Column: State of the Marvel Universe

    2015: The All-New All-Different Year in Marvel Comics

      2015 saw the end of the ambitious Marvel Now wave of titles and the beginning of the even more ambitious All-New All-Different Marvel Universe. The result of the universe shattering Secret Wars, this new and different Marvel Universe has something for everyone but is far from universally accepted, especially by longtime Marvel readers, in fact many of them feel as though they have lost characters integral to the foundation of any universe bold enough to be called Marvel. Continue reading

Lost in the Longbox Ep. 29: The Incredible Hulk #296

(Marvel Comics 1984)

Written by Bill Mantlo

Art by Sal Buscema and Gerry Talaoc

Letters by Joe Rosen

Colors by Bob Sharen

The Hulk is a first for many comic readers. When I was a kid there was a cartoon and a live action show. Everyone can connect with the “man inside the monster” story on some level, and being able to throw a car into space is pretty cool too. Continue reading

Review: A-Force #1

(Marvel Comics 2015)

Written by Marguerite Bennett and G. Willow Wilson

Art by Jorge Molina and Laura Martin

A-Force #1 is easily one of the most high profile books to come out of the Secret Wars event if for no other reason than to quiet the lingering criticisms that Marvel is not female friendly enough in terms of publishing titles with female led teams or lead female characters. Continue reading

REVIEW: Deadpool #250

(Marvel Comics, 2015)

Written by Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn, Various
Art by Mike Hawthorne, Various
Inks by Terry Pallot
Colors by Jordie Bellaire

Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn have spent their entire run bringing us the comedy and the drama that have been Deadpool’s existence in the Marvel Universe for the past 44 issues or so, give or take an annual or a digital first limited series, Continue reading

Column: The State of the Marvel Universe

By: Shawn Warner

Greetings and salutations True Believers and welcome to another installment of State of the Marvel Universe. For those of you joining us for the first time, I will be acting as your very own Secret Wars correspondent reporting all the latest additions and changes to Marvel’s ever expanding roster of post incursion titles to be included in the status quo obliterating crossover event beginning in May and the resulting fallout of these changes. Sound like a pretty tall order? Well believe me it is. Continue reading

REVIEW: Howard the Duck #1

(Marvel Comics, 2015)

Written by Chip Zdarsky
Art by Joe Quinones

Admittedly Howard the Duck #1 was not a book I was even sure I was going to pick up; right up to the very second I was at the counter purchasing my usual absurd amount of NCBD offerings this week I could hear that still small voice in the back of my head urging me to give this feathery foul tempered fowl a fair chance. Continue reading

REVIEW: Guardians Team-Up #1

(Marvel Comics, 2015)

Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Arthur Adams
Colors by Paul Mounts

Not only does this title team up two of Marvel’s most popular properties, The Guardians of the Galaxy and The Avengers, but it also boasts one of the greatest creative team ups in recent memory, that being the pairing of prolific scribe Brian Michael Bendis (aka BMB, aaka The BoMB) with the quasi-reclusive artistic genius, Arthur Adams.

Continue reading

REVIEW: All New Hawkeye #1

(Marvel Comics, 2015)

Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Ramon Perez

If there was a less enviable assignment in all of the comic book industry than following Matt Fraction, David Aja and Annie Wu’s stellar run on Hawkeye I am certainly not aware of its existence; fortunately for us however there arose from the swirling mists a bold duo who proved to be more than up for the task, the creative team of Jeff Lemire and Ramon Perez. Continue reading

Column: The State of the Marvel Universe

By Shawn Warner

Greetings and salutations fellow True Believers, it’s that time once again when we gather to chart the course to Marvel’s massive Secret Wars, an event so monumental that neither the 616 or the Ultimate Universe will be left standing when all is said and done. This week the masterminds at the House of Ideas announced several more status quo shattering tie-ins and mini-series that you are sure to want to know about; that’s what I am here for, B&B’s own Agent M, to report all the goings on that will ultimately make up the All New Marvel Universe. Continue reading