Shaffer2323's Profile

Joined: Nov 06, 2019

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7.3
Overall Rating
6.0
2020 Machine Man #1

Feb 25, 2020

I checked this out to see how it tie into the main story. I wasn't expecting much, and that's exactly what I got. I never really cared much about machine man and I certainly don't care about fifty machine men. I guess they did their best with what they were given, which was machine man. It's as good as a machine man issue can be, I guess (which is "meh")

9.5
Absolute Carnage (2019) #5

Nov 21, 2019

Well that ended suddenly but fantastically. Kind of feels like the end of a story arc, rather than an event, which makes sense as Donny Cates has said that originally Absolute Carnage was just another arc in Venom, until editorial told him to make it an event. And what a fun event it was!

5.0
Absolute Carnage (2019): Symbiote Spider-Man #1

Nov 6, 2019

Don't let the title fool you as this thing contains little Absolute Carnage and even less Symbiote Spider-Man. Instead it answers the question EVERYONE was asking: "What ever happened to that plot device guy who wore the Venom Symbiote 30 years ago to move it from point A to Point B?" Answer: His life fell apart for reasons completely unrelated to anything symbiotey. It actually fell apart because of a G-list Spider-Man Villain. Oh wait this is supposed to tie-in to AC? Well then just shoehorn him in at the end. The only reason this doesn't get a lower score is because content-wise it's not bad. However, if I knew how little it relates to anything before hand, I never would have picked this up.

10
Absolute Carnage (2019): Weapon Plus #1

Nov 7, 2019

At first I was confused as to why the symbote weapon plus division would be called Weapon V, since this project predates the appearance of Venom. Then I remembered the Roman Numeral numbering thing they do (V=5) and thought that was way more cleaver than it probably was. And the rest of this issue is just a fun read: Great art, Great interactions and great dialog. I'm not familiar with the big, clawed lumberjack, but I can now say my interest in the Weapon H character has been peaked. In summary I can say that Weapon Plus is one of the best AC tie-ins so far and that any self-respecting symbiote fan should check it out

7.5
Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #33

Nov 13, 2019

This issue is great. Art great. Writing great. Shocking love 2099. Only problem I have is the realization that poor Nick Spencer will never get to tell his Kindred story. First Absolute Carnage, now 2099 keep him from revealing this guy who’s been lurking for over 30 issues. At this point, umph the Kindred reveal might have had has fizzled out to a whimper. When we finally learn who Kindred is in issue #50, nobody will give a $&!£

8.0
Black Cat (2019) Annual #1

Nov 14, 2019

Lots of fun, though loses points for a click-bate cover. Spider/Cat team ups are always a treat and this was no exception. The art is awesome too! There is something about the way Black Cat is drawn that sticks with me. It's like despite her latex bodysuit and trademark cleavage, she looks more like a beautiful woman than as potential "Homework Folder" material *wink*. Idk if that makes sense or if it's just me, but whatever. I liked it.

7.0
Fallen Angels (2019) #1

Nov 13, 2019

It looks really pretty, that’s for sure. I really dug the art. However, since I’m kinda new to all things Mutant, I have no idea why there are 2 Psylockes that used to be one person but now there’s 2 and ones captain Britain now. Also x-23 isn’t wearing the wolverine costume anymore and resents Wolverine now. Also Cable is a teenager now. I’m kinda lost. These X-Books (primarily this and new mutants)should really include brief backgrounds of their characters if they really want this to be a “jumping on point” for new readers

4.5
Fallen Angels (2019) #2

Dec 3, 2019

Damn this the first Krakoan X-book I'm going to be dropping. I'm just not following what's going on here and I don't think it really relates to other titles from the X-Relaunch, so I won't be shedding any tears over it. This just wasn't for me.

7.0
Guardians of the Galaxy (2019) #11

Nov 14, 2019

This issue is great but make no mistake: this was a filler action issue. It was a pretty cool battle but at the end of the day nothing significant happened. Starlord is still captured and The Church still heads to earth. Same as the last two issues. Don't get me wrong this issue is great, but I tore through it in about 2 minutes,probably because of its fast pacing. By the end, I found myself wanting more. Not in the "I gotta know what happens next!" kind of wanting more, but the "Wait, that's all?" kind. Again though, I did enjoy this issue.

1.0
Gwenpool Strikes Back #1

Nov 9, 2019

She dabbed. She flossed. What have they done to my beloved gwenpool? This sucks so hard...

1.0
Gwenpool Strikes Back #2

Nov 9, 2019

Gwenpool used to be a deep character with unique abilities. Now she’s a gimmick with the vocabulary of a tweet.

1.0
Gwenpool Strikes Back #3

Nov 9, 2019

As a huge fan of The Unbelievable Gwenpool, I can’t express how much each issue feels like a knife to the chest. I’m only still here to see where she ends up at the end of this. This is damaging Gwenpool’s character more than Civil War II damaged Captain Marvel’s Character. Please let it be over soon.

2.0
Gwenpool Strikes Back #4

Nov 20, 2019

A piece of me dies each issue. Not only does the art suck with an incomprehensible plot, but Leah Hastings seems to have not read ANY of Gwenpool’s past incarnations (which is ironic as they’re all in this issue, each being more likable than this series’ main gwenpool). The only reason I’m not scoring this issue lower is because of a single page, written by Unbelievable Gwenpool writer Chris Hastings, which was the only moment in this entire mini that I cracked a smile (though it made me long for the days Hastings wrote Gwenpool even more).

1.0
Gwenpool Strikes Back #5

Jan 23, 2020

I despised this series with every fiber of my being and am glad to see it's over. If you wanted gwenpool without any of her charm fans have come to love, this book is for you. A derivative concept that became it's own unique entity driven back to her derivative roots at whiplash speeds, this book is for you. A series with humor that is 100% reliant on what ever was trending at the time, immortalizing the cringiest moments of 2019, this goddamn book is for you. Oh btw she's a mutant chilling on krakoa, but that's something some other writer will have to deal with. In conclusion: I want to bash my head in with a brick.

9.0
Immortal Hulk: Great Power #1

Feb 11, 2020

This was a pleasant breather from the Immortal Hulk we've been keeping up with (which in my opinion has been a little preachy, lately, with it's messages). In fact, this feels more like an Incredible story than it does an Immortal one. It isn't anything status-quo-changing (though I guess the SM/Hulk conversation at the end is of note),It just feels like a classic superhero team up. I thought it was fun.

6.5
Iron Man 2020 (2020) #2

Feb 25, 2020

Sentient AI is an interesting subject for discussion and should therefore make for an interesting premise in an Iron Man story. But something (that I can't quite put may finger on) is keeping me from taking ANY of this seriously.

10
Marauders (2019) #8

Feb 25, 2020

Who knew Iceman could be so scary?

5.0
Marvel 2099 (2019): Alpha #1

Nov 21, 2019

This was just an ad for 2099 tie-ins. It serves its purpose, I guess.

9.0
Marvel 2099 (2019): Conan #1

Nov 27, 2019

Honestly wasn’t really expecting this to be this great

5.5
Marvel 2099 (2019): Punisher #1

Dec 3, 2019

They were so focused on making a 2099 detective story that they nearly forgot to include the punisher at all. And you can tell because he just kind of appears in his Castle-Cosplay at the end with no explanation. Also there was hardly any punishing! In a Punisher book! That's how you know you're doing something wrong

5.5
Morbius (2019) #1

Nov 14, 2019

It's not terrible. Pretty good art, though the bright colors don't always fit the gore that's presented. Story wise, it's kind of lacking. Here's a short summary (if you don't want spoilers, stop here):C-list villain, Morbius, faces off against G-list villain, The Melter, and his goons. Morbius gets the cure for his Not-Vampirism Vampirism. After taking said cure, Morbius thinks he's cured for some reason, despite still looking like a vampire. Meanwhile, a blonde with a grudge against Morbius teams up w/ Melter (A Van Helsing I'm assuming. Had to look her up. Do they expect people to know who that is?). Oh also, surprise! Cure didn't work. I'm not exactly "invested" so far. In conclusion: Who asked for this?

5.0
New Mutants (2019) #1

Nov 7, 2019

So far the Krakoa revamp of the mutants has been very accessible to new readers, like myself, who are new to X-people in general. HOX/POX was good enough to make me want to read every new X-title, and for the most part they've all been easy to follow for new readers. Until now. I have no idea who any of these people are or their history or what exactly their powers are. This issue seems to expect the reader to be well-versed in the history of the New Mutants, a team of which I know nothing about other than they got a movie that will never be released. In addition, I wasn't vibing with this art. I just don't think it looked that good. pretty colors though

7.5
Old Man Quill #11  
9.5
Red Goblin: Red Death #1  
8.0
Ruins Of Ravencroft: Dracula #1

Jan 23, 2020

After reading this and enjoying it as much as the other 2 issues I find it unnecessary that each Ruins of Arkha- *ahem* I mean Ravencroft issues are one-offs, when they are clearly just individual issues that tell a cohesive chronological story while each title character (Dracula in this case) is nothing more than a glorified cameo in that particular issue. Anyway otherwise the art is great and the plot is compelling enough for me to check out the upcoming Arkham*SORRY I MEAN RAVENCROFT*miniseries, despite it so clearly wanting to be Arkham Asylum.

7.0
Savage Avengers (2019) #7

Nov 6, 2019

I think each issue so far has been stellar. Beautiful art, Interesting story, and entertaining dialog. My only gripe is that I don't really know who exactly is on the team anymore. This issue has Electra, Doctor Voodoo, and Conan. Last Issue had Punisher and Conan. The annual had Hellstorm, Black Widow, and Conan. I feel like the actual title of this series should be "Conan and the Random Marvel Characters He Bumps Into."

9.5
Scream: Curse of Carnage #1

Nov 27, 2019

I really liked this. It’s nice that Scream is getting some character development so as she isn’t just a symbiote with tits

8.0
Scream: Curse of Carnage #3

Feb 11, 2020

I don't have much to say. I like symbiotes. I like this. I am kind of concerned over potential contradictions between this and what Donny Cates is doing regarding Knull , but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

10
Silver Surfer: Black #5

Nov 6, 2019

Not sure whats going on most of the time but that's probably because the gorgeous art keeps distracting me from what I'm supposed to reading. The art alone is enough to get a 10 from me.

5.5
Spider-Verse (2019) #1

Nov 20, 2019

This issue felt like an excuse cash in on Into the Spider-Verse's success and to show off more fan-made derivative characters than a Sonic fanfic. I mean, I still enjoyed it, but it was really nonsensical. Definitely not something to be taken seriously.

7.5
Spider-Verse (2019) #2

Nov 20, 2019

This issue completely ignored the previous issue to provide actual character development and a comprehensive chain of events. That's great and all but due to the tremendous shift in tone, art, and plot from the previous issue, I don't think anyone at Marvel knows what their supposed to be doing with this series.

10
Star Wars: Darth Vader (2020) #1

Feb 11, 2020

Wow. This was good. Minimal dialog, but the art takes over to convey the plot. I've read the 2015 run and 2017 run for Dee Vades and they contain some of the best moments for this character. From what I can tell, there will be more to come in this run. And don't get me started on that cliffhanger that could potentially change everything we know about Vader. SO THERE BETTER BE A DAMN GOOD EXPLANATION!

9.0
The End (2020): Venom #1

Jan 23, 2020

The while some of the more Hickmanesque story elements went over my head, the alone is truly something to behold. Honestly I'd often get distracted from the narrative by just how damn pretty everything is. I'd recommend this for the art alone, but the story is cool too. It introduces a boatload of new concepts for Venom that we haven't seen before (though the Venom-nerd in me found some of these concepts hard to believe). I haven't read many "The End" stories from Marvel but of the ones I have, this one is definitely the best.

10
Thor (2020) #1

Jan 23, 2020

Black bolt, Silver Surfer, Venom, and now Thor. Goth boy Donny can't write a character unless they're clad in black. And of coarse, We'll soon be seeing Thor battle against a powerful foe also sporting black but with a bit of Red thrown in the mix as we've seen with Vox, Knull, and Carnage. Jokes aside, Cates had big shoes to fill following Jason Aaron's magnum opus on Thor, and this issue shows that he can wear those shoes pretty well. Throw in Nic Klein's stoic art and we have another legendary Thor run in the making.

10
Thor (2020) #2

Feb 11, 2020

Lol DC is dead. I'm amused.

9.5
Thor (2020) #3

Feb 13, 2020

Yet another example of D-Cates killing it. The only reason it doesn't get a 10 from me is the fear in the back of my head that they [SPOILERS] only broke Stormbreaker so that they could make a new one that looks more like the one from the movies. I hate when they change comic stuff because of movies.Like what they did with the Guardians of the Galaxy and when they gave Spider-Man organic webs, or when they shoved X-Men and FF under the rug because they couldn't make movies. If this happens with Stormbreaker, I'll probably drop this series, which would be a shame because it's REALLY good so far.

10
Venom (2018) #20

Nov 27, 2019

Yeah another fantastic issue. Venom is clearly one of, if not THE best title Marvel's putting out right now. Side note, wtf ending here?! I mean I'm excited beyond measure but this seems like a pretty big deal to the MU as a whole, so I'm just surprised they're doing it in a Venom book and not Avengers, Fantastic 4, or even in ASM. Still looking forward to more.

9.0
Venom (2018) #23

Feb 13, 2020

Great, as per usual. My biggest complaint is that these issues aren't coming out soon enough. That isn't just me being cute. I genuinely feel that getting full enjoyment of this arc because I have to wait a month for the next few pages. I know that's how monthly titles work and normally I can deal with it. The problem is that this arc feels very cinematic; I feel like I'm watching a very well done symbiote-fused Predator movie. But I can only see 15 minutes at a time and I keep having to pause it for weeks. It can make make my interest diminish a bit. So basically my only complaint is that it is too good to be a comic book.

7.0
Web Of Venom: The Good Son #1

Jan 23, 2020

It's really interesting to see how the children of Spider-Man's most prominent frenemies, Eddie Brock and Harry Osborn (Venom and Green Goblin), develop their relationship with their similar backgrounds. This issue feels pretty important regarding what's going on in Donny Cate's Venom run. My biggest problem is how the dialog doesn't always match what is shown in the art. For example, characters facial expressions don't always match with what they are talking about. I think at one point Eddie says Normie hit a baseball too hard while Normie is clearly holding a mitt and Eddie has the bat. Aside from that, the additional short Sleeper story is pretty cool.

9.0
Wolverine (2020) #1

Feb 25, 2020

First Story: Wolvie and his Uncanny Friends vs. Cannibal Cult, is fine except that certain character "deaths" have very little impact (If any at all) due to the background knowledge that everyone can simply resurrect via the Goldballs-and-Company process. Otherwise, pretty neat overall. Second Story: Wolvie vs. Vampires (feat. Omega Red), is another kick ass story. However, I kinda wish there was more background information (like a Hickman info-dump page) on Omega Red. Specifically who he is and why wolverine hates him so much (I'm still pretty new to X-Stuff. I jumped in on the HOX/POX bandwagon), but that's just me. Overall great first issue (though I guess it will be over a month for issue 2...)

10
X-Force (2019) #2

Dec 2, 2019

Yep. This issue confirmed it. This is my favorite ongoing series to come from the Krakoa shenanigans, after Hickman's X-Men, of coarse.

10
X-Men (2019) #2

Nov 13, 2019

Beautiful art, yet again, and compelling writing, yet again. I’ve only been reading comics for a few years, so I only really know Cyclops as a bit of a douche. It’s nice to see his fatherly side for a change

10
X-Men / Fantastic Four (2020) #1

Feb 11, 2020

Mister Fantastic is a dick and Professor X is a dick. That's how hero vs hero fights are supposed to be, with neither side 100% in the right. I thought a story revolving around Hickman's two greatest triumphs, X-men and FF, wouldn't work without Hickman writing but Zdarsky makes it work.

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