Marvels: Eye of the Camera (2009) #4

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Ok, so Secret Wars took place in the seventies? I mean, based on the style of the protagonist’s new boss, at least. She’s wearing clothes straight out of “Mary Tyler Moore.” It’s fine, of course, if it does take place in the seventies in Marvels, but maybe mention it, guys. Maybe mention the year. Maybe tie in some events. Or at least get things right when it comes to costumes, if you aren’t going to mention years.

As I understand it, Alex Ross brought Marvels to Marvel and Busiek came onboard it. So letting Busiek run Marvels II seems a little odd. There’s absolutely no passion to the series, but there’s not even any interest in it. There’s a lot of random events, not particularly memorable ones either, taking place over a dozen years in this issue.

It’s not disastrous, but it’s a waste of time and money. Mine, specifically.

Marvels: Eye of the Camera (2009) #3

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Does Busiek have a point this time? This entire series seems pointless. It’s Anacleto, finally, drawing superheroes–not a lot of them, but some of them–and they look good and the comic looks good overall, but Busiek isn’t doing anything here. There’s nothing… pressing about this comic book. It’s completely by the numbers.

It’s so unspectacular, I don’t even remember what happened this issue. It ends with Spider-Man not trying to save the Hitman. It apparently takes place in the seventies, since the Punisher has just shown up, but there’s no seventies texture to it. Apparently, setting Marvels in a point in history is over now. It’s just the same as every other Marvel comic. Stuff happened a while ago. An indeterminate while ago. Like when Doctor Doom says many months ten years after an event. Sure, it’s many months….

Oh, man, this was four bucks an issue?

The Avengers (1963) #261

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This Secret Wars II tie-in is a regurgitation of all the other Secret Wars II tie-ins–well, maybe not all of them, but a lot of them. It’s the Beyonder trying to understand the human experience, this time playing with the Avengers.

It’s as lame as his costume on that front. And his costume is really lame. About half the issue is dedicated to the tie-in, with the other half concentrating on the Avengers themselves (was Captain Marvel the ostensible lead of the book at this time? She’s the only one who gets to go home and be off duty for a couple page).

There’s a page or two of politics, the Avengers losing their FAA privileges for the quinjets, which provides a nice monotony after the issue opens in deep space with the Skrulls.

Cap still does sound like Chicken Little warning everyone about the Beyonder.

The Avengers (1963) #260

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I know people love The Avengers, but I never really got into them. I think I read West Coast as a kid, but I don’t know. Probably. I probably did.

Anyway, this issue reminds me more of Star Wars (one of the second two prequels mostly) than it seems like what an Avengers comic should be. It’s all very interstellar and, well, boring. The Wasp comes off badly, which I found interesting. I always thought she was supposed to be cool, but here there’s definitely something nasty about her.

But none of the Avengers are really the main characters in the issue. Firelord isn’t an Avenger and he opens the issue. Starfox is an Avenger? He has the next most to do, but only because he can tie in with the Skrulls and the space battle bad guy.

I am completely indifferent to it.

Funny outfit on the Beyonder though.