Category: Comic Book Commentary

Comic Book Reviews: 18 lines about 9 comics – 7/26/2015

From Caleb Gerard:

Another edition of the non-musical 18 Lines About 9 comics.

Green Lantern #42 continues to give readers the post-Convergence life of Hal Jordan. Taking a page from the decompressed world of Marvel not a hell of lot happen in this issue and we find out almost next to nothing about how Hal got long hair however the dialog was incredibly engaging and was enhanced by the amazing Billy Tan art.

Action Comics #42 is the next chapter in the strangely published out of order life of Clark Kent. Said it before and happy to say it again Greg Pak has refound a fan in me with his plotting and dialoging of this latest version of Superman.

Omega Men #2 could be the 2nd issue of DC’s latest awesome superhero political thriller. Rarely has Kyle Rayner been more intriguing to me which is in no smart part due to his being a part of team rather than a solo character… he is not a marquee character, just saying.

Guardians Team-Up #7 gave me the unlikely teaming of 2 of my current favorite MU characters: the doofus-driven Ant-Man and the humorless-Drax. “Convoluted” is the path that leads Drax to Miami and is forced to work with the hung-over Scott Lang to retrieve one of Marvel’s most iconic destructive devices.

X-Tinction Agenda #2 is a Secret Wars tie-in using one of the my least favorite of the many x-overs from the last 20 years of many x-overs. This is one of those examples of a comicbook that is elevated by having a marvelous artist presenting an otherwise just-OK story so I’m giving this a relook just to check out Carmine di Giandomenico’s art even if I really don’t care much what happens.

Secret Wars #4 is a Secret Wars tie… no wait, this is the main series, my bad. This issue finds most of the “survivors” from the old universe finding each other and comparing notes and smacking each other around while trading engaging dialog thanks to Hickman’s plotting and dialog.

Ultimate End #3 gives a couple of the Ultimate architects, Bendis and Bagley, a chance to close the door on this innovative direction. New York is one crowded town usually but never more-so than when the regular MU heroes and the Ultimate heroes are all crammed in there… let the misunderstandings explode while Ultimate Nick Fury acts like a big douche.

Batman Beyond #2 is taking this title just where I hoped it would as we find that the world is NOT all post-apocolyptic. As the very-fallible adult Tim Drake blunders his way through the future world that he really should not be in this part-time fan of the cartoon gets to see him get his ass kicked by my favorite villain from the ‘toon: Inque.

New Suicide Squad #10 focuses on some of the core members of the team as they attempt to infiltrate one of the MANY “secret” terrorist groups in the DCU. This comic, for me, is proof that there are NO bad ideas if a great writer gets their hands on them… Sean Ryan knows exactly how to engage me as a reader which means I need to find more of what he’s written to this point.

Comic Book Reviews: 18 lines about 9 comics – 8/5/15

From Caleb Gerard:

18 more lines about 9 more comics… and the beat goes on…

Constantine: The Hellblazer #2 is solidly in it’s post-Convergence life. For all those mourning the demise of “Hellblazer” from Vertigo or, like me, missing the New52 “Constantine” this comic is meeting the needs of both audiences AND making me wonder if we are due for “mature readers” label for this and a couple of other mainstream DC books.

X-Men ’92 #4, a Secret Wars tie-in title. I’ve said it 3 times before and it doesn’t lose it’s potency to state the Scott Koblish truly understands the power of the digital comic format as each panel is built on the last and leads to the next sort of like those flip-page cartoons some of us would make as kids when bored showing some astronaut dealing with decompression and exploding (or was that just me?).

The Walking Dead #144. This had, for me, the biggest “holy shit” sequence in the history of this comic or even any comic in recent memory.

Inferno #3, a Secret Wars tie-in title. To be honest this issue is on this list only because of some truly inspired dialog from Dennis Hopeless like “We all have our crazy and yours is very specific” or “Illyana happened”

Civil War #1, a Secret Wars tie-in title. Charles Soule takes the divide of conscience from the Civil War event to the next logical place as the U.S. is divided in to two territories in a way that is (probably intentionally) reminiscent of Israel/Palestine.

Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #2, a Secret Wars tie-in title. Peter Parker’s only mission in life is to make those he loves safe and sound and in this “what if” world from Dan Slott that truly hates the vigilante that would be Peter’s wife and daughter who he is willing to sacrifice his freedom and even his life for.

Batman/Superman #22 is running with the ongoing Clark Kent story in the Super-titles while integrating the new Batman status quo. Batman really comes off looking like a newbie at being a hero let alone a super one.

Lando #1, a Star Wars tie-in mini, no duh. Charles Soule makes the play list a second time this week with this heist-gone-wrong story that is worthy of a Guy Ritchie movie using most everyone’s 2nd favorite Star Wars rogue in role of lover-not-fighter in my now-favorite current Star Wars comic.

Archie #1… “Archie”??? Archie with Betty always felt righter to me than the other option and as Waid and Staples bring Riverdale in to the 21st century with this 1st person narration of the demise of their relationship I have never felt more vindicated.

Comic Book Reviews: 18 Lines About 9 Comics – 8/7/2015

From Caleb Gerard dated 8/7/2015:

This edition of 18 Lines About 9 Comics goes out to all the young lovers in the audience.

Squadron Sinister #2, a Secret Wars tie-in. Squadron Sinister be bad, they don’t take no $#!& from no Frightful Four or forget that no matter how bad@$$ they are Doom and the Thor Corps are supreme.

Saga #30 is the end of the current coda? All the hanging threads somehow get tied up to my satisfaction in just 1 issue as some of my favorites from the series are given a chance to catch their collective breath even though this reader knows that it is far from over… thank goodness.

Mrs. Deadpool and the Howling Commandos #2, a Secret Wars tie-in. If someone Gerry Dugan could take just a small iota of his incredible dialog and transfer it to his plotting this could easily surpass Squadron Sinister as the dark horse of the a Secret Wars tie-ins, but as it stands this book’s clear strength that gives it re-readability and cranks the fun up to 11 is the interaction of the characters.

Doomed #2 has already moved away from it’s post-Convergence set-up to stand all on it’s own. Still the biggest pleasant surprise to come out of all the new comics from DC as our main character has no idea what is going on and all he wants to do is some good in a world that thinks he’s the villain of the piece.

Korvac Saga #2, a Secret Wars tie-in. I’m honestly not certain if this infection idea is a new one however Dan Abnett makes it feel familiar while taking time out to give the Guardians (the originals) as well as a handful of Avengers also-rans decent story-beat moments.

Armor Wars #3, a Secret Wars tie-in. Armoring up the Marvel Universe puts me in mind of the Iron-Spider period however James Robinson takes a left turn and gives us a reason WHY everyone has to wear the armor then throws in a brother-versus-brother story that underlines why Tony Stark is one of the cornerstones of the MU (in most realities) and THEN makes me chuckle after a fight sequence beautifully choreographed by Marcio Takara.

Robin: Son of Batman #2 finds our hero on day 2 of redemption for a “year of blood”. Pat Gleason steps up as the next artist-turned-artist/writer and, at least this month, nails Damian Wayne’s pacing and dialog like an old hand which probably says a lot for his editor (editors?) as well.

Black Canary #2 takes our hero and her band of… um… bandmates on the road. This is one of the few books that I’ve enjoyed more because the art is so in tune with what the book is about which is a band on the run who just happen to be fronted by a superhero, so a HUGE thank you to Annie Wu who seems to be so in writer Brenden Fletcher’s head that they could be one person.

Secret Six #4 and only 1 month after #3 (he adds as unnecessary snark). If somehow Gail Simone could live off of writing only 1 book a month I would vote for this one because it is such over-the-top fun and games that I would vote for blowing up the rodent too then slap a “mature” label on the cover.

Grumpy Old Fan | Selling Complicated Boy and Look-It-Up Lass | Robot 6 @ Comic Book ResourcesRobot 6 @ Comic Book Resources

Grumpy Old Fan | Selling Complicated Boy and Look-It-Up Lass | Robot 6 @ Comic Book ResourcesRobot 6 @ Comic Book Resources.

Episode 160: Top 3 Summer Crossover Events – The Tales from the Longbox PodcastThe Tales from the Longbox Podcast

Really proud of this one!

Episode 160: Top 3 Summer Crossover Events – The Tales from the Longbox PodcastThe Tales from the Longbox Podcast.

Mark Waid Talks To Mike Carroll About The Appeal Of Jennifer Blood – Bleeding Cool Comic Book, Movies and TV News and Rumors

Mark Waid Talks To Mike Carroll About The Appeal Of Jennifer Blood – Bleeding Cool Comic Book, Movies and TV News and Rumors.