Joel Raivid Comic Reviews

My only gripe with the series as a whole though is around the fact that I am not too bothered about the series as a whole and I dont see the need for it. My reasoning is that we know he is not going to get caught by the CIA and wont die because we now have a Series 9 so whats the point of this story then? Well the answer is is that if you are a fan of the 24 franchise then this is just a great story and you should definitely read it just to have another adventure with Jack getting to know him a slight bit better.

I still love this series. It constantly makes me want to turn the page and read more, and makes for a really fast read as it is end to end exciting. My only problem with the series as a whole is that it is a monthly and it is hard to wait a month in between the books. This might sound one of those positive negatives that people say at job interviews when asked the question what is your greatest weakness? And is answered well some people say I am too organised This is not the case, when I say it is a problem that we have to wait a month for the next issue, I am being serious. With the TV show it is weekly and you feel like you get a lot more resolution quickly, with a monthly book I just feel it is going to take a long time for resolutions and answers. Therefore I really think the publisher or creative team need to seriously think about making this book a weekly or even a bi-monthly.

Once again the book looks great. I can understand those that arent a fan, but its all about context, and the dark shadows and the gritty coloring set the tone of this series fantastically. The detailing of the art also builds a world around Jack and from the beginning of this series to the end it has been very consistent and made this book a pleasure to look at.

Going back to the issue at hand, there really were some great moments from Superman. His shear strength of will to try and fight off SuperDoom and help fight Brainiac, in Gotham for example, is a true testament to the character and one which has rarely been seen in The New 52. Unfortunately, the plan that was originally used to stop Superman from coming back to Earth a few issues ago seems to backfired but dont worry as Batman has a different plan. What this plan reveals is that in fact SuperDoom and the Brainiac virus were just the beginning of what is to come and it all leads to one incredible final splash page.

The war of the world vs Brainiac is great and really created a fun epic story, however what is even more fun is Batmans plan, and Pak really pulls it out of the bag and ties it in to an earlier part of the Doomed story in his Batman/Superman book which is a really nice payoff because at the time it seemed that issue was a bit random and out of place in the Doomed story.

The cliffhanger at the end while not the best cliffhanger ever, still entices the reader for the next issue, but overall excellent storytelling continues with huge consequences for the future of the DC Universe, so who cant love it! Bring on Part 7!!

With Gates on the series for the foreseeable future and a talented roster of artists on this arc and upcoming arcs, this could be another great digital first series for fans of the character whether or not you watch the show. I highly recommend downloading a copy of this as we could be in for a wild ride with budgetless special effects

The final act of the issue is where the pace picks up nicely and leads us to the cliff-hanger of this months issue. Alex and Ada are invited to dinner with Alexs grandmother and her robot, Daniel, and upon arrival we are treated to a great few panels where Ada and Daniel meet which I truly laughed out loud. The detail of the art in the second to last panel of the page is a real credit to the art team as the emotions of these characters play a huge part in the overall narrative of this book and this detail along with the dialogue is the reason I did laugh so hard. There are some nice reveals during the meal but upon conclusion of the meal we have the cliff-hanger we are always waiting for at the end of the issue, and this one was a good one and changes the game completely which makes me excited to see what direction the creative team take from here.

This issue really succeeds on an emotional level and I was left shocked and wanting more. This series is definitely in the midst of a great part of the story and it can really go either way, but based on what has come before this, I have no doubts that the next few issues are going to be just as dramatic and thought provoking while being a truly gripping series.

I really felt let down by this narrative. It was so simple to follow, there were no complications, and it was just a really straightforward, uneventful introduction to a story which from the solicits made it sound like pure fun and excitement. Which in the end it had none of that.

One of the elements I was worried about for this issue was that Ed McGuinness has now left the book and is now replaced by Carlo Barberi. There is no denying that McGuinness draws the X-Men fantastically, but I got to give it to Barberi, this issue the art was fantastic and I am hoping he stays on the book as it really felt like the writing was in tune with the art, the characters sounded and looked fun when they were meant to be, and when it was time to be serious, Barberi was able to change his style to fit that. I think it also helped that Rachelle Rosenberg is still on the colours because this made it a seamless transition from last issue.

The look of the book was always going to be important especially being a licensed comic, and there was no let down here, all three artists did solid jobs and the three colourists did too. I am really impressed with the look of the book especially as there were three different art teams. We see many a time in the Big Two that when one book has many artists the quality of the book suffers, this book despite three different stories and three different artistic teams there was no lack of quality in any of the sections and I wouldnt have been able to tell on first that they were dont by different people and that is a testament to the whole team that worked on the book.

What resolutions we will get I am somewhat reluctant to even guess as Hickman loves his novel ways of getting to an end point, but this latest arc has definitely been fun and I have trust in Hickman to conclude it in a satisfying way next month.

This issue is an essential part of the story if you are reading Superman: Doomed - Infected and it cannot be missed, in what has been a pretty good storyline so far this has perhaps been my least favourite issue but Im sure this will only be the weakest issue for a week, when we have Superman #31 by Lobdell to look forward to next week!!

I was also a big fan of the art in this issue. I know there were lots of complaints with the initial arc and though I was a fan, I think this issue was much better than the first few issues in this series. Gotham looked amazing in my opinion and I was particularly impressed with a lot of the action sequences.

Going back to the story, it really didnt progress too much from the last issue in terms of actual resolution, but what it did so well was create a tension and draw the reader in to the disagreement of the cause that divides Batman and the Justice League. Luckily however, Batman has other friends and this is where the story is heading next.

The art is this issue was truly a treat and Gleason once again proves he is just a fantastic drawer of emotion. He truly captures each characters state of feeling and portrays it so well to us as the reader. Not only do the little things look great but there are a couple of fantastic flash pages in this issue too which truly stand out as some of the best work in this series to date.

This series continues to be one of the strongest of 2014. It combines everything a reader would need, want and ever dream about. It really pushes the boundaries in terms of what a creative team can do especially in light of the cliffhanger of the last issue and the state of play in this issue because of that cliffhanger. And despite the slight tonal change this issue the reader is still given a fast paced, thought-provoking, adrenaline driven issue that finishes on such a cliff-hanger (literally) that we cant wait to be entertained again next month. Or this week even, Low #1 anyone?

The art was also surprising, at first I wasnt too keen with the opening sequence but it really got into its own from the moment Zola turned up and the detail of the art was really effective in the scene where Falcon and Jet were experience the morning after the night before as Jet sees the Tower. The panelling for this sequence was really good and really set the tone for the rest of the issue.

The art in this book will not be for everyone, but I really liked it. Each character looked great, the fighting sequences had some great motion, and the large scale visuals such as the Avengers Mansion or the city scope looked excellent and really took this excellent script and showcased it to its full potential.

As I mentioned above the issue looked amazing. It was very crisp and vibrant. All the characters looked superb and some of the close up panels just blew my mind especially of the ageing Steve Rogers, this is definitely a long way from the Dimension Z stuff where a lot of people had issues with the art.

And the final strand of the storyline is former crazy lady having a change of heart and realising her mistakes in how she treated Luke back when he was caught by her. She wants to get his forgiveness but obviously she cant as she and everyone else at this point thinks Luke and the clones are dead. She gets a tip off for a next of kin I am assuming and finds her way to Amelias mothers house, this leads us to an ending which is truly chilling to think about what might happen next.

The art was once again flawless and really showcases the narrative, what seems to be, effortlessly and makes for a very pleasant read. The consistency that this series has had over the past 18 issues is a real credit to the art on this book, it is simple yet so detailed and the action sequences are just as powerful as the static calm sequences.

This issue we get to see by the end of it an intertwinement of two of these strands, now I might be wrong, but I think this is the first time that the writers have done this and it really creates a shocking moment and the art for this last page works exceptionally well in depicting Erics face. And overall I thought Erics strand was definitely the most interesting and has been over the past few issues.

Back to the positives, Juan Jose Ryp did it again. This was another stunning issue visualising and creating this fast paced environment with superb detail and emotion depiction. The scenes at the start of the issue, with tattooed Luke, were drawn superbly and the scene would not have been able to achieve this with any other artist.

Detective Comics has sort of become like the current run on Green Arrow, with an excellent crafted story by the writer but it is only once joined with the artwork that make it stand out from the rest of the books on the shelf.

The main story thread progressed nicely too. We see Joe tell Kate the dreams/conscious seeing things that Joe has been experiencing so it will be interesting to see where this goes as I am unsure about Kate whether she is a good guy or just a pawn in the Dreamscape creation based on her appearance in the first issue.. We also see Joe scooping around the Black Files, which we arent told too much about, looking for his own file to perhaps job his brain to remember what this thing is that is irritating him. We also see that at the end of each day he goes to unwind at a dreamers kitchen where he gets to tell his whole day and she doesnt even know he exists and will he uses it as a form of counselling. I really liked these sequences and I am very intrigued as to where this is going based on the last part of this issue.

Part of the world building has clearly been the art, now if I am being honest, I wasn't a huge fan of how this book looked at the beginning, but it has slowly grown on me and has been really effective especially in this issue. I do still have some issues with the artists character work but the big full page panels and splash pages just look great and really goes to show that if you combine great writing with OK art then by falling in love with the characters, how they look isn't necessarily a huge problem.

I really dont have any problems with this issue at all and it was one I thoroughly enjoyed and can see myself picking it up over and over again. This issue really showcases the history of the Fantastic Four and even if you havent picked up any of the current run so far, you should really be picking up this book.

Throughout this run the visuals have taken this book to a new height and this first issue of the new arc does not let us down at all. Sorrentinos pencilling and Maiolos colouring is definitely the most consistent art in the industry at the moment and really makes this book stand out from every other book on the market. I really feel (especially the previous issue) that this book is sometimes worth picking up just for the way it looks. Luckily with this new arc though, we are treated to an excellently crafted and written storyline too.

Artwise, the book looked great. Mahnke did a great job of handling all the character work and the action sequences looked fantastic, I really like the scene with Batman and Power Ring the dialogue was meaningful but the art made the scene powerful as Mahnke is a master at drawing emotion.

So, what can be taken from this issue? Well it definitely worked as a great prelude to Action Comics, and did fill the gap of what happened with Lex between Darkseid War and Action Comics, so it gets nothing but praise from me. Although not the swansong issue of Justice League that the New 52 deserved having been one of its best titles since the formation, it doesnt disappoint in any way and you should definitely pick this up if you will be reading the continuation of Lexs adventures in Action Comics.

Overall, this debut issue was a lot of fun to read, and one I can definitely recommend to both new and old fans of Mockingbird. Not only is it a fun read, it truly has the making to be as big a success as the recent Ms Marvel in terms of the uniqueness of both the script and the art. And because of that I have no doubt that this will be a hit series and I will be following it closely.

This series definitely continues to be a must read, it has it all, suspense, action, mysteriousness, and beyond that a great creative team that is producing one of the books of the year issue after issue.

The artwork on this issue was top notch, and some of the panelling was exceptional. When Finch and Crane are introduced to a new killer the suspense created just from the panelling was incredible. What I really like about the art though is the actual visuals as a whole as it has a cartoony feel about it and actually makes the series a lot less darker than it could have been, and I think that is one of the reasons this series really appeals to me where previous series of the same genre have not.

If we are talking about things that worked really well for this issue than the epilogue is a must mention. Obviously, I am not going to spoil anything but anyone that thought Bendis being in this issue was a gimmick, you were so wrong! What stemmed from Bendis exploring the butchers graveyard, finished up being what is probably going to be the catalyst for the next part of the story especially with the reveal that what Bendis thought he saw was actually real and not only that but this wasnt the first time that this happened, and that is all I am going to say without ruining anything!

Not only was this issue fun and interesting therefore, it also really progressed the story well. The flashbacks were fascinating and the investigation work by Bruce Banner was also fun. What I really like about this series though is that it is not just showing us what happened in the past between these two characters but at the same time it is and will be changing the dynamic of their relationship. I also really liked the scene with Tony and the whisky, but I cant decide if its because of the Eureka moment of because I just like The Balvenie!!

The only problem I have with this issue was the art, it just didnt particularly compel me. It felt fairly bog standard for a story that is very mysterious and could have served the story better having a more freeflow rather than the rigidness that is currently on offer.

Ultimately, this was a great issue which had one annoyance in my opinion and that was the fact we only just got told about how the powers of the Protectors work, and I am assuming this isnt the whole story. Dont get me wrong, it was great that we finally have some answers to this but I question why it took so long to get this explanation. Unlike in Sidekick where I cant see why it took 7 issues, with Protectors Inc. being more of a detective story it doesnt bother me as much that it took this long and that is one of the strengths of this book as it feels like a detective story throughout. It is slow, methodical, and pays a lot of attention to detail and it really is an enjoyable book. On top of that the art is fantastic, especially the colouring, and perfectly in tune with the writing.

There are more developments in the story from the characters back on earth after they split up such as Olympian surviving and then retreating to his Home to find a nice surprise. Two of the others acclimatising to their new powers and lastly we have The Patriot hitting up a bar getting into a fight.

Saga #19 is a good read and it does nothing particularly wrong, it just doesnt have the impact of some of the older issues. It starts off a new arc, even though it might not be particularly exciting unless you have a deep connection with the marriage of Marko and Alana. Overall, I did have problems with this issue but I will most certainly be coming back for more.

Not forgetting the shocking conclusion of the last issue, we catch up with Dengo killing people effortlessly as if he didnt have the robot baby prince in a sling. Some of the images are drawn so well that despite being outrageous you just cant help loving and admiring the thought process of the creative team. And the surprising visuals continue when we catch up with Prince Robot IV and are quickly reminded just how depraved and violent he is.

With Kot doing a great job on the writing, it is only fair this book deserves a great art team and Michael Walsh is absolutely perfect for this book. His art is pure fun and really suits the tone of the book and together with great colouring by Matthew Wilson categorically makes this creative team one of the most in-tune and exciting 3-some working in the industry at the moment.

Once again the art on this issue is great. Michael Walsh is doing a fantastic job creating a really coherent Marvel Universe for Kot. The tiniest of details that we see are fantastic and he does a great job on every character he draws. The scene with Spider-Woman being all emotional was captured magnificently by Walsh and really evoked the feeling of frustration and anger that she had. It is some really impressive stuff we are seeing and fits perfectly in line with Kots tone.

If you take The New 52 as the The New 52 and dont think about anything that happened previously, then I can understand the point and need for secret origins stories. If you are new to comics, I would definitely pick this book up, it will not teach you everything about the heroes nevertheless it is a nice overview of the characters, but those familiar with these heroes, please dont be fooled by the secret tagline as there is nothing secret or special about this book.

The issue concludes with Barry and Julia finding what it was they were looking for with the aid of their new recruit and then finishes with a catch up on Red Cowl which didnt really add anything to the issue.

Therefore, with great twists and turns, an enjoyable story, and a really exciting last page, this Silk fan over here was really happy to have this series back in the palm of his hands!

Nevertheless, this is not the fault of the creative team (I assume) and they did a solid job of what was asked of them and I dont have any gripes with the way the issue looked. The big scary Brainiac thing in the sky looked just as scary in this issue as it did drawn by the other art teams in the other books in these tie-ins.

Soule really takes Superman and Wonder Womans relationship to the extreme here with a full on confrontation or lets say fight, but the real fight that I found quite impressive was the one that is happening internally to Superman. It has probably been the highlight of this event the way Clark has struggled from within SuperSpikeyMan, and has really shown, for one of the first times in The New 52, the personality and the strength of will and morality that Clark has, and in this issue it was delivered so well and really contributed to a major part of this issue.

Despite Soule not having particular expertise in some of the relationships he wrote about in this issue, it does feel like he has got a good grasp of the characters and it is a credit to him that Pak and Lobdell allowed their story elements to drive forward in this book. However, because of the developments in these strands it did feel that the relationship between Superman and Wonder Woman wasnt really touched on in this issue as she was too busy with Lois, and though this will probably only happen in this issue, I did feel that we kind of missed out on what Soule has been doing in this book since the start. Overall though, this is a definite must read for anyone following this crossover event, and we just have to wait now a few weeks till the next part in Action Comics Annual #3.

Despite my frustrations, as I mentioned above I did enjoy the issue, it was a lot of fun. For me especially, there were two outstanding points to this issue. The first was the way Soule wrote Cyborg. Cyborg has really come into his own in The New 52 and I have never read him written so well since the beginning of Forever Evil till now, and in my opinion I think this event has written him particularly well and he was showcased excellently in this issue. Secondly, the art was just superb especially the colouring. The action scenes looked fantastic and really felt like the page was moving and the colours looked like what I imagine in my head that these superhero outfits look like that most of time in The New 52 we just havent seen.

The major difference between this book and any other book on the DC shelves is the visuals. Never has a DC book looked so good. The art of Jim Lee is always incredible and consistent and this series has showcased that powerfully. But what makes this book stunning are the colours of Alex Sinclair. Some of the action scenes just literally pop off the page and it completely compliments, and furthermore, enhances Lees art which combined is just breathtaking in places and makes the purchase of this book worth it just for the way it looks.

You have probably guessed it already, but just incase you havent, I wasnt a fan of this issue. As I said earlier, it is far from the worst thing I have read but besides having the same name as its TV show parent (as I would describe this series as the TV show offspring) it really is nothing alike and is truly disappointing for this fan right here!

Really driving this series forward is the art. The panelling is fantastic and really edgy (literally), the parts of the issue in the past giving us a look at past manifestations of the virus is really effective using this way of panelling. But besides the panelling, the actual art itself is really unique especially the colouring which has a sort of faded smudge to it and really creates the whole chilling atmosphere that is often found in these small town murder mystery type TV shows. The atmosphere created therefore is truly in tune with what we are reading thereby creating a seamless blend and an excellent reading experience.

The writing is truly engaging and I have never read Thor written so well. But all of this and my interest in the book is even more so because of the way it looks. The writing and the art in this book goes hand in hand, the art is so detailed and realistic and really fits in well in this issue due to the lack of action. it really allows us to take a look at the characters and feel the emotions they are going through both in the humour and in the sadness.

I wasnt a major fan of the art, yes it was done in I clever way by having different artists represent different time periods and stories, but even so, for me, it felt disjointed. I was a fan of the first tales art and the visuals in the prison were incredible, and as always I was a fan of the future stuff, but the young Thor story I found really hard to read because of the way it looked and it was really disappointing in what was a really well written issue.

This issue is another strong book and a great conclusion to the first arc of this excellent spy story. This issue brought in more characters, more mystery, and more history, and the pay-out was a really fun and emotional to read.

The narrative is truly engaging, but where this book takes it to the next level is the way it looks. The art is stunning and the colouring is so consistent and spectacular that it makes this book one of those rare few where it is worth picking up just for the visuals. But luckily its not just an art book, it is a truly magnificent art book with a fantastic story that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat while rooting for the protagonist.

This series continues to get stronger and stronger, and even an issue without our protagonist is just as good as everything that has come before it. Despite not progressing the storyline itdid do a great job of teaching us how to catch a spy and tease the big showdown for the next issue.

My feelings of the lack of emotional connection I had with the book is reinforced by the art which I felt lacked any sort of detail both on the faces of the characters and also the scenic imagery.

After the fight sequence I wasnt a fan of how the issue finished, it seemed very safe and very happy. I dont know if this is because I was expecting there to be mayhem leading up to the Death of Wolverine storyline, but either way I felt very underwhelmed.

To not be reading Zero, you are truly missing out. I urge you to pick it up or wait for the trade and enjoy a true master class of storytelling in both the written and art form. This is another excellent issue and makes me want to come back for more and makes it so hard to wait another month for the next issue.

This was a great issue with fantastic storytelling. This is what this book has been about since the beginning, and it is why readers keep coming back. Most one-shot books don't hold an audience but this one does for the simple reason that Kot writes it so well and the book always looks great no matter who is on art.