Fear Itself: The Fearless

Fear Itself #20

by Cullen Bunn, Matt Fraction, Christopher Yost

When Fear Itself is over, the hunt is on! Mystical hammers lay strewn across the entire Marvel Universe and it is Valkyrie's mission to find them, no matter what the cost, and no matter who stands in her way...even if it's Captain America & the Avengers!

COLLECTING:

FEAR ITSELF: THE FEARLESS 1-12

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book, Superheroes, Science Fiction

280 pages, Hardcover

First published May 30, 2012

About the author

Cullen grew up in rural North Carolina, but now lives in the St. Louis area with his wife Cindy and his son Jackson. His noir/horror comic (and first collaboration with Brian Hurtt), The Damned, was published in 2007 by Oni Press. The follow-up, The Damned: Prodigal Sons, was released in 2008. In addition to The Sixth Gun, his current projects include Crooked Hills, a middle reader horror prose series from Evileye Books; The Tooth, an original graphic novel from Oni Press; and various work for Marvel and DC. Somewhere along the way, Cullen founded Undaunted Press and edited the critically acclaimed small press horror magazine, Whispers from the Shattered Forum.

All writers must pay their dues, and Cullen has worked various odd jobs, including Alien Autopsy Specialist, Rodeo Clown, Professional Wrestler Manager, and Sasquatch Wrangler.

And, yes, he has fought for his life against mountain lions and he did perform on stage as the World's Youngest Hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime, and he'll tell you all about it.

Visit his website at www.cullenbunn.com.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very strong follow-up to FEAR ITSELF.

This hit all of my sweet spots: A massive, self-contained (Mainly) story, an underused lead character finally getting an in-depth exploration, great art, cameos and guest-stars galore, everyone acted in-character (Except for Hellstrom...what was up with that...?), there were werewolves, vampires, a Dire Wraith (!!!), Nazis, the undead, demons, monsters, Crossbones (One of my favorite Marvel villains)...this book had it all.

The story was exceptionally well-told, and if it peters out in the end by becoming a big slugfest....Unfortunately, that was about what I expected. Not that the end ruined the book. Far from it. It just didn't live up to what had come before.

If you're a Marvel fan looking for a fun romp through the Marvel Universe, FEAR ITSELF: THE FEARLESS will probably scratch your itch.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This turned out to be a pretty fun super hero romp. Valkyrie is on a quest to recover the hammers from Fear Itself, but she has to get to them first before Sin. Lots of guest stars from various other Marvel characters, which helps raise the stakes a bit. I ignored this when it first came out, seems like I might have been wrong to.

[The Sapphic Nerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is needlessly confusing with the abundance of flashbacks. It's an okay book but not one I'd recommend unless you're a fan of Valkyrie. Brunnhilde is the reason I read this. She's cool, but unfortunately, she doesn't wow. (If Marguerite Bennett could write Valkyrie the way she does Angela in Angela: Queen of Hel that'd be awesome!)

I'm not a fan of the art style used...

The end leads into the Fearless Defenders series, which I love - so bonus!

[Ondra Král · Rating 3 out of 5]

Epilog k Fear Itself. Cullen Bun. Meh Valkýra v hlavní roli... čekal jsem průšvih. Překvapivě to bylo docela fajn a takhle nějak bych si představoval příběh s kameny nekonečna. Po FI chce Valkýra sesbírat všechna kouzelná kladiva a schovat je do různých severských světů, což se nelíbí Capovi ani záporákům. A tak začíná závod, kdy se každej mlátí s každým a končí to velkým bossfightem. Základní pláštěnková šablona a dobře udělaný řemeslo, já už přece jen chci něco trochu víc.

Mínusy
- Valkýra sama to úplně neutáhne, 12 sešitů je moc
- Když si vzpomenu, jakej bordel kladiva napáchaly ve FI, jsou ukrytá na hodně hloupých místech (vězení plné superpadouchů? vážně?)
- Až moc artefaktů, začne to být ohrané
- Snaha narvat do 12 sešitů celej Marvel

Za mě jen 2,5*, nováčci u supráků budou ale nadšení

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

What happens to the MacGuffins after the MacGuffin Crossover is over? A MacGuffin quest! Though I put it lightly, I think it's kind of cool to continue focusing on the hammers after the Fear Itself crossover is over. I was also quite surprised to discover that this effectively a 12-issue Valkyrie solo series, as I would never have expected her to carry a series of her own ... but she's perfect for a Fear Itself follow-up.

And, Val is absolutely the best thing in The Fearless. Cullen paints a great picture of his character through flashbacks, some butt kicking, and a life-changing decision. And the Fear Itself follow-up is good too, though I suspect this is the last time we'll ever hear about the Serpent and his hammers.

Unfortunately, the actual plot of The Fearless is more meh. The 9-issue MacGuffin quest is just an excuse to tour the highlights of the Marvel Universe, and that's rather transparent. Then we got 3 issues of fighting with some character development along the way. It's a bit disappointing with The Fearless having some a strong foundation.

[Silas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reasonably good continuation of Fear Itself. It didn't affect me quite as much as its precursor, but it was a fairly enjoyable romp through the various areas of the Marvel Universe, and featured some interesting turns. Overall, it was fun, but not terribly memorable.

[Tomás Sendarrubias García · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pues igual que en esta relectura de material comiquero que estoy haciendo me estoy llevando alguna sorpresa negativa, es cierto que en el caso de Miedo Encarnado: El Día Siguiente (así se tradujo el título en España) la sorpresa ha sido muy positiva, y es que apenas recordaba nada de esta historia (con lo cual entiendo que no me gustó mucho en aquel momento), pero esta relectura me ha dejado bastante satisfecho.

El Día Siguiente arranca... pues eso, precisamente, el día siguiente de la resolución de Miedo Encarnado, con los héroes haciendo balance de bajas y pérdidas. Se ha derrotado a la Serpiente, pero aún queda el tema pendiente de qué hacer con los martillos que había entregado a sus seguidores, cargados de magia asgardiana y repartidos por el mundo. Valquiria, un personaje secundario que habitualmente había formado parte de los Defensores y que en esos momentos formaba parte de los Vengadores Secretos, quiere partir en su búsqueda para devolverlos a Asgard, pero el Capi se opone, de modo que ella desobedece al Capitán América y comienza por su cuenta la búsqueda de los martillos... pero Pecado, la hija de Cráneo Rojo, aun con los conocimientos que el espíritu de Skadi le había imbuido, inicia su propia búsqueda, acompañada de su fiel secuaz, Calavera, y del DAO, un grupo de criaturas de lo más extraño que habían tenido su origen miles de años atrás en la colección de los Cazadores de Vampiros, surgida después del crossover noventero "El Alzamiento de los Hijos de la Medianoche", y protagonizada por Blade, Frank Drake y Hannibal King. Así que Valquiria iniciará una carrera contra reloj para conseguir los martillos, recorriendo el mundo mientras Pecado hace lo mismo por otro lado, y entra ambas, podemos ver a todo el Universo Marvel. El Edificio Baxter de la Fundación Futuro, Utopía, Atlantis, París... y por supuesto, tenemos aquí a docenas de personajes: todos los equipos de Vengadores, la Fundación Futuro, la Patrulla-X, Namor, hasta los vampiros de Kaizo que habían desaparecido después de los X-Men de Gischler.

Y es que Cullen Bunn, el escritor principal, debió realizar todo un gran trabajo de documentación y de puesta a punto del Universo Marvel. Y digo escritor principal porque con él colaborarían en los argumentos Matt Fraction y Cristopher Yost. El dibujo también está muy bien llevado, pues se decidieron por dos dibujantes diferentes pero al tiempo similares, Paul Pelletier para las partes de Pecado, y Mark Bagley para las protagonizadas por Valquiria.

En fin, la verdad es que ha sido toda una sorpresa en positivo.

[Scott Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice to see some additional character development for Valkyrie; otherwise, a fairly ho-hum followup to the larger Fear Itself event. In theory the events depicted in this are as Earth-shattering as the ones in Fear Itself, but they aren't made to feel that way. Ah well, crossover add-ons can't really be as big as the main event, I suppose.

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

the first eight or nine issues were the strongest written.
I really like Valkyrie getting some limelight.

art was great by both, pelletier is a great artist!

I like that a lesser used character was used to tie up dangling threads from a big event abd ir makes sense as valkyrie is an asgardian.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hope you really like Valkyrie

[Will Fenton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending was a bit anti-climactic, but overall it was a pretty cool story.

[Joel Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid Valkyrie story with equally solid art.

[Silver · Rating 4 out of 5]

A badass epilogue to the Fear Itself story :D

[John Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story was action packed and definitely made me a Valkyrie fan.

[J'aime · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Fear Itself. It wasn't as good as previous crossover events like Civil War or Siege, but it was enjoyable. And I love reading about the aftermath of events. So, I was a bit surprised to be underwhelmed by Fearless - it felt like a retread.

After the Serpent is defeated, the 8 hammers of the worthy were collected and hidden by our heroes. Valkyrie was instructed by Odin to collect the hammers, only the Avengers are opposed to this. Captain America, justifiably, feels that the whole event was Asgard's fault and that Odin abandoned Earth to its fate rather than fight with them. The hammers should remain in Earth's custody. Naturally, Valkyrie proceeds to collect the hammers anyway - battling the heroes who are guarding them. Interspersed with this are flashbacks to Valkyrie's past, which helped develop her character and flesh out her story arc. I love Valkyrie, and this should have been a great read with her at the forefront. However, she is not the only one after the hammers. Recently escaped Sin is also after them.

This is where the story seriously faltered. Sin was the instrument that brought about Fear Itself; she was the first of the worthy. And honestly, she's just not that good a villain to begin with. Red Skull's daughter is nothing more than a female version of him. Been there, done that (better). Added onto that, we just had Fear Itself so to have her causing almost the same strife again felt like a retread. Didn't we do this already and defeat Fear?

I really enjoyed Valkyrie's mission and her interaction with the various heroes and Aesir. We learn that she is tired, so very tired and just wants to stop the endless cycle of death/rebirth and be in Valhalla. So, her motivation makes sense. And her battles are epic, especially her one on one against Storm. But, the whole reason for this battles is weak. Valkyrie has a very good reason for collecting the hammers. A reason that if she had simply told Cap, he would have agreed and even helped her! This was somewhat dissatisfying. The book closes with a set-up for Valkyrie's future Marvel Now title, Fearless Defenders. I like her character and the idea has promise so I'll definitely pick up the new series.

Overall, I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I had waited a long while after Fear Itself before reading it. I think those who haven't read Fear Itself, or didn't like it, may still enjoy this. And, the hardcover collection is an excellent value with a lot of content. Cautiously recommended.

[P Fosten · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to honestly critique this book because of the ending (Which cost it an extra star). This story deals with Valkyrie and Red Skull/Sin/Skadi's parallel quests to recover the hammers of the Worthy from the Fear Itself main series. Valkyrie is looking to close out her final obligation to Odin and send the hammers beyond mortal reach. There is more to that part than meets the eye but I won't spoil it here. Sin is chasing the power to destroy the world. Both end up clashing with heroes before an epic final confrontation. Art is by Mark Bagley and Paul Pelletier. Occasionally the inking doesn't do Bagley's pencils any favours but on the whole it's still solid work from him. Pelletier is a favourite of mine and nothing here changes my opinion that he's a great artist who's earned higher profile work.
Script by Bunn, Fraction and Yost is good and the story is entertaining.

But then there is that ending. What I disliked most about the ending to Fear Itself was the fact it didn't draw a line under it but just trailed the continuation of all the threads in other books and pretty much the same thing happens here. And it's irritating, especially twice under the same banner. Yes, characters continue on elsewhere and plot lines aren't tied neatly in a bow. But this is a mini series spinning out of another mini series. I need some closure at some point.

That aside it's worth a read.

[Judah Radd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out my interview with writer Cullen Bunn here: https://youtu.be/7V1aFB6KyMw

Pure, epic badassery of the highest order!

Man!! I ate this up. It’s a Valkyrie story, but it spans the entire Marvel superhero world. It’s so chock full of great moments. Wolverine gets the drop on Crossbones, Namor fights Sin, Captain and Tony, Hawkeye, and mothafuckin Storm... everyone gets a chance to shine.

Even though this is sort of a spinoff event, it’s better than Fear Itself.

The story is well paced, constantly developing, rarely lingering, and consistently stocked with payoff after payoff. It’s the best Brunnhilde action I’ve ever seen.

The art is spot on. The violence is bloody and exciting.

This is one you really don’t want to miss.

[Davy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found't it a great aftermath of Fear Itsels. Two main characters: Sin and Valkyrie are searching for the 8 fallen hammers of the Serpent's Worthy. Sin get's help from her boyfriend Crossbones and the DOA (a demonlike secret society, connected to the nazi's from WWII). Valkyrie is on her and has to fight everybody: vampires, the Thing, Emma Frost, Storm even the Secret Avengers. Sin wants to have power of the hammers to awaken the Sleeper, a warrior hidden by the Serpent. Valkyrie wants to have the hammers so she can fullfill her historic duty and become mortal again. Both collect 4 hammers in seperate ways and then off course, one will have them all, all have to make sacrifices....

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whilst the final third of this mini-series is very interesting and much more enjoyable, the first two thirds are basically a whistle-stop tour of the Marvel Universe with Valkyrie/Sin punching people. It's not a bad mini-series by any stretch of the imagination, but it isn't really that important either - I would like to know what's going to happen with Valkyrie and the DOA after the ending of the series though. Artistically, Pelletier and Bagley work well together, and it's only certain places where you can tell the pair apart.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much better than the 'Fear Itself ' story. Story is well paced and continually moves forward as Odin's Valkyrie Brunnhilde is tasked with retrieving the Serpent's Hammers to prevent them from ever being used again. The Avengers no longer trust Odin to do the right thing, so they attempt to claim the Hammers for their own piece of mind. The Red Skull's daughter, Sin, has yet to give up her quest for the Hammers, and even though they are currently powerless, Sin knows of another way they can create the havoc, death and destruction that she so craves.
Mark Bagley's art is excellent as always.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this much better than the actual event, Fear Itself. The lead Val (I know I'm going to spell Valkayrie wrong) was great, it was good to get flashbacks from her past to really give her depth and understand where she was coming from. And so she doesn't end up staying with her one true love in Valhalla - and it's like so what? Her choice and she doesn't seem that torn apart from it. I like where the ending is going as well, would love to see who she chooses (if that happens, I haven't investigated that as of yet).

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been wanting to read this story since I heard about Cullen Bunn's upcoming new Marvel NOW! title, the Fearless Defenders. This arc sets the scene quite well, I think. Valkyrie is an awesome character and seeing her matched up against Storm was hilariously epic. I still don't know enough (anything) about future co-captain Misty Knight but the search for eight new shieldmaidens from the ranks of Midgard's heroines is a story I can't wait to read!

[Alex Sarll]

Superfluous 12-issue epilogue to a crossover which wasn't much good in the first place. That can work if you take a radically different angle on proceedings (cf Journey into Mystery's second and third volumes), but this is just more Sin, more big smackdowns, and more of those wretched hammers. On the plus side, it does mean they basically managed a 12-issue Valkyrie solo series, without (covers excepted) even getting too T&A about it.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cool super hero stuff. Nothing mind-blowing or original but fun and the plot was decent. I've always been a sucker for fights where there are a bunch of heroes at the same time and this doesn't disappoint in that area.

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Epica miniserie di gran lunga superiore al crossover estivo di cui é il seguito e da cui prende il titolo. Da leggere.

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The valkyrie named her pegasus Aragorn. That's all I have to say on the matter. Oh wait, also: Sin totally creeps me out, but Sin kissing someone will be forever burned into my brain. Just...eww.

[Danny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not much for vampires and other undead characters so a lot of the book was lost on my but I really liked fear itself and this was a good follow up storyline.