The Wicked and The Divine Vol. 1 The Faust Act by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Matt Wilson, Clayton Cowles

I remember learning about this series through a variety of different posts detailing different comics books to read. It was put on my list, and I went on my merry way, not in a particular rush to buy it or read it. However, months later, Josh's friend, Scott, loaned him a few comic books, and this was one of them.

I grew up mostly on manga instead of comics, so I like the longer story format rather than the monthly installments of comics, which is partly why I was interested in this comic. I also was interested in the premise, which gods and goddesses from different religions, current and past in urban fantasy. Sure, I could make the argument that uses such mythology in any capacity is over used and over rated, but I'm a sucker for those types of stories. It was partly the reason why I was a Religious Studies minor. Aren't we all drawn a bit to the "who, what, why and how" of the mysteries of the universe? 

Or maybe it's just me? 

It's about a super fan named Laura who follows the Pantheon, a group of 12 who have been selected to merge with powerful gods and goddesses and given unlimited fame, power and wealth only to die within 2 years and reincarnated every 90 years.

via GIPHY

I guess the reason there are such strict rules on merging with a super powerful mythological deity is so they don't become too powerful or whatever.

Joking aside, I like the strict rules placed on them, because it gives the Pantheon such urgency to live vicariously and recklessly with knowing that they have no idea how long their powers last. It also makes for a great set up to a series.

Now, I would be lying if I said I was 100% sure I knew what was going on in the first issue. There is a lot being thrown at the reader that includes the predicament of Lucifer, the introduction of these famous but doomed deities, the super fan, the world itself, along with brazenly diverse characters, Whedon-esque dialogue with a splash of super stardom and a side of cheese.

Instead of taking the time to explore the world and the setting, the authors demand the reader to buckle in and enjoy the ride, because they are not stopping to cater to those new to the world where gods and goddesses exist.

Normally, my eyes would scrap the top of my skull from rolling so hard at this. It shouldn't work, and I should be bothered by this. Seldom are authors able to pull this sort of immersion off, and I'm quick to judge those books that don't make the cut.

What I think saves it all.. is the illustrations. The art is just beautiful, and seeing these particular characters, in their diverse, wonderful glory interacting with each other and barely able to navigate their own world brought it all together for me. I was able to just sit back and enjoy the ride, bypassing the fact that I was lost on several occasions.

I can't wait to read the rest of the series... Hopefully, my friend Scott has them!

The Uncanny Avengers #1 by Duggan, Stegman and Isanove

It's never a good sign when your husband gives you the comic and flat out tells you that it's not very good. He was right; it's not very good.

At least this comic has more story than the Avengers comic I read a month ago. However, I'm not really into this at all. It's not a bad story, and it's interesting to finally read the conflict between Inhumans and X-men (because seriously... I get that there were rights involved with the movies, but... they are the same thing. It annoys me) but there are a lot of elements with this comic book that I didn't find appealing, and they WERE ALL TOGETHER IN ONE BOOK.

First of all, what is up with the illustrations? Now, I can't draw to save my life, and in terms of comics, I am not picky about how it is illustrated if the story is well done and the coloring is adequate. But I hated the way it was drawn. The coloring was also very dark and I thought the characters were drawn in a way that was very unappealing. It gives me the vibe that it was drawn this way just because it's a unique way of drawing.

Second of all, I am never interested in old Steve Rogers. He's old in the new Captain America, and I appreciate it because Falcon takes the mantel. However, Steve Rogers in this comic is Captain America and head of the Avengers Team. He's old and drawn weird, and maybe it's because I can't get over the fact that he's old, but he doesn't seem to act like Captain America. He just seems pushy, only cares about keeping the Avengers together and holding onto his youth. To quote a way better comic, "He's not my Captain America!"

Finally, I don't see why there is a conflict between Deadpool and the rest of the team. He's brash? Makes decisions in the heat of the moment? How is that any different than all the others on the team? Spider-Man is notorious for making on the fly decisions that gets people hurt. Why is he mad at Deadpool? I don't get it.

Now, I'm going to catch flack for this, but I also don't really see the big deal about Deadpool, either. I'm sure at one point, Deadpool was the only anti-hero of it's kind, but now it seems like every comic book explores the anti-hero. It seems like there is always a character that cracks jokes and breaks the 4th wall. Maybe my mind will be changed when I see the movie, or I read some of his comics. However, the exposure to him thus far has been underwhelming.

I'm not going to read the second issue. On to better things!

Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat #1 by Leth, Williams and Wilson

I first heard of Hellcat back when I was ready my She-Hulk comics. I thought it was interesting that Marvel decided to have a superhero who was merely human. She had no special powers except for the exceptional desire to help others. She resented and loved She-Hulk and did her best in a world that was not made for her. In fact, she thrived on it.I definitely relate to Hellcat, being in a world that not made for her.

I particularly enjoyed Patsy Walker's interpretation on the Jessica Jones show on netflix and her friendship with Jessica was possibly one of the only good things to come out of that season. (WHAT? COME AT ME BRO)

As usual, Josh got me the comic book of the first Hellcat, and I was particularly interested to see how they would reimagine her character.

I really enjoyed the illustrations and artistry of the issue. It had an Manga, Kawaii feel to it, which takes me back to my Otaku days in high school (and college and early 20s...). It's colored very brightly with her red hair standing out along with her blue and yellow suit. I really appreciate the intentional brightness because sometimes comics just seem to drag with the mood and how dark everything is and how dire everything is. Hellcat isn't drawn like that, which it's a joy to look at. You just feel happier looking at it's pages.

It's a very upbeat and happy comic too. It's also very tongue in cheek, and once you realize that (I'm a slow poke, so it took me a bit), you enjoy the comic for what it is. Patsy Walker is already an established superhero, who is biffles with Jenn Walters, or She-Hulk. She has some sort of superhero powers--she can sense who has powers nearby her and she can change her costume at will. She meets an telekinetic, who is named Ian or (Telekinian) and convinces him to use his powers for good.

Patsy gets into other trouble and Ian finds out that she's the actual Patsy Walker, the girl from the books her mother wrote when she was very young. The writers gleefully foreshadow that Patsy's past will come back to haunt her. Patsy comes up with a business plan, that she pitches to Walters and company about Heroes looking for paying work. Jenn agrees to help her, and Hellcat sets on her next journey, working in retail.

Hellcat is totally cute, and such a different pace from a lot of very broody, dark comics that Marvel is putting out recently. I would like to read the second issue, though I have a backlog of other comics that my husband also reads and passes on to me. Anyone else been keeping up with Hellcat? Does it stay tongue in cheek or does it go deeper into her dark past?

The Totally Awesome Hulk #2 by Pak, Cho and Oback

I wasn't sure but now that I've seen his whole name, I'm excited to actually recognize the illustrator of The Totally Awesome Hulk. I remember looking at Frank Cho's work at Baltimore Comicon back in the day and I also remember my friend Kat telling me she knew his girlfriend. Pretty exciting stuff.

The comic starts exactly where the old one left off: introducing Lady Hellbender, who wants to fight The Hulk. Living by a code of chivalry, he dodges her attacks. Her pet... monster, shall we say, steps in and The Hulk is wrestling with it as Lady Hellbender goes after Amadeus' sister.

Which is a huge mistake. Spider-man tries to help, and She-Hulk stops him, stating that she knows that look. She's right and he loses it, slamming Lady Hellbender into the ground. Oh, side note... I also didn't realize that the Spider-man was Miles Morales. He's completely in costume the entire time, and it was only looking at the ads of new comics that are coming out (which I mostly ignore), I would have never known (or Josh would have ended up telling me once he read the series.) Josh is super excited for his comic to drop and it seems like a way better Spider-man than the new Peter Parker.

It quick changes back to Bruce Banner, after absorbing the energy from a Kiber Fusion Reactor, is locked in a containment device underneath the ocean. Iron man and others are trying to figure out what to do and are quickly running out of options.

It snaps back to the new Hulk almost killing Lady Hellbender before She-Hulk and Maddy step in, defusing the situation.

I like the tone of the comic book, a mixture between Bruce's dire situation and Amadeus' new life with his sister helping him in the food truck. He's incredibly optimistic and he's just trying to figure out what to do and how to succeed with his new superpowers. I also love the inclusion of She-Hulk and Spider-man, which gives the Hulk some direction and a team to rely on. It's a very diverse comic, which is definitely appreciated.

It's an interesting choice that She-Hulk wasn't replaced, but I like how instead of just abandoning the Banner' backstory, they embraced it, leading up to how Amadeus obtained his powers in the first place.

My only problem is.... Maddy doesn't feel younger to me. She looks older, and she acts like the older sister to Amadeus. Maybe it's intentional? I don't know, but I have to keep reminding myself she's only 16, not the 25 year old that is depicted in the comic.

I can't wait for the next issue!

The Totally Awesome Hulk #1 by Pak, Cho and Oback

It's pretty awesome when your husband reads your blog and gets you comic books that you mentioned you would like to read. I've always loved the Hulk and She-Hulk, and found their origins and superpowers very interesting. I was really excited to read the new rendition of the Hulk with Amadeus Cho, who, to my knowledge, is a brand new character.

The new Hulk is Asian, which I thought was a great direction for the Hulk universe to go in. It's unexpected, simply because even though Asians are (stereotypically) linked to martial arts and cunning fighting technique, they aren't (stereotypically) known for their strength and large statures. It opens a wide range of stories, and I was excited to read it.

Hilariously, it opens up to a monster attacking the beach, and Amadeus Cho inhaling hamburgers, in preparation to become the Hulk. He's introduced as the 8th smartest person in the world, and he goes to save the day. He's 19, full of himself and flirts with everything that moves but is still very likeable. He has a younger sister that helps him as a robot and they go on a journey to catch the monsters that are roaming the earth.

It also does a flashback to Bruce Banner and what happened that made Amadeus Cho become the Hulk. There is a clever visual image of Cho putting the monster right where he wants him. The pair zoom to the next location to defeat another monster, where he runs into She-Hulk and Spiderman.

Yay for She-Hulk! Yay for Spiderman!

I like how there are other appearances of strong females in the comic, especially his sister, She-Hulk and Lady Hellbender. The new Hulk is a 19 year old kid who flirts with anything that moves, but the writers make sure to get his ass handed to him by the women he surrounds himself with. Amadeus is charming, and I like how they kept remnants of the Bruce Banner Hulk, making him very intelligent, which is what Bruce prided himself in.

I can't wait to read issue 2!

The Mighty Thor #1 by Aaron, Dauterman and Wilson

When it was announced that there would be a new Thor, and that Thor would be a lady, I just sort of shrugged. Some people were very upset, but usually change along those scales doesn't bother me. It's unique and different but honestly, the change had no real impact on my life. I had questioned briefly why they couldn't have brought forward another female character from Thor, like Sid, but I digress.

My husband bought me the comic, and I am very glad he did. The art is just beautiful and on the cover, you see Jane Foster turned into the mighty Thor, with her strong arms and luscious hair, wielding Mjolnir. Half way down the page, however, you see human Dr. Jane Foster, looking sickly and bald. The other Thor is on the right side of the page (which I might add, taking the stereotypical 'female' stance with his booty popping out. Alright, Marvel, drawing for the ladies, I like it) in normal Asgardian dress.

It opens up to Jane undergoing chemotherapy. She watches on the screen the weather station in space, reporting the news and changing the weather. Suddenly, the space station shakes, and a disturbing image appears. Dead elves are in space with writing over them: So Begins The War of Realms.

With a sigh, Foster unplugs her chemo and calls for her hammer, and she goes and saves the day. Later she explains why she won't get better, and the reader takes a glimpse into present day Asgard and Foster's attempt to save all of mankind, cancer be damned. Of course she is worthy to wield the hammer. Of course she should be the new Thor.

Reading about Jane undergoing chemo, and forgoing her wellbeing to be Thor and to step outside of herself to save the world made me think of David Bowie. Through the pain of his cancer, decided to leave one parting musical gift for the world before he passed away.

I took a step back and even made me question and philosophize the meaning of life. I usually hate philosophizing and trying to answer the question of "what does it all mean?" However, the question of our legacy mulled around my head, and still does. What is the purpose of life? What is our legacy? What are we when we leave this world?

Dr. Jane Foster's legacy is her sacrifice for the greater good. David Bowie's legacy is his music and ability to be bold and daring, when no one else was. What about the average joe? What about me? What will I leave behind? Fortunately, no one ever expects it to be figured out right away and it's all OK. I'm normally OK with the idea of not knowing what my legacy will be and I will be again.

I'm excited to read the second issue of The Mighty Thor. Will Thor make an appearance or will it be up to Jane Foster to save the day once more? Will I continue to philosophize the meaning of life? Check back soon!

Which is Better? AKA Jessica Jones and Alias

Wait, AKA Jessica Jones was based off this comic book? Did the script writers read the comic book, toss it to the side and thought, 'no, we can do better?' Or they thought, 'hey, let's take the most uninteresting things about the comic book, toss the rest aside that makes it great, and put other characters in because, well, we're sooo creative and naturally, what we come up with is far more riveting than Alias?' Because that's what the show felt like.

AKA Jessica Jones has been critically acclaimed and raved about, but honestly? I thought it was just OK. Not the worst thing I've ever watched (I'm looking at you Chappie. You abomination.) Now that I've read the beginning of Alias, I've realized that the tone and the mood doesn't transfer over into the show. There are also quite a few terrible things they added, like Ruben and... what was her name? Rylie? Rudder? Rumplestiltskin? and Malcolm, who, let's be honest, had the most thankless character arc ever. Not to mention they rewrote the entire story to where it's almost unrecognizable. There are bits and pieces of the show that I appreciated, and recognised what they were trying to accomplish, but it fell flat. Especially standing next to the comic book.

Even Jessica Jones' hair is different! Which, ok, it's not a big deal. I mean, hair is hair, but did they keep the black hair because it's Krysten Ritter? It would have been interesting to see her have a hair change, but maybe she's butt ugly with red hair... who knows? But it felt to me that black hair was to on the nose with how "dark" the show was.

What I also noticed most about the show was how... cheap it looked. Now, I don't mind low budget movies, and honestly, sometimes creativity can be a wonderful thing that actually adds to it. However, when you notice that even the makeup looks awful in certain lighting (really... there was a defining line between her makeup and her neck, not to mention her skin looked yellow), and your husband points out that the high profile lawyer's office is incredibly bare, and not in a minimalist way, but in a oh-shit-we-have-no-money way, it's a problem. I don't set out to watch a movie to look for makeup flaws and bare settings but it smacked us in the face. It was so low budget that it couldn't even be covered up.

Now, Josh and I have different theories on why it looked so low budget and I think it's a mixture of both of them. I think some of it was intentional, or tried to be. In the comic book, at least in the first volume, she's mostly on the streets, investigating. She's just in tee-shirts and jeans, and only twice does she demonstrate her super powers. It seems like they tried to carry that over to the show. I also think they spent a lot of their money getting Carey Ann Moss, David Tennant, Krysten Ritter and Mike Colter on the show. Josh thinks that most of the budget for the Marvel TV shows were blown with Daredevil, which had a lot of really remarkable shots and stunts and they none left over to shoot Jessica Jones. Man, I hope they are able to film the Luke Cage one (which btw, was one of the best parts about the show).

So, verdict? I haven't read all the comics, so I would have to update as I read them. However, it's a shame that AKA Jessica Jones didn't use much of the story line with Alias, because it would have been neat to see, even if it was just the Rick Jones, sidekick stuff. So far? Read Alias... and I guess see the show if you want to know what everyone else is talking about and you want in on the convo...  but you didn't miss much.

Marvel Mondays: Jessica Jones: Alias 1

To be honest, I was a bit nervous reading the comic book. I saw the show, and I wondered if the book would directly reflect the netflix show (to varying degrees of success). My husband told me that it was a dark comic book series, and he wasn't sure if I would like it or not. However, BAE still bought it for me for Christmas for my blog! Thanks bae! 

I actually really enjoyed it. It was gritty, but I liked the idea of Jessica Jones on the peripheral, abandoning her cape and seeking to try and carve out a normal life. Sure, she's a private investigator, which has her associating with the dredge of society, but it seems like she can hold her own. Her powers are not really played up here, with the exception of her holding her own in a fight (and removing a man's arm from her collar, full strength). There are characters in the comic that are desperate to associate with anyone who has powers, and Jessica falls victim to this several times during the course of the story. 

There are lots of appearances of other, very well known characters in the comics, such as Dare Devil, Captain America and Powerman. I would have liked to see more of their relationship, but I have a feeling there is going to be more of that later on. The story line is political,  with a lot of foreshadowing. It's done very well and it leaves you with the same confusion Jessica feels, but doesn't leave you frustrated that you have no idea what is going on. 

Comic book illustrations and artwork doesn't get a lot of credit, I feel and sometimes, even comic book illustrators don't use their entire toolbox to convey the story at hand or they are refrained from doing so. Gaydos does and his illustrations take on a 90s grunge theme. It's perfect for the atmosphere of the story at hand. He doesn't waste colors either, and reverses light versus dark theme. He uses brighter colors during scenes where she is reflecting on her past as a masked superhero, a time in her life that she would prefer to bury deep, but everyone else glorifies it, wondering why she decided to stop. Gaydos uses darker colors when she is wading through her crisis and detective work, something that she enjoys doing, but everyone else puts down, especially since they deem her worthy of doing more, like becoming a superhero. 

I also love how it's mapped out, and the panels are easy to follow in Alias. My favorite part is when she listens to clients, and artistically, the scene should be very boring. They are sitting at a desk and the client is talking, while Jessica listens. However, the panels go back and forth, depicting the client talking, and Jessica smoking a cigarette, listening but unmoving. Nevertheless, Gaydos conveys that she's on her guard, studying the person, thinking about whether to take the case, or whether it's all bullshit. 

I can't wait to read the rest of the series! 

The All-Different, All-New Avengers # 1 by Waid, Kurbert and Omack

The Avengers are incredibly famous now since the movies. I was wondering what they were going to do with them since they are rebooting all of their new number 1's. I was pleasantly surprised with the familiar superheros they kept and then added a few new ones to the mix.

It opens up to Sam Wilson saving someone, and no matter what he does, cannot catch a break. Tony Stark arrives and provides a needed distraction while they separate from the masses who want Captain America to buy some girl scout cookies.

Tony Stark is poor now? I'm not sure what the deal was, but he sold Stark tower to... someone that looks evil, who discovered Warbringer hiding in one of the boxes they were moving. He technically teleported, but hiding sounds funnier. Spider-man (Oh, Spider-man), was eyesdropping, but since I know that he pays Hobie Brown to be his stand in, I wonder if it's him? Anyway, he's caught by the random evil guy and Warbringer, and tosses him out the window. Tony's car is turned into an Iron-man, and Captain America save Spider-man and help save the day.

The comic then cuts to a girl who is in the midst of an argument with her teenage friends. A side note here, I love the awareness of diversity in the new comic books. It's such a simple thing to have a friend who wears a hijab in a comic book, but with all the anti-muslim rhetoric, anything that can be used to show that muslims are people too is beneficial.

Anyway, Ms. Marvel is a teenage girl who witnesses a large beast in her neighborhood and Nova battling it. She goes and change, and of course, Nova is smitten at first by the citizen, then by the changing Ms. Marvel. I don't know a lot about her, but I already think she's rad. The pair of them bicker as they take down the beast, and Nova reveals who he is in desperate attempt to get her to like him.

It does not go over well.

There are 2 more characters that haven't been introduced that will be introduced next issue: Thor and The Vision. We knew The Vision from the movie, but we'll see how they interpret him. I'm interested in reading his comic, The Visions. Finally, they changed the gender of Thor. I'm not sure how or why, but I think there is also another all knew comic about the change.

I'm excited to read the second issue of the The Avengers with the spin on it.

Also, side note, I'm excited that the new Hulk is Asian. That's pretty cool, right?

Marvel Mondays: Captain America #1 by Nick Spencer and Daniel Acuna

OK... Chris Evans as Steve Rogers who is Captain America is hot. There, I said it. He's gorgeous and he has a heart of gold. Sure, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers is not really in the comics but I enjoy him all the same. I haven't read the other comic books with Steve Rogers, but when my husband informed me that he does give the mantel up, I was devastated.... but Sam Wilson is a pretty good follow up. I loved how Anthony Mackle played him in the movies, so I'm glad that his character stepped up to be Captain America.

Whereas Spider-man had me eye rolling so bad that I thought my eyes were going to fall out of my skull, I really liked the new direction Captain America is heading. It opens up to Sam Wilson getting on a commercial airline, and is wedged between two bros, who discover that Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, is sitting between them! They ask why he is sitting in coach, and Wilson, almost kind of breaking the fourth wall, goes into how he got the mantel, and why he was sitting in coach.

At a time in America where there is social upheaval, outraged voices and the presidential primaries looms near, it makes sense that Marvel has an outlet to address these issues. Young people are either angry, confused, aloof, or a combination of all three, and there needs to be something that makes sense of all of what is going on, and someone that they can relate too.

Steve Rogers has always maintained an air "above it all," concentrating on being Americans, and coming together to support each other, no matter the disagreements. He keeps his political beliefs close to his chest, choosing to endorse liberty and freedom, believing the constitution and government should protect all, no matter their beliefs.

Sam Wilson, on the other hand, realizes who he is. A man of color who has been given the most notable shield in the entire world. He recognized that he couldn't just remain a symbol, but rather become a voice for those whose voices get lost in the protests, or dismissed because of a few violent outbursts. However... he is punished by the big wigs, and he decides to go on his own, to varying results.

It's a great first read, and I'm relieved that this comic is much better than Spider-man. Spider-man felt juvenile, like instead of paying attention to real issues, they just wanted to write about a poor man's "get rich" story... who happens to be Spider-man. Which, I'm not knocking silly stories... but in terms of silly stories that work, Spider-man isn't it.

I also love the inclusion of other lesser known characters. Misty Knight seems awesome, with her bad ass nature and afro, I really want to read more about her. Dennis Dunphy is also another character that I've never read about before. He's a ginger man with a beard... I definitely do have a type.

I'm excited to read issue 2 and 3! Stay tuned for next week!

Marvel Mondays: The Amazing Spider-Man #1

This idea was given to me by my husband, who does a sketch comedy show in Baltimore parodying his beloved comic books. I have reviewed some comic books before (mostly She-Hulk) but since they are coming out with new number 1s of all the issues, why not review them? He also buys them, so it's mostly him spending the money for me to read.

I randomly picked out the Amazing Spider-Man #1. There are so many movies about this character that it's hard to not know who Peter Parker is by this point. He's a high school kid who's down on his luck, lives in the poorer part of New York and has unspeakable tragedy. He has a tough time with girls but despite of that, he's a witty, snarky guy. My husband and I have had many conversations about Spider-Man and how there is a comic about Miles Morales, which would be a better match for Spider-Man. What frustrates us the most is that there isn't really much diversity in comic books. Don't get me wrong, they are trying and doing a better job of expanding diversity when it comes to some reboot of some characters, but... well, they failed when it came to the reboot of Spider-Man.

Peter Parker is a new age industrialist with branches all over the world. The series opens with Spider-Man and Agent Morse, or Mockingbird, fighting a few bad guys from the Zodiac. Spider-Man is snarky, like he usually is, but... there is something off about Peter Parker. It goes flashbacks to him learning how to drive and learning Chinese at the same time. There is some important bits about S.H.I.E.L.D, but I don't really notice because I'm perplexed to why I dislike Peter Parker so much. Finally, the chase scene ends with them capturing this dude with a lion mask on, who works for Zodiac, who is important... but for the life of me I can't remember why. All I'm concentrating on is why Peter Parker is like Tony Stark, with his gadgets and technological know how. I mean, wasn't he a photographer?

The next scene shows Peter Parker in a suit, discussing the future of his company, and the start of the Uncle Ben foundation. I guess he's using Parker Industries to help the world? Fair wages and raising the quality of life for every person that he employs in the countries his company resides in? Then Slott and company really hit the nail on the head with a reporter calling Peter Parker a "poor man's Tony Stark." Peter leans heavily into it, by patting himself on the back and stating that he's wages are that of middle management and that he couldn't feasibly give himself a pay raise above his junior executives.

...what?

Look, I get what Slott and company were trying to do. In a way, I appreciate it. It's providing commentary for greedy CEOs and Wall Street and the 1%. However... why Peter Parker? Why Spiderman? I feel like they were going to do this with Tony Stark, and at the last minute, decided to go with Spiderman. I'm not very well versed with super hero legend, or the continuity of Marvel.... but it just doesn't fit. There is already a few heroes in Marvel that own their own companies and do what Parker is trying to do (or unabashingly doesn't do it) but Parker doesn't feel like one that needs to do something like that. Isn't the appeal of Spider-Man is that he's a regular Joe that just happens to have superpowers? Wasn't that the reason those movies were so popular and one of the first that Marvel put out, because he was so relatable?

There is a smart bit of Hobie Brown also being Spider-Man to keep Peter Parker's cover intact. However, I don't know Hobie Brown from Adam, and it sort of falls flat. Oh, and there is a gay wedding thrown in there, which I also don't know from Adam. I see that Hubbie also bought the second issue of Amazing Spider-Man, so I hope it really picks up. But the verdict? Peter Parker is another rich white dude who's trying to use his money for good, which isn't a bad thing, but this trope would look better on Tony Stark.

Elektra: The Hand by Akira Yoshida and Christian Gossett

Free comic book day. What a great weekend for sales and stocking up on comic books. I couldn't find any more She-Hulk or any other variation of She-Hulk volumes, but BAE picked me up an Elektra comic. I remember that Jennifer Garner played Elektra when she was in that Dare Devil movie with Ben Affleck (probably where they met and hooked up), but she was mostly unmemorable. (That entire movie is unmemorable. I remember seeing it in theatres and it was going to be awesome JUST LIKE the spider man movie. NOPE.)

ANYWAY, on the cover, I am not impressed with her outfit. High rise leotard. Trust, baby doll, wedgies and camel toe galore. That is not a suitable crime fighting outfit. Maybe you like the freedom that a leotard gives you. I get it. There is a reason dancers wear leotards.... but not even tights? Tights would help you. It would keep everything in place (if you have a good leotard). Also, the bandana and these bright red gloves that don't cover her hands. I am unsure what the purpose of those things are. Finally, I see at the bottom thigh highs... oh man. A wedgie and thigh-highs that come down immediately when you start walking. I need to talk to someone at Marvel about Elektra's outfit. 

Ok, on with the story. So... this comic isn't about Elektra AT ALL. It's the origin story of The Hand, which is I think is an assassin group, a la League of Assassins? She appears in the very beginning and watches these guys try to bring this mummy to life, and instead the mummy kills the guys instead. Elektra mentions something about being a foreigner and a woman and how that may throw a wrench into her being accepted as a member of The Hand, and her guide told her to wait just a second, because she wasn't the first foreigner and the first woman to ever join their ranks. 

BOOM! SCHOOLED! 

It then does a flashback where it shows the start of The Hand, and how Japan wanted the foreigners to leave their country. It's a story of samurais, star cross lovers, cultural preservation and human expectations. It's a good story with a twist on the comic book style. It was more manga, which was cool. However, this isn't an Elektra story at all. Other than putting her in the beginning of the story and at the very end, she serves no purpose, only to listen to her guide inform her about the start of The Hand. 

By the end, the reader finds out how they became evil, but as I am not familiar with Elektra's story, I have no idea how The Hand and Elektra work together. I thought she was also a good guy? 

Meh. I feel like I've watched anime and read other stories that do the Samurai thing much better. 

Red She Hulk: Vol. 1 Hell Hath No Fury by Jeff Parker and Carlo Pagulayan

I picked up this comic along with the second volume of She-Hulk Disorderly Conduct. I love obscure superheroes, and Red She-Hulk, an anti-hero, looked badass to me. There was a minor discount because of comic book day, but there was no second hand anything. I will say that I got the comic book from an actual comic book store, which is a breed that is dying out faster now that Amazon is around.

So, Betty Ross. Red She-Hulk. I haven't read any of her books before, but it's a female hulk, which is pretty awesome. So apparently, she was exposed to the Gamma Radiation that Bruce was exposed to along with her father, General "Thunderbolt" Ross, who became Red Hulk. They briefly mention Bruce Banner, but their relationship is not the focus of the story. Betty is trying to stop the super soldier program that that military is putting together, but instead of derailing it, she encourages MORE funding when she kills a potential soldier and gives The Avengers a run for their money. Oh, and there is an android named Aaron, who is more powerful than The Vision and Ultron put together.

She sees a vision of the future where the super soldiers battle against humans and super heroes and they destroy the world. Even though she is wrecking and destroying everything in her path (for the greater good) and is pretty unlikeable, she's trying to save the world.

The artwork is fantastic and consistent the entire way through (unlike some issues of She-Hulk). I like how they drew Red She-Hulk, including when she went Savage Hulk. When she hulked out, she looked strong and graceful, and suited her. I am resisting the urge to say, 'feminine,' because it would be completely OK if the Red She-Hulk, or any superhero female character didn't want to look, feminine, but I felt like she was drawn without looking weird.

Anyway, the series ends about Volume 2, like She-Hulk unfortunately ended. I'm looking forward the mash up between Betty Ross and Jen Walters.

She-Hulk Volume 2: Disorderly Conduct

The second and final volume of She-Hulk. This final volume focuses on Jennifer Walters as an attorney running her own law firm rather than She-Hulk the superhero. Captain America comes into her firm looking for representation... and he's also 90 years old! They don't describe or explain how he got 90 years old, and it was only after BAE told me that I understood. I'm not sure if they should have wasted time explaining how he got so old, but maybe it was assumed that I would have read other comic books such as the Captain America ones?

Anyway, Steve Rogers wants Jennifer to represent him in a case where a dying man laid claim that Steve Rogers murdered his younger brother in the '40s. The lawsuit is in California, and Jen calls her friend Matt Murdock to lend her office space to work out of. However, Murdock, Daredevil, turns a cold shoulder to her, and soon she figures out why: Matt is representing the plaintiff.

There are cool flashbacks to little Steve Rogers and his friends, along with THE NAZIS and ROBOT NAZIS. Steve Rogers puts a lot of faith in his two superhero lawyer friends along with the law for the truth to come out. However, the comic does not reveal whether Rogers is found guilty or not.

The secret of the blue folder is also revealed, with an epic fight between Titania and She-Hulk. In the first volume, there was such a build up over the blue file, and in the second volume, it was solved quickly in the final two issues. I knew that the 2nd volume was the final one, and I think they rushed to finish the story. It's a shame.

Angie Huang continues to be mysterious and when Shulkie begs for her to stay at the end of the book, she does. Oh, and there is a nod to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D where Jennifer Walters are the Inhumans' lawyer.

The art is consistent and She-Hulk looks strong, beautiful and intelligent. There are a lot of other characters, such as Ant-Man, with the return of Hell Cat. I love She-Hulk and she is easily my favorite superhero of all time. I have Red She-Hulk... I don't know much about that story line, so hopefully I get my Shulkie fix!