Free Comic Book Day 2019: Avengers # 1

Cover Art: Ed McGuiness

Published: July 2019
Original Price: N/A

Title: "Make Mine Avengers"
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Stefano Casell
Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Erick Arciniega
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Associate Editor: Alanna Smith
Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski

SYNOPSIS

While Iron Man finds himself in a strange, snowy environment, other events are happening in the world. Namor and his Defenders of the Deep fight the Squadron Supreme of America on an oil rig while a group of Avengers are in deep space investigating a planet emblazoned with the Starbrand symbol. At Avengers Mountain, Robbie Reyes asks Blade and Black Panther to help exorcise his demon possessed car, and finally, Iron Man realizes he has traveled back in time when he is confronted by Odin and his team of prehistoric Avengers.

ANNOTATIONS

The scene in this issue with Robbie Reyes, Black Panther, and Blade confronting the possessed Hell Charger references the events of Avengers (2018) # 22.

The Avengers of 1,000,000 B.C. first appeared in Marvel Legacy (2017) # 1 and have been a major part of the current Avengers series.

This Free Comic Book Day one shot also featured a preview of Savage Avengers # 1.

REVIEW
Avengers receives the spotlight for Free Comic Book Day for the second year in a row, providing a glimpse of where Jason Aaron is taking the series in upcoming stories.

This is actually a very solid primer on the current Avengers series, in which are a ton of juggled subplots of various levels of interest. I can't say I'm overly thrilled by more stories about Namor or the Squadron Supreme, I didn't find them all that engaging in their previous stories in recent issues, but they're obviously a major part of the larger tapestry that Aaron is weaving. I'm surprised the Winter Guard didn't make an appearance as well, considering how much focus has paid them so far.

The more interesting parts of this comic are the ones that tease upcoming stories. The space pages are curious just for the sheer shock value of what's happened to the characters (Brood Thor?), but I can't say I'm all that excited about revisiting the Starbrand. The more immediate parts are, of course, the brief tease about Robbie exorcising the Hell Charger, which is a lead in to the Challenge of the Ghost Riders arc and Iron Man meeting the 1,000,000 B.C. Avengers. The latter group has seen a lot of attention from Aaron as well in the last year of comics, but theyre novel enough still that having them interact with the modern day. At least no Celestials showed up this time.

Stefano Caselli shows up to strut his stuff before jumping on board as the replacement artist for the departing David Marquez. I've always been a fan of Caselli, he has a clean and dynamic style that fits the aesthetic of this series perfectly, as he's not too many shades away from Ed McGuiness. Getting to see him handle stuff like the Hell Charger and the prehistoric Avengers definitely makes me eager to see what else he can do on the series.

This is a free comic, so I can't really complain about any of it. It does exactly what it sets out to achieve and does it well.

Grade: B+

Ghost Rider: From Big Screen to Small and (Maybe?) Back Again

Well, it's been a few days since word came out about the cancellation of next year's Ghost Rider television show, axing it before it even went into production.  For information on that show's initial announcement you can click on this article: Ghost Rider Back on Television.  In a nutshell, the show was set to be produced by Marvel's television department for the Hulu streaming service.  Gabriel Luna, who starred as Robbie Reyes in the fourth season of Agents of SHIELD, was set to reprise the titular role of Ghost Rider for the new series, and many fans rejoiced.

Then came the hammer earlier this week, first as a rumor and then confirmed by Luna via Twitter, that the show was dead due to "creative differences" between Hulu, Marvel, and the executive producer Paul Zbyszewski. Now, what those differences were haven't been revealed, and there's a fair amount of speculation in regards to a related announcement at the start of this week. Namely that Kevin Feige, overlord of Marvel Studios, confirmed that he had plans to utilize Ghost Rider in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It's no secret that Marvel Studios and Marvel Television don't really get along. The MCU has yet to reference the televisions shows, including Agents of SHIELD and the Netflix Defenders saga, treating them as redheaded stepchildren. With Feige now developing shoes for Disney+, perhaps he simply stepped in and scalped Ghost Rider away from the TV department. After all, that's what he reportedly did with Blade and Moon Knight. Then there's the Keanu Reeves angle, with the many rumors about him signing on to play Johnny Blaze.

I'm not afraid to say that Marvel Studios having control of Ghost Rider will likely lead to some amazing things, whether its a feature film or a show on Disney+. The biggest downside to all of this is that we aren't getting to see Gabriel Luna back as Robbie Reyes, who so perfectly portrayed the character back in 2015. Perhaps Agents of SHIELD will throw us fans a bine and have him back in the final season? Whatever the outcome, its apparent that there are major plans in the works for our Spirit of Vengeance, we just may need a lot of patience in the meantime.

Inner Demons Episode 44: "Strip For Action!"

Inner Demons vrooms back into the spotlight with a new episode full of Ghost Rider greatness!  Brian and Chris take the time to teach some lessons, including but not limited to: spinal cords are delicious, the world most certainly does not still need the Champions, the edge is a precarious place to live, and zombies are really clumsy.  Learn about all of this and more in reviews of Absolute Carnage: Symbiote of Vengeance # 1, The Champions (1975) # 1, Ghost Rider/Wolverine/Punisher: Hearts of Darkness, and Ghost Rider (2006) # 10!  Also, stay tuned at the end for a re-presentation of our interview with comic legend John Romita Jr.!

You can listen to the episode at the Vengeance Unbound page on blogspot, or you can download it from Stitcher, iTunes, or Google Podcasts.  You can also find us on Facebook, just search  for "Vengeance Unbound" and on Twitter under @InnerDemonsGR.  Thanks for listening!

Guardians of the Galaxy (2019) # 2

Cover Art: David Marquez

Published: April 2019
Original Price: $3.99

Title: "The Final Gauntlet, Part 2"
Writer: Donny Cates
Artist: Geoff Shaw
Letterer: VC's Cory Petit
Colorist: Marte Gracia
Senior Editor: Jordan D. White
Editor: Darren Shaw
Assistant Editor: Danny Khazem
Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski

SYNOPSIS
Aboard the space ship Milano, Star Lord speaks with his ex, Kitty Pryde, about the Black Order taking Thanos' body and Eros wanting to kill Gamora. He checks on two of his new crew members, Moondragon and Phyla-Vell, then hears sounds of a commotion coming from elsewhere on the ship. He finds Groot in a fight with Cosmic Ghost Rider, a fight that's only broken up when Moondragon intervenes. Castle wants to kill Gamora to prevent Thanos returning in her body while Groot and Beta Ray Bill want to help save her. Star Lord refuses to get involved and tells Castle to leave. Meanwhile, Hela and the Black Order interrogate the Collector about the whereabouts of Thanos' head, which he reveals is in the Negative Zone.

Later, aboard a Shi'ar ship, a scarred and paralyzed Eros has gathered his team of Dark Guardians, which includes Gladiator, Wraith, Nebula, and Cosmic Ghost Rider. Determined to find and kill Gamora, Eros asks Nebula how to find her. She replies that they need to find out from Richard Rider, Nova.

ANNOTATIONS
Eros and Cosmic Ghost Rider discovered Thanos' body and his will in Thanos Legacy # 1.

Podcast Review: Inner Demons Episode 39 - "Cosmic Deadpool Destroys Drunk History"" (Click to Listen)

REVIEW
Cosmic Ghost Rider's role as a Guardian of the Galaxy takes an unexpected turn in this second issue of the series.

Though I've not kept up in recent years, I was a fan of the Marvel cosmic line back in the Annihilation days, which is about where my knowledge of these characters begins and ends. That throws up the big BIG flaw in this comic, it assumes you know who all these characters are and whats happened to them recently, without so much as an explanation of any kind. I may know who Wraith and Gladiator are but I'm sure there's many who don't. Hell, I had no idea what was going on with Star Lord or why we should care about Moondragon or Phyla-Vell. Those two in particular get a real disservice, especially since they're meant to be main cast members.

It's not surprising that the character that comes out looking the best in this issue is Cosmic Ghost Rider, and it's his interactions with the other characters that make the best moments. His exchanges with Beta Ray Bill, Star Lord, and later Wraith are all very well written and come off as genuine character moments. I think Cates might be trying too hard with this series, filling it with a cadre of characters that barely get introductions, but Castle at least stands as a believable bridging element.

While I believe Cates may not be handling such a large cast effectively, Geoff Shaw doesn't have such a problem. He brings a real grit to these characters who usually see a much cleaner style applied to them. It goes without saying that his Cosmic Ghost Rider looks great, bit he also turns in some great work with Groot and Beta Ray Bill. The Nebula reveal near the end is appropriately and dramatically staged, and his work continues to be the real highlight of the series so far.

I guess I can't help but be disappointed, but that's only because my expectations for this series were so high. That doesn't make this a bad comic, far from it, just a bit of a perplexing one.

Grade: B-

Guardians of the Galaxy (2019) # 1

"The Final Gauntlet, Part 1"

Cover Date: March 2019
On Sale Date: January 2019

Writer: Donny Cates
Artist: Geoff Shaw
Letterer: VC's Cory Petit
Colorist: Marte Gracia
Senior Editor: Jordan D. White
Editor: Darren Shaw
Assistant Editor: Danny Khazem
Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski

Cover Artist: David Marquez

Eros, brother of Thanos, has gathered together the greatest heroes of the cosmos for a meeting to witness the recorded last will and testament of Thanos. Among the heroes are the Silver Surfer, Beta Ray Bill, and Cosmic Ghost Rider, who sits at the bar in the back of the spaceship. The will projects a hologram of Thanos, who reveals that his consciousness has been imprinted on the mind of another person, which will in effect bring Thanos back to life. Eros theorizes that the most likely candidate is Gamora, who he insists they must find and kill. Missing from the meeting are Star Lord and Groot, who learn about it from a Nova Corps officer.

The meeting is interrupted by an attack from Thanos' minions, the Black Order. During the battle they steal Thanos' headless body and open up a black hole that sucks all of the heroes inside. Star Lord and the Nova Corps arrive to see four people escape the black hole: Beta Ray Bill, Phyla Vell, Moondragon, and Cosmic Ghost Rider. Star Lord and Groot pull them aboard their ship and induct them as the new crew to keep the Nova Corps from arresting them. Meanwhile, the Black Order report to the person working to revive Thanos, Hela, the Asgardian goddess of death.

THE ROADMAP

Cosmic Ghost Rider last appeared chronologically at the end of Cosmic Ghost Rider Destroys Marvel History (2019) # 6, which takes place directly before the meeting of the space heroes in this issue.

Eros and Cosmic Ghost Rider discovered Thanos' body and his will in Thanos Legacy # 1.

Cosmic Ghost Rider references his decision to not kill Thanos as a baby, which happened in Cosmic Ghost Rider (2018) # 1, and his death in the future at the hands of the Silver Surfer from Thanos (2017) # 17.

Oh Frank, don't ever change.

CHAIN REACTION

Cosmic Ghost Rider joins the mainstream Marvel universe in this relaunch of Guardians of the Galaxy by the "Thanos Wins" team of Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw.

Two things about this comic were a very likely inevitability, that Cosmic Ghost Rider was going to come to the present day and that Donny Cates was going to continue his work with Thanos. So this series wasn't much of a surprise when it was announced, and honestly if any writer was going to continue on with Cosmic Ghost Rider it needed to be Cates. Picking up from the Thanos Legacy one shot, Cates uses the concept of Thanos leaving a will as the basis for a rather novel way to gather as many cosmic characters as he could and present them as potential new Guardians.

Cates also does the unexpected by summarily shuffling almost all of them off into a black hole minus a handful that will be making up his core team. Its a great swerve against expectations and its immediately effective in establishing the stakes of the story. That Cosmic Ghost Rider is one of the surviving cast members going forward is appropriate since he's Cates main claim to fame as a Marvel creator so far, and he's given many numerous moments to shine.

Geoff Shaw turns in some impressive work here as well, giving visual distinction and personality to dozens of characters. The alien heroes, especially the Silver Surfer, have an otherworldly design from Shaw that stands out as unusual yet appropriate. He's also naturally at home drawing Cosmic Ghost Rider, seeing as he's a co-creator of the character.

The Guardians of the Galaxy aren't characters I usually gravitate towards, but this was a solid debut issue that leaves me interested in picking up the next one.