Friday Mega Review Round-Up

Writing: Warren Ellis

Arting: Kaare Andrews

Warren Ellis three-arc run on Astonishing has been rather odd. While the writing has been good, for three arcs now the art has been entirely uneven. The first art featured art by Simone Binachi that just didn’t work for the title and the complicated storyline, the second art feature Phil Jimenez who absolutely killed it but was very late in delivering, and the third arc features Kaare Andrews in art that is easily defined by fans as “cheesecake.” The art is so over the top in it’s comic nature that it in turn becomes a rather humorous element to the book, and one of the most polarizing in it’s nature. 

Here’s the thing: Xenogenesis is a delayed arc, and it’s an odd arc, but for all intents and purposes it’s a damn good arc. Warren Ellis is on fire in the writing department here, with an absolutely quick witted tongue and a very nice sense of dark, dark humor. While he does over-do the Emma Frost “Queen Bitch” attitude here a tad, it in turn is matched by the art. All things considered, the art matches the writing in tonality. However, that doesn’t necessarily make the art good, as it is still uneven. There are scenes that look absolutely great (Wolverine and all his excessive muscles trying to hold in his own internal organs) and there are scenes that look pretty bad (such as Emma Frost and her ever changing hair, breasts, and face). Once you attune yourself to the style of the book, it becomes a bit easier to swallow, but it’s still a polarizing element.

At the end of the issue, it becomes very clear what Warren Ellis was trying to do. The message was clear, everything has come full circle, and the story is rather satisfying. Of course, the presentation is in a very love it/hate it package, but the fact remains the same: this is Warren Ellis. This is the kind of story that he’s great at. Regardless of where you stand on the cheesecake nature of the book, it’s still a very solid arc and ends with a very solid issue.

Final Verdict: 9.2 – Buy

Writing: Christos Gage

Arting: Mike McKone

Avengers Academy is very much a roller coaster ride of the book. At times it reaches absolute highs, and at others it hits fairly low points, usually differentiating from issue to issue. One of the reasons for this is that for such a new book, it doesn’t exactly have a “straight-forward story,” which to an extent hurts the read of the book (although, to pause for a second, I have discussed this element with other reviewers at MC, and it turns out I may be alone in that belief). The one thing that the book is really missing is any kind of actual arc outside of a character growth one, and the idea of a series essentially made up of one-shots about characters doesn’t entirely appeal. That being said, this issue changes that, leading to a high for the series, as the story from last issue (kids being kicked and maybe a possible father reveal) is addressed in the immediate aftermath.

This leads to probably one of the best stories we’ve had so far in the title. Focusing on Finesse, Gage returns to one of his old favorites Taskmaster as Finesse confronts him and asks if he is her father. What takes place is not only a great fight scene, but one that legitimately pays off a lot of elements introduced to Taskmaster in Fred Van Lente’s recent critically acclaimed mini-series. While it seems the two writers write Taskmaster rather distinctly different, they still have such a great flow of ideas between the two that the characterization here is very entertaining to watch play out, especially when Taskmaster finally addresses if he is Finesse’s father or not. On top of that, having Mike McKone back in the fray is a very welcome sight, and I’d cross your fingers that his stay is an extended one.

While the issue ends the two-issue “kinda/sorta/not entirely” arc of the kid’s getting revenge on Tigra, seeing elements of the school in action also offers a nice treat to readers. So far, the story of Avengers Academy has had very little to do with the actual Academy, so having all the teachers in a room addressing each other’s faults as educators goes a long way to reminding us that yes, this a story about underdeveloped kids in a school environment.

I would honestly hope for more issues like this in the future. If AA can keep us in the school environment from here and focus less on single issue stories and guest appearances, the book would be a lot better. That said, it’s not a bad book at all, and this was definitely one of the better issues. AA has a lot of room to grow into a full fledged title, but 9 issues in we’re obviously still getting there slowly, as our roller coaster ultimately continues in an upward direction to what I can only hope is an incredibly high point.

Final Verdict: 8.1 – Buy

Writing: Tony Daniel

Arting: Tony Daniel

I remember reading an interview with Grant Morrison saying that when he took over writing Batman, he was told that this was the book for the wild and crazy stories of Batman fighting impossible villains, whereas Detective was about the grounded/gritty element of the Dark Knight. If there was anyone to hold true to that belief, it’s Tony Daniel (and Scott Snyder) as Daniel’s latest arc on Batman has been fully of completely “out there” storytelling of fantastical villains and mythical masks. Of course, on that same line, Batman is perhaps the second weakest of the ongoing Bat-titles for that exact reason.

Daniel writes the third book that features Dick Grayson as the heroic Batman, but the book really only accomplishes two things: 1) it features a lot of big fight scenes for Daniel to illustrate and 2) it begins to give Batman’s rogues gallery brand new copycat female villains (i.e. Catgirl, Enigma, and the villain revealed at the end (who is ostensibly a reference to The Long Halloween)). The former is entertaining on some level because Daniel is a talented artist, and there is absolutely no challenging that. Daniel draws powerful characters and he is good at the big fight scenes. But punches and dodging bullets does not make a story beyond anything starring Vin Diesel and/or Jason Statham. Batman should have more character development, and as a flagship title there is just not much here that isn’t any better than any of the myriad of Bat-titles. 

Batman is a title for Batman fans to follow, but not much beyond that. There are better Batman stories being told right now, and as nice as this book looks the writing just doesn’t match.

Final Verdict: 3.8 – Pass

Writing: Keith Giffen and JM Dematteis

Arting: Chris Batista

Giffen and Dematteis’ run is coming to an end as Flashpoint edges closer, and with just two more issues before they leave they’ve begun to bring things full circle. Not only does a villain from earlier in the run show up to mess about for Booster, but the duo continue to attempt to upward character arc Booster has faced since his book began. When 52 came out and Booster Gold spun out of it, he was still very much a loudmouth character looking for fame. As time passed and Jurgens wrote the ongoing, the purpose became not to have the book be as ridiculous but to make Booster a hero. Giffen and Dematteis continue that, but also definitely bring the bwa-ha-ha back, and that is ultimately what makes their run with the title so effortlessly entertaining.

Booster Gold is not the smartest book on the shelves, but ultimately Booster Gold is the title that Marvel’s Deadpool should be. A big claim admittedly, but if you give it some thought it should make sense: the title focuses on a hero whose origin and manuerisms are comic, but he is a fully three-dimensional character who has moved beyond pranking the Martian Manhunter with his now deceased best buddy into someone with a family/full cast of allies. Booster can make jokes at the end of the day, but the issue ends with him taking ownership of his actions as well as continuing to ultimately be himself. This is what Deadpool should be and isn’t, and this is exactly why Booster Gold under Giffen and Dematteis is totally worth reading. Heck, seeing Skeets almost die proves that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

That praise aside, the book does still feel like a throwaway title for people who aren’t loyal fans of the character. While they initially had the book lightly tied into Generation Lost, it has fully moved on to it’s own entity, and while you can tell Giffen and Dematteis are ready to wrap things (especially with the last line of the book), so it’s very much a love it/hate it read. However, if you’re looking for a book that mixes outlandish comedy with steady character growth, Booster is your guy.

Final Verdict: 8.8 – Buy

The Boys #51
Writing: Garth Ennis
Arting: Russ Braun

There was a time when my friends would ask for comic recommendations, and if I know anything about the Boys. At the time, I would simply shrug and tell them, “Just read Preacher. It’s great.” The reason I would do this is because as much as I plug away with the Boys due to my trust of Garth Ennis as a writer, I’d simply been going with the motions of the comic and not really caring what happened. With Roberson off the book as well, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep my interest in this ultra-violence chapel. However, just as the writers and promotional team behind HBO’s Entourage loves to say when promoting a new season – The Boys are back.

For a while now, The Boys is a title that has fallen from grace. Ennis began focusing less on the story, of the fight between the Boys and the Seven, and more on trying to add a lot of over the top violence, commentary, and other inherently “gross” things. The interesting thing about it is that the Boys have been slowly been falling apart within the story, with Hughie leaving, MM no longer having faith in Butcher, and the Frenchman and Girl mostly keeping to themselves. However, as Butcher seeks to fix things and finally bring the fight to the Sevens doorstep, the series finally regains it’s focus as the arc concludes with arguably the best last page reveal the book has had in the past couple years.

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The issue brings back both Rayner and Monkey, as well as having Butcher deliver what was once a signature line from him. We haven’t really seen Butcher as a cunning villain in quite some time, nor have we actually had any real tricks from the opposition. The comic has literally been lots of superhero jokes with a side of guts and/or child rape. That’s why the book finally feeling like it’s back on track as it moves towards it’s inevitable conclusion brings a sigh of relief. This issue is rather dialogue heavy, with absolutely no violence whatsoever, yet it’s definitely more entertaining than most of the issues we were given in previous arcs, let alone this issue. Watching Butcher finally step up his game and really lay down some hate and hurt is something that the book has been missing, let alone characters like Monkey and Rayner, who once played a very large role (but haven’t been seen since around issue #30). It’ll still be a little while before the Boys is as great as it was when it started, but we’re certainly getting there. Yes, the Boys is returning to form – and it’s about damn time.

Final Verdict: 8.4 – Buy

Writing: Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi

Arting: Ivan Reis and Joe Prado

Where did this title go wrong? How is it that two writers – two of the best in the DC arsenal – can come together to write a story that’s so ultimately disappointing? The latest Brightest Day continues the Aquawar, which started on a fairly odd note as all the odds were against our hero and he loses his hand (again, which was kinda cool to an extent) only to have our heroes win in a completely oddball way while growing very little. To be honest, every Aquaman element of Brightest Day up through this issue could be taken out of the Brightest Day book and be labeled as “Aquaman: Rebirth”, because in the end that’s what this is – all set-up for an Aquaman ongoing. What is unfortunate here is that while I’m not opposed to Aquaman: Rebirth or an Aquaman ongoing, the comic we’re buying is Brightest Day. With 4 issues to go, some semblance of a coherent plot would certainly be nice. 

A lot of things are happening in Brightest Day, but all of it just feels like set-up for other things. A Hawkman ongoing, an Aquaman ongoing, a Firestorm ongoing, etcetera. Brightest Day has been a smˆrgÂsbord of ideas and stories, but all of them very abstractly related with a plot that claims to have been revealed but is not apparent anywhere. The book continues to offer a lot of “WTF” moments and twists, and as we get closer to the end I fear that there will be a lot of unresolved stories. Brightest Day attempts to follow the glorious 52, which Johns co-wrote with Waid, Morrison, and Rucka, but that felt much more cohesive as a title than this does – and they’re basically following the exact same rules. 

Aquaman certainly needs redemption in the eyes of fans, because most people do not respect him at all. “He talks to fish,” they say. “Big deal.” While Johns has certainly made him a bad-ass here with fantastically epic art by Ivan Reis (which is the saving grace of the issue), placing it as one of the intrical stories in Brightest Day might have been a mistake. As a stand alone entity, it would’ve been entertaining, but mixed with all the mystery of the White Lantern and this just reads as stalling. And with a creator who once stood so high in the eyes of fans as Geoff Johns, it’s kind of disheartening to see him put out work that isn’t universally loved anymore.

Final Verdict: 4.3 – Browse/Pass

Captain America – Man Out Of Time #4
Writing: Mark Waid
Arting: Jorge Molina

With Man Out Of Time, Mark Waid seeks to deal with the immediate reactions of Captain America once he is ressurected in our time. Captain America was alive in a different era and a different America, so his reaction to the modern world is something that has fascinated a lot of story tellers as it’s not something that was heavily dealt with when Cap was first brought to the future. This is what gives Waid so much wiggle room to play with, with his title starring a rather melancholy Cap as he trudges through our world. Last issue saw Cap seeing the shiny parts of America with the Smithsonian as Iron Man tried to impress him. This issue gives a much more gritty look at the changes that have taken place, as Captain America meets up with his old company commander, now in a home, who muses over all the things in American history that Iron Man didn’t tell him – and it’s ultimately heartbreaking to watch Cap’s reactions.

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What we’ve been given so far is not even really a superhero story. This is a musing on the cultural changes of America, and a very look at it as well. Waid does a fairly good job of not putting too much of himself into the story, but just enough so you can relate to him as a writer. Instead, he tries to present facts in comparison the information given to Rogers in the last issue. The things that Waid presents here are all true: our modern era is so much more fast paced and focused on increasingly different things of the America of yesteryear, and it’s pretty disheartening to see how public our dirty laundry as a culture is, what if entertainment (comics included) glorifying crime to an impressionable state.

This is not a comic that reflects why people read comics. We read comics as a form of escape, to see heroes always winning and bad guys always losing. However, it’s never a bad thing to read a comic that trys to put the real world into perspective in comparison to the glitz and glamor of superhero-dom, and this is what Man Out Of Time seeks to do. While it is a fairly gloomy issue to the mini, with career defining work from Molina it’s certainly very pretty to look at.

Final Verdict: 9.3 – Buy

Writing: Andy Diggle

Arting: Davide Giandfelice

Reborn #2 continues the downward spiral Daredevil is taking, and unfortunately I’m not referencing the character arc. Diggle, who had such a strong opening run as Brubaker left, ended up getting turned around in Shadowland, which ended in quite a mess. Reborn seeks to act as the ending “that was always coming,” but so far the whole thing feels like a missed opportunity. Shadowland ended with Daredevil in a church, and one could hope that on some level the following arc might be a spiritual follow-up to something like Miller’s Born Again arc, which is completely defining towards the character. Instead, Daredevil is out in the middle of who knows where fighting your average blue-collar criminal in a completely non-Daredevil fashion. On some level I get the impression you’re supposed to see that Daredevil still has “elements” of the Beast in him, but even so, things like Daredevil somehow stringing up a car off of a cliff with two cops inside just seem off base. 

Personally, I have faith in Diggle and in Daredevil as a character. I don’t believe that the intent here is to stray so far from what makes the character great, but that’s what is happening. There is so much potential in the series simply in the word “Reborn”, but not a lot of character growth is being seen here. For all intents and purposes, it actually seems like at times Diggle has forgotten Daredevil is blind, as he can somehow identify a truck full of guns right before someone tells him what it is as well as read a sign (although it’s possible he felt the impression of the sign?). Combine that with the art by Giandfelice that feels completely out of place after beyond fantastic artistic runs from artists like Alex Maleev, David Aja, and Roberto De La Torre, and you ultimately get a title that neither looks good nor reads well – and that’s incredibly sad thing to say as a long time Daredevil fan.

Either way, with this being a finale to what was once a great run, Daredevil is becoming decidedly less enjoyable. I’ll stick it through to the end, because as I mentioned Diggle is a writer you can have faith in. He has proven time and time again that he’s not only a good writer but a great one. Here’s hoping that the story picks up before the end is here.

Final Verdict: 5.3 – Browse

Writing: Tony Bedard and Marv Wolfman

Arting: Adriana Melo

Legacies is a book that, for all intense and purposes, should be a lot better than it is. With Wolfman and Bedard working together on the title, you’d imagine that as a whole it would actually work. However, as I said in my review of the first issue, the concept really only works paper. In the actual execution, the interest is lost somewhere along the way.

We’re given Lex Luthor in a post-apocalyptic future, banding the few heroes that he can to help set things right. With this issue we’re given a look into some of what Luthor has done to get to where he is now, which involves Braniac taking a major landmark away from the Earth. However, the odd thing – and ultimately disheartening thing – is that we already know what is going to happen. Braniac may have stolen the Daily Planet, but not only is the cover to the 5th issue that of Superman with Lois in his arms, but the grand battle that begins this story features Luthor commanding forces from the atop of a broken down Daily Planet. While we’re supposed to be shocked and possibly even scared of what will happen, the knowledge we already have pretty much kills any tension. On top of that, Luthor’s quest to gain missing pieces of the only edge that our “heroes” might have against Braniac ends up being not too thrilling of one, as the element is glossed over and the issue basically ends with everyone completing their tasks without much conflict. All things considered, their plight should be much greater than it is.

The comic serves as a companion to the game, but so far the videos that have been released for it have been much better. Again, on paper the comic sounds a lot better than it is, but for whatever reason Bedard and Wolfman are just failing to deliver here. 

Final Verdict: 3.8 – Pass

Writing: Brian Wood

Arting: Riccardo Burchielli

This is it. This is the beginning of the end. The US Government has entered into the DMZ and have begun their sweep, preparing to take the Free States down and end the war once and for all. And on top of that, everyone hates Matty Roth. It’s a great time to be reading DMZ.

Brian Wood has completely turned around the comic he started 5 or so years ago, as Matty Roth has undergone one of the most intense character arcs of any character at Vertigo. Of course, his current predicament in documenting the final days adds a lot of conflict for the reader to dig into. However, the issue is more slow than normal. DMZ has never been a fast paced comic, but this issue reads decidedly more slowly than normal. The nice thing is that it all becomes rather clear why at the end of the issue: this issue is very literally the calm before the storm. The final page offers up a great twist, one that fans have been actively waiting for for quite some time, and with the knowledge of the last page, looking back at the rest of the comics pacing becomes much more clear. Suffice it to say, this arc is going to be quite the powerhouse. Although, one bit of a downer to the book is that the art seems a tad bit off. While Burchielli is still turning out tremendous looking work – and his renditions of the destroyed New York are absolutely wonderful – some of the inks don’t seem to match up between the characters. Burchielli has a definitively gritty art style, but some of the sequences seem rather uncharacteristically smooth. An odd thing to note, but it’s there none the less.

Every fan of comics should absolutely be reading DMZ. There is really no reason not to. The book stands on many fronts as one of the best character pieces as well as political allegories in comics today. As DMZ moves into closer and closer to it’s end, it continues to be the highlight of the Vertigo line.

Final Verdict: 9.3 – Buy

Writing: Keith Giffen

Arting: Matthew Clark

As someone who is not a regular Doom Patrol reader, I come to this title now in conjunction with the recent Secret Six crossover. What I’ve found is a comic that is merely alright, ending a crossover that never really seemed overtly neccesary in the first place. One might imagine that part of it was to boost sales of Doom Patrol, but considering the title was announced as ending, it doesn’t seem like that was the point after all. Instead, the idea here I suppose is to help integrate the Secret Six more into the DCU, let alone the Doom Patrol as both teams have been decidedly insulary. Not that this is a bad thing in such a large universe of heroes, but the interaction just ends up being rather silly.

That’s also not exactly a bad thing. Both the Secret Six and Doom Patrol are noteworthy for their dark humor and underdog characters. However, the title doesn’t push the characters in any new directions and instead just plays out like a bit of stalling in between arcs to allow Simone and Giffen to play with each other’s characters. Of course, while Giffen is a great writer when it comes to the darkly humorous, his characterization of the Secret Six leaves something to be desired, especially when compared to Paul Cornell (from the recent Action Comics crossover). While not all crossovers have to be decidedly relevant, this one just ended up feeling a tad forced.

Final Verdict: 6.8 – Browse

Writing: Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston

Arting: Giancarlo Caracuzzo

Marvel has been doing a great job providing top notch Ender adaptations. As someone who had ingrained in the back of his mind the importance of this saga from an early age, it’s very exciting to see the production of this material (even if some of it is a bit truncated to fit a mini). With this new comic, promising never before seen material from Orson Scott Card then translated to comic form by the always awesome Aaron Johnston, things promise to go quite well for the new series. However, the first issue leaves a lot to be desired from the rest of the mini.

The first issue is essentially classic sci-fi set-up. Characters are introduced, as well as what their assumed challenges will be, and it’s all very reminiscent of the beginnings to a lot of alien disaster films to be quite honest. The last page seeks to be the beginning of the conflict, but everything up until that moment just seems slow and mildly superfluous. Character arcs and development are always important, but the comics pace is rather slow for what is ultimately going to be a big alien shoot-up/blood bath (at least, you could assume so). The saving grace of this really is young Mazer Rackham, now joining a special ops group and being completely lambasted by the higher commands in a rather nasty norture trick. That whole sequence is the best part of the issue that is generally full of jerk white collar criminals and space mining.

Johnston is an INCREDIBLY strong writer and has proven so time and time again, with his involvement in Shadowland being the best of the whole event as well as his epic apocalyptic ongoing at Oni, Wasteland. If you’re a fan of the Ender Saga, you should put ultimate faith in Johnston, who has been telling faithful adaptations of Ender’s stories with Mike Carey and Chris Yost. Not only is he in charge of the Speaker for the Dead adaptation (which had a great first issue), but now he’s given the burden of telling new original Ender content. All slow beginnings aside, further perusal of the series is certainly encouraged.

Final Verdict: 5.4 – Browse

Writing: Tony Bedard

Arting: Tyler Kirkham

Tony Bedard’s second arc on GLC redeemed his work on the title in a lot of eyes, as we moved away from the mess that is Cyborg Superman and his oh-so complicated history and were given a new villain who was full of mythos and easily able to slip in to Green Lantern continuity. Of course, with the final issue of this arc before the War of the Green Lanterns, Bedard delivers a veritable Empire Strikes Back of a finale that is so dark and on a character level possibly defeatist it should hopefully not only redeem Bedard from a sub-par first arc but also create a lot of fans in him, because this is how I like to see comics end.

Bedard and Kirkham both had a very difficult task of following up a phenomenal run by Gleason and Tomasi, but they’re a duo that all fans should want to see more of. Green Lantern Corps has often outshined Green Lantern with it’s extended cast and more grounded versions of the mythology (a reactive title as opposed to a proactive/ever changing title), but Bedard seeks to do a tad more than that. The creation of the Weaponeer was very strong addition, and it’s the ending of the title that ultimately sells the entire arc that Bedard weaved. While on some levels it might appear at surface value to be a love it/hate it ordeal, it is in fact the only proper way this could have happened. Truth be told, the battle between the Green and Yellow lanterns is a forever evolving and neverending one, and there was truly no happy way that this could resolve. Bedard’s acknowledgement of that and ending on the aforementioned Empire note shows that while Bedard is just beginning his GLC run, it should hopefully be a formidable one, and I would honestly cross my fingers that Kirkham is here to stay as an aritst because his battle renditions are just tremendous to watch.

The comic isn’t perfect, of course. The inclusion of Firestorm is superfluous entirely, and Arkillo’s reformed tongue is still bothering considering the importance given towards the loss. However, the finale for the issue let alone the arc is a great way to go out, and the title already feels relevant once again. To be honest, flaws aside, that’s all we can ask for.

Final Verdict: 8.7 – Buy

Writing: Jeff Parker

Arting: Ed McGuinness

Jeff Parker started his Rulk run by having the Rulk atone for his previous sins with fists in the face. It was the beginning of a new direction for the book as Rulk stopped being an antagonist and becomes a protagonist in the Marvel U. With #30.1 on the horizon as well as a slew of brand new villains as Parker prepares to take Rulk on his own adventures, we’re given #30 – the silliest issue of Hulk since Jeph Loeb was on the title.

Of course, the inherent difference is this: when Loeb was writing the title, he didn’t want it to be silly. It was written with an obviously jokey vibe (punching the Watcher in the face and stealing the Silver Surfer’s board), but for all intents and purposes this was the Hulk and Rulk story, and we weren’t supposed to laugh at everything. With Hulk #30, now only do we see the return of Ed McGuinness, but we are given the most absolutely ridiculous story this side of Doctor Doom trying to steal a car in a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang tribute (which is an entirely real thing). Self referential and completely forgetting the fourth wall, Jeff Parker’s Compound Hulk goes from something that sounded incredibly weird to something that is entirely enjoyable, because it embraces the ridiculousness of it while also pushing the character forward. That is the noteworthy thing of the issue ultimately, because while Rulk and Hulk are still adversaries, their alliance is now more easily defined now that they’ve shared a bond.

While the issue is a “one and done” if I’ve ever seen one, this could very well have been the .1 issue, ultimately. Anyone can hop in and read this and enjoy it, and if you’ve ever been curious about what Parker’s been doing now is certainly a good time to start. It’s a very silly issue, and one that doesn’t seem like it will have any effect on the main run Parker is doing, but comics are allowed to be enjoyable just because.

Final Verdict: 8.6 – Buy

Writing: James Robinson

Arting: Brett Booth

James Robinson is a writer who many feel have fallen from grace, but as a creator who has had such fantastic runs in the past it’s hard not to at least give him repeated chances. That’s what his run on JLA has been so far – chance after chance to do something great again. At base values, most of his arcs sound entertaining on the core ideas alone, such as the previous arc which featured CSA and Omega. The arc should have been great and could have been great, but ultimately still wasn’t up to snuff. As Mark Bagley leaves and is replaced with Brett Booth, Robinson continues to plug away at the title to the best of his ability. It just doesn’t look like he can maintain the title alone for much longer.

This issue is entirely set-up for the upcoming Eclipso arc, as Eclipso returns and unites his villainous crew. It’s basically a collection of relatively unknown villain Robinson is assembling here, as well as his favorite Shade, all of which will take a side bar with next month’s Doomsday crossover issue. However, right off the bat the very thing Robinson’s trying is inadvertently working against him in a conceptual level. Robinson wants to use smaller villains and heroes and make them prominent via a flagship title like JLA, but with the groups he has assembled he’s inadvertently pigeon holing his audience. While it’s sometimes entertaining to read stories with smaller characters like this, we’re supposed to feel an immediate sense of dread and danger coming – yet nothing is felt here. There is no danger. There is just a guy named Eclipso who is mad and forming a new group of villains. It’s not really enough to warrant following.

Robinson can be a great writer, but his JLA tactic is not a fan-winning one. In fact, this is the issue where I personally have dropped the title, and I’ve been a rather active supporter of Robinson through a few “meh” arcs new. With the loss of Bagley on art, there isn’t much left to follow in the collective title of what is supposed to be the World’s Greatest Superheroes.

Final Verdict: 3.8 – Pass

Legion of Super Heroes #10 

Writing: Paul Levitz

Arting: Yildiray Cinar

Similar to JLA, this is a title that should be leaps and bounds better than it is. Levitz has played a defining role in the Legion’s past (let alone DC’s). However, 10 issues in and the title still doesn’t seem to have any sort of plot other than odd one-and-done stories that loosely fit together. This isn’t even in the same sense that Avengers Academy works, either. Levitz keeps promising the something big is coming to the book (supposedly bigger than the Great Darkness Saga), but as it stands there is no real reason to continue following the title outside of character loyalty, and that’s saying something.

The title is just generally a mess. Cinar’s art is chaotic and Levitz’s story is frantic, trying to move between too many plots that want to be intricate but instead read as disjointed. What started as an interesting title to bring in new fans, Levitz has very quickly abandoned trying to do anything really exciting with the title, bogging down the book with the death of RJ Brande, long after it should really be all that relevant. It’s something that has been literally done to death, but still “new” elements keep emerging, as well as Durlan spies twists that fall flat.

The only saving grace to the title is the promise that Starman is coming back next issue (and seriously, where the hell has he been?), but outside of that this title is completely passable except for die-hard Chameleon Boy fans.

Final Verdict: 2.8 – Pass

Loki #3 

Writing: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

Arting: Tim Bradstreet

There are many Thor books on the market today, and with the upcoming Thor movie it’s no real shocker that Marvel is putting such a heavy push on the character. Of course, as far as Loki is concerned, we only have two stories – the upcoming Journey into Mystery by Kieron Gillen, and this. With this mini, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa tells an out of context/continuity story involving Loki fulfilling his ultimate destiny: the murder of Balder, and the coming of Ragnarok.

However, the only issue with the mini ostensibly is is that for a book that got hit by delays and will only last one more issue, this issue is arguably one of the biggest slow burns on the stand this week. Last issue saw the cunning Loki twist events to his will, but this issue sees Loki sitting in the background as the world mourns for Balder in streams of endless tears. The Loki story should thrive on Loki effortlessly twisting events to his outcome in fiendish ways, and to an extent that is what was happening. This issue just puts the brakes on an already short story, and the only thing it really accomplishes is to remind people that yes, Loki is jealous of Thor. It’s a character dynamic that we already understand, and while the title serves mostly as a character piece, there seems to be a rather distinct loss of plot with this issue.

On a base level it’s certainly entertaining, and for a story written in the Asgard-sect of the Marvel U it’s certainly thematically appropriate and written with the right amount of flair a mythological tale needs. However, Loki could be a much more entertaining miniseries if it acted more like other recent Loki stories have, such as the Kieron Gillen one-shot from Siege. However, considering that this takes place off the grid as far as stories go, it seems more like a missed opportunity to rewrite elements of Loki’s history and give new fans a look at the character, because with one issue to go we’re not so much given a story about Loki the trickster, but rather Loki the jerk who won’t cry at a funeral.

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Final Verdict: 6.4 – Browse

Spider-Girl #4
Writing: Paul Tobin
Arting: Matthew Southworth

When Spider-Girl first started, I gave it a go because I think Paul Tobin is an incredibly underrated writer when it comes to young characters as well as all ages books. What I was given with the first arc, featuring the death of Anya’s father, was much less than I expected, almost to the point that I no longer really wanted to follow the title. However, pushing through to the fourth issue proved to ultimately be worth it, as giving Anya Kraven’s daughter to fight as illustrated by Southworth definitely proved to be just what the doctor ordered.
Marvel doesn’t have a lot of steady young hero characters that last for a good amount of time. It’s not inherently their fault, but rather a reflection of the market, and it’s something that we as fans have to deal with.

However, with a title like Spider-Girl, which has gotten an intense upswing with it’s 4th issue, it’d be really sad to see it go now. Not only does Kraven’s daughter Ana make a good adversary for Spider-Girl (in the same way Kraven does Spider-Man), but the issue is full of a very young and fresh vibe, focusing a lot on Anya at home and Anya stopping petty crimes as opposed to trying to stop the Red Hulk. Coming out the gate swinging with an arc like that might have been a bit headstrong for the title, because with this entire issue – from first page to last – we have a much more cohesive and well structured story of a young girl, alone in the city, fighting crime and trying to fit in. The final two pages alone make the entire story worthwhile, as it excellently sets up the next part of the story.

I will say, though – the Twitter aspect is the one thing that breaks the fourth wall of believability a tad too much. The fact that Anya’s roommate is a Spider-Girl fan, yet doesn’t totally ever catch that Spider-Girl keeps tweeting about her, doesn’t seem to make much sense. Nor does it make sense that Spider-Girl has all that time to tweet, really. How can you fight crime with an iPhone in your hands? But this is comics. Weirder things have happened.

Tobin is a strong writer, and it’s very easy to put faith in him. An unsung hero like Southworth is just what the book needs, because giving the book that neo-street vibe that Southworth employs (in a similar fashion to someone like Gaydos or Maleev) ultimately helps to emphasize not only the hunt aspect of Ana’s story, but the violent world Anya is throwing herself into. To put it simply, sometimes a comic can be sold on the art alone, as a great artist will make any writer look good. When you already have a good writer like Tobin on the book, what you end up having is a comic well worth the read.

Final Verdict: 8.6 – Buy

Writing: Cullen Bunn

Arting: ChrissCross

Superman/Batman at it’s best was filled with stories that truly play off the brotherhood that exists between the two character. Whether it be through alternate timelines or forcing the two to stand alone against all odds, the exploration of that aspect is the thing that makes Superman/Batman worth reading. While the title has been rather bogged down with one-shot stories (although there were some pretty good ones in there), Cullen Bunn of 6th Gun fame comes in to tell the first arc we’ve had in a while.

What we’re given is the story of a powerless alt-future Superman in knight’s armor, an angrier than usual Batman, and the return of Shadowpact. To be frank, we have three things that set up a good formula for what is hopefully an entertaining arc. Heck, given the covers alone with Batman riding dragons and Superman weilding swords, it should be a damn entertaining read and a nice foray for Bunn outside of 6th Gun. ChrissCross also adds some neat art to the book, which is mostly dark and a tad gritty but at the same time offers up careful details in specific places, which helps bring out the story. Things like alt-Batman’s mask play particularly well to the mood of the story,and the final page offers up a great foreboding twist for the rest of the arc.

Superman/Batman has largely been irrelevant for quite some time now, only really worth following when there are good creators on for a story or two. In the case of Bunn and CC, this could indeed be a story worth grabbing for an arc, if only to see what Bunn does with powerless Knight Superman.

Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy

Writing: Jeff Parker

Arting: Kev Walker

If you are somehow not reading Thunderbolts, then I genuinely feel sorry for you. If you’re unsure why, it’s because Thunderbolts is without a doubt one of the strongest villain-oriented titles on the market, and issue by issue Parker and his partners in crime in the art department have been nailing home run after home run. They’ve taken characters who were assumedly irredeemable (for the most part) and crafted genuinely entertaining and worthwhile three dimensional stories to follow, and if the latest chapter is any indication, Parker and Thunderbolts are going to have a long, stoic, and beautiful run on the title.

Finally out of myriads of crossovers, the Thunderbolts are given a mission (which is, by the way, aftermath from another Parker title – Hulk) to take down some giant monsters with their newest member, Hyperion. Of course, Hyperion decides to be a total jerk and ruin everything for everyone, and we’re left with Hyperion triumphant over a fallen time. However, the Thunderbolts are not to be counted out as they return in this issue to deliver one of the most decisive beat downs administered in any comic you’ll read this week. Villain on Villain action often provides some of the most entertaining violence, and Parker is definitely an expert at writing anti-heroes now. As Man-Thing ends the issue on a high note of high notes, we are literally given THE bad ass moment of the week from the LEAST bad ass character of all time. That’s saying something.

To put it rather lightly, Thunderbolts takes the ideas of villains leading comic books, looks at other titles with similar premises, and laughs. It’s a hearty laugh, a deep laugh, and a maniacal one. With the new member soon on his way and Hyperion now having himself a rather different looking face, Jeff Parker and Kev Walker show why you should be reading Thunderbolts beyond a shadow of a doubt. And if you aren’t? Like I said, I genuinely feel sorry for you. Any writer and artist who can take Man-Thing and turn him from “that swamp guy” into a character that readers can genuinely love and want to follow deserves your $2.99 week after week.

Final Verdict: 9.4 – Buy

Writing: Rick Remender

Arting: Esad Ribic

In a similar fashion to my Fables #102 review, I’d like to start off with a quote from this week’s Comics Should Be Cheap, courtesy of yours truly: “This one time I read a Punisher issue by Rick Remender, and as the comic opened he had a character drown a kitten. I’m a huge fan of cats and I said, “Ok, I don’t think I’ll read Remender anymore.” Of course, time passed, I got over it, I met Remender and talked to him, and here we stand at issue #5 of Uncanny X-Force. All cat killing aside, the man is a powerhouse writer, and if you aren’t buying/reading everything he writes, you are certainly missing out. Uncanny X-Force #4 was tremendous, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next arc.” If I could once again look back at the Matt of Wednesday, I would smile and say “Sir, your beloved characters couldn’t be in better hands.”

Where to begin? To start, Remender begins the book by making Deadpool a human being. Many forget the original Deadpool run from the tail end of the 90’s, but back then Deadpool was a character who did more than throw pies and break the fourth wall. Remender brings that back, even if it’s just for a bit, to not only make Wade look human, but to make Logan look all the less so. It’s probably one of the best scenes in the book, especially when Angel reveals that Deadpool has not once cashed any of the checks he’s been given. On top of that, the book has everything you would want – epic Morrison references, over the top science fiction, and a character driven issue starring everyone’s favorite Fantomex that is just to die for – literally. Remender puts a sharp edge to his storytelling, and the entire first issue to this arc is chock full of legitimate danger at every turn. While I have no doubt Fantomex will probably survive to the end of the arc, the way Remnder writes you almost forget that heroes are destined to win.

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I will say that I already miss Jerome Opena on the title, but Esad Ribic does a good book make, and his visuals are certainly more than welcome. He actually offers a much cleaner visual than Opena did, and while the grittiness of Opena’s art certainly gave the title a visual flair, Ribic’s art is no slouch in the department. No, it looks like the supreme awesomeness of Uncanny X-Force is here to say, and with Rick Remender and his villainous brain behind the wheel, it’s one comic ride that no fan can afford to miss.

Final Verdict: 9.7 – Buy

Writing: Rick Remender

Arting: Shawn Moll

Originally the back-up to Marvel’s latest What If? line, this issue collects it into one nice single edition for those of us who don’t regularly read What If? stories anymore. That being said, this is perhaps one of the most self aware and hilarious comics that I’ve read this week, let alone ever, as Rick Remender tears down the fourth wall in ways that Deadpool could only dream of doing on a regular basis. Remender writes both the new Venom and Deadpool now, so you’d assume that the combination of the two characters would prove amusing – and you’d be absolutely right. Of course, the odd thing is that Venom really has nothing to do with anything here. Yes, the symbiote is on Wade, and  yes, it does lead to a few hijinks, but essentially this is just a whackadoodle Deadpool story that seeks to lampoon comics as a whole. The symbiote is ultimately inconsequential.

Not that that’s a bad thing. The comic oozes excess hilarity, and considering it’s a What If? story, there is not even the slightest bit of reason to take it as “serious” (let alone canon, obviously). Everything from the power of the jheri curl to Peter Parker thrown out of a car screaming for help from Lord Mephisto is great, and Rick Remender uses it as a sly way to offer some fun commentary on what we as fans expect from superheroes and comics. This story ultimately works because it’s Marvel shamelessly poking fun at itself, and any comic company that allows such blatant attacks on it’s own characters shows that they don’t have a lot to fear or hide behind. The finale of the story ultimately hits the nail on the head in a scene that is both rather hilarious and ultimately poignant to the commentary inherent in the title.

Either way, this is basically just a modern Deadpool story. The Deadpool of yesteryear was a three-dimensional character with a full cast of associates, but nowadays people only want to write him as a slapstick figure. As much as that can get annoying in the “616” (as the comic loves to reference), here – where comic saints like the Marx Brothers are revered – it works entirely. That being said, yes, the comic is fairly dumb… but it doesn’t pretend to be anything else, and sometimes that’s absolutely fine.

It’s also probably worth noting that Deadpool and the symbiote have actually interacted within the 616 before… but you know, who cares?

Final Verdict: 9.2 – Buy

Writing: Jason Aaron

Arting: Daniel Acuna

It’s been a long time since Wolverine was so entirely relevant. The character has been tossed around like a peace pipe at a Phish concert to the point that many people forgot what could make the character great, and thus has Jason Aaron restored the ol’ Canucklehead to his former glory. Picking up at the exact second where the first arc ended, we not only get new arc but a brand new story direction as the X-Men are brought in to deal with the demon crazy Wolverine. And it’s absolutely explosive in a way that most writers could only hope to accomplish.

To put it simply, Aaron has made Wolverine a character worth reading about. Most writers attempt to simply distill him down to the best there is at what he does, but Aaron sees more to it than just that. Wolverine has a full cast of allies now who care about him, and if the beginning of the book is any indication, Cyclops is perhaps Wolverine’s most dangerous enemy now. This dichotomy between the two characters, who have admittedly always been at arms against each other, plays out extremely well in the issue as Cyclops reveals his ultimate plan to take Wolverine down if necessary. The question then becomes if we’ll get to see him use it, and the way things go? It looks like we just may – and that’s incredibly exciting.

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Of course, with the new arc comes a brand new artist, Daniel Acuna. Acuna is an incredibly strong talent, Guedes’ loss is felt. This isn’t to say anything inherently negative about Acuna, because Acuna is definitely an artistic force to be reckoned with, and if there is any way to bring it to a title, he definitely does. However, Guedes’ style on the book up until this part, which featured Wolverine in Hell, had such a pop to it that Acuna’s art doesn’t have, that as the two arcs transition one can’t help but notice that it may have been easier to keep Guedes around and save Acuna for after.

Regardless, this is the best Wolverine stories that we’ve been given in years without a doubt. If you want to read a run that will redefine the character for the new generation, right now is a great jumping on point.

Final Verdict: 9.7 – Buy

Wolverine and Jubilee #2
Writing: Kathryn Immonen
Arting: Phil Noto

What more can be said about this mini that I haven’t already said the last time I reviewed it? Immonen and Noto make an absolutely perfect pairing, and this title should be a part of your collection without even the slightest doubt in my mind. On a certain level I don’t even think I really need to justify why, because you should already know. But just in case you’re still unsure, take a gander at this:

What Wolverine and Jubilee does is more than simply pair up a team of old friends in a new adventure. No, what it does is help to clean up a vampiric mess of an arc that irrevocably changed a character forever. What it does is take a character that always stood as a symbol for teenage isolation until she became irrelevant after House of M and it makes her irrelevant as something other than a cheap thrill villain. What it does is remind everyone that Immonen is a slamdunk of a young adult character writer, and that Noto is an absolutely fantastic who deserves to be an ongoing title like woah.* Wolverine and Jubilee is the prime example of what a good mini should seek to be, and that is a story that is endlessly re-readable, relatable, and ultimately poignant in the plight that it seeks to rectify.

It’s clever, it’s funny, it’s extremely well written and well crafted, and it’s by far and large one of the best reads of the week. The only real disappointment here is that it’s a mini, and the knowledge that on some level, there is a fear factor here that the title will be a “done and forgotten” story in Marvel, especially with recent solicits pointing out that Gischler will be addressing Jubilee’s vampirism soon. However, Jubilee’s blood lust and “relevancy” aside, the book is in great hands with Immonen and Noto. I’d rather Gischler leave it alone, because as it stands this is just what the two characters need.

Final Verdict: 9.5 – Buy

*What it does is say: geez, Marvel, let Immonen do Runaways again with Noto!

Writing: Phil Hester

Arting: Don Kramer

There is something about Wonder Woman. I’m not quite sure what it is, but something does not allow me to give up on her, or this title. JMS didn’t start strong and quickly left before offering any kind of resolution, and it’s noticeable. In a story that was supposed to reinvigorate Diana to an audience that had widely stopped paying attention to someone who is ostensibly one of the most important female figures in comics, Wonder Woman has failed to really soar since her epic continuity change.

The problem that the Wonder Woman title faces is that it generally fails to ever truly capture the attention of the reader. As it stands, there is a large mystery element going on with the source of the continuity change, but this isn’t something that the book really focuses on outside of brief glimpses. Instead, we get a Wonder Woman that doesn’t read like the average Diana struggling to fight in this world to survive with the last of the Amazons. Her archenemies are rewritten as new and more menacing villains here as well, and their inclusion does add an interesting element of just how much the world has changed due to whatever it is that happened, but at the same time you can’t help but wonder where this is all going. There are a lot of seeds being placed that would definitively indicate that there is a purpose, there is a plan and a goal. The question then becomes how long will we tolerate a story like this before it inevitably gives us the explanation of what happened. That’s the driving factor of the story – without the underlying mystery, we’d simply have a story featuring a wildly out of character Amazonian princess.

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I suppose a part of me is just really rooting for the underdog here. Wonder Woman should be a huge character, and coming from someone who is as big a fan of comics as I, I have to admit that this is the first time I have ever even attempted to read a Wonder Woman story. I’ve read stories with her in them, but never ones that focused solely on her. As my first foray into the world of Wonder Woman solo, it’s becoming more and more clear that this probably wasn’t the best entry point, as right now the story just seems very dirty and messy as Hester tries to deal with the pieces JMS put on the board and write a good story out of t. Hester is a creator that you can put faith in, but so far nothing about the title has shined. However, my fingers are eternally crossed and I’ll keep plugging away, because deep down I’m hoping that the story will have a worthwhile and redefining resolution. Here’s hoping.

Final Verdict: 6.0 – Browse