Sunday, May 31, 2015

Comic Review: Batman '66 #23

On the actual Batman TV series, which this comic is based off of, one of the most memorable gimmicks of the show was that every episode was a two-parter. In this issue, and a few others in the series, they have done exactly the opposite, taking two separate but sometimes related stories, and telling them both in a single issue. In this case, we have "Monsters A-Go-Go", with stories focused on Solomon Grundy and Clayface.

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Comic Review: All-New Hawkeye #3

This series was put in an impossible situation, and I do not envy Jeff Lemire or Ramon Perez for having to try and take over after Fraction and Aja's run on Hawkeye, especially considering that the last issue of that series still has yet to come out. That series came out of nowhere and was absolutely loved by critics and gained a decent following, yet focused on the day to day life of a guy who doesn't have the best reputation and had a tendency to go with very different storytelling choices, like an entire issue from the perspective of a dog or told entirely in sign language. Instead of trying to do that, this series focuses more on the type of stories you would expect from Hawkeye, the SHIELD agent, while taking only bits and pieces from the previous series.

Friday, May 29, 2015

Comic Review: SHIELD #6

The last issue of this series revealed that almost everything that had happened so far in the series was not just separate missions for the SHIELD team, but were all connected in a larger, overarching plotline. Because of how most comics are written, I was afraid that was leading to this series becoming more serialized. That's not necessarily a bad idea, but this series was described from the beginning as a mission of the month format. With this issue, it turns out I was concerned for no good reason; even though this is a continuation of the last issue, it still works as its own story, keeping the standalone style intact.

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Comic Review: Valhalla Mad #1


(I tend to read every #1 issue that comes out from Image Comics. Are they all good? Well, let's find out.)

When I picked up this comic, I knew nothing about it except for recognizing the writer/artist team. I knew Joe Casey and Paul Maybury from Catalyst Comix, a Dark Horse series that caught me by surprise with how much I liked it. True to that series, this also has a great, manic energy to it, if somewhat inconsistent overall.

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Comic Review: Star Wars #5

The last issue of Star Wars was mostly setup, doing little things to build the next parts of the story up. In this issue, there is still a lot of setup, but with more payoffs along the way. Splitting the story has slowed things a little, but it still has enough results to give it satisfying momentum in this issue and going into the next.

Friday, May 22, 2015

Comic Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 10 #15

Last issue of this series, I felt very mixed about it, not really liking how they handled things in that issue. This issue is an improvement, not without its own problems, but much stronger overall.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Comic Review: Ms. Marvel #15

I feel the need to start off with a disclaimer, because I really like this series as a whole, making it all the more difficult that I do not like this issue. I liked the first issue of this storyline, the second was not as good but still solid, but this one just does not really work, which I don't like associating with this series.

Monday, May 18, 2015

Comic Review: Darth Vader #5

I can't make a list of everything Star Wars fans hate about the prequels, but the way they portray Anakin Skywalker is by far one of the biggest complaints. Fans wanted the great character from the original trilogy, at the peak of his villainy - and here he is in this series, the most feared man in the galaxy, with the possible exception of the Emperor.

Comic Review: Saga #28

I know that a lot of people would say that Saga is an overpraised comic, given the number of people gushing over it. I understand where people are coming from, but don't look to me for the opposing view. After hearing all the praise, I started reading with the second trade, and it has turned out to be my favorite currently running comic series, jumping to the top of my list every week it comes out.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Comic Review: Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #5

Even as someone who loves puns, this issue's title, Tails of the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, makes me cringe. Even though my first thought after someone makes a pun is usually "I wish I'd thought of that", this one is just overused. Still, it is just the title of the issue, and the double meaning does set up what this issue is about, with people telling their own stories about Squirrel Girl.


Monday, May 11, 2015

Comic Review: Angel and Faith Season Ten #14

In the last season of Buffy comics, Angel & Faith was easily my favorite of the two series, but I did not see it coming that it continued into this season, seeing as that series ended with Angel and Faith going in very different directions with their lives. It has taken a lot of story maneuvering and a lot of disappointment so far in this season, but this issue ends in a place that makes me feel very good about where this series is going, and feeling that it will soon be a solid part of the Buffyverse again.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Comic review: Alex + Ada #14

I hadn't realized this series was so close to the end, with the next issue, #15, being the end. No, it didn't have a very long run and it never gained huge traction, but it has been a really interesting comic unlike anything else I've been reading, and I'm sorry to see that it's going soon.

Monday, May 4, 2015

Comic review: Princess Leia #3

This series seems to exist because of one unanswered question from the original trilogy: How does Leia deal with seeing her home planet be destroyed? It's given no time in the movies, to the point that redubbing her dialogue to make it any random planet would not have changed anything. This series has decided it is going to charge right into dealing with that loose thread, having Leia travelling to find survivors of Alderaan, trying to keep what she can of her world alive.

Friday, May 1, 2015

Comic review: S.H.I.E.L.D. #5

Marvel had no idea what a success they would have in Phil Coulson, a throwaway character in Iron Man who kept coming back, to the point that he was brought into the comics and is leading a TV series. This series combines those two, bringing Phil and some of his team members into the comic universe and taking on SHIELD missions, interacting with characters in the main Marvel universe that they never could on the show due to rights or actor availability, and so far, it has been a fun ride with these characters.