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 - 15th February 2012

Apologies for the late post. Since picking up my books on Wednesday morning, I then went away for a few days on a mini holiday so I didn't really have time to review them. Nonetheless, there are five books for me this week, and the reviews are better late than never, right? Let's get to them then...

The Amazing Spider-Man 679.1

So apparently Marvel's Point 1 books are all about getting new readers onto their books. A single issue which is supposed to be the perfect jumping on point for somebody who hasn't read the character before. Well I didn't get that feeling with ASM 679.1. The story by Dan Slott and Chris Yost was fine, but I'd hardly say this was a great story for new readers to fall in love with Spidey.

First of all, right from the start there was a huge reference to Spider-Island, the epic story from last summer. Are new readers supposed to know what that is? It's kind of explained here but still, is that really the best way to start an issue aimed at newcomers? In my opinion, no. Second of all I'm not really a fan of Morbius, the big baddie featured in this issue. Finally, why are some of the characters wearing huge hoodies and baggy cargo pants? This isn't the late nineties/ early noughties anymore, so I don't expect Peter Parker to look like my 12 year-old self when I used to hang out at the skatepark. It looked pretty bad and the art suffered as a result.

Overall this was a pretty mediocre issue and failed in it's mission to appeal to new readers. If this was the first issue of ASM I picked up, I wouldn't be jumping on for the long haul. This issue had 'filler' written all over it and I doubt it'll have much effect on the upcoming issues and storyline Dan Slott has cooked up for ASM #680.

Rating: 2/5

Nightwing #6

I've got mixed feelings about issue 6 of Nightwing. Despite the story progressing and Dick finally finding out who Saiko is, it felt like something was missing. I can't exactly put my finger on it but I'm not loving Nightwing anymore. Why is that? Well I'm a little tired of the whole circus thing now. I'm hoping Kyle Higgins can wrap this up pretty soon and move on because I'm getting a little bit bored of Haly's Circus.

I also have some problems with the story in issue 6. When the Haly's Circus team reveal that they're hosting a special anniversary show in Gotham to remember Dick's parent's deaths, Dick protests and rightfully so. But then the team say: "You may "own" Haly's, Dick, but that doesn't mean we're going to let you drive us into the ground. Hire whatever extra security you want, but this tribute is happening -- whether you show up in Gotham or not". So instead of Dick laying down the law and saying 'no means no', the show goes ahead as planned. Nightwing's parents were murdered in Gotham and the idiotic crew want to "remember" them with a show in the same place they died? Not very sensitive to Dick's feelings are they?

There's not much more to say here, apart from I can't wait for this arc to finish up so the Court of Owls crossover can bring a bit more spark into Nightwing's life. Eddy Barrow's pencils are still fantastic but this book needs a bit of a kick in the backside to make it shine.

Rating: 2/5

Daredevil #9

It's becoming increasingly difficult to come up with new ways to praise this book. I'm running out of superlatives and adjectives to describe how amazing the duo of Mark Waid and Paulo Rivera are when it comes to Daredevil. Issue 9 marks the beginning of a new story, where our hero has to delve underneath New York City to find out why coffins are going missing, including the casket of Matt Murdock's father. Matt quickly discovers who's responsible for thieving so many corpses and can't stand back and watch the desecration. Naturally this lands DD in a bit of a pickle...

It's safe to say by now that Mark Waid really gets Daredevil. It didn't take 9 issues either, you could tell Waid was born to write Daredevil from issue 1. He understands the character completely and his script is always a joy to read. It's so much fun to find out how DD turns his blindness into an advantage and how he uses his powers. Coupled with Rivera's unique way of depicting Matt's radar sense, you really get a sense of knowing exactly what Daredevil is going through, bringing you closer to the character. Issue 9 is another fantastic example of the comic-book medium firing on all cylinders. This is Daredevil at his best and long may Waid and Rivera stay on this book. Flawless.

Rating: 5/5

Batman #6

Batman is easily my most anticipated book every month. After the fantastic issue 5 last month, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this month's issue, and Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo definitely didn't disappoint. After issue 5 saw Batman begin to lose his grip on reality, as well as the Talon finally getting to him, things didn't look to good for the Caped Crusader. The first page of issue 6 re-enforced this:

As Batman takes a serious beating and is on the verge of death, we see Bruce finally give up and give in to the pain and suffering. Capullo's art during the first few pages is horrifying, especially when the 'Owls' descend from above to pick apart Batman piece by piece. It isn't until Bruce spots a photo of his great-great-grandfather Alan Wayne, and realises that he went through exactly the same brutal experience, that Batman begins to fight back. And in some style too, as he goes toe to toe with the Talon, unleashing all his fury on the masked assassin. Again, Capullo's art excels here as we see the pent-up rage explode from Bruce. Batman just about escapes from the Owls (but not completely it seems) and it's going to be interesting to see the fallout from this issue. How will Alfred, Nightwing and the rest of the gang react to Bruce's reappearance? Surely Bruce must admit he was wrong before about there being no such thing as 'The Court of Owls'? And what of the final page, where we discover there was more than one Talon - that there is in fact a whole room full of them, ready to be unleashed upon Gotham. Things are about to get really interesting from here...

The highest praise I can give this book is that it always leaves me wanting more. The Court of Owls is about to explode across the entire line of Bat books and I can't wait to see how it unravels. Gotham is in store for some action, that's for sure.

Rating: 5/5 Pick of the Week

There was a bonus book this week too...

Secret Avengers #22

Secret Avengers #22 was a book I wanted last week but unfortunately I wasn't quick-minded enough to contact my local store and get one put by for me. Well I wanted to give it a try anyway and thankfully Nick at American Dream ordered a copy in for me.

Now let me make this clear; I have never read an Avengers book before. To be quite honest, I don't really like the Avengers very much. If somebody asked me to choose between Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the rest of the Justice League or Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the Avengers, it's no competition for me. My DC allegiance shines through and I'll take the Justice League every day of the week.  But in the build-up to the Secret Avengers #22 release, I'd heard that this is the book for people who don't really like the Avengers, the anti-Avengers if you will. This interested me and the fact Captain Britain makes an appearance (a character I've wanted to read about for a while) was an added bonus.

Unfortunately, for me, this issue didn't live up to the hype. The story was ok but didn't really get me excited or interested enough to make sure I pick up the next issue (which I probably won't). I really liked the concept of having a covert team of heroes, out to prevent disasters before they happen, but it was all downhill from then on. The first few pages where we see Captain Britain being recruited into the team were decent enough and I didn't even mind the silly moment when Hawkeye shot a sticky arrow into Captain Britain's mouth. What annoyed me most was a major problem I had with Rick Remember's plot. The scene where mini Avengers sprouted from that woman's back was ridiculous and I felt it was unnecessary and stupid. It completely killed any good vibes I was having whilst reading this issue, and the situation wasn't improved by Gabriel Hardman's confusing art.

For the majority of the issue I enjoyed Hardman's artwork, particularly the panels when the team first came together. This is the first time I've ever read anything pencilled by Hardman, and I know he has many fans, but to me his work has the look of a poor man's Michael Lark. The scene I mentioned previously about the mini Avengers was only made worse by Hardman's scrappy pencils, which by that stage in the issue were looking very messy indeed.

To top it off the issue felt like it finished rather abruptly and that was the final nail in the coffin for me. I enjoyed certain parts of Secret Avengers #22 but overall it didn't live up to the hype and I don't think Marvel will be getting my $3.99 when the next issue is released. It's sad because I really wanted to like this book a lot, but it fell short of the mark.

Rating: 2/5

Thanks for reading.

'Superman: Brainiac' Review

There isn't any of my monthly comics I buy this week so I thought I'd review a trade paperback I picked up recently instead; Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's excellent Superman: Brainiac.

Lately I've been going through a bit of a renaissance when it comes to reading about the Man of Steel. Superman has always been one of my favourite characters, there's no denying it. In fact he might possibly be my favourite character overall. It's not a popular thing to admit, even in the world of comics, because despite being the most iconic comic book character ever (he is, at least admit that), the stories involving Superman are traditionally known as not being very good. He's the man that can do everything, who can stop anyone and can't be harmed but this makes him pretty one dimensional and in many people's eyes, boring. Yes there's Kryptonite, that radiated rock that can kill him, but come on, there's only so many stories creators can tell using that angle. The Kryptonite thing has been done to death and I appreciate it's difficult to come up with new ideas to keep Clark Kent and his red and blue alter ego relevant in today's world. The most common argument against Superman is that he is almost impossible for readers to relate to. Not only is he an alien but he's pretty much invulnerable and most of his stories involve a sci-fi twist, featuring characters from out of space and giant monsters. Honestly, Batman is much easier to relate to and it shows, because the character is infinitely more popular in both comics and the wider world, thanks largely to Christopher Nolan's films and their focus on realism. Put it this way; isn't it easier to imagine yourself as Batman rather than Superman? A sense of realism is important to the majority of comic readers and most of the time, Superman falls short of the mark.

Nonetheless, that doesn't stop Superman claiming a place amongst my favourite comic book characters of all time. I was essentially raised on Superman. Saturday evenings as a kid involved dinner in front of the TV with The Adventures of Lois & Clark on the box. I grew up watching Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel, and I'd play those VHS tapes to death. As a really young kid I remember having a Superman pop-up book I adored. One summer's day sat in a paddling pool in the garden, I used that book to try and re-enact the scene in Richard Donner's Superman The Movie when he gets chucked into the swimming pool with the Kryptonite chain around his neck. Superman taught me a valuable lesson that day: cardboard and water do not mix (I was devastated, that book was everything to me). So it's safe to say I've been hooked since a very young age and Christopher Reeve is largely responsible for that.

So when I saw Gary Frank's rendition of Superman, I knew immediately that Superman: Brainiac, along with Superman: Secret Origin and Superman and The Legion of Superheroes were definite purchases. In fact Superman: Brainiac was the final book out of the three that I read and I thankfully left the best until last. The book is rather slim in size (it does collect 5 issues though) and feels about half the size of Superman: Secret Origin, but that doesn't mean it's half as good. That's definitely not the case, as Geoff Johns and Gary Frank are on the top of their games here. It's an easy book to finish in one sitting but Johns has packed a lot in there. I'm not gonna go into any detailed plot lines but it's essentially Superman finding out he has never really fought the true Brainiac before and he has to protect Metropolis from ending up in Brainiac's collection of bottled cities. The whole gang is along for the ride, including Lois, Jimmy, Perry White, Ma and Pa Kent, as well as a rather buxom Cat Grant (who is involved in a very funny scene with Supergirl, who detects "some weird plastics" in Cat's chest with her x-ray vision). The story races along but it flows seamlessly enough and Johns does a great job with the pacing - despite being a small book it doesn't feel rushed at all. After finishing it's clear Johns really understands the character and has remained true to Superman's core traits whilst also breathing new life into old characters to create a fresh and interesting story. I've loved everything Johns has written involving Superman so far and I really hope he comes back to the character some day soon in the future.

But Superman: Brainiac, for me, is all about Gary Frank and his gorgeous art. In my opinion Frank is the definitive Superman artist - the character has never looked so good. Curt Swan, John Byrne, Dan Jurgens, Jim Lee - I'm sorry guys but Gary Frank comes out on top as the best of the bunch. I know that Frank's obvious reference to Christopher Reeve is not to everyone's taste. Hey, there are some strange people who don't like the Superman films. Regardless of that fact, you have to admit that Frank's pencils are of the highest quality. Just look at the detail he puts into facial expressions for proof. Every character's face is distinctive which is actually a rarity amongst comic artists and illustrators. If Gary Frank was the permanent artist on the monthly issues of Superman or Action Comics, I'd buy every single issue, regardless of the writer. I really hope Frank returns to drawing Clark Kent soon. I suppose that's enough gushing for now...

Overall, despite being a mere 128 pages (according to Amazon), Superman: Brainiac provides plenty of bang for your buck. Johns has crafted an exciting story that draws you in right until the end. This is a very easy book to finish in one sitting, not because its short in length but because it's hard to put down! Frank's artwork is to die for and if you're not convinced about buying this book, just get it for the art because you won't regret it, not one bit.

Amongst The Panels Rating: 4/5

Thanks for reading.

New Comics - 1st February 2012

Just the one for me this week since there's nothing from DC I usually pick up. Wasting no time, let's get to it:

The Amazing Spider-Man #679

Issue 679 of The Amazing Spider-Man (ASM) wrapped up a two issue arc involving Spidey getting mixed up in a time-travelling disaster that potentially threatened to destroy New York. In ASM #678, we saw Peter step through a work colleague's latest invention, a "door into tomorrow", and inadvertently altering the future in the process. This issue saw our hero go to every length to ensure that New York would be safe, that it wouldn't explode after all. After saving the city and it's citizens from impending doom countless times, nothing Spider-Man did seemed to solve the problem, until a little sit down at a diner with Mary Jane made everything clear for our favourite wall crawler. Peter realised it wasn't Spidey who needed to save the day, but Peter himself. 

Overall this was an enjoyable little story and it's clear writer Dan Slott doesn't take himself or the characters too seriously. The outcome is a fun, easy-reading comic. This two issue arc wasn't anything special, but it didn't really have to be because it's clear Slott has cooked up something a little bigger for the next few issues. This story was essentially filler, but was enjoyable nonetheless and that's all I want from my Spider-Man comics. The decision to combine Slott's witty writing with the excellent Humberto Ramos has been one of Marvel's best decisions in recent times as the two creators are perfectly suited for a book like ASM. Peter Parker has had his fair share of drama in the past, more than most actually, but Slott's light hearted approach to the character really works. Spidey is the guy who takes the piss out of criminals when he's knocking them out, he's not silent and serious like Batman, so it's good to see Peter having some fun whilst he fights crime. That's exactly the Peter Parker I want to see and ASM is all the better for it.

I'm looking forward to what Slott has lined up for the near future. Looks like it'll have something to do with Peter finding himself in space, which sounds a bit wacky but hey, everything else Slott has done so far on ASM has been good, so I'm being optimistic (for a change).

Rating: 3/5

Thanks for reading.