DC Comics
Action Comics #6: Action Comics is becoming typical Grant Morrison. Time travel, zany ideas, tons of science jargon thrown around, and we get an enjoyable comic.
Morrison's remaining of Clark becoming Superman is quite different, and it's fun to see Morrison stretch with his storytelling. But sometimes you need to pull the reins back a little. #6 is very high on science ideas, but it doesn't feel necessary. Like Grant is showing off for the sake of showing off. Don't misconstrue my criticisms, Action Comics #6 is a good book and Grant is still the only person to make me care about Superman. Part of me was scared that a two issue interlude story would ruin the overall narrative that Morrison is telling, but thankfully it doesn't. When we jump back into the story with #7, I'll be happy and ready for it.
While the story had some faults, Andy Kubert has none. His pencils are bold, with action that pops off the panel. Sadly Kubert can't stay around, with Rags Morales not delivering as well as Kubert did with these two issues. Hopefully the two months off will help Morales pick up the slack.
DC Comics
Animal Man #6: This might be the best interlude comic that I have ever read.
Taking a step back from the fight with the Rot, Jeff Lemire decides to show us the movie that Buddy Baker starred in a while back. For those who are lost, it was mentioned on the recap page in the first issue. It's a nice interlude that delves deeper into the Animal Man mythos while not shoving it in our faces. It's obvious that Buddy's character in Tights is suppose to be him and reflect how he can never NOT be Animal Man. If Lemire were a lesser writer, this would have destroyed the pacing of the book, but it only makes a reader more excited for next month's issue. I'd love to see a graphic novel with the full story of the Red Thunder told.
Travel Foreman takes a backseat this month, with John Paul Leon penciling the majority of the issue. His pencils make the issue feel like it's a movie, and add to the overall despair that the film is going for. The lack of splash pages, work well, making that segment feel more like someone being part of an audience and watching the movie instead of just reading it. Foreman makes an appearance for the last few issues, and does a good job.
Animal Man #6 gets 4/5.
Marvel Comics
Avengers: X-Sanction #3: If Jeph Loeb is going to take over Marvel Cosmic, he is going to have to get his shit into gear.
Jeph Loeb is a great writer. I have read Batman: The Long Halloween, and numerous other things he has written. Just started reading Daredevil: Yellow and I'm loving it. So what happened here? His writing is showing a lot of improvement from issue #1, but it's still not on the par that he can do. There aren't as many fight scenes, and his characterization of the Red Hulk is a lot better. Adding Hope to the equation helped as well. But of course he shoehorned Wolverine and Spider-Man into the ending, so all that is good is out the window. Hopefully issue #4 can be better before he takes a shot at one of my favorite characters, Nova.
Ed McGuinness has been the one redeeming thing for Avengers: X-Sanction. He still draws Hope like she is an 18 year old swimsuit model (which a lot of pencilers seem to be having a problems with) when she isn't that old. The Hulk looks great, and the techno organic virus that plagues Cable has a great look to it as well. The destroyed Avengers mansions is haunting, and the Iron Man armor crossed with Sentinal tech looks interesting.
Avengers: X-Sanction #3 gets 2.5/5.
Marvel Comics
The Defenders #3: Matt Fraction can be a trippy writer at times, and The Defenders has been nothing but trippy ideas. But the ending leaves something to be desired.
Nul hasn't bee the most developed of villains, with Fraction more focussing on the characters and Prester John. It was wickedly entertaining stuff, with tons of humor thrown around. #3 still has tons of humor, but the plot is gone in a heartbeat. If you looked away for a second, the threat is gone. I don't understand what Fraction was aiming for here. Nul was a good villain, if under developed, for the Defenders. Fraction also makes it seem like Nul isn't as powerful as he seems to be. An example is when Nul bites Red She-Hulk. You'd think something MORE would happen than just a flesh wound, even if it gave Fraction a great joke. It's these small things that take away from a good comic.
The Terry and Rachel Dodson also don't turn in their best work. When the Dodsons are rushing, all the characters are looser and not as refined as their characters can be. Most of the pages in Defenders #3 look rushed, until Nul breaks into Wungadore and then everything looks fantastic. The characters changing costumes during the smoke whisps look great and shows what the Dodsons can really do with enough time to pencil it. Thankfully they will get a few months off to catch up.
The Defenders #3 gets 3.5/5.
Marvel Comics
The Punisher #8: Greg Rucka and Marco Checchetto are on some other wave length, showing how in sync some writers and artists can be.
Rucka takes a back seat this month, having multiple pages remain blank. It works well stylistically and lets Checchetto work his glorious magic. Rucka also shows that the Punisher can have a partner, and have the partner appear organically. The noir side of the story is also compelling as hell, where the reader is starting to fear for Frank pages before something happens. That's impressive to do as a writer.
The real star of this volume of Punisher has been Marco Checchetto. His pencils feel like I'm watching a movie. And Frank is rocking that beard. Even the eye patch look is growing on me. His attention to detail also sunned me. Any person would have just penciled in random things on the a computer screen, but he pencils in folder names and file names. It's a small thing that adds up. Plus you know part of you was hoping that Frank would click on "Superheroi Upskirts" just to see his reaction.
The Punisher #8 gets 4.5/5.
DC Comics
Swamp Thing #6: It's all sadness this month in Swamp Thing, as Scott Snyder destroys our spirits for Alec Holland.
Snyder gives us all sadness this month. Abby is kidnapped and the Rot finally give their endgame to Alec. It's all standard comic book fair, especially with the villain giving his evil monologue. But Snyder has made us care about Alec and Abby to the point where we don't care if the plot is cliched. We are sad to see things happen to these two. The final page is heart breaking. It's one of those cliffhangers that hits even though we know something will happen to change what happened. But that's how great of a writer Scott Snyder is. #7 can't come soon enough
It's sad to see that Yanic Paquette was absent this month, but Marco Ruddy does a commendable job. His page layouts mirror Paquette's well, making the pages look more like mosaics then panels. But Ruddy can't hit the attention to detail that Paquette does on every page. It's not Ruddy's fault, but it's hard to follow Paquette, even if only for one issue. At least his pencils match Paquette's style somewhat, something that can really ruin the momentum of a book.
Swamp Thing #6 gets 4.5/5.
Marvel Comics
Uncanny X-Men #6: Uncanny has been the weaker of the two main X-books after the relaunch, but #6 shows some improvement.
Kieron Gillen improves on almost every front. The characterization is getting better, and the team work between characters is there as well. The plot is out there, and Gillen doesn't forget to throw in lots of humor in what could be a very serious and campy affair. He still has Hope hitting on Namor, which I think is weird, but it's at least humorous. Cyclops doesn't come off as much of a villain as he has since the relaunch. Gillen sets up the Immortal Man well and the history of the residents of Tabula Rasa. It seems like Tabula Rasa could be around for a while.
Greg Land's art, as usual, brings down the comic. The women don't seem to convey the emotions that Gillen is trying to convey. One thing that was a particular bother, was Land sometimes penciling Psylocke is only sometimes Asian. From panel to panel it changes. Some like Land for the way he draws women, but sometimes it's just a hassle to get through. Overall though, he isn't as horribly stuck on photo referencing as past issues. I still wish Marvel would put a different penciler on one of it's premier books.
Uncanny X-Men #6 gets 3.5/5.
Marvel Comics
Venom #13: Rick Remender has been killing it on Venom, so it's no surprise that when it came to an event, Remender starts it off right.
The idea for Circle of Four is fairly simple. Hell has come to Las Vegas. X-23 and the new Ghost Rider aren't set up that well, but it doesn't bog down the story that much. Venom's main story seems to be taking a backseat for now, which does sadden me to a degree. Blackheart's plot is very simple, but it's done in a way that is very entertaining. Remender nails the characterizations well, even giving side character Johnny Blaze something to do. Remender nails the voices of all these characters without skipping a beat. As a person who isn't well read in X-23, I got a good understanding of what drives her pretty fast.
It's great to see Tony Moore back on Venom. His pencils have always been great, and he picked a great issue to come back on. The demons and Hell on Earth sections look great, especially the double page spread showing the strip engulfed in flames. Moore's attention to detail though is what makes him one of the best pencilers in the industry. If only he could pencil a little faster. Oh well, guess we need to enjoy the pencils while they last.
Venom #13 gets 4/5.
Marvel Comics
Winter Soldier #1: I, like many, were hoping that Bucky was going to be sticking around as Captain America. But I think this direction might be the better one.
Ed Brubaker continues his espionage track with Bucky. It's nice to see Brubaker get out of World War II for a change, even if he has also used the Cold War a lot. Having Bucky not wearing Cap's uniform gives Brubaker the reigns to be a little more violent, having Bucky use guns and such. It gives it more of a noir feel, even with crazy super villains involved. The idea that there might be more than one type of Bucky soldier is a simple one, and one that will no doubt be around in the book for some time. One of the best things that came out of Bucky being Cap was his relationship with Black Widow, and it's still a great read in this book as well. Brubaker has added another great addition to the Captain America family of books.
Butch Guice pencils a great espionage book. It has a classic look to it that just looks amazing on the page. It looks a lot like Steve Epting's pencils at the beginning of his Captain America run. The action scenes look good, even when they are hidden a little bit by the snow effects. And Guice makes a gorilla shooting a machine gun look a certified bad ass.
Winter Soldier #1 gets 4/5.
Old Comics
Deadpool #49 gets 3/5
FF #14 gets 3.5/5
Ultimate Comics Ultimates #6 gets 3.5/5
Uncharted #3 gets 4/5
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