Category: Comics: Reviews

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Comic Review: Avengers Vs X-Men

Avengers VS X-Men

The Phoenix Force is returning to earth once again, which starts a conflict between the Avengers and X-Men over what to do. This massive 12 issue event by Marvel has various authors and illustrators throughout its run.

Sam Alexander crash lands on earth and before he goes into a coma he tells the Avengers of the impending arrival of the Phoenix Force on earth. Believing that it will inhabit the body of Hope Summers, Captain American travels to Utopia, the home of the mutants. He asks Cyclops to hand over Hope so the Avengers can protect her but Scott doesn’t agree. He believes she will be the savior of the Mutants. With no choice, Captain America goes to get the Avengers. This leads to an all out battle between the two forces and the fate of the Phoenix Force.

I really enjoyed this series. Full of epic battles, some outcomes are easy to guess while others take you by complete surprise. There are some serious consequences resulting from this that lead up into the current run of Marvel Comics.

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Comic Review: Batman: The Court of Owls, Volume 1

Batman: The Court of Owls, Volume 1

When you hear people say this may be the best comic of 2012, it’s not a Batman bias. It’s because the story takes a hold of you and never lets you know where it will go next. Writer Scott Snyder (Iron Man Noir, Swamp Thing), penciller Greg Capullo (Spawn, The Creech), and inker Jonathan Glapion (Teen Titans, Green Lantern) have brought to life a new enemy that threatens not only Batman but Gotham City itself.

The Court of Owls brings Batman to a point even he might not be able to come back from. This seemingly new group may be his downfall. With their eyes and ears everywhere, Batman is the one playing catchup to discover anything he can about this new foe. If Batman stop them, “The Court of Owls has sentenced you die,” may be the last thing he hears.

With so many different Batman comic series coming out DC’s New 52 it’s hard to know where to start. This one should be first on everyone’s list.The first issue may seem a bit slow but once you are introduced to the Owls you can’t help but wonder who these people are and where they came from.

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Comic Review: Kick-Ass 2, Prelude: Hit-Girl

Kick-Ass 2, Prelude: Hit-Girl

Kick-Ass is awesome but you all know the best part about this series is little girls! No, I mean a little girl! Umm — that still doesn’t sound right. Hit-Girl is the man — if a man could kick as much ass as a little girl trained from childhood to take down mobsters. Icon Comics brings the pain again with everyone’s favorite (well, maybe not everyone) Mark Miller (Wanted, Sin City) and artist John Romita Jr. (World War Hulk, Eternals).

The writing flows alongside the artist’s illustrations. It’s more of what you want to see: high-school kids dressing up and trying to patrol the streets, Red Mist still working his way up to becoming a super-villain, Kick-Ass doing his best to learn all he can from Hit-Girl — with plenty of witty banter. Hit-Girl doing what we like most: beating the hell out of people and killing them all while trying to be a regular high school student. Bullets, beat-em ups and bloodied bodies — it’s what you look for in a Kick-Ass comic and it delivers!

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Comic Review: Orchid, Volume 1

Orchid Volume 1

Rage Against The Machine in comic form? Almost. Tom Morello is the guitarist from Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave, and his solo acoustic act The Nightwatchman. He decided to write a comic series at Dark Horse with Scott Hepburn (Sentinel, Star Wars: The Clone Wars) doing the illustrations.

One day, the sea levels rose and the earth as we knew it changed. Animals changed on a genetic level becoming bigger, more ferocious, and the dominant species. The high grounds became the safest place to live but belonged to the rich and powerful. Those poor who wished to live within their safety became slaves. The rest try their best to live freely in towns under bridges, staying as safe as possible from the untamed wild and the wrath of their masters up high.

This series shows you how quickly we revert back to the strong dominating the weak. With the world taken over by lush forests and overgrowth each page is a delight to look at. All you want is for them to go all over the world to see how the earth has changed. Tom has written an amazing story and no matter what your political/world view you should just appreciate for what it is. A great story!

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Comic Review: Chew, Volume 1: Taster’s Choice

Chew, Volume 1: Taster’s Choice

Do you like food? How about beets? Maybe you wished chicken was illegal but don’t have the government backing to follow through. Well, if so writer John Layman (Puffed, Gambit) and artist Rob Guillory (Teddy Scares, Popgun Anthology) have put together something truly wonderful.

Chicken and other birds have been outlawed around that globe after a devastating bird flu pandemic. Most crime is now associated with the illegal sale of those animals. Tony Chu is a police officer with a special gift. He is a cibopath — whatever he eats results in a psychic impression. He will see the entire lifespan of the food, where it was grown/raised right to when it ended up on his plate. Things only get better from there.

The writing is quite in-depth. You’ll find yourself reading about something supposedly random only for it to pop up issues later as a new story arc. The illustrations are bold and bright. It does not hold back any punches when it comes blood. If you are looking for a book to make you laugh and leave you wanting more, look no further.

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Comic Review: Avatar, The Last Airbender: The Search, Part One

Avatar, The Last Airbender: The Search,Part One

It’s the one question that was left unanswered and deliberately teased at the end of the TV series. We all want to know what happened to Zuko’s mom. Dark Horse Comics has finally decided now is the time to answer that question. Who better to tell this story than the guys from the last series (Avatar: The Promise), writer Gene Luen Yang ( Loyola Chin and the San Peligran Order, American Born Chinese) and artist team Gurihiru (Wolverine: First Class, Hulk: World War Hulks).

Now that things have settled down in the Earth Kingdom for Fire Lord Zuko, he can turn his attention to more personal matters. Namely, what happened to his mother and where she is. With his father being the only person who knows the truth about her, there is only one other person who is able to help him. His sister, Azula, might be the only person who can help Zuko find their mother — if she can be trusted.

This book is great. It’s nice to see the flashbacks of Ursa throughout the story. It gives you a sense of what kind of person she was and how she came to be married to Ozai.  The book is setting up the next two; when you get to the end it’s just getting into the swing of things. It just makes me even more excited for the next two parts. I can’t wait!!

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Comic Review: Criminal Volume 1 Coward

Criminal Volume 1 Coward

Criminal is like an un-guilty guilty pleasure. I know that I should feel guilty for wanting to see/revel in the life of a criminal but I don’t feel bad about it at all. Icon has brought together two guys, Ed Brubaker (Captain America, Catwoman) and Sean Phillips (The Invisibles, Sleepers), a team-up that is  guaranteed to make an enjoyable story.

Leo is a professional criminal making sure everything is planned down to the last detail. If the heist is starting to go south, you can bet he has a plan to make a quick exit. Now his skills are needed when he runs into two crooked cops. They have a heist that can’t fail and will make them rich. Of course, there is always a chance that things won’t work out as planned.

With Criminal, you feel all the things associated with that word while reading. You feel the desperation and fear of a job gone wrong, the seedy bars and the dark alley’s. Each volume is a self contained story with new characters. Occasionally names and characters will cross over but not in a forceful way. If you’re looking for a comic with a pulp noir feel criminal is it.

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Comic Review: Preacher Volume 1 Gone To Texas

Preacher Volume 1 Gone To Texas

I love a comic that is really f’d up and weird, but at the same time has a story that is deep, very complex and highly interesting. Preacher just happens to be such a comic. Who else but Garth Ennis (The Boys, Punisher:MAX) and Steve Dillon (Hellblazer, Judge Dredd) and where else but Vertigo of course!

Reverend Jesse Custer was a priest living in a small town full of hypocritical church goers. One Sunday during a heated sermon he was struck with the spirit of some heavenly being. Now filled with the power of this spirit he has one mission. Find god and make him pay for all the hell the people of this world have been put through.

This book has so much going for it. A sprawling story through the entirety of its run that goes to so many interesting locations. Main characters with so many flaws you find yourself yelling at the pages “why are you doing that”. With an array of supporting characters, you want to know everything about their lives. So many crazy things that you keep wondering how it’s possible to get weirder–but it does.

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Comic Review: Batman Arkham Asylum A Serious House On Serious Earth

Batman Arkham Asylum A Serious House On Serious Earth

An in depth look into Arkham Asylum and the mentally unbalanced patients who dwell with in. This ground breaking title from DC is written by Grant Morrison (The Invisibles, Batman Inc.) and illustrated by Kevin McKean (Violent Cases, Black Orchid).

The inmates of Arkham Asylum have taken over the building and are demanding one thing–Batman. The leader of the group is Joker, who gives Batman one hour to escape before the inmates are sent to hunt him. A dark take on the psychology of these patients including Two-Face, Mad Hatter and Clayface amongst many others.

This series really changed the way we looked at many of Batman’s adversaries. Rather than just being “the bad guys”, they are people with legitimately unstable mental thought processes. The artwork takes this idea with illustrations straight out someone’s bad dreams. It leaves you with a sense of dread and apprehension. Be sure to check this out, especially if you’re a fan of Grant Morrison.

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Comic Review: Marvel Comics Civil War

Marvel Comics Civil War TP Cover

Civil War is a 7 part issue mini series featuring writing by Mark Millar (Wolverine, Ultimates, JLA) and artwork by Steve McNiven (CrossGen’s Mystic, Marvel Knights 4, Wolverine).

Following the events of House of M and Decimation, the US Government unanimously agreed to enact Superheroes Registration Act after the New Warriors filming a reality show end up causing an explosion created by Nitro which ended up blowing a neighbourhood killing 612 people including children.

The Superheroes Registration Act requires all heroes that are superpowered or non-superpowered to register with the US Government thereby also requiring them to reveal their identities as well.   Failure to do so will result in the person being deemed a criminal.

The Act causes a huge rift between all the heroes in Marvel Universe with those who are opposed to the Act lead by Captain America and those who are for the Act lead by Iron Man.

The story is well written with lots of twists and turns as you would expect from Mark Millar. Steve McNiven’s artwork is great. A must read for those who are just getting into Marvel Comics as it sets up many of the major events in the Marvel Universe in the last 8 years!

Civil War is available in 7 single issues, tradepaperback and hardcover