Comic Reviews: Dec 23 - Jan 6

I know it's been a while, and I apologize. This is a long post because I wasn't able to post two weeks back, plus last week was a non-comic-delivery week, so that set me back seven more days. So, while this is extensive, I hope it's enjoyed.

MARVEL:

Amazing Spider-Man #616: I’m really enjoying these two story arcs. It forces the writers to drop extraneous plot or dialogue and therefore create a pretty spartan story. I’m enjoying “The Gauntlet” so far, and I hope Marvel keeps it up.

Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without a Face #2:

David Hine takes the idea of a mad scientist and uses it well with Doctor Octopus. The scary thing about Otto is that he’s convinced he’s doing the right thing. I won’t go into detail, but it’s similar to eugenics. I’m still enjoying this series, and can’t wait to see where else they take it.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #6: Bendis brings back the Spider Slayers, however, they’re controlled by Mysterio this time. I’m still lamenting LaFuente’s art, but it’s not as distracting as it was.

Dark Tower: Battle of Jericho Hill #2: I’m buying this series only because of my loyalty to Stephen King, but I still find it to be colorful landscapes and deflated writing.

Siege #1:

This is Marvel’s latest "event." I’m glad that it’s only four issues though because I hate how a big event will then become a universe wide event with multiple tie-ins that try to sell more comics rather than build decent story lines. Siege is promising, plus it’s going to lead to the return of Marvel’s "Big Three." My only complaint is that the editors of the series didn’t check with Brubaker on his Captain America series. After reading this issue, you really won’t need to read Captain America: Reborn because the ending is already given here.

DC COMICS:

The Mighty #12: I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this series. I’m disappointed that it’s not a clear ending because it leaves room for more story. Now I worry that DC will end up beating the characters to death. But I think it shows that people can create new characters with interesting back stories and a well developed supporting cast.

Blackest Night #6:

This is consistently the best comic out there. While I loathe "events," I’m enjoying the hell out of this series. Ivan Reis best captures Geoff Johns’ expansive imagination, and he creates some of the most incredible splash pages. (Steve McNiven is also adept at this.) I urge you to buy this comic!! I don’t want to give away anything, but I’ll just tell you that Geoff Johns has found a way to incorporate both Lex Luthor and The Scarecrow into the Green Lantern universe. And the results are spectacular.

Superman #695: James Robinson has hit an all time low. I’ll only give you one snippet. After sleeping with the Daxamite Mon-El, a woman says "Once you go Dax, you never go back." Yeah. Don’t buy this.

Green Lantern #49: Geoff Johns hasn’t forgotten about his supporting cast and he devotes an entire issue to John Stewart. It’s fun to read, and gives more depth to an already deep character. Plus, since Hal Jordan’s return, John Stewart has really gotten the shaft. I’m glad to see him in the spotlight again.

Red Robin #8: Okay, so I know I dumped on Chris Yost last time I talked about Red Robin, but I have to admit that I made a mistake. The ending of the arc ties everything together nicely as well as introducing some interesting new threads to follow. While I’m not completely devoted to this title yet, I’m going to stick with it to see what happens next.

BOOM:

Irredeemable #9:

I feel like we’re in stasis with this title. It started out promising, but has moved into a dull period. I feel like it’s building to something, so I’m going to stick with it, but I don’t see how Mark Waid can keep this series going for too long.

Incorruptible #1: Incorruptible is Mark Waid’s answer to Irredeemable -- a superhero who was bad and now goes good. The first issue is good. It hints at its future, and I have to admit that I’m intrigued, so I’m going to follow it for a while. But as with Irredeemable, I don’t see this as a stellar continuing series once its established what makes the villain go good.

IDW:

Ghostbusters: Displaced Aggression #4: Somebody wrote a Ghostbusters comic. And I read it. And I won’t get my money back.

DYNAMITE:

Buck Rogers #7: I loved this series when it started, but now it feels like its dragging. Not sure how much longer I’ll stick with this.

Cover Picks:

I picked up a few comics this week because of the cover art. I didn’t want to continuously report on the main comics I follow, so I’m going to try, every week, to pick up a comic or two based on the cover. These are my first choices.

Sweet Tooth #5:

Published by Vertigo and written by Jeff Lemire, Sweet Tooth is the story of a satyr boy who, in the latest issue, was given to a farm owner to keep in captivity. The man who traded him off, I’m guessing, was a somewhat trusted figure who, in the end, looks pretty conflicted. I think I’m going to have to go back and pick up the earlier issues to catch up because this was enough to get me hooked. There’s some neat art construction, and well written sequences. I’ve never read or seen Sweet Tooth before, but I immediately felt for the character. I think I’ll follow this.

Dingo #1 & #2: I picked this up partially because of the cover, and partially because of the title. I’ve only heard of Dingos eating babies, so I was curious to see how they approached this idea. Michael Alan Nelson constructs a story of a man, Dingo, who is chasing down a mysterious box because of some secret hidden inside of it. The book is bloody, graphic, and has a huge black dog named Cerberus. There are more mythological ideas peppered throughout the book, plus it’s printed on regular paper, not the glossy, expensive, jack-up-the-price-of-the-comic-one-dollar paper. Again, I’m intrigued. I can see this story going on for a while.

I'd also ask that if anyone wants me to read and review any other comics, let me know. I'll see if I can get my hands on them.