Category Archives: Comics
I’m Only In It For The Prowler
Yesterday, Marvel Comics unveiled their next big status quo shake-up, called ‘Divided We Fall’. It’s pretty dumb. Is this really Marvel’s new business model? Go from Big Event to Status Quo Shake-Up to Big Event to Status Quo Shake-Up every six months or so? Are they so desperate that they’re just going to chase that #1 issue sales bump over and over? It’s ridiculous and I absolutely don’t care. As long as you’re making good comics, I’ll keep reading and enjoying. You’re not impressing this henchman with these stunts.
And on any other day, I would have completely ignored this announcement and posted another funny Internet video. But then Marvel had to go and do the one thing that makes me give a damn: include one of my favorite obscure superheroes.
I suppose it’s good that Ms. Marvel is there, too
Can you spot him? He’s that purple guy with the green shape on his chest. That’s the Prowler, one of my all-time favorite obscure superheroes. I have a lot of these favorites, like the Mimic or the Spot. They’re obscure comic book characters who don’t really do much or appear very often, but for one reason or another, I love’em! I can’t point to any one story or series where the Prowler was particularly awesome, but he’s one of my faves nonetheless.
And here’s Marvel going ahead and using Prowler in their next big status quo shake-up.
So wherever they put him, whatever he’s doing, you better believe I’m buying those comics. I support my favorites, no matter how obscure. I hope it’s something cool.
If you care more about this new status quo shake-up, you can read an interview with Axel Alonso. I don’t know what the interview says because I haven’t read it. That’s how little I care about this new status quo shake-up. I just hope Prowler does something awesome.
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What about you henchies? Interested in this new thing? Do you still hang onto Marvel’s every announcement? Let me know in the comments!
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Comic Review: Teen Titans Annual #2
I am a huge fan of hyperbole. It makes everything better. So believe me when I say this is probably Scott Lobdell’s finest Teen Titans comic in the entire New 52 era. I’m not entirely sure why Teen Titans gets an Annual issue on this Fifth Wednesday with a total status quo change right around the corner, but whatever. I can go with the flow. I don’t mind reading new comics, especially when they’re this solid. I daresay, Teen Titans should have been like this all along.
Comic Rating: 7/10 – Good.
Teen Titans Annual #2 gets to be Lobdell’s finest Titans issue for a few simple reasons: there’s an extended sequence of the Titans hanging out as civilians, the super-villain actually ties into an earlier comic that I liked, and there was some legitimate characterization and development. This issue isn’t about to break the mold or convince DC to not Rebirth Teen Titans, nor is it going to make me forget the past few years of crumminess. But considering we’re just killing time until Rebirth, it’s nice that Lobdell gets another chance to go out on a high note.
Honestly, I had completely forgotten about the unresolved plot thread in this issue. The Annual picks up from the encounter with Professor Pyg way back in December in Teen Titans #15. I liked that issue, and I like this one. That’s probably the best we can hope for with the Teen Titans, for now.
Join me after the jump for the full synopsis and more review!
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 6/25/16
How did I get so lucky that all of my favorite comics come out in the same week? As a comic book fan, that’s great! As a comic book reviewer who is having a pretty busy week at work, that stinks! I managed to read a few of my favorites for sure this week, but I’ll be missing out reviews for the likes of Doctor Strange and Totally Awesome Hulk! I’ve also already blown my promise to try out some of the Rebirth titles, since I didn’t get around to reading Aquaman or Wonder Woman.
Guess I’ll just have to make due with the likes of Harley Quinn, Mighty Thor, Ms. Marvel, Power Rangers, and instant Comic Book of the Week, Power Man and Iron Fist! I should be so lucky as to have comics this good all in one week!
I’m sure Aquaman and Wonder Woman were fine too.
Comic Reviews: Detective Comics #935, Harley Quinn #29, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers #4, Mighty Thor #8, Ms. Marvel #8 and Power Man and Iron Fist #5.
Comic Review: Teen Titans #21
Huh? Are we still here? Is this comic really still plugging along? Weird. We just got the new solicitations from DC Comics the other day that the Teen Titans will switch into Rebirth mode in September, so it looks like we’ve got a handful more issues to trudge through before the end. Writer Tony Bedard seems like he’s going to try and make the most of the time he’s got, and I’m not going to blame him for giving it the old college try.
Comic Rating: 5/10 – Alright.
After the extremely silly last issue, where Bedard proved he has little understanding of Internet memes, we pick up this issue with a battle between the Teen Titans and the Brain and Monsieur Mallah. They’re classic Titans villains, but not in the New 52, so I think Bedard is just having some fun — and he does. With theoretically nothing to lose or waste or cost, I think Bedard just decided to write a fun Brain and Mallah story. He delves into some interesting Mallah characterization that makes me think Bedard had a couple giggles writing this one.
As an issue of Teen Titans, it’s harmless. There’s nothing more to say or do with this team. We already know what happens next, and we’ve already seen that Tim Drake alone moves on to something bigger and better. So there’s no tension in what Bedard does to the team or the characters. We get a really pointless cliffhanger at the end of this issue, and I kind of want to roll my eyes.
But Bedard and artist Miguel Mendonca make the most of a meh situation.
6 Marvel Superhero Video Games I Want To Play
The big superhero video game news this week is that Spider-Man is finally coming back to gaming! It won’t be a movie tie-in or a kiddie game. Instead, it looks to be a return to glory with Spidey swinging around a digital Manhattan! They perfected the gameplay back with the now-legendary Spider-Man 2 game back on the Playstation 2. Surely the Playstation 4 era can do something just as good.
I’m OK with the white logo
Beyond the new Spider-Man game, word is also coming out of Marvel that they want to put more effort into their superhero video games. No longer will they churn out crummy movie tie-in games. It sounds like Marvel wants to do for their video games what they built for their movies. Perhaps the overwhelming success of the Batman: Arkham franchise has convinced Marvel that there is money and notoriety to be had in the world of video games!
This sounds great to me (even though I don’t own a Playstation 4, and likely won’t get to play the new Spider-Man game)! And I’m just the guy to offer Marvel a few suggestions for possible video games.
Henchman-4-Hire 