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Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 11, 2019 8:44:38 GMT -5
OFF THE RACKS!Real Comic Reviews...By Real Readers. (Because you write them!)  |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 11, 2019 11:08:22 GMT -5
Far Sector #2Written by N.K. Jemisin Art by Jamal Campbell Summary: Newly minted Green Lantern Jo Mullein of Earth races after a murder suspect but finds things are more complicated.
Plot: In just it's second issue Jemisin's Far Sector continues to be possibly the best Green Lantern story ever written. Through meaningful and intimate character interactions the mystery and world building going on feel so lush and natural. It would be easy to pile on the details in giving readers a new alien world to explore but instead Jemisin exposes us slowly to it all through three distinct interactions with different supporting characters of differeing races that each have their own different tones which not only creates a compelling read but also gives you the needed time to digest it all and get a real feel for the world with out being overwhelmed. And coupled with it's police procedural feel it makes for the Green Lantern story I've always wanted. Hands down, this is the best comic out there right now.
Art: As amazing as Campbell's alien city-scapes and sci-fi character renderings are(and they truly stunning!) where he really gets to shine in this issue is through the quieter moments of conversation this issue has. Not only does he give each species presented their own look but through the intimate encounters he gets to illustrate how they emote through facial expressions and body language and thrillingly each race does so in ways that are incredibly unique but also clear to the reader. I truly can't get enough.
Grade:10/10 |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 12, 2019 8:30:24 GMT -5
Immortal Hulk #28Written by Al Ewing Art by Tom Reilly Summary: Through the eyes of a small town Roxxon employee we see the effects of the Hulk's New Green Deal.
Plot: Though the Hulk only appears in but a few scant panels toward the end this might be one of Ewing's best issues to date. The Small-town America reaction to a changing society was just beautifully done from start to finish. It was tensely plotted and oh so real, like a story ripped from the news, and because of that realistic feeling I began to get a very real sinking feeling in my gut with each turn of the page similar to watching some growing tragedy in the news which is an incredible feat for a work of fiction. The allegory for right wing culture, and indeed President Trump himself, may be a bit on the nose for some(especially if their politics lean that way) but the rebel feeling that it imbues the book with feels like old school Marvel magic to me.
Art: While I would have loved to have seen more of Bennett's work, Reilly's clean line work was good in it's own right though to be honest though I usually love a cartooned style I think a more photorealistic look would have really worked best for this issue.
Grade:8/10 |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 12, 2019 10:03:08 GMT -5
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #100Written by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz Art by Dave Wachter Summary: With the forces of Evil summoning the Dragon Warrior to the Earthly plain Splinter and Clan Hamato are in trouble.
Plot: There have been more than a few times during this eight year run that have made me stop and just think, "Whoa..." but with issue #100 I think they've truly reached a new level as Eastman and Waltz really went out with a huge bang here giving even more credence to my feeling that the IDW Turtles run has truly been the best ever. To truly appriciate that statement though perhaps a slight recap of just how awesome the whole run has been is needed for the uninitiated(and if that term applies to you then SHAME! I say). Way back in 2011 when IDW brought on Waltz and Eastman to bring about a new Turtles book they took a page from Marvel's Ultimate line and created a whole new beginning for the beloved characters that was at once completely divorced from everything that came before it but also made up of the best beats of what made fans love them over the years. They incorporated the gritty tone of the original black and white comics, the humor of the original cartoon, the colorful characters of the Archie comics and even a pinch of the anything can happen feel of the Image run while adding in a great new spiritual concept...and it all felt totally cohesive and through one hundred issues.
Since that new start we've gotten big action stories, small moments of pure emotional development, sci-fi escapades and now this wonderful conclusion that's tied all those elements together. And while the scale has grown almost exponentially as the series progressed( including things like an alien invasion and a war with inter-dimensional gods) this issue doesn't forget that at its core TMNT is a story about family. It would have been easy to forget that core concept and lose the intimacy that characterized the earlier issues but Waltz and Eastman have always somehow managed to keep the focus tight, finding the tender family relationships in the midst of whatever madness may surround it and that was especially true here as we had time for Casey and his father to reconnect at the end, Raph and Leo to hug it out and at the last...Master Splinter's final gift to his children. It's a little chaotic in the middle, with some of the developments lacking a little build up but ultimately the ending was solid...but it's only the ending of this chapter as their is hope for the future here at the last drop. The book's inaugural story was called, "Change is Constant" and although the lead architect of that principle is leaving(This is Waltz's last issue) I'm excited to see where the Turtles go from here.
Art: There have been many stellar artists that have contributed to this series over the years from Dan Duncan at the start to Mateus Santolouco and Cory Smith in the middle and many more but in this last leg Wachter have shown himself to be among the best when it comes to tapping into the story's emotional core. His simple line style prevented nesseraily busy battle scenes from becoming cluttered, and he truly shines when zeroing in on raw character moments like the reunion between Raph and Leo. And on top of that Pattison’s flat colors brings out the cartoonishness often associated with the Turtles but his shading infuses the art with a touch of the grittiness of the original comics which just highlights the approach the philosophy that's made this book work as well as it has from the start: truly the best of both worlds.
Grade: I love being a turtle! 10/10
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Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 12, 2019 11:23:31 GMT -5
The Batman's Grave #3Written by Warren Ellis Art by Bryan Hitch Summary: When a former Gotham DA with alleged mob ties dies under suspicious circumstances Batman takes over.
Plot: If the masthead for this issue had read The Batman's Grave #1 instead of #3 I'd feel a lot better about the fate of this 12 issue maxi-series then I currently do. Although there is still plenty of decompression present as we're treated yet again to ten whole pages devoted to a wordless fight scene with a nameless villain the scenes with actual characterization with Bruce and Alfred are absolutely incredible ad although seemingly a throw away plot point the exchange about a digital household assistant and its dangers was just the modern twist I've been yearning for. That said, those scenes only take up about a third of the book with the other two thirds being the aforementioned fight scene and technical babble about chemical compounds that while giving it a real world feel go on for too long without adding anything else. I really don't know if I'll be sticking with this, we're three issues in but there isn't a cohesive feel or a truly compelling hook yet which are definitely elements you need in order to tell a twelve chapter story.
Art: I love how lean Hitch's Batman is, it's a modern take on the 70's look that I just adore...but although the art is solid it's not special enough to carry on a ten page fight scene and keep my interest. There are artists who create lush worlds that can carry a book without a single word and while Hitch's artwork is clean, detailed and technically fantastic it doesn't have the depth to really make you care. Perhaps that's not a truly fair assumption, perhaps if left to his own devices he could tell a compelling Batman story with images alone, but that's not what he's put on the page so far and I'm not expecting that to change.
Grade:6/10 |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2019 14:00:20 GMT -5
 Superman #18. Script by Brian Michael Bendis. Art by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado. Superman reveals his secret ID as Clark Kent to the world. Well these are the types of issues Bendis' excels at. Big changes to a character. It is mostly a talking heads issue as Superman first reveals his ID to close friends then to the entire world. Bendis' does a nice job with the speech Superman gives and why now seemed like the right time to reveal his ID. We also see reactions from other heroes and some villains. Reis does an outstanding job with the double page spreads as well as the smaller panels showing people's reactions. Overall I think Bendis did an amazing job with this issue. I'm not sure those in Superman's inner circle would have reacted so calmly and positive as portrayed. 8/10. |
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Post by profholt82 on Dec 15, 2019 0:08:28 GMT -5
Detective Comics #1017
This is a one-off issue, so I wanted to check it out. Basically, Bruce Wayne owns an orphanage, and a kid runs away in the middle of winter, the third such runaway this year we're told, so Batman needs to track him down and save him. Along the way we learn that there's a reason these kids have been escaping the orphanage, and Bruce needs to put on his detective hat to figure it all out.
Honestly, the plot breezes along so forced and quickly that so much remains unexplained to get from point a to point b. And the writer tries to pull at the heart strings, but no one is fleshed out enough for that to be successful. Meanwhile, Alfred's replacement Lucious Fox has a decent chunk of screen time here, but he and Bruce's exchanges seem stilted and awkward. I guess it'll take time for them to work out the kinks. Overall, this one was a disappointment.
4/10
The Dollhouse Family #2
I was lukewarm about the first issue, but it was intriguing enough for me to pick up number 2. In this one our main girl ends up in an orphanage after the shocking event at the end of the first issue, and she has a difficult time adjusting while dealing with a bully. While the fella from the 1800s exploring the cave in the first issue gets a lot more focus in this issue, and there is some artistic cross cutting between the two plotlines. Overall, much less happens in this issue than the overloaded first, and I think it flows much better as a result. And there are some seriously memorable sequences in this issue. I think I'm going to stick with this one for the time being.
8/10
Ghost Rider #3
At the end of issue 2, Danny Ketch threw in the towel, and said no more spirit of vengeance as he couldn't take it anymore. Meanwhile, his bro Johnny Blaze is in charge of Hell in Mephisto's absence, and he seems to be losing his grip on himself, as he's been on the rampage tracking down escaped demons while some innocents have perished in the collateral damage. This issue has more of that, but also a reflective Danny who is struggling with his own personal demons and the bottle. There is a lot of reflection here and a heartfelt conversation with his ex, with the occasional Johnny Blaze gory demon wrecking sprinkled in throughout.
I enjoyed the issue for what it was, but there's nothing all that special here. I was a Ghost Rider fan back in the 90s, and was happy to see a regular series coming back. It's been good enough so far. Nothing all that original, but entertaining and familiar in a good way.
7/10
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shaxper
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Posts: 22,867
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Post by shaxper on Dec 18, 2019 6:31:47 GMT -5
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #100
Written by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz
Art by Dave Wachter
...They incorporated the gritty tone of the original black and white comics, the humor of the original cartoon, the colorful characters of the Archie comics and even a pinch of the anything can happen feel of the Image run while adding in a great new spiritual concept...and it all felt totally cohesive and through one hundred issues.
Since that new start we've gotten big action stories, small moments of pure emotional development, sci-fi escapades and now this wonderful conclusion that's tied all those elements together. And while the scale has grown almost exponentially as the series progressed( including things like an alien invasion and a war with inter-dimensional gods) this issue doesn't forget that at its core TMNT is a story about family. Every time you review an issue of the new TMNT, I want to go out and buy it, but the completist in me wants to start at the beginning, and that's a hell of a commitment. The original City at War may have been my favorite TMNT story ever, and yet it only did about half the things you say the new version does. I'm really really tempted. |
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,867
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Post by shaxper on Dec 18, 2019 6:33:47 GMT -5
The Batman's Grave #3
Written by Warren Ellis
Art by Bryan Hitch
...we're three issues in but there isn't a cohesive feel or a truly compelling hook yet which are definitely elements you need in order to tell a twelve chapter story. What's with the title? Or is that supposed to be the hook? |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 18, 2019 7:19:54 GMT -5
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #100
Written by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz
Art by Dave Wachter
...They incorporated the gritty tone of the original black and white comics, the humor of the original cartoon, the colorful characters of the Archie comics and even a pinch of the anything can happen feel of the Image run while adding in a great new spiritual concept...and it all felt totally cohesive and through one hundred issues.
Since that new start we've gotten big action stories, small moments of pure emotional development, sci-fi escapades and now this wonderful conclusion that's tied all those elements together. And while the scale has grown almost exponentially as the series progressed( including things like an alien invasion and a war with inter-dimensional gods) this issue doesn't forget that at its core TMNT is a story about family. Every time you review an issue of the new TMNT, I want to go out and buy it, but the completist in me wants to start at the beginning, and that's a hell of a commitment. The original City at War may have been my favorite TMNT story ever, and yet it only did about half the things you say the new version does. I'm really really tempted. It's well worth starting at the beginning and with the first "chapter" done I imagine there will be some nice omnibus collections that would make catching up easy. I've hear the new Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman mini that's coming out latter this year though will be mostly stand alone though so you can grab that if you need a new TMNT fix with out having read the preceding issues. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 18, 2019 7:21:27 GMT -5
The Batman's Grave #3
Written by Warren Ellis
Art by Bryan Hitch
...we're three issues in but there isn't a cohesive feel or a truly compelling hook yet which are definitely elements you need in order to tell a twelve chapter story. What's with the title? Or is that supposed to be the hook? Your guess is as good as mine, you'd think you'd have a fair idea of the meaning of the title at three issues into a 12 issue series...but not here. |
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,867
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Post by shaxper on Dec 18, 2019 9:38:42 GMT -5
What's with the title? Or is that supposed to be the hook? Your guess is as good as mine, you'd think you'd have a fair idea of the meaning of the title at three issues into a 12 issue series... Not with DC these days. Or really in the age of Maximum Decompression, in general. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 18, 2019 9:54:28 GMT -5
Your guess is as good as mine, you'd think you'd have a fair idea of the meaning of the title at three issues into a 12 issue series... Not with DC these days. Or really in the age of Maximum Decompression, in general. There's decompression and then there's this book and a gulf of difference in-between. When used right decompressed storytelling can give you a greater sense of character depth and development...but here it's decompressed seemingly just to show longer fight scenes and though decently choreographed they just aren't interesting enough that they're worth half an issue's worth of page time each. And that's not an exaggeration, I actually counted the pages and there were ten whole, wordless pages devoted to Batman brawling with some nameless thug, and then four pages of tencno-babble and with the extended intro to him dropping down from the Batjet to meet Gordon last issue there were 13 pages devoted to zero storytelling last issue and another twelve in the first issue. So in three issues there we have 66 pages...but only 29 pages devoted to actual storytelling which is just plain nuts. |
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