WARNING: This preview contains mature content.
“The K.A.T.I. Agenda” – Driving down the highway of Destiny Agent Barrino and his comrades in arms find themselves on a head on collision with fate. Prepare yourself for the season finale of VESCELL.
Jaycen Wise
Publisher: Brainstorm Multimedia
Created by: URAEUS (Richard G. Tyler II)
1st appearance: Jaycen Wise: Field Guide #0
Nationality: Kushite
Team Affiliations: Medjai Elite Guard
Legal Status: Jaycen is originally a citizen of the ancient Empire of Kush, present day Sudan (Nile Valley, East
Africa), but has adopted countless nations as his home during his extensive lifetime. He maintains access to an unlimited
number of international passports and identifications, affording legal entry into virtually any nation.
Height: 6’ Weight: 200lbs
Eyes: Brown Hair: Black
Relatives: None Known
Skills/Abilities: Jaycen is an avid student and teacher, and seeks to always better himself physically, mentally
and spiritually. He has had the luxury of sitting at the feet of innumerable masters of countless arts down
through the ages. He has had an immortal’s lifetime to perfect his cornucopia skills, and improve upon these
teachings, and is driven by an insatiable hunger for knowledge, adventure and self-mastery.
Powers: Jaycen is a true immortal, and as such cannot be killed by any means. He possesses the gift of unlimited
potential, and has within him the ability to achieve any goal, to accomplish any feat (physical or mental) if he
believes he can do it. Jaycen also possesses the gift of ancestral communion, the ability to contact the spiritual
world and interact with kindred spiritual energies (ancestors). In other words, through deep meditation Jaycen can
access the spiritual realm as a means of conversing with his forbears in attempt to acquire the knowledge and
wisdom of the ancients. He possesses fully developed occipital and parietal regions of the brain, which control
vision, bodily function and memory. Stored deep within his brain are not just his own memories, but the memories
and experiences of his ancestors. He can tap into what can only be described as an inner-net, a vast internal web
consisting of the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of African people throughout the Diaspora.
Biography: Although much of his past is shrouded in mystery, it is believed that Jaycen was elevated to the
level of demi-god and granted the “gift” of immortality in tribute to his outstanding academic achievements in
the university system of Ancient Kush, and his leadership and heroism on the battlefield in the Imperial Army of
Kush (Medjai Elite Guard). He is guided, down through the ages, by the irresistible force of destiny, and the subtle
push of the Ancestors. He is a child of fate resigned to the fact that he is an instrument of powers much higher
than himself.
Jaycen has waged a one-man war with the jinn beginning in the Golden Ages of Antiquity and carrying on down
through the ages. He is the most hated demonslayer in the annals of jinn lore. He is despised above all others and
his name is a curse amongst the jinn. Instead, he is referred to as The Dark Star, in homage to the legendary black
blade Dark Star that he calls upon to do battle with the forces of darkness.
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- Jaycen Wise
J. August Richards is Luke Cage in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D
Check out this sweet first trailer for Joss Whedon’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D set to debut on abc.
The trailer shows J. August Richards performing superhuman feats and behaving eerily reminiscent of Marvel’s Luke Cage. You may remember we last speculated that he was playing Nick Fury jr. The trailer is very brief but literally whets our appetite for what could come next. Richards is most well known for playing Charles Gunn in Joss Whedon’s Angel and recently played villain “Mr. Blank” in CW’s runaway hit “Arrow”.
What do you guys think? Is J. August Richards playing Luke Cage.?
or some new superhuman with enhanced strength?
More as it breaks!
Avengers (2013) #11 Review
“WAKE THE DRAGON”
As Shang-Chi battles an ancient enemy, the Avengers hang out in Hong Kong’s swankiest casino.
Captain Marvel, Black Widow and Spider-Woman find out it doesn’t pay to gamble in the spy business.
Cannonball and Sunspot play craps with a bunch of AIM Agents. AND WIN!
The Good
Cover- This one looks damn awesome! Shang Chi front and center flanked by Sunspot, Black Widow, Cannonball, Wasp and Spider woman all in Asian inspired garb. As I said before it looks pretty damn awesome! Hickman needs to get this commissioned as a poster because it would surely sell!
Art-Mike Deodato’s art is simply divine! Seamless action scenes, smooth sexy well defined/toned bodies and that close up of Captain Marvel’s eyes was just breath taking.
Humor- Hickman as usual manages to squeeze a bit of humor into the tale by using Sunspot and Cannonball’s drunken shenanigans with the AIM soldiers and Black Widow’s proposal for information gathering and the teams reaction to it.
Team- This month’s mission was an infiltration and information and gathering one. Each member of the team some in pairs decided to go about information gathering in a different way. Cannonball and Sunspot manage to buy themselves some AIM double agents. Black Widow kills everyone much to the dismay of Spider-Woman. Captain Marvel meets Mathias at the black jack table where he cheats her out of massive winnings and reveals he’s in Hong Kong to buy, not to sell. Shang Chi meanwhile meets the mysterious Chimera and his ninjas. He proceeds to kick copious amounts of ass with his new Stark made electric powered nunchaku, oh and he learns exactly the information they were meant to.
Black Heroes- Sunspot is our lucky bloke this issue with Captain Universe and Nightmask taking a break I guess.
The Bad
While I did enjoy this issue it did feel like filler until the next arc began.
The Ugly
Breathtaking art, great sense of humor though this issue was filler. 3.5/5
Uncanny X-force (2013) #4 Review
The first arc comes to a crazy climactic end!
What have Fantomex and Cluster been up to while Bishop has been killing the rest of X-Force?
The Good
Interior Art- The one good thing that elevates a mediocre book to average is the art courtesy of Ron Garney carry the heavy weight of the weak story on its shoulders and man does it rise to the occasion. I particularly like how Garney renders the astral plane/mindscape of Bishop. The bright glowing orange energy that Bishop wields is also quite nice.
Cover- The Alternate cover featuring Storm and Puck is a better visual than the standard but not by much.
Psylocke and Spiral- So a broken Spiral lost her new “reason” for living, Jinny who she assume has been killed by Bishop. While Psylocke hates Spiral for what has been done to her in the past there are parallels that can be drawn between herself and Psylocke. Sure Spiral helped to mix and switch her mind with the Asian assassin Kwonnon thus making her the woman she is now, the process itself was a combination of passing through the seige perilus, magic and technology at it’s very worst. Spiral meanwhile in the human guise of Ricochet Rita was abducted by mojo, driven mad and cybernetically and biologically modified and used by Mojo to do many unspeakable things including but not limited to what was done to Psylocke. In many ways these women are far more similar than they are different. For this reason I think Psylocke faltered in killing Spiral after Jinny was “lost/killed”. One of only two good reasons to read this opening arc is that this issue convincingly paints Spiral as a woman who is worthy of redemption thus justifying her attachment to this team.
Action- Well the story may have lacked any real substance but there was glorious action from start to finish.
Black Hero- Storm is here. Bishop is also here.
The Bad
WTH- Ok so let’s see if I get what has happened in this opening arc. Bishop serves as a “vehicle/vessel” to transport this revenant psychic entity across time so it can take possession of the psychic Jinny to enhance its own powers. Once it has her it vacates Bishop’s body and disappears. So the opening was just that……seriously!
Black Hero- Storm is here but she does nothing worthwhile besides hug Psylocke which is typical of their friendship but arriving at that hug was very forced and unnatural. 
Fantomex- I’m not impressed by what’s being done with Fantomex * 3, it was amusing at the end of the last X-force run but seems inconsequential and pretty damn lame. Wherever this is going, it isn’t there yet and I’m not sure I’m sticking around to find out.
Ninja- They keep referring to Spiral as a Ninja but as far as I can remember she was always a sorceress…..why is she labeled as a ninja all of a sudden? Weird…..
Cover- The Fantomex twins are on this cover look cut and pasted on a bland background. Uncanny X-force is underwhelming me at every step.
The Ugly
Utterly disappointing in almost every area, I had high hopes for this book because it teamed Storm and BFF Psylocke but I’m still waiting for something engaging to happen, something exciting, something remotely interesting to make my heart skip a beat but Uncanny X-force has not lived up to my expectations. Storm fans abandon ship this is not the wind rider we expected or wanted. Psylcoke fans perhaps this may be worth it for you but it’s tragic how average it is 2.5/5
Dusu Valoy
Publisher: Stranger Comics
Created by: Sebastian A. Jones & Christopher Garner
1st appearance: Dusu: Path of the Ancient #1, 2013
Nationality: Ujoan Human
Affiliations: Tribe of the Gathering Wind (Quie Yem Vorkanu)
Legal Status: Single
Height: 6’1″ Weight: 185 pounds
Eyes: Brown Hair: Brown
Relatives: Unknown Birth Parents, Omdar Shem (Adopted Father), Waso Powirre (Adopted Brother)
Skills and Abilities: Dusu is a skilled fighter, though at a basic level, his abilities lag behind those of his brother Waso and the other Galemren. They have a physical advantage and decades of experience, but even the least of the Tribe of the Gathering Wind is formidable when set against outsiders. They have taught Dusu well, and as his powers begin to manifest, he will become truly dangerous.
Powers: Dusu is on the Path of the Ancient. He is becoming an Ancunarim. Ancunarim are beings of great power, blessed by Powisienne, the Father of All and sculptor of the world of Asunda. There is one Ancunarim for each animal species, and Dusu is becoming the avatar of the jaguar. The full extent of his powers is unknown at this point, but they are growing as he continues down the Path. Currently, he has the senses of the jaguar and he can take on some of the animal’s physical characteristics and abilities.
Biography: Dusu is a human who has been raised by Galemren, the wild elves of Asunda. For a human to be found among the Galemren is not just unusual, it is unheard of. When the Galemren found him as a young child, his mother was dead, and he clung to her, his face buried in her breast in an attempt to hide, for he was surrounded by the beasts of the jungle. To the Galemren, this was the way of the wild, and if it was the will of Powisienne that the child sate the hunger of the approaching cat, then they could not interfere.
But as they turned to leave the boy to his fate, something remarkable happened. The cat did not attack. The cat began to lick the boy as a mother does to her cubs, cleaning him as his mother no longer could. The chief of the Galemren knew this to be a sign from Powisienne, and took the boy as his own son.
Now Dusu has become a man, one who has never belonged to the world that adopted him, but neither does he belong to the world he left, for indeed, he is not entirely human either. He is on the Path to something more.
Midnight Tiger #1 Review
In the almost lawless city of Apollo Bay, high school student Gavin Shaw takes on the role as it’s sole protector. The acrobatic Midnight Tiger! Gavin wants nothing more than to release the stranglehold the criminal have on his city, but if he keeps getting in to trouble at school his dad is going to kill him before he even has the chance.
Having lost all hope in the heroes of his world, fate steps in and gives young Gavin Shaw the power to do the things they have not. Only as the teenage hero Midnight Tiger does his city have a chance at redemption.
The Good
Cover-Our brand new hero gets most of the spotlight on this cover with the logo neatly stacked at the top with the names of all the contributors at the bottom. The Midnight Tiger’s costume also gets highlighted under the pale blue hue of the moon. It looks pretty damn cool!
Art- For the most part the art was great. Particularly the action scenes and that costume! I love the costume!
Villains- The issue gets kicked off with a bang as we meet P-Stone an almost dead ringer for Milestone comics Holocaust and Infernus seems like a deliciously psychotic piece of villain pie whose power set will no doubt prove formidable for our hero.
Humor- Ray Anthony Height has a great sense of humor and manages to squeeze it into this tale without it feeling forced. I like!
Character- Gavin is an interesting character. His school life is reminiscent of a young Peter Parker/Spiderman and Static/Virgil Hawkins. There are also allusions to what may have happened to his mother, a recent tragedy no doubt. He also has to deal with living up to his father’s expectations while pretending to be a normal teenager while dealing with crime fighting and school. It’s a winning formula though not wholly original; if Gavin can connect with the teenage boy demographic he’ll have loyal fans for life!
Black Heroes- Apart from Gavin/Midnight Tiger we also have a super powered villain P-Stone. Both look great and bring to mind such great in the black hero pantheon as Static/Virgil Hawkins and Holocaust both created by the late, great Dwayne Mcduffie for the now defunct Milestone comics.
The Bad
Typo- On page 17 there’s a typo. The sentence reads “Do you no remember all the drugs being sold?” unless I’m mistaken it should read “Do you not remember all the drugs being sold?”
Faces- Gavin, his father and his friend from school have weird faces. Something is seriously off; hopefully this can be fixed in upcoming releases.
The Ugly
For a first issue this one is pretty solid. Great costume, action, interesting villains, plenty of potential and a great dose of humanity; the Midnight Tiger by Ray Anthony Height is a must read for Black Superhero fans and a solid addition to superhero mythology. Look out world this Tiger has claws! 4/5
Equinox
Equinox
Real Name: Terrence “Terry” Sorenson
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Created by: Len Wein and Gil Kane
1st appearance: Giant Size Spider-Man #1 (In shadows), Marvel Team Up #23, 1974
Team Affiliations: Vil-Anon
Legal Status: US Citizen with criminal record
Height: 6’ Weight: 200 lbs
Eyes: Brown Hair: Bald
Relatives: David Sorenson (Father, deceased), Margay Sorenson (Mother), Unidentified Wife (Deceased), Janet Sorenson (Daughter)
Skills and abilities: Unknown
Powers: Equinox has the ability in a state of thermodynamic flux to generate both intense heat and cold simultaneously. Whenever he activates his powers waves of both fire and ice coruscate across his skin, these shifts increase his strength to superhuman levels and also allow him to generate flame and ice constructs.
Biography
Terry was the child of two gifted scientists. His father even had a radical theory on thermodynamics that lead to estrangement and loss of work. As a result he began drinking and abusing his wife. Terry and his mother eventually moved out when he was seventeen but as they departed a fire broke out and Terry rushed to his father aid. In the process his father was killed and he was mutated into a creature in constant thermodynamic flux. His mother spent the next few years attempting to cure him and he began stealing whenever money ran short.
As a criminal he fought Spider-man, Iceman and the Human Torch. The unstable natures of his powers lead to bouts of insanity which were eventually stopped when his mother teamed with Spider-man and others to negate his powers.
Equinox then joined Vil-Anon where he learned to control his powers and gave up a life of crime. He started a family but his wife later died. As a single father he learnt his daughter Janet had inherited his powers and caused a series of fires. He attempted o teach her control but to no avail. The Falcon intervened and managed to defeat him and direct him and his daughter to people who could help her control her powers.
During Civil war he opposed registration and landed in the negative zone prison. After the event he joined the Avengers Initiative as a member of “Freedom Force” Montana’s team. Around this time he was abducted by the Skrulls but rescued after Secret Invasion.
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- Equinox
Venom
Venom II
Real Name: Conrad Marcus
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Created by: Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichell
1st appearance: Ultimate Comics Spider-Man Vol 2 #1 (November, 2011)
Nationality: American
Team Affiliations: Unknown
Legal Status: Unknown
Height: Variable Weight: Variable
Eyes: Brown Hair: Black
Relatives: Unknown
Skills and abilities: Trained biochemist.
Powers: Due to wearing a modified version of the Venom suit he has tremendous strength, regenerative abilities, can project prehensile tentacles and has limited shape shifting abilities. This version of venom was also far superior to the original in strength.
Like the original venom he had to devour other living beings to survive.
Biography
Dr. Conrad Marcus was a gifted biochemist working for the Roxxon Corporation. When reporter Betty Brant tracked him down to find information about a dead genetic experimental Spider which had given Miles Morales his abilities he went back to Roxxon and put on the Venom suit. With it he killed Brant and gathered her notes on who the new Spider-man was, Jefferson Davis. He attacked Jefferson and critically wounded him but was defeated by Miles Morales. He followed Jefferson to the hospital where he had a finale showdown with Spider-man. He managed to seemingly devour Spider-man and attacked Rio Morales fatally wounding her in the process. Miles managed to overload the suit stripping him of it just as the police arrived to shoot him dead.
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- Venom II
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