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Post by thwhtguardian on May 9, 2018 10:21:19 GMT -5
Assembled here you'll find the reviews of the freshest comics by real readers just like you! We're not paid to read these, so we're free to be honest!  Here's what we read this week: Detective Comics #980 by Hoosier X Southern Bastards #20 by Slam Bradley BPRD #153 by Thwhtguardian Highest House #4 by Thwhtguardian |
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Post by Hoosier X on May 10, 2018 16:04:38 GMT -5
I've been very critical of Detective Comics lately, so I felt obligated to step in and say that I actually kind of liked Part 5 of "Batman Eternal." I'm still not real keen on the idea that Batman invented Brother Eye and that a future version of Tim Drake commandeered Brother Eye to create a mechanized totalitarian Bat-Police force to terrorize Gothamites into being good. But that's the story I got currently, so I better to learn to accept (or not) this story on its own terms instead of wishing I was reading somebody else. (And at least they killed off Clayface, so I'm not having to accept that bit of stupidity every issue as soon as I open the book.) Detective Comics #980 gets a lot of points for making good use of it's characters. Montoya and Bullock are back for a few pages, looking good and (even better) in character. Batwoman is taking names and kicking ass. Cass Cain had been growing on me for a while. But the best thing is Steph! Steph has been a favorite of mine for a long time and I haven't always been very satisfied with her most recent characterizations. But her little speech at the end of Det' #990 is pretty awesome! |
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Post by Hoosier X on May 10, 2018 16:06:05 GMT -5
Wonder Woman #46, on the other hand, was only better than #45 because that awful Darkseid storyline is over!
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Post by Slam_Bradley on May 10, 2018 16:29:16 GMT -5
 Southern Bastards #20. Written by Jason Aaron. Art by Jason Latour. I think this was the first issue of Southern Bastards that I was actually disappointed in. Particularly for the end of an arc. I'm certainly not going to complain about the delays in this book. Both Aaron and Latour have had a lot of shit going on in life. I don't blame them at all. But this issue didn't work for me. It smacked of the old trope of let's have "protagonists" fight for...reasons. And then we end up with the old canard of "you'll suffer more from living than if I kill you." Bah. If you're already deep in aggravated battery land you finish the villain off...you don't leave him around to vex you later on. Disappointing. 5/10. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on May 10, 2018 21:30:52 GMT -5
BPRD: The Devil You Know #6 Written by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie Art by Sebastian Fiumara Summary: With threats on multiple fronts Hellboy's return from the dead couldn't come at a better time...but is it really him? Plot: Mike Mignola has been known for his long term game planning for a while now, with tiny teases of minute details paying off in big ways years after the fact but this issue really takes the cake. Back in 2010 during the King of Fear storyline we went with Liz in a vision of the future and tucked away in a corner of the rubble was this image:  It's the future, and Hellboy is back from Hell! It thrilled readers then and although many, myself included, thought it still might come true in some way even though the events in the story averted that future it was far from certain...but here were are eight years later and big red is back from the dead! These kinds of reversals are common place in modern super hero comics, but they are not a reality in Mignola's work so while a hero returning is old hat for others it's stunning here and that long game is the reason why. It's not some sales boost, marketing strategy it's an organic part of the story that has been developed and teased for years making the final reveal so damn rewarding. I've literally been waiting for this story for years and the implications, not only for the world Mike has created but for the character development of Hellboy are huge. We've gone off the map now and literally anything could happen. Although the book was never stale before, it had a very cyclical mythic feel so you could anticipate certain events but now Hellboy ha broken that cycle by returning and there's no way to predict what could go next. I've reached the end of this issue and I just wanted to keep on reading, I've never been so frustrated and excited for the next issue in my life.
Art: Fiumara's expressive, moody art was as excellent as always but what really thrilled me were the pages Mignola himself turned in to start the issue. Hell seems to be the sole purview of Mignola, with his pen being the only one to depict it first in Hellboy in Hell, then book ends in Koschehie and now this prologue. That kind of artistic trick really sets the pages off and marks them as being another world from the rest of the book; so that you can then feature just a single panel of Mike's later on and you instantly know that it's set apart. It's just fantastic visual story telling.
Grade:10/10 |
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Post by thwhtguardian on May 11, 2018 21:41:02 GMT -5
The Highest House #4 Written by Mike Carey Art by Peter Gross Colored by Fabian Alquier Summary: The lords of Highest House prepare to receive an envoy of other noble houses from across the land. However, among those other houses are conspirators planning to assassinate Lord Aldercrest.
Plot: With the fourth chapter, Mike Carey's Highest House continues to be one of my favorite books out on the market right now. Following up on the twist ending that Lady Shurubai and her servant, Lace, are secretly lovers Carey gave us a great look into royal life for a woman, and how that lifestyle influenced her love for her servant. That gay romance could have come off as feeling like a needlessly exploitative high fantasy subversion but instead it felt true to life and gave us a much richer understanding of both characters. In addition to that continued fantastic character work, a hallmark of the series, Carey also piled on the action giving us a full on revolt led by the visiting houses which once again led to a commendation for Moth. While well paced, I felt like the intrigue could have been plaid out longer, giving us a time to get to know the other lords and their reasons for wishing the king dead. Still and all it was a fantastic read that fully leaves you wanting to learn more about the world before you.
Art: Peter Gross and Fabian Alquier continue to work in perfect tandem bringing us excellent artwork which really breathes life into this book . The texturing of the buildings, and clothing gives it all a very realistic, old-world feel that makes the story feel expansive and lived in and and the very shapes of the panels evoke the tension and frantic pace of the action which really fits the narrative like a glove.. On top of that the color palette chosen by Fabian Alquier is warm and rustic which gives everything a naturally aged look which continues to contribute to that lived in aesthetic perfectly.
Grade:9/10 |
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Post by thwhtguardian on May 12, 2018 20:27:51 GMT -5
Fraggle Rock #1 Story and Art by Jared Cullum Summary: When the Fraggles learn that their friend Mokey has lost her muse they embark on a adventure to locate it! Plot: Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock is one of my all time favorite kids shows, with it's fully developed characters, exciting world and fun songs it was a perfect escape every time it came on. Since it came out there have been several attempts to adapt it to comics but they always seemed to fall short more often than not, and while Cullum's latest attempt with Archaia wasn't perfect(it lacked the musical component) it definitely felt authentic. The down side though is that this mini series has a different creative team for each issue, which is a bummer as I'd much rather see Cullum get a chance to develop these characters more. Art: While the story may have been a little simple the star here was the art, it's seriously some of the best art work I've seen in a comic. Each page is a brilliant water color painting, whether done digitally or by hand I don't know but the soft textures of the work are perfect for the tone of the world.  Grade: 8/10 |
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2018 17:45:08 GMT -5
Flash #46: Written by Joshua Williamson. Art by Scott Kolins.
After the events of last issue Wally is having conflicting memories... it is pushing him mentally over the edge. We also see Zoom manipulating events to get Flash to fight Flash/Barry vs Wally.
Williamson is setting up the Flash War arc. It involves Barry, Wally, Zoom & Thawne. We see Barry enlist the superhero community to help "stabilize" Wally's memories. Williamson does a great job setting in place the pieces to tell the bigger story in the next arc. And I have to say Kolins' art was a joy to see again. It is a little more polished than it used to be but it is still unique.
8/10.
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2018 17:53:32 GMT -5
Spectacular Spider-Man #304: Written by Chip Zdarsky. Art by Adam Kubert.
Peter, JJJ & Teresa return from the past to a changed present! Too much to describe.
All I can say I wasn't a fan of the arc in the past but this arc looks like it will be fun. All the changes in the present their trip into the past caused? Altered timelines usually results in an interesting alternate story. This one looks to be a good one. Love the twists Zdarsky throws into the story. And it is great to see Kubert back on art.
8/10.
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2018 10:48:04 GMT -5
I'm thinking of picking up Fraggle Rock ... thwhtguardian ... the best part of it is a four issue mini-series. |
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