ComicCritic87’s weekly comic book reviews
Week of August 10, 2011
Greetings friends and fellow comic book readers and fans, the ever continuing reviews march on. This week features one of my smallest weeks of recent, 6 issues, a fair amount considering we are winding down with DC into the new 52 while Marvel is still going through the events of Fear Itself. Well it’s a small week so let’s get this started shall we….
Comics this week
DC Comics: Batman & Robin #26, Teen Titans #99
Marvel Comics: Amazing Spider-man #667, Fear Itself #5 of 7, Ghost Rider #2
Other Comics: Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths #3 of 5
Top Picks of the Week
DC Comics: Teen Titans #99
Abridged Story: The team continues to battle Superboy Prime and his Anti-titans. Connor is attacked by the other variants of himself. The team battles their counterparts. Headcase uses the nearby bridge to create it into a giant robot to attack and destroy the Titan Tower, only to be stopped by the entire past members of the legendary team.
Review: This final arc involving the return of Whiny Boy prime has been fun so far, the amount of exposition is on the backburner at the moment and allowing the action moments to take over, which when you are going out, go out with a bang. The other Connors being used is still not brought up as to how they are involved with this, guess we are to assume they are either clones or mind controlled. Everyone gets plenty of pages to show off their fighting skills against these anti-titans. The big reveal of all of the various titan members coming together to protect their home was pretty cool.
Artwork: The cover is a classic face off style cover, one side is the heroes and the other is the villains. The interior artwork is still strong as it has been since I jumped onto this title. The various battle scenes and action beats are well done and well-paced. The two page spread of all the titans was really awesome and well done.
Grade: A-
Marvel Comics: Amazing Spider-man #667
Abridged Story: The events of “Spider Island” has finally kicked off, Peter is shocked to see that his current girlfriend has gained Spider powers like he has, wondering how this could happen is interrupted as they have to say goodbye to Aunt May. Meanwhile The Jackal has gathered all the various crooks and criminals who have gained these powers, giving them a bunch of different outfits of Spider-man. They begin to cause anarchy and chaos in the city. A group of heroes come in and do battle with all these Spider-men, just as the real one joins the fray only to be seen as an enemy, not an ally leaving him amongst the bodies of fallen and defeated enemies.
Review: Now this is how you start off an event properly. This event has just kicked off yet it leaves you wanting to see more at what is about to occur. The pace of this issue was nicely done; we get the ball rolling first with Peter trying to figure out what is going on with Carlie, who has become a much better and fun character in this issue. The Jackal doesn’t do much in this issue other than giving all the crooks and criminals the various costumes of Spider-man, which is interesting as to how he got them since some are his own creation at Horizon lab and FF, I’m sure they are just replicas. When the various heroes arrive to get a hold of the situation was great, seeing them more or less fighting variants of their ally only now they have to see all of them as enemies, including the real one. The somewhat downer is that the new Madame Web does nothing more than messing with the people she has allied with. Keeping Shang Chi from fighting off the criminals and watching Peter getting beaten down by his friends shows how cold her character is. There is a nice dig at the Clone saga when MJ says the line “I swear if we are doing the Clone-thing again, I’m going back to L.A.” that was pretty funny when the company pokes at that mess of a saga.
Artwork: The cover is awesome; it features a variety of heroes wearing some form of a Spider-man outfit (minus Dagger but her outfit does bear the symbol of the Spider). The artist Humberto Ramos has returned to the title after a brief departure from the title and has returned with full force. The artwork is stylistic, faces and reactions of the people are done well in a semi-cartoonish appeal. The action scenes are always full of so much stuff going on in every nook and cranny. The designs of the Jackal and his two spider guards are menacing while not being silly. The final page with all of the fallen Spider-men was done really well, much like a where’s Waldo but with Spider-man.
Grade: A+
Other Comics: Godzilla: Gangsters and Goliaths #3 of 5
Abridged Story: Sato meets up with his son and tells him to get away from the area as Sato has been using the Elias and Mothra to take out the power of the criminal lord Takashi. The Elias warns him not to unbalance the world because if it becomes unbalanced Godzilla comes. Just as he is about to leave the hotel he is in, Takashi arrives and takes the Elias for his own use to take over Japan.
Review: This mini-series is an example of being better than the mainstream series which is hard to imagine since this is more faithful to the Godzilla source material. I enjoy the character and his struggle to regain his life and take out the man who ruined his life. It’s great to see the usage of Mothra being used as a destroyer like the early films were, yet at the same time we see her as a symbol of peace. Once the Big G comes into picture is when this series gets rolling. It’s like watching an old school Godzilla film in small bursts of awesomeness.
Artwork: The cover features Sato and his son arguing while Mothra causes destruction behind them. The interior artwork is some of the best, the designs of the monsters are spot on, and from screen to page they are exactly as how they are depicted. The part with Godzilla and Mothra attacking and destroying stuff brings back fond memories of watching the old school films but in a modern day twist.
Grade: A-
Quick Reviews
DC Comics
Batman & Robin #26: B&R head to Paris to discover its under attack by criminals with strange powers. They fight their way through to discover the French version of the Joker. A strange issue with so much going for it since it’s the last of the Grayson Batman. The artwork adds to the level of surrealism going on. B-
Marvel Comics
Fear Itself #5 of 7: Thor whoops Hulk and the Thing. Val and Franklin Richards revive the Thing and he returns to normal. Captain America gets defeated as the Serpent arrives on earth. A Major turning point in this series, it looks like all things are hopeless. I can’t wait to see what is to come next month. The artwork is Fantastic as always. A-
Ghost Rider #2: Johnny is taken by Mephisto to see who the Serpent is and what the future is to become if this mystery character Adam wins with the power of the Ghost Rider. Johnny heads to the temple to save the new girl who is gaining free will. I loved the banter between Johnny and Mephisto, they play off each other really well. The artwork is great and well done. B+
Well this was an easy week. Hope you all enjoy and give these reads when you get the chance. Next week is return to form, 10 issues once again. Until next time friends, ComicCritic87 out, Peace……