West Coast Avengers [2024] #2 - Marvel Comics

WEST COAST AVENGERS No. 2, February 2025

Whilst parts of this twenty-page periodical may strike some within its audience as being a little rough around the edges, Gerry Duggan’s script for Issue Two of “West Coast Avengers” certainly should have held their attention. Indeed, the comic contains a genuinely enthralling mixture of pulse-pounding pugilism and dysfunctional super-team dynamics, as Iron Man’s squad face-off against an international arms smuggling ring and Firestar “officially joins” the "Wackos"; “All right. I admit I have a thing about robots at the moment. But… Why are you trusting Ultron.?!”

Furthermore, the book initially provides Spider-Woman with a significant amount of ‘screentime’, and this really helps sell the covert operative background to Jessica Drew’s colourfully costumed alter-ego, before she then just brutally batters Flag Smasher and his minions aboard Grant Rogers’ re-papered sea vessel. Such an insight proves a great reminder to the reader as to the character’s lengthy background, and also helps inject some humour into the tense situation by showing how grossed out she becomes when the lecherous Blue Bolt pays some interest in her.

Equally as enjoyable however is this book’s much more sedentary second-half, which focuses upon Angelica Jones’ arrival at the Los Angeles Avengers Campus. There’s a very clear suggestion in this publication that all is not what it seems with Tony Stark’s supposed “A-List Hero”, and her extreme overreaction upon first encountering the former, would-be world conqueror Ultron, does not bode well for whichever reformed villain Chris Claremont’s co-creation is meant to be mentoring.

Unfortunately, the same praise can not be heaped upon the interior artwork of this comic due to some occasional, jarringly weak pencilling by Danny Kim. There is no doubt that the illustrator can create some dynamic, adrenalin-fuelled moments with his drawing – such as when Spider-Woman singlehandedly takes down a helicopter crammed full of heavily-armed goons. Yet, every now and then, a panel or two will look disconcertingly amateurish at best, like one picture where an exasperated Stark is shown clasping his hands to the sides of his head. Sadly, such sketches will undoubtedly snatch any perusing bibliophile straight out of the moment, and make them question just how much time the creative team were given before this particular title was thrown together.

The regular cover art of "WEST COAST AVENGERS" #2 by Ben Harvey

West Coast Avengers [2024] #1 - Marvel Comics

WEST COAST AVENGERS No. 1, January 2025

Announced at the 2024 San Diego Comic Con, and promising an “iconic team with a superstar lineup of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including a seemingly redeemed Ultron”, Gerry Duggan’s script for Issue One of “West Coast Avengers” arguably lives up to all its pre-publication hype. In fact, the comic contains a considerable number of intriguing conundrums which should keep its audience well and truly engrossed throughout the ongoing series’ run; “Did you ask me to join because I have a rap sheet?”

Foremost of these hooks has to be the inclusion of Hank Pym’s homicidal robot on the super-team’s roster. Responsible for countless failed attempts to dominate the world, the mass-murdering machine understandably brings an element of menace to every scene in which he appears - including those where he is clearly saving the lives of innocent Californians. So palpable an atmosphere of deadly duplicity should genuinely convince this book’s audience that at any moment the adamantium-bodied artificial intelligence will brutally betray his team-makes, and such unease will arguably make it really difficult for any reader to put this twenty-six page publication down.

In addition, the American author is very good at sowing plenty of discontent and disharmony within the remaining squad members, despite the likes of Iron Man, War Machine, and even Spider-Woman having plenty of experience working with others. Much of this friction is undoubtedly caused by the disagreeably arrogant Blue Bolt, who seems utterly resistant to any other options than just blowing his opponents up with his Electrokinesis. However, Tony Stark too appears to be fighting plenty of other demons himself, as well as rather humorously weighing a couple more pounds than he did when he first donned his Silver Centurion armour.

Disappointingly, what does let this comic down though are some of Danny Kim’s layouts, which whilst being proficiently pencilled overall, also appear a little too rough and ready from time to time. Indeed, a considerable number of the artist’s panels contain little to no background whatsoever, and after a while this frustratingly bland-looking technique unfortunately gives the impression that the illustrator was in some sort of a hurry to get on to the next drawing assignment, rather than provide his audience with an enticing view of events as they unfold.

The regular cover art of "WEST COAST AVENGERS" #1 by Ben Harvey

Blood Hunt: Red Band #5 - Marvel Comics

BLOOD HUNT: RED BAND No. 5, September 2024

Despite comprising of more tie-in issues and spin-off limited series than your average Marvelite can shake a pointy stick at, this final instalment of “Blood Hunt” probably still felt somewhat rushed to many of its readers in July 2024. True, the super-sized thirty-three page periodical does manage to pull many of its numerous plot-threads together for a sort of satisfying resolution. But, having an infected Miles Morales prove to be the improbable hero of the day, when the likes of the mighty Thor, invincible Iron Man and Captain Marvel appear disconcertingly impotent, is arguably a bit of a head scratcher; “I had only one weakness, Avengers. The girl. The bloodline. And she’s not here.”

Furthermore, it’s not entirely clear whether Stephen Strange’s “dread bargain” with Doctor Doom actually has any impact upon the final result. Having successfully stabbed a possessed Blade through the chest with a sword, many a bibliophile probably felt the battle was already won, and that once the Daywalker was free of Varnae’s malign influence the Darkforce surrounding our planet would return to its own dimension. However, before such an event can occur Victor casts his pre-fall Atlantean spell, supposedly brings sunlight back to the half the world, and diabolically solidifies his stance as” Earth’s new, Superior Sorcerer Supreme” – which somewhat cynically leads into another “Marvel Worldwide” major event “coming in November…”

For those onlookers able to ignore these quibbles though, Jed MacKay’s penmanship certainly still delivers a pulse-pounding experience, with much of this comic focusing upon the Avengers' fisticuffs against the dread Bloodcoven. These toe-to-toe confrontations between some of the publisher’s most popular protagonists is genuinely enthralling, especially when the God of Thunder manages to finally summon Mjolnir whilst battling the first of all vampires.

Equally up to the task of pencilling all this adrenalin-charged action is Pepe Larraz, who should genuinely cause a few painful gasps from those witnessing poor Vision losing a limb in a truly horrific manner to Bloodstorm One. In addition, ably supported by color artists Marte Gracia and Fer Sifuentes-Sujo, the Spanish illustrator impressively manages to imbue the scenes featuring Doctor Strange with a noticeably different, though far from off-putting, ambience, which speaks of the ancient and powerful magic being depicted in the panels.

The regular cover art to "BLOOD HUNT" #5 by Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia

Civil War: The Confession #1 - Marvel Comics

CIVIL WAR: THE CONFESSION No. 1, May 2007

Considering that this twenty-two page periodical essentially just consists of some conversations between Iron Man and Captain America, it is arguably somewhat impressive that Issue One of “Civil War: The Confession” was the eighth best-selling comic book in March 2007 – at least according to “Diamond Comic Distributors”. Indeed, in principle Brian Bendis’ notion of two characters simply talking to one another about their motivations and beliefs for the entirety of a “Rated T+” one-shot debatably sounds rather uninspiringly dull, and certainly not the sort of publication which would sell a staggering 112,416 copies.

Happily however, such is the penmanship of this title that it succeeds in providing both a genuinely intriguing insight into what made Tony Stark battle against his long-time comrade-in-arms, and that the new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. seemingly now regrets so zealous a stance following the Sentinel of Liberty’s subsequent assassination. These nagging doubts really are convincingly delivered, as Shell-head initially appears to be trying to once again justify himself to his ‘old friend’, before finally succumbing to the dread realisation that his support of the Superhuman Registration Act and all the horrendous sacrifices he made wasn’t in any way “worth it.”

With such a high bar set, the American author then deep-dives into the psyche of Steve Rogers, and presents a morally-right super-hero, who appears to pity his opponent when he realises Iron Man arrogantly believes he’s won simply because the First Avenger surrendered to the authorities. This contrast in perceptions is particularly well demonstrated when Captain America is first brought to his prison cell and a soldier instinctively still salutes him – as opposed to the reception Stan Lee’s victorious co-creation receives upon arriving on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier; “Can you feel it out there? They don’t like me here and they don’t want me here.”

Adding a gritty realism to all these sedentary, yet still pretty intense proceedings, is Alex Maleev, who quite wonderfully shows the weight of Tony’s new world bearing down upon his ultimately unworthy shoulders. The leader of the United Nations Peacekeeping Task Force really looks like the one who has been defeated, whilst ‘Cap’ is pencilled with an evident and energetic chip still upon his broad shoulders. In fact, the World War Two veteran is shown to be the far more dynamic and physical of the two men, with Stark appearing soberingly crestfallen in his treacherous triumph.

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis, Artist: Alex Maleev, and Color Artist: Jose Villarrubia

Daredevil [2022] #6 - Marvel Comics

DAREDEVIL No. 6, February 2023

Featuring an unbelievably tiring thirty-two panel sequence depicting Matt Murdock chopping up some tomatoes in a kitchen, Chip Zdarsky’s script for this comic probably did cause its readers to believe it was “the most shocking issue” of the author’s “landmark Daredevil epic yet”. However, such an accolade is arguably not a good thing when its due to a severely sedentary narrative, which only occasionally pops into life whenever the spotlight moves away from its titular character; “Would you mind prepping some garlic? Knives are to your right.”

Indeed, despite the pre-publication promises of "Marvel Worldwide", the actual highlight of this twenty-page periodical solely rests upon the shoulders of Elektra Natchios’ so-called “international incident” concerning an apparently undead incarnation of the United States Commander-In-Chief. This well-penned and intriguing confrontation between the deadly assassin and Frank Castle's presidential puppet is made all the more dramatic when an overconfident Iron Man smashes his way into the fracas, and gets swiftly ambushed by a pair of stooges armed with one nanometre thick Symkarian steel swords.

Unfortunately though, so pulse-pounding a predicament is just as short-lived as the rest of the publication’s rambling plot is long-winded, so soon gets swallowed up amidst the Man of Fear’s bemusing dialogue-driven desire for redemption with some of the world's more notorious B-List criminals. In fact, many a bibliophile will probably be left scratching their heads in wonder at just what the blind lawyer’s overtly-religious plan is for the likes of Stegron, Speed Demon, Stilt-Man, Agony and Bullet – Unless Murdock genuinely believes in simply busting the mass-murderers out of their lawful imprisonment on the Raft he is somehow doing God’s work..!?!

Desperately attempting to hold the audience’s attention with his drawings is Rafael De Latorre, who appears to squeeze as much action as an artist can manage from the aforementioned broth-making debacle. This conversational piece does admittedly contain one moment of melodrama when the Brazilian illustrator pencils felon Buck Cashman being asked to use a kitchen knife whilst Daredevil has his back turned to him. But even this potential threat is quickly quashed as flat as the vegetables being prepared for dinner once the felon quietly sets about crushing the plant with the flat of the blade.

 The regular cover art to "DAREDEVIL" #6 by Marco Checchetto & Matthew Wilson

Blood Hunt: Red Band #3 - Marvel Comics

BLOOD HUNT: RED BAND No. 3, August 2024

Disconcertingly containing barely a punch in anger, Jed MacKay’s dialogue-driven and somewhat sedentary storyline for Issue Three of “Blood Hunt” probably didn’t live up to the expectations of an audience whose desire to read more about Blade’s vampire uprising made the title the “top advance-reordered comic book” in early May 2024 (at least according to “Diamond Comic Distributors”). True, the twenty-one page periodical does contain a savage attack upon the Avengers by a brainwashed Miles Morales inside the supposedly safe Sanctum Sanctorum. But this ferocious ambush is quickly quelled once Clea Strange traps the fanged fiend within the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, and her deceased husband rids Spider-man of his devilish influence via the Eye of Agamotto.

Instead, the reader is subjected to several grand speeches throughout the Canadian writer’s script, with Sam Wilson’s twelve-panel tour-de-force as Captain America being the longest and most memorable of them. This repetitious rhetoric certainly has its place within the narrative, most notably poor Brielle Brooks’ reaction to discovering that her own father is at the heart of the planetary problem and discovering that Count Dracula plans for the young girl to assassinate her parent. However, to simply plonk one word-heavy discussion after another into a single edition completely saps any pace out of this publication’s plot, and quite literally leaves any bibliophile desperately wanting events to considerably move on just so both opposing forces can once again battle one another; “Do not presume to lecture me, Spider-Man, I will not let my one hope of victory just run away --”

Desperately trying to inject some energy into this lack-lustre lethargy is Pepe Larraz, who pencils some excellent shots of the chaos being caused by Blade's minions whilst Wilson waxes lyrical about the Avengers saying “No” to the vampires' demands. These pulse-pounding pictures cover a variety of locations, from Halifax and Manhattan through to the Sahara Desert and Mexico City, so resultantly do a good job of depicting the violence stretching right across the world. Yet, any momentum which they generate is then swiftly scotched by Carol Danvers spending what seems like an eternity singing Sam’s praises, and Eric Brooks unconvincingly having a major hissy fit because he feels the super-group should “lie down and die.”

The regular cover art to "BLOOD HUNT" #3 by Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia

Blood Hunt: Red Band #2 - Marvel Comics

BLOOD HUNT: RED BAND No. 2, July 2024

Pitching the surviving Avengers alongside Count Dracula himself in a highly unlikely team-up against a planetwide invasion of vampires, Jed MacKay’s script for Issue Two of “Blood Hunt” certainly seems to strike a much brighter note as to the Earth’s future fate than this summer event’s deeply dark preceding instalment. In fact, the absolute beating the likes of Bloodstorm One and Megrim take at the hands of Captain Marvel, the Vision and Captain America probably caused the odd reader to leap to their feet in order to cheer the protagonists on; “Here’s our philosophy: We have a lot to avenge.”

Enjoyably however, this twenty-one page periodical’s plot doesn’t simply rely upon an insane action sequence packed full of face-pummelling fisticuffs to entertain either, as the Canadian author also pens some intriguing plot progressions into the comic too – most notably the fact that Doctor Strange is still alive as a wandering spirit despite being disembowelled by Blade. These ‘quieter’ moments are especially impressive as they both provide the writer with an opportunity to bring any bibliophiles unwilling or unable to peruse the almost overwhelming number of tie-in titles bang up to speed with the overarching narrative, as well as provide a modicum of spotlight upon some of the Marvel Universe’s lesser known characters, such as Hunter’s Moon and the Daywalker’s daughter, Brielle Brooks.

Of course, it’s the aforementioned rematch between the “broken” Earth’s mightiest heroes and the Bloodcoven which most Marvelites will probably enjoy though. Having previously defeated the “all-star” supergroup, the vampiric villains are quick to forget that they had a distinct advantage over their opponents in their first fight, courtesy of a thorough briefing and the element of surprise. This time round the creatures of the night have no such benefits, and resultantly their arrogance is quickly silenced by the Vision’s ability to harness the power of solar energy.

Equally as intrinsic to this mini-series’ storytelling as MacKay’s contribution are the lavish layouts provided throughout by Spanish illustrator Pepe Larraz and Mexican colorist Marte Gracia. Together, the two artists genuinely depict a visual feast for the eyes, with perhaps Carol Danver’s socking Vlad Dracula’s gigantic clone squarely on the jaw being this apocalyptic publication’s most noteworthy smackdown.

The regular cover art to "BLOOD HUNT" #2 by Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia

Blood Hunt: Red Band #1 - Marvel Comics

BLOOD HUNT: RED BAND No. 1, July 2024

Touted by its New York City-based publisher as “the bloodiest Marvel event ever”, Jed MacKay’s storyline for Issue One of “Blood Hunt” definitely lives up to its promise of vampires slaughtering nearly everyone that they can get their sinisterly sharp claws on. Indeed, whilst many a bibliophile might feel the comic’s ‘explicit content’ sealed polythene bag and repeated ‘mature reader only’ warnings are rather gimmicky, this thirty-two page extravaganza soon causes its audience to be up to their necks in severed limbs, torn-off heads, spilling intestines and literal rivers of icky human ichor.

Furthermore, for those onlookers able to withstand such a stomach-churning assault upon their senses, the Canadian author arguably leaves the best until almost last, by pitching the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes against the “mysterious and deadly vampire faction” known as the Bloodcoven. This battle is as brutal as it is (perhaps somewhat) disappointingly one-sided, with the likes of Iron Man, Vision, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Scarlet Witch, Thor and Captain America all getting their proverbial clocks cleaned by a strike force specifically designed to exploit each hero’s unique set of vulnerabilities; “Or was a match, I guess. This isn’t conjecture. The Avengers are down.”

However, it isn’t arguably the notion that Stan Lee’s co-creations are soundly defeated which comes as such a surprise. But rather the truly gruesome manner in which it all occurs. Whether it be as a result of a thousand cuts, a crystalline shaft straight through the brain, or a hand tunnelling its way through the stomach, these close combat conclusions are shockingly savage, and jam-packed full of gore-drenched innards. In fact, it’s probably difficult for long-term Marvelites to recall so much physical mutilation being on show this side of a “MAX Comics” imprint – at least until the attention shifts to Doctor Stephen Strange’s horrific evisceration at the publication’s conclusion.

Also presumably being constantly peppered by MacKay to add extra buckets of blood into his prodigious pencilling is Pepe Larraz, who does a stellar job of depicting the sheer scale of the voracious blood-drinkers’ assault across the world. Of particular note is the Spanish artist’s design work on the super-vampires, with Jed himself going on record to state it was the illustrator “who really brought these characters to (un)life, creating an extremely gnarly set of predators!”

The regular cover art to "BLOOD HUNT" #1 by Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia

Daredevil: Black Armor #4 - Marvel Comics

DAREDEVIL: BLACK ARMOR No. 4, April 2024

Penning a genuinely pulse-pounding “final round”, D.G. Chichester’s narrative for Issue Four of “Daredevil: Black Armor” quite simply picks its audience up by the scruff of their necks and doesn’t drop them back down until towards the comic’s end when Tony Stark’s golden alter-ego makes a cameo appearance to help save the day. In fact, even then the Connecticut-born writer may well have some bibliophiles holding their breath as Iron Man momentarily contemplates just how the composite material armoured crime-fighter before him suspiciously broadcast a distress message “on the Avengers’ Emergency Channel.”

Much of this momentum is clearly due to the titular character running headfirst through Baron Wolfgang von Strucker’s underground colosseum, initiating a mass uprising by Mole Man’s numerous fungus-based moloids in the process. But to mix things up a bit, this comic’s American author also manages to show just what ‘Jack Batlin’ is capable of by having him successfully stand toe-to-toe against both the Hobgoblin and Sabretooth simultaneously, and impressively walk away the clear victor.

Perhaps however, despite all the aforementioned adrenalin-charged action, this book’s best moment comes following Daredevil’s failed attempt to get the surviving Hell’s Kitchen inhabitants back to the surface. Cut off inside a creaking, badly damaged tin can, the former “Epic Comics” editor pens a genuinely touching scene between the Man without Fear and a terrified Trina, which quite wonderfully demonstrates just how much the super-hero cares for the people who trusted him to save them. Indeed, the heartfelt sentiment between the young, claustrophobic child and her would-be rescuer is arguably the highlight of this book, and shows that Chichester hasn’t lost a step when it comes to the vigilante’s motivation, even after a twenty-five-year long break.

Also wasting no opportunity to imbue the storytelling with plenty of “Fwrak”, “Kwram”, “Twok” and “Thwik”, is Netho Diaz, whose pencilling really helps sell Matt Murdock’s flight through Hydra’s secret subterranean lair. Of particular note is the artist’s ability to show the increasing fatigue which falls upon Bill Everett’s co-creation as things slowly go awry with his evacuation plan, and how the street acrobat’s physicality markedly changes at the end of the twenty-page periodical, when a fighting fit blind lawyer confronts some ill-advised, knife-wielding muggers; “When’d it get so hard to intimidate people in this city?”

The regular cover art to "DAREDEVIL" #4 by Mark Bagley & Romulo Fajardo Junior

Thor [2020] #8 - Marvel Comics

THOR No. 8, December 2020

Based upon the debatably bizarre premise that anyone in Broxton, Oklahoma can simply pick up “the famed hammer of the Thunder God… no worthiness required”, Donny Cates script for Issue Eight of “Thor” was probably never going to really win over that many of the comic’s readers. Indeed, Odinson’s behaviour throughout this entire twenty-page periodical is unusually odd, with the founding Avenger seemingly not even caring when an incredibly detestable Iron Man batters him straight across the face with Mjolnir itself; “For the vast majority of the time I have known thee… You have been a noble ally and friend.”

Furthermore, it doesn’t seem particularly clear just what the American author was actually trying to achieve with his storyline. True, this second instalment of “Hammerfall” does a first-rate job of depicting Tony Stark as a total jerk, whose holier than thou ego foolishly makes the billionaire industrialist momentarily believe that he has every right to both keep Thor’s hammer for himself and subsequently assault the Thunder God with it. But frankly, the inventor’s famous arrogance is obvious for all to see when he immediately starts threatening a bemused Adam Aziz for possession of the enchanted hand-weapon at the start of the comic.

Likewise, it seems somewhat anomalous that Jack Kirby’s co-creation would later willingly allow a local mechanic to wield Mjolnir and go so far as to teach him how to fly using its power. Of course, this sequence is actually rather endearing, as the elderly repairman exudes an utterly enchanting childlike excitement during his once in a lifetime lesson. However, apart from padding out the publication with some tongue-in-cheek humour, as well as planting the seed in the long-haired deity's mind to reset “the Uru hammer”, this silly scene disconcertingly jars with the serious nature of the titular character’s potentially catastrophic confrontation with Iron Man just moments before.

Frustratingly, guest artist Aaron Kuder doesn’t seemingly help ‘sell’ Cates’ tale either, courtesy of some rather lack-lustre pencilling. The heavily detailed panels depicting the titular character staring into the great Book of Kings at this comic's opening is incredibly atmospheric, and packed full of menacing intrigue. Yet, as soon the audience are whisked to present day Broxton, there’s arguably a noticeable drop in quality – not least of which is the design of Adam’s Asgardian costume.

The regular cover art of "THOR" #8 by Olivier Coipel & Laura Martin

Avengers: War Across Time #5 - Marvel Comics

AVENGERS: WAR ACROSS TIME No. 5, July 2023

Despite undeniably supplying this twenty-page periodical’s audience with an exhilarating “showdown in the future”, it is difficult to imagine that many of this comic’s older fans will be quite so filled with nostalgia as some were with the mini-series’ previous instalments. Indeed, some bibliophiles may well feel that Paul Levitz’s plot rather disappointingly runs out of steam halfway through the book and resultantly has to purely rely upon the prodigious pencilling of Alan Davis to help pad it out to the required length; “Focus -- I think to get out of this timestream, we have to stay together -- stay in touch with our own reality.”

To begin with however, the American author’s narrative proves pretty compelling with an over-confident Kang the Conqueror transporting “the original Avengers” to his formidable headquarters in the Thirty-First Century for a final reckoning. This confrontation smacks of the hubris which has helped make the obnoxious time-traveling entity the second-best Avengers villain of all time according to “Newsarama”, and initially appears to bode ill for the likes of Janet Van Dyne when she is forced to go one-on-one with the technologically advanced descendant of Reed Richards' father.

True, some readers might feel somewhat let-down by the supposedly genius-level intellect unexpectedly allowing Iron Man to suddenly fly off into his domain without giving a moment’s thought as to the damage Shell-head could (and ultimately does) cause to the “rare silicon isotopes” Kang uses to power his solar tower. But others will doubtless chalk up this massive oversight to the aforementioned arrogance which the former Pharaoh Rama-Tut displays throughout this tome. Furthermore, the future-based felon is already depicted as being on ‘the back foot’ by this point, having found himself on the wrong end of the Wasp’s sting.

Much more disappointing is arguably the subsequent sequence of panels showing this book’s titular characters falling through various multiverses. This series of sketches just goes on and on and on for a third of the publication, and even at the end never convincingly explains just how Captain America’s belief in knowing just “who I am” helps the Earth’s mightiest heroes escape “through the swirls of time!” In fact, the more cynical student of the Silver Age may well believe this stage of the story was solely an excuse for the comic’s British artist to once again demonstrate his penchant for reimagining many of Marvel Worldwide's more recognisable creations.

Writer: Paul Levitz, Artist: Alan Davis, and Color Artist Rachelle Rosenberg

Avengers: War Across Time #4 - Marvel Comics

AVENGERS: WAR ACROSS TIME No. 4, June 2023

If Paul Levitz’s intention with his script for Issue Four of “Avengers: War Across Time” was to make the King of the Dwarfs one of the most hated opponents the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes have ever faced, then he arguably succeeds. For whilst Sindri isn’t depicted as actually being evil, the self-righteous, holier than thou monarch is so sickeningly sanctimonious in his incorrect belief that he’s been terribly wronged by Thor, that it’s difficult to imagine any reader of this comic feeling anything but contempt for him, even after the Thunder God smacks Mjolnir’s thief into next Saturday.

Indeed, this entire twenty-page periodical’s plot seems entirely intent upon depicting Stan Lee’s co-creation from the Sixties as nothing more than a petty-minded ruler, who only thinks of manipulating the Lava Men into helping his planet-destroying revenge rather than searching for the actual truth behind his present predicament on Midgard. Sure, this book also portrays Kang the Conqueror as a leveller of civilisations and cold-hearted killer of his own subjects. But the time-travelling entity is in many ways simply a power-seeking super-villain who callously guns down one man for speaking to him with “impunity”. Whereas Sindri is willing to unjustly sentence an entire population to a "fiery doom" just because he mistakenly assumes Odinson has transported him from Nidavellir against his will.

Enjoyably, the American author also appears very good at showing his considerable cast of protagonists outthinking their foe as opposed to simply beating him around the head. This becomes particularly important once “the most powerful Avenger” departs before his vulnerable alter-ego is disastrously revealed, and the team must rely far more upon brains than brawn – most intriguingly Janet van Dyne’s; “Do you have some thermal-scanning doohickey in there? Follow the heat -- I’ll bet that leads us to Sindri and the hammer!”

Adding plenty pf “Thooom”, “Whoosh” and “Zzoooom” to this publication’s proceedings is Alan Davis, who provides all his well-drawn figures with plenty of dynamic life and beguiling emotion. In fact, alongside Thor’s evident concern at losing Mjolnir, the British artist also adds considerable weight to Giant-Man as Hank Pym visibly takes pride in both his lover’s intelligent reasoning, and then the Wasp’s physical help during their subsequent battle against an innumerable horde of relentless Lava Men.

The regular cover art of "AVENGERS: WAR ACROSS TIME" #4 by Alan Davis & Carlos Lopez

Avengers: War Across Time #3 - Marvel Comics

AVENGERS: WAR ACROSS TIME No. 3, May 2023

Containing two pulse-pounding battles between this mini-series’ titular characters and the king of the dwarfs, as well as an intriguing look at the underground world of the Lava Men, it’s arguably easy to see just why this comic’s letters page is filled full of compliments congratulating Paul Levitz on capturing “the magic of the Silver Age.” Indeed, such is the sense of Sixties nostalgia generated by Issue Three of “Avengers: War Across Time”, that it’s quite clear the American author “learned much of my writing craft from The Avengers” and clearly wrote the storyline to “pay homage to my old friends Stan [Lee], Jack [Kirby] and Don [Heck].”

Quite possibly this comic’s biggest success though actually lies in the personality of the highly disagreeable and self-righteous Sindri, who despite all his claims of royalty is still perfectly happy to sink his teeth into Thor Odinson’s wrist when the diminutive miscreant wants to get his unworthy hands on Mjolnir. Astonishingly powerful, and clearly capable of causing the entire Earth to sink into “a fiery doom”, the Dwarf of Nidavellir grabs the attention in every panel in which he appears, even during the somewhat more dialogue-driven sequences whilst he energetically explores the caverns beneath New York City’s paved surface.

Furthermore, the former editor of “DC Comics” is able to remind this twenty-page-periodical’s audience that the true villain of the piece, Kang the Conqueror, is still very much a threat by occasionally visiting the time-obsessed tyrant in his future-housed headquarters. These brief interludes help establish just why Sindri’s accidental presence on the planet is so integral to the title’s overall plot, and actually helps keep the reader momentarily guessing as to just where the superheroes’ next threat will come from; “We barely stopped Kang’s robot Hulk -- Who knows what he’ll send to attack us next..?”

Helping smash the look and feel of Marvel Comics’ early era are Alan Davis’ layouts, which quite justifiably are acknowledged as calling back “to its roots in Kirby, Heck and [Dick] Ayers.” One particular success is debatably the initial battle between the God of Thunder and his lesser-sized adversary, with the British artist imbuing Thor’s opponent with all the feisty mannerisms of a scrapper who is facing a much more physically impressive antagonist.

The regular cover art of "AVENGERS: WAR ACROSS TIME" #3 by Alan Davis

Avengers: War Across Time #2 - Marvel Comics

AVENGERS: WAR ACROSS TIME No. 2, April 2023

If capturing the almost adolescent simplicity of some of Stan Lee’s Silver Age storylines was Paul Levitz’s plan for Issue Two of "Avengers: War Across Time", then this twenty-page-periodical certainly does the job. But for those True Believers who like far fewer contrivances and (un)happy accidents in their comic books, such manufactured moments as the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes deciding to burgle the Baxter Building and an age-addled Postman accidentally activating Doctor Doom’s time machine might prove a bit too much; “Stark will have to square up with Richards for the damage. But I’m betting I can switch this off without our ripping it all apart.”

Happily however, any Marvelites willing to forgive such quibbles and simply enjoy the Eisner Hall of Famer’s channelling of the classic heroes’ adventures, should arguably still find that there’s plenty of sense-shattering shenanigans to enjoy once Willie Lumpkin has inadvertently teleported an irate Sindri into the heart of New York City. Indeed, the subsequent battle between the likes of Iron Man, Thor and Captain America against the angry king of the Dwarves of Nidavellir proves tremendously intriguing, especially as the diminutive forger of Mjolnir is able to resculpt Tony Stark’s armour like it was clay with the simple touch of his hand.

Furthermore, there’s plenty of pulse-pounding proceedings to be found beforehand following Shell-head’s ill-advised decision to pick the lock of the Fantastic Four’s residence and enter the skyscraper’s lift. The Golden Avenger demonstrates all the holier-than thou arrogance his character has become famous for, so many a reader will doubtless enjoy his discomfort at being manhandled by Reed Richard’s steel security tentacles and inability to manipulate Victor Von Doom’s machinery – at least without revealing his (then) secret identity to his team-mates.

Definitely helping the Avengers “break the barriers between worlds” are Alan Davis’ layouts, which seem to capture all the nuances of this narrative’s earlier era when the Wasp was wearing one of her more wildly wonderful costumes, and you could still see the rivets running around Iron Man’s face-plate. In addition, the “legendary X-artist” does an excellent job of imbuing Sindri with all the formidable physical power and fighting prowess a bibliophile might expect from an adversary who “once sent Thor as a prisoner to the Rock Trolls to be their slave.”

The regular cover art of "AVENGERS: WAR ACROSS TIME" #2 by Alan Davis

Avengers: War Across Time #1 - Marvel Comics

AVENGERS: WAR ACROSS TIME No. 1, March 2023

Essentially consisting of a forty-page long punch-up between “the classic Avengers” and the incredible Hulk, there’s surely plenty for fans of pulse-pounding pugilism to enjoy with Paul Levitz’s “Marvel debut”. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine a connoisseur of the Silver Age of Comics being able to resist this super-sized publication once they’ve seen Alan Davis’ sensational opening splash page depicting Thor, Captain America, Giant-Man and the Wasp falling to the ground through a wind vortex; “The rage of the storm is mine to command. A power beyond your mortal reckoning.”

Furthermore, the “Eisner Hall of Famer” still manages to enjoyably imbue each of this comic’s considerable cast with a little bit of personality in between them trading blows with Bruce Banner’s alter-ego, even when some of that spotlight does focus upon Janet van Dyne’s disconcerting crush upon “the Norse god of good looks!” Such moments really help break-up an otherwise potentially monotonous carousel of veiled threats and punches, whilst also helping establish the legitimate aura surrounding Steve Roger’s World War Two heroics and the super-team’s genuine concern for those innocent lives around them as they try to minimise any collateral damage caused by their actions.

Of course, this book’s biggest hook is witnessing the world’s mightiest heroes stoically strike against a creature who simply gets stronger the angrier he gets. This epic confrontation is quite nicely lengthened by fate compelling each Avenger to face-off against the Hulk single-handedly, and as a result there are some interesting duels involving Captain America, Thor, Giant-Man and an ultra-brave Wasp. In fact, one of this publication’s finest moments is debatably when Iron Man dons his infamous roller skates to repeatedly outfox an increasingly irate “Green Goliath” on a deserted public ice rink.

Issue One of “Avengers: War Across Time” also owes a lot of its success to its acclaimed British-born artist, whose prodigiously pencilled panels capture all the sense-shattering shenanigans this mini-series’ audience would expect from a comic attempting to capture the look and feel of the Sixties. Davis definitely attains some impressive images whilst drawing the various combatants slugging away at one another. But impressively, his layouts also contain a couple of notable nods to some of the other inhabitants of New York City, such as Betty Brant and Aunt May.

The regular cover art of "AVENGERS: WAR ACROSS TIME" #1 by Alan Davis

Captain Carter #5 - Marvel Comics

CAPTAIN CARTER No. 5, October 2022

Drawing this mini-series to a succinct conclusion, this twenty page periodical’s plot arguably plays out more like something from a “Mission Impossible” motion picture than a comic book, thanks largely to its cast’s attempt to break Peggy Carter out of the supposedly impregnable S.T.R.I.K.E. Containment Facility. In fact, considering Jamie McKelvie neatly utilises almost every trope from that American action spy franchise, ranging from computer hacking, phoney fire alarms, disguises and high-tech gadgetry, some within this comic’s audience were probably half-expecting the former IMF point man Ethan Hunt to make a guest-star appearance.

Thankfully however, none of these resemblances ruin a well-told story, which not only quite merrily motors through its narrative at a steadfast pace. But also enjoyably provides all this title’s numerous characters with something fairly significant to do. Such penmanship really helps imbue this book’s ‘super-team’ with a genuine sense of cooperation and family, even down to Division Chief Lance Hunter, who once convinced of the Prime Minister’s vampirism, becomes a pivot part of Lizzie Braddock’s plan to infiltrate a facility specifically “designed to hold super-powered prisoners.”

Furthermore, many bibliophiles will probably appreciate this publication’s central formidably-strong protagonist using her brains as opposed to her brawn to outwit her centuries-old opponent. Setting aside the debate as to whether the undead Harry Williams would be able to be captured by a modern-day digital camera, the notion of a man elected to high government through the power of the press being subsequently exposed as a blood-drinking monster by the self-same media is rather ingenious, and definitely adds an element of poetic justice to John Falsworth’s fiery downfall.

Illustrator Marika Cresta should also be given some considerable praise for helping make Issue Five of “Captain Carter” a memorable finale for “the recipient of the Super Soldier Serum.” There’s an incredible amount of dialogue and action to cram into this comic’s interior, and alongside color artist Matt Milla, the Ringo Award-Nominee does an excellent job in holding the attention with her prodigious pencilling. Indeed, one of the highlights of this book is debatably the shockingly sudden demise of Lady Jacqueline Falsworth, courtesy of a stake through the chest by Harley Davis.

Writer: Jamie McKelvie, Artist: Marika Cresta, and Color Artist: Matt Milla

Captain Carter #4 - Marvel Comics

CAPTAIN CARTER No. 4, September 2022

Initially grabbing its audience by the scruff of the neck with a no-nonsense punch-up between Peggy Carter, an armourless Iron Man and a veritable vanload of super-powered goons, Jamie McKelvie’s script for Issue Four of “Captain Carter” certainly gets off to a sense-shattering start. But whilst this fistfight genuinely projects an air of potential deadliness for the titular character and her conveniently tech-savvy fighting companion, the rest of the twenty-page periodical’s plot is probably a bit disappointingly pedestrian; “I’ll go with you, Tony. I can’t just sit here being useless.”

Indeed, it’s arguably not until this comic’s cliff-hanger of a conclusion that any reader’s pulse will start pounding again, and then it’s only because the lead protagonist is acting so naively that anyone can see she’s about to be captured by the mini-series’ central villain so are screaming at the “decades-old spy” to stop her solo assassination mission before it’s too late. This situation is doubly infuriating because it comes straight after an extremely well-written sequence where Peggy suddenly pieces together all the clues which the author has previously dropped that the Prime Minister is actually the vampire Lord John Falsworth.

Perhaps this publication’s biggest problem though is just how increasingly insufferable and holier than thou Harley Davis appears throughout the story. Not happy simply having the disagreeable young woman completely tear apart the British Intelligence Service’s most top-secret data files concerning the head of government’s fraudulent background using just a home computer, McKelvie also has her taking Lizzie Braddock to task for not having grown up poor and then suggests despite all the secret agent’s evident hard work, that she only got her position within S.T.R.I.K.E. solely because her father “was the Director General of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s British Division.” In fact, the Brixton-based music streamer even gets the telekinetic to apologise to her for having had a privileged upbringing.

Equally as inconsistent as this book’s penmanship is sadly Marika Cresta’s layouts. The Ringo Award-nominee does a terrific job pencilling Captain Carter’s epic battle against a heavily muscled blood-drinking thrall. Yet seemingly struggles to add anything to the subsequent dialogue-driven scenes, even when one of them ends with a friend of Stark’s killing himself by stepping off the top of a high-rise building.

The regular cover art of "CAPTAIN CARTER" #4 by Jamie McKelvie

Captain Carter #3 - Marvel Comics

CAPTAIN CARTER No. 3, July 2022

Supposedly needing to use the guest appearance of Iron Man as a solicitation selling-point, Jamie McKelvie’s storyline for Issue Three of “Captain Carter” also regrettably seems to rely upon a few too many contrivances in order to schedule its series of sense-shattering set-pieces. In fact, for those bookworms who dislike supposed top-tier secret operatives dropping their S.T.R.I.K.E. insignia-carrying handguns at the scene of a botched assassination, and billionaire industrialists just happening to travel over four thousand miles across the planet’s surface on the off chance of bumping into someone their grandfather worked with decades earlier, the American author’s twenty-page plot is arguably going to prove rather problematic to wade through.

Foremost of these manufactured moments must be the sudden ability of Peggy’s neighbour, Harley Davis, to easily hack into the British Government’s highest top secret computer system with a simple bootable zip drive and the wireless technology of a Bluetooth phone. The Brixton-based friend appears incredibly knowledgeable about accessing encrypted data records, weapon deployment archives and voicemails, to the point where she conveniently discovers within minutes that the British Prime Minister himself has verbally ordered the treacherous hit on the "woman out of time" and her comrade-in-arms, Lizzie Braddock.

Admittedly, all these happy happenstances certainly provide the Pennsylvanian-born writer’s narrative with some nail-biting pace as the titular character tackles a foreboding band of battle-hardened government agents and the infamous London traffic, in a desperate bid to detain some mysterious blonde-haired woman. But it is debatably hard to maintain a person’s willing suspension of disbelief when so many coincidences occur one after the other, even to the point where Chief Hunter luckily decides to suddenly eat his food outside as “it’s a lovely day” to provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for his personal workstation to be hacked.

Heroically pencilling all these implausibilities is Marika Cresta, who does a sterling job in providing plenty of jaw-breaking “Thwck” and “Krunk” to the super-powered cast’s battering blows. The Ringo Awards-nominee does an especially fine job of illustrating Captain Carter’s intense punch-up in Briefing Room 3, where the tightly confined fighting space is impressively depicted through a series of thin, page-wide panels showing Peggy being slowly outnumbered; “I’ll pop my head in to make my excuses, then leave. Have to get that zip drive out of Hunter’s computer before he gets back from lunch.”

The regular cover art of "CAPTAIN CARTER" #3 by Jamie McKelvie

Iron Man [2020] #19 - Marvel Comics

IRON MAN No. 19, June 2022

Billed by “Marvel Worldwide” as “the stunning conclusion of the Books of Korvac”, this twenty-page periodical’s plot must surely have disappointed many a fan of the Golden Avenger considering that it contains nothing more than the titular character simply talking to both his so-called arch-nemesis and Patsy Walker. Sure, an unarmoured and distinctly unwell Tony Stark does initially take something of a beating from his “human cyborg turned deity” opponent, but a few panels depicting an enraged Michael smacking a highly vulnerable, semi-conscious billionaire around is arguably hardly the sense-shattering finale this ongoing series’ readers were anticipating for the end to a nineteen-issue narrative.

Frustratingly however, that is precisely what Christopher Cantwell gives his audience in “The Last Midnight”, as the two former cosmically enhanced super-beings strangely decide to simply go ‘mano-a-mano’ as mortal beings in New York City’s Central Park. This surreal situation debatably denies any semblance of logic considering just how much hatred ‘Adam IV’ clearly has for the wealthy industrialist, especially when Korvac begins the encounter at the peak of his abilities, and on the verge of bringing the Universe the lethal “harmony” he has been planning since this title’s very first instalment was published approximately eighteen months earlier; “You will be destroyed by my hand. And then my hand will destroy every other single thing in this godforsaken universe.”

Quite astonishingly though, having somehow been convinced by Stark to give up the incomprehensibly formidable power he’s worked so desperately hard to attain simply because he’s supposedly scared of losing without always having an unfair advantage, Korvac is next shown to physically carry a dying Tony to a local hospital in order to save his detested foe’s life. This demonstration of compassion seemingly comes completely out of the blue, and then takes an even more bizarre twist when Michael calmly climbs up a ladder to a tower block’s rooftop and suicidally steps off…

Perhaps therefore this publication’s sole highlight lies within the layouts of Carlos Alberto Fernandez Urbano, which do as good a job as can probably be expected of such a sedentary scenario. Indeed, the Madrid-born artist’s pencilling carries much of this book’s storytelling upon his shoulders, courtesy of several scenes containing little to no dialogue or lettering whatsoever.

The regular cover art of "IRON MAN" #19 by Alex Ross

Iron Man [2020] #18 - Marvel Comics

IRON MAN No. 18, May 2022

Essentially just chronicling Tony Stark’s realisation that “he’s become worse than Korvac” following him cold-bloodedly slaughtering a number of his super-powered colleagues whilst attending a pizza party, Christopher Cantwell’s script for “Hello, Darkness, My Old Friend” probably struck the majority of its readers as an overly-long, lack lustre affair. Indeed, for those bibliophiles familiar with the more ‘brisk’ penmanship of Bronze Age Iron Man luminaries Denny O'Neil or David Michelinie, this twenty-page periodical’s plot sadly smacks of being full of unnecessary padding, and would arguably have been depicted in the past with a single splash page pencilled by the legendary Bob Layton, rather than dragged out across an entire publication.

Of course, that isn’t to say that the American author’s persistent references to the story of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde aren’t entirely without merit, as the comparison of the Golden Avenger being the physician, and egotistical industrialist the monster proves an incredibly thought-provoking analogy. But such an intriguing parallel could debatably be easily conveyed within the space of a handful of well-designed panels, as opposed to the numerous word-filled text-boxes which are repeatedly employed throughout middle of this comic book; “Rinse and repeat. I’m stuck, Patsy --”

Happily however, what this “penultimate issue of the Books Of Korvac” also provides is a reversal of the Iron God’s aforementioned murderous massacre, courtesy of the billionaire resurrecting his ‘friends’ with little more than a gesture of his cosmically-charged hands. The fact that each ‘victim’ retains the memory of what Stark did to them though is certainly an interesting twist, and will doubtless sow the seeds of doubt and uncertainty in the wider world of costumed crime-fighters once word of the killings gets out.

Undoubtedly assisting Cantwell in his endeavour to complete this comic is Lan Medina, who does a sterling job pencilling a number of page-sized single panels, such as the emergence of the original Mark One armour from an Afghanistan cave during a lengthy flashback sequence. This series of action-shots is especially noteworthy as the Filipino artist clearly takes “heavy inspiration from the character's counterpart from the Marvel Cinematic Universe”, so rather erroneously pencils Shell-head’s alter-ego with a goatee as opposed to the thin moustache he has sported throughout this ongoing title’s current run.

The regular cover art of "IRON MAN" #18 by Alex Ross