Wednesday Comics week #5 (Various/DC Comics/$3.99): Another great week of strips.
Batman: Still loving the art, great moments with Bats and Alfred in the Batcave. Great art. 9 out of 10.
Kamandi: Ryan Sook is beyond amazing on art duties, lots of fun. 10 out of 10
Superman: Reflection on Krypton. 8 out of 10
Hawkman: I like the narration. 8 out of 10
Deadman: Wonderful art and action. Really a fun read. 9 out of 10
Green Lantern: The art impresses. Interesting character as Hal is played as somewhat of a jerk. 9 out of 10
Metamorpho: This is pure joy in strip form. Great fun and wonderfully quirky dialogue and art. 10 out of 10
Teen Titans: Every strip I am getting a little more lost, wonderful art buy Cheeks. 6 out of 10
Strange Adventure: this is fun. Great art, I love the design and nuance. 9.5 out of 10
Supergirl: More fun and really nice art by Amanda Conner.. 9 out of 10
Wonder Woman: Lost and not interested, I was hoping this would pull me in by now, but the art is too small and its overload.. 4 out of 10
Metal Men: I enjoyed dialogue and the art is great. 9.5 out of 10
Sgt. Rock: Looks like its going to get even rougher for Sgt. Rock 8 out of 10
the Flash: Impressive and fun and interesting. Kerschl draws a great Flash. Grodd creates a galaxy? 9.5 out of 10
The Demon and Catwoman: Love the art, not sure the pace is working. It read somewhat choppy. 6 out of 10
Still in love with the format. Nothing beats folding this thing open and closed. And my Daughter marveling at me trying to do it neatly. 9 out of 10
War of Kings #6 (Abnet&Lanning,Pelletier/Marvel Comics/$3.99): Great ending to a great ride. Black Bolt on a suicide mission to take out Vulcan and end the war for good by uplifting the galaxy into Inhumans ushering and era of universal peace. Well nothing is ever that easy. Great emotive characters as Crystal rushes to go save her king, only to have Vulcan pull him away as the bomb detonates. But it doesn’t unleash the mutagenic mists just a shockwave that cripples the Shiar war fleet who surrender and destroy surrounding solar systems. On the Shiar homeworld looking for a savior the people claim a shocked and beaten Gladiator the Majestor. Thus ends the war and leaves the marvel universe a more interesting place. I cannot wait to see what’s in store for us next. I really hope Abnett and Lanning stick around for a while. The art is intense and full of energy. The battle between Black bolt and Vulcan I visceral. The emotion coming from all the characters excellently displayed on each panel. Pelletier is really amazing and certainly come a long what since Malibu Comics. There is a one shot epilogue coming. I hope Black Bolt isn’t gone for good. Definitely looking forward to that. 8.5 out of 10
CHEW #3 (Layman,Guillory/Image Comics/$2.99): If you aren’t reading this title you should starve yourself as punishment. It is everything fans ask for. At least those complaining that all that’s out there is capes. Well that’s not true. There is Chew. Fun, witty, unique, twisted, and quirky, with some heart and action too. This issue Detective Chu has fallen in love with the one person with a weirder food/taste related power then he has. I don’t know how Layman does it? ‘Saboscrivner”. Yeah the love interest, a food critic with the ability to “writ about food so vividly and with such precision people can taste and experience it through her writing”. Well she is has been reviewing some real dives , leaving the readers throwing up in the streets. The FDA can’t have that and Chu is sent to shut her down. He goes and after some awkward moments is pulled into a hostage situation. He doesn’t get a break, but he does get thrown up on. Gross sure. Bu he’s a love sick little man so he barely notices. Before you know it the action is over and the love of his life is gone, on a plane to somewhere with a little man with little box. I am sure that will lead some where in the future. Layman is terrific with the narration and dialogue. This book is worth its weight in gold and deserves the buzz and good reviews it’s been getting. Rob Guillory is the perfect artist for this. Delivering his own quirky and artistic stamp on every page. Its cartoony yet uniquely appropriate in style and tone for the subject matter. The colors Rob lays down really add a great tonal dimension to the story. All in all great stuff. 9 out of 10
World of new Krypton #6 (Rucka,Woods/DC Comics/$2.99): Pete Woods let me count the ways that I love you….I can’t count that high. Every issue I am blown away by the clean, easy to follow, perfect lines on every page. And don’t confuse the open line style for lack of detail. Every detail that is needed is thee. Backgrounds so beautiful and complete it boggles the mind. You get all this and Wood’s uncanny ability to handle gesture, expression and posture. Everything looks perfect, Brad Anderson, the colorist is the perfect compliment. Clean appropriate colors without unnecessary digital tricks and burns that usually distract from the ink lines. The story is equally enjoyable. Rucka has introduced us to a possible plot, which includes the attempted assassination of new krypton’s greatest hero General Zod. The assassin is captured and eventually escapes to Earth. Kal, decides he has to return to Earth because any incursion could lead to an all out war between the races. So what you are left with is a great mystery that leads Kal to get his costume, suit up and with Supergirl return to Earth and capture the would be killer. I think Rucka did a wonderful job capturing the outrage of the Kryptonians at the assassin’s plot, as well as that of Alura, Ursa and Non’s reaction and emotion over possibly losing Zod. Tremendous character work in little pieces of story that really work well. Over all this book has consistently delivered high quality art and story, don’t make excuses not to pick it up. 8.5 out of 10
Captain America: Reborn #2 (Brubaker,Hitch,Guice/Marvel Comics/$3.99): Cap yoking Hitler from behind on the cover? That alone should have me giving this book a 10 out of 10! How awesome is that? Not as awesome as a balls out opening action sequence of Cap taking out Master Man! I would give up 1 of my 5 kids to have this creative team do an Invaders mini. Wow. I praise Hitch, Guice and Mounts for delivering that sequence. The art throughout is next level, Hitch is the master of widescreen comics action and drama. Having Guice on finishes adds a nice quality to it that really gives the whole book a great cinematic feel. The Flashbacks are perfect. And I really have to say the scenes with Osborn are really dramatic. Excellent. I really like the pacing of the story, even if I am somewhat lost. I mean I get what’s going on. Steve Rogers is lost in time reliving his past. What I don’t get is why the Red Skull did it? What is the point? Villains never learn, KILL YOUR ENEMIES! But I sure love how its unfolding. Steve realises something is going on and is trying to control his free fall through time. Meanwhile Barnes and Black Widow get captured by Osborn, who we find had pardoned Crossbones do some dirty work for him and plans on using whatever has happened to Cap to his benefit by attempting to reconfigure him in his unholy image. Basically a Cap for his Dark Avengers. And I am really curious how Sharon Carter plays into this. Nice dialogue and drama by Bru. He really did nice work all the way around, but especially with Osborn. What a prick. 9 out of 10
Spider-Man #601 (Waid,Alberti,Mossa/Marvel Comics/$2.99): I love you Mark Waid. What a funny, fun, cute, yet spot on Spider-story. Really great dialogue and Spider-jokes by Waid. I love how flawless and appropriate it feels on every page. We basically follow Peter parker as he wakes up after a night of drinking at his Aunt May’s wedding where he was surprised to see his ex-fiancé Mary Jane Watson (yeah yeah, I can see your faces twisting already. You hate BND. Get over it.) wakes up in bed with his roommate’s sister. Only to call her by the wrong name, and proceed to George Costanza his way into getting thrown out of his apartment. He swings around the city and has not luck finding a place to stay with friends at work, his Aunt’s house, or Harry Osborn. It’s a fun ride and in the end he still manages to save some people from a burning building, decides to go back to his place where we are treated a great fun ending where Michele gets her vengeance on Peter for not remembering her name. I cant praise the writing enough. Pete Never manages to get with Mary Jane. But I am sure that will change. The art is beyond amazing. I keep saying it, I have no idea where Marvel is finding these guys. Alberti may be the best yet. Its simply beautiful. Great sequences and background. Great is an understatement. The buildings in the city the elevated train, the homes in Queens, grand Central Station all beautifully rendered. The lines are clean and full of character. I love the way he draw Spidey, especially swinging across the city. Really elegant and breathtaking. I was really impressed. The coloring was also great. Very clean and simple. Great work by this creative team in a fun done in one Spider-man story. The Back up by Bendis and Quesada was a nice little addition. 9 out of 10
Secret Six #12 (Simone,Scott,Hazlewood/DC Comics/$2.99): DC is really putting out a lot of good books. People ask which is the best? I can’t help it. I feel guilty because some of the other DC books are selling better or getting more praise and exposure on the web and in the trades. And I love those books too. GL, GLC Batman and Robin, Detective, world of New Krypton…but hands down month in month out it’s Secret Six. What Gail Simone and Nicola Scott have done is really give us a unique, interesting group of questionable and down right evil characters and make them likable and tragic at the dame time. You need to be reading this book. Certainly it’s not children’s fair. Adult themes, violence, language and sexuality. Nothing over the top, but often suggested and poked at. This is a book about villains, not really looking to atone for their past sins, but rather make a living and often stay alive and not kill each other. This is issue is intense. The team is falling apart as a civil war between members is interrupted by Wonder Woman who has arrived because someone is kidnapping and killing Amazons. Well all hell literally breaks loose and the Secret Six make a patently bad decision to attack Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman slaps them around. Until Celeste who hates Amazons, for not protecting women well enough, unleashes her true undead nature and leaves Wonder Woman a gibbering sack of flesh after reliving her death at the hands of an angry mob and a drunk bad aiming executioner. Half the team hits the road, while Catman uses Wonder woman as a gift to appease his clients who’s island they are supposed to be protecting. Which leads to the revelation that all of this has been done to bring the Devil back. Seems like he likes the taste of Amazons. And is eager to get out of his chains and feast. I am sure this will not end well. Great character work and interesting turn of events as the team has turned on itself. No telling what will happen next. Great art by Nicola Scott who was made to draw Wonder Woman, and although I really don’t think she should ever leave Secret Six should be drafted to draw a Wonder Woman comic. the action is face paced and well choreographed. She has a knack for the nuance of these characters and it shines in every panel. GET THIS BOOK. 9.5 out of 10
Wow. Some good books this week. Hope you enjoy the reviews.
