Category Archives: Reviews
Review: Teen Titans #5
Writer Scott Lobdell and artist Brett Booth team up to deliver what could be the very best issue so far of the new Teen Titans series. The problem is that I only say that because this issue is wall-to-wall action and fight scene, meaning there isn’t time to focus on the various problems I’ve had with this series. Still, great fight scene! The Titans take on Superboy in this issue, marking their first real superhero brawl as a team.
Teen Titans #5
Do they win? Well, you’ll just have to keep reading to find out.
Comic rating: 4/5: Good!
I’m going to try, from now on, to get over the various hang-ups I’ve had with this series. I can’t keep repeating them over and over again in every review. The dialogue feels forced, N.O.W.H.E.R.E. is a terrible villain and this team of Titans feels like they were picked out of a hat and just thrown together. These aren’t going to be fixed because one random guy is whining on the Internet. So I’m just going to start incorporating them into the basic fabric of the book. If they get better, I’ll let you know. They’re all still evident in this issue, but they don’t drag down what is an otherwise awesome fight scene.
Every character that appears in this issue gets their moment to shine, highlighting new aspects of their personalities while building towards a better story overall. Definitely an issue I would recommend.
Story and synopsis after the jump!
Review: Ultimate Comics: All-New Spider-Man #6
Oh Sarah Pichelli, I miss you already.
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man has a new artist with this issue, and I hope Chris Samnee is just a fill in. He does an OK job, but is nothing compared to the emotional and detailed glory of regular artist Pichelli. At least I hope she’s a regular artist. I don’t know why the switch, I’m just hoping we see her again soon.
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #6
Because the not-quite-as-amazing art brings down an otherwise stellar issue.
Comic rating: 4/5: Good!
Though not by much. Writer Brian Michael Bendis gives us a fantastic issue of Miles Morales getting used to his new role as Spider-Man, while adding in some family time, a visit to J. Jonah Jameson and a preview of the next storyline and new villain. Even Uncle Aaron, the Prowler, is back! This issue is a definite transition, bringing us down from the opening story and moving us into the next.
The only complaint I can really make is that it doesn’t transcend the written word into full-on comic book perfection. It doesn’t rise to the level where I would give it a perfect score.
Still, very damn good comic book. Spoilers and synopsis to follow!
Review: Scarlet Spider #1
How cool is it that I hold in my hands, in 2012, a comic called Scarlet Spider? I know my brother and I aren’t the only fans of the Clone Saga out there in comic book land. It’s just a thrilling feeling to have characters and concepts that I’ve loved since my earliest days of comic collecting get some love. And it’s a pretty good first issue too! Granted, it’s not about Ben Reilly wearing his classic Scarlet Spider costume, but one simply has to accept that this is a modern update to characters of the past.
Scarlet Spider #1
Basically this series can be summed up as: Anti-Hero Spider-Man.
Comic rating: 4/5: Good!
Scarlet Spider #1 starts the ongoing story of Kaine, a clone of the original Spider-Man. I’ll get into his somewhat confusing backstory in a bit. Kaine, a former villain, has a new lease on life with all of the spider-powers to boot. Now he has to decide what he wants to do with his life, and if he wants to be a superhero. This issue is a fine introduction to Kaine as a character, his powers, and his goals in life. For some reason his journey has taken him to Houston, Texas. Writer Christopher Yost has a nice handle on the character, and he starts building the cast and the setting. The tagline for this comic is ‘All of the power, none of the responsibility’, and that’s definitely showcased in this character-driven issue.
Joining Yost is artist Ryan Stegman, who draws clean, concise and nicely animated characters. The action is easy to follow and engaging, and the characters stand out as unique individuals. Unfortunately – spoiler – we don’t see the Scarlet Spider in costume in this issue.
Maybe next issue. Join me after the jump for spoilers and synopsis!
Review: Defenders #2
With the team already set up in issue #1, this follow-up second issue deals mostly with exposition and fighting. Writer Matt Fraction has clearly thought up a pretty detailed plot, and now he’s got to tell us all what it is so that I guess we can enjoy the rest of the story. This issue was not very exciting, I’m afraid. Not at all bad, but nothing to blow minds or convince me that The Defenders is the next big thing.
Defenders #2
The Defenders has yet to truly ‘wow’ me or show why it should be considered anything more than a Matt Fraction vanity project. The stellar art of the Dodsons isn’t enough.
Comic rating: 3/5: Alright!
This is a humor book where the jokes are more subtle and less slapstick, and unfortunately don’t land most of the time. The characters, while enjoyable, take a back seat to the plot explanation. And the plot is cool, I guess, but it’s hardly anything noteworthy or groundbreaking. This series is so far pretty much just standard superhero fare. Sure it looks fantastic and is well-written, but everything about it falls pretty flat. This feels like it should be a high-profile book, but is failing in that regard.
It’s some of Marvel’s top talent launching a series that doesn’t need to exist. Nobody was screaming for a new Defenders series. So when Marvel let’s Matt Fraction and the Dodsons create The Defenders, I want to know there’s a purpose. Spoilers and synopsis after the jump.
Review: Punisher #7
Greg Rucka throws us a curveball in this issue, writing a darn good character piece while solving none of the problems I’ve had with the series so far. If anything, this issue makes those problems worse. The story doesn’t move ahead at all. We learn nothing new about the villains, their motivation or anything, really. And neither the Punisher nor the Bride even appear! Instead we get the reason why Detective Ozzy Clemons dislikes the Punisher. That’s it.
Punisher #7
Still, it’s a well-written character examination. And the art of guest artist Michael Lark is to die for.
Comic rating: 3/5: Alright!
The problems with this series do not weigh down this issue, as they have previous issues. Rucka is clearly still going for style over substance, and with this issue, he does a very good job with it. Of course, I’d give the issue a higher grade if anything actually happened story-wise. As I said, the Punisher doesn’t even appear. It’s the Ozzy and Bolt show, as the two have a long talk about various topics (mostly the Punisher) on their way to the upstate lodge where Punisher and Bride did all that killing last issue. I’m a sucker for a good character exploration.
So hopefully I can explain why I’m cool with this issue, despite it not fixing any of the series problems, moving the story forward or providing much depth. Synopsis and spoilers after the jump.
Henchman-4-Hire 