Shadowland: After the fall #1

Overall: Obviously this is the wrap-up/aftermath issue for the Shadowland event. We follow reporter Ben Urich and police detective Alex Kurtz as the search for Matt Murdoch. Urich wants to get to the bottom of the whole Shadowland story, while Det. Kurtz was asked to bring Matt in on charges stemming from the Shadowland debacle. The two characters run around, talk to Foggy Nelson and basically accomplish nothing. Matt sends Urich a cassette(who still uses cassettes?!)basically telling Urich that he had screwed up royally, and probably wouldn't be returning to Hell's Kitchen since he let everybody down. As for Kurtz, a bunch of cops go up to him and tell him not to continue pursuing Matt, since as Daredevil Matt had helped them out on so many different occasions. Ultimately Kurtz decides to side with the other cops and tells his lieutenant that there was no reason to go after Matt since he was either dead or long gone, while Urich decides not to write a scathing piece on Matt since he had done so much to help Hell's Kitchen before going crazy.

Meh. This wasn't a horrible read or anything, it just didn't really interest me. I mean the story was okay, but nothing really stood out. There were some token hero appearances(Elektra, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Black Panther, etc), but the heroes didn't really do anything... We simply followed Urich and Kurtz as they talked to people... Not exactly what I'd call a must read comic.

Score: 6 out of 10.I guess Batman WAS really serious about branching out... He's even appearing in Marvel books now!

Shadowland #5(of 5)

Shadowland #5

-Ghost Rider helps Foggy Nelson climb to the top of Shadowland Fortress, because besides being the Spirit of Vengeance, he's also an all-around nice guy.
-Ghost Rider attacks the Beast-possessed Daredevil and is defeated when DD sucks the flame off of GR's face... OOOOOkay then.
-DD discovers Foggy sneaking around the Fortress and goes to kill him, but is attacked by the DEADLY POWERS of Iron Fist.
-Elektra then enters the weakened DD's mind(wha-huh?!)and convinces him to impale himself with Elektra's sword(still in DD's mind), thus breaking the Beast's hold on him and killing DD...
-Or does it?!?
-With the Beast gone, the rioting New Yorkers halt their rampage, and the police bring order back to the streets.
-The heroes mill about Shadowland Fortress, but manage to lose sight of DD's body, which has disappeared.
-Kingpin arrives at the Fortress and takes control of the remaining Hand ninjas.
-Matt Murdock, wearing a hoody, which is this generations over-sized trenchcoat, goes to church to repent his sins.

Blah. This mini-series started out with SUCH potential. I mean in the first issue, DD killed Bullseye with a sai, in an awesome display of poetic justice. Unfortunately, things have been slowly going downhill from there. Basically, all this mini accomplished was Bullseye's death, and then a whole lot of nothing. Matt isn't DD anymore, but that can be easily fixed, Black Panther, who had NOTHING to do with the Shadowland storyline will be taking over the DD comic, and the Kingpin will be leading the Hand. Whoop-dee-do! Big deal. I was expecting some MAJOR fireworks to close this series out, and instead I got DD literally sucking Ghost Rider's face, and Matt Murdock going to church...

Score: 4 out of 10.That gives a whole new definition to the term, "sucking face"...

Shadowland #4(of 5)

Overall: We begin the penultimate issue of this mini-series with Elektra betraying a bunch of Hand ninjas in order to allow the heroes access to the Shadowland compound. Who are the heroes? Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Spider-Man, Shang-Chi, Master Izo, Punisher and of course, Wolverine. Why Wolverine? Because it wouldn't be a Marvel x-over without the obligatory Wolverine appearance. As the heroes begin sneaking through the stronghold, Kingpin and Lady Bullseye decide to leave Kingpin's penthouse in order to get into position for their own endgame. The heroes discover Daredevil attempting to return Bullseye to life as a member of the Hand and halt the process, breaking into a full out battle between DD and his forces and the collection of heroes. Eventually the heroes manage to pin DD down, and Elektra tries to reason with him, but it is WAY too late for that as DD knocks all of the heroes away from him and announces that Matt Murdock was gone and that only the Beast remained.

Not bad. This comic was really good, even with the wholly unnecessary Wolverine appearance and DD transforming into the Beast. The whole Beast revelation has definitely taken a bit of enjoyment of this x-over away for me, as I would have preferred it if DD legitimately felt he was doing the right thing, ala Hal Jordan back in the 90's. Now instead of DD being a fallen hero who still saw himself in the right, this story has devolved into a basic, “Heroes must fight possessed hero with heavy hearts” story. So while this is still the best mini-series to come out of either of the Big Two this year(hell, it's still MILES better than Blackest Night/Brightest Day)I can't help but feel a bit let down by the way this series is coming to an end.

Score: 8 out of 10.Hope you enjoyed your visit to Shadowland, Wolverine. Good-bye!

Shadowland: Spider-Man #1

Overall: In theory this is a Shadowland tie-in issue. But I reiterate, that's in theory... The main gist of this comic is that Mr. Negative is trying to take advantage of the Daredevil created carnage in New York and is making a move to expand his crime empire from Chinatown to Hell's Kitchen. Shang-Chi and Spidey decide to halt Negative's advance, but Shang ends up corrupted by Negative's influence and decides to kill Negative, the Hand and Daredevil in order to set up his own world order. After some fighting, Spidey manages to reach Shang by comparing him to his father, and Shang ends up fighting off Negative's corruption. As for Negative, he escapes to menace Spidey another day.

You know, I really hate when x-over tie-ins have either very little or nothing at all to do with the main storyline. Sure there were a few Hand ninjas roaming around, but if you were to have skipped this issue, you wouldn't have missed a thing about the main Shadowland story. So while the story was okay, it was also a complete waste of time.

Score: 6 1/2 out of 10.What's funnier than a bunch of undead ninjas acting confused?

Quick Thoughts on: Daredevil #510

Daredevil #510: Writers: Andy Diggle & Antony Johnston. Artist: Marco Checchetto.

Quick Review: Some rogue Hand ninjas hunt down Foggy Nelson and Dakota North and try to kill them, but the duo are saved by one of Daredevil's top lieutenants, Black Tarantula. Tarantula warns Foggy and Dakota to leave the city, but instead they head to Iron Fist's office building, where IF is planning his next move against DD with Luke Cage(naturally!), Master Izo and Kingpin(!). Upon seeing Kingpin with DD's friends, Dakota and Foggy decide that it is indeed time to leave the city, but wind up getting stuck in the middle of a riot. While that is going on, White Tiger(another of DD's lieutenants)guts Black Tarantula and tosses his lifeless body down to the streets below.

Quick Thoughts: Not bad. Not as good as the main Shadowland comic has been, but this issue served it's purpose. While the Shadowland mini has been focusing on DD and NYC's assorted heroes, this series has been looking at DD's human friends(and enemies)and how they are dealing with DD's recent actions. It gives us a nice alternate way of viewing the Shadowland storyline, which I have no problem with.

Score: 8 out of 10.Lookin' sharp, Mistah Fisk!

Shadowland #3

Shadowland #3(of 5): Writer: Andy Diggle. Pencils: Billy Tan.

Review: This issue starts off with Ghost Rider tearing through the Shadowland dungeons, which ruins Moon Knight's plans of sneaking into the dungeons to see what Daredevil's plans were for the many prisoners he had collected. Meanwhile, Daredevil and his army of Hand ninjas are battling against the super-heroes who had gone to try to talk Daredevil out of his recent actions. While the Hand ninjas are treated like the cannon fodder they are, Daredevil is able to MORE then hold his own against the heroes, displaying several super-powers, such as super-speed and enhanced strength. With the outcome of the battle very much in doubt, the heroes are saved by the surprising arrival of the Punisher(!?!), who blows a hole in DD's Shadowland castle and provides the heroes with a way out. With the heroes gone, DD sits in his throne chair and decides that his ninjas were not up to the task of dealing with the super-heroes who were pestering him. From there, DD realizes that he can resurrect Bullseye(!)to serve as a loyal champion of the Hand. DD and Typhoid Mary head to the graveyard and dig Bullseye's corpse up and are soon joined by Elektra(!!), who appears to offer her services to her long-time friend/lover. Later on, the heroes who fought against DD get together at Iron Fist's headquarters and try to decide what they should do about DD. Before they can come up with anything, Master Izo climbs in a window and tells the gathered heroes that DD had been possessed by the Snakeroot, a group of powerful mages who secretly ran the Hand. This issue ends with Izo telling the heroes that the Snakeroot were preparing DD to become the vessel of their dark lord, the Beast of the Hand.

What I Thought: I should just take what I've said during the past two Shadowland reviews and paste it here, because it pretty much applies. This mini-series is the best mini-series either Marvel or DC has put out this year. Hands down. Andy Diggle's story has been amazing, Billy Tan's art has been beautiful, and everything about this mini has been nearly flawlessly executed. I will admit that the reveal with Bullseye didn't really surprise me, I've been calling that since the final scene of Shadowland #1(right JT? :P), and I am a TINY bit disappointed that DD's actions are now going to be blamed on the Snakeroot... I liked the way DD had fallen from Grace(that's an old DD storyline reference by the way), and I would have liked to have seen DD's actions purely his own, as opposed to having been influenced by evil mages... But that's a very little gripe. This mini-series is amazing, and you're doing yourself a grave disservice if you aren't following it.

Score: 9 out of 10.Hey, aren't you supposed to be a weird monster or something, Punisher?

Shadowland #2

Shadowland #2: Writer: Andy Diggle. Pencils: Billy Tan.

Review: This issue gets underway with Moon Knight allowing himself to be “arrested” by Daredevil's Hand ninjas in order to see where the prisoners of the Hand were being held. Luke Cage and Iron Fist discuss DD's murder of Bullseye, and get a visit from legitimate business man(HA!!!), the Kingpin. Kingpin tells Cage and IF that he(like any innocent civilian)is concerned about DD's recent actions, and feels that somebody is going to have to take DD down, before he decides to spread from Hell's Kitchen. Black Tarantula goes to talk to DD about his murder of Bullseye, but DD doesn't feel the need to discuss his actions, and tells Tarantula as much. DD then sends Tarantula to put the word out that DD will tolerate NO interference from costumed heroes, and that if the heroes aren't with him, then he'll consider them against him. Back in Kingpin's building, using an ancient scroll that was procured by Lady Bullseye, Kingpin summons an old mystical foe of the Hand, who just happens to be Ghost Rider(!!!), and informs GR of what the Hand and DD had been up to. Back in Hell's Kitchen, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Colleen Wing, Shang-Chi and Misty Knight arrive and ask for an audience with DD, which DD's lieutenant, White Tiger reluctantly grants them. The 5 heroes soon meet with DD, and are eventually joined by Spider-Man. The heroes try to shame DD by mentioning how he's been scoffing at the laws he once fought so hard to uphold as a lawyer, and just as it seems the heroes may be getting through to DD, Ghost Rider attacks the Shadowland compound, leading DD to believe the appearance of the heroes was a ruse to allow Ghost Rider a way in. This issue ends with DD ordering his Hand henchmen to take down the 6 heroes, dead or alive!

What I Thought: While this issue was a drop off from last issue, it wasn't a drop off by much! This was still a highly enjoyable comic, as the story, and all of the main players are slowly beginning to gather. Cage and Iron Fist have rallied some of their allies, Spider-Man has shown up, Moon Knight is plotting in the bowels of the Shadowland prison, and Ghost Rider is attacking the Hand on the behalf of Kingpin of all people! This was a bit of a set-up issue, but it was still an excellent read.

Score: 9 out of 10.I sure didn't see HIM appearing here!

Shadowland: Bullseye #1

Shadowland: Bullseye #1: Writer: John Layman. Pencils: Sean Chen.

Review: This comic tells the tale of a biker gang that believed that Bullseye had saved them from a rival gang(although in all actuality, Bullseye pretty much flipped a coin and decided to help the one gang over the other), and decide to hold a funeral for him. The gang kidnaps Ben Urich, so he can write a fluff piece about what a great man Bullseye was, a priest, to speak at the funeral, several tourists, to serve as mourners, and finally, Bullseye's corpse itself. On top of that, one of the people present at the “funeral” claims that he can see the ghost of Bullseye, and that it occasionally talks to him. Eventually Daredevil and his Hand ninjas get wind of what the biker gang was doing, and they crash the funeral and easily take down the inept gang members. This issue ends with the man who believed he could hear the ghost of Bullseye deciding to take on a full battalion of heavily armed cops at the behest of a smiling Bullseye.

What I Thought: Meh, this comic wasn't great, but it wasn't awful either. It was a prime example of a perfectly acceptable comic. A fine way to spend a couple of minutes, but not something you'd be thinking back on often. It also isn't key to the Shadowland story, but for a completest like myself, I was happy to read it.

Score: 7 out of 10.Am I the only one hoping for a Deadpool/Bullseye's Ghost team-up?

The Awesomeness that is Shadowland #1!

Shadowland #1: Writer: Andy Diggle. Pencils: Billy Tan.

Review: We open with a few mystics from the Hand talking about allowing Matt Murdock to do something that would corrupt him, so that they could awaken their master and he could destroy the world of man... Okay than... The scene then shifts to a cargo plane that was carrying Bullseye to the Raft prison in New York. Bullseye tricks the guards, gets free and manages to kill them all, taking the plane to Hell's Kitchen in order to find his old enemy Daredevil. At Avengers Tower, Luke Cage and Iron Fist discuss the Daredevil situation with the Avengers. The Avengers explain that they're willing to give DD his space and allow him to help the people in Hell's Kitchen in his own way, but the moment he steps over the line, they'll be there. After hearing that, Iron Fist and Cage decide to go and speak to DD about some of the more unsavory things they'd been hearing were going on in the Kitchen. Bullseye makes his way to the Kitchen, and spots the huge Hand castle that DD had erected on the ruins of the tenement building Bullseye destroyed, killing 107 innocent civilians in the process. DD and a battalion of Hand ninjas show up and DD sends his minions after Bullseye. Bullseye makes a break for it, running to the Javits Convention Center, where he figured there'd be plenty of cameras to catch him in action. Bullseye stands his ground and begins to ravage the ninjas, killing several of them before DD calls off his dogs and attacks Bullseye himself. After an brilliant fight scene between the two arch-foes, DD manages to dislocate BOTH of Bullseye's shoulders, leaving him on his knees and completely helpless. By this time Luke Cage and Iron Fist had made their way to the scene of the battle, and they arrive just in time to see DD drive a sai straight through the chest of Bullseye(!!!!), ending this issue.

What I Thought: Now THIS is the way to kick off a mini-series!!! This was absolutely perfect. I don't have a single thing to complain about. The fight scene between Bullseye and the Hand ninjas was great, but the fight between DD and Bullseye was AMAZING! And the ending! What poetic justice! DD doing Bullseye in, in the EXACT same manner as Bullseye originally killed Elektra was magnificent! The only question I have is, is Marvel going to wimp out here or not? So DD stabbed Bullseye straight through the chest... Are they going to let Bullseye die, or will Iron Fist and Cage manage to get him to a hospital in time? I personally hope that the death stands, because Matt has had cause to kill Bullseye for SO long now, plus his stepping over the line fully should lend itself to a much better/more interesting story. I CAN'T wait for the rest of this mini to come out!

Score: 10 out of 10This is my current Windows Desktop picture.He may be a totally evil remorseless killer, but you've got to admit, Bullseye seems like a pretty funny guy!This scan will probably end up being my desktop picture eventually! Yeah, I liked this comic SO much I posted THREE scans from it!