CBR Review: Ultimate Fallout #6

I recently reviewed Ultimate Fallout #6 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "The weekly Ultimate Fallout series hasn’t exactly flown under the radar given the extensive media exposure to the fourth issue where the new Ultimate Spider-Man Miles Morales debuted, but it also hasn’t garnered much attention aside from that portion of the fourth issue. It’s been an odd hodgepodge of a comic, pulling in two directions as it provides an epilogue/coda to Peter Parker’s life and looks to the relaunch of the Ultimate line beginning with next week’s Ultimates #1. More an anthology series featuring shorts that looked to the past or the future (rarely the present) than anything else, it’s left many baffled about its point and purpose."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #10

I recently reviewed T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #10 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "At the top of the cover of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #5, there’s a quote from my review of issue four: 'There is no reason to not read this comic, aside from hating well-crafted comics.' Unfortunately, issue five was the conclusion to the book’s incredibly strong opening story arc, paving the way for the disappointing second story that concluded in this week’s issue. The comic isn’t the impressive, energetic, entertaining book that it started as. The finale to the second story arc and first volume is no exception to that pattern."

You can read the rest HERE!

Sketch Reviews (August 10 2011)

This year's Blogathon is Monday, people! Money goes to the Hero Initiative! Plenty of ways to give:

* Direct donations to the Hero Initiative
* Purchasing products from their site, including annual memberships
* Purchasing products from their eBay store

If you do wish to sponsor me, let me know via e-mail: chevett13[AT]yahoo[DOT]ca

'Breed III #4: Damn, that little kid sure changes his look, going from around age seven to 14 and everywhere in between depending on the panel, while having a personality that seems to be one of a 19-year old. Otherwise, I'm still digging this series for reasons I don't understand and baffle others even more, I imagine. [***]

Criminal: The Last of the Innocent #3: Wondering how it all comes together... [***3/4]

Detective Comics #881: The interplay between Dick and James, Jr. was compelling. My problem still stems from not really buying James, Jr. as the villain of the piece somehow. It seems a little too mundane for me. Because I'm that fucking arrogant. I guess it's too simple and straight forward to me. Too clean and easy... Part of the problem is that this run didn't have enough time to play out that story. There wasn't enough time for James to come to Gotham and slowly win over the trust of his family before revealing himself. It's more, he's back, people are unsure, they almost begin to think he's okay, and OH GOD HE'S PURE EVIL AND THINKS HIMSELF THE NEXT EVOLUTIONARY STEP CRAZY MOTHERFUCKER! Positioning himself as Dick's opposite number was clever and helps a great deal. I'm just not sold on it. And, of course, Bruce being only the Batman overshadows the final pages a bit. The outside factors on this run bring it down a bit for me, I guess. Is that fair to the people who made the books? Not really. [***1/2]

Fear Itself #5: You know what? I think I would have liked to have all of the Tony Stark/Odin stuff moved to the end of issue four, because I've already read Invincible Iron Man #dwarffucker and know where the fuck this conversation goes. Uneven pacing for the event as a whole, I guess. Of course, when it's the same guy writing the comics... Plus, that would have allowed for a Simonson callback as we get Stark forging weapons ala Surtur. I did like the big Thor fight. That was pretty cool. The ending sets up Stark showing up with his fancy weapons and being all "TRON UP!" [***]

New Avengers #15: Wow, that cover is godawful. Deodato pushing that sketchy, busy style too far. This was an okay issue. The sparring scene was cool. Still don't really have any handle on Squirrel Girl, though. She seems like a collection of a few tidbits than an actual character. [***]

Punishermax #15-16: Finally got last month's issue. Wasn't even in my file either. Was on the rack. And I had to explain to my retailer how, last month, they stuck #14 in my pull file instead of #15 and I returned it the following week when Tim was running the shop solo. He believed me and let me have the comic for no charge (I already paid for it!), but still a little weird. I don't know why, but I never considered that as what happened before the gunfire started in the park that day... damn good comics right here. [****1/4]

Ultimate Fallout #5: The Quicksilver stuff was actually intriguing. The Nick Fury stuff was decent. The most focused issue since the first one. I hope these little 'prologue' bits are collected in the trades for the series they lead into like the new Ultimates and Ultimate X-Men comics. They won't be, of course, but they should be... [**3/4]

The Unwritten #28: The story in the past is genuinely interesting and engrossing. Young Wilson Taylor is a fun character to read about. And I love the cover to this issue... except for the fucking barcode that almost ruins it. [***1/2]

Vengeance #2: Man, it's like Joe Casey decided to write a comic specifically for me. He obviously didn't, but I'm going to pretend that he did. You don't need to catch the references, obviously, but they're right there out in the open. When is Jack fucking Truman and/or Larry Young showing up? Are they already here? Also, anyone else who immediately recognised Devlin Deangelo? We're weird people you and I... [****]

I also got Vertigo Resurrected: Jonny Double, but have only read the first issue contained withint. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand, Fantagraphics sent me the third volume of Prison Pit. I'll save my thoughts on that for an actual review, but... it's damn funny stuff.

And, please give to the Hero Initiative! The Blogathon is almost upon us! It will be 24 hours of superhero comics glory! Hell yes, son!

Later

Sketch Reviews (August 4 2011)

On Tuesday, Michelle and I saw Titus Andronicus in Stratford as part of their yearly festival. The only reason why we chose that play was I had a code to get tickets for $10 each and it was a day that I wasn't working. I have never read the play and Michelle has read a lot less Shakespeare than I. I knew a little bit about it (violent, over-the-top, not respected usually) and was rather impressed with the production. You could tell that there were some big weaknesses in the play -- and if you're not willing to go along with some fucked up shit, you just won't like it. The director also designed the stage and made good use of the space, the lighting, and the sound. John Vickery's performance as Titus stood out -- like a lot of men who do Shakespeare, he's developed such a commanding voice capable of a very broad range. Oddly, I was also taken with the character of Aaron, a moor who basically engineers the destruction of everyone, because... well, he's evil. Now, having the black character as the all-evil villain is not something you're supposed to like or get behind... but, Dion Johnstone was so charismatic that I was reminded of the Joe Casey style of villain. The villain who flat out loves being a bad guy and is so over-the-top in his love of villainy that he can't not be entertaining. You got the impression that, had he never been discovered and managed to destroy Titus's family completely, Aaron would have turned on his allies and destroyed them, because that's what he does. I do love a good villain. So, if you have the chance, go see it.

Batman: Gates of Gotham #4: The art was a step up here with Dustin Nguyen and Derec (Aucoin) Donovan. For plot reasons, I found this issue less compelling. I don't know what they could have changed, but moving towards the end of the series, there's less room for cool revelations -- although, that final page has me wondering. [***1/4]

The Boys #57: The Hughie/Annie relationship is oddly complex. Nice to see Ennis not have it all return to normal right away with Hughie still struggling with exactly what he wants. That shit at the end is fucked up. Then again, who wants to see Jack Kirby fucking Wonder Woman? NOT ME. [**3/4]

Flashpoint: Batman: Knight of Vengeance #3: Wow. That was some harsh shit. Any time Brian Azzarello gets near Batman and his world, there's always some giant mindfuck right around the corner. Revealing to Martha what Bruce is like in the regular DCU... jesus. [****1/4]

Flashpoint: Secret Seven #3: This title also turned out to be fairly fucked up by the end. I imagine this will partly lead into Milligan's Justice League Dark next month, but was an oddly compelling little story. Some people didn't really dig this mini... I did. Moreso as it progressed. [***1/2]

Moon Knight #4: I didn't really dig the third issue and this was a nice recovery. Character-driven with some good action, and a nice cliffhanger. Solid, entertaining superhero comics. [***1/2]

Scalped #51: Hey, new paper! BURN IT ALL. [****1/4]

Ultimate Fallout #4: I've got to say: I don't really care if Ultimate Spider-Man is black. Or a woman. Or gay. Or anything else that isn't straight white male Peter Parker. It's a neutral move for me, as a reader. It neither attracts me to the book or makes me want to avoid it. The introduction we get here is entertaining... yet, until the mask came off, it didn't really seem like someone who wasn't Peter in the costume aside from not knowing who the Kangaroo is or not fully understanding his powers. Otherwise, same personality. After my remark about Ultimate Tony Stark entering into a Future Foundation-esque group last issue, Hickman one-ups that and has Ultimate Reed start a twisted, fucked up version of the group... kind of. And, apparently, the US government created mutants. That is about two hundred times less interesting, honestly. When I picked up my books this week, I added Ultimates and Ultimate Hawkeye to my pull list. Good call. [**1/2]

Later

Sketch Reviews (July 28 2011)

Busy times made busier by me wanting to hang out with my girlfriend more than a lot of other things. We finished watching Damages season three on DVD last night and, damn, that show always lets me down in its season finales. I guess that's what comes with teasing out half of the finale the rest of the season and watching as the writers scramble to cobble together their red herrings and teases into something coherent. A bigger bunch of bullshit coincidences and letdowns you'll never see. I've got many other things to do besides this, so let's get to it...

Before that, though, I did want to point out that, already, $55 has been raised in my Blogathon and we're still two-and-a-half weeks away from it. That's really great. I'm hoping that we can raise a nice amount of money for the Hero Initiative. Details in the post below this one in case you're wondering.

Butcher Baker, the Righteous Maker #5: I came for the Casey, but I stayed for the Huddleston... [****]

Criminal: The Last of the Innocent #2: I do love that bastard protagonist sort of story. And the mixing of the Archie gang with more 'real' subject matter in the past is funny. Curious where this is going now. [****]

Deadpool MAX #10: The painting show made me laugh. Good to have Baker back. [****]

Detective Comics #880: Now, that's good comicbooking. Snyder's Joker is Morrison's Joker. Jock's art gets the mood right. The final 'reveal' was a bit obvious, but still good. The stuff about Gotham is made more explicit and, more and more, I'm beginning to wonder how long it is before someone just destroys the city and, when Batman and his bunch whine, point out that the city is obviously rotten to the core. Funny how the people trying to redeem the city always talk about there being 'good people' there and never realising that, after years of effort, shit is still fucked up and Gotham is probably the worst city in the world to live in. Why couldn't the earthquake have done the job for good? Even the fucking planet wants the city dead... wake up, Batman. [****]

glamouspuss #20: Someday, I'll read these comics. Oh yes. And it will be glorious. [N/A]

The Mighty Thor #4: Something about the structure of this comic was really working for me. Lots of quick cuts, quick scenes, and general sense of everything happening at once. And is that another fucking Superman story in the mix? It took one shitty arc and two less-than-great-issues, but Fraction is winning me back to the idea that he can write a Thor comic. [***1/2]

Secret Avengers #15: "My grandpa died and superheroes come back from the dead, so that makes it okay to lie and pretend I'm a real journalist and be a jerk!" "No, it's really not, because we're people, too, and being people sucks." "Oh, really? I didn't know that." "Well, now you do." [SAVE ME, WARREN ELLIS!]

Ultimate Fallout #3: I haven't been reading FF, but isn't that what the Tony Stark shit in this comic is? I liked it, but, come on, son... the rest I have no use for. I do think I'll buy the Hickman Ultimate stuff and that's it. [**]

X-Men: Schism #2: I dug the first issue and this one has some nice moments. The Cyclops/Wolverine/Quentin Quire stuff felt off. The growing rift between Scott and Logan seems forced with Logan immediately pissed off, while Scott's reaction to Quentin (hell, Quentin showing up like he did) didn't really follow any logic for me. *shrugs* PLOT IS LOGIC, SILLY HUMAN! SO SAYS THE MUTANTS! [**3/4]

Later

Sketch Reviews (July 21 2011)

Holy fuck is it hot. And, right now, the story that I'm most excited about the CM Punk saga over in the WWE. The latest development was him crashing the WWE panel at San Diego to ask a few questions of Triple H and Rey Mysterio. Nothing comics is doing right now has me as excited. I watched Money in the Bank at a movie theatre on Sunday night and, then, pre-ordered the DVD on Monday. That's how good it was -- and I want to reward that quality.

Actually, I'm not 'not excited' by comics. I've been pretty excited this week as I've begun planning for this year's Blogathon. I have a date, a concept, and a charity chosen. I'm just finalising the final list of comics/topics/whatever by consulting with a couple of smart people. I should announce that on Monday.

Today, I picked up an Amazon.ca package from UPS that they tried to deliver on Tuesday (I was out in nature with the girlfriend...). It contained Supergods and Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods. Haven't begun the book yet (comics came first), but Michelle and I watched the documentary. I liked it. Learned a few things, but a lot of it was known to me already. Michelle, on the other hand, had no experience with Grant Morrison beyond knowing that he's a writer I like. So, all of his weird craziness that most of us slowly learned over the years in bits and pieces, she gets dropped on her all at once. Kind of fun to see it in that light...

Avengers #15: Chris Bachalo's art is a lot of fun and crazy here. Bendis's writing left me oddly cold. [***1/4]

The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #1: Huh. I don't know why, but I pictured Butcher having a father he loved and respected. And, yet, this doesn't surprise me completely. A fine first issue, but I'm curious about the whole picture. Nice to see Robertson back drawing the character (besides covers). [***1/2]

Daredevil #1: A rather good first issue. Fun, exciting, inventive in the art... none of it blew my mind completely unfortunately. I'm the sort of negative person who wonders how long Matt can keep up this "I'm not Daredevil" thing and how long it will be before his kooky, over-the-top personality becomes annoying instead of charming. I like this take, but it's easy to see the problems that will be coming if Waid and company aren't careful. I guess there's also the problem of: how long can we sympathise with him denying he's Daredevil when he is? How long before this is just another "Superman is a lying bastard" sort of book? Or is it one already? Gorgeous, gorgeous art. [****]

Flashpoint: The Outsider #2: I like this character, but also find him a bit dull at times. Like he's still too new to be truly entertaining. Also, I wish Kevin Nowlan were drawing the book. [***1/4]

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #9: If this comic returns, I don't think I'll be buying it. This arc has been a big disappointment and I'm done after next issue. [*1/2]

Ultimate Fallout #2: Even Aunt May thinks Captain America is a jerk. Bryan Hitch's bit was nice. I was waiting to see how this series went before adding any of the new Ultimate titles to my pull list, but I think I'll get the Hickman titles. Yeah. Definitely. [***1/4]

Later

Sketch Reviews (June 30 2011)

In case anyone was wondering, I plan to get the '28' series back on track after missing last month's post. The same 'lack of desire' that struck my Comics Should be Good work hit there, too. I've been keeping the basics going, but definitely needed to step back. Not sure if the stepping back is entirely done just yet, but it's been nice.

Batman, Incorporated #7: Chris Burnham's art seemed more in sync with Morrison's writing in this issue. A pretty great done-in-one comic that I can't help but see as drawing some inspiration from Scalped. One of my favourite issues of this series so far, honestly. [****1/2]

Detective Comics #878: A good issue and good conclusion to this little story. Tiger Shark is an interesting villain and one I'd like to see more of. In a couple of places, Jock's art really confused me, but that's nothing new. Snyder's narration was rather strong and the voice Dick put on when talking to James was appropriate and... yet, surprising. In a good way. Between this and last week's Gates of Gotham, I'm feeling more confident about my decision to add Batman to my pull list come September. [***1/2]

Flashpoint: Project Superman #1: An interesting issue that didn't quite land. This seems like the sort of book I'd be all over: a man slowly losing his humanity to superhumanity, but... I never get the sense that Sinclair is the one who changes so much as it's everyone around him that changes how they relate to him. He simply gains powers and people react differently to him until he loses control. It's not so much that he loses his humanity as it's taken from him. It kind of reminds me of the X-Men and how I never quite bought into that 'different non-human species' line of thinking, but understood how, after so many people treating you as something other than human, you'd begin to think of yourself as something different. Sinclair never reaches that point, though. That doesn't make it bad, just less interesting than it could have been. Gene Ha's artwork is a little disappointing in its minimalism. When he pairs down his art, it comes off as sloppy and only partially rendered a lot of the time. The stuff with the X-Ray vision worked quite well, though. I'm intrigued enough to see this one through. [***1/4]

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #8: I really like Nick Dragotta's art, but that little blast from the past story at the end of the comic added nothing. It was five pages that Dynamo had already summed up in a few sentences. I still think that those '60s sequences would work better integrated and this issue definitely seemed to have that problem. At least the pace picked up from issue seven. Still a somewhat humdrum story so far... aside from the debate between Len and Bill, which was quite well done. [**1/2]

X-Men: Prelude to Schism #4: Professor X, Magneto... Cyclops, Wolverine.... seems like an obvious enough pattern. It occurs to me that the hints provided seem like they're pointing to the Celestials. I thought Earth had 50 years until the gold one in San Francisco woke up, but, hey, why wait? This series suckered me in with a pretty good first issue and then did nothing by let me down the rest of the time... but, hey, I imagine some people are happy to see Jenkins revisit Logan's past... maybe? [**1/4]

The New Avengers 100 Project: I bought this off of the Hero Initiative's eBay page and it finally arrived with the mail lockout ended. Nice little collection of art. It's fun to see the same ideas pop up again and again or callbacks to an artist's previous tenure on the book like Steve Epting drawing that '90s team featuring the Black Knight and shaven Hercules... except he left out the leather jackets! I only flipped through it so far, but definitely worth it, especially since it supports a good cause.

The Incal: Classic Collection: This finally shipped this week after a while of waiting. The next best thing to that deluxe, oversized hardcover Humanoids put out last year and, if you didn't get that one, FUCKING HEAD OUT AND FIND A COPY OF THIS ONE! The original colouring is back and I already found one panel that's made two hundred times better for it. It's a shot of Animah with purple skin and blue hair because of the lighting and it stands out so well. Just a perfect little panel. My only hope is that Humanoids keep these coming. A hardcover like this with the original colouring of Avant L'Incal would be a fantastic companion piece -- and, then, maybe Apres L'Incal and Final Incal? Please?

Later

Sketch Reviews (June 23 2011)

Batman: Gates of Gotham #2: The first issue left me a little lukewarm, but I really enjoyed this one. Great character work, an interesting backstory, and a pretty awesome end. [****]

Brightest Day Aftermath: The Seach for Swamp Thing #1: When I saw the previews for this comic, I wondered if that was supposed to be Chas with John and, apparently, it was. Good thing someone wised up and said that the art looked nothing like Chas and had it changed. That's about the only good thing about this comic. Just a fucking mess of a comic that doesn't seem to have any sense of any characters. I wonder if Vankin knew which version of Batman he was even writing, because that wasn't Dick despite the costume indicating it's Dick. Ugh. Just not good. But I knew that when I bought it. Just wanted to see how fucking awful this John Constantine story would be... and make reviewing any future issues easier if I wanted. [-**]

The Mighty Thor #3: Colour me surprised, but I really enjoyed this issue. The disparate threads connected up and make for a lively, entertaining read. Fraction manages to write engaging dialogue -- the stuff with the Silver Surfer was great. Probably my favourite Thor comic he's written since that last one-shot he did a few years back. [****]

Secret Avengers #14: What the fuck was that shit? I'm not buying any more of this shit until Ellis arrives. [BAD FUCKING COMIC]

Ultimate Avengers vs. New Ultimates #5: You knew Nick Fury would have something up his sleeve... and it's magic Hulk pills... huh. That's... was it ever mentioned that Black the First Hulk took pills to maintain his Hulkness? 'Cause I don't remember any mention of that. There is something comedic about Fury and his Avengers getting Hulked out. They just look like bodybuilders and that's kind of funny. They don't look scary. Hell, Clint Barton just looks a little absurd and weird. Shit, I don't know what to make of this comic. I liked some parts and hated others. On the whole, this is still my favourite Ultimates stuff from Millar, especially of the Ultimate Avengers bunch. Looking forward to the final issue. One final thought: that's all Spider-Tao does? What a fucking waste... [**3/4]

Later

Sketch Reviews (May 26 2011)

I mentioned this on Twitter on Tuesday, but I'm taking a break from my Random Thoughts feature at Comics Should be Good. It was a spur-of-the-Tuesday-morning decision, but one that's been coming for a while. I've done the weekly thing before and continue to -- and, if there's one thing I've learned: walk away for a time when you want. Why force it when it isn't fun? I'll come back when I want to, or maybe not. Who knows. (Oh, and this definitely applies to shit I'm doing for free. It's crass and cruel, but... well, money does make a difference.)

Saw Thor this week and enjoyed it. It was a bit of a strange movie, wasn't it? Most of the big 'twists' were things that are right out in the open in the comics. It was also a movie that wasn't really about who can hit things until they stop, though that played a part. For a movie about a big strong viking god, it was largely based around inner conflict and strength. Interesting approach. My inner fanboy couldn't get over some stupid things -- like the Frost Giants were more 'Andre the Giant' than 'actual fucking giants.' Shit that doesn't matter at all, but will always bug me because it bugs me. Something to ignore inside, I guess.

Yesterday, the two-issue Silver Surfer mini-series, "Parable," by Moebius and Stan Lee arrived in the mail. The only thing I have to say about that right now is how much I love the casualness of Moebius's Silver Surfer. He just sort of stands on his board like he's standing on a street corner, not giving a fuck. And that little hunch he has at the end of the story? Awesome.

Butcher Baker, the Righteous Maker #3: Loving Huddleston's art... Casey's writing less so. This feels more laboured than usual. Probably my fault for the expectations I built up. [***1/2]

Captain America #618: I kind of love how Gyrich is basically "Yeah, the Russians had no case for extradition, but I fucking hate superpeople, so I sent your boy wonder to the gulag. Fuck you, Captain America." How does that guy stay employed? Anyway, this story isn't really clicking with me. I'm curious about the ending, but ever since the end of "The Trial of Captain America," I haven't had my heart in it. Some great art. Love Butch Guice's first couple of pages in this issue. [***1/4]

Detective Comics #877: So, this was fine. Not great or excellent. Fine. Aside from that one-and-a-half issue of this run that I've really loved, I've been the guy standing around going "Hey, guys, this is an okay comic, but it's not as good as you're all saying!" while no one listens or cares. Nor should they. Like what you like. But, yeah, this was fine. [**3/4]

Secret Avengers #13: Ah, the new character that pops up and makes some big point about something... wait, did he make a point? What was the fucking point? I especially love the convenient 'this new character you've never heard of is also an insanely powerful mutant who has never appeared before!' The minute they pulled out that twist, I was like "And this guy wastes his time in congress, banging his head against the idiocy of that system? Moron." It doesn't help that this comic has horribly mediocre shiny art. Is every issue of Spencer's Secret Avengers going to end with some bullshit speech that I wind up skipping after two sentences? [*1/2]

Strange Adventures #1: I'm amused that the review on CBR has links at the end to my reviews of the Jim Starlin-penned Strange Adventures mini-series. This was pretty hit or miss in every way you can imagine. Some good writing, some bad writing, some good art, some bad art. I was hoping for better. Even though I'm buying it when it comes out, I did partially get this to see the Spaceman teaser/first chapter bit. I dug it. Once you get a handle on the dialogue quirks and such, it's pretty easy to follow. I'm curious what Azzarello and Risso will do with that concept. Other quick bits: Denys Cowan art is always welcome, Juan Bobillo does some nice work, "Partners" was one of the stronger pieces overall, "All the Pretty Ponies" went nowhere, Jeff Lemire's "Ultra" story was good, "Refuse" was strange and had a nice horror element, and the two stories before Spaceman are better left forgotten. [**1/2]

Later

CBR Review: THUNDER Agents #7

I recently reviewed THUNDER Agents #7 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "In an interview with CBR recently, Nick Spencer discussed how the story arc beginning in T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #7 is different from the first arc and, boy, was he right. Unfortunately, the first issue of the new story is different in that it barely gets going before it ends, spending a large amount of the issue on a scene that doesn’t necessarily add a lot to the comic. It’s the sort of issue that you hit the end of and wonder where the comic went because you only started it around a minute and a half ago."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Secret Avengers #12.1

I recently reviewed Secret Avengers #12.1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "In the same week that Ed Brubaker departed Secret Avengers with issue 12, Nick Spencer comes aboard with artist Scot Eaton on this ‘point one’ issue. Brubaker’s time on the title was so centered around the Shadow Council that it was hard to picture what this group was about, besides standing against the Shadow Council. That difficulty shows as Spencer places the group in the middle of a weak ‘torn from the headlines’ sort of story that would remind many of the ‘inspired by real events’ episodes of Law & Order. The Secret Avengers don’t get much of a chance to define themselves or show what their purpose is, necessarily."

You can read the rest HERE!

Sketch Reviews (April 28 2011)

Jays game on. Distracted.

Batman, Incorporated #5: "Oh, so that's not Azrael on the cover..." Someone said this. Somewhere. [***3/4]

Captain America #617: Oh. It was Gyrich. That explains it. [***1/2]

Detective Comics #876: How long ago was "No Man's Land" exactly? [***1/2]

The Mighty Thor #1: Was there a plot here? Anyone? There were some nice moments, some nice pieces that could form a plot, but... was there an actual fucking plot here? Some nice art. [**3/4]

RASL #10: I genuinely enjoy the wide open pacing/art on this comic. It's so laid back. [***1/2]

Scalped #49: "I'm in. I'm up his ass." [****]

Secret Avengers #12: Oh. It was mind control. Lame. [*1/2]

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #6: Two weeks later... the weakest issue of the series to date. A bunch of fragments that didn't really add up -- and the comic just kind of ends. I turned the page and went "Oh? It's over? Really?" [***]

Later

Sketch Reviews (March 31 2011)

You know it's a big week when it takes two hours to read all of your comics. For me, at least. I know, for some people, that's a standard week. Pity those poor bastards. So, let's do this nice and quick...

Age of X Universe #1: I'm torn on this one. I liked some parts, didn't like others. The twists Spurrier brings to the Avengers are pretty good. Not sold on Captain America here entirely. I remember Spurrier saying that it was Steve Rogers, but it doesn't seem like him. Since he's a character from before mutants, he shouldn't be as changed. Did love Iron Man. The art was very hit or miss -- Pham has a habit of drawing perfectly round heads. The Spider-Man back-up was nice in that 'I'm going to forget about it in two days' sort of way. [***]

Avengers #11: Another issue I'm torn on a little. I like the concept of the splash pages, they work for the idea of this being a big event, as does the inclusion to Uatu... but the execution just falls down. The narration is awful, overly verbose and clunky. Romita, Jr.'s splash pages are great, though. I can't complain about that. The final page... you know me, Thanos shows up and my heart skips a beat, but... 'master of death'... he's dead... ugh. [**1/2]

Captain America #616: An anniversary issue... this also begins the split between James and Steve stories in the title, which is a good approach and better than those Nomad back-ups. I'm still a little confused on the extradition procedures and agreements here, but that's my own nitpicky bullshit. This new situation is an interesting one for James, while the Steve stuff just... bores me. He spends a bunch of time wondering if he should become Captain America again and, I guess it's that 'change or die' mentality I have, but that's uninteresting to me. I do find it interesting that every other story in this issue is about Steve Rogers as Captain America. I wonder, was that requested by the editor or what everyone decided to do? A solid package with some hit or miss stories (and some really good art -- I was impressed by some of Mike Deodato's line work here... and Jason Latour! AND CHAYKIN!). [***3/4]

Detective Comics #875: This was the issue of potential realised. I really liked the first issue of Scott Snyder's tenure on the title and I'd been waiting for another issue to really say to me that this was a comic worth sticking with. I wasn't really thinking of dropping it, because it wasn't bad. It was good enough to keep buying and be worth it... I just kept waiting for it to hit that level that it seemed like it could. Partly because of the potential glimpsed in it, and partly because of the reactions others were having to it. I was finding it to be a good comic with the odd moment that was more than that. Others treated it like the goddamn second coming... maybe not that far, but you get the impression. It happens to everyone: people seem to be losing their shit over something you think is fine and you want to like it as much as they do, you just don't. At the same time, you call them all idiots for loving something that's not that good. Anyway... this is a pretty great issue. The level of skill on display here with the pacing, the structure, the confidence in alluding to previous 'throwaway' lines without calling any attention to it... Snyder blew me away here. It certainly doesn't hurt to have Fracesco Francavilla drawing the issue, but Snyder definitely showed me something that I hadn't seen yet from him here. I'm sure he'll love that. Of course, now that I know he can do it, I'll be expecting it every time. [****1/2]

Halcyon #4: I'm holding off until next issue before I pass judgement on this series as a whole, but... I'm still underwhelmed. It's hard not to see Sabre as Rorschach with a little more humanity and that's uninteresting. He's such a mundane character with his singular purpose -- and that mundaneness drags the entire story down into that same pit. Loving the art. I really dig Bodenheim's style. [***]

Incognito: Bad Influences #5: Call me a sucker for metafiction (because I am), I enjoyed Slaughter's little rant at the end. Nothing revolutionary or anything, just something that I like seeing, especially when it just skims the surface like this did. I do wish he'd lived, though. I wanted to see where he was heading. I was much more interested in that than anything to do with Overkill or Zeppelin or anything... but, hey, After the Gold Rush is my favourite Young album, so... [***1/2]

Jimmy Olsen #1: Wasn't sure if I was going to get this, but I enjoyed the first chapter I read online and like Spencer's writing. Thoroughly enjoyable comic. [***3/4]

Scalped #47: Hey, it's Scalped... so: [****]

Later

Sketch Reviews (March 16 2011)

Working on a Wednesday... back to CBR reviewing... girlfriend picked up comics for me... a little tired. Also, after spending all day in front of a computer, the last thing I want to do when I get home is do more of that. Still figuring out how to balance the various elements of my life. I'm pretty sure sitting in front of the TV all day isn't the way... but it is very nice nonetheless. So, comics.

Casanova: Gula #3: These two issues packaged together feels right. More than any other two issues, these two feel like they belong together. I'm looking forward to the finale again next month. Plus whatever newness we get. [****1/2]

THUNDER Agents #5: Hey, look, I'm quoted on the cover. Sure, they don't use my name, just the place that I wrote it for, but still... it's pretty cool. And damn if that wasn't a fantastic issue. The explanation behind last issue's traitor reveal, the whole final sequence... Spencer and CAFU fucking rocking it, boys. [****1/4]

Uncanny X-Force #5.1: An enjoyable action comic. I've heard a lot of great things about Uncanny X-Force, but nothing here that matched up. This was good. I really liked reading it. Honestly, one of the better .1 issues so far and the upcoming "Age of Apocalypse" stuff has me interested. I'm just not sure this issue sold me on the book enough. [***1/4]

The Unwritten #23: And so the long-winded explanation of Tom Taylor ends. I liked this arc when it began, but, by the end, I was just pushing through with force of will. I like the ideas, just not the long, roundabout way that they're presented. It's mechanical and falls flat on the page a lot of the time. This arc feels necessary, but wasn't entertaining. And, fuck, man, if you can't do both, why bother? [**]

Later

CBR Review: Iron Man 2.0 #1

I recently reviewed Iron Man 2.0 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "It’s telling that the new War Machine coming is called Iron Man 2.0, because it doesn’t read like a War Machine comic; It reads like an Iron Man knockoff book. Besides shunting James Rhodes back into military service, there isn’t a lot that separates this first issue from your typical Iron Man comic. Even Rhodes himself doesn’t make much of an impression and that’s rarely been in the case in the past. There’s a dull, muted tone to this debut issue, one that makes it a fairly forgettable one, which is a surprise given Nick Spencer’s habit of delivering strong, bold first issues."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #4

I recently reviewed T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #4 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "The slow introduction of the new T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents continues with this issue as we meet the new Dynamo, a former special forces op who’s fallen on hard times after a private gig went south. He’s crude and obviously jaded by his experiences. And, if you believe the tease at the end of issue three, he’s also a spy for Spider. With that knowledge looming over this issue, there’s a sense of dread as Dynamo is sent in to rescue NoMan from Spider. The tension is increased by Nick Spencer’s expert pacing, jumping between three locations/times until the big cliffhanger at the end of the issue. It’s an issue of building suspense that pulls it off completely."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Infinite Vacation #1

I recently reviewed Infinite Vacation #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "With such a high concept, it would be easy to get lost inside of it, but Nick Spencer and Christian Ward avoid doing so by grounding us in Mark, a man obsessed with finding the right version of himself, the right world and life where things don’t become stall and boring and fall apart. Right from the beginning, it’s obvious that the problem is him — something another version of himself tells him — but his stubbornness is intriguing, especially when he becomes obsessed with alternate versions of himself that are dying. He thinks there’s something more to it beyond the simple fact that every second, in some alternate reality, he is dying."

You can read the rest HERE!

Sketch Reviews (January 12 2011)

I bought seven comics this week (six that I would be getting anyway and one just for reviewing) and all but one were $2.99... I can't remember the last time that happened. But, that's also the way the week worked out. Only two of the books used to be $3.99 and they were ones that were worth the extra dollar. Doc Savage had the fantastic "Justice, Inc." back-up feature and T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents was closer to 30 pages of comic. And the lone $3.99 comic? 32 pages of comic plus six pages of text. So, if DC hadn't gone to 20 pages for $2.99, it would have been a week of three $3.99 comics that I was more than happy to pay the price for and four $2.99 comics. Though, I did notice something: The Unwritten #21 is 22 pages... But, as I was saying to Tim (my retrailer, not Callahan) at my shop, most of DC's books were $2.99 already and I wasn't buying them already. The change meant little to me. And, as I've said, the two titles that were $3.99 and have been affected by the change suffered a little to me. Well done. Let's run through these quick like usual...

Casanova: Gula #1: I haven't read the text stuff yet -- for this version of the comic or rereading the original text stuff from the original issues. Otherwise, this is just nice to reexperience. The blue doesn't seem as striking here as it originally was, which is a little disappointing. It seems to incorporate the green of "Luxuria" a little, too. A line that I missed previously by Cornelius Quinn made me laugh quite a bit this time. And Moon's art... he's my favourite Twin. The way he draws Ruby Seychelle looking down at Kato... goddamn, man. [****1/2]

Halcyon #3: This series is growing on me more and more. As it eases into the idea of a world without aggression and the investigation into how that could happen, it's drawing me in. The best issue of the series so far and I do love me some Ryan Bodenheim art. [***3/4]

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #3: Hey, it's Howard Chaykin! FUCK YEAH! Not sure if the Dr. Manhattan parallels are purposeful or if my mind is just connecting two emotionally distant blue superguys, but... not sure how I feel about that. I did enjoy this issue quite a bit. The main plot progresses slowly, but is very engaging here nonetheless. Definitely one of my new favourite comics. [****1/4]

The Unwritten #21: In this comic book Age of Awesome, Mike Carey wins the literary geek subaward by having Frankenstein appear in Moby-Dick. Everyone tremble in fear. [***1/2]

Later

CBR Review: T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #2

I recently reviewed T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #2 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "After an impressive debut issue, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #2 begins to introduce us to the new team of superpowered agents, beginning with the new Lightning, a disgraced Kenyan runner. Joining Nick Spencer and CAFU is ChrisCross for the scenes showing us the new Lightning’s past and what led him to accepting an offer where he’ll get superpowers, put his life in danger, and still wind up dead inside of a year no matter what. At the same time, we learn more about the people behind the scenes, Colleen and Toby, as they rebuild the team and prepare an assault on Spider."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1

I recently reviewed T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "The concept of the book isn’t spelled out immediately. Instead of hooking us with that, Spencer and CAFU charge on ahead, delivering action and intrigue. The concept of a superhero team working for the United Nations, handling problems that others heroes wouldn’t, remains, but the duo update it to create a hybrid of superhero and spy action as the group tries to rescue one of their own that’s been taken captive by Spider, a terrorist organization. With two members in the field, the rescue attempt goes sour after the undercover agent they send out turns out to not be what he seems, leaving T.H.U.N.D.E.R. in a bit of a pickle."

You can read the rest HERE!