DC:
PICK OF THE WEEK:
Batman and Robin #2
Written by: Peter J. Tomasi
Drawn by: Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray
-This is not Grant Morrison’s Batman and Robin, yet the comparing is probably going on as we speak. Bruce and Damien have an interesting relationship, one that’s not just “keep it gritty and dark” but more of a complex one. Bruce is really trying to be a father in this situation and I commend him for that. It shows that Tomasi isn’t making Bruce out to be a one trick pony. On the action side of things this gets really cool, with Damien kicking all sorts of ass and showing off his skills. Bruce even gives him a thumb up for his work. The villain introduces is pretty cool, but it has a minor appearance so far. On the art side of things this book is extremely good and it takes master craftsmanship to get something so simple yet so subtle with the details. An excellent book. 4.5/5
MINOR:
Batgirl #2
Written by: Gail Simone
Drawn by: Ardian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes
-Batgirl has been impressive so far. Not only has it made me care about Barbara as Batgirl again, but it also details her struggle with walking again. That sort of thing gets me interested in what could’ve been a fairly standard superhero comic. Gail Simone works her strengths here and plays everything out nicely. Mirror is a pretty cool villain as of now, especially because of his motives. He’s not your typical serial killer. That being said, this issue’s balance of exposition and action was way off and the art felt a little chunky at times. 4/5
Batwoman #2
Written by: J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman
Drawn by: J.H. Williams III
-I admit, the first issue was a bit of a turn off for me. It had little to no direction I wasn’t enjoying it like I should’ve. This issue rectifies the last issues mistakes with a comprehensible story, decent art and likable characters. I love that they actually play out the mystery elements of the bat-family too. 3.5/5
Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #2
Written by: Jeff Lemire
Drawn by: Alberto Ponticelli
-The real draw of this book right now isn’t Frankenstein and his team so much (though that is important), it’s the way Lemire and Ponticelli deal with these characters. Lemire’s writing is great as usual, with great character development. Ponticelli’s sketchy and scratchy style is a real visual pleaser here that should draw much attention. 4/5
Green Lantern #2
Written by: Geoff Johns
Drawn by: Doug Mahnke
-I love Sinestro as Green Lantern. He does a lot to be more heroic and redeem himself here. It’s quality character development, a skill which Geoff Johns has mastered. Doug Mahnke’s sharp art compliments the book in every way and gives it a bigger personality. 4/5
Mister Terrific #2
Written by: Eric Wallace
Drawn by: Gianluca Gugliotta
-I love the techno-geek speak in here. A lot of people I’ve lent the series too say it’s too uncomfortable but I love it. It just rolls off the tongue. The story is moving pretty slowly but the art and development are great. 3/5
Resurrection Man #2
Written by: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Drawn by: Fernando Dagnino
-Yay Resurrection Man!!!! This series is just so much fun so far and it has an interesting enough premise to keep me hooked. Hopefully we’ll see some major character development with Mitch, because the shtick isn’t going to last long. Other than that the artwork is pretty solid with nice use of shading and coloring. 3.5/5
Superboy #2
Written by: Scott Lobdell
Drawn by: RB Silva and Rob Lean
-Superboy gets interesting again by building up to a plot of epic scales. The artwork is fairly standard but it doesn’t detract from what’s going on here. The story is solid and Lobdell gives his characters real human emotions. 3.5/5
Shade #1
Written by: James Robinson
Drawn by: Cully Hamner
-The Shade was a decent book, really. James Robinson writing, Starman and freaking Deathstroke; it’s all here. The story takes an interesting turn near the end of the book that will have me coming back for more. Hammer’s art is beautiful as well, with his pencils being complimented by nice, thick ink lines
MARVEL:
PICK OF THE WEEK:
Punisher #4
Written by: Greg Rucka
Drawn by: Marco Checchetto
-This issue of Punisher was mostly expository but damn was it good. The characters are realistic enough for me to care about, which is a huge problem in too many marvel books. Marvel often makes boring, unrelatable characters like Hulk (yes I hate Hulk) and Galactus (yes I hate Galactus as well). Frank Castle is believable as is Norah Jones, one a vigilante who lost his family in war and the other a struggling reporter. Rucka provides situations for these characters to work in that are real and refreshing. I love what this book has been doing for me as a whole. It reminds me why I simultaneously love and hate Marvel. Marco’s art is solid as well, with thick, bulgy characters and a solid sense of storytelling structure. 4.5/5
MINOR:
Ghost Rider #4
Written by: Rob Williams
Drawn by: Matthew Clark
-Ghost Rider has been an okay series so far. I was excited for this book. I can say that with all honesty. But man is this book just dragging me down. This is the perfect example of piss-poor balancing in a comic, either using too much action or too much dialogue. It really annoys how an issue can be 75% exposition or action. Rob really needs to get a handle on this book. The artwork is fantastic though, with lots of details and multiple color shades working within each other to give the book some style with its visuals. 2.5/5
Ultimate Spider-Man #3
Written by: Brian Michael Bendis
Drawn by: Sara Pichelli
-Miles Morales is a cool Spider Man with un-convoluted plot behind him. As much bashing as the character’s received by the right wing community, his stories are cool already. Marvel has succeeded in making their comics penetrable again and I’m glad. Good story, good art, and good buy. 4/5
Ultimate X-Men #2
Written by: Nick Spencer
Drawn by: Paco Medina
-Ultimate X-men was mostly just boring action scenes spiced together with some sweet dialogue and storytelling. Can’t wait to see how Human Torch pans out in this. Art is incredible. 3/5
IMAGE:
Pigs #2
Written by: Nate Cosby & Ben McCool
Drawn by: Breno Temura
-Pigs was great this week. ‘nuff said 4/5
DARK HORSE:
OTHER PICK OF THE WEEK:
Orchid #1
Written by: Tom Morello
Drawn by: Scott Hepburn
-Usually when musicians do comics, it goes horribly wrong. This here seems to be the one exception I could find. Tom Morello’s work in RATM and The Nightwatchman must’ve influenced his work, because this book has some major political overtones. The political overtones actually do help with the book, because they give a background for the story that wouldn’t have been there without them. The story begins with a revolution then goes into a post-apocalyptic fantasy world following a revolutionary and a stripper. Oh, and it has mutated sea monsters. Yeah, that is pretty damn cool. Tom Morello’s sense of lyricism comes through in his writing, with the monologues evoking a folksy, Bob Dylan-esque sensibility and the characters speak in intelligent, yet not impenetrable manners. Tom really needs to get a feel for conversation though, because it seems these characters can’t hold a conversation worth damn. Other than that, Scott Hepburn’s art is pretty awesome, using jagged line work complimented by thick inks that are reminiscent of Sweet Tooth. The coloring really has a Vertigo vibe, even though it is a Dark Horse book. I think this book has a lot of potential if it could at least fix some of the problems. Plus, it comes with a free song! 4/5