It’s father vs son in Wolverine: Origins #33 out on February 25.

These two clawed individuals have had a rather heated relationship, as Daken blames Logan for his mother’s death, and now that Daken has turned up in Dad’s old brown costume as part of Norman Osborn’s (Green Goblin) new Dark Avengers, things aren’t simmering down.

As Nick Fury and Wolverine uncover some secrets about the Japanese mutant offspring of everyone’s favourite X-Man, they delve deep into the underbelly of the Marvel Universe.

Written by Daken’s creator Daniel Way, with pencils by Doug Braithwaite, a text-free preview of the ish can be seen at the link below.

The claws are out!

It’s father vs son in Wolverine: Origins #33 out on February 25. These two clawed individuals have had a rather heated relationship, as Daken blames Logan for his mother’s death, and now that Daken has turned up in Dad’s old brown costume as part of Norman Osborn’s new Dark Avengers, things aren’t simmering down. Written by Daniel Way, with pencils by Doug Braithwaite, a preview of the ish can be seen below. The claws are out!

     Due in part, I think, to the many delays of the main series, we have Matt Fraction here with another Thor-related story: Thor: God-Size #1.  Now I still believe that Matt Fraction should be the one to take over for J. Michael Straczynski when he leaves the title, and this issue just further proves that belief to be right.  The premise is that Thor, Loki, and Balder all have different memories of who Skurge the Executioner was and what happened to him.  They realize that they need to figure out who has been tampering with their memory, so they set out to Hel to ask Hela what’s up.  Now, what really happened to Skurge was that he died holding off the armies of Hel by himself with two machine guns in one of the most bad-ass moments in comic books.  But not even Hela remembers that.  And so, our heroes (and villainesses) must figure out what’s going on.

     I have only one complaint about this issue, one that unfortunately mars a good story.  When could this have possibly taken place?  The Enchantress still hasn’t been seen in the normal comics, so we could say that this is her first post-Ragnarök appearance.  But what about Hela?  She hasn’t been seen to be in control of her old realm in the actual Thor comics.  Rather, she seems to be in Las Vegas.  Her appearance in X-Infernus can likely be explained as in the future.  But by then, Loki will probably have revealed her deception and would not be with Thor and Balder.  This is something that really bothers me, since this is a story that should have its place in modern Thor lore. 

     As for the art, it’s all pretty good.  I loved Dan Brereton’s work in Immortal Iron Fist, Doug Braithwaite draws a very chiseled Thor and beautiful Loki, and Mike Allred’s art calls back to older days.  As for Miguelángel Sepulveda’s art, however, it falls very flat.  One of Loki’s smiles is actually nasty to look at, and most other faces are poorly defined.  Too bad that’s how the book ends.  At any rate, this is an excellent side-story to the already great modern Thor epic.  It should not be missed.

Plot: 9.3      Art: 8.8      Dialogue: 9.3      Overall: 9.2

By Matt Fraction (writer) Doug Braithwaite (art) Dan Brereton (art) Mike Allred (art) Andy Troy (color) Laura Allred (color) Frank D’armata (Color)

The Story: After realizing that their collective memories of their former compatriot Skurge the Executioner have been manipulated, Thor, Balder and Loki travel the nine worlds to uncover who or what is behind this treachery. After a run in with Hela, the Mistress of the Dead, and battles with a horde of dark elves and a grumpy storm giant, the team finally learns who’s behind their maligned memories. But they quickly realize that not just their memories are at stake, but rather the fate of all creation.

What’s Good: Well, I’ve been sitting here for a few minutes thinking and flipping through this comic to recall or find something that I thought was good and nothing is really surfacing. The beginning and the end of this comic that deals with the fate of Skurge are the best parts of this read. Matt Fraction does a good job of painting him as a tragic hero. But this is only about eight pages of this oversize issue, which brings me to….

What’s Not So Good: This one-shot suffers from relying on strong characterization, rather than an actual good story when the former relies on the latter. The retelling of Asgardian family dynamics while Thor and his siblings  fight enemies that seem to come from nowhere and have no connection to the task at hand is tedious and boring. Fraction’s characterizations come off as pretentious and drain any sense of adventure that might arise in this story.

The idea of bringing in different artists to tell different parts of this story is novel, but doesn’t really bring anything to the over all tale. Sure, there are some pretty panels, but not pretty enough to save this comic.

Concussion: I’ve enjoyed all of Fraction’s Thor one-shots save this one. There’s too much back story and retelling of Asgardian personalities and not enough action and adventure. In the previous one-shots we were shown something novel about Thor’s persona, like his rebelliousness for example. But here we’re just treated to Thor the cliche, rendered by different artists.  Pass on this one.

Grade: D+

-Rob G.

Uncanny X-Men #505 (***)

Do we really want this man writing the X-Men?

I think it’s official, Brubaker has left the building. Did Fracker break up? I don’t know, but that picture is awesome. And Tony was right. Anyway, I feel sorry for this book. It’s become Marvel’s answer to JLA. One of the terrible things about the current JLA is that the book has to keep servicing other books. It spends too much time talking about events that it can’t tell its own stories. That’s exactly what Uncanny X-Men is. This issue spends so much time talking about X-Force, and M-Day, and Astonishing X-Men and now Dark Reign. Fraction only gets a few pages to tell the stories he wants to tell, but it has little impact. It barely makes sense! The Dodson’s continue to impress and the fact that this book isn’t terrible demonstrates Fraction’s ability as a writer. Please Marvel, give the man some freedom!

Invincible Iron Man #8 (****1/2)

Everything about this book is perfect. Except the art of course, Larroca can’t draw people. I know I know it’s Iron Man, but this book is about the characters. It’s not about the iron. Although the few panels involving technology do look sweet. It’s still amazing how Fraction manages to write this cast so well. Tony, Maria and Pepper are so lovable even though they’re definitely human and flawed. You know what else is in this issue? Comedy! I’ve said a thousand times but I’ll say it again, if you liked the movie you’ll enjoy this. Last thing, Osborn is the new Skrull. It’s only been two weeks and already I realize how much I’ll type the name Osborn in the coming months.

Thor: God-Sized #1 (****)

The writing is great. The art is great. There are four art teams working on this thing and yet they’re all pretty cool. I enjoyed the part three artist the most. It was very old-school, cartoony, and fun. So this is a quality issue, but I’m sure a lot of you will ask, “What’s the point?” It’s a tribute. Along with the 38 new pages, you’ll also receive a reprint of the classic Thor #362. Walt Simonson had one of the best runs on Thor ever. It easily rivals the Lee/Kirby era. But you know what? You can’t even get a trade that contains Thor #362. They were reprinted in trades but they’re sold out now. That’s why this issue is important. If you haven’t read Walt’s run, it’ll let you know what you’re missing. If you have read his run, you’ll quickly be reminded how great it was. The reason why I loved part three so much was because you got to see all the classic Simonson costumes, Balder in his armor, Thor with his beard, and so on. Of course this issue isn’t all about Simonson, it’s also about Skurge. He was a tragic and important part of the Thor mythos. I highly recommend this issue.

A classic team-up title from DC Comics since 1955, the Brave and the Bold series really took off when it introduced unusual super hero pairings from the Flash and the Doom Patrol to Green Arrow and the Martian Manhunter (and the most famous of all resulting in the Justice League of America). Brought back from the obscurity of cancellation, the new Brave and the Bold series is, if anything, a fantastic follow up to those days gone by when fans clamored to see their favorite characters team up with someone new.

From the ongoing opener ‘Lords of Luck’ to the odd one-shot tales that have followed, the series has acted as a touch stone of greatness while uncertainty hovers over the DC Comics lineup. The latest four parter ‘Without Sin’ is a special story that I hope brings in as many new readers as it lures back those jaded by the many changes and crossovers that have alienated casual comic fans in the past.

Teaming up the unusual pair of the Phantom Stranger and Hal Jordan the Green Lantern, the four parter by David Hine is a brilliant and haunting comic. Centering first on the uncovering of a carefully guarded secret within a children’s hospital, the story changes focus to a far off planet in the outer rim of the galaxy when one of the mutated youngsters reveals her diary denoting an alien prophesy of doom. Following the lead to this far off world, Jordan and the Stranger find the Green Lantern on duty is powerless to help his people who lay dormant under the thrall of sentient plants that double as narcotics.

Another in a line of gifted British comic book writers, David Hine comes from the world of U.K. magazines including Crisis and 2000 A.D. Relatively unknown in America, Hine has written for the big two of Marvel (X-Men: the 198 and Civil War specials in addition to the Inhumans Silent War) and DC Comics but this could very well be his break out work.

Artist Doug Braithwaite is best known for his outstanding work in the pages of Universe X and Paradise X with Jim Krueger and Alex Ross. More recently he undertook the mammoth comic series Justice and the sell out mini-series Secret Invasion: Thor. Now exclusive to DC Comics, his latest piece in Brave and the Bold is a perfect addition to his growing portfolio. An artist capable of exhibiting action as well as drama is a rare thing, and Braithwaite has the makings of a master.

The four part story began in issue #19 (out last week) and runs through February 2009.

Recommended:

The Brave and the Bold Vol. 1: Lords of Luck
The Brave & the Bold, Book 2
Showcase Presents: The Brave and the Bold – The Batman Team-Ups, Vol. 1

By Matt Fraction (Writer), Doug Braithwaite (Artist), and Brian Reber (Color Art)

The Story: With the baby safely delivered as promised, Dr. Donald Blake returns to Asgard to find a Super-Skrull on the rampage. Blake soon touches the hammer and the Skrulls quickly find themselves on the defensive as Thor teams with Beta Ray Bill as they fight to restore peace to Asgard.

What’s Good: The conclusion to Thor’s Secret Invasion story proves that there is still a little bit of life left in the tired tie-in formula. The whole book aims for an epic feel and absolutely nails it. Matt Fraction’s writing gives the battle some much needed narrative weight, while Doug Braithwaite’s visuals (with color work by Brian Reber) prove to be a perfect compliment.

What’s Not So Good: For those that are completely sick of the Secret Invasion, there is little chance that this book is going to change any minds. It follows a fairly familiar formula and has very little impact on the larger scheme of things.

Conclusion: Secret Invasion: Thor #3 is pretty much everything you might expect from the title alone. That said, it proves to amount to more than the sum of it’s parts, thanks to the writing and artwork. It works for me, but it is far from essential.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Let me first accentuate the positive by saying that all three volumes of Justice have absolutely brilliant art and are plain and simply fun to read. Seeing all of our favorite heroes and villains together in mostly their “Silver Age” glory with a modern twist is a fun trip for an old guy like me.

That being said, all three volumes of Justice have some glaring weaknesses as well. First of all, the overall plot is poorly conveyed and, at times, muddled beyond clear comprehension. I’m not going to say the plot was poorly conceived because I don’t know the exact intended storyline, so I say “conveyed” because I’m basing it upon what I read. Secondly, the narration sometimes tends to shift from character to character without an apparent signal. This shift fails in come cases because the “voice” of the narrator alone is not strong enough to help the reader figure out which character’s perspective we’re getting. I noticed this to be particularly the case in Volume III when the colors of the narration boxes were not enough to convey the viewpoint.

Finally, Volume III in particular got a bit heavy-handed with the heroes donning armor in order to face their foes. This felt a bit like a promotional toy move than anything, and furthermore it was difficult to figure out who was who beneath the armor in some cases.

All in all, I think Volume II was the strongest in terms of story, narration, and dialogue, but all three volumes had astronomical art with very cool interpretations of character’s designs. If you’re a fan of Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, Doug Braithwaite, the Silver Age, or the old Super Friends cartoon, you’ll probably enjoy this work. Just be ready for a convoluted storyline and (at times) confusing narration.

Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Yup, you guessed it! Marvel Subscriptions is still in the middle of an EPIC FAIL. So until said failure ends, here is yet another link to WCBR review of mine. (Trust me, I’m just as tired of this as you are!)

-LOTRKing

By Matt Fraction (Writer), Doug Braithwaite (Artist), and Brian Reber (Color Art)

I have to admit, this issue is a bit disappointing since it fails to hold up to the potential promised in the first chapter. Yes, we get battle sequences between the Super-Skrulls and the Asgardians, and yes we’re treated to well written narration during the sequences, but I can’t help but feel that some of the dialogue seems somewhat forced. A lot of the words from characters are either random battle cries, or awesomely bad memorable lines like, “show them mercy at the end of your blades!” With phrases like, I’d rather have everyone in this book with their mouths shut. But we don’t get that, instead we can only enjoy the little action that this book offers.

The battle scenes in this issue are good enough to pick up much of the slack. It is just too bad that they only take up about half the issue. Most of the “civilian stuff” focuses on Don delivering the baby. I understand what the birth is supposed to mean for the story, and I understand how Don’s tension of where he should be adds to the element of suspense. But was it really necessary to dedicate a big chunk of the issue to Don delivering a baby? Likewise, we get a good side-story showing the courage and heroics of three townsfolk as they decide to go help the Asgardians. But I’m left wondering “what was the point?” when they arrive, discovering that there is nothing they can do, and leave.

As for the art, Doug Braithwaite does an excellent job of conveying the violence and action in the all-out-battle, up until the “big baddie” shows up. I’ve quite enjoyed Braithwaite’s work, but the female Super-Skrull he presents is just plain ridiculous. His sorry-looking villain fails miserably, looking like a joke rather than the ultimate villain.

However, despite these flaws, this issue really wasn’t that bad. With the story entertaining enough, the issue just seemed a little too stretched out, with too much going on and not enough focus on the moments that matter. Despite all that, I’m still left excited, as the final page really looks to set up a great conclusion. If this is true, the strong first and last parts will certainly make up for a little weakness for this middle. (Grade: B)

-M. Staples

Doom Patrol Vol. 1: Crawling from the Wreckage
By Grant Morrison (writer), Richard Case, Doug Braithwaite and Brian Bolland with Scott Hanna and Carlos Garzon (artists)
Published by DC Comics/Vertigo
Originally released June 1992; re-issued April 2000

Availability: Amazon.com
Cover price: $19.99
Format: Soft cover, color, standard-size
ISBN 1563890348

Synopsis from publisher for April 2000 edition:
This new printing of the first collection of Grant Morrison’s DOOM PATROL run includes issues #19 — 25 of the series, including the restoration of three story pages omitted from the original printing. Plus, a new cover by Bolland.

Notes:

This publication is the first volume in a series reprinting the second Doom Patrol comic book series. All material in this publication was written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Richard Case and Scott Hanna, except for issue #19, by Case and Carlos Garzon, and #25, by Doug Braithwaite and Hanna. The cover for this publication was created by Brian Bolland.

The first 18 issues of the second Doom Patrol comic book series have yet to be collected or reprinted. They were written by Paul Kupperberg and, for the first five issues, illustrated by Steve Lightle and Gary Martin. John Byrne, Joe Staton, Terry Austin and Karl Kesel also contributed art to issue #1. Rick Stasi provided additional art for issue #2. With issue #6, Erik Larsen became the series artist, with Martin inking. Pablo Marcos (issue #12), Al Gordon (#13) and James Sanders III (#14 and #15) filled in for inking duties. Graham Nolan became the new artist with issue #16, inked by Arne Starr. Tim Dzon inked issues #17 and #18. Doom Patrol Annual #1 was illustrated by James Fry and Al Vey, and Randy DuBurke and Kyle Baker.

Reprints:

1. Doom Patrol #19 (1989)
2. Doom Patrol #20 (1989)
3. Doom Patrol #21 (1989)
4. Doom Patrol #22 (1989)
5. Doom Patrol #23 (1989)
6. Doom Patrol #24 (1989)
7. Doom Patrol #25 (1989)

Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Tired of posting “sorry guys and gals, nothing to new review, so no post today” when I run out of my main material, I’ve decided to provide a link to something I reviewed of Weekly Comic Book Review, but did not review here or link earlier. This will only be done when I run out of stuff to review, and because I link to a specific issue does not mean I will link to the next issue. Likewise, regular linkage when I am too busy to write a review will continue (though I’ll continue to do this as little as I possibly can, my goal being once a week or less.) That said, here is the link to this review.

-LOTRKing

By Matt Fraction (Writer), Doug Braithwaite (Penciler), and Paul Mounts (Colorist)

So far, the Secret Invasion tie-ins have been fairly entertaining, but none of them come close to rivaling what is occurring in the main title. If this first issue is any indication, Secret Invasion: Thor may be the best non-core series to come out yet. It begins with the return of Beta Ray Bill. The Skrulls capture and study him, and then send him to Asgard as a harbinger of their imminent attack. As Thor prepares his people for war, Loki, even in this desperate time, is already spreading her seeds of discord. Soon, even the Asgardians are asking “who do you trust?” Now, this could actually be because Loki is a Skrull (after all, she has changed much since the rebirth), but I highly doubt that J. Michael Straczynski is planning to work it in to his Thor ongoing, so it is more likely that she is being her usual master of deceit.

Of course, what I am looking forward to most, is the upcoming Skrull-Asgard battle that opens in the closing panel of this issue. Is it just me, or is it going to be insanely awesome watching Norse gods armed with magical weapons taking on green-skinned aliens armed with blasters and powers of their own? If his Invincible Iron Man hasn’t convinced you yet, than Secret Invasion: Thor will serve as further proof that Matt Fraction is a master story teller. He deals with the Secret Invasion’s theme of mistrust, as well as the happenings of Asgard extremely well. While other Secret Invasion tie-ins such as Fantastic Four and X-Men aren’t nearly as enjoyable as their main titles, the story in Secret Invasion: Thor #1 stands level with any other issue in the Thor series. I absolutely love JMS’ current tale, and will probably cry the day he leaves the title, but Matt Fraction will be a more than adequate replacement when that day comes, and he gets my vote to take the helm.

As for the art, the Doug Braithwaite’s penciling is fairly well done; at least there is certainly nothing to complain about. No, the art complaints in this issue come from the inks and colors. The complaint about inks is simple: there are none. Granted, Braithwaite does some great work, he is in severe need of inks – almost everything looks way too sketchy. Likewise, most of Paul Mounts’ colors are way too muted. The colors don’t necessarily need to be eye-poppingly vibrant (indeed, that may have harmed the issue), but they needn’t be so dull either. So while this may have a great story, the art could use a bit of improvement. Nonetheless, I definitely think this deserves a buy, especially if you are reading Secret Invasion or Thor. (Grade: A-)

-M. Staples

Secret Invasion: Inhumans #1 (****)

This book should have come out a lot sooner. That’s really the only complaint I have about this. The two main things that a tie-in has to be concerned about is one: have something to do with the event it ties into and two: spend at least a little time introducing the characters because you want to bring new readers into your story. I know little about the Inhumans. I don’t think I’ve ever read any of their books before so all I know is their names and a little about their powers. Not only did this issue tell me who the Inhumans are, it did so in a very creative way through stain glass windows. This gave Tom Raney the opportunity to show his prowess as an artist. His Kirby-esque rendering in those windows is an artistic treat. The characters are written wonderfully and we get to know all of them quickly. But this is still a tie-in, and when the Skrulls do show up they kick some ass in cinematic fashion. Due to the great work from the creative team, SI Inhumans is worth the price of admission.

Secret Invasion: Thor #1 (****1/2)

If you haven’t been reading Thor Ages of Thunder from Matt Fraction, you really need to do yourself a favor and pick up those two issues. I have a friend who has been reading Thor for almost 30 years and he feels that Fraction has written the best Thor since Walt Simonson’s legendary run. So I was both excited and a bit nervous reading this because his other two issues of Thor were so good. But thankfully, this doesn’t disappoint. I’ll give a quick shout out to Doug Braithwaite who does the art on this fine issue. He brings us breathtaking images and genuinely godlike portrayals that leave you breathless. We get to see some cool things we rarely see like Donald Blake’s duties as a Doctor and of course the return of Beta Ray Bill which shows Fraction’s obvious affection towards the aforementioned Simonson run. The action was absent in this issue, but there was plenty of material to keep you entertained and the last page leaves you wanting more.

Secret Invasion: X-Men #1 (****)

This was a hell of a first issue. I’ll first mention what drew me to this issue was Nord’s art. I’m a big Conan fan and since he’s off that book I have to get his pretty art anyway I can. So when I saw this I thought: X-Men, Skrulls, Nord art, and a pretty Dodson cover, I’m there! In addition to the glorious Nord art, I had quite a lot of fun with this issue. So the Skrulls invade San Francisco because remember, California was near defenseless until recently. The Skrulls land and start slaughtering until the X-Men arrive!  A lot of action ensues. So this is fun and has stunning art. What was interesting though is how serious the Skrulls were. They acted like they came right out of some bloody war. They had Skrully priests blessing the troops with the commander saying “These soldiers are saints already”. Who is this Skrull commander? He’s a pretty crazy character. He even refers to the Skrull invasion as a crusade. Oh and he executes another Skrull for messing up. The only thing that keeps this issue from being the best out of these tie-ins is the absence of an aforementioned tie-in ingredient. This isn’t a book for new readers at all. But if you like the X-Men, gorgeous art, and some extremely intriguing Skrulls, pick this up!