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Post by thwhtguardian on Jun 13, 2018 11:13:12 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2018 23:06:24 GMT -5
Hawkman #1 by Vendetti, Hitch, and Sinclair: Hawkman is back and the first issue is very promising. Vendetti sets up Hawkman as an Indiana Jones/super hero type out to make sense of his convoluted past. Hawkman himself questions his past and uses an ancient Nautilus that will assist him. There is a cinematic scene where he fights the protector of the relic and one of my favorite DC supernatural characters appears towards the end. With her help, Hawkman discovers something horrible is destined to be...and he is going to have to endure a lot to stop it. The art is awesome. Hitch has a field day with Hawkman in flight. The scenes where he is fighting for the Nautilus convey a feeling of claustrophobia as Hawkman attempts his escape. Hawkman is very formidable and ruggedly handsome looking. The colors are complementary to the story and action. I'm hoping what we see in the 2 page spread towards the end doesn't make Hawkman even more confusing, but overall this is a nice fresh start for one of my all time favorites.
9/10
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Post by hondobrode on Jun 14, 2018 8:47:54 GMT -5
Read, and loved, Hawkman # 1.
This is the only other new title besides The Terrifics that I'm currently buying.
I've always thought there was sort of an Indy vibe to Carter's personality and Venditti is building on that, along with past lives / reincarnation.
He recently gave an interview saying he was going to show how Katar was just one aspect, and Carter was on Krypton and Rann too ?
I think of Hawkman a lot like Aquaman as having potential with the right hands and hopefully DC finally gives him the right creatives to smooth out Hawkman's past.
I'm eagerly awaiting the next issue.
9 / 10
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jun 14, 2018 9:27:02 GMT -5
BPRD #154Written by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie Art by Sebastian Fuimara Summary: Desiccated bodies are being found at sites across the country and Exorcist Ashley Strode uncovers that Varvara is to blame.
Plot: Despite the explosive reintroduction of Hellboy the plot of Mignola's "Devil You Know" has been slow to build and very fragmented between the various supporting characters but with Strode's discovery it looks like it's all going to come together. We still don't know Varvara's plan, but her gathering of the remaining demons that Hellboy didn't vanquish in his trip to Hell seems to point to perhaps a Hell on Earth which could be interesting. Still the presence of a major threat seems to be pulling the players together at last so regardless of what it turns out to be I'll just be glad for a more cohesive feel.
Art: I have always loved Fuimara's art, he nails the characters and makes them feel true to Mignola's style but it's still very much his own look which is a great balance.
Grade:8/10 |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jun 14, 2018 10:48:00 GMT -5
Darth Vader #17Written by Charles Soule Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli Summary: The line between Jedi and Sith begins to blur as the Mon Cala rebellion comes to an end.
Plot: Although the story began to sag a little in the middle Soule certainly stuck the landing with this issue. Although it had plenty of action with the battle between the Inquisitors and the Storm Troopers, the Empire and the Mon Cala, and Vader and the Jedi it had a surprisingly strong interpersonal component as well which really made for a satisfying conclusion. The conversation between Vader and Ferren Barr about giving all in pursuit of a vision was really fantastic as it not only provided a reason why a Jedi like Barr would commit murder and start a war that killed billions but it also put a mirror to Vader as his own descent was in the pursuit of saving a life. That similarity between the drives of these two characters not only adds to the idea that Vader could be converted later by Luke by showing that as dark as his mantle might be his motivation that started him down that dark path wasn't too bad, on top of that it plays into the message of the Last Jedi that Jedi and Sith weren't that different and perhaps the deaths of their two orders had a reason. It offers no answers to that last question but that it makes you contemplate it at all makes for good story telling.
Art: That Camuncoli only provided the lay outs, as the credits illustrate, is obvious in this issue. The pacing and visual language remains the same, but the over all look is just loose enough that the difference is evident. Though still clear, the action in the issue felt more static and less dynamic; it's evident when one of the inquisitors loses a limb but it lacks a sense of action and fluidity when it happens.
Grade: 7/10 |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2018 11:35:34 GMT -5
 Plastic Man #1 (of 6):Written by Gail Simone. Art by Adriana Melo. Cover by Aaron Lopresti. So why did I buy this? I like Plastic Man. I like Gail Simone's writing. I like the recent Terrifics series. The series starts off a bit darker than I pictured as Eel gets beat up. However he is "faking" his injuries. He then goes into action as Plastic Man. We get a modern retelling of his origin. We get Eel established as a criminal. We get a "hook" for this mini series as Spyral needs Eel to go "undercover" as Plastic Man to uncover a spy in the Justice League. First off Melo's art is beautiful. It's tough to get a mix of realism & cartoony effects in the same book... But Melo pulls it off well. Next Simone did not disappoint. At first with the brutal beating Eel receives I had some doubts but then Simone mixes in some humor even though there is an underlying dark tone to the series. Plastic Man is a tough character to write. You have to get the right mix of dark humor to make it work. Overall I liked this first issue. 8/10. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2018 11:54:14 GMT -5
 Hawkman #1: Written by Robert Venditti. Art and Cover by Bryan Hitch. So why did I buy this? Hawkman is one of my favorite heroes. He was the 6th most popular hero at DC in the 40's. He has a unique (& convoluted) history. It is established in the first sentence that this is Carter Hall. Reincarnated many times. He is on a quest to restore some of his missing memories. He "steals" an ancient artifact called the Nautilus. He then goes to Madame Xanadu who helps him recover his memories. He recalls his life as Prince Khufu in Egypt. He also finds out he was Katar Hol of Thanagar (whom he thought was someone else) and Catar-Ol of Krypton (whom he never remembered) as well as other lives. He realizes he has been reincarnated across time... and space. He discovers there is more to his origin than he realized. Venditti does a great job in 2 pages tying together all the different versions of Hawkman. I like the idea that Carter has been a Hawkman across time & space. I like the fact that he remembers some lives, that he thought some of his lives were someone else, and there are lives he does not remember at all. I look forward to Venditti exploring this. He established a different way to re-launch a new Hawkman series. Hitch's art was nice. Conveyed the action well and the quieter moments. Great start. 8/10. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2018 12:09:11 GMT -5
 Thor #1: Written by Jason Aaron. Art and cover by Michael Del Mundo. So why did I buy this? The return of Odinson as Thor! Aaron continuing his epic run. Thor is retrieving the weapons from Odin's weapons vault that exploded with Asgardia's destruction. He faces off against the Juggernaut. We find out with Mjolnir lost in the Sun he goes thru hammers created by the trolls by the hundreds. He then visits Midgard & finds Jane still fighting her cancer. Volstagg healing from his injuries as War Thor. He then fights Namor to recover another artifact. And gets a visit from Loki... As usual Loki screws with Thor & they end up in Hel with Balder... In a second story with art by Christian Ward we get the story of the end of the universe. To be continued... Aaron has a nice hook to launch this series as Thor goes recovering Odin's weapons. He also continues his epic story from the previous volume. I'm not sure I like the "watercolor" look of the art. It was OK. It wasn't as dynamic as I would like. 8/10. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jun 14, 2018 12:11:29 GMT -5
Thor #1Written by Jason Aaron Art by Mike Del Mundo and Christian Ward Summary: In this double sized first issue we see Thor learn that it's a hard knock life with out his hammer and in the second we see the end of the Universe.
Plot: Arron's run on Thor has seriously been one of my favorite runs of a super hero comic of all time; it has so much great action and a true sense of pathos that just makes for fantastic reading. With the death of Jane I was pretty sure his time with Thor was done so I was incredibly surprised when I saw he was continuing on after that; there's certainly more story to tell with Asgard still needing to be rebuilt but could it be as powerful as what came before? I'm not exactly sure if it can, but the story still has heart as Aaron brings the relationship between Thor and Loki to the fore front with the battle of the realms as a back drop. We've seen many takes on the brothership between Thor and Loki, but if there's someone who can give us a new look it's Jason Aaron so I'm interested to see where he takes it.
While the first story is a little more nebulous the second is much more straight forward; in the future timeline Thor and his daughters have recreated Earth and brought forth human life again. It's a story of mortality and love set against the dying of the universe itself...and Wolverine has the Phoenix Force! While the first story may have a larger impact on the Marvel Universe the second is more fun and I'm a little sad we won't see more until the fifth issue.
Art: Man, I really hope Del Mundo isn't the regular ongoing artist for this book. His rough style coupled with the thick inks just doesn't convey the emotion that the story requires. It's good at action in a big larger than life, cartoony way but it lacks heart which is a key component of Aaron's style and with out it the book feels slightly flat.
Grade:7/10 |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2018 12:19:39 GMT -5
Man of Steel #3:
Written by Brian Michael Bendis. Art by Ryan Sook.
Now I'm starting to worry a little. Bendis uses 7 pages of story to show the villain arriving on earth & finding the Fortress. Then we get Superman looking into the fires in Metropolis with the aid of Batman. Then Superman & Supergirl at the Fortress seeing the destruction as well as Kandor being gone. Then back to Metropolis to face the villain together.
Superman never answers Supergirl's questions about Lois & Jon. We also get some "mild" Bendis conversation between the two of them. Some of what I think are Bendis' negative qualities as a writer are creeping into this series. And that is decreasing my enjoyment of this series despite the beautiful art by Sook this issue.
6/10.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2018 12:26:32 GMT -5
Spectacular Spider-Man # 305:
Written by Chip Zdarsky. Art by Adam Kubert.
This issue wraps up the adventure thru time as Peter, JJJ & Teresa attempt to return to their timeline. They are stuck (for now) in an alternate timeline that has Peter & Gwen married and Pete not being Spider-Man. This has caused a ripple effect that has made this world less than desirable.
Zdarsky continues to make his statement on the Spider-Man mythos that I am enjoying. Paired with beautiful Kubert art overall this run has been fun with a few stumbles.
8/10.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2018 12:39:26 GMT -5
Flash #48:
Written by Joshua Williamson. Art by Howard Porter.
The first page shows Wally racing his kids Jai & Irey. Zoom is showing him parts of his life that are missing. Meanwhile the rest of the Flash team are with the 25th century Renegades. They establish Iris killed Thawne in self defense and then go find Zoom & Wally. Iris also starts remembering Wally's kids. Zoom causes a temporal event erasing the timeline so he can escape while Barry goes after Wally as he tries to run into the Speed Force to get his life back.
Good writing. You feel for Wally willing to do anything to get his missing kids back. You also feel the chaos swirling around these events as they occur. You feel Barry's pain as he tries to stop/help Wally from making a mistake trusting Zoom. Williamson grabs your emotions with that first page & never lets go as he drags you along a roller coaster of emotions thru the rest of the story. Porter's art is hit or miss for me. Some pages look great others look rushed.
8/10.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2018 12:58:30 GMT -5
Marvel Two-In-One Annual 2018:
Written by Chip Zdarsky. Art by Declan Shalvey.
This issue has a lot to accomplish. First it is a bridge between MTIO #6 & #7. It also ties up some sub plots from Secret Wars. It sets up the return of the FF in August. It also focuses on Doom's journey as Iron Man.
We get flashbacks of Doom's childhood as Doom & the Thing explore another universe where that Doom has killed the FF. There the two Dooms fight & Iron Man Doom gets transported to a new Council of Reeds. There he finds out what happened to him at the end of Secret Wars as well as what happened to the Richards' family. IM Doom is angered by Reed manipulating his memories. When he is transported back to the fight IM Doom kills his doppelganger. Him & the Thing then reunite with Johnny & Rachna & continue their quest.
Zdarksy did a great job wrapping up some dangling plot threads while setting up the return of the FF in 2 months. And he did this while telling an entertaining story that focused on Doom who has been just as important to this story as Ben & Johnny. The art was a little too cartoony for me but it was good.
7/10.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2018 15:50:10 GMT -5
I'm thinking of reading Hawkman and Plastic-Man based on these reviews here.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2018 23:10:29 GMT -5
The Man of Steel #3: By the third issue, I expected a bit more, but overall not a bad issue. I thought the first few pages could have been better utilized. The book gets better when Superman and Supergirl arrive to find Kandor destroyed. Not a fan of how the Lois and Jon mystery is being handled. It's like the same pages over and over with a tiny reveal that really doesn't reveal anything. The ship that arrives in the scene reminds me of Brainiac, but could that be Luthor inside? The silhouette looked like a bald man. Superman again dodges what has happened to them when Supergirl asks. I think this issue takes place just before the Bendis story in Action 1000. More about the fires, but not much. Batman is recruited for his perspective. So far Green Lantern and Batman have cameoed. I'm guessing Wonder Woman will show up at some point. Anyway, small pieces of the puzzle in this issue. Loved the Ryan Sook art, especially in the Batman scenes.
7.5/10
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