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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 27, 2021 8:32:44 GMT -5
OFF THE RACKS |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 27, 2021 8:55:51 GMT -5
Future State: Dark Detective #2Written by Mariko Tamaki Art by Dan Mora Summary: Batman is on the run while trying to piece together who "killed" Bruce Wayne.
Plot: In the last issue I sang Tamaki's praises for the way she crafted such an amazing, noir-fueled thriller and she only continues to build on that success here Instead of flooding the issue with back story, she knows how to give the reader just enough information for them to understand what's going on while delivering small answers through out the journey to lead you on. We see here not only how Bruce Wayne "died" but also how he pulled off his return under the radar of the Magistrate...and then we move on, it's a give and take that perfectly whets your appetite with promises of more to come. I think what makes this great though is that it's not really too wrapped up on selling you a new future setting. Sure, things are obviously different than we're used to seeing in Gotham with its private police force and no mask rule...but there's nothing about that concept that can't be done in the here and now which makes it win you over as just another solid Batman story.
Art: Mora continues to stun not only with his amazingly detailed cityscapes and inky black shadows but he also shows that he really knows how to use the constraints of the comic book medium itself to tell the story visually. Not only does he build the story with what's going on in the panels but he also uses the very shape of the panels themselves to tell the story, with panels getting more and more narrow as Bruce nears the "end" of his life creating a delicious sense of claustrophobia that truly heightens the reading experience. It really doesn't get much better than this.
It sounds perfect right? Well, I have to knock it down a bit as the back up with the Redhood was just garbage and at 6 bucks for the issue that's a pretty big negative.
7/10 for the issue but 10/10 easily for the actual Batman portion. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 27, 2021 12:42:37 GMT -5
Colonel Weird: Cosmagog #4Written by Jeff Lemire Art by Tyler Crook Summary: After many strange travels Colonel Weird finally finds the lost memory he had been seeking.
Plot: This issue, and in fact this whole series is a tough story to critique. Through out the last four issues we've followed Colonel Weird as he retraces parts of his life in search of something that is missing and in this last issue we see that it was his robot companion Talky-Walky and their reunion was perfect. And I think that's why I love thing book...more than anything else it just makes you feel things. The narrative may not be easy to follow and it's impossible to really summarize but Lemire gives you a full gammit of emotional experiences that just feel so real.
Art: Tyler Crook is easily one of my favorite artists working today in comics and this was a book that really let him flex his muscles. He got to do sci-fi action beats, strange body horror, and slice of life scenes all in one near package and it all looks stunning.
Grade:10/10
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jan 27, 2021 13:07:50 GMT -5
Colonel Weird: Cosmagog #4Written by Jeff Lemire Art by Tyler Crook Summary: After many strange travels Colonel Weird finally finds the lost memory he had been seeking.
Plot: This issue, and in fact this whole series is a tough story to critique. Through out the last four issues we've followed Colonel Weird as he retraces parts of his life in search of something that is missing and in this last issue we see that it was his robot companion Talky-Walky and their reunion was perfect. And I think that's why I love thing book...more than anything else it just makes you feel things. The narrative may not be easy to follow and it's impossible to really summarize but Lemire gives you a full gammit of emotional experiences that just feel so real.
Art: Tyler Crook is easily one of my favorite artists working today in comics and this was a book that really let him flex his muscles. He got to do sci-fi action beats, strange body horror, and slice of life scenes all in one near package and it all looks stunning.
Grade:10/10
I'm still digesting this one. I will absolutely say that it's always interesting. And it has a huge amount to say about both comics as a medium (particularly super-hero comics) and us as human beings. I'm really happy with the return of the Black Hammer universe here and in Barbalien. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 27, 2021 13:16:49 GMT -5
Colonel Weird: Cosmagog #4Written by Jeff Lemire Art by Tyler Crook Summary: After many strange travels Colonel Weird finally finds the lost memory he had been seeking.
Plot: This issue, and in fact this whole series is a tough story to critique. Through out the last four issues we've followed Colonel Weird as he retraces parts of his life in search of something that is missing and in this last issue we see that it was his robot companion Talky-Walky and their reunion was perfect. And I think that's why I love thing book...more than anything else it just makes you feel things. The narrative may not be easy to follow and it's impossible to really summarize but Lemire gives you a full gammit of emotional experiences that just feel so real.
Art: Tyler Crook is easily one of my favorite artists working today in comics and this was a book that really let him flex his muscles. He got to do sci-fi action beats, strange body horror, and slice of life scenes all in one near package and it all looks stunning.
Grade:10/10
I'm still digesting this one. I will absolutely say that it's always interesting. And it has a huge amount to say about both comics as a medium (particularly super-hero comics) and us as human beings. I'm really happy with the return of the Black Hammer universe here and in Barbalien. Of the two Barbalien is definitely the easier to read, but in some way I feel Colonel Weird is slightly more rewarding. |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jan 27, 2021 14:22:07 GMT -5
I'm still digesting this one. I will absolutely say that it's always interesting. And it has a huge amount to say about both comics as a medium (particularly super-hero comics) and us as human beings. I'm really happy with the return of the Black Hammer universe here and in Barbalien. Of the two Barbalien is definitely the easier to read, but in some way I feel Colonel Weird is slightly more rewarding. Oh, it's much more rewarding. It's just a more difficult book. Barbalien is pretty straight-forward social super-hero fare. Col. Weird is...pretty damn weird. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 27, 2021 16:00:35 GMT -5
Star Wars: Smuggler's Run #2Written by Alec Worley Art by Ingo Romling Summary: Pursued by bounty hunters and the Empire, Han and Chewie make their escape from the planet Cyrkon with a little help from friends.
Plot: I've written in the past about how I hate it when writers stretch a plot too thin in order to create more issues just to fit a trade...but this is one time that I wish there was more of! Though Worley completes everything he sets out to do in this fast paced adventure he definitely left me wanting more. Not only did he do a fantastic job of creating a fun heist film like feel to the plot, but he really nailed the voices of Han and Chewie and their relationship. On top of that I really loved the Imperial Intelligence Agent Alecia Beck, she had a real presence on the page like a good villain should but she was also human and fallible which made her a really compelling character. I know Worley was only adapting the story by Rucka but I'd seriously love to see more from him in the future.
Art: Ingo Romling does a great job in creating great facsimiles of the characters as they appeared on screen but with out appearing to wooden and photo realistic which is a tough balancing act to keep going and yet he never once stumbles.
Grade: 10/10
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 27, 2021 16:47:46 GMT -5
Dune: House Atreides #4Written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson Art by Dev Pramanik Summary: Using his wits Duncan finally escapes from Rabban while Leto makes an interesting discovery on the planet IX.
Plot: I don't know if after four issues I'm just getting used the vignette style that Herbert and Anderson employee in their storytelling here or if they're just doing a better job at making the transitions feel smoother because it no long feels as disjointed as it used to. While I'd much rather longer features around Duncan, Pardot Kynes and Leto, Anderson and Herbert manage to really pack in a great amount of intrigue and action into each section which really immerses the reader into the various worlds and characters of Dune. I'm not nearly as interested in the Harkonen sections, or the intrigue around the Emperor but they're good enough that they don't distract from the rest of the book.
Art:Dev Pramanik delivers some great art throughout this issue. Having to craft different landscapes and environments for characters is a hard task, but every transition from one world to the next showcases the beautiful environments Pramanik has created.
Grade:8/10 |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2021 19:20:58 GMT -5
 Daredevil #26. Written by Chip Zdarsky. Art by Marco Checchetto and Mike Hawthorne. The Good: Zdarsky tells 2 interwoven stories. Checcetto handles the art on the portion with Elektra as DD. Hawthorne supplies the art of Matt/DD in jail. The Bad: It's a tie in story connected to the symbiote Knull crossover currently happening through out the Marvel titles. A tie in to the symbiote story pauses the ongoing DD story. 5/10. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2021 19:30:50 GMT -5
 X-O Manowar #4. Script by Dennis "Hopeless" Hallum. Art by Emilio Laiso. X-O gets an "upgraded" suit of armor. And gets the respect of the police and the people that live around him for saving the day. This series has been portraying Aric as a more conventional hero. More comfortable in his armor. More comfortable living in our time. However something is missing. A good arch enemy? A motivation for getting involved in fighting crime? I'm not sure why this series feels like it falls short... 6/10. |
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Post by james on Jan 28, 2021 17:59:30 GMT -5
Colonel Weird: Cosmagog #4Written by Jeff Lemire Art by Tyler Crook Summary: After many strange travels Colonel Weird finally finds the lost memory he had been seeking.
Plot: This issue, and in fact this whole series is a tough story to critique. Through out the last four issues we've followed Colonel Weird as he retraces parts of his life in search of something that is missing and in this last issue we see that it was his robot companion Talky-Walky and their reunion was perfect. And I think that's why I love thing book...more than anything else it just makes you feel things. The narrative may not be easy to follow and it's impossible to really summarize but Lemire gives you a full gammit of emotional experiences that just feel so real.
Art: Tyler Crook is easily one of my favorite artists working today in comics and this was a book that really let him flex his muscles. He got to do sci-fi action beats, strange body horror, and slice of life scenes all in one near package and it all looks stunning.
Grade:10/10
I'm still digesting this one. I will absolutely say that it's always interesting. And it has a huge amount to say about both comics as a medium (particularly super-hero comics) and us as human beings. I'm really happy with the return of the Black Hammer universe here and in Barbalien. I too am still digesting this comic. I think so far its the hardest one to pinpoint in regards to its overall tone. And on a side note When is Black Hammer going to get a TV treatment? |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 30, 2021 5:47:38 GMT -5
I'm still digesting this one. I will absolutely say that it's always interesting. And it has a huge amount to say about both comics as a medium (particularly super-hero comics) and us as human beings. I'm really happy with the return of the Black Hammer universe here and in Barbalien. I too am still digesting this comic. I think so far its the hardest one to pinpoint in regards to its overall tone. And on a side note When is Black Hammer going to get a TV treatment? I don't know if it ever will, but I'd certainly watch it |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jan 30, 2021 18:30:15 GMT -5
My stuff for this week (no off the rack impulse buys this week):
Kaiji Score #3 : The crew wrestles with what happened last issue (a 2nd Kaiju) and accelerates the time table in a very fun and dangerous way. The twist that happened was not unexpected, but definitely happened sooner than I would have thought. Really enjoying this one.
Batman: The Adventures Continue #8 : This was a huge surprise, since I assumed the series was over after last issue's finale. This is a Christmas issue, which clearly was delayed somewhere, but was awesome. It focuses on The Ventriloquist, who Dini does great things with, and had some awesome cameos with Harley having a Christmas party.
Namor #3 : Total filler... we get a short fight scene, then Namor and friends just following the Dark Tide's path of destruction. I assume this is the beginning of Akuma's 'heel turn' but that was 2 pages worth... the rest was unneeded.
Strange Academy #7 The staff are desperate to save Emily (and Doyle a bit, but not so much)... excellent story, and we find out how the kids get to do magic without the cost. Mostly an epilogue of the first storyline, really.
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Post by The Cheat on Jan 31, 2021 14:10:16 GMT -5
Batman: The Adventures Continue #8 : This was a huge surprise, since I assumed the series was over after last issue's finale. This is a Christmas issue, which clearly was delayed somewhere, but was awesome. It focuses on The Ventriloquist, who Dini does great things with, and had some awesome cameos with Harley having a Christmas party. These are collected editions of the digital firsts aren't they? In which case it probably was originally released at Christmas. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 31, 2021 15:08:35 GMT -5
Batman: The Adventures Continue #8 : This was a huge surprise, since I assumed the series was over after last issue's finale. This is a Christmas issue, which clearly was delayed somewhere, but was awesome. It focuses on The Ventriloquist, who Dini does great things with, and had some awesome cameos with Harley having a Christmas party. These are collected editions of the digital firsts aren't they? In which case it probably was originally released at Christmas. Yeah, I read it digitally and it was out then. |
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