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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 3, 2024 17:39:04 GMT -5
New Year, New Comics, Honest Reviews... OFF THE RACKS! |
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Post by DubipR on Jan 3, 2024 18:27:41 GMT -5
- Captain America #5
- Birds of Prey #5
- Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville #5
- Shazam #7
- Batman/Scooby-Doo Mysteries Vol 4 #1
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Post by MRPs_Missives on Jan 3, 2024 18:36:46 GMT -5
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 4, 2024 11:33:13 GMT -5
Beware the Planet of the Apes #1Written by Marc Guggenheim Art by Alvaro Lopez Summary: When Cornelius and Zira's nephew Lucius goes missing the pair strikes off into the Forbidden Zone with Nova in search of him.
Plot: This new prequel to the original films (and apparently the original Marvel comics) pits our favorite Chimpanzee couple against a mysterious new foe who lives in the ruins of New York City. And while the mystery behind this shadowy new foe who lives in Yankee Stadium is certainly compelling enough, and the bickering characterization of Cornelius and Zira was spot on...there was a lack of some certain energy that has always made Planet of the Apes feel special. I think it's that there isn't a feeling of metaphor here, it's just a straight adventure story that isn't saying anything more about society which was a huge part of what made the Apes films compelling. There's room to change that of course, perhaps the new race of creatures inhabiting New York will place some mirror to us that makes us stop and think but it's certainly an upward climb.
Art: Alvaro Lopez definitely captured the look and feel of the film series and its characters with the only fault I can find is that he's clearly never seen Yankee Stadium as the shot of the front offices captured the stylistic framing around the building but it looked flat as if he wasn't sure what it was but it's a pretty minor nitpick.
Grade:6/10 |
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Post by MRPs_Missives on Jan 4, 2024 11:59:39 GMT -5
Read a bunch last night...
Conan #6-still my favorite book on the market right now. I miss de la Torre's art this arc but Braithwaite's stuff is still amazing.
Birds of Prey #5-such a fun book, I took a flyer on this when it launched, as I normally am not a big Harley fan, but I am a big fan of Canary (to the point I tried the Deathstroke Inc book because she was part of it but that got dropped), and I am glad I did. This is quickly becoming one of my fave reads each month.
Batman/Santa Claus Silent Knight #1-4-I got a huge kick out of this book. I love the folklore of Santa and Krampus (and Norse myths) that Jeff Parker was drawing on and I thought his take on each of the DC Heroes involved was spot on. Parker is so good, I wish he had a regular sandbx at DC to play in.
Batman & Scooby Doo Mysteries #1-great fun and still the best value on the market at $2.99.
Titans Beast World 2/Titans 6-I usually shy away from big crossover events, but I am enjoying this one. I took a flyer on it because I had been enjoying Taylor's take on the Titans. I'm not getting all the one shots and tie ins, just the reg Titans series and the main mini, and so far I don't feel like I am missing anything as far as how the story goes. Again my preference is to just tell the stories about the characters in their main book and make the main books the attraction of your line to build readership, but that's no longer the corporate priority or modus operandi in comic publishing (which may be part of the problem in declining readership but that's a can of worms for another discussion).
-M
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 4, 2024 13:06:17 GMT -5
Read a bunch last night... Conan #6-still my favorite book on the market right now. I miss de la Torre's art this arc but Braithwaite's stuff is still amazing. Birds of Prey #5-such a fun book, I took a flyer on this when it launched, as I normally am not a big Harley fan, but I am a big fan of Canary (to the point I tried the Deathstroke Inc book because she was part of it but that got dropped), and I am glad I did. This is quickly becoming one of my fave reads each month. Batman/Santa Claus Silent Knight #1-4-I got a hge kick out of this book. I love the folklore of Santa and Krampus (and Norse myths that Jeff Parker was drawing on and I thought his take on each of the DC Heroes involved was spot on. Parker is so good, I wish he had a regular sandbx at DC to play in. Batman & Scooby Doo Mysteries #1-great fun and still the best value on the market at $2.99. Titans Beast World 2/Titans 6-I usually shy away from big crossover events, but I am enjoying this on. I took a flyer on it because I had been enjoying Taylor's take on the Titans. I'm not getting all the one shots and tie ins, just the reg Titans series and the main mini, and so far I don't feel like I am missing anything as far as how the story goes. Again my preference is to just tell the stories about the characters in their main book and make the main books the attraction of your line to build readership, but that's no longer the corporate priority or modus operandi in comic publishing (which may be part of the problem in declining readership but that's a can of worms for another discussion). -M Yeah, Birds of Prey continues to be a fun book and I love the art. And I agree about Batman/Santa as well, it started off a little exposition heavy but once the mythology was established it was really fun. Taylor has been doing really well though I'm not as sold on the event as you are. It's okay but it's not lighting my world on fire. |
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Post by MRPs_Missives on Jan 4, 2024 13:14:53 GMT -5
Read a bunch last night... Conan #6-still my favorite book on the market right now. I miss de la Torre's art this arc but Braithwaite's stuff is still amazing. Birds of Prey #5-such a fun book, I took a flyer on this when it launched, as I normally am not a big Harley fan, but I am a big fan of Canary (to the point I tried the Deathstroke Inc book because she was part of it but that got dropped), and I am glad I did. This is quickly becoming one of my fave reads each month. Batman/Santa Claus Silent Knight #1-4-I got a hge kick out of this book. I love the folklore of Santa and Krampus (and Norse myths that Jeff Parker was drawing on and I thought his take on each of the DC Heroes involved was spot on. Parker is so good, I wish he had a regular sandbx at DC to play in. Batman & Scooby Doo Mysteries #1-great fun and still the best value on the market at $2.99. Titans Beast World 2/Titans 6-I usually shy away from big crossover events, but I am enjoying this on. I took a flyer on it because I had been enjoying Taylor's take on the Titans. I'm not getting all the one shots and tie ins, just the reg Titans series and the main mini, and so far I don't feel like I am missing anything as far as how the story goes. Again my preference is to just tell the stories about the characters in their main book and make the main books the attraction of your line to build readership, but that's no longer the corporate priority or modus operandi in comic publishing (which may be part of the problem in declining readership but that's a can of worms for another discussion). -M Yeah, Birds of Prey continues to be a fun book and I love the art. And I agree about Batman/Santa as well, it started off a little exposition heavy but once the mythology was established it was really fun. Taylor has been doing really well though I'm not as sold on the event as you are. It's okay but it's not lighting my world on fire. For full transparency, I have a very low bar for events these days, and most don't clear it. The last DC event I can say that I really enjoyed was Legends, and for Marvel it was Infinity Gauntlet. Beast World isn't setting the world on fire, but so far it's been a fun read without me rolling my eyes at some of the twists. -M |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 4, 2024 13:19:33 GMT -5
Yeah, Birds of Prey continues to be a fun book and I love the art. And I agree about Batman/Santa as well, it started off a little exposition heavy but once the mythology was established it was really fun. Taylor has been doing really well though I'm not as sold on the event as you are. It's okay but it's not lighting my world on fire. For full transparency, I have a very low bar for events these days, and most don't clear it. The last DC event I can say that I really enjoyed was Legends, and for Marvel it was Infinity Gauntlet. Beast World isn't setting the world on fire, but so far it's been a fun read without me rolling my eyes at some of the twists. -M Ha, yeah I suppose in that light it succeeds in that it's readable which I can't say for Dark Crisis which I sadly read. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 4, 2024 16:47:07 GMT -5
Vengeance of the Moon Knight #1Written by Jed MacKay Art by Alessandro Cappuccio Summary: While the members of Moon Knight's Midnight Mission are dealing with the passing of Marc a new Moon Knight arrives.
Plot: Like the recent renumbering of She-Hulk this is another weird re-branding being done by Marvel, it's the exact same creative team that was on the book previously and they are simply continuing on with the exact same story they were telling on the old book only now it has a new a title and a new shiny #1 on the cover...which I guess drives sales? They wouldn't do it if it didn't make them money but it still seems really weird to me. As to the actual story Jed Mackay continues to craft one of the finest Moon Knight stories to date with some fantastic character moments for the supporting cast...and the Thing holds Shiva for Marc...and it was just amazing as you'd imagine. I think my only real critique is that I actually wish MacKay had held off on bringing in the "new" Moon Knight and instead given Reese, Soldier, Eight Ball and Hunter's Moon another issue of carrying out the Mission's work on their own to both allow the death of Marc to hit more emotionally and make the new Moon Knight's arrival more shocking but I guess I can't complain too much about compression in modern comics the one time it actually happens. That quibble aside this is definitely one of the best superhero comics out there right now and you shouldn't be sleeping on it if you haven't picked it up yet.
Art: Much like on the story side Cappuccio continues to be fantastic on the art side, bringing his A-game each and every issue. Here, in particular, the characters looked fantastic, and I loved his take on the assorted cameos of Marvel heroes paying their respects. The real winner though was the new costume for Moon Knight. Although we didn't see it clearly, the darker, more textured look with the more sinister hood looked fantastic and I'm excited to see how it looks in action going forward.
Grade:9/10 |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jan 4, 2024 21:33:12 GMT -5
It seems we all got the same books this week.
I'm really hoping next Birds of Prey we get to see Maps vs. Wonder Woman. I think the Beast World thing didn't need the extra tie ins...but it's a decent enough event. I'll be interested to see where they go next with Gar after this. I'm not sure I need evil Amanda Waller vs. the Titans, but we'll see how it goes.
I'm hoping Nightwing gets back on track after the crossover... this last story line was pretty terrible.
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Post by Hoosier X on Jan 4, 2024 22:57:13 GMT -5
I am reading Birds of Prey as well. So many of my favorites. Dinah, Cass, Barda, Harley. Nice art. I couldn’t pass it up.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 5, 2024 9:12:05 GMT -5
The Midnite Show #4Written by Cullen Bunn Art by Brian Hurtt Summary: With the monster's plan revealed Jason, Connine and their friends have reached the end of the line. Plot: With the end in hand it's really difficult to tell if Bunn was left sprinting to a finish to complete this, if he intends for there to be a sequel or was just playing off that "The End...or is it?" kind of twist. Either way it kind of feels slightly unsatisfying because as fun as the preceding three issues of monster mayhem were there was never enough characterization to make you really feel for the cast(I literally had to look up their names in the book to write the summary above) so the "hero" sacrificing himself to defeat the monsters just didn't hit home and we never really learned enough about the film maker for the twist about him seeking immorality to be anything more than just slightly interesting. Still, the idea of a horror movie bringing monsters to life and terrorizing the unsuspecting film goers was a lot of fun in a sort of House of Frankenstein sort of way so I definitely suggest tracking this one down if you're a lover of monster movies ::cough:: shaxper ::cough:: Art: A lot of what really makes this work is the brilliant art of Brian Hurtt, his monsters are just fantastic and I loved every panel of them. Each one had their own personality and style but they still very much felt like they could have belonged to a singular film universe which really sold the idea. Grade:6.5/10 |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 5, 2024 9:22:52 GMT -5
Just caught up on Titans #6 from last week and at first I thought the cover was perhaps something from before Taylor came up with the Beast world event as it dealt with Brother Eternity and Tempest still instead of the whole world getting turned into animals...but it was actually a sign that you can have an ongoing and an event going on at the same time and not interrupt the thrust of the story or make you feel you're missing out on the tie ins as they were all quickly summarized. My opinion on the Beastworld event just went up a notch.
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Post by The Captain on Jan 5, 2024 16:02:50 GMT -5
Three books in the bin this week: Doctor Strange #11Cute little story about Stephen and Clea taking her baby sister out for a day, to get the child away from Umar and Tiboro, only to find the child going missing and having to hunt her down. "Villains" in the issue were a brand-new Circus of Crime, who were not really evil, just in the way of the main plot. Even Bats the Ghost Dog made an important appearance, which is always nice, and Umar's reasoning for letting the Strange's take Donna out is so perfect for her character. Nothing earth-shattering here, but it's still good for a 7.5/10Captain America #5The ongoing fight against Asmoday and The Emissary continues in the present, while in the past, Steve helps Meyer Lansky foil a plot by Barons Zemo and Von Strucker to blow up a bunch of American Nazis in order to pin the blame on Jewish folks and turn the tide of WWII. Gotta say, I'm actually more interested in the 1940s story than the current-day one, just because I don't feel like The Emissary is all that compelling an adversary. Still, more good than bad, so let's call it 6.5/10Vengeance of the Moon Knight #1Agree with a lot of what thwhtguardian wrote about this. It could have used a slower simmer before bringing in the new Moon Knight, even if just for another issue or two, but I guess they wanted to get the ball rolling immediately on the new plotline. Love the inclusion of 8-Ball in the book, a throwaway villain first introduced in Sleepwalker, even if he doesn't do much here, as Marvel has such a rich history and should utilize it when they can. Writing is solid, art is pretty. Grade is the same at 9/10 |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 5, 2024 17:07:05 GMT -5
Three books in the bin this week: Doctor Strange #11Cute little story about Stephen and Clea taking her baby sister out for a day, to get the child away from Umar and Tiboro, only to find the child going missing and having to hunt her down. "Villains" in the issue were a brand-new Circus of Crime, who were not really evil, just in the way of the main plot. Even Bats the Ghost Dog made an important appearance, which is always nice, and Umar's reasoning for letting the Strange's take Donna out is so perfect for her character. Nothing earth-shattering here, but it's still good for a 7.5/10Captain America #5The ongoing fight against Asmoday and The Emissary continues in the present, while in the past, Steve helps Meyer Lansky foil a plot by Barons Zemo and Von Strucker to blow up a bunch of American Nazis in order to pin the blame on Jewish folks and turn the tide of WWII. Gotta say, I'm actually more interested in the 1940s story than the current-day one, just because I don't feel like The Emissary is all that compelling an adversary. Still, more good than bad, so let's call it 6.5/10Vengeance of the Moon Knight #1Agree with a lot of what thwhtguardian wrote about this. It could have used a slower simmer before bringing in the new Moon Knight, even if just for another issue or two, but I guess they wanted to get the ball rolling immediately on the new plotline. Love the inclusion of 8-Ball in the book, a throwaway villain first introduced in Sleepwalker, even if he doesn't do much here, as Marvel has such a rich history and should utilize it when they can. Writing is solid, art is pretty. Grade is the same at 9/10Yeah, I've loved seeing 8-Ball get used on this run as he's just a great visual character. |
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