BEST SHOTS: MIGHTY AVENGERS #1, ACTION COMICS #846, MORE...

[MattBrady]

by The Best Shots Team, courtesy of ShotgunReviews.com
Your Host: Troy Brownfield

Big week this week. Let’s skip the intro and get right into . . .

Column Rules!

1) Be kind to one another and my hard-working team. It’s fine to disagree with the reviews or with each other, but let’s stick to factual points and literary themes and leave the personal stuff out. Intentionally rude behavior isn’t welcome. And for the record, when you signed the terms of service agreement, you acknowledged that your posts can be deleted for inappropriate stuff. So don’t hide behind free speech when you know what you’re doing.

2) Each review is individually credited to the person who actually wrote it. Although Matt Brady’s name is on the post at the upper left, that’s because he is Christina Aguilera, and we’re the rest of the late ‘90s pop tarts that disappeared after one or two minor hits (Hoku, anyone?).

3) If you happen to catch a factual error or a typo, drop me a personal message and I’ll correct it. In a column that can often run up to 20 pages in Word doc form, things do sometimes squeak through. I’d rather you just zap me a mail than derail the entire discussion. I’ll delete any post about grammar, mainly because that means that the person could find a mistake but couldn’t be bothered to read the top of the column.


Early Shot:
Mighty Avengers #1
From: Marvel
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Frank Cho
Review by Troy Brownfield

I guess we have to establish a couple of things up front. I’ve historically enjoyed a lot of the work that Bendis has done, though I’ve cottoned to his crime stuff a bit more than his super-hero work. I also thought that his run on New Avengers actually picked up a lot of steam as Civil War hit, and I thought that the recent reboot of that book was well-handled; I look forward to where it goes. What New Avengers really lacked from the outset was the feeling of a big team adventuring as a unit. Part of the problem was that it took forever to get the team together, and it wasn’t really until the terrific Annual that it felt like team comics. With all that in mind, I was cautiously optimistic about this new number one. And what does Bendis do with it?

Knocks it out of the f’n park.

Mighty Avengers plays exactly as a team comic should. There’s clever interaction (predicated in many cases on lengthy character histories), a juxtaposition of personalities, and lots of action. It also benefits hugely from getting the team together and into the field quickly. And under Cho, it looks damn good.

One thing that you’ll hear a lot about concerning this book is Bendis’s decision to once again use thought bubbles, a stylistic choice that’s been all but discarded in recent years. Let me make this perfectly clear: these are not the thought bubbles of the past, wherein lengthy exposition is crammed. Bendis uses them sharply, effectively making them running commentary and asides. It adds a deft layer to the proceedings, particularly in the recruitment scenes with Iron Man and Ms. Marvel. Her backward-analysis of a casual remark from him about her appearance felt absolutely real.

The one hurdle that people will probably face with this book is the antipathy that they’ve built up to the “Pro-Reg” heroes that compose the roster. Clearly, this team has been designed not just for a new line-up, but to come into ideological and physical opposition with the “Anti-Reg” and on-the-run New Avengers. Can you like both? I’m not completely sure. I still read this with a bit of “Hey, Iron Man is a dick,” in the back of my mind, but Ms. Marvel makes some strong points in favor of Luke Cage, Spider-Man, and Cap, and the rest of the team has yet to be heard from on this matter. By getting some of that up-front rather than letting it be the elephant in the room, Bendis has made another smart choice.

As for the other majority partner, Frank Cho does really outstanding work here. I’ve always loved Liberty Meadows, so it’s a bit of a mental disconnect (hell, derailment) to consider that this is the same guy. The immediate common thread is that he still draws beautiful women, but he also does an equally terrific job with strong men, uber-tech, and giant monsters.

I’m happy to report that this first issues plays as a very strong team book. It’ll be interesting to see how Bendis juggles the two groups and their disparate political philosophies and power levels (what with the N.A. being primarily “street-level” versus the more power-packed M.A.). Parts of Civil War may have left me cold, but if all of the books that come out of it have this much energy, action, and humor, then that’s one war that was worth fighting.

Early Shot
Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness
From: Marvel/Dynamite
Writer: John Layman
Art: Fabiano Neves
Consultant: Robert Kirkman
Review by Troy Brownfield

My enjoyment of Dynamite’s Army of Darkness series is pretty well-documented. I was also pretty enthusiastic about Marvel Zombies, coming as it did from a guy who knows a thing or two about walking dead, Robert Kirkman. Kirkman takes the role of consultant for this spin, and Dynamite mainstay John Layman steps up for the writing chores. Fortunately, he’s got a good handle on chainsaw-wielding, broomstick-slinging Ashley J. “Ash” Williams, not to mention a pretty fair grasp of Marvel’s upper echelon.

Of course, that particular grasp doesn’t need to last very long, considering that the events here occur just prior to Marvel Zombies itself. Ash arrives just in time to see the fit hit the shan as the contagion begins to spread. Ash has spent years fighting his brand of Deadites, but does he have a chance in hell against the Zombiefied Avengers?

Neves does an admirable job with the art. I’ve always liked Ash when he’s done with more realism, rather than cartoonishness. Neves’ style fits with the earlier series’ work by Phillips without being imitative, and it gives Ash a strong presence without allowing the character’s inherent humor and attitude to compromise his slightly more heroic-than-normal look.

From the outside, this might seem like a crazy idea. Frankly, it’s inspired. Ash meeting the Marvel Zombies is a stroke of genius (and not just in terms of marketing). The first issue is ghoulish fun, and Ash’s over-the-top nature makes him the perfect POV character for a super-idealized world turned upside-down. By the end of the first issues, we’re essentially left with two questions: who gets the chainsaw first, and yes, who wants some?

Wisdom #3 (of 6)
Writer: Paul Cornell
Artist: Manuel Garcia and Mark Farmer
From: Marvel
Review by Corey Henson

Peter Wisdom and his motley crew take another walk on the weird side of Britain’s culture when they enlist the aid of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu to take down a Welsh dragon who’s assumed human form and become a small-time hood. This is really more of a Shang-Chi story, and if you take it as such, it‘s rather enjoyable. Wisdom and his team don’t do much of anything while Shang-Chi battles the dragon. There is some momentum achieved in terms of the love triangle between Wisdom, Maureen Raven, and Wisdom’s wife-by-necessity Tink, as Wisdom finally admits to his infidelity.

Manuel Garcia takes over the art duties from Trevor Hairsine, who I would guess had to go because he either couldn’t meet his deadlines or Marvel decided there weren’t enough readers picking up Wisdom to justify Hairsine’s page rate. Garcia does a perfectly fine job of telling the story, but with much less flair than Hairsine. Since the selling points of the series for me have been the characters and the story, I’ll take Garcia over Hairsine, especially if it means the book will come out when it’s scheduled. I also wouldn’t object if they knocked a buck off of the cover price too, since replacing Hairsine makes it really difficult to justify continuing to charge $4 an issue. That’s not a likely occurrence, though.

It really is a shame more people aren’t reading this book, because it‘s been surprisingly good thus far. Paul Cornell has taken a rather small piece of the X-Men mythos and crafted a unique, engaging story. Though this is the weakest issue of the series so far, since the loss Hairsine does hurt the look of the book (even though his departure may turn out to be for the best in the long run) and the main characters are pushed to the background, Cornell obviously has a plan for the rest of the series, and I like where it’s been going so far.

Corey Henson wishes he had an English accent. Everything sounds better with an English accent.

Crossing Midnight #4
Written by Mike Carey
Art by Jim Fern & Mark Pennington
Published by DC/Vertigo
Review by Sarah Jaffe

It has come to my attention that some of you think Crossing Midnight is not very good, or that it is one of Vertigo’s weaker books. (It’s hard not to be, on an imprint that publishes Fables, DMZ, and Y the Last Man.) Thus far, I am going to have to argue that point, and not just because I’m a Verti-geek. I buy Vertigo books because it’s the one imprint that I can be fairly sure will put out books that will not insult my intelligence, bore me, or talk down to me. They might be realistic, dystopian future-tales or supernatural thrillers, but they’re fairly certain not to suck. Even the few that I can’t wrap my head around aren’t what I’d call bad, just not as impressive.

I would not put Crossing Midnight into the not-as-impressive category. Supernatural-horror books are hard enough to write when you’re handed a character and a setting already, as Mike Carey was with Lucifer and John Constantine. Creating your own world, rules, characters, as well as plotting and telling the story, requires more from any writer—that’s why most sci-fi or fantasy writers create one setting and stay with it for several volumes.

Toshi Hara has been convinced to swear fealty to the demon Aratsu, and her brother Kai is making oaths of his own, for protection and the salvation of his family. Kai, always the quieter of the twins, the follower, is now the only one who can save his family, and has to figure out why they have been targeted and how to free them from the bargain his father unwittingly made. A new demon, a long and languid one claiming to preside over the needle and pin where Aratsu rules the sword, rescues Kai from a flock of gremlin-like beasties, but swears him to a bargain of his own—and we know how well bargains have gone so far.

Crossing Midnight blends contemporary family drama and a classic coming-of-age tale with an almost medieval sensibility based in samurai tradition and Japanese folklore, seasoned with a bit of twentieth-century history. It lulls you into a false sense of security, a feeling that you know the rules of the game, and then shocks you with some splash of violence or twist you weren’t expecting. Its color palette is pastel and pretty and light, all the better to show off the red that occurs only as blood or on the clothing of the supernatural entities.

Carey has been tapped to write a book for DC’s new Minx line, and after the lovely job he did first with Elaine Belloc in Lucifer and now here with the Hara twins, I think he’ll do a good job writing for young women. Toshi and Kai are likable, but those of us who are no longer teenagers will relate as well to their parents, especially their mother, who is illuminated in this issue with flashbacks as she lies in a hospital bed. Carey’s writing really shines in these moments.

If all of this still doesn’t interest you, I suppose that’s just your taste and I can’t blame you for it. But if you haven’t given Crossing Midnight a shot yet, try it next time you hit the comic shop. Just because you haven’t heard of the characters before doesn’t mean you won’t like it. Y: The Last Man was a new series once too.

Keep a look out for a forthcoming piece by Sarah about the female opinion of comics; it’s an eye-opener.

Dr. Strange: The Oath #5
From: Marvel
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artists: Marcos Martin and Javier Rodriguez
Review by J. Caleb Mozzocco

And thus concludes writer Brian K. Vaughan’s and penciler Marcos Martin’s reinvention of Dr. Strange, a simple enough seeming reinvention that explored what it must be like to be someone who came to master magic after first mastering medicine.

Vaughan made the conflict one that straddled both the medical and the magical, so that we open with Wong dying of cancer and Stephen Strange finding a mystical cure, which turns out to be The Panacea, the alchemical cure for all diseases.

A rival surgeon-turned-sorcerer currently carrying water for Timely Pharmaceuticals wants to stop the Panacea from falling into the wrong hands (i.e. the right hands), and it’s up to Strange and fellow Marvelous medical-type Night Nurse to save the day.

I’ve never been a huge Strange fan, as he always struck me as one of those characters who worked best in small doses, as a team-player or guest-star, but Vaughan has done a remarkable job of jettisoning the clunky narration and exposition that tends to make old Strange stories such a chore to read, and honed in on the arrogance, wit, bravery and even occasional badassed-ness that make Strange a fun character.

The storyline has been a sort of medical mystery, but with a touch of the mystic, a touch of the superheroic and, perhaps most charmingly, a touch of the romantic, as Strange and Night Nurse flirt there way through the adventure, with Vaughan feeding them lines that have an old Hollywood snap to them. The story ends exactly as one might expect, but it’s a testament to BKV’s skills that though you can you see it coming, you find yourself hoping it will come.

As strong as the story was, a great deal of the credit belongs to Martin, whose sense of design made every panel a joy to look at. He practically turned the Eye of Agamanotto and Cloak of Levitation into characters, and rearranged Strange’s pajama-like fighting togs into something a middle-aged sophisticate might actually be caught dead wearing. But when you close your eyes and think of Stephen Strange, it’s the hands that come to mind, in their Ditko-spell-casting position, and Martin has given Strange the long, delicate fingers of an artist—it’s a straight up joy to watch him casting spells as if he were conducting an orchestra with gang signs, and easy to imagine him skillfully removing organs with such fingers.

Vaughan seems to have achieved the point in his career where he should be able to do pretty much whatever he wants, but my first thought when setting this last issue down was how much I’d love a Dr. Strange monthly by this team.

If that’s not in the cards, at the very least I hope to see a lot more of Martin’s masterful interior work again very soon, and Brian Michael Bendis picking up on the status quo changes of this series in New Avengers and that future writers and artists working on the character will look to these five issues for inspiration.

Civil War: Front Line #11
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artist: Ramon Bachs
Marvel Comics
Review by Steve Ekstrom

As a whole, the Civil War event was terribly disappointing to me; it’s a shame that Front Line had to be so damn good—especially this final issue. Jenkins’ work on this series is probably some of the strongest work he’s done in comics—ever.

For issue #11, I think the most rewarding quality is that we get some actual “pay off” involving the landscape post-Civil War —there isn’t a poorly displayed battle in this book; there are ramifications and victims. There aren’t poorly delivered one liners and mismatched character voices; there is a level of humanity and crafted tone that makes one beget deliberate debate over the spoils of victory after a battle that its own combatants ultimately found futile. Jenkins’ work on this issue alone dwarfs the entirety of the whole long-winded and hollow mega-event destined to reshape the status quo of the Marvel Universe.

Jenkins’ use of non-combatant journalists, Ben Urich and Sally Floyd, completely spans the skeptical issue of the Registration Act throughout the series. Powerfully, the message almost becomes ironic in that these two journalists who sought to prove that Registration was wrong end up finding the truth of its necessity in supporting it by not divulging the terrible information they deliver to Tony Stark at the climax of issue. The interview turned discourse between Urich, Floyd and Steve Rogers (still in full Cap regalia) signifies a real change in the context that superheroes are just as likely to make errors too—they are just as human as the non-powered populous. If Rogers’ attempts to apologize for being loyal to a fault don’t move you—Stark’s reversal and disgust at his own utilitarian actions will. As a reader who has a fondness for both of these characters—I definitely found new reasons to dislike both of them—not from a creative standpoint but from the point of “character flaws”. These “flaws” are fantastic in that they evoke such a response.

Ramon Bachs does a great job in that his work truly has a natural, human look to it—nothing is over the top, no heroes stand out (other than Rogers’ height as he towers over Urich when they shake hands)—it’s all about humanity in Front Lines. Bachs uses a number of “wide-screen” panels in the book similar to Steve McNiven’s panels in the Civil War mini. I like the scope and feel that it gives this book—it is very dramatic.

I highly recommend this series—specifically this issue—if you really want depth involving the event. Your perspective of Captain America and Iron Man will change because you’ll definitely realize that Captain America is out of touch with humanity but means well and Tony Stark is truly a manipulative, corporate profiteer trying to rationalize his actions. Time will tell for the denouement taking place in the final throes of this company wide mega-event. Of all the books, Front Line delivered the most philosophical discourse over the issue of Registration and the cost of freedom; it delivered the best, most natural dialogue of all the books; and it gave us something that the Civil War mini failed to deliver—answers and insight.

I could only hope that out of the developments made in this issue that Frontline could become a new series in this “new quo” Marvel Universe that attempts to address relevant social issues on a monthly basis through the eyes of two journalists as they investigate the lives of the costumed heroes and villains of the Marvel landscape.

The Secret #1
Writer: Mike Richardson
Artist: Jason Shawn Alexander
Dark Horse Comics
Review By: Jeff Marsick

“I know your secret.”

It’s a simple game, really. Get a bunch of friends together, make a random phone call to some stranger, and when they answer, just say those four words. Tell them to arrive at the park so you and your friends can put the coup de grace on your little game by ridiculing the rubes who actually do arrive, hang up, repeat.

Blame the law of averages, because at some point, someone you call is actually going to have a secret that they do not want anyone even hinting at the prospect of knowing. And we’ve all seen enough horror movies to know what happens next:

Bad Things.

This first issue establishes that the phone game is probably is not the smartest thing this group of friends have ever done, especially when using a cell phone. It also introduces us to the standard eclectic mix of characters indicative of the genre: the handful of cool kids in orbit about their nucleus, the quasi-innocent and slightly naïve pretty girl, Pam. This set up, of course, comes completely assembled with built-in conflict, namely the odd kid with the sketchy back-story, Tommy, who has Pam’s affection but her friends’ ire. Tommy’s not from the same lunch table, so to speak, and they do not approve off his presence sullying their pristine princess.

Still, Mr. Richardson’s writing doesn’t fall into the trap of rehashing a B-movie plot or rerunning an episode of “90210”. His storytelling is brisk, and instead of taking a whole issue to set up the scenario and meet the cast, he wastes no time in jumping headlong into the meat of the matter.

It helps that his artist has an eye for the genre, as well. Reminiscent of McKean or Templesmith (although superior to their work), Mr. Alexander’s pencils and watercolors add the necessary dimension of mood to the title. Oftentimes I find watercolor work to be horribly hard to decipher what in the world is going on in the panel, but here, the layouts are decompressed enough that the reader will not feel cheated yet will easily be able to follow the action.

This is a creepy book, one of the best I have read in a long time. If the rest of the series maintains the heading set with this issue, I would not be surprised to see this optioned as a movie. Fans of quality horror comics should add this to their pull list.

Green Lantern #17
Written by Geoff Johns
Illustrated by Ivan Reis
Published by DC
Review by Koben Kelly

It is seemingly rare that a series continues to top itself with every issue, but in the case of Green Lantern, it’s a regular occurrence.

This issue pretty much opens up with a power ring from the Sinestro Corps searching out a bearer. The main ingredient with this ring is not a lack of fear, however. No, this ring is searching for someone with the ability to greatly instill fear. You will never believe what citizen of the DCU winds up as its first choice. Well, okay, maybe you will… but, I ain’t spoiling it for you. Let’s simply go with the fact that the candidate is a very common fixture in many DC books, and he gets a major costume overhaul to go with his new weapon. Luckily for him, his willpower won’t let the ring overtake him. The splash is simply one of the most awesome images I’ve seen in a comic in quite some time.

Amon Sur, son of Hal Jordan’s predecessor, Abin Sur, wants a piece of Hal. In a fit of unsportsmanlike conduct, he holds a powerless Hal at gunpoint, waving his big weapon around, making general deathly threats. His dialog can easily be summed up as such: I can do whatever I want ‘cause I didn’t have no daddy around when I was growing up! Waaaaa!! The irony being that Hal was in the same boat as a kid, yet he feels no need to behave like a big, spoiled, homicidal baby. Geezal-petes, I wanted a classic Jordan uppercut to ground his ass so badly! If you’ve been paying attention to Lantern lore for a while now, you might remember that Amon blowed-up real good a while back. In a bit of extraterrestrial biology 101, we learn that essential components for a human to survive are not necessarily the same for the Sur clan. Sure, Amon can be a scary guy, but, honestly, he’s just a hugely whiney coward. He even had his hired hands work Hal over before he whipped out his gun. (Oooo! Big man!) His ability to instill fear by whatever means he has makes him a perfect candidate for… um… nevermind.

In a bit of amazing timing and unarguable coolness, John Stewart shows up on the scene to lend a hand. This is a member of the GLC that I, personally, have missed in the pages of Hal’s title. Not to mention the fact that, currently, the majority of non-fans that know of GL know of John. This guy is a born star. I pray to God that someone with some urban sensibility does something about his haircut that was out of style in 1990. Geoff? Ivan? Let’s give him the looks to match his character, what do you say?

Well, the ring from the beginning of this issue resurfaces still on its mission to find a bearer. There’s no big surprise to who becomes the representative of sector 2814, but I don’t think he knew that the ring would re-wire him mentally and physically. Damn.

In a belated moment of gratitude and reverence of his predecessor, Hal makes a minor change to the resting place of Abin Sur. This was one of the most touching and sad moments in Hal’s current career that I can think of. It’s a class move, and it shows the true heart that beats deep within Hal’s badass exterior.

Ivan Reis’ artwork continues to wow me. I knew big things were in store for him when he was providing pencils for the Vision series years ago. Every page makes me stare for twice as long as I usually spend on a sequential story page. As far as I’m concerned, Reis is the soul of the current series. His experimentation with cross-hatching has elevated him to Hitch-level in my book… and he’s much more expedient.

Next issue sees the return of a classic Lantern villain, and the debut of the Sinestro Corps backup! *sigh* Four weeks of torture.

I give Green Lantern issue seventeen eight-and-a-half Surs out of ten.


City of Others #1
Written by Bernie Wrightson and Steve Niles
Illustrated by Bernie Wrightson
Colored by Jose Villarrubia
Published by Dark Horse
Review by Koben Kelly

Let’s start this off by admitting the obvious. Bernie is a legend in the world of horrific illustrating. From his work on Swamp Thing to his images for Stephen King’s Cycle of the Werewolf to his jaw-dropping pictures included in his Frankenstein portfolio. The fact that he’s still going strong, doing work for the comic book world, is a testament to the man’s love of the medium alone. Niles and Wrightson teaming-up to bring us a series is like a blessing from the gods of horror fiction.

For lack of a better word, the protagonist of this story is a man called, simply, Blud. He is a cold-blooded assassin with not an ounce of remorse or regret for any action he has ever committed. He’ll just as soon shoot an innocent bystander as his intended target. He makes a living killing with no questions asked. Some would call him an anti-hero, but I’ll just settle for bastard, plain and simple. An odd choice of main character, but it makes for an interesting read.

The story actually begins with a plane landing by itself in some obscure airfield, with customs itching to inspect the passenger and her belongings. When the sensors and detectors warn them of the passenger’s oddity, as she is seemingly pregnant and passing her search, yet setting off alarms, an ultrasound machine is employed to view inside her tummy. Her freshly sutured tummy. I kid you not, when I state that the image of what is inside, revealed by the ultrasound screen, has to be the most disturbing image I’ve seen in a comic in over a year. It wants out, and it has plans.

Meanwhile, Blud has his orders. Too bad his victims won’t stay dead. When you separate a head almost totally from its body, the body is supposed to go down. Not this time, though. As is the case with the majority of his life, Blud just doesn’t care. Instead, he is inclined to follow the hits’ bodies as they go on their merry way. More corpses join the party, on a train bound for who know where, and more, and more. None of them seem to mind or acknowledge Blud’s presence. Matter of fact, he joins them as they all jump off of the train, with the car still in motion at full-speed.

As the masses gather outside of a huge mansion, it becomes obvious they are waiting for something. A sign? A cue? An arrival? Blud himself ventures closer to the dwelling, and that’s when the plot thickens.

All I will state about the house’s inhabitants is that they have interesting dental features.

Absolutely fun, and an involving tale of which I have no idea where the next installment will go.

I give City of Others issue one seven slashes out of ten.


X-Men #196
From: Marvel Comics
Writer: Mike Carey
Art: Humberto Ramos with Carlos Cuevas and Edgar Delgado
Review By: Lucas Siegel

I love that we’re living in a revival of The X right now. Not a lot of people are talking about it, because there’s something else going on in the Marvel U right now, but it’s definitely there and it’s a heavenly sight to behold. All the major X-books have major creative teams and are telling major stories- just the way I like ‘em.

The team Carey has assembled features three of my all time favorites, Rogue, Cable, and Cannonball. While he hasn’t done a lot of characterization (or good power-level defining) with Sam Guthrie as of yet, Carey definitely likes Rogue and Cable and has taken them into his hands nicely.

Rogue is this team’s leader, and I’ve been wanting her to be a team lead again since the Joe Mad days. In this story, she’s in a bit of a bind with a new foe named Pandemic. Pandemic has partially duplicated Rogue’s power-absorbing ability through a series of viruses. An interesting idea, and actually one I’ve wanted to see- something where Rogue’s power is just plain used better. Carey, from the first time she double absorbed Cyclops and Emma, has shown he means to do just that. The tension he injects into this story of viruses and power stealing is well-balanced with the adrenalin fueled action sequences. I did NOT see the solution to this Pandemic problem coming, and was pleasantly surprised by the ingeniousness of it. Cable coming up with this idea was nice, too, and I like the dynamic of this former leader and his new boss. They work well together, and are making this ragtag bunch look like a team. All is not resolved at the end of the issue, however, as now the danger has only increased for our fearless leader, going into the next story arc.

Humberto Ramos’ stylistic art doesn’t suit everyone’s tastes, nor does it suit every story. I never got very used to his Wolverine and sometimes find the super-exaggerated look to most of his character work jarring. This is still present to a point here, and people who don’t drink the Ramos kool-aid yet will probably focus a lot on that. However, to me he fit this story well. He effectively toned down his work when tension dictated it. His Sabretooth is a hulking, scary figure, and while the action sequences were a bit muddled, they conveyed an accurate amount of movement and ferocity. Carey knows how to write for Ramos, and he should thusly be paired with similar writers that balance tension and action. I saw a real evolution of Ramos’ artwork in this three-issue story arc, and that was a pleasant surprise for one of his former detractors. I look forward to seeing what he has in store for the future.

On a series that hasn’t had the highest of track records over the past few years, Carey is definitely bringing it back to speed. High action and adventure, fast moving plotlines, and great character work (on most) abounds. I give this issue 275 out of nearly 300 powers that Pandemic injected himself with.

Action Comics #846
Writer: Geoff Johns & Richard Donner
Artist: Andy Kubert
From: DC Comics
Review by Rev. O.J. Flow

Long time coming, right? I don’t need to rehash things over this series’ recent false starts, but I do have to say, when we get an issue in front of us, it sure bloody counts. There was a ton to like in Action Comics #846, and it would find itself way high on my “best of” list if they could keep the momentum going. In Part 3 of “Last Son,” we get a rehash, but in a good way, of the opening of this series by Geoff Johns, Richard Donner and Adam Kubert from two issues prior. Only thing is, holding court this time at Superman’s Fortress of Solitude is not the Man of Steel himself, but rather his worst nightmare. At long last, we have the infamous Phantom Zone Three – General Zod, Ursa and Non – fresh off a lengthy spell in their timeless prison, and ready to make Earth their new domain.

The General, by way of archival documentation from Superman’s father, Jor-El, gives the reader a very good idea of how the three villains found themselves imprisoned. Johns and Donner offer us a very good back-story of Krypton’s darkest history in two sufficiently detailed pages, and it incorporates elements of previous Superman lore in the comics and seamlessly fuses it with elements known to most only by way of the first two Superman motion pictures. We find out that General Zod & Co. were merely some of the most notorious Kryptonian exiles, and they were by no means the first. Kubert does a good job in this historical sequence using a darker, moodier style to his pencils and inks to give the right sense of menace to the characters who have found their way to the Phantom Zone for high crimes prior to Krypton’s destruction. It is also a credit to the producers of Action Comics #846 that they paint the trio here in a sympathetic light, almost, in that they choose not to view themselves as criminals and, in fact, they wished to see their home planet saved and were some of the choice few who were in Jor-El’s corner in determining that Krypton was not long for this universe.

What is also nice is that the overall dialogue has picked up in this series. It felt like a minimalist approach to the narrative was in place for the first two chapters, and it wasn’t exactly selling me on this new era for Superman. That Action Comics has been anything but timely is clearly an issue in getting readers into this story, but it felt like there was almost a conscious decision by the creators that they better get everyone up to speed if they’re going to sell us on this concept of infusing strong elements of the movies from a generation ago into 21st century comic book lore. I got into the motivations of the Phantom Zone villains, and I was a lot more sold, once into this chapter, as I did the idea that Clark Kent and Lois Lane might take in a mysterious boy, apparently from Krypton, a boy who sparks this whole “Last Son” epic in the first place. In another two pages, I was engrossed by the conversations between Clark, Lois, and their “cousin,” here named Christopher (a wonderful tribute for the esteemed Mr. Reeve, by the way), as they attempt to integrate them into their world. The warmth and humor, however, is short-lived as the couple get little chance at peace, and the book lives up to its title for the rest of the issue.

Did you by chance think that the activity between Superman, General Zod, Ursa and Non was spirited in Superman II and the subsequent director’s cut that we finally got in 2006? Well, I am happy to report that Kubert navigates some truly awesome sequences for this chapter as the villains waste little time staking a claim to world supremacy, and, holy crap, would this be sweet to see on the big screen now. Adam delivers his best work on the series to date, though I really wish they’d partner him up with a good inker who could polish things up a bit, not to mention help keep this book on schedule. Without giving anything away, including a finish that had me begging for more, Superman, Lois, the boy, and the whole world have their hands full and then some as the threat to their planet goes beyond the ill intent of three well-known convicted felons from Krypton. It’s great, great material, thanks to Johns and Donner (and beautiful colors by Dave Stewart), but it’s borderline tragic that we have months to wait for the next chapter. All of the sudden I really feel Superman’s pain as we leave him on the last two pages of this book.

The Living & The Dead
From: Fantagraphics Books
Written & Drawn By: Jason
Reviewed By: Kevin Huxford

I was first turned on to Jason’s work when I was specifically looking for something new in graphic novel form to review for the Best Shots. That initial book was The Left Bank Gang and it made quite the impression. So when I found out that Jason had something new out, I was all over it.

I’ve realized that, like the single name suggests, Jason is an artist in every sense of the word…even the less entertaining senses.

The Living & The Dead is nearly the equivalent of a silent movie. I think there are probably about 8 panels of words…and I do mean panels, because the words generally appear as their own frame (as in silent movies). This makes for a really quick read, which can make the money spent on it feel, for lack of a better term, wasted.

I might have misspoken earlier when I said the book demonstrated that Jason is an artist in every sense of the word. Well…the creativity aspect might be lacking a bit. This book is basically a bit of a “Pretty Woman meets Return of the Living Dead”. It starts out with a boy-meets-hooker, boy-gets-WOW’d-by-hooker, boy-falls-for-different-hooker, and boy-saves-up-to-pay-for-second-hooker. OK, so there is originality here.

But, as there was in The Left Bank Gang, there are practically two different stories loosely tied together. The first half is a bit of a heartwarming piece of a love story…with the second half being a bit of an homage to the Return of the Living Dead movies (as the ending, I believe, is a bit of a gender switch on one of the threads of the first movie). Don’t get me wrong…the first half does help set up the ending in the second, but the theme and tone is so different that it is like a separate tale.

With all that said, it isn’t a bad story. My biggest complaint would be how quick a read it is…how little there seems to be to it. The lack of originality angle might not have risen to noteworthiness if it hadn’t been amplified by lack of meat to the story. I just expected a bit more from Jason on this. I’ll give his back catalog some attention (as I’d suggest to anyone reading this) and I’ll give anything new from him a look. New works won’t be an automatic buy without need of a flip-through, though.

I’d give the book 6 out of 10 “braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaains”.

Psychosis #1
From: Guild Works Productions
Written By: Various
Drawn By: Various
Reviewed By: Kevin Huxford

One of the nice treats to come out of NY Comic Con for me was the indie after party at Twin Pubs. Oh, the stories I could tell about that night (and if you buy me a Guinness, the stories are all yours).

One of the nice treats to come out of the indie after party? Other than the stories? An issue of Psychosis #1 to review.

I really didn’t know what to expect with this anthology. These things can sometimes be a collection of writers and artists that think they should have a career in comics…and they are the only ones who have that opinion. That’s not the case here.

Much of what is in this book seems to be in the same vein as The Twilight Zone, Tales From the Dark Side, Tales From the Crypt or Outer Limits.

Writer Joseph Mauceri & Artist E.R. Flynn combine talents on a story called Whiteout. The art is solid here, though the writing tries a little too hard to be Poe (as he alludes to in the beginning). I believe the writer tries to relate the main character’s wife with the cawing of the birds. But the problem is that, likely due to the length of the story, we don’t get to see why he feels the need to hunt down the birds. It feels like we could have had some more direct justification for what he’s done to his wife rather than the birds getting so much screen time. Still, it isn’t a bad story.

Wastrel Isle, by writer Scott Sheaffer and artists Keith Murphey & Hector Rodriguez, is one of the gems of the book. It has some really good horror aspects to it. The artwork is some of the strongest in the entire issue. The story has some classic clichés to it (young couple hiking to some place they’re not welcome being one of them), but it still manages to feel fresh enough.

Meth, by writer/artist Shawnti Therrien, is more of an illustrated vampire story than a traditional comic book short. Think Grant Morrison’s recent Joker tale in Batman. I wasn’t really able to get into it, but that’s more a statement of my tastes in format than the talents of the creator.

Never Judge a Book… is another one of the better drawn stories in the book, but it suffers from being a bit direct. Stories with a twist where the villain winds up ultimately being the unsympathetic victims are often hard to pull off seamlessly. Writer Robert J. Sodaro isn’t fully able to overcome those hurdles to match Matt Ryan’s quality on the art. Still, it manages to almost give Wastrel Isle a run for its money.

Desperate Skin by Alan Abbadessa and Rammer Martinez feels the most like a Tales from the Dark Side or Outer Limits yarn than any of the examples. The story says something about how we often assume that those who aren’t in our group/circle are against us or holding us back (or at least that is what I see in it). The art is pretty good here, though the lettering style (narrative boxes & speech/thought balloons) detracts from it more than you might think possible. You’d think a two page splash covering pages 4 and 5 with such little detail wouldn’t get praise, but I really think it does an amazing job getting across the desperation of four imprisoned men even better than their emaciated bodies and (selectively displayed) nudity had gotten across previously. Trapped for years in that tight column with nothing but a hatch opening to stare at longingly? Yeah…you can see how they’d get that desperate.

It is nice to see new talent (or talent that deserves a wider audience) putting together published work like this and really putting a sense of community behind it. I’d give it 7 out of 10 Guinness (well…8 or 9 if I could include the experience of the after party in with the review).


Pellet Reviews!

Runaways #24 (Marvel; by Corey):This issue contains everything you could want from this title: gorgeous art from Adrian Alphona, Craig Yeung, Christina Strain and Jo Chen, a script by Brian K. Vaughan that’s filled with effective dramatic tension, wonderful character moments, two enticing cliffhangers, and multiple scenes where Molly reminds us that she is totally awesome. (Not that it’s easy to forget. And “AAIIEEE!” is only one word, Vic.) So it’s fitting that this is the last issue for this creative team. As good as the incoming team of Joss Whedon and Michael Ryan are going to be, I have a feeling this book’s going to be just a bit poorer without Vaughan, Alphona and Yeung. Thanks for five great years, guys.

JLA: Classified #35 (DC; by Caleb): This is the fourth chapter of “The Fourth Parallel,” but it’s labeled “Part 2C” because, for the third issue in a row, we explore a possible sequence of events that is occurring at the exact same time as the last two chapters, only in a parallel dimension. Scripter and lay-outter Dan Jurgens even gets a third artist to finish his loose pencil art (this time it’s Al Milgrom), making the art reflect the same events, different reality events of the story. The format is extremely clever, but there’s not very much new or interesting going on besides that clever format. On thisworld, villain Red King goes all Prometheus on the League, killing the various members in big showy ways in his attempt to rule the world. While he wins the battle, he accidentally destroys the Earth in the process. That’s all there is to it really—a complete routing of a Justice League in a reality that doesn’t really exist. But hey, it could have been worse—J’onn J’onnz could have had a conical head, for example.

Iron Man #15 (Marvel, by Steve): The new “Director of SHIELD” direction starts with this “Day in the life of the new SHILED Director” issue. I found the primary story—Tony Stark changing SHIELD and Jim Duggan’s reaction to his new boss—somewhat typical, it’s like a plot for a run of the mill movie. I did like the idea that Stark’s fingerprints are all over SHIELD and their tech—non-lethal repulsor rifles and the egomaniacal gold and crimson STAR armor the Alpha Team uses. The dialogue rings true in that the voices of the characters are distinct. Is it me or is Tommy Lee Jones a “light box” favorite amongst artists—Roberto de la Torre’s Jim Duggan is clearly depicted throughout the issue with Tommy Lee Jones’ visage (cover up the moustache on close-ups…it’s OBVIOUS). I cannot emphasize how much I detest the use of Hollywood in a modern comic like this. Tony Stark appears to be Timothy Dalton in a number of frames also. Duggan has been around for 60 years almost—he’s got an iconic look that most artists can stick by. Obviously, Tony Stark should look like Tony Stark. I might just stick around so I can be privy to Maria Hill being the butt of all the jokes—because it’s been carried over in this book as well.

Wolverine #51 (Marvel, by Steve): I decided to follow-up my review of last month’s issue of Wolverine for the sake of fairness—maybe things were going to get better in issue #51. No dice—the story just goes too far overboard—looking back the cliffhanger from #50, with Wolverine and Sabretooth set to eviscerate each other, I was immediately more enraged with how their fight continues. After another confusing “Pup” dream, Wolverine awakens to find himself strapped to the top of the Blackbird?!? How long was he out? More pointless “fight we’ve seen before” ensues…until a flashback from another “Sabretooth joins the X-Men” moment from years past floats into Wolverine’s head. Note to readers: Wolverine wasn’t even present for this story! To finish the issue apparently Storm shows up and has some answers to the age old debate of Wolverine vs. Sabretooth. I’m not picking up #52; pretty black and white Simone Bianchi artwork or not.

Black Panther #25 (Marvel, by Steve): The only thing that this books lacks is a regular artist—otherwise this whole Civil War arc has been great. Reggie Hudlin gives T’Challa the respect he deserves with month after month of pitch perfect Black Panther stories. This issue ties into Civil War #7 and it shows more of the fight than Civil War #7 did—I actually enjoyed the comedic bit towards the end as Sue Storm and Ororo watch Hercules brain Clor. Hudlin’s range from dramatic to comedic voice really shines in this issue. Marcus To’s work reminds me a little of Jimmy Cheung’s pencils but without as much detail or pizzazz. With BP and Storm joining the FF next month—who wouldn’t want to stick around to enjoy T’Challa’s arrival to the top tier of the Marvel Universe? Did anyone notice Monica Rambeau in this issue again, like last month—she likes to bring up that Black Panther is married a lot? Jealous much? Interesting developments abound! Check this one out.

X-Factor #16 (Marvel; review by Koben Kelly): Peter David gets huge respect for this story, primarily taken up by the deepest Madrox dupe story, yet. It seems that Jamie is on a reclamations mission, and his most recent stop is to pick up a duplicate who’s made more of his life in a few years than our man James has his whole life. John Maddox has an honorable, decent occupation. He has a loving wife and son. He’s everything Jamie’s never thought of being. So, if he’s absorbed into the fold… is it murder or suicide? Can Jamie take away this woman’s husband… can he take away a toddler’s father? If he doesn’t, will he ever be whole again? Man, I haven’t pondered the ramifications of a power this way since the he experiences the stretches of chronology all at once – Dr. Manhattan moments of Watchmen. Thanks, PAD, for the mental exhaustion! Also included are brief interruptions featuring Siryn and Monet or the run in Paris. It looks like we be having another addition to the Factor fam. Right on cue, as the tale is wrapping up, we get a smidge of foreshadowing on things to come, with a stringpuller in the shadows. While this series was fantastic before his arrival, Pablo Raimondi is what makes this book golden. Emotion drips from every panel, and Monet has never looked hotter. Just a perfect comic, all around.

The Walking Dead #35 (Image; review by Koben): I’ve got to admit, at the end of the last issue, my heart sank when I saw the prison overrun by zombies. Everything these people have worked for… everything Rick, Glen, and Michonne have suffered through in recent issues, all for naught? Thankfully, not all was lost. Many of the biters were let through the gate by accident, and most of the residents had time to retreat to shelter. Hell, two even hid by themselves in the RV. Everyone seems shaken by the incident, especially Rick’s son, but things are righted soon. Glen’s intentions toward Maggie are revealed through a disgusting search. Michonne is caught talking to herself… again. To top it all off, seems that our former captives were too trusting of their new badass friend. The poop’s about to hit the fan, folks. For the record, this issue sports the most unnecessary close up of Shane McGowan’s mouth, ever. If you’re a Pogues fan, you get it. If not, do a Google image search, and you’ll get the idea.

52 #43 (DC; review by Koben): SPOILER WARNING! Okay, I want to get this out of the way, right off. In absolutely no way were the final pages of the main story in this issue too graphic, too bloody, or too much. Not only is Sobek officially revealed to be the final Horseman of the Apocalypse, Famine, but he’s also a giant damn crocodile. Ever seen a croc attack its prey? It ain’t pretty. They do it in a manner rather identical to how he chomps down on Osiris. He’d been patiently waiting for his moment, biding his time, and when the chance came, he snapped those mighty jaws shut. The reader is supposed to be shocked, taken aback, and horrified. It makes the betrayal so much more effective. In addition, it’s drawn by Dan Jurgens, who is not the most detailed or realistic comic artist out there. To be honest, I’m not a fan, even though he did a fine job. Let me tell you, if it had been Totleben, Morales, Eaglesham, or any number of other more graphically intense illustrators in the sequential storytelling scene… it would have been a lot more disturbing. A lot. This issue is the first domino, in a line of many, to fall, setting up the path to WWIII. It had to be Pearl Harbor-level shocking to merit what is to come. In other news, Buddy Baker ain’t dead! Yipee!

Daredevil #94 (Marvel; review by Koben): Under a brilliant cover by Jazzy John Romita, paying homage to romance comics of yesteryear, lies a relatively good way to get readers caught up on the past few years of this series. Making the series accessible to any interested parties wanting to jump into another well-written (and drawn) book by The Bru, we see this recap through the eyes of Matt Murdock’s wife, Milla. I never thought about how trying it must be for the spouse of someone whose nightly exploits may mean they never see the sunrise again. It’s all in there. The day they first met. The return of Typhoid Mary. The marriage. Matt’s beatdown and recovery. The comeback of Elektra and Bullseye. Matt’s imprisonment and subsequent breakout. But, instead of coming off like one huge advert, through Milla’s narrative and viewpoint, it becomes an entirely fresh story. This woman has been through the wringer for her love of our horned hero. She’s still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Peppered throughout the book are scenes depicting the Devil’s activity that night, supplying a decent dose of action to keep the spirit of vigilante justice alive and… kicking. Though I prefer the regular artistic team, Lee Weeks and Stefano Guadiano do their best Lark impression to keep the vibe of the book on track. If you’re not reading Daredevil, and you’re a Brubaker fan, a Marvel fan, or a fan of street-level heroism, this issue makes for a splendid jumping-on point.

Double-Shot Pellet: Runaways #24 (Marvel; by Lucas): Well, this is it, an end of an era. I can’t believe this over four year journey that BKV and friends have taken us on is over. This comic book has done everything I believe a comic should. It has given us incredible depth of characters. It has made me feel true joy and true sadness. It continued to shock me at every turn (even the last 5 pages of THIS issue!), and it was just really REALLY fun to read. I’m going to miss it being under the direction of this incredible creative team. I’m extremely anxious to find out what Adrian will be up to next, as I will now and forever have him on my pull list, whatever he draws. I could look at his final team shot for hours. This final issue of their run was a true culmination and a perfect send off from the current team and set up for the future (some guy named Josh Wheaton or something like that). Now my favorite teenage superheroes REALLY have something to run from.

Annihilation: Heralds #1 (Marvel; by Lucas) These are an intriguing couple of stories, to say the least. The first is the re-establishment of Terrax as an insidious, ruthless being. Christos Gage seems to have fun bringing him back to this point, abandoning such feelings as shame and despair for the much more wholesome feelings of hatred and anger. Terrax is definitely out in the Marvel Universe to do some damage once more, and I won’t be surprised to see him going up against some heroes soon. In an age where many earth heroes are being “reformed” on teams like The Thunderbolts, more cosmic villains is a good thing. The second story, by Stuart Moore, over-shadowed the first. It was a compelling, driving story featuring Stardust. My only experience with this character was in the Annihilation stories, so I appreciated getting some background information. Just as his fellow ex-herald Terrax returned to his roots, so does Stardust here. A surprising shift in mentality from Galactus is presented here, as well. This really sets up the Cosmic world as having many forces to reckon with, making me even more excited for the Conquest books and the upcoming Nova ongoing. The art in both stories was solid, with strength and viciousness in the first and an ethereal beauty in the second- they fit the stories that were being told very well.

Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #33 (DC; review by O.J.): So I read a respectable chunk of Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers last year -- AND lived to tell about it -- and I immediately wanted to know how the hell we got Shilo Norman's Mr. Miracle in Flamehead's latest issue. Wasn’t he the major casualty from that epic? Were it a question burning in your mind, you're not going to find it here, sadly, though he's well rendered here. Other question: would it kill editorial every once in a while to give a quick caption per opening scene as to where the action is taking place?? I didn't know where Mr. Miracle started and where Firestorm picked up, especially in light of Jason Rusch and Prof. Martin Stein sharing time, though clearly in separate locales. New writer Dwayne McDuffie delivers a script that is very faithful to the series as it’s ran, but it lacked a little bit of warmth exuded by his predecessors (though not for lack of trying). It plays relatively straight-forward, especially coming off the Mr. Miracle stories we got a year ago (it's practically sedate, comparatively, from Morrison's madness), but the action is engaging. I love when the earthbound heroes take on a particularly rabid Orion (seen it before, as a regular JLA reader), here on mission regarding Prof. Stein's connection to the Anti-Life Equation. Somebody needs to remind me why he ALWAYS has to bust through the wall Police Academy-style. Ken Lashley & company's art in this book is top-notch with just the right feel of Hitch, or Davis before him. I'll admit I was just happy to see a new Firestorm issue, creative upheaval and pending cancellation notwithstanding, since it felt like it'd been a while. A good jumping-on for those remotely curious about Firestorm before they (fingers crossed) make my dream come true and just put him in the JLA already. {SPOILER ALERT} And, did they suggest that Orion hooked up with Bernadeth at some time or another??? Umm, eewwww???

Justice #10 (DC; review by O.J.): Lots'n lots of purty colors, and you DO have to admit that it's funny that it took the tenth out of twelve issues to get to a real blowout between the JLA and the Legion of Doom. I'm not gonna lie: getting the JLA out of Metal Men-esque armor would've made this issue un-BELIEVABLE. As it stands, the dialogue was the only thing selling certain sequences from hero to villain as you KNEW who the bad guy was, but you had to backtrack sometimes to gather yerselves as to the identity of the good guy. I hate the idea that this armoring, as evidenced by the last two major comic book conventions, was a means to push toys (if you follow the figure industry, you’re perhaps aware of that speculation), but there were still good emotions and intensity found in this issue. For a few minutes, as I read this, I seriously wondered if they'd turn this quasi-All Star series on its ear and bump off a major character (envision the tribute-to-contents-in-Justice League of America-#200-cover here for hints as to whom I’m referring). I will give the Ross-Krueger-Braithwaite combo all due credit for keeping me on my toes each and every episode. But Justice is not helped by the fact the production team gets this out every eight weeks or so (but Heaven invite them in for TOTALLY staying on schedule compared to other A- list stuff DC’s pumping out). Sorry, but intensity and momentum CAN be lost with the kind of schedule this series keeps. If anything, I would've maybe reconsidered what kind of story was told, or at least HOW it was paced, mindful of the format and timetable. Editor’s Note from Troy: With all the people talking about Sobek this week, did anyone notice that Aquaman went all Dane Cook and stabbed Black Manta IN THE FACE with a trident just seconds after impaling Parasite? That’s not sanitary . . . And imagine the post-fight conversation . . . “Hey, Arthur killed a guy!”

Triple-Shot? Runaways 24 (Marvel Comics; by Kevin): I liked the issue a lot. Maybe I've been spoiled by the overall consistent quality of the book, but the wrap-up to this arc didn't floor me like it did some others. It ultimately took until the final page for me to really experience any sort of thrill from the issue...and that's just a potential tease for the next arc. Too many books fall into that rhythm of the best part being the tease of an idea that will appear in later issues...and then be executed in such a way that the best part of those issues will be yet another tease...and then...well...you get the idea. I'm not saying I'm glad to see BKV gone at all, but I do think it would have been a good time for a hiatus between seasons for him to recharge if Whedon wasn't coming on. As it stands, I'll miss BKV and Alphona, regardless of how Whedon and Ryan do.

Double pellet of relatively un-recent, Scottish-written superhero comics:

Doom Patrol: Crawling From the Wreckage (DC/Vertigo; reviewed by Mike): A weird thing about the growth of TPBs is seeing what’s actually reprinted in certain trades. No doubt that Grant Morrison’s seminal run on Doom Patrol should be preserved, but like Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing, it is peculiar to walk into a book for the first time and find that you are literally picking up the pieces of a previous writer’s 20-year-gone story. This volume is mostly spent putting the players in place for the latter volumes in the series, and although it is still entertaining on its own, Morrison and artist Richard Case come a long way by the even the second volume of Doom Patrol. This book is enjoyable, but it gets so much better.

Superman: Red Son (DC; reviewed by Mike): What if Superman were raised in mother Russia? That’s the premise, and it gets a better treatment than you might expect. Speculating on how Superman’s presence would effect world relations and the Cold War over the course of fifty years, with Doctor Lex Luthor leading America’s science-fiction end of the conflict, Red Son is an explosion of inside jokes for political and superhero observers. The patient and loving Russian Superman’s embrace of socialist ideals – that all men deserve their plot of land and a full meal – paints a much more nuanced picture of the Red Menace than any comics have previously done. It may not be essential reading, but it’s certainly enjoyable.


Your Best Shots host Troy Brownfield founded ShotgunReviews.com and serves as the Editor-in-Chief. He’s a professor of English, a writer for Fangoria Comics, and a journalist for a number of print and online sources. Anyone wishing to submit their titles for review can contact Troy at psikotyk@aol.com. For other relevant info, visit www.smwc.edu, www.myspace.com/shotgunreviews and, of course, www.shotgunreviews.com.

[NormanB258]

Yeah, Runaways 24 was fantastic!

Looking forward to Joss's run. although I read somewhere he's only doing 6 issues or somesuch...

[Darthphere]

Man, that Frontline review is going to cause problems.

[darrenmdr]

Personally I thought that issue 11 of Frontline was incredibly poor in comparison to the rest of the series and indeed poor in itself.

It just doesn't make sense to me and feels totally unnecessary,

Mighty Avengers? Pah Girly Avengers more like. No I haven't read it yet, but hey I'll give an opinion anyway

Mind you Girly Avengers? Now there is a book I'd read.

[Terrorbyte]

I'm at a loss for words in response to the review for Frontline #11. I can understand wildly divergent opinions on subjective material, but the review never registered even a single criticism. Given the hundreds upon hundreds of pages worth of forum chatter (most of it negative) about this issue across the web, I find the review completely inexplicable.

[Toneloak]

WOW, that Dr. Strange spoke everything thing i felt. Please Marvel get BKV Martin & Rodriguez on a strange monthly.










Please!

[darrenmdr]

Originally Posted by Terrorbyte

I'm at a loss for words in response to the review for Frontline #11. I can understand wildly divergent opinions on subjective material, but the review never registered even a single criticism. Given the hundreds upon hundreds of pages worth of forum chatter (most of it negative) about this issue across the web, I find the review completely inexplicable.

To be fair to the reviewer in question. A review is a personal opinion and if the reviewer like the issue then he/she has every right to say so. I totally disagree with every word of the review, but it's not up to the reviewer to address those issues within the review itself. IMO

[Ace]

If you told me two years ago that X-Men would be my favorite Marvel comic, despite art I really didn't like.. I would have called you nuts.

But there you have it.

And Carey's been telling more contained stories with new villains and few ties to the rest of the MU.

I can't wait until he opens the thing up around issue 200. It's going to be great.

[Tusko]

So in X-Men, when Rogue is all beat up in the end of the issue, the big cliffhanger.... why can't she just touch Creed and be healthy but needing a shave and toenail clippers?

Otherwise I liked the story and the art, Ramos is very dynamic and I'm enjoying the run.

[Spideymark]

The Frontline #11 review summed up my feelings about the issue pretty closely, I thought it had some brilliant character moments.

I also wholeheartedly endorse the Dr Strange and X-Factor reviews.

[dobieck]

Originally Posted by Terrorbyte

I'm at a loss for words in response to the review for Frontline #11. I can understand wildly divergent opinions on subjective material, but the review never registered even a single criticism. Given the hundreds upon hundreds of pages worth of forum chatter (most of it negative) about this issue across the web, I find the review completely inexplicable.

As with anything, you will always see hear more of the negatives than the positives. I haven't recieved mine yet, so I can't offer an opinion.

[durkadurka]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

X-Men #196
From: Marvel Comics
Writer: Mike Carey
Art: Humberto Ramos with Carlos Cuevas and Edgar Delgado
Review By: Lucas Siegel

I love that we’re living in a revival of The X right now...All the major X-books have major creative teams and are telling major stories- just the way I like ‘em. [/i]

My sentiments exactly. It's about friggin time. I'm a huge fan of the fact that the x-men stayed out of civil war, even though at the time i thought emma frost was just being a bitch. That allowed them to do their own things, and those things have all been pretty phenomenal. I'm pretty excited for the x-men summer event, especially if it involves Magneto, Sinister, the New Marauders (Gambit Gambit Gambit), and hopefully X-factor. Carey's X-title is probably my favorite of the big 3, mostly because he's re badassing the x-men. For one, Iceman is finally living up the potential everybody always claimed he had. Rogue is a pretty hardcore leader, and having Cable on the team feels a lot less tacked on than it has been before. It's also nice that Cannonball is finally being useful again.

[Terrorbyte]

Originally Posted by darrenmdr

To be fair to the reviewer in question. A review is a personal opinion and if the reviewer like the issue then he/she has every right to say so. I totally disagree with every word of the review, but it's not up to the reviewer to address those issues within the review itself. IMO

Oh, I thought a review kind of implied critical analysis.

[Darthphere]

I really did not like Action Comics. It gave me a feeling of been there done that when I finished reading it. And some scenes were just weird. What exactly were they doing at the Daily planet with the kid? I mean the one place running hundreds of stories looking for him? And someone please remind Jonhs and Donner that Jimmy is not a kid anymore and hes actually a damn respected photo journalist.

[Colonsus]

Man! Helluva week for comics last week!

LOVED Runaways, Daredevil, X-Factor, X-Men, and Dr. Strange.

But I have to disagree about Frontline #11- that issue was ABYSMAL! Just wretched.

This coming week is looking scary for sheer number of titles I'm getting...

JLA, Captain America, The Initiative, Uncanny X-Men, Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears, Criminal, Mighty Avengers. I'm a bit worried- I don't think I've EVER bought even close to this many comics in a single week before. AHHHH!

[Toneloak]

Well I'm all smiles a great & personally reflective review of The Oath and Annihilation: Heralds.

I like knowing I'm not alone on these things.

EDIT: X-Factor is a hell of a book. But, could someone help me I reading X-Men, picked it up for Cable around the C&DP Blood of Apocalypse cross over, and it's cool to have Rogue as the leader but it feels, i don't know, like she shouldn't be there. Or, am I missing a story that show her value as a leader to be respected. Does anyone know of a book and/or arc that shows her being a compelling leading character? Or, know If there is one?

[SyVyN11]

Flow, JasonStorm is a broke character. And only you and 16000 other people don't recongize it. DC will burn off the final two issues and put it away for years (if not decades) of obscurity. No JLA, no Teen Titans and no Outsiders, maybe a guest appearance in a major event, that's all. And before you haters come with the "Ronnie Raymond is gay" attacks, DC won't bring him back either.

Dan DiDio's shortsightenness in replacing Ronnie Raymond kill any Firestorm character for good.

[mattyjets]

All I know is that this Wednesday I'm dropping a lot of money on new books alone. The first shipment of the month gets bigger every month. At least I know some of the books I'm getting were positivly reviewed.

[Darthphere]

Originally Posted by SyVyN11

Flow, JasonStorm is a broke character. And only you and 16000 other people don't recongize it. DC will burn off the final two issues and put it away for years (if not decades) of obscurity. No JLA, no Teen Titans and no Outsiders, maybe a guest appearance in a major event, that's all. And before you haters come with the "Ronnie Raymond is gay" attacks, DC won't bring him back either.

Dan DiDio's shortsightenness in replacing Ronnie Raymond kill any Firestorm character for good.

Yes, because we all know that bad sales equate to the character being "broke".

[vbartilucci]

The Oath showed me a Dr. Strange I would be happy to read about every month. A man of science still not quite believing all the things he does with magic, even after all these years. Add in the relationship with Wong (get your mind outta the gutter, fanboy) and the interaction with Night Nurse, this book left a boot-print on my ass that may not fade for months.

If this was the Strange to appear in Avengers, It'd be on like Donkey Kong for me. But I fear we'll still see the steeped in mysticism character, no sarcasm or real-world reactions, like we had here.

[Darth Wahu]

Wow, I must be the only person had has not cared for Mike Carey's run on X-men. granted he has tried and I'll give hime props for that. Rogue, Cannonball and Ladymastermind are great, but this group of individuals has still yet to act like a team. That is where the fault lies. Not nearly so much as the art. Holy ____ does the art make the story VERY hard to follow. Maybe that is why I can't appreciate the story of the Anti-Rogue or the Neo wannabees from the first arc. That having been said it is better than it has been so I'll trudge through as usaual hoping that the editors get a clue and give Carey an artist that can truely get his story across.

[atomik86]

are these out already or will be in stores come the wednesday shipment?

[The Guvnor]

Thanks for the reviews folks.

Originally Posted by Troy

Mighty Avengers #1
Knocks it out of the f’n park.

I think that's all we need to know about this book. Yours along with Augie's review of it last week make this book sound great. I'll definitely pick it up and give it a shot.

Originally Posted by Steve

Civil War: Front Line #11

I felt a bit indifferent on this book after I read it. The interviews with Cap and Stark were great. However, I was disappointed that the traitor was Stark and even though they built him up for as it months, I was hoping they were going to pull a surprise twist on it. Also the Sentry declaring his allegiance for a third time was pretty ludicrous. But overall the series was a good companion to the main Civil War book and as you say well worth picking up. Now only if I could erase those Correspondence stories from my mind.

Originally Posted by Steve

Iron Man #15
I cannot emphasize how much I detest the use of Hollywood in a modern comic like this. Tony Stark appears to be Timothy Dalton in a number of frames also.

The name's Stark...Tony Stark. Joking aside I agree with you about the referencing to Hollywood stars. In some books it is almost like playing a game of Guess The Celebrity. I wonder if Tommy Lee Jones has got shares in Marvel, first Mike Deodato uses him as Norman Osborne in Thunderbolts and now De La Torre here.

Anyhow I enjoyed this issue after the initial confusion of seeing Dum Dum alive. Clearly no-one at Marvel read Wolverine: Origins #10. I'm pretty excited to see where things go and the Knaufs are setting up some plots in place. The art definitely improved as the issue went on.

Originally Posted by Steve

Black Panther #25
With BP and Storm joining the FF next month—who wouldn’t want to stick around to enjoy T’Challa’s arrival to the top tier of the Marvel Universe?

Me for one. This issue seems like an ideal point to drop the book. The issue itself was neither good nor bad for me and was a little confusing in places. But I'm fed up with the random, inconstant art teams on this title and the gimmicky stories. Sometimes I think Hudlin shot himself in the foot when he decided to kill off Klaw in the first story arc. Perhaps my biggest gripe with this issue was when Photon called Bishop a "sellout". Was it even necessary to include this in the story especially after Hudlin only done a similar panel a few months book.

Even with me being a Fantastic Four fan, it's not enough to get me to continue reading. Bet you Marvel somewhere soon down the line do a FF/BP crossover like the BP/X-Men one and I'll probably have to pick the book again to read the full story. Oh the irony if that occurs.

[darrenmdr]

Originally Posted by Terrorbyte

Oh, I thought a review kind of implied critical analysis.

I'm not sure on that one. I always thought that a review was based on personal opinion and a critique would be based on critical analysis. Depends on your point of view I think.

[Troy Brownfield]

Originally Posted by SyVyN11

Flow, JasonStorm is a broke character. And only you and 16000 other people don't recongize it. DC will burn off the final two issues and put it away for years (if not decades) of obscurity. No JLA, no Teen Titans and no Outsiders, maybe a guest appearance in a major event, that's all. And before you haters come with the "Ronnie Raymond is gay" attacks, DC won't bring him back either.

Dan DiDio's shortsightenness in replacing Ronnie Raymond kill any Firestorm character for good.

Wow. 7-11 didn't waste any time.

All right, m'man. That was your obligatory "I hate Jason, blah blah blah" post. Your're entitled to your opinion, but let's please not let it occupy the usual dumbfounding amount of space. This issue you have with this character and OJ at this point is the equivalent of garbage time in an NBA game with the Pacers down 20: it ain't goin' nowhere.

And by all means, everyone else can feel free to comment on Firestorm and this issue and The Rev's tattoos or what have you. I just know an icy highway when I see it.