Spider-Woman Origin by Brian Michael Bendis and Brian Reed

Spider-Woman Origin written by Brian Michael Bendis and Brian Reed and illustrated by the Luna brothers attempts to summarise Spider-Woman's origin story. It doesn't do a stellar job, though I suspect this is at least partly due to being limited to five issues. I also read Spider-Woman Saga which is a short (10 page) one-shot summarising Spider-Woman Origin and bridging the gap between it and Spider-Woman Agent of SWORD. This review contains spoilers as I intend to discuss some problematic elements of the story. Read at own risk.

This all-new epic chronicles the intriguing secret history of Jessica Drew and her journey from child experiment to Hydra agent to S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to super hero to private eye to Avenger! Written by New Avengers scribe Brian Michael Bendis and searing-hot newcomer Brian Reed (Ms. Marvel), and featuring stunning full-color visuals by the Luna brothers (Ultra, Girls), this story is packed with intrigue leading directly into the upcoming Spider-Woman series from Bendis and Eisner Award-winning artist Alex Maleev (Daredevil).

This was a weird comic. I feel like they wanted to cram so much backstory into five issues that at times it felt like a montage sequence from a movie. According to Wiki, apparently this story rewrites/retcons a bit of Spider-Woman's history for more modern comic stories, but from the summaries I read it doesn't strike me as wildly different, more like shifting timelines around. My main problem with this story is how shallow it was. There was little depth of character and zero nuance to events that really should have been nuanced. You know, like a movie montage.

After a supposedly horrible childhood — we really don't see anything horrible happening to her, other than being isolated with her parents and some medical issues, and certainly nothing that screams evil brain-washing cult — Jessica drew finds herself in a coma between the ages of 7 and 17. So when she wakes up, in HYDRA's presence, she's basically still 7, in a mostly developed body, she seems to magically gain maturity somehow? It's really not explained and it really should be. Because if you assume her mind continues to develop at a standard, she's something like mentally 10 (or certainly low teens, I may have lost track of a time jump) when she decides to sleep with an old dude to get close enough to assassinate him. EW! Between waking up and that moment she does have the chance to learn lots of stuff, but as far as I could tell, HYDRA only taught her how to fight, not how to adult. So when she goes off and leads a semi-successful life in hiding... I just don't buy it. There was a lot of implausibility in this comic, more than usual. Oh, and it was super weird seeing a white Nick Fury.

Given the stolen childhood aspect, I couldn't help but compare it with Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt who lost a similar chunk of her life (but started out older). Unlike Kimmy, Jessica isn't shown as having any trouble adjusting to the real world, which is ridiculous. Like, this whole thing was actually more ridiculous than the HYDRA brainwashing she undergoes. While I bought the HYDRA brainwashing by the end, the problem of how many life skills she could have possibly learnt in between all that martial arts training remains a problem. More than zero, sure, but I don't see how she had much time for it.

To summarise: Jessica's traumatic childhood didn't seem all that bad (like, OK, her father was experimenting on her, but he wasn't hurting her) until the very end just before HYDRA comes in. I felt like I got a better feel for the character's past from references in Avengers Assemble and Captain Marvel appearances. Spider-Woman Origin just left me thinking, "Huh? Is that it?" The art was pretty and probably the best thing about it. Only a few gratuitous butt shots. I don't particularly recommend reading Spider-Woman Origin if you're looking for, y'know, good comics. If you want a quick summary of Jessica Drew's life, then go for it.

3.5 / 5 stars

First published: 2007, Marvel
Series: Spider-Woman Origin, entire series (issues #1–5)
Format read: Digital
Source: Marvel Unlimited

Ms Marvel (Carol Danvers) Vols 1 & 2 by Brian Reed

Ms Marvel Vols 1 & 2 written by Brian Reed and illustrated by Roberto de la Torre is part of the Ms Marvel run directly preceding Carol's change of name to Captain Marvel. It was written from 2006 onwards, so I thought it wouldn't be too cringe-worthy to read (compared with the very first run of Ms Marvel which was written in the 70s). So I started reading the issues on Marvel unlimited and gave up at issue #11, which is actually the first issue of Vol 3, when I got bored. But it wasn't all bad...

Vol 1 Best of the Best: Straight out of the pages of New Avengers and House of M Call your friends, wake the neighbors, shout it from the rooftops Come along for one heck of a wild ride as Brian Reed (co-writer of the thrilling Spider-Woman: Origin) joins forces with penciler extraordinaire Rob de la Torre for an action-packed adventure that includes special guest-stars Captain America and Jessica Jones. All this and an alien invasion that could mean the end of life on Earth, is tucked inside a cover by Eisner Award-nominated Frank Cho. Collects Ms. Marvel #1-5, Giant-Size Ms. Marvel #1.

Vol 2 Civil War: Ms. Marvel: Ms. Marvel enlists in the Civil War! With the Super Human Registration Act in full effect, Carol Danvers joins forces with Simon "Wonder Man" Williams and Julia "Arachne" Carpenter to police and train heroes. But there's a traitor in their midst – someone who is undermining the registration movement and endangering everyone! Plus: BECAUSE YOU DEMANDED IT! Rogue appears in the pages of MS. MARVEL! But if Rogue is a friend, why is Carol attacking? And finally, a child with the ability to turn anything he imagines into reality has begun to read Carol’s sci-fi epic “Binary,” based loosely on her own life among the stars. Within minutes, the library is overrun with visions from Carol’s book – and soon, all of New York City is threatened!

Terrible blurbs aside, the worst thing about this series is Ms Marvel's terrible costume. It's ridiculousness really isn't helped by generous amounts of side-boob and gratuitous crotch shots (and let's face it, the bikini cut of that leotard is barely covering what it needs to). I mainly don't understand why someone who can magically change their clothing at will would keep that costume. At least the boots don't have heels.

The best thing about reading this was that we got an origin story for Carol's cat. I am now going to spoil it for you to save you having to read the comics. If you don't want to be spoiled, jump to the next paragraph.

In Giant-Size Ms Marvel, which is ironically a short (event-based) issue leading into the series, Carol encounters and fights a time-travelling wizard. In the course of the fight she gets knocked into a building and lands near a cat. When the bad guy comes at her again, she throws the cat at him (after promising the cat tuna) and both bad guy and cat disappear. Then in issue #4 the cat and the bad guy reappear (he's a time-traveller, remember), Carol defeats him and ends up with a cat. She names the cat in the following issue. And that's where Chewie came from.

That's honestly the best thing I got out of what I read. That and Carol's conversation with Jessica Drew in the first issue, because I like seeing their friendship. But Jess didn't come back in the rest of what I read, so that was disappointing. Volume 2 was all Civil War event tie-ins and had a promising plot... which just fizzled out without any kind of moral resolution when (I assume) the event ended. It almost had depth. It did have two female spider-based superheroes (neither of whom were Jessica Drew) and the origin of Araña (who is Spider-Girl in the more recent comics), which was good aside from the whole lack of resolution thing. Then Rogue showed up with a horrible accent and a storyline involving a Carol doppelgänger and meh. As I said, I got bored.

The action wasn't exciting — I got bored several times while some of it was being explained — and there wasn't a huge amount of character development or depth. Carol's main motivation seems to be "must be the best that I can be because I've been a bit sucky of late" (and whose fault is that, Marvel?) which is hardly an exciting motive. It's not even enough motive to override the costume and the icky male gaze of the art (which, yes, I know, could have been worse).

So, if you love Carol Danvers, start with the DeConnick Captain Marvel reboot. If you're drawn to the name Ms Marvel, then definitely read the Wilson Kamala Khan iteration instead. If you want the origin story for Chewie, Carol's cat, then read my spoiler above and save yourself further bother. I am so glad Carol got a better run after this.

3 / 5 stars

First published: 2006, Marvel
Series: Ms Marvel, the second run, issues #1–10, Vol 1–2 (it went up to #50 if you're wondering)
Format read: Digital
Source: Marvel Unlimited

Gotham Academy Vol 1: Welcome to Gotham Academy by Becky Cloonan and Brenden Fletcher

Gotham Academy Vol 1: Welcome to Gotham Academy written by Becky Cloonan and Brenden Fletcher and illustrated by Karl Kerschl is the first volume in a completely new series. I haven't read very much DC stuff before, so going into this I wasn't sure if I would be missing some background knowledge (I wasn't). I also thought it was going to be an academy for little superheroes, but as far as I can tell they were all relatively normal teenagers (which didn't make it a bad book).

Gotham City’s most prestigious prep school is a very strange place. It’s got a spooky campus, oddball teachers, and rich benefactors always dropping by...like that weirdo Bruce Wayne. But nothing is as strange as the students! Like, what’s up with Olive Silverlock? Is she crazy or what? Where did she go last summer? And what’s the deal with her creepy mom? And how come that freshman Maps is always following her around? And is she still going out with Kyle? P.S. Did you hear the rumor about the ghost in the North Hall?!

This was a fun read. The story starts off with Olive, a second year student, being told to show new student Maps around the campus. They're sort of friends, but Olive has some boyfriendish history with Maps's brother and is generally not happy to be back at school with everyone wondering what she did over the summer. At this point I found myself wondering if I had missed something by not reading some other earlier comic. I have to admit, if it had been an ordinary book or not part of a larger comics universe I probably wouldn't have questioned the slow reveal of her past, but as it was I wasn't sure if there was something else I should know until later. As it happens, we do end up finding out everything we need to know within this volume. The mystery is supposed to be mysterious and it's resolved by the time we get to the end. I really enjoyed this complete experience. It was refreshing to realise that no, I hadn't missed anything, and that I was holding a complete story in my hand.

So, if it's not a school for superheroes, what is it? Well an almost-ordinary boarding school, funded by Bruce Wayne, housed in a creepy old set of buildings (of course), that may or may not be haunted. Olive and friends find themselves on the trail of a ghost. Is it real? Is it a practical joke? How many school mysteries will they unearth in the process? What really happened over the summer and how does Arkham Asylum fit in with anything? You'll just have to read Gotham Academy to find out.

I really liked this YA, girl-centred book. I highly recommend it to fans of comics and YA stories. You do not need to know anything about the DC universe to enjoy it (not even the secret identity of Batman) because it's a new series with new characters. A great read.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: June 2015, DC Comics
Series: Gotham Academy Vol 1 of ongoing series, containing issues #1–6
Format read: eARC of rather disappointing quality
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

ODY-C Vol 1: Off to Far Ithicaa by Matt Fraction and Christian Ward

ODY-C Vol 1: Off to Far Ithicaa written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Christian Ward is the first volume of a comic retelling of The Odyssey, set in space and incredibly gender-bent. Basically all the characters are female. I think there are two minor male characters in the whole first volume (unless you count gods temporarily appearing male) and neither are 100% human. Gender-bent in this case means that all the traditionally male characters are female and the few female characters either remain female or... something. For example, Hera is still a woman but she has a beard but the male gods are all women now. Basically what I'm saying is if you ever thought The Odyssey would be improved with more female characters and/or gender flipping AND/OR thought it would be cool to have it set in space, this is your book!

An eye-searing, mind-bending, gender-shattering epic science fiction retelling of Homer's Odyssey starting with the end of a great war in the stars and the beginning of a very long journey home for Odyssia and her crew of warriors. The journey to Ithicaa begins HERE!

The first thing that struck me when I started reading ODY-C is just how pretty it is. It's very bright and colourful, as the cover suggests, with a sort of surreal and dreamlike quality to the art. It's probably worth reading just for the art.

Which is just as well because the story was a bit confusing, especially at first. The language used is fairly poetic in style — with occasional breaks — and is mainly narration rather than dialogue. I think I would have gotten into it more quickly if I were more familiar with the original Odyssey (which I'm really not). As it was, I had gotten into the swing of it by the time we got to the Cyclops (also female... and three-breasted, possibly to make up for the eye?). It was also kind of surreal reading about an army of only women. Having the more prominent warriors be women was less unusual than having all of the random grunts be women too. (And isn't it interesting what that says about society?) Some of the names of characters were slightly altered or just spelled differently, which didn't help with working out which bits of Greek mythology they were reflecting, but I felt more or less abreast of the situation by the end. Also, the Zeus-induced reason for the absence of men was pretty hilarious. Anther reason to pick this up.

I should mention that this comic series is not for children and, quite frankly, NSFW either. Although the art isn't sexualised (except for the sex scenes, I suppose, but even then not so much) there's a significant amount of nudity. Also swearing and a lot of violence (particularly the part with the Cyclops). So I wouldn't give this to your kids, basically. That said, it's probably less bad to read in public than Sex Criminals, if we're going to rank things.

I would mainly recommend this to readers familiar with The Odyssey and anyone willing to read it just for the art. The friends who recommended it to me said something like "It's a bit confusing but so pretty!" which is dead-on. (They also showed me a floppy with a detailed timeline in the front, which was not present in the version I read.) Read it if the idea of Greek mythology in space sounds appealing or if you don't mind being confused. I'm a bit torn as to whether I'll be picking up the next volume.

4 / 5 stars

First published: June 2015, Image Comics
Series: Yes. Volume 1 collecting issues #1-5 of ongoing series ODY-C
Format read: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Young Avengers Vol 2: Alternative Culture and Vol 3: Mic-Drop at the Edge of Time and Space by Kieron Gillen

Young Avengers Vol 2: Alternative Culture and Vol 3:  Mic-Drop at the Edge of Time and Space written by Kieron Gillen and illustrated by Jamie McKelvie and Kate Brown is the second volume in the latest iteration of Young Avengers. I have previously reviewed Vol 1: Style > Substance. (As a side note, yay for Young Avengers having better blurbs than most Marvel paperbacks!)

Ever wonder what the super hero equivalent of a terrible soul-sucking, talent-wasting temp job is? Wonder what Tommy (aka Speed) has been up to? Wonder why mutant David Alleyne (aka Prodigy) hasn't been even in the background in any one of the eight thousand X-books? Discover answers herein! Then: existential horror turns cosmic horror as something emerges from the shadows of the past...and it seems that the Young Avengers have one more thing to worry about. The team races desperately across the multi verse in pursuit of their missing friend, but their road trip goes crazy as it reaches its desti nati on. Because its desti nati on is mainly excitement and heartbreak. Several Young Avengers decide what to do next. The question is, whether they stay Young Avengers! Plus: Are you ready for Mother's Day?They say you can never go home. For the Young Avengers, that's not true. They can go home — it's just that if they do, the universe may end. The team takes on the gig to save reality, but is Kate Bishop an enemy in waiting? Will Noh-Varr get an arrow through the head? And is this the end of the loveable/strangle-able Kid Loki? As the Young Avengers take on "the Young Avengers," Loki's scheme reaches its final twist — and the Young Avengers' jaws hit the floor. Then, the team gathers in a nightclub for a string of connected and overlapping stories illustrated by an all-star cast of people we really like. And as the New Year looms, the Young Avengers get a resolution — and so do you. Plus: Kissing! Drama! Conflict! Kissing!

Young Avengers continues to be a fun series to read. These two volumes dealt with the problem set up in the first volume and also introduced a new problem for them to deal with. Character-wise it also added Prodigy, whose superpower is, loosely speaking, being smart.

Young Avengers keeps playing with art style throughout these two volumes, just like it did with the first. I particularly liked the credits pages, which were very creative and different each issue. The way the different dimensions were represented, similarly to the first volume, continued to be pretty cool. I like the meta of comic book characters looking at comic books.

The characters continue to be awesome and these two volumes are probably more character driven than the first. Where the first volume set up a big bad, these two have room for more sass and lovers quarrels and other drama. There's also a lot of queer representation, which is nice to see, especially in a comic aimed at teen readers.

Young Avengers was a fun read overall and I would definitely recommend this series to anyone with an interest in comics or superheroes. If you've read and enjoyed the first volume, I definitely recommend continuing. If you're new to the series, I suggest starting from the beginning.

4 / 5 stars

First published: 2014, Marvel
Series: Young Avengers Vol 2 and 3 of 3. Containing issues #6-15
Format read: Digital
Source: Marvel Unlimited

Fearless Defenders Vol 1 & 2 by Cullen Bunn

Fearless Defenders Vol 1: Doom Maidens and Vol 2: The Most Fabulous Fighting Team of All, written by Cullen Bunn and illustrated by a few different artists, comprise the entire run of Fearless Defenders comics. Which is sad. They are an all-woman team of superheroes (and one archaeologist) centred around Valkyrie and Knight and and a team that grows throughout the issues.

New team! New villains! New creators! Valkyrie and Misty Knight are the Fearless Defenders, and not since Power Man and Iron Fist has an unlikely duo kicked this much - well, you know. Writer Cullen Bunn (VENOM, Sixth Gun, FEAR ITSELF: THE FEARLESS) and new-to-Marvel artist Will Sliney (MacGyver, Star Wars) bring you the book that everyone is going to be talking about...and that's a promise!

It's the biggest status quo change to date for the Fearless Defenders...but we're not going to spoil it here! Misty kicked ass in Valkyrie's world, now it's time to see how Valkyrie fairs in Misty's. But it's not easy being an Asgardian shieldmaiden - especially when your boyfriend's got a chip on his shoulder! Guest-starring Elsa Bloodstone, Venom, Dr. Strange, Iron Fist, Hercules, Werewolf By Night, and a legion of significant others! Then, it's an Infinity tie-in like none other...because this one's got dancing! With Thanos' hordes invading Earth, the Fearless Defenders live up to their name! And when a gifted young woman discovers she has terrifying powers, will this new hero join the ranks of the Defenders?

So as long-time readers of this blog can probably guess, I picked up Fearless Defenders (on Marvel Unlimited) because it featured female superheroes.  And I was not disappointed. The story starts with Misty Knight retrieving an archaeological artefact for Dr Annabelle Riggs, which sets of some Vikings rising from the dead at Annabelle's dig and summons Valkyrie to deal with them. In the course of events the three of them (well, mainly Valkyrie) are tasked with recruiting Shieldmaidens to fight the impending threat of Doom Maidens (who are basically evil ex-Shieldmaidens).

Misty has a tendency to just hire superheroes as needed (just about all our favourite heroines make a guest appearance) but Valkyrie wants to find the right people and kind of procrastinates. Annabelle, the geeky, unpowered, lesbian scientist was my favourite character (to no one's surprise) and her story arcs were the most compelling.

I don't want to talk too much about the specifics of Volume 2, because of spoilers, but I do want to mention one hilarious incident. The main characters' menfolk try to have an intervention to stop them doing dangerous superhero stuff. We get to laugh at their manpain. (But also, why do the female superheroes always have annoying boyfriends? The male superheroes either have irrelevant or better-than-them girlfriends. Where is the justice?)

The only story thing I didn't like about this run was one issue of the Ultron event tie in (I believe it was the #4 with an Ultron head on the cover). It made absolutely zero sense in a Fearless Defenders context. I have no idea what happened (Ares had Thor's hammer?) or why, but turns out it was completely irrelevant to the main story (shocking for a comic event, I know). I only read it because that's what clicking "next" on Marvel Unlimited lead me to, and it didn't add anything. Feel free to skip. The Infinity War tie-in, on the other hand, was much more sensible, relevant to the rest of the plot and brought in a permanent new character. So that was nice at least.

The other thing I didn't like was some of the art. Issue #7 had a gorgeous one-off artist, but other than that... All the armour had ridiculous boob plates (Valkyrie's was upgraded to more sensible around issue #8ish at least) and there were more butt/boob/crotch shots than necessary (the requisite number generally being zero, for the record). The supervillains, especially, seemed to have a tendency for the kind of costumes in no way designed to keep their boobs covered. Why? Well we know why, but it would be nice if it stopped. Overall, though, this aspect of the art really could have been MUCH worse, so I suppose that's something?

Anyway, if you want to read about ladies kicking arse, than I definitely recommend Fearless Defenders. The series is fun and made me laugh. (I was a particular fan of the recaps at the start of each issue.) It's only a short run before it got cancelled, but I'm hoping we'll see some of the characters elsewhere (I've already found some of the elsewheres, so stand-by).

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: 2013–2014, Marvel
Series: Fearless Defenders, entire run, featuring issues #1-12 (but there are two #4 just to confuse us because comic events are silly)
Format read: Digital
Source: Marvel Unlimited

The Blackmail Blend by Livia Day

The Blackmail Blend by Livia Day is a novelette set in between the novels A Trifle Dead and Drowned Vanilla. For maximum enjoyment it's probably best read after A Trifle Dead although it doesn't really contain any significant spoilers.

Six romance writers
Five secrets
Four poison pen letters
Three stolen manuscripts
Two undercover journalists
One over-complicated love life
Way too many teacups and tiny sandwiches

This shouldn't be a recipe for mayhem and murder, but Tabitha Darling has been burned once before and she knows the signs that she's about to fall into another crime scene. At least she doesn't have to worry about love triangles any more. Right? RIGHT?

The Blackmail Blend features our favourite desert-making amateur detective, Tabitha, as she organises and caters a regency high tea for a romance book launch. But of course something has to go horribly wrong and it may or may not have something to do with Stewart's grudge against the author. Before long, there's a mystery to solve and food to feed potential sources of information.

If you've read Livia Day's other books, then you know what to expect from The Blackmail Blend: a fun, food-based mystery. If you haven't read the other books, this story will give you a good idea of what to expect. It's obviously much shorter, and unlike the novels does not quite involve a murder. But it's the same style and, although there aren't any recipes, it has the same fixation on food. So if you're curious about Livia Day's books and maybe aren't sure if you'd like them, definitely give The Blackmail Blend a shot. The ebook also includes the first few chapters of A Trifle Dead to give you an even better idea of what you'd be getting into.

The Blackmail Blend was a fun read and I would recommend it to all fans of cosy mysteries. Especially anyone looking for a quick read. It fits in neatly between the two novels and has made me even more excited to read the next book in the series when it eventually comes out.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: June 2015, Twelfth Planet Press
Series: A Culinary Crime mystery, story 1.5 out of 2 novels so far
Format read: eARC
Source: Publisher
Disclaimer: The author and the publisher are friends but I have endeavoured to write an impartial review.
Challenges: Australian Women Writers Challenge

She-Hulk Vol 3 & 4 by Dan Slott

She-Hulk Vol 3 (Time Trials) & 4 (Laws of Attraction) by Dan Slott are the first two volumes of the second run of Dan Slott's She-Hulk. They collect issues #1 to #13, although, actually I read up to #15 before giving up. Vol 5 goes up to issue #21 which is also the end of Slott's run but I just wasn't enjoying it any more so I stopped. This review contains spoilers because otherwise I can't discuss some of the bits that annoyed me.

Join She-Hulk as she deals with the bizarre legal problems of the Marvel Universe Strange twists, exciting adventures and lots of guest-stars. And She-Hulk isn't the only one returning. Get ready, True Believer Hawkeye's back. We kid you not. So why is Clint Barton giving Jen Walters such a hard time? And how is his fate tied in to She-Hulk's latest case? Featuring guest appearances by the New Avengers and Cassie Lang (Stature from Young Avengers).
She-Hulk's firm is dealing with their first superhuman sexual assault case. Their client? Eros of Titan, the space-faring Avenger called Starfox. And when emotions get over-heated at the office — expect a love triangle or two to finally come to a head. What will this mean for Pug, She-Hulk and John Jameson? And who (or what) is Awesome Andy falling for? Plus: Civil War threatens the rights of every American super hero. So whose side will Marvel's top superhuman lawyer fight for? And how can she possibly choose, when she feels one way as She-Hulk, and another as Jen Walters?

One of the problems with these two volumes is the existence of comic events. Civil War happens in the middle of Vol 4 and completely throws out the most interesting arc in this run. In fact, the epilogue of said arc, which I'll talk more about shortly, gets pushed into #14 and Vol 5. As well as the Civil War — which does at least fit in with the concept of She-Hulk being a lawyer fairly well — there seem to be Hulk/She-Hulk on a rampage stories which are told in other books, I think? I don't exactly mind missing out on these, but it's a bit weird when no apparent time has passed in the story line and yet She-Hulk has found time to go on a rampage or something. I know it's kind of the nature of comics, but it really disrupted the flow for me.

Especially the Star Fox arc, which was potentially the most interesting. I say potentially because it didn't quite live up to it's potential, although it wasn't as dire in the end as I feared. The background is Star Fox's powers include the ability to make people fall in love temporarily. Or, as someone put it, he's a walking roofie. He's brought up on sexual assault charges and Jen is forced to represent him because her firm's been getting into some questionable stuff. (Side note: I would kind of like to know how that back story pans out, but not enough to keep reading, unfortunately.) Just as the trial gets interesting... the Civil War starts and it gets ignored for several issues. I actually didn't think we were going to come back to it at all which was kind of infuriating because it left Jen to run off and marry her boyfriend that she was about to break up with before Star Fox zapped her! And then when she finds out what was happening it's kind of completely glossed over. Like one minute she's realising she doesn't love him and the next... it just was not handled well. The one good thing is that Star Fox did eventually get justice... but there was this weird bit with Thanos (supervillain) which had me excited for a few pages before they doubled back. To summarise, the idea of Star Fox being put on trial was good, but the execution was lacking (I will admit, it could have been worse, though).

Then there was all the objectification of She-Hulk. Mainly this was in the artwork — the covers above are by a different artist, but that should give you an idea. Gratuitous side boob and almost-nudity are just icky and unnecessary. And there was one point where a troll ran under She-Hulk's skirt and commented on her "going commando", in a context where she didn't even get to dress herself, no less! Ugh.

I've mainly talked about Vol 4 above. Vol 3 was kind of less memorable. There was a storyline with Hawkeye set after he had died in whatever book that was (and Avengers iteration, I assume), which was kind of entertaining, but I do feel ambivalent about Hawkeye as a character. On and some other old Wild West superhero called Two-Gun something (it's not in the blurb and I really don't care enough to look him up) hung around for a while for no apparent benefit. I didn't like or care about him, so that was an epic meh. We do get to see grown-up South Paw, though, which was an up side.

It took me a lot longer to get through these two volumes than it did the first run. The spark that made the first run memorable got old and I just lost interest. Most of the internal art was OK, but there were not-sufficiently-occasional objectifying shots of She-Hulk which were very off-putting. As was some of the plot. I wouldn't say don't read it, but don't get your hopes up if you loved the first run.

3.5 / 5 stars

First published: 2006, Marvel
Series: She-Hulk Vol 3 and 4 of Dan Slott's run (issues #1-13 of Slott's second run)
Format read: Digital
Source: Marvel Unlimited

Tsana's June Status

It's been another strange month in a year of strange months. A portion of my time has been taken up reading slush for Defying Doomsday (submissions close at the end of the month!), and a scarily large portion has been taken up with reading comics because I got a Marvel Unlimited subscription (well, a free month because there was an Age of Ultron promotion), and have been trying to make the most of it. So there have been a lot of comic reviews and a lot more to come. On the bright side, it has meant I haven't had to stress about blog content in between slushing (and work and other real life matters). Marvel Unlimited is a pretty good deal at $10 USD/month and I think I'll buy another month of it a little while down the track. For now I definitely need a break from comics, I think. There were a few too many comic-related dreams the past month...

What Have I Read?

As I said, a lot of comics...

• Rat Queens Vol 2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N'Rygoth by Kurtis J Wiebe
• Veronica Mars: Mr Kiss and Tell by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham — the second Veronica Mars book.
• Captain Marvel Vol 1: In Pursuit of Flight by Kelly Sue DeConnick
• Cranky Ladies of History edited by Tansy Rayner Roberts and Tehani Wessely.. — a cool anthology
• Captain Marvel Vol 2: Down by Kelly Sue DeConnick
• Avengers: The Enemy Within by Kelly Sue DeConnick 
• Young Avengers Vol 1: Style > Substance by Kieron Gillen
• Hawkeye Vol 1: My Life As a Weapon by Matt Fraction
• Avengers Assemble by Kelly Sue DeConnick 
• Spider-Woman: Agent of SWORD by Brian Michael Bendis
• She-Hulk Vol 1 and 2 by Dan Slott 
• Runaways (Deluxe Vol 1) by Brian K Vaughan 
• The Dagger's Path by Glenda Larke – book two in an excellent series
• Runaways (Deluxe Vols 2 & 3) by Brian K Vaughan 
• The Astrologer's Daughter by Rebecca Lim — a YA crime/light contemporary fantasy set in Melbourne   

Currently Reading

Runaways. I only have 12 issues to go before there's no more at all. Then probably more comics because I only have a few days before I have to cancel the Marvel Unlimited subscription. Not sure what novel I'll read next but it will probably come from the review e-pile. And of course, slush.

New Booksies

I haven't added Marvel Unlimited stuff to LibraryThing since I do't exactly get to keep them. So this is (as per usual) stuff I've bought or received for review.

• Gotham Academy Vol 1 by Becky Cloonan (DC Comics, for review)
• Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (my shiny ARC for doing the science checking. And it is particularly shiny for an ARC)
• The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness (for review, I've already read it but it's not out until October, so you'll have to wait to read the review. But I will say, this book is pretty awesome and you should add it to your TBR/want to buy lists)
• Firefight by Brandon Sanderson (book 2 of the Reckoners, purchased)
• Trees by Warren Ellis (comic, purchased after enjoying free issue #1)
• Earth  by KJ Taylor (second book in the series, released soon after the first, for review)
• Accessing the Future edited by Kathryn Allan and Djibril al-Ayad (an anthology I backed on Indiegogo and which I probably won't read for a while for semi-obvious reasons)
• Protecting the Heart by Nicole Murphy (book 3 in the series, for review)
• The Blackmail Blend by Livia Day (a novelette in the Café La Femme series, set between books 1 and 2, for review)
• ODY-C Vol 1: The Heaviest Trip is the One Back Home by Matt Fraction (a comic series that friends recommended and which then conveniently appeared on NetGalley)

The Astrologer's Daughter by Rebecca Lim

The Astrologer's Daughter by Rebecca Lim was not the book I expected it to be. This is partly because I intentionally try to forget blurbs for ARCs after I decide to read them and partly because I didn't really have a clear idea of what to expect anyway, and also that purple cover.

Avicenna Crowe’s mother, Joanne, is an astrologer with uncanny predictive powers and a history of being stalked. Now she is missing.
The police are called, but they’re not asking the right questions. Like why Joanne lied about her past, and what she saw in her stars that made her so afraid.

But Avicenna has inherited her mother’s gift. Finding an unlikely ally in the brooding Simon Thorn, she begins to piece together the mystery. And when she uncovers a link between Joanne’s disappearance and a cold-case murder, Avicenna is led deep into the city’s dark and seedy underbelly, unaware how far she is placing her own life in danger.

I probably would have been less surprised by the book if I'd read the blurb, but on the other hand, the blurb is not entirely accurate either. Avicenna's mother disappears and the story opens with her calling the police. Most of the book is about her dealing — emotionally and practically — with her mother's disappearance. A few other things happen along the way, albeit mostly as a consequence of being left motherless.

The police in this book were helpful and did all the right things. I liked that they weren't just another set of antagonists and that Avicenna set up a rapport with her main liaison and came to think of him as a bit of a father figure. While Avicenna makes a few poor decisions, they're mostly of the not wanting to answer her phone variety, which was understandable and much less frustrating to read about than some YA protagonists.

Interestingly this book did not exclusively contain YA issues. Avicenna does have to deal with losing her mum at a young age but she also gets caught up in her mother's unfinished business, including a twenty-year-old unsolved rape and murder. Her sort-of friend, Simon, also has to deal with some pretty heavy issues, which I won't elaborate on because spoilers. It was a book that sucked me in straight away and one that I didn't want to put down, but it wasn't a fun book. That's not to say I didn't enjoy reading it, but it's not a book I'd recommend for some light escapist reading. Just saying.

Also, it's set in Melbourne with Avicenna and friends in year 12 at a thinly-disguised well-known high school. She lives in Chinatown and the descriptions of the CBD were excellent. As someone who's spent most of their life living in Melbourne (albeit not in the CBD), I found it really easy to visualise exactly where she went, even when the precise place (like her home) was fictional. On a related note, it also brought up some racial issues in passing, which lent authenticity to the book from my perspective although I suspect some nuances might be lost on international readers not familiar with Australia's migrant history.

I really enjoyed The Astrologer's Daughter. It grabbed me even though I didn't realise I was in the mood for that sort of book. It's a nice mix of crime and contemporary fantasy and pretty light on the fantasy front (only the astrology, really). In many ways, I found myself thinking of it as a stealth crime novel. Avicenna doesn't set out to solve any crimes, only to deal with her own life problems, but the solutions find her anyway.

I highly recommend The Astrologer's Daughter to fans of YA of the contemporary, speculative and/or crime genres. It was a gripping book and certainly my favourite of Lim's that I've read.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: 2014, Text Publishing (US edition June 2015)
Series: No
Format read: eARC
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Challenges: Australian Women Writers Challenge

Runaways (Deluxe Vols 2 & 3) by Brian K Vaughan and Adrian Alphona

Runaways (Deluxe Vols 2 & 3) by Brian K Vaugh and Adrian Alphona are the two volumes of Runaways containing the second season of Vaughan's Runaways run. My intention was to review each deluxe volume separately, but reading on Marvel Unlimited I accidentally overshot and was halfway through Vol 3 when I realised. I also blame Goodreads for being wrong about which issues were included in Vol 2. So here we are. A review of issues #1–24 of the 2005–2007 run of Runaways, which is regular (non-deluxe) volumes 5–7. This review (and the blurb) contains spoilers for Runaways Deluxe Vol 1.

In True Believers, now that the evil Pride is gone, nearly every bad guy in the Marvel Universe is trying to fill the power vacuum in Los Angeles, and the Runaways are the only heroes who can stop them Plus: What does a mysterious new team of young heroes want with the Runaways, and which fan-favorite Marvel characters are part of this group? In Escape to New York, the Runaways embark on a coast-to-coast adventure, guest-starring Cloak and Dagger AND the New Avengers When Cloak is accused of a crime he didn't commit by the heroes of New York City, the vigilante is forced to turn to the teenage Runaways for help. This story will take our teens to a place they've never been: NYC. In Parental Guidance, the secret super-villain society is back, but this all-new group isn't made up of the Runaways' evil parents. Who are these shadowy players, and what do they want with the Marvel Universe's next generation of heroes? Plus: When the youngest member of the Runaways is separated from her teammates, Molly Hayes must survive a night alone on the mean streets of Los Angeles The 11-year-old mutant girl soon hooks up with a new group of runaways, but is their mysterious leader a hero or a villain? And in Live Fast, the Runaways say good-bye to the past, and make hard decisions about their future.

In the first deluxe collection of Runaways, I thought the single over-arching plot was one of its strengths. In these two volumes the story arcs seem to run more or less over six issues/one regular volume, giving it a distinctly episodic feel in the style of an ongoing TV series. I enjoyed this run of Runaways, but not quite as much as the first one. I think that's partly because of a bit of shuffling of the team members (was some of it caused by external comic events? I got the feeling it might have been).

The first story arc has the Runaways basically running around fighting bad guys as they arise. Meanwhile, a group of adult ex-teenage superheroes start an organisation to help rehabilitate teen heroes and find that with the Runaways, they may have bitten off more than they can chew. This was an entertaining sort of gentle storyline, and I suspect one that long-time comic book fans might have enjoyed picking out the old heroes out of. It also lead nicely into later events.

In the second story arc we meet Cloak and Dagger (well, mostly Cloak) for the second time in Runaways. Dagger asks the teenagers for help with a problem that squicked me out a bit. I mean, it all worked out in the end, but I didn't like the fact that it revolved around Dagger having been beaten into a coma. The pair's appearances in Runaways have made me curious about them, however. (And hey, at least Dagger didn't have to wear her horrible costume much.)

The third story arc has a new team of nemeses out to screw over our main characters. It's a less scary group of people than some of the bad guys they've fought before, but the group turns out to have more of a bite than expected. The showdown is very dramatic. This was also the storyline with more shuffling of team members than I would have liked. (No spoilers, but I'm not sold on the addition to the team, as well as obviously being sad about the person who leaves.)

The final story arc in Vaughan's run is dealing with the severe ramifications of the previous arc's show down. It's sort of more of an epilogue although I was surprised at how much it set up the next story (surprised because the next story is written by a different writer and I expected more of a clean break even if the issue numbers didn't restart). It did leave me intrigued as to where the story is going next.

I am still enjoying Runaways and I plan to keep reading it, although I'll probably have a bit of a break first. It's refreshing to read a story with a predominantly female ensemble cast. Runaways is a fun series full of arse-kicking ladies and I'm glad it had a good run. I recommend starting from the beginning of the whole series (the 2003 run), but I highly recommend this series to anyone who likes the idea of teen superheroes (and perhaps used to enjoy Buffy).

4 / 5 stars

First published: 2005–2007, Marvel
Series: Runaways, ongoing series, issues #1–24 of the second run
Format read: Digital
Source: Marvel Unlimited

The Dagger's Path by Glenda Larke

The Dagger's Path by Glenda Larke is the sequel to The Lascar's Dagger, and book two in the trilogy. I enjoyed the first book a lot and was not disappointed by this continuation. Note that this isn't the kind of series that you can read out of order; if you haven't read book one, start there.

It should have been easy -- return the stolen feather and restore Ardhi back to his rightful place. But when Saker, Ardhi, Sorrel, and Piper arrive to find the island in chaos, returning just the one feather will not help -- not when the other three have mysteriously disappeared as well.

As Saker and Ardhi work to mend the distrust caused by Ardhi's betrayal and attempt to retrieve the other feathers, they slowly find a sort of peace with the islanders. That is, until Saker realizes they unintentionally led the Spice traders straight to the sacred island they were hoping to protect. Now Saker must fight with both the Va witchery and Chenderawasi magic to defend everything that Ardhi holds dear. But Saker's powers are very new, and their enemies have them surrounded.

Obviously, The Dagger's Path continues the story started in The Lascar's Dagger, following Saker, Sorrel and Ardhi on their journey to the Va-forsaken hemisphere (not a spoiler because did any of us really think the magic would let Sorrel do anything other than keep travelling with the other protagonists?). In the first half of the book, however, we are also introduced to two new characters who I also rather liked.

The new characters are a lawyer working for the clergy and a young boy who crosses her path. I was surprised at how much of the early part of the book focused on them, but I also really enjoyed it. As well as letting us know what's happening "back home" (though there are also the royal points of view there) they have their own part to play in the whole "saving the world" narrative. The stakes for which, by the way, are significantly higher than it seemed in the first book.

Where in the first book a lot of the focus was on Ardhi's quest, in The Dagger's Path it starts to take a back seat to greater goings-on (although obviously it's still very important to Ardhi). We learn more about the Horned Death plague and why the bad guy is so dangerous and evil. As always, Larke presents a compelling world, all the more so now that we get to see more of it. The Va-forsaken hemisphere is partly what we expected from the first book, but also Ardhi's home country was more surprising than expected. So that was cool. And I like how the quest segued into the set up for the last volume of the series.

I really love all of Glenda Larke's books, and this latest instalment in her latest series is absolutely no exception. If you enjoyed The Lascar's Dagger, why haven't you read it yet? And if you haven't, then go pick it up and start this wonderful series. Especially if you want something other than yet another medieval European-set fantasy in your life. Larke's fantasy worlds are some of the best I've come across.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: January 2015, Orbit
Series: Yes. The Forsaken Lands book 2 of 3
Format read: ePub
Source: Purchased from Google Play
Challenges: Australian Women Writers Challenge

Runaways (Deluxe Vol 1) by Brian K Vaughan and Adrian Alphona

Runaways (Deluxe Vol 1) written by Brian K Vaugh and illustrated by Adrian Alphona is the first season (for lack of a better word) of the fairly long running comic series. I didn't read the actual printed volume, but rather the issues in it (#1–18) in digital form on Marvel Unlimited. This seemed like a sensible unit to review in, so deluxe volumes it is (this deluxe volume, for the record, contains the first three normal volumes of Runaways).

In Pride & Joy, six young friends discover their parents are all secretly super-powered villains Finding strength in one another, the shocked teens run away from home and straight into the adventure of their lives - vowing to turn the tables on their evil legacy. In Teenage Wasteland, the Runaways find a kindred spirit in a daring young stranger and welcome him into their fold. But will this dashing young man help the teenagers defeat their villainous parents... or tear them apart? Plus: who do you send to catch a group of missing, runaway teenage super-heroes? Marvel's original teen runaway crimefighters, Cloak and Dagger, make their first major appearance in years In The Good Die Young, the world as we know it is about to end, and the Runaways are the only hope to prevent it Our fledgling teenage heroes have learned how their parents' criminal organization began, and now they must decide how it should end. As the Runaways' epic battle against their evil parents reaches its shocking conclusion, the team's mole stands revealed, and blood must be shed. Which kids will still be standing when the smoke finally clears?

What really set this series apart from other Marvel series I've read recently (so, y'know, a lot of them) is that the story arc is stretched over all eighteen issues, rather than five or fewer. It was refreshing to read something with a more involved storyline and a lot of space for character development. In that sense it put me in mind of Saga (also written by Vaughan), which makes me wonder if the similarity is in the writer or the breadth of the idea.

The basic premise of Runaways is a group of teens whose parents are friends are forced to hang out together once a year when their parents get together to do some boring charity thing. This year, however, the teens wander into a secret passage at the host house during their parents meeting and witness them a) dressed in weird costumes and b) perform a human sacrifice. Naturally they freak out and, as the title suggests, run away.

The story is mainly them dealing with their parents being evil and the challenges of living on their own and on the lam. They also didn't exactly start out as friends, more like people who've known each other their whole lives because their collective parents forced them to spend time together. So there's a bit of friction in the group, but not so much that it distracts from the main story. Oh, and did I mention half of them have super powers? There's also a pet velociraptor, which was pretty adorable and kind of my favourite character.

Runaways was a really fun read and also a surprisingly quick read. Those eighteen issues just flew past, compared with some of the other comics I've read. I think there might have been more larger panels (so less happening per page) but also I think the spread-out story also contributed. Like the more the plot progresses in a single issue the slower it feels? Maybe something like that.

Anyway, Runaways Deluxe Vol 1 was pretty great and I will definitely be reading on. It was great to have a single season-length story arc and a distinct ending over the eighteen issues. There was even an epilogue which starts to set up a different story for the next season. I am definitely going to read it as well. I recommend Runaways to fans of YA stories.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: 2004 with issues published from 2003 to 2004, Marvel Comics
Series: Runaways Deluxe Vol 1, collecting issues #1–18 and regular volumes 1–3
Format read: Digitally
Source: Marvel Unlimited

She-Hulk Vol 1 and 2 by Dan Slott

She-Hulk, written by Dan Slott, is another comic I've read digitally on Marvel Unlimited. I thought I had read the full run, but turns out there is a second run (a soft reboot?) by the same writer, starting the numbering from issue #1 again (which made it show up separately in the MU app). As it happens, what I actually read were Vol 1: Single Green Female and Vol 2: Superhuman Law as far as trade collections go. (Blurbs from both volumes below.)

Single Green Female, outgoing, intelligent, great sense of humor. Enjoys clubbing, dishing with gal-pals and saving the universe.

As a superhuman lawyer, She-Hulk has tried some of the strangest cases on Earth...but all of that is about to change! Empowered by the Living Tribunal, Shulkie is heading into deep space to practice Universal Law!

The first thing I want to say is that I thought the illustrations by inker Marcelo Sosa, who did most but not all of the interiors in this run, made She-Hulk look cute as a button, especially as Jen. I was very disappointed when the art changed for a few issues — not because the other art was bad per se, it just wasn't as appealing and cute. I was pleased to see that some of the run I have yet to read is also illustrated by Sosa, so I've got that to look forward to.

She-Hulk, aka Jennifer Walters, is a lawyer who became Hulkified after finishing law school — her origin story is there was an accident and she got a blood transfusion from her cousin Bruce Banner aka (He-) Hulk. This run opens with her practising law as She-Hulk, with the occasional recess to go save the world, and then partying hard in the evenings. She-Hulk has a high tolerance for alcohol and also enjoys taking home a different hot guy each night (and because she's She-Hulk, she doesn't have much trouble finding willing hunks). But everything changes when she gets thrown out of the Avengers mansion (too much partying) and loses her job (for being an Avenger). She's offered a new job quickly enough, but with the stipulation that she has to practice law as Jen not as She-Hulk. Turns out, the new law firm has a department not dissimilar to the law firm in Angel (but less evil... probably), dealing with superhuman cases.

My favourite part was that comics count as historical documents (and not just any comics, but Marvel comics) because the superheroes in question have to sign off on them before they're printed. So as well as trawling through normal legal precedent, Jen and co also have to trawl through old comics, lol.

The first volume was mostly about Jen getting her life together, interspersed with amusing superhuman trials. It was fun and upbeat and I was very entertained by the quirky cases. Of course, Jen's solutions to tricky problems often centred upon some sort of personal growth, which added to the overall continuing story line.

The second volume was a bit more weird. There were still some quirky cases, but She-Hulk was also recruited to an intergalactic tribunal thing and things got a bit weird in space. Then after she came back there was an epic nemesis face-off, which also involved Jen working through some issues. On the up side, She-Hulk spent a lot of time babysitting a budding supervillain teen, who was amusing and provided a nice source of banter. Unfortunately, some mysterious event took place in zero apparent time given this continuity. I assume it was chronicled elsewhere and since it seems to involve She-Hulk hulking-out in the classical Hulk sense and breaking all the things, I'm not particularly drawn to finding out the details. But it did make some of the continuity confusing because there was character development effectively while we weren't looking. The bane of comic events, I suppose.

Anyway, this was my first exposer to She-Hulk and it has absolutely convinced me that she's awesome. I suspect not all runs are quite this good though, so I'm a bit wary to go back in time. I definitely intend to read the rest of Dan Slott's run, which will be Volumes 3 to 5, and after that I'll probably jump forward to the new current run (with breaks for other comics, of course). I highly recommend this run of She-Hulk to anyone looking for an awesome female superhero and anyone interested in reading about a superhero that spends more time using their brain than punching things.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: 2004–2005, Marvel
Series: She-Hulk, issues #1–12 of the run starting in 2004, collected in Vol 1: Single Green Female and Vol 2: Superhuman Law
Format read: Digital
Source: Marvel Unlimited

Spider-Woman: Agent of SWORD by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev

Spider-Woman: Agent of SWORD written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Alex Maleev was a short run of seven issues featuring Spider-Woman and her work with SWORD (which is basically the interstellar version of SHIELD).

Ripped from the pages of Secret Invasion and New Avengers, this explosive saga follows the new adventures of the gorgeous and mysterious Jessica Drew — a.k.a. Spider-Woman — as she reenters a society she did not make...as an AGENT OF S.W.O.R.D. Containing new story and artwork not available in any other format, this is the start of a major chapter in one of the most high profile characters in all of Marvel Comics!

This is a relatively dark story, illustrated in a very particular style (see cover for an example). Spider-Woman has recently returned from horrible things being done to her by the Skrull (aliens) and feels that everyone must hate her because of said horrible things, which included a Skrull taking on her appearance. Basically, she thinks she's the most screwed up person ever (as she tells us up front). When SWORD comes along with a mission for her, she accepts, especially because it will allow her to get some vengeance against the Skrull.

Most of the story is set in Madripoor, a dodgy (and fictional) city somewhere in South-East Asia that, by this stage, I have encountered in Marvel before. The universe backdrop for this comic is earlier in time than any others I've read so far, with the US under the Green Goblin's control and the Avenger's replaced by a less patriotic/moral group. The actual Avengers we know and love are still around, though, and show up for a bit.

Apparently this was originally created as a motion comic, which is why it stopped after only seven issues. I found a trailer for the motion version on YouTube, which I have embedded below:

I have no idea where one might access it in full, but in any case, it should give you a further idea of the art style (although obviously the printed version doesn't move, and neither did the digital version I read).

This was an interesting read and I remain interested in Spider-Woman's back-story. This only deals with a small part of it, though it does explain some more of her earlier life. I plan to read more about it if I can. I would recommend this volume to fans of "gritty" superhero stories and, I suppose by default, fans of Spider-Woman.

4 / 5 stars

First published: 2010, Marvel
Series: Full run of Spider-Woman: Agent of SWORD, containing issues #1-7
Format read: Digital
Source: Marvel Unlimited subscription

Avengers Assemble by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Al Ewing

Avengers Assemble is the first full(ish) series I've read using my shiny new Marvel Unlimited subscription. I skipped the first eight issues because they featured only the movie Avengers, about whom I'm ambivalent, and started with Issue #9 because that's the first one written by Kelly Sue DeConnick. Most of the run is her work, although there are a few written by Al Ewing in the middle which I also read. Since this isn't a collected issue (and these comics were collected in a variety of disparate volumes) I'm going to break my review down by story arcs.

Issues #9-11 were a hilarious arc about a bet made between Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. When a scientist they both know goes missing, they bet on who can rescue him first. Spider-Woman teams up with the Hulk and Thor teams up with Tony while Captains Marvel and America agree to judge. When the teams reach the Antarctic research base, it turns out things have gone worse than they expected along the lines of a bad guy trying to destroy the world. It was a pretty hilarious arc and I liked the resolution and the banter between all the characters.

Issues #12-13 are about Black Widow balancing her red ledger. When someone calls in one of her debt-chips she (and Hawkeye and Spider-Woman) go off to Omsk to see what needs to be done. Of course, it's never anything simple and a lot of reptile-things are involved.

Issues #14-15 are about Ultron (and not written by Kelly Sue DeConnick but by Al Ewing), first featuring Black Widow and then some less famous Avengers. Issue #14 was a bit depressing and was basically Black Widow surviving an Ultron attack and trying to save some other people while she was on holiday in San Francisco. Issue #15 was set in London with Captain Marvel and some obscure/old (I can only assume) superheroes trying to save as many people from Ultron as they can. There was a hilarious Doctor Who reference along with Computer Graham, who was pretty amusing as a superhero. (I assume he was more of a thing in the 80s.)

Skipped #16-19 because I already read them when I was reading Captain Marvel.

Issue #20 (written by Al Ewing) features Wasp, Scarlett Witch and Wonder Man, left on Earth while the other Avengers are fighting the Builders in space, and there is a terrigen gas incident.

Issues #21-25 are an arc set during a general world-wide terrigen emergency. Spider-Girl (Anya Corazon and not an Avenger) comes to the Avengers for help after her teacher turned into a terrigen cocoon and then was stolen. The arc has Spider-Girl being helped by a rotation of the main Avengers and they go through several phases in the find and rescue the teacher mission. Of course there is also a villain to deal with.

And the whole Avengers Assemble series ended with an awesome poem by Kelly Sue DeConnick (which completely validated my earlier "wtf is with that sink" thoughts).

I had a lot of fun reading this series and I would recommend it to fans of the characters I've mentioned above. Especially Spider-Woman, who I think appears the most.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: 2013-2014, Marvel
Series: Avengers Assemble, Issues #9-15, #20-25
Format read: Digital
Source: Marvel Unlimited subscription