Tag Archive: comics


Uncanny X-Men #535 Review

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April 14, 2011

Originally Published: April 13, 2011, on Comicvine.com

All seems well at the moment on Utopia until Cyclops gets a message from Abigail Brand, agent of SWORD, that a Breakworld armada flagship has appeared on the edges of the solar system. Considering their previous dealings with the people of Breakworld and that Colossus is technically their Powerlord still, she figured they would be best suited to see exactly what that ship is up to.

The Good

I could read Kieron Gillen written X-Men comics all day. The subtle humor inserted into each scene was a joy to read. Whether it was Namor and Colossus, Doctor Nemesis and Magneto, or Cyclops and Wolverine, the banter back and forth was a thing of beauty.

And since this is the first issue of a new arc, Gillen made sure to make it action heavy in the front in order to use the rest of the comic to build up the plot of why exactly there is a Breakworld ship heading for Earth. Not to mention it is nice to see the Abigail Brand and the Breakworlders come back after a decent length hiatus as this is shaping up to be a pretty interesting story centering on Colossus.

The Bad

Kitty Pryde is still intangible. We get it. Her and Colossus can’t hold each other. Fine. Either fix her already or put her back on the damn giant bullet. I’m tired of every issue of X-Men comics I read that isn’t taking place in an alternate universe having to devote 2-4 pages to “How do we fix Kitty?”

Also, I get that it is his catch phrase, but can we put a hold on the “Imperius Rex” stuff with Namor. It just comes off as cheesy for the king of the seas to have a catch phrase that doesn’t have any meaning. You want him to come off as regal and elite? Get rid of the catch phrase. The Thing and Wolverine have catch phrases. Namor doesn’t need one especially when it wastes several panels per comic usually where we get a close up of his smug face exclaiming it.

The Verdict

This is looking like the launching point for a great story arc revolving around Colossus and it is good to see the Breakworlders returning to the comics. The dialogue is very well written and helps keep the comic light and enjoyable even though here go the X-Men saving the Earth from an unimaginable threat once again.

I wish they would wrap up the entire Kitty Pryde intangibility problem though because it is just becoming redundant at this point. Aside from this, Uncanny X-Men #535 is a great read with a perfect balance of action and plot development. Add in this is the start of a new arc and it is a good time to get back into things if you’ve fallen off the X-wagon recently.

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Carnage #4 (of 5) Review

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Originally Published: April 13, 2011, on Comicvine.com

Cletus Kasady is still alive and the Carnage symbiote has left a trail of destruction in its wake in order to reunite with its former host. Can even the combined might of Spider-Man and Iron Man be enough to quell this reborn menace?

The Good

The action and writing for this issue is simply top notch. From the opening flashback of when the Hall Industries doctors originally found what was left of the symbiote and Kasady to the banter that Kasady has going back and forth with both the symbiote and Spider-Man and you are quickly reminded that Kasady isn’t your run of the mill homicidal maniac, he has a sinister streak in him that puts him on par with some of the all-time great villains.

Combine this with making him more powerful than ever by merging himself with some of the armor that was powered by pieces of the symbiote to create a techno-organic super-Carnage and Zeb Wells does a brilliant job of actually making you believe that the heroes might not pull this one out in the end.

The Bad

There is a huge downside to having a limited series released every two months in that it can be hard to remember everything that is happening. So when Shriek and Doppelganger showed up midway through the comic, I was taken aback because I had forgotten how big a role they played in setting up this current situation and should have been re-introduced much sooner in the book.

Also, it seems that while being used as bio-fuel for Hall Industries’ powered armor suits that Carnage had another baby. It’s always risky to introduce new symbiotes into the fold because aside from Venom and Carnage, when was the last time a new symbiote has had any lasting effect on the Marvel Universe. When was the last time someone heard from Toxin? It should be interesting to see what happens with this new symbiote considering whom it has now bonded to, but the odds of it sticking around and having any real significance is unlikely and seemed unnecessary.

The Verdict

Carnage fans will be jumping for joy after reading this book as he is being brought back around in a big way and this could help set up a lot of potential storylines in the future. How will Carnage deal with Flash Thompson’s Venom and Anti-Venom? Or a better question, will Flash Thomson be able to control the Venom symbiote if he happens across Carnage?

No matter what happens in the future, if you are a fan of Carnage then this comic is a must have. With so many Maximum Carnage undertones, the nostalgia factor alone should pull people in for this amazing limited series. The only real downfall with this book is that you have to wait two months again for what is shaping up to be an epic and thrilling conclusion.

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Red Robin #22 Review

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Originally Published: April 13, 2011, on Comicvine.com

Part 2 of the Judgment on Gotham crossover arc for the Bat-Family comics. Azrael is on a supposed holy mission to judge Gotham along with his new sidekick, The Crusader, and will only spare the city if he can find one of its guardians pure of spirit. And so Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, and Selina Kyle of all people will be tested and judged with all of Gotham riding on the line. Is someone more earthly bound though pulling Azrael’s strings as Red Robin begins his challenge?

The Good

You really see how Red Robin’s mind works in this comic and are reminded of just how much tragedy he has overcome in his life, again reminding us that when his character is old enough, he would make a much better Batman because he thinks like Batman.

The gauntlet he has to run through in order to complete his challenge in order to be judged by Azrael also reaffirms his resourcefulness as he seems to always be thrown headfirst into challenges that would have been daunting even for Bruce Wayne in his heyday and insures us an action packed adventure.

The Bad

Azrael and this new Crusader just are not cutting it for me as the villains of this arc as they seem more like rejects from the video game Assassin’s Creed 1 instead of characters that belong in the DC Universe.

And that leads into the entire faith-based storyline, which also rubs me the wrong way. With all these characters have been through over the years, for some “holy” test of faith to be the Bat-Family’s next great challenge just seems like a waste of time. Then again, it is hinted at being part of a much larger scheme with the villain reveal at the end of the comic and this could save what is a very slow developing plot so far for this crossover arc.

The Verdict

This book is packed with some great action sequences as Tim overcomes the obstacles thrown in his path, but a very slow developing plot overshadows this. A villain reveal at the end of the comic gives me hope this crossover arc can kick it up a notch in future issues, but as of right now Azrael and the Crusader just are not doing it for me in terms of playing the villain role for an arc that was deemed worthy of crossing over multiple titles.

If you are a fan of the Bat-Family books and picked up Part 1 of this arc in Batman #708 then whether you usually pick up Red Robin or not, you should pick up this issue. If you aren’t into the Bat-Family, then this is not an issue to try to start trying to familiarize yourself with them.

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From My Mom’s Basement – Vol 2. Ep. 7 – Hadouken!

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Originally Published: April 12, 2011, on Youtube.com/RCars4885

I come to you once again with your weekly geek fix. This week’s episode sees me review Brightest Day #23 from DC Comics, my new Nintendo 3DS, and Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition for the 3DS. My hot chick pick of the week is Jessica Burciaga and this week’s theme is Ryu’s Theme from Street Fighter IV.

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Will More Batmen Make for More Bat-Villains?

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Originally Published: April 12, 2011, on Comicvine.com

It has become a very popular argument by Batman’s rogues’ gallery, especially the Joker, in recent years. The villains taunt Batman with the idea that if he weren’t around, most, if not all of them, would never have come into existence and that he is just as much to blame for their brand of chaos as he is. It is all an attempt to throw Batman off his game, but there is clearly some truth behind their words. Without Batman there surely would be no Joker venom, giant penny, or trick umbrellas. There definitely would be no “Same Bat-Time, Same Bat-Channel”. And there would be no Boy Wonder, Oracle, or Batman, Inc.

And speaking of Batman, Inc., the basis of this new idea is that there is supposed to be Batmen all over the world that will be supported by Bruce Wayne. But what if Bruce’s next logical step on his unending war on crime does the exact opposite though of his intent and escalates it instead? Could all these new Batmen, in an attempt to quell crime around the world, be the launching point for more villains worldwide, much like Bruce theoretically was for some of his in Gotham? The world has enough trouble staying together what with the threats the JLA, JSA, Green Lantern Corps, and others are constantly having to snuff out. I’m sure that exactly what the world wants is three new Jokers, two new Two-Faces, and a Penguin from Sicily.

Already the Batman of Japan, the former Mr. Unknown Jiro Osamu, has an arch-nemesis it would seem in Lord Death Man who re-emerged after a long hiatus in the launching of the Batman, Inc. series. What is it to say that this could not be the jumping off point now for Jiro’s own cavalcade of themed villains that could feature crazed samurai, ninja, or dragons that wish to take down Batman, Inc. and its representatives? And we all know how much Japanese people love dressing up in costumes (just check out the entire cosplay section of Anime Vice here).

Then there is Bilal Asselah, the Nightrunner, and currently the Batman of France. He truly lacks any sort of a rogues’ gallery, but that just sets him up for any number of possibilities. Bilal was last seen dealing with the difficulty of not being accepted by the Muslim people of France as they see him as an extension of an unnecessary American system. This leaves the door open for some extremist to come up with a gimmick to take him down. Or how about that France is home for many of the most evil and twisted group of clowns (even though they originated in Ancient Greece): mimes. It’s only a matter of time before one decides to become the French Joker that traps people in real invisible shrinking boxes that crushes them to death or hangs them from invisible ropes.

Of course, this is all dependent on these new Batmen at some point popping back up in the DC Universe and being fleshed out some more. Otherwise, are all these new Batmen simply tools to forward a current concept and never to be heard from again except as future fodder for another Crisis? Should the more popular ones come back as recurring characters in Batman, Inc. or get their own limited series or monthly spin-offs to expand the roster of DC rogues as a whole? Or will we start seeing more global inspired plots for Bruce Wayne’s villains in order to features these new Batmen more often?

And just how many Batmen are destined for Batman, Inc.? There are nearly 200 countries in the world. Will each one have a Batman? As interesting as it might be to see Batmen all around the world, and it would probably take several hundred issues to get to them all, the gimmick would definitely burn itself out at some point without adding some twists to the creation of dynamic, recurring, new villains with unique stories for these new Batmen or some huge event that features a lot of them all at once. Because right now Batman, Inc. seems like a drawn out version of an Elseworlds I read when I was a kid called Brotherhood of the Bat and in the end of that, “Damian” kicks the snot out of all the imitation Batmen.

So what do you guys think? If there were not a spike in the villain population caused by these new Batmen and some epic storyline that results from it, would this just be a waste of time? If new villains don’t start appearing all over the world, will Bruce Wayne’s rogues’ gallery have to give up the “Batman is the reason why we exist” argument? If the concept of Batman, Inc. doesn’t fail in the comics, does it mean the story will dry up and fail on newsstands instead if nothing radical happens? Let us know what you think with comments below!

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Herc #1 Review

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April 6, 2011

Originally Published: April 6, 2011, on Comicvine.com

After the Chaos War, Hercules is left powerless and now stands before us a mere mortal. But this Champion of Olympus is out to prove there is a lot more to being a hero than superpowers.

The Good

From the opening pages, Hercules reminds us that even without powers, he can be a formidable hero as he still wields many of the weapons he used in his Greek heyday like the Sword of Peleus and the Shield of Perseus. And just how he implements them is something you have to see to truly appreciate.

After opening by saving a girl on the subway in Brooklyn from a street gang, Herc continues to wander around his new mortal home, just kicking bad guy butt all along the way, until he happens onto a restaurant owner who is trying to be strong armed by goons working for the Kingpin. Herc steps in and saves the day once more and foreshadows that this won’t be the last time he hears from the Kingpin, already establishing a clear villain base as Herc looks to settle into Brooklyn of all places and find a real job, very reminiscent of Ares when he was trying to live a mortal life with his son.

Very well-written as Herc still has his infamous sense of humor about him, full of non-stop action, the foreshadowing of much larger things to come, and the surprise return of a villain who has been killed off more times than I count, this first issue is a very strong foundation for this new series.

The Bad

If you haven’t been following Herc or the Chaos War, you might want to research a little to get yourself caught up to speed on everything and just why this once demi-god turned full god is now just a mortal.

Also, with the revelation of the Kingpin trying to buy up property that Herc is staying in and the return of a classic villain at the end of the issue, the conflict is very clear and feels almost like an old-school Daredevil or Spider-Man comic instead of Hercules’ own unique adventure.

The Verdict

If you have been following Herc up to this point and enjoying it then you are going to love what happens to him in this first issue of his own monthly. Full of lots of action that already paints a vivid picture of how Herc will find himself caught in the middle of a struggle between man and god, Herc #1 is one of the most fun and entertaining first issues for a comic I’ve read in a while. If issue two is as good as this first one, I’m definitely putting this in the pull box.

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Heroes for Hire #5 Review

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Originally Published: April 6, 2011, on Comicvine.com

Misty Knight has awakened from her coma faced with confronting the Puppet Master and a mind-controller Punisher! Can Paladin and Iron Fist save her in time?

The Good

This issue features nearly everyone from the opening issues of the series as they all converge on Misty and this opening story arc comes to an end. This issue also ties up all the loose strings of the first four issues and establishes a larger problem at work behind the scenes pulling Puppet Master’s strings and paving the way for future issues.

The Bad

Not a lot of action takes place as The Punisher tries constantly to fight Puppet Master’s control, who himself is not really a man of action. Meanwhile, instead of jumping in and saving the day, Paladin and Iron Fist spend most of the issue arguing with each other over who cares for Misty more.

You then think business is about to pick up when Black Widow, Moon Knight, and Falcon show up, also mind controlled by Puppet Master, but this lasts for all of two pages before Misty breaks Puppet Master’s control on Punisher. Two pages of solid action compared to twenty pages of pointless dialogue is a bad balance. All of this culminates in Misty and Paladin looking to probably start Heroes for Hire again legitimately and to try to weed out whoever was behind this scheme to begin with.

The Verdict

Although a rather boring issue, it ties up all the loose ends of what was a great opening story arc up to this point. With Misty still feeling the effects of the drugs from Puppet Master and Paladin and Iron Fist barking at each other more than anything, there was just a lot of dialogue with very little actually going on. If you’ve picked up the first four issues, then pick this up to find out how things finally end up shaking out and then look forward to issue six when things will hopefully start to ramp up again after the action for this arc simply jumped off a cliff in this issue.

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Secret Six #32 Review

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Originally Published: April 6, 2011, on Comicvine.com

The Secret Six confront Ragdoll in hell itself in the hopes of still being able to revive Knockout and go back to the land of the living. Ragdoll though has a few other ideas especially when it comes to the “Get Out of Hell Free” card!

The Good

This depiction of hell is an interesting one and to see everyone’s reaction when Ragdoll reveals they will all end up there gives minor character development to all characters in a matter of a couple of pages. The most telling with this is Bane who nearly breaks down when he argues that he still has an honor code and Ragdoll tells him that men who do what he’s done but have honor codes are used as landfill for the compost heaps in hell.

The humor of the comic is still also evident even though the setting has shifted to the most abominable of places as Ragdoll, Deadshot, and even King Shark have some nice one-liners and banter as the comic progresses and we learn just what happened to Ragdoll when he wished himself to hell.

Couple this with a surprise ending that reveals what has happened to Knockout and if you’ve been reading the Secret Six, now is not the time to stop.

The Bad

Not a lot of action and when it does erupt the pages just seem convoluted with the various foes the Secret Six find themselves up against.

And although the banter is enjoyable at times, the entire comic is really just one long argument between Ragdoll and Scandel as to who should hold the “Get Out of Hell” free card and what has become of Knockout since she came to hell. I would have loved a lot more input from Deadshot and Bane especially after his near breakdown when he learns he is not destined for the pearly gates, but to cross the River Styx instead.

This is also a bad time to jump into the comic since it is the middle part of a three-part arc not to mention there has clearly been a lot of build up to this between Ragdoll, Scandel, and the others.

The Verdict

For the middle part of a three-part arc, I was expecting a bit more action, but the plot was forwarded considerably so hopefully the time for talking is done come part three. I also hope this leads to some issues with Bane down the road and explores his difficulty in accepting his fate.

If you’ve been reading the Secret Six, this is no time to stop now as I’m sure this arc will end explosively next issue and still maintain that spark of humor even in hell, but this is also definitely not the time to be jumping into this comic if you’re looking to add something to your weekly pull list.

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Superman/Batman #5 Annual Review

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Originally Published: April 6, 2011, on Comicvine.com

Reign of Doomsday continues as Cyborg Superman has turned the JLA Satellite into his own personal playground in an attempt to find meaning in his life by snuffing out Doomsday’s. Unfortunately, Batman and Supergirl are caught in the middle of their epic confrontation!

The Good

One of the most thrilling battles I’ve ever seen in a comic happens here between Cyborg Superman and Doomsday. Cyborg Superman literally attempts to throw everything in the satellite at Doomsday to the point where the satellite takes on the features of Cyborg Superman’s face and Doomsday KEEPS coming.

The most awesome part of this battle is that Cyborg Superman thinks that he has won after blasting away almost half of Doomsday body, not realizing how Doomsday adapts. Soon Doomsday adapts Cyborg Superman’s abilities into his own and becomes Cyborg Doomsday as he pulls parts of the JLA Satellite into his being as well and wrests control of the satellite away from Cyborg Superman, thus changing the outside to look like Doomsday’s face instead of Cyborg Superman’s. You can actually feel the fear of Cyborg Superman when he realizes what happens.

On top of this, you see Cyborg Superman’s thought bubbles and you realize just how insane his immortality has driven him and how obsessed he has become in wanting to be the one who destroys Doomsday in the hopes it can justify his existence, which was a brilliant way of giving more depth to this character in the midst of some tremendous action sequences.

There are also two specific full page spreads that should simply blow you away and that sum up the epic action that takes place in the pages of this comic perfectly.

The Bad

Batman and Supergirl are of almost no consequence for much of the comic. Supergirl is still trying to fight off her dark side and Batman knows the only way the good guys might win the day is if he can cure Supergirl. So while you have one of the greatest battles we’ve seen in some time happening between Cyborg Superman and Doomsday, you have a psychology session going on for Supergirl as she tries to cope with the loss of New Krypton and get over her dark self.

This break in the pacing was difficult to handle and had me wishing Batman and Supergirl were on the outside of JLA Satellite with Saint Walker and Starman who were uselessly trying to break in.

Also, if you haven’t been following the Reign of Doomsday story arc, this is NOT the time to jump into it. Although the action is great to see, you’ll be completely lost as to how we got to this point and you might not be able to appreciate how epic Doomsday has been over this story arc so far.

The Verdict

If you have been reading Reign of Doomsday, then this chapter is another stellar addition to the story arc and you will absolutely love how far Doomsday and Cyborg Superman go to try to stop one another and pummel each other into submission.

Even though it has some pacing problems, the only way I say you don’t pick this up is if you haven’t read the previous chapters and to that I tell you to go catch up as soon as you can so you can read this comic.

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Skaar – King of the Savage Land #1 (of 5) Review

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Originally Published: April 6, 2011, on Comicvine.com

After visiting the Savage Land with the Hulk and his Warbound, Skaar decides to stay behind and see if he can forge a new path for himself in this wild and untamed wilderness.

The Good

This first issue in this limited series has all the elements of a grand Hulk adventure in it except Skaar is taking the place of his dad. Giant killer robots, mad dinosaurs, and an unknown entity that Skaar has unwittingly released and that could spell doom for the Savage Land fill page after page of this limited series’ jumping off point.

On top of this jungle action, you can really see Skaar growing as a character. He tries to test himself constantly, like trying to forcibly tame a T-Rex and use him as a steed, almost as if he is looking for some right of passage that will lead him onto a path he can accept. This story could be laying the groundwork for what could make this limited series also a coming of age story for the boy Hulk.

The Bad

As good as all the scenes with Skaar were, the ones with Ka-zar were boring, although necessary, to establish a different kind of threat. With much of the world becoming aware of the Savage Land, Ka-zar is trying to lead the various tribes of the land time forgot into the future and hoping to open up trade with the outside world. Some are for it while others are clearly against it, calling upon Ka-zar being more an outsider than a Savage Landian and that he has no right to even contemplate this.

On top of this, it was just weird to see Ka-zar in a full suit and tie while addressing various members of state from around the Savage Land and left me questioning his priorities as well. Since when has Ka-zar ever even had a suit to wear?

The Verdict

Although it was weird bouncing back and forth between the great action with Skaar and the political agendas being dealt with by Ka-zar, you could clearly see the direction this limited series is trying to weave for itself. I would have much preferred Ka-zar and Skaar to be working together though, like some epic team-up, instead of dealing with clearly different and separate threats and hope that they come together much sooner in the future issues rather than later.

It may not be the strongest start to a story, but you can see glimpses of greatness and the want to see just what this unknown entity is that Skaar and Ka-zar must face down and what the heck a Devil Dinosaur can do will make you want to pick up the next issue should you pick up this first of five.

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