Features// Comics@SPOnG: Marvel in Ruins

The problem is that both of those story elements are pretty damn incomprehensible. Reading the main Final Crisis series I feel that, while it's a bit of a head-fuck, it'll make sense to me when I finish it and, maybe, re-read it. I'm prepared to forgive that because I still find myself enjoying the series and expect to one day understand it. Superman Beyond I have now read in full and my hopes of ever understanding it are slim. And, y'know, I'm a reasonably intelligent bloke. I don't think this is me having a brain fart. It's a bit much.

That's not to say it's not good fun. It's the kind of cosmic crazy that Morrison specialises in making cool. Only he can write the words “Only Superman can save us now” and make it feel like an ultra-hip, savvy play on the conventions of comics rather than ridiculous mush. Doug Manhke's pencils are also excellent. They're tight and kinetic as ever and he keeps up with the insanity of Morrison's script without ever missing a beat. Plus: 3D sections! (The Evil Editor says he would read all (actually some) comics if they were in 3D).

It's good, it's worth your cash, but reading it is just a little too much like going mental for it to be great.


Dark Avengers
Marvel
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciller: Mike Deodato
$3.99^†

***SPOILER ALERT***

Yeah, here there be spoilers. It's pretty much impossible to say anything about Dark Avengers (probably the flagship book for Dark Reign) without spoilers relating to the end of Marvel's Secret Invasion series. If you read that, though, you're safe.

So, thanks to the events of Secret Invasion (in which the Damn Dirty Skrulls nearly had their filthy way with our planet) Norman Osborn is now in charge of H.A.M.M.E.R., the world peacekeeping taskforce that has replaced the now-defunct S.H.I.E.L.D. With him being a former-supervillain and general nasty bastard, most of the world's superheroes are not, by the looks of things, playing ball. He needs some new Avengers. This is the story of who he gets and how he gets them – each and every one, too. You know these aren't the heroes they look like, but fortunately Bendis has each of them explained by the end of this issue.

I wasn't massively enamoured with Secret Invasion. It felt like it dragged on for too long and spread out too far, but I like the idea of Norman and his Cabal of supervillains running the show now and I'm dearly hoping Dark Reign will make me excited about Marvel comics again.

I'm going to say: 'so far, so good'. Baddies in charge is a great idea (albeit one that we saw before with President Lex Luthor over in the DC Universe) and Bendis gets things moving at a good pace. He's also assembled an intriguing cast that should make for interesting reading. I'm yet to be as excited as I am by other Bendis series such as Ultimate Spider-Man, but I'm going to come out and say that I'm 'cautiously optimistic'.

Deodato, for his part, comes up trumps. I've never been a huge fan, but I think that might be because he's got a habit of following artists that give me a scary nerd bone (Amazing Spider-Man, New Avengers) and not filling their boots. Here, though, he's great. I could keep throwing adjectives at you, but frankly the fact that you could tell just from the posture of the guy in the Wolverine suit that it wasn't Logan^† says plenty more than words like 'dynamic', 'sleek' and 'purdy'.

It's a promising start. I'm crossing bits of myself in the hope Dark Avengers delivers.


That is all.


^†Note: prices displayed in dollars because UK retailer prices may vary.
^††What?! If you read past that spoiler warning I don't believe for a second that you thought that was the ol' canucklehead.