Comic Book Reviews for the week of Dec. 24, 2008 (One-Shots)

Captain America: Theater of War – America First!

Not as good as the previous issue, but still pretty solid. I rolled my eyes at the beginning when I saw that Commies were the villain in this installment. It never registered that by 1955, Cap had been frozen for about 10 years already. Once I found out this was the crazy Cap (who we last saw recently in the current Captain America series), the book suddenly got a bit more interesting. There’s nothing spectacular or ground-breaking here. We’ve got a McCarthy analogue complete with Senate hearings and everything, but this guy turns out to actually be a Communist. We even get to see a post-war, pre-patch Nick Fury.

Secret Invasion: Requiem #1

This is how I like reprints to be done: frame the reprinted stories with new material. That way the reader is a bit more likely to actually read the reprint rather than just skimming it or even closing the book all together after the new material has been read. This book even went a step farther and threw something pretty important to the story. Pym made a new hero for himself by taking up Janet’s memory and becoming the new Wasp. Pretty damn fine looking costume, too. But the thing with Jocasta has me worried. Do they end up together? It makes sense, I guess, what with her being pretty much a robotic version of Janet, but doesn’t he remember the troubles Vision and Scarlet Witch had? Anyways, I look forward to seeing them in Mighty Avengers.

What If? Spider-Man: Back in Black #1

Regardless of what happens to him, I strongly believe that Spider-Man would not kill anyone. Would he hurt someone? Sure. He’d beat the holy hell out of someone who hurt or killed a loved one, but I really don’t believe that he’d kill someone, not even the people responsible for the death of Mary Jane. And I’m wondering if I’d care about the back-up more if I’d read the second or third volumes of Runaways.

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 Dec. 10, 2008 (One-Shots)

Secret Invasion: Dark Reign #1

Where Secret Invasion was, well, secret, Bendis went a different direction with Dark Reign by getting ALMOST everything out in the open. We still don’t know who his secret weapon is, and I think it’s great that Namor and Doom have their own thing going. It was great to see Maleev back with Bendis, but his Namor looked like crap. He looked like some creepy guy rather than a noble king. I was initially surprised that Emma Frost was there, but it was explained very well. I can hardly ever find fault with a Brian Michael Bendis story, and this is no exception. He IS Marvel Comics.

What If? House of M #1

While the story wasn’t all that bad, I thought the art work was extremely ugly. We’re given a great cover by Jimmy Cheung and Marko Djurdjevic, and what’s on the inside is semi-manga crap. Seeing Paolo Pantalena’s name on a book won’t necessarily keep me from buying it, but it will if I’m on the fence about something. It was like a cross between bad early ‘90s Image style and manga. I would have thought Tony would have created more Iron suits earlier than he did, or at least put people in his old suits. He’s done it before. The trouble with these What If books is that so much story has to packed into too little a space. If it were a mini series, I’m sure it would play out better.

What If? Fallen Son #1

I think this story played out better than the previous. There wasn’t as long a stretch of time that was condensed and/or glossed over to fit it into the issue. The art was better, but still not all that great. Trevor Goring seems to be a poor man’s Sean Phillips or Alex Maleev. I also like that the story wasn’t given a clean finish. It lets us mull over the ending, letting us form our own ultimate ending.

Wolverine: Flies to a Spider #1

All flash, no substance. This is just a chance to show Wolverine killing a lot of people. Sure, there’s a reason for it, but it definitely comes in second to the violence. It felt more like a Punisher book.






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Listening to: Neil Patrick Harris & Felicia Day - My Eyes
via FoxyTunes

Comic Book Reviews for the Week of Dec. 3, 2008 (Limited Series)

Battlefields: The Night Witches #2

With this issue we get a better view of the Germans on the ground who might have given the Night Witches their name. I was a bit shocked by the gang rape, but I wouldn’t be a decent human if I weren’t. At least there was that lone voice of reason, so Germans as a whole weren’t demonized. I’m a bit surprised that this is only a three-issue mini. It seems like there’s more story there.

Chuck #6

As with the TV show, this was incredibly corny. But also like the TV show, it was extremely fun and enjoyable. The Capt. Awesome back-up, though, was decidedly not awesome. In fact, it was downright stupid. Hell, if they needed filler material so bad, just go old school and throw in some pin-ups. It’s Wildstorm. There are tons of crazy-good artists who I’d love to see do a pin-up of Chuck and the gang.

Crossed #2

I’m really not sure what to make of this series. The art by Burrows is as consistent as ever. I expect graphic shit from him, and I’m by no means disappointed. It’s just the actual story. I mean, I also expect graphic stuff from Ennis, but this just feels different. Maybe I’m just burned out on zombie stories (yeah, I know these aren’t zombies in the strictest sense of the word, but it’s pretty fuckin’ close). Maybe it’s the sexual twist that Ennis put in. Other than that, I’m not really finding much difference than you’re run-of-the-mill zombie tale. Maybe he should just stick to military stories.

Ender’s Shadow: Battle School #1

I haven’t read the Shadow books, but I’ve always meant to. I remember Bean being a little shit in Ender’s Game, so I’m glad (and a little horrified) to finally get in on his background. I’m not saying I won’t eventually read the Shadow books, but now I know what to expect. Bean definitely is a scrawny little thing. This issue got him into the Battle School, so I’m hoping next issue we’ll see parallel’s made between him and Ender. And really, that’s already been done. We’ve seen what’s lead up to both kids being sent up to the Battle School. While physically and socially Ender and Bean may be totally different, it looks like they may have a common thought process. I’m loving the Card and King adaptations.

Haunted Tank #1

“A mistake has been made.”

Not a bad issue at all. We’re quickly brought up to speed regarding who JEB Stuart is and why he’s around to help out armored cavalry. Then we get joke: his ancestor this time around is black. This was pretty much an introductory issue that allowed us to meet General Stuart and Sergeant Stuart and his tank crew. While we got some decent but quick action this issue, I’m hoping we’ll get some more in the next one.

Marvel Zombies 3 #3

“Stop that robot! Bring me whichever part of it can feel pain…so I can stab it repeatedly!”

The zombies’ plan is revealed, but can Aaron make it back to Jocasta in time to stop her from delivering the final piece of the “inoculation?” No, he can’t. He gets himself blowed up. I’m a little disappointed in the lack of humor in this series, or how when we do get it, it’s pretty forced. The humor doesn’t flow nearly as well as it did in the last two series. Oh, and look at that. Almost everyone at A.R.M.O.R. is now infected thanks to zombie Morbius. How will Portal and Jocasta end up stopping this?

Marvels: Eye of the Camera #1

I think I was expecting something different. I expected it to pick up sometime after the previous series. But this issue seems to take place somewhere in the middle, right when the Silver Age Marvel Universe was being born. We’re reintroduced to Phil Sheldon and his family, but the first series isn’t really reference at all. At one point, quickly, in passing, he brings up Maggie. If I’m not mistaken, I think she was a little mutant girl that he saved from an angry mob or something like that. Other than that, though, there was nothing. We don’t know at what point in time the issue ends, just that it’s a few years after the intro of the Fantastic Four and the others. I’m assuming now we’re past where we left off in Marvels. It’ll be interesting to see where Phil goes from here.

Projet Superpowers #1/2

Either I missed it and never realized it or I had forgotten that the Dynamic Forces (all of them, or just Man and Boy?) are robots. And really, how self-serving can you be? Dynamite Entertainment is owned by Dynamic Forces, the online store that sells signed and special comic book merchandise, right? Or at least owned by the same guy? Of course, I guess it’s no different than Marvel having a Captain Marvel (or three) running around. This was a quick yet decent issue that gave us a brief glimpse inside Dynamic Man and Boy.

Sandman: The Dream Hunters #2

What a beautiful story. Someone has set out to kill the monk, while the fox creeps around to protect him, getting injured and trapped in dreams for her trouble. I really need to read the original version. Russell is doing an awesome and visually stunning job of adapting this thing.

Secret Invasion #8

Wow. Norman Osborn is having the best year ever (VH1 got it SO wrong). I cannot wait to see how that last page plays out. Osborn, The Hood, Loki, Dr. Doom, Namor, and The White Queen (isn’t she still a good guy?), all in cahoots. Nice. I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a universe-wide crossover this much since Infinity Gauntlet. We’ve got actual repercussion rather than a reset to the status quo. We’ve got deaths. We’ve got “resurrections” (I would have been okay had some of them stayed dead). We’ve got a new status quo. And we’ve got a new pariah. I think this might be enough to drive Tony back to the bottle. I really want to see this played up in the Amazing Spider-Man. Norman Osborn is his arch enemy. This has to get more than just a passing mention. Kudos to Bendis and Yu and all involved with this story. This starts a new era in the Marvel Universe, and I’m glad I’m around to witness it.

Secret Invasion: Front Line #5

Oh no, Ben’s wife died? And he wasn’t there…how sad. I enjoyed this Front Line series much more than the Civil War one. It seemed more about real people, and we only got brief glimpses of the super heroes. Because of the last page, I’m hoping we’ll see a Dark Reign: Front Line series. With the death of his wife and his past with Osborn, I would assume this would consume Ben’s life. It’s a story someone needs to write and won’t be able to fit in Amazing Spider-Man or Daredevil, although with his relationships with both characters, his current situation should at least be brought up in both titles.

Terror Titans #3

All right, so Dreadbolt killed his dad, big deal. The shocker (hah!) here was the introduction of Static into the DCU proper. I knew the Milestone characters were coming over, I just didn’t expect Static to turn up here. I never read his comic, but I really enjoyed the cartoon…which was set in the animated DCU proper, so there’s that. So how long has he been here? He’s the reigning champion, so I would assume a while now. I’m looking forward to how this plays out.

Trinity #27

Amidst some page-filling fighting and Tarot and Charity trying to figure out what’s going on, Morgaine and Enigma recruit Konvict to the cause. I guess this was kind of a filler issue, getting us ready for heroes to go up against the unholy Trinity. I had been hoping that we’d seen the last of that horny gorilla, but I guess not.

Vixen: Return of the Lion #3

Again, beautiful artwork, but a lack of backgrounds. It makes me wonder if they’re just not Cafu’s strength and it’s a good thing the story is set in a pretty sparse setting, or if it’s just that we don’t get to see his background work because the story is set in a pretty sparse setting. I wonder what he’s got lined up next? The story is staying consistently decent, but Mari’s power being inside her was telegraphed a couple of pages earlier.

Wolverine: Manifest Destiny #2

The thing that still grabs me about this book is how similar Stephen Segovia’s artwork looks in comparison to Lionel Francis Yu’s. And has Wolverine ever had a girlfriend that wasn’t in some way a villain or at least connected to one? Even Mariko at one point led the Hand. I’m having a hard time getting into this. And Rock of the Buddha looks ridiculous. Is that a giant ball necklace? Seems ‘twould be a hindrance. Soulstriker was pretty cool, though. And at the end we’re dropped right into a Bruce Lee movie. Eh. Just eh.

Xena/Army of Darkness: What…again? #2

Ash, Xena, Gabrielle and Autolocus get thrown around different classic stories after trying to escape from a bunch of Deadites. There’s nothing high-brow about the show, but it’s pretty fun.

X-Infernus #1

Okay, I’ve got no idea what’s going on here, but I like it. The last time I was reading all of the X-Men titles regularly, Illyana was dead due to the Legacy Virus. So she’s alive and in Limbo. Is this Illyana from a different point in the timeline? I don’t know. I’ll have to look it up. But it looks like Pixie (whom I don’t know) has part of her soul (a soul dagger), and Nightcrawler had A soul sword, and maybe it’s Illyana’s and maybe it’s not, I don’t know, but whatever happened when Pixie pulled it out of Nightcrawler, it was enough to bring Darkchylde into the Danger Room. This should be fun.
X-Men: Manifest Destiny #4

I’m still out of the loop about Iceman and his powers. For me, this is all rehashing stuff Bobby went through with the White Queen. Cessily is new to me, too, but I’m getting sick of all the different X-kids and X-Men who bitch and moan about being different. It’s been done to death. Try something new. I guess Nightcrawler’s story had to be told, but something extremely similar is done almost any time an X-person dies. The entire issue seemed to be a retread.

X-Men: Worlds Apart #2
The Shadow King is toying with Ororo by controlling both Cyclops and Black Panther. She had no problem blowing Scott up while he was flying to San Fran to get rid of the X-Men, but things are a bit harder when you’re fighting a husband that wants to kill you. All the while she still has to protect her mutant ward, who killed a man while under the Shadow King’s control. Farouk is making things a bit difficult for Ororo. It’s a good story that shows her being pulled between two very different lives, one as an X-Man and one as a queen.

X-Men: Noir #1

Oh, I hope the Spider-Man book is better than this. It’s just not my thing. The art was too dark and sometimes it was difficult to tell who was who, and the story just didn’t grab me. I’ll pick up the Spidey story, but I think I’m done with the X-Men.

Comic Book Reviews for the Week of Dec. 3, 2008 (On-Going Series)

Amazing Spider-Man #579

So now there’s mystery surrounding JJJ and his dad. And really, without being webbed up, did anyone actually expect the Shocker to stick around once they found safety? Waid’s first arc was decent, but pretty standard. We had a classic villain show up, we had Spidey defy the odds, and we had the introduction of a new character. Check, check, and check.

Criminal #7

Well, Mr. Brubaker took me by surprise with the end of this issue. And he showed us how everything worked out, too. I also like that Jacob didn’t get off scott free. Although, I guess you could say it’s poetic justice. It looks like everyone got what they deserved.

Justice Society of America #21

That was a pretty short issue and a pretty quick reversal by Gog’s followers. I would think there would be more anger toward Gog by the JSAers that followed him, or at least some pleading with him. But no, they went right to the fighting. More Kingdom Come-age, we saw Alan in his KC armor, and it looks like Jay was turned into the KC Flash. I wonder if that’ll be permanent. We’ll finally get to the conclusion next month. I hope that doesn’t mean it’ll be the last Alex Ross cover. I’ve been enjoying them.

New Avengers #47

I like what Bendis has done in New Avengers and Mighty Avengers, showing us events in the past that set up the Secret Invasion. This issue shows some key points in the blossoming relationship between Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. It ends with the two realizing that Skrull Jarvis has taken their baby. I would NOT want to be Skrull Jarvis when they find him. Of course, the baby is a Skrull too, right?

Sir Apropos of Nothing #2

Let’s see how many of the reference I can get: Chicken Little, Wizard of Oz, Bart Simpson, The Spirit (?), The Beatles, Snoopy and Charlie Brown, Thor, Winnie the Pooh and Piglet, Zorro, The Hulk, Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Who, Don Quixote, Peter Pan and Wendy, The Gunslinger, Fallen Angel, Popeye, Wizard of Oz again, Wolfman (?), Mutant Enemy, Bella Lugosi, and last but not least The Wizard of Oz yet again. David sure does like throwing all this crap in there. Of course, I still found it funny.

The Boys #25

This issue is more cryptic than anything. Hughie meets Godolkin and plants a bunch of bugs in the G-Men’s house and learns that Nubia isn’t quite as dead as everyone thinks she is. There’s some conspiring and some porn, and I like how Critter has his little neck shield on, I guess so he won’t lick himself. Other than that it’s just a lot of talking.

Comic Book Reviews for the Week of Nov. 26, 2008 (Mini-Series)

Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch #2

Okay, I like how they are portraying Danny as a junkie, complete with withdrawal symptoms and even a suicide attempt. I’m not so sure how I feel about the Ghost Rider of different cultures. I understand that it has been introduced that there have been other Ghost Riders in the past, but this just smacks of Spawn and his various past (and future) incarnations. But I guess it does make sense, but it’s still pretty derivative.

Reign in Hell #5

I’m confused on the whole Lobo thing. How long has he been in Hell? How long has a doppelganger been running around? And are we supposed to believe that an enraged Zatanna has any type of shot against him? I wouldn’t think so.

Secret Invasion: Inhumans #4

Not all that surprising of an ending. The good guys won, the bad guys lost. I guess the big news for Inhumans fans is the engagement of Crystal and Ronan (I’m guessing Quicksilver won’t be too pleased about this), Maximus and Black Bolt ruling together, and the alliance with the Kree. As a sometimes spectator of the Inhumans, I’m not that moved by it. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Black Bolt dispatch his Skrull tormentor, though. That was neat.

Secret Invasion: X-Men #4

Mmm, not a bad issue, but really not that original at all. We basically got the mutant version of “War of the Worlds.” And the ending seemed to be straight out of X-Factor’s part of the Fall of the Mutants crossover two decades ago. I didn’t much care for the art, until we got some close-ups. Everything else seemed to be a bit washed out. I’m looking forward to the last issue of Secret Invasion to see how the whole shebang plays out.

The War That Time Forgot #7

This title snuck up on me. I’m familiar with only one or two characters and I’ve got no clue what’s going on, but it’s just a good, engaging story. The giant spiders this issue were a shock, but I guess that’s not much different than the dinosaurs. With everything starting to come to a head, I hope we learn what the hell is going on. Are the aliens studying how these guys fight in order to plan for an attack? Hmm…

True Believers #5

Well, this wasn’t a bad mini. It was actually pretty decent. But the concept seems very limited. Maybe when there is a major event they can hook up with Frontline, but otherwise I don’t see much more use for them than I do for NFL SuperPro.

Unknown Soldier #2

Is this how all of the Unknown Soldiers have been? Is each series/story about a different person, or has the Unknown Soldier always been the same character until now? Eh, it doesn’t matter. This is a great book. It really pulls at your heart then sickens you, and that’s mostly because of the children, their indifference to death met on the road or as soldiers killing nuns. I also like being able to see Soldier’s hallucination. He doesn’t inherently know how to fight; he’s being told. I’m looking forward to him kicking some ass next issue.