EXCLUSIVE! Chad Nevett's Comic Book Mini-Reviews and Star Ratings for the Week of April 4, 2012

Since I'm no longer 'sketching' for the actual things, in the long-standing GraphiContent tradition, I've once again retitled my brief thoughts on comics I've gotten. I think this is the most accurate title yet. And sure to be a hit getter... I expected to have this up earlier today, but the Toronto Blue Jays' opening game against the Cleveland Indians went 16 innings and almost five-and-a-half hours. Which was awesome. Fantastic way to start the season. Especially since they won. Well, let's get to this because there are too many fucking comics here...

Action Comics #8: There are two things I rather liked about this comic: 1. Lex Luthor being Clark Kent's secret source. 2. Superman won ultimately by being smarter, not stronger. I guess I also liked how it poked fun at the fact that he went from public enemy #1 to everyone's favourite son in no time flat. I'm still struggling with my personal conception of Superman and Grant Morrison's conception of Superman not meshing entirely. That and the art that manages to only look attractive maybe one of twenty-three panels. [***1/4]

Age of Apocalypse #2: There's a big problem in this comic: I don't remember who any of the humans are. Nor do I care. Moving past this, this is has some nice sick moments of dark cynicism, some surprisingly strong moments of bright optimism, some good art, and, of course, alternate versions of characters we know. [***1/2]

Animal Man #8: "It's my fault that the red is in my sperm!" Just so you know, old lady, when you wish your daughter never married that guy, you're also wishing that your grandchildren had never been born, and you're pretty much ensuring that they'll kind of hate you as they get older. Sorry... that's... uh... a little too personal a reading of this comic, right? Steve Pugh's art doesn't wow me as much as Travel Foreman's spectacular work on this comic, but it's pretty good. [***1/2]

The Boys #65: This issue had the first genuine "Marshal Law moment" of the series for me. People compare the two a lot, but the tone is actually pretty different. But, when the Black Noir stood on the White House lawn, half dead, naked, his guts spilling out, and chunks of him missing... well, that made me think "This is like something I'd see in a Marshal Law comic." I like what Garth Ennis was going for here -- a bit too exposition heavy. From the end of issue 64, I figured we'd learn that the Black Noir was behind it all somehow. I didn't expect this, though. That was pretty fucked up. As was Butcher's revenge. One more big story left and where do you go from here? [***3/4]

Casanova: Avaritia #3: Christ, now I'm going to have to put up with people going "Let's. Get. Fucked." on Twitter or in blog posts for a while now, aren't I? "It's not the band I hate, it's their fans..." Always the case. Always. That said, I'm not sure this holds together completely. It may have crossed that chaos line that this comic always gets right on top of... Maybe. We'll see in June, won't we? [***3/4]

Daredevil #10.1: It's weird to watch an artist try very hard to fit in with the visual tone of a comic like this and it become apparent almost immediately that he doesn't. The art never comes together how it should, always looking unfinished... The story almost felt the same way. It's funny that Daredevil would show up and mock the bad guys, but why not take them out one by one? Why insist that they all come at him as one? There's a certain logic there... but it seems mostly fucked to me. I'm probably not getting it. That happens sometimes. [***]

Fatale #4: Gorgeous art and writing that's so relaxed, so geared towards chapters of a novel pacing that I'm tempted to set each new issue aside until the whole series is out and THEN read it. [***1/2]

Green Arrow #8: I found the seventh issue charming in the way it bounded ahead, carried by a way of banter and energy... This issue didn't have that so much. Instead of being carried away, I had to fight my way through a bit. I guess we'll use issue nine as the tie-breaker then. [*3/4]

Hell Yeah #2: This issue was an improvement over the first issue in both writing and art, but both areas can still be improved upon. I think my biggest issue with the writing is that this comic seems to (and those two words are key) want to be wild and energetic and crazy... almost like Casanova. But it's paced like something Brian Michael Bendis wrote. And I like Bendis's writing quite a bit. But, chaotic and energetic in a way that mimics what it's like to be young and full of mad, crazy ideas... that's not what he does. And this comic seems to try to do that, but doesn't give us enough and feels slight for it. It's almost like what happened in this issue and the first needed to be the first issue to really get the tone and feeling right. If what they're aiming for is what I think they are. As always, I'm probably wrong. I do like this, just not as much as I'd like to. Or they'd like me to. [***1/4]

OMAC #8: A mirror of sort of the first issue... appropriate and leaves the door open to the future. About as good as we were going to get... I'll miss this book. [***1/2]

Wolverine and the X-Men #8: I'm not entirely sure the time jumping worked, but another fun issue with some heart. And I do like some Chris Bachalo art... [***3/4]

Wolverine and the X-Men: Alpha & Omega #4: I don't like Quentin Quire as much when he grows as a character. There. I said it. [***1/4]

Later

Sketch Reviews (February 2 2012)

Fun weeks for comics, no? I expand upon my Before Watchmen thoughts a bit in an upcoming podcast with Kevin Hellions that I recorded this morning, so I won't talk much about it. I will say that I'm going to buy the books -- and I will be doing a weekly discussion thing on the comics with Brian Cronin over at Comics Should be Good. So, depending on how much you like Brian and I, this isn't all bad, right? As for my announcement on Sunday, I don't have much to add. I don't think it's too difficult to figure out my reasons.

Action Comics #6: An odd detour. This feels like a recycled idea Morrison had for All-Star Superman if he'd done more of that after the first 12 issues. Not necessarily a bad thing and I can appreciate the idea of not advancing the 'main' story without the regular artist. Yet, this story doesn't feel like it was worth telling either. Some nice moments, sure. The point, though? [**1/2]

Animal Man #6: When comics do issues like this, people usually lose their mind with praise. Sometimes I get it, sometimes I don't. This issue, besides giving me some John Paul Leon art, seems rather pointless. "Hey, look, Buddy Baker starred in a really bad movie once!" That's about it. I can see the thematic relationship to what's going on in the main story, I just don't think that it adds anything. Like Action Comics, this seemed like the book was put on hold simply because the regular artist couldn't do the issue (or the entire issue). [**]

Avengers: X-Sanction #3: I really liked this issue. It's dumb fun. Cable killing the Avengers for no reason other than a future that may never happen. When the X-Men show up to stop him, I damn near went into a laughing fit over how ridiculous they all are. Cable as an old crazy man muttering to himself and trying to convince people of his twisted logic... I could read that every month. [***3/4]

The Boys #63: Jesus, Hughie... [****]

Fatale #2: I think I need to reread the first issue... [NR]

OMAC #6: It's not fair, but I read Kirby's OMAC series this week after getting the hardcover for my birthday and this series seems a lot less interesting by comparison. Especially with Scott Kolins providing art this issue. I did like Leilani dropping her act almost immediately. [***]

Uncanny X-Men #6: I get it, they're kind of like Xavier and Magneto! Actually, some solid, entertaining stuff. [***1/2]

I also got the Xombi trade. I've only read the first two issues, though. I'm liking it.

Later

Sketch Reviews (January 4 2012)

Every new year is the same as the old one at first. Except I reset the lists where I keep track of things for the year like what books I've read, what CDs and DVDs I've bought, and... well, that's it. That's what matters, right?

Action Comics #5: Well done, Grant Morrison. You turned Brainiac into a more boring version of Plex. And Superman into a more boring version of Noh-Varr. Hey, I wanted more Marvel Boy, didn't I? It's a shame it's been repurposed as a Superman comic. Now, if he starts writing swear words into Metropolis... [**3/4]

Animal Man #5: Steve Pugh returns for no reason other than he drew Animal Man once upon a time and... uh... nonetheless, I do enjoy the art on this book. Unlike anything else in superhero comics right now -- and Lemire is hitting the right beats and tone. [***3/4]

The Defenders #2: I miss The Intimates. The bottom of those comic pages had ambition, son. An interesting issue, not quite cohesive or entertaining enough yet. Not crazy enough. [***1/2]

Fatale #1: I love the way Phillips draws Jo's face. It's different from his usual women. Not a knock you on your ass first issue, but intriguing. I'll stick with Brubaker and Phillips forever most likely. [***2/3]

OMAC #5: I don't know which I liked more: Frankenstein kicking the shit out of OMAC or Father Time trash-talking Maxwell Lord. [****]

Stormwatch #5: Goddamn, that last page has me getting off this particular train. I gave it five issues and it was almost there a couple of times... but, fuck it, I don't care. I'll just reread the Ellis stuff. [dropped]

Uncanny X-Men #4: The ending was a bit obvious from the getgo with the middle not inherently compelling enough to keep my interest. The tie-in to Sinister had me hoping that this would be something more than a one-off where we're supposed to care that Hugh dies at the end. [*3/4]

Wolverine and the X-Men: Alpha & Omega #1: I like Brian Wood's Quentin Quire. Not sure if it's my Quentine Quire, but he's entertaining -- more so than the one we've seen Jason Aaron write so far. Then again, hitting the right tone for that character is tough. Not many people could do it. I think Fraction could if he tried. Joe Casey could without trying. Wood is making a go of it. Not sold on the premise entirely yet and a little disappointed with how restrained the Boschi/Brown art is. Between this and Huat's work on Annihilators, I'm wondering where my Ghost Rider boys are at these days... [***]

Later

Sketch Reviews (December 8 2011)

Looks like I could finish Trailer Park Boys tomorrow. Just have the last three episodes of season seven, the final TV special, and the second movie to go. Pushing on, boys. Pushing on. So, the comics I bought and am not reviewing for CBR:

Animal Man #4: Travel Foreman's refinement continues and is damn impressive. Jeff Lemire's writing is at its best in this issue when he's setting up mood... the plot stuff just seems to get in the way. [***3/4]

The Boys #61: Goddamn, Hughie is getting annoying. The comic recognises this, but still. The Mother's Milk stuff seems a little distracting at this point in the book's run. Everything else seems pointed towards the finish line except for that. Russ Braun... I almost dread Darick Robertson's eventual return (probably for the final arc) because his work has been great. They really lucked out with him coming aboard. [***1/2]

Deadpool MAX-Mas #1: Finally, David Lapham draws some Deadpool and Bob! A strange sort of mash-up of A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life where Bob is given every reason not to live. The perfect Christmas present. If this doesn't fill you with holiday job, only Cable can... [****]

The Defenders #1: An enjoyable first issue. A bit busy and superficial in places, but definitely one of the more promising things I've seen from Fraction at Marvel since Iron Fist. Consider me aboard for the first few issues at least. [***1/2]

Men of War #4: Real world power is powerless in fictional world... also, when Ivan Brandon leaves, I do, too. [***]

OMAC #4: My favourite issue so far. They managed to touch on Kevin's personal life and still provide some great action. At this rate, Max Lord will run out of people to send after OMAC... [****]

Stormwatch #4: Another book I'll probably drop when Paul Cornell departs (though, unlike Men of War, I'll possibly pick up issue seven to see if there's a big change). Probably the most cohesive issue so far with a stronger focus than the first three. Stormwatch itself is still so scattershot as a group that I don't have a handle on them. The end of the issue is promising... [***]

Later

CBR Review: O.M.A.C. #3

I recently reviewed O.M.A.C. #3 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Once you get the tone of O.M.A.C., it’s easy to appreciate its directness and simplicity. Part homage to Jack Kirby, part big dumb action comic, and part weird superhero sci-fi comic, O.M.A.C. is mostly a Get In, Have People Hit One Another, Get Out sort of comic. Within that framework, Keith Giffen and Dan DiDio put the focus on entertainment and delivering an experience that can be enjoyed in 20-page chunks. The world of the comic is growing one giant slugfest at a time."

You can read the rest HERE!

Sketch Reviews (October 5 2011)

My work schedule is normally Saturdays and Sundays 8am-8pm along with Wednesdays and Fridays 10am-6pm. This week, they needed me on Monday and Tuesday, so I'm off until Saturday for a nice change of pace... and three straight days of no work. It also meant getting comics on Wednesday. I've done that occasionally after work when my hours were moved up to 8am-4pm, but I haven't gotten then when the store opened in quite some time. Rather nice. So, let's get some sketch reviews out of the way as I have CBR reviews to write...

Animal Man #2: Travel Foreman's art seemed more consistent this time out and I rather like the way Jeff Lemire writes Maxine. She's a creepy little kid. Hell, this comic is creepy as hell. Really digging it. [****]

The Boys #59: Christ... those final pages... Hughie's angry tirade was pretty awesome, too. Nice to see him standing up for himself. But those final pages... not just the writing either. Russ Braun absolutely destroys those pages with the dead, calm look. Wow. [****]

Men of War #2: Not as engaging at the first issue. I really liked the opening of the issue, but the rest never quite got 'there.' I didn't bother with the back-up story this time. [**3/4]

Moon Knight #6: Last issue left me a little uneasy over Echo wailing on Moon Knight how she did and this issue helped that a bit. The Avengers showing up allowed for some pretty good visual gags surrounding Cap, Spider-Man, and Wolverine. I didn't recognise the 'Kingpin.' Should I have? [***3/4]

OMAC #2: I liked this more than the first issue. Maybe my expectations had shifted enough. I went expecting some big dumb action and, when I got it, ate it up. I wasn't sure about adding this to my pull list, but I think I will. Especially considering I got the last rack copy today... shortly after twelve when my store opens at twelve. [***1/2]

Severed #3: The tension was built masterfully with the bear trap scene. Wow. It's not too often I get a little nervous while reading a comic -- but I did here. Wonderful. [****]

Stormwatch #2: This issue was a step up from the first one. Mostly, it was helped by just getting on with everything and not worrying about explanations as much. Or, trying to write faux-Ellis dialogue. I really hate that new Midnighter costume, though. Harry is turning out to be an interesting character. I like the level of backstabbing and bastardness in the team... without it seeming like they hate one another. They just have their own agendas. Glad I came back for this issue after being disappointed with the debut. [***1/2]

Swamp Thing #2: Good villain... waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much fucking exposition. I like the idea of trying to keep everything, even the contradictions, from Swamp Thing's past... but it does make this issue a bit of a chore to read in parts. Second issue and where other books are getting on with it, this one is giving a long history lesson. Paquette handled the horror aspect a bit better this time, I thought -- if only for that panel of the baby/little kid. [***]

I also picked up the trade of the first volume of American Vampire. Only read the first issue and liked it.

Later

Sketch Reviews (September 8 2011)

Big week. One of the biggest in recent memory with all of the various #1s coming out. It helps that, for the first proper week of DC's relaunch, half of the comics I'm buying from said relaunch came out. Gives it that bigger feel than it might have had if things skewed towards the third or fourth week of the month. Random chance, I suppose. Let's get to it...

Action Comics #1: An entertaining comic. Pretty basic, actually (and, by that, I mean simple/straight forward). Still not the biggest Rags Morales fan, but some pages were really nice (others not so much). Definitely an interpretation of Superman that suits me just fine. I'm glad this is one of the first week books and second Brian Hibbs in thinking this would have been the right book to kick off the relaunch. [****]

Animal Man #1: The art is a bit hit or miss at times; the writing is spot-on. Normally, I don't really like dream sequences. Something about them seems cheap and lazy. I liked this one; it added to the horror of the book. That Lemire shifts so effortlessly between domestic bickering, slightly comedic superhero bullshit, gravely serious, loving, and horror is pretty amazing. This issue cycles through a lot of different tones without any ever feeling 'wrong' or inconsistent. This was a comic I decided to pick up more as a hunch, a guess that it would suit my tastes, and, so far, it does. [****]

Casanova: Avaritia #1: It has returned. Is it everything I hoped for? No. Is it a disappointment? No. It falls somewhere between all of that. It's been a long time since the end of the second volume (the exact time is in the issue) and it's hard to see this book completely clearly. It feels like Casanova and looks like Casanova... but, it's not the Casanova I remember. Then again, I'm not the guy who read it originally. Hard to account for how both of us changed since then. I liked a lot of it. But: the montage of alternate realities is a better idea than it plays out; that bit at the end with 'Ott' was a little too corny; and... actually, that's it. Yeah. Yeah, I liked it. [***1/2]

New Avengers annual #1: Okay, that ending is bullshit. The follow-up hasn't even been solicited, so why release this now? So it can sit in people's boxes until the second half of the story eventually comes out whenever? This was nothing pressing about this comic that it couldn't have waited for the Avengers annual to be ready. Beyond that, it left me a little cold. I just didn't believe it. Wonder Man gets together a group of losers and rejects and they take down Luke Cage's band of Avengers? Maybe if they seemed helped more by the surprise element... It was a fair fight and, somehow, those idiots won? I don't buy it. Hell, I don't even buy Wonder Man's rationale completely. Seeing Dell'otto's art coloured by someone else is interesting, though. [**1/2]

O.M.A.C. #1: Tim talking this up made me give it a look. I like Giffen's art, just not enough to get past this script that was so fucking obvious and didn't really have any meat on it. [**]

Swamp Thing #1: Was a little on the fence over this one, too. It's an interesting set up that didn't quite grab me completely. Part of the problem is the obvious horror feel this book is going for and that doesn't really play to Paquette's strengths as an artist. His line work is too clean and smooth to really convey the horror that's happening. There's a disconnect there, at least for me. Otherwise, the art is gorgeous (just not horrific) If anything, this issue felt only partially done. It ends on a good cliffhanger, but left me wanting more. Not in the 'I want to see what happens next month' way, in the 'Is that all?' way. [***]

Wolverine: Debt of Death #1: Goddamn, David Aja puts on a show here with Bettie Breitweiser (who is quickly becoming one of my favourite colourists). David Lapham's writing services the art more than anything and that's pretty much what you want from an Aja-drawn one shot, right? Lots of action, lots of mood, lots of crazy page layouts... it's a great-looking comic. [***3/4]

Later

CBR Review: The Outsiders #39

I recently reviewed The Outisders #39 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "The Outsiders #39 feels like a comic not of its time. I’m not entirely sure if that’s a compliment or not, because some parts of the comic work and others do not. As a basic concept, the idea of two groups of Outsiders fighting one another is a strong, classic concept. It reminds me of old annuals where superhero teams were split in two and forced to fight lest a cosmic foe destroy the Earth. Those were always fun comics and a chance to see how your favorite heroes measure up against one another in a fight. Bringing that idea to this issue of The Outsiders should have made for an entertaining comic, but it’s dismissed so quickly that the prospect of superheroes fighting one another is nothing more than a tease."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Outsiders #26

I recently reviewed Outsiders #26 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Ever since its relaunch just over two years ago, Outsiders has had a hard time finding its place, with numerous creative team changes and a largely muted reaction from the critical community. The only exceptions have been those times when a new team came on board or the status quo changed. Well, it’s that time again, as DC ‘shakes things up’ with executive editor Dan DiDio coming on as writer, popular artist Philip Tan taking over the art, and a shift from a Batman-focused team to a Superman-focused one. Unfortunately, this is not a change for the better as the results range from dull to just plain bad."

You can read the rest HERE!