Reviews 

Wednesday Is New Comic Book Day! (Reviews 05-26-10)

By | May 27th, 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: Secret Avengers #1

Matt’s Thoughts: I’m not entirely sure on my thoughts of Secret Avengers at the moment. While I found the story to be rather entertaining, I think there were a couple things missing from the first issue that I would have liked to see. That’s probably my own fault – due to Deodato on the book, I guess I assumed there would be more of a Dark Avengers-esque get together story inside. Instead, we’re thrown headfirst into this brand new story starring brand new elements with a pretty crazy twist ending that I’m not quite sure how to make add up yet.

Now, this is not to say that the issue wasn’t good. For a first issue, it’s a good start. All the characters are laid out, and some of the more obscure character choices (i.e. Moon Knight, a decidedly non-team player) are addressed. Brubaker treats us all as intellectuals here, assuming we all know the details of these characters we’re being given and that we’d get the premise of a book like this. In that way it’s not as accessible as something like the Avengers title, but for hardcore Marvel fans this is definitely a book to get behind.

Really though, it all relies on Deodato’s art here, which is the true shining piece to the tale. Deodato’s art looks absolutely gorgeous here, and it fits the dark mysterious tone of the book. The whole book seems to be in a shade of dark blue as well, and I’m not just attempting to point that out since the story takes place at night. Deodato’s new Steve Rogers Super Soldier suit looks great though, and I’m loving his rendition of the other characters so far. They’re much more toned down than they were in the previews Marvel put out, and they don’t look as gaudy. They look great.

In the end, Secret Avengers is the Avengers book for current Marvel fans, and should prove to be a fun spy book. Brubaker’s Cap has always been great, so I’m glad he is the one handling this new version of Steve Rogers. It definitely doesn’t seem like it will be as accessible as the other new Avengers books, but I am ok with that.

David’s Thoughts: To me, as someone who doesn’t pay a ton of attention to solicits outside of titles and covers, this comic was big mystery. I suppose that makes sense given the title, but I really had little to no idea as to what it was going to be about. What I did know was it was written by Ed Brubaker and illustrated by Mike Deodato, Jr., and that in itself is reason enough to pick up this book. Those types of talents can’t be ignored, and can assuredly be counted on turning even the most meager of concepts into a quality book.

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Thankfully, this book fits square into The Heroic Age reorg Marvel is going through, and finds Steve Rogers developing a team designed to be malleable and to surgically strike the more quietly nefarious elements in the Marvel Universe without these types figuring out who they are. This leads to a squad featuring Black Widow, Valkyrie (these two are introduced in this issue as escorts for a Roxxon exec — nice!), Sharon Carter, War Machine, Beast, Moon Knight, Nova, and Ant-Man (Eric O’Grady style!). It’s an atypical squad, but one that Brubaker quickly makes his own. He’s got a good grasp of each of their voices, and through one issue this team already feels greater than the sum of its parts.

The plotting and pacing of the issue is superb, weaving flashbacks that show how members joined the squad with a plot centered around some “Serpent Crown” that is in the possession of Roxxon Industries. It’s a tight read, and one that pulls you in very well and keeps you guessing (the ending threw me for a loop, for one).

Mike Deodato, Jr. was a perfect choice for the book, as his work recently on Thunderbolts and Dark Avengers has shown that he is very capable of darker books with more than just battling going on. Not only that, but he gets bonus points for drawing maybe my favorite Beast ever. I’m not sure what it was about it, but damn, I was immediately of the mind that it was the best illustration of Beast that I’d ever seen.

A very nice start for the book, and one that finds the team going to surprising places and doing surprising things. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised given the secretive nature of the roster, but hey, I guess the team is doing their job properly.

Gil’s Thoughts: When we first saw the team line-up, I was a tad concerned. For a team that is mean to be a black ops sort of team, there were a lot of heavy hitters that would make spying a tad challenging. Well, somehow Ed Brubaker made them all make sense, even if we haven’t seen War Machine in action yet.

Mike Deodato’s art, while really well drawn, is too dark, and while everything is still visible, it feels as if it is barely so. I get that it’s the “Secret Avengers” so there’s a bit of a noir feeling to it, but it’s TOO dark. I hope the lights can go up a bit next issue.

Brandon’s Thoughts: He’s thinking, hold on!

Walt’s Thoughts: While Marvel’s highly successful teaser ad campaign for Ed Brubaker and Mike Deodato Secret Avengers had most of the comics-blogosphere all abubble, I was a bit wary. Finally, after months of hype, the first issue hit stands and all my fears were confirmed:

It’s outstanding.

Ok, so maybe that’s not something to complain about, but seriously, I’ve enough things on my pull as it is. For such an odd cast, Brubaker does an excellent job of making it seem perfectly logical, an endeavor that is greatly aided by how well he captures each character’s voice. One thing that I’m greatly looking forward to about this series is the exposure it will bring to the lesser-known characters that make up the team.

Anyways, moving on to the actual content. In a single issue, Brubaker has demonstrated why he’s easily one of the best script-writers in the industry. Rather than giving us six issues focused on building a team, we get right into the action, with the specifics of the team’s formation only given to us when necessary. Other writers should take a hint, as this is how you should handle a new team book. By doing this, Brubaker is able to do with Secret Avengers the very thing an issue #1 should do: hook the reader! And by all that is holy, if that ending couldn’t get you hooked, I’m pretty sure nothing would. Add smooth dialogue, solid pacing and absolutely beautiful artwork by Mike Deodato, and it looks like I’ve got another dent in my paycheck. How dare comic creators be this good.

MATT’S REVIEWS

Justice League: Generation Lost #2
The first issue of this series blew me away. I had no idea I would love it as much as I did. I’ve never been big on the Super Buddies, nor have I ever really liked Judd Winnick or Booster Gold. However, that inaugural issue was just so damn awesome with the return of Max Lord that I truly saw what everyone else had been raving about all this time. The second issue is definitely no different.

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As our four heroes struggle to survive in a Max-less world, it turns out that Lord has turned everyone against them. Fire is kicked out of Checkmate, Atom is court martialed, everyone thinks Ice is a maniac and – best of all – no one cares about Booster. This is my favorite element about what Lord has done. Seeing as I’m not a fan of Booster, Lord’s decision to not do anything to him because no one would listen to him anyway is brilliant. On top of that, bringing in the current Blue Beetle at the end does a good job of helping to expand the cast as well as touch on some recurring elements in the story. It’s a solid second issue, and so far definitely better than Brightest Day.

I suppose most people don’t find it that surprising, but Judd Winnick teamed up with Keith Giffen makes for a great writing team. With a small and focused cast and a very simple story to follow, it stands to reason that the two are going to keep up this great pace. The second issue doesn’t have as much cool or shock moments, but it’s still a great read, especially when the team splits up to find out what Max did to each of them. Our second artist on the series, Joe Bennett, is another great addition. While so far I think I prefer Lopresti’s work, the art is reasonably seamless until you really start focusing, which is great for the rereadability factor.

Suffice it to say, Generation Lost has my full endorsement when I thought I would just read it to read it. Fortunately, it has exceeded my expectations to make for an incredibly solid read with some fantastic mystery and intrigue. I can’t wait to see what Maxwell Lord has in store for our heroes, and similarly I can’t wait to see what Giffen and Winnick have in store for us.

Final Verdict: 8.9 – Buy

Brave and the Bold #34
Last month’s Brave and the Bold solidified the title as one of the most important DC books on the market, earning this website’s first perfect score. Needless to say, the stakes are now relatively high for the title. While it doesn’t match up very well with last month’s title, Brave and the Bold once again proves why JMS is one of the most important writers DC has in their corner.

Starring the Doom Patrol and the Legionnaires, a destructive black hole has opened, effectively destroying Earth. It is up to the three surviving members of the Legion to travel back in time and find someone who can help stop this threat: the Doom Patrol! Filled with snarky commentary and sassy heroes, this week’s issue of BatB is definitely a fun exercise in sci-fi storytelling.

For the most part, JMS has been writing stories that evoke some sort of high emotional response in the reader, usually through the form of inflicted tragedy. However, this issue is quite different. There’s no great tragedy to behold, and everything wraps up pretty nice and neat at the end. Or, at least it does to an extent. There’s nothing about the issue that makes you really sit and think, though, and it really is more of a throwaway issue in comparison to the other books of the series which seek to show certain characters in new lights. While it’s still an entertaining issue, it’s not as good as the previous ones.

JMS and Jesus Saiz make for a great team-up on their own, though. The art and story flow perfectly, and the two have definitely become very in sync during their run. With the next issue promising to be more humorous than this one (in a rather shocking change!), this current arc is entertaining enough for the current reader but not anything special to pull in the new ones.

Final Verdict: 7.3 – Buy

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #37
What do you get when you call up Karl Kesel and Kurt Busiek and tell them you want new Spider-Man stories? You get the Amazing Spider-Man Annual, that’s what! Having absolutely nothing to do with the current story arc with the Gauntlet, this issue tells us the story of how Captain America and Spider-Man first met back in 1963. And by 1963, I mean 2010. Wait, what?

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Here’s the odd thing about the Annual. I think that, as it stands, it’s a well written story. We have Cap being Cap, Spidey being a fanboy, and a series of new characters who are actually famous scientists, forming something that you’d expect to see in some kind of Fraction comic or possibly Atomic Robo. When Spidey is fighting Kafka, who can turn into a bug, I am pleased. However, here’s the odd thing – the story attempts to have a timeline while not being dated. It takes place after Avengers #11, which was published 50 years ago, yet there are all sorts of direct references to things like Wikipedia. All of it is an effort to help show how Cap adjusts to our current world, but it just makes the book seem awkward rather than clever at times.

That aside, it is a good read. Plus, there’s a brand new Busiek story in the Untold Spider-Man story line. We get to see Spider-Man meet the Earth-616 Stan Lee in a series of meta sequences, all of which lead to various comical results. As a Spider-Man fan, I felt that the book was worth the money that I paid, even if it is a bit odd at times.

Final Verdict: 7.0 – Buy

The Rise Of Arsenal #3
In the world of comics, there are good comics and there are bad comics. Then there are comic books that go so beyond either one of those two given definitions to the point that they in turn define themselves in a brand new fashion. While I am not quite sure what to call the latest issue of the Rise of Arsenal, I do know this: this is one of the most disgusting comics I’ve ever read.

Now, with Brightest Day I did not expect everything to be all sunshine and roses. Far from it. I knew there would still be dark elements to comic books, but not like this. This pretty much exemplifies everything that is bad about comics, all rolled up in one nice and supposedly “provoking” piece. Let me give an example: in one scene, Arsenal decides that (surprise, surprise!) he needs to turn back to drugs to mask his pain. In his drug induced state, he sees himself once again with his daughter Lian, but now he has to fight off a series of Prometheus’ (Promethei?) until Batman comes along to wake him up. Once he is out of his drug induced state, what do we see? Arsenal standing around a bunch of bloodied up druggies holding a dead kitten. REALLY, JT Krul?

To call this torture porn is putting it lightly. This is an exercise in dementia at it’s best, and an insult to the reader at it’s worst. I will not pretend that I have been an Arsenal fan for years, and that his struggle in the aftermath of the destruction of Star City is something that hurts me deep within. What does “hurt” me, though, is the fact that this actually got to go to print. It is quite possibly one of the worst comics that I’ve ever read because the whole purpose of it is to essentially put a character that some people have in fact grown attached to through the most epic gauntlet of insanity, to the extent that anyone coming out ok from this kind of experience is just impossible. Roy Harper has been effectively ruined by this comic alone. Where Justice League: Cry For Justice sure took a big shot at Roy’s life, this is just putting the nail in the coffin to Roy being a character I can’t imagine anyone will want to use after this.

If I had one recommendation to make, it would be to stay far far away from this comic book. I will give it one positive thing – the art. Geraldo Borges and Marlo Alquiza make for a great team. But no matter how good the artwork is, it doesn’t save it from being an absolute horrorshow of a story.

Final Verdict: 2.5 – Pass

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DAVID’S REVIEWS

The Thanos Imperative: Ignition #1
The next major cosmic event for the Marvel Universe is up, and this one is centered on the return of Thanos’ as well as the continued handling of The Fault (which came to be in War of Kings). Cosmic geniuses Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (to be referred to as DnA through the rest of the review) are on writing duties with frequent Guardians of the Galaxy collaborator Brad Walker on pencils, and their work altogether feels like a bit of a mixed bag on immediate recollection.

Part of the problem of this issue centers on the fact that it is really just quarters of four different comics thrown together into one single issue. You have your Guardians section, you have your Nova section, you have your Imperial Guard section, and you have the Inhumans part, and this issue continues those titles’ final plot threads together into one book to kick off the event. Sure, the story is necessary, but why couldn’t the comic have stemmed directly from the ending of those titles instead of having this issue?

However, the issue as a whole from a plotting and character standpoint is an entertaining one, in particular the Guardians sections. Part of that comes from the fact I’m just a huge fan of the Guardians, but DnA have such a great grasp on those characters that it’s hard not to be enthralled by them. Plus, they’re the keepers of Thanos, so they are tied to the most interesting part of the story.

The other aspects mostly have to deal with activity at The Fault, as the Universal Church of Truth and their leader Adam Magus look to make their final move to universal domination. What it results in is truly surprising, and in a lot of ways looks like it may eventually be setting up Thanos as the hero of the story (surprisingly enough). While this portion is quality, DnA just feel so much more vital when writing the Guardians characters that everyone else drags in comparison.

The other problem in the issue is Brad Walker, who was the weakest of all Guardians artists. While he does bring his A game on this issue (which is still kind of weak sauce for anyone else), there are still too many awkward looking figures and strangely designed scenes for my own taste. For such a major issue (or at least I thought it was), I find it to be very odd that Marvel would assign an artist that has been met with resounding indifference.

I was hoping for more from this issue, but perhaps the story and its problems stemmed mostly from my expectations. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t leave me excited for the prospect of whatever they’re calling this crossover, but still, it could have used a more dynamic lead-in issue.

Final Verdict: 6.5 – Browse

Scalped #38
A while ago, I interviewed Jason Aaron and talked to him about the future of Scalped. One of the things he was most excited about was getting a chance to tackle Vietnam again after his Vertigo series The Other Side, and this issue marks the beginning of that arc. While only a portion of it actually relates to the war itself, it’s exciting to me if only because it starts another superb and powerful arc in the grand history of Scalped, America’s greatest ongoing comic series.

This issue finds a man named Wade narrating in the beginning, sharing the history of his family throughout the many wars they’ve been through. It seems dying during times of conflict has been the legacy that Wade has always been meant to live up to, but for some reason no matter the horrors that surround him, he always seems to survive. This whole section is only the first four pages, but it quickly establishes the character as a very intriguing and oddly entertaining narrator.

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The middle part shows the heavily scarred (emotionally, if not physically) Wade well after he was let go by the Army (thanks to being the only survivor of his platoon). It seems he’s still in Vietnam, acting as a drug runner between two former MP’s turned FBI agents in his home of South Dakota and heroin growers out of Vietnam and Laos. This section is remarkably well handled, showing Wade as an almost apathetic shell of a man who still has glimmers of hope left in him. That the glimmers reveal themselves only when he thinks of home (and when he’s gunning down the aforementioned drug mavens) is the impetus for the rest of the plot of this arc, as he quickly escapes (being saved by a man named Dashiell along the way — “I like that name”) and returns to start working undercover for the same FBI agents he used to provide drugs to.

Even though it takes part in the past, it still acts as confluence of many different streams of plot that have been running throughout the series. Jason Aaron proves himself as a master plotter at the very least in this issue, showing he has a vice like grip on the fate of this series quite unlike the abilities of nearly every other series out there. Very rarely does it seem that any panel goes to waste in the grand scheme of this series, and that is thanks to the work of Aaron and series artist R.M. Guera.

Guera’s work was surprisingly well imitated, but his work is too good to ever be fully duplicated. It feels so good to have his moody, dynamic imagery back on the book, loading pages up with robust detail when necessary or giving us stark panels when that is in the cards. Guera has went from being an unknown whose work was hard for me to handle in the beginning to being an artist whose rich storytelling and utter beauty in his work captivates me unlike anyone else on a month to month basis.

This issue begins an arc that will give us the background on how everything in the Prairie Rose Reservation became how it is, from Red Crow’s rise to power to Dash’s conception (come on, it’s Jason Aaron, of course we’ll see that) to elucidating on elements of both of Dash’s parents deaths. It is a very strong start, and one that acts as an exceptional standalone issue even — you really don’t need to know anything to understand the weight of this issue.

Bravura work from both involved, once again.

Final Verdict: 9.5 – Buy

Wolverine: Weapon X #13
Jason Aaron has pretty much taken the world by storm in the past few years. While his work in books like Scalped and The Other Side has earned him a small but passionate fan base, it’s his work in books like Weapon X that are really bolstering his fan base. The reason he’s been so successful in mainstream books that have seen troubled pasts (and let’s face it, he’s done phenomenal work with Wolverine and Ghost Rider where others have failed) is because he takes the elements that work so well in creator owned work and he implements them on top of those titles existing blueprints.

And he makes some absurdly badass comic books.

This issue continues the Deathlok saga, in which Wolverine and Bucky Cap are dealing with a fleet of Deathlok’s from the future who have come to wipe out their greatest enemies before they can become them. The issue starts with Peter Parker in the future giving the old college try in taking out a trio of Deathlok’s and being summarily dispatched, leading us to the present in which current Peter joins the fray on the fight and quickly gets knocked through a brick wall.

Anyone who has read the first issue of Astonishing Spider-Man/Wolverine knows that any appearance from Spidey in a Jason Aaron book will be a good one, but Aaron gets the sweet opportunity to premiere the new New Avengers squad too in this issue. Seeing that happen makes me wish that he was writing that book too, as the interplay between Spidey and The Thing in this issue is AWESOME. Throw in some great moments featuring Spider-Woman/Wolvie and Bucky/Wolvie, and you’ve got a writer in firm grasp of every character on every page.

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He also sets the issue up for a huge finale next time through, as the issue closes with an image that seems to tie-in this arc with the first arc of the series. As I mentioned in my Scalped review, Aaron is a master at converging storylines to maximize power, and this issue appears to be a very clever method of doing just that.

Ron Garney…the guy is perfect for the book. I always thought his art was perfect for either Captain America or Wolverine, and he continues to impress with both characters in this issue. Garney has Wolverine’s look down perfectly. He’s a small brawler with a lot of pain and emotion in his face, and not some sort of ripped superhero. He’s just a guy who is the best at what he does in Garney’s hands, and that is exactly what I want to see. Garney’s action sequences are elegantly designed as well as powerful in execution, and the issue as a whole is all the more exciting for it.

Aaron’s Weapon X is the best Wolverine book in recent memory, often reaching the heights of Millar and McNiven’s Old Man Logan even though the two books are in a lot of ways an apples to oranges comparison. It captures what is so great about the character while also keeping the character relevant and intertwined with the fates of the Marvel Universe. Spectacular works by Messrs. Aaron and Garney, and I continue to love this book.

Final Verdict: 8.8 – Buy

Northlanders #28
Thus ends Brian Wood and Leandro Fernandez’s grand opus, titled “The Plague Widow”. For those that have been following Northlanders, you know the format. For the most part, the book is filled with short arcs about Vikings, but there have also been two 8 part stories that have unfolded to date. This is the conclusion of one of those, and one that ably demonstrates the power of the series through the continued struggles and perseverance of our lead Hilda and her daughter Karin.

Wood does an incredible job in this issue, taking these persecuted women outside the walls of their home in search of a place where they can live in peace. What they find is a cruel Russian winter, starvation, and other things that are hanging on to life as tenuously as they are. This entire arc has been Hilda protecting Karin, fighting for dear life to give her daughter the chance to live a life unburdened and full. Wood spins those roles in our last look at them, giving us a Hilda on the verge of death, delirious and ready to crumble. This emboldens Karin, a girl who has become a woman all too soon and someone who has learned (in our very eyes) what it means to be a powerful woman and someone who knows the merits of fighting for your own life.

Like any great writer, Wood understands that plot is merely a device for character growth and development. What he does with Hilda and Karin throughout this whole arc is validated in just this one issue. That he also gives us a wonderfully ambiguous closing page (are these townsfolk coming to simply assail Karin or to help her?) that is open ended as all get out bolsters the power of the issue, and sends it up an even further notch.

That match, like all others, is ably rendered by Leandro Fernandez. Throughout this arc, his work has been steady while balancing quiet beauty and stunning violence and this issue is more of the former. One sequence in particular is nailed by Wood and Fernandez, as a raiding party spots their gear, and when their scout comes to check them out and finds two women in abject terror and hanging on for dear life…he lets them go. It was a beautiful moment that became a transcendent one thanks to the work of Fernandez.

I also have to mention the continued A+ work from Massimo Carnevale, whose covers have blessed the series throughout and aided in the overall power of the issue release format.

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I think sometimes Northlanders is lost in the ether of Brian Wood’s other works like DMZ and Demo, but this issue and arc have continued to prove what an exceptional work it truly is.

Final Verdict: 9.2 – Buy

GIL’S REVIEWS

Fantastic Four #579
If there’s one thing that the Fantastic Four book had been missing in recent months, it was cohesion. Every issue, they would go on an (admittedly awesome) adventure, meet some new types of beings, and then end the issue. It was a fun ride, but it didn’t do as much as it should have. Now we have some solid plot momentum. With the ramifications of this prophesized war appearing within the pages, including a call back to Mark Millar’s run on Fantastic Four, there is finally something happening. We also see Reed challenging the norm, again, dissolving his relationship to a foundation he started and starting another, with the kids living in his house.

In a change of the creative team, the artist that made the visuals jump off the page (Dale Eaglesham) is no longer on the project, and he leaves his job (and considerable shadow) to Neil Edwards, who brings a style very similar to that of Bryan Hitch to the table. His stark shadows being a lot of contrast to the page and the colors make them vibrant as they possibly can be. Is he Dale Eaglesham? No, he never could be. But he brings a different style to the table, so it’s unfair to compare them. I do have an issue with some of his facial expressions though, as you might see when you read it.

Hickman brings his usual highbrow science fiction style in the script, and I would be remiss to say it isn’t fascinating how his mind works. Hickman is one of the best and smartest science fiction writers out there and you should check it out if you haven’t already.

Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy

Green Lantern Corps #48
This book seems to do two things; it sets up the upcoming arc on Green Lantern Corps, with Ganthet taking up the role as Green Lantern for Sector Zero and joining the Corps; and also Guy leaving the “nest” as it were, revisiting a scene we saw a month or so ago in Brightest Day #0 with Atrocitus on Ysmault.

What exactly will we see with this plan? Will the guardians be usurped in some manner? There are six guardians left; will we see one guardian per Corps? Sayd is already “owned” by Larfleeze and Scar being part of the Black Lanterns. Will Ganthet take over? Will he become the Guardian of the White Light? One can only guess at this point, but it was annoying to see the exact scene over again.

The art, while serviceable, is not as good as Gleason or Reis or Mahnke. Adrian Syaf has come a long way after his run over in the Superman franchise and even further back to his work on The Dresden Files, but his work just doesn’t have the same oomph that the other Green Lantern pencillers have had. I hope he can improve as it goes on, because he does show a lot of potential.

If you’re in it for the long haul in Green Lantern, there’s really not much I can say to sway you for or against the book. But if you’re on the fence, the book does little more than set up the coming arc. Unless you REALLY care about the Alpha Lanterns and rookie Lanterns too, a browse is the best I can give it.

Final Verdict: 6.5 – Browse

X-Force #27
Oh Cyclops, you seem to be getting yourself into a lot of trouble. All your chickens have come home to roost, and now not only did you have disagreements with the dearly departed Nightcrawler, but now everyone’s favorite mutant queen Storm. Be careful Scott. It seems like you’re losing on the home front as well as the battlefront.

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Continuing the relentless Second Coming event, the entirety of San Francisco seems to have been encased in an unbreakable dome (which even Thor could not crack) and the futuristic sentinels known as the Nimrods engage in an all-out assault on the X-Men, resulting in one of the best examples of visual storytelling this year. The first half of the issue didn’t have a lick of dialogue, and it was better for it. It was a terrific example of the writing team knowing exactly what the artist can do and letting him go to town, making not only beautiful pictures, but a beautiful (if grisly) story. Well done, Mike Choi.

I also like some of the things Bastion does that makes us hate him even more. Some might have noticed that he “upgraded” himself to a three fingered hand after killing Nightcrawler, and now he positions himself almost in a crucifix pose during Second Coming. That Robotic Bastard. That’s not even mentioning the heartbreaking final scene, which isn’t as heartbreaking as it should be, considering what we know as readers of comics. But still. Damn fine stuff.

Flat out, this book was incredible, and I would venture it was the best single issue of the series so far. I was originally a little bit on the fence, but now I’m fully immersed.

Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy

Green Lantern #54
In true Tarantino style, I’m going to start with the ending; what a GREAT cliffhanger. I’m really looking forward to the next issue.

Now to skip to the beginning; in the relatively short time since he debuted, Atrocitus has become one of the most three dimensional and fleshed out characters in the Green Lantern “universe.” Doling out his own brand of Red Lantern Justice along with his cat friend Dex-Starr (who, if I’m allowed to go on a short tangent, might be one of the most genius creations ever) in New York’s subways.

Meanwhile, Hal, Carol and Sinestro continue trying what exactly to do with the White Lantern that is perched like the sword in the stone in New Mexico. They try lifting it all together and find themselves getting direction from the entity on retrieving the different entities from their different hiding places.

And in a third plot thread, our unknown antagonist visits everyone’s favorite Green Entity Ion and releases Sodam Yat from his star prison and captures Ion in the mean time. It would seem this going to be a recurring theme throughout the “New Guardians” arc, so it’s hardly spoiling.

As you can see, a whole lot seemed to go on this issue, but at the same time, it read pretty quickly. People are dogging Brightest Day so far, but at least there seems to be a story direction, as opposed to Dark Reign or even The Heroic Age, which seem to be simply thematic titles that have no real effect of what it being told. If Brightest Day does have a fault, it’s the sheer number of books coming out that relate to it, but not directly.

But if you’re on the fence with this whole Brightest Day business, you should check out the book for Doug Mahnke’s pencils. He tears apart the page with his art, and it’s just a feast for the eyes.

Final Verdict: 7.5 – Buy

WALT’S REVIEWS

The Return Of Bruce Wayne #2
I have to say, I’m finding this series a bit difficult to review. Sometimes you read a comic issue by issue and find yourself liking certain issues more than others, while other times you need to read the whole thing to really get a feel for it. The latter is particularly true of miniseries and of books written by certain writers who go for a continuous rather than episodic approach. Writers such as, say, Grant Morrison.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m greatly enjoying this arc so far. Both this issue and the previous one have proven me completely wrong regarding what I believed the story would contain, which is always refreshing. I feel that this issue will probably be a very important one for both the mini and Morrison’s work on Batman as a whole and will constantly be reread by those fanatics who spend hours trying to “figure it all out” before it happens (not that I’m one of those…). Think about it, Bruce is in a time of witchcraft and devilish pacts, and a very big theme in Morrison’s Batman run has been the Devil and other dark beings of the occult. All I’m saying is that I wouldn’t be surprised if some things brought up in here are at least mentioned in the upcoming issue of Batman & Robin where Damian makes a pact with Dr. Hurt. But we’ll see.

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While this issue sheds a little bit more light on what is happening to Bruce Wayne, there’s still even more questions asked in this issue than the previous one. The scene at the Vanishing Point in particular made me exclaim something along the lines of “yeahbutwhat?” If DC One Million proved anything, it’s that Morrison knows how to handle time travel, so I feel that this x-factor will only make the story even more compelling. My biggest complaint with this issue, however, was any depiction of Booster and Rip’s faces. Honestly, Frazer Irving is an amazing artist, so I don’t know why or how he dropped the ball with these particular characters. The rest of the art is perfect though, managing to fit the tone of both the Puritan era that Bruce is trapped in and the high-sci fi feel of the Vanishing Point.

Final Verdict: 8.1 – Buy it!

Secret Warriors #16
I think I’m going to have reread that whole arc in one sitting. The previous issue just ended in a way that left me hungering for a high-action reckoning, and while said reckoning occurred in this issue it just wasn’t what I was looking for. However, by the end of this arc (particularly the last few pages), it’s pretty obvious that this wasn’t the time for such a sequence, and that this arc was more to set up what comes next. I’m fine with that.

Ok, I guess I have to say more than that. As in all of his books, Jonathan Hickman’s writing skill is incredibly impressive in this issue, though the twist near the end being combined with the recently introduced romantic element seems almost cliche to me. That is, it seems cliche when compared with the rest of Hickman’s anything-but-cliche stories and characters. I’m probably just picking at hairs, though. Overall, any disappointment I had with this issue was probably just the result of me expecting something very different from what I got, and I’m not even sure why that was.

Ginaluca Gugliotta and Sunny Gho did a mostly solid job in stepping in for Stefano Caselli on this issue, but having the art change at the very last issue of an arc can be a bit jarring. For the most part the pair is very impressive, but there were a few moments where I was a bit off-put by some faces and such.

In the end, I still feel like this is one of the best titles Marvel is putting out, and this issue just made me even more excited for what Hickman plans to do with the team. I still feel like there should have been more “happening,” though.

Final Verdict: 7.5 – Buy it if you’ve been following the arc, otherwise come back next month.

Thunderbolts #144
This is the third major revamp of the villains-gone-somewhat-heroic Thunderbolts team in only three years. Over the past few years, the focus of Thunderbolts has been less on the previous team leader Baron Zemo and more on the general idea of villains playing the heroic role.

…so why is Luke Cage on the team? Well, it looks like he’ll be playing the tough-as-nails enforcer keeping the rest of the team in check. One thing I wish had been addressed is Luke’s involvement with both this team and the New Avengers, but I guess we’ll see that later (I’ll be disappointed if neither Parker or Bendis address that). And boy did Parker give him a hell of an entrance

With a mix of old and new Thunderbolts, Parker’s new team looks like it will be easily accessible to new readers, much like Ellis’ revitalizing run a few years back. The new cast is really interesting, and with my knowledge of the characters it looks like we will be getting a very unique group dynamic. Between his previous work on this title and Agents of Atlas, Parker has demonstrated that he knows how to handle teams, so I’m expecting pretty good things from Parker with this new group. And it has Man-Thing in it! Man-Thing!

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All in all, I would say this is buy-worthy, but probably not enough to knock something off of your current pull (if you’re tight for money like me). However, if you’re a fan of the Thunderbolts, Jeff Parker, Luke Cage or even just the idea of “bad-guys” doing good, you best be picking this up.

Final Verdict: 7.4 – Buy it (maybe)!

War of the Supermen #4
And with that, the book is closed on approximately five years’ worth of Superman stories. As much as I loved New Krypton, I understand that it had to come to an end at some point, and I’m glad that James Robinson and Sterling Gates were the ones to wrap this up.

In his previous reviews of this mini, Gil has been comparing DC’s War of the Supermen with Marvel’s recently finished Siege, and I would agree with him that War of the Supermen is superior in almost every way. Much like Siege, War of the Supermen has mainly been a big brawl, with most of the exposition and intrigue having been set up in the years preceding. The action in War of the Supermen has just been much more enjoyable and creative, particularly with this last issue (not going to lie, that aircraft carrier bit was the coolest things I saw in this week’s pull). Again like Siege, the third of the four issues ended with a cliffhanger that was meant to get the reader excited for the next issue, but War of the Supermen actually paid off all the excitement promised in the previous issue’s final iconic panel. One thing I love about Gates and Robinson is how they both know exactly how to use Superman as an icon as well as a character, something each did wonderfully throughout World of New Krypton, Last Stand of New Krypton and finally War of the Supermen.

The only thing I found a bit bothersome in this issue, as well as previous ones, was the art. It wasn’t bad as a whole, but the problem with a weekly title with multiple artists is that you will sometimes have problems with inconsistency, and that was definitely the case in this issue. Some panels were great, most were ok, but some where just not very good. Luckily, the writing and the story being told are great enough that I can let this slide.

James Robinson has been getting a lot of (rather undeserved) bad publicity lately due to the terribly-received Cry For Justice. Those who have been judging him as a writer based off of his highly editorial-meddled Justice League work rather than by his outstanding Superman titles quite frankly don’t know they’re talking about. Come on guys, this is the man who wrote Starman! As excited as I am to see JMS writing Superman, I’m dismayed to see one of the most intelligent writers DC has in their corner leaving a franchise he handles very well. While he has one more issue, this one most likely marks the last few changes he will make in the Superman books, and I’m glad to see how deftly he and co-writer Sterling Gates returned the toys to where they were before they, Johns and Rucka got ahold of them.

Final Verdict: 9.1 – 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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