Category Archives: Comics
New She-Hulk Comic To Fill Our Need of Superhero Lawyering
Marvel announced today a new She-Hulk comic to debut in February, and to once again focus on her legal career. Writer Charles Soule, one of comics’ up and comers, spoke with USA Today about the project. He’ll be teamed with artist Javier Pulido. I’m pleased to hear about this series. I like She-Hulk well enough, and I love the idea of another comic focusing on her misadventures in the legal profession.
I like the first cover, so there’s that
As many of you may know, the last time She-Hulk had a series, it was written by Dan Slott, and it was all about She-Hulk working for a wacky law firm. I really enjoyed that comic, though I stopped reading towards the end. I enjoyed Slott’s humor and some of the artists. I don’t have enough experience with Soule’s work to know how he’ll do. Apparently he’s also a lawyer, like She-Hulk, so maybe his expertise will really up the quality of the stories. And Pulido was the fill-in artist for Hawkeye, so we know he’s got the chops to bring a realistic series like this to the page.
Says Soule in the interview:
“She-Hulk has always been a title where weird, cool things can happen. She is a strong — very strong — female character, and comics absolutely cannot have too many of those. That hypothetically means I get to do interesting things myself. Plus, she’s brainy, which always appeals to me, but she doesn’t always make the best decisions — and that’s a combination that’s ripe for drama.”
So it basically sounds like a run-of-the-mill She-Hulk series, which I’m all for. We’ll see how it goes!
Review: Saga #14
I’m in Heaven. Reading a book like Saga #14 reminds me why I love comics. It reminds me why I want to be a writer. Saga #14 makes me feel good about myself. And it underlines why I will always value creativity and originality over the reality TV/celebrity adoration schlock that fills the world these days. Saga #14, and Saga the series as a whole, is pure, unadulterated narrative joy. If comics were a drug, Saga would be the greatest high possible.
Saga #14
Saga #14 is still in the middle of the current chapter, but all of the relationships and back stories that Brian K. Vaughn built up at the start of the series are paying off in ways I couldn’t have dreamed possible.
Comic Rating: 9/10 – Great!
The only reason Saga #14 doesn’t have a perfect score is just because I’m still figuring out the criteria for a perfect score. Also, this issue is almost entirely transition. We’re still catching up to Saga #12, and nothing too big storywise happens in this issue. I’m singing Saga #14’s praises almost entirely on the strength of its characters, the dialogue and the scenes that put them together. Vaughn and artist Fiona Staples have created an amazing fictional world and a truly magical cast of characters. I love reading Saga.
This issue also contains the best Lying Cat scene of the series so far. And considering all the great Lying Cat scenes, that’s saying a lot. If the scene doesn’t at least put a smile on your face, you’re a robot.
I have no idea where Saga is going. Is there going to be a battle? Are they going to end the war? Based on little Hazel’s narration, the world stretches far into the future, but I’m sure the series will end long before that. None of the characters or plots are permanent. Prince Robot IV could be killed in the very next issue and I would completely buy that as part of the story. Not even Marko and Alana are safe. That’s a scary proposition, but when the issues are this good, it’s also thrilling.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 9/21/13
I wish I knew the rules for Villains Month when DC started handing out the assignments. There doesn’t seem to be any real point to all these issues, other than just existing to fulfill the marketing gimmick. Some of them have been origin stories. Some of them have been direct tie-ins to Forever Evil #1. And some of them have just be short and sweet villain showcases. Some have been really good, and some have been outright garbage. There doesn’t appear to be any rhyme or reason. And I would have really liked to have known that going in.
Fortunately, this week is mostly good issues – if we don’t count Deathstroke #1. Double fortunately, Marvel Comics is still going very strong. There’s another solid chapter of Battle of the Atom, though I found the issue a little…disconcerting. You’ll see why. I also liked Infinity a bit more than usual. So that’s a plus. But Comic of the Week has to go to Thor: God of Thunder #13, for being its usual awesome self! It even finds a fun way to incorporate an obvious movie-tie-in villain without seeming too gratuitous.
Though if I’m being fair, Moment of the Week has to go to Black Hand #1, when Black Hand’s zombie army faces off against a squadron of police officers.
Comic Reviews: Black Hand #1, Cheetah #1, New Avengers #10, Infinity #3, Penguin #1, The Rogues #1, Thor: God of Thunder #13, and Uncanny X-Men #12.
Review: Teen Titans #23.2
I have no idea why this issue exists. I especially don’t understand why it’s labeled under the ‘Teen Titans’ banner. And after reading Deathstroke #1, I’m quite convinced that DC really pulled this one out of their butts at the last minute. This is garbage on paper, and as such, I’m not going to give it a full review. It’s just not worth my time. At least Trigon #1 was a stark realization in how much Marv Wolfman likes Demon Rape. Deathstroke #1 is just pointless. If you’ll recall, there already was a Deathstroke #1 back at the start of the New 52. He had his own series! Slade Wilson was a badass mercenary anti-hero, but the book didn’t sell, so it was quickly cancelled. Then DC tried to make due with a Team 7 book starring Deathstroke, which was also cancelled.
Deathstroke #1
So why the hell they gave him a Villains Month issue is beyond me. The guy isn’t a villain. Nor does he have anything to do with the Teen Titans. And if this issue is indicative of what came before, I can see why both previous Deathstroke series were cancelled.
Comic Rating: 2/10 – Very Bad.
Like I said, I never read an issue of Deathstroke or Team 7. I don’t know anything about the New 52 version of Deathstroke – other than the fact that he has nothing to do with the Teen Titans. That part of his history has been completely wiped clean. So forget that he was the main villain for the Teen Titans cartoon show. New 52 Slade has nothing to do with the Teen Titans. And they don’t appear in this issue. Even though this is Teen Titans #23.2, it has nothing to do with the Teen Titans whatsoever. Frankly, this is the worst Villains Month issue I have read so far. I haven’t read all of them, but surely there isn’t anything worse than Deathstroke #1. It’s just not a good comic, let alone an origin story or a character profile. I hated Bizarro, I hated Trigon, and I thought most of the others were pretty pointless. But Deathstroke #1 is just abysmal.
Join me after the jump for a little bit of synopsis and further review. But I’m not giving this issue the full treatment. I have better things to do with my life.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 9/14/13
Villains Month continues this week at DC Comics, and I’m enjoying it well enough so far. It’s a marketing stunt, and I’m OK with DC going all out for their marketing stunts. It appears to me like they’re using a few up and coming writers to actually pen the dialogue, so that’s pretty cool. I’m disappointed that Geoff Johns didn’t write out Black Manta #1, but he plotted it, and writer Tony Bedard did well enough.
Speaking of Villains Month, this week was the debut of the new Lobo. Does he live up to the controversy? Read ahead and see.
Comic Book of the Week goes to Mighty Avengers #1. There were some good Villains Month issues, but Mighty Avengers exceeded expectations in ways I did not predict. It might actually turn out to be a pretty good comic. With some pretty fun characters, like this guy…
Comic Reviews: Avengers #19, Black Manta #1, Lobo #1, Mighty Avengers #1, Riddler #1, and X-Men #5.
Henchman-4-Hire 