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Post by shenron on May 27, 2010 2:08:57 GMT -5
Alright people, after giving this much thought, I decided I would start my own comic review on this site. I have noticed that there are only a handful of people that keep up with current comics. So, I figured this would be a good place to review comics, discuss them, and of course rate them. This will not be limited to Marvel, but DC is welcome as well as any other independent comic. Other posters please feel free to post your own reviews and ratings in an Independent form, I am not trying to start a thread of arguments here. I plan on discussing single issue comics, graphic novels, and anything in between. Disclaimer Note: There will be some Spoilers but I will try to limit them as much as possible in the scope of detail so reading the title yourself will still be enjoyable. This may not always happen, but I will do my best. I ask that people follow the golden rule(s)... 1. Please do not reply to this thread unless you are leaving a independent non-argumentative review of your own. All comments can be PM'ed to me and I will reply as soon as I can.
2. Please feel free to leave a review of something that has already been reviewed.
3. Don't forget to include your opinion
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Post by shenron on May 27, 2010 2:34:55 GMT -5
THE RATING SYSTEM
10 - OUTSTANDING. This is for the best of the best.
9 - SUPERB. This shows titles that are almost just as good but are lacking just a tad.
8 - VERY GOOD. Innovative but maybe not the right choice for everyone. This shows that the title has many goods things about it, but those things can be argued, maybe could be genre specific.
7 - AVERAGE. The comic is solid, but nothing readers haven't read before, nothing new or exciting. A decent solid read from beginning to end.
6 - LIMITED APPEAL. Though, this title may have a fan base, many readers will be left wanting more or some will be left disappointed.
5 - FLAWED. It may be obvious that the title has a lot of potential but falls short it writing, character development, or holes in the story.
4 - BAD. While some character development happens and a story arc or two is decent, everything else falls short, even the art could be bad or the characters could be acting out of character.
3 - PAINFUL. This is almost not worth reading. The characters are buried beneath horrible character development, the story itself is slow, confusing, or is so convoluted you never know what is going on.
2 - WORTHLESS. You get it home, read the first few pages, flip through the rest and wonder why bought it in the first place.
1 - Dell's SUPERHEROS #1 - Just forget it. Go play Marvel Universe RPG instead. Well, at least the art is decent.
Please feel free to give ratings in .5's as well (for example a 7.5)
I also, took off the title examples so not to taint the rating table.
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Post by shenron on May 27, 2010 2:52:30 GMT -5
Avengers (Heroic Age) #1 Writer: Bendis Artist: John Romita Jr.
Bendis never ceases to amaze me. I think he gave the newly formed Avengers a strong start.
I guess before I get into anything, the Avengers Roster is;
-Thor -Hawkeye -Wolverine -Spider-Man -Iron-Man -Spider-Woman -Bucky-Cap
It starts out with Steve Rogers having a conversation with Wonder Man and then getting the team together and discussing things with the team and who he is going to leave in charge, etc.
Bucky-Cap and Thor share a joke that I found was a little stretch but still made me laugh and of course Spider-Man is Spider-Man.
As well as Steve and Tony have an interesting conversation.
An old blast from the past shows up to make things interesting and shows the Avengers that they must find a way into the future to stop their offspring or their world is doomed!
All in the all, the story is solid, I did not care for jumping right into a time traveling story arch or using their kids so to speak, but other then that, I thought is was a great read.
As for the art? I am not used to the style, though it is good. It will take me awhile to get used to but it does not ruin the comic for me.
RATING: 8.5
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Post by shenron on May 27, 2010 3:11:50 GMT -5
Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #1 Writer: Grant Morrison Artist: Chris Sprouse
Well, when I first heard they were bring Bruce Wayne back I was not surprised but I was surprised they were doing it so soon. When I heard Grant Morrison was in charge of the project I had a mix of emotions. When he writes, I never know what to expect.
This issue's story started out kind of slow. It showed Bruce Wayne, in the Cave Man era, with no apparent memory of who he is and how he got there and the local people showing fear towards him to almost worship until he saves them from an attack from a different tribe.
There are a few confusing things, such as a silver rocket ship that goes unexplained as well as Bruce finding Superman's Cap by the rocket ship.
The comic starts with decent action and keeps it coming. Towards the end, Bruce receives his utility belt, dawns a bat "cloak", and lays down some series kick ass before he disappears.
Superman and friends show up moments after looking for him and Superman drops the heavy end of the hammer in news.
The end of the comic shows Bruce in the pilgrim era with a huge monstrous battle looming right over the shoulder.
In conclusion, Morrision starts of slow and leaves a handful of things unexplained but has enough actions and drops enough story bits to keep the reader waiting for the next issue and wondering about the whole story.
The art is great, is has a rough brush look that just rocks.
RATING: 7.0
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Post by Manticore on May 27, 2010 6:33:10 GMT -5
THE RATING SYSTEM10 - OUTSTANDING. This is for the best of the best. Would be giving to things that rank among titles like Ultimate Spider-Man, Immortal Iron Fist, Preacher, Death of Superman, Watchmen, etc. See, I was with you until you said that "Death of Superman" was the best of the best. MY REVIEW OF "THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN"It's just one long, boring, pointless fight scene. Doomsday is not an interesting villain (I wouldn't go as far as to say he's a bad villain- I think an unstoppable, mindless killing machine has its uses in service to the plot- sometimes there has to be a villain that the heroes must defeat with guile or trickery rather than just smashing his head in- but that doesn't make him interesting in his own right- you could swap him out with any powerhouse villain and the story would still make sense- he's a blank slate.) My other problem with the story is that it has a lot of other Justice Leaguers and members of Superman's supporting cast behaving fairly stupidly. You know, seeing as how this was the only comic book most people ever read in their entire lives, it's hard to imagine that anyone thought "I've never read a comic book before, but this is great and I'd like to continue reading". For most of them, I think it just confirmed the usual stereotype that "comic books are nothing but masculine power fantasies read by nerds". Rating: 2.0MY REVIEW OF "ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN": I think that Ultimate Spider-Man is consistently pretty good rather than "the best thing ever!" Some of the story arcs are better than others. I think there are a lot of flaws with Bendis' writing, but they usually seem to work out for this series, at least. I'm disconcerted by the fact that Bendis seems to prefer introducing loads and loads of new characters to giving them good characterization or resolving long-running story arcs (but hey- I know some people think that's a good thing). I think Bendis' faux-"realistic" dialogue is really annoying and unrealistic (but some people seem to like it). And I just don't like the way Bendis handles some of the characters. So yeah. Ultimate Spider-Man is pretty good. But is it worth a Rating of '10'? Nah... Rating: 8MY REVIEW OF "IMMORTAL IRON FIST": Now, this might be heresy on these boards, but I didn't enjoy Immortal Iron Fist as much as I hoped I would. I mean, I heard people raving about how great it was and this raised my expectations really high. And I was disappointed. However, I did get to really like this series after my initial reaction had died away and I kept reading. I thought this book got really exciting after the Tournament arc started and the other Immortal Weapons were introduced. So yeah. I did come to think that this was a really great book, it did some really interesting stuff with the martial arts concept and it revitalized the character of Iron Fist for the modern era. Rating: 9MY REVIEW OF "PREACHER": Hmm. I'm not really a fan of Garth Ennis' work. So maybe I'm not the target audience for this book. I found it to be sickeningly violent, morbid and sex-obsessed, with some really gross dark humour. I guess it just depends if you like that sort of thing. The biggest problem with Preacher is that it starts well and ends well, but all the stuff in between is not so good. It really drags on after a while. It's good (probably some of Garth Ennis' best work) but it's not one of my favourites. Rating: 8(Whew! I got through that review without one mention of Preacher's rather very mean-spirited religious stuff. Oh, wait... ) MY REVIEW OF "WATCHMEN": I came into this book with high expectations and yet I was still blown away by how awesome it was. ;D However, familiarity breeds contempt and I can scarcely stand to read Watchmen again these days. It is quite a flawed masterpiece. Still, if anything deserves the top grade... Rating: 10MY REVIEW OF "SANDMAN": It's impossible to remain objective about this, so I'm not going to try. This series was/is one of my favourites in comic books ever. It doesn't appeal to a lot of people who prefer standard superhero fare, but on the other hand, it does appeal to a lot of people who scorn standard superhero fare. So I guess it all evens out. It's a sprawling multilayered epic with some very dark and mature themes, complex characters and an intriguing look into the nature of storytelling itself. Rating (of the series as a whole): 10
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Post by shenron on May 27, 2010 14:12:20 GMT -5
Preacher TPB #1 & #2 Writer: Garth Ennis Artist: Steve Dillion
I will be the first to admit I am a new comer to the independent comic scene and the guy and my local comic book store pointed me in the direction of Preacher when I told him I wanted something different.
When I finally got around to reading it, I was not disappointed but I have to warn you, it is not for the light hearted. I guess I would label is as a "adult" comic just for the fact that there is nudity and sexual situations as well as when people fight or get shot there is gore and blood but sometimes you see it and sometimes you do not. There is also the harsh reality of deviants in the comic.
Preacher also deals with religion, a-bit a different take on it. In the First Trade Back, Gone to Texas the offspring of an angel and a devil called Genesis (which is a big no no) escapes haven and possesses our main character, the preacher, Jesse. Being possessed so, it gives Jesse something called the Word of God, which when he uses it, people have to do exactly what he says, which does gets interesting because some people takes what he says very very literally. He then meets up with an ex girlfriend and a badass Irish guy named Cassidy who has a "condition".
The angels, trying to get Genesis back, release a being known only as the Saint of Killers to go hunt them down and of course the Saint and Jesse and gang get into all sorts of trouble.
Towards the end of the comic you learn the truth about where or what God is doing and Jesse and gang decides to set out and have a word with God.
Preacher TPB #2 Until the End of the World was just as the good as the first one. It has a great introduction by Kevin Smith that was entertaining in itself.
Well, it starts off with Jess and his girl talking about their past and explaining why Jesse left her and what she has been up too. It also delves deep into Jesse's F#$%^& up family. This trade deals a lot with Jesse's past as well as Jesse and gang going to finish up some things they started but the past catches up with them in the form you would never expect and God makes a surprise appearance.
Later in the book, a secret society known as the grail shows up as well as one of Cassidy's old friends that they try to enlist to help trying to track down God. It all ends in one hell of a Cliffhanger.
In conclusion, I think the series is awesome! I think Garth Ennis writing is great, there is so much story and character in those pages in takes me a lot of time to get though it all. Yes there is gore when people fight, get shot, get stabbed, etc, there is nudity, depravity, a different take on religion, profanity, and dark humor. I do not think it is taken to the excess and I do not think you should use that to judge a good story. Just reading these two TPB's, I went out and bought the rest.
RATING: 10
Fun Fact: Garth Ennis also wrote the whole Max Punisher Line
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Post by shenron on May 27, 2010 15:08:51 GMT -5
Ultimate Origins TPB Writer: Bendis Artist: Guice
Well, the history of the Ultimate Universe has been solved! To me, this read different then most comics. The writing and story was there but I felt it lacked in the delivery. It read more akin to an essay that followed an art scheme then an actual comic. It is a mesh of a bunch of mini stories in 5 or 6 comic mini series.
Basically, back in the 40's, mutants were created in labs, they were not an act of God. Wolverine, was the first mutant. I actually like this idea. I definitely different radical take, but I got go with it.
Nick Fury, was actually the first successful test of Project rebirth which I am not sure if I like or not. I just kind if liked the idea of him being a bad ass human, but eh, I am torn here.
It also shows how Steve Rogers become a Super Soldier and all of the jazz.
Shows how Professor X and Magneto first met, became friends, and became enemies.
Has an awesome different take on how the hulk became the hulk and who his first kill was, very cruel.
Plus, strange alien statues start popping up all over the place and start talking to the Fantastic Four at Project Pegasus, these alien "watchers" are going to name a guardian supposedly.
Oh, and it sets things up for Ultimatum.
In conclusion, an awesome take on the origins of one of my favorite alternate Universes. I am not saying I agree with the whole Nick Fury thing, and it fails in presentation but the writing and the story is there. I would say it really has little to no re-read value.
RATING: 6.0
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Post by shenron on May 27, 2010 15:45:12 GMT -5
Ultimatum Writer: Jeph Loeb Artist: David Finch
Well, when I first read this I was just in utter shock, I mean I was stunned left thinking "What the f$%^ just happened?"
Basically, Magneto gave his Ultimatum to the world and the world ignored it so he reversed the magnetic poles on the earth. Which caused a Doomsday scenario, causing a huge tidal wave in Manhattan, Eastern Europe is frozen in a new ice age, and the Amazon is on fire with volcanic eruptions.
Lots and lots of heroes die, and there are lots of the surviving heroes that stop acting like heroes and kind of lose their "mind" and lash out in the wake of all of the chaos. There is gore, cannibalism, and Magneto finally gets his revenge.
The golden light in the book is Spider-Man, trying his best to save as many people as he can, that is just heart warming as you see everything else going on.
Another ray of light, is you see that Hank Pym, still has a heart and still loves. He tries to regain his humanity in this story, after he takes a bite out of crime.
What is left of the heroes, eventually get together and take the fight to Magneto.
I have to give mad props to Ben Grimm, the Thing though, MAD PROPS!
The very end, is a big surprise, because, well you never expect it, and it leaves you once again stunned, thinking "Holy S$%^!".
In conclusion, I think it is lacking in story and writing. It tried to cover this up by a lot of shock value, gore, and edginess. Which may not always be a bad thing, because this is suppose to be the end of the world after all. I was just surprised that a lot of the heroes stopped acting like themselves and I was also surprised at who the writer decided to kill off. I think it is a book that needs to be read trice, the first time around, I think you miss stuff because of the shock.
RATING: 5.0
Who died: (For those of you who are wondering)
*Angel *Beast *Blob *Cannonball *Captain Britain *Cypher *Cyclops *Daredevil *Dazzler *Detonator *Doctor Doom *Doctor Strange *Emma Frost *Forge *Franklin Storm *Hard-Drive *Hank Pym *Juggernaut *Longshot *Lorelei *Madrox *Magneto *Nightcrawler *Polaris *Professor X *Psylocke *Sunspot *Stryker *Thor *Toad *Wasp *Wolverine
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Post by shenron on May 27, 2010 16:14:39 GMT -5
Ultimate Spider-Man TPB #1-22 Writer: Bendis Artist: Mark Bagley (Until.Through TPB#18) Stuart Immonen (TPB#19-21) Stuart Lafuente (TPB#22)
I do not think words can even describe how much I enjoyed this. This was my first real dedication to Bendis's work and I am beyond impressed.
Ultimate Spider-Man made me fall in love with Spider-Man all over again. It took back to the days of being five, wearing my Halloween costume around the house long after the holiday was over and saving New York city all on my own.
Ultimate Peter Parker is a 16 year old high school kid when he gets bit by the radioactive spider. That alone changes the whole feel of the series and his outlook on life. He has to balance school, work, Aunt May, and everything with being a super hero or trying to be.
Oh and the fact that this Spider-Man is more of a Smart Ass this his main stream counter part and seems to be always loosing parts of his costume, just makes it a even better read.
I think one of the the things that really made the whole series hit home is that Spider-Man kept being hit in the face with the big ugly world and "this is how it is out there" and well, he had a hard time believing that or would not except that.
I really enjoyed the Ultimatization of just about every character in the series.
As with every long series, some story arcs are going to be better then others but I do not think any story arc was bad. I did have my favorites but I was never truly disappointed.
In conclusion, the whole run is a entertaining read from start to finish that will make you laugh, cry, and show you the true meaning of being a hero. Bendis does introduce a lot of characters, but even though they may be temporary characters, he does give them good personality, even though they may not be completely original. I would recommend this to anyone.
Oh, as for the art, it is solid and sharp up until TPB #18. The art gets edgy after that but stays good. Then the art completely changes style in TPB #22. It is a new age art that I am not used to, almost reminds me of soft Japanese animation. It is good, just different, and I am still getting used to it.
RATING: 10
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Post by shenron on May 27, 2010 16:37:07 GMT -5
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man (Issues #1-10, ongoing series) Writer: Bendis Artist: Stuart Lafuente
Well, Once again Bendis never ceases to amaze me. I think if this keep going as it is, it may top the original run of Ultimate Spider-Man. It may, no promises, but definitely a possibility.
Well, this takes place after 6 months after Ultimatum. Peter Parker is dealing with that. He is now dating Gwen who is living with him and Aunt May and the
The Daily Bugle went out of business but not before Jameson wrote an awesome article about what kind of hero Spider-Man really his, so now Spider-Man is seen and praised as a true hero by the police and the public.
Mysterio is back as well as a new Hero.
Oh, and mutants are illegal because of Magnetos little stunt.
The Alien "watchers" find their guardian who happens to be Peter Parkers next door neighbor Rick Jones and grants him a bunch of powers.
Oh ya, Ice Man and the Human Torch become Peter Parker's room mates.
Kitty Pryde goes nuts.
In conclusion, I think the new Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man is a Face Full of AWESOME! Bendis does it again. It is an odd setting where mutants are against the law and Spider-Man is actually liked but the public. every issue leaves me biting at the bit for the next one.
The art is actually starting to grow on me.
RATING: 10
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Post by shenron on May 27, 2010 23:28:52 GMT -5
Cable & Deadpool (TPB #1-8) Writer: Fabian Nicieza Artist: Mark Brooks & Shane Law with Chris Stevens of Udon
This is when Deadpool first becomes a serious character in the Marvel Universe, and it made me very happy.
The whole series revolved around Cables grand ideas if a Utopia and how the world feared Cable because, Cable was and/or is obscenely powerful and could destroy whatever and whenever he wanted.
Deadpool crosses his path and becomes an interesting ally and they get literally stuck together early on which causes all sorts of chaos. I think Deadpool acts as an outside view of Cable, an unwitting friend, and of course the comic relief.
The biggest thing I saw in this was Deadpools heart, especially towards the end of the run. Which, I know is a surprise.
The story arcs seemed longer but none of the story arcs seemed weak and none of the story arcs seemed to really stand out. The whole thing was a solid read from beginning to end. It will definitely make you laugh and don't worry, there is plenty of action.
In conclusion, it is a step in the right direction for Deadpool. This series literally unleashes Deadpool upon the Marvel Universe. It is also good to see someone like Cable, try to do something seriusly good with all that power then realize his faults. It is a good read from start to finish and worth re-reading multiple times.
RATING: 7.5
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Post by shenron on May 28, 2010 0:01:32 GMT -5
Mouse Guard (Fall 1152, Winter 1152; Both THB) Writer: David Peterson Artist: David Peterson
I do not think I can say enough about Mouse Guard. For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, the character are actually real sized mice in a real sized world. Not furries or anything else like that.
These mice have to deal with things that mice have to deal with. Predators, weather, food gathering, etc.
The main characters are Kenzie, Saxon, Lieam who are members of the Guard which are in charge of protection of the cities, deliver mail, escort other mice from town to town, damage control, and fight when the time comes.
Both hardbacks, Fall and Winter are a collection dealing with different ongoing stories in different seasons. There is espionage, treason, battle, character death, spy stuff, detective work, great story and awesome character development.
I guess what amazes me the most is all this is done without over loading the dialect (almost a minimal of dialect) and is backed up with incredible art.
In conclusion, I would say this is a must read!
RATING: 8.5
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Post by shenron on May 28, 2010 20:35:11 GMT -5
Thunderbolts #144 (Heroic Age) Writer: Jeff Parker Artist: Kev Walker
Well the Thunderbolts are being reformed. Steve Rogers who is not the head of Homeland Security put Luke Cage in charge of the project. Steve figured with Luke Cage' s past, he would be perfect.
Basically the issue starts with Luke Cage arriving at Raft and making one hell of an entrance if I do say so my self.
Then it goes though him recruiting the carious members that are going to make up the new Thunderbolts team.
It flashes back and forth between Luke Cage with the suits going though the decision process and him actually on Raft.
Oh and Hank Pym makes an appearance.
Towards the end, he has assembled his team and they are walking towards the beach when an old Captain America foe hows up who led the team once, and wants to take back the team.
In conclusion, I found it well written and highly entertaining. You see old members of the Thunderbolts early incarnations working as wardens at Raft as well as Luke Cage's determination. This is my first read of the Thunderbolts and the issue ended on a cliffhanger, it made me want to read the next one!
Oh and the team roster is;
-Luke Cage -Ghost -Moonstone -Juggernaut -Crossbones - Man-Thing
If you are wondering, as of now the secret of Man-Thing is he seems to have some kind if sentience (though very limited) and is the key the the Thunderbolts transportation.
RATING: 8.5
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Post by shenron on May 28, 2010 20:52:43 GMT -5
Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #2 Writer: Grant Morrison Artist: Frazer Irving
Well, this is a big improvement from Issue #1 in the series as far as story wise goes. In the beginning it jumps around just a tad when you are expecting a huge monster fight that does not really happen.
Bruce can now speak and has some kind of memory, but not of his past.
This issue flashes back and forth between Superman and friends on the trail of the Omega Energy which is almost a mini story of its own and ties heavily into Final Crisis and Bruce Wayne living in the Puritan/Pilgrim Era acting as a detective or police for a fledging Gotham City.
Bruce uses his detective skills will finesse but meets resistance every step of the way by a man sent by the church as a investigator by the name of Malleus as well who sees devils and witches for the cause of everything.
Towards the end of the issue, Bruce learns of truth about his connection to what appears to be his girlfriend and you finally get the monster battle.
Once again, Bruce time hops and ends up washing up on the beaches where a pirate his stomping him down.
Oh did I mention, Dark Sied had the last laugh after all?
In conclusion, I think the story telling is a lot better and less confusing. There are a few unexplained elements but some important things come to light. I did not like how they split the issue between Bruce's adventures and Superman and friends adventures but as I have mentioned before, it did answer some questions that way.
RATING: 8.0
"Always Bats" - Bruce Wayne
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Post by shenron on May 28, 2010 21:07:46 GMT -5
Secret Avengers #1Writer: Ed Brubaker Artist: Mike Deodato Wow, it has been since Captain America #25 that a single issue comic as blown me away. I have to say, Secret Avengers did just that. It starts off with some great monologue by Steve Rogers that is on par with is opinion about the 21st century and the threats that are out there. As you are reading this, you see some fat cat suit with two ladies on his arms walking into a sweet talking, etc. Then the comic explodes into action as the girls are actually Valkyrie and Black Widow. The action and espionage/Spy feel does not stop. They complete their mission and then there are basically analyzing their artifact. As this is going on is shows the interaction between Steve Rogers and how he recruited a lot of the members of the team. As new knowledge surfaces and a member of his team goes missing doing recon on Mars, the rest of the team, except Sharon Carter load up and head to Mars. In conclusion, a AWESOME read. When I first heard about this I did not know what to expect but I was impressed by far. It has a huge Captain America background feel yet a fresh and new twist to it. I think one of the best single issues I have read in a long time and I have high hopes for this series. Truth be told, I read it twice, back to back. Oh, and yes, Steve Rogers keeps his Morals. The roster; -Steve Rogers -Beast -War Machine -Valkyrie -Moon Knight -Nova -Black Widow -Sharon Carter -Ant-Man RATING: 10
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