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Post by thwhtguardian on Nov 10, 2016 18:10:53 GMT -5
Gotham Academy #3 Written by Brendan Fletcher, Becky Cloonan and Karl Kerschl Penciled by Adam Archer Inked by Sandra Hope Colored by Serge Lapointe Summary: A witch known as Haxan is revealed to be the mastermind behind the kidnappings at school and she's using them to hunt down a secret book.
Plot: What I've always liked about this book is its rich cast of characters and it gets even better here. While Fletcher, Cloonan and Kerschl have always been good at portraying the relationships between the kids they took it to another level with the introduction of Colton's feelings for Kyle. Having a character come out on page and introducing his feelings for a straight character are both bold moves and the casual way that the writers carried them out and the reaction from Pom just made me smile. It bothers me when comics make a big dog and pony show out of these normal, every day issues so it's heartening to see it treated just like an everyday occurrence.
Art: I love the way Archer displays action, his dotted line chase scenes are really fun to follow.
Conclusion: With rich characterization and breezy action the book continues to be a fantastic read.
Grade: 9/10
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2016 9:18:19 GMT -5
Supergirl #3: Supergirl and her DEO appointed mother travel to space and find Argo City, a bunch of Kryptonians, but all is not well. Not too much to say about this issue. I enjoyed the scenes with Kara and her earth parents and the story about her birth father and his plans is interesting enough....but the art doesn't seem to fit this book. Some panels look really good while others look like doodles in a high schooler's notebook. I really want to love this book as I enjoy the tv show (and the book is incorporating elements from the show), but something is missing. Don't know if a more detailed and dynamic artist would help or what. I am hanging in there for the time being. 5/10
Superwoman #4: Jimenez should stick to drawing. This book is a mess cover to cover, although there are some high points. I enjoyed the opening few pages. Lana's interaction with Lois's ghost or whatever this is was entertaining. The book jumps around and is hard to follow. Nothing much new happens in this issue, Lana knows her powers are killing her, Lex talks a lot, EVERYONE in the issue talks, talks, talks.....The last page or so look promising and I will see how the story wraps up before I decide to drop or keep the book. The art was not bad. Lana looked pretty and was cute in her overalls on the farm. I could see influences from Adam Hughes and Terry Dodson in the art. Unfortunately for a book that seemed poised to be great, it hasn't achieved greatness yet.
4/10
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2016 18:26:59 GMT -5
I don't how this book (Superwoman) went off the rails so fast. It launched great but turned into a mess quickly.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Nov 11, 2016 22:20:40 GMT -5
I don't how this book (Superwoman) went off the rails so fast. It launched great but turned into a mess quickly. I feel like it just tried to do too much too fast. Before we even got used to the idea of two Superwomen and explored their powers they "killed" one off and in the wake of that they've just tried to add too many new elements like Luthor's sister without letting them evolve. |
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Post by Dizzy D on Nov 12, 2016 10:48:49 GMT -5
I've read Worlds of Wakanda and Casanova (and forgot to pick up Doom Patrol, dammit. My memory is going. Probably distracted by the trades of Sandman and East of West). Neither lends themselves to long reviews, so:
World of Wakanda #1: Two stories that give some background on the characters in Black Panther at the moment. The first one, by Roxane Gay and Alitha Martinez, focuses on the two rogue Dora Milaje (for those that haven't read Priest's or Coates' Black Panther, the Dora Milaje are the female bodyguards of the Black Panther and potential wives.) The story doesn't really do anything special so far: Aneka is the teacher, Ayo is her student. Ayo is rebelious and Aneka is annoyed by her and in denial on the attraction she feels for her. I do like the character of Fomali, who is confronted by one of the teachers who tells her that she lacks the fighting skills to become a Dora Milaje, but she quickly proves that she has other skills that are equally valuable. The story is continued next issue, but so far we don't learn anything we didn't know before, apart from that Aneka and Ayo originally didn't like each other at all.
The second story, by Yona Harvey and Coates with art by Afua Richardson, tells the backstory of Zenzi, the mind-controlling "villain" in Coates' Black Panther. It's also part 1 in an ongoing story and just deals with her leaving Niganda for Wakanda, seeing both nations that were once proud but now broken.
Both stories are mostly setup, so I'm taking a wait and see approach. The writers are both new to comics, but not to writing, so I'm giving them some slack when it comes to writing comics. I like Richardson's art more than Martinez, but Martinez is not a bad artist, it's just pretty stanard American comic art style and she doesn't get do anything special. There is potential here, but it's not a Must-Read first issue that will draw new readers in.
Casanova: Acedia #7: Written by Matt Fracion (Casanova) and Michael Chabon (Metanauts), art by Fabio Moon (Casanova) and Gabriel Ba (Metanauts). I really need to reread this series, because a) Casanova has never been the easiest series to follow and b) it's been some time since the last issue. Artwise, this is one of my favourite series and if you haven't been following the series, you'll probably have no idea where the main story ends and the backup story starts, the art is similar and there is no title page/caption or anything to seperate both stories.
Plot-wise: Casanova Quinn still has amnesia and goes through life now as Quintin Cassady, but flashes of his old life keep him up. He's now in contact with people who knew him from before, but he's still not convinced they are straight with him. Meanwhile we have a secret organisation summoning demons through demon masks. The backup story of the Metanauts, an all-girl pop-group who turn out to be androids also fits in somehow. It's dense and complex, but it's so by design.
Overall: I like Casanova a lot, but Acedia is not a place to start and issue #7 is definitely not a place to start for new readers.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Nov 12, 2016 20:56:53 GMT -5
Detective Comics #944 Written by James Tyrion IV Art by Eddie Barrows Summary: As Batman attempts to recruit a new member to take up Tim's tech role he and his team face a dastardly assault by the First Victim and his gang.
Plot: After Tyrion "killed" off Tim Drake to tie into the stupid Rebirth event and then got side tracked by the even stupider Monster Men event I seriously thought canceling this book(like I did Batman) but despite his set backs Tyrion has managed to keep me going. Although I miss Tim, Luke Fox is an interesting character so he's a good add to an already excellent ensemble cast and that really why I enjoy this book so much. I'm not usually a team book kind of guy but when the voices are good and the personalities and relationships are complex it makes for good reading and in the case of Detective seeing that web slowly start to form is what will continue to read on despite short comings else where.
Art: Although most of the members of the Victim Syndicate remain kind of generic design wise I give Barrows major props for the look of the First Victim. He's the perfect blend of the Red Hood and an 80's horror villain which just makes him so damn visually striking.
Conclusion: Although there are some missteps( Iron Batman) the team dynamic remains strong.
Grade:6/10
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2016 9:09:21 GMT -5
Action 967: We find out where the missing building that housed Doomsday went and this sequence has some very nice interaction between Superman and his son. Jon even manages to get a joke in about the red underwear suit and Superman has a matter of fact comeback. Lois and Lex have some interesting scenes--these scenes had clues about the missing building and about Lex's supersuit. The other Clark Kent shows up and we learn Lex is keeping tabs on him. Two mysterious figures also appear and their purpose is to prevent a very bleak looking future involving Lex.
This issue wasn't bad, but it felt mostly like set up. The premise is interesting about Lex. The art was ok although I wish Lois could be drawn a bit more.....I don't know...glamorous? I guess my impression from the 70s about her is still stuck in my mind--and I realize she is now a working mother who probably doesn't have time to fuss with her appearance. There was a conversation with Superman and Jon that was really nice. Superman explains striking a balance between his job as Superman and his role as spouse and a parent--something many men and women contend with everyday. The art and colors were ok.
7.5/10
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Post by thwhtguardian on Nov 14, 2016 15:15:31 GMT -5
Action 967: We find out where the missing building that housed Doomsday went and this sequence has some very nice interaction between Superman and his son. Jon even manages to get a joke in about the red underwear suit and Superman has a matter of fact comeback. Lois and Lex have some interesting scenes--these scenes had clues about the missing building and about Lex's supersuit. The other Clark Kent shows up and we learn Lex is keeping tabs on him. Two mysterious figures also appear and their purpose is to prevent a very bleak looking future involving Lex. This issue wasn't bad, but it felt mostly like set up. The premise is interesting about Lex. The art was ok although I wish Lois could be drawn a bit more.....I don't know...glamorous? I guess my impression from the 70s about her is still stuck in my mind--and I realize she is now a working mother who probably doesn't have time to fuss with her appearance. There was a conversation with Superman and Jon that was really nice. Superman explains striking a balance between his job as Superman and his role as spouse and a parent--something many men and women contend with everyday. The art and colors were ok. 7.5/10 I still feel that Superman is the superior title but I agree that Action remains really strong. I really like how they're on the same page about developing the home life of Lois, Clark and Jon and although the new mysterious villains who go around killing evil gods looking for Lex Luther aren't my favorite it's certainly interesting enough to keep me going. |
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Post by Dizzy D on Nov 20, 2016 13:31:33 GMT -5
Doom Patrol #3 Written by Gerard Way
Art by Nick Derington
Colours: Tamra Bonvillain
What went before: Casey has Cliff and Larry crashing in her apartment. She also has discovered that her ambulance is bigger on the inside than the outside; Flex Mentallo welcomes her to Dannyland. Summary: Flex Mentallo gives Casey a tour of Dannyland and explains her links to Danny and the Doom Patrol. Meanwhile Larry is trying to understand the changes his body went trough with a little help from Cliff when the alien Negative Man arrives and takes them both to Negative Space. The Vectra attack Danny the Ambulance and Casey decides at this time to go outside, not pleased with hearing her own origin story. Outside Casey and her pet/sidekick "Fugg" (not named, but that's the only thing it says) are captured by the Vectra. Oh and her leg disappears. Plot: It's still weirdness as always with the Doom Patrol, but the story is pretty easy to understand (though you probably need to have read Morrison's Doom Patrol as there are a lot of callbacks to that). It's also clearly setting this story in the same timeline as Morrison's Doom Patrol as those events all get referred: Flex Mentallo tells how Danny the Street was attacked by the Man from N.O.W.H.E.R.E., Cliff tells Larry that they can't go to the Chief because he's a dangerous megalomaniac who caused their accidents, Casey visits a themepark in Dannyland that has sets with the classic Doom Patrol, the Scissormen, the Painting that Ate Paris and the Candlemaker. Danny explains Casey's origin to her through a comic within the comic, which is nicely done. So it's not just weird to be weird, there is a story here and it's not that complex. Though what role Terry is playing in all of this is still unclear. Oh and why her leg disappears. Art: I really like it, especially with the comic within a comic which simulates the dot coloring techniques of old comics. The various characters all look unique, the style is bright and cartoony (contrasting with the Bisley cover I got for this one which is a completey different style), especially Fugg, who looks like it came from the set of Lilo and Stich. Grade: 9/10 |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Nov 20, 2016 13:46:47 GMT -5
The comic within a comic aspect was definitely one of the best elements in the series so far, the art was just fantastic.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Nov 26, 2016 12:42:58 GMT -5
Star Trek: Boldly Go #2  Written by Mike Johnson Art by Tony Shasteen Summary: Resistance is Futile! Seemingly sensing the disturbance the Narada caused by entering the past the Borg have come to investigate the Alpha Quadrant bringing them into conflict with Kirk and company.
Plot: While in the last issue Johnson gave us great characterizations of Kirk, Bones and the new crew this issue largely focused on Sulu and his recollections of the Borg attack. Just as in the past Johnson shows great skill in bringing the characters from the films to the screen as reading it you can almost swear you hear Jon Cho's voice in your head. I'm still not entirely sold on the Borg showing up, especially looking to be just as advanced as they did in the Next Generation but this issue at least gives them a rational reason to be in the area: that they picked up the damages done by the Narada and wish to understand it. It's a smart move in that it neatly ties in the plot of the films while giving an interesting story hook.
Art: While the characters continue to be excellent portrayals of the actors from the films the back grounds remain almost entirely non-existent and the coloring completely flat.
Conclusion: If the art were even just a little bit better this book would be enthralling, the narrative feels like the films and if the art could meet that you'd have a fantastically immersive reading experience.
Grade:6/10 I really liked the concept of following the crew on post-Enterprise assignments, but using the Borg is lame, IMO... totally kills my interest. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Nov 26, 2016 12:55:04 GMT -5
Invincible Iron Man #1 (Riri Williams Era) Plot: Riri Williams was a misunderstood genius as a kid (sound familiar)...her stepdad died as a teenager (check). So yeah, Bendis has very cleverly creator Tony Stark in a young, minority female. Riri goes to the middle of Wyoming and fights Animax (I had to look her up too).. and gets home and finds a package... Tony Stark, in an AI. OK, so I'm totally down with Tony uploading himself, that makes perfect sense. What doesn't make sense is why wouldn't he make himself an LMD? Or just be Iron Man all the time? Being the ghost in the shell is not even remotely in character, even if you go by the post-RDJ insecure narcissistic version. The sooner Bendis gets bored and decides to do something else the better... I real waste of a great artist. Plot 2/5 Art: 5/5 (Note: the cover image is not even close to the armor.. which is a massively clunky looking version of War Machine, but there's not good pics around the net from this issue yet)  |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Dec 3, 2016 20:40:20 GMT -5
Mosaic #2 Plot: Morris Sackett, a star athlete that got Inhuman'ed, is trying to get back to his own body (he seems to have the same powers as Jericho from the Titans)... first he's in a Russian mobster and in the hospital, then he jumps to an EMT who happens to have been saved by Captain America during Secret Invasion and became a ranger. He tries to fight through his dad's security to get to his body, but fails, and ends up floating free and bodyless. He heads back to his 'crash pad' and finds what is either one of his posse or a team mate (I think the former, but it's not clear) there... to be continued. I didn't get #1 (just on principle), but it was pretty easy to figure out what was going on. What we have here is a stereotypical spoiled brat athelete turned given super powers. I assume what they are going for is that by the end of the first arc he'll be likable, but I can't imagine the book lasting that long. It's trying way too hard to be hip. The name is pretty non-sensical too, unless someone at Marvel just wanted to try to swipe a title DC used once. Glad I tried it, but I don't need to try it again. Plot: 2/5 Art: 2/5  |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jan 2, 2017 23:48:53 GMT -5
Poe Dameron #8 Just when I was about to drop this book (I just don't think Poe is that interesting)... they kick it up 3 notches. Most of the issue is about Poe's foil Agent Terex, and his origin... apparently he was a Stormtrooper at one point, like Finn, but just really, really loved the Empire. We find out that the battle over Jakku that lead to all those trashed ships lying around was,in fact, the Empire's last gasp fight in the next canon, which was nice. We also find out that Threepio is running a droid spy ring (awesome!) and he needs Poe to check on a contact. Oh, and then there's the main story that one of Poe's squad is a traitor, but meh.. this other stuff is far too interesting to worry about that  . Plot: 4/5 Art: 3/5 
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