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05-30-2008, 01:31 PM
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Weekly Review Power Rankings 5/29/08
Welcome to another installment of the Weekly Review Power Rankings. For this unfamiliar with the format, I pre-Rank all of the week’s books that I plan to pick up based upon Diamond’s weekly shipping list, taking into consideration the creative team, previous issues, preview pages, and solicitations. Once I’ve read all of the books, I create the final Rankings based upon how they actually turned out.
Below are this week’s Power Rankings. The numbers in parentheses represent where the book was pre-ranked. Let me know what you all think and feel free to post your own list. I attempt to keep everything as spoiler free as possible, but keep in mind that there may be the occasional minor spoiler that I overlook. If you have any questions about the Rankings or just want to drop me a line, you can email me at ryanreviews@gmail.com or you can always PM me through the message boards. I have been asked recently if I accept review copies; I most certainly will. Any book sent to me will be reviewed. Just drop me a line if you want me to check out your book. I’d be glad to give it a look. -Ryan “the Iowan” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I finally ordered my Wizard World Chicago tickets this week, so it’s now official that I’ll be there all three days and probably on premiere night as well. If you are planning on attending, let me now. It would be pretty cool to chat with any regular readers of the Rankings. My shop didn’t order my copy of Firebreather #1, so I had to adjust the Rankings accordingly. I’ll try to order a copy soon and I’ll post a catch-up review when I have a chance. In the meantime, here are this week’s Rankings: 14. Giant-Sized Astonishing X-Men #1 (11) Written Joss Whedon Art by John Cassaday (art) and Laura Martin (colors) Letters by Chris Eliopoulos Cover by John Cassaday Some high-profile books are worth waiting for, no matter how long it takes for the creators to finish them (such as Action Comics Annual #11 or most of Civil War). This is not one of those books. Joss Whedon and John Cassaday close out their run on Astonishing X-Men on a down note with this issue—a rushed, poorly constructed, and, in many ways, nonsensical mess. The X-Men managed to escape Breakworld, but avoid resolving anything, including the prophecy of Breakworld’s destruction, the giant bullet, the mystery of Agent Brand and SWORD, and the reason behind this issue being $4.99. In fact, the only thing that really does happen in this issue is Whedon inexplicably, illogically, and nonsensically taking one of the most popular X-Men out of the picture (no, Kitty doesn’t die, instead she is just sent away on the giant bullet). Add in a slew of stilted and clichéd dialogue (such as anything that comes out of Agent Brand’s mouth, the villain’s monologue, and Kitty’s final conversation with Emma Frost) and some of Cassaday’s weakest art (The detail, depth, and strong sense of storytelling that you love about Cassaday? Not present here at all.), and you get the worst issue of the week, by far. Save yourself the $4.99 and avoid this stinker (or, better yet, use that money to buy Marvel/Soleil’s Sky Doll #1). 13. New Avengers #41 (13) Written by Brian Michael Bendis Art by Billy Tan (art) and Justin Ponser (colors) Letters by Albert Deschesne Cover by Aleksi Briclot The best thing about New Avengers #41 is that it isn’t Giant-Sized Astonishing X-Men #1. From there, its all downhill. After setting up a very interesting premise of following the Skrull side of the Secret Invasion last issue, Brian Michael Bendis shifts gears completely to revisit a story from the early days New Avengers. Unfortunately, if you missed the New Avengers trip to the Savage Land a few years back, this issue has little to offer (unless you love Ka-Zar). The story focuses on Ka-Zar and Shanna recounting events where they witnessed a Skrull vibranium mining operation setting up shop in the Savage Land to a confused Spider-Man. That’s it. There’s nothing more. In other words, the story doesn’t move forward in any interesting ways and doesn’t pick up on the threads built last issue. The writing itself lacks cohesion and features some of Bendis’s worst Spidey-banter, which doesn’t help much. Billy Tan handles the art chores with Justin Ponser, but its neither man’s best effort. The anatomy of some characters is pretty ridiculous and most of the panels are too busy to be effective. The flat coloring only makes a mess of things, as it does nothing to add sense of depth to the art. In the end, this is a step in the wrong direction for the Secret Invasion event and one that is probably suited for the most hardcore New Avengers fans (and people who love Ka-Zar). 12. Action Comics #865 (12) Written by Geoff Johns Art by Jesus Merino (art) and Hi-Fi (colors) Letters by Rob Leigh Cover by Kevin McGuire Geoff Johns takes a break from major stories in this week’s Action Comics, a done-in-one tale about the Toyman. In the issue, Toyman breaks out of Arkham, kidnaps Jimmy Olsen, and attempts to clear his name by retelling his origin and revealing that all of the other Toymen were just robots that he had built. I’ve never been a huge fan of the various version Toyman, but this retcon really doesn’t sit well with me. I think that all of the Toymen have brought something unique to the table, especially the most recent one (the Japanese hero). To have them all be robots doesn’t really make sense to me and doesn’t really work here. The art by Jesus Merino has some strong points, but is painfully uneven with Merino shifting styles throughout the issue. It works with the flashbacks, but there is no consistency in everything that happens during the present. It really takes away from the effectiveness of the art and from the story as a whole. Plus, seriously, whats with the designs on Toyman and his wife? Is there a reason why they are dressed in such a Victorian manner? Seriously? In the end, this is a very strange issue that will probably let you down. Read at your own risk, says I! 11. Batman #677 (14) Written by Grant Morrison Art by Tony Daniel (pencils), Sandu Florea (inks), and Guy Major (colors) Letters by Jared K. Fletcher Cover by Alex Ross I’m probably sounding like a broken record with this title, but I keep running into the same problems issue-after-issue when it comes to Grant Morrison’s run on Batman. His vision is inconsistent with the editorial direction that the Bat-Titles were going in until this storyline, his characterizations are very inconsistent, and he relies too much on the supposed brilliance of his ideas. The problem is, he isn’t writing an Elseworlds story, I expect better work on the characters, and none of his ideas are working for me. His Batman is an ultra-violent sociopath that is just plain cruel, which we see many times in this issue for no real reason (seriously, he’s going to be a jerk to Alfred now?). If you want to show him stressed out because of the case, write him as stressed out, not as Frank Miller’s Batman. In this issue, Batman starts piecing together the mystery of the Black Glove, apparently is now full-on in love with Jezebel Jet, and apparently has a ridiculous amount of history with characters that haven’t been introduced (meanwhile, that great cliffhanger with the Joker from last issue is completely ignored). This goes for both Jezebel and the villains: just because you have the characters talk about their relationships and push them forward in words alone, doesn’t mean you’ve actually established something. Because we haven’t seen any character development whatsoever in Morrison’s run (for any character), it’s really hard to take much of this week’s issue seriously. Oh yeah, and according to Batman’s girlfriend, he might be the Black Glove. That’s just stupid storytelling if its true; if it’s a swerve, that’s just lazy storytelling. Batman is supposed to be a bit maladjusted, but not flat out insane. The only saving grace for this issue is Tony Daniel who continues to be absolutely brilliant in his work on this title. He’s completely consistent, has great panel choices, “acts” well through his character’s expressions, and has a style that is a perfect fit for Batman. There’s a touch of realism, a handful of the silver age, and a very modern approach to storytelling that is just a joy to look at. Now if only the writing would live up to the hype. This could, and should, be a much better book than it is. 10. Uncanny X-Men #498 (07) Written by Ed Brubaker Art by Mike Choi (art) and Sonia Oback (colors) Letters by Cory Petit Cover by Mike Choi and Sonia Oback This week’s Uncanny X-Men incrementally moves its story forward with a bit of background on the San Francisco “acid flashback” storyline and the motives behind the captors of Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Colossus. Ed Brubaker does a good job of developing the stories in a parallel manner, by adding background to each story and then ending the issue with surprise twists in the form of returning characters. With the San Francisco storyline, it’s less effective because the story barely moves forward and rehashes a lot of what we’ve seen over the last few issues. The tongue-in-cheek code names for the “hippie X-Men” were the best part of this plot, but wasn’t nearly enough to really dazzle me. In the Russia storyline, the interaction between the trio of X-Men was well-handled and the surprise return has a lot of promise, but the motives behind the villains here comes across more as whining than anything else. The art by Mike Choi and Sonia Oback continues to be the highlight of this series, with a ton of depth and a great attention to detail in designs. The art does have a tendency to look stiff, which hampered the Russia storyline’s action panels, but its still worth checking out. I’ve really come to be a huge fan of Choi and Oback, with this issue being another fine example of why. In the end, this isn’t a bad comic by any means, but I’m really having trouble getting invested in the storyline. Thankfully, the art is strong enough to keep my interest and is reason enough to check this one out. 09. Immortal Iron Fist #15 (06) Written by Matt Fraction Art by Khari Evans (pencils), Victor Olazaba (inks), Jelena Kevic Djudjevic (colors), and Paul Mounts (colors) Letters by Dave Lanphear Cover by Khari Evans After Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction completed their epic “7 Capital Cities of Heaven” arc last issue, Fraction switches gears this issue before handing the title off by telling another tale of the Iron Fist legacy. The story is told primarily in narration, making this issue more like prose with pictures than a comic, though it fits with the idea of it being a legacy fable. The characters introduced are interesting, but lack depth due to the limited dialogue, though their relationships are very reminiscent of the “immortal weapons” from the last arc. Khari Evans thin line work with the muted colors by Jelena Djudjevic and Paul Mounts works well for the time period presented, but the art is extremely stiff. The lack of fluidity takes away from the books few action sequences, which gave the book a very slow moving feel. Still, Fraction pulls the story from a very rich tapestry of ideas that he has used to build the Iron Fist mythology and fans of the series should really enjoy this one, as it subtly connects to the last few story arcs. Those unfamiliar with the Fraction/Brubaker era of Iron Fist may not get as much out of this one, but this is a decent done-in-one that is worth checking out. 08. Final Crisis #1 (05) Written by Grant Morrison Art by JG Jones (art) and Alex Sinclair (colors) Letters by Rob Leigh Cover by JG Jones DC’s big summer event officially kicks off in this week’s Final Crisis #1, though the debut lacks the “oomph” that you’d expect from a story of this magnitude. Grant Morrison and JG Jones cover a lot of ground, checking in on the Dark Side Club, the new Secret Society of Super-Villains, the Justice League, the Alpha Lanterns, the Monitors, and the team-up of what appears to be Anthro and Kamandi; unfortunately, despite covering a lot of ground, nothing is developed at all and there is little in terms of story movement. A lot of what goes on here has been covered in other books (most notably last week’s Justice League and DC Universe #0), with the rest apparently having spun out of Countdown and Death of the New Gods (with a few nods to Morrison’s Seven Soldiers). Having dropped Countdown during its second month and never read Death of the New Gods, I found myself completely lost in much of this issue, which I think is a major problem with this event. Neither book was as successful as I imagine Final Crisis will be, so basing so much of Final Crisis on its outcome is a poor choice. There is a “death” (it’s not actually shown) that is not surprising at all, but given how much the character has been misused in the last few years, I’m more inclined to call it a mercy killing; Morrison treats it as a throwaway occurrence, however, with it serving more to build the power of Libra rather than anything deeper. The issue ends on a very strange cliffhanger, with a “rebirth” of sorts, though its not clear who the character is. A few clues here would make the issue end on a stronger note, but as it stands, the cliffhanger does relatively little to enhance the story. JG Jones artwork was a welcome addition, as its great to see him tackle interiors once again. He plays with his styles from storyline to storyline, but given how varied each thread is, it’s a good choice. Few artists have the range that Jones does, so I’m happy to see him play around a bit in this issue. In the end, Final Crisis lays the groundwork for a lot of potential stories, but doesn’t read like the first issue of a major event. There is promise in almost every thread, but I think that casual readers are going to be completely lost here. If you haven’t made up your mind about picking this one up, please keep that in mind. I’m probably being generous with my placement on this issue on the Rankings, but Jones’s interiors are worth the price of the book and I’m willing to give this issue a lot of credit for its potential. 07. Blue Beetle #27 (10) Written by Will Pfeifer Art by David Baldeon (pencils), Steve Birds (inks), and Guy Major Letters by Travis Lanham Cover by Rafael Albuquerque Writer Will Pfeifer, penciler David Baldeon, and inker Steve Birds make a “guest appearance” as the creative team for this week’s Blue Beetle #27, the start of a transition arc between regular creative teams. They all do a great job of building off of what has come before, matching styles with John Rogers and Rafael Albuquerque in terms of both the writing and the art. Pfeifer has a good handle on the characters, writing Jaime in much the same vein that Rogers did. He is only now coming into having confidence in his abilities, but has trouble balancing being Blue Beetle with being a teenage. Baldeon’s style fits well with all of the title’s previous artists, with a very energetic, animated approach to the characters. His only weak point is his take on Traci 13, who looks much older and frazzled than she is commonly portrayed. The story these men craft focuses on Jaime and Traci’s attempt at a normal date that is interrupted by some home-conjured demons. The story is a fun standalone tale with larger ramifications, though it did go in circles a little too much as the heroes attempt to crack the mystery of the demons. Still, the creative team has such a good handle on the characters that I’m willing to overlook some of the story’s flaws. Overall, this is a good jumping on point for new fans (though I strongly suggest you pick up all of this title’s trades, as this series has been amazing from day one) and manages to develop some characterization despite being a pretty fluffy issue. 06. Teen Titans #59 (08) Written by Sean McKeever Art by Eddy Barrows (pencils), Ruy Jose (inks), and Rod Reis (colors) Letters by Travis Lanham Cover by Eddy Barrows I must say, with each issue, Sean McKeever is coming more and more into his own on this title. With every issue, he seems to be getting more comfortable with all of the characters and in building plots around them. This week’s issue continues the “Terror Titans” story arc, tying it to the Dark Side Club, and prepping the Titans for a final face off against Clock King and his band of ne’er-do-wells. The interaction between the characters is great, especially with Robin, whose characterization is considerably stronger and more consistent here than it has been throughout this arc. The Clock King also takes a big step forward as we see his dealings with the Dark Side Club and motivations behind his actions. The banter between these two is well-played and establishes Clock King as a major threat without discrediting Robin’s abilities. The art by Eddy Barrows is absolutely fantastic. There is a ton of depth to each page (though, having such talented helpers as Ruy Jose on inks and Rod Reis on colors helps!) and his designs are looking absolutely great, especially his take on Robin. He presents the teen characters well and is very expressive both his facials and body language. What I really liked about the art, however, was the inventive layouts. Barrows eschews a standard grid in favor of chaotic angled panels that layer on top of one another. The result is absolutely fantastic and really helps build the sense of danger and energy in this issue. In the end, this title continues to get stronger under McKeever’s watch, with this issue being one of his finest. While this isn’t quite as good as his Ravager-focused issue a few months back, this is yet another big step forward for this title. A strong recommendation goes out to this one. 05. Drafted #7 (01) Written by Mark Powers Art by Rebekah Isaacs (art) and Joseph Baker (colors) Letters by Crank! Cover by Mark Powers Kicking off the Top 5 this week is DDP’s Drafted, one of the most consistently excellent books on the stands. This week’s issue is a good jumping on point for new readers, as it contains some strong recap of the first 6 issues while introducing some new elements. As always, Mark Powers puts the focus squarely on the characters, this time focusing on the chosen soldiers as they are giving 48 hours of leave time. In the midst of this, he introduces a faction that wants to stop the aliens from building Earth’s defending army, which is a great twist that adds considerable depth to the title. The interactions between characters in the midst of this larger contact fuels this issue, though the entire story moves to briskly. With all that is introduced in this issue (a possible romance, the soldier’s first return to Earth, the new faction, the potential invasion jumping forward, etc), Powers could have stretched the events out to help build the tension and further develop these new elements. Rebekah Isaacs tackles the art chores in place of regular artist Chris Lie and does admirably. Her style is very similar to Lie’s though its considerably less fluid. The stiffness of the art is offset by how much more depth she shows over Lie’s work. Still, fans of the series will feel right at home with the art shift. Overall, this is yet another fine issue for Drafted and, as always, gives a very strong recommendation. 04. GI Joe: America’s Elite #35 (02) Written by Mark Powers Art by Mike Bear (pencils), Mike Shoyket (pencils), Pat Quinn (pencils), and Jean-Francois Beaulieu (colors) Letters by Crank! Cover by Mike Bear The penultimate issue of DDP’s GI Joe: America’s Elite dropped this week (the same week that IDW officially announced they are taking over the license later this year) with yet another strong issue. It’s clear that DDP is going all-in for their final storyline, with this issue moving the story forward very quickly with the Joes finally striking back at Cobra on a number of fronts. There’s a ton of action, some great suspense, and Mark Powers’s fantastic-as-always-give-me-a-huge-cast-and-I’ll-give-you-a-great-book character writing. There are a handful of surprise twists, with Destro stealing the show in that regard; though, for the most part, the story is moving forward fairly predictably with the Joes hitting some successes on their way to the final showdown with Cobra. Despite the predictability, this is still an incredibly enjoyable issue that hits all the right notes. The penciling trio of Mike Bear, Mike Shoyket, and Pat Quinn blend together seamlessly in this issue, with Jean-Francois Beaulieu’s colors giving the book a very unified look. The art team works together so well that its nearly impossible to tell where one penciler ends and another begins. The only weak point of the art is Mike Bear’s cover, which features some really odd anatomy and a pretty boring design. In the end, its too late to jump in now without tracking down the back issues, but with one issue to go, this title is not slowing down. This is one of the must read storylines of 2008 and you should not miss this or any of the previous issues. 03. Green Lantern #31 (04) Written by Geoff Johns Art by Ivan Reis (pencils), Oclair Albert (inks), and Randy Mayor (colors) Letters by Rob Leigh Cover by Ivan Reis and Dave McCaig After a slow start, Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis’s “Secret Origin” arc has really picked up steam in the last few issues and this week’s is perhaps the best yet. The focus of this retelling of Hal’s earliest days as a Green Lantern moves to his introduction and training as part of the Green Lantern Corps in this issue. Johns hits all of the right notes with this, showcasing Hal’s inherent sense of rebellion as a contrast to the “boot-camp” personality of Killowag. Their interaction is a joy to read thanks to the strong dialogue from Johns. While there are a handful of retcons in the retelling, all fit perfectly within the history of the characters and enhance many of the stories currently being told. This arc has been a very satisfying addition to Hal’s overall story and this issue is no different. The issue closes by hinting at some secrets of the Guardians and a promise of Hal’s first meeting with Sinestro next issue. That has me tremendously excited about the next issue. Ivan Reis’s art is stellar, with tremendous consistency and energy throughout the issue. His panel choices are good and designs are spot on. It’s not flashy, but its effective. In the end, this is yet another fantastic issue for Green Lantern, a “can't miss" series. 02. Marvel 1985 #1 (09) Written by Mark Millar Art by Tommy Lee Edwards Letters by John Workman Covers by Tommy Lee Edwards & Jim Cheung, John Dell, and Justin Ponser When it was first announced, I was excited about the premise of Marvel 1985, but remained cautious, as I wasn’t sure how well things would play out. If this first issue is any indication, this miniseries is going to blow people away. For those unfamiliar, this series centers on the villains of the Marvel universe crossing over to our world, with the whole shebang taking place in 1985. Mark Millar does a great job of establishing the main character, a young comic fan who is trying to deal with his parents’ divorce, in a very realistic manner. He’s not a caricature or an ideal; he’s someone that most comic fans can relate to. The setting is a great snapshot of the period, both in terms of writing and art, with enough cultural landmarks to set the time and strong dialogue that captures the language well. The art by Tommy Lee Edwards has a great, realistic look that is an awesome fit for the series, with the Marvel characters looking realistic, but just enough out of place to emphasize their absurdity. The only problem with the art is that logos (such as the Masters of the Universe tshirt or the cover to Secret Wars) look very flat against the art, but this a very minor gripe. The concept of this comic is a really cool idea, but it’s the execution that really impressed me. Millar and Edwards have a great thing going with this one, so I highly suggest snagging a copy while you still can. This is a can’t miss debut. 01. Huntress: Year One #2 (03) Written by Ivory Madison Art by Cliff Richards (pencils), Art Thibert (inks), and Jason Wright (colors) Letters by Sal Cipriano Cover by Matthew Clark …and to think, I wasn’t going to pick up Huntress: Year One. After a great first issue, Ivory Madison and Cliff Richards turn it up to eleven on #2. We are only two issues in, but this is starting off to be one of the best miniseries of 2008. Madison pulls no punches on this issue, tackling extreme mob violence, religion, feminism, complicated relationships, and the most horrible of horrors (like rape and murder) in this issue. After establishing Helena’s family and role in it last issue, everything is turned on its head in this issue as Helena begins to develop the mindset that will lead to her being the Huntress. This is one of the most intelligent “superhero” comics I’ve read in some time, with focused narration and efficient dialogue that pushes the story forward without a single wasted word. I absolutely love how this issue is very focused on a certain moment of Helena’s life, but its clear that the issue is still telling a much larger story about who she is. Cliff Richards’s art follows suit, with fantastic consistency through the “acting,” incredible body language, and amazing designs that mix a sense of realism into standard comic-style conventions. The best part is how well Richards and Madison work together to tell the story. There is an undeniable chemistry in this creative team that I hope moves from this miniseries to more comics in the future. This issue is likely to get overlooked by too many readers, so take my word for it and pick it up. There were some great books this week, but none of them came close to how great this issue was, making it a very easy pick for Book of the Week. Last edited by Ye Olde Iowa : 05-31-2008 at 09:17 AM. |
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05-30-2008, 01:34 PM
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#2 |
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1) All Star Superman #11 – Has Lex Luthor ever been this fun to read? Also I think Luthor’s Niece is a fantastic character. Morrison gives us a Superman that inspires, even as he faces his coming death and gives a Luthor who’s delightfully evil as he revels in his new abilities. Frank Quitely’s art is phenomenal as it is beautiful.
2) Number of the Beast #4 – Beatty continues to build a slow burn as things start to go horribly wrong in “the City”. The Heroes start to doubt who’s side he’s on and Dr Sin is loose with and looking to wreck some sh!t…did I mention the four horsemen are also loose? Sprouse continues with his fantastic pencil work. 3) SHotA: Jack Hawksmoor #3 – Hawksmoor continues to sort through the mystery that has him in the bed of a Stormwatch washout. Costa continues to craft a great noir mystery with a superhuman twist and Fiona Staples’ art complements the moodiness of the story. 4) Buffy Season 8: No Future for You – I finally got a chance to read volume 2 of season 8 of Buffy, this Faith centric story was very entertaining and full of character moments with great emotional weight to them. Giles taps Faith for a dirty job with the promise of early retirement from the slaying life, while the rest of the Scooby gang deal with the fact that the US Government and try to figure out who the “Twilight” are. A small, but solid week |
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05-30-2008, 02:40 PM
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#3 |
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I passed on Final Crisis after leafing through it in the LCBS
8. King Sized Hulk #1 (2) Loeb, Admas & Cho What a huge disappointment this issue was. I knew going in that it contained a lot of reprinted material, but the new story handed to us was not even close to $5 cover charge. Hulk fights She-Hulk – much of which was covered in previous issues of the Red Hulk - literally. Banner reminisces about the horrors that the Abomination has done throughout his life. Also, the Red Hulk beats the crap out of Wendigo. It was such a let down for a “new” story. I can’t recommend this even for the die hard fans for this cover price (even with the great artwork). If you nitpick there isn’t even 22 pages of “new” material in this King Sized comic. 7. Batman #677 (4) Morrison & Daniel I was so confused with this issue. Why would Batman invite his girlfriend into the Batcave and reveal information about a case he is actively working on? This very notion was lost on me and I found it very distracting. The big reveal in this issue is the revisiting of everything you thought you knew about Bruce’s parents. As disturbing as this was it might be explained away later in the story. But as an individual issue, this one was bizarre in terms of Bruce’s behavior. I can’t say it was a bad issue, but it just had an uneasy and unfamiliar feeling to it. 6. GI Joe America’s Elite #35 (1) Powers, Bear, Shoyket & Quinn This issue wasn’t terrible, but was a letdown nonetheless. Three separate teams of 4-5 Joes attacks three Cobra bases and all achieve their objectives with limited resistance. None of this was remotely realistic in the context of this story. It was so forced and was so 80s cartoon-like I found it embarrassing. Storm Shadow had some great scenes, but it wasn’t enough to help this issue. I found myself finishing it and thinking, “We built up ten issues for this?” which is not a good thing to think. The bar was set too high and there had to be a stumble at some point I guess. 5. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic #29 (7) Jackson Miller, Dazo, Atiyeh & Weaver This issue was solid. Not a ton happens, but it is interesting nonetheless. Basically, Zayne and Gryph go to the Sith artifact warehouse and try to gather evidence that proves that Zayne’s former Masters are evil. Also, one of his former Masters gets elected to the Jedi Council. A lot of groundwork was dropped down for future threads. It was a good issue, but could have been better if some of the artifacts were explored a bit more. 4. Uncanny X-Men #498 (8) Brubaker & Choi This issue had two halves to it. One, we learn some of the background behind the hippie redux in San Francisco. Two, we watch Wolverine and company get tortured. For me, the torture provided a ton of entertainment. This scene raised some interesting questions and brought about a villain returning. The San Francisco thread shows other X-Men who have been sucked in and one is a head-scratcher in terms of continuity. 3. X-Men Legacy #212 (6) Carey & Eaton This issue is very good. I finally have a grip on this story’s purpose. This issue gives us Gambit’s memories and view on Xavier. It’s very good. We also get more about the overall plot that does tie into the people Xavier is seeking out. This title has a lot of possible directions and it looks like it will keep you guessing as to who is a friend and who is a foe. 2. Green Lantern #31 (3) Johns & Reis The revisit of Hal Jordan’s origin takes us to his training on Oa. This issue is very, very good. You don’t need to know a ton about Jordan or the Lanterns to understand this issue. However, familiar characters make appearances that will interest long time Lantern fans. This issue really captures the youthful and reckless view of Jordan. Add in stellar art and this is a great issue all the way around. 1. Star Wars Dark Times #11 (5) Harrison, Wheatley, McCaig & Charest Vector moves to Darth Vader. This issue is outstanding. Vader has a Sith artifact expert help him find the chamber that Celeste is stuck in. Vader wakes her and it ain’t pretty. As a side story, Bomo and the crew are witness to all of this as captives. One thing the issue does really well is using Vader as a menacing figure. All this and we get a nice surprise from Zayne and Gryph that made me laugh out loud. This issue has helped Vector to really have some meaning. A nice intro helps out the new readers. |
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05-30-2008, 02:46 PM
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#4 |
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I was under the assumption that the man at the end was the exiled Monitor. He has hte same hairstyle and it picks up (with a brief Kamandi / Anthro page in between) right after his depowering and punishment. Who did you think it was? Martian Manhunter? A random New God?
Blue Beetle was a fun done-in-one, but I had one major complaint. The Scarab text is now a text box. My jaw nearly hit teh floor when I saw that. I know it's been "learning" to speak English and the scarab text was becoming more and more readable as the series progressed, but why didn't they keep it to the same font style? It sounds like a very nitpicking kind of thing, but I found it really took me out of the otherwise enjoyable read. Completely agree on Batman. The story has had no development and the characters feel forced onto us. There's no tension or interest and it all feels manufactured. Morrison's first half was a fun ride, but he's gone astray lately and the editors aren't inclined to reel him back in and keep him on track. Was surprised at your Astonishing ranking. I loved most of his Spider-Man scenes and there were some great moments scattered about, like Colossus saying he won't destroy, but rule their world if the bullet hits Earth and I thought the Brand / Beast stuff was some funny stuff. However, it all does seem like he thought up random moments and pastedt hem together with a thinnly veiled plot. I'm still not sure what the heck happened to the heroes and why they started spacing out and drooling. It's been a while and I'm going to break out the last several issues again to see if I'm forgetting something that explained that. While not the best issue and it had a predictable ending with an easily reversible death, I wouldn't put it below New Avengers and a few other books I picked up this week. NA was just plain bad and a waste of money. Nice reveiws as always. Keep up the good work. |
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05-30-2008, 03:18 PM
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#5 |
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I've been trying to deal with the Secret Origin for awhile and I keep coming back to the same question. What happened do the events of Emerald Dawn? Is it down the retcon rabbit hole? Did the re-invention of the Multiverse purge the past? Does DC just not care that they told an entirely different story years ago about Hal's early days as a Lantern?
On a slightly different note, did Abin Sur ever take a trip that didn't end on Earth? |
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05-30-2008, 03:25 PM
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#6 | |
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Sure feels like DC just decided to abandon it entirely. Are you reading Batman? Cause it seems like his past is about to get a major retcon as well during RIP. |
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05-30-2008, 06:08 PM
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#7 |
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Huntress Year One is kicking all kinds of ass, as is Helena! I concur- to think you weren't going to pick it up.
It's been hella good thus far and we haven't even seen Batman, Catwoman, or Batgirl yet, nor has Helena donned the Huntress suit! Please folks, give it a chance. |
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05-31-2008, 12:23 AM
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#8 |
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Totally disagree with your take on Giant-Size. I thought it capped off what will go down as being one of the best takes on the X-Men. The scenes with Kitty and Emma were fantastic, as well as the scenes with Brand and Beast. It was worth the wait. I thought it was way better than Action Comics Annual. The art didn't look rushed and it told a story that will fit in with current continuity, while Action totally disregarded what's been going on with Chris Kent in the other Superman books.
All in all, if you've been enjoying Whedon and Cassady's Astonishing run, you'll enjoy this. Bottom Line, for me, it was the Book of the Week. Head and shoulders above Final Crisis, which was sporting some awesome artwork, but a lackluster story. |
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05-31-2008, 01:17 AM
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#9 | |
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If you check out the scene with Doc Strange, it was his fault all the heroes went all drooly but i dont know why his spell went all eff'd but it did. What I don't get is why they didn't attempt to contact the Surfer or Nova or someone more...i dunno, COSMIC oriented? like really, if you want to stop a giant bullet moving through space maybe you should get someone who is a cosmic character but i guess that will be picked up later when somebody high profile wants Kitty. Last edited by samurai9t9 : 05-31-2008 at 01:19 AM. |
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05-31-2008, 01:23 AM
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#10 |
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loved Iron Fist #15 (and not just for the fact that it revolved around two asian immortal weapons kicking colonial butt). You could really empathise with Bei Bang Wan when he sees that his perfect strategy has fallen to pieces
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05-31-2008, 04:57 AM
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#11 |
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Nice reviews. Well written and succinct. Of course seeing Huntress at the top of the list won me over. I'm totally with you. Huntress Year One is the best book people aren't reading! Pick it up! You'll be happy you did!
P.S: The cover isn't by Cliff, it's by Matthew Clark. Last edited by Juggling man : 05-31-2008 at 05:00 AM. |
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05-31-2008, 11:24 AM
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#12 |
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OK, here's my rankings for the week:
4. Legion of Superheroes #42 (2) Not a bad issue but this series has yet to have kicked into the high gear I want it to. This is actually the title that brought me back to regular comic buying after 10 months or so off. I love Shooter but I think he's dragging the mysterious monsters storyline out and it needs some resolution. If the rumors of his departure are true then we may never know which will suck. 3. Batman #677 (-) I haven't read the first part of RIP yet and it's been a while since I've read any issue of Batman (the first Morrison arc). I thought this was great stuff though. Very exciting and Batman's meltdown was effectively creepy. Black Hand story seems very cool so far. 2. 1985 #1 (-) Boy this was a lot of fun. I liked the kid, the Marvel meets reality story is done quite well and in an interesting fashion. So far it would make a great family movie, we'll see if Millar takes it in darker directions. I may wait for the trade as I have a feeling it will read even better in that format. 1.Final Crisis #1 (1) On the first reading I was quite disappointed by this one. On a second reading I fell in love with it (rather the reverse of what happened with Secret Invasion). Lots of great little details and the ominous feeling of bad things waiting in the wings. I'm ready for more. Great art too! It's still very much a first chapter but it's a great first chapter that could lead to a lot of different places. |
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05-31-2008, 12:16 PM
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#13 | |||||||
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Hey Everybody! Thanks for stopping by and posting your thoughts. Keep it up! Tell your friends!
Quote:
I'm thinking it probably was the new Monitor. Logic seems to be pointing in that direction, but I still think they should have dropped a few clues if they wanted it to be an effective cliffhanger. Quote:
I was put off by that as well. I like the idea that Jaime is getting more in-tune with it, but this was a little much. If I were in charge, I'd have kept a simliar font style, but had certain words of phrases indecipherable. That way its clear Jaime is still growing into his relationship with the Scarab. Quote:
Finally, someone agrees with me! Quote:
I can see your beef, but I've never read Emerald Dawn. I'm assuming its being scrapped so that Johns can fill in the gaps between the origin and his GL Trilogy. The interesting thing is that he is picking up a lot of stray threads left by Alan Moore. Check out Tales of the Green Lantern Annual #2 if you can hunt it down. Moore lays out the prophecy of the Blackest Night there and you get to see Abin Sur's earliest run-in with the big-bads that will be plaguing the Lanterns over the next few years. Plus, its done "Arabian Nights" style with Sinestro narrating. Awesome stuff. Quote:
Straight up, man. This miniseries is going to be off of too many radars. Everyone needs to be picking this one up! Quote:
Good catch! I fixed this in the Rankings. Thanks for stopping by, Juggling man! Quote:
Thanks, as always, for stopping by and posting your thoughts Gnome! It was a tough decision, but I decided to drop LoSH. The story was okay, but the real pull for me has been Manapul and I'm guessing he won't last long once Shooter leaves. I'm hoping they'll put him on something higher profile, because I think he has the chops for something like Justice League. |
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05-31-2008, 11:30 PM
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#14 |
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Shooter isn't leaving Legion of Super-Heroes. Lying in the Gutters was, well, lying. Check one of hte random DC panels from the recent con.
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06-01-2008, 05:16 AM
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#15 |
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My Rankings
It was a big week for comics. Big X-Men week and even bigger week fro Grant Morrison.
#11--Giant-Sized Astonishing X-Men #1 (W: Joss Whedon; A; John Cassaday) I'll be honest, the best thing about this issue is that Joss Whedon's God-Awful X-Men is finally over. To be fair, when Astonishing X-Men first came out, the book was incredible (I went and re-read my issues). "Gifted" is one of the classic X-Men stories, so I have to express disappointment at the total abomination that the series became at its end, where each issue became progressively worse. We know that Whedon and Cassaday can give us better X-Men, so in that regard, GSAXM #1 is a total disappointment. It also has to be compared to some of the other plus-sized, inexcusably late concluding issues of the past two years (Wonder Woman Annual, Ultimates 2 #13, Action Comics Annual #11). I'll say that the WW annual wasn't very good, but at least the other issues gave us stuff that made the issue worth the wait (Bryan Hitch's eight page spread, the dynamic Adam Kubert pencils and cinematically emotional Geoff Johns/Richard Donner storytelling). GSAXM #1 disappoints on every level. The story is messy and confusing (did the drooling superhero issue ever get resolved?), the art is rushed (re-read "Gifted" to see what Cassaday is really capable of), the dialogue sounds like it was picked up off of the Buffy cutting room floor (especially anything that comes out of Agent Brand's mouth), the page count is padded (reprinting the variant covers--gimme a break), Marvel editorial spoiled the Kitty surprise (whereas--continuity questions aside--DC kept the Chris Kent resoluition relatively secret), and some of it is just plain stupid (a bullet that can "kill" the Earth? Gimme a break). A sad, overpriced ending to a title that once had every reader in comics under its spell. #10 Uncanny X-Men #498 (W: Ed Brubaker; P: Mike Choi) I haven't enjoyed the recent arc in Uncanny a whole lot. But, I'm a huge completist when it comes to Uncanny (I have nearly every issue published since #300), so I get the book regardless of quality. Still, the issue does have some good parts. I love Choi's art in this arc. He's clearly having fun. I'm also eager to see how Brubaker is going to tie the two disparate storylines together. This title is treading water until #500. #9 X-Men: Legacy #212 (W: Mike Carey; P: Scott Eaton and Mike Deodato, Jr.) I actually liked this book a whole lot, and it's at #9. Strong week for comics. Finally, this title reads less like X-Men History 101 and more like a fun comic. This is mostly due to the original, effective, and unexpected team up of Professor X and Gambit. Those are two characters that haven't really had a whole ton of interaction in the X-Universe, and Carey really gets some good milage out of their partnership. Their team-up also makes storyline sense (considering Gambit's history with Sinister). #212 is the strongest issue of the title's relaunch thus far. #8 Green Lantern #31 (W: Geoff Johns; P: Ivan Reis) The retelling of Hal Jordan's origins is going along swimmingly. Kilowog is probably my favorite Lantern, so it was nice to see him spotlighted. Green Lantern is still among the top 5 DC titles right now. #7 Action Comics #865 (W: Johns; P: Jesus Merino) Johns' Action Comics run has been pretty spectacular thus far, but it loses steam between the big arcs. #865 rectifies that with a nice, solid focus on Toyman. Lots of nice character work here, and I totally loved the little revelation JImmy makes about Toyman's story. It was a good way to show how committed to being a journalist Jimmy Olsen can be. #6 Thor #9 (W: J.M. Straczynski; P: Olivier Coipel) You know a relaunch is going well when the main character is hardly in an issue and the issue remains strong. The thrust of the plot of the issue sees Loki convincing Balder to vanquish some storm giants, while the remainder of the issue is showing how the rest of the Asgardians are adjusting to life over Oklahoma. Good and funny stuff in that subplot, and I loved the sweetness and innocence of the local Oklahoman. JMS sets up the next big conflict in the title well. #5 Shadowpact #25 (W: Matthew Sturges; A: Phil Winslade) A little sad to see this is the final issue of Shadowpact, as I've enjoyed the team since they made their debut in the Day of Vengeance miniseries a few years back. Sturges wraps things up very nicely, especially in regards to the whole "every Shadowpact throughout time was doomed to failure" prophesy that has been haunting SP since DoV. Winslade's art perfectly suits the chaos in the issue. A nice end--if a bit bittersweet--for the books fans. #4 Ultimate Spider-Man #122 (W: Brian Michael Bendis; P: Stuart Immonen) Another great stand alone issue here, this time focusing on the rather pathetic Shocker (you know, the guy Spidey has kicked around throughout the series). Bendis also drops some serious hints as to what Spidey may be fighting against in upcoming issues. Immonen's art is the best it has been since he took up USM. This is still Bendis' best Marvel book. #3 All-Star Superman #11 (W: Grant Morrison; A: Frank Quitely) Like Captain America, how many times can All-Star Supes be praised? Everything about the book is incredible, and I'm really looking forward to the finale. #2 Batman #677 (W: Morrison; A: Tony Daniel) Wow. I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did. I think there's a real sense of urgency and menace that Morrison has brought to the big "Batman R.I.P." storyline. In one issue, he turned the volume up to eleven. It also makes prefectly clear that last month's issue was nothing but setup, setup, setup--something readers should keep in mind in regards to... #1 Final Crisis #1 (W: Morrison; A; J.G. Jones) People seem to forget that Grant Morrison is the prototypical everything but the kitchen sink author. Final Crisis is quintessential Morrison. I mean, he starts the book much like 2001: A Space Odyssey began--in prehistorical times when man gains knowledge of a transformative technology. For good measure, he's got the whole Darkseid mystery left to reveal, a Rogue's protest, a situation with the Monitors to resolve, and the fallout of the death of Martian Manhunter. There's so much going on, you have to read the book multiple times to take it all in (it gets better with each reading). Luckily, J.G. Jones' art on the title is the kind of stuff that literally begs for you to look at over and over again. It is a totally gorgeous book. I have to commend DC for faithfully placing their blockbuster summer book in Morrison's hands. He usually doesn't write comics that cater to new audiences. In fact, I think Morrison prefers his audiences to be a bit bewildered--wanting his readers to just give in and get lost in the story he's telling. DC's big event got off to a real nice start, and if FC #2 goes the way of Batman #677, then we have big things to look forward to. Last edited by 11ball : 06-02-2008 at 08:27 PM. Reason: a few misspellings |
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06-01-2008, 07:19 PM
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#16 | |
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Quote:
I saw that. Looks like Shooter has at least a year, provided sales hold up, I'm sure. As much as I really wanted to like the series, the pacing was just getting to be too slow and it had a very "thick" feel to it (and not in a good way). I really wanted to stick around because I'm such a fan of Manapul's art, but there are too many books out there that I'm enjoying so much more. Something had to go and this is just one of the books I've decided to drop. |
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06-02-2008, 02:30 AM
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#17 | |
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however the very best book this week was Dave Sim's Judenhass a wholely original graphic novel that is powerful in its artistry as well as its emotional impact. my review can be found here... this was one of the firts books I reviewed for Broken Frontier and was the first advance review I did for them. Last edited by thefourthman : 06-02-2008 at 09:44 AM. |
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06-02-2008, 04:50 PM
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#18 |
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I thought your AXM review was rather harsh. I thought Whedon juggled the X-men and earth hero material rather well. Had we not had such a long time to work out where ths was going it would really have been great I think. Quite a sad ending but nothing that can't be resolved later.
I also enjoyed Action. I used to hate done-in-one filer issues but as time has gone by I appreciate the break in huge epics. It was fun with a cool little twist involving Toyman's wife. Enjoyable. I finished the second Iron Fist HC last night and I really love the grand tale Bru and Fraction have told. I wish they would stay one because Duane S. has not impressed me on Cable at all. In addition, I have really enjoyed Hercules, Thor, All-Star Super-man, JSA, and Final Crisis this week. Uncanny X-men continues to fall flat for me and unless Brubaker does something really great with Omega-Red next month, I think the losing streak will continue. I'll stay on until after 500, but not much more without a vast improvement. X-men Legacy OTOH stays intriguing. I can't wait to see the final destination of all this. I also feel X-Force has been unfairly criticized for being vacuous violence and bloody exploitation. X-Factor continues it's greatness with promising stories to come. King-Size Hulk was a King-Size turd. Really I don't know how long this Loeb run is going to stretch but I hope sales take a big enough dive to send a message. I want a Hulk book but not this Hulk book. Daredevil also takes a giant leap into a new storyline. It will be difficult to live up to No Fear but Rucka and Bru have a great start. Moore's opening chapter of his arc on Iron Man DoS was...fine. I'll look forward to the return of the Knaufs though. The Secret Invasion Avengers cross overs were also ..fine. Sort of ready for them to get back to normal already. Avengers the Inititive was quite good. Not much exploration of the new team because of the focus on Boulder, but I'm sure Gage and Slott will dig right in next month. Again thanks for the reviews YOI. Always enjoyable to read. |
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06-02-2008, 10:23 PM
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#19 | |
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phoenix, I know you're one of Astonishing's biggest supporters, but to make the claim that Astonishing made better use of current Marvel continuity than Action Annual #11 did with current DC continuity is one of the most idiotic things I have ever read posted on the boards here. Frankly, it shows total fanboyism on your part instead of thoughtful analysis of the two books. I'll be the first to say that the Chris Kent situation is a huge continuity mess for DC. However, unlike Marvel and Kitty Pryde, DC didn't spoil the ultimate fate of Christopher Kent, and it can be argued that you could wedge the entire Busiek Superman run into those middle chapters of "Last Son" before Zod and everyone show up. Astonishing X-Men has been going since 2004 (oh, BTW, 25 issues--four years=shameful). In terms of simply the X-Men universe, we know that what happens in Astonishing happens before Messiah Complex, and probably all before when Brubaker and Carey came in and took over the other two main X-books. But in Giant-Sized Astonishing a whole ton of other characters show up that present a ton of continuity problems. Right on the first page is Spider-Man. Is this pre- or post- BND Spidey? There's Storm, but no mention of her marriage to Black Panther (which Wolverine and Kitty attended) And there's a whole host of Marvel Universe heroes (the FF, Iron Man, Dr. Strange, the Sentry) working together so it looks like what happened in GSAXM #1 took place before the whole of Civil War (yet if Wolverine and Kitty were at Storm's marriage which took place in the middle of Civil War then how is this possible?). There's a whole mess of continuity problems in this issue alone. Not to mention that in the entirety of Whedon and Cassaday's run on Astonishing not one mention is made of M-Day (I went back and read every issue), so this could all be very well pre-House of M! Ugh. I yearn for the days of the editors note. It looks like Marvel let Whedon use pretty much whomever he wanted to in the final issue of his X-Men run, regardless of what is going on in their universe at the moment. I think it's pretty indicative of editorial caving to the demands of a high profile talent. And really, did Spidey, Iron Man, Dr. Strange, FF, Sentry and co. really need to be in the book or are they there to milk five bucks out of the fans of those characters who aren't into X-Men? Total stunt casting, I say, and yet another reason why GSAXM #1 was one of the worst comic books I have read in a long, long time. I know I'm probably not going to convince any of the fans of Whedon, Cassaday and GSAXM #1 that their favorite book is a huge mess. And hey, to each their own. Have your opinions. But to say that GSAXM #1 fit well with current Marvel continuity (and implying that Action Annual #11 did a worse job) is totally laughable and completely wrong. But whatever. I'm not wasting any more typing on that crappy comic book. Last edited by 11ball : 06-02-2008 at 10:26 PM. Reason: make grammar corrections |
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06-03-2008, 10:33 AM
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#20 |
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Top books this week:
9.) New Avengers 41 - A very cool Ka-zar/Savage Land/Skrull/Spidey tale. 8.) Green Lantern 31 - This books is always awesome!!! Origin tale part 3 with Green Lantern Sinestro appearing. 7.)The Sword 8 - I love the Luna Brothers!!! 6.) Iron Fist 15 - A cool stand alone tale about one of the old Iron Fist's. 5.) Blue Beetle 27 - Radical!!! 4.) Final Crisis #1 - Very interesting. People have been hard on this books as far as reviews. I liked it and I think it will get even better. There is alot going on for one book, which seems why some people dislliked it. 3.)Marvel 1985 #1 - A very fun book!!! Definitely pick this up. Brought me back to childhood. Great idea!!! Mark Millar!!! 2.) Batman 677 - R.I.P. is in full swing now and Bats is going crazy!!! 1.) Thor 9 - JMS is an amazing writer!!! Artwork is stellar!!! This book continues to get better and better with each issue!!! Cliffhanger ending!!!! Biggest dissapiontment: King Size Hulk- I was excited about this book but it really wasn't even a new story. Just some reviewing of what had already happened. I like this Red Hulk book(issues #1-3), but I am ready for Incredible Hulk by Greg Pak again. I love Incredible Hercules too, I'd just like to see Pak do Hulk again too. The Hulk #180-181 first Wolverine issues are included in this, so if you don't have those, they are pretty cool.  |
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06-03-2008, 02:34 PM
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#21 |
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For those interested, here are this week's preRankings:
15. DC Special: Raven #4 14. Detective Comics #845 13. Amazing Spider-man #561 12. Nightwing #145 11. Young X-Men #3 10. Trinity #1 09. Robin/Spoiler Special 08. Justice Society of America #16 07. Secret Invasion #3 06. The Boys #19 05. Invincible Iron Man #2 04. Kick-Ass #3 03. Nova #14 02. Manhunter #31 01. Criminal #3 Top to bottom, it looks like another really solid week. Be sure to check back on Thursday for the full reviews and Rankings! |
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