ComicCritic87 and Weedbeater Monthly Comics roundup
Month of October 2011
Greetings friends and fellow fans of comics, another month has finished and once again me and Weedbeater team up to pick what are our top reads for the month of each week that has passed. This month of October the second round of the DCNU continues, how do the second issues far after very impressive first issues, find out which ones made in these picks.....
ComicCritic87’s Top Picks
Week #1- October 5th, 2011
Swamp Thing #2
Story: Alec Holland is greeted by a former fighter pilot who became a part of the Green and was infused with the power of a swamp being prior to Alec’s time. He warns of a coming creature that is known throughout various cultures and beliefs that is the opposite of what the Green represents. Alec is also told that he has not fully tapped into the power of the Swamp Thing, that the being possessed Alec when he died, leaving very little consciousness of Alec intact, whereas the prior Swamp thing has all his thoughts still. Alec wishes to be left alone but as the Swamp being leaves he warns Alec not to trust a woman with white hair. Alec is left alone as he is greeted by a woman who suddenly becomes a zombie and attacks Alec. The entire town is under the possession of the dark creature. Alec is soon saved by a motor cycle rider. They escape the town and the cycle rider reveals herself to be Abigail Arcane and she wants to kill Alec.
Review: This series is already on the top 5 must reads of the DC readings. I enjoy the dark and dreary aspect that it gives this character. I admire the writer for slowly building up the return of Alec Holland as Swamp Thing, so far we have seen Alec trying to have a “normal” life and then having his life torn between his past and future. Scott Snyder is one of the best writers DC has gotten on their hands; he gives such depth to the character as well as the prior Swamp Being, further expanding what the Green is to non-followers of the characters turbulent past. The mystery creature that is the embodiment of death, decay, and destruction is a very haunting idea, that to its credit gives us a greater and deeper sense of what is the pure fore of Good (The Green) and the horrific force of Evil (Sethe). The reveal of an Arcane still being around seemed inevitable but the way she was introduced makes her sound like a potential threat after Sethe.
Artwork: The art by Yanick Paquette is one of the most gorgeous and beautifully done in any series, nearly as good as Jim Lee’s artwork. The cover, while not interesting, is well thought it. It features Alec Holland being held against his will by the former Swamp Thing. The inner artwork has some of the best panels where they fit in so much detail. When the fighter pilot gets taken over by the Green or the embodiment of what Sethe is. Another great idea is the way Sethe has possessed people, having their heads twist 180 and going crazy; it’s just a very weird and downright creepy looking thing.
Grade: A-
Week #2- October 12th, 2011
Amazing Spider-man #671
Story: The events of Spider-Island continues as Mary Jane Watson has developed her spider powers later than most yet not succumbing to the power of The Queen, MJ heads over to the church where Anti-venom was to lend a hand to the people getting attacked. Meanwhile Peter has to confront the transforming and possessed Jameson from killing Smythe, but he is losing too much blood and won’t last that much longer. The Queen discovers that Horizon labs is making the cure and uses one of the girls at the lab to attack just before she is treated, which she is unable to do as Reed Richards injects the girl and cures her from the infection. The Jackal finds the perfect tool to get into the laboratory, Kaine a clone of Peter and fully monster at the moment. A few of Horizons students talk with Eddie Brock as the Anti-venom suit is being siphoned from him to create a large dose of the cure, one of their guards leaves to access one of the lower tunnels, who is revealed to be MORBIUS, what scheme is he up to, we don’t know at this point as Kaine has infiltrated the lab and has brought with him a powerful agent that will render the cure inert. Just before he does, Peter swings in and battles his powerful clone monster brother. He uses some of his new martial arts style but Kaine has studied that form well enough to counter attack. Meanwhile, Reed Richards and the crew at Horizon work on a device to counter the effects of the jammers to allow Spider-man to regain his Spider-sense, they get it fixed just in the nick of time as Spider-man is now enhanced by both his Spider-sense and the Martial arts making him even stronger. Kaine is knocked into the vat of the cure and returned to human form and tells Peter of the Queen is the cause of all this. The Queen is mad and no longer playing to her rules, she kills The Jackal by sonic screeching at him as The Queen and Madame Web seem to have mind linked and make the Queen as powerful as a god (which in the Marvel universe is no biggie). The issue ends with the words TO BE CONCLUDED
Review: This event is by far the best thing that Spider-man has been in currently, Origin of the Species was alright but felt like it could have been more and One Moment in Time, was a jumbled mess but somewhat coherent in parts, yet with the new shift in character this is one of the best things about these new changes. I love how each issue has upped the scale of this event, in the beginning it was nothing more than Spider powered New Yorkers, and soon it escalates into full outbreak with monsters attacking all over the city with small pockets of various side stories going down (none of which I had a chance to read) just to show how big this infection has spread. As far with the main story and this issue into the event it pretty much has a lot of buildup and has to pretty much end gloriously on the highest note possible or will be laughed off as a big miss the mark moment. That’s what makes reviewing the second to last issue to an event the hardest since it is where the comic has to hold off from giving us a lot in order to give us a great conclusion. This issue easily establishes a lot of things; MJ is fine and hasn’t been taken over by the Queen for some reason, Kaine is returned to “normal” and most likely going to be the new Scarlet Spider (I’m putting all my money on that one), Morbius is back again with his own intentions, The Queen is super pissed that her two guards are free from their bonds and now is going all out to get after Spider-man once and for all. I’m sort of glad that Spider-man has gotten his Spider-sense back after the events prior involving Smythe and the insect invasion; I was expecting something new especially with all the new costumes he has created and was all really awesome to see. I cannot wait to see this event conclude, I’m pumped to see where it goes.
Artwork: Humberto Ramos has been one of the bestselling points for this issue and series overall. Many give him flack about having bad artwork but this artwork is one of best for this character. His style of making the characters feel loose and limber is pretty much what works, since Spider-man is a very acrobatic fighter and mover, even MJ and Kaine act this way. Also another aspect Ramos does great is women, they have some of the best curves I have ever seen, The Queen has a Power Girl style rack, they are a sight to behold. Speaking of which, the cover of the of this issue features Mary Jane Watson wearing a seductive outfit, a Spider-man tank top, pink panties, and long socks or stockings, she is posing on a brick wall with a Spider-man logo circling her much like the Cartoon and early comics did much like a “Spider-symbol”. The inner artwork has a lot of great action panels with MJ, Ben Grimm, and Spider-man all getting in some amazing fight time. Also the design of Kaine once he has returned to normal was pretty cool seeing he isn’t an exactly duplicate of Peter, he has his own look with scruff on his chin and longer hair. The weirdest panel for this issue is when Jackal is killed; the way it looks doesn’t show much leaving us a bit confused as to how Queens’s sonic screech killed him except for the words “flayed the meat from his bones”. This artwork should not be attacked; it should be praised for how much fun it gives to the character and the story.
Grade: A-
Week 3- October 19th, 2011
Catwoman #2
Story: Catwoman and Batman lay in post coitis as she monologues about still seeking revenge on the Russian mobsters that she has stolen a prized painting of one of them to lure both into a trap. She sulks to her friend Lola about the painful memories that resurfaced after seeing the man that killed her friend. Selina goes incognito as she attends a big party that Bruce Wayne is throwing. She and Bruce have sexy banter as their alter-egos while the trap is about to go off. Catwoman lets the trap happen but Bruce tries to intervene, instead Catwoman straddles Bruce with her thighs and kisses him while setting off a fire cracker to let all the mobsters shoot at each other. She leaves winning the war and gaining all the money the two gangs left behind. She returns to Lola only to find her dead, grief stricken she gets attacked by mobsters led by a man simply known as Bone.
Review: Well you all knew that I was a huge fan of the first issue, that it was a fun and so dirty that it was so good. If people thought Batman and Catwoman implying they are having sex, seeing them cuddling after doing the bat deed is even more jaw dropping (I will get to that in the art). The story does continue to pick up from the last issue where Selina is more of a down and out thief rather than being the world’s best, which she still is, but showing how low she has gotten more recently despite the huge reboot. I pretty much enjoy how Judd Winick gives us a different take off of anti-heroine escapades. The moment at the party was a great example between Selina and Bruce’s human sides enjoying the limelight while their costumed forms are more dark and dirty. This second issue does a good job of leaving you with page turning excitement, each page you never expect what you think will happen. The sudden dark turn with the issues ending was great and does come out of nowhere which really helps add weight to Catwoman giving her world a sense of unease.
Artwork: I’m now a huge fan of Guillem March and his artwork, I never seen a better match up since Peanut Butter and Jelly. The cover is befitting the mood and atmosphere the issue is all about. The cover features Batman and Catwoman passionately kissing one another atop a Gargoyle, showing how much thrills they get out of being their costumed persona’s. The inner artwork is nothing short of amazing, the first few pages do feature the actual moments of Batman and Catwoman getting their freak on, the final moment of that features a smiling Batman with his arm behind his head relieved of what has occurred. This small sequence more or less is what is kind of exploitive but still fits with the series. The rest of the pages are great, seeing Selina using disguises are still nice to see even if they are more or less LOOK AT ME outfits, but that fits, she likes to standout in a crowd and that is what Selina is all about. The final moments where she gets beating badly is dark and brutal, showing how well Guillem can do violent acts.
Grade: A-
Week 4- October 26th, 2011
Teen Titans #2
Story: Continuing from the events of issue #1, Cassie and Tim head to Cassie’s house in California to rest and recover, Tim questions why that NOWHWERE has attempted a second attack on them both. Tim and Cassie spend the night together (He was sleeping on the couch) as he awakes he watches the news about a mystery creature a woman calls Skitter. Tim heads over to see what it could be and learns that it is a young woman’s twin sister who developed her meta-human abilities and became an insect-human hybrid. Tim heads into the sewers to look for her; he is not alone as a mercenary is tracking down Skitter. Tim goes on the offense but soon sees something he didn’t expect, the mercenary are twins and they can teleport not just around Tim but also around one another but also through each other. Tim manages to fight them both off until they leave to find Skitter, which they do but find she is more formidable than anyone expected. She attacks Tim but soon Cassie comes to the rescue and returns the favor Tim gave her and leaves, while Tim tries to find a way to get Skitter out on the surface. Meanwhile over with Kid Flash, he escapes the prison he was held in, he takes out the guards but he finds a fellow captured heroine named Solstice (a former member from the last continuity) pleading for help as her power is going crazy.
Review: Since I jumped onto the Teen Titans title I been enjoying the light hearted nature of the series, even when Damian was around they team united dynamic was really great and fun. Yet I was disappointed that other aspects were never met, they teased the new black Aqua lad joining the Titans, to coincide with Young Justice, however that has not happened and now we have the new relaunch to thank for that. However, since the reboot I have been enjoying this book out of the other team books in the DCNU that I’m reading (which are Justice League, JLI, JLD, Demon Knights, and Teen Titans), this book is my second favorite next to Demon Knights. The story of having teen heroes becoming more active and the villains of NOWHERE are interesting, what is their true motive behind gathering up teen heroes, what “war” is coming? This series gives us tiny tidbits over what is to come while still giving us plenty of story as well as character development. This new take of Tim Drake, I’m becoming a HUGE fan of, I like the way they make him pretty likable and understanding hero, not being a sidekick but more of a hero in his own right, still carrying the Red Robin title and having his own true identity as a Hero. Cassie is developing interesting as well, it seems that Scott Lobdell is creating some form of a relationship between Tim and Cassie, Tim even jokes that he’s afraid he is going to fall in love with her. The new character of Skitter is a great new character to develop; maybe she is going to be the “animal” person in this group. Superboy does get a bit of dialogue too but he is still being used as a weapon and hasn’t become a part of the team. It may be best if readers do pick up Teen Titans and Superboy to make sure you know what happens in one may affect the other.
Artwork: The artwork by Brett Booth is a strong fit with this book and its characters. The cover features the main focus of the story, Red Robin and Wonder Girl wrapped up by Skitter who has a menacing grin to her, this doesn’t happen but is nicely drawn. The new costume changes are some of the best, people have complained about Red Robins new look but it fits with the drastic changes, I was never a fan of his last costume which was homage to the Earth-2 version of the character, the new design is much more functional and a better take on being “original”. The other character designs are done nicely, I like Superboy in his Tron inspired suit, Cassie’s sexy red riding hood style, Kid Flash is pretty much the same, however it’s Solstice that I’m disappointed with. In the prior timeline Solstice was a bright heroine with a costume inspired by her Hindu upbringing. From what we see in this series so far is her body being enveloped by blackness and lightning cracks forming, what this means I’m curious about what her power may be.
Grade: A-
Up next is Weedbeater and his top picks of the Month
Weedbeater’s picks
Week #1-October 5th, 2011
Action Comics #2
Story: Superman gets tortured by a snide, jealous Lex Luthor. He escapes the facility he's trapped in and goes to his rocket to "recharge".
Review: Grant Morrison is one of the most talented writers in comics ever. I don’t care what your opinion is; it's a damn straight fact in my mind. He weaves intricate stories with lots of psychedelia and Silver Age-campiness that makes his work so very enjoyable to read. Basically, his books are something a lot of comics aren’t: fun. Fun is the keyword here, as this is the most fun version of Superman we’ve had in a long time. This Superman actually cares about the well being of his people and he has love for adventure. He’s not “cold and stale” Superman, he’s 1938 Superman filtered through a Grant Morrison lens. I wouldn’t have it any other way. We see Superman as a bad-ass champion of the people with a few character flaws that only seem to make him more human. Speaking of humans, let’s talk Lex Luthor. Lex is still a cold, unforgiving bastard this time around, but hints of jealousy are detected in his attitude and tone. Again, Morrison works wonders here. His story has a real nice progression to it too, giving us an extended sequence then speeding things along to keep the readers interests vested. Morrison deserves all of the praise he gets from rabid comic fans, and AC is only further proof of that.
Artwork: Rags Morales delivers some fine artwork pieces here. His use of kinetic movement and over the top panel structure only helps to bring the book back to 1938 Superman. Special mention goes to the coloring, because it is a book where coloring isn’t just a necessity. It actually visually enhances what’s being looked at.
Summary: Another spectacular Morrison issue if I do say so myself
Grade: A+
Week #2-October 12th, 2011
Orchid #1
Story: A prostitute and the last surviving member of a band of freedom fighters team up to take on a post-apocalyptic universe.
Review: Tom Morello is one of my favorite musicians ever, but usually when musicians write comics the results are often disastrous. Not here though; Tom Morello takes the mistakes of what past musicians/writers did and flips them upside down. This is a fine example of a dystopian, post-apocalyptic tale. A small group is formed in order to take o a tyrannical world; it’s been done so many times before but the medium feels extremely fresh in this book. I’ve seen this book get a lot of flak for having too much setup. The thing is, it needs that setup because it’s a brand new series. When did writers get so jaded about getting involved in the world of a brand new story? I love the setup here and I love getting involved. The political overtones are a nice complement here, hinting at his work with RATM. Also, you get a free song with each issue. How cool is that? It would be nice if more writers offered up extras in books. Most writers think their stories can stand alone by itself. Well if you’re brand new to the writing business, you better offer up some extras to compensate for what could be poor writing. I applaud Mr. Morello’s work in bringing us a fine crafted comic with a neat little extra to boot.
Artwork: Scott Hepburn’s pencils are typically gritty here, with lots of stereotypical art styling throughout. However, the level of hyper detail he puts into his pencils more than makes up for it. The color palette on the book is a little bland though.
Summary: Tom Morello and Scott Hepburn give us a nice little book with a neat little extra.
Grade: B+
Week #3-October 19th, 2011
Superior #6
Story: Superior loses his powers in front of his “dream girl”. She admits her past to him, and takes him to visit an orphanage. With Abraxas brewing trouble in the city, Superior is forced to choose between selling his soul for powers or living a natural human life. Will he sell his soul to the devil-monkey?
Review: Man, isn’t that just the coolest little storyline up there? It sounds crazy and over the top that it makes me just want to reread my back issues of Superior over and over again. Oddly enough, very little craziness or action happens in this issue, and that’s why I picked it. Surely a mostly expository issue can’t be that good? Well folks, you’re wrong on that one. If this is Millar’s fantasy movie, then this is the part where something genuinely heartwarming happens in a sea of action. This issue tugged at my heartstrings just a little, mostly because I’ve helped kids who live in orphanages. Millar tones down his usual play of curse words to give us an integrating and heart-felt story. Superior’s loss and running away from home to be free only hammer home this fact. He’s a boy who feels disconnected to the world because of his condition, so Superior was his chance to be something he always wanted to be; a walking, semi-normal man. I just love everything about this issue, from the orphanage visit to the beginning loss to the discovery of hard choices later on. It’s all just damn perfect. The only thing that upsets the flow of the book is the ending, where destruction and chaos are happening. However, it’s going to set up the epic, 40-page climax to the story.
Artwork: Leinil Yu’s pencils are amazing here. He draws loud, bombastic and excessively, never shying away from the finer details. His work brigs the pages to life. The coloring is kind of murky here but it still fits the book nicely.
Summary: Another excellent Mark Millar book that is completely worth your time
Grade: A
Week #4-October 26th, 2011
Justice League Dark #2
Story: Deadman gets rowdy and frat boyish, Zatanna senses a disturbance in the force, and Constantine goes nuts. Also, Shade the Changing Man is nowhere to be found.
Review: Surely you must be thinking, “why such a random choice for pick of the month?” Well I’ll tell you why; the book is a bit of a personal attachment for me. And it’s damn good. I started reading comics on these characters and not the traditional superhero fare. I’ll always be a classic Vertigo man at heart, and this book feels like it was pulled straight out of early 90’s Vertigo. The characterization, the tone, the mystical storyline; it’s all here in one little 20 page comic book. Deadman devolves into a bit of a frat-boy jerk off, Zatanna remains an uneasy yet classy lady and Constantine is still F-#$%-in nuts and oddly jolly. Milligan probably has a blast writing these characters and all of their crazy shenanigans. He writes the book like its namesake, dark. It’s a classy kind of dark as well, not the “twisted mutilated bodies” way but more of the “supernatural-creepy” kind of way. It allows for real genuine story to take place. Best of all, we only get one forced superhero cameo in Dove, but it works because she is in a relationship with Deadman. My only gripe with the issue is no Shade, the character Milligan writes best.
Artwork: Mikel Janin is a rising force in comics, and rightfully so. He can draw really creepy art, but he always keeps it pseudo-realistic. As a result, the artwork is nerving and unnatural, but totally cool in a great way.
Summary. JL: D finally feels like it’s becoming its own book, and hopefully it can fully spread its wings later on.
Grade: B+