SPOILERS - Avengers World # 2

The fate of Smasher in the pages of Avengers World # 2 by Jonathan Hickman, Nick Spencer with art by Stefano Casseli.

In this issue we find out that Cannonball, Sunspot and Cannonball's girlfriend Smasher aka Izzie Dare have been captured by AIM. Sam and Bobby are critically injured and AIM Scientist Supreme Andrew Forson has decides to turn Smasher into her messenger. They set Izzie free and as she wanders around, she encounters the new environment that AIM has developed...

While Izzie is slowly transforming, we find out that AIM has been in cahoots with the Entropic Man.

Poor Izzie. :( Thats now how you treat the granddaughter of Dan Dare.

Whether this is going to be a good thing or a bad thing is something that is still up in the air. Hope this upgrade's for the better.

Avengers World # 2 is finally out in the market right now.

Are the Avengers Going Global?

A new teaser from Marvel Comics for their upcoming panels in NYCC shows the word GLOBAL with a green hue.

And more importantly it boasts of a stellar creative team. 

So yeah, we got Jonathan Hickman, Nick Spencer (who's doing Secret Avengers) and Stefano Caselli who was also working with Avengers prior to INFINITY.

So what could this be? I've been reading the comments from various groups and it feels like they're on to something.

- It could either be a new expansion for the Avengers i.e. taking in new members from other superteams from around the world like Alpha Flight or Big Hero 6. 

- It could be a Hulk-centric storyline which is kinda dumb in my opinion.

- It could tie up to whatever will happen in the next Avengers storyarc featuring a renegade planet on a collision course with Earth (which would be interesting and solicited as well). 

Either way, NYCC is just around the corner so let's just play the waiting game. 

AVENGERS # 17 Spoiler Review

The Avengers World concept grows once again in AVENGERS # 17 with some cool new twists on the story. Spoilers abound. Special thanks to COMICX HUB and CASTLE GEEK. 

As we are about to kick off INFINITY, the Avengers finally gather and regroup. 

- The art was beautiful. Stefano Caselli is a beast in both making heroes and villains look iconic as possible. The colors were also a welcome relief as they really do justice to Caselli's line art.

- Manifold was such a great character and now he's really pulling his weight in this new book. Taking out an entire squadron of AIM soldiers plus Superia looked like a small chore for this guy. Plus he's also the bearer of bad news in this issue.

- Speaking of bad news, I'm really curious as to how AIM plans to dish out damage using the Robotic creature that trashed the Avengers last issue. How will they figure in upcoming events. Your guess is as good as mine on that end. And since it's Jonathan Hickman and Nick Spencer doing the driving, we can only expect the worse (and the best). And if that's not enough, they also have samples taken from every KO'ed Avenger in Perth. That'll probably bite them in the ass too.

- I loved how they relegated Spider-Man and Wolverine to background character. They didn't even get any speaking lines. All they did was pose menacingly at the end of the issue which made that twice as cool. The fact that they even got some lines in for Carol and Jessica means a lot. 

- Bruce Banner is still definitely kicking ass and I certainly love how they managed to integrate this iteration of Banner into a real somebody within the inner circle of the Avengers. Too bad his volatile demeanor can't merit him inclusion in the Illuminati over at NEW AVENGERS.

- Perhaps the biggest thing that unfolded in this issue (and probably why you should pick up this book AND this issue) is the recruitment drive that occurs. A complete heel turn face and 'oh shit' moment occurs in this issue when the trio of Captain America, Hulk and Iron Man decide to recruit the same people that gave them grief namely Starbrand, Nightmask, Abyss and Ex Nihilo. 

- And if things were not getting any better, we get Leinil Yu and co. starting next issue as INFINITY officially begins! 

Overall, I think this was a great issue. 

9/10

AVENGERS # 17 is now available in CASTLE GEEK (Glorietta, The Collective and soon in Greenhills) as well as online through COMICX HUB (Order HERE).

AVENGERS # 16 Review

Reviewing AVENGERS # 16 by Jonathan Hickman, Nick Spencer and Stefano Caselli from Marvel Comics. Available at Comicx Hub and Castle Geek.

Again another smashing good time as INFINITY races towards us. In this issue things are really looking bad for Earth's mightiest heroes. The mystery creature that hatched from AIM Island has finally reached the team in Perth, Australia. 

Well what can I say, I'm a sucker for a good story and great art. And thanks to Msrs. Hickman, Spencer and Casselli I have that this month. And as a bonus treat, more Hulk action and a look at the two New Universe characters we haven't seen for a couple of issues already. 

If you think the last issue had stunning art, then prepared to be floored as Caselli wows us with great battles, explosions and facial expressions on characters. Plus the man draws a pretty damn good 'hulk out' panel. Of course we also have to thank Frank Martin Jr. for his amazing contribution to make this a colorful yet deadly dead. 

It's pretty obvious from the way things are written that Hickman has taken a back seat. The good news is that it's not sorely missed. In fact, it's a breathe of fresh air for readers who have started with this book. Although one thing obviously missing in this issue is the cryptic stuff that Jonathan Hickman has been known for. But the dude is busy with INFINITY so let's just let him be for the meantime.

This is Spencer's show and he shows that he's worthy of the title. He brings the same energy that makes me read the current volume of Secret Avengers (the one with Nick Fury Jr. and Agent Coulson). Rather than focusing the story on secret missions and black ops projects, the energy is diverted to world savingl, grand fights with unknown entities. That works for me by the way.

Another interesting subplot that gets revisited in this issue is the fate of Starbrand and Nightmask; characters we haven't seen for awhile. The exposition on their character gets done mostly through dialogue and we only see a small hint of Starbrand's power. It's like talking about a shotgun's power but never really demonstrating it.

Overall, I love AVENGERS # 16. Get it if you're a fan of the book or if you really want an in-depth feel to Marvel's upcoming INFINITY storyline.

AVENGERS # 16 is still available in all CASTLE GEEK branches and online thru COMICX HUB (Click on the link HERE to order)

Avengers # 15 Spoilers

Spoilers for Avengers # 15 by Jonathan Hickman, Nick Spencer and Stefano Casselli.

Writer: Nicholas Spencer
Cover Artist: Leinil Francis Yu
"ECHO TERRA" Prelude to INFINITY: Part Two.Aliens races fleeing an intergalactic terror crash to Earth, just as the Avengers are occupied with the now-active Origin Sites!Captain Universe and Manifold take a trip across the universe.

In this issue:

AIM Island is thrown into a tizzy with the awakening of the origin bomb. And it's main task is to communicate.

It's first contact with the elusive 'Builders'

Captain Universe goes on an adventure in space with Manifold:

... and what they find there isn't helpful...

S.W.O.R.D. has problems of their own as several alien ships try to enter Earth. Only one ship evades capture and it's filled with Skrulls.

Finally, it looks like the remaining Avengers left on Earth are set for a big fight...

Comments: Not so keen on the giant robot headed towards the team. I'm not sure with that. What's more interesting is that ship full of Skrulls. Could these be the same skrulls that the Avengers ally with before leaving Earth to face Thanos in "Infinity"? Could be.

Verdict: 8.5/10

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!

Nick Fury Jr. is a Bastard - Secret Avengers # 1

If there's one thing that I thoroughly hated about Secret Avengers # 1 by Nick Spencer and Luke Ross, it's got to be Nick Fury Jr aka Marcus Johnson. 

Actually everything in this book is nice for me. There's a nice bit of mystery, some unwitting agents who eventually will outgrow their unwillingness. There's also a shadowy government agency that's pulling everybody's strings. There's also some interesting technology here in Secret Avengers # 1 but what really rubs me the wrong way here is Marcus Johnson.

Will Ultimate Captain America Become the Ultimate American President?

I loathe and love the sound of that "Ultimate American President". Anyway Marvel is teasing that the Ultimate version of Captain America will be making a big decision that will change yet again the face of the Ultimate universe.

If you haven't been following the current Ultimate Universe storyline, the United States is currently embroiled in a bloody civil war.

SPOILERS: Ultimate Comics X-Men # 3

Spoilers for Ultimate Comics X-Men # 3 by Nick Spencer and Paco Medina