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OK this is a comic book review thread. This is different to the comic of the month as it can be a review of a comic that has just come out or one that has come out years and years ago. I encourage people to give a brief, spoiler free synopsis of a comic or trade or story arc they have recently read and give it a a rating on my super cool scoring scale. They should say if they liked it or not in terms of art and plot and then give it a number according to my scale......

super cool Scoring Scale (or in brief, S.S.S) goes from 1 which is the worst to 10 which is the best...

S.S.S

1 point = Worst comic/trade/story arc in human history, burn it or feed it to your pet dinosaur.
2 points = pretty poor, you'd might keep it to use as toilet paper but it still has many faults
3 = Just plain, vanilla bad.
4 = Just about makes a worthwhile read
5 = I wouldn't promote it but part of me enjoyed it
6 = Endearing but has room for improvement
7 = I would actually buy this as opposed to just illegally downloading it.
8 = As Tony the tiger would say this comic was"gggggggrreeeeeaaatttt!!"
9 = I love this comic/trade/story arc enough to carry around in my utility belt wherever I go.
10 = If this comic/trade/story arc were a woman, I'd probably sleep with it.


Ok review away!!!! I might start with a review to get the ball rolling.....

Review of Ultimate Spider-man Clone saga storyline.

Synopsis

Peter has a really sucky time as from nowhere clones of Peter with pretty significant differences to him start showing up everywhere. These include a Scorpion like Peter a deformed peter and a female Peter. There are guest stars Galore, shock after shock and Mary Jane plays a more significant role than expected throughout the story.

Good/Bad?

I thought this was a pretty decent read. the plot was at a very fast pace as Bendis delivers shock after shock and each issue ended in such a cool way. The art was fantastic and looked sooooo sleek. I was never a fan of the FF but Bagley draws them sooo well IMO.

S.S.S?

8 = As Tony the tiger would say this comic was"gggggggrreeeeeaaatttt!!"

Pfft..

I made a much better than this a few months ago, but it got shut because somehow "Comic of the Month" encompasses reviews (even though comics come out weekly).

.

what really? That sucks man well I hope mine survives. If nobody bothers to rant and/or rave in here, I will

Review of Green Arrow and Black canary #2

Synopsis

It's rescue time for G.A!!!! Discover more about Dinah's friendship with the Amazons, more references to Speedy's aids (yawn) and Connor tries to save Daddykins!!!

Good/Bad?

Art = pretty good. I didn't like it at first but as the issue progressed I enjoyed it more. As for the plot, well i was surprised at how much things slowed down in this issue compared to the wedding special and issue #1 but it was hardly a stagnant issue. The dialogue between G.A and his Connor/Black Canary and Speedy with each other and the Amazons is played out beautifully. Whilst it's not the most complex of plot lines I intend to treat this reboot as a light hearted romp for the arrow family, and i think it was intended to be read that way.....

S.S.S?

6 = Endearing but has room for improvement

Review of Trade paperback: Wanted

Synopsis

Wesley Gibson is a loser. Both his parents are apparently dead and his life absolutely sucks, that is until he finds out he is the son of the world's most deadly assassin. unfortunately to earn his dad's will Wesley must take up in the family business and join a society of Super villains who have secretly been ruling the world since 1986.

Good/Bad?

I'll start with the easy side, art. Art = Fantastic. J.G Jones is amazing.

The plot is much more difficult to review. The storyline and concept is brilliant. I loved Mark Millar's Ultimates, Civil War and Chosen (In that order) and this story is almost as good. Almost. The main character (The guy in my sig) is pretty badass. there are tons and tons of fight scenes balanced with a pretty decent plot. However I didn't like the overuse of swearing. Usually I'm not bothered or couldn't care less about swearing in comics, but I thought this series over did it to the extent I struggled to find a page without someone using F's an B's. I can understand why someone would use it to try and be cool but it was far too much. Also as absolutely fantastic as the plot was, I didn't like the ending. The storyline progressed at a great pace and the action scenes were really enjoyable but there were a couple of occasions where I could think of better ways of writing the story for much greater plot twists but maybe it's just my opinion. Overall a really fun read.

S.S.S?

9 = I love this comic/trade/story arc enough to carry around in my utility belt wherever I go.

Do me a favor and review Action comics #1. The Superman section.

Scans coming up in its thread.

OK will do care to post a review of a comic/trade/story arc, yourself?

Crap!

I came into this thread reading the title as "Steverules Supercool review thread!!!!"... now I see the "will" and see no reason to continue...

Originally posted by willRules
OK will do care to post a review of a comic/trade/story arc, yourself?

After a few issues I might do the Action comics myself. Or Detective Comics #27, Bats first appearance.

Oh and its up.

Originally posted by Bransolute
Crap!

I came into this thread reading the title as "Steverules Supercool review thread!!!!"... now I see the "will" and see no reason to continue...








Just review something or leave me in peace

Review of Action Comics #1

Synopsis

The origin of the most iconic comic character, Superman! Supes stops a dastardly plot and shows several criminals why he's a total badass.

Good/Bad?

Art= Atrocious. But it's old so I'll let them off.

Plot= Surprisingly better than anticipated. It was almost like two stories in one. There was very little devoted to Superman's origin which was really surprising and the plot felt more like something Batman would handle (Corrupt politicians) rather than your normal extraterrestrial threat that we know Supes can take on. Nonetheless it was light hearted and enjoyable.

S.S.S?

5 = I wouldn't promote it but part of me enjoyed it

That is the perfect way to describe it.

Anything you want to review? I don't want to be the only one posting reviews here

You should add the cover of the issue you're reviewing...

You should add the scanned issue of the issue you're reviewing...






shifty

Seaguy, issues 1-3 by Grant Morrison, Cameron Stewart

Synopsis:

A three issue mini from the Vertigo line, Morrison sets this in a stand alone universe. Our protagonist is the likable but rather odd "Seaguy" a wannabe superhero in a world where, since the death of the "Anti-Dad" there has been no evil worth fighting. He's friends with an anthropomorphic, cigar smoking puffer fish by the name of "Chubby Da Choona." We get some nice exposition in the first issue, where we learn that Seaguy's life is boring despite his wishes for adventure. By the end of issue two, its off to the secret history of the moon, and a discovery of a plot by a vast, eye-ball corporation to replace things of wonder with mass marketed consumerism, which includes buying the moon. There's also a sub plot involving a living, sentient food source called Xoo, which everything from soda to cracker's is made out of.

Review:
You get from this very much a feeling that Morrison was introducing a lot of elements in this universe, including fallen former heroes, Seaguy himself, and this bizarre, normality enforcing corporation, that he intended to play with and refine, a feeling which is reinforced by the fact that this three issue mini was supposed to be followed up by another two minis. In a sense, a lot is left unfinished, which left me feeling a little discorcenated, and to be honest, a little uneasy. The last shot is the same we get at the beginning; a cheerful and unworrying Seaguy playing a friendly game of an odd form of Chess with an avatar of Death, called the Gondolier. This wouldn't be odd, except for the fact that Seaguy's best friend has been killed, and replaced, and Seaguy's memories have been destroyed in order to think that the replacement is perfectly normal. The comic is a powerful statement on our willingness to replace things of great wonder and hope with cheap and easy filler- repetitive cartoons and the Xoo food stuff. A little frightening and disqueting.

All in all though, you get a sense that if Morrison had more time to play with this, it could have been excellent, but as it stands, I've seen Morrison use these same ideas and to better effect- the consumerism and repetitiveness of life versus wonder and beauty was refined by him in Doom Patrol, Kill Your Boyfriend, and the unbelievable Flex Mentallo (gotta write a review for that sometime). The landscape of the comic is strange, enchanting, and well done, and if the universe of Seaguy had been more fleshed out, I feel like we could have gotten something wonderful.

Art, is of course, killer, as it's from the incomparable, Eisner-nominated Cameron Stewart, best known for his work on Catwoman, Transmetropolitan, Seven Soldiers: New York Guardian, and my personal favorite of all his work, the Vietnam War based "The Other Side." Stewart's realistic trippiness lends itself well to Morrison's script- an Egyptian moon looks almost exactly how I imagine it. It's a little weak in places- I feel like he either shouldn't be doing layouts himself, or he should practice a little bit more with visual story-telling. However, his facial expressions and his sense of movement are SPOT ON, and always excellent. You can almost tell exactly what a given character is feeling just on how they look.

All in all, I'd give this comic a seven- good reading, but there's better stuff on the same subject out there by the same author. The art is definetely worth taking a look at though, and it's a great example of something that if it just had a few more issues to develop, could have turned out really well.

Originally posted by tjcoady
Seaguy, issues 1-3 by Grant Morrison, Cameron Stewart

Synopsis:

A three issue mini from the Vertigo line, Morrison sets this in a stand alone universe. Our protagonist is the likable but rather odd "Seaguy" a wannabe superhero in a world where, since the death of the "Anti-Dad" there has been no evil worth fighting. He's friends with an anthropomorphic, cigar smoking puffer fish by the name of "Chubby Da Choona." We get some nice exposition in the first issue, where we learn that Seaguy's life is boring despite his wishes for adventure. By the end of issue two, its off to the secret history of the moon, and a discovery of a plot by a vast, eye-ball corporation to replace things of wonder with mass marketed consumerism, which includes buying the moon. There's also a sub plot involving a living, sentient food source called Xoo, which everything from soda to cracker's is made out of.

Review:
You get from this very much a feeling that Morrison was introducing a lot of elements in this universe, including fallen former heroes, Seaguy himself, and this bizarre, normality enforcing corporation, that he intended to play with and refine, a feeling which is reinforced by the fact that this three issue mini was supposed to be followed up by another two minis. In a sense, a lot is left unfinished, which left me feeling a little discorcenated, and to be honest, a little uneasy. The last shot is the same we get at the beginning; a cheerful and unworrying Seaguy playing a friendly game of an odd form of Chess with an avatar of Death, called the Gondolier. This wouldn't be odd, except for the fact that Seaguy's best friend has been killed, and replaced, and Seaguy's memories have been destroyed in order to think that the replacement is perfectly normal. The comic is a powerful statement on our willingness to replace things of great wonder and hope with cheap and easy filler- repetitive cartoons and the Xoo food stuff. A little frightening and disqueting.

All in all though, you get a sense that if Morrison had more time to play with this, it could have been excellent, but as it stands, I've seen Morrison use these same ideas and to better effect- the consumerism and repetitiveness of life versus wonder and beauty was refined by him in Doom Patrol, Kill Your Boyfriend, and the unbelievable Flex Mentallo (gotta write a review for that sometime). The landscape of the comic is strange, enchanting, and well done, and if the universe of Seaguy had been more fleshed out, I feel like we could have gotten something wonderful.

Art, is of course, killer, as it's from the incomparable, Eisner-nominated Cameron Stewart, best known for his work on Catwoman, Transmetropolitan, Seven Soldiers: New York Guardian, and my personal favorite of all his work, the Vietnam War based "The Other Side." Stewart's realistic trippiness lends itself well to Morrison's script- an Egyptian moon looks almost exactly how I imagine it. It's a little weak in places- I feel like he either shouldn't be doing layouts himself, or he should practice a little bit more with visual story-telling. However, his facial expressions and his sense of movement are SPOT ON, and always excellent. You can almost tell exactly what a given character is feeling just on how they look.

All in all, I'd give this comic a seven- good reading, but there's better stuff on the same subject out there by the same author. The art is definetely worth taking a look at though, and it's a great example of something that if it just had a few more issues to develop, could have turned out really well.

Wow cheers for the review I will look out for it. So what rating are you giving it on the S.S.S? Is it a 7?

Teen Titans East Special #1 Review

Synopsis

The first half of the story is devoted to a past tale of the titans. (Back when Nightwing was still Robin and Wally was Kid Flash) The Joker attacks a celebrity with Bizzarro and the Titans are forced to stop them. The second half of the issue is devoted to Cyborg training a new team of C/D listers to become the next Teen titans as the Original Titans would not answer the call. However everything goes downhill from there...........

Good/Bad?

Art = Fantastic. I've always liked Churchill's stuff and I think he would be good artist on Nightwing's title as he draws the character well IMO.

Plot = pretty poor. I loved the first half of the story which was almost like a flashback of sorts as it was fun and action packed. When these new Titans are recruited, I found that I really didn't care about them. They were boring and felt very two dimensional in their character traits, one was jokey or one was timid and the other aggressive etc etc. The issue really picked up in the last couple of pages with this shock ending which really surprised me. However the beginning and end of an issue isn't good enough for me when all I have to keep me interested in the middle is the art. It had a great start and finish, however the rest sucked.

S.S.S?

4 = Just about makes a worthwhile read

Originally posted by willRules
Teen Titans East Special #1 Review

Synopsis

Art = Fantastic. I've always liked Churchill's stuff and I think he would be good artist on Nightwing's title as he draws the character well IMO.

4 = Just about makes a worthwhile read

I agree. It's worth it for the art and for the opening part, where we get to see Titans classic. Anyone who's a fan of the old school Haney era Titans ought to be pleased.

I was a little disappointed with the second part- I adored Lil' Barda and Power Boy, and I was sad that they didn't get a chance to develop, getting killed instead by this new threat.

Death of the New Gods #1 review.

Synopsis
Part 1/8 of the supposedly last story of the new gods. There's not a whole lot to say, since they're only hinting at most of the things in it. It seems like a good setup to a larger story. Time will tell if it holds out well. The new god killer claims several victims, including Black Racer and Big Barda. And we find out (or remember, for those of us who read older 4th world stories) that Scott Free has the ALE.

Art= Good, and bad. Orion is drawn to hulk-like proportions, but as someone pointed out, Starlin is drawing him similar to his father. Metron looks down right anorexic. Darkseid is drawn with a cape again, but Starlin makes it look good. I especially liked the rune circle that signified the ALE. You do get a good sense of the 4th world scale.

Overall......I don't know. I could take into account the upcoming issues, but that would bias the score I had in mind when I first read it.

S.S.S.
5 or 6. Mightygodkings version: 10. This is really harsh to Starlin. But quite frankly, he doesn't ****ing get them. And I've always had the suspicion that he was jealous of the King's work. Mightygod on the other hand, despite his version being a parody, was not only funny, but also poignant and filled with pathos. The last few panels of his are especially well done, invoking th e feeling between Barda and Scott. For those not well versed in the new gods, Scott Free was always one of Kirby's favorite sons, and the relationship between Scott and his wife was meant to mirror that of Kirby and his wife. I felt it paid fitting tribute to the characters.

http://mightygodking.com/index.php/2007/11/12/its-all-been-done-before-but-so-what/

Originally posted by tjcoady
I agree. It's worth it for the art and for the opening part, where we get to see Titans classic. Anyone who's a fan of the old school Haney era Titans ought to be pleased.

I was a little disappointed with the second part- I adored Lil' Barda and Power Boy, and I was sad that they didn't get a chance to develop, getting killed instead by this new threat.

I agree

Originally posted by TricksterPriest
Death of the New Gods #1 review.

Synopsis
Part 1/8 of the supposedly last story of the new gods. There's not a whole lot to say, since they're only hinting at most of the things in it. It seems like a good setup to a larger story. Time will tell if it holds out well. The new god killer claims several victims, including Black Racer and Big Barda. And we find out (or remember, for those of us who read older 4th world stories) that Scott Free has the ALE.

Art= Good, and bad. Orion is drawn to hulk-like proportions, but as someone pointed out, Starlin is drawing him similar to his father. Metron looks down right anorexic. Darkseid is drawn with a cape again, but Starlin makes it look good. I especially liked the rune circle that signified the ALE. You do get a good sense of the 4th world scale.

Overall......I don't know. I could take into account the upcoming issues, but that would bias the score I had in mind when I first read it.

S.S.S.
5 or 6. Mightygodkings version: 10. This is really harsh to Starlin. But quite frankly, he doesn't ****ing get them. And I've always had the suspicion that he was jealous of the King's work. Mightygod on the other hand, despite his version being a parody, was not only funny, but also poignant and filled with pathos. The last few panels of his are especially well done, invoking th e feeling between Barda and Scott. For those not well versed in the new gods, Scott Free was always one of Kirby's favorite sons, and the relationship between Scott and his wife was meant to mirror that of Kirby and his wife. I felt it paid fitting tribute to the characters.

http://mightygodking.com/index.php/2007/11/12/its-all-been-done-before-but-so-what/


Cheers for the review

Review of New Avengers #36

Synopsis

Symbiotes!!!! Mighty Avengers Team up!!!! Symbiotes!!!! More Skrull suspicions!!!! Symbiotes!!!! Wolverine breaks into Stark tower to confront Spider-woman, oh and more Symbiotes!!!!!!!!

Good/Bad?

I'm starting to like Lenil Francis Yu's art. Up until a few issues ago I hated it. I remember reading Wolverine waaayyyy back when he drew it and thinking "This is one of the worst artists ever!" Now it's OK IMO.

The plot is OK. Bendis develops it at a nice pace and I almost always enjoy every issue of New Avengers I have read so far, even if sometimes the plot is a tad slow. If anything this issue has the opposite problem. I thought the Symbiote fiasco was mainly a Mighty Avengers story and I was surprised to see the problem resolved within this issue. There are some obvious parts of the story Bendis left blank such as where Iron-man went to see Dr Doom which I'm sure will be in Mighty Avengers (When it eventually comes out in many months time) but the attempts to garner continuity between the two Avengers titles will IMO start to pull down the reliable monthly New Avengers plot pace to accommodate it's sister title. I hope I'm wrong.

The action scene in this issue bored me. Wolverine having a limited degree of resistance to the Symbiotes due to them being a parasite and Logan's healing factor trying to get rid of them was a nice touch, but I was really disappointed to the very little reference to Spidey in the issue as this is kinda one of his major foes.

S.S.S?

4 = Just about makes a worthwhile read (I was feeling generous with this scoring as I like the concept and the title even if it was all implemented and excreted on by Mighty Avengers)

Review of Ultimates vol 3 #1

Synopsis

Videotape of Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff Stark, stark naked!!!! Venom attacks. Hawkeye has a completely unnecessary fashion/personality and weapon change from cool to boring. Introduction of two new team members and the issue ends with the death of one.

Good/Bad?

IMO this was atrocious. I didn't have high hopes seeing as Millar and Hitch's run was probably my favourite comic series of all time, so I knew I would be bias in comparisons from the outset. However, even then, this issue is still poor. I like the art even if there are one or two obvious inconsistencies such as Thor' hammer, the symbiotes look and the sudden physical change in Wasp's nationality to name a few, but the story was rubbish. Why change Hawkeye completely? why introduce Black panther and have him do practically nothing for the entire issue? Why feature little of Cap, Giant Man and Iron-man but have an abundance of the completely out of character Wasp, who condones the apparent and blatant incest of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. Why even change any aspect of Scarlet Witch's character if By the end of the issue she will be killed off anyway? It seems the writer has decided to completely forget the previous run and just create his new version of the Ultimates, which are devoid of complex personalities, full of cliches and apparently are now incestuous. If you like the ultimates do not read this issue. If you like the Avengers, do not read this issue (Even though it read more like and Avengers issue). If you like to watch beloved and carefully constructed character personalities and cleverly constructed plot lines destroyed for the sake of telling one of the worst starts to a storyline in comic history, then you might want to read this issue. Perhaps what surprised me most about this issue was that the Ultimates is supposed to be a bold new retelling of the Avengers to appeal to a modern audience. Unfortunately this issue does the opposite, it reads like a craptastic copy of an Avengers story from the nineties that has made me dread reading further issues of what was once the best title on the stands.....

S.S.S?

1 Worst comic/trade/story arc in human history, burn it or feed it to your pet dinosaur.

Originally posted by willRules
OK this is a comic book review thread. This is different to the comic of the month as it can be a review of a comic that has just come out or one that has come out years and years ago. I encourage people to give a brief, spoiler free synopsis of a comic or trade or story arc they have recently read and give it a a rating on my super cool scoring scale. They should say if they liked it or not in terms of art and plot and then give it a number according to my scale......

super cool Scoring Scale (or in brief, S.S.S) goes from 1 which is the worst to 10 which is the best...

S.S.S

1 point = Worst comic/trade/story arc in human history, burn it or feed it to your pet dinosaur.
2 points = pretty poor, you'd might keep it to use as toilet paper but it still has many faults
3 = Just plain, vanilla bad.
4 = Just about makes a worthwhile read
5 = I wouldn't promote it but part of me enjoyed it
6 = Endearing but has room for improvement
7 = I would actually buy this as opposed to just illegally downloading it.
8 = As Tony the tiger would say this comic was"gggggggrreeeeeaaatttt!!"
9 = I love this comic/trade/story arc enough to carry around in my utility belt wherever I go.
10 = If this comic/trade/story arc were a woman, I'd probably sleep with it.


Ok review away!!!! I might start with a review to get the ball rolling..... Gotham City Underground and Messiah Complex. 8

Thought I killed this thread? damn

I better start using it then.

Originally posted by Badabing
Messiah Complex. 8

I was tempted to buy the individual issues for this, but I'm gonna wait for the trade instead

I've never done a full review of a comic before. I guess it wouldn't hurt to take a crack at it.


my review for the first issue of Elephantmen:War Toys should be up latter tomorrow.

cool, I can't wait

Review of Green lantern #25

Synopsis

The finale of the Sinestro corps war!!!! Hal and Kyle vs a gajillion Sinestro corps members!!!! Hal and Kyle vs Sinestro!!!!! John and Guy vs the Anti-Monitor!!!!! John and Guy vs a gajillion Sinestro Corps members. The JLA vs the manhunters!!!!! The GL corps vs the Sinestro Corps!!!! Superboy prime vs everyone!!!! Prophecies galore!!!! Teaser for future issues!!!!

Good/Bad?

To say this issue was excellent, doesn't do it enough Justice so i will start with it bit by bit.

The art? Absolutely gorgeous. Reiss and Sciver do a beautiful issue and I hope Reiss stays on drawing the corps forever and ever. Reiss does some of the best splash pages I've seen and the chaotic action scenes are brilliantly conveyed and it's a pleasure for the eyes.

The writing to this issue was brilliant. Geoff Johns manages to not only tie this storyline up superbly but also give us a massive clue as to upcoming issues for the next couple of years. This is a momentous occasion in GL history. I was also amazed at how well Johns manages to have all the antagonists dealt with. I have been wondering how would the GL's beat Parallax, Superboy/man prime, Sinestro, Cyborg superman and Anti-monitor. Only Parallax was already defeated by this issue and it's really cool how the other villains are defeated. The Guardians are portrayed as how they should be shown, leaders and masters of the GL corps for good reason. Overall i highly recommend this issue, although I wouldn't recommend picking it up if it's your first GA issue, wait for the trade as that will be a beauty

S.S.S?

9 = I love this comic/trade/story arc enough to carry around in my utility belt wherever I go

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/6340/elephantmenwt1coverns4.th.jpg

Elephantmen:War Toys issue 1


Synopsis

Book opens up in disease ravaged France(a super virus has apparently left only a few thousand survivors) as we follow an old Asian man trying to escape to safer pastures with is only surviving family his granddaughter and great grandson. When the Grandfather meets up with a couple of other scarred survivors who think he might still be infected, a fight breaks out. Things look grim for the old man until the main force of elephantmen basically wipe out his attackers..things then take a turn for the worse. The book then basically shows how the Elepantmen fought their battles with the writer making parallels between ww1 and the current(well future for us) conflict.








personal opinion:


story: As set up issue I wasn't really expecting that much but it was surprisingly good.

i liked how the writer kept making parallels between ww1 and other past conflicts..and the last page was really something. Though I do they make some attempt to address the obvious weakness in the surviving fighters strategy.

I also kind like seeing the characters before their reformed civilian roles.

Though I'm glad to see my favorite anthropomorphic hippo was already showing signs of the person he was going to become, even when he supposed to be nothing but a killing machine.

art: It's what I come to expect from an elephantmen book...though obviously in a more black and white and(I want to say rough state). At least when compared to the shiny colored art in the main series. Still great though

all in all 8/10


if anyone here is interested this is basically just a side mini in a series. The main series is up to issue 11 I believe and before that there was the hip flask books.



next review: The Circle issue 1 by Brian reed.

...been meaning to review a few mini's in-depth. Avengers Forever and some Batman stuff are a few of my more recent reads (besides brand new comics).

Originally posted by willRules
Review of Green lantern #25

Synopsis

The finale of the Sinestro corps war!!!! Hal and Kyle vs a gajillion Sinestro corps members!!!! Hal and Kyle vs Sinestro!!!!! John and Guy vs the Anti-Monitor!!!!! John and Guy vs a gajillion Sinestro Corps members. The JLA vs the manhunters!!!!! The GL corps vs the Sinestro Corps!!!! Superboy prime vs everyone!!!! Prophecies galore!!!! Teaser for future issues!!!!

Good/Bad?

To say this issue was excellent, doesn't do it enough Justice so i will start with it bit by bit.

The art? Absolutely gorgeous. Reiss and Sciver do a beautiful issue and I hope Reiss stays on drawing the corps forever and ever. Reiss does some of the best splash pages I've seen and the chaotic action scenes are brilliantly conveyed and it's a pleasure for the eyes.

The writing to this issue was brilliant. Geoff Johns manages to not only tie this storyline up superbly but also give us a massive clue as to upcoming issues for the next couple of years. This is a momentous occasion in GL history. I was also amazed at how well Johns manages to have all the antagonists dealt with. I have been wondering how would the GL's beat Parallax, Superboy/man prime, Sinestro, Cyborg superman and Anti-monitor. Only Parallax was already defeated by this issue and it's really cool how the other villains are defeated. The Guardians are portrayed as how they should be shown, leaders and masters of the GL corps for good reason. Overall i highly recommend this issue, although I wouldn't recommend picking it up if it's your first GA issue, wait for the trade as that will be a beauty

S.S.S?

9 = I love this comic/trade/story arc enough to carry around in my utility belt wherever I go

wow... I dont read dc but I'm sold when this trade comes out I'm definately gonna buy It.

sounds frickin sweet

(on a side note just read the first trade of iron fist and thats damm good)

Originally posted by Black Adam
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/6340/elephantmenwt1coverns4.th.jpg

Elephantmen:War Toys issue 1


Synopsis

Book opens up in disease ravaged France(a super virus has apparently left only a few thousand survivors) as we follow an old Asian man trying to escape to safer pastures with is only surviving family his granddaughter and great grandson. When the Grandfather meets up with a couple of other scarred survivors who think he might still be infected, a fight breaks out. Things look grim for the old man until the main force of elephantmen basically wipe out his attackers..things then take a turn for the worse. The book then basically shows how the Elepantmen fought their battles with the writer making parallels between ww1 and the current(well future for us) conflict.








personal opinion:


story: As set up issue I wasn't really expecting that much but it was surprisingly good.

i liked how the writer kept making parallels between ww1 and other past conflicts..and the last page was really something. Though I do they make some attempt to address the obvious weakness in the surviving fighters strategy.

I also kind like seeing the characters before their reformed civilian roles.

Though I'm glad to see my favorite anthropomorphic hippo was already showing signs of the person he was going to become, even when he supposed to be nothing but a killing machine.

art: It's what I come to expect from an elephantmen book...though obviously in a more black and white and(I want to say rough state). At least when compared to the shiny colored art in the main series. Still great though

all in all 8/10


if anyone here is interested this is basically just a side mini in a series. The main series is up to issue 11 I believe and before that there was the hip flask books.



next review: The Circle issue 1 by Brian reed.

Wow, cool review and the art looks really cool and gritty

Originally posted by DigiMark007
...been meaning to review a few mini's in-depth. Avengers Forever and some Batman stuff are a few of my more recent reads (besides brand new comics).

Yeah, I've been trying to get into some more Batman stuff as I enjoyed the recent issues of Batman and Detective, although I haven't picked the latest Ras Al Ghul story yet

Originally posted by thundercracker
wow... I dont read dc but I'm sold when this trade comes out I'm definately gonna buy It.

sounds frickin sweet

(on a side note just read the first trade of iron fist and thats damm good)

Yeah, its a brilliant GA storyline with great value for money.

Yeah, I recently picked up the Iron-Fist trade as well and it's surprisingly fun. It's quite similar to Brubaker's Daredevil (No surprise he's writing both) but with Daredevil is fun to see Matt in pain, with Iron-Fist he just seems like a fun and slightly more humorous character and whilst it's still gritty like Daredevil, it's got this cool slightly more light hearted kung fu vibe running the rough the story lines

IMO it would get a 7 on my S.S.S chart

-Captain Marvel issue 1
Story 9/10 Art 8/10

Over all a really good and interesting read with great art.


-Superman/Batman 44
Story 6/10 Art 7/10

I gave a 6 because there was like 4-5 pages of Superman telling Batman he has been doing some thinking about a plan to get rid of Kriptonite once and for all. This could he been shorten I think and it would have made room for other stuff.


The art was good.

Who is doing the art for Supes/Batsy at the moment?

Originally posted by willRules
Who is doing the art for Supes/Batsy at the moment?

Shane Davis

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/1069/smbmcv44r1pk8.th.jpg

Actually I am giving Supes/Bats 44 art rating of 8 also, after reading it again.

Originally posted by endrict
Shane Davis


http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/1069/smbmcv44r1pk8.th.jpg

That is one hell of an upgrade.

Shane Davis is on for a 6 issue run.

Originally posted by endrict
-Captain Marvel issue 1
Story 9/10 Art 8/10

Over all a really good and interesting read with great art.


-Superman/Batman 44
Story 6/10 Art 7/10

I gave a 6 because there was like 4-5 pages of Superman telling Batman he has been doing some thinking about a plan to get rid of Kriptonite once and for all. This could he been shorten I think and it would have made room for other stuff.


The art was good.

Lee Weeks is the artist for Mar-Vell.

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/5873/captainmarvel01secondprlg2.th.jpg

Ok, cheers for the review/warning

Review: Captain Marvel #2

Synopsis:
Captain Marvel meets Ms Marvel! More info on the suspicious church that worships Cap, SHIELD and Iron-man think the Kree are no trouble, unfortunately the end of the issue shows this to be untrue!

Good/Bad?
Art= Good. Its not the best I've seen but Its clean and he draws Captain Marvel well.
Plot= It's pretty good and well paced. The storyline is still starting up but we have already established several mysteries e.g. What are the Church/Cult that worship Mar Vehl up to? Why does Marvel obsessed with a large picture of the painting from the Louvre? What's up with the Kree? What I like about this comic is that even the more trivial unanswered questions have still kept my interest.
The only thing I really didn't like about the issue is that the mysterious cultish group that worships Marvel are clearly being set up as the bad guys. Why have all these unanswered but interesting questions and yet have extremely obvious bad guys? I would love it if they turned out to be good guys (after all they do show appreciation for Captain marvel).

S.S.S?
6 = Endearing but has room for improvement

Red Hulk issue 1

Writing: Loeb...says it all, but I give it a rating of 5 Art: I am getting use to Mcguiness so 7

Synopsis: Allstar C.S.I. Team of Ross, Ironman, She-Hulk and Doc are looking into the murder of the Abomination.

I thought the plot move very quickly and before you know it their fighting The Winter Guard. Ross stops the fight and a little girl appears....saying in Russian "RED" Ross and the Doc rushed back to the base and talk to Banner (I think it was). Now the question is who's the Red Hulk? The writing is still not at his best....however this is better than Ultimates 3. The art was good, I am not a Mcguiness fan..but I am getting used to him....overall I will stick with this for a little while longer...

All in all, the end result is a bit of a mixed bag.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Secret Files Origins issue 1

This was very cool...

what would you rate the Sinestro corps files as on the S.S.S scale?

Originally posted by willRules
what would you rate the Sinestro corps files as on the S.S.S scale?

Though you aren't asking me, I'd say it's fairly hard to rate - it's more or less a handbook.

If you are a fan of the Lantern Mythos, you probably won't learn anything you didn't already know (save the names of some obscure Green Lantern Officers - like a sentient mathematical equation). If you aren't a fan of the Lantern Mythos, you probably don't care.

I, however, enjoyed it.

Originally posted by Soljer
Though you aren't asking me, I'd say it's fairly hard to rate - it's more or less a handbook.

If you are a fan of the Lantern Mythos, you probably won't learn anything you didn't already know (save the names of some obscure Green Lantern Officers - like a sentient mathematical equation). If you aren't a fan of the Lantern Mythos, you probably don't care.

I, however, enjoyed it.

Fair enough

Well there is just a bunch of bios and a short story.

There is not much of a story but the art was cool. The idea is the cool.....explaining the sectors, about The Guardians, how the rings work etc...

Can't say for the story since it's a bio. Art 8/10

ULTIMATE HUMAN #1
Writer- Warren Ellis Art- Cary Nord

Rating: 9

I was pleasantly surprised by this issue. I guess 9 is pretty generous, but hell, someone's writing Ultimates characters right, again. That makes it an automatic 8, at least...
The comic begins with Bruce Banner arriving at Stark International to ask Tony to save him, and to help stop the Hulk emerging. Tony agrees, and, with some scientific plan that I really can't be bothered to explain, he starts tests on Banner. However, as expected, things don't QUITE work out as hoped...
Overall, I thought this was a great, promising opening issue. Clearly, Ellis understands the characters, a hell of a lot more than Loeb, at least. The art's pretty good, too. While Nord's art is very different from Hitch's brilliant work on Ultimates, the characters look very much like those that Hitch drew- i.e, no white Wasps...
I look forward to reading the next few issues in this series, and seeing if we really are in for a decent Ultimates title in 2008...

Originally posted by Almighty Bauer
ULTIMATE HUMAN #1
Writer- Warren Ellis Art- Cary Nord

Rating: 9

I was pleasantly surprised by this issue. I guess 9 is pretty generous, but hell, someone's writing Ultimates characters right, again. That makes it an automatic 8, at least...
The comic begins with Bruce Banner arriving at Stark International to ask Tony to save him, and to help stop the Hulk emerging. Tony agrees, and, with some scientific plan that I really can't be bothered to explain, he starts tests on Banner. However, as expected, things don't QUITE work out as hoped...
Overall, I thought this was a great, promising opening issue. Clearly, Ellis understands the characters, a hell of a lot more than Loeb, at least. The art's pretty good, too. While Nord's art is very different from Hitch's brilliant work on Ultimates, the characters look very much like those that Hitch drew- i.e, no white Wasps...
I look forward to reading the next few issues in this series, and seeing if we really are in for a decent Ultimates title in 2008...


Finally something with Ultimate in the title (Other than Spidey) that's worth picking up!

Originally posted by willRules
Finally something with Ultimate in the title (Other than Spidey) that's worth picking up! That was precisely my reaction!

ULTIMATE IRON MAN II #1
Writer- Orson Scott Card Art- Pasqual Ferry

Rating: 6

I have no idea what possessed me to buy Ultimate Iron Man II, having read the first miniseries (complete with radioactive monkey bites and blue babies), that shat all over Millar's glorious Ultimates long before Ultimates 3 completely killed the series.
I probably should have read the so-bad-it-was-bad first series again before picking up this title, but I couldn't bring myself to, though I decided to give the miniseries one last chance, assuming that after the reaction to the first title, perhaps OSC would have been told to, y'know, tone down the blue babies and radioactive monkeys...
So, the good: no mentions of radioactive monkeys- Card seems to rather breeze past mentions of all the more... 'interesting' elements. Also, the story's much more 'Ultimates' than the previous- the bad guys in this issue are terrorists, not suit-wearing supervillains, or his goddam kid.
Basically, the plot is: having seen Stark's "robot" saving Stark Enterprises from the ferry load of explosives at the end of the first miniseries, two big bald stereotypical secret service types turn up and ask to borrow his this "robot", with the intent, it emerges, to go and wipe out a terrorist camp in 'a country that America is not currently at war with'. Tony decides it could be fun (as you would) and he and Rhodey in Iron Man and a War Machine-style varient set off, pretending to be robots, and then things get complicated...
And that brings me to the bad points of the issue.
First, I just pretty much summed up 90% of the issue, and not much really seems to happen. Also, there's the problem that Tony is just an arrogant kid who happens to have a body made up of brain (or something). Obediah Stane is basically Damien Wayne with smug little jokes- but, somehow, even more annoying. And there's the real problem with the whole UIM storyline- it doesn't fit with Ultimates. Funny how no one noticed Tony Stark heals REALLY fast in Ultimates, and Tony attending the Baxter Building doesn't work... Ultimates is (sort of) grounded in reality, so Tony having attended a school where he was taught by fricking Moleman and where kids invented stuff that modern scientists wouldn't dream of doing in 50 years time is pretty damn stupid.
While this issue was actually an OK story and could be a half-decent story in its own right, its overwhelming problem is that OSC doesn't seem to WANT to write about Iron Man of the Ultimate Universe, he's far more interested in telling his own story, which neither works with Iron Man, nor with the Ultimate Universe. Sure, he's an alright writer, but he's not a mainstream superhero writer. If you want to read aboard UIM or even just Iron Man, DON'T pick this up, get Ultimate Human instead.

Originally posted by Almighty Bauer
ULTIMATE HUMAN #1
Writer- Warren Ellis Art- Cary Nord

Rating: 9

I was pleasantly surprised by this issue. I guess 9 is pretty generous, but hell, someone's writing Ultimates characters right, again. That makes it an automatic 8, at least...
The comic begins with Bruce Banner arriving at Stark International to ask Tony to save him, and to help stop the Hulk emerging. Tony agrees, and, with some scientific plan that I really can't be bothered to explain, he starts tests on Banner. However, as expected, things don't QUITE work out as hoped...
Overall, I thought this was a great, promising opening issue. Clearly, Ellis understands the characters, a hell of a lot more than Loeb, at least. The art's pretty good, too. While Nord's art is very different from Hitch's brilliant work on Ultimates, the characters look very much like those that Hitch drew- i.e, no white Wasps...
I look forward to reading the next few issues in this series, and seeing if we really are in for a decent Ultimates title in 2008...



Yeah, this is really good.

Well, time to resurrect the thread...

ULTIMATES 3 #2

Rating: 1
Writing- 1. Art- 1.

Yes, it's this bad. Seriously. Hawkeye suddenly is a cheap Deadpool rip-off with the slight difference that he's actually not funny; Thor is talking even more ridiculously than 616 Thor; and Valkyrie is possibly the most annoying specimen of a human being in the history of humanity. Yes, it's that bad... and worse. There is no plot. We get a 2nd panel of Hank Pym comatose for the miniseries- what an exciting role he's playing.
The story is approximately thus: Hawkeye attacks Spider-Man because he's an arse. Cap arrives. Cap sends Hawkeye away. The Brotherhood attack the Ultimates. Kick their arses. That's about it. Oh, and Pietro whines a bit.
The good points? Um... it's short...

Teen Titans #55 review

Synopsis

This is one of those breather issues in between multiple part story lines. Robin and Wonder girl discuss their relationship and reach a typical conclusion at the end. Ravager flirts with Blue Beetle as Kid Devil displays obvious jealousy and Blue Beetle and Kid Devil provide comic relief throughout the issue. Miss Martian has some schizo problemos and the last page sets us up nicely for the next storyline.

Good/Bad?

Art = Nice. Not the best I've seen but it was decent enough and the issue was very bright and colourful.

Plot= Storyline was meh. Could been a lot better. I'm a big fan of the Cassie/Tim relationship as IMO it showed she could finally get over Conner, but apparently Teen Titans are not about progression but regression. So with my favourite part of the story kinda ruined, I had to settle on enjoying an overtly jealous Kid Devil throughout the issue, which held my interest even if the whole issue threw subtlety out of the window.

Overall an average issue but I feel as though for every step forward here, two steps were taken back. Cassie and Tim go on a date but they break up. Kid Devil and Ravager have been building a slow and steady relationship but Blue Beetle screws stuff up. Blue Beetle flirts with the idea of joining the steam over a few issues but nothing comes of it as abruptly stated this issue, clearly he is just part of a love triangle. Supergirl joins the team only to immediately quit, which sucks. Only progression = New Villain and upcoming Miss Martian (Yawn) storyline.

S.S.S?

4 = Just about makes a worthwhile read

Captain Marvel #4 review

Synopsis

Is Marvel a Skrull sleeper agent? Are the Church of Hala really that bad? Why does Marvel keep seeing that darn interesting painting of Alexander the great? All of these questions are addressed but none of them are answered!!!!!

Good/Bad?

Art= Consistently average. It's ok art, nothing special.

Story= So far I have loved it. The plot has gone at a regular pace up to this issue and it slowed down a bit this issue. This is the worst issue of the series but it's not necessarily a bad issue. Some plot lines are finally converging and we have an obvious Secret Invasion tie in here but the pace has slowed considerably this issue right till the end which left us on a very vague cliffhanger. I have never read any Captain Marvel up until now but seeing as even this, the worst issue of the series, is reasonably enjoyable, I'm tempted to look into some classic stories.....

S.S.S?

5 = I wouldn't promote it but part of me enjoyed it
(Although every issue of this series so far has been considerably better)

Batman and the Outsiders #5 review

Synopsis

The non stop super fast paced issue has tons of action as the Outsiders take on some giant part man part robot assassin, attempt to prevent the rocket takeoff and Batman tries to be his usual sneaky self. More OMACy goodness.

Good?/Bad?

Excellent issue. Art= great, very fluid. I'm a big GA fan and I loved the way GA is drawn on this issue. I'd be happy for this guy to take over the GA/Black canary series after the current artist.

Story= I have really warmed to this series. this issue was very fast paced, was choked full of action to whet any fans appetite and came to a nice conclusion. My only criticism is that the ending and next issue didn't really hook e onto the next storyline (The team are supposed to look for Metamorpho, even though the ending to this issue told us where he is) However I'm sure I can take consolation from the fact that GA appears to be on the team fro the foreseeable future!

S.S.S?

8 = As Tony the tiger would say this comic was"gggggggrreeeeeaaatttt!!"

Avengers Red Zone review

Synopsis

A red gas is released around Mount Rushmore in what is at first believed to be a biological terrorist attack. Over a thousand people are killed by the flesh eating virus and the Avengers arrive on the scene in containment suits attempting to offer aid and get to the bottom of the problem. Tensions between Iron-man and Black panther are played out nicely as well as tension between the Avengers and the government and some great fight scenes resound throughout the story. It has a satisfying conclusion and a great twist at 1/2 and 3/4 of the way through the story.

Good?/Bad?

Art= excellent. Drawn by Oliver Coipel. this guy should totally draw Captain America or Avengers comics on a full time basis.

Story= Brilliant. This story in some ways reminds me of an X-men comic due to one of the major themes in the story being racism. However this never feels contrived or forced upon the audience. Also there are numerous references in terms of the first plot twist to the post 9/11 world in the MU living in paranoia. It's revealed that the virus is not a direct terrorist attack but a government experiment sabotaged by terrorists. Geoff Johns handles the plot superbly and the second twist hit me like a ton of bricks The secretary of Defence was responsible for the outbreak and he is Dell Rusk. Dell Rusk is an anagram for Red Skull there are also some references to Caps strained relationship with eh government that would have lead nicely into Civil War had this not been written a good couple of years before Civil war was probably thought up.

S.S.S?

9 = I love this comic/trade/story arc enough to carry around in my utility belt wherever I go.

Originally posted by TricksterPriest
Death of the New Gods #1 review.

Synopsis
Part 1/8 of the supposedly last story of the new gods. There's not a whole lot to say, since they're only hinting at most of the things in it. It seems like a good setup to a larger story. Time will tell if it holds out well. The new god killer claims several victims, including Black Racer and Big Barda. And we find out (or remember, for those of us who read older 4th world stories) that Scott Free has the ALE.

Art= Good, and bad. Orion is drawn to hulk-like proportions, but as someone pointed out, Starlin is drawing him similar to his father. Metron looks down right anorexic. Darkseid is drawn with a cape again, but Starlin makes it look good. I especially liked the rune circle that signified the ALE. You do get a good sense of the 4th world scale.

Overall......I don't know. I could take into account the upcoming issues, but that would bias the score I had in mind when I first read it.

S.S.S.
5 or 6. Mightygodkings version: 10. This is really harsh to Starlin. But quite frankly, he doesn't ****ing get them. And I've always had the suspicion that he was jealous of the King's work. Mightygod on the other hand, despite his version being a parody, was not only funny, but also poignant and filled with pathos. The last few panels of his are especially well done, invoking th e feeling between Barda and Scott. For those not well versed in the new gods, Scott Free was always one of Kirby's favorite sons, and the relationship between Scott and his wife was meant to mirror that of Kirby and his wife. I felt it paid fitting tribute to the characters.

http://mightygodking.com/index.php/2007/11/12/its-all-been-done-before-but-so-what/

Bout 6 months later...................I was right. So, we're almost at the end of DOTNG. Here's my review for DOTNG 7.

Synopsis: After 3-4 issues of dicking around and toying us with the idea of Himon, Scott Free, and even Orion as the killer.....we find out, yes, it was Infinity Man. Supes gets in some good licks, forcing Infinity Man to trap him in a cube rather than fistfight him. Scott and IM get into some philosophy, with Infinity Man claiming to be the angel of the Source and that Scott is damning himself with the ALE ( no surprise, given his paranoia and psychosis the last few issues). So Scott nukes the Source Wall. Causing the Source and ALE to re-merge into................the In-betweener. whatdur

Anyways, Scott asks for and is given a quick death. Metron, surprisingly enough, says that he doesn't care about seeing the rest and asks for his own demise. The Source heads to what's left of Apokolips, to claim the last New God, (you probably guessed who awhile ago), Darkseid. DS drinks a vial containing the soul fire project. The Source says this was unexpected, and DS says he's already won. Oh, and Superman is on his way.

Art= Save for the Source durermm, pretty good. Scott looks down right loony up until he breaks the wall.

S.S.S.

3 or 4. Yes, my score went down. Mainly because "quite frankly, he doesn't ****ing get them." Saying Scott Free is a god of loyalty? Having Metron say that he's seen enough, when he's sold out the universe to DS at least once before? And Darkseid not being interested in order? Let's not even bring the continuity cluster**** that's the Source Wall at this point. Or the ALE mess. And his treatment of the Source is downright pathetic and idiotic at this point. Starlin has only proved his own incompedence when it comes to the New Gods.

And I for one am glad that Morrison and Johns are almost certainly going to retcon or ignore this bullshit when Final Crisis comes up. There were a few good moments, like Orion's last fight. But I'm not expecting much in the last issue. It will have to be amazing to redeem this series.

Note: As a long time New God fan and someone's who reasonably well versed in their mythos, my opinion may not be reflective of someone who's reading this with little or no knowledge of their history.

Wow nice, honest review

Secret Invasion #1 Review

Synopsis

This skrully series hits the ground running. We get to see the Skrulls invasion in motion as they move fast and strategically. If they aren't secretly attacking the most prominent members of the MU, they are living up to the series name and stealthily breaking the trust in a post Civil War MU. A few skrully reveals, a nice mystery started and the (very unlikely but still feasible) potential for over 40 years of Retconning!!!!!!

Good/Bad?

Art= I've never been a big fan of Yu's art but this is the best work I've seen him do and it's worthy of a marvel event. There are a ton of artists I'd rather have drawing this but it's still nonetheless a well drawn issue, with great inking as well

Plot= This issue certainly hits the ground running. For all the spoilers and speculation surrounding this big event, as far as I'm aware of the plot, it's in three stages skrulls invade, skrull replacements revealed and I guess the heroes eventually fight back. however were only one issue in and two out of these three stages have already occurred so I'm really excited for the remaining 7 issues.

The issue is forced to cover a large range of angles in the MU so outside of the main Avengers storyline, nothing else is developed much in the issue. However this is only a minor criticism as like a TV series we are given something shocking and dramatic before cutting to another opening scene that follows the same formula. It's certainly whet my appetite for this event and it's a pretty decent start IMO.

S.S.S

8 = As Tony the tiger would say this comic was"gggggggrreeeeeaaatttt!!"

I'm glad the overall feeling of Secret Invasion 1 seems pretty positive. I liked the first issue a lot. This is how Skrulls ought to be used.

Anyways, review

American Splendor, Volume 2, Number 1

As far as excellent, if somewhat pretentious comics go(and deservedly so, if for nothing else than their awareness of their own brilliance), the only thing that compares to the Granddaddy of downright extraordinary comics, "American Splendor" is the now defunct "Love and Rockets." Comic-writing wunderkind Harvey Pekar returns to his original subject matter nearly thirty-two years since issue 1 of volume 1 was published, this time with the Vertigo label.

One of American Splendor's strongest points is the rotating cast of competent artists brought on to draw each of the shorter stories within between the covers, a legacy started by the now infamous R. Crumb. Pekar chooses well with this issue; not a single of the artists gave a let-down performance; the tone of each piece matches brilliantly with the subject matter. The noir-inspired Zachary Baldus art in the second to last piece, with heavy shading (I wonder who did the inking work? It's fantastic) is particularly suited, and gives the piece an entirely different read.

As one of the few writers out there who doesn't look far afield to the superhero/science/fantasy genres in order to find material for his work, Pekar is in his fine usual form of suburban, daily life as a source for comics, a welcome break after his last entry, the socio-political work "Macedonia," which, while clever, informative, educational, and sometimes brilliant, is a piece designed much more for someone who believes in the comics media as an outlet for anything rather than your usual fair. The piece he wrote on the reviews of "Macedonia" is strong, if a little didactic and lecturing, a tone which I find condescending from most writers. Is it fair of me to not be annoyed with this tone if it's from Pekar? Even if a writer as well established and competent as... say... Starlin would aggravate me with the patronizing tone. But Pekar, with his "old wise man" voice, and the fact that he's probably the best talent that comics has produced since, say, Will Eisner, can get away with it.

The first short, "I'm No Help" is probably the most emotionally affecting of the lot, as we see Pekar struggle to connect with a young man. It sets a beat for the rest of the issue, which is a startling break from his usual work, a point he drives home in the piece "Restraint:" he seems older, wiser, and much less cynical than his usual work. He seems to lose a lot of humor and verve with this change of attitude, but the wisdom in his words more than makes up for it.

Best line from the issue: "As for the text, graphic novels can read like lectures; fine, engrossing lectures can be heard in our nation's colleges and universities every day. To deny that comics can lecture effectively is to put limitations on them that don't exist. Comics are words and pictures, you can do anything with words and pictures."

He makes an important point here: professionals, readers, and reviewers place too many limitations on comics. As much as I adore good superhero work, it's refreshing to see those pieces that come out which are so much more. "American Splendor," as the title implies, celebrates the daily life through the comics medium, a welcome break from the escapist fantasy that you generally get on the shelves.

A solid nine for Mr. Pekar's work.

Originally posted by tjcoady
I'm glad the overall feeling of Secret Invasion 1 seems pretty positive. I liked the first issue a lot. This is how Skrulls ought to be used.

Totally agree

Originally posted by tjcoady
Anyways, review

American Splendor, Volume 2, Number 1

As far as excellent, if somewhat pretentious comics go(and deservedly so, if for nothing else than their awareness of their own brilliance), the only thing that compares to the Granddaddy of downright extraordinary comics, "American Splendor" is the now defunct "Love and Rockets." Comic-writing wunderkind Harvey Pekar returns to his original subject matter nearly thirty-two years since issue 1 of volume 1 was published, this time with the Vertigo label.

One of American Splendor's strongest points is the rotating cast of competent artists brought on to draw each of the shorter stories within between the covers, a legacy started by the now infamous R. Crumb. Pekar chooses well with this issue; not a single of the artists gave a let-down performance; the tone of each piece matches brilliantly with the subject matter. The noir-inspired Zachary Baldus art in the second to last piece, with heavy shading (I wonder who did the inking work? It's fantastic) is particularly suited, and gives the piece an entirely different read.

As one of the few writers out there who doesn't look far afield to the superhero/science/fantasy genres in order to find material for his work, Pekar is in his fine usual form of suburban, daily life as a source for comics, a welcome break after his last entry, the socio-political work "Macedonia," which, while clever, informative, educational, and sometimes brilliant, is a piece designed much more for someone who believes in the comics media as an outlet for anything rather than your usual fair. The piece he wrote on the reviews of "Macedonia" is strong, if a little didactic and lecturing, a tone which I find condescending from most writers. Is it fair of me to not be annoyed with this tone if it's from Pekar? Even if a writer as well established and competent as... say... Starlin would aggravate me with the patronizing tone. But Pekar, with his "old wise man" voice, and the fact that he's probably the best talent that comics has produced since, say, Will Eisner, can get away with it.

The first short, "I'm No Help" is probably the most emotionally affecting of the lot, as we see Pekar struggle to connect with a young man. It sets a beat for the rest of the issue, which is a startling break from his usual work, a point he drives home in the piece "Restraint:" he seems older, wiser, and much less cynical than his usual work. He seems to lose a lot of humor and verve with this change of attitude, but the wisdom in his words more than makes up for it.

Best line from the issue: "As for the text, graphic novels can read like lectures; fine, engrossing lectures can be heard in our nation's colleges and universities every day. To deny that comics can lecture effectively is to put limitations on them that don't exist. Comics are words and pictures, you can do anything with words and pictures."

He makes an important point here: professionals, readers, and reviewers place too many limitations on comics. As much as I adore good superhero work, it's refreshing to see those pieces that come out which are so much more. "American Splendor," as the title implies, celebrates the daily life through the comics medium, a welcome break from the escapist fantasy that you generally get on the shelves.

A solid nine for Mr. Pekar's work.

Wow, a very informative and interesting review

Review of Marvel 1602 trade

Synopsis

The year is...well 1602, I jut told you, you nitwit Many Marvel characters are emerging a few hundred years too early. Steven strange is the Queen's magician. Instead of the head of SHIELD, Fury is one of the Queen's spies. Peter Parquah, better known as Peter Parker is Fury's ward. Matt Murdoch is a blind but acrobatic bard. Natasha Romanoff is the most dangerous woman in Europe. Witch-breed are emerging which are being brought together by one Carlos Javier (a.k.a Chuck Xavier) There are four explorers who traveled on the ship Fantastick and gained cosmic powers. Virginia Dare arrives from the colonies with her native American bodyguard, Rohjaz....

However the focus of the story isn't just to establish these characters in the 17th century, the plot is to retrieve a templar treasure from an old man in Jerusalem. This plot progresses into realising the world is not how it should be and restoring order.

Good/Bad?

Art= Excellent. Beautifully drawn and inked. Almost worth the purchase for the art alone.....

Story= reasonably good. Not the best trade I have ever read but it's a nice long story that kept me entertained for a decent amount of time (8 issues and many more pages than your average issue) What was interesting was that the plot was geared up towards reaching a treasure and this is done about halfway through the story so the main plot quickly shifts onto discovering why they are in this time-line. If you (like me) enjoy a decent plot that is peppered with actions scenes, this may not be the book for you. There is very little action except for one large fight scene in the middle which is one of the weirdest fights I have ever read in a comic. The trade come with lots of bonus stuff in the back which was nice.

There is a betrayal about a third of the way into the story and a couple of major twists towards the end. Unfortunately the biggest twist was ruined for me as I was aware of the plot detail beforehand. I can only assume this twist isn't obvious, I otherwise don't think I would have seen it coming.....

S.S.S?

6 = Endearing but has room for improvement

Review of Daredevil: Guardian Devil trade

Synopsis

In the first story arc of Daredevil's current volume (dates back to 1998, I believe) DD encounters a young mother hunted by a mysterious group. The young lady claims she is a virgin and that the baby is in fact the Saviour, the second coming of Jesus as described in John's revelation. The mysterious group is led by an old man who claims the opposite, the baby is the Antichrist. DD is forced to take care of the baby, decide the baby's future, seek help from Black Widow and try to retain the sorry excuse he has left of a life that is falling apart gradually. Things only get worse when an old girlfriend of DD's returns and to complicate matters further, Matt discovers the baby is a girl! Guest stars include Dr strange, Mephisto, Spidey and some cameo appearances from other heroes!!!!

Good/Bad?
Art- Superb. This is a truly beautiful work. One of Quesada's greatest pieces. The inking also has a lovely glossy look to it.

Story- This is without a shadow of a doubt, the best Daredevil story arc I have ever read. The plot is consistently strong all the way through. Every character's dialogue is brilliant and the portrayal of the strong friendship between Matt and Black widow is beautifully highlighted by some scenes that are both serious and tainted with a humorous edge. There are some cool action scenes that don't detract from the plot, even if DD's most dangerous villain is only in one issue of the storyline, he certainly commits an act DD will never forget. The plot runs a such a great pace and the constant question over whether the baby is or isn't of any religious significance brings out some Strong themes relating to faith that are handled diplomatically and thoughtfully. The epilogue issue features a debate between Spidey and Daredevil over the point (or better put, the pointlessness) of being a hero and Spidey only makes one point, at the end, but it's brilliantly argued and leaves DD speechless. Superb, superb arc.

S.S.S?
10 = If this comic/trade/story arc were a woman, I'd probably sleep with it.

Review of Captain Britain and MI 13 #1

Synopsis

The Secret invasion hits Britain!!! Everywhere is in chaos as Captain Britain must fight against skrulls with the combined powers of some of the most powerful heroes and villains in the universe!!! Pete Wisdom stars and there is a sense of something great coming up for his character!!!! Black knight pulls off a badass move!!!! Spitfire goes crazy!!! A skrull John Lennon fights with the heroes!!!!! Also the heroes come to the realisation that the Skrulls are taking down Britain for a specific reason, a reason that results in a catastrophic ending for Captain Britain in the first issue!!!!!!!!

Good/Bad?

Art= Excellent, well drawn, reminded me of Coipel's work.
Plot= Surprisingly good for a first issue. Lots is set up, a ton of introduction but they all were interesting in there own unique way. From my experience first issues don't often get the right amount of action, but this issue certainly pays homage to the fact that they are in the middle of an invasion! There is a nice twist in the middle of the story as to why the skrulls are so keen on attacking the land of us mere English folk and a great shocker of an ending! My only criticism is that there is a sense of upcoming prominence for the character Pete Wisdom (and this seems even more obvious from next issue's cover) but I've never thought he was as interesting in the issue as Captain Britain, Black Knight, Spitfire or even the John Lennon skrull.....

Oh and on an unrelated note, if you like skrull decapitation, you will love this comic.

S.S.S?

8 = As Tony the tiger would say this comic was"gggggggrreeeeeaaatttt!!"

Review of Final Crisis #1.

Synopsis

After suffering through the agony of Countdown and Death of the New Gods, Final Crisis is upon us. Twilight of the gods, the end time of the DCU. Orion is dead supposedly, and the new gods are on earth. The GLC and JLA are investigating a case of Deicide. The Secret Society of Super-villains is now in service to Libra, who is setting himself up as high priest of the religion of Darkseid. And Martian Manhunter gets wacked. Oh, and Dr. Light&Mirror Master grabbed the Mobius Chair. And an interesting cameo by Anthro and Kamandi.

Good/Bad?

Art: Getting J.G. Jones was a stroke of genius. He is definitely on a roll in here. I found it interesting that Kanto's human form is an arab wearing a hijab. Metron's silver form got some flak when it was first shown on the forum, but it actually looks really good in the issue. Dark Side isn't quite up to where he was in Seven Soldiers, but you can tell he's still recovering from the burning thing in DCU 0.

Plot: This is why I love Grant Morrison. He's set up no less than 5-8 different plotlines with countless possibilities for additional stories or tangents. And he's actually giving everyone I've seen a good treatment. Except for MM, but we all knew he was gonna die anyways. The scene with Dark Side and Turpin was very creepy, props to Jones on art once again.

As Darkseid himself says in the issue: "There was a war in heaven, Mister Turpin, and I won. Your future belongs to Dark Side now." Picture perfect "OH SHIT!!!" moment.



S.S.S.

10. THIS, is how you write as Jack Kirby said, "An Epic for our times." THIS, is how you do justice to the DCU, and especially the new gods. As most of you know, I hated DOTNG and what Starlin wrote in it. So it comes with no small satisfaction that Morrion seems to saying that he will either outright ignore DOTNG, or write something else himself.

This has all the grandeur, all the scale, the sense of history, of seeing a modern myth being written, that DOTNG lacked.

Rarely have I seen a big event with so inspiring a beginning. If this is anything like Seven Soldiers, Final Crisis may go down as one of the best events in comic history.

Btw, I have give Johns props as well. Although FC is mostly Morrison's baby, Johns's usual tact and excellent characterization help give the story a solid framework. But I get the feeling he'll shine more in Legion of 3 Worlds, which is more his baby as opposed to this one, which is obviously Grant's.

Thanks for the review

Superman 677
Writer: James Robinson
Art: Renato Guedes

Synopsis: The coming of Atlas.

Review:
Ok, James Robinson is the new writer on the regular 'Superman' title, taking over from the likes of Busiek and Nicieza. The first issue of his new run, we get to see Krypto, The Metropolis Science Police, and Atlas...

First of all, the Krypto/Hal/Clark scene... Nice inner monologue from Krypto, but the conversation between Clark and Hal was just... UnSupesish. Talking about Hal and Kyle's conquests? I'm sure Clark can talk to any hero as a friend, but like that? Just, no... Also, Hal Jordan is no idiot... Actually considering that Clark is naive, given what they've both been through? Poor, imo...

Then, we're on to the science police in metropolis fighting a giant monster, with a decent inner monologue from the new acting field leader, only... Superman makes them look like janitors... Well boo-hoo... God forbid he puts himself in danger so you don't have to... But i guess there are always people like that, and if the writer was intentionally trying to portray the guy as a dick, then ok...

Then Atlas shows up, and starts challenging Superman, who takes a break from playing catch in space with krypto to come down and meet Atlas, and... End Issue.

Robinson's writing, imo, is fine, but i really get the sense that he doesn't understand the Superman character that well... He seems to be approaching it from the POV of someone who just knows the basics about the Man of Steel, and not the actual character, the man himself...

The art? I'll be honest, i'm not a fan of Guedes. I can see why people like him, he's just not for me... Good detail and form in his pencilling, but he just doesn't do it for me...

Writing: 6/10
Art: 7/10
Score: 6.5/10

Originally posted by Raoul
Superman 677
Writer: James Robinson
Art: Renato Guedes

Synopsis: The coming of Atlas.

Review:
Ok, James Robinson is the new writer on the regular 'Superman' title, taking over from the likes of Busiek and Nicieza. The first issue of his new run, we get to see Krypto, The Metropolis Science Police, and Atlas...

First of all, the Krypto/Hal/Clark scene... Nice inner monologue from Krypto, but the conversation between Clark and Hal was just... UnSupesish. Talking about Hal and Kyle's conquests? I'm sure Clark can talk to any hero as a friend, but like that? Just, no... Also, Hal Jordan is no idiot... Actually considering that Clark is naive, given what they've both been through? Poor, imo...

Then, we're on to the science police in metropolis fighting a giant monster, with a decent inner monologue from the new acting field leader, only... Superman makes them look like janitors... Well boo-hoo... God forbid he puts himself in danger so you don't have to... But i guess there are always people like that, and if the writer was intentionally trying to portray the guy as a dick, then ok...

Then Atlas shows up, and starts challenging Superman, who takes a break from playing catch in space with krypto to come down and meet Atlas, and... End Issue.

Robinson's writing, imo, is fine, but i really get the sense that he doesn't understand the Superman character that well... He seems to be approaching it from the POV of someone who just knows the basics about the Man of Steel, and not the actual character, the man himself...

The art? I'll be honest, i'm not a fan of Guedes. I can see why people like him, he's just not for me... Good detail and form in his pencilling, but he just doesn't do it for me...

Writing: 6/10
Art: 7/10
Score: 6.5/10

Cheers

I read another review that was similar to yours. They also weren't a fan of the art. They were a huge James Robinson fan and they expected more

np,

i don't think i'd ever read robinson before, so he was new to me...

Review of Scott Pilgrim (vol 4) Scott Pilgrim Gets it Together

Synopsis

For those of you who haven't read Scott Pilgrim before, Scott Pilgrim is the hero of the story. He's a 23 year old Canadian nerd who plays base in his super cool band "Sex Bob-Omb." He falls in love with the literal girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers, but to continue dating her he must literally fight her 7 evil ex-boyfriends.

Vol 4 sees Scott continue his relationship with Ramona, meet old friends, help his band in recording sessions and fight off one of Ramona's
ex's.

Good/Bad?
Art = Let my current "Scott Pilgrim" sig be the judge. It's the type of art you'll love or hate, however the volumes aren't coloured.
Story= Absolutely superb. The plot follows a steady pace and sticks to a similar formula in each volume whereby each story climaxes in a fight with one of Ramona's ex-boyfriends. Vol 4 has several hilarious twists.

Scott Pilgrim is essentially a comedy that would be an understatement to say it's peppered with nerdy or comic book references (It's closer to showered with references.) It is an incredibly fun story whereby you follow the life of this endearing and hilariously gentle slacker, who is prone to outbursts of kung fu action against his enemies. Scott Pilgrim is a must read for any comic book fan. Whilst volume four is my favourite, buy all the volumes as none disappoint....

S.S.S?

10 = If this comic/trade/story arc were a woman, I'd probably sleep with it.

Review of X-men, Messiah Complex (HC)

Synopsis

I meant to review this shortly after I bought the hardcover but I totally forgot and left it for a long time.
For those who don't read much x-men or who live under a rock (I know who you are) This is really the first big X-men event in around a decade. This ties into Uncanny X-men, X-men, Young X-men and X-factor.

The story revolves around the fact that the x-men are near extinction and there are only hundreds left in the whole MU (less than 4 or 2 hundred????) since Scarlet Witch said "No more Mutants" back in H.O.M. In recent, previous X-men issues Mr Sinister and his Marauders have been eliminating pre-cogs and destinies diaries to blind the x-men to the future event whereby the first new mutant birth will occur since H.O.M. The Messiah Complex storyline consists of a rat race between the X-men, the Marauders, the anti-mutant Purifiers and Predator X, a beast that eats mutants. There are a few twists along the way including a betrayal and a return from the dead!!!!

Good/Bad
Art= Varied. Billy Tan on X-men is fantastic. I like the artists on Young X-men and Uncanny but they are controversial artists (e.g. Humberto Ramos).
Plot = Fantastic. The entire plot consists of X-men = Save new mutant baby, Purifiers = Kill baby, Marauders = Exploit baby and Predator X = eat baby. Halfway through the storyline it is revealed who has the baby and it becomes a quest to hunt down this mutant who had only recently "died." The X-men suffer a betrayal and the whole X-universe becomes slightly more darker post Messiah Complex. The entire event is very reminiscent of fun X-men storylines like X-cutionner's song or the Morlock Massacre, where it's big, important and covers all the x-titles. It's a fun, action packed chase. My only criticism is that due to the fact that the future of mutantkind rests on the survival of a baby, the plot never truly reaches a shocking climax as unless the baby is killed, it just keeps on surviving. In other X-crossovers, saving the day means averting world disaster. In this storyline saving the day means maintaining the status of keeping a baby alive which isn't as climatic. However, I still highly recommend this series.

The hardcover also comes with all the variant covers and a couple of fact files on key characters at the back.

S.S.S?

8 = As Tony the tiger would say this comic was"gggggggrreeeeeaaatttt!!"

Spoilers, etc.

Supergirl 37

Faces of Evil: Superwoman

Synopsis: Supergirl tries to adapt to life on New Krypton, and makes a new friend in Superwoman... Or does she?

Review: Supergirl has long been considered the weakest of the S books. Not since the Jeph Loeb/Ian Churchill run back at the start has the book attracted a large audience. Now, with this New Krypton arc, the Supergirl book gets to occupy a bit more of the Superman universe. At the end of the last issue of Action Comics, we saw New Krypton, the Kryptonian city, pretty much grow a new planet for itself. While Supergirl left to be with her mother, Superman was left on Earth, apparently unwelcome with his people. This issue concentrates on Kara's new life, and her struggle to integrate herself in to Kryptonian society.

If there's one thing the New Krypton arc has taught us, it's exactly why Krypton exploded. For the most part, Kryptonians are arrogant, self centered assholes with none of the "humanity" that Kal has shown over the years. No humility, no care for those weaker than themselves. They're on a massive power trip. The only voice of reason (Zor-El) was killed in the last Action, leaving his wife (the uber b*tch Alura) in charge. I'm at the point where i'm hoping Clark backhands her into a pit of Kryptonite.

New Krypton, as an arc, has been decent, it's best issues coming from Johns on Action. This issue of Supergirl wasn't bad, but it's not exactly great either. I am curious to see who Superwoman is though.

6/10


Mighty Avengers 21

Dark Reign

Synopsis: The world is going haywire, and nobody knows what the cause is or where it comes from. Nobody, bar Hercules and Amadeus Cho, who seek out those that can help stop this travesty.

Review: First, i have to say i am a HUGE Dan Slott fan. His work on Initiative was nothing short of excellent (Tigra's Skrull babies be damned), and now Marvel sees fit for him to write Mighty Avengers. Good move Marvel. Especially for a book that centres largely around Hank Pym (at least in this issue). Slott, unlike Bendis, actually seems to like Pym, writing Pym the way he's supposed to be written i.e. a genius that's constantly fighting his own misguided feelings of inadequacy. The banter between Pym and Cho is brilliant, and Slott's Hercules is pitch perfect at times. A really satisfying read. It even had nice art. Highly recommended.

9/10

Totally agree, great reviews

Loeb's initial run on Supergirl was really fun and the art was fantastic. He should leave the Ultimate line and stick with writing Hulk and Supergirl titles

Originally posted by willRules
Totally agree, great reviews

Loeb's initial run on Supergirl was really fun and the art was fantastic. He should leave the Ultimate line and stick with writing Hulk and Supergirl titles

thx...

i havent read the ultimates, and hulk has been ridiculous at times, but it's had its high points imo...

Well I recommend you read Millar's run on the series that is series 1 and 2 (The first 26 issues) as it is one of the best Marvel stories ever written. Sadly Millar leaves and with series 3 Loeb jumps on and it becomes one of the worst titles.

Actually I haven't reviewed Millar's Ultimates here.....

Review of Ultimates series 1 and 2

Synopsis

This series follows in the style of the other Marvel "Ultimate" lines and is essentially a much more modern retelling of the Avengers with significant adaptions to the plot and characters. In Vol 1 we see the construction of the team and we are in introduced to the key players. By the end of the first series we have one of the founding team members become the team's first villain only to return in order to fight a climatic alien invasion. The second series deals with the team confronting an unknown wolf in the fold who is killing off team members and joins a team that provides an antithesis to the Avengers which culminates in a battle for America. The series ends with a strong departure from it's government roots and a strong resolution to the important Thor storyline running through both series.

Good/Bad

Art= Gorgeous.

Plot= Excellent/Superb/Brilliant/Amazing great, great, great. In this tale we get to experience fantastic character development in every character ranging from a far less scrupulous Cap to a drunken yet incredibly jovial Tony Stark to a badass Hawkeye, A fantastic Nick Fury (who channels Samuel L Jackson) all the way to an anti-establishment Messianic Thor.

The story itself in both series are simple and enjoyable. The first series sees the gathering of the team, completely under government sponsor and jurisdiction (and taxpayers money) in order to provide superhuman defense against well I won't spoil it, but it's against their own teammate. Second half of the first series has the team take on the Ultimate version of skrulls, fighting evil alien Nazis and their own teammates, again!
The second series deals with the public relations aspect for the team and the public perception of them. Thor's character was hinted as being Jesus-like in the first series but this reaches full bloom in the final battle of the second series against a rival anti-avengers team.

Millar does a fantastic job of weaving political satire into the story with the Avengers under the command of SHIELD, fun action scenes (ever wanted to see Captain America kill people? Because to him, THIS IS WAR!!!!) and strong Christian undertones with Thor being presented as either a Saviour or a lunatic. This is easily the best thing Millar has ever written and easily one of the best Marvel stories ever. All 26 issues are worth every penny.

S.S.S?

10 = If this comic/trade/story arc were a woman, I'd probably sleep with it.

Originally posted by willRules
Well I recommend you read Millar's run on the series that is series 1 and 2 (The first 26 issues) as it is one of the best Marvel stories ever written. Sadly Millar leaves and with series 3 Loeb jumps on and it becomes one of the worst titles.

Actually I haven't reviewed Millar's Ultimates here.....

oh, no, sorry, i should have clarified. i read the actual ultimate avengers books, but i don't read x-men or spidey anymore, and i haven't read ultimatum...

Fair enough I'm waiting for Millar to return to the title.....

Originally posted by willRules
Fair enough I'm waiting for Millar to return to the title.....

we should be so lucky lol...

Originally posted by Raoul
we should be so lucky lol...

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/080727-MillarUltimate.html

Originally posted by willRules
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/080727-MillarUltimate.html

oh, right.

All four Scott Pilgrim Books.

Status: Awesome. Review: Over.

(And number five: Scott Pilgrim Versus the Universe comes out in like two weeks! Hell yeah!)

Originally posted by tjcoady
All four Scott Pilgrim Books.

Status: Awesome. Review: Over.

(And number five: Scott Pilgrim Versus the Universe comes out in like two weeks! Hell yeah!)

TWO WEEKS??????? CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Originally posted by willRules
TWO WEEKS??????? CAN'T WAIT!!!!

The thing I read said "a couple weeks" so "two" might be a bit of stretch, and we may have to wait a little longer.

Have you heard they're already starting to cast a Scott Pilgrim movie? Micheal Cera ( Arrested Development, Superbad) as Scott, titled, I think, after the second volume: Scott Pilgrim Versus the World.

That's such has such "on the cusp" possibility to fall between insanely awesome and terrible...

Yeah I heard about that and I think it's a poor casting choice. He's too sensitive to be Scott. Scott gets upset by computer games but is still strong enough to punch a man-girl in the face.

But it early days yet.....

I'm pretty sure Scott has reality altering powers. He hits people so hard they transform into loose change and fights ninjas and people with MYSTICAL POWERS!

Oh, the official release date for Scott Pilgrim Versus the Universe is February 4.

THAT'S MY DAD'S BIRTHDAY!!! I'LL GET HIM THE PERFECT PRESENT!!!

Let's see.

http://www.marketworks.com/hi/74/74030/FEB072185.jpg

Spider-Man: Reign

My favorite comic, possibly ever.

Story: Starts off with an aged Peter Parker around 65 years old in a future that is "protected" by a*shole cops called the Reign, all the while a politician is taking in tips from an otherwordly political advisor. Peter is persuaded to take back the helm of being Spider-Man by J.J. himself after realizing the city needs him more than anything, Peter fights his inner demons after losing MJ, evil political guy hires several favorite bad guys from Spidey's past against their will to kill Peter, he has a nervous breakdown, gets his ass kicked, then gets saved by an unlikely ally, then becomes Spidey once more, saves the freakin' day in an odd manner. Hope I'm not giving away too much, GO READ IT!

Art: I disliked the artwork myself, giving the fact that it's my favorite comic of all time, I just felt that the art was portrayed a little cartoonish, not at all as serious as you would think it would be. Then again, it's understandable, the art and the storyline balance eachother. Serious/deep storyline, cartoonish artwork, see it now?

My personal opinion: I never read a deeper comic than this, not since I read The Dark Knight Returns, have I read such a deeply, possibly canon (it's in the future, it might happen, shut up!! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!), story full of love, death, violence and tragedy. I felt for these characters like I've never felt for others. No other comic imo has c-c-c-c-c-captured MJ and Peter's love quite like this, go read it now...

Rating: Based off of Will's rating stats, I'd give this a 10, I wouldn't have sex with it if it were a woman, more like rub my penis between the pages until I say the word "softly"

Yeah...

Have a good day, sumb*tch

Originally posted by Scythe
Let's see.

http://www.marketworks.com/hi/74/74030/FEB072185.jpg

Spider-Man: Reign

My favorite comic, possibly ever.

Story: Starts off with an aged Peter Parker around 65 years old in a future that is "protected" by a*shole cops called the Reign, all the while a politician is taking in tips from an otherwordly political advisor. Peter is persuaded to take back the helm of being Spider-Man by J.J. himself after realizing the city needs him more than anything, Peter fights his inner demons after losing MJ, evil political guy hires several favorite bad guys from Spidey's past against their will to kill Peter, he has a nervous breakdown, gets his ass kicked, then gets saved by an unlikely ally, then becomes Spidey once more, saves the freakin' day in an odd manner. Hope I'm not giving away too much, GO READ IT!

Art: I disliked the artwork myself, giving the fact that it's my favorite comic of all time, I just felt that the art was portrayed a little cartoonish, not at all as serious as you would think it would be. Then again, it's understandable, the art and the storyline balance eachother. Serious/deep storyline, cartoonish artwork, see it now?

My personal opinion: I never read a deeper comic than this, not since I read The Dark Knight Returns, have I read such a deeply, possibly canon (it's in the future, it might happen, shut up!! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!), story full of love, death, violence and tragedy. I felt for these characters like I've never felt for others. No other comic imo has c-c-c-c-c-captured MJ and Peter's love quite like this, go read it now...

Rating: Based off of Will's rating stats, I'd give this a 10, I wouldn't have sex with it if it were a woman, more like rub my penis between the pages until I say the word "softly"

Yeah...

Have a good day, sumb*tch

Cool cheers for the review

I love the scene in that story where Peter gets a pep talk fro MJ from beyond the grave which is very melodramatic and designed to uplift him. How else could supporting Peter end but with the words....

"Go get 'em, Tiger."

Classic.

Originally posted by willRules
Cool cheers for the review

I love the scene in that story where Peter gets a pep talk fro MJ from beyond the grave which is very melodramatic and designed to uplift him. How else could supporting Peter end but with the words....

"Go get 'em, Tiger."

Classic.

Thanks, I thought so too.

I actually cried a little bit during "Reign."

Originally posted by tjcoady
I actually cried a little bit during "Reign."

Yeah, dooder. It's lyke, to-tally Cambell's Chunky Soup deep!

Here we are again.

http://overcaffeinated.net/images/spidermanBlue.gif

Spider-Man: Blue

By far, my second favorite comic ever.

Story: This comic is a series among Daredevil: Yellow and Hulk: Gray. It is about Spider-man's first love, Gwen Stacy. Peter finds himself tape recording a message/love note for whomever may find the tape later in the future. He dedicates the tape to Gwen Stacy and refers to her in the nicest of ways. He tells the story of how they first met, he tries to impress her, and just when things are starting to look good, Mary Jane Watson enters his life. While trying to make ends meet with The Rhino, The Lizard, The Vulture and Kraven The Hunter, Pater realizes his love for Gwen is eternal. As for the rest, go read it, it's lovely.

Art: I truly love the art in this comic. Tim Sale's amazing work in Batman: Long Halloween impressed me and he does it again. Since this is a retelling of Spidey's early encounters, Tim Sale does his best to give the character's a John Romita Sr. feel to them, while still giving them his personal touch. I enjoyed the backdrops, renditions of Mary Jane, Green Goblin and Spider-Man of course.

My Personal Opinion: I found it to be touching. It was emotional to read how he felt for poor Gwen so much after losing. Even though he married May Jane, the comic does a great job to make it seem like Peter is caring for both women, while not playing favorites or raising a whole jealousy episode toward the end. The ending came as a bit of a surprise to me, since I never would have seen Mary Jane's reaction to Peter's tape recordings. Going by Will's rating system, I'd give this comic a 10, I still wouldn't have sex with it, but the renditions of Gwen and Mary Jane are quite attractive, not enough to make up for the paper cuts on my penis though, so better luck nect time, yay inner-glosspaper relations...

Have a good day, sumb*tch

Originally posted by Scythe
Here we are again.

http://overcaffeinated.net/images/spidermanBlue.gif

Spider-Man: Blue

By far, my second favorite comic ever.

Story: This comic is a series among Daredevil: Yellow and Hulk: Gray. It is about Spider-man's first love, Gwen Stacy. Peter finds himself tape recording a message/love note for whomever may find the tape later in the future. He dedicates the tape to Gwen Stacy and refers to her in the nicest of ways. He tells the story of how they first met, he tries to impress her, and just when things are starting to look good, Mary Jane Watson enters his life. While trying to make ends meet with The Rhino, The Lizard, The Vulture and Kraven The Hunter, Pater realizes his love for Gwen is eternal. As for the rest, go read it, it's lovely.

Art: I truly love the art in this comic. Tim Sale's amazing work in Batman: Long Halloween impressed me and he does it again. Since this is a retelling of Spidey's early encounters, Tim Sale does his best to give the character's a John Romita Sr. feel to them, while still giving them his personal touch. I enjoyed the backdrops, renditions of Mary Jane, Green Goblin and Spider-Man of course.

My Personal Opinion: I found it to be touching. It was emotional to read how he felt for poor Gwen so much after losing. Even though he married May Jane, the comic does a great job to make it seem like Peter is caring for both women, while not playing favorites or raising a whole jealousy episode toward the end. The ending came as a bit of a surprise to me, since I never would have seen Mary Jane's reaction to Peter's tape recordings. Going by Will's rating system, I'd give this comic a 10, I still wouldn't have sex with it, but the renditions of Gwen and Mary Jane are quite attractive, not enough to make up for the paper cuts on my penis though, so better luck nect time, yay inner-glosspaper relations...

Have a good day, sumb*tch

Totally agree I'd also add that Spidey comics are driven by Peter's drama, not Spider-man's and no comic proves this more than that series.

I found the penis orientated paper cuts worth the risk. I now pee in several different directions....

Hahahahaha, gross...

But yeah. I read Spidey's comics to sorta see myself a little. This book is not much different than Daredevil: Yellow and Hulk: Gray, but the thing is, I didn't grow up with those characters, so the emotion wouldn't hit me the same.

To be absolutely honest.... in terms of this week's comics, "Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam (yes, the kid's comic)" was actually much, much better in terms of dealing with the Wizard, Captain Marvel, and Black Adam then JSA, which I normally like a lot.

The kiddie comic was fresh, interesting, and original. "JSA" this week was... boring and stale and predictable. I thought Johns had worked the Shazam out of his system and Morrison had put it in the coffin with the Desaad possesion... but apparently he hadn't, and we needed some more "Black Adam freaks out and then something caaaaraaazzzzy happens" storylines from JSA. And again, I generally love JSA- and trust me, I adore the Marvel family- but this recent storyline just suggested Johns was getting ready to leave and didn't really care about the JSA family anymore.

Originally posted by willRules
Cool cheers for the review

I love the scene in that story where Peter gets a pep talk fro MJ from beyond the grave which is very melodramatic and designed to uplift him. How else could supporting Peter end but with the words....

"Go get 'em, Tiger."

Classic.

I. ADORED. This comic.

"Reign" was everything that I wanted from "Dark Knight Strikes Again" but with Spidey, and thus.... more affecting for me, because I grew up with (as a child) Spiderman, rather than DC.... so when something hits my political sensibilites and my childhood fantasies simaltanously.... it's just awesome. Scenes in "Reign" actually made me literally start crying- Spiderman's first fight, Sandman meeting his daughter, Spiderman defeating the Sinister Six, Peter's rescue by Doc Ock.... even the f*cking HYPNO HUSTLER.

A brilliant mini.

Review of Ultimatum #4

Synopsis

Things go from bad to worse. More superhero deaths. The remaining heroes gather together and begin an assault upon Magneto's citadel. The beginning of the final confrontation between Magneto and what's left of Marvel's ultimate line begins.

Good/Bad?

I like David Finch's art but this is nothing special. The panel where Dr Strange's head bursts was particularly gruesome which is a testament to Finch's skill but most of his character's look very similar. It's nice looking overall though.

Writing- I love some of Jeph Loeb's Batman work but his work on Ultimates is making me question if Loeb actually likes the Ultimate universe. I read the review of this issue on ign.com and they offered the perfectly analogy to sum up what has been done by Loeb to the ultimate universe.....



The ultimate titles, especially the Ultimates and Ultimate X-men, for all their faults, were mature. The reader wasn't treated like a child and story lines were grounded in realism despite introducing us the wide mythology of the MU. By comparison this event seems to simply appeal to a child reading this. It's the only way I can explain the sales. Numerous characters are destroyed with no moment to even pause or consider what happened as the plot is busy being taken up by other off panel deaths or Magneto sat around looking menacing.

When I actually stop to consider what has happened so far, it seems a shame this occurred in the Ultimate line and not in an out of continuity storyline (here's hoping it was all a dream!) All that has happened is that Magneto has caused several disasters, which resulted in numerous deaths and now he's gonna be stopped. That's it. You could have learnt that from the first issue and still have been dissatisfied. Plus, like shown in the ign analogy, it's all characters I like. I particularly enjoyed the ultimate line. Now there isn't one to enjoy.

Loeb seems intent on destroying beloved characters simply for the sake of it. Plot is sacrificed for death and gore. And then that death and gore is called a plot line. Millar cannot return to the Ultimates quickly enough. Although I fear even he may be to late to pick up what's left. One more issue left of this terrible storyline......

S.S.S?

1 = Worst comic/trade/story arc in human history, burn it or feed it to your pet dinosaur.

Review of JLA deluxe edition #1

Synopsis

The first nine issues of Morrison's run of the JLA and the Annual included in one hardcover. This chronicles the story of the Hyperclan and their stance against the JLA, the introduction of Tomorrow Woman, a confrontation with the Key and the JLA vs a horde of Angels, with the introduction to Zauriel. The Annual is a done in one storyline where the JLA, with the aid of the Spectre confront Starro.

Good/Bad?

Art= Reasonably good. I like Howard Porter's style and it's safe and comfortable. It's not very unique and the layouts are very standard, but that's not a bad thing, in fact it's quite good. Reminds me of Mark Bagley's early work on Spider-man in the 90's which was also standard but cool.

Writing = Awesome. This is Morrison at his best. From what I have read of Morrison (Some of Final Crisis, his run on Batman, The Filth, JLA, New X-men and possibly a few things I've forgotten about) he seems to write generally in two styles. He will either write in a completely surrealist, escapist style (like Doom Patrol, Animal Man, The Filth) or he writes in a much more standard, linear style (His run on Batman, JLA, the recent but awesome, Batman and Robin #1). The former is a bit more hit or miss, the latter is generally good IMO. Morrison writes JLA in the latter.

Really the only major subversive techniques employed in the first couple of story arc is the allusions to the Greco-Romanic Pantheon of Gods from the JLA. But unless you're actively looking for the metaphor, you won't find it.

Morrison's more concerned in this title with cinematic, reasonably fast paced plot mixed with balls to the wall action and great character moments. This is what the JLA was like and should be like now. It's great how no character is exempt from a cool badass moment. Fans of Aquaman or Kyle Rayner will enjoy this series as much as a fan of Superman or Batman. I personally thought Wonder Woman had limited appeal, but Morrison reinvigorates her in my eyes. It's full of cool moments. Critics of Morrison's surrealist style will be pleased to know Morrison is fairly conservative (at least for the first nine issues) with the except of the antagonists who are appropriately zany and intriguing.

With many mixed quality titles from Morrison these days (FC was meh, but Batman and Robin #1 was great), it's easy to forget why he is one of the top writers in the business. His groundbreaking run on JLA will remind readers who are looking for earlier work, why he is such a big writer today.

S.S.S?
9 = I love this comic/trade/story arc enough to carry around in my utility belt wherever I go.

Review of Ultimatum #5

Synopsis

The end of the Ultimate universe. Magneto vs the remaining heroes. Many more deaths. Some survive, but most die.

Good/Bad?

Art= David Finch is a good artist but this is nothing particularly special for him. Average to good IMO.

Writing= Well now it's over, I can officially say this is the worst comic series I have ever read and I've read some bad series. This series really does deserve an award for finding new levels of crappiness and then reaching them. Every death feels meaningless by now. The shock of killing off a big name wore off in the first issue, so by the time they'd destroyed half of the characters I loved, I couldn't care. If the goal was to kill of so many characters that I wouldn't care, they succeeded. The plot could have been a one shot. This has less substance than the Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe one shot but much more asinine dialogue.

Characters behave out of character. Their dialogue is out of character. The reboot can't come soon enough, I just hope this is all forgotten. This series is why retcons were invented.

The last page reveal made no sense, came out of literally nowhere and had no impact on me. Just because two dead characters were resurrected (to assassinate the person who was campaigning for their benefit???? What the???) was senseless. Fury had the answer to preventing Magneto's threat, which was a reveal that occurred in the first issue of Ultimate Origins (so all you need to read for this entire crapfest was Ultimate Origins #1).

Ultimately it's redundant of me to complain about the pointlessness and atrocities committed in the name of comic writing here, because this is the end of the series. It opened terribly and immaturely so it should be no surprise that it's conclusion made no sense and was worse than a 5 year old fan fiction.

As a customer, I'm offended and disappointed. Marvel will use sales to justify this with the phrase "Fans vote with their dollars." Well I think customers should demand a refund.

S.S.S

1 point = Worst comic/trade/story arc in human history, burn it or feed it to your pet dinosaur.

Originally posted by willRules
Review of Ultimatum #5

Synopsis

The end of the Ultimate universe. Magneto vs the remaining heroes. Many more deaths. Some survive, but most die.

Good/Bad?

Art= David Finch is a good artist but this is nothing particularly special for him. Average to good IMO.

Writing= Well now it's over, I can officially say this is the worst comic series I have ever read and I've read some bad series. This series really does deserve an award for finding new levels of crappiness and then reaching them. Every death feels meaningless by now. The shock of killing off a big name wore off in the first issue, so by the time they'd destroyed half of the characters I loved, I couldn't care. If the goal was to kill of so many characters that I wouldn't care, they succeeded. The plot could have been a one shot. This has less substance than the Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe one shot but much more asinine dialogue.

Characters behave out of character. Their dialogue is out of character. The reboot can't come soon enough, I just hope this is all forgotten. This series is why retcons were invented.

The last page reveal made no sense, came out of literally nowhere and had no impact on me. Just because two dead characters were resurrected (to assassinate the person who was campaigning for their benefit???? What the???) was senseless. Fury had the answer to preventing Magneto's threat, which was a reveal that occurred in the first issue of Ultimate Origins (so all you need to read for this entire crapfest was Ultimate Origins #1).

Ultimately it's redundant of me to complain about the pointlessness and atrocities committed in the name of comic writing here, because this is the end of the series. It opened terribly and immaturely so it should be no surprise that it's conclusion made no sense and was worse than a 5 year old fan fiction.

As a customer, I'm offended and disappointed. Marvel will use sales to justify this with the phrase "Fans vote with their dollars." Well I think customers should demand a refund.

S.S.S

1 point = Worst comic/trade/story arc in human history, burn it or feed it to your pet dinosaur. I agree. All the hype and delays for that asstastic comic. Marvel should be ashamed...

i kind of enjoyed "ultimatum." kinda

however, i went into it not expecting anything spectacular, nor did i expect it to get any better as time went on. meh.

Originally posted by Badabing
I agree. All the hype and delays for that asstastic comic. Marvel should be ashamed...

Agreed.

Originally posted by Galan007
i kind of enjoyed "ultimatum." kinda

however, i went into it not expecting anything spectacular, nor did i expect it to get any better as time went on. meh.


If it had a place it should have been outside of any regular continuity.