Fear Itself: The Fearless #11 (of 12)

Carrying on after the conclusion of the Fear Itself miniseries, The Fearless has focused on the efforts by the Valkyrie to gather the mystic hammers wielded by the servants of the Serpent.

This hasn't been a bad maxi-series - each issue has featured some excellent interior art by such talents as Mark Bagley and Paul Pelletier and great covers by Art Adams.

The story has moved along briskly and logically, and has included some flashbacks to the Valkyrie's largely unknown earliest days. It's included some great villains and some strong action sequences.

But the problem is, nothing that happens here is a surprise. Valkyrie fights heroes for the hammers, she fights villains, she faces overwhelming odds - it just feels like the whole thing was written by committee.

At the end of this issue, the creative team throws in a surprise - but it lacks any punch, since the next page features the cover for the next issue which seems to spell out what happens next.

So, not a bad series, but not a particularly memorable one. I'm glad to see Valkyrie getting some time in the spotlight - I've liked that character since she first appeared in The Defenders. (I should note that the character's first appearance was in The Avengers, with the Lady Liberators - but she wasn't exactly herself in that story, he said vaguely.)

Grade: C+

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Fear Itself: The Fearless #4 (of 12)

This comic has apparently been assembled by committee, with three plotters, a scripter (Cullen Bunn), two pencilers (Paul Pelletier and Mark Bagley), two inkers and a pile of editors.

Given that, you'd expect Fear Itself: The Fearless to be a mess - but it's actually OK. Not outstanding, but OK.

The story has the Valkyrie traveling the world to gather up the mystic hammers left behind by the Serpent after the Fear Itself mini-series.

But evil forces are also on the hunt - most especially the Red Skull's daughter Sin and her second-in-command, Crossbones.

The Earth's heroes are also trying to stop Valkyrie, and for mysterious reasons she refuses to reveal why she's tracking down the hammers. That way, of course, we can have more sequences of Valkyrie fighting her former friends. It's the Marvel way.

It's nice to see the Valkyrie getting some time in the spotlight, but the story seems a bit too predictable. Should I be shocked when Sin manages to gather the hammers together for whatever evil purpose she has in mind, only to be defeated at the last moment by Earth's heroes? Or am I being too cynical?

I enjoy the art, the covers by Art Adams are terrific, and the dialogue is fine, but the series just seems to be taking the long way around to get to the point.

Hopefully I'm wrong - but I fear the story is going to fail because there have been too few surprises.

Grade: B-

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Fear Itself #7.2: Thor

(Sorry to be running a bit late today, friends - had a family medical emergency to deal with, but all is well now.)

When major events (death, destruction, etc.) happen in comics, it usually takes a while before they're "corrected" and the characters involved are brought back to life, returned to normal or otherwise restored to the staus quo.

That's why the "sequels" to Fear Itself have been surprising - they're wasting no time explaining what "really happened."

This time around, it's Thor's turn. (And here's your last chance to turn away if you haven't read the Fear Itself series, as I'm about to mention what happens at the end. I won't spoil this issue, but I can't always help spoiling older comics - sorry.)

The end of Fear Itself followed along with Thor's predicted fate at the end of Ragnarok, facing his death while defeating the Midgard Serpent.

I thought they'd get out of this death because, at the end, the Serpent apparently doesn't die (I think). But instead the story takes a surprising (and more abstract) turn. A new character is introduced, Asgard gains new leadership and only one character smells a rat.

Credit writer Matt Fraction with an original and clever new direction for Thor (maybe).

The art is by Adam Kubert and Mark Roslan, and it's terrific (as always), with great character designs, sprawling landscapes and several emotional scenes.

Of the two issues (so far), the story gyrations here may not be easy to follow, but they're actually easier to accept than those in issue #7.1 (of that makes sense). I'm looking forward to seeing where Thor goes from here.

Grade: A-

Fear Itself #7.1: Captain America

I picked this issue to review this week before I read it - and now I regret it.

Not because it's a great issue, and not because it's a bad issue (both can be fun to review for different reasons).

It's because it's going to be almost impossible to review without giving away key plot points. But since "no spoilers" is our credo at Chuck's Comic of the Day, I'm going to give it my best shot.

The story spills out of a key event in the Fear Itself series: the death of Captain America (the version played by Bucky Barnes).

We finally get to see the aftermath of that event, with special focus on Steve Rogers, Nick Fury and the Black Widow.

It's written by Ed Brubaker, who is laying the groundwork for stories into the year ahead, and it's drawn by Butch Guice, and I've really enjoyed his work on the Captain America series.

He has a gritty, realistic yet unique style - but you'll occasionally catch glimpses in his work of past influences, including Kirby, Steranko and others. I'm really looking forward to his next project coming up next year.

More than that, I can't say - but if you've been following Cap's comic for the past few years, you'll want to pick this up to bridge the gap into upcoming stories.

Not everyone will like this story - there are parts of it that just feel clunky and forced - but it covers some important ground, and offers some explanations that will make things clear in the months ahead.

Cautiously recommended.

Grade: B+

Fear Itself #7 (of 7)

So the big problem with Marvel's "Event" books has been that, of late, they keep wrapping up with an anticlimactic finish.

Here I'm thinking of Civil War, when one side just quits fighting, or Secret Invasion, where a pile of superheroes beat up a pile of Skrulls (this is a strategy?), or Dark Reign, where a pile of superheroes kill the major menace (again, where's the plot twist?)... you get the idea.

There are certainly major events in this finale of Fear Itself, with a huge battle royale, some major deaths, a surprising twist or two and the setup for some future stories.

The problem is that everything that happens here was set up plainly in the previous issue, where writer Matt Fraction essentially said, "Here's what's going to happen." In this issue - it happens.

There are some satisfying moments, a few emotional scenes, a great speech at the end - but it all doesn't quite manage to live up to the buildup. Perhaps the problem is spending six issues building up these unbeatable foes, only to arrive at the seventh issue and have to wrap it all up quickly.

I should hastily add that the artwork is wonderful. Stuart Immonen and Wade Von Grawbadger get to cut loose here, with great double-page splashes of the battle, casts of hundreds and some tense moments. Outstanding work!

It wouldn't be an event without new comics spinning off from it, and in the back of this issue you get a sample of four comics that do that, including The Defenders and the Hulk.

And the story doesn't actually end here - it spins off into The Fearless, and there are three Fear Itself follow-ups (numbered 7.1, 7.2 and 7.3 - isn't that cute?)

Overall I give this series good marks, thanks to a strong story, some plot twists and lots of excellent art. It's actually a cut above the "Events" I listed earlier - but it didn't quite manage to stick the landing.

But it was oh so close!

Grade: B+

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Fear Itself #6 (of 7)

For some reason Fear Itself has not been getting as much attention as most events receive - no doubt the "New 52" has diverted attention away from it.

That's a shame, because in many ways this is one of the best "events" in recent Marvel history.

The Serpent is an incredibly powerful creature from Norse mythology that has created monsters from some of Earth's most powerful characters and used them to smash all opposition.

The only one who could stand up to the menace was Thor, and on the first page of this issue we see that he's unable to walk and barely conscious. Captain America has suffered two terrible losses - Bucky, who was killed, and Cap's shield has been smashed. Iron Man in is Asgard trying to create weapons that will give humanity a chance in the final war.

That's where this issue starts, and what follows is further building of the menace - and a sense of doom around one hero, who may not survive to the end of the next issue.

The story is taut, suspenseful and powerfully written by Matt Fraction, and there are some real gems in there (Cap gets a few great moments, including facing down Odin). The only "off" note is Spider-Man's side trip, which only serves to make him seem, well, selfish.

The art is excellent as always, with Stuart Immonen doing some of his best work. Cosmic blasts, panoramic scenes, intense action and quiet, personal moments all shine here.

It's all been building nicely, and next issue should blow the doors off. If you've missed this one, you've missed an outstanding series that combines the best of modern storytelling with a classic "everything's on the line" Marvel extravaganza.

Highly recommended!

Grade: A

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Avengers #16

It seems that the series most affected by an "Event" is the one that struggles the most with what to do while the event is running its course.

That seems to be the problem with The Avengers, as this issue is given over to a side-story that makes little sense and doesn't accomplish anything - unless you count "stalling for time."

Brian Bendis' story doesn't make sense because it's sandwiched in between two key moments in the Fear Itself series. We saw a key character get killed in one issue of the mini-series, and the next issue we saw Captain America's reaction to it.

This issue shows us that Cap took time in between those moments to fly to Europe with three key female SHIELD agents to try to track down the Red Skull's daughter Sin - but wasn't she always at the head of the invading army that's been smashing cities since the first issue of Fear Itself?

What follows is several pages of all-out action, and artist John Romita Jr. has fun putting the heroes through their paces.

But that's all there is to it - by the end, everything is back where it started, There's some solid artwork, a few clever lines - and a story that seems to be unnecessary.

Hopefully, once Fear Itself has run its course, this comic can go back to telling stories that matter.

Grade: C+

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Alpha Flight #3 (of 8)

I'm still on the fence with the new version of Alpha Flight.

One the one hand, I agree with almost everything the creative team has done.

They've restored the team's original line-up with relatively minor tinkering (Marrina looks and acts different and Puck and Vindicator are apparently crazy), but they've also turned the team into outlaws and most of Canada's leaders have apparently gone mad.

The story by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente is all over the map. There's a feeble attempt to link this mini-series with Fear Itself, but in this issue, the connection is almost non-existent. Alpha Flight is forced to go on the run - then they stop - and then they run again. Aurora is losing her mind - and then, after a disturbing incident, she's fine.

There just seem to be too many ideas (and characters) flying around here, and I suspect any new reader will be completely lost.

I like Dale Eaglesham's art a lot, although there's so much story here, he doesn't have much room to flex his artistic muscles - but the story is clean and clearly told.

Three issues in (and five to go) and I'm still not sure if I like this series. Apparently there are big events in the wind, so I'll hang on for now - but just barely.

Grade: B-

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Fear Itself #5 (of 7)

Marvel has traditionally been very, very good at action.

I'm talking good ol' bare knuckles, knock down, drag out, slobberknocker, building smashing, city crashing, over-the-top-and-then-some battles.

And that's what this issue delivers - and much more!

How's this: a battle royale between Thor and a demon-possessed Hulk and Thing? It's the kind of big league battle we don't see too often these days, and it's entertaining as all get-out.

But there's much more going on here than just one fight. We see Iron Man's plan to fight back against the forces of the Serpent, and we see Captain America face one of his darkest moments.

Matt Fraction crafts a heck of a classic Marvel story here, with big stakes, big events and surprising twists.

Artist Stuart Immonen and inker Wade Von Grawbadger just seem to get better with every issue. Battle sequences are very difficult to do well - the artist must depict the flow of the story, maximize the dramatic impact and build the tension every step of the way. Immonen handles it all with great skill - the stakes are high in the story, and the art rises to the challenge.

So far, this event is living up to the hype - let's hope the last two issues can deliver as well!

Grade: A

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Avengers Academy #16

I've mentioned before being a big fan (ha!) of Giant-Man, so I'm glad to see him getting a turn in the spotlight both in Avengers Academy and in the quite-good Disney animated series Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

He certainly has a major challenge to overcome here, as he faces two members of The Worthy, the Absorbing Man and Titania, both of whom have been powered-up by the magic hammers provided by The Serpent (as per Fear Itself).

Thankfully, writer Christos Gage knows how to write a smart character like this - it's not easy, especially when that hero is badly outmatched in the power department. But this is exactly how I expect Giant-Man to behave, using his considerable intellect to outwit or outmaneuver the bad guy.

As much as I loved the first half of the comic, the second half - well, not so much. It focused on Veil's attempts at saving a girl and her Mom during the attack on Washington, DC - and it was more or less a repeat of what happened last issue to Mettle.

I like Tom Raney's art a lot (inked here by Andrew Hennessy) - he has the Marvel "hyper-action," over-the-top battle sequence style down pat, and he's working on a mass destruction scale here.

Avengers Academy is consistently one of the best of the Avengers books, but it's a little out of its element as it slogs through this event. I look forward to a return to "normalcy" (whatever that is).

Grade: A-

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Uncanny X-Men #541

The first appearance of the Juggernaut in an early issue of The X-Men is one of my favorite issues from that title in the 1960s.

In that issue, the Juggernaut was out for revenge over his step-brother, Professor X (Charles Xavier), and the X-Men found that, despite their best efforts, their enemy was virtually unstoppable.

This issue of the Uncanny X-Men revisits that story, updated for the Fear Itself story. The Juggernaut has been possessed by one of the Serpent's Hammers, making him even more powerful.

He is marching inexorably toward San Francisco, and it's up to the X-Men to try to stop him. It's a tall order, and it may just be an impossible task.

The story by Kieron Gillen keeps things crackling along - the previous issue set everything up, so this one is all about the throwdown between the good and bad guys with some great twists thrown in.

Greg Land's art (with inks by Jay Leisten) is quite good, with lots of hoo-hah action scenes, strong character work and some great expressions (both serious and comical) on the players. His style doesn't always work for me - his action scenes can be a bit disconnected sometimes - but it works very well here.

I'm enjoying this story a lot, although it's taking its sweet time in playing out. Still, this series has bee quite good in recent months - and I haven't been able to say that about the X-Men since the early "Astonishing" days.

Grade: A-

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The Avengers #15

Certainly any Marvel hero must, at one time or another, go through the rite of passage we call: fighting the Hulk.

It's a tall order most days, but moreso now that the Fear Itself mini-series has the Hulk possessed by an ancient Asgardian demon and wielding a giant magic hammer.

So what better time for Spider-Woman to take on the big green giant? She actually has a little bit of help in this issue of The Avengers, but for the most part Ms. Marvel, The Protector (why don't they call him Captain Marvel or Marvel Boy?) and Hawkeye are out of the fight, so the vastly outmatched Spider-Woman gets her cred as a real Marvel hero.

At this point in the mini-series, the Worthy (as the demon-possessed heroes and villains are called) are impossible to beat - incredibly powerful, virtually indestructible, they defy any efforts by Earth's heroes to stop them. (Something tells me the good guys will soon discover a way to remedy that situation.)

Give Brian Bendis credit for writing a solid, entertaining story here, even though the outcome is never in doubt - but the same can"t be said about the survival of any of the heroes.

The artwork is by Chris Bachalo, and I admit I'm a bit torn on his art. His design and layouts are stunning, and he pumps life and energy into his characters - but characters are heavily distorted in some panels, to the point where they'd fit better in a cartoon.

Still, it's hard to complain - the art is fresh and inventive, and while it's not my style, there are plenty of fans who would disagree.

Bendis continues to give us hints of the bigger picture through the interviews different Avengers are conducting - some after the Fear Itself event.

It's not a bad issue at all, but it drags a bit and it never quite resolves anything.

Come to think of it, the same is true for almost every "hero fights the Hulk" story. Go figure.

Grade: B+

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Fear Itself #4 (of 7)

As we hit the halfway point for Fear Itself we find the Earth in a bad spot - caught between a foe of incredible power (the Serpent) and the threat of destruction from Odin (who seems to have adopted the "we had to destroy the village to save it" philosophy).

Standing up for Earth are the Avengers, but they seem to be up against an unbeatable foe, as eight powerful humans (including the Hulk, the Thing, Juggernaut and the Absorbing Man) have been possessed by hammers of incredible power.

We see the follow-up to last issue's shocking death, and we can't help but wonder if more death might be on the way - especially considering that final page.

Writer Matt Fraction continues to weave a powerful story about ancient evil and the courage it takes to stand up in the face of genuine fear. His characterizations of Thor, Steve Rogers and Iron Man are especially spot on.

As for the art - well, I've raved many times about Stuart Immonen's work, and he continues to turn in page after page of powerful, stunning art. (Did I mention that last page?)

This series is building nicely, and next issue promises to be a classic Marvel fight-to-the-finish between powerhouses. I can't wait!

Grade: A-

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Fear Itself #3 (of 7)

It's interesting that the two latest "event book" chapters from Marvel and DC are similar, but take opposite approaches.

Where DC's Flashpoint series is methodical with a few action sequences thrown in, Fear Itself is just an all-out action romp from beginning to end.

Both showcase destruction on a massive scale, but DC's offers the hope of a reboot - all the bad stuff will eventually go away. At Marvel, the destruction is real and disturbing.

Both stories also may spell the end for a hero (though that seems less likely for DC, but a real possibility here).

And both feature terrific art - here by Stuart Immonen and Wade Von Grawbadger, who create page after page of stunning battle sequences.

The only thing that seems off about this series is a short sequence with Steve Rogers, who seems almost flippant in the face of widespread destruction. Isn't he the master of strategy?

This series continues to build nicely, as the Serpent consolidates his (its?) power, summoning mystic hammers and creating unstoppable powerhouses.

So far in the battle of Event comics, I have to give the edge to this series - it's hard-hitting, compelling and the stakes couldn't be higher.

If we must have these events (and apparently we must), it's great to have two that are (for the most part) delivering the goods.

Grade: A

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Fear Itself #2 (of 7)

This event is shaping up to be a good one.

No matter the menace, Marvel's superhero community has always had some big hitters who could come to the rescue - but this issue of Fear Itself poses the problem: what do the heroes do when their biggest guns are taken away?

Here we see Thor and the Asgardians being led by Odin into a full retreat from the world of men. The enemy, known as The Serpent (or the All-Father) is gathering his forces - and the power level is off the scale.

There's a strong undercurrent of fear here, as we tap into news reports of disaster and destruction around the world. It's almost a little too real, as anyone who watches the news regularly can attest.

This issue includes one image that's a bit too disturbing - even 10 years later, it's difficult to see images of mass destruction on the scale of 9/11. (Maybe that's just me.)

Writer Matt Fraction has set up a terrific challenge for the heroes of the world, and artists Stuart Immonen and Wade Von Grawbadger are providing some amazing images.

From the Asgardian exodus, with the landmass of Asgard seeming to follow in their wake, to the unveiling of The Worthy and the mass destruction of the first attack, the art is simply stunning.

The best stories make you wonder: how will this be resolved? I have no idea, but I'm dying to see what happens next.

Grade: A

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Fear Itself #1 (of 7)

While I'm as tired of "EVENTS" as the next reader, I have to admit that Fear Itself is off to a stunning start.

I admire the fact that you don't need to know any backstory to appreciate Matt Fraction's story (although it couldn't hurt, I suppose). It begins with The Red Skull's daughter Sin uncovering an ancient artifact - a mystic hammer.

When she touches it, she sets in motion a series of events that will have far-reaching and devastating effects.

The beauty of this book is that it brings together characters from The Avengers, Thor and the gods of Asgard, and the aftershocks from the Siege into a solid story that makes sense. There's no sense of patchwork storytelling, of characters shoehorned into a story where they don't belong.

In other words, it feels like a classic "big" Marvel story. There's a real sense of big events coming, and Odin brings about some shocking changes to the status quo.

The art is fantastic. Stuart Immonen just seems to get better every month, and here he's asked to draw an army of heroes, gods, dragons, mystic events and down-to-Earth protests - and it all looks amazing! Outstanding storytelling and beautiful art, with power crackling on each page.

This is what Event Comics should be - great story, top-notch art, mysteries to unravel and a genuine sense of, yes, fear. Great stuff!

Grade: A

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Fear Itself Prologue: Book of the Skull #1 (One-Shot)

Fear Itself is the next mega-event from Marvel Comics, and so far - I like it!

This prologue has one foot set in modern times and another back in the days of World War II as the Red Skull hatches yet another plan that won't see fruition for 70 years.

That was something of a specialty of the Skull's, like his robotic Sleepers... but I digress.

Here the Skull attempts to use mystic powers to conjure up a weapon to help the Nazis win the war - but three of the Invaders show up to spoil his plans.

It's great to see Captain America, Bucky and the Sub-Mariner in action (heck, it's even fun to see the Red Skull being his old menacing self), and this issue is loaded with wild battle sequences.

The art is also terrific, as Scot Eaton and Mark Morales tell a powerful story of evil unleashed. The pages just drip with foreboding.

So it's a good start, although we don't really get much information about what the upcoming storyline will be about.

But I'm all for any excuse that gets the Invaders back in action.

Grade: A-

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