Sam Rutzick's Comic Reviews

Reviewer For: AIPT Reviews: 86
7.4Avg. Review Rating

6
Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #52.LR

Nov 11, 2020

I just don't understand why Marvel found this necessary to make.

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8
Black Cat (2020) #2

Jan 21, 2021

A fun little heist comic that shows just how good a writer Jed MacKay really is.

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8
Black Cat (2020) #4

Mar 31, 2021

Black Cat continues to be great, as it revives one of my favorite weird Marvel miniseries.

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9
Black Cat (2020) #5

Apr 15, 2021

While not a good jumping on point, Black Cat #5 is a great example of what Marvel Comics done right is.

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6
Black Hammer: Visions #4

May 13, 2021

Black Hammer lives and dies by its artistic collaborators " it's just as much Dean Ormston's franchise as it is Jeff Lemire's. And Diego Olortegui is no Dean Ormston.

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4
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2019): Faith #1

Feb 24, 2021

The latest comic in the BOOM! Buffy-verse just doesn't understand the character it stars.

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9
Cable (2020) #2

Jul 29, 2020

A masterfully drawn comic, with a core of really funny humor.

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8
Cable (2020) #3

Aug 18, 2020

Gerry Duggan has written a very entertaining comic book, an emotion-filled and funny comic worth purchasing.

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7
Captain Marvel (2019) #18

Jul 28, 2020

'Captain Marvel' #18 is a good combination of classic superhero space opera, and deeper musings about what Carol's role ought to be.

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7.5
Captain Marvel (2019) #19

Aug 12, 2020

Captain Marvel #19 is worth a purchase by any fan of Carol Danvers. Despite being saddled with a poor premise, Kelly Thompson writes a very good comic.

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9
Colonel Weird: Cosmagog #2

Nov 24, 2020

Colonel Weird: Cosmagog is a lovely piece of surrealism, and it deserves a place on your shelf.

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7.5
Colonel Weird: Cosmagog #3

Dec 29, 2020

A beautiful comic with a story that'll leave you hanging.

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7
Commanders In Crisis #3

Dec 20, 2020

The execution never quite lives up to the ideas.

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6.5
Conan The Barbarian (2019) #16

Nov 25, 2020

There is a lot to praise in this book. There's a lot of solid, powerful craftsmanship. But that solid craftsmanship can't get past the basic fact that the story that Zub wrote is far too rooted in the past.

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4.5
Dark Nights: Death Metal #3

Aug 11, 2020

This is a bad comic. It's a gross, disturbing romp that trades on cheap imitations of better stories.

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10
Die #17

Jun 10, 2021

Die is an incredible series, and issue #17 is its best installment yet. My sole complaint is that I can only rate it 10/10.

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1
Dune: House Atreides #6

Apr 28, 2021

This is a comic book done by madlibs. There's a formulaic plot, stolen from something else, with a series of proper nouns plugged in. It's a shame that the undeniably talented artistic team of Dev Pramanik, Raffaele Semeraro, Alex Guimares, and Ed Dukeshire are strapped to such a sad mediocrity.

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6
Empyre: Captain America #1

Jul 28, 2020

Unless you're a completionist, you really have no reason to buy this. It's an underwhelming story in an event that has otherwise been really fun so far. Hopefully, as the story moves beyond its introduction, it will pick up, but I don't see anything of that in this first issue.

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4.5
Empyre: X-Men #2

Aug 6, 2020

No, it isn't good. Don't buy it. Maybe look over your friend's shoulder at the art, but don't buy it.

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8
Excalibur (2019) #11

Aug 20, 2020

Despite unfortunate delays, the book has really good art and a fun story.

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7
Excalibur (2019) #13

Oct 21, 2020

This is not a bad comic by any means; it's just not nearly as good as it could be. This may be the first disappointment in all of X of Swords.

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9
Excalibur (2019) #17

Jan 29, 2021

Tini Howard channels Alan Davis in my favorite issue of Excalibur yet.

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5
Firefly: Brand New 'Verse #1

Mar 25, 2021

The next generation Firefly reboot is a simply boring, imitative, and lazy relaunch.

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8
Flash (2016) #760

Aug 25, 2020

The Flash family returns in a book sure to excite the fans of the Wally West era.

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6.5
Future State (2021): Suicide Squad #1

Jan 26, 2021

I wish I could recommend this book. In my heart, I like it -- I like the spirit here. I just wish that the rest of the book was as good as its soul.

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5
Future State (2021): Superman of Metropolis #1

Jan 6, 2021

If anything, the disappointment with 'Superman of Metropolis' is that these great ideas can only be explored in this issue and the next. If this was the first issue of a new Superman series, I think I would be a lot more complimentary. But it isn't. And for a miniseries' opening, I can't help but be let down.

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8
Future State (2021): Superman/Wonder Woman #1

Jan 12, 2021

This isn't a perfect comic. The characterization being so different between this and Superman of Metropolis is a flaw, even if I like this characterization more, and the art gets strange at times. But still, broadly, this might be the best part of Future State by far.

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8.5
Future State (2021): Superman/Wonder Woman #2

Feb 9, 2021

A really well written retro-feeling comic that is unfortunately let down by its art. Watters should really get a chance to go and write a Superman book, too.

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7.5
G.I. Joe (2019): Castle Fall #1

Mar 17, 2021

Brittany Peer's coloring props up an otherwise by-the-book conclusion.

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8
Giga #1

Oct 27, 2020

Giga is fascinating. I am really interested in where the book goes next, and I strongly encourage all of you to pick it up.

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2
Gloomhaven: Fallen Lion #1

Feb 24, 2021

A comic that could have brought comic readers into board games and vice versa instead just fails entirely.

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8.5
Green Lantern: Earth One #2

Aug 11, 2020

Bechko, Hardman and Boyd write one of the best Green Lantern stories in years.

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8.5
Guardians of the Galaxy (2020) #4

Jul 20, 2020

A thrilling next step in the adventures of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

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7.5
Guardians of the Galaxy (2020) #5

Aug 6, 2020

Wow, is this good or what? Just a fantastic - and fantastically weird - comic from a really good team.

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9
Guardians of the Galaxy (2020) #7

Oct 21, 2020

Guardians of the Galaxy #7 is not just good, it's great. Every issue of Ewing's Guardians is better than the one before.

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7.5
Guardians of the Galaxy (2020) #8

Nov 4, 2020

Read up to the second to last page, and it's great.

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9
Guardians of the Galaxy (2020) #9

Dec 9, 2020

Guardians of the Galaxy #9 is one of the best books I've ever read from Al Ewing, and that's really saying something.

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7.5
Hawkman (2018) #24

Jun 21, 2020

While perhaps better to wait for the trade, the story is still good, and the character work heartwarming.

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6
Hellions (2020) #2

Jul 22, 2020

In a comic bursting with potential, Wells just can't deliver on those expectations.

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6.5
Heroes Reborn (2021) #3

May 19, 2021

Despite his best efforts, Jason Aaron pulls off a decently fun comic.

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6
Heroes Reborn (2021) #5

Jun 2, 2021

A pretty decent Batman story, Heroes Reborn #5 doesn't quite measure up to the other books in this series.

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9
Heroes Reborn (2021): Hyperion & The Imperial Guard #1

May 10, 2021

Hyperion and the Imperial Squad is a consciously retro book that delivers fun teen drama ... in space!

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10
Immortal Hulk #34

Jun 29, 2020

Al Ewing and Butch Guice tell the story of the Leader, in the thrilling horror style of the Immortal Hulk.

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9
Immortal Hulk #35

Jul 15, 2020

These comics only improve with every issue, and it's hard to find flaws in The Immortal Hulk #35.

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10
Immortal Hulk #38

Oct 14, 2020

It's fantastic. Full stop.

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9
Immortal Hulk #39

Oct 28, 2020

Look, if you haven't started reading Immortal Hulk by now, I doubt there's much I can do to convince you. But you need to be reading Immortal Hulk. Each issue is better than the one that came before it.

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9
Immortal Hulk #40

Nov 18, 2020

Of course it's good. C'mon, folks. It's Immortal Hulk!

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8
Joker: Killer Smile: The Smile Killer #1

Jun 23, 2020

Andrea Sorrentino and Jeff Lemire collaborate on a book that is fantastic to look at, but just okay to read.

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6
Justice League: Odyssey #21

Jun 11, 2020

It's just okay. An okay comic, with okay art, that doesn't live up to the potential of the book. Nothing you haven't seen before.

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6.5
Karmen #1

Mar 9, 2021

An artistic masterpiece, which is unfortunately boring, exploitative, and sexist.

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8.5
King In Black: Wiccan and Hulkling #1

Mar 1, 2021

While not at all important for the greater event, this is a very fun little romance story.

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8
King In Black: Namor #1

Dec 9, 2020

A really fun book that is exactly what you'd expect from Kurt Busiek.

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9
Luna (2021) #1

Feb 3, 2021

A beautifully drawn and deeply evocative story, 'Luna' is a mature book with an interesting tone and atmosphere, one that I want to see continue to be explored.

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9.5
Marauders (2019) #12

Sep 9, 2020

This is one of the best issues of Marauders so far, and an emotional one that is one of the best Kate Pryde stories in recent memory.

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6.5
Marvel (2020) #4

Jan 31, 2021

A great Acuna/Busiek story weighed down by three mediocre tales.

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6.5
Marvel Action: Captain Marvel (2021) #1

Mar 2, 2021

A solid MCU-inspired comic that really should just be an OGN.

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6
Marvels Snapshot (2020): Civil War #1

Dec 2, 2020

A flawed central metaphor coupled with a misreading of its own main thesis, but still a valuable intellectual contribution to the discourse.

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3
Metal Men (2019) #10

Sep 15, 2020

Don't bother. You can get better stories for four dollars.

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8
Orphan and the Five Beasts #1

Mar 22, 2021

James Stokoe's energetic, larger-than-life artwork is on full display in this kung-fu comic.

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8.5
Orphan and the Five Beasts #2

Apr 20, 2021

James Stokoe's active, emotional art is a treat to see.

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9
Sea of Sorrows #1

Nov 18, 2020

An intriguing new period horror piece, and it's worth reading this first issue.

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6.5
Star Wars Adventures: The Weapon of a Jedi #1

Jun 1, 2021

While a decent story, it doesn't necessarily work as a comic.

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7
Star Wars: The High Republic (2021) #1

Jan 7, 2021

A delightful new era of Star Wars begins, but it is poorly introduced by this comic.

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8.5
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures (2021) #1

Feb 2, 2021

A delightful little story that offers a great way into the High Republic era.

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6.5
Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters: Alpha #1

May 3, 2021

Look, sometimes you just want a bounty hunter to stab another bounty hunter. It's not complicated.

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4
Summoners War (2023): Legacy #1

Apr 28, 2021

This is a bad book, that is barely brought into mediocrity by good art.

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10
Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen (2019) #12

Jul 15, 2020

A near-perfect end for a near-perfect series.

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7
Taskmaster (2020) #2

Dec 20, 2020

A delightful but conventional comic with 22 pages of our hero getting punched.

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8
Taskmaster (2020) #5

Mar 25, 2021

MacKay and Vitti's conclusion to the Taskmaster series effectively tells a story that is better than the movie synergy it began as.

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6
The Mighty Valkyries (2021) #1

Apr 19, 2021

Both plot lines in 'The Mighty Valkyries' #1 are themselves interesting, but they're tonally dissonant and don't mesh together well.

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7
The Terrifics #29

Aug 5, 2020

As Yang brings the series to a close, Michael Holt and the Terrifics go through another adventure that tugs your heartstrings and funny bone in equal measures.

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8
The Union (2020) #2

Jan 13, 2021

A really well-colored paint by numbers tie-in to 'King in Black' that rather unsubtly examines Brexit.

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9.5
The Witcher: Fading Memories #1

Nov 4, 2020

This is a really, really good book that works on so many different levels.

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8.5
The Witcher: Fading Memories #2

Dec 29, 2020

While the story suffers compared to the previous issue, the art is fantastic.

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7.5
The Young Offenders #1

Apr 13, 2021

Becker and Stack tell their superhero story that, while not innovative, is certainly fun.

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9
Thor & Loki: Double Trouble #1

Mar 8, 2021

I can't, in good faith, give this comic a perfect 10. It doesn't redefine Thor; it doesn't do something to push the medium forwards. It isn't innovative. But as an example of what comics is, as something to show a fan of the MCU, or someone who has just never picked up a comic before, what a great comic looks like " well, it's hard to go wrong with Thor & Loki: Double Trouble.

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7.5
Thor (2020) #7

Dec 2, 2020

It sure is okay. The archetypal mediocre comic.

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7.5
Thor (2020) #10

Dec 2, 2020

It sure is okay. The archetypal mediocre comic.

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7
U.S.Agent (2020) #2

Dec 23, 2020

An interesting, if flawed, book, coupled with mediocre art.

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9
Vampirella / Red Sonja (2019) #8

Jun 15, 2020

Well written, emotionally compelling, and thematically complex, this is a book you won't regret reading.

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7.5
Warhammer 40,000: Marneus Calgar (2020) #2

Nov 11, 2020

Warhammer 40k is not for everyone. I would not recommend it to most people. But if you are interested, Marneus Calgar is a very good starting point.

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7
Wolverine (2020) #6

Oct 7, 2020

Wolverine enters X of Swords with a time-jumping search for the Muramasa Blade.

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7.5
X-Factor (2020) #4

Sep 30, 2020

A solid book, exploring more of Krakoa's culture in the aftermath of the beginning of X of Swords.

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7.5
X-Men (2019) #12

Sep 16, 2020

As we move into the buildup to X of Swords, Hickman and Yu reveal the secret history of Arakko.

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7.5
Young Hellboy: The Hidden Land #1

Feb 17, 2021

A technically competent, by-the-numbers Hellboy story that shows that Mignola may just be running out of steam.

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7
Young Hellboy: The Hidden Land #2

Mar 31, 2021

This isn't perfect. The fact that the natives are literally monkeys is iffy, for instance, as is the gratuitous nudity. But for a Young Hellboy story, it is a very good one.

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