Category Archives: Comics
Review: X-Factor #249
Talk about a full 180! I hated last issue for it’s weak character work and utterly generic plot. But Peter David completely turns things around with a fun, character-rich comic that has X-Factor facing off in true superhero fashion against an army of demons. I can’t remember the last time this team was so on the ball. Multiple Man, especially, steps up in a big way.
X-Factor #249
And you know that any issue where my favorite superhero kicks ass is going to be a good issue.
Comic rating: 4/5: Good!
I’m still not entirely thrilled with the prospect of this Hell on Earth War, but I’m serious when I say that Peter David really brings out his A-game with the character work in this issue. And he does so in the middle of an epic battle, which isn’t usually the case for X-Factor. Usually, Peter David writes some crummy action issues and then some stellar talking issues. X-Factor #249 is a combination of the two, with a dash of epic mixed in for good measure. So maybe I’m going to start getting my hopes up for the Hell on Earth War.
This issue serves as a prologue to the whole event, and in that case, it sort of fails. Because we learn absolutely nothing new about the War or what it’s going to entail. Demons, I guess? Hell? Hellfire? More demons? I dunno. That’s one failing of this issue, that the villains are absolutely nobodies. Vera returns, and I guess something can be said about the fact that she’s the sister of a demon we met in the past, but that older demon wasn’t much of a character either. And beyond ‘Vera’, none of the bad guys in this issue get names or motivations. They’re just randomly evil demons.
And X-Factor kick their asses!
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 12/15/12
Where are all the Christmas specials at? I would have expected more Christmas-themed comics this week, but perhaps everything is being saved for next week, when every comic under the sun is going to come out. Seriously, there are going to be almost a dozen comics for me next week! Which is so weird, considering there are only four this week. What’s up with that? But at least they’re four good comics, including some truly exciting chapters in the ‘Death of the Family’ story in Batman. The Joker is at the top of his villainous game, and he hits the Bat-books with a wicked one-two punch this week. And that’s not including the books I don’t read, like Batgirl, which this week announced the unceremonious firing of writer extraordinaire Gaily Simone. How DC could fire that woman is beyond me, especially firing her by e-mail. I’m definitely not going to pick up Batgirl anytime soon with Simone kicked off the book. Bad move, DC Comics.
Funny AND grossly disturbing!
But no matter, the rest of the Bat-books are doing splendidly. And out of the two I read this week, Batman and Robin inches ahead to win Comic Book of the Week!
Comic Reviews: Batman #15, Batman and Robin #15, Cable and X-Force #1, Winter Soldier #13.
Review: Scarlet Spider #12
Sayonara, Minimum Carnage! And good riddance! You were a terrible story, you were terrible for the Scarlet Spider and you had an even worse ending! In fact, I’m not going to dwell on you for another second. Believe you me, folks, you do not care how Minimum Carnage ended. It was dumb, so very dumb. And hopefully we’ll never have to worry about it again. Because Christopher Yost comes roaring back to Scarlet Spider with what might be its best issue yet! I laughed! I giggled! I cheered! I’m very excited for the future of Scarlet Spider after this amazing issue.
Scarlet Spider #12
After the mismatched everything of that unfortunate crossover, Yost settles in for a simple, done-in-one story that re-establishes all the characters and sends Kaine towards his next adventure. Yost also, to nice comedic effect, uses alcohol to simply wash away the stain that was Minimum Carnage.
Comic rating: 5/5: Great.
I almost get the feeling that Yost is just as glad to be rid of Minimum Carnage as I am. Kaine dwells for a little bit on what happened, but Yost wisely uses the events of the crossover as a springboard into a rather comedic and entertaining attitude for our main character. And that’s the most you can ask for from a big crossover, that it provides some new fuel or motivation for the characters. In this case, it’s Kaine getting drunk off his ass and wanting to just quit everything and flee to Mexico, as he’d originally intended at the start of the series. Which then gives us an opportunity to see how each of his supporting characters impacts his life to talk him out of it, and how, in the end, he’s damn good at being a hero. I got a really strong sense of community with this issue, how Yost has somewhat successfully built up this supporting cast into a real group of people, and how Kaine is a part of that group. He also does some fantastic work with mystery girl Aracely, really bringing her into her own as a clever ‘kid sister’ type character.
The art is also spectacular. Not as good as original artist Ryan Stegman, but fill-in artist Reilly Brown does a great job with the characters and with the action scenes. He especially does some good work with the comedy, of which there is a healthy dose. I definitely like this artist, and I hope he sticks around.
And did I mention it’s a Christmas issue?
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis of this wonderful issue.
Review: Assassin’s Creed Graphic Novels
Assassin’s Creed isn’t just for video games anymore. Like any good franchise, they’ve branched out into other mediums, including a series of graphic novels released in October from publisher Titan Books. They recently sent me some nice hardcover copies of their Assassin’s Creed graphic novels, translated from their original French into English. The art style is definitely very European (not that I’m an expert), and the story is the familiar Assassiny goodness that we know and love. I only wish the series had taken a few more liberties with their story and really explored the larger Assassin’s Creed universe.
The Assassin’s Creed franchise has a lot of room to expand beyond Desmond Miles and the ancestors you play in the video games. And while these graphic novels do a good job with some of their ideas beyond the usual, they don’t go far enough. If you’re an Assassin’s Creed completionist – or perhaps shopping for one for Christmas – you should enjoy this series. But otherwise, the comics are pretty light on material.
Comic rating: 4/5: Good.
Desmond, Aquilus and Accipiter
The three Assassin’s Creed graphic novels – titled Desmond, Aquilus and Accipiter – tell one long, connected story by following two parallel plots. One is Desmond’s story from the video games, about being kidnapped by Abstergo and then going on the run with Lucy and the Assassins. The other is an original trip into the Animus to visit Aquilus, an ancient Assassin from the Roman Empire. As with the video games, the most interesting material comes from the trips back in time, but writer Eric Corbeyran definitely give us plenty of Desmond action. The guy is much more active and brutal in this series than he is in the games, which is cool to read.
Of the three books, the first one is the weakest because it basically just retreads ground covered in the first game, only in a much more rushed manner. It squeezes in the story of Altair even though it’s completely unnecessary to the overall plot. The two other books delve into original material, including the life of Aquilus and a few adventures that Desmond and his friends have while on the run. The third book is the best of the three, introducing the concept of dueling Animus trips as we see someone else go into the Animus and visit his ancestors. I wish the entire series had been about this new character and his story, but perhaps Corbeyran needed to focus on Desmond and the established game material.
All three comics play hard and fast with the strange concepts of Assassin’s Creed, from the Animus itself to the various characters involved. There were a few times where new characters suddenly pop up and act like we’re supposed to have known them all along, so it was a little confusing. You definitely need an understanding of the games to keep up with the comic. Though considering how big a fan I am of Assassin’s Creed, it wasn’t a problem at all.
You can purchase all three graphic novels on Amazon.com: Desmond, Aquilus and Accipiter. You can also join me after the jump for more review!
Henchman-4-Hire