Oraclechele's Reviews

Buffy #16

Whedon's back! Although there are a few panels of art that don't serve the Scooby's well the real strength is in the telling. Dawn's a Centaur, Willow is the one with a girlfriend on the page, and Buffy and Fray battle - need I say more.

MUST HAVE

Echo #4

Being such a high concept story this book continues to lay out lots of exposition which means groundwork instead of momentum but that's fine by me. The superhero core of the story manages two pretty interesting reveals this issue as the Feds continue their hunt. In the emotional center of issue four, grief and anger take a front seat and considering which two characters have now met things should continue to get very interesting. This book has me hooked.

MUST HAVE

Manhunter #32

This is my chance to fangirl out a bit as I didn't get to review the return of this book to the DC line up last month. Considering the condition of my favorite comic book publishing house I was worried Manhunter might get mucked up. Happily, unlike some other books which aren't being well served by the overuse of the vast DCU, nothing is out of proportion here. Whether the use of Smylex or during the Blue Beetle and Manhunter exchange, the balance between solo book and being a small part of the whole pays off. The "A" plotline of the murders isn't overwhelming and the "B" plotlines are being carefully introduced to make the reader want more. Michael Gaydos' artwork serves things well and reminds me of why I loved his work on Alias. His characters have a sense of realism to them, which you seldom see in many of the DC books these days. I am happy to report that I have another 'must read' back on my list.

MUST HAVE

The Joker's Asylum #1

With the Joker not only featured but putting on his best Crypt Keeper, readers are told a story that's certainly reflects a sign of our times. The art takes Batverse creepy up a notch but the tale, at least in issue one, is a mirror to the world instead of expanding any insight into the villains. I had thought going in that was what I was signing up for so I was taken aback by the direction but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the end result. For those looking for Batverse goodness you should look elsewhere but for folks who like the idea of the Batvillains as a reflection of the society we live in this book is for you.

READ IT.

Sgt. Sausagepant's Reviews

The Boys #20

Just when I was starting to lose interest in The Boys, it's picked up again. The recent storylines have all put the main plot on hold, focusing on side stories or Hughies romance. The main plot has reared it's head again, however. Most of the issue is backtstory on The Seven, and how their appearance, (and the arrival of supers in general) changed the balance of world power. It's a brilliant piece of storytelling on another way the Military-Industrial complex would have developed, and may be the most interesting writing I've read all year. The book is building up to a big confrontation with The Seven and I have a suspicion it will be amazing.

MUST HAVE

Squadron Supreme 2 #1

Squadron Supreme gets a much needed reboot after the confusion in the title from the last few years. Delays in release, and extremely confusing crossovers with the Marvel Universe as a whole made things a little... odd. The current addition of Ultimate Nick Fury to this world promised a bit of interest, but so far he hasn't done too much.

I'm a bit torn about this book. the original Squadron Supreme was a tale of heroes who'd made mistakes, who made moral choices that people normally wouldn't in the effort to rebuild the country. It was also greatly inspired by the DC universe, basically being an analog of the Justice League. With this new version, however, Marvel is shoehorning in alternates of Marvel characters like Spider-girl or the Fantastic Four, which is frustrating because we already have the Ultimate Universe. I doubt the title from here is going to do much other than introduce slight variations on other Marvel staples.

SKIP IT

Trinity #5

Alright, I'm done. Kid gloves, off. DC, we need to have an intervention. 52 was an amazing concept, and the book, for the most part, worked really well because it had good writing. Countdown, on the other hand, sucked, and never actually went anywhere until the end, and even that was just weird. Then we come to Trinity. You've got the three biggest heroes in the DC universe in one title, and I just can't give a damn about any of them.

This entire book so far feels like it's just backstory to something bigger. Buildup. Five issues and we're still going on about how Superman, Batman, and Wonderwoman are 'The Trinity', without any explanation as to how this matters. Are we supposed to assume they are key to solving the next big crisis? Of course they are, they always are. This is exactly what happened with Countdown, endless buildup. I for one and not falling for it againg. DC, if you are going to do a weekly book, it better be worth it, cause spending over $150 a year on this, is not something I plan to do.

BURN IT

Goblin's Reviews

Avengers/Invaders #3 (of 12)

This is definitely not the book I thought it was going to be. Don't get me wrong, I like it better this way. This is more than a 12 issue bar fight as Namor heads off on his own (after the Mighty Avengers kick some Invaders tail) only to find the current Namor hidden in the wreckage of the Titanic and Atlantis destroyed. This is a fun spotlight issue on who Namor was and who he's become, not to mention some great moments for the rest of the Invaders (especially Bucky who kicks serious SHIELD ass).

READ IT

Patsy Walker: Hellcat #1 (of 5)

Hellcat is an odd choice for her own limited series, but still a valid one as she's had her moments from time to time. This books moves away from her being the ex-wife of the devil (Damien Hellstrom, specifically) and moves her into the Initiative. The story has Iron man recruiting the ex-teen model into the Initiative to head up the Alaskan team - only "team" may be too generous a term. The dialogue is spot on and the story shows promise, but unless you're like me and have an unhealthy love affair with Hellstorm or are fascinated with the D-list characters of Marvel, there's little reason to pick up this book. It's fun, it's neat, but all in all th cover is the best aspect of it. If you've got a few extra bucks (and Godspeed to you if you do), then go for it. Otherwise, there's little important to the book (unless you're me and waiting patiently for Hellstorm to make a surprise appearance).

SKIP IT

Jonostarsmore's Reviews

Astonishing X-Men #25

I love Simone Bianchi's art. It's goddamn gorgeous. And some of the panels in this issue are downright disturbing in their detail. The story is pretty good too. The set-up is understandably slow paced but the premise is intriguing: an undetected strain of mutants may exist and be the future of mutantkind. I would have liked more to happen in this first issue, but at least Warren Ellis has piqued my interest.

READ IT

Secret Invasion: Frontline #1

I get that Frontline exists to give us a street view of the big Marvel events, but this issue was...serviceable. It doesn't really add anything new to the Secret Invasion event, and it wasn't horrible. It just sort of exists as an option for Secret Invasion super fans to read up about the human (non super-hero) experience of the event. Overall, it's a half-hearted attempt from Marvel to cash in on the main event.

SKIP IT

Batman #678

Grant Morrison is an esoteric man and he relishes in that fact. Witness the heavy dependence on oddball mutants in his X-Men run (Martha, Beak, Angel) and now his "unique" way of implementing random obscure DC moments into a mainstream DC comic. Oy. Batman #678 is a little bit difficult to follow, and it's not just Tony Daniel's art (I can't tell you how many times I had trouble telling Bruce, Dick, and Tim apart). I'm personally struggling with this tale because as a fairly new reader, I'm not sure what characters and events I'm supposed to already know, and which ones are brand new. Even Zur En Arrh is tied down to a late 50s Batman comic (which you can read about here). I don't think this has been an effective issue because of all the little idiosyncrasies, but I'm willing to see how the story pans out.

SKIP IT (for now...)

Angel: After The Fall #10

You know, the more I read this book, the more I miss the show. Granted, the comic is good, but it really is a different animal then the tv series. This issue starts off with a homage to superhero comics of old, which was a really funny bit. Honestly, I'm glad they threw a bit more humor in there because that's one thing the book's been missing, that snarky, Whedonesque banter and flights of fancy between characters. That being said, the book quickly gets back into "Angel=tortured hero" territory. I realize the characters are in hell now, and every thing's gone full circle, but is it too much to ask for a little downtime? Er...nevermind. Dead seriousness aside, I still say it's a good read.

READ IT

That's all we have for this week. Have a good holiday weekend people!