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!
Book of the Week: Atomic Robo: Revenge of the Vampire Dimension #1
Matt’s Thoughts: I’m a huge fan of Atomic Robo. It does an amazing job of blurring the lines between science, action, adventure, and comedy. Ask anyone and they’ll agree – that’s the number one appeal of the book. And wouldn’t you know it, right off the bat with the first issue of a new volume that is precisely what you get. This issue is as much a tremendous science fueled adventure that one can’t also help but notice it’s also downright hilarious. I know this book gets a lot of comparison to Hellboy (including by us in the past), but I’m not going to lie – even with my giant library hardcovers of Hellboy, I still think this is better.
Clevinger’s writing is definitely at it’s top, with a heavy influence on the scientific side, which is great to see. While the book has always heavily been involved in science, this book does a good job of really blending in the science within the context of the importance of the story. Wegner also continues to do a great job with the artwork of the book. Having read the previous volumes of Robo, as well as Killer of Demons, you can really notice how much he’s improving as an artist – his lines are getting smoother, the action sequences are smoother, and the little things he throws in the background are really quite hilarious (and fitting towards the mood/tone of the story).
Of course, this is just the beginning of the new volume. With what little I know of the future issues, I know that the best is yet to come, and if the rest of the volume is as good as this issue, then we’re in for quite a treat with this volume. Already I’m beginning to see what Brian meant when he said volume 4 is somewhat of an origin story for a new character, and I can’t wait to see how this plays out in the future. Plus, with the heavy inclusion of Jenkins, I can’t recommend this enough to new people. It’s a perfect jumping on for people looking to get into Robo.
David’s Thoughts: Holy awesome. I’m not going to go into a lot of details, because to be perfectly honest this isn’t one of those books. This is a hilarious and badass issue featuring impromptu job interviews interrupted by vampires, “xenon lasers”, and the absurdly tough Jenkins.
Really, for me, Jenkins was the highlight. I could have read a single issue of “So we’re trapped.” “Oh, no. We’re not trapped in here with them. They’re trapped in here with Jenkins.” This was an absolutely riotous issue as we always expect from Robo, and I can’t wait for the next one. Robo’s BPRD is starting to get together with Jenkins and Bernard, and I always liked BPRD more than Hellboy.
Continued belowGil’s Thoughts: Before this week, I was actually an Atomic Robo virgin. Despite our good relationship with Brian Clevinger, I had never deigned to pick up a single book in the series. I’ll admit it was because it’s been heavily compared to Hellboy. I am not the biggest Hellboy fan. I found the first trade incredibly dull. And when I was told the subsequent trades were very similar? I decided not to invest any more time and money into something I found so boring.
Well, the people that told me that this had a lot in common with Hellboy were half-right. I can definitely see the similarities, but I found Atomic Robo to be a bit more fun to read. For starters, as Matt mentioned, there is the humor. It’s a lot more light-hearted than Hellboy ever was.
That being said, I did not like it as much as David or Matt. I did not HATE it, but the artwork didn’t blow me away as much as I would have liked. It’s not the worst I’ve ever seen (far from even the worst this week, keep reading), and it’s far from a deal breaker, but I’m just hoping it can get a little better.
MATT’S REVIEWS
Joe the Barbarian #2
Joe the Barbarian is a perfect example of why I think Grant Morrison is the greatest writer in comics today. I know, I know – a lot of people will contest this fact. They’ll point out things like Final Crisis and Batman And Robin, as if that’ll somehow dissuade me (and as if I don’t think both books are brilliant anyway). To that I say, “LOOK AT THIS FREAKING BOOK. THIS BOOK IS AMAZING.” And if they don’t get it beyond that, I don’t know what I can do to help them.
While the first issue really helped to identify the character and surroundings of the tale, this story does a much better job of really bringing Morrison’s personality out. The story becomes more hectic as Joe flashes in between the real world and the world of his fantasy, and the stories overall themes become a bit more clear. Leave it to someone like Morrison to torture his characters so early on in their story, but also to make such an amazingly epic feel to a story that’s just in the beginning stages. All the new characters, and all the new elements, wrap up so well that this makes for an amazing follow up to the first issue.
However, my one gripe towards the book is actually my favorite thing about the first – the art. Sean Murphy is without a doubt a brilliant artist, but this issue did not show that off as much as the first one did. I immediately think of the beautiful spread of Joe in the cemetery from the first issue, and the closest we have to that in this issue is Joe entering the town, which is not as nice. It’s full of rich detail while also being a tad blurry and hectic at the same time. I do not contest Sean’s talent one bit, I really do believe he’s immensely talented and I’m not saying that this issue doesn’t show that. But in comparison to the first? I don’t think it hit all the same high notes.
All in all, another great issue from Morrison and Murphy. I can’t express it enough – you need to be buying this book. Don’t be a trade waiter. Don’t be one of those people. Man up and get it now, and if you still want it in trade, buy it again. This book is too good not to be buying.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Buy
Green Lantern #51
So, as it turns out, the best part of Blackest Night isn’t really Blackest Night. It’s all the awesome stuff that’s going on in Green Lantern. Surprised? You really shouldn’t be. As much as I enjoy the Blackest Night main title, the best stuff has been inside the Green Lantern issue, and it’s nothing if not more proof that this story really should have been only in this title.
With this issue, we have the fallout from Hal becoming Parallax again, which turns into the SINGLE MOST EPIC BATTLE THAT HAS HAPPENED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRETY OF BLACKEST NIGHT. Seriously! As much as Blackest Night has been this crazy awesome universe expanding event with all sorts of intense moments (the majority of which were in GLC), this issue featured the most bad-ass showdown between Parallax and the Spectre. Honest to God, I hate to be the type of ass that spoils something awesome, but Parallax ripped off the Spectre’s freaking face! What moment of Blackest Night has honestly topped that?
Of course, as much as I love Geoff Johns, he seems a bit strained on this title. While Blackest Night and Blackest Night: Flash have suffered a bit (which I’ll get to), Green Lantern has managed to pull down within ups and downs. Some of the Green Lantern tie-in has been rather poor, but with this and the previous issue, I felt we were really reminded why we all love Johns and Green Lantern. This is the sort of high quality work I expect from him, and teamed up with Doug Mahnke on the book, it just keeps getting better. Not to mention the little seeds it lays for the future of the title.
As Blackest Night begins to wind down, I’m glad that it really is picking up in these tie-in issues. It’s not that Blackest Night has been lackluster, but all the things I wanted haven’t been there. We have two issues left (one of which is over-sized), and more so than anything I’d like to see Johns top the bad-ass nature of this issue. I challenge him, in fact, because this has definitely (along with the previous issue) been my favorite moment of the entire story.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Buy
Doomwar #1
I went into this title with extremely low expectations. I actually had been reading Black Panther since it was relaunched with Dark Reign, not because I was anticipating this title but just because I was curious as to what would unfold. What I found is that the title tried to center itself around political intrigue with a mix of some action/adventure into it, but it always fell flat. The characters were never anything special enough for me to care about, and overall I never got into the title. However, when you slap together an event like Doomwar, you can’t help but catch my intrigue.
Doomwar is basically taking the majority of those mistakes and saying, “Ok. We got what we did wrong. Here’s how we’re going to make it right.”
Don’t get me wrong – Doomwar is ultimately a passable book, and not an amazing one. There are some great moments within the first issue, but I can see how a lot of people will dislike the title. That being said, I found that the majority of the book was a rather enjoyable read, if a bit out of character for most of the members involved. For example, Dr. Doom’s great evil plan in this is nothing compared to some of the things he used to pull. This sort of political vendetta he is carrying against Black Panther just seems so… odd. Off putting, even. In context of the story, I get why he is doing it, but even so. That and the title Doomwar is oddly fitting because, though the characters do “go to war,” they’re going to war with Doom’s puppets more so than him. I can see where the title will shift, but right now it’s off kilter.
What’s really great about the title first and foremost, though, is the artwork. Will Conrad and Scot Eaton do a terrific job in that regard, emphasizing the dark nature with a style that is very similar to what made us all fall in love with Francis Manapul during his run on Adventure Comics. The book looks much better than Black Panther ever did, quite frankly.
So what is Doomwar at the end of the day? It’s a book I’d recommend on at least a browse level. I think that people could get into the title, and the ending is certainly bad ass enough to make me want to come back for another issue. I’ll stick with it, and I liked it enough to recommend that you might want to too. For Mayberry being a relative unknown to me (outside of Black Panther), to see him turn around and do a good enough job on a title like this is a pleasant surprise.
Continued belowFinal Verdict: 6.8 – Browse
Supergirl #50
I am the biggest Sterling Gates/Supergirl fan out there. I have honestly loved every little bit of his run, as it has actually made me care about a character I never thought in a million years I would be remotely interested in. As issue 50 brings the previous arcs to a close in preparation for the epic Super-war intertwining all the books (penned by Gates with Robinson, no less), I think I have my perfect evidence why in this over-sized issue.
In this issue, Supergirl goes up against the Insect Queen that had infected her friend and confidant Lana. The battle is quite epic in and of itself, but what I think really shows the strength of this title is the aftermath. Kara confronts Lana about what had been apparently seeded for the past year since Gates took over the title, and it really ties that end of the book off in a really sad way. Like I said, I never imagined I would care about Supergirl or her life, but by the end of this book I was really feeling bad for her, and that definitely shows the strength of a writer. Not to mention who returns at the end of this issue which is pretty evil (albeit probably a bit too soon).
I’d also like to point out that I really enjoy the artwork by Igle on this issue. He has been on the title with Gates for a while now, and has had so many opportunities to make Supergirl look like a tramp. Honestly, I suppose I could understand why – Kara is supposed to be an attractive character, and throughout all of this she has a short skirt and a revealing top. However, Igle has consistently managed to pull this off in a way that doesn’t make the character seem sleazy in anyway, and as does little things as if this type of outfit is a legit costume (such as putting on shorts underneath the skirt). It really helps bring an appreciation to the character as a person rather than a sex icon, and I think that certain writers (who I don’t think I have to mention, but you all know who I’m talking about) tried too hard to do that instead of develop the character.
Needless to say, Supergirl is still near the top of my pull list weekly. Now that the main story within the book has ended and it’s time for the crossovers to begin, I urge you all to go back and look upon this book for the hidden gem that it seriously is.
Final Verdict: 8.7 – Buy
Marvels: Eye of the Camera #6
Boy, was this a tough book to go at! The last issue came out almost a year ago (issue 5 came out in April 09, and now we’re halfway to March ’10). Good God, talk about delays. What’s up with that, guys? Honestly, if anything, that takes a large amount of enjoyment away from the title.
Yet… as I read it? This was still undoubtedly a great read. The story quickly came back to me and I was able to ease back in to the story for it’s final issue without a lot of problem. Kurt Busiek is a very talented writer, and anyone who read the original Marvels knows exactly what I mean. To have him back on the sequel is pretty great, and a fitting end (if somewhat unnecessary) to Phil’s story.
What I mean by unnecessary is that, when I look at it, this didn’t need to come out. What made the first story so good is that we got to relive so many classic moments of Marvel history through this new perspective, and we got to view it all from a real world perspective with a lesser emphasis on the fantastic (which in turn made it more fantastic). With Marvels: Eye of the Camera, all we really have is a story about the character in his dying days that is set around famous events in Marvel history. While they are appreciated (I loved the moment where Doom flew by on the silver surfboard), I can’t help but feel that we didn’t need this book at all. Plus, as talented as Anacleto is, he’s no Ross, and Ross is what helped REALLY make the first book great.
Continued belowAll of these things aside, Marvels: Eye of the Camera wasn’t necessarily bad. It proves why Busiek is a good writer if nothing else. It just ends up being nothing too special in the end. Although, I won’t lie – my heart strings were definitely tugged by the last few pages.
Final Verdict 6.9 – Browse (or grab in trade, more likely)
Tiny Titans #25
Yes. You read that right. I am reviewing Tiny Titans. I don’t think that should surprise anyone, as I’m usually liable to pick up anything with Johns name on it. Being a Superboy fanboy doesn’t hurt either. And you know what? Tiny Titans is probably one of the most enjoyable things I’ve read all week.
It comes as no shock to me that Tiny Titans has won an Eisner award. I don’t really see much of Johns in this title beyond him being a character in it and the story “centering” around the Titans finding all the different lantern rings. The book really does hold true to what I’ve seen by Art Baltazar and Franco do with the title in the past (yes, I’ve flipped through issues before). It’s an intelligent title written for kids in order to bring them into our world of comics, and I think this is absolutely brilliant for children. Despite the fact that I can write a well thought out review or argument, my mind is really that of a five-year-old, so the inner child of me could see the beauty in this title throughout the entire thing. This legitimately was a very good read.
Plus, this book is SO DAMN CUTE!
There’s really not a lot more to say beyond that.
Final Verdict: It’s hard to rate this book. If you were going to buy it, you probably would buy it. A browse wouldn’t hurt.
Blackest Night: Flash #3
As I write the review to this comic, I have to sigh a bit. I had such high hopes for the book and now, when all is said and done, I am let down. I can’t believe I’m saying that either. It almost feels weird to say it but I kind of have to: something that Geoff Johns wrote was bad. There’s just no escaping that at all. There are some cool moments within the title, but ultimately this was just a) poorly timed and b) poorly written.
First off, I have to complain about something very obvious to anyone who read this: this book is a MASSIVE spoiler to Flash: Rebirth (as well as perhaps an element of Brightest Day). People complained about the first issue being a spoiler, but I didn’t think it was something so bad that we had to pick up pitchforks and torches, but this one is pretty horrific. We flat out see the ending to Flash: Rebirth before we actually see the last issue come out. Of course, this is partially due to the delays due to Scriver’s injury, but at the same time I feel like concessions could have been made. I’ll forgive the Brightest Day element because I suppose that’s more of a tease than a spoil, but it’s awkward none the less.
As far as the main story goes, it was unfortunately uneven and poorly paced. As we bounce between the Rogues’ story and the Flash’s, what we get are fairly incomplete versions of what could have been truly great tales. Those that remember Johns’ previous run on the Flash know that pacing was key (and of course it would be for the fastest man alive (zing!)), but this one bounces around and doesn’t use half of the great elements it could have. What happened to all those reanimated Rogues? We barely got anything out of that story aspect. The best moment of the book was Cold dealing with Boomerang by pushing him down a hole to be murdered by his father for breaking the rules. That was the only moment that really felt like a Flash story to me out of this whole thing.
Continued belowThe saving grace of the book was Kolins’ art, but even that wasn’t that great in comparison to the previous run he did with Johns on the Flash. In fact, again – the only thing that came out well was the Rogues. They looked fantastic. Black Lantern Kid Flash and Blue Lantern Barry? Not so much.
Ultimately, I can’t really recommend it. As much as it pains me to give Johns a poor grade, I have to. Blackest Night: Flash is probably the second biggest disappointment out of the entire event.
Final Verdict: 4.5 – Pass
Justice League of America #42
Unlike the other members of MC, I’ve been a big supporter of Robinson’s big return to the JLA titles as well as Superman. It’s not that he’s been “gone” necessarily, but this is the first thing I’ve really seen DC promote heavily for him. I’ve enjoyed Cry For Justice tremendously, and (as many errors as there were) the Blackest Night tie-in. Even the previous issue was a good start for what would hopefully be an exciting new time in the JLA history.
…so what the Hell happened?
Not to be overly rude, but it appears that there was a tremendous jump in between the previous issue and the current one that just wasn’t covered. The last issue ended with Ollie and Hal recruiting Batman, and this one begins with Ollie being all mysterious and melancholy. Not only that, but this issue doesn’t really make a lot of sense in general. The villains that appear do so out of order, and while I get while they’re here, it still just doesn’t seem to make sense. Plus, the JLA line-up is still very awkward. I feel like there should have been more of a big “recruitment” arc, as well as some time where we get adjusted to the new line-up rather than throwing us off the deep end into this big mystery about an artifact. It just doesn’t add up.
Mark Bagley does do a great job on the book, though. It’s not quite as clean as his art was in Ultimate Spider-Man for example, but his characters are beginning to shape up very well. His Green Lantern looks great. While the book is off to a somewhat of a rocky start, I still believe that Bagley’s artwork could end up being it’s saving grace for me as the reader if the next issue continues with this kind of disjointed story telling.
I wanted to like the issue more as I am a fan of what has led up to this as well as Robinson in general, but as much as I try and back the man, this issue was too odd for me. Awkward villains, awkward placement in continuity, as well as a story that felt like it was all over the place left me feeling rather polarized as a fan.
Final Verdict: 4.5 – Browse
Deadpool #19
I’ve been pretty adamantly on the “anti-Deadpool” train as of late, especially when SWORD was canceled and Deadpool was given another on-going. It seemed to me that most characters were obsessed with making a slapstick book without trying to develop the character at all, and it was all Daniel Way’s fault! Well, while it still is, I can’t help but notice that this issue, out of the blue, was actually good. Shocking, I know.
For the most part, I always plan to drop Deadpool until I see the preview of the next arc, and then I try and stick with it. With this, we had a Spider-Man team-up as well as the new Hit-Monkey. Well, the Hit-Monkey one-shot was disappointing, but I love Spider-Man so I said, “OK, this is my last arc.” And so far, I’m not disappointed!
This is the first issue in a while that give Deadpool a bit of a third dimension since the relaunch. It’s not all just about his insanity. Deadpool shows off some initiative to want to be Spider-Man, and this includes a scene where he actually seriously helps Spidey, which is something the book has been seriously lacking: seriousness. I’m all for humor and I’m all for hilarity in a Deadpool title, but when the people telling the stories are using the same puns and slapstick over and over it gets tedious. With this, we actually have some very mild, very slight character development (the kind that if you blink you’ll miss it, but it’s there) – and that I like.
Continued belowI’m not crazy about the art. Paco Medina has been doing the book for a while now, and it gives it a cartoony effect, which I suppose helps make the over-the-top humor seem more appropriate. What I mean by that is it fits. And it is certainly better than the other Deadpool titles’ art, that’s for sure.
So what can I say? I’m not going to start preaching the greatness of Deadpool again to anyone. Far from it. But I think, for what I plan to be my final arc buying this title, it’ll at least be a good story. At the very least one that won’t make me cringe as I acknowledge my payment of it. The Deadpool/Spidey thing could really work.
Final Verdict: 7.0 – Buy
Spider-Woman #6
And so we once again return to the incredibly belated world of Spider-Woman. I don’t know what’s going on with this title, but it’s pretty much getting the Powers treatment right now, and that’s really not a good thing. It’d been so long since the last issue of Spider-Woman that they had to remark that this issue takes place before current issues of Thunderbolts, considering the reveal at the end of Diggle’s run. Well then.
As far as the issue goes, it’s not too impressive. Spider-Woman is a good title, but the delays are seriously hurting it. This issue relies strictly on the action between Spider-Woman and the previous incarnation of Thunderbolts (who are seriously going through line-up changes every 5 issues it seems). It feels very out of place though, even rushed just to get it done. I can only imagine what’s causing the delays, but this issue doesn’t exactly fit in as nicely as the previous issues do with the psuedo-noir ass-kickery Jessica Drew is laying down.
Alex Maleev’s artwork is good here, but not at it’s best either. In fact, I’m just not really sure Alex Maleev works well with this story telling. If you take a look at the work he did with Daredevil, and then take a look at the work he’s doing here, there’s a clearly better form of work going on in the Daredevil books (now available in Omnibus format, fyi). While his Drew still looks gorgeous, and the world they inhabit is phenomenal, it doesn’t exactly fit the tone of the issue, and I’ve never really expected high flying super heroics from an artist like him. He works better at subtlety then at two-page spreads of explosions.
Needless to say, with the sixth issue of the highly anticipated Spider-Woman, I can’t honestly say fans who have been waiting for this title for years are getting what they want. It’s an ok read, but I expect more from Bendis and Maleev and, at the very least, for the book to come out on time.
Final Verdict: 5.0 – Browse
DAVID’S REVIEWS
Dark Avengers #14
When I made this pick, I made it my first pick because of one reason: I wanted a comic I could rate poorly for once. After strongly disliking the last Sentry-centric issue, I thought this was a lay up as a bad review.
Then it was less about The Sentry (a character I despise) than I thought it would be and more about Victoria Hand (a character I’m learning to love. With Osborn breaking down and Hand’s fierce desire to believe in what she is doing, she has really taken the lead in recent issues. She has become perhaps the breakout character of the series, and her handling of everything from Osborn to the insidious pair of Bullseye and Moonstone to the Dark Avengers as a whole was phenomenal in this issue. Plus, Bendis completely nails the climactic scene between The Sentry and Osborn.
Throw in the fact that Mike Deodato is absolutely killing it in this book and this was a great issue. Deodato’s paneling and layouts in this issue really sell the tenuous grasp of sanity going on with a lot of these characters, with certain characters leading to particularly demented design on the page. While the very first two pages lose me a bit with the layout, everything else is damn exceptional.
Continued belowAll in all, this was an outstanding issue. Some minor detriments, but nothing to not make this a great, great read. I wish it was wrapped up before the actions of Siege # 2 though.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Buy
Uncanny X-Men #521
I’m going to clearly break this issue down so I can handle it as constructively as possible. As pretty much anyone on the Multiversity team knows, I strongly dislike Matt Fraction’s run on this book. But I try to go into each new issue with a fresh mind to be fair. So here we go.
What I liked: Fantomex. The ending. Fantomex. The underwater scene. Fantomex.
What I didn’t like: Greg Land’s horrible art on page 2. Matt Fraction’s horrible dialogue on page 2. The horribly illustrated and poorly told fight scene that comprised most of the comic. Greg Land’s horrible art on page 3 (panel 4: is Wolverine’s bicep connected to his chest and top of his shoulder?!). The scene with the bad guy surrounded by X-Men character images on page 5 (where did he get these images from, the X-Men 2010 yearbook?). Greg Land’s horrible art on page 13.
Here’s my point: Greg Land is an absolutely horrendous artist. This is a book that frequently features very poorly told stories. With every bit that works, there are three that do not, and their level of badness far eclipses any goodness that is given to us. Very close to dropping the flagship title of the X-Universe.
Final Verdict: 2.8 – Pass
Captain America #603
This issue will assuredly garner a lot of attention due to the whole “Tea Party” fiasco that has been surrounding it in mainstream media recently. That’s really too bad because it, simply put, is not a very good issue. This is one of the rare situations where from a structural and quality standpoint the story is well told, yet conceptually it just isn’t very interesting.
In this issue we find Bucky Cap and The Falcon attempting to take out Fake Cap and his Idaho militia, and it is just not a very interesting story to read. Brubaker handles all of the story beat with his standard care and consideration, but it is like all of the recent arcs…the stories have been spinning their wheels, telling no stories of value and just going through the motions. We know this book can reach high heights, yet it has been quite some time since it has been there.
Throw in the fact that Luke Ross and his homeless man’s Steve Epting impression on pencils is still around, and all in all this was not a very good issue. I keep waiting for a return to the quality this title brought us for years, but it just seems to keep sinking into aimlessness. Here’s hoping Brubaker can bring us up to speed once again.
Final Verdict: 5.0 – Browse
Daredevil #505
This issue marks the start of Antony Johnston’s collaboration with Andy Diggle in writing this title. While Diggle has been doing a great job, evidently Diggle wanted to work with Johnston going forward, and from the looks of this first issue it will be an excellent pairing. This is the first issue to bring Daredevil into the whole world of The Hand, leaving his home in Hell’s Kitchen for a meet with the rest of Hand Daimyo’s (regional warlords) as one of them objects to Murdock’s leadership.
The Hand story has been surprisingly fruitful so far, as Diggle has managed to keep Murdock himself while still making his closest allies (and us as readers) question him from time to time. When White Tiger suspects him for no longer following his own plan, it creates a dichotomy in Murdock’s beliefs and in our belief in Murdock. It’s a very interesting set up they have going for us, but it’s working very well. I can’t wait to see how all of this plays out.
Continued belowThis month on art we have Marco Checchetto, who does a very good job of doing his own impersonation of the Michael Lark/Roberto de la Torre school of art that is so ably utilized on Daredevil. I’d be remiss in my duties as well if I didn’t mention the fantastic cover from Paolo Rivera, which starts off a series of Japanese themed art (the next cover is incredible).
Another solid issue from Diggle, a nice first one from Johnston, and featuring quality art all around. The Daredevil train just keeps steaming forward, as per usual.
Final Verdict: 8.4 – Buy
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #50
And thus ends Dark Horse’s Star Wars series Knights of the Old Republic. I’ve been reading this John Jackson Miller series since the very beginning and have developed a very love/hate relationship with it. This issue is a perfect representation of everything that was right and wrong with the series.
On one hand you have excellent character moments, like Gryph’s final fate and Jarael and Zayne finally getting together. On the other hand, you have absolutely sloppy storytelling. As much as I like the characters and the concepts Miller created in this series, everything was so consistently poorly told that it made me want to think twice about picking it up on a monthly basis.
The variable quality of the art was a huge hindrance as well, but this issue featured semi-regular artist Brian Ching and his strong visuals. While his work was a little odd in his character models at times (specifically Zayne’s faces), overall he put in some really strong work here. While at times his visuals didn’t exactly help with the storytelling, I really believe the onus was on Miller here as it was for the bulk of the series.
So I finished it out, yet I can’t say I’m really going to take any lasting impressions away from it. Well, save the fact that I can now spend my money on a book I like a lot more or spend it on something else entirely.
Final Verdict: 4.8 – Browse
Invincible #70
While this issue at its core is mostly a lengthy battle sequence between the growing Sequid thread and Invincible (with some Guardians of the Globe mixed in), there are some really fantastic character bits that make this a really worthwhile venture altogether. Even with the massive battle going on, Kirkman’s latest issue really feels like the calm before the storm. Kirkman has positioned Mark at his weakest from a mental standpoint right before the Viltrumite War, and you had better believe that will be coming into play shortly.
While it was a good, if not unspectacular, issue from the writing standpoint, Ottley continue his phenomenal growth we’ve seen since he started working on Haunt with Ottley and Capullo. I can say this, if only for the assuredly widescreen and explosive visuals we will for sure get from Ottley, The Viltrumite War will be worth it.
A nice issue, but one that feels like it’s all prelude to the final, deadly action we get from Invincible. If only the rest of the issue matched its power.
Final Verdict: 7.0 – Buy
GIL’S REVIEWS
Psylocke #4
I love Psylocke. But y’all knew that. If I could have a Psylocke ongoing written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Gary Frank, I’d die happy. But since I’m not getting that anytime soon (or really ever) I made do with this, being penned by the talented Chris Yost from X-Force and penciled by Harvey Tolibad.
I’d hate to say it, but I was damn sure underwhelmed. It’s a shame too, because it had a lot of promise. While the Wolverine subplot made sense, I would have preferred he not be in there at all. But at least I have e fact they intertwined well, right? Right?! Oh well.
The basic plot concludes with Psylocke meeting the man that ruined her life (and death) in order to kill him. But the twist is that Wolverine wants him alive so he can keep torturing the villain for murdering his lover (which is pretty freaking cruel, if not deserved). And since Wolverine doesn’t want Mat’suo dead and Betsy does, we have the obligatory fight between the two biggest badasses with an activated X-Gene (that’s right). It’s a shame the art didn’t live up to the expectations.
Don’t get me wrong; the action is extremely frenetic, and it moves quite quickly. But it’s still not rendered very well at all. There are some panels where Betsy is just plain ugly, and she shouldn’t be. Wolverine should be, but he’s uglier than usual.
Perhaps the most annoying thing, however, isn’t even the art. It’s Psylocke’s damned inner monologue.
Let’s backtrack for a minute. If you’re our age, you remember the Spider-Man cartoon from the 90’s. It was great stuff. It was intelligently written and was respectful to its source material. But if you go back and watch it today, Peter never shuts up. His inner monologue goes on for so long, that my head starts hurting. It’s the same with this (and other books, but I’ll get there.). Psylocke’s head is always going a mile a minute. One wonders how she can think this much considering all the fighting and stabbing she’s doing. Bizarre. This is all coupled with a decidedly anti-climatic ending that left me really disappointed.
I want you to know how much it pains me to say this, but the book just didn’t end well enough for me to recommend it. I can’t even give it a browse. And it sucks to do that, but the book kind of sucks too.
Final Verdict: 3.6 — Pass (I really am a masochist)
Green Lantern Corps #45
My GOD what an issue. Tomasi proves how good he really is at crafting a story once again with the end of this arc titled Red Dawn (cut the jokes). He and Patrick Gleason are one of the best teams in comics right now, and it’s going to be a damn shame seeing them breaking up after such a long and successful run together. I just hope Gleason (who hasn’t found a new home…that we know of) can find a new home and knock them all out of the park like he did on this title.
With that said, let’s get to the book. Everyone’s favorite ginger Lantern has gotten a hold of a Red ring, and all hell is breaking loose. He’s ready to kill everyone and everything in his way, including his friends Kilowog and Kyle. But his friends aren’t ready to give up on him, and that’s the essence of the story.
There are a lot of nerdgasm inducing moments in the book, from Mogo socializing some more (and saving some characters in the process) to Kilowog making TWO sly Marvel References in one panel (Tomasi cant’ get those past me); it’s just a blast to read. Added in are some flat out GORGEOUS pages by Gleason, and you have one of the best books of the month. One of the pages is a definite contender for scene of the month, if not the outright winner.
Finally, the book ended with a bang, and has me salivating for the continuations in Blackest Night or where ever this story leads us. Absolutely fan-friggin-tastic.
Final Verdict: 9.2 — Buy
Amazing Spider-Man #621
Oh Mr. Negative. Apparently you come along with the deal with the Devil, because ever since Brand new Day started, you seem to be ever present in Peter’s life. It’s not BAD thing, I love new characters as long as they are engaging and menacing (in the case of villains.)
The problem is that while Mr. Negative is as menacing as they come, his motivations are about as clear as chocolate milk. He’s a generic crime lord with eastern influences. I get it. Yawn.
Continued belowThe art was alright, but it didn’t inspire any sort of excitement. It was reminiscent of Mike Deodato (though not as good). I just really loved the old school look of the previous chapters in the Gauntlet arc to really connect with the dark and moody style of Michael Lark.
I guess I just didn’t connect with the book on any level. Sure, you had Black Cat, who is always a treat, but she’s not enough to save the book from mediocrity. The whole book was literally just filler. Enough time to get Spider-Man into a pickle, get out, and then the “epilogue” introduces the next rogue coming up from the bench (so to speak).
It’s Lizard. Meh.
Final Verdict: 5.0 – Browse
Incredible Hercules #141
A moment of silence please.
*sniff* ok.
It’s the end of an era with this issue. The passing of a torch. The Prince of Power is dead. Long live the Prince of Power!
OK, so I might have spoiled it right there, but we all knew it was coming. What you don’t know (if you haven’t read it anyway) is how he kicks the bucket and who does it. It’s a doozy, and apparently one that’s been brewing for 30 issues.
What follows is the perfect ending to a great character. Sure he’ll be back, but a death could not be more fitting to a hero. This series truly was one of the best Marvel had to offer, and while I’m sad it’s going to go, at least I’ll have fond memories of one of the most fun books out there.
Just remember to tip a 40 for the dearly departed Herc.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Buy
Angel #30
Well, Angel is still in that stupid mummy case. It really does seem to be boring in there. Poor guy. Meanwhile, we have the rest of Angel’s Scoobys over at Angel Investigations trying to locate him, as well as learning of this pharmaceutical company’s insidious plot to keep celebrities young forever, just to annoy us all.
Can you imagine the Hell we would live in if people like Tila Tequila could live forever? My God, stake her before I stake myself.
Anyway, as far as the issue goes, it’s…only ok. Willingham, who is normally a great writer who cult franchises like this, might be missing the boat here. Sure it’s early, but there are some nagging issues that I could not excuse. Since when can (Whedonverse) vampires grow back whole limbs? It just doesn’t make sense. The one thing he did get right is making Illyria as creepy as humanly (demonly?) possible.
The art is still great though. It’s the main selling point of the book at this point. It’s just gorgeous. If you look at Spike, Angel, or Connor, and don’t see James Marsters, David Boreanaz, or Vincent Kartheiser, respectively, then you need your head examined.
If you’re an art whore, then you’ll at least want to check the book out, but if not, you might want to wait for now.
Final Verdict: 4.9 Browse
Hulk #20
Remember when this book used to be good? Yeah, it’s been a while. At least the original creative team came back to the book, I held out SOME hope that the book could be redeemed to its former (sort of) glory.
Boy was I wrong. The whole thing is just a mess of plot holes and poor art, which is really disappointing, considering I actually enjoy what these two creators can do together (Superman/Batman Public Enemies). First off, out of nowhere, the villains MODOK, The Leader, and somehow the RED GHOST have found a way to kidnap 4 of the 8 smartest men on the planet, with little to no difficulty. First off, DOOM? REALLY? Since when has a Doombot NOT been what people found after somehow defeating him in battle? Ridiculous. And now T’Challa was kidnapped by The Red Ghost of all people? Bullcrap. Beast, maybe. He’s brilliant but has been captured in battle before. T’Challa and Doom though? Completely inexcusable.
And that’s not even the end of it. McGuinness is one of my favorite artists, but he was just off his game or something here, because I could not take is seriously. Character models were flubbed (Storm looked like a hooker, Cyclops’ costume was just wrong) and the layouts were just awkward. I really expected more from him, and I guess this is what I get. Ugh.
Really, the whole franchise somehow went down the crapper after Planet Hulk and World War Hulk. I don’t know what happened, but Hulk needs a reboot badly.
Final Verdict: 2.0 — Pass (into the trash)
Drone #3
Drone is an odd little story. It’s about these three kids who somehow find their way into a prototype military robot in an attempt to have a breakthrough in the mechanic of war. But as these things tend to do, it goes wrong, and some decidedly bad people have killed everyone on the Drone Project, save one injured female soldier and a single Drone, seeing as how it’s being operated by the hackers three.
It’s one of the more fun titles in comics, thematically, with its mixture of hacker teenagers and international politics and espionage. And it’s almost like a buddy comedy played on either side of the planet. It’s well written and I actually have fun reading it.
But I would probably enjoy it a lot more it a lot more if the art weren’t so bad. It’s just hard to look at sometimes with the messy lines and irregular facial expressions. Even more, some of the characters just look dumpy and not pleasing to look at.
I believe I called the art in the previous issue really good, and praised the artist who did it. What a damn shame. The quality took a nose dive and it’s hard to stomach.
Am I being harsh? Maybe. I’m just hoping the final issue gets better so it can be at least half as good as the story it’s trying to sell.
Final Verdict: 6.0 – Browse
