DC Comics
Action Comics #7: Grant Morrison's run on Action Comics can be shaky, but with #7, he seems to be turning that around and being the Grant Morrison of old.
The idea behind the Bottle City of Kandor isn't reinvented here, but Morrison gives it a creatively charged story. The way he connects the Collector to an old Superman villain and Earth culture made my head spin a bit, because it was that great of an idea. It's fun to have an "AHA!" moment when you realize what Morrison is doing and it makes you want to read more of the story. Occasionally the dialogue feels a bit odd, but it's not a big nit to pick. In the bottle, Morrison continues Luthor's cracking since finding out the Collector isn't helping him. For the little time that Luthor has had in this book, he doesn't seem that menacing. Then again, he isn't the main villain, so I won't pass judgement just yet. I love Superman, but haven't had a good Superman book to read as an ongoing. This is finally that book.
Rags Morales returns, and his pencils fare better than the previous four issues. He still has the facial problems like before, but they aren't nears as evident. The action flows well, and all the characters are very expressive in the more quiet scenes. The Collector looks fantastic, having a Silver Age feel to him while still being menacing.
Action Comics #7 gets 4/5.
Marvel Comics
Age of Apocalypse #1: After it's brilliant use in Uncanny X-Force, it was only a matter of time before marvel used the AoA in a new way. After one issue though, this might not be the way fans want.
David Lapham has the horrible task of catching up lost readers on what has happened to this alternate reality. He does a fair job of it, but it severely destroys any momentum this universe had from it's time in Uncanny X-Force. To Lapham's credit, he does a good job of setting up the series and why we should be coming back each month. But this series doesn't offer much different then normal X-Men books. Instead of the humans oppressing the mutants, it's the other way around. We have seen this before in countless stories. I'm not sure if this is Lapham's fault or Marvel's (I think Marvel's), but this doesn't seem like much to base a series on. As I said in my review of Greg Pak's run on Astonishing X-Men; in alternate reality stories, you need to make the audience care more since these stories "don't count" in the normal universe. I shall be back next month, but not sure how much longer after that. Given a little more freedom, I think Lapham could make this a great book.
Robert De La Torre's art fits the very moody universe well. His pencils ooze with the grime and sorrow that Lapham puts in the script. The characters look fairly down to Earth, except for one panel that has every standing in stereotypical superhero poses. Jean Grey's costume is still stupid as all hell and I wish someone would change it. If Lapham's story is only so-so, De La Torre's art makes the cover price worth it.
Age of Apocalypse #1 gets 3/5.
DC Comics
Animal Man #7: Another filler issue, but who cares when the Animal Man team is the best around.
Jeff Lemire slows down even further with the family trying to figure out where to find Alec Holland. Buddy's son Cliff gets more focus this week, and Lemire perfectly shows how a son in this situation would feel. Lemire gives Cliff a great moment near the end, and it's moot considering the terror that is going to be coming towards these characters in the coming issues. As usual, the family dynamic is a great read. Everything feels natural and exactly how the family of a superhero would act. The cover isn't exactly lying, but it's not telling the truth either. The dream sequence is interesting, but those have been happening a lot in this book. The final page will make any fan of this book terrified for what is going to happen next to Buddy.
Steve Pugh and Travel Foreman switch art duties this month. Pugh's art suits the book well. There is a major hiccup in the beginning of the book, where Helen goes from wearing nothing on her head to wearing a headband and glasses the next. In this day and age, that is just inexcusable. Foreman and Pugh should have figured this out before the book was sent to the printers.
Animal Man #7 gets 4.5/5 (yeah, the art brought it down a little from my initial review).
Marvel Comics
Avengers Academy #27: This has long been a book I have meant to get into, but I'm glad I finally made the dive.
Christos Gage does a commendable job of catching up readers with the Runaways. I don't know much about the Runways, but I have a good feeling after reading this issue. Gage frames the issue in a cliche way, with the teams fighting before realizing one needs the other. The space in between though is what made me enjoy this comic though. The dialogue that Gage gives these characters feels so natural for teens and it's great to read. It's one thing to shove characters into cliche situations, but it's what you do with them that matters. And Gage hits it out of the park when it matters. Each character has so much emotion behind their lines. This might be something that Gage does a regular basis, but it's great as a new reader to the series. He handles Striker coming out of the closet in a very humorous fashion as well. The last page feels a tad force to show off what is happening on the cover, but that's for next issue.
Karl Moline's art is serviceable. Most of the scenes are talking head scenes, but the characters still have a scratchy look to them. It's ok, just not as good as the book could look. The close up on characters look good though, being very expressive. Mainly in the scene mentioned before, when the Runaways and the Avengers Academy students meet for the first time.
Avengers Academy #27 gets 4/5.
Avengers Academy #27 gets 4/5.
Marvel Comics
Avengers: the Children's Crusade #9: It's hard to believe that the first issue of this series came out almost two years ago.
Alan Heinberg finally finishes his Young Avengers epic. The issue is a little uneven, but the series has an actual sense of closure instead of just prolonging everything. It's clear that Heinberg wants to end everything to that he feels complete with these characters. This issue does show that Children's Crusade didn't need to be nine issue. A good part of this issue is characters grieving with Wanda. Which is ok, but it feels very tacked on. The epilogue nature of the issue helps the series fit into continuity perfectly. It's still filled with Heinberg's great characterization for these characters. One thing that he does leave unsolved is who actually caused M-Day, and oh boy are fan boys going to be pissed. It was really an unnecessary story line to bring up in the first place. Hopefully it will be solved in another book fairly fast.
Jim Cheung's artwork has been masterful, and #9 is just the same. It doesn't look as rushed either. The beginning of the issue is filled with sadness, and Cheung gives that in spades. The action from Iron Lad looks great as well. Thankfully this series is over so he can work on other books. If Heinberg's script never caught you, then Cheung's pencils should have kept you coming after all these months.
Avengers: the Children's Crusade #9 gets 4/5.
Marvel Comics
The Defenders #4: While the first arc of this series showed promise, it was a little anticlimactic. #4 is a quieter issue, but works well.
First things first, Matt Fraction, fantastic Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom reference. The rest of the issue delves deeper into how Fraction is going to be writing Dr. Strange. He has never been more interesting to me, but most of the issue doesn't involve the overall narrative of the story much. That's fine with me, but after the bad ending to the first arc, I'd like something more. Lots of threads are established, and I'm interested to see where they take the book. Red She-Hulk and Iron Fist get some great face time, and I wish that they had been featured more in the issue. The cover's story about the lost love of Dr. Strange is gone as quickly as it comes in. The story adds some depth to Strange, but it could have been done differently. Since it's a Fraction comic, it's quippy as hell. And most of them land too, giving me some great chuckles.
While the story is just meh, Matthew Lark's pencils are perfect. Characters are hyper expressive, and the magic scenes look great. Even when characters are in the background, their faces still have some great facial features. I love the Dodsons, but I wouldn't mind if Lark stuck around on this book. Lark never disappoints with a comic and continually shows how versatile he is as an artist. I wish he could stick around on a book for a while instead of just doing fill in issues.
The Defenders #4 gets 3.5/5.
Image Comics
Fatale #3: Another month, another exemplary effort by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips showing how they are one of the best comic teams in the industry.
Brubaker's story is framed in an interesting way. I almost forgot that we are reading a character reading a story, but Brubaker brings it back and keeps it as an interesting twist in the story. The story in the story adds more layers and makes the overall narrative that much more interesting. I'd like if when different characters had thought boxes, they were different colors. Had a hard time of keeping track of who was thinking what sometimes. Brubaker is revealing everything in a slow manner, but it's in a way that is very enticing. It's like Jaws. We see glimpses of what's really happening, but only enough to tease us along. It's great as a reader, and Brubaker uses the method perfectly. Next issue, I need to think up new ways to say how great Brubaker writes noir comics.
Seas Phillips art has become more refined in his time writing Brubaker stories. When I first checked out Criminal, his art was kind of sketchy and lose. But Fatale #3 is a great example of how tight his pencils have become. Characters are more defined and scenes are more detailed than the past.
Fatale #3 gets 4/5.
Image Comics
The Manhattan Projects #1: Whenever Jonathan Hickman writes something, I always expect a great premise. The Manhattan Projects is just that and more.
The premise that the Manhattan Project was a front for something else is a very simple idea. But Hickman turns it into something grand. After reading this issue, my mind swarmed with ideas of what's the come. Robert Oppenheimer is set up as our window to this series, and his back story is presented in a very interesting way. S.H.I.E.L.D. has proven that he has a great track record of taking historical figures and turning them into action heroes. He hints of something like this with Albert Einstein, but only time will tell what he does with him. The American history major that I am loved this book for taking World War II and reusing it in an interesting way. WWII stories that have weird science fiction are a dime a dozen, but Hickman's seems to be unique.
I'm not familiar with Nick Pitarra's pencils, but I love what I see. It reminds me a lot of Chris Burnham or Frank Quietly. Everything is detailed and each character has so much emotion and energy brimming from them. The big Japanese invasion scene has a great energy and it's clear that he had a lot of fun penciling this scene.
The Manhattan Projects #1 gets 5/5.
DC Comics
Swamp Thing #7: Ladies and gentlemen, we have the best comic of the week.
Scott Snyder uses this issue as a rally the troops type of issue. Things aren't looking good, but Alec Holland wants to turn that around. And turn it around he does. Snyder's script makes the readers swell up in emotion, waiting for Holland to finally kick ass and take names. The reader is excited for #8 on every level. #7 is a very talking heavy comic, but Snyder makes everything feel like each line could be Holland's last. Snyder shows off a little and gives a little history of the Parliament of Trees, something that is so central to Swamp Thing but hasn't been given a whole lot of space in the series. Snyder also sets up the inevitable battle between Abigail and Holland, which Snyder will no doubt write in a perfect fashion.
But the star of this issue is Yanick Paquette. His pencil work is perfect. Each page is beautifully laid out in what will go down in the history of comics as one of the best comics for panel work. Everything looks organic and leads the eye perfectly. A lesser artist would have had troubled leading the eye from panel to panel. Paquette also uses the Jaws method and doesn't completely show us the new Swamp Thing, but adds a new trick to his arsenal.
Swamp Thing #7 gets 5/5 (my initial review was 4.5, but I reread it and decided it deserved a perfect score).
Marvel Comics
Uncanny X-Men #8: I have a love/hate relationship with this book. I love the writing, and fucking hate the art.
Kieron Gillen writes the best issue of the series so far. It's brimming with character moments while still keeping the story going. Gillen caps off the Tabula Rasa story well, while still leaving a few plot threads going for other writers to tackle. X-Force is even mentioned in a logical and satisfying way. Gillen adds more wit to this issue than the past few, and almost every line will make any reader chuckle. Cyclops doesn't come across as a colossal ass either, which has been a constant complaint of mine since the relaunch. I still don't see much in the ways of the X-Men not liking the Avengers, but it looks like #9 is going to be dealing with that, judging by the cover.
Then there is Greg Land. Oh Greg Land. You have had a few good issues recently, Avenging Spider-Man #4 being one, but then there is an absolute crap one like this. Characters face's don't convey the emotion that Gillen's script is giving. Character's basic look doesn't even stay consistent. Hope's face changes from panel to panel. This just shouldn't happen with someone who calls themselves a professional artist. Then there is also the small panel with Psyclock and her ass. Dear god Marvel, get this guy off of this book.
Uncanny X-Men #8 gets 3/5.
Marvel Comics
Venom #14: Circle of Four ends, and it ends on a good note, even though one character is destroyed in character purposes.
Rick Remender ends Circle of Four in a traditional fashion. Big battle, and the heroes are finally seen as heroes and not the people who caused it. Venom has a lot of threads that will fuel his book for a while, as does Hulk. X-23 and Ghost Rider don't fair as well though. X-23 doesn't have to much to do, but Alejandra is pretty much destroyed as a character. She is a complete ass and I do wish that Blaze would be the Ghost Rider again. I liked her in her series, but she is now lost on me. A better ending to the series would have had Johnny Blaze get the Ghost Rider back and start having his own series again. Remender does give Venom lots of room to be a hero, and ties in to Secret Avengers.
Tony Moore pencils this issue, and as usual, his pencils are very detailed. His pencils fit the demon atmosphere, with Vegas never looking better. Characters have a great amount of emotion, and even contain that emotion even when the shots start to zoom out. It's sad that his pencils take so long to complete, as he is such a natural fit for this series.
Venom #14 gets 3.5/5.
Marvel Comics
Winter Soldier #3: It's a damn good week for Ed Brubaker.
Ed Brubaker is somehow writing an espionage book and it involves Dr. Doom. That's a hard thing to do, but Brubaker makes it work. The plot is interesting and ties into Marvel history rather well. The entire Secret War (the Bendis one) is summarized fairly quickly and well too. Sometimes it seems that Brubaker is stuck in World War II, with many of his Cap stories taking place in that time or referencing it a lot. The Cold War has replaced it rather well. It does seem like Brubaker is taking the same formula and rehashing it, but it's still a great read, so who really cares. Hopefully he can change it a little more in the future. Even with all the Dr. Doom work, Brubaker gives Natasha and Bucky plenty of times to be themselves and expand on their personality a bit.
Butch Guice continues to pencil a beautiful espionage book. He experiments with panel work in this issue, and it works really well. The panels lead your eyes right where they need to go, and not once did I have trouble figuring out where I needed to read next. The panels are really detailed as well, given he only has a month to do this.
Winter Soldier #3 gets 4.5/5.
Marvel Comics
Wolverine #302: Jason Aaron's final arc on Wolverine is going down as one deep to the character.
Aaron treats this issue almost like a greatest hits for this current volume that started in 2010. The Hell angle, Logan's unknown kids are brought back in a way, and even Mystique. It's very nostalgic for fans who have been reading Jason Aaron's run on the character for so long. He uses this all without it feeling forced or there to just make you remember everything that Aaron has done on the title in the past few years. Aaron falls back into old Wolverine cliches, with him using violence to solve anything and fucking anything that moves, when he could have aimed for something a little deeper. But the issue is still an enjoyable read overall. I still feel nothing for this new Silver Samurai, as the character feels forced to fit in with Wolverine's adoptive daughter.
Billy Tan and Steve Sanders take turns penciling this issue. Their pencils don't mesh well together well, with the transition being jarring every single time they change art duties. Tan's pencils have fallen drastically in recent years. Sanders seem to comical for this serious story. This is most evident when the dragon makes an appearance. It looks funny instead of menacing.
Wolverine #302 gets 3/5.
Old Comics
Avengers #22 gets 3.5/5.
The Might Thor #11 gets 4/5.
Ultimate Spider-Man #7 gets 5/5.
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