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THUNDERBOLTS #137 |
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Writer:
Rick Remender
Artists:
Mahmud A. Asrar
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel Comics
Shipped On:
102109 |
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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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This is it, the finale to writer Andy Diggle's run! Who is Scourge? What is
Black Widow II's game? Who answers Songbird's cry for help? All the answers are
supplied here, in the latest shocking installment of the book that
ComicPants.com calls "Bold and awesome...One of the best books Marvel puts out.
Period."
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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So I’ve been following ‘T-Bolts’ steadily since
about half-way through Ellis’ run, and I’ve enjoyed Andy Diggle’s work on the
title tremendously. With Diggle moving up from ‘Bolts’ to “Daredevil”, and Jeff
Parker set to take over the title (what with the cancellation of the phenomenal
“Agents of Atlas”) I was a little surprised to see Rick Remender’s name in the
credits for penning this little stand alone story dubbed “Power Man and Iron
Fist join the Thunderbolts”…wait, what?!
I’m not sure how I feel about this. Power Man, or Luke Cage as he’s more likely
to go by these days, has seen more growth in the last five-or-so years than
probably any character in all of Marvel Comics. It’s not only a questionable
move to (potentially) remove him from the line up of “New Avengers” and inject
him into the baddie-centric ‘Bolts’, but a tremendously risky one; this is all
aside from the fact that the last time readers saw Power Man he was clinging to
life in the middle of a heart attack, seeking help from none other than Norman
Osborn.
In a clever little story, the T-Bolts get the drop on Danny Rand and manipulate
him into working for Osborn. For anyone not-in-the-know, Osborn has had a
serious hard-on for Power Man for quite some time now, and this story is an
extension of that conflict. The cover is a bit misleading, as the T-Bolts plus
one brainwashed Iron Fist attempt to take out the one-time leader of the
Avengers, which as anyone can guess, doesn’t turn out the way they expected.
This does build organically from the internal conflicts that Diggle managed to
set up during his arc, and even furthers some of those storylines for Parker to
pick up and run with. I’ve been enjoying this series a great deal, and am really
glad that new writer’s seem to find the characters fun to play with.
Mahmud Asrar is a new name (as far as I’m concerned), and I’m not familiar with
his work at all. He’s got a clean style, which I think is bogged down by the
clunky, chunky inks of Rebecca Buchman. It reminded me of Pacheo or Yu’s work in
the late 90’s and early 00’s, where the pencils were over inked and stylized to
a ludicrous degree. I know this is just a fill-in issue, and that the series’
regular penciller will be Carlos Pagulayan (who’s awesome!), but I didn’t really
mind Asrar’s work; I’d like to see what his style looks like paired with a more
high-caliber inker..
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TALISMAN ROAD OF TRIALS #0 |
Writer:
Robin Furth Artist:
Tony Shasteen
(Based on the novel by Stephen King and Peter Straub) |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Del Rey
Shipped On:
102109 |
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MSRP:
$1.00 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DEL REY'S SYNOPSIS:
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Stephen King and Peter Straub's best-selling epic
comes to comics! In this never-before-told prequel, evil transforms the life of
young Jack Sawyer. Jack's father lives two separate lives - one in our world,
the other in the mysterious realm called the Territories. In that place, science
is magic, Blasted Lands are black with creeping poisons, and plots are being
hatched that will shatter Jack's idyllic existence forever, sending him on a
search for a prize so powerful that it threatens to destroy both worlds. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Marvel’s successful adaptation of Stephen King’s
“Dark Tower” and "Stand" series could only mean one thing, any other company with the money
or influence to acquire rights to other King works will be pumping out their own
takes on his books within no time. Oh joy. The debut title from the newly formed
Del Rey Comics (a division of Random House Publishing) is another Robin Furth
penned adaptation of King and writer Peter Straub’s “The Talisman”, a
reality-hopping romp from our world to, well, some other world that I knew
little about before reading this preview issue, and that I’m still pretty
clueless about afterward.
A father and son share the same unique ability to shift from one plane of
existence to another, only neither one knows about the other’s ability. The
father, from what I took away from the story, has existed in both places for
quite some time, building himself the ultimate double-life, if ever there was
one. While the issue itself is rather short (whaddayawant, it’s a preview;
reading a zero-issue of any comic book series is a lot like banging a dead
chick, if you expect too much you’re gonna' be disappointed…words of wisdom) it
does set up a few questions that I’m assuming have already been answered in the
novel, but haven’t yet been seen in comic book form, so, well, there ya' go.
The art by Tony Shasteen is really cool. I like some pages more than others, and
when he shifts realities, it seems like the style changes ever-so-slightly. Some
of the character’s anatomy (namely the villain Morgan’s elongated head) is
unsettling, but overall I think he did a great job. Shasteen also does all his
own inking, and it seems to give his style a sort of Dustin Ngyuen-look, which
is totally cool in my book. I’m not sure how much work he’ll see from Del Rey
Comics, but I’m sure one of the big two will scoop him up sooner or later. |
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NECROSHA
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Writers:
Craig Kyle, Chris Yost, Mike Carey, and Zeb Wells
Artists:
Clayton Crain, Ibraim Roberson, and Laurence
Campbell |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics
Shipped On:
102809 |
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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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Death has come to the X-Men. The one true Black
Queen has returned, and she wants nothing less than every soul of mutantkind...dead
or alive. And everyone that's ever crossed Selene is going to pay. The dead
rise, familiar faces haunt mutants across the world, and Selene takes her final
steps into becoming a god. It all begins here in a full-length X-FORCE
extravaganza, and continues in the pages of next month's issue of X-FORCE...but
the shockwaves of this terrifying event will be felt in NEW MUTANTS and X-MEN:
LEGACY as well, and those reverberations begin here in two all-new bonus tales. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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So while I don’t agree with the resurgence in
popularity that the original ‘New Mutants’ have been receiving lately, and I’m
not a fan of Mike Carey’s Prof. X, Gambit, and Rogue-centric title “X-Men:
Legacy”, I have been enjoying the smaller-scale X-universe exclusive events that
they’ve been coming out with at a steady clip. Regardless of what DC loyalists
will decree once they discover what “Necrosha X” is all about, I would like to
go ahead and state right off the bat that I am a fan of “X-Force” and this is a
story that they’ve been building to quite openly in that title for the last 2
years or so. Sure, it’s likely that there’s very little coincidence that this
title is debuting toward the end of the big event to which this is most
comparable, but the fact is that this story had its seeds sewn before anyone
knew what a Black Lantern was (fans I mean, not creators, I couldn’t tell you
who came up with the idea first, I think it was Romero). As far as opening
salvos go, “Necrosha X” fires a relentless barrage of awesome at readers,
providing numerous reasons to keep turning pages, enough questions to make us
rush to message boards and debate theories, and leaving us anxious for the next
chapter.
Selene, Black Queen of the Hellfire Club, is back, and utilizing a
techno-organic virus Bastion released to reanimate dead foes of the X-Men, and
her ability psionically drain organisms of their life force, she has put a plan
in motion to destroy not only the X-Men, but any and all of her enemies. She has
a team of mutants with her, and many of the faces are familiar to long-time
X-fans (some are even likely to piss a couple people off), but it’s a team that
makes sense, and works with surprising efficiency to put the citizens of Utopia
X in a bad, bad way. Next up is a story featuring the recently
back-from-the-dead Doug Ramsey, or Cipher, as he used to be known when he was on
the New Mutants. I really, REALLY, thought that this was a great use for a
character whose only mutant ability allowed him to read and understand any
language; without giving too much away it was awesome seeing the different ways
his ability is useful in the world of today, as opposed to things that weren’t
around when the character was killed back in the 80’s. Then Mike Carey closes
the book out with a look at a pair of seer’s, Ruth and Destiny, who may have
more in common than their ability. Does Destiny’s interference pan out for the
best, or has she made a mistake that will cost the team their future? I DON’T
KNOW…but I’m not sure that I really care either.
I think that this is a great example of how the X-Universe family of titles is
able to coincide well together without stepping all over each other. This isn’t
a cross over like “Messiah Complex” or “Messiah War” are but rather like “The
Fall of the Mutants” where there are multiple threads playing out in each title,
but they aren’t as interconnected; so you can read one, or all of the books, and
still enjoy the ‘event’ for what it is. I think the star, artistically speaking
at least, was Ibraim Roberson, whose “New Mutants” segment was easily one of the
more beautifully illustrated X-stories of the last God-knows-how-long. It was a
shame, when I checked out that week’s issue of “New Mutants” his name wasn’t
anywhere to be found. I think Marvel needs to get on the stick and get this guy
under contract. |
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ARKHAM REBORN #1
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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:
102809 |
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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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Following the Black Mask's destruction of Arkham
Asylum in BATTLE FOR THE COWL, Dr. Jeremiah Arkham has rebuilt the Asylum
following the design of his mad Uncle Amadeus. Intended as a model for
enlightened treatment of mental illness, the building soon mutates into a
torture house, and the inmates find themselves trapped in a living hell. And
when Jeremiah starts hearing a voice from beyond the grave, it becomes painfully
clear that the lunatics really have taken over the Asylum! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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This is one of my more anticipated Bat-family
debuts, ever since the ‘Battle for the Cowl’ one-shot earlier this year (late
last year?). In what was one of the more chilling books to come out under that
banner, David Hine took readers deep under Arkham Asylum, to Jeremiah Arkham’s
secret research facility, where three of his most-prized patients live with him,
as he attempts to study the cracks in their psychologies, and create non-threats
to society; or is he trying to do something much more dastardly?
In a state-of-the-art facility built on the principles of Jeremy Bentham’s
Panopticon, Dr. Arkham has come to refer to his inmates as ‘patients’ and their
prison cells as ‘suites’. After a brief inspection by Bruce Wayne (whom I’m sure
is actually Hush), Commissioner Gordon, and D.A. Kate Spencer (the non-Martian
known as Man Hunter) retreats to his special ward where he keeps his three
‘beauties’: No-Face, Mirror Man, and The Hamburger Lady (all introduced in the
one-off). There is some back and forth with the three psycho’s he cohabitates
with, and then some weirdness regarding his assistant Alyce Sinner (also known
as Fright, introduced during Judd Winick’s run on “Batman”) releasing some sort
of computer virus into the Asylum’s system, which proves rather bad for The
Raggedy Man.
I think that the team of David Hine and Jeremy Haun work rather well together. I
thought that the art in the one shot was a tad better, but I’m certain that
there was a different inking and coloring team, so the difference probably has
more to with that switch that anything Haun is doing. I’m anxiously awaiting
this to become a regular series, but only if this is the creative team
responsible for it. Sure the “Arkham Asylum” series has had some marquee names
to its credit, but these two have revitalized a stale setting into a bold new
plot device |
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ANCHOR #1
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Writer:
Phil Hester
Artist:
Brian Churilla
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Boom
Comics
Shipped On:
101409 |
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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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BOOM'S SYNOPSIS:
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The Anchor. Holy warrior, unholy war. Freak of
nature, beast of burden, hulking outcast, medieval prize fighter, Viking raider,
God's leg-breaker. One thousand years ago a hulking outcast sought refuge in the
crumbling ruins of an ancient monastery, offering in return the one thing he had
to give - his fists. Transformed into an immortal warrior monk standing at the
gates of Hell itself to keep our world free from its invading armies, The Anchor
is mysteriously tricked into centuries of slumber. But today, this holy warrior
rises to battle all the unholy monsters unleashed during his slumber.
Cataclysmic action, quirky humor, and profound pathos for fans of Hellboy and
The Goon. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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This book treads a very fine line between being
mysteriously intriguing and being vague and boring. I liked the book, for the
most part, but I did find the tale of Clem, a living wall between the realms of
Hell and Earth, and Hofi, the idealistic, young volunteer who befriends him, to
be a little stale. It’s not that I’ve seen this idea thrown about so many times
before that I’ve grown weary of semi-religious monster-killers, but rather that
Phil Hester seems more inclined to leave readers stupefied as opposed to giving
them something substantial about the character to hold onto.
The book opens with Clem, a resident of Hell, taking on the legions of General
Leung (some sort of tree-looking demon) whose relentless attacks obviously
indicate his desire to stretch his legs in our world as opposed to his own. From
there we’re thrust head-on into a desperate situation in Reykjavk, Iceland?!
Okay, whatever. SO Clem’s Earthly persona (because it’s only his soul that
resides in Hell) rows a boat from England to Iceland so he can fight the great
ice-beast. This is where he meets Hofi Eriksdotter (gotta love that Icelandic
nomenclature), a big-hearted, too-smart-for-her-own-good volunteer who stays
behind once the evacuations are complete. She, very quickly mind you, befriends
the creepy, over-sized gray man (Clem) and helps him come up with a plan to
destroy the ice monster.
Brian Churilla’s art work is stuck somewhere between Mike Oeming and Eric
Powell, without the right amount of Brian Churilla thrown in to make it stand
out. Sure I can see who some of his influences are, but I can’t see what makes
him different, or worth following. Now, I’m a fan of both Eric Powell and Mike
Oeming, so I enjoyed the art, but I kept forgetting Brian’s name, which is
probably why I keep repeating it here. Overall, I think this is a great concept
suffering from poor execution, but I’d like to see it develop a bit before it
gets the axe, and considering it landed at BOOM! Studios (a great little
independent publisher) more than likely it will get the chance to. |
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BATMAN #692 |
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Writer/Artist:
Tony Daniel |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC
Comics
Shipped On:
102809 |
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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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BATMAN double-ships this month with Tony Daniel
returning to the series as the new writer and artist after his best-selling
BATTLE FOR THE COWL miniseries! With Batman pounding the pavement in search of
Black Mask, Penguin on the run, and the completion of the new Arkham Asylum
looming close, Gotham City has reached a boiling point! Guest-starring Catwoman
and the Huntress and featuring the return of Gotham City's most notorious crime
family! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Tony Daniel isn’t new to the world of the Caped
Crusader, but this is the first issue of the regular series that he will write
AND draw all by himself. Having started on the series with Grant Morrison, then
later writing and illustrating the “Battle for the Cowl” which was the bridge
between the death of Batman and the new series launch, “Batman and Robin”. I’ve
been enjoying the reboot to a certain extent, but feel as though Judd Winick
faltered when the title was handed to him after Morrison shifted gears. I lost a
great deal of interest in the title, partly because of Winick’s pacing, and
partly because of the uninspired pencils of Ed Benes (who was quickly replaced
by Mark Bagley, but not soon enough to maintain my limited attention span), but
feel that if anyone has the ability to bring me back to the book, other than
Morrison, it’s Tony Daniel.
Following the adventures of Batman’s successor, Dick Grayson - now in possession
of the mantel of the Bat, the new Black Mask is kidnapping random citizens of
Gotham City and turning them into suicidal zealots. Dick is forced to deal with
the on-again/off-again hero, and the former Batman’s love interest, Selina Kyle
in hopes of tracking down the hidden domain of the newer, meaner, scarier Black
Mask. It’s been unclear just who’s under the black skull mask that seeks to
torment the guardian of Gotham so indirectly, but there’s a man in a vault of
some kind of goo (think Reaper) who Mask hopes to bring back from limbo. Could
this be a new arch-nemesis for the new Dynamic Duo?
I think Tony Daniel brings a certain kind of sleekness to the character within
the pages of this book that reminds everyone of the character’s origins as a
circus acrobat, and I specify ‘within the pages’ because I feel as though
“Batman” has done a less-than-stellar job of conveying the switch on the issue
covers, choosing instead to go with more iconic, indistinguishable,
shrouded-in-the-shadows stuff that could be Bruce OR Dick. I think that’s a
shame; the beautiful thing about DC comics is how easily many of their legacy
characters have been embraced by fans, and considering Bruce is destined to come
back and reclaim his mantel, I don’t think Dick is being given an adequate
chance to shine. I AM intrigued as to the identity of the Black Mask, and
because I have high hopes for the franchise (and Dick Grayson) I think I’ll
stick around for a while. |
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WORLD'S FINEST #1 |
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Writer:
Sterling Gates Artist:
Julian
Lopez |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC
Comics
Shipped On:
102809 |
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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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After tracking down a threat to The Man of Steel -
and all of Metropolis - Red Robin must team up with the new Kryptonian Nightwing
to end this mysterious threat and rescue Flamebird. But is all this just a red
herring to distract the heroes from an even bigger threat to Gotham City and New
Krypton? Be here to find out in this 4-issue miniseries from rising star writer
Sterling Gates (SUPERGIRL) and artist Julian Lopez. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Batman’s dead; Superman no longer resides on the
planet Earth, but rather New Krypton; Who is there to protect the world now that
Bats and Big Blue are off the table? That’s the exact question DC editorial and
Sterling Gates plan to answer with the aptly titled “World’s Finest”. Formerly a
monthly title featuring Supes and Batman joining forces to fight crime, which
would prove redundant with the equally-aptly titled “Superman/Batman” currently
occupying a slot on store shelves, Dan DiDio has given the new guys a chance to
shine in this four-issue mini, in more ways than one.
Christopher Kent is the adopted son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, but he’s really
the son of the villainous Zod, and ever since he’s shown back up on the scene
sporting some new duds and calling himself Nightwing I’ve been a little
confused. Apparently since his departure from the Phantom Zone, young Chris Kent
(well he was like 10 the last time I saw him in “Action Comics”) has been going
through random age-spurts and developing random powers (like tactile T.K.; sorta
like Conner Kent), but all that hasn’t been enough to protect his partner when
she needed him most. Tim Drake is a man on a mission. He believes his adoptive
father, the original Batman, Bruce Wayne, is alive and well, and lost somewhere
in the world. Now that Bruce’s former protégé and biological son have taken on
the mantels of Batman and Robin, Tim, the third boy to wear the Robin costume,
is on a world-wide hunt to find his mentor. Together, the two young heroes track
down Christopher’s partner, and take on the combined forces of The Penguin and
The Kryptonite Man.
I thought that this was a very well done issue. I wasn’t a big fan of the “Red
Robin” series, despite being a HUGE fan of its writer, Chris Yost. The ‘New
Krypton’ storyline is a little massive for my wallet so I’ve been sitting most
of that one out too. However, Sterling Gates, the guy who made “Supergirl”
readable, crafts a clever story that combines action, back story, continuity,
and characterization in a way that satisfies readers that only need a bit of
catching up, but also fills in Newbs who haven’t picked up a comic book in their
life. I’m actually looking forward to the rest of this series, as the boost a
lot of the second (and third, and fourth) tier characters have been getting has
been extremely interesting. |
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DARK REIGN THE LIST: PUNISHER
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Writer:
Rick Remender
Artist:
John Romita Jr. |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics
Shipped On:
102809 |
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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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Frank Castle has disabled much of Norman Osborn's
criminal underground, tarnished his well-groomed public image and attempted to
assassinate him. Today Osborn returns the favor. With Frank still torn apart
from his battle with the Hood, Osborn dedicates himself and every single HAMMER
resource to one goal: killing The Punisher. To make sure they don't fail, The
Dark Avengers are going with them. Somebody has to die. Somebody will. Legendary
artist John Romita Jr. returns to The Punisher, joined by regular series writer
Rick Remender for this, the most ferocious battle of Frank Castle's life. Plus,
a preview of the next exciting chapter of the Punisher. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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None of the books that have fallen under “The List”
banner have really dealt any serious blows to the heroes whose names Norman is
so anxious to scrawl a check mark next to, that is until I got my hands on “The
List: Punisher”. Whether or not you’re a fan of the skull-clad mad man with a
serious hate-on for any and all wrong doers, this issue packs more violence and
‘what the?!’ moments in between the covers than all of the other ‘List’ titles
put together. Rick Remender really ‘gets’ Frank Castle, and I’m really glad that
my buddy, Sellers, put me on to the title shortly after it got started, it’s
just really a shame it had to end this way.
It’s been a tough year to be the Punisher, I mean, yeah, he’s been waging a
one-man war on Osborn’s Dark Reign, and yeah, The Hood resurrected his dead wife
and two kids (Frank’s entire reason for his war on crime was the horrific death
of his family) only to have Frank respond by setting them on fire, but really,
that ain’t nothing compared to what happens at the end of this issue. Norman
isn’t one to bring a knife to a gun fight, in fact, one might say he’s more
prone to kill ants with a sledgehammer than a flyswatter, so with that in mind
it makes perfect sense that when it comes to scratching Frank Castle’s name off
of his $#!t-list he doesn’t just send one guy, or a team of guys, but rather a
platoon of H.A.M.M.E.R. agents, a barrage of laser-guided missiles, and maybe
even a Dark Avenger, or two. What happens after they make contact with Frank
isn’t just a 32-page fight scene, but rather an exercise in beautiful brutality
as Frank plays cat-and-mouse with the legion of troops sent to kill him (because
they’re following orders, so as opposed to killing them Frank attempts to deal
with them in non-lethal ways…what a swell guy) only to wind up in the clutches
of Daken Akihiro, the sick, sadistic son of Wolverine. They square off in one of
the bloodiest show-downs I’ve EVER seen from Marvel Comics, and with J.R.Jr.
fresh off of Mark Millar’s “Kick Ass” there’s no skimping on carnage.
Seriously, this is NOT FOR KIDS, not that the Punisher has ever been ‘for kids’,
but don’t get this confused with other titles under the Dark Reign banner when
you buy little Billy and Mary Sue their weekly funny-books. Parts of this book
made me a little uncomfortable, not because it’s anything I haven’t seen before,
but I’m much more used to this sort of display of gore and physical mutilation
in a Hollywood Horror movie than I am in a Marvel (or DC) book that doesn’t
display a MAX (or mature audiences) warning label. It’s easily the best, and
most unsettling of all the ‘List’ books, and judging from the preview at the
end, sets the stage perfectly for Remender’s next story arc, ‘FrankenCastle”;
‘Nuff said. |
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DARK REIGN THE LIST: HULK
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Writer:
Greg Pak Artist:
Ben Oliver |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics
Shipped On:
102109 |
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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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Norman Osborn thought he had a plan for keeping the
Green Goliath from mussing his wavy coif -- but he forgot about the Hulk's most
dangerous incarnation. Now the H.A.M.M.E.R. comes down as Banner and Skaar face
Osborn's deadliest femme fatales in a monumental battle of brawn and brains.
Plus a reprinting of Amazing Spider-Man #14, the first appearance of the Green
Goblin & guest-starring The Hulk. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Have I mentioned yet that I think Greg Pak is the
best thing that has happened to the Jade Giant in many, many years? His take on
the character has been wildly original, and yet very true to the spirit of Bruce
Banner and his green counterpart. With this installment of the Non-Event “The
List” Norman Osborn sets his sights on Bruce Banner and his son Skaar, and in a
bit of a curve ball, throws the new Ms. Marvel on their trail.
In what appears to be a bid to harness and control Skaar’s ‘Old Power’ passed on
to him from his birth mother, Osborn holds a young lady (part of the Gamma Corp)
who’s absorbed this power, hostage, while he tries to extract it from her body.
Meanwhile, Bruce Banner and his dysfunctional relationship with the son he
thought he’d lost, continues to build as both of them go about systematically
destroying Oscorp Tech, and facilities where they’re attempting to build
stronger, more deadly weapons using Gamma radiation and Old Power. The showdown
between Ms. Hand and Marvel, and The Hulks is rather intelligent, compared to
what I was expecting. Banner is unable to change into his huge alter ego, so
he’s forced to rely on his intelligence; after all he is the fourth smartest man
on the planet. Skaar and Ms. Marvel tussle until she reveals Osborn’s plan to
him, which sets the gears in his head in motion: Skaar wants to kill the Hulk,
Osborn wants to neutralize Banner by turning him back into the Hulk, maybe Skaar
wants to let Osborn take out Banner so he can reach his own goal that much
sooner?
Ben Oliver’s art is beyond beautiful. I think it’s a shame that we don’t see
more from him on a regular basis, because from the looks of it, he was born to
draw the Hulk. Everything, from the line work, to the inks, to the colors by
Veronica Gandini is pitch-perfect; making this with-out-a-doubt the best
illustrated of all “The List” titles. I wasn’t thrilled to see a giant reprint
of the first meeting between the Hulk and Green Goblin filling out the rest of
the over-sized book, because frankly, who f***ing cares? I’d have rather seen
developmental sketch work, or a preview for the two ‘List’ titles shipping in
the coming weeks (Wolverine and Punisher, respectively) than been bothered to
read this stale junk. |
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DARK AVENGERS: ARES #1 (of 3) |
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Writer:
Kieron Gillen
Artist:
Manuel Garcia |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics
Shipped On:
102809 |
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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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"Ares - the God of War! His relentless brutality and
his bloodthirsty drive to attain victory at any cost earned him only scorn from
his fellow gods in the Greek pantheon, and exile from Olympus. After thousands
of years living as a man and fighting in man's bloody, petty conflicts, Ares
joined the ranks of Earth's mightiest heroes - the Avengers. Now Norman Osborn -
the new head of the corrupted Dark Avengers and director of the paramilitary
intelligence agency H.A.M.M.E.R. - wants the finest fighting force the God of
War can provide. He charges Ares with hand-picking an elite squad of soldiers
and beating them into the hardest, sharpest warriors ever to wield an M-60 in
each hand. And that's exactly what Ares will need, when the goddess Hera
provides him with a fighting chance to regain his standing in the pantheon's
eyes. And Ares is taking his men with him into the battle of their lives... |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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I read a 4-page preview of this title on the web the
day before new comics arrive at the shop; by the time I came to the end I
realized that I not only wanted to pick this book up, but I wanted to share it
with all of you. This is one of those sleeper mini’s that Marvel puts out there
with little-to-no forewarning, and it ends up being one of the better
‘DR’-affiliated tie-ins they’ve done. I love Ares; he’s a God, but he’s a tool.
He knows more about war and killing and death than anyone in history, and that’s
the entire premise of this tale, when Norman Osborn provides Ares with a team in
hopes that he’ll pass on his knowledge of warfare (and killing and death),
creating the most ruthless warriors ever seen.
There’s a lot to be said for a group of guys in a unit whose C.O. thinks it’s
funny to fire bullets (and the occasional RPG) at them for hours and hours on
end, run’s out of ammo, sends his targets to retrieve more, only to continue to
shoot relentlessly at them as some form of training. There’s a great deal of
character beats in this first issue, with Ares describing what he thinks makes a
great soldier, and why men from thousands of years ago are tougher than men of
today. He’s a vengeful prick who thinks it’s funny to take cheap shots when
people aren’t paying attention (and it is funny!), and the scene where he’s
selecting candidates for his “Shade Squadron” is a little brutal, but absolutely
HILARIOUS. This is following hot on the heels of Ares star-turn in an issue of
“Dark Avengers” just an issue or two ago, where he and Nick Fury had a very
serious conversation about Phobos, Ares’ son; if the last couple pages are any
indication of what’s to come then there is a whole world of hurt headed Fury’s
way.
Manuel Garcia’s pencils are complimented quite nicely by the inks of Stephano
Guadino and the colors of Jose Villarubia. I think this book would be a great
addition to the Marvel family of titles, and I hope that this team of guys would
be willing to follow this up with a longer project. I know that the Dark Reign
isn’t long for the world (what with “The Siege” coming faster than expected) but
I seriously hope that characters like Ares, who’ve been given a chance to shine
aren’t thrown back into the toy box, never to be heard from again. It would be a
damn shame to waste someone with as much star-potential as Ares. |
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JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #38 |
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Writer:
James Robinson
Artist:
Mark Bagley |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC
Comics
Shipped On:
102109 |
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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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A new era begins for the World's Greatest Heroes as
superstars James Robinson (STARMAN, SUPERMAN) and Mark Bagley (TRINITY, Ultimate
Spider-Man) take over! It all begins as a one-time member of the JLA falls
before he can warn the team of looming peril while what's left of the JLA
journeys to the heart of their past to decide if the team has any future at all.
Of course, that means this is the best time for a savage villain from the team's
past to attack the demoralized heroes! The team will have to muster enough will
to win not only today, but in the harrowing months to come. It's the start of a
spanking new odyssey for the JLA that will lead in the coming months to a fresh
line-up for DC's flagship team. Get onboard now for the next epic chapter of the
Justice League's legacy! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Justice League…Justice League…Where for art thou,
Justice League? Seriously, this book is practically unrecognizable from what
comic book fans have come to expect from a title that’s supposed to represent
the biggest and the best DC has to offer. A lot of people complained, seeing fit
to blame Dwayne McDuffie for his less than stellar run on the title, but
considering the amount of fanfare and hype surrounding James Robinson’s debut
I’m beginning to believe that McDuffie’s issues were probably due to editorial
mandates declaring which characters are off-limits, and what major events he had
to creatively dance around. If this is supposed to be a turning point in the
creative direction that’s been so horribly misguided as of late, I’m hoping they
take a detour, and fast.
So it should come as no surprise that the latest issue of The Justice League of
America begins like so many issues before it, with the team coming together to
talk about why they’re still a team. *SIGH* This $#!t is getting boring. What’s
worse than the typically over-used plot device is the team that assembles to
debate the issue: Vixen, Dr. Light, Red Tornado, and Plastic Man. AND, what’s
even worse is that the issue takes place AFTER the events of “JL: Cry for
Justice” (which still has two issues to go), so a lot of the wind is taken out
of the sails of that title (for me personally).
Robinson gets to plant a few seeds for story he’s developing after a brief
detour to inject a little “Blackest Night” into the book. There’s a “death”
scene, which may not actually be a death scene at all, but it involves a Leaguer
who hasn’t been seen in quite a while. Before the issue is over we get a weak
throw-down with Despero, which is a little anti-climactic, but knowing Robinson,
will probably come back to bite the League in its’ collective ass. It’s obvious
from the solicits for the coming months that the team we’re seeing now is not,
in any way, representative of his plans for the title, which is good, because I
couldn’t see the book lasting on the backs of Zatanna, Gypsy, and Vixen.
Mark Bagley is Mark Bagley, which is to say that if you’ve ever read a comic
he’s illustrated you’ve pretty much seen all of his tricks. That’s not a slight
against the man in any way, but what he lacks in pizzazz, he more than makes up
for in story-telling ability and consistency. This is the guy that went nearly
one hundred issues of “Ultimate Spider-Man”; the guy who drew half of a
year-long weekly series by himself (not his best stuff, but maintaining a weekly
schedule as an artist in this day and age is pretty impressive in and of
itself). I’m glad that Mark is continuing to get work on BIG projects, even if
he isn’t at the top of everyone’s list of favorite pencillers. |
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AZRAEL #1 |
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Writer:
Fabian Nicieza
Artist:
Ramon Bachs |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC
Comics
Shipped On:
102109 |
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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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DC'S SYNOPSIS:
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Following the events of "The Eighth Deadly Sin" in
BATMAN ANNUAL #27 and DETECTIVE COMICS ANNUAL #11, the new monthly series
starring Death's Dark Knight begins! Michael Lane is a man in search of
redemption, but does serving the Order of Purity as God's Angel of Justice bring
him closer to achieving his goal - or simply send him further down a road paved
with good intentions? When a hired killer comes to Gotham City seeking revenge
for crimes committed decades in the past, Azrael faces an impossible conflict:
What if God's justice forces the hero to claim one of God's servants? From
writer Fabian Nicieza (SUPERMAN, TRINITY) and artist Ramon Bachs (RED ROBIN)! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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I’m not usually a fan of the religious
zealotry-themed comics, and I especially thought the last interpretation of the
Azrael character was a huge *WHIFF* on DC’s part (you know, after that whole
‘KnightFall’ storyline *SIGH*). Well, with the ‘Battle for the Cowl’ over,
Fabian Nicieza is back with his take on the Agent of the Order of Purity, and to
be honest, while it’s not as good as I thought it would be, its break down of
the comic clichés readers have come to expect from a first issue make this book
all the more interesting than any other debut I’ve read this month.
Michael Lane was once trained to replace the Batman. No, you didn’t miss a story
line where Bats takes on yet another protégé, but if you’ve been following the
Caped Crusader for the last year or so then you do know what I’m talking about.
During the unreal Grant Morrison run it was established that the Gotham City PD
picked out three candidates it thought were suitable to train in case Batman was
ever killed in action, and Michael Lane was one of the candidates. In the end
Bats’ successor was the much more logical selection, Dick Grayson, but that left
Michael Lane with no purpose, and that’s where the mini-series picked up, with
the Order of Purity tapping him to become the new Azrael. Since then, Lane has
been unloading his specific type of justice as judge, jury, and executioner in
the streets of Gotham (which would make one wonder why him and the new Bats
haven’t gone head to head, but I’m sure they’ll figure out a way to match the
two up sooner or later). I don’t want to give away any of the details
surrounding the twist ending, but lets just say I’m not sure Michael Lane is
long for this world, and neither does Nicieza.
Ramon Bachs is a guy I berated for his less than adequate job illustrating the
Yost-penned “Red Robin” series; there is little different about his style in
this book, and yet it oddly fits the dark, gritty story that Nicieza has
crafted. The bulky nature of his characters is better suited for the criminals
and adult crime-fighters that fill this book, as opposed to the glamorous
exploits of Tim Drake. There’s an edge to this character that Bachs is able to
tap into, to exploit in a sense, that makes his work stand out, even though
there doesn’t seem, at first glance, to be anything special about it. |
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SUPERMAN BATMAN #65 |
Writers:
Peter Johnson & Matt Cherniss
Artists:
Brian Stelfreeze, Brian Haberlin, Kelley Jones, Joe
Quinones, Federico Dallocchio |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC
Comics
Shipped On:
102109 |
|
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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What scares Batman and Superman? Even worse, what
scares their greatest foes, The Joker and Lex Luthor? Horror comes alive in this
very special Halloween tale from Peter Johnson (SUPERNATURAL) and Matt Cherniss
(Sub-Mariner)! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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When I first started reading this issue, I thought
that the title had been cancelled; that this was some sort of clever and
poignant parting of ways for everyone involved with the title, and if that were
the case I’d have to say I was really impressed with the book, but that’s not
the case, and unfortunately, I’m not impressed with the book. It’s a Halloween
Special, although I wasn’t clued in to that little tidbit until the last page,
which made it a little more tolerable than I originally thought, but still came
off as hokey and pointless, as most stories featuring the villain, Scarecrow,
usually do.
Yup, Scarecrow is back, and he’s screwing with the minds of not only the World
Finest, but also their arch-enemies, The Joker and Lex Luthor. So, in a trippy
little twist on the short-story readers are whisked from mind to mind of hero
and villain, as they live out the worst, most unimaginable fears they possess:
Superman arrives too late to save the day; The Joker turns out to the butt of a
bad joke; Batman is responsible for the death of his entire family; and Lex
Luthor, well, he’s Jimmy Olsen (no bull $#!t). Of course there’s the contrived
escape, followed by the two heroes trying to figure out what to do with the bad
guys while their still knocked out.
The rotating art staff made this somewhat pointless exercise in regurgitating
storylines more tolerable than say, a stick in the eye. I liked the different
artists interpretations of the unthinkable scenarios that play out between the
covers of this issue, and think they each lend a great deal of legitimacy to
what the writer’s had in mind. As far as one-and-done issues are concerned this
was cool in its concept, but ultimately proved fruitless because it isn’t
anything we haven’t seen before. |
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BLACKBEARD LEGEND OF THE PYRATE KING #1 |
Writer:
Robert Place Napton & Jamie Nash (Based on the Story by Gregg Hale and Eduardo
Sanchez)
Artist:
Mario Guevara |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Dynamite
Comics
Shipped On:
101409 |
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MSRP:
$3.50 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DYNAMITE'S SYNOPSIS:
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Dynamite presents their most ambitious undertaking
yet - BLACKBEARD: THE LEGEND OF THE PYRATE KING #1! Under the stunning John
Cassaday cover (Cassaday will serve as series cover artist), writers/producers
Eduardo (writer of The Blair Witch Project) Sanchez and Gregg (Producer of The
Blair Witch Project) Hale are joined by Robert Napton and Jamie Nash to present
the ultimate adventure tale of a bygone age, when pyrates ruled the waters!
Beginning with his childhood and carry through to his bitter end, Blackbeard's
legacy has never been explored as deeply and illustrated as beautifully (by
Mario Guevara) than now! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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This is another book that upon first glance, I
believed I’d have little-to-no use for, but after reading it I found myself
enthralled in the world it presented, and the endless possibilities it seemed to
possess for the characters inhabiting it. This doesn’t remind me of anything
else on store shelves right now, and that’s a great thing in this day and age
where everything seems to be a take on, or a re-imagining, or a reboot of
something that came before it.
Blackbeard the pirate (I’m assuming the ‘y’ is in reference to the Olde-English
spelling) was one of the most feared men to sail the seas, looting and pillaging
from ships, wreaking havoc wherever he went; the cool thing about this book is
it’s representation of Blackbeard BEFORE he became the legend that he is today.
This is a story about a man forced into servitude aboard a ship as a young boy;
basically growing up on the seven seas as a deck hand, working through the
ranks, and becoming the crew’s boss, all the while working directly under a
corrupt Ship’s Captain. The writing team splices the current storyline with
flashbacks illustrating just how young Edward Teach came to find himself on
board that dreadful ship, which I found incredibly interesting. Not only do you
get to see the bad ass side of the title character, you get actual
characterization that allows you to relate to him, which in turn makes us give a
$#!t as to what’s going to happen down the line.
I think books like this are why I still read comics. Sure, I love a good throw
down between super-powered heroes and villains, but even more than that I love
discovering a new book that sets itself apart from those already cluttering
shelves. Everything about this book is cool, from the stunning John Cassaday
cover, to the artwork of Mario Guevara whose style is reminiscent of Pat Lee, to
the fact that while Pirates might be all the rage whenever a new Johnny Depp
movie comes out, there’s a darker and more insidious side to the eye liner and
hair extensions. We all know how the story ends, with the main character
becoming a dark and horrible guy, but it’s his journey to that point that’s so
interesting, and in many ways, unexpected. |
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BEYOND THE WALL #1 |
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Writer:
Matt Venne
Artist:
Gordon Purcell |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
IDW
Comics
Shipped On:
101409 |
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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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IDW'S SYNOPSIS:
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In this new miniseries, it's the third century A.D.
and the tentacles of the Roman Empire have entwined the British Isles. Marcus
Malleoulus, veteran of countless military campaigns, has been betrayed by the
whim of a tyrant. Now, banished beyond Hadrian's Wall, he faces untold dangers
as he fights his way back... determined to survive until revenge is his! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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There’s very little out on Comic Store shelves for
you these days if you’re preferred sub-genre is historical fiction; or more
directly, historical science fiction/fantasy. Matt Venne takes readers back to
the age of the Roman Empire, when the living was hard, and dying, well, that was
easy. At $3.99 a pop I’m not sure this book has the legs to find an audience;
sure there’re sword fights, betrayals, corrupt leaders, and big, scary monsters,
but overall the book comes off feeling amateurish and silly. I can’t be sure,
but I don’t think that’s what the creative team was going for.
Corruption abounds in Roman Britain; at a Legionary Fortress behind Hadrian’s
Wall, a few good men, charged with protecting the city, are set-up by the eldest
prince, after he murders his own brother in hopes of gaining the throne all to
himself. As the men are led to their deaths one of the Centurions is brave
enough to speak out against this injustice, followed very swiftly by a sword
fight, and then an escape. Of course, by leaving the confines of Hadrian’s Wall
to seek sanctuary they are exposing themselves to any number of the unnamed
great beasts that roam freely; and that’s before the King sends a team of men
out to murder them.
The biggest problem I had with this story is that it doesn’t give readers
anything to latch onto. Even the ‘main character’ that chooses to step in front
of an innocent soldier, sparing one life by risking his own, isn’t given a name
to which readers can relate. In fact, only three characters are named, and one
of them is already dead by the end of the first issue. The art by Gordon Purcell
is in no way, shape, or form, ready for the big time. He has a lot to learn in
terms of both story-telling ability, and anatomy. I found most of his work to be
flat, and uninteresting, which fits with the story overall. This is a boring,
uninteresting plot that would have benefited from some serious characterization. |
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UNCANNY X-MEN #516 |
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Writer:
Matt Fraction
Artist:
Greg Land |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics
Shipped On:
101409 |
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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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"NATION X" PART 1 (of 7) He returns. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Dear Mr. Fraction, I’ve rallied time and again
against the work you’ve been doing over on ‘Uncanny’ since Ed Brubaker left the
title. It’s not that I dislike you, or most of your body of work, but once I
read a few issues I realized that I had no use for your quirky two-word
descriptions of each and every character featured in the book month in and month
out. Combine that with the unfortunate pairing of Terry Dodson and Greg Land on
art chores, and you can almost hear the fans putting the book back on the shelf
in favor of “X-Force”, or “X-Factor”, or any other title that isn’t “Uncanny
X-Men”. After the dismal storyline running through ‘Uncanny’ and “Dark Avengers”
came to an (anticlimactic) close I was bombarded with advertisements for the
next great stop on your road map to mediocrity, the arrival/return of Magneto in
the ‘Nation X’ arc; forgive me for not immediately leaving the confines of my
recliner and jumping for joy. I picked the issue up, knowing full well that I
didn’t care for much of the stuff preceding it, and gave it a read, regardless
of my stance on previous issues. I must say Mr. Fraction that this may present a
turning point in your X-Tenure; a point in which you leave behind the childish
machinations you saw fit to pepper your work with, choosing instead to avoid
laying all the cards on the table for readers, allowing them to infer just what
the hell may be going on for themselves.
It was interesting to see how things played out; as Magneto approached his
former home Asteroid M, now simply an island known as Utopia, the X-Men, of
course, prepare for an assault by the dastardly fiend. What happens next was
most unexpected; as opposed to fighting it out, like they’ve done time and time
again, reader’s are treated to a side of Mags that no one has ever thought to
expose, his humble side. All of this is spliced with scenes of the former
Marauder, Scalphunter, as he’s blackmailed into transporting what appear to be
four Predator X-like creatures to Utopia, under the guise that he seeks
sanctuary. Everything seems paced really well, with enough cut-aways to suggest
that Fraction is actually planning something very, very cool to finish this off
with.
Even the usually atrocious artistic styling of Greg Land is somewhat tolerable.
It would appear that he’s working with a new inker, who may or may not be
responsible for the shift (however slight) away from the photo-realistic style,
and more toward traditional comic line work. Don’t let me fool you though, he’s
still up to his old tracing tricks; there’s a panel later in the issue while
Cyclops is describing the fate off the first mutant born since M-Day that Land
OBVIOUSLY copied from a Chris Bachalo panel (he doesn’t even attempt to hide
it). I’m not a fan of Land. He’s done some good stuff but for the most part, I’d
rather see him stick to covers. The bottom line is, this issue of “Uncanny
X-Men” didn’t suck nearly as hard as the previous issues. I’d even go so far as
to say that it didn’t actually suck at all. |
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GREEN ARROW BLACK CANARY #25 |
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Writer:
Andrew Kreisberg
Artists:
Mike Norton and Bill Sienkiewicz |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC
Comics
Shipped On:
101409 |
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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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DC'S SYNOPSIS:
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The main story this month focuses on the sudden and
strange return of Green Arrow! Of course, we're talking about the Green Arrow
that Black Canary stabbed on her wedding night! And in this issue's co-feature,
Black Canary is stunned to find that Cupid can't tell the difference between the
two Green Arrows - which could lead to one of the deadliest Super-Villain teams
of
all time! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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I’m on the fence with this title. I liked many of
the noir-ish aspect to the storytelling, and the twist ending left me scratching
my head, thinking that I may just have to pick up the next issue so I know what
the hell is going on. While the overall story was clever, I think that the
layouts by Mike Norton weren’t done justice by Bill Sienkiewicz, and Kreisberg
has A LOT to learn about writing quality dialogue. This is one of those DC
titles with a shot at bringing something different to the characters and the
line in general, but if it’s forced to play out as homage to the themes of
yesteryear it doesn’t even really have to exist.
So GA wakes up in an alley with a couple bums standing over him trying to decide
if they’re going to rob him or leave him be. When the Emerald Archer comes to,
readers are not only treated to him prancing around in his birthday suit, but
they’re also clued into his amnesiac condition (a great plot device if ever
there was one). SO…he goes about his business on his way home to his wife (which
he remembers), when he comes across a couple of hoods attempting to make off
with some money they’ve stolen from a small bodega. In a glaringly violent scene
Ollie makes short work of the punks (thanks to a brick to the face), before he’s
set upon by a volley of arrows. By the time he’s escaped his new pursuer and
made it all the way home (through the sewer no less, in hopes of avoiding
followers) he’s ambushed at the door by none other than, Green Arrow.
For an issue packed full of intrigue and suspense I feel as if there were a
couple of areas that require dramatic improvement: Kreisberg’s dialogue falls
flat with every line, even the throw away lines of passing bums or criminals
seem so phony and forced, one would imagine it was written by a high school
drama club. Also, Bill Sienkiewicz is well beyond his prime; there isn’t
anything about his finishes that leave me wanting to see more, as a matter of
fact I hope I don’t have to endure his scratchy, sketchy style ever again. This
is one of DC’s books offering a “Second Feature” starring, well, who cares…this
particular co-feature is by far the worst of all the ones offered. I didn’t
think that a back-up story could be so pointless, and so arbitrary, despite
having a fantastic penciler like Renato Guedes; I was even less interested in
the book than I was before. After plastering a $3.99 sticker price on this rag
just a few months ago I’m surprised that it hasn’t been $#!T-canned yet. |
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SOULFIRE VOLUME TWO #1 |
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Writer:
J.T. Krul
Artist:
Marcus To |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
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Publisher:
Aspen
Comics
Shipped On:
101409 |
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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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ASPEN'S SYNOPSIS:
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Just when you thought the magic was over... The
journey continues as the second volume to Michael Turner's smash action
adventure fantasy series, SOULFIRE, begins! With the return of magic to a world
unprepared for such an inexplicable event, Malikai, Grace, and the rest of the
gang struggle to recover from their Battle for the Light against Rainier.
Malikai and Sonia attempt to rekindle the romance they began in the magical
realm of the Everlands, but a stranger, with a special secret of her own, enters
their lives and interrupts their interlude. Meanwhile, Grace and Seph discover
that the creatures of magic are not necessarily safe amongst the prejudices of
the modern world. And, PJ and Benoist find themselves in a destitute land where
technology reigns supreme--but not very peacefully! New paths will be forged for
all as the war between technology and magic once again ignites, all in the pages
of SOULFIRE Vol 2 #1 - right now! As a new volume of SOULFIRE arrives, several
familiar names are ready to bring the wonder to you! Writer J.T. Krul returns to
script the tale and artist Marcus To (of Fathom: Kiani and Soulfire: Chaos Reign
fame) brings his adept penciling skills to the title. All the while inker Saleem
Crawford and colorist Beth Sotelo provide the perfect combination of style and
beauty to complete the entire SOULFIRE package. The magic has returned and it's
here to stay. Make sure you're a part of the next exciting chapter in the
storied SOULFIRE mythology! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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While I found the #0 preview issue to be tedious and
mundane, it would seem that J. T. Krul has gotten his act together enough to
fuse technology and mysticism in a book that would make the late Michael Turner
proud. While the story gets the ball rolling rather slowly, the art work by
Marcus To is beyond phenomenal. One of my own personal beefs with Turner’s art
was how sketchy it looked because no one inked it; To is able to invoke the
spirit of Turner’s pencils, while Saleem Crawford’s inks bring the whole package
together in a clean, smooth finished product.
There are some pacing problems that I think should have been rectified in
editorial, but since they weren’t I’ll admit to being somewhat off-put by how
much jumping around takes place while nothing really happens. A dragon, long
thought extinct by the majority of Earth’s denizens, shows up out of nowhere
taking part in a little light rough housing with a parade float, which leads to
throngs of soldiers, armed to the hilt, appearing from no where and attempting
to blow the flying reptile out of the sky. This is where the half-nekkid lady
from the cover shows up to protect the baby dragon (ooooh, how nice) along with
some dude in a fisherman’s cap. From there readers are reintroduced to Malakai
and his gang of friends as they chart a course for the eighth continent, a
country-sized garbage dump that’s “candyland for techies and gearheads.” Once
they’ve made their way to the humungous trash heap the crew is quickly set-upon
by a strange semi-robotic gang of miscreants.
I’m not going to hate on the creative direction of the book, even though it just
seems like a weird Anime-meets-Image title mash-up whose mythology isn’t as
interesting as creators were hoping it would be. There is a lot of potential
crammed in between the pages, but I’m not sure that the collective readership is
going to get attached to the title long enough for it to play out. As far as
Marcus To is concerned, his art fits this title perfectly, but he’s a good
enough artist that he can carry a somewhat-interesting story; I’d rather see him
teamed with a writer (even Krul, if need be) on a title that isn’t an attempt to
pay tribute to a fallen creator’s idea. |
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PLANETARY #27 |
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Writer:
Warren Ellis
Artist:
John Cassaday |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC/Wildstorm
Comics
Shipped On:
100709 |
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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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DC/WILDSTORM'S SYNOPSIS:
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Tons of things have changed since writer Warren
Ellis (THE AUTHORITY, STORMWATCH) and artist John Cassaday (Astonishing X-Men)
began their long, strange trip into the bizarre underbelly of the WildStorm
Universe, but one thing has stayed the same: Anticipation for this final issue
of the critically acclaimed series remains gargantuan! Over a decade in the
making, PLANETARY culminates in this spectacular, oversized adventure. Prepare
for answers to be revealed as the enigmatic Elijah Snow has one last errand to
run! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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It would take any other comic, with decent sales and
a dedicated creative team, a little over two-years to hit 27 issues; it took
Ellis and Cassaday nearly five times as long, but in the eyes of this
not-so-casual observer it was worth the wait. Who knew that a little sci-fi book
about “Archeologists of the Impossible” would have the immense potential that
Ellis was able to inject into every issue, hooking readers with the
high-concept, hard-science based fantasy epic that saw a return to the
old-school style of one-and-done story telling. I’ve chased this title down in
trades, then in single issues, and I can’t help but giggle like a pre-pubescent
school girl knowing that I hold in my hands the very last one that these two
will have any part of (because inevitably the concept will get dragged out of
the toy box and dusted off at some point in time, then I’ll sound like one of
the old-F***s on Newsarama complaining that no one did it as good as Ellis and
Cassaday).
While the single issue stories have become the norm, it hasn’t stopped Ellis
from carrying on longer more mysterious arcs revolving around The Four (a
twisted take on Marvel’s First Family), the disappearance of Ambrose Chase, the
origins of Planetary team members The Drummer and Jakita Wagner. In this final
chapter the Planetary gang finds themselves in need of a time machine in order
to go backward through the time-stream and rescue their friend who’s been
manipulating physics in order to keep himself alive. While positing some
interesting insight into the rules of time travel Elijah Snow, the Planetary
front man, throws caution to the wind, and despite warnings of apocalypse and so
on, switches the machine on, and, well, you have to read the rest.
Seriously the team of John Cassaday and Laura Martin on art/colors is unmatched
in the industry as a whole. No one else can create the vivid, realistic (and at
the same time bat-$#!t crazy) worlds that these two have been responsible for
the last ten years or so. I can’t comment on why the book has arrived
perpetually late for the last several years, seeing as how Cassaday was able to
get 26 issues of “Astonishing X-Men” finished with writer Joss Whedon (before
the title was handed over to Ellis) in a fifth of the time it has taken this
series to arrive at its conclusion. All I know is I waited ten years to get
here, and I’d be willing to wait another ten if it meant that these two would
continue this epic journey, but since that’s not really an option, I’m grateful
that this series exists; I only hope that other creators take it upon themselves
to challenge their own work, and the varying genres the medium has latched onto
in the same fashion. |
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AMAZING SPIDERMAN #608
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Writer:
Marc Guggenheim
Artist:
Marco Checchetto |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics
Shipped On:
100709 |
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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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"WHO WAS BEN REILLY?" begins here! Bursting out of
the pages of this year's AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL, RAPTOR is back for revenge
against the man he claims killed his family - BEN REILLY, the clone of
Spider-Man! Unfortunately, the only person alive that fits Ben's description is
Peter Parker! As this super powered psycho with a thirst for vengeance targets
Peter, his family and his friends, even Spider-Man might not be able to save the
day this time! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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In the entire history of Spider-Man I don’t think
any one story can be said to have nearly ruined the character, well, with the
exception of that whole clone fiasco. So why in their right minds would the
Web-Heads at Marvel’s Spider-Office decide to revisit such a cluster-f*** when
they’ve really gotten the ball rolling in terms of the ‘new’ continuity (which
technically is the old continuity minus the marriage, which I’m still wrapping
my mind around)? Well, while not really confronting the issue head-on, Marc
Guggenheim is capable of weaving an intricate web of intrigue and suspense
surrounding the chain of events that led to scientist Damon Ryder’s
transformation into Raptor, and why he has such a serious hate-on for Ben
Reilly.
So despite dealings with the devil that entire clone ‘saga’ that I mentioned
earlier happened just as everyone remembers, including Peter Parker. What
Guggenheim does next is tell readers two stories side by side, one revolving
around Damon Ryder’s obsession with Parker, who he believes to be Ben Reilly,
and another one dealing with Reilly’s life before becoming the ‘new’ Spider-Man.
While I’m not a fan of Ryder’s David Icke-like theories on human evolution, and
I’m not sure what his dinosaur-like powers really entail, I’m interested in
where this story is headed. There are some cameos at the end that signal trouble
for Spidey in more ways than one, and with “The Gauntlet” right around the
corner, and a special place on Norman Osborn’s $#!t-List I’m thinking that right
now is not a very good time to be Peter Parker.
Marco Checchetto is a fantastic artist, and I was really happy to see him get a
crack at “Amazing”. In fact, since “One More Day” I think that the art direction
on Spider-Man has been incredibly on-point. The varying styles play nicely off
of each other, and at the same time serve the writer’s individual stories to a
‘t.’ I’ve heard rumblings that this is Guggenheim’s final arc as a part of the
brain trust that’s been in charge of the title’s direction; if this is so, then
I’m hoping to see him go out with a bang, as opposed to a whimper, but I guess
I’ll have to wait and see. |
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SPIDERMAN 1602 #1
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Writer:
Jeff Parker
Artist:
Ramon Rosanas |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics
Shipped On:
100709 |
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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A return to the acclaimed universe created by Neil
Gaiman and Andy Kubert picks as THE SPIDER has reached manhood in the New World!
The young nation has grown peacefully, but Norman Osbourne's treachery finds a
way to spoil the peace and put Peter's life on a new course - back to Europe.
Jeff Parker [AGENTS OF ATLAS] joins artist Ramon Rosanas to begin the final
story of the 1602 saga! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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While “1602”, in its existence as a stand-alone
piece, has been widely celebrated by fans and critics alike, each subsequent
tale that revisits this little corner of the Marvel Multiverse feels more
watered down and trivial than the last. Jeff Parker, one of my current favorite
writers at the House of Ideas, has been given the unfortunate task of attempting
to take Spider-Man, add a little spit and polish, and put a ‘1602’ twist on him;
what we get is a guy dressed in period garb somewhat similar in color scheme and
style to that of Peter Parker, only this guy’s name is Peter Parquagh. Yeah, it
hurts, I know.
So all of the stuff you’d expect in a Spider-Man comic is here: Pete, check.
Norman Osborn, check (except it’s Osborne, with an e). A loose interpretation of
Gwen Stacy, check. But none of these characters are new to the ‘1602’ universe
you say? Well how about Otto Octavius, Hank McCoy as a blue-furred beast, Hank
Pym and his special lady The Wasp? Check, check, check, and check. The majority
of the first issue deals with Peter, working as a press boy for J. J. Jameson’s
broadsheet (newspaper), and his investigation into the double-dealings of Norman
Osborne, who has recently been released from the stocks, and has assumed the
role of Harbor Master (WTF? Only in comics). In the grand tradition of Marvel
Comics, the more things change, the more they stay the same, so I’m not giving
anything away when I tell you that Pete and Norman get into, resulting in an
exchange not to unlike the one that took place at the top of the Brooklyn Bridge
all those years ago (only because this is set in “1602 I guess this is all the
many years before…sheesh…).
It’s not that I thought that this was a bad comic, but it’s just another example
of Marvel flooding the industry with junk trying to find something that works,
and once again coming up short. They get great creators to come in, come up with
tremendous stories, and then persist in hammering fans over the head with the
concept again and again (and again and again…etc.). I’ve almost reached a point
where I wish I’d never read “1602” to begin with, despite its being a solid
stand alone story, because it never really demanded any follow up. On the one
hand, Ramon Rosanas is a more than capable artist whose pencils truly deserve
better material; and that’s not to slight Jeff Parker, whom I believe to be a
fresh voice at Marvel Comics, but rather the editorial decision to waste their
time, and ours, with this crap. |
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X-MEN VS AGENTS OF ATLAS #1
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Writer:
Jeff Parker
Artist:
Carlo Pagulayan
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics
Shipped On:
100709 |
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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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It's a monster-sized throwdown as the Agents of
Atlas go toe-to-toe with the Uncanny X-Men! Venus has been kidnapped and the
Agents will scour the Earth to find her! The Uranian needs a bigger boost to
enable his mind to scan the globe, and intel suggests the one machine that can
help is CEREBRA- which brings the Agents of Atlas head to head with no less than
THE X-MEN! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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I’ve pointed out on many occasions that I think Jeff
Parker’s “Agents of Atlas” is an under-appreciated title with more creativity in
a single panel than some comics have in their entire series. It was a book that
came and went before its time, and while it’s not gone for good (it’s next
appearance will be as a back-up in “Incredible Hercules” as a part of the
‘Assault on New Olympus’ storyline) it’s been relegated to Mini-Series status
for the meanwhile, allowing Marvel to juice readers for an extra buck (a trick
I’m expecting them to pull once they’ve inserted it into ‘Herc’ as well). Oh
yeah, and the X-Men are in it too.
Venus, the siren-like member of the Atlas Agency who believes herself to be the
living embodiment of the Roman Goddess, has gone missing. Jimmy Woo comes up
with a plan to get her back, the only problem is the agency isn’t in control of
the one device in the whole world that can help them track Venus down, but the
X-Men are. The Agents of Atlas stage a break-in at Graymalkin Industries, the
former headquarters of Marvel’s Merry Mutants gaining control of Cerebra, the
X-Men’s mutant tracking system, and stealing away to their own secret hide-away.
The story is heavy on action, and the second chapter is shaping up to be no
different; there’s no traditional misunderstanding here, because the last time
the Agents went up against Wolverine, M-11, the killer robot, melted ol’Canuckle
Head’s arms right off, so there’s a bit of bad blood involved. I’m not expecting
anything too world-changing at the end, but it would be interesting to see some
development between the Mutant outcasts and the heroes-hiding-as-villains.
Carlo Pagulayan lit my world on fire in the first ‘Agents’ arc, and it’s only a
matter of time before he lands one of Marvel’s major events, but to be
completely honest it’s great seeing him work on such under-appreciated and yet
overly-imaginative concepts. Jeff Parker’s stories really come to life through
Pag’s skilled pencils, and even though he wasn’t able to do the entire
eleven-issue run, I’m glad to see him back. I’m sure this isn’t Parker’s last
crack at either of these teams of characters; I could easily see him landing a
gig on an X-book in the near future, but that’s not to say he belongs in that
corner of Marvel’s sandbox. I’d much rather see his creativity channeled into
titles that don’t demand such strict adherence to established continuity, but
that’s just my $0.02. |
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HAUNT #1
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Writer:
Robert Kirkman
Artists:
Ryan Ottley, Greg Capullo & Todd McFarlane |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Image
Comics
Shipped On:
100709 |
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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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Daniel Kilgore is dragged into his estranged brother
Kurt's secret life of murder and espionage... by his ghost. With no training
whatsoever, guided by the spirit of his secret-agent brother, Daniel must now
solve his brother's murder and save the world - or die trying! It all starts
here, people: Witness the birth of HAUNT!
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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In a move that shocked many people, Robert Kirkman
walked away from any further work at Marvel Comics, opting instead to do
creator-owned work for the foreseeable future. At a Todd McFarlane panel during
one of the cons only a year later Kirkman publicly challenged McFarlane to do
more work in comics, essentially asking the world-renowned creator to quit
neglecting the medium that first embraced him. The end result, “Haunt”,
available this week from Image Comics, the company McFarlane helped found, is a
stunning (and I mean that it actually came together, not that it’s a stunning
piece of fiction) example of what happens when creators continue to push each
other in an art form that’s always been about building from what’s come before.
Kirkman is a creative genius; McFarlane has worked on three of the most beloved
properties in all of comics (“Spider-Man”, “The Hulk”, and “Spawn”); along with
them they’ve brought the two artists whose styles truly brought their respective
individual creations to life, Ryan Ottley whose work with Kirkman on
“Invincible” helped get that title off the ground, and Greg Capullo who pulled
an incredible run as penciler of “Spawn” (I think it was 70-plus non-consecutive
issues). Ottley will pencil over Capullo’s layouts, and then McFarlane inks the
whole shebang? If I were to go back in time and land in the middle of Wizard
World Chicago, in the middle of the day, on Saturday, with the issue in my
hands, nobody would believe it was true. $#!t I’ve read it and I’m not sure I
believe it.
Let’s cut to the chase…it’s not all that world changing of a book. It’s
reminiscent, very reminiscent of “Spawn”, but with a slight twist; as opposed to
the super-bad-ass Government mercenary coming back from the dead after being
betrayed by his own people, we get the super-bad-ass Government mercenary’s
spirit, and it bonds to his brother, who’s a priest (who does the nasty with
prostitutes). Okay, one brother is a good guy who lives in the name of the lord
but does bad $#!t, and the other is a bad-ass guy who does bad-ass $#!t in the
name of his country, only to be caught off guard and killed, got it? So when the
two become bonded there’s some brooding, inner monologue which I guess is
dialogue, and some heavy guilt trips, which all pays off at the end when the
brother that wasn’t a bad-ass assassin transforms into the vaguely familiar
looking guy from the cover (McFarlane did co-create Venom ladies and germs).
Okay, so it’s kinda like “When Venom Met Spawn” only written by a writer with
some real chops. Robert Kirkman can make any story interesting, even characters
that are a little too ‘early 90’s Image’ for everyone’s taste. The art team is
incredible. Ryan Ottley’s pencils have never looked more fantastic, and
obviously that’s based heavily on the involvement of Capullo and McFarlane, who
both manage to leave their particular signature on the look of the pages as
well. I’m excited about this because of what the teamwork says about comic
creators, and egos, and how some guys are willing to just do stuff to make fans
happy; I know they’re all hoping that this makes a million dollars and gets
optioned for film before issue 7, but whatever…they did it together. |
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ASTONISHING X-MEN #31 |
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Writer:
Warren Ellis
Artist:
Phil Jimenez |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics
Shipped On:
100709 |
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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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'EXOGENETIC," PART 1 of 5-Abigail Brand, director of
S.W.O.R.D., has been in some sticky situations, and she isn't the type who asks
for help to get out of them. But when you're careening towards Earth in the
cockpit of a damaged spaceship after being attacked on an exploding asteroid 7.5
million miles from Earth...it's time to call the X-Men. They might not have much
of a plan, or much of a chance, but that's certainly never stopped them before.
Superstar artist Phil Jimenez joins writer Warren Ellis for the second arc of
the mind-bending ongoing series! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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First issue featuring the out-of-this-world art of
Phil Jimenez, hoping to hose off that stench of Simone Bianchi that still
lingers (through no real fault of his own, but seriously Marvel editorial
fumbled with that one, he shouldn’t have been anywhere near that title after
John Cassaday). I’m more than pleased to say that the adjective ‘astonishing’
has never been more deserved (except for the first 26 or so issues) and
hopefully this will see a return of greatness to this book (something it’s been
lacking). Writer/Madman Warren Ellis finds his footing right away, shoving
readers into the escape pod with Abigail Brand as she attempts to flee a Brood
Hive (yep, the Brood are back, watchoutnow!).
As her spacecraft careens into our atmosphere any number of organizations whose
job it is to watch out for missiles, aliens, terrorists, or whatever, are
alerted to her presence, and instead of shooting her down as a countermeasure,
they call in the X-Men (Code X, anyone?). Springing into action with a brand new
jet-plane built by ‘the most brilliant and unhinged scientific minds in Japan,’
the search and rescue angle was quite a relief as opposed to the constant rock
‘em, sock ‘em nature most of the story telling has taken; this played more like
an episode of a really cool X-Men show, which is what comics are supposed to
read like. The twist at the end, the hook if you will, is a treat for fans of
the old “New X-Men” by Yost and Kyle, as readers see Wallflower, back from the
dead for about five whole minutes before mutating into some sore of weird
biological Sentinel (OOOOOH YEEEEEAAAH!).
Phil Jimenez is more than capable of returning this title to artistic greatness.
His work on “The Amazing Spider-Man” is without peer, and his X-work has always
been top notch. There were some pages you could tell he was aching to get out of
his system, and the splash page at the very end might just live in X-infamy for
all time. Warren Ellis is great, as usual, and I think that this is a great
option for those of us who’ve grown tired of Matt Fractions dreadfully childish
take on the X-mythos over in “Uncanny”. I wouldn’t mind seeing this title remain
in its own little continuity bubble for some time, along with the addition of a
couple new characters to the roster, and well it’ll be like I’m 11 years old all
over again. |
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DOCTOR VOODOO #1
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Writer:
Rick Remender
Artist:
Jefte Palo |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics
Shipped On:
100709 |
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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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Launching from the pages of New Avengers, Jericho
Drumm assumes the role of Marvel's new Sorcerer Supreme as DOCTOR VOODOO! Having
foreseen an unimaginable evil that will soon envelop the Marvel Universe, the
Eye of Agamotto has passed the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme on to the one man who
has the unique gifts to stave off the coming darkness -- but is Doctor Voodoo
ready for the momentous duty as avenger of the supernatural? As Jericho begins
to grapple with his colossal new position, malevolent beings of vast power see
his arrival as an opportunity to strike. Rising stars Rick Remender (PUNISHER)
and Jefte Palo crack open a new chapter in the Book of Vishanti to tell the
ongoing adventures of the new Sorcerer Supreme in the Mighty Marvel fashion! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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I love nothing more than having my assumptions about
a book made before having ever read it, proved not just wrong, but completely
uncalled for once I get it in my hands. Such is the case with the startlingly
awesome take on the new bearer of the Eye of Agamotto, Brother…er, Doctor
Voodoo. If you’re a skeptic, as I am most of the time, let me answer your first
question: No, the title ‘Sorcerer Supreme’ does NOT come with a doctorate;
Jericho Drumm is an actual attending physician, so the name is appropriate. Now
that we got that out of the way, there’s so much to admit to liking, from the
immediate removal of a long-standing rival to the previous Sorcerer Supreme, to
the passing of the torch, to the guest appearance of the year (finally, DOOM
done right!).
The book’s pacing is quite fast but it works to its advantage, never letting up
as readers are dared to keep up. Dormammu, Doctor Strange, Doctor. Freaking.
Doom. I mean, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from this book, I don’t
really care for a lot of the magic-themed books in general so when I heard they
were slapping the word ‘Avenger’ in the title and charging four bucks for the
first issue I balked at the idea; nevertheless, I gave it a shot. As soon as I
realized that Remender knew exactly what he was up against in the way of cranky
fans, tired of having been had by comic companies for too long, I felt relieved.
He met opposition with a flurry of scenes designed to let even the most casual
of passers-through know that he’s trying to shake things up, and capped it all
off by not following the traditionally over-used device of using a big-name
guest star to job for his lesser-known main character, in a vain attempt to get
the new guy over with fans. ‘Nuff said.
Jefte Palo’s name isn’t widely known; there aren’t message board debates as to
what series fans want to see him work on next or anything like that. The guy
doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page. What he does have is some incredibly awesome
skills, and a story-telling ability to boot. His art isn’t going to be for
everyone, which is kinda hard to swallow considering how reminiscent his style
is of say, John Romita Jr., but I thought that instead of stylized posing and
splash pages, his sense of pacing and his ability to get the point across is
phenomenal. I’m hoping the price drops with the next issue, or I’m going to have
to wait for trades, but this is definitely a series I plan on sticking with…hope
you can keep up. |
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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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