MARKLEY’S FEVERED BRAIN: beginnings and ENDINGS

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Wayne Markley

by Wayne Markley

With a new year starting and this being my first blog of 2015, I thought I would look at three new number ones, all from marvel and the ending of one of my favorite, and one of the best series, from DC. Throughout last year, marvel launched a number of new books with number ones and 2015 looks no different as they have a ton of new titles already announced for the first quarter of the year. I am going to review three of the newest titles, all which came out last week. all of them are good and one is excellent, so marvel is off to a good start. A note though, my opinion on all of these titles is based only on the first issues so it may change with time. as with any new series, and I have seen this lots of times, the first issue would be exceptional and over time the series would drift into mediocrity or out-right dreck. On the other hand, one of my favorite series is pertaining to an end this spring. The Fables spin-off title, Fairest, ended last week so I am looking back at the run of this exceptional series.

Ant-Man

Marvel has once again launched a new Ant-Man title, this time by writer Nick Spencer and artist Ramon Rosanas. Ant-Man has been around considering that Marvel’s regeneration in the early 1960s but normally as a character in other books (Tales to Astonish, marvel Feature) or in the Avengers, and a couple of times in his own title. This incarnation of Ant-Man is once again Scott Lang. Yes, he was dead, and that is referenced a number of times in the story without describing how he is back from the dead, and he is once again with his daughter. The basic story is Scott trying to get a job working for Tony Stark as head of his security. He is not alone in this job interview as other applicants include the Beetle (from remarkable Foes of Spider-Man) and others lesser heroes or villains. This first issue is a very great story setting up what will come in the future and showing what kind of person Scott Lang is. There is no great danger and it is a self-contained story (Bravo!) and it is interesting enough to make me want to read the next issue. It was not the best book I read recently, but it was very good compared to a lot of of the other superhero books out there at the moment. It is worth looking at. I suspect the future issues will be very interesting. Also, it is pretty evident that marvel launched this book because of the coming Ant-Man motion picture this summer, which from the first trailer looks like it might also be a lot of fun.

Unbeatable Squirrel Girl

A second new title from marvel that came out last week was the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. The basic back story is Squirrel girl was a member of the great Lake Avengers, the babysitter for Luke Cage and Jessica Jones, and generally a joke. writer Ryan (Adventure Time) North and artist Erica Henderson have taken this joke character and created the best marvel book in some time. This book is charming, funny, and downright entertaining. It tells the story of Squirrel girl going off to college and having to deal with the issues of school, her new roommate, Tippy, her best friend (and a squirrel), how to hide her tail, is she a worthy Avenger, and all the other troubles of a young adult superhero girl. Plus, she confronts Kraven the hunter and uses him insight into his ways and why they are wrong. This was a best comic in terms of both tone and execution. It is for all age groups and for hardcore superhero fans or for alternative comic fans or even for non-comic fans. Also, like Ant-Man, it is a stand-alone story. There is also in super-small print at the bottom of each page of story an additional joke which is well worth the challenge of reading as they are very funny. I got to the last page of this comic and I could not wait to read more, which is the highest compliment I can pay a book. Well worth seeking out. This could very easily be Marvel’s next surprise hit.

Wolverines

Wolverines #1 by Charles Soule, Nick Bradshaw, and Walden Wong picks ideal up where the death of Wolverine and the follow up miniseries ended. This book is written by the writer of one of my favorite books, Swamp thing (which is ending soon), so I had high hopes for this new book. The basic premise is a group of Wolverine’s friends, enemies and children are brought together to form a new group known as the Wolverines. This first issue is mostly set up and there is a lot of mysterious stuff as to why they are together and who is behind this team. It is an interesting read, but it did not suck me in like Soule’s Swamp thing did. It is also the first chapter of an undoubtedly longer story, so it does not have that fulfillment that Ant-Man and Squirrel girl has of a beginning, middle, and an end, yet it was enjoyable. The villains in this first issue include the Wrecking crew and Mr. Sinister whichis not a bad start. Of the three marvel number ones it is my least favorite, but that is not a negative as much a sign how good the other two were. I have no doubt this book will at some point cause the return of Logan as Wolverine, but I am ready to give it a chance to lead me down that path, it just did not get hold of me like Squirrel girl did or intrigue me as Ant-Man did.

Fairest #33

Fairest recently pertained to an end with issue #33 after a fairly long run. Fairest was a spin-off title from Fables, which is still going, at least for a few a lot more issues, it is ending with #150. Fairest was a title that featured solo stories of various characters from the Fables universe. Characters featured included Cinderella, Ali Baba, Rapunzel and others from a variety of creators other than the mastermind behind Fables, bill Willingham. issue #33 was a special one off story that featured Goldilocks. I found this issue interesting because it ties into a graphic novel that came out in the past. Fairest in All the Land was an all new graphic novel by bill Willingham and a variety of artists including mark Buckingham, Adam Hughes, Ming Doyle, and lots of others that came out over a year earlier. The story was told by the magical mirror (from Snow White and other fairy tales) and involved Cinderella trying to fix the murder of Snow White, rose Red, and others. It is a very complicated mystery that involves nearly everyone in the Fables universe and it is excellent. What I was pleased by was this OGN came out well over a year before issue #33 of Fairest yet issue #33 leads directly into this graphic novel. even if you had read the graphic novel when it first came out in 2013 it is well worth going back and re-reading Fairest in All the Land after having reading Fairest #33.

Fairest Vol. 1

Overall I really took pleasure in Fairest. While it seemed to focus only on a few characters in its run with multiple appearances of Cinderella and Ali Baba it was able to tell very different stories than those being done in Fables, in both style and tone. The first collection of Fairest was called large Awake and was written by bill Willingham and drawn by Phil Jimenez. It told the tale of Briar rose and her Goblin Army. It reprints the first six issues of Fairest. Vol. 2 reprints issues 7-12 and is written by Lauren Beukes and drawn by Inaki Miranda. This collection has both a great story and beautiful art and features an interesting tale featuring Rapunzel and her loonnnggg hair. Not a story you would expect based on the fairy tale. The third collection is titled The Return of Maharaja and features a little know tale of prince captivating (who also was in volume one). Collected in this trade are issues 15-20 of Fairest and it is written by Sean E. Williams and drawn by Stephen Sadowski. as with all of these Fairest stories I would recommend reading the trades over the single comics as these stories tend to be complicated and read better in a single sitting vs. monthly installments. Fairest Vol. 4-Cinderella: Of men and Mice feature the return of super-secret agent Cinderella (who had previously had her own miniseries.) as with her solo series, this story is written by mark Andreyko and drawn by Shawn McManus. I loved both the solo series and this collection with Cinderella. They are a great mix of spy/adventure stories with the Fables sensibilities mixed in. It collected issues #21-26. The final volume in the series, Vol. 5, will be out this summer and it features the adventures of the crafty Fox Reynard and is written by long time Fables artist mark Buckinghm and is illustrated by Russ Braun. At this point the collection is provided as having issues #27-32 even though there are #33 issues in the series. maybe #33 will be added to this collection or maybe Vertigo will reprint The Fairest in the Land and add Fairest #33 as it is a prelude to the graphic novel. Overall, any of these collections are well worth your time to read as they are all exceptional in different ways.

Fairest Vol. 4

So we see the beginnings of a couple of potentially new exciting series and the end of an exceptional series. will one of these new number ones be as good as Fairest has been able to be over the years? Time will tell. everything written here is my opinion and in no way reflects the thoughts or opinions of Westfield Comics or their employees. I welcome feedback or suggestions or review copies at MFBWAY@AOL.COM. have you read any of the books discussed here? Did you take pleasure in them? hate them? I want to know!

Thank you.