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!
Darkstar and the Winter Guard #1
I’m a fan of the Russians. Part of this is because I, myself, share Russian heritage (with my beard and last name, I know this must come as a shock). Due to this, I have always enjoyed Russian characters in comics, and of course this relates to the Winter Guard. However, the characters have been painfully underused in comics as of late, appearing in the opening arc of Jeph Loeb’s Hulk run as well as a single one-shot which really was some brief story angled around an excuse for a reprint. Granted, that one-shot also acts as a segue into this story, but the Winter Guard really have not had due time to shine.
But that’s not what Gallaher and Ellis want! With their incredibly brief time at Marvel, they have brought back the Winter Guard to some form of “prominence,” and by that I mean they have reminded us of who they are. Cue Darkstar and the Winter Guard issue 1, a nice and surprisingly pleasant/pleasantly surprising beginning to what I hope will be a rather entertaining mini. In our first issue, Gallaher and Ellis introduce us to the world that they want the Winter Guard to mainly operate in – one of marketability as well as rigid command. Red Guardian is a strict later, Ursa Major is our vicious but still most lovable (and almost “comic relief” character), Darkstar is our unsure of herself character, and Crimson Dynamo is the newbie (having been recruited after the events of Hulk: Winter Guard). It’s easily accessible to new readers, which is highly important with something like this, but also has enough in the story that allows older fans of the Winter Guard to say, “Oh yeah! These guys know what they’re doing!”, which you can see by the last page.
Needless to say, handing the keys to the vodka-mobile to these two was a great idea by Marvel. Gallaher’s love for the characters really shows through in the writing, even in something as short and sweet as this first issue. I’m not entirely sure why the mini has a Darkstar at the front of it, considering all the characters get good and equal treatment here, but I digress. I’d say that anyone willing to take a chance with this issue would find it easy to come at home with the book and the characters, as all are rather easily likable – even the new Red Guardian. Ellis’ art also looks absolutely fantastic, and definitely the cleanest and smoothest it’s ever been considering he didn’t do all the inking. Not that I dislike his own personal inking, but this issue had such a different look to it that I thought was really impressive. It was as if I was looking at someone completely different’s art, yet it was still obviously Ellis.
Continued belowGallaher and Ellis make a fantastic duo, and so far I’m really excited for their future work with the Winter Guard. In all honesty, I’d love to see a team like this (both in the comic and the pair authoring the book) find a home within the Marvel U and it’s fanbase. I’m already a little sad this is going to be so short, but if anything I hope it opens the door for future stories with these characters, because I’m already getting behind this series a lot.
Final Verdict: 9.1 – Buy
Superman/Batman Annual
I can’t say I’ve ever been a huge fan of Batman Beyond. I don’t why this is, but I never really got into it at the time. As I get older and look back on the cartoons I watched as a kid, I definitely have a stronger appreciation for these properties, and a rewatch of them generally finds me highly entertained. While I am definitely not one of those people who are freaking out beyond freaking out at the return of Batman Beyond the DCU, I was definitely intrigued by this particular issue. Not only does this act as the first official comic for Batman Beyond since 2001 (not including his brief guest appearances), but it’s actually his second appearance in Superman/Batman (the first being issue #22 by Loeb). Now we have the pen of superstar Paul Levitz, so you can only imagine how good the issue would turn out to be.
And good it was! This issue felt 100% worth the purchase to me, and often times I can’t say that about books I take “risks” on buying. With the high price of this issue, it being an annual in a series I stopped following, there as a high chance that I would ultimately be disappointed. However, given the nature of the story and it’s ability to function as just a one-shot, my entry into it was great. On top of that, it is basically all story. There are VERY few ads in this issue, and that was fantastic. I really felt like I paid a good price for the amount of content I was given, and considering DC has upped it’s basic prices a good deal already, I’m happy to say that.
The issue follows the future Batman as a set of hoodlums from Metropolis come to Gotham because of a mysterious “ghost.” This, of course, leads Terry to investigate into the series of events only to reveal that Superman has returned to the dystopian Metropolis with the hopes of overthrowing Luthor from his seat of power in a good old fashioned team-up that felt both relevant and poignant for the story. High kudos to Paul Levitz on this one, because the fact that Paul Levitz wrote it was ultimately the selling point for me. I don’t have much interest in the upcoming mini based on the writer, but I felt like Levitz was a name I could definitely trust, especially with his recent Legion related works. My trust was well met as I highly enjoyed the issue with it’s multiple narratives and clean flow of story. If every issue of the future Batman Beyond mini was like this, I’d be stoked.
Oh, and how about the artistic duo of Renato Guedes and Jose Wilson? I loved the look and feel of this issue. It was very fitting towards the world and story being presented but at the same time largely paying tribute to the source material of the cartoon. It was like a more adult update to the animated ‘verse, and it looked wonderful. Stylish and appropriate throughout, the world of Neo-Gotham and Dystopic Metropolis couldn’t have looked better.
Suffice it to say, if you’re a Batman Beyond fan, this is a must buy for sure. Heck, i dystopic f you’re interested in what a Batman Beyond comic could and should be like, you should buy this comic. Or if you just like stories about futures and crazy alternate versions of classic heroes and villains… well, here you go! Plus, with the amount of story you get in this bad boy for the price? It’s easily a very worthwhile and rounded package.
Continued belowFinal Verdict: 8.9 – Buy
Red Hood: Lost Days #1
There are two things I am generally not a fan of: Judd Winnick’s writing and Jason Todd’s return. I have learned to live with the latter as his character becomes more relevant in the modern DCU and I have learned to become complacent with the former, but there haven’t really been too many occasions when I’ve actively enjoyed the two combined. Winnick’s role in Justice League: Generation Lost is fantastic so far though, as that book is a gold mine of entertainment, so I decided to try out this Red Hood mini. My general hope with the title is that all the issues about the jarring return Todd had before will now be “fixed” due to the resurrection (if you can even call it that?) being more fleshed out.
Suffice it to say, I believe my one hope here will be sufficiently sated.
In the first issue of the Red Hood, Jason Todd is picked up by Talia al Ghul from his mindless wanderings as she hopes to fix him. The first issue covers between when she finds out he is dead and the moment she pushes him into the Lazarus Pit. The most that we had ever known about Jason Todd’s return was from details we had learned about from the 25th Batman Annual (also written by Winnick), so already I was enjoying this issue due to the fact that it actually took time to discuss his mysterious return. I always thought Jason Todd’s return was brushed over quickly, but I felt like in this – even though he has no real memories yet – it helped have it make a tad more sense. If nothing else, it served as a fleshing out of his relationship with Talia Al Ghul, a character whose general relationship to Batman himself has always been quite interesting.
Since I am often an avidly outspoken as to my distaste for Winnick’s writing, I think it goes to say a little something as to how much I enjoyed this issue. For the reasons I already touched upon, the book reads incredibly well. The characters are well written, and as I’ve said I really enjoy that the events are being more fleshed out. It seems more natural now, and the story flows. Raimondi’s artwork is great as well, really capturing the tale vividly. They couldn’t have picked a better artist to capture Winnick’s writing, and the “fight scenes” are very well choreographed and fun to read. I love Raimondi’s look for the al Ghul’s, and even the young and not-quite-jaded-yet Todd, and I’m really looking forward to how he draws some of the later elements of the story.
You can tell by the end of this issue that the mini will (assumedly/hopefully) do a good job of covering more bases than the original story, which I think will probably make me enjoy the “Under the Hood” arc more upon a re-read. I’m really quite happy I enjoyed this book, actually, because the Red Hood/Jason Todd’s return is such a huge part of the current Batman saga that my generation has grown up reading, and it’s something I’ve always disliked – even if I like Jason Todd in things like Countdown and Morrison’s Batman and Robin. I’m just glad something is being done to make me appreciate his return in the first place.
Final Verdict: 8.6 – Buy
Hawkeye And Mockingbird #1
With the Heroic Age coming, I’d say that the return of a Hawkeye on-going was my most anticipated element, let alone the fact that Clint would be in his normal costume. Jim McCann also returning to the book after the New Avengers mini-series he did was equally exciting, because it would mean that there would be resolution to the threads he started. It was a very exciting prospect.
However, the issue in itself didn’t exactly pan out. While I still love the character of Hawkeye, I’m not sure how much I’m going to be able to get behind this title. It’s not that I have anything against them or even McCann, but after reading a lot of the action in this book, it felt rather forced and at times kind of hokey. I guess when Hawkeye and Mockingbird are calling each other pet names and “lover” during battle. That and the opening sequence, in the way that resolves, leaves me raising one eyebrow.
Continued belowThere are two other things I want to make note of. The first is, I don’t really like how all Hawkeye stories have washed over his change back into being Hawkeye. Bendis briefly touched on it (and even that’s putting it lightly), but I would’ve liked SOME kind of acknowledgement of the change from Ronin to Hawkeye. The second note is – this book has a lot of striking similarities to a certain other publishing companies old team-up book between a male archer and a female with a bird name, and if Clint (i.e. Jim McCann) had put the word “pretty” in front of the nickname he called Bobbi, it would have been that other book. Basically. Which to me is incredibly odd and a tad bit disconcerting, but I suppose these things do happen.
On the other hand, what’s neat about the title is that McCann has clearly done his character for Bobbi Morse, a character who hasn’t really been relevant in quite some time. Bringing back an old foe and updating her for the new series shows the knowledge and research that went into the creation of this title. The other side of this, though, is that in an age where anyone and everyone is supposed to be able to get into new titles, bringing back the Phantom Rider and the Slades out of nowhere isn’t exactly making it easy for new fans.
However, one thing I think everyone could probably get behind is that David Lopez makes this issue look great, especially teamed up with Nathan Fairbairn. The book almost looks like Jamie McKelvie’s Phonogram art, and that only makes me love it even more. Very sleek and wonderfully colored, the art is arguably my favorite thing about the issue. Lopez has such a stylized way of drawing his characters and settings, it draws me right into the tale and keeps the action sequences excellently paced.
Ultimately, I’m undecided on Hawkeye and Mockingbird. There are things I like a lot (the art, the continuity) and there are things I really dislike (the dialogue). I feel like I’m going to have to at least give this book an arc before finally deciding, because there is a lot of hype and expectations on this title on my part, but for now the book gets a meager shrug of the shoulders.
Final Verdict 6.9-7.1 – Browse/Buy at your own discretion
DAVID’S REVIEWS
Invincible #72
Good. God.
Robert Kirkman…Ryan Ottley…Cliff Rathburn…FCO Plascencia…you guys are intense!
Seriously, this issue of Invincible which also happens to be the second (SECOND) issue of The Viltrumite War mega-arc also happens to be a complete bloodbath, featuring a knockdown drag out fight between Conquest and Invincible that puts their previous battle to shame. A battle, if you remember correctly, featured Invincible’s girlfriend murdered (temporarily) and Invincible himself having broken nearly every bone he has. So yeah, when I say that this fight is pretty gnarly, I am most definitely not kidding.
The entirety of the issue deals with the ramifications of the last one, in which a trio of Viltrumites shows up to take out the mothership of the incoming war fleet — led by the aforementioned Conquest. This issue is a showdown between those opposing forces, and really is a showcase for Ryan Ottley and the rest of the art team. They step up to the plate and knock this issue out of the park, capturing the brutality and the hatred between these two sides with a real sense of power and the moment. This book, for all its blood and gore, has never been more beautiful.
Kirkman himself sets the stage for his art team and lets them run rampant as a good writer should. He also has a lot of clever bits of storytelling in here, such as mid-fight when Oliver loses his breath and has to go planetside before he can recapture the fray, leading to Conquest pursuing him to finish him off (“look at this…the weakest strays from the pack, ensuring its demise.” — INTENSE!). Some comics you read and think “ho hum, no one will really die” but Invincible is never one of them. To me, even Mark Grayson feels on the verge at times (especially this issue), and Kirkman does a better job of that than ANYONE in comics. Bravo to him.
Continued belowThis is just superb work from everyone. Kirkman’s teams on this and The Walking Dead are as consistent as anyone in the comic game today, and this issue just continues to prove why they’re the best.
Final Verdict: 9.6 – Buy
Demo #5
This is an interesting issue for me as a reviewer, as to I have a hard time distinguishing whether or not it’s my failing as a reader or the comic’s failing at its job that led me to not connecting fully with this issue. It isn’t even the issue at the whole that I have a hard time with — it’s simply hard to figure out what exactly is happening up until the title page. I understand that our lead is a stock trader and a lover with awful morning-after etiquette, but the fourth and fifth pages throw me for a loop entirely.
The rest of the issue is mostly superb though, revealing that our lead is in fact a time traveler (hence why she is so incredible as a stock trader) and one that is going back to a watershed moment in her life to fix all of her relationship issues once and for all. The moments Lisbeth shares with little/old Evey, the moments she shares with herself…those are touching and exceptional work from Brian Wood. He has an incredible gift of giving inspirational and course changing speeches in his books that never come across as preachy, and the one in this issue is a top performance from him. Even I was feeling the motivation from Lisbeth as she told her younger version that this doesn’t have to be her life, and it will be that way “only if you let it.” Exceptional stuff.
Strangely enough, another faltering in this issue (to me at least) is that it steps into hard sci-fi and eventually concludes with a battle between Lisbeth and her time traveling abusive father. It seems like a pitfall these creators would normally avoid, but the story groaned when these moments came up — she’d already beaten her father down…why wouldn’t we just have the issue with the happy ending and not include the second show down? It seemed odd to me, and to disrupt the positive flow of the story.
Becky Cloonan…she’s just a giant(ess) amongst men. Her work on this series has lapped the field and then some, continuing to bowl me over month to month with her incredible design and beautiful line work. Her work touches on so many styles and uses so many different methods to effectively convey the story. Cloonan just continues to astound me. The page where she first returns to the present after her jaunt to 1979 depicting Lisbeth in an empty room is powerful in its starkness, using dense shades juxtaposed with the bright time travel door to escalate the image to a higher plane.
While I didn’t love this issue and would put it towards the bottom of my list of all Demo issues, it’s still a very good one and a challenging read that will likely get better for me the more I read it. Additionally, every issue gets the bonus of the delightful follow up sections from Wood and Cloonan — I really wish every writer/artist would do what they do after each issue. A nice effort, assuredly, but one I didn’t connect to fully.
Final Verdict: 7.5 – Buy
Ender in Exile #1
I was a bit skeptical of this mini, as gone were Mike Carey and Chris Yost along with Pasqual Ferry and Sebastian Fiumura, to be replaced with Aaron Johnston and Pop Mhan. While I was semi-familiar with Pop Mhan and met seeing his name with a positive reaction even though I didn’t know why, Johnston was a complete unknown to me. Still, with the guiding hand of Orson Scott Card leading the way, it’s hard to imagine they won’t be successful in this series that fills in some of the gaps of Ender and Valentine’s travels to the Formic homeworld.
Given that I’m a huge fan of Ender’s Game, this story was an especially interesting entry into the series for me because a lot of it felt fresh. While the primary Ender series that preceded this felt redundant in their artistic envisioning of the book, it was the Bean minis from Mike Carey that really came to life in my eyes. Given that this is fresh material with the prodigal duo of the book, this is even more exciting, and Johnston doesn’t disappoint in his rendering of the story. His grasp on Ender and what he would do in this situation is well thought out, and the quick development of a villainous figure is solid work from him. From a plotting standpoint, I enjoyed it greatly. However, one of my consistent beefs with this series is the persistent aping of Card’s dialogue by these talented writers — it doesn’t bridge the gap between the book and the comic, it just mitigates the power of the story.
Mhan quickly reminds me of why my initial reaction to his name was a positive one, as this is one of the prettiest issues of the collected series to date. Considering the uniform high quality of art (Ferry and Fiumura killed it in minis past), it’s very enjoyable to see Mhan live up to their already high standards. His Ender, for one, is the most distinct and fully realized Ender from any of the artists, and I for one was very thankful for that addition.
Basically, if you’re a fan of Ender’s Game, this is a worthy read for you. If you aren’t I highly suggest you going out to getting the books ASAP because you’re missing out on some damn fine work, and then getting out there to get these comics too. It looks like the unknown duo of Johnston and Mhan will be living up to the legacy of this series very well after all.
Final Verdict: 7.2 – Buy
GIL’S REVIEWS
The Thanos Imperative #1
Life is cancer, and death is the universe’s way of cleansing that cancer. I get it, DnA, that’s totally what you’re going for.
In the inaugural issue of The Thanos Imperative (second if you count the Ignition title that released last week, The Cancerverse is invading and it’s up to our plucky group of misfits to save the universe before it’s too late. Thanos, the Mad Titan and would be God, has even reluctantly joined them, based on the threats of a raccoon driving what looked like the thing Sigourney Weaver piloted in the movie Aliens. It got the job done though, and now we have the curious team-up of Thanos and Drax the Destroyer, someone made to KILL The Mad Titan. It’s a lovely little twist to the story, which has major implications for the rest of the universe.
It’s far from a perfect issue however. The weakest point of the title is the art. Sometimes I was pulled out by some lazy penciling. At one point, I stopped reading and looked through the entire book because it seemed Thanos was missing his nose. Is that a small problem? I’d say not. While he’s not human, he still has a nose, and has always had a nose. Inconsistent character designs bother me. But the odd thing is, sometimes the art is absolutely stunning. I don’t understand what happened. Was Miguel Sepulveda running behind on deadlines? I guess your guess is as good as mine.
I’m going to keep on reading, because there seems to be some foreshadowing with the appearance of The Silver Surfer, out of action, just observing what’s going on. I hope he shows up, and SOON.
Final Verdict: 6.5 – Browse
Brightest Day #3
You know, I’ve figured out Brightest Days biggest failing. There is no way something like 52 can work in continuity, because when it is, we get something like Countdown, which was terrible beyond words. Brightest Day should have been a group of mini-series’ focusing each on the characters that have come back and star in this bi-weekly series (Firestorm, The Hawks but not Hawk, Deadman, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman and Mera) instead of a channel flipping style set up. It feels stilted and forced. I’m not feeling it. I’m sticking around, but it’s just not meshing the way it should. Turn it around DC, I know you can, you have some of the most talented artists and writers in the game on your side. Make it happen.
That being said, there are some solid ELEMENTS of the story in this book. Deadman continues to be the most interesting if infuriating portion of the story (the ring responding with “OKAY” absolutely killed me) and Martian Manhunter’s story makes me hope for more of it, if for the fact the mega talented Patrick Gleason is doing the art. He’s a favorite of mine, and this continues to prove it.
This book is slowly but surely dipping off my radar as it doesn’t really seem to be going anywhere soon. I hope it picks up. At least the art is really good, if grisly.
Final Verdict: 6.0 – Browse
Hercules: Twilight of a God #1
What did I just read? I’m not entirely sure. Hercules has always been a fantasy character, and this book did the impossible, it made him into a Sci-Fi character. I’m not sure it really works for the most part, as it feels a lot like Star Wars: Episode I felt. A little bit of political intrigue mixed with a lot of back-story and interpersonal relations that don’t resonate as well as they should. But at least there’s the sense of humor. My Lord is this book funny. A running joke seems to be “Herc did my sister! AWESOME!” and it never failed to put a smile on my face.
The art was pretty standard, as it had a similar feel to the Incredible Hercules title. Something I genuinely appreciated. Herc was still Herc and I really liked it.
I can tell this is basically filler, giving us a Hercules title until the end of the Amadeus Cho book when I can assume Hercules can come back. Unless this book doesn’t take place in canon at all; which makes this book a stupid exercise.
Final Verdict: 5.5 Browse
Justice Society Of America #39
Nazis have a valued place in the history of comics. They’re reliably evil and the best go-to for absolute tyranny. I’ve said it before, and even if I hadn’t it’s a well known fact. The problem is that I couldn’t really connect with the book one bit. Despite the acclaim that Days of Future Past gets, stories like that ultimately don’t matter because they’ll never be canon. No matter what happens, unless it’s referenced in the Legion of Super-Heroes, it doesn’t matter one bit.
As they go though, it’s told in such a way that makes it at least passably interesting. I’m not entirely sure how Captain Nazi (I mean COLONEL Nazi) could take out the entirety of the Green Lantern Corps, but ok, I guess it works.
The art is serviceable and it tells a truly bleak story that is truly bleak. If you don’t mind non-canon stories and want to see Superman killed by Nazis? Go right on ahead. I can’t recommend it though, for obvious reasons.
Final Verdict: 5.0 — Browse
Man guys what happened? It seems like the more books Willingham writes the lesser quality all of them are…
BRANDON’S REVIEWS
I, Zombie #2
Mike Allred is a golden god fanpeeps. This is nothing that any self-respecting comic fan doesn’t already know though. His art is so unique in the medium despite some attempts to ape his style and when you add his wife’s coloring of his work it truly helps to solidify his status as a living legend of the business. While he doesn’t blow us away with brilliant panel designs or whacked out character designs his art has a timeless feel that is instantly recognizable and undeniably eye attracting. This issue’s art was very much so in line with this description. The story I didn’t feel as strongly about.
Chris Roberson gives us a decent issue in which we are further introduced to the motivations and quirks of our main character as well as the supporting cast and people who populate the world in which this title exists. At times though I found myself thinking, “Ok, and…”. As a whole the issue really didn’t grab me and let me know why it was worth my time and money.
Continued belowI truly feel that the art carried this issue through some rather slow points. Are the slow points acceptable slow points? Yes, it is early and setup is required if we are ever to get the emotional investment required to make a book matter. Some people are experts at this, Bendis’ first few issues of Ultimate Spider-Man stand out as an example of this expertise. Roberson just didn’t bring it this issue as much as I felt he did in issue #1.
Now, is there enough between the first issue and the second to warrant picking up this issue let alone a third issue? Without a doubt my friends. The concept is fun and the art is…well…you already know. I am sure that the pace will quicken and the story will evolve and become something more given the time to flourish. Having to look at the issue as an individual stand alone issue though I would have to say I wasn’t impressed.
Final Verdict: 6.5 – Browse
Bulletproof Coffin #1
I purchased this issue based solely on the fact that I rather enjoy the covers and some of the interior art I had seen were Mike Allredesque. I guess there is also the fact that I really enjoy David Hine’s work as well. Outside of those three things I knew absolutely nothing else going into this issue. I hoped for the best but remained wary of disappointment. I was not disappointed though and while I found my Allredesque judgment of the art to be rather off base I still found it to have a similar vibe.
Hine gives us a story about a gravedigger with a twist. Instead of robbing the dead’s grave he instead robs their homes. When the main man of this title does so he seemingly finds himself in possession of a comic issue that is not only rare, it shouldn’t exist at all. As the story progresses the mystery deepens and the creepy factor becomes deliciously apparent. Between Lester the dog, transvestite Dad and the final page I was sufficiently pleased that the weirdo quota had been more than filled.
Shaky Kane is on art and while I am sure this is a pen name I haven’t had the opportunity to do much looking into who the artist really is. I found his art had the Allred flavor that is pays homage to the Silver Age of comics. Kane’s art was good but not great. I would have found it all the more enjoyable had the art taken on two styles. One style for the main story and another style for the comic within the comic would have been optimal I think this would have added an extra layer to the comic that would have helped it reach that next level experience.
The comic when it’s all said and done was rather different and that is a good thing. It left me wondering where this was all headed and what was going on in the last page. It really had me looking forward to issue two, which I named one of my most looked forward to issues for the month of July based on solicitations. This issue was a positive sign that I made a good choice.
Final Verdict: 7.7 – Buy it
Joker’s Asylum: Riddler
Fucking brilliant work. I can honestly say I walked away from this book truly impressed by the storytelling as well as the art. If you’re familiar with my low ratings for comics that while enjoyable didn’t blow my mind and are hoping to read another train wreck like that than expect to be disappointed. This issue was solid. SOLID.
The story as written by Peter Calloway revolves around a Joker narrated tale about the Riddler who falls in love with a woman and tries repeatedly to obtain her affection through various methods. The story seems rather straightforward but there is a continuing thread about a mystery individual who is pulling strings in the background. In the end the reader wants to know whom the individual is but the Joker refuses to tell and instead tells the readers the clues are within the story and that we as readers shouldn’t be lazy and should go back and figure it out. “A riddle in a story about the Riddler”, Joker says, “How delightful”, he finishes. This sums up the story and the feeling I have for the issue perfectly in that order.
Continued belowThe art as done by Andres Guinaldo is also really well executed. While it isn’t as brilliant as the writing it still is strong and rather integral to the entire riddle within the story. Without the bright as day clues hidden throughout the story the reader would be lost in the riddle without answers. I really enjoyed the panel that contained the spade made of a shirt with the Riddler lying on the floor next to it. Overall, strong stuff in this issue as far as the arting goes fanpeeps.
So in the end I have nothing but positive things to say about this issue. Did you figure out the character in the story? I’m pretty sure I did. If you haven’t let me just say it’s worth the reread to figure it out.
Final Verdict: 8.9 – Buy it!
Sweet Tooth #10
Let’s take a journey through the mind of an animal/human hybrid and trace it back to its roots shall we? This issue seems to set the tone for the title as it moves into its next phase. While it wasn’t mind blowing as far as the story itself goes, I did find the art to be the best of the series thus far.
Jeff Lemire without a doubt continues to bring us a story that is as unique as it is compelling but this issue was solicited as one of the more bizarre of the bunch and while it may have been one of the more bizarre issues of the series so far it really wasn’t that insanely bizarre. I found the use of hypnotism to unlock the secret’s of Gus’ mind to be a great plot point for the issue but not bizarre in the slightest.
The art is where I really found the enjoy ability of this issue. I found the two-page spread of Gus and the doctor on Gus’ head to be really great. My favorite pages by far and maybe one of my favorite pages of the series is Gus and the Doctor stepping back into Gus’ ear to reenter his mind. That fanpeeps was a brilliant page. Brilliant. A page in which I would die to own the original art to.
This series continues to be one of the better titles on the shelves but at times I feel it is too slow and the point behind it all seems at times to be lost amongst the need to establish it. It has too much introduction and not enough definition. I do enjoy this book and will continue to pick it up in large part because of consistent brilliances like the ear entrance page. Lemire seems to grow before our eyes despite already being a ridiculously brilliant character writer.
Finale Verdict: 7.6 – Buy It
WALT’S REVIEWS
Adventure Comics #12
I really enjoyed both Superman and the Legion of Superheroes and Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds, so I asked a friend who was more knowledgeable about the Legion for some recommendations. After reading all sorts of Paul Levitz-penned goodies, including the amazing Great Darkness Saga, I was incredibly excited to hear that the same Levitz would be writing two Legion-centered ongoings this year.
For those who haven’t heard yet, Legion of Superheroes consists of completely new stories set further in the Legion’s future, while Adventure Comics will feature earlier tales of the Legion, particularly involving Superboy. With all sorts of Crises over the years, the Legion’s place in continuity has been all over the place in the past, but with Infinite Crisis and yet another retelling of the big blue boy scout’s origin, the original incarnation of the Legion is back, and Levitz is here to ease their past into the difficult-to-sift-through mess that is DC continuity.
This issue was essentially a one-shot to give new readers a feel for the new direction the book is taking, and it’s a good one in my opinion. The wordiness and the melodrama that some had a problem with in the first issue of the new Legion ongoing isn’t present in this at all; rather, this looks like it is going to be capturing all the fun of the original series of the 60’s (that is, even before Levitz), something that is sorely lacking in a lot of mainstream comics. If you’re like me and have had your interest piqued in the Legion due to their recent re-exposure in the Superman books, this is definitely something to pick up. Plus, it’s perfectly accessible to newcomers!
Continued belowFinal Verdict – 7.2 – Buy it!
Red Robin #13
I was really hesitant about continuing to pick this up after Fabian Nicieza replaced Christopher Yost (have I said that enough?), but I’ll admit, this wasn’t bad. It wasn’t really good either, but hey, better going from excellent to kinda good than excellent to terrible, no?
This just looks like it will be a continuation of Nicieza’s story from the last issues of the Robin solo series, wherein Tim tried a little War Games of his own. While that arc wasn’t great, it’s probably my favorite work of Nicieza’s over at DC, so I’m at least slightly interested. For whatever reason, Red Robin seems to be the title that really glues the rest of the Bat-books in regular DC continuity, giving context for what happens when in each of the books and when that all happens in relation to the rest of the DCU. Anyways, I digress. While this just looks like it’s going to just end up being your average superhero beat-em-up, so whether or not one enjoys the title will really depend on if you like the characters or not.
I already said more or less the same thing last week, but man Marcus To is a great artist. I wouldn’t have even bothered giving Nicieza another chance if To had left the book. The best word to describe the art is simply “clean”; everything is as clear as can be, and the various inkers have done a great job of keeping the art that way. I can’t wait to see what other books he may do in the future; personally, I would love to see him on a Superboy title.
Final Verdict: 6.7 – Browse, but it’s worth picking up if you were reading Yost’s run.
Avengers: The Origin #3
When this series was originally solicited, I was looking forward to it, but now? Color me unimpressed. The first two issues were alright, but I’m just finding this to be one of those titles that I wouldn’t even notice that I’ve missed an issue. Like a lot of things on the shelf, I wouldn’t call it bad, it’s just the same old stuff.
I feel the number on problem with this mini is its length. A good origin story shouldn’t meander around, we should get the character’s (or in this case the team’s) origin and first big struggle, plus maybe a teaser at what is/was next for them, and that’s it. The best origin stories, in my opinion, are told in four issues. Six issues is fine if there’s a lot of content, but this issue just seems like it could have easily been condensed to half an issue. This decompression is fine for an ongoing, but for a miniseries like this? Can’t say I’m sold on it.
I will say, though, that Phil Noto’s art is very crisp and pleasing to the eye. He’s one of the few artists who can make the lense-less Iron Man helmet look good! When writing is dull, a good artist works wonders, and Noto does a good job of giving the book a vibrance it is otherwise sorely lacking. Sorry Joe Casey, but as much as I love origin stories this one has lost its original appeal.
Final Verdict: 6.4 – Browse, though it may read better in trade.
Heralds #1
This is one of those books that I picked up where I didn’t really expect anything great beforehand. While I was pleasantly surprised with Kathryn Immomen’s writing, I would still say that this wasn’t quite worth the buy.
Now, one of the reasons that this gets a few points from me is that it features Emma Frost, and I’m a huge Emma Frost fan. However, I don’t just commend anything with Emma in it; rather, I will utterly crucify the comic if it butchers her character (like that recent Origins one-shot). While Immomen didn’t really get me too interested in the story, she definitely did a good job of getting Emma’s voice right, though it’s a bit early to judge overall characterization. Other than that though… well, it wasn’t bad, and it certainly left me a bit interested in what will happen next, but other than that it was just your run of the mill superhero comic.
The art by Tonci Zonjic was quite varied. Some panels I looked at and thought “Yeah, that looks good.” But other times I just really wasn’t impressed. As I said in the Iron Man 2 review way back when, consistency is key. If half of a comic was Alex Maleev quality while the rest looked like a 5 year old drew it, I would easily call a comic that was consistently in the middle of those two extremes far better. While Zonjic’s art isn’t quite at either extremes, going from bad to good and back is just jarring. As of now, I might take another look at the shop, but Emma alone isn’t enough to get me to buy another team book (even if it’s just a mini).
Final Verdict – 5.9 – Browse.
