty appropriate, a nice dialogue sequence with Tony and Cap. The former is curious about how the Avengers will be remembered in history. Soon a bunch of gigantic space debris appear, so the team is called in. A being called Terrax is the cause of this debris, which takes over Stark Tower. "I am Terrax, herald to the Devourer" and then the fun begins. It's always exciting when Galactus is involved in a story, because you know things are about to go down. As I've said, this should have been a two-parter. Terrax comes and right away announces Galactus is coming, then the big guy's ship appears some moments after. There's not enough time to grasp it for the "Wow" effect. Soon Cap calls in a bunch of heroes, including the Heroes for Hire. the Fantastic Four, War Machine, Winter Soldier, Wolverine (where's the other X-Men?) and of course Spider-Man, among a few others. It's pretty much a fan service episode to see all these heroes together. There's plenty of action as they take on Terrax and the other three heralds. (No Silver Surfer though.) I do have to question how the Human Torch's fire blast beat a cosmic water herald's blast. There are some really memorable parts from the script. I like how Tony said "Why is it always my building?" as the debris goes around Stark Tower. My favorite is when Terrax says "You believe you could defeat a herald of Galactus?" with Cap replying "We don't just believe monster, we're doing it." The show's writers did a great job with the scripts in this show, I hope Assemble lives up to it. Now this brings me to my major criticism with the episode, Galactus. 

Galactus has appeared in two different shows in the past. His first appearance was in the 90's Fantastic Four series. His major appearance episode was in 'The Silver Surfer and the Coming of Galactus.' He made a few other appearances later in the show. His next appearance would be in the very short lived Silver Surfer cartoon. (Never heard of it? Thanos was in it too.) In both shows he is displayed as omnipotent and has a personality. Neither good, nor evil, arrogant, but not without understanding. In this show it's the complete opposite. To be fair, not too much can be done in one episode when there are other focuses at the same time. The problem is that he has no personality. Reed Richards is correct when he says Galactus is a force of nature, but that's too literal in this incarnation. He doesn't even talk. Now that was a letdown, part of the reason why watching Galactus is so much fun is to hear what he says. He's defeated rather too quickly and if you weren't a longtime Marvel fan, you wouldn't fully grasp how powerful he is. If anything, you'd think Ultron was more powerful just basing things on this show. I would have really preferred if they had substituted Galactus for Surtur. Even if it was going to be rushed, and least we would have had closure to a major story. (Yes, even though Assemble is technically a sequel, it won't carry over previous plot threads. In fact, you can bet it won't even reference previous events at all.)

Overall, on the surface this is a pretty fun and explosive episode. Looking deeper, you begin to notice its faults. It feels too rushed and just put together so the show can have some kind of finale. There isn't much to Galactus, he has as much personality as Sentry 459. (Except the latter was actually cool.) It is admittedly fun to see all the heroes together, with Spider-Man naturally getting the most spotlight of the guest stars. (Now that's Spider-Man, none of that Ultimate nonsense.) In the end, it's a rather rushed finisher for this great series, like it was put together quickly so a deadline could be met. Still, it's a blast if you've been a loyal watcher of the show or a longtime comic fan. I hope Assemble lives up to this series, we shall see next year.

3/5

Godzilla vs...the Avengers?!

Now that is what I call a crossover. It's stuff like this that you read in fan-fics. Godzilla vs. the Avengers, Godzilla vs. Gamera, Godzilla vs. the Cloverfield monster....but what if I were to tell you that he actually did meet the Avengers?

Wait, what?

It's true! Some people are not aware of the fact that Marvel had the rights to do a Godzilla comic series back in the 70's. In 1977, two years after the final Showa Godzilla film, Marvel released Godzilla: King of the Monsters #1, then the series went on for 24 issues, stopping in 1979. (That means the Godzilla franchise was really only dead for five years.) Despite the awesome-sounding concept of Godzilla in the Marvel universe, the actual series isn't that great. For one thing, the Godzilla design is plain awful. Take away the title, it could be any generic giant dinosaur. No detail, and for the love of mercy, he's bright green. Besides that, the series focused too much on the humans, especially Dum Dum Dugan, whom you're going to really want to punch by the series end. This comic however does provide the greatest crossover ever, Godzilla against the Avengers.

I just love 70's writing. This is what the series is known for, having the big G meet Earth's Mightiest Heroes. It's not a fantasy folks, and yes, they do fight. There is no winner since the kid asked Godzilla to leave, but the latter was winning. The only one that was giving any real competition was Thor, everyone else Godzilla was swatting away like flies. Also, if you want to see J Jonah Jameson talk tough to Godzilla, that here, and it's priceless. After Godzilla slaps (literally) aside Human Torch, Thor attacks him with Mjolnir with the narration box saying, "Pain--such as Godzilla has never before known..." The battle continues in the next issue with Earth's Mightiest fighting for dear life as Godzilla barely even notices them.

Got to love 70's melodrama. Want to see Godzilla and Thor do a tug a war match with the Empire State Building? That's here too. For awhile Thor managed to hold his own, then the Avengers did a last-ditch assault...which did nothing. It was only until this crying-all-over-the-place kid managed to stop Godzilla with true heart. After, the King went back to sea. Lots of emotion here in the final issue.

So yeah, just wanted to share that piece of history. When you think of Godzilla vs. the Avengers, remember it actually happened. While the series is anything but great, it did have Godzilla battle a bunch of Marvel heroes, with the biggest one being the Avengers. (And yes, it's safe to say that he would have won the battle.)

Weekly Comic Reviews

Hey all, I apologize for the lateness of these reviews. I didn't get my comics until yesterday night, so there's a legit reason. (And if you haven't already, check out my review of Godzilla: Half Century War #1 here.) This week we have the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy teaming up....in space, and Peter Parker hanging out at his deceased counterpart's house. Let's do it.

Avengers Assemble #6

Official Description

• Thanos is claiming Earth as his own! • The Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy team up to bring the Mad Titan some cosmically-charged pain!

Review

If it's one comic fans of the film should be reading, it's Avengers Assemble. It's a smart way to introduce Thanos and the Guardians of the Galaxy for them. For veteran readers like me though, sometimes it could get a bit jarring at how new reader friendly the dialogue can be. In the past few issues it's like the Avengers have never encountered Thanos before. The writing in this issue is not close to triple A stuff, but it's fun, which I think was the purpose, to mimic the fun writing in the film. (Spider-Man has the greatest and most funny line this time.) The Guardians were never really a mainstream team, but thanks to the upcoming film, that's going to change. With them in the mix for this story, it's been a blast. If the purpose is to get readers familiar and like the Guardians, then they have succeeded. The best parts in the issue is actually not the action scenes, it's any scene with Thanos. If he wasn't Marvel's premiere villain before, he certainly is now. The art is great, fits the title 100%. Cover is pretty good, showcasing the Avengers along with the Guardians.

Overall it's a pretty fun issue, looking forward to the big battle.

8/10

Spider-Men #4

Official Description

• Can the Spider-Men stop Mysterio? • Peter Parker comes face-to-face with the family he never had! • ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL MOMENTS IN THE LIVES OF BOTH SPIDER-MEN!!!

Review

It's hard to believe this crossover is ending next issue, felt like it just started. I've heard pretty positive things about this issue, getting five stars all over the place. It's terribly overrated. The writing is just off for the most part, Spidey doesn't sound like Spidey for the majority of it. Like, in his fifty years of crime fighting and reality jumping, he should know better than to tamper with these things. (This is canon, correct? Unless they do a mind sweep of the event or go back in time, that the conversations is canon to the Ultimate comics.) There are some admittedly funny dialogue sequences, such as Nick Fury inquiring about the other Fury and Spidey talking with that world's Tony Stark. It was hard for me to find this comic emotional, the writing just didn't have that touch. Nothing really important happened either, as Miles is pushed to the side and became more of a side character than a main focus, which is wrong. There's really nothing bad to say about the art, it's good. The cover is great, but doesn't really make sense for the actual story.

Overall it's a pretty disappointing comic that attempts to be emotional and ends up almost being a time-waster.

6/10

Weekly Comic Reviews

Hello all, I'm a little late with these reviews, huh? I would have gotten them up earlier, but it was the third Thursday of the month, so I was at a youth group event called BEYOND. Well, chances are you're watching The Dark Knight Rises right now, so enjoy it! This week we have Namor attacking Wakanda, four-legged carnivores versus two soldiers, and Wonder Woman losing her cool with one of the League members.

Avengers vs. X-Men #8

Official description

• Last stand in Wakanda as an out-of-control Namor invades this sovereign nation in pursuit of the Avengers! • And a shocking truth stands revealed that may cause fractures in the X-Men’s alliance!

Review

Now this is what I'm talking about. This issue had it all, great action, good story, very good writing, and fantastic art to top it off. The heroes, (the Avengers) are technically on the losing defensive side, yet at the same time there's a slight hope for them without making it too cheesy. There's some really great splash pages here, such as the opening scene with Namor destroying Wakanda and the Avengers all about to gang up on him. This is how you do action scenes in world-scale event, every blow is felt. It's brutal, (especially what Namor does to Red Hulk) and one of the best fights in this event yet. It's easy to forget that Bendis, one of my least favorite writers currently, is the one that did this issue, the writing is top notch. From Captain America to Namor, the writing is the issue's strongest aspect, great drama here. Spider-Man's lines range from cringe-worthy to admittedly humorous, so that's mixed. Adam Kubert takes on art duties, and it's some fantastic work. For once Spider-Man is drawn as he should be, reminds me of him from the late 90's.

Overall it's by far one of the best issues yet in this event. With a very interesting plot development at the end, it'll be hard to wait the two weeks to see what happens next.

9/10

G.I. Combat #3

Official Description

• It’s modern warfare versus prehistoric horror in “The War That Time Forgot”! • The Unknown Soldier and his newfound super powers head to Pakistan in search of chemical weapons…and retribution!

Review

Take away dinosaurs, what does G.I. Combat have? Really, if there's no dinosaurs, all it has is the second story, Unknown Soldier. This series I've been buying really for The War that Time Forgot, which has been pretty fun. The writing could be better, and it slightly improves in this issue. It's by no means great, just generic stuff, but nothing too generic seen in the previous issue. This one definitely had a pretty big excitement and heart-adrenaline factor. As the four legged carnivores emerged, you could feel and almost hear their panic as if this were a film. The action featuring the dinos was pretty intense and satisfying, only thing is that it's too short. This should be the main thing, not half and half with the other story. I was extremely disappointed at how fast this part of The War that Time Forgot ended. Unknown Soldier continues to be an interesting ride. It would probably work better as its own separate series though. The art is glossy for The War that Time Forgot, the dinos look great. The art in Unknown Soldier is more gritty, as it should be.

Overall The War that Time Forgot is like a SyFy original movie, only with an actual budget and script. It's fun, noting great, but fun. Unknown Soldier continues to be an interesting story.

7/10

Justice League #11

Official Description

• “The Villain’s Journey” part three! • Batman , Cyborg and Aquaman battle Element Woman! • Continuing the origin of SHAZAM!

Review

Eleven issues in, and here we are with some of the League members fighting each other. You would think with the five year gap stuff like this wouldn't happen. The two best things about this issue is Graves and Jim Lee's amazing art. Graves has been established pretty well in this arc, a much better villain that what Darkseid was. The scene with him and Steve's sister was pretty intense and greatly written. The writing in this issue is pretty good for the most part. However, it has some of the same problems. Civilians sound really dumb, and I mean really, really dumb. And there's something off about Wonder Woman, her lines sound rather cardboard and forced. And then Steve's sister saying she's going to "haunt Wonder Woman for the rest of her life?" I mean really? I found that pretty funny, not haunting. It just sounded so strange. If you're going to buy a comic solely for the art, this would be the one to get. I almost chuckled a bit at the awesome splash page with Wonder Woman, cause you saw it coming. The Shazam backup story (this is how a backup story should be, long enough but short so it doesn't get in the way of the main story ) heats up with Black Adam taking center stage, intense stuff there. Billy is still annoying, and his adoptive brother has a very creepy smile.

Overall it's a pretty good issue with a great villain, minor writing annoyances aside. The Shazam backup continues to be solid way to introduce Captain Marv-I mean Shazzam to The New 52.

8/10

Weekly Comic Reviews

Hey everyone, welcome to another round of my Weekly Comic Reviews. This week we have the Guardians of the Galaxy teaming up with the Avengers and Spidey battling a Venom illusion! Let's start. 

Avengers Assemble #5

Official Description

• The secret behind Avengers Assemble is revealed but what does it mean for the future of the Marvel Universe? • PLUS: The return of the characters you demanded!

Review

Obvious movie marketing aside, Avengers Assemble has been a pretty fun ride. It feels good to take a break from the current massive crossover for a simple Avengers story. Of course, add Thanos, and we have the makings of a great read. The Guardians of the Galaxy take center stage. Adding them in right now is an interesting move. For new fans reading the comic thanks to the film, they're introduced to them so they can get ready for the 2014 film. Interesting strategy on Marvel's part. Anyways, aside from the opening flashback, this issue is dialogue-centric. It's the Guardians explaining things to the Avengers. After I read it I had to look back on the front to see if Bendis had really wrote it, this issue has the strongest writing so far. I really haven't read much stories with the Guardians, this issue makes me want to go check out some of their stories. I'm still annoyed that the Avengers are acting like this is their first time seeing Thanos. And was it really necessary to start a romance between Hawkeye and Spider-Woman in the main title if it's not going to go anywhere? The art is one of my favorite aspects, my favorite Avengers art currently. They gotta get Bagley on the main title.

Overall it's a surprisingly good issue with some great dialogue.

8/10

Spider-Men #3

Official Description

• The ULTIMATE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EVENT OF THE YEAR! • Can both Peter Parker and Miles Morales defeat CLASSIFIED? • Guest starring Nick Fury and the Ultimates!

Review

The second issue of this crossover was a fun one. We get to see what are Spidey's and Ultimate Spidey's fears materialize thanks to Mysterio. (Whom I still think was a stale choice for this event.) Though the Carnage illusion didn't get to do anything. Still, always fun to see Spidey and Venom come to blows. The writing is pretty strong, the best parts is Spidey's monologue in the latter part of the issue. The scene with him asking a store clerk on how that world's Peter dies was great. The ending I didn't like. It felt complety forced and shoehorned in just for the 'wow' factor. The art is great for the most part. But I really cannot stand how small Spidey's eyes on the mask are drawn, they look really silly. Cover is fantastic, a contender for cover of the week.

Overall it's a pretty fun continuation of this crossover. Ultimate Spidey is still annoying and I really didn't like the ending. But Spidey does battle a Venom illusion, and that's all that really matters, right?

7.5/10

Weekly Comic Reviews

Hey all, welcome back. This week all I have is one title for review, but it's truly a big one. The Phoenix Five have taken over in...

Avengers vs. X-Men #6

Official Description 

The all-powerful Phoenix Force has found not one, but FIVE hosts and in Avengers VS. X-Men #6 – their mission is clear, remake the Marvel Universe in their image. Kicking off the world changing second act of the comic book event of the year, the blockbuster team of Jonathan Hickman and Olivier Coipel show fans just what Pax Utopia looks like through the eyes of Cyclops, Emma Frost, Namor, Colossus & Magik! How will Earths Mightiest and the other X-Men respond to this new development? And what role will the Scarlet Witch play once she enters the conflict? Find out in Avengers vs. X-Men #6!

Review 

For awhile it was just basically both teams fighting it out trying to get to Hope. Now things have changed. Led by Cyclops, five members are engulfed with the Phoenix force and are remaking the world as they see fit. The Avengers now have to go on a suicide mission to get Hope. This is definitely one of, if not the best issue yet in this event. The X-Men have won, thanks to the Phoenix force. (Very clever to have this whole plot point happen.) Now the Avengers have basically no way of winning, case in point as Cyclops easily disposes of Thor. This type of conflict is always the best in a comic, the heroes really don't have a shot. And then by the end, a glimmer of hope (no pun intended ) is established. The writing is a very strong, a highlight is the scene with Professor X and Cyclops. The art is pretty strong here, Cycplos' new armor looks menacing and admittedly one of the most awesome armor designs I've ever seen. Though the art makes some of the characters in background shots look strange. (A slouching Thor.)

Overall the sixth installment in this event is fantastic. You have no clue what's going to happen, since the Avengers are pretty much powerless against the Phoenix Five. As Cyclops lifts up Cap's helmet with the 'A' logo and says 'No more Avengers,' the reader feels a certain 'wow' and will be waiting with anticipation for the next issue.

9/10

Weekly Comic Reviews

Hey all, welcome to this week's edition of the Weekly Comic Reviews. This time we have the finale of the Ends of the Earth event, Thanos taking on the Avengers, and finally a crossover of spiders we've waited years to see. Let's get started, shall we?

Amazing Spider-Man #687

Official Description

The End of the Earth devastates in part 6 of this earth blistering epic! Plus: Doctor Octopus has a new Sinister Six-THE AVENGERS! Can Spider-Man sacrifice one life to save the entire planet?

Review

I hadn't realized that this was the conclusion of Ends of the Earth until I was in the later part of the comic. It ends things rather nicely, but I can't help but feel a little unsatisfied by the end. This was billed as Doc Ock's final arc, but it looks like we'll be seeing him in the future. The issue has lots of action, yet plenty of dialogue. The writing is pretty solid, often with a humorous touch. A lot of Spider-Man's lines I laughed at when I read them. There is one piece of dialogue I didn't like, where Spidey says "He's not used to the end-of-the-world stuff." Really? So for 50 years he hasn't been in an end-of-the-world event? Infinity Gauntlet? Fear Itself? Other than that pretty awful line, the dialogue kept the issue fun. There was also a lot of genuine emotion in the latter part. If you read the description, can Spider-Man sacrifice a life to save everyone? Really heavy emotion there, good stuff. The art is once again pretty good, fantastic cover.

Overall it's a nice finisher to this event, but by the end it isn't as world-breaking as it should have been. We do however get a Steve Ditko. inspired moment that will probably go down in history with Spidey's many feats.

8/10

Avengers Assemble #4

Official Description

• The secret of the Zodiac is revealed! • What impact will this revelation have on the Avengers…and the world as they know it?!

Review

Call Avengers Assemble whatever you want, whether it be a cash-in to the film or a book for new readers. Either way, there's no denying that it's been a pretty fun ride. This I was personally looking forward to. Why? Well, THANOS. Whenever this guy appears in something, it automatically makes the thing all the more epic.  Same case here. The dialogue is actually pretty good....except for the fact that everyone acts like they've never seen Thanos before. It was just sad, it's like they've had ZERO history with the guy. It's cringe worthy. This is geared more toward fans of the film, but it's also being billed as 'cannon.' The dialogue is plain awful in that aspect. Another bad piece of dialogue is the way Iron Man stated that "they can't' fight this, a cosmel level threat is beyond them." After all these years, really? That is not Iron Man talking. Even the film's version wouldn't say that. The art is a pretty big high-note, some of the best Avengers art out there. The ending is funny. It's not that it's haha funny, but just ironic. Longtime fans will laugh and get a kick out of how Marvel is doing with aligning their films with the comics.

Overall it's a fun comic featuring Thanos. That alone is worth the pickup, but the overly extreme new-reader friendly dialogue ruins a lot of it.

7/10.

Spider-Men #1

Official Description

Written by "Ultimate Comics Spider-Man's" Brian Michael Bendis, the upcoming miniseries will see the world of superheroing veteran Peter Parker explode as he comes face to face with the younger, hardly-experienced Miles Morales.

Review

Gotta admit, I had thought they would do this crossover a lot sooner. Finally, we get a 616/Ultimate story, featuring their flagship characters no less. As a longtime Spider-Man fan, this event was a must. The actual story is done pretty well, basically nothing other than a setup. It's standard crossover fare, except the catch is that it's these two. It's new reader friendly, but longtime fans can jump in without worry of cringe worthy, new reader friendly dialogue. (Like with Avengers Assemble #4.) I will say that one aspect I was not looking forward to was Bedis' writing. For his Ultimate comics it works, but he does not know how to treat 616 Spidey. Thankfully, it wasn't as awful as I thought it'd be. Spidey's monologue in the beginning was admittedly funny. (Doctor Doom's honeymoon, probably the best piece of writing in the issue.) The art is pretty good, my only complaint is that the eyes on Spidey's mask look way too small in the latter part of the issue.

Overall it's a good setup to this event. Not great, but it does its job.

7/10

Marvel's THE AVENGERS Review

By now you've probably read a thousand reviews for this film. So what's the point of writing a review that will be positive like the rest? Every reviewer has their own personal likes with a film, so it's always good to add your say. Like many, I've been reading comics for a long time. Let's rewind time to ten years ago. I would be six, the idea of an Avengers film was nothing short of a dream. Yes, super heroes on the big screen was reality, but just the thought of seeing something such as the Avengers just wasn't possible. Fast forward six years later, with the first Iron Man film. Still, the thought of a film like this was still unbelievable. That was, of course, until the after-credits scene with Nick Fury saying "The Avenger Initiative." (I was one of the many who spoiled it by watching the leaked version online.) Imagine all the excitement after that, the possibilities were endless. Thus began the 'countdown to Avengers.' Marvel had a blast with hyping it up using the next films; Incredible Hulk, then Iron Man 2, then Thor, and finally Captain America. By then, we knew an Avengers film was imminent. Now, we had to wonder if they would get it right. A film of such magnitude could easily go the other way. Well true believer, as I'm sure you've read over a thousand times already, the Avengers is everything you want it to be, and then some. It's by far the greatest comic book movie of our generation, and probably won't be surpassed until Avengers 2.

Here's the official description, cause it'll describe it better than I could.

Marvel Studios presents in association with Paramount Pictures “Marvel’s The Avengers”–the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012. In “Marvel’s The Avengers,” superheroes team up to pull the world back from the brink of disaster when an unexpected enemy threatens global security.

What is the main purpose of a film? Yes, there many purposes these days in the movie industry, but I think we can all agree that a film's main purpose is to entertain, to let the viewer escape reality for a bit. With that said, it's no surprise that Avengers may just be the most entertaining film since Godzilla Final Wars. There's so much action, yet a really great story is squeezed in there. There's this crazy group called the 'general audience.' What that means is that there's this very large group of people who can't accept things that don't feel 'real' or anything on the insane fantasy side. The Avengers appeases both sides, if the numbers are to be believed. This movie is bringing in the money, even on the international scale. Let's face it, the Avengers brings everything it promised. It's fun, fast-paced, and often times humorous thanks to the awesome cast.

Wow, this is probably the most diverse cast I've ever seen in a film. We've seen these people in their respective movies, but the performances by each actor here easily trump their own performances in their films. First off, Chris Evans as Captain America. I gotta say that in his solo film, he was good, but here, wow. Now I can't think of anyone else who would have done a better job. Evans did a phenomenal job as the First Avenger, he was by far my favorite character. The way Cap's portrayed was spot on, he takes charge and is established as the definitive leader. C'mon, who doesn't geek-out when he gives his fellow Avengers commands on how to handle the invasion situation. Plus, he had my favorite line of dialogue, "There's only one God ma'am, and I'm pretty sure He doesn't dress like that." Even if the mask looks a bit cheesy, Cap was truly great in this film. Of course, the 'general audience' will always be a big fan of Robert Downy Jr. as our Iron friend. I don't blame them either, he's the definitive Tony Stark, having the most witty and humorous lines of the whole thing. Seriously, one can't help but smile every time he's on screen. Not really feeling Chris Hemsworth as Thor. Not bad by any means of course, but I didn't think he was that great in the role of the Thunder God. (I'm not saying he was bad, he was good, just not great like Downy or Evans.) I gotta say that another standout role was Scarlet Johansson as Black Widow. She was good in Iron Man 2, but I thought she didn't get to showcase what she could really do in the role. Anything negative said in the past about her with the role should be put to rest, she was one of the best characters in the whole thing. The Black Widow is my favorite female superhero, and I approve her portrayal in the film. Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye was pretty good, pretty much what'd you expect from a live action Hawkeye. While he didn't get as much as a focus like the others, he still had a pretty big role for the most part. Now time for Loki. Tom Hiddleston did a FANTASTIC job as the God of Mischief, like he was pulled straight out of the comics. He brings realism into his role, something that a lot of antagonists in these films lack. (Puts Doctor Doom from both Fantastic Four movies to great shame.) Mark Ruffalo (aside from looking a tad too old for the part) was great as Bruce Banner/Hulk. He added a certain 'coolness' to his role. He's the Hulk, he's accepted that, and has moved on. At first I thought he wouldn't have anything on Edward Norton. However, after this film, I can safely say that he makes a just as good, if not better Banner. Samuel L. Jackson returns as Nick Fury once again. He was great, (naturally) but got a smaller role than I thought. He barely fought, I was expecting maybe for him to fight a little more. Also, how can one not like Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson? It's cool that the Marvel Cinematic Universe added this guy, he's a fun addition to the great cast.

Surprisingly, the whole 'invasion' part felt short.  There was a lot of buildings blown up, but I think it could have been more of a focus. A disappointing part was the Chitauri, they're nothing but mindless pharaoh looking creatures. (I think I know where Battleship got the design ideas for their aliens.) Also, the 'Leviathan' part was hugely disappointing. They (that's right, there's more than one) are finished off rather quickly by Hulk. There are however many geek-out moments here. Yes, there is a Thor vs. Hulk fight. Yes, it's satisfying and awesome. In fact, the battles are some of the greatest I've ever seen in a live action film, the choreography is amazing. We're getting fights from the comics we've always dreamed of. You can't help but cheer when Cap stepped in to battle Loki like a boss. (With some great dialogue from him to compliment the entrance.) Then the fight between Thor and Iron Man was just amazing, it's just a blast seeing these two together, let alone fighting it out! There's this really nice scene with the big three (Cap, Iron Man, and Thor) standing together. It was also a nice touch to have Thor swing his hammer just like from the comics. Comic fans will of course appreciate these little things more. (Thor's hammer banging against Cap's shield? Yes, it has that.) One thing that didn't make sense to me was when Hulk first transformed. He wanted to kill Black Widow, but later on, he seems to be in control and on the heroic side. (Even saving Iron Man from the brink of destruction.) It wasn't quite clear if Loki was controlling him or not. Besides that, I can't really name anything bad or inconsistent, because there really isn't much negative things to say. We get some great dialogue between the characters, some awesomely humorous moments, (Hulk beating around Loki like a rag doll, you would have to see the scene to get the full laugh) and it's the Avengers on the big screen. I'm almost surprised I came this far into the review without fainting from the awesomeness.

Overall, what's more to say? The Avengers is a darn fun film. The cast is top notch, and I really mean that. There's never a dull moment, the dialogue is always fun and often times with humor. The mid-credits scene is also amazing, it really makes the hardcore Marvel Comic fan's heart pound with excitement. The Avengers delivers in every category; acting, action, soundtrack, and overall fun, We get what no one thought possible in a live action film: Hulk vs. Thor. Joss Whedon has successfully done something no one ten years ago thought could happen: bring Earth Mightiest Heroes to the big screen. The only thing truly missing is the iconic battle cry, "Avengers Assemble!" But besides that, The Avengers captures everything a comic fan wants, and then some.

10/10.

Avengers Assemble #1 Review

There comes a time when every Marvel reader has to ask, "What's the point of this?" We have four ongoing Avengers series, and some minis in there two. Why do we have this colorful #1 comic? Then it hits us that the film is coming out. They even proudly display the film logo and its release on the top of the cover. See, whenever a film with a comic book character comes out, the company of said character usually tries to take advantage of it with comics. Sales getting boosted being the main goal. Enter Avengers Assemble #1. What's special about this series, however, is that instead of taking place in the movie universe as a prequel, it takes place in the canon 616 universe. Basically their trying to appease both sides: current readers, and new readers looking forward to the film. And the shocking part? They succeed.

Official description from Marvel:


• The Avengers Versus The *Brand-New* Zodiac! • One Of The Greatest Avengers Villains Of All Time Gets Reinvented For The Modern Age Just In Time For The Blockbuster Movie Event Of The Summer! • A Perfect Jumping-On Point Featuring The Cast Of The Summer Blockbuster But In Marvel Universe Continuity!

Now why would I, a longtime reader, be even remotely interested in picking this series up? It's no surprise that I really can't stand the current Avengers series. I'm sure many would agree. When I saw the description and cover art for this, it was just like the first time I saw The New 52 Justice League: it looked fantastic. I wanted to read something 'fresh' with Earth's Mightiest Heroes. And this series looks to provide that. It's colorful, simple, and yet effective. Here we have the formation of the Zodiac, a classic Marvel villain group. The story isn't anything we haven't seen before. The first page has a guy calling himself 'Cancer' with a bunch of other people saying that together they're strong and all that. It's nothing new, the Avengers gather up, Hulk looks to join up next issue, etc. Longtime fans knows how the this is going to go, but it's really exciting for new fans jumping in. It is the perfect jumping on point, but I, a longtime reader, also had a blast reading it. There are some major flaws, however. Mainly the writing.

Bendis is one my least favorite writers in the industry currently. His 'street-humor' just gets on my nerves, and I'm sure many would agree. I will admit I was thrilled at the news that he will be leaving the main title. Seeing his name on the cover of this issue had me skeptical . Granted, his writing style here is different than the main title's. It's basically aimed at newer fans. It's by no means bad, except for a few things. The Hulk has some of the worst writing I've ever seen for the character, even the Marvel Adventures' version has better writing. The trying-to-be-humorous scene with Hawkeye and Black Widow was pretty awful. I will admit that there are some genuinely humorous scenes, such as Iron Man saying that he wants his building getting blown up less and that he isn't made of money. Besides these rare priceless moments, the writing isn't particurarly good most of the time. Basically, if the book had a better writer, this issue would have gotten an easy 9/10. What it lacks in writing, it makes up in the art department.

Mark Bagley is one fantastic artist. This issue just had magnificent art. It puts the main title's art to great shame. This guy is up to standards with the great Jim Lee over at Justice League. (Not quite that great, but still very good.) The art really brings out the action, it's dynamic stuff. Also, Avengers Tower has never looked more fantastic. The cover is what grabbed me from the start. It's a nice little homage (or as many would say, rip-off) of the cover to Justice League #1. Featuring just the cast of the film was a smart tactic on Marvel's part. The pacing and fast-paced action makes this comic an extremely enjoyable ride, nothing dull here folks.

Overall, Avengers Assemble #1 is pretty much everything you expected. A simple, colorful jumping on point in relation to the upcoming film. I had a blast with it. It felt good to take a breath of fresh air and read a simple Avengers comic not mentioning all the stories going on currently in the Marvel world. Explosive, simple, and just fun. The only real negative is the writing, which is holding the comic from getting a 'great' rating. The art is utterly fantastic however. If you're a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, looking to jump into the Marvel world, or just looking for a fun comic book story, you'll want to pick up Avengers Assemble #1,

7/10.