Dark Avengers

I liked this, it made me like Noh-Varr a bit more. And the end was, I don't know why they put him there. It sorta just ruins the Reborn mini. I mean yes, there's still the how but still.

Dark Avengers Annual #1

Finally got a chance to read this. I absolutely LOVED it. Previous to Secret Invasion I had no exposure to Marvel Boy. I thought he was fine in SI, and I liked him okay in Dark Avengers, but I still didn't really care about him. That's all changed now. After this issue I'm really really interested in him. I can't wait to see more.

Chris Bachalo's art is awesome. I've loved his work since I first saw it, but honestly, I think it just gets better and better.

Spoiler:

Dark Avengers Annual #1 was just an absolute visual feast for me. Bachalo's are was just wonderful. Those first 2 pages....beautiful and the colouring was perfect too. I think the first 2 pages rate as just about my favourite pieces of art for the year.

I really enjoyed the story also and I have to say I'm now very interested in this character where I would say I didn't care one way or the other before. I can't help thinking if he could just have talked to Sentry a bit more he could have talked some sense into him.

One big question for me: how is that the Supreme Intelligence? The SI is effectively dead so what's going on? Is this a mistake? I doubt it so then is it really the SI that's given Noh-Varr the nega-bands or something else? Is he being duped?

Mnemosis wrote:I really don't get how they can fuck something up SO colossally. I mean, it's not like they came out the same week. It's not like they're even a week apart. The book this one SHOULD have followed is scheduled for January 13th!!!!

I'm really angry about what they did there. They either didn't need to show it or could have delayed this annual for a bit. Who will wield the shield? Well now we know the bloody answer so thanks for spoiling that Marvel! Geez.

Bigtymin504 wrote:
Plus, I'm diggin the new costume...although I think he should have his hair out like Mar-Vell did...especially cuz its distinctly white. lol

Yeah I like the costume except for the mask. I don't think the mask works.

Dark Avengers #12

Holy sh--! Sentry is one scary ass dude. I love that we're finally getting some answers to what he's capable of...and what he truly is. Bendis has built this up beautifully over the last year or so. I actually had a similar theory about Sentry a few years back in a thread called "The Sentry Theory" on the Marvel.com boards (I wonder if Wade remembers)...not exactly the same (although we don't know the full story yet) but something similar to this. Its the best explanation for what he's proven to be capable of. I can't wait for next issue to learn more about him.

Then the bit with Ms. Hand and Norman at the end was nicely done too. Everything in his mind seems to be unraveling slowly but surely. And Loki is loving every minute of it. Siege should be ridiculous with these new developments.

My face when I read the recent Avengers:






I'm done with Marvel for a good while. The cosmics scene is slow, ultimate universe sucks, and I simply can't care for the other aspects. I'll check back in another 2 years (like I did last time) and see if things have picked up. Hopefully they will.

Dr. Wade Fucking McNasty wrote:My face when I read the recent Avengers:






I'm done with Marvel for a good while. The cosmics scene is slow, ultimate universe sucks, and I simply can't care for the other aspects. I'll check back in another 2 years (like I did last time) and see if things have picked up. Hopefully they will.

C'mon Wade couldn't have been that bad? Why did you hate it so much? I think we all knew Sentry would be revealed to be immensely powerful. We'll find out more next issue though. Stick around so I can talk about this stuff with you.

Bigtymin504 wrote:

Dr. Wade Fucking McNasty wrote:My face when I read the recent Avengers:






I'm done with Marvel for a good while. The cosmics scene is slow, ultimate universe sucks, and I simply can't care for the other aspects. I'll check back in another 2 years (like I did last time) and see if things have picked up. Hopefully they will.

C'mon Wade couldn't have been that bad? Why did you hate it so much? I think we all knew Sentry would be revealed to be immensely powerful. We'll find out more next issue though. Stick around so I can talk about this stuff with you.

The story itself did not bother me (it felt lackluster though---it was no big surprise) so much as it was more like the straw that broke the camle's back. It was a cumulative affect from other titles and such. Marvel doesn't interest me anymore. It's like an action movie with so many explosions you get bored with it. I get this feeling when I read almost any Marvel boosk these days. A sense of ennui that is hard to shake once I start reading one of their stories. It's like "what sort of lulzy thing shall they do to day" crosses my mind and lo and behold something "lulzy" (sorry, the word is funny and thus I shall enforce upon humanity ) does happen. The thrill has gone. The thrill has gone away. I may stick around but I'm just not having high hopes for anything at this point.

Dr. Wade Fucking McNasty wrote:

Bigtymin504 wrote:

Dr. Wade Fucking McNasty wrote:My face when I read the recent Avengers:






I'm done with Marvel for a good while. The cosmics scene is slow, ultimate universe sucks, and I simply can't care for the other aspects. I'll check back in another 2 years (like I did last time) and see if things have picked up. Hopefully they will.

C'mon Wade couldn't have been that bad? Why did you hate it so much? I think we all knew Sentry would be revealed to be immensely powerful. We'll find out more next issue though. Stick around so I can talk about this stuff with you.

The story itself did not bother me (it felt lackluster though---it was no big surprise) so much as it was more like the straw that broke the camle's back. It was a cumulative affect from other titles and such. Marvel doesn't interest me anymore. It's like an action movie with so many explosions you get bored with it. I get this feeling when I read almost any Marvel boosk these days. A sense of ennui that is hard to shake once I start reading one of their stories. It's like "what sort of lulzy thing shall they do to day" crosses my mind and lo and behold something "lulzy" (sorry, the word is funny and thus I shall enforce upon humanity ) does happen. The thrill has gone. The thrill has gone away. I may stick around but I'm just not having high hopes for anything at this point.

Hm well not sure I understand your feelings on this, but I respect your opinion. I actually think Marvel is putting out some pretty great books for the most part right now. I'll just say, don't let the books you aren't enjoying spoil everything for you, cuz I bet there are a few books you are enjoying (Invincible Iron Man, Thor come to mind).

3/5. Slow and sub-par compared to last month's excellent issue. Incredibly nice art, very detailed, environments are wondrous and faces are pretty spot on and emotional. Sentry being build-up works with the impending Seige; Molecule Man "undressing" Ms. Hand was good to look at, but other than the titilation factor, wasn't necessary. Real lack of Dark Avengers in here other than quick quips. I've liked the book more times than not, so we'll see what happens to them during Seige.

Bigtymin504 wrote:

Dr. Wade Fucking McNasty wrote:

Bigtymin504 wrote:

Dr. Wade Fucking McNasty wrote:My face when I read the recent Avengers:






I'm done with Marvel for a good while. The cosmics scene is slow, ultimate universe sucks, and I simply can't care for the other aspects. I'll check back in another 2 years (like I did last time) and see if things have picked up. Hopefully they will.

C'mon Wade couldn't have been that bad? Why did you hate it so much? I think we all knew Sentry would be revealed to be immensely powerful. We'll find out more next issue though. Stick around so I can talk about this stuff with you.

The story itself did not bother me (it felt lackluster though---it was no big surprise) so much as it was more like the straw that broke the camle's back. It was a cumulative affect from other titles and such. Marvel doesn't interest me anymore. It's like an action movie with so many explosions you get bored with it. I get this feeling when I read almost any Marvel boosk these days. A sense of ennui that is hard to shake once I start reading one of their stories. It's like "what sort of lulzy thing shall they do to day" crosses my mind and lo and behold something "lulzy" (sorry, the word is funny and thus I shall enforce upon humanity ) does happen. The thrill has gone. The thrill has gone away. I may stick around but I'm just not having high hopes for anything at this point.

Hm well not sure I understand your feelings on this, but I respect your opinion. I actually think Marvel is putting out some pretty great books for the most part right now. I'll just say, don't let the books you aren't enjoying spoil everything for you, cuz I bet there are a few books you are enjoying (Invincible Iron Man, Thor come to mind).

A better way to rephrase things; Marvel seems to do things for shock effect; a wow effect rather than do things that deliberately progress the story. My feelings towards Marvel have been a long time in the making, going as far back as Civil War, so while I may turn a jaundiced eye towards it, it's not without reason. Trying to take everything now on it's own merit is what I ought to be doing but this is hard due to the fact that one is now being foreced, more oe less to recall everything from years past. I think even on it's own merit, it's a pretty mediocre tale they are telling overall, with the issue being another example of this mediocre story. They are hitting the reset button, so it's hard to care about Marvel when we know what the end result will be. It's hard to care even more when this is another big whomping event by Marvel, which have classically failed to deliver recently. I do give the props for at least establishing something that amounts to a status quo, but overall, it's simply not enough. Different folks, different strokes in the end. I have a funny way of looking at things. Lordderek has infected me with Marvel-hate.

Dr. Wade Fucking McNasty wrote:

Bigtymin504 wrote:

Dr. Wade Fucking McNasty wrote:

Bigtymin504 wrote:

Dr. Wade Fucking McNasty wrote:My face when I read the recent Avengers:






I'm done with Marvel for a good while. The cosmics scene is slow, ultimate universe sucks, and I simply can't care for the other aspects. I'll check back in another 2 years (like I did last time) and see if things have picked up. Hopefully they will.

C'mon Wade couldn't have been that bad? Why did you hate it so much? I think we all knew Sentry would be revealed to be immensely powerful. We'll find out more next issue though. Stick around so I can talk about this stuff with you.

The story itself did not bother me (it felt lackluster though---it was no big surprise) so much as it was more like the straw that broke the camle's back. It was a cumulative affect from other titles and such. Marvel doesn't interest me anymore. It's like an action movie with so many explosions you get bored with it. I get this feeling when I read almost any Marvel boosk these days. A sense of ennui that is hard to shake once I start reading one of their stories. It's like "what sort of lulzy thing shall they do to day" crosses my mind and lo and behold something "lulzy" (sorry, the word is funny and thus I shall enforce upon humanity ) does happen. The thrill has gone. The thrill has gone away. I may stick around but I'm just not having high hopes for anything at this point.

Hm well not sure I understand your feelings on this, but I respect your opinion. I actually think Marvel is putting out some pretty great books for the most part right now. I'll just say, don't let the books you aren't enjoying spoil everything for you, cuz I bet there are a few books you are enjoying (Invincible Iron Man, Thor come to mind).

A better way to rephrase things; Marvel seems to do things for shock effect; a wow effect rather than do things that deliberately progress the story. My feelings towards Marvel have been a long time in the making, going as far back as Civil War, so while I may turn a jaundiced eye towards it, it's not without reason. Trying to take everything now on it's own merit is what I ought to be doing but this is hard due to the fact that one is now being foreced, more oe less to recall everything from years past. I think even on it's own merit, it's a pretty mediocre tale they are telling overall, with the issue being another example of this mediocre story. They are hitting the reset button, so it's hard to care about Marvel when we know what the end result will be. It's hard to care even more when this is another big whomping event by Marvel, which have classically failed to deliver recently. I do give the props for at least establishing something that amounts to a status quo, but overall, it's simply not enough. Different folks, different strokes in the end. I have a funny way of looking at things. Lordderek has infected me with Marvel-hate.

I knew it!
Well I guess I just don't see it the way you're seeing it right now. I don't really understand the whole "shock value" argument, I never did. I mean everything in comics is meant to catch us by surprise with big moments, new concepts and directions and get our fanboy juices going, whether its Marvel, DC, Image, whatever. I think what's been done with the Marvel Universe for the last several years has progressed pretty logically and concisely for the most part, and considering its such a wide expansive universe with so many characters, I think that's somewhat impressive.

But I definitely respect your feelings on it, the only thing I'd say is to try not to turn sour on the whole company because of a few problems you have with some stories. I've always thought that's a horrible way of approaching comics in general cuz people just end up cynical comic fans and miss out on a lot of really good stories that way.

Dark Avengers #12

This was an okay issue. It wasn't the best, but it was still good.

The stuff with the Sentry was great. I love how Bendis is dealing with him. He is just so scary powerful you know trouble is coming.

Aussiemandias wrote:
Dark Avengers Annual #1
One big question for me: how is that the Supreme Intelligence? The SI is effectively dead so what's going on? Is this a mistake? I doubt it so then is it really the SI that's given Noh-Varr the nega-bands or something else? Is he being duped?

I hate quoting myself (speaking of doing that, where is our old friend Carlos from the WUMB?) but I was really hoping someone would have an explanation for this. Any takers?

Bigtymin504 wrote:Dark Avengers #12

Holy sh--! Sentry is one scary ass dude. I love that we're finally getting some answers to what he's capable of...and what he truly is. Bendis has built this up beautifully over the last year or so. I can't wait for next issue to learn more about him.

Then the bit with Ms. Hand and Norman at the end was nicely done too. Everything in his mind seems to be unraveling slowly but surely. And Loki is loving every minute of it. Siege should be ridiculous with these new developments.

While this wasn't the most exciting issue those two things made it for me. The unravelling of Norman and the scariness that is the Sentry. Just what the hell is he? The Sentry can basically have his molecules absolutely scattered to the four winds and that's not enough to kill him. That indicates to me that he's some sort of entity whose existence is not physical. He exists beyond physicality. Therefore I suspect he's some sort of cosmic entity that has forgotten who he is.

I loved that panel where all the Dark Avengers are just staring wide eyed at the Sentry flying off. Pretty much sums it up.

Dr. Wade Fucking McNasty wrote:
Lordderek has infected me with Marvel-hate.

Ah...you have strayed too close to the dark side. There is not turning back from there.

Aussiemandias wrote:

Aussiemandias wrote:
Dark Avengers Annual #1
One big question for me: how is that the Supreme Intelligence? The SI is effectively dead so what's going on? Is this a mistake? I doubt it so then is it really the SI that's given Noh-Varr the nega-bands or something else? Is he being duped?

I hate quoting myself (speaking of doing that, where is our old friend Carlos from the WUMB?) but I was really hoping someone would have an explanation for this. Any takers?

I'll take a stab. Well if I remember right, the Supreme Intelligence was actually restored by the Phalanx during Annihilation Conquest, but I'm not 100% sure on his status right now. Plus, it kinda looked like that was a recorded message left by the Supreme Intelligence rather than a live message. Not sure though.

Bigtymin504 wrote:
I'll take a stab. Well if I remember right, the Supreme Intelligence was actually restored by the Phalanx during Annihilation Conquest, but I'm not 100% sure on his status right now. Plus, it kinda looked like that was a recorded message left by the Supreme Intelligence rather than a live message. Not sure though.

I'm not sure I remember the SI being back in action but I could definitely go with the recorded message idea.

Aussiemandias wrote:

Bigtymin504 wrote:
I'll take a stab. Well if I remember right, the Supreme Intelligence was actually restored by the Phalanx during Annihilation Conquest, but I'm not 100% sure on his status right now. Plus, it kinda looked like that was a recorded message left by the Supreme Intelligence rather than a live message. Not sure though.

I'm not sure I remember the SI being back in action but I could definitely go with the recorded message idea.

I remember it happening during Annihilation Conquest for some reason, not exactly sure which book though. I'll have to go back and check that out.

As far as I recall the Supereme Intelligence is currently housed inside Wraith, I don't recall there ever being any sort of resolution to that story after Conquest, I could be mistaken though.

There are several theories that came to mind after I read that annual:

1. With the Fault being open it was an alternate version of the SI that got in contact with Noh-Varr, it's coloring isn't what we normally see.

2. It was a recording prepared by the SI for when the next wielder of the Nega Bands tried to get in contact with it.

3. Bendis doesn't read any of the cosmic books and has no idea what is currently going on outside of Earth in the MU.

Take your pick.

Fresh03 wrote:As far as I recall the Supereme Intelligence is currently housed inside Wraith, I don't recall there ever being any sort of resolution to that story after Conquest, I could be mistaken though.

There are several theories that came to mind after I read that annual:

1. With the Fault being open it was an alternate version of the SI that got in contact with Noh-Varr, it's coloring isn't what we normally see.

2. It was a recording prepared by the SI for when the next wielder of the Nega Bands tried to get in contact with it.

3. Bendis doesn't read any of the cosmic books and has no idea what is currently going on outside of Earth in the MU.

Take your pick.

*Picks 3*. Bendis......





But seriously, it boils down to those 3 it seems, though as far as Noh-Varr is concerned, since SI was killed in his introductory miniseries, I read it as a recording of wishes of the SI.

Fresh03 wrote:
1. With the Fault being open it was an alternate version of the SI that got in contact with Noh-Varr, it's coloring isn't what we normally see.

I actually thought it might have been this one.

Aussiemandias wrote:

Fresh03 wrote:
1. With the Fault being open it was an alternate version of the SI that got in contact with Noh-Varr, it's coloring isn't what we normally see.

I actually thought it might have been this one.

My thinking was that it could have been Noh-Varr's SI given that he is also not from this dimension. Who knows at this point honestly, I'm pretty much 100% certain that he's going to be getting his own on going in 2010 so I guess we'll just have to wait and see, the guy is certainly a cool enough character and criminally under used enough to get a shot, especially with his new status quo.

Dark Avenger: Ares #3

This was a very good mini, and not surprisingly by Kieron Gillen of Thor fame. We got to see what makes Ares the god of war and how he molds his men into warriors. I felt bad that the guys didn't survive after showing so much courage to come back for Ares. But I loved the end when Ares put Norman in his place. I'm curious to see what Ares's role in the MU will be during and post Siege. Just because he was on Norman's side during Dark Reign, doesn't mean he's a bad guy...hopefully he shows up somewhere good after all this.

And I just want to add that the vast majority of these Dark Reign related minis have been great: Hawkeye (needs to finish!), The Hood, Ares, Elektra, etc. They've been some really good character studies.

I loved all the minis as well...especially Zodiac. Did anyone get that? It was awesome.

^I skipped that one, but heard good things about it.

Bigtymin504 wrote:Dark Avenger: Ares #3

This was a very good mini, and not surprisingly by Kieron Gillen of Thor fame. We got to see what makes Ares the god of war and how he molds his men into warriors. I felt bad that the guys didn't survive after showing so much courage to come back for Ares. But I loved the end when Ares put Norman in his place. I'm curious to see what Ares's role in the MU will be during and post Siege. Just because he was on Norman's side during Dark Reign, doesn't mean he's a bad guy...hopefully he shows up somewhere good after all this.

And I just want to add that the vast majority of these Dark Reign related minis have been great: Hawkeye (needs to finish!), The Hood, Ares, Elektra, etc. They've been some really good character studies.

I'm a big fan of the Ares mini as well, really good characterization and it's nice to see him getting some focus, it's been a couple of years since we got a good Ares story, personally I think he's criminally under used and could be a main pillar for a group book, not sure he's ready for a solo title at this point, given a few more years of someone doing strong work with him though, whoknows?

I'd love to see more of him and Fury together, I've loved their relationship through out Dark Reign and the understanding they have as warriors, if Secret Warriors continues post Dark Reign I think that would be a great place for him, plus Hickman writes a hell of an Ares, plus we'd get some more Ares/Fury/Phobos dynamic which has been one hell of an entertaining read.

On the other hand, over in Incredible Herc the Gods vs. Marvels argument that's been floating around for quite a while is an interesting spin as well that I'd love to see get some more play, either way I'd be a pretty happy man, of course now that I've said those neither will happen.

Holy crack pipes! Issue 13 was just the best DA yet. I LOVED it.