This episode we finish our discussion about DC’s New 52 comics, six months into the grand experiment/relaunch. Specifically, we talk about the following New 52 families of DC comics:
Thanks for listening!
Direct Download (1:20:43)
This episode we discuss DC’s New 52 comics, six months into the grand experiment/relaunch. Before we get to that, however, we discuss some news coming out of WonderCon. Then, in Part 1 of our discussion (at about the 23:45 mark), we talk about the following New 52 families of DC comics:
Finally, in the episode, I mentioned a fellow comic blogger’s website, calling it Leonard Snart’s Gun, when actually it is named The Comics Rogue. Check it out.
Be sure to come back for Part 2 of the discussion.
Thanks for listening!
Direct Download (1:44:14)
Most of the comics from that week were DC’s new number ones and Travis & I reviewed them in the latest LBR podcast. To find out what I thought of those fourth week DCnU 52 comics*, have a listen.
Now on with the rest of the comics I read from that week.
FF #9: The moments in this comic just keep coming. After fellow villains turn on Dr. Doom, he triumphs and attacks Diablo, which prompts the Mad Thinker to wax a bit metatextual in that he tries to convince Doom to do what is unexpected, what is missing in the story, i.e., him being merciful, and the Mad Thinker says, “Shock the world, Victor. Shock the world.” To which Doom replies, “I think not,” as he blasts Diablo (and presumably the Mad Thinker). Later, I noticed that the alternate Reeds have various weapons, one of which is the Infinity Gauntlet and another has Rom’s blaster! Finally, one of the Reeds not only captures Doom, but humbles the dictator by literally collaring him under the threat of frying Doom’s brain if Doom does not help that Reed. Wow.
Mighty Thor #6: Well, at times, this was a fun ride. This is my last issue of this series, since I’d read that Marvel is bringing in a new Thunder God in this title, so I’m gone! While this storyline started out with a BANG, it ended in a much more subtle way, though, do we really need to have Silver Surfer trapped on Earth or is it Asgard? I’m not clear on where exactly the Surfer is stationed. Also, the bit involving the preacher becoming Galactus’ new herald seemed very fast in coming. I didn’t get the sense in the previous five issues that this character would want to become what he does here. Also, when did Silver Surfer become the uncaring character that he describes himself to be? Granted, I do not read a lot of Marvel titles and haven’t for many years, so maybe this depiction of the Surfer is currently accurate? It just felt like well-trodden ground to me. My final complaint involves the timeline in the last few pages. After the battle between Asgard and Galactus is averted, one of the next pages indicates the time being “Later”, yet Thor now has a full beard. So, either Thor’s beard grows really fast, or the timeline here is messed up. However, despite these small issues, I actually really enjoyed this title overall. It made me a fan of Matt Fraction’s writing, and the Olivier Coipel art was pretty good. I especially liked the characterization of Loki and his relationship with Thor. I think I’ll miss it.
New Avengers #16.1: You know, I used to really like Neal Adams’ art, but apparently not any more. This issue is even more poorly drawn than Adams’ work in Batman: Odyssey. In fact, my dislike of the art colors my overall impression of the issue. Anyway, this issue is just a set up of the return of the Dark Avengers arc that appears to be the next major storyline in this title. I almost dropped the title after hearing that Osborn and his team were coming back, though I thought Marvel and Bendis were allowing the Dark Avengers to take over the book again and I wanted nothing to do with that, but some solicitations I’d read indicated to me that my beloved New Avengers will still be a focal point of their book.
Sixth Gun #15: Talk about decompressed storytelling. Plot-wise, not much happens in this issue, but man, the Gord Cantrell part of the issue was C R E E P Y! In fact, some panels reminded me of the The Shining. And the final page with Becky and her dead father showing up was a nice cliff-hanger to get me wanting the next issue! Hmm, now that I think about it, ghosts are a connecting element between both mini-stories in this issue.
* These are the titles we reviewed:
Wow. Here we are, the end of the road. We finally (a month later, but who’s counting?) discuss the week 4 DCnU 52 comics (warning: spoilers!).
How did you like the week 4 titles? Be sure to leave comments on iTunes or our blogs; you can also send email to longboxreview@gmail.com, or if you’re on Twitter, message @longboxreview or @the_gaunt_man. We would love to hear from you!
Thanks for listening!
Direct Download (2:58:30)
Most of the comics from that week were DC’s new number ones and Travis & I reviewed them in the latest LBR podcast. To find out what I thought of those third week DCnU 52 comics*, have a listen.
Now on with the rest of the comics I read from that week.
Daredevil #4: The legal side of this comic continues and I find I’m still liking it a lot. The opening sequence, while artistically very simple, conveys the story and the tension very well. The last few pages sets up the story for next issue, and it’s a doozy for Matt since his new client is also blind. And the last page cliff-hanger extends into the editorial next issue blurb at the bottom: when Matt tells his client that “it’s going to be okay” and we see them framed in a window with 26 laser-sight dots on their bodies, we are informed by the text below it, “not exactly”. Loved it.
Spider-Island: Spider-Woman #1: Sigh. I simply buy everything that I can stomach (but no more Avengers, not again) featuring Jessica Drew, which is why I bought this title. (It’s funny, I’m also getting the Spider-Girl tie in. Two female Spider books, but I do not read Spider-Man, nor anything else associated with the Spider-Island “event”.) I liked the plot well enough, but could have done without the stereotypical villain appearance and the hokey misunderstanding causing the two heroes to fight each other (hey, wait, this is a sort of Marvel Two-in-One issue, isn’t it?). Plus, I also could have done without the whole, I’m different from everyone else/I’m the Other self-reflection that Jessica does throughout this issue, but that is turned on its ear on the very last panel–it was just too easy and too quick a resolution. In short, I found the story lacking, and Jessica Drew deserves better. As for the art, I liked it better than JR Jr. doing Spider-Woman, but I’ve seen better. The most remarkable thing about this issue? The reprint story commemorating September 11, 2001. That was a hell of a few pages of comics.
Star Trek #1: When I first read that IDW was going to publish “new” stories featuring the new movie Star Trek characters, I was intrigued. But then I heard they were going to retell the classic stories from the Original Series with these new movie characters and . . . I was still interested. And what I’ve concluded is that I probably do not need to read old stories being retold with the new movie characters. What’s the point? If I want to revisit those stories, I will just plop my DVDs into the player and be entertained all over again. That being said, I thought the creative team of Mike Johnson (writer), Stephen Molnar (artist), and John Rauch (colorist) do a pretty darn good job at consistently representing the actors faces and the personalities of the characters as we were shown of them in the movie. I give props to Molnar for his rendition of the Enterprise interiors as well as the exteriors–I’ve read enough Star Trek comics over the years to know that the Enterprise is usually given short shrift by the artists (maybe they think it’s too boring to draw my favorite spaceship?). I don’t believe I will get too many of these issues, but I also have to admit that I am still curious, and hungry for more “new” Star Trek, so we’ll see.
* These are the titles we reviewed:
Longbox Review 