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DC Villains Month, Week Two (Part 2)

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Walt

BRAINIAC (Superman #23.2)

foreverevilbrainiac001I was surprised at this issue. I’m not a huge fan of the Brainiac character, especially the comics version–there have been so many interpretations that it might as well–to me–be outright inconsistency. Geoff Johns attempted to bridge that a few years ago, positing that we’d only essentially seen “avatars” of the one, TRUE Brainiac…but that story came rather late in the pre-New-52 era, and did not really seem to get time to develop. This is my first exposure to the New 52 version of the character, and we get a bit of a blend of past versions. That this version of the character strongly resembles Johns‘ take works well for me; we also see that there are other emissaries out there working for Brainiac. This issue worked QUITE well for me as an origin story, as we see where Brainiac came from and how he got to be what he is and what set him off on his quest to shrink and preserve alien cities. That we get a mix of the 5th dimension (I don’t believe Mxyzptlk has shown up in the New 52 as yet?) and a DC version of the Annihilation Wave (a nice nod to Marvel) tied in to Brainiac gives an interesting depth and motivation to the character. As with all the other villains issues so far, I’m hardly inspired to go seeking OTHER issues beyond this one…but like the Zod issue, my interest is piqued, and I wouldn’t be oppose to reading a full story in collected edition should the occasion arise.

MR. FREEZE (Batman: The Dark Knight #23.2)

foreverevilmrfreeze001I seem to be quite a sucker for this character. Like many people, one of my favorite episodes of the 1990s’ Batman: The Animated Series is the one that introduces a new version of Mr. Freeze and gives him a tragic backstory and plausible motivation. I don’t remember the character really appearing in any form in most of the Batman comics I read throughout the ’90s and early 2000s…but when the first New 52 Batman Annual focused on Mr. Freeze amidst the Court of Owls stuff last year, I went ahead and bought it, and quite enjoyed it. It was the memory of that annual that led me to include this issue with the villains issues I’d get, and I wasn’t really let down. This one does less exploration of an origin and more “where the character is now,” actually taking place after the events of Forever Evil #1 and leaves Mr. Freeze “out there” for whatever story he gets involved in next. This was an enjoyable one-shot, and while I wasn’t blwon away by the art, I actually enjoyed the interior more than the cover.

RIDDLER (Batman #23.2)

foreverevilriddler001I’m no great fan of the Riddler, even though I do rather appreciate some of his riddles as written by whoever’s used the character at the time. I actually can’t remember ever particularly enjoying any of the Riddler-centric stories in the comics. I had not planned on buying this issue–I intentionally did not include it in the list of requested issues I submitted to my comic shop last week–but when I found myself filling an unexpected gap in what I’d planned on spending, I pulled this from the shelf and added it to the week’s buy. And surprisingly enough, despite really expecting to dislike the issue, I found myself enjoying it. While the story is set somewhere between the ongoing Zero Year stuff I’ve not been reading and whatever comes next in Zero Year, this seemed more like a “timeless” story, and a (morbid as it sounds) “fun” one-shot focused on the Riddler. We see how dangerous he can actually be, yet a hint of depth beyond simply a gimmick…and this, quite frankly, stands out as probably my favorite Riddler issue at this point.

OVERALL THOUGHTS ON WEEK 2

At least this week being a “big week” was somewhat planned…though it still proved to be a bit larger than I’d intended. All six of these Villains Month issues are ones that–two weeks ago–I’d had no intention of buying.

foreverevilweek02

It’s extremely dismaying to realize that I bought TEN new comics this week (at least DOUBLE what I usually buy in a week!) and they were all $3.99 books. At least these DC Villains issues with the 3-D plastic-ish covers FEEL like they’re actually WORTH the price, physically. They’re regular-sized issues content-wise, but the covers are certainly sturdy, high quality.

I’m continuing to enjoy that these are by and large truly one-shot issues. Even though they carry the “point whatever” numbers on the covers tying them to series I’m not actively following, FUNCTIONALLY they remain single-issue stories focused on the titular villain. Some of the issues do say the story continues into a series/issue, but as far as I’m concerned–for what I’m buying these for–I’m rather satisfied with what I’ve got and nothing’s led me to chomp at the bit for another issue or the next appearance…though some have got my interest such that I’ll at least read about issues they might appear in and perhaps pick up a collected volume that I probably wouldn’t otherwise have any interest in prior to all these issues.

Filed under: DC, New 52, The, Villains Month (event) | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

DC Villains Month, Week Two (Part 1)

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Walt

ZOD (Action Comics #23.2)

foreverevilzod001Zod’s story is definitely a new one for me; a new take on the character that definitely humanizes him a lot more than previous versions. Adding a fairly defining (if clichéd) episode to his youth goes quite a way in fleshing out the character…and even leaves a lot of room for some future stories, should anyone wish to revisit that period of the character’s life. We get a little bit of insight into his motivation as well as just how far the character will go…both to survive, himself as well as to push his people to survive (a bit of a hint at the influence of the Man of Steel film version of the character, perhaps?).. All in all, the story seemed rather short, and though I have no particular intention of following things into any of the ongoing Superman books at present, taking this as a totally new version of the character, I might check out a Zod-focused story arc in collected edition format sometime down the line..

MONGUL (Green Lantern #23.2)

foreverevilmongul001My first exposure to Mongul was at the dawn of my comics-reading life, in the infamous Alan Moore tale For the Man Who Has Everything. I think my next exposure to the character was in Reign of the Supermen, and then another version of the character in 1999 when the alien Imperiex was introduced…and most recently his involvement after the Sinestro Corps War in the Green Lantern books. While I still most associate the character with Superman, it’s kinda cool to see that he’s really become a Green Lantern villain, where he certainly fits! As to this issue…it felt too short for the events it contains. Other than Mongul himself, the other characters are pretty much inconsequential and of no real significance.  Though what Mongul does in this issue comes off as throw-away, had it involved Earth or Oa this’d be a half-year Event crossover. Still…it’s a “cosmic” story by Jim Starlin, which was a pleasant surprise to me!

LOBO (Justice league #23.2)

foreverevillobo001The cover is quite deceiving to the story within…yet, I’m quite glad the cover has “my” Lobo rather than this new “Goth” Lobo. However, while getting to see this new take on Lobo, I’m actually sorta interested in where things are going to go for the character, and even somewhat see where some of the online controversy over the new design falls. At the very least, this gives a different perspective on the character, and an intriguing new interpretation of past Lobo stories.  I’ll be interested–thanks to this issue–in learning what fate befalls Lobo moving forward…though I don’t think I actually care enough to seek the issues out for the story itself.  I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting from this issue and its story…I definitely got a mix of familiar and new. Lobo has never been my favorite character, though I have to admit to a certain grudging interest in the character due to some of his appearances in Superman comics back in the late-’80s/early-’90s.

Filed under: DC, New 52, The, Villains Month (event) | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

DC Villains Month, Week One

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Walt

FOREVER EVIL #1

foreverevil001I find it rather…interesting…that the first issue of a “core series” beginning with 52 other “#1 issues” featuring villains, and 3-D-ish covers does not, itself, carry such a cover. That said, I’m really not impressed with Forever Evil #1. It wasn’t bad–and I definitely liked the art–but it’s only the first chapter of SEVEN, and I lack the context going in that might otherwise hold me to it. How did Trinity War end? Is this set in the present? The future? We start cold, with only the parallel universe villains’ word to go on with the fate of the Justice League. While I expect that’ll be revealed over the course of the next six issues with some typical flashbacks and maybe even flash-forwards or flash-sideways…this just fails to strike me as a worthwhile book to read month to month. If I’m not spoiled on a hugely negative ending, I’ll probably seek out the inevitable hardcover, though…in about a year or so when DC finally puts one out.

CYBORG SUPERMAN (Action Comics #23.1)

foreverevilcyborgsuperman001Of the five DC books I bought this week, this was the only one I’d intended to buy, and that on a whim. Cyborg Superman? AKA the “Superman” I initially “bet” on waaaaay back in 1993 as “The Real Man of Steel”? The character whose Sinestro Corps War special I thoroughly enjoyed, and who I recall popping up regularly throughout the ’90s (even if a bit TOO often)? Yeah, why not? Especially with the potential for a 3-D cover, to boot! Sadly, my high expectations proved fruitless, as I am THOROUGHLY disappointed with the “revamping” of the character for fitting into the New 52. This is absolutely NOT “my” Cyborg Superman…this new origin, background, BASIS of the character itself…it’s virtually unrecognizable to me, and feels like this should have been an entirely different character. Still…better to have found that out with a SINGLE issue than getting suckered into trying multiple issues of any title for “promise” of the character appearing/being developed!

JOKER (Batman #23.1)

forevereviljoker001I actually quite enjoyed this one-shot. We get a truly one-off tale of the Joker, from his point of view, as he adopts a baby monkey (ape?) and raises it to be his son and partner in crime…raising it in contrast to his own memories of childhood. Of course, things don’t turn out well, and Joker finds himself back to reflecting on life in his own twisted way. The art was a bit jarring for the flashbacks, but quite good for the main story. I got the feeling that this story could fit pretty much “anywhere” in time…just a period when the Joker went off the grid or such. Since it’s set in “the past,” it’s before he had his face cut off, which makes this all the more timeless and not necessarily set in the New 52 (and being the Joker, who knows how much of this was “real” vs. made up/exaggerated/etc?). All in all, this was a nice one-shot, and with the 3-D cover combined with the short one-issue story, I’m quite satisfied with my $3.99 spent on this issue.

DARKSEID (Justice League #23.1)

foreverevildarkseid001I actually wound up getting this issue because I was intrigued at the Desaad issue, and had pretty much made my mind up to get that issue. And having just read the first 6-issue arc of Justice League a few days ago thanks to a 99-cent Comixology sale, and typically associating Desaad WITH Darkseid…I decided this would go with Desaad’s issue. What I got was an origin of sorts, a glimpse of the “old gods” and the start of the “New Gods.” And a look at how Darkseid shows that he’s not oblivious to what goes on around him, but uses everything to his own ends. Nothing fancy, or deep, or really all that compelling for me. I’ve never been particularly interested in Darkseid in general, and have rarely enjoyed anything with him involved–“Big Bad” or otherwise. This issue did nothing to change that, and only cemented my actual lack of interest in the character.

DESAAD (Earth 2 #15.1)

foreverevildesaad001This issue hooked me with the cover. Desaad has a MUCH different appearance than the sniveling old-man looking character I recall from the ’90s and generally pre-New-52 DC stuff. While I’m not a fan of the new look in and of itself, it is rather striking. Combined with the 3-D effect of teh cover, this one really stood out to me with a lot more “depth” to the image than other issues that seemed a lot more obviously “layered.” As a story, the issue basically shows us Desaad working his machinations, trapped on Earth 2, waiting for Darseid to find/rescue him. He’s not idle–experimenting, mutating, and generally doing horrible stuff. He ends up looking in on a human–My first thought was Jack Kirby–and decides to let the human live for now, better to be “eaten” later. While I was definitely impressed with the cover–the cover can be credited with my buying into the month’s event in general–I wasn’t particularly impressed with the interior; though it could’ve been worse.

OVERALL THOUGHTS ON WEEK 1

I was going to stick to the Cyborg Superman and Doomsday issues this month, and those two mainly “for old time’s sake.” I probably would’ve been grabbed by the Bane issue due out later as well, anyway, for that 1993 nostalgia (despite severe disappointment in The Dark Knight #6). But I wound up buying four of the villains issues, primarily because of the 3-D covers actually impressing me. That, and I was at the comic shop late in the evening, well after some of the other issues sold out, and I was truly just looking at the covers/characters, with no real mind given to creative teams or ongoing stories. Just covers and the characters.

foreverevilweek01

While I was quite disappointed in the new Cyborg Superman, his origin, etc, and far from impressed with the Darkseid story…I enjoyed the Joker story, and the Desaad story was a middle ground. But I really do credit the Desaad issue with my buying into the Villains Month thing: I was impressed by the cover, and if I was buying Desaad’s issue, “had to” buy Darkseid’s issue. And if I was already buying a couple characters’ issues like these…how could I NOT buy the Joker issue? Especially since all 4 were still available in the 3-D editions….despite rather severe allocations and whatnot.

I submitted a list of 12 more Villains books to the comic shop this morning, figuring I’d just throw in and go with characters I’m interested in. I received an email back this afternoon, and a note that for the ones I’ve requested, I should be able to have the 3D editions. While I reserve the “right” to disappointment if I get “stuck” with a 2-D edition amidst all these 3-D covers…tentatively I’m looking forward to MORE one-shots, as I truly don’t remember a time that I read so many such issues that were ok in and of themselves, without feeling like I HAD TO follow them into a bigger story.

Filed under: DC, New 52, The, Villains Month (event) | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Batman/Superman #1 [Review]

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Walt

batmansuperman001Crossworld

Writer: Greg Pak
Artists: Jae Lee, Ben Oliver
Colors: June Chung, Daniel Brown
Letters: Rob Leigh
Cover: Jae Lee with June Chung
Associate Editor: Rickey Purdin
Group Editor: Eddie Berganza
Published by: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99

I bought this issue to meet a credit card minimum. Of everything on the “new” shelf, it was the only thing that really grabbed my attention for a one-shot purchase with potential. Other than setting this apart from the Loeb-launched Superman/Batman from a decade ago, I do find myself mildly curious as to any significance to the title, having Batman listed first. At least BOTH characters are spotlighted on the standard cover…you don’t have to track down two covers to get both title characters in one shot.

Unfortunately, it was a lot more disappointing than I expected. I’d avoided it on Wednesday–I just had zero interest in it from the start. ANOTHER “Superman meets Batman for the FIRST TIME” story. And that’s where it goes wrong; where I go wrong. I am absolutely NOT the “target audience” for this book: I’m bored and put-out by the New 52 at this point…and to ME, the “first meeting” between Superman and Batman happened “One Night in Gotham City” in the 1980s’ Man of Steel #3.

Leaving nostalgia and such aside, I have a real problem with a young Superman–Superboy???–being so…arrogant, angry, violent. To say nothing of the fact that I did read the first-ever New 52 issue, Justice League #1. And I’m recalling a scene in which Batman and Green Lantern talk about some alien in Metropolis, and meet Superman “for the first time.” So that makes this issue essentially a fairly big plothole to a casual such reader as myself.

Clark Kent visits Gotham, and realizes he really does not fit into this dark city. When he confronts some kids bullying another, he meets a drunk, stinking boy billionaire with more street sense than he’d’ve expected. Turns out Clark was looking for Bruce, to see what he knew of several Wayne employees murdered recently. The two part on neutral terms, neither impressed with the other. The murderer strikes again, and Batman leaps into the fray, surprised at the identity…before Superman busts in, throwing around violence and making a bad situation worse. Another entity joins the situation, and just makes things confusing…though that seems to set up what may be the plot for the next few issues.

Visually I’m not all that impressed…Lee‘s art is not particularly “up my alley,” it’s very stylized and just not what I would choose. Because it’s so…what it is, this feels like it ought to me some sort of Elseworlds book, or some intercompany crossover in the vein of these characters meeting the Aliens or Predators. I’ve never really cared for the jeans, t-shirt and cape get-up for Superman; the look is done no favors here, in my eyes. There’s also something to the way Lee depicts the “S” that bugs me–like it’s trying to be a mash-up of the overly-lined Man of Steel film logo and the more stylized Superman Returns film logo.

Lee‘s art gets the job done, though…even depicting the violence fairly disturbingly (something Lee‘s style does well with). So while it’s not my cup of tea and I have nitpicky issues, I won’t fault it too heavily in and of itself.

I don’t care for the art shift toward the end of the issue. It fits reasonably well given the shift in scenery and all–but I find myself wondering if this is an issue of timing or a planned function to serve the story itself (or just happened to work as it is).

The story itself roughly fits a fairly standard mold for these characters…the idea that while they come to work together when more seasoned at the whole “super-hero” thing, they clash in the early days of their careers is not new. What little I know of the New 52 incarnation of Superman kinda fits, though again I don’t like it much. Batman I’m less sure on–this Bruce Wayne sorta fits with Year One, and probably perfectly fits with the upcoming Zero Year stuff. Given Clark’s readiness to cut loose with his powers it’s sort of astonishing that he doesn’t (seem to) recognize Batman as a mortal man and “reveal” him or at least peek under the cowl with X-ray vision. (Then again, I realize I don’t know the origin of this version of Superman, so maybe he didn’t have access to that power yet).

All in all, I imagine that if you’re a fan of Jae Lee‘s art, of the New 52 early Superman, and/or Pak‘s writing, and have no particular “attachment” to ’80s/’90s Superman and Batman, you’ll probably enjoy this. You might have to overlook that this is yet another $3.99 book…but hey? $2.99 seems to be an exception rather than the rule, these days.

Filed under: Batman/Superman, DC, New 52, The | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Superman Unchained #1 [Review]

Posted on June 16, 2013 by Walt

Superman Unchained #1The Leap

Writer: Scott Snyder
Penciller: Jim Lee
Inker: Scott Williams
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Sal Cipriano
Cover: Jim Lee, Scott Williams, Alex Sinclair
Assoc. Editor: Chris Conroy
Group Editor: Matt Idelson
Published by: DC Comics
Cover Price: $4.99

So…$4.99 for this Superman Unchained #1. It’s functionally a 20-page story with a 2-page “epilogue” or “backup” or “extra feature.” 22 pages for $4.99. BUT there’s what was billed as a “tipped-in POSTER” included. This poster is just a double-sided foldout allowing for two single images roughly 4x the size of a normal-sized page, the most “poster-like” loaded with caption boxes. Maybe technically this counts as an extra 8 pages…but that STILL only brings the pagecount to 30…for $4.99. Removing this so-called “poster” involved peeling it off a bound-in piece of tagboard–something which I would assume complicated the printing/binding process in itself to put in, plus the folding, placement of the glue, and the placement of the “poster.” And the “poster” itself had a couple dots of this glue, keeping it from flapping open.

All this hassle, and it’s basically for one side of a “poster” being this huge image of Superman crashing through a satellite, and then an extra-large image of him narrating the situation on the other side. Hardly something that would really make sense on the wall as a poster, more just some comic page pulled out of an issue and stuck on the wall.

$4.99. Five dollars. And while I read the first arc of Superman when the New 52 began–so have a BIT of context of Lois, Perry, and Clark’s relationships…I’m not even that clear on what things are here. And the issue’s big “reveal,” the thing that’s such a big deal, isn’t. Not to me. It doesn’t fit. It doesn’t interest me. It doesn’t change things.

So, objects are falling to Earth. Superman’s trying to stop them, letting one go since he sees it’ll fall “harmlessly” while he stops this huge “Lighthouse” satellite that’s gonna hit like a gigantic nuclear bomb. He confronts Lex Luthor, who has an alibi, and as he seethes over this, learns someone stopped that object he’d let go–but if it wasn’t him, Wonder Woman, or Green Lantern–then who, exactly, WAS it that stopped the thing? We learn of General Lane’s involvement, and of a secret weapon against Superman that goes back to the beginning of things.

Visually…the art’s good. It’s Jim Lee, whose art I’ve tended to almost always enjoy. Maybe I’m just irked about the “poster,” and/or the price and/or my own lack of context for not keeping up with Superman the last 15 months, but the art doesn’t blow me away. It’s good, but it’s not the “great” that I’d’ve hoped for. It’s not the Jim Lee art that a decade ago prompted me to NOT drop the Superman titles but rather keep up a few more months until Lee‘s run on an Azzarello story would begin.

Story-wise, I’m just not interested. I know a lot of people are loving Snyder‘s work, and will consider this to be great Superman…but unfortunately, this is NOT “my” Superman. Perhaps the collected volume(s) will end up being my thing, if I myself hear enough good about it to warrant checking them out. But for now…this issue just doesn’t do anything (positive) for me.

I have no intention of grabbing the next issue, and it’ll depend on others’ reviews whether or not I even bother returning to this title in any form, outside proper bargain bins. For your page count, you’d be better off grabbing the first Superman: Earth One graphic novel and reading that, especially if you’re looking for a specific tie-in to the Man of Steel film.

Filed under: DC, New 52, The, Superman Unchained | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Batman Incorporated #8 [Review]

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Walt

batmaninc(vol2)008The Boy Wonder Returns

Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Chris Burnham
Art (pgs 6-9): Jason Masters
Colorist: Nathan Fairbairn
Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Associate Editor: Rickey Purdin
Group Editor: Mike Marts
Covers: Chris Burnham with Nathan Fairbairn
Published by: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99

DC suckered me.

I’d read and heard rumors throughout the Death of the Family stuff going on that we might get a “big death” in the bat-family, and it seemed like most guesses were going toward either Alfred or Damian. Of course, that proved to be yet another Major Joker Story where the scary madman doesn’t actually kill any major characters.

Then I caught wind of this issue–and as the bulk of the comic fans On The Internet learned a couple days ago…this issue gives us that “big death.” Thanks to DC, the “news” was out days before the issue, SPOILING its otherwise surprise for many comic readers–myself included. I’m almost ashamed to say that the spoiler/confirmation of the “big death” prompted me to get this issue.

I recall picking up the reprint of Son of the Demon a few years back, when Morrison‘s run started–and I’m pretty sure I picked up the first couple issues, at least, of his run, not long after Infinite Crisis. With this slightly-muddled memory of being there at the beginning, I wanted to be here at the end. And…my very first Batman comics were less than a year after the death of the second Robin, Jason Todd.

So, Batman Inc. #8…that’s what this review should focus on, right?

This is my first issue of the title. Batman Inc. was not part of the first wave of New 52 titles, and so I gave it a pass when it did premiere. I don’t think I even got around to reading any issues of the original iteration pre–New 52. So other than the loose concept–that Batman has agents all over the place in a more formalized structure–I come to this cold.

This issue opens with Robin (Damian…I’m still not totally used to Robin NOT being Tim Drake) flying into an ongoing battle, and connecting with Nightwing. Meanwhile, Batman is fighting against Talia al Ghul (Ra’s al Ghul’s daughter, mother of Damian). Red Robin’s part of the mix, fighting elsewhere. Nightwing and Robin have a moment–the original Robin and current Robin, on their own time as Batman & Robin. Enter an armored warrior from Talia’s end, and the two realize they’re in trouble. Nightwing falls, leaving Robin to stand against this Goliath-figure.

As Robin leaps to the attack, agents outside the fight interfere, and the boy is wounded numerous times, while calling out to his parents to stop this fight.

And for the third time…Batman finds himself with a dead Robin…perhaps the most personal of all, as Damian was his own flesh-and-blood son.

Story-wise…this is a painful issue. Most of the fighting fits, and seems like just another large-scale incident with superheroes involved in some city-wide invasion or such. But the scene of Damian’s battle is just…brutal. Despite all I know of the character–and the character certainly being “old before his time,” this is still a child…and it’s (to say the least) not at all a comfortable scene. I have no idea what Batman and Talia are fighting about this time, the details of their present issues…maybe I’ll find out via Wikipedia or listening to the inevitable podcasts covering this issue, etc.

Visually, I have no problem with the art–even the multiple artists didn’t throw me at all. Reading the issue, I just kinda sped through, taking in what’s going on, and honestly would not even have NOTICED there were multiple artists had I not specifically read the credits to list above for this review.

It was probably a mistake for me to give in and allow much weight be given to this issue. “The death scene” is only a couple pages, and easily recapped. Unlike 1988’s A Death in the Family, I’m reading only a single issue, so it’s not like this is the culmination of several issues’ reading, building to a climactic moment. This is me having a specific moment spoiled by mass media and deciding to read the issue for myself rather than simply read ABOUT it.

As a standalone issue, I’m not all that thrilled with this. I didn’t really pick up on much context of the “why” to the fighting or other context (I’m sure this’ll make more sense read in a collected volume, in-context). But sadly…I got what I paid for. I witnessed the brutal death of another Robin…a visual I’m uncomfortable with, yet get to live with today, and moving forward.

Filed under: Batman Incorporated, DC, DC Universe, New 52, The | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Batman Annual #1 [Review]

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Walt

Full review posted to cxPulp.com.

Story: 4.5/5
Art: 4.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

Filed under: Batman, cxPulp.com, DC, New 52, The | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Earth 2 #1 [Review]

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Walt

Full review posted to cxPulp.com.

Story: 3.5/5
Art: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5

Filed under: cxPulp.com, DC, Earth 2, New 52, The | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

The Rest of the Stack: Week of April 25, 2012

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Walt

 

The Rest of the Stack is my general mini-review coverage of new comics for any given week. It’s in addition to (or in place of) full-size individual reviews. It’s far less formal, and more off-the-top-of-my head thoughts on the given comics than it is detailed reviews.

BATMAN #8

batman008So, Night of the Owls begins. I’m totally torn on this event: I can’t quite decide if I want to jump in with both feet like I have with AvX, or wait for some inevitable collected edition. I did miss this the week it came out, so picked it up this past week–something I rarely do with comics anymore. The art holds up well–Capullo has a style that I’ve really come to associate with current Batman and for better or worse, owls. This issue’s story kicks things off with talons invading Wayne Manor, forcing Bruce and Alfred into defensive mode; in a way that seems quite appropriate for kicking off this sorta multi-title story. I absolutely do NOT like the $3.99 price, and the backup seems a bit of a waste–something that should’ve simply been published separately and given away to entice folks into things, or been “free” and that thing at the back of all the Bat-books for the week. I’d just dropped this title from my pull list and have none of the others on it…this tempts me toward Night of the Owls, but I may wait for reviews myself and backtrack or pick up the collected edition in a couple years when DC actually puts one out. (7/10)

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #9

teenagemutantninjaturtles009Hard to believe this title is already at 9 issues. While I continue to quite enjoy it (and the assorted tie-ins/minis), it does seem it’s taken awhile to world-build. This issue sees April introduced to the turtles, who once introductions are finished follow a lead to track down their kidnapped father. Meanwhile, Splinter finds himself at the mercy of Old Hob, and then the force behind the mutated cat, and a new foe significantly dangerous to him and his sons. Visually, this issue continues the stylized take on the Turtles. ANd as usual, I like the style overall…though there are a few panels where it looks like the turtles could be green blobs wearing cardboard turtle-bellies. Story-wise, we get some good forward movement on the title with references to the recent solo-turtle one-shots to tie them firmly into the main story. Assuming the 2nd official arc was 4 issues like the first, this begins the title’s third arc–and given the last page, promises plenty of action and a certain familiarity to old fans despite being a new continuity. (8/10)

AVX: VS #1

avxvs001This thing is quite upfront at what it is–FIGHTING. This title is not to advance the plot of the crossover, no particular reveals, and all that…this is just simply a couple of expanded fight-scenes detailing more of the fights seen in the main AvX title. This issue sees Iron Man vs. Magneto and The Thing vs. Namor. The Iron Man vs. Magneto fight was sorta interesting in a way–moreso than it probably ought to have been. But there are some REALLY far-fetched details that made me wonder if I’m reading a published-in-2012 comic or a published-in-the-1960s comic. Nothing particularly memorable in the Thing/Namor fight for me. The art for both segments worked well enough for me–and I really liked the full-page of Magneto–but overall, this was total fluff, hardly worth its cover price. Not bad, mind you, but this is entirely geared towards folks who want the fights and no plot. I’m thankful this is only 6 issues and not 12 alternating with the main title. There’s a bit of “fun” to this in a way–to see the characters really lay into each other. But I’m not really a “who would win..?” sorta guy, so this is more incidental than anything else…and simply proves to me that “who would win” is answered by “whoever the writer WANTS to win!” (6/10)

SECRET AVENGERS #26

avxsecretavengers026This issue sees some of the Avengers in space, taking the fight TO the Phoenix. We get some team bonding as they head to the encounter, and some of the action of the fight itself. We also get a side plot involving the commandeering of the Phoenix for it’s “rebirth” faculty, which leads to a final page cliffhanger I actually saw coming thanks to an ad I’d already seen for the next issue. Story-wise, I liked this issue well enough; it has direct ties to the point of the crossover, sees the fight taken to the Phoenix instead of the thing merely looming over everyone. The art, though…absolutely NOT AT ALL to my taste, especially with a beautiful cover for contrast. This is another issue I’m jumping in on solely for the AvX crossover, and other stories be darned. For my intent, this is not a disappointment. (7/10)

UNCANNY X-MEN #11

avxuncannyxmen011As with other titles involved with the AvX event…I picked this up solely for the tie-in. The issue is primarily focused on Hope dealing with making her own decisions and not having them made FOR her, while Red Hulk and “Colossunaut” square off. We do get a nice moment at the issue’s end that sets some stuff in motion from Cyclops that is sure to play into the overall story. For having snagged this issue, it’s cool to see such a moment kicked off here…but it’s the sorta thing that can really be just an incidental detail to the core AvX, something that happened, but you don’t need its actual moment on-panel for the main event. Story’s not too impressive, but the art’s not bad at all. I’m increasingly disappointed that these issues are not all coming with the code for the digital version…that would really be a nice offset to the $3.99 cover price I so despise. (7/10)

NEW AVENGERS #25

avxnewavengers025This issue is almost entirely “flashback,” inserting the Phoenix Force into the past of the Iron Fist and his mythology. I don’t normally care for this sort of thing, but the way it’s done works well enough for me…though that may be because I’m not all that invested in the character, and am primarily familiar with him from a short (2-issue?) mini-series in the late 1990s, and whatever bits ‘n pieces of detail I’ve picked up since. Though the story and art aren’t bad, this issue has a lot of silent, huge panels and full-page/double-page splash images, including one that’s quite reminiscent of AvX #1, which does feel like a shortchanging on story content for the despised $3.99 cover price. I’ll be interested to see how this does affect Iron Fist in the next issue, assuming I don’t get disgusted with virtually every single tie-in being $3.99 and the constant full-page/double-page splashes of the Phoenix Force. I get it: the thing’s huge, and freakin’ powerful. It’s a cosmic entity. But for me, picking up all the tie-ins so far, the size/scope of the thing is cheapened a bit when it’s constantly shown in such huge panels. (7/10)

Filed under: Avengers vs. X-Men (event), AvX: Vs., Batman, New Avengers, Secret Avengers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (IDW), Uncanny X-Men | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Batman #7 [Review]

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Walt

Full review posted to cxPulp.com.

Story: 3/5
Art: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5

Filed under: Batman, cxPulp.com, DC, New 52, The | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

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