Reviews 

Wednesday Is New Comic Book Day! (11-18-09)

By | November 19th, 2009
Posted in Reviews | 2 Comments


A great week for comics, as we have reviews for all of the exciting titles including a Dr. Horrible one-shot, Flash Rebirth, Invincible, Dark Avengers, and much, much more. If you’re uncertain as to whether or not you want to purchase a title, read our reviews and perhaps they will help. Until then, try out our new trick at Multiversity Comics below.

Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, Start.

Try it out. See what happens.

Book of the Week: Dr. Horrible One-Shot

Matt’s Thoughts: I am very much a huge fan of Joss Whedon and all that he does, and Dr Horrible was and is no exception. I watched it when it originally “aired” and bought it not just on iTunes for repeat viewings but DVD as well, as soon as I could. I’m a big fan – NPH, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day? Heck yes. So a comic prequel? Count me in.

As far as how much I actually liked it though, that I’m undecided on. On the one hand, I love it. On the other hand, I want more. In fact, the fact that I want more makes me dislike it. You see, this is a very funny one-shot and it was very worth the buy. The art is kooky, the script is great, and it fits cleanly into the Dr. Horrible mythos. However, the Dr. Horrible mythos is one that greatly needs to expand because there’s just so much humor laying in the shadows of it, and the same goes for this issue. There’s just so much more to expand upon that having only one comic is not enough to satiate my intense hunger for more Horrible! GRAUGH.

With that in mind, of course, I loved the book.

David’s Thoughts: While I absolutely adore Dr. Horrible’s Singalong Blog, I have to admit, I didn’t have high hopes for this release. I knew Zack Whedon was involved, which gave me a bit of hope, but I had no idea what to expect. Given the underdog nature of its source material though, I should have realized at worst it would be an entertaining romp in the world of Dr. Horrible, and at best it would actually do something to expand upon the universe the family Whedon had created along with Neil Patrick Harris.

Luckily enough, it did both, as we’re served up a plausible and relatable origin story, a ridiculous story featuring all of our (and in Captain Hammer’s case, least) favorite characters, and reasonably decent art from Joelle Jones, who captures the look of the characters fairly well and has real personality to her work. All in all, it’s a worthy venture for fans of Dr. Horrible. Those that aren’t? Probably not so much.

Gils Thoughts: When it came time for the book of the week to be chosen, I was a little surprised that we got to have Dr. Horrible. For starters, I really didn’t have any idea it was coming out this week. I knew it was coming out soon, sure, but this week? And it got chosen over a lot of heavy hitters in Flash Rebirth, Adventure Comics, and last month’s BotW, Spider-Woman? Yahtzee!

Needless to say, I adored it. I’m a big mark for anything with the name “Whedon” affixed to the property, and this was no exception (despite it being written by Joss’ brother Zack). What we get here is a classic origin in the vein of your Spider-Men and your Daredevils, but with the twist of being an origin for a supervillain, albeit it one who’s too smart for his own good.

Speaking of Spider-Man, Dr. Horrible’s life mirrors Peter Parker’s in a lot of ways. They’re both these really intelligent men who have somewhat lacking luck, and fall for your girl-next-door redheads. In here Horrible fights the ultimate tool, Captain Hammer, trying to make a name for himself as a villain. He’s successful in managing to at least take Captain Hammer down a few notches, but his plan backfires as villains plans tend to do.

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If you can’t tell, I really want Dark Horse to pick this up for an ongoing series. Heed my call, Dark Horse, you know you want to.

Brandon’s Thoughts: Coming into reading this I had heard a few rumblings about the video that involved Neil Patrick Harris and that is about it. As I write this I still haven’t watched that video and still know very little about it. For these reasons I went into reading this title with a little more than trepidation. The other guys had seen the videos and clearly liked it enough to think that it should be book of the week over some other titles that are considered heavy hitters. So I agreed to check it out.

What did I get from the grab bag of the unknown? I got a pretty lighthearted comic that didn’t take it self to serious. It was enjoyable but not the best of the week. The NPH character was pretty interesting in his love for evil over good due to his having been bullied. The hero character the Hammer on the other hand was uninspired and awful. It made it very easy to cheer on Dr. Horrible.

Would seeing the video have helped my understanding and appreciation of this title? Probably. Will I watch the video? Probably. When I do I may change my mind on the comic. As for now though I’ll have to stick with my initial reaction which is that while it was a fun read it was not worth the money I paid and would have worked better as free content in some sort of Joss Whedon compilation kit.

MATT’S REVIEWS

Flash: Rebirth #5
Finally! Has this book had enough delays yet? Honest to God, I love the title and have been so enamored with the progress of the story, but David is right – the delays are hurting the crap out of this book. Well, I guess it’s a good thing that the plot completely rocks it off the top then, huh?

The Flash is not always a character I really enjoyed but I’ve grown an appreciation for him more after reading the work of Johns and Morrison. These two authors have really instilled a love for the character, the way he operates and the way his stories go. That being said, Flash Rebirth has excited me from the second it was announced, and I’ve found the title to be incredibly gratifying for a newbie fan like myself. The story is concise, well connected, and it really elaborates not only on things Johns has done in the past but also Flash mythos in general. In essence – Flash: Rebirth has really brought years of Flash and Barry Allen mythos and made it not only more memorable for those who could not grow up reading Barry Allen books (considering he was dead before I was able to read comics) but also helped us/me to be able to identify more with the man that saved us from the Anti-Monitor. The long and short of it is? It’s awesome.

Not to mention you’ve got artwork by the incomparable Ethan Van Sciver. I’ve gotta say, I’m really impressed with some of the visual choices for this book. Not only do we have panels at the beginning of the book mirroring panels at the end of the book, but we finally get to see all the new Flash costumes, and they look totally sweet. The whole book actually looks more classically illustrated than most stuff Sciver has done as of late, as if Brian Bolland had taken over for him, and it comes out awesome.

Absolute top notch work from both artists. Johns and Van Sciver continue to be a comic book dream team (as most artists who work with Johns end up being) and I am highly anticipating the ending of this mini. Hopefully it won’t be delayed too much because by the end of the book, you’re really going to be on the edge of your seat for that one.

Final Verdict: Buy it quickly (get it?)

Superman/Batman #66
So Superman/Batman is the book you bought if you DIDN’T want a Lantern ring this week. It’s the book you bought if A) you like Superman/Batman, which is really a pretty good book in general or B) you’re a Blackest Night completist. I fall into the latter. I have read Superman/Batman on many occasion but I’m mostly here for the Blackest Night.

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As far as a Blackest Night tie-in goes, it’s pretty useless. We don’t learn anything new about the Black Lanterns, nor does the book expand at all on the over arcing saga that is the worst night ever in the history of DC. However, the book is entertaining. I didn’t take the book too seriously and I don’t think it’s meant to be taken as such considering it stars Man-Bat and Bizarro. Oh, and Black Lantern Solomon Grundy, of course. And once you get passed Bizarro and his entirely frustrating way of speaking, the book is really quite humorous. There aren’t many situations that you can bring Bizarro into the scene without it becoming just a bit ridiculous, and Superman/Batman #66 kind of acts like the comedic side to this horror story. I should also mention that the artwork for the book is really good for what it is. I mean, I had little to no expectations when going into it, but found myself pleasantly surprised with how it looks.

So it’s hard to say. I found the book funny enough to warrant a buy (that and my ridiculous need to be a completionist with this event), but this is definitely not a book everyone is going to want, or need, to own. It’s a judgement call as a DC fan. For Blackest Night kids? Get it. For people always getting this title? Get it. If you’ve never read the book before and are intensely wondering about it? Don’t get it. But no matter what, I’m going to have to go ahead and give this book a…

Final Verdict: Browse

Supergirl #47
Ever since I started reading Supergirl during the New Krypton crossover, I’ve actually found that I enjoy this book more than any of the other main Superman titles (Adventure Comics not included). The stories are well written, the choices of artists are always really talent and underrated, and the book itself is very much worth one to follow.

This week is no exception. One of the biggest plot lines from New Krypton was what is going to happen to Reactron. He has been a thorn in the Super side for quite some time but with the murder of Zor it all went out the window. Now we finally get the final piece of that storyline as Reactron is put on trial in New Krypton and he is handed his just deserves (or at least what I would call just deserves, especially with a “that’s not the last we’ve seen of him” fashion). Sterling Gates is an author who you probably don’t even know by name, but he has very much been someone I’ve been casually following through his work in DC (with this and now World’s Greatest). He has this way about his writing that is just so charming, especially with his character centric works and you get the feeling he really feels and understands his characters.

Then you’ve got the artwork by Matt Camp. You know that name? Yeah, I didn’t think so. I didn’t either. However, his work is incredibly smooth and crisp. While I’m not familiar with him in any book except Supergirl, I can’t really understand why. The whole book from page one to the end looks great. The man has a lot of talent to him and is yet another artist who has drawn for Gates on his Supergirl run to show extraordinary talent in the line of duty.

There are many reasons to follow Supergirl. You’ve got great art, great writing, and really good stories/characters. I think it’s a tad bit unfortunate that most people I know don’t read this book on a regular basis, but I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Supergirl is the best Superman related title out there right now. It’s better than Superman, Action Comics, and World of New Krypton put together. If that’s not enough to convince you to get it, I don’t know what will.

Final Verdict: Buy

X-Men Legacy #229
I have never really liked X-Men Legacy, but after reading the annual that followed Utopia, I decided to follow it. I like Emplate. I think he makes for a cool villain, and a very creepy and crazy storyline. So in that respect, the book has absolutely met my expectations 100%. However, despite all that, I’m still not overly convinced on the title being worthwhile.

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Here’s my dilemma. There are a lot of X-Titles right now – Astonishing, Uncanny, Force, Factor, Legacy, not to mention minis that tie-in in general. So Legacy, therefore, should stand out to me more in order to justify my wanting to follow it. So what do we have? Do we have good artwork? Yes. Ibraim Robertson has a really great style to him that I think absolutely fits the tone of the book 100%. Do we have good writing? Reasonably so, yes. I am on and off with my enjoyment of Mike Carey’s work but I’ve always found that he works best when writing characters he invented all of his own. I don’t think he quite grasps other characters. And when I look at what he’s doing with Rogue, which just doesn’t make sense to me, and Gambit, which seems absolutely unnecessary to me (did the whole Death thing really need to be brought back?), I’m not overly entertained. Yet the return of Emplate is the best part of the book. The villain is just as terrifying and imaginative as I’d hoped he would be upon return and is definitely a huge draw for me in getting and reading this book.

So how much do I enjoy it? It’s a glass half full deal. There are a lot of things I still do not care for in the title, especially when I can get better X-titles elsewhere. However, I do enjoy the general villain storyline of this arc. I think it was a wise choice on Carey’s part and I think he’s doing much better now than he has been doing in the past. So I give the book a bit of a break and step back from disliking it.

Final Verdict: Browse

Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #3
I have never read Cyberforce before. I have never read Hunter-Killer before. These are very important to how I view this crossover event, I believe. That being said, I am now both a fan of Cyberforce and a fan of Hunter-Killer. I only really started looking into this title due to our budding relationship with Top Cow, but I can easily say that this was an absolutely great find.

The first thing I noticed about the book was the writer – Mark Waid. I’m a 100% fan of this guy and will not hesitate to read anything I see his name on. It just goes to show you the true talents of a writer when he can take characters that I have no memory of and have not ever read before and make them 100% intriguing to me. Right off the bat I immediately loved the “leader” of Hunter-Killer, Ellis, and thought everything he did was brilliant. I love the way that the two teams meet up and fight in order to showcase all of their different abilities. And despite never having read either title before, I absolutely love all the twists and turns being taken on the book. It feels as if I’ve known these characters forever and I’ve managed to grow to love them in such a short time. That’s all due to the superb writings of Waid which make this crossover event a surefire hit and definitive gateway for new fans to join the books.

So absolute mazel tov to Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer. We’ve got a book with great characters, inspired artwork, and a surefire hit of a storyline that is both hilarious in it’s dark nature and entertaining for the action it provides. There really is absolutely nothing bad about this book at all, and it really makes me want to go and hunt down trades of both titles. We’re only up to the third issue now, so if you’re looking for an entertaining book to start following, I’d highly suggest hunting down the previous two issues as well as this one. They’re really hot reads.

Final Verdict: Buy

DAVID’S REVIEWS

Dark Avengers #11
I don’t know what this says about the title as a whole, but this has to have been my favorite issue of the series so far. Everything Brian Michael Bendis, Mike Deodato (save some oddly positioned female anatomy possibly), and Greg Horn did in this issue completely and utterly kicked ass. Starting with some good ol’ character development featuring Osborn’s right hand woman Veronica Hand was a great choice, as it works for a framing device that makes this part of the arc an almost flawless standalone issue. Bendis, perhaps better than anyone, is incredible about managing to make his issues episodic in nature, developing a fragment of a story into its own perfect little tale. This issue proves his abilities as well as any.

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Of course, what everyone was waiting for from this issue was the revelation of what was going on with the Molecule Man and his villainous confederates (aka Mephisto, The Beyonder, Dormammu, and The Enchantress) and what the fate of the recently disappeared Dark Avengers were. I’d go into it, but I frankly don’t want to spoil what Bendis does here. I will say this: I never considered The Molecule Man to be a legitimate villain. This issue proves me to be completely wrong, as his handling (there really is no other way to describe it) of each and every Avenger is incontrovertibly surgical in nature (his interaction with The Sentry is particularly interesting, although the most awesome one was Bullseye). Wrapping it up with Hand meeting The Molecule Man was a brilliant bookmark, and an absolute stunner.

Some do not appreciate him and his Tommy Lee Jones impersonating Osborn, but I think Deodato is a gritty, dark and, frankly put, badass artist. The opening Osborn/Molecule Man scene is a two page hellish trip into the mind of The Molecule Man, and it completely blew me away. Using Greg Horn’s painted pages to capture the nightmare waiting for the Dark Avengers was a genius choice, and proved to be a great mix with Deodato (far better than the absurd collaboration between him and Terry Dodson in the unfortunate Dark X-Men travesty).

All in all, this issue proves that this is a worthy title once and for all. That it happens as the title is likely winding down is unfortunate, but that doesn’t detract from this issue.

Final Verdict: Buy

Invincible #68
Kirkman! You bastard! Are you ever NOT being a bastard?! This issue has so much going on in it — sweet fight, Mark Grayson’s violent nature continuing to rear its ugly head, precious moments between him and his girlfriend Atom Eve, an escape, a name change, hysterically awkward conversations with Eve’s family, and in standard Kirkman fashion, an intense cliffhanger finale. Somewhat like I said about Fables last week, one of the most amazing thing about this title is Kirkman’s ability to juggle so many different plot threads and make the story not just interesting, but exciting and well paced. Kirkman has such a firm grip on his works that it really is like a grandmaster moving his chess pieces from place to place.

I do have to admit, one negative in this issue was some somewhat leaden dialogue, as it occasionally felt like Kirkman talking, not the character talking. I’ve heard that complaint before about Kirkman’s work, and this was one of the first issues I’d ever really experienced it first hand on. It was subtle, but I noticed it.

Ryan Ottley and his support team of Cliff Rathburn and FCO Plascencia return this issue after a two issue absence, and I feel like Ottley’s work on Haunt is really getting him to step up his game. Just looking at the cover, there is a serious amount of power poured into it and the energy basically jumps off the page. Ottley is one of the true up and comers in the industry, and his work on Invincible is about as good as you’re going to get in the superhero game today. Bravo to Plascenscia as well, who continues to provide some of the best and most underrated colors in the industry today.

This title is always great. To me, the only way you didn’t pick up this title is if you haven’t read any of the series. In that case, you have a far greater problem on your hands my friend. Get on it, pronto.

Final Verdict: Buy

Spider-Woman #3
Bendis has always been at home with female characters. He and Greg Rucka have long handled female protagonists and detective stories as well as anyone, and Spider-Woman proves to be an interesting amalgam of that side of Bendis with his more superhero oriented side. This issue finds Jessica Drew dealing with her horrific wannabe surrogate mother Viper, as she tries to gather her wayward “daughter” from a Madripoor jail. While it is essentially a prolonged conversation between the two strong women, Bendis gives frequent collaborator Alex Maleev plenty of room to stretch his legs as he’s given many opportunities for exciting action set pieces as well as subtly emotional character bits.

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This title is sort of a hard one to sell because the concept sells so well: it’s the team that made Alias releasing a part spy, part detective, part superhero story that works as a natural follow up to Secret Invasion and one that has many links to the rest of the Marvel universe. You pick it up, and it practically oozes quality. Bendis and Maleev really seem to feel at home there in Madripoor, wading through the grit and grime to tell a story about a put upon and fed up beautiful woman who is mad as hell, and frankly, she’s not going to take it anymore. This book kicks a ton of ass. Don’t miss it…if you like quality comics, that is.

Final Verdict: Buy

The Brave and the Bold #29
The turnaround that has taken place on this title since J. Michael Straczynski and Jesus Saiz took it over is incalculable. This has went from being a throw away title after George Perez left it to being one of the three or four best titles DC proper is releasing (along with the two Green Lantern titles and Secret Six). One of the most impressive things JMS has done is making such incredible narratives using only one very established character and pairing them with a relative unknown. It worked very well with Batman paired with Dial H for Hero, it worked last issue with Barry Allen and the Blackhawks, and this issue, in perhaps the least likely success story, it worked with Batman being paired with Brother Power, The Geek.

To which I respond with…who? I’d heard of the other two unknowns before, but The Geek? Never in my life had I heard of him. That JMS takes this character and Batman’s unique relationship with him and creates a meditation on modern culture and the depersonalization of its nature is perhaps the single least likely success story of the year. Yet here he is, doing such a thing, showing us the reality behind being a monster and what it really means to be a hero. Completely revelatory work from JMS, who continues to stand out as one of the most underrated writers in the comics game today with this title.

If JMS more firmly entrenches himself as one of the elite here, Saiz shows himself as someone who is on the precipice of the same. His clean linework, his realistic and emotive figures, his dense and powerful imagery…it really is unique in its storytelling power. Nothing about it stands out like JH Williams III’s layouts or John Cassaday’s figure work or the iconic nature of Alex Ross’ style, but the brilliance of his work is hidden within the simplicity. He uses an economy of lead in creating this title, giving us what is necessary to most powerfully tell the story and never more. His work on Checkmate was superb, but this shows what kind of artist he can be.

If you aren’t picking up this title, you really are doing yourself a disservice. Every issue is a one-shot, essentially. You have no excuse not to. There is no continuity to catch up on, no characters that go unexplained. You owe it to yourself to read this book.

Final Verdict: Buy

GIL’S REVIEWS

Mighty Avengers #31
In the end of The Unspoken arc, we see the united front of all the “good” Avengers, and it was a really nice moment seeing them unite for the first time in ages in a classic Avengers style story. The only downside is that there were so many Avengers, from Clint Barton to Rage (who?) that a lot get lost somewhere between the pages, and don’t have much in the way of speaking roles, if any. As serious as this threat is, even Bucky Cap was only in it for a simple plot device using his shield. Otherwise, he might as well not be there.

There wasn’t even advancement in the “Scientist Supreme” title bestowed on Hank Pym last issue. Sure it’s a rather hokey storyline, but I still would like to see where it’s going. I think it actually has promise, and it could be fun. I still want a Scientist Supreme Labcoat, though.

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Another issue I had was the art. I feel like the layouts were poorly put together, and some of the action just plain didn’t make sense. I thought that issue would be gone once Khoi Pham left, but it didn’t. Somehow they found an artist who looks almost exactly like him, and it’s maddening. At one point, Clint Barton even looks like Jerry Springer. It was off-putting, to say the least.

But this book had some true character advancement for one Quicksilver. He finally makes peace with his one-time family, The Inhumans, but with a terrible price. It’s a really emotional moment that will probably leave Pietro scarred for a while, if not forever.

You should at least browse the book, but it’s been so up and down, I’d saw browse the trade to see if you can handle it.

Final Verdict: Browse (the trade)

Amazing Spider-Man #612
Now that the much publicized and bussed arc “The Gauntlet” has started, we can finally see what looks like a Sinister Six team-up on the web-head. But do we get that? Not really. Instead we get an aimless transient in Max Dillon, AKA Electro, upset with is lot in life, and upset with the relative ease people like Dexter Bennett get handouts from the government in a thinly veiled satire of the current economic environment. I’m all for writers using their medium for whatever they want, but this was so heavy handed that I was sucked out of Electro’s plight. I found myself not caring about this “bailout” and as such, I thought Electro was weakened.

The art also confused me. It looked like Alex Maleev on a bad day, and the characters, even the generally gracefully built Peter Parker, look blocky, stocky, and have really ugly faces. I don’t understand the usage here. It doesn’t fit. Oddly enough, Spider-Man looks almost completely different from Peter body-type wise, and is the only one who actually looks like his character. Finally, don’t get me started on the tattoo on Dillon’s face.

I DID like that this book had a sort of symmetry with the BotW, as it focused mainly on the villain, and gave some motivations for his actions. Was it as good? Not really, but it shows promise. There is still a way to salvage the somewhat weak opening with some cohesiveness. If the rest of The Gauntlet is Spider-Man villains down on their luck, I will be very upset.

Final Verdict: Browse

Incredible Hulk #604
Oh, Banner must be a proud papa. He’s continuing to train Skaar for the inevitable clash between him and ol’ green genes by…playing football with the Warbound A-bomb?

If you’re shaking your head, don’t worry, I did the same thing. It was supposedly a lesson in learning “teamwork” for Skaar, but instead it was an exercise in futility. Arbitrarily Bruce decides to take himself and Dr. Waynesboro on a little jaunt to a Leader base that just happens to be within walking distance of the site where the impromptu football game is taking place. There is little motivation given before it happens, and not much in the resolution. It’s simply another plot device to bring a mostly forgotten character back into the fold. The Leader does eventually show up, sort of, but does it really matter? Not really. The whole arc seems to be largely throwaway now. How disappointing. What is the opposite of “growing on?” Would it be “growing off?” I’m not really sure, but that’s what this is doing.

The art is also hard to stomach, as it just looks very unpolished yet plastic-y. There are two artists handling the duties here, but do they work together? Not really. It’s painful to read at times. Not to mention the dialogue was dreck. I usually like Pak, but it was just unimpressive as a whole. I don’t know what I can do. I’m so close to dropping the whole franchise.

Final Verdict: Pass

Deadpool: Merc With A Mouth #5
It pains me to give such bad reviews to Deadpool. Contrary to what you might think, I love Deadpool. But when Marvel is so happy with quantity rather than quality, I can’t help but hate the outcome. Fred Van Lente proved there could be an enjoyable book staring the Merc with a Mouth, but the rest of the writers haven’t woken up yet. It’s upsetting.

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This arc with Headpool STILL isn’t over. Everything seems to be resolved, but now it’s not, and we’re heading to south Florida to send a zombie back home. Is it really necessary? I guess…but not really. I guess you can’t kill Deadpool, even when he’s already dead, but it’s an awkward cut off point for the book, and just annoys me more than anything. But you probably figured that.

The book IS an improvement though. The art is better, and there are some actual “cute” moments, but not enough warrant picking up this dud. There was an enjoyable little bit with Deadpool shooting an A.I.M. agent for disagreeing with him, and it IS pretty funny. But again, it’s not worth it. We have the return of Bob: Agent of Hydra (of sorts), only now it’s Bill: Agent of A.I.M. *yawn* that’s disappointing.

Final Verdict: Pass

BRANDON’S REVIEWS

Adventure Comics #4
No Francis Manapul? That was the first thing I thought when I opened the issue. The art in this was good but it’s hard to follow the style that Manapul has established for the title. I knew he was leaving the title along with Geoff Johns to work on the new Flash book but thought there was more time. Once the initial shock of the art change I started to get into the book with an open mind.

The issue deals with Superboy Prime who is on Earth-Prime. It’s honestly a bit confusing at first as it jumps around from Earth-Prime (world with no super powers) to New Earth where the current DC pantheon resides. After awhile it clears up and we get more of the spoiled brat Superboy Prime that we are quite used to. Which isn’t a bad thing mind you. I rather enjoy the character and what he represents. A character that represents the angry fanboy on the internet flaming everyone who’ll listen, mostly others doing the same, about his dislike for change in comics and the sort. It’s repeatedly referenced through the issue how he’s an inside joke who took off and so forth. I find that amusing and it’s a great depiction of the internet trolls who like to bitch and moan consistently over nit noid things.

The issue also deals with Black lantern Alexander Luthor who is now empowered and out to get Superboy Prime back in action and wearing his Monitor battle gear. My only complaint is that it takes forever to setup the issue and the ending is a little more than anti climatic.

The back up featuring The Legion of Superheroes, while touching, didn’t do much for me either to be honest. Since it’s just the backup though I won’t count it in the verdict. It wasn’t bad just nothing great.

Final Verdict: Read it

Dark Reign – The List: Amazing Spider-Man
This begins the end of the Dark Reign? Well that is what Spidey seems to think at the end of this issue. I thought it would be a grander beginning to the end but the one presented here makes sense. In a reign that is founded on the public’s perception of Norman Osborn it makes sense that less action and more PR spin would be the answer.

Don’t get me wrong there is plenty of action here and its beautiful action nonetheless as Adam Kubert steps in and takes care of a large chunk of the art duties. Kubert’s shots of Spidey swinging through New York were dynamic and eye pleasing. The spreads were not J.H. Williams good but great in the big action blockbuster sense. The cover piece done by Kubert is also eye catching and should do a great job of getting peoples attention if they didn’t already plan on picking the book up.

Dan Slott’s writing is spectacular here too. His grasp on Spidey and Peter Parker are evident throughout his run in Amazing and it continues here in this one-shot. The dialogue of Spidey/Peter is rarely better than when penned by Slott in this modern age of the character. His handling of everyone else isn’t too shabby either mind you.

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Overall, I’d say this was a great issue in a line of great issues. The List has been fun and has consistently paid off as actual game changers and not just throw away issues. They have been a clinic on how to do one-shots that are part of an event. Now it’s just the wait to get to Siege we have to endure. If Siege is anything like this I’m excited and ready to put down my hard earned cash.

Final Verdict: Seriously worth the buy!

Viking #4
While this is a title I enjoy I can’t say I love it. The art is constantly good and the writing is decent. This issue is very representative of what the title is like. It’s beautiful to look at but doesn’t really grab you and demand you come back for more each month. I feel like I don’t have any real emotional attachment to the characters. So much so that every time a new issue hits I have to try and remember who all the main characters are.

The style of the book is unique. The oversized format with the cardstock cover is unlike most on the market today and that is a great thing. The paper quality inside the book is also top of the line. At a price point of $2.99 the buyer is physically getting a great comic.

When it comes to the content they are getting a consistently good comic. The problem is the way it is paced and the lack of emotional connection to the characters makes me feel that this title would probably read better as a tpb or an oversized hardcover edition.

Final Verdict
: Buy it in trades

Wolverine Origins #42
Daniel Way’s run on Origin has been much criticized by fans and reviewers. I know I have put in my fair share of negative critiques as both. The newest twist in introducing a character that has till now been in the shadows yet controlling Wolverine’s life actions seems ridiculous at best. The lead up to this big plot involved killing off Sabertooth and others that have come to be X-men and Wolverine staples. In doing so I hoped that Romulus would be worth it. He so far hasn’t been.

Romulus has been a let down but this assembling of a team to take him on has been sort of fun. Wolverine’s choice in teammates is random but yet makes sense. With the randomness being part of the plan to shirk Romulus just enough to destroy him the eclectic mix of characters works. That assembling was at it’s best this issue. Wolverine vs. Silver Samurai vs. the Hand was a nice surprise. Wolverine taking on the enemies of the Silver Samurai to gain his help while not new leads to an ending that excites me for the next issue. Silver Samurai and Wolverine sparring just sounds like fun.

Now the big question is whether the momentum can continue off this issue and into the rest of the arc or if it will go back to the status quo, which isn’t so great.

Final Verdict: Read it


Matthew Meylikhov

Once upon a time, Matthew Meylikhov became the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Multiversity Comics, where he was known for his beard and fondness for cats. Then he became only one of those things. Now, if you listen really carefully at night, you may still hear from whispers on the wind a faint voice saying, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine is not as bad as everyone says it issss."

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