spider-girl

Pull List Review: 10/26/11 Comics

Eric P. I.1 Comment

Holy cats, I am so far behind in reviews. Here’s the biggest set of comics, I believe, within the last month’s worth of titles. I’ll be working hard at getting the rest of my comics reviews completed soon.

Angel & Faith #2-3: The take away of this comic right now is very simple: Angel is trying to make amends for killing Giles (by bringing him back to life) and Faith is his increasingly unwilling partner. Plus, despite the fact that Angel’s name has first billing, it is Faith whom we really follow in this title. Normally, this lack of focus on a titular character would bug me, but I really like that Faith leads us through the narrative thus far.

Aquaman #2: I have to admit, the Trench are pretty generic adversaries for Aquaman, not to mention their point of origin as shown in very limited form last issue makes it hard to accept that Aquaman had never heard of them? I’m sure we’ll get an explanation soon, especially since Aquaman was tagged by one of the Trench to be taken back “home”. I know that this title has its detractors, but I’m still liking it a lot, especially the art. I can’t wait to see more of Aquaman and Mera being a couple exploring this new phase of their lives.

Daredevil #5: What a great cover! Unfortunately, Matt get’s out of the multiple sniper situation a bit more conventionally than I expected, but still Daredevily. :) I don’t know who the tough guy is that seems to win the fight with DD at the end of the issue, but it’s refreshing to see DD lose a physical confrontation every once in a while, especially since he’s usually presented as the smartest fighter in the ring. Here, he’s doing everything correctly, yet he’s still getting the snot beat of him.

GL: New Guardians #2: Poor Ganthet. I’m sure that his new condition will not be permanent, but the Guardians, as I’ve come to know them ever since Blackest Night, are just bastards! I’m expecting that we’ll get a story where the GL Corps rebels against the Guardians thus changing the core of the Corps, but that’s the future. Right now, Kyle has to contend with the multiple rings wearing him at the end of this issue.

Guarding the Globe #6: Oddfellow and I once discussed on the podcast the sometimes contentious idea of waiting for delayed issues as long as the issue was worth it. The first issue of this title was released in August 2010. The time between the fifth issue and this last issue was three months; the time between the fourth and fifth issues was four months! Did I get an exceptional series? Hell, no. Was there a big payoff, either in plot (worldview) or character? No. Because of the delays and lack of wowness, I just didn’t care anymore. Pretty much what happened in issue one hasn’t really changed by the end of issue six, so this was a waste of time and money. If you haven’t read this series and they put out a trade, i recommend you avoid this title.

Justice League Dark #2: One of the (pardon the phrase) bright spots of Brightest Day was the relationship that developed between Deadman and Dove. Anyone who has followed this blog or listened to the LBR podcast knows how much I care for the Dove character, so all of the appearances in her own series, in DC Universe Presents, and in this issue of JL Dark all equals good to me, but I have to admit, even I’m getting tired of the relationship between Deadman and Dove as it is being shown in the new 52 titles. What was once a sweet romance now appears to be turning sour without much provocation. At this point, especially with what we’re shown in this issue of JL Dark, I just wish the characters would move on. As far as the overall plot of this title, I’m already tiring of not knowing why the Enchantress is doing what she’s doing. Let’s move on already! Great looking art still.

Sixth Gun #16: I am really loving Gord’s backstory, and hope we continue to get more about this man. Other than the beginning of the issue where Becky speaks to her grandfather through time and via the power of the gun she holds, I’m not really caring much about her any longer. In fact, I’m hoping we’ll get more story concerning Drake in the near future.

Spider-Island: Amazing Spider-Girl #3: This was a weak offering focusing on a former interesting character to me. I hope Marvel does something that better fits Spider-Girl. And the artist chose too often to show various characters with their mouths wide open in exclamation.

Supergirl #2: Boring. This issue was mostly a fight scene between Supergirl and Superman. The decompression storytelling style does not benefit this title at this point. Let’s move on and make the character an interesting read. If we continue down this same path, I will be dropping this title.

Superman #2: This was definitely an improvement on issue one. I am really liking the relationship between Clark and Lois as depicted here–it’s different from anything we’ve seen previously with these two. Lois treats Clark as an equal and not, as usually depicted, the hick from Smallville who confounds her as to his scoops. Lois is also instrumental in helping to save Superman from an alien attack.

Voodoo #2: First of all, apologies to Sami Basri for my identifying him as a she on the podcast. Mr. Basri’s art is so far the saving grace of this title. I’m still not convinced that this title is a stinker as much of the Internet seems to think, but at the very least the Basri art is a nice draw. :) I am curious about this mission that Voodoo has, and why she considers humanity weak and contemptible. The adversarial relationship between Voodoo and Fallon could work well, or it could be like that of David Banner and Jack McGee from the Incredible Hulk tv series. Plus, we all now know that Ron Marz has been pulled form the series, so how will that change the tone and direction of the series?

I also read All-Star Western #2 (not much went on in this issue, but it looked good), FF #11 (whoo-wee! I cannot wait to see what happens next issue!), Firestorm #2, I, Vampire #2 (this has moved to my pull list and am still surprised at how much I enjoy this title considering I wasn’t even going to pick up issue one), Savage Hawkman #2, Star Trek #2, and Teen Titans #2 (This is another title that improved in issue two and continues to impress me. Not like I, Vampire, mind you, but still better than I thought this title would be.).

Pull List Review (First Half of September 2011)

Eric P. I.1 Comment

Because Travis & I reviewed the first two weeks of DC’s new 52 comics in episode 10 & 11 of the LBR podcast, I’ll toss the first two weeks of non-DC comics into the review here. To find out what I thought of the first 26 DCnU comics*, have a listen.

Episode 10: DCnU, week 1

Episode 11: DCnU, week 2

Now on with the rest of the comics I read from the first two weeks of September.

Mystic #2: Sigh. While I was impressed with issue one, issue two’s plot devolves into familiar territory: odd girl fitting in (or not really) where she’s not wanted, and odd girl’s best friend works with others against her for a perceived betrayal. Then there’s the problem with the magic MacGuffin: I’m not sure if that’s yet interesting or just overly trodden ground–we’ll see. I still like the alternate reality aspects as well as the art. At times it reminds me of tv animation stills, but I find it very clean and accessible.

New Avengers Annual #1: I do believe I’m starting to get tired of Brian Michael Bendis. I have not been liking the Fear Itself tie-in stuff on this title in general, and in particular, I do not care for this turn in Wonder Man’s character. Not that it’s a bad move necessarily, but I guess it just wasn’t handled with any panache, i.e., it’s your typical former ally turns on you story. I did like in one way the five double-page spreads at the beginning wherein Wonder Man outlines the top five worst things that has happened in the Marvel U because of the Avengers (I assume he means recently). How I did not like the double-page spreads is that I have been reading a lot of comics lately that take use splash pages or two-page spreads (mostly DC books). I think it’s an overused technique that the artist uses to have to draw fewer panels, i.e., we get “less” art, in a way. The rest of the issue is essentially a fight scene and the issue ends with a To Be Continued in Avengers Annual #1, which I will not be getting.

Alpha Flight #4: Ok, 1) this comic needs more Northstar in it and 2) oh my god, what the hell, Vindicator? While she seemed to be motivated in her actions because she wanted her children back and safe, Heather has now just turned into the classic, murdering villain, and what’s the fun in that? This is turning out to be what I was afraid of: you can’t go home again, eh.

Buffy, S9 #1: I’ve said this a few times, wait. Let me start by saying I love Joss Whedon. I think he’s a visionary and a genius, BUT he shouldn’t write comics. Come up with the ideas for them, sure, provide insight and plot points, yes. But write the scripts? I don’t think so. This first issue was ok, and I can see why Buffy is acting the way she is considering the events of last season, but the chronology of this story could have been tighter and better drafted, and I lay at least part of the blame here at artist Georges Jeanty’s hands. I was really hoping Joss and Dark Horse would go with a different artist in Season 9, but here we are. And wtf is up with that ending? Joss is known for pulling the rug out from under you, but that last page was just dumb. It’s a very lovely Jo Chen cover (and maybe the only one?), don’t you think?

Criminal: Last of the Innocent #4: Overall, I enjoyed this tale of lost (and found) love, infidelity, betrayal, and murder. This issue wraps everything up, along with some revelations (including one that came out of left field, so I didn’t care for that). It’s so weird about these kind of stories. In the hands of a good storyteller, you can come away sympathizing with a murderer, and that’s exactly what happens in this comic. So, when you get to the end, and Riley has achieved his goals (killed his unfaithful, bitchy wife, ruined his asshole father-in-law financially, covered his murderous tracks by killing his old, junky friend who figured out what he’d done, and got the girl), that last page of art that transforms the happy couple from the “now” style to the “Life with Riley”, “Archie” style, I was very satisfied with the story since Riley got his happy ending. Side-note: in one panel on that last page, where Riley and Lizzie are walking down the street arm in arm, I was reminded very much of a panel in the Miller/Mazzuchelli Daredevil “Born Again” arc. It’s probably just coincidence, but the possible homage sure lept to the front of my brain when I saw it. I’m looking forward to Brubaker’s and Phillips’s next project, Fatale.

Daredevil #3: Speaking of Daredevil, here’s another great issue from Waid, and the Riveras. I love the look of this book, and Waid is writing some good stuff here. That whole bit with Daredevil and Klaw was masterfully done. Every sound effect is used not just to convey “sound” to us, but to represent how it is sounds to Matt. I even like the legal stuff, which usually bores me in Daredevil comics of the past. Matt and Foggy are being very creative in how they deal with Matt’s courthouse ostracism, though, how will they pay their bills? I was trepidatious about this book when it was announced, but I am fully on board now.

Fear Itself #6: It’s rare that I actually exclaim out loud when reading a comic. After all, I’ve been reading comics steadily for over 30 years–what can possibly surprise me? But every once in a while, I get a little tidbit that does, and in this issue, I got Captain America ordering Odin, king of the Norse gods, around. When Odin protests and starts blustering about who he is, Cap cuts him off. Insert exclamation. :) There’s a nice little scene between Spider-Man and Aunt May (though, I’m not sure by the way this scene was shown: does Aunt May know that Peter is Spider-Man now?), and the rest is just moving the plot along to the big fight at the end of the series, next issue.

New Avengers #16: So, between this title and the few Avengers issues I bought recently (grumble, grumble**), I’m a little tired of the talking head, “interview” panels. Bendis has long been criticized for his talking head scenes in his books, but I haven’t minded them until now. And part of the irritation I’m feeling is that I’m not sure who everyone is talking to (look at the scene with Luke Cage talking about DD), so Bendis using that device to push the plot forward is either amateurish (lazy?) or hasn’t yet been revealed (I hope it’s the latter). Other than that, I enjoyed the spotlight on Daredevil in an Avengers book, plus DD gets the call to join the New Avengers. If that isn’t yet another good reason for me to read this book, I don’t what is.

Spider-Island: Amazing Spider-Girl #2: I really hate it when a story feels padded, and this issue does because it takes the whole issue for the lead character to come to the realization that she would have to team up with the Kingpin when I knew that she would from last issue. Normally, I don’t mind character progression over time, but we only have three issues here, so either issue 2 is wasting the story, or the story isn’t really here to begin with. However, I like Paul Tobin’s portrayal of Anya and that makes up for a lot. Pepe Larraz’s art is a little too heavy handed on the inks, but Andres Mossa’s colors help make up for it by giving a real depth to the art.

Unwritten #28-29: I finally got issue #28 from my comic book shop, but it’s been worth the wait. I got caught up in the mostly flashback tale of Tom’s father and his relationship with a woman comic book artist. This is Mike Carey at his best, when he writes about characters that take over in my head as I read them and they become more than just pencil and ink in front of me. And I’ve just bought into the Cabal’s world view! :D Of course this tale of a comic book creator within a comic book about stories is just about metatextual overload, but it’s so much fun! The covers are great homages to 1930s superhero and pulp magazines, even down to the “wrinkles” and “skuffs” on the “covers”. Great stuff.

* These are the titles we reviewed:

  • Action Comics #1
  • Animal Man #1
  • Batgirl #1
  • Batwing #1
  • Detective Comics #1
  • Green Arrow #1
  • Hawk & Dove #1
  • Justice League International #1
  • OMAC #1
  • Static Shock #1
  • Stormwatch #1
  • Swamp Thing #1
  • Batman & Robin #1
  • Batwoman #1
  • Demon Knights #1
  • Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1
  • Green Lantern #1
  • Grifter #1
  • Legion Lost #1
  • Mister Terrific #1
  • Red Lanterns #1
  • Resurrection Man #1
  • Suicide Squad #1
  • Superboy #1

** I bought Avengers 16 & 17 because they were both solicited as having a story featuring Spider-Woman, and neither issue had anything of the sort. It royally pissed me off.

Pull List Review (8/17/11 Comics)

Eric P. I.Leave a comment

Daredevil #2: Oddfellow and I discussed this title in Episode 8 of the LBR podcast, and upon further reflection, I really like how Matt lawyered his way out of Captain America taking DD in to pay for his crimes while possessed. DD’s comment to Cap about handling Cap’s shield plays so well into the focus by Mark Waid on Matt’s super-senses. It’s this aspect of the title that I’m really liking. The issue ends with a nice cliffhanger moment featuring my first DD villain (again, listen to Ep. 8!), Klaw.

Flashpoint: Abin Sur, the Green Lantern #2-3: A few posts ago, I wrote about reading some other Flashpoint tie-in number ones, this title being one of them. It turned out that Abin Sur was the only one of the bunch that I wanted to finish. I found it interesting that some elements from the GL film worked their way into this series. For example, we get a flashback scene showing Abin Sur training Sinestro. At one point, Sinestro constructs swords to attack Abin Sur, much like Hal did in the movie. The GL uniforms and the look of the Guardians also are influenced heavily from the movie. So . . . does that mean that the movie takes place in the Flashpoint universe??? In issue 3, I really loved the scene where Abin Sur creates a hand from the ring (after Sinestro cuts it off in the previous issue), yelling, “This. IS. WILLPOWER!”. Later, though Abin Sur dies trying to save England and stop the war, but he’s chosen by the White Entity to LIVE. The issue ends with him trying to keep the world from tearing itself apart from the Geo-Force bomb. But that’s the problem, it just ends. There is no resolution to the story that had been built up over the series, or at least one that feels satisfying to me.

Flashpoint: Wonder Woman & the Furies #3: Yet another weak ending to a Flashpoint tie-in. I thought I’d end up liking this series more than others, but it didn’t rise to my expectations. It ended. Meh.

JLA #60: What an interesting issue, and not in all good ways. Please listen to Ep. 8 for my and Oddfellow’s thoughts about this issue, but to follow-up, out of the stories that this JLA team supposedly handled after the Eclipso event, I would have loved to read the Saturn-Thanagar War, followed by the Fortress of Solitude’s renegade robot story, mostly for the focus on Supergirl, which is one of the characters that I actually enjoyed as written by Robinson. I know I’ve written many times about how I’ve been disappointed with Robinson’s run on the title, but I did really like seeing some of the former Titans being on the big team, even though they were portrayed out of character at times (or all the time).

LSH #16: When I saw this issue being solicited and the hand shown on the cover, I knew it would Earth Man to die. Which is too bad, because he’s been the most interesting character of Paul Levitz’s newest run on the title. I never really understood the relationship between Shady and Earth Man, but again, I found it an interesting plot point that never really went anywhere, so Shady’s grief shown towards the end of the issue doesn’t really connect with me. This title used to be full of interesting characters and relationships, but this latest volume has been pretty much devoid of that, preferring action over character. I have read that the new LSH #1 coming in September will be more of the same as the Legion is largely unaffected by the new DCU. If that’s the case, I’m afraid I won’t be long with this title (or its sister title, Legion Lost), but I am hoping that Mr. Levitz wows me because I love the Legion so much.

Spider Island: Amazing Spider-Girl #1: While I didn’t love the Spider-Girl series as much as I did Batgirl, I still was not happy when it was cancelled after only 8 issues. So, at least I get a little more of Anya Corazon in this Spider Island tie-in. It’s nice to see Anya back with spider powers, but will she keep them after this mini-event is over? I hope so. The splash page ending of the Kingpin wall crawling was pretty cool to see, too. I’m looking forward to seeing where they take Anya next.

Zatanna #16: Yet another title that Oddfellow and I discussed in Ep. 8 (I hope you’re not tired of the plugs). While we had our issues with the plot, I thought it was a nice enough ending to a troubled series, and by that I mean it ended without aggravating me. We remain hopeful that the character will get to shine in Justice League Dark (but what a horrible name for a book).

New Comics Wednesday (3/16/11)

Eric P. I.Leave a comment

Oh my god I’ve been lazy! It took me a couple weeks to get over my cold, plus I was just tired (but a very good tired) from the Emerald City Comicon–I may have O.D.’ed on comics! :D Anyway, more stuff coming soon! This is what I’m buying this week:

  • Adventure Comics #524
  • Brightest Day #22
  • DC Universe: Legacies #10–Thankfully, this is ending.
  • Ruse #1–This was my favorite of the CrossGen series, so I’m anxious and excited for the return.
  • Superman #709
  • Unwritten #23
  • Xombi #1–I enjoyed the one issue in which Xombi appeared in Brave and the Bold, so I’m going to see if this first issue grabs me.

I recently picked up a couple series that were pretty good. First of all, Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. is excellent (though I still need to get #4). Second, and this is so weird for me to write because it’s another Marvel series, Spider-Girl was also enjoyable. I didn’t care for the art changes so early in the series, especially since Clayton Henry’s art is so nice looking for this book–if you’re starting a new book, inconsistent art is a turn off.