Tuesday 10 June 2014

This Week in Free Comics (09/06/14)

Marvel Unlimited
Bruce Banner finds himself with amnesia in Paris. The mise-en-scene is perfect, and I love Marvel's push for more indie, continuity-light stories with their new Marvel Knights series. I've read both this and the Spider-Man series; I think they're strong, but the beginning issue seems to promise more than what we end up with in the conclusion. Kowalski's cinematic art is great (angle brackets are replaced with yellow subtitles on widescreen panels), and reinforces the Parisian setting. Maybe it's an enhanced reading experience for someone who speaks French or lives in France? 

I've yet to check out the X-Men series, but let me know if it's good. 
Comixology
Whilst I won't deny my 'trade paperback binge' reading of this a year ago was a great experience, you need to read this issue. The art is great, and I love seeing our antihero Ant-Man, Eric O'Grady, in poker games with fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agents discussing everyday life. It's a motif throughout the series which sees it intertwine with events from mid-2000s stories like Enemy of the State, House of M, Civil War and so on mentioned in conversation. We build up two narratives, with O'Grady in S.H.I.E.L.D. and meeting a girl in a restaraunt for a date. It's the arrogant superhero right there.
I love Oliver Coipel's art. I love bringing together the Avengers and the X-Men where they're not in opposites to each other (like with AVX or Schism), but mutually in volatile states of rebuilding. What's forgotten is the header of the issue: New Avengers/Astonishing X-Men. It's a crossover, but no-one sees it like that. The Scarlet Witch won't utter "No more mutants" until the last issue, but this is essential stuff to the teams' and Wanda's history. Oh, and DOFP fans? Quicksilver gets a good moment with Magneto here too.
Much like Year One, this is a story arc which transcends the ongoing series to become a limited series/graphic novel of its own. I've not read much recent Iron Man from before this point, but I can agree with the much repeated argument that Ellis and Granov redefined Tony Stark for 21st century sensibilities. If only for the art itself, it's a thing of beauty.

Disney Kingdoms: Seekers of the Weird #1 is free with the promo code WEIRD.

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