Uncanny X-Men #514

Norman Osborn's victory in San Francisco is cemented when the Dark X-Men succeed where the X-Men could not. All the while the Dark Avengers are forced to watch from the sidelines. But how long will Bullseye and Ares sit idle?

Uncanny X-Men #514

(August 2009)

"Utopia" Chapter IV

Cover by Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson

Variant Cover by Simone Bianchi, Simone Peruzzi

Marvel 70th Anniversary Variant

Cover by Harvey Tolibao, Rain Beredo

2nd Printing by Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson

My Personal Collection :: The Mighty Avengers

The Mighty Avengers

"The Unspoken"

Cover by Marko Djurdjevic

(June, 2010)

Doom, Thor, Black Bolt, Black Panther, Ka-Zar, Namor... There are many monarchs in the Marvel Universe, but only one so powerful and so reviled that he had to be written out of history.  He is The Unspoken. And his return will have dire consequences on both our world and worlds beyond. It's a powerful storyline that will bring dishonor for one Mighty Avenger and redemption for another, a family reunion, and ties into both "Dark Reign" and "War Of Kings."

The Unspoken speaks and a world trembles! The Inhumans recently escaped to the stars to fight the War of Kings, leaving behind a secret that will consume the world in terror. Find out the true nature of this dark, terrible secret and why the Mighty Avengers might not be able to stop him. Collecting "Mighty Avengers" #27-32.

Hawkeye #3

Writer: Matt Fraction

Artist: David Aja

The smartest comic book in circulation is back and it's gold! As if taken from some groovy 70's TV show, Cherry is a high-adrenaline, car-chasing, butt-kicking adventure, starring ladies man Clint Barton and smart-mouthed Kate Bishop. Fraction's choice of bad guys is hilarious. Rather than using some random thugs, he brings back the Russian dudes in tracksuits from issue #1, and I believe this has to do with all the bantering about their ceaseless bro, because here they truly go overboard with it; their presence, however, conveys that sense of world-building for the title, and that's worth their annoying habit. From Kate's sarcastic comments, to the trick arrows, to the ingenious dialog, and of course David Aja and Matt Hollingsworth's stellar artwork, there is nothing else one could ask from this book, except maybe that a new issue came out every week. Oh, and that new take on full frontal nudity? Priceless!

Hawkeye #2

Writer: Matt Fraction

Artist: David Aja

If comic book writing happened to be a college major, this title would be not only required reading in the Composition class, but also would be mentioned in the History subject as the series that redefined super hero writing. With just two issues under his belt, Matt Fraction is paving the way for a new era in mainstream comic books; one that leaves behind the infamous decompressed writing, the infinite-issue arcs, and the lazy double spreads with no text or dialog in them. Clint Barton recruits fellow Hawkeye Kate Bishop to help him in a mission that takes them to the circus. Their relationship is one of partners rather than that of a hero and his sidekick, and their exchanges are full of spark and pizzazz. David Aja's artwork is the perfect match to Fraction's writing; he is not afraid to cram 24 panels in a page and still make it look amazing. Refreshing, original, and clean, Hawkeye is Marvel's breakout book of 2012.

Hawkeye #1

Writer: Matt Fraction

Artist: David Aja

Under the premise "this is what he does when he is not being an Avenger," Matt Fraction helms the new Hawkeye ongoing series. Deviating from what is expected of an inaugural issue, "Lucky" follows Clint Barton during his convalescence period after a brutal accident during a mission gone awry. Using non-linear narrative, Fraction explores everyday life in a New York neighborhood from the point of view of a man that has seen and fought unthinkable menaces over the years, and he does it in a magnificent manner. David Aja's work with the pencils is alluring and fascinating in its simplicity, and aided by Matt Hollingsworth's constrict color palette, the panels are reminiscent of the Marvel Super Heroes cartoons from the 60's. Following Daredevil's successful formula could prove fortunate for this title, but for one tiny/huge caveat: there was no Hawkeye to be seen in the entire book, except for the first page!

Looks familiar?