Browsing: Review

Open Source: A wonderful idea that leads to some very questionable results.  I’m referring, of course, to the old Wikipedia entry for Star-Lord, which is not merely confusing but utterly useless and has in fact been known to cause dementia and heart palpitations in laboratory mice. The simple truth of the matter is that Star-Lord’s backstory is HIGHLY confusing, filled with golden intentions and tangled antecedents, and while there’s a lot going on, some of it is practically incomprehensible. Blame that on 70’s Marvel’s rotating Editors-In-Chief, or perhaps the need to fill hundreds of pages on relatively short notice. Either way,…

It’s a wonder the series is doing as well as it is Another issue down and the plot thicken. Even against everyone’s predictions Countdown is actually getting better as the series progresses. We’ve confirmed Countdown is leading to the next big event that is Final Crisis, and we’re seeing its cause in these pages (here and all the tie-in issues being forced down our throats). Without further ado, let’s rundown the major highlights from Countdown #40.

Or – “What Civil War Did For Ms. Marvel, World War Hulk Has Done For H4H…” And by that I mean it’s brought character development to a complete halt, thrust the likable characters into a situation which doesn’t really do them any favors, and so far hasn’t really made a whit of difference on the overall conflict. But I’m not entirely bitter, as I suspect that the WWH sales bump is going to keep Heroes For Hire on the stands longer, and hopefully give us a chance to get back to the stories that brought me here. Either way, Misty…

Or – “How To Really Make An Impact As A Legionnaire…” As I may have mentioned before, the early days of the Legion of Super-Heroes are a continuity cop’s nightmare, with strange developments galore as the team cameoed their way across the Superman universe, rolling through the accumulated lore of their parent title on their way to building an empire. On the way, the varying writers made for some really inconsistent storytelling, such as the fact that all Legionnaires were supposed to have one UNIQUE super-power even though Kryptonian powerhouse Tom Welling and his identically powered cousin Laura Vandervoort were…

There’s a new genre in town – the made for movies television show. I had a chance to go watch the Simpsons Movie yesterday, and I have to tell you, I wasn’t impressed. Instead of going into a long review of the movie, I’ve got my thoughts after the jump.

Or – “It’s Interesting When A Character I Love Returns To The Spotlight…” …especially when it’s a character that virtually nobody else has heard of. Star-Lord is one of the old-school fave-raves from the days of the Marvel black and white magazines (I also have a soft spot for The Zombie and anyone who appeared in ‘Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu’) even though his characterization and backstory varied wildly through his history. The one thing that seemed to maintain, however, was his sarcasm (bordering on misanthropy in some cases) and a sardonic wit. Pete was one of the high points of…

Or – “Buffy Is Officially A Phenomenon.  Again…” The first issue of BtVS:S8 (pronounced “Betivisate”) ranked #9 on Diamond’s sales charts for March of this year, in a month that also featured the death of Captain America, the debut of Mighty Avengers, the last issue of the opening arc of Justice League of America, and the sales juggernaut that is Dark Tower.  Each subsequent issue has been hovering just outside the top ten, an astonishing feat for a Dark Horse title with no capes or costumes in sight.  Even at our store (Gatekeeper Hobbies, Huntoon & Gage, Topeka!  Ask where Mr. Mxyzptlk…

What’s the point of this series again? If you could go back and tell all the Batman origin stories in multi-part tales to amuse and astound readers, you would have Batman Confidential. Unfortunately, the first arc didn’t do a darn thing for me, and I couldn’t tell you if it told the origin of the Batplane, Batmobile, or Batcycle. It was just so booooooorrrrriiiiiiinnnnnnggggg. When issue #7 arrived at my door, with the promise of telling the true origin of the Joker, my interest was piqued, and I’m going to stick with the series, for not other reason than I’m…

Or – “The Very Existence Of This Issue Puzzles Me Greatly.” The new Thunderbolts title has been hit and miss for me, with the art bordering on obnoxiously photo-referenced, and the story reveling in the personal excesses of some VERY unpleasant psycho-slash-sociopaths. Penance, especially, has been a hard nut to crack in terms of characterization, ranging from whiny to suicidal to strangely upbeat when he tried to convince Rich to join the Initiative. For me, the most successful Thunderbolts moment may not actually be in continuity, coming when Squirrel Girl confronted Penance about his new ’emo’ identity in the GLI/Deadpool…

Or – “Is He Man… Or Monster? And Will He Figure Out Which Before It’s Too Late?” One of the fascinating things about World War Hulk to me is the underlying justification of the Hulk’s actions. He is acting out of vengeance for his wife, his unborn child, and his subjects on Sakaar, all of whom counted on him for protection. His reasoning, while brutal, is sound, and he pointed out to the Invisible Woman that she would be doing the same thing if HE killed Reed and her children, and she couldn’t really argue with him. Really, the whole…

Or – “For The Love Of Pie, SOMEBODY Do SOMETHING!!” It’s been a little more than two months since we saw the last issue of Mighty Avengers, and, I admit it, I whined about the last issue. Indeed, I’ve whined about the last three issues, with their glacial plot development, tons of cheesecake shots and still almost no hints as to what in the Aitch-Ee-Double-Hockey-Sticks is going on. Finally, we have some developments on the explanatory front, but is it enough to overcome seventy-odd pages of standing around saying one thing while thinking another?

Or – “After Several Issues Of Torture, It’s Time For A Little TLC…” That, by the way, is LITERAL, physical torture of one of the main characters, not the colloquial sense of “torture to read the issues.” After the breakneck pace of the Check/Out crossover, it’s time for a little housekeeping. The Black Queen has been through hell, Mr. Terrific is embroiled in a game of political chess, and Fire is still hurting from having her past actions made public. They’re all spotlighted in an issue that lacks combat, but ties up a few loose ends (including some from another…

Just some guys having fun, ya’ know? Way back in February, I was sent a copy of Toxic Shock Comics #1 for review, and quite frankly it got set aside amidst the mad writing and hectic schedule of dealing with too many things happening at once. I didn’t want to be “one of those guys” that take creators up on the offer of free comics, and never write a review, so here’s your Major Spoilers Indie Review of Toxic Comics #1. Reader Warning: Images may not be suitable for all readers.

Or – “This Just In: Former Captain America Steve Rogers Is Still Dead…” That joke courtesy of the 1970’s, a time when Chevy Chase was actually funny. Ed Brubaker seems to be following through on his promise to make this death meaningful in more than just a “When will he be back?” fashion. The effect of Steve’s loss on his friends and coworkers is profound, with some seeking redemption, some seeking vengeance, and at least one seeking an outlet for his profound sense of guilt. If you had asked me ten years ago if I thought we’d ever see Bucky…