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:
I don’t usually judge people by their tastes in comic books, but if you picked up Little AvX and didn’t like it, then you and I can no longer be friends. Scottie Young’s Little series is the most universally enjoyable book on the shelves today. Period. Yes, it’s funny because it’s cutesy-wutesy, but there’s also some substance to the books. The story makes sense, and you don’t have to work towards figuring it all out. Plus, the whole gang is invited this time, which means Little Spider-Gwen, Little Gambit, and the most coveted of all the Littles…. DEADPOOL! Stop taking this stupid Battleworld thing so seriously, and enjoy yourself a Little fun. – Sherif
Other Reviews:
Dark Horse Comics:
Rat God #5 – F
Rat God finally came to an end this week and so much was revealed. Most importantly, that I really wasted my time reading this series. The story finally went somewhere, and I’ll give it this – it wrapped up in a nice enough manner for being the stupidest story ever told. I have no idea why this even took five issues. So much of this series was wasted on weird and pointless bullshit that, now that I’ve seen the conclusion, I have no idea why it was included. Here is literally all Rat God was about: a potato headed guy falls in love with a native American girl, then goes to find her after driving her away in an argument. It turns out her village is inhabited by rat-hybrid looking people (although that is never addressed) who worship a giant rat monster (how, why, or wtf are also never addressed). He wastes a lot of time, meets some elders who make no sense, almost gets sacrificed to said rat god, escapes, finds out he’s actually a member of the native American tribe, moves back to the village and becomes a polygamist mayor. This series was not at all what it was sold as and I still fail to see the point of it existing. For the record, I think I am the only human on the planet who read it and I can really see why. It’s only merits are simply that it is bizarre and it touched on native American folklore. However, it did nothing with the really cool legend it seemed to be building to. In retrospect, Rat God feels more like a literary practical joke than an actual miniseries. – Keriann
DC/Vertigo Comics:
Bizarro #1- A
Well, this book sure stinks! Me never like Bizarro as good as Superman, and me really love Superman! So this book absolute worst DC book to be released after Convergence…. Oh sorry there I was blasted by a Bizarro ray and my backwards self was writing there. Anyway, this issue is the first ongoing DC comic I have read in awhile. This isn’t because I dislike DC by any means, but there was just nothing I could really grasp onto character-wise besides Batman, who is kind of his own entity. However, when Bizarro #1 was announced I freaked, then read it and then freaked out ten times more. The issue starts with Bizarro and Jimmy from the Daily Planet going on a road trip to take Bizarro to Canada, as America is sick of him accidently destroying everything. In this adventure, Bizarro brings along his pet and partner, Colin the Chupacabra, as if they needed me to like this story anymore. These three end up crashing the car in Smallville and having to get it repaired at the weirdest Egyptian themed car dealership around. Not only does Jimmy almost get tricked into buying a car, but the dealer gets tricked into being taken over by aliens and forcing everyone but Bizarro feel the need to buy a car. Will Bizarro’s backwards mind be oblivious to the mind control and will Bizarro be able to save Smallville without destroying everything in the process? Tune in next month for issue #2 and part 5 of 6 in this Bizarro series… oh I mean part 2 of 6… Sorry Bizarro Jacob got on again. – Jacob
Justice League #41 – A-
So much just happened! Everybody is so SCREWED! It only took one episode for so many bad things to happen at once. The issue starts a bit slowly, with Lashina (one of Darkseid’s Furies), and Kanta (some guy with horns) searching for Myrina Black. Myrina Black is the mother of the weird looking Daughter of Darkseid from issue #40. Well, anyway, they are just going around trying to kill everybody named Myrina Black (by using Google or some shit?) and that gets the attention of the Justice League. Oh, and the daughter of Darkseid and said Myrina Black, Grail, hops out of The Flash’s mouth and starts kicking everybody’s ass. Mister Miracle is in there, too, for a while. Simply put, this issue was a whirlwind of WTFs and OMGs. All I know is that this Darkseid War is going to have the most grand-scale story we’ve seen in Justice League so far. – Sherif
Bat-Mite #1- B+
I gotta say that when I saw this on my list of things to review, I had a Karl Malone reaction. What da heck? But after reading it, my opinion was definitely changed. This book has a small amount of action and wasn’t very long but it was hilarious. It has a sort of Deadpool feel that pokes more fun at the world we live in today than anything. I couldn’t see this being interesting beyond the six or so issue run this is apparently getting, but it is worth a read. – Robert
Lobo #7 – B
Ok, Lobo is getting better from where it first started out when it came back. Lobo is really taking a “don’t F with me” approach to things, which is nice. The series is getting violent, which is right where it should be. For example, you can find Lobo exploding one head of a Siamese-twin alien prostitute, leaving the other head to go on about their business is fantastic. Lobo has now been hired as a lead assassin of sorts of a larger group. He’s still on the mission to find who wanted Earth and Czarnia destroyed. Next time around it looks Lobo is going to the hunted, by a group of alien bounty hunters it looks like. Bring it on! – Scott
Batman Beyond #1 – B-
I was shocked that the first page showed a man being decapitated by The Jokerz; this is not the kid’s cartoon from my childhood. In fact, there is near nothing about this comic series that resembles the TV series. Terry McGinnis is dead, and Tim Drake is now Batman. Matt McGinnis lives with a woman named Nora Boxer, Barbara Gordon and Max Gibson are stuck in a place called The Lodge, and the world, other than Gotham, is absolutely destroyed. I felt there wasn’t a fair enough explanation for all the changes, and was disappointed in The Jokerz motive for destroying Gotham (wah, we are the only ones alive! wahhhhhh). But I was impressed with the art and the use of the word “schway,” so I’ll give it a chance. – Adrian
Green Lantern #41 – B-
I’ll be honest, I have not read an issue of GL since Geoff Johns left after issue #18. I’ve found the series meandering around the same pseudo-Star Wars B.S. for over 20 issues. I figure that the end of the monstrosity that was Convergence met a whole new era of material, and so I figured checking out Green Lantern once more was worth a shot. Good call on my part! Right away, I was drawn to this Han Solo-esque Hal Jordan, who is living on the run due to some “disagreement” with the Corps. He rescues a guy named Virgo from this intergalactic gladiator arena. Thinking about it now, there wasn’t much story, but it was in what was shown than what was told. The Lantern Corps is no more and I need to know why! Also, Alex Sinclair’s (usually works with Jim Lee) epic color work makes everything look better. If you’re a long-lost GL fan, this is a pretty good jumping on point. – Sherif
Wonder Woman Annual #1 – B-
While I enjoyed both the nonlinear structure and LGBT representation in this comic, it tended to be a little confusing at times. It took a little more time than usual to connect the dots, which is not a bad thing, but even after stitching everything together, there still seemed to be some missing pieces. This definitely isn’t a comic you want to jump into the world of Wonder Woman with. I liked Hippolyta’s backstory not only because it provided some clarity on who the crone was in the first part of the comic (if it was Derinoe), but also gave greater historical context. I’m also always super pleased to see DC getting into the diversity game and their romance felt very organic to me, rather than overdone. I eagerly await more on Derinoe’s storyline. – Charlotte
Midnighter #1 – C+
This comic had both positives and negatives for me this week. Positive, watching Midnighter kick ass in the restaurant was about as much badassery I could handle for one day, especially with the compliment of the smaller panels showing the carnage, Mortal Kombat style. However, the smaller panels placed throughout the entirety of the comic book made it difficult to visually read and caused a distraction. Overall, I am very interested in Midnighter as a character. I’m not quite sure on the story line yet, but I believe with time to evolve and grow, this could turn out to be a decent book. – Evan
Green Arrow #41 – C-
This is the start of a three-book story arc, so I wasn’t expecting much. I’m not sure who this new villain is supposed to be; he seems new, but he reminds me of a racist version of Morpheus from the old Spider-Man cartoon. I’m not sure where they are going to go with this plotline as almost nothing of importance happened, but it seems like something is being setup that could have an effect on more than just this book. I’m interested to see where this goes. – Robert
IDW Publishing:
Samurai Jack #20 – A
In this last issue of Samurai Jack, we get a pretty good ending, but it also leaves it open to new animation or comics if we bug IDW enough. This series did give some closure to fans of the classic animated series and allowed many of us to see characters we loved and thought we may never see again. Props to IDW and Cartoon Network for bringing us this awesome series! For this last issue, we get a great tribute to the incredibly talented Mako, who voiced Aku for the original series. A scribe travels around the world collecting stories about Jack, and trying to find someone who has actually met him and may even know where he is. This issue covers a lot of what went on in this series with flashbacks and old friends showing up and plenty of great references to the show including Jack as King. More than anything, this issue is a loving tribute to everything that encompassed Jack and the art is no different. This time we have writer Jim Zub and artist Andy Suriano. They have a great tribute in the back from the creators of this series, describing their experience working on Jack and assuring us they are just as big of fans as anyone reading. Because of these creators, this series captured the heart and soul of the show. I can only hope someday we will get more, or at least an actual final ending to the series. In the meantime, issue #20 of Samurai Jack is the best ending we have or could possibly get. That is, unless that movie we were promised ten years ago finally happens. – Jacob
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutanimals #4 – B
As a long time TMNT fan and knowing this was the last issue of Mutanimals, I had some pretty big fears going in. After all, their last series ended with none if them really surviving. From the beginning, this series proved to be much different than its previous Archie incarnation, from the characters involved to even the sex of the main villain, Null. With the changes came a pretty enjoyable story and lots more of Herman the hermit crab, which is always a plus. This being the last issue, we obviously get to see the big battle with Null and taking down her company. While Old Hob takes care of Null herself, the rest of the crew take out any guards of opposition making their way into the heart of the company. After ground rules are set and the team departs the battlefield, friendships become stronger, the team grows larger and all of a sudden this team becomes a family. Definitely a much lighter turn than the last series. This series also solidified the Mutanimals as a force for good despite never really knowing about Old Hob. Paul Allor wrote again for this issue, ending us on a somber and sweet note. This ending left things WIDE open for more, which was kind of upsetting to know we only get one story of this series when it is just begging for more. However, I am sure we will see them all a bunch in the regular, ongoing TMNT book. We have Andy Kuhn doing the art again for this issue. Although I tend to prefer a lot more details in my comic art, Kuhn still has a wonderful style. His art is a very welcome addition to the awesome talent we have seen from TMNT and its mini-series. Hopefully more TMNT starts soon as way too much stuff ended this week or is ending soon. Anyone down for a Herman the Hermit Crab mini-series? – Jacob
Image Comics:
Big Man Plans #3 – A+
I have thoroughly enjoyed the previous two issues in this series, but this one is by far my favorite. Eric Powell and Tim Wiesch do such an incredible job with making Big Man horrifying, disgusting, lovable, and someone you feel so bad for. All of the flashbacks are so amazing, and the juxtaposition between the violent and brutal things Big Man is doing now and the abuse and bullying he had to suffer through as as child give the story and characters so much depth. When I reached the last page of Big Man Plans #3 for the first time I was so on the edge of my seat I hated the realization that I’d have to wait one more month to see what is going to happen next. Big Man is going on a complete rampage of revenge and while it started out vague now every move he makes is so much more purposeful and I find myself rooting for him so much more. This issue was gruesome, but Big Man is such a captivating character that even when he does rip apart a man’s head and face with a pair of pliers, you still feel like he is doing the right thing. He would never have been this way if the world hadn’t been so cruel to him, and he’s not a bad man. He does the right things for the right people and just really makes those who make poor choices suffer. This series just gets better and better with each issue. I’m very excited to read the final issue next month, and a little disappointed that it will be my last. – Keriann
Autumnlands Tooth and Claw #6 – B-
In the sixth issue, the human hero meets with the bison in a parley, and there’s betrayal. Then there’s intrigue, and then there’s more betrayal. I’m not sure if I’ve been kicked in the face by a horse lately, or if I got in the way of a sperm whale while it was hunting (their echo-location clicks carry the force of being kicked by a horse. LOOK IT UP), but I feel like this is the first issue where I’ve really noticed Kurt Busiek is the writer. Which is insane: I always look at the creative team because that biz is important. But I feel like we’ve entered the Busiek Problem Zone (really, we entered it like 2 or 3 issues ago) in which Tooth and Claw has established a sort of holding pattern where things happen in the story, but at the same time nothing’s really happening. I mean, stuff does happen at the end, but I feel like the amount of buildup vs. payoff should have really been trimmed down into an issue or two. This should be issue 4, not issue 6. It’s the same kind of thing that made Astro City sort of a drag back inna day. But the art’s still gorgeous. Unparalleled really. – Montgomery
The Covenant #1 – D
I didn’t know what I was getting into when I signed up to read Covenant, but I didn’t care for it at all. I mean the history if the Arc of the Covenant is fascinating, and the fact that there is a comic book exploring the history and the myth is pretty cool. But, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I might read a couple more issues to get a sense of the characters as there was a lot introduced in a short amount of space. Maybe it’ll have an interesting plot and character development. However, it did not grip me in the least and left me rather board by the time I read the last panel. I’m sure someone will get enjoyment out of it. It’s by no means it badly written, it’s not something I care to read about. – Jené
The Empty #4 – D
From complete disaster to miracle worker, The Empty has done a complete 180 in about five pages. We last saw three of group horribly-impaled by giant bug spikes. Assuredly something would happen to make sure the main characters didn’t all die off in one issue, but I wasn’t suspecting such a turn around so quickly. I figured bring people back to life would take more than a tear. Now everyone can talk to each other without problem, the giant bugs are really forgiving and Lila can cure any wound. It’s too strange that everything just changed for the better all at once. I thought that the ending to the previous issue had written the series into a corner and I think I was right. The creator had to get himself out of a bad situation quickly. It was all just too convenient for me. – Scott
Marvel/Icon Comics:
Darth Vader #6 – A
It’s always nice when a comic book can be primarily character and plot development with a very small amount of action and still be compelling. The Emperor has shown his displeasure in Lord Vader by hiring Cylo to train potential replacements. The twins have been trained and designed for the last twenty years, which tells us The Emperor never had a lot of faith in Vader. The most important part of this issue comes at the end. Boba Fett reveals to Vader the name of the young boy who destroyed the Death Star, Skywalker. It’s the first time Vader realizes his child survives. Oh and don’t think I missed the Warhammer 40k reference, Mr. Gillen. – Scott
X-Tinction Agenda #1 – A
I hate on continuity, but my love of X-Men is partly responsible. They just totally burnt me out with so many c-c-c-c-combo breaker events one right after the other (not necessarily in order): The Phalanx, Onslaught, Age of Apocalypse (probably my favorite), that guy Bastion and his kooky sentinels, curing the legacy virus… I know there are others. There have to be. It got to the point that when Grant Morrison finished his run on New X-Men that I walked away. “Nothing can top it,” I thought and so I stopped reading comics for years. Nevertheless, X-Men events are my absolute favorites, and so the great thing about Battleworld and the X-Men is that all their books are essentially held in suspension, like perpetual in medias res. And given that I had a bad addiction to anything with an X on the cover (and the 90s and early 2000s took advantage of that boy howdy), any X event that’s perpetually in progress is speaking my changuage. X-tinction Agenda is therefore just that: the original X-Tinction Agenda’s resolution could never come because the people living in X-Tinction’s zone are stricken with an unnamed plague (my guess is Legacy virus) and the neighboring X zones refuse help because they fear contamination. Doom (who is super racist b-t-dubs) even refuses help for fear of spreading this virus. It was a good read with the opening flashback featuring artwork designed to look like an old 90s X-Men comic. I was fully on board. – Montgomery
Years of Future Past#1 – B+
The world of Days of Future Past has stalled long enough that Kitty and Collosus had a daughter, and Wolverine and who knows had a son. Most mutants are dead or living in internment camps with Wolverine and his son being two of the few left roaming the outside world while the mutants on the inside (led by Magneto) plot their escape. I liked this book, and this isn’t a criticism of this book, but I can’t help but wonder what the significance of any one character’s life is. I think this is the 4th Wolverine I’ve seen, and while Beast was mourning the death of Piotr in X-Tinction Agenda’s X City, I’ve seen 3 other Piotrs wandering around. I guess because Battleworld was built specifically to have the entire universe in a continuity, and all the characters are aware of the other zones, I don’t understand how I’m supposed to feel about these multiple iterations, what they feel about themselves, and what that means in the grand scheme of things. Definitely a criticism against the Battleworld idea, but not this book specifically. – Montgomery
Secret Wars #3 – B+
Secret Wars keeps delivering. Battleworld seems to be in full effect or nearing full effect, and we’re already getting answers about why it is what it is. Why Doom is god; why there seem to be all these estranged vaguely Eastern European feeling subcontinents; why only some heroes seem present (i.e. there’s Susan, but where’s Reed?); why Strange would be Doom’s whipping boy. It’s a pretty cool event book in a way that I wouldn’t have predicted. There’s a silly pathos moment with Doom, and I ultimately don’t know how feasible the explanation for Battleworld’s construction can actually be, but Secret Wars is making me feel interested in the characters and their new inventive connections. – Montgomery
Superior Iron Man #9 – B
We’ve hit a point of no return for Tony Stark. The Extemis armor has made him Superior, yes, but also a complete dickhead with no remaining sense of compassion or humanity. Pepper Potts has tried to do what she could to destroy his armor, rehabilitate the monster Tony’s become, but ends up falling short in the worst way. There’s gotta be some bit of humanity in there, but by the end of the episode, Tony becomes everybody’s worst nightmare. The issue has one of the best fight scenes of the week, and has enough action to keep readers engaged, but it’s the dialog that makes you realize how lost Tony is in all of this. The issue ends predictably, with Tony alone, with a bottle. This can’t be good… – Sherif
Future Imperfect #1 – B
I really enjoyed reading this comic. Although the story line may be a bit misguided and rushed, it is forgiven due to the action and overall badassness of everything. And if I could only say one thing about this comic, it would be this; The Maestro is one bad dude…and I love it. Honestly I’m pretty excited to see how this story line progresses simply due to the exciting panels to come. Not all comic books need to be heavy on story with intellectual undertones and motifs; sometimes all you want to see is two people punching each other in the face over and over again. I believe this comic is going to be one of the latter, and I am okay with it. I’m excited to see the next issue where hopefully Maestro will battle “The Boss.” – Evan
Groot #1 – B
(A) This first issue of Groot was spectacular. Despite his use of only three words, there was plenty of dialogue from Rocket and the many people they encounter in this first issue. Rocket and Groot are trying to escape their bounties and in the process cause even more trouble by breaking their ship, hitchhiking and having to battle space sharks. They wind up hitchhiking again with a bunch of Skrulls and saving a diner from a robbery. Later on, you could even say they kill Marvel’s Superman by stealing the ship they sent Kal-El to Earth in right before the planet blew up. After all this, they end up being found by Eris, an evil space pirate trying to make money off of Groot’s Bounty. This issue is, of course, the major set up for this series and it definitely led into it with a very good story by Jeff Loveness. Brian Kesinger is an amazing (usually steampunk) artist and former Disney author and animator, which is VERY apparent in his art and style. This style fits the Groot book perfectly, though. It really grinds in the point that Groot and Rocket can totally be cute and cuddly, but when it comes down to it, you would not want either of them close to you, at least if you like living a long, healthy life. I look forward to seeing how this story could tie into Secret Wars and when we will actually get these two to show up in the current running Battleworld universe. – Jacob
(C+) I’m not sure what I was expecting with this comic. The humor is there but the jokes get more of a chuckle and less of a gut bust. A lot of it is more short clips of the dynamic duo’s shenanigans which was fine and dandy but makes the comic read more like a kids book and less like a story you would expect with trash-talking Rocket in the mix. Maybe that was their goal, as Groot is a more PG character, but it doesn’t seem to be marketed as such. If you ask me, this comic is playing it a little too safe. It’s not a bad issue by any means, and I look forward to seeing what the next issue has for its readers, but it could use a little more grit. – Charlotte
Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1 – B-
This book is supposed to give fans that were upset at the continuity change of Peter’s marriage to MJ some closure. I don’t know if that is what you will get out of this, but I took away a new perspective on Peter Parker and his role as Spider-Man. It always seems like no matter how bad his life gets, he is never willing to give up on the Spider-Man persona. This book really goes to show how far Spider-Man is willing to go when pushed, and he doesn’t respond in the ways you might think. Also this issue had eight variant covers, and I am particularly fond of the Skottie Young variant. – Robert
Secret Wars: Battleworld #2 – C+
Is there some rule with these Battleworld anthologies that they have to have one good story and one subpar story packaged with each other? The first story is an almost uncomfortably Blaxploitation 70’s style Blade hunting vampires through New Quack City (the Duck Distritct, duh doi) and runs into a duck Drakula and Howard the Duck. The whole thing hovers on the edge of uncomfortable stereotypes (I mean, not all New Yorkers are ducks), but it felt fun and like a genuine artifact of 1977. The second one was an arena full of dafuqs; War Machine fighting zombies in an arena organized by Taskmaster, and there’s a mention of “Steve Rogers and his giant T-Rex.” But mostly, War Machine wants revenge for the death of his daughter. It mostly felt cluttered and hard to decipher, both in terms of who was who and what I needed to be caring about. But the Howard one was fun… Oh, and can we talk about the cover teaser for the next Battleworld? In the middle of this issue, there was a caged zombie Sabretooth, and that made me think of Wolverine’s death and now how thanks to Battleworld not only is Wolverine not dead, but there are more than ever before. It made me hope there’s a Wolverine comic titled something like Too Many Wolverines where the title is a word balloon coming out of Don Knott’s mouth. Well, the cover for Battleworld #3 is plastered with Wolverines. Not quite the Too Many, but knowing someone somewhere anticipated my desires made me happy. – Montgomery
All-New X-Men #41 – C+
This series has been one of my favorites of the past few years, and I’m sad that it’s coming to an end soon. At first, I thought bringing back the original X-Men to the current day was an odd, recycled way to reintroduce the characters – and for some of the series, it has been. Overall, though, it’s breathing new life into these characters whose mutations, evolutions, and personal growth have rendered them unrecognizable as the faces of human struggle that X-Men books have been so well heralded for. Their naivety allows them to ask the questions about social inequality that have made them so relatable in the first place. So, I love this book. I may not have loved this issue specifically, but I’ll weep for the series when it’s all over. – Sherif
Armor Wars #1 – C
When I first heard about this book, I was pretty excited; however, after the first issue, it’s safe to say my excitement has dropped somewhat. I really didn’t find anything special or overly interesting about this issue. Yes, it is a cool concept that all the people of Technopolis must wear a suit of armor in order to simply survive, and we get glimpses of some of our favorite heroes wearing some badass suits; yet, that is about all we saw. With Iron Man being the Baron of Technopolis, and having watch over the city for Dr. Doom’s sake, this task may not be so easy with his brother, Arno, questing for power. One thing which will allow me to move onto the next issue is seeing James Rhodes as Thor in the “next time,” advertisement in the back of the book. Cape + suit of armor + awesome hammer = potential for awesome panels with the slight chance of a huge let down. Let’s hope not! – Evan
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 all the publishers for putting out great books.
Hush Comics 