Reading Round-Up: Marvel Comics

A strange combination of having had a ton of spare time to read and a new job means I probably won’t be able to write my usual-type of review for many of the books and graphic novels I’ve read over the past couple of months. For some books, I will still write longer reviews, but for many (if not most) I’ll include them in occasional round-/catch-up posts with mini-reviews. Today, I take a look at recently-read Marvel titles.

Reviewed: Amazing Spider-Man “Red-Headed Stranger”, “Return of the Black Cat” & “The Gauntlet Vol.1”; Rick Remender’s Venom Vols.1-3, Ultimate Comics – X-Men Vol.1, Ultimate Comics – Hawkeye, Daredevil Yellow

Ultimate Comics “New Ultimates: Thor Reborn” (Marvel)

Writer: Jeph Loeb | Artist: Frank Cho | Colorist: Jason Keith, w. Brad Anderson & Matt Millla

The devastating events of Ultimatum robbed the world of some of its most courageous heroes. Now, it’s up to Iron Man to gather those that survived to become the New Ultimates.

With the Odinson trapped in Valhalla, the team stand little chance when Loki unleashed the worst of Asgard upon the Earth. Their only hope of survival lies with Thor. But in order to escape from the land of the dead, he must be prepared to make a deal with the darkest of forces.

Collects: Ultimate Comics: New Ultimates #1-5

Another book in Marvel’s “Ultimate” line, this tells of an alternative timeline to Marvel’s “main” titles. The Ultimate initiative was basically that “anything goes”. Characters that die, will not come back in this setting. Which makes a nice change. This book, while beautifully rendered (if in an exaggerated manner), did not live up to my expectations. There’s certainly some very good content, but the story was let down by some flaws that I hadn’t expected form veteran writer Loeb.

Ultimate Comics: “X - Origins” (Marvel)

Writer: Jeph Loeb | Artist: Arthur Adams | Colours: Peter Steigerwald | Digital Inks: Mark Roslan

Wolverine is dead. The X-Men are no more. Captain America is a fugitive. The Fantastic Four disbanded. Lives have been destroyed and nothing can ever be the same-is there any hope left? It all begins with a search for a brand new character whose identity will leave jaws on the floor and change the Ultimate Universe forever.

This is the first post-Ultimatum X-Men title. It was apparently meant to be a new series in itself, but due to less-than-stellar sales, it became an introduction/prequel to Ultimate Comics X-Men. I actually really enjoyed this. Given that this series is set in a new, seriously anti-Mutant world, with a radical new premise for the X-Gene, it ran the risk of being too jarring and disappointing. Thankfully, however, it turned out to be an engaging, addictive and beautifully rendered graphic novel.