The current state of disarray at Marvel

[Tom Foolery]

I will read the issues and tell you if you need to buy them or not. Except that Howling Commandos bullshit.

[jjreason]

The set up book wasn't too bad. Not sure how the costumes on the last page came about, but whatever. It's art.

[jjreason]

I still don't think Black Widow can carry a book

That being said, I enjoyed the 39 seconds it took me to read #1 so much I promised to purchase #2. Beautiful looking comic.

DD#4 - I'm afraid in 4 issues this book has slipped down near the bottom of my reading pile. I don't dislike it, per se, I'm just finding it "filler Daredevil" - the kind of Daredevil that takes place in the vacuum left by a great run. Filler Daredevil is still fine.... it's just you know.

All-New Inhumans 4 - I've stuck with both books through the opening arcs because I didn't want to lose track of half the team. Crystal, Gorgon & the new characters we met last year are all of interest to me, and this book is ticking along at an "ok" rate. Would much prefer they flipped back & forth between both groups in one series. I'm not sure if I'm willing to drop this secondary book to try & make that point to Marvel though. Not yet anyhow.

[Tom Foolery]

The decompression of stories in order to fill future TPBs is what kills a lot of books for me. Especially when you're popping $4 for each issue. Spinning your wheels for three issues in order to make one or two issues worth of story last 5-6 issues is bullshit.
It's like the writers figure out where they want the crazy plot twist cliffhanger endings in a story, and then fill the issue with meaningless shit until they hit page 20 and drop their twist. That way, you're all 'omg I hav to com berk nerxt irssue!!!'
If you're gonna do that, make that filler shit entertaining as hell.

[jjreason]

The effects of writing for trade reach outside the book, too. After going through BW1, I found the DD issue overly drawn out & boring - where I'm sure it was just a normal comic with slightly more words than normal. I shouldn't heave a sigh when I turn the page & find out that not one but BOTH pages have more than one panel with writing in it! Lazy comic reader is lazy.

[Diabolical]

The difference is BW was entertaining, while DD has been a chore to read.

[Tom Foolery]

Yeah, the DD issue was him having an unnecessary moral dilemma AND not being able to reconcile it himself and going to Steve Rogers for advice. If Matt was second guessing his career in vigilantism, he'd have had that conversation like 45 years ago. He wouldn't be waffling about it at this point, especially since he's helped and saved so many people.

[jjreason]

Miles Morales Spider-Man 2 - not bad. Parker chats with Miles a little bit & his exploit goes viral.... along with his skin tone. I'll keep going on this book.

Karnak 2 - weirdly violent & absent of dialogue for many pages. It could be Shang Chi or Iron Fist playing the lead role - very martial artsy. I'll finish this arc but unless something shocking happens I think I'm out after the next issue.

[Diabolical]

Isn't that Karnak issue ridiculously late?
It seems like the first one came out several months ago, like September-October.

[jjreason]

Super late - like 5 months late. And I can't imagine anyone other than Marvel really cared. I guess that's modern day Warren Ellis for you.

[jjreason]

So Cho Hulk somehow wound up at the top of my reading pile. #4 finished off the mystery of what happened to Banner's powers - but I can't remember if we have seen Banner himself or not (is he frozen/asleep in some capsule?). I'll have to check. New artist for issues 5 & 6 which will feature Enchantress. I guess I'll stick around for those 2 & make a decision after that.

[jjreason]

Black Panther #1 - I guess I assumed I knew a bit about what had been going on in Wakanda from reading Hickman's FF, Avengers & Secret Wars - but this felt to me like I had missed an awful lot. Not sure if my retention of what I read is really that bad (which it likely is) or if there was a lot of things brought about here that hadn't really been led into, but were made to FEEL like they were... but I was pretty much lost. I'm stuck back at him being opposed to Namor & the Atlanteans, not sure when all the internal strife took place.

[Tom Foolery]

The internal strife is all new. It's the post-invasion unrest from when Thanos decimated the country during Infinity. Which was on top of Phoenix Namor dropping a tidal wave on them a couple months before that. And Dr Doom invading and destroying 99% of their vibranium a few months before that. Wakanda be pissed yo.

[jjreason]

I seriously need to keep a notebook & review things from time to time. I don't remember AvX at all - not even remotely - other than Scott & Chuck at the very very end. Same with Thanos hitting them during Infinity which was only last year. Absolutely ridiculous inability to remember shit I read in comics ><

[Tom Foolery]

Since nobody can read everything Marvel puts out (their publishing output is staggering), they should do a yearly oneshot that hits the high points of all their books like a news magazine.
"Conservatives balk at 'affirmative action' appointment of a black Captain America!"
"Peter Parker opens Parker Industries in former FF HQ Baxter Building!"
"New supervillain team beheads Atlantean King Namor on live TV!"
"Former supermodel, B-movie actress, and nightclub owner MJ Watson hired by Tony Stark!"
"Worldwide mutant community faces M-Pox epidemic from Terrigen bomb fallout!"
"Alpha Flight replaces S.W.O.R.D. as Earth's new planetary defense organization! Captain Carol Danvers appointed to head of AF."
"Deadpool surpasses Last Temptation of Christ as highest grossing R-rated movie of all time. "I'm bigger than Jesus!' quips mercenary and hipster idol."