So let's talk comics! Infinity and Battle of the Atom are fully underway at Marvel, Image is producing some great indie comics at the moment, and Dark Horse release the first issue of the new The Star Wars, which I'll be talking about shortly. Frankly the past few weeks have been a pretty good time for comics that are being published. On the other hand, DC editorial has been gaining some news and not in a good way. I may go more in depth on that later, but for now... REVIEWS!
As always, full spoiler warning ahead!
Infinity #2
Infinity is Marvel's cosmic and superhero event that is living up to the expectations. Jonathon Hickman has been providing plenty of action and drama to keep me engaged. One thing that seems to be pretty crucial to the story is picking up Avengers and New Avengers on the side. I've noticed that without picking up these tie-in titles, it could be pretty difficult to pick up the full story that Hickman is trying to tell. But if you haven't picked those up, the event series has been pretty great as well. Hickman's dramatic narration lends an air of urgency to the book, amping up the action. Hickman has a great pace going throughout the book as well. While there hasn't been one character to focus on yet, Hickman uses the cast of characters extremely well, wielding them masterfully to tell the story. The most intriguing part of the story for myself is the role of the Inhumans, especially because of the teasers to Inhumanity that Marvel has been giving, we can speculate that Black Bolt and his people will be playing a larger role in the story still to come. The art for the book has been great as well. While it was sad to see Jim Cheung leave the event after only one issue, we are still given a sense of continuity with the return of Jerome Opena and Dustin Weaver who have been working with Hickman on the Avengers series. The two artists compliment each other well, using more subdued shading to emphasize the drama of the story, but maintaining the clean, clear lines that bring a sense of solidity to the book. In all, this event is living up to the expectations and I look forward to seeing what comes next.
Verdict: 8/10. Things are getting heated in the Avengers' world. I can't wait to see how they handle it.
The Star Wars #1
If you weren't peeing yourself with excitement over the release of this comic, you must have been living under a rock for the past few months. I kid, of course, but this book is a Star Wars geek's biggest dream come true. The Star Wars is a comic book adaptation of George Lucas' original screenplay before we were given the iconic movie saga we know today. Written by J.W. Rinzler, the story is familiar yet completely foreign. Here is a universe that we know and love, that is almost a complete 180 degree flip from the movie. Annikin Starkiller is the main hero, Luke Skywalker is an old Jedi General and the Jedi were once the Emperor's personal bodyguards, not the intergalactic order they have come to be. It's incredibly interesting to see characters and objects begin as something entirely different than what their role becomes in the movies. Rinzler does a fantastic job at grounding this universe away from the Star Wars one that we know. He makes it clear that this is a different universe, a different set of rules, and he does it perfectly. The book looks gorgeous too. It has a simple design that leaves the panels clean and with little bleed over into other panels. There is little distraction from the incredibly detailed scenery that Mike Mayhew is creating. The shading and colors work so well together with the pencils that each panel looks like an oil painting coming to life. This was an incredibly strong first issue, and I can't wait to see what comes from the rest of this mini-series.
Verdict: 9.5/10. The wait for the next book will be a long. May the Force be with us while we wait.
Quantum & Woody #3
If you are looking for a comic book that will make you laugh and guffaw at the complete lack of political correctness, look no further. Quantum & Woody is a hilarious romp into the world of would-be superheroes. In this issue we see Quantum and Woody come face-to-face with the Nightmare Brigade. This issue finally brings us full circle to where we first meet the duo, as we see why they decide to plummet to the street from the 20th story window. This comic is very aware of what it does with the characters and dialogue, and they embrace it completely. If James Asmus was writing this story without fully engaging with its irreverence, then the entire book would be in bad taste. But Asmus takes what he's got and runs with it, causing this superhero duo to be a train wreck that you just can't look away from. Asmus does a great way of intertwining the humor of the book with the action, and doesn't sacrifice the story for a few laughs. Not only is this book funny, but it looks pretty damn great. The style is a little edgier, giving the book a nice indie flare. Tom Fowler doesn't use much shading, which is good for a book with a more humorous tone, as there isn't much need for extremely dramatic shading. The panels have great detail that makes them dynamic to look at. This book is engaging, from the story to the art. It really is the tale of the worst superhero team that has ever existed and I can't get enough of it.
Verdict: 9/10. This book is fun to read, and it does a good job of being completely un-politically correct.
Infinity #2
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| Infinity #2 cover by Adam Kubert photo courtesy of comicsalliance.com |
Verdict: 8/10. Things are getting heated in the Avengers' world. I can't wait to see how they handle it.
The Star Wars #1
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| The Star Wars #1 cover by Nick Runge photo courtesy of nydailynews.com |
Verdict: 9.5/10. The wait for the next book will be a long. May the Force be with us while we wait.
Quantum & Woody #3
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| Quantum & Woody #3 cover by Tom Fowler photo courtesy of ValiantUniverse.com |
Verdict: 9/10. This book is fun to read, and it does a good job of being completely un-politically correct.
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