All posts by La Cracha Handy

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About La Cracha Handy

My name is La Cracha Handy. I started blogging 7 years ago. I am currently building my brand as an independent author-publisher of nonfiction books on relationships and parenting. My first book, Leaving the Hidden Path: Motivational Guidance for Women with Young Children Considering Divorce, will be released in the spring of 2022. I am also a pop culture geek. I read and collect comic books, play Pokemon Go, and build model rockets. I love Star Trek: The Next Generation and Doctor Who. My name is prounced "Lacrisha."

Superior Spider-Man #9 Review

Marvel Comics, , , ,

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A dying Otto Octavius, aka Doctor Octopus or Doc Ock, found a way to switch bodies with Peter Parker.  Having gained the memories, powers and skills of Spider-Man, Otto now realizes the responsibilities that comes with being Spider-Man.  Otto vowed to be a better Spider-Man.  A smarter Spider-Man.  SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN.  However a small piece of Peter Parker is in the brain of the Superior Spider-Man.  Stuck in Otto’s brain, Peter is forced to watch Otto live his life and trying his hardest to keep Otto in check and out of trouble.

In the last issue, the Avengers forced Spider-Man to undergo extensive testing and evaluations because of his erratic behavior.  Test results did not reveal an imposter and Spider-Man was released with probation.

Seeing an anomaly on his brain scan, Spider-Man went to the H.E.A.R.T. Clinic to take back his neuro scanner that was stolen by Cardiac.  Spider-Man learns a little girl was severely brain-damaged during one of his schemes, so he performed surgery on the girl and saved her life.  Borrowing the scanner from the clinic, Spider-Man returned to his lab to study the anomaly in his brain.  He discovered the tiny fragment is Peter Parker!  Otto informs Peter that he is aware of him and that he plans to extract him from his mind once and for all.

The entire storyline in The Superior Spider-Man #9, a Marvel NOW! title by Marvel Comics, is about the lobectomy, and its’ outcomes, performed on Otto to destroy Peter Parker.  Or Peter Parkerectomy, as Dan Slott, writer, coined in the last issue.

Without giving any spoilers, I will just say that this issue is full of surprises.  I am amazed at the scope of this storyline.  The events that take place in this issue are breathtaking.  Action packed.  Adrenaline inducing.  Peter was not going down without a fight, and he and Otto were prepared for each other.  And well prepared they were.

The Superior Spider-Man series is not to be read lightly.  The more I read this title, the more involved I become in the story.  Especially this issue.  Peter and Otto fought long and hard, but I want to set the physical battle aside and talk about the verbal exchanges between the two of them.  Peter came down hard on Otto about his portrayal as Spider-Man.  He reminded him of nearly being fired from the Avengers, and the brutal treatment towards his enemies, including the murder of one of them (I won’t mention the name in case you haven’t read the issue yet).  He was basically telling Otto that he’s not worthy of being Spider-Man and that he should give him his life back.

Otto, however, broke it down to Peter and let him know why he’s the better Spider-Man.  Peter was always slinging around town being the “Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.”  Always comical.  Wanting to be loved by everyone.  Not using his powers to its’ fullest extent, he always went easy on his enemies.  Since Otto has been Spider-Man, there has been a reduction of crime in the city.  And he gets full support from the mayor and the police.  Superior Spider-Man has taken down several enemies that Peter Parker went too easy on.  The Vulture and Massacre are perfect examples (again I won’t spoil it in case you haven’t read it yet).

I totally agree with Otto and I feel that he is the better Spider-Man.  He created a device to help Aunt May walk.  He stopped the Vulture from using children as his henchmen.  He re-enrolled in college to take that last credit and write a thesis for his (Peter) Doctorate Degree.  He saved that little girl’s life with the brain damage.  Otto may be a villain, but he is a hero at heart.  He has shown compassion far too many times for it to go unnoticed.

The Superior Spider-Man #9 is probably Slott’s best issue yet.  Well written and engaging dialogue.  Phenomenal character interactions.  Compelling characters, especially Otto.  A lot of information is packed in this fast paced story but it’s not hard to follow.

Superb artwork by Ryan Stegman (artist) and Edgar Delgado (colors).  These two are great at visual storytelling.  I especially like the cover.  Hmmm, I wonder if the layout of my brain spells my name.  Ummm that’s okay.  I don’t want to find out.

There is no doubt that I will continue to read The Superior Spider-Man.

VERDICT (drum roll please)

I highly recommend this Marvel NOW! title.

Wolverine and the X-Men #27 AU Review

Marvel Comics, , , ,

wolvxmen27au

Ultron has destroyed humankind. There are only a few survivors and they are scattered around the world. Most of the superheroes were killed. Wolverine and the X-Men #27 AU, an Age of Ultron tie-in by Marvel Comics, gives us a look at an attempt to prevent this catastrophe from occurring.

Ultron, an artifical intellect, was created by Henry Pym, a founding member of the Avengers. Wolverine, one of the few surviving X-Men, and Sue Storm Richards, the only Fantastic Four survivor, travels back to the past in hopes of finding and confronting Hank, to try to stop him from creating Ultron. Wolverine plans to stop Hank by whatever means necessary.

After arriving at a guarded, off-line S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, Wolverine and Sue decides to split up. Wolverine is to look for a battery, while Sue looks for records, tracking devices, and anything else that will give her an idea of Hank’s location.

Using the monitors to try to locate Hank, Sue realizes the system is set up to monitor everyone on Earth that has super powers. They’re even monitored in their own homes. She watched her life change before her, starting from a particular day at the Baxter Building.

Wolverine attempts to save an alien creature, only to realize the creature is the Brood! After killing the alien parasite, he realizes that he is the one responsible for the Brood becoming evil.

This title is a one-shot. An Age of Ultron tie-in. It is difficult for me to review a one-shot because I do not want to disclose too much information. So I usually just post somewhat of a shell of the story. This way you will have something to look forward to in the story. Like what happened when Sue watched that day at the Baxter Building? Exactly what went down between Wolverine and the Brood?

I really enjoyed this story and it is to be continued in Age of Ultron #6. Well written dialogue. Matt Kindt is the writer.

Great artwork. No complaints in that area. Paco Medina is the artist. David Curiel and Rachelle Rosenberg are the colorists.

VERDICT (drum roll please)

If you are reading Age of Ultron, then you should be reading all the tie-ins. Since Wolverine and the X-Men #27 AU is a tie-in, you should be reading this title as well. I highly recommend this title by Marvel Comics.

Age of Ultron #6 Review

Marvel Comics, , ,

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Ultron had one goal.  And that goal was to destroy humanity.  Ultron is an artificial intelligence (robot) created by Henry “Hank” Pym, a founding member of the Avengers.

Ultron attempted many times to destroy the world, but the Avengers stopped him every time.  Some predicted he would succeed one day.  And that day has come.  Ultron has destroyed humankind.  There are only a few survivors, scattered around the world.

In the last issue, the surviving heroes travelled to the Savage Land, where they met up with Ka-Zar and Nick Fury.  They soon learned, thanks to a dying Luke Cage, that Ultron is running his scheme from the future.  Nick Fury has been preparing for the annihilation by Ultron for a long time, and has a stash of weapons and gadgets.  He even has an Iron Man costume!  So a small group of them travelled into the future in an attempt to take on Ultron.  Some of the heroes include Nick Fury, Captain America, Storm, Iron Man and Red Hulk.

However Wolverine had his own agenda:  go back in the past to confront Hank Pym to try to stop him from creating Ultron.  I blogged briefly about that in my review of Wolverine and the X-Men #27 AU.

In Age of Ultron #6, by Marvel Comics, Wolverine has travelled back in the past to the Savage Land, Antarctica.  Sensing someone other than himself, Sue Richard appeared.  The two of them found Hank in the middle of an experiment.  An experiment of advanced artificial intelligence.  Wolverine and Sue confronted Hank, but it wasn’t a friendly meeting.

Meanwhile, following Nick Fury’s lead into the future, the time-travelling heroes encounter an endless number of Ultron patrols.  A long and hard battle follows.

I am still enjoying the Age of Ultron mini-series.  Brian Michael Bendis is the writer.  The dialogue is well-written and each issue is always better than the last.  I like the interactions among the characters.  I am especially amazed at how well they are all working as a team.

This story is not only about survival, but trust as well.  With that being said, the only part about the story I didn’t like is Red Hulk’s interaction with Taskmaster.  Whether or not you trust someone is not an issue right now.  There are only a handful of survivors and teamwork should be prevalent.  Red Hulk was quick to judge.  That bought tears to my eyes.

I love the artwork, especially the going back and forth between the past and the future.  The art team for the present includes Brandon Peterson (artist) and Paul Mounts (colors).  The art team for the past includes Carlos Pacheco (pencils) and Jose Villarrubia (colors)

VERDICT (drum roll please)

I highly recommend Age of Ultron.

Ultron #1AU Review

Marvel Comics, , , , ,

ultron1au

Ultron has destroyed humankind. There are only a few survivors scattered around the world. This Marvel NOW! Age of Ultron tie-in depicts how Victor Mancha deals with the catastrophe. In case you don’t already know, Victor is a cyborg created by his father, ULTRON. Yes, Ultron. One of the baddest super villains in the Marvel Universe. Victor was also a member of Runaways, a team of teenage super heroes.

The story takes place in Los Angeles where Victor scours the city looking for survivors. He has already led a few juveniles to safety and provides them with shelter. Everyone he has ever loved has been killed by Ultron, including his mother and the Runaways.

Afraid that the children won’t trust him if they knew he was a cyborg, Victor keeps that part of him a secret. However just as his secret is discovered, all hell breaks loose.

It had been prophesied that Victor would take part in Ultron’s plan. To be a part of the end. Does the prophecy become true in this Age of Ultron tie-in? Grab a copy at your local comic shop and find out!

Because this is a one-shot, I’m not going to say much about the story. But I will say that I enjoyed this title. I like how Victor is handling the destruction of humankind by Ultron. I also like the fact that despite the prophecy of Victor being a part of Ultron’s plan, he dedicates his life trying to NOT becoming like his father.

Written by Kathryn Immonen, the script is detailed and fast paced, yet easy to follow. The story is brought to life by Amilcar Pinna. Great visual storyteller. Not much dialogue is needed to see where the story is going.

VERDICT (drum roll please)

If you are reading Age of Ultron, then you should be reading ALL the tie-ins as well. Ultron #1AU, by Marvel Comics, is one of those tie-ins. I highly recommend this title.

The Fearless Defenders #3 Review

Marvel Comics, , ,

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The badass girls of Marvel Comics are back.

Up until now we know that Valkyrie, the demigoddess of Asgardia has failed to select a new group of Shieldmaidens.  Misty Knight was ticked to learn that Valkyrie claimed she couldn’t find any female superheros on Earth worthy to serve on the team.  Now the consequences has to be faced.  The Doom Maidens are rising and Dani Moonstar is being held captive by Caroline LeFay, a villainess who confessed to Dani that she wants to be a Valkyrie.  Carolyn also raised the Doom Maidens.  There is a lot going on in The Fearless Defenders right now, so you need to grab the first two issues, in addition to the current one, if you haven’t already.

My review of issue #1 details why I’m liking this series, and each issue just keeps getting better.

Hela, Queen of the Dead, is aware of the Doom Maidens rising.  Warning the All-Mother, rulers of Asgardia, not to send Valkyrie to confront the Doom Maidens, Hela has resurrected Warrior Woman, aka Hippolyta to take on the Doom Maidens and rescue Dani Moonstar.

Not willing to let Hippolyta fight alone, the All-Mother sent Valkyrie and her two Shieldmaidens to accompany Hippolyta.  Misty Knight and Annabelle Riggs.  YES.  DR. ANNABELLE RIGGS IS NOW A SHIELDMAIDEN! 

Cullen Bunn, writer, is having fun with this series.  Superb dialogue.  Fast paced.  Character interactions can’t get any better than this.  The different character backgrounds and personalities make this series fun and addicting.

We all know Misty Knight,  the Foxy Brown of comics, has a mouth on her.  Sassy, gun-toting, don’t take sh-t from anyone.  She will  beat you down just for looking at her the wrong way.

Annabelle Riggs.  I didn’t like her in the first issue, but now I’m starting to grow on her.  She’s funny plus I want to see how she fares as a Shieldmaiden.

Valkyrie.  The reason they’re all in this mess. By not assembling a new team, the Doom Maidens may have a right to fill the Valkyrior void.  She also has a mouth on her.  She just needed someone to bring it out of her.  And that someone is Hippolyta.

Warrior Woman aka Hippolyta.  A total badass like Valkyrie and Misty Knight.  Arrogant and full of gloat.  Boastful about her days of fighting.  She even talked about the Asgardian armor.  I’m pretty sure she and Valkyrie will be going at it soon after their quest is completed.

I love the artwork.  Will Sliney is the artist.  Veronica Gandini is the colorist.  I especially like the cover page by Mark Brooks.  The cover pages of this title are always nice.  Kind of on the wild side.  It is one of the major selling points for me.

The Fearless Defenders is one of my favorite Marvel NOW! titles.  And I definitely plan to continue reading this awesome series.

VERDICT (drum roll please)

There is no doubt that I highly recommend this title.

Constantine #2

DC Comics, , ,

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At the time of my review of Constantine #1, I wasn’t sure if I would read issue #2 or not.  Since I love magic and sorcery, I had to give it another chance.

Constantine is a magician who travels the world to search for, and collect artifacts of a dark nature to keep them from falling into the wrong hands.  He obtains the artifacts by whatever means necessary, including at the expense of the lives of the innocent.  In this storyline, Constantine is searching for Croydon’s Compass, a powerful compass with evil potential, made by a sadist wizard.  The compass was split into three pieces; needle, dial and the lens.

Constantine is not the only person searching for Croydon’s Compass.  However he is the only one with good intentions.  We met Sargon the Sorceress in the first issue.  In this issue, we meet Mister E, a blind and wicked magician.  We also meet the Spectre.

Constantine is also self-centered.  He does not appear to be affected when a life is sacrificed at his expense.  If he does, he hides it well.  He also likes to tell jokes, especially just before escaping his evil captors.  I find that very funny.

Ray Fawkes and Jeff Lemire are the writers.  I like Constantine’s narration throughout the story.  We know what gets him going.  We also know his fears.  I especially like when he met the Spectre.  We know he’s terrified, yet he found a way to get out of the situation.  For now.  I was even scared for a moment.  By the way, this story is full of dark magic, so prepare yourself.  Especially for the last page.

I like the artwork, especially the cover page.  But I still don’t like Sargon, the Sorceress.  I don’t look her looks, but you can definitely tell that she’s evil.  I do like that visual aspect of her.  Renato Guedes is the artist.  Marcelo Maiolo is the colorist.  Juan Jose Ryp and Brett Smith are the cover artists.

Right now, Constantine, a New 52 title by DC Comics has captured my attention.  I complained in my first review of the lack of a backstory, which made the story hard for me to follow.  But after reading this issue, I feel more comfortable with the story, so I intend to continue reading the series for now, to see where it’s going.

VERDICT (drum roll please)

I recommend this DC Comics New 52 title if you like magic and sorcery.