New Comic Reviews 12/08/11

Action Comics #4 - I am a huge HUGE Grant Morrison fan and have been loving this version of a younger more anti establishment Superman thus far. This issue is a lot of fighting as the evil alien menace that is so interested in Superman has taken over a horde of robots and a recently created cyborg thanks to Lex Luthor thinking he is smarter then everyone else (which is typically true, but there are exceptions like here). This is also the first time we see any authorative figure ask for Superman's help, even though the cops try to arrest him after he takes down a horde or robots. We also get the first appearance of Steel in the new DC52 universe who was always a personal favorite. Now with giant robots running around, Lex Luthor trying to remain in control while freaking out, Steel finally appearing, and Superman being Superman this should be a near perfect score right? Well no, this issue felt flat to me. The fight was cool but the character moments that I have loved in this series thus far just aren't there. We see Clark Kent make his first excuse to go fight evil in front of Lois Lane which was great (he yells "we should be smart and RUN" then runs off) and a few quick snippets of Lois and Jimmy interacting but it is mostly smash boom fight. Which would be fine, if it wasn't for the back up. See this issue boasts a back up featuring Steel, which originally made me excited, except the back up is the fight between Steel and the cyborg from the issue, which should happen in the middle of the issue. Instead in the actual story we see Steel arrive while saving Superman then saying "I got this" and a caption that reads "for the fight of Steel and the cyborg go read the back up" and then we continue on with the story ignoring the fight until then. It took me out of the story completely, the back up was pointless because by then you saw that he won, and what is worse is that the back up is done by a different writer and artist making it not even feel like the same story. Ugh! So taking that into account what would have been a great issue is just an average issue now. 3/5

Defenders #1 - I didn't have much anticipation for this title, especially with how disappointing Fraction's super hero work has been for the last little bit, Iron Man has turned into a mess, Thor is frustrating and illogical, and Fear Itself fell flat very quickly then refused to die. BUT this one issue makes me forget all of that! I don't care that some of the characters are acting a bit off (which may be part of the plot), I don't care that the narration switches point of views several times from an omnipresent view to Dr Strange to Hulk and on through the rest of the team. Why you ask?

Because we have a team of super heroes preparing to fight the EVIL GHOST TWIN OF THE HULK! It is described that way in the book, it is also referred to as the Hulk's very own Hulk. Also we have kung fu performed in zero g's, Silver Surfer really using the power cosmic in interesting ways, and what amounts to the most powerful team in the Marvel Universe that lives on Earth fighting what will be the weird and strange things that exist on the fringes of the super hero community. I am sold after this one issue. It is like Nextwave came back but had slightly more recognizable faces. If you want a fun read, if you want an interesting take on the Marvel Universe, if you want to see who the Incredible Hulk goes to when he needs help, and if you want to see someone finally put some clothes on the Silver Surfer, go read this already! 5/5

X-23 #18 - This takes the set up from the last issue, and more importantly the FUN of last issue and just ran with it. It starts off with X along with the children of the Fantastic Four Franklin and Val flying over New York on a DRAGON and just keeps moving from there. We get another dimension/world, some awesomeness from X (especially while dealing with said dragon) and Hellion and a character making an appearance who I haven't seen since Erik Larsen had a brief stint on Wolverine. Honestly, my only complaint with the issue is Marvel is cancelling the book, but don't let that stop you, pick it up and enjoy the ride, and however many issues are left (I believe two). Who knows, maybe they will change their minds? It worked for Spider-Girl.... 5/5

Reviewing New Comics 11/30/11

FF #12 - This issue is both a continuation and a king of side quest from Fantastic Four #600 which came out last week (and was awesome even though I didn't review it). We get to find out what is happening with the kids of the Future Foundation as they transported the top floors of the Baxter Building away from the Negative Zone invaders and into Latveria. The kids encounter Doctor Doom, his son, Mister Fantastic's father from the future, and an alternate universe Mister Fantastic who is slightly evil but with good intentions. What follows is back story filling in important gaps in this epic story Hickman is telling, fun character bits on the kids, and a bit of science jibber jabber. It is well done and compelling, if you have been reading this book for a while and focusing on this big war of kingdoms going on right now. It is far from a jumping on point, which is fine comics are serial in nature. My only real complaint with this book is the art, I quite like the style and the texture, but it doesn't work for the story nor does it flow well with the art from the rest of this massive story. It is nit picking though. 4/5

Haunt #19 - This is the start of a new age for Haunt, the creator owned book originally made by Todd McFarlane and Robert Kirkman, there is a new writer in Joe Casey and artist Nathan Fox. Two brothers, one dead and the other alive and kicking team up to be a super powered secret agent. Apparently the dead brother can turn into a symbiotic costume that makes the alive brother all bad ass. Or I guess that is what is going on, none of that is really explained. Nor are the supporting cast members who are referenced but never seen and have mysteriously disappear, which hurts the case for new reader friendly even more. BUT there is some great banter between the two brothers, some very good art, and the final few pages made me go wtf in both a good and bad way. Maybe this wasn't supposed to be a new jumping on point, even though Todd McFarlane states that this is a new direction in an essay in the back. I do know I trust Joe Casey to make good comics, and Fox's art is very good. Now if I could just be a bit more sure about what is going on inside the book, I guess the alive brother is our point of view, because he is as lost as I am. We will see if it starts to make sense come issue 20. 3/5

Herc #10 - This comic is so much fun! Hercules fights alongisde a mortal Zeus against both Elektra and the immortal witch Baba Yaga and along the way we see the Kingpin beat up a very drunk Zeus, Hercules mock both of them, and Hercules continue to hit on Elektra as they confront each other. There is so much greatness in this comic and have been in this series (especially if you count the previous Incredible Hercules run by the same writers) that I just can't find a way to even begin to describe it, and I'm still flabbergasted that this is the last issue of the run, ruthlessly cancelled by Marvel. But despite that, this issue works as a nice cap to another chapter in Hercules story, I hope somehow we get more Herc done by Pak and Ven Lente, but if we don't I will be okay with that too, it has been such an amazing ride. 4.5/5

Skullkickers #12 - Just like Herc before it, Skullkickers is a super fun book! This issue feature 4 short stories with various writers and artists showing off random adventures of the two main characters, nicknamed Shorty (he's a dwarf) and Baldy (he is a bald human) who just rampage and enjoy a bar fight as much as they do killing the next giant monster, as long as they get paid! The best story in here is the first one, but each one is so well done it is hard to settle on that. We have a giant fight with musicians who hide weapons in their instruments, a flashback to Shorty before he met Baldy, a fight with an alluring witch, and just an old fashion monster hunt that is told in the most nontraditional style ever. Do yourself a favor and pick this up if you want fun in your comic. The next issue features the start of the next story arc and the creators take full reign again, this is just a fun diversion issue that fleshes out one of the most wild fantasy worlds around. If you ever played Dungeons and Dragons and spent a night (or several) joking around and just wanting to kill stuff, this book is for you, and this issue is a great start! 5/5

Thunderbolts #166 - First, I love the art for this issue, it is moody, dark, and just well done. Second, I don't recognize half of the characters in this issue, and it makes me want to learn more about them! I haven't read this book since issue 150, so of course a lot has changed, yet I feel like I had a good grasp on what was going on and who the characters were even though I haven't followed the book and have jumped into things mid arc. THIS is how super hero books should be written more often than not, easily accessible even though you don't know all the details. The plot is dealing with time travel, as the team is stuck in the time of Jack the Ripper and maybe Jack was actual a team member who has went back in time with them as Mr Hyde and Santana have gone off the edge and went forth murdering. The team (all former villains themselves) join forces with the detective on the case and try to find the two members who have returned to their evil ways. What follows is interesting character moments that define and shape the team without forcing it, an interesting mystery, and a bit of time travel fun while being a well drawn moody piece. 5/5

Tiny Titans #46 - Probably the best use of the hooded woman from the new DCU yet happens in this book. There is also some great artwork and a perfect few pages involving bats and penguins. Sure it is for kids, but it was a lot of fun, and frequently very funny. 4/5

Uncanny X-Men #2 - How do you fight an uncountable amount of Mister Sinisters? That is the question posed by this issue as the most powerful team of X-Men tries to find out the answer. The actual fight at the start is brief but entertaining, the real meat of the issue lies in Mister Sinister calmly talking to the team in a pursuit to give his evil bastard speech and just be an egotist. It is very well done and at many times, hilarious. The final few pages make it feel like Sinister is unstoppable now, and with a huge army of copies along with Celestials on their way to blindly destroy, the new issue or two should be full of huge dangers to the X-Men, which is how it should be. Another bonus about this issue? There aren't pages discussing the split between Cyclops and Wolverine, which I'm tired of already after only a month. 4/5

new comic reviwes 11/23/11

Astonishing X-Men #44 - Cyclops is a bonafide super hero. In this issue which should be called Cyclops and some X-Men appear for a bit too. Here we see Cyclops be bad ass and do some cool things with his "simple" powers that are awe inspiring including to his own team mates. The plot to this issue is also good but simple with Storm arriving to help show an upset Cyclops get out of his funk from Wolverine leaving to form his own X-Men, why no one questions why she is back to her old mohawked self from the 80s is beyond me but this is at least quickly answered as to why she is that way by the end which leads to an interesting but confusing ending. 4/5

Aquaman #3 - Aquaman and his wife Mera fight giant canibalistic fish men from the deep, and it is awesome! Also we meet a doctor from Aquaman's past who is a bit insane and quirky, some comedy that Aquaman isn't important which is getting a bit tedious when he is doing awesome and bad ass things, and get a gorgeously painted page showing Aquaman as a kid. What more could you want? Issue #4 out now is all I can think of. 5/5

Voodoo #3 - This has quickly become an interesting monster/fugitive story within two issues which is impressive as after a first issue filled with gratuitous T and A I was ready to write this story off completely. In this issue our resident evil alien goes to check in with the higher ups and encounters her first super hero, Green Lanter (Kyle Raynor). Their encounter is so well written and neither Voodoo, Green Lantern or the other Daemonites are seen as weak during it. What happens is true to each character and their strengths and by the end I am wanting all those involved to meet again and soon! We have another excellent ending here making you have to know what is next too. The only thing that sucks about the issue? Knowing the writer Ron Marz will be leaving the title in two months, I don't want this ride to end quite yet. 4.5/5

Mighty Thor #8 - In a post Fear Itself world, Thor is dead and no one remembers he existed except Loki who can't quite remember his name. Who did all the things Thor did so as not to mess up the history of Marvel? Tanarus, the god of thunder of course! This issue is supposed to be setting up the new status quo and quickly leap frogs that and starts to move the plot forward as well which is where some issues come from. The stuff about Asgard on Earth now being full of mythical creatures from all the other 9 realms is interesting stuff and can lead to great srtories, as is the new status quo of the gods with the three in one All Mother being in charge of Asgard since Odin abdicated, and where Thor actually is (still dead though) makes for an awesome and exciting cliffhanger, heck even Tanarus and the revisionist history is interesting. But then it all falls apart.

First, Loki, the god of mischief who has been amazing written by Journey of Mystery writer, Kieron Gillien, is nothing like what Loki should be here written by Fraction. His plan to find out the truth? Fly towards Tanarus and say "you're not right, where is my real brother? I shall destroy you!" What the hell? This is the guy who just played Mephisto and won and yet he his a doofus here. We find out who Tanarus really is (way too soon btw, where is the mystery?) and while it is a good character to have be Tanarus, how did the switch happen? More importantly how does the character and those behind it remember Thor? How does everyone else including the all seeing All Mother not know this? Captain America and Norman Osborn remember! This just feels like shoddy continuity which makes me think this will be resolved in an issue or two at most, making this pointless. Really if you want to read about Asgard in the Marvel Universe, go read the vastly superior Journey to Mystery. 2/5

Captain America and Bucky #624 - This should be called Winter Soldier #0 or I guess #.1 since that is Marvel's thing now. It is a solid story showcasing the history of the Winter Soldier as former sidekick, former Captain America and supposedly dead Bucky Barnes tells about his life to someone dear to him. The history of him and Black Widow finding love while being used as weapons in the Cold War is a good look at a story that couldn't have been published during the years it is supposed to be happening. The drama in this issue isn't too high, you know it is a flashback, but how Bucky rebels from his Russian masters and finds some humanity is well done and touching as is his developing relationship with Black Widow. The final few pages showing who he is talking to is touching as well. The art is simple and stylistic making it a perfect fit for a story set in the past. If this were published in the years of the Cold War it would have had a similar style making it work so well. After reading this I can't wait for the new Winter Soldier series coming out in a few months Bucky and Natasha fighting evil sounds great. 4.5/5

Secret Avengers #19 - Did you ever read Warren Ellis' Global Frequency series? It was a series of one shots of people taking down unique and weird threats. His short stint on Secret Avengers is Global Frequency with super heroes, right down to a new artist on every issue! This one rests on Steve Rogers (at this time former Captain America), Black Widow, SHIELD agent Sharon Carter, and Moon Knight taking down the man who has developed a drug that may be an offshoot of the super soldier serum that created Captain America. What follows is a fun and fast paced tale of infiltration and fighting and includes Moon Knight playing James Bond, Steve Rogers setting someone on fire using alcohol, and the two women being a pair of purely awesome bad asses that they don't always get a chance to be. The twists of the plot and the tiny character moments make this issue work so well and make me happy to enjoy this all too brief run of Ellis. We finally get a sequel to Global Frequency, all it is missing is the Brian Wood covers. Did I mention the whole mission is finished once the issue ends? It is a short and awesome action movie with no commitment to further issues, though I highly recommend you stay on for the whole ride! 5/5