Category Archives: Reviews
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 7/12/14
Do any of you lovely readers know the best way to treat a sprained muscle? I pulled something in my calf and I’ve been limping around all week because I’m an idiot. And I don’t trust doctors, what with their voodoo and medical degrees. So anyone with a magical, non-voodoo cure is welcome here!
Fortunately, I don’t need my leg to read comics! We’ve got a somewhat light week this week, mostly because a lot of books I’ve already given up on were out this week, like Nightcrawler, Fantastic Four and Justice League United. Fortunately, we’ve got All-New X-Men, Captain Marvel and Batman Eternal to keep us company.
Not to mention the first issues of the New Suicide Squad and Grayson, which wins Comic Book of the Week for actually being pretty good (and because I couldn’t get my hands on the new Lumberjanes). Despite all the setbacks he’s faced, Dick Grayson at least keeps getting good, solid writers behind him in the New 52.
I guess now we know why Nightwing was blonde at Batsgiving
Comic Reviews: All-New X-Men #29, Batman Eternal #14, Captain Marvel #5, Grayson #1 and New Suicide Squad #1.
You can also check out my review of Spider-Man 2099 #1 at Word of the Nerd!
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 7/5/14
Happy Day after Independence Day! Did everybody watch the movie, Independence Day, like I do every year? Or should do every year…I need some Fourth of July traditions. I need to be more patriotic. And there’s nothing more patriotic than reading comics! Especially Captain America comics…which I didn’t do this week. Man, I’m bad at this.
Anyway, I mostly read Marvel comics this week, because DC didn’t have much of anything to tickle my fancy. We’ve still got new Batman Eternal, because I’m still subjecting myself to that series. But we’ve also got new issues of X-Factor, Magneto, Moon Knight, Original Sin and the first issue of Legendary Star-Lord. If you’re wondering why they added the word ‘Legendary’, well, it’s kind of obvious once you read the comic, but not for the reason Marvel probably wants.
Thor: God of Thunder #24 wins Comic Book of the Week for another one of those quieter, talking heads issues that Jason Aaron does so well with this series. I tell ya, Thor has never felt so grand and yet so personable.
Needs more Beta Ray Bill.
Comic Reviews: All-New X-Factor #10, Batman Eternal #13, Legendary Star-Lord #1, Magneto #6, Moon Knight #5, Original Sin #5 and Thor: God of Thunder #24.
Review: Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man #3
Now things are starting to heat up! Last issue was definitely build-up, with Miles preparing to tell his girlfriend the big news, and bad guys moving around the background. Well in the new issue of Ultimate Spider-Man, Brian Michael Bendis shifts into a higher gear, setting up what will no doubt be an exciting climax! The new Spider-Man vs. the Green Goblin! Katie Bishop panicking! Ganke proven right?! The tension ratchets up in a big way this issue, from a threat that’s actually born from the Spider-Man universe. Not since Prowler or Venom has a battle felt so important in this comic.
Ultimate Spider-Man #3
But the best is yet to come! Bendis starts toppling over some of his dominoes in this issue, and we’ve still got more story to go!
Comic Rating: 9/10 – Great.
The stakes just feel more real in this issue than they have in awhile. Every time Bendis is forced to add Miles to some big Ultimate Universe crossover, the stories lose that important tension. Who really cares about Miles getting thrown into a big Ultimates battle against Hydra? Or Miles swinging around helping people while Galactus threatens the world? Miles, and Spider-Man, are best left as street-level heroes. I’ve always said it, and I’ll continue to say it. Seeing Miles struggle to tell his girlfriend that he’s Spider-Man, or panicking in the face of the Green Goblin, is a great Spider-Man comic.
Miles Morales is a fun character. He may not be as iconic as Peter Parker, there’s no way he could be. But Bendis is doing a great job with Miles. He’s grounded, he’s human, and he’s driven to be a hero. He’s got a lot to learn ahead of him, and the story of that discovery makes for great comics.
Though once again, rumors of the Ultimate Universe’s destruction are on the wind. Apparently Miles is going to crossover with All-New X-Men in a few months? And something big and interdimensional appears to be on the horizon for next Spring. Bendis even drops a clue/tease in this issue, if you can believe them. I don’t know what to think. I still don’t want Miles to be shuffled off to the regular Marvel Universe. But, obviously, that decision is out of my hands.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 6/28/14
Don’t look now, but I’m apparently in a crummy mood this week. I feel fine, personally. But going through these reviews, it began to dawn on me that I just didn’t feel all that excited about any of the books that were released. Last week was killer, but this week was kind of a bummer, even though we’ve got new issues of Batman, Amazing Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, Justice League, and the debut of Geoff Johns and John Romita Jr.’s Superman. I thought I’d be happy!
Kind of by default, Ms. Marvel wins Comic Book of the Week. It’s one of my favorite titles these days, and it’s going to take a heck of a lot to knock it off its pedestal. Maybe I’ll get a week where Ms. Marvel, Saga, Hawkeye, Silver Surfer and a brand new Multiple Man #1 all come out at the same time. Then I’ll be in Heaven.
Though Amazing Spider-Man #3 wins moment of the week for the greatest J. Jonah Jameson panel of all time, courtesy of Humberto Ramos.
That needs to be on T-shirts!
Comic Reviews: Amazing Spider-Man #3, Batman #32, Batman Eternal #12, Justice League #31, Ms. Marvel #5 and Superman #32.
Review: Saga #20
Sometimes, Saga can be the most amazing, devastating comic book on the market. And sometimes, writer Brian K. Vaughn and artist Fiona Staples just need to get from Point A to Point B. Those issues aren’t bad either, but they’re not as exciting or as emotionally driven as the really great issues. That’s definitely not a bad thing, because Vaughn and Staples are producing one great comic. And sometimes you just need to let your story grow. Sometimes you’ve got a twist you need to drop or a point to make, or you need a few scenes to let Hazel be absolutely adorable.
Saga #20
Either way, whatever those two are doing, it makes for a good issue of Saga.
Comic Rating: 7/10 – Good.
The last issue of Saga was devastating. It was like a punch to the gut. I wanted to cry, but I’m too manly for that. So I sucked it up and spent the last month hoping it was all a dream – that didn’t work. And here we are at Saga #20, the next chapter in the end of the beautiful relationship that is Marko and Alana. Vaughn wastes no time in putting temptation in their path, and it’s a little heart-breaking. Part of me thinks he’s putting one over on us, because the events of this issue are so obvious. But it’s probably just Vaughn doing what he has to do, which, of course, is break our hearts.
I really hope I can make it through this volume of Saga.
This is a fine issue that really focuses on the characters. Almost everyone gets a bit of spotlight, and it’s all nice for building their character and presenting more of their current situations. Alana is still on that weird TV show. Marko gets to play papa. And there’s some insanity about to go down in the Robot Kingdom. Oh yeah. That’s the big hubbaloo in Saga #20. In fact, I bet this whole volume is going to focus more on the Robot Kingdom and what they have to do with everything. They’re a weird bunch, to be sure, and I bet Vaughn has something big planned.
He’d better, because my heart can only take so much torment. Join me after the jump for the full synopsis with FULL SPOILERS and more review!
Henchman-4-Hire 