By Peter David (Author) and Greg Land (Illustrator) Marvel Comics (Publisher)

> Review by Joe Tell

Welcome to the future, where the Incredible Hulk seeks to rule a patchwork planet that is called Battleworld. The Incredible Hulk, having evolved over time into the tyrannical Maestro, rules over a domain called Dystopia with a gamma ray-infused iron fist. Seeking to squash any threat to his authority, the brilliant and cunning Maestro infiltrates the secret hideaway of the rebels who, led by Ruby Summers, wish to end his emerald reign of terror. The Maestro’s first appearance in this Secret Wars tie-in is brilliantly executed by artist Greg Land in a fantastic two-page spread. This is where all of the action begins as a great battle between the incredibly strong Maestro and Ruby Summers ensues. Sure to please any rabid Marvel fans, the Thing appears and joins the fray in an attempt to defeat the maniacal Maestro. The conflict concludes in a meeting of the minds between the Thing and the Maestro, with the two deciding to team up against a common enemy, the diabolical Doctor Doom. With the help of the rebels the Maestro plans to use the legendary Asgardian suit of armor called the Destroyer against the mighty Doctor Doom. A challenging and treacherous journey over land and sea begins in an effort to find where the enchanted armor is kept. The journey leads the motley crew to the domain of Norseheim, where a violent battle erupts between Ulik, the ruler of Norseheim, and the Maestro. After gaining access to the Destroyer armor, a battle for the ages begins between Doctor Doom and the Maestro. Future Imperfect is a must-have for any true Marvel comics fan.

By Tom King (Author) and Gabriel Hernandez Walta (Illustrator) Marvel Comics (Publisher)

> Review by Gabriel Allandro

The Vision, a limited series currently in stores, is one of those rare cases when the art, while excellent, is fully eclipsed by the emotional resonance of the story. The Vision is a painful read, as it is not so much a comic book as it is an analysis of identity and human nature. To be The Other is to be feared, not accepted; to be driven away, not welcomed; to be despised, not loved. To be The Other is to be different, and to be hated for that very difference. Those who disbelieve this point need only see how all Muslims are suspected of believing as their extremist outliers do when, hypocritically, neither Christians nor Jews are held to the same standard. It is within this struggle to be something other than The Other, that the Vision — a synthezoid, an android brain inhabiting a body made of synthetic blood and organs—tries to create a “normal” life for his (literally) newly built family. But even before an attack by the Avengers villain known as the Grim Reaper critically injures his daughter Viv, the reader can see that there will be problems. And those difficulties will escalate into some as-yet-unrevealed tragedy. What makes this book so difficult to read is that while the story’s protagonists are synthezoids, the tale is a very human one about the yearning to be accepted for who and what you are. Because for the Vision, his wife Virginia, and twins Viv and Vin, there can be no normal life. And their very painful struggle is one shared by all who are different—and who find themselves at the mercy of those who consider themselves normal, and human.