Comic Book Day: July 31 Comic Book Reviews

So apparently I'm too lazy to actually write my reviews when I say that I am going to. I completely skipped last week's review of Hawkeye Annual #1 and I forgot to even attempt in getting it up this week. So this is an apology to any readers who were looking for my reviews last week.

ANYWAY

Since I didn't announce it last week because I goofed, I'll make the announcement this week. I will now be writing reviews for readcomicbooks.net! I'm pretty excited to be working with this group of people and I look forward to sharing my reviews with more people than I would normally be able to. I'll be reviewing several of my current series for the website as well as some surprise series along the way. For this week's pull you can find my Captain Marvel #14 review on the website. You can also find my reviews from last week for Young Avengers #8 and Tomorrowland #1 there too! But on to the rest!

As always SPOILER WARNING FROM THIS POINT ON.

Guardians of the Galaxy #5

Guardians of the Galaxy #5 cover by
Sara Pichelli & Justin Ponsor
Image courtesy of comicbookmovie.com

The latest issue of Guardians introduces a new adversary for the galactic group of vigilantes and is beginning to show some of the rippling effects from the conclusion of the Age of Ultron. Peter Quill seeks help to find out why he is able to feel the break in reality that resulted from AoU. Bendis is handing out some solid writing in this issue, creating a sense of mystery around Peter. After some of the more explosive issues we've been seeing, the search for answers behind what is going on is a nice break that doesn't make the book feel stagnant. One thing I wish Bendis would focus a little more on is the characterization of the rest of the characters. We've seen plenty of Peter Quill, Stark and Gamora. I want more of Drax and Rocket and Groot. Drax is lucky if he gets a page to himself in these issues, even though he has the potential to be a really interesting character. Sara Pichelli has provided some good art throughout the books, complimenting the writing from Bendis. Her lines are a bit more angular, and more severe when it comes to the characters, but this actually works with the solid feel of the book. The final scene between Peter Quill and Thanos sets the next issue up for some really interesting answers to the questions that Bendis is asking throughout this issue. With the reintroduction of the Mad Titan I'm also intrigued to see how the events from Guardians of the Galaxy will tie into the Infinity event that is coming later this month. (FUN FACT: Infinity's first issue comes out on my birthday).

Verdict: 7 out of 10. Bendis and Pichelli have been giving us some good stuff, but I'm still waiting to see the great stuff.


X-Men #3 

X-Men #3 cover by
Olivier Copiel & Laura Martin
Image courtesy of Marvel Wiki

This latest issue of X-Men is the wrap-up issue of the opening arc for this adjective-less X-title. With the limitations of a short arc and the stopping point of last issue, Brian Wood finished on a definite strong note. While there are still many questions to be answered, their are definitely hints at the end of the book that the next few issues to come will give us what we're looking for. This book did feel a little disjointed because of the page hopping from Storm and her team in Budapest and Kitty Pryde at the school trying to stop the Danger Room from destroying everyone. Even though they were connected by Arkea, the two stories didn't mesh well together. Wood makes up for the script, once again, through the characters. The x-team that is not an x-team works really well together, it's fun to imagine what they could potentially accomplish in coming issues. Olivier Copiel's art once again knocks this book out of the park. Every panel is visceral, gritty and exciting. Copiel has a knack for taking these characters and making their emotions and actions pop off the page and into your head. This creative duo has given us some very exciting stuff and together I think they can bring this book to the top of the x-titles that Marvel is putting out right now. With the Battle of the Atom event coming up in September, it will be interesting to see what tie ins we get from this duo and how the events from this book will play a role in that story, if they will at all.

Verdict: 7.5 out of 10. A nice, neat wrap up that leaves me asking for more answers and action. I'm definitely looking for the next issue this month.

Comic Book Day: July 17 Comic Book Reviews

For me, this week has been smaller than the past few weeks. In more ways than just the new comics I picked up. Things are starting to slow down for me a little and since this summer has been busy and hectic, I am welcoming the chance to sit down and take a look at new titles that I have been meaning to read. As well as Young Avengers, Hawkeye, Captain Marvel and X-Men I have since added Guardians of the Galaxy, and East of West to my weekly pulls. I definitely look forward to reading more of these series as they come out, This week's reviews features a new title as well, at least new for me. So without further ado, let's get to it!

Warning: Potential Spoilers Ahead.

Avengers Assemble #17 

Avengers Assemble #17 cover by
Joe Quinones
Image courtesy of Marvel Wiki

This Avengers Assemble brings readers part 4 of The Enemy Within event happening across Captain Marvel and Avengers Assemble. I don't quite understand why an event surrounding one character (Captain Marvel) is spread out over three different books but that's just me complaining about nothing. One thing that Kelly Sue DeConnick has done masterfully over this current arc has been to create Carol Danvers as an "unreliable narrator," of sorts. No where is this seen more than in this book, when Carol even asks herself if the conflict with this mysterious enemy (I won't give it away) is all in her head. With the other instances throughout the books, like things disappearing and appearing out of nowhere, I found myself questioning the validity of Carol's mental state as the main character. DeConnick really has done a wonderful job in sowing those seeds of doubt in the reader, making you think that this could all be for nothing. Matteo Buffagni's art really does add to the book as well. His characters seem to be popping off the page, and I absolutely love the page design and layout. Buffagni brings an energy to the characters that feels as though it's lifting off the page and finding a home inside your brain. My personal favorite panel from this book was the team up with Captain Marvel and Captain America. Buffagni really captures the bad ass feeling of these two heroes teaming up in the middle of New York just the way that we wanted to see it.

Verdict: 7.5 out of 10. DeConnick and Buffagni are packing this crossover event with some really good stuff. Definitely looking forward to reading the finale.

That's really it for comic book reviews for this week. I'm trying to catch up on some series that I left in the dust and want to start reading again. Hopefully I'll have more next week. Also, I'll be announcing a fun surprise next Wednesday, so be on the lookout for that!

Comic Book Day: July 10 Comic Book Reviews

I realize that I am a little behind with my reviews for the week. As most of my readers know I have been very busy with working for Vox Magazine and the Columbia Missourian, both of which cause me to spend most of my time during the week working on stories and articles. This week's pull was definitely smaller (since I didn't have to catch up on Hawkeye any more) and I didn't have the funds to get the last few issues of Avengers, Daredevil, or FF. With an extremely small pull this week I felt like I could focus more on what these latest issues of Young Avengers and Hawkeye had to offer than I normally could.

As always, I give readers warning to FULL SPOILERS ahead. Proceed with caution.

Young Avengers Vol. 2 Issue #7 "Breakfast Meat" 

Young Avengers #7 cover by
Jamie McKelvie
Image courtesy of Marvel Wiki

How does Kieron Gillen cover the 3 month jump in time from the end of issue #5 to issue #7? Through the use of social media of course! While the use of social media to cover the missing plot is fantastic, this book has the feeling of being stagnant since the action hasn't moved forward in terms of what happened at the end of issue #7. This book does offer plenty of character goodies that Gillen has proven to be very adept at inserting into the narrative. Particularly with Kate Bishop. In the scene with the diner when Prodigy finally catches up with the Young Avengers, we see Kate fully accept her role as the team leader. She's cautious, strong and dives head first into being there for her team. The nuances between the team members shows a level of comfortableness that they have definitely reached. And with the return of Jamie McKelvie after his brief absence, he fully emphasizes that dynamic between the characters.  McKelvie's art once again knocks it out of the park. The montage of Prodigy tracking down the Young Avengers is definitely my favorite design of a page to date. This book offers so many little details that even I didn't catch until reading Gillen's writer notes that explained his decisions behind the script. If you aren't following Gillen on tumblr for that insight into his mind, then you really are missing out on an excellent look into the details and crafting of a great comic book in the Marvel NOW! line up.

Verdict: 8 out of 10.  The book hasn't moved too far forward in terms of plot, but there is some fantastic character growth and dynamics going on here.

Hawkeye Issue #12

Hawkeye #12 cover by
Francesco Francavilla
Image courtesy of
fuckyeahavengingarcher.tumblr.com

While Francesco Francavilla brings a 180 switch in art style to this issue, Hawkeye #12 is still visually stunning. The lines are less blurry, the coloring is darker and the issue takes a step away from the light hearted, whimsical feel of David Aja's art. Overall, this issue offers an overarching narrative to Hawkeye's life that we haven't fully received in the past issues. We get to see the beginnings of what has made Clint Barton become the Clint Barton we know and love. Even with Clint taking a back seat in this issue, since he is only seen around the end of the book, the story adds another facet to Clint's life. Coming from a broken family with an abusive father, we see the trail that he has walked and how it ties into what he has become. While the issue can feel a bit removed from the rest of the series, we still have the continuity with the tracksuit mafia and even a short appearance from Lucky (AKA Pizza Dog). Without having direct interaction with Hawkeye in the book, these are the best ways that Fraction and Francavilla still keep the feel of the past issues going. I'm excited to see what comes next with Barney Barton and the back story that we are finally seeing on Hawkeye. Fraction keeps these stories coming and he continues to impress.



Verdict: 9 out of 10. I loved getting to see a book dedicated to where Hawkeye came from. As I always say with Matt Fraction... more please?

Comic Book Day: June 26 Comic Book Reviews

My pull for this week was a little smaller in terms of newer issues. But even without new issues lining my comiXology shopping cart, I still managed to spend $25 on comic books in one sitting. Mainly because I decided that I was going to catch up with Matt Fraction's Hawkeye book because I was so freaking excited about the Pizza Dog issue that came out. I still have a few titles that I desperately need to catch up on (Captain Marvel, Avengers and All New X-Men mainly) but I decided to focus on the three newest issues that I deemed most important to me at the moment. So without further ado, my reviews of the latest in Young Avengers, X-Men and Hawkeye! As always there will be SPOILERS.

Young Avengers Vol. 2 Issue #6: The Toll 

Young Avengers #6 cover by
Jamie McKelvie & Matthew Wilson
Courtesy of comicvine.com

The first thing I have to say is that Tommy is back! We finally get to see a little but of what Speed has been up to since the end of Children's Crusade. He and Prodigy, a former mutant, band together to take on the ultimate teenage task: working a boring temp job. With this being the beginning of a new story arc for Young Avengers, Kieron Gillen is setting up a new plot with a new, sinister villain materializing out of Tommy's past to contend with. I was slightly upset that we didn't get the wise-cracking, sarcastic Tommy we had been left with, but the new characterization by Gillen does seem promising. I'm not as familiar with Prodigy, but I did love the opening sequence with him answering phones as a tech assistant. I have no idea where these two actually work, but it seems perfectly suited to their respective abilities. Gillen has done a masterful job at capturing what a day job for a super hero actually could be. This book also featured the artistic talents of Kate Brown. It's definitely not the same art as the first arc, but it embraces the style with its own flair. It looks a little darker, but Brown has done a great job of capturing the dynamics between the characters. The art doesn't pop off the page as much, but it still works to tell the story in a dynamic way. With the exciting and mysterious finish to this book, Gillen and his team seem to be promising exciting things to come in this arc.
Verdict: 9 out of 10. there are definitely exciting things to come with this arc. I feel it in the Force.

X-Men Vol. 4 Issue #2 

X-Men #2 cover by
Olivier Copiel & Frank Martin
Image courtesy of comixology.com

In the last issue there was a lack of action and violent destruction of buildings (which I said was actually a good thing for a first issue). In this second issue, however, we are starting to see more violence, and definitely more teamwork between the new X-team line up. The wonderful thing about Brian Wood, is that he doesn't sacrifice the storyline for a few bits of combat. You can see as Rogue and Kitty fight Arkea in the Jean Grey School, the story continues to move forward. We learn more about the enemy in the fight sequences than we would if they were just explained to us in conversation. Because the action of the panels, and the visual aspects of the book help to drive the story forward. While Rogue is swinging away, we get chilling quips from Arkea coupled with the glare of Karima Shapandar's deadpan eyes. The art once again is stunning, dark and dynamic. Olivier Copiel matches the style of the panels perfectly with the tone of the characters. Not only do we get to read about Jubilee becoming a more stark and grown up character, but we get to see it as well. Copiel brings the care and devotion that Jubilee has for this baby (now known as Shogo) to life on the page. This issue was jam packed full of goodies, with great art and the driving storyline that had a pretty sweet cliff hanger. I honestly can't wait for the next issue to come out in July.

Verdict: 8.5 out of 10. Wood and Copiel are stepping up their game, showing that this book and these ladies are not to be messed with.


Hawkeye Issue #11: Pizza is My Business 

Hawkeye #11 cover by
David Aja
Image courtesy of comixology.com

OK everyone, let's be honest with ourselves. Who wasn't excited as hell for an issue of Hawkeye entirely dedicated to Pizza Dog!? We have gotten comics about super hero pets before, but this is definitely my favorite one to date. I can't help but smile like an idiot while following Pizza Dog's adventures around his home. With very little (understandable) dialogue, the book still allows for the story to move forward. This book couldn't have been as interesting as it was without the amazing art by David Aja. I absolutely adored every single page while reading. The way Aja captured the mundane abilities a dog has, like the heightened sense of smell and hearing, was brilliant. This issue didn't need dialogue to keep the action moving simply because each panel told a story that fit so well together, dialogue would have bogged it down. And the story itself fit neatly into the last issue, with a little bit of closure on Gil, and picking up from the final scene of #10. And Pizza Dog gets his own action scenes as well, which was fun and interesting. During one of the scenes I vowed to never buy another book if they killed him. There is no doubt that Aja and Fraction are delivering an outstanding series right now. Hawkeye has easily moved up to the  top of my reading list due to the fantastic storyline and the beautifully, unique art. No other book I am reading looks like this one and I love it!

Verdict: 9.5 out of 10. Pizza Dog delivers just as much punch and adorableness as Hawkeye does. Can we have another? 

X-Men, or Should I Say X-Women, Getting the Stage they Deserve

Last week Marvel released the new X-Men Vol. 4 featuring writer Brian Wood and artist Olivier Coipel. The new edition to the X-story features an all female cast, with a line up that includes Rachel Grey, Storm, Psylocke, Kitty Pryde and Jubilee. From my understanding this is the first book that features an all female X-Men team, and even in this first issue Wood is showing that these women are not to be messed with (if you didn't know that already).

The story starts off with Jubilee making her way across the globe to get back to the Jean Grey School, towing along a baby boy that she rescued from certain peril. This is the cutest baby ever seen in a comic book, hands down.  While Jubilee is traveling by plane and train, she is being followed not-so-subtly by an old enemy of the X-Men, John Sublime. Sublime goes to seek asylum with the X-Men, and also attempts to warn them of an ancient enemy returning to Earth to sow destruction and despair. 

X-Men Vol. 4 #1 cover by Olivier Coipel.
Image courtesy of Marvel Wiki

Basically, this first book is setting up for some great things to come out of this series. Wood is already promising a plot-dense run that will keep readers wanting more. Already, with the end of the book, I am eagerly awaiting the next issue to come out. Wood is providing excellent story that isn't action driven. The only action scene in this first issue is (SPOILERS) Rogue derailing a train in order to stop a head on collision. The rest of the book sets up what is to come, developing the plot right off the bat with a hidden enemy that already seems to be driving the plot forward. 

The characters in the new X-Men book have been well established by Wood, as well. Wood is setting up for some great dynamics to come along in the future. Especially between Storm and Jubilee, which could definitely come in to play around the new child that Jubilee is toting around. Each of these women are strong and tough, and the characterization of the team and how they work together is one of the things I am most excited to see play out. 

The fact that the entire cast is women also makes this book a great opportunity for Marvel to take on commentary with feminism. Marcel's women have always been strong and capable, but here we have a book that is saying "we are a team of women, and we can save the world without the guys help, bring it on." And Wood is bringing that to the table right away. 

Coipel has some great art in the book as well. I've been a fan of his since House of M and I am excited to follow his work again. He did a great job of bringing the characters to life on the page. In the panel where Storm glares at Jubilee when they are discussing the child, I honestly could feel the anger and suspicion lifting off the page.

All together, I think we have a good pairing of characters, plot and art to continue driving this story. Wood and Coipel are planning some big things for this run, especially in the opening arc. While this entire first issue was just exposition for things to come, it's exciting to see the direction these powerful X-women can take us. The next issue is set to release on June 26, and you can be sure that it will be in my shopping cart.