Category Archives: Reviews
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 2/22/14
We have arrive at another round of comic book reviews, but sadly, none of them feature LEGOs or the Guardians of the Galaxy. What a week though, right? Is anybody else still buzzing about that trailer? The more times I watch it, the more confident I become in that movie. But enough about them, on with the reviews! We’ve got stellar issues of Harley Quinn and Wonder Woman this week, and mediocre issues of Punisher, Uncanny X-Men and the brand new New Warriors. Only Batwoman was the real standout, which pleases me beyond measure. Batwoman wins Comic Book of the Week!
Cape Grab to Pool Table Flip
Comic Reviews: Batwoman #28, Harley Quinn #3, New Warriors #1, The Punisher #2, Uncanny X-Men #17 and Wonder Woman #28.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 2/15/14
Where is all the love? Valentine’s Day was only yesterday, yet none of this week’s comics were lovey dovey in the very least! Where was the pink? Or the hearts? Maybe Cupid has gone crazy and starts attacking Gotham City? Not even a Star Sapphire one-shot special? I feel very disappointed.
Heck, not even Superman/Wonder Woman was all that romantic, unless you count fighting super-villains to be date material…which I do. But love aside, we’ve got a smattering of good comics this week, including the future of Harper Row over in Batman, and the future of Toad in Wolverine and the X-Men. I was very tempted to celebrate all things Toad this week, but the new She-Hulk series files the proper motions to become Comic Book of the Week.
Not that Toad wasn’t awesome…and a little romantic.
Comic Reviews: Batman #28, She-Hulk #1, Superior Spider-Man #27, Superman/Wonder Woman #5, Wolverine and the X-Men #41 and X-Force #1.
Review: All-New X-Factor #3
I need to talk about the cover of All-New X-Factor #3 for a moment. I don’t usually discuss covers in my reviews, but this needs to be said, because cats in comics is kind of my kryptonite (as well as Youtube videos of cats who sound like they’re talking). I dig the unique look of the All-New X-Factor covers. But this cover shows Gambit snuggling with a bunch of cats, and the quote, “I’m their freaking king” above his head. This led me to believe that X-Factor was going to meet an army of cats, and they were going to really like Gambit, and therefore he was going to declare himself the ‘King of Cats’! BUT IT DOESN’T HAPPEN!
All-New X-Factor #3
I kind of want to demand my money back. And I want the ‘King of the Cats’ to become a thing immediately.
All-New X-Factor #3 shows a bit of improvement over the first two issues, but not by much. The characters and their relationships are still paper thin, the premise is still a bit uncomfortable, and writer Peter David hasn’t found anything really interesting for anyone to do (other than crack crappy jokes). But somehow, this issue at least felt like it was put together a little better than the first two.
Comic Rating: 5/10 – Alright.
At three issues in, I see signs that some of my concerns with this comic might even out. PAD is clearly trying to build up the relationships between his main characters, but he’s still working with a bunch of blank slates, so there’s just not much he can do yet. I get why Gambit doesn’t trust Quicksilver, but the characters have never had anything to do with one another, so the mistrust just rings hollow. And Polaris has been such a non-player for the past few years that she doesn’t really have any sort of relationship with anything, whether it be her teammates or the Marvel Universe as a whole.
Also, when has Gambit been a crazy cat person? That cover isn’t about Gambit becoming King of the Cats, but instead its about how Gambit has brought three pet cats to live with him at Serval Industries. When did that happen? Has Gambit always had a bunch of pet cats and I’ve just never noticed?
Or is it another bit of plot that PAD has pulled over from Gambit’s recently cancelled solo series? I hope the lot of you were reading that series, because X-Factor’s second big mission is mired in characters and plot points from it. Of course, considering the series was cancelled due to low sales, I think we can all agree nobody was reading it.
But PAD forges ahead anyway! Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 2/8/14
What a fun comic book week this turned out to be! Four Marvel comics debuted their new #1 issues this week, keeping the All-New Marvel NOW! going strong. Will they be as good as Black Widow? Or will they tank like…some other comic that was so bad I can’t even remember what it was. You’ll have to read on to find out!
Or I could just tell you now. I think Loki: Agent of Asgard, Wolverine, Punisher and Ms. Marvel were all good comics, well made and with some direction in mind, but only Ms. Marvel stood head and shoulders above the rest as a legitimately exciting new series. Out of the four, that’s the only one I’m definitely going to be buying from here on out. Ms. Marvel lived up to all the hype and easily won Comic Book of the Week!
My fan fiction was never this good
As for the rest, it’s probably a matter of taste, and I’m sure other people will love those comics much more than I did. I’m sure people will keep buying Wolverine comics no matter what I say.
Comic Reviews: Forever Evil #5, Loki: Agent of Asgard #1, Ms. Marvel #1, Punisher #1, Wolverine #1.
Review: Saga #18
As finales go, this one was a bit anti-climactic. As cliffhangers go, this one was fantastic! We come, once again, to another Saga finale. After every major volume, Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples take a few months off to get caught up on the next volume. And for art as good as Staples’, I’m more than willing to give the Saga team some time off. Fortunately for us, they don’t end on too much of a nail-biter, but you better believe I can’t wait for the next volume after that last page. Plot lines get wrapped up, characters are forever changed, and the world of Saga just got infinitely bigger, my friends.
Saga #18
Saga #18 feels like it should be a major turning point in the ongoing adventure, but something about the action just seems a bit anti-climactic, especially considering how much actually happens. Regardless, the issue is as bombastic as they come, and that final page will leave you squealing for joy.
Comic Rating: 8/10 – Very Good.
The cliffhanger in Saga #18 is unlike any we’ve seen in the series to date, but it’s so simple and obvious, I can’t believe I didn’t see it coming from a long ways off. It definitely took me by surprise. I won’t spoil it until we get to the synopsis, but this opens up the world of Saga in so many ways. It makes Saga a whole new series, an even more exciting series! I know I say it all the time that I can’t wait to see what Vaughn comes up with next, and trust me, this cliffhanger makes that more pertinent than ever before. But no spoilers until later.
The issue itself is an exciting one. The fight that started last issue picks up right away, and nearly every character gets a chance to shine. We also get the first encounter between Gwendolyn and her ex in this series, as well as Marco’s new flame. It’s a fun moment, as good as I could have hoped, considering how long Vaughn has been building towards it. The characters have always been the biggest draw of Saga, and Vaughn handles them well in this tense moment. The issue is strong, but I can’t help but feel that some of Vaughn’s choices for some of the characters weren’t the best. The Will does not fare well at all.
We’ll see what it all leads to in a couple of months. For now, join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
Henchman-4-Hire 