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Marvelous May – Captain Marvel vs Emma Frost
Well, it’s finally time, folks! Welcome to Marvelous May!
And thus, we can finally begin the fan-vote tournament of Marvel superheroines. And right off the bat, we’ve got one hell of a showdown that, to the best of my knowledge (and a quick Google search) has never been seen in the pages of Marvel Comics: Captain Marvel, AKA Carol Danvers, vs White Queen, AKA Emma Frost!
Captain Marvel
In a world of Mutants, aliens, Inhumans, Gods, other dimensional beings, and swallowers of entire worlds, there are few with the résumé of one Carol Susan Jane Danvers. Created in 1968 as a supporting character for Mar-Vell, the then Captain Marvel, she was an officer of the United States Air Force at the time, until a device belonging to an alien race, the Kree, exploded, and she was caught in the blast radius. But because this is a comic book, instead of doing the logical thing and killing her, the device, revealed to be a “Psyche-Magnetron”, melded Mar-Vell’s genetic structure with her own, effectively making her half-Kree. Finding herself with superpowers, she decided to take on the name of Ms. Marvel, though nowadays, following the death of Mar-Vell, she has taken up the alias of Captain Marvel. She’s able to absorb different forms of energy to boost her already impressive strength, speed, stamina, and reflexes, can fire the energy back out in photonic blasts, and can fly at supersonic speeds. She also possesses a seventh sense, wherein she’s able to predict her opponent’s next moves, and possesses immunity to a number of different poisons and toxins due to her mixed physiology. Beyond her abilities as Captain Marvel, though, Carol is also an experienced pilot and combatant, and has gained experience over the years as a leader, having led the Avengers at one point, and more recently working as the commander of the Alpha Flight Space Program’s Low-Orbit Space Station, Earth’s first line of defense against extraterrestrial threats. And just tossing this out there? Kelly Sue DeConnick’s run on Captain Marvel might just be one of my all-time favourite comics EVER, and I am eagerly (and admittedly nervously) waiting to see who Marvel Studios casts as Carol for her upcoming film, which will be the first stand-alone movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a female lead.
Emma Frost
To say Emma Frost’s alignment in terms of being a heroine or villainess has been complicated over the years would be a gross understatement. Needless to say, the White Queen’s no angel, whether as a member of the villainous and socially elite Hellfire Club, or as a high-ranking member of the X-Men. She is a skilled manipulator, thanks in part to her Mutant ability to read minds, though this can largely be attributed to her rather troubled upbringing giving her an overall lack of decency and morality. As such, she’s been known to do some rather…unethical things, like gleaning massive amounts of information from people, track others with psychic abilities, mind wipe and manipulate as she sees fit, and was caught having a telepathic affair with Scott Summers, AKA Cyclops, while he was still married to Jean Grey. However, she’s not without her good side, as she HAS helped the X-Men save the world on numerous occasions, whether it was appreciated or ever desired to begin with. And while romantic affiliation with Scott wasn’t without its more controversial moments, her feelings for him were largely genuine, and she has helped him however she could to get over his personal trauma and demons. In fact, she could get downright possessive of him to the point where, if you did ANYTHING to harm or insult him, she’d make you VERY sorry. She also has a secondary Mutation: She can coat herself in an organic diamond form to give her enhanced strength, durability, stamina, and immunity from other psychic abilities and attacks. The only downside is that she cannot use her own in this state, meaning she has to be able to identify and respond to threats appropriately using the right abilities. Oh, and as a side-note? If there is a more over-sexualized woman in the history of comic books than Emma Frost…I don’t know that I wanna meet them. lol
Anyway, voting on this match-up shall now begin. You have until May 8th, when the first bout of the second round begins, to vote in the comments below on who you want to see move on. Also, if you wanna know more about these characters, click the links below to learn all about their histories. And be sure to check back in for the next match-up: The Wasp vs She-Hulk. Ja né!
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. -_-
Spider-Gwen #5 and Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #1 Previews
Carol Corps… … …erm… …Gwen Aggregation, unite! It’s time for early looks at this week’s comics, starting with Spider-Gwen #5!
- Still haunted by the death of her world’s young Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy pays a visit to the two people who knew him best.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/spider-gwen-5-marvel-comics-2015
Next up, take a drive down the highway to the danger zone with Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #1!
- Atten-Hut! These ladies are the best of the best–and will take you down if you threaten their Captain.
- Welcome to Hala Field, where being a part of the elite Carol Corps, requires guts, guile and a whole lot of grit. So put on your uniform and get ready for a high-flying Captain Marvel series years in the making.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/captain-marvel-the-carol-corps-1-marvel-comics-2015
Captain Marvel #15 Preview
Welcome home, Carol. Enjoy the apocalypse. It’s Captain Marvel #15!
- She’s back!
- With the galaxy behind her and her beloved earth in front, Carol gets ready for a homecoming a year in the making!
- Except for the whole THE END IS NIGH thing…
http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/captain-marvel-15-marvel-comics-2015
Previews For Next Week’s Comics: Justice League United #10, Spider-Gwen #2, Ms. Marvel #13, and Captain Marvel #13
…Fuck it. I’m getting four comics next week, all of whom have previews out, so I’m just gonna post the links to them all at once. Let’s start with JLU #1o.
Justice League United #10
“The Infinitus Saga” reaches its stunning conclusion! The combined might of the JLU, the Legion of Super-Heroes, the Rannian War Fleet and the Thanagarians learn the true meaning of sacrifice as events unfold that will change the DC Universe forever!
http://www.comicosity.com/exclusive-preview-justice-league-united-10/
Spider-Gwen #2
WHO IS THE VULTURE?!
• Gwen finds herself between a rock (this vulture) and a hard place (the entire NYPD)!
• Don’t miss this second issue of the Spider-Character who set the world on fire!
http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/spider-gwen-2-marvel-comics-2015
Ms. Marvel #13
• A mysterious stranger arrives in Jersey City!
• Is it possible Kamala Khan is about to develop… a CRUSH?! Yes. It is.
• DRAMA! INTRIGUE! ROMANCE! SUSPENSE! PUNCHING THINGS!
http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/ms-marvel-13-marvel-comics
Captain Marvel #13
• Look out, Mighty Marvelites! In this issue, Captain Marvel faces against space swashbucklers!
• Who would you put your bets on — Captain Marvel or a group of bloodthirsty Space Pirates?
http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/captain-marvel-13-marvel-comics
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!
What I Bought This Past Week – The Marvel and Dynamite Books (Fearless Defenders #11, X-Men #7, Legends of Red Sonja #1, Red Sonja #5) (WARNING – SPOILERS)
Time for the other half of…
Hey Woolie, “When’s Mahvel”? Right now! XD We got two Marvel comics, two Dynamite comics, a double helping of Gail Simone, two superheroine team books, and just about every well-known woman writer and artist in the biz these days (that was available) teaming up to do a single book, so let’s get started! It’s Ladies Night, starting with Fearless Defenders #11!
Dammit, why is this book getting cancelled next month?! WHY?! We just started a subplot involving Annabelle and Ren, and knowing my luck, it could be months before we ever see either of them again! Seriously, we need to get as many people as we can to buy the trade when it comes out, maybe that’ll convince Marvel to bring this book back. In the meantime, though, it looks like the last two issues revolve around the Amazons and Warrior Woman’s attempts to try to steer them into being a more peaceful race than the army of bloodthirsty warriors they’ve been. Only problem is that the literal mother of all monsters has decided to give them a better deal than Hippolyta is. Oh, and also, Annabelle and Ren had sex…I don’t know how they managed it, given Ren’s little situation with her hands, but they did it. Good issue, just sad that there’s only one more to go.
X-Men #7 was a little odd at first, since I had to get adjusted to some of the changes that occurred during Battle of the Atom. Long story short, Jubilee met a future version of Shogo (the kid she’s looking after), and Kitty and the past versions of the X-Men from All-New X-Men decided to join present day Cyclops because…I guess they like working with obvious terrorists? No, I’m sorry, I’m not over this: Scott Summers is a villain now. I keep hearing people defending, and I don’t know how they cannot argue this point. He got sent to prison for a pretty damned good reason, got busted out, and is now working underground with Magneto and Emma Frost, not to mention the fact that he’s always been kind of an asshole, a point he even kinda admitted to at the end of Avengers vs X-Men when he said that Charles Xavier was responsible for the best in him. Speaking of which, whatever happened to Professor X? Oh yeah, he got MURDERED BY SCOTT SUMMERS! You can’t even say it wasn’t his fault since the Phoenix to possessed him and his group, when he was allowing the Phoenix to come back in the first place! Scott Summers = EVIL!
…What was I talking about? Oh yeah, X-Men #7. So yeah, Jubilee’s gone, and I’m assuming Rogue has stuff she needs to do with the Uncanny Avengers, since she’s not around either. Instead, we have Karima Shapander, the former Omega Sentinel now back to normal and trying to get her life back on track, and Monet Yvette Clarisse Maria Therese St. Croix…Or just Monet, that works too. o.O Long story short, Ana Cortes, the heir to a billion-dollar company with diversifications in shipping, oil, real estate, and weapons, has uploaded Lady Deathstrike‘s consciousness into her body, becoming a combination of the two. At first, she wants to get ahold of the Omega Sentinel. When a confrontation with Money and Karima ends bad for her, she then learns about something far more powerful that she plans to obtain: Arkea. On a side-note, it seems Jubilee is actually going to be able to legally adopt Shogo without any problems, and we finally get an explanation for the little scuffle between Bling and Mercury in X-Men #1: Bling asked Mercury out, and Mercury freaked out and punched her…Okay, I’ll admit, I’m not very knowledgeable on either character, but I was under the impression that Mercury was supposed to be a bit likeable than that. However, Bling tells Jubilee that it’s alright, because she doesn’t like Mercury like that anymore, and that she likes someone else now…while looking right into Jubilee’s eyes…Um, I feel the need to again point out that I’m not very knowledgeable about Bling, but considering that she’s attending the school while Jubilee USED to be a student and is now simply staying there…Okay, I’ll just ask. How sizeable is the age difference between the two? Because if it’s just a few years, that’s fine, but if it’s more than that, this could get into kinda icky territory. So yeah, somebody in the comments section, let me know what the approximate age difference is so I can move on from that. Overall, though, a good jumping-back-on issue.
Legends of Red Sonja #1, the name pretty much says it all. It’s about a bunch of people telling their own stories of the exploits of Red Sonja. However, to me, the true appeal of the Legends of Red Sonja series is the fact that Gail Simone has gathered an all-star team of female writers, authors, artists, and more to put this book together. Names like Carla Speed McNeil (Finder, Queen & Country), Marjorie Liu (Astonishing X-Men, Tiger Eye, X-23), Nancy A. Collins (Swamp Thing, Jason Vs. Leatherface, the Final Destination tie-ins), Kelly Sue DeConnick (Captain Marvel, 30 Days of Night, Blue Dragon, Fruits Basket), Molly Mahan (Vampirella, The Mocking Dead, Codename: Action), Devin Grayson (Batman, Catwoman, Black Widow, and even Linkara’s favourite comic book series of all time, The Titans), and many more. Women who love comics, feminists who love comes, you owe it to yourselves to, at the very least, give this book a look.
Speaking of Red Sonja, Red Sonja #5 gives us even more bloody barbarian brilliance. We get some more awesome dialogue between her and her bodyguards, where we see she has actually become MORE pissed off by Annisia shutting down one of her favourite taverns. By the end, the late King’s son uses leeches to cure Sonja of the plague, and she takes on Annisia in the arena where they battled together for their lives as slaves. However, this seems to have worked out in someone else’s favour, as they are cornered by the forces of the man who made them slaves, King Bazrat. And just that name, Bazrat, makes him insanely evil to me. lol But yeah, the conclusion comes next month, and I can’t wait to see how Gail Simone wraps up her first arc with Red Sonja.
Anyway, that’s it for everything I bought for this past week. Check in next week as we see what our favourite Talon, Calvin Rose, is up to. Ja né!
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- Five Reasons to Read … Red Sonja (girls-gone-geek.com)
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- Preview: Legends of Red Sonja #1 (of 5) (graphicpolicy.com)
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Jyger's Rant 