Krakoa – the new nation that Charles Xavier announced to the world in House of X #1 – was a fresh start for mutantkind. It heralded an era of mutant sovereignty and a unification of purpose that had never existed before among those with an X-gene. It’s a brand new world, but there are some things that no amount of mutant solidarity can change. In X-Force Vol. 1 – which collects the first twelve issues by writer Benjamin Percy; artists Joshua Cassara, Stephen Segovia, and Jan Bazaldua; and colorists Dean White, Guru-eFX, and Rachelle Rosenberg – it becomes clear that mutantkind will always be hated and feared, and will always need a group willing to take sometimes unsavory action to protect their own. But is the brutality inherent in the nature of X-Force truly worth the cost?
Reviews
Daredevil: Woman Without Fear Review!
It seems so obvious, doesn’t it? Marvel has a long history of replacement heroes–we’ve seen Rhodey step in to be Iron Man, the mantle of Captain Marvel has been passed down, both Falcon and Winter Soldier have been Captain America. Right now we even have Doctor Strange’s wife Clea subbing in to lead her first solo series. But none of those characters have the reach, history, or cultural cachet of Elektra Natchios. It seems so obvious to have Elektra become Daredevil, but it has never happened before. As with the rest of Chip Zdarsky’s Daredevil saga, the most obvious story ideas are the most satisfying.
X-Men: Hellfire Gala in Review! The Secret Is Out
[cover by Russell Dauterman and Matthew Wilson]
The literally biggest X-Men book of the year so far has arrived! And it’s…mostly decent.
X-Men series writer Gerry Duggan is juggling a lot of material here, and while it doesn’t entirely gel, he’s probably done the best that could be done given the demands of this special yearly issue, a kind of annual for the whole X line, sort of.
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Marvel THEN! Thor: God of Thunder Review
In October 2012, Marvel rebranded their entire line of comics under the “Marvel Now” banner, an era that would effectively last for three years until 2015’s Secret Wars. It’s a fan favorite era of comics, under the editorial reign of Axel Alonso, with titles like Hawkeye, Superior Spider-Man, Thor: God of Thunder, and Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers among many others.
2022 marks the 10 year anniversary of Marvel Now, so at Comic Book Herald, we’ll be looking back at the best, most interesting, or just downright most confounding Marvel Now titles. This is “Marvel Then.”
Jason Aaron is a man obsessed with legacy. It’s hard to fault him for it because legacy is a quintessential part of being human. When we part from this world, what do we leave behind? Philosophers have spent centuries trying to determine the pathos behind it, but the act of wanting something (or even someone) to outlive you and propagate through time is intrinsic to the human experience.
But the legacy that Jason Aaron leaves behind today is a far cry from the legacy he was building up ten years ago, during the Marvel NOW! Era. Nowadays, it feels like a race between writers to leave their mark on the biggest intellectual property in the world, and at the forefront of that race is Jason Aaron, who currently claims nine hundred and four creations within the Marvel Universe alone. Going back to read the very beginning of his seven-year-long run on Thor after years of enduring his latest works feels refreshing, especially with the hindsight of an entire decade helping to colour my reread. [Read more…] about Marvel THEN! Thor: God of Thunder Review
Sabretooth Finale in Review! All Hell Breaks Loose?
[cover by Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer and Frank Martin Jr.]
Here it is, folks—the finale of one of the most provocative Marvel titles in recent years. But does it fully deliver on the promise of its narrative? We’ll get to that below.
Needless to say, though, the artistry of Leonard Kirk and Rain Beredo deliver with crisp, beautiful storytelling.
Per usual with these Destiny of X reviews: Spoilers ahoy!
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