Category Archives: Purchases

Comic Book Weekly Reviews – 9/28/11

Posted on by

I’ve already posted reviews for the DC comics that came out, but here’s everything else.

American Vampire #19 – I guess this could be subtitled “the origin of Skinner Sweet.”  I think we’ll finally learn how he became a vampire by the end of it.  But so far, we’re thrown into the Civil War, the American war with the Indians and get to learn a lot about Sweet and his history.  An interesting start to the new arc.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Annihilators: Earthfall #1 – The Annihilators still have the Universal Church to deal with which has now splintered into two factions fighting each other.  That leads them to Earth which gets noticed by a whole lot of folks.  A bunch of aliens beating up humans doesn’t go over too well.  Hopefully there’ll be more than fighting to this four issue limited series.  The Rocket Racoon and Groot story is entertaining, but not enough to put this issue over the top.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

Avengers Academy #19 – The battle with Absorbing Man and Titania comes to an end with very uneven art and a story I shrug my shoulders about.  I don’t understand the praise over the series.

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

Astonishing X-Men #42 – The battle with the Brood is over and there’s so much wrong here.  Storm goes from being infected to not in one panel, there’s a lot of sappy foreshadowing.  This series is anything but astonishing.

Story: 6.5 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.5

Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive #523.1 – An ok issue, that unfortunately again puts women in danger to get at the hero.  An all too easy plot device.  There’s a lot I liked, and a lot I didn’t (replacing bullets!?).  Not the best of the series and definitely not a good point one.  Also, following this with an event issue just isn’t smart planning.

Story: 7 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.25

Brilliant #1 – The latest from Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley asks the question, “what if super powers were real?”  There’s some promise here, but the first issue doesn’t hook me like it should have.  I also can’t help but think I’ve seen this all before.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

Captain America & Bucky #622 – Bucky takes center stage as he has to deal with the fact he’s the only person without power.  The Invaders get captured and he has to rush to their aid.  The series has been fun so far with solid art.  It’s nice it gives a look into Bucky’s early years without have to retcon a bunch of stories.  So far so good.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Fear Itself: Hulk vs. Dracula #2 – Two issues in and all this is, is one big fight scene between the Hulk and Vampires.  So far it adds little to the great Fear Itself storyline and the fact it’s release schedule is compressed makes me think this was a last minute thing or extremely late.  While not horrible in any way, I struggle to think of a reason one should buy it other than being a completist.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7 Overall: 6.75

Fear Itself: The Deep #4 – The series itself was blah, but that’s what’s known as foreshadowing.  It’s clear we’ll see a lot of these characters in the new Defenders series that will sure start.  Whether that’ll be better, that remains to be seen, but if it’s not, I don’t see it lasting long.

Story: 6.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

FF #9 – The Inhuman’s whip some ass and with one issue Black Bolt is back and just dominates.  The way he dismisses everyone just is so bad ass.  A great issue that continues the problem with the Reed Richards’.  There’s also something with Valeria that’s up and who knows where that’s going.  A great continuation of a fantastic series.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Incorruptible #22 – Max Damage continues to do his thing to try to clean up his act as a new villain comes on the scene.  Plutonian also decides to show up, which should be interesting in the next issue.  Not the best of the series, but it’s a fun series overall.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Iron Man 2.0 #9 – The Palmer Addley story continues as we finally learn how he’s “survived.”  It’s an interesting issue and a lot I liked, but a bunch I had some issues with.  It’s unfortunate in that the series had a lot of momentum and then got derailed by Fear Itself.  If this was a straight story, without the break, it’d of been much better, but Marvel f-ed this up and a few other series with the distraction.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Journey Into Mystery #628 – Loki leads the troops against the Serpent in hell.  It’s interesting, but not quite sure exactly what’s going on.  I like it, but I’m confused about it all.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75

Kick-Ass 2 #4 – For all of the talk about how women are treated and portrayed in comics, how did this not cause more of an uproar?  The comic is violent porn and the fact there isn’t an outcry over the rape of a teenage girl, the killing of small children and the murder of god knows how many cops makes me question the recent outcry.  But, onto the comic, it’s pure violence, with a lot of holy shit moments.  I’m a bit torn because it’s so over the top, but like a Tarantino movie, there’s something entertaining about it.

Story: 6 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.25

The Mighty Thor #6 – Not a bad ending to the battle with Galactus, but the issue remains as to when this takes place?  It can’t be post Fear Itself, then there’s the Silver Surfer’s involvement with the Annihilators.  It doesn’t exactly add up and for this Marvel fan, it bothers me.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 7.75

The New Avengers #16.1 – Why did this have to be a point one issue?  There’s some good stuff here but the story telling and art are just off from the regular series.  If the point ones are supposed to not be just jumping on points but also get folks interested in a series, I just don’t see this doing that.

Story: 7 Art: 6.75 Overall: 7

New Mutants #31 – I don’t know what it is, but these Fear Itself tie-ins are so bad.  The story here is pointless other than a big fight, the art is horrible too.  I liked some of the page layouts, but it’s not enough to make is enjoyable.

Story: 6 Art: 6 Overall: 6

Rachel Rising #2 – WTF!?  That ending was so disturbing for so many reasons.  This is such a creepy horror comic….

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Secret Avengers #17 – Warren Ellis took over the series I was expecting some big explosions and master story telling.  We’ve had to self contained issues for his first two issues and neither were all that good.  The art isn’t quite up to snuff and the plot is ho-hum.  It’s like the comic is treading water until Fear Itself is done.

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #2 – I can’t say I like how a story that took one issue to tell in the 1960’s will be dragged out for four or five issues, but the pacing and how things unfold are still solid.  There’s some great touches that really updates the Spider-Man mythos for the modern world wrapping in technology and discussions of tolerance.  Even the stereotypical chat about “responsibility” is updated.  This is Spider-Man for a new millennium and that has to do with more than just his skin color.

Story: 8 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

Ultimate Comics Ultimates #2 – Well that got a bit complicated quickly.  I think the pacing was very off in the issue cramming in too much for a new reader, but it’s theme of technology and progress killing myth and god is very intriguing.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75

Venom #7 – A bit torn on the issue, it’s easy to dismiss it as a tie-in for yet another event, but there’s a lot of focus on Flash and his connection to Venom.  It’s very subtle but it’s there.  Instead of asking Anti-Venom to come with him, he attacks, there’s then a scene with him and his father.  It’s two parts of a comic that’s really a focus on a character and the demons that lie within.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7 Overall: 7.25

Wolverine #16 – The fallout of Wolverine finding himself after killing his children continues, but I can’t help feel like I’ve read this exact same story before….

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

X-Men: Legacy #256 – It’s great to see these characters back, but the story is boring and the art atrocious.  Spinning wheels until the shake up is all I have to say really.

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

Comic Book Weekly Reviews – 9/28/11 DCnU Week 4

Posted on by

It’s the final week of DC releases.  Out of the final batch, what’s worth it?  What won’t I be picking up a second issue?  Find out below.

All-Star Western #1 – Wow, a very impressive start.  Personally, I’m iffy on westerns. I either really enjoy them or downright hate them.  Jonah Hex is a character I’ve had little interaction with.  I saw the movie (horrible), read some of the comics (most pretty good).  I went into this only knowing it involved him and not what else to expect.  Taking place in Gotham, the story is a straight rip of Jack the Ripper, nothing too original, but it’s really good.  At Hex’s side is a young Arkham who studies not just the killer, but Hex, giving a very interesting point of view.  A solid comic that I’m afraid too many people will overlook from the title and it’s price.

Story: 9 Art: 8.25 Overall: 9

Aquaman #1 – It’s funny, I went into reading this what that “Aquaman is a joke character” in the back of my head.  The issue heads that off and just outright addresses that.  You can’t help but feel bad for the character when reading this and coming through a comic having an emotional response is impressive.  This issue just knocks it out of the park, and is up there as being one of the best of the new DCU.

Story: 10 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.75

Batman: The Dark Knight #1 – The art is the draw here as it plays a bit and crosses over with the other Bat titles.  It’s anarchy at Arkham as a jail break ensues.  The story is ok, but it’s the art that’s the draw.  Some amazing work here visually.  It seems out of all of the groups of titles, the three Bat titles is pretty impressive.

Story: 8.5 Art: 10 Overall: 8.75

Blackhawks #1 – Out of the two “war” comics it looks like this one will be the one to survive.  The story looks like it focuses on a UN military organization that’s supposed to be covert.  They’re around for?  Not quite sure, that’s not answered.  But, there’s a lot of talk about threats from nanites and some solid characters.  It’s an entertaining comic, definitely enough to check out the second issue.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

The Flash #1 – I loved the previous volume of The Flash.  Not being a fan before it drew me into the character and got me interested.  This latest volume has the same fun feel to it and the same amazing art.  The Flash was a key figure in the previous DCU and I’d expect him to be so in this one too.  A very fun series that has as much energy and speed to it as it’s main character.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

The Fury of the Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #1 – A slightly different take on Firestorm gives us a interesting story involving how the particle that created the character would really affect the world and why the two individuals who make him up would dislike each other.  The first issue is all set up focused heavily on the characters with some action thrown in there and that’s exactly what you’d expect from a comic written by Gail Simone.

Story: 8 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8

Green Lantern: New Guardians #1 – Kyle Rayner gets the focus here as it seems this series will really look at the various Corps. that exist.  For some reason rings are leaving their users and heading to an unknown destination.  The story is interesting if you’re a Green Lantern fan, but I can see everyone else not caring much.  Definitely enough to get me to come back for a second issue.

Story: 8 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

I, Vampire #1 – Read the full review here.

Justice League Dark #1 – A very interesting first issue that’s high points is the small details that’s added through out.  Overall, it’s an interesting concept, but screams of an attempt to merge the feel of a Vertigo comic with the DCU.  It’s a cool concept so far and those small details were so good, I’ll be back for the second issue.

Story: 8.25 Art: 7.75 Overall: 8

The Savage Hawkman #1 – Gone is the talk of cycles of life and love, instead we’re stripped down to Carter Hall, a man who struggles with the fact he’s Hawkman.  Again, we have a comic that focuses as much on the character as it does the character and impressively, makes me interested in a character who I’ve only disliked in the past.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Superman #1 – Clark Kent and Superman as a brooding/emo uninteresting character.  The first issue of the series seems to have focused more on The Daily Planet than Superman himself.  The threat too was a bit of a let down.  It seems that even after the reboot, Superman might still be struggling.

Story: 7 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7

Teen Titans #1 – I got a X-Men vibe from this series that sees a shady government organization tracking down teenage metahumans.  That gets Red Robin to spring into action to get them together.  It’s a been there, done that story, but the character interaction so far is interesting and there’s the thing with Superboy that has me wondering what the hell it’s all about.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Voodoo #1 – More focus will be on the fact that Voodoo is a stripper than the more important bits about the story.  With recent issues with DC towards women, unfortunately Ron Marz has the bad draw of his comic coming out after that.  The story is interesting involving an alien invasion, but it has two strong female leads.  One is Voodoo, who is more than she seems and the other is an agent tracking her that shows she’s tough and not to be messed with.  It’s a comic with some great art and a lot of solid moments.  I’m sure many will overlook it and for all the wrong reasons and that’s a shame.  There’s a lot of layers here with what can be interpreted as commentary over the whole DC and women mess and about the comic book reading audience themselves.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Comic Book Weekly Reviews – 9/21/11

Posted on by

It’s the third week of DC’s reboot which I reviewed on Friday.  There’s also some great indie books and Marvel’s Fear Itself continues.  What’s worth it?  Find out below.

A Game of Thrones #1 – The debut of the comic series based on George R.R. Martin’s popular books reads like an adaptation of the television series that spun from the books.  But sanitize the television show a bit.  It’s only the first issue, so it’s hard to tell if that’s just this particular issue, or overall.  I watched the tv series and enjoyed it, but had trouble following the vast cast and propensity to rattle off names, that happens here too.  The comic is decent though, and might help me understand exactly what I watched.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5

Avengers #17 – The Avengers take on Sin/Red Skull just after Avenger’s Tower fell.  This really is just one small part of the bigger picture and while it adds a little to Fear Itself, it’s a pretty flimsy issue by itself.  It looks like we get to move on from Marvel’s epic event disaster as the team gets shaken up once again.

Story: 7 Art: 8 Overall: 7.25

Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #7 – So we get a big more of the reasoning as to why Wanda went nuts, killed a bunch of Avengers and almost the entire Mutant race.  The reason given comes off as a bit of a cop-out and retcon, but it’s enough to move the story forward.  The big point here is the fall out between the X-Men and Avengers and I’m sure what will be the big event for 2012.  My problem with the series is it doesn’t jive with some other series, like Wonder Man who recently attacked the Avengers and you have Doom helping the FF.  Delays in the series I’m sure haven’t helped in that department.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

The Bionic Man #2 – The story picks up a bit as we learn more about the bad guys Steve Austin will be up again and the fallout from his crash starts.  It’s a slow start overall, but the series is top notch so far and it looks like Kevin Smith will do for the Bionic Man what he did for the Green Hornet, bring him into modern times.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Captain America #3 – The plan is a bit convoluted, but really fun.  Cap fights an 18 foot robot version of himself while Sharon Carter takes on Baron Zemo, which seems really out of place.  Not quite as good as the first two issues, but still a lot of fun with amazing art.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8

Daredevil #4 – The vast majority of this fourth issue focuses on Murdock and his new law practice.  It’s a nice and slow pace that show off the human side of the character and gives us a good idea of where he stands with that.  At the end of the issue we get the beginning of the next arc which seems like it could be interesting.  Mark Waid as usual has put together a comic that breathes new life into Daredevil and puts his series dead center as one of Marvel’s top comic books like it should be.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

DMZ #69 – The post war tour of New York continues as we get to see the ramifications of the war and how some of the people are dealing with the peace.  It’s also beginning to sink in for Matty as to what he’s really done and the weight of what he’s experienced starts to rest on his shoulders.  It’s a shame the series is ending but Woods is putting a fantastic end-cap on it all.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Fables #109 – The story in Oz continues and I have no idea where that’s going, but more importantly who will be the next King of the North Winds?  The cubs are put through trials to figure out which should take over the mantel as we learn about a prediction concerning their futures.  It’s interesting to see where the series goes post Mr. Dark and there’s so much right now, it’s impressive it’s all being kept together so smoothly.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.25

Fear Itself: Fearsome Four #4 – Wow, just so bad, and why did I keep up with it?  Another pointless offshoot of Fear Itself that added nothing to the greater storyline.  Man-Thing was alson in Thunderbolts where he was handled much better.  This, just was a money grab.

Story: 6 Art: 7 Overall: 6.25

Fear Itself: The Home Front #6 – A mix of serious and silly, only the story featuring Speedball will likely have long term impact.  It’s an ok issue, but forgettable and not really worth it in the end.

Story: 6.5 Art: 7 Overall: 6.5

Fear Itself: Youth in Revolt #5 – Out of all of the limited series and tie-ins, this one looks like it’ll be the most important and have the longest impact.  Vegas is still shaking as the heroes rush to save survivors.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8 Overall: 7.75

Generation Hope #11 – A Sentinel is bearing down on Utopia in an issue that doesn’t make much sense unless you’re also reading Schism.  There’s some great internal conflict here and arguments that’s just leading up to what’s coming next.  The series is finally getting it’s own legs and finding it’s voice, and here’s hoping that post Schism it continues with that.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8

Green Hornet #18 – We get the full scoop on Redhand and his dislike of the Katos.  It’s a simple story but still very entertaining.  The plot overall for this arc is simple, but it introduces a good villain for them all and the action is entertaining.  Some of the art is a little off in the proportions and contortions, but it’s not too distracting.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.75

Heroes for Hire #12 – The series took a nasty detour due to Fear Itself, but it’s back to form as we dive right back into the Hook plotline.  Even taking a break, the series goes right back into form with pure entertainment that acts like a 70s C-grade movie.  Fun, entertaining, a great read.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Invincible Iron Man #508 – Stark continues his issues in Asgard as the battle rages in France.  The art is great as expected, but this isn’t a story, it’s on part of a longer arc.  On it’s own, it’s not much, but is fun as part of the whole.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 7.5

Marvel Universe vs. Wolverine #4 – There’s a few scenes in here that are awesome and that ending is fantastic.  As far as final issues, this one actually ends better than the series as a whole was.  The fourth issue packs a hell of a punch and is filled with awesome moments.  Beyond solid.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 – We learn more about the Turtle’s origins as Raphael meets Casey Jones.  The series has a nice mix between the dark gritty feel of the original series and some of the more modern takes on the property.  It’s perfect for old and new fans alike.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Thunderbolts #163.1 – This point one issue does exactly what it should do, give you a good history of the series and where they’re at right now.  In this case we see enough to get an idea as to why the Thunderbolts was founded and some of what they went through.  The team in the modern time also figures out where the fugitive team is as well.  I’m not the biggest fan of time travel stories but two teams, one of which is fugitive sounds very interesting to me.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5

Ultimate Comics Hawkeye #2 – The situation in Thailand is deteriorating and Hawkeye is doing his best to get all of the information.  There’s a new group trying to run things and he needs backup to take care of them and to that I say, “Sheeet, you’re sending the Hulk? That’s all you needed to say.”  I’m still pretty new to the Ultimate universe, but so far, I’m digging it.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8 Overall: 7.5

Ultimate Comics X-Men #1 – The fourth and final series of Marvel’s relaunch of the Ultimates line focuses on the X-Men whose world comes unraveled in this one issue.  We learn the truth about Mutants and see a world that’s gone beyond just hating them.  If you read the first few pages and immediately don’t get sucked in, there’s something wrong with you.  A hell of a start.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Uncanny X-Men #543 – Out of all of those taking part in Fear Itself, the X universe took the best advantage by now having Colossus taking over as Juggernaut, but also seeing how far Cyclops has come.  The end of this issue is fantastic, because we get a great sense that this is a man who will do everything he needs to, to protect his people, but is fiercely loyal at the same time.  His evolution has really driven where the X line is going and you better believe I’m looking forward to where it’s heading.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

X-Factor #225 – A nice quiet moment starts the issue as we get some reflection on how everyone is reacting to recent events, but then as seems to be the recent norm, something from their past comes back and drags them into a new mystery.  The character interaction is great and there’s so much hinted at here, I’m only expecting great things as we go forward.  X-Factor is one X title more people should be paying attention to.

Story: 8.25 Art: 7.75 Overall: 8

X-Men #18 – The latest arc is interesting and the bad guys are a nice change of pace, but there’s something about it that’s just not really clicking with me.  The art is good, but there’s some off panels.  Overall, meh.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

X-Men: Schism #4 – Well this is it.  It’s been brewing for a long time now, but Cyclops and Wolverine have finally come to blows over their philosophy.  It’s a logical progression for the characters, Cyclops being the soldier turned general who had his childhood taken from him and Wolverine who has always acted as the mentor to at least one younger character.  This is it, and it’s fantastic, welcome back to the quality that’s been missing for a while.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

Comic Book Weekly Reviews – 9/21/11 DCnU Week 3

Posted on by

It’s the third week of DC’s reboot, filled with some great issues and a few stinkers.  What’s worth picking up and what should you skip?  Find out below.

Batman #1 – Scott Snyder seems to be the future of DC comics and this issue is the perfect example why. Perfect in every way, the story sets a tone and introduces the characters for new readers, but adds more than enough for the vets. Add in Greg Capullo’s amazing artwork and it’s easy to see why, so far, this is the best of DC’s relaunch. Absolutely fantastic.

Story: 9.5 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.5

Birds of Prey #1 – A decent comic focusing on two tough women (so far) that gets you right into the action. The story keeps you on your toes, but it’s just a small slice, and I’m torn as to whether or not there’s enough there to get me interested in the long run. Basically, someone is gunning for Black Canary and EV, but we don’t know who. There’s a few holy shit moments. If a movie opened like this, it’d absolutely get me hooked to see what happens next, but for a comic, it comes off a bit empty. I’ll stick around for at least one more issue to see where it goes.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Blue Beetle #1 – A comic that relies to heavily on stereotypes, this is an origin story of the Blue Beetle, which raises the question as to whether anything in the past is continuity. I’m guessing no. I can go on and on why this is a bad comic, but like Mr. Terrific, it’s a comic that wants to be about minority characters, and places WAY too much emphasis on that, to it’s detriment.

Story: 6 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6

Captain Atom #1 – Some very interesting stuff here. The art is pretty cool and the story and character a lot of potential. Captain Atom lives up to his name, and can control atoms. As he’s still new to it all, we’re learning as he’s learning. There’s also this clock tick down going on. My guess is that this is the clock ticking down until he dissipates. A similar plot device was used for Spawn, and here it should seem fairly fresh. Overall, enough to get me to come back for a second issue.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75

Catwoman #1 – We were told to expect sex and really that’s all there is here in this rather shallow relaunch title. The first panel is a shot of Catwoman/Selina’s breasts which pretty much sums up what you’d expect. The end also attempts to have a Mr. and Mrs. Smith moment between Catwoman and Batman, but in the end it comes off as a cheap ploy that cheapens the character. Instead of a strong female anti-hero, we’re left with big boobs in skin tight leather and not much else inside.

Story: 6 Art: 6 Overall: 6

DC Comics Presents #1 – The anthology comic that seems like it’ll focus on one character for a few issues focuses on Deadman. The story feels like a mix of Ghost, Hinduism and Quantum Leap. That’s not a bad thing. The story is fantastic and I really like the art. The first issue got me to care about Boston Brand and his mission and want to come back for more. This issue has heart, and a lot of it. A fantastic story and issue that I hope finds an audience.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

Green Lantern Corps. #1 – The Corps. opens up with a mystery, which seems to be a popular plot device with the DC relaunch. There’s a lot I liked, and it has a feel of the previous volume when it was a bit slower, but very entertaining. What I really liked is the quiet moments featuring Guy Gardner and John Stewart as they discuss trying to have a normal life. Though it’s also being done in the main series, it’s something that needs to be addressed and humanizes the characters.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Legion of Super-Heroes #1 – What the hell did I read!? Too many characters, too much going on, and way to much referencing the past. I though the DC revamp was about new beginnings, this just seems to be the continuation of a very complicated and continuity filled past.

Story: 6 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.25

Nightwing #1 – Dick Grayson is out of the Bat suit and back as Nightwing. The issue really focuses on his past and how it affects him in the present and while he’s born out of tragedy, he takes a positive spin as to how it makes him stronger. The baddie seems interesting enough too. This is the first time I’ve ever picked up a comic featuring Grayson as Nightwing, and I’m definitely coming back for me.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 – Hmm, what to say here. Rocafort’s art is awesome as expected, but boy do I have mixed feelings on the rest. The three folks on the team have an interesting dynamic, and where I have an issue is how Starfire is depicted. She barely wears anything, but she’s absolutely an object. An object to use in war. An object used for sex. It’s a continuation of the issue that DC seems to have with women in this revamp/relaunch. I want to continue reading this for Rocafort’s art, but not sure if I can bring myself to do it.

Story: 6 Art: 8.5 Overall: 6

Supergirl #1 – And there’s that whole mystery thing again. Supergirl has crash landed on Earth, but who is she? Where’d she come from? The set up and how it’s presented is pretty cool, really playing off the alien from another world aspect. It’ll be interesting to see how she fits in the new continuity and what her story really is. The first issue hasn’t blown me away, but piqued my interest enough to come back for a second issue.

Story: 8 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8

Wonder Woman #1 – What if Wonder Woman was done as a Vertigo comic? This would be pretty damn close. Brian Azarrello isn’t the person I’d think of to pick up this series, I tend to think of him as a crimer/noir writer, but he does a solid job in this first issue. It’s full of mystery (there it is again) and a lot of weirdness, but maybe this is normal in a Wonder Woman comic? The comic is really good, helped with Cliff Chiang’s art. Here’s looking forward to the second issue.  This is the one comic that bucks the trend and presents a strong female lead.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Comic Book Weekly Reviews – 9/14/11

Posted on by
Bookmark and Share

It’s a thick stack of books this week with DC still releasing their number one books.  What’s worth it?  What should be skipped?  Find out below!

Alpha Flight #4 – The team is on the run from the government who has been taken over through an overly complex plan.  There’s a lot I like about the series, but also so much that just seems blah.  Overall it’s getting much better, but there’s definitely some things strange things that don’t jive.  The brutality of one particular character just doesn’t fit in with the relative niceness of Alpha Flight.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest #4 – It’s the second to last issue of this series that  delves into the myths of the vampires.  It adds a bit to the world and the story is really entertaining, but as usual you have to question why the bad guys just don’t kill the good guys right away.  That’s about the only flaw I find, for what’s turned out to be a hell of a limited series.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Batman and Robin #1 – The good here is Damian’s depiction.  The mysterious bad guy also has me intrigued.  The bad is the story itself which just seems silly to me.  Also, how old is Batman supposed to be in the DC revamp/reboot/relaunch?  If Damian is still around, he obviously can’t be younger than he was in the previous world.  I’m a bit confused about that part.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8 Overall: 7.75

Batwoman #1 – A beautiful comic book, the art alone is enough to get me to come back for more.  The story on the other hand is a bit week, but still intriguing enough to get me to overlook it.  What is very strong, like the art is the characterization.  The various characters in the comic are well written and there’s some great female leads.  It’s been a long wait for this first issue, and while I can’t say it blew me away, I’ll definitely be back for the second issue.

Story: 7.75 Art: 9 Overall: 8

Black Panther: The Man Without Fear #523 – Out of all of the Fear Itself tie-ins this one is the best, though it’s competition isn’t that great.  As a whole though, I really like the American Panther storyline.  There was a solid ending to it, and a great mystery left at the end that seems like it’ll lead to something more interesting going forward.  With the next issue, it’ll get a new subtitle, the series is quality and a definite recommendation to make a monthly read.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Criminal: The Last of the Innocent #4 – Wow, that was one hell of an ending.  This is a crime story of the best caliber.  Brubaker’s story telling seems to get better and better and this one’s ending is just amazing.  Another fantastic volume in the best noir on the market.  I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9

Daken: Dark Wolverine #14 – What the hell did I read.  The heat part is great as usual, but the art seems to have taken a dip and it won’t be until next issue that’ll I’ll truly understand what’s going on.  This is one part of a bigger story and by itself the issue doesn’t make too much sense or keep my interest.  Hopefully the next issue will do it some justice as the “set up” issue.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7 Overall: 6.75

Daredevil #3 – Some great pulp fun as Daredevil fights Klaw and helps a man in court.  The entertaining ending is a nice end cap for the first story arc and this issue sets up a bigger bad guy that’s only hinted at.  The action is good and there’s some great writing in the issue.  Mark Waid has returned Daredevil to his roots and it’s fantastic so far.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Deadpool #43 – Deadpool is on the loose as he’s escaped from the mental institution, though how he’s done that isn’t really explained very well.  There’s also some other plot points that seem to have been dropped.  The issue is entertaining enough, but falls into the campy end of things way too much.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

Deathstroke #1 – Wow, that was a hell of a start.  The issue feels more A-Team than anything else, but then that ending throws you for a spin.  Pretty impressive as it gives you a good idea as to who Deathstroke is and does it all in a self-contained issue.  Really solid beginning.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Demon Knights #1 – I appreciate what DC is doing here, taking some of their characters and throwing them into a world similar to one you’d find in a D&D campaign.  The story is ok, but I’m not really one for straight up fantasy.  My concern that it stars Etrigan and his speaking habit was not founded as that seems to have gone away, which is odd, since that was something that made the character very unique.  It’s not a bad comic, but can’t say I really look forward to the second issue.

Story: 7 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.25

Fear Itself #6 – There’s lots of dramatic moments and some big speeches in the second to last issue of Marvel’s disappointing summer event.  There’s some great moments and a lot of characters manning up, but overall this feels like that “big moment” that’s a few issues too late for me to really care or save this event from smelling like a stinker.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Fear Itself: Hulk vs. Dracula #1 – Not quite sure what the point of this limited series is as it doesn’t add a whole lot so far to the overall event.  Also, isn’t the Hulk fighting in a few other places and against a few other heroes?  Fear Itself has been a mess of an event, and this is another example of that.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7 Overall: 6.75

Fear Itself: The Monkey King – A decent enough issue, but again, it doesn’t add anything to the Fear Itself storyline.  I’d of much rather seen a three issue limited series come out of this than this one-shot that’s not really needed.  But, even though it doesn’t add anything to Fear Itself, it’s still a good comic and hopefully we see more of this character than this one-shot.

Story: 8 Art: 7.75 Overall: 8

Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1 – A Hellboy wannabe I figured this was what to expect of the series after seeing it’s Flashpoint tie-in.  It’s not the story is is bad, I think Hellboy is better in every sense, so there’s nothing new or interesting to keep me coming back for more.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Green Lantern #1 – Sinestro has a green ring again and Hal Jordan must go back to a normal life.  Just when you think there isn’t anything more creative Geoff Johns can do with Green Lantern, this comes along.  A great new start that’s fresh and interesting.  The series has had some issues of late, but this first issue breathes new life into the series and again has me excited.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

Grifter #1 – Huh!?  Where’s the Grifter I came to know and love from Wildcats?  What is this crap?!

Story: 6.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.75

John Carter: A Princess of Mars #1 – With Roger Langridge’s name on the comic I had to pick it up knowing nothing about this beloved story.  Can’t say I’ll be coming back for the second issue.  It’s not Langridge’s fault, the story just doesn’t interest me at all.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Legion Lost #1 – Hmm, a lot is interesting here, but the story is too much tied up in mystery and the action too choppy to get me to want to come back for more.  I was never a Legion fan before, and can’t say this series has done anything to get me to change my mind.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 6.75

Mister Terrific #1 – The beginning of the comic was interesting enough, but that ending made me not at all interested in the second issue.  It was too abrupt and comes out of nowhere.  There’s also the very blatant playing off that Mr. Terrific is a black hero and there’s event a rather stereotypical issue of his interest in a white woman.  I’m sure the series will find it’s pace and feet after a bit, but I don’t think I’m sticking around for it.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Mystery Men #5 – A ho-hum ending to the series that attempts to mix real life events with a comic book and doesn’t pull it off too well.  The series was ok, and probably will read better as a trade paperback, but the finale isn’t anything special.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

The New Avengers #16 – We get to see what Daredevil was up to during Fear Itself and the issue is actually really solid.  I like the interview aspect of the issues and the story in this one is really good too.  It’s Daredevil’s acceptance into the crew and it’ll be interesting to see how that goes considering his recent past.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Red Lanterns #1 – In short, this is DC’s version of Ghost Rider.  It has potential, and I’ll stick around to see what that is, but the characters kind of started off as a one note gimmick and adding a bit to them will be a tough task.  We’ll see how it all goes though, but so far it’s pretty decent.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8 Overall: 7.75

Resurrection Man #1 – A lot I really liked here.  I can’t say I know a lot about the character and this first issue gives you a hint about him.  There’s enough here that will get me to come back.  The issue though is it seems like I’ve seen this all before in a movie or television show.  Heaven and hell after one man’s soul, it seems too familiar.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Suicide Squad #1 – So much I like and at the same time it makes me miss Secret Six.  There’s so many costume changes that are so unnecessary too.  Still, there’s more than enough to get me to come back for the next few issues and see where it goes from here.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Superboy #1 – More than enough here to get me to come back for the second issue.  The story is interesting and unique enough to stand out from Superman and there’s enough mystery here with numerous characters to keep me intrigued.  This might be the first “Supes” comic I get into.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8 Overall: 8.25

Supreme Power #4 – Just one piece of a bigger puzzle.  By itself the actions of folks makes me scratch my head, but this seems to be the end of the middle chapter of a three act play.  Interesting, but it doesn’t blow me away as much as that first issue did.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1 – An origin story that’d normally have taken an issue to get through looks like it’ll be spread out a bit.  But there’s a lot here that makes Mile Morales stand out from Peter Parker.  Bendis has made some interesting choices here and it’ll be interesting to see where he goes.  I’ve never been an Ultimate Comics fan, but this relaunch of the line has gotten me very interested.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Uncanny X-Force #15 – The team is trying their best to take on Archangel and his new horsemen before they transform the world.  Deathlok has also lost his shit in the process.  The trio of Deadpool, Fantomex and Deathlok is a team I want more of.  So wrong yet so right.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.25

The Unwritten #29 – The story of Wilson the the Tinker grows deeper and that ending kind of came out of nowhere.  The story is s bit easier to understand but no less interesting.  This is one of those sleeper series more people should be reading.  It challenges you in every way.  Solid as usual.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

X-Men: Legacy #255 – Magneto attempts to bring a peace between the two warring armies while Rogue takes over command of a familiar bunch.  The story is really just a way to get Havok, Polaris and Rachel back into the fold, the stroy I could do without.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7


Comic Book Weekly Reviews – 9/7/11

Posted on by
Bookmark and Share

It’s the first big release week for DCnU.  Was it worth it and how many of these series will be around for the long run?  Find out my thoughts below.

Action comics #1 – The big behemoth of a title of the DCnU launch has a very green and new Superman dealing with a Metropolis and world that’s just discovered him.  The issues here is this Superman comes off as arrogant and cocky and just an overall dick.  He’s not the icon anymore, he’s just another snot nosed punk.  Add in some questionable artwork and a story that doesn’t totally makes sense at times and this first issue just has a lot of issues.

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.5 Overall: 6.75

Animal Man #1 – I didn’t know a whole lot about the character, but this excellent put together comic book has enough story to get you caught up on the characters and any powers, put you into a dangerous situation, but the majority of the book is focused on Buddy Baker and his family.  It’s a great comic for that reason.  Quiet, focused and more about a family dealing with the father’s powers more than anything else.

Story: 9 Art: 8.25 Overall: 9

Batgirl #1 – Gail Simone takes over the reigns on Barbara Gordon’s return to wearing the cowl.  There’s some issues of how they dealt with her previous condition/situation, but it’s better than forgetting what happened and adds some depth to the character.  Overall, it’s a decent read and more than enough to get me to come back for more.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8 Overall: 7.75

Batwing #1 – A series I went in hoping it’d be good comes out the other end as a solid read with fantastic art.  The story has more than enough there to make me want to come back, but so far it’s just “Batman in Africa” with not enough there to really make it stand apart.  The art though is fantastic and the comic overall is one of the surprising solid debuts.

Story: 8 Art: 9 Overall: 8.25

Detective Comics #1 – I can’t say everything in this first issue makes sense, but all of the right notes are hit.  In general though, the story is too quick, dumping you in the middle of the action and with no build up.  The highlight of the issue is the end, which goes for shock value more than anything.  I’ve always been a Batman fan, but this comic seems to be more of the same than something really new.  But, more of the same is still entertaining.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Green Arrow #1 – If there was a write by numbers, this would be it.  The hero fighting bad guys and dealing with personal issues.  The monologue as to why he’s doing just that.  The comic isn’t bad in any way, but it’s also not particularly good either.  It’s ok, it’s average, but worst of all, there’s not much reason for me to come back for the second issue, let along the third or fourth.  This is Iron Man with an arrow, not the character we know.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7.25 Overall: 6.75

Hawk & Dove #1 – The issue’s writing isn’t what I have problems with, it’s Rob Liefeld’s mismatched style.  It doesn’t fit for the book and odd positioning, too many pouches, and a lack of mixed emotions for the characters makes me wonder who thought this would work?  The issue itself sets a lot up, but overall, I kind of feel like this is “white people problems the comic book.”

Story: 6 Art: 6 Overall: 6

Heroes for Hire #11 – The new lame bad guy has a name now, and it’s about as solid as the character itself (not so much) and the fight with Purple Man continues.  I can’t wait for this series to get back on track, cause it’s been derailed since it’s been a part of Fear Itself.

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

Irredeemable #29 – Plutonian is back and continues to lose his shit as some of the remaining Paradigm do what they can to plan to take him on.  The remaining world leaders also make a deal to end the madness.  There’s also one hell of a twist at the end.  Mark Waid continues to break down the super hero mythos.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Jennifer Blood #4 – Jennifer continues her war against the mob and checks off a few other bad guys, but not before she takes care of some paid assassins too.  the series is over the top violence with a strong female lead.  The ending also brings a twist that should make the comic stand out from being a female version of The Punisher.  The comic is so wrong in so many ways, but it’s entertaining.

Story: 8 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.75

Justice League International #1 – The tenuous relationship between the members of the team has made the series somewhat interesting, but it’s not enough to really blow me away to the point I want to come back for more.  The ending also seems like a poor copy of something the X-Men might fight.  Again, this is a comic that there isn’t really anything that’s wrong, but nothing that blows me away either.  The series does seem like it has a lot of potential though.

Story: 7 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7

Mega Man #5 – With the first arc over I wasn’t sure where the comic would go from there.  The original robots have been defeated and Dr. Wiley is in jail, but sure enough, the world seems to be expanding with a fun action comic aimed at kids and their nostalgic parents.  A fun read.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Men of War #1 – An attempt to update Sgt. Rock, the series has potential but falls a bit short.  The military sends Rock and a squad in to retrieve a Senator when it looks like superhumans get in their way.  There’s also a back up story that’s a bit of a throwback and feels like propaganda.  Both together are just ok.  There’s so much potential in this series, but it doesn’t meet it in any way.  The art even is a bit of a let down with figures that seem too boxy and fat.

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

Moon Knight #5 – Moon Knight has to deal with the cops now as his presence on the west coast isn’t appreciated.  Bendis does a great job of a character who has lost his mind, but at the same time has kept it somewhat together.  One of the best Marvel comics on the market right now.


Story: 8.5 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.5

The New Avengers Annual #1 – The Revengers come calling and put the beat down on this team.  I can’t say that Wonder Man doesn’t have a bit of a point.  What’s more impressive is this is the first annual I’ve enjoyed in a log time.  Just a brutal fight and some great art.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

O.M.A.C. #1 – When you say the name Jack Kirby so many would give you the impression the man could do no wrong.  While I appreciate his contributions and his art style, I’ve never been the biggest fan of a lot of the characters he’s created.  O.M.A.C. comes off as two people attempting to do Kirby, and it’s not done very well.  I’m sure there’s people who will gush over it, but it’s just not for me.

Story: 6.5 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.5

The Punisher #3 – The Punisher versus the Vulture in a forgettable third issue.  There’s nothing horrible with the issue, but there’s nothing that makes it stand out or makes it a must read in this story arc.  The art is really good though, but it’s just one part in a much larger story and it seems like a non-vital one.

Story: 6.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7

Static Shock #1 – There’s some I liked and some I didn’t.  The issue is ok, but the tone, the story just didn’t work for me.  It was rushed at points, not explaining enough and other scenes dragged on for too many pages.  There’s also a few spots that made me pause and linger to figure things out.  This isn’t the launch I’d have hoped for with this series.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Stormwatch #1 – A first issue that’s all set up.  Characters are set up as to how powerful in relation to one-another they are.  Powers are explained.  Mysteries are thrown out there.  It’s all set up, and for that, it doesn’t really blow me away.  This is 3 or 4 short scenes as opposed to a long coherent narrative.  Even with that though, there’s enough here that I want to see what the second issue holds.  Hopefully, it’s more of a narrative than scenes played out.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.25

Swamp Thing #1 – See the expand review here.

Thunderbolts #163 – The Thunderbolts in the present reflect on their screw up while the Thunderbolts in the past figure out that’s where they are.  Along comes an interesting pair.  There’s something fun, campy and retro about the comic, like it’s back to focusing on bad guys being somewhat bad.  Fun overall.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Wolverine #15 – Fifteen issues in and the series is finally getting good.  Logan is dealing with the damage he’s caused and his actions in the last arc.  The story has a lot of heart and ok art.  Hopefully this is the beginning of an uptick in the series.

Story: 8 Art: 6.75 Overall: 7.75

X-Factor #224.1 – If the point one comic’s goal is to introduce new readers to a series, this one does it’s job.  You get a rundown of the team, a good sense as to what the comic is like, but my issue is I’m not convinced it’s enough to bring in a new reader.  Overall, a decent comic, but nothing special.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5

X-Men #17 – The X-Men and FF are in another dimension and learn the evil bad guy’s plan.  I yawn.  It’s a pretty average story with some solid art.

Story: 6.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7

X-23 #14 – X-23 is still with the FF and weirdness is going on.  There’s some great moments here as she has to deal with the FF and children, but the story overall is only ok.  the art I also think has taken a dip from the beautiful last issues.

Story: 7 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

Comic Book Weekly Reviews – 8/31/11

Posted on by
Bookmark and Share

It’s a good week to finally catch up on reviews.  The DC universe is totally changed with two comics, but are they worth it?  Will the gamble pay off for DC comics?  We can’t answer that this week, but here’s the reviews for the week.

Fear Itself: The Deep #3 – A lot of talk about Undying Ones and me yawning.  The comic and limited series isn’t bad in any way, but there’s nothing to grab me.  It’s one of the numerous Fear Itself tie-ins that’s so far hasn’t shown me any reason that it was needed and couldn’t be done in the main comic with a tweaked storyline.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

Flashpoint #5 – One hell of an ending.  The story might have had some faults, but for all of the over the top action, it came back to the heart of the characters.  The ending with it’s tender, quiet moment is perfect in every way.  Flashpoint will easily go down as a classic event in DC and comics in general.  Beyond solid and as an end cap for the DC universe that was it’s great, but more importantly it’s the messenger of what’s to come.

Story: 9.5 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.5

Iron Man 2.0 #8 – The story is cool as part of the mystery is solved, but the coloring for this issue is so off.  Why is Jim Rhodes a white guy for a good chunk of it?  The Palmer Adley story continues and overall it’s a decent story, but it looks like the last quarter of this issue kicks it up a notch.  The low art score is for the messed up coloring which does take away from the issue.

Story: 7.5 Art: 6.75 Overall: 7

Journey Into Mystery #626.1 – The point of Marvel’s point one is to introduce us to the comic and the characters and this one does so well at achieving that.  It would seem that this indicates that this comic’s Fear Itself tie-in is over, which is good, because it can now move forward to telling the tales of the young Loki who stands out a lot from his previously older self.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Justice League #1 – This comic had to come out running and instead of something pumped full of energy, it’s a slow burn.  Taking place five years ago it really chronicles Batman and Green Lantern meeting.  It’s decent enough and there’s some great back and forth but Hal Jordan seems a bit more flippant and a smart ass than the serious and cocky character we’ve known.  There’s also some moments I outright question, especially in the beginning action scenes.  It’s an ok start, but I don’t think it’s quite the knock it out of the park DC comics needed.

Story: 7 Art: 8.75 Overall: 7.25

The Mighty Thor #5 – Interesting…. but I’m still confused as to when this takes place in continuity.  Is this before Fear Itself?  Is it after?  I’m at a loss here.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 7.75

Secret Avengers #16 – And with that Warren Ellis takes over for the series.  It’s an interesting comic and the story is disposable, but it’ll be interesting to see what he does with the series.  The characters are a little off, and I hate the art, but here’s hoping future issues and his run is as solid as ones he’s done for other series.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7 Overall: 7.25

Ultimate Comics Hawkeye #1 – I haven’t been much of a fan of Marvel’s Ultimate line, but this comic is pretty damn cool.  Full of action and a very cool concept, it’s got me hooked to check out the second issue.  This is an action comic on steroids, and fun to boot.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Uncanny X-Force #14 – Can I just say holy shit.  This story has gotten tense, and I have no idea how they come back from it.  Archangel is now in full control and X-Force has gotten jacked up.  What’s Archangel up to and how will the team stop him?  We still don’t know, but it’s interesting some team members still haven’t been shown off in the teasers for what comes next in the “X” line of comics.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

Comic Book Weekly Reviews – 8/24/11

Posted on by
Bookmark and Share

Just need to finish this week’s books and I’m totally caught up reviewing purchased books, and you get to see those reviews later today.

American Vampire #18 – Pearl and Skinner duke it out as time ticks down until the island goes boom.  There’s some nice action and great art with a very solid ending to this story arc.  Here’s hoping the next one is just as solid.  Snyder has been continuously improving as the series has gone one.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Astonishing X-Men #41 – The story switches back to Mentallo.  The ending is ok, but overall, I can’t say I cared about the story or it’s conclusion.  The art was also a bit inconsistent at times.  The arc was forgettable to me, but it was nice to see Roxxon play a bigger role.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

The Bionic Man #1 – Kevin Smith blows the dust off another classic series and gives it a bit of a modern spin.  All the basics are there and this issue is full of set up for what we know is coming.  It’s more than enough to get me to come back for a second issue and here’s hoping he does for this as to what he did for The Green Hornet.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing #3 – What a cop out crap ending.  Absolutely nothing is resolved and the ending just feels so convoluted and a waste.  I’m absolutely baffled as to the point of this three issue limited series other than bringing Constantine into the DC universe.  There’s so much wrong with this last issue, I don’t even know where to begin.

Story: 6.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 6.75

Captain America & Bucky #621 – The early adventures of Captain America and Bucky don’t feel wedged in like they should and the focus on the beginning of their partnership, void of over the top villains, is a great change of pace from the bigger stories that have been occurring lately in their other and past series.  It’s a nice “retro” comic whose focus is on character.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Chew #20 – The series continue it’s mystery as to what the strange writing in the sky is.  I really have no idea what to expect, but the humor is great as usual, I love the art and I always walk away being entertained with a smile on my face.  This is consistently one of the best comics out there.

Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9

Daken: Dark Wolverine #13 – The idea that Daken is “The Claw Killer” is thrown into question in this issue and now I don’t know the answer myself.  The series continues to show it deserves a lot more respect than it gets and has improved throughout it’s run.  A solid comic that keeps you on your toes.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Fear Itself: Youth in Revolt #4 – Gravity and Hardball fight it out over Hardball’s actions in the last issue, while everyone else reacts to it, but none really do anything.  There’s some things I really like, but the fact so many stand around and just talk about their fighting, as opposed to reacting to it, the overall issue is a bit silly.

Story: 7 Art: 8 Overall: 7.25

FF #8 – Who are the good guys and who are the bad guys?  It’s pretty damn unclear at this point, cause it’s pretty obvious there’s a lot more going on than we’re aware of and the story we’re being given isn’t all of it.  Jonathan Hickman continues his guiding of Marvel’s first family and while single issues might falter here or there, the overall vision is solid.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #3 – Am I supposed to have mixed feelings about the Hal Jordan of this world?  In one way he’s a hero, but in other ways he’s a complete coward and shit head.  Not the best of endings, but it’s a piece in the bigger puzzle of the story.

Story: 7 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7

Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost #3 – I liked the final chapter more than the first two and wish the first two had Kid Flash doing more of what he’s doing here.  There’s also a nice homage to the White Lanterns.  Another piece of the Flashpoint puzzle that’s kind of cool and feels like an end chapter to the convoluted story that is The Flash.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance #3 – Released a week later than it should have been, this issue has a key part of the Flashpoint storyline and it makes it a good one to read for that.  Overall though, it’s not so much a story as a series of events that all tie into Flashpoint and it can’t really be enjoyed without that.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.5

Flashpoint: Project Superman #3 – I’m a bit mixed on this one.  There’s a lot more potential in this than three issues and a Superman created out of torture and grief instead of love and ideals is an interesting idea.  Too bad the story was so short and often not as focused as it should of been.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5

Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #13 – Guy Gardner and Batman team up to solve a murder.  I can’t say this was the best way to end the series.  A lot to be desired, but at least it’s a self-contained story.  It’s just one that didn’t need to be told.

Story: 6.5 Art: 7.25 Overall: 6.75

Incorruptible #21 – Max Damage is building something, no one knows what and someone has shown up from Plutonian’s past that’s scaring the crap out of all of the loose villains.  It’s an interesting story that’s starting to focus more on Damage atoning for everything he’s done and out of everyone, he’s stuck to the straight and narrow.

Story: 8 Art: 7.75 Overall: 8

Kick-Ass 2 #3 – Long delays have taken the shine off of this series.  The super villains make their move though, and there’s the over the top violence you’d expect.  This feels like Tarantino doing a super hero movie, except the violence is just for violence sake.  Not quite sure what I think, but it just doesn’t feel as much fun or interesting as it used to.

Story: 7 Art: 8 Overall: 7.25

Mystery Men #4 – There was a fun pulp feel to the comic, but it just feels really slow paced now and a bit boring.  The story is ok, but I can’t say I’m blown away by it at this point.  It’s not what I was hoping for, but it’s not really bad in any way.

Story: 7 Art: 8 Overall: 7.25

New Mutants #30 – Yawn.  Another Fear Itself tie-in that derails the progress a series was making.  The team is in Hell while Dani is trying to help Hela in Hel.  And even with all of that, it’s still boring.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

The Punisher #2 – Greg Rucka mixes a noir crime drama with a traditional super hero comic which is pretty cool.  The focus of the comic is more on two detectives figuring out a wedding massacre, instead of the Punisher dispensing justice, and it works really well.  A great comic that welcomes back a much missed character.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.25

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 – It’s great to see the Turtles back in action, and the comic has a great feel towards the grittier version of the comics.  There’s some nice digs at the slapstick version of them, but it looks like the series is the welcome return I’ve been waiting for.  There’s enough there that makes the comic feel like it’s classic version, but also a lot hinted at that gives me a reason to come back for more.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

The Ultimates #1 – Are the past volumes like this?  The first issue of this relaunch packs a punch right from the start as global crisis light up and Nick Fury and his team must respond.  It’s enough to get me to come back for more.  One hell of a start.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Uncanny X-Force #13 – The team scrambles to save Warren and lots of sacrificing happens.  It’s all action this issue that doesn’t really stand out by itself, but it’s a solid addition to the great story that’s being told.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

Wolverine #14 – While the lead up hasn’t impressed me at all, that ending was one hell of a twist I didn’t even think about.  This story arc and the one that preceded it haven’t impressed me at all, but this issue finally puts the pieces together and lifts up what’s come before a bit.  It’s not the best Wolverine, but, in the end it packed a punch.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

X-Men #16 – The FF and the X-Men have to team up to save a friend.  The story is ok so far, but the interaction between everyone is great.  Some pretty good stuff so far, but not great.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75

X-Men Legacy #254 – The team is trying to figure out what the hell is going on as they attempt to rescue Havok, Rachel and Polaris.  The story is ok and there’s a nice build up of mystery and also a tie-in to a past story arc.  Overall decent, but not quite the exciting return I was hoping for with these characters.  But thankfully they’re back.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Comic Book Weekly Reviews – 8/17/11 Part 2

Posted on by
Bookmark and Share

Getting close to catching up with reviews, and here’s the second batch of reviews from two weeks ago. Last week’s comics will be reviewed over the next few days.

Journey Into Mystery #626 – Loki continues to weave his plan to deal with Odin and the Serpent.  The end of the comic shows who his big gun is and it’s interesting.  The series is pretty heavy in the planning, which is interesting to see all of the dots being connected, but sooner or later the story needs to really get moving, and it looks like we’ll finally get that with the next issue.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Marvel Universe vs. Wolverine #3 – Wolverine and the heroes make a stand against the infected.  There’s some great moments here and as a whole this series is a lot more fun and exciting than it should be.  This second series by Jonathan Maeberry has been entertaining and here’s hoping we get a third volume.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Punisher #1 – The Punisher is back and it looks like the detectives from Se7en are involved.  The series is so solid that the main character doesn’t even show up until the last few panels.  Greg Rucka can write crime and it looks like his “A” game is being brought to the table for this one.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Thunderbolts #162 – The team is dealing with the chaos that is Chicago in this Fear Itself tie-in.  The story is interesting since the “B” team decides to make their move too.  A lot is going on here and thankfully it uses Fear Itself as a backdrop instead of the main point of the story.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Uncanny X-Men #542 – It’s been hinted at, but here’s the point where Colossus goes through some changes.  The story is actually kind of cool and it should be really interesting to see where it all goes in the future, because it looks like the changes are going to last well after Fear Itself.  The scenes of their attempting to stop the Juggernaut is pretty entertaining as well.  I solid comic.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Venom #6 – The series kinds a bit side tracked with Spider-Island, but it’s an interesting story.  Hopefully the next two issues that deal with it will make sense on their own.  It’s a shame that so many series are being side tracked and some derailed due to their being dragged into sub-par comic events as tie-ins.

Story: 7.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.25

The Walking Dead #88 – The shock and aftermath of events are clearly hitting everyone.  The series has dealt with horror and what happens after, but it now looks like the psychological drama is finally being looked at.  As usual, Robert Kirkman knocks it out of the park mixing horror, suspense and human emotion.

Story: 9 Art: 8.5 Overall: 9

X-Factor #224 – The whole story arc with Rahne is over, which is good, I wasn’t a big fan of the story.  We’ll see where things pick up from here cause it looks like there’s going to be a shake up to the team if the teasers are any indication.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

X-Men: Schism #3 – This third issue of the “X” event shows a bit of where the latest issue of Generation Hope dovetails in.  There’s a bit that contradicts each other, but overall the issue is solid and I have to say, I love the new Hellfire Club.  We also get the real beginning of Cyclops and Wolverine’s fall out and it’s interesting to see what the issues are going to be that divide the two.

Story: 8 Art: 7 Overall: 7.75

Comic Book Weekly Reviews – 8/17/11 Part 1

Posted on by
Bookmark and Share

Getting close to catching up with reviews, but here’s the first batch of reviews from last week.  Hopefully the second batch will be up later tonight.

Avengers #16 – Bucky is dead (again) and Steve is on the trail of Sin.  The issue continues the ongoing interviews that tell the story, which is a solid and different way to do it.  The issue is solid in it’s story telling and you get a good sense of remorse.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Avengers Academy #18 – The kids still need to fight Titania and Absorbing Man and there’s some fun moments in the issue.  It’s not bad, but not great either.  It does have a pulp sense to it, a throwback to old school super hero days.

Story: 7 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7

Captain America #2 – A pretty cool comic with a great look to it, but a bit too Inception for me.  There’s some great stuff here though and it’s clear Ed Brubaker hasn’t missed a step with this relaunched series.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.5

Daredevil #2 – A cool second issue that focuses on Daredevil getting resettled in the Marvel universe and the repercussions of his meltdown.  The issue also reveals the baddie that he’ll face in the first arc and I have to say, this one should make it pretty interesting.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

DMZ #68 – The war is over and in these last few issues Brian Wood focuses on  what it takes to keep the peace.  It’s an interesting discussion and shows how important this series is in reflecting on the past decade of wars.  It’s sad to see it winding down and here’s hoping Wood will again put together such an important discussion about our modern times.

Story: 9 Art: 8.5 Overall: 9

Fables #108 – There’s a vacuum up North as someone needs to take charge as the North Wind.  Everyone else also begins to figure out what’s waiting for them post Mr. Dark and the adventure in Oz picks up again (which I forgot about).  There’s a lot going on here and the who knows what the series has in store next.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

Fear Itself: Deadpool #3 – So fucking bad, I want my money back.

Story: 5 Art: 6.75 Overall: 5

Fear Itself: Fearsome Four #3 – Did this really need to be four issues?  I understand Man-Thing should play a big role in Fear Itself, but there’s better ways to do it than this.

Story: 6.5 Art: 6.5 Overall: 6.5

Fear Itself: The Home Front #5 – It’s a mixed bag here.  Some of the stories and art is good, some of it is pretty bad.  But, we’ve learned Fear Itself will be solved with flipcams….

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

Flashpoint: Legion of Doom #3 – Hmmm, not sure what to think about this one.  It’s not bad in any way, but has a feel of forgettable 80s comics.  It didn’t add much to Flashpoint in the end and not sure it was really needed.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Flashpoint: The Outsider #3 – Unlike a lot of the other tie-ins, this limited series directly goes into the main Flashpoint series as we learn what motivates The Outsider to get involved.  The story is interesting, but it’s not a vital read.  If nothing else, it opens up some possibilities if the world is ever revisited.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5

Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies #3 – The truth about the conspiracy is revealed as a lot of back story is filled in and this issue goes directly into the fifth and final issue of Flashpoint.  The art and story telling are decent and the fact this does add a bunch to the main storyline makes it a worthwhile read if you’re interested in that.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Generation Hope #10 – Now the series gets to the point I think it should have hit a while ago.  There’s so much power here.  A story about hate, race, history and what some must do to confront evil.  It’s easily the best issue of the series, very powerful and a must read, even if you’re not a fan of the series and have never read an issue.

Story: 9 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

Green Lantern Corps. #63 – A nice wrap up to everything that’s been going on and that last panel is solid.  It’s a few short stories that focus on the aftermath of the war and gives a nice lead up into whatever comes next.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Invincible Iron Man #507 – However the good guys will win, it looks like it all starts here.  Tony has a plan and it looks like it It might involve his modifying himself as well.  But during it all, someone is out to stop him.  It’s interesting and the fact that Tony is drinking again is the real highlight.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

« Older Entries Recent Entries »