Category Archives: Spider-Man
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 8/9/14
Reviews are going to be especially Hench-Sized today, folks, because your favorite henchman (and mine) is currently at Boston Comic-Con! If you’re there as well, maybe we’ll unknowingly bump into each other. You’ll know me as the especially handsome and charming fella. Unfortunately, no costumes this year. I’m just going for the fun of it and to maybe conduct some business. We’ll see!
As for this week, I’ve got some disheartening news. I was all set to review the new issue of Rocket Raccoon, having just come off the glorious Guardians of the Galaxy film. I thought to myself that I now understood the character, and surely he would translate well from screen to page. Nope! Not at all. I really wanted to like this comic. Skottie Young is doing great stuff. But the Rocket Raccoon comic is the complete antithesis of my sense of humor.
So to be fair to the issue, I decided not to review Rocket Raccoon #2. It’s a fine comic, sure, but I would have given it a bad grade because the comedy is just so terrible – but it’s not unintentionally terrible. I’ve no doubt there are a lot of people laughing their heads off at Rocket’s antics, but I am not one of them. Just like how I can’t stand Deadpool’s humor these days. And humor, as we all know, is subjective. So sorry, blog readers, I won’t be reviewing Rocket Raccoon going forward.
Pop culture references only work when the characters involved WOULD HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE OF EARTH POP CULTURE! WHY WOULD ANY CHARACTER HERE KNOW ABOUT ‘GOOD WILL HUNTING’?! WHY?!
But that’s OK! Because we’ve got solid issues of She-Hulk, Superior Foes of Spider-Man, Grayson and another issue of New Avengers to look forward to! Isn’t that enough for you people? I just wish the Guardians comics were as good as the movie.
Comic Book of the Week goes to She-Hulk #7 for just being kind of adorable, with an homage of sorts to Honey I Shrunk the Kids. And if you’re so inclined, you can check out my review of Moon Knight #6 over at Word of the Nerd.
Comic Reviews: Batman Eternal #18, Grayson #2, New Avengers #22, Superior Foes of Spider-Man #14, and She-Hulk #7.
Ladies and Gentleman, There Will Be a Phil Urich Action Figure
I like collecting superhero action figures. I loved it as a kid, and I still love it now. They’re neat to put on book shelves and just be on display. It speaks to the geek collector in me. Unfortunately, most of my favorite superheroes are pretty obscure characters, and they don’t get made into action figures very often. I could care less about the latest Spider-Man or Wolverine variant. Give me a Multiple Man figure!
Well it seems the impossible has happened. Phil Urich, one of my all-time favorite comic book characters, is getting an action figure. As part of some upcoming Marvel Legends line, we will get Phil’s awesome Hobgoblin figure.
Dreams do come true
Holy crap, that looks awesome. That will be the pride and joy of my collection, people. I know it’s a little bit insane to like action figures so much at my age, but who’s judging? Don’t be a Judge Judy. Get on the cool train!
The figure comes out sometime in 2015, I think. There are some more pictures here. Sweet Georgia Brown, I want that toy.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 7/26/14
Wow, what a week for DC Comics! I bet they planned it this way, to align with San Diego Comic-Con: new issues of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman all came out this week. And technically, Batman and Robin also came out, so there are your four major DC characters all in one week. Heck, new issues of Aquaman and Flash also came out this week. We practically had a full Justice League in solo comics! Neat!
And they were all pretty good quality too! At least the ones I read. Batman brought Zero Year to a close. Wonder Woman keeps blazing towards a climactic ending. And Superman keeps insisting that new character Ulysses is interesting! That part’s not going very well.
On the Marvel side, we’ve got…Amazing Spider-Man. That’s the only Marvel Comic I really read this week. Though I did read and review Storm #1 for Word of the Nerd! I felt that issue deserved a bigger review, so check that out. Comic Book of the Week goes to Batman and Robin #33, for a damn cool and exciting issue that really proves the kind of man Batman can be.
Though moment of the week goes to Wonder Woman #33 – even if that issue was also full of bad moments.
We’ll get to the bad moments in the actual review.
Comic Reviews: Amazing Spider-Man #4, Batman #33, Batman and Robin #33, Batman Eternal #16, Superman #33 and Wonder Woman #33.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 7/12/14
Do any of you lovely readers know the best way to treat a sprained muscle? I pulled something in my calf and I’ve been limping around all week because I’m an idiot. And I don’t trust doctors, what with their voodoo and medical degrees. So anyone with a magical, non-voodoo cure is welcome here!
Fortunately, I don’t need my leg to read comics! We’ve got a somewhat light week this week, mostly because a lot of books I’ve already given up on were out this week, like Nightcrawler, Fantastic Four and Justice League United. Fortunately, we’ve got All-New X-Men, Captain Marvel and Batman Eternal to keep us company.
Not to mention the first issues of the New Suicide Squad and Grayson, which wins Comic Book of the Week for actually being pretty good (and because I couldn’t get my hands on the new Lumberjanes). Despite all the setbacks he’s faced, Dick Grayson at least keeps getting good, solid writers behind him in the New 52.
I guess now we know why Nightwing was blonde at Batsgiving
Comic Reviews: All-New X-Men #29, Batman Eternal #14, Captain Marvel #5, Grayson #1 and New Suicide Squad #1.
You can also check out my review of Spider-Man 2099 #1 at Word of the Nerd!
Review: Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man #3
Now things are starting to heat up! Last issue was definitely build-up, with Miles preparing to tell his girlfriend the big news, and bad guys moving around the background. Well in the new issue of Ultimate Spider-Man, Brian Michael Bendis shifts into a higher gear, setting up what will no doubt be an exciting climax! The new Spider-Man vs. the Green Goblin! Katie Bishop panicking! Ganke proven right?! The tension ratchets up in a big way this issue, from a threat that’s actually born from the Spider-Man universe. Not since Prowler or Venom has a battle felt so important in this comic.
Ultimate Spider-Man #3
But the best is yet to come! Bendis starts toppling over some of his dominoes in this issue, and we’ve still got more story to go!
Comic Rating: 9/10 – Great.
The stakes just feel more real in this issue than they have in awhile. Every time Bendis is forced to add Miles to some big Ultimate Universe crossover, the stories lose that important tension. Who really cares about Miles getting thrown into a big Ultimates battle against Hydra? Or Miles swinging around helping people while Galactus threatens the world? Miles, and Spider-Man, are best left as street-level heroes. I’ve always said it, and I’ll continue to say it. Seeing Miles struggle to tell his girlfriend that he’s Spider-Man, or panicking in the face of the Green Goblin, is a great Spider-Man comic.
Miles Morales is a fun character. He may not be as iconic as Peter Parker, there’s no way he could be. But Bendis is doing a great job with Miles. He’s grounded, he’s human, and he’s driven to be a hero. He’s got a lot to learn ahead of him, and the story of that discovery makes for great comics.
Though once again, rumors of the Ultimate Universe’s destruction are on the wind. Apparently Miles is going to crossover with All-New X-Men in a few months? And something big and interdimensional appears to be on the horizon for next Spring. Bendis even drops a clue/tease in this issue, if you can believe them. I don’t know what to think. I still don’t want Miles to be shuffled off to the regular Marvel Universe. But, obviously, that decision is out of my hands.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
Henchman-4-Hire 