Friday, March 18, 2011

Marvel Preview Review for May Part 2 of 2

Continued from yesterday, Lee starts picking books.



POWERS VOL. 1: WHO KILLED RETRO GIRL? PREMIERE
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Penciled, Cover by Michael Avon Oeming
Heroes glide through the sky on lightning bolts and fire. Flamboyant villains attempt daring daylight robberies. Godlike alien creatures clash in epic battle over the nighttime sky. And on the dirty city streets below, homicide detectives Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim do their jobs. The mysterious death of Retro Girl was the case that launched one of the most celebrated comic series of the last decade; now, this newly formatted collection of the first Powers storyline will introduce you to the world that won the prestigious Eisner Award, and made Bendis and Oeming comic superstars. This completely redesigned, reformatted and reworked hardcover is perfect for both new readers and old. Start your POWERS library here!240 PGS./$24.99
Lee: This is still an excellent book but isn’t this like the third or fourth time it’s been released in hc format? I already have a copy but just in case you don’t, this is worth the investment.
Greg: Yeah, it is, but such is the marketplace. I still have my Image copy from before they had a coherent trade dress. Definitely worth a look if you haven’t read it.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY DAVID MICHELINIE & TODD MCFARLANE OMNIBUS
Written by David Michelinie
Penciled by Todd Mcfarlane, Alex Saviuk, Erik Larsen & Colleen Doran
Covers by Todd Mcfarlane
Whether clad in blue and red or black, or possessing spider-powers or cosmic ones, Spider-Man stands ready to face any threat! And the threats have never been greater! From his own foes — Venom, Mysterio, the Scorpion and more — to newcomers to his friendly neighborhood like Sabretooth, the Taskmaster, Magneto and the Sentinels, Spidey sure has his hands full! Good thing he’s got Mary Jane, Captain America, the Black Cat and the Hulk around to lend a hand! Featuring the pulse-pounding prose of longtime Iron Man scribe David Michelinie and the groundbreaking artistry of the legendary Todd McFarlane! Collecting Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #296-329 And Material From Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #10. 848 PGS./$99.99
Lee: Yep, it’s official. The omnibus has replaced the masterwork as the hc of choice. As much I love this material, because it was pretty good, I don’t need 800+ pages of it. Maybe if it was released in smaller chunks.
Greg: You know what hasn’t aged well? Todd McFarlane. Michelinie’s stories, however, remain one of the strongest runs in the character’s history.

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: ATLAS ERA VENUS VOL. 1 HC
Written by Various
Penciled by Ken Bald, Don Rico, Werner Roth, Mike Sekowsky & Various
Cover by Ken Bald
Debuting in 1948, Venus would come to reflect the morphing genres and content of the comic-book industry like almost no other title, and across its run would present some of the most compelling stories of the era. From the beginning, the title featured the goddess of love, Venus, who leaves her immortal throne to seek love as a normal mortal on Earth. Publisher Whitney Hammond turns her arrival on Earth into a media event and appoints her editor of his flagging magazine Beauty. Stories on the trials and tribulations of magazine publishing and men smitten by her beauty, however, soon gave way to mythological tales with a fantasy/adventure bent. Increasingly dark in tone, Venus’ adventures began to feature scheming Olympian villains set to control, foil or destroy the Earthbound goddess’ plans. Trips into the underworld ruled by the Atlas Era’s Loki became the norm, and lush artwork by many of the period’s top talents graced extended-length stories. Collected here for the first time, this rare fan-favorite title is a must-have for every Atlas aficionado! Collecting VENUS #1-9, LANA #4 and MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #91.296 PGS./ $59.99
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: DAREDEVIL VOL. 6 HC
Written by Roy Thomas
Penciled, Cover by Gene Colan
Collecting DAREDEVIL #54-63. 224 PGS./ $54.99
Lee: I know I am one of the few who will get it, but Venus Masterworks should be good. Well, good in a 1950’s kinda way. It’s an expensive way to see these stories but I’m not sure that I can resist. On the other hand, the DD masterworks is as generic superheroes as you can get. I’m not sure I know anyone who talks positively about this material. In fact, it may be the first Masterwork that I skip.
Greg: I’m sure there’s somebody interested in this, but it ain’t me.

MYSTIQUE BY BRIAN K. VAUGHAN ULTIMATE COLLECTION TPB
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Penciled by Jorge Lucas, Michael Ryan & Manuel Garcia
Cover by Mike Mayhew
Collecting MYSTIQUE #1-13.3 12 PGS./$24.99
Lee: I seem to remember this being pretty good. These huge collections are killing me because I get sucked in everytime.
Greg: Yeah, it wasn’t bad. I mean, I’m not sure if 25 bucks good, but they’re a decent read.




ROCKET RACCOON: GUARDIAN OF THE KEYSTONE QUADRANT PREMIERE HC
Written by Bill Mantlo
Penciled by Keith Giffen, Mike Mignola & Sal Buscema
Covers by Mike Mignola
It’s Rocket Raccoon, the deadliest weapons expert in the galaxy! Before he lent his expertise to the war effort during Annihilation, before he saved the universe as one of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Rocket Raccoon was the Guardian of the Keystone Quadrant! Experience his original adventures with the Incredible Hulk, and his anthropomorphic allies and enemies on his home planet of Halfworld! Collecting INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #271, ROCKET RACCOON #1-4 and material from MARVEL PREVIEW #7. 144 PGS./$24.99
Lee: $25 for 5 issues is really expensive for some marginal writing…. But it’s Rocket Raccoon! The only positive is early Mignola art.
Greg: Mignola drawing Rocket Raccoon. Oooooo. That’s hard to pass up.

Greg: So we start with terrified super powered teenagers and end with space raccoons. Ladies and Gentlemen, comics.
Lee: I am loathe to admit this, but as much as the current monthly books tend to bore me, the trades and collections keep me coming back month in and month out. Amazingly enough, Marvel has managed to find a way to please both new and old readers.

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