Comic Book Review - 01/19/07

This is just a heads up to start out that there will most likely be some spoilers in these reviews. I’ll try to keep it to a minimum but I tend to get a bit excited at times when I write and with that I just start assuming that everyone has read the same stuff I have.

So to start.

Amazing Spider- Man #537

I’d first like to say that Marvel needs to fuck off already with the cardboard inserts in their comics advertising some kind of bullshit or another. They’re damn close to impossible to remove without damaging the comic and they make the process of reading the comic quite unpleasant to read because the cardboard inserts keep flipping the pages around as you try to read them.

With that unpleasantness out of the way, let’s move onto the story.

Pencils – Ron Garney – I don’t dig them. They’re not ruining things by any stretch, nor are they lifting the comic up to the next level. Artists have evolved quite a great deal over the last twenty years in comics and looking at Garney’s art makes me think I’m reading Spider-Man from twenty years ago.

Words – J.M. Straczynski – Suffice to say, you won’t be seeing the Iron Spider costume anymore with the falling out between Tony and Peter. This issue involves Peter coming to grips with the decision he made to reveal himself and then jump ship to the side against the hero registration act. I’m actually very interested to see how this all plays out but this issue is pretty much a non-issue. Filler. A build up for something that could be quite huge in Peter Parker’s life of which I won’t spoil things but if I did, I highly doubt anyone would be surprised.

All in all, I’d give this a 5.5 / 10.

I’m enjoying almost all of the Civil War stories and this one was fine although it didn’t blow me away. Captain America being inspirational. Peter worrying. A plot developing that really isn’t all that surprising.

It would have earned a 6, but the pencils brought it done half a point because I like my comic books to look like comic books and not the comics you find in the local newspaper.

Pick it up if you normally pull Amazing, or if you’re a Spider-whore. Otherwise take a pass.

Civil War: Frontline #10

Pencils – Ramon Bachs – Frontline isn’t really about fists to the face and laser blasts to the ass. Bachs’ work suits the episodic, multiple storyline format of Frontline although it won’t be setting the world on fire with amazing visuals it’s nicely detailed if a bit on the drab side of things. When I first saw the Penance costume I thought it looked lame. Maybe it was just the penciler at the time but I actually don’t mind the costume now.

Words – Paul Jenkins – There has definitely been some convoluted moments in the Frontline story and some of which I couldn’t care less about. The good news is that this issue focuses on the two important ones. Ben Reilley’s research and uncovering of what the real reasons were for the Civil War ( besides a Marvel cash-grab), and the evolving story of Robbie Baldwin (Speedball). Both stories are being well handled and I’m actually curious to read #11 so I can learn more about the ‘behind the scenes’ of the Civil War. I imagine Baldwin’s story will get picked up in subsequent issues of the Thunderbolts as he’s now Penance and his powers are only activated when he feels pain and blah blah blah. A bit lame, but I’ve always been a big fan of Speedball. Blame a full run of the New Warriors in my collection but I like the guy. I hope they don’t make him as Penance into the token brooding EMO hero that had been done away with up until recently.

All in all this issue gets a 7.5 / 10. A good read. A definite pull if you’re a Civil War junkie and who knows? Maybe Penance will be the next Wolverine and twenty years from now people will be running around in a panic looking for his first appearance in Frontline #10? The comic would have scored more if the story had been a bit more dynamic, or the art was. Either or, but still a good purchase.

Civil War #6

Pencils – Steve McNiven – McNiven is a really, really good artist. The detail. The dynamic angles he draws scenes in. The fact that his Captain America and Luke Cage have different faces where some artists draw the same face, add blonde hair for Cap and dark skin for Luke. Which is why I can’t understand the reasons for why I don’t really dig his work. His actions scenes are great. The scene where Cap slams the Punisher into his knee is exceptional as well as others in this issue. It’s just that some of his stuff falls flat for me. The two page spread at the end, leading up to the big orgasmic blow out between both sides left me a bit underwhelmed.

Words – Mark Millar – Man, when this guy is on, he’s REALLY on. I loved it when the Punisher went true to form. I loved it when Cap pounded on him and he wouldn’t fight back. I loved the interaction between Sue Storm and Namor. I even loved the Hank Pym twist at the end and the build up for the knockdown drag out fight that will be in the conclusion of the series. Out of it all…the scene between Dr. Strange and The Watcher was a fanyboy’s wet dream. Really cool stuff. It’s nice when they add stuff like that because then I don’t have to hear some spaz talk about it at my local comic book shop. You know the type. The only cat in the store that hates Civil War for no other reason than to be contrary. Snorting derisively as he adds,

“Yeah well it’s fucked because why didn’t Dr.Strange just cast a spell and make them work it the fuck out without fighting?”

Which allows me to retort with,

“Read issue six…d-bag.”

All in all this issue scores a 9 / 10. I’m enjoying the Civil War event and this issue as well as the five that came before it are well worth the money. Pick this up, yo!

Thunderbolts #110

Pencils – Mike Deodato – I’m a huge fanboy for Deodato’s work so excuse me if I gush. ‘Cept for the fact that he’s changed his style a bit. It’s a bit more ‘sketchy’ than his work I usually dig. He draws a hella great looking Moonstone out of costume though and the small panel of Jack Flag diving down to the streets below made my heart go pit-a-pat. It’s not his best stuff but it’s still very good and lends very well to the darker tone that the Thunderbolts is now embarking upon.

Words – Warren Ellis – If you don’t know who this guy is and you READ comics…give your head a shake, and read some good comics. The Authority has sucked hard for the last few years but STILL has fans because of Ellis’ run on them. Planetary; if you haven’t read it was and is highly entertaining. Ellis jumping on board with the Thunderbolts couldn’t have come at a better time. The constant cosmic cluster-fucking that was going on in the most recent…oh…too many issues was really getting on my nerves. If I had to read about ONE more being with ionic blood, or some reality bending temporal shift initiated by Baron Zemo who thinks he’s way cooler than he fuckin’ is; well this title would have been dropped. Ellis hits you with a gut punch on the very first page and he keeps going from there. I’m telling you…Thunderbolts might be the next big thing if Ellis keeps on top of this. I can’t WAIT for the next issue.

All in all, this issue scores a 9 / 10. It would have scored perfect but I’m not completely in love with Deodato’s pencils even though Ellis does a stellar job with adding personality to characters that have been up to this point little better than C-listers.

Astonishing X-Men #19

So…I can’t stand the X-Men. Ugh. Marvel tested my patience far too much in the past two decades regarding shitty stories, shitty writers, shitty cross-overs and shitty artists for me to ever be a fan again.

Only Joss Whedon (who I adore) and John Cassaday ( another that I adore) could convince me to pick up anything with an “X” in the title.

Pencils – John Cassaday – Every fan has their favourite artist. Cassaday is mine. I love his covers and I love what he does inside the covers. In a fantastic world of mutant freaks and crazy shit, he makes it all look realistic and possible. Like I could walk around the corner and bump into Ord. I’ve shown his work to my wife and she’s “Meh”. So maybe something is wrong with me regarding why I love his art as much as I do. Who knows but this review is going to be completely biased.

Words – Joss Whedon – Take the best of Buffy and Angel, throw in some outerspace snappy patter a la Firefly and you have this issue of Astonishing. He has an eclectic group of heroes and “sorta-villains” that you always find in the Whedon-verse rallying together against the seemingly unbeatable “Big Bad”. I think every main character presented in this issue has a memorable moment. Cyclops without powers has potential to turn into a bigger bad ass than Wolverine (who I think is annoying but that’s another post).

There was a dark period with Astonishing that followed the utter awesomeness of the first two story arcs. Whedon has gotten back into what he does best which is telling kick ass stories with characters you actually grow to care about.

If you’re a Whedon fan, get every damn issue of this series.

If you’re a Buffy fan, get every damn issue of this series.

If you’re an Angel fan, get every damn issue of this series.

If you’re a Firefly fan, get every damn issue of this series.

If you’re a comic book fan, get every damn issue of this series.

Oh yeah…if there are still any X-Men fans out there, get every damn issue of this series.

All in all, 10 / 10. Buy this comic…and buy the variant cover too.

I have another 16 issues to review...so bear with me and I'll be updating more over the following days.