Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 5/28/16
I’m a little late to the party, but I had a busy week and couldn’t get up a quick anything about all the comic book controversy. What have they done to Captain America?! What the heck have they done now to the DC Universe? Read on to get my reviews!
Part of me was just planning to review the big two controversial issues and leave it at that. But this week also saw the release of some of my favorite comics, and quite honestly, each issue kind of serves as the anti-thesis of DC: Rebirth and the new Cap twist.
So in an unprecedented move, Comic Book of the Week goes to three of my favorite comics, all of which released perfectly pleasing issues in this crazy week: Ms. Marvel, Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and Patsy Walker a.k.a. Hellcat.
Good advice
This week’s Hench-Sized Reviews is about as big a statement on comics as I may ever be able to make. I’m quite pleased with myself, and really enjoyed some of these reads.
Comic Reviews: Captain America – Steve Rogers #1, DC Universe – Rebirth #1, Ms. Marvel #7, Patsy Walker a.k.a. Hellcat #6 and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #8.
Review: Teen Titans #20
Writer Tony Bedard should not take up a side job writing Internet memes. As a long time reader of the Internet, I consider myself fairly well versed with the world of memes. I think I know what I’m talking about. Bedard dazzles us with a few in this new issue, as the Teen Titans take on this instantly dated phenomenon. I’m not even sure why they bothered.
Teen Titans is a lame duck comic book. With a complete revamp on the way in Rebirth, I’m not really sure why Teen Titans is still shambling along like it is.
Comic Rating: 4/10 – Pretty Bad.
Maybe if we were looking at a Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo-style climax, or if we had any sort of ongoing story to tell, or even if the comic was still using its original numbering and DC Comics wanted to get to the magic 52nd issue, then maybe I would understand why Teen Titans is still putting out new issues ahead of Rebirth. But there’s nothing here. Heck, this is Bedard’s first issue on the series. He’s clearly some kind of pinch-hitter brought on to keep the series on life support before the switch.
Why?
Is it sales? Does Teen Titans sell enough to justify scraping together a few more crummy issues over the next few months? Maybe if they were using these issues to build up to the Rebirth changes, I would understand. But that’s not happening either. This issue could be any regular issue of Teen Titans. There’s an awkward training sequence followed by the aforementioned memes plot, and the arrival of a sudden, random villain. Nothing in this issue signifies the end. Nothing in this issue signifies a new beginning or a new direction.
Nothing indicates the ‘Fall of the Titans’ that the cover implies…unless the Teen Titans are going to be undone because somebody is making crappy Internet memes about them…
Teen Titans #20 is weak filler. And it’s filled with some weird storytelling choices.
The X-Men Animated Series Was My Everything
This cartoon was my everything growing up in the 90s! Not only did it introduce me to a lot of newer X-Men, but I’m pretty sure this helped push along my interest in comics. I watched a ton of cartoons in the 80s, when I was really young, but the 90s and the X-Men Animated Series were my formative years.
I wonder if the episodes hold up at all. I’ve seen a few over the years, but I have to imagine it was a product of its time. Kudos to Screen Junkies for nailing all the best parts!
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I Think I Like These More Than Cinema Sins
Recently, a hero at Shesellssheshells has started sinning the Cinema Sins videos! He throws shade at the weak sauce critiques that Cinema Sins has been putting down, as the kids are known to say. He has now torn apart Everything Wrong With Avengers: Age of Ultron. It’s fun!
Though I’d come up with a better name than ‘Shesellssheshells’. I’m not even sure I’m spelling that right…
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6 Thoughts on the Third Season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The latest season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. came to an end last week, and I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the state of Marvel’s only remaining network TV show. I’ve been an avid watcher since the show started, and I also take in a lot of other superhero TV shows. We are living in a great time for superhero entertainment. Believe me, I’m thrilled.
I kind of want to tell them to stop trying to make Agent Coulson a thing…
I enjoyed Season 3 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but I don’t think it has lived up to the promise of a Joss Whedon TV show set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This third season saw the agents team up with a few scattered Inhumans to take on an evolving HYDRA, and we learned that HYDRA’s true purpose was to summon an ancient, Inhuman god back to Earth to rule (I guess Red Skull missed that part?). The agents and their Inhuman Secret Warriors took on this god — named Hive — after he possessed the dead body of former agent Grant Ward. They also visited an alien planet!
It was a solid season, and we’re definitely getting a fourth. So join me after the jump for my thoughts of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.! There will be FULL SPOILERS for Season 3!
