Why?! Why is this mini-series almost over already??? Seriously, what am I going to do when I can no longer get my monthly Alpha fix? Is a world without Alpha a world I really want to live in??? Hmm, I know, I'll just pull all of Alpha's appearances and reread them! Forever!!! Problem solved. Now, it's time to read the penultimate issue of the greatest mini-series ever put out by any comic book company in the history of the UNIVERSE!
Alpha: Big Time #4(of 5):
Summary: This issue kicks off with Alpha getting hammered by the Miller. With a real hammer. Not whatever you were thinking... Thor stops by and strikes Alpha and the Miller with lightning, which ends the "threat" of the Miller. Thor hands out some advice, and talks about the importance of women and mead before taking off. From there, Alpha is blown off by Soupcan, who apparently only wants to be friends... Ouch... After that crushing blow, Alpha hears some commotion going on at the hospital and rushes over, discovering that the mugger he put in a coma had become some sort of energy(and people!) absorbing creature. Oh, and the mugger had absorbed like 400 people in the hospital. Meanwhile, the head mobster in Pittsburgh, Boss Cohen, sends some of his goons to Alpha's grandmother's house, where they proceed to torch the place, while Alpha's mom and grandmother are still inside. Alpha manages to hear his mother's call for help and abandons the battle with the energy absorbing mugger and heads to his house, arriving to see it completely ablaze.
Thoughts: This comic... I love it SO MUCH! The humor is great(I love that everybody kept mistaking Alpha for Nova, since they look NOTHING alike), Thor's cameo was great, even Alpha's interactions with Soupcan ruled. Besides the humor, Alpha STILL feels like the most realistic hero in either Marvel or DC. When Alpha left the fight with the energy mugger to get home, that's what I would have done. Or really, any normal person. Now, if it was Spider-Man for example, and Aunt May was in trouble, he would somehow manage to defeat the energy mugger and then rescue Aunt May. The true "heroic" thing to do is to save the greater, while sacrificing your own happiness. Comic book heroes do it all the time. But would I? If I'm being honest, no, I'd watch out for me and mine before I worry about the city. And if you're honest with yourself, I'd think an overwhelming majority of you would do likewise. So yeah, great character, great issue, great mini-series, all means I'll be pulling out all my Alpha comics to give 'em all a reread once the next issue drops.
Score: 9 out of 10.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Friday, May 10, 2013
Batman #20
Hey comic fans, JT first review of the week, none other than the flagship series of the Dark Knight, Batman. After Bruce Wayne's likeness was stolen by Clayface in the last issue, let's see how he deals with taking his name and image back!
Summary: I have no idea why that cover is red... mine is not but that's the one DC had listed. This issue starts with Clayface revealing his plan to kidnap Bruce, pose as him wearing Batman's gear since Bruce is his benefactor, then the real Batman will show up to stop him and he'll touch Batman then he can post as Batman and get Batman arrested and thrown in Arkham. He throws Bruce into a room with Lucius Fox after supposedly suffocating him for seven minutes, but Bruce is still alive because apparently he can hold his breath for that long. Bruce and Lucius are in a compactor and about to be smashed when they stumble onto a prototype that Lucius had gotten rid of because it wouldn't be cost effective for twenty years. We then see Bruce and Lucius freed as Bruce dons the Batman Beyond suit for the first time ever. From there, Bruce says he's going to inform Batman and leaves Lucius to go get checked out. Clayface, still masquerading as Bruce, is eventually caught by Batman, but Clayface can't be stopped in the usual ways. Batman makes a cell to hold Clayface once he steps into it that will only open for Basil Karlo, and since Clayface no longer has his own DNA, he's trapped. Batman says now that he's stopped Clayface, he'll get Mr. Wayne to the hospital, but Clayface has some words about Wayne. He said Wayne cares about no one, not even his own son, stating when he touched Wayne to get his DNA a few weeks back, his son was with him, but while his son talked, Wayne looked distant and uninterested. Batman yells at Clayface as he turns into Damian Wayne, until Commissioner Gordon stops Batman as Clayface smirks on as Damian Wayne. The issue comes to a close with Bruce telling Alfred he doesn't want to shut down the way he did when Jason died, as he and Alfred watch the Cowl patrol footage of Batman and Robin, together.
Thoughts: Hm... this issue seemed kinda average for me. I get that Snyder is doing shorter arcs now before the big Zero Year, but this seemed kind of unnecessary. I like that Clayface was evolved further but he was already made a threat in Detective Comics (or one of those other twenty Batman Books) not too long ago. I did like the little nod to the Batman Beyond suit, as well as using Clayface to show us Bruce being taunted by Damian, which was an awesome moment. I really believe that Damian was gonna die in Death of the Family, and Grant decided to use his death instead in Batman Inc. and this kinda confirmed that for me. Anyway, this wasn't a memorable issue but it wasn't bad either.
Score: 6/10
Batman #20
Thoughts: Hm... this issue seemed kinda average for me. I get that Snyder is doing shorter arcs now before the big Zero Year, but this seemed kind of unnecessary. I like that Clayface was evolved further but he was already made a threat in Detective Comics (or one of those other twenty Batman Books) not too long ago. I did like the little nod to the Batman Beyond suit, as well as using Clayface to show us Bruce being taunted by Damian, which was an awesome moment. I really believe that Damian was gonna die in Death of the Family, and Grant decided to use his death instead in Batman Inc. and this kinda confirmed that for me. Anyway, this wasn't a memorable issue but it wasn't bad either.
Score: 6/10
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Uncanny Avengers #8
This series has been as close to perfection as you're going to find. I expect more of the same this issue, so yeah, intro over, let's dig in!
Uncanny Avengers #8
Summary: Thor and Sunfire manage to stop SWORD's space station from crashing onto Rio De Janeiro, before heading into space in search of the two responsible for the carnage, the Apocalypse Twins. Meanwhile, Wolverine point the Uncanny Avengers towards the Akkaba city hidden at the North Pole. As for Captain America, his space pod crashes in southern Sudan, where the local militia is none too pleased to find an American hero. Severely outnumbered, Cap manages to find refuge in an old church, where a box is waiting for him containing a message from somebody(I'd imagine Kang or Immortus)... The Apocalypse Twins kill everybody at Akkaba city, since they were mere humans. By this time, the Uncanny Avengers are approaching, and catch sight of the twins as they are leaving the area. However, before they can make a move towards the villains, a nuclear explosion rocks the area, presumably killing the team.
Thoughts: Yeah, I somehow doubt the Avengers are dead. This issue didn't grab me as the past few issue did. It was good, but there was a lot of people speaking in riddles and events being set up. It seems like the Apocalypse Twins have broken from Kang, who took them so there wouldn't be an Apocalypse, which would make it easier for him to create a dynasty in the future. The twins seem to be uber pro-mutant, ala Magneto, and are striking out, in part, because of Red Skull's antics earlier in this series. Or at least that's what I was able to gather. So yeah, good stuff, but not great, so I have to admit, I'm just a tad let down.
Score: 7 1/2 out of 10.
Uncanny Avengers #8
Summary: Thor and Sunfire manage to stop SWORD's space station from crashing onto Rio De Janeiro, before heading into space in search of the two responsible for the carnage, the Apocalypse Twins. Meanwhile, Wolverine point the Uncanny Avengers towards the Akkaba city hidden at the North Pole. As for Captain America, his space pod crashes in southern Sudan, where the local militia is none too pleased to find an American hero. Severely outnumbered, Cap manages to find refuge in an old church, where a box is waiting for him containing a message from somebody(I'd imagine Kang or Immortus)... The Apocalypse Twins kill everybody at Akkaba city, since they were mere humans. By this time, the Uncanny Avengers are approaching, and catch sight of the twins as they are leaving the area. However, before they can make a move towards the villains, a nuclear explosion rocks the area, presumably killing the team.
Thoughts: Yeah, I somehow doubt the Avengers are dead. This issue didn't grab me as the past few issue did. It was good, but there was a lot of people speaking in riddles and events being set up. It seems like the Apocalypse Twins have broken from Kang, who took them so there wouldn't be an Apocalypse, which would make it easier for him to create a dynasty in the future. The twins seem to be uber pro-mutant, ala Magneto, and are striking out, in part, because of Red Skull's antics earlier in this series. Or at least that's what I was able to gather. So yeah, good stuff, but not great, so I have to admit, I'm just a tad let down.
Score: 7 1/2 out of 10.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
New Comic Day! May 8th edition
Hey Guys and Gals, Happy Comic Day! As of the time this goes live, I should just be walking out of the movie theater after seeing Iron Man 3, which I'm hoping is awesome. So, while that has nothing to do with this, I used it as a buffer to make the beginning of this seem more like an intro until I stalled long enough to tell you guys what books I decided to pick up. See how well that worked? Anyway, I plan on picking up Batman #20, Batman and Red Hood #20 (Hell...yeah.), Smallville Season 11 #13, Walking Dead #110, Alpha: Big Time #4, Avenging Spider-Man #20, Thor: God of Thunder #8, Uncanny Avengers #8, Uncanny X-Force #4, and Wolverine #3. So with a total of ten comics this week, expect single reviews for Batman and either Batman and Red Hood or Avenging Spider-Man, as well as Best of the Rest reviews for the one I don't pick, Wolverine, and maybe some other stuff. Well, that's it for me, I'll pass things over to my cohort, X, til Friday, this is JT, signing off!
As astutely pointed out by my crony, JT, I am indeed X! And this is indeed the New Comic Day post! Sounds like JT has himself a nice day lined up... What with seeing Iron Man and getting new comics and all... It sure would be nice if JT gave us his thoughts on Iron Man 3 in a post... Yep, that would sure be nice indeed... *ahem* Anyway, here are the books I'll be snagging today: Batman #20, Superboy #20, Walking Dead #110, Alpha: Big Time #4, Avenging Spider-Man #20, Secret Avengers #4, Thor: God of Thunder #8, Ultimates #24, Uncanny Avengers #8. That gives me 9 books?! What the hell?!? I can't remember the last time my haul from the comic shop was under 10! Huh... Maybe I'll snag Batman and Red Hood #20 if I see it, just to get to 10... I'll definitely be reviewing Uncanny Avengers #8 for Thursday, and probably Alpha: Big Time #4 on Saturday, because Alpha is the greatest comic book hero of all time. As for the rest? You know the drill, they'll be in the BotR post on Monday. Oh, and JT should have some retro Bat goodness on Tuesday for us. And that's it for me. Until next time, X out.
As astutely pointed out by my crony, JT, I am indeed X! And this is indeed the New Comic Day post! Sounds like JT has himself a nice day lined up... What with seeing Iron Man and getting new comics and all... It sure would be nice if JT gave us his thoughts on Iron Man 3 in a post... Yep, that would sure be nice indeed... *ahem* Anyway, here are the books I'll be snagging today: Batman #20, Superboy #20, Walking Dead #110, Alpha: Big Time #4, Avenging Spider-Man #20, Secret Avengers #4, Thor: God of Thunder #8, Ultimates #24, Uncanny Avengers #8. That gives me 9 books?! What the hell?!? I can't remember the last time my haul from the comic shop was under 10! Huh... Maybe I'll snag Batman and Red Hood #20 if I see it, just to get to 10... I'll definitely be reviewing Uncanny Avengers #8 for Thursday, and probably Alpha: Big Time #4 on Saturday, because Alpha is the greatest comic book hero of all time. As for the rest? You know the drill, they'll be in the BotR post on Monday. Oh, and JT should have some retro Bat goodness on Tuesday for us. And that's it for me. Until next time, X out.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Throwback Tuesday: Featuring World's Finest Comics #113.
Hey X-Maniacs, X here with the third Throwback Tuesday post to grace this blog. That means this feature has stuck around a full two weeks longer than I anticipated... Go figure! Anyway, as promised way back in the NCD post last Wednesday, this week's throwback does indeed feature arrows. However, you can't tell that from the cover of this comic, which doesn't AT ALL mention the story I'm about to recap... So yeah, ignore the cover... Anyway, let's get into some old school Green Arrow madness!
World's Finest Comics #113(November 1960)
Summary: We open things here with Bonnie King winning the Miss Arrowette competition... Which must have been a thing back in the day. Anyway, the Miss Arrowette competition is, for those of you who are dying to know, an archery competition for women in which the winner wins a little crown and a sash... Wooo! After winning, Bonnie decides it was time to fight crime, because really, what else is left after accomplishing your dream of winning an archery competition between yourself and three other women? A few days later, Green Arrow and his trusty sidekick, Speedy, are alerted to a daylight jewel robbery by the Arrow-signal, which isn't at all like the Bat-signal. From there, they hop into the Arrowcar(huh, writers back in the 50's weren't very creative, were they?) and head to the scene of the crime. Upon arriving, they spot the crooks' getaway car and hop out of the Arrowcar to... I'm not really sure why they hopped out of the Arrowcar, actually... But here we are. The two archers decide to rush the getaway car(wait, why would anybody do that?!), and end up tripping on a partially open manhole cover... Yes, that most definitely deserves a HA!! Before the two end up in Arrow-heaven, they are saved when a... And I shit you not, a powder-puff arrow sails by the getaway car's window, causing the crooks to swerve into a post. It turns out the arrow was fired by Miss Arrowette herself(I know, shocking), who didn't bother to change her clothes from the Miss Arrowette competition, or, you know, put a mask on. The groggy crooks get out of their wrecked car, which leads to Miss Arrowette firing a hairpin arrow at them, which pins two crooks to the wall. GA and Speedy take care of the other two crooks with good ol' boxing glove arrows. But by this time, Miss Arrowette has run off. GA is disappointed because he wanted to tell Miss Arrowette that crimefighting isn't a game for girls... Wow, sexist much? The next day, GA and Speedy head to the scene of another burglary, as does Miss Arrowette. GA and Speedy decide to charge the crooks(they do realize they have arrows, right?), just as Miss Arrowette fires the multi-purpose lotion arrow(my favorite arrow!) at the crooks. But wait, disaster occurs when GA and Speedy are struck by the lotion coated shaft... Eww... Our two heroes end up sliding INTO the back of the robbers' truck, which leads to the robbers locking GA and Speedy inside... Again, HA!! The crooks hop into the truck and drive off, figuring they were scot-free, never realizing that Miss Arrowette had fired a hair-tint arrow at the back of their truck and managed to follow it back to their hideout. Once they reach their destination, the crooks take GA and Speedy's arrows and force them into a huge empty oil tank, as opposed to killing them, or selling them out to the mob or something that would have made sense. Miss Arrowette sees all of this go down at a safe distance thanks to her mirror arrow... After the crooks have left, Miss Arrowette climbs up to the top of the oil tank and tells the two guys she'd save them. However, she falls into the oil tank instead... Clumsy woman! She does avoid injury thanks to her kerchief arrow, which serves as a parachute... What the hell is a "kerchief"!? Moving on, Miss Arrowette is depressed that she was now stuck in the oil tank, while GA figures that he can use her arrows to free them. Thanks to a needle-and-thread arrow, GA ends up escaping the oil tank with his two allies. The crooks somehow get wise to GA's escape and come at him guns blazing(if they wanted to shoot him, why not do that from the start?!), but are captured in a hairnet arrow. With the crooks captured and the heroes safe, Miss Arrowette decides to stop fighting crime because, "Crime-fighting is not for girls like me!" Yep...
Thoughts: Wow, that was one hell of a sexist comic! I love that the moral of it was, "If you're a girl, stay in the kitchen, where it's safe!" The irony of Green Arrow stating that a woman like Miss Arrowette shouldn't be fighting crime, while standing next to his teenage sidekick, who was nearly run over by a car, wasn't lost on me! I especially loved the fact that Miss Arrowette couldn't even be trusted to save the heroes! She fell INTO the frigging oil tank! That naturally led to Speedy making some snide comments about Miss Arrowette, because that's how we roll in 1960! Plus, Green Arrow saves the day by using Miss Arrowette's arrows! She couldn't even be help GA and Speedy escape with her own arrows! Ugh... However, on the plus side, I got to work "lotion coated shaft" into a post, and that, my friends, is a win for me!
Pages in this story: 6
# of trick arrows used: 9
# of times we were told crime-fighting wasn't for girls: 2
Monday, May 6, 2013
Best of the Rest! May 1st edition.
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!
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!
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.
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