Category Archives: Reviews
Review: Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers #1
I was a huge Power Rangers fan growing up, despite being slightly older than the target demographic. I can still remember getting mocked in middle school because I said my favorite TV show was Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. Middle School still hurts, people. Never forget that. But anyway, I watched the show religiously after school. I had action figures and Zords and video games. I daydreamed about being a Power Ranger, doodled them in class and invented my own fan fiction Rangers. Now I’m 32 and still have fond memories.
So I am probably the perfect target demographic for BOOM!’s new Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers comic book!
Comic Rating: 7/10 – Good.
I’m not an obsessive fan, by any means. I don’t watch any of the modern incarnations. I didn’t squee or squeal when I heard that BOOM! was going to produce a retro Power Rangers comic. I’m just interested in reading good comics, and I have always though that the Power Rangers were open to a more mature exploration. I don’t mean a ‘grim and gritty’ exploration, though I wouldn’t turn that idea away. I just mean, the Power Rangers TV show didn’t delve too deeply into the characters or their conflicts. It was all kind of surface level entertainment. And that’s fine for an after school cartoon in the 90s. But this is comic books in 2016; character is key.
And character is exactly what writer Kyle Higgins and artist Hendry Prasetya deliver in this first issue. This isn’t just some bargain bin licensed comic that might get stapled to the action figure box. This isn’t a weak attempt to just recreate the pace of the show. This new series positions the Power Rangers as people first, color-coded superheroes second. It makes some weird choices and doesn’t necessarily put it’s best feet forward, but it’s still a solid start to a potentially morphenominal series!
Also, it stars the Green Ranger, whom we all know is the best ranger of all time. That’s a definite plus.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review! There will definitely be SPOILERS, so check yourself before you wreck yourself, as we said in the 90s.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 2/27/16
Tough week! I don’t know if somebody dumped my Cheerios or what, but I wasn’t as thrilled about this week’s comics as I was last week. Last week was great! Last week was hilarious. This week…not so much. Why can’t you be more like last week, this week?
We’ve got a ton of comics though, from Astonishing Ant-Man to Saga to Silk to We Are Robin! This week even sees the long-awaited return of Karnak by Warren Ellis! Unfortunately, it does not live up to the excitement of the first issue.
Fortunately, the new issue of Hellcat is as great as all the rest have been!
Totally justifies the random Doctor Strange cameo. I think this makes at least three at Marvel.
Comic Reviews: Angela: Queen of Hel #5, Astonishing Ant-Man #5, Karnak #2, Patsy Walker a.k.a. Hellcat #3, Saga #34, Silk #5 and We Are Robin #9.
Review: Teen Titans #17
Here we go! Buckle up, boys and girls, because the next era of Teen Titans is upon us! New writer Greg Pak takes the reigns, at least for a little while, hoping to right this stagecoach for a few issues, until Rebirth comes along to maybe change everything up again. It’s a little hard to get excited about the new writer when there’s every indication that nothing will stick. But I’ve stuck with Teen Titans this long, and I’m always eager for something new from this series.
Teen Titans #17
So it’s damn exciting that Greg Pak immediately and unequivocally solves one of my biggest complaints about this series. This is close to being the Teen Titans I’ve always wanted.
Comic Rating: 7/10 – Good.
The biggest problem with Teen Titans in the New 52, and even in DCYou, is that the characters are treated as little more than action figures. They are costumed superheroes first, people second. All they do is fight bad guys, bouncing from one random opponent to the next. Famously, Red Robin never once removed his costume when Will Pfeifer was writing the series. There was apparently no interest in addressing the Teen Titans as teenagers or youngsters or human beings. They were action figures, trapped in a strange mess of stories, many of which were likely tugged back and forth by demanding editorial.
I may never understand why Teen Titans was so shackled when things like Batgirl, Ms. Marvel, Young Avengers and Teen Titans Go! were allowed to exist.
Teen Titans #17 doesn’t fix everything. Pak and DC don’t go for the nuclear option. This is still the same team, carrying on the same storyline, and existing in the same New 52 world. But Pak treats them as people for the first time in a long time. There is more characterization in this one issue than in Pfeifer’s entire run. There are character moments that legitimately shocked me for how little we’ve seen that level of depth. And for once, the threat doesn’t come from some outside force, but from within. For once, the Teen Titans are driving their own story.
And you better believe that Tim Drake shows up in this comic! Join me after the jump to see for yourself!
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 2/20/16
What a phenomenal week for comics! I’m not just talking about DC’s new Rebirth announcement, which looks fine. I’m talking about the specific comics I read this week, almost all of which were good to great! If you told me 5 years ago that I would love comics about Thor, Harley Quinn and Luke Cage, I would have told you you were silly! But here we are!
Comic Book of the Week goes to the first issue of Power Man and Iron Fist. This was a rock solid start for the revived series, one that will hopefully help define the characters ahead of their upcoming TV shows. Honestly, after only one issue, I would watch this show.
Kids today
It’s even got Jessica Jones in a supporting role! Though considering her Netflix success, where’s our new Jessica Jones comic?
Comic Reviews: Harley Quinn #25, Mighty Thor #4, Power Man and Iron First #1, Silver Surfer #2 and Spider-Woman #4.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 2/13/16
Happy Love Day, one and all! Oh no, wait, that’s that other holiday. This is Valentine’s Day weekend! This is when we should be feeling the looooove! But alas, none of the comics I read this week had a Valentines bent. Odd, considering we had new issues of Starfire, Totally Awesome Hulk and All-New Wolverine, all of which would totally make good romance comics!
Well…maybe not all of them. Still, solid, enjoyable week for comic books.
Comic Book of the Week goes to Ms. Marvel, which finally proved to me why Kamala Khan should be an Avenger!
This is sort of like ‘Avengers Assemble’
I didn’t say it was for good reasons…
Comic Reviews: All-New, All-Different Avengers #5, All-New Wolverine #5, Batman #49, Ms. Marvel #4, Silk #4, Starfire #9 and Totally Awesome Hulk #3.
Henchman-4-Hire 