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Avengers - the focus on Star Brand this issue was interesting, but this whole story has become a kind of pointless mess. I’m glad it’s finishing up next issue. Considering what follows is a crossover with books I don’t collect, however, I think I’ll just go ahead and drop this title.
World’s Finest - this new story keeps being interesting. I like the psychological factor in the new, young hero’s weakness, and that he at least temporarily overcame it. It’s always nice to see The Key, and I thought his plan was well done. It’ll be interesting to see how things turn now that Joker’s involved.
Thor - cool fight. Interesting merger of Venom and Thor. Too damned many symbiotes, though. I think they’ve taken what was a cool idea, and beaten it like a barn full of dead horses. And now, of course, Donald Blake has a symbiote. It’s like an Oprah audience gift now. “You get a symbiote. And you get a symbiote. Everyone check under your chair.” Also, Loki was far better when he was a villain.
Crypt of Shadows I picked up on the recommendation of the store people. The bits with Victor Strange were cool, but I don’t know when he got trapped in a mirror. Or why they changed his looks. The first story was utterly worthless. The second story was at least decent. I’m not a big fan of the Jake Gomez werewolf, considering him very third-rate and uninteresting, but at least this story was solidly told, had good art, and had Moon Knight save the day. The Morbius story was cool enough. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen Victoria Montesi. I’m glad to know she’s still around. Not sure who the kid sorcerer was, but I thought he was kind of incidental to the story anyway. The Elsa Bloodstone story was surprisingly fun, especially considering for once they didn’t writer her as smugly annoying. The art was solid. The Man-Thing story at the end was just weirdly fun (although I’m not a fan of X-23). I liked the writer’s not so subtle dig at the endless, high stakes “events”. Would that the powers that be at Marvel heeded him.
I caught Hellboy in Love at this first issue, so I’ll most likely collect the other four. Good writing, and an interesting story so far. The art kind of reminded me Mignola’s.
Fables - I like this further delving into Pan, especially that he’s essentially enslaved Tink and (rightly) fears her vengeance. It’s nice seeing Sam again, and I hope they keep him around. I like the archer chick’s attitude. I’m a bit bummed though. We’re already half-way through this new run. I’m hoping they bring more in the future. Good books are harder to come by.
Moon Knight - I’m still loving this series. Just like with the symbiotes, however, Marvel is way overdoing it with the vampires. Now we’ve got entire “nations”. At least they aren’t making people born as vampires….yet. I’m really hoping they didn’t permanently kill Hunter’s Moon. He’s way too interesting.
I'm just glad this might mean we get a better host than Brandy. She wasn't that interesting. But she she did at least show us Thor's other Avenger team from when he fought Apocalypse.
To help clarify the confusion some might have, Bedlam, his spawn and indeed Merdius are basically just Eddie from different points in the time stream. Whether or Not Merdius-Eddie knew what this meant is unclear. Also it's less about Donald getting a symbiote and more merging the myth about the Death of Thor at Ragnarok with his own self. So now instead of Cul, Odin's brother, it's basically Thor's brother/self.
There have ALWAYS been vampire nations. They just didn't always advertise it as much. Or do you think every Japanese or Asia vampire followed Dracula?
Fables suck and you should just accept it.
I enjoyed the Crypt even if I needed a little primer here and there. Mostly I hope that Jake's foes in his one shot gets more insight. Didn't much much enjoy the Laura/Swamp Thing one. Brielle is cool, but I feel she's needs to be highlighted more in her own series.
Also, X-men proves time travel is complicated, forge still has his own agenda, and now we have two Wolverines/Lauras.
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So, after a what shouldn’t have been at all surprising bit of incompetence from the gloriously moronic USPS, I finally got my copy of Isom #1 from Rippaverse Comics. It was 96 pages, but a quick read. The book had a semi-hard, smooth to the touch cover, with some decent art. Hell, even the cardboard packaging was awesome, and the book came with its own board and resealable bag.
The story was pretty straight forward, with a few extraneous plot seeds thrown in for the future. This is a world where superhumans are known as Excepts. It kind of gave me an Incredibles vibe (there’s even a character that reminds me of Edna Mode). The writing was pretty decent for someone whom, as far as I know, never wrote before this. He’s got some nice set up, plenty of action, and some intriguing hints. The art was really solid, but I think the action sequences could have been a bit better.
The main character, Isom (Avery Silman), was once in the super game, although maybe not as a hero exactly. When the story opens, he’s running a ranch outside the city of Florespark. They didn’t just come right out and do an origin story or explain his powers. I like that. At the least, he’s got super strength, enhanced durability, and maybe some enhanced reflexes. They also introduced several other Excepts, including Yaira (a chick who seems very powerful). There are hints of alien worlds and the supernatural.
Overall, I enjoyed it enough to want to keep following. I truly hope his company succeeds.
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Sgt. Rock versus Army of the Dead - Bruce Campbell shouldn’t win any awards for writing, but the story is still fun, and the art is solid. Still, it always bugs me they don’t figure out “shoot them in the head” more quickly. Plus, it’s a great Halloween offering.
Strange - the team up between Clea and Harvestman was pretty kick ass. Poor Goliath, though. Bit of a screw up from the writer, however. Or so it seems. Stephen tells Clea they can’t touch, just moments after she grabbed his scythe to finish off the revenant. I’ve said it before, though, and I’ll say it again - I would be just fine with Clea in the main role going forward.
Moon Knight Annual - it was cool seeing the original Werewolf by Night again. Though I could have done with out the bait-and-switch of classic look on the cover but more modern look inside. And I’m not too crazy about him being some King of Wolves, with tribes and such. They’re doing to werewolves what they did to vampires. It’s getting to be like that True Blood show. What’s next? Glittering vampires? Overall, however, the story was kind of cool. I like the idea of reading the Darkhold giving Jack more control and power. As I recall, it was the source of his family curse. And we got more of Hunter’s Moon, which is always a plus. They’re growing the character a bit, and hopefully strengthening him as an ally. Seeing them each armed with a khopesh and kicking werewolf ass was cool. And it was nice to see Marlene again.
Also not mentioned: I was right. When you've got Celestials involved, you don't need to worry about resurrecting everyone. He just resets the timeline (mostly). Also now we have a Eternal/Celestial fusion going with the one formerly known as Ajak. Too bad about Sersi. But hey, props to Jean for getting the Council (and the Five) to allow more sick human kids to be resurrected.
So now Dylan is 616 Codex. Weird...but makes sense. I wonder what that means going forward. Otherwise solid story.
John Sublime and the U-men are dicks, especially just after now Martha Johnson got her body back and is going around talking about her positive experiences. I hope someone kicks his butt.
Strange Academy and Strange should have a powpow. I mean they clearly are having similar issues. Also I'm glad we find out how Gaslamp gets his wishcraft.
Thunderbolts is an under-rated hit, but I do wonder whether or not Hawkeye and Spectrum can hash stuff out without making a mess of things. Super Apes were nice.
X-terminators is a great rocking comic that also ties in nicely to the larger Marvel U, especially with the reappearance of Xarus.
(also I'm fine with Vampires having societies. That's what intelligent beings DO. Mutants do it. Aliens do it. Why shouldn't monsters?)
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I’m impressed that Hulk is two issues into its third story arc in only 10 issues. Granted, they’re all linked by a larger mystery, but still. Anyway, I kind of like this setup, although the whole “time must work differently here” is a little too much. That last page revelation was….intriguing. I look forward to seeing where they go with it.
Dark Knights of Steel - another issue finally. I’m still enjoying this particular elseworlds. I’m beginning to have a thought, however. It seems the Els keep acting strangely - I’m beginning to wonder if this universe’s version of Brainaic might be involved.
Finally, I picked up Batman and Joker: The Deady Duo solely because it was being written and drawn by Marc Silvestri. I’ve always liked his art, but don’t think I’ve ever read anything he wrote before (not that I can recall off hand). The story is solid and simple, so far. The art is, of cours, excellent. I look forward to the rest of this miniseries.
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I’ve recently been reminded of a comic book miniseries I do not own, but would like to. It’s Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham.
According to Amazon, there’s a new collected edition coming out next April. I could wait until then. I think, first, I’ll check to see if my local shop has original issues.
X-men Red proves that when it comes to great strategic thinkers, Abigail Brand is head and shoulders above most. She's been playing 3-D chess, while the rest are still trying to move their checkers around the board. Still gratifying to see that she's doesn't COMPLETELY side with ORCHIS, but does want them as a stabilizing force to get the Sol System into the Galactic Powers game.
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This latest issue of Avengers was mostly about Agamotto and these retconned ancient heroes. It seems to have picked up directly from another series, one which I didn’t get. Very annoying. And very poor work on the editor’s part. This is the kind of story that should have been in a one-shot leading into the coming crossover. Speaking of…since that crossover is starting, this will be my last issue of Avengers.
I picked up The New Golden Age one shot from DC, just because it was Geoff Johns writing the JSA. The story wasn’t too bad, but I’m not sure I like where it’s leading. I love the idea of Johns fixing the JSA, but it looks like they’re going to do it by retconning a bunch of mostly lame superheroes and sidekicks into DC history. I remember when they did that with the Justice League, with just one “forgotten” hero. It’s sad they can’t come up with something better. Still, it was nice seeing Khalid again as Fate. I liked him. And I’m pretty sure the villain was Per Degaton, but looking different. I’ll probably still at least give Johns’ upcoming JSA a try. He’s at least a pretty decent writer.
I picked up Spider-Man: The Lost Hunt just because (a) I wanted something else, and (b) it’s DeMatteis following up his own classic Spidey story. I’ve never read any of the follow-up stuff with Kraven’s son, but so far this seems interesting. It seems Kraven’s friend and teacher has some skills to get in Peter’s head and mess around. The art is pretty solid as well.
Ghost Rider - Blaze and Discount Black Alice have teamed up, and are moving towards a showdown with Muscle Car Man, while Retconned Magic Council does….whatever it does. Hopefully, when all is said and done, everyone but Blaze will be dead, and they can turn the series over to a better writer.
Moon Knight - revenge against Nemean and Grand Mal, Moon Knight style. I like the way he used the Midnight Mission to tilt the odds in his favor. I wonder what Hunter’s Moon did to them? I think I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again - if they renamed this series Fist of Khonshu, and focused on both Fists, I’d be cool with it. Hopefully, next issue will see the destruction of a crap ton of vampires (although I know they won’t do away with that idiotic vampire organizations crap).
Oh for the love...
IT"S NOT A FREAKING ORGANZATION!!! This is not S.H.E.I.L.D., A.I.M or some other things. This is a group of supernatural creatures that have existed for CENTURIES, having their own culture and beliefs coming together to collective ensure the continuation of their race. YES VAMPIRES are a race. Just like Werewolves, just like fey, just like freaking MUTANTS.
I love this run of Moon Knight too but your incessant HARPING on this an other issues REALLY sticks in my craw.
Also if you had read the one shot about the Avengers of 1 million BC, you'd know more about that's going on.
Ghost Rider is good and I enjoy Agent Warroad. I will admit to wondering exactly what the nature and powers Exhaust has...but at the same time its clear he's not just mook.
The Golden Age is interesting but not sure it's enough to make me feel more strongly about DC improving moreso than some of Marvel.
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New issue of World’s Finest - I like the way each of the big two are working with Boy Thunder, giving him advice on their particular styles. If you’re going to learn, might as well be from the best. Poor Angle Man, though. Maybe someone can reattach that hand? And I’m really enjoying Dan Mora’s art. Apparently there was an alternate cover that was an homage to Mad Magazine. I didn’t see it, but heard someone at the store mention it.
Of note from me;
She-hulk's newest villains are pretty corny. Even if they are smart enough to try to use Gamma. Which, honestly, I wouldn't. See the results.
Clint Barton and the new Thunderbolts Team are being mentally assaulted some how...and I'm still wondering what the entire point of this run is kind of. Though Monica being in it helps.
Wakanda #2 is better if you just read about past BP rather than intergalactic politics in the Wakanda galaxy thingie.
Murderworld, which honestly I felt needed something like this, is a decent enough start, but honestly I feel like Arcade's vetting process in getting these contestants to join up could be better.
Shang Chi gives us a better origin for the 616 version of the MCU Ten Rings, along with tying in nicely with Chinese mythology AND giving us their version of Nezha.
Bucky's deep dive into the Outer Ring is decent, but honestly it's mostly a setup for Steve's comic as much as moving the Captain America narrative forward.
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Apparently Frank Miller had his own publishing group now? It’s called Frank Miller Presents. They put out at least two books this week that I noticed, and despite that utter tool Dan Didio being involved, I picked up one of them. Ronin Book II #1, done in black and white. The art was pretty gorgeous, done by Philip Tan and Daniel Henriques. I’ve never read the original Ronin (something I plan to remedy), so I’m unfamiliar with the backstory, but the first issue was interesting enough that I’ll probably keep going with it. And I’ll keep an eye out to see if FMP has any more offerings that look good.
Genis-Vell: Captain Marvel - seems like the whole purpose of the entire miniseries was to get Rick and Genis back together. Hell, they could have saved some paper and done it in one issue. The end was a bit disappointing. The whole Death being tired of its job and turning it over to Marlo was kind of hokey. I’m beginning to think Peter David has lost his old magic. I might have to think twice before getting anything else he does. The cover was a nice homage to The Death of Captain Marvel, though.
Sgt. Rock vs Army of the Dead - we’re at the half-way point. This didn’t any masterpiece. But it’s still kind of fun, in a simplistic way. And the art continues to be cool.
Daredevil - I don’t see this run lasting long. Over the last few years, it seems like the only villains Daredevil fights anymore are Kingpin, The Hand, or some minion of either. It’s getting kind of boring. I might give this another issue or two, but if it doesn’t get better, I may just drop it.
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Planet Hulk: Worldbreaker - This looked interesting, so I picked it up. Greg Pak does a good job setting up a 1000 years in the future scenario. It looks like maybe the Shi’ar are a major force on Sakaar (or one of them is at least). Amadeus Cho is there, and green (though not always “hulked out”), and a grandpa. Hulk seems to be somewhere. There are Sentinel-like robots hunting down folk with Hulk blood. I look forward to seeing where they go with this. The art is solid.
JSA #1 - as much as I find the idea of them retconning in a bunch of new (and some very lame) new heroes, I’m still glad to see Geoff John’s back on this title. The art is pretty damned good. Of the future JSA members, I think my favorites are Grundy and Gentleman Ghost. And Power Girl, of course. She’s always awesome to see. And, damn, Per Degaton kicked their asses. Now we’ve got time travel, though, which will probably be a headache. I’m just hoping when all is said and done, Helena Wayne isn’t kept in the past, and they instead return a more old school JSA to its glory.
Strange - as much as I found W. A. N. D. to be a little hokey, it also kind of made sense. SHIELD had psychics, as I recall, so it makes sense they’d have magic users as well. And now we get the sort of origin story of the Blasphemy Cartel. Interesting. I still find myself hoping they won’t drag this story arc out another 3 or more issues, but I won’t hold my breath.
I picked up the first issue of Koshchei in Hell from Darkhorse. Mostly because it’s Mike Mignola. The first issue was cryptic set up, but fun. Mignola didn’t do the art, but it reminds me of his work. Maybe the artist was inspired by him.
Greg Pak back on Hulk is a joy, especially with him bring back Amadeus Choi.
As for the Blasphemy Cartel, I don't think we can expect this wrapped up quickly since I think they are in subservience or at least indebted to some one they need to bring back.
Also we have the end of Jason Aaron's run on Avengers coming up with Alpha. Not great but certainly nice to see just how powerful Doom Supreme truly is, doing that to a Starbrand.
Second best thing was seeing the return of Ian Rogers...though apparently his time alone has made him less...shiny. or at least less Heroic.
Finally is having more Strange Academy stories going on.
Read KiH and while things can change, seeing that Hellboy's Ex isn't the big bad is a relief.
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Ghost Rider - the story is kind of dragging (which seems typical of modern comics), but there’s still stuff I like. I’m not a fan of the look of Exhaust, but I like the idea of him. That he seems to almost be a negative of GR. And the idea of him being powered by all the general misery, road rage, and death occurring on the highways and byways of the country is kind of cool. I just wish they’d give us more GR action.
I seem to recall Thor’s new, younger sister from somewhere, but not this Runa chick. I think some of this stuff was covered in that Thanos one shot that came out this week, but it didn’t seem interesting, so I skipped it. And now we’ve got Bor. I wonder if they’re setting up for him to retake the throne so Thor can continue being a hero (and selling comics).
Daredevil - meh. Kind of a boring issue. I might stop collecting this series.
Hellboy in Love - still a fun story, but they finished getting those artifacts back, so I’m not sure where they’ll go now. They still have 3 issues left. The grave of the hummingbird queen kind of reminded me of stuff I’ve seen in other Hellboy comics (and the recent movie).
Batman and Joker: The Deadly Duo - Ouch! Poor Jim Gordon (and his finger). Still, why would the bad guys kidnap someone just to cut bits off him? Couldn’t they do that on their own? Those Joker clone things are creepy. And what we learned about them this issue makes them even creepier. Still, the expertise in genetics (and other sciences) required to create them point to a handful of established villains maybe. Unless they create a new character. If I had to put money on it, though, I’d guess Hugo Strange. I can’t help but wonder, however, where’d Batman get the funky zipper mask he put on Joker’s head? It seemed a little….kinky. And I loved seeing Dick filling in for Bruce at the big company meeting. Reminds me of that time they actually wrote that Bruce officially adopted him. I don’t know if that’s still a thing since Morrison inflicted the abomination on us.
Thor's sister, Laussa, first appeared in Angela, Asgard's Assassin. Runa, the other Valkyrie first made her proper appearance in King in Black: Return of the Valkyries. She was a combo creation but mostly a Gronbekk favorite. (See the mini-series you missed out on.) And yes the other stuff was covered in Thanos: Death Notes, but not as much as in this issue.
Also good: Dark Web even if it's weird to see Ben go full villain. If only because he beats up Norman Osborn. (Though as right now Osborn is kind of 'clean' slate.)
Both Immortal X-men and X-men Red are probably my favorite X series. If only because Gillen is doing fabulous work in the former, while Ewing is nailing Nova and other space stuff.
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I tuned into one of the few podcasts I regularly watch, not really expecting much. To my surprise, they had Graham Nolan on as a guest.
So, of course they had to discuss Bane and the AzBat era. Nolan put on a Bane mask someone made for him. He also showed the framed, original art of Bane lifting a broken Batman over his head. That was cool. At one point, they were sharing “war stories” of times they came across then-cheaper copies of rare issues, but didn’t buy them. They played a video from another podcast, showing a clip from a 1977 Mike Douglas (I think) episode where they were discussing comics with some dude and he was passing around some of his own rare issues (like a Superman #1 from back in the 40s).
It was kind of neat.
More Dark Web abounds; Not sure if it's going to be as good as Judgment, but then again it's more of a cross over with Wells doing...something. I guess.
Also new Monica Rambeau series starts. It's not where I want her to go...but we'll see.
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BRZRKR - #11 (of 12). It’s still fun, but I think I’m going to have to go back and reread the whole thing. Should make an interesting movie, but they better hurry. Keanu’s getting old…..
Strange - although I dislike these endlessly dragging story arcs, this one has been somewhat interesting. I like them bringing in The War of the Seven Spheres and Trinity of Ashes again. I thought this issue had some really good insight into the relationship between Clea and Stephen. Although I wish they’d give it a rest with the “they can’t touch” nonsense. They already kind of ruined that one when she picked up his scythe and used it. I was never impressed with Sentry, but hadn’t realized he was dead.
Spider-Man: The Lost Hunt - damn, that Gregor is one twisted dude. Still, his psychological torture of Peter (and Mary Jane) is really creepy and creative. I’m not sure if that’s supposed to be Calypso at the end or not.
World’s Finest - cool. I really liked that insight into The Key and his past. And that last page - huh? Turns out this whole story is yet another origin for Magog. Didn’t they already have like two or three of those? At least this time it’s the writer who actually created the character.
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I picked up Dead Boy Detectives because I’ve liked those characters ever since they first appeared in Sandman. It was a pretty solid first issue, story wise. I like the idea of exploring different cultural beliefs about the supernatural. The art was….adequate. And they’re brining Thessaly in, so you know things are going to get messed up.
The latest issue of Moon Knight seems to finally resolve the recent vampire story arc. Damn, that was a cool plan. And Tigra with the silver tipped claws, being all bad ass. I like MK and Hunter’s Moon getting along and working together. I just hope the writer isn’t going to make them fight over Reese and Soldier. Not so crazy about that bit with Zodiac at the end. They seem determined to force him into the position of arch enemy. Which he most definitely shouldn’t be, especially considering he has no real history, with MK or anyone else. He just hasn’t done enough to earn an arch enemy status. He almost comes across as a poor man’s Joker to me.
Honestly I don't agree Zodiac's a poor man's Joker since he's not crazy nor does he do thing without purpose. Mostly he's been VERY under utilized until MacKay decided to revive him. Him being the opposite of Moon Knight is a cool thing.
In story he DIDN'T read, Dark Web X-men proves Jean Grey can slap back with the best of them.
Even though this event is making Ben look bad, at least Ewing is doing his level best to make every issue he works on, make sense.
Also loved the whole Cletus infesting his old stomping grounds. I know some might wonder why some mystic or something didn't notice it, but that's kind of the point about Cletus. He can be REALLY smart.
Also Strange Academy is really something more people should be reading.
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Dark Knights of Steel - white martians. Nice twice. And “Alfred” is J’onn. I was wondering if they’d ever bring him into this.
I never collected Hulk during the Joe Fixit era, but I’ve been enjoying the other Peter David stuff, so figured I’d pick this up. It was cool seeing Kingpin get his ass handed to him. And I’ve got to say, Hulk looks great in a suit. Very stylish.
Planet Hulk - The Jen smash. And thank the gods I don’t hear Taika Waititi’s voice when Korg speaks. That would be annoying.
Also of note:
X-men Red continues to be the best X-men series. Storm and the new Brotherhood are fire. Also Roberto is the man.
Jen breaks the Fourth wall for the first time in her new series but for great effect.
I really want the Avengers saga to end.
Also Kang gets played by someone that might be him or someone else in Timeless but we do get to see some intriguing Knights created by this Myddrin character.
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Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo - In all honesty, the art is the best thing about this series. The story is solid, but fairly basic. The villain was surprising. I thought it might be someone old school like Hugo Strange, but this seems to be a new one. And, somehow, Silvestri has found a way to make the Joker look more disturbing with that mask….
Moon Knight #19 - damn! Talk about digging up the past. The Commodore! He hasn’t shown up in forever. I loved seeing another team up with both Fists. And I like this little caveat to the resurrections by Khonshu. I’m still not too sure about this new Zodiac. He seems too young to be that capable of a supervillain. Plus, I’m pretty certain Doctor Doom would wipe the floor with him, if he even deigned to acknowledge him.
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I also picked up Volume 1 of Walt Simonson’s Ragnarök, from IDW. It was kind of a spur of the moment purchase. All they had was that one book, so if I want the other two volumes, I’d have to order them.
Anyway, the art is superb. Although I wouldn’t have expected anything less from Simonson. The story kind of turns the Norse legends on its head. Instead of the big final battle and a reborn earth under rule of the surviving Aesir, this one has all the gods die (except that weird little squirrel, Ratatosk. And he keeps an entombed Thor barely going with nectar and slices from Idunn’s apples. Meanwhile, bad guys rule over everything. Then Thor gets free and starts wandering around, mostly destroying bad guys. I haven’t finished it yet. Still, it’s fun so far.
With regards to Walt's Ragnarok, it's an excellent turn on Norse mythology along with homage to his work on Marvel Comics Thor. I HIGHLY recommend it.
Also Legion of X is insanely good this issue and it really feels like everything is coming to a head soon with Fall of X.
Moon Knight was good but I think you under-estimate the fact Zodiac views Doom in the same way some view Vader. He's there, he's evil, but some times you want more Heath Ledger Joker.
Which is why I think his reference to Cletus is so tongue in cheek in terms of the fact BOTH series (while not written by MacKay) features many of the same players
Also Daredevil is finding out it's not easy being in the shadows.
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Sgt. Rock vs Army of the Dead - they forgot to put this in my box when it first came out, so I’d been waiting for another copy. Still a fun miniseries, but the story’s dragging a bit. It’s near done, though. They finally tracked down zombie Hitler’s bunker.
Ghost Rider - another one they forgot to put in my box. Finally seems like the finale to the Blackout story. The end was kind of disappointing. They didn’t show the battle with Exhaust. The defeat of Blackheart was almost too easy. And the chick survived. Like I said, disappointing.
Avengers Two: Wonder Man & The Beast - picked this up on a whim. It’s a collected reprint of three issues from back in 2000. Written by Roger Stern, drawn by Mark Bagley, so the writing and art were both solid. The two of them teamed up to take on Lady Lotus and her various goons.
Wasp - another whim purchase, although an informed one. I liked the Ant-Man series, so thought this might be cool. The art was still decent, but the story didn’t catch my interest as much. I’ll probably at least give it one more issue, but there was some pretty lame stuff in there.
Hulk - as this series has dragged on, I’ve come to understand why it’s ending. The writing is kind of weak. Although, I’ve got to admit, this issue, with its game of Godball, was kind of fun.
Strange - a decent enough ending to a cool series. Although I still find myself wishing they’d have let Stephen stay dead and either kept Clea permanently as Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, or introduce an apprentice she could train to take her place. The look of their combined form was pretty cool. Very reminiscent of Eternity.
World’s Finest - kind of a weak ending to an interesting story. Still, overall it was cool, with some interesting implications, probably none of which will mean a thing in the future. The power stripping chamber reminded me of Superman 2.
Spider-Man: The Lost Hunt - the fight between Gregor and his mother was pretty badass. The mindscape art seemed to me to be influenced by guys like Bernie Wrightson or Mike Dringenberg. And now Peter seems to be Cuckoo for Coco Puffs.
Fables - took forever to get this issue out. I’d nearly forgotten what was going on. I really like the turtle and tea cup world - really cool idea. And then we had a five year jump. And Cindy working for the US government. And Snow with another baby on the way!
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Thor - Soooo…..apparently Bor fought Thanos. And was train to use the dead as a source of power. Kind of reminds of of what the Lords of Order used to do with the dream essence collected by the Gray Man. Lots of draugr. And, because why not, now we have Doom.
JSA - so they’ve confirmed it’s Per Degaton. Maybe it’s just me, or the art, but he seems younger. And he’s trying for some ritual, part of the requirement for which seems to be murdering JSAs. Why not just turn Spectre loose? I’m pretty sure Degaton wouldn’t stand a chance. I think the character design for Salem the Witch Girl is idiotic. She looks like she’s from Colu. Overall, so far I’m not a fan of these new characters Johns is retconning into DC history.
Sgt. Rock vs. Army of the Dead. There seemed to be a hiccup between the end of last issue and beginning of this one. Something missing, anyway. Still, zombie Hitler. Kind of weird. One more issue to go.
Dead Boy Detectives - the plot is slow moving, but I’m still intrigued. I like they acknowledge Charles being a ghost for 30 years, which is probably just about how long it’s been since Gaiman introduced him. I’ve got to say, seeing the punk chick Tanya talking about The Cure and also being dead around 30 years makes me feel old. I knew chicks who dressed like her back in the day.
I really enjoyed The Last Ronin, so I had to pick up this new The Last Ronin: Lost Years. I think it’s going to be a mini series, but I’m not sure. Either way, we’ve got a new generation of Turtles! I was kind of hoping they’d do something with the baby turtles they showed at the end of Ronin. Could be interesting. And seeing Mikey in those flashbacks kicked butt.
Sins of Sinister makes AOA look like a swim suit competition. PROVE ME WRONG!
Also Avengers Assemble proves what the solicits are saying, we have the Beyonder to thank. Weird though that Cap figured it out before Tony Stark did.
I can honestly say Dark Web is going to end...and it can't come soon enough. This has been underwhelming. Except for the part where the X-me and Maddie reach some kind of understanding.
Midnight Suns mini-series ends with some very confusing stuff. A young Agatha?!! Korrison is still alive?? I just want some Midnight suns honestly.
X-terminators needs to be the new X-men team book. Yes I said it.
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Moon Knight - I’m thinking Robert Plesko, aka Sigmund, is the one behind Harlequin Hitmen killing the other Shadow Cabinet members. Why he’d do it, not sure. But his “death” didn’t fit the pattern, and the whole “I’m at home” right before it blew up was a bit too obvious. We’ll see. The back up story was cool only in that it had Blade back in his original 70s look (so cheesy it was awesome). Otherwise, I hate when writers do this out of the blue retconn crap, just so they can insert themselves into comic. As this writer did with this newly made-up 70s Fist of Khonshu. Hopefully, they’ll keep her away from Moon Knight in the future.
Also:
Unsurprising reveals! Mother Righteous is the FOURTH Sinister. Also the guy in charge of XENO is basically a clone of Doctor Moreau aka the Geneengineer that everyone forgot after Cameron Hodge kills him.
Things that were good: Scarlet Witch's new series continues to shine with great characterizations and some very good stories. Especially with just one shot villains.
Moon Knight is still good but I don't think Plesko is the one in charge. It has to be Zodiac. That guy is trying to be the arch nemesis.
Miles' new villain MIGHT have some motivation issues...but she's clearly better than some of the newer crop of villians.
Legion of X let me feeling good in some ways: (Juggy as the Spirit of Variance's newest ride. Eat that Johnny Blaze and Robbie Reyes! A win for the X-team against ORCHIS) less good in others (Margali being a really...bad word, Prof still being a dick but realizing it. Death of Forgetmenot, loss of Warlock, and comatose Doug)
Captain America dealing with this new form of M.O.D.O.C. but some how not having the sense to take up a psychic with him...
Dark Web over!!! The only good thing was Maddie.
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I finally figured out the main thing wrong with Ghost Rider - not enough Ghost Rider. This issue he appeared on three pages. That’s it. And they’ve still got Discount Black Alice. GR just doesn’t work with a partner. The whole thing kind of reminding me of a CW super hero show.
Joe Fixit issue two was cool. Kingpin’s got some gas that makes Fixit go crazy (which he hoped to use against Spider-Man). Seeing Hulk be some ladies man wise guy was funny. I also loved seeing Peter stand up to Kingpin, then Spidey laying him out with one punch.
Where Monsters Lie is a new thing from Darkhorse. Interesting premise - a gated community for serial killers. And the people who run it help them out with logistics. It almost had a Sandman serial killer convention vibe. I might try a few more issues, but I don’t see how they can keep my interest for long.
Koshchei in Hell - So I’m not fully up to snuff on the Hellboy-verse, but apparently he had a half-sister. Emphasis on “had”. And there seems to be something worse pulling her strings. Pluto, maybe? Koshchei is a damned killing machine. I’d love to see more stories with him. The old lady crab demons were cool looking.
Batman and Joker: Deadly Duo. Still a fun series, though not the strongest writing. The trap/challenge proposed by the villain was interesting. And we got to see the reasons behind the villain’s motivation. Although now I’m wondering if it might not be the daughter/unlucky bride.
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Also, I picked up The DC Universe by Dwayne McDuffie. I had known they were coming out with it, but didn’t know it would be this week. It’s a beautiful hardback, with a great selection of stories: The Demon, Justice League, Impulse, Batman, Firestorm and Superman. At the end there’s also a two page Static Shock tribute story.
I haven’t read through it yet, but I fully expect it to be magnificent. Some of the stories are ones I already own.
Part 2 of Sins; Storm takes no crap. Also never trust Destiny/Irene. She clearly has no qualms working with ANY Sinister. Even one that's a cyborg.
I disagree that what was wrong was a lack of Johnny. It was a lack of moving the story FORWARD. Johnny was there MORE than three pages. He was at least more than half of the story.
Amazing Spidey...is less amazing when it's clear the editorial staff can't agree on things. Especially since they apparently married MJ without telling us. So...yeah.
BP...is going to end soon. I can't wait. Eve has a yeoman's Sisyphean task ahead of her.
Hunter is proving he knows how to plan by what he did with Joaquin. He's definitely in that field.
Also we need Chip to start writing more Spider-man.
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Hulk - More and more, I understand why they’re cancelling this series so soon. The writing on it really has sucked. I don’t think they know what they wanted to do with it. Still, I did like the idea of Banner implanted nukes into Hulk’s brain, as a kind of assurance he could finally be destroyed. It’s an interesting concept.
Wasp - geez, does every new young chick in the Marvel Universe have their origins in that Red Room. Way to overuse a concept, fellas. Nadia kind of reminds me of Damien Wayne. And that’s definitely not a compliment. I like the way they’re delving into comic history for the villain, though.
Spider-Man: The Lost Hunt - so we get a Wakanda-themed origin for Kraven, and a retconned Wakandan mystic order. The Balû-Aye wasn’t too bad, but could have been done much better. That’s modern comics for you - it can limit even good writers. Still, overall, I like the origin of the chick Hunter, and how Kraven’s origin and actions during “The Last Hunt” story were folded into it - to add to the story without significantly changing it. The art (all three styles in this issue) continues to be top notch. I’ll be sad to see this series end, and would love to see DeMatteis a chance to give us some more good stuff.
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And…..FINALLY!…..We have Swamp Thing: Green Hell Book 2. It only took them, what? A year? More? I honestly can’t recall when Book One came out. In fact, I had to reread it, just to remember what was going on. The Parliaments had turned against the remnant of humanity in a ruined-Earth, alternate future, intending to wipe out what was left and start over. So Constantine decided to resurrect Alec Holland.
Now, in Book 2 we see Holland battling, first the new, evil Swamp Thing, then a horde raised by all the parliaments. Meanwhile, Constantine is off recruiting. We’ve got Deadman, then Ellen and Maxine Baker. I’d have preferred Buddy, but this makes more sense story-wise. Mahnke’s art is awesome. So is Lenore’s writing.
Here’s hoping I don’t have to wait another year or more for Book Three.
I disagree with the Zombie that the Hulk book is going nowhere. It's basically moving the story along with the fact we have a different (albeit temporary) writer.
In OTHER Marvel side; Sins moves on as we see more of what Mother Righteous and indeed the other three Sinisters/Essexes are doing. Sadly Doctor Statis of this timeline doesn't make it. Plus side, Parker DNA is stronger than Sinister, albeit with an assist by the Spirit of Variance. Holy Thieves! Go do your thing!
As for the Aaron run...other than some cool fights and a narration by non-super Soldier Steve Rogers (who is worthy!)...I just want this over now.
Both Captain Marvel and the X-men are dealing with the Brood even though each has different reasons for doing it. Also I don't much like having Older Laura on this team. (I'm NOT calling her Talon. No. NO!) Plus side, Hazmat REALLY cuts loose on this issue which is a plus.
Wolverine has the most satsifying kill...even if it turns out as pointless thanks to apparently Beast taking a cue from Sinister about cloning.
Iron man and Fantastic Four are both building up stuff well. Moreso on the First Family side with some really great character grows and explanations that don't drag on and on...
Slot's Spider-man has an interesting take about how unraveling the spider half of Peter doesn't mean he can't stop helping. Also YAY!!! for alternate Cindy!! :D
I feel bad for Mackay given the parameters of the story, because clearly he's had love for both MJ and Felicia/Black Cat. But this story's little side trip...has gone askew. Especially since it feels hemmed in by the fact this might not matter in some ways.
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Thor - so it seems perhaps Doctor Doom turned Nidhogg into a cyborg. And took Hela captive. At least Thor still has his goats. And Odin doesn’t like mutant raven giants rhyming about him. The back up story was rather silly.
Planet Hulk: Worldbreaker - I think I liked the other Hulk miniseries better.
Ronin Book II - so Agat was still around, and young Billy kicked his ass using the TK abilities he inherited from his father. Who, still in his Ronin persona, is a captive of Virgo. It seems like it wants to have a baby with him? Weird. Maybe the final battle will be between two half-siblings.
World’s Finest - I loved the title of this issue’s story, “Scream of the Chaos Monkey”. And it doesn’t look like a relationship between Supergirl and Robin will be a thing. Still, nice one shot story.
Hellboy in Love - Who doesn’t like Shadow Puppet monsters? And I suspect Anastasia is not going to survive this miniseries. The banter back and forth between her and Hellboy was fun, though. Looks like they pulled an Ash in Army of Darkness at the end.
Honestly if you're a DC fan, and you want to see Superman at his best, you should be reading Superman Volume 6. Joshua Williamson has the right tone, the right art, the right EVERYTHING to make this your new favorite version of the Man of Steel. Along with the best supporting cast of favorites and some new surprises, this is what Superman fans have been clamoring for.
Just my two cents.
Also, Immoral X-men showcases just how bad ass and terrifying a less moral/less ethical Emma Frost can be. Just absolutely a master class. Also, Mister Sinister continues to prove he's the smartest dumb geneticist there is.
I liked the back up story more for Thor, if only because Thor was good. As for Doom...well he's gotta Doom. Though I do feel this has become a tad muddled. Which I feel bad for because I enjoy Torrun's work on other Asgardian themed things.
Also Ram V continues his exceptional character run on Carnage. Sure it's pretty generic. IE Carnage symbiote wants to be the new God Killer/Butcher/God of Carnage. But the art, the characters...make it feel fresher than it should be.
Do not bother with Amazing Spider-man until someone in the Spidey editorial decides they are doing this wrong. Or Zub is. I can't tell.
Finally, if you're looking for great characters in a supernatural setting, Strange Academy continues to be the one. You just love the characters even if the story beats MIGHT be predictable. I just hope we'll see more of them later.
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Ghost Rider - at least this issue had more than one or two pages of actually Ghost Rider. In action, no less. And it looks like Danny Ketch (or at least his body) has been Weapon X’d. That’s what the helmet reminds me of, anyway.
Where Monsters Lie - after the first issue, I thought this was just going to be some weird serial killer story. This issue introduced at least two straight up supernatural elements (the killer ventriloquist doll and the non-aging old lady), and hinted at least one more (the unstoppable dude with the hair hanging over his face). Not sure where they’re going, but I’m willing to keep with it for now.
Sgt. Rock vs The Army of the Dead - watching Rock beat the crap out of Undead Hitler is a great way to end things. And then Rock introduced him to his BOOM EGG. Fun times. And the last page gave a nice little hint that maybe they’ll keep going with this.
Dead Boy Detectives - another story I’m not really sure where they’re going with, but it’s still fun to read. I get the feeling it might make more sense if I did a little research of Thai supernatural legends. And the issue had a disclaimer at the beginning regarding language. I don’t think I’d ever seen that in a comic before. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised they do it in this day an age.
Koshchei in Hell - I almost feel sorry for that demon when Koshchei comes back. After what he did to that group of witches, you’d think the demon wouldn’t have been stupid enough to try and screw over a deathless warrior. But now I’m left wondering if the big bad will be the demon or Pluto.
Venom: Al Ewing is not just killing it, he is utterly DESTROYING the competition. Taking a crappy mid-event that made everyone miserable, (well except Maddie...) and yet not only fill in the parts that made your main character dumb and not very good...and making freaking come out like a grand coronation cake. It was THAT freaking good. Ewing needs to send a letter to Marvel CEOs to let them know they need him doing their scripts.
Meanwhile over on Slott's run of End of the Spiderverse...it's not spectacular but it's certainly WAY more solid footing than Well's ASM. By a wide margin.
Also Colin Kelly and Jackson Lansing provide some SERIOUS emotional umph in the form of Roger Aubrey and his history, especially in fighting this new form of M.O.D.O.C. Truly some great inspirational stuff.
Ghost Rider by Percy has some good moments along side the recognition of what came before in terms of Danny and the Spirit of Corruption angle.
Cosmic Ghost Rider brings us a Frank Castle we need to be a kind of palate cleanser from Jason Aaron's overt excesses. Not exceptional but solid.
Murderwold's ending will leave many of us waiting to see Arcade get his comeuppance. But it wasn't at the ending... Thought some intriguing way to end in with the 'winner' really coming out to being a loser.
The Unforgiven return and bring with them deep cuts in the form of a former Sorcerer Supreme - Salome/Semiramis and one of Ulysses Bloodstone 's former compatriots in Zawadi. So overall, nice but not necessarily chewing new ground...other than some nice character moments.
I'm tempted to see how Ewing and Ram really pull all this off.
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Skull and Bones Savage Storm - I picked up this new Darkhorse book on a whim because…..pirates. The art was pretty solid. The story far less so. Honestly, it read like poorly done cut scenes of a video game. Which, I suppose, should be unsurprising, since this is apparently based off a game from Ubisoft. I don’t think I’ll get any more issues.
Batman and Joker Deadly Duo - I’m not sure how they ever got around the once cannon history of Joker shooting and paralyzing Barbara. Either way, seeing her fight him was interesting, if a little out of place in the overall story. Also, I thought it silly that she shackled herself as well. The flashback to the wedding sequence was well done. The present day wedding sequence, with the resurrected bride as the actual villain, was a bit creepy, but in a cool story way.
Moon Knight - I think they missed an opportunity to have more Blade showing Reese the ropes. Still, the vampires trying to be good and having a night out was kind of cool. I loved seeing Jake in his taxi. That’s how Jake should be. I’m hoping this is a new villain, but I’d be just as cool with an old villain returned to cause some mayhem. I just hope they don’t tie it directly to the new Zodiac. Overusing a villain is poor writing.
IN OTHER reviews:
Amazing Spider-man shows us that Zeb Well enjoys bring a character NO ONE remembers to do something that should have been done in the beginning...
I just want it over man.
So thanks to some good wikipedia-ing I figured out just WHAT the actual F is going on with why both Doom and Mephisto want the God Quarry. It's to release (somehow) the First Firmanent. Yes the original Universe that Al Ewing created for his Ultimates (in 616) run. Weird they think it would do what they want but villains gotta villain. Also two more issues of this story to go...
BP resets T'Challa's status quo while at the same time HOPEFULLY moving Wakanda forward with better understanding of just what's needed in a BP comic. Eve Ewing, I hope you can do the heavy lifting. Cause we'll need it.
Daughter of Blade is a decent book. I like Brielle...but not sure she's any better or worse than MJ's "kids".
Ryan North continues his STRONG run on FF with these short stories that still build towards a greater arc. This is especially true with the use of magic to do science. Which Reed does great if disgustingly due to his elasticity. It's not as grandiose as Hickman, but it continues a fine tradition of science meeting the rest of Marvel U.
I feel for Mackay on this series. He was saddle with the impossible task of making two characters he's written well fit into the ASM editorial demand that Peter never grow up and change, and also NEVER marries MJ and has kids. He tries. Lord knows he tries. But even he might be able to save this book...Not that a mini-series needs saving per-se.
My feeling with Moon Knight is Mackay continues to dial down on the characters which is what every reader wants along with a good story arc. For me, if it is Zodiac, that's fine. But I get the feeling Reese might be right about it being someone else. (Especially given the solicits)
Charlie Anders continues to write decent characters, but I feel like Martha and the rest need to consider just how much they might end up in deep water when it comes to messing with Count Neferia. While he might have temporarily lost some of his power, he's still NOT someone you mess with. Especially without a plan. But still. We'll see how this goes. Also like how Shela's friend Morgan continues to point out flaws in Krakoa, even if his own view MIGHT be flawed too.
Si Spurrier's contempt of faith is evident in this, but it's not with out merit given we're talking about Mother Righteous. Wagnerine continues to shine. But at the same time I feel like he's overplaying Mutant ability versus the rest. Especially given this the attack on Asgard with Odin Powered Thor in the fight. (Also not sure gravity work on Mjolnir... Just saying) But overall, another solid/good entry into this crap sac world we can thank Nathaniel Essex for.
Orlando's take on Wanda has to be the best. Sure this is the most wordy adventure he's done yet, (maybe too wordy) but at the same time, you see sides to Wanda that just weren't there post M-day or even Disassembled.
I especially enjoy her interactions with the rest of the Mutant clan (especially Lorna). Can't wait to see how she handles the Bacchae.
The new Silver Surfer mini-series is a little weird but still way more on point than ASM or the current Avengers run. Not sure it's for everyone but I'm intrigued enough to keep reading.
X-men...Whoo boy...I did NOT expect to see that ending coming. I mean Wilson Fisk showing up on Krakoa?! After all he pulled in Devil's Reign...I fully expect Emma to give him more than just a mind slap. Also, nice usage of Nightmare to explain why the Brood are acting different after Broo became their sovereign. Very nice call back. Still think this series would benefit from just ONE plot...but eh.
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Hulk - so now it appears D’Spayre was behind the whole mindscape thing (and maybe Titan as well, but I’m not sure about that). Banner, however, co-opted the design and created Star Ship Hulk. Now I’m left wondering two things: Who is D’Spayre’s boss? When/how did Strange trap D’Spayre in that orb? Either way, I suppose we’ll have answers next issue, since I think it’s the last.
BRZRKR - well, that was a weird ending. I think Unute was the product of some kind of alien intelligence. With the purpose of….making people immortal so they could help spread civilization and technology. And after he dies, he wakes up on another world. With his kids off breeding. Like I said, weird. The art was awesome, though.
JSA - I loved seeing the more recent JSA back (from before DC screwed it all up). Except they got Doctor Midnight wrong. It’s not supposed to be a chick. And Yolanda is back as Wildcat 2. The artist really did a good job making Khalid look like a kid (almost too good a job maybe). The cover was really cool. I liked the cameos from Unknown Soldier and Easy Company. And the call backs to old issues of All-Star Comics and JSA were cool.
Superman: Lost - I was looking for something else to collect, and Priest’s name drew me to this. Plus the facts it’s a limited series. Seems like a pretty straight forward plot. Alien ship powered by a singularity rips Superman across time and space, and he spends twenty years getting back. I’m guessing there will be more to it than this, but so far I like it. The arts not the greatest, but it’s solid.
The Last Ronin: Lost Years - continues two stories. One is in the past, showing Michelangelo in the time before The Last Ronin series. He gets some training from a super ninja, and then goes to Mongolia to confront some other bad guy named Death Worm. The other story is new Casey training the new Turtles. I wonder if they’ll succeed in making that go somewhere. I think I like the “now” art better than the “then” art, but wish both time periods were done by Eastman (instead of just Splinter’s Journal).