Category Archives: Reviews
Review: Teen Titans #10
Teen Titans #10 is the worst issue of this comic since the start of the New 52, and possibly the worst professionally-published comic book I have ever read. I am in stunned awe at just how terrible this issue is, especially since I’ve generally kind of liked the past few issues by writer Will Pfeifer. But something seems to have broken inside of him. There is no other way to explain just how much this issue fails on every conceivable level. The writing is bad, the characters are bad, the exposition is bad, the flow is bad, the sequence of events are bad, the logic is bad, and guest artist Felipe Watanabe is horrendous.
Teen Titans #10
This will be the first comic to receive my lowest grade since I started reviewing comics on my blog. This grade was supposed to be intended as a joke.
Comic Rating: 0/10 – Abomination.
The insanity begins with the very first panel and just doesn’t let up. Nothing works in this comic. It’s as if Pfeifer has no idea that he’s been writing Teen Titans for a year now. Teen Titans #10 reads like he took several years off between issues, and rather than research the story he’d been writing before, he’s just decided to wing it. Almost every single page contains multiple instances of just straight up illogical events or dialogue. Characters talk about things that never happened. They move their bodies in ways that just don’t make any sense. They react to things with no semblance to what’s actually happening on the page. Teen Titans #10 is a mess.
But it picks up the story exactly where Pfeifer left off, that’s the weirdest thing! We’re still right in the middle of the Teen Titans fighting over Superboy. And that should make for a fun, character-based story! But Pfeifer can’t seem to handle that. Rather than write a story about the Teen Titans struggling with the moral quandry of turning on their friend, Pfeifer appears to have suffered a stroke. He’s clearly not reading the same comic that any of us have been reading the past several months and years.
And when regular artist Kenneth Rocafort is unavailable, apparently DC Comics found somebody even worse to fill in.
I have no idea why this comic is still being published. With DC going through a rather awesome creative revival this Summer, how the hell are they still churning out the pure garbage that is Teen Titans? Hell, Do you know what variant covers DC is offering this month? Teen Titans Go! covers! This is Teen Titans Go! Month! And yet the Teen Titans comic is so terrible!
Join me after the jump if you dare, and maybe you can help me make sense out of any of this.
Review: Ant-Man
Big things come in small packages, and Ant-Man is no exception. I have been waiting for Ant-Man for the better part of a decade, and I’m pleased to say that the latest offering from Marvel Studios is worth the wait. This pint-sized motion picture is fun, energetic and full of superhero charm.
Movie Rating: 8/10 – Very Good.
The only real complaint I have about Ant-Man is that it’s not great enough. In a day and age where we are surrounded by high quality superhero movies and TV shows, especially from Marvel, Ant-Man doesn’t immediately shoulder its way into the top of the pack. But is not being as good as the first Iron Man or Captain America: The Winter Soldier really a complaint?
As a more low key superhero adventure, Ant-Man delivers with humor, action and some pretty amazing special effects. His iconic shrinking super-powers are a sight to behold, and this movie definitely puts the ‘ant’ in Ant-Man. I’m talking insects. They may not be as immediately marketable as the Minions, but the insect armies in Ant-Man are just plain cool.
I kind of wish Ant-Man had taken a little more time to build up the personal relationships between it’s stellar cast — I knew Paul Rudd was perfect for the role! — but perhaps director Peyton Reed was shooting for a tighter movie. He succeeds, because there isn’t an ounce of Age of Ultron bloat in Ant-Man (though some of the Age of Ultron cameos are very exciting!).
Let’s hope the ants go marching one-by-one into the theaters this weekend to make Ant-Man another Marvel hit! Join me after the jump for my full review, which will contain some SPOILERS. So watch out!
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 7/18/15
Ant-Man was awesome! I loved it! After all these years, I got to sit down in a theater and watch Ant-Man, and it lived up to all the glorious hype! Go see it! I’ll try to have my full review up later today.
As for comic books, we’ve got a great smattering of books this week. Comics like Kaijumax and Black Canary continue to impress, while Secret Six finally starts to feel like the old, beloved comic of yore. That’s a damn good thing. Lumberjanes and Harley Quinn continue their hot streaks, but there can be only one Comic Book of the Week.
Hawkeye #22 finally finishes off Matt Fraction’s now-legendary run!
That comic is all style, substance and so much more. I need to start buying those trades ASAP so I can sit down and re-read the whole thing over again.
Over at Word of the Nerd, I continue my Secret Wars coverage with a review of Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders #1. I was attracted to the comic because I’m a huge Faiza Hussain fan, but other than a spotlight for her awesomeness, the comic is middling at best — though if you’re a fan of Judge Dredd, it’s not to be missed.
Comic Reviews: Black Canary #2, Harley Quinn #18, Hawkeye #22, Kaijumax #4, Lumberjanes #16, Robin: Son of Batman #2, Secret Six #4 and Silver Surfer #13.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 7/11/15
Someday I’ll go to San Diego for Comic-Con. I don’t necessarily want to go. I imagine the crowds are horrendous and unbearable. But I’d still like to go, in theory, and that’s important too. But at least I have some good comics to read while I’m stuck in New York.
It’s a Marvel-less week this week, with Secret Wars dominating too much of their time and energy. Fortunately, DC is more than happy to pick up the slack, with quality new issues of Gotham Academy, Starfire and Justice League of America.
Comic Book of the Week goes to Batman #42, the second consecutive issue of the new series to earn the award! Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo are just killing it with their new Robo-Batman.
Commissioner Gordon may never be the same again
I’m chomping at the bit for the crossover with We Are Robin!
Over at Word of the Nerd, my latest dive into Secret Wars tie-ins left me rather disappointed. Civil War #1 is a waste of a comic, spinning its wheels with backstory and exposition as it tries to set up a ‘What If…’ scenario. Skip it.
Comic Reviews: Batman #42, Bloodshot Reborn #4, Gotham Academy #8, Justice League of America #2 and Starfire #2.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 7/4/15
Happy Fourth of July, my American readers! I hope you’re all out blowing up a small part of your country today! I’m picnicking with the family and hopefully having a blast. My brother is in town, so he and I can finally have a face-to-face conversation instead of staying in touch via the comments section on my blog.
We’ve got some quality comics this week, especially out of DC. I’m finally buying a regular Superman comic after years ignoring Big Blue. I only wish I could say the same about Bizarro. I had such high hopes for that book. Marvel delivered a cosmic one-two punch with both Darth Vader and Princess Leia, and my humor quota is filled by another great issue of Unbeatable Squirrel Girl.
Which easily wins Comic Book of the Week when Squirrel Girl takes on the Avengers!
Always own up to your puns
Though it has some stiff competition from Secret Wars #4, which I reviewed over at Word of the Nerd. Secret Wars might be the best crossover in a while. I’m really enjoying the power and energy of Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic on that series.
Comic Reviews: Action Comics #42, Bizarro #2, Darth Vader #7, Princess Leia #5 and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #7.
Henchman-4-Hire 