As mentioned earlier, there is another attempt (failed attempt) to assassinate Harley, which she handles in typical Harley fashion. It's Valentine's Day and she is disgusted by all the lovey-dovey couples around her. It makes her miss her longtime partner in crime, Joker.
She tries to cheer herself up by going out and enjoying the day, but before she leaves she eats berries from a plant that was left by Poison Ivy. Though she is unaware, it becomes clear to the reader that the berries leave a scent that attracts anyone who smells it. The smell changes depending on what the person desires the most. In one case, a bus driver crashes his bus carrying convicts and prisoners. They all catch the scent and are instantly attracted towards Harley.
But since they're vicious, barbarous criminals, they want to do some creepy, weird stuff to Harley out of love. Harley still has no idea why all these people are chasing her, but takes refuge at a nearby home improvement store. Interestingly, one of the employees also became enamored with Harley, but she used this to her advantage and by making him hold off the convicts. In the meantime, she scavenged for whatever tools she could find to fight off these convicts. Straight up just kills them all with garden tools.
Afterwards, a female cop arrives to arrest Harley Quinn... but ends up kissing her instead. After all the drama concerning Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, we actually see a female cop kiss Harley in the next issue. A bit funnier than the convicts chasing her, the cop thought that Harley smelled like donuts. At this point, Harley finally realizes it was the berries that have led to everyone being attracted to her. She runs home and gets rid of the Poison Ivy's plant by launching out of a giant slingshot through her window. Sounds like something Harley would do.
The issue ends on a lighter note. She spends the rest of her Valentine's with her pets, yes the ones she saved from the previous issue. Nice to see them around for more than one issue. Next we see her help out Big Tony, one of the tenants in the building, by giving him one berry that got leftover to help his Valentine's Day woes.
Not a bad issue. The Valentine's theme made it fun, but didn't really add to the story overall. Although, the only consistent story through 3 issues is that someone placed a hit on Harley. Art is still a standout. The colors and the detailed art style added to her quirkiness and insanity. Her character continues to be funny and because we see her in unique situations where we don't mind her killing convicts and/or hitmen, we continue to root for her and cheer her on in her little escapades. 7.5/10 attraction love potion berries.
However, their creator, Dr. Magnus, is not as eager or willing to bringing the Metal Men back. Magnus points out that while Grid has gained sentience, it acts like the typical robot gaining sentience. He references movies like Terminator and The Matrix as examples of robots/A.I. that gain sentience and decide to kill everyone and/or take over the world. We get his point, but the references were a nice touch. He also notes that Cyborg's armor wasn't the first artificial intelligence to gain sentience, his Metal Men were. This transitions into a flashback of the Metal Men's origins, which take up majority of the issue.
When Magnus' superiors see the sentient beings, he immediately wants to dispatch them into a mission, in which they'd have to assassinate someone. The Metal Men don't believe this is what they're meant to do and rebel by running away. Magnus eventually finds that they've taken refuge in his own house, taking the various shapes and forms of random objects in his house (he realizes his "tin" trash can moves when he tries throwing some paper into it). Elsewhere, we see the government experimenting with Magnus' responsometers by dropping it into a vat of hazardous chemicals and toxic waste. The result is the creation of a responsive, giant chemically-based villain. Though the name is not revealed, it is bears a distinct resemblance to the popular DC villain, Chemo (who also had a bout with the Metal Men pre-New 52 continuity). So it's safe to say this is the same Chemo, just a slightly different story. Join the New 52 club, Chemo. The Metal Men's programmed instincts now kick in: save as many people as possible, and then neutralize the threat. Despite all the harm done to the Metal Men, they ignore it so long as they keep to their objectives. In the end, all 6 of the Metal Men jump into Chemo. Their mixture inside the chemicals creates a reaction that ends up killing them all, leaving nothing but the responsometers. It's what they were built for. They all leaped in, thanking the Dr. Magnus and reassuring that they knew they had to sacrifice themselves to meet their programmed directives.
We're brought back to the present, and Magnus contests that the Metal Men were a failed project due to their desire to be human. They wanted to hang out and find love, not listen to or follow orders. He believes they were a failure and were destroyed because of it. Cyborg realizes that Magnus isn't so much worried about them failing, as much as he's concerned about losing them once again and being scared of having to see them sacrifice themselves once more. Cyborg tells Magnus that he can still hear the Metal Men's hearts and desire to help from the old responsometers, that it's still in their program to save and help people, which is what he needs from them now. The issue ends with Magnus agreeing, reiterating that rule one is save everyone they can.
So the actual return of the Metal Men will have to wait one more issue, but the issue was far from disappointing. Essentially it was a Metal Men showcase, perfect for newer readers unfamiliar with the Metal Men. Their new revamped looks are great for their various personalities and hold true to their more classical appearances. Taking up most of the spotlight this issue, the artwork on the Metal Men was great and upheld the top-notch standard that Justice League has set.
This series continues to do well and not be bogged down from the Forever Evil pacing, unlike Justice League of America. With Batman and Catwoman starring mostly in Forever Evil since their return, Cyborg has held his own as the main character to progress both Justice League and Forever Evil stories. Though this particular issue spends most of the time in a flashback and doesn't exactly move the story forward, but still works to set up the Metal Men's introduction into the story and the New 52 universe. It's clear that with 2 issues left in Forever Evil, storylines are picking up in all the tied-in series as they'll all eventually converge to what will hopefully be a dramatic finale. We can expect Stargirl to break out rest of the Justice League from the Firestorm matrix in JLA; Cyborg will be leading the Metal Men and getting vengeance on his old cybernetic suit; Batman and Lex and the rest of the Injustice League will be making their move against the Crime Syndicate... and that's at the very least! There's still the question of Nightwing's fate, who is the mysterious creature that pushed the Crime Syndicate out of the Earth-3 universe, and how will Ted Kord's Blue Beetle make his first appearance? Questions that will soon be answered after six months of build-up! 8.5/10 metallic sentient artificial intelligent beings.
We start off seeing Frank continuing his mission to take down the Dos Soles cartel. This time he's staking out a weapons deal that some of the cartel members are taking part in. Their dealer turns out to be A.I.M. agents. The weapon is unknown, but is supposed to be a new type of weapon. Lots of AIM influence throughout a lot of Marvel comics currently, really representing the whole big, bad corporation in the Marvel Universe. Can't complain too much, look at SHIELD's influence in so many comic series as well. Castle's position is compromised and in Punisher fashion he shoots his way out of the situation. During the fight a coyote was injured by one of the cartel members and Castle decides to adopt it. He doesn't hold on to it for too long though, as he makes his military contact, Tuggs, take care of it while he continues his work.
Similar to last issue, we see Frank Castle keeping up with his social relationships. He goes to the same diner as the previous issue, makes the same type of small talk with the diner chef and a female police officer who's also a regular at the diner. It's not clear why Tuggs is so loyal to Castle, but nevertheless he continues to supply Frank Castle with weapons and involuntarily watches over his newly adopted coyote. This version of Punisher seems a bit more relaxed and open socially than previous versions. Must be that Cali sun. Nice to see that's really the only thing that's changed with his move to the west coast. He's still killing the regular, everyday criminals... and the little kick at the end of the issue shows he hasn't escaped the super powered freaks of New York.
As far as action, after all this is a Punisher comic, Castle makes another attempt at intercepting the Dos Soles cartel after the police make an attempt to stop them. Side note: Punisher is finally smart enough to put on a mask, albeit ski mask, to cover his face and his identity when diving into the action. In his pursuit of one of the cartel's trucks, Punisher is hit by some blue lightning strike, which we assume is the new weapon that AIM has developed. This provides the cartel with the necessary distraction to get away from the Punisher. Later, we see Frank following up on a new lead on the cartel, only to be attacked once again by some blue lightning strike. Throughout the whole issue, Frank has this internal monologue about the dangers in Los Angeles being a different type of evil than he's used to in New York. He goes on to talk about how there are is a level of villains that are too dangerous for local police, but not dangerous enough to grab the real superheroes' attention. These are the types of evils that the Punisher deals with. However by the end of the issue, we see that this new weapon is actually Elektro! Good job Marvel, feature a villain that will star in an upcoming film this year. Can't help but think of it as a subliminal advertisement. Especially since this version of Elektro resembles Jamie Foxx's Elektro look in the upcoming Spider-Man 2 film. Wonder if this threat is above Punisher's capabilities. One thing is for sure, Frank Castle probably doesn't believe so.
The other piece of the story that still remains to be a mysterious factor to the series is the invovlement of the Howling Commandoes. In this issue, we see them doing surveillance on Castle and his associates, primarily Tuggs. It's already revealed in the last issue that Castle is their next hit target, but you'd think their reconnoissance would show who the real bad guys are here. But still, not sure if they'll be a help to Punisher or just another thing he'll have to worry about.
Deanpool was hoping the Howling Commandoes would be involved by now, but now it's hard to tell when they'll finally jump into the mix. Elektro's appearance brings an interesting development, and a bigger threat than a cartel that has been no more than cannon fodder for Punisher up to this point. The story may start to feel stale, but the art brings a fresh take to California Frank Castle. It still keeps the Punisher grit, but distinguishes itself from his runs as a New York vigilante. But as great as the art is, Deanpool isn't so sure about this series anymore as far as being a regular pick-up. He'd definitely look forward to a trade paperback, but at this point can't promise that the third issue will be in a future Weekly Pick-Ups. If anything, it may happen on a slow week much like this one. 7/10 AIM apperances, no Marvel comic is safe from an AIM cameo!
Iron Man Annual #1
The Iron Man series has been kind of "hit-or-miss." Much of its plot points up the current story arc, have roots from earlier issues and story arcs. That said, it's hard to really find a "jumping on point" that's more ideal than the very beginning #1 issue. The continuity is nice for the loyal readers keeping up with the series, but may leave new readers helplessly lost in the middle despite the mini-prologue in the introduction that is meant to get the reader all caught up to that point. Marvel Now's "All-New" story and jump on point for Iron Man is coming up in a couple issues, which will hopefully help it gain some readers. But this Annual issue will be particularly confusing and off-putting without proper background. Shoot, even if you've read the whole series up to now like Deanpool has, it's still a bit off-putting. Gillen's writing style is very detailed and intricate. A lot is said that is vital the understanding of the story.
That being said, Deanpool's whole point is that this issue is far from a standalone for new readers interested in seeing what Iron Man has been all about.
In this Annual-sized issue, we get three different stories that follow three different characters from Iron Man. And only one of these stories seem to tie-in with what's going on currently in comics. The first one focuses on Tony Stark while the second features Arno for majority of the issue. The last one surprisingly centers around Tony's assistant, Pepper Potts.
"Two Cities"
Okay so this story references a digital-only comic titled Iron Man: Fatal Frontiers Infinite. But we get some background for the first story from the prologue to help get some context. This stone called Phlogistone was a fuel for a city on the moon. Unfortunately, this fuel was a pollutant and caused humans to have hallucinations when exposed to it. Udarnik the Shockworker was sent to the moon as a vanguard for people who never came and built a city for anyone who would come. Tony worked to keep the Phlogistone form getting out of control and managed to neutralize all the metal and so save the world. Thus, the city was abandoned.
Despite getting most of the metal out of Tony's system, there are still traces of the Phlogistone in Tony's blood. Tony begs Udarnik to get the rest out of his system. Udarnik doesn't immediately help Tony, blaming him for ruining the city he built on the moon and failing to keep his promise to bring civilization to the moon. Tony pleads his case that he is also building a city for the future, part of the plan is to build into space (finally some reference to something actually happening in the current Iron Man arc). However he can't work on this project due to the Phlogistone in his body. If Udarnik saves Tony, he would also save the city and the future.
The next sequence of events happen as Tony begins hallucinating due to the effects of the Philogistone. Throughout the story up to this point, we see recurring hallucinations of Tony's long-dead friend Yinsen (the person who saved Tony, turning him into Iron Man). Later we see him actually flashback to the cave scene where Yinsen saves Tony Stark. An interesting scene, but overall just nice to see Professor Yinsen again. Even though it's all in Tony's head.
Tony eventually wakes up from these life-threatening hallucinations to see the abandoned city lit up and fully functioning for a brief moment. Udarnik reveals that the small traces of the stone fuel extracted from his body was used to light up the abandoned city one last time. Shedding a tear because of its beauty, Tony got a glimpse of what the future could be like. Udarnik explains he decided to help Tony because "to crush one's dream is a cruel thing. To crush the hope of a future is even worse..." believing Tony is the best hope for the future. Tony heads back to Earth, again promising to one day bring people to the moon. After he, himself, finishes his plans to build his own futuristic city.
"Orbital"
This second story focuses on Arno as he meets with Eli Warren and the New Modernist Army. Arno makes a pitch that the Troy project will need a crew to run the geostationary orbital platform. Arno hides the fact that he's Tony's secret brother, which turns out to be helpful for him. This group has been betrayed by Tony a few times before and aren't as willing to help. Arno tries to win them back over by informing them that they'll be working under him, not Tony. Eli threatens to kidnap Arno, saying that would give them more leverage, but Arno shows his preparedness along with a bit more of an aggressive side. He notes that he's offering the best deal possible, has Iron Man on his side, and that he has his own proton cannon ready to fire if his crew were to try. Definitely not the crippled, helpless Arno he appears to be. Though we have seen in recent issues that Arno is more than capable of taking care of himself.
Eli likes Arno's confidence and agrees to the deal. But before the issue ends, Eli tells Arno about Tony's hand in the Extremis project (reference to the first Iron Man arc from this series). Arno did not know of this virus, but readers (and fans of Iron Man 3) remember its abilities to heal and enhance a person's body. Eli floats the idea that it could have Arno back on his feet in a jiffy, but Stark went on a crusade to destroy it. When we later see Arno meet back with Tony, he withholds this new piece of information he learned from Eli.
Now we definitely see a darker side to Arno. There's always been this nagging feeling since his emergence in the series that he will eventually turn on Tony, or in someway become an untrustworthy character in Tony's life. Especially at a time where Tony is still recovering from learning some life-changing news about his true lineage. This story had some solid artwork, but then again it didn't offer any more than talking heads. But still this story was the most informative, as it tied into the current story arc in the series. It may also be the first step for Arno down a much darker path.
"By Moonlight"
This story, as random as it was, is probably the most entertaining story in the Annual. It follows Pepper Potts and how she develops a relationship with Marc. It still ties in with the story, since it all takes place when Tony was off in space in the series' early run. The interaction is nice and sweet, especially a scene towards the end when they exchange notes to tell each other something important. Pepper asks Marc to work for her, Marc asks Pepper to marry him. The moon reference, which is a theme throughout the whole issue, was that they first met on a full moon. Each of the instances (just 3) we see them together after that occur on a full moon. A light ending to a somewhat dull issue. Even the art presents a lot more color compared to the other more bland stories, which admittedly take place in space.
But the two different personalities of Pepper and Marc make it a lovely read, pun intended. Pepper is always goal-oriented and so determined, she is caught off-guard when Marc proposes. But she can't deny that she has feelings for him. Marc is gentleman, chivalrous romantic who realizes maybe he's getting a bit ahead of himself. But instead of it being an awkward moment, it actually turns out quite romantic. He accepts the job, she doesn't accept the proposal, but the issue ends with a moonlight kiss. Deanpool is a sucker for the "opposites attract" stories. It's also a change to see a slightly different Pepper than many might be accustomed to from the Marvel movie universe. Still an incredible businesswoman, but not exactly at Tony's side the same way. Again, not a good issue for new readers to Iron Man.
Mostly an issue to tie up loose ends for Iron Man. Doesn't feel fully necessary to the storyline for Iron Man, but does provide some insight and information. 6/10 Phlogistones to help Deanpool hallucinate ever reading this.
Night of the Living Deadpool #3
You can't really blame Deanpool to be worried about the pacing of this mini-series. Through the first two issues, we simply saw Deadpool bouncing around and killing zombies without a lot of our questions being answered. Well this issue serves as a big reveal that keeps things centered around Deadpool and leave readers eager to see how things will end.
After spotting a potential oasis, a small town that seemd to have made it through this whole zombie apocalypse unscathed, a bunch of rabid church ladies determined to take out the innocent town. Their reasoning being: civilization was full of evil, therefore rebuilding civilizations are evil, thus those people of that town are sinners that will turn the world back into strip clubs, casinos, and places where people have free will. Yup, crazy. And after a little tease from Deadpool deceiving the reader into thinking he'd join the old women, we learn later he uses it as his bargaining chip to enter the town by claiming that he saved them from this dangerous group. Could've been smarter about the approach though, anything other than carrying all of their heads like one big trash bag.
The town was surprisingly perfectly normal. Many had questions concerning what's going on outside their little town or the fact that he's the last remaining super hero. If you want to call Deadpool a hero. The women in town seemed attracted to him as the new guy in town, one old lady (not to be confused with the crazy ladies from earlier) even pinched Wade's behind. Overall, Deadpool saw the town as a good place to start over.
Later we see him approached by kids while he rests in a cemetery. Oh no, kids again. Good chance they end up like the kids from the previous chapter. The kids reveal it's a Civil War cemetery and aren't too concerned about any zombies popping up out of these graves. Just for a side note: Deadpool confused the real historic Civil War with the Civil War that went on between Captain America and Iron Man. Another Civil War reference! That's like 3 or 4 now in the last 3 weeks. Still we get one clue that whatever infection is going around has only affected those who were alive during the infection and thus the zombies they see are "freshly dead." The kids also reveal to Deadpool that there is another "hero" living in the town, claiming that they've seen his hidden costume. When Deadpool inspects it, he sees it's clearly an A.I.M. scientist's costume. Man, another AIM sighting in Marvel.
Deadpool investigates the scientist, making sure he doesn't try to cook something up in the town or isn't up to anything deceitful. The man replies that he is done with mad science, especially since the whole. zombie apocalypse is his fault. We shift to a flashback, before the outbreak (you could tell, there's a lot more color), and he explains how his AIM science division was called Advanced Ideas in Regeneration, or A.I.R. Their goal was to better understand healing properties, for betterment of mankind, but of course also for profit. It basically becomes your typical experiments gone wrong story that started this zombie outbreak. So we finally get our big reveal of the source of the infestation. But that's still not the biggest reveal in this issue. Even just considering how AIM would've started their research with healing properties... or healing factors. Their first attempts at an artificial regenerative factor derived from tissue samples... Deadpool's blood and tissue! It's one thing to make a Deadpool vs. Zombie story, but this new twist really makes the story compelling as it places Deadpool dead center as the protagonist and the reason for all this to happen. But we still don't stop here...
Earlier in the issue (when the kids meet him in the cemetery), Deadpool mentions his nagging injury in his arm that was still hurting. He theorizes that his healing factor may be acting up and that his recent injuries shouldn't be giving him any trouble, recent injuries such as old zombie bites. Another thing to note is that at this point, his skin shown through the tears in his suit are still in color. However, toward the end of the issue, we see Deadpool struggling in his sleep as he deals with the guilt of his blood being the cause of the zombie infection. Now the skin is looking more grey, like how the rest of the art looks outside of Deadpool. He removes his mask, and at this point everything is in grey. A stark difference to red color we see when Deadpool is present in the panels. He takes on a zombie-like appearance and begins biting the innocent citizens in the town, causing a chain reaction creating more and more zombies throughout the once-safe small city. Throughout this sequence, we see him talking to the people, claiming he shouldn't be a zombie and this shouldn't be happening to him. Similar to the zombies he's run into like in the first issue that were capable of speaking just fine, as if their minds are still trapped in the last moment before they turned. But still, after a while, we see Deadpool seemingly throw up the chunks of human flesh that he just devoured and skin color and red costume go back to normal, a sign that he's no longer a zombie. At this point, it's unsure whether or not the whole sequence was merely a dream, all in Deadpool's head as a result of the guilt he felt.
But when he returns to normal, he realizes all of it was very real and it actually happened. He mentions he felt his healing factor finally kick in, purging the last of the disease from his system. Deadpool learns that not all wounds will heal. As he sees the one place where he thought he would be able to start over, he realizes that maybe he doesn't belong anywhere so sweet and wholesome. The once-safe town is now just as bad as anywhere else in the world, filled with undead zombies. And worse than that, he's in some way responsible for it all.
Last issue we saw Deadpool begin to get attached to the small group that saved him and took him in, only to see them die or become zombies themselves. Now, we see something similar again. An isolated place where he was adored and accepted, only to be ruined as all the citizens became zombies. The issue really hits the right balance of tragedy with Deadpool while still letting him get his fill of comedic humor, with this one ending more on a sad note. Still, there's a sense that Deadpool has a real reason to fight on and it's something worthwhile. And Deanpool really wants to give props to the artistic use of color, or lack of color in this case, for this issue. The black and white palette for everything except Deadpool seemed visually appealing at first, but this issue especially showcases how it also becomes a narrative tool as well. More colors are used in the pre-apocalypse world, making it clear that the scene is in the past. But also how it stylized Wade Wilson's transition into and out of the zombie state. It clarifies when the transformation begins and when Deadpool snaps out of it.
Only one issue left, and Deanpool has no idea how it will end. Will he find a cure now that he knows it all came from AIM? Or will it ultimately end with poor, lonely Deadpool being the only living person left, unable to die/become a zombie himself due to his healing factor. Overall, 8/10 healing factors.
Only one Marvel NOW series debut this week, that actually turned out to be quite a disappointment. But read the review on New Warriors #1 here.
A slow week matched by some mediocre/just okay pick-ups. The only real standouts were Justice League and Nova, which were both introductions to new characters for Deanpool. The Metal Men coming to life was a great read, but Deanpool gives the newbie Nova #13.NOW the Pick of the Week.
Justice League #28
Last time in Justice League we saw Cyborg rebooted (and not in the New 52 reboot sense) and back up and running. His first priority is to get some reinforcements for the eventual take down of the Crime Syndicate. Cyborg knows his old cybernetic armor that has gained sentience, aka Grid, has sided with the Crime Syndicate and has access to any and everything connected to the grid. So he figures resurrecting the Metal Men would be a great place to start. Sentient artificial intelligence army led by Cyborg has a nice ring to it. And the cover already showcases the new and improved Metal Men with their own New 52 re-imagination.
However, their creator, Dr. Magnus, is not as eager or willing to bringing the Metal Men back. Magnus points out that while Grid has gained sentience, it acts like the typical robot gaining sentience. He references movies like Terminator and The Matrix as examples of robots/A.I. that gain sentience and decide to kill everyone and/or take over the world. We get his point, but the references were a nice touch. He also notes that Cyborg's armor wasn't the first artificial intelligence to gain sentience, his Metal Men were. This transitions into a flashback of the Metal Men's origins, which take up majority of the issue.
Magnus was originally hired by the government/military to create an army that would be able to handle missions too dangerous or too hazardous for humans. The key to bringing them to life is Magnus' responsometer. This unique tool not only brought the Metal Men to life, but they each developed their own unique personalities and traits. The most entertaining parts of this issue came with the various interactions of the Metal Men as they showcase their individual personalities. For the most part, they've kept true to their origins and foundations for these Metal Men, who have been around since the Silver Age. We see how Magnus is intially detached emotionally to his creations. Deanpool gets the feel that there's a bigger plan for the Metal Men than just their assistance in "Forever Evil."
The most interesting part of the whole issue was seeing the Metal Men and their different demeanors that ironically seem fitting for their metallic make-up. One of the best scenes is when Magnus asks them to line up and they respond asking if they should by weight, atomic number, etc.
Gold is vain and narcissitic, believing he's the most valuable member of the Metal Men (like literally his monetary value) and the self-proclaimed undisputed leader. Tin, on the other hand, is a direct opposite. He is hesitant, not confident, and even has a small stutter when he speaks. Despite his disadvantages, he is determined to find out what he's best at if ever given the opportunity. Lead and Iron are the team's heavy hitters, literally, and are the more bulkier of the Metal Men. Lead is a bit slow in the head, which didn't mean to rhyme but is pretty hilarious, while Iron plays more of the "meathead." Mercury can be compared to Raphael of the Ninja Turtles, eager to fight and a smartass. Platinum represents a more female character, calling everything cute and what not. She's also the team's mediator, being the only one to question Gold's leadership.
Magnus is surprised that they're able to develop feelings and emotions, which he observes when Lead claims he's in love with a soda machine. But it's clear he starts to become attached to the Metal Men when they protect him during an explosion. And also when they seem disappointed in Magnus for agreeing to let them be used for acts such as assassinations.
The most interesting part of the whole issue was seeing the Metal Men and their different demeanors that ironically seem fitting for their metallic make-up. One of the best scenes is when Magnus asks them to line up and they respond asking if they should by weight, atomic number, etc.Gold is vain and narcissitic, believing he's the most valuable member of the Metal Men (like literally his monetary value) and the self-proclaimed undisputed leader. Tin, on the other hand, is a direct opposite. He is hesitant, not confident, and even has a small stutter when he speaks. Despite his disadvantages, he is determined to find out what he's best at if ever given the opportunity. Lead and Iron are the team's heavy hitters, literally, and are the more bulkier of the Metal Men. Lead is a bit slow in the head, which didn't mean to rhyme but is pretty hilarious, while Iron plays more of the "meathead." Mercury can be compared to Raphael of the Ninja Turtles, eager to fight and a smartass. Platinum represents a more female character, calling everything cute and what not. She's also the team's mediator, being the only one to question Gold's leadership.
Magnus is surprised that they're able to develop feelings and emotions, which he observes when Lead claims he's in love with a soda machine. But it's clear he starts to become attached to the Metal Men when they protect him during an explosion. And also when they seem disappointed in Magnus for agreeing to let them be used for acts such as assassinations.
So the actual return of the Metal Men will have to wait one more issue, but the issue was far from disappointing. Essentially it was a Metal Men showcase, perfect for newer readers unfamiliar with the Metal Men. Their new revamped looks are great for their various personalities and hold true to their more classical appearances. Taking up most of the spotlight this issue, the artwork on the Metal Men was great and upheld the top-notch standard that Justice League has set.
This series continues to do well and not be bogged down from the Forever Evil pacing, unlike Justice League of America. With Batman and Catwoman starring mostly in Forever Evil since their return, Cyborg has held his own as the main character to progress both Justice League and Forever Evil stories. Though this particular issue spends most of the time in a flashback and doesn't exactly move the story forward, but still works to set up the Metal Men's introduction into the story and the New 52 universe. It's clear that with 2 issues left in Forever Evil, storylines are picking up in all the tied-in series as they'll all eventually converge to what will hopefully be a dramatic finale. We can expect Stargirl to break out rest of the Justice League from the Firestorm matrix in JLA; Cyborg will be leading the Metal Men and getting vengeance on his old cybernetic suit; Batman and Lex and the rest of the Injustice League will be making their move against the Crime Syndicate... and that's at the very least! There's still the question of Nightwing's fate, who is the mysterious creature that pushed the Crime Syndicate out of the Earth-3 universe, and how will Ted Kord's Blue Beetle make his first appearance? Questions that will soon be answered after six months of build-up! 8.5/10 metallic sentient artificial intelligent beings.
Nova #13.NOW
Deanpool has been anxious and eager to start reading the Nova series, and this "all-new" jumping on point sounds like as good a time as any to start. So while it was a pleasant surprise that the issue was better than great, it was half expected at the same time. Just look at the cover, Nova and Beta Ray Bill? Looks as awesome as it sounds. Only thing that Deanpool hasn't fully accepted yet is that this Nova is a kid. But that fact became forgettable fast with how awesome Nova is.
First, the prologue informs that Sam Alexander, this new Nova, became Nova after finding his father's helmet. Okay, that's an appropriate origin story that Deanpool can get behind. Beta Ray Bill doesn't take long to make his appearance. He intervenes when Sam is in the middle of getting bullied (apparently because he ratted on the bully for something). It adds to the "teenager with superpowers" element, still having his own issues as an average kid.
Beta Ray Bill is after Nova, and falsely accuses the bully of being Nova since he was holding Sam's backpack containing the Nova helmet. He grabs the helmet and quickly goes all Nova on Beta Ray Bill. Right away we see Sam's personality and character shine in what turns out to be a very visually appealing fight scene. Nova's gravimetric and rocket blasts clashing against the raw strength and lightning powers of Beta Ray Bill showcased some fantastic color-work and art. He's got all the spunk of a Hal Jordan, which is convenient since he's basically Marvel's version of a space police force. Green Lantern Corps- DC, Nova Corps- Marvel. He's funny, has the arrogance, and believes his Nova powers are unmatched by anyone. And it becomes clear he has no idea who Beta Ray Bill is. He mocks at the resemblances Beta has to Thor, making fun of his hammer, even though Sam himself couldn't even pronounce Mjolnir. One of Deanpool's favorite jokes was when he called Beta, Thorsie... due to the horselike appearance for those who don't get it. We also see Sam's creativity in his use of his powers, showing his understanding of his super-powered capabilities. In one instance, Beta placed Stormbreaker (his hammer) on Nova's chest (a Thor move we've seen once before, like in the movie Thor). It's obviously immovable, seemingly rendering Sam helplessly pinned to the ground. He keenly uses his powers to blast a big enough hole under him in order to get loose of the hammer's grip. Smart move kid.
The battle continues with its share of dialogue, helping reveal why Beta is attacking in the first place. He starts by saying Sam is a disgrace to those who served in the Nova Corps before him. He goes on to reference Sam helping someone named Captain Skaarn (from a previous issue in the series), who attacked and enslaved Beta Ray Bill's people. Learning that what he thought was a good deed as Nova was actually aiding a super-villain, Sam ceases his attack being so upset with himself. Realizing he must right this wrong, Sam decides to go with Beta to help save his people. Beta Ray Bill sees that Sam truly did not know mean to commit these actions had he known who Skaarn really was. He also accepts Sam's help.
They can't leave right away though, as Sam must still deal with some things in his life as Sam Alexander, the teenager. Earlier in the issue his mom asked him to babysit his little sister while she begins her new job at a diner. Sam goes to a friend named Carrie to babysit for him, claiming he has something else more important to tend to. It's not exactly clear if Carrie knows Sam's adventures as Nova, but she reluctantly agrees to help. There's clearly some chemistry between the two, but for now it seems the two have a strong friendship. Back at Sam's house, his mother shows concern for Sam going off on his adventures as solo (here it becomes clear that his mom knows of his role as Nova) after letting Sam get away with relinquishing his babysitting duties to his close friend. By the way, just as a side note (and because it bothers Deanpool), when we see Carrie with Sam's little sister, she asks her if she likes listening to One Direction. That's like the third One Direction reference in the last couple weeks... Marvel needs to stop with that. Anyways, Sam lets his mom know that he won't be handling this mission solo, and hints to a silhouette of what looks like Thor. Sam and the reader knows who it really is, as Sam introduces her to Beta Ray Bill. Though given his appearance, she didn't exactly have a calm reaction to the zombie-looking horse alien, who is drawn especially creepy in this issue. The issue ends with the two heroes flying off into space, Sam determined to fix the mistake he made.
A really great issue. The series really gives the feel of the fun "superhero teenager" type of story. Sam deals with these cosmic level threats and aliens and what not, but never truly seems to be in over his head. The problems seem almost downplayed since they can be handled by a teenager. Of course this isn't just any superhero, this is the human rocket, Nova! None of this takes away from the story or the character, just an observation. The adventurous feel of the series is actually its biggest positive. Sam brings a fresh face to the Marvel Universe who is ready and willing to do as much hero-ing as he can and have fun in the process. Sam is definitely a relatable character with youthful spirit and plays into that role model for kids who believe they can just as easily be superheroes themselves. Nova has undoubtedly found its way into Deanpool's Weekly Pick-Ups. 8.5/10 hammer names better than Stormbreaker.
First, the prologue informs that Sam Alexander, this new Nova, became Nova after finding his father's helmet. Okay, that's an appropriate origin story that Deanpool can get behind. Beta Ray Bill doesn't take long to make his appearance. He intervenes when Sam is in the middle of getting bullied (apparently because he ratted on the bully for something). It adds to the "teenager with superpowers" element, still having his own issues as an average kid.
The battle continues with its share of dialogue, helping reveal why Beta is attacking in the first place. He starts by saying Sam is a disgrace to those who served in the Nova Corps before him. He goes on to reference Sam helping someone named Captain Skaarn (from a previous issue in the series), who attacked and enslaved Beta Ray Bill's people. Learning that what he thought was a good deed as Nova was actually aiding a super-villain, Sam ceases his attack being so upset with himself. Realizing he must right this wrong, Sam decides to go with Beta to help save his people. Beta Ray Bill sees that Sam truly did not know mean to commit these actions had he known who Skaarn really was. He also accepts Sam's help.
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| Sam asking Carrie to babysit for him. |
A really great issue. The series really gives the feel of the fun "superhero teenager" type of story. Sam deals with these cosmic level threats and aliens and what not, but never truly seems to be in over his head. The problems seem almost downplayed since they can be handled by a teenager. Of course this isn't just any superhero, this is the human rocket, Nova! None of this takes away from the story or the character, just an observation. The adventurous feel of the series is actually its biggest positive. Sam brings a fresh face to the Marvel Universe who is ready and willing to do as much hero-ing as he can and have fun in the process. Sam is definitely a relatable character with youthful spirit and plays into that role model for kids who believe they can just as easily be superheroes themselves. Nova has undoubtedly found its way into Deanpool's Weekly Pick-Ups. 8.5/10 hammer names better than Stormbreaker.
Punisher #2
Punisher still has a lot to prove through two issues. By the end we get an interesting villain appearance, but Frank Castle's series is off to a slow build-up to an unforeseeable conclusion.
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| Is Frank Castle wearing a Hawkeye shirt?! |
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| Well this makes things interesting... |
Deanpool was hoping the Howling Commandoes would be involved by now, but now it's hard to tell when they'll finally jump into the mix. Elektro's appearance brings an interesting development, and a bigger threat than a cartel that has been no more than cannon fodder for Punisher up to this point. The story may start to feel stale, but the art brings a fresh take to California Frank Castle. It still keeps the Punisher grit, but distinguishes itself from his runs as a New York vigilante. But as great as the art is, Deanpool isn't so sure about this series anymore as far as being a regular pick-up. He'd definitely look forward to a trade paperback, but at this point can't promise that the third issue will be in a future Weekly Pick-Ups. If anything, it may happen on a slow week much like this one. 7/10 AIM apperances, no Marvel comic is safe from an AIM cameo!
Iron Man Annual #1
The Iron Man series has been kind of "hit-or-miss." Much of its plot points up the current story arc, have roots from earlier issues and story arcs. That said, it's hard to really find a "jumping on point" that's more ideal than the very beginning #1 issue. The continuity is nice for the loyal readers keeping up with the series, but may leave new readers helplessly lost in the middle despite the mini-prologue in the introduction that is meant to get the reader all caught up to that point. Marvel Now's "All-New" story and jump on point for Iron Man is coming up in a couple issues, which will hopefully help it gain some readers. But this Annual issue will be particularly confusing and off-putting without proper background. Shoot, even if you've read the whole series up to now like Deanpool has, it's still a bit off-putting. Gillen's writing style is very detailed and intricate. A lot is said that is vital the understanding of the story.
That being said, Deanpool's whole point is that this issue is far from a standalone for new readers interested in seeing what Iron Man has been all about.
In this Annual-sized issue, we get three different stories that follow three different characters from Iron Man. And only one of these stories seem to tie-in with what's going on currently in comics. The first one focuses on Tony Stark while the second features Arno for majority of the issue. The last one surprisingly centers around Tony's assistant, Pepper Potts.
"Two Cities"
Okay so this story references a digital-only comic titled Iron Man: Fatal Frontiers Infinite. But we get some background for the first story from the prologue to help get some context. This stone called Phlogistone was a fuel for a city on the moon. Unfortunately, this fuel was a pollutant and caused humans to have hallucinations when exposed to it. Udarnik the Shockworker was sent to the moon as a vanguard for people who never came and built a city for anyone who would come. Tony worked to keep the Phlogistone form getting out of control and managed to neutralize all the metal and so save the world. Thus, the city was abandoned.
Despite getting most of the metal out of Tony's system, there are still traces of the Phlogistone in Tony's blood. Tony begs Udarnik to get the rest out of his system. Udarnik doesn't immediately help Tony, blaming him for ruining the city he built on the moon and failing to keep his promise to bring civilization to the moon. Tony pleads his case that he is also building a city for the future, part of the plan is to build into space (finally some reference to something actually happening in the current Iron Man arc). However he can't work on this project due to the Phlogistone in his body. If Udarnik saves Tony, he would also save the city and the future.
The next sequence of events happen as Tony begins hallucinating due to the effects of the Philogistone. Throughout the story up to this point, we see recurring hallucinations of Tony's long-dead friend Yinsen (the person who saved Tony, turning him into Iron Man). Later we see him actually flashback to the cave scene where Yinsen saves Tony Stark. An interesting scene, but overall just nice to see Professor Yinsen again. Even though it's all in Tony's head.Tony eventually wakes up from these life-threatening hallucinations to see the abandoned city lit up and fully functioning for a brief moment. Udarnik reveals that the small traces of the stone fuel extracted from his body was used to light up the abandoned city one last time. Shedding a tear because of its beauty, Tony got a glimpse of what the future could be like. Udarnik explains he decided to help Tony because "to crush one's dream is a cruel thing. To crush the hope of a future is even worse..." believing Tony is the best hope for the future. Tony heads back to Earth, again promising to one day bring people to the moon. After he, himself, finishes his plans to build his own futuristic city."Orbital"
This second story focuses on Arno as he meets with Eli Warren and the New Modernist Army. Arno makes a pitch that the Troy project will need a crew to run the geostationary orbital platform. Arno hides the fact that he's Tony's secret brother, which turns out to be helpful for him. This group has been betrayed by Tony a few times before and aren't as willing to help. Arno tries to win them back over by informing them that they'll be working under him, not Tony. Eli threatens to kidnap Arno, saying that would give them more leverage, but Arno shows his preparedness along with a bit more of an aggressive side. He notes that he's offering the best deal possible, has Iron Man on his side, and that he has his own proton cannon ready to fire if his crew were to try. Definitely not the crippled, helpless Arno he appears to be. Though we have seen in recent issues that Arno is more than capable of taking care of himself.Eli likes Arno's confidence and agrees to the deal. But before the issue ends, Eli tells Arno about Tony's hand in the Extremis project (reference to the first Iron Man arc from this series). Arno did not know of this virus, but readers (and fans of Iron Man 3) remember its abilities to heal and enhance a person's body. Eli floats the idea that it could have Arno back on his feet in a jiffy, but Stark went on a crusade to destroy it. When we later see Arno meet back with Tony, he withholds this new piece of information he learned from Eli.Now we definitely see a darker side to Arno. There's always been this nagging feeling since his emergence in the series that he will eventually turn on Tony, or in someway become an untrustworthy character in Tony's life. Especially at a time where Tony is still recovering from learning some life-changing news about his true lineage. This story had some solid artwork, but then again it didn't offer any more than talking heads. But still this story was the most informative, as it tied into the current story arc in the series. It may also be the first step for Arno down a much darker path.
"By Moonlight"
This story, as random as it was, is probably the most entertaining story in the Annual. It follows Pepper Potts and how she develops a relationship with Marc. It still ties in with the story, since it all takes place when Tony was off in space in the series' early run. The interaction is nice and sweet, especially a scene towards the end when they exchange notes to tell each other something important. Pepper asks Marc to work for her, Marc asks Pepper to marry him. The moon reference, which is a theme throughout the whole issue, was that they first met on a full moon. Each of the instances (just 3) we see them together after that occur on a full moon. A light ending to a somewhat dull issue. Even the art presents a lot more color compared to the other more bland stories, which admittedly take place in space.
Mostly an issue to tie up loose ends for Iron Man. Doesn't feel fully necessary to the storyline for Iron Man, but does provide some insight and information. 6/10 Phlogistones to help Deanpool hallucinate ever reading this.
Night of the Living Deadpool #3
You can't really blame Deanpool to be worried about the pacing of this mini-series. Through the first two issues, we simply saw Deadpool bouncing around and killing zombies without a lot of our questions being answered. Well this issue serves as a big reveal that keeps things centered around Deadpool and leave readers eager to see how things will end.
The town was surprisingly perfectly normal. Many had questions concerning what's going on outside their little town or the fact that he's the last remaining super hero. If you want to call Deadpool a hero. The women in town seemed attracted to him as the new guy in town, one old lady (not to be confused with the crazy ladies from earlier) even pinched Wade's behind. Overall, Deadpool saw the town as a good place to start over.
Later we see him approached by kids while he rests in a cemetery. Oh no, kids again. Good chance they end up like the kids from the previous chapter. The kids reveal it's a Civil War cemetery and aren't too concerned about any zombies popping up out of these graves. Just for a side note: Deadpool confused the real historic Civil War with the Civil War that went on between Captain America and Iron Man. Another Civil War reference! That's like 3 or 4 now in the last 3 weeks. Still we get one clue that whatever infection is going around has only affected those who were alive during the infection and thus the zombies they see are "freshly dead." The kids also reveal to Deadpool that there is another "hero" living in the town, claiming that they've seen his hidden costume. When Deadpool inspects it, he sees it's clearly an A.I.M. scientist's costume. Man, another AIM sighting in Marvel.
Earlier in the issue (when the kids meet him in the cemetery), Deadpool mentions his nagging injury in his arm that was still hurting. He theorizes that his healing factor may be acting up and that his recent injuries shouldn't be giving him any trouble, recent injuries such as old zombie bites. Another thing to note is that at this point, his skin shown through the tears in his suit are still in color. However, toward the end of the issue, we see Deadpool struggling in his sleep as he deals with the guilt of his blood being the cause of the zombie infection. Now the skin is looking more grey, like how the rest of the art looks outside of Deadpool. He removes his mask, and at this point everything is in grey. A stark difference to red color we see when Deadpool is present in the panels. He takes on a zombie-like appearance and begins biting the innocent citizens in the town, causing a chain reaction creating more and more zombies throughout the once-safe small city. Throughout this sequence, we see him talking to the people, claiming he shouldn't be a zombie and this shouldn't be happening to him. Similar to the zombies he's run into like in the first issue that were capable of speaking just fine, as if their minds are still trapped in the last moment before they turned. But still, after a while, we see Deadpool seemingly throw up the chunks of human flesh that he just devoured and skin color and red costume go back to normal, a sign that he's no longer a zombie. At this point, it's unsure whether or not the whole sequence was merely a dream, all in Deadpool's head as a result of the guilt he felt. |
| Notice the progression from grey back to color in Deadpool. |
Only one issue left, and Deanpool has no idea how it will end. Will he find a cure now that he knows it all came from AIM? Or will it ultimately end with poor, lonely Deadpool being the only living person left, unable to die/become a zombie himself due to his healing factor. Overall, 8/10 healing factors.
Only one Marvel NOW series debut this week, that actually turned out to be quite a disappointment. But read the review on New Warriors #1 here.
A slow week matched by some mediocre/just okay pick-ups. The only real standouts were Justice League and Nova, which were both introductions to new characters for Deanpool. The Metal Men coming to life was a great read, but Deanpool gives the newbie Nova #13.NOW the Pick of the Week.
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| Last week's was a cat, so Deanpool had to be fair and do a dog variant this time around. |
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