Welcome back, friends of all ages and races and sizes and species! We’ve got a great round-up of comics for you this week, and an exciting book for our BOTW slot. I’d also like to remind you, we’ve got this brand new rating system up:
0: Uwe Boll will direct the adaptation of this comic
0.1 – 1: Burn upon touching
1- 1.9: Abysmal
2.0 – 2.9: Art. Writing. Editing. All bad.
3.0 – 3.9: You’d be a masochist to pick this up.
4.0 – 4.9: “I’ll give it another month…but that was not good.”
5.0 – 5.9: “Really? The Watcher? In the face? I guess it was fun.”
6.0 – 6.9: “Hmm. That was decent.”
7.0 – 7.9: Well made but a few problems
8.0 – 8.9: Nearly flawless
9.0 – 9.9: Outstanding
10: Perfection. Issue of the year contender
For those wondering, Pass would be anywhere from 0 to 3.9, Browse would be 4 to 6.9, and Buy would be from 7 to 10. So what are you waiting for? Hop on past the jump and enjoy!
Also, are there any books you’d like to see us review? Let us know in the comments, and one of us will get right on it! We’ll also keep those books in mind for future weeks!
Matt’s Thoughts: When talking about Siege, it’s kind of hard to pick which of two ways I want to look at. There’s looking at it as a whole, and there’s looking at it as a single issue entity. When I look at it as a single issue entity, I’ve gotta say: despite the death being fairly underwhelming all things considered, this issue is proof of why Bendis’ work on the Avengers title kicks ass. When I talked to him, he emphasized that he really wanted to make Siege a boom boom boom type of story that just got right to the point and didn’t waste a lot of time building the story around it (that’s what he’d use tie-ins for!). Siege #2 is hot damn proof of that, and it’s bad ass.
The entire issue is, quite literally, one big fight scene. While there are a few things done, what I love about Siege is it starts off with the assumption that the reader can get what is going on without being hand held through each little motion, which is evident when it throws you in to a meeting that Cap called to summon all the different hero teams. The issue is filled with absolutely bad ass moments, and a lot of my gripes with the first issue are definitely corrected here. For example, Oliver Copiel’s art, which in the first issue seemed phoned in at times, is truly great here. I absolutely love the way he draws the characters, and the death scene is… well, it’s insane. Let’s be honest. It was INSANE! And then there’s that absolutely glorious last page.
Two issues in and I’m really enjoying Siege. I know I’ll love it more when it’s all said and done in a trade, but it reminds me of why I liked Avengers: Disassembled in the first place. It gets right into the story, it doesn’t pull any punches, and it leaves you wanting more.
David’s Thoughts: Expectations. This single word explains why I think Siege through two issues has been every bit as good as Blackest Night has been in six. I expected Night to be akin to Sinestro Corps War, to focus on character and strong storytelling as well as that event did. Yet for all of my expectations, I’ve received a meandering story that has essentially been six issues of fights while all of the best parts have been in the actual titles it stemmed from.
Meanwhile, with Siege, the concept was simple: Osborn and Loki make a move to take out Asgard, the heroes that have been hiding out finally make their move to take a stand. I expected this title to be a hellacious fight scene filled with iconic moments, heroism, bravado and everything we’ve come to expect from our favorites, and we’ve received two straight issues of that.
Continued belowLike in (500) Days of Summer, when your expectations and reality do not align, you are left disappointed and dumbfounded. But when they do tie together seamlessly, you find yourself eagerly anticipating more – like you’re Larfleeze, except you want more Siege, not power rings.
This issue was even better than the first, giving us some of the best moments in recent memory of superhero comics. You name it, we have an absurdly awesome fight between Ares and The Sentry, an Avenger dies, Maria Hill saving the day, Thor vs. Daken (it’s as easy of a fight as you’d expect it to be), Steve Rogers gathering the troops, Phobos trying to scare Fury (not going to work), and that almost absurdly glorious last page. Expertly told and paced by Brian Michael Bendis and phenomenally rendered by Oliver Coipel (seriously, this issue is gorgeous – a huge improvement over the uneven first issue), this is every bit of the event comic we’ve always wanted and perhaps even a bit more.
Gil’s Thoughts: After two issues of Siege, one thing is clear. I hate The Sentry. And the event in this book “the death of an Avenger,” makes the hatred even more clear.
But while I hated the concept of the scene (or rather who bit the dust) it was rendered BE-YOU-TI-FUL-LEE. Coipel’s art was a massive improvement over the previous issue, and the frenetic style is a lot of fun to look through again and again.
The only problem I have with the book (other than Sentry that is), is that there’s a frenetic pace to the entire event, but Steve Rogers and the rest of the True Avengers have JUST gotten there, and there are only 2 issues left. The last two issues have a LOT to cover. Here’s hoping it covers all the bases.
Brandon’s Thoughts: Bendis and Copiel turn in yet another fun ride but I still don’t get the oooh aaah feeling off of it. Copiel’s art is fantastic this issue but the story itself seems to lack the necessary momentum that a series of only four issues should have at the halfway point. I reiterate what I said last interview that there is no possible way this series can do four issues and give readers an ending that will feel satisfying. I could be wrong but that is how I feel having read issues one and two.
As I said Copiel’s art is fantastic. The death of an Avenger looks AWESOME and the charring of Daken looks even cooler. The last page is amazingly done and is surely a page that many a reader stopped and stared at for a long time. I personally let out a giant “Oh Shit!” when I saw it. That’s how you make an entrance!
Going into this issue the death of an Avenger was being pushed pretty heavily. Coming into this I wasn’t so enthused by the notion of killing yet another character that would more than likely return sooner, much sooner anymore, than later. I personally am tired of revolving doors of death. I think an even can be done effectively without killing a character. I would love to see the death concept put back in the box and used only when it really really is necessary. That’s a topic for another time though.
Once the book was in my hand and I had devoured it with my eyeballs I found myself relieved because the character in question is a third stringer as far as I’m concerned. While I think my opinion on this will be disputed by some I maintain the belief. Having someone who I could care less about was a better option to me than to have another character with potential be wasted. On the other hand I was fed by the Marvel hype machine yet again and was let down tremendously. So like any other fan I guess I’m saying I’m hard to please which isn’t Marvel’s fault. I’ll just leave it alone and be happy it wasn’t an A-lister yet again.
All in all I think the title is fun but I would like to see more issues so it can build and climax with appropriate time. I would also like to get more of the feeling I got from the final page. There’s still two more issues to go though and to change my mind Bendis and Copiel sure have the chops to do it.
Continued belowMATT’S REVIEWS
Cable #23
I can’t say with honesty that I’ve ever been a fan of the Cable title. It has basically been, for it’s entire run, Hope and Cable running away from Bishop in different time zones, as things get worse and worse. I don’t think this makes for an entertaining story, and I don’t think this should have lasted for more than five issues. Never the less, I’ve stuck with it because I enjoy the Cable and Hope interaction, and I’ve been interested in seeing how all the things started in Messiah Complex will eventually pay off.
That being said, I don’t think we’re any closer to getting a really well rounded out Hope pre-Second Coming. She’s more of a character with personality than she ever was, but I think that in all the time this title has been running, we’ve moved any closer to understanding Hope. I really hope that all changes in Second Coming, but that’ll be by a different author entirely. You’d think that, in the entire time that Swierczynski has been writing her, he’d develop her a bit more than he has, right? Not really. She’s just a soldier, and an odd development based on the situation she’s been placed in. Well, ok, but is there more than that?
I wanted to like Cable for the longest time, but now as I return to buying it in single issue format in preparation for the upcoming X-arc, I am merely reminded why I stopped caring about the book. I think it’s sad when, to me, the coolest thing about the book is the costumes of the main characters on the cover. I’m honestly more excited to see where Hope goes under a new writer, and I’m really hoping that beyond this book, all this nonsense with angry and irrational Bishop is over. It’s just been done to death.
Final Verdict: 3.8 – Pass
Wolverine: Weapon X #10
I think, when it comes down to it, the most people complain about when it comes to Wolverine is that he, like Deadpool, is in every book. There are several on-going titles with his name on it, as well as plenty of one-shots that come out every now and then to help flesh out the character a little more. Because, you know, he needs that. So Wolverine gets this stigma about him, that there are so many titles with him in it that it becomes ridiculous and you just don’t need to read Wolverine books anymore.
You’re wrong. Since Weapon X started, I was a bit hesitant, but as soon as the first arc finished, I knew and have been preaching ever since: the only Wolverine book you need is Jason Aaron’s Weapon X. This book is freaking fantastic. It has been the most consistent Wolverine title I’ve ever read. Granted, we’re in ten issues now, but Wolverine is one character I’ve been reading for a long time (and I imagine that any Marvel fan would probably say the same thing). There hasn’t been this much honest to God Wolverine character development since I don’t know when, and no, Wolverine: Origins doesn’t “technically” count. This issue, while not connected with the past arcs (although it teases about future developments), is a perfect jumping on point for new readers and a wonderful example of Aaron’s writing style (despite one teeny tiny continuity error that bugged me).
And man, if Smith isn’t on top of this game in this issue… I loved the art direction. I’ve been calling out Wolverine: Weapon X’s great choice of artists for a while now, and this issue is no different. It perfectly captures the mood of the issue, the darkness of Wolverine’s love life, yet with each female so uniquely presented. It was quite an astounding thing to look at.
All in all, if you’re not into this title as a Wolverine fan, I don’t know what to tell you. The book is wonderful and is the best thing to happen to Wolverine in quite some time.
Continued belowFinal Verdict: 9.0 – Buy it
Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #3
I was pretty excited to read a Greg Rucka mini on Wonder Woman, but now that it’s over, I’m kind of … meh about it. I feel like there was a lot of great potential for this book, but it was never really mapped. A lot of different angles to explore that just weren’t, and this being literally the first Wonder Woman title I’ve ever bought… I’m pretty disappointed.
I think my main problem, and this goes for pretty much all the Blackest Night tie-ins, is we have great writers that just aren’t fully exploring the potential given to them by the situation. This book should have been ALL about what the world is like from the Star Sapphire perspective, in a similar way to how we’ve seen the Black Lantern view of the world. Instead, our lead character is a Star Sapphire… and that’s about it. It’s a character interaction between Mera and Wonder Woman basically, and all the cool stuff that could have been done with Max Lord was just washed aside. I know that everyone is hinting at Mera being a big presence in the DCU in the future… but, after just three issues, I can’t say that this has convinced me to care about her anymore, let alone Wonder Woman in general.
I guess I can’t say I’m too surprised. I didn’t have high hopes for the book or anything, so when I’m disappointed by it, really I’m just having my expectations met. That’s really harsh, but I love Greg Rucka. His recent output with female characters in Stumptown and Detective Comics have both been amazing. I just don’t see how, one of the most critically acclaimed writers of Wonder Woman, couldn’t make me care about this character like he has Batwoman.
Final Verdict: 4.9 – Browse
Justice Society of America Annual
I’m not a huge fan of annuals. I think some of them can be really great, but for the most part they’re kind of useless. Often times it’s just a tool to bring in a writer who has something they want to do with the characters so they can tell a story that is out of continuity yet still canon to the overall story. Every so often, though, you’ll get an annual that is in fact a big deal to the on-going story of your titles and features original authors, and that’s what you get in the JSA Annual.
This issue (written by JSA All-Stars scribe Matt Sturges and Magog scribe Keith Griffen) puts together the continuity between the gap between Magog, JSA All-Stars, and Justice Society of America. In it, all the events that have been taking place in Magog finally come to a climax, as the JSA and the All-Stars choose to intervene with his tactics. What results is one of the longest battle scenes and most drawn out fights between the JSA, the All-Stars, the villains, and Magog. It’s quite a butt-kicker, this issue.
The best part is, is that this is really like a triple-sized issue. There’s so much brand new content in it, and it’s all one story that, at the end of it, is both essential and non-essential to the overall story of the JSA. On the one hand, Magog leaves both teams and goes off on his own for good, and the book ends with a tearful gathering of the JSA as they mourn the split between the two teams. On the other hand, if you never read this issue, you’d be ok. I’m sure that Magog’s departure will be lightly discussed in this coming week’s All-Stars, and life will go on. You don’t even have to have been reading Magog to get this – it just makes the reveal that much more clever.
All in all, it’s a good issue. Very stable artwork that is a steady pace, and a good overall story. I would complain that there is some odd characterization in this (which is something I usually overlook), but I just don’t see Doctor Sivanna taking time out of his day to make even the slightest of references to The Bucket List. That just seems to be pushing it to me.
Continued belowFinal Verdict: 7.4 – Buy
DAVID’S REVIEWS
Demo #1
I suppose I should be up front with this: I’m a bit of a Brian Wood fanboy. Pretty much everything he writes I love, and the first volume of Demo is on par with his work with Local and DMZ in my mind. Considering those two titles are all-time favorites of mine, that’s hefty praise.
So to say that he’s back with his collaborator from the first volume, Becky Cloonan, is highly exciting for me. Wood crafts another gripping vignette of a young adult haunted by something she can’t explain, and something that spurns her to a veritable tipping point in her life. It seems Joan, our protagonist, is plagued by a recurring dream of a woman falling off a railing in a cathedral of some sort. This nightmare has led her to not sleep for over a week, and has left her at her wit’s end.
The story is paced very briskly but in a way that quickly establishes a connection to this main character. This is something that could happen to any of us, and Wood aligns our sentiments with her and allows us to empathize with the character. As she realizes that this is London’s St. Paul Cathedral, she is spurned to leave her home, quit her job, dump her boyfriend, and go save this woman from her dream. In Demo, the protagonist always have a power of some sort, and this issue is especially difficult to even figure out what the power is. My take? Joan’s dreams are a manifestation of her latent desire to change her life, and they are destined to continue working at her until she has made that effort. Heady stuff, and very well told by Wood in an almost minimalist effort from him.
This issue is light in words, but just absurdly blessed in the visual department. Becky Cloonan’s art has always been stellar, but this issue feels like leaps and bounds better than her work in the initial volume of Demo. For example: her decision to render Joan in a more heavily inked and realistic way versus the more sketchily illustrated supporting cast, the meticulously detailed backgrounds and structures (I’ve seen St. Paul’s Cathedral, and it may be better on the page than it is in real life), the expertly choreographed and laid out storytelling. You name it, Cloonan did it. While we aren’t given versions of her chamelonic abilities like we were in the first volume, the style she chooses here just seems to fit.
All in all, an issue that is every bit as good as anything from the first volume. While it is a bit more spare and wide open than the other stories, it makes up for it with a certain level of subdued storytelling grace and Cloonan’s majestic visuals.
Final Verdict: 8.9 – Buy
Scalped #34
While reading the previous issues of “The Gnawing”, the current arc Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera are telling in Scalped, I kept thinking to myself “how is this series going to even keep going after this arc?” To me, it read like the arc would wrap up with nearly every main plot thread wrapped up and no direction for it to move in. That’s what I get for underestimating Aaron as he wraps up the arc in dynamite (and violent) fashion with issue #34, expertly closing off some angles while opening up entirely new directions we couldn’t have predicted.
Whether it’s Diesel’s place in all of this, Officer Falls Down’s quest to avenge Gina Bad Horse, the informant’s final fate, Johnny Tongue’s revenge and eventual comeuppance, or any of the other loose plots, we’re given some form of conclusion with perhaps new and exciting pathways unfolding before our very eyes. Aaron has always been masterful at having numerous storylines converge at the same time, but this is an even higher plane than he’d been on before.
Continued belowR.M. Guera’s art has been something of a revelation to me over the length of this series. When is started I wasn’t a huge fan. It was too dark, to dirty, and too muddled for my mind. Yet over the span of 34 issues, either I’ve changed or he has as I completely love his work now. It’s likely a mixture of both of those things, but either way, this is one of the most incredibly illustrated books on the market.
This is another excellent edition of maybe the best ongoing series in comics today. While it wasn’t as explosive as I thought it would have been (I expected buckets of blood to coat the pages), it was extremely well told and beautifully illustrated. What else could a person possibly ask for?
Final Verdict: 9.2 – Buy
Buffy The Vampire Slayer #32
I have to admit, this was a well made issue that had one rather fatal flaw: I feel as if it was written in media res by Brad Meltzer, assuming that his audience knew what was going on, but I really didn’t. Last issue of Buffy ended with the revelation that Buffy could fly, and now we’re thrown into a different situation that is only connected by Dawn, Xander, Willow and Buffy trying to figure out where the powers came from. All of a sudden a trio of characters are abducted and they’re talking about events that happened off panel that are seemingly connected to nothing. A very odd choice by Meltzer, and one that almost deflated a very entertaining issue.
Meltzer’s grasp of the characters nearly rivals Whedon’s, and he even matches him toe to toe on Kitty Pryde love (the phasing references are absolutely hysterical). The sections where Xander is testing Buffy to see the limits of her powers is definitely the highlight, as they effectively recreate the Superman power tests (faster than a speeding bullet! able to leap over tall buildings! more powerful than a locomotive!) in truly hilarious fashion. The bits where Dawn’s jealousy comes out while talking with Willow are less good, but necessary as Willow attempts to find their missing friends. Their trio of observers bring a really entertaining angle as well, as we think their plans are nefarious while they turn out to be far more good natured and comedic.
There is actual plot progression though, as we find out why Buffy has gotten these powers and we became one step closer to knowing who Twilight is (that is…if it wasn’t already revealed by Scott Allie). Georges Jeanty brings his very solid work to the page once again, proving the one constant to this series writer variables. His work has always been a highlight, but he really seemed to have fun with this issue, rendering the scenes in a truly jubilant fashion.
While the choice to throw us into the action was a very bad one, and one that made the first reading experience a rather disconnected one, Meltzer killed it in terms of dialogue, pacing and plot progression, while Jeanty brought his A game as per usual. Yet it still was a hard read at times because of the initial mistake, and enough to bring its grade down to…
Final Verdict: 7.8 – Buy
Criminal: The Sinners #4
Criminal is one of those books that is very difficult to review. Month in and month out, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips give us work that rivals the best in comics today. This issue finds Brubaker launching his protagonist Lawless towards hell with a one way ticket, as anything that can go wrong, does go wrong for him. Whether it’s starting the issue with the resolution of his conflict with the CID (or at least that one conflict), getting found out by one of the men of his boss that he’s involved with the boss’ wife, and then possibly getting blamed for the Triad boss getting killed. All in all, not a great issue for Lawless, but a very good one for us as readers.
As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews of this arc, Brubaker has been setting it up as probably the best one yet due to the moral ambiguity of the murderers Lawless has been chasing. These characters are the classic “doing bad to make things good” type anti-heroes, except they are teens being tasked by a man of the cloth. This tricky terrain is ably handled by Bru, as well as further establishing Tracy Lawless as a badass with a heart of gold so to speak. His ability to render Lawless as a man that does bad things but is innately good is paramount to why the title of this arc (The Sinners) works so well.
You also have to mention the fact that this book is highlighted by some of the tastiest noir dialogue out there, as everything feels natural yet rhythmic and stylized in its own right. In every facet of the craft, Brubaker excels.
In past reviews, I’ve complained about the coloring on Sean Phillips art as it has seemed to lean on the neon hues perhaps a bit too much since Incognito. Thankfully, everything seems resolved in this issue, allowing Phillips deep darks and masterful storytelling skills to aid the issue rather than distract.
This is another powerful installment of Icon’s best title and perhaps even Marvel’s best. Every issue that we receive is a gift, and this one is no exception. I really can’t wait until next month and the conclusion of this phenomenal arc.
Final Verdict: 9.4 – Buy
GIL’S REVIEWS
Invincible Iron Man #23
This book never disappoints. There’s not much I can say. Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca have created a book that is definitely in the upper echelon of the Marvel Universe. The writing is only matched by the unbelievable artwork.
And this issue, the art got even better. I don’t know how that was possible. Larroca is already one of the best in the business, but he went to new levels of awesome, making even more detailed lines and inks. It was just mad good.
The arc itself is unfolding fantastically well. Ghost, a member of the Thunderbolts team is slowly finding his way to the mindless Tony Stark in an attempt to put him down for Big Boss Norman Osborn and Madame Masque. Meanwhile, Pepper and Maria seem to bond further and come across the fact that Tony is a bastard (we all knew that though) and slept with both of them in the fairly recent past.
“Tony Stark? Tony %&^@ Stark.”
Well said, Maria.
I think some of the best moments come in Tony’s head. Matt Fraction had the sense to introduce metaphor into Tony’s psyche. I can only imagine that characters such as “The Bureaucrat” which seems like its Iron Man post Civil War as the director of SHIELD. There are tons of ways you can interpret it though.
Overall, this book is one of the best out there is published by Marvel, and if you are reading it, good for you! If you’re not, shame on you, and pick up the trades to catch up ASAP.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Buy
Superman: World Of New Krypton #12
Remember when I said this book was ending with issue 12? Remember when the book said it was ending with issue 12? Well, they lied. Sort of. Even though WONK is ending this month, the story is continuing into “The Last Stand of New Krypton,” which is just annoying.
That being said, the book was actually enjoyable. This title has been running a rollercoaster of quality since its inception a year ago, and it’s nice that it (sort of) ends on a high note as opposed to ending with a limp. The political implications of the murders were handled with skill and were honestly a bit surprising. I wasn’t exactly expecting the end to go like that, and the last panel was a doozy. While I’m pissed this book isn’t more or less self contained, I can say I’m happy with the culprit from said murder mystery.
Continued belowThe low note is the art. Once again, Pete Woods’ art is just poorly executed, with panels where I could barely tell that Kal-El was even in the room. What the French toast. James Robinson and Greg Rucka needed an artist who could match their talents, and then maybe this book would have been better.
While it’s too late to jump on the title (I mean, it is the end) I would recommend checking it out in trade, despite the ups and downs. It’s something that Superman has never dealt with before.
Final Verdict: 6.5 – Browse
Aladdin: Legacy Of The Lost #1
Radical Comics, a relative newcomer in the field of indie publishers, has established themselves as one of the better publishers with titles that might normally not find their way in more mainstream comics. And their latest title Aladdin is another one of those titles.
The story itself if pretty familiar, if not the Adult Swim version of the modern Disney classic. Aladdin is still a street rat and a thief, but he also happens have been raised by whores. He survives by stealing and cheating at gambling; the latter of which gets him into a bit of trouble before he’s recruited by our villain Qassim (think Jafar with an even larger sneer and no parrot) to go find a D’jinn (Robin Williams only slightly evil?).
Sounds familiar, huh? Well, it feels like a more adult title as you read it. It feels like the story grew up with me (as I was only seven or eight when the Disney movie was released. It seems like Ian Edington grew up with the movie/legend as well and wanted to share it with the masses. The art, provided by Patrick Reilly was absolutely stunning. It’s incredibly moody and stylized but also photo-realistic. It’s worth picking up just for the art.
That’s not to say that it’s absolutely perfect, however. There were some odd parts that bore little reason or explanation. Qassim for instance has some minions in some sand serpents that resemble the things from Tremors. Now they might be in the original legend, but for a new reader, it’s just jarring. There’s also a…curious…cameo from Sinbad (the captain, not the comedian…thank God?). While it’s not entirely unwelcome, it’s just a little weird.
In all honesty, it’s a good title. It’s worth reading for the art and the grown up Aladdin title. Check it out.
Final Verdict: 7.8 Buy
Nova #34
Review pending, check back soon!
BRANDON’S REVIEWS
Ultimate Comics X #1
For all the Loeb haters out there this book isn’t for you. I know he hasn’t turned in his strongest work in some time but this was a genuinely cool comic. It was well done and fit perfectly into the new structure of the Ultimate Universe. I actually found this first issue far more enjoyable than the recently released first issue of Ultimate Spider-Man.
The Art Adams work here is also excellent. I had never thought about it before but recently David pointed out to me he has some serious Quietly similarities. I noticed it very quite a bit in this issue but not in a bad way. I thought the art was strong and while reminiscent of Quitley’s fantastic work it was a little cleaner and all together it’s own despite the comparison.
Ultimate Comics X has a great chance to be the Loeb book that gets the fandom monkey off his back. I know I’ve made my Loeb jokes like any other person out there but the man deserves credit for his work here. I hope the next book is just as compelling and fresh.
Final Verdict: 8.9 — Buy It!
Sweet Tooth #6
This title was suggested to me and while I found myself catching up quickly I also found myself not necessarily being goo goo gaa gaa like a lot of the critics and readers out there. The last couple issues though have been my turning point where I can see where this title is so enjoyable.
The main thing it has going for it is that it is very different from everything else out there. The story focuses on a boy with antler’s that lives in a post-apocalyptic world. What other title out there sounds anything like that? This issue focused on the man who screwed him over last issue and shows just why he did it. While screwing poor Sweet Tooth over was a totally lame move you can’t help but feel for the guy by the end of the issue.
The ending of the issue I felt was fantastic. It took a gruff character that had just made a rather questionable decision and turned him into an instantly sympathetic character. That’s just good writing.
Of all the issues to date this one is my favorite. Granted I feel some of the early issues weren’t that strong to earn the hype they garnered this issue shows why I was probably wrong in believing so and others had it right.
Final Verdict: 8.4 Buy It!
The Question #37
While it was good to see Victor Sage again the feeling faded faster than the stories ability to stay within the scope of what we’ve seen so far in Blackest Night. The story itself served as a nice goodbye to a character whose death was one of the best and emotionally impactful of the last decade. It did not though serve us with anything that felt like a deserving goodbye. Everything that needed to be said in the form of a goodbye was left on the pages of 52 which did an amazing job with the issue.
This issue’s main Question, if you will, for me was the T-Rex like inability of Vic to see characters who’ve shut their emotions off. So far, I thought, it was established that while characters needed to be feeling their emotions strongly to be worthwhile to the Black Lanterns I don’t remember them being completely invisible to the Black Lanterns when they weren’t feeling them.
In general this issue keeps with the trend that has been set amongst Blackest Night tie-ins. The trend being that most of the tie-ins are more of a way to bring back dead characters for the sake of bringing them back instead of serving the overall story. It’s a bleeding of the concept that seems to have banked on more blood than the vein of the event could sustain. The side effect of it all being the inability for the overall story to really look like a strong event. It’s been so stretched and raped as a concept that the impacts just aren’t there when they should be. It’s a total oversaturation resulting in total apathy towards more of the returns than DC probably would have liked.
Final Verdict: 3.0 – Nope, don’t bother
Ghost Riders: Heavens On Fire #6
Aaron’s run has been by far my favorite run on this character. I had read Ghost Rider pretty sparingly but I’ve always enjoyed the concept of the character. Coming onto this title Aaron turned the whole concept on it’s ear and made it the most interesting it’s ever been as far as I’m concerned.
This issue wraps that epic run. I found it to be a reasonable ending that brought all the plotlines to a satisfying close and also left the character in a place where he could easily be picked back up by new creators. If we’re lucky it’ll be Aaron who gets the character back going again. Having read this issue I could see Aaron just walking away having said everything he wanted to about the character.
All in all this was an issue that brought to an end the best Ghost Rider story that’s been told in at least a decade. If you haven’t read the run I highly suggest it. If you have been reading this run then this issue is obviously a can’t miss issue. It’s worth your time and money to see how it all ends.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy it
