Category Archives: Reviews
Review: X-Factor #260
Whoa! Talk about cliffhangers! We’ve only got two issues left before the big finale, and writer Peter David hits us with a doozy of a revelation. I’ll spoil what happens in the synopsis, but just know that this might not actually be the ‘End of X-Factor’. We still don’t know what PAD’s next project at Marvel is going to be…but it looks like he might be dropping hints already. And I’m quite excited. Beyond that, X-Factor #260 is a good issue and a nice exploration of Polaris. Unfortunately, she’s had very little time to make an impression, so her goodbye isn’t that strong. But PAD once again does a respectable job saying goodbye (maybe) to one of his cast members.
X-Factor #260
The guest appearance by Quicksilver is awesome though.
Comic Rating: 7/10 – Good.
I have made my peace with the X-Factor‘s cancellation. And I’ve come to accept that it’s no longer the title I once loved. X-Factor settled into a calm, gentle sort of quality over the past few years. The issues are always entertaining and consistently good, but never great, and rarely do they say or do anything new. PAD writes some great characters, the art has always been quality; it’s just that the premise and the stories have all been kind of mediocre. Especially when compared to some of the other comics out there right now, especially at Marvel. It turns out that Marvel NOW! really did shake things up for my favorite publisher. There are so many great books at Marvel these days that I really have to step back and accept that X-Factor just isn’t one of them. Not anymore. It’s good, but it’s not Marvel NOW! good.
Also, personally, I miss the private investigators angle. That was a great premise for this comic, but hasn’t really been around in forever.
I like Polaris. I was really excited to see what PAD could do with her in the pages of X-Factor, and I’m disappointed that he’s run out of time. He had the beginnings of some good characterization, but never really got around to giving Polaris any storylines. She was kind of just there being gruff and stuff. So when the time comes to say goodbye, it’s basically just Polaris sitting around being gruff and stuff. It works for the character, it works for the issue, and it works as a goodbye. Polaris’ farewell actually even ties in with a goodbye to X-Factor as a whole, so that’s nice. The issue also features a cameo appearance by Quicksilver, and that kind of works to wrap-up his X-Factor appearances from a few years ago. That’s an unexpected plus.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 8/3/13
If you’re reading this Saturday morning, then I’m well on my way to the Boston Comic-Con! Woot! Should be a fun time. I’m going in costume as an X-Men character, and I’ll be posting pictures and sharing stories sometime next week, once I’m back home. But for now, I wanted to keep up the comic book reviews so that my blog isn’t totally dead. I’m a hard worker, like that. Though because I left on my trip on Thursday, this week’s reviews are going to be pretty short, since I didn’t have a lot of time to work on them. Thankfully, being a fifth-week Wednesday, there weren’t too many comics released this week anyway.
The comics that were released include some of my favorites, like FF, which takes a turn for the meta this week, and Uncanny X-Men, which continues my love of all things Cyclops. This week also sees the end of the first major storyline in the new X-Men, as well as the end of Grant Morrison’s entire run on Batman with his final issue of Batman Incorporated. How does it work as an ending? Well…it’s fine. I’ve been saying this for awhile now about Batman Incorporated, and it really holds true for the final issue, but this series has lacked any sort of excitement or momentum for a long time now. The air has been let out of the tires and the energy has just been sapped.
Oh well. Morrison’s run was a lot of fun overall. As for Comic Book of the Week, I’m gonna toss it to Uncanny X-Men, simply because nothing was all that spectacular this week.
Comic Reviews: Batman Incorporated #13, FF #10, Uncanny X-Men #9 and X-Men #3.
Review: The Wolverine
Wolverine could be the next James Bond. Think about it. James Bond comes out with a new movie every few years and everybody flocks to see it. Few of the movies have anything to do with one another, especially when they change the lead actor. They’re all usually just stand alone James Bond adventures. If The Wolverine is any indication, that could totally work for everyone’s favorite clawed Canadian. There are decades worth of Wolverine comics, and an endless number of original ideas just waiting to be put up on the silver screen. We could be watching Wolverine movies for decades to come. Just point Wolverine at the latest super-villain and let him SNIKT his way back into our hearts each and every time!
The Wolverine is an entertaining, solidly-made action hero movie that keeps the story focused on its hero, where it should be. The movie is solid proof that Wolverine can easily hold his own as a leading man and doesn’t need the rest of the X-Men or a wealth of comic book references to make a good flick. Though it’s hardly a perfect movie.
Movie Rating: 7/10 – Good.
The Wolverine isn’t anything special. There are no great, memorable moments or lines. My pulse and heart were never racing. I maybe chuckled a few times. It’s just a solid, well-made movie with a great leader actor. Hugh Jackman returns for his umpteenth time playing Wolverine, and he continues to own the character. For that I give him all the credit in the world. Here is a guy who absolutely knows that playing Wolverine made him a star, so he’s more than happy to stick with the character to keep the fans excited. And it’s probably a ton of fun to play Wolverine anyway. Jackman is the strongest part of the new film, which is mostly about the character’s journey from lost soul back to hero – or from ronin to samurai, if you will.
Joining Jackman is a pretty great cast of Asian actors, including two new actresses playing his sidekick, Yukio, who was a lot of fun, and his love interest, Mariko, who was fantastic. The rest of the cast is good, and while the plot could get a little confusing at times, it was altogether a quality story. I’m sure when we have time to look back in hindsight, the villain’s scheme probably has a few holes in it. But I was never really bothered while watching the movie. Nor was I ever very surprised. I saw the twist ending coming from a mile away. And the big battle in the finale seemed more gratuitous than reasonable, as if the director thought the film had to have a Final Boss Battle.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t think a giant, evil, robot samurai really fit with the soul-searching, personal movie that came before it.
Join me after the jump for the full review. There will be some SPOILERS!
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 7/27/13
We check back in with a few different comics this week that I’ve skipped over in the past, namely Uncanny Avengers and Wolverine and the X-Men. The latter impressed me, if only for its superb use of Toad, while the former was kind of disappointing. The Marvel Universe is an odd place these days, and I just don’t think Uncanny Avengers really has a place in it. Maybe a few years ago it would have been something special, but these days, it’s lost in the shuffle.
Fortunately, Marvel is also publishing the excellent Superior Spider-Man comic, and I’ve finally given in to fan demand and read Avenging Spider-Man, now renamed Superior Spider-Man Team-Up. I liked it a lot, but this week it pals in comparison to the outright awesomeness of the Comic Book of the Week, Superior Spider-Man #14! Otto Octavius finally embraces his new Spider-Man persona, and it is glorious to behold!
How have we gone this long without Spider-Man henchmen?
Comic Reviews: Justice League Dark #22, Larfleeze #2, Superior Spider-Man #14, Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #1, Uncanny Avengers #10 and Wolverine and the X-Men #33.
Review: Teen Titans #22
I think Teen Titans #22 is where the series finally loses its mind. It’s jumped the shark. There is only the insane ramblings of a madman who has too much else to worry about, and can no longer be bothered to tell an even partially coherent story. Scott Lobdell is off writing both Superman comics. He’s got a lot on his plate. So clearly when it came time to write Teen Titans #22, he simply went off the deep end. Everything he may have learned in story-telling school has gone right out the window.
Teen Titans #22
Unprecedented recap page. The Deus ex Machina Squad. Trigon quitting. Evil Red Robin defeated off-panel. It’s all just so…so…lame.
Comic Rating: 2/10 – Very Bad.
On the one hand, the comic is comprehensible. I know what’s happening, I can understand what’s intended. But on the other hand, every other aspect of this comic is a wreck. It’s given up all pretense of being about the characters, and is instead just a rambling befuddlement of stuff that’s happening to a random, somewhat familiar group of superheroes. There’s no cohesion anymore. Issues don’t flow together. Characters are nothing more than colorful bodies who spout painful dialogue, and do what is required of them by the writer. Plot threads are dropped or dismissed seemingly at random, with only a little hand-waving to explain them away. While other plot threads just pop up out of nowhere and make no sense in the larger series.
Nothing matters anymore. Nothing. No friendships, no relationships, no idea of teamwork or why they’re even doing this. The Teen Titans are a train wreck. And the worst part is that they will now always be a train wreck.
Remember, there are no previous versions of the Titans. There is no long legacy of Teen Titans to fall back on anymore, not in the New 52 universe. It’s just Red Robin and this band of idiot misfits grouped together for the sake of hanging a series on. And it’s garbage, pure garbage. I’m pretty sure this book is surviving on name recognition alone at this point. But if it keeps going like this, Teen Titans isn’t going to have a name to bank on anymore.
Henchman-4-Hire 