Robert Conway
Robert Conway is millennial who grew up with gaming. When he's not gaming he's either working, at the gym, playing music, or reading comic books. Robert prefers to play games on Xbox but will always have a soft spot for Nintendo's consoles.
Welcome to our second weekly installment of brand new comic book reviews. This was quite a light week for me, since I only picked up three new comics for this installment. I suspect Marvel is just being kind to our wallets with Secret Wars right around the corner. This is also the first month where I haven’t purchased a Thor comic in quite some time, so you will not be getting my thoughts on Thor #7; however, you can read about my objections to that series based on the first six issues here.
Archie vs. Predator # 1
One of the things I love about comics as a medium is all the crazy crossovers you don’t find in other forms of entertainment. This week, we were treated to one of those wonderful crossovers in the form of Archie vs. Predator. I’ll admit that I never read Archie Comics before, but I knew the basic outline of the series. To be fair, this isn’t the first time Archie has crossed over with a more R rated character (ex: Archie Meets the Punisher).
The tone of this book is some what whimsical and screams more Archie than it does Predator. Eagle-eyed readers might spot Dutch’s Bar as a nice nod to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character from the film. I also enjoyed the painfully PG version of a certain line (to say anymore would spoil the fun), which was followed up by what I can only hope was a subtle penis joke.
For the most part this issue was about setting the stage, showing us that Archie and friends are quite oblivious to the fact that an extraterrestrial hunter is stalking their every move while they fret over teenage problems. Considering this is the first issue, the body count is quite low; in fact, two of the more unlikable characters meet their end in the first issue. Despite the whimsical tone, there is a decent amount of bloodshed.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the issue, I don’t think it’s enough to get me interested in regular Archie Comics. Let’s hope the second issue continues the momentum.
Superior Iron Man #7
Despite Iron Man’s immense popularity on the big screen, the comic book itself doesn’t sell quite as well. Currently, Superior Iron Man sells much less than Thor or All-New Captain America. Since the events of Axis, Tony Stark hasn’t quite been himself. For a lack of a better term, he has kind of become an asshole. In this issue in particular, one of Tony Stark’s failsafes—should he not be himself—comes into play.
In this issue, the current modern day Tony Stark takes on an AI based on the Tony Stark from eight years ago. This AI happens to be working along side Pepper Potts in an attempt to get Tony Stark back to normal. To be fair, the plot of this issue is kind of weak. I felt like the story advanced very little in this issue, with the outcome of the main fight being no surprise. This issue’s main strength is its art.
Honestly, if you want a good Iron Man story, you’ll have to look to trade paperbacks, I recommend Iron Man: Extremis by Warren Ellis or any Iron Man book written by Matt Fraction.
Legendary Star Lord #11
Legendary Star Lord #11 is currently part of a Guardians of the Galaxy and X-Men crossover event called the Black Vortex. Last year was the first time these two teams banded together, for the trial of Jean Grey. One major criticism about this crossover event is the fact that it’s been drawn out longer than it needs to be. I’ll admit that I’ve skipped a couple issues here and there, but that didn’t seem to hinder the story. However, this is far from being a standalone issue, and if you were looking for a jumping-on point, this isn’t it.
What I love about this event is the fact it’s pure fun. The Black Vortex shows what happens when you give heroes too much power. In this chapter, we get to see what would happen if Star Lord himself were to take on this power. Being the second-to-last chapter of the event, it ended with a setup for the finale. The conclusion to the Black Vortex should be out next week.
Read More: Deadpool Dies, Hawkeye Lives, and Vader Kills: Comic Book Reviews
