Bought // Thought March 21

[Roughneck]

52 #46 - Meh, Nothing spectacular but far from the worst issue

X-men First Class #7 - I prolly woulda stopped buying this if not for Cruz's art on this book. And today we got a Quicksilver/Angel fight. I loved that. I wish it was a little bigger of a fight though.

Brave and the Bold #2 - This boo was way way too 80s looking too-many-small-space-things-on-the-page kinda 80s space stuff for me to really enjoy it. And I will be dropping this book.

Ms Marvel #13 - This was a really good one today, although....a little too much reading. I know, I sound lame and like a small child....Anyway it was good and I am looking forward to future issues to see Carol go all outsiders on villains.

X-men #197 - I refuse to read this with Bachalo's art.....I'm not even a huge fan of Carey's writing on this...why the hell did I even buy it.

Cable & Deadpool #38 - I flipped through it and read it a bit...it looks like a good fun read so I'm saving it for tonight before bed.

Exiles #92 - Wow. I must admit Claremont on Exiles is far better than I ever imagined he could be. This was by far the best book this week.

 

[Kevin]

Really? Thank you, HF. I wish I knew that befroe. How come no one has told me before? I've been doing this for about a month or so.

 

[hippy fascist]

because've only seen you do it in the bought/thought which usually puts it's right after a review. I just figured it meant..."damn, awesome review. I'm going to subscribe to this book..."

 

[Kevin]

Lol. noted, and will be taken care of.

 

[PhotoJones]

edit. double post.


i ****ing hate the hype.

 

[PhotoJones]

amazing spider-man #539 - i think i've got jms figured out. in fact, i'm sure of it. he's one of the best writers spider-man has ever had...only sometimes his ideas aren't so hot. for example, no one writes a better aunt may; no one comes close. no one's written better dialogue in a spider-man book. and i would go so far as to say that no one's better at getting at pure human emotion within a spider-man book, than jms.

that said, some of his ideas suck.

but this isn't one of them. this is good. it's really good. i love the fact that the kingpin is behind all this, and i love the sense of urgency that both the words and the art get across. and that's another thing. ron garney's ****ing amazing. the way he manages to capture peter's speed is incredible. they're still pictures, but his storytelling/pacing/movements are just perfect. he's reaching jrjr status in my book when it comes to spidey artists.

anyway, back to the urgency...aunt may's been shot and she's dying. well, she's comatose, but the doctors aren't very optimistic. we all know she won't die, and it's not really this aspect of the story that hooked me. what's gripping is peter's sense of urgent need to kill someone. it's very primal, and it drips off the pages. and again, we all know he won't actually kill anyone, but his manic need for violence is actually fun to read. he's reacting EXACTLY how any one of us would react if someone did harm to a loved one.

i have one gripe, and for a lot of you, it'll probably be a big one. peter goes to a spot where the black suit is kept in webbing. it's underneath a gargoyle type thing high above the streets of new york. he says he's kept it there since he ditched it the last time. the last time peter wore the black suit, he was still using the web shooters. and the webbing he made disentegrates after a few hours...so, how's it still hanging there? it might be nitpicky, but it still bothered me...


invincible - i picked up a few back issues that i was missing. this book is the best superhero book being published today. it seriously is. anyone that's not reading it should drop one of their x-men books and pick this up.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Flash 10 - Pretty good. I'm new to the book so I don't get the last page yet but I'm excited 7/10

52 Week 46 - Those nerds sure did a number on Black Adam 6/10

X-Factor 17 - Awesome issue, can't wait to find out more about X-cell. I really wanted Jamie to get that info from his dupe though 8/10

X-Men 197 - This was a really good issue. I just need Bachalo to leave. The scene were LM's parasite was jumping back and forth would have been easier to see if his work wasn't so cluttered. Ugh 8/10

Exiles 92 - Best issue of the arc. Still not sure if I'll continue buying this once the arc is over but at least this one was entertaining. CC, you have 2 issues left to impress me 8/10

JSA 4 - Another fantastic issue. Why exactly are Hawkman's arms so huge? 9/10

 

[Dread]

A small week, although with two purchases that bordered on $4, it makes up for it.

As always, massive spoilers.

DREAD'S BOUGHT/THOUGHT for 3/21/07:

52 WEEK #46: As 52 enters the home stretch, I begin to wonder about it. It still is readable and entertaining, and well drawn, no doubt about it. But I was hoping for some sort of big splash finale, and there is a looming worry that will not happen, especially as DC, desperate to somehow, some way, dip into Marvel's domination of them every month, seeks to stretch this series out, and then do another weekly, and then yet another event. And if that happens, if 52 #52 simply ends with a, "Would you be interested in buying _____" and doesn't have a resolute, satisfying ending unto itself, I will feel very cheated, even moreso in a way than CW, since I didn't buy 50+ issues of that. That said, this issue is anti-climatic, but not bad. After making the JSA, Checkmate and the world twitter by wasting millions of people in a small nation, Black Adam takes on the geeks of Oolong Island, and loses. Sure, he smashes through their shields, beats down their robots, and scares them a bit, but they all gang up and overcome him with inventions, and Dr. Sivana couldn't be happier to finally triumph over a Marvel. Veronica also acts in "default female character" mode. She, as the girl, is the only one who feels any remourse. She, as the girl, is also a ****. And she, as the girl, feels the need to strip to her bra and stay that way. In a bit of awkward plotting, she walks outside in front of Black Adam and admits to making the Horsemen, and he does nothing. He doesn't even touch her. Now, we are supposed to accept that he was so insane with anger & grief that he killed millions of innocent men, women, and children in Bialya. And when a single woman, on the island he has just invaded, admits responsibility, he doesn't at least casually decapitate her as he flies on by? He just spares here? Why? Because her bra is black like his costume? Dr. Morrow also scores some good hits, and it may seem that WW3 may be more than it seems; maybe the world is fighting Black Adam because a league of all of their mad scientists now control him (and an armada of tech that can fell even demigods)? Anyway, it simply felt a little awkward. The JSA mull in Bialya about reforming the team, and run into Atom-Smasher. In Metropolis, Kent undoes Luthor's ruse to escape prison by swapping with Hannibal the Shapeshifter Cannibal, and Natasha's hook gets another workout. But still, some of these issues have lacked the intensity of Steel vs. Luthor or the Supernova reveal, and so on. We have entered another stage of middling in a way and I am fearing that the payoff may not be what some have expected. And after a year it would be a shame if there wasn't some sort of resolution here. I could be wrong, of course. But I am starting to worry. Oh, and the dialogue for the Oolong bit seemed almost classic Morrison to me.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #539: I wanted to leave this title behind, now that CW was over. From PRELUDE to now, ASM has been locked in a 13 month story with no end in sight. Add in THE OTHER (which I didn't read, because I had good judgement) and ASM has relied on crossovers, without end or break, to carry it's sales for almost 2 calender years now. And someone at Marvel STILL denies they're partying like it's 1996 again? There has to feel like there is closure to some storyline somewhere, otherwise it just looks like a sneaky attempt to lead readers along endlessly with no finale in sight just to keep them on as long as possible, punishing them for wanting to see a story to it's end. That all said, however, BACK IN BLACK for ASM at least may have one advantage over PRELUDE and the CW arc, despite decent writing by JMS and as always, good art from Garney. That advantage is that they have Peter Parker reacting to some event in his life, and doing things, that actually feel IN CHARACTER. It felt out of character for him to attach to Tony instead of going to Reed like he always did before. It felt DRAMATICALLY out of character for Spider-Man to instantly sell out to the man, blindly go along with things when he complained in thought boxes for months how wrong it all felt, and then only seeing the man behind the curtain when he was faced with something "hit-me-with-a-fish" obvious (visiting a gulag, with Iron Man boasting about how superheroes who never signed faced prison without trial, forever). Then he belatedly falls in with the underground, but OOPS, turns out the Pro-SHRA's were supposed to be the good-guys all along. So all the turmoil that Spider-Man went through, on his own gullible accord, is worthless because Cap gave up, his identity is exposed, and his family is on the run for NOTHING. As the CW arc ended and lead into BACK IN BLACK, however, Kingpin (who Bendis claimed has exhausted all story potential), is arranging long overdue revenge on Spider-Man from prison, and Aunt May is shot by a sniper. Because if the old bird is going to croak again, heaven forbid it be by natural causes. No, it has to be by a bullet, like her husband. Ugly, depressing, and violent, like seemingly all comics must become. But if you look past that irksome "oh, May AGAIN" logic, the story isn't too bad. It makes some sense for at least one of Spidey's enemies to capitilize on his revealed identity, and why not the Kingpin. And after May is shot, it makes sense for Peter to whisk her to a hospital and go a little ape-sh**. I mean this was a guy who had equal reactions after Gwen died, or Ben Rielly, or even Jean DeWolfe (with Betty almost being murdered). And suddenly his narration boxes sound like they were lifted from an issue of Batman: "And so I broke his fingers, and it felt good", and stuff like that. But under the circumstances, Peter has a little leeway for acting grim. Peter is an emotional man, and every time something rotten has happened to someone he cared for he reacted in this way, so one can't say it's without precident. The downside is that unlike Murdock, who at least tried to salvage his identity, Peter is undertaking no such steps, running across the city as Peter. The concept of him having a black costume hidden under a church scaffold is fine, but he couldn't have bundled it with webbing unless he just hit it 2 hours ago and went back every 2 hours to reattach it. I mean even his organic webbing has a time limit, right? So now, Marvel's resident wisecracker jokster hero is wearing black, and acting all grim, as his loved ones die one by one. THIS is the natural state that both Marvel and DC want for their heroes, and they will both gladly butcher 1,000 loveable supporting characters to achieve that aim. But at least this time, Spider-Man has a good reason, and it doesn't feel as phoney as him being suckered by obvious stormtroopers after an entire career of having the feds mistrust him and abuse power, of being there for the little guy. Of course, this will mean a full 19+ months of perpetual story, which is ridiculous. But at least it makes some sense, and it works. Mostly. One just has to put behind the fact that this is yet another "grimification/perpetual angstization" of a hero, yet another time May flirts with death, yet another violent act on a loveable ol' character, and shamelessly convient for SPIDER-MAN 3 which hopes to have Spidey in black, acting dark. But put all that bull aside, and it's not a bad start at all. It works.

RUNAWAYS SAGA #1: Mostly an advertisement for both RUNAWAYS and Whedon's earth-shattering 6 issue run (because no other A-Lister in the history of mankind has done 6 issues of a comic, don'tchaknow), this story offers 4 pages of new "art" (and the term is used loosely) from Ramos, with writing from C.B. Cebulski, who was the editor for the first 18 issues of RUNAWAYS and will be writing their spin-off, THE LONERS. He manages to capture the heart of the book well enough, and then has the task of recapping the book's entire run through the POV of Molly (along with co-writer Mindy Owens). Basically, you could call this a comic version of "the clip episode", and much like all clip episodes, the "plot" is almost non-existant. After seemingly, and somehow, "running" from Iron Man & SHIELD in #24 (huh!?), the group leaves Kansas and bickers, and then decides to read Molly's journal while she sleeps, and then ends with a tearful group hug. Admittedly, an ending that professes team unity and honest goodwill and even, dare I say, love bewteen non-biological relations has become very rare in these "grim" times. And sometimes the recap via Molly's POV is amusing. She confuses Dagger for Dazzler. She makes a few jokes. C.B. throws in a reference to his next project by having Molly say that "Excelsior should really change their name". But admittedly, while 30% of it was cute, 70% of it got kind of annoying. Sure, it did read like it was written by an 11-12 year old girl, but almost no one wants to talk to one that long unless they have to. It was an ample summary of all 42 issues of BKV's run, although neglecting the YA/RUNAWAYS crossover seemed a bit foolish; shouldn't that have mattered, too? More than 3 times the readers read that than read any of RUNAWAYS, after all. But niggles aside, it is what it is, a handy recap of the entire book's run, with some story trappings and new art. As usual when Marvel releases "pure advertisement" publications, the stumbling block is price. I've mentioned this before with CHOOSING SIDES and it fits here. The only purpose for this book is advertisement. Nothing more. They want to get it into as many hands and shops as possible. So why make it $4, as expensive as a more-expansive HANDBOOK volume? DC offered COUNTDOWN TO IC and BRAVE NEW WORLD for $1 and both had more original material to boot. Of course, most of BNW's offered titles didn't sell so well, but the ad got exposure. Marvel needs to more honestly see this, vs. making it $4 to score the quick buck and lose sight of the short game. It couldn't have been $3.75? $3.50? Gasp, $2.99 like an actual issue? Why not .99, with a solict that says, "cheaper than COUNTDOWN, True Believer!" ? You see my point. Of course, yes, it was my call to buy it, and looking back I could have missed it and not cared, but I wanted to support the franchise. I'm just offering an honest opinion. Be honest and frank about ad-comics, Marvel, and lesson the price so you get 'em into as many hands as possible. Think long-term. Sure, you've done good work exposing RUNAWAYS this year, but one can always do better. Still sort of cute, though.

ULTIMATE POWER #4: JMS takes over with this issue, which is about 1-2 weeks late. Land is still on art and I feel this series, a whopping 9 issues, got lost amid the CW shuffle, and the hype for it by now is lower than it was leading up to #1, when it was the best thing since indoor plumbing. Despite all that, though, it's a perfectly enjoyable story so far, and honestly includes more of Ultimate Marvel and feels more cohesive than Ellis' 3 chapter, 12-13 issue space fart. JMS attempts to pick up seemlessly from Bendis' 3 issues and succeeds to some degree, as Nick Fury still comes off a bit like a petty teenage girl. First came his rant last issue and now his "but we still need the helicarrier, you Spider-poopy head!" thing now. Any issue now I am expecting Fury to start crying and run to his room to listen to TATU. But beyond that, considering I never read SUPREME POWER, it's an enjoyable and workable story. After Reed surrendered to the Squadron Supreme and agreed to travel back to their world to try to save it and then pay for about 10 million deaths, Fury organizes a strike team to save him. Spidey suggests using Thor, a useful, helpful suggestion that Bendis never would have written, because he is all about making Spider-Man seem helpless, emasculated, and incompetant. What is noticeable is that JMS adds the Ye Olde Englishe to Thor's dialogue, when this is Ultimate Thor and it seems more misplaced. But the issue gets things moving, albeit slowly. The combined forces of the Ultimates, the rest of the Four, the X-Men and Spider-Man fly off into the alternate dimension to save Reed, and Kitty stumbles upon a meeting that hints that Fury knows more about the incident than he lets on (and may have caused it instead of Reed). This nefarious angle is not as uncommon in Ultimate as it would be in 616. Meanwhile, Reed is naturally upset at the horrors of yet another "miscalculation" as he is tormented by a government agent, and Hyperion is tempted to use this chance to take over the world by his metahuman gal-pal before the finale ends with a rematch with Thor. Land's art is of course what it is, you'll either love it or pick at it being Photoshopped or stiff. And JMS picks up where Bendis left off and the shift isn't jarring so far, so that is a plus. And while it's not the most original story in the world, it is unique for Ultimate and frankly a better UFF story than the core title has had since Millar left. Much better than I expected, and while some of the issues come out a little late, they've been enjoyable. Whether it lasts that way in another 5 issues is another call, as few stories can be sustained with more than 6 issues without being stretched thin. But it's decent reading. It does what it does well enough, like X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, and may quietly end up the best Ultimate Mini since Ultimate Six. Or at least one can hope.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS #7: Amazingly, despite selling around the 80's in the Top 100, Marvel is having Parker & Cruz continue this series as an ongoing come June. Certainly a surprise, as this title, while entertaining, seemed to have a questionable purpose. It tells some stories of the original Silver Age X-Men, and both tries to insert itself between those 60's stories and update them to seem like they took place in Marvel's sliding scale of "about ten years ago, give or take". Sometimes this crashes (mentions of X-Box, using the Movie Cerebro) and sometimes it works (updating the COFFEE-A-GO-GO into a hipper joint). While a mini, there is no storyarc or subplot beyond that simple premise. Parker also is attempting to capture the somewhat-cheesy, light-hearted feel of the Silver Age in a time when Marvel would slaughter half their characters to make the surviving half angry and bitter. But it is a mini that despite myself, I have come to enjoy. It's a pleasureable, stress free read where I don't have to remember every detail from the last few comics. The cover pretty much reveals the plot, however, so it seems a little tedious when the interiors treat it as a mystery; the X-Men are wondering why Warren is skipping classes, and Quicksilver is looking for his Sister Wanda (and being a jerk about it). The story takes place during the 60's time when the Stranger took Magneto & Toad into space, turned Mastermind into a statue and the Brotherhood of "Evil" Mutants (as Bobby keeps reminding) was broken up. The X-Men assume Warren has been kidnapped, Pietro assumes his sister is in danger, but of course, it leads to the cover; Warren and Wanda just wants to date. It seems random, but the 60's stories were simplistic and the concept of teenagers randomly hooking up wouldn't have been covered (despite it being the mid 60's by then with the Sexual Revolution in full swing; Stan & Kirby sometimes poked fun at how square their teens were). This isn't some kismet fan-fiction; Warren and Wanda just found each other cute, decided to give some dates a try, but find out they just don't click long term. Cue a standard fight with Pietro, and a happy ending with some kids. Like ULTIMATE POWER, nothing that reinvents the wheel, but it gets the turns right. Plus, it's a breath of fresh air with so many grim comics out there, harkening back to a simplier time. When a hero could smile without being mind controlled or a fascist.

I also bought CIVIL WAR: BATTLE DAMAGE REPORT for some obscure bio's, and is it just me, or does the cover resemble that Nazi Footage of what Hitler wanted to use the jetpacks for in THE ROCKETEER film? Just a little? Ah, well. It all seems surreal.

And yes, INVINCIBLE is awesome-ness on paper.

 

[KingOfDreams]

Omega Men #6 - This was a really good mini-series that I got the feeling that nobody besides me read. I'm a sucker for good sci-fi and this was indeed good sci-fi. Vibrant colors, strange creatures, a space-faring team of adventurers, humor when humor was needed, the right amount of semi-creepiness. Space opera at it's finest. I didn't quite like the cliched "The End?" ending but at least this leaves room for more stories involving these characters.

(The shop was sold out of ASM...as I expected them to be. I'll have to go to the other one.)

 

[PhotoJones]

dread, i'm glad to see i'm not the only one who caught the webbing mistake.

and keep in mind while reading amazing spider-man that it's been said that this arc will be one of the darkest, hardest and most grueling times that peter has ever gone through...BUT...there will be a light at the end of tunnel so to speak.

that's what keeps me interested. i want to see peter parker happy again.

 

[Eddie Brock]

i have one gripe, and for a lot of you, it'll probably be a big one. peter goes to a spot where the black suit is kept in webbing. it's underneath a gargoyle type thing high above the streets of new york. he says he's kept it there since he ditched it the last time. the last time peter wore the black suit, he was still using the web shooters. and the webbing he made disentegrates after a few hours...so, how's it still hanging there? it might be nitpicky, but it still bothered me...

I knew exactly where you were going with that after reading those first 2 sentences. It is nitpicky, but Peter mentions his webbing's short lifespan all the time.

 

[Dread]

dread, i'm glad to see i'm not the only one who caught the webbing mistake.

and keep in mind while reading amazing spider-man that it's been said that this arc will be one of the darkest, hardest and most grueling times that peter has ever gone through...BUT...there will be a light at the end of tunnel so to speak.

that's what keeps me interested. i want to see peter parker happy again.

Haven't there been a few dark, hard, and grueling stories with Peter?

That aside, having read this issue, while it is a shame that May got shot I honestly doubt JMS wants to kill her off, so I can see a brighter finale if she manages to overcome the odds and live, like Peter hopes. How Marvel will get out of the corner of Spidey's identity is a tale for another year or so. But so far in a way I am glad I stuck along a wee bit longer because I may end up liking this story more than the last because, again, Peter feels like he is acting more in character here.

Some people kind of liked "seeing Peter kick arse outside of costume", though, and I guess they never read USM where Ultimate Spidey almost finds the costume and mask as an inconvience and wastes no time fighting without either. But this was stronger, admittedly. I mean if someone I loved just got shot by a sniper I don't think my first reaction would be to spent a few seconds to put on a mask, especially if my identity was already public.

In a way it comes full circle; when I was a toddler just getting into Spidey, he was still wearing his black costume (albeit a cloth one). Hulk was Gray, too.

 

[PhotoJones]

I knew exactly where you were going with that after reading those first 2 sentences. It is nitpicky, but Peter mentions his webbing's short lifespan all the time.

all things considered, i guess it IS a pretty big mistake. when you think about it, it's pretty much the same as cyclops' optic blast burning a whole through something.

it's something that's just known. y'know?

 

[Eddie Brock]

all things considered, i guess it IS a pretty big mistake. when you think about it, it's pretty much the same as cyclops' optic blast burning a whole through something.

it's something that's just known. y'know?

It is just known, but it's known because Spider-Man used to ALWAYS say something to the effect of:

CRIMINAL: Get me down!
SPIDER-MAN: Don't worry, the webbing will dissolve in an hour or so. Of course, the cops will have already captured you by then!

 

[PhotoJones]

Haven't there been a few dark, hard, and grueling stories with Peter?

That aside, having read this issue, while it is a shame that May got shot I honestly doubt JMS wants to kill her off, so I can see a brighter finale if she manages to overcome the odds and live, like Peter hopes. How Marvel will get out of the corner of Spidey's identity is a tale for another year or so. But so far in a way I am glad I stuck along a wee bit longer because I may end up liking this story more than the last because, again, Peter feels like he is acting more in character here.

Some people kind of liked "seeing Peter kick arse outside of costume", though, and I guess they never read USM where Ultimate Spidey almost finds the costume and mask as an inconvience and wastes no time fighting without either. But this was stronger, admittedly. I mean if someone I loved just got shot by a sniper I don't think my first reaction would be to spent a few seconds to put on a mask, especially if my identity was already public.

In a way it comes full circle; when I was a toddler just getting into Spidey, he was still wearing his black costume (albeit a cloth one). Hulk was Gray, too.

sure, there's been plenty of dark and grim spidey stories, but i think i read somewhere that this one's going to really push the limits. whether it does or not, we'll just have to wait and see.

as far as his identity remaining public...i'm cool with it staying like that. i really miss some of the cops shooting at him, while some others let him go out of respect. he's a vigilante superhero, let's not forget. it's nice to see him return to that.

 

[Dread]

sure, there's been plenty of dark and grim spidey stories, but i think i read somewhere that this one's going to really push the limits. whether it does or not, we'll just have to wait and see.

as far as his identity remaining public...i'm cool with it staying like that. i really miss some of the cops shooting at him, while some others let him go out of respect. he's a vigilante superhero, let's not forget. it's nice to see him return to that.

Pushing the limits of dark and grim these days is like finding sand in the Sahara. But, like I said above, if you put these issues and facts aside it's a good start to the story.

He can still be a vigilante hero but the identity thing was a last gasp to do something with a character who many had written into a wall. Eventually you will do all the reaction stories, all the "loved ones in more danger" stories, and whatnot and it will get old and someone will yearn for a more reasonable status quo. Brubaker just did that in DD, reverting his identity from "publically known" to "widely suspected" so one could escape the corner. I will be very shocked if Spidey doesn't follow suit come 2009.

I just feel that the barrier between Spider-Man and Peter's life has been removed and when you do that, he no longer has a life. He has no supporting cast beyond his wife & aunt and doesn't do anything that isn't related to Spider-Man. Without that he feels more generic, much as Bruce Wayne never does anything that isn't related to Batman or has much of a cast that isn't also connected to his life as Batman. Of course, it could be argued that with 2+ years of crossover Spider-events, he hasn't had the time, but these were issues long before THE OTHER and I don't see the unmasking fixing any. I see it as denying the problem.

But I suppose that is the fate of the mainstream characters, who have to keep trucking on and on after all their stories have been exhausted, because we're not manga and can't bare finite franchises (although to be fair as the years go by, manga stories have gotten longer and longer to the point of seeming as endless).

 

[Xofenroht]

Civil War: The Confession- This is a follow up to Civil War displaying both Cap and Tony's actual feelings about why they acted as they did. We first get to see Stark's side of the argument, where he mentions receiving inspiration during the time he and Doom spent fighting alongside either King Arthur or Morgan le Fay. He felt that he prophecied a hero vs. hero battle somewhere down the line. Iron Man also mentions that Peter surprised him the most out of everyone involved. Once we hear Cap's side, we learn pretty much what we already knew. He was standing up for principles and fighting to maintain his freedom, My favorite line from him was something like "You think just because I don't know how to program a computer that somehow makes me less than human?". Hmm 9/10

The Spirit- Doyle?Is it? I don't have the comic on hand at the moment, but whoever this writer and illustrator are they do a good job of providing readers with an Eisner-esque style. The narration in the story is also pretty well done. I think I somehow fell in love with Silk Satin, she's one tough broad! Seeing the Octopus was also a surprise for me, I think I always enjoy villains like that. The Spirit is perfect and I think I might make it a part of my weekly pull list at Fortress. 10/10 Eisner would be proud.

52 Week #46- I didn't really enjoy seeing my favorite DC character (Black Adam) getting trounced by mad geniuses. Of course, it was really interesting how easily they did it. There was no Animal Man in this issue, which is something I wish happened less than it does, but it looks like he'll be in next week's issue. 7/10

X-Factor - Jamie Madroxx gets around to another one of his dupes, which I think sets the stage for the big reveal about Decimation to the public. Rhane and Rictor bite off more than they can chew when they stop a "mugging" in an alleyway. I'm really curious to see more about Rhane's problem: wondering if she's more canine than man; and how she deals with it. Layla is growing on me, she brings a different sort of atmosphere to this title that wasn't there previously. 10/10

The Amazing Spider-Man- PICK OF THE WEEK! SPOILERS! JMS definitely writes a good issue with Aunt May now in a coma and having to pretty much go into hiding just as much as Peter does. She feels responsible for all of this somehow and MJ seems like a wreck. Watching Pete cut loose was great, I mean he bloodies his fist AGAINST SOME GUYS' faces! FACES! Lots of good action in this issue. My only complaint is about the costume and the webbing. The only way I can let it go is to try and convince myself he moved it after they left Stark Tower and had to go on the run, but now I don't think that makes so much sense anymore. Since this is the PICK OF THE WEEK, I have a bit more Thought on the goings on with Spider-Man. Does anyone remember during "The Other" arc where the spider basically forced Peter to make a choice to continue treating the spider aspect of his life as something separate from who he was or to begin accepting it as a part of the reality that he is? I remember and I think it was pretty good foreshadowing on JMS's part to pretty much set the tone for what was about to begin nearing the ending of his run. Wonderful set up and I can't wait for more. 10/10

 

[MaskedManJRK]

ASM: Also should be known as the only one in this event I actually find interesting and/or related to the story at all. I mean, it should be kept going through all the titles, for continuity sake, but looking through the issues of FNSM and SSM, with Sandman and crap, it just felt like regular Spidey, so...why the change? Here, we see why, and I can get it, and it looks to be at least a decent arc--I mean, we know it's going to end finding May's shooter, confronting him, flashback with the guy who killed Ben, blah blah blah, Power and Responcibility, yadda yadda yadda, back to basics, the old costume. But, it looks like it'll be at the very least an interesting ride.

Barracuda: Am I the only one reading this? It's a good issue, only problem being that all the connections got lost on me, probably because the last issue came a month ago, but it's still the Ever Lovin' Barracuda, and that's all that matters. :chappy: Plus, it has probably the best closing for an issue EVER. "You just said a mouthful there, babe." t:

 

[BrianWilly]

This was a good week.

52 Week 46
For the life of me, I don't understand why in the sphincter of hell no one apparently liked this issue. I really liked it. Great art. Great action. Hilarious dialogue from the scientists that was clearly done by Grant Morrison, Buffy bless his soul. An classic scene of Clark Kent being super even without powers. The JSA taking things into their own hands.

I don't understand why people were apparently under the impression that Adam would just blast into Oolong Island in kill everyone and yada he's so awesome the end. I've said it before, and I'll drone it again: in a battle of Black Adam vs The World, Black Adam is gonna lose. He's powerful, but the DCU is crammed to the brim with powers that are more than a match for him. One of those powers would apparently be mad scientists. And actually, I was glad when they took Adam down (after wearing him down a lot), because it shows that the writers are going to make things a little less predictable and more interesting instead of REVENGE RAMPAGE MAGNETO. So Adam is now in the hands of Sivana. What does that mean? How's it going to play out? And what does Mr. Mind have to do with it? I'm looking very, very forward.

(9 out of 10)


X-Factor #17
A bit more...slapdash than the issues before (which were awesome), but only because of so many scenes and subplots going on. I'd forgotten what the heck Rahne and Richter were doing before now 'cause it's been so long since last we saw them. I didn't even know Rahne was into Jamie or whatever. So anyway...by now this book is, essentially, the Jamie Madrox and Friends Show, and frankly I don't mind so much. Throw in lotsa Layla Miller and we're good to go.

So what's the actual plot? Hell if I know. Secret government something, ex-mutant terrorists something, and then Quicksilver with a midget. Ever since this book started I'd had a hard time keeping up with or caring much about the overall cases or plots that these characters were involved in; they were pretty much secondary backdrops to the core of this book itself, which are the characters. Who are still awesome, and so as long as they continue to be awesome we'll have no problems.

(7 out of 10)


Ion: Guardian of the Universe #12
Yeah, I was afraid that this was going to happen.

Everything was great. Solid characters, decent art, sht blowin' up in space. Kyle's mom dying was sucky and sad, but written really well and with genuine pathos. You don't appreciate what you've got until it's gone...that really applied to Kyle when his series ended before, and it really applies now. I'm gonna miss not having a decent-sized dosage of Rayner and his wacky cohorts every month. And, yeah, I'm aware that he's a big part of Countdown, which is nice. Still ain't the same thing, especially without Marz at the helm.

So what's the problem? Same as before, really. There's so much going on and not enough -- not nearly enough -- space for it to really show. We just went through twelve issues of densely packed plot...and at the end, it doesn't feel like we've gotten any substantial questions answered at all. It's all over now, and it all ended on a terribly depressing note. Kyle's powers are still vague (though he can sort of raise the dead, apparently, which is...useful, in a word.). Monitors are still mysterious. We still have no idea why things happened the way they happened. If I hadn't just read this interview with Ron Marz, I wouldn't have had the slightest idea that it was the Sinestro Corps sending baddies after Kyle because, gee, the Sinestro Corps haven't had the slightest bit of impact on the story until literally the very last page! Marz says it should be "pretty obvious," but I didn't get even the tiniest impression.

So in spite of all its awesome characterizations, this series basically ends on a major downer -- life has sucked for Kyle and pretty much it has kept on sucking -- with none of its many questions answered. It's just...yeah, it's a bit disappointing. Or a lot. And, yeah, I'm aware that pretty much every hanging thread from this is going to go into and be resolved in Countdown and the Sinestro Corps Special...but I can't judge the quality of the a series based on what it's leading to. If that were the case, I might as well consider Civil War a great book or something. Brr. Perish that thought.

What saves this series is, of course, the characters. Marz really gets Kyle, obviously. He gets how to make him speak to other characters, he gets how to make him react to things. Not to sound creepy, but it's nice having a favorite character that you can look forward to being treated with respect. It's nice having a favorite character that you can look forward to being written well. So I can't fault this series too much because, whatever else its failings, at least it's done that. Which, in this day and age, seems to be getting harder and harder to do.

(7 out of 10)
(6.9 out of 10 for the entire series)


Justice Society of America #4
This is how it's done. Geoff Johns is a curious creature as well. He'll pull out awesome books like this and make it look effortless, but then we get something like the Teen Titans where, while there's not really anything overtly wrong with it, it's screamingly obvious how much he's phoning it in. He hits so many home runs with so many different projects, and then every once in a while you wonder what exactly in the sphincter of hell he's trying to play at.

I loved this issue. I loved every single thing about it. Every character gets their moment. Every single character has their own voice and personality, and in a cast of more than ten main characters, that's a toughie. The weighty plot also gets tied up nicely, which is rare. Vandal Savage's master plan, which seemed really random and weird to me last issue, makes about ten degrees more sense in this one.

What I most loved was the the speech that Wildcat gave to his son at the end there. I am a shameless, shameless fan and proponent of DC's legacy concept. If I had to pick out one thing that I admire most about the universe, this would be it. The sort of respect and attention that DC has given to its "next generation" and the growth that they have achieved from it is something that I'm proud -- literally proud -- of the company for. And, in my opinion, it is due almost solely to this legacy concept that the DCU enjoys its character interconnectivity and unity and "six degrees of Superman (or whoever)" close-knit relations. It's not necessarily something that one author, or even one group of authors, have specifically fostered...it's literally something that's been a backbone and backdrop of the company since before most of us even read comics. It's something that was started as early as Batman took on a goofy-looking kid as a sidekick, as early as a test pilot and forensics scientist took on the roles of the Green Lantern and Flash for a new era. It's something ridiculous simple and yet patently unique. So, yes, I was honest-to-Buffy proud at that scene near the end depicting Jeff Graves taking up the mask of his fallen partner to become the new Mr. America. Yes, I'm being quite creepy this week.

Speaking of which, Maxine Hunkel's...eh, let's call it "infatuation" with Star Girl...huh. At first it was kinda charming. By the third issue it was kinda sexy. By now, it's kinda really really creepy. Maxine's in college which would make her at least a year or two older than Courtney...and Maxine's been blabbing about Courtney being her favorite JSA member since Maxine was in high school? Yeah. Creepy. I love it!

Power Girl as the chairwoman of the JSA is awesome. If I had to pick out one character that Johns has had under his wing for these years that he's improved the most, it would be Kara.

Wildcat & Jr. are a cool concept. I'm not sure I totally buy how very quickly both father and son changed their tune on the "Oh, I totally don't care about dealing with a father/son" song, but hey heat of battle and male bonding and all that. I'm so sure that Johns and Eaglesham are channeling Sylvester Stallone and Milo Ventimiglia for those two, and that's a very good thing.

I'll bet that the "she" that Sand saw and that Obsidian is asking about is Jade. They're all Earth-2 natives, and Huntress was a JSA member on Earth-2...

(10 out of 10)
(9 out of 10 for the entire arc)


Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #10
Bart Allen vs. LA Traffic. Live at seven!

I really liked the last issue, but the first thing anyone'll notice about this issue is just how much the quality has improved. The art is, like, a bajillion times better. The story is completely rock solid. Bart's still got his quirks and personality and hilarious inner monologue from Guggenheim's last issue. All of which really shows that there was nothing wrong with the concept of Bart replacing Wally in the first place, just the way it happened.

I'm surprised at how little trouble (well, relatively) Bart got from Zoom. This is the guy that used to run circles around Wally who has many many times Bart's speed and experience, and Bart just got him with a little smart thinking? Meh. I'm willing to accept plot necessity for now, though.

Speaking of which, ending gets a big ol' "BUH?" from me. Iris Allen...?

(8.1 out of 10)


Checkmate #12
It's hard to review this book. It's so incredible and so flawless, and yet it's not the sort of incredible or flawless that you'd describe in a review like, oh, "awesome art" or "awesome action" or "awesome story" or whatever. This has all of those things, and yet...in the end, it's the sort of book that you'd know for its awesomeness if you were reading it. But if you weren't reading it in the first place, then you're not likely to see its awesomeness even if you read it. Greg Rucka...man, seriously the most underappreciated writer in the business. Maybe not the most talented, but definitely the most underappreciated.

This book as a concept shouldn't work. It's about an international espionage squad run almost solely by spandex-clad superheroes and glowing green computer villains dealing in political fracases, and it takes itself completely seriously. No tongue-in-cheek, no overly theatrical mustache-twirlers, no black humor, no "poking fun at itself" or however the heck Warren Ellis justifies his writing recently. Just straight-up spy drama involving real politics and real fire-slingin' superheroines. It shouldn't work. It does.

Tommy Jagger is badass. I hope he's really gay.

That last scene with the Black King and White Queen? Awesome. Rucka sets up his pieces on his board and sends them into play. Soooo looking forward.

(9 out of 10)
(8.9 out of 10 for the entire arc)


The Brave and the Bold #2
I didn't really know what to think about this, and was considering putting it back on the shelves...and then I came to that page of Supergirl in "that outfit."

Oh Christ. Oh Buddha. Oh sweet baby Buffy.

FOR THE WIN.

It's interesting how different Supergirl's personality is here than from her solo series. And that's not necessarily a bad thing at all. What's more confusing is how this is supposed to fit into her solo series' continuity...in that, Supergirl's not talking to Superman at all, and yet here she was just hanging with him not long ago. *shrug* Just sayin'.

This series hasn't...completely won me over yet, but...I think I'm willing to tough it out for a bit more, just to see where all this cracktasticness is going to lead us.

(7 out of 10)


Aquaman #50
I read through this, pretty much mostly for the return of Tempest. I guess I shouldn't have read it just for that, but...

Look, I read the first trade of this series. I really liked it. I think I have a pretty good idea of just what's going on, of what Arthur (both Arthurs) are dealing with, and just exactly what their mission statement is. So it's not really a good sign when I read through this whole issue, very very carefully, and then came out at the end feeling like I have no idea what's going on.

Re: Tempest...he just comes back unceremoniously, and we have no idea what the heck happened and neither does he for some reason. It's the classic "set up a mystery" tack, except that we've been waiting for this particular mystery to be solved for more than a year now and, well, patience has its limits. Like I said, I read through these scenes pretty carefully, several times...and I just have no clue what the poop is going on. Is Garth older or something? I mean, he has white hair. Except that no one mentions this, just stands around going "Buh?" so I'm just standing around thinking, okay...is anyone going to clear this up or what? You'd think that if a guy who disappeared a year ago all of a sudden reappeared looking older and with white hair, someone would mention it or something. Except that I don't really know if he looks older either, since the art is sorta inconsistent.

Yeah, so I'm not too impressed by this new writer. *shrug* Permaybehaps I was anticipating too much?

(5 out of 10)

 

[BrianWilly]

Corp, your damned Firefox update keeps telling me that I'm spelling "dialogue" wrong. But I'm not.

 

[yenaled]

Tommy Jagger is quickly becoming a favourite character of mine he is just far too badass to be ignored. I'll look forward to getting the issue in a few hours.

 

[Brainiac 8]

Anyone that is reading Exiles right now....did you catch Claremont making his statement on the current state of the X Franchise?

When he had psylocke mention how in her world Sabertooth is probably replacing her on the X-Men.

Something tells me that Claremont is not happy with how Marvel is handling his baby from years ago.

 

[Darthphere]

Hey Hippy, your boy is at it again:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/?column=22

Sentinel's speech alone made "Justice Society of America" too maudlin and sentimental to respect, despite some almost interesting stuff from Vandal Savage (who's clearly not as impressive as he wants to believe) and somebody getting hit by a fire truck.

I read this and was thinking, who the **** is Sentinel, and then I remembered thats what Alan Scott used to go by, like 5 years ago.

 

[Spidey Rules 2]

52: I am another person that liked this issue. All I know about Black Adam is from what I have read in 52 and I thought the issue was really good. Not sure why he didn't kill that female scientist.

ASM: After I read this issue, I thought I had spotted a continuity error. Since no one has mentioned it, I'm guessing I was the one that had it wrong. Okay, let me go back to the Clone Saga. Where did Ben (Scarlet Spider) get his last name "Reilly"? I always thought "Reilly" was Aunt May's maiden name, however, in ASM, Peter says that her maiden name was "Fitzgerald". Did I have it wrong? If I did, where did the name "Reilly" come from? If I was right, why didn't anyone mention it (maybe no one wants to remember the Clone Saga)?

 

[hippy fascist]

I still haven't had a response from him...hmmmm

but yeah, the guy knows jack **** about comics. Anything with any sentiment whatsoever is labelled slushy, unless of course it involves a black character in which case it's "buy"