One and only new comic review thread for 2/6/01

[Guest]

This thread will be used for people to review and state their opinions on the comics that they buy this week and this week only. I'll be starting a new thread next week for next week's purchases and continue to do so each week.....

[Guest areacode212]

I thought of doing a separate thread for each week too, but figured it would get depressing if we all got lazy (or if no good comics came out) for a couple of weeks and we had 2 empty threads.

[Guest Sassquatch]

ALL RIGHT!!!!

 

FINALLY we got a comic book folder.

 

And tomorrow is the day I make my weekly pilgramage to the comic shops.  I didn't get Ultimates last week so tomorrow is the day.

 

And the next couple parts of "Bruce Wayne:Murderer" come out which I will be adding to my Bat collection.

 

And DKSB #2 as well.

 

But...

 

OH HELL YEAH!!!

 

"We did it!!" - Garth from the 8th Annual MTV Music award show.

[Guest]

And DKSB #2 as well.

Bought DKSB #2 last week. I won't spoil it for you but the book is MUCH better than DKSB #1.....

[Guest Sassquatch]

Actually I looked at the issue and to me...the art just looked like shit.

 

Now I haven't READ it, but I saw what happened in the issue.

 

And Judas, I'm SHOCKED that you have rolled over as easily as you have about DKSB.

 

I mean the rant you went on about it was just VICIOUS.

 

Now it's funny that I'M the one trashing it and YOU'RE the one that is praising it.

 

DOUBLE TURN!

DOUBLE TURN!

[Guest]

Actually I looked at the issue and to me...the art just looked like shit.

 

Now I haven't READ it, but I saw what happened in the issue.

 

And Judas, I'm SHOCKED that you have rolled over as easily as you have about DKSB.

 

I mean the rant you went on about it was just VICIOUS.

 

Now it's funny that I'M the one trashing it and YOU'RE the one that is praising it.

 

DOUBLE TURN!

DOUBLE TURN!

Spoiler warning

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The story's still shit but #2 has a level of senseless chaos (from Wonder Woman bitching at Superman to grow a set of balls, Superman and Wonder Woman having rough, earthshaking sex, Miller's take on the female Star Spangle Kid, Superman and Wonder Woman's lovechild decapitating Brainiac, and Batman slaughtering high profile government officials left and right and carving up Luthor's face like a pig) that made it fun. Plus there is something inherently twisted about Miller having Batman use a Spicegirls-type girlgroup as a tool to convince America's youth to revolt against the government....

[Guest]

New Books for this week:

 

Ratings on the scale of 1 (horrible) to 4 (Must Buy)

 

Amazing Spiderman #38/479- First JMS issue I've actually enjoyed as Aunt May tells Peter she knows his secret identity... 4/4

 

Avengers Celestial Quest #6- The series continues on it's slow path as Thanos kills Mentor and his new pantheon of Gods finally capture the Celestial Madonna. A rather slow chapter. 2/4

 

X-Force #124- Darwyn Cooke fills in for Mike Allred as we get U-Go-Girl's origin. A great story that shows how great the new X-Force is and how good the book has gotten under Allred and Milligan.... 4/4

 

Uncanny X-Men #402- A hit in the extremely hit and miss (with the emphesis on miss) and winding down Joe Casey X-Men run. This issue has more of the X-Corps as Blob, Avalanche, and Bolt (from the second New Warrior series) defeat Abyss and Holocaust and Banshee gloating like a villian while holding Lady Mastermind prisoner in a stasis tube. 3/4

 

Exiles #9- More shortcut writing as Judd Winick aborts the "Exiles are forced to fight in gladiator games while Blink and Morph try and rescue them" storyline in order to steamroll the "Galactus versus the Exiles" subplot into the spotlight. 1/4

 

MIA The Alan Moore Captain Britian TPB. It's been three weeks and my comic shop still haven't got a copy in yet despite the book already being out.....

[Guest areacode212]

Ah, I once again nearly forgot that today is comic book day. Looking forward to the Darwyn Cooke issue of X-Force, as I'll be missing his work on Catwoman when he leaves that title.

 

EDIT: Books I picked up today. A light load this week:

Stray Bullets #23

X-Force # 124

Alias #6

Fury #6

 

Reviews forthcoming (I won't finish them until tomorrow at the earliest).

[Guest areacode212]

I suppose I'll use Judas's rating system as well.

 

Alias # 6 - Jessica recovers from the events of the the first story arc, by "doing lunch" with her old pal Carol Danvers, aka Ms. Marvel (or Warmonger or whatever it is she calls herself these days). The "Marvel Universe in the real world" spin that Bendis is putting on this book works really well, with his flair for writing realistic dialogue. The opening conversation with Carol is fun and the issue ends with a somewhat surprising encounter, involving a familiar name to Marvel fans. Since we're in between story arcs, this is a good jumping-on point for new readers. 4/4

 

X-Force #124 - Character study time, as we see another side of the usually abrasive U-Go-Girl.  My favorite issue of the series so far. Darwyn Cooke is awesome as usual. Anyone know what else he'll be doing once he leaves Catwoman (other than the Tangled Web issue)? 4/4

 

Stray Bullets # 23 - This awesome crime comic returns with a bang, after a long hiatus (while Lapham was doing Murder Me Dead). If you're keeping track, we're up to October 1980. The Empire Strikes Back is in theaters and Joey (whom we met in the present in issue #1) is being babysat by Spanish Scott. Needless to say, it doesn't go well, even worse than my babysitting experience. If you're a SB fan, you'll be picking this up; if not, this is also a good jumping-on point, but you'll want to pick up back issues (or the tpbs) anyway. 4/4

 

I'll do Fury tomorrow, which, incidentally, looks like it'll be a pretty good comic book day. Hopefully the FBI will be wrong and Times Square remains intact while I hit my comic place.

 

EDIT: Fury #6 - Yawn. Ennis makes his little point on U.S. foreign policy, but other than that, this was one of his weaker efforts. Typical paint-by-numbers Ennis-style violence, which was done better, and with more humor in Hitman and Punisher. Buy it to complete the series, if you must. 2/4.

[Guest gthureson]

Deadman #3:  I'm going to give this book another storyarc to see I want to keep buying it.  I like Deadman.  But this book just feels to...breezy.   The circus freak murder opening story arc ended, with Boston foiling the evil psycho-coke plot behind it all.   Yay.   Deadman was always a lighthearted character in dark storylines for me.   The book so far is colourful, almost cartoony artwork and an action based storyline.   Give me some more shadows, some more darkness, both in the characters and the artwork, and the character of Boston Brand will stand out more.  Right now...its firmly an Eh.

 

Taskmaster #1:  I like this villain.   He's a neat villain.  And I like this first of a four parter.  He is still a villain.  But he is a villian with style.   And he hasn't been powered up.   I won't give away any spoilers, lets just say if you like the character, pick it up.  Good artwork, good writing, lots of fun.  Thumbs firmly up.

[Guest raptor]

Fury #6: What kind of an ending was that? I had hopes for this series, but this issue was just a cop-out. It seemed like an afterthought. (1/4)

 

Alias #6: Bendis-y goodness. This is a great issue because it places Bendis in his element. It was nothing but stark, intelligent dialouge, and there was a twist at the end. (4/4)

 

Angel #3(of 4): After a slow start, this mini has really picked up. With only one issue left however, it will take extra Whedon magic to tie up the loose ends. (3/4)

 

Spider-Girl #44: CANCELLED!!NOOOO! Oh well, this was a great issue. This seems like the first comic to do something good with the Spider-Clone saga. Plus, it seems as if it will end with the debut of the Scarlet Spider-Girl. Good Stuff. (4/4)

 

Exiles #9: This is quickly becoming my favorite title. I can forgive the "shortcut writing" as it should lead up to a good Galactus conflict, which hasn't been done in a while. (3/4)

 

Uncanny X-Men #402: I've been excited about the debut of the X-Corps for a while. and this was a good issue that didn't dissapoint. Banshee has always been interesting, so I'm glad he's rebounded from his fate as a drunken Irish stereotype. By the way, it was Abyss vs. Fever Pitch (formerly of the Gene Nation), not Holocaust. (3/4)

 

DK2 #2: Pretty good, but not $8 dollars good. I'll reserve judgement until I can read all three parts together, but as it stands now, it pales in comparison to the original. Understandable, but I'd expect Miller to try harder. (2/4)