Tag Archives: ultimate comics x-men

Pick of the Week – Scam #1

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Comixtribe‘s growth as a publisher is a textbook case of how to beat the streets and build grassroots support from the start. The publisher, who was focused on micro-distribution, is going to the masses with their first mass market release of Scam #1. I read the comic a while ago and it’s entertaining, featuring an X-Men meets Ocean’s 11 vibe the series first issue had more than enough for me to want to come back for more. The art is decent, story entertaining and it’s from an independent publisher that’s worth supporting so we can see more of the the solid series’ they have hit the mass market.

  • Scam #1 – see above
  • Higher Earth #4 – BOOM!’s series that sees two individuals on the run in a world of infinite Earth’s is exciting and has exactly what I want in a sci-fi series. The last issue had an ending that I expected, but at the same time still had me wanting more.
  • American Vampire #30 – Scott Snyder’s new take on the vampire mythos has been amazing and a series everyone should be checking out. Each issue has a feel that fits the time blending in real Americana with the supernatural seamlessly.
  • Locke & Key: Grindhouse – It’s Locke & Key, do I need to say more?
  • Ultimate Comics X-Men #15 – Marvel’s Ultimate universe has been putting it all out there, to the point you have no idea what’s coming. All hell has broken loose at this point and there’s some big changes coming.

Pick of the Week – The Massive #1

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First, I’m a huge fan of Brian Wood.  His work is just amazing, mixing political commentary with pure entertainment.  That’s why I was so excited to hear about his new series from Dark Horse, The Massive which sees it’s first issue this week.  I read the digital prelude Dark Horse released a month or so back and had the privilege to read the first issue two weeks ago.  I can say, it’s amazing.  It’s easily one of the best comics of the year, if not the best mixing action, adventure, some great characters along with a message that’s not too preachy but gets you thinking.

The world has suffered a massive calamity when it comes to the weather, no one knows why, but this is just the backdrop of the story, instead it’s focus is on a ship searching for their lost sister ship, while dealing with this new world.  This is an environmental message for the action adventure set.  It’s beyond amazing and easily my pick of the week, if not the year so far.

  • The Massive #1 – See above
  • Saucer Country #4 – It’s X-Files meets the West Wing, the campaign season, how can I not love this book?
  • Ultimate Comics X-Men #13 – The end of the last issue was a holy shit moment.  I have no idea what to expect in this one.
  • The Strain #5 – Vampires done right.  The series is creepy and has me at the edge of my seat anticipating what’s going to happen next.
  • G.I Joe: Cobra #14 – I’m all caught up on all of the G.I. Joe series and wow have I been missing something.  This series is especially sticking out to me right now following G.I. Joe’s new role and Cobra’s numerous defections.

 

Comic Book (sort of) Weekly Reviews – 4/11/12

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That’s another week covered.  Slowly catching up and hopefully there’ll be another week reviewed by the end of this one!

America’s Got Powers #1 – Jonathan Ross and Bryan Hitch’s new series might be the Hunger Games meets superheroes and holy crap is it good.  I kept turning each page with glee.  So solid, words don’t do it justice at all.  This is an absolute buy and will be the mini-series of the Summer.

Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9

Avengers Assemble #2 – The Zodiac are gathering devices of amazing power and someone is in the background guiding them.  The story is interesting, but series still seems a bit second class compared to the other Avengers titles.  Still, the story is entertaining enough.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Avenging Spider-Man #6 – Spider-Man, Daredevil and the Punisher team up to protect the Omegadrive and take down five crime syndicates?  Yes please!  This issue combines the best of this series and Waid’s Daredevil with Rucka’s Punisher.  So fantastic.

Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9

Batgirl #8 – Barbara deals with one of the Joker’s henchmen that was present when she was shot.  It’s a decent issue that’ll keep me interested in the series that much longer.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Batman and Robin #8 – Bruce must deal wit the after effects of his and Damian’s battle with Nobody.  It’s a fantastic issue that focuses on a father and his son.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8 Overall: 8.5

Batwoman #8 – Great art and layout with a confusing and muddled story.  This is a pale comparison of the greatness that this series once saw.  A shame too.

Story: 5 Art: 8 Overall: 6

The Bionic Man #8 – Kevin Smith and Phil Hester’s comic is the big screen movie I want to see.  So much fun.  So much action.  So much entertainment.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Fantastic Four #605 – Reed and his father head through time to see what their recent actions have caused.  The issue is fantastic I think focusing on the heart and relationship of characters.

Story: 9 Art: 8 Overall: 8.75

Fatale #4 – Brubaker’s series is interesting, but not my cup of tea compared to his other previous noir series’.  Something just isn’t clicking for me.

Story: 7 Art: 8 Overall: 7

Green Lantern #8 – Sinestro and Jordan are prisoners of the Indigo Tribe and it looks like we’re going to learn more about this mysterious Corps.  So far, it’s pretty interesting.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Journey Into Mystery #636 – The final piece of Loki’s plan is revealed and it’s really entertaining.  This series deserves a bigger audience with some fantastic writing.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8 Overall: 8.5

Mega Man #12 – The series has taken a familiar formula and made it work.  Luckily that formula changes a bit in the next issue, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a fun read for the whole family.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

The Mighty Thor #12.1 – We get some various tales about Thor that hint at a lot.  If this is to introduce people to Thor, I definitely don’t think it’s interesting enough to hook them.  Again a “point one” fails.

Story: 7 Art: 8 Overall: 7

The New Avengers #24 – Luke and Jessica have issues to deal with.  We also get a behind the scenes look as Captain America rallies the troops for AVX.  The issue is one giant build up, but it’s solid.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.5

Resurrection Man #8 – Shelley’s secrets are being slowly shown and released.  This series is fantastic and one of the best new ones of the DC relaunch.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Saga #2 – Wow, Brian K. Vaughn’s series is amazing.  It’s a sci-fi action adventure that has familiar parts, but in an all new way.  Just beyond fantastic and one of the best series of the year.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75

Saucer Country #2 – I love this series.  The X-Files meets West Wing series is just so fresh and so new.  I can’t say I’ve ever read anything like this before.

Story: 10 Art: 8.25 Overall: 9.5

Scarlet Spider #4 – I’m not a Spider-Man fan, but I’m a fan of this series.  There’s something so fresh and so fun about it.  I can’t recommend it enough.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Secret #1 – Hickman’s latest series is one hell of a mystery.  It’s more than enough for me to come back for the second issue, but I can’t say it blows me away like other series of his in the past.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Secret Avengers #25 – The story arc has been interesting, but I didn’t see that ending coming.  It’s so good.  So, so good.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.5

the Secret Service #1 – Millar’s latest series in his big push, it’s just not all that solid so far, but it has enough for me to check out the second issue.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Superboy #8 – Dropped!

Story: 6 Art: 7 Overall: 6

Suicide Squad #8 – We get a bit more of the story behind Waller and the formation of the squad.  There’s also a secret hinted at that’s really entertaining and builds potential for the series.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7 Overall: 7.5

Thief of Thieves #3 – Kirkman and Spencer’s series is amazing.  Redmond is a great main character and the fact the series focuses on the individuals and characters is top notch.  An absolute must buy.

Story: 9 Art: 7.5 Overall: 8.5

Ultimate Comics X-Men #10 – Holy shit was that a hell of an ending.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

Uncanny X-Men #10 – There’s a lot of build up and foreshadowing here, but it looks like there’s some stuff that has good potential for future plotlines.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5

Winter Soldier #4 – Bucky teams up with Doom and it is awesome.

Story: 8 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8

Wolverine #304 – Sabretooth throws a party and I’m irritated in the art constantly switching.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Comic Book (sort of) Weekly Reviews – 3/14/12

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Another week down.  Almost getting caught up on reviews.

the Avengers #24 – We now know Osborn’s powers and it’s a bit predictable as to how he’s beaten.  The story’s ending is ok, not quite the long term shake-up you’d expect from this type of story.  Overall, a solid story arc that doesn’t quite end the way you’d hope.  It feels rushed and a bit predictable.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5

Avengers Assemble #1 – A new Zodiac has formed, but other than the Hulk being in this comic, there’s not a whole lot that makes this series stand out from the other Avengers comics out there.  In fact the art is a bit off and story fairly unexciting.  Not sure this is a comic I want to assemble for.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7 Overall: 7.5

Batgirl #7 – More of the Barbara Gordon pitty party as she seeks out the Black Canary to spar a bit, then she goes on a mission.  There’s parts where the art is great and other parts, not so much.  The story is just ok.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7.5

Batman and Robin #7 – Batman vs. Nobody and the art is solid.  That ending though, I didn’t quite expect.  The comic was simple, but it kept me on my toes as to who would do what in the fight and how they’d deal with Nobody.  Interesting stuff…

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Battle Scars #5 – Hmm, the secret is out and I saw yawn.  The series is an attempt to get the 616 universe more like the movies, which is a bit silly.  Overall, we’ll see what idiocy comes of this.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7 Overall: 6.75

Batwoman #7 – The story jumps around, and I’m not sure I know everything that’s going on.  The visuals aren’t quite as amazing as they used to be, but the series is still a solid read with some amazing artwork at times.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8 Overall: 7.5

Captain America #9 – Steve is still depowered, Sharon makes a deal to save him and Falcon goes after Bravo, I wonder where the comic’s quality has gone.  Just not quite as fund as it used to be.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7 Overall: 7.25

Daken: Dark Wolverine #22 – Daken continues to lash out and spread terror as he dies.  He’s setting off bombs and generally just causing chaos.  I really hope there’s some long term plan with the character.  I’d hate to see him go to waste.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5

Fantastic Four #604 – And with that, the end of the battle with the Mad Celestials.  A lot is thrown out there in this issue and I’d imagine it’ll have a lot of repercussions for the Fantastic Four going forward.  It’ll be interesting to see where things go from here.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8 Overall: 7.75

Green Lantern #7 – The series finally focuses on the Indigo Tribe which we know so little about. Looks pretty interesting so far.

Story: 8 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.25

Journey Into Mystery #635 – Loki, Daimon and Leah continue to fight Nightmare.  Loki does the usual Loki thing and cuts a deal that’s clearly not what it is on the surface.  As usual, the comic is thick with material (aka words), but they’re weaved so well together.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Mega Man #11 – Mega Man takes on Air Man, Metal Man and Flash Man and then gets caught in Dr. Wily’s plan.  The ending is so cool.  I can’t recommend the series enough.  It’s fantastic for kids and parents alike, especially for fans of the video game series.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

The Punisher #9 – The prelude to the crossover with Spider-Man and Daredevil the issue is short and a quick read.  But… looks like Punisher has a new partner and that never seems to go well.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Resurrection Man #7 – On the run in Metropolis, Resurrection Man runs into another super being and gets another power.  He’s finally at the point where he’s going to look for his past and figure out who he is.  It’s a great mystery and one I want to see more of the answer to.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Saga #1 – Brian K. Vaughn’s new series deserves all of the hype.  It’s very familiar, but at the same time, beyond fantastic.  This’ll be a hot series for a long time coming and the usual excellence I expect from such a talented writer.

Story: 9 Art: 8.5 Overall: 9

Saucer Country #1 – A Governor must deal with her political future as she contemplates running for President of the United States.  Something is wrong though.  Is it something having to do with her ex-husband?  Is it something stranger like aliens?  And what does a college professor have to do with it all?  The first issue is absolutely amazing.  One of the best comics of the year and one of the best political comics in a long time.

Story: 10 Art: 8.75 Overall: 9.5

Scarlet Spider #3 – Kaine’s supporting cast is growing and looks like some decent baddies are coming to town.  I don’t want to ruin it, but the story is solid, interaction great and art is amazing.  I’ve never been a big Spider-Man fan, but this series has me hooked.  So fantastic, I kind of want to find out more about this character and his background.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75

Suicide Squad #7 – The search for Harley Quinn continues as a bunch of members of Task Force X storm a police station.  There’s some holy shit moments that show this series leaves it all out there and anything can happen.  The series is pretty decent and it’s draw is more the fact that everything is on the table and anyone can die.  I was not expecting quite a few moments in the story and thats a good thing.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7 Overall: 7.5

Superboy #7 – Superboy continues to show how much of an arrogant brat he is and gets his butt kicked.  The series is ok, but how it ties into Teen Titans is what keeps me coming back.  If I dropped one, I’d feel like I’d need to drop both, especially since there’s a lot of crossover occurring.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

Thief of Thieves #2 – I think the second issue might have outdone the first with a look into Redmond/Conrad’s life.  There’s a lot of looking into his past and his ex-wife.  The comic is fantastic focusing on the characters instead of the action.  I can see why this is being turned into a television series, it’s that damn good.

Story: 9.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 9.5

Ultimate Comics X-Men #9 – The news of mutant’s origins hits Camp Angel which doesn’t go over well.  All hell is about to break loose in this series as an oppressed people decide to stand up for themselves.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Wolverine & The X-Men #7 – So much action, so much humor, so much fun.  The series is a kinetic blast that’s all over the place.  There’s just so much to take in, this series is now the best “X” series going right now.  Just beyond fantastic.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8 Overall: 8.5

X-Men: Legacy #263 – Exodus is defeated, lots of arguing goes on and something is hinted at.  The story is ok, but plays well as a piece of the bigger picture.  We’ll hopefully see what that is soon.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

X-23 #21 – I think this is it for the series.  In this final and quiet issue, Laura deals with her dual sides, the vicious killer and the human being she wants to be.  It’s an interesting ending, understated and quiet. A nice reflection of a character who hasn’t quite found the leading solo series position she deserves and a character that has a lot more depth than any fan is willing to give her credit for.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Comic Book (sort of) Weekly Reviews – 2/29/12

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That’s two weeks down… catching up!

Astonishing X-Men #47 – A rather complicated ending that doesn’t quite satisfy as it should and if one more storyline with this series involves Ghost Boxes….

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

the Avengers #23 – Osborn and the President negotiate as Osborn tortures the Avengers.  It’s a solid storyline going between the two series.  Well worth the read and the art is pretty cool too.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8 Overall: 8.25

the Bionic Man #7 – Col. Austin deals with the world he left behind while he also learns the truth as to what he’s up against.  I was never a fan of the television series, but the comic has hooked me, so good.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

The Cape #4 – Such a great series.  I want to see more this…. please!

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

FF #15 – We get to see the other side of the fight with the Mad Celestials and the Power Pack is involved… yay!  The dual stories is interesting and the two series work well together.  The art is improved too, but not quite the quality we have seen in the past.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.75

Green Hornet #22 – Some other costumed fighters hit the Green Hornet’s city in a story that focuses nicely on the side kicks.  The series continues it’s quality.  WAY better than the craptastic movie.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Justice League #6 – This was supposed to hook people?  The fight ended too quickly.  The solution too simple.  Like a big budget movie, all flash and little substance.

Story: 6.5 Art: 8 Overall: 6.75

Moon Knight #10 – The series is wrapping up and definitely feels a bit rushed because of that, but that’s some pretty big ripples caused by it.  We’ll see if there’s impact after this series ends.

Story: 8 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

The New Avengers #22 – Wait, what!?  Double agents. Triple agents.  Does anyone just play on one team anymore!?  The war with Osborn gets even bigger as all sorts of hell breaks loose.

Story: 8 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Micro-Series Donatello – These one-shots have been great as they flesh out the individual characters more, and also tie into the main series.  I’m loving all the TMNT that IDW delivers.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

The Twelve #10 – Well, things certanly turned weird.  Not sure what to think really, just such a bizarre turn.

Story: 7 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7

Ultimate Comics the Ultimates #7 – The Ultimates face threats on two fronts, but can they take care of both at the same time?  The series is turning into a game of chance as the stakes are raised.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.5

Ultimate Comics X-Men #8 – The huge issues of the last seven issues are shoved to the side as this issue ties into the evens of the Ultimates.  No idea what’s real and what’s fake in this issue and the fact it keeps me on my toes is impressive.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Venom #13.4 – Well, the ending of this issue was original at least and had a semi-cool image.  When did Drum stop being the Sorcerer Supreme!?  The story just doesn’t fit the Venom series… can’t wait for it to be over.

Story:6.75 Art: 7 Overall: 6.75

The Walking Dead #94 – Kirman’s series has hit that slow period just before all hell breaks loose.  But it’s still the quality you’d expect.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Comic Book (sort of) Weekly Reviews – 2/15/12

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I haven’t been catching up in my reading as much as I’d like… but I’m putting a big effort in this week…

Avengers #22 – Osborn’s actions are noticed by more than just the media.  The President has to get in on the action and decide how he’ll react to Osborn’s rise.  There’s some solid stuff here, but the political end of things falls flat.

Story: 6.75 Art: 8 Overall: 7

Avenging Spider-Man #4 – Spidey and Hawkeye team up for a pretty decent story.  It’s a nice self-contained issue, but the art isn’t quite up to snuff.  Not bad, just not great.

Story: 7.25 Art: 6.75 Overall: 7

Batman #6 – Batman’s battle with Talon and Court of Owls continues.  So freaking good.  Scott Snyder’s writing and Greg Capullo’s art is a team up from heaven.  Amazing stuff.

Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9

Captain Atom #6 – A man or a rat?  And does it matter?  Captain Atom fights the being and contemplates how he was experimented on and became what he is.  On top of that we’re flash forwarded twenty years to one hell of an event.  The series is very good, I just wish more people recognized that.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75

Daredevil #9 – Daredevil is going to take on the Mole Man, for some reason.  The issue is solid, especially because of the art and how it plays with what Daredevil sees with his radar and what really awaits him.  There’s a reason that Waid’s series has gotten so much praise.  This is a perfect example.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75

DC Universe Presents: Challengers of the Unknown #6 – There’s something old school about the issue and series, but I really don’t have much interest in the story.

Story: 6.5 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.5

Fables #114 – There’s a lot of stories going on here.  The Northwind training continues, there’s the story of a demented evil toy, folks check out Castle Dark and then there’s the revolution in Oz.  So much going on and some is good and some gets the short shaft.  Still, a solid series that always pays off.

Story: 8 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8

Fear Itself: The Fearless #9 – We get a better sense of Valkyrie is up to, but as a whole, the series is a bit boring and rather long.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7 Overall: 6.75

Generation Hope #16 – Kenji and others plot against Hope…. I actually hope they kill her.  Such a wasted character.

Story: 6.5 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.5

Green Lantern Corps. #6 – The Lanterns take on an army and Stewart makes a tough choice to save Oa.  There’s some items here that’s likely to have long term impact for the series and Corps.

Story: 7 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7

The Invincible Iron Man #513 – Stark and War Machine fight to protect the Chinese and Stark realises he’s caught in something bigger as it becomes clear to him that Stane and Mandarin have teamed up.  But, it’s that last page that made me smile as we get a hint as to what’s to come.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75

The New Avengers #21 – The other part of Osborn’s plan.  We see him take on Cage’s team and I have to say a Wolverine vs. Clor fight is pretty damn cool.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

Nightwing #6 – Dick learns who Saiko is as a benefit performance for his parents takes place.  The story is ok, but overall, the story hasn’t hooked me quite as it did in the beginning.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

Supergirl #6 – Anyone else feel like this whole Worldkiller thing is a bit too much like Doomsday?  There’s some solid stuff here, but overall the story is so-so.  I really wish the series focused again on Supergirl discovering her new world and figuring things out instead of this distraction.

Story: 7 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7

Thunderbolts #170 – The team escapes and there’s a glimpse of the future.  The story is ok, but I’m not a huge fan of the time travel device.  It’s a bit better of an issue than the last few.

Story: 7 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7

Ultimate Comics X-Men #7 – The issue is ok and I’m sure there’s much more to it for long time readers.  The story plays a lot in what came before this current volume and for new readers, there’s just nothing there to really hook you or make you care about it.  There’s something about Pietro’s actions, but what comes after is meh.

Story: 7 Art: 8.5 Overall: 7

Uncanny X-Men #7 – The fight in Tabula Rasa continues and a lot happens, not much I really care about.  The follow up to the events in Uncanny X-Force has been a big disappointment.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7 Overall: 6.75

Venom #13.2 – The team takes on the denizens of hell.  The story is drawn out and some of the art is great, but overall, this could have been a two or three part story.

Story: 6.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.75

Winter Soldier #2 – The story involving sleeper agents and a gorilla wearing a jet pack and machine gun is fun and entertaining, but the art, while solid, is also a bit hectic, making it difficult to figure out all of the action like a movie with too shaky a camera.  Overall a decent series, but there’s something not quite clicking from the usual quality I’d expect from a Brubaker book.

Story: 8 Art: 7.25 Overall: 8

Wolverine #301 – Wolverine continues to fight the Hand… again… and Sabretooth is there.  The art keeps switching in the issue, which actually hurts the book.  The story is ok, but nothing special.

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

Wonder Woman #6 – So much going on, just so much.  Something isn’t clicking for me.  The series is interesting but there’s just something I’m not following.  A shame, because the series started so clear and was so good….

Story: 7 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7

X-Factor #232 – Madrox’s journey ends, thankfully.  Can’t say I was a fan of that storyline.  But that ending could be interesting, or not….

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

Pick of the Week – The Walking Dead #94

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Just when you think Kirkman can’t come up with anything new, he does something that throws you for a loop when it comes to The Walking Dead.  Of course there’s other survivors, but what is this new world they’re promising and why does it seem too good to be true?  It’s been years of surviving up to this point with lots of false starts as to the rebuilding of society, but it looks like we might be moving onto a new phase of the series and seeing what that rebuilding looks like.

  • The Walking Dead #94 – see above.
  • PIGS #6 – The brilliant series about KGB agents on a mission continues as the team is tasked with killing a prison inmate.  I’ve read the issue, it’s awesome.
  • Ultimate Comics X-Men #8 – The fact that I’m loving the Ultimate universe more than the 616 Marvel says everything.
  • Ralph Wiggum #1 – I could watch an entire show featuring Ralph.  A comic featuring him is a no-brainer.
  • The Cape #4 – The series is twisted and fun, but right now it’s balancing between psychological thriller and silly super hero mass killing camp.  Here’s hoping it sticks to the former.

 

Comic Book (sort of) Weekly Reviews – 1/11/12

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Catching up on reviews….

Batgirl #5 – There’s a new villain for Batgirl called Gretel and some weirdness with the number 338.  It’s all ok, but not the quality we know Gail Simone can do.  The best parts of the series are the quiet moments when Barbara is reflecting on her life in and out of the cape.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.5

Batman and Robin #5 – Damian has thrown his lot in with Ducard as we get the background between Ducard and Wayne.  The story is ok and somewhat predictable.  The art is changed up a bit too.  Overall, the read is good, but not necessarily great.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Battle Scars #3 – The issue is a lot of fighting as Marcus Johnson continues to try to figure out who is trying to kill him.  This six issue limited series just feels like one long origin story.  Hopefully it pays off.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Batwoman #5 – The series relaunch isn’t as quality as the previous with a supernatural bent to it all.  The story is so-so, but the art is amazing.  It’s a buy just for that reason alone.  Hopefully the story quality ramps up a bit as the series progresses.

Story: 7 Art: 8.75 Overall: 7.5

Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive #528 –  The Panther is playing a game of chess with Fisk for the fate of Wakanda.  The story is entertaining enough and this issue has a very different artistic look.  I loved the art and would dig seeing a pulp/noir comic that looks like this.  This is the second to last issue and it’ll be interesting to see how it ends.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

Brilliant #2 – The second issue of this Kick-Ass wannabe is ok and there’s a lot of interesting stuff in it.  But, the series feels tired and not fresh enough since so many other stories have walked this territory.  It’s not bad, it’s just not great.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Captain America #7 – Captain America keeps reverting and madbombs are being set off.  The story has a camp feel about it, but the art I think is just not as quality as it’s been in the past.  It’s a classic feel of a story, with art that also feels like it’s from the past.  Overall, not as strong as the past story arcs.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5

Daken: Dark Wolverine #19 – Wow is that a bad ending.  The art is sup-par, the story is a let down.  Overall, not the quality that we’ve seen.  It’s a shame because the character has so much potential.

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

Green Lantern #5 – What is the Chamber of Shadows and who is the first Lantern?  So many questions are raised here after Jordan and Sinestro’s battle against the Sinestro Corps.  The story is intriguing and I want to see what else is in store that hasn’t been done before.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Journey Into Mystery #633 – A transition issue with some fantastic writing, but the story itself is slow.  The individual words are fantastic though.  Very odd.  There’s a slow fantasy build to it all as Loki has nightmares and the Son of Satan is looking for a demon.  This is just the beginning but really it’s for the hardcore Thor fans.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Mega Man #9 – Much like the video games, this latest ark feels rather similar to what’s come before.  That’s not a bad thing as just with the games, it was all quality.  Hopefully the story arc switches it up just enough, but it’s nostalgic fun for the whole family.  Perfect for kids and their parents who grew up playing the video games.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

The New Avengers #20 – The team takes on Osborn and his crew.  Overall there’s some very interesting stuff here and the usual solid and entertaining writing.  I feel like we’ve seen this story before, but it’s still good.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Resurrection Man #5 – We finally get a sense of Resurrection Man’s origin and it’s actually pretty cool.  The story got very interesting with the latest revelations and that ending.  I’m digging the series which is one of a few that are bringing Vertigo quality and horror to the DCU.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Scarlet Spider #1 – Kaine is in Houston and the story is very fun having a bit of an edgier tone from the Spider-Man comics I’ve read in the past.  The issue is the history of Kaine is so convoluted.  There’s clearly torment there that adds depth to the character, but unless you know it all, there’s a bit lost in the entertainment.  There is a bit at the end about Kaine, sort of, but even that just shows how overly complicated the Spider-Man history is.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Secret Avengers #21 – A mission to take on some weird beings and all I could think of was when Warren Ellis would be off of the series.  It’s not bad, but there’s just not a reason for the series.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Suicide Squad #5 – It’s a jailbreak and the squad is kicking ass.  The series is fun and there’s a lot of solid moments in it.  It’s definitely not Secret Six and is taking a bit to find it’s footing, but the series is entertaining.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7.5

Superboy #5 – Superboy is having some issue with Nowhere and Gen-13 is looking like it’s coming more and more to the DC universe.  There’s a lot of hints being dropped in the series which is a slow, but decent build up to…. something.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7.5

Ultimate Comics X-Men #6 – Wow is all I can say.  So much going on and so solid.  Is Rogue a traitor?  Was there some plan?  And who is getting her to do everything she’s doing?  That answer is a shocker.  I really need to go back and get caught up on everything.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Wolverine #300 – The situation with the Silver Samurai is finally being taken care of.  Also, what the hell is up with Sabretooth coming back?  So much I liked and so much I didn’t.  But Wolverine is getting back to the decent read it used to be.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Wolverine & the X-Men #4 – Logan is dealing with the fact that he’s now as much of a teacher as he is a murderer.  The issue is great with so many fantastic moments, especially for what it hints might be coming.  This is one of the best “X” books out there right now.

Story: 8.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 8.5

X-Factor #230 – The team is debating Guido having no soul and Jamie is in his weird world.  Wolverine makes a social call and offers up the team to join his side of the split.  This is the beginning of some great things I think.

Story: 8.5 Art: 7.25 Overall: 8.25

X-Men: Legacy #260.1 – The series shifts to the new school with some humor mixed into the issue.  The art is ok, but there’s potential here.  I’m interested in seeing how this series stands out.  A bit of an improvement.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7 Overall: 7.5

Comic Book (not so) Weekly Reviews – 12/28/11

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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

 

Comic Book Weekly Reviews – 12/14/11

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It’s a good mix of comics this week including a bunch I’ve been waiting to read.  What’s worth it?  Find out below!

American Vampire #21 – We get some insight into who Skinner is, but still not how he became what he is.  That’s the story I thought was being told, but it’s clear that this story arc was just one small piece of the larger puzzle that Scott Snyder will eventually reveal.  Much like his general writing style, even with the bigger story telling, Snyder takes his time, laying it out in a slow, but enjoyable reveal.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Avengers Academy #23 – The plot of future Reptil coming back to make sure his timeline happens is rather interesting, but there’s something that’s missing to me as far as the writing.  The art too isn’t as top notch as I’d expect from an important title like this.  As with the characters, there’s something that just seems junior to me.  It’s an improvement in the series, but still not enough for me to consider it an “A” title.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7 Overall: 7.25

Avengers: X-Sanction #1 – This is the first step in the big Avengers vs. X-Men fight that reaches it’s full blown madness in a few months.  Cable is back to prevent a disaster in the future and to do that he has to take on the Avengers.  It all revolves around Hope too, and with all the mystery surrounding her, this event has the potential to reveal a hell of a lot.  The first issue is interesting and pretty solid, but quite of a few of Marvel’s recent events have started out strong too only to stumble.  We’ll see if this one can buck that trend.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8 Overall: 8.5

Batgirl #4 – We finally find out how Barbara is walking, even if it’s just a few panels and her battle with Mirror comes to an end in this holiday themed issue.  Overall the comic is pretty good as expected with Gail Simone behind the wheel, but it still nags me about Barbara Gordon now walking.  That’s not Simone’s fault, but it’s still the elephant in the room as it feels insulting to those who are in wheelchairs or who have other disabilities.  The comic is good though, even with the rather lame villain.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Batman and Robin #4 – We learn a bit as to who Nobody is as the villain and Batman fight for Damian’s loyalty.  It’s interesting these two so easily represent the dual sides of Damian, but it’s also so obvious this is the intent.  The comic doesn’t have subtlety, but the story is entertaining and art very solid.  Overall a good addition to the Bat family of comics.

Story: 8 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

Batwoman #4 – Flamebird gets her butt whooped as Batwoman continues to search for the missing children and attempts to have a social life.  The story as usual isn’t the draw here, it’s all about the art which continues to be amazing.  Hopefully the storytelling will get to the level of the art and layout and at that point, this’ll be one of the best comics out there.  Until then, it’s only for people looking for something beautiful to look at.

Story: 7.25 Art: 9 Overall: 7.5

Battle Scars #2 – The mystery of Marcus Johnson isn’t revealed in this second issue…. maybe the next one?  The comic is ok, but nothing that’s gotten me too excited.

Story: 7.25 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.25

Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive #526 – In a plot that’s rather appropriate in today’s anti-corporate fervor, we find out exactly what Wilson Fisk wants with the Bank of Wakanda.  The story is pretty solid in it’s chess like plot and the art is always great.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8 Overall: 7.75

Green Lantern #4 – Jordan and Sinestro versus the entire Sinestro Corps.  But, what happens when they fail?  Captured and surrounded by people that hate them, Sinestro and Jordan have to figure out how to escape and free an enslaved world that despises them.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Iron Man 2.0 #11 – Just one more issue to go with Warmachine taking on a nano tech villain.  It’s been an interesting story, but nothing quite amazing.  The art in this issue though takes a dip as a few different folks hop in to put it all together.  The usual interesting and unique look changes a bunch and often in a jarring way.

Story: 7.25 Art: 6.75 Overall: 7

Magneto: Not a Hero #2 – What the hell is going on?  Unless you’re a die-hard “X” fan and care about Joseph/Erik/Magneto, this comic just makes little sense for the folks who haven’t been reading for decades.

Story: 6.5 Art: 7 Overall: 6.5

the New Avengers #19 – It’s Norman Osborn’s new Dark Avengers and a lot of discussion of what worked, what didn’t and why this team is better.  At the same time the new Avengers discuss Norman being loose and it looks like they have a traitor in their midst.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Resurrection Man #4 – A bunch of crazy in this issue as various forces merge to get Shelley back.  There’s heaven and hell and two women sporting big guns and a guy calling himself Transhuman.  The series is pretty crazy, but something very entertaining and interesting about it all.

Story: 8 Art: 7.75 Overall: 8

S.H.I.E.L.D. #4 – Is this in continuity?  There’s some things shown here that are pretty huge if this is happening in the 616 world.  As usual, a lot I like in the series but also a lot that’s a bit dense and hard to get in to.

Story: 7.25 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.25

Suicide Squad #4 – The cover lays it out there “betrayed by one of their own,” but who it is and why definitely caught me off guard.  The second arc comes to a close and leads directly into the third.  The series isn’t the tops out there and needs a bit more fine tuning to turn it into a solid Dirty Dozen type comic, but it’s still entertaining to read.

Story: 7.25 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.25

Superboy #4 – Superboy is given a choice after it’s clear who and what Red is.  But, in his wandering to figure it all out, Superboy comes off as a dick.  It’s interesting to follow this series, just because of it’s tie into Teen Titans, but without that, there’s not a whole lot that’s enjoyable about this Superboy.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

Ultimate Comics X-Men #4 – Well, hell, I totally didn’t expect that and see that coming.  Stryker attacks New York while the US government and the remaining X-Men have to figure out how to respond.  The story is very familiar, but just different enough to keep me on my toes.  The Ultimate universe is one where anything can happen and it does.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Uncanny X-Force #18 – Well that was one hell of an ending and I have to say I got a bit emotional for part of it, but still not sure why there was a bag.  Rick Remender’s epic story of the rise of the new Apocalypse goes out with a bang and deserves to be put up there as one of the best “X” stories ever.  Solid on every level.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75

The Walking Dead #92 – Just when you think writer Robert Kirkman is going to go in one direction, he throws something at you that you weren’t expecting.  This issue really shakes up the series and I’m sure you’re jaw dropped at the ending like mine.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

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