DC:
DC PICK OF THE WEEK:
Batwoman #4
Written by: J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman
Drawn by: J.H. Williams III
-Batwoman is definitely one of my new favorite characters in the bat-verse. A red-headed lesbian socialite who played in a band by day and a cool kick-ass vigilante by night. It seems quirky at first but once you start reading you get how good it is. J.H. Williams knows how to make characters seem unique in a world full of unique people. I mean stand-out unique, not “oh look I have superpowers I’m a god” unique. His script is fantastic, which involves Flamebird getting beat around town by a zombie man and then being captured by Interpol to get some answers on who Batwoman is. Williams breaks down key elements of each character and involves them into the story in some way. Cameron hates vigilantes so she chases Batwoman while she screws her at the same time. Kathy Kane is fairly independent so therefore she acts out independently as Batwoman. There’s even more where that came from in this book. Williams is as much a genius writer as he is a genius artist. Speaking of the art, it is incredible in every way imaginable. He uses a noir style technique across 4 pages with a black and white image in the background while the real action happens on page in a regular, detailed fight scene. He also tends to blend wistful, ghostly artwork with more stylized elements as to give the switch between pages and art styles a natural flow. It’s smooth and unique and gives the book a pleasant vibe despite the grimness of the story. I could sit here and talk about the art for hours but I’m in school right now so I need to end this review. Basically, Batwoman is a wonderful, wonderful book and you should spend as much money as possible on it as you can. 5/5
MINOR:
Batman and Robin #4
Written By: Peter J. Tomasi
Drawn by: Patrick Gleason
-Tomasi’s run on B&R has impressed me a little so far. I love that the Bruce-Damien dynamic isn’t just a “oh let’s be grim and violent to each other” type situation. They actually feel like a real bickering family, with Alfred serving as the quiet one who only takes action when necessary. Needless to say, in addition to getting the wonderful family dynamic here, we also get a spectacular action sequence in the beginning where Alfred pilots a remote control bat plane and blows up a villain (to an extent). Tomasi really has a solid grip of what’s going on here, and Gleason has a nice grip on the artwork. 4/5
Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #4
Written by: Jeff Lemire
Drawn by: Alberto Ponticelli
-Incredible. That’s all I can say to describe this book. Everything about it is incredible. The art, the plot, the characters, the dynamics, the crazy concepts; it’s all here. I will say this as well; Jeff Lemire is the Grant Morrison of our generation without being Grant himself. The way Lemire introduces weird and high-end concepts into this book and Animal Man is incredible. In this issue, he introduces a sentient monster planet, giant underwater parasites, a toy box with a tank and robot army inside of it, and more. I had so much enjoyment reading this issue because Lemire loves fun. Ponticelli’s sketchy, scratchy style only helps to compliment the high concepts being introduced, with lots of detailed battles and such. A breakthrough issue, 4.5/5.
Green Lantern #4
Written by: Geoff Johns
Drawn by: Doug Mahnke
-I admire Geoff Johns for making a bold move and putting Sinestro in the lead role, as he is a villain and Green Lantern is a hero book. It also makes for some interesting character choices for Sinestro, as he essentially adopts the role of a “hero” to save his people even though he is more of a villain. This is the first time in a while we’ve seen Sinestro do something really heroic, and it’s enjoyable. Even Hal, my least favorite lantern, gets in a couple of moments that make the character worth reading. The action sequences and ending scene are spectacular, mostly due to Doug Mahnke’s spectacular line-work and the solid coloring with its even mix of greens, yellows, reds, and purples. It’s a good book that you should be reading, which is odd because I hate most lantern books. 4.5/5
Resurrection Man #4
Written by: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Drawn by: Fernando Dagnino
-Resurrection Man finally gets it right; instead of straight action scenes we get action scenes mixed in with background story and plot advancement. Dan and Andy have finally found their niche after three issues of cluelessness. Fernando’s artwork seems a bit proto-90’s but it works for this type of book. 4/5
Superboy #4
Written by: Scott Lobdell
Drawn by: R.B. Silva and Rob Lean
-Scott Lobdell draws me in more and more into a character I absolutely hate. I even hate Superboy on Young Justice. Yet I can’t help but enjoy this book because I find his isolation and egotistical thoughts relatable. The action scenes are done really well, with the artwork matching the snarky dialogue. Overall I give it a 3.5/5.
MARVEL:
Ultimate X-Men #4
Written by: Nick Spencer
Drawn by: Paco Medina
-I liked this issue, even if the religious parts got overly preachy. The artwork was actually decent on this one, mixing detailed drawings with simplistic backgrounds and atmosphere. Medina is good at blending art styles. Spencer needs to show more action because we’ve received too much exposition for an X-book. 3.5/5
IMAGE:
Pigs #4
Written by: Nathan Cosby
Drawn by: Ben Temura
-I think I’m done with Pigs. The plot isn’t developing all that much and we’re already 4 issues in. The artwork is solid and simple with lots of structure to it but this book goes absolutely nowhere. 2.5/5
Severed #5
Written by: Scott Snyder
Drawn by: Attila Futaki
-Scott Snyder’s story is gripping and suspenseful and I love it. Severed is a master-class execution of the suspense-style of horror stories while adding a cannibalistic aspect that makes it unique. The chalky, faded artwork suits it too. 4/5
DARK HORSE:
Orchid #3
Written by: Tom Morello
Drawn by: Scott Hepburn
-As slowly as it is developing, Morello’s story in this issue is mostly exposition on who General China is and what he did. The story only moves toward something near the end, but the back-story on China was cool. Hepburn’s art is unique and murky. 3.5/5