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The Death of Captain Marvel review by Raphael Borg

Comics, ReviewsJanuary 23, 20220Comments

This might be a sensitive subject to some. Of all the glorious deaths you might imagine for a warrior such as Captain Marvel, cancer is definitely the least one you would expect. Following an attack by the villain Nitro in Captain Marvel #34, the champion and protector of life faces the inevitability of death and in…

Marvel Super Heroes #12-13 & Captain Marvel #1 review by Raphael Borg

Comics, Reviews, UncategorizedJanuary 16, 20220Comments

In preparation to read the iconic "The Death of Captain Marvel," I brushed up some history of the character by reading his debut story in Marvel Super Heroes #12-13 and Captain Marvel #1 by Stan Lee and Gene Colan. While it is an arc that shows its age by following some writing flourishes typical of…

Neil Gaiman’s Eternals – review by Raphael Borg

Comics, ReviewsJanuary 11, 20220Comments

I cannot stress how much I love Neil Gaiman's work; although my experience of it is very limited, I have had enough to want to read more. His tug-of-war between the divine and the profane with a touch of a mean streak is something which I can very much relate to and love returning to. This…

John Byrne’s Avengers West Coast: Darker than Scarlet review by Raphael Borg

Comics, ReviewsDecember 17, 20210Comments

Almost undoubtedly where the current phase of the MCU is heading, John Byrne's Avengers West Coast: Darker than Scarlet presents the downfall of Wanda Maximoff. This will not be the first or the last time that her downward spiral is even touched upon - it is almost a trope in itself by now - but…

Venom: Let There Be Carnage review by Raphael Borg

Movies, ReviewsNovember 2, 20210Comments

So. This is weird. I did not have ANY expectations whatsoever going into watching the Venom sequel "Let There Be Carnage". And it certainly left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, Tom Hardy and Woody Harrelson were a treat to watch as the titular characters, as well as Naomie Harris (of Pirates of the Caribbean…

Incredible Hulk by Bruce Jones – reviewed by Raphael Borg

Comics, ReviewsJuly 27, 20210Comments

Bruce Jones' run on the Incredible Hulk is one of the more lauded runs on the character; I must admit, I have only laid hands on two arcs from the run, "Return of the Monster", collecting #34-39, & "Boiling Point", collecting Vol. 2 #40-43. These alone however paint a very good picture of the entire…

Avengers: Nights of Wundagore review by Raphael Borg

Comics, ReviewsJuly 14, 20210Comments

The classic tale "Nights of Wundagore" by John Byrne, David Michelinie, Mark Gruenwald and Steven Grant is a strange read in Avengers history, in that it exists between an approach of treating the Avengers as an organisation of like-minded individuals while also humanising them in ways that are believable and not too over simplistic. The…

Ghost Rider : Return of Vengeance review by Raphael Borg

Comics, ReviewsJuly 3, 20210Comments

It is immensely difficult to pull off a story from a villain's perspective and make it work. It is extraordinary, however, that the character s own creator, in spite of it being a return that has been long-desired by fans such as myself, fails to make a one shot story for them and make them…

Avengers: Under Siege review by Raphael Borg

Comics, ReviewsJuly 2, 20210Comments

Although it is a very straightforward and standard tale in comparison to its peers, 1986's Avengers Under Siege storyline (Avengers #270-277) represented a reality of terrorist activity that was not unheard of during the 80s. At heart, that is what it is - a terrorist takeover of an important institution. Perhaps it represented an escapist…

Annihilation : Conquest review by Raphael Borg

Comics, ReviewsJune 9, 20210Comments

While the highlight of the original Annihilation event was probably the many tie-ins, I could easily say that the highlight to Conquest was the main story. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed some of them, but the ones I did were the only ones truly essential to the story - namely Quasar, which incidentally follows my…

Annihilation review by Raphael Borg

Comics, ReviewsApril 20, 20210Comments

A large part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe owes to the cosmic opera that is the original Annihilation event, orchestrated by Keith Giffen and co-written by various other artists and writers. Reducing the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe to a fight for survival, the Annihilation event is a true masterclass in event comics in…

Invincible Iron Man by Brian Michael Bendis review by Raphael Borg

Comics, ReviewsApril 20, 20210Comments

The first volume of the Invincible Iron Man by Brian Michael Bendis is not intrinsically remarkable, unlike other of his works such as Daredevil. While it is an easy read (I am currently at the mercy of a splitting migraine) compared to most comics out there at the moment, it suffers from very poor planning.…