New Comics - 25th April 2012

Four books this week. Wasting no time, lets get to them:

Superman #8

Issue 7 of Superman saw the new creators Keith Giffen and Dan Jurgens get off to an impressive start but unfortunately Superman #8 couldn't keep up the pace and felt slightly flat overall. To put it bluntly, this was a mediocre comic at best and failed to satisfy across the board. What's more disappointing is the fact issue 8 could not sustain and carry on the good vibes from Superman #7. What went wrong?

Well Giffen and Jurgens wrapped things up, which is good, but they did it in an unsatisfactory way. Superman has a bad dream, finds out Helspont was trying to control his mind with a face-sucking creature, they fight, Helspont disappears and that's it, story over. As I reached the half way point in this book the words started to roll over me and I had pretty much made up my mind by then. Helspont went on and on explaining why he was there and why he needed Superman blah blah blah. I'd given up caring by then because Helspont's diatribe felt like it was never going to end. It quickly became a boring read, simple as that. The art wasn't much better either. Jurgens, with Jesus Merino finishing his pencils, was inconsistent throughout. Superman's face seemed to change repeatedly and it all felt a bit of mess overall.

I'm seriously thinking about removing Superman from my monthly pull-list. I'm getting really tired of dishing out money for sub-par comics and if Superman all of a sudden becomes the hot book in the comics world, well then I can just pick it up in trade. I might give it one more issue to redeem itself, but at the moment one of my favourite superheroes in the DC universe is on a very tight leash.

Rating: 2/5

Supercrooks #2

I picked up the first issue of Supercrooks two weeks ago for two reasons. 1) Mark Millar is the writer, and I won't go so far to say I'm a fan but I have enjoyed a lot of his work (Superman: Red Son, Kick-Ass, Civil War) and 2) Leinil Yu is on art duties and I will admit to being a big fan of his (Superman: Birthright, Superior). Issue 1 was great and I really like the concept of following the villains instead of the heroes for once. Millar succeeds in making us feel for these criminals and help us understand why they live a life of crime instead of leading normal lives.

Issue 2 continues where the debut issue left off, as ex-con Johnny Bolt resumes his pursuit of putting together his old team for one last big job to help their old mentor who's fallen into a lot of trouble of late. Millar excels as a writer when he isn't being restricted by the strict rules Marvel and DC have concerning their characters, especially the sort of language those characters can use. In Millarworld, where the creator has the freedom to do exactly what he wants, these characters come to life in a somewhat more realistic manner than they would in a Big Two book. For the tone that this book is trying to set, having the characters talk to each other like real human beings is an absolute necessity and Supercrooks benefits from it enormously. Combine this with Yu's flawless art style and you've got a pretty good book in your hands. Yu is at the top of his game here - his distinctive style flourishes throughout.

Overall this is a fun book and I'm really enjoying the direction Millar and Yu are taking this. Keep it up good sirs.

Rating: 4/5

Daredevil #11

Daredevil #11 featured the final part in the three issue mini-event "The Omega Effect" and concluded the story that began in Avenging Spider-Man #6 and Punisher #10. Unfortunately this really didn't live up to my expectations at all and ended in a really unsatisfactory fashion.

The first two parts to the Omega Effect were fantastic. Mark Waid and Greg Rucka's electric script was terrific in Avenging Spidey and Punisher so my hopes were high for the final part, plus it was all going to be wrapped in up in my favourite book featuring my favourite character. What could go wrong? After finishing this issue, it turns out we are exactly where we started before the Omega Effect began. Seriously, exactly. Nothing has changed, especially not for Daredevil and Spider-Man. Only the Punisher's world has been altered slightly. Daredevil had the mega hard-drive with all the data on the big baddies at the start of this crossover and he finished with it too. This was such an underwhelming ending, the Omega Effect might as well not have happened. Its a real shame too because this crossover got off to such a fantastic start. Now it all feels like a complete waste of time. What a letdown.

It's even more disappointing because Marco Checchetto's beautiful artwork has essentially gone to waste. His stunning work on Avenging Spider-Man #6 and The Punisher #10 featured some of the best representations of those characters I've seen in a long time, and his work in Daredevil #11 is equally impressive. How unfortunate then that the story doesn't matter at all.

Daredevil #11 is still a top book as far as production goes. The art absolutely sings and the script is witty like you'd expect from Waid. But the overall story and its failure to move the story along really brings this book down a  notch, significantly. I'm amazed Conor at iFanboy gave this the Pick of the Week. Maybe he gave it based on the overall quality of the three issues collected in this mini-event, which is fair enough I suppose. But for me this failed to deliver and was really disappointing in the end. Bring on Daredevil #12 next Wednesday when Waid's mission for DD gets back on track.

Rating: 3/5

Aquaman #8

Solid stuff yet again from Mr Johns and Mr Reis who are keeping Aquaman at those high levels they've established for the character ever since issue 1. It's been exciting to delve into Arthur's past over the last two issues, seeing what he was like before he became Aquaman. From what we've seen so far, he wasn't always so interested in being a hero - in fact there's a flashback in issue 8 where Aquaman refused to rescue innocent civilians in an attempt to keep up with the villain he was chasing. It took the rest of his group (the Others) to change his mind and get Arthur to help out, which he did begrudgingly. Aquaman's a bit of badass deep down we discover. There's also some tension between him and his wife Mera, who's been completely left in the dark concerning her husband's history with the Others, particularly the feisty (and scantily clad) Y'Wara. This rather funny moment occurred:

All in all Johns and Reis's Aquaman is as entertaining as ever and its great we're getting to find out more about his life before he became the superhero we know now. Top stuff.

Rating: 4/5 Pick of the Week

Thanks for reading!

New Comics - 28th March 2012

Apologies for not reviewing my purchases from last week. There were two reasons for this: 1) My haul last week was pretty big, with a lot to read, and 2) I went on holiday the day after I bought them and so didn't have access to the web to post my reviews. Sorry about that. Anyway, on to this week's books:

Aquaman #7

Issue 7 of Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis's run on Aquaman sees the beginning of a new arc involving a group called 'The Others' and we find our hero with some explaining to do. I always struggle to review issues that start with a new story arc, especially when Geoff Johns is behind the script because this is obviously going to be paced slowly, which isn't a bad thing, it just doesn't give us a lot to talk about in the first introductory issue. Aquaman #7 introduces us to 'The Others', a group of men and women (probably Atlanteans) who share some unknown relationship with Aquaman; all we seem to know is it looks like he used to belong to their team.

I don't really have much to say here. It was an enjoyable issue and Ivan Reis was incredible on art duties as he usually is. All I can say is I'm interested to see where this goes but I need a little bit more before I can judge it properly. As a single issue it was good but like I said, there's plenty more to come from Johns and Reis and I'm excited to see who 'The Others' really are and why Aquaman separated from them.

Rating: 3/5

Superman #7

Now this is what a Superman comic should be like. Superman #7 was twice as good as any of the previous 6 issues by George Perez and full praise goes to Dan Jurgens and Keith Giffen who co-wrote the plot. This book desperately need a new start and that's exactly what we got. Right from the start you could tell Giffen's script was going to deliver the goods: no longer do we have to suffer through those God-awful television reporters explaining every single detail because Giffen has produced a smart and witty inner monologue for Superman that is both enjoyable and interesting to read. I was surprised just how fun this was. It was a nice change to see Superman as an intellectual and his rapport with other characters was pitch perfect. Jurgens and Giffen have gotten of to a very good start and I'm eagerly anticipating issue 8.

My only nit-pick would be the art. From what I gather, the majority of the pencils were done by Jurgens but finished by Jesus Merino and it doesn't really produce the best results. The art is in no way bad - for the most part its well done and clear to follow. But for me its not the style of art a book like Superman deserves. I'd prefer a cleaner overall look to the pages and I think the fantastic Ivan Reis cover spoiled me slightly. I'd love an artist of Reis's calibre on Superman permanently. However that really is the only fault, and it is a minor one at that. Superman #7 was exactly the kind of issue this series needed and I hope Giffen and Jurgens can keep delivering quality like this every month.

Rating: 4/5

Avenging Spider-Man #5

This was my random choice from the shelves this week. I already buy Amazing Spider-Man every month so there's little room left in my life for two Spidey books. But having Leinil Francis Yu as a guest artist was enough to lure me in and it was a happy coincidence that Captain America featured heavily as well. I'd read issue 1 of this when it was released (bought it as a Christmas gift for my nephew) and enjoyed it quite a bit. I like the idea of Spidey teaming up with a different Marvel hero; it's like reading an Avengers book through Peter's eyes, which is great for me because my Avengers knowledge bank is rather limited so its nice to have Spider-Man there to guide me through it. 

Overall, Avenging Spider-Man #5 was good fun. Yu was his sublime best on art and Zeb Wells writes a great Spidey. The best part of this book is that I didn't have to have read any of the previous issues. It was easy to jump into and enjoy it for what it was and then have it wrapped up in a neat finish. I recommend checking it out if you want a fix of Peter Parker with some Avengers thrown in for good measure. I expect I'll pick up the next issue as #6 marks the start of a crossover featuring my Marvel favourite Daredevil, as well as the Punisher and Spidey (of course).

Rating: 4/5

Daredevil #10

Boy does it feel like a long time since issue 9! Along with Batman this is easily one of the most anticipated books for me, every single month. Mark Waid and Paulo Rivera, who've quickly become a Daredevil dream team, never fail to please. Issue 10 wraps up this two-issue arc featuring Mole Man, who has been stealing graves from a New York cemetery, including Daredevil's father Jack Murdock - yes, it gets personal for DD in this one. Without spoiling anything, Daredevil "saves the day" and resolves the problem, dispatching Mole Man in the end. I really liked where Waid took this; he turned a poor villain like Mole Man into a dangerous foe that forced Daredevil to get pretty nasty, about as nasty as he's gotten since they relaunched the character last year. There were moments in #10 that felt like we were seeing the Matt Murdock of old. I've really enjoyed the new direction Waid has taken the character since he took over, taking Matt back a bit to his 'swash-buckling' ways. But it was pretty awesome to see him get angry and ruthless like the old days, when he was at breaking point nearly every issue.

Even with Waid's brilliant script, this book wouldn't be the same without artist Paulo Rivera. Both of the creators need to share the credit because they really do work perfectly together. Rivera has produced another stunning issue here. His style lends itself beautifully to the character and ever since issue 1, Rivera has made Daredevil his own. Just look at that cover for proof. 

My favourite moment of issue 10 revolved around Daredevil getting home and reading Black Cat's letter. This little revelation was a really nice touch and solved some questions I've had ever since issue 8. I really hope Waid brings Black Cat back later on down the line; I'm a fan of the character and I like the idea of her as a love interest for Daredevil. It'd certainly make Matt's life interesting, that's for sure.

All in all, another sublime issue from a team establishing themselves as Daredevil legends. It doesn't get much better than this for a Daredevil fan like me.

Rating: 5/5 Pick of the Week

Thanks for reading.

New Comics - 22nd February 2012

Only two books this week, both from DC. Wasting no time, here we go...


Superman #6

After feeling pretty let down by the quality of issue 5, my expectations weren't very high going into issue 6. And of course, Superman failed to deliver. Issue 6 disappointed on nearly every level, the only saving grace being Nicola Scott's fantastic artwork. It's a real shame her talent is wasted away on such a mediocre story because her pencils deserve better.

Now that this opening story arc is finally over, I can safely say I've learnt the error of my ways; never will I be purchasing anything written by George Perez ever again. I am so over Perez's antiquated style of story telling. I don't need everything spelled out for me by some news reporter. In fact, this issue made the previous five issues completely redundant because Perez spelled out absolutely everything for us. George, let the art tell some of the story for Christ's sake! I don't normally have a problem with dialogue-heavy comics, but when the script is this dry, reading soon becomes a chore. Even though the story was tied up in the end, was it interesting? No, not really, not for me. It's really sad because I love the character but awful writing like this will force me to cut this book sooner rather than later. Bring on that new creative team of Giffen and Jurgens, because Superman desperately needs a breath of fresh air.

Rating: 2/5 (it would be 1/5 if it wasn't for Scott's art)

Aquaman #6

Aquaman has, for me, been one of the best books of DC's New 52. Issue 6 takes a slight deviation from the norm and focuses on Aquaman's wife, Mera, as she steps out into the world in search of dog food. Sound a bit silly? Well yes, it is, but issue 6 was really nicely put together and provided a great deal of detail on who Mera is, where she came from and what her role might be concerning Aquaman. This is an enjoyable story and I like where Johns is going with this, building on Aquaman and his family whilst beginning to delve into their past as well.

The only problem I had with issue 6 was the art. It's only nit-picking really, because most of the time the art was fine, but you could tell these pages were not created by the talented Ivan Reis we've been accustomed to. Joe Prado, the series' regular inker, took over pencil duties for this issue and whilst his work was good most of the time, his faces and close-ups were inconsistent. One moment Mera would look graceful, the very picture of Atlantean beauty, then in a different panel her face would appear gawky and awkward. It wasn't a massive problem but when we've had five issues of Ivan Reis' Aquaman, Prado's unpredictable pencils stood out a bit. Reis is back on for issue 7, which I can't wait to get my hands on.

Rating: 3/5

Thanks for reading.

New Comics - 25th January 2012

This Wednesday saw only 3 comics purchased, all from DC . New issue 5's for Aquaman, Superman and the delayed Justice League. Let's get to it (possible SPOILERS ahead):

Superman #5

When the new DC 52 first began last year, I thought I'd try both Superman and Action Comics for my monthly fix of The Man of Steel. After 2 issues of Grant Morrison's Action Comics I felt that his series wasn't really for me. George Perez's run however, although never setting my world alight and being slightly old-school in it's story telling, became my Superman book of choice. Am I regretting that decision now? Maybe. It's not that Perez's story arc is necessarily bad, it's just lacking that little something that makes it stand out. In all 5 issues of Superman, not once have I sat back and gone "Wow, that was good" (or words to that effect). At times it feels like Perez's dialogue can get a bit lost and somewhat bogged down in the details. I don't need everything spelled out for me George, and this old fashioned way of storytelling can get a little frustrating on occasion. 

Despite this, I was glad to see Nicola Scott back on art duties this month, after her impressive work on issue 3. I'm not saying Jesus Merino (the regular artist) is bad, in fact Scott's style is somewhat similar, but it's clear to me that Scott's pencils are just that little bit more refined, more polished. Unfortunately Scott's beautiful art couldn't save this issue from it's mediocrity. As I turned the pages I felt a lot of the story going over my head and I was struggling to get through it; the incessant need to narrate the story through a TV reporter started to grate on me and this issue felt very reminiscent of the overly-wordy debut issue that wasn't as awful as some made it out to be, but took forever to get through. To summarise, I feel that this issue finally made me realise that George Perez doesn't do it for me as a writer. I'll be there for issue 6 to finish off this arc but the arrival of Keith Giffen and Dan Jurgens can't come soon enough. A breath of fresh air is desperately needed for what really ought to be one of DC's priority books.

Rating: 2/5

Aquaman #5

Just before DC relaunched all their books last year, I picked up a free mini guide to the new 52 in my local store and for some strange reason the piece on Aquaman inside interested me. I decided to give it a try and I haven't looked back since. I never thought I'd be buying an Aquaman comic every month but after the fantastic first issue I was hooked. I knew next to nothing about the character apart from the obvious - protects the sea, talks underwater to fish etc. But the team of Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis have kept me on board and I've really enjoyed the series so far, especially Reis' gorgeous art. Issue 5 marks the beginning of a new arc, where we find Aquaman in the one place where he's most unsuited for: the middle of a desert. 

So, what's to love about issue 5? Well Ivan Reis never disappoints and this issue included some of his very best work. I'm a big fan of Reis since his tremendous work on Green Lantern and Blackest Night and he reached similar levels of excellence here. Let's not forget there's a story going on too, as Geoff Johns' script doesn't let us down either. I think part of the reason I'm finding Aquaman so enjoyable every month is because this is all completely new territory for me; I've never read any Aquaman before aside from his small role in Blackest Night. So Johns is doing a great job at keeping me guessing and I can't wait to see what he has in store now it looks like Atlantis is going to be playing a big role in the near future. Overall this was another enjoyable issue of Aquaman and I'll be buying this as long as Johns and Reis are performing at the peak of their powers.

Rating: 4/5

Justice League #5

After 5 issues of DC's flagship title, things are finally beginning to kick off in Justice League. The last four issues were used to introduce each character and that often involved a fight or two. Now that the team has finally been established, this book can get on with the story and the Justice League can face off against their first major villain, Darkseid. This issue came a week late and although the reason why hasn't been released, you can see throughout the book that it probably has something to do with Jim Lee's art. Known in the industry as one of the premier artists in comics history, Lee has a history of missing deadlines. To be fair, with the amount of detail he puts into his work, we have to expect some delays because it must take the bloke bloody ages to finish some of those pages. In issue 5 we can see there are certain panels and pages where Lee's artwork looks slightly rougher around the edges than what we're used to. Don't get me wrong though, this actually turns out to be a nice touch as the action on the page probably warrants a more unrefined look. Paired with Scott Williams' signature inking style and Alex Sinclair's vibrant colours, there were moment in Justice League #5 where Jim Lee's characters have never looked so good. Particular praise must go to Lee's rendition of Green Lantern, who takes centre stage in this issue. If Jim Lee ever decides to sign up for a run on the main Green Lantern book, I'll be there to buy it.

Overall, Geoff Johns and Jim Lee are hitting all the right notes with Justice League. It's non-stop action combined with witty dialogue that makes for a fun and entertaining comic, and on a team-up book like this that's all I can really ask for. My only gripe is it always feels like it finishes too soon but that's undoubtedly a sign of my impatience rather than the quality of the book. I just hating waiting another six weeks between issues.

Rating: 4/5 Pick of the Week

Thanks for reading.