Captain America: Sam Wilson Issues 1 & 2

Written by Nick Spencer

Pencils by Daniel Acuna

I am a big fan of Rick Remender but I was not too happy with his take on Sam Wilson as the new Captain America. The artwork was dope and I enjoyed Wilson's approached to the mantle, but I don't think Remender handled it well. I think Nick Spencer is a good writer, but he never wrote anything that I felt another comic book reader had to copped. I love Daniel Acuna's pencils. Acuna's work on Uncanny Avengers was amazing. Acuna was the main reason I picked up this series.

Wilson really moves away from the Steve Rogers' approach to the stars and stripes along with the shield. Wilson takes more of a stance on certain hot button issues and takes a cue from Luke Cage and creates a hotline. He is no longer a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. And has no ties to the US government. Along with Dennis Dunphy aka D-Man and Misty Knight, Wilson keeps it as bare bones as possible.

On his first mission, Wilson heads to the border to help undocumented workers who are being kidnapped.

So far, it's really working. While Wilson is trying to figure out his footing, Spencer adds more issues to the mix. Dunphy adds comic relief while Misty keeps Wilson grounded. The appearances of Maria Hill who casts a large shadow over Wilson, adds more tension. Initially, I didn't see why Steve Rogers had to play a role but in issue 2, Spencer puts it all together. Even Armadillo makes an appearance in issue 2 to exact revenge on a broken promise.

For those who are expecting spoilers from Secret Wars, you won't find any here. There is a mention of the incursions in issue 2. We also learn about “Kobik,” a secret government program in which authorities can change the very fabric of reality using cosmic cubes. This is very interesting and I hope this ties into the ending of Secret Wars.

Acuna does a dope job with the breakdowns. I enjoy the fact that he does not exaggerate the physiques of the superheroes. What really stands out are the colors by Acuna. All of the flashbacks are highlighted by reds. In issue two on the first page, there is a panel with a twitter discussion between Wilson and some tweeps. It is hilarious. These added touches really do it for me.

I really enjoy what Nick Spencer is doing. Acuna always brings the pain. The covers, the background, the plot, and everything fits. This is definitely a new Captain America with a new look and a new approach. It definitely works.

Comic Books and Reading

I thought I wrote this piece a few years ago. I realized that literacy and comic books are topics that I discuss at least twice a day as a parent, sometime educator, and mentor. I talk about it so much, I believed that I must have written about it at some point. Every week, a teacher or parent asks me how to get children to read. Comic books is my first answer. Reading comic books are a great and easy way to get a child to read. Ask any librarian in the United States and they can recommend several comic books and graphic novels.

I have to point out that comic books are expensive. Even digital comics can put a huge dent in any one's budget. Most comic shops have dollar bins where they sell back issues for $1. I give away comic books to children I teach and mentor so dollar bins are a blessing. So for you educators, finding a dollar bin will help you tremendously.

Below are some comics I highly recommend to parents, educators, coaches, mentors, and other people who work with children:

Note: I am a Marvel head. So the small list is strictly Marvel. Both DC and Marvel publish children friendly versions of their flagship titles such as the Avengers, Justice League, Captain America, Batman, etc. I let some children and my own read them and they weren't too excited about them. The ones listed below are fast hits. Also, I don't read Manga and I know many teenagers who are into them. My list does not have any Manga either.

1. Ultimate Comics Spider Man – This series has ended and the story of the Afro Latino web slinger continues in Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider Man and the All New Ultimates where Morales is now the leader of. The thing is if you just jump into the latter two series you will be confused. Ultimate Comics Spider Man written by Brian Michael Bendis can be found on trade paper back (TPB) now. You might still be able to find some old copies in the dollar bins.

That being said, this is was an amazing run by Bendis with Sara Pichelli on the breakdowns. Bendis deals with race, class, and school inequities. It is a serious book that deals with middle schoolers. All of the children I gave these issues to never complained about the adult themes. At the same time Miles Morales seemed to have a good time being Spider Man right up until the end of the run where he realized he had to step up to the plate as a leader. (See also the Spider Men story where Miles Morales meets Peter Parker of Earth 616)

2. Ms. Marvel

This is another series I enjoy. Written by G. Willow Wilson and penciled by Adrian Alphona, it is about Kamala Khan, a Pakistani teenager who lives in New Jersey. Her parents are liberal. That part is my favorite but Khan is a teenage girl and it comes with so much baggage. As a parent of a teenager, I can only imagine what her parents go through. Add to the idea that she gains super powers during the events of the Inhumanity crossover after the Infinity situation where Thanos invaded Earth.

The best part of the story is that everyone thinks that the blonde haired Avenger named Captain Marvel is fighting crime in their small NJ town when in actuality its Khan. No matter what she does, she doesn't get the props she deserves. Yup, its a true teenage story.

3. Nova
   Dan Abnett breathed new life into Nova aka Richard Rider. Before Abnett, I got tired of Nova. Abnett did his thing with this character. When we thought he was killed off, I was not happy. When I heard there was going to be a new character taking up the Nova mantle, I wasn't too happy. It took me a minute to cop issue #1. I was very satisfied.

Sam has taken the mantle that was previously held by his father, Jesse Alexander, who he assumed was a crazed drunk. Once he wears the Nova helmet, he goes on some huge adventures. Its the stuff of dreams. I forget that Sam is only 15. Really none of the characters discussed in this post are over that age.

Again, I am a Marvel head and these are the titles that speak to me and the children I mentor and teach. I hope this list helps anyone out. Feel free to suggest any other ones in the comments section.

Avengers Origins: Luke Cage

Written by Adam Glass & Mike Benson

I enjoy when artists re-imagine a particular character. Even as a child, I had my issues with Luke Cage. Under Brian Michael Bendis's hand, however, Cage has been rehashed and remade. I enjoy it. They removed the stereotypical garb and he fights in regular civvies. He has been on the Avengers roster for awhile now. Honestly, he has become one of my favorite Marvel characters. This is a clear demonstration about how in comics it's about great writing instead of dope powers and a great costume.

When I saw the Avengers Origins series, I assumed it was another Marvel attempt to cash in on the Avenger's franchise. While Cage gets so much shine in several of the Avengers titles, I decided to pick it up. While Adam Glass doesn't change much about the story: Luke Cage was a street thug with a big heart and gets framed. While in jail, he takes part in an experiment that gives him his steel like skin and super human strength. He escapes jail and decides to use his muscle for good. What Glass changes are his motivations.

Cage confronts the childhood friend who betrays him and earns justice. I did cringe when I notice that he was wearing the black tights with the yellow disco shirt. I think that's where I have my issues. While I like Dalibor Talajic's pencils, there are pages where the work gets muddled. One some pages you can tell he took his time and on others, the pencils look rushed. While the artwork needed more work, the writing is on point.

If you are wondering, it is something that you should pick up. While Luke Cage doesn't have his own comic, he continues to be a major character in the Marvel Universe. It's good to learn something more about his past.

2011: How it all went down...

One would think that all of the great stuff going down in 2011, we would have all the posts and exclusives. Time flies when you are having fun, so we dropped the ball about 1,000 times on this blog. We felt it was only fitting that we give at least one more post for 2011 even though it is 2012 as we post this. Again, forgive us our transgressions...



One graphic novel that stood out to us was of course, a non hero graphic novel. "99 Days" which was written by Matteo Casali and illustrated by Kristian Donaldson. It's on the Vertigo imprint which has released a gang of graphic novels and comic series dealing with crime and investigation. Some of it is great but much of it is not even worth the five finger discount. Vertigo still puts out quality stuff for being on the DC side so there other titles to check out. I will say that "99 Days" does a wonderful job of intertwining genocide with police brutality and gang violence as well as poverty and political strife without being too preachy or cliche. The artwork fits both locales in Rwanda and Los Angeles and it works seamlessly. Casali pulls off several twists. This better win an Eisner Award.



Vertigo did publish the last DMZ (Issue Number 72) this month. Let me say I love Brian Wood's writing. Ricardo Burchielli's art really kept up the storyline throughout its 72 issue run. The covers are probably the best in the biz. Vertigo knocked it out of the park with this. It won a gang of awards. I know some professors who use it in their political science and journalism class. I knew eventually, the series would end because of it's setting: Civil war torn New York City. I didn't like the last issue too tough. I mean Wood did a great job tying so many loose ends before the series ended. The last issue did bring back many of the characters we know and love. I just felt that it was outside of the story. I know it takes place 15 years after the previous issues when the war is way over, but still. It felt too distant. I wanted more. So yes, I am saying you can avoid this issue.

I will admit that the Captain America movie did not disappoint. It was everything I expected it to be. It's a wonderful piece of American propaganda when our soldiers fought the just fight and were heroic enough to be bulletproof. I love Captain America, I just don't dig this sanitized version of WWII. I think the movie played right into that. It even removed anything Nazi from history. That bothered me too much. I do think that Chris Evans redeemed himself in this role. He did horrible in Fantastic Four even though I felt much of the blame should be placed on the writers and didn't do too well in Push (even though he did his thing in "Sunshine," but again, the writer and director get full credit for that one). I give Marvel points for putting Gabriel Jones (played by Derek Luke) and giving a shout out to Howard University. What saved the movie was the last 5 minutes when Rogers is awakened in the 21st century by SHIELD.




The real winners of 2011 had to be DC with their 52 line. No one saw that coming and everyone thought it would be a flop. They hit us with four titles featuring non white characters: Mr. Terrific, Static Shock, Bat Wing, and Blue Beetle. While many might argue that some of these super heroes lean on other white heroes to work, who else is putting out non white superheroes with this much distribution. Marvel isn't anymore. Is this progress? I don't know but its a step in the right direction. It was a big risk especially in this economy for DC to do something like that so I have to give them cool points for that. I have heard many white cats call it a publicity stunt and that's a shame that some folks feel that way. We all know that paper is going the way of the do do and digital is where it's at. So DC get's love for taking that risk.

And yes for 2012, we plan on highlighting independent comic books by non white writers and illustrators so stay tuned for that.




The biggest story of 2011 was Ultimate Spider Man as Miles Morales. Even Fox News came out to blame Michelle Obama on that one. As usual Brian Michael Bendis did not disappoint. If you haven't checked it out already please do. Your best bet is to get the digital comic or wait for the Trade Paper Back. Yes, it's that crucial. I have to say that Marvel took a big risk on this one and it came through for them. The story is just so dope. So much to go over. It's not Peter Parker in black face. Bendis brings all the nuances of being a black child in NYC in the 21st century. Morales is about my sons. Morales is about me growing up in NYC trying to figure it out.

With all this and more, 2012 will be an interesting year in comics.

Thanks to all that follow us and pass our blogs around. We appreciate it. Yes! if you are wondering, more posts in 2012.

American Panther

We are not behind the ball on this one folks. I just wanted this story arc to marinate before we start discussing it on our blog. I am an older cat and like to sit down and think about something before speaking. I am not the only one who cringed at the pictures.

My initial impulse was to denounce it. I do take an issue with how Marvel is handling the former Wakandan monarch. Bringing him back to the United States to fill in for someone else is rehashing an old story of when T'Challa was a teacher in Harlem. I loved the Doomwar limited series but I abhor the Man Without Fear story arc.

I originally assumed that Marvel was doing this to help promote the Captain America movie. I know this idea is farfetched but I noticed that when the X Men movies were being released, Marvel stormed their lines with mutant oriented stories. When Wolverine was slated to be released, fans were bombarded with like 100 Wolverine titles and included Wolverine in every story line and had him as a member of every super powered team.

I was listening to the Afronerd's the Comic Shoppe the other day and listened as Captain Kirk, one of the co-hosts made a good point. Remember that this American Panther incarnation of T'Challa is a result of the Fear Itself crossover. Captain Kirk points out that T'Challa's biggest fear is losing his identity as a citizen and monarch of Wakanda as he continues his open relationship with Western nations. This statement really made me rethink the American Panther motif.

We shall see for now. What do you think?

Some of the Best of 2010

Yes, I am late with this. My apologies. I got a little bit carried away with the festivities of last week of December. I will admit that 2010 was a great year for comics. There has been so much great writing for the major publishers as well as the independent ones. The competition is fierce as writers start to go the indie route. Also even the movie houses are getting in the game. Movie adaptations of comic books are getting better. It was quite a few tough picks out there. I normally stay away from the major comic companies for these but this year, Marvel hit it out the park. Yet here it is, enjoy:





Best Comic Book mini series – “Thanos Imperative” - Dan Abbet and Andy Lanning did a great job breathing life into many 70's Marvel Characters. The Guardians of the Galaxy is a good example of that. It is a group made up of many characters that were made in the 70s. Here is a good example of great writing. Abbet and Lanning did a great job bringing these characters back to the fold. While Thanos is a great villains, few writers do him justice. The artwork by Miguel Sepulveda is also great. I love the fact that Marvel chose not to make this a huge crossover event. The reader did not have to go back to the lab and read back issues of those 70's issues. The storyline included the story of Captain Mar'Vell. It was stellar with huge spaceship battles and super hero beatdowns. I am so glad that the story of the players will continue.




Best Story Arc – Image Comic's Invincible: The Viltrumite War – I always loved Robert Kirkman's and Cory Walker's Invincible. Its a great spin on the Superman/Spiderman archetype. There is even a great father/son plot line with Invincible and his father Omni Man. Invincible does remind me of the early Spiderman stories where Peter Parker consistently doubted himself at every turn and fought to keep his life in order. Invincible is in the same situation but he has powers that rival Superman. Unfortunately, his father hails from a race of beings who intend on conquering the universe. Finally, we find Invincible, Omni Man, and several allies gearing up to take the fight to the Viltrumites, the race of beings Invincible is a descendant of. Even in the face of battle, Invincible questions his role as a superhero and his relationship with his father. The space battles are great and the artwork renders an epic assault throughout the universe but the writing really keeps me captivated. It is truly one of the best comic books out now.

Best Issue: Unlike the previous categories, this one was easy. Nemesis issue #1 is awesome and was probably the best issue of 2010. Mark Millar does it again. He also teams with Steve McNivens. Previously, they did Old Man Logan for Marvel which in my opinion was the best story arc of 2009. If you have been reading this blog for the past year, you know how I felt about it. There are rumors that it will be another movie adaptation. Let's see what happens. Millar will finish the series however, so stay tuned for that.


Best Movie Adaptation of Comic book: “Kick Ass” Although Hollywood screwed up Millar's “Wanted” in so many ways, they really knocked it out of the ball park with “Kick Ass.” I know folks who don't even read comics pick up the book after watching the movie. There were many comic book adaptations on the silver screen, but “Kick Ass” set the standard. The writers for the next Dark Knight installment have their work cut out for themselves.

You know 2011 is going to be all the way live. You can count us to be there. We will have many more comic books of color on the independent tip reviewed here. Stay tuned.

Happy New Year!

DoomWar Issues 2 thru 6

Written by Jonathan Maberry
Penciled by Scott Eaton
Inks by Andy Lanning & Robert Campanella

Book Review by Dan Tres OMi

And the plot thickened. In Issue #2, the X-Men jump in to save Ororo. By Issue #3, the Desturi are defeated as Shuri kills off their leaders. Despite their efforts, Doom steals all of the Vibranium from Wakanda. One would ask, how? Well, the Panther God deems the good doctor worthy. While we may all think that Doom just wants to destroy the world, we find that this is not the case. Instead, Doom wants to make the world stronger to prevent it from collapsing due to conflicts between several nations. The Panther God as well as Doom, see him as the only one to pull it off. This part of the story alone makes for interesting debate.

Although Shuri and T'Challa regain control over Wakanda, they have no army but must wage a war against Doom and his Doombots. Doom is supported by none other than Walter Declun who was once CEO of Damage Control. Together they build huge armies of robots to safeguard the several deposits of vibranium throughout the world.

T'Challa enlists the Fantastic Four and later the War Machine to accompany the Dora Milaje to take out those Doombots. Doom, the ultimate chess master, outwits T'Challa everytime. That is when T'Challa realizes that the only way he can beat Doom is by unconventional means. He sends Deadpool to assassinate Doom. He also gets his tech geeks to hack into Declun's network and deplete Doom's funds. Then he creates a new mixture of Dark Alchemy and Quantum Physics called Shadow Physics (very interesting indeed).

By Issue #4, the reader will see so much happen very quickly. Issue #5 continues more of a build up. The long awaited issue #6 leaves much to be desired. Marvel should have added another issue since Maberry doesn't tie it all up. For example, the X Men are there and then they aren't. War Machine shows up and no explanation is given as to why. Shadow Physics, while it's the trump card, is only discussed in one issue. It sounds like I am nitpicking but many loose ends don't get resolved. In Issue #4, the artwork gets very sloppy. Very sloppy. One starts to wonder if Marvel changed the penciler and inker without telling us.

Overall, the story was very good. The resolution could have been better. We don't see Doom and T'Challa debate about the future of the world as foreseen by the Panther God. What I love the most is that this series ushers in a new age for Wakanda. Hopefully it is the beginning of a new golden age for the African nation. I also hope that Shuri remains the Black Panther and Marvel brings back Hudlin. This skinny Afro Latino kid can dream right?

The New Avengers: Luke Cage

Written by John Arcudi
Art by Pepe Larraz & Eric Canete
review by Dan Tres OMi

To be honest, I am really open with what Marvel has been doing with Luke Cage. Let's be honest, he was a fourth rate superhero based off of a stereotype (lawd, the yellow shirt and metal head band with black tights, wtf!). Making him a prominent member of The New Avengers was a dope idea. I really dug the Noir series done on Luke Cage. Cage was given greater roles to play in the Civil War and Dark Reign. If you haven't heard, Cage is now heading the New Avengers.

This three issue limited series finds Cage heading out to Philadelphia to help out a friend who has followed in his footsteps. He even encounters an old foe, Lionfang. While Cage has been spending his time fighting world class super villains and saving the earth from a Skrull invasion, he has neglected his roots. Although, his teammates urge him to stick around Cage heads to the city of Brotherly Love to help an old comrade.

Cage quickly realizes that he can easily just smash heads and beat up super powered bad guys all day. Yet as soon as he lives Philadelphia, his enemies would just come right back out. So he decides to use his brain over brawn. This makes for a great story as Cage demonstrates a great leadership ability to plan ahead. It works beautifully.

Larraz & Canete's artwork is superb. The devil is in the details. You will cringe during the painful parts and duck when Cage throws his opponents around. What I dig the most is the writing. As I have stated before, there was a time when I dislike Cage. From his costume to his speech, Marvel just bought a stereotype to life. You won't see Cage speaking in out dated slang.

Dark Avengers #16

Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Mike Deodato

Marvel had a great run with the Dark Avengers. With Norman Osborn/Iron Patriot at the head of the official Avengers as well as the Shield like H.A.M.M.E.R., one found several psychopaths and former villains as heads of management. Things seem to work well until Osborn began to make more enemies and slowly fall back to his old ways. Not to mention the fact that several members of the Dark Avengers such as Bullseye (acting as Hawkeye) and Daken (acting as his father Wolverine) began to make trouble of their own.

During the Siege of Asgard, many of the founding members of the Avengers, the New Avengers, and their affiliates banded together with the Asgardians to defeat Osborn, the Dark Avengers, and H.A.M.M.E.R. While the Siege event crossed over into several issues, Dark Avengers #16 focuses on the end of this super-villains acting as heroes team.

Although the final issue of Dark Avengers is short and should have been longer. The end is sweet as Osborn gets what's coming to him. Some of the Dark Avengers escape but most are imprisoned. Deodato's artwork is crisp and it is great to see him continue on the Secret Avengers series.

What's interesting is to see Steve Rogers admitting that Osborn made some sensible decisions. It's one of the reasons I enjoyed the Dark Avengers run. Osborn, who despite his shortcomings, really tries to fight against his Green Goblin persona. Osborn also believes that what he is doing is right for the country. Osborn succeeds in containing national security threats and keeping certain super-villains in check. However, Osborn's paranoia is difficult to overcome.

Iron Man 2

Review by Dan Tres OMi

As a true comic book head, I have realized that there are NO movies that were produced in Hollywood for the silver screen that can truly satisfy that part of me. While I don't expect Hollywood to get it right in that manner, I do expect a decent movie since comic books is basically about fantasy. Of course there is more to comic culture than meets the eye but let's be real, super heroes and heroines duking it out in tights is fantasy. The only dope movie franchise that is based on comic books is the Dark Knight movies but that franchise deviates from almost all of the Batman story arcs and rewrites over the last six decades (I have yet to watch Kick A$$ so bear with me).

For some reason, Marvel Comics seems to come up short when it comes to their staple super heroes. Both the Spider Man and Fantastic Four movies lack so much in depth, continuity, and writing. The first two Blade installments were probably Marvel's best efforts (even Stan Lee admits in his autobiography that the Blade movies saved Marvel Comics from going belly up) However, the Iron Man franchise has impressed me. While I still find that Robert Downey is not convincing as Tony Stark, I can't front on his acting chops. When you need it, Downey does come through in a clinch.

What plagues the Marvel comic movies is that the writers seem to throw in several subplots and story arcs in each movie. In the X Men franchise this seems to really tear up the movie. It forces the writing to be fuddled and disrupts the continuity. The only exception is the Fantastic Four movies where the plot is kept simple yet somehow it just doesn't work. In Iron Man 2, there are several subplots (ie. S.H.I.E.L.D., Pepper Potts romance, War Machine/Dusty Rhodes, the Black Widow, the Avengers Initiative). Of course, the movie house is doing this to ramp up interest and buzz for the future movies based on Thor, Captain America, and finally the Avengers. It must be noted that for Iron Man, it seems like the writers are borrowing from several story arcs such as Orson Scott Card's rework of Tony Stark/Ironman, Mark Millar's the Ultimates, and the Tony Stark/S.H.I.E.L.D. pre Civil war story line. Although scary, Marvel pulls it off.

The best part about the movie is the team up between Iron Man and War Machine. I don't think the director Jon Favreau could have pulled it off with Terence Howard. I gripped my seat expecting Rhodes/War Machine to talk jive as he peeled off on the battle droids but he didn't. I was so happy. Don Cheadle came off as a respectable equal and not a side kick to Iron Man.
I also noted that Iron Man 2 does not relying heavily on CG as the original did. Most of the fight scenes are done in the evening so the audience does not get lost in high speed robotic antics.

One underlying theme I dug was the idea that one man can only have access to a powerful weapons system and how many people, organizations, and governments are trying to acquire access by any means necessary to that power weapons system. In the comic books as well as the first Iron Man movie, the writers deal with that idea of deterrence. I doubt that the writers were trying to pull a political angle when it comes to nuclear proliferation but it's important to ask who watches the watchers. Stark, an ego maniac as hard as they come, feels that he is stable enough and has the sound judgement to control this dangerous piece of technology. Most people agree with him until someone happens to invent the same platform. Now the genie is out of the bottle. While the similiarities between the Armor War (as it is dubbed in Marvel comics) and the arms race are there, Stark quite easily settles this dispute with the help of S.H.I.E.L.D. (a free comic of our choice to any reader who can tell me who starred as Nick Fury in Marvel's hapless attempt at making a S.H.I.E.L.D. movie -- the memories drive one to drink! Can I get a mindwipe PLEASE!).

My only gripe is that although Mark Millar rewrote Nick Fury to look like Samuel Jackson in the Ultimates (Millar also wrote Halle Berry into Marked) but Jackson just doesn't pull it off. I expected him to say "fothermucker" sometime in there. He didn't come off as by the book, super duper top secret Fury. He came off as a big guy with new toys. Sorry Jackson, you have to go back to the lab on this one. Maybe Millar is reaching when it comes to his fantasies?

Overall, the movie is one of the best and only second to the Dark Knight franchise. Marvel hits it out of the field with this one. It has lived up to the hype (geez, that was alot of hype). I enjoyed the quips made by Stark and Fury when it came to the other heroes who will be on the Avengers roster. I also dug how they played Stan Lee (Stark believes he is Larry King!). The scene with Stark at the Senate hearing is worth the price of admission (wait until you see who the Stark haters are). I must urge the reader to stay until after the credits. It's well worth the wait.

Siege: Captain America (one shot)

Written by Christos N. Gage
Pencils and Inks by Federico Dallocchio
Review by Dan Tres Omi

I thoroughly enjoy the Dark Reign crossovers. Having Norman Osborn in charge of the Avengers and H.A.M.M.E.R. (which is just Osborn's evil version of S.H.I.E.L.D.), allows several characters to take a back burner and 2nd and 3rd rate characters to really see the light. Not to mention the fact that several political factions such as Dr. Doom's Latveria, Namor's Atlantis, Wakanda and the Inhumans are realigning themselves with different groups never tried before.

The Siege story arc is really shaking things up. As usual, Marvel tries to really capitalize a story arc by not just doing crossovers but publishing one shots or mini series that coincide with the story such as the Secret Invasion Embedded. I decided to pick up Seige: Captain America since the actual Seige limited series is very good.

I should have left it on the shelf. I expected Captain America/Steve Rogers and Captain America/Winter Soldier to take on Venom (as depicted in the promo poster for the Siege crossovers). I thought that would have been a good battle. Of course, that didn't happen. Instead both Captain Americas end up fighting some 4th rate villain who isn't worth the pencils he is drawn with.

What saves this lackluster story is Federico Dallocchio's artwork. Dallocchio who has done loads of work at DC, brings a wonderful touch to Captain America. The artwork is great and really drips off the page. Other than that, one can afford to miss this issue.

Make Mine Marvel?

Some of you comic book heads remember the days when Marvel comics reigned supreme before all the X Men movies. In the letter's section of any Marvel comic, several fans would end their letters with “make mine marvel.” Before they would write make mine marvel they would throw a punchline before that. It would go something like this:

“Until Wolverine cries, make mine marvel...”

or

“Until Dr. Strange smokes weed, make mine marvel...”

My brother from another mother Billie Wheelz and I still throw punch lines such as these all the time. Call it a geek moment but only the true Marvel heads (O.M.'s, right?) know about this. However Marvel has done some stuff that made me think twice about supporting them. To be honest, they fell off for about a decade. Yet when I was a die hard fan, they did some ill things. Check the method.



1.The marriage of the Vision and Scarlet Witch – I think Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were smoking some crack with this one (I am sure when Lee's biography comes out there will be several instances of drug binges in there). How the heck is a cyborg that walks through walls going to get with a mutant? I understand that Marvel has explained the children part through the Scarlet Witch's powers but sex? Come on man. That is borderline perv.

2.Luke Cage in his old threads – A yellow top and tight black pants? WTF, a pimp? In the late 90's, someone at Marvel decided this was wack and now has Luke Cage wearing regular street clothes. Whew! I know much if happened because of the stereotype folks had in the 70's but even Black Lightning in DC comics was played like that.



3.Modok – WTF? Then he came to rule over the Kree Empire? WTF? He was just too weird. Can't wait until the History of Marvel comics comes out. I am sure there will be plenty of Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston moments.

4.Storm – I never really got close to her character because she had white hair and blue eyes. This was NEVER explained. So a sister had to have some recessive trait in there to be considered a goddess. I will admit that the Storm graphic novel by Eric Jerome Dickey is dope on so many levels, I got it for T'Challa instead of Storm.

5.Wolverine – the reason why I was not big on Wolverine was because as tough as he claimed to be, he always manages to get his ass handed to him. He talks so much junk it's ridiculous. It actually gets on my nerves. If it wasn't for his healing factor, dude would have been tossed a long time ago.



6.Nick Fury – die mofo, die! Dude does not have the Super Soldier Serum like Captain America yet he has not aged a day since WWII. Okay they throw a little white on the edges. He has no super powers but still lives. Come on man, kill him off, please. BTW, did anyone see Michael Hasselhoff play Nick Fury? It is too funny. (the name is so dope though).

7.Oh about S.H.I.E.L.D. -- what's up with the tights? I really can't take a federal agency seriously if they are all wearing tights. I have grown to understand why comic book artists draw super heroes in tights, but federal agents?

8.Did anyone collect the Dazzler comic book? Let me catch someone who did so I can joke them. I can't picture the party now....

9.As much as I love Jack Kirby's and John Byrne's the Fantastic Four (remember when the Thing left and the She Hulk was a member?), I cannot stand the Silver Surfer. I just can't take a cat who flies around on a surf board seriously. Sorry dude. Another crack binge in the office.


Until Nick Fury lives another ten minutes, Make Mine Marvel.