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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2018 23:14:06 GMT -5
Hawkman #3: Hawkman’s adventure on Dinosaur island was fun and showcased just what a warrior he is. Loved seeing the Feitherans and what a fight that was. Loved the “Thor” moment with the mace. The mystery deepens and I didn’t expect to see who turned up on the final page. Also the line earlier in the story where he wishes he wasn’t alone....made me wonder what is the current status of his relationship with Hawkgirl. The story made me miss Northwind. Is he and Infinity Inc even in continuity anymore? The art is spectacular. The look and tone of the book is like watching everything that was ever great about old adventure movies and vintage action stars. Love this book!
8/10
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Post by Hoosier X on Aug 10, 2018 10:12:32 GMT -5
 Daredevil #606.Written by Charles Soule. Art and Cover by Phil Noto. DD goes up against Hammerhead. He enlists some help from an Inhuman agent. Also Mike Murdock returns but it is NOT DD. The two of them come face to face on the last page and DD is shocked. The good: Soule switches gears as DD looks at the long game to bring Fisk down. The bad: not sure about the return of Mike Murdock. Even though Noto is a great artist I'm not sure I like this practice of a new artist with each new arc. 7/10.I'm cutting back on comics for a few months because of expected extra expenses, but I almost bought this just because of that last-page revelation. Because, you know, I'm probably Mike Murdock's biggest fan! I love that Silver Age run with ol' Mike! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2018 23:01:11 GMT -5
Superman #2: As much as I wanted to love this issue, I came away from it kind of ...meh. I agree Bendis gets Superman 100% but this issues story was kind of all over the place for me. I’m over Rogol Zaar although I did like the opening sequence. It was nice seeing Starfire’s people looking like the classic Perez versions. Loved seeing Nuclear Man and I wanted to know more about him. Superman’s hopelessness at his situation was depicted well. I agree Flash and Batman seemed very out of character. It made sense though to see the JL considering what has happened to Earth. I’m sure the story will all fall into place, but this issue just didn’t grab me. The art though was breathtaking from start to finish. The pages showing Superman at the beginning of the story were like storyboards for what I’d love to see if a Man of Steel 2 is ever made.
6/10
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Post by thwhtguardian on Aug 11, 2018 18:57:21 GMT -5
Sword Daughter #3Written by Brian Wood Art by Mack Chater Summary: Dag and Elsbeth arrive in the Orkney islands and track down the target of their vengeance.
Plot: Though there were small quibbles I had with the first issue I had felt like the book had found it's footing in the last issue as a kind of Viking Lone Wolf and Cub but with this issue I felt like I was back out in the weeds. I was really digging the episodic feel that the last issue developed, that kind of pacing felt like it would have led to a gradual build up of the relationship between Dag and his daughter ... but that was dashed here as we jumped right to the wayward pair finding their foe and quickly taking him down. It was so abrupt and unearned that I had to check to see if I had missed an issue or two...but nope issue three printed right on the cover. It was just a very discordant read and the ending with the reveal of the adult Elsbeth proclaiming "this is who I am and how I came to be" just left me cold as this issue gave us no insight to connect to that statement further making you feel like you were missing a huge chunk of the story.
Art: Chater's art really continues to shine, I really love how he makes the action feel real.
Grade: 6/10 |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Aug 11, 2018 19:29:37 GMT -5
Superman #2: As much as I wanted to love this issue, I came away from it kind of ...meh. I agree Bendis gets Superman 100% but this issues story was kind of all over the place for me. I’m over Rogol Zaar although I did like the opening sequence. It was nice seeing Starfire’s people looking like the classic Perez versions. Loved seeing Nuclear Man and I wanted to know more about him. Superman’s hopelessness at his situation was depicted well. I agree Flash and Batman seemed very out of character. It made sense though to see the JL considering what has happened to Earth. I’m sure the story will all fall into place, but this issue just didn’t grab me. The art though was breathtaking from start to finish. The pages showing Superman at the beginning of the story were like storyboards for what I’d love to see if a Man of Steel 2 is ever made. 6/10 Out of character is a very mild way of putting Batman's dialogue in this issue... I mean who though"I have discomfort in my chest and bowels...I'm puling over the Batmobile" was a good call. Any editor worth his salt really should have sent Bendis back to the typewriter there as anything would have been better than that. It's frustrating really, that monologue by Superman in the beginning was fantastic but the over all plot is pretty much dreck, I don't know if I'll be giving this another shot. |
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Post by String on Aug 12, 2018 17:40:33 GMT -5
Supergirl #21 by Marc Andreyko, Kevin Maguire, and Sean Parsons: I dropped the Supergirl title several months ago due to the art and direction, but decided to give the new creative team a try and I was pleasantly surprised. Supergirl is still reeling from what Rogol Zaar has done and learning he was responsible for Krypton's destruction. She has a very nice scene with Superman as she reminds him that technically she is older than he is and she has very vivid memories of Krypton and her life there. Against Superman's wishes, she decides to on a journey to figure all this out and avenge her people. She gets a quick assist from Green Lantern (HAL!) who learns something surprising and Krypto is along for the ride. This was a very nice starting point for a character that hasn't been that interesting to me since she was revamped with the New 52 mess. I liked the way the new costume she has is explained and love how it is similar to her 1959 debut look. I read that she will be changing looks throughout this story, which reminds me of the early 70s when she changed costumes often. Maguire's art fits this book and he draws an impressive Supergirl and Krypto. His art lends itself well to alien technology and the tone of the story. I think I will be adding this one to my pull list. Very silver age feel to this issue.....one minor thing about Superman titles in general...while Jonathan is full of spunk, seeing this take on Supergirl makes me miss Conner Kent even more. As I was reading this story, I was thinking he would be perfect to tag along with Supergirl. Maybe Supergirl will run across him on her journey, haha! 8/10 Yeah, usually I have a soft spot for Supergirl but I drifted away from her after the hot mess of her Nu52 relaunch. This issue's cover though drew me back in (love her costume) and I'm glad that it did. This was a strong portrayal of Kara, the differing POVs between her and Kal, her bottled up emotions over Krypton's destruction heightened by Zaar's ferocious assault, her resolve to seek out answers no matter what, the hints of some form of galactic conspiracy and Krypto as a traveling companion. Maguire's art was terrific. 8/10 |
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Post by String on Aug 12, 2018 17:47:10 GMT -5
 Hawkman #3.Written by Robert Venditti. Art and Cover by Bryan Hitch. Hawkman continues his quest on Dinosaur Island. He is attacked by Feitherans defending the Aerie. After defeating them he finds an elder guarding a cave. The elder fades away and Carter enters the cave and finds alien tech. He starts to remember something and is whisked away across space. He ends up facing another one of his incarnations... Katar Hol of Thanagar. The good: Hitch's art. The Feitherans (from way back in 1946 and revived in Infinity Inc with Northwind). Katar. More pieces of the puzzle. The bad: the story is a bit decompressed. Most of the issue (13 pages) showed Hawkman fighting either dinosaurs or the Feitherans. 7/10.Perhaps but when it's Hitch drawing such fight scenes, I don't mind. (Along with such shots as when Carter was first repulsed by the Feitherans and he fell back through the cloud cover, his ascending through those clouds initially, power combined with grace, loved it). For me, V-ditti is hitting all the right notes, from Carter' innate curiosity and fears over what he may discover to the action scenes to the growing puzzle of a mystery spread across lifetimes throughout time and space. Hitch's art is just icing on the cake. Best DC title that I'm reading right now, bar none. 8/10 |
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Post by String on Aug 12, 2018 17:56:19 GMT -5
 Fantastic Four #1.Written by Dan Slott. Art by Sara Pichelli, and Simone Bianchi. Ben is out with Alicia. Johnny is at a Mets game. The FF flare goes off & Johnny thinks the Richards' family has returned. However Johnny discovers some Yancy St youths broke into Ben's apt and stole the gun. Ben confesses to Alicia that he knows the Richards' are dead. She tells him not to give up hope and Ben asks her to marry him. She says yes. When they meet with Johnny to tell them their news Johnny breaks down emotionally and as he accepts the fact that the Richards are gone... a signal appears in the sky as Reed breaks thru from where they are located. In a second story Doom returns to Latveria and takes over again as ruler. The good: Slott obviously is a fan of the FF. He nails all the voices well. He gives us fans everything we wanted to see except the actual reunion. I hope he follows thru with Ben & Alicia getting married. The bad: parts of this story don't make sense with recent events in MTIO. Mostly that Ben & Johnny lost their powers without being in the same universe as Reed & Sue. In this story they have their powers. And I really think after all this time we could have had all 4 of them together by the end of the issue. 8/10. Yeah, that's a fair point. If you're relaunching the FF after this length of absence, we want to see the whole team back together at issue's end. However, I did not know this Aug 8th was the 57th anniversary of the release of the original FF #1. So they may have felt the need to release this book on that exact date in celebration of that even if it doesn't quite mesh with what's happening in Two-in-One. Plus, there is also the possibility of catching up fans who may not be reading Two-in-One. Either way, Slott was great here with the characterizations. I liked how he showed how the loss of the FF impacted others throughout the MU. And really, how the general population looked at them and admired them. Ben and Alicia's marriage is long overdue. After the mess of Infamous Iron Man, I am quite content in seeing Victor resume his monarch duties. 8/10 |
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Post by String on Aug 12, 2018 18:05:02 GMT -5
 Superman #2.Written by Brian Michael Bendis. Art and Cover by Ivan Reis. Flashback to a war between Thanagar and Tamaran with Zaar leading the Thanagarians. Then Superman trying to "hold" the earth together as it "struggles" to exist in the Phantom Zone. J'Onn mentally links the Justice League. Zaar fights the Nuclear Man & destroys him. Flash visits Superman in his new Fortress but acts out of character. Meanwhile Batman reports in saying he has a bowel disturbance. The issue ends with Superman feeling hopeless. The Good: Bendis has Superman's voice & thoughts down PERFECT. His Superman is the hero that other heroes look to as an example. Reis' art is beautiful. Acknowledging the JLA would help in a crisis like this. The Bad: Bendis' conversation quirks are back. Flash & Batman were totally out of character. Pushing Zaar (a generic boring villain) as a worthy foe.
7/10. Bendis' Superman is fantastic, from his thoughts behind his choices to how he handles his powers. Calling the League together in this type of crisis was great, Superman trying to decipher who could have done this to the Earth was good but yeah, Batman and Flash were way out of character. I'm more ashamed over Barry though (and not just his bathroom line). Bendis made him seem more like the kid from the DCEU film than the Barry in the current comics. Meh, I'm still mildly intrigued by the mysteries surrounding Zaar. I'm more afraid of Bendis' usual tendency to not have a satisfying conclusion to such mysteries though. The prologue scenes with the Tamarans and Thanagarians was great. 7/10 |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Aug 12, 2018 18:48:05 GMT -5
Hawkman #3: Hawkman’s adventure on Dinosaur island was fun and showcased just what a warrior he is. Loved seeing the Feitherans and what a fight that was. Loved the “Thor” moment with the mace. The mystery deepens and I didn’t expect to see who turned up on the final page. Also the line earlier in the story where he wishes he wasn’t alone....made me wonder what is the current status of his relationship with Hawkgirl. The story made me miss Northwind. Is he and Infinity Inc even in continuity anymore? The art is spectacular. The look and tone of the book is like watching everything that was ever great about old adventure movies and vintage action stars. Love this book! 8/10 Yeah, this book really is hitting all the right notes for me; it's a perfect mix of adventure and mystery. Superman used to be the one book I was excited for every month but with the loss of the family focus it's fallen far from grace and Hawkman has soared into it's place which is surprising as I've never really been a huge fan before other than to look at the excellent art by Joe Kubert. |
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Post by Paste Pot Paul on Aug 12, 2018 19:38:59 GMT -5
Fantastic Four #1.Written by Dan Slott. Art by Sara Pichelli, and Simone Bianchi. Ben is out with Alicia. Johnny is at a Mets game. The FF flare goes off & Johnny thinks the Richards' family has returned. However Johnny discovers some Yancy St youths broke into Ben's apt and stole the gun. Ben confesses to Alicia that he knows the Richards' are dead. She tells him not to give up hope and Ben asks her to marry him. She says yes. When they meet with Johnny to tell them their news Johnny breaks down emotionally and as he accepts the fact that the Richards are gone... a signal appears in the sky as Reed breaks thru from where they are located. In a second story Doom returns to Latveria and takes over again as ruler. The good: Slott obviously is a fan of the FF. He nails all the voices well. He gives us fans everything we wanted to see except the actual reunion. I hope he follows thru with Ben & Alicia getting married. The bad: parts of this story don't make sense with recent events in MTIO. Mostly that Ben & Johnny lost their powers without being in the same universe as Reed & Sue. In this story they have their powers. And I really think after all this time we could have had all 4 of them together by the end of the issue. 8/10. I enjoyed the first story, not as much as I have the early MTIO issues, but its close enough to offer hope of a reasonable return. However, I loathed the return of Doom, an opinion I'm well aware maybe unpopular here, but I've enjoyed the new Doom trying to redeem himself. This just smacked of "new writer resets supporting characters to version he wants regardless of current continuity". Yeah Slott may not have liked Bendis Doom, but he could have taken more than a throwaway line to revert him to type. The other problem was Johnny and Ben act like the events in MTIO havent happened. Its like the 2 writers are just doing their own thing with no thought of how friggin confusing that is, hello X-Men books... |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2018 23:05:55 GMT -5
Fantastic Four#1: FF was a title I never really followed except for an occasional issue here and there or if they guest starred in a book I was reading. I did like the family concept and was familiar enough with them. Even without knowing what events transpired in the recent past, I found this issue very enjoyable. Everything from the Thing’s scenes with Alicia to Human Torch’s hope changing to grief got me up to speed enough. Nice to see Luke Cage, crystal, Medusa, and Jennifer Walters. Not familiar with Wyatt though. I liked the Dr Doom story too and am guessing we’ll see him clash with the team once they are reunited. Great story and art!
8/10
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Post by String on Aug 13, 2018 13:45:49 GMT -5
Fantastic Four #1.Written by Dan Slott. Art by Sara Pichelli, and Simone Bianchi. Ben is out with Alicia. Johnny is at a Mets game. The FF flare goes off & Johnny thinks the Richards' family has returned. However Johnny discovers some Yancy St youths broke into Ben's apt and stole the gun. Ben confesses to Alicia that he knows the Richards' are dead. She tells him not to give up hope and Ben asks her to marry him. She says yes. When they meet with Johnny to tell them their news Johnny breaks down emotionally and as he accepts the fact that the Richards are gone... a signal appears in the sky as Reed breaks thru from where they are located. In a second story Doom returns to Latveria and takes over again as ruler. The good: Slott obviously is a fan of the FF. He nails all the voices well. He gives us fans everything we wanted to see except the actual reunion. I hope he follows thru with Ben & Alicia getting married. The bad: parts of this story don't make sense with recent events in MTIO. Mostly that Ben & Johnny lost their powers without being in the same universe as Reed & Sue. In this story they have their powers. And I really think after all this time we could have had all 4 of them together by the end of the issue. 8/10. I enjoyed the first story, not as much as I have the early MTIO issues, but its close enough to offer hope of a reasonable return. However, I loathed the return of Doom, an opinion I'm well aware maybe unpopular here, but I've enjoyed the new Doom trying to redeem himself. This just smacked of "new writer resets supporting characters to version he wants regardless of current continuity". Yeah Slott may not have liked Bendis Doom, but he could have taken more than a throwaway line to revert him to type. The other problem was Johnny and Ben act like the events in MTIO havent happened. Its like the 2 writers are just doing their own thing with no thought of how friggin confusing that is, hello X-Men books... Oh, there's nothing wrong with a villain redemption story arc, I'm just surprised it took this long for Doom to have a major one (unlike with Magneto and practically half of the X-Men's rogues gallery). However, once again, Bendis' handling of this intriguing arc left me bored and confused. (I also think Maleev wasn't a good match for such a tale art-wise). I much preferred Zdarsky's handling of Victor in Two-in-One, the mixture of wanting to do right but still inflected by his typical traits of arrogance and condescension. However this doesn't appear to be a straight reversal back to usual ways though. For one thing, his mystical abilities still seem to be the main focus above his scientific intelligence. That may indicate a subtle change in attitude and view if he's reclaiming the throne of Latveria. I'm interested in seeing how Slott further develops this change (or relapse). |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Aug 13, 2018 14:54:40 GMT -5
Hey Kids! Comics! #1Written and Illustrated by Howard Chaykin Summary: Howard Chaykin gives us his slightly fictional look into the history of American comics.
Plot: Spanning the years from 1945 to 2001 Chaykin attempts to give us a book that spills the beans on the inside baseball of the history of Marvel and DC. It's certainly an interesting topic, rife with almost as much drama and action as the stories that the publishers printed and I loved every word of Chaykin's snappy dialogue...but it all moves so fast that it's pretty difficult to grab on to any one thing or character and that makes it pretty hard to be invested in the story being told. I'd like to think the first issue jumps forward so often so as to give the reader a sense of scope for what's to follow and that the next issues would then take their time in defining the cast of characters and proceed forward in an easy linear fashion...but that's just not Chaykin's style and while I enjoy that kind of avante gard feel in his other works I'm not sure it works that well in a History, even a "fictional" one. There's certainly a lot to like in this issue but I'm not really sold on the pacing so I'm not sure if I'll end up continuing on.
Art: I almost wish that Chaykin had gotten another writer to plot the book and he just stuck to the art as his pulp style really is perfect here. The looks of all the characters and especially the dense, realistic back grounds really gives the whole book a documentary feel that gives the story a truly authentic feel. If I do decide to keep on going with this story I think it'll be the art that brings me back.
Grade: 6/10
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