Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 4/12/14
I am not often someone who toots his own horn – usually – but I think it’s time to share with you all that I’ve been picking up some other blog duties on the side of Henchman-4-Hire. I volunteered a few months ago to write additional comic book reviews for the website Word of the Nerd. Perhaps you’ve heard of it? I write a different style of review for them, adding to my already big workload here.
So just in case you’d like to read some additional reviews of mine, you can check out my takes on Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #1 and Nightcrawler #1 this week. Sometimes my reviews have overlapped between the two sites, but why do that when I can just share with you lot some other reviews I’ve written around the webs!
And no way am I going to abandon the weekly Hench-Sized reviews! This week sees the return of the All-New Ghost Rider, Captain Marvel and Secret Avengers, with the debut issue of Batman Eternal, DC Comics’ big new weekly Batman series. Does it live up to the hype?
No, no it doesn’t.
The second issue of Secret Avengers wins Comic Book of the Week for its playful style and strong characters. But Captain Marvel wins moment of the week with a guest appearance by Carol’s cat Chewie! Cats in comics are my kryptonite. I’m not ashamed to admit that.
Both ‘Carol’ and ‘Captain Marvel’ would be good names for cats, I think. Or maybe just ‘The Captain’. Or even ‘Captain Cat’. I could do this all day.
Comic Reviews: All-New Ghost Rider #2, Batman Eternal #1, Captain Marvel #2, Secret Avengers #2 and Superman/Wonder Woman #7.
Do You Want to Watch Some Batman?
If I was Bruce Timm, legendary creator of Batman: The Animated Series, I would also spend my free time making professional-grade Batman shorts.
This little video is making the rounds on the Internet as Timm’s contribution to Batman’s 75th anniversary. It’s an interesting little piece, even though it seems Batman’s best weapons are a rock and a tree limb. And do we really need to acknowledge Batman’s original design in modern adaptations? Do we really have to admit that there was a time when Batman thought big, floppy bat ears and small, purple gloves were a good idea? Can’t we just gloss over that?
Review: All-New X-Factor #6
Six issues in and all of the members of the All-New X-Factor have signed up. I like the casual way the team has come together, with everybody just sort of asking if Danger, Cypher and Warlock would like to hang out. But I wish writer Peter David focused more on that element of the series. It would be a wonderfully subversive twist on the idea of a superhero team, especially starring these characters in this Marvel Universe. Everyone in All-New X-Factor has been here before. They’ve all been members of different superhero teams, some long-lasting and some not. The idea that they’re all randomly grouping up together for form yet another new team, and what everybody thinks of that, would be an interesting – and I think entertaining – focus for the series.
All-New X-Factor #6
And I think PAD recognizes this, but I fear he’s still a little too focused on general superheroics. All-New X-Factor isn’t looking to be subversive. It isn’t looking to be anything more than just another superhero comic, and in the All-New Marvel NOW!, that’s just not good enough anymore.
Comic Rating: 6/10 – Pretty Good.
All-New X-Factor is growing on me just a little. The comic is becoming more rewarding to read, though if I wasn’t dedicated to doing these long reviews, I probably would have dropped the comic by now. Why am I dedicated to these long reviews? I dunno. I guess I owe it to the memory of Multiple Man to keep them going. But it’s just not a very catchy, entertaining comic. It’s readable and well put together, which can’t be said for every comic on the stands. But All-New X-Factor is unimpressive. It doesn’t really seem to have anything to say, and all of the characters are kind of just hanging out waiting to see if they’ll still be a comic by the end of the year. PAD tries to inject a little humor and humanity in the characters, but it’s not enough, and it’s just not as good as the last volume. PAD doesn’t have the same handle on these characters as he did on the last roster, and it shows every time he engages in a little playful banter.
The new issue is mildly entertaining, especially in how PAD deals with the Magus. One might say the ending of this issue was unexpected, but I kind of saw it coming. There were only two ways X-Factor was going to deal with the Magus, and this was one of them. In today’s day and age, this was definitely a predictable ending – not that I didn’t prefer it over the obvious fight climax. X-Factor has done enough fighting in only six issues. But this sort of twist ending is a little anti-climactic, though at least it serves its purpose of getting Cypher and Warlock on the team. The status quo of the Magus has changed, but I don’t imagine there are too many Magus fans out there to deal with the potentially ruffled feathers. It’s a solid wrap-up to last issue, and like I said, I’m enjoying the casual way the team is coming together. I just wish PAD put more focus on that perspective.
Join me after the jump for the full synopsis and more review!
The 6 Best Little Sisters in Pop Culture
My little sister’s birthday was last week, and I’m still having a hard time believing that she’s in her mid-20s. It helps that we live several states apart and only see each other on the major holidays. But still, come on, world! Cut me some slack! There’s no way she’s that old now. Regardless of age, I still love her, and the best way I know how to show love these days is with a List of Six dedicated to her.
This also qualifies as her birthday present.
“Happy Birthday to you…”
I did a similar list a few years ago for my brother around his birthday. But in researching this list, I discovered that brothers are a much bigger deal in pop culture than sisters. His list was all about awesome brother teams, like Mario and Luigi, but that sort of thing apparently doesn’t exist very often in pop culture when it comes to sister siblings. What’s up with that? Besides the obvious gender inequality inherent in all of fiction.
Still, I ain’t buying her a real present. So here’s a list of the 6 coolest little sisters in pop culture!
The Teen Titans Return in July!
We all knew it was going to happen eventually, but I didn’t realize how closely it would follow the current, horrid Teen Titans series. Either way, the Teen Titans are coming back from cancellation with a new #1 issue by writer Will Pfeifer and artist Kenneth Rocafort! The roster isn’t going to change, keeping Red Robin, Wonder Girl, Raven, Beast Boy and Bunker!
The new Teen Titans are just the old Teen Titans
Newsarama made the reveal today, posting the cover and an interview with Pfeifer. Most recently, he’s been writing a few issues of Red Hood and the Outlaws. Beyond that, he hasn’t been in comics for a few years now. That’s not a good sign, as far as I’m concerned. But maybe he has some good ideas in store.
From the interview, it looks like Pfeifer is kind of going to keep things the way they are. The Titans are going to be heroes and fight bad guys. Though Pfiefer does claim that he’ll be focusing on them more as teenagers. That’s a good sign as far as I’m concerned, and it was the No. 1 thing missing from Scott Lobdell’s series. The key to a really good Teen Titans comic, in my opinion, is a focus on the characters as teenagers first, superheroes second. Just because they wear colorful costumes doesn’t mean they have to be in those costumes all the time.
Pfeifer had this to say about the series:
The fact that these characters are actual teens (and we’re going to be writing them like actual teens, too) opens up a whole world of possibilities. I mentioned before how they’re going to screw things up from time to time, and though that has some serious implications, it’s also a way to put some genuine comedy into the book. Plus, the Titans haven’t been heroes for too long, which means they’re not burned out or jaded by the (insane) pressures of the superheroic life. They’re actually having fun themselves – well, sometimes – and I want that to come across in the comic.
I find it very interesting that Teen Titans is starting over with a new #1 issue. This is a tactic that Marvel does a lot, but DC hasn’t done it since the start of the New 52. This is a new gimmick for DC. And I really, really, really think it has to do with washing off the stink of Lobdell’s run. That comic was just horrendous. Clearly, though, Pfeifer is going to keep the same cast and tell the same stories. So what other reason could DC have for starting with a new #1 than trying to lure back readers that Lobdell scared off?
Of course, Pfeifer doesn’t put it like that.
Putting the #1 on the cover of our first issue accomplished a couple of things: First of all, it draws attention to the book. There are so many comic books competing for the readers’ attention now – not just with other books but with video games, TV and that little thing called “the internet” – that anything we can do to lure some eyes to our cover is something I’m all far. But even more importantly, that #1 lets the reader know that this isn’t just a continuation of the other series. Yes, the Titans are the same heroes, and no, we’re not going to kick things off with a year of origin stories, but we are heading in a new direction and exploring some new themes.
If you’ve been reading the book, by all means, keep reading it. (Please – I have a daughter who’s going to need braces soon!) But if you haven’t been reading Teen Titans, give this version a shot. I don’t think there’s another book on the shelves quite like it.
I am always willing to give a series like this one a shot. So consider me on board, and definitely keep reading the in depth reviews that will continue with the new creative team.
Maybe, just maybe, we’ll get an enjoyable Teen Titans comic in the New 52.
Also, why is Beast Boy suddenly green again? Another sign that DC are trying to correct their mistakes?
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