Category Archives: Reviews
Review: Ultimate Comics: All-New Spider-Man #7
The latest issue of Ultimate Spider-Man is pretty much perfect. It’s an absolute gem of an issue, propelling the story of Miles Morales forward in fun and rewarding ways, while adding more depth to his supporting cast. Depth that I have felt was severely lacking. Writer Brian Michael Bendis is crafting a delightful saga, and the art of Chris Samnee – which I didn’t like last issue – is no longer a hindrance. He’s not Sara Pichelli, but who is?
Ultimate Spider-Man #7
But with all that said, I can’t bring myself to give this issue a perfect score.
Comic rating: 4/5: Good!
It’s as close to great as a comic book can get, but there is nothing in Ultimate Spider-Man #7 that rises to greatness. It’s missing that magical spark, that je ne sais quoi that would truly make it sparkle. Instead, it’s just a perfectly fine issue of the Miles Morales saga. It’s got humor, it’s got action, it’s got a fun look at a new hero trying out his powers and it’s got a fantastic cliffhanger. But for me as a reviewer, a comic needs that special something extra to get a perfect 5 out of 5. I’m just not seeing it yet.
But still, fantastic issue. Join me for further review and synopsis after the jump!
Review: X-Factor #232
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! The end of ‘They Keep Killing Madrox’ is here and it’s left me a very happy comic book geek! I won’t spoil the surprise until I actually get to the review, but suffice to say all my fears from the past few months have been put to rest. Writer Peter David did not shoot me in the face with sadness. Instead he has brought joy and happiness back into the world!
X-Factor #232
Sing with me, fans of Multiple Man, at the glory of this issue!
Comic rating: 4/5: Good!
That is to say, it’s not a great issue. Heck, it’s probably not even a good issue. But the ending bumped it up a notch. Like last issue, with Caplok vs. Iron Man, we basically spend the entire issue hanging out with Jamie Madrox on some strange, foreign dimension. He meets a new group of strange, altered characters, with the issue based almost exclusively around those characters. Once again, Madrox is just along for the ride in his own starring story. That sucks! David is writing such a great Madrox, but he doesn’t have anything for the character to do. We also don’t get anymore answers to…anything really. No better idea what Madrox is dealing with, nor any hints about the ‘truth’ of his powers.
Still, good enough read, with a fantastic ending! I’m one happy comic book fan. Spoilers and synopsis after the jump!
Review: Scarlet Spider #2
The second issue of this new Scarlet Spider series lives up to the awesomeness of the first. Kaine is badass and very much still in line as the Anti-Hero Spider-Man. There is one little hiccup towards the end, which I’ll discuss later. But it’s safe to say that the book has a good start. There is no second-issue-slump. Writer Chris Yost continues his world building efforts, and I hope he gets a chance to really flesh them out.
Scarlet Spider #2
Because frankly, there’s nothing very special about Scarlet Spider.
Comic rating: 4/5: Good!
I know that sounds negative, but it’s true! There’s no hook to this book. There’s no catchy or flashy gimmick, no particular reason for it to exist. It’s just Badass Spider-Man being badass – in Houston of all places! So I’m worried that Scarlet Spider is just not going to keep an audience. It’s written like a generic superhero title, one that just happens to cling to the Spider-Man family of books to stay afloat. I’m sure a large portion of its audience are people like me, who are big fans of Kaine and the very concept of a ‘Scarlet Spider’ series. But that audience alone can’t sustain a book.
Yost needs to come up with a very compelling reason why people should keep reading. Spoilers and synopsis to follow!
Review: Punisher #8
Finally picking back up with the Punisher and the Bride facing off at the fireplace, the latest issue of The Punisher moves the plot forward in several ways. But it does so without fixing any of the frequent problems I’ve had with this series. Perhaps, like Teen Titans, I should just accept certain problems as part of the story and move on. Because if you overlook those issues, there really is a decent Punisher story here. And the twist ending is very exciting.
Punisher #8
We might finally get to see the Punisher doing some punishing next issue!
Comic rating: 4/5: Good.
The Punisher himself remains a quiet phantom, there’s no changing that. But at least we get appearances from all the other major players, we even learn a bit more about a lot of them. Not that this ‘bit more’ really adds anything, especially to the villains. As far as I’m concerned, The Exchange has fallen flat on their faces as bad guys. Adding a bit of tension between them means zilch at this point. But it’s better than nothing, I suppose. I enjoy plot progression at least.
But when is he going to lose that stupid eye patch? Did Punisher lose his eye or what?
Synopsis and spoilers after the jump!
Review: X-Factor #231
Only more questions arise in the latest chapter of Madrox’s ‘afterlife’ adventure. I want the conclusion already! This issue dips in quality because it devotes far too much time to a bunch of alternate reality characters that just don’t matter. Or maybe they’re going to matter in future stories? I rather hope not, because there was nothing very interesting about this reality. When Madrox isn’t the focus, the book issue is incredibly boring. But when Madrox has the time to shine, the book is a gem.
X-Factor #231
Clear answer: give us more Madrox!
Comic rating: 4/5: Good.
Basically this issue feels a bit like padding. The entire issue is spent with Madrox, but we don’t learn anything new about his predicament, don’t get any revelations about the ‘truth’ of his duplicating powers and we don’t get any closer to Madrox returning home. It’s basically just Madrox hanging out in an alternate reality, but rather than one filled with character like the one with the wedding, this reality feels mostly cliche. Not to mention the fact that it drops a lot of random references to ‘House of M’ and ‘Civil War’, plus features a character who hasn’t been seen in so long that new readers won’t have any clue why he is important.
But all this worry is only temporary, as next issue is the conclusion to ‘They Keep Killing Madrox’! I’m on pins and needles!
Synopsis and spoilers after the jump.
Henchman-4-Hire 