Welcome back, friends of all ages, races, sizes and species! We’ve got a great round-up of comics for you as well as a great choice for our book 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!
Matt’s Thoughts: Oof. That was rough.
You know, it’s tough to lose a character in comic books. It’s especially worse when the character is someone we’ve all grown with and loved for a long time. A character who has always been selfless and without a doubt one of the good guys. It then gets to the point where you hope that, once you know that character will be leaving, that they do so gracefully and with respect. Well, I can’t say for certain that this particular death (which was the high selling point of the issue) was respectful or not. That’s for you to say. All I will say in regards to that moment is that, even though I (we all) saw it coming, it was still a very sad moment, and that’s really all the writers can hope for – is to create the proper impact.
Yost and Kyle have been a story telling powerhouse for their run of X-Force, and even with the subpar events Messiah War and Necrosha, the book has been steadily good and an entertaining read. This issue is no different. The book is strong, the story is great, and there are some amazing moments here, all illustrated by Mike Choi in what I’m not afraid to call career defining work. The book literally looks fantastic, and given the subject material, it pretty much has to. Everything is well done though, and there is one scene in the book (not the death) where I said out loud, “Oh frak.” It’s moments like that that help define great comic books in my eyes.
X-Force and all of Second Coming is a must buy, this issue especially. The story so far has been utterly fantastic, and this issue is no exception. I’m very interested to see moving forward where certain characters end up and how they react, though I will note that the story does have the opportunity to run off track from here if they focus too long on the death. Here’s hoping that the next will issue will maintain this pace.
David’s Thoughts: Deaths in comics seem to mean far less than they used to. Either it’s a character that no one really cares about (like when Ariel died an issue back in this arc) or you make the general assumption that the character will be back sooner rather than later. Yet with this death, the team of Chris Yost, Craig Kyle, and Mike Choi really nailed it. I honestly read over the couple pages that it took place over three or four times before I could move on because it was so tragic and perfect. Everything about the character was encapsulated in the pages of ______’s death. By the end, when all of the other characters react, it makes it all the more tough to handle as a reader (even if we pretty much knew it was coming).
Continued belowThis was another damn good issue from Yost and Kyle, and one that really sealed the deal about Second Coming just being a damn good arc — we’re five issues in and this event is remarkably powerful and well told. Yost and Kyle have a phenomenal grasp on all of the characters (although I have to wonder…since when is Layla Miller back in NYC with X-Factor, and when did she start getting called Butterfly?, and when did Wolverine’s healing factor regrow his costumes too?), and that fact makes their entries into Second Coming all the more powerful.
Another thing that makes their work stand out more is the return of the prodigal son — Mike Choi. His work on this book is incalcuably better than Clayton Crain’s, although realistically I’d be stoked about nearly anyone taking the reins over Crain (Crain’s art has just been TOO dark, I like it…but SO DARK). Choi has a really nice look for this book, and his more expressive and organic looking style was a welcome choice for this particular issue.
Gil’s Thoughts: You fucking bastards. And you apparently love to kill teleporters. Nightcrawler is one of my favorite X-Men, and such a death really hit home, but not especially for the right reasons. While the emotional impact was felt, the death itself was one of the most random and poorly choreographed deaths I’ve seen in recent memory. While I would never be happy at the death of any character, I couldn’t believe how lame he went out, even if it was a “hero’s death.”
But as I said, the emotional impact was really strong, and when I saw the blood drip from Logan’s claws, you could tell the amount of pain he was in. Heartbreaking stuff. And the art from Mike Choi was one of the best things I’ve seen in a long time. So good.
Brandon’s Thoughts: While a great issue I took exception to the death that occurred. Most people figured this was the death we all would see but we were told it would be an meaningful death that would have a serious emotional impact. I just didn’t get that feeling here.
To be honest I felt the death was forced for the sake of sacrificing a character that many fans have an emotional tie to. It has no real impact really and it was far from the epic death this character deserved. It was more cliché then fitting to be honest. The only good part about it was the strong characterization in the characters final moments.
Everyone will walk away from this issue with varying degrees of feelings. My feeling is that now it’s a matter of when will they return and less of how will this impact everyone. If you didn’t read my article on the usage of death as a story element then go read that as it will basically tell you how I feel about this.
MATT’S REVIEWS
Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton #3
Last Stand has been interesting. I haven’t been a fan of the New Krypton stuff in the superman books, but in general I’m not an antagonist of the story. I was a huge fan of the first issue of Last Stand, but as the crossover began to play out I lost a little bit of steam. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but the story drew on to a point where I just wanted to say, “Let’s get on with it!” And in all reality, this doesn’t feel so much like a Last Stand as it does a middle point between this and the “final epic”, War of the Supermen.
That being said, it’s not a terrible issue. In it, Luthor betrays everyone, so Braniac snaps his neck, which was amazing (until the end of the issue – more on that later). Zod and Braniac have their final smash down, Brainy 5 saves Braniac, and all is set up for next months War. Oh, and I did mention that the entire issue is almost made up entirely of splash pages, right? I didn’t? Oh. Well, 9 (or is that 18?) of the pages are splash pages, and the opening scene is ENTIRELY splash pages of Braniac’s ship crashing into New Krypton, with lots of explosions, screaming, and harm being done. It’s pretty… you know, I want to say the word gratuitous, but in all honesty – Pete Woods is the man here. As much as it’s kind of crazy that every page is a splash page of destruction, I can’t say it doesn’t look incredibly awesome.
Continued belowThis must have been one of the easiest scripts that Robinson and Gates did in this series. In all honesty, it’s a bit of a paint by numbers finale. The bad guys fight, asses are kicked, and “truths” are revealed. I’m a little bit underwhelmed by it all because arguably the coolest thing that happened in the issue, which really left me guessing, ended up being fake – a simple trick as a ploy by one villain to trick another. War of the Supermen is obviously where they want to build to, but as much as this was a neat way to tie up the end of New Krypton, I don’t feel like a third outside mini needed to exist, especially when if you read this book on it’s own it won’t make a lick of sense. This would have been just as good as a contained little event within the other books, and things like that really do bug me.
It’s not a terrible read though. This story all in all has been fun, and I’m glad to see it all being wrapped up. Really, I’m mostly just anticipating JMS taking over at this point, because I know exactly how the next month is going to play out. I don’t really think we’re going to have to worry about any Earth shattering moments, or even any really big deaths after this issue, so at this point I say bring it on. I’m ready to see it go.
Final Verdict: 6.9 – Browse
The Last Unicorn #1
Always, I want to be with you, and make believe with you, and live in harmony, harmony, oh love!
Yes, I did have to start my review that way. Everyone looked at me oddly when I said I’d take this book in my review pull this week, but to me it makes perfect sense. See, I’m actually quite a fan of this story. I remember the cartoon, and I actually own it on DVD. I even watched it again last month just for the fun of it. The story of the Last Unicorn is one that reminds me of a much younger and innocent time, and despite what most people might think, unicorns aren’t just for girls. They’re horses with swords on their heads! Girls don’t even LIKE swords (right?). So I went into this book with a positive attitude and a good deal of hope towards the outcome.
Did I enjoy it? You better believe I did! This is pretty much as straight an adaptation as you can get, and it’s played out beautifully. The dialogue works really well in the comic book, and the artwork is really gorgeous. It’s a lot different than the animated movie, but it’s definitely a good looking comic. The first issue doesn’t cover much of the story and ends right before the unicorn is picked up by Mommy Fortuna, but everything up until that point is spot on brilliant. My only real complaint is, oddly enough, the lettering. Something like that has never really bothered me before, but there’s a scene in the beginning where a hunter is relaying a tale, and the way the conversation is linked through one word bubble is just really poor. Later on, the book does an odd job of portraying the unicorn’s thoughts, in a way that you can still get that it’s the unicorn talking, but it’s not a uniform way of showing it. It’s odd.
Either way, I enjoyed the Last Unicorn. I went in expecting only so much, and I got exactly that out of it. It reminded me of how much I like the story in general, and did a good job of combining that and comic books. The Last Unicorn definitely comes with the Matt seal of approval (which I imagine is a picture of me giving a thumbs up while riding a unicorn).
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy
Mighty Avengers #36
This is the last issue of Mighty Avengers, and that makes me sad for two reasons. The first is that I really don’t want the series to end, because I honestly think that Dan Slott has an excellent grasp of these characters and this story, and I’m sure he has more stories left. The other reason is that, for a final issue, I kind of wanted more out of the story. Everything is wrapped up, but it all feels a tad underwhelming.
In the final issue, we have a bit more explanation to the weighty reveal that they’d been living on Janet Pym for the past ten issues or so. It’s actually a really creative idea that I really enjoyed, and as much as it takes a little bit of “hand-wavium” to believe, it’s an interesting concept and works much better for Pym. Having him move on so quickly and “be” with Jocasta was always odd, but now having Janet still be a part of the story makes more sense to me. It was a nice way of Slott to tie that off. We also get brief glimpses of the other Avengers over at the Siege, which was nice because it shows how close Slott and Parker were working with these characters.
The odd part for me comes in how Pym defeated Ultron. It was very clever to have all the Avengers appear as holograms to trick Ultron into running away, but the marriage of Jocasta and Ultron is where I kind of raise my eyebrow. The scene bordered on being utterly hysterical and oddly serious, and I didn’t know if I was supposed to buy this as a legit way to defeat a villain or something humorous. I imagine that it was a bit of both, but it still seemed incredibly odd to me.
Oh, and how about that Siege spoiler? That was pretty big, if you ask me, and I was actually shocked the issue didn’t get pushed back along with the finale of Siege, because while it’s just one panel, it gives away a big ending. So if you don’t want to know, I’d recommend holding off on your read of Mighty Avengers. It does tie in to an earlier issue pretty perfectly, but still.
Either way, I’ll miss Slott’s Mighty Avengers and even Khoi Pham’s art on it. I’ve enjoyed both a great deal, and Mighty has been consistently my favorite Avenger title as it generally stays at an even and entertaining pace. I can only hope that Slott and Pham get to team up again, or at least get to write some kind of Avenger spin-off title, because apparently Marvel knows we need at least 5. Might as well make one of them Mighty, right?
Final Verdict: 8.9 – Buy
Thor #609
Siege is at a close and all the tie-ins are wrapping up, including Kieron Gillen’s excellent run on Thor (although we are apparently getting 3 extra issues, which is fantastic). Seeing as this was the original penultimate issue to his run, you’d expect that a good deal would happen, right? Well, you’re right! This issue sees one of the bigger moments of Thor as Loki finally gets some comeuppance for the massive dickery he’s been pulling since he came back.
In this issue, Asgard has fallen and our cast is not happy. Kelda, still reeling from the death of Bill, finally decides no more and stands up to HAMMER, with Volstagg right behind her. Over in the ruins of Asgard, our heroes are picking themselves up from the wreckage, with Balder finally confronting Loki as Loki admits to being the organizer for all of this, although his reasons are of course with a forked tongue. It was a particularly great moment when Loki just screamed out “I AM THE GOD OF MISCHIEF.” It was a very triumphant and appropriate moment for the story, and one that really shows off that Gillen gets how to handle this tale.
Kieron Gillen and Billy Tan have made an excellent pairing on the book, and I don’t really ever want to see them go after issues like this. Lots of cool moments, lots of fantastic art, and all in one great story. It’s really hard to actually review Thor because I don’t have a lot of negative feedback to give it. The only thing that I don’t like is that Thor and Ragnarok didn’t actually appear, but I am being promised an epic smack down with the next issue. I am one of the people who generally prescribes to “if they’re on the cover, they should be in the story,” but I can make exceptions when stories like this are good.
Continued belowUltimately, it’s a great set-up issue. The final moments of the book are great and make me really excited to see what else Gillen has planned for Loki in the future. With one issue left in the arc that promises to be extra explosive, the anticipation for the next book is pretty ridiculously high at this point.
Final Verdict: 8.9 – Buy
DAVID’S REVIEWS
Stumptown #3
Any time a new issue of Stumptown comes out its cause for celebration. The Portland based noir series from Oni Press, Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth continues to floor me, as this issue finds “the case of the girl who took her shampoo but left her mini” getting closer to a conclusion and a lot more is revealed as far as the intricacies of the plot are concerned. It’s also a hell of a good time, as Dex Parios maintains her spot as one of my favorite new characters in recent memory.
Much has been made about Rucka’s ability to make strong female protagonists, and Parios is no different. This issue finds her taking a lot more aggressive approach to the situations she finds her self involved in showdowns against those that get in her way, and the actions she takes are very believable and properly badass for a character with such a reservoir of chutzpah.
One of my favorite scenes in the book encapsulates her and the uniquely superb collaboration we’re witnessing between Rucka and artist Matthew Southworth pretty much perfectly. It’s towards the middle of the book, and it’s just one page split to six panels of Parios speeding away in a stolen Porsche as the men that are after her look on in disbelief. She looks back grinning, rubs her head as she continues to grin, looks down and notices there is blood on her hand, and then we get one final panel of Parios looking very displeased. It’s a remarkable bit of storytelling, as it is all depicted in silence yet it speaks volumes.
Southworth continues to be a fantastic parter-in-crime for Rucka, as his work throughout this issue really aids the power of the story and helps turn Portland itself into a character of its own. I took a few mental notes in particular about the level of detail he goes to in this book. I loved the page of a view of Mount Tabor Park with five like sized panels pasted on top at the bottom of the page, especially because it is a place I’ve been to. I also really enjoyed seeing Dex drinking Bridgeport IPA, a beer native to Portland and something I’ve perhaps had too much to drink of in the past. It’s that level of detail that helps take Southworth’s art to another level, although it likely may not be as impressive to people who haven’t spent time in Portland.
The only negative from this issue is that something felt a bit off about the coloring, and then I realized that Lee Louthridge was not coloring this issue but Rico Renzi was. I’m not sure what it was, but something felt off as I looked at the images…some hues just came out askew to me. Not sure what it was, but it bothered me throughout.
Overall though, this is another superb issue from the Stumptown team, and something to me that comes across as well worth the $3.99 cover price. One thing I heartily recommend: don’t forget to read Southworth’s write up after the issue ends. It provides a lot of insight into why they make the decisions that they do, why there are delays, and what we can expect going forward (lots of surprises, even to him!). It is a nice little write up, and really just seals the deal that a couple of really good guys are making this damn fine book. Don’t miss Stumptown folks.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Buy
Ultimate Comics Avengers 2 #1
We’ve discussed at Multiversity a lot lately about how Mark Millar has kind of turned into a one trick pony: all style, no substance. With Nemesis and even the last series of Ultimate Comics Avengers, there wasn’t a lot of substance…just a ton of punching and posturing. If you’re expecting otherwise from him, that may be your own fault, because this issue is just more of the same.
I mean, the first seven pages of this issue are pretty much exclusively The Punisher killing people wordlessly. That’s it. I wish I could tell you that this book reverses the trend we’ve seen from Millar lately, but it doesn’t. Is it fun? Heck yeah. Lots of ridiculousness, lots of violence, lots of big lines, and we even get a retread of Matt Fraction, Rick Remender, and Ariel Olivetti’s Captain Punisher suit (in which Castle pours one out for his fallen homie Cap by wearing a weird amalgam of their costumes). It’s hard to really take a lot out of this issue because there isn’t really a lot there — it’s weightless.
Leinil Francis Yu brings his A game as per usual, really fitting the look and feel of this book and capturing Millar’s madcap ideas and violence in a really pretty way. It’s nice to see his return to interiors, as I don’t know how long it’s been since we’ve last seen him (Secret Invasion). He’s without a doubt the best part of this first issue, and perhaps the one reason why I’ll keep purchasing it.
While it’s a nice looking book, Ultimate Comics Avengers #1 really just doesn’t do a whole lot. It doesn’t give me the same buzz that Nemesis managed to get in me because it isn’t as merciless or original in my mind…it’s just an airy book in which a lot of people die. There just isn’t a lot of depth or things of interest here, besides Yu’s art.
Final Verdict: 6.2 – Browse
Scalped #37
I think a good word to describe Jason Aaron’s Scalped is methodical. The way he tells this story, the second and final part to his Shunka centric arc titled “A Fine Action of an Honorable and Catholic Spaniard”, is so disciplined and remarkably well crafted that even the most obvious of things are hidden from you until they hit and you realize you’ve been getting duped all along, just like this month’s protagonist.
This story wraps up the arc that reveals the true nature and power of the character of Shunka, a man who is both Red Crow’s right hand man and the most suspicious person of Bad Horse. There are chinks in Shunka’s armor that are made here and you can just see Aaron positioning his chess pieces on each page, but all the while you know that he won’t ever use them in the ways that you think he will. His ability to orchestrate events and his strong characterization have been his greatest strengths in this series, and you always sense that there is no movement or line of dialogue wasted in this book. This issue is a stellar example of that.
While series artist R.M. Guera takes a break for this arc, Davide Furno steps in and does a superb job once again. Aaron…Vertigo…whoever it is that selects the fill in artists always seem to do a fantastic job of finding an artist that matches Guera’ style well, and Furno does that in spades. The line work and level of darkness he uses on the pages really emulates Guera’s style incredibly well, and allows the transition between artists to be a very seamless one.
So goes another review of Scalped. We always talk about how difficult it is to review books that you love because you can almost never come up with anything bad and it’s always tough to come up with a new way to say this is a great book. It’s the best book in the industry — flat out. If you aren’t reading it…well, I don’t understand you as a comic reader.
I’m looking directly at you Matt, Gil and Brandon.
Final Verdict: 9.2 – Buy
Fantastc Four #578
This issue continues the Prime Elements arc that really started rolling with issue 574 (with the appearance of future Franklin), and it finds the fourth and final city’s arrival at long last. It’s identity is just a remarkably clever move by Hickman that plays off the last five years of continuity in the Marvel universe sprawling across a number of books, and it’s indicative of the level of thought that he puts into each and every issue.
It also further proves how amazing of a grip he has on the characters in this book, as the issue begins with Johnny Storm trying to score with another hot babe at what basically amounts to be a cult recruitment center/bar. All is not as it appears, much to Johnny’s chagrin, and his reaction to that is classic Johnny Storm. That it also amounts to be a huge movement in terms of plot is all the more genius, although only Valeria Richards’ and her rapidly increasing intellect knows the reality of the situation and the connection between the four cities. Her interrogation of Johnny as well as the revelation of her being the keeper the homepad notes that we’ve received in every issue of this arc about the cities was another highlight of an issue that was really comprised of a series of highlights.
Plus…the ending! To quote the Scott Pilgrim movie poster, but it’s an epic of epic epicness. There really isn’t any other way to say it. This is going to get GOOD.
Dale Eaglesham’s new wave Jack Kirby act continues to be a hit with yours truly, and you can almost see his smile reflecting off the page as he’s drawing each page. This book is pretty much perfect for him, and it’s a blast to see all of the things he and Hickman come up with within these pages. It continues to be the best team book at Marvel in my book, month in and month out.
Final Verdict: 9.2 – Buy
GIL’S REVIEWS
Gotham City Sirens #11
I’m a Johnny Come Lately to the whole Paul Dini books he’s writing currently, but damn, are they some fun books. I’ve been a fan of his for a long time, ever since he took over Detective a few years ago, and even when I found out he was a large part of the 90’s Batman series, I fell in love even more.
Needless to say, I really enjoyed this issue. It was a lot of fun and it poked fun at things like Twitter and continues to have one of the most fun characters in the DCU in Harley Quinn. Harley is portrayed as an overgrown child, and she is written perfectly, which is probably easier than it should be, considering Dini created her. A simultaneous b-story following Ivy’s foray into the work force seems to further prove she can’t get into anything but trouble, too.
The pencils look really great, and Andres Guinaldo proves he should be one of the big names. He’s a storyteller in his own right, and he illustrates the personalities of the characters in question in a way that makes them jump off the page.
Finally, if you’re not reading this book, you should. It’s my second favorite in the Bat Family, just after Streets of Gotham.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy
New Avengers #64
So there’s been a bit of a hullabaloo in the world of Marvel, as Siege #4 has been delayed but the tie-ins keep on coming. I’ve been told there’s a bit of a spoiler in here, but I don’t see it. What I saw was a book that fits more like Siege 3.5, which takes place partly in Siege #3 and then partly in Siege #4. It upped the stakes and gives us a glimpse into the future book, but doesn’t spoil any plot points. I’d go so far as to say Invincible Iron Man spoils the book more than this does.
Bendis is in top form here. Parker Robbins, AKA the Hood is a bastard, albeit a somewhat honest bastard who got in way over his head because he chose to trust the wrong person. It’s a bit of a shame on his part, but you don’t feel so bad, because he is a bastard after all. Bendis really knows the voice of the character and gives him a worthwhile companion in Madame Masque.
Continued belowBut then there’s the art. MY GOD, the art. McKone really outdid himself this issue. I can’t even begin to describe it other than that. Check it out.
If you’re reading the Siege arc but aren’t checking out the tie-ins, I suggest you still check this one out. It’s fun and the art is just great.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy
Green Lantern Corps #47
Less a Brightest Day tie-in and more of an epilogue to the Blackest Night event, we got a few things to wrap up as well a lot to tease for the future. There’s a lot of reconstruction going on over on Oa and Guy and Kyle are rebuilding as best they can. Everyone’s favorite Drill Instructor is out as well, choosing to go back to “being a normal Green Lantern” and nominating someone else for the role. The whole issue is really bittersweet because we’re losing a lot of characters in this book for the new Emerald Warriors title. And while we still get them over there, I’ll miss them here with Kyle and company.
And finally, in what I believe is Patrick Gleason’s final work on the title, it couldn’t have been more gorgeous. I know that I’m saying the art is all phenomenal, but in this case, it really is. I can’t believe he’s leaving to go do something else.
Final Verdict — 8.0 – Buy
Captain America #605
Finishing up the infamous Teabagger storyline with Bucky Cap and The Falcon going up against a disturbed former Captain America in the 50’s, this book could not have been more disappointing. Brubaker, who is usually really good at dialogue and stories, really dropped the ball on this one. I leafed my way through it, laughing at places I shouldn’t have and cringing in others. I swear to you Bucky calls 50’s Cap “Captain UNAmerica,” I thought it was so ham-fisted and obvious I laughed AND cringed at the same time. But we can’t win them all, right?
At Least the art was decent. By far the weakest of the books I’m reviewing this week, but still serviceable to the needs of the book. But the arc ended on such a low note that It barely gets a browse from yours truly.
Final Verdict: 5.5 – Browse
BRANDON’S REVIEWS
Invincible Iron Man #25
I was a kid who grew up in the 90’s. So for this reason when an issue hits a marker like #25 I tend to expect something excellent and profound to happen. Anymore though this isn’t necessarily the case. Here, my fellow fans of the anniversary issues, is an issue that comes through in that fabled regard.
This issue has some small spoilers for Siege but nothing so crazy and mind blowing that an intelligent reader couldn’t have figured it out on their own. What it does more of is setting the tone of Tony Stark’s new life. Who are his supporting cast? What is happening to the previous cast? What will he do from here? What is this new armor all about? Find all of it out here in this 25th issue! See? Awesome right?!
Some of those things mentioned above made me very happy. One of the things I was excited to see addressed in this issue is the reboot Tony’s mind got. I was worried that this would be used as a way to retcon the whole Tony being a dick and fucking up the Marvel Universe deal. Instead it is addressed head on and to a degree it is satisfactory. Though I still feel Tony is getting off pretty easy considering everything that went down during and as a result of Civil War. Having said all of that it was freaking awesome to see Tony and Thor walking side by side. That for me was a total geek moment that made me excited for the new era at Marvel.
Continued belowI can’t end this review without saying that I love Salvador Larroca’s at on this book. His rendition of the new armor is beyond amazing. It looks so sleek and high tech. Everything you would hope a modern Iron Man armor would be. Larroca is another of those underrated artists that should be included when talking about present greats of the industry.
This title was fantastic and really gets me stoked for the future of an already great title. The unsure atmosphere gives it a sense of intrigue and freshness that the title didn’t necessarily need but like technology it’s nice to stay ahead of the game.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy it!
Garrison #1
Review pending, check back soon!
Thunderbolts #143
One chapter ends and prepares for the beginning of the Heroic age. While this era of Thunderbolts wasn’t one of the best it was still better than FightBolts but still not as good as the original stuff. This issue has that same sort of vibe. Not the best but not the worst.
I found the story to be more centered on the Mighty Avengers than the Thunderbolts, which is a sorry way to end a run of a title. Don’t get me wrong the TBolts do appear and many of them are setup for their new roles in the Heroic Age but I would have liked more attention paid to the characters of the team and less of the Mighty Avengers. There is a Mighty Avengers title isn’t there? Unless the TBolts take as much time away from them in their finale this whole thing is odd.
The wrap-up of this chapter of the TBolts was not so memorable but it didn’t plant the seeds for what I think will be a fantastic new direction. It also had plenty of Eric O’Grady which is always awesome points in my book. The last page especially got me extremely amped as I think adding Luke Cage to this title along with some of the more memorable TBolts is an excellent move that hopefully other fans will get behind like I intend to.
Final Verdict: 6.2 – Get the Trade
Invincible #71
Does this title ever take a dip in quality? I really would argue it doesn’t. Some issues are better than others but that isn’t a statement about quality but instead preference. So again I would say this title never shows us it’s bad side.
This issue focuses on leaving for war. It’s fun to see so many plotlines start to come to fruition. So many character moments occurred in this issue as well. Some that tugged at your heartstrings and others that were just awesome moments. Overall, this issue was the calm before the storm. It’s a storm that hits by the end of the book.
Ryan Ottley’s art is again stellar and proves that this man is truly one of the most talented artists in the biz and I feel his name doesn’t come up enough when the topic of best artists is broached. He has such a wide range when it comes to ability. He can do action, drama and everything in between. The man just deserves more respect. GIVE IT TO HIM!
By the time this issue ends you are left with two things. The first is the desire to see the Viltrumite War play out. The second is the feeling of awe at the sheer consistency of excellence that this book puts out.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy it!
