|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Mar 1, 2022 11:47:18 GMT -5
OFF THE RACKSFresh Comics Reviewed Weekly  What did you read this week? |
|
|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Mar 1, 2022 13:13:00 GMT -5
Monkey Prince #2Written by Gene Luen Yang Art by Bernard Chang Summary: Marcus is still trying to figure out what it means to be the Monkey Prince but with Robin hot on his tail it's not easy.
Plot: While the use of traditional Chinese Mythology continues to be fun and I still love Yang's character work the pacing here is a serious issue. We're two issues in and we really don't know much more about Marcus, his parents or the Monkey King and although the action scenes with Batman and Robin were fun they didn't really move things forward either. I can't help feeling that this is a story that would be much better served with being released as a complete graphic novel that way it wouldn't matter if the opening was slow an exposition heavy as you could continue to read on and learn more to your heart's content but with month long pauses between each chapter it really kills it.
Art: While the plot is a little clunky Chang's art is nothing but smooth. I love the sense of movement he brings to the Monkey Prince and the character's faces are all super emotive. When this all comes out as a nice collection I really look forward to seeing what Chang can do with this world once the ground rules are set.
Grade:6/10
|
|
|
|
Post by majestic on Mar 2, 2022 20:01:08 GMT -5
Strange #1. Jed MacKay and Marcelo Ferreira.
This series is the next part of the story started in the Death of Dr Strange mini series. Clea has returned to be the new Sorceror Supreme. Her memories have returned and she seeks a way to bring Stephen Strange back from the dead. Along the way Dr Doom confronts her. Wong shows up and hangs out with her. And she is attacked from a "new" enemy.
MacKay has taken the old death and replacement of a classic hero trope and put his own twist on it and is telling an entertaining story. It's nice to see Clea brought back and put into the spotlight for awhile.
|
|
|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Mar 4, 2022 14:42:52 GMT -5
She-Hulk #2Written by Rainbow Rowell Art by Roge Antonio Summary: She-Hulk's respite in Janet's penthouse is cut short when an unexpected house guest drops on her door step.
Plot: While Rowell's pacing continues to be slow in the second installment the character work and playful dialogue is more than strong enough to make this book well worth reading. Jenn is sassy and empathetic and the banter she had with Jack as he experiences a series of fun firsts was just fantastic reading. The best part was that even though I had no idea who Jack was or what his past relationship with Jenn was(other than what Rowell included in the book) I still cared deeply about him and fully shared Jenn's desire to help him which was a true testament to Rowell's writing. That said, I do hope the plot picks up and although I like the mystery behind Jack of Hearts I hope that we get plenty of everyday life for Jenn too as that's always what I've loved about She-Hulk books in the past.
Art: Antonio's art is a big bright spot in this book, the lines are clean and smooth and the characters are wonderfully emotive. So far he hasn't really gotten to do anything super fun yet but I'm hoping that as things progress we'll be able to see something really great.
Grade:8/10 |
|
|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Mar 4, 2022 15:22:18 GMT -5
Radio Spaceman: Mission to Numa 4 #1Written by Mike Mignola Art by Greg Hinkle Summary: When Dr. Ula Azee's archaeological mission goes missing it's up our mechanical hero Radio Spaceman to save the day.
Plot: For those keeping score at home I haven't exactly been singing Mignola's praises of late, ever since he wrapped things up with BPRD in 2019 his work has been more miss than hit but with a fresh start with a new character in Radio Spaceman it's like we finally have Mike back in his prime. For the first time in a long time Mignola feels truly confident in his storytelling; it's a brand new world given to us whole sale in the space of a single issue and it immediately sucks you in and makes you a believer. The main character is a nondescript(and unnamed) old man who springs into action after receiving a phone call from an unnamed person whom we never even hear in the dialogue and yet despite that lack of information he still comes out feeling steely and utterly in control which is fitting for a guy who we then learn solves things by remotely piloting a skull faced mechanical automaton(hence the name Radio Spaceman). Everything about this book is so beautifully understated, with all the above information delivered more by silence than words which gives the hero a silent, casual charm that immediately makes you think of your typical western hero rather than a space hero and while that mash up of sci-fi and western elements is hardly unique its none the less incredibly fun and very well done. And the genre-bending doesn't stop there as before he's done Mignola tosses in his famous blend of horror and humor as well which although its a new setting immediately makes the book have an almost nostalgic feel as it calls back to the early Hellboy stories where Mignola trusted more to atmosphere to tell a story rather than info-dumps. All and all this is a beautiful book and I can't wait to see more.
Art: As is often the case with Mignola's books I began this adventure slightly disapointed that the Man himself wasn't doing the art...but Hinkle quickly proved he was up to the task. Although he's a new comer to Mignola's world Hinkle quickly makes his mark and his moody style makes him feel like he’s always been part of the family as not only are his characters bursting with personality but he is a master of shadow and atmosphere.
Grade:10/10 |
|
|
|
Post by wildfire2099 on Mar 6, 2022 1:03:16 GMT -5
I didn't realize Jack was back from the dead again... didn't he blow up Avengers mansion and Scott Lang a few years ago?
|
|
|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Mar 6, 2022 8:37:45 GMT -5
I didn't realize Jack was back from the dead again... didn't he blow up Avengers mansion and Scott Lang a few years ago? I have no idea, I had never even heard of him before this issue. From what was learned here he felt he could no longer control himself so he had flown into space where he could perish without hurting anyone but some unknown entity collected him and was using him somehow but he escaped and sought out Jenn and now may not have any powers as he's experiencing hunger, thirst and sleepiness(in hilarious ways) which he apparently never did before. |
|
|
|
Post by Hoosier X on Mar 6, 2022 11:13:16 GMT -5
I recall Jack of Hearts when he first appeared in Iron Man in the late 1970s. I think he had a Marvel Premiere tryout and a mini-series.
He’s pretty dull. I guess She-Hulk needs a supporting cast. But why Jack of Hearts? Why not Razorback? Or the White Tiger? Or the Red Wolf?
|
|
|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Mar 6, 2022 14:06:26 GMT -5
I recall Jack of Hearts when he first appeared in Iron Man in the late 1970s. I think he had a Marvel Premiere tryout and a mini-series. He’s pretty dull. I guess She-Hulk needs a supporting cast. But why Jack of Hearts? Why not Razorback? Or the White Tiger? Or the Red Wolf? He's not so much used as supporting cast but an odd problem from a D-List character she has to solve which was a big part of the appeal of the Slott She-Hulk run that I always loved. |
|
|
|
Post by wildfire2099 on Mar 6, 2022 14:33:27 GMT -5
He's definitely around in Iron Man.. I just re-read though.. pretty sure I have the mini series too  I'm a sucker for the playing card motif. Apparently I was correct, he did blow up Avengers Mansion and SCott Lang during Avengers Dissembled by Bendis. He came back without explanation during Marvel Zombies apparently (which I found on wikipedia.. the Marvel bio of him on Marvel Unlimited ends with him dying, which is prety funny) |
|
|
|
Post by wildfire2099 on Mar 6, 2022 14:40:40 GMT -5
Some of my stuff (with apologies if any are from last week)
Rush #4 just went over to Crazytown, after the first few issues kept it a bit vague if something supernatural was going on or not...definitely not a great turn... rather chaotic, in fact, but I'll stick with it to see what happens.
I'm not sticking with Dark Knights of Steel ..nothing to see here, just a retread of Injustice in a medieval setting. Too bad.
Action Comics #1040 Business is starting to pick up... as they'd say in wrestling. Really loving this story, between seeing Clark Kent in a new, unfamiliar way, to the secret of War World, and the involvment of Midnighter, who may or may not end up staying on Clark's side. Great stuff. While on the one hand, I may not be reading this book at all if I didn't know the story was coming through the Future State stuff, it IS a bit sad that we know how it ends. That's my only complaint though, otherwise great stuff.
and finally... Batman vs. Bigby is over, a couple Fables cameos didn't really help.. still pretty terrible. Makes me concerned for the re-start.
|
|
|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Mar 6, 2022 16:18:00 GMT -5
Some of my stuff (with apologies if any are from last week) Rush #4 just went over to Crazytown, after the first few issues kept it a bit vague if something supernatural was going on or not...definitely not a great turn... rather chaotic, in fact, but I'll stick with it to see what happens. I'm not sticking with Dark Knights of Steel ..nothing to see here, just a retread of Injustice in a medieval setting. Too bad. Action Comics #1040 Business is starting to pick up... as they'd say in wrestling. Really loving this story, between seeing Clark Kent in a new, unfamiliar way, to the secret of War World, and the involvment of Midnighter, who may or may not end up staying on Clark's side. Great stuff. While on the one hand, I may not be reading this book at all if I didn't know the story was coming through the Future State stuff, it IS a bit sad that we know how it ends. That's my only complaint though, otherwise great stuff. and finally... Batman vs. Bigby is over, a couple Fables cameos didn't really help.. still pretty terrible. Makes me concerned for the re-start. I can't believe you made it through Batman/Bigby |
|
|
|
Post by The Captain on Mar 7, 2022 8:43:43 GMT -5
I didn’t realize She-Hulk came out this week. I really enjoyed the first issue, but I didn’t see it on the racks at any of the shops I went to (and I was at three LCS this weekend). Hope this isn’t going to turn into a hunt for a hard-to-find second issue that kills my interest in the series.
|
|
|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Mar 7, 2022 15:12:09 GMT -5
I didn’t realize She-Hulk came out this week. I really enjoyed the first issue, but I didn’t see it on the racks at any of the shops I went to (and I was at three LCS this weekend). Hope this isn’t going to turn into a hunt for a hard-to-find second issue that kills my interest in the series. I hope not either as it's shaping up to be a fun book, not as zainy as Slott's run so far but definitely very upbeat and fun. |
|
|
|
Post by wildfire2099 on Mar 7, 2022 20:28:03 GMT -5
Some of my stuff (with apologies if any are from last week) Rush #4 just went over to Crazytown, after the first few issues kept it a bit vague if something supernatural was going on or not...definitely not a great turn... rather chaotic, in fact, but I'll stick with it to see what happens. I'm not sticking with Dark Knights of Steel ..nothing to see here, just a retread of Injustice in a medieval setting. Too bad. Action Comics #1040 Business is starting to pick up... as they'd say in wrestling. Really loving this story, between seeing Clark Kent in a new, unfamiliar way, to the secret of War World, and the involvment of Midnighter, who may or may not end up staying on Clark's side. Great stuff. While on the one hand, I may not be reading this book at all if I didn't know the story was coming through the Future State stuff, it IS a bit sad that we know how it ends. That's my only complaint though, otherwise great stuff. and finally... Batman vs. Bigby is over, a couple Fables cameos didn't really help.. still pretty terrible. Makes me concerned for the re-start. I can't believe you made it through Batman/Bigby It was a struggle. I actually completely forgot how it ended 10 minutes after I read it and had to go back and read it again. A few more things: Star Trek: Discovery #1 : My wife actually wanted this, because it was from the point of view of the cat.. We haven't watched that season of Discovery, but it was pretty great anyway. Star Wars #21 : Checking in after War of the Bounty Hunters... meh. It's nice they're telling a different story (focusing on Poe's parents), but they're just not that interesting. Not a terrible story, but not good enough for me to start buying it again. Ghost Rider #1 : Thought I'd check it out, I haven't read any Ghost Rider for a while.... it was literally the exact same story as they did with Black Widow last year, but more condensed... Johnny Blaze is trapped in a 'normal' life to take him off the board. It's an interesting story, but I don't need to read it again. Black Widow #14 : After building her up, they seem to be taking Natasha down now.. probably done with this after this story line.. it's ok, but not great Strage Academy #16 : Prom night! Drug dealing! still a great book... might be my favorite Marvel book still right now. |
|
I'm a sucker for the playing card motif. Apparently I was correct, he did blow up Avengers Mansion and SCott Lang during Avengers Dissembled by Bendis. He came back without explanation during Marvel Zombies apparently (which I found on wikipedia.. the Marvel bio of him on Marvel Unlimited ends with him dying, which is prety funny)
