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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 – 11/30/11

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It was a “fifth week” so the comic releases were light.  Here’s what I picked up and my thoughts.  What was worth it?  Find out below!

Daredevil #6 – The second story arc ends and it’s really entertaining.  There’s a fun pulp feel to the comic book and this ending sets up a lot for future story arcs.  The fights are great and resolution really satisfying.  Overall, Mark Waid is putting out one of Marvel’s best comics each month and one of the most consistently entertaining comics out there.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Fables #111 – The new North Wind is revealed and the story of Bufkin in Oz hits an interesting point that’s best not to spoil.  The series continues to split it’s time between various plots which is a bit of a downer because each is solid, but neither gets enough focus.  Hopefully everything will converge soon and we’ll be back to one fantastical story.

Story: 8 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8

FF #12 – The kids have teleported away from the chaos that is New York City.  And they’re off to grab some allies it would seem.  Jonathan Hickman continues his epic Fantastic Four story now with two stories with which to weave the plot around.  There’s a lot of talking in riddles and small nuggets as to what the hell is going on, but that’s Hickman’s way of revealing the story here.  Each issue brings just one small piece of the much larger puzzle.  The only thing that bothered me is the art threw me off a bit.  I’m not quite sure how I feel about it right now.

Story: 8 Art: 7.5 Overall: 8

Spaceman #2 – Uh, Brian Azzarello’s story about a space monkey and kidnapped girl is weird and trippy.  Right now I’m very torn on it, because it’s so original and different, but I have a feeling it’ll read better as a trade than individual issues.  I think I’m going to hold off until then to read it.  Sad, because it’s so unique, but hard to really get into in pieces.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 – The search for Raphael continues as he and Casey Jones takes on Hobs while the rest of the turtles search.  The series has a good feel about it, mixing in the origin with the present day.  Very entertaining stuff.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Thunderbolts #166 – The Thunderbolts team is stuck in time and are now even further in the past.  The team must stop Mr. Hyde who has decided to go all Jack the Ripper.  Meanwhile, the team in the present gets closer to find the rogue Thunderbolts.  Overall ok, I’m not a big fan of this time travel story.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.5

Ultimate Comics the Ultimates #4 – Ok, I seriously need to go back and find out what lead to this.  We learn the truth as to who the Maker is.  I was guessing it with little knowledge of the history, but seeing it all was still very cool.  There’s just something awesome about this line where anything can happen.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Uncanny X-Men #2 – Really not a fan of this Sinister storyline.  It’s great something is finally being done with the Celestials, but something is very off here.  There’s a lot of talking, a lot of speeches, but that and little action doesn’t make an interesting read.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

Wolverine #19 – The fight with Jade Claw continues and finally ends as the story arc wraps up.  Overall, after such a bed few arcs, this one seems to have turned things around in the right direction.  Lots of action, lots of fighting, it’s a fun read.  Hopefully the series continues with it.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

X-Men: Legacy #259 – Huh and who?

Story: 7.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.5

Comic Book Weekly Reviews – 11/9/11

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A pretty good stack of books this week.  Find out what’s worth it below.

Avenging Spider-Man #1 – When a comic has me laughing out loud multiple times that’s a good sign.  The comic has energy, fun and excitement dripping out of it’s pages.  The writing by Zeb Wells is perfect with some amazing one-liners and the art by Joe Madureira is as fantastic as I’d expect.  I can’t wait for the second issue.  Is all of Spider-Man this fun?

Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9

Batgirl #3 – Everyone is worried about Barbara Gordon.  She’s recovering you know… That fact and that she’s experienced a miracle is beat over our head throughout this issue as she attempts to diffuse a bomb, chats with her dad and goes toe to toe in a flirtatious fight with Nightwing.  Some lines in this comic just make me even more confused about the new 52 timeline.  Just best to ignore all of that.  The comic isn’t bad and is quite entertaining, it’s just the repeated mentioning of some simple facts in Babs life that keep being repeated each issue, that feels old already.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

Batman and Robin #3 – The first three issues really seem to be about Damian and the fine line he walks between vigilante who has some sort of moral code and a full on murderer.  The villain is the represent that latter side.  A “good guy” who brings the ultimate justice to criminals.  Damian is caught between that and Batman’s style and interesting intro story.  This issue is good continuing to build on what’s been one of the better comics of the new 52.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Battle Scars #1 – An attempt to introduce a new character post Fear Itself it would seem.  I’ll read it, but so far not too impressed.

Story: 7 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7

Batwoman #3 – The art is amazing, absolutely stunning.  The layouts just make you question the visual aspect of comic book story telling and show what can be done.  The story though is a mixed bag.  There’s a lot I like here, like Kate Kane’s personal life and her juggling that with being Batwoman but the Weeping Woman thing confounds me.

Story: 7 Art: 9.5 Overall: 7.5

Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive #525 – The other pulp comic Marvel is doing. Black Panther now faces the Kingpin who is making a move on Wakanda and has the Hand to help him.  The story is interesting, art great as usual.  The series is one that deserves an audience as it’s pretty high quality and entertaining.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Fear Itself #7.2 – Wait, what the hell happened?  We get a new God of Thunder, which everyone just seems to accept but hoisting beers and he seems to have no issues with his fellow Avengers and then is that Don Blake?  I’m so confused.  Then there’s the ending which we could all predict.  Sigh….

Story: 6.75 Art: 9 Overall: 7

Green Lantern #3 – Um, that was a bit unexpected.  Jordan has to come to grips with his new role and Sinestro’s as well.  The two have to team up too, which makes it all a bit more complicated.  All the while it seems the Guardians are plotting on what to do next.  There’s some hints we’ll be seeing some fireworks soon and that ending definitely caught me off guard.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Huntress #2 – Pretty similar to the first issue but Huntress now has a better idea as to who the first target should be, but clearly there’s someone higher or something bigger going on.  The art is great and story is solid, I just wonder if it really needs to be six issues and whether it might read better as a trade or graphic novel.  Still, a strong female lead, great story and art, it’s a comic that’s a buy.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Jennifer Blood #6 – This is a very interesting series.  Jennifer has got her revenge and lays it out there for the final victim.  After all her talk, you’re left to think.  Is she as bad as they are?  Is she somehow more perverse due to her duality?  Is she a new type of feminist?  It’s a series I’d love to debate folks about.  A female lead with twisted violence and sexuality that only Garth Ennis can do.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Journey Into Mystery #631 – An interesting issue where Loki has to deal with the new status-quo of Asgard.  It’s all about setting up the future and the pseudo Shakespearean speak bothers me still, but the character of Loki is back to his roots and very entertaining.  This is really for the hardcore Thor fans.

Story: 8 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8

Magneto: Not a Hero #1 – A lot I like, especially the interaction between Cyclops, Magneto, Captain America and Iron Man but the second half teeters a bit diving into X-Men history I’m a bit fuzzy on.  It’s not quite as new reader friendly as I’d hope, but still entertaining.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75

The New Avengers #18 – Osborn is back and he’s forming his own group of Avengers again.  This issue focuses on that as well as why A.I.M., Hydra, some Hand and H.A.M.M.E.R. are all coming behind his leadership.  Something awesome is brewing here, you can just tell.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Point One – Hmmm, there’s a lot here and about half of it gets me interested, but that’s for stuff I’d probably buy anyways.  Also, a lot of the stories teased here have been set up in other series.  It’s also probably not quite enough to suck in and get a new reader interested.  But, it’s interesting for the most part.  I have to give Marvel props for trying, but this comes up short overall.

Story: 7 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7

Rachel Rising #3 – It’s a horror comic that’s creepy more than anything.  There’s a lot here that’s disturbing and still a mystery as to exactly what’s going on, but I’m hooked.  It’s all interesting and different, definitely a comic I look forward to each month to see how it’d unfold.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Resurrection Man #3 – We get a bit better of a sense as to what’s going on here and the mystery deepens really.  Isn’t the “caught between heaven and hell” schtick more of a John Constatine thing?  No matter, the comic is entertaining as it explains a lot of what’s going on, but the ending makes me feel like I missed something.  I’m sure for long time DC fans it’s a cool moment but for me, I shouldn’t have to go to wikipedia to get the back story after the relaunch.

Story: 8 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8

Suicide Squad #3 – The issue is a bit choppy in the story telling as it just back and forth in time though that’s not totally clear.  There’s an essence of time with the series that could be played up a lot better, but overall it seems to just be getting it’s footing and it’s pretty entertaining.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Superboy #3 – Well, I think that answers who Red really is.  Superboy is out and discovering what the real world is like.  That’s interesting, but there’s not enough of it.  We also learn a bit about who this Superboy really is, also interesting stuff.  Overall though, we’re still in the set up phase and the verdict is still out on the series overall.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8 Overall: 7.5

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #4 – Bendis has put together a comic that plays off nicely on what’s coming before creating a connected transition that doesn’t feel forced but a natural passing of the torch.  The story is still in the whole discovering powers phase but Miles and his friends seem interesting and there’s a sense of fun that flows off the page.  I’ve never been a big fan of the Ultimate universe, but I’m a fan of this newly rebooted series.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Uncanny X-Force #17 – Wow.  The issue is impressive and is filled with moments that make me say holy shit.  I have no idea what to expect and what’s going to happen next.  For a series to keep my on my toes just shoes how top notch it is.  So far everything has been on the table and so much being pulled out of so many different places.  The Dark Angel Saga is going to go down as one of the best “X” arcs ever.

Story: 9 Art: 8.75 Overall: 9

Wolverine #18 – A nice mix of action and humor as Logan and friends take on the Jade Claw.  An entertaining issue that’s leading the series away from the depressing morose plot it’s had for way too long.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

X-Men: Legacy #258 – Why is there a moment where I can see the writer pausing to figure out how to end this arc and get everyone home?  The X-Men save the day and get folks back to Earth, shocker.  It’s really all to set up what happens next.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7


Comic Book Weekly Reviews – 10/12/11

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A little late for these reviews.  Was it worth it?  Find out below!

Alpha Flight #5 – The team pulls in Taskmaster to help train their army as the Unity government continues to push their agenda.  The art is really off, Taskmaster just doesn’t look like himself.  The story is getting better, but it all feels a bit rudimentary instead of the complicated political story it should be.

Story: 7.25 Art: 6.75 Overall: 7

American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest #5 – And that’s a wrap for the limited series.  It’s a big action sequence that’s very Indiana Jones at times.  I really liked the series overall, and it added a lot to the overall American Vampire story.  The ending was solid and fun and a nice way to wrap up the story line.  Here’s hoping we’ll see some more limited series and graphic novels based in this universe in the future.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Batgirl #2 – The second issue is pretty solid.  The fight scenes are really good and I like how Babs has PTSD from being shot.  The more I learned about the villain Mirror the more I dug him.  It’s an issue that grew on me, but didn’t grab me like I’d of hoped.  It’s a solid read though, and it looks like this’ll be one of the standout series of DC’s new 52.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8 Overall: 7.75

Batman and Robin #2 – I really like Bruce and Damian, one struggling to be a father and the other struggling being a kid.  That dynamic is great and watching Bruce having issues with doing and saying things a father would is great.  The bad is this villain.  There’s clearly history and if you don’t know what that is (like me) that section falls short.  Half of the comic is fantastic, the latter half falters.

Story: 8 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.75

Batwoman #2 – Pretty solid story that stumbled only on a few pages, the art is just amazing.  The look, the layout, it’s beyond unique and unlike anything else out there.  The art alone is enough to buy the comic.  Just amazing in that department.

Story: 7.75 Art: 9.5 Overall: 8.25

Black Panther #524 – A Spider-Island tie-in that’s really not needed.  It does nothing to add to that story, but really this is just a bridge to the next arc which involves the Kingpin.  The story is pretty bad and art isn’t as good as usual.  Pretty sure you could skip this issue and miss nothing.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

Daken: Dark Wolverine #15 – I was hoping the whole Daken being a drug addict would of lasted longer.  I liked the art, but story seems a bit convoluted.  We’ll see how it ends, but the lead up has been better than this issue.

Story: 7 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7

Deathstroke #2 – I’d hope the second issue would give a bit more than over the top violence.  But with little plot the second issue of the series continues it’s attempt to make Deathstroke the bad-ass character he used to be.  I myself need a bit more to my characters other than over sized swords and lots of stabbing.

Story: 6.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.75

FF #10 – A quieter moment for the FF, everyone is scattered to where they were “needed” and that’s really the reflection here.  This is the quiet before the storm as Hickman starts weaving all of the threads he’s set up together in what looks like one colossal story that’s leading up to Fantastic Four #600.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7.5

Generation Hope #12 – A choppy story, very uneven art and a reprint from another comic, sigh.  The series was getting good, but this just kind of slides back to the second class X comic it was emerging from.

Story: 7 Art: 6.75 Overall: 7

Green Lantern #2 – This issue sets up a dynamic that’s pretty damn interesting.  It looks like Jordan gets his ring back, but with a twist that should lead to some fun stories in the future.  There’s still a lot of questions about continuity, but I like where the series is going.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Grifter #2 – Hmm, I’ve decided the whole Daemonites story running in Grifter and Voodoo is a bit too They Live for me.  The story is jumbled and too jumpy for me.  It’s not quite a clear linear plot and something is very off.  It just doesn’t feel very DC and not revealing info in a way that makes the story entertaining.  The series is very off to me.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.75

Jennifer Blood #5 – We get a lot more of the history and one ending I didn’t need to see.  The words “bring out the gimp” come to mind.  The comic is pure torture porn, but there’s something fun about it.  Garth Ennis knows how to tip-toe that fine line keeping you entertained, but hating yourself for being so.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

The New Avengers #17 – Osborn is back and playing on even a bigger scale.  The plot is just starting and if the Green Goblin is involved, it’s going to be good.  There’s never been a better time to hop on the bandwagon, cause this looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun.

Story: 8 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

The Punisher #4 – The Punisher is broken and it looks like the new Vulture is dead (we’ll see how long that lasts).  A reporter struggles with the story and cops are chasing a killer.  Lots going on in Rucka’s interesting take on the classic character.  It’s a good start and I especially like the different perspective this issue has.  We’ll see where it continues to go.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75

Resurrection Man #2 – Huh.  The series feels like a riddle mixed in an enigma.  I’m willing to stick around a while to see where the series goes, but it’s definitely interesting so far.  There’s a mix of Vertigo and over the top action, a bit Preacher feel too.  It’s an interesting mix overall.  A decent second issue, but not absolutely amazing.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8 Overall: 7.75

S.H.I.E.L.D. #3 – I am so lost as to what’s going on.  The series is a bit hard to follow as individual issues and would read much better as a trade or graphic novel.

Story: 6.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.25

Suicide Squad #2 – The villain is laughable but interaction in the team is great.  Everyone is expendable which makes this anything is possible comic.  That’s the good part.  The characters are no Secret Six when it comes to banter, and there’s a line in there that negates that entire series.  So glad I got into it…  Not a bad second issue, but not great.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #3 – Miles still learns about his powers and comes to terms with them a bit.  He also has his first few days at school which is interesting.  But, most importantly, we learn when this is all occurring which is very interesting and pretty smart writing.  So far so good.

Story: 8 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

Ultimate Comics X-Men #2 – A second solid issue that finds the Mutants of this world hunted and persecuted.  It’s a great mix of some of the latest solid plot lines from the regular 616 Marvel universe mixed a bit and just different enough to be original.  It’s familiar yet totally new and I’m hooked.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Uncanny X-Force #16 – When it comes to “X” story lines, this is it.  A mix of everything that’s good, full of action and packed full of “holy shit” moments.  Archangel is the new Apocalypse, X-Force keeps getting their asses beat and it all looks pretty damn hopeless.  I have no idea how this is going to end.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

X-Men: Legacy #257 – The battle is space continues for about two issues too long.  Can’t wait for this to be over.

Story: 7 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7

X-Men: Regenesis – The sides are chosen and we get to see the various pitches.  The “X” universe has shifted again and it’s looking like for the better right now.

Story: 8 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8


Around the Tubes

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New York Comic Con has come and gone.  We’ll have lots of posts, reviews, photos and some video.  But for now, here’s the news you might have missed.

Around the Blogs:

Fox News – Islam-Based Superheroes: Here to Save the Day or Villains in Disguise? – Fox takes on The 99 (ignores Newscorps’ bashing of it).

The Daily Star – Muslim comic series seeks breakthrough in U.S. – And another take on The 99.

Kotaku – Sunday Comics: Upright and Locked – Each week Kotaku brings some of the best web comics out there.

Con Coverage:

Kotaku – New York Comic-Con 2011 Day Four Cosplay with Dead Space Kid and Super Friends

Kotaku – NYCC 2011 Day Two in Pictures

Kotaku – The DC Superhero Statues of New York Comic-Con

The Beat – NYCC 2011: Days Three and Four

Bleeding Cool – The Cosplay Gallery Of New York Comic Con, Courtesy Of Marnie Ann Joyce

IGN – NYCC: Brian Wood’s Wolverine Emerges

IGN – NYCC: Rogue’s Legacy Continues

IGN – NYCC: Hulk Smashes the Avengers

Bleeding Cool – Luke Cage, Movie-Calibre Hulking And More In Marvel’s TV Future

The Beat – NYCC Announcements: Dexter, Marvel and Mystery Writers

Bleeding Cool – Recovering From A Hangover With The Women Of Marvel

Comics Alliance – Brian Wood’s Environmental Apocalypse Comic ‘The Massive’ Gets Ongoing Series

CBR – NYCC: Gale Anne Hurd on “Dead Man’s Run,” “Walking Dead”

New York Post – Girls gone geek

CBR – NYCC: Gage Offers the Runaways Shelter at “Avengers Academy”

CBR – NYCC: Geof Darrow’s “Shaolin Cowboy” Returns in 2012

IGN – NYCC: Shazam is Back!

IGN – NYCC: DC All Access: Superman Panel

IGN – NYCC: Avengers: Shattered Heroes Panel

IGN – NYCC: The Avengers Assemble Again

Comics Alliance – The Image Comics Show [NYCC 2011]

MTV Geek – J. Michael Straczynski Announces New MTV Comic At NYCC

IGN – NYCC: War of the Thunderbolts

IGN – NYCC: Remender’s Secret Avengers

Around the Tubes Reviews:

The Atlantic – Feynman

CBR – Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E #2

The Herts Advertiser – Ultimate Spider-Man: Death of Spider-Man

Comic Book Weekly Reviews – 9/28/11

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

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

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

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

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

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

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

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

Story: 6.5 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.5

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

Story: 7 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.25

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

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

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

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

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

Story: 6.75 Art: 7 Overall: 6.75

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

Story: 6.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

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

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

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

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

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

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

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

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75

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

Story: 6 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.25

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

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 7.75

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

Story: 7 Art: 6.75 Overall: 7

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

Story: 6 Art: 6 Overall: 6

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

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

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

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

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

Story: 8 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

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

Story: 7.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75

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

Story: 7.5 Art: 7 Overall: 7.25

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

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

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

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

Comic Book Weekly Reviews – 9/14/11

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

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

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

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

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

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

Story: 7.5 Art: 8 Overall: 7.75

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

Story: 7.75 Art: 9 Overall: 8

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

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

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

Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9

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

Story: 6.75 Art: 7 Overall: 6.75

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

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

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

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

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

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

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

Story: 7 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.25

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

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

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

Story: 6.75 Art: 7 Overall: 6.75

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

Story: 8 Art: 7.75 Overall: 8

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

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

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

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

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

Story: 6.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.75

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

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

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

Story: 6.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 6.75

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

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

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

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

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

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

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

Story: 7.5 Art: 8 Overall: 7.75

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

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

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

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

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

Story: 8.25 Art: 8 Overall: 8.25

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

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

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

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

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

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.25

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

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

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

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7


X-Men: Regenesis – Choose Your Team!

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Official Press Release

X-MEN: REGENESIS – Choose Your Team!

After the cataclysmic events of X-Men: Schism, all of mutantkind will be forced to make the biggest decision of their lives. What team will you choose?

Join the conversation on Twitter with #XMenRegenesis!

WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN #1 (AUG110653)
Written by JASON AARON
Art & Cover by CHRIS BACHALO
Variant Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
FOC – 10/3/11, ON SALE – 10/26/11

X-MEN LEGACY #259 (SEP110604)
Written by MIKE CAREY
Art by KHOI PHAM
Cover by CLAY MANN
Variant Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
NOVEMBER 2011

UNCANNY X-FORCE #19
Written by RICK REMENDER
Art by ROBBI RODRIGUEZ
Variant Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
DECEMBER 2011

X-FACTOR #230
Written by PETER DAVID
Art by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
Variant Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
JANUARY 2012

X-Men Regenesis NB 4

X-Men: Regenesis – Choose Your Team!

Posted on by

Official Press Release

X-MEN: REGENESIS – Choose Your Team!

After the cataclysmic events of X-Men: Schism, all of mutantkind will be forced to make the biggest decision of their lives. What team will you choose?

Join the conversation on Twitter with #XMenRegenesis!

WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN #1 (AUG110653)
Written by JASON AARON
Art & Cover by CHRIS BACHALO
Variant Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
FOC – 10/3/11, ON SALE – 10/26/11

X-MEN LEGACY #259 (SEP110604)
Written by MIKE CAREY
Art by KHOI PHAM
Cover by CLAY MANN
Variant Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
NOVEMBER 2011

UNCANNY X-FORCE #19
Written by RICK REMENDER
Art by ROBBI RODRIGUEZ
Variant Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
DECEMBER 2011

X-FACTOR #230
Written by PETER DAVID
Art by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
Variant Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
JANUARY 2012

X-Men Regenesis NB 3

Comic Book Weekly Reviews – 8/24/11

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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

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