Infinity # 6 Spoilers - Thanos' Final Fate

Infinity # 6 was nice but still not-that quite satisfying. But for something that was built to be this big, it shined brightly.

What's really interesting here was the ending to the Thanos plot thread. This was the big fight and it doesn't get any bigger with Captain America leading a handful of the most powerful members of his team against Thanos and what's left of his Order including Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive.

In the final pages of the Thanos chapter, we see Thor go head to head against Thanos...

Oh and Thane is also here watching his pappy's fight against the Avengers. That's when the whole face-turn-heel moment comes about...

So what exactly happened to Thanos after that flashing light?

Turned into amber no less by Thane. Same goes for Proxima Midnight.

It's living death for the organisms that gets Thane pissed off. The Avengers win, the Earth is saved and the galactic alliance return to their lives to rebuild. Meanwhile, the Illuminati adds in a new prize to their secret stash.

Thank you Jonathan Hickman, Jim Cheung and Dustin Weaver for this wonderful tale. It's on the upper echelons of good Marvel stories that have come out in the past two years or so. 

INFINITY # 5 Review

Semi-spoilery review for INFINITY # 5 by Jonathan Hickman, Dustin Weaver and Jerome Opena.

THIS!

This is probably the weakest issue of Infinity. There I said it. Even though it's the weakest you still get to enjoy it as it's got it's moments. Sadly this was just a literal drag with nothing really happening (by that I mean now planets or ships getting blown up).

It's a standard 'talkies' issue reminiscent of a bad issue of Bendis written Avengers. Only it's not so bad because we get more Captain America coolness, a bit of spotlight on Thanos, Black Bolt and the Illuminati all in one sitting.

Still a must-read if you're following the intergalactic saga of the main Avengers team. Oh and it also sucks that after so much build-up on The Builders (Badump-tss) they get so easily knocked down a peg. You can't help but feel sorry that the Avengers had the ultimate deus ex machina, Captain Universe amongst their roster.

INFINITY # 4 SPOILERS

SPOILER ALERT!

Here's a couple of things that were pretty interesting from INFINITY # 4 by Jonathan Hickman, Jerome Opena and Dustin Weaver.

So over in the ruins of Attilan, Thanos and Blackbolt resume their fight. Of course Thanos figures out that the first scream that Black Bolt released was also used to detonate the terrigen mist bomb across Earth.

Yes it actually sucked that Thanos beats Black Bolt in one-on-one combat.

In another part of the world, in that hidden Inhuman settlement, we meet Thane, in his 'human' form.

Sadly, that's all shortlived as the Terrigen Mist wave coming from the explosion in Attilan heads their way and transforms everybody, Thane included.



Thane emerges in a new form, one that looks a lot like his dear old dad.

Meanwhile in Space, particularly in the Kree homeworld of Hala, Captain America sends in his emissary after surrendering to the conquering Builder. Unfortunately for the Builder, Cap sends the one who controls the thunder and the one who's coming out with a movie on October 30... THOR...

Thor shows that he surrenders by hurling his hammer Mjolnir into space and then gets slapped in the face by that obnoxious, little prawn Builder.

So while the Builder is doing his litany AND preparing to kill Thor, Mjolnir has already made a full circle and is hurtling back to it's owner.

And then Thor proceeds to bring the hammer down, so to speak...

He then delivers the killing blow to the arrogant little Builder...



And spouts something, the Bay-verse Optimus Prime would say. Oh and then he poses with the hammer bearing Accusers of Hala including Ronan the Accuser...

Thing suddenly went from INTERESTING to VERY INTERESTING...

What are you waiting for, get your copies now. 

Marvel Avengers Alliance Spec Ops 13 Guide

Coming clean, I'm an addict for Playdom's Marvel Avengers Alliance and I swear I can effing play this Facebook game for a whole day. That being said, the game just launched it's big "Infinity" tie-in with Special Operations (Spec Ops) # 13 which features Thanos and his Black Order together with Inhuman king Black Bolt and a new hero Thane.

So if you want to get either one of the two, I suggest you start playing the game (which is very INFINITY-spoiler heavy mind you) and hope for the best. I would like to cite The Marvel Avengers Alliance [Philippines] group  particularly James Noele Vasquez who created the document.

1. A.I.M.-less

Defeat 5 A.I.M. Soldiers
Remove A.I.M. from this equation. A.I.M. Soldiers can be found in Mission 1: Tribute or Gauntlet.
Requires 10 to auto-finish
Reward: 100 XP for the Agent

2. Mean Green

Defeat a Mini-Boss in Mission 1
Defeat either Abomination or Green Goblin in Mission 1: Tribute or Gauntlet.
Requires 10 to auto-finish
Reward: 1000

3. Strength in Numbers

Use 2 Distress Calls
You can only receive Distress Calls by visiting allies. Add allies to help you win more battles.
Requires 10 to auto-finish
Reward: 200 XP for the Agent

4. Keep the Peace

Complete a Deploy
More help is needed on the ground to get the civilians clear of the area. Complete a Deploy in Mission 1: Tribute or Gauntlet.
Requires 10 to auto-finish
Reward: 1

5. Darkest Before Dawn

Defeat Proxima Midnight
The first confrontation with the Black Order is against their greatest warrior. Proxima Midnight is the Boss of Mission 1: Tribute or Gauntlet.
Requires 10 to auto-finish
Reward: 1000

6. Always Watching

Research the Vigil of Attilan in the Lab
Research the Vigil of Attilan to complete this task.
Requires 10 to auto-finish
Reward: Vigil of Attilan

7. The Mad Titan

Complete a Battle with Thanos
Fight Thanos either on your own map or on your friends' maps for free. Thanos respawns every 72 hours.
Requires 10 to auto-finish
Reward: 1

8. Demonic Diversion

Defeat 6 Demons
Demons can be found in Mission 2: A Strange Twist
Requires 10 to auto-finish
Reward: 100 XP for the Agent

9. Mission Accomplished

Get 2 Stars of Mastery in Mission 1
Complete missions to add points to your cumulative score. Achieve a high enough score to earn a new Mastery Star!
Requires 10 to auto-finish
Reward: 100 XP for the Agent

10. Bolt From The Blue

Use Black Bolt's Royal Flight 3 Times
Royal Flight is Black Bolt's second ability. Black Bolt is a Team-Up in Spec Op 13 Mission 2 and 3.
Requires 10 to auto-finish
Reward: 1000

11. Hammer out Danger

Create the Attilan Cudgel in the Lab
The Attilan Cudgel can be researched after acquiring the Blueprint: Attilan Cudgel
Requires 20 to auto-finish
Reward: 1000

12. Versus

Fight 5 PVP Battles
Compete in PVP to test your skills against other players. Hint: Practice matches count as battles.
Requires 10 to auto-finish
Reward: 100 XP for the Agent

13. Curbing Corvus

Defeat Corvus Glaive
The second confrontation with the Black Order is with the cruel and cunning Corvus Glaive. He is the Boss of Mission 2: A Strange Twist.
Requires 10 to auto-finish
Reward: 2000

14. Sibilant Strike

Use Black Bolt's Whisper 2 Times
Whisper is Black Bolt's third ability. Black Bolt is a Team-Up in Spec Op 13 Mission 2 and 3.
Requires 10 to auto-finish
Reward: 100 XP for the Agent

15. Instability

Collect 20 Unstable Iso-8
Unstable Isotope-8 can be found in normal combat, as well as rewards from deploys and boss fights. You can also get some from your friends!
Requires 20 to auto-finish
Reward: 2000

16. Hammer out a Warning

Upgrade the Attilan Cudgel to the Attilan Mace in the Lab
The Attilan Mace can be researched after acquiring the Attilan Cudgel.
Requires 20 to auto-finish
Reward: 100 XP for the Agent

17. Eternal Struggle

Fight Thanos 3 Times
Fight Thanos either on your own map or on your friends' maps for free. Thanos respawns every 72 hours.
Requires 30 to auto-finish
Reward: 100 XP for the Agent

18. Binary System

Get 2 Stars of Mastery in Mission 2
Complete missions to add points to your cumulative score. Achieve a high enough score to earn a new Mastery Star!
Requires 20 to auto-finish
Reward: 200 XP for the Agent

19. Righting the Wrongs

Use Dr. Strange's Teresing Boost 2 Times
Teresing Boost is Dr. Strange's second ability. Dr. Strange is a Team-Up for the Epic Boss of Mission 2: A Strange Twist.
Requires 10 to auto-finish
Reward: 1

20. Victory

Win 3 PVP Battles
Compete in PVP to test your skills against other players. PVP requires completing Chapter 1 Mission 4 of Story Mode.
Requires 30 to auto-finish
Reward: 100 XP for the Agent

21. Voxquake

Use Black Bolt's Power Word in Combat
Power Word is Black Bolt's fourth ability. Black Bolt is a Team-Up in Spec Op 13 Mission 2 and 3.
Requires 30 to auto-finish
Reward: 100 XP for the Agent

22. What's in the Box

Collect 5 Inhuman Lockboxes
Collect lockboxes to unlock Thane as a playable hero. They can be earned from fighting Thanos or lockbox sidequests.
Requires 20 to auto-finish
Reward: 3000

23. Running the Gauntlet

Defeat Thanos
Thanos is the Boss in Mission 3: In Search of Thane.
Requires 10 to auto-finish
Reward: 1

24. Mission Accomplished

Complete 3 Stars of Mastery in all Spec Op 12 Missions
Complete missions to add points to your cumulative score. Achieve a high enough score to earn a new Mastery Star!
Requires 25 to auto-finish
Reward: 5000

25. Dark Dread

Defeat Dormammu
Dormammu is an Epic Boss in Mission 2: A Strange Twist. HINT: Participate in Deploys as soon as they appear.
Requires 25 to auto-finish
Reward: 1 , Black Bolt.

Then there's also Thane. To get the supposed and rumored 'Son of Thanos' you have to gain themed lockboxes. Here's Thane's bio (special thanks to Bleedingcool):

Additional story for Thane:

"I used to be just a man. Just another healer, nobody of consequence, plying my trade among my people. And then Thanos arrived. How did I get these horrible powers? Why? Did they come from him? All I know is that just as he came to Earth, I… changed. Suddenly I had the power of life and death in my hands. But I could not control it, and the people around me paid the price. Everyone that I had once healed, everyone I knew… dead. I ran before I could kill again, only to find an even greater murderer in my path. Thanos and his lieutenants were coming… for me. This Thanos creature… what does he want from me? If I give myself up to him, will he stop killing people? Or will he just use my powers to kill even more? I need someone to help me understand what I am… what I’ve become. Is that you, Agent? Do you think you can control death itself? I doubt it. But the truth is, I have no other choice. I cannot go back to the way I was, and I cannot go to Thanos. That leaves me with you. But I warn you. Try to use my powers for evil, and I’ll show you what they can do… in abundance."

INFINITY # 3 Review - Minor Spoilers

Reviewing Infinity # 3 by Jonathan Hickman, Jerome Opena and Dustin Weaver.

This week's INFINITY # 3 shows us that Captain America is still the baddest mofo in the Universe and that having no powers do not mean he can't beat battles with powerful enemies like The Builders. It's also a prelude of bigger things coming down with the Inhumans.

Hickman plays the galactic opera very well with a badly beaten Galactic Council turning tail and leaving behind only a handful of troops. Luckily for readers it happens to be Earth's Mightiest Heroes, The Avengers led by Captain America. 

I like the dichotomy of this issue. One side we see a victory on the space front led by Captain America and on the other side of the playing field we see a kingdom crumble partly due to that supreme a-hole Thanos. 

So far, I'm impressed with how Hickman is handling Infinity. Issue 3 is a great addition to the list of good products that Marvel Comics has released in the past few months. There's this elegance and grandness in terms of scope and he yet he micromanages everything to make it cohesive. 

Opena and Weaver's art was fantastic. Opena is a monster when it comes to doing xenomorphic creatures and weird spacecrafts. Plus he pulled off something fantastic in my book. He managed to make Captain America look so cool barking orders at his team.

Weaver's work was excellent here, on equal footing with Opena's work actually. That guy can convey emotions with his art such as the madness in Maximus the Mad's eyes, the worry in Queen Medusa's face and Black Bolt's adamant stance vs Thanos.

Go pick up INFINITY # 3, you'll be happy you did. 

INFINITY # 2 Preview

Check out the preview for Marvel Comics' INFINITY # 2 by Jonathan Hickman, Dustin Weaver and Jerome Opena.

• The Inhumans pay the tribute.

• Victory in deep space.

• The secrets of Thanos.

Looks like the rest of the Illuminati are screwed while the Avengers are off planet... And that's also the reason why Doctor Strange has been absent lately.

Full version of the cover (which looks like it was done by Adam Kubert)

Avengers # 18 Thoughts

The AVENGERS join the intergalactic war against the BUILDERS in this issue written by Jonathan Hickman with art by Leinil Yu, Gerry Alanguilan and Sunny Gho. 

Before I proceed, let me hit you up with this...

- So the Skrulls are back and this time their lead by somebody very familiar, Kl'rt the Super Skrull. I like the idea of the Skrulls getting back in the game and I certainly hoped that this wouldn't be the last of them. Plus the way they were drawn by Yu gives them additional badassery. It's like you'll be scared to even look them in the eye as opposed to their classic purple and black togs. 

- Guardians of the Galaxy gave us a peek at the Galactic council spearheaded by Peter Quill's dad J-Son of Spartax. AVENGERS # 18 finally gives us the full extent of what other cosmic beings are part of the council. Clue, these are vicious killers and people known for their knack at annihilation. It does bring a sense of grandness and a sense of desperation to have them join the council. 

- Hickman uses these scenes to put the readers and the AVENGERS into perspective. We might be following the war through the eyes of the Avengers but that doesn't mean their the center of everything. Mind you at this point in the story, nobody even knows that THANOS has some wicked plans for Earth. 

- Leinil Yu's art definitely kicked ass in this issue. If you're a fan of Yu then Yu'll know that you should be pre-ordering (it hasn't come out yet since Storm Maring delayed comic book deliveries here in Manila) this issue. There's tons of things to see here like a galactic battleship fight, some mean looking Skrulls and Alephs killing each other and many, many more. 

- The art team is pretty swell as well. I do like Sunny Gho's work here much more than Gerry's inks. 

- You know for a team that's massively powered, I'm still unsure why the Builders got the drop on the Avengers. Seriously. It seemed pretty silly especially the team's already amassed some serious firepower within their ranks. I dunno, those scenes with the retreat needs to be re-read to get a better understanding. 

- No sign of Thanos here which is good although it would've been great to at least give us readers a hint of what that death loving scoundrel is planning to do. But then again it could've ruined the surprise. 

- The ending is traditional albeit interesting. I'm really curious as to how things are going to play out now that the team's roster has dwindled immensely. Also why is Quincruiser 1carrying a smaller amount of members as opposed to Quincruiser 2?  Didn't Captain America think it through to equally distribute team members?

- The issue also respects continuity in the case Spider-Woman aka Jessica Drew and her general feelings towards the Skrulls who abducted her and made Jessica the face of Secret Invasion. 

If anything, AVENGERS # 18 just added sweetness to the already heaping goodness of the INFINITY cake. It didn't take anything, just add in more sprinkles and more icing. Plus Leinil's art alone is a flavor of it's own. 

RATING: A

(Definitely getting a copy from COMICX HUB when it comes out hopefully by the weekend)

INFINITY # 1 Thoughts and Some Spoilers

Marvel Comics' INFINITY # 1 by Jonathan Hickman together with Jim Cheung is finally out and it's impressive. The book is thicker thanks to the additional pages from the FCBD issue but it's oh-so-good.

The portrayal of THANOS here is something fresh. He's more of the guy in the comfortable throne with his elite and his soldiers willing to literally die in order to serve him. You could say that THANOS has rebuilt himself as the classic Godfather archetype.

It's refreshing to see some bits and pieces (literally and figuratively) of the Spaceknights. That girl from ANNIHILATORS is back and she's not alone. Sadly, Hickman uses the return of the Spaceknights as a means to show just how powerful these "Builders" are. That one female Builder alone was really powerful. The threat presented here is no pushover but something that is really scary.

The outrider scenes and panels were bland in my opinion. The only thing that revved up those sequences were the appearances of Black Bolt himself and boy were those scenes majestic. I shudder to think what will happen to people who piss off Black Bolt outside of his brother Maximus the Mad. Oh and I almost forgot that Black Bolt and the rest of the Inhumans will be playing a really huge part in Marvel's INHUMANITY.

I foresee people scratching their heads due to the complexity of the thread. INFINITY has this complexity that I haven't seen in a Marvel Comics event book in years now. Other event books would probably reference a couple of books but this one takes the cake by making references to various events. However if you really want to stay 'in touch' with the book's context, I suggest you pick up Hickman's run on the current AVENGERS and NEW AVENGERS books. 

I don't feel the appearance of Thanos' new posse worked here. Corvus Glaive and the rest of his team might seem like strong opponents but it feels like they were just set pieces as opposed to characters (antagonists) that needs more breathing room to grow. Remember how in Superman, there were tiny tidbits of Doomsday at the end of every issue until the damned thing finally broke free, that for me works. And I think if could have been executed flawlessly with Hickman at the helm. 

One thing I find stupid really. If Thanos had the capability of acquiring these individuals and raising an army, why didn't he do it then? It seemed rather contrived that out of half a dozen or so times that he tried to conquer Earth, it's only now that he had the brains to start slow and keep in the dark. 

Another stupid Thanos moment is the idea of getting scared of the Avengers and seeing the opportunity to strike now that the Avengers are leaving Earth to join the universal fight against the Builders. Didn't he think about getting resistance from the same people that was mentioned, namely the Inhumans and the X-Men. Don't forget there's also the Fantastic Four and the other heroes who made it to "Reservist Avengers". 

Still, INFINITY # 1 is worth picking up. It's the perfect super burn heal...

... for those that got burned by the last event which was AGE OF ULTRON (although that book had some merits to it). 

Pre-order you copies of INFINITY # 1 from CASTLE GEEK and COMICX HUB

Guardians of the Galaxy Roles for Del Torro, Pace and Gillian Revealed

Den of Geeks is fighting the currents with their daring confirmation for the roles of three stars attached to Marvel Studios' "Guardians of the Galaxy" namely Benicio Del Toro, Lee Pace and Karen Gillian.

The long retracted/ redacted role of the Collector (Taneleer Tivan) is given to Benicio Del Toro and if you look at the photo below, you'd see why this is a perfect fit.

If that's not a perfect fit then I don't know what is. My only concern is that Del Toro has this slurred speech. It's not an impediment but it does ruin some great dialogue (assuming we get good lines from this villain).

Here's a bit of info about the character from Wikipedia: "Taneleer Tivan is one of the Elders of the Universe and is close to his fellow Elder En Dwi Gast (the Grandmaster). He apparently came to self-awareness billions of years ago, on the planet Cygnus X-1. He is an enormously powerful being who wielded the Power Primordial and, though at first he took the appearance of an old human, his true form is a powerful alien."

Former Dr. Who star Karen Gillian's role has also been revealed as being the alleged granddaughter of Thanos, the intergalactic terrorist Nebula.

Here's her stat card from way back when Marvel still pushed trading cards...

This of course debunks the previous rumor I posted about the redheaded beauty being cast as Angela. Which kinda sucks because with her auburn locks, she could've been perfect as the angelic Spawn-hunter.

My favorite 'confirmation' however happens to be what actor Lee Pace will be playing. According to the news that Den of Geeks broke, the former star of "Pushing Daisies" will be playing the role of Kree accuser and frequent Fantastic Four foe Ronan the Accuser.

OK, I'm not 100% sure about how he's going to bulk up considering that Ronan is a pretty physical character but I do know that Pace has the acting skills needed to deliver meatier, statesmanly lines. You see Ronan's not just an alien brawler with a big-ass hammer, he's also what we could see as a judge in Kree society. He needs to be eloquent when he talks and I can see why Marvel Studios picked Pace for the role. For all we know this appearance of the Accuser will be all talk. One thing though, the character in the 616 Universe has faced off against both Gamorra (Zoe Saldana) and Drax the Destroyer (Batista) so it's highly unlikely that he'll be given a 'desk job'.

This confirmation might have some meat and truth to it, but until Marvel confirms this, I'm taking it with a grain of salt. We don't have to wait that long though since SDCC 2013 is around the corner, the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) might have a surprise treat for us.

Avengers # 14 Review

Picked up Avengers # 14 this week as it's officially the start of Jonathan Hickman's Infinity. This one though is written by Hickman with co-writer Nick Spencer and Stefano Casselli on art duties. Special thanks to Castle Geek and Comicx Hub.

Here are my thoughts. I loved the book and thanks to Hickman's layered storytelling everything that's happened in the past 13 issues are starting to come into full view. There's Ex Nihilo and Abyss in Mars watching for their masterstroke come into full bloom. There's the problem with the organisms that came out of the origin bombs which hit Earth back in issue # 4 or was that # 5.

So much is happening in this issue alone that you wouldn't even notice that there was really nothing that tied up with INFINITY in this. But you do sense that everything that is transpiring in this issue will lead to the inevitable clash between the Avengers and Thanos back in space. It's just that, it's really nothing there. I'm inclined to think that come Infinity # 1, Thanos will probably refer to something from this issue when he finally encounters the Avengers; all that because there's already a secret stalker/ sleeper agent on Earth (as seen in FCBD Infinity).

Another reason why I loved this issue is due to the fact that the team is actually responding to world threats and they're finally gelling as a first response superhero team, something that the Justice League has been doing over at DC Comics for a steady flow of a few months. That's just my gripe with Avengers as of late, Hickman's slow on the uptake when it comes to pacing so the tendency is that we get character driven stories that look good but has zero action. In a way it's a modern version of the Bendis writing disease where everybody just reveals their 'feels' and we're supposed to enjoy it. Avengers # 14 didn't do that, opening that first page alone we get to see the scope of the risks and dangers the team must face in order to keep the world safe. 

Art was also great. I sure miss Jerome Opena's work on this book but Stefano Casseli does not disappoint either. He draws a lot of great, widescreen stuff in this issue which will make his previous works on Avengers Assemble and even Amazing Spider-Man cower in fear. Plus, those action scenes although just a few panels, were just so beautiful. 

This might be a preference but I'm not too keen on the inclusion of AIM and the newly minted AIM island in the story. It felt like they could have taken a back seat but instead of that, they get the focal point for the ending.

Overall: Good plot and interesting character development and interaction, solid art and just unbelievable one non-stop action. Get your copy of Avengers # 14 from Castle Geek in The Collective or in Glorietta. You can also order online thru Comicx Hub [order HERE].

Verdict: 9/10

This is powered by Comicx Hub. I got my Avengers # 14 online!

Zoe Saldana Cast as Gamora for Guardians of the Galaxy

Looks like the deal has been sealed as Star Trek star Zoe Saldana has been officially added to the cast of Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy. She'll be joining Chris Platt and Dave Bautista (Batista).

Saldana will be taking on the role of Thanos' adopted daughter Gamora, also called the "Most Dangerous Woman in the Galaxy". She's well versed in fighting hand to hand and with bladed weapons. Of course, her favorite would be her sword. 

Marko Djurdjevic's Infinity Variant Cover Looks Like a Movie Poster

... and this movie poster features important key figures like main villain Thanos plus Inhuman leader Black Bolt together with heavy hitters from Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the Avengers.

If you've read the early scans from the FCBD issue of Marvel Comics' Infinity, you'll know that Thanos has sent his outrider to Earth with the hopes of finding something or someone. Knowing Thanos, this must be the Infinity gauntlet and the six infinity gems. Sadly though, the Illuminati broke the Infinity gems in Jonathan Hickman's New Avengers.