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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 19, 2020 10:07:35 GMT -5
Another Week...Another Batch Of Fresh Comics Reviewed Right Here On... OFF THE RACKS |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2020 6:34:01 GMT -5
 Aquaman # 57. Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick. Art and Cover by Robson Rocha and Daniel Henriques. First of all I love this cover. After the fight in Amnesty Bay with Black Manta Mera feels wiped out. She is taken to Atlantis where she delivers their premature baby. However she still remains in a coma after the birth. And Ocean Master shows up at the end... A different take on the birth of an Aquababy. Is Arthur JR still part of this Aquaman's canon? I liked the story. It tugged on this Dad's heart strings. Also really outstanding art by Rocha. 8/10. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2020 6:40:52 GMT -5
 Legion of Super Heroes #4. Written by Brian Michael Bendis. Art by Ryan Sook and Mikel Janin. The retelling of the origin of the Legion. Similar to the original with some modern changes. Overall this issue was pretty good. I felt like things moved along at a better pace than the last 2 issues. By the end of the issue the Legion is confined to their HQ. Great art by Sook and Janin. 7/10. |
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Post by The Captain on Feb 21, 2020 8:52:52 GMT -5
Some quick hits:
Captain America #19
The cover teased the revelation of the identity of the Dryad, the leader of the Daughters of Liberty, and while the inside delivered that, it was...underwhelming at best. Sure, it's great that this character is back in the MU, but the "how" of it really isn't explained and the "why" is kind of a throwaway. It looks like the story might FINALLY be going somewhere, as Cap's closest allies, Sam and Bucky, are now back in the fold, but with Coates' pacing problems, it might be months before we get any kind of payoff.
My biggest problem with this book is that it has become painfully obvious that Ta-Nehisi Coates has ZERO interest in writing a Captain America book. What Coates really wants to write is a Daughters of Liberty book, but because that would have all of the commercial viability of garbage-flavored M&Ms, he has shoehorned them into Cap's book and pushed the star to the back burner. This was the same complaint I had with Coates' Black Panther book, where it was just as obvious that he really wanted to write a Shuri/Dora Milaje book but had to use BP as the vehicle to do so.
My patience is wearing very thin. I want to read about Captain America, not Coates' pet project to revise history, even fictional history, by putting women secretly behind every major event in US history. Do that on your own time in a book not titled "Captain America" instead of hijacking this one.
3/10
Marauders #8
One of the two new X-books I'm buying (along with the flagship title), primarily because of the choice of characters used (Emma Frost, Kitty Pryde, Bishop, and Iceman) and the power struggle between Emma and Sebastian Shaw.
This issue picks up the thread from a couple of books back, where Kitty is bound and dumped into the ocean by Sebastian and Shinobi Shaw in retribution for her part in Shinobi's "death" and to free up a seat on the Krakoa ruling council that Sebastian wants to fill with his own person, not Emma's. The retrieval of Kitty's body showcases Iceman's abilities and relatively-new "coldness" (pun fully intended), with Bishop having to serve as the voice of reason for his teammate. The scene between Storm and Emma at the end, after Emma tells her of Kitty's passing, is poignant and plays up the long-standing enmity between these two powerhouse females while also creating a bond between them going forward; I could almost swear there were ninjas cutting onions in the room as I read it.
After years adrift, I feel like the X-family is finally regaining its footing in the MU. This is good stuff, month in and month out.
8/10
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 21, 2020 10:22:12 GMT -5
Hellboy and the BPRD: The Return of Effie Kolb Written by Mike Mignola Art by Zach Howard Summary: Hellboy returns to Virginia when his old friend Tom thinks something wicked may have returned to Appalachia.
Plot: After a string of(what were in my mind) greatly disappointing stories, Mignola returned to form in this sequel his 2008 story The Crooked Man. This chapter succeeds not only because it builds upon of the the weirdest and best Hellboy stories in the character's long history but because it focuses on what I think are Mignola's strong suits; characterization, mood and folklore. Sure, his world building has been a draw as well, but of late it's felt like that's been his only focus with these gap year stories set in the unexplored regions of Hellboy's past and when that's the case the plots feel more than a little thin as they seem to serve little other purpose than to connect this piece to that one. While this tale certainly does strive to connect that weird little adventure in Appalachia to to the wider Hellboy world, it comes across much more naturally as it's just back ground to a small, personal story about Hellboy and a young (possibly) witch girl finding their way. The quiet, almost tender moments against the dark, weird world of rural Virginia are extremely compelling and I can't wait for part two.
Art: I was initially a little doubtful of this book as a huge part of what I loved about the Crooked Man was the wonderfully horrifying art of Richard Corben. I've only experienced Virginia driving down the 95 corridor, but so vivid was the feel of Corben's art that to this day that's how I think of the countryside there so I just couldn't picture anyone else doing a story set there justice...but Howard came through. While his depiction of the wilds of Appalachia won't be replacing Corben's in my mind any time soon they were distinct enough that the land felt like a living, breathing creature and that's what the story required in order to succeed.
Grade: 9/10(Just because I just know Corben would have been a tiny bit better!)
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 22, 2020 20:18:48 GMT -5
Wolverine #1Written by Benjamin Percy Art by Adam Kubert and Viktor Bogdanovic Summary: In this double shot of Wolverine, we see that pint sized Canadian hero tackle drug dealers and vampires.
Plot: I'm not usually a huge Wolverine fan, but after having read and loved his comic/ podcast Wolverine: The Long Night I knew I just had to pick this up despite it's 8 dollar price tag and it was totally worth it. In the first story we see Wolverine playing hide and seek...ahem, er teaching wilderness survival skills to a bunch of cuddly mutant children before heading out to track down a criminal organization that's using the Krakoan medicine as a designer drug. Like Long night it has a nice almost noir feeling(minus the cute interlude at the start) that's heavy on great internal monologue that gives a nice feel of just what makes Logan tick. In the second story, Omega Red shows up on Krakoa from a gate beaten and on deaths door. There’s an interesting approach to the bitter rivalry between the two and when Magneto steps in to remind Wolverine that despite his view of Omega Red that there are many who could say the same about both Wolverine and even himself and yet they are both welcome on Krakoa...and then from there Wolverine fights Vampires as it turns out Wolverine's nose was right and Omega Red was secretlyin league with Dracula. It was a giant bundle of fun.
Grade:10/10 |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 23, 2020 19:21:18 GMT -5
Plunge #1Written by Joe Hill Art by Stewart Imomen Summary: After a freak tsunami hits the coast of Alaska a ship lost for thirty years suddenly starts broadcasting a distress call.
Plot: While I have been enjoying a good chunk of Joe Hill's Hill House books his latest addition, Plunge, is by far the best of the lot. In this introductory chapter Hill gives us a modern update of that old Flying Dutchmen story with just a twist of sci-fi at the end. Lost ships appearing out of the night, odd nautical happenings and sea creatures acting in bizarre ways all come together in a mystery that draws you in right from the very first page.
Art: I've long been a fan of Imomen's crisp, clean, realistic style; it simply never fails to give you a really cinematic feel and that really pairs well with the plot which strives to give us a modern day ghost ship tale.
Grade:10/10 |
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