Review

Review: THE DAYLIGHT WAR by Peter V. Brett (Voyager/Del Rey)

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BrettPV-DC3-DaylightWarUKThe long-awaited third book in The Demon Cycle

On the night of a new moon all shadows deepen.

Humanity has thirty days to prepare for the next demon attack, but one month is scarcely enough time to train a village to defend themselves, let alone an entire continent caught in the throes of civil war.

Arlen Bales understands the coreling threat better than anyone. Born ordinary, the demon plague has shaped him into a weapon so powerful he has been given the unwanted title of saviour, and attracted the attention of deadly enemies both above and below ground.

Unlike Arlen, Ahmann Jardir embraces the title of Deliverer. His strength resides not only in the legendary relics he carries, but also in the magic wielded by his first wife, Inevera, a cunning and powerful priestess whose allegiance even Jardir cannot be certain of.

Once Arlen and Jardir were like brothers. Now they are the bitterest of rivals. As humanity’s enemies prepare, the only two men capable of defeating them are divided against each other by the most deadly demons of all: those that lurk in the human heart.

After finishing The Desert Spear, it was not long before I had to dive into The Daylight War. I’d come late to the series, so I hadn’t been champing at the bit quite as much as other fans, but after finishing book two, I could certainly see why people were so very eager. The third book in the series continues to build on the excellent foundations of The Painted Man and The Desert Spear, as the story moves ever forward. This is an addictive, immersive and excellent fantasy novel. Continue reading →

Amazing Spider-Man: “Died In Your Arms Tonight” (Marvel)

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AmazingSpiderMan-600-ArtWriters: Dan Slott, Stan Lee, Mark Waid, Bob Gale | Artists: John Romita, Jr., Marcos Martin, Colleen Doran, Mario Alberti | Inks: Klaus Janson | Colors: Dean White, Jose Villarrubia, Javier Rodriguez

The return of Doctor Octopus, Daredevil, a wedding you never predicted, and the return of one of the most important people in Peter Parker’s life. Doc’s back in town, but it’s only a prelude to darker days ahead as Spidey unknowingly prepares for a gauntlet he can’t predict. Also, several short features showcase some rarely-explored aspects of both Spidey and Peter’s life. And, finally, the second most important wedding day of Peter Parker’s life.

Collects: Amazing Spider-Man #600-601, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #36,
& material from Amazing Spider-Man Family #7

The book is rather uneven. It’s bitty, highly episodic, and the tone veers all over the place, dependent on the writer. The humour works at times, but at others it feels like it is trying so hard, it’s difficult to like it at all (imagine the quippiness of Gilmore Girls, but with a wall-crawling super-hero). It took longer than I expected to read all of this, as I just couldn’t get sucked in. It is not, however, without its moments. Thankfully, the book improved, once we got beyond the first, mammoth issue.

First up, let me just deal with the “Spider-Man Covers You’ll Never See!” features, which are sprinkled throughout the book. They’re crap, and pointless. Moving on…

AmazingSpiderMan-600Issue #600 of Amazing Spider-Man is 101 pages long, including the cover and back-matter/extras (I was reading this via the comiXology app), and man did it drag at times. I’m not wholly new to Spider-Man or the characters that surround him. I’ve read a number of issues from all over the series chronology, as well as other Spidey series. So I wasn’t exactly lost while reading this, but there were times when I just wondered why the hell I should care at all.

“LAST LEGS”

Writer: Dan Slott | Art: John Romita, Jr. | Inks: Klaus Kanson | Colors: Dean White

In this story, Spidey’s incessant quipping was frankly exhausting. Maybe 10% of the comments, retorts and jokes were enough to raise a smile. That is certainly not a success rate that one might expect from such a popular series. Doctor Octopus is a complete cartoon, and his dialogue is just awful and cliché, and had me cringing on almost every page. I was very disappointed. The story dragged, the wedding stuff preparations and Spidey’s ongoing conflict with Mayor Jameson were simply tedious. I’ve read some later Spider-Man stuff written by Slott, and it’s clear to me that he got much better over time, as he became more comfortable with the characters. Given what I know about Superior Spider-Man, and the end of Amazing Spider-Man (issue #700), I can see some foreshadowing.

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“IDENTITY CRISIS”

Writer: Stan Lee | Art: Marcos Martin | Colors: Javier Rodriguez

In this first back-up-style story, Spidey has visited a shrink. He reflects on his many, many years of adventures. The writing was a little weak, but the premise was strong: Spider-Man basically goes through all the (very) weird events and experiences that have happened over the course of the 600 issues of the series to this point. There’s a nice, knowing nod and a wink regarding the comics industry’s tendency to upend the lives of their various characters, not to mention ret-conning, poor artistic and narrative decisions, and other things like that. It was amusing, but I do think it could have been better, if written by someone else.

“MY BROTHER’S SON”

Writer: Mark Waid | Art: Colleen Doran | Colors: Jose Villarrubia

This short tale is told from the perspective of Uncle Ben. He’s reflecting on his insecurities about raising Peter, after the death of his father. We see how much he worries about his nephew, how much he misses his brother. It builds nicely, and eventually Ben and Peter confront his concerns. It’s calm, not at all melodramatic. And it is actually a wonderful, moving story. Superb.

“IF I WAS SPIDER-MAN”

Writer: Bob Gale | Artist: Mario Alberti

This story has slightly rougher artwork than the previous stories, but it is a fun story of kids philosophizing (as they are wont to do) about how they would “be” Spider-Man, if they got the chance. They go through all of the things that would be so cool, and the ways in which they’d use their powers for celebrity and other selfish purposes. But then move on to the concerns they have.

“It’s just WRONG — that Spider-Man is cool, but BEING Spider-Man isn’t cool. That’s, like, so totally messed up.”

Tell me about it, thinks Peter Parker, as he wanders past…

“THE BLESSING”

Writer: Marc Guggenheim | Artist: Mitch Breitweiser | Colors: Elizabeth Breitweiser

Aunt May, pre-wedding to Jameson Snr., is visiting Uncle Ben’s grave. She talks to him, going over her various fears, her worry that she might appear to be replacing Ben. It’s a short diversion. Sweet story, interesting art style, but thin and ruined by a silly, schmaltzy ending.

“FIGHT AT THE MUSEUM”

Writer: Zeb Wells | Artist: Derec Donovan | Colors: Antonio Fabella

Wells is also the author of the first few issues of the awesome Avenging Spider-Man. However, this is just another quick jolt of making fun of past bad decisions (the Spider Mobile, in this case). It’s fine, but too short to really do anything beyond make long-time fans chuckle. (In itself, no bad thing, it’s true.)

“VIOLENT VISIONS”

By: Kelly, Fiumara, Chuckry & VC’s Caramagna

This was a very dark and very cool short: it’s clearly a prologue, of sorts, for “The Gauntlet” storyline, which ran from #6??-#6?? (and was collected into five books). I’m quite intrigued by this upcoming story, now, I must say. I had been cool on this whole series (despite picking up the first two collections from #600) at this point, but this short certainly made me sit up and take note.

***

AmazingSpiderMan-601Writer: Mark Waid | Artist: Mario Alberti | Colors: Andres Mossa

Which brings us, after waaay too long, to issue #601. This one features a famous cover – of Mary Jane Watson, sitting suggestively on the couch, breasts pressed together, as Spidey swings off out the window. I have a feeling someone recreated this at some point, perhaps the guy behind Collectors…?

This issue finally picks up the main story from the end of #600. Mary Jane Watson has returned to New York, which has distracted Peter no end. It kicks off the morning after the wedding, with Peter waking up, very hung-over. He turns over, and sees a woman in his bed, who he believes is MJ. Unfortunately for Peter, it’s not his former flame. Michelle (his not-exactly-platonic-anymore roommate) is especially pissed after Peter calls her “MJ”. Naturally: “You’re the reason there’s a waiting period on handguns!” she screams at him.

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The issue had a lot of talk about economic downturn and hard economic and employment times (the issue was published in 2010, so that’s not surprising).

“THE BEST VERSION OF MYSELF”

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis | Artist: Joe Quesada | Colors: Morry Hollowell

This was another pretty cool back-up story: Spidey drops in on Luke Cage’s wife, Jessica Jones, and their baby daughter (she used to be a super-hero, apparently). They talk about Jones’s memories of the first time she ever saw Spider-Man, and how much of an impact it had on her own career as a super-powered-person. Spider-Man convinces her that the best way for her to instill the idea of “With great power comes great responsibility” is to show her the best side of herself, rather than to just tell her. (This story continues in New Avengers, apparently.)

***

AmazingSpiderMan-Annual-36And last, but by no means least, we get to Annual #36.

Writer: Marc Guggenheim | Artist: Pat Oliffe | Inks: Pat Oliffe & Andy Lanning | Colors: Antonio Fabela

The whole Parker and Jameson wedding party has schlepped up to Boston for a special dinner. This, sadly, meant that a lot of the issue was written in a “Bahstin” accent. Rookie, bad writer mistake. It was fine for one or two speech bubbles, but after that, it quickly got old and annoying (not to mention inconsistent). Mid-way through the dinner, some crazy dude called “Raptor” interrupts Peter in the bathroom (uncool), and just starts wailing on him. It turns out, Raptor believes Peter is Ben Reilly – Peter’s clone from a long-running Spider-Man story-arc, The Ben Reilly Epic. There’s more to come from this story, later in the series, and I’ll be interested to see how it unfolds.

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I think the annual should have been placed at the start of the book: chronologically, it would’ve made far more sense, being set before the wedding. It’s not a bad way to finish a book, though. Despite the “Bahstin” accents…

***

So, overall, this book is very hit-and-miss. It’s long, but the first issue makes it feel so much longer. There are moments of excellent story-telling; but there are also swathes of dull, drawn-out and boring sections. If you want to start on Amazing Spider-Man, then there may be a better point either earlier or later in the series. I’ll be investigating later collections (I have already read the follow up to this book, Red-Headed Stranger), so I might be able to give new readers a suggestion for a better starting-point.

Mini-Review: Fatale, Vol.1 – “Death Chases Me” (Image)

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CRIM008_cvrWriter: Ed Brubaker | Artist: Sean Phillips | Colors: Dave Stewart

In modern times, Nicolas Lash stumbles upon a secret that will lead him down the darkest path imaginable… to a seductive and ageless woman who’s been on the run since the 1930s.

And in 1950s San Francisco, reporter Hank Raines crosses paths with that same woman and gets caught in a vicious triangle between a crooked cop and a man who is more monster than man.

But who is Josephine and what is her secret? And how many men will die and kill for her?

Collects: Fatale #1-5

Brubaker and Philips’s Fatale is an interesting, if flawed blend of noir-ish thriller and horror suspense and weirdness. The series has enjoyed plentiful good and middling coverage in all comic-related corners of the internet. I’m not really sure I can add much to the discussion, to be honest. After finishing it, I found I had very little opinion on it – positive or negative.

The story is fine: there are corrupt cops; a rash of strange, “cult killings” all over San Francisco. This first volume follows a number of slightly-muddled story-threads, which all lead up to an underground confrontation with a cult-leader (who is a lot more than he appears to be). Josephine appears to have a strange, powerful allure for apparently all men she encounters – and, of course, a mysterious past. Despite my interest in such stories, though, Fatale never really managed to excite my interest beyond the cursory.

The artwork is good, and certainly enhances the atmosphere and noir-feel to the story, but it is sadly not a style I would spend much time lingering over.

I think Fatale would have worked much better as a prose-novel. It was too fast-paced near the end, despite an almost agonizingly-slow build up at the start. Despite my qualms and reservations, it will be interesting to see how the series develops in the second volume, but I wouldn’t rush to buy it. (Luckily, I recently got Volume 2 through NetGalley, so I could get to it a lot quicker than I otherwise would have done).

In conclusion, then, and coming from a huge fan of Brubaker’s other work – specifically his initial run on Marvel’s Captain America (and Winter Soldier), Gotham Central (review coming soon), and also Batman: The Man Who Laughs – I’m sad to say that this was a massive disappointment.

I borrowed Fatale Volume 1 from the local library.

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Green Lantern, Vol.1 – “No Fear” (DC)

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GreenLantern-Vol.1-NoFearWriter: Geoff Johns | Artist: Carlos Pacheco (#1-3), Ethan van Sciver (#4-5), Simone Bianchi (#6) | Inks: Jesus Merino (#1-3), Prentis Rollins (#5) | Colors: Moose Baumann (#1-5), Nathan Eyring (#6)

Hal Jordan is back from the dead – now watch as he re-establishes his life as a pilot. Standing in his way, though, is one of the deadly Manhunter androids followed by the Shark.

Collects: Green Lantern #1-6

After reading Blackest Night, its prequel Agent Orange, and Green Lantern: Rebirth, I’ve finally got around to reading the first collection of Geoff Johns’s pre-New 52 run on Green Lantern proper. And I was… well, not exactly bowled over, but nor was I exactly disappointed. It’s a fun book, and I’m sure it would be a good buy if you’re a fan of the character, but haven’t managed to read that much of his back-story or pre-New 52 adventures.

The first four pages of the book are a blitz-through of the story of how Abin Sur selected of Hal Jordan to be his successor. There’s a mention of the yellow impurity, which was properly explained in Green Lantern: Rebirth. The main story begins, as Jordan is trying to get a new job, back in the US Air Force. He’s struggling a bit, given that the guy he clocked to get his initial discharge is now heading up the program and division he would have to join to get re-upped. Awkward, for sure…

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The next two chapters focus on a rogue “Manhunter 2.0” and Hal’s attempt to put it down. As it turns out, Manhunters are not so keen on humans…

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The book is a little uneven beyond this, as we’re informed that an entire, new Green Lantern Corps is being called up, after the ravages of Parallax, which at least means they don’t know what Jordan became and what he did when he was possessed. Very strangely, at the start of one chapter (#4), what appears to be an alien, a gray, stepped out for a cigarette and is hit by a military jeep…

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There’s a lot of cryptic information and nuggets throughout this book, but it didn’t really feel like it was going anywhere. Jordan goes to see Hector Hammond. Who has a huge head… I wasn’t entirely familiar with the character, but he features in the rest of the book.

In Chapter 5, we get… SHARKS!! Big, f**k-off evil ones. In another example of characters evolving “millions of years” in one go by an apparent freak accident… It gets to the point when it feels a bit like a narrative crutch. Thankfully, we do get an explanation for all this rampant evolution. And also a huge fight against a shark-beast that Jordan apparently has clashed with in the past.

Also, while reading this book, I was initially very confused about the creepy little German-speaking gremlins that kept cropping up at seemingly random moments…

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In the final chapter, everything is finally tied up, and the German-speaking gremlins are explained. This was really weird. Quirky, not necessarily in a bad way, though. They appear to be experiment-obsessed aliens who like to dick around with others species’ genetics, technology, and evolutionary stage.

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The artwork throughout is strong, as you can see from the samples included here. It’s not particularly stand-out, but it serves its purpose well – Johns’s story is well-realised. It was not, however, anything I felt particularly strongly about.

“No Fear” is not a bad book, overall, nor is it a bad start to a newly re-booted series. It’s a little bit unfocused, but at the same time it is starting to show signs of the quality I’ve seen in later books and the New 52 Green Lantern (which is the reason I decided to pick this up in the first place). At this point, pre-New 52 Green Lantern isn’t nearly as strong as the first two volumes of the New 52 re-boot. I’m not sure it’s as good for new readers, either. That’s a lot of dissembling after I said it was a good book… But, in view of the series at large, “No Fear” just isn’t as strong as other collected editions or story-arcs. It’s rather quirky, though.

Will I read volume two and beyond? Absolutely. I’m just not in as much of a rush to do so as I was after reading Blackest Night and the New 52 Green Lantern.

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Review: THE DESERT SPEAR by Peter V. Brett (Voyager/Del Rey)

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BrettPV-DC2-DesertSpearUKThe Epic sequel to The Painted Man

The sun is setting on humanity. The night now belongs to voracious demons that arise as the sun sets, preying upon a dwindling population forced to cower behind ancient and half-forgotten symbols of power. These wards alone can keep the demons at bay, but legends tell of a Deliverer: a general-some would say prophet-who once bound all mankind into a single force that defeated the demons. The Deliverer has returned, but who is he?

Arlen Bales, formerly of the small hamlet of Tibbet’s Brook, learnt harsh lessons about life as he grew up in a world where hungry demons stalk the night and humanity is trapped by its own fear. He chose a different path; chose to fight inherited apathy and the corelings, and eventually he became the Painted Man, a reluctant saviour.

But the figure emerging from the desert, calling himself the Deliverer, is not Arlen. He is a friend and betrayer, and though he carries the spear from the Deliverer’s tomb, he also heads a vast army intent on a holy war against the demon plague… and anyone else who stands in his way.

The sequel to excellent The Painted Man is another epic instalment in Brett’s highly-successful Demon Cycle series. With the third novel in the series just released, I decided to finally catch up. The Desert Spear is a tour-de-force fantasy epic – brilliantly written, wonderfully realised, and highly addictive. I loved this. Continue reading →

“Green Lantern: Rebirth” (DC)

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GreenLantern-Rebirth-TPBGeoff Johns re-boots the Green Lantern series

Writer: Geoff Johns | Artist: Ethan van Sciver | Colors: Moose Baumann | Inks: Prentis Rollins (#2-6) & Mick Gray (#5-6), Marlo Alquiza (#6)

Hal Jordan was considered the greatest Green Lantern of them all. But Jordan lost control, allowed himself to be corrupted and transformed into the villainous Parallax. Later, Jordan reappeared and made the ultimate sacrifice – a sacrifice that allowed him to become the Spectre, the Wrath of God. After several years of activity on Earth, The Spectre became restless and sought a way to prove himself worthy of that noble reputation. See how a man born without fear and seeking to rebuild his life, puts cosmic forces into motion that will have repercussions not only on Earth but across the universe.

Green Lantern: Rebirth is the book that re-booted the franchise and character pre-New 52. Penned by Geoff Johns (who is fast becoming one of my favourite comic authors), it explains how Hal Jordan, who killed himself while possessed by the malevolent entity Parallax, comes back to life. As super-heroes are so very wont to do. It’s not a bad place to start, but this could be because I’ve read other Green Lantern books and series, not to mention later chapters in Johns’s run (don’t ask why, but I’m reading it entirely out of order).

So, as this book begins, there’s a lot of new and weird shit going on. First off, Hal Jordan is no longer the being Parallax. Instead, he appears to have become the Spectre, an incredibly powerful being created (maybe by a god) to go around the DC Universe meting out justice. Secondly, one of Earth’s other Lanterns (there are four), Guy Gardner is some kind of alien-shape-changer-hybrid, and no longer in the Green Lantern Corps. He is still on good terms with another Earth Lantern, John Stewart. Kyle Rayner, the fourth, final, and youngest human Lantern, who we meet in the first pages as he crash-lands back on on Earth, is oddly absent for a lot of this book.

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The first chapter is very focused on scene setting, for which I was grateful. The Justice League make an appearance, as they try to figure out what’s going on: Gardner appears to have gone biologically nova – he unwittingly unleashed a massive power blast that destroys a Green Lantern-themed bar (a bit tacky, but there we go), and seems to have lost control of his shape-changing abilities. It’s a big mess. There are signs of Jordan returning, and not in a good way, as many of his former colleagues in the Lantern Corps and also the Justice League only see him now as the Spectre. Batman, on the other hand, is highly suspicious. As he is wont to be.

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We learn more of Hal’s powers as the Spectre, when the Justice League confront him after he fixes the old, dilapidated airfield where he learned to fly, where his dad died, and where he met Carol. But then the other Lanterns start going nuts – Stewart attacks the Justice League members, and then Guy Gardner gets his ring back and then he, too, goes mental and starts attacking everybody.

The third chapter finally gives me the catch-up I’d been waiting for; as we get a very good history of Parallax, the Guardians’ battle with him (it?), and also the nature and cause of the “yellow impurity” that has a strange, detrimental impact on the Corps: they have a weakness against the color yellow… (This made me snort. I think it’s daft, and I can’t see how they managed to get this past the editors way back when. At least now, though, they have a decent explanation…)

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Then, of course, everything come to a gigantic battle-crazy climax, as revelations are had and surprises dealt out. Sinestro enters the mix, and things get even crazier and more brutal. I think I preferred the second half of this book, but I do see why Johns took the approach he did. I have a feeling that, had I read this issue-by-issue as released, rather than in one go, I may not have continued with it all the way. So yes, the final half of Green Lantern: Rebirth saves the book from leaving me completely lost and disappointed. It was still more all-star than I would like (why does the Justice League have to appear all the damned time?). I enjoyed the portrayal of Batman, as a suspicious… well, dickhead. And the pathetic fallacy of having him portrayed as always deep in-shadow was nicely done.

If you want to delve back into the pre-New 52 relaunch, then this is a book that could help. But, at the same time, maybe starting with Volume 1, “No Fear”, would be enough?

(I have already read “No Fear”, and I can say that both would have worked as starting points for me – with, again, the caveat that I’m not entirely new to the setting and characters.)

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The Ultimate Avenging Spider-Men Review (Marvel)

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I’ve been doing a fair bit of comics-reading the past couple of weeks, but I haven’t been reviewing much. Therefore, I’ve decided to clump some of them together. This time, as the title may suggest, I deal with some Spider-Man series: Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man Vol.2, Spider-Men and Avenging Spider-Man Vol.1. A mixed bag, but overall some good stuff on offer for fans both new and old.

Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man Vol.2, “Scorpion”

UC-SpiderMan-Vol.2Writer: Brian Michael Bendis | Artist: Chris Samnee (#6-7), Sara Pichelli (#8-9) & David Marquez (#10) | Colors: Justin Ponsor

A brand new chapter in the saga of Miles Morales, the all-new Ultimate Spider-Man! The new Ultimate Scorpion is introduced! Still discovering the limits of his skills and powers, Miles must learn how to be a hero from… Peter Parker?

Collects: Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #6-10

In this second volume of the post-Peter Parker Ultimate Universe, Miles Morales is still figuring out how to actually be the new Spider-Man. He’s had the nod from the Ultimates, who also gave him a pretty cool new outfit (something he realises needs washing a lot).

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The main thrust of this book is his continued exploration of his powers, as well as his continued struggle to juggle his normal life (at a boarding school) and his family life. Mostly, though, he seems to be having a blast, figuring out his limits.

His uncle Aaron, though, has guessed what’s going on and what has happened to Miles, and has decided to make himself a part of Miles’s life, and isn’t above blackmailing him. Miles must also face off against the Scorpion, a crazed criminal boss from Mexico, who has come to New York seeking out Aaron for retribution. It’s not pretty, but there is a ton of action.

Perhaps too much action, actually. I think more time could have been spent on Miles and his attempts to balance his life as a school kid and son, and being Spider-Man. There is some of this, of course, and that includes lots of nice touches – this is a a modernized version of the Spidey origin story, basically: he’s at a special boarding school, has a smart phone, and so on. It’s quite well done. I like his parents, too – they feel very natural, dealing with a young teenager going through his own… Issues.

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The artwork in final issue is my probably my favourite, but I also have a soft-spot for Pichelli’s.

Generally speaking, a good follow up to the first collection, and this continues to be a series I look forward to continuing with.

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*

Spider-Men

Spider-Men-TPBWriter: Brian Michael Bendis | Artist: Sarah Pichelli | Colors: Justin Ponsor

It’s the ULTIMATE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EVENT OF THE YEAR, as Spider-Man comes face-to-face with… Spider-Man! Can even Peter Parker and Miles Morales – the Spider-Men of two worlds – defeat Mysterio, the Master of Illusions? And what happens when Miles encounters an older, wiser version of his inspiration, Peter Parker? Guest starring Nick Fury and the Ultimates!

Collects: Spider-Men #1-5

Overall, this isn’t a bad comic. I do think it’s a little too gimmicky, though. Given how much Spider-Man and Peter Parker history it goes over, I think it may probably only be a must for real Spidey-fans, who are familiar with the long back-story of the various Spider-Man related series (as well as Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man pre- and post-Death of Spider-Man story arc). I knew some of it, of course, but I don’t think it had as much effect on me as it could have if I’d read a whole bunch of Spider-Man comics.

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I chuckled a few times, as there are some moments when the two Spider-Men are getting familiar with each other, and as other people get used to the idea of Peter Parker, grown-up, back in their lives (even if temporarily).

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Mainly, though, I enjoyed the artwork: Pichelli is a superb artist, in my opinion; able to keep things fresh and bright, filled with nice details and small touches throughout to keep us looking at the panels. Bendis’s story isn’t bad, either, but… Well, I’ve read much better Spidey stories.

This was, ultimately, a novelty and sadly a tad thin in the end. One for die-hard Spidery fans, but perhaps that’s it.

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*

Avenging Spider-Man Vol.1, “My Friends Can Beat Up Your Friends”

AvengingSpiderMan-Vol.1-TPBWriter: Zeb Wells | Artist: Joe Madureira (#1-3), Greg Land (#4), Leinil Francis Yu (#5) | Colors: Ferran Daniel (#1-3), Wil Quintana (#4), Sunny Gho (#5) | Inks: Jay Leisten (#4), Gerry Alanguilan (#5)

A brand new Spider-series that teams the wall-crawler with some of the greatest heroes in the Marvel Universe! Spider-Man and new Avengers teammate Red Hulk kick things off by taking on a Moloid army during the New York Marathon. Spidey and Rulk raise and lead an underground army in this action packed extravaganza – but when Red Hulk falls, only Spider-Man stands in the way of the Subterranean invasion of Manhattan!

Saving the best for last, we move on to Avenging Spider-Man. This series was always meant to be one that focused on team-up stories. The first three chapters feature Spidery’s quite hilarious team-up with Red Hulk (and, in a way, Mayor Jonah Jamieson); the fourth is with Hawkeye, offering quite an amusing intro for the marksman; and the fifth is a surprisingly heart-warming story featuring Captain America.

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The Red Hulk issues had me laughing out loud a couple of times. It’s filled with amusing quips, asides, background details and more that had me at least smiling all the way through. There story is pretty crazy, featuring a lot of bizarre underground shenanigans, as the Moleman and his little goblin-esque minions capture the Mayor during the start of the New York City Marathon. All is not as it seems, however, as something else – something bigger – has been pulling the strings, and wishes to come in and taken over the land above and below. A great introductory story-arc for this series.

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In chapter four, Hawkeye is pretty arrogant. I haven’t had much experience with this character beyond the Avengers Assemble movie, and a few other issues here-and-there, in which he is part of a larger ensemble cast or peripheral at best. The issue starts as a simple team-up, with Spider-Man having to suffer Hawkeye’s constant bragging and posturing (as well as a moment of honest vulnerability as he explains why he is constantly training) as they are sent on a mission. It morphs, however, into a very good ending, in which Spidey shows readers why many consider him the heart of the Avengers team. (I thought it was very touching, actually.)

The final issue is a heart-warming story with the Avengers, but really focuses on Spidey’s relationship with Captain America. Again, we’re shown the role Spider-Man plays as team mascot and heart. Peter helps Cap loosen up and remember (fondly) some of the more nerdy interests and passions of his youth. This was a really good issue, with some good action-scenes, but what really made it for me were the sweet and endearing final couple of pages.

The issue marries some very good, zany humor with a good amount of depth. It’s not too nuanced, but there’s an obvious love for the characters and medium on display throughout this book. I think it works really well, actually, making this not only a a great Spider-Man series, but great series overall. I’m really happy I picked it up.

(The sixth issue of the series is a tie-in to the “Omega Drive” storyline that was also in Greg Rucka’s The Punisher and Mark Waid’s Daredevil – which is how I came across Avenging Spider-Man in the first place.)

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“Berthold’s Beard” by Joshua Reynolds (Black Library)

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ReynoldsJ-BertholdsBeardA Gotrek & Felix short story

When Gotrek and Felix agree to help an impoverished nobleman reclaim his birthright, they are thrown into a battle for survival against a creature from their darkest nightmares.

Previously printed in the Black Library Weekender 2012 Saturday Anthology, Berthold’s Beard is a quick tale featuring the Dwarf Slayer and his human companion. It’s quite fun, too, indicating once again that the Gotrek & Felix franchise remains in safe hands.

Berthold’s Beard captures the tone and fun of William King’s and James Nathan Long’s G&F fiction, but does not ape their style. The story is an odd one, to be sure, but no less fun for it. It is, however, very short, which makes it rather tricky to review without spoiling everything. Our heroes have been hired by an heir to the Berthold line, to complete a legacy quest – they must travel to the ancient Berthold family country estate and return with something, by way of proving the nobleman’s heritage and therefore gaining access to the family’s vast fortunes. Sounds easy, right? Yeah, it’s really not that simple. But then, it never is when Gotrek and Felix are involved…

If you’re a fan of the series, then this short story will tide you over until you can get hold of the latest novel, Road of Skulls (out now in paperback and eBook). As I said, the series is in very safe hands, and Reynolds has faithfully recreated the fun and adventure of the previous instalments of the series. I’m really looking forward to reading his first full-length contribution (I may read it next week, we’ll see).

If you’ve never read the series, I think it’s about time you pick up either the first Omnibus paperback, or at least the Trollslayer eBook. If you’re worried because you’ve never read any Warhammer fiction, then this would also be a perfect starting point. (Many moons ago, that’s exactly what this series was for me.)

Recommended.

***

UPDATE: Apologies for getting the second author’s name wrong – it was, of course, NATHAN Long who took over from Will King.

“Yarrick: Chains of Golgotha” by David Annandale (Black Library)

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Annandale-Yarrick1-ChainsOfGolgothaAn excellent Commissar Yarrick Novella

From the ashes of the Second War of Armageddon a hero of the Imperium emerged. War-torn and bloody, Commissar Yarrick swore vengeance on the beast that escaped his righteous wrath, the despoiler of Armageddon – Ghazghkull Thraka.

Tracking down the ork warlord to the desolate world of Golgotha, Yarrick leads an armoured company to destroy the beast but does not reckon on Thraka’s cunning. Ambushed, his army all-but destroyed, Yarrick is captured and awakes to find himself aboard the beast’s space hulk facing a fate worse than death…

This is a very fine science fiction novella. Annandale has been writing for Black Library a while, now, and with each new release I am even more impressed. Taking on one of the most beloved Imperial characters from the Warhammer 40,000 canon, though, could be a daunting task. Annandale has risen to the task admirably, however, and has managed to capture the essence of Yarrick and his struggle against Ghazghkull excellently. Chains of Golgotha absolutely does his subjects justice.

The story is told from multiple perspectives, but predominantly from Yarrick’s. The others, from Colonel Rogge and Teodor Helm, for example, add extra colour and allow Annandale to step back and show us how those around Yarrick see him. It offers a nice juxtaposition with his own insecurities and recognition of how people view him. His loyal aide de camp, Lanner, is very good at keeping Yarrick grounded, for example.

“For my pains, my reward was a barrage of outrages too studied to be real. They were theatre for my benefit, and it was theatre that I needed, especially since Armageddon. It was one thing to be aware of one’s own legend. Lanner made sure I didn’t believe in it.”

The story takes place two years into this current campaign, and it is not going very well for the Imperial forces. Yarrik has accepted that he has a nemesis, an enemy who is making statements in his attacks and strategies aimed at him, taunting him at the same time as destroying as many Imperial forces as possible. That nemesis is Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka, a hulking beast of an ork warlord, who has been uniting hundreds, if not thousands, of ork warbands and has cut a bloody swathe across space. He is not an opponent to take lightly, but nor is he a typical ork leader.

“As much as it disgusted me to even articulate the thought, there was a monstrous truth that had to be faced: Thraka had the potential to become the ork emperor.”

Late in this campaign, we join Yarrick as he is leading his army to a rendezvous point. It’s been a long, hard-fought campaign, and as well as the continued depravations of the ork forces, support for the war (political and moral) has waned precipitously.

“I had to fight tooth and nail for every tank, every rifle, and every man of my army, every single day since the enthusiasm for the crusade had evaporated in its second year.”

Little does Yarrick know, however, that things are going to get much, much worse for him. As the Imperials are ambushed and their troops either butchered or captured, Chains of Golgotha morphs into a very interesting, unique Warhammer 40,000 tale. We’re taken aboard a vast space hulk, and Yarrick comes face-to-face with Thraka. As I just said, though, this is a highly original story, and nothing plays out as I expected. I will, therefore, not spoil any more of the plot – needless to say, though, this worked for me on every level.

Chains of Golgotha is a great intro to the character. I really liked the tone and voice of the story and of Yarrick. Annandale’s writing is excellent, as well. The author has a gift for giving all of his characters distinct personalities and voices. It hasn’t always worked for me in the past (Mephiston, sadly, was rather odd in Eclipse of Hope), but he nails it in this novella. I’ve also really enjoyed some of his other work (Carrion Anthem, especially). In this story, he once again shows his gift for bringing the maelstrom of warfare to life on the page – it’s an absolute whirlwind at the start, but on the hulk it becomes much closer, more atmospheric and in some ways even more brutal.

Yarrick: Chains of Golgotha is a fantastic novella, and hopefully the first of many Yarrick tales to come. Annandale is definitely one of Black Library’s best up-and-coming authors.

Highly recommended.

[Chains of Golgotha is also available as a special edition hardcover, but I bought the eBook edition.]

Review: BETRAYER by Aaron Dembski-Bowden (Black Library)

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DembskiBowdenA-HH24-BetrayerThe Heresy continues, as another brother falls

The Shadow Crusade has begun. While the Ultramarines reel from Kor Phaeron’s surprise attack on Calth, Lorgar and the rest of the Word Bearers strike deep into the realm of Ultramar. Their unlikely allies, Angron and the World Eaters, continue to ravage each new system they come across – upon the garrison planet of Armatura, this relentless savagery may finally prove to be their undoing. Worlds will burn, Legions will clash and a primarch will fall.

Betrayer, the 24th novel in Black Library’s New York Times-bestselling Horus Heresy series, advances the cause of the traitor Legions. One more brother will fall utterly into the grip of Chaos, twisted and manipulated by another. Dembski-Bowden, probably my favourite author working on BL fiction, has written a nuanced novel – one that is thought-provoking, tragic and utterly compelling. Betrayer is another excellent addition to the series. Continue reading →