MONDOmagazine

The Amazing Spider-Man #624
Mark Waid with Tom Peyer (w), Paul Azaceta with Javier Rodriguez (a), Andres Mossa (c). Marvel Comics.

After reading this issue I couldn’t help but wonder what fellow MONDOreviewer Isaac Mills thought of it. I believe that man loves Spider-Man more than I will ever love anything. Here the titular does the wrong thing, for the right reason, with good reason, but it blows up in Peter’s face. It’s classic Spider-Man, but did Peter go too far? I could see Isaac falling either way on the issue. It’s an interesting question and I think the creative team doesn’t have an answer for us, and I like that. It’s a point of debate and there aren’t any right answers, and that’s how I like my comics. – Miles Baker

Miles’ rating: 4 out of 5

Batgirl #8
Bryan Q. Miller (w), Talent Caldwell, Yvel Guichet, John Stanisci (a), Guy Majoy (c). DC Comics.

The art is really bad in this book, no two ways about it, and it only gets worse when the second art team take over the last few pages. They may not have had all of Caldwell’s early pages to know how to emulate it, but I’m sure he’s done earlier issues, his style can’t come as too much of a surprise. They cram a lot of story in this single book, and as always, I prefer that to the alternative. That said, Red Robin’s sudden acceptance of the new Batgirl could have used some more inner monologue explanation on his part. Having Batgirl always think “Onward and upward” was pretty annoying, by the way. – Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 2.5 out of 5 Read the rest of this entry »

Adventure Comics #8
Sterling Gates, James Robinson, Eric Trautmann (w), Travis Moore, Julian Lopez, Pier Gallo (p), Julio Ferreira, Bit, Pier Gallo (i), Pete Pantazis, Blond (c). DC Comics.

Uh, well, this is the first issue of Adventure Comics post Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul, and it starts with a Legion of Superheroes story. This is what I expected so far. What I didn’t expect was that there would be three stories, all mini-prologues to the new Superman crossover.  As much as I like Superman, I get his stuff in trade, so this issue offers me nothing to get excited about. Well, besides having Superboy in the second prologue of course. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 2.5 out of 5

The Amazing Spider-Man #623
Mark Waid, Tom Peyer (w), Paul Azaceta (a), Andres Mossa (c). Marvel Comics.

During the “what’s been going on in the storyline thus far” part of the book there’s an interesting line touting the new Vulture as having real wings. This grates me because it assumes an environment where character doesn’t matter, only the checklist of fantastic powers they may have. The recent Web of Spider-Man story which featured the original Vulture had him create a device to break someone else out of prison only to kill him by dropping him from hundreds of feet in the air. It’s his twisted mind that makes him a villain — this new Vulture has barely said two sentences (to be fair his mouth isn’t really designed for speaking) he just doesn’t leave much of an impression. This whole “Gauntlet” storyline is completely overblown, it doesn’t feel like he’s getting hammered from all sides, which is fine by me, great even — except Spider-Man keeps telling me how much he’s getting hammered by all sides. When Mayor Jameson is accused of a scandal Spider-Man actually thinks “dear lady luck: how many more directions can you keep hammering me from?” Spider-Man is self absorbed, but I can’t believe he’s THAT self absorbed. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 3 out of 5 Read the rest of this entry »

The Amazing Spider-Man #622
Fred Van Lente, Greg Weisman (w), Joe Quinones, Luke Ross (a), Rob Schwager (c). Marvel Comics.

I was really happy with the characterization of Black Cat in the previous issue, so naturally they go ahead and mess it up here. I freely admit that this will sound nerdy, but here it is: she sold a vial of Spidey’s radioactive crazy power blood to some vampire fetishists. That’s insane, right? Other than the fact that the premise to kick off the adventure is, you know, insane, the rest of the story is pretty good. They play with a bunch of vampire conventions while poking fun at Twilight fans, and Morbius returning is handled really well. The bad guy dies in a classic “Spider-Man’s fault but not really” scenario, a long time strategy for keeping Spidey’s gloves bloodless — I kind of thought we’d moved beyond that kind of device, but okay, we’re playing things up 70s style. There’s an okay Flash Thompson back up, I just wish they hadn’t narrated the story as “going through the stages of grief backwards” it’s a clumsy and annoying way of telling it. An okay filler issue, but way too expensive. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 3 out of 5

Avengers The Initiative #33
Christos Gage (w), Jorge Molina (p), Vicotr Olazaba (i), Edgar Delagado (c). Marvel Comics.

I’m going to level with you — I haven’t read this series post-Secret Invasion. Besides this issue and the one I reviewed last month, I mean. And in the meantime a lot has happened and I’m pretty lost now. I’m glad stuff happened, but I’m finding it hard to break back in.  Most of the characters I really liked are gone, and the ones I don’t know have taken centre stage. But the issue is well executed so I can’t pan it, but I’m not moved to extol its virtues either. — Miles Baker

Miles’ rating: 2.5 out of 5. Crossover rating: take it or leave it. Read the rest of this entry »

Amazing Spider-Man #621
Dan Slott (w), Michael Lark (p), Stefano Gaudiano (i), Matt Hollingsworth (c). Marvel Comics.

With the advent of “Brand New Day” a funny thing showed up in Spidey comics — stuff happens, and in a continuous timeline. A couple issues dedicated to Freak (however much you may have liked him) and then the next storyline will mention all that had happened, and then Freak will be used in a later story, “New Way’s to Die,” to power up Venom. There’s a reward for being a long time reader in that it all ties together. Unfortunately the creators haven’t been as good at creating this great effect lately — it usually just comes off as a lazy version trying to live up to those previous issues. This issue really succeeds in capturing that feeling of continuity that hasn’t been around as much lately, making reference to the very first “Brand New Day” story arc. Add into that some believable characterization between Spider-Man and the Black Cat (as opposed to some insulting wish fulfillment fantasy when she first returned), and the absolute tragedy of Carlie Cooper growing into a better person while our hero is forever stunted by his foibles because he has to be the hero of a serialized comic book. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 4 out of 5

Avengers vs Atlas #2
Jeff Parker (w), Gabriel Hardman (a), Elizabeth Breitweiser (c). Marvel Comics

This issue falls into the trap that the first issue smartly avoided — the superhero vs superhero fight.  You know that in a few pages the characters are going to realize it was all a misunderstanding and everyone then teams up to fight the real bad guys. Well, this is the fight issue. The original Avengers and the Agents of Atlas fight continuously for 22 pages. It’s a good fight, but by the fourth page you know — more or less — how it’s going to end. That said, Hardman does fantastic work on the interiors. He does some fantastic splashes inside which make me wonder why he doesn’t do the cover. You’ve got a thoroughbred on the interiors but you but a mule like Humberto Ramos on the cover? And you want this book to sell? I don’t get it — Miles Baker

Miles’ rating: 3 out of 5 Read the rest of this entry »

Adventure Comics #7
Tony Bedard (w), Travis Moore (p), Various (i), DC Comics

I really feel for Tony Bedard, he’s one of the unsung heroes at DC. More often than not his job consists of writing fill-in issues or arcs in between the creators who are given some kind of actual push. I could be wrong, but I also imagine that he frequently is given comparatively little time to write these books. In some cases, let’s be honest, the works have felt rushed, inconsequential or or “off”. Here, though, I thought that Bedard wrote a great one-shot that serves as a sort of companion piece to Johns’ all-too-short run on this title. Using the tool of the Black Lantern Superboy Bedard digs into Conner’s history and comes up with some rather neat moments of characterization. Plus the method used to combat the ring is just cool. So bravo, Mr. Bedard! This is one of the better fill-in issues I’ve read recently. — Owen Craig

Owen’s rating: 3.5 out of 5

The Amazing Spider-Man #620
Dan Slott (w), Macros Martin & Javier Pulido (a), Javier Rodriguez (c). Marvel Comics.

Let’s all take a second to look at how pretty this cover is. Take it. Take the second. Breathe in. Breathe out. It really is that nice, eh? Know what’s even better? That scene even happens in this comic! Isn’t that a novelty! And this issue pays off stuff that Slott set up during his first Brand New Day arc, which is also nifty. And this whole Mysterio-meets-the-mob story has been very interesting. Lots of turns I didn’t expect, with great art all along the way. And next week we Dan Slott with Michael Lark? God bless you, Amazing Spider-Man. — Miles Baker

Miles’ rating: 4.5 out of 5 Read the rest of this entry »

Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #3
Greg Rucka (w), Nicola Scott (p), Jonathan Glapion (i), Nei Ruffino (c), DC Comics

This really didn’t do it for me. Wonder Woman fighting Mera…again, Wonder Woman fighting Max…again, the realization that Wonder Woman and Mera have lots in common because they both wear tiaras and love a guy…. it all lead to a big “so what” from me. I know, I know, I’m oversimplifying, but what I’m trying to say is that there was nothing very notable about this issue. This is the kind of crossover issue that makes people wonder why they bought this. – Owen Craig

Owen’s rating: 2 out of 5. Crossover rating: tangential.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #32
Brad Meltzer (w), Georges Jeanty (p), Andy Owen (i), Michelle Madsen (c). Dark Horse.

My feelings about this issue of Buffy are complicated. On one hand, this is a really good issue of Buffy. On the other hand, Buffy has been really bad lately. Things have happened that cannot unhappen. Stupid, stupid things. Because comics can afford an unlimited budget, the writers have entertained some of the dumbest ideas just because they can. This issue, however, was good and I’m forced to give it a good rating even though I haven’t forgiven the series. See, complicated. — Miles Baker

Miles’ rating: 4 out of 5 Read the rest of this entry »

Amazing Spider-Man #619
Dan Slott (w), Marcos Martin (a), Javier Rodriguez (c). Marvel Comics.

There are a lot of mobster guys to keep track of here, but as far as problems go that’s minor. The interweaving of previous subplots (which aren’t all that removed from the main story) is masterful as we leap from Aunt May being sinister to old Mr. Negative. Spidey is lithe, fast and powerful. The jokes are funny. When Spider-Man thinks he killed a guy? Heart wrenching. This is really just a fantastic book. There’s a panel with a punch being thrown at the cyborg Silvermane and we see the distorted image of that punch reflected in the shining armour. That’s just a cool touch. – Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 4.5 out of 5

Atom and Hawkman #46
Geoff Johns (w), Ryan Sook, Fernando Pasarin (a), Hi-Fi (c). DC Comics.

I wasn’t sure I’d pick this up, but beyond the fact that it’s Atom and Hawkman, it’s by Geoff Johns and Ryan Sook. That’s a great pedigree. For those who need the hint, Sook did the art on the Zatanna Seven Soldiers of Victory story, as well as Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth for this past summers Wednesday Comics production. And as beautiful as the Kamandi story was, it was done in a fairly static method, almost storybook style- and it’s really nice to see the alternative again. You know what else is nice to see? Ray Palmer the Atom being an awesome hero. Haven’t seen that for years. – Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 4 out of 5
Crossover rating: (Almost) Essential
Owen’s rating: 3.5 out of 5
Owen’s crossover rating: A pleasant addition Read the rest of this entry »

Amazing Spider-Man #618
Dan Slott (w), Marcos Martin (a), Marvel Comics

It’s hard to say how I feel about this issue. I don’t quite know where Slott is going with this story yet, it was sort of all over the map: there was the stuff with Negative Man and Aunt May, the mob stuff, the Mysterio stuff… I know that Spider-Man is often a long-form book, but the other Gauntlet stories started with more of a bang than this. I don’t mean to imply that I didn’t like it, but I my feelings for this issue are a little wonky and will probably remain so until I read the second issue of this story. Something I am not unsure about, though, is Martin’s artwork. It rocks. — Owen Craig

Owen’s rating: 3 out of 5

Avengers Vs Atlas #1
Jeff Parker (w), Gabriel Hardman (a, main),  Takeshi Miyazawa (a, second) Elizabeth Breitweiser (c). Marvel Comics.

Hurray Atlas! Yay Hardman! This is one awesome-looking comic. And it’s really awesome that Parker skipped the part where the two hero teams fight each other and went right into working together. It’s refreshing and keeps the plot moving along to the important aspects of the story — namely, good jokes and big action. Really solid start to this series and this would be a great place to jump on the Atlas bandwagon. So jump! — Miles Baker

Miles’ rating: 4 out of 5 Read the rest of this entry »

Adventure Comics #6
Geoff Johns (w), Francis Manapul (a). DC Comics.

I’m sad that this is over. Sure, the book is continuing, but without Johns, Manapul, and Superboy. That makes this issue bittersweet. After all, it’s an amazing issue… really amazing. Complex character work and completely crushing tragedy, that’s the stuff I love to read. In fact, it’s awesomeness cover to cover. I only dock a half a point because you can tell that this should’ve been the beginning of a great long-term run and instead it’s the end of a miniseries. *sigh* — Owen Craig

Owen’s rating: 4.5 out of 5

The Amazing Spider-Man #617
Main: Joe Kelly (w), Max Fiumara (a),  Fabio D’Auria (c)
Second: Joe Kelly (w), Javier Pulido (a), Matt Hollingsworth (c). Marvel Comics.

Thirty-three pages of story — and all of them were good. I know I mention this every time she appears, but I love Nora Winters. I really think she’s a fun character and I want Peter to get with her so bad. I just want to live vicariously through Peter Parker more so than I already do. Pete, buddy, she’s into you. Anyway, this is a great one-shot about the original Rhino that’s told with a lot of dignity; plus, an interesting introduction to a mysterious, new Rhino that is pretty scary. Add a good story with a lot of Norah Winters and really fantastic art from Fiumara and Pulido and you have one of the best books that came out this week. — Miles Baker

Miles’ rating: 5 out of 5 Read the rest of this entry »

Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #2
Greg Rucka (w), Nicola Scott, Eduardo Pansica (p), Jonathan Glapion, Eber Ferreira (i), Nei Ruffino (c). DC Comics.

If you were able to get it, Blackest Night #6 came out last week, and its story would spoil the ending of this issue, so it’s too bad these two books weren’t released simultaneously. Then again, this really isn’t an important issue. A fight breaks out between evil (but struggling to be not evil) Wonder Woman and Mera, aka Mrs. Aquaman. The art is pretty good, though I wish Mera didn’t have such pronounced green eye shadow. It’s just not the time to accessorize. HOWEVER, some kind of dreamscape vision of Batman just shows up and makes out with Wonder Woman, because the ladies love Batman and every comic just needs some Batman in it. It ends with Wonder Woman getting the worst designed Star Sapphire costume ever, which is really saying something. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 3 out of 5. Crossover rating: Adds nothing

Deadpool Team-Up #897
Adam Glass (w), Chris Staggs (p), Robert Campanella (i), Dan Brown (c). Marvel Comics.

A bearded lady and a midget walk into a bar — and so begins the Deadpool Team-up. This issue features the Ghost Riders (I always thought it was singular… but what do I know). Adam Glass writes a decent one-shot, where a carnival town enlists the help of the Merc with a Mouth. The mayor of the carnival town is possessed by a demon, and looking to form a massive army, or something. By coincidence, the Ghost Riders (insert names here), just so happen to be stopping by for nostalgic reasons, and are thrown into a melee against the demon spawn alongside Deadpool. Glass keeps up the pace with catchy one-liners. Art’s done by Chris Staggs. He seems to be under the impression that Deadpool has a mouth on top of his mask. Which is a little… strange. The panels are a bit busy, though that could probably be better attributed to the textures the colourist frequently layers on top of the colours, and lack of contrast in colours between panels in some pages. I particularly enjoy how the Ghost Riders are portrayed as being a bit campy, outdated. Deadpool sees them as the Ponch and Jon of CHiPs. In general an enjoyable issue that was fun and not heavy, with no long-term plot developments. — Sarah Burt

Sarah’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Read the rest of this entry »

Siege # 1
Brian Michael Bendis (w), Olivier Coipel (p), Mark Morales (i) Laura Martin (c). Marvel Comics.

Hey, remember Civil War, when Marvel was so public about the plot of the thing (even showing off the opening in previews) that by the time the first issue came out it was devoid of surprises? Well here we go again. I really don’t know what was supposed to grab my attention here. Was it the story? There’s nothing to see here that hasn’t been shown to us in every Marvel comic for a month. Was it the characterization? I’ve been reading (and enjoying) Dark Avengers for a year now and have seen plenty of Norman’s crazy, thanks. Was it the ending? Yeah… that’s not really anything. The brief intro to the fight scene was kinda cool, but an intro to a fight scene isn’t really anything to hang your hat on. I have high hopes for this event, but I think that this first issue was a misfire. The last thing I should be doing after the first issue of a major event is saying “yep, that’s exactly how I thought it would go.” – Owen Craig

Owen’s rating: 2.5 out of 5

I have to agree with Owen that this issue was pretty disappointing. Everything they said was going to happen happened, and nothing more. And because I had already read the first six pages of this story in preview form, the issue is only about 16 pages of new material. And that’s pretty light for an opening issue. There is a neat little transcript that becomes, essentially, a “deleted scene” from the comic, but there’s a terrible production mistake that just shows no one bothered to look at the soft proofs from the printer. That’s pretty embarrassing, guys and girls. [Note: I saw an interview where Bendis said it was a "printer mistake" and that "no one at Marvel screwed up" which is possible. But isn't it more fun to blame Marvel?] But, you know, it’s nicely drawn and stuff is happening, which is good. I just wish it was stuff I didn’t know about. — Miles Baker

Miles’ rating: 3 out of 5 Read the rest of this entry »

Blackest Night #6
Geoff Johns (w), Ivan Reis (p), Oclair Albert & Joe Prado (i), DC Comics

Warning: very mild, vague spoilers

This is the event I’ve been waiting for since I got into comics: an event that has me excited for each new issue. Now I don’t mean excited in the sense of “I can’t wait to see what the big universe-shifting change at the end of the story is”, I’ve felt that way about lots of event comics. With Blackest Night I can’t wait to savour each issue. This was a great issue for that. After all, nothing much happened in this issue, but it was a damn satisfying read, because Johns Read the rest of this entry »