Reviews for Batman, Inc. #2, Secret Avengers #8 and more

Hello everyone.  My apologies for not posting reviews for last week, but last minute Christmas shopping will do that to ya.  Well, this week is a loaded week, so lets strap in.

Batman, Inc. #2: Grant Morrison seems to be having more fun then allowable in "Batman, Inc."  It's classic Bruce Wayne/Batman, but with a new twist.  Instead of focusing on a long drawn out and confusing plot, Morrison is going straight for short stories.  I'm sure these will all fall together into one massive story, but for now, I'm kind of enjoying these small stories.  After the long convoluted stories of "Batman & Robin," it's a piece of fresh air.  I'm sure Lord Dead Man will be back, as he seems to have a hard time of dying.

Yanick Paquette's pencils look better this month.  His bold lines really suit the action, and make Catwoman look really good.  Bruce looks a tad to beefy in the neck (borderline steroids).  Also nice to see Paquette draw a girl without massive double D's.  Every panel feels alive though, and very fluid.  The massive action scene looks bright and energetic, and I can't wait to see Batman battle this gorilla thing.

Batman, Inc. #2 gets 4/5

Namor: The First Mutant #5: After the first couple of issues underwhelmed and seemed like a crappy series, the last three issues have been really good.  This issues seems to break down Namor into four sides, doing a good job with each.

The story seems to keep Namor as a supporting character, which works in this story quite well.  Seeing him through the eyes of non-super powered people is a nice touch.  Namor gets plenty of character development, showing that the guy can actually be interesting besides when he is being a pompous ass.  Alani Ryan seems to be a mutant to pay attention to in the upcoming months.  Wouldn't doubt if she had a role in the "Namor Goes to Hell" arc.

Stuart Moore seems to be finally making Namor sympathetic.  Ok, somewhat.  He is a character that doesn't get that, but I wouldn't be surprised if some love interest finally breaks that mold.  Ariel Olivietti's pencils look good as usual.  Sadly, Brian Ching's pencils look atrocious.  They really take the reader out of the comics.

Namor: The First Mutant #5 gets 3.5/5

Punisher: In the Blood #2:  I'm going to miss Rick Remender when he stops writing the Punisher.  The guy seems to have such a tight grasp on what makes the character such an interesting character.

#2 seems to focus more on the Jigsaw brothers, and this gives the character some much needed character development.  They both seem more credible as arch enemies of Frank.  They are more cunning and thought out, something that has sometimes been lacking in the past.  I'm perplexed as to why Henry actually went with his father, but I'm interested to see where it takes us.

The only fault is the pencils by Roland Boschi.  I loved his pencils in #1, but for some reason this month, they seemed very rushed.  There isn't as much detail as their should be, and there are way to many odd head shapes.  It looks confusing and it's pleasant to look at.

The ending leaves a legitimate twist ending and looks to affect Frank for years to come.

Punisher: In the Blood #2 gets 4/5

Secret Avengers #8:  The revamp of the Avengers franchise was worth it alone for this book. Ed Brubaker has been telling a compelling story steeped in black ops and history that is a joy to read.

We slowly are learning more about Shang-Chi and his father.  More is set up for future issues, while minimal is affecting the arc.  I kinda wish we could have learned more about Shang-Chi's father and his tie in to the secret organization, but gotta take what you get.

Mike Deodato draws some amazing art this month.  It seems more fluid than usual for some reason, which is a great thing.  Sometimes his overly muscular characters can seem stagnant and stale. 

Secret Avengers #8 gets 4.5/5