Here’s what I read this week, with some spoilers attached. And this week, I decided to rate each comics on a scale of “HIT, MEH, or MISS.” Enjoy.
52 #43: Something is rotten in the state of Kahdaq, as Osiris goes all emo and tries to get the Marvel family to help cure him from the mysterious curse. Meanwhile, Animal Man was dead (but he got better), and proving that great minds think alike, Lady Styx returns in the EXACT SAME WAY that Annhilus did at the end of Annihilation. (Though, Keith Giffen did work on both, so maybe he just stole from himself?) The we go back to Osirsis and his pet crocodile for a really brutal ending. Origin story is of Plastic Man, and I really like how it’s told through polaroid-shaped panels. And the cover to this issue is probably my favorite one so far, though I am biased towards Animal Man. MEH
Civil War Frontline #11: Wow, and you thought Civil War itself was ridiculous. We’re supposed to accept: 50 regular people were killed in the crossfire of CW#7, that the heroes who fought the battle did nothing to help clean up the mess, and sad Captain America is immediatly ready to tell his side of the story to reporters? Lot to swallow. We also learn that Captain America doesn’t watch American Idol or use Myspace. Oh, and then we find out that Iron Man is a bigger asshole than we thought, and he cries about it. CIVIL WAR: It was all about the crying. MISS
Connor Hawke #4: “Ninjas would have killed us in our sleep.” Still, they fight a lot of bad guys in this issue, three people with bows and arrows versus loads of bad guys. And we find out the real reason for all this- which wasn’t hard to guess- that Connor Hawke will get to fight a Japanese dragon. HIT
X-Factor #16: Madrox tracks down another one of his rogue duplicates, and finds out that he has a family. Fairly predictable, but still a pretty interesting situation. HIT
Action Comics #846: The Origin of General Zod and other Phantom Zone criminals. It’s a little weird because it’s suggesting that all the previous stories with General Zod have now been Superboy-punched out of continuity, though the coming of General Zod IS one of the best Superman stories to tell. (Especially since Richard Donner is writing.) But this one ups the stakes… as an army of Kryptonians arrive on Earth, and Superman is sent to the Phantom Zone. All I gotta say is that if we don’t see the JLA fighting Kryptonians next issue, I’ll be mad. HIT
Daredevil #94: Sort of a clip show recap of the previous two arcs or so, focusing on Daredevil and Milla’s love life. Not great when compared to the rest of the arc, but not bad. MEH
Dr. Strange The Oath #5: So, the main plot ended in really the only way that it could end, but it was still a good ride. Plus… The Night Nurse will now be stationed out of Dr. Strange’s home, and they’ve hooked up. I wonder if Marvel will actually use that? HIT
Flash FMA #9: While nothing spectacular, a welcome improvement over the past 8 issues, and shows that this run (excuse the term) will be a lot better. MEH
Runaways #24: Certainly the end of an era, and BKV does any number of great things with this issue. The “Reverse Fastball Special” has to be seen to be believed. And even though someone else is taking over in the next issue, it still ends on a cliffhanger! HIT
Heroes for Hire #7: Not sure what to think about this one. Very dialogue heavy, and some of it is quite good. But it seems to be dealing with semi-random plots involving some of the wackier villians of the Marvel Universe. Still, this issue was very fun to read. HIT
Jack of Fables #8: Jack meets the family of his Vegas-wife, and the enemies of their family, which turn out to be led by a Fable as well. And nerds come to Vegas with a magic horseshoe. And lest you think Jack does something honorable or is ready to settle down, the issue ends with a bang and an evil grin. HIT
Justice #10: This will be a must-buy in the trade, especially for any Kingdom Come fan (the armored up versions of the heroes get their… origin? here) It’s mostly a big battle, but with various battle plans coming through, a totally solid JLA story if there ever was one. And, of course, it mostly follows the Green Arrow… HIT
New Excalibur #17: The thrilling Stroke-Recovery-Issue! Seriously, I see what they were going for here, a comic experience that relates somewhat what it’s like to recover from serious brain injury. Just not… well, a thrilling comic. MEH
Wolverine #51: How many issues will we go with just Wolverine and Sabertooth wailing on each other? Are we supposed to believe that they’re both Werewolves? And boy was the coloring in Bianchi’s pencils bad in this issue. MISS
Recent Comments