Comic Book Journal

Ok. For starters, I don’t know all that much about the character of the Atom, just that DC has relaunched the title before, so how does this fairly reincarnation stack up? With this title, DC might have also reinvented classic sci-fi in comics. The story was engaging, and the plot fast-paced throughout. The scripting and dialogue was also tight and Rick Remender’s use of caption drew me into the story. This dynamic interaction between written word and reader erased the fourth wall, leading to a thoroughly enjoyable read. Also–the art. Kudos to Pat Olliffe. The panels, the cover, the splash page, the detail, and the backgrounds, all virtually flawless. His style meshes perfectly with this genre as well, at times I felt I was reading a vintage pulp as the clear joy the artist has while drawing seems to seep through the pencils and inks. The only flaw I have with this book, and as I do with many runs on a series, is the lack of character introduction and a “previously” section in the beginning. With that said, I’d have to give thie book a solid nine out of ten. DC has stepped up their game, especially in sci-fi. Do they have any competition? I guess we’ll see, huh? For the skinny on other DC titles, see my recent review of the Action Comics annual at http://www.comicbookjournal.net/action-comics-annual-11/

We have fun here at Comic Book Journal don’t we? Hee hee. Ah yes, fun with numbers. To correct the last post, the Action Comics annual received a six on a scale of one to ten. Maybe I should invent a new scale hmm….something to ponder, perhaps a contest in the future then. Anyway I still have a ton of stuff to review, so onward!

With a title like Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters, I was not expecting to be entertained. In fact, I was expecting another Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rip-off. And I though the days of animals having human characteristics were over. I thought Dynamite was a one-trick pony with Battlestar Galactica, but Dynamite has created an entertaining read with this series. Far from parody, ARBBH shows two aging former super hamsters fighting chupacabra in the Texas sun and reuniting with old allies.

While the story is entertaining and the artwork is nuanced and meshes well with the story, the book, in my humble opinion is overpriced. At $3.50 an issue the series, despite its high production quality will find it hard to attain and maintain readership. Overall, I’d give this book a seven out of ten. The comic is highly original with stylized artwork and high quality production– sure to attract new and younger readers, yet it could sink under the weight of its hefty price.

Interested in having a hamster of your own check out the forum on pets at home zookeeper on our own 451 Press. I’m sure you can search to find valuable advice on caring for your very own radioactive hamster. Here’s a link to one of the posts there: http://www.homezookeeper.com/wordless-wednesday-goofy-hat-boy/

Still more to come….

In the not-so-distant past I reviewed an Action Comics annual didn’t I? Time flies when you’re having fun. Well this year’s annual wasn’t as light-hearted, nor attractive to new readers I fear. Here’s the scoop. That ne’er do well General Zod escaped from the Phantom Zone once again and it’s up to Kal-El, Last Son of Krypton, to save the world from the Kryptonian invasion. The twist at the end is, however, that lovable scamp, Christopher Kent saves the day instead, sacrificing himself into the Phantom Zone to save Earth. This issue is much darker than last year’s annual, and the story is more poignant then fun. Clark laments the fact he cannot bear children with Lois, and Lex Luthor falls deeper into madness, feeling invalidated by not receiving recognition in his part to design the weapons to take out Zod. All in all, I’d have to give this issue a xix out of ten (which to my recollection is what I gave the last annual) The story, with the exception of the biographies in the back, is not really a great jumping on point for new readers. While Richard Donner and Geoff Johns create a fairly good story about Superman’s heritage versus his role on Earth, it’s just all a little…depressing for an annual. On the plus side Adam Kubert’s artwork is outstanding and his different panel viewpoints and camera angles make for a visually compelling read. I’d recommend this title for Superman enthusiasts or completists only though. Novice readers I fear, won’t have much to connect with. Who’s funnier than Jerry Seinfeld? Practically no one. Who’s mightier than Superman? Practically no one. What do you get when you pair the two together? No kids, it’s not a credit card commercial. It’s that really cool page I found with the Superman references in Seinfeld. Here’s the link. Check it out. http://www.comicbookjournal.net/calling-all-superfriends/

Being a Mike Mignola fan, I thought I’d pick up an issue of Abe Sapien. Again, Dark Horse, has made a wise decision keeping Mike, and of course, Hellboy, in their stable of growing horror comics. Dark Horse, as a publisher, is in my opinion, one of the most fan-oriented publishers in the marketplace. They have also launched campaign to capture the hearts of online readers with their Myspace Dark Horse Presents site. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, back to Abe. Did Abe Sapien impress me? As far as story goes, I’ve seen a little better from Mignola. Did Abe Sapien intrigue me? Yes, yes it did. Granted, I picked up this issue right near the end of the storyline, so I wasn’t as engrossed with the storyline as I would have been if I followed the story from the beginning, but this is the beauty of Mike Mignola’s plotting. Through this stand-alone issue the compelling plot and the fantastic artwork did make me want to find the first three issues, or perhaps get the graphic novel when published. If the arc is finished with the same quality and care as this particular issue, I anticipate those sales figures to be strong and steady for Dark Horse. Do not be mistaken, this title is not the typical Hellboy fare, that at times can be tongue in cheek. This is a serious horror comic and has almost a Lovecraftian feel to it. Also I can’t say enough about Jason Shawn Alexander’s artwork. His detail, pacing, and textures give the artwork the exact same tone the storyline has as well. Again, shades of H.P. Lovecraft. On a scale of one to ten, I’d have to give this book a solid eight to ten on the basis of originality alone. For more reasons why I like Mike Mignola, see my post at: http://www.comicbookjournal.net/why-i-like-mike-mignola/
Stay tuned…more reviews cometh!

I thought I’d pick up a copy of Thor and give the Asgardian God a try. I was pleasantly surprised–the book actually lived up to the hype. Marvel made a good choice with J. Michael Straczynsk tapped as series writer. His style meshes well with the art and action sequences and his transitions are superior. As far as the storyline goes, the plot is coming along nicely and it was nice to see Thor and Odin side by side with a father and son relationship theme. Now for the artwork. I think I salivated a bit when I saw the cover and the interior art. Both are equally gorgeous. Marko Djurdjevic has a superior command of anatomy, camera angles, and also has a keen eye for texture and detail. I see him being a hot artist to watch this year. On a scale of one to ten I’d have to give this book a solid ten out of ten. Right now Marvel is the company to beat. DC has a lot of ground to make up at the moment. That’s why I enjoy the comic book world so much–anything is subject to change at any given time.

Speaking of Thor, does anyone remember the Incredible Hulk Returns. It was a TV movie in the late eighties which teamed up both the Hulk and Thor. Anyone wanting to take a trip down memory lane and enjoy this classic, see you tube. Here’s the link:link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PAYMlgFLgo

As far a merry Marvel movies go, this summer may be the hottest yet, Iron Man is still getting great critical reviews (I still haven’t went yet) and the new Incredible Hulk might be the marketing crossover giant this summer. That is, if DC doesn’t win out with the latest Batman. So go see Hulk on June 13th then go see Batman or vice versa.

Sorry, I went on a bit of a tangent there, I’ll be back soon with more reviews and hopefully some good news within the industry.

This title got the Eisner nod for best continuing series, and I can see why. Taking an iconic character like Superman and attempting to do it justice is daunting Quietly and crew do a simply amazing job. The storyline of Superman seeing his end of his time on earth and death approaching quickly is a new twist on the character, who all other writers thus far, have made young and invulnerable with the exception of any alternate universe. This issue is well, quiet, Superman saves some lives and also begins narrating his last will and testament, it is chock full of emotion. The artwork is equally amazing as simple lines and strong details, as well as clarity make this issue both a joy and an easy read.

I think this title has accomplished something few has. It has the ability to appeal to everyone with an easily understandable storyline and also a hook to keep readers coming back for more. I though DC was in trouble before with my blog on the crisis status, see:

; now I realize that only the core titles are in trouble. Maybe this Eisner winning duo should take on and revamp the entire universe themselves, then quality would show through every issue. This book gets a solid ten out of ten.

I have always liked Daredevil comics. There’s just something about the casts of characters that makes me feel like, “yeah, this could only happen in a comic,” that I like. Maybe it’s nostalgia, I don’t know. So I guess after reading this I’m going to pose the question of trending in comics? Is it the new trend for Marvel to have comic, whose main character, the title character, has less action and dialogue than the supporting characters now? Despite making for an unusual story in how the narrative is set up, I don’t like the trend of eliminating the main character’s actions and words from the narrative completely. With little “screen time” in this issue for Murdock and more time dedicated to the struggles of Foggy Nelson and reporter Ben Urich, I fear this trend may continue. Even though ths technique has proven successful in the recent Punisher War Journal title (see my post at http://www.comicbookjournal.net/punisher-war-journal-16/) I don’t think this trend speaks very highly of the writers. I think the ability to tell a single stand alone story with a fixed amount of characters is giving way to creating other characters to fill in plot holes. So that’s my major gripe with this issue. The art and pacing work well for the story however, it is crippled by the lack of inner monologue from Daredevil himself. I would give this book a solid six out of ten. There has been at least an attempt to revitalize Daredevil again,and as much as I like the character, I hope Marvel finds a way to perhaps tie up dangling plot twists and get the man without fear out of his slump maybe once he becomes the man without depression this can happen.

A couple months ago at http://www.comicbookjournal.net/the-wonder-of-wonder-woman/ I reviewed the Amazon’s latest adventures. I thought I’d just do a little catch up work to see how things stands with ol Diana now and I am pleased to report this title is still top notch in quality. The script does in a sense, as the title indicates comes full circle as Diana celebrates her heritage and saves her mother on her birthday, which is ironic since it was her mother who had saved her life years ago from traitors as well.

With that said I am still impressed with the plots and scripting ability of Gail Simone. Also with Terry and Rachael Dodson on art, everything blends together perfectly. I would have to give this issue a nine out of ten. So why not a perfect score? At the end of a story arc it’s always tough for a new reader to get involved in the story and pick up back issues to complete the run. As I’ve said before a “previously” section could do this title wonders. DC does have a solid title here and I think if they keep their current creative team through the remainder of the book (or as long as possible) they might even have a couple Eisner winners of their own. Props to DC, props to Simone, Dodson(s), and crew. It’s still a wonderful (pun intended) read.

Ah, X-Force. It’s a lot like X-Factor isn’t it. Really an unnecessary deterent to the main X-titles every month. But it’s Messiah Complex, and I guess there’s a purpose for this team within the crossover. For more on the crossover see my past blog where it all began at: http://www.comicbookjournal.net/the-next-big-thing/.
So the plot of X-Force is basically Wolverine is leading a team comprised of John Proudstar, X-23, Rahne, and of course himself, to be sort of a pre-emptive force against the Purifiers. Cyclops gives Wolverine the orders that he is to destroy William Stryker before he can kill other mutants and claim more victims. So X-Force does Cyclops’ dirty work.

With that said, not much happened within this issue other than the origin of the team’s orders and the chance Wolverine gives every member before the battle begins. With no one walking away from the fight, I am anxious to see if any or all of the team’s core members will be lost to the fight.

The scripting on the story was solid,and the art was amazing. The one flaw to the artwork, however, was the use of computerized graphics on nearly every panel. I think it’s ok every now and then for effects and explosions, but every panel. That’s just not very, for lack of a better word…pure.

I’d have to give this book a six out of seven while I like it much better than the X-Factor boo hoo, poor me drama-fest, it’s still not as strong as it should be for one of the core books. Hopefully this will launch a new storyline with better plots for the future. I recommend this title only for people who have to buy every new #1 issue, or for those wanting to get the complete crossover.

To see what the Messiah Complex is really all about, see my blog at http://www.comicbookjournal.net/the-next-big-thing/.
Ok. Ah, X-Factor. To me, X-Factor will ALWAYS be a wasted X-book. This book did nothing to really further the plot line for the Messiah Complex, it just simply reinforced the idea that something bad was happening. Well, that was already established now wasn’t it?

Anyway, the plot is still focusing on the drama and the relationships between all of the main characters, which I would normally enjoy–if I cared anything about the characters. The Purifiers are after X-Factor. The residents want their city back. I think in the fight against X-factor I’m on board with the Purifiers. For a long time X-Factor has been dead weight for the Marvel Universe, so the sooner we can say goodbye to Madrox, and all his multiples fine by me.

With that said, the plot wasn’t bad, as Peter David didn’t have much as far a source material goes to work with, but his whole “religion vs. faith” thing he does with nearly ALL of his books is just frankly old. The only bright spot in the issue for me was the artwork. Raimondi, a relative new comer to the industry is a joy to see. His perspective changes and light, crisp line work is extremely traditional and highly professional. I did appreciate his attention to little details within his background work (sign names, t-shirt slogans, etc.).

On a scale of one to ten I’d give this book a five. If not for the artwork and it was take it or leave it, I’d leave it. I would recommend this book only to die hard collectors to complete a run or a five-year old. Maybe they wouldn’t be as bored with it as a mature reader would.

Now I haven’t reviewed an issue of Wolverine for a while, but since I’m a fan of the X-over the Messiah Complex, I thought I’d give Wolvie another shot. I was much more pleased with the results of this issue. I find that the Wolverine stories are always the best when it’s Wolverine on a mission, nothing more, nothing less, no complicated origin stories, just Wolverine doing what he does best, whoever he is.

With that said, this issue takes Wolverine in search of Mystique who has betrayed the X-Men to Sinister in the aftermath of the Messiah Complex. While this is not a really big shocker, as Mystique has never really been on anyone’s side as a character, the most disturbing and shocking event in the story so far for me has been Cyclops’ complete transformation. Pre-crossover Cyclops would have told Wolverine to bring Mystique back so she could be rehabilitated. Now the gloves are off and Cyclops orders Wolverine to go and not bring Mystique back, breathing that it.

As far as the story goes, solid plotting and flashback make this issue not so tedious as Wolverine searches for Mystique high and low. He ends up killing an innocent human, mistaking her for Mystique, which makes the story more believable. The script was solid through and through.

But the artwork is what impressed me. Ron Garney, who was noted for his work on Captain America before, has brought a traditional style, and attention to detail to this title. And it would not have been the same without him. For the lush artwork, great layouts, and traditionalism, I’d give the art alone in this book a solid nine at least.

On a whole, I’d have to give this issue a solid seven out of ten, while it’s just a piece in a puzzle, it did leave me wanting to read more, but for new readers there’s just not enough characterization for me to fall in love with the book completely. So it gets a solid seven, and hopefully the rest of the X-titles will stay consistent. If you missed the genesis of the Messiah Complex, see my review at http://www.comicbookjournal.net/the-next-big-thing/.

Devil’s Due publishing has successfully proved they are more than just a one-trick pony. By branching out to other genres and different types of storytelling platforms they have proven they have what it takes to be successful on the comic book front, not just with GI Joe either. Other than Image and Dynamite Entertainment, I feel they have produced the best quality of work, outside of Marvel and DC. As far as independent publishers go, they are among the best. So what has made Devil’s Due successful? Talent. They consistently attract high-profile talent and that leads to a high quality of product made. Spooks #1 is no exception.

With a script by acclaimed fantasy novelist R.A. Salavatore and long-time comic book scribe, Larry Hama (who also draws a pretty picture or two himself), this series has large market success all over it.

The storyline of Spooks is fairly simple. It’s werewolves, vampires, and monsters versus the rest of the world in a battle for complete domination. Throw in some powerful magic, and an undead war general in charge, and you have a pretty good fight. The government has assembled a highly trained team of officers to protect and defend against supernatural enemies, and possible terrorists. In the first issue the spooks members see what they are up against with seven foot werewolves and then Frankenstein’s monster joins in at the end of the issue. I think this series could be really entertaining, but would like to see more development from the members of the task force. Right now, they just seem to be cardboard cut outs of characters.

I look forward to the series, but this issue was just not enough of a taste to keep me involved. In my opinion no one will ever write the story of humanity versus supernatural forces better than Mike Mignola. To see why he writes the ultimate end of the world story see my post at http://www.comicbookjournal.net/why-i-like-mike-mignola/

Now about the art. Adam Archer has made me believe werewolves exist they were literally jumping off the page. This is dynamic action, nicely rendered beings, brilliant backgrounds. And what I like most about Archer’s artwork is it flowed. It is clear that this issue was storyboarded and planned out before he drew even the first panel. Careful planning plus attention to detail equal outstanding artwork.

On a scale of one to ten I’d have to give this book a solid seven out of ten. While it’s a great starting point for a new series, that’s all it does is give a sample of what could be greatness. I’d have to have more of a sense of direction as to where the story will be taken before I could give it a ten. Sorry Devil’s I’ll give you your Due, but I’d just recommend this story to a casual reader who is looking for some fluff reading on the bus.

I just picked up Simon Dark out of curiosity and to my surprise, it’s a great find. The last time I remember reading anything by Steve Niles, he had just recently revamped Punisher for Marvel and turned him into a walked zombie of sorts. With Steve Niles fondness for horror, I knew to expect something dark, as the title indicates, but I didn’t think I would see something this dark coming from DC without being under the Vertigo imprint.

With that said, Simon Dark is a cross between Edward Scissorhands, Frankenstein, and the Punisher. It also reminds me of the Spectre, in his early days. Simon Dark the main character of the series, is a made man, who had his body basically sewn together out of parts of others. He sees life and death as black and white, yet has no knowledge that humans need all of their body parts, particularly their heads. Through this issue he hunts down a criminal who killed his beloved pet and murders them.

With this grim of a plot, surprisingly, I liked the story and as a reader I did feel for Simon, it is this ability to convey humanity through dialogue which gives Simon his likability. Simon Dark is a winner. Niles plotting and structure is the best I’ve seen come out of a horror book for quite sometime (since Buffy) and I cannot speak enough about Scott Hampton’s artwork. His pencils are dynamic, no character goes without being lovingly rendered, and the backgrounds are gorgeous. I can’t say how well-balanced everything in his artwork is, so I though I’d include a page here:

On a scale of one to ten, I’d have to give this book a nine out of ten. The only flaw I can see in this series so far is the choice to leave a title this grim and graphic in the regular DC lineup rather than have it printed under Vertigo, specifically for mature readers. This one is a keeper I’ll probably pick up the first few issues and finish out the series you should too.

So what has the Punisher been up to since Niles left? I know, do you? Check out my blog at http://www.comicbookjournal.net/punisher-war-journal-16/ for the rest of the details.

I review some Punisher before, and I didn’t think I would ever really like Punisher again, but I’m finally surprised. Matt Fraction has practically taken over the Marvel Universe as a writer and I can finally understand why. Punisher War Journal #16 is a tale where Frank Castle only has one appearance, but his actions can be felt throughout. The plot is original. The story follows a group of Castle’s enemies who have formed a survivors’ group after he blew up a bar where they gathered. Their injuries all prove to be life-altering as one is left without the use of his legs, and the main character of the story, Martin, is horribly disfigured. He bandages his face and hangs up newspapers over the mirrors in his home he shares with his blind wife, in an invisible man type of situation, hoping the world will not see his exterior. He buys a gun to kill the Punisher, but when the Punisher shows up and kills an abusive pimp Martin learns that exteriors can be deceiving. Frank Castle lets Martin go home to his wife and promise to behave.

With this quiet tale of mercy and grace, Fraction proves he has the chops to helm not only the Punisher, but the rest of the Marvel Universe as well. His pacing was on key throughout the entire issue, his dialogue was believable, and his ending wrapped everything up tidily. This is how a comic book should be written, especially a stand alone like this.

The art was equally amazing Chaykin, I’m pleased to say is back within he element as he shows detail throughout the book in his backgrounds, and also illustrates Martin’s disfigurement nicely without letting that take away from the rest of the character’s expressions. He also did an excellent job on Castle himself, letting mercy show through subtle facial expressions and perspective changes. Great job by Chaykin.

I haven’t read a solid stand alone like this since Battlestar and I have to give Fraction and Chaykin props. I’d give this book a solid ten out of ten. I’d recommend this book for someone who has not picked up a comic book in years, or even a new reader as a great jumping on point, as it is an example of excellent plotting and pencil work. I wouldn’t be surprised if this issue is nominated for an Eisner. It should be.

For a review of a previous issue see my blog, http://www.comicbookjournal.net/whats-black-and-white-and-red-all-over/.

I haven’t read an issue of Gen 13 since I picked up an annual more than a few years back, so I thought it would be fun to revisit the Gen kids. The reason I quit reading the title, other than tired plotting, was the artwork always detracted from these lovable characters. I’m afraid to say that not much has changed since I stopped reading the title. I was refreshed to find that the original cast is still around with Fairchild, Burnout, Grunge and the rest of the gang still causing mischief.

This issue centered on another mind game. As the kids discover (again) that one of their own is a plant by I.O. Sadly, they discovered the same in the original series with John Lynch, their founder/caretaker. So why are we revisiting this same plot line. To save the others, Fairchild must survive a machine that makes her relive her most painful memories visually and will electrocute her if she gets too angry. While an intriguing concept, which could have played nicely into another back story or perhaps even story arc it ended to lead to another storyline to find out who the traitor in the midst is.

Gen 13 has always been New Mutants meets Big Brother, and at first, under the helm of J. Scott Campbell and Jim Lee it was refreshing, and could have been the X-Men for a new generation. Sadly this title reeks of wasted potential. The artwork is too heavy handed, and I don’t know if it’s a style thing for Oliver, but I could not find one panel where a character’s nose was not over-exaggerated or their eyes not crossed slightly. It was clearly amateurish. I had high hopes for this issue but I was ultimately disappointed.

I would have to give this book a five out of ten. The plotting, with a new storyline could be great, however it fails to meet its potential. The same could be said for the artwork. I would recommend this only for the avid collector who must get EVERY single issue of a particular title.

For the best book for 2008 so far, see my post on Battlestar at
http://www.comicbookjournal.net/battlestar-is-pure-dynamite/.