Between Books - X-Force by Geoffrey Thorne Vol. 1: Fractures

 s

Let’s play Betweenland’s favorite game…IS IT GOOD DEADPOOL?

X-Force by Geoffrey Thorne Vol. 1: Fractures written by Geoffrey Throne and illustrated by Marcus To provides a post-Krakoa start to the paramilitary mutant special forces. The story follows Forge as he sets up a new X-Force team, with hardly any pre-Krakoa X-Force members, as he tries to save the world from armageddons. Forge uses a new toy to predict future fractures that will lead to the destruction of the world, and uses his secret team and custom devices to face off against the end of the world.

The book covers features Deadpool, a classic X-Force member, front and center. And the collection description notes, “Forge will recruit a specialist for each target: first up, that regenerating degenerate, Deadpool!” So we have to ask, is this good Deadpool.

• Community: Wade is a traditional member of X-Force, but you don’t get the sense that he’s joined up with the group for more than getting his bag. We never get to see our friend have a good hang with anyone.

• BetterUp: At no time does Wade attempt to become a better person. He’s along for slashing, shooting, and fighting.

• Laugh Away the Pain: Wade quips, we laugh. But it honestly covers no emotional development.

• Your Pal Wade: Deadpool does make a joke or two for us that reminds us that he knows he’s a multimedia giant. But he has so little page time, that we really don’t get to spend time with our buddy.

X-Force by Geoffrey Thorne Vol. 1: Fractures is bad Deadpool. Despite the cover and the marketing, Wade Wilson’s time in the story is truly a guest spot as he’s just not on the page a lot. It feels like Thorne was given an editorial note to add the Merc with the Mouth for sales, through his appearance and cover art. Maybe they thought his inclusion would connect the title with other runs. But, I have a hard time saying that Wade is featured here or that Wade grows in any meaningful character way in the middle of this cast. It’s bad Deadpool in the sense that he fights and jokes, and his impact, other than establishing that Forge recruits to fix individual problems, is not essential.

It is Forge that gets highlighted here. We learn that his power of creating solutions, usually through machines, is completely passive. He has the mutant gift to create a counter to what is coming. But he may not understand the future or how his solutions even work.

Along with not being the best Deadpool, I don’t think this is the best X-Force either. I am a fan of this team being the special forces of the mutant world as seen in its Cable-based origins or during the Daniel Way run. Honestly, this run feels like a superhero team that is somewhat secret but not gritty and grim. Again, did editorial order a book titled X-Force for the legacy title, but had really gotten a superhero book that could have been published under another X-Men or X-Factor title?

X-Force by Geoffrey Thorne Vol. 1: Fractures is a fine mutant or X-book. But it’s not great Deadpool or even strong X-Force in my opinion. 

 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that Between Disney receives a percentage of sales purchased through links on this site.  

 

Between Books - Deadpool: Dead Presidents

Deadpool boxes zombie Abraham Lincoln. Yes, this is great Deadpool!

As I said earlier, Gerry Duggan is part of some really really great Deadpool. Deadpool: Dead Presidents by Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn with art by Tony Moore is really funny Deadpool. A misguided necromancer had decided he has the solution for a failing America, resurrecting the deceased presidents of the United States. But naturally, something has gone wrong, and they all come back evil! Now, Captain America could stop this threat, but when SHIELD realizes that it is a horrible look to have Steve Rogers beating on a zombie historical leader, they go to the one man who any press is good press…Wade Wilson. The merc spends the story stopping the devious plans of the deceased presidents, A through E level.

This is really really good Deadpool!

Wade is building community. He has a group of SHIELD agents around him in support including a new agent, Agent Preston, a character who is diverse and brings a lot of reason to an unreasonable story. But he also has Agent Scott Adsit in his support group, I mean Baymax! Adsit, the voice of Baymax in Big Hero 6 is a friend of Duggan and Posehn who were active in the comedy scene and they created him as a recurring fictional agent who you can still find a decade later still on the page. Yet, he has still not appeared in live-action, which is a huge mistake. The posse even includes the ghost, NOT ZOMBIE, Benjamin Franklin.

Deadpool is trying to be better. He’s a professional my friends. He wants to do a good job and make plenty of money. This a merc with a mouth with a motivation. The awesome thing about this run as it develops is Posehn and Duggan will give him even more motivation to be a good human. So if you pick this up, keep going. I mean it does have a cliffhanger which makes you want to go to the next volume.

Wade, is he my friend? Yes, I will admit he generally does not break the fourth wall. But he has plenty of quips that are clearly meant for me, I mean the reader. And he does explain to other fictional characters that he is talking to us. So we get an acknowledgment. My favorite moment though may be when he tells us what to listen to during a five-page montage. Honestly, it made it feel more cinematic.

Finally, if I have not made it clear enough…this story is absurd. Zombie Abe Lincoln! But in all the wildness, the creators give us a clear picture of what they thought of 2014 American society (spoiler it may not have changed much)! They also are brilliant in working in real historical facts about the presidents and super super obscure references to other Marvel storylines.

With Deadpool and Wolverine coming soon, you may be looking for a comic starting point. Deadpool: Dead Presidents by Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn with art by Tony Moore is my recommendation. It does not require a lot of Wade’s backstory. It is silliness ramped up to 11. It has characters that will follow Deadpool around awhile, yes I want Adsit in this movie! Finally, the writing and art are top-notch!

Now get out of here and go read! 

 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that Between Disney receives a percentage of sales purchased through links on this site 

 

Between Books - Deadpool by Alyssa Wong Volume 1

Alright, I really like Deadpool! But how does one of the most recentish runs stack up in that fandom!

Deadpool By Alyssa Wong Volume 1 collects the first five issues of the Deadpool main title written by Alyssa Wong with art by Martin Coccolo along with a few pages of material from New Mutants. Two plots slam together in this opening volume! First, Deadpool is given an audition to become a member of Atelier, a super-elite group of assassins you mostly don’t know, in the mission to kill Doctor Octopus. Second, while on this quest, Deadpool is kidnapped by the Harrower, a newish villain, who acts a bit like DC’s Poison Ivy and wishes to use Deadpool to create a new super symbiote. Wade has to balance both Harrower and Atelier. While everyone is trying to kill him, Wade also grows a new child inside him and balances a new girlfriend who may herself be a killer (okay she’s totally an assassin).

Let’s look at what I think makes Deadpool great. First, he is fully trying to build community by joining Atelier, a group of like-minded killers. Maybe it’s not the group that a moral person wants to be part of, but there’s an opening. Second, Wade is fully trying to be better. His audition with Atelier is him seeking validation for the fact that he has improved to an elite level…of killing. But he is also trying to be a great boyfriend with us seeing the growth from courting to officially we are a couple. Let’s also not forget he is working on being a great dad/friend to a new symbiote. Third, the humor that covers the pain here is somewhat on the nose. Harrower’s experiment is unimaginably painful, and Wade never stops the quips or laughing. This is truly a laugh-it-off situation. Finally, is he our pal? Wade does greet us into this story! But Wong does not have him chit-chat with us as much as some may like.

I also need to note for those who don’t like Deadpool, this is really violent. Symbiotes are in the house! And that always brings a level of blood and body horror that others may not enjoy. Visually you get to see why Wade is wearing the red pants. But it’s truly not for me to be so bloody at times because symbiotes are not always kind to bodies. (Disclaimer, I think Marvel overused symbiotes like Venom and Carnage).

A lot of what comics do is work synergy! Deadpool & Wolverine has been on the board for years, and this volume at least does a bad job of preparing fans for a movie. The good of this decision is that Wong was not pushed by a committee to write a Wolverine story and could make story choices beyond that requirement. The New Mutants material fully puts the title in the Krakoan era, where Mutants had their own nation-state. It also reminds us that Deadpool is Mutant adjacent, despite not being one. The use of Doctor Octopus as a target did limit the stakes for me, as I knew that no real harm could come to him in a non-Spidey title. I also am symbioted out (my new phrase). I am just not a fan of Venom and Carnage and all the other symbiotes that Marvel seems to currently be sprinkling everywhere (oh, I already mentioned that). So sadly, there’s no synergy here for me.

Deadpool By Alyssa Wong Volume 1 by Alyssa Wong with art by Martin Coccolo is a fine Deadpool story that hits a lot of the boxes that I like. It is set in the Krakoan era but isn’t shoehorned into that giant arc but it also doesn’t prepare us for a movie. It feels like Wong had some freedom in the creator role which I think is wonderful. But symbiotes are not my favorite thing to find in a Marvel story as a personal story (running theme of this review). 

 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that Between Disney receives a percentage of sales purchased through links on this site

Between Books - Why Wakanda Matters

I am a huge comic book fan. One of the things I love about comics is our ability to learn lessons in multi color action stories. I get why a lot of people don’t like the rude and crude Deadpool. But if you read some of the best Deadpool comics(like Gerry Duggan and Joe Kelly) you find lessons that readers can learn about self-worth, friendship, grieving, self-care and so much more. Many of these great stories and their lessons have been translated onto the screen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Audiences worldwide learned that superheroes can help teach lessons through many of these movies, with one of the most impactful being Black Panther.


Why Wakanda Matters: What Black Panther Reveals About Psychology, Identity, and Communication edited by Dr. Sheena C. Howard is a collection of academic articles discussing the impact of Black Panther on audiences and the general population. A common theme in the book is the power of a movie starring and made by a cast and crew of people of color. The movie seeks to avoid and overcome stereotypes found in the media. By not falling into the expected movie tropes for people of color, it communicates messages to young people about the roles that they can take within society. Additionally, it helps to combat the impact of stereotypes found in media.


I won’t go into the essays in-depth as they are many varied in their messages and themes. The big messages that I see are first and foremost, representation matters. Ryan Coogler and crew when creating the world of Wakanda intentionally built a world that audiences saw as important models for what people of color could be, with the movie showing scientists, soldiers, and kings as just a few of the many options open for futures. This world-building moved beyond stereotypes and generalizations, which often are used in film when creating for broad audiences. Another theme is while all authors agree that the representation in the film is impactful, they may disagree with the messages that the movie projects. For example, some writers see T’Challa’s final choices as conforming to long-term imperialistic and disempowering frameworks. But Killmonger’s strategies challenge the status quo and can be at times applauded. As one reads, you can tell that the authors as a group are very conflicted by the image of Killmonger who they applaud and criticize for his over-the-top aggressive choices…much like the movie-going audience.


Why Wakanda Matters is an academic work, and likely not for every reader with its heavy focus on theory and research. But I think it is more accessible than many academic works because the examples are often ones we know from viewing Black Panther. With it being a work that delves into many cognitive theories, I can also see readers who do not agree with everything written. Let’s be honest, this book talks about a charged issue with race. But, I also do not believe that the authors fully agree with each other, and Howard does a great job of bringing multiple perspectives together.


Why Wakanda Matters: What Black Panther Reveals About Psychology, Identity, and Communication edited by Dr. Sheena C. Howard is an academic collection that makes you think about race, representation, and portrayals of people of color in media. It helps to teach the importance of our stories, even when super, in teaching us important social and cultural lessons about how we interact and treat each other. For comic book fans, I think it is a great collection for understanding the power of comic characters. And for media fans, it demonstrates the power of story. I think it is definitely worth the read for Marvel…and DC…fans.

 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that Between Disney receives a percentage of sales purchased through links on this site.  

 

Between Books - True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee

I think it’s impossible for a biographer to not develop a bias. As you spend enough time with a figure, the time really needed to chronicle a life, you either come to put them on a pedestal or despise the thought of them. I think that Abraham Riesman came to despise Stan Lee while detailing the Marvel legend’s life. It could have been due to choosing a side in the Marvel creator wars, everyone needs to side with either Stan or Jack right? Or maybe the drama and messiness in the final decades of Lee’s life was too much. But it is clear in with commentary often found in the text, Riesman has little to no admiration for Lee.

True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee by Abraham Riesman is an extremely depressing tale. The biography provides the major steps of the Marvel legend’s life from birth to death to legacy. The story, without summarizing every milestone, is one of creative frustration, professional duplicity, familial strife, and business criminal charge. Lee is portrayed as a man who was an excellent marketer with questionable creative skills. As a man who disliked confrontation, he failed to always share the full story and allowed myths to build up around himself. This trend also allowed unscrupulous people, including family, to surround him and take illegal actions often in his name through Stan Lee Media and POW!, which were both accused of several criminal financial offenses in Lee’s name. Finally, in his final years, Lee was a victim of elder abuse by business partners and his daughter who all saw him as a financial cash cow.

Let me start with Riesman’s writing. It is riveting, engaged, and brings a reader into the sad story. But Reisman also clearly as an anti-Stan bias. This leads to commentary within the text that takes the opportunity to tear down the Marvel editor even when it’s unneeded. There is definitely a view that says Stan Lee was all bad while others, like Jack Kirby, were all right. And while Kirby may have some of the higher road in this story, I think we cannot automatically argue that Lee brought little to Marvel’s greatest creations. I think the clear bias is what leads me at times to question all of the story as fact. For example, in Lee’s senior years, it comes off as Riesman wants Lee to be involved in the illegality done in Lee’s name versus what he claimed which was ignorance. It’s not impossible to believe that Lee has some level of confusion and deniability to these acts due to his age, financial pressures, and series of bad choices of those he put around himself. For me, I can see the Lee was bad story but I can also see the Lee was a senior citizen who made bad choices about those he trusted. Lee the marketer was a manipulator, and I can see Lee being manipulated.

I will also admit I have a bias too. I am generally pro-Lee thanks to early exposure to him in media like Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. I enjoyed his public persona. And I have come to believe that Lee and Kirby were better together than apart. This left me feeling combative at times to the author and definitely made me feel queasy.

Here is for me the real value of Riesman’s book. Stan Lee’s life was not as marvelous as we may want to believe. He was creatively frustrated. He produced less than he wanted to and never felt creatively accepted. While he was in a marriage full of love, it also created financial strains that would always put pressure upon him. Even more sad, his relationship with his own daughter was broken beyond repair. And while in his final years we saw the public smiling Stan at premieres and in videos, he was surrounded by people who really only wished to use his name for their own purposes. It is a life less excelsior than any of us would wish for another human.

True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee by Abraham Riesman is not a happy book. Readers should be warned. It is well-written and interesting but is also clearly anti-Stan. The picture that the reader walks away from is sad, will make you question your heroes and mad about how we can treat each other. In the end, Stan Lee’s life was as real as those he attempted to create in the pages of his comic books. 

 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that Between Disney receives a percentage of sales purchased through links on this site.

Between Books - Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago....Volume 5

Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago...Volume 5 published by Dark Horse captures the final issues of Marvel's original Star Wars comic run, with issues 86 through 107.  But would this final volume capture the same magic of earlier volumes.

Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago....Volume 5 continues to deal with the Rebellion's decisions after the end of the Galactic Civil War.  The Rebellion has become a Republic, and they no longer have the clear cut villains of The Empire.  Instead, the Rebels attempt to create a new galactic government in the face of new violent planetary struggles.  Finally the Republic is forced to come back together to face a new enemy to freedom in their universe, the Nagai.  But the Nagai's history may not seem to be all that it is!

The ending of the Marvel Star Wars comics is mostly helmed by writer Jo Duffy with typically Cynthia Martin providing pencils.  Honestly, this duo somewhat is lacking from me.  I continue to applaud Duffy for her attempt to create a story of what happens to the rebels after victory.  I honestly love much of Duffy's Marvel contributions.  But in the end she is forced to create a new enemy, like other writers, to unite our heroes.  But at times the results seem somewhat comical with the Tofs and Hiromi.  If anything it at times appears and feels cartoony with the Martin pencils.  And maybe that was the point with the title taking on a more kid focused approach, like a Saturday Morning cartoon.  And in the end, I guess comics are for kids...mostly.  And perhaps in an attempt to conclude the story, the final issues at times feel rushed and with plot holes.  And I know it was the 1980s, but there is an attempt to link a female character romantically with her former male abuser that makes my skin crawl.

I do have to say that the opening issue, "The Alderaan Factor" written by Randy Stradley who would go on to be a Dark Horse Star Wars comic legend is fantastic.  The story is emotional and dark, leaving adult readers satisfied with a well-told and thought provoking story!

These Dark Horse editions are well out of publication with Marvel taking publication rights for these stories back and including them in their Epic Collections.  Today a paperbook copy of this collections costs over $200.  That leaves me recommending the Kindle version, unless one is a competitionist!

Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago...Volume 5 is honestly not as strong as earlier contributions to this series.  One at times feels as if writers were struggling to tell a story in a new and unworn path in the post Return of the Jedi galaxy.   One has to applaud the efforts.  But in the end it is easy to see why this series was one that Marvel no longer saw as a key title after over 100 issues.  Perhaps, there were simply too many Zeltrons! 

 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that Between Disney receives a percentage of sales purchased through links on this site.  

 

Cap's Comics - W.E.B. of Spider-Man

 

 

Here I sit, stuck between two Disney parks, and it has been years since I have been able to visit Orlando or Anaheim. And one of the dreams that has become a reality since my last visit to the Disneyland Resort is Avengers Campus. Yes, I want to go there! Marvel and Disney with W.E.B. of Spider-Man, which collects the five single issues of this comic title, are trying to get myself and my younger self motivated to visit the new land and WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure.

In W.E.B. of Spider-Man, writer Kevin Shinick and artist Alberto Alburquerque introduce Peter Parker to the Worldwide Engineering Brigade (W.E.B.) established by Tony Start to gather great young thinkers together to solve the world’s emerging problems. W.E.B. members include Harley Kenner from Iron Man 3, Lunella Lafayette the Moon Girl, Onome, a genius girl from Wakanda, Doreen Green the Unstoppable Squirrel Girl, and Amadeus Cho also known as Brawn. The youngsters are joined by the Spider-Bots found in the ride. The team is drawn into a battle with some familiar-faced villains attempting to steal key data from W.E.B. Peter struggles in this adventure to determine whether he or his alter ego, Spider-Man, best fits within the W.E.B. team dynamic.  

This title is for 10+. And honestly, it is for that age, and a little bit older, this best would work. As an adult, I found the lack of foreshadowing for the big bad to be a major miss. And I think for young readers, the lack of foreshadowing and general low visibility of this villain is problematic. I do not believe the ten-year-old crowd knows who the villain is and may not care about them. I think all readers needed to Scooby-Doo this where we take off the mask and yell it was you! But that is lacking. The story is what you need and expect from a comic from this age, with Alburquerque providing very professional and well-done art. I can see an 11-year-old reading this a few times before hitting the park, but it will likely never be any adult readers entry comic to the ride, where the movies should be taking that role for most of the audience.  

W.E.B. of Spider-Man is a story with a hiccup or two. But it performs as needed by creating a comic story accessible to young readers. And best of all, from a Disney synergy window, it likely will make some young people feel closer to the Spider-Man ride and the backstory and lead to pleas to get into line! 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that Between Disney receives a percentage of sales purchased through links on this site.

Between Books - Star Wars Poe Dameron: Black Squadron

My impression of comics writer Charles Soule is he is solid.  He writes good stories, but not really what I would call outstanding ones.  Though I have really enjoyed some of his runs, like She-Hulk.  But up until a few weeks ago I would have found him an odd mix for something in the Star Wars galaxy.  Soule's a superhero guy I would have proclaimed.  Then a few weeks ago I introduced myself to his Letter 44 independent title, which is a deep character story based within a science fiction world with a great twist.  So maybe his inclusion in the Marvel Star Wars properties was a better match than I imagined.

Star Wars Poe Dameron: Black Squadron by Charles Soule with art by Phil Noto appears to take pilot Poe Dameron up to the opening of Star Wars The Force Awakens.  General Leia Organa tasks Dameron with keeping vital information away from the First Order, by finding it first.  He is assigned finding Lor San Tekka who has information about the location of the General's missing brother Luke Skywalker.  To complete his task, Dameron recruits his own squadron made up of pilots that are more family than friends including Snap Wexley.  Dameron's search for Lor San Tekka takes his Black Squadron to isolated settlements and intergalactic prisons.  To make his task even more difficult, Dameron is challenged along the way by First Order intelligence officer Agent Terex and a mole within the Resistance relaying information about Black Squadron's objectives!

I really enjoyed Star Wars Poe Dameron: Black Squadron.  I found Soule's story to be solid and often riveting, especially on the prison planet!  And Noto's art is solid with me believing that Dameron, Wexley, L'ulo and others were the Resistance fighters we saw on the big screen.  In many ways this story is great because it gives Dameron and his team more screen time then they got in the movie.  So while readers may feel like they know Wexley from other books, this really gives us an insight to these personalities as we get to watch Dameron for example lead, including pilots much older than him, and scheme in order to achieve his mission.

If I was going to make one complaint I would ask this title be renamed Star Wars Poe Dameron and BB-8. I do love how in literary offerings that Dameron always calls out to BB-8 as Beebee-Ate!  It really feels like a great extension to the films with Dameron drawing out his name.  But again, fan favorite BB-8 is as much of a partner than any member of the squadron.  And while he may give too many thumbs up, he is fun, interesting and always engaging on the screen even if his panels are often only filled with beeps and clicks instead of narrative.  In many ways that is a tribute to Soule and Noto that wordless pages still feel weighty to the story!

I was nervous about Star Wars Poe Dameron: Black Squadron but now I am thrilled to know that more volumes of Poe Dameron's comic adventures are on their way, I had the impression this was a limited series.  I loved getting to see Dameron do more than sit in a cockpit but be a Resistance leader in action.  And Marvel gives Dameron the screen time fans hoped he could have.  For those who read across the entire Marvel library of titles, there are even connections to other titles that help show you the story at another moment!  Honestly, this is another fine contribution to the Marvel Star Wars library.

Cap's Comics - Haunted Mansion #5

Haunted Mansion #5 concludes Danny’s tale. Danny gets out of the Mansion. But he jumps right from the Mansion and into the graveyard. But Danny is not the only one who escapes as the Captain is closely following his heels. Danny and his spooky friends have to face off against the Captain in one last boss battle. And we can be glad that Danny is outside as he can now count on those beyond the Mansion to help defend him.

John Tyler Christopher Action Figure Cover

Joshua Williamson and Jorge Coelho do wrap up their story. And as a treat Coehlo gets to draw one last classic Mansion scene, the graveyard. The story is ended and gives satisfying conclusions to the story including what happens after the boss battle, where was Grandpa, and what do the survivors do next. Though, I would have liked to see our hero have a slightly more engaged role in the conclusion. And I would have enjoyed a major return of the Hatbox Ghost. But overall, as an adult Mansion fan I was pretty satisfied though the tale may have lacked the story complexity I would have desired. But for the Between Kid the story was a huge success where the Kid was excited to dive into each issue with me.

Tom Morris Variant Cover

Interesting! Of the first four issues, the sales for three issues were well over 20,000 copies. And the one that dipped was issue #3 with the next issue rebounding. That is pretty impressive and largely steady sales. I can believe that based on sales and popularity of the franchise we could see a Haunted Mansion return. And I would be all for it, because the Between Kid loves this story while feeling safe about something that can be scary. And I hope the Kid will be more excited about future tours through the real life attractions. And in the end, that is what really makes me hopeful and happy with these comics!

Katie Cook Variant Cover

Cap's Comics - Figment 2 #4

Jim Zub and artist Ramon Bachs take us deep into Dreamfinder and all of his doubt in Figment 2 #4, "The Legacy of Imagination Part Four: The War Within."  With Dreamfinder and the Academy Scientifica-Ludicus possessed by doubt, it is up to Capri, Dreamfinder's modern relative, Figment and Capri's imagination creation Spark to face the doubt inside Dreamfinder to overcome the Doubtfinder.  Can Capri prove herself a hero and provide a "spark" in the darkness of doubt?

Spark is cute!  Okay, I am personally not a big fan of cats, sorry.  But Spark and his rhyming sayings are super cute and give hope in the midst of a time of darkness and doubt.  Some of Spark's rhymes also sound like Easter Eggs to the keen eared Disney fan!  And Carpi is an inspiring young lady, one that readers of all ages and genders can aspire to be more like in this time of doubt and fear.  The story at times feels more horror than fantasy, and despite being a fan of of horror I still liked this issue.  The Between Kid also enjoyed the story and kept the Between Kid's attention.

John Tyler Christopher Action Figure Cover

Sometimes all that is needed is a spark of hope...of imagination.  Capri faces Dreamfinder's deepest fears in Dreamfinder 2 #4.  The story combines horror with fantasy while still providing an all-ages romp that everyone can enjoy.  And I really look forward to finding out in the last issue Dreamfinder and Figment both defeat the doubt and make it home!

Between Books - Black Widow: Forever Red

After reading Guardians of the Galaxy: Rocket and Groot Steal the Galaxy and reading a Red Widow short comic story in Mockingbird: S.H.I.E.L.D. 50th Anniversary #1,  I thought another Marvel prose book and another Red Widow story was a combination I wanted nothing to do with.  It seemed like the anti peanut butter and chocolate combination.  And throw in the fact that the newest Marvel prose book was Young Adult fiction, really meant  Black Widow: Forever Red had not chance with me.  But I decided it was my duty to at least borrow the book from the library.  Though I doubted that it would be worth the time needed to read it.  Would my assumptions prove correct?

Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl introduces us to Ava Orlova, a Russian girl, saved by Black Widow from Ivan Somodorov, the same monster who trained Natasha Romanoff at the Red Room as a child assassin.  After her rescue where she expected to be bonding with her red headed hero, Ava was dropped off in the United States by Natasha at a S.H.I.E.L.D facility never to hear from her rescuer again, she thought.  Ava runs away and strikes out on her own.  But she is haunted by dreams of a boy and his life.  Ava runs into the dream boy, Alex Manor at a fencing tourney at just the moment Black Widow reenters Ava's life.  But sadly for the teens, Ivan Somodorov is also attempting to recapture Ava and exploit her special relationship with Black Widow.  The international adventure the three charge into reveals secrets about all three heroes as they attempt to stop Somodorov from using his last Red Room experiment from gaining influence on the world's governments.

Here let me cut the suspense.  I really enjoyed Black Widow: Forever Red.  I found the new teen characters to be interesting and I wanted to know more about their backgrounds and struggles.  I understood Ava's resentment at Natasha Romanoff for abandoning her to S.H.I.E.LD., but I also understand why Black Widow kept her distance from a girl who looked like and had a background similar to her.  Alex is sprinkled in as the apparent normal teen pulled into the world of spies and secrets.  But Alex also is more than what he seems.  Finally, Stohl made me suitably tense by placing transcripts of a Line-Of-Duty Death Investigation between chapters.  As a reader I knew someone died, but if it was a hero or villain...well that took time to be revealed.

Additionally, the book is one that Marvel Cinematic Universe fans are likely to enjoy.  The books features Agent Phil Coulson as along with Tony Stark supporting the Black Widow in her investigations.   And the transcripts feel like the Natasha Romanoff from Captain America: Civil War in her tone and attitude.  So even if this book is not part of the MCU, it does lack the logo so its inclusion is not really confirmed to me, it is fully in the spirit of the cinematic offerings. And MCU fans are sure to feel at home in these pages. 

I enjoyed Black Widow: Forever Red as both a book fan and a Marvel fan.  My assumptions were truly turned on their head as I found Ava to be more interesting than her earlier appearance in a short comic story.  And unlike the earlier prose contribution, the story was engaging, full of interesting characters and a very enjoyable read.  Now I just hope that we might see more prose stories from Marvel when before I felt as if they were not needed.  And I would be more than happy if Stohl took a turn at writing the next prose title. 

Cap's Comics - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad #5

As the Between Kid and I sat down to read Big Thunder Mountain Railroad #5 we made the following predictions:

• Someone(s) would fall in love
• Someone would die
• Someone would learn their lesson

Of course, we knew we could be wrong...but it was fun guessing!

Every thing is coming to a explosive climax  Barnabas T. Bullion is trapped in the angry mine with Onawa.  Will both of them leave the mountain alive?  What about the trapped miners?  Can Bullion lead this group on a train ride to safety, or will it be the wildest ride in the wilderness?  Meanwhile Willikers has captured the bandit of Abigail Bullion and Chandler.  Can the young lovers escape their captor and help find a way to save Bullion and the miners?  But most of all, can the mountain's rage be stopped?  All these questions are answered as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad races to conclusion!

Dennis Hopeless proves in the final installment of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad that his entire tale is a family based morale story, where bad guys get this punishments and misguided fools learn their lessons.  Kids will likely see the message in the stories conclusion.  And adult Disney fans will be pleased with the artist's addition of Disney Parks Easter eggs in the backgrounds and action.  For me the biggest and most exciting gem of was the full identity of Chandler revealed.  This moment made me hopeful that we could discover more adventures within Disney Kingdoms that are linked to this story.  And perhaps it would be possible to link this story to the tales of Dreamfinder and Figment in a Disney Kingdom's universe. 

Just to show you how we did on our predictions:

• Someone(s) did fall in love
• Someone dies
• Someone learned their lessons...yeah they needed to learn a lot

And overall while Big Thunder Mountain was not my favorite of the Disney Kingdom's series, I still found in the end thrills for the Disney fan.  

Cap's Comics - Figment 2 #2

 

Jim Zub's Figment 2 #2 shows us a Dreamfinder struggling with doubt.  He has been plucked out of his time and all that he knows is now antiquated.  Additionally, he has failed to harness the power of imagination on a very public stage.  But Figment and Fye attempt to pick up their questioning friend.  They hope that a display of the power of imagination to the Academy Scientifica-Lucidus will put Dreamfinder back onto a path of confidence.  The display is not all that is hoped for and a new villain enters the story.  Meanwhile, another dreamer imagines a "Spark"!

Action Figure Variant

Dreamfinder is Captain America!  Dreamfinder is a man out of time and he is frustrated!  He wants to master the technology and learning found in modern times.  He struggles with not being left behind, even if that means turning his back on those tools he is most skilled with.  I think he probably has a list, just like Cap, of modern to-dos.  Dreamfinder wants to know that he can manage to remain intelligent and spry in this world.  It is both painful to watch and something that every adult can understand as we wish to feel confidant and competent in the world we live in.

I do love me some Easter Eggs.  And the Academy has a great one in Ramon Bachs' art.  It is the sort of tribute that gives chills to a Disney fan!

So far, Figment 2 lacks the excitement of Figment.  But to be fair these characters are no longer new.  And there is a dark shadow falling over our heroes.  Maybe a new Spark can conquer doubt!

Between Books - X-Men: Children of the Atom

I have liked the concept of Essential format reprint books, providing a lot of comics for a respectable pennies per page.  But I have not liked how generally these collections have lacked color and relied on black and white to lower the price point.  So when Marvel announced their Epic Collection, reprinting past Marvel comics in collections hundreds of pages in length...and in color...I had to sample one of the volumes.  And since I have never read the original X-Men stories I knew exactly where I needed to go first!

X-Men: Children of the Atom collects X-Men issues 1 through 23 in a 509 plus page collection.  The volume starts as a new student Jean Grey joins  Professor Xavier's private school.  The four other students; Scott Summers, Hank McCoy, Warren Worthington, and Bobby Drake, like Xavier and Grey are mutants.  Mutants are extraordinary humans who have been born with genetic enhancements making them more than human.  Together the five students under Xavier's command form the team the X-Men.  The students have a number of challenges to face from evil mutants like Magneto and the Blob, changing public opinion, mutant hunting robots called Sentinels, and alien entities like the Stranger.  The Mutants must learn to harness their powers and work together if they are to survive this volume!

The opening stories are written by Stan Lee with art by Jack Kirby.  I have discovered I am not always a fan of the King's art.  And I generally am not a fan of his work in this volume.  For me what stands out is Stan Lee's writing.  That is not to say that much of it is not corn, because it is corn.  But as Walt Disney would point out, corn sells.  What Lee did was construct five solid young people that teens could relate to even today.  The group has relationship problems and struggle with concerns about fitting in.  And even decades later these themes stand out.  And I found myself shocked by how X-Men standards like Magneto and the Sentinels appeared so early in Marvel history.  Lee is eventually replaced on the title by Roy Thomas, who wrote Marvel's original Star Wars comics. And one can sit back and see how Thomas was attempting to build on Lee's work, while being really really wordy.  And I think both of them really focused on giving Proffessor X very specfic time measurements.

I still am confused on whey these issues have multi-colored word balloons.  Seriously, it is not like the baloons are color coded! 

Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Ice-Man, the Angel and Professor Xavier have a long and storied comic history.  And the X-Men has always been one of my favorite super teams.  I loved this Epic Collection and found myself hungering for more.  I personally dove into every one and then washed it down with an episode of The Danger Room podcast, which I highly recommend, and was saddened when I ran out of issues in this collection to enjoy.  I look forward to future X-Men Epic Collections, and have already dove into another Epic Collection enthusiastically.

Between Books - Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago...Volume 2

I have been reading a ton of Star Wars comics with the recent Marvel releases.  In fact, I have been struggling with which ones I should continue with in the future.  But one I thing I know for sure is that I will be reading all of the classic Marvel comics thanks to Between Books.

Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago…Volume 2 collects issues 28 through 48 and annual #1.  The majority of the issues are written by Archie Goodwin with art by Carmine Infantino.   Though not all issues are written and penned by this duo with Chris Claremont authoring the annual and Al Williamson and Carlos Garzon providing art for The Empire Strikes Back adaptation.  The majority of issues before the movie adaptation revolve around the industrial Tagge family and their grudge against a young rebel named Luke Skywalker.  The powerful and vengeful Tagges will use connections to politics, industry, military and religion to attack Luke and his friends.  The action climaxes with a lightsaber battle between Luke and Baron Tagge.  With the Tagges revealing their hatred, Darth Vader manipulates the family for his own evil purposes.  The Marvel original issues are then broken up with the film adaptation.  After The Empire Strikes Back, Lando and Chewbecca seek out Han.  And the issues transition from major continuing arcs to one-shots with revolving artists and writers.

When I was a kid every other time I was sick I read one book.  I tore through Scholastic paperback sized Empire Strikes Back Marvel collection.  And I will admit there are images from the film that I know better through the comic than through the movie itself.  It has been at least a decade if not two since I last read this adaptation.  And to me this multi-issue arc still really holds up to this day.  I do not mean to criticize Carmine Infantino, but I really enjoy the change to the Williamson art.  Williamson and Garzon just seem to be able to handle some key characters like Chewbecca quite a bit better than Infantino.  It is more realistic and less cartoony.  Seriously though, this collection gets five stars from me just by including this adaptation. 

The Tagge saga was new to me.  And it takes up a good portion of the collection.  Honestly, Goodwin did a good job creating a villain that felt Star Wars.  And I mostly bought it when Baron Tagge and Luke went lightsaber to lightsaber.  To be fair, Luke was new to this style of fighting so it was believable that a non-Jedi could hope to match Luke…but probably not Vader.  My biggest confusion was the relation of s film character name Tagge and these Tagges…the answer is no relation!  And that is key to understand since the original Tagge is currently present in today’s Marvel comics.

Hey…Chewy said Groot!

Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago…Volume 2 collects over 20 classic Marvel Star Wars comics.  The stories overall feel like Star Wars and help me come to the conclusion that Star Wars works best with a visual element.  And I am impressed with the episodic storytelling that the pages provide.  But most of all, this volume contains a classic story that was a big part of my childhood.  

      

Cap's Comics - Darth Vader #5

How does one replace a Darth Vader?  Who will take Vader's place next to the Emperor if he was to falter?  Kieron Gillen asks this question in Darth Vader #5 "Vader Part V."

In the Outer Rim, Darth Vader traces his potential replacement at the Emperor's side.  Vader finds an oddly organic/mechanical ship (which looks like a tricked out Leviathan from The Avengers) which holds his prey.  The Dark Lord takes the ship with the aid of his assassin robots, Aphra and his newly acquired droid army.  But will what Vader find be rich in the force?  And what plans does the Emperor have for Vader's potential replacement?

First and foremost the Adi Granov cover is gorgeous.  It may be the best of any of the Star Wars' covers to date.  It is simple, yet detailed.  And while Darth Vader may be hard to draw, Granov nails him.  Not to be outdone Salvador Larroca's interior art is also well done.  And I find a panel of Aphra especially striking on the first page.  She communicates excitement and wonder from her eyes letting me know the following page would reveal something exciting.  And this is good since the central character really cannot emote!  As Vader takes the ship, the soldiers lining the halls scream Star Wars to me while also providing a different look to an old theme.  Artistically I was very pleased with this issue. 

The story itself is largely fighting.  But we get to see Vader fight a variety of opponents.  I found it brisk and exciting.  Honestly, I would have liked more development of Aphra, who really is a secondary character.  

The elephant, I mean Emperor, in the room wants to see a demonstration.  Does Vader have a successor ready to take his place?  And what role will the Force have in the future of the Empire.  All this and more at the same Star Wars Time and Same Star Wars Channel!

Cap's Comics - Darth Vader #4

Darth Vader #4 by Kieron Gillen with art by Salvador Larroca continues the partnership of Darth Vader and Doctor Aphra.  The pair travel to Geonosis to liberate one of the last remaining droid factories from the immortal queen.  What the two find is a damaged queen who thinks of her droids as more than machines.  Doctor Aphra takes time to discuss her future and destiny with the Sith Lord.  Finally, they discover one of the Emperor's secrets from a captured smuggler.  And the secret is one that Vader must act upon.

I really wish I could say that the adventure on Geonosis would have been what I found as the highlight of the issue.  There is a nice flashback to the movies and Anakin Skywalker's past on this planet.  But really it is Doctor Aphra that catches my attention in this story, again the original character is the most interesting.  It must be because she is the blank slate.  She understands her role in the partnership and how Vader values her.  She has no illusions where this story will take her.  But she faces it with confidence!  Aphra wants a life that mattered and a deal with the devil may be the clearest path to letting the universe know she was here. 

As the issue ends I find myself worrying for Aphra.  The Emperor's secret is tied to Lord Vader.  Yet I feel as if it is Aphra who is at risk.  Let us be blunt friends, we cannot guarantee a spot for her in any future movies!