Whats ultimately so great about Jem and the Holograms though, is that its an adventure beyond the standard realm of comics. So much of the experience of comic books comes from the mind of guys and is focused thoroughly onto our world of experiences and ideas that its supremely refreshing to see a book grounded in something so different from all that. Reading Jem and the Holograms lets you experience something new and fun and different and beyond yourself. Its a comic that takes you out of your comfort zone but not by being dark and disturbing, just by coming from somewhere so different from what were used to. Check it out and have a new experience.

Corruption really is at the heart of Kaijumaxs artistic soul. Almost every storyline revolves around it in some way while exploring the concept in a variety of unique and engaging ideas. In characters like Electrogor or Gupta, a corrupt guard, the corruption is more external and literal with the realities of life on Kaijumax slowly draining away at them and filling them up with something worse. Other characters like Kumicho and Dr. Zhang, the prison doctor whose fallen for one of the inmates, the corruption at hand is internal and insidious as their minds and very souls slowly erode to better match their surroundings. The harshness of the stories at hand, especially coupled with the lighter visual aesthetic, might be off-putting to some, but if you can tune your brain to Kaijumaxs frequency youll find this an excellent read and easily the best sci-fi allegory currently being published in comics.

Prez is a masterpiece, an outright triumph of the new age of DC Comics and one of the best comics youll read all year. The comedy is fun, the commentary insightful and passionate, and the world and characters deeply engaging, well written, ad beautifully drawn. If this really is the face of everything the DC You could accomplish going forward then the future is very bright for them indeed.

Darth Vader #15 and the Vader Down event series overall stands tall as one of the best Star Wars stories ever told, especially if you only enjoyed Force Awakens rather than being blown away by it. The action is stunning with brilliant uses of the force and a true sense of dread and malice all informed by the kind of raw and honest emotions you find in life during war times. More than that, the small scale, character focus, and lack of continuity shake-ups makes this easily the best event comic Marvel has done since Siege. Its Star Wars done right and its comics done right.

For a franchise thats given the Marvel Cinematic Universe so much grief that theyre now bringing in the Hulk and Valkyrie to tag team the third film, its incredible how well Thor is doing in the comic landscape. Maybe theres a lesson in that, maybe Thor, as a character, is better left to the lofty worlds and visual language of comic book superheroes rather than the limited scale and scope of blockbuster cinema. Then again, its not the dark elves or the frost giants that sell this comic, its a solid center built on a well written and endearing main character who embodies the first truth of Marvel comics: that with great power comes great responsibility.

Aliens vs. Zombies probably wont change anyones life, but its a great ride of a comic and a thoroughly enjoyable adventure through genre fusion. Best of all, every page oozes with passion and effort from everyone involved. This easily couldve been a dumb, cash-in project trying to skirt by on a ludicrous name like Sharknado or Aztec Rex, but instead its a well written, imaginative, and excellently constructed work full of energy and enthusiasm for the concept and the medium.

Bloodshot Reborn is another great example of 90s nostalgia implemented perfectly. It finds the exact right ways to take old and tired concepts that didnt even really work during their heyday and invigorate them with a depth and force of purpose thats deeply compelling and highly engaging. Best of all its able to stand tall simply on its own merits, acting as a great entry point into the Valiant comics universe and a thoroughly unique and gripping exploration of the values of inhumanity.

There really isnt much more to say about Drax other than its well written, well drawn, gets the character, and all this quality is wrapped around an exceedingly funny main joke premise. Theres really nothing deeper or more complex to what makes the comic as enjoyable as it is, its just a very funny book thats exceedingly accessible and unique in the current Marvel landscape of doom, gloom, and crisis. Sometimes all a book needs to be is funny and fun and this is one of those times; Drax is a real winner and one of the best new comics of the Marvel relaunch.

The tiny pieces of reality scattered amid all the myth and heroics that make Hercules such a great comic.

So far the All-New All-Different Marvel has been generally passable but passionless and felt more like business as usual than anything different but Karnak is legitimately new and legitimately great.. The Inhumans have always felt out of place in the X-Mens shoes because they lack the same breadth of mythos, there are no Inhuman philosophies or allegorical issues and authors seems stringently opposed to creating them. Karnak is the first time a comic has made the effort to expand the Inhuman mythos in a meaningful way that will help it fill the role Marvel keeps forcing upon it. So far the All-New, All-Different Marvel has been generally passable, but passionless and felt more like business as usual than anything different, butKarnak is the real deal: All-New, All-Different, and All-Quality.

Nailbiter is like a high wire balancing act of genre and focus thats simply amazing to behold. A lesser series could easily end up subsumed by its sleazy affectations or might have had its stylistic flourishes drowned out under its social critiques but Nailbiter finds an incredible sweet spot between the two that can still satisfy everyone. If you want to read it and revel in the gruesome murderers and outlandish mythos its still every bit as enjoyable as if you were reading it for the passionate takedown of the violence obsessed media. A real masterpiece from everyone involved.

The whole issue reads like a blend of The Killing Joke, Pain and Gain, and Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job. It's a dive into the deep end of the latent human ugliness that hides behind the myth of idealized Americana that avoids slipping into nihilism because it understand that the mentality of "all humans are awful" is just the most pathetic of those same myths and false legitimacies.

The fact that Marvel keeps making genuine magic out of this franchise while continuing to test the boundaries of what could be done with the material is frankly staggering. Darth Vader has already secured its place on the best of the year list and Star Wars is the most exciting and vibrant look at the mythos since Knights of the Old Republic,but Vader Down proves that theyre capable of not just telling great Star Wars stories but making Star Wars work to tell great comic stories. The interconnected formation of this story and the building structure of stranded character and ticking clocks is something that needed a comic book to tell the story. In a world of bloated events like Secret Wars or clunky franchise management like Original Sin, its great to see there are people at Marvel who know how to make great event comics, even if theyre set in a galaxy far, far away.

At the same time Vaders expansion of his personal empire gives the series a natural format to touch on the entire Star Wars universe while also expanding key elements of it. This latest issue features both a squad of bounty hunters and a heist story involving imperial credits. Additionally, Darth Vaders lieutenants are all thoroughly engaging, especially Dr. Aphra, a rogue archeologist whos sort of the villainous

Lando is the kind of tie-in work we need to see infinitely more of. It takes the core elements of Star Wars and flips them in an amazingly creative way. The story is that same Star Wars genre fusion of western and sci-fi pulp, but the imagery, character, and emotion of the comic is a moving noir piece about the conflict between personal identity and who were forced to be to survive in a harsh universe. Its a real triumph for everyone involved.

The Black Hood is a triumph that easily stands toe-to-toe with works of golden age revivalism like James Robinsons Starman or Geoff Johns Justice Society of America. The art and writing perfectly complement each other to create an incredibly cohesive tone and focus across every aspect of the book. Its a dark character piece that has the courage and dedication of purpose to stand up and depict the world as it is rather than how wed like it to be without resorting to jaded cynicism or tired moralizing, simply a harsh reflection of reality thats infinitely too rare in the modern comics landscape.

Whats so incredibly endearing about The Humans is how it embraces the most insane and innocuous aspects of comic history and comics as a medium to convey its deeper point. Theres a serious misconception that plagues so many comics that the only way to convey an idea is through dialogue and text or that serious and adult discussions mean a comic must exclude the creatively freer aspects of the medium. The Humans flies in the face of all these ideas and is so much better for it, using simple stories with well-written characters and a beautiful blending of art, form, and theme to convey its bigger ideas. The only real problem with The Humans is not enough people are talking about how great it is.

As mentioned previously, the cancer set-up and the structure of this comic around a major Asgardian war involving all of Jane Foster Thors villains so far gives the comic the air of an ending in progress, but I really hope thats not the case. TheMighty Thor feels like a visitor from another time and place, a comic grounded in telling long form stories informed by solid pacing, emotional impact, and crafting a unique and engaging mythos for a character thats more than the sum of its parts. Its a comic with a sense of its own history as well as enough presence of mind to forge its own way forward and make something new. Bottom line: its an excellent comic made by people with vision and skill who really cared about making it.

This particular challenge is newer ground for Superman as that comes about as a result of his diminished state. The idea is essentially just that because Supermans no longer as powerful as he used to be he cant give his neighborhood the protection it deserves. This is actually a pretty un-Superman dillema but it works in this context for two reasons. Partly its a logical extrapolation of Supermans new state and good moment of character development but mostly it works because of how Superman adapts to the situation. He doesnt give up, he doesnt become disheartened, instead he digs in his heals and

The ending is fairly ambiguous as to what the future holds for Scott Lang and theres still been little to no word on where his ongoing will fall in the post-Secret Wars days. So if this is intended as the cap to his time as Ant-Man before Marvel dusts him off again in however many years, its a pretty fun send off to the character. It highlights what makes him a unique and engaging counterpart to his predecessor and even what serves to make him a superior Ant-Man in a lot of ways. Its funny, its exciting, its got a lot of heart, and its a solid send off to Marvels littlest hero.

As stated the key to whether or not youll enjoy your visit to Astro City is how much affection you have for the silver age of comics. As great as the series is, its not surprising that stuff that actively critiqued the silver age like Watchmen are what got popular in the mainstream. On the other hand, injecting modern writing standards into the most exuberant and innocent age of comics usually ends with a realization of the monstrousness of silver age concepts, even Grant Morrison, one of the biggest silver age comic nerds there is, fell into that trap a few times so its nice that Astro City has actively resisted that path for so long, even if its kept the comic relegated to the upper echelons of the comics world and not much else. Still, not everything needs to be a TV show or a movie or even a New York Times bestseller, some things can just be for comic nerds, and thats Astro City.

C.O.W.L. #11 isnt the series strongest issue, but its a good one regardless and a strong send off for the series. It does a good job staying true the series tone and theme especially in the way it resolves its central storylines. It wouldve been easy to fall back on a more pat and tidy ending that gave the audience good guys and bad guys and a moral victory but thats not the comic C.O.W.L. is. There arent even any winners or losers in this ending, just those who change, who go forward, and those who remain stuck in the past.

All in all this was a mixed first issue. The good elements, in particular the schlocky mash-up of Spider-Man supporting characters with the basic set-up of a pulpy alien horror action film, work really well and is a pretty fun time, but the many art issues can make for dull reading and the lack of additional super powered beings beyond Carnage is a bit of a letdown. As mentioned Eddie Brock and the Toxin symbiote are on hand but theyre never utilized; though if he and Man-Wolf show up next issue to duke it out with Carnage thatd be a real saving grace. As it stands not bad, but serious room for improvement, you could do a lot worse.

This is a good first issue that sucks you in and instantly makes you want to see more of the story. The basic idea of a global Ghostbusters is a great concept and nobody handles corporate comedy filtered through the genre lens like the Ghostbusters. Its still a little up in the air how various international Ghostbusters teams will remain interesting and compelling given that theyd, by definition, have to be all new characters, but the promise of ghosts and monsters grounded in foreign iconography and cultural idiosyncrasy is more than enough to engage. Bottom line: rock solid opening to an interesting overall idea thats drawn from the great central origin of this series, promising an end comic thats very much up there with the bests of this subgenre like Justice League International or Batman Inc.

Hellbreak isnt going to change anyones life, but it also isnt trying to. Its ultimately very similar to a lot of overlooked Marvel comics like Moon Knight or Deathlok, books that simply want to be fun, well written, action comics that explore a concept that wouldve been too risky for other mediums. Bottom line, Hellbreak is a fun and well-paced comic thats doing something truly original; strongly recommended.

Its a little unclear if the world really NEEDED a blend of the sleazier elements of Watchmen with the scope and scale of Squadron Supreme, but its here now and its still a very engaging read. The new-found foreboding atmosphere and senseof things being on the cusp of going horribly wrong for everyone involved is a nice way of raising the stakes for the comic that seems like progress rather than the backsliding that afflicted Jupiters Legacy in its later issues. In a career filled with harsh entries like Kick Ass and Kingsman, where even the allegedly nicer comics like Starlight are still pretty angry and depressing, its pretty refreshing to see Millar write a story about well-rounded people trying to do the right thing till their humanity just ends up in the way. The emphasis on human fallibility isnt new territory for him, but treating it with a greater deal of sympathy certainly is and it makes for a welcome change.

This all leaves Jupiters Circle #4 in the curious case of disappointment by association. As it stands its by no means a bad comic and is quite enjoyable, its just that the story leaves one desiring a greater impact. A big part of this is that within this narrative the deeper character flaws, such as Fitzs fears about aging, are left unaddressed and dont actually make up the literal focus. Theyre certainly present and are the deeper problems causing tension in the story, but the characters and plot never actually address them. All this adds up to a curiously insubstantial tale thats still quite satisfying in its own way, but leaves you hoping for meatier subjects in the next story.

Martian Manhunter #3 brings more revelations amid the stellar art & compelling characterizations.

There's no denying the surrealistic mood piece aesthetic of the comic works well, but it's an unsustainable core in the long-term, leaving this an engaging read that fades from memory all too quickly.

Paper Girls #3 may not feel like the shock to the system, new best-of-the-year contender, that Paper Girls #1 did when it came out, but its still a great read thats very much worth your time. The characterizations are all incredibly well realized and challenging and there are some great plot developments that do a lot to set this apart from the much lesser version of the story that it couldve been. Additionally, the artwork, lettering, and incredible colors make this an incredible artistic achievement, one of the best looking comics in a long time.

Obi-Wan & Anakin #1 is more curious than anything else, a weird little oddity of a comic whose very existence is a lot more interesting than anything in the comic. That said, its by no means a bad comic and as far as prequel stories go you could do far worse. The characters are both decidedly engaging and the book manages to circumvent the curious soulless-ness and distance that always hindered Anakin in the films as well as Obi-Wans lack of definition. Its not really a comic that NEEDED to exist per se, but its a good read with a lot of potential. Marvels already been making magic out of the Star Wars IP with the original trilogy focused comics, so if their next trick really is going to be to try to redeem the prequel era this is a good first step.

However, its artist Steve Skroce and colorist Matt Hollingsworth who really elevate this comic. Skroce'sart is incredible

There are other bizarre elements that could be nitpicked, like the way Vandal Savages plan to drain the energy from heroes like Adam Strange and Cyborg in order to shoot the moon doesnt even begin to make any sense, but in the end thats all just so much noise. Savage Dawn, as an event, has proven predominately pedestrian and more than a little perfunctory to the task of returning Superman to a level of truly super powers, which is itself a claim given how enjoyable the T-shirt/blue jeans Superman has been since the inception of the New 52 continuity. Its also painfully obvious the only reason Vandal Savage is popping up as a bad guy here is because hes on Legends of Tomorrow and despite being generally tone-deaf, not even DC is that devoid of cross-promotion. Bottom line: this is a not terribly interesting entry in a not terribly interesting event comic that exists for not terribly interesting reasons.

Thats the other majorly disappointing and honestly pretty infuriating thing about Armor Wars, how much its a transparent stab at universe management. Basically all the character decisions and revisions present here are soulless calculations in order to force the Marvel Universe in line with the upcoming Captain America: Civil War. This is the same bad decision making that informed last weeks Quake one-shot and the upcoming X-Men comic where the Inhuman gas kills off the oppressed mutant minority in order to leave only the genetically pure as survivors. Theyre all just painfully forced developments designed solely to turn the Marvel comics into the extended universe of the Marvel Movies instead of their own unique entity. Thats what Armor Wars feels like more than anything else; tired, cynical, uninspired brand management; dont buy it.

The worst thing about Black Knight is that its not even as bad as it might seem from all the problems with it. No, if the comic was truly awful that might require an artistic core or deeper identity and Black Knight doesnt have those. What it does have is cameos and cross promotions all slathered over a dull, empty, paint-by-numbers superhero plot like the comic book equivalent of spreading mayonnaise on white bread. Theres just no part of the book that suggest anyone working on it or editing it cared or though this comic would matter in 6 months time so why should we, the audience? Maybe that should be the slogan of this Marvel branding initiative, instead of All-New, All-Different how about We Dont Care, And It Shows.

As for the issues other problems there seems to be an indication near the end that this just a case of first issue syndrome, a starting point thats less engaging than the things to come. That seems fairly likely based on how much of the issue is devoted to recapping Cyborg history and personal relations, but this isnt a review of the series to come its a review of the issue at hand and this is a pretty lame issue. Heres hoping for better in issue #2.

A lot of effort from the creators falls flat against poor pacing, bad focus, & no sense of identity for the hero or the comic

It speaks volumes about where the Cyborg comic is at this point that what is essentially an alright, boiler-plate alien invasion issue counts as "good", but that's just where things are at this point. It's sort of bizarre that "character development" seems to be the comic's worst enemy while the shallow action scenes are the highlight but again, that's just how these things play out sometimes. The real problem though is that the book's fairly sizable ambition is directed at the completely wrong area. This isn't building a unique mythos for Cyborg to inhabit and for future writers to inherit, it's just saddling the character with the most clichd and basic superhero personality you can find. Ultimately we end up at the same closing mantra that's punctuated the past two Cyborg comics: maybe next time.

After 4 issues of Cyborgs meandering, the annoyance and frustration might be gone but the disappointment lingers on. For a comic that was hyped up as the new face of the DC You and the new standard barer for diversity in mainstream comics,Cyborg is shockingly vacuous. The enemies are stock, the supporting cast isannoying or underdeveloped, the main characters identity is only starting to take shape, and the artwork has only gone downhill from word one; and remember, this is DC putting their best foot forward. Despite all the pomp and gloss thats been afforded this series it cant shake the feeling that itll ultimately end up condemned to the same dustbin of history as all of DCs other mistakes, mentioned in the same hazy reminiscence reserved for Resurrection Man or Hawk and Dove.

Cyborg is seven issues deep into its run and theres no indication anything about this series will stand the test of time. It does nothing to forge Cyborgs mythos as a solo character, he has no rogues gallery, no interesting headquarters, no supporting cast of fellow heroes or local officials. The handful of elements he does have are ripped off wholesale from the Superman mythos and the actual storylines at play wouldnt pass mustard in a Deathlok revival comic. It just doesnt feel like anyone writing this had a plan for Cyborg. Theres no spark of imagination or energy for the material, just a dull sense of well, its a living as the book continues to check off all the key components of the complete hacks guide to comic writing.

Overall, Devolution is mixed at best. The artwork is great and the core concept is unique and engaging, but the actual story is just so brutal, oppressive, and bludgeoning theres no fun or engagement to be had anywhere in the book. Its a comic about cavemen and dinosaurs dropped into a modern setting, but all it wants to do is shove your face into the mud of human ugliness for daring to believe in things or be optimistic. It feels a lot like a bait and switch that way and ends up a situation where the more you think about it the angrier it makes you, especially with how sophomoric its greater ideals are. Its especially disappointing considering how many better comics there are about the end of the world that manage to be so much more harsh without reverting to cheap tactics or hateful storytelling, like BOOM! Studios Memtic or Images The Spread. Bottom line; this is a good idea in desperate need of a better writer.

Its hard to say if Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D. is just a decent comic crushed on the weight of prior executions of this idea or if its a legitimately poorly done book, but regardless its not recommended. Even if this is a case of the idea having worn thin with use its not like Howling Commandos would magically get better if it had been released 40 years ago, thered just be fewer better things to compare it to. Maybe things will get better with subsequent issues, but for right now Howling Commandos just needs to buckle down and decide what it wants to be before they go barreling ahead into issue 2.

A dull slog of a comic that's all fundamentals and no ideas or style wrapped in a very ugly package.

If there is any connection between Shazam's old Gods and the Old Gods of Kirby's Fourth World you aren't finding it here, just a lot of disappointment and time-wasting, especially given how unlikely it is that any of these changes will actually last.

Let's not mince words here, there's basically no reason to buy Lara Croft and the Frozen Omen. As a stand-alone story outside the Tomb Raider connection is a dull, underwritten adventure story that you've seen overdone well before now. It adds nothing to the Tomb Raider mythos and in fact only serves to subtract from the character of Lara Croft, it's going backwards more than anything else. Worst of all, if you're just really desperate for more Tomb Raider there's a new game coming out in just 1 month, save your money and buy that instead.

Moon Knight #17 is at best a well-intentioned misfire. Theres still enough of the great series in it to be enjoyed but its not the same kind of dynamite storytelling that marked the previous issues. Overall the central takeaway from it is that Moon Knight was better served as an exploration of mood and atmosphere more than anything else; trying to tell stories that rose or fell on their otherworldly genre-bending artifice rather than deeper meaning or characterization. Not a horrible issue, but not one to judge the entire series on either.

The adaptation falls short of the original, lingering at the surface level with none of the deeper aesthetic charm.

There is still very much the flicker of a greater idea emerging around the edges of Paper Girls, but it is trapped under the byzantine plot and the heavy emphasis on the artifice of genre rather than depth of story.

The big problem with Pencil Head isnt so much that it lacks insight, its a first issue and these things take time, its that it hasnt laid the ground work for the journey to insight. The basic mechanics of telling a story about the personal creative process or even the struggle of trying to achieve a creative vision in a hostileworld simply arent here, certainly not in the way theyd need to be to make the journey to whatever insights the book might eventually offer worthwhile. Our hero is every bit as banal as the working world he seems so suffocated by while we lack any details on his art, the creation of which, should be the focus. Combine that with the mismatched visual palette and this is a drab and uneventful read that remains stuck in neutral from start to finish.

The best word to describe Red Skull #1 is conflicting. There are the seeds of a great comic within it and you can begin to see them germinate near the issues conclusion, but its a lengthy process to arrive at that point. When you combine this with the jarring and unpleasant art the whole issue feels like more of a prolonged slog than a great first impression. Heres hoping for better in issue 2.

Its possible that event and relaunch fatigue are negatively impacting Rocket Raccoon and Groot,but as stated, there have plenty of other All-New All-Different Marvel titles that one could read without ever even thinking about their impending cancellation and restart. Superhero comics are primarily escapism after all and when theyre done well that escapism can extend to the realities of the books publishing along with lifes various other problems. Rocket Raccoon and Groot just isnt very good escapism; it cant escape the realities of being a filler comic on Marvels release balance sheet and it really doesnt escape being a filler comic in its own series.

At this point its tempting to say Spawn is continuing out of habit more than anything else. The incredibly substandard, by the numbers plot mixed with the static nature of the character despite how long hes been around make it hard to ascribe any real passion to the project even if its actually there. More than anything this new run of Spawn stories feels like a reflex, a body spasm brought about by the animating powers of 90s nostalgia. This isnt even comic making as going through the motions, so much as its being dragged through the motions against your will.

Its possible personal bias is coloring this review. At the same time if the comic had been higher quality and amazing, it probably wouldnt have mattered. Honestly, more than franchise fidelity or prequel problems, this issues biggest misstepis its staggering mediocrity and lack of a clear audience. It just doesnt feel like a story thats meant for anyone aside from people really desperate for new Star Trek material who dont care where it comes from because its better than nothing.

Greg Rucka has made a career out of his glacial pacing, so it's possible Shattered Empire is building to more engaging stories, but even if it is that doesn't change the fact this first issue is very disappointing.

Overall The Shadow #100 is more passable than great. The opening and closing stories are strong standouts as Ive said, but the bulk of material in the middle ends up tragically forgettable. What it really lacks is a sense of overarching cohesion, sometimes it wants to be a showcase of artwork using the Shadow as a convenient subject matter, sometimes its a meta-story revolving around the Shadows various media presences, and sometimes its just a very a simple crime fighter story. All these little pieces never add up to a coherent whole, leaving the reader undernourished by the end.

The closest point of comparison one could make with The Shrinking Man comic is last years Interstellar. The visuals are stunning and stylish and the craftsmanship and technical skill is thoroughly impressive, but the tone and subtext completely clash in terms of offering a truly nourishing narrative experience. If youre a big fan of the original Matheson story than this might be an enjoyable read, but for anyone more familiar with the film adaptation or just looking for an enjoyable shrinking story, there are better options open.

The lingering issue with Titans Hunt is that it really has no justifiable reason to exist. Even the argument that it exists to reintegrate the Teen Titans into DC Universe canon is a precarious and unsatisfying claim as theres no way reviving the Titans justifies this much circuitous and lackadaisical storytelling. This forgotten hero comeback plot was old when DC was trying it on Triumph in the late 90s and its only gotten staler and more worn through as the years drag on. Even if youre a big Teen Titans fan theres really not much for you here, the personalities of the characters arent the same and most of the core characters like Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven, and Wally West are conspicuously absent. This isnt the return of the Teen Titans so much as an awkward attempt at covering a pretty embarrassing mistake that never shouldve happened in the first place.

Its genuinely perplexing why Renew Your Vows was made given everyone working on it was so clearly on creative autopilot. Even at 900 words this review only scratches the surface of the comics problems like the incredibly insincere and rushed ending, the lazy artwork that often lacks backgrounds, the sloppy and aimless pacing, or the sketchy optics of a story that ends with a white upper middle class hero beating up a successful black man for trying to save the world from Dr. Doom. Not to mention, all the laziness of execution seems to have blinded the creators to what a cruel and mean-spirited little story this is. While its hard to tell whether the cruelty of the story was intentional or just an unfortunate accident, what is clear is they didnt care, nobody cared and it shows.

The worst thing about Civil War is how much it insults you as a reader. So much of the comic is made of hand waving and contrivance born of the assumption that no one will question it so the comic can get away with it. It lacks the strength of conviction or affecting ideological issues of the original and is completely devoid of the imagination and charm that has elevated other Secret Wars tie-ins. Its just a mean little comic hoping youll be so dazzled by its ham-fisted and simplistic approach to political discourse you wont realize it doesnt make any sense.