Comic Book Reviews for the Week of Dec. 24, 2008 (On-Going Series)

Brave and the Bold #20

Part 2 of probably the best story so far to come out of this series. The story keeps moving and doesn’t give you a chance to be bored with it. The art is strong and clear, and the alien landscapes are beautiful. Does anyone actually understand what the Phantom Stranger can do? If so, could you please explain it to me, because I’ve got no clue. He can apparently be taken down by an alien plant, so he’s not all powerful. Is this character popular enough to be so mysterious? Can we get an origin story, and not some cheap cop-out like the Secret Origins issue where he’s given multiple origins.

Daredevil #114

So Black Tarantula and White Tiger have been killed and then resurrected as agents of the Hand. Not good at all for Matt. Plus, the thing with Dakota came back to bite him royally in the ass. Again, not good. Foggy’s right. Matt just needs to give the Donovan’s what they want and forget all about Milla. And Izo is the guy who taught Stick. I guess that’s why I made the connection last month. Yeah, we’ll go with that.

Gigantic #2

So the big robot thing that’s actually a human accidentally killed his niece when he appeared on Earth. That sucks. This is a better take on the Mojoverse than the Mojoverse is. The only problem I had was with the fluctuating size of Gigantic. When he appeared last issue he was as big as a building. By the end of this one he was laying on a couch. I hope that’s addressed.

Hulk #9

This comic doesn’t seem to have any substance to it. It seems like a way to showcase great artists (Ed McGuinnes? Art Adams? Frank Cho? Some damned fine artists) drawing the Hulk and various guest stars. And Loeb is tailoring each story to that artist’s forte. McGuinnes gets to draw massive characters, Adams gets to draw a lot of monsters, and Cho gets to draw a lot of ladies. I’m not saying this is a bad thing, but it just seems to be pandering. Loeb could at least be dropping hints as to Rulk’s identity (my money is still on Talbot) along the way. All that being said, it IS a pretty damn fine looking book, and worth the money for the art alone.

New Avengers #48

Nope, I don’t buy it. I don’t buy that Luke would go to Osborn and the Thunderbolts for help. Jessica, sure. She’s always been a little messed up. But not Luke. He has standards and won’t break them for anything, even if it’s about his daughter. Unless of course he’s going to use this as an opportunity to infiltrate Osborn’s inner circle. That I can almost buy. Otherwise, I enjoyed the rest of the book…well, except for the art. I’m not a big Tan fan. I’m hoping he’s not the regular artist. I miss Yu. I hope Cap stays on as a team member. We already know that Mockingbird either isn’t going to be on the team or is going to be a mole of some sort. Spidey and Wolvie together is always fun, and Hawkeye and Bucky should almost be like brothers, both learning from Cap. Fun times are in store for everyone.

New Warriors #19

I’m done with this series when this storyline is over. I’m not at all connected to any of the characters, and there’s just too much bitching and moaning. And apparently in the future the dead can be brought back to life with no consequences.

Nova #20

Now THAT’S the New Warriors I remember. I still don’t know how I’m going to like a whole corps of Novas. If this is going to turn out to be a team book, I don’t think I will like it. Too many people with the same powers. If Nova continues to fly solo, though, I don’t think I’d have any problem with it.

Skaar: Son of Hulk #6

So it seems as if the legends of the Sakaarson were made up. That’s gonna piss some people off. Of the three possible Sakaarson’s I recognized Nova and the Silver Surfer. Was the other one an Eternal? The Death’s Head Guards look somewhat Phalanxish, but I’ll have to take a look at some Nova back issues to see how much they resemble Minion. If they are Minion, that’ll give me a headache what with the timeline confusion. Next issue should be good: Silver Surfer vs. Skaar.

Thor #12

This was a clever look at Loki’s past. All of the scenes we saw have been seen since this book started, either IN the book or in the specials by Matt Fraction. It pretty much ruins any hope of ever having Loki as a sympathetic villain, though, since it’s his hand behind his past that sets him up as a villain. And for a moment, there, I half expected Loki and Hela to start going at it. That sure would have messed up Sif if she’s able to live again once Loki isn’t wearing her form.

Ultimate Spider-Man #129

If I’m remembering this correctly, was Spider-Girl a female clone of Peter? Did I get that right? Having it be Gwen would make sense, what with the symbiote’s ability to change just about anything having to do with her appearance, but I don’t think the ever met the Torch. Can May be arrested like that, or can she be asked (nicely) to come down to the station to answer some questions? And all this is going to be interrupted by a giant tidal wave. Nice going Magneto.

Comic Book Reviews for the Week of Nov. 5, 2008 (On-Going Series)

New format this week. Rather than "rate" the books I read, I've got them divided up by type of book (on-going, mini-series, or special/one-shot). Let's see how this works.

Amazing Spider-Man #576

I like that Spidey had to use at least a bit of his brains to defeat Hammerhead. I was under the impression, though, that his entire skeleton had been reinforced. If not, then how exactly does he walk around with that incredibly heavy noggin of his? I like this new Hammerhead, and I hope we see him around more. I also like this new reporter. She’s cute and feisty and spunky and a smart ass. Just enough of MJ’s personality to win back all the BND haters, with a bit of Gwen (she’s blonde…maybe I’m reaching) thrown in for good measure. Next week is the Punisher, but I’m not sure which writer we get and I’m too lazy to look it up on the web. I’m digging Joe Kelly so far, though. I’m glad he’s on board.

Gigantic #1

I’ve heard lots of good things about Rick Remender, but that’s after his series have been going for a while, so I thought I’d get in on this one with the first issue. This issue gives us the basics, just enough to get us wondering what exactly is going on so we’ll come back next issue. Apparently Earth was created as a television show/station. All of the sudden some giant robot/alien shows up, accidentally kills a bunch of people (which he feels badly about), and is followed some alien cops or bounty hunters or somesuch. Why is he being chased? Why did he blow up? What will happen in the next episode/issue? I’ll let you know in a month.

Invincible Iron Man #7

“Doing well since leaving Stark?”
“I’m okay…”
“Hear you’re taking pictures for a website.”
“Um…”
“Great career move there, guy.”

Okay, I think this is the first time since Brand New Day began that something that linked Peter Parker to Tony Stark (and not Spider-Man to Iron Man via the Avengers) was mentioned. So he did work for Tony, that much is still good. Too bad we had to get this nugget in Iron Man’s book and not Spider-Man’s. I think Matt Fraction needs to be in on the Spider-Man brain-trust. He captured the guy perfectly. And the interaction between Tony and Peter harkened right back to pre-Civil War days when they were all buddy-buddy. This is just me, but I liked it when everyone knew who Spidey was. It was new and it was interesting. I think, even in the midst of Brand New Day, there are still stories to be told from that, and I would think Iron Man would figure heavily into it what with Tony being a mentor to Peter and all. Wow, from reading this you might think this was actually a Spider-Man book. It’s not. It’s an excellent Iron Man book. Matt Fraction is just doing gang-busters on this title, and Salvador Larroca is definitely on top of his game.

Justice Society of America #20

Since Alex Ross is by far my favorite artist, I’ve been thrilled to see him working on the Justice Society covers. I have to admit, though, I think there are just a few too many characters. It’s starting to get a bit confusing, especially with Power Girl’s origin being explored/retconned/destroyed. There’s just so much going on that it’s a bit difficult to fully keep up. But I’m trying, and it’s still a good read once things click for me.

Secret Six #3

“Our hostage bit me, do you see? See where she broke the skin? Then she spat at me. She’s captured my heart, fellows. And I have been keeping the perfect dowry in my freezer at home!”

Seriously? A get out of Hell free card? That’s awesome! I’m loving the interaction between these guys, and riding away on the horses was a nice touch. Villains sure can be a lot of fun.

Top 10: Season 2 #2

I think I really need to go back and read all the ABC books. This is a really engaging series, and while it is doing a relatively good job at being new reader friendly, you can tell there’s so much that’s been missed. This issue mostly focuses on Irma Geddon and her mental state following her partner’s death. From what few nuggets were dropped about those circumstances, it sound like it would be an interesting story.

Trinity #23

Okay, Busiek has found his groove. I like what he’s doing with the absence of the Trinity: the world is trying to replace them. Pretty damn neat. And Bagley has found his DC groove. It’s great that he’s getting to draw just about everyone in the universe. I think the shit is about to hit the fan, too, what with Despero heading to Earth, John Stewart being corrupted by a Qwardian entity (I’ve no idea who), and Kronus watching the whole thing.



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