Craig Reade Comic Reviews

I think Thor fans will really enjoy this comic especially once it finally gets going. A decent issue for what we got though it does lose points overall for how little there actually was.

The cover price is $3.99, but you do get a hefty 56 pages for the price. This is normally a good thing, but more bad is still bad. I strongly urge giving this two-parter a miss.

Some of Marvels greatest books in the past decade or so have centered on character. I am not saying Lius Black Widow is there but it may well be on its way to it. This is the most interesting I have found Black Widow to be in a very long time. That's a great development.

Overall, the work is enjoyable. You do need to set aside your political knee-jerk reactions from the start - yes, sometimes it's a nasty political statement, but sometimes its a joke. In this case, it is definitely the latter. Turn on your sense of humor and just enjoy this one - it's well done.

This is probably an issue to skip if you are looking to try the book out for the first time - far better to wait until the crossover begins. For longtime readers, this is a definite filler issue, and not an especially good one. Passable - but they could have done a little better. But then, most comic writers don't seem to be able to tell a good single issue story these days...

Hopefully Snyder gets away from the horror elements in coming arcs. It makes sense if he is trying to appeal to the readers that followed him over from American Vampire, but long term, Detective Comics isnt a horror book, and nor should it be.

And yes, for those who are familiar with my review style, those are 5 star ratings below. I enjoyed this book that much.

I think this is a strong start. This issue was a Comic-Con exclusive, but they will be releasing it digitally sometime soon. As soon as I get word of a release date for that and the upcoming first issue, I will be sure to post it.

Overall, Hell House is a very strong effort. I think the team was needlessly harsh on church groups in general, but in the big picture that is easy to sweep under the rug. Granted, the best of the faithful were raptured, but I don't know of a single local church that holds book burnings at its youth events. Sorry, just doesn't happen. As strong as the story was, a more realistic presentation of the culture within the religious school would have taken it to another level. That said, I recommend giving Hell House a shot when it hits the stands next month. The cover price is $9.95, well worth the price for the amount of content and overall good quality work. It does look like this will be the first of a series, and while this one had a strong ending, I am curious to see where they are going with it.

This is an issue I think long-time Invincible Iron Man readers could absolutely miss. I didn't find anything in this issue that had anything at all to do with what is going on in the surrounding story. However, if you enjoy Tony Stark as a character, or just like Matt Fraction's work, I strongly recommend this issue. This issue is a fantastic example of how well Matt Fraction understands Tony Stark, and he does an amazing job making you see why he loves the characters so much. I think it is safe to say that Fraction will make you care about Tony Stark too. So while it isn't totally the express mission of Marvel.1, the issue ended up being a decent read anyway.

Missing Linx will be in stores later this month. (Amazon lists a release date of April 29th, 2011).

I have to say that I was very impressed with Nosferatu - all of my complaints about the book are absolutely trivial. Wolf avoids all of the pitfalls of a reimagined story, manages to bring something new to the tale while fitting it seamlessly into the theme, updates the narrative without it getting cliched, and manages to have his "tongue in cheek Hollywood story" while producing a story more compelling than Hollywood has been able to come up with in years. Good stuff.

This comic is fun - and pretty much exactly what I expected when I first saw it. It's pretty unique as well - a fun, action oriented car chase written by a former World Champion professional wrestler. There aren't too many things out there like R.P.M. with this level of quality.

Overall, a solid start for Mr. Nicieza. Looking forward to the next issue.

Nicieza's work is strong, as always. He get's Tim Drake, and he definitely gets the Teen Titans that Tim used to mesh so well with. The story seemed a little rocky at the beginning, but the meat of it came fast and everything smoothed out... a little lag in changing gears, nothing more. This was a strong issue with outstanding art - and I am really excited to see where this goes in the next Teen Titans issue. Red Robin has been a strong corner of the DCU for a while now - this issue only continues that trend. Krul is following a tough act... hopefully he impresses. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.

Stu the bear was a ton of fun, and certainly delivers a lot of content for the price. I have to recommend this one.

Overall, I really enjoyed this issue. Every story with the exception of the Bizarro story was solid and fun, with few continuity strings attached. The art varied throughout the issue, some more impressive than other, but in every case (with the exception of the Bizarro story) the art was at least good enough to carry the story, if not improve on it. This is basically 2 and a half issues for $6 - and I think it was worth the price.

The Pound #1 was a fun read - and I anticipate future issues will be a nice blend of horror and comedy. I'm looking forward to checking out the second issue.

I'm really enjoying this story so far. Like the last issue, The Pound #2 is being offered on IDW's Digital Storefront on iTunes. It will be collected as a trade paperback that is currently set for release on October 4th.

The Pound is being offered on IDW's Digital Storefront on iTunes. It will be collected as a trade paperback that is currently set for release in September.

This series was surprisingly enjoyable, and maintained an element of fun that is sometimes lacking in comics today. I am not sure if there is another series on the horizon, but the final issue definitely left the door open for more. I wouldn't be opposed to seeing it at some point. As before, the final two issues are available now in IDW's digital storefront. The trade has been solicited for release on September 21st... though Amazon shows the book will be available on October 4th. Either way, it's a great title to check out if you are looking for something new.

The Story of Lee is a pretty strong outing. I am not sure about the crossover appeal, but young women should eat this one up.

With a "previously/character intro" page, solid pacing, a overall point to the issue combined with a cliffhanger/tease to make you want to read the next issue, Parker hit all of my "Serial Storytelling" checkmarks with precision. Plus, this is a $2.99 book - which is another attraction these days. This issue was fun, action packed, and the creative team did an outstanding job in every area. A very fun issue.

If anything, this issue confirmed to me that putting aside the Ultimate Universe was the right thing to do. It is all the worst parts of Millar, amplified for your reading pleasure. Not good.

Of course, the issue ends with a To Be Continued in New Mutants #14. Maybe it shouldnt, but this does affect my overall rating for the issue. I was complaining about event fatigue years ago, and not only has it not stopped, but both of the big two have found ways to do more events. Theyve crammed this story into 5 titles... and while it might be big enough to warrant it, after all of the other crossovers weve been getting almost constantly, that is reason enough for some to give it a pass. Enough with the event crossovers guys... even if this is a great one, it's becoming a real burden. I know there are only a few chapters to go in this, but the complaint remains valid.

Overall, this is a very fun read. It offers a little more than many of Marvel's more padded books (which makes the cover price easier to swallow), and is overall pretty interesting. Plus, I like the characters they are using in this book. I'm an old Dazzler fan, and I always like it when a writer decides she is worth using. Decent stuff.

Still - the concept has produced entertaining single issue reads, and this issue is no exception. If you haven't followed Wolverine in a while, this is a great issue to pick up. It is an outstanding read with no strings attached.

A nice final issue that does a great job of giving Cullen Bunn a clean slate to start with.

Overall, this book is solid. If you are a fan of zombies or horror in general, I really have to recommend it. Some of the stories have really interesting looks, and on the whole the stories are interesting. Recommended.