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Post by thwhtguardian on Nov 28, 2018 9:51:56 GMT -5
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Post by thwhtguardian on Nov 28, 2018 10:55:26 GMT -5
Action Comics #1005Written by Brian Michael Bendis Art by Ryan Sook Summary: Cracks appear within the ranks of Invisible Mafia when the Question comes to call and Superman finally faces the Red Cloud.
Plot: Although it's been a little slower getting here than I feel is absolutely necessary(which is par for the course for Bendis the King of Decompression) I've really been loving this mystery story we've been getting in Action Comics. I know, the tone of that first sentence is just begging for a "but..." and there is, and it's related heavily to Bendis' decompressed style of writing; in the past that slower pace has really helped his stories shined as they left room for his characters to breath and really take on lives of their own. While that style has really made Clark endearing to us it didn't extend to his supporting cast and because of that the long coming and obvious reveal that the new character Ms. Goode was the new villain the Red Cloud there was no sense of catharsis, no, "Aha!" moment for the readers. It's been five issues and we know nothing more about who Goode is than when we did in her very first panel...I can't even recall her first name and I just put the book down, so why do we care that's she' the villain? And the caring part is important, it's all well and fine to have a mysterious villain but if you decide to reveal their identity and you want it to be a powerful moment(like this reveal was obviously meant to be) you have to do the leg work and lay down the track that leads to that reveal and Bendis just plain old failed to do that, which is surprising as he cut his teeth on noir and still writes it well to this day. That aside, the story itself about a secret Mafia that waits until Superman is busy else where to act is a lot of fun and the shout outs to the wider DC universe with the Hero Dial and the Question were well done...it's just this issue could have been a ten if the time had been used more wisely.
Art: Sook really turned in some stellar work here, I really wish I had a scanner so I could show you the way he framed the scene where the Question busts up the villain bar. The arrangement of the panels, the way he layered the action over the woman attempting to dial the Hero Dial before the Question could get to her was just perfect! He really took what could have been a total throw away scene and made it so rich with suspense that it really sold the idea of why the other Mafia heads were upset with the Don, because you felt their desperation right along with them in that scene.
Grade:7/10
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2018 23:34:06 GMT -5
Action 1005: the art and colors presented in this issue were absolutely beautiful. Kudos to Ryan Sook and Brad Anderson. The panel layouts and the colors for the first few pages were very noirish and so many details from the Dial H dial to Miss Gummy’s tacky fingernails. Also loved the splash of Clark’s computer and the post it notes. Also the Siegel search engine where he was looking up “Batman’s weaknesses “ ha! Interesting post it as well about Teen Lantern.
I loved the interactions between the characters. Miss Goode’s observance of how chipper Clark was at work (he’d had a very romantic reunion with Lois the night before). Loved the scenes of Clark and the fire chief as she relayed what happened with her and the mayor. Interesting that Wonder Woman was at the party.
A bit of a let down with the reveal of who the Red Cloud is, but overall a beautiful issue with fun interactions—and a look at the seedier side of Metropolis. (Nice nod to Fleisher Studios too!)
9/10
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Post by Hoosier X on Nov 29, 2018 21:47:26 GMT -5
Well, this doesn't happen very often. I bought four new comics yesterday (and two very recent issues of Wonder Woman that I missed) and it's more than 24 hours later and I haven't read them all yet. I'm not buying that many comics at present, but everything seems to come out the same week. I'm getting used to walking away from the comic book shop with one or two or NO new comics every week. So this week's kind of special and I've decided to write short reviews of all the comics I got. Up first: Detective Comics I'm going to put a SPOILER WARNING here for anybody who doesn't want the ending of "Deface the Face" ruined. Two-Face is dead! Alfred and Bruce and Gordon and a bunch of sad people are at his funeral, and the main theme is, of course, that Harvey Dent was a good man with tragic mental problems that made him a menace to Gotham City. But at the end, he did the right thing and saved the city. Bruce then flashes back to Harvey's last moments, as Batman and Two-Face go after the fanatical members of Kobra who are about to put a chemical in the water supply that will make all the citizens of Gotham brain-dead zombies who will be totally subservient to Kobra. Fortunately, Harvey comes up with the idea to distract the Kobra guard with delicious Hostess Fruit Pies! (Click here for a recent Absorbascon takedown of James Robinson's current Detective Comics storyline to find out what I'm talking about.) Well, actually, Harvey went down fighting, guns drawn, blazing away, and blew up the bad guys, himself included, to destroy the chemical, and he went to glory in the resultant blazing fireball. Or did he? Batman knows better. He saw through Two-Face's plan several issues ago, he tells Alfred, and now he's off to squelch the real plot. He attacks Two-Face, who's alive and well, and the story ends in mid-battle. Since this is supposed to be the finale of this storyline, I guess Robinson is being poetic or something. The art is nice. I'm wondering what Harvey's wife thinks about all this. Or does she not exist in James Robinson's Batman universe? Bonus James Robinson dialogue! Bruce has just revealed to Alfred that he knows that Harvey Dent is still alive! Alfred responds: THEN WHY ATTEND THAT TEDIOUS FUNERAL?
THAT PRIEST WAS MORE VERBOSE AND TIRESOME
THAN I AM AFTER I GET INTO THE COOKING SHERRY. Bruce tells Alfred that he attended the funeral to keep up appearances. Alfred must have already gotten into the cooking sherry if he can't figure this out. Of course, it also makes one wonder why Bruce waited until this conversation to tell Alfred that Harvey Dent was still alive. And the wondering doesn't stop there. Bruce expands on this explanation to say that he had to attend the funeral because otherwise Two-Face would know he was on to his ruse. I'm still scratching my head on that one. "Bruce Wayne wasn't at my funeral! That somehow means that Batman knows I'm still alive!" Did I miss some dialogue that indicates that Two-Face knows Bruce Wayne is Batman in the James Robinson Batman Universe? Is it worth it to go back and re-read all of "Deface the Face" to find out? Maybe later. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Nov 29, 2018 22:24:06 GMT -5
I started picking up Daredevil because I was intrigued by the idea of the Kingpin as the mayor of New York. The idea has a lot of potential. And the reason it still has a lot of potential is because of how little writer Charles Soule has done with it. There have been some good ideas peeking through here and there. I especially like the return of Michael Murdock. But mostly I've been reading it and going "That's kind of dumb" and then perking up a bit at some of the guest stars. The last four issues have been "The Death of Daredevil" and it appears to be for real (at least temporarily). SPOILER WARNING! Don't read the next paragraph if you are planning on reading this storyline! Everything that happened in the last four issues has been Matt Murdock hallucinating on the operating table! Which is sort of brilliant for a lazy writer who wants to be able to say "It's just a dream" to anybody who thinks that some of the proceedings in the last few issues didn't quite make sense. I almost quit reading Daredevil a few months ago but the return of Mike Murdock pulled me back in. I think I'm pretty much done with Daredevil for now. Unless maybe the new Daredevil is Mike Murdock. And the writer is somebody else besides Charles Soule. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2018 23:49:06 GMT -5
Archie 1941 # 3 by Mark Waid, Brian Augustyn, Peter Krause, Kelly Fitzpatrick, And Jack Morelli:
Archie begins basic training and is joined by Reggie. The two of them unexpectedly make a new friend at the base as they learn they are being sent to North Africa. Back in Riverdale, racism rears its head as Chuck encounters some trouble on his way to enlist. Big Moose helps him out. Mr. Lodge is profiting off the war by hiking up gas prices. Betty and Veronica have a tearful discussion as they worry about the war and Archie. Also a bit about just how Archie enlisted is revealed and how it affects his parents. Overall, a quick read with scenes of how the war is affecting everyone. I loved the scene with Chuck and Moose as Moose addresses the racism that Chuck has encountered. The art is a bit dreary but fits the tone of the story. This could be any town and young people during the WW II era. Definitely not your typical Archie subject matter, but interesting.
7/10
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2018 19:38:32 GMT -5
 Fantastic Four #4.Written by Dan Slott. Art by Stefano Caselli. The FF arrive outside of the Baxter Building and Johnny tells them they no longer own it. However a fight breaks out between the Wrecking Crew and the new residents of the Baxter Building... The Fantastix! It is revealed that the fight was staged to get the new group some respect. Reed isn't upset and doesn't even attempt to get the Baxter Bldg back. Instead they move into a block of apartments on Yancy St that Ben bought years ago. The Good: Slott finally gets around to having the FF back in NYC. I like Ben's more "mature" role. I like the fact that the FF feels relaxed. I like the old family feel of the book. I also like the new art. It fits better than Pichelli's sketchy style IMO. The Bad: Some clichés like the staged fight. It took 4 issues (!) for Slott to find his footing on this title but with this issue and the wedding issue next month I think the book will be solid going forward. 8/10. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Nov 30, 2018 19:41:45 GMT -5
Batgirl #29I don't really like the villain in the latest story arc (I felt like Grotesk was one of the low points of Gail Simone's run), but I like just about everything else in Batgirl lately. The art is crisp and lively and fun, Barbara's new costume is an eye-grabber with enough of the old design that it doesn't seem totally random, and I like Batgirl's current struggle with her own body as the technology that enabled her to walk again has been at times … unreliable. I would love to see the creative team start digging around in BG's past and start using her rogues gallery from her entire history. Gail Simone came up with some good villains. I adore the Velvet Tiger (who I saw being used as an ensemble villain (booo!) in a Batgirl of Burnside adventure). And what about the Killer Moth? He used to pop up a lot. I wrote a few pages of notes about Batgirl and Killer Moth mixing it up (he's robbing an estate in Burnside without realizing its Batgirl's turf) and Killer Moth is mad because he's fighting Batgirl again. "I'm not a BatGIRL villain! I'm one of Batman's greatest foes! But now people consider me a Batgirl foe! Grrr!" The henchmen are giggling. And there's been a couple of times where the Cavalier and Killer Moth teamed up, and I think the Cavalier would be a GREAT permanent addition to Batgirl's rogues gallery! He would always be trying to impress her with his gallantry and good manners, and she would be rolling her eyes a lot and making almost-mean remarks. And it would go right past him! It would never sink in that she's not buying it! I also think the Cavalier could be used in an interesting way because he knows Bruce Wayne. He's in the same gentlemen's club with Wayne that also has Catman (Thomas Blake) and the werewolf (Anthony Lupus) as members. Because he knows Bruce Wayne, he might start to get a little suspicious that Bruce Wayne might be … Batman?!? No, it couldn't be! And yet ... And it's up to Babs to throw him off the scent! (And then there's my idea that Bruce, the Cavalier, Catman and the werewolf are all going to the club and keeping secret identities during the same time period. The Cavalier sees Bruce doing some weird stuff and he thinks that Bruce must be … the werewolf that's terrorizing Gotham! And Catman thinks that the Cavalier is Batman! "The jig is up, Drake! I know your secret!") Getting back to Batgirl, I'm really enjoying it lately! I would like to see my favorite Batgirl rogue eventually. That's James Gordon Jr. But I hope they wait until they have a really good idea for his next rampage.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2018 19:47:50 GMT -5
 Marvel Two-in-One #12.Written by Chip Zdarsky. Art by Ramon K. Perez. This series kicked off the return of the FF. Issues #1-6 were awesome. #7-10 were boring. However #11 and this issue (the final one of the series) were pretty good. This issue focused on Sue & Johnny which was nice. It also wrapped up sub plots concerning the Mole Man and Rachna. And I have been critical of Perez' art the last several months but this issue his art was tighter and less "messy" looking so I actually liked it. 8/10. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2018 19:59:54 GMT -5
 The Terrifics #10. Written by Jeff Lemire. Art by Viktor Bogdanovic. And now the DC FF! Lemire has the Terrifics and the Strong family confront Doc Dread (who was revealed last month as Java). More Silver Age styled fun ensues and by the end of the issue the Terrifics are no more. The force that bound them together was removed. Plastic Man leaves to go and re-unite with his family. Metamorpho (now in his human form as Rex Mason) leaves with Sapphire Stagg. Phantom Girl returns to her home planet. Mr. Terrific goes after the escaped Doc Dread. Nice art by Bogdanovic. Despite multiple artists on this book the art has been top notch. We also found out Lemire's last issue is #14 and it hasn't been announced if the book will continue with a new writer. Hopefully it will and hopefully it will be someone that can write in the same Silver Age style. 8/10. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2018 20:07:38 GMT -5
 Daredevil #612.The Conclusion of the Death of Daredevil. Written by Charles Soule. Art by Phil Noto. Sigh...as Hoosier X stated in his review we get a bait and switch ending to this story. When this arc started I thought Soule was writing another epic Fisk/DD conflict. But with the ending showing this last arc was all a dream while Matt was on the operating table it just ruined his otherwise decent run. Yes Matt technically died when he coded on the operating table but they revived him and he will probably be fine with some recovery time. Hopefully Zdarsky will have a great run when he starts on the title in Feb. 4/10. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Nov 30, 2018 20:15:05 GMT -5
Daredevil #612.The Conclusion of the Death of Daredevil. Written by Charles Soule. Art by Phil Noto. Sigh...as Hoosier X stated in his review we get a bait and switch ending to this story. When this arc started I thought Soule was writing another epic Fisk/DD conflict. But with the ending showing this last arc was all a dream while Matt was on the operating table it just ruined his otherwise decent run. Yes Matt technically died when he coded on the operating table but they revived him and he will probably be fine with some recovery time. Hopefully Zdarsky will have a great run when he starts on the title in Feb. 4/10. Did they revive him at the end? I guess I'd better take another look at that. I might have been zoning out when I read the end. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2018 20:15:23 GMT -5
 Action Comics #1005.Written by Brian Michael Bendis. Art and Cover by Ryan Sook. The good: the return of the Question! Bendis' portrayal of Superman. The art. The bad: the under whelming reveal of the Red Cloud's ID. As both thwhtguardian and @mrjupiter stated in their reviews this was an uneven issue. And Action has been the better of the two Superman titles under Bendis. This arc has one more issue and the next arc focuses on Jimmy Olsen (yay!) with Steve Epting on art!
7/10. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2018 20:18:41 GMT -5
Daredevil #612.The Conclusion of the Death of Daredevil. Written by Charles Soule. Art by Phil Noto. Sigh...as Hoosier X stated in his review we get a bait and switch ending to this story. When this arc started I thought Soule was writing another epic Fisk/DD conflict. But with the ending showing this last arc was all a dream while Matt was on the operating table it just ruined his otherwise decent run. Yes Matt technically died when he coded on the operating table but they revived him and he will probably be fine with some recovery time. Hopefully Zdarsky will have a great run when he starts on the title in Feb. 4/10. Did they revive him at the end? I guess I'd better take another look at that. I might have been zoning out when I read the end. The last page after the couple of black pages had an EKG that was flatlined and showed the heart beat starting again. It had the quote about being a light on it... |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2018 20:25:07 GMT -5
 Wonder Woman #59.Written by G. Willow Wilson. Art by Cary Nord. Well this issue was a bit better than last issue. I was really disappointed with Wilson's first issue 2 weeks ago but this issue the story became a bit more interesting. I haven't read WW since Rucka left so I guess Olympus was destroyed? Anyway Ares is resurrected and it appears he isn't the only Olympic god that was resurrected. My complaint about Nord's usually awesome art remain. I think Mick Gray's inks make his art too cartoony and his Diana looks like she is 12. 6/10. |
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