Welcome back, friends of all ages and races and sizes and species! We’ve got a great round-up of comics for you this week, and an exciting book for our BOTW slot. I’d also like to remind you, we’ve got this brand new rating system up:
0: Uwe Boll will direct the adaptation of this comic
0.1 – 1: Burn upon touching
1- 1.9: Abysmal
2.0 – 2.9: Art. Writing. Editing. All bad.
3.0 – 3.9: You’d be a masochist to pick this up.
4.0 – 4.9: “I’ll give it another month…but that was not good.”
5.0 – 5.9: “Really? The Watcher? In the face? I guess it was fun.”
6.0 – 6.9: “Hmm. That was decent.”
7.0 – 7.9: Well made but a few problems
8.0 – 8.9: Nearly flawless
9.0 – 9.9: Outstanding
10: Perfection. Issue of the year contender
For those wondering, Pass would be anywhere from 0 to 3.9, Browse would be 4 to 6.9, and Buy would be from 7 to 10. So what are you waiting for? Hop on past the jump and enjoy!
Book of the Week: Fantastic Four #574
Matt’s Thoughts: It never ceases to astound me just how good the Fantastic Four series has gotten in the past year. What started as a book I cared very little about (outside of Dr. Doom stories) has grown into a book I greatly enjoy and highly recommend thanks to two fantastic (no pun intended) writers who have completely revitalized what the book can be in my eyes.
That being said, it never ceases to astound me just how good of a writer Jonathan Hickman is. With this and Secret Warriors, Hickman has become a definite household name for Marvel fans because he is showing us just how great comics are supposed to be. Marvel has a great room of writers over in their bullpen, but Hickman’s star is one of the brightest currently shining. And you know why? Because he can write an issue about a child’s birthday and make it one of the most touching reads imaginable, and before you know it he’ll twist everything around and you’ve got another amazing science fiction entry for the world’s most fantastic family.
Kudos to Fantastic Four and all of the things surely to come. There are several seeds very clearly planted for which the book to grow upon, and I can’t wait to see all of it evolve. It’s shaping up to be one… wait for it… FANTASTIC book.
(Too many fantastic puns? Maybe. But even so. This was freakin’ great.)
David’s Thoughts: What begins as a cute, somewhat throwaway issue rapidly becomes one with massive ramifications for the entire title by the end of it. All it takes are six little words: “rest…and remember what you are.”
While the beginning with Franklin’s birthday was truly a bit of a throwaway for most people besides big fans of the character and his relationship with characters like Artie and Leech (like me…Valeria and Franklin’s present for Artie was wonderful), the “Later this evening” section truly packed significant ramifications. One thing Hickman has been continuing very well from Mark Millar’s run has been the growth of Valeria’s intelligence, and the segment at the end with her visitor is one that will most certainly drive speculators wild. I for one greatly enjoyed it.
However, I have to say, as much as I enjoyed Neil Edwards art the first time through, I disliked it equally so on my second run. I must admit, his art felt very rushed in this issue. This led to a lot of characters looking odd or disjointed, whule backgrounds were sparse and awkward looking. With the return of Dale Eaglesham and the beginning of the Prime Elements arc next issue, we’ll look for a return to our expected high standards next month. As is, this was a bit of a down month for art in this book.
Gil’s Thoughts: Fantastic Four is one of those books that I didn’t expect to like too much when I picked it up again. I completely missed Millar’s run, and only picked up Hickman’s run because I heard it was *that* good. And boy, were they right. I love it. Valeria is become one of my favorite characters, because she’s smart, but she’s still a kid. She calls her brother a retard, and does things a kid would do despite being arguably smarter than her father Reed Richards. She’s also getting a lot more prominent it seems, being front and center here and being the client in X-Factor. I Like it.
Continued belowMy only issue was the art. It’s not BAD, but sometimes the super-realistic art is a little jarring, and a few facial expressions are a tad funky. But in all reality, another reason I picked up the series was for Dale Eaglesham, and since he’s not on it, I’m a sad panda.
One of the things I loved the most was the last page. Franklin’s gone through A LOT, and the last page really brought back the wonderment and joy the little munchkin could give off. Hickman clearly loves the characters, as it was just a blast to read. Everything from Frankie’s friends being kids to a cameo from Spider-Man was so much fun. I love it.
Brandon’s Thoughts: Yet another brilliant issue of Fantastic Four. This is a run that I think will go down as one of the best Fantastic Four runs ever. I know it’s early and this may seem a bit premature but I don’t think so. It just seems that Hickman knows exactly what to do with the Fantastic Four where many who’ve come before just couldn’t figure it out.
This run seems even better if only because it followed the horrid arc that preceded it. While the creators of the last run may have been more prominent they failed to achieve the grand scheme fun that the current creators have attained. This in my mind proves that the Fantastic Four are a tricky beast that requires creators with a firm grasp on them. Anything else comes across as contrived.
Oh and another big plus in this issue is the addition of Artie and Leech. As a big fan of Generation X I really appreciated this incredible nod to the history of Franklin Richards and the Marvel Universe continuity in general. Oh and the twist of who the attacker is was great as well. Another nod to previous continuity and Franklin? We’ll just have to sit back and enjoy the ride to find out.
MATT’S REVIEWS
Powers #2
Last time I reviewed Powers, I complained that the opening was a tad slow in comparison. I love Powers, I think it’s the best thing Bendis has ever endeavored upon. Well, with issue 2 he and Oeming really pick up the pace in a high packed and incredibly thrilling read that quite literally will kick you in the junk and fly off into the night sky. It’s just that awesome.
In the second issue of Powers, we continue to follow Detective Walker and his new partner Enki Sunrise as they search for the murderer of someone Walker used to know, back in his swinging Sinatra days. As they continue to investigate the mystery of the bloody Nazi pin, Walker begins to have a flash to one of his old lives (in which he used to fight alongside the amazingly named Billy Mace) battling giant Nazi robots. Awesome! All of this of course leads to yet another twist ending, conveniently placed to add a whole heap of new questions.
This issue of Powers does exactly what I love Powers for: interesting panel techniques, fast paced story telling, and clever dialogue. This arc so far is much different than any of the other arcs in pervious Powers volumes, but it’s still intriguing as Bendis and Oeming drop in little clues as to what will eventually explode in the future (such as a curious flashback to Walker posing as Van Helsing) . I think it’s safe to assume we’re in for a lot when it comes to Walker’s past lives, which is an exciting concept. Furthermore, this issue is beyond brilliant for Oeming’s talents. Oeming’s best work I think has been on Powers, just like Bendis, and with this latest issue he is most definitely on, as the kids like to say. With fantastic two-page spreads and his unique form of panel juxtaposition, his talent is undeniable, and it’s amazing to see how he has grown as an artist since the first issue of volume 1.
Needless to say: Powers truly is back, kids. And when I say it’s back, I definitely mean that it’s back to kick ass and take names.
Continued belowFinal Verdict: 9.0 – Buy
Teen Titans #78
Either I’m in a really good mood or the books this week really just are THAT good! I’ve been a casual fan of Teen Titans for quite some time now, and I loved the last issue. I loved the Wilson family being put straight into Blackest Night and loved what was done with the characters. This issue is no different. From start to finish, it is true blue Deathstroke and family, straight to the bitter end.
I think when it comes to a character like Deathstroke, Ravager, and Jericho, we have such an odd dynamic because of the ups and downs the characters have had throughout the years. They’re all ambiguous as to whether they are truly good or evil, and Blackest Night definitely helps to play that up. In fact, as tie-ins go this is one of the most concise, actually featuring a two-page spread dedicated to linking all of the different Blackest Night tie-ins together. I really enjoyed that. Granted, a whole big chunk of the plot is a bit of a jump (Jericho just magically getting his eyes back), but considering how low key these characters are on the scale of 1 to 10, I’ll allow it.
While Teen Titans certainly is not as good as it once was back in the day, I’m definitely beginning to take with the creative team and the general direction of the book. The past arc plus these two issues have been enjoyable, and I’m interested to see what else will happen in the future. I’m not sure I’d call Teen Titans a top tier book, but it’s certainly much better than Titans!
Final Verdict: 7.9 – Buy
Image United #2
Either I am severely “not getting it,” or Image United is just a pretty bad comic. I’m not sure which is true. To be honest, I thought that the Image United concept as a whole was a somewhat novel one that would be hard to pull off, and as I read the second issue I believe that is most definitely true.
Image United #2 picks up some of where the last issue left off, except not exactly. Remember that “odd thing” everyone was staring at? Yeah. It’s not revealed. Omega Spawn is elaborated on, but barely. Apparently Al Simmons has rounded up all the villains of the Image universe and turned them against the heroes. Ok, except that doesn’t really make sense. Al Simmons has always been a great hero… this doesn’t make sense. In fact, for the most part, the book seems very rushed. Most of Kirkman’s writing flows really well, and we’ve seen him take on huge events in Invincible and multi-character arcs before, but this is just falling flat. The writing is sloppy, and the whole story is just not working.
Furthermore, the idea of having the artists all draw their individual characters really just worked on paper. In fact, I don’t even think I can complain about Liefeld like some people might expect me to. Really, I have to complain about everyone, because this just doesn’t go together at all. All of the work mixed and mashed like this comes out really poor and uneven, and it makes the story fairly poor in reality.
While I’d love to give the first official Image event a better review, I’m just not enjoying it at all. It ends up being just a concept that worked better on paper than it does in practice.
Final Verdict: 3.4 – Pass
Beasts of Burden #4
Beasts of Burden was by far and large one of the must read comics of 2009. And with the release of the fourth issue this week, it only goes to show that if you hadn’t been getting this series, then you’ve definitely missed out. Featuring some of the most charming characters as well as quickly paced story telling make this issue one of the best in the bunch, and definitely one of the best books out this week.
Picking up where the last issue off, the Beasts of Burden Hill are brought into a new mystery when an old friend arrives out of the blue carrying a detached human arm. What they find is that a mysterious resurrection that is somehow connected with the events of the previous issue, and by the end of it we’re left hanging with an even bigger mystery awaiting us in a future volume.
Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson have managed to create a book that’s both one of the most adorable comics on the market as well as one of the most horrifying. The main characters are all incredibly intriguing and special, finding ways into your heart just from a single issue. Now that we’re in the fourth, all of them have very clear and distinct personalities that make us just wish we could adopt them. And the water colors done by Thompson this issue are beyond fantastic. In fact, the amount of stable artwork in this bok is something most other books could merely hope to aspire to. Thompson and Dorkin both understand their characters so well that they become beyond lifelike and it helps to make Beasts of Burden some of the best material you’ll read all week. Accompany that with a mythos that doesn’t feel the need to explain itself and you’ve got one one of the best books of the entire year.
While I’m not sure when the next book is coming out, I can definitely tell you it’s one of my most anticipated of all 2010. Beasts of Burden is one of the best new comics in the Dark Horse line and a definite can’t miss for fans of comics everywhere.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Buy
Justice Society Of America #34
I’ve been enjoying the recent change in the JSA writing and art staff. It’s basically just the Fables team, and Fables was our top on-going of the decade. That bodes well for it, right? Well, with the split up of the team after the last issue, we not only get an entire new feel to the book, but a new art direction. And that is something I’m not so hot on.
Willingham is now on his own, writing without Sturges, and to be honest it’s not that hot. The previous arc was off the wall crazy, but it was good stuff, and JSA All-Stars by Sturges continued the tradition. I guess all the good characters are over in that book now because Willingham was definitely stumbling in this issue. This issue has the return of a … dare I say, C-List villain? He inhabits the body of the new Dr. Fate and proceeds to be rude for the rest of the issue. It makes for a funny read, but nothing ultiamtely worthwhile, and the reveal at the end is a pretty big let-down, whereas JSA-All Stars had an amazing villain reveal (although, considering we’ve been able to see the cover for issue 35 for some time, I guess it shouldn’t have even been that big of a reveal to begin with). Either way, it’s very meh writing.
Furthermore, the loss of artist Jesus Marino equates a pretty big blow on the books quality in my opinion. Travis Moore and Dan Green just do not pull off the quality that he did. Their lines are less even, the colors less refined. The whole book feels like we went from a sharp and well done book to something that seems a bit… half-assed. It’s rather unfortunate.
To be honest, with the loss of half the team, the artist, and one of the two writers, it feels like the book just lost a big chunk of itself. The first five issues of this run was truly a nice change of pace and an interesting start to the replacement of Johns, but I guess as quickly as I got excited, I am just that quickly let down.
Final Verdict: 6.7 – Browse
DAVID’S REVIEWS
New Avengers #60
While continuing an arc that has been running for perhaps too long (the “oh no, Luke Cage had a heart attack” arc), this one closes it and does so with the best issue of New Avengers in some time. The issue begins with the assembled Avengers in a home of unknown origin debating on what to do with Cage. It seems as if Osborn’s benevolent move to perform surgery on him wasn’t as forthcoming as originally thought, and Osborn’s crew of evildoers managed to leave a special present behind. While most of the issue deals with that, we also have the conclusion to the Harrow/Hood power struggle at the top of the criminal world. Two big topics to broach, but Bendis handles each with his standard flair and impeccable feel for pacing.
Not only that, but he manages to load us up with exceptional character moments all over the place. My favorite bits included Hank Pym and Dr. Strange going inside of Cage to take a look at his heart a bit closer (“Deep inhale!”), Hawkeye/Bullseye’s response to Osborn not saying “Avengers Assemble!”, and Danny Rand’s final statement to Cage as he leaves the room, but this issue was loaded with them. The best part of the whole story was the revelation of where they were during the awkward surgery, which never even came up in my mind but made perfect sense by the end. A perfect gag by Bendis, and another example of something he does so well.
This issue marks the first one yet where Stuart Immonen really seems to have made this book his own. His style seems less of an emulation of other artists that have been on this book before than his own this time, and the charm and fearsome creativity we’re used to from him runs rampant throughout these pages.
As we head into Siege, it’s good to know that the flagship Avengers book is looking like its back on the way up. It’s been down a bit lately in my mind, but this issue does a lot for it in terms of recovering.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy
Detective Comics #860
I was a bit upset by the end of this issue. This is the last JH Williams III sighting on this book for a while.
Give me a second.
Alright. I can get going again.
This issue finishes Kate Kane’s origin story, as we find out exactly how she became Batwoman and what her father’s relationship to those beginnings are. This wraps up the three issue arc showing us where she came from, and Greg Rucka perfectly dovetails the conclusion of that with more information on the mysterious Alice and her actual identity. Rucka even gives us a confrontation between her and her father as to that identity, and its an exceptionally emotional scene that he handles ably.
The rest of the origin story is handled just as well, from the opening scenes with Renee Montoya to the training splash pages to the revelation of Kate’s costume and beyond. Williams III nails each and every scene with brilliant design work, exceptional uses of negative space from page to page, and some of the most absurdly innovative layouts you’ll ever see. Plus, we’re given that final page of their combined arc in which Rucka wordlessly shares the situations of a broken family as Williams III absolutely obliterates all other artists hope at winning the Eisner next year with the emotive work he puts on display here.
Before I wrap this review up, I want to note one aspect I’ve been derelict in saying: Dave Stewart’s colors on Williams III’s finished art has taken the work to a whole new level. There’s a reason why Dave Stewart gets every award known to man for his coloring work, and that’s because he is the best – bar none. Take the last splash page for an example as to why that is.
Another stellar issue from an absolute dream team of dynamite creators. You will be missed when you’re separated.
Final Verdict: 9.6 – Buy
Hellboy: Bride of Hell
This one-shot is a great exercise in that it brings back the Eisner Award winning team from last year’s Hellboy: The Crooked Man: Mike Mignola on writing duties and Richard Corben on art. Even better? It combines the two of them in a story that is eerily reminiscent of that mini-series, yet finds the story reversed to a certain degree.
The story begins with a TV report about a missing American student in France. It seems as if the French authorities have failed and it is now time for BPRD and their prized operative Hellboy to get involved. This of course leads to ritualistic sacrifices, demons, (seemingly) benevolent monks, Hellboy getting hurt a lot, and lots of witchcraft. You know, all the things this book excels at.
Continued belowInterestingly enough, this title is a juxtaposition of that previous mini in that it takes the standard roles that we’re used to (demon = bad, religious soldier = good) and uses that against the reader, creating a twist that alters the dynamic of the story completely from that point forward and backward. It’s an exceptional move and a very prescient one at that by Mignola, whom we should really expect the world from at this point given his decade plus at killing it in this universe.
Richard Corben is one of the best Hellboy artists, up there with Duncan Fegredo and Mignola himself. His dark, moody style and character design really recalls Fegredo as much as anyone, although you could say his style is perhaps a bit more restrained. No less, another excellent member to Mignola’s ever growing cast of artists for these titles.
All in all, another great Hellboy adventure that once again leaves our boy pondering the ramifications of his actions. All of these little titles and one-shots feel like they are slowly building Hellboy into the character Mignola needs him to be for his eventual return into the world of BPRD, and it’s exciting to see those types of things unfolding on the page.
Final Verdict: 8.7 – Buy
Invincible #69
Review pending, check back soon!
Criminal: Sinners #3
Review pending, check back soon!
Last Days Of American Crime #1
Rick Remender is a writer whose name draws a lot of merit in my mind, but one that comes with warning flags. An exceptionally brilliant writer from a conceptual standpoint, but he tends to not follow through on the initial promise in my mind (see: The End League, Gigantic). Yet here I am once again picking up a title of his on the promise of concept, and boy, what a doozy of a concept he’s come up with this time. A slightly older crook, looking to make one huge, final score before the “American Peace Initiative” does away with crime for good and all paper money goes away permanently. Quite the concept, and through one issue I can say Remender and artist Greg Tocchini are well on their way to pulling it off.
One of the best things Remender does in this first issue is not falling in love with the concept too much – establishing it without forcing it down our throats, and then moving on with where the money is: crime. This story regardless of its political underpinnings and futuristic verve is at its heart an analogue to Brubaker and Phillips’ Criminal, or really any pulp, noir story in recent memory. It has the gruff central character, the femme fatale, the suspect wild card, the law, the confidante…you know, all of the noir staples. Throw in an opening scene that firmly establishes Graham (the protagonist) as someone you don’t want to mess with and a simple yet elegant heist plan, and we have a recipe for a tasty crime story.
Greg Tocchini is not an artist I’ve been familiar with before, but his painterly color palette and expressive yet kinetic linework recall Phil Noto’s work on the recent Doc Savage/Batman special or perhaps even a grittier version of Luc Jacamon’s work on The Killer. He’s quite the find, and he manages to really sell the va-va-voom power of femme fatale Shelby. One negative about the art: his line work becomes excessive at points, which leads to ambiguous imagery in which you have to guess as to what precisely is going on. Perhaps a little clean up work would do him good from time to time.
One of my favorite aspects of this book isn’t even a creative decision. I love that they made this bi-monthly, $4.99 and 64 pages. It’s a huge book and really feels worth the money, and telling the story in this chapter style I think will work perfectly for the title. Solid decision making on this excellent inaugural issue.
Continued belowFinal Verdict: 8.6 – Buy
GIL’S REVIEWS
Green Lantern #49
This book is tough for me.
Don’t get me wrong, I love it, and the entire Green Lantern franchise to death. But John Stewart is my least favorite Green Lantern. Heroes with these block sized chips on their shoulders bug me. Even John references it, comparing himself to the other Earth Lanterns.
I love this issue though. It really opened my eyes to a lot of things. First, it had a really cool parallel to Green Lantern Corps that I won’t reveal because it is a spoiler. Second, I actually understood why there’s a tentpole event series as opposed to the Sinestro Corps War model of just GL and GLC running the show. GLC is on its own, while GL interacts with Blackest Night, which involves the entire universe. So I’m over that criticism.
One thing I didn’t know what that Ed Benes was handling the visuals. So it was a really nice surprise to see his work again. My favorite thing, however, goes to a backup story not teased on the cover. It stars Ray Palmer, Mera, and Deadman, and explains the origins and motivations of Nekron (“Nekron is not death, he is peace”.)
Should you pick this up? Yes, Unequivocally. But I suppose that if you’re not reading Blackest Night, you don’t NEED to. But why wouldn’t you read it? Psh.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy
Secret Warriors #11
Jonathan Hickman is one of best new writers out there. Let’s just get that out of the way. His books are so much fun, and he has the versatility to write something fun and relatively light (Fantastic Four) and also something as heavy and spy-oriented as Secret Warriors.
One thing I never noticed until a second read through is the dynamic presentation of Stefano Caselli’s artwork. While he didn’t change his style much from when he was on Avengers: The Initiative, it’s presented in a much darker way, which gives it a whole new layer of beauty, matching the tone of the book. It’s almost like he took a peak at Alex Maleev’s playbook and took the best parts and added it to his own repertoire.
The story itself picks up where the last arc left off, introducing the Godkiller sword that was only mentioned in the previous Phobos-centric arc. I think I might see where this is going, but then again, I’m probably completely wrong. Could the two blades be meeting again? Would the new owner of the Godkiller be going after the Grasscutter owner? We can only hope for an epic battle like that.
Nick Fury seems to be up to something as well, rounding up his various squads getting them ready because “Hell’s comin’–and he’s right behind it.” That’s Fury for you: Cryptic and ready to kick ass. I’ll take it. Silver Samurai has a bit in it too.
The book itself may be a bit on the disjointed side, but I think that’s the point. Some of the best shows on TV and the most entertaining comics right now have arc that don’t seem to connect until the end of the arc. Much like those others forms of entertainment; we just have to wait to see what’s up Hickman’s sleeve. I’m really juiced to see it, and so should you.
Final Verdict: 8.5- Buy
Incredible Hercules #139
Hm. This book kind of breaks my heart. On one hand, it’s the Marvel book I look forward to the most, along with Invincible Iron Man. But on the other, with the series being announced as ending in a mere eleven issues, I feel like each one is a precious commodity to be enjoyed thoroughly.
That being said, this book was a lot of fun. From the various banter from the Avengers from the various teams (Spider-Man and Hank Pym being the highlights, along with Zeus and Quicksilver) to a shocker of an ending that I would hardly call a twist, but is still jarring (in a good way). I read through it about 3 times, and I smiled the whole time.
Continued belowVan Lente, who has clearly been thinking ahead, is resolving plot threads put in place over a year ago. We get an understanding of why Delphyne was the leader of the Amazons now, and it has disastrous implications for our heroes. Cho himself is mightily heartbroken, as will Hercules.
There is also some clear allegory about the consumerism that plagues our culture. What is Continuum? It’s anything you want it to be! As long as you buy it! It also happens to be the thing that Hera is using to destroy our world in its entirety. It was very intelligent writing on Van Lente’s part, but do we really expect less?
I would hardly call the art “amazing,” but it’s the art we’ve come to expect from the title. It’s really really good. The best thing about the art, and this is by no means a bad thing, is the sound effects that Rodney Buchemi and Reilly Brown put into the fight scenes. In the last arc we had a purple “nurp,” and this month we have “MACEINTHEFACE!” when Herc knocks a titan in the…well, face. It’s like taking the best thing from the old Batman TV show and making it their own.
I know I’ve become a broken record, but I have to say you need to buy this book. It’s the most fun you’ll have with your pants on.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy
Superman #695
Ever feel like story is just too long? As if it had promise but it just kept going at a snail’s pace until you just stopped caring anymore? Kind of like the Red Hulk business? Unfortunately, that’s what the Superman franchise is turning into.
While it’s nowhere near as bad as Red Hulk, mind you, but it’s frustrating and tiresome. In this issue, not much happens. Mon-El, in his Superman Red outfit is fighting both Parasite and Bizarro sans powers. It’s a fun little diversion, but it ends far too soon. Instead, we’re treated to Mon finding his way back into the Science Police, and reigniting his flirtation with Billi for some steamy lovin’. Oh, and Lois’ dad is still a prick. The two bits of actual plot development feel like there’s not nearly enough there. John Henry Irons comes out of his coma, and like your average wake up, he yells out the name of the person who wronged him. The actual scene up until that point was really heartfelt, but after that, I lost it. There’s also a development that almost feels closer to a plot regression. Spoiler: Jimmy Olsen isn’t dead after all! But if you didn’t read the Jimmy Olsen Special #2, you wouldn’t have really known he was dead at all. It was actually one of the saddest and best moments in the entire thing, and it’s been taken away from me. How disappointing.
I don’t blame Robinson for this though. He’s a good writer, but I feel like most of this was mandated by editorial, so as to pace itself for War of the Supermen in the summer. 6 months is a longtime to wait for this frakking story to conclude, but I guess I’ll have to wait it out.
The art, while a little ho-hum, is serviceable to the characters at hand. I never hated the art, but I really didn’t love it either. Conner is in it for a millisecond, and he’s actually kind of ugly. It’s not right.
So should you buy this? Only if you’re a hardcore Superfan like I am, and even then, I’d give it a browse at best.
Final Verdict: 5.9 – Browse
BRANDON’S REVIEWS
Blackest Night: JSA #1
The art was the strongest part of this issue. Did I already give away my opinion on this issue with that last sentence? Well if you haven’t skipped on to my next review because of my telling opening sentence I appreciate it. Let me also say it wasn’t a terrible issue. It also wasn’t the greatest JSA issue of all time.
The issue was entertaining but it seems to be more of what we’ve already seen from these Blackest Night tie-ins. A lot of, “Hey look who’s a Black Lantern!” and less of the, “Hey here’s some great content too!”. Only the Flash tie-in seems to be worth the money.
In this issue you get the return of some DCU legacy characters and a lot of fighting. Honestly, that is kind of all there is here. The writing from Robinson is a lot like everything else he’s putting out lately. It isn’t bad per se but it doesn’t leave me with anything resembling a fulfilled feeling once I finish it. It’s unfortunate to say the least.
Final Verdict: 4.2 – Pass
Thor #605
Siege is coming and what is going on in this title will surely setup some of that event. What we are presented with is a great duel between the Asgardians and Dr. Doom who is at his egotistical best. The fight we’re teased with at the end here will leave fans of this title eagerly awaiting the next issue.
This issue is part of a culmination of plot threads that started with JMS’ run. Next issue will give us the end of this arc and potentially a few more payoffs before Siege kicks off and changes the Marvel U. Where will things go after Siege? Not sure but hopefully it wont alter Thor too much because as things stand now the title is consistently good.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy It!
Uncanny X-Men #519
Oh how things might be different if the art was different. There are times in this issue where I think Fraction is finally getting some kind of handle on this title. These moments are short lived as the art detracts from the story so much I quickly lose my train of thought and fall back on my dislike of this run.
While not all blame can go to the art it does set a visual tone that really doesn’t work for the stories that Fraction is telling. Let me also point out that I do like Dodson’s art. I just don’t think it works in combination with Fraction’s writing. The just aren’t complementary for this title. So half of my complaints for the art have to go to Fraction because of his seeming inability to write toward his artist’s strengths. On the other hand it can’t be all Fraction’s fault because, let’s be honest, this title would fail even more than it is if all his issues were geared toward the artists cheesecake skill.
The best part of this issue is the conversation between Namor and Magneto. It was interesting to watch because all I could think about was how these two together is a dangerous combo. Hearing them discuss plans to combine their peoples made for some scary scenarios running through my head. Hope this convo pays off!
Outside of this there really wasn’t too much I thought was worth writing home about. Maybe the Jeffries’ cube stuff but it was more neat than it was super cool. Basically if you’ve liked Fraction’s run so far you’ll like this. If not, well…you get my drift.
Final Verdict: 5.0 – Browse
New Mutants #8
This issue is a tie-in to the current Necrosha event. It’s actually the final part of this titles role in the event. In the end there is a payoff and it is one that I think many fans of the original series will enjoy. If you aren’t familiar with your New Mutants history you will probably feel a little less impressed.
I enjoyed the issue as well as the arc. I think the change to the status quo is a welcome change and can only help to enrich this already character rich title. While the title has yet to live up to the original it does it justice by not trying to be a simple formula repeat. Instead we get the main players but taken up a notch. These are the characters that people love finally taken seriously. A fan of Cannonball and wish he’d rise up to the leadership position he should have been in for years now? Well this is the comic for you!
While the tie-in curse bogs down many titles this title actually walks away from this issue in a better place. The potential stories that can come from this issue and its ramifications are vast. I personally will be sticking around to see what is on the horizon for this title and I suggest you do too.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy It!
