Reviews for Wednesday July 25th
Posted 7/25/2007
Comic fans dream of issues like this one. Spidey goes to prison to pay a visit to the Kinpin of Crime a.k.a. Wilson Fisk, the man Spidey holds responsible for the shooting of Aunt May. The two try psychological warfare on each other first and then the real fun begins. The rage that Spidey's carried so far through this "Back in Black" arc is still burning strong. Straczynski does a great job in capturing the bitterness and anger these guys feel for each other. I loved the fight scenes, but it really is the dialogue between the two that makes this book great. I give this book 5 B's out of 5
Amazing Spider-Man #542, Marvel Comics, J. Michael Straczynski, Ron Garney
Reviews for Wednesday July 4th
Posted 7/05/2007
I found this story to be simple and confusing at the same time. Thor is asked to leave the void and return to earth, where he's desperately needed. What's confusing to me is whether the person calling Thor back is Donald Blake. He says he's Donald Blake, but the way it reads makes me not so sure (unless I'm missing something). It's a good effort and the ending really leaves you with very little clue as to where the book is going next (which is sometimes a good thing). Anyway, there's a whole messed up Marvel Universe out there that's soon to discover that Thor has returned. The possibilities are endless. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5
Thor #1, Marvel Comics, J. Michael Straczynski, Olivier Coipel
Reviews for Wednesday June 27th
Posted 6/27/2007
So Xavier wasn't at the Illuminati meeting when the decision was made to send the Hulk out into space. Does this absolve him of any guilt? Well it seems that the Hulk thinks Xavier's as guilty as the rest. Hulk marches into the X-Men Academy demanding to see the professor, the X-Men of course try to get in his way and a huge battle ensues. I think what I like most about all the World War Hulk books so far is the battles. There's action in every issue, though sometimes at the expense of dialogue. The second issue should be even better than this one action wise. The Wolverine arrives late in this issue and I'm hoping they go toe to toe in the next issue. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5
World War Hulk X-Men #1 (of 3), Chris Gage, Andrea Divito
Reviews for Wednesday June 20th
Posted 6/22/2007
This issue deals with the people on earth that are prepared to stand by the Hulk in battle. Each has his or her own reason though all share the common fact that the Hulk at one point helped them in their time of need. I liked this issue, the pacing was good, it tied in very nicely with the first issue of WWH and there was nice meaty substance to the issue. I feel if you're going to read any tie ins to the World War Hulk event it should be the Incredible Hulk title itself. I really liked Gary Frank's pencils, I dare say that I liked them better than JRJR's work on the mini series itself. I give this book 4.5 Bs out of 5
Incredible Hulk #107, Marvel Comics, Greg Pak, Gary Frank
Reviews for Wednesday June 13th
Posted 6/13/2007
The first issue is ever so important, especially on a blockbuster event like this. Get everyone's attention with the first one and you're almost guaranteed success. Hulk has landed and served notice. He's picked the battleground and has given the people responsible for his exile 24 hours to face him. There's lots here that impresses me but there are a few concerns as well. The Hulk Buster Iron Man is super cool, I really like Romita Jr's work in the battle sequences. What the book did need more of though is words. There were quite a few pages with little or no text. I know that the action speaks for itself but a little extra dialogue or narrative would not have hurt the book. Overall I think it was a good launch to the series, I hope we get a bit more sub-plots with the next issue though. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5.
World War World #1 (of 5), Marvel Comics, Pak, Romita Jr.
Reviews for Thursday May 24th
Posted 5/24/2007
A new story arc launches with this issue and boy does it ever have big shoes to fill. The first arc was fantastic and this second arc wipes the slate clean, with no real tie-ins to the first one. Tracy Lawless goes AWOL from the army to try and figure out what happened to his little brother. He's scarred and hard and he hits the mean streets looking for answers. Brubaker doesn't miss a beat, he drags you into his world of crooks and criminals and he makes sure you don't get all the details, you feel like you need a shower after reading this stuff. Top notch stuff, I think this story will be as good as the first. I give this book 5 Bs out of 5. Captain America #26, Marvel Comics, Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting So, what the heck happens in a book where the title character is dead? Well you get the Wake and the Secret Wake and you get a whole bunch of new plot twists and intrigue thrown in. The great part about this book is that there's really no predictablilty right now. We have no clue where these new developments will take is. The final scene of the book is great and it promises some very cool showdowns in the near future. It's a funny thing to say but Cap is just as good a read now as it was when he was alive and kicking butt. I give this book 5 Bs out of 5
Criminal #6, Marvel Comics, Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips
Reviews for Wednesday May 2nd
Posted 5/02/2007
She-Hulk is having pangs of guilt, she feels she owes the Hulk for saving her life but at the same time she wants to be a law obiding good guy. It looks like many others will share her dilemma. Doc. Sampson, The Champions and others all look to be potential Hulk allies in the months to come. This issue is important ground work needed to set up the Hulk's big return. I like this attention to build up Marvel is giving us, it's just going to make the whole event that much more real when it happens. Amadeus Cho figures in this issue too and I can tell he's going to be a thorn in the anti-Hulk side. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5 Hellboy: Darkness Calls #1 (of 6), Dark Horse, Mike Mignola, Duncan Fegredo It's always nice when Mignola launches a new Hellboy mini-series. In this issue there's a sorceror conjuring up things in far off Italy, there are witches rejoicing the arrival of an old artifact and there's Hellboy out for an afternoon stroll completely oblivious to the fact that the forces of darkness are collecting. There are multiple stories going on at the same time and it's a bit confusing but I'm sure things will start coming together (they always do with Hellboy). This was a good read, all Hellboy fans will love it and if you like occulty type stuff, you'll like it too. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5
Incredible Hulk #106, Marvel Comics, Greg Pak, Gary Frank.
Reviews for Wednesday April 25th
Posted 4/25/2007
Reading comics requires one to allow the impossible to be possible, we have to be able to throw rational thought out the window. Even then a story has to be told a certain way or else our rational thoughts creep in and ruin the whole reading experience. This is exactly what happened to me reading this story. I think the problem is the massive scope of the tale being told. All of Amazon attacks Washington and somehow I'm not buying into it! I don't know where they went wrong with this book but it just doesn't come across as massive an event as I'm sure they wanted it to. Important things happen too quickly, there's not enough build up, tension etc. Again, I think this event is huge for the DCU but it comes off very flat. Here's hoping issue two improves on issue one. I give this book 3 Bs out of 5
Amazon Attacks #1, DC Comics, Will Pfeifer, Pete Woods
Reviews for Wednesday April 18th
Posted 4/18/2007
You know I was worried about this book after the first issue. I mean the line up isn't exactly stellar and when you compare it to the line up on the New Avengers, well... But surprise, surprise, Bendis and Cho have delivered a great issue and it gives me hope for the future of this title. We don't know what has become of Iron Man, where he once stood now stands a naked female (thanks Mr. Cho). This female possesses unspeakable power and our Ms Marvel must use brains and instinct to try to get this situation under control (and to try to keep her team alive). Bendis is expanding his use of thought bubbles before the character actually speaks. Sometimes it comes out like "what I want to say vs what I actually say" and a couple of them are very funny. Cho's art is awesome, I wish he could draw 4 titles a month. This book is a big improvement over issue #1. I give this book 5 Bs out of 5.
Mighty Avengers #2, Marvel Comics, Brian M. Bendis, Frank Cho.
Reviews for Wednesday April 11th
Posted 4/11/2007
Conan plunges deep into Stygia hot on the heels of the wizard who caused the still birth of his child. The journey is treacherous yet Conan, driven by vengance, pushes on. I'm not lying when I tell you that this is the best Conan mini series to date. The story telling is top notch, I wish the flagship Conan title was this good (and I already love that Conan title). Will Conrad is doing a fantastic job with the art, there's just a great feel and plenty of intensity to this book. I give this book 5 Bs out of 5. New Avengers #29, Marvel Comics, Brian M. Bendis, Leinil Yu Oh that Doc. Strange, always playing his tricks. The good Doctor did use some pretty fancy spells to avoid Iron Man and his henchmen but how long can they run and where can they run to? It turns out Japan is as good a place as any seeing it's half a world away from the hero police. This team has resigned itself to the role of outcast, they even admit they're now criminals. What next? Will Electra and her army of assassins fight the Avengers or will she form some sort of alliance (she too is a criminal after all). Bendis is a bit guilty of not moving this story forward fast enough. We're kind of in the same spot we were in after issue #28. This is such a great book, I'd love to see the story give me a bit more with each issue though. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5
Conan and the Midnight God #3 (of 5), Dark Horse, Joshua Dysart, Will Conrad
Reviews for Wednesday April 4th
Posted 4/04/2007
So Iron Man and his registered super heroes are really putting the squeeze on the bad guys down in the U.S. What's a poor villain to do? Well he could head up to Canada where the pickings are easy. Ottawa is alarmed, they assign a top agent to put together a super team to counter this influx of bad guys. Enter Omega Flight. This is obviously a set up issue and we'll have to wait a bit for the action to get hot and heavy. I thought it was a strong start. You may think the team is made up of B list heroes but that could easily be made up for with good chemistry among the team members. Scott Kolins does a fine job as artist. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5 
Omega Flight #1, Marvel Comics, Michael Oeming, Scott Kolins
Reviews for Wednesday March 28th
Posted 3/28/2007
Jodi Picoult, best selling author of such books as The Tenth Circle and My Sister's Keeper, is the latest writer to try her hand at storytelling in the comic book genre. Diana Prince is a special agent with the Department of Metahuman Affairs. She thinks the job is nowheresville until she gets assigned to an important case: bring in Wonder Woman. The writing is funny and fast paced, Jodi isn't shying away from having a little fun at our fan boy society's expense. What's important though is that this smells like it's going to be a good story. The art by Drew Johnson is good but I like Terry Dodson's cover even better. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5.
Wonder Woman #6, DC Comics, Jodi Picoult, Drew Johnson
Reviews for Wednesday March 21st
Posted 3/21/2007
Back in Black, Part 1 of 5. Aunt May has been shot. Spidey does all he can but realizes her fate is now out of his hands, all he can do is pray. Well, pray and seek revenge! Spidey is sent into a vengeful rage, pity the people he comes across as he tries to find out who is responsible for the shooting. The black costume is fitting, he just looks meaner in it and as he says, it sends the right kind of message. I can tell this story is going to be good, I mean things are going to get really messed up. The whole Spidey landscape should look different after this is all said and done. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5. Army at Love #1, DC/Vertigo, Rick Veitch, Gary Erskine It's a mid east war zone, the unit is taking fire, the commander orders rifle support form Switzer. Unfortunately Switzer in on her cell phone helping her husband back in the States find his tie. Cell phones on the battlefield? It's all part of a new pilot project called Motivation and Morale, it's designed to get the soldiers to love battle but the methods are unconventional to say the least. We're also introduced to the Hot Zone Club, think Mile High Club but a lot more dangerous. I'm not sure if I liked this book or not. It was amusing but I wasn't really sure of the point. I give this book 3 Bs out of 5.
Amazing Spider-Man #539, Marvel Comics, J. M. Straczynski, Ron Garney
Reviews for Wednesday March 14th
Posted 3/14/2007
OK don't yell, but I never watched the original TV series. I know the premise and everything but I'm not at all well versed in the Buffy world. I'll thus review this solely on it's merits as a first issue comic. The world is full of slayers now, they're splintered into small response groups, sort of like commando units. The US military doesn't like the emerging "threat" of such a large organized group so it's beginning to make deals it may live to regret later. Meanwhile Buffy stumbles upon some mysterious markings found on some dead bodies found in a church. A lot of things are happening at a lot of levels here; It should get even more complicated as the story continues. Too bad Joss isn't writing these in complete story arc blocks, I can't wait for the next issue. I give this book 5 Bs out of 5 New Avengers #28, Marvel Comics, Brian Michael Bendis, Leinil Yu The team is in Japan, saving Echo from the clutches of The Hand. They seek refuge in Silver Samurai's compound but don't recieve a warm welcome. The story flashes back to the States where the team suspects they're being lead into a trap. Either I missed something or the flashback never really reconnected with the running story in Japan, it most likely continues with the next issue. Another good effort from Bendis and crew, granted he's got great material to work with. Wow, the New Avengers, a rag tag fleet of outlaws that just happen to be some of the best characters in the Marvel Universe. I hope they run with this for a long time. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5 
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, #1, Dark Horse Comics, Joss Whedon, Georges Jeanty
Reviews for Wednesday March 7th
Posted 3/09/2007
Iron Man pulls aside Ms. Marvel and tells her she's to be the leader of the new Avengers. Together they start hand picking the new team. So who do they pick? I for one am not happy with the new roster, the Wasp and Black Widow are the only ones I agree with. Ares, god of War? Come on! The dialogue in this book is interesting, very much a stream of conciousness type of thing with the speaker's afterthoughts attached. Sometimes the dialogue works but sometimes it's way too forced. Frank Cho's art is fabulous, his Ms. Marvel is beautiful yet strong. Over all it's a good effort, I just don't think the line up can carry this title to the success it deserves. The good thing about the Avengers is that their line up always changes, I have a feeling they'll need to change this one pretty quickly. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5 Dark Tower Gunslinger #2, Marvel Comics, Peter David, Jae Lee The first issue set the tale up for us and took us in a lot deeper than I expected. This second issue continues to plow into this complex story at breakneck speed. The writing is great and the art is awesome. The sense I get when I'm reading this series is that there's so much more happening. It's like each line delivers tangents to the tale that are worth exploring. But this is only a 7 issue comic adaptation of a lengthy Steven King tale so we continue straight ahead. Roland the young Gunslinger heads east on a sort of spy mission for his father, this really is great reading. I loved the introduction of the Krimson King, he's nasty as all hell. I give this book 5 Bs out of 5 I also read: New Universal #4, it's what I hoped the Eternals would be! Good stuff. Criminal #5, the end of the story arc. Awesome job! Everyone should pick up the trade when it arrives. The Secret #2, very cool story and is still has my interest.
Mighty Avengers #1, Marvel Comics, Brian Bendis, Frank Cho
Reviews fow Wednesday February 21st
Posted 2/21/2007
It would be easy to bash this final issue because it didn't end in the massive fireworks everyone was expecting. I'll choose instead to point out the strengths of the issue. The war has ended, there appears to be a winning side (which means this won't drag on) and the ending was a plausable one. I know people will say, why didn't Cap realise this (the reason for what ultimately happens) long ago. The answer is that people are often driven to the brink before a certain realization sets in. Cap's moment of truth was believable. Marvel has now laid the foundation of the new order, let's see where they take it. The weak link in the book for me was the one liners, the throw away lines used for some needed comic relief, perhaps they could get Brian Bendis to write the one liners for all the Marvel books. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5 Amazing Spider-Man #538, Marvel, J.M. Straczynski, Ron Garney I've chosen this book as my second review to protest the way Marvel has hijacked it's best titles and sacrificed them to the whole Civil War project. Not only did it mean some of my favorite titles were delayed due to Civil War delays, it also meant stories were limited in their development because of the constraints of the Civil War project. When you really look at it, nothing much has happened in Amazing Soider-Man over the course of the Civil War that we didn't learn in Civil War. I want some depth to my Spidey stories, now that the war is over I want some direction. This issue ends dramatically, what price will Peter pay for unmasking? We'll find out in the next issue. I give this book 3 Bs out of 5
Civil War #7, Marvel Comics, Mark Millar, Steve McNiven
Reviews for Wednesday February 15th 2007
Posted 2/15/2007
'The Clown At Midnight' is a very bold endeavor, it's heavy text style being a radical departure from what we expect in the pages of Batman. In this issue we find the Batman linking the Joker to a killing spree in Gotham,but the problem is the Joker's locked up in Arkham Asylun. First off, I liked the premise of the story, though I did think the storytelling over dramatic. Morrison got to be more wordy and I'm not sure more translated to better. For me the real problem is choosing the flagship Batman title as the vehicle for this story. I'm a true believer that long suffering Batman fans are owed some consistency on at least Batman and Detective. Throw out a million mini series', experiment with them and let the fans choose if they want to pick it up. Leave the Batman title alone, get yourself a great creative team and let them loose on the Caped Crusader for a nice long run. How many Batmans have we seen in Batman over the last 5 years? I give this book 3.5 Bs out of 5 The Punisher Presents Barracuda #1, Marvel, Garth Ennis, Goran Parlov Trying to cram as much over the top coarse language and violence as possible into twenty some odd pages to beef up a skeleton of a story is where this book is coming from. Ennis is throwing the stereotypes at us hard and fast, overloading our senses hoping to distract us enough so that we miss the fact that this comic is weak. Barracuda is a darling of the mob who's been hired to take out a stubborn drug supplier. The catch is he has to take on a very unlikely partner. Sensationalist and full of gimmicks, the kind of book that leaves you with that "man was that ever a waste of time" feeling. Luckily it's only a five parter and even more luckily it's not going to do very well. I give this book 1 B out of 5
Batman #663, DC Comics Grant Morrison, John Van Fleet
Reviews for Wednesday February 7th 2007
Posted 2/07/2007
Having never read the books, I went in with no clue as to what this whole thing is all about. That's probably a good thing, it allows me to review the comic on it's own merit, with no 'having read the book' influences. This first issue serves as somewhat of an orign issue, though only partially so. There's still a lot more to be learned about the gunslinger. I thought the storytelling was superb and the art top notch. You get a sense of so much more lying beneath the surface and you can't wait to start digging. Alas, there's still six more issues to go, that seems like a long time when you'd like to read issue seven by tomorrow. I give this book 5 Bs out of 5 The Secret #1, Dark Horse Comics, Mike Richardson, Jason Alexander Some friends are horsing around at a party playing a silly phone game. Each person would key in a random number and then take turns whispering "I know your secret" to who ever answers the phone. Childish prank stuff till some ominous voice shouts back "HOW DO YOU KNOW MY SECRET". It gets creepy from there. Yes it's predictable stuff but it's good predictable stuff, entertaining and fun. My only hope is that it gets a little less predictable from here. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5 Shazam: The Monster Society of Evil #1 (of 4), Jeff Smith There's no bigger Bone fan than me, that's why I couldn't wait to read Jeff Smith's new Shazam. Billy Batson is a small street kid with a good heart. He's good friends with Talky, a hobo down by the river. One day something special happens to Billy, he meets the Wizard (Billy actually thought the Wizard was God). It's hard to follow up Bone and we shouldn't judge this book against it. Shazam is a lot of fun though it was a bit linear (as premier set up issues often are). The comic ends nicely, a villian is introduced and we know there's some battles coming our way. I'm sure issue two will jump right into the action now that the formalities are done. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5
Dark Tower #1, Marvel Comics, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee.
Reviews for Wednesday January 31st 2007
Posted 1/31/2007
Wizard Magazine #185, Wizard Entertainment. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5 Illustration Magazine #18, Illustrated Press I give this book 4 Bs out of 5 The Pin-Up Art of Bill Ward, Fantagraphics Books I give this book 4 Bs out of 5
Wizard Magazine is a big seller, month after month. I checked out this month's issue and I'm not afraid to tell you that I really liked it. There were tons of great topical articles on Hulk, Ghost Rider, Lost, Fantastic Four, Joker, New Avengers, Miracleman, Iron Man, Captain America and much more. All the articles were nice and short and all the ones I read were interesting (the Hulk Busters article is great). This magazine is very entertaining, it gives you scoops on a wide variety of pop culture subjects, it's a great escapist treat.
This is a gorgeous looking magazine, it always has some very in-depth articles on great American illustrators of the last century. The Allen Anderson article is very long and it shows tons of examples of his work (he did a lot of crime pulp covers in the 1940's). There's another good article on illustrator Jack Potter (who's style I really like). I've always liked Illustration Magazine, it's where I got my first real glimpse of great artists like James Bama and Bernie Fuchs. The beef I have with Illustration is the huge amounts of ads (though they are all of art for sale and it is kind of nice to look at), they take up over half the magazine. I'd also like to see more articles. It's a very good mag non the less.
Bill Ward is the King of the Men's Magazine Pin-Ups. He's probably best known for his Torchy character of the late 1940's. Ward's cartoons gags always involve impossibly endowed young ladies, usually in compromising positions. Ward always drew the men as shlemps, middle aged, bald, overweight and usually out of their element. It was part of what made the fantasy work, the average Joe reading this stuff can relate to as well as envy these guys. It's great eye candy and a lot of the gags are actually funny. The book could have had more of a write up on Ward, as it stands now it's too cartoon heavy.
Reviews for Wednesday January 24th 2007
Posted 1/24/2007
The Terrigen Mists are sacred to the Inhumans, they use the Mists to undergo the rite of Terrigenesis, through which each Inhuman achieves his unique potential. The Mists are now in the hands of the US Government and the Inhumans want the Mists back, they've tried diplomatic channels but to no avail. It looks like the only way they are going to get the Mists back is by force, this means war! It's a great premise and should make for a great story but it won't. The problem with this book is that it's too closely tied into now, into what's happening in the real world. I found myself enjoying the story but then suddenly a reference to Homeland Security, Terrorists etc. jolts me out of my fantasy and back to the now. Let's face it, the Inhumans don't belong in the real world, they live on the Moon for heaven's sake and I'm sure we could come up with other reasons for not giving the Mists back other than "Blackbolt is a terrorist". All I'm saying is that this will work a lot better if it's told in a timeless manner with no references to now or any other period. It's the Inhumans from the Moon battling the Humans from earth. I give this book 3 Bs out of 5 Wolverine #50, Marvel Comics, Jeph Loeb, Simone Bianchi The Lupine kill a sabretooth, this is what the Wolverine dreams. What does it mean? Why does he keep having this same dream? This is how Jeph Loeb's first chapter of 'Evolution' begins. I read the black and white version because I thought it looked cooler. Wolverine is beginning to get his memory back, unfortunately most of what he remembers isn't pretty. These memories are driving him to revenge, his vengance leads him right to Sabretooth. I liked this book, the story is well told and better yet there's lots more to tell. I will say that I found the perspective on a couple of panels to be off, Bianchi's sense of size and depth should be better. A minor detail on an otherwise very good book. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5
Silent War #1, Marvel Comics, David Hine, Frazer Irving
Reviews for Wednesday January 17th 2007
Posted 1/17/2007
"The Maneater" is a finely crafted story of revenge. A beautiful young woman meets a prince, falls in love and the pair plan to marry. It all seems so romantic. The Spirit smells trouble though and is suspicious of the woman's motives. Can he crack the case before she gets in too deep? Darwyn Cooke's storytelling is so simple and clean, it's a refreshing reprieve from the drawn out style prevalent today. This book is a joy to read. J. Bone's inks and Dave Stewart's colors are gorgeous, they give the book the perfect look and feel. I'm high on the Spirit, pick it up because it's one great read. I give this book 5 Bs out of 5 Conan and the Midnight God #1, Dark Horse Comics, Joshua Dysart, Will Conrad Conan sits atop the throne of Aqualonia and with the fair Zenobia is expecting a child, perhaps the heir to the throne. An emmisary from the far off land of Stygia arrives at Tarantia's eastern gates seeking an audience with the king. Conan has always been suspicious of the Stygians, having a long and eventful history with the worshipers of Set. The emmisary's meeting with Conan does not go well, there's treachery in the air and events could lead the kingdom of Aqualonia to war against Stygia. A very good first issue, it's full of mystery, intrigue, violence and sorcery, great ingredients needed for a Conan story. I think this will shape up to be an awesome Conan mini-series. I give this book 4.5 Bs out of 5
The Spirit #2, DC Comics, Darwyn Cooke, J. Bone
Reviews for Wednesday January 10th 2007
Posted 1/10/2007
Faith in Monsters, Part 1. Ultra bad guys being controlled to do the dirty work for the pro registration factions - that's what this new Thunderbolts team is. I have a feeling poor Jack Flag will be the first to find out that this new Thunderbolts team is nothing like the old one. The new team includes Bullseye, Radioactive Man, Swordsman, Venom, Songbird, Moonstone and Harry Osborne. Harry's the one pulling the strings, sort of like Charlie from Charlie's Angels. It's quite a volatile mix and it should be interesting to see what Warren Ellis does with this. I give this book 4 Bs ot of 5 Batman Confidential #2, DC Comics, Andy Diggle, Whilce Portacio Some huge robot is out for Lex Luthor and it seems there's no way to stop it. The robot was built by Wayne Corp. Why would a Wayne Corp. robot be after Luthor? Luckily there are some very interesting reasons why. Nice plot twists make this book a pretty good read. Batman's been getting a very heavy workout lately. It seems there are more Batman projects on the go than one can count but thankfuly most of them are good, including this one. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5
Thunderbolts #110, Marvel Comics, Warren Ellis, Mike Deodato
Reviews for Thursday January 4th 2007
Posted 1/04/2007
From the wake of the "White Event" three humans emergered as something more. This issue sees these three begin to realise that something has indeed changed. IIzanami Randall is one of these changed humans and she's drawn to the events occurring in Oklahoma (where one of the other changed humans is causing a stir). What will happen if and when these two new super beings meet? Why is there a secret government agency ready to kill to stop such a meeting? Time will tell, or should I say issue #3 will tell. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5 Civil War #6, Marvel Comics, Mark Millar, Steve McNiven Things are coming to a boil. The Punisher is working for Cap's side and with the help of the Black Panther he prepares the team for an assault on the Negative Zone. Can it really be this easy though guys, aren't you at least a bit suspicious that Iron Man may be drawing you into a trap? This issue moves the story along and sets things up for the big climax. I still can't call the outcome but I can tell it's going to get messy. I only fear that there's too much still to cover with only one issue left. I hope they don't leave it all hanging, I want some closure with the last issue, I want to know who won. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5
New Universal #2, Marvel Comics, Warren Ellis, Salvador Larroca
Reviews for Thursday December 28th
Posted 12/28/2006
This is a beautiful book full of great behind the scenes information on the making of the movie. Many things that are not in the original Frank Miller series but are in the movie get good coverage in this book. As I leafed through it I realized that this is going to be one unique movie, it's going to blow people away. I give this book 5 Bs out of 5 Black Panther #23 (Civil War), Marvel Comics, Reginald Hudlin, Koi Turnbull War Crimes, Part One. I've read many Civil War tie-ins, some are good and some are not, Black Panther belongs on the good side. The book is deep in intrigue, moves are made thinking three steps ahead, it really is fun to read. T'Challa is on the offensive, he doesn't like where this Civil War is heading and he's making moves that he hopes will shield his native Wakanda. He's cutting deals and making enemies, good stuff. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5
300 The Art of the Movie, Dark Horse Comics
Reviews for Wednesday December 20th
Posted 12/21/2006
Criminal #3, Marvel/Icon, Ed Brubaker, Sean Philips Yeah, I know I reviewed the first two issues of this series but damn it I'm going to keep reviewing it until everybody on the planet is reading Criminal. The job went wrong, real wrong, Leo and Greta are licking their wounds while trying to figure things out. As always, the dialogue is top notch, this is great story telling. If you're not reading this title then you're missing out on a classic. This is modern noir at its finest. I promise to lay off issue #4 if you promise to pick this title up, this way it's a win/win for you, you get a great book and you're spared a not so great work of reviewing. I give this book 5 Bs out of 5 Action Philosophers Vol. 2 TPB, Evil Twin Comics,Fred Van Lente, Ryan Dunlavey This compilation collects issues #4-6 of the highly acclaimed series. In Volume Two you get Karl Marx, Machiavelli, Sastre, Wittgenstein (he's on the cover of this month's Philosophy Now magazine), Descartes and others. I read the Karl Marx story and I tell you I'm leaning to the left as I write this. My favorite part is when Mr. Marx breaks into a board meeting and kicks some Bourgeouise ass, from each according to his ability indeed. These stories are lots of fun, they actually introduce you to the arguments of each philosopher and they do it in a comic book format! Enjoy, and be enlightened. I give thisbook 4 Bs out of 5 There's a secret society of elite Marvel superheroes, they are so secret that not even members of their respective superhero teams know about it. Doc Strange, Black Bolt, Prof. X, Reed Richards, Namor and Iron Man make up this double super secret team. Well, suddenly we have a vehicle for some very interesting rewrites of Marvel history, heck you could put these guys in places they were not when the events were happening, events like, I don't know, the Kree Skrull war maybe. If you're a purist you may not like this, but if you're like me, and are willing to give a bit of creative license to some good writers then you can believe something entertaining will come out of it. Anyway, it was kind of cool and I liked it. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5
New Avengers Illuminati #1 (of 5), Marvel Comics, Brian Bendis, Jim Cheung
Reviews for Wednesday December 13th
Posted 12/13/2006
The Spirit #1, DC Comics, Darwyn Cooke Wow this book is good, the dialogue is sharp, witty and laced with humour. Ace news reporter Ginger Coffe is kidnapped just before she's about to blow the lid off a major crime syndicate. The bad guys have her in some abandoned warehouse where she awaits the arrival of 'The Pill'. Will the Pill and his crime syndicate get away with murder or will the day be saved by the Spirit? Who should the spirit fear more, the Pill or Ice Ginger Coffee? Trust me, you'll have tons of fun figuring it out. I give this book 5 Bs out of 5 This book attempts to fill in the two years between X-23 killing Sarah Kinney and X-23 arriving in New York City. For me there's too many flashbacks and the whole experience leaves me a bit confused. The whole X-23 premise, while promising, seems unfulfilled. Maybe I'm having trouble with the 12 year old little girl thing. Anyway, as I said, it's not a smooth read but I'm sure X-23 fans will follow it a lot better than I did. I give this book 3 Bs out of 5 
X23, Target X #1, Marvel Comics, Craig Kyle, Chris Yost, Mike Choi, Sonia Oback
Reviews for Wednesday December 6th
Posted 12/06/2006
Spider-Man old, decrepit and broken? Please. Now I know that many years have passed and who knows what's happened in that time, but come on. I refuse to believe it would get to this and that's probably why I didn't like this book. I'm not saying the book is bad, I'm just saying it's more than I can stomach. It's the future and we're in some weird totalitarian state, super heroes are non existent and the authorities keep eroding civil liberties (which the press applauds). A person from Peter's past pays him a visit and tries to form a resistance. Is Peter too far gone to answer the call? I give this book 3 Bs out of 5. Funky, way cool and kickin', that's the only way I can describe this book. It's just so good. Sub plots abound but you can tell they're all converging (you just have no idea of how and when). Sale's art is great, his newsboy Olsen and sexy Lois particularly stand out. This comic is fun, I wish more comics were like this. Jump onto this title ASAP. I give this book 5 Bs out of 5. Man this isn't the way I remember the New Universe. I was at least able to follow what was going on in the old ones (as bad as they were). This issue contains a White Event, a Paradigm Shift, a Land Slip and a bunch of other events that leave me literally scratching my head. Of course this whole thing is going somewhere, tying together nicely so even I can understand, right? We'll see. It was intriguing enough to draw me back to the next issue, but damn it, I better start getting it by then. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5.
Spider-Man Reign #1 (of 4), Marvel Comics, by Kaare Andrews
Superman Confidential #2, DC Comics, Darwyn Cooke, Tim Sale
New Universal #1, Marvel Comics, Warren Ellis, Salvador Larroca
Reviews for Wednesday November 30th
Posted 11/30/2006
The Immortal Iron Fist #1, Marvel Comics, Ed Brubaker & Matt Fraction as Writers, David Aja as Artist. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5 Ultimate Vision #1, Marvel Comics, Mark Millar, John Romita Jr. Fans of Cosmic Marvel and especially fans of the whole Ultimate Extinction trilogy rejoice, Ultimate Vision has arrived (though the Vision's arrival is usually bad news). The story picks up midway through the Ultimate Extinction saga, scientists have activated Vision and she's doesn't have good news. This books explores Vision's origin and what a cool origin it is, you won't be dissapointed. It will be interesting to see where they go with this title. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5
Like all good Ed Brubaker first issues, Iron Fist leaves you with way more questions than answers. Daniel Rand is about to sell some very high end trains to the Chinese but he smells a rat and pulls out of the deal. Being the curious type, he decides to investigate these would be buyers and that's when the fun begins. Throw in a few twists and subplots and you have yourself one good read. 
Reviews for Wednesday November 15th
Posted 11/22/2006
If you read Civil War #5 then you know how the Punisher saves Spidey's bacon. This issue ties into the Civil War issue very nicely and at time has a great Quentin Tarantino feel to it. The Punisher is turning into a major player in this whole Civil War drama and I think he's fitting in well. The Mr. Bridge sub-story is excellent and I'm sure it will lead to some excitement in the near future. The book is a nice meaty read and that's refreshing in this world of 4 minute comics. Ariel Olivetti's art is beautiful and the color work is nice too. It's late in the game but Punisher War Journal #1 is a nice addition to the Civil War soup. I give this book 4.5 Bs out of 5 Conan and the lovely Jiara are captured by some foul hill tribe that worships a spider king. I know it sounds good so far but it gets better. Grak'ka the spider king upon seeing his captives declares "The female pleases my eye! The clan shall enjoy knowing her soft flesh and feasting on the tender half-caste infants that she issues!" Man this is some nasty stuff, and it's exactly the hardcore gritty style that will keep Conan lovers loving Conan, by Crom! I give this book 4 Bs out of 5
Punisher War Journal #1 (Civil War), Marvel Comics Matt Fraction, Ariel Olivetti
Conan #34, Dark Horse Comics, Tim Truman, Cary Nord
Reviews for Wednesday November 15th
Posted 11/15/2006
The original film had this feel to it, there was this sense of dread that you couldn't put your finger on, like something bad was just about to happen and it kept not happening and the longer it didn't happen the more nervous you got. Believe it or not, this book pulls a bit of that off. There's no real gore so to speak but there's this great tension that holds the book together, you're always waiting for something nasty to happen. I think this book will work if they keep playing on that tension, the moment they turn it into a big gorefest is the moment they will lose me. I give this book 3.5 Bs out of 5 New Avengers #25, Marvel Comics, Brian M. Bendis, Jim Cheung Finally a New Avengers Civil War tie in I liked! This issue features Iron Man in trouble, some disgruntled employee has Iron Man in a spot and old shell head is going to need some help getting out. Great ending (which I new was coming by the way), this book actually moved the Civil War story along just as much as the just released Civil War #5 did (which by the way is not that much). Bendis is at his talkative best, lots of great dialogue that kept the book moving. It's getting down to the wire and it will be very interesting to see how the whole thing plays out. I predict no clear resolutions. I'm now of the opinion that Marvel will leave lots of loose ends which will feed some of their bigger titles for the next little while. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5
Texas Chainsaw Massacre #1, DC/Wildstorm, Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Wesley Craig
Reviews for Wednesday November 8th
Posted 11/08/2006
Fairies from the Otherworld coming into ours and killing people, what gives? Well, it looks like there's trouble brewing between the two worlds and our hero Wisdom and a rag tag fleet of heroes is sent to the Otherworld to let those dreaded Fairies know who's boss (and to try to make strategic alliances with the British Government of course). If I was a suspicious type I'd suspect Marvel of trying to jump on the "Fables" bandwagon. Let's pretend that's not so and just review the book on it's own merits. I found the book a bit full of itself and it really shouldn't be because it wasn't that good. It's confusing and hap hazard at best. I give this book 2 Bs out of 5. There's lots happening as we run up to the last issue. There's actually too much happening and I'm having trouble keeping up because it's difficult remembering earlier issues (because I read them so long ago and I've read so much other stuff in between). I do know this is good stuff and I do know that this will be one awfully good trade when it's collected! The Deviants are awakening the Dreaming Celestial, is life on earth in danger? Damn right it is. This is going to be one great ending. I give this book 5 Bs out of 5.
Wisdom #1, Marvel Comics (MAX), Paul Cornell, Trevor Hairsine
Eternals #5 (of 7), Marvel Comics, Neil Gaiman, John Romita Jr.
Reviews for Wednesday November 1st
Posted 11/01/2006
Yet another go at the man of steel, this time by the all star team of Cooke and Sale. This was a good read, even if it was a tad too short (they really should make these things last longer than 5 minutes). Superman and a chunk of kryptonite crash land on the earth, Sup goes to the Kents and the kryptonite ends up in some monestary in what looks like Tibet. The kryptonite is narrating the beginning of the story which leads me to ask, is there someone trapped inside, is the kryptonite alive? What the heck is going on? I guesss we'll have to read on to find out. I give this book 3.5 Bs out of 5 - Criminal #2, Marvel Comics/Icon, Ed Brubaker, Sean Philips I reviewed the first issue about a month back and I raved about it. The second issue is as good as the first if not better. This issue is not constrained by set up material and it delivers great dialogue, juicy doublecrosses and action galore. I even loved Brubaker's little ode to Out of the Past, which by the way is my all time favorite noir movie. This book is shaping up to be a classic, jump on it now. I give this book 5 Bs out of 5
Superman Confidential #1, DC Comics, Darwyn Cooke, Tim Sale
Reviews for Wednesday October 25th
Posted 10/25/2006
Conan #33, Dark Horse Comics, Timothy Truman, Cary Nord First off, this book has no ads so you get 32 pages of juicy story. The story begins with Conan on the run, he's heading west and away from the lawmen of Zamora. Our Cimmerian is travelling with the lovely Jiara, though she doesn't seem too happy that they've left the Maul. Intrigue abounds, strangers are on their trail, wizards seek potions and dogs of war run loose. What more could anyone ask for? I loved this issue, it's exactly what Conan fans like myself are looking for. Cary Nord's work continues to impress, his style has grown on me and he gets better with each issue. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5 New Avengers #24, Marvel Comics, Brian M. Bendis, Pasqual Ferry This issue deals with the Sentry. Sentry seems lost and is chillin on the moon trying to figure things out. You'd think a guy can find some peace and quiet on the moon but you'd be wrong. There's some good storytelling in this issue, I've always been a fan of Bendis and he doesn't disappoint here. I will go out on a limb though and say that the Sentry character is not a good fit for our Marvel Universe. I mean Marvel does not need a Superman. Superman at least is iconic, he's the first one and he's been with us forever, we buy into him. I don't think most Marvelites buy into Sentry, he's just too powerful a hero for the rag tag fleet of heroes that populate the Marvel universe. Let's get rid of him, let's make his sacrifice somehow save the day. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5 Daredevil, The Devil, Inside & Out TP Vol 1, Marvel Comics, Ed Brubaker, Michael Lark This trade collects Daredevil #82-87, it's the first arc by the Brubaker/Lark team. I know Brian Michael Bendis is a hard act to follow, the guy literally reinvented the character and the whole presentation style of the title but please believe me when I say Brubaker has pulled it off. Murdock is in jail denying he's DD, he gets a visit from Foggy and things start to go terribly wrong. What ensues is six issues worth of pure reading delight, gritty hard hitting stuff that will have you screaming for more. This is one damn good trade paperback and I'm going to recommend it to everybody. I give this trade 5 Bs out of 5
Reviews for Wednesday October 18th
Posted 10/18/2006
A sub goes down in the Norwegian Sea under mysterious circumstances, London sends a team to investigate. I like it already. This book has great pacing, often using just pictures to move the story along. The drawback to the picto-novella approach is that it turns into way too quick a read. This is the type of story that begs for cool details and wordy banter between central and the guys in the field. I can't complain about the quality this book delivers but it does lack for quantity. I give this book 4 Bs out of 5
The Authority #1, DC/Wildstorm, Grant Morrison, Gene Ha
Reviews for Wednesday October 4th
Posted 10/04/2006
Zombie #1 (of 4), Marvel Max, Mike Raicht, Kyle Hotz This is the very first Zombie book I've read, I wanted to see what the big deal was with these things. Well, it read very much like one of those 50's sci fi movies with a bit of a modern day gangster twist thrown in. A bank robbery goes wrong, hostages are taken and the getaway car happens to drive through a roadblock put up to keep people out of an area contaminated by a chemical spill. These guys are probably wishing they didn't breach this roadblock because the area is crawling with FLESH EATING ZOMBIES!. Will they too be eaten? Read the book and find out. I give it 3 Bs out of 5 Fantastic Four #540 (Civil War), Marvel Comics, J. M. Straczynski, M. McKone Civil War is heating up big time, it's splitting old teams right down the middle and it's even splitting marriages. Sue thinks she's lost the Reed she once knew forever, Reed on the other hand is haunted by his past and it's driving him to act with little regard for anything else. All this sounds soap opera-ish but to legions of Marvel fans it's great stuff. I think the Reed/Sue split that Civil War has created is one of the best (if not the best) sub plots in the whole saga. I'm very interested in seeing what will happen to them when the whole thing ends. I give it 4 Bs out of 5 A new crime series from Brubaker? I was in months ago. This is a very anticipated book and it did not disappoint. Great plotting, smart writing and dead on dialogue make this book a winner. Our man Seymour is quite the scam artist, he has soft hands for the pick pocket trade but he's even got a keener eye for trouble. This last asset makes him a valuable commodity in the work of big heists. Some players want him on the team, his instinct says no but there are other factors to be considered. Great stuff, I'm recommending it to everyone. I give it 5 Bs out of 5
Criminal #1, Icon, Ed Brubaker, Sean Philips
Reviews for Wednesday September 13th
Posted 9/13/2006
This book starts the new 'Savior' story arc. We find Logan on some cargo ship mumbling something about having to save his son. Little does he know there are bad guys hot on his trail. I thought the book was good though not great, the story was too simplistic and linear with nothing really eventful happening until the last panel. Let's hope the book picks up some steam in the next issue. I give this book 3 Bs out of 5 There weren't that many of us looking forward to this mini series, especially since Marvel made us buy 4 issues of Super Skrull as part of the set up. Anyway, I was looking forward to this book, being a fan of cosmic Marvel stuff. So far the series has been good, there's some nice build up happening and the payoff, I think, will be here, don't look for it in the climax. It's a pretty complex story that involves a lot of chatacters and they've done a good job keeping it flowing. It's no Civil War, it's a mini series that comes in under the radar but does not disappoint the true fans. I give this book 4 B's out of 5 A Picto-Novella is how they describe this book. It's a story about loneliness and heartache and it's actually quite good. Pulling on sentiments, Crane really does convey a person's sense of loss and despair. It's the type of book that might make you cry (if you were a girl, that is). This book is evidence of what the art form can do, it shows imagery has just as much power as the written word, if not more so. I give this book 5 B's out of 5
Wolverine Origins #6, Marvel Comics, Daniel Way, Steve Dillon
Annihilation #2, Marvel Comics, Keith Giffen, Andrea Devito
The Last Lonely Saturday, Fantagraphics Book, Jordan Crane
Reviews for Wednesday September 6th
Posted 9/06/2006
X-Men Phoenix Warsong #1 (of 5), Marvel Comics, Greg Pak, Tyler Kirkham The Cuckoos are back! The girls are discovering some new powers and, it seems, some new attitude and this all makes Emma Frost quite concerned. What is possessing the girls? Why is Emma worried? What's up with the ending? All these questions will be answered, I hope, in this new 5 part mini series. The book is not a bad read, nor is it a great read. I think fans of the X-Men will enjoy it. 1602 Fantastick Four #1 (of 5), Marvel Comics, Peter David, Pascal Alixe OK, we know two things: one, the Bard has been kidnapp-ed, two, someone has kidnapp-ed him. Looks like the FF will be busy soon enough, what with the Frightful Four back in town. I really liked Gaiman's 1602 from a couple of years back and I had high hopes for this one. The book is OK at best, the narrative does not flow well and I think the art is weak. I think you'd have to be a fan of the FF and a fan of the whole 1602 premise to get anything from this book
Reviews for Wednesday August 23rd
Posted 8/23/2006
I have this rule about reading comics, if by the end of the third issue I'm totally lost, then it must be a great book. I'm not totally lost of course but there is so much going on and on so many levels with this book that I'm left feeling quite the simpleton at times. Let's just say this book gets better with each issue, it's scope becomes wider and it's material deeper. This is good stuff! I'm giving this book 5 Bs out of 5 First of all, nice rip off of Detective #31 for the cover (again). It is a great cover though, isn't it. Matt Wagner's attempt at the caped crusader starts off strong, I thought the story was well presented. One can only hope for a good payoff as the story unfolds. Gordon calls in the Batman over a series of mysterious murders, which on it's own looks to be standard Batman fare. But this book has a bunch of other subplot developing that will make for interesting reading. I give this book 3.5 Bs out of 5 A student named Arnold Andrews takes a witch on a date to the High School Prom, he's killed when a pail of Chocolate syrup is dropped on his head by a prankster. The witch goes ballistic and offs everybody, her aunt blames Arnold and puts a curse on him, thus he becomes The Grad... the undead scourge of evil. Local zombie fanatic John Migloire has been writing comics for years (check out some old Lethargic Lad issues Stan), his latest comic is funny with tons of pop culture pokes. John will be set up in Artists Alley at this years Canadian Comic Expo, I'm sure he'll be signing lots of copies of The Grad. I give this book 3.5 Bs out of 5
Eternals #3, Marvel Comics, Neil Gaiman, John Romita Jr.
Batman and the Mad Monk #1 (of 6), DC Comics, Matt Wagner
The Grad #1, Dreamland Comics, John Migliore Story and Art
Reviews for Wednesday August 16th
Posted 8/16/2006
Conspiracy, heresy, cover ups, don't you love them? Escpecially ones involving the Vatican and the Holy Grail! The book had a real fun feel to it, the plot thickens quickly and you find yourself drawn into it as if caught in a spell. The writing and pacing were excellent and I enjoyed the art. The book is set in colonial France, the king is about to fall and the church is doing a little house cleaning of it's own. How does it all tie together? Pick up a Rex Mundi and find out. I give it 4 B's out of 5
Rex Mundi #1, Dark Horse Comics, Arvid Nelson, Juan Ferreyra
Reviews for Wednesday August 9th
Posted 8/09/2006
I've never read a Martian Manhunter comic before so I really didn't know what to expect. I'm glad to report that this was one fine book. J'onn J'onzz is trying to find someone in need of help, someone that's just escaped some government lab. Who'll find him first? Who is this creature? What conspiracy lies beneath all this? I'm telling you this is good stuff. The art on the book was excellent, I really like Barrionuevo's pencils though I thought the colors a bit strong. I give it 4 B's out of 5 I'm a Conan nut and it would take a pretty bad Conan story to make me pan it. Unfortunately, this is a pretty bad Conan story. The writing reads more like a Jackie Chan buddy cop movie, wisecracks abound. This, of course, is not the Conan I know and I'm rejecting the thought of him engaging in such jibber jabber. The flagship title stays try to the Howard Conan, I think these mini series' should too. I give it 2.5 B's out of 5. 
Martian Manhunter #1, DC Comics, A.J. Lieberman, Al Barrionuevo.
Conan & the Songs of the Dead #2, Dark Horse, Joe Lansdale, Tim Truman
Wednesday July 26, 2006
Posted 7/26/2006
We all thought DD was in trouble when Bendis and co. left the title yet lo and behold it's twice as good. I cannot say enough about this first arc by Brubaker, absolutely top notch stuff. The story: Foggy Nelson is killed while visiting Murdock in jail. Murdock goes ballistic and attempts to draw out who is responsible. Many good sub plots happening and this issue (which is the end of the arc) finished with quite the bang (and leaves enough loose ends to keep you coming back). Michael Lark is very Maleevish so there's no shock as sometimes happens when a new artist starts on a title. He's very much his own artist though and the art fits the book perfectly. I give it 5 B's (out of 5). Make no mistake about it, Civil War is huge! Take Marvel's best selling monthly, make it a Civil War tie in and watch it fly. The only problem is, I was enjoying the pre Civil War arc way better than these tie ins. The book is still good but it focuses on one character and his reaction to the registration act. Does this mean the next 7 or so issues of New Avengers will jump from member to member to show where they stand? I hope not! This issue deals with Luke Cage, he's very anti 'the man' so you know he ain't signin'. A good but otherwise relatively uneventful book. I give it 4 B's (out of 5)
Daredevil #87, Marvel Comics, Ed Brukaker & Michael Lark
New Avengers #22, Marvel Comics, Brian Michael Bendis & Leinil Yu