Marvel Noise

Daredevil #106: Ed Brubaker continues to write a Matt Murdock that you feel for. How do you move on with your life when everything you smell reminds you of the woman you can’t see? It’s hard for people without enhanced senses. For Matt, it’s even harder to stay sane. Guest artist Paul Azaceta beautifully illustrates Brubaker’s story of three of Matt’s friends coping with his pain.

X-Men: First Class #10: Jeff Parker loves me. Okay, I’m sure he doesn’t. And until he posted this entry on his site, he most likely never even thought about me. But that’s okay. Because this issue tells the tale of a Cyclops solo adventure. Want to know why Cyclops is the leader? Reading this story will help in unerstanding the character’s origins. Craig Rousseau does an admirable job filling in for Roger Cruz this month.

Wolverine: First Class #1: Now this is a nice first issue. For someone like myself whose been an X-Men fan for a long time and remembers when Kitty joined the team (even if I wasn’t an active reader at the time, joining the faithful at the end of the Dave Cockrum run just prior to Paul Smith starting), this is a look ‘between panels’ at the beginning of the friendship she shares with Logan. And if you’re not familiar with Kitty Pryde and want to know why she would be teamed up with Wolverine, Fred Van Lente and Andrea Di Vito do an amazing job of answering that question, starting with this issue. You can’t go wrong with this one.

Ms. Marvel #25: SKRULLS!!

Ultimate Human #3: This has been a gorgeous story. Cary Nord and Dave Stewart do wonders bringing Warren Ellis‘ script to life. They make a great team. The only nitpick I have is the majority of this issue told the origin of the Leader. Problem is, the origin story takes place in the past and after being in the present day for the first two issues, it was a little jarring being thrown into what’s basically a flashback, cold, and at the beginning of the issue. But I guess I’m a little old-school where we would usually have the villain exclaim his triumph over our hero or heroes and we’d get the origin in a handful of panels. It still works here, don’t get me wrong. And if that’s the only thing I can bitch about, then really, this story’s firing on all cylinders.

It’s The Ultimate Smashfest — Hulk vs Iron Man!

The Hulk is back, and he’s not happy! In Ultimate Human #2, the dream team of writer Warren Ellis and artist Cary Nord continue their sold-out Ultimate event, unveiling a dilemma even bigger then the grey goliath himself! After a failed attempt by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner to figure out how to turn off the Hulk’s unique transformation cells, Banner has turned back into the big grey powerhouse and is adapting to everything that Stark’s scientists and security throw at him. Now Stark’s Ironworks base, a hi-tech facility created to carry out the inventor’s wildest dreams, has been laid to waste. And that’s only the beginning!

Meanwhile on the other side of the world, the ultimate version of the Leader has given the green light to “Operation Gamma” and armed forces are swarming our heroes’ location. What does the Leader want with the blood of Banner and Stark? And can Stark’s world-famous suit of armor halt the behemoth’s rampage? Find out why Newsarama.com’s Troy Brownfield praised the series for “really strong art and intelligently scripted interplay between two iconic characters” in Ultimate Human #2!

ULTIMATE HUMAN #2 (of 4) (DEC072163)
Written by WARREN ELLIS
Pencils & Cover by CARY NORD
T+ …$2.99
FOC—1/31/08, On-Sale—2/20/08