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Post by thwhtguardian on Sept 21, 2021 8:48:53 GMT -5
OFF THE RACKS! What did you read this week? |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Sept 21, 2021 11:43:29 GMT -5
Nightwing #84Written by Tom Taylor Art by Robbi Rodriguez Summary: When Dick recieves an encrpted message from Oracle he speeds off the Gotham only to land himself right in a trap.
Plot: ... ::Sigh::... I really, really hate it when big events torpedo the plots of other books with the need for tie ins, and it's especially worse when its an event that I just cannot stand like the current Fear State event taking over the entire world of Batman. Taylor had an interesting plot going with Dick starting plans to help make Bludhaven a better place and a plot with a secret sister as an uncover agent for the FBI working to take down Blockbuster...and the momentum is dead now. I picked this up just to see how it was and I just couldn't get past my disapointment over how editorial mandates steamrolled the story that came before so I sadly won't be picking up any more Nightwing until the Fear State event is over. I say sadly because even though yet another event that will surely end with Gotham in flames that holds zero interest for me...Taylor is still a fun writer. The scene towards the end of the issue where Dick and Bruce talk in the sewer after escaping the magistrate was beautiful, "Thanks for the help..." I watched my parents die in that alleyway, I wasn't going to see my son do the same" Yeah, I know, a tad over wrought but it still hit home. Taylor gets these characters and he knows how to deliver not only action but small intimate scenes as well...it's just a shame its weighted down by such a dumb over arching plotline.
Art: Rodriguez' art is just a little too angular in some places for my liking, and it's only just now that I realize that Dick is eating pizza in those opening scenes as I had no idea what he was doing when I first read this...but the action is fantastic. I can't find a panel of it to share with you all(I sorely wish I could) but the scenes with Dick and Bruce fighting the Magistrate were just fantastic. Rodriguez really has an eye for framing action that gives it both a true sense of acrobatic weightlessness while at the same time delivering the hits in a realistic way. It's a tough balancing act but he threads the needle excellently so whatever other misgivings I may have about his character work and facial expressions he makes up for it in other ways.
Grade:7/10 |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Sept 21, 2021 14:22:29 GMT -5
Batman: The Detective #5Written by Tom Taylor Art by Andy Kubert Summary: Batman and Squire catch up with Equilibrium and when she escapes they learn her identity from master spy Henri Ducard.
Plot: Taylor's tale of an aged Batman doggedly trying to stop an international kabal from over turning all the good he's done over the years continues here with its usual break neck pace as Batman and Squire rush from Paris to Belgium hot on the trail of the Equilibrium. While the action remains light and fun Taylor stumbles a bit here with Batman learning the Equilibrium's identity and her entire back story through a giant info dump from Henri Ducard at the end of the issue. Sure, we had to learn her identity and motivation at some point...but all in one sitting just made it a bit of a slog which didn't help the believeability of the motivation. Perhaps if fed over the course of the entire story in drips and drabs the idea that there are people that want to hold Batman accountable for all the lives he's saved as they sometimes have dangerous repercussions down the line it would seem less ridiculous...but when laid out in the open all at once you can't help but feel it's a pretty silly motivation. That said it's still an enjoyable, if slightly flawed read.
Art: I feel like Andy Kubert is one of those artists that you either love or loath and I'm definitely in the former camp. While I can see where the criticisms of his art looking a little too stoic and overly posed would come from...I think the poses look cool so it's never been an issue for me. Where others see his figures as overwrought I enjoy the iconic imagery he infuses in his panel. Occasionally it does detract from the action but I think the mood he develops is worth the trade off.
Grade:7/10
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Post by majestic on Sept 22, 2021 13:28:51 GMT -5
Death of Doctor Strange #1. Written by Jed MacKay. Art by Lee Garbett.
What would happen if Dr Strange unexpectedly died? Who would protect Earth from mystical evils? And who killed him?
I usually try out any new Dr Strange series and even though I was a bit hesitant given the title and concept... it ended up being decent. I loved the last page and can't wait to see where MacKay takes this series.
It was great seeing Garbett's art again. I like his art style and wish he had a regular series.
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Post by majestic on Sept 22, 2021 13:36:07 GMT -5
Flash #774. Written by Jeremy Adams. Art by Christian Duce.
Wally takes Irey to a daddy/daughter dance. Of course a new villain, Dr Nightmare causes chaos at the same time & the two of them spring into action to save Central City.
This series is spot on focusing on family even while being a super hero. One of my favorite DC series right now.
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Post by majestic on Sept 22, 2021 13:42:36 GMT -5
Moon Knight #3. Written by Jed MacKay. Art by Alessandro Cappuccio.
Moon Knight vs Hunter's Moon. This new villain feels Moon Knight has betrayed Khonshu and has determined himself to be the new Fist of Khonshu.
Overall this first arc introduced the new mission of Moon Knight and had a showdown with a new villain. It featured great art and I like this "new" direction and concept for Moon Knight.
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Post by majestic on Sept 22, 2021 13:47:39 GMT -5
Nightwing #84 Written by Tom Taylor. Art by Robbi Rodriguez. Totally agree with thwhtguardian review. I LOVE Nightwing and the way Taylor writes him. Hated that his ideas have to be put on hold for 3 issues to be part of the latest Batman crossover event. Despite this Taylor still squeezes in some great moments.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Sept 23, 2021 7:17:03 GMT -5
Why not just toss him in as a guest star and let the regular book run? It's not like anyone tries that hard to match up in universe continuity these days. If it wasn't for the fact that it's kinda mean to the store to do so , I'd totally skip these.
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Post by Dizzy D on Sept 23, 2021 8:11:14 GMT -5
Why not just toss him in as a guest star and let the regular book run? It's not like anyone tries that hard to match up in universe continuity these days. If it wasn't for the fact that it's kinda mean to the store to do so , I'd totally skip these. Companies are still hoping that this way some Batman readers will start to buy Nightwing or vice versa. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Sept 23, 2021 17:07:19 GMT -5
Why not just toss him in as a guest star and let the regular book run? It's not like anyone tries that hard to match up in universe continuity these days. If it wasn't for the fact that it's kinda mean to the store to do so , I'd totally skip these. Companies are still hoping that this way some Batman readers will start to buy Nightwing or vice versa. If more people get exposed to this run that's good I guess as it is awesome...but I won't be buying again until Fear State is over. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Sept 23, 2021 18:34:18 GMT -5
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin #4Written by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird and Tom Waltz Art by Esau + Isaac Escorza and Kevin Eastman Summary: Splinter's last son reveals the fate of Splinter and leads Casey and April's daughter Casey and her Purple Dragons to war with the Foot.
Plot: Aside from the very confusing in-media res opening which seriously made me think I had some how missed an entire issue(which isn't terribly surprising given the delays) the latest chapter of the Final Ninja Turtles Story by Eastman and Laird certainly had its share of high points. Though revealed in a slightly bland info dump the death of Splinter and Donatello in Japan which took up the bulk of this issue was a really fantastic action scene with some interesting bit of lore introduced: Clan Hamato (not the Turtles and Splinter) has not only survived but has a strong hold in Japan in defiance to the Foot. Though it ultimately failed I loved that the Hamato Clan would be the intermediary between the Turtles and the Foot in the proposed peace talks, though not explicitly played out on the page it was a great twist that this long time reader greatly enjoyed. However the assault on Baxter Stockman's island that book ended the flash back to Japan was slightly less satisfying. Sure, the Foot's ninja have been established as being robots( much like they were in the original cartoon) and I certainly don't mind that but trowing in Stockman as their developer and then dropping in the head of the Fugitoid as a deus ex machina to defeat Stockman and deactivate all the Foot Ninja seemed like a serious rush job to get to the conclusion waiting for us in the next issue. I certainly want to see the clash between the last of Master Splinter's sons and the grandson of the Shredder...but I want it to feel earned and that seems to have slipped a little here and on top of that with only one chapter left we don't actually know too much about the spawn of Shredder. The history of the conflict makes me anticipate the clash and the plot so far has sold me on the quest for revenge which beautifully book ends how the Turtles began...but the character itself is a fairly shallow villain in and of himself so far. I hope it all comes together in the end but even if it falls short of perfection it'll still end up being an epic story worthy of bringing Laird and Eastman back together.
Art: Although I love the action in the present day scenes handled by Esau and Isaac Escorza, especially the training scene with April's daughter, the big draw continues to be the flash backs by Kevin Eastman. Even after all these years I still love his scratchy black and white style and its stark contrast to the colors of the modern scenes just sets them apart so perfectly and makes them look all the more stunning and unique.
Grade:7/10 |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Sept 24, 2021 10:06:57 GMT -5
Star Wars Adventures: Ghosts of Vader's Castle #1Written by Cavan Scott Art by Francesco Francavilla and Megan Levens Summary: In the wake of Vader's demise his ever faithful servant Vaneé attempts to resurrect his Lord which sends ripples through the galaxy.
Plot: Cavan Scott and IDW's seasonal horror themed Castle Vader series returns for its fourth year and I couldn't be more pleased. Though their all ages aim means these books have been more of slight chills rather than outright terror the very idea of taking known Star Wars characters and settings and putting a horror twist on them is still none the less a whole lot of fun. Through out the previous years Scott has used Vanee' as a sort of classic horror narrator tormenting either Scott's original characters Lina, Hudd, Skritt, and CR-8R or various Rebels who have attempted to gain entry to his Master's castle and with the latest entry that framing narrative enters a new stage in that it takes place after Vader's death and the fall of the Empire with Vanee's attempts to raise his master from the dead causing nightmares through the Galaxy. It's a great set up for horror stories and this issue's tale of a zombie like cybernetic plague over taking the droids and causing them to hunt their masters was fantastic. Complete with all the usual thrills of a zombie film the twist ending that their safety at the end was an illusion made it a fun to read while still feeling like a true Star Wars story.
Art: The main draw here artistically is of course Francesco Francavilla as his dark stylized look is just perfect for chills and thrills but Megan Levens' art in the main story was solid as well. She really captured the faces of Anakin and Padme well and the leaking, mangled droids certainly had a zombified look with out humanizing them too much.
Grade:8/10 |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Sept 24, 2021 18:19:01 GMT -5
Got a bunch of books this week... just about all stuff I'm excited to read too (Which is good):
Last Ronin #4 : I have to agree the black and white flashbacks are the best, but even the color flashback part was quite good, it was fun seeing Splinter kick butt. I'm going to miss this series when it ends... I'd be down with it continuing with Casey Marie as the lead character (whether or not the rest survive)
Reptil #4 : They went with the moral/heart warming ending rather than a bang up fight scene... not bad, but nothing too exciting.
Moon Knight #3 : I'm really digging the new direction.... I hope this isn't the last we see of Hunter's Moon, or other 'Fists'. Handling Khonshu as a legit religion (or perhaps cult would be the better term) is very interesting indeed.
X-Men #3 : If I didn't know better, I would call this a fill in. The High Evolutionary comes by to 'congratulate' them on Arrako, and offers a 'present'. Some fun one liners and creatures, but seemed a bit pointless.
The Onslaught Revelation : This is the conclusion of 'Way of X' (why it couldn't be the last issue and had to be a special? no idea) This definitely DID seem important... Now we have the Spark. Nice to see this just as a single issue.. I could see it being turned into one of those big silly events.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Sept 25, 2021 19:03:23 GMT -5
Black Hammer: Visions #8Written by Scott Snyder Art by David Rubin Summary: The shadow of the Horseless Rider is long, and it continues to seek out justice long after the wild west was tamed.
Plot: I'm slightly conflicted on this chapter of Visions, on one hand Snyder tells a really amazing story about the legacy of an old west hero...but on the other it doesn't really feel like a Black Hammer story to me. It's probably not an issue for those who haven't been reading Snyder's American Vampire, but for those like me who have loved the series since the start in 2010 this supernatural story bridging the wild west and the "modern" world just feels so much like Snyder's writing there. And it's not just the subject matter that makes that connection strong as its compounded further with its heavy use of an epistolary narrative structure and the connection between gold and greed which are both huge parts of American Vampire's style that while reading it I just couldn't escape the feeling that this was a lost part of that universe rather than a part of Lemire's story which was kind of a downer for me. But on its own as a comic? Yeah, this was a great read! I loved the way Snyder used the bullets as a way to bridge the past to the present; I've always enjoyed western hero comics but have yet to see a successful attempt to bring them to the present world but this mash up of the Spectre and a cow boy hero was really fantastic and I really wish there was more of it coming!
Art: Rubin was great all around here with both his depictions of the supernatural and the waking world but I think what I loved so much was the way he depicted the geriatric characters. The heavy lines on their faces, the slightly blank, empty eyes and general sag of the older characters was beautiful in its grotesqueness which is a fine line as it could have easily gone too ugly and made it look unrealistic.
Grade:8/10 (once I ignore that it feels more like American Vampire: Visions) |
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Post by Dizzy D on Sept 26, 2021 16:00:01 GMT -5
X-Men: The Onslaught Revelations
Written by Si Spurrier
Art by Bob Quinn and Java Tartaglia
What Happened Before: Mutants have united and live nearly all on the island of Krakoa. Through a combined use of mutant powers, death has become an obsolete concept for mutants. Faced with a new world where death has no longer any meaning, Nightcrawler is trying to find a new philosophy for mutants to live by.
Plot: Nightcrawler has figured out that there is a price to the resurrection process that Krakoa uses: mutants resurrected from a mental backup lose a part of their memories between their last backup and the moment they died. Onslaught, the psychic parasite that Legion has been hunting the entire series, uses these lost bits of memories to increase its power and influence. By now Onslaught has grown powerful enough to take over Xavier and Magneto, forcing them to erase the mental backups, while also influencing the young mutants into a murderous party (after all, as far as they know death is meaningless now that each mutant can easily be restored), using their deaths to restore himself to full power. Working against him are Nightcrawler, Legion and the allies they have gathered during the series Way of X.
The Good: Spurrier already proved he could write Legion very well with X-Men: Legacy and in Way of X, his Nightcrawler also turned out to very well thought-out and written. The series has fun ideas like Nightcrawler's mind being an old ship, filled with swashbuckling Nightcrawlers that see Onslaught as a boarding pirate that must be repelled.
We get a reason why Onslaught is suddenly on Krakoa: he was planted there in the mind of an innocent mutant as a weapon by Orchis, the mutant-hating human organisation.
Fabian Cortez, who until now has always been a despicable character, only interested in increasing his own power and backstabbing his allies, gets a bit of character development and we get some of his backstory (though his sister is nowhere to be seen in his backstory).
The issue features an extensive cast of mutants, all of them returning from earlier issues of Way of X and all of them using their own unique powers or skills being instrumental to Nightcrawler's plan to stop Onslaught, but also inspiring him to finally come up with his new Way of Living (which in turns containts a callback to Spurrier's X-Men: Legacy).
The Bad: Why isn't this Way of X #6? This is Way of X #6: it's the exact same creative team, the storyline directly continues from Way of X #5 and if you haven't read Way of X, the story will be incomprehensible. There is no reason I can think off that this is a separate one-shot.
Also some of the cliffhangers from last issue are resolved off screen: Fabian Cortez, the only person that held the key to Nightcrawler's revelation, was in a coma and due to his nature the rest of Krakoa was in no hurry to save him. Nightcrawler died and was resurrected without the specific piece of information that he had entrusted to Cortez. Both resolved in-between Way of X #5 and this one with just a line of explanation in this issue.
9/10: I really liked this mini-series and I felt that this was an appropriate ending to it, while also improving the mutants that appeared in it and setting up a new series in the near future (Legionaries? The preview at least seems to hint that Nightcrawler, Pixie, Dr. Nemesis and Juggernaut will be among its cast members). Just keep in mind that this oneshot is actually the closing chapter of a six issue mini-series.
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