ERMAGHERD AXIS IS REALLY BAD!

You know high hopes and Toronto go hand in hand, every Fall and every Spring it happens. A team in blue, either the Maple Leafs in the fall or the Blue Jays in the spring will fill our hearts with hope. This is the year we do it, this is the year we get back into the playoffs, when we become contenders. And for sometime now, we've been disappointed. Hey, don't get me wrong here, I remember when the Leafs were a hockey team and they made some great playoff memories and runs. It is also impossible for me to forget 93' World Series and the magic of Joe Carter's homerun. You wouldn't be able to sell hope without these memories. So yeah, what does this have to do with comics? Well, for me, it was hope that AXIS wouldn't be such a massive 9-part mess of a let down. And trust me, I wanted to like this one, a lot. Hell, my review of the first issue was a pretty positive one, I had no idea what the hell was going to go down and how. But let's start from the beginning, why the hope? Well when you have a massive casts of comic book characters coming together it should always be a good time, isn't that the case with all the cross over events? Though for me, it was a little bit more.

The idea of X-Men and Avengers coming together is a beautiful dream team, my hopes for Uncanny Avengers was so high! Because I remember Captain America pointing out at the end of AVX, that they did have to do more to help out the mutants. For so long we had both teams, but both doing there own thing and rarely teaming up, so I was all for it. But man, if one of the things I really ended up hating about the Uncanny Avengers series, is that it felt really boring. How does that even happen? The team seemed really dull and colourless, especially compared to the flare and excitement that was the All-New X-Factor team. And it's funny but I think the Uncanny team could have used Gambit. I felt like Scarlet Witch was there for mainly plot device, so she could be used to do something terrible and awful...again. I would have rather seen her spend time with her kids, Speed and Wiccan. I loved seeing her and Polaris in issue 14 of ANXF, going out and kicking ass together. But that wasn't the case here. And they had a massive and huge plot with the Apocalypse Twins, a whole lot going and the world blows up and everything, but it felt small. My main problem with this was, while other heroes made an appearance in the issues, the impact or conflict was all kept to this series. So when the hell was this all taking place? How come no one brings up that time a Celestial destroyed the planet. And then after all the shit hits the fan, it gets a magic wand fix and everything is back to normal. Hurray, I guess...? Look I got all the issues of this first run, I was here for the whole run and I wanted to be excited, I wanted to care. But I was just left with a feeling for so much more, and I was really hoping AXIS was going to be just that. 

I am a really happy camper when it comes to comic books in general, I don't like being a mean critic when it comes to this medium. But I can't sit here and tell you that the Spider-man Clone Saga is a must read or that Batman Knightfall were the best issues of the dark knight. And I can't tell you that AXIS: Avengers & X-Men was a good Marvel event. It was awful. And on an idea that could have been really good and could have made some classic moments, instead we are left with a device that helped change things and we are supposed to take them seriously, because clearly Marvel took their job seriously when they released this junk in the first place. When you realize what the story is doing, all the "permanent" changes that happen, you get the feeling this event was made just for that. How else could you explain the rushed job by all these extremely talented artist who have done some amazing work in the past and why they kept changing the artist issue to issue. The script had to be written in the bathroom in between other work that was taken more seriously, so long as key moments were made they didn't care much about the rest of it all. Look, I am really trying hard to understand the whole "inversion" thing. Good guys become bad guys and bad guys become good guys, right? But this is a subjective idea though, isn't? Every villain knows he is a hero in his own mind, that what they do is for some kind of greater good. So having the inverted heroes act like Saturday morning villain parodies was painful to read. And Carnage, well aware that he wanted to kill people but couldn't because he knew he had to be a good guy, that is basically Patrick Bateman in a nutshell. Which isn't a good at all, it's still a psychopath! And to have Scarlet Witch reveal that Magneto isn't hers or Pietro's father! That was me being done with the series. I finished it out of principal, but there wasn't anything to write home about. Except for Iron Man wanting to be evil and no one doing jack shit about it, because cupcakes. 

But hey Secret Wars is blowing this train wreck up anyways, so who cares?

I think the most disappointing thing about all this, is the amount of shits not giving in making this. If there was, I didn't see it or feel it. This was made to set up the new books, this was made to set up the movie and comic universe to be parallel to one and other. Sell a few comics while making these bogus and heartless set ups and call it a days work. Honestly, the biggest disappointment of last year as far as comics go. Don't get the collection, don't get any issues. Skip this event and stay clear of Uncanny Avengers latest run, save your money and your troubles. 

Really had to get that one off my chest. But what did you guys think about AXIS? Did you like it? Hey, I could be wrong about all of this. Let me know what you thought about it in the comments below and be sure to subscribe to the page for more comic book reviews, discussions and all that good old stuff. Got a lot of reading and drawing ahead these days, but stay tuned for more and more updates. So don't get inverted and keep chasing the storm!  

Editorial: Kill'em All Dead...

There is an old saying...

"The Lord Giveth and the Lord taketh away. 

Blessed be the name of the Lord."

This is Marvel comics today in a nutshell. For every Agent Carter, Avengers 2: Age of Ultron and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl,  you get a company that is very fast and harsh at taking away from the fans. The first family of comics is getting axed, Wolverine is dead and X-Men books are becoming a rarity. And earlier this week I found out that the merc with a mouth is next up on the chopping block, Marvel has decided to kill Deadpool. Arguably the most popular character in comic books today, another series and character that is getting the plug pulled (or pool closed in this case...cause you know Deadpool) because movie rights. And please, just own up to it, you want all your properties back, just say it. I am sick and tired of hearing that these decisions have nothing to do with the movie properties and rights, stop pissing in my ear and telling me it's raining! Marvel is ruining years of stories and characters, for what? Another million on top of that billion dollar box office sales. For crying out loud, Ant-Man is going make you a million dollars! The guy who rides ants is going to make you money! But fuck it, what do fans know? What do I know? I bought AXIS...all nine issues. If disappointment was made into a comic book.

And this is also coming off the news of a Deadpool movie announcement, filming will be in Vancouver later on this year and according to sources, Ryan Reynolds is back as the loud mouth assassin! That is really cool, if they can confirm a rated R rating, I think we can safely say that we will be set. 

Marvel has revealed as well what is going to be going on in the upcoming Secret Wars event. Think multiple universes brought into one world, every single version of all of our favourite heroes, and then they all duke it out until one remains. Like Highlander, there can only be one! Like Royal Rumble, 30 men in the ring and only one gets to main event at Wrestlemania (Let's go Cesaro)! Or like my personal favourite, Lemongrab...

Here is hoping that I am wrong, that this is all smoke and mirrors to a bigger plot secret. While I am not exactly counting down the days to be reading Secret Wars, I will probably be picking it up as it comes out, mainly on pure curiosity of the whole show. Who knows, it could be a beautiful oblivion. And I can guarantee you that it won't be anywhere near as bad as AXIS, you can't even try to be worst. When I read a comic as rushed and as messy as AXIS, trust me, I will let you know. In the meantime, Remender, quit your day job or go back to writing Uncanny X-Force...that was actually a pretty awesome team. 

So I don't know about you, but this bitter sweet pill is getting harder to swallow. But hey, maybe I am old. Perhaps a bit jaded. Or both. Regardless, let me know what you think about the news from Marvel this week, what did you think about all this? Also Deadpool fans, if you've got the Marvel App on your smartphone, they have the first issue of Deadpool Kills Deadpool up for FREE. A really fun and bloody good time, and at no costs a great time to go back and read it up! Going to be drawing a lot this weekend, I am also looking for more work in general. Things are looking bleak if we are talking about my bank account and all the money that isn't there. But I am going to be fine, come hell or high water, I am going to find a way through all of this. Thanks for taking the time to read this up, until the next one, keep chasing the storm. 

AXIS: Red Hot Onslaught...

Here we go again, the Marvel crossover event.

And it's strange because I didn't feel there was enough time from Original Sins to where we are now with AXIS, the massive Avengers & X-Men crossover that has been built up since the new Marvel Now series started with Uncanny Avengers. For those who don't know, a quick little synopsis here; with the power of Charles Xavier in his brain, the Red Skull has launched and attack on mutants throughout the globe, even opening re-education camps for mutants to be experimented, exploited and killed. After superhero mutants, Havok, Scarlet Witch and Rouge are captured they run into Magneto, who as well was captured. In a battle against the Red Skull, Magneto does the unthinkable and kills him, and in act of pure hatred a new being is born, the Red Onslaught. Like Onslaught...but red, mainly. Regardless it's bad news for the world and a challenge that only together can the Avengers and X-Men conquer. 

It is at this point where I need to layout a spoiler warning, this is more of a my thoughts on AXIS so far and not so much a review, because if you have been following the Uncanny Avengers story so far, it's a no brainier that you will be reading this. Hell every single Avengers, X-Men and Marvel fan in general should be reading this! So if you don't want any spoils, turn away now, you have been warned. 

So this is kind of a big deal and everything and it's really cool, but I just have one really big complaint about all this...

Okay, so Cyclops get possessed by the Phoenix Force and kills Professor X. Tragic. Sad. That I get. He gets taken down, they destroy the Phoenix and label Cyclops and his team criminals. Okay, that is debatable especially considering that practically every hero has dropped the ball once or twice, and everyone knows the Phoenix was involved, can you really blame the guy for wanting to save his race. But that's not my issue here. So here's the deal, in issue 1 of Uncanny Avengers we see Wolverine giving a big speech at Professor X funeral (...seriously though, how many funerals does this guy need?) and it's all fine and dandy, he gets a beautiful memorial and is buried. Then, at the end of this same issue, we see Red Skull with Xavier's dead body and holding his brain. What the hell? How does this even happen?! We know these kind of things can happen, we have seen clones and power stealing being done on plenty of dead comic book characters before, this isn't new. So cremation, why didn't it happen? Burn up his body, brain included and problem solved. If his ashes are in the ocean, then no one is going to desecrate his memory. Simple as that. If they did this, there would be no Red Onslaught to deal with in the first place. Maybe I am nit picking here or whatever, but Xavier has died so many times already, you think they would have learned. Or even having his body protected in the lower levels of the school or I don't know in highly guarded hero graveyard. Maybe it's because I saw this happen in Blackest Night with the dead body of Bruce Wayne, and even then I wondered how that was even possible? Why would you bury one the most paranoid people on the planet out in the open? Comics, am I right?

So regardless we got ourselves a massive and powerful psychic being in Red Onslaught which has sent the world in a frenzy of chaos and hate. The book starts off with the Avengers fighting each other during a mission to stop Plant Man, and quickly we get an update on Magneto and the other Uncanny Avengers fighting one and other. We see as well that somehow, Cyclops has been captured, which I don't think happened yet in Uncanny X-Men, but I could be wrong. As well as Quentin Quire and Genesis, which is basically Kid Apocalypse. But after a Summers brother fight, we see what we've been waiting for, the X-Men reunited. And not only that, we get a massive Marvel team up with every hero available taking it to the Red Onslaught, thanks to Iron Man creating a psychic disruptive device. Unfortunately for everyone, Iron Man also had thought of a contingency plan, a just in case any hero gets out of line, and Onslaught stole those thoughts and created some deadly hero eliminating Sentinels. Damn it Stark. 

So while not the best action yet, there is a lot of promise here. Will see what they do with all these characters though, how will the heroes defeat these Sentinels and the Red Onslaught? But I think the bigger questions are what's going to happen with the X-Men? What about Magneto? And what about Tony Stark, whose fear and paranoia may have gotten everyone killed. What kind of world is on the horizon? Luckily, we won't have to wait too long to find, we already got the next two issues out already. A change is coming, good times true believers! 

So yeah, stay tuned for part 2 and part 3 thoughts and comments coming up soon! If you are a reading AXIS as well, let me know what you think about all this? Do you agree or disagree? What are your thoughts on the current big crossover event from Marvel? Leave comments below and be sure to tell your friends about this page and all that other good stuff. Until then, keep chasing the storm.