Doctor Strange [2015] #24 - Marvel Comics

DOCTOR STRANGE No. 24, October 2017

As cataclysmic confrontations between Karl Amadeus Mordo and this comic’s titular character go, Dennis Hopeless’ script for Issue Twenty Four of “Doctor Strange” must have pleased the vast majority of its 28,992 strong audience, with its excellent blend of heart-pumping shenanigans, multi-faceted strategies and dark incantations. Indeed, as conclusions to multi-part storylines go, the Missouri-born’s decision to depict the Sorcerer Supreme utilising his wits as opposed to simply relying upon exotic magical items, not only allows the rest of this book’s supporting cast to share in the ‘limelight’ as they collectively attempt to penetrate the Baron’s formidable protective bubble, but for once shows the Master Of The Mystic Arts relying upon his intimate knowledge of Hydra's “trumped-up pawn” so as to use his arrogant vanity against him; “No one was going to defeat you from the ground. Not while you held the Sanctum. I had to compel you to gather up your mindless beasts and ill-gotten spells -- and leave my house.”

Such a pleasantly surprising plot-twist also results in a far more physically dynamic battle than perhaps this publication’s bibliophiles were ordinarily used to, most notably Spider-Woman’s fantastic flying display behind the cockpit of the Phantom Eagle. Terrifically pencilled and coloured by Niko Henrichon, this “exhilarating… gun run in a zombie airplane with no roof” makes for a thrilling read, with Jessica Drew narrowly evading the tentacles of Mordo’s “great beasties of the Darkforce” and engaging in “a rousing round of hide-and-go death serpent”.

Likewise Benjamin Urich’s phantasmagorical swordplay against a “gangrenous horde” whilst inhabited by a spiritual Light Knight packs the Kansas State University alumnus' narrative full of scything sensationalism as the “investigative journalist for the New York newspaper The Daily Bugle” chops down an “abominable army of rot” with both his “luminous blade light” and bluster. It’s rare to see the chain-smoker portrayed as such an obvious action hero, and Hopeless’ dialogue strongly suggests just how much the reporter is enjoying himself by penning Ben confidently wading into a zombie host alongside a similarly super-powered Wilson Fisk.

Of course, this comic’s arguable highlight however, has to be the Baron’s utter astonishment at having been bested once again by a magician whose modern-day abilities are far inferior to his own. Dethroned by Strange’s astral projection “rope-a-dope” ruse, and faced with the combined physical might of such notable costumed crime-fighters as Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Cloak and Spider-Woman, the beaten Transylvanian nobleman is so enraged with frustration that he rather humorously stands indignantly transfixed before his foes spouting his unrealistic defiance until Matt Murdock mercifully socks him in the jaw.

Writer: Dennis Hopeless, Artist & Colorist: Niko Henrichon, and Letters: VC's Cory Petit

Doctor Strange [2015] #23 - Marvel Comics

DOCTOR STRANGE No. 23, September 2017

Featuring a fascinating phantasmagorical face-off between Benjamin Urich and Wilson Fisk due to the long-feuding antagonists inadvertently donning magical manifestations whilst thwarting Karl Mordo’s latest attempt to murder this comic’s titular character, Dennis Hopeless’ script for Issue Twenty Three of “Doctor Strange” certainly delivered plenty of pulse-pounding action to its 32,745 strong audience in July 2017. But whilst this mastery of the dark arts proves an intriguing moment within the Kansas City-born writer’s story-line, especially for those readers aware of the feuding pair’s violently short-lived relationship as depicted during the first season of Drew Goddard’s American web television series “Daredevil”, the supernatural duel featuring the “chain-smoking, tough-as-nails investigative journalist” as a Light Knight debatably detracts from the far more operatic-scaled battle taking place elsewhere between Power Man, Iron Fist, Cloak and the Sorcerer Supreme’s greatest rival.

In fact, the Baron’s battle against the street-level costumed crime-fighters is arguably well worth this publication’s cover price alone, as artist and colourist Niko Henrichon really pulls out all the stops to pencil a truly horrifying bout of fisticuffs involving multi-fanged mythical monstrosities, the blackest of arcane spells and Manhattan’s finest going toe-to-toe with all manner of slithering tentacles; “Mordo may look like a chump but he’s hiding a serious god complex under those Slytherin robes.” Disappointingly however, this admittedly rather one-sided affair is frustratingly cut short by the Harvey Award-winner’s evident desire to give the lion’s share of the ‘spotlight’ to his comic’s leading cast and resultantly, just as Tyrone Johnson is somehow shockingly sucked inside Karl’s spell book, the audience is disconcertingly snatched back to witness Spider-Woman being scooped up by the Phantom Eagle whilst preoccupied with her team-mates’ immature in-fighting.

This ‘change of view’ really is annoying when it quickly becomes clear, courtesy of this book’s concluding cliff-hanger splash illustration, that the “unbreakable brawler” and “immortal living weapon” have both subsequently been overpowered by the Transylvanian nobleman ‘off-screen’. Of course, such a dalliance with Stephen’s now magically-enhanced ‘friends’ appears entirely appropriate given that it sets up this story-line for an almighty altercation with the master of New York City’s darkforce bubble in the ongoing series’ next instalment. Yet surely such a premeditated re-positioning of Hopeless’ heroes within his narrative could have been otherwise manufactured without refocusing the publication’s attention away from such sense-shattering shenanigans as Luke Cage and Danny Rand’s disconcerting defeat..?

Writer: Dennis Hopeless, Artist & Colorist: Niko Henrichon, and Letters: VC's Cory Petit

Doctor Strange [2015] #22 - Marvel Comics

DOCTOR STRANGE No. 22, August 2017

Firmly focused upon the demonic events occurring within a truly terrifying “Darkforce bubble that envelops New York City”, Dennis Hopeless’ script for Issue Twenty Two of “Doctor Strange” must have somewhat surprised its 35,918 strong audience in June 2017 with its interestingly fresh look inside the financially biased world of Wilson Fisk. For whilst the “Secret Empire” tie-in certainly delivers upon its pre-publication promise of portraying “the incredible current events” occurring within the metropolis and its titular character’s action-packed efforts to protect the island of Manhattan from the Darkforce Dimension, the twenty-one page periodical’s central plot thread seemingly revolves around revealing the Kingpin’s startling relationship with black magic rather than the formidably-fat villain’s usual physically-violent machinations.

Indeed, for the majority of this comic’s length the pragmatic businessman genuinely appears to be the sole ‘voice of reason’ amongst the narrative’s four survivors, with the likes of Ben Urich disconcertingly taking up the mantle of the group’s incoherent madman when the former “leader of the Hand (American Branch)” offers Strange invaluable magical resources in return for the Sorcerer Supreme’s help to save his “dear” city. Of course, the plans of Don Rigoletto’s one-time bodyguard derail just as soon as the unlikely band of allies encounter his so-called ‘partner’ in the dark arts and discover the unnamed witch has switched allegiances. Yet even during this misfortune, as the party appear to be about to be overwhelmed by a mass of Mindless Ones, the bald-headed mass-murderer is quick to take the lead and supposedly save the day, courtesy of a disturbingly evil-looking energy-blasting weapon; “I’ve got no time for your white hat hand-wringing, Strange. We’re literally surrounded by weapons. Just pick one up and…”

Quite possibly this book’s ‘highlight’ however, doesn’t actually ‘spotlight’ Fisk’s insurmountable talents for death and misery, but rather concerns a truly inspirational-looking duel between Stephen and Wilson’s aforementioned treacherous ally. This battle of bodily transformation and counter-spells is highly reminiscent of the confrontation between Merlin and Madame Mim as depicted during the 1963 “Walt Disney” animated feature film “The Sword In The Stone”, albeit Niko Henrichon’s ability to pencil a truly furious-looking giant flaming tiger makes the Master of the Mystic Arts’ combat appear infinitely more death-defying and dramatic than the late Bill Peet’s family fun focused fight involving polka-dot purple dragons and comically-coloured blue walruses.

Writer: Dennis Hopeless, Artist & Colorist: Niko Henrichon, and Letters: VC's Cory Petit

Doctor Strange [2015] #21 - Marvel Comics

DOCTOR STRANGE No. 21, July 2017

Literally throwing its 32,142 followers head-first into the “Marvel Worldwide” 2017 multi-title comic book event “Secret Empire”, Dennis Hopeless’ script for Issue Twenty-One of “Doctor Strange” must have proved a truly pulse-pounding reading experience for those who already had some knowledge of the Cosmic Cube transforming “Captain America into the ultimate Hydra sleeper agent” and “some of Earth’s street-level heroes… [becoming] trapped inside the Darkforce bubble that envelops New York City.” However, for those bibliophiles ignorant of such catastrophic incidents, and faced with a Sorcerer Supreme who almost immediately hacks off the gory head of a needle-teethed demon inside a seemingly abandoned pharmacy, the Kansas City born writer's narrative must have been a somewhat surprising change of story-line to that anticipated following the recent departure of the ongoing series’ previously ensconced creative team.

Fortunately though, the GLAAD Media Award-nominee doesn’t entirely abandon his audience to the thrills (and spills) of the raggedy Master of the Mystic Arts armed with a demigod’s old hatchet and an enchanted swan feather without some exposition, and quite unobtrusively pens a summary of events to bring any bookworm back up to speed whilst the titular character fights his way through the sickeningly slimy digestive tract of a giant monster. This intimate insight into Strange’s most recent memories works really well, but disconcertingly doesn’t help explain just why the likes of Daredevil, Spider-Woman and Ben Urich are found scaling the Chrysler building, nor how the Sanctum Santorum is suddenly “inside a big marble halfway up” the skyscraper.

Still so bizarre an interlude does at least provide Baron Mordo with an opportunity to joyously verbalise his disreputable qualities to Matt Murdock’s alter-ego and demonstrate just why the “sorcerer of some renown in dark wizarding circles” is now the “all-powerful caretaker of this darkforce Manhattan.” In addition, the Transylvanian nobleman’s appearance also helps pin-point him as a very understandable target for Stephen’s “fine witches’ brew” and the perfect justification as to why the former preeminent surgeon has made such a desperately dangerous trek across the beleaguered metropolis’ ruinous landscape simply to acquire “a meal a young couple shared on the first night in their new home”, a “lucky rabbit’s foot dangled from the ignition in three separate fatal car accidents” and “the prized possession of a three-year-old boy”; “By the Flames of the Faltine! Peel back the dark veil that encases us!”

Adding to the enthralling atmosphere of Hopeless’ post-apocalyptic New York is Niko Henrichon’s dynamic pencilling and rich colouring. The Canadian artist’s various demonic creatures would arguably not look out-of-place within Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead” cult movie trilogy and resultantly adds an element of blood-curdling horror to the proceedings which arguably wouldn’t have been so evident otherwise.

Writer: Dennis Hopeless, Artist & Colorist: Niko Henrichon, and Letters: VC's Cory Petit

The Amazing Spider-Man [2015] #31 - Marvel Comics

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN No. 31, October 2017

Whilst Dan Slott’s script for “End Of An Empire” must have undoubtedly pleased the vast majority of its 54,102 strong audience with its comic book long confrontation between Spider-Man and the Superior Octopus, this twenty-page periodical’s narrative must also disconcertingly have felt like some sort of callous rebooting of everything the Berkeley-born writer has ever penned for the titular character. Indeed, with the notable exception of depicting Otto Octavius as “a mere lackey” to Steven Rogers’ glorious Hydra, this third instalment to the series’ “Secret Empire” tie-in story-arc does arguably little else but eradicate any and all traces of the international company Parker Industries; a ‘golden thread’ which has arguably been both weaved and developed throughout Peter Parker’s life since “The Superior Spider-Man” was first published in January 2013.

Foremost of these purges has to be the Chief Executive Officer’s decision to destroy “all the great work we’ve done here” and literally tear down everything to do with his global business, including the Uncle Ben Foundation. This momentous edict debatably comes completely out of the blue, simply as a result of “Doc Ock” infiltrating the corporation’s computer systems, and shockingly results in the firm’s staff literally smashing away at their desks with fire-axes, hammers and fire extinguishers. In fact, the American author would even have his audience believe that Phillip Chang would willingly destroy “all my research… [when] I was so close… [to] a perfect green energy source” just because it had the “potential [to be a] weapon in the wrong hands.”

Just as remarkable is Peter’s decision to return to his original cloth-based costume, rather than continue to use his miraculous technologically-advanced web-slinging suit. Admittedly, his most recent spider-armour is shredded to pieces by Otto using an improved version of Harry Osborn’s electro-magnetic pulse, yet surely the supposed “proficient scientist and inventor” would have accounted for this inherent weakness in his apparel with a subsequent significant upgrade or even an alternative version utilising a different unsusceptible technology?

Regardless of these perceived plot-holes however, Issue Thirty-One of “Amazing Spider-Man” is undoubtedly a joy to behold due to Stuart Immonen’s sense-shattering illustrations. The Canadian penciller must have had a blast sketching all the spider-riders scuttling across the glass-windowed side of Parker Industries’ Shanghai headquarters, whilst this comic book’s readers surely felt every single one of the blows Octavius receives during his fisticuffs with Spider-man; “You spiteful man! You won’t let me have anything!”

The regular cover art of "THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN" No. 31 by Alex Ross

The Amazing Spider-Man [2015] #30 - Marvel Comics

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN No. 30, September 2017

Selling an impressive 56,560 copies in July 2017, at least according to “Diamond Comic Distributors”, this book’s portrayal of Peter Parker as both the tough chief executive officer of Parker Industries and the ‘natural leader’ of a defeated Avengers must have caused some considerable consternation amongst Spidey’s fandom. For whilst there’s no argument that the “fictional superhero” is perfectly capable of taking the initiative in a crisis situation, the supposedly well-planned, overly confident, even arrogant, web-slinger presented by Dan Slott towards the end of this twenty-page periodical is hardly recognisable from the hesitant, street-level crime-fighter whose popularity would quickly make him become “Marvel's flagship character and company mascot.”

Indeed, the unqualified haughtiness and lack of respect Spider-Man shows his arch-nemesis, Doctor Octopus, in “Master Planning”, genuinely beggars belief, particularly when the Berkeley-born writer knows full well how dangerous a foe Otto Gunther Octavius has proven himself to be in the past, even before the mechanically-appendaged leader of the Sinister Six came to acquire all of the wall-crawler’s super-powers as well; “Don’t hold back on my account. As you can see, I now possess all your powers as well. We are evenly matched.” Unsurprisingly, such abnormal hubris ultimately ends in Web-head facing an even greater threat of his own making, on this occasion six heavily-armed spider-riders alongside Superior Octopus, and resultantly doubtless made many of this publication’s readers wonder why having had so much recent regard for his other main adversary, Norman Osborn, in this title’s previous story-arc, Parker shows so little for the man who has actually beaten him in the past..?

Fortunately, dubious characterisation aside, this “Secret Empire Tie-In” does provide any perusing bibliophiles with plenty of enjoyable cameos, starting with the lead ‘villain of the piece’ himself, the Mjolnir-wielding [Hydra] Captain America. In fact the inclusion of Quicksilver, Mockingbird, Taskmaster, Hercules, the Wrecker, Kamala Khan and Amadeus Cho at the beginning of this comic, all of which are dynamically pencilled by Stuart Immonen, actually helps provide what is predominantly a rather wordy-heavy, sedentary narrative with some much-needed pulse-pounding action, even if the super-heroes themselves are making a headlong retreat away from the invading terrorist organization so as to “get ‘em tomorrow.”

The regular cover art of "THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN" No. 30 by Alex Ross

Free Comic Book Day 2017 (Secret Empire) #1 - Marvel Comics

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2017 (SECRET EMPIRE) No. 1, July 2017

Undeniably proving a controversial sensation upon its release on Saturday 6th May 2017, this ten-page pamphlet was extraordinarily burned by some of its owners at the time of its printing for its portrayal of Captain America as “an agent of the Nazi-stand-ins Hydra”, and being astonishingly “worthy” to triumphantly hold aloft Thor's hammer Mjolnir over the bodies of the friends he'd betrayed to his fascist ideals. Certainly, it’s hard to imagine a more disconcerting plot-twist to a character who was actually “created by [Jack] Kirby and Joe Simon to do what they could not: Fight Nazis before the United States had entered the [Second World] war.”

Arguably this “Free Comic Book Day (FCBD)” publication’s greatest criticism however, is in its creative quality rather than its concept, with Nick Spencer’s bland summarisation of Hydra’s government takeover and war in Washington D.C. only being surpassed by Andrea Sorrentino’s indistinct scratchy-looking artwork. Indeed, despite some truly monumental moments within the narrative, such as Steve Rogers finally facing his aghast former team-mates as the terrorist organization's Supreme Leader, and some clever checker-tiled storyboarding, it isn’t ever made clear just how the likes of Baron Zemo, Viper, Arnim Zola and the Kraken specifically defeat the combined mass of “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes”.

Admittedly, the American author’s story-line refers to Hydra having the Avengers “right where they wanted us to be” and had “found ways to turn our most powerful against us, again and again”. It also emphasises the crime-fighters conceited arrogance that they “thought we were so strong, so unbeatable.” But never does this comic actually explain precisely how Wanda was manipulated to the point where her hex powers went haywire, nor how the likes of Iron Man and Spider-Man could be bested by Armadillo and the Taskmaster…  

Infinitely more fun and pleasing to the eye, is Chip Zdarsky and Paulo Siqueira’s Spider-Man tale “…Time Flies”. Featuring an all-too brief fist-fight between Web-head and the original Vulture, Adrian Toomes, which goes to some quite extraordinary lengths in order to ‘showboat’ the criminal’s much-improved “Falcon suit”, this somewhat ‘tongue-in-cheek’ tale also introduces the “new” Trapster and seemingly sets up some S.H.I.E.L.D.-related shenanigans to be further explored in the opening issue of “Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man”.

‘First published on the "Dawn of Comics" website.'

Writer: Nick Spencer, Artist: Andrea Sorrentino, and Letterer: VC's Travis Lanham

The Amazing Spider-Man [2015] #29 - Marvel Comics

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN No. 29, August 2017

Promising a scintillating confrontation between the titular character and “our favourite eight-tentacled Spider-Foe” as part of editor Nick Lowe’s “Secret Empire tie-in arc”, Issue Twenty Nine of “Amazing Spider-Man” certainly suggests that “the Marvel Universe is [indeed] in deep doo-doo at the hands of a Cosmic Cube-changed Steve Rogers” with its entirely successful infiltration of Parker Industries London-based Headquarters by a score of undercover Hydra operatives. But such a fantastic feat and show of manpower probably wasn’t enough to completely satisfy the expectations of this comic’s 59,464 strong-audience in June 2017, considering that Web-head apparently readily defeats “Doc Ock” by just hurling some hot drinks in his face; “Here’s a new one -- Want regular or decaf?”

Of course, so simple a distraction was hardly going to stop Otto Gunther Octavius for anything more than a few seconds, especially with him inhabiting a “far superior” cloned body. But it did seemingly put Peter Parker’s alter-ego in a winning position where he would have applied a very satisfying coup-de-grace upon the “brilliant engineer” if not for Tony Stark’s urgent message for “any and all Avengers that are left” to assist thwarting an “all-out assault on Washington.”

Sadly Dan Slott and Christos Gage’s script for “Rightful Ruler” arguably ‘goes right off the rails’ at this point by subsequently depicting Spider-Man just running away from his ‘bested’ foe in order to pilot “a supersonic Pogo Plane” and attempt to help his “poor friends”. Obviously, time is clearly of the essence in such a situation, and one can almost hear the urgency in Iron Man’s voice during his plea for the wall-crawler’s immediate services. Yet surely the masked crime-fighter would first incapacitate his mechanically-armed arch-nemesis rather than allow him to roam free, especially when the maniac has “the Borough of Manhattan… engulfed by a bubble of Ebon energy” and is threatening to destroy his corporation?

Potentially pedantic quibbles as to this twenty-page periodical’s “shaky ground” storyline aside though, this opening instalment of “Secret Empire” is undoubtedly worth it’s cover price alone due to Stuart Immonen’s excellent pencilling, with the Canadian illustrator’s storyboarding of Spidey’s fist-fight against the Superior Octopus proving as exhilarating as it is disappointingly swift. Indeed, the former “Legion Of Super-Heroes” artist imbues his figures with so much life and emotion, that even Peter’s televised interview concerning the Chief Executive Officer’s “action to stop terrorists and the spread of a deadly virus” provides a mesmerising treat for the eyes.

Writers: Dan Slott & Christos Gage, Penciler: Stuart Immnonen, and Inker: Wade von Grawbadger

Captain America: Steve Rogers #16 - Marvel Comics

CAPTAIN AMERICA: STEVE ROGERS No. 16, June 2017

Considering that this thirty-page periodical is undoubtedly the premier precursor to “Marvel Comics” 2017 limited series event “Secret Empire”, “in which Captain America has been transformed into a sleeper agent loyal to Hydra and has been covertly setting the stage to establish Hydra as the main world-power”, the vast majority of its 37,366-strong audience must surely have felt ‘betrayed’ by its contents' creative shoddiness. It’s certainly hard to imagine a worse gestalt of a comic than Nick Spencer's collection of choppy, poorly thought-out sub-plots, which amongst its more startling elements includes the ludicrous return of Steve Roger’s murdered mother after twenty years, and its ‘mishmash’ of arguably lower tier artistic talents such as Kevin Libranda, Yildiray Cinar and Jon Malin…

Foremost of the problems to Issue Sixteen of “Captain America: Steve Rogers” is that this title has primarily focused upon the Sentinel of Liberty’s distasteful transformation by Kobik since its first sensationally contentious issue, and yet suddenly, without any warning whatsoever, the two-time Cincinnati City Council candidate astoundingly has the Cosmic Cube “shattered” ‘off-screen’ and this publication’s readers must scratch around for scraps as to what happened from Baron Zemo’s contemplative musings on the matter; Forgive my impatience, Fixer… Perhaps it is because I watched your miscalculations send the fragments we’d worked so hard to retrieve miles away, lost to us across the Arctic!”

To make matters worse, “Secret Empire: Opening Salvo” also suddenly depicts Doctor Erik Selvig as a disobedient servant, whose heart-strings have apparently been pulled on by the “adorable little rug rat” Kobik, and resultantly sends his fragmentised “little girl… far from here” whilst he commits suicide within his laboratory. Just why the Danish scientist has become so infatuated with the square-shaped matrix’s human form is admittedly somewhat understandable, considering that he is “one of the leading experts in Cosmic Cubes” and had “became its caretaker.” But such a deeply emotional tie to the ‘child’ has never debatably been alluded to within Spencer’s narrative before, and definitely not with such strength as to suggest the former S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant would be willing to die rather than destroy her sentience.

Sadly, none of these irregularities are helped by this comic’s constant carousel of illustrators, especially Jon Malin’s Thunderbolt-themed contributions, in which he coarsely pencils the demise of Bucky Barnes whilst strapped to a “perfect replica” of the missile which killed Zemo’s father during the Second World War. Fortunately, there is a modicum of entertainment to be gleaned from Kevin Libranda’s impressive, subtly-coloured treatment of Steve Rogers’ return to London in 1945. However these sequences never last longer than three pages and completely disappear from view half-way through the book.

Writer: Nick Spencer, and Artists: Kevin Libranda, Yildiray Cinar & Jon Malin