It’s new comic book day! What’s everyone getting?
Around the Blogs:
Kotaku – Read These Noir Comics Masterpieces to Get Ready for Max Payne 3 – Some solid recommendations.
Bleeding cool – Jeff Wadlow To Direct And Co-Write Kick-Ass 2, Original Cast In Frame To Return – Hopefully it’s a bit different than the second volume comic book story.
Around the Tubes Reviews:
CBR – Higher Earth #1
Spandexless – PIGS Vol. 1
Publishers Weekly – Comics Reviews May 2012
Another week down, hopefully I’ll speed things up and get caught up with reviews.
Avengers: X-Sanction #4 – Wow, just so bad. Why is Spider-Man in his black costume and Wolverine in his X-Force when they don’t wear it at all?! And that ending? This is the lead up to the war between the X-Men and Avengers and if it’s goal was to get me excited, I’m not.
Story: 6.5 Art: 6.5 Overall: 6.5
Batman #7 – Batman suffers from the trauma he experienced from the Court of Owls and we discover the truth behind Talon. This is some of the best Batman I’ve read in years and Scott Snyder’s writing with Greg Capullo’s art is just beyond so much of the other material being put out there. Fantastic.
Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9
Captain Atom #7 – The concept of time is explored as we learn the origin of Captain Atom. Such a fantastic issue, I hope this series finds the audience it deserves. The art is fantastic, story top notch. A great series.
Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75
DC Universe Presents #7 – Well, well done DC, another series I don’t have to buy. Hopefully the next arc is more worth it than this one. I just don’t care and I’m just not entertained about the Challengers of the Unknown.
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5
Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child #1 – Taking place post Katrina in New Orleans this is a pretty interesting story full of Voodoo, Vampires, Werewolves, Witches and who knows what else. There’s an interesting vibe to the series, but I’m not totally sold. It’s a decent start, but not quite the kick I was hoping for.
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5
Fables #115 – Another chapter in the war in Oz, the toys of Discardia and the events going on in Castle Dark, so many stories, so much to keep track. Maybe too much to keep track? The series is still solid, I just think there might be too many storylines weaving about.
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25
Fear Itself: The Fearless #11 – Is it just me or does Hellstrom’s actions and depictions not add up in the three different series’ he’s been depicted in this past month? As far as the rest of the story… yawn.
Story: 6.5 Art: 6.5 Overall: 6.5
Generation Hope #17 – And that’s the end of the series. It ended much better than it’s been for quite a bit, but it still feels very junior league to me. The ending was ok, but I think Kenji was a waste of a character even though he was so stereotypical. Oh well….
Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7
Green Lantern Corps. #7 – Stewart deals with his actions in an ok story that throws out a lot of possibilities in the future. We’ll see what all of this might lead to in the future, here’s hoping some decent emotional long term repercussions.
Story: 6.75 Art: 7 Overall: 6.75
Hoax Hunters #0 – It’s Scooby Doo and all of those ghost reality shows mixed together in an entertaining series collecting the short stories that’ve appeared before. The series is entertaining and fun mixing some light horror and humor with original ideas. The series will be kicking off into an ongoing soon and it’ll be great to see what they do with the ability to pull off a story over multiple issues.
Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8
The Invincible Iron Man #514 – Tony is presented an option instead of facing a trial and like a game of chess so many moving parts are going on. It’ll be very interesting to see how this all plays out because as Tony hints towards the end, he’s a few steps ahead of the rest.
Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8
Justice League #7 – The main story was pretty damn bad. The quiet moments when the team is talking to Trevor is good, and the Shazam short story is interesting enough, but overall, this is supposed to be a top line DC title?
Story: 6.5 Art: 7.25 Overall: 6.5
Kick-Ass 2 #7 – And that’s the end of the second volume. There’s some good stuff here, but it’s still mostly violence for violence sake. There’s a bit of character development and the third volume has potential to be much better than this second one.
Story: 6.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 6.75
New Mutants #39 – If you need more evidence that Warlock in large doses is annoying… well here you go.
Story: 6.5 Art: 7.25 Overall: 6.5
Nightwing #7 – Seven issues in and it was all a lead up to a crossover with Batman and his Court of Owls storyline. Overall, we really still don’t get the why of it all, it just seems like an empty lead up to me.
Story: 6.75 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.75
Rebel Blood #1 – Another hot series from Image that fills a nice horror niche. The series is great and left me not totally understanding everything. The story looks great and left me wanting more.
Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8
Supercrooks #1 – Why do criminals always commit crimes in cities where super heroes are? That’s the question this new series from Mark Millar and Leinil Yu asks. The series’ first issue is a solid start with some great action, great characters and solid art. The concept is good and this is a more subdued comic compared to Kick-Ass. This very well might be Millar grown up a bit.
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.5
Supergirl #7 – Supergirl fights the Worldkillers and it’s all a set up for Doomsday to eventually show up. The art is great but story flimsy.
Story: 7 Art: 8 Overall: 7
Thunderbolts #171 – Songbird goes on vacation and of course that goes wrong. The story is very meh, but I guess the point was to get Songbird to a certain point in her powers….
Story: 6.5 Art: 7 Overall: 6.5
Uncanny X-Men #9 – There’s an escape of aliens that make an otherwise boring day exciting, except the writing is bad, the dialogue laughable. The art is decent though.
Story: 7 Art: 8 Overall: 7
Wolverine #303 – The battle between the Hand and Yakuza wages on in what I can only assume is a way to shake some things up when it comes to those entities in the Marvel universe. The story is ok, but I hate hate hate hate hate the switching of the art in the different chapters.
Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7
Wonder Woman #7 – Wonder Woman prepares for a trip to Hell and meets Eros and finds out a truth about the Amazons and any boys born. The story is ok, but not quite the quality we’ve seen from the series, depicting men as victims instead of strong women.
Story: 7 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.25
X-Factor #233 – The team thinks Jamie is dead so they’re out doing some work for Val and Havok is in charge. The series veers from it’s usually noir feel with more of an action story, but the writing is solid as always.
Story: 7.5 Art: 7 Overall: 7.5
It’s a long weekend! So I’m not expecting a lot of news to hit the web, but here’s everything from Sunday.
Around the Blogs:
Bleeding Cool – Sean Gordon Murphy On The ABC Of Dealing With Marvel’s Lawyers – I expect a lot more of this coming.
Inside Costa Rica – First Comic Book Store In Costa Rica Opens – Congrats!
Bleeding Cool – Mark Millar Gives Schedule For Kick-Ass 2, American Jesus And Superior Films – Very interested in seeing how these play out for audiences.
Starting tonight, comiXology is have a three day sale for Icon books featuring some solid series that are quality. You can get 20% off these Marvel Icon comics by Bendis, Brubaker, Fraction, Millar and more:
▪ Casanova
▪ Casanova: Avaritia
▪ Casanova: Gula
▪ Criminal Vol.1
▪ Criminal Vol.2
▪ Criminal: The Last of The innocent
▪ Criminal: The Sinners Vol.1
▪ Fortune & Glory
▪ Incognito
▪ Jinx
▪ Kick-Ass
▪ Powers
▪ Scarlet
The sale is on the webstore only, but that doesn’t mean you can’t read it all on your favorite device. Using comiXology’s “buy once, read anywhere” feature, comiXology allows fans to buy their digital comics through the web and then read them on any device that has the Comics by comiXology app! Just stick with the same account you made the purchase with and the comics will sync right over no sweat!
I’m WAY behind in my reviews, but here’s there first batch of them. Hopefully I can be nice and caught up in a week or so. It was the last week of the year and that saw a lot of new releases. It was a thick stack of books… did the year end on a good note? Find out below.
All-Star Western #4 – Jonah is still in Gotham, this time hired to look for missing children. The story is decent and pretty entertaining, but there’s a hint as to what he stumbles into, and while I like him being tied into the greater DCU, I’m not sure if connections like this are a bit too cute. Still though, we have a western comic that’s a great read in both story and art.
Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8
Alpha Flight #7 – Wolverine shows up to see what’s going on and it turns into good guys versus good guys before they team up to take on the bad guys. This limited series turned ongoing turned back into limited series has one more issue to go. It hasn’t been a bad read, but also hasn’t knocked it out of the park like I’d hope.
Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7
American Vampire #22 – Flash forward to 1954 and we have a new story arc from the vampire hunter angle. It’s a completely different comic in a way and so damn good. The main character just exudes the time and bleeds cool. Add in some great story telling when it comes to revealing the plot and you’ve got a hell of a way to end the year.
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5
Annihilators: Earthfall #4 – Hmmm, not the best of cosmic Marvel. Hopefully whatever 2012 has in store, it’ll be better than this.
Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7
Aquaman #4 – Aquaman and Mera head into the trenches to free the people kidnapped by the weird fish people. All of that raises lots more questions that don’t get answered, but gives a good place to go over the next year. The art is fantastic, writing top notch. Aquaman is one of the best super hero comics being put out by DC and one of the best on the market.
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5
Astonishing X-Men #45 – Astonishing X-Men to me has struggled as to where it’s stood in the “X” cannon and how it stood out from the other “X” series out there. This story arc which has Cyclops in another universe is pretty damn interesting, but I’m still not sure it’s enough to really justify it’s existence. Still, much better than what’s come before.
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5
Avengers: Children’s Crusade #8 – So I guess this character wasn’t big enough to make headlines about being killed off? It’s been a while since we saw the last issue for this series which feels like it started years ago. The two teams fight Doom who then hints that he was behind Wanda going crazy. Did we just get a crappy retcon!? Ugh. This limited series has dragged as far as release schedule and not lived up to what I’d hope as far as story, but the art has been solid.
Story: 7.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 7.75
Batman: the Dark Knight #4 – Batman investigates Ivy’s hideout and chases some leads in an ok issue of the comic. Really, the focus is on friendships and how being Batman crushes Bruce Wayne’s personal life and limits his personal friendships. There’s a bunch I like about the comic, but some things seem a bit forced. Some foreshadowing though that could get interesting. This is the Batman book that’s more about the visuals than the plot.
Story: 7.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 7.75
Black Panther: the Most Dangerous Man Alive #527 – The Panther and Kingpin’s chess game continues as each attempts to out-maneuver each other. It’s sad the series only has a bit to go. It’s such high quality and deserves and audience. The art too is great with a very interesting style in this particular issue.
Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8
The Cape #3 – Um wow. To say the moment my jaw dropped would ruin the comic. The issue and series is balls out, just going full throttle. The body count is rising but how can someone prove there’s a flying person out to get them?
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5
Captain America #5 – Hydra is starting to role again as Cap battles in the dream world. The ending to the first story arc wasn’t bad, but there was something a bit off about it. The good part is we start to get a sense of a weakness when it comes to Steve Rogers and Captain America.
Story: 7.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 7.75
Captain America #6 – Steve’s got some doubts and he also might be having issues with the super soldier serum. He and Hawkeye head out for a night of crime fighting and run into an old nemesis. The arc has been solid so far, the art I’m not totally sold on though.
Story: 8.5 Art: 7.25 Overall: 8.25
Captain America & Bucky #625 – Cap is drawn into a murder mystery surrounding the Cap and Bucky that replaced him after he was frozen (yes a bit confusing to explain). The story is pretty damn interesting and very entertaining and shows off some more “lost” history of Captain America.
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5
DMZ #72 – And with that, the series comes to an end. Brian Wood’s series about war and those impacted by it turns into a love letter to New York City and those that live there. The series for seventy-two issues has been solid and some of the best political commentary in an entertainment medium. The ending is bitter sweet. A great comic, but you don’t want it to end, because that brilliance comes to a close with it.
Story: 9.25 Art: 8.5 Overall: 9.25
FF #13 – The kids, Doom, Reed Richards and Nathaniel Richards stand against the made Celestials. It’s interesting, but the bigger questions is how does writer Jonathan Hickman’s crazy storytelling all weave together. he’s put together an epic Fantastic Four story for the ages.
Story: 8.25 Art: 7.75 Overall: 8.25
the Flash #4 – Mob Rule is causing all sorts of issues as folks have to deal with the affects of the EMP blast and folks are confused by the Flash’s passing a plane through a bridge. This issue has some amazing visuals and the story has some good pacing. It doesn’t stand on it’s own, but as part of the story arc, it’s solid.
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5
Green Hornet #20 – The new Hornet and Kato take on a bad guy that their parents did in this self contained issue. The relationship between the two is the focus really and it’s a reminder that this isn’t your parents’ Hornet. The art takes a bit of a dip, but the story is solid enough to keep this series entertaining.
Story: 8 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7.75
Green Lantern: New Guardians #4 – We start to get down to the mystery of the rings and Kyle. There’s a lot here that I’ve never seen before, especially at the end. The story is a giant fight scene and a bit muddled, but there’s some original stuff here and that has to be given lots of props.
Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75
I, Vampire #4 – Bennett meet Constantine, Constantine meet Bennett. It’s a good story as these two individuals must deal with another vampire. There’s a twist at the end I wasn’t expecting at all which just makes it that much better. This is easily one of the best comics to come out of DC’s relaunch.
Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75
Iron Man 2.0 #12 – Wow, such a bad ending…. the series had a great start and then just went off the track into a wall.
Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75
Justice League Dark #4 – What the hell did I read. The series is just not doing it for me. The story is muddled and really confusing. It’s too choppy without a really solid narrative to pull it all together. The series has a lot of potential, but so far I haven’t seen it come close to living up to it.
Story: 6.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 6.75
Kick-Ass 2 #6 – The most entertaining thing about this issue is seeing Hit-Girl spout out really inappropriate things. The series is over the top violence at this point without much of a narrative. The first volume was Shakespeare compared to this mess of a follow up. Millar wants to shock and awe, but missed the mark you need a story first to really pull that off.
Story: 6.25 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.25
the Mighty Thor #9 – Loki still tries to figure out who Thor is. Taranus does his thing and the All Mothers decide to turn Asgard into a Republic. Um yeah… things got rather interesting in this series.
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.5
Secret Avengers #20 – Wow did this issue make my head hurt. Lots of time jumping and the story and art are interesting, but overall, call we move the series forward instead of these pointless self-contained stories?
Story: 7 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7
Spaceman #3 – The series is beyond unique and creative but I think it doesn’t read all that great as single issues. I’m definitely waiting for the trade and reading it all at once.
Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75
Teen Titans #4 – Superboy takes on Wonder Girl as the Teen Titans finally get their members together. The series has a great tone and some entertaining interaction. The art is solid as well. This is one of my favorite series of the DC relaunch.
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Micro-Series Michelangelo – Michelangelo gets caught up in a diamond heist. The story is entertaining and the art is solid. I’ve loved the new TMNT series from IDW and these self contained issues have been just as good. Great for TMNT fans new and old.
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.25
Ultimate Comics the Ultimates #5 – This issue is just solid. All kinds of great moments just building up to the eventual battle. This issue doesn’t stand on it’s own, but as part of the greater story so far, it’s so good. As usual, great art and great plot.
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5
Ultimate Comics X-Men #5 – Um, holy crap. So the beginning of the comic hinted at the ending, but I didn’t put two and two together as to what it all meant until those last few panels. This comic just is so tense and so amazing. The series as a whole just rocks. The art, story, like the other Ultimate comics, I’m so happy I took chance with the relaunch.
Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75
Uncanny X-Men #3 – The team continues to fight Sinister and also have Celestials to deal with. The story and art is ok. To me, that’s it, just ok. There’s two different teams basically and I think the quality is different too. Out of all of the “X” books two stand out to me, Wolverine & the X-Men and Uncanny X-Force. Uncanny, just doesn’t live up to the relaunch and continues on it’s meh course.
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5
Voodoo #4 – Voodoo is on a mission to learn about the world’s super heroes. Seriously, Marz has been booted from this series? His mix of action heroine/spy/super hero comic is fresh and is as solid as they come. Hopefully the series keeps it up, but I have my doubts the quality will keep up.
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25
X-Men: Legacy #260 – In a transition issue, Rogue and friends rescue Ariel and Korvus is dealt with. The issue really just moves the story along with a dip in art and overall a ho-hum.
Story: 7.25 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7.25
It’s a long weekend, which is perfect cause there’s a lot of comics out this week to read! What was worth it? Find out below!
All Star Western #3 – While I generally like the Hex story, the ending is a bit abrupt and the story doesn’t seem resolved at all. Maybe it’s because it’s not and we can expect more from the villains, but something was a bit off. The back-up story too was just ok, in a retro sort of way. Overall, not quite as solid an ending as the beginning.
Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75
Alpha Flight #6 – The limited series that turned into a regular ongoing and then back to a limited series is almost wrapped up with two issues to go. It’s an interesting read, but for some reason it feels like an “also ran” when compared to other comics. It’s a feeling I’ve had for Alpha Flight series of the past. It’s never quite had the edge like others or enough to get me really interested.
Story: 6.75 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.75
Annihilator: Earthfall #3 – The epic factor kicks up a bit, but overall the story is still puttering on. Something just seems off overall about this chapter of DnA’s Marvel cosmic opus. The art is inconsistent which doesn’t help matters at all. Overall, these characters have seen better days.
Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75
Aquaman #3 – Three issues in and the series hasn’t dipped in the quality of story or art. I’ve never cared for Aquaman but Geoff Johns’ writing and Ivan Reis’ art has changed all of that for me. It’s such a high quality story that just pulls off so well what on paper should be a meh story and character. One of the best of the new DC universe.
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.5
Astonishing X-Men #44 – Uh, what the hell is going on?
Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7
Batman: The Dark Knight #3 – The art is fantastic, the story is a bit shaky. Why is The Flash involved at all? He just seems to be a needless cameo. Oh well, the comic is entertaining and stands out enough from the other “Bat” comics on the market.
Story: 7.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 7.75
Captain America & Buck #624 – We get a bit of Bucky’s time as the Winter Soldier as he tells his story to someone. I wish I could go into detail about that, but it’s nice to see that part of his life fleshed out some. I’m a bit torn on his confessing to his sins the way he does. It seems a bit shallow and empty, but overall the story is good and the art strong.
Story: 8 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8
Daken: Dark Wolverine #17 – Daken starts to put two and two together to figure out who Rolston is and then goes about seeking some help to stop him. The story is pretty decent with a lot of voice over from Daken that adds depth to the character. It’s not shocking the series is coming to an end, but it’s a shame more people didn’t see this character grow from a knock-off Wolverine.
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.5
DMZ #71 – As we come closer to the end, this issue reflects on all Matty Roth has done over the last six years and the “crimes” he’s guilty of. After so many issues, you begin to wonder too what is fact and what is fiction. But as Matty himself points out, he can’t have done the good he did without also doing all the horrors. It’s been an amazing run by Brian Wood and it’s sad there’s so little of it left.
Story: 9.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 9.75
Fantastic Four #600 – Wow, a 600th issue just packed with awesome. Jonathan Hickman has been weaving an epic story here and while at times I might have been bored and didn’t see the big picture, over the last few issues of FF he’s been putting all the puzzle pieces together so we can see the big picture. We knew Johnny Storm wasn’t dead, but that’s a hell of a return. The various stories in this stuffed issue all tie together adding layer after layer like Hickman has been doing for a while now. Bravo.
Story: 10 Art: 8.75 Overall: 9.5
The Flash #3 – The Flash is another series and character that’s stood out in the new DC universe. I was a fan of the previous volume and this one has been a lot of fun so far as well. The character is expanding a bit in what he can do, so it’s nice to see his abilities expanding and thus what we can expect from him. What I’m really looking forward to is the eventual return of the Rogues. It’s coming…
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.25
Green Lantern: New Guardians #3 – The big picture starts to reveal itself as we get a better idea as to why all of the rings are attracted to Kyle. There’s some awesome art here and the Guardians aren’t putting up with any crap anymore, which after the years of insubordination makes sense. An interesting read that’ll hopefully play out in the other series.
Story: 7.25 Art: 8 Overall: 7.25
I, Vampire #3 – So the first negative thing can be said about the series, whoever chose the blue and orange to show off the locations in the beginning needs to be slapped upside the head. But, other than that, the series continues to impress. The story seems a bit Blade, but there’s a mood and look to it that makes it stand out. It’ll be interesting to see where it all goes and especially how the greater DC universe is tied into it. Looks like we’ll be finding that out pretty soon.
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5
The Invincible Iron Man #510 – Fear Itself has wrapped and Stark has to deal with his drinking again. At the same time his enemies are planning something big and it’s a whose who of bad guys involved. There’s a big plan here and it looks like the series has righted it’s direction in one issue and then some.
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25
Iron Man 2.0 #10 – How do you take on a bad guy that’s nanotechnology and spreads like a virus? This series run seems to be exploring that till the end. It’s been interesting, but not enough to stand out, not a shocker it wound up on the chopping block. Good, but not great.
Story: 7 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7
Justice League Dark #3 – While I think the series will play a lot into what’s happening in Swamp Thing and Animal Man, I just can’t get through it. It’s not clicking for me at all.
Story: 6.75 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.75
Kick-Ass 2 #5 – Action gore porn. Jump. The. Shark.
Story: 6 Art: 7.75 Overall: 6
The Mighty Thor #8 – Well that was quick. Now we know who Tanarus is and what the deal is, for the most part. It’ll be interesting to see how they get Thor back in time for next year’s Avengers film. The first issue of the new status quo is interesting and a decent read.
Story: 7.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75
Secret Avengers #19 – Warren Ellis’ final single issue of the series before the new creative team takes over next issue. This one was a blip up compared to the last few issues. Something about it was really interesting and entertaining. A decent issue that’s a pretty good read for folks who are looking for a self-contained story.
Story:8 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8
Teen Titans #3 – And we get to meet a new member, Bunker. The story is great with a few different parts all going at their own pace and speed. There’s a great kinetic, fun feel about it all. I’m really enjoying the series so far and looking forward to seeing where it goes.
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25
Ultimate Comics Hawkeye #4 – Hawkeye has a mission and we learn the history of what’s going on in Asia. It’s all interesting and I’m finally sucked into the Ultimate universe. The limited series wasn’t totally needed but it did it’s purpose in fleshing out the current storyline.
Story: 7.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75
Voodoo #3 – Ron Marz continues to show there’s more depth to the series than the stripping from the first issue. Many dropped it at that point or wouldn’t even pick it up, and that’s a shame because he’s mashed together a spy/super hero mash-up that’s a slow, but fun burn. Too bad he’s not going past this first arc. DC has made a bad decision when it comes to that because he’s bringing us a character and series that has a lot of different skins much like it’s main character.
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.25
Wolverine & the X-Men #2 – The attack on the school continues in an over the top wave after wave, crazy on top of crazy, mish-mash of everything. All hell has broken loose really and the second issue is a bit over the top, but there’s something still very fun about it all. Hopefully the entire series won’t be one big issue of ADD, but so far it’s a welcome change.
Story: 8.25 Art: 8 Overall: 8.25
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
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
Yesterday was #comicmarket on Twitter and as usual the conversation was interesting and fantastic. Today’s new comics day and there looks to be some good releases. What are you looking forward to this week? Why you ponder that, here’s all the news you might have missed while you were chatting on Twitter.
Around the Blogs:
Bleeding Cool – Why The Kick-Ass 2 Movie Probably Won’t Ever Happen – Or the money just isn’t there….
Bleeding Cool – Matthew Vaughn Tells Us Which Hot Potato An X-Men: First Class Follow Up Could Juggle – The series is all about the political subtext, embrace it people….
GeekWeek – Two More Actors Added To THE DARK KNIGHT RISES – I’m still waiting for my phone call….
Comicvine – Warner Bros. TV CEO on Why Wonder Woman Pilot Failed – I’m still torn on this one.
Comics Alliance – DC and Marvel Lose Digital Comics Executives at the Same Time – I’m available folks….
Comicvine – Superheroes and Social Media: #Savingtheday, One Tweet at a Time? – I just had a great conversation about this with a friend over the weekend.
Bleeding Cool – Matthew Vaughn On His Mark Millar/Dave Gibbons Super Spy Project – The legal clearance has me intrigued.
Con Coverage:
Phoenix NewTimes – Gearing up for Phoenix Comicon
Around the Tubes Reviews:
Comics Girl – Remake Special
So I previously ranked the best comic book-based movies of Marvel and DC in the past, and I want to take it in another direction and exclude those two publishers to look at other comic book-based movies. I will NOT be including Manga or anime, since I don’t read those and I don’t watch the movies. For the Marvel and DC lists, I didn’t include any of their imprints, such as Icon or Vertigo, so I will be including them here. With that being said, here are the Top 5 Comic Book Movies That Are Not From Marvel or DC…
Honorable Mention: Alien vs. Predator (2004), American Splendor (2003), The Crow (1994), Ghost World (2001), Hellboy (2004), A History of Violence (2005), Road to Perdition (2002), Sin City (2005), The Spirit (2008), Wanted (2008)
5. 30 Days of Night (2007): I don’t usually like vampire films that much, but this one had such a great premise and tone, such great sets and effects and it was just plain scary that it is pretty close to being the best vampire movie of all time.
4. V for Vendetta (2006): About as good a dystopian film as has ever been made, this one improves upon the ideas that many have had before and really hits every note a movie like this should hit.
3. Men In Black (1997): Again, it’s hard to complain about anything in this movie. It has a great concept and plot, it masters the unlikely partner buddy cop thing like few movies ever had, it has great costumes and top-notch, groundbreaking special effects, it’s hilariously funny and has great action. And most importantly it has the amazing personality and chemistry of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.
2. Kick-Ass (2010): Some were turned off by the violence in this movie, but I really think that this is one of the better uses of violence in any film I’ve ever seen. The violence is excessive, but it’s done for effect and it helps remind you that the movie isn’t real, despite the realness of the story. It makes sure that you know you’re in a comic book world. The cast is great, the story is superb and the changes from the comic don’t bother me a whole lot.
1. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010): This is maybe one of the truest adaptations from comic to film that I’ve ever seen. There are some changes made, but they rarely are changes that deviate from the intention of the comic. The casting in this is superb and the movie itself looks great at all times, frequently taking shots directly from the comics and making them look both cinematic and comic-like. This is a movie I’m going to watch over and over and over again.
