Ender's Game: The League War #1, Marvel Comics

Ender’s Game:

The League War

Art: Timothy Green II

Story and Script: Aaron Johnston

 

This comic takes the focus off of Ender Wiggin, and introduces his two siblings that are pulling strings in the shadows. Peter and Valentine Wiggin are Ender’s older siblings who use words and a carefully thought out strategy to interfere with and divide the international governing body of the futuristic world. Their plot does work, and splits the world power putting young Ender Wiggin back into a power position.







The comic book is good overall, and I suggest it for the reader that wants to think while reading a comic, rather than read for entertainment and action (no offense, there are just different types of comic readers out there). I do like the character development, especially the Russian world fleet commander who has the power to take over the ground troops along with the fleet. This character cleverly plays into the fear of Russian domination still present in American mindsets. The Russian commander was also ruthless and had a plan B that he executed at the first sign of betrayal.






The bad side to this comic book is how it is written: the setting shifts from Manhattan, to Brazil, to Russia, and then to London. The plot is hard to follow on the first read, and would be impossible to understand without some understanding of the Orson Scott Card history and past storylines. The story doesn’t keep the reader wanting more, and caters to a specific population of comic book readers. I am not sure if I will keep reading this series.

Overall Rating 7.5/10

Daredevil #506, Marvel Comics

Dare Devil 506 Marvel Comics

Writers: Andy Diggle and Anthony Johnson


Art: Marco Checchetto

This comic is set in the fast pace feudal japan. The first scene is a fight where Daredevil and Bakuto team up to defeat several ninjas, who disappear into a ray of light and pile of dust in true Hand-magic fashion. Throughtout the comic book, the plot develops to make the reader wonder who the culprit is, and if Bakuto is setting up the Daredevil. Or if Bakuto is just plain paranoid about the Daredevil. The scene shifts to Daredevil calling a meeting of the hand and asking the members for there input on who the traitor inside the Hand is. The scene moves into a dream segment involving Elecktra, and is really a symbolism of who the traitor in the Hand really is: Angela. The ending sequence of the comic supports this theory as well.







I liked the comic book overall. I didn’t realize it, but the Daredevil has been putting out issues only once every two months. What a shame. This is truly a good comic book, and it really seems to be a better comic since the shift from the Hells Kitchen setting to Japan. The ninja theme is awesome, and works surprisingly well for the Daredevil Character. Sometimes I wonder about the comic book industry and where it is heading, but this comic appears to be on track with what a comic book should be.

Rating 9.5/10

Marvel Zombies 5 #1, Marvel Comics released 04/07/2010

 

What drew me to this comic book was the cover, and the prospect of a comic book that will revitalize the lost art of the Zombie Genre.  The Comic storyline is easy to follow, and brings us to an Old West town, where the comic book writer brings together western comic classics such as Kid Colt and Johnny Lightening.  The town is starting to feel the wrath of the spreading Zombie virus, when intergalactic troopers (one of them being Machine Man, and the other being Howard the Duck) come to rescue a woman in distress and she invites herself to go with them on their inter-galaxy quest to find a cure for the Zombie virus.

This is a comic art clip that shows Johhny Lightening whipping on some zombies.  This is what zombie comics are all about.

The clip above is the part that made the comic book anti-climactic: the appearance of Howard the Duck as an intergalactic Zombie assassin.....It worked for machine man, but didn't work for Howard.  Howard was an intergalactic character in his movie, but just not suited to be Zombie smasher material.

RATING 8.0/10

The Walking Dead #1, Image Comics March 2010

This comic book starts off with a Sheriff from a small town that is in a gunfight with a citizen.  The officer is shot and wounded, and winds up in the hospital.  He wakes up in the hospital from a coma to find that the hospital and streets are void of people.  He makes his way back to his home, where he is attacked by a little boy who clubs the main character (the Sheriff) over the head with a shovel.  The Sheriff wakes up to learn from the boy and his father that Zombies have taken over and they are not sure if there is a cure.  The only thing that the boy's father can say is that any living people were advised to make it to a big city, where non-infected humans can get protection.  The Sheriff kicks off the journey by making his way to his old police station to load up on an arsenal of guns.  The Sheriff, the boy, and the boy's father make their way to the big city in the police vehicle.

 The page above depicts the Sheriff shooting a lingering Zombie that he saw on his way into town.  The bad part about this page is that it is the last page of the comic book.  I would expect more shooting of Zombies, and more infection attacks by Zombies.  No necks were bitten, and no blood was shed.   When they made this comic, they should have written in more blood, shooting, and interaction with Zombies.  The main character should have been closer to the Punisher, rather than a rookie Sheriff. 
Overall Rating    6.0/10

The Invincible Iron Man

    Iron Man is making a comeback.  This issue starts off fast in a setting in Africa.  The small village shows poor villagers that are barely modernizing, with three girls who all chipped in their money to buy and share one cell phone.  Then, a small car storms into the town with three men that jump out.  The men explode with a radiant energy, instantly killing 90 people in the small village.
    The scenes moves to Iron Man, who is working on the exterior of the Space Shuttle while in outer space.  The scenes shifts to Tony Stark at home, getting ready to make love to a beautiful European woman.  Iron Man was interrupted by his team and briefed about the explosion in Africa.  Iron Man learns that the alarming part of the incident was a flash of destructive light, but no radiation was found near the site.
     As the plot moves on, we are introduced to a young prodigy that works for a cutting edge technology firm.  He unveils a wrist mounted weapon that expells a deadly burst of light energy.  The prodigy kills all of the businessmen, and leaves with his girlfriend in a limosine. 
       All throughout the comic book, the writer describes five nightmares that the Iron man has.  The last one is the most important, the someone could harness the energy of the Iron Man suit and use it for evil.  The reader is left with a scene, which was a photo taken with the cell phone of the girls in the African Village:  A human figure shooting light rays, killing all in his path.
        Overall, this is an excellent comic book.  What a powerful way to kick off a comic book series.  Iron Man has always been a comic book favorite, and this new series lives up to this legacy.  The artwork is everything that you would expect from a Marvel Comic, and the plot sets up a whole new series that invites the reader to continue reading.
RATING      9.5/10

Falcon #1 Marvel Comics 1983

One thing sticks out about this comic and the cover:  It is the essence of bronze age comics with art and characters from that comic period.  This comic cover gets the most comments, probably because any collector has seen it.

Cable #1 Marvel Comics 1993

I think I am partial because I started collecting comic books in 1993, so all first issues in that year are automatically my favorite.  This has expected features of a first comic book, including a foil cover, with heavy paper pages inside.  This is a relatively common book to find in most reputable comic book stores.

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MY FAVORITE FIRST ISSUE IN MY COLLECTION
SABRE #1, Marvel Comics 1993
This is everything that a number one comic book should be...great cover art, and an agressive introduction to a tough comic character.  This was the first comic I bought in my lifetime and it never disappoints.  I am waiting for anyone to point out a better first comic.