There was zero special about The Punisher Red Band #1 - I didn’t know he was supposed to be dead so his “return” didn’t move the needle for me. The storytelling felt like a run of the mill action movie - which is fine I guess. The standouts were the scenes with Kingpin, but even then - I’m not sure I care where that is heading. The reason this book was “red band” for “mature content” was the abundance of blood, not language or nudity … just copious amounts of blood (and some torture). Frankly the story would have worked the same without it … so again - nothing to really make this issue stand out. If you are a Punisher fan, I’m sure you will like it - but there was nothing here for me. I do not recommend this book. more

Racer X #1 … was fine enough, but didn’t really feel necessary. First off, it feels like in the Speed Racer comic that Racer X’s identity is supposed to be secret … but this book comes right out and tells you - so what’s the arc? The story was fine but after everything was OVERLY explained … I just don’t feel compelled to read issue 2.

While masterfully written by Jeramy Adams and perfectly illustrated by John Timms Aquaman #9 felt a little “less” than the previous 8 issues. There was nothing wrong with it, it’s just the last eight moved at such a fast pace - this one was much slower. This issue seemed more of a “bridge” between the last arc and this new one as opposed to the start of a new arc. I look forward to see where Adams is taking this series next, especially with that last page cliffhanger. On a side note - I prefer Arthur without the beard … so I approve the “new look”. This would be a great jumping on point for a series that I highly recommend. more

I did not know what to expect from The Blue Falcon and Dynomutt #1 - Dynamite has burned me in the past … great covers with mediocre interiors, but this issue was a nice surprise. It sets up a modern “more realistic” updated version of Blue Falcon while still retaining the fun of the old cartoon. This issue sets up the character perfectly and then thrusts the story into some action, coming out the other side with what seems to be the origin of Dynomutt. Jimmy Palmiotti did a great job with the plot and script, kudos to him for taking this cartoon and bringing it into the 21st century. The art by Pasquale Qualando was a bit inconsistent - on a few pages it was magnificent … but there were some less than stellar pages and (not to nitpick … but) there was an error on page 23 where Blu Falcon was holding a baton in one panel with his left hand and in the very next panel it was in his right … minor - but it stood out to me.

The biggest problem I had with the issue was the production and page count - $4.99 is sort of the standard, but this was a very thin book - primarily because of the paper used … so very thin. Paper aside the real problem was the page count - a 32 page comic with only 20 pages of story, I expect that from indie comics - but not from a licensed book published by a mid to large publisher like Dynamite. Still the story was great and I recommend this book … I will be adding it to my pull-list. more

Here we are - Transformers #24 - the end of the Daniel Warren Johnson run.
Was it perfect? No … but it WAS really good.

The action was amazing, the characterizations were spot on, and the ending was nice and tight. This was the best version of Optimus Prime we’ve seen in years - he was brave, strong, noble, and cared about others - not the murder-bot from the “live action” films. The dialog was well thought out and flowed naturally - even when borrowing lines from the 86 animated film. Most … not all … but most of the characters had a moment or two.

Around the midway point - there is a deus ex machina in the form of the appearance of a … large … character, that I’m pretty sure wasn’t hinted at in the slightest. The appearance of this character distracts Starscream and begins the tide turning … that ultimately leads to the conclusion. I felt this was an odd choice … but true to Starscream’s backstory. The fight rages on and there is a clear conclusion at the end of this book that puts a bow on the DWJ era, allowing the next writer to take the story in a new direction.

My major issue with this series thus far is that all of this war an destruction visited on TWO major cities in the United States, really doesn’t line up with what is happening in the GI Joe book and has even less to do with Void Rivals. I get the shared universe concept is a play here … but the connections are hard to find. Also though there is a conclusion of sorts … there are still many questions left unanswered … I won’t go into them now - to avoid spoilers … I just hope Kirkman will not let these plot threads dangle for too long.

All in all these 24 issues were a high-point of the last 40+ years of a franchise that I thought was long dead back in 89. Daniel Warren Johnson paid a loving tribute to what had come before while also crafting something new and exciting.
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I don't want to beat up on this comic ... but it would be so easy to do so. I'll simply say that it was a massive disappointment.

Fantastic Four Fanfare #4 wraps up this series of short stories with two emotional tales and one super silly one. The first story by JMS was a bit sappy - but written well with strong dialogue. The second story was a bit lighter - set when Sue and Reed first learned that she was pregnant, it was a nice little tale with no real impact, but evoked the FF of the time. The final one by Daniel Warren Johnson was a super silly wrestling story, where once again Namor is trying to win the heart of Sue Storm - the perfect way to end this series. While not as good as some of the other issues, this was still a fun read. When this series is collected I would recommend the trade for some Fantastic Four escapism. more

I’m only buying these books for the retro 90’s action figure covers … but decided to start reading them … a decision I now regret. This all has been done before and much better in the “old Expanded Universe” … now called Legends. I’m sure Segura is a fine writer … but he is missing the mark with this series, somehow he forgot that Star Wars is supposed to be fun. This might have been the flattest and dullest comic I have read in a long time. I’m pretty sure I skipped about 20% of the word balloons, I can not recommend this comic - sorry. Not saying that other people won’t like it - just that it’s not what I want from a comic called Star Wars. more

I wasn’t thrilled with the $7.99 cover price … however after reading the Marvel All-On-One one-shot, I felt it was worth it for the beautiful Ed McGuinness artwork. The plot was just silly fun and probably some meta commentary on video game programmers, but it was slightly over written. For a book that was all splash pages and an artist showcase - there might have been too many text boxes and word balloons. The real reason to buy this book is to see 50 pages of Ed McGuinness putting the Thing up against Marvel’s core characters, I would recommend it just for that.
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I don’t like the constant renumbering of comics back to issue one … so I was already suspicious of Batman #1 even before I bought it, that being said I liked it. The main drawback is that it fails as a first issue - no explanation as to why Gordon is a 60 year old beat cop, or how Vandal Savage is the new police commissioner. Also it’s clear that Alfred is dead and only appearing in Bruce’s subconscious … so I think some explanation is needed there. They could have dropped the DC KO preview and used those pages to get a lapsed reader up to speed.

I will say Killer Croc was very VERY well done and made for a great one-and-done story. The writing was nice and tight and the art was absolutely beautiful. Outside of the few issues I have already mentioned, this was a solid book and a fun read. While not perfect I will still recommend this new Batman - I am adding it to my pull-list. more

Speed Racer continues to impress with issue two, the art by Davide Tinto is fine but when mixed with the writing of David Pepose that’s when the magic happens. I’ll be honest … the story isn’t super deep or world changing … but it is FAST. Pepose has tapped into something few writers do … he has captured speed and along with Tinto’s art he has brought it to the comic book page! As with the last issue - the racing scenes are invigorating - the last time I read something that captured speed like this was the pod racing sequence in Timothy Truman’s Dark Horse - Star Wars “Emissaries to Malastare” run (issues 13 to 18). I’m not a Speed Racer fan (haven’t seen an episode since I was 8) so I’m sure I’m missing references and inside “things” - but none of that matters once the racing starts. I recommend this as a master class on how to write racing in comics.
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The Thing issue four was another top tier offering from Tony Fleecs & Justin Mason, causing me to once again say that this book is the best Fantastic Four comic being published by Marvel! The Juggernaut was a great foe for Ben to face off against … and then EVERYONE else. Fun and exciting action was jumping off every page. My only complaint was that there might have been too much action - I would have liked a few character moments … but still a fun ride! I highly recommend this series! more

Nice start of a new run of Thor, this time we find the god of thunder humbled living the life of a mortal with no idea of who he really is. We are clearly picking up after some other story arc, but the writer Al Ewing does an incredible job of getting the reader up to speed. Speaking of the writing, it is so tight and on point, I was impressed with every page turn. Ive seen folks say that they don’t like the art by Pasqual Ferry - I thought it was perfectly fine and up to the task. That being said the Alex Ross cover was brilliantly perfect. I’ll be adding a Thor comic to my pull list for the first time … ever … I highly recommend this book! more

Void Rivals #22 was another smash hit (in my opinion). I’ve bemoaned in the past that Kirkman was taking too long to get to the point … well this issue gets to the point in a major way. The conflict between the Agorrians and the Zertonians reaches what seems to be it’s climax. Meanwhile Kirkman balances the other plots that have been running in the background perfectly. Strange things are happening at Quintessa as the members of Cobra-La watch … but even stranger things are happening on their ship. The even more bizarre plot surrounding Suxxoid takes an emotional turn. The story is ramping up and I am 100% enjoying the ride! I highly recommend this issue (and series) as well as ALL of the Energon books! more

Fantastic Four Fanfare #3 surprised me … I expected to hate it - but I really liked the Dan Slot story, surprisingly because his FF run caused me to drop the series after decades of collecting. The middle story was solid … but the 3rd story was bit of a letdown. The plot was silly … but the art was hard to look at. I would still recommend the series.

Immortal Legend Batman #1 was weird and fun, but not super original - it’s set on a “frontier” mining planet in space - shades of FireFly … but with Space-Batman. It might have been better if it was its own thing instead of an “Elseworld Batman”. The writing is tight, cover is beautiful, interiors are good but just a little inconsistent.

I would recommend it … as an oddity.

But I have to ask … what is a “Bat Press”??? more

Aquaman #8 was a spectacular conclusion to the “blue” story! The focused moved entirely on to Arthur and that was a perfect choice as this was his battle to fight. Starting with a flashback to one of Arthur’s early attempts to be a hero was a nice way to open the issue and set the tone for what was to come in this book and I believe what will happen in the next. Three major deaths were featured in this and the last issue … will they stick or will Arthur somehow reverse time? I dare not speculate. For now I will just sit back thankful for the incredible ride. If you are not reading this Aquaman run because the character has a spotty history … you are doing yourself a disservice - this is the BEST book DC is publishing. more

Well … I made it about halfway through Death of the Silver Surfer #2 before putting it down. Pak is being way too heavy handed with his “subtext” - saw it brewing in #1, but hoped for the best … the best is NOT what I got here. I strongly do NOT recommend this comic.

I have been a Fantastic Four fan for as long as I have been reading comic books (and I started at 5 years old) and I can honestly say that I have no idea who this woman in this comic is. Granted I checked out of the FF about 2 relaunches ago and something could have happened to Sue in that time where she suffered some personality swap … but this character resembles Sue Richards in appearance only. Also … why is Reed calling her Sue Storm … are they no longer married?

Ultimately this comic was an absolute waste of Humberto Ramos’s talent, he is too good for a story this bad. The plot felt pointless and Sue’s narration was way over written. I was going to give this book 4 issues before considering jumping off … but after this poorly thought out story - I might jump now. I highly recommend that if you are an FF fan that you avoid this book and pick up the Thing limited-series by Tony Fleecs & Justin Mason or even the anthology Fantastic Four Fanfare, it is infinitely better. more

Daniel Warren Johnson and Jorge Corona nailed it with transformers #23! Megatron’s frustration with Starscream is turned up to 11 in this issue, though much more intense it echos the G1 cartoon perfectly. Prime’s journey through the Matrix reminds me of the season three mini-series Five Faces of Darkness where Rodimus Prime does the same, however the corruption of the Matrix makes this journey more interesting. The final fate of Sparkplug (Sparky) and Spike seems to come to it’s conclusion with this issue and though it’s hurried it is satisfying. Ultra Magnus is written so well and drawn even better … the BIG two page splash was epic. Without revealing too much - I’ll just say - THIS is an issue you will not want to miss and it should be on top of your “to read stack”. I highly HIGHLY recommend this issue and the entire series up to this point! more

A solid issue with three plots running simultaneously …
The “A Plot” deals with Baroness and Covergirl at the mercy of Major Blood. Things play out as expected … leading into the next issue. This plot is the most interesting as it deals with characters and their motivations. Also never expected to like Raptor as a character (as a kid I thought he was a pretty silly toy) but there is a real danger to him within Williamson’s script.

The “B Plot” follows Clutch and his Autobot friend Hound as they investigate Cobra weapons and their connection to Energon. I don’t normally like it when the Transformers are tightly intertwined into GI Joe stories, but Clutch & Hound make a great pair. This plot also drops in the newer Joe character Risk … who I believe is more than meets the eye.

The “C Plot” has Destro trying to suss out the machinations of Cobra Commander and this plot is probably the most … strange … as it seems to be dipping back into the Cobra-La side of the Energon Universe. I didn’t like that aspect of the animated movie … but it’s not as silly in the comics, so I’ll go with it. Destro’s mission for Mercer (speaking of the animated movie) brings plot B & C together for the cliffhanger at the end.

A good, if not somewhat predictable issue. I will continue to highly recommend this series and all of the other Energon Universe books.

Also … not a spoiler … but a guess … I’m putting this out there now - I believe that Risk is Zartan - let’s see if I’m proven wrong in the months that come. more

I like how Byrne used the premise of giving Doom's memories to the kid to basically tell a series of flashbacks, but this one is basically a setup issue. The art continues to shine and we get to see the FF and She-Hulk doing normal events until the Baxter Building launches into space in the cliffhanger.

My Comic Review Channel - https://youtu.be/Qn_xyZ_s6zo

I was really looking forward to this team-up. Solo, Lando, and Valance - come on. That's a recipe for adventure, yet Segura gives us none. This issue was just plain awful. He really gets Dick Tracy, but when it comes to Star Wars, he's absolutely clueless. Half of this issue is a flashback about a character I don't care about. And what's with calling the assassin "they"? I thought we were through with altering the English language, and would they know the assassin's pronoun anyway? The assassin never spoke. We are only on issue 3 and I'm pretty sure this title is going to be dropped by me...again.

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I didn’t dislike Star Wars #3 - but it all felt a bit too familiar. So many member-berries, and I feel maybe the old Expanded Universe did everything you could with these characters - nothing feels new or interesting. The plot shifts from Luke to Han as he is called back to Cloud City by Lando because an old Nagai friend of theirs is dying. It’s a fine story and the art by Phil Noto is great, but it feels like remix of things I’ve already read … and WHY is Valance still around … I never liked hm in the 1970s as a kid … I still don’t like him now.

So many nods to the original Expanded Universe in this issue - there was a YT-2400 (like Dash Rendar’s Outrider), the 1990s toy based on McQuarrie’s early designs for the Cloud Car makes an appearance, along with a literal flashback to The Empire Strikes back … these are all fine - if they were wrapped in a more original story, heck even the Nagai are a retread from the original Marvel run. All this being said … again … it was a “fine” story.

In closing - while I like seeing Han NOT just wearing the same clothes he wore in the movies … I can’t help but feel he’s dressed like Princess Leia from issue 73 of the original Marvel run. more

Alright … I’m sorta still processing this comic - I will say that This Ends Tonight is by far the weirdest comic book I have read all year. As it went along it began to border on being nonsensical. It starts off with a straight forward concept told in a very cinematic style, then by the staple things are getting a little kooky. I think I liked it … I don’t really know. The art is fun and moves across the page … but I’m afraid the story was just too fragmented and a little too far “out there” for me to recommend. more

It’s well written and well illustrated, but Action Comics #1087 did zero for me. I’ve never been a fan of Clark as Superboy, to me it undercuts his first outing as Superman - setting this story in Metropolis undercuts that even more. The appearance of Ma & Pa Kent was also confusing … I know since Smallville they have been seen as younger … but they way they were drawn here, it looked like Ma Kent was Clarks younger sister.

I like Waid’s writing and I really wanted to like this book … but I just can’t bring myself to embrace this new Suberboy. It’s no fault of the creative team … it’s just not my bag, so I’ll rate it accordingly. more

Fantastic Four Fanfare #2 wasnot nearly as fun as the first issue, this collection of stories was still enjoyable. The weakest was the first story - Hickman’s FF run was a confusing mess and his interpretations of the characters were a little “off” to say the least. This short tale is on par … the silly “twist ending” left me cold.

The second story was sort of take it or leave it, nothing earth shattering or groundbreaking, but enjoyable none the less. The art was clean and cool, I wouldn’t mind seeing more FF one in this style.

The third entry by Mark Buckingham was probably my favorite with its classic Fantastic Four style. It was more a tale of two of Doctor Doom’s henchman trying to win the good graces of their boss. Though funny and clever it had a very 1970s FF vibe and I totally dug that. The editors note has me curious about FF #144. more

After reading Ghost Pepper issue one … I don’t think it’s for me. The art is fun & exciting and the story is hyperkinetic … but it felt disjointed. The whole food truck aspect might seem clever or “cool” to some readers - but to me it was almost an unnecessary element that only drove (pardon the pun) the plot so far. So many concepts were introduced that are all working to create a big stage - but the story seems a bit lost in the mix.

The real let down were the colors - too small of a pallet. The art is great but the coloring isn’t exciting and only serves to make the art less interesting. Ghost Pepper is 100% NOT a bad book … just not what I enjoy. more

I liked this book … for the most part. At first I couldn’t tell if this story was set in the future or modern day Marvel until the Fantastic Four showed up. Frankly I am more interested in the Silver Surfer and not the new character Kelly Koh. I don’t have an issue with her … but I would rather the Silver Surfer be the focus, as it is his name on the cover.

The art is very serviceable and Sumit Kumar really captures the Surfer and his chill cosmic vibe. The writing is solid, the dialog is tight, and the over all plot moves at a great pace. Considering the writer is Greg Pak … I wasn’t surprised with the character revealed on the last page … this did nothing to make me want to pick up the next issue. In fact there was very little in the story or ending that would motivate me to grab issue 2. I unfortunately have already purchased it so … I guess I’ll be back for the next chapter. more

While I found the writing to be well done (if not OVER written) I just didn’t feel like there was any point to the story. It’s obviously “out of continuity” and that would be fine if this was a light fun story of a lost X-Men adventure, but that’s what is going on here. Claremont is laying down the groundwork for some later Kitty Pryde turn … maybe it happened … maybe it didn’t … I just couldn’t be bothered to care. Apparently this is a reprint of a one-shot Claremont wrote in 2021 … again … nothing to really care about, unless you are an X-Completist. more