FANTASTIC FOUR #583

Remember a few years ago when even writer Mark Millar couldn't make this book exciting? Yes, we all remember his mediocre run. So who will be the savior to finally sell some copies of this book and make it worth reading? I enjoyed this issue, although it's nothing revelatory, especially with writer Jonathan Hickman on board, the dude that's re-writing S.H.I.E.L.D pretty much from scratch. The reason I enjoyed this issue was mostly due to artist Steve Epting, who's sorely missed in the pages of Captain America. Sure, The Thing still looks silly, but Epting's pencils bring forth a maturity and a dynamic to the characters. The script is a little dark, and Epting does a terrific job making Reed's daughter look as cunning and villainous as she might actually be. Hell, Epting even makes the Silver Surfer look cool and not asinine, which is really difficult to do when you realize that the Silver Surfer is the stupidest popular character ever created. The art is top-notch, but the script has some good surprises that makes you want to read the next issue as well. Millar wrote a storyline titled “The Death of the Invisible Woman” which did not lead to the death of the Invisible Woman, but from the previews (this storyline is titled “Three”) it looks like Hickman might actually kill her off. And with Galactus back and Dr. Doom in the mix, this book is actually interesting for once. ***

THOR #615

I've never been a fan of this character, so perhaps it's not really saying anything when I admit that I didn't like this issue very much. If you've never read Thor than you probably vaguely know that he's a Norse God dude with a hammer. What you might not know is that he can change into an earthling doctor (lame) and that he speaks in a ridiculously silly Norse God dialect that gets annoying fast. Everyone will realize this when Kenneth Branagh's film version hits next summer. They will also probably realize that a character like this worked wonders in the 1960's but his very hard to make cool or entertaining now. Writer J. Michael Straczynski, who's over at DC these days, had a fantastic run last year on this book. He surprised me by making the book engrossing (it also didn't hurt that he had Marvel's best artist, Olivier Copiel, on board). It can be done, but it's rather difficult. Case in point: this issue is borderline awful. The new writer on board is Matt Fraction, one of Marvel's big boy writers. He also writes Invincible Iron Man and Uncanny X-Men. I've never been a fan of Fraction, and this issue feels like a B-version of a well-crafted, bizarre Alan Moore script. There is a blue alien race somewhere that gets attacked by a conquering army of red aliens. There's also a scientist explaining parallel worlds. And there's Thor attempting to help pick up the pieces of the fallen Asgaard. Certainly the art (Pasqual Ferry) isn't anything spectacular, but the colors by Matt Hollingsworth are wonderful. The actual plot is thin and will eventually (and hopefully) shift and shape itself into something larger and more entertaining, but so far it just falls flat. This issue is scatter shot and dull. I see no reason why anyone would bother to buy the next issue after reading this mess. *

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #642

I haven't read this book in awhile and there was a reason for that: the writers and artists change so much you never know what you're going to get. Add that to the fact that they've been putting this book out three times a month since 2007 and you can see why a lot of people probably gave it up (or played pick-and-choose with the storylines, like me). Marvel seems to have given in to reader frustration. This issue was priced at $2.99, a dollar cheaper than the usual price. And starting soon the book will go to a twice a month schedule with only one writer, the usual spot-on Dan Slott. I would still rather see it out once a month with the same artist, but at least they're changing (and if you want a the same writer/artist on a Spider-Man title every month just go read Ultimate Spider-Man. It's better, anyway). The big problem is that the changes can't come soon enough. This issue is one of the worst issues of any comic book I've ever read. It's part one of a big storyline featuring all of the major villains. Lily (aka Menace) gives birth to Norman Osbourne's baby in this issue (inside a coffee shop...and Dr. Octopus cuts the umbilical cord with a robotic arm...yes, it's awful, awful stuff). Apparently every bad guy wants to get a hold of the baby for no apparent reason (yes, it'll have evil powers...but not for another eighteen years, right?). The other semi-major occurrence is that Mary Jane is back in the fold, albeit still not with Peter, who is struggling to pay rent and hook up with girls. Writer Mark Waid is doing a terrific job writing Irredeemable, his bizarre, entertaining super-villain book, but his writing in this book is purely flat and dull. It's by-the-numbers and pedestrian, and the stale art by Paul Azaceta doesn't help. The only good thing about this piece of trash is the beautiful painted cover by Marko Djurdjevic, which is just a segment of a larger cover that will make-up all the covers for this arc. Marvel addressed the problems with this book but the changes can't come soon enough. 1/2*

WOLVERINE #1

People love money, don't they? Not only did Marvel just come out with a new Wolverine title named Weapon-X a mere 16 months ago, that book had the same writer, Jason Aaron. Basically, that book becomes this one and we get a new #1 issue for no other reason then people love money and Marvel probably would make more with a #1 than a #17. Marvel hasn't gone all out, though they did get Jae Lee to draw the awesome cover. There's a lame, utterly pointless back-up also written by Aaron (it makes no comprehensible sense and is about a samurai) and there are some rough sketches by the artist Renata Guedes (he pencils the regular, 22-page story as well). The heart, though, is “Wolverine Goes to Hell.” This is part one (we don't know yet how long it will last). Wolverine does go to hell, literally, but we're not sure yet why or how. Wolverine also has a chat with a Wraith, an old buddy and Weapon-X member who is now a pastor (comic books love to feature religious figures, don't they?). Wraith ends up being attacked by some powerful masked dude. A few other powerful masked dudes show up at the San Francisco newspaper office where Wolverine's girlfriend works. Mystique shows up on a motorcycle to save her. Huh? So far the book makes little sense. It feels like a story Aaron concocted for Ghost Rider and just changed super-heroes. Aaron's Ghost Rider was a lot more wild and fun. This book isn't fun at all, it's depressing and dark. The art by Guedes is mediocre stuff; it lacks the Gothic charm that is needed to make hell and it's environs come alive. Hell just looks silly here. The devil looks like the devil from that Tom Cruise movie Legend, albeit here he's cartoonish and not all-together scary. This storyline definitely has potential, but so far it's average at best. ** (out of ****)