Putting the Genie Back in the Bottle, The DC/Marvel All Access 4 Review

 

Wow. That cover. A horrified Access can only gape in abject terror as the X-Men battle the Justice League! It's a return match between Storm and Wonder Woman! That expression on Access' face is just... Wow. 

Access is referee when the teams collide. Superman demands that the X-Men let The Batman go. It's all a tense standstill, until Batman reignites things with Bishop. Then it all cuts loose. Team versus team. Access and Dr. Strange in the middle. Access blinks to keep Ming out of harm's way. 

Then it all comes out. Strange has been taken over by Dr. Strangefate who wants to bring back the Amalgam Universe! He has banished the real Strange, bouncing him from one place to another to keep him from being discovered and rescued. Strangefate manages to Amalgamate the X-Men and Justice League! Access must find a way to return Stephen Strange and restore the separate universes!

It turns out to be a tricky process. Tricky, but successful. 

In the end, Axel ends up with Caitlin Fitzgerald.

DC/Marvel All Access 4, "Savior" wraps it all up for three stars.

Scuffle in the Sanctorum! The DC/Marvel All Access 3 Review

After besting Two-Face, Jubilee and Robin (Tim Drake) are confronted by The Scorpion! Batman arrives and puts the beatdown on the Spider-villain. 

Using a bit of deductive reasoning, Access feels that answers to the mysterious Crossings may lie with Dr. Strange. It takes some doing, however, he manages to convince The Batman to accompany him to New York and Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum.

There, Access and The Batman engage in accusations and finger-pointing. Jubilee returns with the X-Men. Not a Classic line-up, mind you, Cyclops, Iceman, Jean Grey, Bishop and Cannonball. They fight with Batman. As The Dark Knight collects himself, Access himself returns with the Justice League! 

Guice and Rubinstein are back at it on Ron Marz's story. Lee Loughridge on colors; Digital Chameleon on separations. It's a pretty standard issue where hero's face a misunderstanding and end up arguing and fighting until they reach a lightbulb moment of clarity.

That moment may come in the next issue!

What is enjoyable is the diversity and somewhat unpredictability. The Batman and Dr. Strange? X-Men versus Justice League? The Batman spies The Black Cat?

This is what fans long for.

DC/Marvel All Access 3 earns three stars.

Young Heroes in Love The DC/Marvel All Access 2 Review

 

Ah, young love.

That Guice cover of swingers, Robin and Jubilee is just so sweet, innocent and cute. Whatever could possibly stand in the way of these two young heroes in love?

Having set the separate universes right again, Axel Asher enjoys a carriage ride in the park with his Marvel Universe girlfriend, Ming. Until Jubilee and Generation X show up. Jubilee has tracked Axel down in order to plead with him to use his Access powers for a chance to meet Robin (Tim Drake) one more time. They didn't get a chance to say goodbye after the events of DC Versus Marvel/Marvel Versus DC. Jubilee has a crush on The Boy Wonder and really wants to see him again. In return, she'll make it up to Axel by fixing things with Ming. Jealous Ming.

Against everything he should be about, the whole keeping the two universes separate, Access agrees to cross Jubilee over to hook-up with Robin. What could possibly go wrong?

Access is overpowered by Two-Face! Using the same gimmick that Robin used to beat Jubilee, the pair outsmart and overpower Dent. After that, they're confronted by The Scorpion!

Guice gets support from Joe Rubinstein on finishes and Lee Loughridge on colors. The look is a lot less over-the-top, so to speak. It all looks smooth. Even with a wonky premise, the story plays out pretty well. It's a fun romp.

DC/Marvel All Access earns three stars.    

Between a Rock and a Hard Place The DC/Marvel: All Access 1 Review

 

Ordinarily, I'm a fan of "Butch" Guice. I enjoyed his art for Wally West as The Flash after Crisis on Infinite Earths. I liked his work on Ruse. I'm somewhat familiar with his work on Justice League and "The Death of Superman" storyline...

There's just something about his art on DC/Marvel: All Access that just feels like a square peg in a round hole. Maybe it starts with the cover. Guice has Access in a "Hero or Villain?", quite menacing pose. Access looks angry! He looks unfriendly! Like perhaps, Monarch - when the former Hawk, of Hawk and Dove went rogue and sent the DC Universe reeling through a "Crisis in Time"! Surrounded by DC and Marvel Comics' heavy hitters, Access is leading the charge! It's a cool cover, but somewhat off-putting. Yes, just who is this new character, Access? What powers does he wield? What control? What does he have to do with the best, brightest and finest of two universes?

That question can only be answered by reading, nay, investing, in the story!

Axel Asher, Access, is late AGAIN meeting his Marvel Universe girlfriend, Ming. This is kind of the standard hero trope. Axel, like Peter Parker and Barry Allen is the Everyman, the good guy off doing good things, on his own, saving the Universe and THAT's getting in the way of his social life. He can't commit because he's already committed to The Good Fight. Guice carries Ron Marz's story. The seizure that Axel has looks a lot more painful than Spider-Sense. Messy, too. Axel senses that Venom has crossed over to Metropolis and has to run off to fix that. One would think that Superman could handle Venom, however, one would guess amiss. Only the combined teamwork of Superman AND Spider-Man, is Venom overcome. And while in Metropolis, Access manages to rescue a fair damsel in distress. One Caitlin Fitzgerald, "Fitz" for short. 

After Superman, Spider-Man and Access stop Venom, Axel returns the webslinger and his archfoe to the Marvel Universe. Where, Doctor Stephen Strange notices... "it begins!"

Venom is an interesting choice. Not an "A-List" bad guy. Also interesting is the ongoing cliche of the hero late for a date, and relationship issues. Guice's art is decent, except that it just seems over-the-top, especially showing Access reacting to a Crossing.

DC/Marvel All Access earns three stars.