|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Jun 21, 2022 8:05:52 GMT -5
Welcome back to another installment of fresh comics reviewed right... OFF THE RACKS! What did you read this week? |
|
|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Jun 22, 2022 11:46:15 GMT -5
Nightwing #93Written by Tom Taylor Art by Bruno Redondo Summary: With the help of Barbara Gordon, Dick is able to strike a blow against the corruption that is the Bludhaven Police Department.
Plot: While Taylor has still absolutely failed to make me care about Heartless and his plans to take down Nightwing the story is nevertheless still a great read. I really don't know how he can do such a poor job at attempting to create a mysterious and compelling new villain when he excells at developing interpersonal relationships every where else in the book. At this point I really wish he'd just stick with Blockbuster as I don't really get what Hearless brings to the table that Blockbuster couldn't also do, and he actually writes Blockbuster well as he reinvents him here as a very Trupian-Strongman which is definitely a characterization that resonates today. On top of that I really love seeing Dick and Barbara together, the will-they-won't they romance is really well done and the tension is just really fun to read.
So, bad villain aside this is still absolutely one of the best books out there right now.
Art: Redondo should be an artist on everyone's radar by this point. His ability to seemlessly portray action and motion through still images is fantsatic and coupled with a deft hand at really selling quiet emotional moments his storytelling is just incredibly balanced.
Grade:8/10 |
|
|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Jun 22, 2022 14:46:32 GMT -5
World's Finest #4Written by Mark Waid Art by Dan Mora Summary:As Robin and Supergirl race to retrieve the secrets of Nezha from ancient China, Batman and Superman are forced to fight Hal Jordan.
Plot: With this latest installment I find myself reflecting on just how wonderful it is to have a book that never fails to deliver a fun and utterly unpredictable experience. Month after month Waid somehow manages to capture lightning in a bottle with this book, making it really live up to its name of "World's Finest". At first the idea of Hal being a threat to the combined might of Superman and Batman seems absurd but with his powers augmented my Nezha's magic he's definitely a believable threat that makes every panel deliver a heady mix of pure Saturday morning action and adventure. Once again, I'm not a huge fan of the villain as he seems fairly generic and the plot with Supergirl and Robin in the past was little more than an info dump but the over all tone and pacing are pitch perfect so its easy to ignore these faults and lose your self in the zainy fun. It's a book that while slightly shallow is none the less full of big, loud, fun so if you haven't lost that sense of child wonder you are sure to love this book from start to finish.
Art:Dan Mora crafts some beautifully vibrant and detailed art on every page of the issue. The style is brilliant and a breath of fresh air. I loved every panel and page...even the reveal of the composite Batman/Superman. It's an element that's been done before in the past, and its never really worked for me...but it just looks cool here so I didn't even bat an eye when it was trotted out here.
Grade:9/10 |
|
|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Jun 22, 2022 15:47:46 GMT -5
Black Adam #1Written by Priest Art by Rafael Sandoval Summary: After battling the US Congress and a brush with a fake Darseid, Teth Adam finds himself in mortal danger and only his heir can help!
Plot: As the first issue goes, I found myself wishing that there was a little more clarity and more action to hook fans out of the gate, as without prior knowledge of Priest's style a lot of this issue no doubt felt a little slow. But knowing Priest as I do the mix of police procedural, political intrigue and themes of family and legacy that Priest introduced here really gave me a lot of hope as it readily called back to his excellent work on Black Panther. As I said, though, even for a returning Priest fan, this was a somewhat messy start with Teth-Adam's heir not getting a whole lot of introduction and indeed the whole concept of Adam having descendants felt a little rushed but the posabilities they represent really made me excited to see what happens next. Aside from those slightly rushed elements the over all tone was great, the scene in the Capitol Building was a great show case of Adam's personality as a political figure and the mystery of Adam's disease was really compelling. All in all, while this new #1 was hardly a home run it was definitely a solid base hit with room to improve as it moves forward.
Art: Rafa Sandoval's gritty, grounded style really complimented Priest’s writing extremely well here. In both the Congressional/Hospitle scenes and the action scenes with Darkseid the art was dynamic and unique, easily keeping your eyes focused on the details and enthralled in where the story will go next.
Grade:7/10 |
|
|
|
Post by majestic on Jun 22, 2022 16:58:51 GMT -5
MOON KNIGHT #12. Written by Jed MacKay. Art by Alessandro Cappuccio.
Moon Knight vs. Zodiac. Marc protects the Midnight Mission from Zodiac as Moon Knight & Mr Knight. As he is ready to claim victory his Steven Grant ID "shows up".
So ends the first year of MacKay's excellent take on Moon Knight. This series has focused mostly on Moon Knight & Mr Knight with Marc Spector occasionally. With the end of this issue we see another ID thrown into the mix as MacKay's second year starts next month with #13 and the focus of the series switches slightly.
This series has been enjoyable and I hope MacKay can stay awhile to make his mark on this hero.
|
|
|
|
Post by majestic on Jun 22, 2022 17:03:27 GMT -5
NIGHTWING #93. Written by Tom Taylor. Art by Bruno Redondo. Echoing thwhtguardian this series continues to be one of DC's best written and best looking series right now. Every scene with Dick Grayson is excellent. I love his relationship with Barbara and wish they would just put the two of them together. Blockbuster continues to be a great villain for Dick. I agree Heartless is boring. And the art is just incredible.
|
|
|
|
Post by majestic on Jun 22, 2022 17:06:52 GMT -5
WORLDS' FINEST #4. Written by Mark Waid. Art by Dan Mora. Yeah this is probably DC's best book being currently published. thwhtguardian sums up the reasons very well. Looks like next issue is the conclusion of this arc. As far as Black Adam I am going to trade wait for this series...
|
|
|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Jun 22, 2022 17:42:09 GMT -5
WORLDS' FINEST #4. Written by Mark Waid. Art by Dan Mora. Yeah this is probably DC's best book being currently published. thwhtguardian sums up the reasons very well. Looks like next issue is the conclusion of this arc. As far as Black Adam I am going to trade wait for this series... I think one of the big selling points is just how fast the story has moved, that they're tying this one up in just five issues is practically a land speed record these days for story length. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2022 1:06:31 GMT -5
Beware the Eye of Odin #1 by Doug Wagner (writer), Tim Odland (artist), Michelle Madsen (colorist) and Ed Dukeshire (letterer) from Image Comics  It seems Norse Mythology is all the rage in comics these days, as there have been a flood of Norse themed comics lately, and I have checked out a bunch of them, including this new launch from Image Comics. I quite liked it and it showed promise for more goodness to come. The story revolves around a prince whose village believes is cursed (mother died in childbirth, fathers ships all sunk on his son's first voyage, etc.) who finds himself in possession of "The Eye of Odin" (yes the one he sacrificed on the world tree to gain wisdom) and he must return it to its rightful owner before its curse consumes him. Accompanied only by a one-armed smith a maiden who believes she is a Valkyrie, he sets out on a perilous quest to find the rightful owner of the Eye. However, others covet the Eye and if they can steal it from him they can gain possession without suffering the curse, so he is fair game on his journey. It's Nordic adventure fantasy with a nice touch of lighthearted humor. The art is solid, the characters likeable and it's an entertaining read. -M |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2022 1:12:48 GMT -5
Arrowsmith: Behind Enemy Lines #6 by Kurt Busiek, Carlos Pacheco, Jose Viallarrubia and Tyler Smith & Jimmy Betancourt  The conclusion of part 1 of this arc has dropped, and I am really digging this Arrowsmith series. I liked but didn't love the first mini, it was a solid B+ series, but the new one has taken everything I did like about the last series and amped it up while expanding the world filling it with all the kinds of folklore and history I really get into, so I am very much loving this new series. The sad part is that due to health issues for both Kurt and Carlos, the second part for this is a ways off (maybe as much as a year as Carlos rehabs from spinal surgery) so the story may lose some momentum in the interim, but I will happily pick up the next part whenever it drops. But this journey through Fey lore and Carolingian history and myth has been a blast. -M |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2022 1:21:17 GMT -5
Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer #2 by Iverson/Martino/Delgado/Bascle from Opus Comics (Incendium)  I was a big fan of the Image Death Dealer stories from a decade ago and was a bit disappointed at first that this new series is a "reboot" of sorts, having no ties to that series, rather taking its own inspiration form the Frazetta series of paintings (the creators mention the series of novels by Silke of which I own the first three but haven't read them so I am not certain if they tie in to those or not). I enjoyed the first issue, but was still in wait and see mode. The second issue did a lot to solidify me positive feelings for this series. It's solid sword and sorcery adventure with that solid "r" rating vibe that a lot of fantasy fans feel Frazetta's work evokes. It doesn't shy away form the violence or the nudity (sometimes gratuitous) and feels like one of the more entertaining sword and sorcery "B" movies from the 80s but with some solid comic storytelling chops on display. I've opted for the Frazetta "B" variants for each issue, and the art within emulates by does not imitate the tone of Frazetta's style. Overall an enjoyable series so far. -M (not sure which week of June this was actually released but I just picked it up from my lcs on Monday and read it tonight after Mrs. MRP went to bed so it goes with the two whose release I do know) |
|
|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Jul 3, 2022 19:00:38 GMT -5
Beware the Eye of Odin #1 by Doug Wagner (writer), Tim Odland (artist), Michelle Madsen (colorist) and Ed Dukeshire (letterer) from Image Comics It seems Norse Mythology is all the rage in comics these days, as there have been a flood of Norse themed comics lately, and I have checked out a bunch of them, including this new launch from Image Comics. I quite liked it and it showed promise for more goodness to come. The story revolves around a prince whose village believes is cursed (mother died in childbirth, fathers ships all sunk on his son's first voyage, etc.) who finds himself in possession of "The Eye of Odin" (yes the one he sacrificed on the world tree to gain wisdom) and he must return it to its rightful owner before its curse consumes him. Accompanied only by a one-armed smith a maiden who believes she is a Valkyrie, he sets out on a perilous quest to find the rightful owner of the Eye. However, others covet the Eye and if they can steal it from him they can gain possession without suffering the curse, so he is fair game on his journey. It's Nordic adventure fantasy with a nice touch of lighthearted humor. The art is solid, the characters likeable and it's an entertaining read. -M I was kind of turned off by the cover but it looks like I should have listened to that famous proverb about judging books. |
|
|
|
Post by wildfire2099 on Jul 9, 2022 14:00:54 GMT -5
Nightwing #93Written by Tom Taylor Art by Bruno Redondo Summary: With the help of Barbara Gordon, Dick is able to strike a blow against the corruption that is the Bludhaven Police Department.
Plot: While Taylor has still absolutely failed to make me care about Heartless and his plans to take down Nightwing the story is nevertheless still a great read. I really don't know how he can do such a poor job at attempting to create a mysterious and compelling new villain when he excells at developing interpersonal relationships every where else in the book. At this point I really wish he'd just stick with Blockbuster as I don't really get what Hearless brings to the table that Blockbuster couldn't also do, and he actually writes Blockbuster well as he reinvents him here as a very Trupian-Strongman which is definitely a characterization that resonates today. On top of that I really love seeing Dick and Barbara together, the will-they-won't they romance is really well done and the tension is just really fun to read.
So, bad villain aside this is still absolutely one of the best books out there right now.
Art: Redondo should be an artist on everyone's radar by this point. His ability to seemlessly portray action and motion through still images is fantsatic and coupled with a deft hand at really selling quiet emotional moments his storytelling is just incredibly balanced.
Grade:8/10 I hate to not contribute anything more, but I agree on almost all counts. While Heartless does nothing for me, the main story is amazing. I love Dick trying to establish his presence as a nice rich guy and helping the kids out. Redondo is very good, I agree. I'll definitely read whatever he goes to next (hopefully not for a long time). The thing I disagree with is the Dick-Barbara relationship. I don't think they should be a couple, they should have more a brother-sister vibe. They've been through too much.. .I've much more a fan of him being together with Starfire (the real version from the NTT days, of course, not that watered down overly naive one to try to resonate with the Teen Titans Go crowd.. though that seems mostly gone now). Having her using her tech genius to help is definitely is a big plus though, and I do like that her tower has become the Batpeople hang out.. that's really fun. Never made alot of sense for them to all be chilling in the Batcave (which is part Crime lab, part museum, definitely not a hang out) |
|
