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Joined: Feb 20, 2016

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8.1
Overall Rating
8.0
All-New Wolverine Vol. 1: Four Sisters

Jun 21, 2016

While I can't quite see why it is acclaimed as one of marvels best, it is assuredly a sucess. It's fun and action packed and drawn accordingly. The characters plight is well developed if familiar. A reccomended read for any wolverine franchise fans.

9.0
Batman Vol. 7: Endgame

Jun 21, 2016

Great artwork and characterization make for an entertaining ride.

8.5
Bizarro Vol. 1

Jun 21, 2016

It's storytelly is a bit inconsistent in its loopy goofball nature, but the art by Gustavo Duarte is always a joy. Packed with visual aplomb and a big heart, it's damn hard not to enjoy this trade.

9.0
Carnage (2015) #5

Feb 20, 2016

Carnage has been improving with every week, and this matches the success of #4 if not surpassing it. The art is dark and visceral, there is a real feeling of tension and suspense, and the characters have become worth rooting for. The mystery around the dark hold cult fizzles and is left open, and some of the final action is confusingly depicted, but this is a solid and entertaining read

8.0
Civil War II: Gods of War #1

Jun 21, 2016

Not too much happens in this chapter of Hercules, but it gets big marks for fixing the sins of Hercules #6. It again focuses on the growing troubles of Hercules, along with his new companions. As interesting as the supporting cast is they continue to be underserved. The new gods thankfully are reading less like an old man shaking his fist at teenagers now, and that annoying back to square one moment from Hercules 6 is smartly undone by a good piece of characterization. It should not be marketed as a Cvil War book though, as anyone not reading Hercules will be lost.

9.5
Descender Vol. 1: Tin Stars

Jun 21, 2016

The first half of this book may seem unremarkable. Truly it is a Daimler set up. But keep going and let the fantastic watercolor art and perfect characterization sink in, and you'll be hooked on the world of Descender.

7.0
Elektra Vol. 2: Reverence

Jun 21, 2016

Elektra ends. It's more of a slide out then ending with a bang. Again Mike del mundo goes from great to muddled , as his dark color pallete and lack of line work blur some panels, but his singular splashes remain astonishing. There is a persistent lack of character development that makes this whole adventure feel no more than a foot note. But if you crave more elektra, you can find some here.

4.0
Guardians of the Galaxy (2013) #17

Jun 21, 2016

Just bad. The story is frustrating enough. It has gone no where, and the idea of breaking them up has been rendered pointless, as everyone is thrown back together as quickly as they were taken apart. The art here is atrocious, being rendered sloppily for the first ten pages, before switching artists for the last ten in a shift that is so horribly jarring you'll completely lose the plot. This will continue as the exceedingly poor art filling in the second half renders the last four pages incomprehensible. Bad show for great characters.

7.5
Guardians of the Galaxy (2015) #9

Jun 21, 2016

This comic is one of big ups and downs. The characters are as lovable as always, but this chapter falls in the middle. Of course Valereo is on point, and the main draw here; but at the end of the day not much is here. The idea of five issues of different team ups is cool, but not if nothing interesting is going to happen. Which is a bummer because we know it could and should.

2.5
Guardians Team-Up #6

Jun 21, 2016

Pick it up, and put it back down A comic with no value, a mere exposition dump for 20 pages with no satisfying story or character beats and art that is surviveable. In a series free to take risks, they made the most pedestrian work possible.

7.0
Hercules (2015) #4

Jun 21, 2016

This issue starts strong with the character work we've grown fond of, but devolves quickly when the raising Storm is introduced. The villians are so poorly handled in their representation of our time, that it's hard not to feel like Abnett is a crank old man griping about today's youth.

7.0
Hercules (2015) #6

Jun 21, 2016

What should have been a great climax battle, or even a great chance to see our underserved side characters, ends up adding to nothing much, it's quieter moments overshadowed by a frustratingly cliched ending.

10
Limbo #6

Jun 21, 2016

An astonishing achievement. Limbo is gorgeous to look at and Rich to think about. Rarely do fictional worlds feel as lived in and alive as Dedande. The storytelling wraps in suh an intelligent way, you'll want to read the whole series again, which I did, and discovered so many new layers. An excellent book. The bioshock infinite of comics.

8.0
Scarlet Witch #2

Feb 20, 2016

This issue deserves to be picked up solely for its amazing art. It has a beutiful, painted quality that isn't afraid to toss out normal comic panel conventions. While this often results in a page that is hard to follow, the art here remains readable. The story, while packing a great opening and solid climax, feels a little on the slight side. Sometimes dialogue feels repetitive, and goes on for too long, but the great monster and brilliant art keep the issue together. Slight more troublesome is the reveal of a villain who boils down to Irish McIrishman, but hopefully that will be resolved

6.0
Scarlet Witch #3

Feb 20, 2016

While this is packs solid but unremarkable art, this issue is plagued by some immutable writing woes. Dialogue is repetitive and recursory, and leans too heavily on exposition. Despite its slow pace, it's story and conflict never congeal into a cohesive plot. The biggest offender here however is the truly awful villain. He is so utterly corny, and not Ina funny or entertaining way. The character is completely played serious, and therefore elicits laughs at the ridiculousness of the situation. Last week feature brilliant art and an interesting tale, but if we will be having more of this type of storytelling in the future, the covers might be scarlet witches only selling point.

8.5
Secret Wars (2015) #9

Feb 20, 2016

Secret wars has undoubtably been the best marvel event series in a decade. The scope is grand, and the setting is breathtaking. The massive battles are astounding on the page, but it hasn't forgotten the smaller moments. Doctor doom has been written into an incredibly likable and compelling character, which is no small feat. It's the small emotional moments that really make this series wonderful. The finale caps everything off in due fashion, encapsulating the success of the past. The only caveat is the ending is a bit hard to follow sometimes, and some beats may ring hollow if you aren't firmly intoned with recent marvel mythology. Nevertheless a great conclusion to a great series

8.5
Silver Surfer (2014) #10

Feb 20, 2016

This issue wraps the solid, if early, return of galactus. Despite the short arc this comic delivers a satisfying emotional punch. After a bumpy opening, it dives headlong into a non-stop climax that pushes from one great beat to the next. The issue is full of dramatic and sudden twists, which largely succeed, creating a lot of gasp worthy moments. However, this issue is so full of these dramatic beats, that you get a bit worn down by them, making the final sacrifice ring hollow. Also the opening makes a peculiar choice in completely voiding the stakes and conflicts set up by last issues climx, making that issue less satisfying, and doing a disservice to itself. But in an issue packed with a lot of great moments, it's hard too complain too much.

10
Silver Surfer (2014) #11

Feb 20, 2016

Great Scott! How the Surfer team pulled off this book is a feat and a commendable at that. The way you move around and interact the book is fun and welcome, and the unique storytelling method is as curious as it is cool. seeing the story from different perspectives is interesting, but also entertaining as each characters monologue adds unique and welcome developments. The writing here is great, especially when Slott goes meta and engages with the concept of the reality of the comic itself. It's so intricate it's almost hard to explain, and definitely a comic you need to pick up, in print, for yourself. Also the two page splash towards the end, is an exuberant expression of pure joy and color, that is truly the finest of the Allreds work yet. If you haven't read this comic yet, now's the time.

10
Silver Surfer (2014) #12

Feb 20, 2016

What can I say, as an avid fan of this series, this is the most beautiful and emotionally satisfying comic in a while. The dialogue crackles with humor and intelligence, and the art is clean and colorful. The dialogue stands out here, with scenes crafted that feel so natural and full of life it's like you're watching a movie. As close to a perfect issue as I can see it, from it's great character moments, to the final page where I couldn't contain my smile. Hat's off Surfer team. Hat's off.

8.0
Silver Surfer (2014) #13

Feb 20, 2016

Half brilliant, and half disappointing. The first half builds off of the great emotion core and heart of last issue with a lovely revisiting of old characters, which are great for the Surfer and Dawns reactions if nothing else. The midway turn point is a moment of great sadness and emotion, and brought a tear to my eye thanks to Allreds impeccable art. However once they leave our universe, the issue becomes a case of mostly exposition, and more exposition. With so little accomplished in what seems to be it's second to last issue, it worries me about how well this story can be resolved so quickly.

8.5
Silver Surfer (2014) #14

Feb 20, 2016

Gorgeous space vistas, and great character moments from Dawn and Norrin belay an odd 180 turn for the surfers character, and some unexplained aspects of the maker and glorians plan.

9.0
Silver Surfer (2014) #15

Feb 20, 2016

Visually spectacular and full of wit and humor, Surfer ends with a super and satisfying conclusion that will leave a smile on your face.

7.5
Silver Surfer (2016) #2

Feb 20, 2016

Silver Surfer is a fantastic book, and I love it dearly. However I feel a little jilted by this issue. When issue 15 released last fall, I worried that the book would befall some annoying issues if it were to return post-secret wars. The growth of the bond between Dawn and Norrin was so well executed and satisfying, I wasn't particularly excited to see it weather typical relationship woes. The whole "wait what about your old girlfriends" conflict wouldn't be enjoyable to read, and cause lasting tension thats just awkward. Sadly this issue dives headlong into this conflict, dealing almost completely with Norrins past two loves. These two are well written and characterized as you'd expect, but their inclusion just lessens Dawns role both presently, and in previous issues. This is immensely frustrating considering the perfect cultivation of their relationship. Additionally, the surfer opens with a streak of annoyingly childish behavior that seems uncalled for. While all this seems negative, this is still one of the best comics on the market. The art and coloring is stellar, if notes bombastic as before. There are some laugh-out-loud jokes, and a twist that is a cool surprise. As long as we don't dwell on the conflicts arisen here, this will become just a fun midway issue, and I hope it remains just that.

9.5
Silver Surfer (2016) #4

Jun 21, 2016

In a fantastically sweet and heartwarming issue, we get to see the characters we know and love find some bittersweet happiness. What's so wrong about a sentimental comic? Nothing if it's done as well as this.

6.0
Snowfall #1

Feb 20, 2016

I hate to stomp on the little guy, but I didn't find this book engaging. Despite the great cover, there is a definite lack of engaging characters or story. Most of this issue is exposition, but none of it is good enough to get invested in. I don't see any plot threads or characters that are terribly engaging. The art work is solid, and I'd like to see more of it, but the artist needs more room to play around. Despite the weather manipulation twist, everything feels a bit to familiar about this world they've built. It's more dull than anything, and I'm not terribly excited to go forward.

8.0
Spider-Gwen #1

Feb 20, 2016

A solid comic that is a bit hard to jump in to. The art is the main selling point of the series, with antique and electric style. The characterization is strong, as is the reason this series exists. George and Gwen Stacy are engaging and well written characters that you'll love and and want to follow. This universe also seems ripe for exploration, with a positive future ahead. However this issue is impossible to fully enjoy. It moves quickly, and doesn't establish all its moving pieces. Without reading the hard to find edge of spider verse 2, it'll be very difficult to follow. Nevertheless this is a series to give more than a chance to.

9.5
Spider-Gwen Vol. 1: Greater Power

Jun 21, 2016

Thai is definetly a series best enjoyed in trade. That way you can enjoy the subtle nuances of is classic suoerhero storytelling without waiting months between finding cooies for sale. Spider gwen continues to be excellently made comfort food, drawing lines back to The Stan Lee spiderman, but carving its own identity with multiple well rounded characters and kinetic art. Keep the next trade on the wish list.

9.5
Spider-Woman (2015) #4

Feb 20, 2016

This relaunch of spider-woman has thus far dealt completely with one location and one conflict, but unlike other series with the same MO like GOTG, this comic wholly succeeds. The comics remains charming in it's humor, and awesome in it's art. The highlight of this issue is a two page centerfold that is kickass art-wise, and shoots Spider-woman to being one of the most badass people in the Marvelverse. Additionally, every beat played for emotion is satisfying. Thanks to great art and dialogue, Jessicas fears, hopes, and everything else come off with genuine emotion and heart. From when she fears for the first time that here baby is in danger, to when she finally see's its face, you'll be hard pressed to not have a real reaction.

9.5
Spider-Woman (2015) #8

Jun 21, 2016

Can Robbi Rodriguez get any better? Thanks to the inhumanly dynamic and colorful art, that reads like a candy colored punch to the eyes, and some Excellent writing that highlights our lovable heroine, this book has earned its place as one of the best of the best.

9.5
Vision (2015) #8

Jun 21, 2016

What's left to say? The best book on the stands. It's complex yet accessible, beautiful yet tragic. What a mighty marvel read.

6.0
Vote Loki #1

Jun 21, 2016

With such a polo coral climate ride for satire, it's a welcome entry from Marvel into the fray. Sadly vote Loki contains none of the insight or bite into politics we would hope, and a sluggish pace and unremarkably quirky art make for an unremarkable read.

9.0
Weirdworld (2015) #6

Jun 21, 2016

The saddest causality of cancellation. Despite occasionally breezy storytelling, the last few issues have been a treat, and this wraps the story unfortunaly quickly but with heart and love to spare.

9.0
Wild's End: The Enemy Within #1

Feb 20, 2016

I always find stories with animals with human characteristics hard to dive into. The idea of animals afflicted by human issues always rang as unwelcome. However the issue is crafted in a way that after a brief flashback, you become completely immersed in the setting and forget this trouble. This comic has a unique voice that makes it stand out from the crowd, with it's faithful recreation of turn of the century England and loving nods to the science fiction of the time. All the characters introduced here are likable, and worth following. Though the overall mystery barely begins, the few pieces we get more than warrant coming back again. On a final note, the inclusion of the reporters papers is a smart and fun way to give exposition, but I hope they don't lean on it in the future.

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