Oraclechele's Reviews

Doctor Who The Forgotten #1

When a television series is adapted into a comic book format the results can go either way. Luckily for the Doctor Who franchise they seem to be in good hands with this particular spin off into comics. Artist Pia Guerra, of Y The Last Man fame, is clearly studying the Who universe as the art pops. Writer Tony Lee has created a tale filled with history that will make long time fans of the series very excited. The one downfall could be that the mythos is so dense that some folks might be a little turned off. Despite that I would urge any person who doesn't know a thing about this decades old tv series to give this issue a try. You might find yourself a fan.

Must Have

Batgirl #2

For a six issue limited series Batgirl is covering a lot of ground. The lead arc centers on revenge and it is in those elements of the story that the book works. Pairing Cassandra up with an equally angry but far less restricted puppet of Cain results in some good action and strong conflict but this issue falls short in the shoehorning of teen romance and rebellion. Despite a fun cameo it was overall simply so-so.

Skip It.

Birds of Prey #121

The Joker on the cover of a Birds book - YIKES! Oh wait, the issue is only fun when the Jokers on the page, you say. Misfits first day of school plays like an unfunny episode of the tv show Charmed. Here I was starting to get confident that maybe the book was finally finding a strong voice and instead its voice is that of a sixteen-year old girl. The entire book bounces around so much this issue is liable to give readers whiplash. When will the new teams assigned to write for this book figure out that having the Birds themselves turning up only briefly ruins the point of a team book?

Skip It.

Sgt. Sausagepant's Reviews

Guardians of The Galaxy #4

Guardians stays strong in this issue with a Secret Invasion tie-in. We get quite a few big reveals about Gamorra, Adam Warlock, and Drax as well. Not to mention some fantastic dialogue between Cosmo the pyschic dog and Rocket Raccoon. (You heard me)

This has quickly become my most entertaining read in a long while, I highly recommend it.

MUST HAVE

Dreamwar #5

While the idea for a crossover between Wildstorm and DC appeals to me greatly, most of this issue is combat of various kinds. I would have preferred to see more plot development in this one. Only one more issue to conclusion but I'm not expecting anything groundbreaking at this point, it's all fan service.

Skip it

Legion of 3 Worlds #1

While I've loved all the Final Crisis tie-ins so far, (more than the actual Final Crisis book), I didn't quite get this one. Maybe it's because I'm not really a Legion fan, but at the very least, it looks like we're shaping up for a HUGE fight, with Superboy Prime involved.

Read it.

Uncanny X-Men #501

It's been several years since I read an X-Men title outside of Astonishing. When 500 debuted, I thought it would be a good chance to jump back into the series that got me into comics in the first place. This issue springboards from that, and fleshes out some of the new changes a bit more. I think my favorite thing about the issue was the camaraderie of the X-Men. It finally feels like they're a family again and not just a group of heroes reacting to the latest disaster. The Hellfire Cult stuff is really intriguing as well, since it's being co-led by someone with past ties to their namesake.

MUST HAVE

Young X-Men #5

Speaking of the Hellfire Club, we finally figure out what Donald Pierce has been planning for the team all along. The first arc comes to a close here with....barely a whimper. The original set-up was pretty hokey to begin with, but when it all comes together, you still find yourself scratching your head wondering "That's it?" Young X-Men is a really great premise, and I hope they do something with all the potential here, but for now...

Skip it

Captain America #41

The aftermath of Cap's death is finally starting to wrap up as the new Cap and Falcon continue to look for Sharon Carter; and someone in Red Skull's camp defects. Unsurprisingly, this issue continues the fantastic run that Brubaker has on Cap. Fast paced with plenty of character development; there's really no reason not to read the book.

Read it.

X-Factor: Layla Miller

Many were wondering just what would happen to Layla Miller after the events in Messiah Complex. Now we find out, and get a glimpse into her powers, and see beyond just the mutant concentration camps. Layla Miller is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters in the X-Men line. Peter David fills the comic with his trademark sense of humor; the first scene is absolutely fantastic with Layla in the camp. Even if you're not a fan of X-Factor (which really doesn't come in at all), if you're a fan of the X-Men, past or present, definitely pick it up. Even if you're not a fan at all, it's worth it. (Editors Note: I loved this one too and I think Ruby is a great concept for a character.)

MUST HAVE

Justice League of America #24

The battle against Amazo continues, and somehow it manages to be fairly dull. It's incredible how a team that should be able to work together fantastically end up doing dumb things like attack the Amazo thing one at a time rather than having some tactics. The mystery behind Vixen's weird power changes are explored further, and it seems that it's not just her. If your a fan of JLA and must have everything about them, then you probably won't care that it's kind of dull. Otherwise it's not worth it.

Skip it

Goblin's Reviews

X-Factor #34

The Secret Invasion tie-in/She-Hulk crossover comes to a close in the third part of "He Loves You." PAD's dialogue is as crisp as ever, even if the art is still choppy and gritty. I enjoy Darwin (Brubaker's middle-generation X-Man) and hope he sticks around, but the ultimate end of this story is nothing too exciting. She-Hulk gets told Tony Stark may be a Skrull, Darwin turns back into a Latino (don't ask) and a religious zealot Skrull is taken out of the equation. If this book were written by anyone else, I'd say it was a perfectly servicable addition to the Secret Invasion satellite stories, but PAD has been doing amazing things with the event ancillaries the last few years. His stellar results previously actually knock this so-so effort down a notch. I'm still excited for X-Factor's ongoing storyline though, so come back for next month's #35!

Skip It.

Amazing Spider-Man #568

Marvel has been hyping up this issue for a little while now, pushing the "New Ways To Die" storyline as both the return of Venom (which is strange since he's a star of the Thunderbolts book) and a jumping-on point for new readers. If Marvel's ads weren't a strong enough insinuation of the jumping-on point, Dan Slott spends the first few pages reminding us of Spidey's origin and personality traits. It's kind of an odd lead in if you've been reading he book straight through, but it's not a bad idea for newcomers. It's also the return of John Romita Jr. to the art chores of ASM, the book where he spent a good portion of the nineties and first half of the naughts. Not to disparage recent Spidey artists, but JRjr's return is a welcome one as I think his art is a perfect fit for the webs.

The story itself is going to be a long one (six issues) so this part is more set-up than anything. Pete finds a new job and resolidifies his supporting cast. Two separate arch-nemeses return. Two separate conspiracies pop up, one involving both Aunt May and one of the aforementioned returned villains. All in all, I'm excited about Spider-Man again as this story hits all the right notes for a new classic. If you've wandered away from "Brand New Day," now's a good time to take a look back in the window.

MUST HAVE

1985 #4

I don't know if I'm just losing interest in mark Millar or if his books are too hyped for his own good. While 1985 is a somewhat interesting premise, the book has failed to wow me from panel number one. There are some neat ideas and Tommy Lee Edwards's art is certainly as great as it's ever been (especially the final shot of #1 with the Hulk), but the story really doesn't seem to be too inviting. I really just don't care what happens. As the Lizard is about to kill the main character of the book, my interest is just as feint as it is when reading the header. That's not good. The promise of the other half of the Marvel universe making an appearance next issue is promising, but I fear it's too late and I may not even finish the book with the last two issues.

Skip it.