My Pull List - Comic Reviews for 7/18/2012

This week we've got a short list:
- Avengers Vs. X-Men #8
- Captain Marvel #1
- Justice League #11

Avengers Vs. X-Men #8

I think that this issue is much stronger than the previous one. There's less focus on the X-Men this time around, though we end with a rather interesting turn of events regarding Xavier. I'm not sure what he plans to do, but I somehow doubt it will end well. I thought the all-out battle between the Avengers and Namor worked really well and never felt phoned in or rushed. Overall, not bad. Oh, and this one panel made me cringe in the best way.

John Romita, Jr.'s work was pathetic compared to that visceral image. Just sayin'.

Captain Marvel #1

The title of Captain Marvel and also Carol Danvers has had a long and interesting history. Rather than get too into it, I'll just let MovieBob do it for me:

OK, now that we're all caught up, basically this new series marks the beginning of Carol Danvers officially assuming the mantle of Captain Marvel. About damn time, am I right?


As for the comic itself, it honestly took me a little while. I don't think it started very strong. I'm kind of tired of heroines who have to prove their toughness by beating up a misogynist supervillain. It feels like Marvel saying, "See!? We're not sexist! WE'RE NOT SEXIST!!!"


Thankfully, once that intro is out of the way, the rest of the issue is pretty damn fantastic. Carol's decision to take on the name is powerful and feels so very right. Also, her relationships to the people around her are very sweet and you really never see that kind of approach in the first issue of a superhero comic. It's bold, different, and I think I like it. I'll definitely be picking up the next issue.

Justice League #11

I'm not sure how I feel about this current arc. Without spoiling the reveal at the end, I really hope that it doesn't take. Otherwise, it would ruin probably my favorite thing about this current arc. Once the arc ends, I think I'll be able to give a full assessment.

As for "Shazam", I'm one of the few that loves the new direction of Billy Batson. Yes, it's stereotypical Hero's Journey type stuff, but it makes sense that someone with Billy's background would be cynical in today's world. What I like is that he's cynical but you can tell he's still the same Billy deep down.