Stephen M. Lyon's Comic Reviews

Reviewer For: 411Mania Reviews: 16
8.3Avg. Review Rating

9.5
A.D.: After Death #1

Dec 7, 2016

I highly recommend this title be picked up; I'm sitting here right now anticipating the next chapter and I can't wait to see what happens next. The only caveat that keeps me from giving this a score of 10 is the size of the book, which has been published in magazine size, instead of the usual comic book size. While I do like how spacious everything is, the uniqueness wears off and I'm left wondering how I'm going to store this one comic, when the rest of my titles fit in a traditional bag/board in a short or long box. Nevertheless, it's definitely worth the time to pick up and read.

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8
Avengers (2016) #1

Nov 3, 2016

If you're going to Marvel a shot with any of its new titles, I recommend that it be The Avengers #1. The gorgeous cover by Alex Ross is worth the cost alone. The internal art is special too; the penciling by Mike del Mundo is very stylized, but his own coloring creates a great dynamic, with a shimmer that is a bit like that of Alex Ross, but still unique; my one critique would be that some of the facial features have a tendency to look ape-like, particularly those of the Wasp. The writing by Mark Waid isn't particularly special as of yet, but it's promising enough to see where the series leads, and he makes sure to keep the personality of the classic avengers team, but with new members.

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8.5
Cannibal #1

Oct 26, 2016

This book won me over; I only purchased it because I heard about it on a podcast and thought I'd give it a shot. Historically, I've been a superhero purist when it comes to comics and graphic novels, but this was an exception. The art was fine, but nothing extra special (although the cover looking like a moonshine label is a nice touch). The true beauty of this book is in its simplicity. The author doesn't over-complicate things, and lets this just be a good horror/thriller story. I'm looking forward to the next episode just like I would an episode of series on the SyFy network. As long as they keep the story contained, I have high hopes going forward " this is probably going on my pull list at my local comic book shop.

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10
Dante (One Shot) #1

Feb 2, 2017

I equated this book earlier to My Name Is Earl, (a sitcom about a jerk who wins the lottery and sets about trying to fix his wrongdoings, to keep karma from catching up with him) and I think this could become an ongoing series the same way that the show did, albeit with less humor and way more gore. I would make each issue an individual story of him righting a past wrong, all the while with the backstory of why he's doing what he's doing, with different hints woven throughout. This is a one-shot that deserves to be more than a one-hit-wonder.

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7.5
Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #1

Oct 13, 2016

I recommend this book be picked up, even if just for the art itself; the story is a worthwhile bonus.

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8.5
Death of Hawkman #3

Dec 22, 2016

If I had a complaint, it would only be that the story progresses too little in each installment; this could probably work in a 4 or 5 issue mini-series, with just adding a few pages at the end of each. That being said, it's still on my pull list, so I guess stretching it out makes sense from a financial perspective, if people will still read it. I'm looking forward to seeing how the story progresses.

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5
Doctor Strange / The Punisher: Magic Bullets #1

Jan 4, 2017

It's not a bad read if you just want to kick back and avoid thinking, but if you want stellar writing, or innovation, pick a different title.

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10
He-Man / Thunder Cats #1

Oct 20, 2016

The art in this book is first rate, as is the storytelling. The charming components of the originals are kept, but a more serious tone is taken, through both the art and dialogue. I'm hooked and curious as to where the story is going to take us.

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7.5
Infamous Iron Man (2016) #1

Nov 17, 2016

This book is intriguing from a conceptual level. I seriously geeked-out at the idea of Dr. Doom as Iron Man, and I'm interested as to what direction their going to take this character, and what the relationship will be with the other new Iron Man. The art is nothing spectacular, but nothing to sneeze at either. I'm interested in enough to spend the $3.99 and pick up issue #2 to see how the story continues.

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7
Justice League of America (2017): The Ray Rebirth #1

Feb 23, 2017

Much like the previous one-shots, this is a very simple story. However, it introduces the reader into the world of The Ray in preparation for the new JLA series, which I am continually becoming more excited about.

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8
Justice League of America (2017): Killer Frost Rebirth #1

Feb 9, 2017

Killer frost is being set up to be the most interesting character in the new JLA series and I'm looking forward to seeing how the story develops, in general, as well as specifically how her character progresses.

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6.5
Justice League of America (2017): The Atom Rebirth #1

Jan 26, 2017

I'll continue to follow with hope that I'm proven wrong, but I will not hold my breath. At the very least, I think this will do a good job of introducing The Atom into the JLA for its next run.

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8.5
Justice League of America (2017): Vixen Rebirth #1

Jan 26, 2017

I've always liked when the JLA had less recognizable characters, showing that the group was greater than the sum of its parts, and Vixen should be a great addition. I love one-shots in general, and at just $2.99 it's definitely worth the pick-up.

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8
The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom #3

Mar 9, 2017

The Rise and Fall of Captain Atom #3 continues the high quality storytelling of the first 2 issues. The writers seamlessly weave in elements of time travel, but do not go overboard so as to ruin our suspension of disbelief.

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10
Venom (2016) #1

Dec 1, 2016

I came into reading this title with very low expectations; I thought this was going to be just another cheap way for Marvel to make money by exploiting the popularity of a character and sacrificing writing. However, I was immediately hooked and I cannot wait for the next issue to come out " this is definitely going on my pull list at my LCS. I'm intrigued by the shoe being on the other foot for the symbiote and I cannot wait to see how they continue to develop the relationship between it and the host. I highly recommend buying and reading and doubt you'll be disappointed.

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9.5
Venom (2016) #2

Dec 29, 2016

This comic has me fascinated, which is hard to do these days. I often find newly introduced characters hard to commit to, but Lee Price is intriguing enough to keep reading just to see his backstory and where the character is going. The addition of the symbiote who has had a crisis of morality has made this the highlight of Marvel's newest offerings. It is definitely staying on my pull list.

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