10 Favourite Marvel Superheroes REVISED + A Thank You To My Readers

…Before I start, I have to give a HUGE thank you to everyone who checks out my blog. Not only did I break my former record for most views in a single day on my blog Thursday (the old record was 441), but just yesterday, the record was broken yet again with a total of 624! I could not have, in my wildest dreams, imagined that being a thing. So, to all of my readers, supporters, friends, and family, thank you all very much, and please continue to read my blog. Also, be sure to leave your own thoughts and comments on my articles as well. Really helps to know that people care about my stuff. ^_^

Anyway, a couple of years ago on my birthday, I made a list of my favourite Marvel superheroes. Well, two years later, looking back on that list, I find myself having some highly different opinions. Maybe it’s because I’m a lot more into Marvel Comics than I was back then, the addition of new characters, or just the continuing detriment of certain older heroes *COUGH!*PETEANDTONY*COUGH!*, but for whatever reason, I can’t honestly say that my top ten heroes of the Marvel Universe are the same as they were before. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at my revised 10 Favourite Marvel Superheroes, starting with probably the most obvious…

#1 – Kamala Khan, AKA Ms. Marvel

Yeah, not exactly shocking anybody with this pick, huh? lol Can’t help it, guys. This is a character who, in less than two years, has become as important to me as Stephanie Brown, maybe even more-so in the grand scheme of things. She’s a geek, she’s a minority heroine, she’s the protector of New Jersey, and now, she’s a Goddamn Avenger. She’s earned the respect and recognition of Wolverine, the Amazing Spider-Man, Medusa, and most importantly, her predecessor and personal hero, Carol Danvers. There’s no limit to how high this character can go, and frankly, I’m just excited to be part of the ride. 🙂

#2 – Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America

As I’ve stated before, even as a proud Canadian, I love Captain America. Admittedly, though, this is mostly based on his appearances in the movies. In the comics, some of his exploits are a bit tainted due to repeatedly faking his own death and, more recently, becoming more concerned with bringing in Tony Stark for personally betraying him, instead of being focused on saving the world. Still, in both versions, there’s plenty about him to be inspired by. This is a guy who had damned near everything working against him in becoming a soldier, but fought tooth and nail to fight for his country and uphold ideals like peace, freedom, and justice anyway, to the point where his dedication made him the prime candidate to become Captain America. And despite beliefs that everything special about him came out of a bottle, really, that’s not true. He’s not just a lab experiment. Really, the better comparison is that he’s like a Power Ranger: The powers are just a tool for stopping evil. It’s the person using them that make them special.

#3 – James ‘Logan’ Howlett, AKA Wolverine

ADAMANTIUM RAGE!!! 😛 What is it with badass berserker heroes with tragic back-stories repeatedly cropping up in everything I read, write, watch, and play? Logan, Raiden from Metal Gear, Guts from Berserk, and so on. But hey, they are successful as characters, and Logan is no exception. The biggest problem with Wolverine is how near-impossible it is for him to die. Kinda hurts the overall drama of some of his stories, since you know he’s damned near always gonna come out of situations without a scratch on him. Granted, as anyone who has watched the DEATH BATTLE between him and Raiden knows, don’t mean he’s ALWAYS gonna be okay. I just really hope that, when Old Man Logan takes his place in November, he doesn’t have the same near-invincibility.

#4 – Carol Danvers, AKA Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel, she’s our hero, gonna take the villains down to ze-Wait, did I already do this joke? 😛 Anyway, I cannot believe I was not a Carol Danvers fan when I first wrote the 10 Favourite Marvel Superheroes. I can’t imagine a time anymore where I didn’t think she was awesome. And I have to give a huge thank you to Kelly Sue DeConnick for showing me just how amazing this character is. You will be greatly missed as the writer of her book going into the All-New, All-Different Marvel. Carol Corps 4 Life.

#5 – Jennifer Walters, AKA She-Hulk

As I’ve stated before, take the Hulk, slim him down a bit, make him a brilliant lawyer, a bit more in control of himself, way more compassionate for people, and a gorgeous woman. The result is She-Hulk, and for those reasons I stated, I can’t help but prefer her to her more famous cousin. And frankly, I can’t think of anyone better suited to be the leader of the A-Force, and am so glad to see that the core six members of the team in Secret Wars will all be sticking together in the new Marvel Universe.

#6 – Prince Odinson, AKA Thor

Whosoever lifts this hammer, if they be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor. And hoo boy, does this guy know how to use that power effectively. 😛 Mind you, he doesn’t have it anymore. And no disrespect to his successor, of course. I have no problem with Jane Foster, just the writing in how this whole scenario is playing itself out. Regardless, I find myself liking this Thor just the tiniest bit more. But hey, who knows what the future holds, right? I just hope they can find a way to appease fans of both Thors, ‘cuz so far, it ain’t happening.

#7 – Gwen Stacy, AKA Spider-Woman

I don’t know what exactly it is about this interpretation of the character, but I honestly think this version of Gwen Stacy is my favourite of all the now-officially-named Web Warriors. She’s badass, geeky, clever, and creative. She takes so much of what makes Peter Parker’s story work while still being fresh and new. What else can you say but…

Spider-Gwen, Spider-Gwen
Does it better than Spider-Men
Spins her threads to and fro
Nothin’ like this white widow
Look out! Here comes the Spider-Gwen

#8 – Wade Wilson, AKA Deadpool

Yeah, ’bout time he got to me! I mean, I’m ME! Why waste time with the rest of these guys?! Fuck, I’ve been back from the grave more times than Wolverine, I’m the newest member of the Uncanny Avengers, and hey, I’ve got a movie coming out! No way I wouldn’t be on here after all that! After all, we all know ol’ Jygie likes to suck up to people in the spotlight!

Stop writing my articles, WADE!

Jeez, relax, JEFFERY! Getting kinda grumpy since you turned 30, huh? What, didn’t think you’d still be living with your parents this late into life?

Ugh, moving on!…

#9 – Anna Marie, AKA Rogue

One of the best damned X-Men of all time, and a founding member of the Uncanny Avengers. Rogue is the classy southern belle who melts the hearts of men and women alike. However, piss her off, and not only is she more than capable of kicking your ass, but just touching you is enough to send you to the hospital. In other words, stay on her good side at all time.

You’re tellin’ me! I used to date her for a while, until she touched me, and left me aching for weeks. And not in the GOOD way, either…

GODDAMMIT, WADE!

#10 – Natasha Romanoff, AKA Black Widow

I know for a fact that I’ve said this at least a hundred times, but I will continue to say it until it is no longer true: WHY THE HELL DOESN’T BLACK WIDOW HAVE HER OWN MOVIE?! Let’s look at her track record in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, shall we? She stole the show in Iron Man 2 (not that there was much of a show to steal, mind you), she stole Avengers, The Winter Soldier, and even Age of Ultron, where she was put in an out-of-nowhere relationship with Bruce and presented as someone who considers herself a monster, not for being an assassin but because she couldn’t have kids. Not to mention, her most recent solo series was basically a James Bond flick set in the Marvel Universe, and we all know how successful those movies have been. There is not a single character in the MCU that hasn’t had their own movie that deserves it more than Black Widow, PERIOD.

AAAANNND that’s it, everybody! Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe, and I’ll see you all the next time Jyger wants to suck up to superheroes!

… … … … …I’mma kill him. -_-

My Thoughts On The Black Widow/Age Of Ultron Situation

*sighs*… … …So, I figured I should probably give my two cents on the situation involving the infamous “Black Widow calls herself a monster for not being able to have kids” scene from Age of Ultron, seeing as how I didn’t talk about it in my official review. And sadly, I know going into this that I’m gonna say some stuff that not everybody is gonna be okay with, but I have to be honest and sincere, so I ask that you all try to bear with me and understand my point of view.

First off, I should probably clarify the reason I didn’t talk about all of this before. After all, you’d think something like that would be really important to me and that it’d take up most of what I had to say about Black Widow. Well, the reason I didn’t bring it up is…it honestly kinda went over my head. lol I’m sorry, I know I may be offending some by admitting to that, but it’s the truth. I was still so sad about what had happened to her that I didn’t really register it. In fact, now that I think about it, I wonder if maybe the hope for many that worked on the film was that it wouldn’t register. Regardless, I apologize for not picking up on that.

Either way, looking back on the scene in hindsight…yeah, it’s problematic as fuck. Still, whether it be by naïvety or through a sense that more was going on than they tried to make it seem there was, I think that’s not how the scene was originally supposed to be played out. I just get this feeling that there’s more to that scene that wound up on the cutting room floor, that maybe she went on to talk about more that happened in her initiation and afterward, the ‘red in her ledger’, which led to her calling herself a monster. It’s been suggested by some fans that she may have been forced to kill someone close to her to prove her readiness as an assassin at the time, and/or that she may have been experimented on like in the comics. Yeah, for people who have only watched the movies, you might be surprised to know that Natasha is actually technically classified as superhuman due to being injected with a Soviet-made variant of the Super-Soldier Serum used on Steve Rogers. She’s actually supposed to be roughly as old as Cap, or at least close to it. It hasn’t boosted her strength and abilities to his level, but it’s nonetheless improved her strength, speed, reflexes, and longevity, among other things.

However, herein lies a problem: Even if those were in the original script, and I REALLY hope that, if so, they get included in the home release, for whatever reason, they were cut. Instead, the scene plays itself out so that, after revealing to Bruce Banner that she’s sterile, Natasha says, and I quote, “You still think you’re the only monster on the team?”. I don’t know whose call this was, or who thought that it would be appropriate to have her say that, but I do know that, following this, Joss Whedon has come under heavy fire on social media, so much so that he has left Twitter on the pretense of getting some peace and quiet.

Now, because there’s pretty heavy debate about this, what we were led to believe would be her role in this movie, and whether or not her wanting to be a mother is feminist or not feminist, I’m gonna make my overall feelings about this as clear as possible. Is Black Widow’s role in the movie problematic? Yes. I think that, while there’s nothing inherently wrong with wanting to be a mother, the suggestion that she’s a monster for being infertile is gross and disturbing. Furthermore, the implication that the Avengers, particularly the Hulk, are used thematically as her surrogate children, is at least a tiny bit degrading for the whole lot of them.

With that said, though, here’s where I’m kicking the hornet’s nest. Is this something that should’ve been discussed with Joss Whedon? Absolutely. In fact, I would encourage the hell out of that idea. However, there’s one important minor issue that really, I’m sorry, you cannot pretend didn’t happen: Joss Whedon was sent DEATH THREATS by angry fans, and a LOT of them. And again, I’m sorry, but you can make all the excuses you want, and it will not change the fact that sending someone death threats until they opt to leave social media is not a discussion. That’s a mob. All that was missing were the pitch forks and torches…or pitch forks soaked in lighter fluid and set ablaze, just to get the ol’ two-for-one deal going. Now, to those of you who weren’t involved in that little ‘crusade’, that sought more diplomatic ways to express your disdain for what happened? Great. I applaud you, and hope that more people take after you in future incidents such as this. To those that were a part of it? I understand where you’re coming from, but you took it WAY too far.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. If I’ve offended anyone, I apologize, but as I said, I needed to be honest about this, and I hope that we can all learn from this situation and hopefully avoid having it ever happen again. Ja né!

Who I Think Of When I Think Of The Avengers

So, I’ve had a few days to think about it, and I think I’m just about ready to answer my own question: Who do you think of when you think of the Avengers? Just as a side note, these aren’t necessarily my FAVOURITE Avengers, and there’s even one guy on here that I actually kinda/sorta loathe a little bit. Nonetheless, these are the people I think of when I think of the Avengers, in no particular order…Although, before that, I should put on appropriate music.

Muuuuch better. ^_^ Now then, here are eight heroes I think of when I think of the Avengers, starting with probably the most thought of member of all…

Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America

‘MERICA!!! XD Seriously, though, even as a proud Canadian, how could I not love Captain America? To me, he stands for more than just American patriotism and idealism, but rather, he represents what we all hope to be, and I don’t just mean his physique, but his sense of honour and conviction. And while it IS a bit odd that he’s probably the first person most people think of when it comes to the Avengers, given that he wasn’t one of the five founding members, he’s been on so many different versions of the team that it’s hard not to think of him as one of the group’s most iconic members.

Jennifer Walters, AKA She-Hulk

I can’t help it, okay? I think of She-Hulk before the Hulk. Call it the feminist in me, or I just sooner gravitate to her than Hulk for…less noble reasons. ^^” Also, I constantly use her in Avengers Alliance, which, one of these days, I’m gonna post an article about, but regardless of why, I think of her first. And frankly, while the Hulk is clearly has the superior raw strength and power, She-Hulk is the more well-rounded in action. She has better self-control, she’s had formal self-defense training from Captain America and Gamora from the Guardians of the Galaxy, and while their overall speed might be similar, I’d imagine Jen’s agility trumps her cousin’s.

Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man

Yyyeah, not gonna lie, Tony Stark in the comics (and a little bit in the movies, for that matter) has become rather deplorable to me. However, it appears as though that after Secret Wars, he’s either been replaced as Iron Man, reverted to an earlier state of mind, or switched with an alternate universe version of himself. Frankly, I’m good with any of those scenarios at this point, because dammit, Iron Man at his best was one of Marvel’s best heroes EVER, and a founding member of the Avengers. Still, he’s not exactly the hero I most have a problem with. Wanna know who that is? It’s none other than the next person on this list…

Hank Pym, AKA Ant-Man

I hate Hank Pym. I REALLY do. I’m sorry, but his likability is EXTREMELY minimal, and none of that has to do with his powers as Ant-Man. With that said, I NEVER need to see him shrink down and go under the bed covers to give Wasp her jollies ever again, I’ll wake up throwing up every night until I die. No, it’s his personality that I can’t stand, even without his severe inferiority complex that makes him do half the shit he’s REALLY infamous for doing. And for the record, I don’t care if hitting Janet was a mistake or not, it happened, and why she ever went back to him, I’ll never know. Nevertheless, he IS a founding member of the Avengers, and one with a really useful power-set. I think it was Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes that really opened my eyes to that. Speaking of which, if you want a GOOD take on the character, watch that show. It does a FAR better job putting him over as a character and a hero than the comics did.

Carol Danvers, AKA Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel, she’s our hero! Gonna take the villains down to zero!………..Wait. XD Anyway, Carol’s been a pretty high-profile member of the Avengers for a long time, and has proven herself relatively early as one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Having said that, she might be the focus of one of the more infamously icky stories I’ve personally ever seen in the Avengers line-up: Avengers #200. I don’t wanna go into too much length about it, but if you wanna know the whole story, go watch Linkara’s review of it. Suffice to say, it’s most certainly for the best to never go back down that avenue with Carol, and instead see her fly ‘higher, further, faster, more’.

James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes, AKA War Machine

Again, this kinda goes back to Avengers Alliance. Specifically, dear GOD, that Minigun Barrage (or, as it’s called when he’s the Iron Patriot, the ’21-Gun Salute’, lol). But yeah, be he War Machine, Iron Patriot, or just good ol’ Rhodey, he is always ready to kick your ass. Sadly, he didn’t really have all that stellar a start with the Avengers, as Tony’s stand-in as Iron Man in the West Coast Avengers, which ended when the suit started giving him severe headaches that caused him to become increasingly irrational, and has since gone through some pretty harsh ordeals, like having himself converted into a cyborg (although he’s since ‘gotten better’, so to speak), but he’s also proven himself a loyal and heroic friend to many of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and has even now joined the team in the movies.

Prince Odinson of Asgard, AKA Thor

How can you NOT think of the God of Thunder when it comes to the Avengers? The new female Thor may be freaking awesome, but this man, this Norse God, is the originator of everything that makes her so awesome. And y’know, something I’m sure that others have realized by now and I’m late to the party about, Prince Odinson nowadays is kinda like Aquaman in the 90’s when they decided to make him look frakking BEASTLY. Think about it: Long hair, beard, prosthetic left hand (or, in this case, his whole forearm), and mostly topless. Hell, for those worried that he might get phased out in the new Marvel universe in favour of the new Thor, think about this for a second: He still has a lot of his old powers, and he’s got that giant axe and a prosthetic arm made out of the same metal that was used in the construction of Mjölnir. If anything, becoming unworthy just made him more badass! O_O

Natalia Romanova, AKA Black Widow

Agent. Avenger. Assassin. Subject to horribly controversial scene in the movie… … …Erm, that is, I figured I should probably give my two cents on the situation involving the infamous “Black Widow calls herself a monster” scene from Age of Ultron, seeing as how I didn’t talk about it in my official review. I won’t talk about it in THIS post, mind you, but I thought I should make it clear that, yes, I AM going to discuss it, as well as explain why I didn’t originally. For now, let’s talk about Natasha, or Natalia, whichever of her names is more canonically correct. lol Despite being experimented on in Development X’s Red Room to make her essentially superhuman, she’s one of the less powered heroes among the Avengers, lacking any kind of high tech suits, not being able to fly, and only having peak human strength. In fact, I think even Captain America has got her beat when it comes to being considered superhuman. As such, though, it really makes what she does as an Avenger all the more impressive. It’s not just that she doesn’t have those things, it’s that she doesn’t NEED them to be relevant, no matter what kind of threat the Avengers are up against. Mind you, there are others that I’d put in the same boat, like Hawkeye, but she’s the one that stands out most to me.

Anyway, those are the eight Avengers I think of primarily when it comes to the group. Lemme know what you think of this group, and… … …hoo boy, I just know I’m jumping into the fire with this next post, but check back in when I give my thoughts on the Black Widow/Age of Ultron situation. Ja né!

Who Do You Think Of When You Think Of The Avengers? Please Comment Below

Y’know, something that seems to happen a lot in comics is that superhero teams will go through multiple iterations with varying members that switch in and out of the roster. The Justice Society, the Justice League, the Avengers, the X-Men, the Teen Titans, the New Warriors, etc. Now, a word that’s been going around a lot lately is ‘iconic’, specifically as it pertains to individuals bearing legacy hero aliases or variations of superhero teams. Ultimately, though, what it boils down to is which version you think of first. Like, for example, I love the idea of people like Sam Wilson, Miles Morales, and Kamala Khan taking up the names of Captain America, Spider-Man, and Ms. Marvel. Thing is, though, as much as I love it and hope they stick around for the long-haul, unless your first exposure to the Star-Spangled Avenger was the book All-New Captain America, you’re probably gonna think of Steve Rogers first before Sam Wilson. And that is in no way a knock at Sam, it’s just how it is. Steve has now had five individuals who have taken up the shield in varying absences and has always found a way to retake it every time, meaning that in his 74 year existence in comics, he’s spent the vast majority of it as Captain America, and is therefore likely to someday become Cap again. The movies don’t really help much there either, since Marvel always tries to have their comics reflect elements of the movies for the sake of new readers that got into the characters and stories through the movies, except in rare cases. Like, I don’t expect Carol Danvers to become Ms. Marvel again now that she’s got a movie in the works as CAPTAIN Marvel, so Kamala is probably safe in her current role.

Still, that raises an interesting question: Is there a universally accepted definition of who the most iconic versions of heroes and/or members of superhero teams are? Because every comic is conceivably someone’s first, so who knows? Maybe some people’s first exposure to Captain America is the Sam Wilson version? And hey, Free Comic Book Day is meant to get new readers on board with comics, so it’s entirely possible that the first version of the Avengers for some people is the one that debuted there, assuming they don’t watch the movies of course. Likewise, people who don’t read the comics and only watch the movies would think of that team of heroes as the Avengers first and foremost, and would probably be shocked to learn that Captain America wasn’t a founding member, Hulk left within a couple of issues and didn’t return until 2012, and Black Widow didn’t join the team until a full 10 years and 100+ issues into the Avengers’ history.

As such, here’s the question I pose to you all: Who do you think of when you think of the Avengers? Do you think of the original five founding members of Ant-Man, Wasp, Thor, Iron Man, and the Hulk? Perhaps Cap’s Kooky Quartet of himself, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch? Maybe the A-Next team from the MC2 Universe, consisting of J2, Mainframe, Stinger, and Thunderstrike? Or maybe you don’t even think of one single version of the team, but rather different members that have been on various incarnations of the team, like Spider-Man, Vision, Wolverine, Luke Cage, or Doctor Strange?

So, basically what I want is for you to list the first five to ten characters you think of when you hear the word ‘Avengers’. Keep in mind, there is no wrong answer here. It all depends on who you think of. List them in the comments section below, and we’ll see who everyone thinks of, and if there are any universally considered iconic members of the Avengers. Ja né!

Jyger’s Rant: Avengers Age of Ultron Review (WARNING – SPOILERS)

Well, I’ve let my thoughts on the movie sit and stew for a couple of days, so now I feel ready to talk about the eleventh movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Age of Ultron. I should warn right away, though, that if you have not seen the movie, there are massive spoilers ahead, so if you don’t wanna have the movie ruined for you, skip to where I have labelled ‘Spoilers End Here’ to get my overall thoughts on the movie. For now, let’s run down the plot of the film.

So the movie kicks off with the Avengers going to Sokovia, a fictional country in eastern Europe. Remember that mid-credits scene at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, where we found out Baron Strucker was using Loki’s Scepter (likely procured due to Hydra’s infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D.) to enhance human beings? Well, apparently, in between these two movies, the Avengers realized that Hydra had it, and have been going through the process of finding hidden bases and clearing them out in the hunt for the scepter. However, while the operation goes well, save for Hawkeye taking a bad hit, and they wind up apprehending Strucker, the two Enhanced, the twins Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, not only escape, but Wanda uses her powers to feed Iron Man a vision of the future. In it, Tony sees the Chitauri return and the Avengers are all killed because he couldn’t do enough to save them. As such, he’s encouraged not only to take the scepter, but to examine it and, after he and Bruce find an artificial intelligence inside the gem of the scepter, try to use it to finish work on Tony’s Ultron program. Basically, a first line of defense against external threats to the world that wouldn’t necessarily require a second one. Meanwhile, Doctor Helen Cho repairs the damage done to Clint’s side with synthetic tissue. Remember this, it’ll be important later.

Unfortunately for the Avengers, during a victory party they’re hosting, which features appearances by Rhodey (who has gone back to being War Machine instead of the more PC branded Iron Patriot), Sam Wilson (who is still on the trail of Bucky following Captain America: The Winter Soldier), and quite possibly the best damn Stan Lee cameo EVER, Ultron comes online and is a bit…confused. After a quick search through the database and a conversation with J.A.R.V.I.S., though, he’s lead to believe that, for his mission to save the world to be successful, humanity needs to be eliminated. Specifically, those who want to protect the world but don’t want it to change. As such, he seemingly destroys J.A.R.V.I.S. and takes control of the Iron Legion, pitting them against the unprepared Avengers. Even after the Avengers manage to come out on top, it’s clear that Ultron is a massive threat, made worse when he escapes through the internet. He kills Strucker and regroups with Wanda and Pietro, and they plan to get rid of the Avengers. Luckily, said Avengers manage to figure out that he’s going to pay Ulysses Klaue a visit, who apparently smuggles vibranium (the metal used to make Captain America’s shield) out of the fictional country of Wakanda (which, if you’ve never heard of, you will in the Black Panther movie). However, while Iron Man is able to destroy Ultron’s newer, tougher body, he nonetheless escapes again, this time with the vibranium. To make matters worse, all of the team but Hawkeye are trapped in nightmarish visions from Wanda, which have caused the Hulk to go berserk in Johannesburg. Luckily, Bruce helped Tony build something to help contain him should he go out of control: The MK XLIV modular exo-skeleton, AKA V.E.R.O.N.I.C.A., or as comic fans know it better as, the Hulkbuster. While Tony DOES eventually bring Hulk down, though, the damage done to the city is pretty bad, and backlash against the Avengers is also bad.

Deciding to hide out somewhere and regroup (the team is still pretty shaken from their visions), Hawkeye takes them to his place: A farm house in the middle of nowhere, where Clint lives with his wife and children…and if you’re like me, you’re more than a little surprised by that. It seems only Black Widow knew about them, as S.H.I.E.L.D. tries to keep the families of their agents in safe locations and the knowledge of them known only by a select few. The team tries their best to recover from their mental trauma, with Thor going to meet with Eric Selvig to learn about his visions of Ragnarok and the Infinity Stones, Bruce and Natasha confiding in each other about their tragic lives and a possible desire to escape everything and make a new life together (they’d been showing less than subtle hints of a mutual attraction for a while now), and Steve and Tony doing what they’re mostly known for doing nowadays in the comics: Arguing. lol Well, okay, Nick Fury also shows up (was he just hiding in that barn this whole time?) to help get the team back on their feet, and they learn that, while Ultron has been going after launch codes for various weapons of mass destruction around the world, someone or something has been constantly altering the codes, keeping Ultron out. Instead, they eventually figure out the next phase of Ultron’s plan: To create a new body made of vibranium and synthetic tissue. As such, he’s used Loki’s scepter to take control of Helen Cho and is using her to make said body. He even cracks open the gem in Loki’s scepter, revealing, you guessed it, an Infinity Stone, which he embeds in the new body’s forehead. However, as he begins to download himself into this body, Wanda is able to peer into his mind, realizing what his ultimate goal is: Essentially, he’s going to enact an Armageddon-level attack on the world with the intent of forcing what survivors are left to evolve into a stronger race, though it’s entirely likely that there may not BE any survivors. As such, the twins decide to leave him and, as the Avengers arrive to take the body before Ultron can finish downloading himself, come to their aid, as well as help keep the civilians in the area from getting hurt. Unfortunately, Ultron again escapes, and has captured Black Widow along the way.

You may have noticed one thing about the film already that can be a problem: The overall structure. Most movies follow a basic three act structure. As far as I can tell, Age of Ultron more or less has a four or five act structure, which can be off-putting for some people. Regardless, the team regroups at Avengers Tower, where Tony and Bruce are at work. Tony realized that the one rotating the launch codes and keeping Ultron at bay all along was actually J.A.R.V.I.S., who survived the attack on him and went into hiding. As such, they’ve decided to reconfigure J.A.R.V.I.S.’s program and put him in the body Ultron built. This leads to a fight between the six present at the tower, and when I say a fight, I mean they literally come to blows, until Thor arrives and uses lightning stored in Mjölnir to awaken the body. Apparently, it was in his vision of things to come, and that the Mind Stone is the source of Ultron’s AI, the twins’ powers, and was what was powering Loki’s scepter. The power of the Mind Stone, combined with Thor’s lightning, the new vibranium and synthetic body, and J.A.R.V.I.S.’s program, brings to life a whole new being called The Vision. Vision makes it clear that he doesn’t WANT to kill Ultron, but because of what he’s planning, there’s no other choice. He has to be stopped before he annihilates humanity. Luckily, Natasha managed to get a message out to Clint, and they figure out that Ultron is hiding right back at where the movie started: Sokovia.

Arriving on the scene, and evacuating as many people as possible, the Avengers confront Ultron, who reveals his ultimate move: He uses a machine made out of vibranium to physically lift a huge portion of the land out of the ground and into the sky. Once it’s high enough, he’ll drop it with enough force to wipe out humanity. He’s also built an army of robots to contend with the Avengers, with himself in an upgraded vibranium body. However, while it is possible to blow the machine up before it can hit the Earth, there’s still people left in the city that will die if they do. Thankfully, Fury arrives with a helicarrier, a skeleton crew of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and War Machine to evacuate anyone still left in the city. Bruce manages to save Natasha, and the two regroup with the others, as they assemble to stop Ultron from activating the drop mechanism. Vision cuts him off from the internet, and they crack his most powerful body, causing him and his army to retreat. Wanda stays with the control panel to keep it clear, while the others go about helping evacuate the civilians and destroying all of Ultron’s bodies before they can escape, as if even one of them gets away, Ultron will survive and do this all over again. However, in the midst of the chaos, Ultron steals a jet and tries to gun down Hawkeye as he saves a child, only for Pietro to save him at the cost of his own life. In a rage, Wanda finds Ultron and destroys his primary body, which allows one drone to crawl over and activate the machine. Luckily, they all manage to get away at the last minute as Iron Man and Thor destroy the machine, blowing the landmass apart, as Vision tracks down and destroys the last Ultron body, ending the threat for good. However, fearing for Natasha’s safety, Hulk takes Ultron’s jet and flies away in stealth mode, deciding to go into hiding alone.

In the aftermath of the battle, Fury sets up a new base for the Avengers in upstate New York, since…y’know, having a giant tower in the middle of NYC makes you and everyone around you a massive target. Cho, Selvig, and Maria Hill all set up shop there, as well as the rest of Fury’s agents. Clint decides to retire from the team to be with his family, and Thor opts to return to Asgard, hoping to learn more about his visions as he believes someone is manipulating events to set up for something bigger than they’ve ever dealt with. Finally, Tony decides to take his leave of the team as well, which just leaves Captain America and Black Widow. Thankfully, though, it seems they’ll have a few new recruits, as Steve prepares to train Falcon, War Machine, Vision, and Wanda as the Scarlet Witch as the new team of Avengers. However, they may need more than that, as the Infinity Gauntlet is taken by Thanos, who proclaims “…Fine. I’ll do it myself.”

…SO, let’s get character stuff outta the way. First off, let’s talk about Tony Stark. This movie continues to delve into his PTSD following the first Avengers movie. He’s not having attacks like in Iron Man 3, but you can nonetheless tell how affected he is by what happened. Every decision, every move, everything he does in this movie, you can tell that he’s motivated by the fear of watching his friends be killed by the returning Chitauri. And what’s worse is that, as irrational as he comes off, as often as he makes decisions that are clearly not thought out that well, he’s right to be afraid. We know that this is all leading to Thanos looking to obtain the Infinity Stones, and where is one of them right now? On Earth. Worse, they’ve already earned his rage once. If he comes back with the rest of his army at their front door, AND the Infinity Stones, it’ll be a slaughter. They only won last time because of a conveniently placed off switch for the portal that let the Chitauri through. If it wasn’t for that, they would’ve eventually been exhausted, overwhelmed, and obliterated. Granted, the nuke kinda helped too, but something tells me that Thanos’ army will be prepared for that next time. So as much as what he does earns the ire of his now ex-team at times, you nonetheless understand what he’s going through and want to continue to root for him. Plus, y’know, he’s Iron Man and he’s a badass. And, as always, his snark levels are high for this. Oh, and the Hulkbuster being named V.E.R.O.N.I.C.A.? Apparently, that’s an inside joke. Veronica, as in opposite of Betty, like Betty Ross, the Hulk’s ex……..Not sure what to do with this information, especially considering that Bruce Banner actually helped build the thing. lol

Speaking of Bruce, I don’t know what happened between the first Avengers movie and Age of Ultron, but Bruce seems to have gone from having control of himself and acceptance of being the Hulk…to constantly having to keep himself as restrained as possible and being hesitant to releasing the Hulk. Seriously, what the hell happened there? Is there story we’re missing? I mean, I know there was a prequel comic to Age of Ultron that helps fill in when they got back together and started hunting Hydra, but if that’s where this development happened, I gotta call foul. Like, I get that it’s probably more compelling story for him, but it just doesn’t make a lot of sense. Still, I will give it this much: Seeing him leave on his own in the end is sad. His decision to keep Natasha from getting hurt by being around him is tragic……although, it would be MORE tragic for me personally, if this wasn’t a complete rehash of Oz leaving Willow in Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Even Joss Whedon describing the Hulk as a werewolf makes it clear he’s falling back on that story heavily here. Hell, Willow and Natasha are even both redheads!

If Hulk’s story throughout this movie was sad, though, Black Widow’s is HEARTBREAKING. I’m not gonna lie, and N. Harmonik can attest to this since we went to see the movie together, when Natasha explained that, as part of her initiation as a Russian spy, she had to be sterilized, I was on the verge of tears. I’m not much for crying. I’ve never really had a problem being emotional, but tears requires some doing. So yeah, while Joss loses points with me for retreading ground I watched him tread over 15 years ago, he nonetheless makes it back here, as does Scarlet Johansson for really selling this scene. There’s something about her subtle yet strong delivery that makes me wanna weep for her. And for Nat to go through all of this and wind up alone in the end, it’s all the more horrible. Still, as one should expect from Black Widow, she takes the worst that this movie can throw at her and powers through like a boss……Seriously, though, how many movies does this character and the actress playing her have to steal before Marvel Studios finally green-lights a Black Widow solo movie? Honestly, I’m not asking for the moon here, I just want a frigging Black Widow movie. lol

Captain America’s personal journey in this movie is probably the least compelling of the group, but it’s nonetheless something that plays into his overall character arc throughout these movies. Steve Rogers is a soldier, built for war, but when the war’s over, he’s not sure what to do with his life. The love of his life is on death’s doorstep, nearly everyone he knew in his old life is dead, his best friend is missing, and he’s a man out of his own time. By the end, we see signs that he’s accepted his life as a soldier with no possibility of a ‘normal’ life, but one has to wonder. Still, like Black Widow, while he might get put down by these things, he will not allow himself to stay down. Cap fights like a man possessed in this movie, pushing himself as hard as we’ve ever seen. He’s also got a device on his arm that lets him recall his shield, which is handy since, with some of the enemies in this movie, his shield doesn’t so much bounce off of them as it does STICK into them. There’s a running gag throughout the movie wherein he chided Iron Man for his language early on and people keep teasing him over it, and while it’s funny, I think they maybe pushed it a little too far. But most of all, no matter how bad things get, he refuses to give up or give in, continuing to be the symbol of everything we should aspire to be, to the point where, during a scene where the team all try lifting Thor’s hammer, he actually manages to budge it, showing he’s well on his way to proving himself worthy of Mjölnir.

Speaking of the God of Thunder, Thor’s story in this movie is actually something I wanna get into later. Suffice to say, beyond the pacing and act structure of this movie, there’s one other problem this movie has. For now, though, it seems like some of the stuff regarding his arc in this movie may have been cut for time. There was talk that Loki was gonna be in this movie, which I imagine would’ve been in the visions (because otherwise, how else would you even get him in here?), and a scene of a woman stepping into the pool that Thor enters at one point in one of the trailers, but neither occurred in the movie. One other running bit in the movie is, again, when everyone tried to lift Mjölnir and failed, though you could see a look of concern on his face when Steve budged it. Then comes The Vision, who is somehow able to lift it with ease, much to Thor’s stunned amazement. However, by the end, while Steve and Tony are trying to comfort him over it (in a rather amusing manner), we see that Thor’s alright with it, and uses the fact that Mjölnir deemed Vision worthy as proof that the Mind Stone is safe with him.

And that brings us to The Vision…who I absolutely loved in this movie. His overall power-set is a bit different in this movie from how he is in the comics, but I’m fine with that. And while he sounds like J.A.R.V.I.S., and even has maybe a tiny hint of his old personality, he’s clearly something wholly different, born from the sum of his parts into something completely new. His cape is probably justified in the movie due to having been created through Thor’s lightning, feeling a connection to him. He also has an interesting relation to Ultron. Despite Ultron having tried to eliminate him as J.A.R.V.I.S., he doesn’t want to destroy him. He sees Ultron as a unique being, whether he counts as alive or not. But, ultimately, he doesn’t have a choice. To him, Ultron is less-so evil than he is a rabid dog: He doesn’t WANT to kill him, but at this point, it’s the only humane option left. And while the team is at first distrusting of him, when he rallies them all together and even lifts Mjölnir, there’s no question in their minds from then on that he’s not only on their side, but he may be the only one who can save the world.

Let’s talk next about the twins, Wanda and Pietro…who, for some reason or another, are never, at any point in this movie, referred to as Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. I dunno, maybe it’s a rights thing. Speaking of, because Fox owns the cinematic rights to the X-Men and Mutants, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are obviously very different in this movie. They’re ‘Enhanced’, humans that were given powers through the Mind Stone in Loki’s Scepter, who had volunteered to such a process as a means of eventually getting revenge on Tony Stark, as his weapons were used to destroy their home, their family, and left them hidden under a bed for two days with what turned out to be a dud, waiting to die. As such, when Ultron plans to eliminate the Avengers, they’re all to happy to join his cause, but once they find out what he’s really after, they immediately realize their error and switch sides. Plus, after spending some time with the team, they quickly begin to learn that they’re good people and start integrating themselves into the group, becoming Avengers themselves.

While I still prefer the version of this character from X-Men Days of Future Past overall, I really liked this Quicksilver from pretty much his first scene. He’s snarky, cocksure, and full of energy. He doesn’t like staying in one place for very long, unless it involves protecting Wanda (because he’s technically the older brother by being born twelve minutes earlier than her, a fact he likes to point out). When he first meets Hawkeye, he develops a rivalry with him that, by the time they’re working on the same side, develops more into an annoying brother sibling rivalry type of thing. And, I’m not gonna lie, watching him sacrifice himself to save Clint and the child he was protecting was heart-wrenching. As I told several people, I had a feeling someone was gonna die in this movie and have it be for real (a lot of the Marvel movies like to do fake-out deaths), but I wasn’t expecting it to be him. And seeing that Clint named his newborn son Nathaniel Pietro Barton really brought it home that they’d developed a tight connection, and that his sacrifice would always be remembered. Personally, I kinda want a memorial for him in the new Avengers facility.

Regarding Scarlet Witch…….Okay, here’s where I’m honestly finding myself having to tread lightly, so bear with me here. I really like this character, and I’m SO glad that we got another woman on the team. Plus, after she had a little Heroic BSOD and got a pep talk from Hawkeye, which I’ll talk about in a sec, she bounced back and became BADASS. She was clearing Ultron robots out like a fucking demon, and when Ultron killed Quicksilver, she got her revenge by literally ripping his ‘heart’ out of his chest. Having said that, beyond her relationship with Pietro, I don’t really think I would consider this character all that faithful to her comic book counterpart. She’s a good character, she just doesn’t feel like Wanda. Honestly, with the changes to personality and powers, she feels similar to, ironically enough, Jean Grey. But regardless, that doesn’t devalue her as a character, just let it be known for comic book purists, you’re probably not gonna be 100% satisfied with this portrayal.

And then there’s Hawkeye……who has my favourite damned scene in the entire movie, when he says to Wanda during her breakdown, and I quote, “Hey, look at me. It’s your fault, it’s everyone’s fault, who cares? Are you up for this? Are you? Look, I just need to know, because the city is flying…okay, the city is flying, we are fighting an army of robots, and I have a bow and arrow. None of this makes sense, but I’m going back out there because it’s my job. Okay? And I can’t do my job and babysit. It doesn’t matter what you did or where you were. If you go out there, you fight. And you fight to kill. Stay in here, you’re good. I’ll send your brother to come find you. But if you step out that door, you are an Avenger.” In that one scene, they completely redeemed him not getting a lot of character time in the first Avengers movie. That and including his family. That being said, if they kill off his family like in the Ultimate Universe just to bring Clint back for Infinity War, I’m NOT going to be happy.

And last of all, let’s talk about Ultron. I actually thought the idea to make his personality seem like a dark reflection of Tony’s worked out great. He’s got a lot of the same snark levels and actually beats him to the punch of certain jokes. It also gives him a character trait wherein he more or less has daddy issues with Stark, and actually cuts off a man’s arm for comparing the two. But one thing I find very interesting about him, though, is how he interacts with Wanda and Pietro. He seems to legitimately care for the two, despite the likelihood that his plan might kill them, although it’s possible he’s not mentally registering that fact. He even comes off as somewhat hurt by their betrayal. Even in the end, when he’d inadvertently killed Pietro and was confronted by a vengeful Wanda, all he could do was tell her that, if she stayed, she’d die. In that moment, her safety still mattered to him. One has to wonder if Vision was correct about him, that he wasn’t really evil, just wrong and dangerous, and simply went too far in his misguided quest. And whereas Vision looks to him with pity, Ultron likewise feels disappointment in how Vision turns out, seeing him as a puppet. There’s a reason the original teaser trailer used lyrics from “I’ve Got No Strings”, and why he sings it during his escape. Ultron doesn’t want to simply be a puppet under anyone’s control. He wants to be his own individual with his own free will…which one can see as ironic and a little hypocritical for someone who builds his own legion of robots that respond to his will, but again, that can be seen as further enforcement of how he’s unwilling or unable to see his own mistakes. His last words to Vision were “You’re unbearably naive.” But, really, while that might be true, the same reflects on himself. Likewise, Vision’s retort that he was literally born yesterday also can be applied to Ultron, since he’s only got him beat by a couple of days. He’s quite literally a child. If he’d simply given himself more time to think things out, to learn about the world and how it works, and to learn about himself and his own emotions, he might’ve turned out differently.

So, before I wrap this up, let’s talk about one aspect of this movie that, while I personally don’t mind too much, is nonetheless a problem: All the advertisement for the Phase 3 movies. Look, I’m just gonna say it, and I don’t care who gets pissed with this one, but Iron Man 2 SUCKED. Why did it suck? Because the actual plot took a backseat to being a 2 hour commercial for the Avengers, which we were gonna see anyway. This movie’s plot didn’t necessarily take a backseat to being a 2 1/2 hour commercial for Phase 3, but it was still pretty blatant. Thor’s visions are setting up for Thor: Ragnarok. Captain America and Iron Man’s issues in this movie are setting up for Avengers: Civil Wa-…Oh, I’m sorry, Captain America: Civil War. I got confused because I looked at the cast for the movie and saw a lot of the Avengers on there. Wakanda’s mention is to set up for Black Panther. The mid-credits scene is setting up Infinity War, but I guess the mid-credits scene is always where we see advertisement for the next movie, and that’s okay. But seriously guys, we’re already gonna go see these movies, you didn’t have to do this.

Spoilers End Here

Anyway, with all that said, my overall opinion is that the movie is really great. It’s got a couple of problems that maybe hold it down a bit, but I think the pros outweigh the cons. That said, if you didn’t like the first one, this one’s probably not gonna sell ya. So yeah, definitely for fans of this franchise, but the plus side is, those that are fans of this franchise will likely love this movie. Those are my thoughts, but hey, feel free to leave your own. Ja né!

Jyger’s Favourite 5 – 5 Superhero Teams I’d Like To See In Marvel Post-Secret Wars

So, a while ago, I talked about characters I’d love to see make it into the new Marvel Universe when the dust settles and Secret Wars is over. As such, let’s talk a bit about some superhero teams I’d love to see either be a thing or continue to be a thing post-Secret Wars. Now, technically, we already know of one team that’ll exist, as we’ve learned that Captain America, Ms. Marvel, Vision, Ultimate Spider-Man, Iron Man, Nova, and Thor will be teaming up as the All-New, All-Different Avengers. But will that be the ONLY Avengers team? I highly doubt it, honestly. And frankly, there’s at least ONE other Avengers team that exists in the new universe. So, might as well start there. These are the five superhero teams I’d like to see in Marvel Comics post-Secret Wars, starting with the aforementioned Avengers team I’d like to see post-Secret Wars…

Potential Members: Captain Marvel, She-Hulk, Spider-Woman, Black Widow, Storm, Medusa, Angela, Wasp, Sif

As I’ve said before, a team of Marvel’s greatest superheroines? YES PLEASE! 😀 That said, while I get the feeling the version in Secret Wars will pretty much be damned near EVERY Marvel superheroine, I’m thinking the post-Secret Wars team should be a bit more streamlined. Captain Marvel, She-Hulk, or Storm would all be good choices to potentially lead the team, while the rest of the team should really be varied in terms of powers and walks of life. Of course, Black Widow works great as the least super-powered of the group, Angela or Sif would be good choices for representatives from Asgard, and there should at least be one Mutant and one Inhuman. And of course, there’s always room for long-time Marvel heroines like Wasp or Spider-Woman.

Potential Members: Steve Rogers, Thor Odinson, Rogue, Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man, Sabretooth, Quicksilver, Wolverine

Honestly, I see no reason to put the kibosh on this team. In fact, it might even be to the benefit of those that want to see Steve Rogers and Thor Odinson continue as key players of the Marvel Universe if they rejoined the team. Rogue, Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man, and Quicksilver all work as members too. As for Sabretooth, I can see him sticking around, though it may make things awkward if Wolverine DOES, in fact, return from the grave and rejoin his old team, considering their long and bloody history. And speaking of which…

Potential Members: Cyclops, Jean Grey, Havok, Beast, Emma Frost, Angel, Dazzler, X-23, Iceman

Would not shock me if, after Secret Wars, the All-New X-Men are more or less done away with, but that their future selves are influenced by their actions and thus end up in Cyclops’ camp. Would certainly make for an interesting scenario if Jean Grey, back in her adult form, was brought back, and now is on the same team as Cyclops and Emma Frost. Still, hopefully with the reboot, we can start to see Cyclops distance himself from his douchey and at times blatantly evil behaviour and try to make something better of himself. As for the other X-Men, well…

Potential Members: Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, Rachel Grey, Jubilee, Psylocke, Colossus, Pixie, Rogue

As I said before, I’m pretty sure the return of Wolverine is all but inevitable. As such, seeing him return to the X-Men would be a huge plus. And while I showed the logo for Astonishing X-Men, really, it doesn’t HAVE to be. It could be Amazing X-Men and be just fine. And, of course, all the big names in that particular camp of X-Men would be among its roster, though I wouldn’t be shocked to see some of the other students at the mansion and other X-Men join in from time to time. Now, while I would like to see Adjectiveless X-Men continue, there is one OTHER superheroine team I’d like to see get picked back up for the new Marvel Universe…

Potential Members: Valkyrie/Annabelle Riggs, Misty Knight, Dani Moonstar, Warrior Woman, Clea, Elsa Bloodstone, Ren Kimura, Nova (Frankie Raye)

I’m sorry, but I gotta know what the hell next happened with these characters! I haven’t seen them since the book ended, except for Valkyrie, and her appearances (that I’m aware of) didn’t allude to Annabelle or the team at all! Did they stick together? Did they split up? Are they still fighting Caroline and Morgana le Fey? Did Valkyrie, Annabelle, and Red get into some kinda twisted love triangle? Did they eventually end up fighting Galactus like Cullen Bunn wanted? WHAT’S HAPPENING?! lol

Anyway, those are five teams I’d love to see make it into the new universe. Got one that wasn’t here? Lemme know in the comments, and we’ll see what becomes of the Marvel Universe in September. Ja né!

My Current Pull List

So, since it’s been a really long time since I was blogging regularly, there’s been some obvious changes to my comic book pull list. New books came out, old books got cancelled or changed in ways I didn’t like, and so on. So, with that in mind, here’s my entire pull list as it is now. Keep in mind, this is always subject to change, and is going to pretty soon…but I’ll get to that when I talk about it. For now, let’s talk about…

Yeah, what a shocker, huh? Scott Snyder’s Batman has remained solidly good since the beginning of the New 52 to now. Granted, there have been dipping points at times. On reflection, Death of the Family could’ve been a lot better, and Zero Year lost a little bit of steam by the end. However, the title is nonetheless a great one, and Court of Owls remains one of the best stories of the New 52 even to this day. There’s just not much else I can say about it, other than that, in terms of writing consistency, it might just be the best of the New 52’s First Wave books still going today. What other book would I put in contention? Well…

Since day one of this book, it’s been an interesting ride, full of fun and controversy. First, Steph’s existence in the New 52 is retconned and Babs is made Batgirl again, immediately earning my anger. However, Gail Simone nonetheless wrote a great title, to the point where I just couldn’t turn away from how good it was. Then Gail Simone was fired, thus earning the anger of EVERYBODY. Then she was rehired in the wake of the massive fan-rage, though there were some changes made to the overall gameplan of what was in mind for the book’s future, which may or may not have resulted in Batgirl: Wanted. Either way, I opted to skip that arc because I hated it, even while written by Gail, but upon returning to the book when it was over, I found myself enjoying it again just fine. Then Deadline happened, and it immediately felt odd, at first seeming too dire, then seeming like a departure arc. Sure enough, right after I was done reviewing Batgirl #33, it was announced that Gail was leaving the book…and yet, this time, I don’t mind, because she’s giving resolution to Babs’ journey for the past three years, and the next phase of the Batgirl title actually looks like it’ll be fun and interesting. I honestly can’t think of another title that could go through that much shit and still be as good as it is, with the exception of Nightwing, although that book has since been cancelled. But yeah, happy to report that I’m still buying and enjoying Batgirl. And I’m not TOO bummed about the loss of Gail Simone, as this is not the only title of hers on my list…

Yeah, there’s one other Bat related book, but I thought I’d space it out a bit so as not to create the illusion that I only like Bat related books. Granted, this book DOES have a member of Batman Incorporated on it, but it nonetheless isn’t really a Bat book. So, why am I buying this book? For starters, because it’s a shit-ton better than Scott Lobdell’s Teen Titans, and I apologize if you like his work and get offended by my constantly calling him out, but I can’t lie: I REALLY don’t like his work. If you do, that’s fine. The team feels a bit more solid, the colour scheme works a lot better, and the fact that the pre-Flashpoint characters feel a bit more akin to those characters. Really, the only complaints I have is how much more edgy Bunker is, Raven’s costume not being as good as her old one, Wonder Girl’s features being given a bit too much attention for a teenager, and Beast Boy is green again for no reason other than to stop the bitching. And granted, I appreciate him being green again, but I would’ve liked an actual reason for it. Otherwise, though, not much to complain about, and it’s still early in the new book’s life, so they may make up for some of these things as time goes by. And on the subject of team books…

Call them the Justice League Canada or Justice League United. Either way, they’re still awesome. Why? Well, because of what Martian Manhunter says in the most recent issue: They’re a group meant to be a superhero team, PERIOD. No hidden motives or agendas, and all kinds of heroes from all walks of life and possessing different skills or powers, all willing to make the ultimate sacrifice play if necessary to protect the innocent. And what a team it is, with Martian Manhunter, Stargirl, Green Arrow, Adam and Alanna Strange, newcomer Equinox, Animal Man, Supergirl, and possibly Hawkman (who is supposedly dead, but they’re all but writing out in a message in the sky that he’s either not dead or gonna be brought back to life right away). Are they the most powerful team in the DC Universe? No, but I don’t think they’re supposed to be. They just FEEL like heroes that I’d be safe around. That said, one thing I’ve found bizarre is how the colour scheme of the team is simultaneously varied and yet repeated. There’s lots of colour to the team, like red, green, yellow, blue, and white. The thing is, each member has 2-3 of these colours on their person. The only other problems I have are that if you didn’t read Justice League of America, primarily the stuff involving Trinity War and Forever Evil (and I don’t blame you one bit if you didn’t read that stuff), you might be slightly lost as to what’s going on in the first arc of this story, and they’re only now going to do serious build-up and explanation on Equinox…after the first arc has already wrapped up with out her for the most part. Otherwise, still enjoying the book, which is more than I could say for the other Justice League books.

This book…is a bit of a mixed bag at times. Granted, I enjoy it for the most part, but it feels odd at times, and there’s whole issues I’ve skipped. The first arc was a prequel of sorts to most of the New 52, with Superman and Batman in their early days meeting up for a mission they’re ultimate destined to forget, and yet it’s still well written and hints at events that have occurred since and will occur later on from now. Then we got a story about the two fighting Mongul in this weird horizontal framing where you had to read the issues on their side…and again, it was still a fairly enjoyable read, as was the follow-up Annual. From there, it had a crossover with Worlds’ Finest, basically as lead-up to Huntress and Power Girl finally leaving Prime Earth for Earth 2, and Superman and Batman remembering what happened in the first arc…only to forget it all again a few issues later, which I ultimately skipped since I wasn’t buying Worlds’ Finest, but I hear it’s…okay? And as of late, there’s been a few stand-alone issues, crossover issues with other stories, and several issues that have had their dates pushed back. In fact, it wouldn’t shock me if EVERY issue that’s been solicited to this point will be pushed back. So, why do I keep coming back? Well, basically, Greg Pak’s writing. I really like his stuff. Granted, I’m not reading Action Comics right now, but that’s mostly because I REALLY dislike the Superman Doomed storyline. We’ll get back to Pak later, but for now, let’s talk about the last DC book I’m currently reading…

Yeah, another one of those books I never shut up about. lol I’m sorry, I just love this book, and I’m so upset that it’s only 9 issues long…which hasn’t ended its run in over a year. Yeah, another of those books that have suffered set-backs, which is especially distracting considering current events in other Superman related books and Justice League. Nonetheless, this remains a good book, and easily my favourite of the Superman books. Superman actually FEELS like the character, as do his supporting cast. And it’s nice to see a book that Superman stars in that has Wonder Woman cameo and NOT get hung up on their relationship. Yeah, that STILL bugs me. But yeah, the final issue is in October, so won’t be on my pull list for long. But with that, let’s take a look at the Marvel books I’m reading, starting with…

Despite some problems I’ve had with elements of the plot progressing a bit too slowly, I’m finding myself liking this book a lot. But more importantly, I like Miles Morales. As I said in my review of #3, the awkward teen geek angle works for Miles in a way that’s both similar to and unique from Peter Parker (both mainstream and Ultimate) and therefore feels appropriate for someone taking on the identity of Spider-Man. And frankly, while he’s still prone to screwing up and making poor decisions, I’m FAR more forgiving of him than, say, 616 Peter Parker, the man-child who traded a life with his wife and future daughter for life with his constantly dying aunt to the devil. Why? Because unlike Peter, who is an adult who acts like a teenager, Miles actually IS a teenager. Hell, he was actually younger than Peter was when he first became Spidey, AND he’s still learning the ropes, ergo being more sympathetic with more room to grow. Otherwise, while the story is a bit slow developing, I’m still a bit intrigued by what’s going on. While the most obvious resolution to the story seems to be the one that’ll wind up happening, it’s told pretty well, with some pretty awesome moments thrown in (most specifically in #4). Good book, easily the best of the Ultimate Universe.

Oh my God, this is so awesome! And much like Ultimate Spider-Man, the reason why mostly centres around the main character. Kamala, as I’ve gone on record of saying, is both unique in her heritage and incredibly relatable in who she is. We’ve ALL been Kamala at some point in our lives. We all were a huge fan of something, or felt like an outsider, or felt disconnected to our parents, or wished to the stars for something amazing to come along and shake us out of our mundane lives. Also, she writes Avengers/MLP fanfiction. You don’t even need another reason as an online comic book fan to love this girl. And the story can be downright hilarious, in particular the last two issues where she teamed up with Wolverine. Just think about that for a second: A hyperactive fangirl and rookie superhero with odd shapeshifting powers teamed with the veteran, grouchy, and currently in the middle of a story arc that’s going to resolve in his death Wolverine. I nearly died laughing several times during reading the past couple of issues. G. Willow Wilson, just keep doing what you’re doing. You have easily the best new comic of 2014.

Why does Black Widow not have her own movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe yet? Even ignoring how she stole the show in Iron Man 2, Avengers, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, just READ THIS BOOK. It reads like a really good James Bond movie, only with Natasha instead of 007. The plot’s dragging a tiny bit as of late to have other characters cameo and crossover with Black Widow, but otherwise, it’s doing pretty damned good. Also, the art is GORGEOUS. Can’t really say much else other than, if you love a good superhero and/or spy story, go check it out.

Yeah, I think it’s safe to say I’m becoming a big fan of Greg Pak’s work. I rated Storm #1 five stars on the very simple grounds that, after re-reading it a couple of times with the intent to nitpick, just to see if I could find anything to pick on, I came up with NOTHING wrong with the book. It was PERFECT. Didn’t like #2 as much, but that’s only because it revolved around the Morlocks, and I’m not exactly a big fan of them, and I was a little surprised by the stuff with Wolverine (seriously, how long have those two been a thing???). Otherwise, this is a great book with a lot of potential, and actually managed to sell me on the mohawk (up until now, I was more a fan of the longer, flowing hair). If you love X-Men, and Storm in particular, you owe it to yourself to at least check out #1.

This is another character that had better be getting a solo movie someday. And I don’t care if she’s Ms. Marvel, Captain Marvel, Binary, Warbird, whatever the frak you wanna call her, the fact remains: Carol Danvers is AWESOME! And now she’s in space with her flerken cat (just read the book if you want the reference, it’s hilarious, lol), hanging with the Guardians of the Galaxy, and kicking all kinds of intergalactic bad guy ass. So yeah, if you wanna read space-based superhero stories, this is the one for you. But yeah, that wraps up my Marvel books, with leads to the final title on my pull list…

This is another must-read. Red Sonja is just awesome in every issue, kicking ass and upholding her own style of justice and honour, all while taking time out to enjoy a pint and get some tender loving care…whenever possible, that is. Let’s just say, a running side-plot in the book as of late is just how irritable she’s been getting without sex. Right there with ya, sister. lol But yeah, Gail Simone’s Red Sonja has been a huge delight, and hopefully it lasts for a long time to come. ^_^

So yeah, that’s my pull list. Feel free to let me know what your own comic book pull lists are, and what you think of the books on mine. Ja né!

New Year + New Comics – Money = Having To Drop Current Titles

So, as I’ve mentioned before, I’m planning to pick up the new Black Widow, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk books when they come out. In addition, I’m honestly kind of enticed into at least checking out an arc of Iron Man‘s coming up soon where Malekith, the main villain from Thor: The Dark World, plans to find the Mandarin’s rings to gain even more power. However, since money’s gonna be a little on the tight side for reasons I don’t wanna get into, that means dropping some titles to make room for the new ones. So, let’s go through the books I regularly buy these days to get a better idea as to which stays and which goes.

Batman

Hell no, I ain’t dropping this book! This is the best frigging book DC puts out every month! Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo have been putting out one of the best runs of Batman in years, and I’ve been loving the crap outta this book since day one that I’ve been buying it, and I honestly don’t see that changing any time soon. Batman STAYS.

Superman Unchained

Again, the best Superman book of the New 52, though largely because it still feels like the pre-Flashpoint Superman. Y’know, the far better one. lol Not planning to drop this one, but depending on how long it winds up lasting, I may not have a choice. For now, however, Superman Unchained STAYS.

Nightwing

Nightwing has been great, especially since the move to Chicago (although I still don’t understand why there and not a New 52 Blüdhaven, but whatever). I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Nightwing has kinda been reminding me of Spider-man before Marvel ruined Spider-man. Now, depending on the ending and fall-out of Forever Evil, I MIGHT be dropping this book, or it might even be getting cancelled. We’ll just have to see what happens.

Supergirl

As great as Supergirl’s been, I’m thinking I might have to drop it, on account of a change coming up where Supergirl is going to be joining the Red Lanterns. Mind you, that all depends on whether or not this decision turns out to be permanent. If so, dropping. If not, we’ll see. Either way, though, I think I’m gonna skip the next arc involving Lobo, just because it doesn’t look terribly interesting and it’ll free up some cash.

Batgirl

Yep, I am coming back to Gail Simone‘s Batgirl, as was always my intent once Batgirl: Wanted was over. I won’t be picking up the next issue, since it’s a tie-in to an event I’m not gonna be following, but after that, apparently Batgirl’s gonna be teaming up with Strix, so that should prove interesting. So yeah, gonna say with some confidence that Batgirl STAYS.

Batman/Superman

Batman/Superman has been a lot of fun, albeit pretty different, and I do plan to get the trade for issues 1-4 when it comes out, perhaps for my birthday, but I don’t really plan to follow the crossover with Worlds’ Finest, so I guess whether I continue to pick it up after that will depend on what comes afterwards. Still, I give props where props is due to Greg Pak for making this a fun series, which is what a team-up book for Superman and Batman should be. Now if you could talk DC into bringing back the old Superman/Batman logo for it, that’d be great. I don’t care which hero gets top billing, just bring back the logo. lol

Talon

James Tynion’s Talon’s been AMAZING, but it’s also changing writers and gonna be going in a new direction, so I gotta wait to see how that goes before making a decision. If it remains as great as it’s been, and we get to see Calvin Rose and Casey Washington continue to be awesome, definitely gonna continue to pick Talon up.

X-Men

Brian Wood’s X-Men continues to be fun and engaging, which is good since it’s the only mainstream all-women team right now with Fearless Defenders being cancelled and Birds of Prey having Condor, AKA That Guy No One Cares About. And I know, the Birds have had a dude on the team before in the form of Hawk, but that was only ‘cuz Dove was on the team and it’s always best to keep Hawk and Dove together. Sadly, it had a little bit of a shake-up with its roster due to Remender deciding to kill off Rogue in Uncanny Avengers and Kitty deciding to go hang out with Cyclops of all people, but the current line-up works too, so I’m probably gonna keep with it.

The Movement

The Movement…Yeah, I’m sadly done with this one. Not Gail Simone’s best work, as I feel the overall storytelling and character arcs are kinda messed up, but the characters themselves are alright, and I hope that the book improves and gets new readers. Maybe I’ll pick it back up someday if that happens.

Red Sonja

On the other hand, Gail Simone’s Red Sonja is definitely sticking around on my pull list. This is Gail at her best, when the people above her basically just let her do whatever she wants, and it’s FANTASTIC. XD So yeah, Red Sonja STAYS.

Batman and Robin

And finally, Batman and Robin, or rather, Batman and Whoever these days. Look, I’m gonna be honest, I like Peter Tomasi‘s writing a lot, but at this point, if we don’t get a new Robin soon, this book is going to suffer a LOT. Why? Three words: Lack of direction. It feels like Tomasi is having to stall for the moment that either Damian comes back or someone takes his place. Batman and Two-Face has been alright, but if this continues for much longer, I may need to seriously consider dropping this book.

So, of the books I just listed, four are staying for certain and one is getting dropped. That leaves Nightwing, Batman/Superman, Supergirl, X-Men, Batman and _____, and Talon. Which of these books do you think deserve to stick around, and which do you think should be banished from What I Bought Today? Lemme know in the comments, and/or vote below which of the six you think is the best, and we’ll see what happens in the new year. Ja né!

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Happy Birthday to ME! ^_^ + 10 Favourite Marvel Superheroes

Yep, it’s still my birthday, and having listed my 10 favourite DC heroes, it’s now time to list my favourite Marvel heroes. And I think I’d like to start of with THIS guy, just so I can get my issues over, done with, and outta the way first thing so that I may end on a happier note…

#1 – Peter Parker, AKA The Amazing Spider-Man

………*sighs, putting down the fedora* Okay, here’s the REAL truth. You wanna know why it is that I’m so bothered by the writing of Spider-Man these days? The deal with Mephisto, the back-tracking of his character, the refusal to let him grow up, and now the Superior Spider-Man nonsense, all just to name the biggest problems. It’s not just because it’s really crappy writing, even though it is. It’s not just because it makes me feel afraid to get into any Marvel character since they could do the same with them, and I still do feel that at times. No, at the core of it, it’s a really simple issue: The Amazing Spider-Man was my hero, right along with Batman. They were both brilliant heroes who fought for the good of mankind, even when it felt like the whole world could be against them at times…and now, my image of Peter Parker will ALWAYS be marked by what he did in One More Day, until such time happens as the deal with Mephisto is reversed, which considering recent events, probably isn’t happening.

And while I generally tend to side with my comic book loving idol, Linkara, here’s a point where I disagree with him: Spider-Man isn’t dead. Why?  Because rather than just kill the mainstream Peter Parker and be done with it, they instead have opted to keep him on constant life-support as to continuously wail on his balls over and over and over again. And it is sickening to those of us who are hoping to see Pete somehow emerge from all these events with his dignity restored, but considering he’s now made deals with the devil, been brain-swapped with Doc Ock, been unknowingly raped by his Aunt, and now been beaten by Doc Ock in the landscape of his own mind, if Peter DOES return, any kind of dignity he ever had is long since gone.

ANYWAY, rant over…for now. As for my favourite interpretations of the character, while the pacing of the 90’s Spider-Man cartoon could be insanely fast in some episodes, it was still a good show overall and represented Peter pretty well. Likewise, I really liked the Tobey Maguire movies too, albeit there were a few moments I might wanna change up. Also, while the Ultimate Universe can be very up and down, I will say that if nothing else, Ultimate Peter Parker went out a badass hero in those comics, and his replacement, Miles Morales, has been pretty awesome too.

#2 – Anna Marie, AKA Rogue

…Yeah, without a doubt, Rogue is my favourite Marvel hottie. Mind you, it’s impossible to touch her and not wind up in a hospital at best, but still plenty to admire about the girl. Strong, smart, beautiful, and a desire to do real good in the world, even when it’s prejudiced against her and her kind. She now serves on both the X-Men and the Uncanny Avengers. Probably my favourite take of her was on the old X-Men animated series, though the problem with that show back then was that if you missed a single episode, you were frakked. lol

#3 – Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man

I AM IRON MA-Why does everyone associate that song with the character? Seriously, they’re not even close to being the same character. Anyway, Tony Stark is one of the five founding members of the Avengers, and has long since been one of the major characters of the Marvel Universe. While his every move hasn’t exactly been very heroic (the Superhuman Registration Act, for example), he’s since gone to great lengths to redeem himself and rebuild his reputation and his standing with his fellow heroes all the way from the bottom to the very top. As for my favourite portrayal of Iron Man, gotta go with Robert Downey, Jr. While the plot of the Iron Man movies have occasionally been swing and miss, Rob pretty much OWNS the role.

#4 – James ‘Logan’ Howlett, AKA Wolverine

ADAMANTIUM RAGE!!! Wolverine is frigging awesome, albeit kinda psychotic on a number of occasions. Still, you can’t help but feel bad for Logan sometimes. His past is a never-ending spiral of pain and sorrow, he’s doomed to outlive everyone around him, and again, for some reason, the Marvel civilians are still assholes toward mutants. And yet, despite all that, he’s still a badass saving both ordinary humans and mutants from the worst scum of the universe as a member of both the X-Men and the Uncanny Avengers. Plus, probably one of the best and most famous Canadian superheroes. ^_^ And with all due respect to Hugh Jackman, my favourite interpretation of the character is from the old cartoon.

#5 – Ororo Munroe, AKA Storm

And another mutant, and possibly one of the most powerful X-Men ever. Storm has always been frigging awesome in how she can command the weather however she sees fit. She now acts as co-leader with Wolverine. Hard to pin down a favourite interpretation of the character, since I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a bad one, so take from that what you will.

#6 – Dr. Bruce Banner, AKA The Incredible Hulk

Say it with me now, HULK SMASH!!! Hulk is freaking awesome. Another of the founding members of the Avengers, Hulk might be lacking in self-control and can be a problem for the good guys, but when he’s on their side, it’s officially a bad day to be a bad guy. What’s funny is that his abilities are actually quite similar to Golden Age Superman: Uncanny leaping ability, insane amounts of strength, and virtually indestructible. In fact, if I may be so bold, his physical strength may be even greater than Superman’s. Again, hard to pick out a favourite version, but the one in Avengers is pretty awesome.

#7 – Natasha Romanoff, AKA The Black Widow

Former assassin turned heroine and member of the Avengers, Natasha Romanoff is too awesome for words. Again, this is based generally off the version in Iron Man 2 and Avengers, but she was amazing, even managing to outwit the trickster Loki. Not too thrilled with her choice of weapons, a pair of revolvers. But that’s the old-school Batman fan in me, and I guess in a world like the one she’s in, without powers, you kinda need some equalizers.

#8 – Thor Odinson

The God of Thunder and son of the Asgard God, Odin, Thor is another Marvel Superhero with power approaching that of Superman’s. In fact, the two have fought on two occasions. During the first bout, Thor managed to best Superman, but the second battle didn’t go so well with the God of Thunder. Still, one could have a FAR worse win/loss record against the Man of Steel. And I know, I sound like a broken record, but Avengers interpretation for the win. lol

#9 – Jennifer Walters, AKA She-Hulk

Okay, real simple. Take everything that’s awesome about the Hulk. Now slim him down considerably, but still musclebound and retaining his abilities. Now make him a hot chick. Thus, She-Hulk is born, and she is AMAZING. ^_^ Kinda stuck for a favourite version of her, and before anyone brings up Age of Ultron, if anyone believes the people killed in this comic are really dead, please slap yourself. HARD. lol

#10 – Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America

Okay, I’m a proud Canadian, and even I love Captain America. In much the same way that Superman embodies hope in the DC universe, so too does Steve Rogers in Marvel. Given the superhuman serum because of how dedicated he was to protecting peace, freedom, and justice, Captain America fights not for himself, but for others. And again, my favourite interpretation of the character is probably from the Avengers movie, though I REALLY loved his cameos in the Spider-Man cartoon. Also, just gonna throw this out there, Captain America and Thor fighting legions of the undead, best part of the otherwise shitty Ultimatum. ^_^

So I don’t ever wanna hear that I got nothing good to say about Marvel superheroes, okay? I just listed my 10 favourites. lol Anyway, that’s it for me, and it is now officially time I went to bed, so I am outta here. Ja né!