Category Archives: Reviews
Review: Avengers vs. X-Men #2
And lo, it was on like Donkey Kong! The epic battle of the Avengers vs. the X-Men has begun! Friend against friend! Husband against wife! Hero against hero! And with that, I’ve pretty much summed up the entire comic. The two teams come to blows very quickly in this issue, and it’s a little bit disappointing. I realize all of these characters are superheroes, and so fighting just comes natural to them. But holy cow does every single character just jump straight into a big brawl without a moment’s hesitation. All of the motivation behind the fighting seems to have dried up.
Avengers vs. X-Men #2
This is just a big, dumb fight issue with far too many characters to keep track of any of them. Though this comic tries its hardest. No wonder Marvel is also publishing a spin-off title that is nothing but fights – because none of them actually happen in this issue.
Comic rating: 4/5: Good.
But none of that is to say this was a bad issue. It’s still a very entertaining comic, and the end reveals that maybe we won’t just have 12 issues of boring fisticuffs. Because quite honestly, if this is all we can expect from the fights for this series, then count me out. This’ll be the most boring Big Event comic ever. Very little of the characters’ histories with one another are touched upon when they come to blows, and most of the fights happen off panel – or in that other comic book. And I’m not even sure if that spin-off comic is even out yet.
So basically what we get here are a few very short vignettes about fights that don’t happen in this comic, and then a medium-sized twist for the ending to catapult us into next issue. Cyclops and Captain America have another discussion during the fighting, but it’s not as good as the one last issue that kicked off the fight. But then this comic has a new scripter, so that could explain it.
That would also explain the silly purple prose found throughout the issue…Join me after the jump for a full synopsis, spoilers and more hot Avenger on X -Men action!
Review: Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise, Part 1
Hey Aang Gangers, did you remember that Dark Horse Comics was going to publish a direct sequel comic book to Avatar: The Last Airbender? I had forgotten all about it, until I randomly saw it mentioned online about a week ago. Well the first chapter was released all the way back in January, and I’ve finally gotten my hands on a copy! We all know that Legend of Korra started this past weekend (I haven’t seen it, don’t spoil it for me!), but this comic book The Promise, is all about our favorite characters from the original series. It’s set one year after Aang defeated Fire Lord Ozai, and it’s about the work that must be done to bring peace back to the land.
The Promise: Part 1
And so far, it’s fantastic! All the characters are back, and almost all of them are growing from where we last saw them at the end of the cartoon. This isn’t just the continuing adventures of Avatar Aang and his friends, this is real, in-continuity growth and exploration of their world. This is everything you could want in a direct Avatar: The Last Airbender sequel.
Comic rating: 4/5: Good!
Written by Gene Yang, the titular ‘Promise’ is one that the new Fire Lord Zuko asks of Avatar Aang, and it drives this first graphic novel. As Fire Lord, Zuko is dealing with an incredible amount of pressure to try and end the machinations of the 100 Years War. Fighting a bad guy is easy, governing in his place once he’s gone is hard. So the comic has a lot of nice political issues to deal with, while giving Aang a challenge that can’t be fought physically. The cartoon series was all about preparing Aang for the showdown with Ozai. But now that the fight is over, Aang has to get to the real task of maintaining peace. That can be much harder, with far more complications.
So the story is quite fascinating, and it’s great to revisit the characters. Though one complaint I have is that some of them don’t seem to have grown or changed at all. I realize that it has only been one year since victory, but I would have liked a bit more depth in exploring these familiar characters. I suppose keeping them the same will make it easier for younger readers, but I wanted more.
Especially since Zuko seems to be regressing very very quickly.
A lot of the comic is definitely very light on plot and character development. This book is geared towards the younger set. But it’s still a good read. Click the jump to read a full synopsis of The Promise, in case you can’t get a copy for yourself! The next two parts are due out in May and September, and I’ll definitely be checking those out as well!
Review: Scarlet Spider #4
What could have been a mediocre fight issue gets knocked up a notch in the climax, reminding the readers why the Scarlet Spider is not just a copy of Spider-Man. He’s tougher, he’s more badass and he can be excitingly brutal. Writer Christopher Yost uses that to great effect to elevate an already OK story into something more by the end.We’re also, possibly, seeing an expansion of Scarlet Spider’s rogues gallery, which is only going to help. And his supporting cast continues to develop.
Scarlet Spider #4
The only problem is that Scarlet Spider has yet to do anything that really wows me. But the series is still young.
Comic rating: 4/5: Good.
Let me first say that the Assassin’s Guild is an odd choice of antagonist for Kaine, especially in only his fourth issue. They are primarily a Gambit-related group, so I have no clue why someone thought they’d be a good fit for Scarlet Spider. Unless someone at Marvel tried to think of what existing villains could have a reason for being in Houston, Texas. They wanted someone familiar for Kaine to fight. The problem is, I have no clue if any of the Guild members in this issue have ever appeared before, other than their leader, Belladonna. They may all be brand new characters created for just this issue, in which case they are just nameless, pointless opponents for Kaine to fight.
And that doesn’t make for a good rogue’s gallery. Unless they stick around as villains Still, the art is fantastic and the big fight is a lot of fun. And like I said, Yost uses Kaine’s darker nature to add some fun twists to the story.
Review: Ultimate Comics: All-New Spider-Man #9
A switch in focus from Spider-Man to Prowler brings with it a dip in quality in the latest issue of Ultimate Spider-Man, but only because Miles Morales has become so entertaining. We don’t know much about Uncle Aaron quite yet, so he just didn’t make as compelling a protagonist this issue. Still, it’s a good idea to flesh out the supporting cast and play up the danger of new villain, the Scorpion. So this was an important tale, just not as entertaining.
Ultimate Spider-Man #9
And sadly, what little we did get of our young hero, wasn’t very interesting.
Comic rating: 4/5: Good.
We get another new fill-in artist this issue, David Marquez, but his style is very similar to regular artist Sara Pichelli, so I didn’t even know there was a change until I was more than halfway through the issue. So the art is quite good. But as I said, the bulk of this issue is a fight between Prowler and Scorpion. It’s a pretty standard fight, and moderately entertaining. It serves to flesh out both characters a little bit more, while setting up the eventual cliffhanger and conflict for this story: Uncle Aaron is going to try and get his nephew Spider-Man to help him fight Scorpion.
At least that sounds like it’s going to be very exciting! Join me after the jump for a synopsis and more.
Review: Teen Titans #7
Holy crap, does this issue suck. I have rolled my eyes at this comic’s various flaws before, but suddenly they’ve come together in a massive, brain-straining menagerie of winded dialogue, cringe-worthy banter, twists that fall pathetically flat, sudden changes in story that come out of nowhere, and the seemingly random and awkward introductions of several new, never-before-seen villains. What had been a relatively tightly paced series has suddenly exploded into a nearly incomprehensible mess.
Teen Titans #7
And it definitely doesn’t help that half the story takes place in an issue of Superboy that hasn’t even come out yet.
Comic rating: 1/5: Terrible!
Everything Teen Titans has been building towards just seems to fall apart with this issue. The only saving grace, perhaps, is the teamwork between the Titans. But their battle against N.O.W.H.E.R.E. just collapses in a big mess as the Titans attack their foes at their evil lair. Whereas before, N.O.W.H.E.R.E. was just a general evil organization, we’re now all of a sudden introduced to various super-villains with names and powers. Their appearances mean nothing because we’ve never seen them before. So the fights with the Titans mean squat. Not to mention the fact that the fights last only a page or two.
But worst of all is the dialogue. Characters not only talk too damn much, but they explain things that are happening in the same panel, as if we didn’t understand. The Titans are also constantly trying to tell jokes, but all of them fall thuddeningly flat.
Join me after the jump as I tear this comic book a new one.
Henchman-4-Hire 