Teamwork is one of the key things you need in life when you are trying to get something accomplished.  Having trust in that team is the only thing you should be focused on no matter what the situation is, if it is to meet a deadline, get everyone helped, or trying to win the big game.  No matter what happens, win or lose, your team is the only thing that will be able to get you to that result and they should always have your back, no matter what.

When Clint Barton and Jessica Drew are sitting in the depths of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s helicarrier working on paper work, Clint gets a bit distracted.  A stunning redhead is running around outside of their post and Clint is curious to what she is doing, but more importantly he wants to know who she is.  Chasing after the one he calls ‘RED’, he is stunned to find out that she is someone as deadly as he is, the Black Widow.  Natasha Romanov is one of the best trained from the Soviets Black Widow program and she has shown it by being able to sneak aboard S.H.I.E.L.D.’s mobile command craft. 

Upon her capture, Commander Hill orders the immediate transfer to the Raft detention facility under the East River to get answers from the intruder.  When arriving to the Raft, Clint and Jessica meet up with Luke Cage, a.k.a., Power Man, to help escort Romanov to her cell.  What the group finds when they reach the inner workings is more than they expected as a prison break was underway.  Captain America, along with young Spiderman were on the outside looking in as energy blasts exited the facility, but with some of the most dangerous individuals making their way to the surface, no one knew who to trust.

Iron Man joined the fight to detain as many as possible, but it was not enough when over forty of the inmates escaped.  Trying to figure out a way to recapture the worst of the worst, the group came up with a plan to reactivate the Avengers.  With Clint being the only one without superpowers being added to the mix was something out of the ordinary, but he was up for the challenge and Jessica Drew (Spider Woman) starting to see her powers come back was great for her and her new teammates. When pinpointing the reason for the breakout, the group traveled to the Savage Land to find and detain Doctor Karl Lykos. But what they find on the island was far worse than they ever expected. 

New Avengers: Breakout follows the Avengers group as they add new members and try to stop evil from taking over.  When Clint Barton (Hawkeye) joins the group of superheroes, he is more than happy, but chasing after the Black Widow has his motives in more than a bind.  Jessica Drew (Spider Woman) gets more than she bargains for as she has affections for Clint, but has to keep her true purpose secret to the group as they encounter some of the most dangerous villains on the planet.  The outsider Peter Parker (Spiderman) has a hard time fitting in with the group as well, being a loner, he has to try to learn to trust others that are in the same situation that he is in.  With S.H.I.E.L.D. overseeing every aspect of the operation, or so they think they are, the New Avengers are faced with the problem of who they can and should really trust…

With my love for the movie The Avengers, I knew that I would not be disappointed with New Avengers: Breakout.  Following how the movie flows along with the comic series, this novel is a hit in my mind.  What author Alisa Kwitney has brought to the page is magical as she is able to take you a bit deeper into what happens between the characters.  Having Clint Barton being torn between his love for the job and a woman that could be his future is for a lesser term marvelous.  With the Avengers getting back together, outside of the regulations sanctioned by S.H.I.E.L.D. is one of the best ways to discover the true intentions of the group.  Having enough faith in those who are leading you is a fine way to work, but having that little bit of distrust in their leadership is the only way to survive.  Happy Reading.

On Sunday October 6th, at the 16th street Mall in Downtown Denver, a photo shoot of epic proportions took place, one that pitted Marvel against DC. This, was the brilliant idea of Steve Howarth; who came up with the idea while attending a DC photo shoot just a few months ago.

The shoot itself was smaller than originally estimated, with less than a hundred people attending, and less than seventy dressing up. However, many attended to merely to take pictures. I had the pleasure of meeting up with Steve after the event and got a chance to sit down and chat with him about it.

"I'd say this was a blaring success. It turned out better than I thought it would. It was amazing." Was the very first thing he said when asked about how it went. He was excited and ecstatic as we talked. Explaining that he wasn't a photographer, that he liked taking pictures for fun. The social aspect of hosting such an event seemed like fun. And it was. Many who attended the event knew at least a few people there (myself included) but by the end of it, everyone had the chance to meet new people and leave with a few new friendships.

Steve's idea was to just have a few friends meet up at 16th street, in costume, and take a few pictures. When the word of this got out, he decided to create the event. It was so successful that "We're going to do another one in December; a Christmas themed Marvel VS DC photo shoot. If we're lucky, we'll get some snow!"

Of course, there was also some discussion of which side was better; Marvel or DC. And many chose their side. While many were adamant about their chosen side, there was a mutual camaraderie about the group; acceptance for all!

The next shoot is already being planned for December. Many who could not attend this event are already planning to clear there schedules for the next one. Steve is positive the next one will have many more attendees than this. He said, just before leaving "I'd like to be able to have us all get together and do this every few months. It's such a fun thing to do, and a great way to stay in touch with fellow comic cosplayers."

With a Christmas themed photo shoot, there's hope of Batman in a Santa hat, and you can't get better than that.

So, which side would you choose? Marvel? DC? Or both? 

My love of comics is in no way as great as my love of film and television.  But don't get me wrong, I do love comics.  In fact, between a heavy dose of Star Trek and Star Wars during my youth, there was one man who I looked up to outside of my father and that man was Superman.  

His story had always left me in awe, and the comics were a great way to enjoy his adventures while I was waiting for the next Christopher Reeve movie to hit the big screen.  Yet while I read comics on a regular basis, I don't often re-read them if you know what I mean.  Usually I get through the story and then move on to the next one, doesn't mean I didn't like it, it simply means that particular one didn't quite stand out enough for me to want to visit it over and over.  But of the many stories out there about the Man of Steel, there is one that I read often; Superman: Peace on Earth.  

The plot for this particular story is simple.  Superman decides that it is high time he take on a greater challenge in the world, feeding the hungry.  The beauty in this, is that we go with him on that journey and it is one of the few times in a comic book that we are given an accurate look of what the world might look like if Superman were a real being.  

There is still starvation abound, awful dictators and the indifferent.  It's terrifying in a way, since we often look to Superman in comic form as the answer to so much.  I won't say much more on his journey in this comic, because it has to be experienced.  With incredible top notch art from Alex Ross, and a story by Paul Dini; Superman:  Peace on Earth is one of the finest stories in Kal-El's long history and one that will stay with you long after you've put it down.  

In fact I often find myself re-reading this comic over any other comic in my collection, because of the beautiful message that it carries.  It reminds us of the value of human life, and that to make the world a better place we have to be better people, and to find that in a comic book is nothing short of spectacular.