Blast From The Past (Weekly) Review:
Arkham City #1
I appreciate the desire to create multiple forms of advertising for a game and I respect that DC is creating a pretty quality book to lead up into Arkham City. I never played Arkham Asylum as a devout non-current-gen-console-haver but I like the idea and it apparently was a great game.
I do have a problem though when multiple forms of advertising end up spoiling each other.
Arkham City starts off reviewing the end of the Joker in the game and his waiting for death. Meanwhile the mayor is struggling to regain control while a mysterious doctor orders him.
A pair of twins who go by the name T and T are also taking Venom, the monster-making super drug. Batman tries to find out who is behind this, who gave them the drug and who is organizing the plan.
We know who did it though. The first teaser videos revealed it months ago. Wikipedia had the information. I'll politely leave out the name but it bothers me that the mystery is spoiled to those readers who are excited about the game.
The art itself is pretty great and the writing works but having the big mystery spoiler sits wrong with me.
Score: +1
Dollar Deal$:
A lot of comic companies are reprinting famous issues every week to get people hooked on older issues. This week we feature:
Orc Stain #1
I am a big fan of Orc Stain despite the slow release schedule. Image sent out a bunch of $1 reprints of Orc Stain #1 and it is glorious to read. It is like an immature barbarian fantasy comic colored with rainbow sherbert with a healthy dose of Superjail thrown in there. Do yourself a favor, check out #1, if you like it
Score: +1
Off The Racks:
Thunderbolts #157
Thunderbolts is a pretty great series and it involves fighting monsters so it should have been a great week for me. The Thunderbolts (the government supported team of supervillains doing good for shorter prison times) have been fighting an evil wizard with the help of Satana, Daughter of Satan (or whomever it was retconned to). Things go ary though when a demon spider awakens the fears in everyone and we see the characters and what they truly fear. When it comes to supervillains and it is done in a serious light this is an amazingly humanizing thing to have happen. My only problem is the resolution where the Juggernaut fears too much that Luke Cage, Power Man and leader of the team, wants to give him the boot. This apparently causes Cage to actually let him go. I do want to give the last issue a reread because right now this seems like it may be something they did to turn Juggernaut into a villain for Fear Itself (where we've already seen him get a hammer).We also see the start of the new lineup which has replaced Juggernaut with Mr. Hyde, the psychotic muscular villain with a death switch in his head and no care for his teammates. Group Dynamics!
Score: +1
Superman/Batman #84
Superman is magic and has a sword and Batman has a dragon. The conclusion to the Sorcerer Kings arc is pretty enjoyable. My complaint though is that it doesn't reach some of the fun magical stuff the other chapters got to and I fear that Klarion the Witch Boy getting a time shifting device from the future wont be used after this arc (it won't as far as I know). Overall though this was a great arc for me to start Superman/Batman with. When this comes out in a trade I suggest picking it up.
Score: +1
Li'l Depressed Boy #4
Oh man, I feel incredibly sad after reading this issue. It really hit me hard. I mean wow, this was like someone setting Mjolnir on your chest and leaving you trapped on the Rainbow Bridge. (I really want to see Thor again.)
Best Comic Of The Week
Score: +2
Hulk #33
I picked up Hulk a few months ago and man, it is great. They've been working on creating the Red Hulk's squad of enemies including Zero/One, a woman who is now a living computer program, and Black Fog, Zero/One's former childhood boogeyman (since he was a serial killer) who has been turned into an immortal killing machine. Oh, and if Red Hulk falls asleep nanobots will kill him. FIGHT!
Score: +1
Heroes For HIre #7
Remember when I commented I found Spider-man really annoying in the last issue of Heroes For Hire? The writing for this chapter is much better. I like Spider-man again. Also Spider-man fights Batroc, dinosaurs and soldiers with "damnunition" - demonic bullets. Thank you Heroes For Hire, thank you!
Score: +1
Herc #3
Herc is a comic about a god who lost his powers, works as a bartender and has a magic armory. Herc 3 is a comic where supervillains break out of The Raft (supervillain prison) and quote The Beastie Boys. Herc continues to be my favorite series right now. Seriously pick it up and start reading.
Favorite Comic Of The Week
Score: +2
Avengers Academy #14
This week's comic list seems to be themed around taking blows. The Avengers Academy still giddy after taking on Korvac, semi omnipotent god type guy, face off against the Sinister Six. They get swiftly beaten. It hurts for everyone, not just the reader. You know how you always think - if I had super powers I'd be able to beat these bad guys? This is what would happen in real life. It is sad, harrowing and a great issue. (if not for my love of Herc, this would get a +2)
Score: +1
Uncanny X-force #10
Remember how I was disappointed with the last issue? Bam, onto bigger and better things! Archangel, the evil side of Angel, is taking over again and the Shadow King sent pictures of the X-force not only existing but also killing soldiers. Archangel finds out, kills one person and then Wolverine is forced to stop him. The X-force realize the only way to save Archangel is to find someone who knows Apocalypse and the only true survivor... is Dark Beast. Bum bum bum! Even though the series continues to Apocalypse central, I like this idea of there being an inescapable end, that no matter what they do there will be an Apocalypse. Quality storytelling though I did miss the regular artist.
Score: +1
Amazing Spider-Man #661
Dan Slott took a break this week and unfortunately it shows. I do like a lot of Gage's other work and I like the premise and the inclusion of the Avengers Academy but something felt lacking. Spider-Man decides to take a break to return to teaching and ends up filling in at the Avengers Academy where his origin is succinctly
ripped apart by the students. I particularly loved how much thought they put into how Spider-man could have continued doing more good as a wrestler. The team heads out on patrol only to be accosted by Psycho Man and forced under his thrall. My one complaint is that this seems like a much more immature Avenger's Academy. They don't work as well as a team, they don't show respect and they don't get along. I do look forward to the next arc though and the back up comic is pretty great as well.
Score: +1
Ultimate Spider-Man #158
The clock winds down for Peter Parker as he copes with a gun shot wound. Meanwhile the remaining Sinister 5 show up at Peter Parker's house to find Johnny Storm (the Human Torch) and Bobby Frost (Ice Man). It is an action heavy issue and is overall pretty good. I just wish we weren't publicly counting down to Spider-man's death so the lead up would be more of a surprise.
Score: +1
Scores!
Marvel +9 (Favorite Comic Of The Week - Herc #3)
DC +2
Image +3 (Best Comic Of The Week - Li'l Depressed Boy #4)
Marvel continues to lead for me but I bought more Marvel than DC series so it is to be expected. Maybe Niles and I need to add up an average out scores.
Also, I am kind of hoping to see Li'l Depressed Herc now. Internet, get to it!
And maybe I need to make a competitive site for www.comiclist.com. Seriously that site is just ugh in soooo many ways.
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