Pretty much just a filler post here, to get something new on here while I try to read my recent comics purchases.
I thought I would talk about my ritual of comic reading/buying. Every time I go to get my comics, whether it has only been a week or it has been three months, I always do the same general pattern of behavior.
First, upon entering the comic shop, I place my bag at the side of the counter. This is a hold out from when they were more strict on the no backpack policy. They have not mentioned that I needed to do it for a few years, and I don't think I have ever seen anyone else drop off their bag. I still do, though. Just seems to be best not to invite suspicion.
Next, I wander through the trades. Starting with the new trade table right inside the door, moving through the Marvel section (starting with Ultimate stuff, then X-Men, then alphabetical from there), the DC, the Neil Gaiman/Garth Ennis/Grant Morrison/Warren Ellis sections, then finally reaching the "Whatever is cool this week" and everything else trades. Frequently I will either pick a couple (as many as 4 on a trip) or mentally make notes for which ones I should track down later. Some of these mental notes turn into which comics I choose to try to read online to see if I enjoy enough to buy later.
Next, I make my way to the actual singles. There is a full all of shelves for these, with six rows of comics.I start at the front upper shelf (nearest the counter) and scan down to the end, then back again on the next shelf down, until i have scanned every title on the racks that particular visit. If something catches my eye, i will grab it. I also try to keep track of which issue si see that I should be getting in my pull list, as well as the ones I remember enjoying that I may not have added to the list yet. This is sometimes difficult, as my comic shop is good at pulling comics that tie in with something I read to add to my list, on the off chance I will want it. But, sometimes they only do that for a single issue of a new series so I have to remember to grab later issues or keep them in mind in case they issue may or may not have been pulled a second time. I have also had a couple visits where the comics from last week were late to this location but were on time at the second shop I visit (more of a game store with a small selection of comics). So, have to remember which one s I bought last week at the other store.
After this process, which usually takes around 20-45 minutes, I head back to the trades I looked at but did not grab yet. I agonize over which ones I want this time, if any. Many times recently this has been me wanting one, and choosing to wait. Some rare visits this also leads me to the back issue boxes. That only happens if I remembered my lengthy list of comics I need to fill out collections. That happens once every 2 to 3 months (more often if there was a recent miniseries I missed something from).
Finally, I go up to the counter, get my comics from my box, and buy the large pile. This runs me anywhere from $20 to $120 depending on the week and delay between visits. Because I am weak willed when it comes to dropping comics.
After this, i walk the half mile to the other comics/game store where i pick up any issues that I missed at the last store, due to forgetting or lack of stock. I also tend to pick up some sort of roleplaying game or card game at this time.
Then, off to the mall nearby to sort.
My sorting process involves me taking the huge stack of comics and dividing it into three piles. I have Marvel, DC, and Anything Else. Starting with the Anything Else pile, further dividing by specific publisher. Then I divide that stack further by which issues I am most interested in, placing the least interesting issues on top (still sorted by publisher). This takes a while, as some of the comics I like the most are from different publishers. I also try to place any series that is new to me toward the top.
Next, I sort the DC comics. I place the all ages books first on this pile, then any limited series, and then the regular ongoing. Sometimes I will slip a limited series in with the ongoings if it is particularly good. All of these are sorted by worth as above, then placed with the Anything Else comics.
Finally, I get to the Marvel comics. Again, all ages books first, then limited series (within the standard Marvel Universe), then regular ongoing series, then Ultimate line books, and finally MAX books. Occasionally, I will place an event comics at the end of the queue if it is really good (Annihilation: Conquest had that for 4 issues). Once more, they are all sorted by personal merit within their sub-groupings and placed with the rest.
What I end up with is a pile of comics starting with my least anticipated or most unsure of non-Marvel/non-DC comics on top, with progressively more interesting books sorted by publisher and sub-grouping further down until I get to the "best" Marvel book as the last comic I read.
After all of this, I grab some food, possibly watch a movie, and head home to read everything. As I read it, i review it. So, the order you see the reviews is the order in which I lace the comics on the pile. In this way, you can see the value I place on each series by where it is in the order of things on this page.
You can also see how terribly OCD I seem to be when it comes to my comics buying and reading. This pattern of behavior has been ongoing for about 5 years now with the only changes being the amount I spend and the layout of the stores themselves.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Something New
First of all, no comics for a little while (again). I am starting up college again, and had to spend what free money I had to pay tuition. Goodbye tax return.
Anyhow, I have just started a project which I have had stewing in my brain since December of 2005. A little comic project.
That's right humble (non-)readers, I am attempting to write a comic book series of my own. partially because I had the idea, which works best as a comic (or animated series). Partially because, dammit, I want to write a comic book. So, I startted to rough something out tonight. Nothing too fancy or great yet. Just a bit of establishing text and an openign scene.
It is slow going for me, as I am completely unfamiliar with the script format. I am much more of a short story or poetry guy, so attempting to write in a way that is comfortable while still managing to end up as a comic script is proving difficult. I have hope, though. Having read the Eisner books, the McCloud books, and Peter Davids book on comics (as well as browsing a small handfull of actual comic scripts and looking into a couple more books on the subject that are more for writers than artists) I feel that I have enough of a basic foundation to start working.
I would like this to eventually become more than just a fun diversion. Once i have something more solid down of paper (or computer as the case may be) I will probably start shopping around for an artist so this thing can be submitted somewhere for publishing. If needs be, I will just self publish somehow. That, however, is not anywhere near happening just yet. Right now, I experiment and practice.
Anyhow, I have just started a project which I have had stewing in my brain since December of 2005. A little comic project.
That's right humble (non-)readers, I am attempting to write a comic book series of my own. partially because I had the idea, which works best as a comic (or animated series). Partially because, dammit, I want to write a comic book. So, I startted to rough something out tonight. Nothing too fancy or great yet. Just a bit of establishing text and an openign scene.
It is slow going for me, as I am completely unfamiliar with the script format. I am much more of a short story or poetry guy, so attempting to write in a way that is comfortable while still managing to end up as a comic script is proving difficult. I have hope, though. Having read the Eisner books, the McCloud books, and Peter Davids book on comics (as well as browsing a small handfull of actual comic scripts and looking into a couple more books on the subject that are more for writers than artists) I feel that I have enough of a basic foundation to start working.
I would like this to eventually become more than just a fun diversion. Once i have something more solid down of paper (or computer as the case may be) I will probably start shopping around for an artist so this thing can be submitted somewhere for publishing. If needs be, I will just self publish somehow. That, however, is not anywhere near happening just yet. Right now, I experiment and practice.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Timely
Here we are, last weeks entry into my longbox.
Crossing Midnight #15: That was an odd twist in there. I liked the three levels of protection, with the wall of truth being a form of protection. The origin of the strange abilities the twins carry was unexpected, and awesome. I know there are only going to be about three more issues, and I am sad to see the series go. At the same time, it will be good to have some actual closure on the story.
Fables #70: The Farm is given a great deal, with very little in the way of a negative to it. I loved how they are all worried about going home and losing television and ipods. I'm sorry to see Blue lose his shot with Rose Red. I have been in his position one time too many, so I know the feeling. His response is the one I have wanted to have, but never managed to muster. Next issue, war were declared.
Jack of the Fables #20: Somehow, Jack managed to win in this one. He got the gold. He got Babe. He got the trifecta. He also got a kick to the junk, but we can all agree he deserved that. As usual, superb comics reading here.
Teen Titans Go! #52: Totally cool. Introduction of four "new" heroes, with a great explanation as to where they came from and why they seem so derivative of better characters. Plus, the reveal being yet another mainstream DCU character who deserves more attention.
Crime Bible: Five Lessons of Blood #5: The end of this series, and it is a pretty predictable one. Not to say that's bad, it is just very obvious this is where it was leading. The real shock was not where it led, it was that it ended in the death of the "bad guy." Frequently, these sorts of stories end with submission, not death. Quite good.
Shadowpact #22: So glad this story is over with. Sort of sad to see a character go (especially one that wasn't Zauriel), but if that's what I need to take to end this arc I will take it. Next issue's cover shows Blur Devil. hopefully he rejoins the team. I want more of the feel of the series from the start back.
Teen Titans #56: Poor Kid Devil. He makes a bad deal to be like his hero, is nearing the end of his contract, has seen what he becomes when that happens, and is losing everyone to Blue Beetle. Then there's the party. Really not the best situation to be in. Then, to top all of that, just as he thinks he may have made a friend, the guy turns on him and he gets his ass beat.
Marvel Adventures: Iron Man #10: How sad is it that the first thing I did when i got this issue was flip to the back to see the Mini Marvels. Which was disappointing, as I had already read that one. The issue itself was decent, with some Spider-Woman and some Chameleon. Decent story, with a sudden ending.
Marvel Adventures: Fantastic Four #33: Poor Ben Grimm. Trying to tell a story and having Human Torch heckle him. Then the kids put him so far down their list of who is the strongest. All he wants is a bit of respect. Lucky for him, Abomination proves to be a decent enough foe to bump him up. Just not quite enough, though. Hehe.
House of M Avengers #5: Everyone gets what they deserve. Nothing more need be said. Well...except that Black Cat changing her clothes in front of everybody sort of stood out to me as a bit unnecessary. Pandering at its worst.
Young Avengers Presents: Hulking: Wow, this one was very touching. Eddie meets his father, for the first time. Captain Marvel, to his credit, takes it rather well. He does run at first, but comes back and they have a nice talk. Then end got me a little choked up.
Thunderbolts: International Incident: Kind of crap. Only good bit was Arnim Zola.
Captain America #35: Yeah, the shit has hit the fan. Tony Stark is in trouble for the rogue SHIELD agents. Red Skull has gained a very strong grip on America. Bucky as Cap is still badass. Sharon Carter is totally not doing well, and it is looking worse and worse.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #51: The Ultimate Shit is hitting the Ultimate fan here. The cube is taken by Thanos, and that's never good. Beyond that, nothing more need be said.
Ultimate Spider-Man #119: Liz freaks out about her being aflame and flies off. Iceman and Spider-Man try to catch her and calm her down. She switches abruptly from fear and confusion to joy over her freedom. Then Magneto shows up.
Crossing Midnight #15: That was an odd twist in there. I liked the three levels of protection, with the wall of truth being a form of protection. The origin of the strange abilities the twins carry was unexpected, and awesome. I know there are only going to be about three more issues, and I am sad to see the series go. At the same time, it will be good to have some actual closure on the story.
Fables #70: The Farm is given a great deal, with very little in the way of a negative to it. I loved how they are all worried about going home and losing television and ipods. I'm sorry to see Blue lose his shot with Rose Red. I have been in his position one time too many, so I know the feeling. His response is the one I have wanted to have, but never managed to muster. Next issue, war were declared.
Jack of the Fables #20: Somehow, Jack managed to win in this one. He got the gold. He got Babe. He got the trifecta. He also got a kick to the junk, but we can all agree he deserved that. As usual, superb comics reading here.
Teen Titans Go! #52: Totally cool. Introduction of four "new" heroes, with a great explanation as to where they came from and why they seem so derivative of better characters. Plus, the reveal being yet another mainstream DCU character who deserves more attention.
Crime Bible: Five Lessons of Blood #5: The end of this series, and it is a pretty predictable one. Not to say that's bad, it is just very obvious this is where it was leading. The real shock was not where it led, it was that it ended in the death of the "bad guy." Frequently, these sorts of stories end with submission, not death. Quite good.
Shadowpact #22: So glad this story is over with. Sort of sad to see a character go (especially one that wasn't Zauriel), but if that's what I need to take to end this arc I will take it. Next issue's cover shows Blur Devil. hopefully he rejoins the team. I want more of the feel of the series from the start back.
Teen Titans #56: Poor Kid Devil. He makes a bad deal to be like his hero, is nearing the end of his contract, has seen what he becomes when that happens, and is losing everyone to Blue Beetle. Then there's the party. Really not the best situation to be in. Then, to top all of that, just as he thinks he may have made a friend, the guy turns on him and he gets his ass beat.
Marvel Adventures: Iron Man #10: How sad is it that the first thing I did when i got this issue was flip to the back to see the Mini Marvels. Which was disappointing, as I had already read that one. The issue itself was decent, with some Spider-Woman and some Chameleon. Decent story, with a sudden ending.
Marvel Adventures: Fantastic Four #33: Poor Ben Grimm. Trying to tell a story and having Human Torch heckle him. Then the kids put him so far down their list of who is the strongest. All he wants is a bit of respect. Lucky for him, Abomination proves to be a decent enough foe to bump him up. Just not quite enough, though. Hehe.
House of M Avengers #5: Everyone gets what they deserve. Nothing more need be said. Well...except that Black Cat changing her clothes in front of everybody sort of stood out to me as a bit unnecessary. Pandering at its worst.
Young Avengers Presents: Hulking: Wow, this one was very touching. Eddie meets his father, for the first time. Captain Marvel, to his credit, takes it rather well. He does run at first, but comes back and they have a nice talk. Then end got me a little choked up.
Thunderbolts: International Incident: Kind of crap. Only good bit was Arnim Zola.
Captain America #35: Yeah, the shit has hit the fan. Tony Stark is in trouble for the rogue SHIELD agents. Red Skull has gained a very strong grip on America. Bucky as Cap is still badass. Sharon Carter is totally not doing well, and it is looking worse and worse.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #51: The Ultimate Shit is hitting the Ultimate fan here. The cube is taken by Thanos, and that's never good. Beyond that, nothing more need be said.
Ultimate Spider-Man #119: Liz freaks out about her being aflame and flies off. Iceman and Spider-Man try to catch her and calm her down. She switches abruptly from fear and confusion to joy over her freedom. Then Magneto shows up.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Like a Ton of Bricks
Since I actually have this weeks comics this week, I figure I should read and review the rest of my backlog to get caught up.
Justice League Unlimited #42: This was a sad story. Queen seemed to be trying to get her life together, but everyone else was against her. Wonder Woman made a bit of effort to help, but it couldn't outweigh Green Lantern's dickery or the Royal Flush Gang's tenacity. The ending was at least somewhat upbeat.
Tiny Titans #1: Perfection in a small package. I love everything about this comic. The cute artwork. The references to the regular DCU. The short format of the stories. I think this is by far the best thing I have read in an all-ages comic in forever. If Marvel would repackage their Mini Marvels stuff in this sort of format (as they are pretty much the same thing, just one page at a time), I would buy that as well. And all would be right with the world.
Infinity Inc. #6: As it was in my box, and I didn't want to be a dick about them pulling it and then not buying it, I bought this issue. The last one i get. The cover of this was misleading. the "guest star" eluded to, being Batman, shows up on one page to basically talk with Superman about a crime and then neither is heard from again. It's not even a direct relation to the main characters, just a random crime that ties in with the story. Vaguely interesting lead in to a new arc, but not enough to get me to come back.
The Flash #237: A good issue, but also dropped from my list. I drop this not due to lack of quality, as with the Infinity Inc debacle, but because I just don't feel like spending money on it. Not totally sure why, as it is quite a good book. This issue was fun with Wally and the Kids having some good lines. *shrug*
Batman Detective Comics #841: What a clever idea, and with a great twist as well. The interior artwork was sort of iffy to me, but the cover was made of awesome. I loved how it took Batman a while to solve the case because it was so out of character for Hatter to be acting the way he was. Glad to have this one back from the crossover (which I have not yet read, but own the issues for).
Booster Gold #0: Fun concept. Fun comic. The "Zero Hour" issue of the series, showing the origin of Booster. I liked that he had the chance to change his life for the better, and chose to take the harder road to make sure Ted remained alive. I also love the crazy logic of time travel in this one. Almost makes sense, almost hurts your head. Good end, also.
The Spirit #13 & 14: The Holiday Special was ok. Three stories, each one ok. The first story dealt with criminals in disguise and a tiger tamer. It wasn't to bad, and had a good ending. The second, about a family treasure was also ok with a fun ending. The best, though, was the final story that was virtually word free. That one was a great use of images to tell the story, and something I think Eisner would be proud of. The other issue was the first one with the new team. A fun story, with an interesting mystery involved. Good writing, and lovely artwork. Mike Ploog is one of my favorite artists out there, and it is nice to see him working on his mentor's character.
Teen Titans Year One #2: Another good issue. Less funny than the first one, but still quite a decent story so far. I like the reasoning behind the team getting together, and the way the characters interact. Plus, Aqualad is one of the best loser heroes ever.
Simon Dark #5: I still have no idea what the hell is going on in this series, but I love it. It was very sad about kitty, and the way Simon didn't quite understand that he was special with the not dying by losing your head thing. The best part was wishboning the villain, and the following panel of laughter. It seems like we may be getting a bit more explanation coming up soon-ish. I hope so. Enough to not be quite as lost, without giving it all away just yet.
marvel Adventures: Hulk #8: The Defenders. Surfer is a pansy. Strange is an ineffectual leader. Namor is a dick. Hulk kicks ass. Rick and Monkey are Rick and Monkey. The Nameless One's dialogue with itself was finny at first, then tiresome. At least there was Mini Marvels.
Marvel Adventures: Fantastic Four #32: A very fun story about Ben Grimm and time travel. Old West meets sci-fi. Nothing more needs be said.
Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #36: A so-so story about Harry Osborne trying to live up to his dad's expectations. Redeemed by the redemption of Harry himself.
Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #21: Crimson Dynamo and Black Widow are both after Iron Man, for different reasons. Not a bad story, and well written as well. The artwork is beautiful. The comic manages to show a sexy Black Widow without being so sexy as to endanger the all ages rating. A hard balance to find. I love Spider-Man whining about the training and how Giant Girl and Hulk were allowed to opt out.
House of M Avengers #3 & 4: Punisher selling out humanity and then redeeming himself. Luke Cage being Luke Cage. Thunderbird being an absolute dick. Kingpin being Kingpin. Black Cat being Black Cat (and dying for it). All leading up to a final confrontation, which leads into the long past House of M. S'ok.
X-Force #1: I dunno. I love the art, most of the time. I love the characters. The story seems decent. I hate the concept, though. I like it when X-Men don't kill, and don't like Cyclops having a black-ops wetwork kind of team. Will probably keep reading, though. It was a fun read.
Runaways #29: Not a bad read. If it was actually coming out on time, I would likely enjoy it more. Thankfully Whedon's run is ending after one more issue. He has done a total of one story arc, and it has taken him forever to do so. Very disappointing. I dislike that he can get away with it, because he's Joss Whedon. I dislike that enough that I can't even remember enough of the issue to review properly. Hopefully the next team will keep an actual schedule (or the book is cancelled until Vaughn decides to return).
The Mighty Avengers #8 & 9: The exact opposite of Whedon, here's Mark Bagley helping to catch this title up after Cho slowed it down. He saves what Bendis is ruining with his stupid thought balloons. We finally see how the symbiote plague was ended, and where it came from. We also get a confrontation with Doom, which is always nice. In fact, we get the most kick ass splash pages of fighting since Nextwave #11. That's not something that is easy to accomplish. Loved the last few pages, with the retro feel.
New Avengers #38 & Annual #2: We see the Hood breach Dr. Strange's defenses and take the Avengers on at their home. Big fight ensues. Strange saves them, but not in a way he is happy with. He leaves the team, and they lose their base of operations. Also, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones look like they are losing their marriage. Which is crappy, especially in the wake of Spider-man's One More Day debacle. I want one solid marriage with characters I like to remain intact.
The Man Called Nova #1: The first Nova annual. An interesting look at his past and future, which may or may not be true. Also, Kvch, homeworld of the Phalanx. Next issue of this will (finally) be what I have been waiting for.
The Order #8: Getting close to eh end, and we have a stellar issue. Good action, good exposition, good background info. This will be one helluva series when it is all over with.
Avengers: The Initiative #9: This is why you don't mess with clones. Or alien tech. And never both together. Taskmaster is pretty cool in this one, both in his using the training to expand his own base of skills and his knowledge of when to bow out of a fight. Gauntlet coma-walking to get more alien tech for a big showdown. This is still one of the best series on the shelves today.
X-Factor #28: A slightly confusing issue, as I missed the whole Messiah Complex crossover (missing one issue in the middle, so can't read it yet). I know enough of what is going on to not be totally lost. Sad to see Rhane go, but it will likely make for a good story for the rest of the team to deal with her leaving. Tattoo Maddrox is pretty hardcore. Strong Guy is still one of my favorite underused characters in the X-Books.
Captain America #34: We have a new Cap. Finally. He's also pretty good. I loved how they managed to highlight the similarities and differences between Caps in a single fight. I also actually felt bad for Tony Stark by the end of this one. Not an easy task anymore.
The Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death: A nice bit of back story for the late Iron Fist. I really want more stories about him and his Confederates of the Curious. This was a nice slice of that, showing the many encounters they had with John Aman. A nice villain/hero thing that turned into mutual respect and eventually a sort of friendship. Goo lead in to the next issue of the Iron Fist series.
Annihilation: Conquest #4: Adam Warlock may be an actual warlock now? Ronan the Accuser has a Phalanx-proof army of robots? Star Lord is fucked, as usual? High Evolutionary may have joined the bad guys? Talk about a suspenseful issue. I need more, now.
Terror Inc. #5: Meh. I read it all. It's over. Funny line at the end. Otherwise, meh.
Ultimate Human #2: More interesting than the last issue. We get some action. We get a cured Hulk. We get more insight into why Hulk is the way he is, and how powerful he just might be. Then the shit hits the fan. Actually looking forward the the next one.
Ultimates 3 #3: Wow, mid scene SPLASH PAGE FIGHT, with no real lead in or resolution. It just sort of happens. I don't know if I should blame Loeb's writing, Madureira's layouts, or the editor for not making it get fixed. Then, for no reason, the story changes focus. At least it is going to be over soon.
Ultimate Iron Man 2 #3: Made of awesome. We get some nice mental chess between three different characters, plus a "How's he gonna get out of this one" ending. With one issue left, I am almost sad it's gone by so fast. I wonder if there will be an Ultimate Iron Man 3.
Ultimate Spider-Man #118: Peter almost has an aneurysm at school. Hilarity ensues. I like Kong a lot in these last few issues. I also like that Liz Allen's hate of mutants is really blossoming into something interesting. Not the Firestar I was expecting.
Ultimate X-Men #90 & 91: Ultimate Apocalypse. Taking what was an interesting story arc with Sinister, and expanding it to show he's not actually as crazy as he seemed. In top of that, the way it has all pretty much been building to this moment over Kirkman's run is beautiful. Apocalypse himself is much scarier than his 616 counterpart already. Even if he looks a little stupid before cyborging out. Best part was seeing how Wolverine got to the physical state he was in when he was Cable. Didn't expect to see that so soon, or ever. I wish I had the rest of this arc to read right now. I don't feel that way often, especially with this series.
Justice League Unlimited #42: This was a sad story. Queen seemed to be trying to get her life together, but everyone else was against her. Wonder Woman made a bit of effort to help, but it couldn't outweigh Green Lantern's dickery or the Royal Flush Gang's tenacity. The ending was at least somewhat upbeat.
Tiny Titans #1: Perfection in a small package. I love everything about this comic. The cute artwork. The references to the regular DCU. The short format of the stories. I think this is by far the best thing I have read in an all-ages comic in forever. If Marvel would repackage their Mini Marvels stuff in this sort of format (as they are pretty much the same thing, just one page at a time), I would buy that as well. And all would be right with the world.
Infinity Inc. #6: As it was in my box, and I didn't want to be a dick about them pulling it and then not buying it, I bought this issue. The last one i get. The cover of this was misleading. the "guest star" eluded to, being Batman, shows up on one page to basically talk with Superman about a crime and then neither is heard from again. It's not even a direct relation to the main characters, just a random crime that ties in with the story. Vaguely interesting lead in to a new arc, but not enough to get me to come back.
The Flash #237: A good issue, but also dropped from my list. I drop this not due to lack of quality, as with the Infinity Inc debacle, but because I just don't feel like spending money on it. Not totally sure why, as it is quite a good book. This issue was fun with Wally and the Kids having some good lines. *shrug*
Batman Detective Comics #841: What a clever idea, and with a great twist as well. The interior artwork was sort of iffy to me, but the cover was made of awesome. I loved how it took Batman a while to solve the case because it was so out of character for Hatter to be acting the way he was. Glad to have this one back from the crossover (which I have not yet read, but own the issues for).
Booster Gold #0: Fun concept. Fun comic. The "Zero Hour" issue of the series, showing the origin of Booster. I liked that he had the chance to change his life for the better, and chose to take the harder road to make sure Ted remained alive. I also love the crazy logic of time travel in this one. Almost makes sense, almost hurts your head. Good end, also.
The Spirit #13 & 14: The Holiday Special was ok. Three stories, each one ok. The first story dealt with criminals in disguise and a tiger tamer. It wasn't to bad, and had a good ending. The second, about a family treasure was also ok with a fun ending. The best, though, was the final story that was virtually word free. That one was a great use of images to tell the story, and something I think Eisner would be proud of. The other issue was the first one with the new team. A fun story, with an interesting mystery involved. Good writing, and lovely artwork. Mike Ploog is one of my favorite artists out there, and it is nice to see him working on his mentor's character.
Teen Titans Year One #2: Another good issue. Less funny than the first one, but still quite a decent story so far. I like the reasoning behind the team getting together, and the way the characters interact. Plus, Aqualad is one of the best loser heroes ever.
Simon Dark #5: I still have no idea what the hell is going on in this series, but I love it. It was very sad about kitty, and the way Simon didn't quite understand that he was special with the not dying by losing your head thing. The best part was wishboning the villain, and the following panel of laughter. It seems like we may be getting a bit more explanation coming up soon-ish. I hope so. Enough to not be quite as lost, without giving it all away just yet.
marvel Adventures: Hulk #8: The Defenders. Surfer is a pansy. Strange is an ineffectual leader. Namor is a dick. Hulk kicks ass. Rick and Monkey are Rick and Monkey. The Nameless One's dialogue with itself was finny at first, then tiresome. At least there was Mini Marvels.
Marvel Adventures: Fantastic Four #32: A very fun story about Ben Grimm and time travel. Old West meets sci-fi. Nothing more needs be said.
Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #36: A so-so story about Harry Osborne trying to live up to his dad's expectations. Redeemed by the redemption of Harry himself.
Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #21: Crimson Dynamo and Black Widow are both after Iron Man, for different reasons. Not a bad story, and well written as well. The artwork is beautiful. The comic manages to show a sexy Black Widow without being so sexy as to endanger the all ages rating. A hard balance to find. I love Spider-Man whining about the training and how Giant Girl and Hulk were allowed to opt out.
House of M Avengers #3 & 4: Punisher selling out humanity and then redeeming himself. Luke Cage being Luke Cage. Thunderbird being an absolute dick. Kingpin being Kingpin. Black Cat being Black Cat (and dying for it). All leading up to a final confrontation, which leads into the long past House of M. S'ok.
X-Force #1: I dunno. I love the art, most of the time. I love the characters. The story seems decent. I hate the concept, though. I like it when X-Men don't kill, and don't like Cyclops having a black-ops wetwork kind of team. Will probably keep reading, though. It was a fun read.
Runaways #29: Not a bad read. If it was actually coming out on time, I would likely enjoy it more. Thankfully Whedon's run is ending after one more issue. He has done a total of one story arc, and it has taken him forever to do so. Very disappointing. I dislike that he can get away with it, because he's Joss Whedon. I dislike that enough that I can't even remember enough of the issue to review properly. Hopefully the next team will keep an actual schedule (or the book is cancelled until Vaughn decides to return).
The Mighty Avengers #8 & 9: The exact opposite of Whedon, here's Mark Bagley helping to catch this title up after Cho slowed it down. He saves what Bendis is ruining with his stupid thought balloons. We finally see how the symbiote plague was ended, and where it came from. We also get a confrontation with Doom, which is always nice. In fact, we get the most kick ass splash pages of fighting since Nextwave #11. That's not something that is easy to accomplish. Loved the last few pages, with the retro feel.
New Avengers #38 & Annual #2: We see the Hood breach Dr. Strange's defenses and take the Avengers on at their home. Big fight ensues. Strange saves them, but not in a way he is happy with. He leaves the team, and they lose their base of operations. Also, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones look like they are losing their marriage. Which is crappy, especially in the wake of Spider-man's One More Day debacle. I want one solid marriage with characters I like to remain intact.
The Man Called Nova #1: The first Nova annual. An interesting look at his past and future, which may or may not be true. Also, Kvch, homeworld of the Phalanx. Next issue of this will (finally) be what I have been waiting for.
The Order #8: Getting close to eh end, and we have a stellar issue. Good action, good exposition, good background info. This will be one helluva series when it is all over with.
Avengers: The Initiative #9: This is why you don't mess with clones. Or alien tech. And never both together. Taskmaster is pretty cool in this one, both in his using the training to expand his own base of skills and his knowledge of when to bow out of a fight. Gauntlet coma-walking to get more alien tech for a big showdown. This is still one of the best series on the shelves today.
X-Factor #28: A slightly confusing issue, as I missed the whole Messiah Complex crossover (missing one issue in the middle, so can't read it yet). I know enough of what is going on to not be totally lost. Sad to see Rhane go, but it will likely make for a good story for the rest of the team to deal with her leaving. Tattoo Maddrox is pretty hardcore. Strong Guy is still one of my favorite underused characters in the X-Books.
Captain America #34: We have a new Cap. Finally. He's also pretty good. I loved how they managed to highlight the similarities and differences between Caps in a single fight. I also actually felt bad for Tony Stark by the end of this one. Not an easy task anymore.
The Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death: A nice bit of back story for the late Iron Fist. I really want more stories about him and his Confederates of the Curious. This was a nice slice of that, showing the many encounters they had with John Aman. A nice villain/hero thing that turned into mutual respect and eventually a sort of friendship. Goo lead in to the next issue of the Iron Fist series.
Annihilation: Conquest #4: Adam Warlock may be an actual warlock now? Ronan the Accuser has a Phalanx-proof army of robots? Star Lord is fucked, as usual? High Evolutionary may have joined the bad guys? Talk about a suspenseful issue. I need more, now.
Terror Inc. #5: Meh. I read it all. It's over. Funny line at the end. Otherwise, meh.
Ultimate Human #2: More interesting than the last issue. We get some action. We get a cured Hulk. We get more insight into why Hulk is the way he is, and how powerful he just might be. Then the shit hits the fan. Actually looking forward the the next one.
Ultimates 3 #3: Wow, mid scene SPLASH PAGE FIGHT, with no real lead in or resolution. It just sort of happens. I don't know if I should blame Loeb's writing, Madureira's layouts, or the editor for not making it get fixed. Then, for no reason, the story changes focus. At least it is going to be over soon.
Ultimate Iron Man 2 #3: Made of awesome. We get some nice mental chess between three different characters, plus a "How's he gonna get out of this one" ending. With one issue left, I am almost sad it's gone by so fast. I wonder if there will be an Ultimate Iron Man 3.
Ultimate Spider-Man #118: Peter almost has an aneurysm at school. Hilarity ensues. I like Kong a lot in these last few issues. I also like that Liz Allen's hate of mutants is really blossoming into something interesting. Not the Firestar I was expecting.
Ultimate X-Men #90 & 91: Ultimate Apocalypse. Taking what was an interesting story arc with Sinister, and expanding it to show he's not actually as crazy as he seemed. In top of that, the way it has all pretty much been building to this moment over Kirkman's run is beautiful. Apocalypse himself is much scarier than his 616 counterpart already. Even if he looks a little stupid before cyborging out. Best part was seeing how Wolverine got to the physical state he was in when he was Cable. Didn't expect to see that so soon, or ever. I wish I had the rest of this arc to read right now. I don't feel that way often, especially with this series.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Epic Fail
So much for my "semi-daily" posts, huh? I just never have anything to say, I guess. I do have more comics to review, at least. A lot, actually. Lack of funds meant a large pile of comics waiting when I finally had the money. Here's the appetizer.
Ghosting 5#: So, I finished this series off. I wasn't terribly impressed. Too much story left to be resolved in a single issue. It felt rushed. Which means I guess I am done reading Platinum books...or am I? The previews of upcoming books caught my eye (as it always does). That section is how I ended up finding this series as well as Consumed. This time, it looks like Big Badz and Gunplay may be good. So, depending on my whims at the time I see them, I may read.
The Darkness #2: I am of mixed feelings on this new Darkness series. On the one hand, the art's not too bad. Pretty standard for a Top Cow book, really. The changes to Jackie's powers and the new uses he is finding, also not bad (even pretty damned cool at times). The Darkness as a drug/ruling a South American country thing...not so much in what I want to read. I'll keep reading for now, because the story is just unique enough to have my attention.
Locke & Key #1: I am so glad I found this. What a fun idea for a comic. A horribly violent and tragic start, with a few strange tweaks along the way, and a cliffhanger ending that got my attention. Some of the dialogue among the characters seemed a bit off a couple times, but mostly this was made of awesome. Another plus is that this is the first IDW comic I have ever purchased as singles, rather than the trade.
Fables #69: What a great ending to a great storyline. While I still am not a fan of the focus on the war and all, I have to admit loving the way Flycatcher was able to go from janitor to king, and take the Adversary down a notch. The interplay between him and Red Riding Hood is also very endearing. This was an ending I was not completely expecting, and quite enjoyed.
Jack of the Fables #19: As always, loving Fables leads to worshiping Jack. The "map" of Americana is great, and very well thought out. A clever idea filled with clever-er ideas. I just can't wait to see how Jack ends up finding, and losing, the treasure he seeks.
Crossing Midnight #15: Gah, this one really messed with me. Losing and eye to your sister has got to be one of the worse things than can happen to you. The way this thing twists and turns, it is a little sad to think it is not going to be continuing for years to come. On the flip side, it is best it ends when it ends, and not get dragged on forever just because.
Madman #6: I have no idea what is going on in this series, and yet, I don't really care. Mike Allred's art can get me to buy just about anything. Oh, and I loved the back cover gag. That was awesome.
The Walkign Dead #46: The obvious happens, made even more so by the cover. It is a mildly shocking and very tragic death, but one that makes sense. If Kirkman handles the aftermath right, once the rest of this storyline dies down a bit, it could prove to be a major emotional turning point for some characters. The "twist" ending was also one I saw coming a mile away. Still fun, though.
Umbrella Academy #6: So, this one comes to its end. An interesting, if somewhat unsatisfying, end. Not to say this wasn't good. It just wasn't as good as the rest of the series. Which, I suppose, is to be expected of a series as stunningly amazing as this has been. I do find it interesting that by the end half of the cast is not really available for further action. Out of the 7 kids (and one monkey), 2 are dead, 1 is powerless, 1 is out of commission for a long time (possibly forever) and pretty much powerless now, and the other 4 are pretty much still fine. I do want to see more of this team, and will likely love this new comic legacy much like I do Hellboy. I just am unsure how they will continue on, withiout restorting to flashback stories.
Ghosting 5#: So, I finished this series off. I wasn't terribly impressed. Too much story left to be resolved in a single issue. It felt rushed. Which means I guess I am done reading Platinum books...or am I? The previews of upcoming books caught my eye (as it always does). That section is how I ended up finding this series as well as Consumed. This time, it looks like Big Badz and Gunplay may be good. So, depending on my whims at the time I see them, I may read.
The Darkness #2: I am of mixed feelings on this new Darkness series. On the one hand, the art's not too bad. Pretty standard for a Top Cow book, really. The changes to Jackie's powers and the new uses he is finding, also not bad (even pretty damned cool at times). The Darkness as a drug/ruling a South American country thing...not so much in what I want to read. I'll keep reading for now, because the story is just unique enough to have my attention.
Locke & Key #1: I am so glad I found this. What a fun idea for a comic. A horribly violent and tragic start, with a few strange tweaks along the way, and a cliffhanger ending that got my attention. Some of the dialogue among the characters seemed a bit off a couple times, but mostly this was made of awesome. Another plus is that this is the first IDW comic I have ever purchased as singles, rather than the trade.
Fables #69: What a great ending to a great storyline. While I still am not a fan of the focus on the war and all, I have to admit loving the way Flycatcher was able to go from janitor to king, and take the Adversary down a notch. The interplay between him and Red Riding Hood is also very endearing. This was an ending I was not completely expecting, and quite enjoyed.
Jack of the Fables #19: As always, loving Fables leads to worshiping Jack. The "map" of Americana is great, and very well thought out. A clever idea filled with clever-er ideas. I just can't wait to see how Jack ends up finding, and losing, the treasure he seeks.
Crossing Midnight #15: Gah, this one really messed with me. Losing and eye to your sister has got to be one of the worse things than can happen to you. The way this thing twists and turns, it is a little sad to think it is not going to be continuing for years to come. On the flip side, it is best it ends when it ends, and not get dragged on forever just because.
Madman #6: I have no idea what is going on in this series, and yet, I don't really care. Mike Allred's art can get me to buy just about anything. Oh, and I loved the back cover gag. That was awesome.
The Walkign Dead #46: The obvious happens, made even more so by the cover. It is a mildly shocking and very tragic death, but one that makes sense. If Kirkman handles the aftermath right, once the rest of this storyline dies down a bit, it could prove to be a major emotional turning point for some characters. The "twist" ending was also one I saw coming a mile away. Still fun, though.
Umbrella Academy #6: So, this one comes to its end. An interesting, if somewhat unsatisfying, end. Not to say this wasn't good. It just wasn't as good as the rest of the series. Which, I suppose, is to be expected of a series as stunningly amazing as this has been. I do find it interesting that by the end half of the cast is not really available for further action. Out of the 7 kids (and one monkey), 2 are dead, 1 is powerless, 1 is out of commission for a long time (possibly forever) and pretty much powerless now, and the other 4 are pretty much still fine. I do want to see more of this team, and will likely love this new comic legacy much like I do Hellboy. I just am unsure how they will continue on, withiout restorting to flashback stories.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Kill Me Now
So, this is turning out to be a rather not-fun time for me. Had a graveyard shift over the weekend, scanning the store I work in for inventory. 12.5 hours of scanning t-shirts and shoes was not very fun. On top of that, I caught a cold that hit just as my shift was starting. I am starting to recover, but still not feeling 100%. Finally, I have no extra money for comics for a couple more weeks. So, nothing new for a while. Sad day.
Anyhow, here's the stuff from my last comic run.
Ghosting #4: Meh. It has been too long between issues for me to keep caring much. The art in this one is not too great, but the mystery of who the ghost really is has me interested. Will buy the last issue, just because. I am less likely to get anything by Platinum Studios anymore, though. They just don't quite have anything interesting to offer int he big picture. Unless they do a new Weapon series.
Faker #6: This should have ended 2 issues ago. Finding out the reason nobody remembered Nick was all I cared for. The rest was just sort of uninteresting. The series had a better ending with #4 than it did in this issue. A shame, as Mike Carey and Jock both do good stuff, normally.
The Umbrella Academy #5: On the one hand, I can't wait to see how this ends. On the other hand, i don't want it to end. This is one of the best things to come out of comics in a long time. I am a little disappointed there was no actual indication of who those armored dudes were in the diner, but the fact that 00.05 was able to wipe them out without any real problem was pretty cool. Over the course of this issue, he managed to change from mildly streange to outright creepy. Must have more.
Countdown to Mystery #5: First time I have not liked the Doctor Fate story at all. This was just him getting over his stupidity with the drinking and reading a stupid comic. Only good part was the last panel, where the legacy aspect comes into play. The Eclipso section, on the other hand, was pretty awesome. I love the attempt to use the Eclipso power to do good, in a non-superhero way. It's something you don't ever see in comics, but totally makes sense. Good enough to get the next one.
Crime Bible: Five Lessons of Blood #4: As with the rest of this one, a good issue. Not a lot to say. Cops being killed by a cop. The reveal that this is all being orchestrated by Flay to indoctrinate Renee into the church. Which was something hinted at previously. The next issue should be fun.
Teen Titans Go! #51: Pretty much noth8ng happens, and yet this is one of the best issues yet. As has been mentioned elsewhere, this was a good redesign of the Geo-Force costume. It was also fun to see the origin of Terra. Quite a good issue.
The Spirit #12: Awesome. Some back story on Denny Colt, plus some good noir action. I will be sad to see Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone go, but the new team should be just as good. I am a huge Mike Ploog fan, and knowing he worked with Eisner back in the day give me hope this will remain good, if not improve. Anyhow, this issue was a fitting farewell to the original team.
Shadowpact #21: This issue was pretty fun, actually. Other than Blue Devil being absent, it looks like the team is getting back together. It wasn't mindblowing or anything, but enough to give the series a reprieve from the chopping block. Plus, Detective Chimp surfing the internet for love on a furry site was classic.
The Flash #236: A smart end to an ok story. A nice twist, tying the back-up stories with the main arc. I wasn't expecting that, but did enjoy it. Not enough to really continue this series. It's not bad, I just don't really care about this Flash as much as Bart. May give it another shot, may not. Depends on if I remember to take it off my list before the next issue. Hah.
Teen Titans #55: In the aftermath of the future Titan's return, the team is pretty messed up. Kid Devil and Ravager's seeming romance is over as she has moved on to an interest in Blue Beetle. Kid Devil is not taking that so well, which looks like it will lead directly to the future version of him we just saw. Miss Martian looks like she had started to go crazy, with her future self imprisoned inside her mind. Robin and Wonder Girl break up, and it isn't pretty. Wonder Girl sends Supergirl away, and this is also not pretty. All the while, some new villain is watching and preparing to take them down. This is a great issue for following up on the last story as well as leading directly into the next one.
Booster Gold #6: Made of awesome. Solid time. A pulse to liquefy solid time. 4 Blue Beetles at once. Booster Gold and Blue Beetle II together again, and joking while they fight their enemies. What works best is that the timeline hasn't changed. At all still happened like everyone remembers. The only difference, now we have the Blue and Gold back in action. One of the more satisfying returns of a dead character.
Marvel Adventures Iron Man #9: Tony comes to terms with his father, while saving the life of a young boy. Decent issue. What I like is that the last couple of these have had covers that initially seemed to be just random pin-ups of Iron Man, which were cool enough. Then, after reading the story, you see that they actually tie in really well. Much better random cover = actual contents than many comics pull off.
Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #35: Hahaha, that was funny. Venom trying to get Spider-man with the ploy of being a sidekick. Well executed and a good read. Plus, White Rabbit. Nobody ever uses White Rabbit.
Marvel Adventures Avengers #20: Another solid one. Hank Pym disappears. Giant Girl goes to figure out what happened to him. Spider-Man tags along. It turns out to be a bit of deliberate miscommunication, ending with the introduction of Atlas (though he isn't named as such in this). A decent story, with some fun Pym/Van Dyne romance involved.
Young Avengers Presents: Patriot: Very nice. We see the intelligent, truly patriotic high school kid speaking his mind, and his "patriotic" classmates missing the point and being idiots. Then the smart kid does what we have all wanted to do, and gets himself in trouble. Which is all a roundabout way of introducing him to Bucky. The end result is Patriot and Bucky having a talk about Cap and what true heroism means. Very touching and a good reintroduction to the character.
The Order #7: A lot of talk between Namor and Henry. Mostly just Namor being a dick, and then being shown up. Nothing fantastic. The next issue should be better.
Immortal Iron Fist #12: A bit more backstory on the troubles within K'un-Lun. Impending revolution over a fascist leader. We also see the Prince of Orphans do his thing, which makes the short round in last issue better by way of foreshadowing. Outside, in the real world, Hydra is about to blow some shit up. This is why this series is ongoing instead of the limited run it was originally meant to be.
Ultimates 3 #2: I dunno. Hawkeye like this isn't really feeling correct. Captain America seems a bit off as well. What's with the telling someone off for saying "crap" but letting a "bitch" go from his teammate. The Quicksilver siding with Magneto bit sort of works. I'm also wondering why there was a need for the "Two Seconds Ago" caption for the last page. Either there's something i missed, or Jeph Loeb thinks we are too dumb as readers to understand Wolverine just arrived at the scene. Will continue to buy, since I will buy anything Ultimate. But that's the only reason why.
Ultimate Iron Man II #2: A great issue. Other than Tony being able to regrow limbs like that, I am liking this look at his youth much better than the first series. This is all working out to be a great story.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #50: All of that lead in finally begins to pay off. The Cosmic Cube activates, basically taking out a section of Manhattan and prompting the return of Thanos and the Seed 19 team. Fan and Shit are about to have a confrontation. Will be fun to read.
Anyhow, here's the stuff from my last comic run.
Ghosting #4: Meh. It has been too long between issues for me to keep caring much. The art in this one is not too great, but the mystery of who the ghost really is has me interested. Will buy the last issue, just because. I am less likely to get anything by Platinum Studios anymore, though. They just don't quite have anything interesting to offer int he big picture. Unless they do a new Weapon series.
Faker #6: This should have ended 2 issues ago. Finding out the reason nobody remembered Nick was all I cared for. The rest was just sort of uninteresting. The series had a better ending with #4 than it did in this issue. A shame, as Mike Carey and Jock both do good stuff, normally.
The Umbrella Academy #5: On the one hand, I can't wait to see how this ends. On the other hand, i don't want it to end. This is one of the best things to come out of comics in a long time. I am a little disappointed there was no actual indication of who those armored dudes were in the diner, but the fact that 00.05 was able to wipe them out without any real problem was pretty cool. Over the course of this issue, he managed to change from mildly streange to outright creepy. Must have more.
Countdown to Mystery #5: First time I have not liked the Doctor Fate story at all. This was just him getting over his stupidity with the drinking and reading a stupid comic. Only good part was the last panel, where the legacy aspect comes into play. The Eclipso section, on the other hand, was pretty awesome. I love the attempt to use the Eclipso power to do good, in a non-superhero way. It's something you don't ever see in comics, but totally makes sense. Good enough to get the next one.
Crime Bible: Five Lessons of Blood #4: As with the rest of this one, a good issue. Not a lot to say. Cops being killed by a cop. The reveal that this is all being orchestrated by Flay to indoctrinate Renee into the church. Which was something hinted at previously. The next issue should be fun.
Teen Titans Go! #51: Pretty much noth8ng happens, and yet this is one of the best issues yet. As has been mentioned elsewhere, this was a good redesign of the Geo-Force costume. It was also fun to see the origin of Terra. Quite a good issue.
The Spirit #12: Awesome. Some back story on Denny Colt, plus some good noir action. I will be sad to see Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone go, but the new team should be just as good. I am a huge Mike Ploog fan, and knowing he worked with Eisner back in the day give me hope this will remain good, if not improve. Anyhow, this issue was a fitting farewell to the original team.
Shadowpact #21: This issue was pretty fun, actually. Other than Blue Devil being absent, it looks like the team is getting back together. It wasn't mindblowing or anything, but enough to give the series a reprieve from the chopping block. Plus, Detective Chimp surfing the internet for love on a furry site was classic.
The Flash #236: A smart end to an ok story. A nice twist, tying the back-up stories with the main arc. I wasn't expecting that, but did enjoy it. Not enough to really continue this series. It's not bad, I just don't really care about this Flash as much as Bart. May give it another shot, may not. Depends on if I remember to take it off my list before the next issue. Hah.
Teen Titans #55: In the aftermath of the future Titan's return, the team is pretty messed up. Kid Devil and Ravager's seeming romance is over as she has moved on to an interest in Blue Beetle. Kid Devil is not taking that so well, which looks like it will lead directly to the future version of him we just saw. Miss Martian looks like she had started to go crazy, with her future self imprisoned inside her mind. Robin and Wonder Girl break up, and it isn't pretty. Wonder Girl sends Supergirl away, and this is also not pretty. All the while, some new villain is watching and preparing to take them down. This is a great issue for following up on the last story as well as leading directly into the next one.
Booster Gold #6: Made of awesome. Solid time. A pulse to liquefy solid time. 4 Blue Beetles at once. Booster Gold and Blue Beetle II together again, and joking while they fight their enemies. What works best is that the timeline hasn't changed. At all still happened like everyone remembers. The only difference, now we have the Blue and Gold back in action. One of the more satisfying returns of a dead character.
Marvel Adventures Iron Man #9: Tony comes to terms with his father, while saving the life of a young boy. Decent issue. What I like is that the last couple of these have had covers that initially seemed to be just random pin-ups of Iron Man, which were cool enough. Then, after reading the story, you see that they actually tie in really well. Much better random cover = actual contents than many comics pull off.
Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #35: Hahaha, that was funny. Venom trying to get Spider-man with the ploy of being a sidekick. Well executed and a good read. Plus, White Rabbit. Nobody ever uses White Rabbit.
Marvel Adventures Avengers #20: Another solid one. Hank Pym disappears. Giant Girl goes to figure out what happened to him. Spider-Man tags along. It turns out to be a bit of deliberate miscommunication, ending with the introduction of Atlas (though he isn't named as such in this). A decent story, with some fun Pym/Van Dyne romance involved.
Young Avengers Presents: Patriot: Very nice. We see the intelligent, truly patriotic high school kid speaking his mind, and his "patriotic" classmates missing the point and being idiots. Then the smart kid does what we have all wanted to do, and gets himself in trouble. Which is all a roundabout way of introducing him to Bucky. The end result is Patriot and Bucky having a talk about Cap and what true heroism means. Very touching and a good reintroduction to the character.
The Order #7: A lot of talk between Namor and Henry. Mostly just Namor being a dick, and then being shown up. Nothing fantastic. The next issue should be better.
Immortal Iron Fist #12: A bit more backstory on the troubles within K'un-Lun. Impending revolution over a fascist leader. We also see the Prince of Orphans do his thing, which makes the short round in last issue better by way of foreshadowing. Outside, in the real world, Hydra is about to blow some shit up. This is why this series is ongoing instead of the limited run it was originally meant to be.
Ultimates 3 #2: I dunno. Hawkeye like this isn't really feeling correct. Captain America seems a bit off as well. What's with the telling someone off for saying "crap" but letting a "bitch" go from his teammate. The Quicksilver siding with Magneto bit sort of works. I'm also wondering why there was a need for the "Two Seconds Ago" caption for the last page. Either there's something i missed, or Jeph Loeb thinks we are too dumb as readers to understand Wolverine just arrived at the scene. Will continue to buy, since I will buy anything Ultimate. But that's the only reason why.
Ultimate Iron Man II #2: A great issue. Other than Tony being able to regrow limbs like that, I am liking this look at his youth much better than the first series. This is all working out to be a great story.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #50: All of that lead in finally begins to pay off. The Cosmic Cube activates, basically taking out a section of Manhattan and prompting the return of Thanos and the Seed 19 team. Fan and Shit are about to have a confrontation. Will be fun to read.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Marvel Overload
Wow, I read lots of comics. My Marvel pile from a few weeks back is 20 comics deep. 20 comics for a couple weeks of backlog is a lot.
Marvel Adventures: Hulk #7: Silver Surfer vs. Terrax. Bruce banner wants to help, but can't get Rick Jones to hit him to provoke a Hulk-out. Monkey saves the day. One of the funniest things I have seen in comics since Babe the Blue Ox in Jack of the Fables. Great issue.
Marvel Adventures: Iron Man #8: Tony Stark is attacked by Jolt, who I thought was a regular old hero in normal Marvel continuity. She made a decent villain for him in this one. The Amish/"The Village" town was frustrating, and a little stupid. Steam-tech Iron Man was cool, though.
Marvel Adventures: Fantastic Four #31: Made of awesome. Shopping trip gone wrong, with Sue and Johnny saving the day. Loved the hero worshiping security guys, and Reed commenting on how he is usually seen as the smart one. Best part was anything related to the Thing in this issue.
Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #19: So-so story with one of my favorite villains. Super-Adaptoid is such a fun idea, and this was a great variation on the theme. I like that they didn't try to shoe-horn every character in. They used who they needed to, and left the rest out of it. Once again, proof that the all-ages comics can often be better than the regular stuff.
The Mighty Avengers #6 & #7: Beautiful work by Cho, as usual. Thought bubbles are still annoying. Shame this was delayed so much, since it interfered with the follow-up. We already know what happens with the symbiote plague. We already know about Spider-Woman leaving the other Avengers team for this one. All-in-all, would have been much better if it all would have been on time. Also, what was up with the art in #7. Bagley's stuff is usually great, but it was off in this. I am assuming it had something to do with poor inking, as it still looked mostly like his usual quality. Just a bit off, somehow.
Thunderbolts #118: This was not too bad. In general, I have not really been liking this series much. I like the initial premise of the Thunderbolts, but not the revamp making them more of a Suicide Squad. This issue, however, was fun. Just enough interesting plot advancement to make me want to see the next issue.
The Order #6: I love the background bits we get on the members of the team. Fun to see some insight into why they are the way they are. I felt bad for the mutant lizard things. I know I shouldn't, but I do. The Namor plotline that was randomly introduced here seems out of place to me. Hopefully, now that the news of the series' cancellation is out, there will be enough time and space to wrap it all up in a non-annoying way.
Nova #10: A bit of a let-down, but still good. I was really looking forward to seeing the Phalanx homeworld. This diversion was good for the character development between Nova and Gamora. Sort of explains how they got to where they are in terms of each other. It was a good issue to have, but not what I was looking forward to reading. Next issue, though. I hope...
Avengers: The Initiative #8: Ant-Man vs. Stature vs. Yellowjacket. What a great idea, and well played. I am surprised nobody has done this before. The original Ant-Man, the daughter of the last An-Man, and the guy trying to become the new Ant-Man. When you see it all laid out like that, the story is obvious. Taskmaster as the trainer for the new recruits is pretty sweet too, and just sort of makes sense. The MVP clone thing is really turning ugly, and I like to see that play out. Also, Geldoff. Wonder how Bendis feels seeing his creation making its way into regular Marvel continuity.
Captain America #33: Like we all didn't see that coming. Winter Soldier is hardcore, even with only one arm. The more I think on it, the more i realize that they new costume, while not popular (and reasonably so), makes sense for who is wearing it. Not much to say about this one, as the next issue is the one to watch.
Immortal Iron Fist #11: Davos is pretty badass, isn't he? The fight didn't last long at all, which is kind of a shame. I wanted to see more of that. But, still, using your chi to replace a severed hand is pretty sweet. Enough so that I can forgive the fight ending that fast. I also loved the whole "Hydra Guy. Hydra Guy. Old Woman. Hydra Guy." panel. Cracked me up.
Annihilation; Conquest #3: The shit is really hitting the fan here. Adam Warlock is going to be so much more awesome than he used to be, and it is nice to see Him come back. High Evolutionary's return is nice too, though don't know how much that is worth what with teh whole explosion of his ship thing. Starlord's team is still pretty fun, and the ending of this issue was a nice non-cliffhanger. So glad I am reading this as it happens, instead of in trade format. Much better episodic, I think.
Terror Inc. #4: By far one of the most disgusting comics I have ever read. Which is why I love it. Nothing else need be said.
Foolkiller #3: I would read this as an ongoing. I don't read the Punisher. That in and of itself should say something.
Ultimate Power #9: This deserves a post for itself. Some time that is not now.
Ultimate X-Men #89: A one-shot issue before the Apocalypse stuff happens. Introduction of the Shadow King. Handled pretty well. Really only important for the fact that it lets Storm split from Wolverine and get back to Beast.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #49: This was fun. I like how the Ultimate Red Ghost was not who I was expecting. I also like how her powers were much more strange, and interesting, than the 616 version. I think this will be a fun recurring villain, if they ever decide to bring her back.
Ultimate Spider-Man #117: Father vs. Son in the ultimate Goblin beatdown. Peter handled himself pretty well in this one, and it served as a pretty good end for the Green Goblin. The end was very touching. I think this story was handled well. Can't wait for the next arc. I loved that show.
Ultimate Human #1: Ugh. A 4-issue minseries made just to tie in with the upcoming movies. I am never a fan of that happening. From a marketing standpoint, I get it. I still don't like it. I also don't see why it had to be an Ultimate title. Mainstream America doesn't care about the ultimate stuff, and won't know to look for it. If this was going to happen, it should have been 616 Marvel to suffer. I will admit, the introduction of Ultimate Leader was kind of cool to see, even if it was also the introduction of Ellis's pet mutant Pete Wisdom as well. Still gonna buy the rest of this, since I will buy anything Ultimate. I am a sheep.
Marvel Adventures: Hulk #7: Silver Surfer vs. Terrax. Bruce banner wants to help, but can't get Rick Jones to hit him to provoke a Hulk-out. Monkey saves the day. One of the funniest things I have seen in comics since Babe the Blue Ox in Jack of the Fables. Great issue.
Marvel Adventures: Iron Man #8: Tony Stark is attacked by Jolt, who I thought was a regular old hero in normal Marvel continuity. She made a decent villain for him in this one. The Amish/"The Village" town was frustrating, and a little stupid. Steam-tech Iron Man was cool, though.
Marvel Adventures: Fantastic Four #31: Made of awesome. Shopping trip gone wrong, with Sue and Johnny saving the day. Loved the hero worshiping security guys, and Reed commenting on how he is usually seen as the smart one. Best part was anything related to the Thing in this issue.
Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #19: So-so story with one of my favorite villains. Super-Adaptoid is such a fun idea, and this was a great variation on the theme. I like that they didn't try to shoe-horn every character in. They used who they needed to, and left the rest out of it. Once again, proof that the all-ages comics can often be better than the regular stuff.
The Mighty Avengers #6 & #7: Beautiful work by Cho, as usual. Thought bubbles are still annoying. Shame this was delayed so much, since it interfered with the follow-up. We already know what happens with the symbiote plague. We already know about Spider-Woman leaving the other Avengers team for this one. All-in-all, would have been much better if it all would have been on time. Also, what was up with the art in #7. Bagley's stuff is usually great, but it was off in this. I am assuming it had something to do with poor inking, as it still looked mostly like his usual quality. Just a bit off, somehow.
Thunderbolts #118: This was not too bad. In general, I have not really been liking this series much. I like the initial premise of the Thunderbolts, but not the revamp making them more of a Suicide Squad. This issue, however, was fun. Just enough interesting plot advancement to make me want to see the next issue.
The Order #6: I love the background bits we get on the members of the team. Fun to see some insight into why they are the way they are. I felt bad for the mutant lizard things. I know I shouldn't, but I do. The Namor plotline that was randomly introduced here seems out of place to me. Hopefully, now that the news of the series' cancellation is out, there will be enough time and space to wrap it all up in a non-annoying way.
Nova #10: A bit of a let-down, but still good. I was really looking forward to seeing the Phalanx homeworld. This diversion was good for the character development between Nova and Gamora. Sort of explains how they got to where they are in terms of each other. It was a good issue to have, but not what I was looking forward to reading. Next issue, though. I hope...
Avengers: The Initiative #8: Ant-Man vs. Stature vs. Yellowjacket. What a great idea, and well played. I am surprised nobody has done this before. The original Ant-Man, the daughter of the last An-Man, and the guy trying to become the new Ant-Man. When you see it all laid out like that, the story is obvious. Taskmaster as the trainer for the new recruits is pretty sweet too, and just sort of makes sense. The MVP clone thing is really turning ugly, and I like to see that play out. Also, Geldoff. Wonder how Bendis feels seeing his creation making its way into regular Marvel continuity.
Captain America #33: Like we all didn't see that coming. Winter Soldier is hardcore, even with only one arm. The more I think on it, the more i realize that they new costume, while not popular (and reasonably so), makes sense for who is wearing it. Not much to say about this one, as the next issue is the one to watch.
Immortal Iron Fist #11: Davos is pretty badass, isn't he? The fight didn't last long at all, which is kind of a shame. I wanted to see more of that. But, still, using your chi to replace a severed hand is pretty sweet. Enough so that I can forgive the fight ending that fast. I also loved the whole "Hydra Guy. Hydra Guy. Old Woman. Hydra Guy." panel. Cracked me up.
Annihilation; Conquest #3: The shit is really hitting the fan here. Adam Warlock is going to be so much more awesome than he used to be, and it is nice to see Him come back. High Evolutionary's return is nice too, though don't know how much that is worth what with teh whole explosion of his ship thing. Starlord's team is still pretty fun, and the ending of this issue was a nice non-cliffhanger. So glad I am reading this as it happens, instead of in trade format. Much better episodic, I think.
Terror Inc. #4: By far one of the most disgusting comics I have ever read. Which is why I love it. Nothing else need be said.
Foolkiller #3: I would read this as an ongoing. I don't read the Punisher. That in and of itself should say something.
Ultimate Power #9: This deserves a post for itself. Some time that is not now.
Ultimate X-Men #89: A one-shot issue before the Apocalypse stuff happens. Introduction of the Shadow King. Handled pretty well. Really only important for the fact that it lets Storm split from Wolverine and get back to Beast.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #49: This was fun. I like how the Ultimate Red Ghost was not who I was expecting. I also like how her powers were much more strange, and interesting, than the 616 version. I think this will be a fun recurring villain, if they ever decide to bring her back.
Ultimate Spider-Man #117: Father vs. Son in the ultimate Goblin beatdown. Peter handled himself pretty well in this one, and it served as a pretty good end for the Green Goblin. The end was very touching. I think this story was handled well. Can't wait for the next arc. I loved that show.
Ultimate Human #1: Ugh. A 4-issue minseries made just to tie in with the upcoming movies. I am never a fan of that happening. From a marketing standpoint, I get it. I still don't like it. I also don't see why it had to be an Ultimate title. Mainstream America doesn't care about the ultimate stuff, and won't know to look for it. If this was going to happen, it should have been 616 Marvel to suffer. I will admit, the introduction of Ultimate Leader was kind of cool to see, even if it was also the introduction of Ellis's pet mutant Pete Wisdom as well. Still gonna buy the rest of this, since I will buy anything Ultimate. I am a sheep.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)