Welcome back, friends of all ages, races, 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: Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #8
Matt’s Thoughts: Ultimate Spider-Man is one of my favorite comic series of all time, so I’m really glad that Ultimate Comics Spider-Man is still living up to that legacy. This issue is a lot of fun and reminds me of exactly why I started loving this book: smart and funny writing that is somewhat relatable, even at my older age. Plus, the Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends vibe of the book is really working. Bendis is truly at home at the idea of a buddy-com book.
I gotta say, though: I really like the vibe of the book. The Mysterio stuff was pretty good, but this is where the book has really hit it’s stride. The dynamic of Johnny, Bobby, and Peter written by Bendis is pretty fantastic. I’m almost sad to know that we’re already moving off of this arc so soon in order to get “back” in to the “normal story”. I’d love to see this book focus more on the trio, because as much as I’ve often had problems with Bendis and his multi-tasking, I really think that this could work as a title.
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man is definitely the best Ultimate comic right now, even more so than Millar’s Avengers book (that continues his Ultimates stories). Even more so, this issue reminds us (and especially me) why we love Bendis in the first place.
David’s Thoughts: I think Brandon hit the nail on the head a few weeks back on our inaugural 4 Color News & Brews podcast when he said that this book when you get down to it is Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. Except in the best possible way, every single month. This is one of the best books Marvel is releasing month in and month out, it’s in my opinion the best thing Brian Michael Bendis writs, and is the one thing that gives the Ultimate universe any real relevance. For those reasons, it’s as important of a book as any one Marvel releases today.
The art is uniformly good as well, with Takeshi Miyazawa handling art duties for this last month before David LaFuente comes back for issue 9. While the artistic style is far different than Bagley and Immonen’s work on the first volume of this book, Miyazawa’s airy and light work connects perfectly with Bendis easy going and fun scripts that he’s been going with so far in this arc. In a week that features some of my favorite books, this was still the first book I read. There’s nothing I could say that is more complimentary than that.
Continued belowGil’s Thoughts: A book that quickly found its way onto my pull as well as to the top of my stack, UCSM continues to impress. What could have been a cheesy retread of an 80’s cartoon is spot on and a lot of fun to read. The introduction of the Ultimate version of a certain character was a nice surprise.
Bendis is probably the best person to write Spider-Man, and very clearly has his voice in his head. I can’t think of anyone else that can write the character any better, and it’s just a blast to read. I’d like to see how he would handle the 616-Spidey book. Marvel? Get on this please?
Brandon’s Thoughts: Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends strikes again! This comic is so good it’s not even funny. I continue to say that at first I was not too stoked with the relaunch. I had a hard time adjusting to the art as well as some of the new character designs. This title has worn me down though and has won me over.
This title has quickly become one of my favorite books that Bendis is currently doing. Hell it is even quickly becoming one of my favorite Marvel books in general. The character interactions are stellar and I never leave the book without a) chuckling and b) having a great time. What more could someone ask for from their choice of entertainment?
MATT’S REVIEWS:
Batman and Robin #10
Man, this book just keeps getting better and better. This is arguably the first arc we’ve seen in the book that I think most people can openly agree on, but I have to say that this is the best the book has ever been. I am absolutely loving it.
With this issue, we have Oberon Sexton brought back (who I have my theories on) as well as the “return” of the Domino Killer, who we have not really “seen” since the first arc. We also have a lot of loose threads coming to a close now as a lot of the oddities of the book begin to make a bit more sense. Those used to Morrison’s writing style know that this is how he always operates, but it’s nice never the less to begin to see where he’s going with it.
As far as the writing goes, Morrison is on his A-Game. I’d say one of the best arcs from his entire run of Batman was the arc where he introduced the Black Hand and brought in the Club Of Heroes for a murder mystery on an island in the middle of nowhere. With this current arc, we’re having a return to Morrison’s curious mystery of the “death” of Bruce Wayne, and I love how it’s beginning to tie together in a series of varying mysteries hidden within the mansion. It’s not something that we as fans couldn’t have inferred, but where he is going with it will certainly surprise us all. Plus, I’m excited to learn if my theories on Oberon are true and am definitely ready to see how it all ties together.
However, as far as the art by Andy Clarke goes, I’ve gotta say – this is easily the worst artist we’ve seen on the book. Not to be too picky, but people rail on Philip Tan are probably feeling worse right now. Clarkes style is uneven, and after the treat of Cameron Stewart in the last arc it seems really hard to downgrade like this. While I enjoyed the book, I can’t say I really liked the artwork. Although, I will admit – Oberon looks great.
Needless to say, Batman and Robin is once again in my top books of the week. Out of what I’ve read so far, it’s definitely the best. Morrison has a great way of telling stories, and I’ve been loving how he’s tackling the world of Batman without Batman. For those of you just waiting for Wayne to return, I suppose now would be the time to hop in. But really? You should always be buying this book.
Continued belowFinal Verdict: 8.6 – Buy
Powers #3
Oh, Powers. Remember when you relaunched and we were promised that we wouldn’t have as many delays? Yeah. How about that!
I really enjoyed this issue of Powers though. Obviously the first thing I notice is that it greatly suffers for the fact that it’s been so long since the previous issue, but it was easy enough to pick up and get into. A lot of what I loved about the initial run of Powers is still true with this (including a cute little naming of a cop Lafuente), and the books lack of a regular schedule of release is made up for by the incredible length of the book (to the back cover!). It’s essentially an action heavy story without a lot of verbal dialogue, so it’s a bit odd for a Powers book, but it flows well.
The true champion of the title is Mike Oeming. I’ve always stated that there is a clear growth of talent in the man since Powers began, and this issue if any is definitely a testament. Some of these pages are just flat out awesome and incredibly creative. I’d venture a guess that you don’t often see comics told like this, and one scene in particular that I can think of is the car crash with the perspective inside the car. It’s all pretty pulse pounding and page turning, and I definitely felt I got my moneys worth.
However, I do have my problems with the book. Obviously they heavy delays factor into it, an dI notice that a lot of the book is black space. On the one hand it makes for really unique paneling, but on the other hand I can’t help but wonder if the book was delayed due to either party not having the story fully prepared before going into it. As much as I enjoyed the book, it did have a rather disjointed feel at times, and it definitely wasn’t in the same flow as the other issues.
Needless to say, Powers is a rocky ride. I enjoy it, but it’s not something that would be for everyone. I just hope that the next issue isn’t delayed so much, because I really do enjoy the characters and the story.
Final Verdict: 7.6 – Buy
Cable #24
Cable is a book that I read less because I want to but more that I feel like I have to. It’s like Jack of Fables pre-crossover – you don’t NEED to read it, but if you want to get “all” of Second Coming, you might as well. It’s with that that I have a very rocky relationship with Cable, because having read every single issue, I really can’t pin point one that I’ve really enjoyed, and this latest is no different.
This is the final issue of Cable leading up to Second Coming (as the next issue is… well, let’s not go there right now). Cable and Hope are STILL time-hopping, and Bishop is STILL chasing them. It’s essentially exactly what’s been happening since issue #1, except now Hope is grown up. So with the “final issue”, shouldn’t I have felt something more in order to see it go? I’ve been reading the same story for 24 issues and one crossover now, and I still can’t say I care about any of it.
At the same time, the art in this book is particularly bad. The art for this arc has been alternating in between “chapters,” and not one artist in the book hits the awesome tones of the cover. The cover is this great and clean image, whereas all the art inside is terribly inconsistent and often times downright poor.
I like Hope, and I like Cable as a character, but 24 issues later, when we’re still telling the exact same story as the first issue except now we can go backwards in time, I’ve gotta say – it’s a pretty poor way to go about making a series.
Continued belowFinal Verdict: 3.4 – Pass
Justice League: Rise and Fall Special
I was a big supporter of Justice League: Cry For Justice, but I can’t stand behind this issue. There’s so much that’s wrong with it by the time that I’m done that I’m ultimately left confused as to if Krul even read CFJ.
Let’s start off by pointing out that the final death scene of Prometheus isn’t the same as the death scene in this book. How? I have no clue. It seems pretty easy to follow something like that, yet in this book, Krul has written that Green Arrow pins Prometheus to the wall instead of knocking him on the ground. On top of that, his mask randomly goes missing (which is addressed, so it could be a plot point). Ok. Well, I hate to be a continuity hound, but that is something so minor that I feel like it should have been easy to get right!
On top of that, the whole issue is basically everyone pussy footing around the fact Green Arrow killed someone before Arrow decides to run away and abandon everyone. I didn’t really see much Rise and Fall. It was just “What did Arrow do?” “Oh, Arrow killed someone!” “Yes I killed someone, kthxbai.” I was enjoying the overall downfall of the Green Arrow, but this issue seemed to miss some key moments.
On top of that, the art was pretty abysmal. It’s usually not a good idea to use multiple artists on a book when doing it like this, where randomly one artist is doing one page and another is doing another. ESPECIALLY when none of it looks good. For example, look at Razor. He looks like a cross between a Liefeld and a Greg Land drawing, and I don’t know how anyone’s leg muscles can be that big who can move that fast. And when you mix someone trying to be Greg Land and someone else try and be David Finch, the end product is just going to look incredibly messy.
Rise And Fall is kind of an important issue for those following the Justice League books and Green Arrow, but it’s pretty unfortunate to me that the previous issue of Green Arrow, a Blackest Night tie-in at that, could be so great, and with his next endeavor Krul just kind of brutalizes the character and the story. I’ll still follow in the pages of Green Arrow, but something tells me that this is going to be a very odd and out of character ride, even for a man who just lost as much as Arrow did.
It’s either that or they’re prepping Green Arrow to be the next Parallax, which I suppose would make sense.
Final Verdict 5.5 – Browse
Breaking into Comics: The Marvel Way #1
This is something I’m sure we all want to do. I can’t think of a single person who wouldn’t kill to write for someone as big as Marvel. That having been said, you’re not going to learn much from buying this book.
The point of this issue is to highlight some up and coming talent at Marvel. Specifically: artists. The artists features several stories by writers you know and artists you don’t. We’re talking in continuity talent from Brian Michael Bendis, Chris Yost, Marc Guggenheim, and then an artist you’re not familiar with like Christian Nauck, Paul Davidson, and Damion Hendricks. So right off the bat, you’re getting some interesting stories. Yost’s is particularly great, and Bendis’ is supposedly in continuity (if not a little … odd). It’s basically just an anthology collection comic.
But if you’re looking for some kind of secret here to get into Marvel, I’d look elsewhere. While it’s a nice collection, it certainly teaches you nothing about breaking in aside from the fact that some people end up getting really really lucky when they showcase their talent. The moral I took from the book is put yourself out there, but hasn’t that always been the case?
Continued belowSo it’s an interesting read, but ultimately not some kind of interesting guide to how creators we know and enjoy got their start at Marvel. All we get are little “origin story” blurbs in the back and some minor interviews after a series of (admittedly well drawn) stories.
Final Verdict: 5.0 – Browse
DAVID’S REVIEWS
Ex Machina #48
Two more issues! Just two more issues of Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris’ story of New York City Mayor Mitchell Hundred, and then no more Hundred, no more Great Machine, and from the looks of it, no more BKV. At least Team Ex-Machina is going out with a bang, as this issue finds the corrupted Suzanne Padilla’s master plan going into effect, Bradbury taking charge, and Hundred possibly succumbing to the weight of the world.
What an action packed issue, but with just two remaining, it seems only logical that it would be. The pathos that BKV conveys in his characters has always been such a signature for his writing, and his handling of Hundred in this issue is some career best work. The building pressure of Padilla’s turn, the death of his mother, his culminating Mayoral term, and the potential loss of confidante Dave Wylie was too much to take, and it shows that even though he’s a hero, he still can break down. While Hundred is not as endearing as Yorick Brown in a pop culture, every man sort of way, he is as remarkable of a hero and he wears his humanity incredibly well for a man who can talk to machines.
I must refer to one scene in particular: when Hundred receives the call from Kremlin informing him of his mother’s final fate. It is one of the most well crafted scenes I’ve witnessed in recent memory. Bravo to BKV and especially Harris, who crafted a brilliant panel of Hundred against a stark white panel with only a ciggarette from Kremlin bleeding in. It’s as if through the images only, they wanted to convey to us that Kremlin is finally affecting Hundred again.
Tony Harris…you just can’t say enough about the guy. His work on this book has been exceptional throughout, and as we get further and further along it just continues to improve. Luckily for him, the rising expectations will likely culminate soon, if only because the series is ending. It will truly be a sad day when this book is gone for good.
Final Verdict: 9.5 – Buy
PunisherMAX #5
Jason Aaron’s Punisher run has to be one of the most brutal mainstream comics out today. I mean, this issue was incomparable in its person on person devestation and it featured some of the most destructive character moments around. It was also darkly funny and a massively entertaining read, so par for the course in what we’ve come to expect from Aaron.
This issue wrapped up the Kingpin arc, having Wilson Fisk finally reach the position he always wanted to at a huge price. This arc acted as both an origin story for Fisk and also a character study of someone who is willing to do anything to get what he wants. Aaron does an exceptional job of proving that and to even show the natural realization of that fact by Fisk himself. The rest of the issue gives us the culmination of the horrifically brutal battle between Frank Castle and The Mennonite, and what a battle it was.
When we did our interview with Aaron, he said that the book will really look into the toll that Castle takes as he continues to battle these criminal monsters. With the Bullseye arc coming right around the corner and the damage from this issue staying fresh, it’s easy to believe that Aaron will put him through hell soon. Well, more hell. At least we know it will be a remarkably well crafted hell.
Final Verdict: 9.2 – Buy
The Unwritten #11
This was a very interesting issue in a lot of ways. As a reader, you have to appreciate all of the work Mike Carey and Peter Gross did to shed light on some of the bigger mysteries in this issue, as we start to delve into what exactly Tom’s greater mission is and Tom starts to grasp who he needs to be. In that regard this issue is a big success, and from a storytelling point it mostly is as well.
Yet in some ways it doesn’t work as well as we’d hoped, as we have moments that happen rather inexplicably with very little explanation up front. While I know Carey and Gross will assuredly get to them, Lizzie chasing after Tom and going on and on about “cankers” to Savoy or as Tom confronts Jud Süss leaves me uncomfortably in the dark like Tom is.
These are minor quibbles overall, and nothing that really drags on the story too greatly. It is easily balanced by the earlier mentioned positives, as well as the realization that the Tommy Taylor series may actually have been written as a guide book to Tom’s current journey.
Another negative of the issue, however, is the lack of a totally Peter Gross issue once again. While overall the book’s look is solid, whenever the primary artist of a book does not put together the whole thing you find yourself yearning for consistency. Mixing Gross with Jimmy Broxton’s finishes for most of the book doesn’t necessarily give us a bad looking book, just an inconsistent one.
Overall, a fine issue, just one that doesn’t reach the heights I’ve come to expect from the title.
Final Verdict: 7.9 – Buy
DMZ #51
Given the intensity of the conclusion to issue #49 (issue #50 isn’t really part of the ongoing narrative), some would think that this would lead to a lively follow up. Yet, this issue finds Brian Wood methodically taking us through the post nuke DMZ, finding Matty Roth lost, Parco Delgado missing, and the DMZ itself an even bigger mess than it was before.
Whether you read this book for the political intrigue or the rich character work, this issue adeptly covers both angles. This chapter begins with a Liberty News radio broadcast, in which the United States of America is presented as an innocent in the matter – even a victim – as they lobby to the United Nations to help end this second Civil War once and for all. Wood has deftly demonstrated the media influnece on public sentiment in the pages of this title, and this issue is no different.
His work with Roth is no less in quality, as this is a man whose ideals were destroyed and now finds himself a lost man haunted by the decisions he made. Once the voice of the people, Roth became the the right hand man of the most powerful man in the DMZ in hopes of finding a place of belonging. His youthful nature found him clamoring to be useful and wanted, but when he was used to help accomplish Delgado’s goals he finds himself aimless and fighting a losing battle against self pity. It’s remarkable work by Wood, and another engrossing turn for one of the most real characters in comics.
Series artist Riccardo Burchielli is the man, and his work in this issue really makes this dying city come to life. He makes the emptiness of the once bustling city a character in itself, turning the barren diners and deserted streets into weights upon Matty’s shoulders. To paraphrase Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder, these scenes are about emotionality, and Burchielli turns the forsaken nature of the DMZ into a sledgehammer upon Roth’s degrading psyche.
Brilliant work by all involved, and another example as to why this is one of the most consistently superb books on the market.
Final Verdict: 9.2 – Buy
GIL’S REVIEWS
Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton #1
After a year, a freaking YEAR of “World of New Krypton,” we get this, and I gotta say…It was worth the wait. Where WoNK was really just about character exposition and political intrigue, this is basically an action movie, where things have come full circle. Brainiac is back, and he wants was once his. We basically traded The West Wing for Saving Private Ryan, and I could NOT be happier about that.
The script, co-written by James Robinson and (Multiversity favorite) Sterling Gates, is a lot of fun and it makes for an incredibly quick read. The pacing is never annoying, and the characterizations are great. It feels like everything is starting to pay off in the Superman titles, and I could not be happier about that. Everything from the Legion of Super-Heroes to the simmering rivalry between Zod and Kal-El are coming to a head in an ending I really can’t wait to see.
Continued belowThe art, brought together by former WoNK and upcoming Action Comics penciller Pete Woods has also undergone much improvement. The sloppiness I noticed isn’t nearly as pronounced, and it’s overall just a well drawn book.
If you couldn’t tell, I really loved the book, and you should check it out. Even if you didn’t bother with WoNK, it’s a great read. All you need to know from that book is: Brainiac is back.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy
SWORD #5
And with that, comes the end of a criminally under read book. Probably the best example of what happens when a book isn’t promoted right (imagine how well it would have done with an “Astonishing X-Men Presents” on it) coupled with an art style that initially turns people off (I’ll admit Beat does look strange at first), it never really had a chance. But at least we got 5 stellar issues (pardon the pun) out of the deal.
Kieron Gillen’s a mad genius, but we knew that. He crafted a story that borders on the insane, with witty dialogue and snarky one liners. I almost doubled over in laughter when I saw what could be construed as a dig at Deadpool from Beast of all people. My God, there is so much gold in here, I don’t know where to begin.
Stephen Sanders, while I originally did not care for his art, really grew on me. I loved his stylistic designs for all the characters and the sense of whimsy he gives us with regard to our Bounty Hunter. There so many fun little panels that might have been handled very differently and not nearly as well on any other artist.
Over all, this book is a gem, discarded before it really had a chance to go anywhere, which is saying something, because it was already in such a strong place to begin with. I’ll miss it.
Final Verdict: 8.9 – Buy
Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers Unleashed #1
Probably the lesser known of the legions of Avengers characters and books, Pet Avengers is also undeniably the most fun. What do you get when you take all the pet sidekicks from the Marvel Universe and lump them all together? You get pure effervescence.
It could have been dismissive. It could have been something a writer puts together simply for a paycheck. But Chris Eliopoulos managed to keep it a lot of fun, without sacrificing the story or dumbing it down for the sake of selling the book. It starts with Hairball and Ms. Lion causing trouble in the Central Park Zoo, when Ms. Lion accidentally releases a hippo its cage, but quickly escalates into a gathering of all of the Pet Avengers looking for Throg, the Frog Thor. What’s great about this is that while it is a self contained mini-series, it still harkens back to the previous mini, as well as the One-Shot that had all of the Pets in their own solo stories. One could have easily dismissed accessibility or continuity, but here it was put together almost flawlessly. The same goes for the art. Ig Guara keeps the art extremely breezy and light, but also incredibly detailed and beautiful to look at.
Plainly put, the book is a lot of fun, and it serves as a nice dessert after some of the headier fare that gets into comics these days.
Final Verdict: 7.6 – Buy
Human Target #2
Human Target, spurred into publishing again by the success of the FOX television show, is a strange sort of book. I had actually never seen anything about Human Target except for what had aired on television, and I had wondered how the source material fared.
The truth is, at least in this book, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. There are some extremely odd choices made for the sake of publishing this book, and they’re choices I of which I can’t say I’m a fan. For starters, there’s an odd layout in the set up of the stories. While the first half is a part of the six issue mini-series, it suffers by having a second feature which are stand alone stories about all the scars Christopher chance got on the job. On their own, they’re both rather fun action yarns with plenty of fights and excitement, but it’s a little disjointed since they don’t have anything to do with one another. This could have easily been two three issue minis as opposed to one 6 issue mini. It’s a confusing choice at best, and one that took me out of the story. Which is a shame, because it does have a lot of promise as an ongoing series, albeit on Vertigo, not as it is presently, published by DC Proper.
Continued belowThe one win in either half is the art. Both are similar in tone, with models that are taken after Mark Valley (AKA TV’s Christopher Chance, AKA, the object of Burpee’s dirty Captain America fantasies.) and it’s a dead on resemblance.
If you’re a fan of the TV show, it’s definitely worth checking out, but if you’re not, it probably won’t draw you in. I’d at least give it a browse and decide for yourself.
Final Verdict: 6.2 – Browse
BRANDON’S REVIEWS
Wolverine: Mr. X
Frank Tieri’s run on Wolverine to this day remains my favorite run of the character. It was so twisted yet the character of Wolverine was still held in tact. Tieri’s run was made all that better thanks to the great villains he introduced over the course of his run. Many unfortunately seem to have been left untouched. Recently though Mr. X has returned in the pages of Thunderbolts. Thank the maker!
So having said all that as soon as I heard Frank Tieri was going to bring us the first meet up of Wolverine and Mr. X since his run well needless to say that shit was an event in my book. I was looking forward to this like people look forward to Siege. Did it live up to the hype? Kind of.
I do wish the interaction between the two characters had been longer and fraught with more battlelicious fun but the story was still rather excellent. I think no matter what happened it would not have lived up to the hype in my mind. Well unless another puppy ate it this time around…If you don’t get that you didn’t read Tieri’s Wolverine run and I am sad for you.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy
Dark X-Men #5
This has been a mini I really enjoyed. This was an ending I really did not enjoy. Norman vs X-Man and Norman wins? Really? Did anyone else catch the beginning of the series where it was laid out how powerful he was? Did anyone read the old X-Man series? Ok, well if you did than this was as disappointing of an ending for you as it was for me.
The upside? Well Nate is still out there and the chance of seeing him pop up again soon here is pretty good. I personally hope that it’s in an X-Title and preferably during Second Coming. Will it happen we shall see. Either way this issue was a let down but still helped to reestablish Nate in the current 616. So I’ll give it props for that at least.
Final Verdict: 6.0 – Buy it in trade
Secret Six #19
One word…AWESOME!
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy
Amazing Spider-Man #624
While a decent read my main complaint is that the whole crescendo of the issue was already spoiled well in advance. So Peter Parker gets fired? Really? I had no clue! Crazy!
Outside of the giant spoiled ending though it was an interesting read but noting amazing. The new Vulture is a character that I see disappearing at some point to make room for the original. For this reason I just can’t emotionally invest in him to the extent required to make him worth my time and energy. Pardon me if I prefer the old decrepit Vulture that actually looked like a vulture.
So between the new vulture and the soiled ending I found myself thinking about how much better the rest of the Gauntlet story has been. This is by far the weakest link and it seems fitting that the Vulture is flying around the carcass of the issue.
Final Verdict: 5.5 – Browse
