Martin's Profile

Emperor Aquaman #16 was a slight return to form for the series. It broke away from the family drama and KO nonsense to be a story that moves … this time to an alien world. The plot wasn’t over complicated or all that captivating, it was just a mini-adventure for the King of Atlantis. Also, it was a basic one-and-done tale, but I think that’s what the series needed. I wish we could get back more of the supporting cast from the first few issues … but I am still excited to see where things go from here.more

The writing is solid the art is what it needs to be … yet Thunder The Barbarian #3 falls on so many levels. This series will be many folks first introduction to these characters and this world, so Aaron decides to go with a time travel alternative history story. That is a huge mistake as a new reader has no time to truly understand what’s happening before everything is turned inside out. Also, no one actually believes that anything that happens in the alternate version will have any lasting ramifications on the series. I will give it one more issue, to see if there isn’t some really exciting twist coming up, if not - I’m out.more

I have been avoiding the Dynamite Disney comics, but for Free Comic Book Day I picked up Stitch #1 - after reading it … I will continue to avoid the Dynamite Disney comics. I don’t envy any writer having to come up with new ideas for this character, however this book was a muddled mess. It’s obviously written for little kids and in that I think it fails, the plot wouldn’t appeal to kids and is to o thin to appeal to adults. Without featuring Lilo the story has zero heart and the characters (especially Stitch) are off. The artwork is decent but a tad too basic. At the end of the day Disney/Stitch fans will no doubt LOVE this, even though it misses the vibe and charm of the film by about a mile.
more

I enjoyed the Energon Universe 2026 Special - but I think I’m already getting tired of MASK. The first 16 pages were a MASK story, setting up what to expect in the series. While it was fine, and exciting - it felt like it should have been a GI Joe story - espionage, prison breaks, action, and a page where they “call in the team”. It just seems to me that MASK is taking up space that should be give n to the Joes. The next 6 pages were a tight Transformers story, more mood and texture than an actual narrative, but I liked it. The 6 pages after that was where the Void Rivals story fell, it was a nice “bridge” story - but in some ways spoilt the end of the Quintesson War. The final 6 pages were a backstory for something that recently happened in the GI Joe comic, good foundational stuff that I’m sure will have ramifications. All-in-all a great sampling of what is to come in the Energon Universe.
#HighlyRecommend more

I can’t say that I was excited to read Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge - Echoes of the Empire #1 as it is more “product” than “art” - more “marketing” than “story”. That’s pretty much what it turned out to be. It’s dull and contrived, crafting a story in two different timelines - sometime after The Force Awakens with the meat of the story being flashbacks to between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Everything feels hobbled together - wedging characters into situations that defy continuity and feel a bit pointless. The creators are (I’m sure) doing the best they can with the task they were given. Unless you are a Star Wars completest or a die hard Disney Parks fan, you can skip this comic. In the past this sort of marketing was regulated to FREE comics given away with a box of C-3POs cereal.
#TotalPassmore

I didn’t know what to expect when I cracked open Void Rivals #29 … the cover felt nostalgic, harkening back to the 1986 Transformers movie, what I got was shades of that and so much more. Where as the Transformers series is a love letter to the classic Transformers of the 80s, Void Rivals seems to be madly deeply in-love with the insane elements of the (post movie) third season of the cartoon. Eve rything about this book so far (including this Quintesson War story arc) screams third season, and we are all better off because of it. This chapter finds Zerta Trion communing with Vector Theta in a last ditch effort to stop the war. Meanwhile on the surface the battle is turning against the Agorrians, making things feel hopeless and yet still epic. Cobra-La is at play once more and small story elements are starting to come together. This feels like the penultimate chapter … but unless the next issue is double sized … I have no idea how all these plots can be wrapped up in just one issue. more

Emperor Aquaman #15 was a great ending to the story started in issue one (that got muddled with the K.O. event). It was a also a clear NEW beginning for the series, that I think this book needed. Once Aquaman and his group of heroes returned to earth after the first arc, the story felt like it was spinning it’s wheels, however now everything seems back on track. The way Arthur returned and Mera’s mother was dealt with were comic book perfection. The stage set by the events of the ending of this issue are pointing Aquaman and all of Atlantis in a new direction and I can’t wait to see where this all goes. I highly recommend this issue. more

I didn’t remember exactly how the Scarlet mini-series ended so it was nice that they got me up to speed with this one. They took the story forward catching up to current events in the Energon Universe. This was a quasi-silent issue and frankly I’m over that concept. Image seems to be beating that poor horse well past the point of being dead. The problem with silent issues is that they read super f ast, so I was done pretty quick and there was very little nuance to what was happening. Cobra attacks to steal the lightsaber (or whatever it’s called) while the Joes are trying to extract Scarlet, not a ton of story here. It was nice to see my favorite Joe Snow Job again and it was doubly nice NOT to have Transformers or MASK lurking around. While I didn’t hate this issue - I’m looking forward to getting back to some Joe/Cobra meat and potatoes. more

I was excited for this NEW Fury of Firestorm series as I was a fan of the character in the 1980s. Over the years I felt that writers mishandled him and drifted a bit too far away from the original concept. When I started reading this issue - I got the sense that Lemire missed the whole point of the character, but as I read further I saw what he was doing. Without spoiling too much this seems to be the next evolution of the character, however the narrative seems to be pointing back to the core of the original book as the salvation for this current dilemma. While not what I expected - I was pleasantly surprised with what I read. I eagerly look forward to where this story is going. I highly recommend this series. more

I was not a fan of issue 30 - so I wasn’t sure what to expect from Transformers #31 … what I got was a mixed bag. While I enjoyed switching the focus to Megatron, it did feel a little like filler. Granted we were introduced to some new Decepticon lore, none of it seemed that relevant to the story at hand. Of course this could all make sense in future issues, I guess I wanted more after the flat en ding to the previous issue. Still a good read and I would recommend … however I am slowly starting to lose interest more

Void Rivals #28 folds in a few story elements that feel like an after thought, however the action and pace of this issue allows that to pass by without derailing the narrative. Not a ton of plot in this issue just more intergalactic combat, where the tide turns one way and then the other to build into the cliffhanger. Kirkman also reminds us that Cobra-La is still part of the story and probably w ill have some role to play in the ultimate conclusion. Not the best Quintesson War installment, still superior to most comics in story and style … with two chapters left I am excited to see what is yet to come. more

Thundarr the Barbarian #2 is a “good” book, true to it’s Saturday morning roots, with a touch of the new. The art from Kewber Baal (not 100% on model - but pretty close) is solid and pairs well with the Jason Aaron script. Last issue we were treated to a nice bit of world building for the world of Thundarr and it seemed to be as I remembered it from the 70s with a bit of an edge. This issue throws all that away, for a time travel plot and an alternate timeline. Not a great place to go on just the second issue. For one, we leave the world of Thundarr behind without truly understanding it (unless you are a die-hard fan of the cartoon). Second creating an alternate timeline is pointless, as we know it will be fixed eventually, so nothing that happens in the alternate timeline really matters. Also with no explanation Ariel understands the world of 1994 … how? I didn’t hate the book … but time travel was a bad call - in my opinion. more

I have no clue what happened with Iron Man #2 … I enjoyed the first issue, but had to force myself just to finish this one. I honestly got so bored while reading this comic, I put it down BEFORE the staple. The art is fine, but the story seems lost, the concept isn’t all that interesting and feels like it’s been done before. Tony had an idea, the villain is using it against him and he’s going to s olve this problem all by himself. I have enjoyed a few Iron Man launches, but more than often I haven’t and sadly this one is falling into that second category. The best relaunch had to be the 1998 Heroes Return (volume 3) series by Kurt Busiek … it was exciting and heroic, things that are lacking with this new series. more

It took me a minute to process DC K.O. #5 and I don’t think I was satisfied with the ending. By page six they introduced a deus ex machina that sort of renders the first four issues moot. So ultimately winning the contest was pointless, it was just about energy and (without spoiling much) another character had a storehouse of Alpha energy … or whatever, nothing really mattered. This issue just und id the “crisis” introduced in the first issue and left things open-ended, it resonated with the same disappointment of Final Crisis. I know some people will find the ending interesting with an underpinning of social commentary … however that ultimately betrayed the promise of this crazy concept. more

I honesty thought DC K.O. Boss Battle #1 was going to be one of those “must-read” comics, I was wrong. About three pages in I realized what a mistake I made. A silly contrivance is used to stop the battle for the fate of the universe - so our final four champions could team up with four defeated champions to battle characters from outside the DC Universe. That is the gist of this book and there is honestly nothing more to it. Having already read DC K.O. #4, I know that the events of this issue have zero impact on that story, rendering this book entirely moot. All the characters (DC and otherwise) are pretty much caricatures of themselves, leaving me scratching my head as to why they were chosen. The art is pretty good and the story could be considered big dumb fun … but too much dumb and not enough fun. Unless you are a DC K.O. completest, I highly recommend you skip this book. more

Void Rivals #27 represents the third part in the Quentesson War, meaning it ends at the halfway point. The story moves at a quick pace and a most of our main characters get a bit of “screen time” including Pythona. This standout issue features some solid action pieces and a twist ending that no one saw coming. Darak’s solution to turn the tide against the Quentessons came at the right time. This w as a fun, exciting, and highly enjoyable comic. Not sure how any of this will play into the other Energon books, but I really don’t care right now because it’s so enjoyable on its own. more

The plot keeps moving forward with G.I. Joe #19. Though no real action or any sign of Cobra, this was still a satisfying read. Felt like a “bridge issue” between The Dreadnok War and what is to come, though that destination isn’t clear yet … especially considering the big twist regarding Hawk. There was a bit too much Transformers in my G.I. Joe … but it’s that whole “shared universe” thing. I can handle the Transformers (to a point) because those brands have been tied together in small and large ways for decades, it’s all the M.A.S.K. stuff that doesn’t really jive with me. It’s good to see that Image will be launching a M.A.S.K. book soon - to get these clowns out of my G.I. Joe comics. That being said … interesting way of using Scrap Iron (one of my favorite toys as a kid). The art was a little “off” with this issue … but not in a horrible way. I still highly recommend this series! more

In art and story The Muppets Noir #1 feels like something from a different time … a simpler time … a better time. The narrative is simple and pretty much only exists to tie the gags together and there are plenty … including some “musical” pages. When reading the dialogue I could almost hear the voices of Jim Henson & Frank Oz (something that is lacking from the Disney Muppets). I think this is the first Muppet comic from Dynamite … so I have to wonder why they rated it “teen” when clearly this story is for everyone, young and old. There is a slight edge to the comic, but nothing as edgy as those early days of the OG Muppet Show. I would recommend this book for young readers and those young at heart who read the old Muppet strips and comics while growing up. more