DC
PICK OF THE WEEK:
Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1-pick of the week-That page 15 Splash page oh my god. So much badassery, so much uber-detailed artwork, and so much everything. This book was one of the reasons I wanted to try the DC relaunch in the first place. It’s such a cool and interesting concept you can’t help but just sit back and admire how cool it is. Frankenstein and an army of classic monsters all decked out like mercenaries are of the most amazing things about the relaunch. Jeff Lemire is writing this book, and I can tell you he brings his A-game like he always does. He brings his signature “family relationship” style here, focusing on how the characters interact and work with each other. It’s character development gold, and that’s why his work on Animal Man and Sweet Tooth has been so good. He brings an emotional dynamic to the table, making you feel for characters that probably would’ve been one note in the hands of most other writers. I have a great admiration for Lemire’s work, and he still continues to never disappoint. He can also write “badass and edgy” just as well. These characters are freaking cool as hell, and just define the word “imaginative”. The artwork is another great part about this book. It’s not so much the coloring as it is the line work and inking. Alberto Ponticelli has a way of making things look “fleshy” meaning that a lot of details go into the build and line work for characters body parts. I mean just look at the arms of characters and you’ll know what I mean. It’s so gritty and detailed you just sit back and admire the whole thing. This book would even be good in black and white. I will definitely be following this series so long as it has this creative team. 5/5
MINOR:
Mr. Terrific #1-This was an extremely fun book. Michael Holt is the Reed Richards of DC by far. An intelligent, upstanding character with personal tragedy in his background. I just adore the hell out of this book and I can’t wait to follow it from here on out. The artwork was fairly impressive too. 4/5
Superboy #1-I thought it was pretty cool and worth reading into. I’ve never liked Super-books and I still enjoyed this, but I can’t explain it. 3.5/5
Batman and Robin #1-I honestly thought I wouldn’t enjoy this book because Bruce and Damian are too similar characters. However, I found myself surprised because the interaction between them was so much fun. The constant bickering simultaneously meeting with the respect they had for each other was an interesting dynamic to work from, rather than being two kids with a mean streak. The story feels a little safe and only pulls a few punches, but it’s pretty satisfying overall. The artwork wasn’t as detailed as it could’ve been but the inking and shading was nice and the coloring of dark blues, blacks and bright reds contrasted in a good way. I find myself satisfied, yet wanting more out of B&R. 4/5
Batwoman #1-I initially thought this was good, then suddenly I didn’t like it. Sorry I wasn’t a fan. I see everybody raving over this book when really it’s a bit of a standard story with some interesting experimental artwork. I wasn’t hooked, so I’ll probably be dropping this title. Oh well 2.5/5
Green Lantern #1-I’ve never ever wanted to read a Green Lantern book ever. But with a villain becoming the hero of this title, I just had to pick it up. Geoff Johns didn’t disappoint here. His writing drew me in like it did on Justice League and my god did I enjoy it. So much personality, so much amazing writing, and a lot of great characterization. I’m practically in love with this book now. I will definitely start following from here. Oh the artwork is decent too. 4/5
Red Lanterns #1-I unintentionally laughed so hard at this. It’s got the 90’s EXTREME aesthetic everywhere. Milligan’s writing is good, but this book is too stuck in the 90’s to be worth following. 3/5
Resurrection Man #1-What else can I say other than this is great. It’s humorous, serious and gripping all at the same time. The character isn’t so much a cool concept as he is a great character. Mitch Shelley is probably one of the best leads in comics since forever. I liked the artwork and how unusually subtle it was. It never wasted time with overblown drawings. 4.5/5
Demon Knights #1-I was a little underwhelmed here, and that’s what I was expecting. I knew some of the characters like Etrigan and Xanadu, but the story was a jumbled mess. Lots of switch ups with flashbacks and present day scenes only served to confuse me. The dialogue was decent for a book of this ilk but the artwork was phenomenal, especially with that end page artwork. The coloring is definitely the strongest part of the book as it brings life to the whole thing. 3/5
Grifter #1-I wasn’t too impressed with this, but I’ll give it a second issue to hook me in. The character of Cole Cash is certainly interesting, but I couldn’t really care about him ever. The artwork is pretty sub par and a little lazy. The story itself was kind of cool though. 2.5/5
Deathstroke #1-One of the titles in this, “Back to Basics”, is a really suitable title. It’s a back to basics book with lots of ass kicking, over the top sequences and overall fun. The dialogue is decent, but the real draw is the artwork, which contains lots of details and gritty line work with suitable background work. 3.5/5
Suicide Squad #1-The artwork and story were really boring and I didn’t enjoy it at all. I wish I didn’t read this honestly. 1/5
Legion Lost #1-already dropping this. Sure the artwork was nice, but it was such a slow read I couldn’t even bother trying to focus on it. Man was this boring. The characters were static and the whole issue just fell flat. Unless you’re Legion-savvy, I wouldn’t recommend this. 2/5
Marvel:
PICK OF THE WEEK:
Daredevil #3-This new Daredevil is great. I mean, really great. This is the first time I’ve ever truly been invested in the character. I’ve never cared for Marvel because the whole of it was too convoluted. This though, is just fantastic. The writing really just gets to the heart of Matt Murdock and makes it a compelling book. I will tell you to buy this a million times over, and it still wouldn’t be enough. Even the artwork is something I can get on. The book is refreshing in both aspects of writing and art, and it’s just too good to pass up. I expect you readers to follow suit and get it. 5/5
Minor
Ghost Rider #3-I’m thoroughly enjoying the new Ghost Rider more than I thought I would. A female in the lead role is just the kick start this series needed to be good again. The super detailed artwork was nice as well. 4/5
Ultimate Spider-Man #1-I enjoyed the new version of Spider-Man. He’s a unique character, and is certainly refreshing from the endless peter parker we get every month. I will be rooting for this series in the long run. 3.5/5
Fear Itself #6-This series has been uninteresting and too fast paced as a whole, and the same continues here. Too fast-paced, too many sub-plots, etc. There’s too much of everything. I do have to say the artwork is fantastic though. 3/5
Dynamite:
Green Hornet Year One #12-The perfect conclusion to one of my favorite runs by one of my favorite writer/artist combos. 5/5