Category Archives: Comics
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews 9/6/14
Guys. Girls. Deep breaths. I just got my birthday present. And I am over the moon! For anybody who read my List of Six this week, today is my birthday – at least if you’re reading this on Sept. 6. And what was the number one thing on my List of what I wanted for my birthday? A new Multiple Man comic book. Unfortunately, that didn’t come true. But what did this week give me instead?
A brand new Madrox cameo! Sort of!
I love everything about this
Behold Matt Rocks, a duplicate that Jamie sent to Los Angeles to become a big, rich, powerful attorney to the stars. He makes a guest appearance in this week’s new issue of She-Hulk, and it is just all manner of exciting. I think this is the first time any sort of Madrox has appeared in a comic since last year. In fact, the final issue of X-Factor was released this very same week – the week of my birthday – last year. You can read my review! How cool is this? One year to the day from Madrox’s last appearance and he shows up in She-Hulk, one of my favorite comics. This is the coolest comic book birthday present a guy could ask for (or at least one of them)!
No need to guess what wins Comic Book of the Week, because I am incredibly biased. Fortunately, She-Hulk #8 is a great comic even without the Madrox cameo.
And we need some good comics in a week that includes the finale of Original Sin and a pretty weak issue of Uncanny X-Men. This is also the first week of Death of Wolverine, my review of which you can read over at Word of the Nerd.
Comic Reviews: Batman Eternal #22, Lumberjanes #5, Moon Knight #7, Original Sin #8, She-Hulk #8, Uncanny X-Men #25.
Seriously you guys, Madrox!
Secret Six is Coming Back!
Quick question: what was the best comic book that DC was publishing prior to the New 52 relaunch? Answer: The Secret Six! Writer Gail Simone’s edgy, dark-humored series about a band of villainous antiheroes was an absolute delight to read. It was funny, it was smart, and it featured the most well-written characters at DC, hands down.
So what did DC do when they relaunched their comic universe in 2011? They cancelled Secret Six! Morons!
Well don’t worry, folks, because DC and Simone are bringing it back! The new Secret Six will hit the stands in early December!
It’s just so beautiful
Could this be a sign that DC is desperate for more successful comics? Especially ones that aren’t tied to Batman? Possibly, but I don’t really care about the politics.
The comic will feature the New 52 debut of Catman, the breakout character from the previous Secret Six. Simone promises in that link that the new Catman will be more dangerous. According to her, “This kitten has claws.” Artist Dale Eaglesham will be redesigning the character, which is OK, since it was Eaglesham who redesigned him for Secret Six last time. From the sound of it, this is going to be Catman’s book, which I am totally cool with.
I do own the Catman action figure, after all…
Other team members like Deadshot, Bane and Ragdoll are already in the New 52, but sadly, it doesn’t appear as if they’ll be joining the new series from the get go.
One can hope they’ll join the team in time.
Simone will also bring along Black Alice, one of her original characters from before the reboot.
Ken Lashley will be the interior artist. I’m not too familiar with his work, but I’m sure it’s great.
This is just very exciting news! I hope DC doesn’t blow it!
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Review: Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man #4
If I’m being honest with myself, I would have to admit that Miles Morales probably couldn’t defeat the Green Goblin 1-on-1. But how cool would it have been if Miles held his ground and somehow pulled out a win? Superheroes pull out the win all the time! That’s what I wanted from the latest issue of Ultimate Spider-Man. But writer Brian Michael Bendis clearly had other ideas in mind. So it’s an odd little dynamic. I want one thing. Bendis has other plans. And in the end, he wins, because I’m just the reader. That’s how this relationship works. Fortunately, Bendis and artist David Marquez still deliver one heck of an awesome battle.
Ultimate Spider-Man #4
Is there anything more exciting than Spider-Man fighting the Green Goblin? I suppose there are a few things out there, but Bendis really knows how to spin it.
Comic Rating: 8/10 – Very Good.
This review is pretty darn late, and I could have skipped it completely, but I haven’t missed an issue of Miles Morales yet…I don’t think. I’m chronicling his adventures for posterity! It’s like a personal quest. Maybe a self-fulfilling prophecy. Or I might be mixing everything up in my head. Whatever the case may be, we’ve got a new issue on our hands, and it’s actually pretty cool. Miles Morales vs. Green Goblin for the first time, on the very spot where Peter Parker was killed. This is a huge story, and Bendis fills it with hugeness. The fight is pretty darn good, and Marquez, as usually, draws the heck out of it.
But the focus doesn’t stay with Miles for long, and that disappoints me. Bendis has another big subplot he’s working on these days, and as much fun as it might be, it takes the focus away from Miles at a very crucial, pro-Miles moment. I won’t spoil it up here, but I will later in the synopsis. Suffice to say, Miles can handle the spotlight, and this could have been a hero making moment for him.
Join me after the jump for the full synopsis and more review!
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 8/30/14
Happy Labor Day weekend to all my American readers! I hope, like me, you’re going to take full advantage of this long weekend. I actually managed to do the dishes all in one go yesterday! That’s real progress. But enough about my messy apartment, what about comics? It’s another solid week of solid titles, and this is actually kind of a momentous week. Both Marvel and DC are on the verge of some pretty big craziness this fall. For September, DC is going to do another one of those special anniversaries, taking all of their comics 5 years into the future. And Marvel is about to jump the Avengers 8 months ahead.
So you better believe Avengers #34 is on the read list this week. Does Jonathan Hickman leave me salivating for what’s to come? Or what about Geoff Johns’ Superman? Is he reinventing the Man of Steel like he did the Green Lantern Corps? Read ahead to find out. We’ve also got fun new entries from Silver Surfer, Red Lanterns and, surprisingly, Batman Eternal! I wrote this series off as crap not too many weeks ago, but the team behind Batman Eternal actually deliver an exciting issue for once – even though it still doesn’t make total sense! Let’s hope the energy sticks around.
Comic Book of the Week goes to Avengers #34 to apologize for me ever doubting Hickman – though I still think Infinity was a big pile of meh.
At least one of us has
If you’re so inclined, you can also check out my review of All-New X-Men #31 over at Word of the Nerd. That was definitely a good issue.
Comic Reviews: Avengers #34, Batman Eternal #21, Harley Quinn #10, Red Lanterns #34, Silver Surfer #5 and Superman #34.
Review: Saga #22
This is gonna get good. Do you ever get that feeling reading a comic? Do you flip through the pages, read the dialogue, scan the pictures, and get that feeling in your gut that all of this is going somewhere and it’s gonna be awesome? I got that feeling reading Saga #22. The last few issues have been pretty low key, and I’ve rated them as such, but now writer Brian K. Vaughn is starting to move his chess pieces around the board. All the characters he’s introduced, all the plot lines he seeded, start swirling together in the new issue, and it’s rather exciting.
Saga #22
Don’t say I didn’t warn you, but I think this Saga comic is gonna be pretty good.
Comic Rating: 8/10 – Very Good.
Vaughn and artist Fiona Staples had a lot to introduce coming into this new volume. They did a time jump, so there was a lot they had to get readers up to speed on in the universe before they could restart the story proper. I get that. Nothing wrong with that. But it made for a few issues that were just setting up the scenery. And it was depressing scenery. Can you believe that Vaughn and Staples are doing to Marko and Alana?! Man, what a drag. But in the end, there’s no denying that it’s going to be a great story, because that’s what these to do: they make great comics!
Things start to heat up in a bad way between Marko and Alana in this issue. We knew it was coming, and Vaugh just slaps us in the face with it. But they’re just the beginning. Were you, like I, wondering where all this crazy janitor stuff was going? Oh yeah, it’s going there. It’s going right there, and Vaughn is going to destroy us with it.
Well I say bring it on!
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
Henchman-4-Hire 