Korvac Saga #4

Writer – Dan Abnett
Artist – Otto Schmidt
Colours – Cris Peter

Everything comes to a head in this final issue of Korvac Saga and it ends sort of how you figured it might, but then again, not at all how you figured either. The big bad behind it all, who really is not all that bad, and the mystery of what has been going on has been revealed to be Michael Korvac, the man whose name is in the very title of this book. It seems that when this new world was made, Doom offered him an ultimatum – to either hide who he really is or face obliteration. Of course we all know what happened as Michael Korvac has been ruling his province for many years with none the wiser as to what and who he really is. But now his powers have come out in full force as he can no longer keep them buried. He knows that this world is wrong, that there was something before this and if he can gather enough strength, he can put it all back to how it used to be. The only problem is Doom. Dan Abnett and Otto Schmidt wrap up this tie-in to Secret Wars and it goes out with a bang that is highly entertaining and exciting. Seeing the old Korvac emerge was great, though even better was the fact that his years spent as a good man who looked after the welfare of a domain tempered the madness that used to afflict the pre-Secret Wars version of the character. What is really interesting to see is that all of these men and women from various lands throughout Doom’s kingdom are starting to become aware that not all is proper, that things are wrong and should be another way but thanks to Doom, they are not. The best moment of the entire book and the most visually striking is that scene where it seems like the entirety of the Thor Corps comes crashing down from the heavens to wipe Korvac, his people, his land and even those associated with it like Baron Simon Williams, right off the map. Such is Doom’s law and out of every book being published right now under the Secret Wars banner, this is the biggest show of force to have been seen against any one person or people. Korvac Saga has been a really entertaining book, one that never failed to be enjoyable, featured great writing and artwork and one that picked at the threads of reality that is Doom’s Battleworld.

4.5 out of 5

Starve #4

Writer – Brian Wood
Artist – Danijel Zezelj
Colours – Dave Stewart

On the latest episode of Starve, Gavin is in for the fight of his life. Literally. In the latest challenge to meet him, for twenty-four hours, Gavin and his crew must negotiate a slew of real life restaurants where there will be armed resistance to meet him at the door. They will stop him by any and all means necessary. If they should make it through, they then have to prepare whatever meal it is that needs doing before moving on to the next challenge until all twenty-four hours are up. It is going to be one of the hardest things Gavin has ever done; luckily he has done it before. With this issue, the book ups the excitement quite a bit as the stakes get higher and Gavin realizes that he has to win and in the doing so, he must also keep his daughter Angie out of it. With the escalation of the difficulties in the tasks, Gavin has now come to see that maybe involving Angie was a mistake and he knows that for this task, and maybe all of them going forward, that she should not become involved again, even if it hurts his newfound relationship with her. Brian Wood has been crafting a truly excellent and original tale and Danijel Zezelj with Dave Stewart have been illustrating the hell out of it. Taking the most unlikely of concepts from the world of television and putting it on the printed page should not have been able to work and yet, reading about battles between celebrity chefs has been fantastic. Though Gavin still has a long road to go, not only in winning the competition but repairing all his relationships he has damaged along the way, it is sure to be as compelling and suspenseful as it is now knowing the creators involved. A really, really good book that everyone should be reading.

4 out of 5