I finally realized my dream of recording and posting a video review of the comics for the month in Great, Good, Decent April 2025. Since I don’t want to neglect the web page, I came up with the idea for a visual gude here. Plus, with cross promotion, I can include a link to the video and the actual video below. Enjoy
Great
Good
Decent
The Video
The Verdict
What do you think of my great good decent April 2025? Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments or in the comments of the video. I’d love to have a conversation. When given the opportunity, I’ll gladly defend my selections that aren’t explained in the video or on Instagram or Tik Tok.
It’s one of the things that makes comics enjoyable for me. What one person likes, another might not and vice versa. As long as we are having an interesting and intelligent dialogue, I’m happy to engage. When people start screaming about “woke” this or “Mary Sue” that, that’s when I pack up my opinons and go home. Because, at that point, it’s clear that you aren’t interested in having a conversation and anything said will fall on deaf ears. Okay, glad to get that off my chest.
Subtitle: The Rebel Who Changed Comics Forever. I planned this article a couple months ago. However, at that time I concentrated too heavily on the articles (which take some time to write) and failed as a result. Since focusing more on Tik Tok (the last two videos are downright viral!) and focusing on only one article a month, I think I can bring the page back from the dead. So, we launch this new feature with Creator Spotlight: Todd McFarlane.
Love him or hate him, McFarlane is like punk rock of comic creators. We tip our hand pretty heavily here when it comes to the old man. Affectionately known as Uncle Todd, we fall firmly in the “love” category. While not everything he touches is gold, he (in the words of wise sage Fred Durst) did it his way. His career is a masterclass in balancing artistic rebellion and business savvy to build an empire from the ashes of his former life.
Early Days: Pushing Marvel’s Limits
Many of us know that McFarlane got his big break at Marvel. Joining David Michelinie on Amazing Spider-Man, he brought a new style to the character that influenced generations of artists. His work on the cover of ASM #300 alone probably launched the careers of dozens of comic book artists.
Younger readers out there probably recognize the black costume from the Venom movies. Maybe, if you played the video games, you saw a version of the costume there. Yes, it’s true. Uncle Todd helped design the black suit and co-created the character of Venom. That led to several spin off characters, most notably Carnage. He also received the go ahead to write and illustrate his own Spider-Man title.
Image Comics: His Own Way
Frustrated by how Marvel and DC treated their creatives and their creations, he and several other giants at the time broke off and created their own label, Image Comics. Uncle Todd, for his book under the new label, created a character that looked very much like Spider-Man. However, Spawn dealt with much more “adult” issues than Marvel or DC ever touched in the past.
Spawn tells the story of a military man sent back from hell with a symbiote suit (sound familiar?) and powers to help Hell fight battles against Heaven on Earth. Simmons also uses his new found status to right some wrongs along the way. The comic sold 1.7 million issues, a record for a creator owned comic at the time. I, myself, bought the issue thrice. It’s a long story that I told more than once, so I will spare you this time. It wasn’t all wine and roses for the Image crew. Critics called the books the ultimate “style over substance” but rebellious teenagers like me didn’t give a shit what those stuffy dudes thought. I, for one, still don’t.
The McFarlane Legacy: Triumphs and Tensions
Unwilling to rest on his laurels, Uncle Todd spun his comics off into an action figure line. The accuracy and attention to detail also changed the way that action figures are made. Spawn also enjoyed success on the small, with an HBO animated series, and big, with a theater released movie, screens. Maybe success is pushing it some with regards to the movie. While decent, it suffered during a time before Disney and Marvel redefined comic book movies. To his credit, another movie under the Blumhouse label looks to improve on that misstep.
Speaking of missteps, Uncle Todd experienced his share of them. In addition to the fight over the creation of Venom, he also fought against Neil Gaiman for the rights to certain characters. Though, to be honest, now that Gaiman has been exposes as a sex pest, McFarlane maybe dodged a bullet there.
Why Uncle Todd Continues to Matter Today
Image Comics released some of my favorite books. Titles like The Maxx, Pitt, and Spawn continue to entertain me even today. My son loves Invincible. The Walking Dead spawned an entire cinematic universe unto itself. It feels weird calling Image books independent because of the vast range of titles and popularity. However, they remain true to their vision of allowing creators to retain all rights to their creations.
I just mentioned the reboot of the movie with Blumhouse as the distributor. I know people hated their Halloween movies, but I enjoyed them (yes, even Ends), so if it ever happens, I hold out hope they’ll do it justice. His toy line continues to expand with every new IP and retains the reputation for quality. Hey, you know me. I Stan for my heroes and Uncle Todd lives in that space.
The Verdict
I leave it to you, the fans, to decide. I presented the case in this Creator Spotlight: Todd McFarlane. What say you? Uncle Todd: Visionary or Stubborn Relic? If it’s the former, vote below. If the latter, let me know why in the comments.
I posted almost nothing last month. This month, I dedicated myself to rebuilding my interest and motivation to update the page. As often, I started with comics. I know comics. I read comics. Comics come naturally to me. Even so, the reviews spilled into this week. Therefore, I kick off a new week (D&D) with the last few X-Books February 2025.
Exceptional X-Men #5
Writer: Eve Ewing, Artist: Carmen Carnero
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Like many mutants, Kitty went through some shit at the end of the Krakoa era. However, her past haunts rather than inspires. So, when that past comes back, one of the group decides it’s too much to bear and quits the group. How much more can this young team take? My decision to split off the X-Books originally came as a numbers game. However, the more I read these books, the better and more consistent they are. I used to decry the proliferation of X-Books as too much of a good thing. That’s not the case here. Eve Ewing built the mythos of this book very quickly and gave it a very different feel from the other comic stories out there. My verdict: Great
Nyx 6
Writers: Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzig, Artist: Michael Shelfer
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: An invitation to a Dazzler concert! That turns out to be a front for Mojo and another of his diabolical schemes. Can Kamala Khan survive the treachery? Kelly and Lanzing took another ragtag group of heroes and made them a family that I love just as much as their Guardians of the Galaxy books a few years ago. What’s funny is that I like the individual heroes more in this book, but I loved the Guardians more as a team. This issue, for example, felt a little too uneven for me. I know the point is they’re on the ground mutants. Maybe it just felt too much like Exceptional this time. Oh well, they have time to weave their magic. My verdict: Good.
Phoenix 7
Writer: Stephanie Phillips, Artist: Marco Renna
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Thanos targeted Phoenix and brought friends to the party. Phoenix, too, has a few allies with her to try to even the playing field. A good old fashioned celestial brawl ensues with Jean Grey left at a crossroads. This book took some time for me to warm up to. I didn’t like the singular nature of it compared with the team aspect of the other X-Books. But, this one brings a fun team up. My verdict: Good.
The Uncanny X-Men 9 (Legacy 709)
Writer: Gail Simone, Artist: Andrei Bressan
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: The Outliers, brought onto the team recently, find themselves in mortal danger. A new group of sentinels named the Wolfpack hunts them for reasons unknown. Without their mentors, can they survive long enough to get answers? Well, true believer, come back next time to find out. Another new bunch of mutants. These ones are, obviously, less recognizable than the characters in Nyx. But, Gail Simone brings them to life in a way that only she can. Also, this issue reads more like a classic X-Man book. Maybe that’s what I need from them right now. My verdict: Good.
X-Force 6 (Legacy 296)
Writer: Goeffrey Thorne, Artist: James Towe
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: The X-Men showed up a few issues ago. Now, Mystique is in the mix as well. Forge faces inter-dimensional horror and lost love returned. Hard to say which represents the bigger threat right now. Like Phoenix, this one took me a while to buy into the premise. But, the last couple episode got me to buy. This one backs off some with the action, but not much. I mean, this is Forge after all. He deals with his emotions by shooting things. My verdict: Good.
X-Men 8 (Legacy 308)
Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Ryan Stegman
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: The X-Men finally gathered enough intel on the prison where they’re keeping Beast. Time to launch a search mission. Actually, two missions. Both of the leaders of the factions (Rogue and Cyclops) pull together their teams to get Beast back. Will they find the ability to work together? Or, will the tension tear them even further apart? MacKay thrives on this shit. He’s at his best when two disparate teams of super powered beings exist in a tenuous truce that can break at any time. So, he’s the perfect pick to help pick up the pieces after the Krakoan era blew up. My verdict: Great.
The Verdict
X-Books February 2025 is a good collection that advances all of the stories nicely. I missed adding Psylocke to my list as well as the Ultimate X-Titles. First, I need a reason to visit That’s Entertainment. Second, my pull list already pushes over 100 bucks most months. And, that’s with the DCBS Discount.
Images for X-Books February 2025 comes from Marvel.com.
Ever since my decision to break Marvel into two articles, my titles from the other publishers grew. For DC Comics February 2025, I just counted nine books to read and review. In the interest of time, I think I need to bring back the old format of categories instead of reviewing each issue. As an aside, Aiden got back into posting videos on YouTube. I think I might try to start a series of my own to cover all of the books in a more efficient manner. Be on the lookout for that next month.
Decent
Writer: John Ridley, Artist: Inaki Miransa
Writer: Tom Taylor, Mikal Janin
Both anthology books land back here. After some good stories, I just didn’t care all that much about either of these books this month. I enjoyed the main titles much more and think they have a more promising future overall right now. Granted, I’ve been wrong about these things in the past. And, I hope I am this time.
Good
Writer: Chip Zdarsky, Artist: Jorge Fornes
Writer: Chip Zdarsky, Artist: Tony S. Daniel
Writer: Simon Spurrier, Artist: Vasco Gorgiev
It took a while for me to get on board with Zdarsky’s Batman. I loved his Spider-Man, but this title was hit or miss for a long time. Some great issues and then, mind bogglingly a very much not great one or two. Recently, though, this current story hooked me and I enjoyed the ride. Now that it’s over, hopefully he can keep things going. I added The Flash years ago because Aiden liked the character. Then, Joshua Williamson wrote some of the best Flash stories in my opinion. I liked Si Spurrier’s introduction, but felt like the quality fell off quickly. However, this current story is awesome and I’m fully invested.
Great
Writer: Jeremy Adams, Artist: John Timms
Writer: Torunn Gronbekk, Artist: Marianna Ignazzi
Writer: Joshua Williamson, Artist: Dan Mora
Writer: Tom Kin, Artist: Daniel Sampere
Aquaman returns in a big way. Wow, what a debut for the man “who talks to fish”. Glad they brought him back and gave him a good team to work with. Can’t wait to see where it goes. I never liked Gronbekk’s Venom or Thor much. But, I feel like she nailed Catwoman and brings the title back to the fun restart by Joelle Jones. Williamson’s Superman continues to amaze and Tom King finally figured out Wonder Woman a few issues ago and that understanding brings with it the Tom King I loved on Batman.
The Verdict
Like Marvel, DC Comics February 2025 continues a strong run. They put writers who understand the characters (imagine that!) and artists who complement the story well. I look forward to every new shipment of books. Plus, this year, we have some other media like the new Superman movie and Creature Commandos to enjoy.
Well, it took a snow day and a sick day from work to finally sit down and write Marvel Comics February 2025. As I wrote last time, I need to figure out a way to maintain the holiday momentum into January. Otherwise, things go stagnant for January and then it takes some time to regain the momentum in February. Sometimes, the lag lasts until March. I hope to avoid that this year, but much of my life get put on hold periodically, so stay tuned and send some positive mojo if you can spare.
Amazing Spider-Man 66 (Legacy 960)
Writer: Justina Ireland, Artist: Adrea Broccardo
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts : Spider-Man defeated, broken, and no more? It’s all hands on deck as first Spider-Boy and then Black Cat and finally the X-Men heed the call after Spider-Man’s defeat and the looming end of the world. I fell like the new team is trying to write the former storyline, but in a much better way. So far, I enjoy this story so much more than that and it more or less follows the same pattern of fighting a literal god. Hope they keep the momentum. My verdict: Good.
The Avengers 21 (Legacy 787)
Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Valerio Schiti
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: The Avengers face off against the X-Men in what Marvel promises to have far reaching implications for the future. Some fans called this one as soon as MacKay took over both titles. I never saw the first Avengers vs. X-Men story, so I welcome the chance to see the two mega teams in a battle. My verdict: Decent.
Fantastic Four 28 (Legacy 721)
Writer: Ryan North, Artist: Steven Cummings
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Official prologue to One World Under Doom. After failing to properly understand Magic in order to stop Doom, Sorcerer Supreme, Sue suggests that Reed can meet with The Black Knight. The Knight sends them back int time to search for a relic that they can use to help stop Doom. However, of course, not all is as it seems. I’m still pretty geeked over the trailer for the new movie, so that might color my thoughts on this one a bit. Then again, this alone remains from my favorite books since the latest reboot, so maybe I just love what they’ve done with Marvel’s first family. My verdict: Great.
The Immortal Thor 19 (Legacy 780)
Writer: Al Ewing, Artist: Many, so many
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: While the All-Father is away, the Asgardians will…well, not quite play. There’s quite a serious storm brewing and this tells the tales of those who must respond to help fend it off. These are the kinds of stories that I love from Al Ewing. When he brings in the secondary and tertiary characters to give them a chance to shine. My verdict: Great.
The Incredible Hulk 21 (Legacy 802)
Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Artist: Danny Earls
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Hulk defeated the Skinwalker cult, which awakened some of the most ancient and powerful evils on the planet. Joined by Werewolf at Night, they fight against a demonic wolf. In Charlie news, she gains strength and comes closer to being a super hero. However, other changes make her wonder if she’s a hero after all. Always worried about a letdown after they finish a big story like the previous one. However, PKJ kept things going with this one. I may have lost Guardians and She Hulk, but they gave me Hulk (and hopefully Spider-Man) back. My verdict: Great
The Verdict
With the decision to write separate articles for the X-Books, Marvel Comics February 2025 is only 5 titles. But, they are some of the core titles and some of the best they’ve been in decades. Additionally, unlike some recent events, I look forward to One World Under Doom.
After recommitting to the page in December, we went radio silent again last month. I think going forward, I might use January as a month to rest and recharge after the busy holiday season. But, no need to make that decision for another year or so. And, let’s jump start this month with Spawniverse and TMNT February 2025.
King Spawn 40
Writer: Rory McConville with additional script from Uncle Todd, Artist: Yildiray Cinar
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Spawn’s war reaches a near conclusion. While on the cusp of that conclusion, however, he gets lured into a trap. A trap that may cost him dearly due to his current lack of powers. This story initially turned me off, but I like the current angle that McConville brought over the last few issues. Bringing back Sam and Twitch and putting Spawn in mortal danger gives the story some extra oomph. My verdict: Good.
The Scorched 36
Writer: Layman with Uncle Todd on Additional Script, Artist: Steven Segovia
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: The Scorched and The Agency square off in the hunt for Medieval Spawn. Both teams pull out all of their tricks in an attempt to best the other. Their battles level part of The Vatican. My favorite Spawniverse book and one of my favorite writers. Two great tastes that taste great together. After lagging for a few months, this one gradually regained steam to get back to that former glory. My verdict: Great.
Spawn 360
Writer: Rory McConville with Uncle Todd on Additional Script. Artist: Brett Booth.
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: After some back story, partly to build suspense, Spawn goes to face off against Bludd. Jessica tries to talk sense into him by pointing out that it’s an obvious trap and that he needs to chill out. I mean, telling someone to calm down always works, right? Yeah, it doesn’t here, either, and Bludd absolutely demolishes a powerless Spawn. Putting McConville in charge of both main titles was a smart move. It brings a cohesiveness to the story that was missing for a while. Now, we see how Spawn survives this deadly attack. My verdict: Good.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 5
Writer: Jason Aaron, Artist: Darick Robertson
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Hale runs, unchecked, through New York. He lies, cheats, and steals with abandon and seemingly no repercussions. Casey Jones hopes to change that. He confronts Hale and his cronies. Hale arrests him. Casey tries to escape, but Hale shoots him and again declares himself the King of New York. No turtles this time stunts the story some. Props to Aaron for bringing Casey into the book so quickly, but is he gone just as quickly? Yikes! My verdict: Good.
Bonus: Ultimate Spider-Man 13
Writer: Jonathon HIckman, Artist: Marco Checchetto
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: The hunt is on for Spider-Man and Green Goblin. Now, Kraven’s involved. That ups everything, in a nod to Spinal Tap, to 11. Our protagonists survive and Spidey ends up back in New York where he runs into Black Cat. As Chris says, DCBS doing DCBS things and I only received this one from my Ultimate pull list. Who the heck knows. Nevertheless, a fun story and I can’t wait to see what comes next. My verdict: Decent.
The Verdict
Overall, a good collection of books in Spawniverse and TMNT February 2025 (with an added bonus!). I didn’t care for the lack of turtles and missed some of the other Spawn books (mostly Rat City). Plus, Ultimate Spider-Man isn’t quite catching for me yet. But, there’s always time for things to improve.
As we drove home from the Lego Fan Fest in Worcester, I noticed we were close to That’s Entertainment. I asked the boys if they wanted to stop. They sure did. And this is about a trip That’s E (December 2024). Well, mostly. I picked up a couple of other books to fill in recent runs. I also left far too much on the shelves. Post Christmas budgeting and all. But, I haven’t posted in almost a week and I want to keep my momentum going. Enjoy my thoughts on these two books.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Nation 1 and 2
Writer: Tom Waltz, Artist: Vincenzo Frederici
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: This series features Raph’s journey in the fallout after issue 150. As to be expected, he hops on his motorcycle and just goes. However, something from his past detours him to Area 51. As usual, he’s faced with the possibility that he bit off more than he can chew in his life away from the turtles. They also check in with Casey Jones in another story.
A few months ago I wrote about a third TMNT comic after the reboot. While I couldn’t find it at the time, I found it during a trip to That’s E (December 2024). I’m glad that I did. I read recently that someone thinks the turtles can challenge some of the big boys for readers. I agree that, so far, they’ve done a good job with the new books. My verdict: Good.
Violator 1 – 4 (of 6)
Writer: Marc Andreyko, Artist: Various.
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: The true (?) story of the Violator’s origins from the birth in hell through various historical tragedies on earth.
Overall, a fun take on the character that I normally don’t give a second chance in the main title. I like the unreliable narrator angle and that it ties into actual events in history. I hope we get more titles like this in the new year. My verdict: Good
The Verdict
Two decent comics that I’m glad I chose. I wasn’t expecting much from Violator, but it pleasantly surprised me. And, TMNT seems to be taking a page from Uncle Todd’s book. They expanded the “universe” so to speak, but they’re taking it piece by piece.
Having missed out on the Krakoa era, I went overboard on the Marvel mutants. I have 7 different titles for X-Books December 2024. And, when I went to That’s Entertainment after the Lego Fest in Worcester, I looked at 3 or 4 other titles and considered picking them up. I might have even pulled the trigger on Psylocke. She was always my favorite growing up. What can I tell you? I have a soft spot for the B-listers that fight their way to the A-list.
Exceptional X-Men 3
Writer: Eve Ewing, Artist: Carmen Carnero
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Kitty wants nothing to do with the X-Men. Nope, not at all. She needs a break after all that went down. Please, stop trying to rope her into forming a new X-Team with brand new mutants. Especially you, Emma Frost. Do you need some discouragement from my fists? Emma and Kitty face off and Kitty ends up as foster Mom to Axo, Bronze, and Melee. But, what’s this? At the end, an Ice Man appears as the cavalry. I wonder what his name is.
This book is tons of fun right now. It reads very much like Rainbow Rowell’s She Hulk. Can a big city X-girl really have it all? Probably not, but it’s fun to watch her try. If they’re thinking about rebooting the title, either Ewing or Gronbekk should be on the short list. My verdict: Good.
Nyx 4 and 5
Writers: Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Artists: Enid Balam, Francesco Mortarino
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: The Nyxers work hard to find their places in the post Krakoa mutant landscape. This is made more complicated by The Quiet Council and the Peacekeepers. Also, just the hustle and bustle of New York City. If they can make it there, they can make it anywhere.
Kelly and Lanzing breathe life into a new band of misfits that become a family. While this one doesn’t deal with an intergalactic threat that was once part of the family, they still have quite a bit that keeps them on their toes. Like Exceptional, I like the personal touches on this title. Let the other X-Men fight the Avengers. Some of us need to help less fortunate mutants. My verdict: Good.
Quick Synposis and Thoughts: Phoenix continues to deal with the fallout and the assassins sent after her. All while contending with her role as the Phoenix and what that means to her and others. On the last page, the big man himself reveals that he wants to take over the council and then, of course, all of creation.
Of the new X-Books, this isn’t one of my favorites. Having already told you that I like the personal stories in NYX and Exceptional, this one spans the galaxy and galactic threats. I guess I’m in my “relatable comic book heroes” era. My verdict: Decent.
Psylocke 1 and 2
Writer: Alyssa Wong, Artist: Vincenzo Carratu
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Psylocke brings her brutal energy and assassin training to the X-Men. They decide that those methods are too extreme and kick her off the team. With no support, she finds herself in a familiar position. She will need to survive on her own. No problem there.
I don’t know how I feel about this new iteration of Psylocke. She feels a little too much like Wolverine in her mannerisms and attitude. But, I’ll give the book a chance. Because I like the writing and art. More often than not, things tend to work out. My verdict: Decent
The Uncanny X-Men 5 and 6 (Legacy 705 and 706)
Writer: Gail Simone, Artist: Javier Garron
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: The finale to the Red Wave story where they face a supernatural threat that reveals a secret that threatens to tear the young team apart. But, Rogue manages to keep them together and starts a new school in her home state. That leads to a whole slew of other potential problems.
Gail Simone nicely balances the human and superhuman in her characters. Where I normally might not enjoy this title because of the huge paranormal threat, she follows it up with a story that we can all relate to. School sucks. I know. My verdict: Great
X-Force 5 (Legacy 295)
Writer: Geoffrey Thorne, Artist: Marcus To
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: All hell breaks loose in this one. The Avengers show up to deal with the Nuklo threat. That leads to an all out melee that is then broken up by The Phoenix. A team member dies and another quits the team, questioning Forge’s humanity and leadership. To be fair, it deserves questioning.
All I have to say is, “Wow.” And, I’ll add a “Holy shit.” So much went down in this book. But, Thorne handled it all well. I never cared all that much for X-Force growing up, but I like this team. The dynamic between the characters is phenomenal. The story felt disjointed at first, but all came together in this issue. Plus, Forge is just so brutally efficient as a leader. Harsh. My verdict: Great.
X-Men 7 (Legacy 307)
Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Netho Diaz
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: We open on Scott’s Alaska camp during the Iron Night. He mopes as only Scott can while discussing recent events with Magneto. A Sentinel descends on the town and they fight it together. Magneto gets in the killing blow. The issue ends with Beat getting abducted during a phone call.
MacKay’s X-Men is taking some time to get going. I suppose it makes sense give the massive aftermath they are dealing with. But, it’s still a little frustrating that the main title lags behind all of the others when it comes to story and character development. Oh well, I have a feeling he will turn it around sooner rather than later. My verdict: Decent.
The Verdict (X-Books December 2024)
So many books to read and review. As you saw, I picked up Psylocke at the comic book store. a pleasant surprise to go with some other great books from my DCBS order of X-Books December 2024. Strange that the main title is probably the slowest right now, but that won’t be true for long.
Thanks to the number of X-Books I ordered, The Incredible Hulk reaching a milestone issue, and writing a separate article for the two Ultimate titles that arrived, I only have 4 titles to review for Marvel Comics December 2024. Two of them have two issues each, though, so a total of six books in the queue. A far cry from a few months ago, but much more manageable as a group.
Amazing Spider-Man 61 and 62 (Legacy 955 and 956)
Writer: Joe Kelly, Artist: Ed McGuinness.
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Strange surrendered the power of the Sorcerer Supreme to Doom in an attempt to save the world. He uses that power to pick Spidey as his champion in a fight against supernatural enemies. This results in a new magical suit and powers plus eight lives with which to accomplish the task. As the title of the arc suggests, he’s two for two on using up those lives in the battles. Pretty gruesome deaths, too.
You all know that I took a long hiatus from ASM. I just couldn’t do it anymore. I hated everything that Zeb Wells did with the character. They made up for it by bringing Kelly on to right the ship with classic Spidey artist, Ed McGuinness. So far, the pace and tone of the title is much better and I think I’m going to be okay with Spidey going forward. My verdict: Good
The Avengers 20 (Legacy 786)
Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Farid Karami
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: This issue follows up on the story of Black Panther in the alternate dimension. He fights to free the prisoners from that prison as the rest of the team works on the outside to keep Doom at bay. This issue focuses completely on his story and ends with a question from T’Challa about his potential future.
I enjoyed this issue quite a bit. I think it’s my favorite Avengers issue since the first story line. What’s funny is that it’s essentially a Black Panther solo story. But, it’s the kind of Panther story that I prefer. On the ground (admittedly in an alternate dimension) fighting for the liberation of others. My verdict: Good
Captain America 14 and 15 (Legacy 764 and 765)
Writer: JMS, Artists: Carlos Magno and Jesus Sais
Quick Thoughts and Synopsis: In the shadow of the madness of his previous adventure, Cap teams up with two other former Avengers for this next one. They embark on the mission that, as others have promised (or threatened) will bring them together or tear them apart. The first stop is a small town in Oklahoma where they learn of Thor’s shame experienced there. They fight against Dark Asgard to save the soul of the town and it may prove to be too much after all.
I wrote that the previous adventure felt too supernatural for a Captain America story. This one continues that trend, so I guess JMS is just bringing that corner of the Marvel Comics into Captain America. It makes more sense with Thor on his side, but still feels a little weird. Normally I like weird. I just think the imbalance of real life tempers my enjoyment some. My verdict: Decent.
The Immortal Thor 17 (Legacy 778)
Writer: Al Ewing, Artist: Jan Bazaldua
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: The past again catches up with the Thunder God. Four gods, called into being by his enemies, stalk Thor. While he could defeat them individually, their mutual hatred and ability to work together might finally do him in and end his reign already. However, he defeats them. Enchantress comes to him and they go back to meet his son, Magni.
I normally love everything Ewing does. His Hulk remains my favorite version of the character ever. Then, he brought Venom some semblance of sanity before the whole Knull nonsense. His Thor, though, confuses me. I never entirely understood the Roxxon beginning of the story, then things started to come together and now he throws us another curveball with Magni. I hold out hope that he’ll bring all these threads together. Right now, though, I’m confused. My verdict: Decent.
The Verdict
Marvel Comics December 2024 is a mixed bag. I’m glad Spidey’s back. The Avengers Black Panther story was great. Cap and Thor feel like both writers are taking too many liberties right now with the characters and stories. But, they’re still mostly enjoyable, so I’ll forgive them for now.
When I saw the announcement of the new Ultimate Marvel line, I cringed. I remember the first time when they completely lost the thread. A couple of times, they removed my comments from social media reminding them about the cannibalistic Hulk and incestuous Maximoff twins. Then, a few months ago, for some reason, I picked up a couple of the Ultimate titles. I heard good things about the books. If I’m being honest, though, I didn’t enjoy the stories all that much. However, from the looks of it, I put Ultimates and Ultimate Spider-Man on my DCBS list. So, I set aside this Ultimate Marvel December 2024 article to try to see if i can find something to like about the books.
The Ultimates 6
Writer: Deniz Camp, Artist: Juan Frigeri
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: This issue sees the Ultimates team up to try to take down the Hulk. They figure a little prison rules will hopefully help them defeat the Maker. As you might expect, things go very wrong for them. Very, very wrong indeed.
I actually liked this issue. Either they improved the quality of the story or I’m feeling more generous today. Obviously, both can be true. I guess I’ll find out next month which it more true. I will say that I like this version of Ultimate Hulk better than the sociopath that they wrote last time. He reminds me of Smart Hulk and that’s always a fun version of the character. My verdict: Good.
Ultimate Spider-Man 11
Writer: Johnathon Hickman, Guest Artist: David Messina
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Pete reaches out to Norman to try to smooth things over, it looks like. Not sure what happened, but there’s some tension there. He then receives quite the ass kicking from Mr. Negative and his henchmen. That brings him back home while Mr. Negative debriefs Kingpin. Black Cat gets introduced and Peter ends the issue talking things out with Uncle Ben.
Wow. Quite a bit happens in this issue. But, it doesn’t feel too busy or overworked. Hickman spends just enough time on each story to give you some information while leaving you wanting more. I definitely liked this issue and now I can’t wait to (a) read next month’s issue and (b) pick up the back issues. My verdict: Great.
The Verdict
Much better than the issues I read earlier in both series. I don’t think I’ll pick up the other Ultimate titles right now. Okay, I lied. I added both Ultimate Black Panther and Ultimate X-Men to the pull list for next month. Ultimate Marvel December 2024 sold me on the line for now.
