Marvel Titles You Should Be Reading
September 14th 2006 13:05
My stash hasn't come in yet, there's no interesting news to write about, so I might as well inform you all about the Marvel Comics you should be reading. If any DC fans out there are feeling unloved, then stiff shit, because I don't read that many DC titles. Between my Marvel fixation and a few other writers I follow, the funds don't stretch that far.
ASTONISHING X-MEN: It's schedule is glacial, but when it comes out it's cracking good stuff. Whedon filters the classic X-Men feel through the less-annoying sensibilities of his Buffy writing, and Cassaday makes it all look gorgeous. It's not quite as good as fanboy hype makes it out to be, but damn good nonetheless.
CABLE AND DEADPOOL: Yes, really. Cable sets out to change the world, and Deadpool runs around doing jobs for him. This is the book that the next big Marvel event should be centered around. Cable's story provides some genuinely interesting material, while Deadpool provides the laughs. Funny, thought-provoking, and flat-out awesome.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: Ed Brubaker kicks ass on all kinds of levels. This is a much harder-edged Cap than has been seen for a while, a believable soldier, but not one who's irreconcilable with the character that has come before. Espionage, intrigue, balls-out action. Brubaker brought back Bucky and got away with it - the story was that good.
DAREDEVIL: It's that Brubaker guy again. Daredevil's been in prison for most of the run, and it's been great stuff. Brian Bendis just had a stellar run, but a very non-traditional one - Brubaker takes a similar approach, but tempered with a vibe that more closely matches traditional superhero comics. It's the first Marvel comic that's surprised me in a long time.
MARVEL ADVENTURES: THE AVENGERS: No, I'm not kidding! This book is so much fun! It's done-in-one traditional team superhero book, with a pretty weird character lineup - Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine, the Hulk, Storm and Giant Girl (a female Hank Pym, basically). It harks back to simpler times, when heroes were heroes, villains were villains, and stories had endings. On paper it's a disaster, but it really does work.
NEXTWAVE: Healing America by beating people up. As the solicitations say, "If you like anything, you'll like Nextwave!" If you don't like it, then go away and die like the soulless piece of trash you are. You don't deserve to exist in the same universe as Nextwave.
PUNISHER: Garth Ennis is still writing this after 6 years, and it's still so good. He gets it - show criminals doing bad stuff until you feel like they deserve to die. Punisher comes in, kills criminals. Rinse, repeat. It's a surprisingly satisfying formula, and Ennis still delivers the goods.
SHE-HULK: Fun, fun, fun. It actually feels like more of an ensemble piece than a She-Hulk vehicle, with the main cast all working for an interdimensional law firm. Chock full of subplots, chock full of romance, action, and humour. It's kind of like a cosmic L.A. Law, but instead of Benny there's a giant robot with a block for a head.
THUNDERBOLTS: This title is still chugging along, and it's as good as ever. It's got a huge cast of villains, a complex layer of subplots, and it's really building to something epic. In many ways it feels like an old-school superhero title, but it's got so much more than that. There are no heroes in Thunderbolts, and no villains - just characters, a whole mess of interesting ones. Especially if you dig B- and C-list bad guys.
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: Consistently good. This is possibly the most consistent Marvel title of the last 6 years, and easily the best current Spider-Man book. One of the best Spider-Man runs ever, for that matter.
ULTIMATES: The Avengers as reimagined by Mark Millar, with widescreen action, political undercurrents and a group of ambiguous heroes that feel real and relevant. It's schedule is ridiculously screwed, but every single issue is worth waiting for. Sadly, the current team will be gone after the next issue, so enjoy it while it lasts.
UNCANNY X-MEN: Ed brubaker writes a traditional X-Men book, in the traditional style, and it works wonderfully. It could be my X-Men fixation showing, but I love this title. Somehow Ed fits in the action, the characterisation, and the subplots, without sacrificing the artistic spectacle modern fans have come to expect. Very good stuff.
Looking at the above, it's really a good time to be a Marvel fan. There's a lot of good material being released, with a whole lot of variety (as long as you like superheroes, of course!). There are even other books I enjoy - this is just a list of the very best ones. Go check 'em out!
ASTONISHING X-MEN: It's schedule is glacial, but when it comes out it's cracking good stuff. Whedon filters the classic X-Men feel through the less-annoying sensibilities of his Buffy writing, and Cassaday makes it all look gorgeous. It's not quite as good as fanboy hype makes it out to be, but damn good nonetheless.
CABLE AND DEADPOOL: Yes, really. Cable sets out to change the world, and Deadpool runs around doing jobs for him. This is the book that the next big Marvel event should be centered around. Cable's story provides some genuinely interesting material, while Deadpool provides the laughs. Funny, thought-provoking, and flat-out awesome.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: Ed Brubaker kicks ass on all kinds of levels. This is a much harder-edged Cap than has been seen for a while, a believable soldier, but not one who's irreconcilable with the character that has come before. Espionage, intrigue, balls-out action. Brubaker brought back Bucky and got away with it - the story was that good.
DAREDEVIL: It's that Brubaker guy again. Daredevil's been in prison for most of the run, and it's been great stuff. Brian Bendis just had a stellar run, but a very non-traditional one - Brubaker takes a similar approach, but tempered with a vibe that more closely matches traditional superhero comics. It's the first Marvel comic that's surprised me in a long time.
MARVEL ADVENTURES: THE AVENGERS: No, I'm not kidding! This book is so much fun! It's done-in-one traditional team superhero book, with a pretty weird character lineup - Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine, the Hulk, Storm and Giant Girl (a female Hank Pym, basically). It harks back to simpler times, when heroes were heroes, villains were villains, and stories had endings. On paper it's a disaster, but it really does work.
NEXTWAVE: Healing America by beating people up. As the solicitations say, "If you like anything, you'll like Nextwave!" If you don't like it, then go away and die like the soulless piece of trash you are. You don't deserve to exist in the same universe as Nextwave.
PUNISHER: Garth Ennis is still writing this after 6 years, and it's still so good. He gets it - show criminals doing bad stuff until you feel like they deserve to die. Punisher comes in, kills criminals. Rinse, repeat. It's a surprisingly satisfying formula, and Ennis still delivers the goods.
SHE-HULK: Fun, fun, fun. It actually feels like more of an ensemble piece than a She-Hulk vehicle, with the main cast all working for an interdimensional law firm. Chock full of subplots, chock full of romance, action, and humour. It's kind of like a cosmic L.A. Law, but instead of Benny there's a giant robot with a block for a head.
THUNDERBOLTS: This title is still chugging along, and it's as good as ever. It's got a huge cast of villains, a complex layer of subplots, and it's really building to something epic. In many ways it feels like an old-school superhero title, but it's got so much more than that. There are no heroes in Thunderbolts, and no villains - just characters, a whole mess of interesting ones. Especially if you dig B- and C-list bad guys.
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: Consistently good. This is possibly the most consistent Marvel title of the last 6 years, and easily the best current Spider-Man book. One of the best Spider-Man runs ever, for that matter.
ULTIMATES: The Avengers as reimagined by Mark Millar, with widescreen action, political undercurrents and a group of ambiguous heroes that feel real and relevant. It's schedule is ridiculously screwed, but every single issue is worth waiting for. Sadly, the current team will be gone after the next issue, so enjoy it while it lasts.
UNCANNY X-MEN: Ed brubaker writes a traditional X-Men book, in the traditional style, and it works wonderfully. It could be my X-Men fixation showing, but I love this title. Somehow Ed fits in the action, the characterisation, and the subplots, without sacrificing the artistic spectacle modern fans have come to expect. Very good stuff.
Looking at the above, it's really a good time to be a Marvel fan. There's a lot of good material being released, with a whole lot of variety (as long as you like superheroes, of course!). There are even other books I enjoy - this is just a list of the very best ones. Go check 'em out!
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