Comic Reviews - March 14, 2012

I became too busy last week and never posted reviews. Maybe I'll review those today. If you reach the end of this post and I haven't reviewed last week's crap, then it's not going to happen and everyone can just deal.

2/5 Butchered English
Ninja Attacks

Avengers #24 - (2/5)
Writer - Brian Michael Bendis
Art - Daniel Acuña

Thank God this Osborn crap is almost over. It sells itself like it's supposed to carry some weight, but it has no real noticeable impact or consequence, outside of ruining the character of Norman Osborn for use in another story. As I said before, he can't be the Green Goblin and he can't pull this crap again. He's just a watered-down Lex Luthor with cornrows. And his new power set is too one-note and over the top. If at all, it works for one big "shock", but that's it. When he turns into a purple Hulk, I yelled at the page. Also, how about he commands a bunch of ninjas to "ATAKKU". It's so goofy and out of character that it killed any chance of this book redeeming itself. With my store pull finally ended and the book now looking to tie-in to the equally pointless AvsX, I think I'm done.

3/5 Hilarious Murder
Sound Effects

Batman & Robin #7 - (3/5)
Writer - Peter Tomasi
Artist - Patrick Gleason

The Nobody story finally wraps up, and while it wasn't horrible, it certainly wasn't anything special. All the "twists" felt forced and the backstory was unnecessarily slowing everything down. And it really bothered me that the character of Damian seems to be progressing backwards from where Morrison had taken him while he was on the book. His actions at the end weren't even a surprise since they've been very clearly telecasted for a while, plus Nobody wasn't really the kind of character that could stick around, with everything he knows. The art was kind of disappointing, as well. A lot of heavy shadows and blacks and some awkward character proportions. The cover especially falls short. Still, the heart in the book, while not reaching where it should, is something I enjoy enough to see it develop. It seems the next issue looks to be an epilogue of sorts, so I may pick it up if the week is slow.

3/5 Noks

Green Lantern #7 - (3/5)
Writer - Geoff Johns
Artist - Doug Mahnke

I was very ready to drop Green Lantern, and was only stuck grabbing this issue because of the way pulls are set up in my shop. The idea of Sinestro as a Lantern, and even the whole reluctant "buddy cop" thing with Hal, originally excited me, but it ultimately wasn't going anywhere. Unfortunately, this issue starts off a story promising to reveal answers about the Indigo Lanterns, and the whole Lantern Mythos was something that genuinely interested me enough to read the series way back when. While the title still has its problems and this issue in no way really shines, the world-building continues to pull me in for at least another issue.

5/5 Chewed Umbilical
Cords

Saga #1 - (5/5)
Writer - Brian K. Vaughan
Artist - Fiona Staples

God damn it. Just...f***in'...god damn it.
I didn't want to love this book. I didn't want to hate it or even dislike it, but I just didn't want to love it. I almost didn't even pick it up, but at 40 pages for $3, I couldn't pass it up. I was hoping I would just like it enough to grab it in trades or read it off of Seth or something, but it's too good. The story was fun and fresh. The artwork is really nice and has a lot of personality. The universe-building is fun and engaging. Every single thing in the book clicks. And for such a large first issue, no pages feel wasted. It's the first new series in a long while that made me wish it was next month already. I want it on my shelf in a nice collection of hardcovers, but I also want to read each chapter every month. The last series that I felt this strongly about off of one issue was The Unwritten, and that's become one of my favorite series of all time. It looks like it has new competition.

3/5 Split Head Soups

The Secret History of D.B. Cooper #1 - (3/5)
Writer / Artist - Brian Churilla

I heard about this new series online and the premise sounded fun enough to give the first issue a look. However, the $4 price tag almost turned me away, and, honestly, I wish it had done a better job. The issue is by no means bad. There are a lot of fun ideas and the artwork's real slick, but there was nothing to really grab me. It's the kind of thing that I'd tune in for the next issue if I could borrow it off a friend, or maybe buy the trade if I find it for cheap, but $4 is a lot to ask when the best I can really say about it is, "So...that was that."

5/5 Melting Words

The Unwritten #35 - (5/5)
Writer - Mike Carey
Art - Peter Gross

I've made it no secret that I absolutely adore The Unwritten with every fiber of my being. This month it came with some tough competition in the form of Saga, and while I think Saga ultimately came out on top, Unwritten didn't disappoint. Like Saga, we got a larger-than-usual issue, but this one came with a $5 price tag. With the conclusion to the "War of the Words" storyline, though, I certainly got my money's worth. Carey has been slowly beginning to show his hand, and this issue contains several good reveals, a strong conclusion to the arc, as well as a shocking twist for the next. The only complaint I have is that I have to wait 2 issues to see where it goes, as the next issue will be another .5 stand-alone (although that's never going to be a bad thing).


Alright, that's it. Also, hey, check out my daily sketches on Tumblr.

I'm not doing last week's because I'm lazy

Comic Reviews - February 1, 2012

I'm trying to keep myself focused on updating often, so I'm planning on weekly reviews of comics and anything else I may find noteworthy. I'm also hoping to have bi-weekly (or maybe weekly, if I find the time and subjects to write) rants or humor articles. We'll see how long before I abandon it all again.

Anyway, reviews:

3/5 Purple Brain Squids

Action Comics #6 - (3/5)
Writer - Grant Morrison & Sholly Fisch (back-up)
Artist - Andy Kubert & Chriscross (back-up)

I'm reading this series on a lot of faith. If it weren't Grant Morrison, I would have dropped the title by now. I have to believe that this is something I can come to appreciate once the larger picture of the series comes into focus. I still can't understand why this two-part story even happened, especially right after the Brainiac cliffhanger from #4. Did Rags not have enough time to finish his art? Andy Kubert's art here is...distinctively Kubert. There are some nice sequences, but there are also a lot of really lazy faces and panels. He's certainly not giving it his A-game. The story is certainly Morisson-y, but confusing. And I still believe he needs a few more pages, as everything feels kind of condensed. It's obnoxious that DC prices this at $3.99, knowing that people will pay that much for Morrison's name, but limit him to 20 pages and gives us a pointless back-up instead. The back-up isn't good or bad, but it's not worth that extra dollar on the cover. Either give Morrison more pages or cut the price. "Drawing the Line at 2.99...Until We're Confident You'll Pony Up the Cash For Popular Titles."

5/5 Fun Experiments

Animal Man #6 - (5/5)
Writer - Jeff Lemire
Artist - John Paul Leon & Travel Foreman

My opinion actually differs from my friend, Seth (whose blog can be found here), on this book and Swamp Thing. He felt this issue was a stall, where I took it as a fun play with the format, as well as a "breather" of sorts. Last issue pretty much ended the current arc, and while comics work their way into the "six issues per trade" format, decided that rather than stretch what happened last issue into this one, we get a stand alone issue that still ties in, but lets us breathe. It's a method I really enjoy that I've seen recently in The Unwritten and Lucifer. While the issue doesn't really tell us anything we didn't already know, it acts like a mission statement for the series. The art by Leon is also really slick, with some great cinematic panel layouts. It's also a nice visual contrast to Foreman's work in the story proper. Plus, I love that cover. The story was just a lot of fun for fun's sake. There aren't enough comics like that anymore.
 

3/5 omg, Blood, you guys.

Dark Horse Presents #8 - (3/5)
Writer: Various
Artist: Various

DHP is a weird book to review. As an anthology, one issue could feature some really strong stories, while another can be mediocre. It doesn't help that this issue was missing my two favorite stories, Finder and Resident Alien. Instead we get several forgettable new stories, I'll try to say a few words on each. It opens with a B.P.R.D. tale by Mignola and Arcudi, which was obviously a Mignola script (that's a good thing). However, it's a post-Hellboy story, and I'm not that far in the series, so I couldn't get a lot out of it. Howard Chaykin's Marked Man thankfully reaches its conclusion, where everything is "explained" with a throwaway line about MLK's assassination. Neal Adam's Blood continues to be utterly ridiculous, and this chapter's dialogue is the worst I've ever seen. People basically just recite panel descriptions to each other. Blood is a trainwreck that I kind of look forward to every issue (Seth suggested I should review it like I did Superior. Maybe). Brian Wood's The Massive: North Sea - 1995, aside from having a long title, couldn't retain my interest. It was something I immediately forgot about once it was done. Concrete Park is on its second chapter and I still can't figure out what it's about. Time to Live started as an interesting time travel story, until you reach the "shocking" ending, whereupon it falls apart by simple logic. It was obviously thought twist-first, and then a story was built up to try and lead into it, but it doesn't work. The Many Murders of Miss Cranbourne was...weird. I enjoyed it, overall, but I couldn't figure out what to take from it. I'm not sure how long the "little old lady is a righteous murderer" can go, but I'm interested in chapter 2. Skultar was also weird for me. When I read the first chapter last month, I had trouble believing it could sustain itself past that. This month, I learned I was mostly correct, but I still did chuckle at a few gags. It's still too self-aware and strange, but I won't deny a part of me enjoys it. The Once and Future Tarzan was fun, with some nicely suited artwork. I couldn't tell if this is a Tarzan homage, or if it's supposed to be a post-apocalyptic reinterpretation, but I'm intrigued for more. The highlight of the issue, and possibly the anthology series thus far, was Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson's Beasts of Burden. I love this series, and this chapter probably sums it up best. Beautiful artwork with a haunting story and a chilling final page. It's not just a good story, but the best ghost story I've seen in a long while.
 

3/5 Pointless Anecdotes

Swamp Thing #6 - (3/5)
Writer - Scott Snyder
Artist - Marco Rudy

Differing with Seth again, I wasn't feeling this issue again. First, the art was off, but I didn't realize at first it wasn't Paquette. Layouts, like previous issues, are a poor man's J. H. Williams, and way too heavy on the black borders and shadows. Unlike Animal Man, this felt like a stall issue, as last issue felt like the end of the arc, leading into the next. Only one real event occurred here, but it was stretched over the course of the issue. Plus - and I'm sure I'll say this two to three times a month - I can't stand Snyder's anecdotes. They're a fine writing tool, but he puts one in almost every issue of every series he does. They've become a crutch. This one barely has to do with the story, as it starts off as a random metaphor, but then that's abandoned to suddenly become literal. People do not talk like this. It's tied with young Bruce Wayne shooting an owl in his attic as one of Snyder's worst anecdotes. Regardless, I'm still enjoying the series and I'm excited for the next issue.

4/5 Animal/Human Hybrids

Sweet Tooth #30 - (4/5)
Writer - Jeff Lemire
Artist - Jeff Lemire

Sweet Tooth continues to be a fun and engaging series, and each issue ends with me craving the next chapter. However, I'm hoping it's on its way to reaching a conclusion. Lemire has established a goal off in the distance for them to reach, and while it's a bit away, it looks like that's going to be the end. This was reinforced with the three-part story arc from a few issues ago, showing us a possible origin to the plague. This issue is a lot of fun, with some really nicely-paced pages with layouts that increase the tension as you read. Love or hate his distinct artistic style, as a visual storyteller Jeff Lemire is definitely one of the more skilled writer/artists in the business.


That's all for now. I may have something humorous posted next weekend. Otherwise, expect more reviews after Wednesday.

And don't touch my stuff.

Now I'll never have time to be the very best...

Seth and I finally folded and bought Pokémon because they were $10 off on Amazon. Unfortunately, my copy of Black has yet to make it here, so I'm stuck with free time to update. Damn it. Also, my subscriptions for last week's Amazing Spider-Man and Ultimate Spider-Man from like two weeks ago have yet to arrive as well. So those will be super late, I guess. Whatever, that's cool. I didn't want to be current and relevant anyway.






Amazing Spider-Man Annual #38 - (6/10) Annual issues are often hit-or-miss...the latter more often than not. This was certainly no exception. The story started out decent enough, as I'm always a sucker for alternate worlds, but it began to fall apart the further I went on. Everything felt forced, from the jokes to the plot. Deadpool was thrown in because he's Deadpool and that's what Marvel does, but his reason worked well enough, but the Hulk had no reason to be there. He's pretty much justified with one throwaway line. The alternate world where Peter Parker is a billionaire and the world's greatest (and apparently only) superhero sounded promising, but made little sense. NITPICKING: His name change to "The Amazing Spider" is fine, but the costume (mostly the cape) is stupid. And his status as pretty much Batman works. The problem comes with the rest of the world. (SUPER-NITPICKING:) We encounter some familiar villains, all with the same names/costumes, and even in his batcave (sorry, "The Web") we see trophy cases with souvenirs like Mysterio and Electro's masks. But Deadpool and Dr. Doom are just color swaps. I need consistency. If you want to change things up slightly with names and costumes, do it with everyone. Don't just do "The Spider" and "Deathwish", and then everything else is the same. Plus the "twist" at the end was not just stupid, but insulting. The Spider ends up looking like an easily influenced idiot, and Uncle Ben is just evil. I have more whining, but I really should stop. Will I pick up Part 2 in Deadpool Annual? I don't know. Perhaps. Ugh. Moving on.

Avengers: The Children's Crusade #5 - (8/10) Man, it feels like forever since the last issue came out, ignoring the one-shot thing a few weeks back. I really needed that recap on the first page. That said, I did really enjoy this series. I'm having trouble seeing how this could affect much outside of the title once it ends, but I'm at least having a blast reading it and seeing the characters I enjoyed so much once again. The art is beautiful as usual. The writing was fun, and dialogue is often well-done, but some lines come off too..."cutesy". Like Whedon-lite. Still, it's a fun series, but I guess I wouldn't have missed it if I waited for a trade collection to go with the rest of my Young Avengers.

Brightest Day #23 - (7/10) Man, I just don't know. Part of me is glad that Brightest Day is almost done. Pieces start falling into place this issue, but much of it felt incredibly forced. The White Lantern's elemental avatars, while kind of neat, were more ridiculous than anything else. I kept thinking Captain Planet. The two big reveals are interesting, but I'm not so sure how much sense they made. I'm pretty sure the swamp Alec died in wasn't in the middle of Star City, was it? I will say this though, there was one panel that made me chuckle out loud. At the beginning when there are tornadoes and what-not, there's a panel of Superman and Wonder Woman saving some people. A voice-over from a news reporter says that many would have died if Superman (specifically just him) hadn't helped. I couldn't help but see this as mocking the currently storyline in his own title about him wandering around America being useless. And if so, that's funny.

Chew #18 - (8/10) Chew is an odd series, but a funny one as well. This issue hits all the right notes and I found myself snickering occasionally. However, the ending was almost too ridiculous. Not a bad thing, as it was by far the funniest part, but the final line was delivered in such a goofy way that it knocked me out of the story and kept me from taking it seriously even a tiny bit. I don't know how to say that in a way that doesn't sound so negative, especially since it was really funny.

First Wave Special - (4/10) If I had bothered to look at the credits before picking this up, I would not have grabbed it. First Wave was a fun miniseries, but towards the end it kind of fell apart for me. The entire thing was still worth reading, and despite its flaws, it was clear Brian Azzarello knew what he was doing and was having fun with it. I thought another self-contained one-shot like the first with Batman and Doc Savage would be fun. Unfortunately, this was not written by Azzarello. The story is sloppy and abysmally paced, the moral compass is nonexistant, and the art is sub-par (Doc Savage looks like he's wearing an oddly-shaped and discolored bald cap). Despite all my whining about the Spidey Annual, this was my big regret of the week.

Nonplayer #1 - (8/10) This new book has been getting a lot of hype lately, so I thought I'd see what it was all about. I don't see exactly why everyone seems to be creaming their pants over it, but I found it to be a fun introductory issue. Nothing super special, but definitely above average. I had some minor complaints, but I'll let them slide for now because it is just the first issue. It felt more concerned with setup than plot. The art, however, is gorgeous. Overall, it was a fun, enjoyable read. Whether it'll earn all its hype remains to be seen, but I'll definitely tune in for #2.

Ozma of Oz #5 - (7/10) The Oz series are weird for me. Every issue issue the last thing I read that week, and I often find myself not wanting to. Then I do and I enjoy it, but I keep feeling like I shouldn't have bothered. I guess part of the problem comes from the fact that I'm reading just a portion of a book a month. While comics are made to be episodic, I feel like each issue ends in a specific way to feel contained and to keep you interested in the next installment. Each issue of Oz just kind of...ends. And then picks up next month. I feel that they'd read better all at once in a collection. If a fourth series starts once Ozma ends, I wont be picking it up. At least, not until I get the rest in trade.

Sweet Tooth #20 - (8/10) This series gets better every month. It's a slow burn and it took a long time before I realized how much I enjoyed it. But now I can't get enough, much like everything else under the Vertigo line. Lemire's artwork has certainly grown on me as much as his story. New characters and plot developments are introduced and I can't wait to see them play out. (Can you tell I'm getting tired and running out of review steam?)







I have nothing else to talk about this week because God hates me and Pokémon: Black hasn't arrived yet.

Nonplayer #1

While I haven't seen it earn its praise just yet, I thought the series looked like a lot of fun. It shows a lot of promise, despite echoing .hack heavily. And it doesn't hurt that the art is real purty. Real purty.

So what if I'm late? Seth barely has one page done of Ragged Rider, and that's due the 15th.

Sorry this post is like 4 days late. I just beat two Uncharted games in 3 days. What about that extra day? Go f*** yourself, that's what. I can post whenever the hell I want.

Also, Seth illustrated a poem for my class. I was supposed to "collaborate" with a work of art. Seth got a large workload for school and almost backed out, so I almost did it myself. I had 3 or 4 panels drawn, but luckily he pulled through. And pumped this out in maybe two days.
Also, to see what Seth has to put up with when I pitch an idea to him, here's my layout sketch:
You should see the ones for Cowboy Mummy. They're ridiculous.

Anyway, on to the reviews...and I apologize if any are brief. My fault for doing this so late...






Action Comics #899 - (6/10) Paul Cornell's Lex Luthor run has been going downhill as of late. What began as an unique look on one of the DCU's most interesting villains has turned into a bore. Cornell seems more interested in finding convoluted reasons to keep having characters made interesting by someone else pop up in the book. His characterization of the Joker was one of the worst I've seen. Cornell is trying too hard, and it's beginning to show. The "battle of the minds" between Lex and Brainiac feels like two children trying to one-up each other in a game of rock-paper-scissors where they keep making up new hand gestures. It doesn't help that by this, the penultimate issue, the story has lost almost all coherency. I'll pick up #900 to finish the story off, but I won't stick around for Superman's return.

American Vampire #13 - (8/10) Snyder's vampire series continues to get better. Every time I finish a story arc, I worry that the next one won't live up. I was especially worried with this one, as the previous standalone issue was one of the best. Rafael Albuquerque continues to knock the artwork out of the park. I'm really torn on the upcoming miniseries. On one hand, I'm excited for more AV, but it sucks to add another brief title to my pull.

Avengers #11 - (4/10) Oh, Brian Michael Bendis...what are you doing to me? You wrote one of the best and one of the worst books this week. This issue was just horribly executed. Ever hear of the "show, don't tell" rule? Bendis apparently hasn't, as he has the Watcher needlessly narrate the entire issue, slowing the pacing down to an agonizing crawl. It seems like he just padded the entire issue out to lead to the final "cliffhanger" ( I stopped caring 3 pages in). Also slowing the book down, most, if not all, of the pages are caption-heavy splash pages. This would be fine if Romita Jr.'s art was as good as his father's. I have a fond spot for Romita Jr. - he was the Spider-Man artist for several years when I began reading comics. But man...he's gone downhill. At first I thought I just remembered him being better at this, but I looked back and aside from everyone, including women, having the same boxy face, his Spidey art holds up. His Avengers work is just amateur, though. He flat out doesn't finish pages. It looks like a change in inker and colorist has improved it slightly, but still. Also, his Watcher looks like Bendis in a bathrobe. That's not even a joke.

Deadpool Team-Up #883 - (6/10) I wanted to give this a higher score, but I see now that there is a reason Skottie Young is an artist and not a writer. His cover sure is purty, though. The story, though, is only passable, with only a few "heh"-worthy jokes -- plus several missed opportunities. The art is also passable, but I really wished Skottie just drew the issue as well. That would at least earn it another point or two. Luckily, I learned that this is the last issue of DPTU. I will miss it -- it was easily the better of the Deadpool spin-offs -- but at least I will no longer be tempted by Young's covers.

Detective Comics #875 - (9/10) The cancellation of the back-up stories featuring Gordon and his son was actually a great thing. It allowed Snyder to continue and expand the story into full issues, making what was before just an interesting post-plot distraction actually a compelling main plot. Full of twists, misdirections, and incentive to think about what you read, this story really resonated after I was done. My only complaint was minor, but I felt like Batman's appearance at the end, as well as in the last issue, was mostly there to ensure that he wasn't completely absent from his own title. Still, this was one of the best books this week.

Dollhouse: Epitaphs - (8/10) Confession time: I was a Dollhouse fan. It wasn't perfect, and I almost stopped watching early on in season one, but I stuck through to the end and saw it evolve into something more compelling than it originally appeared. Much of this came from the unaired season one finale featuring a post-apocalyptic Earth and...sigh...Felicia Day...where am I? Oh yeah, blog. Anyway, I saw this one-shot that was to lead into an ongoing series and thought I'd give it a shot. I had no intention of continuing on past this, but it delivered a pretty good story that made me think otherwise. I'm still not sure if I'll look into the ongoing, but it certainly looks like the Whedon brothers plan on delivering.

Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors - (7/10) "The War of the Green Lanterns" continues, this time focusing primarily on Guy and Hal. While they fight arbitrarily (although it made sense in context) and the plot doesn't move too far forward, it held my interest and whet my appetite for the next chapter. Not much more to really say. Good, but not great.

Jimmy Olsen - (9/10) Just like the storyline in Detective Comics, this story was originally a back-up feature in Action Comics for I think 5 issues before they dropped it. This massive issue collects those 5 chapters, plus the final 2. And man is it a fun ride. Nick Spencer delivers an enjoyable, fast-paced story, full of laughs and throwbacks to Golden Age goofiness -- even bringing the Smallville character Chloe into the pages of the comics, too. The art, aside from a few pages done by a fill-in artist that stand out too much, is also great as well.

Scarlet #5 - (8/10) I've really been enjoying Bendis's creator-owned stuff, and Scarlet is no exception. The "gimmick", where Scarlet and occasionally other characters break the fourth wall through boxed speech bubbles, is unique, doesn't feel forced, and actually works well. Maleev's artwork is phenomenal as well. The first story arc is over and I'm eager to see where it leads.

Secret Avengers #11 - (7/10) Secret Avengers has been a title that I pick up each week and I let that issue convince me to continue next month. The stories have been "okay" or "good", but nothing really convinced me that I must read. This new two-issue story is intriguing, but doesn't really change anything for me. The art is nice, but inconsistencies here and there bugged me. In one panel part of Cap's costume isn't drawn the same, and covers show him in what looks like his Ultimate costume, but nowhere in the story does he wear anything like that. Issue 2's cover does the same. I'll stick with the title for now, but Brubaker is leaving as writer soon, and I'll probably go with him.







B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs 1 - (7/10) I had a 40% coupon for Borders, and I decided to pick up the first of four large omnibuses of the Hellboy spin-off. The stories inside were really hit-or-miss. Most written by Mignola were well-done, but some others were just passable, including one by Geoff Johns. The art, however, was all over the place. Some were okay, some were bad, and some were actually quite good. Part of the problem is that Mignola's art is what made Hellboy, and many of these artists tried too hard to channel him. I thought the first story was actually drawn by Mignola, but I was wrong. I only double-checked because while it looked like Mike's work, the pacing was way off. The artist of the final five chapters was by far the best, as he appeared to adapt Mignola just enough, while still coming off with a style of his own. The final cliffhanger interested me enough to grab the next omnibus whenever it hits.

Invincible Ultimate Collection 6 - (8/10) Book 6 was released rather quickly after the heavily delayed book 5. The story picks up immediately with the return of an old villain, more game-changing moments, and another costume change, ending with a pretty good cliff-hanger. A few things happened that made me think back to past issues and smile at just how far ahead some of this was planned. The pacing in the opening chapter is way off though. I understand why it was the way it was, but too many quick cuts made it incredibly disorienting. The return of original artist Cory Walker for two issues really made me realize how much Ryan Ottley has shaped the series. Speaking of art, as usual the art gallery in the back is full of some fun stuff, but it felt a little slimmer this time around.

Mirror Mask - (3/10) A friend had me borrow this movie, and I was really was not feeling it. I'd had it for over a month, and I just kept finding reasons not to watch it. Once I finally did, I was underwhelmed. The story is boring and slow, not to mention its basically the same as Coraline, another Neil Gaiman movie I wasn't a big fan of. The visual style, which I think took almost a good twenty boring minutes to finally get to, was neat, but damn, did it get old fast. It's so dark that you can barely see anything. Ugh. Pass.

Tangled - (7/10) I remember seeing the trailer for this in theatres and thinking that it looked completely forgettable. Then it came out and I heard a lot of good things, but I remained stubborn. However, one of my classes was canceled this week, so I took the opportunity to dollar theatre it, and I was pleasantly surprised. The songs were mildly enjoyable, and some even catchy. The story was predictable, but what Disney movie isn't? The animation was well done, and the characters were likable. Plus, it had me laughing rather consistently. Aside from a chameleon sidekick that added nothing and was thrown in only to be "adorable", I can't find much to complain about.

Fear Itself ads - (2/10) Marvel just cannot shut the hell up about Fear Itself. And while, at first, I said I'd pick up at least #1, their constant badgering has completely driven me away. I swear, across all the new material each week, I swear I've already pretty much read the first issue, and I didn't care for it one bit. I can't see myself picking this series up at all now.

Rift ads - (0/10) Speaking of annoying advertisement, I can't wait for Rift to come out. These two-page ads have been invading every book for the past few months. I'm sick of it. The worst was in the last issue of Batman, Inc., where the two-page spread was dissected to fit on the opposing sides of the same page. I don't even know what system it's on or even what kind of game it is. Action? RPG? Racing? I don't care. Get it out of my face.

Jimmy Olsen (one-shot)

I really loved this series. Not only was it tons of fun, but it also functions as a pretty solid analysis of Jimmy Olsen himself, and how, despite his previously important status as "Superman's Pal" (even holding his own ongoing under the title), he's a relatively forgotten character who just hasn't done anything in forever. The only reason this didn't get a solid 10/10 was the $6 price tag. Well-worth the price of admission, but the fact that I already owned 5 of the 7 chapters in Action Comics made the strain on my wallet more noticeable. Still, it was nice to have it all in one place. Plus, look at that cover. Beautiful.

See ya next week. I promise to be on time.

Entertaining myself whilst home alone - Day Two: Nick Jr. told me I'm a really good square-finder. Is it too late to change my major again?

Remember how this was going to be a webcomic? Yeah, lately I've been far too distracted to focus on drawing weekly, especially when I don't have a domain name draining my wallet like I did with Chums in highschool. Doesn't mean it won't happen, but not until I can get focused. I'll update with a full comic when I can, but for the foreseeable future, it looks like it'll just be doodles and sketches.

That said, I'm taking a page out of my bud Seth Kumpf's book and doing weekly comic reviews. I buy a fair share of floppies each week, and I really enjoy discussing them, though I'm usually limited to talking to Seth. Reviewing here at at least gives me a reason to check back on the blog weekly and type something.

Also, Seth and I are looking into a weekly comic podcast. Anyone interested? Seth? You're the only one following me...

Carrying on:

(What I grab normally, plus anything else that may have caught my eye.)



Batman #708 - (6/10) Thank god this is my last issue of Batman Main my shop ordered for me since I canceled. Ever since Morrison left and Tony Daniel took over, it's been going downhill faster and faster. He's only decent as an artist, but pretty awful as a writer. What's with everyone getting a 10-year-old female sidekick? But I'm ranting...thankfully, this issue was written by David Hine, and while it certainly wasn't bad, there wasn't much too convince me to continue, especially since the next portion of the story takes place in Red Robin.

Xombie #1 - (8/10) This was a fun first issue, but while I was very amused by the strange, and often goofy, supernatural happenings in this book, I'm not sure if I'll come back for seconds. Maybe if I have a slow week, but I'm trying not to pick up too many new titles.

Bad Dog #4 - (8/10) Man, I love me some Joe Kelly. It wasn't hard for me to forgive the eighty-year hiatus, but the recap page mocking it's own delay had me laughing and saying, "Okay, Kelly...let's go." As for the issue itself, it was amusing as usual, but what plot I recall developing in #3 seems to have halted. Still, well worth the price of admission.

Invincible Iron Man #502 - (8/10) I won't lie - I was hesitant about introducing Doc Ock, especially this strange (but cool) new version, into Iron Man. However, Matt Fraction continues to write a thoroughly enjoyable title. Doc Ock presents a unique threat to both Tony Stark, his friends, and his ego. The addition of Pepper Potts was a fun surprise, as well. I look forward to the next issue.

Brightest Day #22 - (5/10) I f***ing hate Firestorm. Not really as a character(s), I guess, but his story is by far the least interesting of all in Brightest Day. And this issue was all about him. I could not have cared less. Plus, it was pretty stupid, and had a sudden convenient "I fixed everything because I'm the White Lantern and you don't get to question me, reader" moment that ticked me off. The fact that the lantern scanned the Anti-Monitor had me curious as to why, but really, let's not fool ourselves...this was a stupid issue. In fact, I only gave it a 5 because Deadman appeared on the final page, pointing his ring in Firestorm's face. Here's to hoping #23 opens up with him blasting him (SPOILER ALERT: It won't).

The Unwritten #23 - (10/10) Confession time: I love The Unwritten with every fiber of my soul. You will probably never see me give it any lower than a 9. It's smartly written, beautifully drawn, and full of so much intriguing mystery that I can never get enough. Every month, this is the one book I look forward to with my pants unzipped. This issue deals with giving us more information as to who/what Tom may be, and how his abilities work. Plus, some fun literary nods, as usual. The only problem I have is that Mike Carey stole my idea of titling each scene separately, before I even got to use it much myself. Rat bastard. Seriously, though, pick this book up.

Iceman & Angel (One-Shot) - (9/10) I almost didn't pick this up, but shortly before I picked up my comics for the week, I saw that it was Brian Clevinger was writing it. I couldn't pass it up. I was a huge fan of 8-Bit Theatre back in highschool, and now I absolutely love Atomic Robo. Clevinger has a real knack for writing smart humour, and while this issue started a little slow, it quickly put a big goofy grin on my face. Clevinger is one of the few writers that still understands that first and foremost comics should be fun. I know some people really love Juan Doe, but I don't see it. This book is drawn well, and I certainly don't have any complaints, but it wasn't anything that really wowed me. He really hasn't impressed me outside of his propaganda-style covers.

Avengers: Children's Crusade: Young Avengers (One-Shot...sorta) - (7/10) I'm really a fan of the Young Avengers, mostly because - much like Damian Wayne - it's a concept that shouldn't work. I have the original series and YA: Presents in trades, and I really wanted to get Children's Crusade in trade as well, but I couldn't wait. This "one-shot" is more or less a side-story that ties into the main mini-series. Because of that, it feels mostly forgettable and unnecessary. I say "mostly" because it's a flashback bookended by an interesting potential what-if future scenario that ends on an interesting cliffhanger tying directly into Children's Crusade. The best comparison I can make is Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. It was a "sequel" to AC2, but was mostly a bunch of pointless-but-fun missions and a multiplayer mode designed to cash in on the highly profitable franchise. However, it was framed by Desmond's story that really pushed the main plot forward and ended on an important cliffhanger that answered some questions and raised even more, leaving you craving the next installment. A:CC:YA was the same: The flashback tale was forgettable, but it was a reason to return to characters I've really grown to love. However, the what-if future scenario that frames it was a fun surprise, and certainly left me craving the next issue of CC proper. Wow, I wrote a lot.


(Wherein I discuss anything else that I read or interested me this week.)

Gotham Central: Book One - (8/10) I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I've heard good stuff about it for a long time, and almost picked up before, but my local Borders never carried any of the hardcovers before Book 2. Now that they're re-releasing them in TPB, I ordered the first when I was on Amazon. It started a little slow, and the large cast made it difficult me to keep track of everyone at first, but when it picked up it really began to blow me away. I love how it's a book about the police department dealing with normal crime, supercrime, and the Batman - yet, the Bat appears on maybe under 10 pages in the entire book. My one problem with the book wasn't with the series itself, but the back cover blurb. It gave too much away. Sure, nowadays many know the secret Renee Montoya has that is exposed halfway through the book, but the back cover doesn't even attempt to hide it. It even spoils a minor shock that occurs like four pages in. Let me be surprised...

Human Target: Second Chances - (9/10) I bought the first volume of Human Target because I had heard great things, but it took a while to grow on me. I almost didn't grab the second, but, boy, am I glad I did. For those who don't know, Human Target is about Christopher Chance, a body guard and master of disguise, who protects his clients by becoming them. The stories are very well conceived and expertly executed. There are several twists and turns that I was genuinely surprised by. Many times I'd begin to think I had outsmarted the book, but even when I had, it still got me to doubt myself. If I were to make a complaint, it'd be that it can often be difficult to tell who is Chance and who is his employer, but that's kind of the point. Sometimes Chance doesn't even know himself. Very cool stuff going on in this series. I eagerly await the third and final trade.

In Bruges - (7/10) Watched this with Seth last night because Session 9 had no audio. This is a hard movie to rate. I enjoyed it, and I'd certainly recommend it to the curious, but I don't know if I'd ever watch it again. The plot was too simple for me. I pretty much predicted almost the entire thing, and I guess some of my disappointment came from the fact that I expected to be proven wrong and wasn't. I also don't know where it falls, category-wise. It starts with this weird dry humour, but it never really had me laughing that often. It also makes sudden jumps to drama, which was done fairly well. It wasn't really a comedy, but it was making too many jokes to be a real drama. There was also a shoot-out near the end, but I definitely wouldn't categorize it as action. It was in this weird limbo inbetween. When it was a comedy, it stopped being dramatic. When it was dramatic, it stopped any hint of comedy (yes, that's the point, I know). It was almost watching two completely different movies that were spliced together, featuring the same characters, locations, and basic events. I really can't make up my mind on it.


PS - I basically modeled my review format off of Seth's, although I adopted a 10-point system because his 5-point system is retarded. There's just too big of a difference between 4 and 5 for me. 5 would have to be perfect in every way and 4 would encompass almost anything that would be worth my money. It does make it easier to rate the shit, though. I don't know. He also picks his favourite for the week, but I think I've jerked it enough to The Unwritten, don't you?