Category Archives: Comics
This Week, In Killing Comic Book Characters That I Really Like
Hey gang, remember that post I wrote a few weeks ago about two of my favorite symbiotes: Hybrid and Scream? And remember how I was basically writing that neither one has appeared in comic books in several years? Well good news, both Hybrid and Scream the female symbiote appeared in this week’s Venom #15!
AWWWWWW YEEEAAAAAHHH!!!
And then they were both promptly killed!
Awwwwww, no
Dammit comic books, why can’t I have nice things!
Review: Ultimate Comics: All-New Spider-Man #9
A switch in focus from Spider-Man to Prowler brings with it a dip in quality in the latest issue of Ultimate Spider-Man, but only because Miles Morales has become so entertaining. We don’t know much about Uncle Aaron quite yet, so he just didn’t make as compelling a protagonist this issue. Still, it’s a good idea to flesh out the supporting cast and play up the danger of new villain, the Scorpion. So this was an important tale, just not as entertaining.
Ultimate Spider-Man #9
And sadly, what little we did get of our young hero, wasn’t very interesting.
Comic rating: 4/5: Good.
We get another new fill-in artist this issue, David Marquez, but his style is very similar to regular artist Sara Pichelli, so I didn’t even know there was a change until I was more than halfway through the issue. So the art is quite good. But as I said, the bulk of this issue is a fight between Prowler and Scorpion. It’s a pretty standard fight, and moderately entertaining. It serves to flesh out both characters a little bit more, while setting up the eventual cliffhanger and conflict for this story: Uncle Aaron is going to try and get his nephew Spider-Man to help him fight Scorpion.
At least that sounds like it’s going to be very exciting! Join me after the jump for a synopsis and more.
6 Silly Armored Superhero Costumes
The one constant in the world of superheroes is the colorful costume. Tights, spandex, latex, long johns, leather, pajamas; all superheroes play dress up when it comes to fighting crime. It’s just more fun that way. But in the real world, everybody knows that a big, muscular guy in spandex just looks silly. If a real world Batman was just wearing a pair of gray tights, he’d be no more threatening than a ballerina. Why do you think the movies put Batman in a specialized suit of black armor, or the X-Men wear black leather?
Tights and spandex costumes just aren’t cool, no matter how good they might look when drawn.
Paper, though, always looks good
Which is why, throughout the history of comics, creators have often tried to upgrade a superhero’s costume to make it look more badass. For some reason, this meant changing from spandex to armor, with heavy layers of complicated plating and protection. Yet no matter how good the creators’ intentions, somehow these upgrades looked even worse! These armor costumes were running rampant in the 90s, and in hindsight, everybody agrees that they looked ridiculous. Superheroes have gone back to tight spandex ever since.
I thought I’d share with everybody some of the more ridiculous armored costume changes in comic book history.
Review: Teen Titans #7
Holy crap, does this issue suck. I have rolled my eyes at this comic’s various flaws before, but suddenly they’ve come together in a massive, brain-straining menagerie of winded dialogue, cringe-worthy banter, twists that fall pathetically flat, sudden changes in story that come out of nowhere, and the seemingly random and awkward introductions of several new, never-before-seen villains. What had been a relatively tightly paced series has suddenly exploded into a nearly incomprehensible mess.
Teen Titans #7
And it definitely doesn’t help that half the story takes place in an issue of Superboy that hasn’t even come out yet.
Comic rating: 1/5: Terrible!
Everything Teen Titans has been building towards just seems to fall apart with this issue. The only saving grace, perhaps, is the teamwork between the Titans. But their battle against N.O.W.H.E.R.E. just collapses in a big mess as the Titans attack their foes at their evil lair. Whereas before, N.O.W.H.E.R.E. was just a general evil organization, we’re now all of a sudden introduced to various super-villains with names and powers. Their appearances mean nothing because we’ve never seen them before. So the fights with the Titans mean squat. Not to mention the fact that the fights last only a page or two.
But worst of all is the dialogue. Characters not only talk too damn much, but they explain things that are happening in the same panel, as if we didn’t understand. The Titans are also constantly trying to tell jokes, but all of them fall thuddeningly flat.
Join me after the jump as I tear this comic book a new one.
A Totally Unbiased Review of Mimic and the X-Men #1
I love the Mimic. This obscure, Z-list superhero nobody is one of my all time favorite comic book characters. And for the first time in years, Marvel Comics is finally putting him back into the spotlight with the launching of the fantastically awesome Mimic and the X-Men #1 (also commonly known as X-Men: Legacy #264). I have no doubt that this issue flew off the shelves with all the popularity of chocolate chip pancakes at your local comic book store. We’re talking Watchmen levels of awesome here, folks. This issue, written by Christos Gage, flips the entire X-franchise on its head with what may be the most spectacular Mimic appearance ever.
Mimic and the X-Men #1
Move over Wolverine, there’s a new king X-Man in town. And his name is Mimic.
Comic rating: 10/5: Fantabularious!
Some of you may be thinking that I’ve gone off the hyperbolic crazy train. But you clearly haven’t read this issue. It’s like the chocolate devil’s food cake (with chocolate frosting) of comic books. It’s just so richly moist and flavorful, telling a compelling story featuring an underused superhero – who I just happen to think is a cross between James Bond, Elvis and Superman. Mimic is the kind of character that all the other characters wish they could be, with badass powers, a sweet new costume and appearances so rare that he’s like a fine diamond. If we ignore the rest of the clutter of this issue, like the plot and the other characters, we can see that Mimic was born to headline a comic book. The X-Men franchise is in for a revolution!
So join me, won’t you, for what is sure to be the highest selling comic book of the past decade.
Henchman-4-Hire 