Aug 31 Comic Review

August 31, 2011 Comic Review

This is a very light reading week so I added a review of the last Graphic novel I read. It was an odd week with the DC relaunch, which I will be addressing on my blog this weekend



DC Publishing

Flashpoint #5 of 5.

Team Johns, Kubert, Hope, Delperdang.

Good bye Wally West, welcome back Barry Allen.. I ended up getting my happy butt over to the comic store at midnight last night to be one of the first to witness the relaunch(more on that later) so I have had a little time to really read through the book more than once...3 times in fact. I still say it is way too confusing regarding the changing of time. Ok, I get it, as DC keeps saying, "this event will change everything" and this is how they decided to change it. To me, it left way to many unanswered questions about why things are changed to the way they are.. To the credit of DC, I am glad they didn't just kill everyone and start fresh on a new earth or dimension, which is what I was sorta expecting.

I can honestly say that I a m glad that this event is over, not because it was a bad event( it was actually pretty interesting)but because of the complete over saturation of things to keep up with in a set of comics that were all doomed to disappear. Now with the reboot, I have new titles to root for, and hope that they keep going.

Grade B-

Justice League #1

Team Johns, Lee, Williams

This is another book that I have read a few times, but this book wasn't re-read because it is confusing, it is just really good.

This is the first title released as the new DC universe. We go back to the days that Batman is still being chased by the cops because he is misunderstood. We get to meet up with Batman, Green Lantern (who I am very happy to say is Hal Jordan) Superman and a pre-cybernetic Cyborg. It is starting to tell the tale of why and how the Justice League meets, forms and eventually becomes the most powerful and (arguably) one of the greatest and most important teams in all of comics.

This is a fantastic jumping on point for new readers and former readers alike. Not over complex but not pandering either

Grade A-

Marvel Publishing

Here Comes Daredevil #2

Team Waid, P. Rivera, J. Rivera, Rodriguez

Before I begin this review, I need to preface it by stating that I have not read a Daredevil title in at least 12 years so I may be a little lost.

The book started out with some fantastic interaction between Daredevil and Capt. America. I really like the way these two characters play off of each other.

The middle I was a bit lost because I guess that I should try to get issue #1. It was almost a bit of just detective work.

This title is way less dark than I remembered. I will pick up this title at least through this Story Arc. I am starting to like it the more i read it.

Grade B-

Dynamite Entertainment

Vampirella #9

Team Trautmann, Neves, Dillon, Maiolo

I love this book. It is so much fun. It is dark, twisted, and intriguing. Full of violence, pretty girls and constant twists.

This story arc has been taking Vampirella and her latest sidekick Sophia, fighting some demons wearing Guy Fawkes masks that have an extreme blood lust and are dying to get to the only being that can stop them, Vampirella.

This is such a good title and would recommend it to anyone over the age of 16.

Grade A

Green Hornet Volume 1: Sins of the Father

Team Smith, Hester, Lau

I picked this book up because of Borders going out of business, I got it on the cheap. If I had known it was this good, I would say it was worth full price. This story was the Green Hornet movie that was originally supposed to be written and directed by Kevin Smith before he eventually decided that directing it was too big of an undertaking for his directorial style. This is the movie that SHOULD have been made. It is absolutely fantastic storytelling. I like the premise that the Green Hornet that we are following was the son of the original. At first I was very apprehensive about a female Kato, but it really works.

I am going back to Borders to see if I can find Volume 2, otherwise I will be making an order at Amazon or at my comic store

Grade A+

Why I love comics

Why do I love comics?

Some People get into collecting because of the hope of having something that may collect some sort of monetary reward later down the road. I do simply for the fact that it is, for me, the worlds greatest escape on a weekly basis.

When I was a kid, I read a lot of different comics. Mostly GI Joe, Archie, Superman, Spiderman, Justice league, Green Lantern and any novelty comic i could find (anyone remember Spiderham?). I was not a collector by any means, I just enjoyed the stories. Then in Jr High,

I just lost interest. That may have been somewhat different if I had ever found a community with comics, but I didn't even know that there was such a thing as a comic store. The 90s didn't help either during the boom when people were no longer reading comics, just putting them in bags, locking them away and hoping they would make a million dollars off of them.

Yadda yadda yadda, Lots of time passed. I would pick up a book here and there but had nothing I got really excited about( except maybe my signed Clerks comic ) until I started to see some mainstream news about the Blackest Night event that DC was doing with a bunch of different colored Green Lantern rings. It piqued my interest and started picking them up. I found out a

bout Graphic Novels and found my new obsession. I could get an entire story and completely lose myself. I collected the entire Blackest Night Series in hardback the day they came out. I discovered the more adult and deeper titles from Vertigo and started to burn through Preacher, Fables and the ever brilliant Sandman run by Neil Gaiman.

I have a very eclectic collection that gets read, and read often. Yes, it most likely will destroy the books and I wont sell them for a million dollars, but I wouldn't trade it. They are a

little bit of light and sparks my imagination in my adult world that I live in.

So Why do I collect? For the love of the story. For me, It's not about what my comics are worth, it is about what they are worth to me

August 24 Reviews

This Weeks Reading Review August 24 2011

Green Lantern Emerald Warriors #13. This issue is the Final issue of Emerald Warriors. It was a Guy Gardner/Batman Team-up. Nothing really groundbreaking and a stand alone issue. It was fun. Guy Gardner played his usual Jackass type role that he always seems to sit in so comfortably. Batman was...well...Batman. He was in his role as detective and generally being annoyed with everyone around him. It was a fun book and an easy read. I don't know if it was a fitting end to this title but it wasn't bad either.

Grade is a C+

Team Tomasi,Frenz,Dell,Deering

Young Justice #7..Targeted by Artemis. This issue would make sense if you had not seen the show. The show would make sense if you don't read the book. What they seem to do is produce the perfect compliment to bridge 2 different mediums of TV and Books. The industry would do well to take some notes in how they are doing this run.

I have to be honest, I have really never heard of Artemis other than the Cartoon Network show, but this gave me enough of her origin to be interested and keep me in the story. This is an all ages title BTW

Grade is a B+

Team Weisman, Hopps, Jones, Davis

Batman The Dark Knight #5 This was a dark issue. Lots of the supernatural. It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, which i can't understand considering this is the last issue with the reboots coming up next week. This issue featured a lot of the demon Etrigan. I honestly don't really enjoy the character because of the whole rhyming obsession he has, however he didn't annoy me to the point that I couldn't enjoy the story. It sorta wrapped up the story arc, I do wonder where it would have went with a few more issues.

Grade B-

Team Finch, Fabok

Batman Incorporated #8

Have you ever read a comic that the art was so mind-blowing that you cant really pay attention to the story at all? Yeah, I hadn't either till this book. It was like Batman and Oracle (batgirl) basically sucked into an Internet world that I could compare to Tron. I actually had to give it a second read to actually catch the story. A really good book

Grade. Art A++ Story B-

Team Morrison, Clark, Beatty

Flashpoint Hal Jordan #3 of 3 This issue reminded me why Hal Jordan is my favorite Green Lantern. Even without the ring, he was truly heroic and is an example of who we need to be at different times in our lives. When reading in the last Flashpoint main title, it is spoiled that Hal actually ends up dying. I went through the issue hoping there was some twist that maybe the ring chose him at the last moment or something, but no such luck. The final page literally sent chills down my back. It was fantastic.

Grade A-

Team Schlagman, Richards

Flashpoint Project Superman #3of 3. I am really kind of enjoying this incarnation of Kal-El. I like seeing the unstoppable Superman being a lot more fragile. I will give one quick piece of advice, if you are reading all the mini's, read Lois Lane and the Resistance before this title. It is a good read and like all of the Flashpoint series so far, this final book is the best. Very satisfying end. A great payoff

Grade B+

Team Snyder, Francis, Ha

Flashpoint Lois Lane and the Resistance #3 of 3.

I really have not been too into this title but I am a bit of a freak when it comes to finishing off a series, especially when it comes to a mini or an event like Flashpoint. Had a very strong finish and I absolutely love the character Brittania. Just a Bad ass.

Grade B-

Team Abnett, Lanning, Duce, Wong

Flashpoint Kid Flash Lost #3 of 3

OMG OMG OMG So good!

Grade A

Team Gates, Nome, Kolins, Scott

Xombi #6

This Fantastic little nightmare of a comic is being cancelled and no reboot is scheduled for it. I love this really rather twisted tale this title has spun. I really like this whole series and feel that DC is definitely missing the boat on it. Maybe if we are all lucky, and we pray to Geoff Johns, we can hope that Vertigo picks it up. In my world, I would love to see what Neil Gaiman could do with it.

Grade is A-

Team Rozum, Irving

Lantern Movie Prequel Sinestro 1 shot. This was a good issue with the origin of when Sinestro got his ring. I don't understand why they waited so long on this issue. It should have come out before or during the movie release. Not a really smart move on the DC marketing Dept.

Grade C+

Team Johns, Tolibao, Richards, Ordway

Wolverine #14

Wow, Still a lot of questions from this story arc but so intriguing. Again this title should be avoid by kids, it will give them nightmares if they can grasp it

Grade B+

Team Aaron, Guedes, Magalhaes, Wilson

Wolverine the Best there is #9

This was at best OK. Almost no action till the end...I didn't like the way that Logan was drawn, almost unrecognizable. Did I mention there was a space shark? Only giving this one or two more issues to improve till I drop this title

Grade D+

Huston, Ryp, Mossa

Icon Publishing

Kick-Ass 2 #3 Here is the deal, I started picking up this title about a year ago and we are only on #3. What is wrong with this picture? (i look at the writer to see if it is Kevin Smith....Nope. There goes that excuse) It is so hard to complain win this comic is so damn good. It is almost infuriating because I want to hate it for them making me wait so long, but I cant. I love the art, I love the story.

Grade A+

Team Millar, Romita