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Wednesday Is New Comic Book Day! (Reviews 05-19-10)

By | May 20th, 2010
Posted in Reviews | % Comments


Welcome back, true believers! We’ve got a great round-up of comics for you this week. Take a look behind the cut for all the reviews you’ve come to know and love from your favorite crew.

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: Avengers #1

Matt’s Thoughts: AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! I’ve always wanted to shout that line. I suppose beginning a review like that mildly counts to some degree? Either way, I liked this issue.

Why did I like it? I think you’ll hear a lot of people saying this to be honest, but it felt like more of a classic Avengers tale than we have gotten in a while. For so long now, EVERY arc in a Bendis written Avengers book has all been building to some kind of climax. While I’m not totally unconvinced that Bendis doesn’t have some kind of seven year endgame in mind, this is the first time I’ve picked up an Avengers book in a while that has just read as an organic Avengers story, and since we’re putting the gang back together, how perfect is it that we start with Kang? Kang is just one of those villains that I really enjoy for some unknown reason, so to have him show up right at the beginning is, in my book, a plus. That right there is what helps get you a slot in the coveted book of the week position.

Of course, I am not without my obvious reserves. I am a huge fan of John Romita Jr’s art, but it feels a bit inconsistent. There are some moments that look absolutely great, and there are some that look a bit meh. In fact, a perfect example of this would be the splash page at the beginning showing all the different characters Steve Rogers approaches. If you look around the page, there are some characters that look really great, and others (Spider-Woman specifically) that don’t. This is basically my main complaint about the issue. I know Romita Jr is capable of good and consistent work, and it feels like he took more time with some characters than he did others. In general the book looks good, but there are some scenes where it looks a tad bit phoned in.

Now, will the whole Next Avengers thing pan out? It seems odd to me that we have taken a movie that was indefinitely optimistic and have now turned that reality into something pessimistic (or have we?), but it will be fun to see how Bendis weaves the rest of this tale. Kang is a lot of fun, so I have hopes for the rest of this arc, and I am very pleased with this first issue.

David’s Thoughts: In a lot of ways, this issue seems to bridge the gap between old school Avengers and Bendis Avengers incredibly well. Retro feeling start to the adventure mixed with spicy, snappy dialogue. Classic villain showing up to meet a new school cast. It’s like Bendis took his formula and layered it on the blueprint that writers like Busiek, Byrne, Stern and others created their biggest adventures with, and it works. The issue has a nice flow and an altogether more cheerful feel than Bendis’ other Avengers work.

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It helps that we have a dimension/time weaving storyline that is quintessential Avengers style, bringing in characters like the Next Avengers, Kang the Conqueror, and even The Maestro (FUTURE IMPERFECT!) into the equation. This storyline feels way more akin to stories of yesteryear like the Kree/Skrull War or The Korvac Saga, and it’s a lot of fun to read after the more insular, street level stories we’ve gotten in years past. Plus, you get badass moments like Thor laying out Kang and excellent character moments (I especially enjoyed the handling of Tony/Steve’s relationship – who doesn’t want that?

John Romita Jr. fits the story extremely well at parts, and there are other little parts where his art kind of bothers me mostly from a paneling standpoint. There are pages like the one page splash where Kang reveals himself or the half page where Thor responds to that reveal and you’re like “DAMN! JR JR. is bringing it!” Then there are moments you notice there just isn’t a lot of pizzaz or inventiveness to the page design, and there is a bit of repetition in faces and character models and it starts to wear on you. Alas, you can’t have it all, but I’d say it’s mostly a win for Romita, Jr.

It’s a win for readers too, as this is a nice start to a new Avengers book, and one that promises to put the cool back in old school.

I swear that works in my head.

Gil’s Thoughts: Here’s to a new status quo in the Marvel Universe. Picking up from the ashes of Siege, this puts together a new old team of Mighty Avengers and New Avengers of various times and place; something that really works because it deals with time travel a whole lot. One curious action Bendis did was reference the Next Avengers movie, officially entering the team in continuity, albeit it waaaaay down the line. Imagine these Next Avengers as the future Teen Titans from a few years back.

I’m not a fan of the art though. I haven’t been a fan of John Romita, Jr. for a while, and his pencils in here don’t help. Maria Hill got the same treatment that Abigail Brand did in Secret Invasion, looking not attractive in the least, but a little mannish, in a 90’s-wannabe-Susan Powter look. I really never thought I’d reference someone like Susan Powter in a review, but there you go.

All in all, it’s a worthy exercise, mediocre art (at best) aside.

Brandon’s Thoughts: So this is our book of the week ladies and gents! What better choice for the week than the title that effectively relaunches the Avenger’s franchise. This title will be looked upon as the beginning of a new era. No pressure there. Especially when you consider the last era was done by the same writer and was still really good.

So does it work? Yes! Right from the beginning how the whole Avengers setup is structured is spelled out. While we are surely in for a surprise or two we are given the premise and purpose of this team very quickly. I must say I like it.

I really enjoy the tandem of Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr. They really seem to work well together on a title like this. There is some great art to go along with some great scripting in this book. The Thor blasting Kang scene was awesome and Hawkeye’s line during it had me cracking up yet also thinking how B.A. the whole deal was.

This is shaping up to have the feel of a more traditional Avengers squad but with the Bendis flavor that made the New Avengers era so incredibly fresh and new. It doesn’t hurt to have JRJR on the title either. We are all in for a treat on this book.

Walt’s Thoughts: I’ve said time and time again that I’m not a fan of Bendis’ non-street-level work, and while I wasn’t a fan of Siege #4 and said in our review that it turned me off to picking up his new Avengers book (not to be confused with New Avengers).

Obviously I lied a bit. After all, when’s the next time you’ll be able to purchase an Avengers #1? Whether or not you like them, Bendis and Romita Jr. are two of the biggest names in comics currently, making this a truly monumental first issue. Before you even read the rest of this review, I recommend going out and buying this just to judge for yourself.

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Got it? Alright then. As a naysayer of high-level Bendis-writing, I will start off by saying that there was nothing wrong with this book in terms of writing. Bendis gives a good hook to get the reader interested, brings back a classic Avengers villain and all in all gives a good start to what will probably become a memorable run on the title. Just from this issue, it looks like we will be getting another solid series from Marvel.

That’s the thing, though; the book seems fun, but not necessarily great. There’s nothing wrong with this per se, and I would even say that is how I would want an Avengers title to be, but both DC and Marvel are cranking out plenty of standard superhero books that are fun and enjoyable without really being something special. As a temporarily employed college student I can’t add every “fun” book to my pull, so I have to make choices based off of the characters, writers and artists that I’m interested in. I’ve already mentioned my wariness of Bendis on this level of storytelling, and I’m rather outspoken in my dislike for John Romita Jr. (I said he was famous, not that I liked him). That’s 0 for 2. The Heroic Age’s return to the more-or-less standard status quo isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s just not something I’m not too thrilled for, even if the team is finally made up of “classic” Avengers again. Strike three, you’re out.

That’s just my opinion though. I may even change my mind. But for now, I’m going with the new Legion of Superheroes ongoing instead (even though that wasn’t any better or worse than this). If you’re a fan of JRjr, loved Mighty Avengers and/or are super-stoked about the Heroic Age, though, there’s no reason for you not to be buying this. As in most things, to each their own.

MATT’S REVIEWS

X-Men Legacy #236
Could this event get any better? Seriously. I don’t like picking up books and being forced to write good reviews of them week after week. It feels almost dishonest! But I can’t do anything but, because Second Coming has been great so far, and Second Coming continues to be great throughout.

This issue picks up at the exact second that the previous issue left off, with Hope debating if she’s ready and the rest of the X-Men prepping for Bastion’s endgame move. Oh, and what an endgame move! With this issue, there is barely a hope left in the world (no pun intended). In all honesty, Bastion’s attack in this episode is awesome and terrifying, and it sets such an interesting predicament for the team. I guess it’s a good thing that the Avengers have shown up to help the X-Club. Can they help our heroes in time? It’s looking highly unlikely, and the final page is anything but optimistic. I love it!

I have had my doubts about Mike Carey in the past, but with the Necrosha tie-ins as well as all of the Second Coming stuff (not to mention the Unwritten), it looks like I’m eating a big ol’ bag of crow here. Carey gets the characters, and he gets this story, and it really shines through in the writing. With how well this issue reads in conjunction with the other parts, you’d imagine that Carey himself had plotted the entire Second Coming story! It’s just that good. The overall plot is pushed so far forward, and in high form.

Oddly enough, where I’m ultimately torn on is the art. I know a lot of people don’t really like Greg Land’s style, but I’ve never had much of a problem with it. As I read this issue, though, I couldn’t help but hear the tiny voice of the internet in the back of my brain, and I can’t help but acknowledge that they’re write: this issue is INCREDIBLY posed, to the point that it becomes awkward in a couple of scenes. Take the Avengers arrival for example – if that’s not a heroic and stand offish pose, I don’t know what is! Granted, I still think that Greg Land draws some very great looking people, and his characters look great here, but the posing is a bit much at times.

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Never the less, X-Men Legacy comes with two thumbs up from yours truly. This is a great title, and this issue of Second Coming was fantastic. Second Coming as a whole is easily one of the strongest books Marvel is putting out right now, and I’m very glad that a talented writer like Mike Carey gets to be a part of it.

Final Verdict: 9.2 – Buy

Note: after writing this, I think I finally understand what it’s like to be Brandon Burpee. I still managed to actively resist giving this issue a number that doesn’t exist within our scale, though.

Ultimate Comics Avengers 2 #2
I honestly don’t even really know what to do about Mark Millar at this point. There was a time where I had a very large respect for the man due to the original stuff he did in the Ultimate world as well as select work outside, but with this and Nemesis I honestly believe he’s not even trying anymore! It’s kind of like he and Jeph Loeb are competing for this coveted title of “Official Michael Bay Of Comics” award, and every time I read a comic by either I can’t decide who deserves it more.

In this week’s issue of Ultimate Avengers 2, we are introduced to Ultimate Nick Cage Tyrone Cash, who is the “original Hulk” and apparently has nothing to do with Power Man (which makes sense in a weird way since Power Man is in New Ultimates). When War Machine goes to recruit him, before they can actually have any kind of civilized talk, the OG Hulk beats the crap out of him. It’s this kind of nonsense action packed writing that Millar is getting away with these days, because he’s become a very style over substance writer. It’s not necessarily a bad thing in some cases, such as last issue where the Punisher just killed people for half the issue – which was admittedly amusing. However, when looking at an issue like this, one can’t help but lament and ask, “What the hell happened?”

There are two kind of nice things about the new series of Ultimate Avengers, though. The first is that, as much as this series relies on things from the 616 universe, Avengers has so far been a very self sufficient series with the characters it uses. As much as Tyrone Cash is obviously a Hulked out Luke Cage, he’s still Tyrone Cash more than he’s Luke Cage. While now we have some nice weird continuity errors with Banner, at the same time it’s nice to see the Ultimate provide what it was always supposed to provide, albeit in a much less talented form. The other good thing about this issue is Francis Lenil Yu’s artwork. It’s not as refined as his work is in books like Secret Invasion, but it’s still dynamite looking artwork. I’ve really grown to enjoy his style a lot, so to have him putting out his work in a timely manner (as opposed to Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk…), and for it to be as good even with writing this bad, is fairly redeeming to the book.

Ultimately, Ultimate Avengers 2 is pretty poor. It’s not a comic that I really want to get behind and support, mostly because I feel that the more I support this book, the more Mark Millar will think that continuing to write like this is ok. We need a real sequel to the Ultimates full of depth and rich story telling, not just Millar writing people punching each other for 20 pages.

Final Verdict: 6.1 – Browse/Pass

The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger #1
The Dark Tower is an interesting entity in my life. It’s something I’ve always wanted to get into because just the title infinitely intrigues me, and I’ve been reading the Gunslinger for about two years now. Seriously. I picked it up in a library, liked it, went out and bought it, and read most of it but never finished it. I still remember everything that happens pretty vividly, and have made a plan to stop reading so many comic books and start focusing on books made up of just words, and the Dark Tower is my entry into this.

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It’s with this in mind that I went for Peter David’s adaptation of the Gunslinger. There have been several Dark Tower prequels already, but I’ve ignored them all with the hope that the Gunslinger would get the same treatment that the Stand has been getting at Marvel. With a name like Peter David writing and Sean Phillips arting, I got even more excited for this adaptation. But lo and behold, it turns out that the fates were not perfectly aligned for me in this situation.

Here’s the skinny: the first issue of this installment of the Gunslinger is not so much an adaptation of the book, but a way of fitting in the events of the prequel into the events of the novel. The comic opens in the same way that the book does, but instead of just referencing the novel as a template, the new continuity is placed in – and this is all explained in the back. So this is where I began to get screwed up, because while I was partially reading the story I wanted to read, I was getting an unexpected experience.

It’s in this that I have a hard time rating the book. I have never read any of the prequels, and I didn’t want to until I had finished the entire series (however many years this takes me). So I’m at a loss with the story because it doesn’t match up with my copy of the book. It’s through that that I didn’t enjoy the book at all, really. I wanted a more direct adaptation to go along with my novels, and instead I was given something that fits in with things I’d never read. It makes the book a little less accessible and a tad more daunting.

Then again, it is a very well written book, and a damn beautifully arted book. Peter David is a very strong writer and he definitely manages to accurately portray King’s vision and emulates his style very well. At times it feels like reading the novel by King, but with just certain parts picked and chosen by David. And my god.. Sean Phillips is dynamite in this issue. If you’ve seen his work in things like Incognito and Criminal and you think you know Sean Phillips, you have no clue. I went in expecting one style of art, and got a completely new set from the man. I was in absolute awe of the visuals.

In the end, I don’t know what to give the book. A part of me enjoys elements, and a part of me is disappointed. I really can’t pick and choose here. For me, I don’t think I’ll be getting the book anymore, because it’s not what I wanted it to be. However, I will if nothing else be sure to flip through the issues at the store to check out the artwork, and will most likely pick up the trade somewhere down the line.

Final Verdict: Unsure. Try again later.

Justice League of America #45
There are moments in being a comic book nerd when you have to ask if you have loyalties: to a writer, to an artist, to a character or team. Then you have to ask yourself, despite how much you may be loyal to any one of those entities, is it really worth it to stay with these people even in their worst moments? This is pretty much what I ask myself with every issue of Justice League of America.

At first, I was excited to have Bagley and Robinson on the title. I respected both their work greatly. But with every passing issue of this series, I care significantly less and less. It’s odd – I always love the covers and the solicits, but when I read the issue, I role my eyes. With this issue, we have some explanation to why Jade was in Brightest Day #0 and is now in Justice League, traveling in a hunk of rock. Really, the star of the issue is Alan Scott, as we revisit his origin and see how it eeffects us now as the JLA/JSA crossover begins to ramp up. In that aspect, I’m pretty excited, because I like both the JLA and the JSA and have been greatly enjoying the JSA book so far.

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Here’s the problem: James Robinson. I REFUSE to get on this witch hunt people have been on with him lately. I don’t think he’s a terrible writer. I can’t, however, sit and defend this issue much. It’s full of nonsensical moments that are very poorly explained with “hand wavium”, and the dialogue is atrocious. Some of it is obviously supposed to be slightly humorous or tongue in cheek, such as the page where Jade kicks a little ass and says “Nuh uh” and “K.” I get that it’s supposed to be funny. But it’s not. It’s just really stupid. That and one of the final lines of the issue, where Jade gives her big speech about why everyone’s in danger and says, “It’s the end of everything… Earth… life… McDonalds.” Really?

Bagley’s art is pretty good here. It’s not amazing, and it is far from the quality that I expect from him. I feel like with JLA he just hasn’t taken as much time as he did with a title like Ultimate Spider-Man, for example. The scenes are not as well fleshed out, character designs are spotty and uneven, and I can’t tell if this is his “new style” or he’s just gotten sloppy. Look at any Spidey title from the 90’s he participated in, and you can see how clear and smooth he can be. Most of this just looks like he was rushed. Granted, I said it’s pretty good and it is – there are some scenes that he clearly took time on, and the last page (the big reveal you didn’t see coming because it wasn’t on the cover of the upcoming tryptch cover or anything) looks great. But all in all, it’s an uneven issue.

I want to have the patience and strength to stay with Justice League of America, because now is the time to do it. When everyone is crying about legacy characters and how DC refuses to work on any of it’s newer characters, here we have a team of the younger kids (and some older characters you didn’t care about) taking the place of their idols, like Supergirl, Dick Grayson Batman, and Donna Troy. With this, I want to support the JLA and I want to get in this title. But if the writing hasn’t even improved a little bit by the end of this crossover, I can’t see myself sticking around much longer.

Final Verdict: 3.5 – Pass

DAVID’S REVIEWS

Legion of Super Heroes #1
Given the nature of the Legion and how they exist free of the rest of DCU, Paul Levitz has a lot of room to breathe and to tell his own story with this book. He takes advantage of that early and often, starting the story shortly after Geoff Johns’ Legion story from Action Comics from a few years back (which apparently also took place right around Legion of 3 Worlds), with the United Planets and the Legion refriending each other and the villainous Earth Man locked in captivity. That’s an early decision that works out well, as it allows him a lot of freedom to tell his own story as well as the ability to build on the huge stepping stones Johns set up for him.

Having a plot to build off helps Levitz a lot, because I’m not going to lie, the parts that work the best in this first issue are the continuation of previous dramatic beats. Granted, I have to admit I’m not a long time Legion fan, but a lot of the story just didn’t connect deeply with me. While I loved the bits with Earth Man, Sodam Yat up on Oa dealing with what looks like a new (and malformed) Guardian, whenever Brainiac 5 was in a scene – those scenes really worked for me. Saturn Girl’s story just didn’t matter to me, and I’m not sure if it was because I’m not a long time Legion reader or just because Levitz didn’t make me care. Either way, it was a bit of an uneven issue that dragged at parts.

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However, Levitz does have an incredible grasp on these characters. From my limited experience, he has the feel of them down pat. Their unique personalities leap off the page at you, and make the somewhat uninspired actions they go through all the more palatable.

I don’t know who artist Yildiray Cinar is, but whoever he is, he’s pretty damn talented. He almost does the impossible and makes me genuinely care about some of the events that are transpiring. His work is very clean and well thought out, and his scene design is often impeccable (although he sometimes has issues aiming eyes – what is Phantom Girl looking at when she is introduced?). There is one splash page towards the end in which Brainiac 5 is walking away from the combined Legion forces who are aiding the evacuation of Titan that Cinar completely nails, and it really stood out in an issue of fine art.

This comic filled me with an odd mix of emotions. I enjoyed the characters, enjoyed the art, enjoyed aspects of the story, but when I put it down I just didn’t feel much towards it. I wasn’t pining for the next issue, I wasn’t thinking about events that transpired…I was just on to the next comic. That has to say something about the quality of it, doesn’t it?

Final Verdict: 7.0 – Buy

American Vampire #3
American Vampire has been one of the best books of this young year to date, and a lot of that comes from the clever take on pre-existing horror film standards as well as the phenomenal storytelling from both a written and artistic sense. A lot of the horror to date hasn’t been of the visceral, obvious type, more of a constant sense of foreboding and chills inching up your spine sort of way.

This issue bucks that trend, as in the first story our heroes Hattie and Skinner Sweet exact some almost hysterically badass revenge in their individual stories. With that said, this isn’t an issue of sheer violence, as the previous generation of European style vampires continue to develop their plans to take out Skinner (in two different time periods no less). The X-Factor of course continues to be Hattie, a once budding starlet, now an utterly horrifying vampire. The plotlines of the first and second stories continue to weave together in subtle ways, developing the mythology of the American Vampire while building the present at the same time.

The scripting of the story impressed me greatly. It’s easy to say “Stephen King did a great job scripting an old west styled vampire story.” Of course he did. It’s Stephen King. Scott Snyder, the creator and primary writer of this series, knocks it out of the park as well. One scene in particularly amused me to no end, as Hattie pulls up next to a vampire laden car while on a motorcycle.

Hattie: “Hey, you’re Tad Chesterfield! The movie star!”
Tad: “In the flesh.”
Hattie (now vampire looking): “I always hated your fucking movies!”

She then jumps in and dispatches Tad in an absurdly awesome two panel sequence rendered by artist Rafael Albuquerque.

I’ve long been a huge fan of Albuquerque, but he continues to nail each and every scene of this comic. His style is strangely perfect the book…versatile enough he can make the action come to life and bring the power out of scenes like when Hattie and Henry are having a quiet conversation on his boat, imaginative enough he can scare the crap out of you or charm you with his character work. Dave McCaig’s colors assist a lot, setting the mood and escalating his work to new levels.

While it’s not my favorite issue to date of the series, it’s still a heck of an issue and a remarkably good read. I am eager to see this young series develop, and I know as long as it is in Snyder and Albuquerque’s hands, this book will prosper.

And that Stephen King guy is pretty good too.

Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy

DV8 #2
Poor Brian Wood.

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It seems whenever I review his books, I ultimately end up talking about his artistic collaborators significantly more than I do his own work. Not that his work on DV8 is bad, as this issue is successful at simultaneously building the overarching plot and the background of one of the main characters in the story. It even has some great character bits and is very imaginative in its scope.

It’s just Fiona Staples and Rebekah Isaacs are so damn good, it’s hard not to want to tout their praises throughout.

While Staples is just the cover artist, she provides a pitch perfect example on the art of the cover. Her design is brilliant, using Bliss’ white dress as negative space to both heighten the power of the top section of the cover and as a space to place the title. The upper half is exquisitely designed, with Bliss’ gorgeous face representing the yin and yang of her sex and death cult, as her army stands fearsomely behind her. It works in all the ways a cover should work, as both a storytelling effort in itself as well as a beautiful standalone piece.

Rebekah Isaacs is not a creator I was very familiar with before this book, but her work effortlessly combines the clean lines and dynamic character models of the Wildstorm look with inventive and often clever paneling. Her most sumptuous standalone piece in this book is the initial splash page. The second and third pages are an immensely detailed and dangerously sexy look at Bliss’ incoming war party. It captures the power and grace of this group with a lightness in touch and a keen sense of drafts(wo)manship.

This book is a very good one from a story and script standpoint, but a truly exceptional one artistically. Nothing about this book isn’t inviting, with the cover drawing you in and the interiors keeping you there. It’s a breathtakingly attractive book that managed to improve on an already successful debut issue.

Final Verdict: 8.8 – Buy

Ex Machina #49
Review pending, check back soon!

GIL’S REVIEWS

Zatanna #1
I love books that take place in my hometown. OK, maybe San Francisco isn’t my “home” town (I live just over the bay), but it’s refreshing to see a book that doesn’t take place in New York or some pastiche of New York or Los Angeles, or both at the same time. And leave it to a native Bay Area-nite like Paul Dini to give it an authentic feel, from local references like Nob Hill to the hippie movement (which I know was not only in San Francisco, but hippies are most commonly associated with the city by The Bay.).

The art is beautiful, making Zee look gorgeous (and gorgeously naked in a cheesecake moment) and the murder victims looking particularly grotesque. One of the new villains (I assume he’s new, I did a quick Google search and he seems new) Brother Night looks particularly terrifying, but I think it might be because he’s directly modeled after the Gentlemen from the episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer titled “Hush.” This doesn’t bother me so much as it makes me pine for a crossover with Buffy and the Scooby’s much like a commenter on my previous review of Magdalena hoped for.

Speaking of the villains, it seems like Dini is getting ready to introduce (re-introduce?) a whole slew of magical adversaries to help bring Zatanna to the mainstream and they’re all pretty horrifying, especially Teddy, but the less I say about him, the better.

Final Verdict — 8.0 – Buy

Brightest Day #2
Ever since 52 turned out to be such a hit, DC has tried their hardest to capture lightning in a bottle and recreate such an epic story. So far, they’ve failed. Brightest Day and Justice League: Generation Lost are trying their hardest so far, with mixed results. Brightest Day here is suffering the most, because it has the unfortunate task of switching through five or six seemingly unrelated stories (first Firestorm, then Martian Manhunter, then the Hawks, then back to Jonn, and finally to Boston Brand) The problem with this so far is that feels rather disjointed and it ends up being hard to connect with one story when it jumps around so frequently.

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Thank The Entity for the art. Each story has its own art to help guide it, and that must really help for deadlines, since artists like Patrick Gleason only have part of a bi-monthly book to draw. His pages with Martian Manhunter are particularly beautiful, but that may be the Gleason fan in me saying that. If only the story matched the art. What really saves this is the story involving Boston Brand, our new Aliveman. The last page in particular saved the book, because it was simultaneously hilarious and terrifying.

Unfortunately, the book is meandering at the moment, but I’m giving it a very low buy since it’s still so early in the arc. We’ll see where it is in a few months, right?

Final Verdict — 7.0(verging on a 6.9) – Buy

X-Factor #205
Review pending, check back soon!

Superman: War of the Supermen #3
What an event. It continues to be everything Siege hopes to be, with a big fight happening all over the place. It doesn’t pretend to have a fight, with the first two being build-up to said fight. This is an all-out brawl between the New Kryptonians and Earth, and I personally love it to pieces.

This issue is no exception. While I didn’t love it as much as the previous issue, mostly due to some story decisions that were odd, like a very convenient way to kill a whole legion of Kryptonians while somehow leaving Superman and Supergirl unscathed, and a plot device last seen in the pages of Green Lantern Corps during the Blackest Night tie-ins.

James Robinson has gotten some flack lately for telling over the top stories that verge on disaster porn rather than actual storytelling (for better or worse). He’s definitely getting better, but deaths fly around (pun not intended) faster than they ever did on LOST, or even The Bible for that matter. Maybe Robinson will take that as a point of pride, but I feel it desensitizes the audience to what’s going on, so the death of a Major Character in the Superman books as of late feels like little more than a plot device rather than anything meaningful. I have faith in you James.

All in all, the book is how a quick fight should be done, with pacing that is at a breakneck speed, and a release schedule that was even quicker. Can you imagine how well Siege would have done if it all came out in one month?

Final Verdict: 7.5 – Buy

BRANDON’S REVIEWS

DCU Legacies #1
Many people have asked for an update of the history of DC. The answer to that demand shipped its first issue. Who better to tell the story than Len Wein and some of the industry’s best, past and present. While this issue takes place in the Prohibition Era the title promises to take us on a wild journey through the history of the DC superheroes.

I really enjoyed Len Wein’s use of dialogue. He really writes it with the language style and slang of the era. It makes the piece very genuine. It felt like the ode it should be as opposed to the times a writer aims for that feel and instead delivers a caricature. Wein gives a great time piece with a great narrative in the form of a onlookers POV.

As far as art goes what can I say? It’s two Kuberts. How often is it they put something out that isn’t ridiculously enjoyable? Yeah, next to never right? So no different here fanpeeps this issue looks good and you wont be disappointed. The Kubert’s, no matter what the first name is, are some of the most consistently great art. I really love the look they brought to the golden age heroes. They just look amazingly cool and pulpy.

One of my favorite aspects of this book though was the backup. The story itself was ok but J.G. Jones provides the best art of the issue. His panel layouts are incredible, as is the way he uses panels to connect as dialogue balloons. The story has such an amazingly organic flow because of this. Jones is a great artist and does a stellar job of pushing the concept of storytelling in comics as it pertains to the art on the page.

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This is a book I was really looking forward to. Len Wein is a living legend and so are the Kuberts, so it’s no wonder that this book was as good as it was. I really can’t wait for future issues to see how this book evolves like the DC Superheroes.

Final Verdict: 8.5 Buy it!

Age of Heroes #1
Review pending, check back soon!

Rescue #1
I like Pepper Pots as Rescue. I liked Kelly Sue DeConnick’s Sif issue. So based on those two statements I bought this title. I wasn’t sure what the story would be but I assumed it would be a character piece like many of the other Women of Marvel one-shots, Sif included. What I found is that similar to the other Women of Marvel issues this was solid.

I came away from this issue feeling that DeConnick should probably be on an ongoing. She’s had back-to-back solid character pieces that show she gets the characters. In this issue she gives you Pepper dealing with some issues she’s picked up since she first put on the Rescue suit. Pepper does this with someone that we haven’t seen in a while. This issue has something for everyone here fanpeeps. There’s fluid dialogue, a taste of action, and overall a comic that lets you see a character grow emotionally.

So the writing’s good, eh? How about the art, you say? Well here’s the thing: I wasn’t really fan. I felt that at times it was reminiscent of Bagley while other times I felt it was more like Maleev’s work. While I could see those comparisons I couldn’t tell you it was a solid lock. Andrea Mutti’s art just didn’t click with me completely. She’s by no means a terrible artist.

Final Verdict: 7.6 Buy!

Haunt #7
When Ryan Ottley left this book I was disappointed because I really enjoy his art. Thing is, this book always seemed to be more of a Spawn style book than a Spider-Man style book despite the fact the main character visually at least is a mix of those two. Keeping this fact in mind I was okay with Greg Capullo coming onboard. I thought he would fit in quite well. Two issues in I believe I was right.

One thing I enjoy about this title in general is the way in which Robert Kirman writes it in his own style while maintaining a vintage Image feel. It’s not always a smooth road when you’re trying to write a story in a different tone and style, but Kirkman handles the challenge like a boss. In this issue in particular we see the tone of the book change as Haunt himself is rather scarce. Instead we are treated to more nurturing of the cast, making the character scenery more detailed.

Between Capullo and Kirkman I feel this book could continue to be good for awhile. If you aren’t picking this book up or haven’t tried it you have no excuse. The first trade for this book is something like $9.99 and it’s well worth your money. This is a fun book that harkens back to the glory days of Image. Even if you weren’t a fan of those books, like me, you’ll still enjoy this book even if it is in trades.

Final Verdict: 6.8 Buy it in trades

WALT’S REVIEWS

Invincible Iron Man #26
The second chapter of Matt Fraction’s newest Invincible Iron Man arc continues to lay the seeds of conflict between the repurposed Tony Stark and Justine Hammer. While there is obviously a lot of exposition needed to bridge the gap left after Stark Disassembled, I’m somewhat hoping two issues will be enough to cover this. These past two issues haven’t been dull by any means, but after a while I’m going to want more than just Stark talking to people and the Hammers talking to people, and by the end of this issue I was definitely beginning to hunger for some action. From my experience with Fraction, he seems to know exactly when this feeling will arrive to most readers, so I’m not going to judge this issue too harshly for being expositional. Indeed, I would go ahead and bet that something intense is going to happen next month, but that’s just a guess.

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One of the ideas that Fraction is tackling is quite interesting to me: we see superheroes like Iron Man or Reed Richards that are scientific geniuses more or less breaking the laws of reality all the time, so why don’t they use that ability to better society when not fighting outrageous villains? Tony is trying to figure out a way to provide the world with nearly unlimited energy rather than focus on weaponry while Hammer Industries is playing both sides of the weapons field. We are given a bit more of an explanation about the new suit, but most of the issue focuses on Tony rebuilding his company from the ground up. I mean starting with a single ex-employee. It looks like Fraction is going to do something crazy yet brilliant to bring back Stark Industries, and I have to say I can’t wait to see what it is.

I have to say, I love Salvador Larroca’s art. I really do. The only person that can draw the Iron Man armor any better is Adi Granov, in my humble opinion. But something about the way draws faces is just off. It doesn’t help that whoever the colorist is makes skin look…strange. I can’t tell if it’s rubbery or what. However, Larroca completely demolishes everything else, and in the best possible way. Him and Fraction make a great team, and so long as these two are on this book it will remain one of my favorites that Marvel is putting out.

Final Verdict: 7.6 – Buy it!

Batman: Streets of Gotham #12
I love Paul Dini to death. He’s a great writer, and had his hand in most of my favorite television shows from childhood. That being said, this issue was a bit of a disappointment. This title and its companion, Gotham City Sirens, have been suffering from false solicitations and unannounced guest writers since their early issues, and this issue was fully a victim of one of those and
partially the victim of another. Solicitations claimed that this issue dealt with the aftermath of Zsasz’s child-killing spree, which is all fine and dandy. Instead we got an issue that was part one of a two-parter about The Carpenter, a character Dini has been using in each of his Batman books relatively frequently. I’m fine with just a fun little story, but isn’t that better suited for Gotham City Sirens? It’s just weird to have this book go from a story about a serial killer’s child arena to a relatively lighthearted story about a villain themed after carpentry. Since this ends with a “To be continued…” we can go ahead and assume that next month’s solicitation about the return of Hush is incorrect as well, which is a shame considering I picked up this book due to Dini’s Heart of Hush being absolutely incredible.

Not only that, but Dini didn’t even script this. Yes, he did the plot, so this wasn’t as much of a low blow as having a completely unannounced two-parter from another writer in the middle of another story (yes I’m still bitter about that), but part of what I love about Dini is the way that he writes his scripts. Dustin Nguyen is an incredible penciller, so there was no problem with setting the story to sequential art, but whoever is responsible for the absolutely awful puns in here owes me an apology. The problem when a story is plotted by one person and scripted by another (or another two, in this case) is that you aren’t exactly sure who did what. We don’t know if Dini said “Alright, here’s the basic story” and left dialogue, action scenes and the like to be figured out by the scripters or if he wrote the issue in prose to then be translated into a script. Either way, the end result seems completely phoned in. At least Dustin Nguyen does an excellent job with his pencils (as always), which gives this issue at least one extra point.

Final Verdict: 5.7 – Come back two months from now.

Amazing Spider-Man Presents: American Son #1
Let’s be honest, I don’t think anyone was really expecting much from this mini. The main thing hurting these “Amazing Spider-Man Presents:” titles is that Amazing Spider-Man comes out three times a month rather than monthly. By the time American Son, for example, reaches its next issue, ASM will have wrapped up one storyline and be well into another. With ASM publishing at such a breakneck speed, it’s easy to accidentally forget about these monthly companion books.

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All things considered, though, this really wasn’t bad. I felt that the original “American Son” arc in ASM was alright, so I was a little bit interested to see how Harry Osborn returning to the costume would pan out. However, most of the action doesn’t happen in this book; rather, one of Harry’s two outings as American son occurs within the pages of Age of Heroes #2…which isn’t out yet. Seriously Marvel, how many of those goofs have you had recently? It appears that Harry is back to some old habits, but the most interesting development in this first issue was the return of Gabriel Stacy (especially if you didn’t read the solicits). Sure, Sins Past was pretty awful, but the Stacy twins are still a part of the Marvel canon, and I’m interested to see what goes down with this character who hasn’t been touched in six years, especially considering Sins Past’s dubious place in the post-One More Day continuity.

The writings pretty decent, there’s nothing wrong with the art, but there’s still one reason why you might choose to avoid this: it’s $3.99. And what for? A back-up story. Sure, it’s slightly humorous (I chuckled at “I can’t believe it! Spidey’s selling out!”), but this title wasn’t going be flying off the shelves to begin with. Adding a dollar to the overall price is really going to hurt its sales. If you’ve been following Amazing Spider-Man and are interested in following Harry’s side of the story, pick it up. Otherwise save yourself $3.99.

Final Verdict: 6.0 – Browse, and buy it if you like it.

Joe the Barbarian #5
I love me some Grant Morrison, but let me take a moment to talk about artist Sean Murphy. I can say without any hint of doubt that this was the best looking book to come out this week. I would have to double-check, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if this was the best looking book to come out so far this month. Sean Murphy’s art is absolutely phenomenal in this issue, somehow topping the A+ work he dished out in the previous four. There was one point where I flipped to the next page only to be confronted with a picture that literally made my jaw drop.

As amazing as Murphy’s art is, I think that there is one person on this book that doesn’t get enough love among the average comic book fan: colorist Dave Stewart. Coloring really makes or breaks the artistic portion of a book, and Stewart knows just how to complement Murphy’s incredibly unique style. Back when David and I did our Saturday Showdown on the various Eisner nominees I picked Stewart for best coloring, and this issue is a shining example why.

Oh, and how about that Grant Morrison guy? I think he’s going to make it big one day. Seriously though, this has been one of the best reads I’ve had in a while from the man, and this is coming from a guy who loves nearly everything Morrison has written. Morrison has a way of making us love the most unlikely characters (Seaguy, anyone?), and we certainly see more of that in this issue. This is simply some of the most imaginative work that Morrison has put out (which is saying something), and it’s fun to think about whether he came up with the fantasy or real-world equivalent first as the story progresses. If you haven’t been buying this and can’t find back issues up to #1, you better buy this in trade. If you have been buying this, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you to keep doing so.

Final Verdict: 9.2 – Buy it!


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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