Reviews 

Wednesday Is New Comic Book Day! (Reviews 04-14-10)

By | April 15th, 2010
Posted in Reviews | % Comments


Welcome back, friends of all ages, races, sizes and species! We’ve got a great round-up of comics for you as well as two titles for our book(s) of the week slot. I’d also like to remind you, you can check out our rating system below:

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: Flash #1

Matt’s Thoughts: You know, with Blackest Night and the Flash: Rebirth I had honestly begun to forget why I love Geoff Johns as a writer. Blackest Night was underwhelming, and Flash: Rebirth came out in such an odd fashion that it really killed the momentum behind it for the fans reading it as it came out. It’s moments like this, when I pick up a title like Flash #1, that I bite my tongue and apologize though. Geoff Johns – you win.

If that isn’t enough praise right off the bat, let me break it down a bit more. The opening of Johns’ latest run on Flash does an excellent job of establishing the world Barry will be living in. It shows him at work, briefly interacting with his wife, and even shots of the Rogues (though they aren’t as big of a part of this story yet). I read Brightest Day #0 before I read this, and I had for a moment thought I spoiled the “big reveal” at the end for myself (which I lamented very vocally on Twitter and through e-mail), but when I got to the end of the book, I found myself very pleased actually. This is exactly the kind of story I want to be reading – a Flash story written as a Geoff Johns on-going that doesn’t just rely on the other books coming to be read. This opening arc promises to a very compelling and exciting tale.

Oh, and how about that Francis Manapul, eh? I fell in love with the man’s artwork as soon as I opened Adventure Comics #1 for the first time, and while I was sad to see him leave the title, I’m very excited to see him here. There are some amazing Flash running panels and pages that look absolutely gorgeous, and Manapul’s style that he first showed off to a large audience with Adventure Comics and Superman/Batman is fantastic and so appropriate here. The book is worth picking up for the arting alone, and Geoff Johns and Manapul make a fantastic team. I can’t wait to see the duo be more prolific.

I’ve read Johns’ original run of the Flash, and outside of little stories here and there, it’s the most Flash I’ve ever read. It’s all stuff I absolutely love, and I’m really looking forward to what Johns has planned for the future – especially with this Flashpoint tease. It’s nice to have Johns on a new ongoing with a character like the Flash, and I am very excited to see where it’s all going.

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Gil’s Thoughts: When it came time to choose book of the week, I literally went to Harvey Dent’s wheelhouse to choose. I flipped a coin (seriously, but it was an app on my phone). I may have to burn my face with sulfuric acid, because dammit, the coin chose correctly, because this book was fantastic.

Despite not being the biggest Flash fan, I really fell in love with the book and it easily found its way to the top of my stack. Johns put together a solid first issue that sets up so much, from a new immediate arc with the SPOILERALERTreverseroguesSPOILERALERT to the upcoming Flashpoint, which I can’t even guess will happen.

There was one odd moment though. When they found a dead body with gloves on, and he somehow knew there was glass powder under it, I was just a tad confused. Or maybe Barry is just THAT good.

Maybe there needs to be a CSI: Central City.

Brandon’s Thoughts: The fact that this was the book of the week was something I wasn’t too stoked about. I wasn’t necessarily looking forward to it but was open to the possibility that it might be a lot of fun to read. Well gee golly if I wasn’t correct in assuming it would be fun. Oh and that teaser at the end for “Flashpoint”, consider me fucking onboard and I don’t even know what the hell it’s about.

The issue at hand though had some real pep in it’s step. One such moment was what I like to call, “Barry and the amazing disassembling car trick”. I loved every bit of that all the way to saving the kid at the last second. Manapul provided us with some great shots in that portion of the story that made you feel like you were in the midst of a big action scene. I truly felt as if the Flash was faster than fast during that sequence.

The issue also did a great job of introducing us to the supporting cast. Barry Allen outside of his participation in COIE and his current stuff might as well be a brand spanking new character to me so to get this intimate feel for those around him outside of the Speed Force gang was a welcome aspect to the book. Especially considering that despite the introductions Johns still provided us with an intriguing story in the background revolving around the Rogues.

So did I pick this for book of the week? Nope. Was it worth the selection? If I have one issue with this book it’s that it proves my point that the Flash Secret Files and Origins was pointless. This book had everything a new reader needs to understand the world of Barry Allen.

MATT’S REVIEWS

Iron Man Legacy #1
I went into this book very biased. I love Fred Van Lenter, and I think Steve Kurth draws an amazing Iron Man. Leaving the book, I still believe both things, but I am a little bit … dissenting isn’t the right word, and neither is skeptical, but it’s somewhere in there.

Iron Man Legacy’s first issue deals with Tony Stark becoming aware of events going on overseas in a third world country where suits similar to the Iron Man are being used for idealistic murder. Obviously this rubs Tony the wrong way, and he moves to intervene. Of course, while I’m reading, I’m thinking “Isn’t this just Armor Wars?” In a way, it is and it isn’t. I can’t fully call it Armor Wars, especially after the “big reveal” (which was humorous to me), but at the same time I’m seeing immense similarities in the story right off the bat – and this mildly concerns me.

That being said, Van Lente and Kurth do an amazing job together. Van Lente has the perfect snarky voice for Stark, and I love the way he’s handling the character. There is just enough smugness and humorous attitude in the dialogue that I wouldn’t be surprised if Van Lente is trying to channel a cross between himself and RDJ for the role. Meanwhile, Steve Kurth is doing just as amazing if not greater than his work in Ultimate Armor Wars with Ellis. The book looks absolutely beautiful, and Kurth’s Iron Man is so fantastic. I don’t think we NEEDED to invent an on-going for the two to work on, but I’m really glad that we did.

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Of course, I can’t imagine everyone will love it. I do because I love the team on the book, but I also recognizable that as far as first issues go, it’s nothing “revolutionary.” Iron Man Legacy is an incredibly fun comic and a smart read, and it is Van Lente and Kurth showing why they make a good team, especially for Iron Man. I do imagine, though, that a lot of people will overlook for whatever reason. I get it – you don’t want to necessarily add another book to your pull in this economy. Well, as far as I’m concerned you need to at least give it a shot. The team really does make it work, even if you just want to read the normal on-going.

Final Verdict: 7.5 – Buy

Siege: Loki
If there were two names that I believe I could always trust in when teamed up, it’s Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie. I was a huge fan and supporter of Phonogram, and when that unfortunately left us I began to hope and wonder if the duo would still get to work together. Luckily Marvel stepped in and handed keys to McKelvie for a solo Loki tale, and with Kieron Gillen already knocking the ball out of the park on Thor, my enjoyment of this one-shot was a shoe in.

After reading, my opinion hasn’t wavered much. This issue serves as a nice little tie-in to the bits and pieces of Siege that Gillen is working with, i.e. the New Mutants issue and Thor, while not really effecting the rest of the events. It had always been implied that Loki was manipulating Osborn, but it was nice to have confirmation that Loki was the voice in the Goblin’s mask – and that’s about as far as the tie-in really goes. Outside of that, it’s Loki running around in the background dealing with fallen souls, Mephisto, and Hela for a nice little mythical jaunt as Gillen expands on some of the elements presented in New Mutants and ties up some loose ends.

What I really love about this (and Thor) is that Gillen really shows comprehension of the mythos that he’s working with. Gillen, to me, is more known for “verbal theatrics” and snarky humor, and while an element of this still remains in the way he writes Loki, it’s not that overt. In fact, it’s the subtlety’s of the mischief element that I really love, and further than that the line “This isn’t mischief, it’s mayhem” was easily one of the coolest moments of the book. It’s really easy to get lost in mythology and write within Marvel as if no one else exists, but I was really glad to see Gillen try and incorporate these different Gods in with the other realms that so clearly exist yet are discussed so little, i.e. Mephisto.

The real unsung hero of this one-shot, however, is Jamie McKelvie. We all know and love Gillen already for his work on Thor and the Ares mini, but I’d guess that the average Marvel fan is not that familiar with McKelvie – yet. Well, clearly they should be. What was very apparent to me in reading this is that, while McKelvie clearly has a visual style as well as a familiar character format, he didn’t really use it in this book. I’m not saying that I expected Loki to wear guyliner and listen to the Pipettes or anything, but through the various things I’ve seen McKelvie do, this didn’t look like those. This looked different, and it looked great. There are some absolutely fantastic visuals here. One that comes easily to mind is Loki peering over Asgard before Siege – it’s wonderful. And while McKelvie obviously had the opportunity to throw in some of his more trademark character habits, all of Loki looked unique and quite gripping, and it’s always great to see an artist pushing in different directions.

I can’t speak for the other Siege tie-ins this week (check out our other reviews for those), but I can tell you that Siege: Loki was well worth the money – especially if you’re reading Thor. I’d actually classify it as more of a Thor tie-in than I would a Siege tie-in, but it all fits and it’s all worth it.

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Final Verdict: 9.0 – Buy

Black Widow #1
I would say that I am quite addicted to #1’s. I love issues with big #1’s next to them because I always hope to get into that “next big thing.” This week is HUGE for #1’s, and this is what has lead me to check out the Black Widow comic. Black Widow is not a character I particularly care about (although I did like her recent mini), and I’m unfamiliar with Marjorie Liu other than Daniel Way’s partner in crime on Dark Wolverine. I was taking a pretty big gambit with the title because, in all honesty, the cards were stacked against.

What I ended up getting was a title I neither love nor hate. Black Widow is an entertaining read, but I don’t know if I want to keep reading beyond this point. The first issue doesn’t introduce to Black Widow’s world the way other issue 1’s of this week do. Instead, Black Widow is thrust into a very odd situation which involves crap anesthesia, and a conspiracy that even Wolverine snubs his nose a bit at. It’s a tad bit odd really, as far as characterization goes. I’ve never really known an event where Wolverine, when going out with the purpose of helping a friend, turning his nose at the time of crisis. That just seems odd.

I’m not overly convinced Liu’s writing style right now. I enjoy Dark Wolverine for what it is, but there was nothing in this that really swayed me either way. I can acknowledge that it was a well written book, but it’s just not all that intriguing. Ok, so someone cut up Black Widow – why do I care? I view Black Widow as a spy character, and what I want right off the bat is a spy story. This is some sort of … I don’t even know. I guess a kind of conspiracy thriller I suppose? It’s just not something I really found myself being pulled into.

Daniel Acuna’s art is also odd here. This was the part I was most looking forward to, but I didn’t really dig his art in here and I think I know why. When Acuna was working on X-Men Legacy, he was able to work with a lot of costumes, which worked well with his particular style. However, this is a world full of real people in no real costumes (black leather jumpsuits do not count) doesn’t work as well. Acuna needs more masks here.

Either way, the book is a straight middle for me. I find myself very ambivalent to the title after the first issue, and can’t really see myself leaning one way or the other until some steady upswing in the title arrives.

Final Verdict: 5.0 – Browse

PunisherMAX #6
There’s just something about Jason Aaron… I don’t know what it is quite yet, but I am absolutely convinced that he does not want us to be comfortable while reading his Punisher story. Last time we had a naked old woman in a shoot out. Now we have a naked Bullseye taking a dump. What’s next – a guy humping a dead dog? (OH WAIT.)

But see – this is exactly the reason to be reading Aaron’s Punisher book. The previuos MAX book lacked cajones, and the current on-going is … well, it’s doing it’s own thing. There are no books on the market that really boil down the Punisher to what makes him a popular character, and to what writers like Garth Ennis have popularized so well… except for Aaron’s book. PunisherMAX perfectly exemplifies exactly what kind of Punisher story we should be getting, and all poop scenes aside, this book is dynamite.

What I really want to focus on is Bullseye. I can’t remember the last time I actually thought of Bullseye as a character worth fearing, but the combination of Aaron’s writing with Dillon’s art runs a chill up my spine. Bullseye for the past couple years has been nothing more than a joke, to be honest – whether he’s dressing up as someone else, throwing women out of planes, or attacking a group of people dressed like him. The fear is gone. I don’t regard Bullseye as one of the world’s most terrifying assassins more than I do a snarky villain who enjoys death. I missed the madman Bullseye, and Aaron brought him back in furious force. Honest to God – this is the best Bullseye I’ve seen in a while, even more so than how Warren Ellis wrote him, and coming from me, that’s saying something. This book is worth buying for this fact alone.

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I don’t think I even need to tell you about Dillon’s artwork, either. This should go without saying. I’ve been a HUGE fan ever since I read the magnificent epic Preacher, and Dillon was the whole reason I bought Wolverine: Origins. To be quite honest, throw Dillon on any book and I’ll read it, but a book like Punisher is his perfect home. Dillon gets the idea of this dark and ugly world that Aaron is designing and he does a perfect job of bringing it to life. The characters, the backgrounds, the violence – it’s all so fitting. It’s also absolutely incredible how Dillon can make Bullseye look like a friendly goof one second, and a terrifying monster the next. There is no artist I’d rather see drawing the exploits of the Punisher and co. than Dillon.

Suffice it to say, buy PunisherMAX. If you’re even remotely a fan of the Punisher at all, you should buy this book. If you’re even remotely a fan of Bullseye at all, you should buy this book. If you’re even remotely a fan of intense and violent work that doesn’t come off as tacky, you should buy this book. I can think of a million reasons to buy this book, and – pun intended – this issue hits the mark perfectly… with a Bullseye.

(GOD, that was corny. But seriously. Buy this book.)

Final Verdict: 9.3 – Buy

DAVID’S REVIEWS

DMZ #52
This issue finds the shit continuing to hit the fan, as Delgado Nation continues to be under heavy fire from American forces, conditions continue to worsen on the ground, and even crossing a street has become one hell of a problem for your average DMZ citizen.

However, we have something back: Matty Roth with an agenda. While the last issue found Roth having a thorough pity party for himself, this issue found him channeling that pity into at best a selfless desire to do good and at worst a selfish desire to earn some good will. Either way, Roth is back on the move trying to get to American forces on the other side of the city to let them know about the downed helicopter in the DMZ.

Along the way, writer Brian Wood throws all kinds of roadblocks at him: a man leading a pack of extremely unfriendly dogs, acid rain, and even the (most not) triumphant return of Delgado Nation reps. It seems that Parco himself has disappeared off the map, but by the end of this issue we at least see some of his agents back in action, imposing their will on Matty and taking him away from agenda. This is Matty at his weakest, and at this point I think he’s just looking for someone to not hate him when all he can do is hate himself. It’s excellent character work by Wood as per usual.

Riccardo Burchielli does a great job with art duties for the most part this month, but there were some really odd moments that kind of made me make a “huh?!” face. At one point the aforementioned rabid dogs manage to chase Matty to the roof of a building, even going as far to show them climbing over the edge by a ladder. Either these dogs are absurdly gifted or that was a weird storytelling gaffe, as most dogs are unable to a) climb ladders or b) leap in a boomerang style. There was also a moment shortly after that in which Matty breaks through a roof and lands in a somewhat inexplicable pool of water that breaks his three story fall. While it is raining, I found myself wondering how exactly this pool gathered to that point so fast.

Those nitpicks aside, it was another solid issue. While this arc so far isn’t as explosive as others in the past, it does feature a lot of really nice character work and it’s nice to see Matty maybe not just thinking about himself for once.

Final Verdict: 8.0 — Buy

Daytripper #5
When I read the first issue of Daytripper, brothers Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon’s co-created Vertigo series, I struggled to grasp what the theme was and where they would take the series. I mean, they just killed their main character in the first issue?! Now what?

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With each passing issue, you start to realize the genius of what they are up to more and more. Each issue highlights lead Bras at a different point in his life, with this issue taking place in the comfort of his childhood vacation home at his grandparents ranch. While there, he was in paradise. He played with his cousins, he took big steps in his life, and he was filled with warmth and love throughout. While there, he truly was a “little miracle”, as his mother always called him.

Yet, at the end like in each issue previous, Bras dies.

I think the theme is especially evident in this issue due to the purity and innocence of this point in Bras life: any day could be your day to die. No matter what you do in your life, whether you’re good, you’re bad, you’re young, you’re old — it doesn’t matter. When it’s your time, it’s your time. The brothers, to me, are trying to share that we should live life vibrantly and to not think of “what could have been” or to live with regret. Don’t live vicariously through others, live vicariously through yourself! Live! These are themes any person can agree with given a moment’s notice, and something that I connect with thoroughly especially at this point in my life.

The story itself is a very charming one, and one that expands Bras’ relationship with his family and what they mean to him (and by proxy, what family means in a person’s life). The way the brothers tell this story both with their words and their art is simply full of joy and wonder. One thing I really enjoyed about what they did artistically was to depict Bras’ father Bendito’s favorite tree as such a dark and disconnected one, something that stood very well as a metaphor for his distanced relationship with his children and even his wife.

This is another beautiful issue from Ba and Moon, and something that really solidifed my connection with it. This book will read wonderfully in trade, as you’ll be able to bridge the theme through all of these different points very easily for maximum effect. I can’t wait to read it again when that day comes.

Final Verdict: 9.2 — Buy

Iron Man Noir #1
The Marvel Noir series has been kind of a hit or miss venture for me. While I’ve enjoyed aspects of the series I’ve read so far (especially Spider-Man Noir), there are points where the noir aspect feels a bit forced to me.

Thankfully, Iron Man Noir doesn’t have that problem at all. In this issue, I’d expect some steampunk style Iron Man outfits along with a lot of prohibition era boozing by Tony Stark from a lesser writer, but it works for a lot of the same reasons writer Scott Snyder’s American Vampire worked so well: deep familiarity with the trappings of the genre, excellent character work, and a real sense of the unknown around every corner.

It seems Tony Stark Noir (this could have easily been the name instead of Iron Man Noir) is a man of adventure, fronting “Marvels Magazine” with his adventurous spirit and his classic showdowns with the likes of MODOK Noir and Fin Fang Foom Noir (this page is really well done by artist Manuel Garcia). While off on an adventure with his trusty companion Jim Rhodes, his main squeeze/assistance Dr. Gialetta Nefaria (Nefaria, you say?), and the main writer for his magazine Virgil, things go bad in a very classic noir way — the damsel brings distress. This time it’s in the form of Nazi soldiers Zemo and Strucker, but Tony uses his quick wits to get Rhodey and himself out of it.

In a very Indiana Jones style turn, this adventure is really the beginning of a whole new one, and an impetus for getting the full crew together as a dish named Pepper Potts signs on as his new chronicler just in time for a brand new adventure. This section is especially clever, as Snyder has a very keen eye for details: in this era, the writing world was very misogynistic and women often would have to use pseudonyms, and it seems Potts is Frank Finlay in the workplace.

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I also really liked how Snyder made the armor secondary and the character of Stark primary. Often writers forget this aspect, but come on — Tony Stark is a pitch perfect pulp hero. Boozy guy who loves women and survives thanks to his superior intellect? He’s a trashy Doc Savage! Snyder realizes this and focuses on that aspect moreso than his Jarvis driven armor.

I had heard early negative buzz about Garcia’s art, but I have to say, I thought it was solid overall. It was perhaps a bit away from the style of the writing, as the other titles had done a fine job of matching artists to the vision of the day (or gotten someone like Dennis Calero who can just match styles at his will). However, it didn’t really deter from the look and there were some really solid sections throughout (i.e. the wall of fame page I referenced earlier).

All in all, I rather enjoyed this title. I was thoroughly impressed by this addition to the noir line, to the point where I’d say it’s already one of my favorite issues from the series. While it verges on pulp as much as it does on noir, it’s still a great fit and I can’t wait until issue #2.

Final Verdict: 8.2 — Buy

GIL’S REVIEWS

Brightest Day #0
Ever read a book that felt like it was just a set up for another series (you know, like Cry for Justice?)? Well, this title is unique because it sets up a whole SLEW of series, from the new Green Arrow title to Birds of Prey to Flash. But other than that, it didn’t really do all that much.

That’s not to say it didn’t do ANYTHING, however. We got a little more explanation as to what Boston Brands new role in the DC will be, but most of the other characters resurrected in Blackest Night seem to be meandering around, trying to figure out what exactly they will be doing.

But on the bright side, the art throughout was fantastic, and having the story grounded by our former Deadman was a stellar touch. It seems that will be his story first and foremost, and his actions as a sort of White Lantern. I can’t say I’m complaining terribly about that. I just think I would have enjoyed this more if there were more forward momentum.

Final Verdict: 6.5 – Browse

Doc Savage #1
As you can see this week, I’m being kind of a first issue slut, giving glimpses into the new titles coming our way. I took a chance with Doc Savage and here we are.

What a letdown, but I suppose that was my own fault. The whole time I was reading I was expecting this sort of Indiana Jones meets Noir book, but it was neither. He didn’t do any exploring, and he didn’t even have a noir-ish setup. In fact, I was actually disappointed to learn its set in modern day, complete with computers and iPhones! It’s a travesty! I was instantly pulled out of the story, which is something you should avoid, right? Maybe it’s just me, but he should just be in the 30’s being awesome and fighting Nazi’s and looking for treasure.

I must also say I was not drawn in by the art. While I can see why some might like it (it reminded me a little of Mark Bagley), I did not care for it myself (I’m also not the biggest fan of Mark Bagley either)

And then there’s the back-up starring Justice Inc. Part of this is that I’m not overly familiar with the group, but it was not very enticing, and the whole time it felt like a chore to read. The art was a step up, as it reminded me of Alex Maleev a tad, but still…meh.

If you REALLY like Doc Savage then check it out. But for people like me who just want a book to read, it might not be the best book, but leaf through it at your LCS to see how you like it.

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Final Verdict: 5.5 – Browse

Siege: Young Avengers
Every event has its tie-ins, and this one is no different. Set in between issues 3 and 4 of Marvel’s premiere event (for 2010 anyway), we see the Young Avengers experiencing the aftermath of the fall of Asgard at the hands of everyone’s favorite psychotic hippie. We have various characters running around trying to save everyone (one guess who that is), a couple discussing Norse Mythology and their relationship while doing as such. And then there are some trapped under the rubble and trying to get out without, you know…dying. I was confused as to why they would have been under the rubble anyway, but I guess that’s neither here nor there.

The story itself isn’t so bad, even if it isn’t the most original thing out there. I’ll never say I was blown away, but I do think it did a serviceable job of setting up a more or less self contained story within this event that you can read if you want but ultimately don’t “need” to read at all. The best way to describe this story is imagine the episode of The OC where the earthquake hit. That’s kind of the idea.

The art, rendered by Mahmud Asrar is one of the cleanest pencils in a while, and it portrays the characters very well. The pencils were crisp and fun to look at. It’s probably the best thing about the book, which makes a merely serviceable tie-in something more enjoyable to read. I can’t say it’s something you NEED to read, but if you’re a fan of tie-ins or the Young Avengers, you’re probably already picking this up.

Final Verdict: 6.0 – Browse

Adventure Comics #10
My frustration with this book is starting to show. Since this Last Stand of New Krypton arc is spread out throughout all the Superman family books, from Superman to Action Comics to Supergirl to the Last Stand mini to this issue, there’s never any shortage of Superman goodness. So a Superman fan like me should be thrilled, right? You’d think so, but you’d be wrong.

It’s one thing to have a lot of titles in any given franchise, but in this case, when the books are all interconnected, the story moves at this glacial pace, so nothing really seems to happen, until you miss an issue, then you might as well give up.

But if you just judge a book based on qualities other than that, it’s an alright book. There’s nothing really special. Superman gets into trouble, he gets help from the Legion, General Zod is a prick, etc. etc. etc. The art is solid and there characterizations are good, but this “event” has been building for over a year now, and we’re just NOW starting to get anywhere at all.

I cannot wait for JMS and Cornell to take over so we can get a new direction, I’m honestly sick of it.

Final Verdict: 4.0 – Browse

BRANDON’S REVIEWS

New Mutants #12
Is it just me or did Hodge turn himself into a modified version of Mojo? Anyway…

This issue is the third part of the X-Men event Second Coming. The first two parts were good and this issue keeps the gravy train rolling. The flow from book to book has bee spotless as all the book seamlessly flow into one another.

One of the stronger aspects of this issue was the art from Ibraim Roberson. He draws some great panels where words are not present yet the characters facial emotions say plenty. The scenes between Wolverine and Angel and then Archangel and Psylocke were the strongest examples of this. The second one is a character moment I’ve been waiting for since Psylocke returned to the X-Men fold. I am a big fan of the Warren and Betsy combo so seeing the interaction here, even as simple as it was, made me giddy.

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This issue also seemingly begins to lay the groundwork for the Hellbound tie-in as Illyana is blasted off the battlefield with some kind of crazy hell gun. It also potentially sets the groundwork for the death of a character that is rumored to be biting the dust. This could be a red herring but it could also be the beginning of the end. I sure hope it’s a red herring but things aren’t looking good and one can’t deny the emotional impact the characters death would have on readers.

Lastly, we are left with the idea that like in Messiah Complex there is a traitor in the group. My bets are on Danger. A mechanical member of the team who used to have a grudge with the X-Men then seemingly got over it and joined them. She would have to be the perfect in for a cadre of technological villains. Only time will tell though who or what is the traitor.

Final Verdict: 7.0 Buy it!

Chew #10
As far as the plot points of this book goes some big things happen in this book. For fans of the title you’ll be very happy to find this issue is no anything but a filler issue. This issue presents readers with at least one answer to an ongoing plot point, the end of another, and the rebirth of yet another. All in all this issue is packed to the brim with story.

While I don’t want to delve too deep into spoilers because it takes the fun out of reading the issue itself I do want to say that the shadowy figure who has plagued the shadows of this book for some time now finally makes his move into the light and he isn’t quite what everyone was expecting. It’s a development that I was excited to read and only helped to solidify my trust in Layman’s concept. While I thought it was going to go in one needless direction it instead takes a left turn that fits so perfectly well with the book’s premise.

Not to be forgotten Rob Guillory provides some great looking pages per usual. The way the last two pages were done especially impressed me. They had such a cinematic pan in feel to it that I couldn’t help but be engrossed in them and find myself muttering, “oh shit!”. Guillory is a tremendous asset to this book. I truly believe that without him and Layman this book wouldn’t hit the high marks it hits month in and month out.

A lot has changed after this issue. The end of this chapter of the book opens up some new questions while answering plenty of old ones. Hell the spirit of Poyo the King of Cocks is even present in this issue. I’m telling you guys and gals if you aren’t reading this book it’s a shame and we can’t be friends. Ok, I’m kidding we can be friends. You SHOULD be reading this book though.

Final Verdict: 9.0 Buy it!

Powers #4
The new direction of this book is taking me some time to adjust to. I’m not going to lie I miss Pilgrim a lot. Her and Walker’s interactions were my favorite part of previous volumes of this book. So with that gone the whole tone of the book is different which is the point I imagine but it’s still odd to me.

The book was enjoyable but yet didn’t knock it out of the park. This issue definitely felt like a setup issue so I understand the more subdued nature of it but it just felt like after the beginning of the book the enjoy ability of it for me began to slip. Not that it ever dropped to a point where I considered burning the book or complaining that it lacked quality mind you, I just preferred the beginning of the book the middle and end.

The beginning of the book focused on a confession from the girl we met last book who was chased by her mother. It’s an intense set of pages that really showcases Bendis’ knack for dialogue and character motivation. The need for the girl to uphold her family name was so important to her that she would sacrifice her self to maintain it. Really great work from Bendis during that whole scene.

Continued below

Al in al I miss Pilgrim but I am warming to the new aspects of the book. It is interesting to see the seedy characters from Walker’s past start to surface and influence his modern life. I’m very interested to see if a war is what we will really get. I’m also interested to see more development on the memory issues that Wolv…I mean Walker and potentially others from his past are having. What does it all mean and where will it al go? I’ll be back next time to get more answers. I know that much is for sure.

Final Verdict: 6.5 Get it in Trade

Siege: Captain America
My problem with issues like this is that they try and masquerade as a character piece but in the end are truly a superfluous tie-in that tries to hammer the relevancy of a character or plot point home with readers. This issue, of those two options, is the character kind. It delves into the Bucky character and his need to feel unsure of his standing as Captain America now that Steve Rogers has returned. Isn’t this something that we as readers already understand? I should think so.

The writing and art both are at about the same point in quality throughout this issue. Unfortunately, that is not a good thing. This issue is pointless when considering it is a tie-in to Siege. What did this issue do to further the plot of that book? Nothing. That is why the issue bothers me to no end. It’s a tie-in of he worst possible kind. The kind of book directed at readers who, like myself, are willing to pick up the supplemental issues of an event to have a complete collection. It’s a cash grab book that falls through in relation to its moniker. It’s the kind of book that has helped to create such a vehement backlash to the big summer event storylines that dominated the last decade.

I will give Marvel credit though in one regard. The fact that this book and the others of its ilk are priced at $2.99 is a nice change. It seems like anymore a book of this nature goes for about a buck more. I was pleasantly surprised to see the lower than expected price. Now if only the book could have been as surprisingly good as the price point.

Final Verdict: 2.0 No way Jose!


Matthew Meylikhov

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

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