Fearless From the Start...

I remember when we got the first trailers of Daredevil, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that the series was going to take ideas from one of my favourite Daredevil stories of all time. And that story is of course, Daredevil: The Man Without Fear by Frank Miller and John Romita Jr. An origin story that fits like a glove with all the stories penned by Miller in the past before he released this, and it makes sense as well to have him write it. For years he had reshaped Matt Murdock into the gritty tough hero we all know and love today. And drawn by the legendary John Romita Jr, drawing a character who was drawn by his father for years as well. An absolute full circle here. For really big fans of the series, I would say this is the most important of all the books to check out, mainly for how much influence it takes on the show. But it also happens to be one of the best origin stories ever told for any superhero ever, learning responsibility and what to do with his abilities, highly suggest this book to everyone.

Originally released in the early 90's, the book collects all five issues of this mini series. We follow the Daredevil story all the way from the beginning as a trouble maker kid in Hells Kitchen, growing up with his boxer dad and the accident that robbed him of his sight. We see him learning how to fight and how to move in the darkness by his mentor, Stick. It follows Matt through college, his first meeting with Elektra, Foggy Nelson and a clash against the operations of the Kingpin. And you get a great build up to the climactic showdown in the last issue, you see a young and reckless Murdock who makes mistakes and ends up hurting himself and others. I remember reading when I was just starting up my Daredevil collection, I will never forget the image of Matt standing in the rain over the apartments of two parents hopelessly trying to figure out how to save their child. "There's nobody who can help us" they say as Matt listens and knows what needs to be done. That was a Daredevil moment if any, I still to this day love that image. It says everything you need to know about him in one page.

Perfect.

Another important note, the black home made costume he has in the series, came right out of this book. You get to see it in issue 4 and 5 in action against the bad guys, and it works really well for the series as well. Especially since he is mainly dealing with thugs and goons at the moment, he just needs to kick some ass and save people. Although kudos to the Netflix series on updating the look and making it look really good, I almost forget sometimes that he should be rocking the crimson red and horns. I am interested to see if they use the Elektra origin story that was told here in the second season, hopefully, because she is a kick ass character who could even run her own show. And after the success with Daredevil who isn't looking forward to seeing Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. Personally I would love to see Moon Knight, Thunderbolts and maybe if they can get him back, Ghost Rider.

I can't recommend this book enough to all newcomers to the Daredevil universe, this is perhaps the most noted origin story when talking about Daredevil now in days. There are others like Season One: Daredevil or Daredevil: Yellow as well serves as telling of his early days in the crime fighting business. But what do you think? Did you see all the connections to Man Without Fear? What is your favourite origin story? Leave a comment below or follow me on Twitter (@ChileanStorm) and let's talk some Daredevil. My next book this week is going to be one that is probably debatable but to me is one that is dear to me, actually that could be said for the next two books on Daredevil week. But have no fear, just keep chasing the storm!

Died Once...

Blackhawks won tonight! :D

Okay, let's get dark.

So think of the worst day you have ever had, maybe even worst week or month. It sucked and maybe it was your darkest moment, your rock bottom. Welcome to hell on Earth for Matt Murdock in the classic Born Again run in Daredevil by at the time one of the biggest name in comics, Frank Miller and artist David Mazzucchelli. The influence and shape that Miller brought to Daredevil is uncanny, and after watching the series you can see all the different pieces he has brought to Hells Kitchen and the Daredevil universe. Arguably his best work ever, what we have here is the most painful moments for Matt Murdock, the lowest of the lows. A hero is not defined by his moments in the sun, but how he escapes the darkest moments that would break most of us. What do you do when you lose everything? Can you start over?

The Born Again collection contains issues 226-233 of Daredevil, released during one of the best times for comic books, in the mid 80's. To me, I was told to read this series by several different comic book shop owners and old school fans, remember my comic days started in the mid 90's...which was a pretty bad time to start apparently. I remember when I first read this book, I was blown away. Because living in poverty, growing up in a bad neighbourhood and dealing with addictions is a reality a lot of us have had to face, and if you haven't, honestly count your blessings. Seeing Daredevil dealing with all these elements was eye opening. Generally all our favourite heroes are well of as millionaires or have a pretty decent job, here we see Murdock living in shelters and churches. We see his old flame, Karen Page, dragged down by her own addictions. And we see the Kingpin taking in all of this misery and enjoying it. It's an incredible story of redemption and perseverance, one that I could relate with growing up and a story I feel I need to read, to understand why Daredevil is more then another guy in tights with super powers.

I feel like what Born Again was able to accomplish was something that all comic book fans should read and quite possibly one of the best works ever created. A study of real struggles, understanding the idea of redemption and of forgiveness, the ability to start again. It's honestly sad Frank Miller has fallen off over the years, because after the work he did here with Daredevil and even over on Batman, he could have called it a day and never looked back. Regardless this book still stands the test of time and is an absolute classic for every fans collection. Obviously it goes without saying, I wouldn't suggest this book to younger readers, but one that eventually everyone should read once. A story that captures a lot of the essence of pain and misery, perfectly matched with the art of Mazzucchelli. If you want a comic that will make you think and you can talk about for years to come, look no further.

So no matter how dark it gets, just remember to always fight back and never give up on yourself and those who love you. But what do you think about Daredevil Born Again? A masterpiece? Over rated? No wrong answers here, leave a comment below and let's get the conversation going. Coming up will be another of Frank Miller's work on Daredevil and one I feel has had the most influence on the current series. So stay tuned, be sure to tell your friends and share this page. Until then, keep chasing the storm.

Back in the Day...

Welcome to Daredevil week everybody, so to get things going just a basic idea of what to expect this week. I am going to be looking at a couple of the classic Daredevil books that I have read and that I feel that you should take a look at. I didn't want to compare which story is the best or worst, but more which I feel should be looked at and I will be the first to admit I am missing out on a lot of stories, choosing which ones to look at has been a tough decision to be honest. But I think let make a rule of thumb here, if it says Daredevil, pick it up and see for yourself. Hell I can tell you straight up the worst comic Daredevil has been a part of was the Superior Iron Man, the series had no idea what to do with Matt Murdock and basically had get slapped around by an "evil" Iron Man and be the voice of reason, who then gets his memory wiped. No growth, no cross over, no point. I found it insulting to be honest, something that could have been done right in one issue was instead a drag out insult in four issues. Daredevil has gone up against The Hulk, Luke Cage, Psylocke and tons of other characters in past, and yeah, these characters did outmatch him but never did he go down without a fight. I guess it is hard to try and write an anti-hero Iron Man, all the while trying to do justice for Daredevil. That series had a pretty brutal start.

So for my first recommendations for everything Daredevil is the original first run of the series, and I am talking original back in the day of 10 cent comics original. That's right, we are going to kick it old school today. And luckily we don't have to break bank or anything like that, Marvel comics has released collections of pretty much all their series, in the "Essential" collections you can find all the original work of all your favourite heroes like the Fantastic Four, Spider-man and the X-Men. And luckily for me, they made two collecting the beginnings of Daredevil.

As far as comic books goes, this is history. You get to read the original works of legendary industry icon, Stan Lee. In the first volume of Essential Daredevil you get 25 issue all written by Stan Lee. I have to do my research but I know he was writing more then one series back in these days, so that dedication to all his characters is absolutely incredible. He is the father of Marvel for various reasons, though creating mainly super heroes, his work is still something to admire and he has been an inspiration for many comic book creators. The list of legendary artist on this book is also something to take in, just to name a few; Steve Ditko, Bill Everett, Joe Orlando, Wallace Wood, John Romita and a surprise to me, Jack Kirby even worked on a layout in two of the issues. These are the godfathers of art in comics, so take it all in and enjoy the trip.

That said, something to keep in mind, that Daredevil here is way more light hearted then any incarnation of the character. So just in case you came looking for some gritty dark action and justice, that takes place some years later in the characters timeline. But here you still get to meet a lot of the supporting cast and classic villains that still remain a big part of the Daredevil universe today. We get to see his first fights with Electro, The Owl, Gladiator and Stilt Man. Even guest appearances from other characters like Spider-man, Doctor Doom and Namor. You get to see the yellow suit in action until he goes to the red suit we know and love. Though to be honest, I don't mind the yellow suit that much, it kind of works in it's own strange way. But then again I loved the armoured suit from the 90's, so what do I know. But with 25 issues in here, this book gives you plenty to read, perfect for long trips on the road or in the sky. So I highly recommend this classic collection to all new comers to Daredevil, know the past to understand the future.

There you have it guys, the first of five books that I will be recommending this week. But as always I want to hear back from you guys, what do you think about the golden age of Daredevil? Do you have a favourite issue from the Stan Lee days? Let me know in the comments below and let's keep the conversation going. And let everyone know this blog is here, any shares or reblogs help out a lot, trying to get in touch with as many comic book fans as possible. Thank you again for taking the time to read this and stay tuned to this page, until keep chasing the storm!

Avenge Them to Hell...

A hockey fan first, I am rooting for the Flames over the Canucks.

I was trying to think of some of the many ways we can all gush and talk about the awesome that is Daredevil, not just the incredible series that is now on Netflix, but the character that has taken part of many comics. I was thinking of different ideas for a potential blog, like maybe a top 10 list of sorts, but to be honest I am not sure if I am able to do that yet, with some many Daredevil books out there, I can't pick which are the best or the most important, it's something I really got to think about. So what I will be doing is suggesting different books, and these I feel for me are some of my favourite reads of this series and character. But that's going to be later in the week, today I wanted to talk about in my opinion the best issue of a series that Daredevil joins in on, and this has been rare for him in all his years, so it's a pretty special moment to me. A few years ago there was a pretty big Marvel event, Fear Itself, which had Nazi robot armies and Asgardian serpents making a mess of things. And it was during this event, in issue 16 of New Avengers when things go from pretty cool to the greatest thing since sliced bread. I was thinking about it and I've got to say, this issue alone was probably the best issue of Daredevil that isn't a Daredevil book. He has had run in over the years with Spider-man, Punisher, Ghost Rider and many other characters and series, but everything about this issue helps to remind everyone how incredible the man without fear really is.

So it needs to be said this has got to be one of my favourite works from Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato Jr, two guys who have been doing a lot of work in comic books for some years now. But this issue, I couldn't even believe it, seeing Daredevil on the cover of a New Avengers book. The issue itself has a clever if not a bit gimmicky set up, with all the team mates doing a behind the scenes like commentary on the events of Fear Itself and also on the whole team, on who deserves to be an Avenger. I like the idea set up, especially since over the years there have been quite a few different Avengers team, and I feel like they are all worthy of being Avengers. So seeing a generally strictly solo heroes get thrown into the mix, it's interesting seeing how valuable Daredevil becomes to the team. You also get a pretty good lesson in why Daredevil is a one guy you just don't mess, no matter how many giant Nazi robots you bring to a fight. Page by page, panel by panel, so many incredible shots of Daredevil being incredible, some of my absolute favourite pages of all time here in this issue. Especially one shot of him just walking into Avengers Mansion, shadows used to create one the most fearsome looking Daredevil images ever. Absolutely stunning work here by Deodato Jr. 

I don't want to give out to many details on this one, mainly because the experience of reading it for any Daredevil fan, old or new, will be an awesome one with each page. So yeah, look for this book at your local comic book shop or at the next convention, and if you can't wait this issue is available on  the Marvel App, so you can download it right away and get to reading it. It's worth the price. 

But more importantly I am going to go look through all my Daredevil books and issues and see which are the best recommendations of the bunch. But as a general idea, if you like what you saw on Netflix this past weekend, then get yourself some Daredevil comics, the current run by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee is really good and a personal favourite of all the series that I am currently following. Just know that Daredevil is working out in San Fransico right now, but the series remains true to the man without fear. And just in case, be sure to read my past blog post here. I describe my past and my absolute dedication to this character and why, so check it out. So keep tuned here Storm Clouds, and remember you can leave a comment below or follow me on Twitter (@ChileanStorm) to start some conversation. Until then, keep chasing the storm. 

Does Whatever a Gwen Does..

There is little to no reason why you shouldn't be reading Spider-Gwen. It is really everything and more that you have been hearing, this is going to be one of the biggest series of the year, and it is only getting started. During the massive Spider-verse event which saw Spider-men and women from various different universes coming together to fight a threat that could have seen an end to every Spider hero in existence. One of these heroes, a Spider-Women whose true identity was Gwen Stacy, who of course in the known 616 universe had been tragically killed. In her world, the spider gave her the powers and it was Peter Parker who was killed. But as you go into the Spider-Gwen world, you will find a lot of familiar faces taking over some new roles. The brand new twist is quite possibly the best part of our new heroine, because similar powers don't mean same responsibilities.  

Forget everything you think you know about Gwen Stacy, because this a whole new and kick ass Stacy. She is able to beat up and make fun of her opponent just like any good Spider-man, she is also a drummer in her own underground rock band (in New York which is kind of a big deal), but still the daughter of the chief NYPD detective, George Stacy. So while trying to manage and dodge around her own social life, she has to deal with dangers like the Kingpin and Matt Murdock (that's right my boy DD is a villain in this world, like Shadowland all over again). Did I mention the Vulture? He is first up to make sure Spider Gwen stays down as a one hit wonder, surprisingly or perhaps not, the Vulture is just like the old cranky bird we know in this world. Though Gwen puts up a good fight, we end the fight on a cliffhanger...or a falling from the sky at high speeds hanger. 

But to sum things up as far as the book goes, it keeps the same tone and high energy that we got from Edge of Spider-verse issue 2, from the same creative team of writer, Jason Latour and artist, Robbi Rodriguez  we get back into this world and are ready to expand and grow, which is a really fresh approach to old concepts and ideas. This is a world you want to see more of, and with each issue that comes out, I can't wait to see the different changes all our favourite Marvel characters have taken. I can't stress this out enough, this is a book everyone should be reading. For long time comic book fans, you get a new look at the classics and the familiar and for new readers, it is a great book to add to your growing collections. Anyone who is too pig headed to pick this book up for whatever silly reason or insecurity you have, well you probably don't enjoy much in general. Seriously though get the steel rod out your butt and enjoy all comics out there. 

But like any book it isn't without a few flaws and hiccups, even a perfect book you want to find something wrong if only to be fair. I guess off the bat, I would suggest getting the Edge of Spider-verse issues, gives you more meat on the world building plate, but you can survive the story without it. Another thing is though, I am curious on how much time Marvel is going to give this series, because with Secret Wars coming up, the aftermath is anyone's guess. And to be honest half the fun of this series is seeing this alternative universe at play, so saving Spider-Gwen only to have her in 616, wouldn't be as much fun. Although, having her react to a guy like Daredevil here would be a fun misunderstanding fight for sure. Regardless I hope this book gets a long healthy life span, it would be sad to see it go after 12 issues, which has been the case for a quite a few series so far. Don't let the fans down Marvel. 

So should you be reading this book? Hells yes! It's funny, it's got action and a whole new world to explore. And now is the best time to get on board, the series is just three issues in, plenty of time to catch up on the story so far. But as always I am all ears to all opinions, comments and gushing, though I highly suggest we just gush and jump for joy over Spider-Gwen. But as always follow me here on this blog or over at Twitter (@ChileanStorm in case you didn't know) and be sure to come back for more comic book blogs, until then keep chasing the storm! 

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. 

Try Not to Make a Nut Pun for this Blog Title...

Which was my mind set going into writing this up in the first place. I mean how do you not? I was thinking about calling it, "A Nut Shot to the Mainstream" or something in that vein. But it's not about the title that we are here, we are here to hear my thoughts and takes on comic books, the ones I love and the other ones that I send to relatives in Chile, so they can be used as fuel for the stove ovens. I am pleased to say there will be no book burning here today, no Jeph Loeb off his rocker here, no today, I would dare say, we got a gem. Out of recent, when I think Marvel, I think of a disappointing and messy cross over event that didn't do anything but magic wand the history of some characters and make others "good". And sure I signed up for Secret Wars, but I am very worried and scarred that this is all leading into a massive big restart on everything. I would rather see Marvel vs DC, Death of Superman and Spider-man Clone Saga again then do another massive restart. The worst thing though is how there is little to no regard for some of the smaller titles, which also happens to be Marvel best work, books like Daredevil, Elektra and Ghost Rider. I get that the Avengers are money makers, but if you ask me, it's the smaller heroes who really make some the best and fun reads every week. And we got a new one, and I hope this series goes to the moon and beyond, we need more series like this, we need more Squirrel Girl. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl to be exact, by writer Ryan North and artist Erica Henderson! Leave your continuity and canon at the door. 

The short story, this book is a great fun read and if you are looking for some sunshine from your books, then pick this book up. And get the variant covers as well, hell get all the variant covers! Be sure to sign it up to your local store pull list if you can. Let the big wigs at Marvel know that you want more and more books like this! 

The book brings us up to speed with Doreen Green, the Squirrel Girl, who I think was last seen in the pre Marvel Now New Avengers series, so it's been a few years since we have seen her in any of the books, though I could be wrong. She moving out of the attic and going to school, to get an education and make some non squirrel friend. All the while making the grades and fighting bad guys, Squirrel Girl decides to separate her lives and create a secret identity, along with a fancy new theme song to boot. It's has a colourful and upbeat feel to it all around, from panel to panel you just start to fall in love with this book. And does Squirrel Girl look crazy, sure, I guess but it's crazy in a lovable way. While she may not have that supermodel Black Widow or Emma Frost look, you know that Squirrel Girl would actually be tons of fun to hang out with. She is the kind of person who parties all night and goes to Denny's at 5 AM for the grand slam meal. And who wouldn't want a grand slam meal? 

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl feels like a great indy book, and it is even more incredible that is a title from Marvel comics. It pokes fun and some the silliness of past comics and tropes as well, it pokes fun at college student life, it is overall just a great title and I will be damn disappointed if this series gets cancelled or doesn't get the love it deserves. So go out and get that Squirrel Girl! 

That was my Marvel comic for this week, and let it be known that this one beat out a lot other books I wanted to recommend like Daredevil and All-New X-Factor (get those ones as well, they're really good). But I will be posting up later on in the week my DC Comic review which most likely be Batman or something Batman related. Then an update on Glass Prison and how that is coming along, then a look at an indy or smaller publisher comic, might do Wytches or Bitch Planet. And then Friday an editorial about something, not sure yet, I could write something about hockey or wrestling, who knows. But that's all the time I got for now, be sure to like, comment, repost, tweet and all that good stuff, any and everything helps and is very much appreciated. Also check out all the links below, these are different pages with my and my friends works, so check it out you beautiful people you! Until then, keep chasing the storm! 

Everybody Time Travel...

You know it's funny, or is it sad? Or both? But since the Marvel Now relaunch of the X-Men series, the main theme has been time travel. And they make it seems so matter of fact and convenient. Like hey, you know what would be great if I brought young Cyclops here and introduced him to old Cyclops, just because old Cyclops is a dick...and a poopy head. I don't know why Beast thought that was such a grand brilliant idea. But everyone knows if you mess time up, there are going to be some massive repercussion on existence. What kind of world would we be in, if we went back in time and took out evil dictators or the guy who invented the hamburger, would someone else rise to power and would we have something better than the classic cheeseburger? I am not sure. But I am not quite sure why Brian Michael Bendis feels like a time wizard, writing up these crazy stories. Bendis is a funny writer, and his reception is quite polarizing. Those who like him, swear to the great book of comics about this guy. Those who hate him , probably want to paper cut him to death with copies of Avengers: Disassembled. I take him with caution, he doesn't always write the best stuff out there, but I did enjoy the build up he had to Secret Invasion and how it all played out, but I do wonder how a story reveal can simply be, cause she was crazy. And with that being said, today we are going to be taking a look at Uncanny X-Men Annual, part 1 of 2, the second part will be in All New X-Men Annual. Both parts written by Bendis and tell the story of the new mutant, Eva Bell, the time manipulator from the cool mutant team, Cyclops and his rebels. Being an entirely new character, I liked her mutant power. She was able to capture the Avengers in a time bubble, that's pretty freaking powerful! Although her costume is a bit of a head scratcher, she wears a really short skirt, like anime otaku kind of short. But other then that, she's pretty darn cool. So in recent issues, we see now that Eva AKA Tempus is a lot older, after training to control her powers, she comes back older and wiser. But what happened, where did she go? That is this story, and its two parts, so it's got to be good...right?

So one thing to keep in mind off the bat, this book has a different artist then the ones we have seen so far on Uncanny X-Men, so it does have a fresh feel to it, which is welcome. And I will say, it's nice to see an Annual issue actually mean something, the Amazing Spider-man Annual was pretty lame aside from the great back stories, especially the mini Aunt May comic, pretty great stuff. But I've been so used to seeing Annuals just be small short stories, that you don't need to read to progress the series. So it's very cool, to have a hanging question in the story get answered. A lot of this book is saved by the art from Andrea Sorrentino, it's a very unique style and it plays extremely well with Eva going through different time periods and slowing down time, not to mention her take on a future X-Men member is absolutely stunning. I wanted to see more of that. To be honest, the book gets a bit crazy for me with the writing and the pacing of the story, but that's what happens with time travel, you get some really messy stories and a lot of unanswered questions. I understand what is going on, but there is a time jump moment here and you don't get any details on what went down, you just know that Tempus has been there, but you don't know what she learned and who she met and all this other stuff that would happen in time. And it's important especially considering how this part of the story ends. Basically I feel like I wasn't given enough information to care enough about her new life, but hey, maybe this will be revealed in the second part? I doubt that, because a bigger reveal took place and I am pretty sure that is going to be the main meat of the story in part 2, and that stuff is pretty interesting, I am curious to see what's going to happen there.

But reading this, I will say, given more issues I feel like we could've had a greater story being told. But I guess that's what happens with time travel. Sometimes I really wish they didn't touch it too much, I mean other worlds and universes makes sense to me, you can do anything there and have no repercussions on the main time line. When you go back and forth though, you know something has got to change and it has got to be a big change. I don't know, I guess it doesn't matter seeing as Marvel is ready to blow everything up and restart all the different books and series. Damn it.

So that's my Marvel Monday review, this might be a thing now. I was thinking about looking at AXIS #7, but it's crap. I don't want to give it any attention and in my books, Magneto will always be the father of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. I don't want to beat a dead horse, seriously disappointed in Marvel with this move and I won't be picking up Uncanny Avengers when it comes out, it's all a silly ploy for movie rights. Not worth my time or yours, seriously don't get that book. I will be back tomorrow with a DC Comic for Tuesday, but if you guys have any comments or questions or anything, feel free to drop a line below. Much love and remember guys, keep chasing the storm! 

Editorial: Excelsior to the Nuts

Why do you do it Marvel?

You create some incredible characters, an amazing legacy, hire the best artist in the industry and even give us an incredibly detailed movie universe. And we thank you for it with tons and tons of our hard earned cash. No one needs to buy comic books, we want to buy comic books. So then, why are you so quick to give your loyal fan base a constant kick in the groin? The big dump you took on us this week was the big reveal in AXIS issue 7, with Magneto and his kids, the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. Apparently Marvel wanted to pull a Maury, because Magneto is not the father! Wait. What? Are you meaning to tell me that House of M means squat now? And what about Tommy (Speed) and Billy (Wiccan)? The Children's Crusade was one of my favourite stories Marvel ever released, the idea of these characters all coming together to create a family was a beautiful moment. So does that even matter anymore? At this point I am waiting for the kids to be revealed as an imaginary essence of Wanda's psyche, the knife is already in the heart, you might as well finish the job. And I am honestly puzzled as hell about this. Because Marvel is destroying a lot of comics in an effort to have all the movie rights back in their hands, but it is us, the loyal comic book fans who get to suffer for it.

So in an attempt to separate the twins from the X-Men universe, Marvel thought it would be great to have Magneto not their father and now we will find out the twins will possibly not be mutants. Because instead of House of M ending in self sacrifice, we will now have Wanda commit an absolute hate crime of pure genocide. Hurray. But why do all this? For the movies, duh. Because you can't have a guy who might be mildly interested in buying comics after watching Avengers 2, pick up the books and not understand how these two could be mutants but not be on an X-Men related team. Because his possible three dollars is worth more then all the Young Avengers fan base. Absolute horse shit. Who gives a fuck if the movies and comics are different worlds? In the ultimate universe they made the twins with hints of incest, but whatever it's another universe, they can do what they want. But not anymore, Marvel is going to try and create a prime universe. I am slicing my wrist with excitement. The idea of resetting all the books is an absolute nightmare. But think about all the new readers? What new readers? What about the loyal fan base that made you? When I started collecting comics for real I was about 12 maybe 13 years old, not sure, but my first book was Daredevil issue 323, part five of the Fall From Grace story. My point is, this wasn't Daredevil issue one. I really loved the DD episode in the Spider-man cartoon, the idea of a devil kicking ass and doing it while blind was so badass for my young mind, I wanted more of this guy. I started Daredevil in the 90's, it took me a few years to go back and find the classic work from Stan Lee, then the incredible work by Frank Miller and so forth. My point is no one was waiting on me to reset books so I could start on #1 and be able to understand what's going on, tons of comic book fans just started because they loved comics, the heroes and the villains and everything that comes with comic books. The fans who have dedicate so much are the people Marvel and DC Comics should be concerned about.

Because recently this relationship has been a very poisonous one. You give us an incredible and unique series that a lot of us fall in love with, but since it doesn't make Avengers kind of money it's not worth keep it around. She-Hulk, Elektra and New Warriors are just to name a few, and these were series I really liked and enjoyed. New Warriors was a fresh new and young team of super heroes, it was extremely refreshing from the main stream super hero team. You finally had a place that made sense for Scarlet Spider and had Nova back on the team, what more do you need? Apparently to make sure it sells like bottled water in the desert. And don't get me started on Elektra. This is the best looking book in comics today. There, I said it. And it is hard to argue, Mike del Mundo doesn't just draw a comic about the red assassin, he brings it to life in jaw dropping panels, with dream like progression through each page, Elektra is one that I always look forward too. Seriously people, get Elektra now and just look at the incredible pages. Mike better be on a new book as soon as possible. And while I am on the subject of artist, a show of hands, who here has bought a new series because of a particular artist was going to be drawing it, only to find out three issues in that they have already changed the artist to someone else, hands up? Thought so. Who wouldn't be hyped to know Joe Mad would be drawing Inhumans or Coipel on X-Men. And damn it, they even got someone else to draw Rocket Raccoon! No offence to that artist, but I bought that book for Skottie Young art! He's my favourite artist, and I have been waiting since his New Warriors run to see him back on a Marvel super hero comic run. Seriously you can have Young draw any book and I would buy the crap out of it! Now listen Marvel, you can't keep doing that, give the people who they want, not what you think they want. You guys make enough money to pay the artist who we want to see and to give the up and coming guys their own books to show their skills as well. What Marvel is doing here is like setting up a concert where Metallica opens for the garage KISS tribute band, how do you think the crowd would handle that? And also listen to your fan base, because I know at times we can be extremely needy and confusing bunch, but listen, take the good and filter the nonsense. Not everyone is a crazy 40 year old who is legally married to a Jean Grey mannequin, you've got fans who want better comics that reflect this changing and different world that we live in today. And you know Marvel, you've done it right with characters like Kamala, the new Ms.Marvel or even with Prodigy, an openly bi sexual character. You've got Sam Wilson as the new Captain America and the new Thor is an absolute step in the right direction. So don't ruin all the good you do for a few more bucks from the movies! Those movies will make millions regardless of the comic universe, you don't have to force the two together, it doesn't make any sense. Please, do what is right for the loyal fan base that has always been and will be there.

So that's what I think, and I really hope someone at Marvel, even an intern or something takes the time and reads this, just hoping this will make some kind of noise. And I suggest everyone to let Marvel or DC Comics know how you feel about the current state of comics, by letting your opinions be known and/or by purchasing power, which many would say is the best way to go about it. But what do you guys think about everything that is going on? Let me know and let the big two know as well. That's all the time I've got for now, thank you for reading and keep chasing the storm! 

Fireworks That Work...

Let be known, that as far as comic books goes, I am a fair man. I judge the books, not the characters. So it feels like a head scratcher coming here and letting you all know that I really liked X-Men issue 4 from new Marvel Now line. It was actually a really good stand alone comic, especially considering it technically a filler issue from the first event in the first three issue and the Battle of the Atom issues that come after. It is especially weird as well because the stars of this issue are Wolverine and...Jubilee. That's right, I was impressed by "Goodbye Kitty" (Pete Holmes reference). But you know, it got me thinking, I don't think Jubilee was made properly. She was the cool kid of the 90's and in the grand scale of time and space that makes you the eat lunch by yourself kind of kid when compared with the other eras, she was given extremely silly powers and I am not entirely sure who she was being marketed to in general. Is there a scene for kids in yellow jackets and dish washing gloves? Not to mention Marvel permanently made her into a undead creature of the night, not sure if that was a "Twilight" move or not, but it does leave your brows in suspicious mode. And hell, you would think you would have heard some kind of backlash, lord knows what would happen if they decided to make Tony Stark into a vampire and have Steve Rogers as a werewolf, both fighting for the attention of an emotionless and soul deprived Black Widow. It practically sells itself. But one thing that a lot of Wolverine fans told me, they really liked the father/daughter (or big brother) kind of relationship these two had together. Moments of Jubilee learning from Wolverine, it was signs that he would eventually be a pretty good headmaster. And likewise Jubilee being a break for Logan from being a crotchety angry small man. It worked, hell it worked really well. The first X-Men movie really like that bonding they had and replaced Jubs with Rouge, because fuck you. But my point is, I get it and you know what, I think these two work really well together, especially considering most male and female comic book relationship eventually get forced into some kind of romantic situation, it's nice to see these two working together without the worry they will eventually be sucking each others face in the next issue. Save that for Stark and Banner. So let's crack this book open and see what works and also see what the other X-Men in this issue are up to, almost forgot to mention them in the first place.

The issue starts off with Jubilee and Wolverine spending some time on the beach in California, her old stomping grounds before the whole mutant and X-Men life took over, when having Bret Hart shades was a cool thing. We see she also has her adopted baby, Shogo, who was the main plot line of the first three issue in this series and who may or may not grow up to be really awesome, just saying. But the idea being here, while these two are catching up and looking back, seeing how much things have changed but also appreciating the things that haven't changed in all this time. And what will Shogo mean to her future. Then we see the X-Men team of Storm, Rachel Grey, Psylocke, Rogue and Kitty Pryde out in the skies trying to save a plane that's going down. I know it's a in between issue, but couldn't they have fought a hulked out version of Toad or something. But as you could probably guess, the really meat and heart of this issue is in the first plot, the sassy rescue team seems like it took up way too much time and space, at least in this issue. A really nice moment comes when Logan decides to purchases Jubilee's old house for her, so she and Shogo can have a safe place to live in and stay, you know in case things goes south and Wolverine dies in an extremely stupid fashion. It's moments like this that left me really enjoying the book, it was another great moment between this duo and it was really great to see it all play out. 

The thing about this issue, I felt that after reading it that this was a book from back in the day, a book you find in the old bins and realize you've got a gem on your hands. It felt right, like the kind of book a Jubs/Wolvie book should feel like, and it's from a very recent series. And even the side story, while not the most creative situation still held up. And with Logan out of the picture (for now), you get to appreciate the more human side to him and see why he meant so much to the characters in this universe. A big thumbs up to Brain Wood on this issue. I highly recommend this title for all X-Men and Wolverine fans, a great book and great team as well, the ladies of X-Men really do kick ass, it was about time they had their own books. But if you happen to be a fan of hating Jubilee, I don't think this book will change your mind, then again probably nothing will. Maybe some published Avengers fan fiction. 

Well there you have it, a new review just for you. Yes you. Thank you for taking the time for reading this, hope you enjoyed it. And be sure to leave a comment or question below as well, or even any book suggestions. I am all ears and eyes and all that other great stuff. Going to do my best to post one of these more frequently, so will see how I do, lord knows I've got a ton of books to read and go through, so yeah, plenty more comic book reviews to come. Until then, 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. 

Why you should be NYCC Jelly...

There aren't a whole lot of shows or conventions that I would now in days go out of my way and try to go as a fan. Being behind the table and doing all these conventions, man, it's hard to go back there and wait in lines and stuff. Sure that sounds like a jerk face thing to say, especially considering the obvious that most of the readers here are more fans then artist, I am not sure, but I am guessing here. But man, New York Comic Con. Damn I really want to be there! As a comic book fan, I would have to say, it is probably the best show out there for comics. Strictly comics I mean. And hell has it been a while since we have had an honest to heart all about comics kind of show. I've been to anime shows, video games shows and hell even home hardware shows, but I yet to go to one that is religious to the following of comic book geeks. That might be TCAF come to think of it, but that things is too big in a building too small, but I will blog that one later. With that being said, I just saw a lot of really awesome show exclusives that will be on hand at NYCC this year, these ones from Midtown Comics. So my fellow American Storm Clouds, I highly urge you to go and soak this show up, and I highly recommend you pick up these exclusives at the show...

The Death of Wolverine 1-4, J.Scott Campbell Variant Covers: 

These are really awesome show variants and they all connect as well to make a bigger image, and while all of them are really really good, I have to gush on the third cover of this series. And you know, it probably stems from my personal love of these two characters together, but Wolverine and Mariko, holy cheese this cover looks incredible! It says it all in one image, when I think about Wolverine, that is what I think of, the lone ronin warrior who is loved by one. And man does it look great, Logan has got the samurai look down so well, it's a shame he doesn't rock the look that often. 

But if you like Jean, Silver-fox and that other girl as well, then be sure to get all four. 

Thor #1, Paul Renaud Variant Cover:

So much to see in this series, and plenty to get excited about overall. I love that we get to see the entire costume up front and in all it's Asgardian glory! So for fans of Thor and everything under the nine...I guess ten realms now, I highly suggest you guys get your hands on it as soon as you can.

Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #1, Mike Mayhew Variant Cover:

The card concept for this variant is so cool, even the ad on the back connects to make the whole book look like a poker card. That is just an awesome attention to detail, kudos to Midtown Comics! But the front has both Enchantress (meh) and Scarlet Witch (yeah) looking as great as they do! So if you are looking forward to the next big Marvel event, if you definitely want to get this cover. 

Wytches #1, Sean Gordon Murphy Variant Cover:

The cover alone looks incredible, but if you don't know, this is a new title that is being written by Scott Synder and drawn by Jock. Cha-ching! Take my money now! Seriously this is a power trip as far as comic book creators go, I can't wait to see this book and now you can get the exclusive variant as well. 

So yeah, jealous. This guy.

I am sure a lot of you guys will be going to NYCC, and if you are then let me know what are you looking forward to the most? Who are you going to meet? And more importantly, what books are you going to be picking up at the show? Let me know in the comment section below, or give me a tweet (@ChileanStorm) or send me an email. I love to hear back from y'all. But that's all I got for today, gotta go eat and rest up for another day of work tomorrow. Much love y'all and keep chasing the storm!

Shuma Mighty

There is a lot that can be said about the current and new Mighty Avengers team that is now part of the current Marvel Now of comics. Another Avengers team, I thought we already had like 10 of them. Or hey, a cool new multicultural team of heroes kicking ass on the streets. Or why not just call them Marvel Knights? But of all the things out of the first arc here of Mighty Avengers, my personal favourite part of all this is that during the Infinity fight that is taking place in New York, we find these heroes fighting off no other then the God of Chaos himself, Shuma-Gorath. Can you say, hells yes. 

We start issue 3 with the currently released Shuma-Gorath wrecking havoc on Times Square. If you don't know much about this one eyed monster, well he is a classic villain of Doctor Strange. A being of absolute power, he generally has to be summoned by some evil magic user, or in this case a mind controlled Doctor Strange. But gamers may remember him from plenty of the Marvel vs Capcom games, and I for one, always thought he was a really kick ass character. He is a one eyed tentacle monster from a chaos universe, how is that not awesome! So with Shuma-Gorath wrecking the entire city up, our heroes are trying to work together and figure something out. We got Luke Cage, Superior Spider-man, Spectrum and Spider-hero...? It's someone relatively important in a store bought costume, it's pretty funny actually. They also get some help in this issue from White Tiger, Power Fist and Blue Marvel. This I am guessing will be the first line up to the new Mighty Avengers team. And they work really well together, especially considering what they are up against. You get to see most characters use their abilities and even help one and other out, a classic presentation of super hero teamwork. But do they save the day? Not going to spoil that for you, so you should check it out! 

It goes without saying, I like Mighty Avengers. It's a different team, but it's one that has a more human connection then the other Avengers team, and I really like that. When reading comics, I really don't want to see how godly a super hero can be, honestly I could careless about freeze breath, laser eyes and crapping gold bricks. The more powerful a character is the less I feel like I should care. And while Blue Marvel seems like a Superman, I like the fact that he is more brain then brawn.  We know Blue Marvel has power, but he has the knowledge and wisdom not to abuse it. So I highly suggest you give Mighty Avengers a chance if you are looking for a group of heroes that are really down to Earth. And I assure that is more then a play on words.

So go out and get your self some Mighty Avengers, they are only up to issue 13 as of writing this, so it's enough time to catch up with the current stories. Or get the collection as well, a very cool way to see how New York City and the world deals with the Infinity and Inhumanity events of the Marvel universe.  If you have any questions, comments or suggestion, let me know below or on any of the many forms of social media! That's all the time I've got, until then keep chasing the storm!