Astonishing Ant-Man #10 Review *SPOILERS*

 Story by: Nick Spencer

Art by: Ramon Rosanas

Publisher: Marvel

Release date: July 20, 2016

Rating: T

Price: $3.99

This book has always been a blast to read. As I stated in my last review it was a book that I missed out on during the relaunch and had to go back to get caught up on. We pick right up from last issue with Scott trapped in small sphere by Darren Cross. We get a quick recap of last issue, but not enough to slow us down. 

 One of my favorite parts of the recap was the wacky super villain app HENCH. I would like to see Marvel do a book called Dial H For Hench! Make it happen Axel Alonso!!

 So after the recap, we see Scott's crew taking all the items that Machinesmith said they needed from Cross Tech. Whirlwind decides to scrap the list and just takes stuff that he thinks looks expensive, while everyone else gets only what is necessary (seems like something that will play out later in the plot?). The crew meet up in a truck and are ready to split, but they notice Scott is missing. Cassie shows up and tells them that Cross has her dad and asks them to help her free him. One by one the crew splits only concerned about their cut of the money. It is pretty predictable as to which baddies will be taking off, but it was funny watching them bail from the back of the truck. The best part was when the Magician asked if it will negatively impact his rating on HENCH.

Now we are down to the core of the crew. The ones we all knew would stick around (I had a feeling that someone else would have helped as well, but more on that later...)

 The crew takes off for action and this is were the real fun starts. I love the dialog with Griz and Giant-Man as they take out the guards and the choppers. It was also nice to see the comedy element without them being too goofy or screwing up the plan. These guys have been through enough in the past, so it is rewarding to see them get the shine as they follow through with the plan. Especially since they are working with the other half of the crew gone.

 Ms. Thing takes out a bunch of robot security guards and is able to get a weapon that Machinesmith said would be able to free Scott from Cross. She tosses it to Cassie while she is holding off the robots allowing Cassie to get into the air shaft. We then see poor Scott getting bounced of a ping pong table! This is just adding insult to injury, luckily Cassie shows up and frees her Dad from the sphere and has to shrink down to avoid being take out by Crossfire. Darren Cross is able to get a hold of Scott and throws him out of the window and he is dangling from the ledge as Crossfire is about to shoot him.

We then see Crossfire shot in the shoulder and yelling at Cassie for shooting him. She tells him she didn't shoot him as we see the panel that I actually expected. The Beetle actually stuck around to help Scott, but doesn't want anyone to know. It is like the opposite of Black Cat, and I like it. I can see this developing more in future issues as well.

Crossfire does not believe Cassie and goes to shoot her in retaliation, but Cassie shrinks as he fires and it hits his own nephew Augustine. Cross blames Scott for this of course and he grows larger than the room and grabs Scott and Cassie in his hand is about to crush them. All of a sudden the ceiling gives way and we find out Cassie called in for some reinforcements from the ants. The ceiling comes crashing down on Cross and smashes his head.

Scott and Cassie get away and Machinesmith notices two unarmed drones following Ms. Thing, so he warns her about them. She freaks out and realizes that they are cameras that have been following her for a reality TV show. She calls the producers and asked them to stop recording and not to air any of what occurred since they were committing numerous crimes. The producer basically tells her they will edit it to keep her from going to jail, but its too bad for Scott! As he and Cassie leave Cross Tech, they are swarmed (pun intended) by the cops as the issue ends.

The writing and art as usual are great and you never have any issues following along with the story or figuring out who is in each panel. A few DC books can learn a thing or two about that. This issue didn't have the same movie or TV show vibe to it, but it made up for that with the character development and a plot that can really pay off down the road. Who would have thought that Darren Cross would be a relevant bad guy before this story arc? Not many, I am sure. And if his son dies, it will make him even more of a threat since he has nothing to lose.

Ant-Man is always a sure bet and it never disappoints. I highly recommend this issue and the whole series. If you have not read it before, check it out on Marvel Unlimited or pick up a trade. You won't regret it.

8.5/10

So until next time, DatBeardedBastard is out...

Thunderbolts #3 Review *SPOILERS*

 Writer: Jim Zub
Artist: Jon Malin
Publisher: Marvel
Published: July 20, 2016
Rating: T
Price: $3.99

Out of all the Marvel titles that I read, this book was one that I picked up on a whim and was intrigued enough to keep reading. Issue one was my book of the week when it came out along with Zub's D&D book. I really enjoyed issue two, but felt it was a repeating the same patterns all other ongoing series fall into. Sp how would issue three hold up? Lets find out.

I'll Start with the cover since Atlas is my favorite Thunderbolt! This reminded me of some 80's comic covers minus the dialog boxes. I miss dialog on the covers, it was one of the selling points for me in my youth. Also it is nice to see the cover actually tie into the issue instead of being a splash page not related to the story at all. Anyways, enough of that, lets get back to this book. It starts off with Crystal screaming her ass off like and acting irrationally (Like the leader of the Poison Ivy Club?!) while Bucky tries to explain what went down. The Inhumans are not having it and just start attacking the Thunderbolts. They do a good job telling you who these Inhumans are and what their powers are which is good, since I only followed the Inhumans back in the 80's.  

 My favorite part of the battle was between Atlas and Flint, who I feel like is a ripoff of GeoForce from the Outsiders. It was pretty much a slug fest and the rest of the team is actually getting their asses handed to them. Kobik wants to help, but as usually Bucky tells her no. I would just have her zap those bastards back to their base, but then the issue would be over.

 Fixer has a plan of his own as well. Instead of fighting them, he took over control of their ship and put an end to the fight. I like how Kobik thinks it awesome that they took the ship and she wants to keep it. Bucky tells them what happened and why they had to destroy the rest of the pods, but Crystal still doesn't believe them. Bucky allows them to get control of their ship and return to their base in New Attilan where they explain what happened to Medusa.

 I really liked the art here with Medusa and Lockjaw. It reminded me of their appearances in the Fantastic Four books. Medusa orders Crystal to remind the american agencies that they are not to interfere with the Inhumans or it will be considered and act of war.

 Back on the SHIELD helicarrier we see Maria Hill discussing what went down with the Thunderbolts as one of the agents asked if Kobik was a an Inhuman. We see Cap say it could be, then he is cut off by hill who recognizes it is Kobik right away. This led me to believe Cap knew as well and was hoping they would't figure it out.

 Hill spazzes out and Cap tries to convince her that Bucky must have a good reason for taking her and says that he will bring them back. She isn't willing to wait and put the Thunderbolts on the most wanted list and froze all their assets in an attempt to get them to show themselves. We then see Cap on his cell phone with an encrypted channel that loses signal. The art here has a less blocky Romita Jr. style. I guess it is to make us believe Cap is hydra or it is just a coincidence, either way this bearded bastard refuses to believe Cap is a bad guy and I will wait and see just how this plays out. I am not reading Cap's book, so I have no idea what is playing out there at this point.

 Back to the T-Bolts and we see the team recovering from their beatings and Atlas offers Bucky a beer. He declines, but Kobik wants one! This part made me wonder what would happen if a four year old girl cosmic cube being would do if she was drunk. It would either be pretty funny or scary as hell. Maybe we should see this in a future issue Mr. Zub!

 We cut over to Fixer and Moonstone and these are the two characters that I really hate! I've hated them since the formation of the Thunderbolts!! They discuss Kobik and how Fixer wants to kill her while Moonstone wants to control her. Personally I would like to see Kobik send these two bastards to the cornfields like Anthony Fremont from the Twilight Zone!
You're a bad man! A VERY bad man!

 We also find out that Moonstone has plans for Bucky too, that conniving bitch! (I bet she is in the Poison Ivy club as well.)

Bucky is reading a bedtime story to Kobik and she asks him why she is not allowed to help. He tells her that he is worried that someone will try to use her powers and manipulate her. He tells her about things that he did that he regrets and does not want her to go through that as well. Kobik then offers to take away his regrets and the things that he has done as well. He is silent for a moment and tells her no as he leaves her room. He then falls to the ground and appears top be crying.

When I was reading the parts with the battle it seemed like it was going to be a typical traditional issue that we've all read before. Then when we get to the Thunderbolts, I feel like we are getting some good story telling along with the character development.  This was a strong issue, but fell short of the previous two issues in all. I will continue to read it and I am looking forward to see where the story goes from here.

7.5/10

So until next time, DatBeardedBastard is out...

Space Caveman?!

This is an idea I have for a comic that I want to add to my blog.

Snorlax drawing for my son

Stranger Things; Netflix Original Series Review *Non Spoilers*

I decided to watch this whole series back to back before I even knew what it was about. From the poster and the screenshots provided by Netflix, I was thinking that this was a Stephen King story that I read in the 80's, but that is not the case. I was hooked as soon as I saw the main characters playing D&D! The show is only eight episodes so it is pretty easy to binge on them (especially since I took time off from work for the week). The opening title sequence screams 1980's sci-fi/horror, and I loved it. It even had the look of an old VHS with bad tracking.

The cast does a great job throughout the entire series. At first I was worried when I saw Winona Ryder since I only liked her in Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice, but after the second episode I quit thinking of her Babe Bennett from Mr. Deeds. I really enjoyed the acting of the kids since each one had a different characteristic that makes it easy to identify with them, even though we have seen a ton of movies and shows with kids who have to save the day.

I decided not to do a spoiler review since the show just premiered and since the whole season was released at once, it may take others a while to get through all eight episodes.  So would I recommend this series? Definitely. It takes all the elements that I love and wraps it up into one nice package for me. Let's go over DatBeardedBastard's checklist of awesomeness to see what this series has to offer.

DatBeardedBastard's Checklist of Awesomess!

• 1980's Setting
• D&D
• Horror Movie Posters
• BMX Bikes
• Walkie Talkies
• Parallel Universe
• Comic Book References
• Stephen King, John Carpenter, and Dean Koontz Vibes
• Cool Weapons (Spiked bats, bear traps, and sling shots to name a few)

There were times when this show made me thing of other movies and TV shows, but instead of bugging me, I was actually digging it. It had elements of E.T., Goonies, IT, Monster Squad, Super 8, and Earth to Echo.

Once I think enough time has passed I will do a spoiler review and go into more detail of what I liked and disliked. For a show that I was not anticipating or even looking forward to prior to today, it did a great job of taking me back in time where movies and TV shows were based on the experience and not what the budget was or what merchandise tie-ins are forced down our throats.

So in all I would have to give this a 9/10, and I can't wait for season 2. Until next time, DatBeardedBastard is out...

Power Man & Iron Fist #6 Review *SPOILERS*

Writer: David Walker

Artist: Flaviano

Colorist: John Rauch

Cover Price: $3.99

Rating: T

As I stated in my Rocket Raccoon and Groot #7 review, I HATE CROSS-OVERS!!!! Especially when they occur in books that I enjoy reading. This series is a blast, and David Walker balances comedy and action so well in this book, so needless to say I was pissed when I saw the Civil War II on the cover. Well lets get to the book and see just how pissed off I will be after all. 

 We start off with Luke and Danny watching the new as Jessica enters with their daughter to the "Underground Headquarters".  They are freaking out seeing the events of Civil War II unfold and there is a report that War Machine has died (I'm not sure how cuz I won't but the other books in this cross-over!).

 We get a flashback of Luke and War Machine having it out and it looks like he would have ripped him out of the armor and killed him if he wasn't pulled back. We also get a flashback of She-Hulk kissing Danny as he hears on the news that she is in a coma. Danny, Luke, and Jess don't want to get involved, but fell bad for what is happening to their friends as well.

We then cut to a man running from a car down an alley and it turns out to be a former villain named Charles "Ganecock" Cardona. Some freaks in masks calling themselves Preemptive Strike is going around looking to put a beat done on former villains before they revert back to a life of crime. He makes it clear that he does not want any part of it, but they attack him. It is six against one and he puts up a good fight, but they have baseball bats and beat him really bad. (I felt bad for this guy!) Hopefully these assholes get the beat down they deserve in future issues. This story line actually has me intrigued, even though its based on the cross-over.

 We are back to Danny and Luke as they meet up with Captain Marvel. She says she wants to explain what is going on but not asking them to take sides (Yeah right!). They both feel the same as they did before and do not want to get involved.

 We see Preemptive Strike um, strike again? This time it is Shadricj "Mangler" Daniels, another former villain who has not done anything wrong since becoming reformed. They are all whaling away on him pretty good, but this guy is much tougher than the Gamecock that's for sure. We cut away, so we don't see the final outcome on this fight at this time.

We see Luke and Danny's headquarters door open and they look like they are ready to throw down when we see it is actually relatives of the victims of Preemptive Strike. They want to hire them for protection and as they are deciding if they will take the job Preemptive Strike busts in on them (How does everyone know where this underground base is?)!

Danny and Luke are beating the crap out of them as we find out that one of the guys has powers and is about to blast the the Gamecock's daughter. Luke covers her and they get blasted out of the building. The place gets raided by the authorities and Danny is rounded up with Preemptive Strike and the family members looking for help. 

 Luke wants to go back and help, but he is pulled away by two of the relatives, Part of me thinks he didn't really wanna go back. there is no way that he can be pulled away by a small girl. Three of the Preemptive Strike members breaks away and are heading back to their base and we see Danny driven off to jail as he looks at Luke through the back window. I am sure that this will mean that our heroes will be on opposing sides in this civil war crap! I hope that is not the case, I really enjoy this series and would hate to see the tone change. Being that it had to tie into civil war, I feel that David Walker did a good job keeping the same vibe from earlier issues even though it had none of the comedy elements included. The art as usual is amazing and fits the tone of the book. I wish I could draw in this style, it is a perfect blend of comic strip and comic book art.

I am a huge fan of the series and David Walker, but it fell a bit for me since it was an obvious tie in issue. With that being said, the book was still really good and I would recommend it for those who were following from issue one, but if you are new to the series I can see this as an issue to pass up on If you haven't read the series yet, I recommend getting the first four for sure either as single back issues or when the trade comes out. Hopefully after this cross-over is over we can get back to what this book was, a fun read with a good blend of action and comedy and awesome art.

7/10

So until next time, DatBeardedBastard is out...

Rocket Raccoon and Groot #7 Review *SPOILERS*

Rocket Raccoon and Groot #7

Writer: Nick Kocher

Artist: Michael Walsh

Colorist: Cris Peter

Cover Price: $3.99

Rating: T

 Racket Raccoon and Groot along with Spider-Gwen are the two books I grab without looking at the interior. I just see them  and snag them. So when I got home and was getting ready to read it I was checking out the cover and was wondering who could it be in that grave. Then one page in I was literally yelling, "What the hell is going on here?!" I looked at the cover and Young & Fosgitt were nowhere to be found! How did I not notice this right away?! I think it was due to me buying all the Rocket and Groot variants, so I assumed it was just another cover that my shop ordered.

 After the initial shock wore off I started reading the issue since these are some of my favorite characters in the Marvel U, and the book has always been a good change of pace from the typical super hero books. So were all the elements of this series still there? Actually the answer surprised me, they were. The writing was pretty good. It had our duo battling a giant alien creature all while Groot was running back and forth to answer the ship's phone. It had the Skottie Young feel as Groot races back and forth trying to help Rocket battle the bastard and explain to the guy on the phone that he is Groot! As Rocket goes to answer the phone, Groot straps his jet-pack onto the creature and he flies away.

 It turns out that one of Rocket's friends Frankie died and the duo head off to be at the funeral. Rocket reminisces about his first meeting with Frankie and it turns out that he was someone he met when he was young and helped him pull of some scams to survive. So it turns out Rocket is that friggin' Nigerian Prince that has been sending emails to us the whole time! Rocket tries to say some kind words at the service but he can't force himself to say anything. It seems as if he just can't since he k new Frankie was like him and didn't care for anything touchy-feeley.

 It turns out Frankie was faking his death the whole time. Rocket and Groot go to lunch with him and when they get the bill Frankie basically comes up with a dine and ditch plan and they split. They jump on a train and Rocket pats Frankie's back and he falls from the train to his death?!  So they have a second funeral and...

 ...Rocket is the main suspect! These cops are not too bright, they reminded me a bit if the Thompsons from Tintin. Needles to say some beat cops can't keep our dynamic duo in custody for too long. Rocket and Groot layeth the smaketh down on their candy asses. Then they bump into Frankie? He faked his death once again, this time it was because he wanted to get out of a brunch planned with another buddy. So they are chowing down and Frankie chokes on his food and dies! AGAIN?! WTH FRANKIE?!

 Another funeral, and Frankie comes out of the grave again, and it seems as if this time it was because he owes a lot of money to a dangerous guy named the Slug. Rocket is not worried and tells Frankie and Groot that he can "Squeeze back". So they go to get the ship and swing by Frankie's and HE IS DEAD...AGAIN! Was it the Slug? Well Rocket and Groot show up at the Slug's place and trash the joint. It turns out that the Slug is a good guy who helps children.

 That bastard Frankie used Rocket and Groot to break into the Slug's place so he can rob him. Those two jabroni cops were in on it too, they help load up the goods for Frankie. Frankie also tells Rocket and Groot that he is gonna collect on their bounties as well! What a bastard! Rocket tells Frankie that he was there for him when he needed him the most and that he loves him.

 Then we see the giant creature from the beginning with Groot's jet-pack slam right where Frankie was and Rocket pushes him away and appears to be dead (Yeah right!). Groot knocks him the hell out and the two cops see the KO punch and give up right away. We see Frankie at Rocket's funeral and he can't say anything touchy-feely about Rocket, so Groot does (It was touching I'm sure). Groot gets in the ship and takes off as we see Rocket faked his death.

 So this issue was a blast to read once I got passed the initial shock. I even had my wife and son look at it, and they didn't think it was bad as I did at first, so it is possible that I am just a giant fan of Young & Fosgitt that it took me a while to get over it. I still love this series and will continue to collect it...

 ...Even though it is gonna do something I hate with a freakin' passion!!! Cross-overs! And I may be the only one who is not interested in Civil War II. It is needless, pointless, and useless in my opinion. I think it is just an easy way for a cash grab. Well enough ranting, on to the score. I loved this book and my initial score after reading it was going to be an 8.5, but after reviewing it and reading it again I had to adjust that score a bit.  I can't wait to see where this creative team takes this series from here. So with that being said I will give this book a...

9/10

So until next time, DatBeardedBastard is out!