Bought/Thought 8/6

[TheCorpulent1]

I've only read two more comics from this week, but caught up on some more DC books I've been putting off for a while. It's kind of disappointing to see where Checkmate is currently going. Ever since their tie-in with The Outsiders last year, this title has been getting worse and worse..or, I should really say more mediocre. What was so good about Checkmate is clearly missing.

Checkmate needs two things to be great again: Greg Rucka and Alan Scott.

 

[CaptainCanada]

It just needed Greg Rucka.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Alan Scott never hurts.

 

[Themanofbat]

Get on that bug train! Whoooo!

I never could get into Ambush Bug... even back in the day...

Though I wouldn't mind seeing the return of 'Mazing Man...

 

[Phaedrus45]

I never could get into Ambush Bug... even back in the day...

Though I wouldn't mind seeing the return of 'Mazing Man...

Ask and you shall receive. Pick up Ambush Bug, and you'll see 'Mazing Man make an appearance!!!

 

[Phaedrus45]

R.I.P. Thoughts

Detective Comics #847: The suckage that is Batman R.I.P. continues this week with three comics, and while this might be the best, it is still a bit mediocre. Sure, it's great to see the return of Hush...but, this issue does very little to advance the story, and mainly just gives us more backstory into Hush's origin. And, as everything ties in with everything else in comics, we learn that Hush went to see the Scarecrow when he was a young kid to deal with his aggression. It tends to be a bit too much in the end. 6/10

Nightwing #147: Harvey Dent comes to Nightwing, asking for assistance in helping an old love of his who happens to be giving testimony in a criminal case. Very contrived...but, still, it's much better than most Nightwing comics I've read of late. (That is NOT a ringing endorsement.) This is a R.I.P. tie-in...yet, it doesn't seem like it's connected in any way. 6/10

Robin #176: Robin's tie-in to R.I.P. ends, and we get a continuation of Robin swinging around the city with Spoiler tagging along, beating up thugs and trying to find out if Batman is crazy or being mind-controlled. In the end, we discover the Spoiler has been working for Batman more than Robin, and just like Robin, we're not any closer to learning much of anything about what's up with the R.I.P. storyline. These past two issues just come off as a way to get a reader's money; and, both do nothing to advance the story. This is the worst of the bunch. 4/10

 

[Phaedrus45]

More DC Thoughts

Tor #4: One of my absolute favorite DC comics, Tor is DC's answer to Conan. These issues are beautifully drawn and written. Without dialogue, the narration and pictures tell Tor's story in a world as brutal as it is beautiful. In this issue, Tor and his friends are in danger, when Tor's previous tribe learns of his location; and, they plan to kill everyone, for fear that by keeping them alive, a curse will be upon them. Each week, there seems to be a comic I recommend that I don't see too many people reading, and Tor is this week's. 10/10

Supergirl #32: This storyline FINALLY comes to an end, with Supergirl trying one last time to help a dying (currently dead) kid, who she made a promise to that she'd find a way to save him from his cancer. The idea for this story was kind of neat; but, it's been dragged out, and the ending just kind of peter's out. It's finally to the point where I'm thinking it's time to quit hoping for anything decent from this comic, and just drop it from my pull list. (I did laugh...in the advertisement for the next issue, it says "And now for something completely unexpected...;" and, I thought, "Oh, what? A good issue?") 5/10

Infinity Inc. #12: The final issue for a comic that never found a good fan-base, even though it was a pretty decent teambook. I had read the first five issues, and planned to drop this title...but, my LCS messed up and forgot to take it off my list. So, when I got issue #6 and #7, I read it and noticed that I was hooked. It took a while to set up; but, there were some really good characters in this book, and Milligan was doing some good things with them. Sadly, the last two issues of this comic wanted to wrap up a comic that was setting up some other storylines...and, everything appears a bit rushed. Still, this last issue does hold some importance, as it's part of the "Dark Side Club" tie-ins, and the ending has some big significance for these D-List characters. (Someone dies, and this is clearly NOT a happy ending.) We're promised that we'll see more of this story in Terror Titans. 7/10

Jonah Hex #34: Another one of my favorite DC comics. It's great to read a comic that isn't filled with superheroes, and I love a good western. In this issue, Hex has come to Oregon and decided to leave his bounty hunter days behind him. Very unHex-like, he builds a house and sets up a new life for himself. Of course, things never go Hex's way, as a band of rough hombres show up and cause trouble in his new town. This is never a "feel good" comic. While the bad guys usually get their comeuppance, the good guys rarely get their own happy ending. 9/10

 

[Phaedrus45]

Hawkman Special #1: Waiting for Rann-Thanagar Holy War #4??? Hopefully, this will tide you over, as we meet the Nameless, and Hawkeye learns that his past is not what it seems. He's been living a lie about who he is, and the Nameless lets him know he's one of the "Aberrant Six."

As with most Jim Starlin comics, this issue is filled with dialogue. (I think Starlin always strives for 90% talk and 10% action whenever he's doing his big events....and, his current stuff only makes me remember when he was at his best, with the old Warlock stuff he did for Marvel.) Personally, I'm soooo tired of anything having to do with Rann and Thanagar. It's a never-ending battle. This issue is just a teaser for the Holy War, and while it gives a few clues, it mainly gives us many more mysteries. 6/10

 

[fifthfiend]

More Thoughts

Hulk #5: The trick to enjoying Loeb's Hulk is to just forget everything you know about these characters and what has gone before. This comic looks good, and it's a dream to have Thor vs. Hulk...except, you remember this isn't the Green Hulk...and, some things that Red Hulk does doesn't stand up to Thor Logic...and, why after Planet Hulk and World War Hulk, the Hulk would even think about teaming up with Iron Man and folks is beyond me...BUT, like I said, with Loeb, you have to forget about everything that's gone before.

I think the trick is less "forget everything you know about these characters and what has gone before" than it is forgetting all of that yet coming up with an explanation for why I would want to read it. If we're just treating this as a story about Generic Mary-Sue Tuff Guy effortlessly beating up Bunch of Generic Mook Tuff Guyz then why on Earth should I give a ****?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

The answer right now seems to be "a'cause big dudes punchin' stuff shore looks purty when McGiniss drawers it."

 

[fifthfiend]

I'm just saying if I want big dudes punching stuff why wouldn't I just go read, like, Dragonball Z comics? I mean at least their Mary Sue is occasionally semi-fallible, and their tuff guyz have kung fu lazorz, that makes them like awesomer times a thousand, right?

...Maybe Red Hulk has kung fu lazorz? I bet that's in issue 6.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I don't know, I'm just speculating on the state of the shriveled husks we call the minds of red Hulk fans.

 

[fifthfiend]

It's like Batman trying to figure out the mind of the Joker, minus the Joker's penchants for intelligent planning and effective theatrics.

 

[fifthfiend]

You know what I'm officially predicting this. No later than issue 7, we will see Red Hulk confront Galactus, shout "Kamehameha!" or similar, and shoot a laser out of his fists that blows big G's head off.

He will explain that he can do this "because I'm not a big *****, like that GREEN Hulk!"

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I don't know if we'll see the laser, but I could see him punching Galactus' head off.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Trinity #10: While we do finally get an explanation as to why all the silly little trinkets are being snatched away (them being a mystic anchor to the trinity that is Batman/Wonder Woman/Superman), this is the worst of all the issues I've read so far. Just as we had with Countdown and 52, we're just getting filler until this series wraps up. This issue, we are having the Justice League versus the Crime Syndicate, and it reads like an issue of JLA Classified. This battle will just take us to another in a month's time...we'll be teased with the mystery of the trinity....and, we'll go into another battle while getting small clues. As you can see, I'm starting to get tired of it all. (Plus, the second story, while giving the secret of the trinkets, makes me wonder what DC has with Intelligent Evil Apes. If I don't read another Evil Ape story, I'll be quite happy.) 5/10

House Of Mystery #4: I generally save a comic I love for later...because, I know after reading a couple subpar ones, I feel the need to have something I enjoy. House of Mystery is one of those. The main story, dealing with Fig, facinates me. The secondary story, which is always someone's tale about their past before they came to the House, isn't so good this time. This isn't a comic that advances the main story very fast...but, the slow pace works well. I'm getting to like Fig quite a bit, and this issue shows how she's fighting the inevitable, which is her wanting to be at the house. 8/10

 

[Texas]

R.I.P. Thoughts

Detective Comics #847: The suckage that is Batman R.I.P. continues this week with three comics, and while this might be the best, it is still a bit mediocre. Sure, it's great to see the return of Hush...but, this issue does very little to advance the story, and mainly just gives us more backstory into Hush's origin. And, as everything ties in with everything else in comics, we learn that Hush went to see the Scarecrow when he was a young kid to deal with his aggression. It tends to be a bit too much in the end. 6/10

Nightwing #147: Harvey Dent comes to Nightwing, asking for assistance in helping an old love of his who happens to be giving testimony in a criminal case. Very contrived...but, still, it's much better than most Nightwing comics I've read of late. (That is NOT a ringing endorsement.) This is a R.I.P. tie-in...yet, it doesn't seem like it's connected in any way. 6/10

Robin #176: Robin's tie-in to R.I.P. ends, and we get a continuation of Robin swinging around the city with Spoiler tagging along, beating up thugs and trying to find out if Batman is crazy or being mind-controlled. In the end, we discover the Spoiler has been working for Batman more than Robin, and just like Robin, we're not any closer to learning much of anything about what's up with the R.I.P. storyline. These past two issues just come off as a way to get a reader's money; and, both do nothing to advance the story. This is the worst of the bunch. 4/10

Uh, isn't this MARVEL FORUM ? I'm just saying (and your not the only one)

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Bought/Thoughts are for any comics. They're just placed in the Marvel forum because that's how it's always been and because the Marvel forum gets more traffic than the DC and Misc. Comics forums combined.

 

[yenaled]

Don't try and change us, Dude!

 

[Mr. Green]

I got Hulk #5 and Eternals #3. Most of us know by now all there is to know about Loeb's Hulk so...

Eternals #3:
Very cool. I liked the mini and the first two issues were pretty cool but this is the best issue of the ongoing that I've read so far. We get to learn a lot more about the golden celestial and what happened to him that included some excellent artwork and a cool celestial fight scene.

Also, there's a few other scenes that stand out as being REALLY good. The scene where Ajak confronts one of Druig's generals is cool, the scene where Thena "interviews" Phastos is awesome...

Just a really great issue altogether. This made me totally reconsider dropping the title and now I'm looking foward to this series being a long lived one.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Uh, isn't this MARVEL FORUM ? I'm just saying (and your not the only one)

How very astute of you!

And, now...the final two DC Thoughts

Manhunter #33: I'm still confused why DC didn't just relaunch this title with a #1 issue when they put out issue #31. It sure would have picked up a few more readers. Now, with this third issue, I'm not expecting the series to get past issue 50 any time soon. (Maybe on the sixth relaunch.) It's not that this series is bad; it's just that I'm not even sure why I continue to read the book. Maybe because it's different than many of the other DC superhero books. Something continues to draw me to Andreyko's writing, and this storyline concerning the all the missing Mexican women in Southern California, although not sensational, has captured my interest. 7/10

Storming Paradise #2: Chuck Dixon's World War II What If? story is kind of hard to read. He's rewriting World history, supposing what would America have done if Oppenheimer and his scientists had blown themselves to bits, and the Atomic Bomb program was replaced with a full-on invasion of Japan. It's a very interesting idea; but, there is very little character development, and you don't get that invested in them. (In fact, this type of story really speaks to why DC needs to take a hint from Marvel and give a splash-page at the beginning of their comics. If you hadn't read issue #1...or forgotten what has happened before, you'd be confused by what is happening with this comic.) I'll continue to pick this up; because I'm interested enough to find out how this What If? ends. 6/10

 

[fifthfiend]

Uh, isn't this MARVEL FORUM ? I'm just saying (and your not the only one)

I would totally review a ton of DC comics right now out just out of spite, but that would mean I would have to, you know, read a bunch of DC comics.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Ultimate Origins #3: Bendis really tried to promote this thing as the one series that would show how "everything is connected" in the Ultimate Universe. So far, that proclamation seems to be a bunch of hooey! Thre issues in, Bendis' Ultimate Origins borrows VERY HEAVILY from stuff that's already been written long before him in the 616. And, the new stuff isn't that spectacular. This issue follows Magneto quite a bit and who he's come into contact with over the years. (It's actually a very lame and uninspired origin, with him murdering his parents. The 616 WWII origin is much, much better; and, when you compare the two, you notice that Bendis isn't bringing much to the table.) 6/10

Iron Man-Viva Las Vegas #2: Thank God for the opening page, giving the recap of what's happened before. It's been a good couple months since I read the first issue, and I forgot what I had read. In this issue, Elsa Bloodstone comes to Tony Stark for help, realizing that the treasure she unearthed from a mysterious buyer might be linked with a curse that is effecting Las Vegas. Written by Jon Favreau, just like with his movie, it really captures the best of an Iron Man comic, mixing humor and action with Tony Stark's millionaire charm. I also love his version of Fin Fang Foom flying around various Vegas landmarks. (I was just on the New York, New York rollercoaster two months ago!) This is a fun series..I just hope the next issue doesn't take a good two months to come out. 8/10

I only have 4-6 issues left to read..I should get them finished tomorrow.

 

[Hush]

I bought Guardian Devil after reading the Commentary article in Wizard, It was friggin awesome! Can someone recommend me some more DareDevil that is good? Oh and im already buying the second Kevin Smith story.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I would totally review a ton of DC comics right now out just out of spite, but that would mean I would have to, you know, read a bunch of DC comics.

A couple years ago I would've argued over this with you. Now... when you're right, you're right.