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Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 6/20/15
Sometimes I just can’t help myself. There are weeks when I tell myself to keep the Hench-Sized reviews under control, that you fine readers can’t handle me rambling for so long and so intensely! But this week was filled with great comics! DC continues to pump out some fun titles with their rebranding, and a few of my favorite indie comics were in my stack. This was a good week.
Comic Book of the Week was a hard one, but I think I’m going to give it to Justice League of America #1. The new series is written and drawn by Bryan Hitch, and is a great example of DC’s new style. Bucking the constraints of up-to-the-minute continuity, the new Justice League is just a straight forward, fun adventure by my favorite comic book artist. It’s a good launch.
Everybody loves diplomatic sessions
Unfortunately, Marvel Comics remains mired in Secret Wars. Even the great Ms. Marvel is now tied into that event. I skipped that new issue this week before it’s basically just Kamala Khan running around trying to be a hero while the world falls apart. The next issue is the one to watch out for, when she finally teams up with Captain Marvel!
Speaking of Secret Wars, I took a look at Squadron Sinister #1 at Word of the Nerd. It’s pretty much a dud.
Comic Reviews: Black Canary #1, Justice League of America #1, Kaijumax #3, Lumberjanes #15, Prez #1, Robin: Son of Batman #1 and Secret Six #3.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 4/18/15
With DC Comics still mired in the murk of Convergence, I get the chance to go outside my wheelhouse this week! Alongside a couple of outstanding Marvel titles, we’ve got the latest issue of Lumberjanes, a series I have been ignoring for too darn long, as well as the first issue of Bloodshot Reborn from Valiant Comics. Valiant has been doing their best to make waves, recently, and I say more power to them.
Though Comic Book of the Week goes to Ms. Marvel #14 for continuing what may be my favorite storyline of the fledgling series so far!
Secret Wars is going to be a real slog at Marvel if we don’t get our monthly Ms. Marvel fix!
Over at Word of the Nerd, you can check out my review of Uncanny X-Men #33. Normally I’d be all over that comic in this column, but Bendis takes a break from his ongoing Cyclops strolling for a filler issue. So no harm done.
Also, only two more weeks until Avengers: Age of Ultron! The anticipation grows stronger with every passing day.
Comic Reviews: Bloodshot Reborn #1, Lumberjanes #13, Ms. Marvel #14 and Thor #7.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 11/22/14
This was a weird week for comics, and I mean that in the best way possible. It was another big week, stretching my wallet to its limit, but I actually found myself passing on a few of my usual reviews. Both Avengers and New Avengers came out this week, continuing Jonathan Hickman’s massive Multiverse story, but I found that both issues, while good, were far too dense to properly discuss. I would have confused myself. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the new issue of Harley Quinn was just too simple and weird to devote too much time. So I skipped it too!
But I do have some quality reviews for you henchies! Spider-Verse continues, and I’m still enjoying it – though check out my review this week of Spider-Woman #1 at Word of the Nerd for the storyline’s first major misstep.
Comic Book of the Week goes to Lumberjanes for a fantastic finale! But the big disappointment is Wonder Woman #1, which pretty much does everything I feared it would now that Azzarello and Chiang are gone. Adding to the weirdness this week is the new issue of Uncanny X-Men, which robs me of my hero, Cyclops.
You’re not the man whose action figure I bought!
Comic Reviews: Amazing Spider-Man #10, Batman Eternal #33, Batman and Robin #36, Lumberjanes #8, Uncanny X-Men #28 and Wonder Woman #36.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews 9/6/14
Guys. Girls. Deep breaths. I just got my birthday present. And I am over the moon! For anybody who read my List of Six this week, today is my birthday – at least if you’re reading this on Sept. 6. And what was the number one thing on my List of what I wanted for my birthday? A new Multiple Man comic book. Unfortunately, that didn’t come true. But what did this week give me instead?
A brand new Madrox cameo! Sort of!
I love everything about this
Behold Matt Rocks, a duplicate that Jamie sent to Los Angeles to become a big, rich, powerful attorney to the stars. He makes a guest appearance in this week’s new issue of She-Hulk, and it is just all manner of exciting. I think this is the first time any sort of Madrox has appeared in a comic since last year. In fact, the final issue of X-Factor was released this very same week – the week of my birthday – last year. You can read my review! How cool is this? One year to the day from Madrox’s last appearance and he shows up in She-Hulk, one of my favorite comics. This is the coolest comic book birthday present a guy could ask for (or at least one of them)!
No need to guess what wins Comic Book of the Week, because I am incredibly biased. Fortunately, She-Hulk #8 is a great comic even without the Madrox cameo.
And we need some good comics in a week that includes the finale of Original Sin and a pretty weak issue of Uncanny X-Men. This is also the first week of Death of Wolverine, my review of which you can read over at Word of the Nerd.
Comic Reviews: Batman Eternal #22, Lumberjanes #5, Moon Knight #7, Original Sin #8, She-Hulk #8, Uncanny X-Men #25.
Seriously you guys, Madrox!
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 6/14/14
Have you ever walked out of a movie? I haven’t, but I’ve stopped watching films if I’m at home and don’t like them. And now I can say I’ve walked out of a comic book. I want to like DC Comics, they have some great characters, but their current output is just…so, so bad.
The comic in question is Justice League United #2, smack dab in the middle of its Justice League Canada storyline, and the New 52 introduction of Adam Strange. I haven’t particularly enjoyed the series so far, but it was still on my review docket…then I had to stop reading halfway through because it was just so bad. I just couldn’t take it anymore. The dull, endless exposition. The weak, context-less banter between the characters. The generally crummy plot. The awkwardly cut and pasted panels.
Look at this!
How does that pass any sort of muster at DC Comics?! The banter between Green Arrow and Animal man is pretty lively, with the two characters nearly at each other’s throats, but NOBODY MOVES AN INCH FOR THREE WHOLE PANELS! They have the same smiles and faces, every single one of them, despite some pretty harsh dialogue. It’s insane!
There’s also a random Supergirl cameo that completely ignores the fact that she’s a Red Lantern these days.
Fortunately, we’ve still got comics like Lumberjanes, which easily won Comic Book of the Week for the best issue yet of this fledgling series.
So don’t expect a full review of Justice League United #2. My review stack is actually pretty light this week due to just crappy comics and a pretty busy week for me personally. I had this infectious Malware problem Wednesday night that just wouldn’t go away. I had to stay up all night cleansing my computer. It was madness, and left me a very tired Sean.
And for those interested, you can check out my reviews for Captain Marvel #4 and New Avengers #19 at Word of the Nerd. Both of those were pretty solid comics.
Comic Reviews: All-New X-Men #28, Astro City #13, Batman Eternal #10 and Lumberjanes #3.
Henchman-4-Hire 