Category Archives: Reviews

Shadowman #0 Review

 Shadowman #0 (8)

For hundreds of years the Shadowmen have guarded our world from the horrors of the nightmare realm known as the Deadside and opposed the mysterious sorcerer known only as Master Darque. Should Darque make his way to Earth, all life as we know it could cease to exist. But who is Master Darque? Where did he come from? And does current Shadowman Jack Boniface have any hope of defeating this seemingly unstoppable force?

 

The Good

Art- Robert De La Torre, Mico Suayan, Lewis LaRosa and Neil Edwards handle the art this issue and while so many names on a single book usually causes jarring issues with consistency this issue pulls it off pretty damn well. The eyes of the twins on that opening page are chilling and the reanimated dead bunny gave me flashes of Pet Cemetery. Good times al around!

Action- Not a whole lot of action in this issue but right at the end of the book things ramp up significantly which does add to the climax of the tale.

Emotional- A great origin tale touches you on a very personal level and this one connected with me on just such a level. Nicodemo and his sister like every child love their father and want to be loved in return. To that end they allow themselves to be groomed by him in the art of magic despite the sacrifices they have to make both physically and emotionally. The plantation setting was also the perfect choice for staging this origin. This issue is dark and foreboding peppered with moments of happiness between the twins which only add to the emotional crescendo which happens at the end.

The Bad

Black Heroes- Only the cover showed the titular hero, the villain took over this issue and scampered off with my heart.

Twin Cliché- This is a dead beaten horse at this point were fraternal twins (Boy and girl) always seem to have this creepy incestuous connection of some kind. You can be loving to your sister surely but comics often take a sexual overtone that’s……..creepy.

Cover- Not a fan of any of the covers this month, none of them seem appropriate, last month’s cover should have been saved for this origin tale.

 

The Ugly

Shadowman #0 is simply beautiful. From Page one until the end I was glued to my seat eyes on the page the world around me simply a blur. This is arguably the best written and drawn single issue of this entire modern Shadowman run. We highly recommend you head into the shadows and buy this man! 4.5/5


Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #23 Review

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #23 (1)

 

“SPIDER-MAN NO MORE!”

Will tragedy force Miles to quit?!

Bombshell is back!

An all new Cloak and Dagger!!!

 

 

The Good

Cover- Very literal but illustrated well. We have Miles Morales walking away from the Spider-Man costume which has been placed in a dumpster. While Miles walks away the rain of course is pouring overhead. The Dumped costume is in the foreground while Miles is in the Middle ground with the tall buildings in the background.

Art- I thought I would have missed Sarah Pichelli but I’m happy to report we have nothing to worry about since Dave Marquez handles expressions as well as she did, if not better! The characters all have rich expressive eyes

Humor- Ganke is a pure unadulterated geek and his love of legos as a teenager (and from the looks of it heading into adulthood) has the expected reaction from girls. He has pretty much no game whatsoever! Hilarity ensues! I also love that look of pride on Miles Father’s face when he thought Miles had a thing going on with Gwen Stacey. That right there is priceless! Oh and that ‘we thought you were gay” speech? Hilarious!

Women- Miles is clearly still reeling from his mother’s death and has distanced himself from anything related to his superhero life including Gwen Stacey and Spider-Woman but this issue I can actually see him hooking up with both because of the shared traumatic history they have thanks to heroics. He may think Spider Woman can’t relate to his loss but she has all the memories of Peter  Parker, she lost uncle Ben, she lost Peter Parker, the life she remembers and even her gender identity for crying out loud, this chick gets it! As for Gwen Stacey she had to watch Peter fall for Mary Jane, her dad died, Peter died, she died and came back! Yeah he has far more in common with these two than he realizes and I’m hoping Bendis goes down that road.

Black Hero- Miles Morales is our star and some of that shine I saw back during his debut has returned, hopefully Bendis can take us off the predictability rail and inject more originality back into this book!

Little touches- Small details made this issue more enjoyable than the entire Venom War. Details like the growth spurt of Miles and Ganke, Ganke not being so fat anymore and Miles entering the thralls of puberty. Having a girlfriend was nice as well, and considering her mainstream 616 counterpart if the female Hawkeye things are about to get exciting!

 

The Bad

One Year Later- Time jumps are a double edged sword, sure it worked for Dragon Ball Z but when Claremont tried it after the first X-men movie for “revolution” he almost destroyed the X-men brand and lead to the death of X-man, Generation X and X-Force. The execution by Bendis will either grab new fans or alienate old ones. Tight rope time guys, and my microscope is on those Sales Figures!

Spider Woman- Ok, don’t get me wrong since she is a female cone of the now dead Peter Parker but the illustration of her on the roof was terrible! She had shoulders as wide as her hips and those hips made her look like she had quite a few butt shots while still having those stick figure legs. What’s worst when she gets illustrated in the latter half of the book she has none of these problems! Simply terrible!

 

The Ugly

Ultimately this is a step in the right direction for a book that had gotten terrible formulaic and predictable. Great art, great character driven story and exciting new developments make this my favorite Bendis book this month! 4/5


The Fearless Defenders #4 Review

The Fearless Defenders #4 (2)

Come for the banter, stay for the surprises!

Everything Valkyrie knows about her origin is wrong!

And Caroline LeFay unleashes her Doom Maidens upon the world!

 

 

The Good

Art- Considering where the story has gone the art may very well be the most impressive thing in this book despite some still and weird poses here and there.

Alternate Cover- Absolutely sexy in every sense of the word! Our much more appropriate alternate cover with Dani Moonstar in her Valkyrie garb fixing her bow while holding a glowing arrow. Good stuff!

Action- Clashing swords and fire breathing monsters destroying cities are all here.

Chemistry- The team is already showing nice dynamics and play off each other well. This bodes well for the future.

Black Hero- Misty Knight keeps rocking that fro and gives us an excuse to pick up this book.

Humor- One thing you can’t fault this book on is its sense of humor thanks to the very over the top Hippolyta.

 

The Bad

Cover- Sure Valkyrie is scantily clad but can’t say I’m a fan of everything else that’s present.

Retcon- There are two ways to look at the retcon in this issue. 1) Valkyrie’s new past will enhance (hopefully) her status quo in this series and if the book is successful and well met by critics it will impact the rest of the marvel universe. 2) This retcon will go the way of most marvel retcons and the dodo and lead to nothing more than what can be accomplished in this book.

Underutilized- I’m happy they decided to make Misty a co-lead in this book but I’m also curious why most writers including this one can’t find creative ways to use her Stark Tech bionic arm. This thing Liquefies all meat up-close thanks to Savage land Vibranium contained therein it can generate repulsors like the iron man armor yet all this never gets used or mentioned since Daughters of the Dragon #4 way back when!

Art- Some panels are flat and have characters have proportion problems

 

 

The Ugly

I’m not impressed really but it’s not the very worst thing on the shelves 2.5/5


Avengers (2013) #11 Review

 

Avengers2013#11 (1) 

“WAKE THE DRAGON”

As Shang-Chi battles an ancient enemy, the Avengers hang out in Hong Kong’s swankiest casino.

Captain Marvel, Black Widow and Spider-Woman find out it doesn’t pay to gamble in the spy business.

Cannonball and Sunspot play craps with a bunch of AIM Agents. AND WIN!

 

The Good

Cover- This one looks damn awesome! Shang Chi front and center flanked by Sunspot, Black Widow, Cannonball, Wasp and Spider woman all in Asian inspired garb. As I said before it looks pretty damn awesome! Hickman needs to get this commissioned as a poster because it would surely sell!

Art-Mike Deodato’s art is simply divine! Seamless action scenes, smooth sexy well defined/toned bodies and that close up of Captain Marvel’s eyes was just breath taking.

Humor- Hickman as usual manages to squeeze a bit of humor into the tale by using Sunspot and Cannonball’s drunken shenanigans with the AIM soldiers and Black Widow’s proposal for information gathering and the teams reaction to it.

Team- This month’s mission was an infiltration and information and gathering one. Each member of the team some in pairs decided to go about information gathering in a different way. Cannonball and Sunspot manage to buy themselves some AIM double agents. Black Widow kills everyone much to the dismay of Spider-Woman. Captain Marvel meets Mathias at the black jack table where he cheats her out of massive winnings and reveals he’s in Hong Kong to buy, not to sell. Shang Chi meanwhile meets the mysterious Chimera and his ninjas. He proceeds to kick copious amounts of ass with his new Stark made electric powered nunchaku, oh and he learns exactly the information they were meant to. 

Black Heroes- Sunspot is our lucky bloke this issue with Captain Universe and Nightmask taking a break I guess.

 

 

 

The Bad

 While I did enjoy this issue it did feel like filler until the next arc began.

 

 

The Ugly

Breathtaking art, great sense of humor though this issue was filler. 3.5/5


Uncanny X-force (2013) #4 Review

 uncanny X-force 2013 4 (2)

The first arc comes to a crazy climactic end!

What have Fantomex and Cluster been up to while Bishop has been killing the rest of X-Force?

 

The Good

Interior Art- The one good thing that elevates a mediocre book to average is the art courtesy of Ron Garney carry the heavy weight of the weak story on its shoulders and man does it rise to the occasion. I particularly like how Garney renders the astral plane/mindscape of Bishop. The bright glowing orange energy that Bishop wields is also quite nice.

uncanny X-force 2013 4 (6)Cover- The Alternate cover featuring Storm and Puck is a better visual than the standard but not by much.

Psylocke and Spiral- So a broken Spiral lost her new “reason” for living, Jinny who she assume has been killed by Bishop. While Psylocke hates Spiral for what has been done to her in the past there are parallels that can be drawn between herself and Psylocke. Sure Spiral helped to mix and switch her mind with the Asian assassin Kwonnon thus making her the woman she is now, the process itself was a combination of passing through the seige perilus, magic and technology at it’s very worst. Spiral meanwhile in the human guise of Ricochet Rita was abducted by mojo, driven mad and cybernetically and biologically modified and used by Mojo to do many unspeakable things including but not limited to what was done to Psylocke. In many ways these women are far more similar than they are different. For this reason I think Psylocke faltered in killing Spiral after Jinny was “lost/killed”. One of only two good reasons to read this opening arc is that this issue convincingly paints Spiral as a woman who is worthy of redemption thus justifying her attachment to this team.

Action- Well the story may have lacked any real substance but there was glorious action from start to finish.

Black Hero- Storm is here. Bishop is also here.

 

The Bad

WTH- Ok so let’s see if I get what has happened in this opening arc. Bishop serves as a “vehicle/vessel” to transport this revenant psychic entity across time so it can take possession of the psychic Jinny to enhance its own powers. Once it has her it vacates Bishop’s body and disappears. So the opening was just that……seriously!

Black Hero- Storm is here but she does nothing worthwhile besides hug Psylocke which is typical of their friendship but arriving at that hug was very forced and unnatural. uncanny X-force 2013 4 (4)

Fantomex- I’m not impressed by what’s being done with Fantomex * 3, it was amusing at the end of the last X-force run but seems inconsequential and pretty damn lame. Wherever this is going, it isn’t there yet and I’m not sure I’m sticking around to find out.

Ninja- They keep referring to Spiral as a Ninja but as far as I can remember she was always a sorceress…..why is she labeled as a ninja all of a sudden? Weird…..

Cover- The Fantomex twins are on this cover look cut and pasted on a bland background. Uncanny X-force is underwhelming me at every step.

 

The Ugly

Utterly disappointing in almost every area, I had high hopes for this book because it teamed Storm and BFF Psylocke but I’m still waiting for something engaging to happen, something exciting, something remotely interesting to make my heart skip a beat but Uncanny X-force has not lived up to my expectations. Storm fans abandon ship this is not the wind rider we expected or wanted. Psylcoke fans perhaps this may be worth it for you but it’s tragic how average it is 2.5/5


Midnight Tiger #1 Review

Midnight Tiger (1)

 In the almost lawless city of Apollo Bay, high school student Gavin Shaw takes on the role as it’s sole protector. The acrobatic Midnight Tiger! Gavin wants nothing more than to release the stranglehold the criminal have on his city, but if he keeps getting in to trouble at school his dad is going to kill him before he even has the chance.
    
    Having lost all hope in the heroes of his world, fate steps in and gives young Gavin Shaw the power to do the things they have not. Only as the teenage hero Midnight Tiger does his city have a chance at redemption.

The Good

Cover-Our brand new hero gets most of the spotlight on this cover with the logo neatly stacked at the top with the names of all the contributors at the bottom. The Midnight Tiger’s costume also gets highlighted under the pale blue hue of the moon. It looks pretty damn cool!

midnighttiger1

Art- For the most part the art was great. Particularly the action scenes and that costume! I love the costume!

Villains- The issue gets kicked off with a bang as we meet P-Stone an almost dead ringer for Milestone comics Holocaust and Infernus seems like a deliciously psychotic piece of villain pie whose power set will no doubt prove formidable for our hero.

Humor- Ray Anthony Height has a great sense of humor and manages to squeeze it into this tale without it feeling forced. I like!

Character- Gavin is an interesting character. His school life is reminiscent of a young Peter Parker/Spiderman and Static/Virgil Hawkins. There are also allusions to what may have happened to his mother, a recent tragedy no doubt. He also has to deal with living up to his father’s expectations while pretending to be a normal teenager while dealing with crime fighting and school. It’s a winning formula though not wholly original; if Gavin can connect with the teenage boy demographic he’ll have loyal fans for life!

Black Heroes- Apart from Gavin/Midnight Tiger we also have a super powered villain P-Stone. Both look great and bring to mind such great in the black hero pantheon as Static/Virgil Hawkins and Holocaust both created by the late, great Dwayne Mcduffie for the now defunct Milestone comics.

The Bad

Typo- On page 17 there’s a typo. The sentence reads “Do you no remember all the drugs being sold?” unless I’m mistaken it should read “Do you not remember all the drugs being sold?”

Faces- Gavin, his father and his friend from school have weird faces. Something is seriously off; hopefully this can be fixed in upcoming releases.

The Ugly

For a first issue this one is pretty solid. Great costume, action, interesting villains, plenty of potential and a great dose of humanity; the Midnight Tiger by Ray Anthony Height is a must read for Black Superhero fans and a solid addition to superhero mythology.  Look out world this Tiger has claws! 4/5


Earth 2 #9 and #10 Review

earth2 #9

As a new story arc begins, DR. FATE makes his Earth 2 debut!

Supernatural powers are emerging on Earth 2, and that means new heroes on the scene—not to mention new villains!

Plus: The debut of the new Wotan!

 

Summary

Hawkgirl meets with Khalid with whom she worked in the past. She wants him to become don the helmet of Fate to assist the world in a coming conflict. He refuses but she convinces him to check on Flash. When he does he finds flash facing off with members of the World Army who take his moth hostage. He manages to intervene only for himself, Flash and Flash’s mom to be whisked away.

What I liked

I love the diversity in this book. This is what I expected from DC Comcis New 52 initiative but only Earth 2 plans to give real diversity a chance. Black Hawkgirl was here, Egyptian heir to the Helmet of Nabu, Gay Green Lantern and white party boy Flash. Oh and let’s not forget the debut of the new Wotan! Good times ahead!

I like the consequences of the opening arc spilling out into our heroes lives. Flash’s mom gets drawn into the conflict with the world army and every TV station is busy talking about the returns of “wonders”. There is an ominous prediction of a new threat emerging and we also get answers to the question of how Hawkgirl found Flash in the opening arc and how she arrived there, thanks to Khalid.

The art was pretty good.

 What I didn’t like

This issue’s alternate cover is simply the inks of the standard and unfortunately they lose way too much gloss for it to be a viable alternative and that’s coming from someone who goes crazy for inks only anything.

The art was not as consistent as I would have liked honestly.

 Overall

There are a few weak pints in the art but the world feels real and organic with ripple effects everywhere and the execution of diversity without any tokenism makes this the very best book DC Comics is currently publishing 4/5

earth2 #10

As Wotan holds The Flash’s mother hostage, Khalid must finally come to terms with his destiny as Doctor Fate!

Summary

Wotan explains why he’s brought Flash and company to this weird dimension. He takes Flash’s mom hostage and sends Flash and Khalid into the tower of fate to retrieve Fate’s helmet for him.

Elsewhere Alan Scott meets with his dead fiancé’s father feeling guilty he was the cause of his Boyfriend’s death. The father reveals his son was the target not Allan. Filled with righteous rage he cuts through the criminal underground to find out why his boyfriend was targeted but can find no answers. He tracks down Hawkgirl for aid.

Inside the tower Khalid and Flash bond as they come face to face with the great beast.

What I liked

Love the art it was more consistent than last issue. The standard and alternate covers also looked good. Flash cutting loose was a welcome change and Hawkgirl dealing with the remnants of Apokalips was also a nice touch. The Green Lantern bonding sequence with his “would be” father in law was heartwarming and points out the problem with disproving of your child and not letting them know you love them until it’s too late.

 What I didn’t like

This issue is very explosion heavy that may put off some fans. The brightness of the colors may also be jarring to others. If your new to the series this should not be your jumping on point because it’s not new reader friendly at all.

 Overall

This book continues to be one of the only reasons to give DC Comics your money besides Batwing because let’s face it the tokenism that most none white heroes are subjected to should not be supported or condoned in any way 4/5


Batwing #20 Review

batwing20 1

 This issue answers the question that’s been on everyone’s mind: Who is Batwing?

The Good

Cover- Luke strikes a pose on this one while a large Marabunta foot soldier stands imposingly in the background. The contrast between the red background and Luke’s blue suit make this a very striking book on the stands.

Action- This issue is full of flying fists, shattered jaws, explosions and bullets keep this one engaging from start to finish.

Luke Fox- Luke is definitely no David Zavimbe. David was inspired to stop crime because of a tragic past Luke is a glory hound and adrenaline junkie. This leads to a leap into the fray without thinking personality which even in this first adventure proves to be his undoing. Luke also has a serious rebellious nature and problem with authority/father figures. Batman doesn’t quite realize the loose ball he’s taken up. This issue he goes off with Batman’s knowledge half cocked and gets leveled by Lion Mane.

Villains- Lion Mane his three wives: and the entire marabunta team (Lady Marabunta). All interconnected and all making for a very cool book.  The redesign of lion mane is interesting and leads to some creepy bestiality thoughts in relation to his “wives”, Lion Mane also roves too much for Batwing who’s caught off guard and left him battered and defeated.

New Tech- So apart from the kick ass new costume tech based bats called “Vapor bats” that can release sleeping gas his own “Batmobile” armed with missiles, able to fly and float, oh and a sweet looking bike as well. I like it!

Secrets- This is one of the things that makes me chuckle at the potential dram that could ensue. Batman has hired Luke as the new Batwing, Luke has no idea Bruce Wayne is Batman. Luke Fox is supplying tech to Bruce/Batman but has no idea Batman has now given said tech to his only son whose life is now in mortal danger constantly.

Art- The art by Eduardo Pansica and Julio Ferreira looks pretty good. They have a style well suited to the action heavy scenes which add to the flow of the fights. Also subtle touches like Luke’s bulging biceps and the shattered marabunta suits add copious touches to the story.

The Bad

While I did like the art it had inconsistencies here and there.

I miss David Zavimbe……….

The Ugly

Overall Batwing is still an enjoyable read with lots of action, a new protagonist ad loads of potential! 4/5


Uncanny X-men (2013) #5 Review

uncannyxmen2013#5 cover

Why did Magik emerge from her experience as part of the Phoenix Five unscathed–and perhaps more powerful than ever–while her teammates found their mutant gifts twisted?

 

 

The Good

Cover- The standard cover has a very distinctive style illustrating Cyclops leading a charge straight ahead optic blasts flaring while Emma tails in diamond form, Magic behind her soul sword blazing and Magneto floats in the background. I like it.

Villain- I don’t remember ever reading an x-men comic in which they tussled with Dormamu. Seeing him mix it up with Illyana was refreshing because it was “outside the box” and unconventional pairings is pretty much what I expect to mix things up in Marvel Now. Dormamu is a very formidable power

Art- Frazer Irving’s art looks great on all pages, especially the scenes between Magik and Dormamu.

Students- So we have our first batch of students; step ford girls, Young Angel, Chris etc. We get some cool interactions between the students  and they provide some humor to offset the more somber tone of the book.

Consequences- So Avengers vs X-men continues to haunt the “would be” remaining Utopia based X-men and former extinction team. Illyana is affected by the broken powers differently because her powers are not simply mutant based but also tinged with magic, the same problem that makes the scarlet Witch so dangerous. While she seems to have access to far more power as the Avengers Vs X-men event she has also apparently lost complete control of her demonic side. Dormamu also states that her damaged powers are not just affecting Limbo adversely but are also ripping his world apart……interesting……is she now accessing magic outside of the limbo dimension?

Black Heroes- Nick Fury jr makes an appearance and new mutant Chris.

The Bad

 Emma Frost- There is a moment between Emma, the Step fords  and Chris that seems out of character for her considering all the things she taught the step fords all these years.

Art- Some people will be put off by the art, some portions were a bit chaotic.

Black Hero- It’s cool Chris is getting the spotlight but does he have to constantly be the bud of all the jokes?

The Ugly

Overall this was an interesting divergence from what Bendis is doing with his All New X-men book. The new characters still need to find their voice if this book is going to remain on my pull list. There’s no wow factor in this book and characterization is at times hit and miss. Ive gotta give this one a 2.6/5


Dusu: Path of the Ancient #1 Review

Dusu Path of The Ancient #1 Cover

by Sebastian A. Jones, Christopher Garner, James C. Webster & Derrell May

Description

“Within every heart sleeps the animal.
The One awakened will be lord of all.”
– Galemren Proverb

Hidden from his kin and sheltered from his future, Dusu is raised among the Galemren (Wild Elves) in the secret heart of the Ugoma Jungle, a world in which he does not belong. But Dusu is not entirely human either. He is on the Path to something more… Dusu must focus his rage and become the savior of Ugoma before all he loves is destroyed.

 

The Good

Art- All I can say is WOW! Truly James C. Webster has been blessed bountifully by the art gods. You simply can do nothing more than awe at every page. The colors must also be noted as they create a symbiosis with the inks and pencils that bring everything to glorious life. It’s rare that one finds a book full of lush painted tapestry that you can only describe as a masterpiece but Dusu is that, if not more.Dusu Path of The Ancient #1 (5)

Mythology- This first issue introduces us to the culture of the Galemren a race of Dark elves, we learn the basics of their culture such as hunting, gathering, spirituality and even some of their myths. Sebastian A. Jones and Christopher Garner manage to give me just enough that I’m intrigued enough to want more, which is a very good thing! There’s also a bounty of additional information on the mythology and history of this fictional land and people. It’s free right now so go get it!

Black Hero- Dusu is a dark skinned human in a world not his own, possessing a destiny greater than himself while trying to live up to his father’s expectations and battling both sibling rivalry and jealousy. Dusu is very relate-able especially from a teenage perspective. These are clearly defined human behaviors and with the accompanying emotions that hopefully will pull fans in and keep them.

Story- Dusu is exactly the break black comic fans need from Marvel and Dc Comics with its accessibility and simple complexity. If you’re tired of all the crossovers (from DC and Marvel) and the need to head to Wikipedia constantly to enjoy your comic then Dusu is here to save you.Dusu Path of The Ancient #1 (6)

Preview- This issue also includes a few preview pages that literally leave me on the edge of my seat while sending all kinds of creepy chills down my spine. Good times ahead for this one!

Metaphor- I liked the story of the worm who desired a new home during the rain and upon finding it soon realizes that he is the one that needs to change not the world around him. This is clearly speaking of Dusu who himself needs to change to better fit into his world as opposed to finding a “special place” for himself.

Family Dynamics- This is another thing I enjoyed, Dusu is a tale of family, and coming of age mixed with African/Native American spirituality and culture. Sibling rivalry is also present as is living up to your parent’s expectations, being yourself and trying to fit in. This human aspect of the tale really pulled me deeper and made me empathize with Dusu. There was even a hinted brush of romance.

Action- I know a great many fans hate slower paced tales and luckily Dusu straddles the line that gives you just enough action without compromising the story elements. You have blood, guts and fists so action junkies should be pretty happy.

Free- I’m recommending all who read this review to take this link to view Dusu for free on Itunes or for computer users go here to Graphicly. Dusu is gorgeous and enchanting and you owe to yourself to experience it!

The Bad

Not enough Press- Dusu is one of those books you feel heartbroken it’s not getting the coverage it should. Thanks to Hannibal Tabu for the recommend on this one because before he gave it a shout out I didn’t know it existed.

Not Enough- You’re going to enjoy this so much you won’t want it to end.

The Ugly

Dusu is a breathtaking masterpiece that you owe yourself to read! Trust me, it’s that good! 5/5


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