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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2017 22:27:43 GMT -5
Star Lord #6: I didn't realize this was a limited series, but it certainly concludes on a high note. Daredevil and Logan guest star in a nice wrap up of this series. Peter tries to deal with the death from issue 5 and learns where he goes from here. Each member of the cast gets a nice "send off" and page time. The art has been perfect each issue as was the story and pacing. There is an annual coming up and Peter's story will continue in Guardians of the Galaxy.
9/10
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2017 22:46:40 GMT -5
Archie #19, my thoughts: a great issue highlighting an unlikely respect between Jughead and Veronica. After Veronica is growing tired of Archie and her dad hatched a plan to find new boyfriends for her, Jughead saves the day! There is a very "Archie" scene with Archie, Jughead, and a tent that seems to have a life of its own. The Blossom Twins get shocking news that I wish had a couple of more pages devoted to it!
The Big Moose preview looks great.
Not sure what I feel about the next arc. It seems Reggie is slated to die, which I don't like as he is my favorite. Of course, I could be wrong. No doubt it'll be a well written story no matter what happens.
9/10
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Post by thwhtguardian on Apr 22, 2017 19:59:06 GMT -5
Superman #21 Written by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason Art by Doug Mahnke Summary: Superman, Damian and Jon search for Batman but find only more mystery...and a giant squid monster that challenges Superman's no killing rule.
Plot: Tomasi and Gleason continue to build upon he relationship between Jon and Damian in the second part of this mystery. The Kent's neighbor has seemed creepily helpful from the start and I loved that we finally got to see that play out last issue...but it got even better here as we see that he might not be wholly malignant in his quest to keep Jon's powers in check.
Art: I used to be saddened when ever Gleason wasn't on art, and I still love how he draws Superman, but over the course of the book I've really grown to enjoy Mahnke's look as well. I love how he drew the scenes between Damian and Jon, there was a real look of innocence there that was just fun to see.
Grade:8/10 |
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Post by Batflunkie on Apr 22, 2017 20:20:11 GMT -5
a giant squid monster that challenges Superman's no killing rule Very interesting to see what they're doing with Watchmen beyond pure surface level stuff like "Comedian's Smiley Face Button", because a company with lesser scruples than DC would probably just end the slowly unraveling thread of mystery at that. Heck, I'm still waiting for Marvel to actually do something with Miracleman other than just reprinting old stuff and continuing on with what Gaiman had in mind 20 some odd years ago. But, in the end, is this something I actually want though? Because it's really hard at this point to even attempt to top Kindt's Divinity trilogy for Valiant |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Apr 22, 2017 20:34:34 GMT -5
Supersons #3 Written by Peter J. Tomasi Art by Jorge Jimenz Summary: Jon and Damian continue on their first real solo mission together only to encounter an honest to goodness supervillain in Kid-Amazo.
Plot: The push and shove, competitive relationship that Tomasi is developing beyween Damian and Jon. The energetic, young rivalry is fun to see and feels truly organic and real; it's like seeing real kids interact and that's something you don't see everyday. It's full of a true sense of wonder and discovery and I can't wait to see where it goes.
Art: Jiminez's slightly angular style gives the book a really snappy, energetic feel that really fits the youthful feel of the book. That said the cover by Dustin Nyugen was a bit of a tease as although Jiminez's art fits well Nyugen's art would be amazing.
Grade:8/10 |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Apr 22, 2017 20:35:52 GMT -5
a giant squid monster that challenges Superman's no killing rule Very interesting to see what they're doing with Watchmen beyond pure surface level stuff like "Comedian's Smiley Face Button", because a company with lesser scruples than DC would probably just end the slowly unraveling thread of mystery at that. Heck, I'm still waiting for Marvel to actually do something with Miracleman other than just reprinting old stuff and continuing on with what Gaiman had in mind 20 some odd years ago. But, in the end, is this something I actually want though? Because it's really hard at this point to even attempt to top Kindt's Divinity trilogy for Valiant I never really tied it into the Watchmen, I thought it was just a generic monster of the week kind of thing, but now you have me wondering. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Apr 22, 2017 21:06:48 GMT -5
Batwoman #2 Written by Marguerite Bennet Art by Steve Epting Summary: Batwoman's quest to hunt down the people pushing the Monster Venom has taken her back to her past and the threat is not only to the world but her soul.
Plot: I wasn't a hundred percent sold on this book until this issue; the connection to the awful Monstermen story made me wary and other than Alfred's daughter as a supporting cast member and the characterization of Kate there was nothing to grab me but Bennet really showed that she has some true storytelling chops with this installment. There was a slow burn to the pacing here, the layers of flashbacks and investigation of the present built upon each other to create an intense feeling of tension and mystery culminating in the reveal at the end that the leader of the Kali organization was Kate's mysterious past lover in an explosive manner. It's like a great noir film and it's delicious.
Art: Epting's detailed, photorealistic look gives the book a fantastic cinematic feel which really fit's the noir tone.
Grade:9/10 |
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Post by Batflunkie on Apr 22, 2017 22:09:38 GMT -5
Very interesting to see what they're doing with Watchmen beyond pure surface level stuff like "Comedian's Smiley Face Button", because a company with lesser scruples than DC would probably just end the slowly unraveling thread of mystery at that. Heck, I'm still waiting for Marvel to actually do something with Miracleman other than just reprinting old stuff and continuing on with what Gaiman had in mind 20 some odd years ago. But, in the end, is this something I actually want though? Because it's really hard at this point to even attempt to top Kindt's Divinity trilogy for Valiant I never really tied it into the Watchmen, I thought it was just a generic monster of the week kind of thing, but now you have me wondering. Well, it's kind of the focal point of the original comic and what Moore thought he could do to try and prevent there ever being a film adaptation. But with how Mxyzptlk was recently reintroduced, I'm curious to see if the squid monster is yet another layer of subtext in trying to break the source-wall so the entire DCU can escape into our world to prevent going through another crisis |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2017 22:39:02 GMT -5
Superman #21: my thoughts.....another great issue! The pacing and art are spot on. The colors are bright (as they should be in a Superman book). The cover really reminded me of covers from the Bronze Age--made me want to know what is going to happen inside the book. (My issue's cover has Superman and Superboy battling an ink man. The splash page of Superboy flying was pure joy.
The mystery of the Cobb farm deepens. Also, just who is prodding the Cobbs on and what is this person's interest in superboy?
8/10
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2017 6:56:23 GMT -5
I agree that Superman & Super Sons by Tomasi continue to be outstanding series from DC.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Apr 23, 2017 8:40:55 GMT -5
I agree that Superman & Super Sons by Tomasi continue to be outstanding series from DC. Yeah, he's really killing it lately. I just love how energetic his ideas are and the bright tone just fits perfectly. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Apr 23, 2017 9:18:58 GMT -5
Nightwing #19 Written by Tim Seeley Art by Javi Fernandez Summary: Dick and Shawn race to Egypt to stop Hurt from making sure Robin Dies At Dawn.
Plot: In this great, action packed issue Seeley manages to keep all the elements tight without feeling rushed. The plot moves from one action set piece to the next like a good action story should but it takes the time to give the readers a breath in between so you don't feel like you're on a run away freight train. Unlike many other such moments these pauses don't just feel like artificial plot devices needed to slow down the pacing but rather they are organic character moments that show that there is more going on here than kicks and punches but that these are "real" people and that gives you a true emotional hook that makes the stakes actually feel important. That said, I do think the cliffhanger was cheap and really missed the mark. I won't spoil it, but it went against everything I just said, it didn't feel organic and there was nothing there to make you feel that it would have any real consequences.
Art: Fernandez really has a great grasp on motion, in the fight scenes you really get a great sense of movement and energy from his work. That said, the visual cues to Dick's prior injury were a bit clumsy; rather than lightning bolts or stress lines beside his ankle I think a more subtler approach like the hint of a blood stain or something along those lines would have been more dramatic.
Grade: 7/10 |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2017 9:53:49 GMT -5
While Nightwing was good it slipped a little IMO. The abrupt change in locale from last issue was jarring & I don't buy Damian being so easily subdued. I also missed the Dick/Damian interactions.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Apr 23, 2017 11:10:06 GMT -5
While Nightwing was good it slipped a little IMO. The abrupt change in locale from last issue was jarring & I don't buy Damian being so easily subdued. I also missed the Dick/Damian interactions. Yeah, I missed the interaction with Damian but the abrupt change didn't bother me as it seemed to fit the hollywood action movie tone for me but I did hate the end. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Apr 23, 2017 21:00:44 GMT -5
Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea  Written by Mike Mignola and Gary Gianni Art by Gary Gianni Colored by Dave Stewart Summary: Leaving the island and it's hellish doppelganger behind him, Hellboy sets sail to return once more to the world of man, only to be gang-weighted by a strange ship.
Plot: Set after the events of Hellboy: The Island this short but sweet tale by long time friends Mignola and Gianni brings Hellboy to the high seas in a story that is very much a back to the basics book for Hellboy. There are three basic types of Hellboy stories: ones where a monster shows up and Hellboy punches it, world building stories exploring Hellboy's myth, and folk tales that Hellboy almost passively observes. As a long time Hellboy fan I love all three types of stories but it's the latter type that always seems to make me smile; the passive tone often isn't for everyone but I love the perspective they give and this new story definitely fits mostly into that mold(though it does do some world building as well). As such the pacing is slow, with a focus on creating a mood and allowing the characters to breath on their own while Hellboy stands to the side in very much the same way that we the readers are which creates a great bond between us. There isn't a whole lot of action, I think the only action scene involves Hellboy fighting a rather large crab, but the haunting feeling that is created and the simmering, confined tension that builds aboard the ship is just fantastic. I think though my favorite part is Mignola's use of poetry as a narrative device; he's done it a few times in the past to great effect but it really helped set the mood here in a way that couldn't have been achieved in any other way.
Art: I've long been a fan of of Gary Gianni's art and it is truly stunning just how well it fits this story. The whole thing has a classical English literature feel to it and Giani's detailed, scratchy style makes you think of those old ethched illustrations of yore which instantly gets you into the right headspace for a classic sea yarn. Where Mignola’s art work is full of inky, empty spaces just aching for our minds fill up, Gianni’s work is full of minute details and delicate lines that effortlessly evoke swirling mist and the droaning sounds of the surf. And while I'm not a sailor looking at these images I just can't escape the feeling of complete authenticity. I don't know all the pieces of a 19th century sailing ship but by the looks of it Giani does or atleast did the legwork and learned everything there was to know and for a story that takes place almost completely on such a ship that's just what the doctor ordered.
Grade: 10/10
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