The following is a video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. It’s the third video of my ongoing series regarding the prospect of rebooting Ultimate Marvel. This one covers my vision for a new Ultimate version of the Avengers. Please check out the first video for the full story regarding this effort. As always, I welcome feedback and comments. Enjoy!
Tag Archives: Kree
New Comic Book Day April 14, 2021: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week
This is usually the time of year when I pay my taxes. Then again, this is not a usual year, nor was last year. I still made the effort. I did my duty, as a citizen of the United States, to pay my fair share. Naturally, I’m a little sore and a bit jaded, as tends to be the case for anyone who deals with the IRS. That makes this New Comic Book Day all the more enjoyable.
We all have duties and responsibilities that aren’t exactly fun. We still do them because it’s the responsible thing to do, as functioning adults. However, while there’s always a time for duty and responsibility, there’s also a time for fun and relaxation. That’s what new comics do for me. After paying my taxes, I appreciate that feeling even more.
There aren’t a lot of epic stories you can tell about paying your taxes or making it through another year without falling behind on your bills. That’s perfectly fine. Now, I’m eager to follow those stories.
I want to read a comic that involves superheroes beating up invading aliens. I want to read a story about giant monsters fighting giant monsters. I just spent a good chunk of my weekend itemizing deductions and going over my W2 forms. I need this.
If you’ve managed to pay your taxes like I have, more power to you. Enjoy this week more than most. If you haven’t, I strongly encourage you to do so. Tangling with the Joker, Lex Luthor, and Godzilla is arduous, but it’ll never be as scary as dealing with the IRS. I’ve given them my share. Now, here is my pull list and pick of the week. Enjoy!
My Pull List
Iron Fist: Heart Of The Dragon #4
My Pick Of The Week
Guardians Of The Galaxy #13
Filed under Jack's Quick Pick Comic
New Comic Book Day September 2, 2020: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week
What do you do when you’ve had a lousy week? How do you make it bearable or, at the very least, somewhat less awful? These are questions I’m sure many people have been asking throughout 2020. There have been many lousy weeks thus far for reasons I hope are obvious. This past week certainly threw in a few more gut punches with the death of Chadwick Boseman.
As objectively awful as that is, we still move forward. We still try to make the following days less shitty. For me, enjoying a stack of new comics is part of that process. I’ve had many bad weeks throughout my life. Between puberty, high school, and graduating college during a recession, there was never a shortage of misery.
However, every Wednesday morning brought a ray of hope. Thanks to Comixology, the prospect of New Comic Book Day has always offered a boost to my dampened spirits. After this past week, I need that. I think we all need that. We find that boost wherever we can. For me, it’s new comics on Wednesday morning.
I’ve got my iPad, a fresh cup of coffee, and a wounded spirit. I’m ready to feel slightly less awful about the world now. I hope my other fellow comic fans can do the same. As always, here is my pull list and pick of the week. Enjoy!
My Pull List
Marvel Zombies: Resurrection #1
My Pick Of The Week
Empyre #6
Filed under Jack's Quick Pick Comic
New Comic Book Day August 19, 2020: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week
Growing up, you learn vital life lessons from strange sources. For those my age, we all probably remember those after school specials or those public service announcements. They usually amounted to things like “eat your vegetables,” “listen to your parents,” and “hating someone because they’re different is wrong!” It was very preachy and crude. Most of us just rolled our eyes and went back to being kids.
Looking back on my youth, I don’t think those life lessons really taught me anything I didn’t already know. In fact, I think the most useful life lessons I learned back then came from comics. I still knew that comics could be preachy too. They always have been, despite what the assholes at associated with certain hashtags may claim. They just got their point across in a different way.
Personally, I think that way was more effective. The stories in comics didn’t just tell you to be honest, selfless, and kind. They showed you why those values are important and dared to have some fun along the way. Within the stories, you learn why Captain America and Superman’s altruism is so powerful. You also learn why Lex Luthor and the Red Skull’s selfish narcissism is so bad.
That really helped shape my understanding of right, wrong, friendship, tolerance, and understanding. My parents, friends, and teachers all played a part too. However, the stories I read in comic books made those life lessons fun and engaging. That’s not to say every comic teaches valuable lessons. If you try to learn life lessons from Deadpool, you will get mixed messages.
Those messages are still there, along with plenty of life lessons. More and more unfold every week with every New Comic Book Day. Once again, I offer to you my pull list and pick of the week. There are life lessons to be had. Even if they just involve how to kill zombies, they’re worth learning. Enjoy!
My Pull List
Transformers vs. Terminator #3
My Pick Of The Week
Empyre: X-Men #4
Filed under Jack's Quick Pick Comic
New Comic Book Day August 12, 2020: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week
There are people who go out of their way to avoid the news, politics, and anything that might trigger a digital fist fight. I respect these people. At times, I’m one of them. However, avoiding the news and politics is one thing. Avoiding the effects is something else. You can avoid the constant whining and outrage surrounding an election or hashtag. You can’t avoid the reality of a global pandemic.
I’ve come to accept this in recent months. I don’t deny that, at one point, I tried to avoid any mention of it online or in person. That’s just not possible when entire parts of society are shut down and major events get cancelled. It’s sad, if not maddening. However, it need not be completely dire. Even if you can’t ignore these awful things, you can still find ways to cope.
For me, comics have been a preferred coping mechanism for years. Going back to previous crisis, including those of the personal kind, comics have given men some much-needed escapism from the harsh, unforgiving nature of the real world. During those times, New Comic Book Day takes on an even greater meaning.
I know it’s easy to take for granted, given how much upheaval the industry is in right now. For that reason, I cannot thank the writers, editors, and artists working tirelessly in the industry to give fans like me an escape. Their work may not be on the same level as doctors and nurses, but they still hold a special place in those fighting to endure this crisis.
To those wonderful individuals, I thank you on behalf of comic fans everywhere. Once again, here is my pull list and pick for the week. Enjoy and stay safe, everyone!
My Pull List
DCeased: Hope At World’s End #7
Harley Quinn Black + White + Red #8
My Pick Of The Week
Empyre #5
Filed under Jack's Quick Pick Comic
New Comic Book Day July 29, 2020: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week
One of the hardest and most important lessons a kid can learn is patience. The ability to wait an extended period of time for something good is one of those underrated skills that makes kids and adults alike more responsible. If you can be patient, then you’re less inclined to whine endlessly until you get your way. There are grown adults who struggle with that.
I like to think that m love of comics gave me some harsh, but necessary lessons in patience. When I was a kid, there was no Comixology or nearby comic shops to get new comics every week. I actually had to wait for them to arrive in the mail every week.
Trust me. It’s even more awful than it sounds.
The books were often late, sometimes for several weeks after they arrived in comic shops. Half the time, the books arrived damaged. I don’t miss those days. I thank the comic gods every day that I live in the era of Comixology where my enjoyment of New Comic Book Day is not determined by the competency of the post office.
As rough as those days were, they also taught me how to be patient while waiting for my favorite books to come out. I’ve heard from younger comic fans how agonizing it is to wait four weeks for another issue. I sympathize completely, but these kids didn’t know what it was like to spend every Wednesday waiting for the mail with baited breath. I envy them.
Now, the post office is off the hook. We can enjoy those new books as soon as they come out. It’s a beautiful thing. It feels like all those years of patience I had as a kid is being rewarded. For that, I thank both the internet and Comixology. As such, here’s my pull list for the week, as well as my pick. Enjoy!
My Pull List
DCeased: Hope At World’s End #6
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #52
My Pick Of The Week
X-Factor #1
Filed under Jack's Quick Pick Comic
Jack’s Comic Gems: The Life Of Captain Marvel
The following is a video I made for my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. It’s the first in what I hope to be a series about the special, often overlooked gems in the world of comics. I plan on making others like it. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Filed under Jack's Comic Gems, Jack's World, YouTube
New Comic Book Day July 15, 2020: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week
For lifelong comic book fans, like myself, there’s usually one Wednesday in every month where all the major comic publishers drop a glut of high-profile comics. It’s not always predictable. You rarely know when a week like that will drop. Sometimes, you’ll just have weeks that dump a large amount of comics on the market. Those are fun, but like many things, quality counts more than quantity.
Without going too deep into spoilers on this beautiful Wednesday morning, I can safely say that this is one of those weeks. It’s a week where quality, and quantity in terms of new titles, achieves a harmonious balance that would make Thanos himself smile. There’s no need for an Infinity Gauntlet or a snap that wipes out half of all life in the universe. It just happened, thanks to the tireless work of this colorful industry.
It’s another sign that the comics industry, as a whole, is emerging from the many delays and cancellations caused by the global pandemic over the past several months. There will still be effects here and there. I doubt we’ll know the full extent of those effects for another year. For now, though, the comic book world is hitting its first grand slam in months.
We all need good, encouraging news more than usual these days. For comic fans, this might as well be a trip back to the middle of 2019 before we heard of N95 masks and social distancing. I encourage everyone to savor this rare, yet precious iteration New Comic Book Days. We don’t know whether the world will go to shit again before we get another.
As always, here is my pull list and pick of the week.
My Pull List
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #51
My Pick Of The Week
Empyre #1
Filed under Jack's Quick Pick Comic
New Comic Book Day June 24, 2020: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week
I’ve been reading comics long enough to both appreciate and dread big time comic events. Big events in comics are often framed like big blockbuster movies. Major publishers treat them as this must-see event that will knock your socks off, get your heart racing, and maybe even make love to your soul if you’re lucky.
Most events fail to deliver. I’ll just say that outright because it needs to be said. Most comic fans find that out the hard way.
That said, I still look forward to these events because those that do deliver are truly special. They’re the kinds of stories that make you glad to be a comic fan. It helps that comics, as a medium, can do a lot more than movies, TV shows, and cartoons can do. They don’t need spend millions on special effects, stunt doubles, or catering. They just need artists and writers who have a damn good story to tell.
This year, like many others, had a handful of big events planned. Like everything else in 2020, the pandemic undermined those plans. Now, after a steady reopening of the larger comics industry, some of those events are set to begin. The next couple of months promise to be eventful for reasons that don’t require masks or social distancing.
At this point, I don’t care how the events pan out. I’m just glad to see the comics world getting bolder. We need that in this world right now. As such, here is my pull list and pick of the week. Enjoy!
My Pull List
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #50
My Pick Of The Week
Empyre #0
Filed under Jack's Quick Pick Comic
Jack Fisher’s Weekly Quick Pick Comic: Captain Marvel #10
Every so often, a new character comes along that you just know in your gut is going to be a big deal. I certainly felt it the first time I read about Kamala “Ms. Marvel” Khan back in 2014. I also felt it the first time I saw X-23 show up in a fateful episode of “X-Men Evolution.” It may be a bit premature on my part, but I definitely got that feeling about Ripley “Star” Ryan “Captain Marvel #10.”
For the past few issues of this series, writer Kelly Thompson has been teasing a new hero to challenge Carol Danvers in ways beyond who looks better in skin-tight outfits. Like Carol, she’s got blond hair, superpowers, and a fondness for punching the giant monsters that seem to invade New York City at least once a week. Marvel has even teased her as being the next big thing in their ever-evolving pantheon of heroes.
I admit, I was skeptical. Whenever a comic company goes out of their way to push a new hero like this, it tends to be hit or miss. Some, like Kamala Khan, work out wonderfully. Others become so forgettable that they’re relegated to punchlines for an entire era. For the most part, Star came off as just some generic woman trying to take advantage of Carol’s recent hardship. That all changed in “Captain Marvel #10.”
After reading this book, I believe Star has the potential to be something special for both Captain Marvel and the larger Marvel universe. I’m not saying that potential could include a future phone call from Kevin Feige at Marvel Studios, but if I were Ms. Thompson, I would start preparing for that conversation.
Whereas the past few issues have been full of questions, setbacks, and failures for Carol, “Captain Marvel #10” offers a fair amount of answers. Thanks to Tony Stark and an old adversary, Dr. Minn-Erva, who fans of the movie should recognize, Carol finds out why her powers have been acting up lately.
It has nothing to do with stress, mental blocks, or one too many grabs from Rogue. Someone infected her with a Kree-engineered virus and Dr. Minn-Erva doesn’t even try to make a mystery of it. She’s not exactly subtle and she gives Carol plenty of reasons to punch her senseless. On top of that, Dr. Minn-Erva is asking for Carol’s help. Let that sink in for a moment.
It’s not the charitable kind of help, either. It has been canon for a while that the Kree really screwed themselves, going all the way back to the “Black Vortex” event in 2015. They’re scattered, broken, and desperate. That gave Dr. Minn-Erva more than enough excuses to start experimenting with Kree and human DNA.
On paper, it seems like a good idea. Carol Danvers is half-Kree and she has proven on plenty of occasions that she can kick ass on an inter-stellar level. That’s exactly what the Kree needs in such desperate times.
As often happens with alien biology experiments in comics, things don’t go as planned.
Without getting too deep into spoilers, I’ll note that Dr. Minn-Erva’s plans go beyond infecting Carol. I’ll also confirm that Star, who is revealed as Ripley Ryan, is a big part of those plans. Now, Ripley is very much a blank slate. Her first appearance was in “Captain Marvel #1” and she was just a sweet, hipster journalist looking to interview Carol.
Now, as Star, she’s a lot more than that. Between her powers and how she got them, her story is indelibly tied to Carol’s, more so than Kamala Khan’s. It’s also because of that connection that she has the potential to be Carol’s greatest ally or worst enemy. She proved in previous issues how capable she can be as an ally. In “Captain Marvel #10,” she proves what she can do as an enemy.
Once the answers are laid out and the truth is revealed, the fighting starts. That’s where artist Carmen Carnero gives both Star and Captain Marvel the colorful spectacle that they deserve. It’s not just a clash between a new hero and an experienced veteran, either. There’s drama in this fight that you just can’t get from a typical rampaging monster or superhero brawl.
The events of “Captain Marvel #10“ put Star at a unique crossroad. She can still become a hero. She can also become a dangerous new rival capable of challenging Captain Marvel, the Avengers, and anyone else who gets in her way. It’s not the least bit clear which path she’ll take, but the final pages hint that she’s willing to cross a few lines to realize her potential.
Thompson has achieved something special with both Star and Captain Marvel, which will likely make this comic a valuable collector’s item. Star isn’t the kind of superhero who got dragged into it by accident or circumstance. She chose to pursue it. She sought the kind of power and abilities that help make Carol Danvers the hero she is.
Star would not be on this path if someone like Captain Marvel hadn’t inspired her. It offers a unique perspective on the influence of superheroes. By doing what she does so well, Captain Marvel might have created her greatest rival. Like it or not, she’s a part of Star’s journey and “Captain Marvel #10” marks a critical stage of that journey.
It’s still hard to say whether Star will become the kind of character who will one day fight alongside Brie Larson in a Captain Marvel movie, but the potential is there. Since the world can never have too many charismatic female heroes, I’m certainly rooting for her.
Filed under Jack's Quick Pick Comic
Jack Fisher's Official Publishing Blog 