Comic Reviews for 6/13

Hello.  I have nothing witty or important to say this week.  Just getting right into the reviews.

Marvel Comics

Amazing Spider-Man #687:  "End of the Earths" has ended.

Dan Slott has done a damn good job over the past year of telling Spider-Man stories that haven't been told before.  "End of the Earths" was a tricky one, because it brought Peter out of his natural habitat.  And while the story was enjoyable, it didn't feel like a Spider-Man story.  Spidey has always been a street level hero, not a "save the entire world" hero.  "End of the Earths" ended up feeling like an Avengers story that happened to have Black Widow and Spider-Man in it.  "Spider-Island" worked so well because it was rooted in Spidey's past and involved a villain of his.  The Sinister Six haven't been exactly exclusive in who they fight recently.  Slott writes Spider-Man well, and the death is handled well enough.  But the rest doesn't feel like a Spider-Man story.  But Slott experimented with the character.  A lot of writers don't have the balls to go out there with the way Slott writes Spider-Man. With the Lizard coming back next issue, we will hopefully see more a Spider-Man story.

While some won't like the story, no one can argue that Stefano Caselli's artwork is great.  The action scenes look great, and the characters are expressive.  Caselli hit home the fact that Otto is now a monster and is nothing like he use to be.  The new Spider-Man uniform has displeased some, but I have enjoyed Caselli penciling it.  Part of me still wishes that this book would go down to once a month, which would let Slott and Caselli be the permanent team.  They work great together and Caselli is a perfect Spider-Man artist.

Amazing Spier-Man #687 gets 3.5/5.

Comic Reviews for 6/6

Well, it finally started.  Before Watchmen is upon us.  Avengers vs X-Men also continues, which is staring to have some problems.  The rest of the week was good, with a couple being slightly mediocre.  It was one of the bigger weeks, which sadly killed my wallet.  But enough bitching, let's get started.

DC Comics

Action Comics #10:  Time to go back to Clark Kent.

One of the best things about the New 52 is to tell stories writers couldn't before.  And adding in a new villain like Nimrod the Hunter is a good example of that.  He does seem a little similar to Kraven the Hunter, which just adds to my feeling that Grant Morrison is looking at Spider-Man as a way to modernize Superman.  Action Comics #10 is an interesting story, and an entertaining one at that, but it suffers in the plot development.  It's somewhat uneven.  Superman trying to help hamsters as a way of showing Superman can handle the small scale things?  Eh, not really.  The ending, with Kent being killed, works well, and puts the Superman mythos into an interesting situation.  Lois Lane and Jimmy Olson still haven't been developed to any likable degree.  They are just there in this book.

Rags Morales art, while better than it was, is still suffering a little big.  Character height varies, with Superman being taller than Wonder Woman, then suddenly shorter the next panel.  Faces seem stagnant from panel to panel, even if they are expressive.  Once Superman goes into action, the comic looks great.  The same for when the Daily Star is bombed near the end of the book.  The time has come for DC to start considering a different artist for Action Comics.  Morals hasn't been the worst artist, but it needs an artist who can be on time and consistent.

Action Comics #10 gets 3/5.

Comic Reviews for 5/30

Another small week.  Dear god I need these every once and a while.  Easier to see more movies :D.  It was a solid week overall, with many annuals coming out.  And a few of them are starting to realize what an annual is suppose to be.  But enough of me talking, let's get started.

Marvel Comics

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #39:  Spider-Man gets another annual, and it's a retread of old stories, yet still a sweet story.

Brian Reed has always had a great handle on Peter Parker.  He can write the dramatic with the humor and balance it well.  This annual is a good example of this.  Peter is erased form history and thinks life will be better without him.  What follows is the usual Peter finding out what it means to be Spider-Man and how much he means.  And yes, Uncle Ben appears.  Reed makes the story, one we have read countless times, seem fresh and interesting.  Everything is nicely tied up by the end of the story, which is what an annual should do.  It's a self contained story that old fans will love and new fans will will appreciate.  If this annual shows anything, it shows that Reed needs to have some input in the current Spider-Man titles.  Be it a back up or something.

Lee Garbett pencils a good Spider-Man book.  Most of the issue sees Peter outside of his costume, which works in Garbett's favor.  Characters are expressive, with the reader being able to see the confusion on ever character's face.  The classic panels look fantastic.  His artwork has a slight look like Oliver Copiel.  Garbett has a great future ahead of him at Marvel.

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #39 gets 3.5/5.

Comic Reviews for 5/23

Hello all!  My apologies for not posting reviews last week, but I went on vacation.  Read a ton of Gotham Central, Invincible, and Nova.  I'd call that a great vacation.  I wrote a column about Northstar and Kyle getting married over on Comic Book Therapy.  Click here to read that.  But let's get started with the reviews.

Marvel Comics

Astonishing X-Men #50:  This review is over on Comic Book Therapy. Click here for the review.

DC Comics

Aquaman #9:  Geoff Johns steals the spotlight this month from the gorgeous art by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado.

Johns story about the Others has been very rooted in the past.  A lesser writer would have difficult establishing an ambiguous team while keeping the present story moving along, but Johns keeps it balanced perfectly.  We get just enough information about the history of Aquaman and Black Manta that it keeps us interested in the story line going on now.  Johns also gives Arthur some character growth amongst the sprawling fight scenes.  It's clear that Aquaman use to be an angrier fellow, but his conversations with Ya'wara delve deeper into who he use to be.  It was easy to figure out why Arthur hates Shin, but Johns still makes the ending have some weight.  Johns has always been a writer who knows how to write towards an artists talents, and Aquaman has always been a great example of that.  Johns gives Reis just enough fight scenes to pencil without the fights seeming unnecessary or tagged on.

Ivan Reis and Joe Prado continue to dominate this book.  Their work on Blackest Night was some of the best of their career, but this is on a whole other level.  Characters have some expressive faces, but their eyes seem almost human.  They carry so much emotion, and in the case of Aquaman, pain.  It's clear he isn't happy about his past and he is desperately trying to change what happened.  The painted flashback scene work well and help establish the reader in the past in a quick manner.

Aquaman #9 gets 4/5.

Comic Reviews for 5/9

Damn it was a big week.  Can't believe I read all the comics on this week's pull list before work.  Comic Book Therapy has been generous and given me a few comics before their release date, so more Image books will be appearing on that site.  Let's get started.

Marvel Comics

Avenging Spider-Man #7:  Marvel's new team-up book continues with another great story.

Kathryn Immonen is becoming the up and coming writer at Marvel, and this issue is another great example of her talent.  It's funny, and perfectly captures Spider-Man in a short amount of time.  He's smart, afraid of strong women, and isn't afraid to keep cracking jokes when everything starts to go downhill.  I'm not too familiar with She-Hulk, but I'd read a book if Immonen wrote one.  Immonen gives readers a good hold on the character fast, and her interactions with Spidey are great.  The villain creates a very funny situation, but also one that gives Spider-Man a chance to uses his smarts.  The entire story doesn't reinvent comics, but Avenging Spider-Man has never been that.  It's been short fun stories.  These issues could use heartfelt moments like Avenging Spider-Man #5, but not everyone writes Spider-Man as perfectly as Zeb Wells.

The other Immonen, Stuart, pencils a beautiful comic.  His work seems to have just gotten better from Fear Itself.  As always, characters are expressive, even when they have masks on.  It's clear Spider-Man is making a cute face when She-Hulk gets her tail.  Any reader would start chuckling when that happened.  Action looks great, but this issue gives Immonen more face to draw then action. That's a great thing though, as his talking head panels are still a sight to behold.  Even if you're unsure of getting this book for the writing, pick it up for the art.  Immonen's art is helped by Wade Von Grawbadger's inks, and Matt Hollingsworth's colors.  It helps the characters pop off the page.  When the Egyptian god appears, the inks and colors help give the god an almost Cheshire cat (no pun intended) look.

Avenging Spider-Man #7 gets 4/5.

Comic Reviews for 5/2

It is time.  It's time for the release of "Avengers."  I have already seen it and it's a great flick.  Worth a viewing by anyone, even if you haven't seen the previous films or haven't been as into super hero movies as others.  "Avengers" is easily the best superhero movie of all time.  And no, "The Dark Knight" isn't a superhero movie.  It's a crime drama.  But I digress, let's get onto reviews.

DC Comics

Action Comics #9:  Alternate reality stories are a dime a dozen, but done right, can leave a lasting impression.

Morrison uses this issue to play a commentary on the comics industry and what publishers are doing to their characters in today's market.  It's very subtle in the beginning, but becomes very obvious as the issue goes on.  With "Avengers" coming out this week, this issue couldn't have been released at a better time.  Part of me is surprised DC allowed this to be published.  Morrison's story also pokes and prods at the fan base, saying they are as much to blame as DC is when it comes to the "brand" of Superman.  Dear god it's amazing to read.  It's a great story in it's own right, but Morrison goes one further and makes the issue entertaining even more.  These Supermen are genuinely different, and interesting at that.  With so many alternate reality stories floating around these days, it's really hard for one to stand out.  These stories need to "count" for fans to remember them.  While this story may not "count," it's one that comic fans should read.  When the issue starts, part of me thought that Morrison was going to be dealing with race, but that's thrown to the side quickly.

Gene Ha's pencils work a lot better in this issue than his recent Justice League issue.  The issue is much quieter, which is Ha's strong point.  Character's are very expressive.  There is some action, but it flows much better.  Jaws (not the shark) aren't as exaggerated, but they could still be toned down.  If only Rag Morales could be this good month in and month out.  Art Lyon's colors make Ha's pencils pop off the page.  Luthor's gun looks great, and the futuristic scenes have the right amount of reflection off the giant neon signs.

Action Comics #9 gets 4.5/5.

What will the after credits scene of "Avengers" mean to Marvel?

For those of you who have seen "Avengers," there is a mid credits scene that shows....well something.  Here is my article on Comic Book Therapy about the scene

HUGE SPOILER WARNING. DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU HAVE SEEN "AVENGERS" OR DON'T MIND BEING SPOILED


I'll admit that the scene has no real connection to the plot and is more of a teaser than a huge reveal.

Comic Reviews for 4/25

Somewhat short week this week.  I attended Boston Comic Con this past weekend and had a great time. Click here to read my recap of that.  Glad it exploded the way it did.  It seems like Boston is more and more becoming a big stop for Cons.  Anyways, lets get started on reviews.

Dark Horse Comics

Angel & Faith #9:  Much like the TV show, Angel is better than Buffy right now.

Christos Gage ends the Daddy Issues arc well.  Long time fans of the series, and even knew fans will have their heart strings tugged at.  Gage has shown before that he has a great hold on Angel, but #9 puts that on display to it's fullest.  Gage's script perfectly shows why Angel is still an interesting character to this day and why fans love him still.  Faith also gets some time, but this issue is all about Angel and his hard decisions.  This issue will ultimately haunt Angel for some time, even if Faith forgives him.  Gage writes the action scenes with plenty of suspense and full of emotion.  You're reading this thinking "C'mon Angel!  GO ANGEL!" That doesn't happen very often in comics, let alone on a regular basis in the same series.  As always with Gage's scripts, I can hear the actors saying their lines in my head.  The only complaint I have is that I have to wait another month to buy #10.

Rebekah Issacs pencils her best issue to date.  Much like Gage's script, it's full of emotion, with the reader being able to see Angel's eyes and see how he feels instantly.  Darla going from sane to insane in three panels is simply inspiring, as Issacs hits every emotion pitch perfect.  Action scenes look great as always.  Even with highly populate scenes, characters retain a great amount of detail.  Issacs really has made a fantastic name for herself on this series.  Her career can only go up from this book.

Angel & Faith #9 gets 4.5/5.

Comic Reviews for 4/18

Now we are in full gear with Avengers vs X-Men.  The tie ins are starting to be released.  The same with Night of the Owls.  Was a good week, with a few books missing the mark, but most of them were good.  Boston Comic Con is this weekend (April 21st-22nd) and I will be there tweeting till the battery on my phone is dead.  Will hopefully catch a couple of panels as well.  But on with the show!

Marvel Comics

Avengers vs X-Men #2:  Gotta give the book credit, it doesn't lie about what it is.

The one thing that this event has had going for it is that both sides are very understanding.  This didn't happen in Civil War, where the pro-registration side were shown as evil bastards.  Jason Aaron delivers on lots of fighting, with minimal plot development.  But the title is called Avengers vs X-Men, so this shouldn't be surprising to anyone buying this.  And since it ships on a bi-weekly schedule, it's easier for one full issue to be fighting.  It looks like the next issue will leave Utopia, which works in it's favor.  Aaron goes against normalcy and adds dramatic narration, and it works very well.  It sets the tone of this event being an all out war, much in the way of the Civil War (the real one, not the comic one).  Friend against friend.  Tragedy is built throughout the issue.  While I question Wolverine attacking Hope right away, it still seems like great strategy.  One thing I'd like to see in the next couple of issues is a clear statement of what the Avengers and X-Men have planned if the Phoenix Force comes to Hope.

John Romita Jr. continues to be the master story teller.  A lesser artist wouldn't be able to contain all the detail in every character, or have them look anything but rushed.  Everything looks great.  Action scenes are brutal, with the reader feeling every broken bone from the heroes.  JRJR seems to have fixed the problem with Cyclops' eye beam, giving it the right amount of angle to make it seem like it's shooting into the background.  There are only two weak panels.  When Hope is running near the end of the book, and Magik bringing Dr. Strange into Limbo.  But when the rest of the issue is beautiful, who could care less.

Avengers vs X-Men #2 gets 4/5.

When Will C-List Books Come Back?

Hawkeye #2 (Marvel Comics, via IGN)

With the recent announcement of a new Hawkeye series, by the Immortal Iron Fist team of Matt Fraction and David Aja, it has become painfully obvious....when will C-lister books come back to Marvel.  C-listers are books that focus on character or teams that aren't as well known as your A or B listers.  Hawkeye, I'd say is a B-lister.  Many C-listers are fan favorites though, and have had fans clamoring for years for new ongoings.  Gambit, who seems to be getting a new ongoing in August, is one of them.  But why won't Marvel take chances like fans have been hoping?

Comic Reviews for 4/11

There are plenty of reviews this week.  I think there is almost 15.  Recently I started writing at Comic Book Therapy .  Make sure to check them out, as I'll be posting a few comic reviews, opinion pieces, and movie reviews there.  And while I normally don't do this on the comic site, go see Cabin in the Woods.  It's the best movie of the year so far.  With that said, let's get started

Image Comics

America's Got Powers #1: This review is up on Comic Book Therapy.  Click here to see the review.

Marvel Comics

Avenging Spider-Man #6:  The Omega Effect starts here.

Mark Waid and Greg Rucka take turns writing this issue.  It's one of the better examples of multiple writers, with different styles, cohesively.  It's impossible to see where one writer ends and where one begins.  With this issue focusing on Spider-Man, he gets the narrations for this issue.  The jokes are sharp and hysterical, especially the one about the "Punisherette."  Even Daredevil gets a few good quips in.  But the majority of the issue is recapping how each character got to this issue.  That's fine for new readers, but old readers will be turned off.  Each series (sans this one) has lead into the event well enough that this type of recap wasn't needed.  The team's plan is sound enough, and it should whet the excitement of fans more.

Marco Checchetto pencils are on top, as always.  The action scenes flow well, and I remember why he was one of the better Spider-Man artists in the Brand New Day era.  One thing that I noticed was how awesome his Reed Richards looks.  He might need to consider penciling an issue or two of Fantastic Four or FF.  Considering he has to pencils three issues for this month, the pencils don't look rushed.  Then again, this is the first issue, so only time will tell.

Avenging Spider-Man #6 gets 3.5/5.

What's in a haircut? (Well, mostly hair)

I'll be occasionally writing for Comic Book Therapy now.  Here is my first article for them: http://www.comicbooktherapy.com/ms-marvel-whats-in-a-haircut-well-hair-mostly/

It's about the new Captain Marvel and her new haircut

Comic Reviews for 4/4

Hello all. You all better have bought a comic on the Marvel app so you could get a $5 coupon last week.  Hard deal to pass up.  Otherwise, was a good week, even though there were some mediocre amongst the group.

DC Comics

Action Comics #8:  Even with a couple of months off, Rags Morales' art is still bad.

Grant Morrison has really shifted up the origin of Superman.  It's a story that could only happen with the new DC.  #8 is the end of this opening arc, and Morrison ends it in a great way.  The Fortress of Solitude is reimagined in a great way, coming out of nowhere, but makes sense by the end of the story.  Clark Kent gets more time in this issue, and I still hold onto the fact that Morrison is channeling Peter Parker when writing Kent.  That's well and fine, and it's a good way to bring Sups back to the present time.  The issue is one big fight, but Morrison gives the fight weight with the insane babbling of Braniac.  Even with Braniac and the enslaved human from a few issues ago using the same speech bubbles, the dialogue is easily distinguishable from each other.  The new Fortress of Solitude is brought in a smart way.  The end of this arc proves that Superman can be brought back into the present without sacrificing who he is.  It's been one of the problems with him, and it's one of the prime examples the new DC was a great choice story wise.

While I have nothing but praise for the writing, the art is bad.  Rags Morales is helped out by three other artists, and the affect is quite jarring.  It's clear where Morales art ends and others begin.  Brad Walker, Rick Bryant, and Bob McLeod do a commendable job, but going from artist to artist from page to page leaves the book having an inconsistent feel.  Not only that, the final few pages are inked and colored in a different feel, which faked me out.  I thought we had already got to the epilogue, but nope.

Action Comics #8 gets 3/5.

Comic Reviews for 3/28

It was a good week for comics.  Avengers vs X-Men has started.  The Flash has come back to it's former greatness, while Aquaman went down a little bit.  Overall though, it was a great week.  There were many strong books, and even the weaker books had something strong about them.  The review for Avengers vs X-Men #1 is up on a different page.  Click here to read that.  Let's get started with this week's reviews!

Dark Horse Comics

Angel & Faith #8:  As someone from Boston, I love this issue. But it's a great issue overall as well.

Christos Gage has had a very tight hold on these characters during his run on this issue.  I can hear the actors speaking the lines in my head when reading them.  Much like Matt Fraction with Tony Stark, Gage is great at tearing down Faith in a personal manner.  Having her father arrive was a stroke of genius oh his part.  Angel takes a little of a backseat this issue, but it helps the story overall.  Gage, from Massachusetts, writes a Boston accent perfectly.  It doesn't come across as hokey or in a joke manner, but normal.  He makes a few Boston references and uses some vernacular, and it's used perfectly.  What Gage really does great in this issue is show why Angel and Faith are perfect together.  It's great to read as a long time fan of the Buffy and Angel shows, it's good to see Gage developing these characters in a logical way.

Rebekah Issacs pencils are perfect for the series as usual.  Characters look exactly like their actor counterparts, and expressive like the actors.  Action scenes flow well, although I noticed that Issacs didn't use as many backgrounds as usual.  Nothing to complain about, but something I noticed.  Good job of Gage and Issacs being on the same page with the Boston people.  Having them wear Bruins jerseys is nice.

Angel & Faith #8 gets 4.5/5.

Avengers vs X-Men #1 Review

Marvel Comics

Another Marvel event has started.  Almost a year to the day ago, Fear Itself started and took over the Marvel universe.  Avengers vs X-Men starts just as strong as the last event, maybe even stronger.  Avengers vs X-Men #1 is out on 4/4/12.

The Walking Dead Season 2

AMC

Now that enough time has passed since the season finale, it's time to talk about the show without (as much) worrying about spoiling people.  But still, *HUGE SPOILER WARNING FOR SEASON 2*

Comic Reviews for 3/21

Huge week.  Easily describes my pull list.  I liked this week, even though there were some mediocre books.  Hoping to get through with Marvel 1602 so that I can read the fifth hardcover of The Walking Dead.  Maybe even read the first trade of Invincible.  Anyways, let's get started.

Dynamite Comics

Army of Darkness #2:  The first issue of this new ongoing was flat out terrible.  #2 starts to improve, but not by that much.

Elliott R. Serrano's script is a lot better this time around.  The jokes land more, and we focus more on the Ash we care about.  He fills it with plenty of moments of Ash being a total badass.  If I'm reading dialogue and hearing Bruce Campbell's voice in my head, then he's doing his job right.  And a good amount of the time that happened.  But then he goes down to Mexico and the plot goes south as well.  It's not interesting or compelling at all.  It relates to nothing else about the story.  We see the other Ash quickly, which reminds me of the crap of an issue last month.  If this issue has shown us anything, it means the more that Serrano focuses on Ash Williams, the book ends up being better for it.  I was prepared to not want to pick up the next issue of this series if the book focused on the other characters, but it looks like I'll be back for #3. 

Marat Mychaels art is still absolute shit.  Character's don't look the same from panel to panel.  While Bruce Campbell's chin is present in this comic, it changes sizes drastically.  I'm a long time comic reader, and I know women are shown to be idealistic to guys, but these women shouldn't be able to stand.  Their bodies shouldn't work within the laws of physics.  During the action scenes on Route 66, he uses a blending technique to convey speed way to often.  Every once and a while is fine, but it looks like he spilled water on the page and is trying to clean up.

Army of Darkness #2 gets 2.5/5.

Comic Reviews 3/14

I'm not sure if you might have heard, but this awesome comic called Saga came out this week.  It was a the highlight of the week by far.  The rest of the week was good, with a couple of mediocre releases.

Red 5 Comics

Atomic Robo: Real Science Adventures #1:  After taking months to catch up, I'm ready to read the series while it comes out.  Hooray!

Brian Clevinger writes the five short stories, and all of them will be good for fans of Atomic Robo.  They are evenly spread out, with none of them over staying their welcome.  As you might guess, the Dr. Dinosaur short is easily the funniest.  Spam as a way of attacking Robo? Genius. But the stories aren't integral to reading the next volume or rediscovering some personal detail of Robo.  It's more there for fans who can't wait for the next volume of Atomic Robo.  Since I'm one of those persons, I loved them.  As usual, Clevinger makes Robo very interesting a relatable, giving a lot of emotion in the few lines that Robo gets throughout this anthology.

The art isn't as on par as the other volumes, but it's serviceable.  A few of the artists change the way Robo looks to a degree, which isn't good.  But they work.  The "To Kill a Sparrow" short story looks the most like the ongoing, with Ryan Cody providing the art there.  Yuko Oda brings "Revenge of Dr. Dinosaur" the comedic timing needed for such a funny character.  In "Rocket Science is a Two-Edged Sword," I really like the choice of black and white.  Not a lot of comics can pull this off, but it works in this story.

Atomic Robo: Real Science Adventures #1 gets 4/5

The Walking Dead "Better Angels" Recap/Review

"Better Angels" sticker from GetGlue (From AMC)

* SPOILER WARNING *

Ah, the burial of Piggy (yep, I'm not done with that reference yet).  Do the survivors now get rescued by their parents and scolded for being stupid occasionally?

I might not like Andrea, but awesome kill with the pitchfork.

Rick immediately puts T-Dog on perimeter watch.  It's like the writers like finding fun ways for him to not be in scenes.  "Do you want me to babysit Shane?" says Andrea. Yes, because he is an infant who can't take care of himself.  How hard was that to understand.  And yes we will leave money for pizza.

DEAR LORD stop shoving the "Carl killing Shane soon" angle down our throats.  It's getting to an almost comical point.

Cullen Bunn talks Sixth Gun, Wolverine, and Kitty Pride kicking ass

Wolverine #304, the first issue in Cullen Bunn's run

Whenever a new writer comes to Wolverine, it begs the attention of Marvel readers.  Cullen Bunn starts his run on #304, and recently sat down to talk about his run, and his creator owned book, The Sixth Gun.

So you have quickly become one of Marvel's go to guys.  How's it feel to go from indie writer to writer of a big Marvel book like Wolverine? 


Cullen Bunn: It's been a year since I signed my exclusive with Marvel, and it still feels pretty surreal. These are characters I grew up with... characters I really love... and I want to make sure I "do right" by the creators who have worked on the titles before, the characters themselves, and the fans. Writing Marvel books and creator-owned books is really the best of both worlds.

With someone like Wolverine, who numerous have had a great run on, how hard is to look at the character and find a new angle that entices reader?  Or make an old angle shine in a new way? 


Cullen Bunn: That's always a concern, but if I obsess too much over it, I'll never actually get anything written. In the end, I have to trust that no one else is really going to tell a story in the same way as me. So, my Wolverine will be different than those that came before and those that will come after. At the same time, I try to honor the character's past and introduce some new concepts of my own.