Category Archives: Reviews
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 6/14/14
Have you ever walked out of a movie? I haven’t, but I’ve stopped watching films if I’m at home and don’t like them. And now I can say I’ve walked out of a comic book. I want to like DC Comics, they have some great characters, but their current output is just…so, so bad.
The comic in question is Justice League United #2, smack dab in the middle of its Justice League Canada storyline, and the New 52 introduction of Adam Strange. I haven’t particularly enjoyed the series so far, but it was still on my review docket…then I had to stop reading halfway through because it was just so bad. I just couldn’t take it anymore. The dull, endless exposition. The weak, context-less banter between the characters. The generally crummy plot. The awkwardly cut and pasted panels.
Look at this!
How does that pass any sort of muster at DC Comics?! The banter between Green Arrow and Animal man is pretty lively, with the two characters nearly at each other’s throats, but NOBODY MOVES AN INCH FOR THREE WHOLE PANELS! They have the same smiles and faces, every single one of them, despite some pretty harsh dialogue. It’s insane!
There’s also a random Supergirl cameo that completely ignores the fact that she’s a Red Lantern these days.
Fortunately, we’ve still got comics like Lumberjanes, which easily won Comic Book of the Week for the best issue yet of this fledgling series.
So don’t expect a full review of Justice League United #2. My review stack is actually pretty light this week due to just crappy comics and a pretty busy week for me personally. I had this infectious Malware problem Wednesday night that just wouldn’t go away. I had to stay up all night cleansing my computer. It was madness, and left me a very tired Sean.
And for those interested, you can check out my reviews for Captain Marvel #4 and New Avengers #19 at Word of the Nerd. Both of those were pretty solid comics.
Comic Reviews: All-New X-Men #28, Astro City #13, Batman Eternal #10 and Lumberjanes #3.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 6/7/14
Happy Birthday, mom! If it wasn’t for you, mom, none of us would be here today reading a bunch of comic book reviews. So I think we can all thank her for that. I’ll probably give her a phone call later, just to make it official. But the great thing about having a blog is using it to talk to family members! I have more conversations with my brother via the comments section of my blog than I do through any other means. Good times.
And good comics – mostly! A random smattering of books came out this week, and I read an even more random smattering of that random smattering. Of import is the fact that I finally got back to reading Black Widow and Moon Knight, two new books I didn’t want to lose track of if I could help it. On top of those classics, we’ve got new issues of All-New X-Factor, Batman Eternal and Original Sin…which is turning out to be pretty much garbage. Hopefully this will mark the death knell of the Big Event at Marvel.
Comic Book of the Week goes to newcomer Cyclops #2! I never had much intention of reading the new series starring Young Cyclops, but after the first issue got such stellar reviews, I just had to take a look, and the book is as good as everyone says!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Cyclops is the most dynamic character at Marvel right now.
Comic Reviews: All-New X-Factor #9, Batman Eternal #9, Black Widow #7, Cyclops #2, Moon Knight #4 and Original Sin #3.
Review: Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man #2
It’s like we never left. Sure, Galactus the Devourer of Worlds tried to eat the Ultimate Universe in one sitting, leaving New Jersey a wasteland. But that’s not going to stop Spider-Man from worrying about his girlfriend or struggling with clones. That’s just the way of the world. And the new issue of Ultimate Spider-Man continues the way of the world as if that Galactus storyline never even happened – I’ve already forgotten what it was called. The event still gets a little bit of lip service in the new issue, but more than anything, the adventures of Miles Morales continue unabated this issue, and I’m more than happy for that.
Ultimate Spider-Man #2
Marvel may have gone to all the trouble of relaunching Ultimate Spider-Man with a new title and a new #1, but writer Brian Michael Bendis clearly didn’t care, to our benefit.
Comic Rating: 8/10 – Very Good.
The big surprise at the end of last issue was that Peter Parker had mysteriously returned! So Miles has definitely got his hands full with this issue, because resurrections are not part of the normal course of business in the Ultimate Universe. Where did he come from? What does he want? How many more issues before we find out? Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man #2 is very much just a chapter in an ongoing story. All the the various plot threads that Bendis is currently playing with move forward, but without any real twists or revelations, at least not yet.
Still, not every issue needs to be read on the edge of your seat. We don’t always need a big surprise or a mind-blowing moment to make an issue good. Bendis instead delivers another solid outing easily supported on the shoulders of Miles Morales and his entertaining supporting cast. As always, the new Ultimate Spider-Man is a quality comic, and while bigger, more interesting events are surely around the corner, this is still a solid issue.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 5/31/14
Whether it’s to make up for the massive pile of reviews last week, or maybe just plain old laziness, my stack was a bit shorter this week. Less work for me, right gang? Who doesn’t love to slack off a little bit during the week. Maybe kick up the heels and watch that new Axe Cop cartoon? I know I do!
Though I was apparently hard at work elsewhere on the Internet. You can check out my reviews for Inhuman #2 and Deadpool #29 by clicking those links. Both comics were pretty bad. I just can’t get into Deadpool‘s humor, and Inhuman continues to be a spectacularly worthless comic. If all of Marvel’s hopes and dreams depend on turning Inhumans into the new mutants, they are pretty screwed – or maybe we’re pretty screwed, because there’s probably nothing stopping Marvel from just bulldozing over what we want in favor of what they want. Did you hear about the Fantastic Four?
Bad comics continue over at DC this week, with the worst issue of Batman Eternal yet. If there’s anyone else out there in comic book land who also can’t stand what they’re doing with the Gotham Police in Batman Eternal, please let me know. I hope I’m not the only one pulling their hair out.
Fortunately, this week also saw a new issue of Ms. Marvel, and that fills me with overwhelming joy. Kamala Khan is just too awesome. Ms. Marvel #4 easily wins Comic Book of the Week for its humor, its heart and, finally, its superheroics. Our little Kamala is growing up!
The look on her face brings me nothing but joy
Comic Reviews: Avengers #30, Batman #31, Batman Eternal #8, Ms. Marvel #4 and Nightwing #30.
Review: X-Men: Days of Future Past
I need to stop worrying about new X-Men movies. FOX knows what they’re doing. Ahead of X-Men: First Class, I thought it was going to just be a terrible, desperate attempt to hold on to the franchise – but it is now my favorite X-Movie. And I thought X-Men: Days of Future Past was going to be a mess of time travel and too many characters. Boy was I wrong about that one. X-Men: Days of Future Past is an enjoyable X-Flick, with a solid cast, an important plot and some quality, unique mutant action.
I wasn’t as blown away as some critics have been, but consider me a firm believer that the X-Men are in good hands.
Movie Rating: 7/10 – Good.
I think what Days of Future Past lacked, at least for me, was a uniquely X-Men story element to grab onto. There were some great super-powers on display, especially Quicksilver and Blink, but they were minor elements of the much larger, less captivating film. Instead of starring the actual X-Men, Days of Future Past was about the trio of Wolverine, Xavier and young Hank McCoy running around trying to catch up to the rest of the movie. The really compelling characters, the ones who drive the plot, are Mystique and maybe Magneto, but both of them are relegated to side character status.
Mystique may do something evil, and Magneto will definitely do something evil, and it’s up to Wolverine and his Amazing Friends to try and get there in time to stop it. Compare that to X-Men: First Class, which had the recruitment and training of the new students, the formation of the X-Men, and the evil Hellfire Club, all while really focusing on the Xavier/Magneto friendship. First Class had a lot going for it in terms of mutants and the X-Men, but Days of Future Past is just a movie about the heroes racing to save the day. Fortunately, it has some fun on the way there.
X-Men: Days of Future Past is not a disappointment, by any means. It’s a solid, entertaining entry into the X-Men franchise. But for me, I would have liked a bit more Adamantium on the claws – though not literally.
Join me after the jump for the full review!
Henchman-4-Hire 