First up comes Spider-Man. Always reluctant to be a part of a larger team as he has seen what it has done to his personal life in the past and the sheer volume of his own personal rogue’s gallery, Spidey has been one of the most entertaining pieces of the current New Avengers lineup. With the upcoming film reboot, it isn’t much surprise that Marvel would like to try to get everyone’s favorite wall crawler as much exposure as possible.

The next member was a little more of a surprise though as Luke Cage’s mug showed up in the second New Avengers marketing piece. It looks like Luke will be pulling double duty as both a New Avenger and the leader of the upcoming Thunderbolts team. Though the premise of the Thunderbolts has been former villains looking for redemption, there is a real stretch to believe Luke would be a part of that team.

The combination of Ghost who has tried to kill Tony Stark, Crossbones who shot Steve Rogers and Moonstone who has tried to kill any Avengers she could, it seems very unrealistic to believe Luke Cage would actually opt to lead this band of misfits. The further combination of the Juggernaut and Man-Thing to the mix just adds further conclusion.

Hopefully Luke will be able to get out of there quick before all the time Bendis has spent building him up turns out to be for naught.

This morning, Marvel announced a third member to the lineup with the addition of Wolverine. It is starting to make sense why this team’s lineup has been the last to be announced as it so far hasn’t changed from the current New Avengers title. The dynamic of these non-original team members is already set up and, let’s face it, works great already. Seeing Wolverine continue his triple duty as a member of the X-Men, X-Force and an Avengers squad hasn’t run the character dry after years of doing it already and if it continues the macho big brother, geeky little brother relationship that Logan shares with Spider-Man then we are all for it.

We will be following this story closely as more information on the Avengers, New Avengers, Secret Avengers , Avengers Academy and whatever other Avengers team Marvel can come up with becomes available.

Set to be directed by Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) with from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt (Zodiac), the still untitled Spider-Man film will quickly reboot the franchise that had starred Toby McGuire as Peter Parker. Now already eight years after the original film’s release, a new generation’s webslinger will step on to the silver screen.

With visuals like shooting webs and swinging through Manhattan, it seems like the Spider-Man franchise would work well in 3D as long as they were about to avoid the somewhat stereotypical “throw something at the screen” actions that some of these style films fall in to. Our main concern though is making sure there are no 3D song and dance routines down Broadway.

We recently got a chance to sit down with Justin about the show, his work on the recently released season five DVD, and where he sees the upcoming season going. One cool feature on the DVD is a collection of the University of Andy web shorts. We asked Justin where the idea came from, and he knew that it was already going to be a success.

The writers had done various web-based content over the years. I don’t know if you remember ‘Good Morning, Agrestic’, which was a faux public access channel, but it was all meant to be for the web and DVD’s, which inevitably turned into a big hit. There’s also a new round out right now. We are only 3 episodes deep into round 2, which is going on right now.

One of the biggest events of this past season was the jump ahead six months and the story progressed. Justin was more than excited about that idea when he first heard about it.

Oh, I thought that was so exciting, I loved it! I don’t know if you noticed, but I got to wear a fake beard and a fat pad, and that was a lot of fun. Every time something epic like this happens, it’s always a great time. We’re heading into our sixth season, and when you’ve been around that long, you have to do fun stuff like that every once and a while to keep the audience asking “What’s this?”

Speaking of the final season, there has been lots of speculation that this will be the final season coming up, though Justin didn’t believe that will be the case.

You know, the studio only ever picks us up for one season at a time. Last year was the first time that they picked up two seasons at once, which was season five and this upcoming season. Normally, we never even know until months before we all go back to work whether or not we’re in it for another season, so we think they’ll keep it going as long as the show is still good.

We go into production on season six on April 22, which is usually about the time we start. I’d be happy to give up information that I know regarding the upcoming season, but not only is there nothing that I know, but I’d put a strong bet in that there is a lot that hasn’t been come up with. The writers go back to work this week, and that’s when they’ll start spinning their mastery on the season.

The last thing we talked about was an interesting subject that got brought up in a recent interview with Justin’s on-screen nephew, Hunter Parrish. Hunter recently talked to our pals at MTV Splash Page about his official pitch to play Spider-Man in the upcoming reboot. While we’re all excited for the idea, Kirk didn’t seem to put much weight into it.

First of all, I think Hunter could absolutely pull off playing Spider-Man. He’s a major actor currently, and definitely to be. I saw the clip where he announced his interest in the part, and it looked like he was just kind of screwing around and riffing with the interviewer in the moment. I didn’t take from that that he was really meant that he was pursuing the role of Spider-Man. If he was, I can’t think of anybody who would be better. He’s a major actor regardless, and there are big things ahead for him.

Season Five of Weeds is currently available on DVD and Blu-Ray.

The guys also make some picks this week including Sal’s pick of Marvel’s mini-series Deadpool: Suicide Kings, Matt’s choice of the Cohen Brothers A Serious Man and Chris’ pick of David Lynch’s modern classic Mulholland Drive.

As usual, if you have any comments, questions, critiques or offers of sponsorship, feel free to hit us up in the comments, on Twitterand at Facebook, MySpace or via email.

Marvel is at it again, adding a new spin to their image and changing things up to excite readers new and old. This time around, the publisher is set to unleash “the dawn of new heroism in the Marvel Universe.” What are they talking about? Well, read on for all the scoop, via the official press release.

Marvel Comics is proud to announce The Heroic Age, the dawn of an exciting new era of heroism in the Marvel Universe! Beginning in May 2010 with the release of Avengers #1, The Heroic Age ushers in a brighter Marvel Universe and a bold new era for the world’s greatest super heroes as they emerge from darkness with a renewed sense of hope and optimism, leading to the formation of all new teams with new members…and brand new characters!

Titles branded with the Heroic Age banner offer a perfect jumping on point for readers new and old alike, as the top comic book creators in the world deliver a Marvel Universe like you’ve never seen before!

Over the past few years, the Marvel Universe and its citizens have found themselves living in a dark age of despair. Beginning with the disbanding of the Avengers, the heroes of the Marvel Universe have been caught in a demoralizing downward spiral that has included the genocide of the mutant population, a divisive civil war between heroes, the assassination of Captain America, a worldwide subversive alien infiltration and invasion, and the media-fueled and publicly-supported ascension of the Green Goblin’s civilian identity, Norman Osborn, to power and control of the United States. Now, the heroes have united once again, stronger than ever and are prepared to face the dangers that lie ahead.

“Our heroes have experienced some of their greatest trials and tribulations recently, but now there’s going to be a renewed hope among their ranks,” said Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer & Editor-in-Chief Marvel Entertainment LLC. “As our heroes emerge from the darkness, the Marvel Universe is going to be a more optimistic place than we’ve seen in a quite awhile. But that doesn’t mean we’re making things easy for our characters!”

From the tone of the storylines, to the stunning new artistic look, The Heroic Age ushers in a dramatic new vision of the Marvel Universe. Marvel’s most elite characters will be at the center of The Heroic Age, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and more!

David Gabriel, Senior Vice-President of Sales & Circulation, Marvel Entertainment LLC. added “We’ve been working out the details of The Heroic Age for about a year now. The plan is to give old and new fans alike the perfect place to jump into the Marvel Universe without feeling like they’ve missed out on anything that’s come before. If there’s a Heroic Age banner on one of the books, we’re serious when we say ‘the Marvel Universe Starts Here!”

A new Age of Heroes dawns this May as The Heroic Age begins and changes the face of comics as you know them! Join Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Jonathan Hickman, John Romita Jr, and more of the industry’s hottest creators as they bring a bold new era for the world’s greatest super heroes, with a stunning new look for the Marvel Universe!

Since it was just the two of them this week, Chris and Matt both got cocky and opted for two picks. Matt went with The Adventures of Power, an indie comedy starring Ari Gold (not Jeremy Piven) and the silver screen adaptation of Tucker Max’s I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell, which hits DVD on January 26th. Chris also had two picks, as he went with Paul Thoman Anderson’s Magnolia on Blu-ray, which we’ll have a review of next week, and Whiteout starring Kate Beckinsale.

Sorry for the tardiness of the episode, but due to how much Matt and Chris gushed about the Golden Globes, we think it’s well worth the wait. As usual, if you have any comments, questions, critiques or offers of sponsorship, feel free to hit us up in the comments, on Twitter and at Facebook, MySpace or via email.

In a joint statement by Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, the studio highlighted what went into the decision: “At its core, Spider-Man is a small, intimate human story about an everyday teenager that takes place in an epic super-human world. The key for us as we sought a new director was to identify filmmakers who could give sharp focus to Peter Parker’s life.”

“We wanted someone who could capture the awe of being in Peter’s shoes so the audience could experience his sense of discovery while giving real heart to the emotion, anxiety, and recklessness of that age and coupling all of that with the adrenaline of Spider-Man’s adventure,” continued the statement. “We believe Marc Webb is the perfect choice to bring us on that journey.”

Let’s hope so.

The trio also made some new picks this week including Matt’s pick of Aziz Ansari’s standup video Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening, Elisabeth’s pick of Lesbian Vampire Killers and Chris’ pick of Katherine Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker, which is new on Blu-ray this week and also one of Chris’ top ten films of 2009.

As always, if you have comments, questions, critiques or offers of sponsorship, feel free to hit us up in the comments, on Twitter and at Facebook, MySpace or via email.

This news comes after recent reports of script and villain problems and delays in filming in order to reach a projected release date in 2012. In addition, Sony released a statement today and we’ve got that for you right here:

Culver City, CA (January 11, 2010) — Peter Parker is going back to high school when the next Spider-Man hits theaters in the summer of 2012. Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today they are moving forward with a film based on a script by James Vanderbilt that focuses on a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises.

The new chapter in the Spider-Man franchise produced by Columbia, Marvel Studios and Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, will have a new cast and filmmaking team. Spider-Man 4 was to have been released in 2011, but had not yet gone into production.

“A decade ago we set out on this journey with Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire and together we made three Spider-Man films that set a new bar for the genre. When we began, no one ever imagined that we would make history at the box-office and now we have a rare opportunity to make history once again with this franchise. Peter Parker as an ordinary young adult grappling with extraordinary powers has always been the foundation that has made this character so timeless and compelling for generations of fans. We’re very excited about the creative possibilities that come from returning to Peter’s roots and we look forward to working once again with Marvel Studios, Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin on this new beginning,” said Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

“Working on the Spider-Man movies was the experience of a lifetime for me. While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job,” said Sam Raimi.

“We have had a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration and friendship with Sam and Tobey and they have given us their best for the better part of the last decade.This is a bittersweet moment for us because while it is hard to imagine Spider-Man in anyone else’s hands, I know that this was a day that was inevitable,” said Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, who has served as the studio’s chief production executive since the beginning of the franchise. “Now everything begins anew, and that’s got us all tremendously excited about what comes next. Under the continuing supervision of Avi and Laura, we have a clear vision for the future of Spider-Man and can’t wait to share this exciting new direction with audiences in 2012.”

“Spider-Man will always be an important franchise for Sony Pictures and a fresh start like this is a responsibility that we all take very seriously,” said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures. “We have always believed that story comes first and story guides the direction of these films and as we move onto the next chapter, we will stay true to that principle and will do so with the highest respect for the source material and the fans and moviegoers who deserve nothing but the best when it comes to bringing these stories and characters to life on the big screen.”

The studio will have more news about Spider-Man in 2012 in the coming weeks as it prepares for production of the film.

Other good issues include the beginning of the Gauntlet story in Amazing Spider-Man. With Mark Waid writing and Paul Azaceta drawing the introduction, Joe Kelly and his I Kill Giants artist Niimura handle a Black Cat story.

From DC we get the penultimate issue of the Flash: Rebirth, with some incredible art from Ethan Van Sciver. At this point, with Blackest Night and everything else it seems like this book has kind of gone by the wayside and we know that Barry Allen is back and he is back to stay. So why stay with this book? Well, I feel like its still interesting to see how he comes back, plus all the Flashes together makes for some neat visuals.

Finally, an Indie book called Viking, written by one of the best comic writers that you may or may not know of, Ivan Brandon, takes on a viking crime book with artist Nic Klein. This is a beautifully dialogued, and gorgeously rendered book that is a feast for your eyes. Its easily the best put together comic on the market so I urge you all to try it out.

As always, we here at The Flickcast care about what you read, so leave us a comment and let us know what you liked/didn’t like from this week’s comics. For a more complete list of what comes out this week, check out the one at Midtown Comics.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Isabella’s accomplishments, and more importantly (in this case), credentials, allow me to fill in the blanks for you. He’s been a writer and/or editor for both Marvel Comics and DC Comics – along with a smattering of other publishers – for over 30 years. He’s reviewed and written about comics and comics-related items for Comic Buyer’s Guide – produced each month by F+W Media, which is also affiliated with Krause Publications – in his “Tony’s Tips” column for almost the same period of time.

He’s arguably read more comics than most of us comic aficionados hope to read in our lifetimes. While judging comics always comes with the usual “how it’s interpreted” hang-up, having Tony Isabella at the helm is definitely a step in the right direction.

So how’s the book? For starters, neglecting the urge to rank said comics was probably the best decision the powers that be ever made in regards to this project. All ranked lists do nothing but fuel debate, which the seemingly endless Internet trolls love to argue and spit vitriol over. Instead, the book is broken up into sections spotlighting the various decades, ranging from the forties to the current decade.

There are two notable exceptions to the breakdown: a section for Superman’s first appearance and early issues as well as a section where Isabella talks about his pick for “the greatest comic book of all time” for an extended period. I won’t tell you which issue stood out for Isabella but I will say he makes some interesting points – both professionally and personally – as to why it was chosen.

As for the rest of the selections, Isabella gives you everything you need to know in a simple paragraph, and are always accompanied by a cover for easy recognition. There’s a handy page near the end of the book with outlets to purchase these comics, however, I would have liked to see where certain issues were also collected. After all, not everyone who reads this book has the scratch to buy Spider-Man’s first appearance, as an example.

Silly nit picking aside, I can’t see how any die-hard comic fan or brand new fans to the medium can go on without this incredibly useful tome. If I may be so bold, Mr. Isabella, I’ll give your book “five out of five Tonys.”

Available through Amazon.com, Diamond Distributors, KrauseBooks.com and many other venues, and considering the holiday season just around the corner, I’d say this would make an excellent gift. Once you’ve read it, be sure to come back and let us know what you thought of 1000 Comic Books You Must Read, we’re always interested in hearing what others have to say. Enjoy!

Green Lantern #46 – DC – $2.99
Score: 7.5

As Blackest Night continues, as does the rest of the saga of Hal Jordan and the other Lantern Corps. This issue picks up immediately following the Indigo Lantern teleporting Hal away from the Flash in Blackest Night #3, Hal finds himself in the middle of the Star Sapphires battle with the Sinestro Corps as well as the Black Lanterns.

In the process of the attack from the Black Lanterns, the Star Sapphires must also worry about the threat of the Predator being released. Sharing the secret of how to destroy the Black Lanterns with Star Sapphire, Indigo-1 quickly transports away Hal, Sinestro and Star Sapphire as they try to gather bearers of the various lights. But to unite the various Corps, the split within the Sinestro Corps must be mended and only have one leader. Hal, Sinestro and Star Sapphire quickly realize that the Indigo Lantern has transported them to face off against Mongul, the Yellow Lantern who has tried usurping Sinestro’s power.

Green Lantern #46 is a great addition to the “Blackest Night” story. In many ways, it has a touch of the epic galactic storytelling that made War of Kings such a good story as well. The encounters of this book don’t just affect those on planet earth. This story is one that feels like it has the potential behind it to change everything. But even as this monstrously large storyline takes place, Geoff Johns makes sure to include some quality character building on top of the story. There are tons of callbacks to Sinestro’s past, especially focusing on Abin Sur, the Green Lantern who passed his ring on to Hal Jordan and had always spoke openly of the prophecies surrounding the Blackest Night.

Doug Mahnke’s artwork is fantastic throughout, only overshadowed by Ivan Reis’s work in Blackest Night. The action sequences through are phenomenal and his take on the Black Lanterns and their powers are superb. The artwork of the series can’t be discussed without mentioning Randy Mayor’s colors which really bring all the colors of the spectrum to life, giving off the different emotions associated with them in an impressive way.

The negative to the issue comes for those who aren’t purchasing all the “Blackest Night” tie-in issues. While it’s likely that those reading Blackest Night are also Green Lantern readers, the past two Green Lantern issues have been pretty integral in the understanding of the “Blackest Night” story. While it is possible to follow along without them, the biggest plot points have occurred in either Blackest Night itself or Green Lantern. If you have only been reading Blackest Night, picking up this issue will help make the story as a whole a lot more enjoyable and make it make a lot more sense in the process.

Other Pulls:

Spider-Man: Clone Saga #1 – Marvel – $3.99
Score: 4.0

When people look back to the days when Marvel was on the brink of collapse and the comic book industry itself was looked at as failing, immediately the nineties come to mind. Tacky dialogue, convoluted stories, over dramatic artwork and unnecessary chrome variant covers.

And right in the heart of the nineties was the “Clone Saga”. Supposed to be a short story arc following the events of Harry Osborn’s death and the seeming resurrection of Peter’s parents, Peter Parker’s clone, calling himself Ben Reilly, returned as it was thought that Aunt May was going to die. The story itself dragged on much longer than it should have for various reasons and was regarded as many as the death of Spider-Man as it brought Marvel’s golden boy so far away from the quality stories that used to surround him. Now, years later, some of the original writers attempt to reconcile the story as they feel it should have gone.

Spider-Man: Clone Saga #1 screams of the nineties in both its artwork and its dialogue. Compared to the style of current Spider-Man scribes like Bendis, Slott and Kelly, the dialogue feels archaic in nature. Everything said is over explained and loses any feel of reality. And I’m not referring to the fact that a guy is swinging around the city in spandex. No one actually talks like the people do in this issue.

To claim that this six issue miniseries is a reimagining of the “classic” story is heartwrenchingly true for all the wrong reasons as it still feels just as agonizing to read now as it did then. Unlike Clairmont’s X-Men Forever which has taken the series in a completely off the wall direction, this story just feels like the same things that it was hated for in the past, except it has been crunched down in to fewer issues. The addition of references to pop culture that didn’t exist during the original Clone Saga like Mini-Coopers and American Idol also quickly pull the reader out of the story.

The artwork leaves tons to be desired between the overdone muscles of the characters and the strange style of coloring that screams nineties. Even Mary Jane, possibly the most gorgeous leading lady in comics, somehow looks unattractive in this issue. Much like Ben Reilly who in current continuity has been literally reduced to dust, this story should have stayed buried. If you lived through the original “Clone Saga”, don’t torture yourself by going through it again.

Die Hard: Year One #1 – Boom! Studios – $3.99
Score: 5.5

When one hears “Die Hard” the first thing that comes to mind is usually John McClane and terrorists of some kind… This is not that Die Hard. Instead, Die Hard: Year One goes back to the country’s bicentennial and the story of John McClane’s first partner and the conspiracy that surrounds him plotting to have his wife killed. There are no classic action sequences.

No “Yipee-ki-yay”. No troubled marriage.  Nothing about the book feels like Die Hard at all. Though narrated by McClane, nothing at all about this resembles what is most loved about the Die Hard franchise. There is no sharp wit from the main character, nor is there any character building to engage a reader unfamiliar with the franchise. If someone has no previous knowledge of the series, there is nothing to pull them in to this read or make them care about one of the most beloved movie action stars ever, John McClane.

Stephen Thompson’s artwork is very dry and bland throughout the issue. The characters appear very static and boring, even during the short chase scene between McClane and a pickpocket. The writing itself follows the same bland standards. The traditional humor associated with the franchise isn’t present at all during the entire issue, nor is any level of real excitement. Writer Howard Chaykin, who had previously worked as the cover artist on Pull List favorite G.I. Joe: Cobra shows that he may have been a much stronger asset to the book as an artist than he did here as a writer.

Overall, Die Hard: Year One is a letdown but I am willing to give it another month to see if it picks up to what one would expect from the franchise. After all Die Hard has given us, it was just surprising to see a story that just fell so far from the style of any of the films. With some luck the series will still have a chance to redeem itself moving forward but only time will tell if it can live up to the lofty expectations set by the summer blockbuster film series.

Spider-Man

Worse yet was having not one, not two, but three nods to The Lizard throughout the franchise by Dr. Curt Connors (Dylan Baker) but that villain never emerged. What a waste. Whether you love or hate Venom, writer Paul Wernick confirmed that Sony is working on a Venom spin-off:

“We’ve written two drafts of Venom, and the studio has it, and they’re pushing forward in whatever ways they push forward.”.  Of course, this begs the question how will this relate to the upcoming Spider-Man 4.  Wernick provided a very vague response, “Basically, the studio and Marvel and the Arads are taking our drafts and going beyond and figuring out what’s the next step.”

There is a silver lining to this.  Paul Wernick, along with co-writer Rhett Reese, wrote the highly anticipated Zombieland film.  While I’ve only seen the previews the movie looks brilliant. If they can bring that same sense of humour mixed with prevailing dread to Venom, I for one think the film may just work. No other details at this point but you’ll find them here as they develop.

Invincible Iron Man # 18 – 2.99

Score: 9.0

To be honest, I haven’t found many recent Iron Man solo stories that engaging. The character seems to have more “big” moments in every other book than his. Matt Fraction, Salvador Larocca, and Frank D’Armata’s run on this book has changed my opinion completely. Invincible Iron Man continues to be one of the best comics on the stands on right now. This issue is no exception.

The penultimate chapter in the “World’s Most Wanted” arc puts all the pieces in place for next issue’s finale. As Stark’s smarts have regressed so has his ability to use his more advanced armors. This takes him back to the where it all started for him, the original armor. Meanwhile, the situation involving Black Widow and Maria Hill being captured by H.A.M.M.E.R. moves along with a turn I didn’t see coming.

Fraction continues to do a great job in writing Tony’s loss of intelligence. There is one scene which feels a bit forced. But it does an adequate job of reminding us of Stark’s past sins. The strongest part of the book is the advancement of the Black Widow and Maria Hill situation. The setup of last issue pays off in this one and sets up the endgame in a very interesting way.

Larocca’s art can be slightly inconsistent at times, but not enough to distract from the story. His strongest moment of this issue is his depiction Tony donning the original armor. D’Armata’s colors are not as strong as they normally are, but again this doesn’t take anything away from the book.

The buildup is complete and after a year we will finally get the confrontation between Stark and Osborn next issue. This looks to be one those great moments in Iron Man history, and I personally am looking forward to seeing how this gets resolved.

This is my pick of the week (month, year, etc.). The book is a setup issue, so if you haven’t read any the previous ones you might be lost. If you have been reading this series so far, this issue continues a great character-defining run.

Captain America Reborn # 3 – 3.99

Score: 7.5

I never thought of Captain America as being a “science-fiction” character. His character seems better suited for more mainstream superhero and espionage flavored stories. So I really wasn’t behind the story driving Reborn. Cap being lost in time and jumping through all the important moments in his life seemed a little silly. Though the execution is still flawed it does give us some nice flashbacks in this issue.

Steve Roger’s journey through his own memories takes us to some of the key moments of his history and emphasis his connections to the larger Marvel universe. As Steve is busy trying to figure out what’s going on, Hank Pym, Reed Richards, and Namor are investigating exactly what happened when he died. It makes for an interesting mystery, but not the easiest to follow.

On top of all that this issue also gives some attention to the captured “Bucky” Cap, and The Falcon and Black Widow’s ongoing attempts to save him. This issue isn’t all about the heroes though, as the Red Skull, Sin, and Crossbones are definitely up to something. As you can see, this book has a pretty large cast, but Brubaker does a good job of keeping everything in order and giving everyone just enough attention to keep us interested in what their purpose is.

Brubaker’s usual twist and turns are present, but where it fails is his handling of Roger’s adventure through time. The writer is somewhat vague of why and how this happening to the original Cap. This may be because it is all tied into the Red Skull’s plan (also extremely vague) which we assume will climax in issue # 5. Roger’s memories are the books strongest parts when they are isolated, but they are also the weakest due to their lack of a solid explanation.

As for the art on this book, it suffers in a very similar way that the writing does. The combination of Bryan Hitch and Butch Guice are capable of some truly amazing work, but there are other parts that feel extremely rushed. The art really comes through on the flashback sequences. The team’s depiction of the Kree-Skrull is one of the coolest interior images I’ve seen in a while.

Yet, when we get to the scenes set in the present day they seem like they were drawn by a different team. They’re not bad per se, but are a bit of a letdown when compared to the time jumps. It might be that the flashbacks are the most important part of the book, so extra attention was given to them. That’s no reason to have the rest of the book suffer.

With two more issues to go on this series this marks the mid-point of the story. Yes, the plot did move forward but it failed in shedding any light on Steve’s predicament. Overall this issue has some great moments and some gorgeous art, but a confusing plot and rushed art hurts the book. Perhaps when the Red Skull’s true plan is revealed this whole series should be revisited and read with that in mind.

Amazing Spider-Man # 605 – 3.99

Score: 6.0

This issue of Amazing is a mixed bag at best. A double sized issue with three separate stories that revolve around Peter Parker and the former love of his life, Mary Jane Watson (no Parker!).

This comic is a follow-up to the recent three-part “Red-Headed Stranger” story. RHS returned MJ to the title and gave us a small hint as to what happened that drove her and Peter apart. The first story slightly expands upon that. It reveals where MJ has been for the past year and sets her up for future stories. It is told by Fred Van Lente and Javier Pulido. They do a decent job at giving us a reason to care about where MJ was and why her relationship with a fellow movie star failed.

The weakest part of the story is a bizarre sequence that attempts to squeeze some action into the story. It attempts to portray MJ as hero herself. It just didn’t work and felt out of place. The artwork of Pulido does an adequate job of showing us an exaggerated, cartoony version of Hollywood. Where the story shines is the glimpses of the event that fractured the relationship between MJ and Peter. I wish we got more of this, but it does give me hope that we will see this down the line.

In the second story, Van Lente teams with Luke Ross and Rick Magyar on art and shifts the focus onto Peter and his recent fling with his roommate Michelle Gonzales. The Chameleon didn’t help the situation with his impersonating of Peter. This story clears up the situation, in one of the funnier moments of the book.

To remind readers of other ongoing plots and hints at future stories, we get a glimpse of The Raptor, who has connections to the dreaded Clone Saga, and a hint that we may see the return of The Black Cat soon. We also get to see the growing relationships between Harry Osborn and Peter’s cousins. Overall, it seems this story is setting things up for future issues and sets up a new problem in Peter’s living arrangements. It’s a pretty mediocre story that doesn’t have anything very memorable about it.

Brian Reed writes the third story, while Yanick Paquette and Mark Farmer handle the art. This one is the best out of the bunch. Harry gets Peter to try out online dating service, while Spidey tries to get a date of his own. It’s a fun story that reminds us why Peter is such a likeable character. Paquette and Farmer’s art is very clean and dynamic at the same time. In my own humble opinion, Paquette is an underrated artist. He should have a regular gig on a monthly book.

As a break between storylines, this one seemed like a bit of a fill-in. The Van Lente stories are ok, but nothing special. The book gave us a hint at what happened and what might happen, it still felt a little flat. Not horrible, just not worth the 3.99 price tag.

The show has plenty of star-power behind it, from Julie Taymor (Across The Universe) directing, to Bono and The Edge writing the music, even to Evan Rachel Wood and Alan Cumming being cast as Mary Jane and the Green Goblin, respectively, the producers feel that the show will do well enough financially to go forward. From the NY Times:

A spokesperson told Playbill that tickets would go on sale Oct. 31. After the lead producer, Hello Entertainment, experienced cash-flow problems, modest construction on the musical resumed at the Hilton Theater this month. Last month producers said they expected performances to begin on Feb. 25, with Julie Taymor directing.

With the expected success of this show, on top of the Disney/Marvel merger, you can believe that there is already speculation for two things: Turn Off the Dark will be hitting more mediums than at Broadway stage, and Marvel will be considering musicals for other properties. Can you imagine a Hulk and Shrek battling it out…on Broadway?

In this trailer, you get the most complete look at the game ever released and can see just how cool its going to be. I’m particularly excited for this game because of all the great Marvel characters you get to play as. Plus, after having played it a bit during Comic-Con in San Diego, I can say for sure that its pretty damn fun.

The game is “the greatest Super Hero action/RPG of all time is back with the world’s largest army of heroes and villains in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2. Incorporating elements of the acclaimed Marvel Civil War storyline, players must choose their side and team up to battle or interact with returning favorites and all-new characters, including Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hulk, Iron Man, Deadpool, Venom, Green Goblin, Iron Fist and Captain America, whose powers can be combined to unleash astonishing new attacks.” Once again, awesome is the word of the day.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 ships to stores on September 15th for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP and DS. Until then, click through to watch the awesome (See what I did there?) new launch trailer.

So, for those of you who eagerly await new comics each and every week, here’s the list of titles coming out from our friends at Marvel, via the official press release. We’ve also got some of the cool covers for you after the jump. So be sure and check those out as well.

Hey there True Believers, here’s your official list of comic books, collections and posters arriving in comic stores on September 2nd, 2009. For more information on any of these titles, and on upcoming mighty Marvel releases, please visit http://www.marvel.com/catalog/?date=2009-09-02 or contact your local comic book retailer at 1-888-comicbook.

Stay tuned each week for a brand new list of Marvel releases so that you’ll never miss your favorite heroes in action!

Comics On-Sale:

AGENTS OF ATLAS #10
BLACK PANTHER #8
CABLE #18
CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN #1 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
DARING MYSTERY COMICS 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
DARING MYSTERY COMICS 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL MARTIN VARIANT
DEADPOOL #15
EXILES #6
GHOST RIDERS: HEAVEN’S ON FIRE #2
HOUSE OF M: MASTERS OF EVIL #2
IMMORTAL WEAPONS #2
INCOGNITO #6
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #17 (DR)
IRON MAN & THE ARMOR WARS #2
LUKE CAGE NOIR #2
LUKE CAGE NOIR #2 CALERO VARIANT
MARVEL ZOMBIES RETURN #1
MARVEL ZOMBIES RETURN #1 SUYDAM HEROES VARIANT
MOON KNIGHT SAGA
MYSTIC COMICS 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
MYSTIC COMICS 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL MARTIN VARIANT
OFFICIAL INDEX TO THE MARVEL UNIVERSE #9
SCOURGE OF THE GODS – THE FALL #3
STARR THE SLAYER #1
STRANGE TALES #1
THE TORCH #1
THE TORCH #1 ROSS SKETCH VARIANT
TROJAN WAR #5
ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #2

Collections On-Sale:
ESSENTIAL SUB-MARINER VOL. 1 TPB
HULK: GRAY PREMIERE HC
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: ATLAS ERA BLACK KNIGHT/YELLOW CLAW VOL. 1 HC
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: ATLAS ERA BLACK KNIGHT/YELLOW CLAW VOL. 1 HC (VARIANT)
MARVEL ZOMBIES/ARMY OF DARKNESS TPB
MARVEL SUPER HERO SQUAD: HERO UP! DIGEST HERO COVER
MARVEL SUPER HERO SQUAD: HERO UP! DIGEST VILLAIN COVER
NEW AVENGERS: THE REUNION PREMIERE HC
SPIDER-MAN: 24/7 PREMIERE HC
SPIDER-MAN: SINISTER SIX PREMIERE HC
SPIDER-MAN: SINISTER SIX PREMIERE HC (DM ONLY)
THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ HC
WOLVERINE AND POWER PACK: THE WILD PACK DIGEST

Posters On-Sale:
MARVELMAN BY QUESADA POSTER
VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT BY ALEX ROSS POSTER

Vanderbilt was the first writer on Spider-Man 4, but director Sam Raimi brought on David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole) to rewrite him, and Gary Ross is currently rewriting that script. According to Variety, Raimi didn’t embrace all of Vanderbilt’s ideas, but execs at Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios have. The fifth and sixth Spider-Man movies will have an interconnected storyline, which was originally discussed when Vanderbilt was signed on to write Spider-Man 4, but the idea of shooting a fourth and fifth film back to back with the original cast was scrapped.

Currently, it is unclear whether Raimi, Tobey Maguire or Kirsten Dunst will be back for future installments. If they aren’t, Vanderbilt’s script would most-likely be the blueprint for a franchise reboot with an all-new cast. Regardless of the established talent’s future involvement, Sony’s priority will be to release Spider-Man films on a more frequent basis. The lapse between films has grown with each installment. The second film came only two years after the first, but it took three years for a third installment, and four years will have passed when Spider-Man 4 opens in May 2011.

Stay tuned to The Flickcast for future developments on the Spider-Man franchise.

Started on this day in 1939, the company has grown to be one of the biggest publishers in the world. And to do things right and commemorate the event, Marvel is having a bunch of parties all across the country and featuring exclusive comics for you to read and enjoy.

To find out if there’s a party in your area so you can drop in and join the celebration, check out all the info from the official Marvel press release.

To celebrate its 70th anniversary, Marvel Comics will commemorate the milestone event on Tuesday, August 11th with special anniversary parties taking place around the world! Over 500 comic shop retailers will be hosting parties to celebrate the comic book giant’s 70 year history from 1939 to today.

These events will be offering: early on sale release of The Marvels Project #1, an all new series detailing the origins of super heroes in the Marvel Universe by the creative team behind the worldwide sensation The Death Of Captain America; exclusive limited edition variants, a remastered version of the very first comic Marvel published, Marvel Comics #1, special sales, and more.   To download a full list of retailers participating in Marvel 70th Anniversary parties, visit www.marvel.com/70thparty!  All retailer parties begin at 9pm local time.

In addition, at 7:00 PM local time, Barnes & Noble will be hosting five in-store events in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Portland and Seattle, with appearances by some of the biggest names in the comic book world, hosting Q&A sessions and a chance to get your favorite comics autographed.  Also appearing at these events are some of the most beloved characters from the Marvel Universe.

Barnes & Noble locations include:

NYC  SPECIAL GUESTS IRON MAN AND SPIDER-MAN

150 E 86TH Street

New York, NY

Creators:

Joe Quesada Marvel Editor in Chief

Chris Claremont

Greg Pak

Klaus Janson

Fred Van Lente

ATLANTA  SPECIAL GUEST WOLVERINE

2900 Peachtree Road NE

Atlanta, GA 30305

Creators:

Daniel Way

Paul Jenkins

Mark Bagley

LOS ANGELES SPECIAL GUEST HULK

The Grove at Farmer’s Market

189 Grove Drive Suite K 30

Los Angeles, CA 90036

Creators:

Jeph Loeb

Craig Kyle

Chris Yost

Mark Waid

PORTLAND SPECIAL GUEST ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN

Clackamas Towne Center Mall

2000 SE 82nd Avenue

Portland, OR 97266

Creators:

Brian Michael Bendis

Jeff Parker

Rick Remender

SEATTLE  SPECIAL GUEST CAPTAIN AMERICA

2675 NE University Village Street.

Seattle, WA 98105

Creators:

Ed Brubaker

Clayton Crain

And after you’re done at participating Barnes & Noble stores, follow your favorite heroes to participating local comic shops around the country for parties beginning at 9pm!

NYC  SPECIAL GUESTS IRON MAN AND SPIDER-MAN

Midtown Comics Times Square

200 W 40th Street (Corner of 7th Avenue)

New York, NY 10018

ATLANTA  SPECIAL GUEST WOLVERINE

Great Escape Comics & Games

1050 East Piedmont Road

Suite D

Marietta, GA 30062

LOS ANGELES SPECIAL GUEST HULK

Golden Apple

7018 Melrose Ave

LA, CA 90038

PORTLAND SPECIAL GUEST ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN

Cosmic Monkey Comics

5335 NE Sandy Blvd.

Portland, OR 97213

SEATTLE  SPECIAL GUEST CAPTAIN AMERICA

Comic Book Ink

1625 East 72nd and Portland ave.

Suite 800

Tacoma, WA 98404

For more information on Marvel’s 70th Anniversary, head over to www.marvel.com/70 .

All comic shop events start at 9:00 PM local time and will run from one to two hours.  To learn more about parties in your area, please visit www.marvel.com/70thparty  And remember—Make Mine ’39!

Plus, of course, we’ve also got cool covers from some of the new books after the jump. Check ‘em out!

Hey there True Believers, here’s your official list of comic books, collections and posters arriving in comic stores on August 12th, 2009. For more information on any of these titles, and on upcoming mighty Marvel releases, please visit http://www.marvel.com/catalog/?date=2009-08-12  or contact your local comic book retailer at 1-888-comicbook. Stay tuned each week for a brand new list of Marvel releases so that you’ll never miss your favorite heroes in action!

Comics On-Sale:

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #602

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #602 70TH FRAME VARIANT

CABLE #17

CABLE #17 70TH FRAME VARIANT

CAPTAIN AMERICA THEATER OF WAR: TO SOLDIER ON ONE-SHOT

DARK X-MEN: THE BEGINNING #1 2ND PRINTING VARIANT

DEADPOOL #13

DEADPOOL #13 70TH FRAME VARIANT

DOMINIC FORTUNE #1

INCREDIBLE HERCULES #132

INCREDIBLE HERCULES #132 DJURDJEVIC 70TH ANNIVERSARY VARIANT

KABUKI REFLECTIONS #14

LOCKJAW AND THE PET AVENGERS #4

LOCKJAW AND THE PET AVENGERS #4 HENRICHON VARIANT

MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPER HEROES #14

MARVEL DIVAS #2

MARVEL SPOTLIGHT: SUMMER EVENTS

MS. MARVEL #43 (DR)

MS. MARVEL #43 70TH FRAME VARIANT (DR)

PRIDE & PREJUDICE #5

SOLEIL: SCOURGE OF THE GODS – THE FALL #2

THE MARVELS PROJECT #1

THE MARVELS PROJECT #1 PAREL VARIANT

THE MARVELS PROJECT #1 MCNIVEN VARIANT

THE MARVELS PROJECT #1 MCNIVEN SKETCH VARIANT

THE MARVELS PROJECT #1 70TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY VARIANT

THE MARVELS PROJECT #1 BLANK COVER VARIANT

THOR: TALES OF ASGARD BY STAN LEE & JACK KIRBY #4

ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #1

ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #1 YU VARIANT

ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #1 SPECIAL VARIANT

ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #1

ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #1 DJURDJEVIC VARIANT

ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #1 SPECIAL VARIANT

ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #1 BLACK AND WHITE VARIANT

UNCANNY X-MEN #514 (DAX)

UNCANNY X-MEN #514 BIANCHI VARIANT (DAX)

UNCANNY X-MEN #514 70TH FRAME VARIANT (DAX)

UNCANNY X-MEN: FIRST CLASS #2

X-MEN FOREVER #5

X-MEN FOREVER #5 70TH FRAME VARIANT

Collections On-Sale:

MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN VOL. 13: ANIMAL ATTACK! DIGEST

PUNISHER: WAR ZONE TPB

RUNAWAYS: PRIDE & JOY TPB

SOLEIL: UNIVERSAL WAR ONE – REVELATIONS PREMIERE HC

SUPREME POWER: HYPERION PREMIERE HC

THOR BY J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI VOL. 2 TPB

ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 6 HC

ULTIMATE X-MEN VOL. 9 HC

WOLVERINE FIRST CLASS: NINJAS, GODS AND DIVAS TPB

WOLVERINE: FLIES TO A SPIDER TPB

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS FINALS GN-TPB

How is this possible? Well, thanks to the folks at Marvel Digital, the adventures of Spider-Man are coming to a computer near you today! Want to know more and find out how you can join in all the fun?

Fortunately, Marvel has graced us with all the scoop via an official press release. Check it out!

New York, NY (August 5, 2009) –Adding to its ever-growing selection of streaming video, featuring award winning animated TV series and innovative original short-form video, Marvel Comics announced the launch of the 1994 animated series, Spider-Man on Marvel.com, featuring Marvel’s seminal web-slinging Super Hero.

This original 65 episode series aired from 1994-1998 and will be available for free starting on Wednesday, August 5th on Marvel.com.  A new 30-minute episode will be made available each week.  The 1994 Spider-Man series was created and produced by Bob Richardson and Stan Lee. Christopher Daniel Barnes provides voice over for Peter Parker/Spider-Man.

The 1994 Spider-Man series joins other new and classic Marvel animated TV series available free on Marvel.com, including Wolverine and the X-Men, the 1990’s X-Men series, the 1960’s Spider-Man series, X-Men Evolution, Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes and the live-action Japanese Spiderman series.

Previously, we brought you some cool video for both of these games and now, after attending an exclusive Activision event on Wednesday night, we can bring you these brand new videos of Gambit and Jean Grey, who figure prominently in the game. The game itself debuts in September, but in the meantime, these videos are pretty kick-ass.

Check them out after the jump.

Amazing Spider-Man #600 – Marvel – $4.99

Score: 7.5

After reading the abysmal The Incredible Hulk #600, there was a little trepidation in jumping right in to Spider-Man’s 600th issue. There couldn’t possibly be two epic failures released in the same week could there? Thankfully for the little Spider-Man fan in us all, this issue did not suffer the same fat. Instead, Dan Slot continues the work that the Spider-Man brain trust has pieced together resulting in the marriage of Peter Parker’s beloved Aunt May to J. Jonah Jameson Sr. But much as the cover and the past months have hinted at, nothing is going to run smoothly for the Parker/Jameson clan.

The story opens with Dr. Otto Octavius recalling past traumas he has suffered at the hands of his super powered opponents like Spider-Man, Captain America and the Hulk to a doctor who gives him the grave news that he only has a year and a half to live at most. Otto, the self-righteous and megalomaniacal genius that he is, cannot accept this and vows to leave something great to the world, worthy of his genius. The little eight legged creeper droids that had showed up in the past few months of Amazing Spider-Man are revealed to be a part of Otto’s plan to leave a perfect world behind as he left as they are controlled by his brain patterns.

As much as Otto has tried to turn a new leaf, his subconscious forces it way to the surface and instead of helping the city, the droids end up carrying out attacks on Spider-Man and disruptions to the pending nuptials between May and J. Jonah Jameson Sr. including abducting the groom. Peter, always prepared to do the right thing goes off to find Otto and put the city back together with some help from his good buddy, the Human Torch. The story comes to a feel good conclusion like many other superhero wedding issues have with Peter’s friends, past and present, being there for the sentimental moment.

Slott does a fantastic job working the dialogue between this large cast of Spider-Man stalwarts as he is able to handle Peter, May, Flash Thompson and Johnny Storm just to name a few. Every character carries their distinct persona with them well, especially the now wheelchair-bound but still cocky/cool Flash. John Romita Jr.’s art also stands out in the issue much as it had in the “New Ways to Die” story arc. The work is trademark Romita which isn’t a bad thing if you are a fan of his style.

Also in the issue comes a few shorter Spider-Man stories as this wedding story wouldn’t be able to fill the full 104 pages on its own without starting to get a little draggy. Stan provides another quick tale from the perspective of a psychiatrist who is visited by Spider-Man as he deals with his ongoing identity crisis. The one short story that doesn’t fit comes from a group of children playing in the park as Peter Parker enjoys some much needed downtime.

One of the children claims how cool he thinks it’d be to be Spider-Man only to realize the danger involved in such a decision. The only thing that doesn’t feel real about this is how mature and seemingly educated these grammar school-aged kids are about the dangers of being a superhero. And if it was so obvious, why wasn’t a genius like Peter Parker able to figure it out himself before donning the mask?

The issue concludes with a short story about Madame Web who has returned to the place of her birth to deal with visions she has been having with regard to Spider-Man and his fate. Without spoiling any of the sights she sees, it looks like some traumatic things lay in Peter Parker’s future. Madame Web also finds herself confronted with two individuals who have begun hunting the spiders.

There feels like a lot of strong, quality reading in this book’s pages. While the support stories wouldn’t have been strong enough to sustain an issue on their own, they do a fine job feeding in background and planting seeds for future Spider-Man tales. The issue doesn’t live up to the epic feel behind a 600th issue but held on its own without the milestone number associated with it, it is still a very good Spider-Man comic that is a must for any Spider-Man aficionado. Who can really call themselves a Spider-Man fan if they didn’t pick up the issue were Aunt May gets hitched after all?

Other Pulls:

Green Lantern #44 – DC – $2.99

Score: 7.0

Propelling off the momentum of Blackest Night #1, Hal Jordan and the Flash are caught off guard by an attack from their former ally, a newly ringed Black Lantern, the Martian Manhunter. Upon seeing him, Hal instantly has his ring scan Manhunter only to read that he is indeed still dead. At the same time, Martian Manhunter scans Hal and the Flash to see Hal’s green aura of will while the Flash exhibited the blue aura of hope.

A battle breaks out as the two living friends must defend themselves from their resurrected ally who claims he has come to try and help them. Throughout the encounter with Martian Manhunter, the Flash occasionally has bits of his skin and costume change color to the coagulating black muck they found on the remains of Bruce Wayne. The battle ends rather quickly and gives no definitive conclusion, letting the reader know that these three will likely face off again over the next seven months as the Blackest Night continues.

The remainder of the issue further explores the motivations of Scar, the Guardian who released the blackness in to the universe, and sets up for next month’s tale focusing on Green Lantern Jon Stewart and the Star Sapphire as they deal with the emergence of the Black Lanterns.

This story takes a very opposite turn from Geoff John’s storytelling of Blackest Night. The focus of the issue lies in the action as opposed to the character building. Luckily, Johns has spent so much time over the previous months establishing the characters and the story that the much needed action feels very apropos for the issue. Hal and the Flash get the chance to really duke it out with their former friend only to catch a glimpse of how powerful the Black Lanterns can be.

Johns even throws a dig in at Superman at one point which could hint to a future confrontation between Martian Manhunter and the Man of Steel. Though not as amazing as Ivan Reis’s work in Blackest Night, Doug Mahnke does a fantastic job illustrating this issue as he did with all of the buildup issues he worked on for the event.

To ask if Blackest Night and its tie-ins are living up to their hype, it is still too early to tell. Having only had four total main book and tie-in issues to look to, there are still many ways the event can go. Unlike Final Crisis though, Blackest Night seems to be written on a level much easier for the reader to understand and appreciate.

Now, with the Green Lantern movie seemingly finally being a go, DC has the opportunity to bring up the Green Lantern as its number three, right behind the unseatable duo of Superman and Batman. As for now, time will tell if Johns ultimate vision in the epic trilogy of Green Lantern stories he has set up will conclude as magnificently as they started.

Captain Britain and the MI:13 #15 – Marvel – $2.99

Score: 7.5

So comes the conclusion of this sleeper series which never got the due it deserved. A critical darling, Captain Britain and the MI:13 came to its final issue this week with the finale of the war between Dracula’s vampire nation and England. In dramatic fashion, the plans of Pete Wisdom who is as much of a star in this series as Captain Britain are followed through upon for better or worse. Paul Cornell’s dry British humor showed why he was the perfect writer to place at the helm of this title.

Reading the issue felt like watching a quality BBC program. There was an authenticity to the series that felt like it was missing in previous runs with Excalibur. There had always been great stories featuring Brian Braddock but this series felt like it really defined the voice of the British league of heroes that exists within Marvel.

Catching up with the big reveal from the end of the previous issue, Dracula stares at Meggan who has come back from hell only to be sent over by Doctor Doom as an offering to Dracula. With careful planning, Pete Wisdom and his team do what needs to be done in order to repel the vampiric strike and take the fight to Dracula’s forces. Back in New York Comic Con, as had been previously referenced in the Pull List, Paul Cornell said any character could be on the chopping block and he wasn’t kidding. After seeing the entire MI:13 team cut down in Dracula’s dream sequence two issues ago, it made the losses in this issue feel even more real knowing that this was for real.

Being the last issue, there was no question of how they were going to work their way out of these deaths. Another nice treat came from the spotlights given to the actions of Fazia and Blade who had an interesting dynamic with their teammates through the series’ run. Fazia looks like she has the possibility of being a strong asset in a future book while Blade has redeemed himself from the last poor solo series and anthology stories he had been a part of.

It is with deep regret that we have to see this series go to the wayside. There has not been a single bad issue amongst it which is more to say for many of the better selling titles if you look at their last fifteen issues. Sadly, Captain Britain hasn’t been able to carry a long running title for some time but at least Marvel hasn’t completely given up on him and tries new ways to keep coming back with more. Everyone should hope that the next series featuring any of these characters is penned by Paul Cornell.

While it might not be able to capture the same magic of Captain Britain and the MI:13, hopefully it can sustain itself as a longer running series. Hey, if Nova has been able to finally pull it off, what’s to say that Captain Britain can’t do the same? And the nice part is the story has already been set up for them. All the evil magic that was unleashed at the end of the Secret Invasion which attacks England is still there and someone needs to protect the motherland. And now, with Meggan back and finally in a costume that doesn’t make him look like the clown he had worn for so many years, Captain Britain can be that hero.

Incredible Hulk #600 – Marvel – $4.99

Score: 4.5

Who is the Red Hulk? This is the question that has been asked since his first appearance where he killed the Abomination following the events of World War Hulk over a year ago in the pages of Hulk. All of the hype going in to this 600th issue of the Hulk franchise pointed towards the final reveal of just who Rulk is. And as we often avoid spoilers here on the Pull List, it only feels fair to let the reader know that despite all the hype in revealing this identity they have been lead astray.

Instead of answering the question, this issue only maintains the status quo. The true identity of Rulk is never revealed in the over 100 pages that comprise this issue. Instead, the only thing left for the reader is a bad taste in their mouth after reading it and knowing that the marketing hype behind had misled them.

The Incredible Hulk #600 is a five part issue. The first is a story focusing on Frontline reporter, Ben Ulrich, who has received a tip in a classic abandoned garage from the She-Hulk that there is a second Hulk, a red one that the public is unaware of and is being kept heavily under wraps. She-Hulk has Ben accompany her to a secret base where Bruce Banner is being kept in hopes of finding out Rulk’s identity. Ben brings along Peter Parker to photograph the events they will come across.

This is the first major issue that appears in Jeph Loeb’s writing. Jen Walters is an intelligent and experienced superhero. Why would she take a civilian reporter and his photographer in to what will most likely be a volatile situation involving the Rulk? Jen Walters has seen the damage that Rulk can do and has been decimated by him first hand. If anything, it feels like a force just to allow Spider-Man to make a cameo in the issue. Upon meeting up with Dr. Samson, her contact, She-Hulk, Ben and Peter head in to the base to find out the origins of Rulk lie in M.O.D.O.K. and A.I.M. but never actually find the answer that everyone was expecting, Rulk’s identity.

The only “reveal” comes from finding out that Dr. Samson is not actually Rulk. A huge battle breaks out as expected between the Hulk who has been entrapped by A.I.M. and the Rulk. But unlike many of their previous entanglements, there is actually something of substance as a result of the battle altering Hulk moving forward.

The second piece of the issue comes from Stan Lee and is just a small, quick story out of continuity featuring a battle between Hulk and Rulk featuring a cameo from one of Stan’s other favorite creations. Next comes a piece of the book that felt like a total rip-off for someone looking for a Hulk story as the Savage She-Hulk battles mechanized invaders from another world. The story itself is trim on content and feels like it was only there as a way to give some publicity for the fledgling title by piggybacking of the milestone issue number of Incredible Hulk #600.

Probably the most impressive piece of the issue comes from the reprinting of Hulk: Gray #1. Back in 2003, Hulk: Gray explored the origins of the Hulk from the perspective of Bruce Banner as he talked to his psychiatrist friend, Dr. Samson. It’s unfortunate that the best part of a five dollar issue comes from reprinting an issue from six years ago which is quickly followed by the advertisement of the Hardcover reprinting of Hulk: Gray. The final piece of the book comes from the cover gallery of the Incredible Hulk series. Much like Captain America #600, every issue of the long running series is put to page but are sadly too small to be able to appreciate the artistic quality of any of them.

Overall, Incredible Hulk #600 comes across as a disappointment. The answers that were expected never came and the issue is carried by a reprint. The storytelling in the main ongoing tale feels poor and forced. McGuiness’s artwork is fine for the issue but doesn’t have the power under it to carry the issue out of the negative territory the story itself stuck it in. With deep regret, this issue would quickly get put in to the Pass List if anyone were to ask what books they should avoid on store shelves this week.

Here’s all the info from the official press release:

Marvel fans, do you want to meet Stan “The Man” Lee? Will you be at Comic-Con International in San Diego? Then you’ve gotta be at the Marvel Booth (#2429) on Friday, July 24th for a one-of-a-kind signing event! So just how do you meet one of the most legendary creators in comic history?

Starting at 9am on July 24th, come by the Marvel Booth to receive a ticket (no purchase necessary) for a random drawing to meet Stan Lee. Shortly thereafter, Marvel will conduct the drawing and if you’re one of the lucky fans whose ticket is randomly pulled, you will receive a special pass to meet Stan Lee and have one item signed during his appearance at the booth from 1:30-2:00, later that day.

“There’s no bigger rock star in comics than Stan Lee,” said Tim Dillon. Manager of Business Development, Marvel Entertainment Inc. “We’re proud to have him at The Marvel Booth and we hope to see you there! This is only one of the many surprises we’ve got planned all week long!”

Make your Comic-Con one to remember! Stop by the Marvel Booth (#2429) for your chance to meet Stan Lee on Friday, July 24th!

In the film, which is based on the first of Edgar Rice Burroughs Mars novels A Princess of Mars, Tars develops an alliance with John Carter after Carter, a Civil War veteran, is miraculously transported, via astral projection, to Mars. Once there, Carter meets Martian princess Dejah Thoris, wins her hand, rediscovers his own humanity after the ravages of war, teams up with Tars Tarkas and eventually becomes Warlord of Mars.

And did I mention that Tars Tarkas is also about eight or ten feet tall with four arms and green skin? At least he’s that way in the book. Fortunately, this isn’t the first time Dafoe has been green in a film, so it shouldn’t be too much trouble for him. The real question is how will he play someone with four arms who’s that tall? Of course, he’s a very good actor, so I’ll bet he can pull it off — with a little help from some movie magic.

Here’s all the official Marvel news on the subject:

After the stunning events of Amazing Spider-Man #600, Spider-Man’s life is more unpredictable than ever—and it’s about to get even more tangled in the all new ongoing Web of Spider-Man, launching this October! That’s right, it’s the first new Spider-Man monthly series in two years and it kicks off with a bang, as one of Spider-Man greatest—and most controversial—foes returns!  Each extra-sized issue of Web of Spider-Man features your favorite Spider-Man writers and artists presenting can’t-miss Spidey stories!

“With the ‘Gauntlet’ storyline starting up and many classic adversaries of Spider-man coming back to the book, we wanted to find a place to tell you more about them without it eating up too many pages of the thrice-weekly Amazing Spider-Man,” explained series editor Steve Wacker. “So while were tossing ideas around on where to best put that stuff, beleaguered assistant Tom Brennan came up with the notion to bring back the “Web” title as a way to give a home to stories to people caught up in Pete’s life. Starting with the first issue’s Kaine story by JM DeMatteis and then continuing onto stories about Electro, the Rhino, the Lizard and many more by Web-Head Fred van Lente and regular Spidey artist Barry Kitson, the stories here directly impact what we’re doing in Amazing Spider-Man!”

Plus, don’t miss the continuing adventures of Spider-Girl in this all-new ongoing series! Every month, Web of Spider-Man is your place to get the new adventures of Mayday Parker as brought to you by the incomparable team of Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz! What’s next for the Spectacular Spider-Girl? Fans, new and old alike, will be thrilled by the answers!

Spider-Man’s got everyone’s spider-senses tingling with the thrice monthly Amazing Spider-Man, but now you can get even more Spider-action in Web of Spider-Man #1, arriving in stores this October!

WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #1

Written by J.M. DEMATTEIS, TOM DEFALCO & MORE!

Penciled by VAL SEMEIKS, RON FRENZ & MORE!

Cover by PASCUAL FERRY

Zombie Variant by MIRCO PIERFEDERICI

Rated A…$3.99

—–

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #36 – Marvel – #3.99
Score: 4.5

What are two things that don’t belong in a Spider-Man comic? One, forced Boston accents from all characters in dialogue boxes. And two, any mention of the Clone Saga. But I’m getting ahead of myself. The extra sized annual issue begins with a man in a house burning down around him as he fights someone who looks to be Peter Parker.

Fast forward to the modern day where Peter Parker sits at a banquet table in Boston for his Aunt May’s impending nuptuals to J. Jonah Jameson Sr. as he sits across from J. Jonah Jameson. Jameson Sr. reveals his engagement present to Aunt May, a photo of her family that she has lost touch with, before opening a door and revealing the entire family that May and Peter didn’t know still existed. And of all people to walk in with the reunited family, the man from the opening pages seen in the burning house with “Peter Parker”.

Moments later after Peter has awkwardly thought inappropriate thoughts about his newfound cousins, Peter is attacked in the restroom by the man now donning a supersuit and calling himself Raptor. What follows are a few pages of rather bland fight scenes and tons of Bah-ston speak and “Jeter sucks” shouts from the on looking crowd. Though some may consider this next part a spoiler, it’s obvious where this story was going right from the first page. Raptor isn’t after Peter Parker, he’s after Ben Reilly. (Insert ominous music here)

Yup, after we were finally rid of it, they want to bring up the Clone Saga yet again. As if the solicits for September weren’t bad enough featuring a mini-series featuring the way the Clone Saga was intended to play out, now it looks as though this drivel from Spider-Man’s past is now going to pollute his only current ongoing title yet again. For those who don’t know, the Clone Saga is the Spider-Man story that holds more animosity in the hearts of many fans than even the “One More Day” reset button that negated the marriage of Peter Parker and Mary Jane. The greater consensus has been that the story itself was a failure and should have remained in the past as a mistake to learn from and move on. It looks like Marvel won’t be doing that.

In addition to digging up much unnecessary skeletons, Marc Guggenheim does a less than stellar job on this issue. Everything plays out exactly how the reader would expect. There are no clever twists. The “hints” are more like telegraphs made out of neon signs with a Bose speaker system blaring out, “Even the lowest common denominator will be able to figure out this mystery.” It’s a shame that Guggenheim’s work seems rushed or uninspired in this issue compared to some of the other work he has done for Amazing Spider-Man or during the Civil War crossover in Wolverine.

The Bah-ston speak in the issue is too much as well. Most writer’s only include peanut gallery commentary from people on the streets if they have something of substance that Spider-Man would pick up on and overhear during his fight. For no particular reason, Guggenheim decided to put May’s long lost family in Boston just so he had an excuse to write their accents in. When reading it, it reminds the reader of Mayor Quimby’s overblown accent on the Simpsons, but not in a good way. Pat Oliffe’s artwork is also fairly standard in this issue with nothing spectacular to write him about. Between the uninspired story, the terrible accents and the revisiting of the Clone Saga, this is definitely an annual that can be passed when making pulls.

Ms. Marvel #41 – Marvel – $2.99
Score: 6.5

So a few issues ago, Norman Osborn’s Ms. Marvel, formerly Moonstone of the Thunderbolts, thought she killed Carol Danvers, the original Ms. Marvel. Last issue, five different colored beings of pure energy with female figures appeared around the city of New York in connection with a group of miniature M.O.D.O.K.’s that H.A.M.M.E.R. had acquired from A.I.M. (Yes, that is way too many acronyms for one sentence.)

Two of the beings appeared before Spider-Man and Wolverine, two of Danvers’ teammates on the Avengers, finally bringing them together in this issue. With all the beings in close proximity, Wolverine and Spider-Man are able to understand their speech for the first time, revealing who they really are. At the same time, A.I.M. hired the infamous Merc with the Mouth Deadpool to go in and return their property, the little M.O.D.O.K.’s, from H.A.M.M.E.R. As always, Deadpool is able to have a little fun once the killing begins. Upon finding out that Deadpool has stolen the babies, Ms. Marvel tracks down Deadpool to Los Angeles in an attempt to take them back under her own watch.

The issue itself is alright. Nothing really stands out as an epic moment for a non-Ms. Marvel fan. Not to say this reviewer has a grudge against either Carol Danvers or the new Ms. Marvel (although she seemed to be a bit more enjoyably psychotic and masochistic as Moonstone in the Thunderbolts), but the character just hasn’t ever done anything to really suck me in as a reader, even in her heroic or villainous presentations.

Brian Reed does a fine job writing the character but the strength of the issue comes from the barrage of cameos from the likes of Norman Osborn, Deadpool and the New Avengers. To an extent, Ms. Marvel feels like the best supporting actor role in her own series. Aside from the eye candy the current Ms. Marvel provides, there is a split attention between the two Ms. Marvel’s and the series’ main star is fairly unclear. And, as with most of the Dark Reign tie-ins that focus on a villain as the main character, it is a challenge to really get behind her as the star.

Sergio Arino’s pencils are good for the series, although he sometimes puts too much effort in having Ms. Marvel in T & A focused poses at time, but the color seems to be the weakness from the aesthetic front. Everyone seems to either be glowing or wearing metallic suits that reflect every bit of light that the character comes in contact with. As a result, all of Sergio’s pencils feel washed out by the overabundance of illumination. Not everything needs to be so shiny.

Is it a bad book? Not by any means. It just seems to be more of a hit or miss kind of book. Similar to someone like Deadpool, this character either resonates with you or she doesn’t. There have been a number of times that my own love of Deadpool has been brought in to question and it’s come down to the fact that some people love the character and others could do without him.

If you’ve liked Ms. Marvel in the past, you’d probably enjoy this story. If you have had the same problems as I have with not being able to connect, this issue won’t do much to change that. But at the very least, you get to see more Deadpool as he is fast becoming Marvel’s new Wolverine, appearing in more books each month than he can even count.

The Stand: American Nightmares #4 – Marvel – $3.99
Score: 7.5

Thus far, The Stand hasn’t exactly been what you’d call an uplifting story. Actually, it’s been pretty much a terrible downer about the fate of humanity. This issue is a perfect example of it as the further culling of the world’s population continues. The super flu, Captain Tripps, took out 99% of the country’s population. And then comes the explanation of the second epidemic which killed off another 16% of the survivors through random things out of the victims hands like heart attacks to self-inflicted deaths like overdosing on heroin or accident locking themselves in a walk in freezer.

That’s got to be a terrible way to go. Knowing you survived the deadliest virus in history only to have your own stupidity kill you instead. Issue four of The Stand: American Nightmares catches up with Lloyd Henreid, a vicious killer who has been locked away in prison since before the plague broke out and is surviving only by eating a rat, roaches and contemplating cannibalism on the corpse in the cell next to him. To say Lloyd has become desperate for food and the chance to escape would be the ultimate understatement.

On the other side of the country, Stu Redman and his new companions Glen Batemen and his dog Kojak get in to a conversation about what the flu has done to society and the nightmares that Glen has been having. That night, Stu has one very similar to those he has had since Captain Tripps started, eerily similar to Glen’s. The issue concludes with Randal Flagg, the man in black who has been walking the nation, showing up at Lloyd’s cell holding a key and offering Lloyd a deal.

The miniseries based off Steven King’s masterpiece the Stand have consistently been some of the best works Marvel is producing. Though they are never the best book of the week they come out, they are always near the top of the pile. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has done a great job with the script as he was able to perfectly translate the tone from the original novel. At the same time, Artist Mike Perkins was given greater visuals to the series than could ever have been expected from the rushed eight hour ABC miniseries some years ago.

Not only is he able to cover more of the story without being set to the time restrictions the miniseries suffered from, but he is able to draw out so much more than what could be done on television. The broadcast television limitations have been lifted and the team of Aguirre-Sacasa and Perkins have taken the ball and run with it on some of the most gut wrenching scenes that until now had been limited to the readers’ imaginations. While the American Nightmares miniseries concludes next issue, there is still tons of story to be told in the upcoming volumes. This is a sure read for any horror or King fan.

They also sometimes have other tactics up their sleeves like improving the color and printing of comics and coming up with new and innovative ways to produce comic covers. On that subject, Marvel has come out with something new: Foilogram Covers.

I won’t try to explain it but instead, will leave it to the experts in the form of the official Marvel press release. Be sure to check out the larger covers after the break. Sadly, seeing them here doesn’t really illustrate how cool they look. For the full effect, check out the comics at your local shop.

Here’s the info:

Marvel is pleased to unveil the special variant covers to Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1, Ultimate Comics Avengers #1 and Ultimate Comics Armor Wars #1 utilizing the brand-new Foilogram cover treatment! Part foil, part hologram, these reflective covers will jump at you from shelves! Watch as Spider-Man’s webbing catches the light! Examine the intricate technology of Tony Stark! And, yes, that’s Captain America’s shield shining back at you!

“This is Marvel doing the nineties right,” explained David Gabriel, Marvel Comics Senior Vice President of Sales & Circulation. “We’re taking two of the most popular cover treatments of all time—foil and holograms—to create an all new kind of cover, as a ‘thank-you’ to fans who’ve been demanding this kind of variant! Retailers and fans don’t need to worry.  We’re only doing this on a limited basis.  You won’t see one on Ms Marvel #46 or Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #4.  We’re using them to mark very special occasions…such as the launch of Ultimate Comics line.”

As the Ultimate Comics line launches with Marvel’s top characters and top creators, you can’t miss the star-studded Ultimate Comics Avengers #1, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1 and Ultimate Comics Armor Wars #1, now with Foilogram Variant Covers! Fans, speak to your retailers now about how to secure one of these variant covers!

ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #1 FOILOGRAM VARIANT (JUN090470)

Written by MARK MILLAR

Pencils by CARLOS PACHECO

Special Foilogram Variant by CARLOS PACHECO

Parental Advisory …$3.99

FOC—7/21/09, On-Sale—8/12/0

ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #1 FOILOGRAM VARIANT (JUN090473)

Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS

Pencils by DAVID LAFUENTE

Special Foilogram Variant by DAVID LAFUENTE

Rated T+ …$3.99

FOC—7/21/09, On-Sale—8/12/09

ULTIMATE COMICS ARMOR WARS #1 (of 4) FOILOGRAM VARIANT (JUL090484)

Written by WARREN ELLIS

Penciled by STEVE KURTH

Special Foilogram Variant by BRANDON PETERSON

Rated T+ …$3.99

FOC—8/27/09, On-Sale—9/16/09

But don’t worry, Marvel knows your pain and is doing something about it.

Here’s all the info from the official Marvel press release:

Marvel is pleased to announce that Ultimatum: Spider-Man Requiem #1 has sold out at Diamond (though copies may be available at the retail level) and will return with Ultimatum: Spider-Man Requiem #1 Second Printing Variant! The end of the Ultimate Universe is upon us! Spider-Man has vanished, presumed dead amongst the wreckage of Dr. Strange’s home. How will his closest of kin deal with his disappearance?

The Ultimate Spider-Man All Stars of award-winners Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley and Stuart Immonen deliver a powerful story of a city mourning its friendly neighborhood protector. Ultimatum: Spider-Man Requiem #1 Second Printing Variant features the interior art of Immonen on a new wraparound cover!

Marvel urges retailers to check their orders on all issues of Ultimatum as all tie-ins continue to sell out quickly! How do J Jonah Jameson and the rest of the Ultimate U react to the fall of Spider-Man? Find out in Ultimatum: Spider-Man Requiem #1 Second Printing Variant!

ULTIMATUM: SPIDER-MAN REQUIEM #1 SECOND PRINTING VARIANT (MAY098068)
Written by BRAIN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils by MARK BAGLEY AND STUART IMMONEN
Cover by STUART IMMONEN
Rated A …$3.99
FOC—7/1/09, On-Sale—7/22/09

Best Job Saving His Son From Certain Doom – Jor-El (Superman)

The planet Krypton was about to be destroyed and one scientist saved his only infant son by sending him in a rocket to a safe place. That infant turned out to be Superman who was adopted and raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent. But if not for the quick thinking of Jor-El, the scientist who chose to save his son before his own life, the Man of Steel may never have been. Some might argue that since Jor-El knew his world was coming to an end, he probably should have built a ship big enough to save his entire family. But hindsight is usually 20/20 and it probably seemed like a good idea to focus on just saving his child at the time.

Did a Pretty Good Job Raising an Alien – Jonathan Kent (Superman)

Jonathan Kent and his wife Martha dealt with two of the scariest things a person could encounter at the same time. First, they had an alien spaceship fall out of the sky in to their own backyard. After discovering the alien inside wasn’t some grotesque creature that would eat them and destroy their world, they became the adopted parents of the child and raised him like their own. Not many adopted fathers have such a good relationship with their son, especially when that son comes from an entirely different planet. But Jonathan Kent must have done something right since his son turned out to be one of the greatest superheroes the world have ever known, saving it time and time again.

Worst Influence on His Kids – Magneto (X-Men)

The first time anyone ever sees Magneto’s children they publicly appears as terrorists. Really not the best start for father of the year nominations. With Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch as members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Magneto was still unable to defeat the X-Men. Ultimately, his two children turned on him to become Avengers.

One would go on to go insane, kill members of her own team, then cause the mutant population of the world to drop to under 200 and cause massive riots and deaths across the world. The other would have an incestual obsession with his sister despite finding love from other women in his life. And of course you can’t forget his other daughter Polaris who he kept himself hidden from for most of her youth.

Worst Father Support Group – The Pride (Runaways)

Geoffrey Wilder, Dale Yorkes, Frank Dean, Victor Stein, Gene Hayes and Robert Minoru. A thief, a time traveler, an alien, a mad scientist, a mutant and a dark wizard. All the parents of the original Runaways. All a part of a criminal organization running Los Angeles. Each year, they’d meet while their kids would play together and play their part in helping destroy the world so that all but six people could survive and live in utopia.

And of course, they teach their children the meaning of teamwork and trust as Frank Dean, Gene Hayes and their wives conspire to kill the rest of the Pride to allow just themselves and their daughters to survive the end of the world. Total role model material.

Really Shouldn’t Have Been Allowed to Have Actual Kids – Hank Pym (Avengers)

Some people want to be fathers so bad, they just can’t wait to have kids of their own. Most adopt. Not Hank Pym. Instead, Hank built a robot that would grow to consider Hank its father. That robot would end up growing an Oedipus complex and want his father, along with any other associate of his father dead. That robot was named Ultron. Ring a bell? And then of course Ultron would go on to create Jocosta, a female robot based on the brainwaves of his “Father’s” wife, the Wasp, in effect making his lifemate a robotic version of his mother… creepy. Way to instill great family values Dr. Pym. It could be worse though. At least he never did anything extreme like hit his wife or accidently almost kill his whole team… wait a minute.

Best Non-Father – Uncle Ben (Spider-Man)

“With Great Power comes Great Responsibility.” No other phrase in comics is as recognizable. And it comes from Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben. Unfortunately Peter would only understand it after Ben’s death at the hands of the robber that Peter could have stopped.

Ben Parker and his wife May began looking after their nephew Peter following the deaths of his brother Richard Parker and his wife Mary Parker, Peter’s parents. Ben quickly took to the surrogate role raising Peter and trying to instill within him all the ideals that would later make Peter in to the Spider-Man we all know and love today.

Best Father to Have in a Crisis – Rick Grimes (Walking Dead)

The world is going to end sometime. It’s bound to happen. But of any of the dads on this list, the one we’d want taking care of us would have to be Rick Grimes, the main character in Robert Kirkman’s Walking Dead. When most of the world has fallen to pieces, Rick Grimes searches out his wife and son to rescue them from the mobile corpses that have an unending hunger for their brains (and pretty much everything else edible on them).

Rick teaches his seven year old son Carl self-defense. Not karate. Not tai kwan do. He instead gives his son a gun. Now that’s parenting. He makes sure his son knows that you need to get a head shot to ensure the kill. Rick ends up leading a band of survivors, along with his wife and son, in an effort to survive the plague that has overcome the world.

And to top it off, Rick has been able to keep himself and his son alive with only one hand after his had recently been chopped off. Sure his wife and newborn baby were killed off in an attack from hostile neighbors, but he’s kept Carl alive and batting .500 with your kids is still pretty impressive at the end of the world.

Worst Father / Son Relationship – Wolverine / Daken (X-Men)

When you hear “daddy issues” in comics, no one better represents this than Daken. The long lost son of Wolverine who inherited his father’s killer instinct, razor sharp claws and unfortunate taste in hairstyles has recently come in to the fold and he’s done so in a big way. Not only has he repeatedly come close to offing his near indestructible father who he blames for the death of his mother, he has gone as far as having his wrist claw laced with adamantium so he can finally get the job done.

And of course, instead of settling the grudge when he found out his father wasn’t responsible for his mother’s death, he turned his back on Wolverine and donned one of his father’s old costumes to become Norman Osborn’s Wolverine on the Dark Avengers team. Now, he can be a ruthless killer and have government backing at the same time. And of course, any chance he gets, he is ready to take it to the dad who has failed over and over again at saving him.

Biggest Influence on His Son Becoming a Superhero – Thomas Wayne (Batman)

Probably the most directly influential on his son becoming a superhero would be Bruce Wayne’s father Thomas. A well respected surgeon and heir to the Wayne family fortune, he and his wife were shot and killed by a mugger leaving the theater one night in front of their son.

This murder would lead Bruce to take up the training and invest much of his family’s fortune in to turning himself in to the Batman. As afraid as he was that night, Batman would vow to do everything in his power to stop crimes like that from occurring again to save others from the loss he suffered that night.

While there are tons more dads in comics, some great and some not so great, we couldn’t possibly go through them all here. If we did, what would we have to write about next father’s day? But until then, make sure to do something special for your father. Without them, you wouldn’t be here… unless you were some weird science experiment created by all female scientists.

Until then, here’s this week’s The Pull List.

Pull of the Week:

Dark Avengers #5 – Marvel – $3.99

Score: 9.0

The first book to receive a second “Pull of the Week” accolade, Dark Avengers #5 focuses on just how cool it is to be a bad guy. Told through flashbacks taking place hours before a news interview, this issue does its best to introduce pieces of personality to almost all the members of the Osborn backed Avengers team. At the same time, Norman Osborn publicly responds to Clint Barton calling him out publicly as the former murder, the Green Goblin.

The final pages of the issue reveal that all might not be going as planned for the members of the Cabal as Norman must assemble his team of Avengers again for the next issue. Sadly, as it seems with many books that Bendis writes, if he doesn’t care about a character they don’t get much representation in his book. Daken, though seen gets a very limited role in the issue much like Mockingbird has since her return in the pages of the New Avengers.

Looking back, it wouldn’t surprise me if Bendis set up the Civil War and Secret Invasion concepts as a way to get to this point. Bendis loves writing this character. Having a villain in charge as his ultimate goal seems like too fun a premise considering just how involved Norman has become over the entire Marvel Universe. Instead of being restricted to just Spider-Man titles, he can now play a part in any story at all and turn the tables on any hero. Essentially, Norman has almost become a Deus Ex Machina that can be put in anything to add another level of depth to any conflict a hero finds themselves a part of. The other great part of Norman is that he really believes all he has done should be forgivable because of who he has “become” in the public eye. He is so twisted and delusional that it’s hard not to laugh when seeing how he handles his team of lunatic murderers and psychopathic assassins.

Again, Deodato’s dark style is perfect for this book. Nothing about this team should ever be bright and cheerful. They operate in shadows, they should be drawn the same way. There is always an air of mystery around them as shadows often cover large portions of them and their expression, leaving the reader wondering exactly what their true intentions and motivations are. Mike Deodato’s work conveys that perfectly.

Never has it been more fun to be a bad guy. Villains are being given free passes left and write for the things they’ve done as long as they can prove their worth to the former Green Goblin. If they screw up, they have a corporate and government backed juggernaut to help get them out of trouble. And as much as we have been cheering for these villains to get their butts kicked by Spider-Man, the Avengers or the X-Men over the years, now we find ourselves cheering for them. That is the sign of a good story. When it makes the reader change what they once believed to be true. That is something done in this book.

Other Pulls:

Amazing Spider-Man #596 – Marvel – $2.99

Score: 7.5

Part two of the “American Son” story arc picks up with Harry Osborn doing something Peter Parker never would have expected him to do, publically joining his father as a part of Norman’s Avengers organization. The two best friends argue it out only for Peter to be left clueless that the real reason Harry has joined his father’s team was to figure out a way to protect his former fiancé Lily who is pregnant with Harry’s child. This leaves Peter so distracted that while swinging across town he barely notices a building engulfed in flames. Later, Peter catches up with Venom in one of the most onesided battles the two have ever had before revealing his plan to the reader and finding out what American Son means.

The issue feels a lot like good old fashioned Spider-Man story. With half the time split between Peter being himself and half spent as Spider-Man, Peter is still the awkward guy who tosses out one-liners without thinking, resulting in him shoving his foot down his throat. At the same time, he is a caring friend who wants to do whatever he can to protect his friend Harry from putting himself in a position that’d let past demons like Harry’s addiction come back. The science geek in Peter comes across as his plan is revealed at the tail end of the issue as he fights Venom too. Along with Peter, Bullseye actually comes across really well in the issue as he sits idly by as Venom is busy propositioning a hooker and then fighting Spider-Man, all while Bullseye is too self-involved with picking his nose and killing rats with quarters.

Of all the characters in the long run of the series, a new one has graced the top of my “To Kill” list. Norah may be the most annoyingly written character I have read in a long time. While I hate comic book death as it often either means nothing or ends up not meaning anything as a character is brought back to life, this character needs to be taken out. Simply writing her out isn’t enough because that means another writer could use her in a future story. She needs to be taken out for good. Anything to avoid reading her spit out pop culture buzz words ever again. Why is it that the Green Goblin can kill off someone as beloved as Gwen Stacy but this girl will probably be around for the next fifty issues? But I digress…

The art of the issue is stellar with Paulo Siqueira capturing the emotion in Peter and Harry’s faces perfectly throughout. The first page is great as Harry, a former super villain himself, stands with his father and Venom in front of Avengers Tower for a press conference with the current Avengers team watching with arms crossed and looks of disdain on their faces. The sequence with Peter asking for advice is well done as its hard to tell exactly who Peter is talking to until the last panel, but then suddenly all makes sense with the reveal at the end.

A great subtle joke that encourages the reader to always pay attention to the little details comes from the scene with Venom outside of his costume propositioning a hooker with thighs that could rival Wonder Woman’s with a small bottle of wine in the bottom of the page that reads, “Wine More Day”. Though a small fan service, those who get it really appreciate it when an artist goes the extra mile for something small like that for them.

Judging from upcoming solicits and the current pacing of the story, this story is going to take Spider-Man head on with Norman. Though Norman is a good overall villain for the Marvel U, he is at his best when he is facing Spider-Man. The longstanding history between them can lead this to be one of the best story arcs since “Brand New Day”, something still needed strongly by the series after the disappointing results of the “New Ways to Die” story a few months ago.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Tales of the Vampires – Dark Horse Comics – $2.99

Score: 7.0

The first one shot comic happening in continuity to Buffy’s Season 8 series, Tales of the Vampires is a tale taking place in a small New Hampshire town and revolves around the pop culture phenomenon that vampires have become in this world. Not vampires as characters in TV or movies, but the existence of actual vampires being revealed to the world and the craze of people following them. While slayers have gone in to hiding with the proliferation of pro-vamp propaganda such as Harmony’s television show, vampires no longer hide themselves. Their bite has earned the reputation of a high without the risk of drugs.

While it was strange to have a Buffy book without Buffy in it, this issue actually worked really well. The story reminded me of one of the episodes from one of the first seasons of the show where one of the boys Buffy goes to school with wants to be turned so not to succumb to a terminal illness. He doesn’t want to become a vampire because he is a bad person and wants to hurt people, he just feels his current life has nothing left for him.

While Jacob didn’t consciously wish to become a vampire, his life had seemingly lost all meaning and motivation. He may have never asked to be turned, but letting the vampires feed off him could have been taken as a sign that he was so enthralled with their society that he would have wanted to do anything possible to become a part of it himself.

The direct correlations to drug addiction are strong in this issue. Nothing about Jacob’s lifestyle is glamorous. Everything is bleak and dismal. And as he furthers himself into the vampire lifestyle, it gets even worse. Like many addicts, Jacob doesn’t look for a way out. He just accepts life as it is and keeps doing what has gotten him to this point.

The only real downfall of the book comes from the art. Vasilis Lolos has a very cartoonish style that really just takes the reader out of the book. While trying to go for something different, it instead becomes a distraction. The characters are inconsistent in most panels and the faces just take any believability away from the book. Overall it is a strong book regardless but don’t come to it looking for the fantastic artwork that has made its way in to many of the recent Buffy issues, but instead for the story.

You can check out last week’s mega edition of the Pull List here. Be sure to check back tomorrow for the rest of this week’s Pull List!

In a recent interview with Raimi, he said that playwright David Lindsay-Abaire (Inkheart) is working on the script and should have it done any day now. With that, should come details on what the next plot will be, including the villain, (Lizard and Morbius?). But until then, we have this teaser-ish poster to hold us over.

Spider-Man 4 is set to hit theaters on May 6, 2011, and will star Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst.

Amazing Spider-Man #594 – Marvel – $2.99
Score: 7.0

Mark Waid’s “Open 24/7″ story arc finally comes to a crashing ending, not in a bad way but with a literal crash. I’ll get to that later though. After being blinded by a faceoff with the new Vulture at the end of the last issue, Spider-Man is forced to start off this book by asking himself something every one of us has had to ask ourselves at one point, “W.W.D.D.D.?” (What would Daredevil Do?) There isn’t one among us who doesn’t hope that if blinded, our other senses would kick in and pick up the slack. That’s exactly what Spidey deals with as he struggles just to survive this confrontation with the carrion eating new villain.

The issue also continues the story of Aunt May’s romance with J. Jonah Jameson Sr. which had a much better mental image left behind than when Peter had caught them knocking boots a few issues back. In an effort to keep Spider-Man tied to current “real-life” events, much of the latter part of the issue takes place at the new Yankee Stadium where mayor J. Jonah Jameson (Jr.) is enjoying a day at the ballpark with his “adoring public”. This happens to be where the big crash happens as Spider-Man is sent through the skybox window of Norman Osborn during his fight with the Vulture.

While the arc itself was never bad, it took a lot of steps to reach a conclusion that could have been reached much more quickly. A new villain was revealed with a somewhat lackluster debut with little insight as to who he actually is. It almost feels like this new Vulture has been stamped with a B-Level across his forehead already because of the way the character has been treated with such a quick defeat and generic origin. What the issue does well is build excitement in its final pages for the change in the focus of our hero. As the series has always spoken of great responsibility, Peter realizes that having fun embarrassing  J.J.J.’s isn’t living up to his mantra. Instead, Peter sees there are much bigger fish to fry than someone who only smears his name.

Artists Kitson and McKone do a great job bringing this story to page despite their overwhelming amount of detail on a nude Peter Parker. Their varied choices of panel presentation help give the book a very dynamic feel as no two pages are laid out the same. Their choice of design on the new Vulture’s costume is also a great take as he comes across as quite menacing in his crimson costume flying through the night.

So what next for Spider-Man? In the coming months it looks like the “American Son” arc will kick off along with a new addition to the Osborn family all leading up to the 600th issue which looks like it is pointing to the return of a well known Spidey villain. With stakes like that ahead, there’s no doubt the series is ready to pick up steam.

Skrull Kill Krew #2 – Marvel – $3.99
Score: 4.5

Sometimes books get placed under the banner of events for little reason. So far, Skrull Kill Krew is one of those books, as nothing in it has had anything to do with Marvel’s new status quo under the reign of Norman Osborn.  Along with that inconsistency, the book itself suffers from a number of flaws. But first, a recap of the issue. Much like last issue, the book follows the same formula of setting up the trap by the Skrulls that humans have fallen in to, big battle with little threat to the main characters occurs and then a little post-battle epiphany about one of the Krew.  This issue treats the reader at least to a moment of embarrassment with a cameo from  one of the company’s flagship characters.

One of the most glaring faults of the story lies in the disconnect between the first two issues of the miniseries. At the end of the first issue, it is revealed that Ryder himself may have not actually been one of the humans effected by the Skrull meat which created the Krew but instead one of the Skrull offspring. This issue completely ignores any mention of this, even in the recap at the start of the book. 

Instead, the issue stands alone with the only connection between the two being the inclusion of Ryder as a character and the repetitious plotting of the two stories. Ryder also isn’t that great of a “hero”. He never seems to act in time to save everyone despite being given the chance. Instead, he hesitates and costs the lives of the innocents he had been aiming to protect.

The art of the issue does little to help the book as its artwork resembles Archie and Jughead more so than the superhero story it should intend to be. The child-pleasing bright colors and thick outlines starkly contrast the violent nature of the story told underneath it. Even having two different artists working on separate pieces of the story didn’t help improve the presentation.

The style of the cover’s artist seems like it would have leant itself better to the story that writer Adam Felber was attempting to tell.  The story of the Kill Krew leaves a lot to be explained and much more to be desired.  If it doesn’t show any improvement in the coming month, it’ll help open up an additional $3.99 to the Pull List’s budget.

Uncanny X-Men #510 – Marvel – $2.99
Score: 7.5

X-Scribe Matt Fraction continues his run on the Uncanny X-Men with the team fighting the Sisterhood back from the brink of defeat after having all been brought near their breaking point at the end of the last issue. The one thing the that Madelyne Pryor and her Sisterhood didn’t count on though were younger X-Men they had not encountered before.

Pixie, having dealt with the trauma of losing a part of her soul, shines in this issue as she takes a leadership role in helping turn the tide of the battle. On the contrary, Armor seemingly begins to fall apart no longer being at the side of Wolverine like she is in the pages of Astonishing X-Men. Seemingly fearless backing up Wolverine, Armor crumbles under the pressure of what seems like impending defeat. The issue ends with the reveal of what exactly the plan of the Sisterhood was in a dramatic, but not entirely unexpected, confession from Wolverine to Cyclops.

Thus far, Fraction has done a great job working on this X-Men story that has seemingly been going on under the radar in comparison to the events of the Messiah War. But, as seen from the end of the issue, all these events playing out in Uncanny X-Men are bound for massive implications on the X-Men story. Like Joss Whedon’s work on the series, Fraction knows the voices of all these characters he is writing for.

At one point, he brings back a brutal side that has been missing from Emma Frost. It seems like the inner turmoil has been building with her role in Osborn’s Cabal and this issue gives her some release for it both verbally and physically on the unfortunate Lady Mastermind. With the upcoming Dark X-Men team, it is likely this side of Emma will become more and more prevalent.

Greg Land does a fantastic job on his artwork of the issue, with the only notable exception being his odd take on Armor’s power, leaving her psychic armor looking almost teardrop shaped in some instances. He more than makes up for it though with some fantastic action sequences including a splash page with no dialogue or verbiage as the revived body of Psylocke and Wolverine face off.

Land does a great job of making the women in the story look especially beautiful with his great work on their facial structures and hair. How he is able to so quickly turn them to violent and bloodied foes so quickly after is also remarkable. Because of the sheer amount of female heroes and villains in the issue, Land was definitely the perfect choice for it. For some reason, Land’s take on Cyclops also looks a little bit like Matt Fraction… weird. Between Land’s artwork, Fraction’s superb understanding of the characters and the A-Bomb level sized reveal at the end of the issue, Uncanny X-Men is one of the more shining books on a somewhat average week.

Thunderbolts #132 – Marvel – $2.99
Score: 7.0

Every now and then an author can take you on a ride that, when you reach the final pages of a book, you have one of those “didn’t see that one coming” kind of moments. Writer Andy Diggle does a great job doing so in this issue as he starts to take the reader inside the heads of the current Thunderbolts team for really the first time since they had been formed. Most deeply explored is the inner workings of Ghost. Mostly a mystery to the reader and his own teammates, Diggle gives a character that has taken neuroticism to a new level.

While greatly creative in its execution, the same problem plagues this issue as it has since the Thunderbolts roster change took place. No one really seems to care about these characters due only to the fact that so little is known about them. The most delved into character, Ant-Man, is only so known because of the twelve issue series he was created in by Robert Kirkman and his time recently spent in the pages of Avengers: Initiative.

The others are still virtual unknowns or have had little attention on them as more than second rate characters, like the Paladin. Had the team been made up of members at least as well known as Ant-Man, the story itself could have had much greater impact. But, in this issue as stated before, Diggle is trying to remedy this problem as he tries to give insight in to one of the least known characters, Ghost.

The artwork of this issue departs from the cartoony style present during the previous Deadpool crossover arc. Roberto De La Torre gives this book the dark and dank feel it needs. With many panels filled with more shadow than color, this Thunderbolts team is shown as being as far away from its predecessors who were looking for redemption. These men are killers, mercenaries and sociopaths and make no attempt to hide it.

After losing its all-star cast comprised of Norman Osborn, Bullseye and Venom to the Dark Avengers and the exile of Songbird, Swordsman and Radioactive Man from the team, the Thunderbolts book has fallen to a more mediocre status than it once was. Like some series, Thunderbolts has fallen in to times of a rebuilding period. Hopefully with the proper characters and exciting stories, Diggle can bring the team back up to the level it deserves.

Don’t forget to check back on The Flickcast each Thursday and Friday for the newest edition of The Pull List!

With playwright David Lindsay-Abaire working on the screenplay (“He should be done with his script in about four weeks, I think”, says Raimi in the article), Spider-Man 4 is currently slated for a May 6, 2011 release date. In the interview, Raimi took time to address the reviews Spider-Man 3 received,  ”I simply am an entertainer and I make films for audience appreciation. When they don’t like it, I don’t have a leg to stand on.”

Raimi also plans on delving deeper into the character of everyman turned superhero, Peter Parker. “I only wanted to do it with Tobey because my interest is in living the character with Tobey in a deeper way than we ever have lived it before. There comes with the familiarity a knowledge of a lot of the basics. I think it’s really going to allow us to delve deeply into him as a human being, which is really why I’m into it this time.”

Sam Raimi’s current project, the highly anticipated horror film Drag Me To Hell, comes out next week on May 29th.

MTV Splashpage, who originally broke the story,  now brings us a 13 page preview (sans lettering) which looks pretty cool so you should check it out. “The Short Halloween” is currently slated to hit comic stores on May 13, while SNL is still going strong in it’s 34th season every Saturday.