Josh Flanagan Comic Reviews

Is it good to have Steve back? It is most definitely good to have Steve back. The story is very much an opening chapter, and to be honest, it's nothing groundbreaking. But it's very well done, and that craft takes the book a long way. If I'm you, and I'm on the fence about whether to go another round with Ed Brubaker and the Sentinel of Liberty, I say grab one of those donuts, and make sure you don't get any jelly on the pages, because this is one fine example of an American comic book. It will be an honor serving with Steve Rogers again.

Making this a one shot issue was exactly the right thing. I got halfway through, and thought, I don't want this to continue. I want this to be one great issue, all on its own, and they actually listened to that instinct on their side as well. There was no cliffhanger at the end. The impetus for coming back to for the next issue is built on the fact that this one was good, rather than the idea that they're going to force us to fill in a blank about who was on the last page. It was a great decision, and made for a stand alone issue. I hope this version of Hawkeye has a great and lengthy run, and continues to defy and exceed expectations. Hawkeye #1 strikes exactly the right tone, and is simply gorgeous to behold.

Lost Vegas is imaginative, fun, and original. It's like one of those worlds you encounter in a random episode of Doctor Who that exist outside of any times or places we know, but is familiar to us. It's also an wonderful look at the evolution of creators who were pretty successful the first time around, but keep coming back for more.

If Spider-Men sounds like something that's going to make you comic book happy, then by all means, read this. You're going to get a well produced comic book that's nothing you don't expect. I can't speak for what's going to happen with the rest of the series, but as a first issue, it's nothing I didn't know from just reading the premise, and nothing happens in the pages to suggest otherwise. Yet, Bendis has the voices of these various Spider-Men down cold, and if you enjoy spending time with them, it will be worth it for you. It's going to take a little something more to get me excited at this point though, and I don't think it's wrong to expect that from your comics.

It's a good start. I wasn't blown away, but I wasn't turned off either. One thing I always love about Hickman's writing is that there is thought going on under the surface. It's always saying something at a deeper level, or at least appears to be, so I'm thinking about it. It's meticulous. I genuinely believe that Hickman isn't interested in putting out a comic book that doesn't impress people, so the effort is on the page. If you liked The Ultimates previously, there's more here for you to like. If you've never read them, this is a fine place to start.