Category Archives: Comics
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 5/3/14
What a week to be a Spider-Man fan! Not only is Amazing Spider-Man 2 in theaters right now, but Amazing Spider-Man #1 hit the stands this very week! If I didn’t know any better, I’d say someone planned it that way. That was pretty clever of them.
I’ll get my movie review posted on Sunday, and for now, lets take a trip to our local comic book shop. Amazing Spider-Man #1 wins Comic Book of the Week. It’s a fun issue, and it’s great to have the real Peter Parker back, but Marvel overloaded the thing with back-up material. That would have weighed the comic down too much for my liking, but one of the back-ups is an epilogue to Scarlet Spider, so that pleased me greatly. Other comics this week include a new Silver Surfer, my return to All-New X-Men and the long-awaited conclusion to J.H. Williams III’s Batwoman story. I also picked up The Flash Annual for the heck of it, but I was not pleased.
At least Spider-Man is still a ton of fun.
Panda-Mania: the best new character find of 2014!
Comic Reviews: All-New X-Men #26, Amazing Spider-Man #1, Batman Eternal #4, Batwoman Annual #1, Flash Annual #3 and Silver Surfer #2.
Storm Gets Her Own Solo Series!
I know at least one of my readers is going to love this news, having called it months ago! The X-Man Storm is going to get her own solo series in July! Written by Greg Pak and drawn by Victor Ibanez, Storm is going to be used on a global scale. She does control the world’s weather, after all.
Still rocking the mohawk
The series was announced today via USA Today. Pak says he’s going to take Storm around the world, while also dealing with problems at home at the Jean Grey School, considering Wolverine is going to be dead this fall.
Said Pak:
“We’re going to see Storm cutting loose with all the brass and fierceness that comes from having the power to control every aspect of the Earth’s weather and atmosphere,” Pak says. “And we’re going to delve deep into the experiences and perspective that lead her to make decisions no other X-Man would — to tear through walls that no one else may have even realized are there.”
“Storm fights for those who most need her, no matter what the cost,” he says. “There’s a ton of drama and story in exploring how she makes those decisions and what kind of trouble that will create for herself and everyone she loves.”
Apparently this is a passion project from Pak, who grew up reading and admiring Storm. That sounds fantastic.
I think she’s particularly proud of her shoulder blades
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Robin Watch: Have We Already Seen the New Robin in Action?
It was barely a week and a half ago that I was telling you about Robin Rising: Omega, the start of a new story that will see a Robin return to Batman’s side after more than a year. Well now I’m here to tell you about Robin Rising: Alpha, the issue that DC promises will introduce the world to the new Robin. Announced at the C2E2 comic book convention in Chicago this weekend, Batman will have a new Robin this December!
Meaning Robin will now be the first sign of winter.
Good thing they have those silvery winter variant costumes
Of course, the comic con panel didn’t reveal who that new Robin is going to be. It could even be a resurrected Damian Wayne for all I know.
However, considering writer Peter J. Tomasi will be penning the story, and it will take place mostly in his Batman and Robin series, there’s now a greater than ever chance that the new Robin will be his candidate: Carrie Kelley. I don’t think Carrie has appeared all of that often in Tomasi’s series, but he introduced her in the wake of Damian’s death and has been having her try to support Bruce Wayne as a civilian.
Personally, I don’t like the idea of Carrie Kelley as Robin, but I think she could grow on me.
And I think we’ve already seen her in action!
Follow me after the jump to see my new theory!
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 4/26/14
This is the week of zero issues, apparently! All of the cool kids are starting off their new comic books with an issue #0 instead of the traditional #1. Because who needs tradition, amiright? Besides, ‘zero’ starts with a ‘Z’, so that makes it cooler already.
We’ve got both Justice League United #0, the start off the next Justice League spin-off , and Original Sin #0, a prologue to this Summer’s Big Event from Marvel. Original Sin actually makes for a nice little prologue, while this #0 issue of Justice League United actually reads like a #1 issue. I wouldn’t be surprised if Justice League United #1 just picks right up from where #0 left off.
So what was the point?
Beyond those zero books, we’ve got new issues of Aquaman, Fantastic Four and Batman Eternal, which continues its efforts to drive me insane. I also decided to jump back into Red Lanterns, which was a good choice, because Red Lanterns #30 wins Comic Book of the Week! Though, admittedly, there wasn’t much released this week.
Comic Reviews: Aquaman #30, Batman Eternal #3, Fantastic Four #3, Justice League United #0, Original Sin #0 and Red Lanterns #30.
You can also check out my review for Elektra #1 at Word of the Nerd!
Review: Teen Titans #30
Strap in, friends. We’ve got a bumpy ride ahead of us. Teen Titans #30 is the worst issue of the entire series. Scott Lobdell has been cancelled, and it’s clear from this issue that he isn’t going down without a war. He’s going to bury his volume of Teen Titans! In horrible dialogue, in ridiculous callbacks, in desperate attempts to wrap-up dangling plot threads; whatever he can cram into this ending, he’s gonna do it.
Teen Titans #30
Lobdell’s Teen Titans has got nothing left to lose and nothing more to gain. It’s going to flame out in craptacular fashion!
Comic Rating: 1/10 – Terrible!
I will never know what Lobdell originally planned for the Titans’ return from the future, but there’s no way it was Teen Titans #30. I’m going to assume that he assumed he’d be writing the series for a long while to come, and that this cancellation was never part of the plan. You’ll see what I mean when we get to the synopsis, but Lobdell just shovels characters, plots and dialogue into this final issue in such a way that it’s clear he’s trying to squeeze in as much as possible before the end. I suppose it was nice of DC to let Lobdell finish the series on his own terms. I would also call it a mistake, except that who cares? Teen Titans is going to restart with a brand new #1 issue, and there’s a good chance that, in a few months, Lobdell’s entire run will just be a footnote in history. We’ll never have to think about it ever again.
I just don’t know if I can properly convey how bad this issue is. I wish I was more poetic or clever, and maybe I could turn this review into its own work of art. But I am not that gifted. I am just a man. A man of many words, yes, some of them rambling, but a man I remain. Though perhaps inspired by some of my favorite superhumans, maybe I can rise to the challenge and use these many words for the good of all Internetkind. Maybe I have what it takes to talk about the painfully unfunny dialogue, the mind-bogglingly pointless cameos or the unfettered love of editorial notes pointing you to previous issues. I think…I think I can do this.
Gulp, here we go! Join me after the jump for the full synopsis and more review of the worst Teen Titans issue you will ever read!
Henchman-4-Hire 