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COMIC REVIEWS FOR THE MONTH OF: APRIL 2009
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BOOK OF THE MONTH |
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"...Wilson is quite capable of being happy and that’s why the kick in the
gut at the end makes the story work so well"
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DAREDEVIL #116 |
REVIEW BY:
Larry "Bocepheus" Evans |
Writer:
Ed Brubaker |
Artist:
David Aja |
Publisher:
Marvel Comics
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Shipped On:
030409
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MSRP:
$2.99
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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Nearly two years ago, the Kingpin left America to try to build a new life and
find a new purpose for himself. Is that new life now coming to the attention of
old enemies? And how does this connect to Matt Murdock and his troubles in New
York with Lady Bullseye? Find out in this prelude to the new epic - RETURN OF
THE KING. Reteaming four-time award-winning best writer Ed Brubaker with
groundbreaking artist David Aja for the first time since their work on the cult
sensation IMMORTAL IRON FIST! |
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BO'S REVIEW:
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I As fans of the book already know Ed Brubaker is leaving Daredevil and will be
replaced by newly exclusive Andy Diggle who is already doing a wonderful job
with Thunderbolts. Brubaker’s reasons for leaving the title are simple-he has
told all the stories he needs to tell involving Matt Murdock. Brian Bendis left
him with a Matt who was out-ed as Daredevil and since that arc we have seen
Brubaker turn Mr. Fear into a major villain, introduced Lady Bullseye, seen Matt
deal with the fact that his wife has been placed in an asylum, seen Matt in
prison and reintroduced Dakota North as a member of the Marvel Universe. His
last arc on the title is happening right now and he is going out with a bang.
The last time we saw Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin he had promised Matt he would
honor the memory of his late wife Vanessa, who had been the person behind all of
the troubles Matt was dealing with. In order to do this Fisk had to leave New
York and in #116 we see where he has been and where he has always been. The
issue is narrated by Fisk, who is now living in Spain. The place he has chosen
to live is called Costa Del Morte, the Death Coast. We learn from the narration
that he is trying to become the man he needs to be and the story shows his
progression to contentment but we see early in the David Aja drawn issue that
there is violence in his future. Brubaker shows Fisk in many settings during his
life as well as his current circumstances and in doing so reminds us how
interesting a character he is.
When he was first introduced by Stan Lee years back we only saw that Fisk was a
fat man who led the crime syndicate in New York. He wore the same clothes all
the time and his hero of choice was Spider-Man, not Daredevil. And then Frank
Miller introduced him into the life of Matt Murdock. The Daredevil title at that
time wasn’t a popular one. Daredevil cracked jokes as much as Spider-Man did and
he took on villains that were sort of interesting but not amazingly memorable.
Miller changed all that and cast Matt as the protector of Hell’s Kitchen. He
liberated the Kingpin from Spider-Man and reinvented Bullseye into a major
villain as well. The approach increased sales on Daredevil and removed him from
being a Spider-Man clone. Kevin Smith continued the approach when the title was
reborn under the Marvel Knights label and when Smith left Bendis carried it even
further. Both Bendis and Brubaker are fans of the crime genre and the title
showed it. Quite a few issues have scenes that took place in offices dimly lit
with blinds that went from ceiling to floor, fight sequences took place in bars
or dark alleys, not all endings were happy ones.
In this issue we see that Wilson is quite capable of being happy and that’s why
the kick in the gut at the end makes the story work so well. We see that Wilson
isn’t capable of avoiding his true nature simply because it will always come
back to him. It lives beneath his skin and casts shadows all around him. He
realizes it all too late and now that he knows he cannot escape his true nature
we wonder what he is going to do about it as he heads back to New York and the
life of Matt Murdock. |
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SI AFTERMATH BETA RAY BILL GREEN OF EDEN #1 |
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Writer:
Kieron Gillen Artist:
Dan Brereton |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics
Shipped On:
041509
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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SECRET INVASION has ended. The Skrull armies have
been routed and destroyed. In the wake of his battle in aid of Thor and Asgard,
Beta Ray Bill has departed Earth once more, to bring justice and order to the
stars. But when Bill becomes savior of a space-faring alien colony, he'll
discover that perhaps - just perhaps -- it's possible to be too much of a hero.
Soaring action and adventure starring your favorite horse-faced Demigod of
Thunder, by Kieron Gillen (NEW UNIVERSAL: 1959) and Dan Brereton (GOD-SIZED
THOR)! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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I really, whole-heartedly believe that this may just
be the worst comic book I’ve ever had to endure. It truly was a struggle to
continue to flip through the pages, reading line after line of stale, stiff
dialogue, and being visually accosted with horrible artwork. I really only had
one question after getting through a book as bad as this, and that’s: What the
hell was Marvel thinking?!
First of all, if there is some sort of public out cry for more comics featuring
Beta Ray Bill then I haven’t heard of it, and after reading this I’m pretty sure
I’m going to start an on-line petition to get the Superboy Prime to continuity
punch him out of existence. Seriously, my brain hurts from trying to wrap itself
around the dull, witless, bland character of BRB and his ship Skuttlebutt
(*GROAN*). They kill aliens, they save aliens; Bill kicks some ass; in fact,
Bill kicks so much ass that there’s never any fear that he’s not going to come
out on top, which, for me, made a dull and lifeless book seem pointless and
trivial. If anything cool came out of this book it’s the creation of S’kann, a
Skrull possessing the combined powers of Asgard’s Warriors Three, who I hope to
see again one day, written into a story worth reading.
There is nothing I can say about the creative team of this book that isn’t
derogatory or in some way threatening, so I’ll just say that the quality of the
book is sub-par. It doesn’t live up to current standards set by the lowest
selling Marvel titles, so why put it out? Even worse, at the end there’s a
teaser image of another BRB tale set to come out in a couple of months, which
says to me that the editors aren’t ready to give up on the character yet; so how
about next time, go the distance and actually put a team of guys on the book who
care about the character, and can potentially make readers care about him as
well.
Besides, riding the “Secret Invasion” wave months into the Dark Reign storyline
isn’t buying any extra pulls from comic fans, especially when the title has
little or nothing to do with the ‘Invasion.’ |
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X-MEN ORIGINS WOLVERINE |
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Writer:
Chris Yost Artist:
Mark Texeira |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics
Shipped On:
042909
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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The X-MEN ORIGINS series continues here, with the
most popular X-Man in the spotlight. From the first time he popped his claws, to
the moment he joined the X-Men, Wolverine has had a rough life. See every
gruesome detail here! This is a perfect gift for the people in your life who are
looking forward to the X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE movie! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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There’s nothing like reading a story you’ve read a
thousand times, and been told a thousand different ways to really make a guy (or
gal) wonder, what the hell is the fascination with revisiting stuff like this to
a nausea-inducing point? Back for the whatever-millionth time is the mutant
known the world over as Wolverine, and Marvel has felt the need (or maybe it’s
because a movie just came out a week ago) to retell the origin of the guy who
previously had no origin.
Wolverine was born James Howlett in Canada in the late 19th century. He was a
product of his mother’s infidelity which ultimately cost him his entire family.
Born a mutant with the ability to heal, as well as bone claws which spring from
each hand, he’s led a majority of his life as a vagabond, a vagrant, traveling
from place to place searching for answers as to what his purpose in life is.
Through an experimental process unbreakable metal, called adamantium, was bonded
with Wolverine’s bone structure making him the ultimate living weapon.
This story takes place immediately before Wolverine, now going by Logan, joined
Professor Xavier on the third team of X-Men (don’t argue with me, read “Deadly
Genesis” for the story on Xavier’s doomed second team). I guess you can’t really
walk away from your job as government appointed mutant killer, so when Logan and
Charles try to casually walk out the front door and board a waiting jet all hell
breaks loose in one of the more beautifully rendered slaughter-fests ever
penciled.
Yost has a way of making a boring, rehashed tale feel like a brand new story.
I’m not a big fan of revisiting the past, especially when it’s been done to
death, mainly because we know what happens from that point, so the bearing on
continuity is usually very little. What I miss is when Wolvie was still a
character with some mystery; he was the guy who could kill everyone in the room,
and someone made him that way, but he didn’t know who and he didn’t know why. It
loaned a great deal of mystique to a character otherwise utilized as a ‘deus ex
machine’ plot-device.
Mark Texeira’s art is stupendous. I’m not entirely sold on him, and I don’t
think I’ve seem him on a regular monthly since the Daniel Way relaunch of “Ghost
Rider” but I would love to see what he’d do with a character like Hercules or
Iron Fist (or, dare I say, Daredevil?). Part of the appeal is the soft penciling
without being inked (I’m not a fan usually, and have down-right rallied against
it in many cases) and the way that the colors were handled more than flawlessly
by John Rauch. The book had a ‘look’ to it that I really found appealing to the
eye, more so than the actual movie! |
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BATMAN BATTLE FOR THE COWL THE UNDERGROUND |
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Writer:
Chris Yost
Artist:
Pablo Raimondi |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC
Comics
Shipped On:
042909
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MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DC'S SYNOPSIS:
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With Batman gone, the villains have descended on
Gotham! A who's who of Bat-villains star in this one-shot including Catwoman,
the Riddler, Harley Quinn, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, The Penguin and Ra's Al Ghul.
What kind of havoc will these villains wreak on a city that's already on the
verge of implosion? Who will oppose them? And could they all work together to
take down Gotham City - or will they just destroy each other? Find out when THE
UNDERGROUND rises |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Of all the one-shots ‘B4C’ has produced I must admit
I was most looking forward to this one, primarily due to writer Chris Yost’s
involvement. I’ve been exposed to Yost through his work on Marvel titles such as
“New X-Men” and “X-Force,” and he was involved with a couple of their animated
projects, however I was more than anxious to see what he’d try to pull off with
the extended Batman-Universe.
Edward Nigma, known as the Riddler, reformed-criminal-mastermind-turned-private
detective, is thrust into the mystery of Batman’s disappearance when he’s
approached by The Penguin, one of three rival crime bosses vying for top dog in
Gotham’s underworld, and given the responsibility of tracking down The Black
Mask so that Penguin can have him killed. The story takes readers on a brief
who’s who tour of Gotham’s criminal underground (hence the title), but mainly
focuses on the conflict introduced in the main B4C miniseries. While Two Face
and Penguin continue to attempt to one-up each other, The Black Mask has swooped
in under the radar, destroyed Arkham Asylum, enslaved a number of heavy hitters
from Batman’s rogue’s gallery, and put the moves on both Ozzie and Harvey in the
same night; something tells me this guy plans on playing for keeps. Towards the
end we get an appearance from both Catwoman (Selina Kyle) as well as the
gun-toting Batman imposter (Gatman?!), while they duke it out for a bit.
I know they have a female-centered title in the works post ‘Battle for the
Cowl,’ as well as “Streets of Gotham,” and I think this is sets the stage
nicely. I’m still more inclined to follow Yost to the pages of “Red Robin,”
where I assume he’ll be writing about the adventures of Tim Drake, mainly
because I find that character more interesting (however, Paul Dini is pegged to
write the ‘Streets’ series with artist Dustin Nyguen, so who knows). Pablo
Raimondi’s art is so-so. Certain panel’s look and feel intense and cinematic and
others felt lacking in any real heart or feeling at all. I did like his
rendering of Penguin for its Danny DeVito resemblance, but thought a lot of his
women looked a little too manly.
The book is a fun ride, expanding a lot upon groundwork laid out in B4C. The
Batman’s disappearance affects everyone in Gotham City in different ways;
similarly to the recently released “Arkham Asylum” one-shot (see last month’s
reviews) it’s excellent to see what the effect is on those who’ve sought to make
their living while on the wrong side of the law. I’m enjoying the shake up
that’s taking place in the Bat -titles but I have a growing suspicion that this
story line and the inevitable return of Bruce Wayne signal the long anticipated
demise of Dick Grayson (one of Dan DiDio’s goals in “Infinite Crisis”). *Sigh* |
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SPAWN #191 |
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Writer:
Todd McFarlane
Artist:
Whilce Portacio |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher: Image Comics,
Shipped On:
042909
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MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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IMAGE'S
SYNOPSIS:
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Jim continues to seek clues to his missing identity,
but each answer only brings more questions. The information he manages to
discover about himself and his past life is far from comforting. Meanwhile, the
Spawn entity dwelling inside Jim starts to exert its dominance over its host,
and Jim finds himself becoming addicted to the power. Brought to you by TODD
McFARLANE, WHILCE PORTACIO and BRIAN HOLGUIN |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
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Believe it or not, “Spawn” was at one point the best
selling comic book month-in, month-out. The story of Al Simmons, betrayed by
those he trusted, betrayed by those you should never trust, and ultimately
betrayed by those he loved was a tale of woe, and pain, and sadness, and all
sort of other things that just made it a giant downer all the time. A giant
downer with a big cape, and lots of guns.
Somewhere between 1992 and now Spawn jumped the shark. I can’t pinpoint it to an
exact moment in Spawn lore, but it just feels like the concept has run its
course and it’s time to go to the grave once and for all. Even myself, a
longtime fan (I owned numerous, numerous issues and have sold both of my Spawn
collections at two different times; I even read 119 consecutive issues in one
weekend) found the book practically unrecognizable and entirely lacking in any
substance that made the character who he is.
Apparently Al Simmons isn’t Spawn anymore, or he’s stuck in the body of someone
else, or he’s stuck in the body of someone else and doesn’t know it, anyway you
look at it it’s not the guy who’s been the star of his own book for the better
part of 20 years. Anyway, he’s a got an honest-to-God angel nailed to a wall and
he’s trying to get some info out of her, all the while she believes him to be an
agent of Heaven. There’s also some conflict with some mafia style hard asses who
don’t know they’re trying to get the drop on a demonic Hellspawn.
There was a lot of jive talking by Todd McFarlane in relation to how involved
he’ll actually be in this series, and he’s quoted as saying “…my fingerprint
will be found in every aspect, from page layouts, to inking, to lettering.” I
must admit that seeing his name under the writing/inking/editing credits
surprised me, and I’m impressed with the overall quality of the book, and Whilce
Portacio’s pencils have never looked better, but with Greg Capullo having done
the layouts it’s not hard to see why the book isn’t running late.
Maybe I just grew out of my brooding, dark hero phase, or maybe it out grew me,
but anyway you look at it, I just can’t find myself relating to the book in the
slightest. I’m actually surprised it’s still on the shelves. To each his own, I
guess. |
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WARLOCK #1 |
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Writer:
Nick Lyons
Artist:
Jacob Bear |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher: Blue Wave
Comics,
Shipped On:
042909
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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BLUE WAVE'S
SYNOPSIS:
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A new story based on the cult film Warlock from
Lionsgate. The Warlock is on a mission to destroy a book that contains a spell
which imprisoned six other Warlocks. If the book manages to be destroyed, the
dangerous Warlocks would be released back into the world free to cause chaos and
destruction. It's up to a rag-tag group of people to prevent the Warlock from
carrying out his plan! |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
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What happens when a publisher known primarily for
their geopolitical biography-style comics about Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton
acquires the license for a crumby film series? Well, if it’s Blue Water Comics
adaptation of “Warlock,” the results can be tragic. Almost every week I find
another comic barely worth the paper it’s printed on, and this week proved to be
no exception as I struggled to finish reading this dreadful take on a movie
that, I can’t imagine, anyone is all that fond of.
Everything about this book is painfully awful, from the art, which I’m not even
sure qualifies to be called such, seeing as how it looks like my nine-year-old
cousin drew the damn thing, to the horrendous story/plot, which is so amateurish
that a room full of retarded monkeys working around the clock on typewriters
would be able to put together more believable dialogue with their hands
amputated.
The story (if you want to call it that) goes a little something like this: Some
old guy is about to poop his ‘Depends’; fearful for his life he runs as fast as
he can through some dirty, dark alleyway (Why is it when running for one’s life
people are more likely to try and flee through the most secluded areas? Why
doesn’t anyone try to escape bad guys in a well-lit and reasonably populated
area, like ‘Target’?) as some creepy guy dressed in all black (just in case you
confused him for the good guy) shoots stuff out of his hands, shouts ominous
warnings, and levitates after him. The old guy manages to get to the one church
in the world that hasn’t heard of asylum, because even though the guy just wants
a place to lay low, the priest sees fit to call the fuzz, and before you know it
the Warlock is throwing down with armed police officers. Stuff happens, a couple
people die, then enters two dudes armed with salt and holy water, and they are
looking to even the score with the evil wizard.
All in all, this is the least imaginative book I’ve ever encountered. I know, I
know, I’m finicky and I don’t like a lot of stuff, but this takes the proverbial
cake in my humble opinion. I’ve never seen anything this bad. It’s similar to a
nasty car wreck on the side of the highway: You know you have somewhere to be,
and you know you shouldn’t slow down to crane your neck and stare at someone
else’s misfortune, yet you can’t look away. That’s how I felt while fighting my
way through the dull, lifeless, mediocrity that exists between the front and
rear cover of “Warlock,” like I’d rather die that try to read another issue of
this crap. |
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ASTONISHING X-MEN #29
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Writer:
Warren Ellis
Artist:
Simone Bianchi |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher: Marvel Comics,
Shipped On:
042209
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MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S
SYNOPSIS:
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"GHOST BOX," PART 5-The penultimate chapter of the
opening epic by the superstar team of Warren Ellis and Simone Bianchi. Are you
ready for the secret of the Ghost Box? |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
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There are some people who believe “Astonishing
X-Men” is nothing more than a sinking ship since the departure of series
creators Joss Whedon and John Cassaday, but I’m not sure I see it that way at
all. Sure the art is appalling compared to Cassaday’s beautiful pencils; Simone
Bianchi has the strangest way of making everyone look like a transvestite
(especially Storm). However it’s Warren Ellis, the mad genius himself, which
makes the book so thoroughly enjoyable, despite its sporadic shipping schedule
and clunky artwork.
Facing a potential inter-dimensional conflict between mutants from a parallel
universe and artificially modified humans, the X-Men discover genetic engineered
mutants built by…Forge?! That’s right, one time ally and X-Man himself, Forge is
responsible for experimenting on humans, injecting an additional strand of DNA
with an attached x-gene into their bodies, as a first line of defense against an
invading party of mutants from a different Earth using Ghost Boxes to tunnel
back forth between universes. As far as what their purpose or motivation is,
well it seems like ‘The Maker’ is the only one who may know the answer, so the
X-Men depart for Wundagore Mountain to have a face-to-face with their old
teammate.
The fact that this title has been chronically late, for quite some time, has
resulted in a dragging feeling that I get whenever I pick this book up. Don’t
get me wrong, I’m still crazy about it (sure part of me is hoping Whedon/Cassaday
eventually make it back), the story is interesting, and the characters are all
as snarky and chock full of that Ellis-brand cynicism that all fans of his
writing are familiar with. Sure the art is deplorably bad; the colors seem off,
for an X-book, all the characters are posing all the time (which really is
off-putting), the action isn’t conveyed properly, and well, I could go on and
on.
This book was once the crown jewel of the X-family of titles, and now it seems
to have lost quite a bit of its luster. While Ellis still crafts an incredibly
intriguing tale, the handicap comes in the form of Bianchi’s sub-par pencils;
he’s much more suited to illustrate compelling covers as opposed to sequential
story telling. I don’t really see Ellis sticking around beyond this arc, and I
can only hope Marvel has the good sense to follow up this misfire with an
all-star creative team truly worthy of the title ‘astonishing.’ |
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DARK TOWER SORCERER #1 |
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Writer:
Robin Furth
Artist:
Richard Isanove |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher: Marvel Comics,
Shipped On:
041509
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S
SYNOPSIS:
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A very special stand alone issue probing deeply into
the incredible life of Marten Broadcloak. We learn his deadly secret agenda and
true goal is not to serve the Crimson King, but to climb to the top of the Dark
Tower itself and become the overlord of all existence! Written by Robin Furth,
the guiding force behind the Dark Tower series and illustrated by Richard
Isanove whose stunning coloring on Dark Tower has helped make every issue a work
of art. This is an instant collector's item no Stephen King fan can afford to be
without! |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
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With a mythology as dense as ‘The Dark Tower’
series’ it’s hard to imagine anyone who isn’t already deeply committed to the
characters getting anything out of this, I certainly didn’t. It was like being
introduced to someone just before everyone is set to depart for the evening; who
really cares? This is a text book example of ‘too little, too late’ as far as
I’m concerned.
Apparently through out a large portion of Stephen King’s novels there is a
character that supercedes reality, and has been known to take multiple forms,
all the while playing a much larger role as a force of anarchy and destruction
in King’s grand masterpiece. Marten Broadcloak, alias Walter O’Dim, is more
commonly known as ‘The Man in Black’ to Dark Tower fans and has been a thorn in
Gunslinger Roland DesChain’s side since the beginning. After three tales adapted
from King novels, writer Robin Furth gets a chance to flesh the character out a
bit for readers with a completely original story.
At this point you may find yourself asking the same question I did when I first
came across this book, ‘Who cares?’ Comics adapted from books have a built-in
fan base, and don’t exactly cater to new readers. I found this book especially
inaccessible, in fact instead of getting me more interested in the world of
‘Dark Tower’ and its inhabitants all it did was alienate and disinterest me.
Richard Isanove gets the art credit for this one, which surprised me because I
was only familiar with work he’s done as a colorist/digital painter on books
like ‘Origin’ and ‘1602.’ His work comes off as a poor imitation of Jae Lee,
whom I believe he did the colors for on the first line of ‘Tower’ adaptations.
It’s totally awesome if you’re not a fan of backgrounds, or if you like
characters that all look like elderly people (even the kids!). There isn’t much
to say about Robin Furth’s writing ability, the book is written well, it just
fails at every junction to turn itself into something intriguing or exciting.
Overall it was just a dull, inaccessible comic book.. |
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BATTLE FOR THE COWL-ARKHAM ASYLUM |
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Writer:
David Hine
Artist:
Jeremy Haun |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher: DC Comics,
Shipped On:
042209
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MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DC'S
SYNOPSIS:
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Gotham City has become a place of nightmares and
madness. At its poisoned heart lies Arkham Asylum. For decades the lunacy has
been kept under control by Batman and contained within the walls of Arkham. But
with Batman gone, what happens once the walls come tumbling down? In this
one-shot, will the Asylum's administrator Dr. Jeremiah Arkham fall prey to the
madness that has plagued so many of his inmates? Or will he seize this
opportunity to usher in a new era for Gotham's most haunted institution? |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
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Wow, there certainly are some colorful personalities
locked in the basement of Arkham Asylum. I’m not talking the traditional baddies
like the Joker, the Riddler, Killer Croc, or even the King Tut; as it turns out
Dr. Arkham kept a few pet projects isolated from all other inhabitants,
criminals he believed beyond social reform. As scary a place as Arkham Asylum is
known to be, can you imagine how f***ed up you’d have to be to find yourself
locked in its basement.
Nephew of Amadeus Arkham, the current Dr. Arkham found himself inexplicably and
forcibly removed from the mental hospital during R.I.P. when the Black Glove
offered to host their Dance Macabre within its walls. After the shocking events
of Battle for the Cowl, Dr. Arkham returns to the only life he’s ever known only
to find that his uncle’s glorious hospital has more or less burned to the
ground. As he walks the decimated hallways he is alerted to a presence, he
investigates and quickly comes across his favorite inmates, the one’s he locked
away in the basement, never to have contact with anyone but himself. A young man
with no face, another young man without the ability to speak and a certain
fondness for mirrors, and a woman so ghastly a mere glance at her countenance is
all that is necessary to drive a man insane, these are Dr. Arkham’s ‘children.’
Their sick and twisted minds are joyful to be reunited with their keeper, as he
is ecstatic to have his ‘beauties’ returned to him. He talks at great length in
regard to rebuilding Arkham, not as a prison for the criminally insane, but
rather an asylum, for those who think of themselves as outcasts from normal
society. What ramification does this hold for whoever is in possession of the
Batman’s cowl at the end of next month? I have no idea, but I do like the way
they are slowly building up a new stable of potential bad guys for him, instead
of immediately throwing him up against all the old established faces.
David Hine is a fantastic writer, and despite my not having any knowledge of
what these characters are and what they represent I was thoroughly entertained
by the story. There wasn’t any ‘bang-bang shoot ‘em up’ style action like we’ve
been getting from “Battle for the Cowl” but rather a character driven piece that
is likely to come back and bite the new Bats in the rear end. Jeremy Haun’s
artwork fits the story quite nicely, and it also points to some of his abilities
that weren’t exemplified with this tale. I’d be just fine with him taking a stab
at really drawing Batman, if they ever saw fit to give him a chance. |
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DMZ #41 |
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Writer:
Brian Wood
Artist:
Nikki Cook |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
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Publisher: DC/Vertigo Comics,
Shipped On:
041509
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MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DC'S
SYNOPSIS:
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Having rejected the relative safety and stability of
Parco Delgado's government enclave (as well as a relationship with Matty Roth),
Zee ventures out into the wilds of the DMZ. What is she seeking? Peace of mind?
A greater truth? Or does she see Parco for what he truly is and would rather be
alone and drifting than a part of it? |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
Of everyone in the colorful cast of one of the more
contemporary comics of our time, Zee, the would-be medic who’s also an
on-again-off-again love interest for main character Matty Roth hasn’t been seen
as often as she used to, what with her finding Matty’s new found loyalty to
recently elected DMZ Governor Parco Delgado to be quite a turn off. As a long
time fan of this series it was nice to see her again, especially when she’s the
star of the issue, and if the story centers around Zee you can bet you’ll find
yourself smack dab in the middle of the action.
Everyone in the DMZ knows Zee has a thing for picking up strays. When she comes
across a small band of Trustwell loyalists, some suffering from critical
injuries, she stitches them up, despite their serving on what is more commonly
known as ‘the wrong side’ in this longstanding conflict. Zee proves once again
why she is considered by many fans to be the heart and soul of the DMZ, as she
continues to give back selflessly even in the face of tremendous peril. She
protects the lives of the very people who would have hunted and killed her prior
to the election of the current administration, and when she’s staring down the
barrel of a gun she’s got more guts than almost any character in comics (serious
heart, tremendous will). The issue also represents one of the greatest strengths
a title like DMZ has in its favor, and that’s the ability to tell one-and-done
stories that don’t feel forced or out of place. There’s no shortage of
characters with whom they can tell smaller tales that weave their way into the
larger tapestry of the DMZ mythos.
Nikki Cook is no Ricardo Bucharelli, that’s for sure, but her art style suits
the DMZ and its citizens just fine. I can’t say that I want to see her art on
the book every month, but it is a nice change of pace from the norm. Brian Wood
has been the grand architect on this series since its inception, and I can’t
think of anyone else who would be able to step into his shoes while keeping the
pace and suspense the series is renowned for.
For my money there isn’t a more consistently enjoyable series on the market now
that “100 Bullets” (also a Vertigo title) has come to an end. There’re no capes,
no honor bound space police, no tri-clawed hair balls stabbing away the problems
of the world, but rather a city full of people trying their hardest everyday, to
not only stay alive, but to maintain some assemblance of life as they knew it
before their world was rocked by conflict and their home was transformed into a
warzone. |
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INVINCIBLE #61 |
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Writer:
Robert Kirkman
Artist:
Ryan Ottley |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher: Image Comics,
Shipped On:
042209
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MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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IMAGE'S
SYNOPSIS:
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INVINCIBLE WAR: AFTERMATH! The planet is in ruins.
Everything has changed, the world's superheroes are in the hospital or dead.
Invincible is left to rebuild - but now he must face his most deadly and
powerful adversary yet. Who... or what is CONQUEST? |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
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‘The Invincible War’ is over, but is anybody in the
Image universe able to move on in its devastating aftermath? Robert Kirkman has
been a creative force to be reckoned with ever since his career began, and his
most popular creation, “Invincible,” is showing no signs of fatigue having just
crested the five year mark.
Angstrom Levy is what’s more commonly referred to as a ‘loose end.’ Mark had a
run in with the teleporter more than 25 issues ago that resulted in him beating
Levy’s brains out of his skull, and an immense amount of guilt resting squarely
on Mark’s conscience. Where as it is much more common place for so-called
superheroes to take extreme measures these days, brushing off the consequences
of their actions as if it were some passing fad, however Invincible still
latches onto some silver-age-style belief system that says he’s of some higher
moral plateau than to kill those who may seek to kill him.
Levy is definitely one of the guys looking to kill Mark, especially after the
way he got his brain pounded into the ground; he’s cooked up quite a plan for
revenge by assembling an assault force of alternate-reality (ding-ding-ding, do
I get a no-prize or something?) copies of Invincible, all evil and looking to
expand their respective kingdoms. That’s right, a large group of Bad-vincibles,
each one a force to be reckoned with alone, thrown at the world in one massive
strike resulting in the death of millions of people. As Mark continues to pick
up the pieces not only of the cities decimated by the destruction, but also his
life, a new threat arrives to stir up even more trouble for him and his friends.
With the Guardians of the Globe out of commission is Mark the one to step up and
lead a new era of Guardians as defenders of Earth? What is to be the ultimate
fate of Atom Eve, Mark’s super powered girlfriend? Who is Conquest, and what
does he mean he’s checking on Mark’s progress preparing Earth for a Viltrumite
invasion?!
Robert Kirkman is to comics what J.J. Abrams has been to prime time television
and genre film; big ideas, bigger execution, and an immense amount of loyal fans
for each of his pet projects. While both are relatively new to their respective
mediums their reputations are known to precede them, and their names carry a lot
of weight. Kirkman continuously delivers exciting new ideas, unafraid of
blending old-school feel with contemporary character conflict. I’m not a fan of
everything he does, but “Invincible” just feels right, no matter where you jump
on.
What is there to really say about Ryan Ottley’s art? He’s the man, period. His
clean line work and attention to detail make every panel he draws a joy to lay
my eyes on. Not only that, but he draws backgrounds (!!!) as well, which to me
is the comic book artist equivalent of finding a needle in haystack. With so
many artists foregoing detail in favor of jazzed up pin up pages its nice to see
a guy draw panels full of life, as if there’s more going on in these imaginary
worlds than two sweaty guys duking it out in spandex body stockings. |
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SUB MARINER 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL |
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Writer (new material):
Roy Thomas
Artist (new material):
Mitch Breitweiser |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
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Publisher: Marvel Comics,
Shipped On:
041509
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S
SYNOPSIS:
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The second of a series of celebratory specials
commemorating Marvel's 70th Anniversary and its rich history and characters!
It's the year 1940, and thanks to policewoman Betty Dean, the young Namor the
Sub-Mariner has momentarily halted his jihad against the surface world. But now,
an envoy from the Axis powers attempts to sway the undersea prince to the Nazi
cause! Can the less worldly Sub-Mariner be tempted? Plus, a second
never-before-seen Namor story by Mark Schultz and Al Williamson, and a reprint
of Namor's first appearance from 1939! |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
It’s not really that big of a surprise to me that
Namor has a problem when it comes to holding down a solo series. He’s the ruler
of Atlantis, the first mutant born in the Marvel U., he’s the ever-pompous
sea-king with a grudge against the surface dwellers (that’s us by the way) and
no matter how hard they try and make him seem cool creators never quite seem to
hit the nail on the head. Continuing the celebration of 70 years of Marvel
Comics, the company has released two one-shots dealing with a pair of their
oldest characters; the first was a Captain America story (see my review in the
archives below), the follow up of course being Sub-Mariner.
The story, set during World War II, features a young Namor assisting the United
States military in defending itself from Nazi u-boats. Anyone familiar (even
slightly) with the character of Namor knows he’s quite sensitive, and when
things aren’t exactly going his way he decides to abandon the nation of his
birth father and sit out the rest of the conflict. It’s not very long after
swearing to remain neutral that he’s approached by a beautiful blonde mystery
woman who claims to work for Adolph Hitler himself, and is offered an alliance
of sorts with the Axis powers. I know Namor’s a prick, but is he bad enough to
side with the Nazis?!
His checkered past aside, Namor has been walking the fine line between hero and
villain since the characters debut. Even the back up stories (yeah there’s two
of them, that’s why they want to charge an extra buck) feature the Atlantean
Prince murdering deep sea divers (he thought they were robots), and yet he’s
willing to go out of his way to save an American pilot trapped on a
German-occupied island. The paradox he represents is much more main-stream now,
what with the celebration of all things anti-hero that took over comics in the
90’s, as well as the fascination with villains-as-main-characters that seems to
have become the new norm. Maybe that’s why Namor seems to have lost a bit of his
edge.
Roy Thomas is an old-hand with Marvel's golden age and he does what he can with
the character, which isn’t much. Mitch Breitweiser’s pencils are as good as
they’ve ever been, and I really enjoy his art’s retro feel. I wish there was
more creators could do with a guy who rules an underground kingdom, and
communicates with the beasts from below the surface of the water, but in the end
he always seems to come off cliché and boring, never quite the good guy, and
never evil enough to merit a true disdain. Maybe one day they’ll get the Prince
of Atlantis right, but not today. |
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NEW AVENGERS #52 |
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Writer:
Brian Bendis
Artist:
Chris Bachalo & Billy Tan |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher: Marvel Comics,
Shipped On:
042209
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S
SYNOPSIS:
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Who is the new Sorcerer Supreme? The entire Marvel
Universe hangs in the balance as the Avengers race to help the fallen Doctor
Strange battle the forces of the Dark Dimension as they make their earthly power
play. |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
Something is brewing in the Marvel Universe’s magic
cauldron. Between the sudden surge in Mephisto appearances (Spiderman: OMD, the
Nightcrawler one-shot), the Doctor Doom/Morgan LaFey showdown in “Dark
Avengers,” and now the revelation that Stephen Strange is no longer Sorcerer
Supreme. Is it all leading up to a massive showdown between those who find
themselves aligned with Marvel’s mystical heroes and the servants of the dark
arts who seek to abuse magic for personal gain?
While meeting with Wiccan (of the Young Avengers) Dr. Strange is attacked by The
Hood. A fierce, magic-fueled battle ensues, resulting in The Hood getting the
better of Dr. Strange, but just barely. Strange is able to escape to the newest
hideout of the New Avengers to fill them in on the trouble that is brewing with
the mystical arts. This is about the point where Brian Bendis’ signature writing
style comes into play as the cast babbles back and forth debating the proper
course of action to take in this volatile situation. There are some cool
character moments, especially with Spiderman, who I’m finding more and more to
be the conscience of the entire team. The Avengers realize they have to track
down the next ‘Sorcerer Supreme’ before The Hood, so it’s off to New Orleans (in
a stolen Quin-Jet no less) to warn a certain ‘son of Satan’ of his impending
fate, but are they too late?!
I can’t say enough good things about this series. I was never an Avengers fan
growing up, aside from the occasional cross over; I can hardly remember ever
giving a crap about the seemingly haphazard assembly of Earth’s so called
‘mightiest heroes.’ Then I picked up ‘Disassembled’ nearly 5 years ago, and
found a team thrown together seemingly at random, whom I not only could relate
to in numerous ways, but found entertaining enough to come back month after
month for more. Bendis writes these Avengers like real people, dealing with
crappy circumstances at every turn, but they never seem to lose sight of what is
most important to them, and they always maintain their sense of humor. This is
one of only a small (very small) handful of books that consistently makes me
laugh out loud EVERY time I read it. It may not be the most “Avengery” Avengers
title out, but it is the coolest and most likely to leave long lasting
ramifications on the team’s mythos in general.
I’m not sure how to feel about Chris Bachalo’s art here. The older I get, and
the more I read titles illustrated by him the less I’m inclined to continue to
read books featuring his work. He conveys action somewhat, but a lot of his
pencils are unclear and it’s near impossible to decipher what is actually
happening. Billy Tan on the other hand has done nothing but get better and
better. From his run on (now defunct) “Marvel Knights Spiderman”, to the
Brubaker-penned space epic on “Uncanny X-Men”, to “New Avengers”, he’s stepped
up his skills every time I’ve been reintroduced to him, and that’s nothing to
laugh at. I hope Marvel has a project worth his time lined up for him,
considering he’s done with this book after this arc. |
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FANTASTIC FORCE #1
|
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Writer:
Joe Ahearne
Artist:
Steve Kurth |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
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Publisher: Marvel Comics,
Shipped On:
042209
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
|
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MARVEL'S
SYNOPSIS:
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FROM THE PAGES OF FANTASTIC FOUR: The Hooded Man!
Lightwave! Banner! Natalie X! Psionics! Alex Ultron! They're the last six
superhumans from a devastated future! They've rescued the remnants of a
devastated humanity by relocating them to an artificial planet in the present
day! Now they face their greatest challenge-to create a better utopian society!
But there are vast forces from across the Marvel Universe who will move against
them-plus a threat from their own era they thought they'd left behind! Plus, 8
pages of Director's Cut Extras! |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
Spinning directly out of the pages of Mark Millar
and Bryan Hitch’s amazing run on Marvel’s first family comes the New
Defenders…wait…no, not the New Defenders, but rather Fantastic Force…really?! Aw
s***. I guess I had high hopes for this book, considering the potential stories
one could derive from the characters’ origins.
Traveling from 500 years in the future, a small band of heroes calling
themselves the New Defenders hopes to bring eight billion people backwards to
our time, so when their planet has died it doesn’t leave the human race extinct.
Some bad stuff happens, the Fantastic Four get involved and ultimately the New
Defenders and their eight billion refugees find a place to call home in the form
of Nu-World, a man-made mock up of our planet, designed for the richest of
Earth’s upper-class.
The directions you could go from there are endless, or at least I thought they
were until I picked up the first issue of this mini-series and found that they
were going to jump right into formulaic water. As opposed to setting up the
characters in a believable setting and allowing the plot to flow naturally from
it, the New Defend…er…Fantastic Force are shoe-horned into a battle not ten
seconds after they arrive on the planet. Alyssa Moy helped design Nu-World with
her husband Ted Castle (no relation to Frank), and while she welcomes the heroes
to her creation with open arms Ted decrees his intentions of destroying the
planet if the ‘invaders’ (I thought they were Fantastic Force?!) don’t relocate
to the moon-based prison and await deportation. Obviously there’s much more to
it, as there is an unseen player, who makes herself known by the end of the
issue.
It’s not that I think this book is poorly written, because parts of it are very
cool, but I think the whole idea for the series is poorly conceived. I would’ve
rather waited 3 or so years for Millar to finish all his other commitments and
then come back to these wayward souls, at least then the concept wouldn’t have
been so run-of-the-mill and ordinary. The art on the book is enjoyable at times
and horrid at times, which doesn’t seem to make much sense, but if you crack the
book open you’ll see what I mean. I’m not familiar with either of the creators
of this series, but this doesn’t speak leaps and bounds in terms of what Marvel
thinks Millar’s creations are capable of. I have a slight suspicion that
editorial is the one responsible for chopping this series at the knees,
creatively speaking. |
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FABLES #83 |
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Writer:
Bill Willingham & Matthew Sturges
Artist:
Mark Buckingham |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
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Publisher: DC/Vertigo Comics,
Shipped On:
041509
|
|
MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
|
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DC'S
SYNOPSIS:
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Part 1 of "The Great Fables Crossover"! Thrill! To
the adventures of your favorite Fables as they fight for their very existence in
the greatest Fables epic yet! Shudder! To the danger as all of existence is
about to be wiped out with the stroke of a pen! 3 months @ 3 books per month! =
9 amazing issues! Featuring Brazilian newcomer Joao Ruas, who brings his
exquisite style and elegance as our new cover artist! |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
‘Fables’ is one of those phenomenal books where
you’re already familiar with everyone in it, even if you’ve never read it
before. I haven’t taken a look at it since the very fist trade paperback, yet
here I am 78 issues later and I can pick the book up, and despite some slight
status-quo changes, I can fall right into step with the story and the characters
sprinkled throughout its pages. That’s not to say nothing’s changed since I last
dropped in on Fabletown, in fact there’s been numerous changes (probably too
many to list), but there’s an odd air of familiarity that supercedes it all, and
that’s what so cool about this book.
A dark force has invaded, and destroyed Fabletown, and most of its inhabitants
find themselves hiding out on ‘the farm’ (think Orwell’s “Animal Farm) as they
figure out they’re next moves. Tensions are running high as Bigby (AKA Big Bad)
Wolf and The Beast (not the X-man either) find themselves no longer in control
of their animal sides, and boy is the fur gonna fly. In fact I’m pretty sure
those boys would have killed each other if not for the intervention of the
respective women in their lives. Jack (yes, the beanstalk guy) gives his old
pals a phone call to fill them in on a situation he thinks they may find
troubling: the world is going to come to an end. They decide to send Bigby
(along with Snow White) to check out Jack’s claims, hoping the distance put
between themselves and Fabletown quells the savage beast inside of him. But it’s
not just the wolf who finds himself big and bad, over in New York City crime and
murder is at an all-time high, and a certain Mister Dark may have a greater hand
in it than everyone thinks.
Bill Willingham’s “Fables” is rumored to be a potential candidate for television
development, which I think is awesome. I would love to see how they translate
the interaction between human and animal to prime time TV, maybe we’ll even get
lucky and it will end up on a channel like Showtime or HBO (so they can get an
effects budget). However, if they never make the jump from print to film, I
think Willingham should be forever proud of what he’s done with the childhood
legends we all know and love. His book is seven years old and going as strong as
it ever has. While Mark Buckingham’s pencils aren’t as exuberant as Lan Medina’s
(the series original penciler) they fit the book wonderfully. I haven’t been up
to date on this series in quite a while, but now’s as good a time as any to find
my way back to some old friends, if they’re lucky enough to make it out of this
one alive. |
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WARLORD #1 |
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Writer:
Mike Grell
Artist:
Joe Prado |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
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Publisher: DC Comics,
Shipped On:
040809
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|
MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
|
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DC'S
SYNOPSIS:
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At the Roof of the World in Tibet, a team of
paleontologists and adventurers has made the find of the century: perfectly
preserved dinosaur specimens that appear to have died mere days before! Their
expedition takes a deadly turn when they uncover an impossible portal to another
world - an unbelievable country at the hollow center of the Earth, the mythical
land of Skartaris! But they're not the first surface-worlders to find themselves
stranded in Skartaris, and their arrival in his peaceful home triggers an
unforgettable new adventure for the hero who has taken the land as his own:
Travis Morgan, the Warlord! This new ongoing series marks the return of creator
Mike Grell to the fantasy saga that made him famous! Reunite with Tara, Shakira,
Tinder and the rest of the cast in a story that continues the adventures of the
Warlord but opens up a new era where any reader can jump aboard. |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
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“The Warlord” is a character that has been around DC
comics mythology since the 70’s, created by Mike Grell and exists (from what I
can tell) to fill the empty swords and sorcery/fantasy void in the DC line. The
last shot they fired using the character misfired out of the gate, and it’s been
a few years since they’ve tried doing anything with him, but now he’s back
(rejoice) and everything is right with the world (I guess).
An archeological expedition into the Himalayan Mountains to recover a dinosaur
fossil is really just a cover for thrill-seeker, Ned Hawkins, to seek out a lost
city of gold known as Shangri-La. After a violent encounter with the Chinese
military his group seeks refuge in a hidden cave; lo and behold it also happens
to house a glowing, golden gateway to…somewhere. Lt. Travis Morgan was
classified as deceased after a routine Air Force training mission in 1969,
little did everyone know that he was actually alive and well, living in a world
within our own, Skartaris, a magical place with people and dinosaurs, and they
live together! (YAY!) Since his arrival Travis has climbed to the top of
Shamballah’s pecking order, found a lady friend in a shape-shifting warrior
woman, and occasionally finds time to fight giant griffins that accidentally fly
through his bedroom window.
A dark wizard fancies himself a god, and is taking over kingdoms in Skartaris,
the results of which are sending a ripple effect through the world as wave after
wave of refugees begin to flee to other realms. The culture shock is causing
conflicts within the community, as is the rumor that the dark wizard is in
possession of weapons that can take down a target from more than a dozen spear
casts (think a looooooooooong distance) and leave wounds not much larger than
a…bullet?!
I’m not too familiar with the world of “The Warlord” other than what I’ve heard
from others or read about (briefly) on the net, but it's obviously a title with a
lot of history and a rich mythology. If you’re a fan of fantasy titles and
characters, or ever thought about giving them a chance then this presents the
perfect jumping on point. If you’re not already a fan of this genre I don’t
think the book offers a strong enough hook to bring you back to the next issue.
Mike Grell created the character and writes him as if he’s known him for a long
time, which obviously he has, however those of us who aren’t too familiar with
the book seem left out in the cold. The art work by Joe Prado is average at
best. There were panels that looked great and got the point across without a
hitch, but there were also panels where the action and everyone involved was
very convoluted and hard to decipher, so I guess you have to take the good with
the bad. |
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 |
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GREEN LANTERN CORPS #35 |
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Writer:
Peter J. Tomasi
Artist:
Patrick Gleason |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
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Publisher: DC Comics,
Shipped On:
041509
|
|
MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
|
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DC'S
SYNOPSIS:
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“Emerald Eclipse” continues as a Red Lantern escapes
out of its sciencell and ignites a riot on Oa, forcing Guy, Kyle, Kilowog and
Voz to try and prevent the ultimate jailbreak. Meanwhile, Sodam Yat and Arisia
arrive on Daxam to stop Mongul and the Sinestro Corps. But how can they hope to
stop an entire Corps? Plus: Sinestro arrives on Korugan in search of his
daughter!" |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
There’s nothing like a glorified police serial to
make you remember why these kinds of comics don’t sell too well in the first
place. Add to the mix the fact that said glorified police serial is set in space
and I’m almost going to guarantee the book is a snooze fest.
There has been an explosion in the Corps cast as of late, and I don’t mean just
the Green Lanterns either. Now there’s blue, orange, red, green, indigo, yellow,
and more than likely black Lantern Corps popping out of the woodwork. Along with
this influx of potential allies and unforgettable foes comes the inevitable fact
that most of these are disposable characters and are treated as such.
Aliens are killing and enslaving each other. That’s pretty much what I got from
this issue, seeing as how the whole thing was one big slobber knocker. There
were too many ‘main’ characters and not enough focus on the more memorable ones.
Instead of coming off as an interesting comic book, when I was finished reading
it I felt dizzy, as if I was the one rocketing through space at breakneck speed.
Bad dialogue abounds as Peter Tomasi writes characters like Guy Gardner into the
ground with lines like “Lock and Load…it’s blazing combat time!” What is
‘blazing combat time’ exactly? Anyone? (Yeah me either) The art is nothing nice
to look at either. If Doug Mahnke couldn’t draw human anatomy his art would
probably look like this, but what do you say to a guy who makes alien anatomy
look incorrect from panel to panel? There are some pages where characters look
one way in one panel, and the very next panel they might as well be someone
completely different, which throws off the pacing of the story because I
constantly had to check to make sure who I was looking at.
I understand DC is really throwing all their eggs in the “Blackest Night”
basket, as they’ve already begun branding titles with the banner (this was
labeled Prelude), but I guess only time will tell if it really plays into the
story. Other than the reemergence of Sinestro I didn’t see any thing even
remotely resembling a reference to Black Lanterns. |
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SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #2 |
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Writers:
James Robinson and Greg Rucka
Artist:
Pete Woods |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher: DC Comics,
Shipped On:
040809
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MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
|
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DC'S
SYNOPSIS:
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Superman thought that joining his people on New
Krypton would allow him to ease some of the tension between Earth and his
people, but lately nothing's been easy for the Man of Steel! Alura still shows
no signs of becoming the kind of leader Superman wants her to be. The people of
New Krypton still don't understand the responsibilities that come with their new
abilities. And as for Zod? Superman doesn't even know where to start with Zod.
All The Man of Steel knows is that he can't be trusted. And Zod is about to
prove Superman right. |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
Superman has deserted Earth in order to watch over
the continued development of New Krypton, home to a hundred thousand Kryptonians
just like him, whose planet has just been thrust into the orbit of a yellow sun,
granting EVERYONE on it the very same powers that made him so unique on Earth. I
guess in a way this is a natural transition for the character of Superman. For
so long all he’s sought to do is fit in with the world around him, but despite
the disguise, and his relationship with Lois Lane, he’s never found anyone who
could really relate to him on a day to day level, so it makes sense to stick him
someplace where he’s no longer unique and see how he fares on level playing
field.
Despite being only the second issue in this fifteen part maxi-series by writer
James Robinson it’s numerically number 20 in what is quickly becoming the ‘New
Krypton Epic’ that is running through every Supes-family title from “Action
Comics” to “Supergirl.”
Remember Zod from the second Richard Donner Superman movie? Well he’s the
General in the Kryptonian Army, and Kal El is a Commander, which makes Zod his
superior. Being an officer in his people’s last line of defense leaves him with
certain responsibilities; those responsibilities manifest themselves in the form
of a rookie platoon of aspiring soldiers, including the former genius turned
brute, Non (also from “Superman 2”). The crew is immediately put to the test
corralling a loose pack of Thought-Beasts threatening atmospheric generators the
Kryptonians rely on to survive.
The art by Pete Woods is first rate, as his art usually is. Woods is the guy who
isn’t on anyone’s top ten list (he’s on mine), yet everyone trusts with him art
chores on their favorite title. His characters don’t all look alike, a sad trend
I’ve seen more and more prevalent in today’s comics. He brings them to life, as
he does with the city of Kandor (no longer available in bottle form). Colorist
Brad Anderson brings Woods’ pencils to life, adding a whole new dynamic to the
art.
This is by far the most interesting of the New Krypton-related titles. By taking
Superman out of his comfort zone and thrusting him into a situation where he’s
no longer the strongest/fastest/coolest there is they’ve exposed a different
side of Kal-el, and while he no doubt considers himself more human than anything
else, there’s still plenty he has to learn about relating to others more like
himself. do. |
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OVERLOOK #1 |
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Writers:
Jeff Parker
Artist:
Salva Espin |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher: Image/Shadowline Comics,
Shipped On:
041509
|
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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IMAGE'S
SYNOPSIS:
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Mickey "the Nickel" Nicholson will do anything for a
buck. A dirty prize- fighter, Mickey is hired by a mobster gone straight to
infiltrate an underground boxing outfit in the small corrupt town of Overlook.
His goal: to find the mobster's stolen "rainy day" money and kill his wayward
wife. In return, the mobster will assassinate a victim of Mickey's choice. |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
Mickey “the Nickel” Nicholson can take an ass-whippin’
that’s for sure. So much so, he spends the whole of the first issue with his
face glazed over from being used as a punching bag. He’s a hard drinking, punch
throwing, foul mouthed a-hole who makes his living (if you wanna call it that)
losing prize fights, that’s right, LOSING them. So when he’s approached by a
shady guy, in a poorly-lit parking lot outside of a lousy dive bar and offered a
job opportunity he doesn’t hesitate to jump at the chance to turn a quick buck.
Whitey does dirty work for Mr. Corletti, but Corletti needs a job done that no
one can connect him to and who better than some dirt-bag loner, right? So Whitey
saves Mickey’s butt, makes with the niceties and gets him on board with his
boss. Quickly thereafter Corletti request's of Mickey that he track down his
brother and his ex-wife, along with twenty million dollars, then kill the
ex-wife (she’s not a blood relative). Mick can keep up to twenty percent of
whatever cash is recovered, and in exchange Whitey will kill a person of
Mickey’s choosing. Doesn’t’ sound like such a bad deal when you lay it all out
on the table like that, is it? The offer is accepted, because, well, there
wouldn’t be much of a book if he didn’t and away he goes to Overlook,
California, a crime infested town where Mr. Corletti’s property has been
stashed.
This book is really well done, from the author’s superior handling of plot and
dialogue, to the artist’s black and white renderings of characters that probably
prefer the cover of darkness as opposed to seeing their likeness smeared across
the four-color funny pages. I think the most appealing thing about this title is
the atmosphere; there’s danger lurking around every corner and Mickey is more
than obliged to stumble head-long into it, both eyes blinded by the almighty
dollar. The creative team craft a story, while not necessarily remarkably
different from many that have come before, that delivers on suspense and
intrigue, which a lot of its predecessors fail to do. |
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IGNITION CITY #1 |
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Writer:
Warren Ellis
Artist:
Gianluca Pagliarani |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher: Avatar Comics,
Shipped On:
040809
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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AVATAR'S
SYNOPSIS:
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Where did the space heroes go to die? A major new
series by Warren Ellis, the writer who reinvented science fiction in comics, in
the alternate-world style of the award-winning Ministry Of Space and Aetheric
Mechanics - a retro-punk "future of the past" where spaceships still belched
smoke and arguments were still settled with laser pistols. 1956. Personal space
flight is becoming illegal all over the world. Grounded space pilot Mary Raven
has to journey to Earth's last spaceport, the island of Ignition City, to
recover her dead father's effects - and discovers, there in the lawless
interzone of the ramshackle settlement raised inside the ring of launch pads,
that her father died on the wrong end of a ray-gun. She's not going to leave
until she finds out who killed Rock Raven, but there's a lot of people who'd
rather feed her to the recycling chipper first! Ignition City is an on-going
color epic told in five issue series featuring the art of Aetheric Mechanics'
Gianluca Pagliarani and launching with a Regular and Wraparound cover by
Pagliarani, a painted cover by Felipe Massafera, and a rare Design Sketch cover
by Pagliarani! |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
Maybe they should change the name of Avatar Press to
‘Largest Publisher of Titles by Warren Ellis.” At last count there were more
than 7 titles (mostly mini-series) published semi-regularly by Avatar that were
written by the man himself, and that’s all in addition to work he’s doing for
other publishers. Some of these series go on to garner praise from the fan
community for his never-ending assault on all things super-hero (“Black Summer,”
“No Hero”), and yet others, more Sci-Fi themed books such as “Anna Mercury” or
“Doctor Sleepless,” seem to fly under everyone’s radar. Well the mad man is back
with his latest offering “Ignition City,” also from Avatar Press (who didn’t see
that coming), a Sci-Fi/adventure romp complete with space-age looking aircraft,
intrigue, food pellets, laser guns, and lizards big enough to ride on all set in
the year 1956…what the?!
Of course it’s Ellis’ twisted view of even the most fictional of alternate
realities that makes this book so enjoyable. In addition to our main character,
Mary, a pilot/explorer both on and off planet, we meet a cast of supporting
characters as unique as they are, at times, vile. We catch up with Mary as she
is informed of the death of her father, also a pilot/explorer/spaceman, and as a
result she opts to head for Ignition City, an island utilized as Earth’s last
remaining space port to collect her father’s belongings. The cast is as colorful
as Ellis vocabulary, and there seem to be plenty of low-life, no-good, scum bags
which he has proven time and again to be his strong suit when writing.
The artwork of Gianluca Pagliarani is what I’ve come to call the ‘Awesome Avatar
Style,’ because a lot of the art from their books seem to look alike. That’s not
to say the artists all draw alike, but the inkers and colorists seem to bring
some uniformity to the line of titles, which is a nice change.
Avatar is quickly becoming one of my favorite indy publishers, due to the
unrelenting stream of ‘out of the ordinary’ titles they’ve come out with. There
isn’t much Warren Ellis does that I’m not a fan of, so I guess I’ll just add
Ignition City to the list. I’m glad there’s at least one publisher out there
amongst all the rest brave enough to allow writers of Ellis’s caliber to do and
say what he wants, the way he wants to. I can only hope with the changes coming
from Diamond in the near future that this company won’t be left out in the cold. |
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EXILES #1 |
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Writer:
Jeff Parker
Artist:
Salva Espin |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher: Marvel Comics,
Shipped On:
040809
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MSRP:
$3,99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S
SYNOPSIS:
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Heroes are being pulled out of the worlds they know-
The Beast. The Witch. Panther. Forge. Polaris. All find themselves in a place
out of time with a new mission in life. But something seems to have shifted in
the mechanics of the universe, things may not be quite what we remember... But
one thing we know for certain- BLINK is BACK!Plus 8 pages of Director's Cut
Extras! |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
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The last time I checked in on “The Exiles” it was
being written into the ground by Tony Bedard, and I jumped ship despite being a
fan from nearly the beginning. Chris Claremont took over the book shortly after
Bedard’s departure and in what has proven to be the grand Claremont tradition as
of late, the book was cancelled shortly thereafter.
It’s a brand new day of sorts for the Exiles crew, the mismatched band of
reality jumpers constantly on the move from one Earth to the next solving
problems and talking about how much they miss home. The first departure from the
original series is that all the characters are plucked from their respective
realities at the precise moment of their deaths, but the twists don’t stop
there. Morph is a timebroker apparently; Blink doesn’t seem to have any
recollection of any of the previous adventures she’s shared with the other
teams, which leads this reader to believe that this isn’t the same Blink we’ve
seen before. The Exiles are given their first task, which is to help a tangent
reality’s Wolverine overthrow Magneto, obviously a task easier said than done.
I thought this issue had a very nostalgic feel to it, very similar in tone to
the original Exiles series written by Judd Winick. Jeff Parker was able to make
me feel welcome despite my long absence from the title, which should bode well
for its chances at picking up new readers. Salva Espin should have been given
the cover, to better represent the interior art, which is vastly superior to
that of Bullock & Irwin, whoever the hell they are.
I hope this take on the time jumping, reality hopping, Earth skipping saviors
sticks around and maintains the high level of quality that its was originally
known for, not for the drastically different incarnation most recently passed
off in its stead. |
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IRREDEEMABLE #1 |
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Writer:
Mark Waid
Artist:
Peter Krause |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
BOOM! Studios
Shipped On:
040109
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MSRP:
$3.99each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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BOOM'S
SYNOPSIS:
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A comic book industry event: a new original ongoing
superhero series from Mark Waid! Irredeemable dares to ask the question: what if
the world's greatest hero decided to become the world's greatest villain? A
"twilight of the superheroes"-style story that examines super-villains from the
writer of Kingdom Come and Empire! With a special afterword by Grant Morrison.
Covers by John Cassady (Planetary) and Barry Kitson. |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
What could make the world’s most celebrated super
hero become its most reviled villain? That’s exactly the question that writer
Mark Waid hopes to answer with Boom! Studios’ latest offering Irredeemable.
The Plutonian, once Earth’s champion, now the scourge of its superhero
community, is on the rampage. Not in the traditional comic book sense of the
word either, he’s not tearing through some city, putting countless innocent
lives at risk, instead he’s much more strategic and meticulous. He knows who the
heroes are, who their families are, and worst of all, he knows where they live.
Waid pulls no punches when it comes time to show the reader just what kind of a
bastard The Plutonian has become as he lay wastes to a family in the first few
pages, and then utters the creepiest line of dialogue, capable of making even my
skin crawl.
Never fear mortals, for the super powered, ex-teammates of The Plutonian are on
his trail, and they aim to bring down their former friend one way or another.
Splicing in back story via temporary resurrection of a dead friend proved to be
an awesome plot device.
The art is good, but held back by an unimaginative colorist. Peter Krause has an
old school flavor to his pencils, but colorist Andrew Dalhouse really doesn’t
make the work come to life. I’d have liked to see this book done with digital
painting, or maybe un-inked pencils like Michael Turner, or Lenil Yu’s Ultimate
Hulk Vs Wolverine. Even the John Cassaday cover has more imagination in it, but
John Cassaday is king as Kirby.
Since it’s a first issue there are, of course, more questions than answers, but
Mark Waid does a great job of exciting readers about the characters, so we WANT
to keep reading about their adventures (I just don’t understand how so many
writers miss the mark on this). I just hope we can do it without a $3.99 price
tag! |
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JESUS CHRIST IN THE NAME OF THE GUN |
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Writers:
Eric Peterson & Ethan Nicolle
Artist:
Ethan Nicolle |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
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Publisher:
Bad Karma Productions,
Shipped On:
040809
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MSRP:
$2.95 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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BAD KARMA'S
SYNOPSIS:
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Wars. Plagues. Genocide. Earth has had a less than
peaceful history. Jesus Christ came to Earth and taught mankind a lesson in how
to be kinder and gentler to one another. In Heaven, he should have been residing
in peace, but he looking down upon Earth he sees that nothing has gone according
to his plan. For too long, he has been unable to do anything about it - until
now! What happens when the savior of mankind decides to come down to Earth and
do something about it? Jesus Christ is back with a new lesson, and it's not
"love thy neighbor" and "the Golden Rule." Read this explosively funny first
issue of the book that Ain't It Cool News called "freakin' hilarious." |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
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Sometimes I read a book that simply leaves me
without any words whatsoever. ‘Jesus Christ: In the Name of the Gun’ is not one
of those books, not by a ****ing long shot.
The cover image assaulted me as soon as I laid eyes on it. Jesus, wielding a
machine gun, leaping from the sky as he shoots at a small gathering of
everyone’s favorite, all-purpose evil-doin’ Nazis. This was going to be very
good, or very, very bad, and in either case it was going to get ugly. With more
than a little trepidation I tucked the book, along with all the others, under my
arm and made my way home for what I thought was going to be a long night of bad
reading. It takes all of about three pages to become very aware that this isn’t
your run-of-the-mill, Sunday school Christ. He swears, he smokes, his attitude
sucks, and he even makes a gay joke, so it’s about as far left as you can get
from the typical depiction of everyone’s favorite lord and savior. I never got
the idea that any of it was done with the intention of being offensive. in your
face? Sure it is. Controversial? Without a doubt. This book doesn’t say a lot of
stuff about God or religion that hasn’t been said before, but by utilizing Jesus
Christ as their mouthpiece, creators Peterson and Nicolle can relate the
material to readers via the most famous persecuted youth of all time.
Now let’s just say that all the preachy, angst-filled Jesus-rants are only half
the book’s message, and while his insights are both hilarious and entertaining,
there is another point to the story, and that’s killing Nazis! The action here
isn’t toned down at all, not for readers’ benefit or for the Lamb of God. See
Christ perform stunts such as running up a stream of urine so he could
flash-kick some Nazi scrub’s head almost clean off, beat someone to death with
their own gun, or team up with Ernest Hemingway to take out Hitler. Yeah, Ernest
Hemingway, how cool is that?
The art in this book reminds me of a classic Disney style, and I don’t mean
Mickey and Goofy. There are aspects of Nicolle’s portrayal that look just like
‘Emperor’s New Groove’ or the art work from ‘Atlantis.’ I didn’t even mind the
fact that the book isn’t colored, and if it was I’m not sure I’d have liked it
as much as I do. I’m not generally a fan of black and white comics but this
worked perfectly because they didn’t try to cram too much into each panel,
overwhelming the reader with all sorts of crazy stuff like they do in manga.
I’m sure there’s going to be all sorts of things people will say about the use
of such a celebrated historical figure in such a vulgar manner, however the book
works, and it does it without being mean or degrading. Anyone who knows me has
already figured out that I’m a fan of comics that take chances, telling stories
that haven’t been done to death, then resurrected and done to death again. I’m
really hoping this book catches on! |
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CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS 70TH ANNIVERSARY
SPECIAL |
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Writer (mew material):
James Robinson
Artist (new material):
Marcos Martin |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics,
Shipped On:
040109
|
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
|
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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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Leading off a series of celebratory specials
commemorating Marvel's 70th Anniversary, James (STARMAN, SUPERMAN) Robinson and
Marcos (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN) Martin bring you an untold story of the living
legend. In the days before he becomes Captain America, a scrawny kid from
Brooklyn named Steve Rogers shows the world that you don't need a super-soldier
serum to be a hero. Plus a classic Captain America tale from the Golden Age by
Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
You can give a writer like James Robinson any
character you can think of and he’ll tell you a cool story, well, except for
Captain America apparently. That said, let me make it clear that I’m not
outright knocking this comic, I actually like it, but not in the way it was
delivered.
Marvel Comics is celebrating their 70th anniversary this year, and as a special
tribute to its roots they’re printing this book under the Timely Comics logo
(Marvel Comics as you know them arose from a company called Timely Comics). Joe
Simon and Jack Kirby were publishing Captain America Comics back in the early
40’s and this story is supposed to be in the same vein as those that pair of
guys would tell, but I think it just misses the mark dramatically, as Robinson
presents his very own ret-con of Cap’s origin, which I’m not quite sure is
considered canon yet or not, and let me just say I hope it isn’t.
If you’re not familiar with the origin of Captain America allow me to catch you
up, Steve Rogers is a wimp, but he’s a wimp who wants to serve his country.
Because he’s such a wimp his country turns him away. He’s then offered a chance
at clinical testing a designer military enhancement that can potentially create
the perfect soldier. Trial works, drugs take, and *WALLA* instant super soldier:
Captain America. Robinson isn’t crazy enough to mess with 60-plus some years
worth of Cap lore, no sir, but he does find some wiggle room between Steve gets
his initial 4-F denial from the armed service and when he’s brought in for trial
runs of the super-soldier-serum. Enter a dying scientist, 5th-columnist Nazi
spies, lots of action, and even some shield throwing in the form of a good
old-fashioned garbage can lid (which no one even has anymore) and you almost
have yourself a Captain America comic, but only almost.
The problem lies within the concept itself, a 4-F labeled Steve Rogers is able
to out run Nazi spies, dodge bullets, jump from speeding trains, wield a garbage
can lid as a shield and a weapon simultaneously, but couldn’t pass a physical
exam for the military? I love comics, and suspension of disbelief is a necessity
for such a hobby, at least to an extent, just don’t go messing with established
characters and expecting everyone to be okay with it just because Starman was
totally awesome 20 years ago, okay?
Marcos Martin more than delivers a beautiful book. Illustrated brilliantly with
smooth lines and great action sequences, with actual backgrounds
(BACKGROUNDS?!), his style is refreshing amidst the sea of artists attempting to
be the next Lee, Turner, or (God forbid) Liefield.
There’s also a back up reprint of a classic story by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby
which I didn’t find enjoyable at all. Captain America plays baseball, like, for
real. Blah. I would much rather them charge me $2.99 or even $3.50 for a book
sans crappy reprint story than get hit for $3.99, because they include something
that I’m never going to read again. |
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 |
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MARVEL ZOMBIES 4 #1 |
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Writer:
Fred Van Lente
Artist:
Kev Walker |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics,
Shipped On:
040809
|
|
MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
|
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|
MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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|
The acclaimed creative team behind MARVEL
ZOMBIES 3 returns...with another adventure that takes place in the Marvel U! The
vampire. The witch. The werewolf. The muck-monster. The devil. They're nobody's
idea of heroes, but they're all that stands between our world and an unstoppable
apocalypse! They're the new Midnight Sons, and their quest to track down the
undead who escaped from A.R.M.O.R. will lead them around the globe-and right to
a cruise ship overrun with undead undersea-dwelling cannibals! Can this
monstrous team stop the "red tide" before it unleashes untold horror upon the
mainland? Not if the Merc With Only a Mouth has anything to say about it! Yes,
writer Fred Van Lente and artist Kev Walker-the guys who made IGN.com say
"MARVEL ZOMBIES 3 may actually rank as the best in the series"-are back again,
unleashing the flesh-eaters for another roller coaster ride of gore, action,
gore, thrills, gore and gore! |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
I guess the zombie-ship hasn’t quite sailed yet. If
you ask me, there’s only so many different ways to make a zombie story feel new,
or relevant; Marvel Comics is hoping lightning strikes for a fourth time (I
didn’t think it hit on the second or third try myself) as they put the
super-powered Marvel Zombies up against Morbius and the Midnight Sons. O-Kay.
The book isn’t bad, really, but it doesn’t exactly aspire to greatness on any
level. Fred Van Lente isn’t a bad writer at all, as evident by his talented
handling of titles such as “Incredible Hercules,” but this comes off more as an
assignment than a passion project. Kev Walker’s art is solid, nothing
spectacular, but it’s good. I think he draws monsters like Werewolf by Night or
the Men-Fish better than he draws people, which is kind of a downer but it’s a
book amount monsters and zombie’s so the actual ‘human-human’ count should be at
a minimum.
I think this is the 5th comic of this month that Deadpool has a role in, even if
in this particular story only his head is featured (what more do you need from
‘the Merc with a Mouth?’). The inclusion of a certain red-clad villain at the
very end did come as a surprise, almost enough to get me to come back for the
next issue, but in the end, I think I’ll save my money for something with a
little more bearing on actual continuity.
Like I said, it’s not a bad book, I just can’t find anything relevant in there
worth investing in. When there is so much good stuff going on in the main Marvel
U why anyone would want to spend time loafing about in some alternate go-nowhere
universe simply baffles my mind. In my opinion Marvel is at an all time creative
high with a large majority of their characters, I don’t see the appeal of
tossing 4th-string horror themed characters into a book against a cast of
zombies from a flash-in-the-pan universe whose time has come and gone. |
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 |
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INCREDIBLE HERCULES #127 |
|
Writers:
Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente
Artist:
Dietrich Smith |
|
Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
|
Publisher:
Marvel
Comics,
Shipped On:
032509
|
|
MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
|
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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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As Hera consolidates her takeover of Olympus,
marking Hercules and Athena for death, she reaches out to forge an alliance with
the greatest mortal power on the planet -- NORMAN OSBORN! With the forces of
Heaven and Earth both arrayed against our heroes, how can they possibly survive?
And what role does the ex-New Warrior AEGIS play in Hera's mad scheme? |
|
SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
Through out my life as an avid fan of comic books
and comic book characters I can honestly say I’ve never, ever (ever, ever, ever)
liked Hercules. Until now, that is. Maybe it’s the way Greg Pak and Fred Van
Lente combine Herc’s boastful bravado with his oafish buffoonery so that the
reader is always smiling, either with him or at him. Maybe it’s the introduction
of Amadeus Cho, winner of the Mastermind Excello challenge, and 8th or 9th
(depending on who’s writing him) smartest person on the planet to off set the
big dumb ass when he’s down and out. Or maybe it’s just the proper take on a
character who’s been both an Avenger and a Champion, but whose last running
series saw him off in space like some Greek Buck Rogers.
I was initially hesitant about this latest issue simply because, all of a
sudden, it fell under the Dark Reign banner, so I knew Norman Osborn wouldn’t be
too far way, and Marvel was more than happy to oblige everyone with an
appearance of everyone’s favorite ginger-kid.
Y’see Hera is making moves through out Marvel’s community of Immortal Gods.
She’s set up the Olympus group, and aligned herself with several big meanies
with the plan to take down all of her late husband, Zuess’ half-breed heirs to
her empire, meaning Hercules and Athena. They get started with former New
Warrior, and Athena protégé Aegis, as Huntsman tosses him from a project window,
just to get Herc’s attention. When she brings her plan to Norman Osborn and his
H.A.M.M.E.R. organization he does all but laugh in her face. Threatened with
imprisonment if everything isn’t turned over to Norman’s control immediately,
Hera speeds her plans up a bit, hoping to get the drop on her opponents with the
element of surprise. Ultimately it’s Norman who gets the drop on everyone, as
his Dark Avengers show up just when all the action is getting started, leaving
the reader with quite a cliffhanger.
I don’t think there’s a character in the Marvel U that Greg Pak couldn’t put his
spin on and make a top-tier book, and although Herc isn’t moving at Avenger’s
numbers, his inclusion in their latest shake-up (see my review of Mighty
Avengers #23 in the March
Reviews) gives me reason to believe that Marvel can see that this book has
staying power.
Dietrich Smith is a rather new name (at least to me) and I’m not sure I dig the
art style for this book, maybe something like Marvel Adventures, but not
Hercules. Some of his panels are spot on, yet others look absolutely horrendous.
I hope they manage to pull a top-shelf artist on this book, like Cassaday, or a
McNiven who’s Herc in ‘Civil War’ was ridonkulous (“Thou Art NO Thor!”). |
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WOLVERINE WEAPON X #1 |
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Writer:
Jason Aaron
Artist:
Ron Garney |
|
Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
|
Publisher:
Marvel
Comics,
Shipped On:
040809
|
|
MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
|
|
|
MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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"THE ADAMANTIUM MEN" Part 1 (of 5)-In the jungles of
Colombia, people are turning up dead, whole villages brutally slaughtered by a
team of soldiers who move through the shadows like ghosts. On the streets of San
Francisco, Logan learns that the files from the old Weapon X program, the
blueprints for building Adamantium-laced super soldiers like himself, have
fallen into the hands of the evil corporation, Roxxon. Once again, it seems,
someone is looking to build the perfect killing machine. That means it's time
for Wolverine to step in. |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
Comic book readers need another title featuring
Wolverine like we need an extra hole in our heads. With that said, I had to give
this book a shot due primarily in fact to the awesome run these two creators had
on the main title a few months back.
‘Get Mystique’ was writer Jason Aaron’s first shot at one of Marvel’s heaviest
hitters, and by dragging Ron Garney from the floundering ‘Skaar, Son of Hulk’
title along for the ride the pair instantly became one of the most exciting new
creative teams to torment James Howlett in recent memory. I was more than
enthusiastic to hear that the pair was getting back together to work on the
character again, but I wasn’t as pleased to find out it would be in the form of
a new monthly title priced at $3.99.
Of course it’s no coincidence that new book is titled ‘Wolverine: Weapon X’,
considering there’s a movie just a few weeks away entitled ‘X-Men Origins:
Wolverine’ and it primarily deals with his experiences with the Weapon X
program. Marvel made a very similar move with last year’s ‘Iron Man’ film,
releasing a new title, and then virtually ceasing to pay attention to the
original, however I don’t think that’s going to be the case here.
The arc is entitled “The Adamantium Men,” and as far as the debut issue is
concerned, I wasn’t blown away by it. There’s a whole lot of killing and death
being handed out in the jungle of Columbia by some strange, shadowy, military
looking guys, complete with healing factors and claws very similar to the ones
wielded by a certain drunken Canadian we all know so well. This of course
doesn’t sit well with Logan, once he finds out about what’s going on, and he’s
off on an adventure to South America for sunny beaches, senoritas, and
bloodshed.
Aaron writes Wolverine like he’s known the guy personally for many years.
There’s nothing about the characterization or dialogue that feels stale or
rehashed, which is pretty risky considering the guy is available (in one form or
another) in just about 25% of Marvel’s monthly releases (New Avengers, Dark
Avengers, Uncanny X-Men, Astonishing X-Men, X-Force, Wolverine, Wolverine
Origins, etc.). Ron Garney is on top of his game with the pencils in this issue,
there’s something very Kubert-esque to way his line work comes together and I’m
a huge fan.
I’m all for new, exciting stories featuring Mr. Short, Dark and Hairy but I
don’t see why it couldn’t have been done in the original title, with a $2.99
price tag. |
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 |
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BATTLE FOR THE COWL-MAN BAT #1 |
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Writer:
Joe Harris
Artist:
Jim Calafiore |
|
Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
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Publisher:
DC
Comics,
Shipped On:
040109
|
|
MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
|
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|
DC'S
SYNOPSIS:
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|
Spinning out of the events in BATTLE FOR THE COWL,
Gotham City is in chaos and the villains of Arkham Asylum are running amok. One
such villain is the evil Doctor Phosphorus who seeks out another scientist in
this one-shot to help him grow even more powerful. But when that scientist is
Kirk Langstrom, a.k.a. Man-Bat, Doctor Phosphorus - and all of Gotham - will get
much more than they bargained for! |
|
SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
If I never have to read a book drawn by Jim
Calafiore again I might (might) die a happy fan-boy. But seriously, out of all
the candidates for potential Battle for the Cowl one shots, why in the hell was
Man-Bat even in the running? Writer Joe Harris does the best he can with the
black sheep of Batman’s extended family, but considering Man-Bat is at best a
shoddy Jekyll & Hyde homage, and at worst an even shoddier impersonation of
Spidey’s Lizard.
Let me break the story down real quick for you, guy takes serum, freaks out,
becomes monster, tries his best to retain his humanity, blah, blah, blah. When
the evil Dr. Phosphorus kidnaps his wife, Dr. Kirk Langstrom takes to the skies
as the monstrous Man-Bat, looking to find any and all information on her
whereabouts. Guest starring the Outsiders (for like 2 pages) and another
character I’m unfamiliar with called Lynx (either of which I’d rather read about
instead of Man-Bat) which I’m guessing is setting up Dr. Langstrom for some sort
of an appearance in the upcoming Outsider’s book.
Like I said at the top, Jim Calafiore is the most atrocious artist I’ve ever had
to endure in my entire life. He has to have some sort of incriminating photos of
someone at DC, that’s the only reason I can think of to justify how he keeps
getting work. I really hope someone wises up and he’s sent packing to Johnny DC,
or even better the unemployment line.
If you’re a Man-Bat fan (which I can’t imagine anyone is) or even just a Battle
for the Cowl collector I’m still going to have to advise everyone to stay as far
away from this stink bomb as possible. |
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 |
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BATMAN BATTLE FOR THE COWL #2 |
|
Writer/Artist:
Tony Daniel |
|
Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
|
Publisher:
DC
Comics,
Shipped On:
040809
|
|
MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
|
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|
DC'S
SYNOPSIS:
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|
With the destruction of Arkham Asylum and dozens of
Gotham City's most lethal villains rioting through the streets, it would seem
that Nightwing, Robin and their allies have their hands full. But they hadn't
counted on the return of Batman himself! But is it really The Dark Knight? If
so, why is he acting so strangely? And if not, is this a threat that could mean
the destruction of Gotham? This 3-issue series continues to shock and surprise
as the battle shifts to the next level with a face-off and ending that will have
everybody talking. Who has earned the right to be Batman? Who thinks they
deserve it? Robin? Nightwing? Jason Todd? Who will ultimately win the BATTLE FOR
THE COWL? |
|
SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
There is a war going on in Gotham City. To be
entirely accurate it would seem there are two wars going on, one erupting in the
community of villains that plague the streets of Gotham city, and another
between those who seek to follow in the late Batman’s footsteps to defend it.
The villains seek power and control, so they can profit from the demise of the
caped crusader, while three young men struggle with the proper way to honor his
legacy.
I had no idea this book was going to be so heavy, but there’s stuff that I
absolutely didn’t expect DC to have the guts to do. I don’t want to get into too
much detail, but the hits start early and just keep on coming. The reveal of the
gun-toting Batman’s identity is exposed a few pages into the issue, and it
really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s been following the main
Batman title over the last year, but the revelation of a second Bat-Cave was
pretty shocking considering the ramifications that could have on the title in
the future.
What I’m most surprised about is how dedicated DC seems to be following Grant
Morrison’s bat-blueprint laid out for us in issue #666 (go back and read it, and
you pretty much can guess the ending to this mini-series). The thing is, Grant
Morrison’s writing has injected a new life into Batman AND his mythology. By
taking all the hokey, crappy, nonsensical, silver age tales and providing a much
needed dose of “reality,” he’s crafted some of the most creative and
entertaining bat-tales I’ve ever read.
As for the removal of Bruce Wayne/Batman from the very title that bears his
namesake, I love it, and think it was a genius move. I consider myself a very
strong advocate of evolution in comics, and keeping in mind the reputation DC
has built for itself on the backs of its legacy characters I can’t possibly
think of why, of all the characters in the entire DCU, Batman should remain,
forever unscathed, as some sort of nigh-untouchable trinity (yeah, I
know…*sigh*). He’s just a man; with no powers, no power battery, no flight ring,
no speedforce, and nothing that allows him to slow the effects of aging his
legacy should be the only one that can’t be passed on? I appreciate the forward
momentum Grant Morrison is attempting to give the characters; I hope it isn’t
derailed the moment Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale decide to get back to
work.
The last page of this issue left my mouth wide open, eagerly anticipating the
day, thirty or so days from now, when I’m cracking open the finale of this
incredible mini-series. A cliffhanger like that would be expected by
well-renowned, established writers, but Tony Daniel? C’mon, as well as the guy
can draw I don’t think anyone really took his writing that seriously, but I
think he’s shown he’s got the chops to keep a story well-paced and interesting,
while at the same time maintaining the high quality art that we’ve come to
expect from him. Kudos Mr. Daniel, kudos. |
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 |
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FLASH REBIRTH #1 |
|
Writer:
Geoff Johns
Artist:
Ethan Van Sciver |
|
Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
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Publisher:
DC
Comics,
Shipped On:
040109
|
|
MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
|
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|
DC'S
SYNOPSIS:
|
|
Through the decades, many heroes have taken the
mantle of The Flash, but they all ride the lightning that crackles in the wake
of the greatest hero the DC Universe has ever known, the man who sacrificed
himself to save the Multiverse: Barry Allen! Following the events of FINAL
CRISIS, Barry has beaten death and returned to a fast-paced world that a man out
of time wouldn't recognize. Or is it a world that is only just now catching up?
All the running he's done before was just a warmup for the high-speed race that
he and every other Flash must now run, because even though one speedster might
have beaten death, another has just turned up dead! From Geoff Johns and Ethan
Van Sciver, the visionaries responsible for the blockbuster GREEN LANTERN:
REBIRTH and THE SINESTRO CORPS WAR, comes the start of an explosive and
jaw-dropping epic that will reintroduce to the modern age the hero who
single-handedly birthed the Silver Age of comics! DC history will be made, and
the Flash legacy will be redefined! |
|
SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
So it would seem that everything old is new again
in the DCU. It was just a couple of years ago we were treated to the return of
silver age icon Hal Jordan, shortly followed by ‘Infinite Crisis’ and the return
of Earth-2’s Superman, Superboy Prime, Alexander Luthor, and Donna Troy. So it
really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone really that DC E-I-C Dan DiDio has
opted to put Johns and Van Sciver to work bringing back everyone’s favorite
Flash, Barry Allen (or at least DC would have us believe we like him better than
Jay, Wally, and Bart).
This is a solid first issue from a pair of creators who are at the top of their
respective games. Ethan Van Sciver’s art is pitch-perfect, and this is coming
from a guy who never particularly cared for his style. Say what you will about
Geoff Johns and his overall direction of the DCU, but the guy was seemingly born
to write The Flash and Green Lantern, and you’ll find them both in this very
story.
With that said, let me get something off my chest, I just don’t get the appeal
of The Flash. I don’t get it and I never have. He runs, really fast; see, I got
that much, but what else does he do? Iron Man is a futurist (whatever that is),
Batman is a detective, Spiderman is a genius, Aquaman is the hero who talks to
fish, every funny-book crime fighter has his niche that puts him a step against
his foes, even if he was powerless, so what about The Flash? He runs fast (said
that), and does stuff really fast (yep), so I guess that means he punches people
really fast (ok), which is great (I guess), if all you do is fight is a bunch of
guys in dumb outfits with names like The Trickster, The Piper, and Captain Cold
(wait a sec…), but this guy is in the JLA, he’s one of the DCU’s most celebrated
heroes. Heck there’s even a museum erected in his honor, which plays pretty big
part in helping Barry recalibrate his bearings upon his miraculous return. Which
is exactly why I found this issue so enjoyable, even for a guy who hasn’t really
picked up a Flash comic, there’s a sense of wonder, even for the main character.
You’re right there with Barry Allen as he catches himself up on what’s been
going on in his world while he’s been gone, so never fear if you’ve never read
the Flash, because anything that you need to know they bring you up to speed on
real fast (Arg! No pun intended).
Of course with the return of Barry Allen is the inevitable return of the
god-awful idea that just won’t die, the Flash-costume-storage-ring. God, shit
like that has no place in modern comics. Spiderman’s costume is under his
clothes. Superman’s costumer is under his clothes (or any spare phone booth in
Metropolis). Why is it that the Flash feels a need to cram his entire suit (with
the big yellow boots) into a tiny little ring? I DON’T GET IT!
I’ll stick around for the ride, just to see what they do with the character now
that he’s back. If the book is half as good as all the buzz surrounding the
character on the internet then I’m sure I’ll find something to like about it. |
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 |
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AMAZING SPIDERMAN #590 |
|
Writer:
Dan Slott
Artist:
Barry Kitson |
|
Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
|
Publisher:
Marvel
Comics,
Shipped On:
040109
|
|
MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
|
|
|
MARVEL'S
SYNOPSIS:
|
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FACE FRONT Part 1 (of 2)-An adventure from
Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four's past is about to have a profound effect on
their future...That's if Spidey and the Torch can stop fighting long enough to
notice! What's the cosmic-level rift that's dividing two of the Marvel U.'s best
friends? Plus, a dark turn for Harry Osborn. A new role for Mr. Negative. And
the start of a story that's going to effect almost every title at Marvel Comics!
We kid you not!!! |
|
SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
They managed to keep Spidey’s civilian identity
secret for close to 40 years, then Mark Millar came along, started a super hero
civil war and revealed to the world that Peter Parker had been your friendly
neighborhood Spiderman the whole time. The idea was that there were so many
stories to be told with a Spiderman who’s identity was public knowledge; that
is, until a year later when Mary Jane ‘made a deal with the devil’ and removed
her marriage to Spiderman from existence in exchange for Aunt May’s life, thus
reversing the unmasking and removing the knowledge of Spidey’s true identity
from the minds of everyone in the Marvel U.
What’s that you say? What about Spidey’s friends Matt Murdock and Johnny Storm?
What about the guys he’s trusted with his secret before anyone else? Nope, not
even they know who it is under the mask. They have memories of seeing him
without his mask on, but no one can seem to recall what he looks like. As you
can imagine many more questions have been raised by this explanation than
answered, and Dan Slott plans on delivering some long awaited clarity to
Spider-fans everywhere, starting with this issue.
During an adventure to the Macroverse (a universe that exists above our own)
with Marvel’s first family, the Fantastic Four, Spidey spent a majority of his
time unmasked. When the Fantastic Four receive a distress call from that very
universe years later they return with Spidey along for the ride, only to find
out the five of them are considered Gods on that world. This gets a rise out of
Johnny, who is extremely bent out of shape regarding his lack of ability to
remember anything about who is friend is under the mask. There are a few
character beats with the extended cast, including Martin Li’s potential
candidacy for mayor following Bill Hollister’s concession.
Dan Slott is hit or miss to me, and this issue just feels like he whiffed it
pretty bad. There are some cool elements, especially when Peter gets all
scientific with Reed. I don’t think enough writers showcase Peter’s smarts
enough, choosing instead to settle on the funny, sarcastic side of his
personality, but he really shines as one of the smarter people in the Marvel U.
Barry Kitson’s art just really isn’t my thing. That’s not to say that it looks
bad, or is unappealing in anyway, I just find other artists take on the web-head
waaaaaaaaay better. Not to mention his Sue Storm and Reed Richards look more
like siblings than a married couple, blah! |
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 |
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PHANTOM GHOST WHO WALKS #1 |
|
Writer:
Mike Bullock
Artist:
Silvestre Szilagyi |
|
Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
|
Publisher:
Moonstone
Comics,
Shipped On:
032509
|
|
MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
|
|
|
MOONSTONE'S
SYNOPSIS:
|
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It's time for a new beginning... a new focus...a new
direction...and new issues more often! Welcome aboard story consultant (Iron Man
writer) David Michelinie! Join us for stories torn from today's headlines of
modern day Africa-told in a fashion true to the earlier/darker days of The
Phantom strip! In this issue: When a UN peace-keeping mission in Northern Africa
takes an explosive turn for the worse, The Phantom soon discovers that this is
but the opening shot in a war to end all wars, waged by an army who lusts for
their own martyrdom! |
|
SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
Who is The Phantom? No seriously, because I just
read the comic and I have no idea.
Local (and I mean local, these guys are out in Cal City) funny-book publisher
Moonstone takes a stab at pulp legend The Phantom created by Lee Falk, and I’m
afraid they missed the mark by a mile. Or maybe I did, I can’t tell, because the
story didn’t give me enough to go on. Sure The Phantom showed up, punched some
bad guys, did some spooky-guy stuff readers have come to expect from pulp/strip
heroes of that era, but this felt like it was based in the present, and I’m not
sure the same formula works the way it should.
I’d like to take the time now to nominate The Phantom for the award for worst
super-hero costume EVER. Are you telling me this guy runs around in a purple
body stocking with two pistols hanging from his belt, his face only disguised by
a domino mask? Yeah right. It’s time for this guy to get a new-millennium make
over ala ‘Squadron Supreme,’ so this book doesn’t feel like it’s stuck in the
40’s.
Writer Mike Bullock’s stiff dialogue didn’t make a fan of me either. The only
characters that seemed realistic were the maniac terrorists known as ‘The
Cleansing,’ everyone else from The Phantom, to random passengers on the cruise
ship, to the authorities were less believable than Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr.
Freeze. The art is alright, but only just alright, with not so much as one
outstanding panel through out the whole book.
If you’re a fan of the classic Phantom stories then maybe you’ll find this more
enjoyable than I did, but if you’re looking for a new take on an old-school
character you’re going to have to look elsewhere. Instead of rehashing old
formulas and giving us what they think people want to see from The Phantom team
should at least try to take some risks when, essentially, reintroducing a
character to a new generation of readers, otherwise it comes off as dull, just
like this did. |
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 |
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JUSTICE SOCIETY #25 |
|
Writers:
Geoff Johns & Jerry Ordway
Artist:
Jerry Ordway |
|
Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
|
Publisher:
DC
Comics,
Shipped On:
040109
|
|
MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
|
|
|
DC'S
SYNOPSIS:
|
|
The "Black Adam and Isis" epic concludes here! With
Billy Batson banished from the Rock of Eternity, the Justice Society calls upon
an old friend to help in the battle against the Black Marvel family and stop
Black Adam and Isis once and for all! |
|
SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
What is there really to say about writer and current
DC mainstay Geoff Johns? The guy is arguably the DCU’s most popular writer and
his runs on titles like The Flash, Green Lantern, and 52 will go down as some of
the best stories ever told with those characters. But, how does a writer manage
to build any sort of character dynamic with a book revolving around a team with
twenty members? Sure, one could argue that his work with the Green Lantern Corp.
solidifies his ability to juggle multiple character casts with ease; however the
Corp. comes off as a glorified sci-fi police serial. The Justice Society, with
its eclectic cast of colorfully eccentric do-gooders has all the makings of a
silver-age smorgasbord fit for the most finicky of fans, but they just couldn’t
hook me.
I did enjoy the continuation of Mary Marvel’s story from Countdown and Final
Crisis, and her corruption of Billy Batson was really cool. I’m also a big Black
Adam fan, and I hate the way they play him off as the psychotic, murderous
dictator after the progression the character saw in 52 (yeah I read WW3, which
immediately saw the character revert back to his old ways, but I’m not sold on
it…this guy needs a slot on the Justice League to flex some super hero muscle).
I’m familiar with most of the characters on the team, but I just didn’t find
anything about any of them that was relatable in any way. The story is told
primarily from Atom Smasher’s perspective, which I found ridiculous (there is an
entire human emotional spectrum and EVERYONE wants to write super heroes as
whiny, immature children).
I can say that the story does have some redeeming qualities, not the least of
which is where it leaves the Marvel and Black Marvel families respectively. I
just find it unfortunate characters with as rich a history and mythology as the
Marvels have been relegated to second-string status, when they can throw down
with the best of them in the DCU.
Jerry Ordway’s art is classic in feel, and its approach to story telling. It
fits the book quite well and is reminiscent of what the art on Justice Society
probably looked like 20 years ago, not really my cup of tea but I can appreciate
it for what it is. |
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 |
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WILDCATS #9 |
|
Writer:
Christos Gage
Artist:
Neil Googe |
|
Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
|
Publisher:
DC/Wildstorm
Comics,
Shipped On:
032509
|
|
MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
|
|
|
DC/WILDSTORM'S
SYNOPSIS:
|
|
After struggling to survive in Los Angeles, the
appeal of Majestic's Hawaiian utopia proves too powerful a pull for some members
of the team. But what's really going on in the tropical paradise - and will the
truth tear the team apart? Also, Christos Gage and artist Ivan Reis (GREEN
LANTERN) team for a two-part backup that at last reveals the fate of StormWatch:
Team Achilles and just how Flint joined up with the current team! |
|
SWEET'S REVIEW:
|
What the hell happened to the WildCats? Seriously,
it used to be a flagship Image title. That rickety, old, codger Alan Moore even
took a stab at writing it, managing to advance the characters more in six issues
than series creator Jim Lee had managed in over two years. Joe Casey even wrote
the heck out of the characters in WildCats 3.0 (my personal favorite of any
incarnation of the series) along with fantastic artists like Dustin Nyguen and
Duncan Rouleau. Then DC absorbed Wildstorm, hit the reset button, and everything
they’ve done since then has been absolute drek.
Apparently, Armageddon has wrought the Earth asunder in the Wildstorm Universe,
and Majestic has been holed up in Hawaii, building a utopia. The WildCats
believe their friends are being held against their will and investigate, only to
uncover an even bigger secret. Oh. My. Gosh.
The writing is blah, but that doesn’t surprise me because I don’t think Christos
Gage can write very well at all. The art is beyond sub-par. Neil Googe is a poor
man’s Dustin Ngyuen, and it hurts to see him butcher human anatomy in ways I
don’t think I’ve ever seen done. I don’t think the guy drew more than seven
panels with backgrounds in the whole book.
Boo WildCats! Boo Christos Gage for completely missing the mark! Boo DC comics
for allowing this title to fall by the way side, and nearly disregarding the
entire universe as a whole! WildCats used to be a fun and innovate take on the
tacky 90’s team-book trend, now it’s just clichéd and boring. Too bad
Wildstorm’s Armageddon couldn’t get the job done. |
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 |
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DESTROYER #1 |
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Writer:
Robert Kirkman
Artist:
Corey Walker |
|
Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
|
Publisher:
Marvel/Max
Comics,
Shipped On:
040109
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S
SYNOPSIS:
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For sixty years, Keen Marlowe has been a super hero,
taking down bad guys, fighting the good fight. But it's is about to come
crashing to an end. See, Marlowe is dying -- maybe today, maybe tomorrow, the
only question is when. But Marlowe isn't about to go quietly into the night.
Before he goes, he intends to leave the world a safer place for his family. And
if that means hunting down -- and murdering -- every super-villain he can, so be
it. They don't call him "Destroyer" for nothing. |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
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Here’s the thing I love about Robert Kirkman, the
guy BELIEVES in comics. Say what you want about his run on Ultimate X-Men (I’m
not its biggest fan), but anything the guy has a hand in creating from scratch
is usually solid gold. Whether its his long running zombie epic The Walking
Dead, or what could be, in my opinion, one of the best original super hero
comics ever, Invincible, Robert Kirkman injects creativity and enthusiasm into
every panel of every page that he scribbles out.
Imagine my surprise to find a Marvel MAX title set to debut with his name
plastered across the top of it. Now I’m not a huge fan of the MAX line of
titles, I think they promote vulgarity for vulgarity’s sake, but Kirkman does it
so well that I didn’t question the insane amount of blood and guts that end up
on the wrong side of a bunch guys’ bodies.
A few questions running through your head right about now may be, ‘Who the hell
is Destroyer?’, ‘Why is he running around in, what I could only describe as, a
Skrull mask?’, ‘Why should I bother picking this up?’ That last one may be more
relevant if you got hosed by purchasing the MAX Foolkiller series, (blah). Here
are a few quick answers for you: A golden age character Marvel has done almost
nothing with. Looks like a Skrull mask, but it's actually his golden age mask.
And, because it is totally rad, with SPECTACULAR art by Corey Walker, whom I’ve
never heard of, but I hope to see a lot more often.
Maybe that’s the key to, what I think is, this book’s major success. The art is
unassuming, and never too in-your-face, even though everything about this book
is in-your-face. The clean lines and bright colors (courtesy of Val Staples,
whose work I raved about in my review of Incognito by Brubaker and Phillips)
give this book a cartoony feel, without coming off as childish. I mean seriously
what’s so great about cross-hatching anyway?
Talk about coming out of left field, I feel like this book blindsided me, and I
don’t even know what’s going on yet. His wife has a robot arm? His doctor’s
office is under water?! His brother…well, I won’t get started on his brother.
Old guys, super powers, fisticuffs, and blood and guts, seriously what’s not to
love about a book like this? BUY IT! |
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X-MEN MANIFEST DESTINY-NIGHTCRAWLER |
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Writer:
James Asmus
Artists:
Jorge Molina & Ardian Syaf |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics,
Shipped On:
031109
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S
SYNOPSIS:
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Since the move to San Francisco and after the events
of X-Infernus, Nightcrawler realizes a hard truth-he has to quit the X-Men. Kurt
has realized that the X-Men just don't need him anymore. He hasn't been
operating at his highest levels and even the biggest strength he has -
teleportation - has been made redundant by Pixie who can do it better and more
efficiently. Don't miss the departure of one of the most important characters in
X-Men history. |
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SWEET'S REVIEW:
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Ok, so admittedly I’m not a fan of the one-shot
style of comic book storytelling. That aside, I can tell a good comic when I see
one, and that’s, surprisingly, exactly what I got from this issue, a good comic,
not a great one, but good nevertheless.
In case you don’t know, Marvel’s band of merry mutants tend to be a bit on the
melodramatic side of emotional volatility, and this book’s premise relies
strongly on the established cry-baby attitude of X-Man Kurt Wagner, better known
as Nightcrawler. In a wacky bit of storytelling-tomfoolery Kurt wakes up on the
wrong side of the bed one day and decides his days as an X-Man are behind him.
He’s not teaching, he’s not as strategically necessary, blah, blah, blah, whine,
whine, whine, and as most X-Men do at some point or another, he heads home on a
journey of self discovery.
Y’see, the last time Kurt was home in Winzeldorf, Germany, he was pursued by a
mob wielding torches and pitchforks, looking to slay the furry, blue mutant. A
lot of time has passed since then, and the world has changed quite a bit, and,
apparently, so has the town’s stance on Nightcrawler, seeing as how they’ve
erected a museum in his honor. That’s right, an entire museum dedicated to a
teleporting, swashbuckling demon priest. Yikes.
Ok, so it turns out the museum is legit, owned and operated by a young American
woman who claims to have been rescued by Nightcrawler during some X-related
scrap, but the reason he was invited is a bit more complicated. A second
demon-like creature has appeared in the town, and children have started coming
up missing. The townsfolk are hoping Nightcrawler can see past their actions, to
help them rid their home of the beast. Of course it wouldn’t be much of an X-Men
comic if there wasn’t some form of violence, followed closely by revelation,
then resolution. All of which comes wrapped in a convenient bow, with no real
bearing on the X-Universe in general. Interesting though, was the appearance of
Mephisto at the end of the story. Quite a controversial character as of late,
the Marvel U’s Lord of Darkness attempts to lure Nightcrawler into his fold for
some ‘demon war’ that I’m hoping will be elaborated on at a later time,
especially after the backlash Marvel felt after using the character to tie up
the end of a certain Spider-story.
The art was phenomenal, I sincerely hope we see both of these talented guys
doing more work in the near, near future. The story was solid, but it does ring
kind of hollow, they introduce a potential ally to the X-Men and then (well…).
Bringing Kurt out of his shell for about 5 whole minutes before casting him back
into his role in the X-Men with blatant disregard for any attempt made at moving
him forward as a character. Overall it’s a solid read, but not a must have. |
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All Books/Characters pictured herein are © Copyright 2009 by their respective owners. No rights given or implied by Alternate Reality, Incorporated.
Reviews © 2009 Alternate Reality, Inc.
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OTHER REVIEWS...
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Pay Per Views and House Shows, we
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KIDS REVIEWS
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Dozen's of kid friendly titles arrive every week and we review the ones that
stand out.
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AT THE MOVIES
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Every week we give you our opinion on what's playing at the cinema.
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