International Iron Man 4

Posted by John Klein III on September 22, 2016
Posted in: Review. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

International Iron Man 4

Writer Brian Michael Bendis

Artist Alex Maleev

Color Artist Paul Mounts

Letterer & Production VC’s Clayton Cowles

International Iron Man 4 Recap Page

This is the Iron Man title wherein he is trying to figure out who his birth parents are.  Tony has caught up to childhood friend and current arms dealer, Cassandra Gillespie.  Apparently, her dad may have told her who Tony’s father really was.  Are there any golden age characters that could benefit from being placed back in the spotlight as Tony’s parents?  They will have to be, right?  Also, is Bendis’ reveal going to be who Kieron Gillan had in mind?

International Iron Man 4 Magik 1

One Week Ago.  But First!  We have to do with the little matter of Tony trying to deal with the fallout of Civil War II’s first issue.  Yesterday was the Celestial attack and the after party.  Friday is his lady holographic assistant.  I like that Magik is getting some good press there, being on multiple news feeds.  Really, it was the magic empowered heroes who saved that day.

Tony wants Friday to do a search for who his biological parents are.

International Iron Man 4 Magik 2

She’s been working on this search since Tony found out he was adopted – which would have been nice to have an editorial note stating which issue or trade I can find that information in.  A quick Google search reveals that was in Iron Man 17, that way way back in October 2013!  Such a long time to not pick up on that again.

Magik continues to be seen on the news coverage.

Tony asks Friday what she has discovered.

Bulgaria.  Iron Man lands in the country, on a playground it looks like.  I’m not sure why he didn’t go to the American Embassy.  Which is in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Iron Man has a fun little exchange with Anna, a nice elderly lady.  She can’t believe Tony Stark is in front of her, he asks what her name is and she says “Iron Man” as she is still processing it.  He makes a joke about how he’s been called Iron Man, as well, for years.  I like those little moments of levity.

He has come to the place where he was adopted from.  Does that mean he is Bulgarian?  That’s a big get for that country!  He had to personally come here as their files have not been digitized.  Tony is pretty sure someone took his file, most likely Howard Stark.  Which makes complete sense, he’s rich and doesn’t want people to know he is adopting a kid – for business reasons, I’m sure.

Tony mentions how only Howard would know about the adoption.  Anna corrects him, his birth parents knew as well.  Tony isn’t thinking clearly with this matter.

Auckland, New Zealand.  Twenty Years Ago.  I imagine that the beginning of this flashback was in the previous issue.  Cassandra and Tony are having a fight.  Hydra apparently attacked her family, Tony suspects to get at him.  Tony is running away from his parents, he thought she was running from her parents but they know where she is.  Always good to check in with your parents.  Cassandra wanted information about Howard, Tony doesn’t believe he ever mentioned him.  Cassandra corrects him, that’s all he ever talked about.

Cassandra, again, tells Tony that she loves him.  He doesn’t believe it.  Howard shows up in SHIELD flying cars of that era.  He doesn’t want the kids talking as Cassandra is a terrorist.  Howard brought good ol’ Dum Dum Dugan, who has a sniper rifle pointed at her head.  Howard is having SHIELD arrest her.  Tony keeps trying to get a word in but classic Howard is shutting Tony down.

Hydra planes fly in and start firing on the SHIELD cars and the Starks.  Cassandra runs away.  Hydra agents land and grabs Cassandra.  They open fire but Howard has a force field, so they are okay.

Bucharest.  Gillespie Compound.  Today.  We see current day Cassandra, who has an eye patch over her left eye.  Tony asks her who his biological father is.  She has a gun pointing at his head.  She reveals that her parents are dead, which surprises Tony.  I take it, he didn’t do any research on his old friend.

Cassandra can’t believe Tony isn’t asking her how she is still alive.  He goes right into the explanation of how clearly if she’s alive, she’s been working with Hydra.  He’s been in the costume slash armor business for a long time now.  He didn’t ask as it has nothing to do with the information he seeks.

Tony also knows that Cassandra has summoned Mandroids to their location.  Tony originally created Mandroids for SHIELD, I had to look it up.  I would have sworn they were AIM created and I was going to write how odd it is that a former Hydra agent now has AIM technology but that isn’t the case.  In three minutes, the Mandroids should be arriving.

Cassandra didn’t know Tony was adopted, I imagine most don’t.  She’s watched Tony’s superhero career unfold, expecting to run across him at any moment. It never happened.

Cassandra explains how silly it is that both Hydra and AIM are loud about their business practices.  She has carved out a corner of the arms market that her clients appreciate is very discrete.

Tony asks if she thinks about him as he thinks about her all the time.  I suspect he doesn’t but it is a nice thing to say.  Cassandra wonders if Tony really is adopted or if this is some bad intel that he has been given.  Which is a good point, I’m not sure of the actual story that revealed that he was adopted.  How did that information come out?

Issue ends with the Mandriods arriving.  Cassandra can’t let Tony leave as it will hurt her reputation.  I suspect he makes it out of there alive.

Deadpool Volume Four Issue 14

Posted by John Klein III on September 21, 2016
Posted in: Review. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Deadpool V4 14

Writer Gerry Duggan

Penciler Mike Hawthorne

Inker Terry Pallot

Colorist Jordie Bellaire

Letterer VC’s Joe Sabino

Deadpool V4 14 Recap Page

Deadpool is  lot of things these days – Avenger, Assassin, Superstar, Smelly and a Husband.  He is also a mercenary and now has a group of mercenaries of his own, that he has been neglecting.  These other folks make up the team that appear in Mercs for Money – a title I still don’t get.  Are there mercenaries that do what they do as volunteers?  Mercenaries are all about that sweet cash.  Or they are undercover cops posing as guns for hire.  Currently, these Mercs for Money have not been happy with Deadpool as he’s been very busy being a beloved hero.  So money isn’t coming in.

This issue opens with Deadpool trying to sexually satisfied his wife, Shiklah.  She’s not quite there yet.  I do like these two together, they should still be newlyweds, except for the whole eight month gap.  There is a subplot about how there are odd hairs in their bed.  I’m not sure what that is about

Deadpool is trying to get Shiklah to commit her monsters of Monster Metropolis to helping with the coming threat.  Before Shiklah can commit, she wants him to watch their shows together.

The monsters start moving out, Shiklah is leading the Howling Commandos so they are joining the fight too.

We catch up to the Mercenaries and the opening fight from Civil War II.  The Mercenaries are – Masacre, Terror, Stingray, Foolkiller, Solo and Slapstick.  I’m not that familiar with Masacre or Foolkiller.  Masacre looks knew, he’s a Spanish Deadpool – is what I can tell.  They are way out of their league, as they see the Celestial.

Stingray takes the time to proposition Solo about breaking away from Deadpool, he isn’t earning them any money.  The other mercenaries are saving civilians.

Solo and Foolkiller seem to be wearing the same uniform.  I remember when Solo’s color scheme was green, now it is maroon.  Solo is rocking one of those 90s Cyclops head socks so his hair can breathe.

Solo and Stingray playfully save a lady and her baby.  Solo teleports the mother and she throws up on him – he’s use to it.  I like how, nearly off panel, she grabs her baby from Stingray.

Deadpool V4 14 Magik 1

We get to Magik’s moment during Civil War II!  Deadpool refers to this team as “Doctor Strange and the Avengers of the Supernatural” a title I would buy today if it was on the stands!  I like how Hawthorne draws Magik’s costume, as it really covers her.

The citizens of New York City are happy that the day is saved.  High fives are all over the place.  Shiklah kisses Deadpool, as she walks away, he comments again on how she has a new dog.  Where is this leading to?  I hope not a divorce!

Deadpool gets a text that there is a party at Stark Tower.  The Mercs For Money are excited but Deadpool is only bringing Shiklah.  I’m sure Tony would have allowed more people but I guess they do work for Deadpool so it is his call.

Once Deadpool is gone, the Mercs plan a mutiny.  This splash page shows that Solo is in a maroon costume and Foolkiller is in a purple costume.  Similar design but definitely different color schemes.

The Mercs get back to base and Foolkiller asks if Cable is going to the after party.  Cable wouldn’t be caught dead in Avengers Tower.  Foolkiller doesn’t like Cable and how he’s a hard arse.

Avengers Tower.  Deadpool is chatting with Vision.  They are discussing Ulysses as he walks up.  Deadpool doesn’t buy into the Inhuman’s powers.

J. Jonah Jameson is flying his own news helicopter and it states “Fact Channel News” whatever happened to the Daily Bugle?  Peter starts Parker Industries (well, Doctor Octopus did, right?) and the Daily Bugle ceases to exist?  I know Jameson became the major of the city at some point but that’s about all I know.  Apparently Jameson is a big fan of Deadpool (does that make any sense?) and he still doesn’t like Deadpool.

Jameson refers to the Mercs as hirelings which upsets the hirelings.  Terror (Inc) breaks the television.  Agent Adsit (who I remember from the previous volume) is going back to SHIELD as he doesn’t want to be Deadpool’s agent any more.

Solo brings up how they should own their own business.

A little while later.  Solo has created a website, as I guess mercenaries are okay to have websites promoting their illegal activities – in the Marvel Universe.  Maybe it is on the Dark Internet.

Stingray mentions how they need to get start up capital.  Cable walks in with an armful of money.  Apparently Cable just goes back in time with the little amount of money he has and redeposits it into his banking account and lives off of the interest.  He’s finally down to his last millions, in 2016.

Issue ends on a very funny note of Stingray offering to become Cable’s new Six Pack or New New Mutants.  Cable wants nothing to do with these goons.

Civil War II : X-Men 1

Posted by John Klein III on September 20, 2016
Posted in: Review. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Civil War II X-Men 1

Writer Cullen Bunn

Artist Andrea Broccarado

Colorist Jesus Aburtov

Letterer VC’s Joe Sabino

Cover Artist David Yardin

Hopefully this miniseries is better than Civil War : X-Men.  I imagine we are getting Magneto v Storm, whereas the first one had Cyclops v Bishop.

Civil War II X-Men 1 Recap Page

The Inhumans let lose a global terrigen mist bomb.  Mutants are on the run.  Storm’s team, the Extraordinary X-Men have sworn to protect humans, Inhumans and mutants alike.  Magneto’s team, the Uncanny X-Men, have decided to seek out opposition and stop threats before they have had a chance to strike.

Dubai.  The mist is on the way to the grand Arabian city.  The rich mutants of the city have locked themselves inside the penthouse.  Magneto’s team – Sabretooth, M and Psylocke – arrive with the poorer mutants.  No mutants will be killed due to the cloud’s effects this day.  That was, until the servants turn out to the Prime Sentinels.  They want all mutants to be dead, so they blow out the windows.  Which does seem odd, I would imagine instead of a penthouse, the mutants should have gathered in a baseman.

The Uncanny X-Men start trying to get the mutants away from the incoming cloud.  Just then, the winds start blowing the mist into the opposition direction.

Civil War II X-Men 1 Magik 1

Storm and her Extraordinary X-Men have arrived.  Man, Illyana looks so off without her bangs.  We’re seeing too much of her forehead!  It looks unsettling.  The Extraordinary X-Men are – Iceman, Teen Jean Grey, Magik, Nightcrawler and Old Man Logan.

Civil War II X-Men 1 Magik 2

Storm orders her X-Men to assist Magneto’s X-Men.  Teen Jean doesn’t know about Sentinel Primes.  She does point out how Magneto should have just ripped apart the Sentinels when they first appeared.

Magik starts to teleport the bystanders.  We get some more tension between M and Magik, which Bunn hinted at in his Uncanny X-Men series, issue five.  I’m still not sure where the hostility comes from.

Kurt and Psylocke see each other, though I’m not really sure that they have that much history together.  They teamed up several times during his Excalibur days.

Civil War II X-Men 1 Magik 3

Magik and Jean hint that they have been given future knowledge.  This catches M’s attention.

Is this the first time Sabretooth has met Old Man Logan?  It seems to waste their first meeting in this miniseries, if that is the case.  They do not get along, which makes sense.  I do like Sabretooth teasing Old Man Logan.  Old Ma Logan looks weird without wearing his jacket.

Magneto saves Storm from being attacked by Prime Sentinels.

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If Storm could move the T-Cloud why isn’t she just constantly moving these clouds?  Old Man Logan doesn’t like being called, Wolverine.

Since when did M become a slight telepath?  She knows about Ulysses as she picked up the thoughts from Magik and Teen Jean earlier.

Civil War II X-Men 1 Magik 5

Magneto doesn’t like that Storm is willing to work with the Inhumans.  The Inhumans’ actions have brought death to mutants and that is unforgivable.

I like Bunn taking the time to tease his Uncanny run, if someone wants answers, they could pick up those issues.  I imagine they are hinting at (Arch)Angel, as he isn’t with the team here.  If that was the case, though, why wasn’t Psylocke shown has having her head down and being sad?

Civil War II X-Men 1 Magik 6

I do feel like I want to be on Magneto’s side with this as I too do not care for the Inhumans, ever since Inhumanity started.

M mentions Ulysses by name and Pslocke, a full telepath, decides to now use that power on Teen Jean.

We get a page recap of Civil War II 0 & 1.

Teen Jean straight forces Psylocke to throw up – which seems both unnecessary and disgusting.  She’s the worst.

The two teams go separate ways.

Issue ends with War Room X, in the Savage Land.  Kurt has decided to switch from Storm’s side to Magneto’s side.  Which makes sense as

Magneto Was Right

Magneto is right.

I know I’ll be getting the second issue so we’ll find out more.  Hopefully Kurt isn’t just being a spy for Storm as that seems too easy.

Doctor Strange Volume Four Issue 6

Posted by John Klein III on September 19, 2016
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Doctor Strange V4 6

Writer Jason Aaron

Pencils Chris Bachalo

Colors Chris Bachalo with Java Tartaglia

Inks Tim Townsend, Al Vey, Mark Irwin, John Livesay, Wayne Faucher, Victor Olazaba and Jaime Mendoza

Letters VC’s Cory Petit

Last Days of Magic, Chapter One

Hastings finally got this issue as a back issue for me.  If I had known about Kris Anka’s Story Thus Far variant, I would have held out for that one.

Doctor Strange V4 6 Recap Page

We skipped issue five so this is what happened.  So this issue claims to be Chapter One but then what was the Last Days of Magic oneshot, a prologue?  Now that I typed that word, I’m pretty sure that is how it was billed.  The Empirikul has arrived in front of Doctor Strange, as they have killed several Sorcerer Surpremes on their way to him.  Killed several sorcerers and magic landmarks and items.

South of New Zealand, the island of Aringoo.  Doctor Strange gets his first real taste of the Empirkuls.  Doctor Strange is so in touch with magic that he feels the effects of magic dying, all around the world.

177A Bleecker Street.  Greenwich Village, New York.  The Sanctum Sanctorum of Doctor Strange.  I guess the fight from the beginning of the issue (the previous page) was actually in New York City, the whole time.  Strange is getting a beat down that he isn’t accustom to.

Strange talks a big game but he has already taken some serious blows.

Lord Imperator, who is ruled by science like how Strange is with magic – comes into the scene.  He’s the Big Bad of this arc.  I do like how Imperator talks as if he has already won this battle and is ready for the clean up to the rest of the war.  Like most alien invasions, he’ll soon learn that Earth doesn’t just buckle before a tyrant.

Doctor Strange V4 6 Magik 1

We catch up with several of the mystical heroes of the Marvel Universe.  Including Count Kaoz and Magik in Valley of the Kings.  Though in the Last Days of Magic oneshot, Kaoz was in Egypt but with Magik, they could have teleported to Japan.  Or rather, the one shot takes place after this one panel.  This issue sort of is the mirror to the one shot, instead of following all of these heroes, we follow Strange and get a sample of these other adventures.  I rechecked the one shot, Magik isn’t in any of the pages Kaoz is, except for that last one (her only).

In New York City.  We see Monako taking out one of the Empirikul and runs off to help Doctor Strange.  Good thing he does as without him, in issue seven, there wouldn’t be much hope for the rest of the arc.

Imperator starts a villain monologue while Strange tries to summon all of the magic of the world.  The monologue lasts three pages.  Doctor Strange’s “Abracadabra,you son of a bitch!” may be the quote of the year.

Doctor Strange V4 6 Magik 2

Strange punches and punches, in the end, the only result is that Strange didn’t just use all of the magic but he exhausted himself, as well.

Poor Magik is tied to a pyre!

Like on the last page of the one shot, Imperator rips Strange’s Cloak of Levitation.

Like the one shot, we are treated to eight bonus pages of seeing what the world is like now that there is no more magic in it.

Mistress Miraculous was an escape artist who used magic in her performances.  Unfortunately, and of course, she was in the middle of an act and dies mid-performance.

Mr. and Mrs. Feedle made three wishes and became the ruling royalty of the island their cruise took them to.  Now that genie is no longer both their slave and a concept, the villager end their time as vassals.

George, of a more mystical version of the Microverse, as it seemed.  With no more magic, he grows back to proper man size and is arrested for being crazy.

We get a page of four panels, each telling a tragic tale.  I wouldn’t feel safe on a flying carpet.

Issue ends with a little girl and her talking animal friends.  Now that there is no more magic, they are transformed back to their original plush forms.

 

X-Men : Worst X-Man Ever 3

Posted by John Klein III on September 18, 2016
Posted in: Review. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

Worst X-Man Ever 3

Words Max Bemis

Pencil & Inks Michael Walsh

Colors Ruth Redmond

Letters VC’s Clayton Cowles

Worst X-Man Ever 3 Recap

So Bentley has become a student at the Xavier Institute.  Last issue, Mystique tried to recruit Bentley to her side.  He turned her down but not before she kissed him, while taking a picture of it.  So now she has some blackmail material and wants him to kill Xavier.

Issue opens with Wolverine lecturing Bentley’s class.  In a fun sight gag, the chalkboard is full of teams students can join including All New, Super New and Kinda New.  The strategy to a winning X-Team is – a big guy, a hot chick and Wolverine or someone  who looks like him.  He goes on to lecture about how unassuming mutants are typically the ones that are chosen by demons and become ultra-powerful.  He also talks about how Xavier is constantly giving multiple chances to people who don’t deserve them, such as Mystique.

Bentley asks about the X-Men themselves being given second chances.  Such as if Rogue went naughty one day, which Wolverine wouldn’t have any problems putting her down.

At a Mutant Youth Outreach Seminar & Mixer.  Bentley and Rags & Riches are hosting a table for the Xavier School.  I like how they are the least visited table.  Who would want to join the X-Men when their house and all of their shit keeps being blown up?

Worst X-Man Ever 3 Kitty Pryde mention

Bentley introduces himself to Miranda, in a few fun scene.  Neither of them have parents in their lives, she lives at a shelter. I really like how Bentley takes a stab at Macklemore, and how (like me) Miranda likes Macklemore.  What is great is that Bentley totally recoups with a throwaway line.

Miranda’s powers are that she can make things not exist.  Bentley asks if it is like a Kitty Pryde-type thing, which seems odd.  Her power isn’t that she can make things disappear unless he means simply by phasing things under things or inside objects but that seems like a stretch.  Then again, he probably doesn’t really know Kitty.

Miranda shows off her power, everyone at the mixer disappears and only she can Bentley remember that people were even there.

In the Danger Room, Miranda shows off her powers to Beast.  We get a great one page explanation of how these omega level mutants don’t go out of their way to just undo all of reality or destroy the planet as easily as their powers would allow.  Beast says Miranda is an omicron-level mutant, something he just made up.

Miranda will join the school, but only if she can be on the same team as Bentley.  But she already has an X-Uniform, so she must have signed some paperwork.

On their mission, Rags & Riches are fighting off a horde of Brood.  Riches gets hungry and demands Bentley to get him a slim jim.  This is all Bentley can offer as he can’t do anything and Miranda (who is also on the mission) can do too much.  So they just sit back and hang out.

Issue ends with Bentley having to clean the debris of the battle.  Magneto pulls Bentley towards him, across city blocks and he wants to have a chat with the young man.

Guardians of Infinity 4

Posted by John Klein III on September 17, 2016
Posted in: Review. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

Guardians of Infinity 4

Takeout from Tuliebitz’s

Writer Gerry Duggan

Artist Leonardo Romero

Colorist Matthew Wilson

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

Cover Dated May 2016

Guardians of Infinity 4 Recap Page

I’m still not sure if I should have bought this issue, even if Marvel Database says I should have.  We’ll get to that dialogue further down this post.

That’s right, another issue of this series that I just wanted the back up story for.

So, after Secret Wars 2015 – the world believes Reed and Sue are dead (or missing or something).  Johnny joined the Inhumans and Grimm joined Guardians – so one of them made out like a loon.  Then again, Johnny gets to bed Medusa, so that is a tad weird after his relationship with Crystal.

Johnny and Grimm apparently had a bad falling out.  Johnny borrowed a spaceship from Carol.  He got sandwiches from Tuliebitz, which is a made up sandwich place.

At a space station, Torch docks and reintroducs himself to Agent Venom.  Grimm is too upset (and angry) to meet Johnny – which really puts him in a bad light.  It took a few hours to get there and to go back, make the time.  I get that some Marvel editor wanted the first moment with these two Fantastic pals to share panel time together.

Guardians of Infinity 4 Takeout From Tuliebitzs Star Lord mention

The Infamous Black Market of Oblitus.  Later.  Flash is showing Johnny around.  Flash tells Johnny that he is from Queens, and would like those sandwiches.  Flash is doing more than showing him around, they are on a mission together.

So the wording there in the fourth panel – “Star Lord’s message said something about a dangerous job.”  Then in the fifth panel, Venom says “A guy named Monlo got a message to Peter Quill.  I guess he’s one of Quill’s old fences.”

First, it is weird that Johnny gives that line of dialogue, right?  It should come from Venom, like it is explaining why they are there.  Why would the guest be telling the Guardian of the mission, clearly Venom told Torch about it, prior to arriving there.

The main thing is this though.  So is Torch using the out dated “Star Lord” title to refer to Quill, as Venom mentions Quill by name – as a subtle hint that Quill is no longer Star Lord, perhaps?  Or is the “Star Lord” Torch mentions, Kitty Pryde, and then Venom talks about how the message originally came Quill.  Which would make sense, Quill gets some news, he tells Kitty about it and she relays it to whoever is at the station.

I don’t know, it seems murky to me but then again, I do own this issue.

The shop keep, Monlo, use to sell items to Reed Richards.  They go into the store and find Monlo knocked out.  Some folks stole a space egg . . . that could destroy the universe!

Turns out the thieves were still in the store!  They are the Disavowed of Galadoria.  Johnny jumps into action, not caring about his flame fearing symbiote companion pal.  The symbiote bolts, leaving Flash awkwardly behind and Johnny totally uncooly freaks out at Flash’s lack of legs!

Agent Venom tries to match “Flame On” and Grimm’s multiple catch phrases with his lackluster “symbiote on!” It won’t catch on like Spider-Man’s “webs away!”

The Galadorians are defeated but not without exploding the cosmic egg on Johnny.  He freaks out until everyone leaves the scene then he burns off the gunk.  The two New Yorkers say their farewells.  Flash decides he will eat one of the sandwiches and gets a pie to the face!  Classic Torch being a jerk to Grimm action!  The worst!

Not a bad story, especially considering who the leads are.

Rocket Raccoon and Groot Volume Two Issue 1 – Second Printing

Posted by John Klein III on September 16, 2016
Posted in: Review. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Rocket Raccoon Groot V2 1 2nd Printing

Writer Skottie Young

Artist Filipe Andrade

Color Artist Jean-Francois Beaulieu

Letterer Jeff Eckleberry

Design Manny Mederos

Cover Dated March 2016

So we finally made our way to Missoula, so I was able to visit Muse Comics.  It wasn’t a bad store, they only had year old comics but I was able to get this issue and Guardians of Infinity 4 that I thought I bought a while ago but didn’t.  I bought the second print of this issue, which I’m still debating if that bothers me or not.  Not like I ever plan on reselling this comic so I’m fine with it.

Rocket Raccoon Groot V2 1 Recap Page

The recap page pokes fun of the eight month jump from Secret Wars 2016.  Rocket and Groot have disappeared.

Rocket Raccoon Groot V2 1 StarKitty 1

Eight Months After All That Crazy Secret Wars Stuff.  The Guardians, including Pryde, are under the impression that Rocket and Groot are dead.  Which seems silly, to me, especially from Pryde – as she knows so many people who have come back from the dead.

Grimm being, rather grimm, says he isn’t that affected – which seems super messed up.  This is a rushed funeral for crying out loud, have some respect.  So this is eight months later and Grimm has known them that long, so how long have they been missing?  A week or two?  They don’t even have bodies to put in the makeshift coffin.

Rocket Raccoon Groot V2 1 StarKitty 2

Pryde gives Drax a moment to reflect on his two would-be fallen allies.  Drax points out that Rocket loved that gun on the table and Groot was a tree person who only said the same words over and over.  With that, Drax walks away.  Agent Venom has been with the two title characters for a few years now (publication years, that is) so he should be pretty sad too.

Pryde pulls a lever and the coffin goes out inot space.

Rocket Raccoon Groot V2 1 StarKitty 3

Pryde says a small speech – as she’s amazing and awesome – that covers this page and the next one.  Heroes do live on in the memories of those who they have saved.

Rocket Raccoon Groot V2 1 StarKitty 4

Pryde’s speech include show Rocket and Groot can never been replaced.  Which transitions us to Pockets the Mouse and Shrub who only says “Me are Shrub.”

I do own the fourth issue of this series, so I know how this storyline ends.

Pockets and Shrub’s ship flies through the coffin.  Their ship is being chased by another ship.  They finally get to Harren-3, to receive an item.  Th person they are being paid buy sure does look like Groot, if he was one to wear a hood to conceal his identity.

The Next Morning.  Now they are heading towards C-23.  They are going to meet a Lord Rakzoon.  If you pronounce that aloud, you may get a hint of who that is.  Pockets and Shrub think that name is pretty crazy-arse.

Later, On the Planet Where This Crazy-Ass Tyrant Lives.  Lord Rakzoon sentences the pair to torture and death.  One of the troopers pistol whips Pockets and calls him a rodent.  Lord Rakzoon sentences that trooper to death.  No one should be called a rodent.

Lord Rakzoon is told by another trooper that the pair was here to deliver him an item.  So they shall still be tortured but not killed.  The trooper is still going to be killed, for name calling.

In private, Lord Rakzoon opens a cage and sees Groot!  I do like how Lord Rakzoon asks who he is, setting Groot up to say, I am Groot!  Poor Groot, someone has gone and craved random words into his bark.

Hastings September 2015 Music Videos

Posted by John Klein III on September 15, 2016
Posted in: Fun With YouTube, Songs. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

After two months of no music videos being played, in the store, they have come back in full force!

My favorite has been, Leon Bridge’s Better Man –

Thanks to LeonBridgeVEVO for hosting the video.

This song makes me smile, everytime it comes on.

Metric’s The Shade, is also super catchy.  The video Hastings airs, is just a picture of “The Shade” that I wish they will update to the official video, but they won’t.

Thanks to metricmusic for hosting their video.

See how the second one isn’t all that exciting?  You look at it, and just keep on shopping.

This third and final one, took me a few listens before coming around on it.  That’s the thing about Hastings’ tron, it will always wear you down.

Robert DeLong’s Don’t Wait Up

Thanks to RobertDeLongVEVO for hosting his video.

Took some work, to even figure out who he was, and what the song was called.  I’ve been referring to it as “Restless Mind” but that’s not the title.

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New Avengers Volume Four Issue 12

Posted by John Klein III on September 14, 2016
Posted in: Review. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

New Avengers V4 12

Writer Al Ewing

Penciler Paco Medina

Inker Juan Velasco

Color Artist Jesus Aburtov

AIM vs SHIELD Part One

Like Original Sin, Magik is probably going to appear in a splattering of issues but then not appear in any of the other chapters or tie-ins.

New Avengers V4 12 Recap

The current New Avengers are – Hawkeye (Clint), Squirrel Girl, Hulking and Wiccan.  Songbird is an agent of SHIELD and the New Avengers.  AIM, Avengers Idea Mechanics, are Sunspot, White Tiger, Power Man and POD.  Sunspot now owns AIM, he uses them for rescue missions.  They have beef with SHIELD, due to a recent international rescue.  Now AIM is in hiding in the Savage Land. The current members are also the public members of the team.  I’m not sure if, publically, they are actually called “New Avengers.”

Issue opens with Maria Hill, in her typical mood of unhappy.  She is joined by John Garrett, who is 90% robot and looks like he is rocking a Dum Dum Dugan style mustache.  She suspects that Sunspot is going to be swayed by AIM and turn heel.

So that deals with the current storyline, now we get to the Civil War II tie-in.  We get a fun narrative boxes, introducing the All-New New Avengers.  They are represented in the all star cast of characters seen in Civil War II, when the heroes first confronted the Celestial Destructor.

Hulkling reveals his soulsword that Wiccan gifted him with.  Squirrel Girl has lots of questions, so this must be the first time it is seen.

New Avengers V4 12 Magik 1

We cut over to Wiccan’s side of the conversation, as he’s part of Magik and her Sorcerers Supreme.  I like that Wiccan is still considered to be Scarlet Witch’s son.

Doctor Strange acts like Magik’s only role is to teleport these chumps.  Though without her, they can’t accomplish their goals so who really has all of the power?

New Avengers V4 12 Magik 2

I do like having the dialogue being repeated from the main series, it is the simple way to go but that isn’t the way these things usually go

Poor Squirrel Girl is losing squirrels left and right!

New Avengers V4 12 Magik 3

The Sorcerers Supreme cast the Group Spell of Dimension Reversal, from the book of Vishanti, page 2342.

New Avengers V4 12 Magik 4

I like getting the minutes later scene as I’m sure the mages would be quite tired.  Doctor Voodoo is quite tired, Magik is ready for round two – she knows no quit.  Doctor Strange’s back hurts, as he is weak.  Scarlet Witch wants some tea, make mine sweet, please.

Wiccan can’t join his mother as his former boss, Sunspot, calls him.  Cannonball is with Sunspot, Magik should be part of this team.  Maybe Dani Moonstar too! What is she doing these days?  I know Doug Ramsey is around too, pick that guy up too!  That’s how I would do it.  Does Cannonball still have his kid with Smasher?  Or was that an alternate future?

Hulkling and the New Avengers have rejoined Wiccan.  Hulkling asks if Wiccan would be interested in Hulkling staying in his Centaur shape.  Those two are the best.

Sunspot wants his full team back but Wiccan doesn’t want to be an outlaw.  Both Squirrel Girl and Hulkling are curious if Sunspot has a hovercraft made of robot eagles.  A device that is too enticing to ignore.  Sunspot finally has to admit that he doesn’t have that.  Wiccan accepts to have everyone come in.

We see that Sunspot is being watched by Ultimate Reed Richards (does he remember Secret Wars 2015?) he’s going by the name, The Maker.  He’s running the organization, WHISPER, which we are not suppose to worry what it stands for – just like HAMMER.

The Maker has created the New Revengers – Asti, Paibok, Skaar, OMNITRONICUS, Angar (who I know from Songbird’s origins), The White Tiger and Vermin – the awesome Captain America / Spider-Man villain penned by legend JM DeMatteis.

Dum Dum Dugan, who is all machine, meets with Garrett.  Dugan is overseeing the Howling Commandos.  He’s also an alien LMD hybrid.  Garrett takes over Dugan and also the thousand other Dugan LMDs that are in storage and turns them to his own means – which is finding AIM.

I doubt I’ll get any other issues of this series, unless Magik is involved (of course) but this wasn’t a bad issue.  I really have missed Paco Medina’s artwork.

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Four Issue 9

Posted by John Klein III on September 13, 2016
Posted in: Review. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Guardians of the Galaxy V4 9

Writer Brian Michael Bendis

Artist Valerio Schiti

Color Artist Richard Isanove

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

Cover by Arthur Adams & Jason Keith

Guardians of the Galaxy V4 9 Recap

Yeah, I bought this comic because the recap has new dialogue but using old art, from issue one I believe.  The Guardians have some fun in the recap, hinting at what they would imagine will happen.  Pryde suspects that Quill will get himself captured, which of course does happen.  It is silly.

This is the Drax & Gamora, all green issue.  Is that racist?

Xalda-Volta.  Badoon Correctional Planet.  Dryston Tower.  The Warden’s High Tower.  The warden can’t believe eight people are successfully invading his prison planet.  I guess we have to find out why he doesn’t just press the self-destruct button, like what happened last time.

Drax and Gamora have taken the fight straight to the warden.  These two are the warriors of the group so they are going to enjoy this, the most.

Will we learn who they are going to save?  Drax and Gamora keep shouting that they want ‘her.’  The Badoon are green, so it is an all green issue!

Gamora wakes up and I had to flip back three pages to see if I missed something.  This must be how Gamora found out about the planet.  The She is definitely a former Guardian.  The She is in the same building that Gamora is in.  The chief torturer is Marud, and he’s mostly worried about Thanos coming here to avenge his adopted daughter.  It has to be Angela, right?  Are there other female members that were part of the team that are not Carol Danvers?

The Badoons plan on becoming the main force of the galaxy now that both Kree and Skrull empires are gone.  I guess the Shi’ar don’t want it.  Marud really wants to know where Thanos is, he’s been in hiding since Secret Wars 2015.  She’ll appear briefly in FCBD Civil War II.

Gamora doesn’t know where Thanos is, but she does know where the Black Vortex is.  Avengers Alliance got around to bringing it into their game for Special Operation 35.

We get what happened to Gamora after Black Vortex.  Every time she used her enhanced cosmic power, she lost it.  That’s how she’s normal again.  She hadn’t used the last of it, she’s been saving it for a special occasion.  This occasion.

Gamora has saved Angela, I knew it must be her!  I guess she’s available now that Queen of Hel has ended.  That’s a fast turn around.

I do like these two together, they were so much fun during the Guardians / X-Men crossover, Trial of Jean Grey – the main story wasn’t great but the Guardians part sure was.

Drax updates the two ladies, most of the pairs were successful but Quill got captured.  Angela is putting on her uniform.

Issue ends with Angela declaring their goals – rescue Quill and destroy the Badoon Empire!

I can’t wait for Pryde, Angela and Gamora to share some panel time together!