Amazing Spider-Man #639
Joe Quesada (w), Paolo Rivera, Joe Quesada, Danny Miki, Richard Isanove (a). Marvel Comics.
This is a great comic — in theory. Paolo Rivera is draws beautiful art, in fact everything good about this comic should be attributed to his art. Yes, most of the story was good, I think. I just can’t trust my judgement when the art is THIS good. However, there were a few parts that were so bad that the art was no longer able to keep me in a satisfied illusion. When Mary Jane and Peter have their heart to heart the conclusion amounts to “and so all of the stories that took place after this were all the same, the only difference that we will never have been technically married”. It’s just about the biggest punch in the face after “One More Day”. Or it would be until the last page where we’ve caught up to the moment in “One More Day” when Aunt May is about to die and just doesn’t. Oh, right! Spider-CPR! That would save Aunt May! So lame. — Isaac Mills
Isaac’s rating: 3.5 out of 5
Brightest Day #7
Geoff Johns, Peter J. Tomasi (w), Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason, Ardian Syaf, Scott Clark, Joe Prado (a), Vicente Cifuentes, David Beaty, Mark Irwin (i), Peter Steigerwald, John Starr (c). DC Comics.
Brightest Day #7 was the best first issue of a series ever. The white lantern goes ahead and tells everyone what they’re supposed to do to earn their lives back — it’s like when a game tells you your objective. As much as I enjoyed various cool Aquaman parts that happened in earlier issues, as much as I enjoyed Martian Manhunter mind melding with a dog (thanks for the reminder on that one, brother), none of these things accomplish anything relevant to the Brightest Day story, whatever it is. There’s a two page spread just before the ending to quickly tell us the objectives of the remainder of the cast that they didn’t have enough time to get to through the course of the book, but the various objectives are pretty silly. Asking Captain Boomerang to throw a boomerang? Really? Geoff Johns better have been in a mean mood and laughing at us comic buyers at that moment, because I hope he didn’t write that to be taken seriously. – Isaac Mills
Isaac’s rating: 3 out of 5
Captain America #608
Ed Brubaker (w), Butch Guice (p), Rick Magyar with Mark Pennington (i), Dean White with Elizabeth Dismang and Frank Martin (c). Marvel Comics.
It’s like the inkers on this book tried to use as many different styles as humanly possible in 22 pages. A lot of it really goes for that old Marvel house style where everyone had the most defined cheekbones TO THE MAX. Then it settles into the standard style of Captain America and then a couple other panels that look like John Romita Jr.. Other than that, it’s still Captain America. Spies and complex plots and junk. Nothing new to see here, but that’s not a complaint. — Miles Baker
Miles’ rating: 3.5 out of 5
Gorilla Man #2
Jeff Parker (w), Giancarlo Caracuzzo (a), Jim Charalampidis (c). Marvel Comics.
I’m going to miss the crap out of Gorilla Man. I hope someone over in Avengers land picks up the character because he’s great fun. Also, Parker is no slouch. The best thing about Parker is that he dives head first into whatever genre he’s exploring. It’s shameless fun — heck, how great is the cover line “Crackin’ Craniums in the Congo!” What more do you want? — Miles Baker
Miles’ rating: 4 out of 5
Hawkeye & Mockingbird #3
Jim McCann (w), David López (p), Alvaro López (i), Nathan Fairbairn (c), Marvel Comics
McCann continues to have a great handle on the character work that this books requires to hold my attention. The ongoing drama of the leads’ relationship is one of the most engaging in Marvel Comics. Meanwhile, López’s pencil work is great, making the characters as expressive as they need to be for this sort of book. I’m really glad they kept him from the miniseries. If there was one complaint I had it would be that this opening story is pretty much what I expected from this book, there’s not a whole lot that’s surprising going on here. I’m also disappointed that the book is going into a crossover with Black Widow after this. Too many crossovers, Marvel! – Owen Craig
Owen’s rating: 4 out of 5
I, Zombie #4
Chris Roberson (w), Michael Allred (a), Laura Allred (c), Vertigo.
This was a much-needed issue, giving us a sense of the “why” in regards to the monsters of this title. As it turns out, Roberson has a pretty darn cool explanation. Rather than a catastrophic world event or an alien invasion or somesuch, he looks at the spirituality and the biology of it (spirituology?). It all makes for some cool reading, and has me looking forward to more. Unfortunately it’s not Allred’s strongest issue, with some weird-looking poses and some under-drawn panels here and there (especially page 2), although it is worth noting that he knocks the aforementioned sprituology-exploration scene out of the park. I’m still not head-over-heels for this series, but it’s holding my attention. I imagine a great second storyline could push this one over the edge. – Owen Craig
Owen’s rating: 3.5 out of 5
Red Robin #15
Fabian Nicieza (w), Marcus To (p), Ray McCarthy (i), Guy Major (c). DC Comics.
Ah, yes, The old “appear in two places at once to fool the reporter into thinking you aren’t really the super hero” trick. They even discuss how that doesn’t generally work in a world that’s way too used to these types of shenanigans. And so they add a small twist — let the regular guy appear crippled (he’s fine) while the super hero remains in top form. That’s a good dodge because of what it says about the character — the kind of dedication to his super life, and the complete lack of concern for his civilian identity. Tim just doesn’t care about that side of him, he may as well be Red Robin all the time, skip the secret identity part. When he realizes that about himself, he’s going to be shocked, and it has the potential to be a great story. — Isaac Mills
Isaac’s rating: 4 out of 5
Secret Six #24
Gail Simone (w), J. Calafiore (a), Jason Wright (c), DC Comics.
This issue left me saying “what the fuck” after I finished it. It’s also worth noting that while I said that I had a massive smile on my face. Yes, as the cover implies, this issue is a western. An awesome western. I don’t know why it’s a western, I don’t know where Simone is going with this, but it kicked all kinds of ass. Calafiore did an amazing job design western-themed costumes for the whole team, Simone did an amazing job of figuring out how the cast would fit into a western setting… I know I’m saying “western” a lot but this issue was so awesome I can’t think straight. And that ending… hoo-boy. I have NO idea what’s coming up for this series, but when the next issue comes out it will be at the top of my reading pile. Great issue. – Owen Craig
Owen’s rating: 5 out of 5
Secret Warriors #18
Jonathan Hickman (w), Alessandro Vitti (a), Imaginary Friends Studios (c). Marvel Comics.
I probably should have read issue #17 before diving back into this one. Last issue I remember loving, this one I love a little less. It has that problem where it’s the middle of the story and they’re building to a big reveal by jumping from flashback to flashback. It’s good plotting, I just think it will come together better later than it is right now. — Miles Baker
Miles’ rating: 3 out of 5
Shadowland #2
Andy Diggle (w), Billy Tan (p), Victor Olazaba (i), Christina Strain (c). Marvel Comics.
Do. Not. Like. I don’t want to sound melodramatic, but eight years of amazing Daredevil comics are being flushed down the drain in this stupid, stupid event book. I’m hopeful it will turn around — that Andy Diggle will have an ace up his sleeve that fixes all my problems with this shoddy character development. But no matter what he writes he can’t fix Tan’s stiff and ugly art. Do. Not. Like. — Miles Baker
Miles’ rating: 0.5 out of 5
Shadowland: Bullseye #1
John Layman (w), Sean Chen (p), Sandu Florea (i), Guru FX (c), Marvel Comics.
This was my big experiment for the week. I’m not reading Shadowland, but I’m a big fan of Chew, written by John Layman, so I thought I’d check this out. This is the first time in recent memory that I’ve bought a tie-in issue to a series I’m not also buying, so I was curious how that would work out for me. As luck would have it, not too badly. The down side, not surprisingly, is that I don’t have much invested in anything that’s going on, but Layman managed to tell a quick, compelling story that I dug. Was it worth buying just for Layman’s writing? Probably not, I suspect there’s more here for Bullseye/Daredevil fans than for Layman fans, but I had a good enough time. – Owen Craig
Owen’s rating: 3 out of 5
S.H.I.E.L.D. #3
Jonathan Hickman (w), Dustin Weaver (a), Christina Strain & Justin Ponsor (c), Marvel Comics.
This book demonstrates that it’s possible to have no idea what’s going on in a book and still be enjoying it. The reason it works, I think, is because amidst all the chaos are some really solid individual scenes. This book focuses mostly on Isaac Newton, and Hickman is doing an amazing job making him into an extremely compelling character. Weaver’s art, not surprisingly, is continuing to rock my socks off. Sure, I don’t quite know where this book is heading but the ride is turning out to be a great one. – Owen Craig
Owen’s rating: 4 out of 5
Sonic the Hedgehog #215
Ian Flynn (w), Steven Butler (p), Terry Austin (i), Matt Herms (c). Archie Comics.
Plenty of references to previous stories, many of which I haven’t read myself, but apparently serve as an excellent slam to a previous writer. Specifically, a character is looking back on his actions from about sixty issues ago that annoyed the fan base and says he was a hypocrite. I’m mostly okay with that, except if you’ve been paying attention to previous Sonic reviews you’d know I don’t really think Flynn here is the best there is at what he does. So, you know, people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. — Isaac Mills
Isaac’s rating: 2 out of 5
Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four #2
Christos Gage (w), Mario Alberti (a). Marvel Comics.
A lot of Spider-Man fawning over Mr. Fantastic in this book. It’s only slightly awkward. I’m not sure if Alberti is trying to copy one of the Invisible Woman’s hair styles from previous decades, but it doesn’t look good. On the other hand, She-Hulk looks amazing. Spidey did very little beyond provide a malevolent alien suit to threaten the Fantastic Four as well as give moral support — but that’s cool by me, it’s better than shoe-horning the story to give more face time to the Web-Head. An interesting effect takes place where the adventure is huge at the beginning then gets more and more focused, from a fight across a huge street to a cramped panic room, with the menace getting ramped up with each scene. Having the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man go up against the symbiote BEFORE it becomes Venom is tricky because you have to do it without either party learning too much and invalidate the stories from years ago where they actually are supposed to learn about each other. I’m not entirely sure they succeeded in that, but it was still a great attempt, and a really fun book. — Isaac Mills
Isaac’s rating: 3.5 out of 5
Superman: The Last Family of Krypton #1
Cary Bates (w), Renato Arlem (a), Allen Passalaqua (c). DC Comics.
I bought this in large part because of successful marketing. I didn’t hear about this from the internet, but from an excellent ad in another comic showing the covers for this three issue series. It has nothing to do with any big crossover, just a stand alone story — it’s refreshing. In fact, those covers told me what the story was pretty clearly from the get go “What if Jor-El and Lara came with Kal-El to Earth?” it’s so story specific, and that’s another thing that doesn’t always happen with covers these days. I saw an ad for another new Wolverine #1 that has Wolverine on the front stabbed through a bunch of times. That was it. That’s a regular Tuesday for Wolverine and it doesn’t mean anything. Jor-El came across as a big jerk in the book, I was worried about him — he’s very much a figure that’s been mythologized over the years (it helps when Marlon Brando plays you in the movie) but instead it looks like he’s just a man having a hard time with losing his world. It’s understandable and real (yes, Krypton isn’t real, but that kind of loss and guilt is). I’m looking forward to the next issue even if it is going to be really expensive ($4.99!). — Isaac Mills
Isaac’s rating: 4 out of 5
Sweet Tooth #12
Jeff Lemire (w + a), Jose Villarrubia (c). Vertigo.
If you were looking for the “jumping on point” this is it. A lot of this issue is a recap of the last 11 issues and clarifying some story points. Not that they were confusing, just that the reader gets a bit of a history lesson. But why I like it (besides the way awesome cover) is that Lemire uses a unique and interesting visual device to tell the story. It’s simple, it’s effective and it relies so heavily on the art to carry the emotion — and it works big time. Well done, Mr. Lemire. — Miles Baker
Miles’ rating: 4.5 out of 5
I liked Red Robin a lot, it’s shaping up to be a really good title, especially after that crossover with Batgirl that I did not care for.
You know, I didn’t see what the big deal was about revealing to the world/media that the new Captain America was Bucky Barnes and also the Winter Soldier. I can see how this would be annoying, but how is this part of Zemo’s plan to destroy Bucky’s life? Is he inconveniencing him to death? Because Average Joe would have never heard of the enigmatic Winter Soldier, and even if they did it’s not the 50’s. McCarthyism is long gone. And Bucky is a WWII hero surpassed only by Cap himself in fame and adoration. And Steve Rogers, who the whole world has a huge boner for right now, vouches for him.
So anyway, that last couple of pages where he’s outed seems to make me want to think it’s a big deal, but instead I was like, “Meh.”
especially as it was addressed recently how Bucky plays pretty loose with his identity as is anyways
Yes Isaac! Exactly.
I think you’re over-simplifying the implications of this outing.
1) This is the world finding out “Hey, you know that mysterious new Captain America? Yeah, turns out last year he was a brain-washed assassin.” That’s probably a little fucked up considering the last man who carried that shield is a paragon of virtue. I might not want someone who was recently brainwashed as Captain America.
2) He is loose with his identity and now he’s going to pay the price for that. Remember that this is a guy who doesn’t really want to be Captain America — like he does, but he’s used to doing things in the shadows. Having his identity known to the world at large compromises his life a great deal.
eeeenh only if he got by using “paragon of virtue” captain america powers, like how (this is a terrible example) during maximum carnage Cap was able to pacify an enraged crowd just by being there.
In a similar situation Bucky Cap would just knock everyone out. The shield would be useful though
Maximum Carnage?? That reference makes me want to slap you with one hand and high five you with the other. Then high five you again, because holy shit, Maximum Carnage??
Anyway, I can see the down side to being ‘outed’ as Captain America and The Winter Soldier. But I wasn’t aware that any proof existed of the Winter Soldier’s…uh, existence. There’s no hard proof that it was him (is there?), the government is totally denying his existence, the Russians are about as threatening these days as the common cold, and was there even mention of him being brainwashed by the Russians in the first place, or just working for them? I honestly don’t remember. Wait, I still have it, let me see.
No, no mention of brainwashing, the media goes with the whole ‘trained by the Soviets’ angle. They do mention that archival training videos exist of him though. I still maintain that this falls shy of hard proof, and not just because he’s wearing a stupid little domino mask and if two inches of fabric around each eye renders you totally unrecognizable when you’re a good guy, I see no reason why it shouldn’t work if you’re a brainwashed Soviet wetworks operative.
Anyway, none of that is really my point. My point is that all that needs to be done to clear this up is Steve Rogers, the aforementioned most beloved and trusted man in America right now, to step up and say, “Oh he’s totally cool you guys. We’re BFF’s FOREVARRR!” The end. Scandal averted. Well, not averted. But that should make a lot of it go away.
And does having his identity revealed compromise his life really? He’s already NOT working in the shadows; he prances around rooftops with a shiny disc and draped in the American flag. What compromises his life is people knowing where he lives. Plus, he’s a spy, and his girlfriend is the best spy in the world. He can just disappear and put on a silly mustache if he wants to grab a coffee or something.
Okay, I’m simplifying things here, but it’s all to make the point that I have a hard time feeling like his life has been turned upside down by this — because of the reasons above but also because so many people knew who he was anyway, his identity was bound to go public sooner or later.
Just now I was like “wait, am I arguing for or against Caesar this time?” because I forgot, but yeah, we’re on the same side this time.
fake mustaches for everybody- lets get some hot chocolate!
And Steve Rogers would go: “…and you, Senator McCain, who was it that inspired you to join the military and become a war hero?”
McCain: “… Bucky.”
Steve Rogers: “Bucky- I rest my case. Case closed”
Yay same side! I get so lonely over here some times, with only my righteous anger to keep me warm.
Not to worry, Caesar, soon we will be discussing Jock’s artwork again and you can be on your own once more.
IT’S LIKE I’M LIVING IN A WORLD OF CRAZY PEOPLE!
Back to agreeing with people I don’t normally agree with though: MILES. You are right, Shadowland and Daredevil are horrible. I hate them.
You know, it seems like every writer who picks up DD chores does so with the thought, “Hmm, how can I fuck up Matt Murdock’s life any more than it already is?” And then they go ahead and do just that. This goes way back to when Ann Nocenti, who I would stab in the eyes with dinner forks if I could, had Matt beaten to a pulp and then go on a walkabout where he fought such appropriate adversaries such as Ultron and Blackheart the SON OF FREAKING MEPHISTO. Bendis of course did what he did, and it was awesome, even if it resulted in a Daredevil comic where Daredevil hardly ever shows up in costumes. And Brubaker’s run was stellar as well. But I think so much character damage is piling up on Matt Murdock that he’s starting to become unlikable.
I mean, how many times have writers painted him to be immature, hot headed, stupid, and then made him lose a bunch of fights? Fuck’s sake man, who wants to read about their favourite hero being an asshole and sucking at fighting? When was the last time Matt did anything SMART or COOL, for THE LOVE OF GOD?? The equivalent would be like spending two years reading about how Peter Parker cheated on MJ with a hooker and then got the shit kicked out of him by Fancy Dan from the Enforcers.
I had hoped Andy Diggle would buck this trend but he seems to be taking it to the next level, and quite idiotically too. Just full on making Matt Murdock evil, cleverly reflected by a black suit instead of his red one. No ‘Importance of Subtlety’ classes available in the Andy Diggle school for comic book writing then.