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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 31, 2023 14:12:14 GMT -5
OFF THE RACKS!Read Readers(you!) Mean Honest Reviews!  What did you read? |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2023 17:13:23 GMT -5
Looks like the following for me according to Comics Hub...
Briar #3
Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer #9
Frank Frazetta's Dawn Attack #2
Gargoyles #1 Facsimile Edition (for Mrs. MRP)
-M
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Post by DubipR on Jan 31, 2023 22:54:14 GMT -5
Super small download week. I'm okay with that. There's a comic convention this weekend so I'll be picking up some goodies there.
- DC Harley Quinn Romances One Shot
- Scarlet Witch 2
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 1, 2023 17:12:36 GMT -5
Sana Starros #1Written by Justina Ireland Art by Pere Perez Summary: After a raid of an Imperial facility goes wrong Sana returns to her family's homestead only to find her Imperial woes are just beginning.
Plot: This is a perfect example of why spin-off books are sometimes my favorites when it comes to established franchises. Sure, it can be fun to get more adventures featuring beloved characters like Luke and Han but even the best told of those stories still has the stumbling block of, "well, it can't be too bad because we see them in Return of the Jedi and everyone's fine" which puts a serious damper on any danger or intrigue the writer might be trying to bring to the table. But with a character like Sana Starros who is a fairly newly introduced character who is Han Solo's ex-wife and has never appeared or been mentioned in any of the films there isn't that same safety net so something could in fact really happen to her. And that sense of danger makes this fast paced heist story dripping with family drama all the more fun. The zippy pacing paired with smart dialog and fun action set pieces made it a real joy to read and I'm really excited to see where it leads.
Art: Perez has enough of a photorealistic style to capture the feel of the technology of the Star Wars universe, delivering the exact look of the star destroyers, robots and storm troopers that is key to making you really feel imersed in the world while still being slightly stylized to give it a feel all of its own.
Grade: 8/10 |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2023 17:26:30 GMT -5
Ran out to the LCS this afternoon, also picked up the Critical Role-The Mighty Nein Origins Nott the Brave OGN for Mrs. MRP.
I got Scarlet Witch #2, but the shop never got #1 in, so I am waiting for the second print for #1 to come out to read it.
-M
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 3, 2023 14:37:13 GMT -5
DC Power: A Celebration Like a lot of these anthologies DC has been putting out for the last few years there are hits here and some misses in this Black History Month book. Out of the gate the book really started strong with "Black Paradise" by Evan Narcisse featuring Amazing Man dealing with civil rights issues in the wake of the end of WWII. Roy Thomas first created Amazing Man for All-Star Squadron and it was a great way to retroactively add diversity to the golden age in a way that felt totally organic but the character saw little use after Roy left so it was great to see him show up again and the story about fighting a villain trying to force African Americans to leave their homes was a great fit. On the heels of that the Black Lightning short "Separate but Equal" by Lamont Magee hit just as hard with Jefferson making the argument that separating teens with powers from the general population would be terrible for their educations which perfectly echoed the civil rights struggles of the past. Both these shorts were powerful and full of great characterization, making me want minis with these two characters which is a huge win for an anthology book. The rest though largely left me cold, I didn't hate any of them but I definitely found myself flipping pages towards the end. About the only thing I disliked were the inclusion of two previously released stories, while I liked both the Jace Fox story and the flash back from Far Sector(both were better than the features before them) it just padded the book out for me with out giving any value. Maybe if you hadn't seen these before you'd feel differently but for me it was a head scratcher and I think the space could have been better used by say a preview of the new Static book for instance rather than two stories from last year(I think far sector might actually have been two years ago). |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 3, 2023 15:21:27 GMT -5
TMNT: The Last Ronin - The Lost Years #1Written by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz Art by Ben Bishop, SL Gallant and Kevin Eastman Summary: As Casey struggles to train four new baby turtles we see the trials Michelangelo faced before returning to New York.
Plot: While I've taken a pause from the world of IDW's TMNT as I just can't stand the current event this return to future era of The Last Ronin was enough to draw me back into the adventures of those heroes in a half shell even if it doesn't feature Peter Laird as the last series did. While the issue begins with a few pages picking up where the first The Last Ronin series left off(which is what I really wanted!), the bulk of the story is spent in flashback, revealing how Michelangelo's search for peace after his family's death began it's transformation into a quest for vengeance that we saw culminate in the Last Ronin. And while that focus initially disappointed me as I was much more interested in the new turtles there was a pretty intense and mature emotional journey presented here that really won me over to the point that having now reread the issue it's actually the short vignette set in the "present" with the new turtles that felt jarring and not the other way around. While I do really want to get to know these new turtles the framing narrative that they present feels a little unnecessary and not terribly connected to the story. When April sees her daughter Casey having a hard time with the turtles she talks about a lesson Donatello taught her about the scientific method which segues into the main plot where Donatello is dead and the message of failing and testing assumptions isn't mirrored in Michelangelo's journey at all so it's really hard to connect the two in any meaningful way. That stumbling block aside though and you have a really amazing book that is a near perfect prequel to the Last Ronin.
Art:Just like we saw in the Last Ronin, the variety of time periods presented in this book each come with their own artists. Mikey’s past is handled by S.L. Gallant who has a rounder, less cartoony style that reads clearly as younger , while previous mini artist Ben Bishop returns to handle the present-day portion of the story with a harder edge and grungier look that clearly reads as dystopian future while original turtles artist Kevin Eastman tackles the bits of Splinter’s journal that we see in his classic angular black and white style which just gives you a nostalgic rush that is perfect for those scenes.
Grade: 9/10 |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 3, 2023 17:21:35 GMT -5
Are you still reading Captain America The Captain and majestic ? I was enjoying the mystery of the run but since Bucky became a member of the circle it just really imploded for me to the point that the latest issue was nearly unreadable. Not sure I'm going to be getting the next issue. |
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Post by The Captain on Feb 3, 2023 20:07:48 GMT -5
Are you still reading Captain America The Captain and majestic ? I was enjoying the mystery of the run but since Bucky became a member of the circle it just really imploded for me to the point that the latest issue was nearly unreadable. Not sure I'm going to be getting the next issue. I am, but I’m not really enjoying it. The whole MODOC and AIM taking over NYC story is absurd, as though no other heroes would show up to do anything, so it’s up to just Cap and his little band of friends. Bucky joining the Circle is another weird one that I haven’t figured out yet. From the previews I saw this week, it looks like Bucky teams up with White Wolf and that is what causes the crossover between the two Cap books, but since I’m barely invested in the Captain Samerica book at this point, who cares? The ending of Strange was a disappointment and She-Hulk has been pretty to look at but boring to read, leaving Moon Knight as the only current book that I pick up that I really look forward to. |
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Post by majestic on Feb 3, 2023 22:28:01 GMT -5
Are you still reading Captain America The Captain and majestic ? I was enjoying the mystery of the run but since Bucky became a member of the circle it just really imploded for me to the point that the latest issue was nearly unreadable. Not sure I'm going to be getting the next issue. no...my pull list has drastically changed for 2023. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 4, 2023 5:38:39 GMT -5
Are you still reading Captain America The Captain and majestic ? I was enjoying the mystery of the run but since Bucky became a member of the circle it just really imploded for me to the point that the latest issue was nearly unreadable. Not sure I'm going to be getting the next issue. I am, but I’m not really enjoying it. The whole MODOC and AIM taking over NYC story is absurd, as though no other heroes would show up to do anything, so it’s up to just Cap and his little band of friends. Bucky joining the Circle is another weird one that I haven’t figured out yet. From the previews I saw this week, it looks like Bucky teams up with White Wolf and that is what causes the crossover between the two Cap books, but since I’m barely invested in the Captain Samerica book at this point, who cares? The ending of Strange was a disappointment and She-Hulk has been pretty to look at but boring to read, leaving Moon Knight as the only current book that I pick up that I really look forward to. That was my feeling as well, as a covert team Cap's friends were great...but if NYC is on fire where's Spider-Man, Daredevil, Luke Cage or the FF? I don't think I'll make it for the crossover which is too bad as both books had promising starts. I also agree with She Hulk the pacing has just been horrid but man is the art gorgeous! |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 4, 2023 5:39:08 GMT -5
Are you still reading Captain America The Captain and majestic ? I was enjoying the mystery of the run but since Bucky became a member of the circle it just really imploded for me to the point that the latest issue was nearly unreadable. Not sure I'm going to be getting the next issue. no...my pull list has drastically changed for 2023. Cut way back? |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Feb 4, 2023 9:20:41 GMT -5
Are you still reading Captain America The Captain and majestic ? I was enjoying the mystery of the run but since Bucky became a member of the circle it just really imploded for me to the point that the latest issue was nearly unreadable. Not sure I'm going to be getting the next issue. I am, but I’m not really enjoying it. The whole MODOC and AIM taking over NYC story is absurd, as though no other heroes would show up to do anything, so it’s up to just Cap and his little band of friends. Bucky joining the Circle is another weird one that I haven’t figured out yet. From the previews I saw this week, it looks like Bucky teams up with White Wolf and that is what causes the crossover between the two Cap books, but since I’m barely invested in the Captain Samerica book at this point, who cares? The ending of Strange was a disappointment and She-Hulk has been pretty to look at but boring to read, leaving Moon Knight as the only current book that I pick up that I really look forward to. That's what got me to drop Cantwell's Iron Man book.. Frogman was the best TONY STARK could do to help him fight Korvac? Really? I'm not sure of writers aren't allowed to share, or just choose not to, but this is why the Marvel Universe doesn't feel like one anymore. If MODOK took over New York, where was Mayor Luke Cage, or the Thunderbolts (his official superheroes). Spidey? The X-Men, who now live in a giant tree house in the middle of the city? |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2023 10:06:12 GMT -5
Some of this week's reads-
Midnight Suns #5-series finale. I liked the premise and the cast, but the series was ultimately underwhelming. It seems to whole point was to "kill" Agatha Harkness and bring her back de-aged to match the MCU version. The plot and cast drew on elements of Strange Academy, which I really like, but this lacked that series charm.
Doctor Strange Fall Sunrise #3-I don't think I've read a Doc story this trippy since What Is It that Disturbs You Stephen? PCR's retelling of Doc Annual #1 from the late 90s, and this definitely evokes the feel of Ditko's more psychedelic Doc stories. It's a hell of a ride. I'm not sure I know where it's going, and it feels like we might crash at any moment, but I am enjoying the ride.
Briar #3-I am enjoying this series a lot. #1 was a strong start, #2 stumbled a bit, but #3 feels like it's on track again. Strong concept, and an interesting cast so far.
Frank Frazetta's Dawn Attack #2-basing a story on a painting can be an iffy proposition at times, but this has been an engaging sci-fantasy tale. The first two issues have been mostly set up-and there's a lot to set up, world, concept, characters, plot, etc. and we have two strong female leads each going on their own quest path but those paths are intertwined in the conflict and stakes set up in those issues.
Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer #9-I like this take on the Death Dealer concept, but not as much as the series done by Image about 15 years ago. The interior art leans towards being gratuitous at times (not as bad as some of the Ablaze stuff like the Belit/Valeria series) but the story and characters are engaging, and it's a strong sword & sorcery offering.
-M
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Post by The Captain on Feb 4, 2023 14:03:10 GMT -5
I am, but I’m not really enjoying it. The whole MODOC and AIM taking over NYC story is absurd, as though no other heroes would show up to do anything, so it’s up to just Cap and his little band of friends. Bucky joining the Circle is another weird one that I haven’t figured out yet. From the previews I saw this week, it looks like Bucky teams up with White Wolf and that is what causes the crossover between the two Cap books, but since I’m barely invested in the Captain Samerica book at this point, who cares? The ending of Strange was a disappointment and She-Hulk has been pretty to look at but boring to read, leaving Moon Knight as the only current book that I pick up that I really look forward to. That's what got me to drop Cantwell's Iron Man book.. Frogman was the best TONY STARK could do to help him fight Korvac? Really? That was part of my problem with Cantwell’s IM, although a bigger issue was the length of the Korvac story. It just went on and on and on... If you’re going to tell a story like that, with a singular “Big Bad”, do what a TV show like Supernatural did. Have your main season theme running at all times, so while Korvac is only plotting and scheming in the background over two pages of issue #X, have the primary story be Tony kicking the crap out of Spymaster or Beetle or Ghost while wondering what Korvac might be planning next. Otherwise, it just feels interminably long and boring dealing with the same threat, in a decompressed manner, month after month. |
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