4/24/13

I had my regular 6-book pull-list this week. I was too busy on a trip to read and review them all on Wednesday, so here I am now. A great series, Deadpool Killustrated, wrapped up today. And another less good series, Before Watchmen: Comedian, also came to a conclusion. So, without further ado, my week of comics.

• Deadpool Killustrated #4

This is an incredibly creative book. Even people who don't like comics as much as I could see the creativity and wit practically oozing out of this book. Deadpool is a great character, with all great characters there are excellent stories about them. This comic storyline would fall into the category of great stories. The idea of a psychotic hit-man going into the "Ideaverse" and killing story-book characters is just brilliant. Now, we can say any idea is "brilliant," but execution is all that really matters. The writing is very clever and Deadpool and Sherlocke are both very developed characters by the end of the arc. I don't think that Deadpool has ever had a really bad artist, so I wouldn't say that Matteo Lolli is especially good, but he does provide good art considering the amount of gore required of him to draw. The ending of this arc is not completely satisfying but I will take it over a "let's just erase what just happened" ending. I was excited, however, when I saw an ad for the next Cullen-Bunn-Deadpool-Kill storyline. Deadpool Kills Deadpool looks ridiculous but entertaining. I will definitely be buying it.

• Batman: The Dark Knight #19

I love this series. I really do. I was so enjoying seeing Ethan Van Sciver's beautiful drawings in the world of the Dark Knight. Too bad Sciver is off the book, not for long I hope. On the flipside, however, the book's quality did not flee with the artist. The book is still disturbing while exciting, perfectly captures the life of Bruce Wayne, and keeps you wanting more. While Batman appears very little in the book the whole story revolves around him. His city is under attack, his girlfriend is about to become the main character in a twisted performance, and there are the lives of hundreds, maybe thousands on his hands. The new art is pretty good, especially during the tragic and disturbing flashback of the Hatter's life. The Mad Hatter could quickly become my favorite of all of the rogue's in Batman's gallery. The only thing that would improve this book is giving it the T+ rating it deserves. There is so much killing and other horrifying things I can't imagine why DC is holding back. The last thing we need is some 6-year-old picking up a Batman comic and saying: "Mommy? Why does the man kill people when he takes his medicine?"

• Batman Inc. #9

A lot of people have found the death of Damian Wayne to be poorly handled. I think this issue wraps it up while giving us a sense of what's to come. The only real problem in this book is how the continuity is handled. +Steven Viscido mentioned in one of his articles on his blog that all of the superheroes in comics can't fit in the same universe. I feel like DC is messing with that even more with the, what is it 5? Batman books monthly. Batman is said to be armed and dangerous and the mayor is not allowing him to fight crime, but in all the other Bat-Titles he is trucking right along. This needs to be handled better or dropped all together. If Damian Wayne can die in one title and that effects all of the others than Batman can't fight crime in any title right now. Other than that this issue is solid. After an ominous and mysterious chat between the Al Ghul's we see the rest of the family after the Leviathan attack. Azrael makes a brief appearance in the beginning of the book and we get a little resolution about Jason Todd's situation later on. I still want to see how this storyline plays out because of the evilness of Talia Al Ghul. She is simply brutal in this book and I am so excited to see her brought to justice (the most likely outcome in my mind.)

Now, the art. I love Chris Burnham just as much as the next guy, but three different art changes in one issue is unacceptable. If Burnham is too wimpy to make one book a month he should just not. Don't do a third of it.

• Guardians of the Galaxy #2

I really thought that starting this series with "Omergerd the Earth is going to be destroyed!" was a terrible move. We barely know the team and Brian Michael Bendis is already throwing them into a battle for the fate of our planet. Really? But surprisingly, the story plays out nicely. We flip back between a meeting of all of the intergalactic powerhouses which took place six weeks ago and the Guardians battle for Earth. We also get to meet the team a little more which is good considering I am new to this title. The battle is really fun to watch. Tony Stark zips around like a bee spewing banter enough to keep the book from being all pictures (beautiful ones I might add.) And Rocket Raccoon is very humorous with his "Blam! Murdered you!" Throughout the entire book.

Now, the galactic meeting is where things are really good. Everyone is there, with the king of Spartax leading the meeting of course. They discuss Earth's fate in a way that is natural and entertaining. I really want to see some more action from Groot next book. He looks promising.

• Talon #7

Talon wasn't really the star in his own title this month. Casey and Sebastian played major roles along with guest-appearances from Batman and Bane. This issue shows Talon actually fighting along a Talon, something rare and surprisingly entertaining. We also see Casey out-foxing Sebastian  both of which fights are cool and interesting. After Calvin has escapes the base of the Court of the Owls he runs through the streets of Gotham crazed by an emergency broadcast from his girlfriend. We see our hero get caught by our other hero, Batman! Batman locks Calvin in with Wayne-Tech handcuffs. Of course Calvin escapes. We see Calvin then confront Clark and eventually Bane. Calvin is broken, maybe dead at the end of the issue.

Tackling the Manifest Part II

I logged back onto Marvel U and read the next three books in this mega-crossover. I have to say, I am loving this series. It shows the X-Men just how they were meant to be and Scott Summers isn't a jerk.
So, here are the next installments in my log of reading this giant storyline.

Cable #6
Writing: 9, Cyclops's point of view is rich and enticing.
Art: 8.75, both artists are great, especially the one that draws future-Cable.
Relevance to the story: 8, this does give you a good taste of what it is like for Emma and Scott, but not a must-read.
Should you read it? If you want to. I have always been a fan of the series and the character; but you could skip it if you wanted to only read the essential issues.

Secret Invasion: X-Men #1
Writing: 7.5, nothing great, but it isn't Scott Lobdell
Art: 7, just not my style.
Relevance to the story: 9, this is what is going on in Marvel at this point, it is pretty relevant.
Should you read it? Probably not. It has very little to do with Manifest Destiny.

Astonishing X-Men #26
Writing: 9, Warren Ellis rocks Wolverine.
Art: 8.75, I am really enjoying Simone Bianchi's art.
Relevance to the story: 10, this introduces Ghost Boxes which are essential to Manifest Destiny.
Should you read it? YES! It is a quality comic and near-essential to the storyline.

So that is the bout of reading I did this morning, along with the first three Wolverine and the X-Men issues. Keep checking this out, I hope it inspires you to read this storyline too.

Tackling the Manifest

A warehouse was bought out, so my comic store now has maybe hundreds of $30-$75 sold for $7-$35.
I picked up X-Men Manifest Destiny for $7.43 (The cover price is $30.) Now I made a decision. If I am going to read some of Manifest Destiny I am going to have to read all of it.
So, I looked to my good friend Wikipedia for some help. Like always Wikipedia was there for me. So I will now copy and paste the reading list of Manifest Destiny. The bolded books are the ones that came in the Graphic Novel I recently purchased.

• Astonishing X-Men #25
• Uncanny X-Men #500

• Cable #6
• Secret Invasion: X-Men #1
• Astonishing X-Men #26
• Uncanny X-Men #501
• X-Men: Legacy #215

• X-Men: Manifest Destiny #1
• Secret Invasion: X-Men #2
• Uncanny X-Men #502
• Young X-Men #6
• X-Men: Legacy #216

• X-Men: Manifest Destiny #2
• Astonishing X-Men #27
• Uncanny X-Men #503
• Young X-Men #7
• Wolverine: Manifest Destiny #1
• Secret Invasion: X-Men #3

• X-Men: Manifest Destiny #3
• Uncanny X-Men #504
• Young X-Men #8
• Secret Invasion: X-Men #4

• Wolverine: Manifest Destiny #2
• X-Men: Manifest Destiny #4
• Uncanny X-Men #505
• Young X-Men #9
• Wolverine: Manifest Destiny #3

• X-Men: Manifest Destiny #5
• Eternals #7
• Astonishing X-Men #28

• Wolverine: Manifest Destiny #4
• Eternals #8
• Uncanny X-Men #506

• Manifest Destiny: Nightcrawler #1
• Eternals #9
• Uncanny X-Men #507
• Astonishing X-Men #29

• Runaways (Vol. 3) #10

• Astonishing X-Men #30

So as you can see if I plan on reading the entirety of this mega-crossover event, I am going to have to visit another friend of mine: Marvel Unlimited. As I write this I have already read this first two on the list, Astonishing X-Men #25 and Uncanny X-Men #500. I also read Wolverine: Manifest Destiny #1 in print. I had this idea after the fact so this article is coming a tad late.

I decided I would give a very brief review of each issue, giving it a score 1-10 in a couple different categories. I will also tell you if this is worth the read. So, if you are considering tackling this storyline as well you don't have to read all of the tie-ins to see which ones interest you.

Astonishing X-Men #25:

Writing: 8.5, fantastic!

Art: 8, Great, a little rough with facial features though.

Relevance to the storyline: 7.5, not essential but definitely worth the read.

Should you read it? Absolutely! If you just want to stick to the story this issue may not interest you but is worth the 20 min. for anyone else.

Uncanny X-Men #500
Writing: 8, decent.
Art: 5, it's Greg Land, what do you expect?
Relevance to the storyline: 8, you should probably read it to get introduced to the cast of characters.
Should you read it? Why not? It is decent and a good X-Book overall. Why not check it out?

Manifest Destiny: Wolverine #1
Writing: 8.75, good, not outstanding.
Art: 9, great tones.
Relevance to the story: 10, this is what this whole storyline is going to be about.
Should you read this? Of course, it's Wolverine confronting his past in Chinatown, what's not to want to read?

That is all I have for now. I will probably tackle another two issues tonight. Stay tuned, this is going to be fun.

4/17/13

Okay, this week had it all. Be it time travel, lost memory, resurrection, a drug dealer, an asylum, and Chicago. Can you ask for much more? No, you can't. And in the words of my past self, "here are the weekly reviews:"

• Secret Service #4

Long ago I took a vow to never buy a variant that wasn't on a #1 issue. I wasn't so specific when it came to second printings. I also vowed that I would never review anything that had come out more than  a week ago. I don't know if reviewing a second printing of an issue that came out months ago counts, but here we are, I better not waste your time.

Secret Service is an interesting series. Like most of the series on my ever-expanding pull-list I bought the first one on a whim. My reading buddy and I loved the plot and decided to collect the rest. We got #s 2 and 3 in a matter of weeks and loved them both. But no matter where we looked we could not find that pesky #4. Well, now I found it. And I am glad I did. This was an issue full of creativity, wit and drama. It started out with a conversation between uncle and nephew about life and acknowledgment. You know, just the kind of things everyone talks to their uncle about. We see aforementioned nephew gassed and placed in a situation so deadly and awkward it was in South America. 'Cause uncles do that all the time too. The nephew being the most clever in the situation conceives a clever and game-changing plan that gets him to English soil on a private jet. This issue's dialogue was spectacular and I aspire to be able to come up with half of the brilliant situations Mark Millar does. And that would be impressive, even.

• Age of Ultron Book Six

Is time travel a good thing to introduce to the Age of Ultron cannon. [SPOILER ALERT] It is. Both the stories of the past and the future are told masterfully by the wonderful Brian Michael Bendis. Both tenses flow seamlessly back and forth. Nick Fury is so much better of a leader than Captain America and Wolverine is really more animal than man. The tension is high as Wolverine contemplates killing one man to save many and the future gang battles more Ultrons than imaginable. And yeah, auto-correct, "Ultrons" is a word. Adding to dictionary right now. I like Storm's new look and I think that the retro Iron Man suit is a nice touch as well. Now, if they could only fix Quicksilver. I am so loving this storyline. I don't know what it is, I just am really in the mood to quote myself tonight. "I can't wait for next month." 

• Savage Wolverine #004

"Let's resurrect that character!" said every single publisher who wanted to make money. Jason Todd, Charles Xavier, Ra's Al Ghul, the list goes on. The only person in comics who stays dead is Uncle Ben. And now he's doing some rice ads or something.

Well, not every time. The Todd resurrection was a little tough to understand.

But we do go through the resurrection process this issue. Along with never ending word-balloons and very few Wolverine appearences this issue was well-written and illustrated. I continue to love the way Frank Cho makes a page, I always find his panelling quite interesting. I also like this new, correct me if I am wrong, character Amadeus Cho. He is very cool looking and the way Frank Cho writes his dialogue is bliss to read. This is a series that I will read to the grave.

• Catwoman #19

I can't say that I love tie-ins or that I had any idea of what was going on in the beginning of this issue, but I will say that Catwoman #19 was better than ordinary. An asylum is an interesting place, filled with interesting people. And Catwoman is one of them now. The writing is once above par, and the art is not bad either. Of course there is a lot of kicking faces and sarcasm coming from Catwoman, but if you are going to read this title you are going to have to deal with that. Honestly, while reading the book for a second time I realized that there were probably at least ten instances throughout the book where Catwoman's boot connects with someones face. This book is turning around, and I do respect that. It's just all of that kicking, is it really necessary?

• Nightwing #19

Nightwing #19 pulls this series out of it's funk. It is bright, cheerful, intriguing and Chicago. It shows that Dick is still a kid at heart and life can be tough even on super-heroes. I love the format of; present-flashback-present and I loved the introduction to the Jokester. Excuse me, the Prankster. Both names are equally stupid. But this deeply troubled individual is a lot like Gollum. She has split personalities, tricks people into believing false tales and would leave someone to survive a giant wolf with only a suitcase of money and a lighter. I really like how the Dark Knight series has left the direct cannon for a while just to focus on Batman and a rogue and I hope Nightwing follows suit. The art was also very good this week for a change. Nightwing can actually keep his secret identity safe now.

• Red Hood and the Outlaws #19

YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!

That was completely necessary  That shows just how excited I am that Scott Lobdell is no longer writing this book. One kitten is saved from getting run over because Scott Lobdell wrote one less comic book. James Tynion writes a great issue in which he perfectly captures the Outlaws and their longing for their leader back. The art was spectacular along with a great scene that took place in Roy's dreams. I am finally opening up to Roy now that Lobdell can't get a hold of him anymore. I think that this book would benefit if they had a little less "let's confront our pasts" and a little more "Oh My God! Giant tarantulas fighting Man-Bats along with Eddard Stark on the island from Lost, we want in!"

4/10/13

Today brought a nice batch of books, some of my favorites actually. Thor and Batman are amazing and Batman and Red Robin was actually really weird and cool. Age of Ultron, however, one of the most consistently excellent books I get, was quite disappointing. So here they are, the weekly reviews:

• Age of Ultron Book Five

This book follows pretty much the same template as Lost. At first there is a moderately joyful flashback that shows where the future began, if that makes any sense. Then we see our happy flashbacker in the more desolate future. The flashbacker in this case is Tony Stark and the future is all of the Ultron survivors in the Savage Land. Without giving away major spoilers they meet someone they did NOT expect to meet who has a completely cackamaymee idea that includes time travel. Besides having a plan, said person has all of the traditional costumes of the survivors and totally boss weapons. So we have that pleasant "Let's suit up for battle" scene with expert banter courtesy of Brian Michael Bendis. After the people on the time-travel mission have, well, time-traveled, of course Wolverine has to be all like, "Y'know what, screw that idea I am totally gonna do what everyone told me not to do even though it will completely mess EVERYTHING up." There's Wolverine for you. The only reasons this issue really didn't do it for me was because there was little of that ultra-bleak post-apocalyptic materiel that has made me fall in love with this series. I can't wait until Book Six because the art-reigns are passed to Brandon Peterson. Have I mentioned how much I dislike Bryan Hitch?

• Batman #19

Now that the controversial Requiem books are over we can get back to some good old Snyder/Capullo Batman. There was everything I like about a regular Batman issue in this book, suspense, shock, amazing art, detective work, well-written inner monologue and so much more. Bruce Wayne and Batman are both interesting characters and that is because Scott Snyder is the master of Batman. I don't think that he should ever leave the title. There is really no reason, and this weeks book showed that to me again. Stepping out of the wake of Death of the Family and Damian's death felt so good even if there was some reminiscing about times with Damian. I can't tell you how hard it is to write well about the GCPD but Snyder manages to make both James Gordon and Harvey Bullock super interesting. Cappulo draws the best Clayface. Period. It is just so grotesque and gruesome it is almost too awesome, keyword almost. I can't wait to see how next month plays out.

If you look closely you can see the Clayface face on the very right of the picture.

• Batman and Red Robin #19

Not as much Red Robin as I would have liked but not much disappointment either. Readers, like myself and my reading buddy, who know nothing about Carrie can still tell who she is and what kind of relationship she had with Damian from just this book. The parts featuring Carrie Kelley were humorous and fun and I look forward to her appearing in future books. I thought the incorporation of Frankenstein into this issue was just sheer brilliance though. Bruce was going insane and captured Frankenstein in a desperate attempt to bring Damian back to life. Without too many spoilers the plan doesn't go smoothly and Frankenstein ends up being dismembered.

• Thor God of Thunder #007

God Bomb is here! And it is AMAZING. This is really the perfect comic in all regards. The God Butcher is such an intriguing character and Thor has never been more interesting. The art, as anyone can tell from just the cover, is just gorgeous and the interior is even better. I liked the art in the Gorr-igin but it is great to have Esad Ribic back on the book. Jason Aaron is such a good writer and the way he writes the dynamic between future and present Thor is some of the best dialogue in any kind of literature. No offense Shakespeare. I love the past Thor and think that his irresponsibleness and bravado make him so interesting. I really can't wait to find out more about the God Bomb and the God of Bombs.

• Batgirl #19

Gail is back on the book and the "OMG James Jr. is CRAZY" storyline comes to an end. Some powerful family matters are dealt with in this book and we can all learn a little about caring for others, so go give your psychotic brother a hug. 

The weaving of horror movies into this issue was creative and I thoroughly enjoyed the finale at the dock. I think that Barbara Gordon shines for making these connections to real life that really help us to empathize with her. She also shows that she is human when she comes clean to her roommate about "everything." The roommate also tells Babs that she is a transgendered character. I think this is a step in the right direction for diversity in comics, way to go DC!

OMG I totes just killed my bro!

4/3/13

Two months ago if you told me that all of my books one week would come from Marvel I would have laughed. I am proud to say that I have know experienced a week were I only get Marvel comics. And it was quite a good week.

• Thanos Rising #001

And I thought Guardians of the Galaxy #1 was big. This was one of the best debut issues ever. Master writer Jason Aaron starts with a blank slate and creates an origins story that seems organic to the character, was brutal, and devastating. The illustrations beautifully complimented the brilliant dialogue perfectly. I think that Thanos is a very nerdy boy but the author didn't use the "he's different we hate him" excuse that most bad authors pull when they can't think of an interesting relationship between a character and his/her peers. There was a part of this issue that was a lot like 127 hours and made for an interesting turning point in Thanos's life. Great book, can't wait for the 2nd!

• Age of Ultron Book 4

AGE OF ULTRON IS SOOOOO GOOD!!!!
I look forward to it every week because it comes out almost every week. There is a certain rhythm to it that keeps it from being too boring but also keeps it from being too fast-paced. The author finds his groove with characters and makes them complex and interesting. Last issue we met She-Hulk and Luke Cage and this week we took a trip to the Savage Land. This installment is full of surprises from a nuclear explosion to a gory death-by-hulk. Well done Bendis and Hitch even though I continue to dislike how you draw faces.

•  All-New X-Men #010

This series is honestly as good as it gets. I mean BMB just made a scene with three different groups of X-Men a beautiful and witty conversation. All of the dialogue was totally believable and the points made were all great. S.H.E.I.L.D finally gets in contact with the X-peeps. Something they should have done issues ago and the X-Men continue to be the most interesting group to listen to in the Marvel Universe. BMB leaves us with such a good cliffhanger that I am sure will change the Marvel Universe completely. I am soooooooo ready for next week.

• Indestructible Hulk #006

I am glad that the Hulk book is headed in a new direction because it is a good book but the last Atlantean thing wasn't the best. This new storyline focuses more on the team of scientists that Maria Hill assembled with Bruce Banner's help. They travel through a portal where they meet...Thor? It is a weird meeting and I am not sure what to make of it but Hulk does get to wield Thor's hammer for the last few pages. The book is cleverly written but the story is not easily understood and there are a lot of loose ends. I am curious about what the next issue will hold.

Why don't the X-Men have a rogues gallery?

Every good super hero or team has a good rogues gallery. Batman has in my opinion the most interesting of all with Joker, Ra's Al Ghul, Clayface, etc. The Justice League has a wide and powerful rogues gallery that is composed mostly of other-worldly beings like Darkseid. Although I am not an expert I can say that from my fairly brief experience with the X-Men that they have little to no rogues gallery.
There is always some conflict in the X-Men, and that's what keeps them interesting. Mostly the conflict is that mutants aren't accepted by humanity. This dilemma is quite compelling: society isn't willing to accept that others are more powerful and therefore hate and hunt them. This also gives us Sentinels which I guess could count as rogues but are too numerous and all the same.
The X-Men can also never get along. The team is very diverse and very good at holding grudges. They aren't exactly leaping to each others aid either. They all like to talk about what just happened and blame others for it. I think that is interesting because the X-Men usually have a decent writer so the arguments and discussions are sharp and good points are made.
People rag on Cyclops a lot but his is the same situation that Jack Shepherd was in on Lost. He is a natural born leader who is a little too stuck up for his own good. That does provide some conflict though. Cyclops is a good character in the time between battles, making amends and keeping people calm.
The merry mutants don't need a rogues gallery as long as they keep bickering. The stories are interesting and suspenseful even with just themselves as bad guys.

3/27/13

Marvel and DC galore! I had a "balanced" pull-list with many treasures and only one disaster. I also want to thank everyone who joined the G+ community this week +Sam's Pull List is also doing great. I am so thankful that all of you read and enjoy this blog.

My Pull-List this week. Enjoy!

• Deadpool Killustrated #3

This is one of the funniest non-Millar comics ever. With a hilarious new cast of story-book characters for Deadpool to butcher and some of the wittiest one-liners yet. The art was luscious with dark inks and bright colors and the cover art was spectacular. One of the most endearing parts of this particular storyline is it's ability to make supporting characters more than just mindless lackeys. When Deadpool takes over Frankenstein as a home for his "second mind" I thought: "We won't be seing much of him." I was so wrong. Frankenstein is the perfect sidekick for an insane mercenary and together they slash their way through many dear children's story characters. Some victims are:

• Scrooge
• The little Mermaid
• The jungle book characters

I mean, the Jungle Book characters? It was quite a battle to behold, complete with a Shakira reference. Great issue!

• Age of Ultron Book 3

I was so confused when this issue began. They showed a scene that seemed disconnected from the arc so far, and it was. Only when I began to read deeper into the issue I realized the thought behind the opening scene. What followed was an issue of lots of dialogue and very little action. This was quite enjoyable because BMB is a master of the craft of conversation. The plan that the survivors came up with was smart but risky. All of the major heros played a large part in the making of the final decision  but it was Hawkeye who really made the best points. The best part of this storyline is the ability to switch between little groups of survivors. Seeing how different heros are taking in the apocalypse.

About the art. Everyone LOVES Bryan Hitch. I do not understand that at all. His terrible facial expressions cause dialogue to be less meaningful which is tragic when the writer is the legendary BMB. I am excited for next issue and am thinking about buying the Ultron title.

• Batman Incorporated #9

I would have thought that it would be hard to settle back down to the normal BI after the universe altering #8. This issue was perfect in all aspects. A emotion filled funeral, suspenseful flashbacks, a sidekick becoming a hero, a tank and a speech that said that Batman was no longer welcome in Gotham. Bruce's speech at Damian's funeral was meaningful without crossing the line into cheesy-hell. The book was well paced and bleak with Chris Burnhams art remaining to be the perfect fit for this title. Batman is a very emotional character and Grant Morrison makes that very clear. I am sad that Morrison is leaving but think he has done a superb job on this crazy title. 

• Guardians of the Galaxy #001

I didn't know that this issue was being so hyped until I received a promo card and info card from the comic store tonight. They had already given away all of their posters. The issue was a great debut and I felt like I really got a good feel for all of the characters. I usually don't like Iron Man but in this story he is portrayed as less of a self-confident snob but more as a team member. The encounter of Peter and his dad was exciting and well-written, it is a very interesting dynamic that I am sure BMB will explore in more detail. The action sequence was terrific. I enjoyed how BMB split the Guardians into a few "mini-teams" within the team. 

• Batman: The Dark Knight

This is now one of my favorite DC title. The artwork is unmatched, with the best inking for a long time and Batman at his finest Ethan Van Sciver is a top-notch illustrator. It's emotionally driven. Gregg Hurwitz make the Mad Hatter one of the best in Batman's rogues gallery. The frequent flashbacks make this title less about Batman and more about the villains. This book deserves more than a T though, maybe T+ borderline A. There is a ton of brutal, immoral murder and gallons of blood. The Hatter seems to be planning some kind of performance and I can't wait to see what it entails. 

• Talon #6

The Grandmaster! What an ominous title. Calvin delves deeper into the court and finds things that were meant to stay hidden. The battles are great and suspenseful, the Washington's are their emotion driven selves and a HUGE secret is revealed. The art is beautiful and plays well with the writing. I was skeptical about this spin-off but know I am digging it. 

• Teen Titans #18

One word: Unreadable.

3/20/13

Three from DC two from Marvel. I think that I am moving more towards being a marvel fan as I headed straight into my Marvel books this week. As you will see in the reviews to come there wasn't a whole lot of quality in the comics on my Pull-List this week. Nonetheless, here are the weekly reviews my faithful readers...

• All-New X-Men #009

This is one of the best series going, there is no denying that. I think having a switch in art was a bad move for the near-perfect creative team of Bendis and Immonen. To my surprise and excitement Immonen was back on the book with a crazy new story. It starts off with a drill in the danger room that was reminiscent of old Claremont and Lee X-Men. From there the issue was exciting, surprising and nicely paced. I was worried that the whole idea of the O5 coming to the future wouldn't last much longer than five issues, but boy was I wrong. I feel as though the X-Men have a weaker rogues gallery than say, Captain America. My experience is that the X-Men are a flawed team and their issues are internal, this also strengthens them as a single issue will not solely focus on one character but flip back and forth through characters like and episode of Lost. Bendis captures both as this team faces the challenge of themselves and a couple rogues shown on the cover.

• Nightwing #18

This new"I am sulking" Nightwing is boring and non-productive. "I'm so sad about the circus, I miss you so much Damian." I mean, get over yourself, everyone else in the Bat-Family has. Besides being boring when he thinks about his life there is not much action to make up for it in this book. The one kicker was, Dick's response to Damian's death was the most meaningful thus far in the "Requiem" books. I continue to dislike the art in this book, the facial features are a complete mess, but who am I to judge? I also find it really strange that Dick would be going out with the girl whose dad killed his parents. He splits up a crime auction that was actually the most compelling part of the book (probably because all of the characters wore gas masks so the artist didn't have a chance to give them giant eyes). I really want the old "happy go lucky" Nightwing that was so awesome in the beginning of the New 52. Why can't we have him back?

• Red Hood and the Outlaws #18

I think that Scott Lobdell should be band from ever even attempting to write a comic again. I thought he could redeem himself with last month's mildly promising issue, boy was I wrong. His ability to write dialogue is none and he is so very repetitive. He is really repetitive. And he repeats himself all the time. And says the same thing more than once. And repeats the same cheesy lines.

That little tirade was completely nesscesary. I am fairly certain that Lobdell has a basic script that he has on command-v "My name is             I used to be                    Then I was                      After that I was        

                (Sentimental Garbage, Sentimental Garbage, Sentimental Garbage.) It's awful writing. And I coud've sworn he said the exact same thing about Alfred in two issues in a row. The art was pretty good but I will never forgive this kind of writing. Thank god this was Lobdell's last issue on the series.

• Indestructible Hulk #005

I am usually really annoyed with how this creative team creates an action team but I have to say: this issue was an exception. It seems that Hulk is always getting himself involved with the supernatural, this time he picks a fight with a bad ass ex-Atlantean named: Attuma. Attuma is an awesome character design whose back-story is interesting and makes perfect sense. I think that the whole rebel resistance was a pleasant touch that I didn't see coming, and all of the characters within it were compelling. What also felt strange was Hulk kissing a woman twice who Hulk knew was betrothed.

• Catwoman #18

Even though Catwoman is usually a pretty bad series and crossover titles are pretty bad this issue proved to be a fascinatingly heartfelt issue. Catwoman helps Bruce work out some of his pain and anger and Bruce helps Catwoman learn to do the right thing. This is a rare and beautiful occourance. The artists depiction of Batman was great and all of the Bat-Family was drawn well as well. The plot was in and out and all over the place but that's what I have come to expect from this series. I think that Ann Nocenti has a very good interpretation of what goes on inside Catwoman's crazy head which makes for an interesting view as the reader.

3/13/13

This week was depressing in comics, all of the titles in the Bat-Family had the word "Requiem" on them. The whole weeks comics were about the death of Damian Wayne. It also proved to be a terribly bleak week in comics. In some cases this proved to be to the books benefit and in others, not so much.

• Batman #18

I really don't understand DCs love for selling so many bridge issues. My guess would be that the normal artists are just so exhausted by the rigorous release schedule that they need a months break. I usually don't enjoy this type of issue, Batman #12 was the worst of the Batman title thus far into the New 52. So this issue surprised me. We revisit the seemingly insipid character of Harper Row, except this time a little of her origin is mixed in. She visits her dad in Blackgate where the dad is nasty to both Harper and her brother Cullen. If this dialogue was put in the words of any other writer it would be cheesy and boring. Somehow, Scott Snyder makes the dialogue crisp and natural. The second half of the book is a story of how Harper tries to help Batman out of this dark place. Scott Snyder does a terrific job of painting the picture of a Batman who is similar to the post-Jason death Batman in being feral and uncontrollable. This is a very well made issue and a good way to bridge the story of Death of the Family and the events of BI #8.

These Bat-Issues had some of the most amazing and heartfelt covers I have ever seen.

• Batman and Robin #18

I was really skeptical as to how they were going to pull this one off without Damian, but they did. It was really nothing more than a sob-fest, but that was all that was needed. What was the real shocker in this issue was that there were no words at all. The amazing creative team behind this title managed to showcase the extreme misery of Bruce and Alfred without any dialogue. There was definitely lots of strong emotion in this book, but $3 is a little steep for three minutes worth of reading material.

• Batgirl #18

Thus begins part two of the Ray Fawkes take over for Gail Simone. It was not as bad as the first part, but still not a quality comic. While I think that James Gordon Jr. has potential to be a very interesting character Ray Fawkes just fails to bring the mysteriousness that Gail Simone did so very well. I think the story told in this issue was mediocre, more about how Batgirl is a hero and how psychotic James is really demented. The thing that really made this issue not as good as it could have been was the fact that all of the non-dialogue text-boxes were about Batgirl in the voice of James. This took his mysterious edge away. I also think that if a Robin is on the cover and the book is marked "Requiem" there should be a larger Robin presence than just one moment. I just wrote an article about how DC never gives us enough of the story we bought the book for. Here it is: The article

• Thor: God of Thunder #006

I was thoroughly pleased with the "Gorr-igin" Even with the artist change this book continues to be one of the most prominent in Marvel NOW. The book completely lives up to the title with nothing but origin as Thor doesn't make a single appearance in the book. Gorrs life is so bleak it is hard to even read about it. The few people he cares about in his life all meet terrible fates while he lives his life hearing all about how the gods will look after him. He is a rebel and a leader and doesn't seem inherently bad until the last couple of scenes where he whips a helpless God. Jason Aaron really does the perfect job in writing this amazing story.

Although the interior art is done by Butch Guice, Esad Rubic still draws amazing covers for the series.

• Age of Ultron Book #2

I have to say, of all of the books this week AoU was the one I was most excited for. Why? Because #1 was so damn good. This one doesn't quite match the quality of the debut, but it comes pretty close. This issue was really just a way to get settled with the cast of characters and the circumstance. There is lots of talking about what will be the next step and even a flashback to before the crisis. I appreciate that this creative team is trying to really give the reader a strong grasp on the story. There is also a team-up in this book that I quite enjoyed, this was Black Widow and Moon Knight. They had entertaining conversation and seemed like a realistic alliance given the situation. I am so ready to see how this plays out.

• Before Watchmen: Ozymandias

I have very little to say about this book. It was just as good as any of the other books on the series. Two things I will commend them for: it was not nearly as wordy as the other issues and it wrapped up the series nicely. I am so excited that Before Watchmen only has one more book left!

Marvel and DC Crossovers

If there is one thing that comic publishers like to do it is hold mega-crossovers. Why? Money. People buy lots of comics to get the whole story. This can cost almost $100. Why are we spending this much? Is it worth it? No.

DC Crossovers. The half-stories.
Let me explain that subtitle to you. DC advertises that all of these books tie into Death of the Family, yet when one reads them they only get 2 or 3 pages of story about Joker. DC sucks us into a trap of thinking that we need to read these, don't let them! One thing that is especially hard for me is dropping subscriptions. Shortening my Pull-List isn't easy because every time I read a lousy issue I just think "Maybe next issue will be better." Spoiler alert. It isn't. No matter what title, if the first tie-in is bad the second will be complete crap too. This takes $2.5 dollars out of future comic buying endeavors. We should no longer submit to this torment, here is my advice. Stick to 2 or 3 tie-ins that you think will be great. If they don't meet your expectations, drop it. Now I just have to try that...

Marvel Crossovers. The core driven events.
Marvel has one thing that DC will never catch onto, core-issues. In AvX the were the Avenger Vs. X-Men issues, in Civil War there were Civil War issues, now in Age of Ultron there are Age of Ultron issues. Why does Marvel do this? For readers who weren't planning on reading the storyline to go "Hey I might wanna just read the core-issues and no tie-ins." Now the reader is sucked in. Enter ads for tie-ins. Now the reader wants to know everything about the storyline because the core-issues are just so good. The reader is now caught in a web different from DC's but equally as deadly.

I hope you have learned a little about the buying habits of us comic readers when faced with a succulent looking crossover. I hope I have inspired you to be less willing to purchase a whole event, be it Marvel or DC. I also hope that I can practice what I preach and not buy everything that has the words "Age of Ultron" on it...But they just look so good.

3/6/13

This week was the first week that I felt that I was really a Marvel fan, instead of a DC fan who got a Marvel book here and there. My Pull-List was four-fifths Marvel. Let me also say, that this week was a phenomenal week for comics.

• All-New X-Men #8

What a truly wonderful story arc. rarely do I find a comic series that has such a surprisingly strange conceit that turns out to be entertaining and understandable. The issue starts of with Archangel and his past self flying around and trying to grasp the fact that they are actually meeting each other. It was a touching and human moment. This moment didn't last long as the Angels fly over to Avengers Tower where Hydra's troops are burning the building to the ground. They work together to stop the destructive forces until Thor comes and bails them out. The Avengers part in this issue was brief and consisted of Cap and Beast talking behind the X-Men's backs while Iceman and Kitty Pryde try to guess exactly what the pair are saying. This turns out to be a funny and clever scene. I will not ruin the last part of the issue for those who are yet to read it but will end with saying that it was a terrific issue.

• Age of Ultron #1

I bought this book on a whim. The cover looked awesome and if it was going to be a big deal I didn't want to miss it. It is a big deal. This was the only post-apocalyptic comic I have ever enjoyed. Even though Hawkeye is a pretty dull character he was portrayed perfectly and the fight scene was amazing. This whole book just screamed bleak. It was so pathetic to see what humanity had become with this Android takeover. The dialogue between the survivors, who were well selected except for Tony Stark who would in reality be the first to go, was really natural, and again, super bleak. I am super pumped for #2.

• Deadpool Killustrated #1 (second printing)

As soon as I saw the cover of this issue a month a go I was sure I wanted it. Too bad that the comic store had already sold out. The wait for the second printing has been grueling, but it was so worth it. This really shows Deadpool at his funniest. As he fights Moby Dick he just spits out one-liners making the scene just that much more ridiculous. I really liked how this issue summed up everything that I missed from Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe in only a couple pages. Deadpool has an awesome encounter with a character whom he dispatches with haste, I won't spoil who though.

• Deadpool Killustrated #2

I think that the other of this book just wants Deadpool to fight as many people as possible in the allotted pages. He finishes of Moby Dick, Dracula, The Headless Horseman, and my favorite, Little Women. He kills all of these fictional beings in only the funniest ways. The plot is also great with Sherlock Holmes thinking about how he might stop the Merc with a Mouth before he hurts the time continuum beyond repair. This is one of my favorite books in print and I am looking forwards to next month.

• Before Watchmen: Rorschach #4 of 4

I can't write a full review about this comic because I didn't understand a page of it. It was awful.

Thank you

So, this is not a very interesting post. I just wanted to say thank you for the 562 pageview in February for an accumulated 912 pageviews today. I will try to make March the interesting and post-filled month February was, all I ask is that if I keep typing you keep reading. You are all awesome and interesting readers and post fascinating comments both here and on Google+. Keep reading!

2/27/13

This week was a great week, but the most sad comic week I have ever been through. I think you all know why.

• Batman Incorporated #8

This issue was one of the single most dramatic issues I have ever read. The story begins in a warzone unlike anything you've ever seen and just gets better. They really should not have named this series Incorporated, but rather Batman Family I mean seriously, you have Dick, Tim, Damian, Bruce and Commissioner Gordon all fighting at the same time against the same enemy...But, anyways, the writing was clever and snappy (what we have come to expect from Grant Morrison) and I though the artwork was also phenomenal. Without going into the gory details I will say that Damian's death was very well thought through. I really hope that this series will continue even without Grant because it is a really intriguing story arc.

• Batman: The Dark Knight #17

I have really come to enjoy this series for what it is. And it is a way to settle a solid foundation for Batman while keeping fans entertained. I have never though the Mad Hatter as anything but in Gregg Hurwitz's hands he is quite an interesting villain. This issue has a perfect balance of flashback and suspense. The Mad Hatter is beyond brutal and completely insane, if they ever make a movie featuring him it will send children into endless fits of nightmares.

• Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1

I bought this book off of a recommendation, so I clearly wasn't a fan before today. It was a very good comic, I think it was the best way to introduce me to the main character and it made up a good, entertaining issue. I though it was weird (space guns, aliens) although it wasn't as weird as say Fear Agent. Steve McNiven's art was very clean and satisfying. I will be anxiously looking forward to #1.

• Talon #5

I though that the last issue of Talon was a truly compelling comic, I was back this month to read all about the next chapter in Calvin Rose's life. This book started out well, Calvin and his ragtag team of companions talking about their tedious lives living in a bunker. The daughter of Calvin's love interest Casey Washington is a very cute character and the only young comic book character character authors have ever gotten right. The dialogue is the star of this comic as Snyder and Tynion masterfully create scene after scene of smooth and natural conversation while not boring the reader. This is a skill that is to be admired and cherished. I got really desperate when the band of anti-courtists were discussing the infiltration of a Court controlled fortress that was seemingly impossible. I am very excited for the next issue.

• Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan #4 of 4

As much as I hate JMS I have enjoyed Dr. Manhattan. This last issue was strange, and I don't think the strangeness really paid off. There were two times when I had to twist the comic around in my hands to understand what was going on. There was also a large Ozymandias prescence in this particular issue. I actually think this creative team got the character of Ozy much better than they did Dr. Manhattan so this issue was a break from the ordinary series. Like the other Before Watchmen titles, I'm glad I was along for the ride, but I'm glad the ride is over.

• Teen Titans #17

I was just picking up my friends comic, this is not my sub, but I decided to read and review this anyways. This was also a Death of the Family Aftermath issue, so I was mildly interested. This comic started mediocre with the sad creation of a new villain that seemed suspiciously like something that belonged in an X-Men book. It was really a standard new mutant introduction; young boy afraid of his powers, he says how the powers started out weak and then grew more intense, blah, blah, blah. Anyways this kid is hooked up to this machine and gets stabbed a bunch of times, classic. Then some supervillain takes the new villain in as his minion. The Titans move their residence to a giant cruise ship (courtesy of Tim Drake) and they set sail moping in self pity about their recent run-in with the Joker and checking out the ship. In the course of the night the Titans manage to: piss one another off (multiple times), make terrible jokes, have a conversation that made my skin crawl and Tim Drake made out with every woman on board. There was really no entertainment at all in this entire issue.