Comic Reviews
Thanks to the holidays, my comics took a long time to show up. Not a lot of new issues that I've read, but I did go through a bunch of collections and OGNs.
Daytripper (2010) #1 - Gabriel Bã and Fãbio Moon's new comic. It's a slice of life thing much like De: Tales, but with color and more confident pacing. Dave Stewart does colors, which is gorgeous like always. It doesn't end how I expected it to, but I'm looking forward to the rest of the mini-series.
The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #614 - The Electro part of The Gauntlet ends here. Spider-Man fights with his brains and The Bugle is destroyed signaling the end of an era. A satisfying arc with an "old skool" feel to it.
The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #615 - Spider-Man's next souped up villain from the past is Sandman. The opening pages with the little girl playing in the sand were haunting. Spider-Man pulls a Batman by acting like a detective while wearing a scarf and leg warmers (looks like he learned a lesson during the winter storm when he fought the Mayan gods). Still, I'm glad it's only a two-parter. I'm not sure the story could sustain itself for longer.
Deadpool (2008) #18 - The conclusion of Deadpool's stint on the X-Men. It wasn't as funny as the previous parts, but Wade shows his brains at the end of the issue. The art was pretty slick and perfect for the title. Looking forward to Spider-Man showing up next month.
Dark Wolverine #81 - I read this issue twice because I forgot I read it the first time. It's such a pointless issue. I'm not even going to bother going into details. Shame: I've been enjoying Dark Wolverine up until this point.
Fantastic Four #574 - Hickman starts making Franklin Richards important again, but this feels a bit like a rehash of Millar's time traveling stuff where Sue Storm comes from the future. Hopefully it leads somewhere good.
Punisher #12 - Frankencastle mopes for an issue. A little too much setting the pieces and not enough getting into Punisher's head. I can't wait until he kicks ass next time.
Weapon X #8 - More of Wolverine's head getting messed with in the horror movie that is the insane asylum. There's some truly horrific images in this issue. Still, the story needs to move along at this point.
The Blot - A man gets possessed by some dark powers, gets help to control them, and eventually learns to let the power go. The book is drawn in the style of old cartoons (think Popeye), so it's a bit disconcerting seeing the dark, oppressive power of The Blot in the beginning, the nudity in the middle, and some of the violence at the end.
All-Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder vol 1 - Frank Miller continues writing over-the-top Batman. The dialog is a bit ridiculous and there's some major plot holes, but the story had a manic energy propelling it. It takes a little bit to get going and the pathos comes in late (maybe it'll be more even once it's finished). Jim Lee's art is amazing and it's worth reading the book for the visuals alone.
Amulet vol 2 - Book one of Amulet feels like a decent fantasy tale for children. Book two steps up the game big time. The larger conflict starts up in a big way and the children are starting to feel their roles in the new world. The world building is impeccable, the action flows nicely, and characters are well fleshed out. It feels like Lord of the Rings mixed with Bone in a pseudo manga style. Now I can't wait to read more of the series and will probably buy some copies for Megan and Sara next time there's an occasion for it. This might be "the next Bone," a series that appeals to both young and old readers.
Daytripper (2010) #1 - Gabriel Bã and Fãbio Moon's new comic. It's a slice of life thing much like De: Tales, but with color and more confident pacing. Dave Stewart does colors, which is gorgeous like always. It doesn't end how I expected it to, but I'm looking forward to the rest of the mini-series.
The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #614 - The Electro part of The Gauntlet ends here. Spider-Man fights with his brains and The Bugle is destroyed signaling the end of an era. A satisfying arc with an "old skool" feel to it.
The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #615 - Spider-Man's next souped up villain from the past is Sandman. The opening pages with the little girl playing in the sand were haunting. Spider-Man pulls a Batman by acting like a detective while wearing a scarf and leg warmers (looks like he learned a lesson during the winter storm when he fought the Mayan gods). Still, I'm glad it's only a two-parter. I'm not sure the story could sustain itself for longer.
Deadpool (2008) #18 - The conclusion of Deadpool's stint on the X-Men. It wasn't as funny as the previous parts, but Wade shows his brains at the end of the issue. The art was pretty slick and perfect for the title. Looking forward to Spider-Man showing up next month.
Dark Wolverine #81 - I read this issue twice because I forgot I read it the first time. It's such a pointless issue. I'm not even going to bother going into details. Shame: I've been enjoying Dark Wolverine up until this point.
Fantastic Four #574 - Hickman starts making Franklin Richards important again, but this feels a bit like a rehash of Millar's time traveling stuff where Sue Storm comes from the future. Hopefully it leads somewhere good.
Punisher #12 - Frankencastle mopes for an issue. A little too much setting the pieces and not enough getting into Punisher's head. I can't wait until he kicks ass next time.
Weapon X #8 - More of Wolverine's head getting messed with in the horror movie that is the insane asylum. There's some truly horrific images in this issue. Still, the story needs to move along at this point.
The Blot - A man gets possessed by some dark powers, gets help to control them, and eventually learns to let the power go. The book is drawn in the style of old cartoons (think Popeye), so it's a bit disconcerting seeing the dark, oppressive power of The Blot in the beginning, the nudity in the middle, and some of the violence at the end.
All-Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder vol 1 - Frank Miller continues writing over-the-top Batman. The dialog is a bit ridiculous and there's some major plot holes, but the story had a manic energy propelling it. It takes a little bit to get going and the pathos comes in late (maybe it'll be more even once it's finished). Jim Lee's art is amazing and it's worth reading the book for the visuals alone.
Amulet vol 2 - Book one of Amulet feels like a decent fantasy tale for children. Book two steps up the game big time. The larger conflict starts up in a big way and the children are starting to feel their roles in the new world. The world building is impeccable, the action flows nicely, and characters are well fleshed out. It feels like Lord of the Rings mixed with Bone in a pseudo manga style. Now I can't wait to read more of the series and will probably buy some copies for Megan and Sara next time there's an occasion for it. This might be "the next Bone," a series that appeals to both young and old readers.