Mark Waid

I started reading the comic book issues of this series over a decade ago, but had to set them aside and have been living in a mild state of FOMO ever since. Turns out I needn't have fretted because this series is pretty worthless.

The first half of the book is a too-little, too-late attempt at giving secret origins for the Plutonian and Max Damage. It seems awful late in the series to try to make your paper-thin main characters more dimensional.

The second half of the book is full of sound and show more fury, and Waid clumsily tries to make it signify something by tying this dreadful mess to one of the seminal moments in the history of comic book publishing. It's aiming for tribute, I think, but comes off as sort of insulting at best.

I'm stunned by how little I liked this series and it's spin-off, Incorruptible. I usually like Mark Waid's stuff, but this dreck is unforgivable. show less

I never read Archie as a kid (because it was a "girl" comic and I went to an all-boys school and have a rather sexist father so the societal pressure to conform to hetero/cis-normative views of masculinity were... extreme) but I was aware of it and had flipped through a few issues here and there.

But it's Mark Waid and Fiona Staples. How could I pass up ANY series by that creative team. And they don't disappoint. It's fun. Well written. Well drawn. And the characters are fresh and relatable show more and just... such a great relaunch of Archie for a new generation taking into account everything that's changed in society and culture since the original Archie debuted in the 50's (or 60's? I dunno... ages ago). show less

I approached AvX with caution since the reviews were all over the place. I was expecting it anotehr Civil War - heroes fighting heroes over a difference in ideology. While there is some of that, this had a surprising depth to it that elevated the story. The hardcover collection has the main event, including the Marvel Point-One, the AVX: Versus issues (hero on hero battles) and issues from the AVX: Infinite (adapted from the digital platform). It is definitely worth the price, especially show more discounted.

The Phoenix Force is returning to Earth and everyone assumes it is coming for Hope Summers, the only mutant born after the Scarlet Witch decimated the mutant population. The Avengers want to isolate and prevent Hope from being taken by the Phoenix (of course Wolverine has a more permanent solution in mind!). Scott Summers thinks that Hope is the mutant messiah and the Phoenix will give her the ability to return what was lost to mutants. What makes the story so good is that both sides not only have valid viewpoints but are emotionally invested in the outcome. The X-Men have been persecuted since mutants became known and the Avengers have done little to help them. On the other hand, Scott is gambling the lives of the entire world that Hope will be able to do what Jean Grey could not - control the Phoenix. When the Phoenix arrives, Tony Stark unleashes an experimental weapon that splits the Phoenix into five hosts, one of whom is Scott. The power of the Phoenix combined with his zealotry to "save" his people will eat away at his humanity, with devastating results.

Where the story strays a bit is with the "versus" aspect of the event. The writers want to give readers those epic match-ups, so they work them into the story by having the various confrontations occur as the two sides search the world for the runaway Hope. It felt contrived, but that doesn't mean it wasn't fun. The main event gives glimpses of the fights, but it is the AVX: Versus section that expands the battles in full. It includes: Magneto vs Iron Man; Thing vs Namor; Captain America vs Gambit; Spider-man vs Colossus; Thing vs Colossus; Black Widow vs Magik; Daredevil vs Psyloche; Thor vs Phoenix Emma Frost; Hawkeye vs Angel; Storm vs Black Panther (what a divorce!); and, Hope vs Scarlet Witch. These were followed by some "quick" fights of just a page or two of match-ups not hinted at in the main event storyline. Not every fight ended how readers might expect, and they were all reminiscent of video fighting games. Each fight included witty "AVX Fun Facts" such as "Black Panther has lots of plans" and "Demons are real." Some of the facts related to the powers of the character, but all were fun and added a lot to the story.

The final, short section was the Infinite part. I could not tell this was adapted from a digital platform (having never seen the Marvel app) so other readers shouldn't have a problem. It mostly expanded on Nova's journey to Earth and was very interesting since I know little about his character.

Overall, I was thoroughly entertained by the AVX crossover and the way it concluded, setting up the site-wide Marvel Now launch. Though not as good as Civil War or Siege, I thought AVX was better than Secret Invasion or even Fear Itself. I can't wait to read the Avengers vs. X-Men Companion with all the tie-ins. My only disappointment is that the hardcover edition does not have the sewn binding that most Marvel omnibuses have. The glued binding just won't hold up to rereading. Never-the-less, highly recommended! show less

Things are heating up in Riverdale as two candidates run for mayor: Veronica's dad and Betty's uncle. As the two girls form bands to compete against one another in the upcoming talent show, Archie feels stuck in the middle of his current girlfriend and his ex, trying to make everyone happy.

As with the previous volume, this book takes a more modern spin on the Archie franchise while staying consistent with the characters and quaint Americana feel. I do like that the two girls aren't actually show more fighting over Archie in this version but that there are bigger stakes and more nuanced feelings involved. Some of the plot twists were actually unexpected, and I enjoyed being both surprised and invested in an Archie comic for a change of pace. I look forward to the third volume to see what happens next in the plot.

This bound trade ended with a sneak peak at the Betty & Veronica series, which seems fitting but I had already seen this issue elsewhere so I skipped it this time around. show less