Full review posted to cxPulp.com.
Story: 4/5
Art: 4.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5
Filed under: 2012, cxPulp.com, Shadowman, Valiant | Tagged: Brian Reber, Comic Reviews, cxPulp, Dave Lanphear, Jack Boniface, Josh Johns, Justin Jordan, Patrick Zircher, Rob Steen, Shadowman, Valiant, Warren Simons | Leave a comment »
Full review posted to cxPulp.com.
Rating: 3/5
Filed under: cxPulp.com, MARVEL, Marvel Universe, X-Men: Legacy | Tagged: Brian Reber, Comic Reviews, cxPulp, Five Miles South of the Universe, Havok, Jay Leisten, Legacy, Marvel Comics, Marvel Girl, Mike Carey, Polaris, Rogue, Steve Kurth, x-men | Leave a comment »
Full review posted to cxPulp.com.
Story: 3.5/5
Art: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5
Filed under: cxPulp.com, MARVEL, Marvel Universe, X-Men: Legacy | Tagged: Age of X, Age of X Aftermath, Brian Reber, Claremont, Comic Reviews, Cory Petit, cxPulp.com, Daniel Ketchum, Flashback, Glynis, Into the Abyss, Jay Leisten, Khoi Pham, Legacy, Lost Legions, Marte Gracia, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Mico Suayan, Mike Carey, New Mutants, Orz, Sebastian Girner, Sienkiewicz, Steve Kurth, Tom Palmer, x-men, X-Men: Legacy | Leave a comment »
Full review posted to cxPulp.com.
Story: 3.5/5
Art: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5
Filed under: Age of X (event), cxPulp.com, MARVEL, Marvel Universe | Tagged: Age of X, Antonio Fabela, Brian Reber, Carlo Barberi, Chris Bachalo, Daniel Ketchum, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, Irene Y. Lee, Jake Thomas, Jared Fletcher, Joe Caramagna, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Matt Milla, Nick Lowe, Paco Diaz, Paul Davidson, Tim Townsend, Walden Wong, x-men | Leave a comment »
Full review posted to cxPulp.com.
Story: 3.5/5
Art: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5
Filed under: cxPulp.com, MARVEL, Marvel Universe, The Heroic Age (Event), Uncanny X-Men | Tagged: Axel Alonso, Beast, Brian Reber, Chris Sotomayor, Comic Reviews, Cyclops, Daniel Ketchum, Heroic Age, Hope, Ian Hannin, Jaime Mendoza, Jamie McKelvie, Joe Caramagna, Mark Brooks, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Matt Fraction, Nick Lowe, Steve Sanders, Uncanny X-Men, Whilce Portacio, x-men | Leave a comment »
Second Coming (chapter 11)
Written by: Zeb Wells
Art by: Ibraim Roberson, Lan Medina and Nathan Fox
Colored by: Brian Reber, Matt Milla and Jose Villarubia
Lettered by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover by: Adi Granov
Associate Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Published by: Marvel Comics
Xavier enters the mind of his son, David (Legion) Haller, to prepare him to help the X-Men. In the real world, Cyclops deputizes every mutant present as X-Men…the dome trapping them and the nimrods arriving every few minutes means that every individual must come together, to “Fight or die.” Meanwhile, Rogue and Hope share a moment, as Colossus and Namor have their hands full holding the Golden Gate Bridge against Nimrods. In the future, the X-Force contingent has their hands full with their own problems…including multiple Master Molds. Back in the present, Hank McCoy–Beast–says his goodbyes as he prepares to enter the fray, and another player joins the battle.
The multiple artists / multiple colorists team is quite noticeable, and while in some ways it’s distracting, it’s also fitting to the story, as we’re dealing with several very different locales: David Haller’s mindscape, the X-Men in present day, and X-Force in a dark future. I’m not particularly a fan of any of the art–the only issues of this series I’ve bought have been whatever issues were earlier chapters of Second Coming–and offhand I don’t even recognize the artists’ names from any of their previous work that I might have seen. Of the differing visuals, the most off-putting is David Haller’s mind…but that seems intentional, and works well. The future scenes with X-Force are fairly slick, and I do like the distinctiveness. The present-day scenes are probably my favorites.
The story seems fairly simple and generic in that this is “just” another chapter in the ongoing crossover Second Coming. This continues from the previous chapter, and leads into the next chapter; we get forward movement in the crossover, but as a shared story, there’s not a whole lot moving whatever the New Mutants story is along, that I can tell. Again, as with the art…this isn’t a bad thing…perhaps because I have no real interest in this title standing alone, don’t know the newer characters, and picked this up as Second Coming Chapter 11 rather than New Mutants #14. Despite that, I really don’t feel lost–and the unfamiliarity is something I expected for this story, since I barely touched the X-books after Messiah Complex. I enjoyed the interaction with Rogue and Hope–the characters seem well suited for each other, and could make for an interesting friendship in future issues.
All in all, another solid chapter of Second Coming. I’m not yet sold on whatever the story is that’ll immediately follow this arc’s conclusion, nor the next big story with the vampires. Still, this keeps me interested in Second Coming, and I’m very, very interested to see what unfolds next week. This issue’s cliffhanger also reminds me somewhat thematically of the season finale to the first season of the 1990s X-Men animated series.
If you’ve already been following New Mutants, or are following the Second Coming main story, this is not an issue to be missed. If you’re not following this, you’ll probably be better off waiting for the next arc.
Story: 8/10
Art: 8/10
Overall: 8/10
Filed under: Comic Reviews 2010, MARVEL, Marvel Universe, New Mutants, X-Men: Second Coming (Event) | Tagged: Adi Granov, Brian Reber, cable, Comic Reviews, Daniel Ketchum, Hope, Ibraim Roberson, Joe Caramagna, Jose Villarubia, Lan Medina, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Matt Milla, Nathan Fox, New Mutants, Nick Lowe, Second Coming, x-force, x-men, x-men: second coming, Zeb Wells | Leave a comment »
Full review posted to comixtreme.com.
Overall: 2.5/5
Filed under: Adventure Comics, Blackest Night (Event), cxPulp.com, DC, DC Universe | Tagged: Alexander Luthor, Black Lanterns, Black Witch, Blackest Night, Blok, Bob Wiacek, Brian Buccellato, Brian Reber, Clayton Henry, co-feature, Comic Reviews, cxPulp.com, DC, DC Comics, Elisabeth V. Gehrlein, Francis Manapul, Geoff Johns, Jerry Ordway, Legion, Legion of Superheroes, Michael Shoemaker, Sal Cipriano, Sean Ryan, Sterling Gates, Steve Wands, Superboy, Superboy Prime, White Witch | Leave a comment »
Matter of Trust
Story and Words: Peter J. Tomasi
Penciller: Fernando Pasarin
Inkers: Scott Hanna, Prentis Rollins & Fernando Pasarin
Colorist: Brian Reber
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Cover: Tom Mandrake
Asst. Editor: Harvey Richards
Editor: Michael Siglain
Publisher: DC Comics
We begin this issue much like the other Blackest Night tie-in issues: a flashback showing us the memories a black ring is downloading to use with an animated/rebuilt corpse, concluding the scene with the command to the body to RISE. In this case, it’s Tara Markov again, and fresh off menacing the Titans, now she goes to her brother and the others of the Outsiders. As the Outsiders seek to find the truth about what’s going on, the readers know it’s not quite what they think–or want to think. Meanwhile: Tatsu, Violet, and Creeper are transporting Killer Croc, and bump into Black Lanterns of their own to deal with…Tatsu’s dead family.
This is one of those issues that is far easier to read than it is to describe. Visually, I recognize everyone; the names I’m a little less confident with and have to search through the issue to find references (I’m pretty sure Tatsu and Violet are “civilian” names and not the characters’ codenames).
With the Blackest Night: Titans mini and its flashbacks, and other series lately dealing with the Titans’ history and characters related to them, I have that thin understanding that works fine while reading, but isn’t strong enough for me to really “get” fully. In a way, that’s something on the writing; but at the same time, the fact that I can read the story even not knowing much about the characters nor their status quo prior to this point is more positive than negative.
The art’s quite good; no real complaints from me. Everyone looks as I’d expect–if there’s any expectation–and at the very least, I recognize pretty much everyone. Even the Black Lantern has expressiveness…there’s a panel where one would almost feel bad for her, if one doesn’t keep in mind what’s been learned so far about these Black Lanterns.
Probably the largest factor that makes this work so well for me is that it is written by Tomasi, who has been doing plenty of other writing within the Blackest Night event, and presumably he is incorporating enough that even without non-Blackest Night knowledge, there’s some building continuity just within the event’s story.
All in all, a very solid tie-in, and certainly worth getting if you’re following either Blackest Night or the title itself. Then, of course, there’s also that little ring that ought to come with the issue, as well.
Story: 8/10
Art: 8/10
Whole: 8/10
Filed under: Blackest Night (Event), Comic Reviews 2009, DC, DC Universe, Outsiders | Tagged: Blackest Night, Brian Reber, Comic Reviews, comics, DC, DC Comics, Fernando Pasarin, Geoforce, Harvey RIchards, Katana, Matter of Trust, Michael Siglain, Outsiders, Peter J. Tomasi, Prentis ROllins, Scott Hanna, Terra, Tom Mandrake, Travis Lanham | Leave a comment »
Original Sin part four
Writer: Mike Carey
Penciller: Scott Eaton
Inker: Andrew Hennessy
Colorists: Jason Keith with Brian Reber
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Production: Joe Sabino
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Cover: Mike Deodato
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Wolverine and Professor Xavier infiltrate the place Daken is being held, and a battle erupts between them and Sebastian Shaw with Miss Sinister…Daken caught in the middle.
The story is at once simple and somewhat boring. I don’t care about Daken, I knew nothing of the character prior to this Original Sin story. I do not like the way Marvel (in general) seems to be shoehorning so much crap into the past of their characters, casting a 180 on how they were viewed for the last three to four decades.
It’s fairly interesting seeing Wolverine and Xavier interact–I have long enjoyed their dynamic, as Wolverine struggles to be his own person, and almost grudgingly respects the professor–the man who helped him reclaim his humanity. This story suggests that a certain amount of Wolverine’s memory loss was actually caused by Xavier himself all those years ago–that Wolverine joined the X-Men intent upon killing Xavier, and I just don’t buy that. I have never found the Hellfire Club interesting, nor do I care one bit about their internal political maneuvering…I just don’t find it engaging at all.
The art of the issue is the best part–it’s pretty good, and I actually like the way Xavier and Wolverine are depicted. No real complaint visually…or at least, any visual complaint would have to do (Daken) with a story element I disagree with.
You could probably do much worse than this issue…but if you’re not interested in Daken-Son-of-Wolverine, and you’re not already following this Original Sin story, you’re just as well skipping this issue and coming back when X-Men Legacy is its own story again.
Story: 6/10
Art: 8/10
Whole: 7/10
Filed under: Comic Reviews 2008, MARVEL, X-Men: Legacy | Tagged: Andrew Hennessy, Brian Reber, Comic Reviews 2008, Cory Petit, Daniel Ketchum, Jason Keith, Joe Sabino, Marvel Comics, Mike Carey, Mike Deodato, Nick Lowe, Original Sin, Professor X, Scott Eaton, Wolverine, x-men, X-Men: Legacy, Xavier | Leave a comment »
Comic Reviews by Walt 