Category Archives: Comics
Review: X-Factor #236
I am not a fan of reality television, but the rest of the world is clearly in love. Ordinary people are turned into TV stars in shows like Ice Road Truckers, Pawn Stars or Hoarders. Programs focus on the day-to-day of real jobs or real lives more so than scripted television. Viewers are enthralled by every minute detail of the Kardashian family or the Real Housewives of Wherever for no other reason than the cult of celebrity. There is a show where Steve Urkel and other Z-list “celebrities” dance for our amusement, and a show glamorizing unwed, 16-year-old mothers – and both shows are incredibly popular. Jersey Shore!
X-Factor #236
We are living in the Mojoverse and we don’t even realize it.
Comic rating: 3/5: Alright.
Writer Peter David throws that bomb at our feet in this issue, and I for on am absolutely blown away. Whereas once upon a time the villainous Mojo’s TV-obsessed world was a parody of sleazy studio executives and bad taste, it has now become the stark, cold reality of our own television programming. We may not have real live gladiatorial combat yet, but how long until it’s here? How long until people are maliciously hurting one another for our amusement on reality TV?
The idea of Mojo being behind the nation’s love of the Kardashians would make a great story. How would our heroes fight against pop culture’s seemingly endless obsession with trashy TV?
Unfortunately, this brilliant idea is wasted and buried in an issue that amounts to little more than an extended fight scene between Shatterstar and the new villain Scattershot, who himself is a parody of trashy comic books. The fight’s OK, if you’re into extended fight scenes. But this issue has little else going for it, with barely any appearance of anyone else from X-Factor. The fight itself is lacking any deep character conflict, with Scattershot being one-dimensional and Shatterstar just showing off his fighting skills. There are a few hints towards Peter David’s larger plans for the series, but those hints continue to be so vague that I just don’t care anymore. So all in all, this is an issue that just doesn’t amount to much.
Other than that amazing Mojoverse idea!
The Break-Dancing Superhero!
Apparently big things are on the horizon for Vibe, the worst ever member of the Justice League of America! Not only does he have a new cartoon short premiering this weekend on the DC Nation animation block, but he’s going to be starring in a new Justice League story as part of the New 52 universe – which also, consequently, brings him back from the dead!
Feast your eyes on Vibe!
The 80s at their most superheroic!
Frequent readers of my blog know that I have a special place in my heart for obscure superheroes and super-villains. But it takes a special level of fan to like Vibe. Real name Paco Ramone, Vibe debuted in 1984 as a brand new character joining the Detroit era of the Justice League. This was back when Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and all the other well-known heroes had left the League, and it was basically just Martian Manhunter and a bunch of nobodies operating out of an apartment in downtown Detroit. Pretty much the lowest point ever for the Justice League. And Vibe was their poster child.
Vibe had the power to create sonic and seismic vibrations, but they didn’t stop him from being killed by a robot, becoming the first ever Justice Leaguer to die in the line of duty.
Well have no fear, Vibe fans, your hero is coming back! Behold the massive, four-page teaser image released with DC’s Justice League Free Comic Book Day issue!
Click to enlarge
Don’t see Vibe? Check out down in the left hand corner. That’s him!
Hey look, sleeves!
I don’t know what he’s doing in that picture, but it’s more than he’s done in years. Apparently he’s going to be fleshed out in an upcoming Justice League storyline. Justice League writer Geoff Johns had to say about Vibe to USA Today:
“I can’t remember the last time someone requested to see him,” Johns says, laughing. “That’s the whole point, though, I like new challenges. It’s fun to see a mix of some of the classics, some of the obscure and a lot of new stuff.”
And that’s not all! This Saturday is going to debut some new Vibe animated shorts to go alongside the DC Nation animation block. Perhaps you’ve watched some of the Super Best Friends Forever shorts? Well Vibe gets one as well!
And here’s another!
Things are definitely look up for Vibe!
Review: Avengers vs. X-Men #4
Four issues in to Marvel’s big summer event, one thing has become very clear: Avengers vs. X-Men the series is going to speed through the basic plot, leaving all the actual fighting and meaningful character interaction to the tie-ins. While normally I might have a problem with this, I’m happy to say that Avengers vs. X-Men remains a good read in and of itself. I’ve been avoiding the AvX fight series, because I don’t need to spend good money on pages full of punching. And I’ve been buying a few of the regular series tie-ins, especially the X-Men ones. They haven’t exactly matched up perfectly with the main series, but I can live with that.
Avengers vs. X-Men #4
Four issues in and Avengers vs. X-Men is still good, as far as I’m concerned. The story is moving at a crisp pace, always changing and always giving me something new and exciting to read. Heck, everybody visits the Moon in this issue, for crying out loud!
Comic rating: 4/5: Good.
At the end of last issue, I was worried that we were going to spend several issues with the various teams searching for Hope in the five different locations across the globe. Turns out, those searches were relegated to the tie-ins. We see brief glimpses of each search in this issue, and the fights that occur in those places, but by the end of the issue they’ve found Hope and we move on to the next big part of the story. One could argue that those five separate location visits were just filler or padding, but not the kind we usually get in these big event comics. If the filler lasts less than an issue before moving on to the next exciting event, I’m cool with that. If I wanted to read that filler, I know which tie-in comics to buy.
I’m definitely enjoying the pace of Avengers vs. X-Men. That’s probably it’s strongest element. Part of me wants to give this comic a lower grade because of the lack of depth, but I can honestly say I enjoyed the comic while I was reading it. All in one sitting, I bet the full series is going to be even better. Avengers vs. X-Men isn’t going to have depth and intense character drama. While that might improve things, the series definitely isn’t broke without them.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more analysis.
New Comic to Feature Wolverine, Stupid Retcon
I didn’t even want to report this comic book news, because it just makes me shake my head and sigh. But I might as well, in case any of you are interested. Though turn back now if you don’t like listening to nerds bitching about stupid comic books on the Internet.
Marvel Comics is going to release a new mini-series in August entitled The First X-Men. It’s going to star Wolverine. And it’s going to involve a stupid retcon in which Wolverine put together a team of mutants before Professor Xavier.
With Wolverine, Sabretooth, Magneto, and token black and female characters
The worst thing is that the idea behind the series actually sounds pretty fascinating, but then Marvel go and mess things up by just making it another Wolverine book. Which is obviously done because Wolverine is a high-selling character, but c’mon! Can’t you guys just publish a cool X-Men book without jack-knifing Wolverine into it?
Maybe DC is Not So Sexist After All
After all that talk about DC Comics being pretty sexist towards their female characters in the New 52 reboot, they may have finally done something right. They’ve taken the creepiest, most tasteless superheroine costume ever and have actually given it a complete makeover – including pants! Not even Wonder Woman got pants.
Behold the new Phantom Lady:
Doll Man is really struggling to keep his eyes on her face
Phantom Lady and her partner Doll Man, both characters from the series Freedom Fighters, will be starring in a new mini-series that will launch at the end of August. Written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti (writers of that fantastic Power Girl series), and drawn by Cat Staggs and Rich Perotta, Phantom Lady will be a 4-issue series featuring the characters as pulpy, street-level vigilantes. Sadly, Amanda Conner is only going to be doing the covers, I guess. She’s got that important ‘Before Watchmen’ project to work on. But there would be no greater way to sell a Phantom Lady mini-series than have Conner on art.
Gray and Palmiotti also wrote that Ray mini-series a few months ago, which I’m sad to say I didn’t end up buying the last issue. It was fun, but different from most of the other New 52. This has all led some to speculate that a new Freedom Fighters is in the works – which seems odd, since the title was never very successful.
But we’re getting off point! You see Phantom Lady’s new costume up there? I like it. Well here’s what she used to look like:
All the scotch tape in the world…
She actually wore that as a costume. As a legitimate superheroine, fighting crime and getting into fights. That’s worse than a bikini! Worse than that infamous green dress that Jennifer Lopez once wore. All a super-villain has to do is just grab one of those yellow straps and you’ve got a very uncomfortable fight!
Phantom Lady’s old costume always bugged me, and I’m glad DC have fixed it. I might even be willing to pick up the new mini-series.
Henchman-4-Hire