True Believers: Annihilation - Odinpower #1 (re:view)

Welcome to a whole new adventure with... a comic for your dollar! This time I'm bringing the might of Odinpower. Let us dive in!

Gosh, these recent True Believer issues are giving me a lesson in superheroes and what they can do with their powers. It was Silver Surfer travelling so quick that he can travel in time and now it's the other half with Thor whirling his hammer so quick that he can space warp. They both can make a deadly c-c-combo! Not much going on in Thor's side except Lady Lorelei trying to seduce the heck out of Thor but I think her sis Enchantress might have something to say about that. She gonna zap that wig into space. Lorelei does have the greatest power of all time with the power of sexuality. Rogers was gonna rat on her but one kiss from Lorelei resolved that. Should have worn rubber lips (Batman & Robin ref).

The main course is Odin's tale of woe and empowerment! Have to say I have no idea Surtur outside the Thor films but he does prove quite the big baddie in this as he gives Odin and Bros a run for their money. Let's take a pause here and appreciate the names of the bros being Vili and Ve (and I sing Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?). They literally join together like a Go, Go Power Rangers to form a mega Odin and clunk clunk goes their sword. I'm surprised with the combined efforts couldn't take out Surtur in one go yet Odin is able to rain snow in Surtur's volcanic lair.

Not much context at the beginning for it to stand on its own but the ending was served in epic proportions dished out to Michelin standards. It does have a poignant ending in that you feel for Odin in having lost his brothers so that they can trap Surtur and give up their powers to juice Odin up. What is with it though that Odin does not like Thor partnering up with a human lady and not a robot. 

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Is that a tear in my eyes? No, I have hay fever!

True Believers: Annihilation - Odinpower #1 (reprint of Thor volume 1 #349)
Walter Simonson - art and story
John Workman, Jr - letterer
Christie Scheele - colours
Marvel - publisher

WandaVision Season 1 Episode 8 (re:view)

Welcome to a whole new adventure with... Wanda and Vision! Agatha's got her serve on and she's giving Wanda a walk on the runway. Let us dive in! (spoilers ahead)

Agatha gets her origins nicely whipped up in this episode as she is brought in front of her coven for practising magic above her pay grade. This episode does show her manipulative side in high fashion from the beginning where she pleads with mother witch to kiss and make up but then sports a sinister smile as she levels up in power as she steals that mojo from the coven. Talk about a switch-up in character. She does form a sort of mentor to Wanda in this episode by giving her some home truths about spellcasting and to move forward is to look back which is a nice way to reflect and remember. This is sort of reminiscent of the comics where she does teach Wanda how to control her abilities. Her final boss form does seem a bit of place in the final shot with its regal dark colours. I'm gonna see how she dukes it out with Wanda. 

Gosh, I knew about Wanda's past but to see it in high fashion display is quite the tearjerker. They don't let down on the shock value as Wanda and Pietro's parents are blown away by an explosion. Didn't quite get why they were not instantly mourning over the loss of their parents but then again they must have been dealing with a lot of emotion especially with Wanda saying it would be like a "bad dream at the end of the episode". This does strike a chord with me in the way that she loathes the reality she's in so she creates lives in her fantasy reality of the sitcoms of her childhood. Shock, horror! The revelations in this episode cast a different shade on her in that everything I thought I knew about Wanda wasn't exactly the case. Hell of a revelation!

Wanda and Vision's relationship is explored and it does shine another light as I said in a previous re:view that I felt that their relationship didn't feel solid enough for me to invest in them as a power couple as they were in the comics. Here though, it goes back into the past and I see that they have beautiful chemistry in their way their views come together and forms a perfect fit. It's beautiful in the way that Vision describes grief as "love persevering". The moment was so tender and sad. We do see the puzzle pieces come together of how Westview came about and the strong grief that Wanda experiences that pushes herself to the limits. I did cry in those moments and then the meta clap from Agatha happened to bring me back to Earth. Dang, can't let a girl cry, can ya?!

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Let the witch battle commence! 

Black Cat volume 2 #1 (re:view)

Welcome to a whole new adventure with... some kitty cat action - me-ow! Black Cat think she be doing a night of kitty cat burgling but she got another thing coming for her instead. Let us dive in! (warning: spoilers ahead)

It's a short read but what's a girl gotta do in this town to get a drink? Well. it's a hit and run for Black Cat as a Marvel crossover event slam dunks into her catty thievery as she some crowned jewels from an old SHIELD underpass. It does come off with a brilliant ending as we find out her skills are put to the test as she has to steal a Doctor Strange from the Symbiotes, which kind of reminds me of the Ant-Man first film which I had so much fun watching.

Black Cat's personality is on display and it's great to see great new perspectives from the main King in Black event. It reminds me that she's not a person to gel into the main crossovers as it's in her character to have a low profile as she's a kitty cat burglar with bling bling coming out of her paws. It's funny how Captain America knows of her through Spider-Man. Wonder what he told Cap about her? Hmm....

Love what they did with the place with the panels with different stylings that bring things together with the storytelling of perspectives, action and dramatisation of events. Makes for a good read and very quick to pace through especially you want to just jump into the main course. Yummy!

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Bring on the kitty cat!

Black Cat #1 (volume 2)
Jed MacKay - writer
C.F. Villa - artist
Brian Reber - colour artist
Ferran Delgado - letterer

Marvel  - publisher

WandaVision Season 1 Episode 7 (re:view)

Welcome to a whole new adventure with... Wanda and Wanda! Seems to be Wanda running the show now but is it really her that running it? Let us dive in! (spoilers ahead)

Y'know... it's not entirely the WandaVision show without Vision, hun. It's clear that she misses him as the first thing she does when waking up is to reach for him. It's the kind of love that's the real kind of love. Darcy knows it, I know it and you better know it!

I love how Wanda and the kids are super concerned in the previous episode for Vision and I was expecting them to pick him up. I expect that they know that he's safe when he was absorbed back into the hex. Anyway, this is a lesson on how to be a bad mother 101 when she wakes up late, doesn't tend to her children and tells her kids to just deal with it. I have no idea what I missed... I mean it's just been one night and all hell has broken loose for Wanda. Like girl, get it together!

Gosh, the product placement is out of this world in this episode with the boys scrolling through decades of gaming consoles and inconspicuous opening of the fridge to see the many varied products on display. It's like I stepped out of a Lady Gaga Telephone music video. 

I'm living for Vision and Darcy being the ultimate comedic duo in this episode. It involves Darcy knocking the guy out that didn't offer that cup of joe from an earlier episode which was a nice homage. It's super hilarifying to see them overcome their obstacles in getting to Wanda. Snaps to that for offering that slice of cake as Wanda can be very intense in this episode which offers that balance. OMG, they were made for each other! 

Team Monica have split up and it's so sweet that it gets a mention that they miss Darcy! Monica being the ever so noble self does anything on all accounts to save Wanda and the rest of Westview in risking her life to get through the hex wall. But yas girl, she gonna get that pow-wa kapow. Her origin has finally landed and it's so beautiful in the way that it's done as she can hear voices of her past and images of her breakaway as she passes through the hex wall. Quite the thick wall at that but gonna get that A-class beauty scene. 

The ultimate dessert of the episode is Agnes as she is revealed to be "Agatha All Along". My gosh, she got the Disney villain treatment with an ultimate sing-a-long. It's like one of those evil pantomime villain moments which is so wondrous in all its glory. Moments like this make me live and literally can't get the song out of my head - ugh, I have become deaded!

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Oh no she didn't! She killed Sparky!

Annihilation - Scourge: Silver Surfer #1 (re:view)

Welcome to a whole new adventure with... Silver Surfer! Silver Surfer faces annihilation as they face off against the Scourge. Let's dive in!

The artwork is so gorgeous and even the Scourge is even more terrifying here than they are in the Annihilation Scourge Alpha issue. I have not yet read Silver Surfer Black yet but can pretty much get the drift about what's happened to him which is so great as it's hard to keep up with everything. It doesn't take too much out of the story but I would say it enhances it as it provides that lens for me to see SS on a journey in discovering himself and as shown when he assimilates with a being hurtling through a planet's hemisphere and it beautifully shows the pain and powerlessness in overcoming his new bodily functions. 

I love the pacing of the issue too where it's calm and serene at the beginning to allow room for those paused moments and reflective thoughts, which is quickly dialled up with the pacing of the incoming danger and in dealing with the real threat. It's fluid in build up like I can literally chart it.

The scourge is terrifying in this! Especially Ronan and Captain Marvel. They are worse than the ones in Alpha and I'm having nightmares tonight. This time we're getting the Scourge Defenders which I thought was a nice touch to the issue and a homage to Silver Surfer's hey-days. 

The ending sees the return of Robert or Bob otherwise known as the counterpart to the Sentry who gets their back story of how they got there which is a nice respite to the whole issue but the ending is just wow! It reminds me of the Spirit of Vengeance and Johnny Blaze being separated in Hell but joining together, the wonders are limitless and exciting! 

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I want me some more Scourge action!

Annihilation - Scourge: Silver Surfer #1
Dan Abnett - writer
Paul Davidson - artist
Matt Milla - Colourist
VC's Clayton Cowles - letterer
Marvel - publisher

WandaVision Season 1 Episode 6 (re:view)

Welcome to a whole new adventure with... Wanda and Vision! It's Halloween and will it be a trick or treat for Pietro's return? Let us dive in! (spoilers ahead)

Love this episode's intro with a throwback to Malcolm in the Middle - it's totally my jam! Love the spin they did with it too with including their powers in it. More to say that both Billy and Tommy had an upgrade in the episodes in terms of major character development - they got powers - kapow! It's interesting that "Pietro" senses can see that Billy break the fourth wall. I just don't believe that Pietro is the same as the one in Fox's X-Men film series as we may have led to believe as he seems really different from the character.

There's a lot of fun in the episode especially with the "me gusto mucho" moment with Wanda and Vision which I had to rewind several times as it was too hilarifying. When they go trick or treating was another hilarifying moment with the added bonus of Wanda's expressions (really sold it for me).

It seems quite tight between Wanda and Vision and Billy seems to senses it by also bringing it to out attention of breaking the fourth wall. A lot of wonderful expressions from Wanda and Vision as they know that the relationship is strained.

Team Monica seems to be gelling together really well as they intuitively work together to overcome their adversaries after being ejected from the operation. I'm just hoping that Monica gets her powers in the series and shows it in full force after it's been hinted at by Darcy showing her medical scans. Then there's Hayward who I always knew was a shady b when it's been uncovered that he had tabs inside the hex all along. 

Vision and Agnes have a wonderful moment and it's so fascinating seeing Agnes's character just come out of character and back in with a flick of a switch. It's one of the main highlights of the episode that proved to become such a memorable moment. 

OMG! The ending is sooooo EPIC! Sent chills down my spine with the sense of urgency and dramatic flair as Billy flags down Wanda while Vision is slowly wasting away having gone outside the hex. When Wanda just let go, my wig went into orbit, sucked into a black hole and sent to a parallel universe. The moment was just beautiful. I had to replay that scene several times for its pure epicness.

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*cue titles*

Marvel's Greatest Creators: Silver Surfer - Rude Awakening #1

Welcome to a whole new adventure with... a comic for your dollar! This time I'm bringing you an adventure of galactic proportions as Nova prepares a feast for Galactus for when they take on the might of Thanos but Silver Surfer shows that there is more to life. Let us dive in!

You know... reading this issue made me realise Nova does get around quite a bit with her fair share of herald love interests and does fall for Galactus at some point (insert citation). I mean Galactus does pick 'em right so I don't blame her. Snack! 

Anyway, it's nice to see the juxtaposition shown between her character and Galactus's in this issue with - spoiler alert - that Silver Surfer shows her a planet much like Earth and ask if she would have Galactus destroy it and without hesitation, she says she would. A but and a VERY big but and I'm not talking about the mighty derriere of Galactus, it's Earth in the prehistoric times when men walked Earth resembling more of our ancestral Neanderthals. She gasps and realises the reality of her actions. It kind of provides a fresh new perspective on morality and choice which paints Nova in a different light in this issue especially by the end, which is tragic yet beautiful at the same time. 

With the new perspective in place, it kinds of got me thinking about Galactus in being umm... not a villain. I guess in some regards like Dracula who is found in a circumstance that they have to an urge to fulfil their hunger but it satisfied by blood or in Galactus case in the destruction of a planet to harvest its resources. I mean Galactus wanted to take down Thanos as he realises that the threat that he brings. See... good guy! 

There is no Galactus issue without destruction unless the Fantastic Four stop you of course! It provides such a beautiful juxtaposition to the life that Nova sees and posed even more by the beautiful yet terrifying destruction of a planet and a body floating in space that Nova witnesses. This issue has so much depth to it ending on a cherry on the top poignant ending as Nova contemplates the future of planets ahead. 

Wait, how did Silver Surfer become Superman with time travel super-speeding. He ain't breaking a sweat... weeerk. 

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Galactus want that feast... nom, nom, nom, nom

Marvel's Greatest Creators: Silver Surfer - Rude Awakening #1 (originally published as Silver Surfer volume 1 #51)
Ron Marz - writer

Ron Lim - penciler

Tom Christopher - inker

Ken Bruzenak - letterer

Tom Vincent - colourist 

Marvel - publisher

WandaVision Season 1 Episode 5 (re:view)

Welcome to a whole new adventure with... WandaVision (cue the titles)! Kids... you can't control 'em. Let us dive in! (spoilers ahead!)

Here we go! Two major Marvel characters in de facto force, well... kinda. Billy and Tommy are finally here in the MCU and they grow up so fast or in Agnes's words "you can't control 'em". It's nice to see the sitcom elements continuing into the next decade with Agnes bringing in full fun. She comes in yet again... in fact twice in the episode at the most opportune moments. It's very strange though as she becomes self-aware that she's in a sitcom herself and seemingly know about Wanda's abilities but not to the full extent as she is caught unaware when the kids tell her to bring their newly adopted dog back from the dead as they are found dead in the arms of Agnes. Something doesn't add up and it's sort of the same case for Wanda that there are circumstances where she's been caught off-guard. I wonder though how much Agnes knows about Wanda.

With Billy and Tommy, their personalities aren't as blown up yet in this episode as I guess it's still the Wanda and Vision show as Wanda tends to her motherly duties while Vision goes to work. It's interesting that the children can't be persuaded or as Agnes puts it "control" as Wanda can't seem to use her powers of persuasion to influence their answers when asked why their father is working on a Saturday. Kind of how Agnes presents herself in this episode too in that she seems to be living on her own accord. Ralph gets a mention too in that she gets sprayed with lavender as there's no ummm... taming this beast. Hang on, what kind of spray is this? 

Hayward seems to be showing his true colours in this episode it seems a nefarious plan brewing in the mix. Love the touch when Woo says "Hayward's a..." and actually finished by Hayward himself when he was describing something else, which turns out to be "terrorists". This has to be a clear indication of things to come from Hayward, right?

It's great to see Monica come into the mix and this episode really shows many sides to her in being able to adapt quickly into a group with Darcy and Woo, perseverance and empathy. I love that she still believes in the good in Wanda despite everyone else's misgivings, sensing her grief and speaking to Wanda on a level of empathy. For me, she's definitely the one to watch.

It's great to see how Wanda wrestles with motherhood and using her own experiences to pass words of wisdom to the kids and Wanda is self-aware without feeling the need to conceal herself. Something must have flicked her switch or maybe it was Monica who started the process. What's more confusing though is that she must be fully self-aware as she was able to come out of the hex which makes points of previous episodes even more confusing. It's nice to see the puzzle pieces coming together.

Things start to unravel on Vision's side as he learns more and more with us. Both points do come colliding at the end as I've never seen Vision erupt like that. Like hun, he went through the roof and sent my wig with it. It's what I'm loving the series is that it showcases these characters in a new light. 

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Wanda, who is doing this to you?

WandaVision Season 1 Episode 4 (re:view)

Welcome to a whole new adventure with... WandaVision! We're getting a slice of lemon tea as we delve into the world outside. Let us dive in! (warning: spoiler alert!)

Now we get to know the real Monica Rambeau and snaps to that. It's quite the opener as we see the world returning from the blip following Avengers: Endgame and super great seeing her reaction to what's happening around her. In fact, she seems unfazed seeing people return back from dust, but then again I thought it was down to the fact that her mother was missing from her bed in the hospital. Then with further thought, I remembered that she did grow up in the world of Captain Marvel and it's not every day you meet aliens from outer space. Off the bat, it's a zinger with the fact that her mother passed away while she was dusted. It built the character of Monica so beautifully that I immediately empathised with her with also knowing that her mother was not able to see her as she was dying. It's beautifully juxtaposed with the bringing life into the world in having delivered one of Wanda's twins.

The return of Darcy! Say what you may about Thor and Thor: The Dark World I actually really enjoy them and I'd say the quirky humour that Darcy made me live for those films a bit more. I was curious how they were going to tie her into WandaVision, but I love her even more. She's not the intern anymore as the show wonderfully fleshes out her character with high intelligence, while even more so retaining her quirky character, which I even live for even more. I found that Darcy and Agent Woo make a good pairing too, with their personalities bouncing off each other. 

Let's get to the main staple of the show, Wanda and Vision! It's a killer of a twist as we see dead Vision and oh my, what a vision it is! It's really shocking and it's very disturbing to think if Wanda is really animating a dead body so she can play happy family. It's really confusing how the personality is nailed down albeit that it does seem like a different vision to the one we see in the films in that he doesn't have full self-awareness but here he does. Love that she ends it by saying, "I have everything under control" which is slightly not true as she is caught off-guard by several things like not being able to control the bird in the third episode or hearing as we find in this episode Woo's voice over the radio.

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I have everything under control.