Hey all, it's time for the first of FIVE Best of the Rest posts in May! Yep, May is one of those months where we're gonna end up with five Wednesdays, so I'll be getting even more comics, which means you guys will be getting even more reviews! So it's a win/win! Or a lose/lose, depending on your prerogative. Anyway, the usual rules apply here. I'll get this party started with a few reviews, and then JT will take over with a few reviews of his own, but in blue text. And if the last few BotR posts are any indication, much longer reviews than I've been busting out... Seriously, JT, when did you become Mr. Wordsmith!? I'm gonna hear it for that remark... Anyway, let's get this party started.
Thanos Rising #2: This issue brings us a 15 (or so) year old Thanos, who is on a quest to discover why he is different from all of his fellow Eternals. To that end, he's been dissecting various creatures, but has yet to find anything. The girl who is still hanging around him(who I STILL say is Death), recommends Thanos ply his trade on something more complex... To that end, Thanos kidnaps and kills two of his classmates, in the name of science. Or at least that's what Thanos tells himself at first. However, he soon realizes that he enjoys the torture and murder, and that when he is killing, he doesn't feel alone. Still, Thanos craves answers about why he's different, so this issue ends with Thanos capturing and preparing to dissect his own mother. Now THIS is more like the Thanos I remember! Sure, the stuff with the girl/Death probably doesn't need to be in here(I don't like the idea that Death had a role in Thanos's obsession with her), but I still could be wrong about her being Death... Who knows, maybe she's actually the woman who ends up bearing Nebula... Regardless, this mini-series is still hitting almost all the right notes for me. Score: 8 out of 10.
X-Factor #255: Mephisto ends up defeating the other Hell Lords and puts an end to the Hell on Earth war. He makes himself a palace and has apparently become the ruler of not only Hell, but the entire world. Tier decides that instead of hanging back he'd go and face Mephisto. Mephisto is aware of this and relishes Tier's challenge. Plus, Monet apparently dies while fighting Guido and Madrox is still a demon. I enjoyed this issue way more than the past few Hell war issues. Maybe that's because this storyline is coming to a close... I don't know. Anyway, this storyline is actually what the Age of Ultron SHOULD be. A self contained story in one of the Avengers titles... Just sayin'. Score: 8 out of 10.
Iron Man #9: Iron Man hires Death's Head to help him track down 451. However, it turns out 451 hired Death's Head first, and Death's Head leads Iron Man into 451's clutches. This one ends with 451 revealing he had been working with Tony's old man... Wha?! Um, yeah, this one was weird... I'm not even going to say anything about that ending yet... I'll give Kieron Gillen another issue before I flip out about Tony's father working with an alien who hadn't even been around until 3 issues ago... THIS is the story they wanted to coincide with Iron Man 3!? Score: 6 1/2 out of 10.
Indestructible Hulk #7: After some brawling between the Frost Giants and Thor and Hulk, one of the Frost Giants transforms into one of Bruce Banner's assistants and infiltrates the group... Didn't know Frost Giants could do that... The Frost Giants want access to Banner's portal technology, thus the ruse. However, SHIELD shut the portal down, which has left Banner and company stranded. Oh, and it turns out that Hulk actually didn't lift Thor's hammer last issue, it was only moving because Thor was calling it back to him... Which is what I was hoping to see here. Besides that, not much to say here. I'm not really feeling this storyline... It's not horrible or anything, it's just not my cup of tea. Score: 6 out of 10.
Ultimate X-Men #26: The all-female power struggle continues!!! Kitty and Mach 2 join forces since the US government wanted to take Utopia's land back. Jean decides to help them since she didn't want Utopia toppled by the government, because Jean wanted to absorb the Utopia mutants into Tian. And we find out that Psylocke has been manipulating both sides to her own ends. I don't know what the hell Brian Wood is going for here... He's already writing one X-Women book, why is he turning this series into another!? And how is Psylocke able to spy on, and mask her actions from Jean, who is, presumably, more powerful that Psylocke?! Seriously, if it wasn't for Jimmy Hudson, I would be SO done with this series... Score: 6 out of 10.
Invincible Universe #2: Stedman's forces manage to hold off the dragon long enough for Robot to fix up Liu. Liu manages to reabsorb the dragon and teleports away, not even thanking an irked Stedman. On top of that, Stedman's assistant dies during the dragon attack, which leads to us seeing a softer side of Cecil. So I liked this comic... Sue me. What can I say, I was always a mark for Cecil, so yeah, this comic hits just the right notes for me. Plus I've been a fan of Todd Nauck's work since Young Justice, so that helps. Anyway, if you're a fan of little known, obscure characters, like I am, then this is a series you should definitely check out. Score: 7 out of 10.
Detective Comics #20: In this issue we see Batman finally pursue Ignatius "Emperor Penguin" Oglivy after robbing a bank. Batman arrives at the former home of the Oswald Cobblepot and is met by the Emperor Penguin who is now a monster of a man. Having tampered with and used Man-Bat serum for speed, a serum from Poison Ivy to give him tough, bark-like skin, and venom to make him extremely strong. Emperor Penguin surprisingly beats the hell out of Batman and then ties a chain around his neck and hangs him from a tree. Batman is then saved by Cobblepot of all people, who wants his life back and is willing to help Batman to beat Oglivy. Batman takes the fight to Emperor Penguin a second time, this time fighting him as a monster instead of a man, and manages to take him down with acid and a high-powered taser. Afterwards, we see Cobblepot give Bruce Wayne back the building he'd stole from under him, renaming it after Martha Wayne, then telling Bruce he can have the spotlight, he just wants the shadows. In the epilogue we see Emperor Penguin take out the main boss in Blackgate Prison and deems himself "Emperor Blackgate". I liked this issue, Emperor Blackgate's backstory made sense, he's been built as a threat and I can easily see him taking the role Black Mask once had. This has been a pretty awesome first arc by Layman and I'm interested in what he has planned next. Score: 8/10
Earth 2 #12: In the most recent issue of Earth 2 we see the newly christened Doctor Fate finally engage in battle with Wotan. Across the world in China, Hawkgirl and Green Lantern investigate the death of GL's dead boyfriend and stumble upon a shipping container full of a bunch of dead Parademons. GL's ring notifies him that he's needed elsewhere and he heads off to join Flash in Boston while Hawkgirl continues the investigation. While the two mystical beings face off, Flash and Green Lantern run interference and keep the peace while protecting civilians and taking down the government officials that attack the heroes. Fate eventually takes down Wotan and banishes him to another dimension. Afterwards, Fate, Flash, Flash's Mom and Green Lantern, who reveals his identity of Alan Scott to his allies, offers them a place to stay, since the government knows who Jay and his mother are and are after them. Before they can take him up on his offer, Fate informs them that the evil Steppenwolf has taken control of a dangerous country named Dherain. This was a fine issue, nothing great but far from bad. My only problem was how Wotan was built as a threat in the last few issues and talked about how much better he'd become to best Doctor Fate, then he's easily dispatched in Fate's first battle as the new Doctor Fate. It hurt the credibility they'd used the past issues to establish. Score: 6.5/10
And that's it for Mr. Wordsmith! I planned on reviewing Green Arrow but due to an extremely busy weekend that leads into an extremely busy week, I didn't have the time. But it was my last issue, so sadly I don't plan on reviewing anymore issues. Now let me end this post before I give X more ammo to call me names for giving you guys detailed reviews. Speaking of which, be sure to check X's Throwback Tuesday post tomorrow for a good laugh. Til next time, this is JT, signing off!
Monday, May 6, 2013
Sunday, May 5, 2013
All New X-Men #11
Hey comic fans, JT here with my second single review of the week, All New X-Men. Cyclops' team crashed the Jean Grey School's campus and offered an open invitation to anyone who wants to jump ship, and someone has. We already know who... as of last week, but if you don't read Uncanny X-Men, I guess you're about to find out.
Summary: We kick things off with everyone getting upset that O5 Angel, Warren, has decided to join team Cyclops. Everyone tries to talk him out of it but he says Cyclops and his team are the only people making sense here. Jean, because she's been acting like a bitch since she discovered her new powers, tries to mind control Warren into going back into the school. She's quickly shut down by the Stepford sister, per Emma's orders, and taught a lesson about entering people's minds until Present Cyclops has her stand down, so Emma has the Stepford sister's stop. Warren takes his place next to Cyclops and his team and they all leave, leaving Wolverine and his students confused. We also see Mystique put a plan into action by posing as Pepper Potts and infiltrating his financial portfolio, then convincing someone working there that the X-Men are attacking the facility. Back at the Jean Grey School, Jean is comforted by Kitty Pryde, but told she needs to keep her emotions and powers in check, and that if she uses them to infiltrate someone's mind again, she will find a way to send her and the O5 back. Jean promises to use her powers for good and Kitty accepts her apology. From there, they decide to pursue Mystique, when suddenly Wolverine, Kitty, and the O5 (Minus Warren) are stopped in their tracks as the Quinjet is taken down. The issue ends with the team being told to surrender by none other than Captain America, Havok, Thor, Scarlet Witch, and Rogue, The Uncanny Avengers!
Thoughts: I don't understand why this issue came out after we already knew who was going to join Cyclops' team. It just seemed odd that It was built to be such a shocker when we've known for like two issues if you read Uncanny X-Men. I'm sure everyone doesn't... but yeah. That aside, I enjoyed this issue. I loved seeing Emma have the Cuckoos take Jean down a peg, it was a great moment for Emma and Jean needed it the way she was using her powers to make Warren do whatever she said. I also enjoyed Mystique's exploits, I don't know what her plan is, or if she just wanted Tony's money, but I'm enjoying her taking the main baddie role of this series. The ending with the Uncanny Avengers showing up was a surprise, but now it feels like the whole logic is put Team A in Book B, and repeat. I mean, we've seen the Avengers in Uncanny X-Men, The Avengers in All New X-Men, the Uncanny X-Men in All New X-Men, the Uncanny Avengers in All New X-Men, The Uncanny X-Men in Cable and the X-Men...it's getting old fast. That aside, I'm interested to see what Captain America and his team will say during the first five pages before they leave the next issue with no fight.
Score: 7.5/10
All New X-Men #11
Thoughts: I don't understand why this issue came out after we already knew who was going to join Cyclops' team. It just seemed odd that It was built to be such a shocker when we've known for like two issues if you read Uncanny X-Men. I'm sure everyone doesn't... but yeah. That aside, I enjoyed this issue. I loved seeing Emma have the Cuckoos take Jean down a peg, it was a great moment for Emma and Jean needed it the way she was using her powers to make Warren do whatever she said. I also enjoyed Mystique's exploits, I don't know what her plan is, or if she just wanted Tony's money, but I'm enjoying her taking the main baddie role of this series. The ending with the Uncanny Avengers showing up was a surprise, but now it feels like the whole logic is put Team A in Book B, and repeat. I mean, we've seen the Avengers in Uncanny X-Men, The Avengers in All New X-Men, the Uncanny X-Men in All New X-Men, the Uncanny Avengers in All New X-Men, The Uncanny X-Men in Cable and the X-Men...it's getting old fast. That aside, I'm interested to see what Captain America and his team will say during the first five pages before they leave the next issue with no fight.
Score: 7.5/10
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Hawkeye #10
Sweet, it's time for a Hawkeye comic! This series has been as good as any series I've been reading, and I look for that to continue here. Let's get to it!
Hawkeye #10:
Summary: This issue pretty much gives us the origin of the guy who killed Grills. Some guy named Kazi. Basically he came from a country where he had lost his family and loved ones to war. Upon arriving in America he starts killing for money, and discovers he's good at it. Not only is he good at it, but he enjoys it. He ends up bumping into Kate at a fancy snob shindig, and hits it off with her. Kate checks in on Hawkeye, and sees that he's still in his moody phase, so she takes off. While that's going on, Kazi is killing Grills on the roof... So yep, this issue was a flashback issue, and Kate smooched with Grills killer a few hours before Grills was murdered.
Thoughts: Um, this was... Odd... This issue really didn't do anything for me. Kazi isn't interesting ti me in the least, which made this issue kind of a waste of time. I mean this issue ended the exact same way, in the exact moment in time as the last issue! Bah. But hey, one subpar issue doesn't ruin this series for me. I'm sure things will get back on track next issue.
Score: 5 1/2 out of 10.
Hawkeye #10:
Summary: This issue pretty much gives us the origin of the guy who killed Grills. Some guy named Kazi. Basically he came from a country where he had lost his family and loved ones to war. Upon arriving in America he starts killing for money, and discovers he's good at it. Not only is he good at it, but he enjoys it. He ends up bumping into Kate at a fancy snob shindig, and hits it off with her. Kate checks in on Hawkeye, and sees that he's still in his moody phase, so she takes off. While that's going on, Kazi is killing Grills on the roof... So yep, this issue was a flashback issue, and Kate smooched with Grills killer a few hours before Grills was murdered.
Thoughts: Um, this was... Odd... This issue really didn't do anything for me. Kazi isn't interesting ti me in the least, which made this issue kind of a waste of time. I mean this issue ended the exact same way, in the exact moment in time as the last issue! Bah. But hey, one subpar issue doesn't ruin this series for me. I'm sure things will get back on track next issue.
Score: 5 1/2 out of 10.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Superior Spider-Man #9
Happy Iron Man release day! JT here with my first review of the week and it's a big one, Superior Spider-Man #9! With Doc Ock aware that Peter's still in his head somewhere, he sets out to remove the lingering remnants of Peter Parker.
Summary: This issue starts off with Ock getting ready to erase the remaining brain waves of Peter Parker, but first tells his pet robot to erase Peter's remaining memories from the Gold Ockbot that we all remember from ASM #700. He tries to erase Peter's memories remotely but Peter fights back, so Doc decides to go into his mind, where we see Peter and Otto face off. Peter uses his memories of MJ, Uncle Ben, Aunt May, Gwen Stacy, Captain Stacy, Jameson and his other friends and family to fight Otto, but Otto uses what he knows of Peter's villains and insecurities to combat them. He even has a burglar shoot Uncle Ben, which causes Peter to forget his name, and others as those memories are killed. An enrages Peter rips his face away to reveal Spider-Man, and takes Doc down. He cites that a hero would have given Peter his life back, the hero Doc promised he'd be, but his first reaction was to get rid of Peter when he found his consciousness, as well as killing enemies. Otto, down but not out, rips his face away as we see the Superior Spider-Man, and the two Spidey's fight one another. Dock says Peter's no saint, as Doc's been cleaning up his messes. He notes that if Peter had killed Massacre, he wouldn't have hurt the people he did when he got out of prison, if he'd done away with Vulture, he wouldn't have used kids to do his bidding. Lastly, he mentions that Peter's interference almost stopped him from saving a small girl during that surgery and asks Peter why he did it. Peter said he was afraid Doc would mess up, but he tells him he can see his thoughts and to stop lying. Peter says he knew Doc would find him and dispose of him if he got the helmet and he couldn't have that. Doc says Peter is no hero and no one to lecture him, and he defeats Peter, then his world comes crashing down around him as Peter forgets everything, even his name, the suddenly it's just blackness. The issue ends with Doc Ock once again in Peter's body, saying that he's free.
Thoughts: I REALLY enjoyed this issue. I know some people didn't but I loved seeing Peter lose, because for one, it's far from over, and for two, we get what we expected from issue one, Doc Ock is Spider-Man now, simple as that. I'm interested in seeing what happens when he runs into Green Goblin now. Most importantly, this causes two questions, one, with Peter's memories gone, is this Doc's downfall? Does he remember anything of Peter's now that he didn't already know? Because if so, this could lead to him messing up in the near future. Secondly, how does Peter come back? His thoughts aren't in his body any more, and the Ock-Bot was supposedly erased, so how will he come back? Slott obviously has a plan up his sleeve, and unless he's in the robot now, I have no idea what it could be. All in all, I enjoyed this issue and I look forward to seeing what Doc Parker will do now that he has 100% control of his actions.
Score: 9/10
Superior Spider-Man #9
Thoughts: I REALLY enjoyed this issue. I know some people didn't but I loved seeing Peter lose, because for one, it's far from over, and for two, we get what we expected from issue one, Doc Ock is Spider-Man now, simple as that. I'm interested in seeing what happens when he runs into Green Goblin now. Most importantly, this causes two questions, one, with Peter's memories gone, is this Doc's downfall? Does he remember anything of Peter's now that he didn't already know? Because if so, this could lead to him messing up in the near future. Secondly, how does Peter come back? His thoughts aren't in his body any more, and the Ock-Bot was supposedly erased, so how will he come back? Slott obviously has a plan up his sleeve, and unless he's in the robot now, I have no idea what it could be. All in all, I enjoyed this issue and I look forward to seeing what Doc Parker will do now that he has 100% control of his actions.
Score: 9/10
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Age of Ultron #7
And it's time to muddle through another issue of Age of Ultron... Yay... You can feel my enthusiasm, can't you? So yeah, if I know my Bendis(and after reading his work for years now, I should say I do!), this should be an epic train wreck. Let's get this ride over with...
Age of Ultron #7:
Summary: Wolverine and Sue head back to the present and find out it's changed. Naturally. So the world seems to have just had some sort of confrontation with the Skrulls... A Bendis favorite. Wolvie and Sue find this out the hard way when they are attacked by the Defenders, who figure the two are really dumb Skrulls. We get a fight and the Defenders emerge victorious. This issue closes with Tony Stark and an army of Iron Men heading over to see what the ruckus was all about.
Thoughts: Meh. Honestly, I think I'm past done with this whole "event" by now. Seriously, I'm just completely uninterested. I'm not going to bother pointing out all of the faults and stuff that made no sense, I'm not gonna put on a fake smile and act like this was a good comic. It wasn't. It was your typical Bendis event. And if you've read one of those, you've read them all. It was boring, nonsensical and splashy. And this will be it for me. I'm gonna see if I can hand the Age of Ultron reviewing duties to my compadre, JT. Maybe he'll have some fun(negative or positive) with the rest of this story. Me? I just don't care.
Score: 5 out of 10.
Age of Ultron #7:
Summary: Wolverine and Sue head back to the present and find out it's changed. Naturally. So the world seems to have just had some sort of confrontation with the Skrulls... A Bendis favorite. Wolvie and Sue find this out the hard way when they are attacked by the Defenders, who figure the two are really dumb Skrulls. We get a fight and the Defenders emerge victorious. This issue closes with Tony Stark and an army of Iron Men heading over to see what the ruckus was all about.
Thoughts: Meh. Honestly, I think I'm past done with this whole "event" by now. Seriously, I'm just completely uninterested. I'm not going to bother pointing out all of the faults and stuff that made no sense, I'm not gonna put on a fake smile and act like this was a good comic. It wasn't. It was your typical Bendis event. And if you've read one of those, you've read them all. It was boring, nonsensical and splashy. And this will be it for me. I'm gonna see if I can hand the Age of Ultron reviewing duties to my compadre, JT. Maybe he'll have some fun(negative or positive) with the rest of this story. Me? I just don't care.
Score: 5 out of 10.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
New Comic Day! May 1st edition
Oh, hey! X here to start up another New Comic Day post! Huzzah! It's the beginning of May, and before long we'll be in the midst of a hot summer. Speaking of hot(holy segue, Batman!), here's hoping I'll be picking up a few hot books from the comic shop! Let's take a look... Hypernaturals #11, Stormwatch #20, Age of Ultron #7, All-New X-Men #11, Hawkeye #10, Indestructible Hulk #7, Iron Man #9, Superior Spider-Man #9, Thanos Rising #2, Ultimate X-Men #26, X-Factor #255. 11 books for me. That's right where I like to be too. So kudos for me! I'll be reviewing Age of Ultron #7 on Thursday, and Hawkeye #10 on Saturday. Everything else will be dumped in the weekly Best of the Rest post on Monday. As for Tuesday, I'll be putting up a Throwback review. Probably involving arrows... And that's it. Now I'll tag out to that JT guy and give you all a hearty X out.
Hey everyone, Happy May and all that stuff! JT here with my half of the New Comic Day post. This is is usually where I'd stall for a bit, but who needs that? I plan on picking up Detective Comics #20, Earth 2 #12, Green Arrow #20 (may be my last issue), Age of Ultron #7, All New X-Men #11, Hawkeye #10, Indestructible Hulk #7, Iron Man #9, Superior Spider-Man #9, Thanos Rising #2, and Shadowman #0. Of those books you can expect for me to review Superior Spider-Man and All New X-Men on Friday and Sunday respectively. I'll probably review a few of my remaining books in the Best of the Rest post as well. So that's it for me, X and this post, til next time, this is JT, signing off!
Hey everyone, Happy May and all that stuff! JT here with my half of the New Comic Day post. This is is usually where I'd stall for a bit, but who needs that? I plan on picking up Detective Comics #20, Earth 2 #12, Green Arrow #20 (may be my last issue), Age of Ultron #7, All New X-Men #11, Hawkeye #10, Indestructible Hulk #7, Iron Man #9, Superior Spider-Man #9, Thanos Rising #2, and Shadowman #0. Of those books you can expect for me to review Superior Spider-Man and All New X-Men on Friday and Sunday respectively. I'll probably review a few of my remaining books in the Best of the Rest post as well. So that's it for me, X and this post, til next time, this is JT, signing off!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Throwback Tuesday: Featuring Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #7
Hey X-Maniacs, Todd Squad or whatever you guys prefer to be called, JT here with the second edition of Throwback Tuesday! After the warm reception X got with the inaugural post last week, I've been pretty excited to get my shot at this feature. Just like last week when X let me choose his book, I decided to let him choose what I would review, and I immediately regretted that decision when I saw the cover of this issue. So, let's take a trip back to 1955 and see what the Man of Steel and the Boy of annoyance, Superman and Jimmy Olsen, are up to.
Summary: This issue starts with Perry White announcing how the Daily Planet is covering the Marble shooting contest that Superman will judge for some reason. He says they'll market it like Major League Baseball, which is sad considering how little people seem to care about baseball now. Anyway, Perry means serious business, because this is the biggest headline ever, as it takes up the ENTIRE FIRST PAGE of the newspaper, and there's not even room for a picture. Perry then announces one of the competitors got sick and they need a replacement, and instead of having someone earn that spot, they give it to Jimmy, because why the hell not? Jimmy is told by Perry to put on a shirt that says "MIB Masters" and he'll enter him officially, because they apparently gave Perry a shirt to give to whoever he deemed worthy of flicking Marbles. Perry gives Jimmy multiple afternoons off to practice, because if you have employees that are there to learn, just pay them to play marbles. Great business skills Perry, you must still be smoking those whacky cigars. Superman sees Jimmy practicing and helps because Jimmy is outmatched by competing against people who have practiced for weeks. So... because they worked hard to win a contest they care about, Superman is going to help Jimmy who literally JUST FOUND OUT THIS EXISTED! Jimmy wins the first round and he and Superman scout out the competitors because Superman has nothing better to do with his time or powers, and Perry doesn't give a fuck what his employees do when they should be working. They come across the kid that will inevitably face Jimmy in the finals...since it's on the cover of the comic, and his manager, Cyrus Colby, who makes Target brand marbles. Not that Target. Anyway, Jimmy and Target kid, who must have given up his name and image for this, since that's all he's called for this issue and he even wears a shirt that says "Target Kid", meet up to face for the Marble championship. Jimmy's favorite Aggie, which Google says is a glass Marble, is stolen and replaced by the dastardly Colby! Aw hell naw! Before the finals, Superman shows he's a dick and steals their thunder by shooting marbles with super speed and shooting one through a heavy plate of steel. He then flies to space and brings back meteors and plays marbles with those... thanks Superman... I'm sure the finals will be super interesting after watching that. After further showing off, Superman breaks one marble with another, and the marble he got from Colby has a small bead of metal inside it, so instead of calling him a cheater, Superman takes some time to ponder what this could mean! In the finals, it comes down to 56 points for Jimmy Olsen and 56 points for Target Kid. (It actually SAYS that!) Jimmy misses two shots and Superman notices something fishy and uses his X-Ray vision to find a magnet underground which is messing up Jimmy's shots... cause... Colby went through all this trouble to do this. Superman melts the magnet with his heat vision, but not the grass or ground or anything because THAT would make sense, and Jimmy wins. Superman calls Colby out for cheating, then takes him to jail, because apparently rigging Marble games with a magnet is a crime punishable with Jail time in Metropolis. ("What are you in for? Cheating at Marbles?! You're the third guy this week!") Afterwards, Jimmy sees the former Target Kid crying like a chump because he knows he only won those other rounds because Colby cheated, so Superman flies over and picks him up (?!) and informs him that in Colby's confession he said he only needed the magnet in a few key matches, so the kid has skills. But if you had to win them all, aren't they ALL key matches?! The issue ends when Perry White slips on some Marbles and yells at Jimmy, as we find out their actually sour balls that the marble people sent Jimmy as a thanks for some really stupid reason.
Thoughts: Really Superman? You flew to SPACE....to get METEORS... to play marbles. THIS is what you did with your time? Do you know how many people Parasite is killing while you play these games?! This is why Batman resents you. Also... How the hell do you go to jail for rigging a MARBLE contest?! This is a contest Jimmy got into by putting on a shirt, yet if you're clever enough to make marbles with metal in them, slip them onto your opponent, and use a fucking magnet that you can turn on via remote in 1955, you're going directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect your 200 dollars! Also, who is stupid enough to cheat in anything when you know for a fact Superman will be there to judge the event?! Anyway, if we learned anything from this comic, it's this, Don't waste your life practicing for things or having goals or trying to be good, because Jimmy Olsen will come along and beat you with minimal practice, and even if you decide to cheat, he'll STILL beat you, because he has the most powerful being in the planet in his back pocket, then after he beats you and destroys your dreams, he's going to go fuck up Perry White's coffee order, because while he may be a Demi-God when it comes to winning stupid games, he still can't remember four sugars and two creams.
Pages in this story: 8 (All that review from eight pages?!)
# of Times "Marble" appears: 34
# of Times "Aggie" appears: 9
Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #7
Summary: This issue starts with Perry White announcing how the Daily Planet is covering the Marble shooting contest that Superman will judge for some reason. He says they'll market it like Major League Baseball, which is sad considering how little people seem to care about baseball now. Anyway, Perry means serious business, because this is the biggest headline ever, as it takes up the ENTIRE FIRST PAGE of the newspaper, and there's not even room for a picture. Perry then announces one of the competitors got sick and they need a replacement, and instead of having someone earn that spot, they give it to Jimmy, because why the hell not? Jimmy is told by Perry to put on a shirt that says "MIB Masters" and he'll enter him officially, because they apparently gave Perry a shirt to give to whoever he deemed worthy of flicking Marbles. Perry gives Jimmy multiple afternoons off to practice, because if you have employees that are there to learn, just pay them to play marbles. Great business skills Perry, you must still be smoking those whacky cigars. Superman sees Jimmy practicing and helps because Jimmy is outmatched by competing against people who have practiced for weeks. So... because they worked hard to win a contest they care about, Superman is going to help Jimmy who literally JUST FOUND OUT THIS EXISTED! Jimmy wins the first round and he and Superman scout out the competitors because Superman has nothing better to do with his time or powers, and Perry doesn't give a fuck what his employees do when they should be working. They come across the kid that will inevitably face Jimmy in the finals...since it's on the cover of the comic, and his manager, Cyrus Colby, who makes Target brand marbles. Not that Target. Anyway, Jimmy and Target kid, who must have given up his name and image for this, since that's all he's called for this issue and he even wears a shirt that says "Target Kid", meet up to face for the Marble championship. Jimmy's favorite Aggie, which Google says is a glass Marble, is stolen and replaced by the dastardly Colby! Aw hell naw! Before the finals, Superman shows he's a dick and steals their thunder by shooting marbles with super speed and shooting one through a heavy plate of steel. He then flies to space and brings back meteors and plays marbles with those... thanks Superman... I'm sure the finals will be super interesting after watching that. After further showing off, Superman breaks one marble with another, and the marble he got from Colby has a small bead of metal inside it, so instead of calling him a cheater, Superman takes some time to ponder what this could mean! In the finals, it comes down to 56 points for Jimmy Olsen and 56 points for Target Kid. (It actually SAYS that!) Jimmy misses two shots and Superman notices something fishy and uses his X-Ray vision to find a magnet underground which is messing up Jimmy's shots... cause... Colby went through all this trouble to do this. Superman melts the magnet with his heat vision, but not the grass or ground or anything because THAT would make sense, and Jimmy wins. Superman calls Colby out for cheating, then takes him to jail, because apparently rigging Marble games with a magnet is a crime punishable with Jail time in Metropolis. ("What are you in for? Cheating at Marbles?! You're the third guy this week!") Afterwards, Jimmy sees the former Target Kid crying like a chump because he knows he only won those other rounds because Colby cheated, so Superman flies over and picks him up (?!) and informs him that in Colby's confession he said he only needed the magnet in a few key matches, so the kid has skills. But if you had to win them all, aren't they ALL key matches?! The issue ends when Perry White slips on some Marbles and yells at Jimmy, as we find out their actually sour balls that the marble people sent Jimmy as a thanks for some really stupid reason.
Thoughts: Really Superman? You flew to SPACE....to get METEORS... to play marbles. THIS is what you did with your time? Do you know how many people Parasite is killing while you play these games?! This is why Batman resents you. Also... How the hell do you go to jail for rigging a MARBLE contest?! This is a contest Jimmy got into by putting on a shirt, yet if you're clever enough to make marbles with metal in them, slip them onto your opponent, and use a fucking magnet that you can turn on via remote in 1955, you're going directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect your 200 dollars! Also, who is stupid enough to cheat in anything when you know for a fact Superman will be there to judge the event?! Anyway, if we learned anything from this comic, it's this, Don't waste your life practicing for things or having goals or trying to be good, because Jimmy Olsen will come along and beat you with minimal practice, and even if you decide to cheat, he'll STILL beat you, because he has the most powerful being in the planet in his back pocket, then after he beats you and destroys your dreams, he's going to go fuck up Perry White's coffee order, because while he may be a Demi-God when it comes to winning stupid games, he still can't remember four sugars and two creams.
Pages in this story: 8 (All that review from eight pages?!)
# of Times "Marble" appears: 34
# of Times "Aggie" appears: 9
Monday, April 29, 2013
Best of the Rest! April 24th edition.
X here with the final Best of the Rest post of April. Yep, we're almost in May! Which is kind of surprising, because it seems like the winter JUST ended... But yeah, summertime and all that stuff. Anyway, this isn't a weather report, it's a comic post, so I should probably get to that. As always, I'll toss a few thoughts on the various comics I picked up this week, followed by JT the Great, who will post a few reviews as well, only in blue text. Um, other than that, get ready for a new Throwback Tuesday coming up tomorrow, typed up by none other than JT himself. I'm sure he'll have something more to say on that coming up. Okay, enough delaying, here's the first comic.
Teen Titans #19: Wonder Girl leads the Titans against Trigon, who's attacking New York. This surprises Raven, since she was randomly brainwashing Beast Boy(seriously, where the hell did THAT come from?!), and hadn't been told an attack was coming. Raven and Beast Boy join up with Trigon and attack the Titans, while Trigon gives Psimon(who was caught in the crossfire of this fight) enhanced powers. The army shows up to deal with Trigon, and somehow this all leads to Psimon killing the army guys with a mind blast. Trigon then magically disappears, while Raven seems pissed that he committed murder... As for the Titans, they seem to think Trigon did all this to make them look bad in the court of public opinion... First off, a confession... I read this comic right after I read Young Avengers #4, and in plain English, the writing in YA makes this series look like crap. Literal crap! But, even if I hadn't read a series that's everything THIS series SHOULD be, I'd still call this issue garbage. It made NO SENSE!!! Trigon, the ruler of his own dimension, staged a fake attack on Earth to discredit the Titans?! And Raven was angry that this led to murder?! Wasn't she just mind controlling Tim a few issues back?! In a battle between Trigon and the Titans, PSIMON is the guy who's instrumental in the finish?! What the hell is wrong with Scott Lobdell?!?!? Score: 3 out of 10.
Invincible #102: Thragg attacks Nolan, and we learn that Nolan was the rightful ruler of the Viltrumites by blood. However, Nolan tries to tell Thragg that he has no interest in the throne. That falls on deaf ears though, as Thragg is determined to kill Nolan. However, the other Viltrumites randomly appear on the moon and attack Thragg, having heard his admission of guilt. Nolan tells the Viltrumites to let Thragg go, and he takes over as their king. Plus, Mark proposes to Eve. What a weird issue... SO MUCH happened! I was chatting with JT, and he said it best, imagine if you missed this issue?! You'd be SO lost come issue #103! So yeah, Nolan is suddenly king of the Viltrumites(where did THAT come from!?) and Mark is getting married... Okay then. Score: 6 1/2 out of 10.
I, Vampire #19: Last issue! Mary comes back to life empowered by Heaven(I think...) and helps Andrew defeat Cain and Lilith, as well as save the planet. Cain ends up with Lucifer, who intends on tormenting him for the rest of time. Tig is still alive(WHY?!?), and still evil, and leaves with another evil vampire. Mary dies, having fulfilled what she had to do, and redeemed herself. Andrew pledges to go after the evil vampires with his vampire dog. I liked this issue. Everything wrapped up kind of quick, but this was the last issue, and that happens in finales I'll miss this series, and I'll definitely miss Andrew and Mary. Joshua Hale Fialkov did a good job here giving us some interesting characters. Score: 7 out of 10.
Morning Glories #26: So I was going to review this comic, but when I was done, I legit had no idea what I had just read... And I don't mean in a "It sucked so bad I was confused" sort of way, I mean I literally don't know what I just read... This is a series I should probably start reading 6 issues at a time instead of monthly, 'cause it's confusing as hell! Score: NA
FF #6: Dragon Man realizes Bentley and Medusa are gone, so Scott sends She-Hulk and Ahura to inform the Inhumans. Meanwhile, Scott and Darla humble the Yancy Street Gang. This one ends with the Baxter Building being teleported to the Negative Zone. I liked this issue. It makes me feel like I kept the right Fantastic Four series. I like the main characters, I finally like one of the kids(Ahura), and I'm hoping this Yancy Street Gang junk goes way on the back burner now. Score: 7 out of 10.
A+X #7: First story sees Iron Man and Beast have to face an out of control Hulkbuster(that was reprogrammed by a slick Bruce Banner), while story #2 has Iceman and Thor battling Frost Giants. Hey, you know what? This issue? It was actually GOOD!! Like, both stories! That may be the first time that's happened since this series kicked off! I personally liked the Beast/Iron Man tale more, but both were solid, so hey, a win for this series! Huzzah! Score: 7 1/2 out of 10.
Injustice: Gods Among Us #4: This issue starts with Superman confronting Batman about not helping find his parents in the last issue, with Superman ripping the cowl off of Batman's face in a moment of rage. Their conversation ends when Aquaman starts attacking some hunters that are hunting whales. Green Lantern, Shazam and Wondy show up, but so do the Atlanteans, and they make the major mistake of attacking Wonder Woman. They engage in a fight which leads to Aquaman calling the Kraken to deal with his allies, but Superman shows up and makes Arthur call it off, while holding him by the neck. Aquaman calls it back but makes a power play bu having his forces stand at every beach around the world, to show Superman who runs the sea. Superman retaliates by having Hal encase Atlantis in an orb which Superman, Shazam and Wonder Woman lift and move to the Sahara desert. Well damn. Aquaman meets with Wonder Woman and agrees to pull his forces back if they return Atlantis, and asks her to tell Superman he's sorry about what happened with Lois. The issue ends with Wonder Woman telling Superman of Aquaman's deal, but not mentioning his condolences for Lois, further driving a wedge between the two men. I enjoyed this issue, it really goes a long way in showing how unreasonable Superman has become, how powerful Aquaman is, and how far this Wonder Woman will go to get what or should I say who she wants. Score: 8/10
Scarlet Spider #16: This issue opens with Madame Web, Julia Carpenter's letter to Kaine from a few issues back that he never received. It basically says he should leave and go to Mexico like he planned because "she" is going to kill everyone, whoever that is...maybe Aracely? The rest of this issue takes place at the Rodeo with Kaine and his wacky cast, with Kaine mistakenly hurting Annabelle's feelings by saying they can't be together. This is interrupted by a drunk hero-turned-villain named The Armadillo (Think Rhino...but as an Armadillo..) who shows up, breaks down the walls (Jericho style!) and cries about how his girlfriend, Daisy, left him. Scarlet Spider tries to stop his reign of terror by telling him he needs to let her go, because sadly the monster's never get to be with the girl, but she surprisingly runs up and takes him back, saying she didn't think he loved her anymore because he was distant. This inspires Kaine to try to be with Annabelle, which he does after knocking out her meathead ex-boyfriend and plants kiss on Annabelle, but unbeknownst to Kaine, Kraven and his daughter are watching from afar. The issue ends with a flashback to two days ago, as we see Annabelle burning the letter for Kaine from Julia. I really enjoyed this issue, they're still doing the monster card but this was better and we got some growth for Kaine, but we see Kraven is still in the game, and Aracely's powers are being used more. And I didn't see the ending coming at all, maybe Annabells is bad news. Man, these are supposed to be short reviews!!! Score: 8/10
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #22: In this issue, Miles tries to convince Maria Hill that he's not Spider-Man, but once word comes in Venom is attacking the hospital where his dad is, she tells him he'll get there first, and to save people but wait until the Ultimates are there to face Venom. He takes off, scaling a building in front of her and pursues Venom while his mom watches on. Venom manages to absorb Spidey but Miles' mom, Rio, starts shooting Venom with a gun she picked up off of a unconscious officer, telling Venom to give back her son. Venom grabs Rio but that upsets Miles enough for him to power out, sending the symbiote flying everywhere, leaving the man in the suit vulnerable as he's gunned down by police. Surprisingly, Venom is not Eddie Brock, but a black man named Marcus Conrad. Miles checks on his mom but finds that she's been shot very close to her heart, she's clearly proud of Miles but with her dying words tells him not to let his father know, as she dies in his arms. The next day Miles wakes up at Ganke's house as reality sets in that his mother is gone. He cries and rips up his suit, yelling "No More!" as the issue comes to a close. I really enjoyed this issue, with Hill knowing Miles' secret, seeing how proud Rio was of her son, you could see her face, excellent job by Sara Pichelli. The only problem I had was the fact that the villain was basically a no one but held a grudge against Spider-Man and his family, that seemed...odd but I'm sure they'll explain why he hated them so much. We've seen Peter throw the costume away a few times, but this seemed different, although we know Miles will stay Spidey. Score: 9/10
Man.... I really gotta make these reviews more brief! Ah, what can I say, I like to paint a picture with my words. Anyway, that's it for this week's best of the rest post. I'll be back tomorrow with a comic picked by mi hermano, X, for Throwback Tuesday, and If you thought Perry White's Magic Cigars were crazy...wait until you see what the Man of Tomorrow was doing like sixty years ago. Anyway, til then, this is JT, signing off!
Teen Titans #19: Wonder Girl leads the Titans against Trigon, who's attacking New York. This surprises Raven, since she was randomly brainwashing Beast Boy(seriously, where the hell did THAT come from?!), and hadn't been told an attack was coming. Raven and Beast Boy join up with Trigon and attack the Titans, while Trigon gives Psimon(who was caught in the crossfire of this fight) enhanced powers. The army shows up to deal with Trigon, and somehow this all leads to Psimon killing the army guys with a mind blast. Trigon then magically disappears, while Raven seems pissed that he committed murder... As for the Titans, they seem to think Trigon did all this to make them look bad in the court of public opinion... First off, a confession... I read this comic right after I read Young Avengers #4, and in plain English, the writing in YA makes this series look like crap. Literal crap! But, even if I hadn't read a series that's everything THIS series SHOULD be, I'd still call this issue garbage. It made NO SENSE!!! Trigon, the ruler of his own dimension, staged a fake attack on Earth to discredit the Titans?! And Raven was angry that this led to murder?! Wasn't she just mind controlling Tim a few issues back?! In a battle between Trigon and the Titans, PSIMON is the guy who's instrumental in the finish?! What the hell is wrong with Scott Lobdell?!?!? Score: 3 out of 10.
Invincible #102: Thragg attacks Nolan, and we learn that Nolan was the rightful ruler of the Viltrumites by blood. However, Nolan tries to tell Thragg that he has no interest in the throne. That falls on deaf ears though, as Thragg is determined to kill Nolan. However, the other Viltrumites randomly appear on the moon and attack Thragg, having heard his admission of guilt. Nolan tells the Viltrumites to let Thragg go, and he takes over as their king. Plus, Mark proposes to Eve. What a weird issue... SO MUCH happened! I was chatting with JT, and he said it best, imagine if you missed this issue?! You'd be SO lost come issue #103! So yeah, Nolan is suddenly king of the Viltrumites(where did THAT come from!?) and Mark is getting married... Okay then. Score: 6 1/2 out of 10.
I, Vampire #19: Last issue! Mary comes back to life empowered by Heaven(I think...) and helps Andrew defeat Cain and Lilith, as well as save the planet. Cain ends up with Lucifer, who intends on tormenting him for the rest of time. Tig is still alive(WHY?!?), and still evil, and leaves with another evil vampire. Mary dies, having fulfilled what she had to do, and redeemed herself. Andrew pledges to go after the evil vampires with his vampire dog. I liked this issue. Everything wrapped up kind of quick, but this was the last issue, and that happens in finales I'll miss this series, and I'll definitely miss Andrew and Mary. Joshua Hale Fialkov did a good job here giving us some interesting characters. Score: 7 out of 10.
Morning Glories #26: So I was going to review this comic, but when I was done, I legit had no idea what I had just read... And I don't mean in a "It sucked so bad I was confused" sort of way, I mean I literally don't know what I just read... This is a series I should probably start reading 6 issues at a time instead of monthly, 'cause it's confusing as hell! Score: NA
FF #6: Dragon Man realizes Bentley and Medusa are gone, so Scott sends She-Hulk and Ahura to inform the Inhumans. Meanwhile, Scott and Darla humble the Yancy Street Gang. This one ends with the Baxter Building being teleported to the Negative Zone. I liked this issue. It makes me feel like I kept the right Fantastic Four series. I like the main characters, I finally like one of the kids(Ahura), and I'm hoping this Yancy Street Gang junk goes way on the back burner now. Score: 7 out of 10.
A+X #7: First story sees Iron Man and Beast have to face an out of control Hulkbuster(that was reprogrammed by a slick Bruce Banner), while story #2 has Iceman and Thor battling Frost Giants. Hey, you know what? This issue? It was actually GOOD!! Like, both stories! That may be the first time that's happened since this series kicked off! I personally liked the Beast/Iron Man tale more, but both were solid, so hey, a win for this series! Huzzah! Score: 7 1/2 out of 10.
Injustice: Gods Among Us #4: This issue starts with Superman confronting Batman about not helping find his parents in the last issue, with Superman ripping the cowl off of Batman's face in a moment of rage. Their conversation ends when Aquaman starts attacking some hunters that are hunting whales. Green Lantern, Shazam and Wondy show up, but so do the Atlanteans, and they make the major mistake of attacking Wonder Woman. They engage in a fight which leads to Aquaman calling the Kraken to deal with his allies, but Superman shows up and makes Arthur call it off, while holding him by the neck. Aquaman calls it back but makes a power play bu having his forces stand at every beach around the world, to show Superman who runs the sea. Superman retaliates by having Hal encase Atlantis in an orb which Superman, Shazam and Wonder Woman lift and move to the Sahara desert. Well damn. Aquaman meets with Wonder Woman and agrees to pull his forces back if they return Atlantis, and asks her to tell Superman he's sorry about what happened with Lois. The issue ends with Wonder Woman telling Superman of Aquaman's deal, but not mentioning his condolences for Lois, further driving a wedge between the two men. I enjoyed this issue, it really goes a long way in showing how unreasonable Superman has become, how powerful Aquaman is, and how far this Wonder Woman will go to get what or should I say who she wants. Score: 8/10
Scarlet Spider #16: This issue opens with Madame Web, Julia Carpenter's letter to Kaine from a few issues back that he never received. It basically says he should leave and go to Mexico like he planned because "she" is going to kill everyone, whoever that is...maybe Aracely? The rest of this issue takes place at the Rodeo with Kaine and his wacky cast, with Kaine mistakenly hurting Annabelle's feelings by saying they can't be together. This is interrupted by a drunk hero-turned-villain named The Armadillo (Think Rhino...but as an Armadillo..) who shows up, breaks down the walls (Jericho style!) and cries about how his girlfriend, Daisy, left him. Scarlet Spider tries to stop his reign of terror by telling him he needs to let her go, because sadly the monster's never get to be with the girl, but she surprisingly runs up and takes him back, saying she didn't think he loved her anymore because he was distant. This inspires Kaine to try to be with Annabelle, which he does after knocking out her meathead ex-boyfriend and plants kiss on Annabelle, but unbeknownst to Kaine, Kraven and his daughter are watching from afar. The issue ends with a flashback to two days ago, as we see Annabelle burning the letter for Kaine from Julia. I really enjoyed this issue, they're still doing the monster card but this was better and we got some growth for Kaine, but we see Kraven is still in the game, and Aracely's powers are being used more. And I didn't see the ending coming at all, maybe Annabells is bad news. Man, these are supposed to be short reviews!!! Score: 8/10
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #22: In this issue, Miles tries to convince Maria Hill that he's not Spider-Man, but once word comes in Venom is attacking the hospital where his dad is, she tells him he'll get there first, and to save people but wait until the Ultimates are there to face Venom. He takes off, scaling a building in front of her and pursues Venom while his mom watches on. Venom manages to absorb Spidey but Miles' mom, Rio, starts shooting Venom with a gun she picked up off of a unconscious officer, telling Venom to give back her son. Venom grabs Rio but that upsets Miles enough for him to power out, sending the symbiote flying everywhere, leaving the man in the suit vulnerable as he's gunned down by police. Surprisingly, Venom is not Eddie Brock, but a black man named Marcus Conrad. Miles checks on his mom but finds that she's been shot very close to her heart, she's clearly proud of Miles but with her dying words tells him not to let his father know, as she dies in his arms. The next day Miles wakes up at Ganke's house as reality sets in that his mother is gone. He cries and rips up his suit, yelling "No More!" as the issue comes to a close. I really enjoyed this issue, with Hill knowing Miles' secret, seeing how proud Rio was of her son, you could see her face, excellent job by Sara Pichelli. The only problem I had was the fact that the villain was basically a no one but held a grudge against Spider-Man and his family, that seemed...odd but I'm sure they'll explain why he hated them so much. We've seen Peter throw the costume away a few times, but this seemed different, although we know Miles will stay Spidey. Score: 9/10
Man.... I really gotta make these reviews more brief! Ah, what can I say, I like to paint a picture with my words. Anyway, that's it for this week's best of the rest post. I'll be back tomorrow with a comic picked by mi hermano, X, for Throwback Tuesday, and If you thought Perry White's Magic Cigars were crazy...wait until you see what the Man of Tomorrow was doing like sixty years ago. Anyway, til then, this is JT, signing off!
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