Oraclechele's Reviews

Secret Invasion Runaways/Young Avengers #1

Overall the story is compelling but the manga looking art not only makes the cast of characters look much younger then previous incarnation but also had me expecting Pikachu to show up. The team up is convenient in a way that only comic books can provide but the tie in with the Invasion is well suited for the teen heroes. Despite contradictory use of a pronoun where Xavin is concerned (the description uses 'she' where Vic uses "he') it's certainly the Skrull LGBT characters with a lead role in the mission to save the world... that is if Teddy and Xavin live through the arc.

Read It

Huntress Year One #4

A murder, familiar faces, and Venice carnival shape a strong issue 4 that draws Helena closer to a future DC readers know well. Helena continues to walk a fine line between monster and hero as she finally begins to avenge her family's assassination. As this title moves closer to it's conclusion DC should be happy to have a self contained story that actually draws readers in instead of chasing them away from the 'universe".

Read It.

Sgt. Sausagepant's Reviews

Green Lantern #32

The Secret Origin Saga continues as DC retcons 'The Black' into the Green Lantern mythos just a bit. But it's still giving us a very good, if condensed, look at the creation of Hal Jordan as a hero. Also reminding us that Sinestro was a douche even when he was a Lantern. The best part of this storyline, for me anyway, is watching Carol Ferris deal with a world that didn't like powerful women, and knowing she's going to kick some ass. She seems a lot more fleshed out as a character here than I've ever seen her, and the art shows her emotions wonderfully.

Read It

Hulk #4

The rampage of the Red Hulk continues, and we may just know who he is now. I won't give away any secrets, but it'd certainly be interesting if true. In the meantime, the Hulks duke it out in an immense brawl, Uatu reacts slowly for someone who's supposed to be watching what's going on, and Hulk...ummm, Green Hulk... has a nice snack on top of the Golden Gate Bridge. At the end of the issue we get ANOTHER unexpected guest star. My only real concern about this storyline right now is how Hulk has lost some of the smarts he seemed to pick up during the Planet Hulk/World War Hulk books. The book is just focusing on making big guys hit each other right now.

Browse it

No Hero #0

This issue of No Hero is just a short little preview of the full series debuting in August. So here's some thoughts. Ryp's artwork stays as visceral as always, and is stunningly detailed, which is both a plus and a minus for this. It gives him a very distinctive style but sometimes it can make a shot so busy, that it's hard to tell what the hell is going on. Especially when it involves characters we've never seen before. I'd love to see him do some work on this scale, but with more cinematic layouts for each panel.

As for the story, here's a synopsis. Black Summer 2: Electric Boogaloo. Seriously, we've got a handful of superhumans, evolved by science. We've got a possibly power-mad scientist giving them these powers. We've got extreme violence, superhumans fighting the establishment, the whole deal. The only major difference here is the focus. Black Summer was a story on what limits powered people really had, and how they handle that. No Hero is a story about how badly you have to want these powers, the terrible toll they will take on your life.

Browse it

Goblin's Reviews

Captain America #39

Brubaker continues the intrigue as the 70s Cap comes face to face with Bucky - and he doesn't exactly look favorably on a usurper of the legacy. Sharon Carter's storyline is getting more exciting too as she has a run in with Sin, the Red Skull's daughter. I'm loving the dynamic between Bucky and Sam, they make an uneasy alliance but they seem to trust each other based on little more than the respect Steve Rogers held for both of them. While De La Torre;s art is not bad at all, I do miss Steve Epting because he is really synonymous with this run on Cap. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you're looking for a book with a solid story, a real sense of direction and some of the best pacing around, pick up Captain America.

Read It

Thunderbolts # 121

And thus ends the tenure of Warren Ellis on the Thunderbolts. Ellis was hired to revamp the franchise and since he's done just that, he's moving on, although if you didn't know that Ellis was leaving you wouldn't have known. While the immediate storylines do come to a close, he sets up and leaves open several more the next writer (Christos Gage) to jump right onto. It's a great way to end a run without making it feel like the book is rebooting in the next issue. The fight between the Goblin and Songbird is brutal and bloody, but nothing compares to Dr. Samson and Moonstone. Ouch! As always, Deodato's art is dark, moody and visceral (especially with Bullsye down in the jail cells), perfect for this book.

Read It

Young Avengers Presents #6 (of 6)

The final issue of this limited series sees the spotlight turned on Hawkeye. Written by Matt Fraction and art by Alan Davis, the issue ends the series on a sort of "meh" note. It's not terrible by any means, but it isn't all that spectacular either. Ronin (Clint Barton or the real Hawkeye) tests the new Hawkeye to make sure she's worthy of the name and that the kids are worthy to be (Young) Avengers. There's an interesting scene concerning Clint's bow and the dialogue throughout is great, but it all aounted to a sense of, "Who cares?" I usually love Fraction's stuff, but something was off in this issue. And am I the only person who doesn't like Alan Davis? The man can't draw a straight line to save his life (I mean that literally, everything is always curved). And check out the last page - in five panels, Eli looks like four completely different people.

Browse It

Jonostarsmore's Reviews

The Avengers: The Initiative #14

I am surprised by how much Marvel's Secret Invasion tie-ins are making me enjoy comics all over again! This was a refreshing, well-paced chapter in the Secret Invasion event, and it was welcome to see some of the lighter moments of the invasion (strawberries and pickles, anyone?). While not integral to the main mini-series, this story is definitely worth checking out, if only for a glimpse of Earth's first real advantage over the Skrulls.

Read It

Fantastic Four #558

The beginning of Mark Millar's second story arc is already superior to the previous one. Case in point: in this book we not only have one, but two important and jaw dropping character moments that somehow, in a weird way, make sense. I'm already giddy with excitement over the return of a hero we thought wasn't coming back anytime soon. Good job Millar, this makes up for that hot mess that was Kick-Ass' last issue.

Read It

The Walking Dead, Vol. 8: Made To Suffer

I don't think I can encapsulate the experience that was The Walking Dead, Volume 8: Made To Suffer. The title says it all and I am sitting here...trying to organize my thoughts with this shell shock. Robert Kirkman has surpassed his already incredible run on the previous 42 issues with this epic culmination and tapestry of human emotion. This is gut wrenching tragedy. This is gore. This is horror. This is carnal. This is devastating. This is humanity.

And it hurts.

Read it if you can handle an unabashed exploration of the darker side of humanity.

Mighty Avengers #15

The past few issues of New/Mighty Avengers have been hit or miss lately with the Secret Invasion tie-ins. While it is interesting to see how certain characters were replaced by Skrulls, I don't really care about all of them that much. Even in the issue, the Skull queen more-or-less asks "Ant-Man? Really?"

Browse it

Loaded Bible TP Vol. 1

I can't explain why I love this book so much. Jesus vs. Vampires sounds so silly on paper, but when you read it you'll see that there's so much more too it then that. The book actually gets pretty deep with the political-religious plot. And I may be alone in this, but I actually think Seeley portrayed Christ as he would really act.....if he had to kill vampires.

Read it

Runaways #30

Here we have the end of Whedon's epic (or epically late) run. I know there's been a lot of hate for the time-travel bit, but I really found myself enjoying it. I am glad to finally have some closure, and you might want to pick it up to see the new character introduced before the Secret Invasion tie-in kicks off.

Read it

New Avengers #42 ~ Mighty and New Avengers are both supposed to be extras that you can choose to read or not, but honestly, both of them are pretty necessary to Secret Invasion. In this issue we find out when the real Spider-Woman was replaced and how the replacement continued to organize the invasion. The art's fantastic and the story is actually more interesting than the ultra fast paced miniseries itself. If you're reading Secret Invasion, this is a definite Read It!

Final Crisis #2

Many fans were pretty disappointed with the first issue and understandably; it was a confused mess of plot lines. The good news is the second issue is better; the bad news is "better" is a relative term. It does start to get very interesting in the middle of the book for a few pages, then suddenly drifts off into incoherency again. Some of the plot lines introduced later are very interesting in concept, but are poorly executed. While it's possible Final Crisis will be much more coherent by the end of the mini-series, it's not right now; it very much just feels like "Let's make a whole bunch of bad stuff happen and call it a Crisis."

Browse it.

Superman #677

While Big Blue is off playing Space Fetch with his dog and Hal Jordan, a huge guy named Atlas lands in Metropolis asking for the Man of Steel. I absolutely love Renato Guedes' artwork, but the issue itself doesn't have a whole lot else going for it. It is the first part of a story line, but the first part is supposed to get you interested, not bore you to tears. Right now, the interesting Superman stories are in Action Comics, not here.

Browse it.

Ms. Marvel #28

This book is actually kind of hard to figure out how I would rate it. Much of Secret Invasion is, so far, "us" losing and losing pretty badly. Ms. Marvel, however, is actually on the offensive, and it's quite satisfying to see her in action like that. On the other hand, because it is an all action issue, it is a very quick read and may leave you thinking "I paid $2.99 for that?" like Jono did. So I'll split it, because honestly, I don't know how else to. If you're looking for a visceral issue, wanting to see someone kick some Skrull ass, then Read it. If you're looking for story instead, just

Browse it.

She-Hulk #30

Continuing the story with She-Hulk in prison, this issue shows her release after the events of last issue. On her way home, she runs into a giant, Celtic God powered man who's smashing up a town. In tow is Hercules, who is always ready for a good fight and apparently doesn't much care about collateral damage. She-Hulk rushes in to stop both of them while her partner Jazinda talks with the host of the Celtic God. Peter David has definitely set a different tone for She-Hulk since he took over, one that I'm still not quite used to. Still, it's a fun read, especially since it's pretty free of the angst filled summer crossovers.

Read it.

That's all for this week! Join us next Friday for another weekly wrapup!