Comic Book Reviews 09-24-14

Review Scale:

The mythical A+: Classic comic book material. Belongs next to your copy of The Notebook and The Joy of Cooking.

A: Would definitely recommend to all comic book readers. Even more so to fans of the genre or characters

B: Enjoyable read. Fans of the genre or characters will especially like.

C: Non-essential read. Can be enjoyable for fans of the genre or characters, but likely for only one or two events in the books.

D: Unenjoyable book. Read at your own risk. Might find satisfaction if major flaws are overlooked.

F: Please don’t buy this book. Donate your money to a local comic book writer’s workshop instead to inspire future generations to write something better than this trash.

 

Pick of the Week:

Saga #23 – A

(A) There’s something to be said about a book that, every month without fail, can take you to a happy place that would make Billy Madison jealous. Each episode of Saga is a beautifully crafted piece of fantasy that satisfies both my need for gratuitous language and violence, as well my deep desire for an inter-galactic love story full of adventure, betrayal and TVs having sex with each other. This issue specifically, is when everything changes. After Marko “f***ing assaults” Alana with vegetables in the previous issue, things spiral out of control for the couple, and somehow manage to get much, much worse. Please pick up this series and enjoy the crap out of it; you’ll thank me later. – Sherif

(A) Someone admitted to me this week that when a new issue of Saga is released they retreat to their bedroom (comic in hand), turn on a bit of mood lighting, strip down to their socks and underwear and proceed to bask in the gloriousness of what will be the best comic they will read all week long.  He called it “me time.”  I would have laughed at him, but truth be told… that’s how I read Saga too.  Don’t judge.  Vaughan and Staples are the best duo in the medium right now.  Everything about Saga is masterfully worked and presented.  As a reader I’m so invested in the characters (all of them), the plot, the setting (this is sci-fi done RIGHT), everything!  This series is oozing with unique creativity and use of the panel.  There’s very little not to love about Saga.  The only bad part is how weird and creepy I feel sitting there in my underwear once I’m done reading the issue. – Taylor

Other Reviews: 

Boom! Studios:

Lumberjanes #6 – B-

Oh my god the raccoon hat. It gets me every time. I want it drawn on a coffee mug and it to be in my possession. The Luberjanes just defeated raptors and are now playing capture the flag. But, what about the raptors and the three eyes foxes and the strange cave aren’t you going to ever tell me what the junk is going on?!?!?! And what’s up with Jo and her seeming mythicalness starting to come out.  Also, when can I get my own game of capture the flag started? Thankfully, more of the mythical plot was revealed this week and I am sated. – Jené

Dark Horse:

Aliens: Fire and Stone #1 – B

Dark Horse has really stepped up their game lately.  On the heels of Prometheus: Fire and Stone #1 comes Aliens: Fire and Stone.  These two series are woven directly into one another and so far it’s worked amazingly!  In fact, this premiere issue for Aliens: Fire and Stone is by itself nothing special.  But with the Prometheus: Fire and Stone story still fresh in my mind it enhanced my experience.  Prometheus’ vibe was very much like the beginning of any Alien movie – eerie, calm, and mysterious.  This Aliens series in contrast has started out like the end of any Alien movie – terrifying, frantic and intense.  The yin and yang balance of the Fire and Stone adventure is working very well so far and I can’t wait to see how these stories collide. – Taylor

Sundowners #2 – D

I learn something new every week in the midst of my comic book reading campaign.  This week’s lesson: intentionally confusing plot lines are only effective in issue #1.  I was hooked on Sundowners after reading the opening issue some weeks ago.  I wasn’t all that sure what was happening.  But with stored questions and curious ponderings I was very anxious to see what the follow up issue would deliver.  I’m saddened to say that this series appears to have taken a turn for the worst.  My initial questions were poorly addressed (if not skipped entirely) and the plot was further muddied.  A new character entered this week and all it did was distract me.  I wanted to learn more about the original cast; there is still so much to explore!  It was obvious to me that the characters were going to drive this story.  From what I got this week, I’m not so sure that’s where Sundowners is headed. – Taylor

DC/Vertigo:

Futures End: Superman #1 – A-

Finally, a Futures End worth reading! The one-shots from DC’s latest cash-grab mega-arc crossover thingy has been largely disappointing, with poor writing and even worse art. This little gem written by Dan Jurgens, though, blew away any expectations I had up to this point. The Haz-Mat Superman has been revealed, and the story behind his appearance, albeit unresolved, is a really cool idea. Like Batman, the world needs a Superman. Even if not Kal El, somebody with enough gusto to fill his shoes. But where in the world is Clark Kent? This same Superman has been all over the Futures End books, so look to see more of him soon enough. – Sherif

Batman Eternal #25 – B

Hush has finally declared open season on Batman, which means that this story looks like it’s finally heating up. There has been just too much going on in this book, but it looks like Eternalwill very much be a Batman vs. Hush story, and with writing input by Scott Snyder, I am thoroughly excited to see where this goes. The book is not without its transgressions, though, as the odd, uncharacteristic art detracts from the story going on around us. There are more findings that raise cause for question; for instance, is Alfred going to recover? How deep does the corruption go? Is Jim Gordon going to make it out unscathed? The fact that I care about any of this again means that Eternal has managed to recover (at least partially) of its earlier faults and found a little quality in spite of the quantity of books coming out. – Sherif

Future’s End: Aquaman and the Others #1 – B

This issue picks up where Future’s End: Aquaman left off. Vulko has brought back Atlan, the Dead King who sunk Atlantis, now he wants to sink Aquaman’s attempt at making peace with the surface, but first, he needs the Atlantean artifacts that he forged long ago. I enjoy Aquaman so these Future’s Ends with him have been enjoyable for me. Jurgens is a good story teller but his writing can be weak at points. If you’re a fan of Aquaman definitely give this a shot, but you may want to read the Aquaman Future’s End first. – Cody

Future’s End: Justice League Dark #1 – C-

This one started out alright, but really lost steam in the last few pages. It had some cool cosmic aspects to it, but once an outsider showed up it was rushed and just uninteresting. You’d think that with such a massive event that DC would have put more thought into these stories. Read it if you like JLD I guess, but, it’s really not anything special. – Cody

Future’s End: Harley Quinn #1 – D+

 

I can’t emphasize how dumb Harley Quinn is for always falling for The Joker.  But ultimately, I can’t blame her, I have to blame her writers.  They are treating her like she is Coney Island’s Carrie Bradshaw and Joker is Mr. BIg.  Harley’s 5 year fast forward puts her stranded on a beach of an island that looks like it is a characterization of South America.  She must meet the island’s god Tha’ Jo-kaa (wow, really?) and then they must get married.  The whole thing became Joker’s story and made Harley look like an idiot.  I am so tired of the Harley is dumb and loves Joker trope.  It’s about time they gave her something for readers to work with. – Adrian

IDW Comics:

Super Secret Crisis War #4- A

This issue really shows us what our childhood heroes are made of! On top of that there is a twist at the end that any one who knows my strong feelings about The Powerpuff Girls and Ed, Edd and Eddy will understand why I enjoyed it so much. With this series (and it may just be the child that won’t go away in me) every issue is wonderful, but I get upset every time I finish one because I know the event is closer to being over. This issue is an important one in the series because it shows our heroes finally figuring out each other and making a good team. On top of that, the villains are just down right horrible, and they make a “Death Stare” to destroy planets. It is a great story and besides the video game Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion XL (which has a name equally as long and crazy as this series)  there has never been a better multi-cartoon crossover ever. – Jacob

Samurai Jack #12- B+

Jack has lost the power of his sword and now Aku has nothing to fear! We saw Jack’s sword destroyed in the last issue and now he has to deal with the fact Aku knows and will spare no cost at taking him out. I think this will definitely be the best arc this series has gotten yet. It offers so much more than the past stories have and so much more is at stake. This is part two of this story but it does give a good recap to help you understand what is happening. This issue could even be a good point to jump onto the story before it gets too involved. It is pretty hard to make Samurai Jack look bad, so the art of this series is always great, although I would like to see a more realistic or at least more detailed Samurai Jack issues at some point in the future. – Jacob

Star Trek #37- C+

This Issue of Star Trek definitely delivers the goods and so many great Trek characters from each series. We mainly see the cast of the new film series based off of the original series.  We also see a lot of Deep Space Nine with appearances by  Sisko, Odo, Quark, Dr. Bashir, Kira, and Worf. But what will keep any Star Trek fan interested is what Q has planned for their universe. – Jacob

G.I. Joe #1 – D-

Before I totally destroy this book, I want to preface it with the fact that I have never read a G.I. Joe anything, so maybe the books have just been this awful for the last 30 years and crappy writing is the status quo. If that slight was any indication, I hated this first issue. It had all the entertainment value of watching a fry-cook try to save the lastBennigan’s in town from closing. The only sliver of hope I have for this series is that there will eventually be explosions and stuff, but I can get that anywhere, really. G.I. Joe has failed to produce anything resembling substance, and instead gave us the inside scoop of what it’s like to sit through a military board meeting where absolutely nobody is having a good time – especially you.

Image Comics:

Roche Limit #1- B

(A) Roche Limit takes us to the farthest reaches of space, to a small colony built on the edge of an energy anomaly. Sadly, like many designed utopian societies in science fiction, this one has come to the wealth, the greedy, and the dangerous. The main story follows a woman looking for her sister who has disappeared and she falls into a sleazy societal underbelly in her search. Roche Limit is written by Michael Moreci with art from the fantastic Vic Malhorta. The first issue gives you just enough taste to keep you interested. This is a strong sci-fi noir with excellent visuals and a mysterious plot. Roche Limit is gritty, violent, and visceral. In a good way.  – Scott

(B) Yay, outer space!!  Double yay for a comic book story introducing a cool new fictional celestial body and crazy space drugs made from never before seen space minerals.  If that’s not enough to grab your attention then maybe the plot will snag you.  On the surface this is a story about a woman who has left earth, traveled across the galaxy to the human established colony, Roche Limit, to find her missing sister.  While the concept is basic, the setting will certainly compensate and work as an enhancement.  This story will drive the sci-fi theme and that’s a good thing.  Invest in the characters and their objectives and marvel in the awesome concepts accompanied with a new unexplored galactic frontier.  I have moon-sized expectations for this new Image series. – Taylor

(B+) Roche Limit is a colony on a planet located near a weak black hole. The dream of a billionaire who wanted a fresh start on society, but like always, it has failed, and Roche Limit is now a place of crime a depravity. When a girl goes missing, her sister travels to the colony and gets embroiled in it’s underworld. I’ve been reading a lot of these sci-fi/noir books lately and this was one of the more enjoyable ones I’ve read. It has an intelligent and mysterious anti-hero in Alex and the sister, who happens to be a cop on Earth, is also smart and rather fearless. The villain is mysterious and definitely is up to something strange. If you enjoyed Blade Runner, you’ll like this. – Cody

(C) I wanted to read this book because of the fancy science term title. I need more space travel stories in my life. But this isn’t really it. Instead, it’s a colony on the border of an anomaly and no space exploration to think of. Instead, the colony is more a city like Gotham where crime, drugs, scientific experiments run rampant.  So far I’m mixed. If the title has andy foreshadowing, the colony is eventually going to be swallowed up by the Roche Limit, the inevitable decay and destruction of a society and constructed colony. Maybe this book will be different and go another route. I’m still willing to give this book a shot. One thing that bothers me is that this kind of technological advancement is just too close to our current timeline. I really think writers should extend this kind of space exploration further into the future. Yes, we have made a lot of fast advancement, but we are still fairly far away from a lot of other stuff.  I like the environment the writer and artists are developing. I like the swirl of colors and the use of negative space within the book. It separates itself from the more visually cluttered books. – Jené

A Voice in the Dark #1- C

(B+) Most of the time I don’t know how to talk about art. This book’s art looks like watercolors, which I hear are really hard to work with. The way the colors blend in to one another, it has this odd mixture of grunge meets whimsical. Serial killer stories and crime procedurals are my guilty pleasures. I love how they have inverted the Dexter serial killer trope. The diary format in which the story unfolds is something I haven’t seen in a while. Right not I can’t recall a comic that’s done it that way. The only thing I have beef with is Rio’s genius as a killer. Seems a little tame to me. – Jené

(D-) I had not heard of the A Voice In The Dark series until it’s latest incarnation A Voice In The Dark: Get Your Gun, and now I know why. It’s pretty bland all the way through. The easiest way to describe this series is that it’s a bad version of the movie Mr. Brooks. If you don’t understand the reference, that’s ok, no one saw Mr. Brooks. Basically what’s going on here is the main character, Zoey, has compulsions to kill people. SPOILERS She fails to control these compulsions. The story is underdeveloped and the plot just isn’t all there for me. But seeing how Get Your Gun appears to be a small story arch in a slightly larger plot I’ll try not to judge the entire series on this arch. What I will judge the entire series on is its art. The characters are emotionless and shallow. At one point, one of the characters actually pointed out a hair lip he has to Zoey, and also to me, for the first time. This particular facial feature is even a major proponent to this characters actions and personality. But if the reader doesn’t even see it who cares?! With bland writing and dull art I can say that you can skip this one. – Scott

Wayward #2 – C

(B) Wayward #1 came across as an American version of Japanese anime about a girl with super parkour powers!  It was a bit whimsical and overall light hearted.  In a good and measured step Wayward #2 diminished those impressions and did a slight amount of maturing; which I felt was a good thing… mostly.  Adding to the first issue’s impression, it made me believe that this story will be more than your typical anime tale.  We were also introduced to a new character this week and I’m already a fan.  He too has weird and interesting powers.  Combo these powers with super parkour powers and we could all be in for a real treat.  And lastly, I’ve got to give it up to Steve Cummings for his artwork.  I’m in love with nuanced manga style pencil work.  Something about it keeps me staring at the page much longer than average.  I am a little bit sad though, that I didn’t get to see any more off-brand Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or magical cat ladies.  Maybe next issue. – Taylor

(D+) Like Buffy, my ass. Only two issues in and this book has already made my eyes roll, lips curl and eyebrows raise more than I would like them to. Rori, the half-Irish, half-Japanese girl who came to live with her mother, she discovers she has powers, which I can only deduce is some form of Spirit World parkour. The story has left me unimpressed, and the character even more unlikable after she takes a knife to herself to “make [her] mark and get through another day.” Some might find this relate-able but with absolutely no connection to the character or why she feels this is appropriate, it feels forced and insincere. All the promise of being anything mentioned in the same breath of BTVS is gone, and we’re in quite the uphill battle for this book to turn around in issue #3 that makes me want to read anything more. – Sherif

Marvel:

Deadpool #35- A-

After last week’s 90’s flashback, we jump back into the story with this issue. We have plenty of references to past stories including a very good bit about Deadpool’s friends from the Weapon X program in North Korea. I felt this issue was a great issue for Deadpool and actually a great jump on point in the series.  With this issue, we get Deadpool’s humor, drama, and a perfect mix of Deadpool being a merciless killer in epic battle. Overall this issue shows complete Deadpool picture. Definitely check this out if you are a fan or if you want to be introduced to the Merc with a Mouth. – Jacob

All-New Ghost Rider #7- B

This new Ghost Rider story has been rather crazy from the get-go but with the series ending soon (only 5 issues to go!) I am liking where it is going yat a little bit afraid. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great issue and it really shows the struggle between Robbie and his inner demon Eli, who makes him become Ghost Rider. With the new story arc starting last issue, we got a new art style for the series which I can’t say is really better than the previous five issues.  I have enjoyed it more as it is not as anime/cartoon looking. I would say try and pick up last months issue and make sure to read this because the Ghost Rider series is about to change drastically. – Jacob

Amazing Spider-Man #1.5 (Learning to Crawl) – B

Since the re-emergence of Peter Parker as Spidey just a few months ago, there’s been a lot of catch-up being played, causing things to get blurred and busy. Thankfully, the Learning to Crawl story was there to bring us back to why we give a damn about Peter Parker to begin with. The tale of Peter’s ascension to manhood was told as a modern-day origin story, and captured everything great we felt about our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Sure, it came off as corny and a bit preachy, but that’s where its charm lay. Thanks to a vintage style art by Ramon Perez, the tone of Dan Slott’s story felt appropriate. You’re not missing anything if you skip this, but if you take the time to read this tweener, you’ll be happy you did. – Sherif

Storm #3 – B

Things for Storm came full circle this month; she went back home to Kenya and Forge just happened to be there.  While the story was pleasant, it was also simple.  Storm’s hometown, the one where she was a goddess, is experiencing drought.  She goes to save the day and meets up with Forge.  They argue like exes do, then they save the day…sort of.  I have always like Storm a lot; I find her one of the most intriguing X-Men, so I really like hearing about her origins.  I thought this book was a cool way to touch on it, but for people who are new to her story, could be confusing.  The most enjoyable piece of this issue was the art.  I was blown away at the use of color and how fantastic they made her power of controlling the weather seem. Simply beautiful – Adrian

Guardians of the Galaxy #19 – B

(A) We continue the story of how Star-Lord, Nova, Drax, and Thanos escaped from the Cancerverse, a horrible version of our universe that holds some rather strange surprises. I have very much enjoyed this little side story and love seeing these four interact with each other. Richard Rider is a WAY better Nova than this stupid kid they have now, and it is a lot of fun to watch him interact with Quill. Drax has a couple great moments and even Thanos gets some pretty fantastic panels. Can’t wait to see where Bendis takes us next. -Cody

(C+) The Original Sin spin-off for GOTG has been fun. And that’s about all it needs to be. The Guardians are relatively unknown throughout the Marvel U, and with the exposure of the movie, have been afforded the opportunity to explore more into their lore. This serial has revolved around Star-Lord explaining to Gamora how he, Nova, Drax and Thanos had found themselves in the Cancerverse. There’s not a whole lot you have to get; yes, everything is as crazy as it sounds. It may be pointless and confusing, but it’s still a thoroughly fun ride, and it makes you peeved that Nova never made it into the movie, because the two have great chemistry. There are definitely better choices you can make with your purchase, but this one is guaranteed good for a few smirks. – Sherif

Magneto #10 – B-

I hope you are in the mood for some vintage red and purple, because this issue is a long trip down memory lane for Magneto – a not so pleasant trip. Red Skull, who has acquired a sliver of Charles Xavier’s powers (Uncanny Avengers storyline that makes no sense but whatever) leaves his Nazi lackey and what seems to be a poorly design Ninja Turtle to torture Magneto. A lot of the issue involves Magneto realizing the failure of his attempts to save… well, anybody. It’s all quite introspective, showing the vulnerability of Magneto while still displaying his strength of resolve. Still, there’s not a whole lot of forward progress, as has been my only gripe on the series thus far. – Sherif

Edge of Spider-Verse #3 – C

(C) The Edge of Spider-Verse has been great so far, but it seems to have fallen flat. Upon first glance, it seemed as though we were getting a Mega-Man version of the web-crawler. To an extent, we were correct. There are a few really interesting panels detailing the gadgetry in his suit, but I wish I was more drawn to the man in the suit. Aaron Aikman is boring, like the Spider-Man version of John Lennon. He even had his own Yoko Ono that managed to screw things up for everybody. The fact that I didn’t enjoy this issue wasn’t for lack of trying; I loved Dustin Weaver’s pencils (who also wrote this issue) and thought the character design and science behind it was really neat, but Aikman himself did not have the personality necessary to wield the title of Spider-Man. – Sherif

(C) Imagine if Iron Man and Spider-Man did a Dragon Ball Z style fusion.  Fuuu-sion-HAA!!  Edge of the Spider-Verse #3 gives us a glimpse of what that might look like.  Truthfully – not as awesome as I thought.  The Spider gear is off the hook and looks pretty sweet.  But anyone in the world can tell you that Spidey’s claim to fame isn’t in the gadgets, gear or suit.  It’s in the man!!  The man in Edge of Spider-Verse #3, Aaron Aikman, falls short.  Nothing was truly bad, but nothing was really great either.  With one exception – Naamurah.  I was quite taken with the bad buy in this issue of Edge.  In appearance, backstory and purpose Naamurah rocks it!  Upon reflection this third issue of Edge is totally a bad guy story.  There’s hints at Naamurah rolling over into the big Spider-Verse event and I’m crossing my fingers that it happens.  I might actually be rooting for this bad-girl as opposed to robo-Spidey. – Taylor

Funniest Panel:

Saga #23

 

Panel with the Most Awesomeness:

 

That about wraps it up for our reviews this week! Look for next week’s previews coming soon. Any comic books you didn’t see reviewed that you want reviewed? Any grades you didn’t agree on? Let us know in the comments!

All images taken from ComiXology app and the credit for them goes to the respective publishers; thanks to IDW Comics, image Comics, Dark Horse, Boom! Studios, Dynamite Entertainment, DC and Marvel for putting out great books.

Comic Book Reviews 09-17-14

Review Scale:

The mythical A+: Classic comic book material. Belongs next to your copy of The Notebook and The Joy of Cooking.

A: Would definitely recommend to all comic book readers. Even more so to fans of the genre or characters

B: Enjoyable read. Fans of the genre or characters will especially like.

C: Non-essential read. Can be enjoyable for fans of the genre or characters, but likely for only one or two events in the books.

D: Unenjoyable book. Read at your own risk. Might find satisfaction if major flaws are overlooked.

F: Please don’t buy this book. Donate your money to a local comic book writer’s workshop instead to inspire future generations to write something better than this trash.

 

Pick of the Week:

Shutter #6 – A

As each issue of Shutter draws to a close, I find myself more and more attached to the title. While most books I’m reading have the tendency to flounder around, biding time until the next “mega-arc” or “crossover event,” this Image title has a succinct story to tell, and spoon-feeds the events out accordingly so that you always stay hungry. Shutter has been an instant classic since the first issue came out in April, and this issue is no exception. The grimm and ludicrous story could not be complemented any better than by the gorgeous artwork of Leila del Duca. This issue, marking end of the first arc, left me with my jaw wide open. We’ll have to wait until December to see what the heck is going on, but as long as Joe Keatinge and Leila del Duca are back on duty, it will be worth the wait. – Sherif

Other Reviews: 

DC/Vertigo:

Batman Eternal #24 – B+

I’m not sure if the conglomerate of writers are finally learning from their mistakes or if they just got lucky here, but this week’s Eternal is all about Stephanie Brown AKA The Spoiler and her mission to take down her father, The Cluemaster. Cluemaster is a scumbag, set out to kill his own daughter for overhearing something incriminating during his super-villain poker game that they were having in the freaking kitchen. What a novice! There are some more obscure villains to enter the picture, but everything is cohesive and the story actually comes to a logical conclusion. Great read this week! – Sherif

Batman and Robin: Futures End #1 – C+

In the midst of all that’s going on in Batman and Robin, this spin-off takes a whole new approach to the future of the Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder. Batman is look very grisly, not unlike Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, and Robin is a black man with pulled back dreads, only known by his codename: Master Duke. The only logical choice for Robin in my mind is Luke Fox, the current day Batwing (he was never seen in costume as Batwing in the Batwing: Futures End book). Whoever it was, he seems to break down Batman’s trust barriers with much more ease than in the past, and the story lacks the dynamics I wanted to see in a book with a brand new Robin, but it was still fun to see Batman and Robin beat the crap out of Heretic. – Sherif

Teen Titans: Futures End #1 – C

After just relaunching two issues ago, the Futures End one-shot for Teen Titans is an easy spot to pick up for new readers. However, that doesn’t mean that any of it will make sense, but if superhero teams are your thing, this could be enjoyable. Five years down the road, the Teen Titans we know know are dead – a recurring theme among the Futures End books. There’s really nothing special about the team as a whole since most members are some version of the current line-up, and the inclusion of Heretic (Damian’s clone who murdered Robin a couple years ago) is eyebrow-raising to say the least. – Sherif

The New 52 – Futures End #20 – C

The twisted time-traveling travesty yet continues. This series now marks the longest ongoing New 52 series I’ve ever read. It’s been interesting experiencing a story with so… much… content. That being said, this 20th installment seems to finally be pointing in some direction. The downfall thus far with the story has been the overwhelming cast of characters and their seemingly unrelated journeys. To an extent, I still can’t figure out how everything fits together, but it’s starting to come together. Having little experience in the DC realm, it’s been fun to get to know some characters better. I’ve pick favorites and I’m always anxious to see certain characters. I’m too committed to the story to quit on now. I just hope the puzzle pieces start fitting together soon. – Taylor

Green Lantern – New Guardians: Futures End #1 – C-

This was rather confusing as many of the Futures End can be. This one doesn’t deal with the issues we’ve seen in the Earth-bound Futures Ends, but it does take place during the same time. I was most impressed by Brazilian penciler Diogenes Neves’ art in this issue. I really enjoyed the aliens and how the events at the end looked. It’s unfortunate though, because I’ve been enjoying the Futures End stories a lot, but, this week I didn’t read any that were that great. However, it is a massive event, so of course there will be some weak moments. – Cody

Wonder Woman: Futures End #1 – C-

I know this is a lame review, but this book is not horrible and it’s not great. I just don’t know I feel about it. There is something garish about the art. Choppy and boring. The dialogue is a mess and hard to follow alongside the art. I can’t tell if Harvel’s has a unique grammatical style or if it’s some editor’s oversight. Whatever the case, it’s annoying and not necessary. Also, do we really need tear Diana’s clothing to shreds? I mean come on. There is a better way to tell she been through battle then exposing all sorts of fleshy bits. On the other end, Hessia, Boudicca, and Nemesis have my attention, and I’m curious as to how the characters will fit in and continue to develop in the story. I’ll keep reading this, but I’m not sure if I’m happy about it. – Jené

Justice League: Futures End #2 – D

I very much enjoyed last week’s issue, but, part 2 just didn’t do it for me. There was a lot of talk for little to no resolution. Things just really moved fast and it didn’t seem like they were able to get everything they needed into the story. I’m not sure if this little story plays into any other Future’s End stories and maybe I’m just missing something, but, I found myself counting the pages left more than once… – Cody

 

IDW Comics:

Super Secret Crisis War: Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends #1 – B

I honestly haven’t watched much of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, but had to read this issue with its tie it to the Super Secret Crisis War. As with the past one-shot issues and the main series I am sure the similarities to the show are wonderful as I have found this and each issue from SSCW a blast to read as anyone 90’s kid is going to love this event. The story was a bit weak compared to the other one-shots of Johnny Bravo and The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, but mostly because there isn’t anyone who wants to fight in this universe. I would say pick it up if you are a completionist like myself, but it can be missed and it wouldn’t change anything in the main story. – Jacob

TMNT: Turtles in Time #4 – C+

The last Turtles in Time issue and this one sees us in the future where Shredder rules the world. Definitely not good place to be and to make matters worse the turtles have just met one of their future selves. How will the Turtles get back to their own time? Where is Renet and her time machine? Will the Turtles help the future they may create? Well, all that is covered, as this is the last issue. The art in this series has been great and has differed with each issue making for a real change of time feel. The story of the arc is overall wonderful but sadly I feel like this last issue was the weakest of them all, but that is not saying it is bad by any means. I would definitely finish the story if you have been reading or like stories like 1984 and V for Vendetta. – Jacob

 

Image Comics:

Oddly Normal #1 – B

(A) I don’t care if I gave this an A. I freaking loved this and it deserves it. If I just stick with Image Comics, I’ll never be disappointed. Whatever they are doing, they are doing it right. Within the first page, I was drawn into the story and the character of Oddly, whose got pointed ears and green hair and is the outcast of her school. It one of the first comic that I was drawn into right away and didn’t take a few issues to wanted to read the next book. The balance of the setting and the narration got a lot of information across quickly and the inner world that belongs to Oddly. Though in a few hints about a secret world where water melts you it proves to be an intriguing story. Go out and get this book pronto. – Jené

(C) Unless it was part of my youth or adolescence, I’m typically not drawn to what I call “cutesy-cartoony” stories; Dexter’s Lab, Powerpuff Girls, and Invader Zim all day, baby. But it’s harder for me to build a connection with similar motifs that have come out in the last 10 years… give or take 3 years (I LOVE CARTOONS). So naturally, I wasn’t immediately taken with Oddly Normal. Even so – I can see the potential in the story. It’s all about a young half-witch with no friends that ends up making a spellbound wish that spins her world upside-down; this series is set to be a moral-learning and silly adventure. Big props to Otis Frampton for writing and illustrating! Gotta respect a guy that puts his passion on the page. I’ll stick with this one until what I’m sure will be a heartwarming conclusion. – Taylor

Trees #5 – B

There continues to be a lot of esoteric/occult imagery in the comic book. Little snippits here and there that hint at something greater at play. This series is tuning into one of those comic books that you have to pay close attention to what is said and what seems to be hidden in the drawing, such as Clowly’s chamber of nightmares where odd depictions of what looks like alien people etched along the walls. It Aiwass somehow real and involved or rather more metaphorical in nature and these Trees which have been a part of Earth for the last decade? A lot of the symbols remind me of crop circles which, have been said to be messages from star people or left behind by starships. I hope they begin to figure out what this means. And the symbols at the end of the comic… Ugh, what are they?? Trees is a thinker that sure leaves you puzzling out the mystery. I continue to be enthralled by the poetic meanderings threads me in and out of the story and through the artwork the two seem to complement each other and the art is really important to the symbols and mysterious cropping up in the land of Trees. Hmmmm, what if the Trees somehow work on an energetic level slowly influencing the nature of Earth and those on it? – Jené

Marvel:

Edge of Spider-Verse #2 – A-

(A) I will start by saying that I am a sucker for alternate realities. But alternate realities where Gwen Stacy becomes Spider-Woman? That’s just too hard to pass up. Thanks to superb art by Robbi Rodriguez, the entire issue feels completely different from issue #1, and the colors by Ricco Renzi are quite reminiscent of Deadly Class‘ Lee Loughridge’s work. Gwen’s origin story, the focal point of the issue, is well done and all of the differences in the story are thoroughly intriguing, none more so than Matt Murdock’s role. Marvel’s plan for revealing different Spider-Man each issue could be one of the most genius ideas ever, and I cannot WAIT to see this idea develop. Finally, a mega-arc where every issue is worth investing in! – Sherif

(B) I realized something about myself after having read issue #2 of the Edge of the Spider-Verse this week; I’m a sucker for alternate storylines, endings, realities, universes, etc. I think there’s something incredibly imaginative to warp cornerstone characters and stories into something entirely new. It’s kinda like ordering vanilla ice cream but after taking your first bite you realize it’s actually cookie dough flavored. What’s even more appropriate about this analogy is that not everyone loves cookie dough ice cream. Some folks are bound to really like this intro to a new Spider-Hero while others may write it off. If you’re like me and you love cookie dough ice cream and straying from the beaten path, then you’ll certainly enjoy this second issue of Edge of the Spider-Verse. I can’t wait for all our Spidey’s to jump into action! – Taylor

Deadpool Bi-Annual #1 – B

(A) Let me level with you, folks. This was the first Deadpool comic I’ve ever read. I’ve always known about the Merc with the Mouth and his hilarious death-escapades (deathscapades?…), but this is my first true cover-to-cover experience. Man, have I been missing out. If you’re like me and are unfamiliar or have never read a Deadpool comic that shouldn’t deter you from snatching a copy of Deadpool Bi-Annual #1 off the shelves. I had a blast reading it. The story carries no significance to the greater Marvel universe, but it’s deeply rooted in its themes. Crammed full of fighting puns and hysterical character interactions there’s little to not enjoy about this issue. Our glorious Hush co-founder has always been a big fan and has always encouraged me to read Deadpool comics. I’m glad I started with this one and I certainly look forward to reading more. – Taylor

(C+) Brute Force is back!!! Wait…who? Well, if you know EVERYTHING about Marvel you mat be excited otherwise all you have to know is: cyborg-talking animals! Of course, the only platform fitting to reintroduce these characters to the world is Deadpool. This Bi-Annual (why the hell not)  issue is a very enjoyable read with a silly plot that really pushes Animal Conservation. The art is great, as with most Deadpool, but unfortunately like with about 70% of Deadpool’s stories lately, it is bleak and unnecessary to telling any kind of cohesive story. – Jacob

All-New X-Men #32 – D+

Throughout this two-year plus run of All-New X-Men, there has been almost as much filler as there has been storyline. The book hasn’t really had any momentum or “purpose” since we found out that the original X-Men are stuck in the current time. Each book, although filled with hilarity, has increasing lost my interest, and this new situation – each of the team strewn across places in the Verse(s) – doesn’t look like much more than a reason to flaunt the upcoming Spider-Verse mega-arc. I’m not breaking up with this All-New X-Men yet, but I’ve definitely started seeing other books. – Sherif

Funniest Panel:

Panel with the Most Awesomeness:

 

That about wraps it up for our reviews this week! Look for next week’s previews coming soon. Any comic books you didn’t see reviewed that you want reviewed? Any grades you didn’t agree on? Let us know in the comments!

All images taken from ComiXology app and the credit for them goes to the respective publishers; thanks to IDW Comics, image Comics, Dark Horse, Boom! Studios, Dynamite Entertainment, DC and Marvel for putting out great books.

Comic Book Reviews 09-10-14

Review Scale:

The mythical A+: Classic comic book material. Belongs next to your copy of The Notebook and The Joy of Cooking.

A: Would definitely recommend to all comic book readers. Even more so to fans of the genre or characters

B: Enjoyable read. Fans of the genre or characters will especially like.

C: Non-essential read. Can be enjoyable for fans of the genre or characters, but likely for only one or two events in the books.

D: Unenjoyable book. Read at your own risk. Might find satisfaction if major flaws are overlooked.

F: Please don’t buy this book. Donate your money to a local comic book writer’s workshop instead to inspire future generations to write something better than this trash.

 

Pick of the Week:

Future’s End: Batgirl #1 – A

I’m going to tell you a secret that makes me look bad: I’ve never read an issue of the New52 Batgirl.  However, I am a fan of Gail Simone’s Twitter.  That counts right?  But after reading this week’s one shot of Future’s End starring Batgirl, I am sold on going back and reading all the Batgirl’s since the relaunch of DC.  This week, we find out that Barbara Gordon’s life will change dramatically in the next 5 years.  She gets married, some terrible events occur which cause her to leave Batgirl behind, and then she seeks out training from infamous Gotham villains, including Bane.  In her absence, three new Batgirls arrive, including Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Kane and Tiffany Fox.  The inclusion of these three is a nice little easter egg for Batman fans.  The women were all strong, even Tiffany Fox, who is supposed to be only 12 years old.  The book is gritty and dark.  Bane is terrifying, as he should be.  Yet, he does have the funniest line in the book, which I believe is genius.  Most importantly, this issue gave readers new insight into Barbara Gordon.  Batgirl is so often seen as cutesy, but it was really brought to light how dark her life has been and will continue to be, no matter what pseudonym she takes on.  I really loved the feel of this issue, which is a testament to both the writing and the art.  If I were to gripe about anything, it would be that this one-shot deserves to be a longer arc; I would be fascinated to read about Barbara’s training in more detail with all the Bat-villains. – Adrian

Other Reviews: 

Boom! Studios:

Wild’s End #1- B

In a nutshell, a British town inhabited by speaking animals is the victim of an alien invasion.  Are you sold yet?  I am. The comic reads like most British novels, and in case you were wondering, there is a map to accompany the story.  It is a little disconcerting that all the characters look like they are straight out of a children’s book, but I also think that it adds to the charm.  The writing is very British, which I am a huge fan of.  If it is hard for you to imagine what is happening as you read, just imagine Simon Pegg reading all the words, but in different pitches.  It may help.  Aside from the alien invasion, the story is about a simple town in England.  There is the new guy, the town drunk, and the scheming politicians.  All of the characters wind up at the same town hall meeting to discuss the fete (festival) to be held, and how everyone will contribute.  It may seem mundane, but that is the brilliance of Wild’s End; the small details of the animals lives is very important to how the rest of the story will play out.  Writer Dan Abnett is no stranger to the world of comic books – he’s been writing them since the mid 1980’s.  I have no doubt that Wild’s End will continue to envelop readers into it’s strange little world, but in a good way. – Adrian

Hexed #2 – C-

The first Hexed was really great.  This issue was lacking in something. Unfortunately, I don’t know if I can put my finger on what exactly it was lacking.  While the heroine, Lucifer, is charming and witty, the rest of the characters lacked any dimension this time around.  The plot of Lucifer dying was different than other stories I have seen because we actually get to see her afterlife, and a lot of other creepies afterlives, too.  However, the plot of Lucifer’s annoying rival being possessed seemed weak this time around.  And the woman who owns all the magical items was not incredibly thought out this issue, either.  I do enjoy the book because of the Buffy-esque-ness of it, but the characters need to be the driving force here, not the forgettable plot. – Adrian

Dark Horse Comics:

Prometheus: Fire and Stone #1 – B

Did you see Prometheus? I did. Were you disappointed? I was. Do you need more Alien in your life? I do. Luckily for us, Dark Horse has us covered. Prometheus: Fire and Stone hit shelves this week. With the bad taste still left in my mouth from Ridley Scott’s latest installment in the Alien universe, my bar was set fairly low for this continuation. To my very pleasant surprise, this issue was one of the best comics I read all week. I was expecting the exceedingly formulaic Alien/Prometheus storyline – that being where a bunch of space travelers make a series of TERRIBLE choices in the presence of new and terrifyingly mysterious discoveries. What we get in Prometheus #1 is that predictable formula plus a very well thought out enhancement of the aspects that made us all love the original Alien movie. Instead of freaking out about just one alien (or type of alien), we get to experience a whole Alien ecosystem! Honestly, I don’t know why this concept hasn’t been explored more in the movies yet. I’d have no qualms about purchasing an overpriced movie ticket to experience an Alien jungle. So if you love Alien and you booed at Prometheus, this comic is definitely worth your time. – Taylor

DC/Vertigo:

Justice League United Futures End #1 – A-

Equinox is off saving a trucker from some weirdo bad guy and his genetically altered polar bears in Canada, when she receives a telepathic message from Martian Manhunter on Mars. Not much is said, but, “They are free!”. Turns out there’s a prison on Mars for all the worst criminals from Earth. Equinox visits the Justice League and they end up taking a trip to Mars to investigate where they encounter the escaped prisoners. We will find out more next week in part two. I actually enjoyed this quite a bit. We get a bit more mystery into exactly what happened five years ago and something bad must have happened to Green Arrow. I like the members of the new Justice League, and the villains are good, although, one may take you by surprise and, in my opinion, he may have had something to do with whatever happened five years ago. Worth your time, especially if you’ve enjoyed other Future’s End stories. – Cody

Superman: Unchained #8 – B+

With a team like Scott Snyder and Jim Lee at the helm, you’d figure this could be the best Superman story ever told. And you’d be right if it weren’t for the atrocious publishing schedule. With three of the most important issues taking a total of six months to release, the story (which already moved along at a relatively slow pace) has lost a lot of its momentum. That aside, Superman’s showdown with Wraith has come to a head very poetically, and it’s nice to see Superman’s tactician side come out here. The story also tries a bit too hard to go deeper than it needs to, and I can’t help but feel that Scott Snyder’s story is over-compensating for the fact that nobody has really been able to capture Superman in a good light since the New52 relaunch began. While the arc as a whole would make a splendid graphic novel, I’m all but sure the final issue will be more eye rolling than eye opening. – Sherif

Future’s End: Birds of Prey #1 – B-

The League of Assassin’s is taken over by Black Canary and becomes The Red League?!  Say what?!  Black Canary five years from now is pretty cool.  She basically channels her inner Daenerys Targaryen and rescues people, specifically girls, from being abused.  Then she takes it a step further and trains those girls to be assassins in The Red League.  That part of the premise is pretty cool, but then Batgirl, ahem, Bête Noire shows up and the whole thing becomes a fight between beefed up Barbara Gordon and slim and trim Dinah Lance, and unless you read Future’s End: Batgirl, it doesn’t really make sense.  As a word of precaution, if you are interested in either of these titles, read the Batgirl issue first, then Birds of Prey.  The issue is a decent one-shot, but won’t be memorable in the long run, unless it is tied in nicely with the weekly Future’s End books.  Even so, this issue makes Black Canary look bad-ass. – Adrian

 

IDW Comics:

Transformers Primacy #2 – C+

Uh oh, Megatron is back. This issue was really just about getting all the bad guys together for some sort of an attack on Cybertron. It was entertaining because you got to see the Predacons trapped on a once lush planet that they had eaten into extinction, the Combaticons a group of elite Decipticon soldiers, and more evil characters from this universe. This one dragged a bit because of all this team building, but it ended with a bang and should prove to get better with time. – Cody

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures #15 – C

As big of a TMNT fan as I am I have not been reading this series regularly because even more so than the cartoon it is based off of, this is very much for kids. If you tried to compare this to the main TMNT series, it would be pretty tough since they are such different entities within the same property. This issue is three different short stories of the turtles, two of which they did not even battle a enemy. Although I am sure this issue is a blast for children and fans of the cartoon, for an adult this series may not be the best Turtle comic to pick up. The art is not the best it could be and the stories are very short and don’t offer much as far as good material but again this is for kids. IF you are a huge TMNT fan you will of course enjoy it but anyone else, just stick with reading the main books for now. – Jacob

 

Image Comics:

The Walking Dead #131 – B

I’m still trying to suppress the goosebumps that engulfed my body from last month’s issue. If you’re behind on TWD, hurry and catch up. I haven’t been this hooked since the series started. A very interesting and impactful plot twist came into play last month and it’s started – the anxiety and “holy crap something super crazy is going to happen really soon” cycle TWD fans are far too familiar with. This familiarity is well-welcomed, for the most part. The story could make an unfortunate turn toward “the stupid” quite easily, but that’s yet to be seen. Existing characters are still developing (an impressive feat for 131 issues of content) and new characters are also appearing. With the new found stability of the Alexandria and Hilltop communities I’m almost comfortable getting invested in some of these new faces. I should know better… Kirkman’s still got the creative juice and it shows this issue. Oh. And one more thing. WHERE THE HELL IS MICHONNE?!?!?! – Taylor

’68 Homefront #1- B+

’68 Homefront takes place in the US during the Vietnam War. We’re introduced to a group of teenage cheerleaders and their way to a pep rally. They almost hit a person walking down the side of the road, but, we find out that it was not a person, but, a zombie! In the meantime, at the local funeral parlor, the dead start coming back to life while the people still inside try to barricade the undead downstairs. We’re also shown a tragic bus crash that contained the entire team for the rival school and we hear one of the cops say that not every person is accounted for…that can only lead to trouble. This was a good read. It was like almost any first issue in a zombie series in that we get to see the very start of the plague. I enjoyed all the zombie-related things happening, but, I had some issues when it came to the non-zombie stuff. It was just a bunch of teenagers being bratty teenagers, what else would you expect? Either way, this definitely has some potential and I’m excited for the next issue. – Cody

Copperhead #1 – B

(A) Sheriff Bronson and her son, Zeke, seem to be leaving something bad behind them. They’ve come to a desolate planet where she is now the new sheriff of the mining town, Copperhead. They are greeted by her new deputy, a big furry alien named Budroxifinicus or Boo. As soon as they get to the sheriff’s office someone burst in to complain about a domestic disturbance. Bronson and Boo go off to investigate, when they return, she gets to meet the owner of the mine who has a rather nefarious vibe to him. Bronson and her son finally end up at their new home and she is immediately called away to a murder scene. Zeke hears a girl outside calling for her pet and decided to help, but, night is close and it’s dangerous to be out in the Badlands after dark. This book definitely has a space western/cop story going for it. It reminded me of Jesse James’ story. I enjoyed this despite it being mainly exposition. The murder should prove to be the driving force behind the story and it definitely has me interested. – Cody

(C) Imagine any Western movie ever. Got one in your head? Okay – now imagine that it happens on a different planet with aliens. Sounds pretty cool, right? With Copperhead’s premise being precisely what mind’s eye just described, it’s not all that great. Mainly because you already know what happens. Copperhead is an example of a genre driven story instead of the other way around; the way it should be for almost any adventure. Now I love space and aliens probably more than the average guy, so one might think that I’d have favorable bias to any story taking place among the stars. Au contraire young Padawan. If anything I’ve come to hold sci-fi themed stories to a higher standard. There’s too many original and mind-blowing examples of the genre done right nowadays (did you read this week’s issue of Prometheus? How about Science?) that if you’re coming to the table with laser guns and flying cars, you better have a plot that rocks too. Moon-rocks that is. I’m left wanting with Copperhead #1.

 

Marvel:

Deadpool #34- A-

I absolutely loved this issue of Deadpool; I guess it has a lot to do with the 90’s flashback art. It was a time where Sabretooth’s hair was amazingly crazy, shadows were drawn mostly with lines and Deadpool’s head was shaped like an egg the whole time. This issues ties into Original Sin more so than any other issue that has said it does. We find out what Adsit saw exactly on those days of Original Sin and it ends up being the worst and rather messed up thing Deadpool has ever done. In this we get a great flashback style and the story itself was one of the better main Deadpool series issues I have read in a while. For anyone not familiar with the 90’s art, this issue may be weird but ultimately I recommend this to most Marvel fans. – Jacob

Edge of Spider-Verse #1- B+

(A) Noir, to me, is only ever a heavy hit-or-miss theme. So in case you didn’t catch my “A” grade at the top understand that Edge of the Spider-Verse #1, who follows 1939 noir-style Spider-Man, is a hit. First and foremost I have to give props to Richard Isanove for killing it on the artistic aspect. Noir Spidey has got to be THE COOLEST looking Spider-Man in the Spider-Verse. The atmosphere and character expressions are so mesmerizing and detailed. It complements this premiere issue’s plot very well. Midway into the book I forgot I was reading a Spider-Verse story due to my concern and involvement with the present situation. By issue’s end the doors of opportunity are numerous and promising. I had average expectations for this series before reading #1. Now my expectation bar is now protruding from the ceiling. – Taylor

(B) This is definitely going to end up begin a great series for any Spider-Man fan, as even I whom isn’t the biggest Spidey fan squealed with delight at some of Spider-Man’s that show up in this issue. Of course, it is focused on Spider-Man Noir and a battle between he and Mysterio, but ultimately that battle will likely not matter at all in the scheme of things. If you have not been keeping up with Spider-Man this issue could be a bit weird just because they really don’t explain the story of who the guy hunting Spider-Man is, as well as many people may not know there are this many versions of Spider-Man, but I am sure in time they will explain the big bad and the story more through time and this is a great way to find the Spider-Man who is right for you. – Jacob

Magneto #9 – B

Finally, Magneto has a worthy opponent! After kicking asses and taking names for seven issues, Magneto gets his first boss battle. There’s a lot of pent up rage with Magneto, and we get a little more backstory as to why that is. Like a lot of the preceding issues, the story moves at a crawling speed, but is helping along by the great internal monologue thanks to Cullen Bunn’s great writing. The bad guy going forward is not one I’ve ever really seen Magneto go up against, but in the scope of Marvel, makes perfect sense. It will be entertaining to see where this battle goes, but it is at least nice to know that our favorite anti-hero does have limits. – Sherif

Death of Wolverine #2 – B-

It is really hard for me to give this a bad grade because the issue itself is so damn beautiful; on the other hand, the content inside is what earns it a lower grade. As soon as I started this, issues I had no idea Wolverine was Wolverine until they mentioned his name as he looks drastically changed from last issue on top of that there are certain plot points that really need to be explained more as we last left Sabretooth in a nice button up suit looking proper and almost taking down New York. But I guess he lost all of that and is like his savage version and a slave of Viper.  To me this story feels like it doesn’t really know where it is going, or at least it does but is taking shortcuts to get there and gets lost a bunch along the way. Hopefully by the end we will get the battle Wolverine deserves to die from, but if the battles up to now are anything like the final one, it will be short, dull, and not at all what we want and what this hero deserves. – Jacob

Hawkeye #20 – C+

It’s been so many issues since we’ve witnessed Kate go through her crisis of a life that I forgot that aspect of the story existed anymore. To be honest, that part of the story isn’t nearly as interesting, but I’m hoping that it will eventually meet up with what Barton is going through on his end. The two are a tremendous team, but apart, Kate Bishop fails to live up to the excitement that her counterpart Hawkguy has, with exception to the odd plot twist at the end. There are still tons of fun sequences and one-liners here, but Kate’s story isn’t engaging enough to enjoy. – Sherif

Funniest Panel:

Panel with the Most Awesomeness:

 

That about wraps it up for our reviews this week! Look for next week’s previews coming soon. Any comic books you didn’t see reviewed that you want reviewed? Any grades you didn’t agree on? Let us know in the comments!

All images taken from ComiXology app and the credit for them goes to the respective publishers; thanks to IDW Comics, image Comics, Dark Horse, Boom! Studios, Dynamite Entertainment, DC and Marvel for putting out great books.

 

Weekend Wrap-Up…May 18, 2014

In preparation for Denver Comic Con, we’ve been writing daily articles spotlighting guests at the con – called “Respect My Craft. Just last week, we wrote on:

• James O’Barr, creator of The Crow
• John Layman, creator of CHEW, DC writer
• Yanick Paquette, comic book artist: Swamp Thing
• Peter Davison, former Doctor (Who)

Godzilla! Everybody’s favorite giant lizard monster is back at it. This opening weekend of Godzilla was the highest-grossing film of the year. This isn’t a very accurate representation of the movie, but it’s close enough. Expect our review soon.

The Game of Thrones got really juicy last week, with Peter Dinklage giving one of the show’s best performances (I only wish it could have lasted longer). Tonight’s episode, “Mockingbird,” is sure to be a thriller. Judging by the name, I’d say Littlefinger (who carried around a mockingbird pin) and Sansa, our “Little Bird,” will get plenty of attention.

Speaking of GoT, creator George R.R. Martin gets animated with it, as he appears on Robot Chicken in this clip inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s Birds.

The government actually has a zombie fallout plan. Tax dollars wasted or bigger conspiracy??

The first full trailer for Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar has dropped. There’s a big emphasis on Murphy’s Law, and finding life on another planet when the food source on ours runs out (we’ll always have Cheetos, right?). Matthew McConaughey and My Cocaine (Michael Caine) star in this sci-fi thriller.

Everybody calm down! The next DC Animated project announced is… Aquaman and his New52 origin story. I hope all you people who were complaining of too many Batman films are happy when Arthur Curry starts riding seahorses and talking to dolphins. Jokes aside, Geoff John’s Aquaman run to kick off the re-launch was pretty good, and made the masses respect the ridiculed character. There’s still a while until this comes out, but the next DC Animated film to come out will be Batman: Attack on Arkham.

The new teaser for Guardians of the Galaxy is out, and Rocket Raccoon’s voice is heard. Blam! I murdered you!

DC Comics has released the creative teams and covers to the HUGE September crossover for Futures End. They will feature 3D holographic covers, and if they’re anything like last year’s “Villain Month,” they will fly off the stands. Just beware, there is going to be an awful lot of cash-grabbing issues, most of which will be terribly written and uninteresting.

While Spider-Man might have been the originator of the superhero selfie, DC Comics will be releasing selfie-themed issues coming this August.

Cinderell-y, Cinderell-y night and day its Cinderell-y!  Next year the live action version of Cinderella comes out.  Considering Cinderella is Adrian’s favorite Disney movie of all time, this is pretty big news.  Check the teaser below:

Get ready to eat and read at Chipotle.  The restaurant chain is debuting literary cups with the likes of Toni Morrison, Jonathon Safran Foer, Malcolm Gladwell and many more contributing to musings that are sure to be written in perfect typography.

#Showoff

DC Comics is hooking up with NASCAR, which I can imagine won’t reach either demographic to get into the other, but it’s worth a shot.

While I’m still reeling off the news of Far Cry 4, there’s news afoot that Halo 5 will be coming to X-Box One next year.

This was bound to happen, and I mean that in a great way, Skylanders will be coming to IDW Comics.

Written by Adrian Puryear and Sherif Elkhatib

 

 

 

Comic Book Reviews 05-14-14

Review Scale:

The mythical A+: Classic comic book material. Belongs next to your copy of The Notebook and The Joy of Cooking.

A: Would definitely recommend to all comic book readers. Even more so to fans of the genre or characters

B: Enjoyable read. Fans of the genre or characters will especially like.

C: Non-essential read. Can be enjoyable for fans of the genre or characters, but likely for only one or two events in the books.

D: Unenjoyable book. Read at your own risk. Might find satisfaction if major flaws are overlooked.

F: Please don’t buy this book. Donate your money to a local comic book writer’s workshop instead to inspire future generations to write something better than this trash.

Pick of the Week:

The Walking Dead #127 – A-

Well, this was certainly not the follow-up to All Out War that I was expecting. This is like when you and your girlfriend have a huge fight and you think you’ve lost interest, but then you wake up the next morning and there’s bed in breakfast for you. Oh, Walking Dead, how could I stay mad at you? This issue was everything I was hoping for and more to freshen up the series. That girl on the cover? Yeah, you’ll have no idea who she is. That doesn’t mean the rest of the book is unfamiliar, but there’s just so much that is happening here in this issue that I don’t even stop to wonder how we got here. Alexandria is fully developing, and Carl has turned into one weird little dude. Puberty does not look good when you’re missing half your face. Oh, and I think we should start a petition to start officially calling them “stinkers.” Jumping ahead so doesn’t excuse the terrible All Out War story, but I’m finally genuinely interested in the book again, and there looks to be potential for a lot more to come. – Sherif

When the teaser for issue 127 was released there was fan boy speculation galore. Who were the new characters on the cover? Is this a spinoff from our normal cast of survivors? Will the story still take place outside of Atlanta? Well Dead-heads, A New Beginning answered all of those questions and more. Spoiler Alert! A large heard of Walkers is steered in the direction of our new group of post-apocalyptic drifters. Jesus, Aaron, Eugene and Rosita are on horseback and leading the zombies away from The Kingdom. Eugene has devised a flocking technique to keep the settlements safe. Sidenote: I find it interesting that Kirkman is using the term herd. Usually the word herd is used to refer to a group of grazing animals, like cattle or sheep. Zombies are predatory in nature, the term pack seems more appropriate because the collective hunts as a single entity, much like Walkers.  With that being said, this new survival skill is attention-grabbing and depicted well in the issue. We join our group at Alexandria sometime in the future. Crops are being harvested, children are free to roam, there is peace and order, and yeah, Rick Grimes is in charge. His hair is shaved and his beard is full. It’s a good look for our long-time hero. He still has a limp and is now using a prosthetic arm. All of our characters seem to have gotten a make-over. Jesus looks like Yojimbo. Andrea looks like Clint Eastwood in For A Few Dollars More, and Carl looks like…Carl. Our new survivors are welcomed into Alexandria. When Magna is introduced to Rick in a tense situation, Jesus says, “I promise Rick doesn’t bite.” This was especially funny because in issue 57 Rick kills a bandit by biting the man in the throat. This also happened in last season’s finale of AMC’s TWD. Meanwhile, Eugene has secured a crucial role in the success of The Kingdom, and appears to be Rick’s right-hand man, and Carl is ready to move to The Hilltop to apprentice as a Blacksmith. But that’s not all. At night Carl creeps into the basement and has been chatting it up with their former enemy and current prisoner Negan. This is a story arc to watch. During All Out War, I predicted that Negan would take Carl as a Padawan. This still seems like a possibility and I’m excited to see how their relationship turns out. Can we say Stockholm Syndrome, anyone? – John

 

Other Reviews:

Dark Horse:

Terminator: Salvation #6 – A-

Six issues in and we are finally up to the point in time where the first and second Terminator movies take place. The T-800, T-1000, Kyle Reese and the reprogrammed T-800 have all been sent back in time to come full circle with everything we know about the series so far. We are finally entering uncharted territory and it is truly no fate but what we make for ourselves. I have been waiting for these issues with baited breath seeing as how I consider T2 to be the greatest film of all time. I am excited to see how they finally end the series. This issue ends with a blast from the not so distant past and would have made for an amazing twist if they decided to finish this series out as movies. It is disappointing that these didn’t get turned into films but I am just happy that they decided to finish the series at all. Shit is about to go down and for the first time in the series history, anything can happen. That’s worth the price of admission alone. – Robert

Terminator: Enemy of My Enemy #3 – B+

There is something really awesome about the way they have managed to create a character that can rival the great sarah connor herself. This is possibly the only character that can go toe to toe with a  Terminator and not only die, but come out the victor. Ultimately she would eventually be killed I suppose but each encounter with the terminator has only gotten better in this series. With the new remake of the original Terminator in the works, I hope that they can implement similar story choices in the film, Kyle Reese is after all a soldier from the future. It wouldn’t be a major surprise if he was capable of handling himself where the Terminator is concerned. We are three issues in and still haven’t been given a solid idea as to what is happening, but it would seem that they are going to stretch things a little while longer seeing as how they don’t have a limit on the issues like they do with their other series. This issue ends with a  small twist but I cant wait to see the next battle between these two. – Robert

DC/Vertigo:

Superman: Doomed #1 – B+

Doomsday is back! The last time this Phantom Zone escapee came to Earth, the Man of Steel lost his life. This new and improved Doomsday seems to suck the energy from all living things. Humans burst into flames in his presence, and water boils at his touch. Superman has teamed up with Dr. Shay Veritas and she informs him that the old Doomsday was just “Larva,” and that our hero must kill Doomsday or billions may suffer. Look for an appearance from Steel and the Justice League. Ken Lashley is perfect for this face-paced, action packed book. His art is vibrant and electrifying and kept me glued to each panel. – John

I’m not usually a big Supes fan, so for me to say that I enjoyed this book says a lot. Doomsday is one of those villains that you love to see the Man of Steel throw down with. As with most New52 reincarnations, Doomsday has returned to the pages deadlier than ever. There isn’t a whole lot of plot developing here, but we get to see some of the best action sequences I’ve seen from DC in a long time. It’s definitely enough to warrant a second issue for me. – Sherif

I have always said that my favorite issues and films of Superman are the ones where he snaps and unleashes his full potential, and this is definitely one of those issues. The whole Doomsday/Superman dynamic has evolved and we can no longer just have the two go head to head, we have to have something for the new generation. Now its not about the death of Superman but instead he becomes the very thing he has tried to destroy. It’s a different kind of self-sacrifice but I really enjoyed the imagery presented in this issue as well as the way they paid homage to the original battle. I couldn’t help but feel that this fight was a little bit on the easy side considering it was over in one issue and he was barely beat up by the end. The original was a knockdown, dragout brawl that ended in the both of them bloodied and beaten so badly that it took months, if not years for both to fully recover. The other weird thing about how quickly this fight ended was that this is supposed to be an evolved Doomsday as well. Perhaps that is the plan, he is fragile enough that even if he is defeated he becomes the person who defeats him. It kind of reminds me of the old horror film Jason Goes to Hell. This can’t possibly be the last we see of Doomsday but now we also have Wonder Woman on our side so another battle with a more powerful Doomsday seems inevitable. – Robert

Superman/Wonder Woman #8 – B+

With the way they are intertwining the whole “Doomed” story in to all of Superman’s publications, this is essentially a continuation of what happened in Superman Doomed #1. We also know that it is apparently resolved by superman #32 so either a lot happens in these two series or this whole Doomsday thing is going lie dormant in Superman’s body. Either one of these scenarios has the potential to be pretty awesome but I would like to see Superman transform into Doomsday when he needs some extra firepower, which could make for some very interesting Hulk-like scenarios. Only time will tell how this pans out but I am also happy to report that it seems the relationship between Supes and WW isn’t going anywhere. I look forward to the continuation of this storyline in Superman #31. – Robert

Batgirl #31 – B-

Why is it that Batgirl has gotten all of the uninteresting crap villains as of late? She is an interesting character/Superhero and she deserves to be treated as such. Her last few villains have been a bunch of super carnies, a vampire hunter, a ventriloquist doll, her brother and now a guy who can wrap his legs around you like Xenia Onatopp from Goldeneye. How much lamer can they really get? Then throw in the personal struggles of her regular life and we have a recipe for a hot mess. Also while I’m thinking about it, why is Commissioner Gordon getting shit on in every publication all of a sudden? It would seem that the people at DC have some sort of hatred for the guy. – Robert

Batman: Eternal #6 – C+

I haven’t kept up with the publication so you can imagine my surprise to see Batwing in this issue. I don’t think he was strong enough to stand alone as his own character but he makes an interesting addition to the current Batman family, kind of like a modern day Batman Beyond. This series and particularly this issue reminds me of knightfall and the way Bane planned to wear Batman out before he broke him. Anytime I hear Alfred mention him pushing it to the limits in the way it is described here, I can’t help but feel it’s a rehash of what has already been done. I mean the guy has the whole of Batman Inc. at his disposal, why does he have to run himself ragged in this day and age? Plot holes aside I am interested to see where this series is ultimately headed. Carmine Falcone can’t be the only major thing they have up their sleeves. Perhaps the death of Jim Gordon? – Robert

With Eternal really digging deep in the Batverse, issue after issue, I was wondering just when we would pass the point of an all-inclusive Batman story and fall into the realm of obscure and overly-complex. Issue #6 brings us dangerously close. We meet The Spectre, Batwing and even Gentleman Ghost and Deacon Blackfire (big ups if you even knew who this guy is), but nobody really carries any weight. I know Snyder and friends are building up to something huge here, but so far, the series looks like when you buy a jigsaw puzzle and throw all the pieces on the table. – Sherif

The New 52: Futures End #2 – C

I am not too sure where this series is going, to be honest. The only part that makes any sense to me is with Batman Beyond and the corporation he is investigating. Not to mention they are pulling some obscure characters out to highlight as main attractions for this. As with most series though it usually takes an issue or two to get into the story and past the initial intros and with a multitude of characters that this story includes you have to introduce a lot to get the story going. I am not the biggest DC Comics reader other than Batman so it may be that these characters are just a little bit lost to me but hopefully we start getting things connected soon before it turns into something like Lost where only more questions are asked while none get answered. – Jacob

Oh snap, the future is looking pretty crazy at the moment. I’ll be honest, I don’t know much about the DC universe, but I had no idea who any of these characters were except for Green Arrow. Overall, I can see this becoming a really good story if all the pieces connect and things start to become cohesive. I hope future comics will allow me the insight and background knowledge that would make this comic great for me, however, at this point in time I feel that I just can’t connect due to that lack of knowledge on my part. – Evan

 

IDW Comics:

Mars Attacks: First Born #1 – C

Although I love this franchise – Cards, Comics, Film and all – this series is a bit odd. It may be that babies just do not interest me at this point in my life, or that the other Mars Attack series I have read seen or know about are much more filled with story and conflict from the start. We are introduced to the main couple of characters and the first born Martian baby in this issue but it doesn’t go past much from there. Besides it being a bit bland to begin with I have a lot of faith in it as it is a franchise I trust and it is co written and all the art is done by Sam Keith, who created The Maxx comics, which are still some of my favorite comics from when I was growing up (which they are rerelasing now through IDW!). Hopefully we won’t have to endure Tom Jones battling the aliens like in the film, which is a much better pro than the con of it being about a baby. – Jacob

Marvel:

All-New X-Men #1 – B

The casual reader may find this series a bit confusing. The young X-Men of the past are now in the present. Young Cyclops is now part of the StarJammers, see Cyclops #1, Jean Grey is back from being on Trial, Tyrion Lannister style, and the Brotherhood of the future is attacking. There is a big reveal about Christopher Muse and his abilities and the genealogy of Mystique. This may play out in the future.   Sidenote: There a ton of advertisements in the physical issue. It’s a little off-putting. We get it Marvel, there are 20,000 different story arcs we need to keep up with. – John

Nightcrawler #2 – B-

What do you get when you mix a blue transporting man, a witch lady, and a bunch of other individuals with extreme abilities? There are a crazy amount of answers to that but in this case the correct answer is a circus that I would love to see. As Nightcrawler returns he is continuing trying to preserve his life while at the same time trying to save the people he loves and take down Trimega. Next issue seems that it’ll be pretty exciting because of the battle that is about to ensue. Overall this issue wasn’t anything great but it did allow readers a deeper look into Kurt’s life and how he became the Nightcrawler. – Evan

Am I the only one who is wondering where the hell those little adorable BAMFs came from? There must be something I am missing because I am completely lost when it comes to them, but all I know is that I want one. This issue isn’t really that interesting and barely pushes the plot forward. It is as if we are both slowly getting background information as well as slowly advancing the plot with almost no idea what is going on in the first place. I am still not sure how he came back to life and I also am irritated that I don’t really see any direction as far as the plot. I hope that marvel didn’t spread itself too thin with this new reboot. – Robert

All-New Ghost Rider #1 – B-

This ride is getting crazier each issue, and it doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon. The art in this series really sets it apart, especially when Robbie starts getting his rage on. Even with the great art, it’s Robbie’s human interactions that really sell the book. I oddly enjoy his time as himself than I do as the vengeful spirit from hell. This initial arc seems to be more of an introduction than a kick-the-door-down type of book. I can respect Felipe Smith’s approach, but I’m looking forward to seeing a more brazen take going forward. – Sherif

All-New Ghost Rider is pretty spectacular and it is only 3 issues in! I do have to say though of the last three issues this one is probably the weakest as not as much happened it terms of story or character development as the first two issues. This is also understandable as we are getting more into the story now, now that we are past the initial introduction phase.  We do learn the a little about how Reyes became Ghost Rider which is definitely a different take than the past Rider was. The artwork on this series is very interesting and definitely gives this series a fell all of its own. Definitely check out this series as it is bound to get crazy now that things are picking up. – Jacob

Just when you think this issue is going to suck, this all new Ghost Rider pulls something off that makes things awesome. Toward the beginning of the comic, I thought this week was going to be a flop. First off, it reminded me a little too much of Knight Rider with the whole, “my car is a spirit” thing. And if you have a badass car spirit, I wouldn’t expect it to be named Eli. So even though that part was really cheese and just not as cool as it could have been to me, I still really liked the action Robbie Reyes brought forward in this issue. I personally loved the whole, transportation through fire thing. That was awesome. I still can’t say I know what to expect out of this new series but I still plan on following through with it. Overall not a bad, but not a great showing this week. – Evan

All-New Ultimates #2 – C+

GANG FIGHT!!! I have to say, I did like the way this comic started out jumping right back into the fight that we left off in, yet overall as a whole issues, it all kind of lacked. I do like how the comic clearly captures how new and unexperienced these new Ultimates are truly how much work they need to do. With all the infighting, and back workings of the comic I don’t know what to expect, but I hope it doesn’t suck. The ending of this issue with Black Widow (Formally known as Spider-Woman) tripping off her ass on something only god knows intrigued me, and it gives me hope that the next issue will be better. So once again, I didn’t hate this comic, but it was absolutely nothing to brag about.  – Evan

Wolverine #6 – C

Things have started to slow down again with this series but if the past is any indication, things will pick up towards the middle to end of this current arc. We get to see a James Bond side of Logan that is really only hinted at in his past. The more I read these stories and other characters that he is involved with, I can’t help but feel he will ultimately sacrifice himself in some way that will save the world. It would be a fitting send off for such a great character but I will be livid if he doesn’t at least take that bastard Sabretooth down with him, and I don’t want to see any of that “we made peace with each other and became friends” crap either. – Robert

 

That about wraps it up for our reviews this week! Look for next week’s previews coming soon. Any comic books you didn’t see reviewed that you want reviewed? Any grades you didn’t agree on? Let us know in the comments!

All images taken from ComiXology app and the credit for them goes to the respective publishers; thanks to IDW Comics, image Comics, Dark Horse, Boom! Studios, Dynamite Entertainment, DC and Marvel for putting out great books.

Comic Book Reviews 05-07-14

Review Scale:

The mythical A+: Classic comic book material. Belongs next to your copy of The Notebook and The Joy of Cooking.

A: Would definitely recommend to all comic book readers. Even more so to fans of the genre or characters

B: Enjoyable read. Fans of the genre or characters will especially like.

C: Non-essential read. Can be enjoyable for fans of the genre or characters, but likely for only one or two events in the books.

D: Unenjoyable book. Read at your own risk. Might find satisfaction if major flaws are overlooked.

F: Please don’t buy this book. Donate your money to a local comic book writer’s workshop instead to inspire future generations to write something better than this trash.

Pick of the Week:

Moon Knight #3 – A

Three words… Egyptian Battle Armor.  I seriously considered submitting my review with just that sentence.  Moon Knight is blowing my mind in how each issue contains simple and complex themes in such a few amount of pages.  Marc Spector is so subtly interesting and overtly bad-ass at the same time.  He’s quickly becoming one of my favorite comic book characters.  And I can’t gush enough about how gorgeous these panel are.  I want to hire Declan Shalvey (artist) and Jordie Bellaire (colorist) to paint my house (inside and out)!!  I’m so pleased with how this series has kicked off.  It’s laid a strong foundation that in whatever manner the greater story ultimately develops, I’ll be along for the ride. – Taylor

If Warren Ellis writes it, and you shut up and read it! Moon Knight is so much fun to read. The story didn’t really go anywhere this issue, but who cares? He spent his evening Poltergeisting mother flippin’ ghosts while draped in ancient Egyptian artifacts. Unless you can say your night was more exciting, then you should give this issue a read. I still can’t get over how amazing the art is. Moon Knight’s perfectly white everything contrasts with the rest of the scene so well – kudos to penciller Declan Shalvey and colorist Jordie Bellaire. If you haven’t read the first two issues, this one acts as a stand-alone, and a guaranteed sell for the series. – Sherif

Other Reviews:

BOOM! Studios:

Dead Letters #2 – C

I’m on the fence pretty intensely with Dead Letters still.  I was hoping after the second issue I’d be swayed one way or another.  No such luck.  There are a few aspects I really appreciate with this story.  The life-after-death notion is unique.  I’ve never really seen another story that takes on the afterlife like Dead Letters.  The characters are cool and the story is pretty interesting; nothing too special, but entertaining.  Then I reflect a while longer and I realize there are some very poorly hand aspects as well.  I won’t give details for sake of keeping the review spoiler-free, but just know that this reader feels that some of the more defining qualities of this series have a very sloppy feel to them.  And I don’t know about you, but I really have a hard time getting into comics with loose, water-color type artwork.  I can never tell what’s going on and details are always lost.  I think for Dead Letters, it’ll be three strikes and you’re out. – Taylor

 

DC/Vertigo:

Detective Comics #31 – A-

Finally, we are putting the “detective” back in Detective Comics. This series (although not as bad as Batman: The Dark Knight) has been a complete letdown since its New 52 launch. That is, until Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato took over starting issue #30. This new Icarus arc is Batman, through and through. The art is amazing and the story-telling is on point. If you’re a Bat-fan, it’s time to put aside your bias towards this book and pick it back up. – Sherif

The artwork is some of the most amazing that I’ve seen in a while especially with the way they colored this issue. The best part about this set of stories is that they take batman back to his roots as a detective instead of a crime fighter.  I actually came into things with the last issue but it seemed to be a good starting point if you wanted to start reading this book. This is only the second issue of a new story arc so if you have been thinking of jumping in, now would be a great time. The story is great and well worth your time if you are a Batman fan looking for something extra in addition to the other ongoing publications. – Robert

Batman: Eternal #5 – B

Things are getting heated up in Gotham but there wasn’t anything that moved the story forward too much. This issue does end with a bit of a cliffhanger that won’t make much sense for those who haven’t read Zero Year yet. I actually like that this book has incorporated all of the Batman continuity since the New 52 started. It’s nice to see loyalty like that rewarded with a story that takes advantage of all the things that have happened so far in the universe. The great thing about this being a weekly series is that even though nothing major happened this week, I don’t need to wait long to find out what happens next.  – Robert

Ah snap this story is getting real…as if it wasn’t already real in the first place. There are so many things happening from so many different angles that we didn’t even need to see Jim Gordon, Batgirl, and barley any Batman this week and it was still an elegant story. It seems like with each issue the story gets bigger and bigger and I’m loving all of it. I don’t know what these nano-bots have to do with the story, but I know we are going to soon find out; I think they will be the key to Jim Gordon’s freedom. I’m loving this story and I can’t wait to see what direction it goes next week. – Evan

Five issues in and we’re really starting to see that Eternal is going to have a ginormous scope. Scott Synder and James Tynion IV have cooked up quite the all-encompassing story, with Red Robin and Vicki Vale making their first appearance of the series. Aside from the awesome banter between Vicki and her new intern at the Gotham Gazette, Joey Day, there is a lot of superfluous dialog in this article. I know it’s all set up for the next big thing, but the story kind of loses momentum because of it. Throw in some Red Robin tech, and Harper Rowe badassery, and this issue gets a pass. – Sherif

Green Arrow #31 – C

The conclusion to the Outsiders War is here and it wasn’t much of a conclusion at all. Robert Queen is dead……again, which is pretty lame. This whole conclusion felt like it was put together a bit rushed even though it wrapped up everything from the last arc. It does however end with a setup that seems like it has the potential to be pretty cool. I do hope that they change the artist with the next story arc because it just looks awful. I have not been able to stand the art from this book since they changed things back somewhere in the teen issues. I am ready to move on to the next story because this whole arc felt like one step forward, two steps back for me. Just when we learn new things about oliver and co., it all pretty much gets taken away in the next few issues. Lame, but on to the next one, hopefully it will be better than what we’ve been getting.  – Robert

The New 52: Future’s End #1 – D+

In this new major DC comics event, we see Batman Beyond arrive in his past, but our future before a giant war destroys the world, We get to see Stormwatch, Firestorm, Grifter and Batman Beyond in the same book. Now, although this seems it will be a great event if for nothing else to see some more Batman Beyond action, it does seem like an overdone type of storyline (X-Men: Days of Future Past anyone?!) that could very well become very stagnant and boring. In the Free Comic Book Day issue #0 and this 1st Issue, it seems like it will become at least an enjoyable series, we will have to wait until the next issue for the story to really pick up and shows us what this event has in store for us. – Jacob

When DC Comics came out with 52 in 2006, it was a way for the company to spotlight the C squad characters without relying on them to carry their own books. Futures End seems kind of on-board with the same thing, but with Marvel handing out series left and right – successful series, mind you – to lesser-known characters, it will be hard for DC to match that level of “give a damn” when it sloppily throws together characters that casual fans can’t identify, let alone identify with. And I’m still pissed that DC thinks its a good idea to release the aftermath of Forever Evil without releasing the actual final issue of Forever Evil. Get your shit together, DC! – Sherif

 

IDW Comics:

Rocky & Bullwinkle #3 – B

Another great issue of Rocky & Bullwinkle! In this issue we get so see more of the Fearless Leader, and our favorite moon inhabitants Gidney and Cloyd. It starts with Fearless Leader claiming he has landed a Pottsylvanian on the moon and since no one has claimed it as their own he claims ownership. Rocky & Bullwinkle find it fishy and decide to take their own trip to the moon to investigate. Fearless Leader finds out and we realize their moon landing was fake and so he decides to send Boris and Natasha there to combat Rocky & Bullwinkle. This of course is the break where we get my personal favorite part of each issue the short of Dudley Do-Right where we see the evil Snidley Whiplash starting a store that sells junk on the promise that if you return your item you get double your money back knowing that no one ever takes the time to return items. Snidey did not think about Dudley Do-right though and as Dudley is heading to the bank with the Mounties donation money and ends up buying a yogurt straightener which the Inspector makes him return. So as Dudley returns it he gets double his money and then purchases two yogurt straighteners, returns them and continues to do so until he bankrupts the store and gets twenty thousand dollars for the charity. We then continue back to Rocky & Bullwinkle where they land on the moon and meet up with Gidney and Cloyd and then Boris and Natasha land and Boris ends up betraying Pottsylvania by claiming the moon for himself only to have Rocky & Bullwinkle foil them as always leaving the moon unclaimed for now… This series has been very enjoyable and although it is not for everyone, especially those whom only read comics for heroes, but anyone who has grew up watching the show will definitely enjoy this issue and the entire series as a whole. – Jacob

Image Comics:

Nailbiter #1 – A-

Another new Image title, another one knocked out of the park. Nailbiter is a horror story (so far; I have a hunch there will be a sci-fi twist in here somewhere) set in the town of Buckaroo, Oregon, home to “sixteen of the world’s worst serial killers.” Our story follows Nicholas Finch, an army intelligence agent who is down on life – as inferred by the gun he holds to his temple in the opening pages. The most recent killer, named the Nailbiter, is on the loose and Finch’s buddy Carroll has brought him to Buckaroo to help him crack the case. This is like Silence of the Lambs meets Heavy Rain, but there seems to be a much deeper story going on here. – Sherif

This series start off with a pretty intense beginning on top of the already intense cover we get on this issue. We are introduced to a killer by the name of Nailbiter who kills people who chew their nails and then proceeds to eat their fingers off. The whole series is about connecting a whole bunch of murderers from one small town together and one man may have found out how.  This series definitely seems promising as far as plot goes, as it is an original horror/crime idea and the artwork for it is superb as the characters, especially those who are not the protagonists, make you feel creeped out, even though some of the cops do as well in the way they are depicted and introduced. It is a very trust no one type of story happening and hopefully the intrigue does not die down or get too weird which Image comics sometimes does with their properties – Jacob

I’ll be honest, horror isn’t my thing.  But dark comedy is, and Nailbiter was chock full of it.  Nailbiter chronicles famed serial killer Nailbiter and the 15 serial killers from the same town of Buckaroo, Oregon who came before him.  While very dark, this new series was able to add a lot of humor and social commentary to such a macabre topic.  Suicidal Officer Nicholas Finch comes to the small town to look for his friend Carroll who is obsessed with the 16 serial killers and what they all have in common.  Along the way, he meets a few of the townsfolk and has very interesting encounters with a few, including a man who runs “The Murder Store” and wants to start a “Murder Con.”  Creeeppyyy.  This book was very enjoyable.  It will be really interesting to see what angle the writer takes this grim tale.  – Adrian

Burn the Orphanage: Reign of Terror #1 – C+

The second story from the guys that did Born to Lose are back. This second arc already feels different, especially when it comes to Sina Grace’s art. It has a definitive 80’s feel to it, and it reminiscent of the old Heavy Metal comic books. Even down to the high hue television effects in the first few panels, it’s clear that colorist Renee Keyes is an improvement over John Rauch. The story didn’t really move along like I thought it would in a five-issue run, and there weren’t any memorable jokes or pop references like the book is known for. However, this does give it a more polished feel; either way, this series will be a fun read. – Sherif

Revenge #3 – C

Blood and Boobs. I’ve said those two words in every review I’ve done for Revenge, and this one is no different. The only difference is this time around the blood and boobs were not in the same scenes. I actually believe that this comic has been my favorite out of the Revenge comics. With Griffin back in Hollywood with his two companions, all seven levels of hell are about to be raised. I think Griffin, his sidekick, and his dog/wolf actually make one super badass team. And now that he is in a position for true revenge, I cannot wait to see what happens next. – Evan

Seriously? Are we that cliché that we need to use the word “capeesh” in comic books to let people know how cool and dangerous the main character is? This book is only three issues in and I’m already tired of the concept and ready to move on. This would probably make a cool video-game, but it’s just getting really old looking at the over-the-top violence. That’s usually enough to keep me reading, but with so many other ridiculously good new Image titles out (Black Science, Deadly Class, Pretty Deadly, Sex Criminals, Shutter, etc), Revenge falls directly to the bottom of the pile. – Sherif

 

Marvel:

Magneto #1 – B+

Magneto is on a rampage. By his lonesome, he has tasked himself with taking down the entire sentinel operation, and has just stumbled upon a bigger conspiracy. The reason I love this character, and book, so much is the great societal debate over whether or not those in power can justify building arms under the pretense of defense. Only three issues in, and this is one of my favorite books; the inevitable war with whoever is making these mutants is going to be more brutal than anything we’ve seen in the main X-Men titles so far. – Sherif

Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #2 – B

If you are looking for a comic that makes you feel like sunshine and rainbows in the most basic way, then keep on looking. In a sense this comic does make me feel good because it is awesome. With Danny knowing that he has to return to K’un Lun, in order to save the city, you know all hell is about to break loose. I don’t know Iron Fist very well, so I’m not sure who this intruder is, but whoever he is he must be one bad MF to do to K’un Lun what he did. Especially if he did it through the Yu-Ti. This story is dark and exciting and everybody was kung fu fighting, HIYAH!! I look forward to see what comes next. – Evan

We welcome Iron Fist on that anime-style kung-fu stuff. I’m really liking the way they present the story; it’s a bit cliché for anime fans, but it’s something new to the mainstream comic book world. Aside from a pretty deep look into the way Danny lost his parents, the story doesn’t offer much in terms of story or action until the final panel reveal. I’m thoroughly impressed with Kaare Kyle Andrew’s abilities here – he both writes the story and does the pencils here. Andrew is setting up an awesome story that I can’t wait to start expanding. – Sherif

Cyclops #1 – B+

The new series Cyclops is probably the perfect way to get into comics, particularly for teenage boys, and therefore, grown men, too.  I, however, am neither a teenage boy or a grown man, yet still thoroughly enjoyed this opener in what looks to be a very promising series.  The story follows a 16 year old Scott Summers, mutant and future X-Men member.  This issue does a wonderful job of showing us the modern and down-to-earth side of Scott.  There were moments that rang true for every person who has gone through the angsty and confusing teenage years and moments of laughter throughout.  It was fresh to see that even teenage mutants with cool super powers have problems that are normal.  I do wish that there would have been a bit more explanation about who the X-Men are and why Scott has already seen his future, but I do realize it may have had to be cut due to how much story Scott had away from his mutant story.  Also, the first panel with the reflection of his story in his glasses is ah.may.zing. – Adrian

I won’t lie, I thought Cyclops hanging out with his dad as a space pirate was gonna be so lame; I couldn’t have been further off. Cyclops starts his own series by just trying to be a good kid, finally getting the chance to escape from reality and go on that father-son adventure that every boy dreams of. There’s some quirky humor and good action scenes, but this is really about a kid trying to bond with his father, and the dad reluctantly agreeing to give parenting a try. – Sherif

Going into this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect and even after this issue I’m still not sure what the hell is going on. Apparently something happened that I missed and we now have a sixteen year old Scott Summers who has seen the future man he becomes and somehow leaves the X-Men and travels space with his father as a space pirate. The picture that Cyclops has on his desk is one with the original X-Men costumes. I may be confused but does this whole thing take place before the Phoenix Saga? Because if it does, it would seem that even wishing it away isn’t going to stop it from coming back. They have said they were never going to bring back Jean Gray back after the things she did as Dark Phoenix but this would be an interesting workaround as she hasn’t technically destroyed an entire galaxy yet. This book wasn’t exactly what I was expecting but I think it has potential to be decent if they don’t go too overboard with the whole space pirate thing. – Robert

Cyclops! In Space! With his dad! This on-going solo series for Cyclops is definitely different from your average X-Men story. I mean, I’ve never seen an X-Men story where young Cyclops is a space pirate, but it is awesome. I’m excited to see a young Cyclops in action doing things we haven’t seen from him before. With so many feelings going on in young Scott’s head about Jean Grey and his father, I’m very excited to see the character development that happens. – Evan

Original Sin #1 – B

Well the Watcher is dead… At first I was really wary of this event because how could anyone kill the watcher without him seeing it coming a mile away? After reading this issue and the #0, it is rather intriguing trying to think how someone could have done it without the Watcher knowing; is it going to be a villain or a super hero? Here, we explore multiple odd pairs of heroes finding out about the event and it all starts with Captain America, Wolverine, Black Widow and Nick Fury having steaks together getting the call about the Watcher from Thor. Multiple heroes are brought together in teams by “the boss” while Thing and Spider-Man are brought on after battling with a strange alien with some connection to the death of the Watcher and he is carrying the Ultimate Nullifier! Once all these teams are together they all go their own way to figure out who killed the Watcher. The last couple panels show multiple other aliens like the ones who battled the Thing and Spider-Man all suffering from something the Watcher had shown them and amongst these figures are a woman and one man who is holding one of the Watchers eyes in his hands. Does this mean he is the killer or just one person among many who profited, after all both his eyes were missing so who has the other? This event is bound to bring together a bunch of our favorite character and may just change our views on some. I look forward to this story picking up past the initial issue and hopefully it will give a good explanation on how exactly one could fool the Watcher. – Jacob

Marvel’s next huge event is here, and it looks like everybody got invited to the party. There are a multitude of character involved in trying to solve the murder mystery that has become Original Sin. The Watcher is dead, both eyes ripped from his corpse; it’s some pretty foul stuff, but it doesn’t really have any effect on me yet. I love when Marvel does gigantic crossovers, and writer Jason Aaron (Amazing X-Men, Scalped) is well-equipped to handle the ensemble. This eight-issue series will span the entire Marvel U looking for who stole the eye, and how screwed that makes everybody. I love the mystery style writing, but I’m going to need the story to hit a lot closer to home if I’m going to enjoy the series. – Sherif

The Amazing Spider-Man #1.1 – C+

Last week’s ginormous Amazing #1 contained several mini-stories in the back. One of them was Learning to Crawl, by legendary Spidey writer, Dan Slott. In this story, we are brought back to Peter Parker’s earlier days as the Spider-Man, where he performs for crowds to make ends meet at home when Uncle Ben dies. In the crowd is a friendless rich kid who is so impressed with Spidey that he decides to make his own hero (or villain?) named Clash. The story looks exciting, but got off to a really slow start here for me. Don’t let the grade discourage you, there’s more to come, and with Slott at the helm (not to mention a rad Alex Ross cover), Amazing Spider-Man is worthy of your time. – Sherif

The Punisher #5 – C+

If you live in the city, you basically are living in a complete war zone right now. And if you are a cop, then it seems to be open season on yo ass. With all the death and destruction being caused by A.I.M. electro and the local gangs, the only thing that could even possibly balance it out is more death and destruction fighting for the other side; the Punisher. This comic had action right off the bat, and it was exciting, however I felt that the read was over way too quick. With so many action panels and little dialog it feels only natural for a comic to fly by. However, this one felt like it took no time at all. Oh well, if you are going to fill a panel with something, it might as well be huge explosions. – Evan

Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man #1 – C

I have this “thing” about starting stories in middle.  And while the Ultimate Spider-Man that released this week was titled #1, it sure didn’t feel like it.  Trailing after the events that took place in the Galactus story arch there was a little too much focus on the past than on the future for this issue.  I was unfamiliar with most of the characters and I know that’s nobody’s fault buy my own, but still… One of the biggest hurdles I had to overcome when I started reading comics was learning how to be okay with not starting at the true beginning.  I’ve been successful in this regard for almost every comic I’ve picked up.  For the first time, I feel like little to no regard was paid for new readers.  Interestingly enough, I didn’t feel this way at all reading The Amazing Spider-Man #1 last week – another continuation of an in-depth story line that I had no prior knowledge on.  It’s a major let-down because I love seeing a character of color portraying one of the coolest superheroes of all time!  Not one of my best reads. – Taylor

Before you throw your book in the trash based on Taylor’s rant on the issue, I’d like to say how pleased I am with this totally relatable issue. The first thing to keep in mind is that this is the Ultimate universe, so the normal perception of canon is out the window. What we get with this issue is an honest look at Miles Morales, a kid who has lost his mom and his dad, and has the huge weight of his secret identity on his shoulders, while debating whether or not to tell his girlfriend, Kate Bishop (who is Hawkeye’s sidekick in the normal Marvel U, so we may see that double-secret come to light in the Ultimate U) that he’s Spider-Man. After having a whole year with nothing but obnoxious Otto Octavius in Superior, Marvel is bursting at the seams with Spidey ideas, so I welcome the intriguing twist at the end. – Sherif

Deadpool Vs. Carnage #3 – C-

This book has gone from weird to just plain ridiculous. Good; that means it’s almost over. This series needed something to set itself up for an over-the-top showdown between Deadpool and Carnage, and it definitely got it. Most of the issue was a cat-and-mouse chase that really took away the comedic banter between the two characters. The series has really succeeded by letting the two feed off each other; instead, we get panels and panels full of the characters wondering about “the signs” and it got really tired really quick. Luckily, there’s only one more issue left, and a lot of potential for that one to be a hilarious gorefest. – Sherif

I don’t know what just happened to Deadpool, but is there any way it can happen to me, too? This week’s comic was just okay. In my opinion it didn’t really hold up to the standards of the issues of the past for several reasons. It wasn’t nearly as slapstick as I was hoping for, the actual fighting between the two psychopaths didn’t actually last very long, and overall it just seemed like a whole lot of nothing happened. However, I still found it enjoyable and want to know what just happened to Deadpool. So I’m going to keep a lookout for the next issue and see where it progresses. – Evan

This series is very hit and miss, as far as I am concerned. I love both of these characters but the conflict is basically “I am insane, so I will fight someone else insane,” which is not a good plot point. Deadpool has gone against others and there has been a better meaning behind it. In this issue, we get another giant battle and major violence, of course Deadpool is disemboweled and both Deadpool’s and Carnage’s insanity leads them to the same ghost town where there is a hidden base for a operation made to kill Carnage. Carnage gets there first kills all the men and sets a trap for Deadpool and leaves him in pieces while the self destruct is counting down only to have four different symbiotes assemble him back together so now we have a symbiote Deadpool which is about as terrifying as when Wolverine was possessed by Venom.  I am not real sure where this story is leading as it seems to just be battle after battle after battle with no real progress on either characters account so although both of these character may be popular and have their own great individual stories this series is one that leaves you wanting more or at the very least, wanting to figure out why it is being done. – Jacob

 

That about wraps it up for our reviews this week! Look for next week’s previews coming soon. Any comic books you didn’t see reviewed that you want reviewed? Any grades you didn’t agree on? Let us know in the comments!

All images taken from ComiXology app and the credit for them goes to the respective publishers; thanks to IDW Comics, image Comics, Dark Horse, Boom! Studios, Dynamite Entertainment, DC and Marvel for putting out great books.

So Far this Week… February 19, 2014

With the expansion of Hush Comics, we have decided to give bi-weekly news updates.  Anything we find news-worthy will be posted here bi-weekly.  Have anything to add?  Post it in the comments!

Our home town of Denver is going through some Comic-Con strife.  Published in the Westword today, one of the co-founders lists the indiscretions of the Board of Directors.  Denver Comic Con has released this statement.  As a side note, our sister, Sara, is the girl dressed as Wonder Woman in the second picture of the article.  What a gem to find in such a depressing article…

Speaking of Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot is getting buff.  Back off, naysayers.

Guardians of the Galaxy has a new trailer.  What a bunch of A-Holes.  (and yes, we are hooked on a feeling.. that Rocket Raccoon is gonna be the best thing ever.)

The May cover of The Walking Dead issue 127 features a new character and double the pages.  What does this mean for the future of all of our beloved characters?  Sound off in the comments!

In May, DC will release Future’s End #1featuring a time-traveling Batman Beyond.  Check out the schway cover here.

Also in May (wow May is gonna ROCK!) Alex Ross will have a variant to All New X-Men #27 and it is awesome.  What a great artist.

Is Superman: Doomed a way to turn the Man of Steel into Doomsday?  Read the interview with writer Greg Pak here.  Action Comics #30 is due out in April.

J.K. Rowling is going to release a sequel to 2013’s The Cuckoo’s Calling called The Silkworm under the pen name Robert Galbraith.  Be warned: it isn’t anything like the Harry Potter series.

Robert Kirkman and Norman Reedus are …. going to work on another project together!  Kirkman will produce and Reedus will star in a new sci-fi film titled Air.  Read more here.

Go Ninja, Go Ninja, Go!  Is the new Vanilla Ice Kraft Macaroni and Cheese advertisement making anyone else want to buy your local grocery store out of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle shaped noodles?!  No?  Is that just us?

X-Men: Days of Future Past has a bad-ass website now.  Check it out to learn more about the mutants.

Jada Pinkett Smith will play the villain in the new Gotham series.

Jack Bauer is that much closer to gracing our television screens again.  The 12 episode 24: Live Another Day premieres in May.  But if it is only 12 hours, does that mean that he only lives for another half day?

Comcast and Time-Warner are merging.  They are waging war against Netflix.  Who will land on Park Place first?  Read the details here.

And right at publishing, the new Fantastic Four reboot cast was announced.  Just in the nick of time!

Written by Sherif Elkhatib and Adrian Puryear