Category Archives: Comics
Review: Teen Titans #3
I realized something kind of important after reading Teen Titans #3: I don’t really like any of these characters. I don’t mean that in the general sense, not like ‘Beast Boy sucks!’ or anything like that. I mean I don’t like them as people. I don’t really want to spend any time with them or be seen with them. The Teen Titans are kind of uncomfortable to be around. I realized this because new writer Will Pfeifer is kind of doing exactly what I wanted him to do in the relaunch: he’s treating the Teen Titans as people first, superheroes second…kind of. He’s not exactly there yet, but this new issue is filled with scenes of the teens just hanging out and being friends, and subplots that don’t have anything to do with punching super-villains.
Teen Titans #3
The problem is that DC and the previous writer, Scott Lobdell, have made the Teen Titans so unlikable that I just don’t care that Pfeifer is doing exactly what I want.
Comic Rating: 5/10 – Alright.
The great thing about this new issue of Teen Titans is that it is filled with character-based subplots. The main plot is still all about that dumb robot chick and whatever ax she’s grinding (I have seriously forgotten), but Pfeifer fills the rest of the issue with actual, worthwhile character interaction. That was the #1 thing missing from Lobdell’s Teen Titans. He was only interested in bringing on new super-villains for the team to fight. Pfeifer, at least a little, views these characters as teenagers. They’re still mostly in costume all of the time, but he’s getting there. He’s mixing real teen drama with superhero drama, and I think it has a chance to be interesting. He just needs to work harder at making me (or anyone) care about these characters.
I think part of the problem might be the art. Kenneth Rocafort is a damn fine artist. He’s great for superhero comics, but I just don’t think he fits Teen Titans. His characters look pointy and fragile. He’d be great on one of those excess Batman books, like Detective Comics, where he could draw awesome pictures of Batman in a big, scary cape. But Teen Titans needs to be a softer book than Rocafort’s style.
For my money, I wish Teen Titans had been given the Batgirl treatment. They need an artist like Babs Tarr to really sell them as likable teen characters. As it stands, Pfeifer and Rocafort have a long road ahead of them to rehab these characters, and frankly, I don’t think both of them are up for it.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review.
A Bunch More New Comics!
Marvel revealed several new comics at New York Comic-Con this past weekend, and while Ant-Man was my clear favorite, I figured why not talk about the others? These blog posts are free, after all!
The Spider-Man books are going to get a lot more crowded in the new year. Following Spider-Verse, 2014’s big Spidey event, we’re going to get new ongoing series for both Silk and Spider-Gwen!
Everybody else is loving all the female-led books, right?
Silk is Cindy Moon, a new character from Amazing Spider-Man who has the double distinction of being bitten by the same radioactive spider that gave Peter his powers, and having possibly my least favorite superhero name of all time. Silk?! Really? I realize that both ‘Spider-Woman’ and ‘Spider-Girl’ are taken, but Silk? There were no other spider-related words you could come up with?
Anyway, I like Silk well enough in Amazing Spider-Man, so maybe her own comic will be fun. It’ll be written by Robbie Thompson and drawn by Stacey Lee. And at least she’s got a new costume!
Spider-Gwen (which probably won’t be is official name) will be written by Jason Latour with art by Robbi Rodriguez, and it will follow the adventures of the alternate reality Gwen Stacy with spider-powers. I liked her in her brief one-shot appearance on the Edge of Spider-Verse, so maybe she’ll be a lot of fun in an ongoing series. She’s definitely a darling already with the cosplay circuit, that’s for sure.
Of course, her costume is just plain awesome.
Outside the Spider-world, there’s also going to be Gamora, penned by Guardians of the Galaxy screenwriter Nicole Perlman. If you’re going to do a comic about the Guardians of the Galaxy, she’s probably the best choice for writer.
She likes knives
Not much else is known about this Gamora series at this time. I’ll give it a shot, but considering how much I hate the other comic versions of the Guardians of the Galaxy, I doubt I’ll stick around for long. I don’t know what my problem is, but I can’t stand comic book Rocket Raccoon!
What else…what else…oh yes! Operation S.I.N. is going to be a 1950s period piece that sees Peggy Carter and Howard Stark having fun spy adventures. This 5-issue series will be brought to us by Kathryn Immonen and Rich Ellis.
The very definition of synergy!
It’s also going to feature the ‘Man on the Wall’ guy that preceded Nick Fury from Original Sin. Considering how much I hate that whole concept, I doubt I’ll brother with this series – though Immonen is pretty amazing. Still, I have zero interest in anything here. Watching Peggy Carter’s TV show will be more than enough for me.
There’s going to be a Wolverines weekly series, which seems to be about X-23 and Sabretooth fighting over who gets to be the new Wolverine.
Does anybody else love AoA Sabretooth?
That could be fun.
And the big reveal was a new Secret Wars by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic! It’s going to be a year-long event that takes over from Hickman’s ongoing Avengers and New Avengers, currently undergoing their big ‘Time Runs Out’ storyline. Based on the preview picture, it looks like some kind of epic battle between alternate reality superheroes?
Everybody loves callbacks
That would make sense. Considering Hickman’s is currently telling an epic story about the death of the Multiverse, why not pit a bunch of Multiversal heroes against one another? Sounds like a solid comic book premise to me!
Though isn’t that exactly what Multiversity is doing?
Anyway! Those are the new comics from Marvel for the upcoming year. What do you henchies think about them? I’ll probably buy a few issues of each to see what they’re like.
I don’t remember if DC announced anything new at Comic-Con. Their loss!
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Yep! We’re Getting That Ant-Man Comic!
There have been a ton of announcements out of New York Comic-Con this weekend, and I’ve only been posting a few due to things like laziness and weekend. But I definitely wanted to mention the official announcement of the new Ant-Man series to line up with the upcoming film. The comic will star Scott Lang, and will be written and drawn by Nick Spencer and Ramon Rosanas. I loved Spencer’s Superior Foes of Spider-Man, so here’s hoping for some great Ant-Man action!
I love the new costume design. Seriously, Ant-Man has some of my favorite superhero costumes of all time (and he also has some real stinkers). It sounds like the series is just going to be Scott Lang doing normal, superhero things. Here’s hoping Spencer can find the same magic that made Hawkeye such an amazing comic.
Of the series, Spencer said:
“I’m just so excited to be doing this book,” Spencer said, saying this had been on his radar since the summer of 2013. Featuring Scott Lang, “Scott is a character I really connect with,” he said. “Scott wants to be a hero and he wants to be a good guy, but he’s got a checkered past, he has a tendency to take shortcuts and get in his own way… all these marks of a great Marvel character.”
Sounds like a pretty solid basis for an Ant-Man series to me! I hope they keep love interest Darla Deering around from the pages of Matt Fraction’s FF!
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Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 10/11/14
What a week to be a fan of comics! Not only is the New York Comic-Con going on this weekend, but the long-awaited debut of the new Batgirl hit the stands, and it easily slides into Comic Book of the Week. The comic is as good as I’d hoped it would be and more. If the creative team keeps this up, Ms. Marvel might have a little competition for my favorite comic!
It doesn’t help that poor Kamala Khan is rushed off to guest-star in this week’s Amazing Spider-Man. Crossovers and team-ups like this are so painfully forced, especially in this day and age, but writer Christos Gage gives it the old college try. He also manages to slip in a little fan ‘shipping for the fun of it!
But seriously, Batgirl definitely kicks butt!
She’s also an expert at threats!
Over at Word of the Nerd, you can check out my review of Axis #1. The big new crossover kicked off this week with an issue that felt more like the end than the beginning, at least in terms of spectacle – and that wasn’t a good thing.
Comic Reviews: Amazing Spider-Man #7, Avengers #36, Batman #35, Batman Eternal #27, Batgirl #35 and Captain Marvel #8.
New Squirrel Girl Comic Hits the Same Sweet Spot as Ms. Marvel and Batgirl
The writing is on the wall, people! The days of the grim male action hero are over! Say hello to the age of the bright, colorful, awesome female action hero! I’ve loved Ms. Marvel like my own child. Lumberjanes has been such a delight. And I can’t wait for the new Batgirl this week. I am definitely digging this new trend in comics.
Now coming soon from the Marvel, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl!
She and I have similar day dreams
Entertainment Weekly announced the new series today, and it looks fantastic! I’ve loved everything about this new wave of fun, girl-friendly comics, and I hope writer Ryan North and artist Erica Henderson can keep the new tradition alive.
EW said this in their article:
In Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, writer Ryan North and artist Erica Henderson take on the lighthearted superheroine whose mutant gene gives her an endearing cocktail of squirrel-related superpowers. When the comic book begins, she’s starting college—but in no time at all, Squirrel Girl is defending Earth from threats most cosmic. Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is another quietly bold move for Marvel—a female-centric comic that’s intended to appeal equally to canon-heads and newcomers.
These sorts of comics are right in my wheelhouse these days. I’m even surprised Marvel has waited this long to produce a Squirrel Girl comic. She’s been a pretty popular character in recent years. But they definitely picked the right time to strike!
Yep, I’ve been there
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