The Pull List 27/3/2013: Weekly Comic Reviews

Injustice; Gods Among Us #3

This is fruit you reap when you loosen the reigns on things and it is some badass fruit. Superman has stepped up and started playing hardball with the world and it's governments. The good ol' U.S of A try to reign him in with some dirty work and the Justice League have to make a choice; stand with the world or stand with Superman!

The book is a thrill and the writing is consistent setting a grittier tone than is usual for the League, and this League is being pushed in a direction that is ballsy and, honestly, badly needed.

The high point is the last third of the book which focuses on Wonder Woman and the influence she has on how the whole Superman Vs. World plays out.

The art is done by two artists;Jeremy Raapack and David Yardin. Raapack does the bulk of the work with Yardin jumping in on the last third. Raapack is solid and plays up the grit of the book but some panels drop the ball and Yardin overshadows with finer linework and the colors (also by Yardin) are finely tuned.

A great action packed yarn promising even greater things ahead. Can't wait!

Score 8/10

Red Lanterns #18

Volthoom continues to charge his batteries by taking Atrocitus down memory lane and stirring up some unusual emotions for the normally mono-emotive Red Lantern.

Unfortunately the First Lanterns projection of what might have been if Ryutt hadn't been destroyed is thin and hard to believe especially when you weigh it against the fact that Atrocitus has been around for a while now and his defining lynch pin is his home worlds destruction and the happy life as a family man being lost forever. To suggest that Atrocitus' rage is simply innate rather than a result of fate and the red power ring makes both the pathos of his character defunct and belittles the power of the red lantern. 

I could give out till the cows come home about Volthoom but I'll leave it out.

The art is super. It's the saving grave of this bolok, Sepulveda has a nice balance of flashiness and sketchy linework parred by good panel layouts.

Score 5/10

Ultimate Comics; Wolverine #2

This book got off to a decent start last week but this issue starts to spin it's wheels a bit.

Continuing with the past and present stories of father and son the book returns to Wolverine as he and a team of S.H.I.E.L.D agents track down Mothervine and it's associate acronym ready group H.E.L.L (Human Engineering Life Laboratories = Lame) while Jimmy and Blackbox play catch up following the message secretly given to Jimmy by his dead dad. Making their way into the same secret lab that Logan had been in just a few pages previous, but now it's all dusty and deserted, they start to find clues and then get interrupted by a group of baddies and it all becomes bit predictable. If you read last weeks issue then you know that Quicksilver is involved and he makes his entrance by giving Jimmy a hand and it is a crazy entrance which may be the best part of the issue. 

For the final couple of pages we are returned to Logan who is stopped in his tracks by a mysterious femme fatale (also seen in last issue). We find out who she is and her identity, unfortunately, harks back to a part of the Ultimates that is better off forgotten.

Messina's art is much like Raapacks in Injustice; it is good for the most part but some images fail in perspective or depth which kills the immersive quality of the story.

Score 5/10

Uncanny Avengers #5

A new evil is born! Remender continues to get all the pieces on the board for the first major shake up since the birth of 'Unity Division' Avengers. It all relates to Apocalypse and Remender's run on Uncanny X-Force so this steers the title toward positive horizons but here in this issue a classic Avengers Villain pops up in a very intriguing introduction to issue #5. 

The majority of the book is based around the new band of earths mightiest as they settle in and try not to get on each others nerves but this becomes a bit more difficult as the roster grows with the addition of Wasp, Wonder Man and Sunfire. The add-on's are a welcome sight but for the matter of Wonder Man's recent actions with the short lived Revengers and how blatantly and poorly that all has been swept under the rug! 

The book is overall a success; it finally finds it's feet story-wise and is helped further by good pacing in this issue and the art by Coipel is just more of the top grade stuff that readers have come to expect from the french man. #5 also ends on a strong note with a bold cliff-hanger that brings much needed weight to the central issue of human mutant co-habitation that hangs over the title.

Score 8/10

Guardians of the Galaxy #1

This issue makes a strong case for the latest Marvel Now release and what is even more impressive is that it adds more original and convincing developments to a father son relationship that tasted a bit stale in the 0.1 issue a while ago. In fact the best thing that this issue offers is the father son relationship of Peter Quill and his father the Spartax Emperor.

 The two have a lighthearted confrontation after Dad catches his son in a dodgy bar hitting on a hussy and then warns him not to return to earth because doing so would go against an agreement the emperor has made with all the other galaxy royals and rulers. The nuances of manipulation and upper class sensibility are what make the whole thing more fun and compelling as the emperor puffs up with pomp and status and plays games with other kings and people even with his son who ,try as he might, oozes with the self -righteousness of a prince trying to make his own way out from under the role he was born into. It is really good stuff! Shame that it all is let down with the overtaking of Iron Man who monologues his own weak reason for being involved with the guardians but this is relieved by action courtesy of The Badoon. 

The fighting is well played out and allows sorely needed screen time for the rest of the Guardians. Long term fans vary in opinion of the new origin of Quill; what being StarLord means now and his new outfit. I have no strong complaints about any of it although I do miss the old helmet but his costume is fine especially when compared to the  Mass Effect like uniform worn by every other teammate bar Ironman, of course.

Dillon's art is very impressive, it doesn't falter and the indulgent splash pages are well worth the space plus Ponsor's coloring is just cool. 

Like I said this is a good start and would have been even better if Tony had stayed at home AND if they just stopped trying to invent Alien curse words, seriously just frackin stop!

Score 8/10

East of West #1

Just buy the book!! Seriously, I could go on and on and on about how entertaining, enchanting and captivating this book was but I don't want to spoil it for you.

It involves the horsemen of the apocalypse, space cowboys, the rewriting of earths history and a mystery so epic that only Hickman can hold it together.

The book from cover to cover is a joy and though the story is pretty out there you never feel lost because it is so well written, paced and drawn that it just flows like a kayak on a calm river. Kudos to Dragotta who makes the whole thing come alive panel to panel and really makes it his own and to the colorist Martin who chose well and made the pencil work pop.

Nuff Said!!

Score 10/10

  

Irish Comic Spotlight: The League of Volunteers

For this week's Irish comic spotlight I'm casting some well deserved attention on Rob Curley's and Barry Keegan's League of Volunteers!

The League of Volunteers is one of Atomic Diner's newest publications and is currently 3 issues in with one nicely honed arc under the belt.
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The title follows a band of Irish heroes and is set during the 1940's and the turbulent events of World War II.
The league consist of 6 main members so far: (In order of appearance in the above pic from left to right) The Archer, Blood Rose, Glimmer Man, Fionn Mac Cumhaill, The Emerald Lady and The Druid. Some of these heroes are taken from Irish Mythology and Paganism while others are Curley's and Keegan's own iteration on comic hero archetypes e.g The Archer = Hawkeye/Green Arrow. The origins and inspirations for this eclectic group is an enjoyable mix of mythology, pulp and superhero but better yet is the character design and outfits which are simple but sharp and very distinct again drawing from the time period and myths of Irish lore, all of this results in a bunch of comic characters that are accessible, stand out and are, most importantly, memorable.
On top of the main caste of protagonists is Ireland's own Nick Fury; Lee Thompson the eye patch sporting commander of G2's Meta Human division who makes for a great supporting caste member and the Leagues first main villian; The Bocanah, a Celtic demon of Battle with the body of a man and a goat skull for a head.
The demon is brought forward by Nazis (who else!) but immediately turns on his summoners and enacts his plans to summon a demon horde and lay waste to the mortal world!!
Through Druid's foresight and Lee Thompson's instruction, the League come together to stop The Bocanah and save the world! Classic.
The fast pace and action orientated panels set an exciting tone matched with clear dialogue and pencil work that never gets muddled making a thoroughly enjoyable book. Curley's use of celtic mythology and Irish/World History give the book depth and bring a smile to the face of anyone with half an interest in either one. Above all, this titles greatest strength is the potential it alludes to, the potential of a new Mythology born of Curley's and co.'s imaginations, one of Irish heroes and villains, a modern mythology and an Atomic Diner shared universe that is just starting to connect and expand.

Bonus!: The League of Volunteers was listed as #5 in The Irish Times top 50 Things to love about Ireland right now!! It's a bloody national treasure!

Top 10: Rogues Gallery

Who has the best Rogues Gallery?

 

Send a list of you're top 10 Comic Book Rogues Gallery and if you have the time give a bit of info like the rogues names and why they are the baddest of the bad. 

I'll just post mine here to get the ball rolling:

1. Batman: The Joker! Two-Face! Raz-Al-Ghul! Black Mask! Bane! Killer Croc! There is just so many and if even one of them ever came to my hometown I would $#!T my pants. Sure some of them are bit camp but most are frightening sinister and extremely capable of giving any hero a kick into the coffin. The Bat's rogues are half the reason he is so successful across so many mediums from tv to video games.
2. The X-Men: Time and again the X-Men have had to face off against some seriously nasty pieces of work, examples include Mr.Sinister, Apocalypse, The Hellfire Club, The Phalanx, Bastion and of course; Magneto. Like Batman, alot of the X-Mens villains are much darker than other titles evil-doers and thanks to the 90's cartoon they had some of the best voice actors. Who doesn't hear the voice of David Hemblen when reading the words of Magneto in comics?
3. Spider-Man: Some of Spidey's villains are a bit naff but a lot have developed into characters who are fully nuanced and intriguing albeit horribly evil S.O.Bs. Venom, Kraven, Hobgoblin, Doc Ock, The Lizard, The Jackal and the Green Goblin. The top tier of the Web-Slinger's rogues always know how to get at Spidey where it hurts making for very compelling stories.
4. Superman: Supes doesn't have too many top grade villains but the ones he does have more than make up for it. Luthor, Brainiac, Bizarro, Darkseid and Zod are probably the easiest to remember and that is because they are the cream of the rotten crop. Unfortunately alot, alot of the man of steels villains are very superficial, only looking for victory by out punching Superman making for weak reading e.g Doomsday.
5.  Fantastic Four: Like Superman, marvels first family are plagued by a long list of villains that are poor in premise and action but among them are true classics. Dr.Doom, Annihilus, the Skrulls, Namor, The Frightful Four and the devourer of worlds; Galactus. Some of these guys are truly badass like Doom and on top of being a world eater Galactus has also created many other thorns in the Fours collective asses i.e heralds like Terrax.
6. The Avengers: Kang the Conqueror, Ultron, Thanos, Loki and more recently Norman Osborn. The villains that Earths Mightiest Heroes face are the very thing that defines them; threats too great for one hero to face alone and that is exactly what these guys are. Unfortunately the whole all powerful thing gets a bit outta hand sometimes like with Onslaught . . . nuff said.
7. Invincible: I don't get this book regularly but I often wish I did cause it seems like a whole lot of old fashioned superhero fun and this is largely due to the cast of baddies. Omni-Man (possibly worst dad ever??), Angstrom Levy,The Viltrumites especially Conquest and Thragg. It's early days for Invincible but like the title the villains are becoming more and more recognizable.
8. The Justice League: Alot of the leagues villains are syndicates or teams consisting of rogues from individual league members' galleries but among them are some who are widely considered Justice League villains. The White Martians, Amazo, Eclipso, Simon Magus, Prometheus, The Crime Syndicate of America, these are just a few who are defined as JL baddies.
9. The Flash: It's The Flash's most famous enemy gang that own the name 'The Rogues' and over time they have proven themselves far more deadly than the name might imply yet it is hard to move past the campy origins and names of so many of Flash's villians; Captain Boomerang, The Pied Piper, The Trickster. Characters like Gorilla Grodd, Captain Cold and Reverse Flash help raise the bar a bit.
10. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Thanks mainly to the tv shows there are millions who know the turtles and can name a few of their greatest enemies. Shredder, Krang, The Rat King, Bebop and Rocksteady; these are the most recognizable but there are others who are just as or even more deadly just less known. All n all the Turtles have a strong repertoire of villains that just haven't become either as well utilized or known.

The Pull List 20/03/2013: Weekly Comic Reviews Part 2

Storm Dogs #4

It's a fine coincidence that at the same time that I read Storm Dogs I am also, for the first time, reading Orson Scott Card's Ender's Saga. The over arcing themes of both saga and comic have strong parallels; both deal with the influence of humanity upon an alien race; the problems that occur over differences in culture, nature, tradition and the misconceptions that one race has with the other leading one or both to judge the other as primitive. 

With so much less text than a novel Storm Dogs does a superb job, thanks to Hine, at presenting the reader with a complex plot that engages in all the themes I have just mentioned. On top of this readers are given well fleshed out characters and a mystery that is fluid and compelling. 

Braithwaite's panels are spot on in their story-telling and in this issue there is a fight scene at the start that is one of the best  laid out and convincing fights that I have seen in comics.

Score 9/10

Saga: Chapter 11

Not a lot needs to be said here except check out that first page, hiyo!! Best post sex chat I have come across in any visual platform. Overall the title remains on top form as the story chugs away nicely and we are, as always, treated to some of the best text in comics. Staples panels are so good; she delivers superb storytelling with simple clear panels and images that make it so easy for the reader to follow what is happening. This is a beautiful, uncluttered book that is a joy to flick through.

Score 9/10

Daredevil #24

Waid starts to tie everything together and gives us a glimpse of the mastermind behind Murdock's recent woes and it makes reading this issue all the more sweetly impelling; who is the puppet master!? On top of this is the all too human situation that Foggy is in and a true bromance (I said bromance, deal with it!) between him and the man without fear. Plus the pages with Matt and Kirsten are great fun. 
A whole lot is happening and its all good. Chris Samnee continues the good work, matching the highes and lows of Waid's story but is it just me or are Foggy's legs a little short in that bed?

Score 8/10

X-Termination #1

Lapham takes the wheel in the cross over special alpha title and he does a sound job of pulling most of the cast together, except maybe for the X-treme X-Men.

 It feels like I need to go back and read some of the previous astonishing and X-treme stuff for this to make more sense and that doesn't sit well with me; the astonishing gang don't seem to know why Logan wants this nightcrawler caught and nobody seems to know why the X-treme team is there at all.

Like I said;it is all well written up till AoA Kurt makes a jump for home then the story starts to feel forced and the villains that show up at the end are ridiculous, their whole look and purpose feels like it belongs in D.C's New 52 Superman not in an X book.

Lopez's art is solid and even makes the weaker parts of the plot look a little less . . . weak.

Score 6/10

Superior Spider-Man #6

The penny that is 'Otto as Spidey' must have been dropped from a great height cause it ain't dropping for too many that are aptly considered close to the web slinger but it must be getting closer cause in this issue we see, a paper thin, response by the Avengers to the severe action taken by Spidey in the previous issue.
Instead this issue looks forward as Otto faces viral villians; Screwball and Jester and it all ends with another clear message for all to see; this isn't Peter Parker! It's effective but the point of this issue feels too similar in its delivery as #5 and #5 did it better.
Ramos has a great handle on things with his fast pacing and dynamic panels matching the speed of the story and capitalizing on the action. He even makes ghost spidey look slightly more appealing (less of him; the better).

Score 7/10

Cable and X-Force #6

Hopeless and Larroca are a great team and they are really delivering with this title. If you can only get one X-Force book then it should be this one. 

Issue 6 gets things back on track plot wise after #5's reprieve but on it's own this one isn't as succesful. There are 3 stories going on; first is Colossus who is in jail and has a real heartwarming visit from a not-so-old flame, second is Cable, Forge and Nemesis who break into a secret S.W.O.R.D hanger to steal a spacecraft and Nemesis spouts one of the best one-worders ever, and lastly is Domino and new addition, erm, I think I have this right, . . . Boom Boom (!!? What kinda lame ass name is that!!) who are breaking into the same prison that Colossus is in, not to rescue their comrade but to find an alien.

Separately these stories are fun and have their own strengths but they don't gel well and this disparity ruins the read as the book jumps from one story to the next.

Still there is more good here than bad and the last page has me giddy waiting for the next issue.

Score 7/10

 

The Pull List 20/3/2013: Weekly Comic Reviews

There was a lot of stuff out this week but thankfully the bulk of it is really good. Here's some  reviews;

Nova #2

This issue from the 'previously' page right up to the last page reveal is extremely well paced with really enjoyable dialogue that makes the whole thing a fun read that ends too quickly.

 Issue 2 continues to set up Sam Alexander as the new Nova and there is nothing that hasn't been seen or done before inside the book that sets it apart but everything is done very well; Jeph Loeb is writing a believable and endearing youth in Sam, and McGuinness' art is amazing along with Gracia's colors which are slick and are completely in sync with the tone of the book. A straight up superhero book done really well.

Score 9/10

All New X-Men #9

Kitty gets her teach on and rocks it as the new Prof.X! The original X-Mens team dynamic is put into question and Mystique puts her plans into motion though the aim is flimsy and makes one think there is more to the blue lady's plot than getting rich (lame). 

Bendis is knocking it out of the park and Immonen is awesome also this another great book being colored by Gracia; dude is on fire.

Bonus!: last page links up to Uncanny's last issue!

Score 8/10

Avengers #8

This book was good and going into it, (it being a comic book where two different heroes are meeting for the first time) I had a feeling that what happened was inevitable; spoiler! The Avengers get into a fight with the newly born Starbrand. This fight was really unconvincing; here we have a bunch of adult veteran heroes who have been and done it all, and their best way of dealing with a S#!£ scared omega level teen who has a 'loser' complex is to try and beat him up!! Wow. 

Captain Universe and Nightmask step in to break up the kids and take Starbrand off to do some wordy explaining of the current universe encompassing dilemma.

Weaver's art is the gold in this book; it is fun, detailed  and some of the panels e.g Hulk in Earth's outer orbit are super.  

Part of me enjoyed the action in the issue but another was just annoyed at the flimsy reasoning for said action.

Score 6/10

New Avengers #4

A double dose of Hickman! Certainly my favorite of the two Avengers titles out this week; this issue continues the Illuminatis attempts to defend the earth against oncoming 'incursions' from parallel earths without having to destroy the other earth but all their plans seem to involve some sort of massive loss of life or sacrifice. 

Up till now I've been on the bench with this title but I'm starting to accept the unforgiving nature that Hickman is instilling in it; it doesn't apologize for it's premise which has led the heroes towards hopelessness and dire action. I love the appearance of a certain someone's herald in the last quarter but his presence and that of his master make the gang take a bit of u-turn in their ethical resignation.

Epting's art is solid as always but D'Armata's pink and whites of the incursion sites is beginning to detract from the scenes.

Score 7/10

Justice League of America #2

JLA #2 continues on a strong path as readers see A.R.G.U.S director Amanda Waller and Steve Waller pull on different strings to further strengthen their team both from within and with the American people. The opening pages are great, giving an introduction to the new JLA's first real enemy; The Secret Society.

The polarity between the teammates makes for fun banter and the Manhunter's backup story reaffirms the less wholesome motivations of this books heroes.

Finch's art is really nice; sketchy and gritty and well suited to the story and any flashy panels/pages are a joy.

Score 8/10

Green Lantern; The New Gaurdians

Okay so now we have the First Lantern infect the pages of NG but thankfully we get a refreshing change of pace. Generally I'm not a fan of artist switches in an issue but here it works because each artist is working on 3 different stories; first is Danvers as the First Lantern tries to do the usual by screwing with her memories, the he does the same with Larfleeze and then White Walker. The best part of this book is that all 3 lanterns fight back in a much more convincing way and recognize that they're being screwed with, rather than just curling up and sucking their thumbs. YAY! 

I think because I find the First Lantern to be extremely annoying that I love seeing him be rebuffed (especially by Larfleeze!) that this issue is a win for me.

Score 7/10

Star Wars Legacy #1

The second Star Wars title that I have added to my pull list Star Wars Legacy is an ambitious and well instigated book that not only sets up the current status quo of the universe but competently balances a lot of new characters and character dynamics. By knit-picking I could complain that sometimes the name-dropping of species and the quick change of planet can be confusing but this is greatly overshadowed by top notch story telling.

On top of the great execution, the action is awesome and all the panels are beautifully rendered by artist Gabriel Hardman. 

This book with it's triumvirate politics and vast scope is a good counter to the tight character focused book by Woods.

I'm sure the book would be all the more satisfying for one who has read all the previous Legacy stuff but I haven't and still found it generally accessible and highly enjoyable.

Score 8/10

Irish Comic Spotlight: EarthRuler #1

Darrin O’Toole’s and Shawn Langley’s new superhero comic; ‘EarthRuler’ has been chosen as the first in a series of posts focused on Irish comic titles to help encourage interest and discussion that is centred around the ever expanding home-grown comic industry.

EarthRuler is the story of Rykaal, a humanoid from a distant world who has crash landed on earth after being exiled from his own galaxy. On arrival in our star system the protagonist is quick to discover that the laws of physics and science do not apply to him and he has been endowed with an array of powers form flight to telepathy.

 He himself narrates the events of his rebellion, exile and crash to earth to a group called the consensus while awaiting their sentence for his disobedience against them; his rulers.

As Rykaal begins to relive the epic events that have shaped him and his predicament readers are shown how the alien man has become both enemy number one on his home world and a cape-clad wonder on earth. Rykaal’s power range and costume immediately puts him under the supermanesque umbrella but the main characters personality is very different to the man of steel. With issue #1 we see someone who is called a hero but who shows a range of traits that are far from heroic. A troubled soul; bitter, clinical, self-pitying but at the same time righteous and driven to fight for a good cause Rykaal is a complex fellah with a lot of baggage and ridiculous super-powers to boot; what can go wrong? . . . right?

 The final pages of this first issue offers uncertainty as to what Rykaal’s coming to earth will mean; is he their hero or their ruler, I guess we’ll have to wait and see.!

The setup is solid but a lot is going on in this book, the narration takes readers across a range of events and the journey is intersected upon by an alien father and son bed time story who’s relevance isn't made clear. The highlight both in writing and art is Rykaal’s violent exit from home with the narration matching the depth of the black forever that is space and the close-ups of Rykaals face as his molecules are blown upward are stellar. Like I said previously; the last pages bring an uncertainty with regards to Rykaal’s eligibility as a hero, his coldness to destruction and death is a warning for the people of earth but intriguing for readers.

A super start from DOT comics that weaves an intriguing plot with some amazing panel imagery. 

Costume Clash! Who wears it Better?

Taking a page from fashion magazines and tv shows this post is . . . . 

Costume Clash! 

A battle between two similarly dressed heroes and/or villains to see who suits the suit better.

 This first bout is between two members of the new Uncanny X-Men whose outfits both gleam and squeak from head to toe like only leather can but one could argue; veer towards that of a dominatrix! Has Cyclops' team gone one too many on the S & M? :

                                                          Emma Frost Versus Magik

These two X-gal's are responsible for inspiring this whole thing, and there is plenty of reasons why.

Emma Frost

Long has Mrs. Frost reigned as the overtly sexual White Queen and while many, too many, female comic characters have bee overly sexualized in appearance, few can claim such a depiction to be  a considered and conscious part of their character; Emma Frost can.

Since her introduction in 1980 readers have seen  Emma's costume go through changes while retaining a couple of constants: the starch whit color scheme and the extremely revealing cut. With Marvel Now she has moved to the dark side and gone for black leather. This change in color is both a reflection of the teams new stance as revolutionaries and, more importantly, a reflection of her own personal state. Though black is a powerful color and does aptly fit the pathos for Emma, it alone may not be enough of a visual insight, and color aside not a whole lot has changed in her outfit choice: impractical to say the least.

Emma Frost is a special case when it comes to the ol cliche female superhero/villain; readers who are in any way familiar with the character will know that her choice in outfit is not just about style; it serves a function, for most of her adult life Frost has been in circles of power, circles dominated by men, she used her outfit to disarm any man naive to take her at face value; that of the pleasing dancer she once was at the hell-fire club. She has continued with the victoria secret-esque clothing as a twisted statement of defiance against a world that portrays her objectively.

With 2013 X-Fans see Emma in a rare situation; an emotionally vulnerable one. With her telepathic powers all but gone, the tables have turned, and she is the one disarmed without the psychic crutch. In recent issues we see her reaching out to ex-boyfriend Scott Summers in an almost bashful yet endearing way that hints that her character is now forced to be open about her feelings and the difficulty she has at not knowing the feelings of others causes her much frustration but the cut of her clothes remains the same as the old and bold white queen who could afford to go skimpy because no one could get close without her seeing them coming and this doesn't quite fit her current situation.

 All n all this may be too shallow a depiction for one in a state that is unique and scary to her but with her powers gone maybe Emma Frost clings to the one thing she still can control; how others will see her when she walks in the door; as fierce and confident as ever.

Magik

Illyana has, quite literally, been through a hell of a lot, and has gone from being written as subdued and angsty to full blown un-hinged but it's hard to blame her; being dragged into limbo as a child will do that to you.

 For most of her career as an X-Person her costume design has been straight-forward; black and yellow, adhering to the template followed by alot of the New Mutant crew. Always, both before and after (and in between i.e limbo) her career as a mutant hero Magik's visual distinction centred around the magical armor that would spread across her body; the Eldritch Armor. This magical armor has always been a staple in the blonde russians wardrobe and served as a good visual anomaly: here is this skinny petit blonde teen with armor spreading from her left arm across her shoulder and up her right leg, giving the youth an edginess that contrasted with her soft features.

The crazy really started to show in Inferno when she grew horns and her legs became inverted with hooves at the end but this was always short-lived and Illyana has nearly always appeared quite conservative; an apt reflection for someone who holds back so much of herself.

 It wasn't until the X-Infernus storyline that we got a look at a more adult objective take on the russian courtesy of Giuseppe Camuncoli or the more provocative cover to #1 by David Finch who readily drew her in the house style skin-show we associate with Top Cow. More importantly X-Infernus drilled home what a badass Magik is and the character has come on in leaps and bounds since.

Post A vs X Illyana comes across as more adult, confident and in-control and certainly remains a badass but something sinister is being hinted at; Magik may be in control but that doesn't mean it's all daisy chains and goodness, she definitely has a bad streak and I don't just mean the darkchilde inside; it's something more innate to her character.

Her current costume is very in-tune to her current sensibilities; she is now a veteran, one with a lot of power and isn't afraid to unleash it, this has instilled a boldness and presence that unnerves her fellow x-men. The black leather, the buckles, the shoulder pads, all of it evokes a rock n roll disposition but its the spikes and protrusions from her back that are the most intriguing; they hark back to infernus and the darkchilde persona, this connection makes you wonder what lies in store for Illyana Rasputin and, maybe more concerning, that of her teammates.

Verdict:

Emma may be the veteran when it comes to wearing very little and still crack like a whip but it's all getting to be a bit old hat especially when she's standing next to Magik who Emma herself has admitted scares the hell outta her.

Magik's character suits the look and makes it much more than a superficial cliche while Emma's outfit seems to be lagging behind the development of her character.

The costumes are too similar in color and style while the women are in two very different positions; the same look just causes one to detract from the other in terms of character depth. 

Winner:

Magik

The Pull List 13/3/2013 : Weekly Comic Reviews 

Another week; another healthy helping of new comics:

Ultimate Comics: Wolverine #1

A then and now story that allows for our favorite canuck to make a comeback but the real draw is the mysterious mothervine and the implication of new characters/mutants emerging into what is quite literally a barren mutant landscape.

The pencil work by Messina is good but isn't breaking boundaries and the panel layouts seem to be in sync with those seen in the main UC X-Men book making this limited series a good complimentary title for fans.

Score: 6/10

Ultimate Comics: X-Men #24

The board just keeps getting bigger! Karen Grant, Psylocke and a disgruntled Washington all start to make their move.

Wood's run on UCX-Men has been great and this latest arc, Natural Resources, gleams with the potential of being the best yet. So much is going on, so many branches, but all are well paced and fluid creating an intriguing and satisfying issue. No character suffers from the scale of the plot and the dialogue is convincing and fluid.

It's great to see Asrar on this title, fits like a glove. His approach to the characters is fresh and the landscapes are full and vivid, combined with Bellaire's colors; the whole thing comes alive.

Score: 9/10

Thor; God of Thunder #6

The origin of Gorr the God Butcher! Aaron has been writing superbly on this title from the get-go and his talent doesn't falter here as he creates a compelling origin done in one issue. 

Combined with Aaron's writing is Butch Guice on pencils who has a tough act to follow after Ribic's work but Guices style is well placed; his line-work conveys all the desolation and harshness that is Gorr's life. Together artist and writer make you feel sadness and pity for the antagonist but all that is gone by the end as Gorr steeps himself into the vile darkness that we have come to associate him with.

You'll be disappointed if you're looking for Thor and (minor spoiler) maybe, like me, you'll be puzzled as to how a certain someone's child exists in the final pages of the issue.

Score: 7/10

Uncanny X-Men #3

Avengers vs. X-Men . . . again!? but this time they talk it out; thank god it's Bendis doing this cause he inserts his trademark wit into the dialogue making an entertaining albeit wordy issue. And the traitor reveals himself to the group!! we get deeper into the reasons behind the double dealing and it's all a bit predictable. It's 3 issues in and it's still all about build-up and hints of things to come. The last page has a nice irony and gives one hope that the next couple of issues pay up front rather than in the future.

No qualms with Bachalo's art, in fact if it wasn't for the guy I think some of the character designs would be boring or cringy.

Score 5/10

Batman #18

Harper Row returns and through her we get a better understanding of Batman's current emotional state. This issue is a long one and you do feel it especially with the artist change but the quality is there, the only problem is that I feel like Row's role in this issue has been done before and by none other than Robin (and not just Tim Drake but his example is the most obvious).
 The parallels between her ability to bring back Batman from the brink and the same ability usually found in the role of the boy wonder only lessen the significance of the latest incarnations recent demise. It is with Harper's exit and leaving behind a 'message' for Batman that the reader can fully appreciate the weight of Bruce's turmoil and his realization of the dangers his grief was putting him in. 
Harper best serves the argument that it is too soon for another Robin or sidekick. The aftereffects of Death of the Family have been blown into non-existence, lets hope the same doesn't happen to Damien's death.
Kubert is well suited for the intense action but it's Maleev's work in the final pages that brings the clear strength of emotion to the issue.
Score 7/10

Green Lantern Corps #18

This whole Wrath of the First Lantern thing is a bit bizarre and not in a good way. The first Lantern continues to feed and/or torture various corp members; this time it's John Stewart and Yrra of Xanshi. I don't know if all the stuff that we're shown from the past is actually changed or it's just an illusion? Also are all these corp members being kept in the same place and is this happening within a very short timeframe or simultaneously or not? Too many questions, too messy and unnecessarily violent (Okay we get it, violence is a part of Stewart's life). 
The art is solid but the convoluted plot drags down CHRISCROSS's visual storytelling.
Score: 4/10

Batman and Robin #18

This is a requiem of one man; Bruce Wayne; a dark knight and a father. A standing ovation to Tomasi and Gleason for getting ballsy and overturning the silent cliche and making a book that hits the reader at home. This book shows you how serious changes should be felt and not used as supplementary content to merely lead to the next big change or worse yet forgotten and retconned. Gleasons compositions and panels lead you through a house in mourning and a father broken.
Score 9/10

 Star Wars #3

Plenty to enjoy here as Wood keeps up with entertainment factor of the original big screen trilogy and on top of that he builds more; going beyond the quips and banter of Luke and Leia and Han and Co. to serve the reader a cast that have a lot more going on; a lot more pathos, delivering fuller nuanced characters. 

Even Vader is stewing with anger and brooding like an angry teen as he is served a dose of humility courtesy of his master.

You couldn't be blamed for just buying these books just for their covers but the interiors are a joy to go through too; playing up the grand scale of this space franchise for all it's worth with nice shots of a half finished death star and cool interceptors hanging in their docking bays.

Score 8/10