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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 31, 2018 11:47:42 GMT -5
Here we are again, it's the thread that never ends! It's another week of new comics which means another week of real reviews from real readers like you!  So if you read it, good or bad, tell us here! Mystik U #2 by Thwhtguardian Flash Annual #1 by Michael James and MrJupiterPhoenix Resurection #5 by String Tales of Suspense #101 by Hoosier X Riverdale #10 by MrJupiter |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 1, 2018 10:55:42 GMT -5
Mystik U #2 Written by Alisa Kwitney Art by Mike Norton Summary: Zatanna learns that sororities aren't all as cool as the buzz around them would suggest.
Plot: I'll start with saying that the concept for this book is still utterly awesome and that I can't believe it's taken this long for DC to come up with a story about a wizarding school for their magical heroes. That said, the over arching plot of the teachers trying to stop some future menace unleashed by one of the students is a bit of a drag. The menace is ill defined so the threat doesn't feel real which makes the moments when it's the focus in the story feel really flat and totally skippable. However, when the focus is on the students, their developing relationships and the various trials and tribulations of trying to find themselves in a new school the book really sings. Despite it's magical elements it all comes across as feeling very real and instantly relate-able which is a hallmark of a great story. I get why Alisa feels she needs an over arching story element as a string of these day in the life kind of stories could start to feel disjointed with nothing other than the same cast of characters to keep them connected; but if there's going to be a big bad you really need to pull the curtain back just a little more or else it's just going to feel like a plot contrivance rather than a real character in the story.
Art: I really love Mike Norton's work here; I mean he was great in his book Battlepug but he really upped his game here. His character designs are fun and modern and I love how unique all the characters look as each has their own body typed and facial shape. Putting that level of detail into every frame must really be time consuming but for the reader it's totally worth it.
Grade:8/10
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2018 12:33:38 GMT -5
 Flash Annual #1. Written by Joshua Williamson. Art by Christian Duce and Howard Porter. Cover by Howard Porter. Flash War Prelude. Williamson tells two stories that are intertwined in this annual. The first takes place in the present & involves the original Wally West as he decides whether or not to tell Iris he is back by restoring her memories of him. Duce handles the art on this part of the story. His art is a little uneven. Some pages were great. Some were meh. Wally restores Frances Kane's memories of him (sort of a test run). That leads to some conflict as she remembers being Magenta. Wally realizes outside a handful of people (Titans & JLA) no one remembers him because of Rebirth & time being messed with. He decides he needs more people like Iris to be a part of his life again. To be continued in Flash #40. The second story takes place in the 25th century as cleanup of the Flash Museum reveals that Iris killed Reverse-Flash (#25-27). The Renegades are sent back to the 21st century to capture Iris to stand trial for murder. Porter handles the art on this part of the story. The last page shows the big villain who has been orchestrating things behind the scenes. This story will be continued in Flash #47. It was a decent annual. I don't like the fact that it launched two separate arcs. I like the old style of Annuals being done in one types of stories. 7/10. |
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Post by Icctrombone on Feb 2, 2018 6:42:52 GMT -5
Mystik U #2Written by Alisa Kwitney Art by Mike Norton Summary: Zatanna learns that sororities aren't all as cool as the buzz around them would suggest.
Plot: I'll start with saying that the concept for this book is still utterly awesome and that I can't believe it's taken this long for DC to come up with a story about a wizarding school for their magical heroes. That said, the over arching plot of the teachers trying to stop some future menace unleashed by one of the students is a bit of a drag. The menace is ill defined so the threat doesn't feel real which makes the moments when it's the focus in the story feel really flat and totally skippable. However, when the focus is on the students, their developing relationships and the various trials and tribulations of trying to find themselves in a new school the book really sings. Despite it's magical elements it all comes across as feeling very real and instantly relate-able which is a hallmark of a great story. I get why Alisa feels she needs an over arching story element as a string of these day in the life kind of stories could start to feel disjointed with nothing other than the same cast of characters to keep them connected; but if there's going to be a big bad you really need to pull the curtain back just a little more or else it's just going to feel like a plot contrivance rather than a real character in the story.
Art: I really love Mike Norton's work here; I mean he was great in his book Battlepug but he really upped his game here. His character designs are fun and modern and I love how unique all the characters look as each has their own body typed and facial shape. Putting that level of detail into every frame must really be time consuming but for the reader it's totally worth it.
Grade:8/10
Intersting. Is this book set in the past or did they de-age Zatanna ? |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 2, 2018 10:47:04 GMT -5
Mystik U #2Written by Alisa Kwitney Art by Mike Norton Summary: Zatanna learns that sororities aren't all as cool as the buzz around them would suggest.
Plot: I'll start with saying that the concept for this book is still utterly awesome and that I can't believe it's taken this long for DC to come up with a story about a wizarding school for their magical heroes. That said, the over arching plot of the teachers trying to stop some future menace unleashed by one of the students is a bit of a drag. The menace is ill defined so the threat doesn't feel real which makes the moments when it's the focus in the story feel really flat and totally skippable. However, when the focus is on the students, their developing relationships and the various trials and tribulations of trying to find themselves in a new school the book really sings. Despite it's magical elements it all comes across as feeling very real and instantly relate-able which is a hallmark of a great story. I get why Alisa feels she needs an over arching story element as a string of these day in the life kind of stories could start to feel disjointed with nothing other than the same cast of characters to keep them connected; but if there's going to be a big bad you really need to pull the curtain back just a little more or else it's just going to feel like a plot contrivance rather than a real character in the story.
Art: I really love Mike Norton's work here; I mean he was great in his book Battlepug but he really upped his game here. His character designs are fun and modern and I love how unique all the characters look as each has their own body typed and facial shape. Putting that level of detail into every frame must really be time consuming but for the reader it's totally worth it.
Grade:8/10
Intersting. Is this book set in the past or did they de-age Zatanna ? They definitely de-aged her as she's a college freshman, and I suppose you could say it's set in the past if you wanted to fit it into continuity but it's largely it's own thing so you don't need the mental gymnastics if you don't want to. The basic premise is that there was a big bad who pretty much destroyed the world but at the last second Rose Psychic and Dr.Occult pulled off some reality warping spell so they could discover who had unleashed the beast and stop them before they could do it again. So if you want to say the framing story is the regular DCU and the main story is the past you can, or it can be stand alone. |
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Post by String on Feb 2, 2018 11:48:18 GMT -5
Phoenix Resurrection #5 - by Matthew Rosenburg, Lenil Yu, Khoi Pham, and others
This is the final issue of the mini, in which Jean Grey is indeed alive and well and she is no longer connected to the Phoenix Force. In essence, the PF revived Jean in an attempt to mold her into a more willing host for it. This involved creating a faux reality for Jean populated with dead X-Men.
Rosenburg makes an interesting case for Jean to severe her connection with the PF, for wanting to stand on her own for her own life with all the emotional toil and costs that may incur. (Most intriguing line to consider, where Jean admits that she should have died on that shuttle after all, so long ago).
But for me, the best moment, and it's one that makes this whole mini worthwhile, is a one-and-half, two page scene between Jean and Scott. In an attempt to persuade her to accept it again, the PF offers to revive everyone that Jean has lost along the way, including her parents. Reviving Scott was the final chance and in doing so, Rosenburg crafts near-perfect dialogue between them as they reconnect. It's honest, heartfelt, bittersweet, sad, and so touching. It brought a catch to my throat and almost made me tear up. It was a great summation of their love and relationship which makes Jean's decision all the more heart-wrenching.
As such, I cannot really give a proper grade for this issue for that one scene elevated it to a loftier status for me personally. (I've never been a fan of Scott and Emma, having always believed that Scott and Jean were the stronger relationship, with the stronger bond of love)
As for the mini overall,I would give it 6/10. The method by which they brought Jean back was more straightforward this time but this story could've been done in three issues or less. But high marks for Rosenburg for overall character insight and tone setting, Jean's faux reality carried with it a pervasive sense of dread and horror.
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Post by Icctrombone on Feb 3, 2018 6:28:24 GMT -5
Intersting. Is this book set in the past or did they de-age Zatanna ? They definitely de-aged her as she's a college freshman, and I suppose you could say it's set in the past if you wanted to fit it into continuity but it's largely it's own thing so you don't need the mental gymnastics if you don't want to. The basic premise is that there was a big bad who pretty much destroyed the world but at the last second Rose Psychic and Dr.Occult pulled off some reality warping spell so they could discover who had unleashed the beast and stop them before they could do it again. So if you want to say the framing story is the regular DCU and the main story is the past you can, or it can be stand alone. I'm not anal retentive about continuity, I just take it as it comes. I was just curious because I've lost touch with the newer comics and I do see a trend towards making the female heroes young and hip like Batgirl and the new Ms. Marvel. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 3, 2018 19:54:50 GMT -5
They definitely de-aged her as she's a college freshman, and I suppose you could say it's set in the past if you wanted to fit it into continuity but it's largely it's own thing so you don't need the mental gymnastics if you don't want to. The basic premise is that there was a big bad who pretty much destroyed the world but at the last second Rose Psychic and Dr.Occult pulled off some reality warping spell so they could discover who had unleashed the beast and stop them before they could do it again. So if you want to say the framing story is the regular DCU and the main story is the past you can, or it can be stand alone. I'm not anal retentive about continuity, I just take it as it comes. I was just curious because I've lost touch with the newer comics and I do see a trend towards making the female heroes young and hip like Batgirl and the new Ms. Marvel. I'm generally the same way, but I do enjoy that the book has been done so that it works either way you like it. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Feb 4, 2018 14:10:22 GMT -5
I was kind of busy on Wednesday, and since it was the fifth Wednesday of the month, I figured very few of my comics would come out so I skipped the comic shop, figuring I could just pick up my comics next week.
But then I found out Tales of Suspense #101 came out!
Well, I have a good reason to go to that area today anyway, so I decided to stop by. When I get back, I'll post on Tales of Suspense #101.
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Post by Hoosier X on Feb 4, 2018 22:11:54 GMT -5
I've long been pretty much opposed to the Winter Soldier because BUCKY DIED IN 1944! And that's how it was in my formative comic-book reading years 1975 to 1985. But, you know, you're better off if you get over that kind of stuff if you want to keep reading modern comics. (Well, except for the egregiously awful stuff, like the Norman Osborne/Gwen Stacy affair.) But I love the old Tales of Suspense series so much that I had to start picking it up when they brought TOS back with #100. And I'm glad I did, Winter Soldier or not. Somebody is killing former Hydra leaders and it looks like the work of the Black Widow! But she's supposed to be dead! Hawkeye (who thinks Natasha is still alive) and the Winter Soldier (who thinks Natasha is dead and that somebody is copying her style) run into each other while investigating and decide to team up to find out what's going on. I didn't know that the Black Widow is supposed to be dead. (I don't read very many Marvels. Between Tales of Suspense and Daredevil (both of which I added within the last few months), I'm up to three Marvel titles a month because I've been reading She-Hulk for a while.) I like the art. I like the dialogue. Hawkeye is the loudmouthed butthead I'm used to. The Winter Soldier is a little whiny (and he has every right to be!) and kind of disapproving of Hawkeye's irreverent attitude to the spy game. And look! Is that Natasha, the redhead running away after blowing up a SHIELD agent's car and probably killing a former New Mutant that I never heard of? Hawkeye and Bucky are eager to find out! I'm liking this series a lot. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2018 23:31:53 GMT -5
Riverdale #10 by Greg Murray and Thomas Pitilli:
There’s a mono outbreak at Riverdale High just as Cheryl, Reggie, Josie, Archie, Betty, Jughead, And Veronica are slated to star in the school play, The Crucible. Mr Weatherbee quarantines the cast as they all come down with mono. Cheryl is furious and launches an ivestigation to figure out who’s been kissing who. This story was the perfect blend of old school Archie and the Riverdale show. The Reggie/Josie relationship is something I want to see more of.
Cheryl gets the last laugh in the final page of the book. Pitilli’s art.....some panels it works, not so much in others. Not a fan of sketchy looking unfinished art.
9/10
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Post by Hoosier X on Feb 5, 2018 1:39:04 GMT -5
Detective Comics Annual #1 also came out this week, but I didn't get it. It's the origin of the current version of Clayface, of whom I'm not particularly fond.
But a lot of the time, the first week of the month is pretty slow for me, so I might get it next week.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2018 0:20:08 GMT -5
I picked up the Flash Annual this week after reading Michael James’s review. Very glad I did and I just might be adding Flash to my pull list. After reading this annual, I’d be interested in a solo Wally West title. I’m not up on Flash continuity these days and am not sure who the younger Wally is or his connection to Iris. I enjoyed seeing Wally and Francis. I’ve always liked her since her first appearance in New Teen Titans. It was nice for her to remember Wally and I hope Iris will eventually do the same. The end left me hopeful for Wally and wanting to know more About the Flash war. Great annual and a great jumping on point for a very long lapsed Flash reader.
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Post by String on Feb 17, 2018 17:14:37 GMT -5
I've long been pretty much opposed to the Winter Soldier because BUCKY DIED IN 1944! And that's how it was in my formative comic-book reading years 1975 to 1985. But, you know, you're better off if you get over that kind of stuff if you want to keep reading modern comics. (Well, except for the egregiously awful stuff, like the Norman Osborne/Gwen Stacy affair.) But I love the old Tales of Suspense series so much that I had to start picking it up when they brought TOS back with #100. And I'm glad I did, Winter Soldier or not. Somebody is killing former Hydra leaders and it looks like the work of the Black Widow! But she's supposed to be dead! Hawkeye (who thinks Natasha is still alive) and the Winter Soldier (who thinks Natasha is dead and that somebody is copying her style) run into each other while investigating and decide to team up to find out what's going on. I didn't know that the Black Widow is supposed to be dead. (I don't read very many Marvels. Between Tales of Suspense and Daredevil (both of which I added within the last few months), I'm up to three Marvel titles a month because I've been reading She-Hulk for a while.) I like the art. I like the dialogue. Hawkeye is the loudmouthed butthead I'm used to. The Winter Soldier is a little whiny (and he has every right to be!) and kind of disapproving of Hawkeye's irreverent attitude to the spy game. And look! Is that Natasha, the redhead running away after blowing up a SHIELD agent's car and probably killing a former New Mutant that I never heard of? Hawkeye and Bucky are eager to find out! I'm liking this series a lot. Rosenburg is building a great dynamic between Bucky and Clint here with lots of sly banter surrounding their differing stances on whether Natasha is still alive or not. My main gripe with the last issue was the narrative focus on Clint but here, I'm glad that Rosenburg switched it up by focusing on Bucky. The mystery deepens with the reveal at the end. (Whoa, a blast from the past with the appearance of Skids from the New Mutants!) Foreman's art was decent, his style fitting in well with this type of story. But some of his facial expressions were off or too exaggerated for me. 8/10 |
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