We went to multiple shops to hunt down all of the releases we were looking for this week and still didn’t succeed (oh well).  Here’s this week’s reviews of what we did grab.  What was worth the trip(s)?  What should we have left on the shelves?  Find out the answers on how you should spend your hard earned dollars below!

Monthly Comics

American Vampire #9 – The final issue of this arc is interesting.  A lot I liked and a lot I was so-so about.  The events of the issue happen quickly and that rushed storytelling was a bit jerky for me.  This final part of the story arc could have stood to be over two issues, but still very solid.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Brightest Day #15 – Unfortunately this issue is spent entirely stuck in the mind of the Martian Manhunter.  It’s a waste of an issue, especially when his is the second least interesting one going on.  Skip!

Story: 6 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.25

Bring the Thunder #1 – A wounded soldier in Afghanistan fires an experimental weapon and weirdness happens.  This is how you get someone hooked into a series.  The first issue has a great narrative, solid art and enough of a mystery I want to check out the second issue.  A hell of a start to the series.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8 Overall: 8.5

Captain America: Patriot #4 – Such a fantastic ending that really wraps up this mini-series quite well.  I’m hoping we can see future mini-series looking at the men who wore the uniform of Captain America over the years.  Hopefully they’re all this quality.

Story: 9.5 Art: 8.75 Overall: 9.5

Daredevil #512 – For as bad as Shadowland was, this single issue and tie-in is good.  The issue is the follow up you’d hope for after the fall out of Shadowland.  Checking out various characters and foreshadowing where everyone is going next.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Generation Hope #2 – Holy crap is this second issue bad.  The story is just a weird Akira wannabe and even then it’s somewhat incoherent.  The story about the birth of the next generation of mutants is born stillborn.  Don’t waste your money.

Story: 4 Art: 7 Overall: 4.25

Irredeemable #20 – Plutonian has been subdued and the world is safe, but what now?  The series shifts a bit as the threat is neutralized and the survivors must move on.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8 Overall: 8.5

Lady Mechanika #0 – It was vampires, now zombies.  Is steampunk the next hot genre?  If this first issue of the series is any indication, I’m going with yes.  A crazy steampunk world has a very cool vision, fantastic visuals and interesting enough first story to get me to come back for more.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

Raise the Dead 2 #1 – I heard some very good things about the first volume of this “other” zombie series.  I have to say this first issue, didn’t quite blow me away, but was solid enough that I not only want to check out the second issue but go back and read the first volume.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Secret Six #28 – The last few issues of Secret Six have just not been the usual twisted fun I’d expect.  Instead it was a mish-mash of stories that just didn’t work, and at points was downright confusing if you didn’t have all of the continuity background.  So glad it’s over.  Onward!

Story: 6.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.75

Shadowland #5 – I had such hope for this mini-event, but the story has been a let down overall.  Few of the spin off titles and especially the main one made me excited about the direction of the characters and it just was a poor excuse to launch a bunch of new series.

Story: 6.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.5

Supergod #5 – Is that the end of the series?  It’s a bit anticlimactic to me with a rushed telling of the story.  We’re told the story, but given no insight into what any of these “gods” were thinking.  Overall, this is a series plagued by delays that will read better in one sitting and debated about it’s meaning.  A pretty ambitious tale that let me down.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8 Overall: 7.5

Taskmaster #4 – A fitting conclusion to the mini-series.  I want more Taskmaster!  I can easily see this being a television series, now lets make that happen Marvel!  Such a fun and entertaining read that expands a character’s history without totally mucking up what we like about him.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Graphic Novels/Trade Paperbacks

Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer – Um, the title is awesome.  Expect a expanded review later this week.