Category Archives: Reviews
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 9/27/14
I don’t know what to tell you, henchies, but this week was kind of a busy one for yours truly. Couple that with a rather low key week of releases and I’ve only got four reviews for you! I know! I feel like I let you all down. But man, there were just some boring comics put out this week. I just couldn’t bring myself to read the latest issue of All-New Ghost Rider.
But we’ve got new issues of Batman Eternal, Cyclops, Storm and the excellent New Avengers, which easily wins Comic Book of the Week. If you’re a fan of Doctor Doom, you should be reading New Avengers. I’m giddy with excitement over that guy.
Though while we’re here, I was hoping I could ask you readers for some feedback on my Hench-Sized Reviews. I’m always looking for ways to improve this feature, but I’m not sure what you guys and gals like or dislike. Personally, I’ve started to feel like I put these reviews together on an assembly line. It’s efficient, but is it worth reading?
What do you folks think? Do you like that I include a synopsis? Would you like more review? I know I don’t talk about art much, but I could. Are these things even constructed very well? Are they getting too long?
Any feedback would be much appreciated, even if you only stumbled upon this page, or you don’t comment very much. I can only get better if you fine readers let me know how, so please, jump down to the comments and let me hear it!
Comic Reviews: Batman Eternal #25, Cyclops #5, New Avengers #23, and Storm #3.
Review: Saga #23
Leave it to writer Brian K. Vaughn to break my heart several issues ago, then pull out a comic like Saga #23 and TOTALLY REDEEM HIMSELF!
Saga #23
I knew to trust Vaughn with his story. I knew he wouldn’t lead us too far astray, that everything was being done for a reason. I held out hope that he was going somewhere important with all of this, and finally, in Saga #23, we start to see what he’s got planned. And, as expected, it’s completely unexpected.
That’s the great thing about Saga: I have no idea what’s going to happen next, and I love it!
Comic Rating: 8/10 – Very Good.
Mostly, I love it. I’m a sucker for always falling in love with characters and not wanting anything bad to happen to them, whereas Vaughn understands that bad things have to happen to characters; that’s what makes a story a story. It’s too his credit that he’s created such an amazing cast. I’ve just got to suck it up and keep trusting him to write one hell of an adventure. But man, some of the events of this issue are probably going to be heart-breaking all over again.
After several issues of scenery building, setting up the Circuit, Marko’s flirtations, and The Crazy Janitor, Saga #23 starts crashing all of them together in the usual glorious ways. Vaughn plays with our expectations in a way that proves he knew exactly what he was doing, and the ending hits us simultaneously with joy and fear. With an extra dash of excitement and mystery, of course.
It’s no Saga #19, but wait until you see how Vaughn twists our assumptions about that issue as well. This volume has been a bit low key in the grand scheme of things, but Vaughn is no less a master of his craft.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
Review: Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man #5
Curse you, transition issues, you are the bane of my comic book reviewing existence! Writer Brian Michael Bendis delivers another stellar chapter in Miles Morales’ current superhero woes, but it’s the sort of chapter that takes us from Point A to Point B instead of delivering any really great story moments of its own! And those it does deliver are obvious cliffhangers! It’s so frustrating, but only because the comic is still oh so good!
Ultimate Spider-Man #5
Ultimate Spider-Man #5 is a perfect example of why some comics should be read in the trade! I don’t know if I can wait for the next issue! Exclamation!
Comic Rating: 8/10 – Very Good.
But I’m going to have to wait. I’m a big boy, I can suck it up and deal. Bendis and superstar artist David Marquez are at the top of their game here, telling a tightly packed, vivid story. I would probably even go out on a limb and say their Spider-Man comic is better than the regular Spider-Man comic. Ultimate Spider-Man is just so much more involved, so much more epic. Dan Slott might be dealing with classic Peter Parker and his big supporting cast, but Bendis is telling such a grounded, long-lasting saga here. These characters all have history, they have agency, and that just makes for a stronger story.
I only wish I wasn’t reading it one issue at a time, but that’s no one’s fault or choice but my own.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 9/20/14
I don’t know what happened this week, henchies, but I’ve got a pretty light pile. It helps that I’m not reading Futures End, but more on that later. I had a pretty busy week. I’ve got some projects in the pipeline that I’ll tell you guys and gals about someday. But nothing stops me from reading comics! Nothing!
This week was…alright. Solid week. No real complaints from me. Actually, this seemed to be the week for alternate versions of characters. Both Multiversity and Edge of Spider-Verse told alternate reality stories, and the new Avengers event is set 8 months into a possible future. So neat! Way to create an unintentional theme, comic books!
Comic Book of the Week goes to…um…tough call. I think I’ll give it to Multiversity #2 for a pretty darn fun alternate reality comic. Though, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, Batman Eternal was close to winning!
Not always, I don’t
If Batman Eternal transitioned into Spoiler: The Comic, I would be so happy.
Over at Word of the Nerd, I took a gander at another Deadpool comic. Regular readers might know how much I dislike Deadpool’s sense of humor these days, but the cameo revival of no less than Brute Force brought me back!
Never heard of Brute Force? You should pay a visit to Linkara.
Comic Reviews: Avengers #35, Batman Eternal #24, Edge of Spider-Verse #2, Multiversity #2 and Uncanny X-Men #26.
Review: Teen Titans – Futures End #1
If this is what the Teen Titans comic looks like five years from now, then everything I have ever done with my life has been for naught. Every dream I have ever had about writing comics, every review I’ve typed up about this series, every fiber of my very being, will have been for nothing! If this year’s DC September Gimmick were a true crystal ball into the future, then I would know that I accomplish nothing with my life, and that everything is terrible. Teen Titans – Futures End #1 is the blandest, dumbest and most tone-deaf comic I have yet to read in this series. And it’s a beautiful reminder why I’m not spending very much money at all on this stupid gimmick.
Teen Titans – Futures End #1
If this is indeed the future of the Teen Titans, then I should have abandoned ship a long time ago. This was the last thing writer Will Pfeifer needed two issues into his relaunch.
Comic Rating: 3/10 – Bad.
I have been more than willing to give Pfeifer a chance with his relaunch. I’ve even been somewhat positive in my reviews of his first two issues. But forcing him to take an immediate detour into crapsville only two issues in? That’s harsh, DC, really harsh. I can only hope my review reaches Teen Titans fans in time: don’t buy this comic! Unless you’re super in love with all this Futures End stuff, don’t waste your time, money, energy or any flecks of your soul that might be sacrificed by reading this pile of cream-colored aluminum siding.
This Futures End issue has nothing to do with the regular Teen Titans comic. Unless it’s hidden somewhere in the background. Or an Algorithm cameo counts. Instead, this issue is far more concerned with whatever weird plots DC is doing with Futures End, mostly involving Earth 2. I don’t know and I don’t care. This issue has about as much to do with the Teen Titans as last year’s gimmick, which was basically one long ode to the power of rape. I almost think Pfeifer might have whipped this script out in an afternoon to fulfill his contract or something. At least I hope that’s the case. I really hope this isn’t an indication of where he’s taking the series.
The issue is about six random characters coming together as lazily as possible to stop a bad guy, and then calling themselves the ‘Teen Titans’ at the end. That’s it. I just saved you all the embarrassment of reading it.
But seeing as how I’m a glutton for punishment, I might as well continue on with my usual synopsis/review. Join me after the jump!
Henchman-4-Hire 