Listen up all you longtime comic book readers here on the site, this is your opportunity to share your thoughts and opinions about this week's newest comic books. Each week I'll be posting some quick bullet reviews of the titles currently on my pull list and anything else I happen to pick up while I'm in my
LCS. I'm only one person and obviously not reading everything so to make this feature as all-encompassing as possible anyone else that wants to participate can. All you have to do is the following:
1: Write a short 1-paragraph review of the current titles you read that week.
2.
Email me your review.
3. Keep spoilers to a minimum and be sure to include your 5-star rating!
4. Include your CBM User name/Twitter handle/Blog/Etc. if you have one
That's it. And things aren't limited to just the titles that are not on my Pull List. You want to voice your opinion on the latest issue of Batman from Scott Snyder or The Amazing Spider-Man from Dan Slott? Covering some creator owned titles over at IDW or Dark Horse or maybe you're reading one of the Mark Millar books? If you've got something to say about what you're reading then feel free to send your reviews my way .
CURRENT PULL
Aquaman
Earth-2
World's Finest
Batman
Batman and Robin
Nightwing
Stormwatch
Justice League
Justice League International
Phantom Stranger
Avengers vs X-Men and all tie-ins
The Amazing Spider-Man
Spider-Men Miniseries
Daredevil
The Walking Dead (Trade Only)
DANGER ZONE
Demon Knights
Redhood and the Outlaws
DROPPED
Resurrection Man
Wonder Woman
Justice League Dark
Superboy
Action Comics
Wonder Woman
Voodoo
*title indicates series ended |
AvsX: Consequences #5 (w) Kieron Gillen (a)Gabriel Hernandez Walta
(c) Jim Charalampidis (cvr) Larroca & Curiel
This issue wraps up the 5-part miniseries from Gillen that's gone a long way towards mitigating my disappointment in Avengers vs X-Men. The series has covered A LOT of ground and set up the MarvelNOW post AvsX world quite nicely. The art has been phenomenal in all five issues but that's a testament to colorists Jim Charlampidis who's colored the pencils of new artists each issue. This is made abundantly clear in this issue by the inconsistent pencils from Walta. MarvelNOW really looks to be shaking up the status-quo for all of our favorite characters, for good or ill. In this case we have Cyclops as the man who 'will do what's necessary' and Wolverine now the 'better man'. Sadly, Gillen's moving on to write Iron Man and Young Avengers, two titles I have zero interest in.
Daredevil: End of Days #2 of 8 (w) Brian Michael Bendis & David Mack (a)Klaus Johnson (c) Matt Hollingsworth (cvr) Alex Maleev
This long delayed title from Bendis is well worth the wait. Two issues in, we're smack in the middle of a riveting story that's raising one question after another but manages to do so with a level of intelligence rarely seen in traditional monthly titles. The art from Johnson and Hollingsworth has a retro flair that won't appeal to everyone but it's refreshing to see something different from the über polished contemporary art we see today. Add to the fact that they're really cramming as many panels as possible on a single page and it feels like you're getting two issues for the price of one. A must buy for any readers out there who like story-driven, mature comic book titles in lieu of mindless action-driven narrative. Everything you dislike about his team approach on Avengers works exceptionally well here.
Stormwatch #14 (w) Peter Milligan (a)Will Conrad & Cliff Richards
(c) Guy Major (cvr) Will Conrad
If you've been following Stormwatch and Demon Knights from their first issues then you'll be glad to see that the two titles are finally beginning to have more direct interaction. Demon Knights founding member Etrigan awakes in the present-day DC Universe sans Jason Blood and is immediately confronted by Midnighter and Apollo. Lots of nice action on display from Conrad and Richards as well as some intriguing seed-planting by Milligan. Overall, a solid issue with the lone head-scratcher being the trouble Apollo (this guy is suppoused to be on Superman's level) had taking down Etrigan. Still, I'm interested to see where Milligan is headed.
World's Finest #6 (w) Paul Levitz (a)Kevin Maguiere & George Perez (c) Rosemary Cheetham & Sandra Hope (cvr) Maguire & Cheetham
The issue featured two different (very distinct) art styles on display from Perez and Maguiere that was immensely distracting. That doesn't help a series on its sixth issue that's yet to create any significant character definition for it's two leads, Power Girl and Huntress. Sure, their contrasting personalities are communicated very efficiently but we've yet to have a story that creates any interpersonal depth. The series has been flying at 100 mph and really needs to slow down. It's very telling when the most interesting character is the guest star.
Earth 2 #6 (w) James Robinson (a)Nicola Scottt (c) Alex Sinclair
(cvr) Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Rod Reis
This issue wraps up the conflict between Green Lantern Alan Scott, Flash Jay Garrick, Hawgirl and Atom Smasher versus Solomon Grundy. The characters are new and fresh, everything one would expect from a modern reinterpretation of Golden Age characters. However, Alan Scott is written more like an alternate version of Hal Jordan and the costume for Atom Smasher looks extremely pedestrian. Also, the leap of logic the plot undertakes in order to subdue Grundy is one of the biggest leaps I've seen in recent memory. Still, the action made for an entertaining read and there's still enough mystery in this world to keep readers coming back for more.
MarvelNOW Iron Man #1(w) Kieron Gillen (a)Greg Land
(c) Guru eFX (cvr) Greg Land
CBM USER: Asterisk | With the ending of Avengers Vs. X-Men and the start of Marvel NOW!, I didn't know what to make of Kieron Gillen and Greg Land's new IRON MAN series. The previews looked interesting enough, but it could still be a give-or-take on the quality. Now that the series has officially launched, I still feel that way about it. I had never read anything by Gillen until AvX: Consequences, but fortunately, he wrote that very well, and that carries over to Iron Man. He writes the character superbly, and tells us a story of an aging Tony Stark that won't admit things are changing. The plot is told seamlessly, but there is a key flaw to it all: Greg Land. I am NOT a fan of the man's work (due to it looking like he traced much better artists' work EVERY PANEL) and it really distracts and takes away from the near-perfect script. Still, I was impressed with this first issue, impressed enough to pick up the next.
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