Reviews 5/22

[Guest raptor]

One of the better groups of comics in recent memory....

 

Origin #6 (of 6): This series has been a little underwhelming thus far, IMHO. At lease Jenkins ended it with a bang. Although it didn't deliver all I assumed, it did deliver a very good look into what made little weak James Howlett into the greatest bad@ss of all time Wolverine. On any other week, it gets uber-book of the week, but... *****

 

Powers #20 (Superhero Saga: The Conclusion): Uber-Book Of The Week. Bendis is a god. Powers has been really lacking as of late, as its seemed to be the book that Bendis was neglecting. All that is shattered though, and Bendis turns in the best book of the series. The Superhero Saga ends in the lest likely of ways, and it seems as if Bendis has used this issue to take the book in a new direction. Get it, or Get Cancer. *****

 

Avengers Icons: Tigra #3 (of 4, Deepest Cuts Part III): How is that all the b-players in comics have been the focal points of all the great stories recentley? This has been really good so far, but it seemed as if it was doomed to be riddled with cliches. The cliches are still around, but Deodato's art, and Z's unexpected last panel twist helps it rise above. ***1/2

 

Wolverine/Hulk #4 (of 4): This was a series that in my opinion, started off like crap. The completist in me kept paying the extortionate cover price, and I ended up being greatley rewarded. This is the most manic-depressive mini-series I've ever had the fortune of reading. I'm hoping it'll get the marvel HC treatment so we can see what was going on in Sam Kieth's head during the creative process.****

 

X-Factor #2 (of 4): Comics and Baseball. It should be like Cornette and Heyman; never in the same room. However, first time writer Jeff Jensen mixes the two beautifully. I do have a problem with the X-Men's involvement is useless. This is really a book about the sacrifices of civil rights, and the involvement of Nightcrawler is really uneccesary. My only problem: the villain is a San Francisco Giants fan. We aren't that crazy, and even we don't like Barry Bonds.

[Guest Vyce]

I picked up Origin #6, and I must say, I'm underwhelmed.

 

I don't know, I just didn't feel it.  If we're going on a 5 star system, I'd give it only *** stars.  Didn't grab me like I thought it will, and the entire series didn't live up to my expectations (but it's Wolverine's origin, how can it live up to 20+ years of anticipation?).

[Guest raptor]

I picked up Origin #6, and I must say, I'm underwhelmed.

 

I don't know, I just didn't feel it.  If we're going on a 5 star system, I'd give it only *** stars.  Didn't grab me like I thought it will, and the entire series didn't live up to my expectations (but it's Wolverine's origin, how can it live up to 20+ years of anticipation?).

I agree with you completely, in reference to the other issues. This is the only one that really grabbed me. I went in expecting nothing, so maybe the fact that it was something made it better.

[Guest The Son of Sting]

I loved Origin as a whole. The first two issues were great not much happend in the middle but it did end with a bang. For the whole arc i would give it ****1/2. How come Dog was so big compared to Logan? Was he on the HHH diet?

 

If anyone isnt reading it at the moment pick up Marvel Nights,should still be able to get issues 1+2. One of my favourite books at the moment.

[Guest raptor]

I loved Origin as a whole. The first two issues were great not much happend in the middle but it did end with a bang. For the whole arc i would give it ****1/2. How come Dog was so big compared to Logan? Was he on the HHH diet?

 

If anyone isnt reading it at the moment pick up Marvel Nights,should still be able to get issues 1+2. One of my favourite books at the moment.

I've heard that Marvel Knights was crap-tastic. Why do you like it? Also, do you think Dog will be Sabretooth. I believe we, as readers, were supposed to make that obvious (at least physical) conclusion.

[Guest The Son of Sting]

Dog = Sabretooth? Now you say it seems obvious.

 

Marvel Nights is just enjoyable to read. Daredevil and Punisher are two of my favourite characters. Mr Tune and the Brothers Grace are intresting characters.

The first Marvel Nights run was pretty poor. But this one i think is a six issues mini series is a vast improvment. The art and writing are top notch as well.

[Guest gthureson]

Logan is supposed to be a midget anyway.

 

They've made him a bit taller than he used to be (to make for the fact that every X-character became bloody 'uge, so if they kept the scale, Logan would have been a real runt.)

 

He is only supposed to be about 5'4" all growed up, so it actually wouldn't take much to make him look like a real munchkin.

[Guest Sassquatch]

Next week looks MUCH better.

 

Damn, it's been a while since I've posted here.

 

Nice to see that you guys have kept this forum alive.

 

Keep up the good work!

[Guest Vyce]

I would HIGHLY doubt that Dog is Sabretooth.  If he winds up being Creed, I'll be pissed, because a LOT of history (Sabretooth's and X-history) would have to be either ignored or thrown out the window altogether.

 

It doesn't fit, anyway.  Dog's face was scarred, remember?  Unless Sabretooth's healing factor didn't kick in until MUCH later (as in, when he reached adulthood instead of puberty, when most mutants develop), Dog ain't Creed.

 

I would rate the Origin series at around ***3/4 out of 5.  First couple of issues were great, the middle three were often boring, but the last one was good.  I suppose I was a little letdown.  I was hoping for a more exciting origin than just Logan spending his days at a logging camp, but I found the fact of his early years being those of wealth and privilege to be a nice contrast to his later savagery.

[Guest areacode212]

I might as well make my return to the Review threads and type up some reviews.

 

Since I have a bunch of comics piled up that I'm only now getting to read, I'll be reviewing a bunch of books from previous weeks, as well as this one. But I'll start with the 5/22 batch, since they're the ones freshest in my mind.

 

Yeah, I've heard that Powers was terrific this month, but it's a title that I'm collecting in TPB format only, so I guess I won't be reading that for a few months.

 

Origin #6 (of 6)-- When the series started, I expected it to cover a longer period of time than it did. As Vyce said, I was hoping for something more exciting than a young Logan hanging out at a Canadian logging camp. I actually think it started off with more of a bang, and ended with a whimper. The first couple of issues gave us the cool identity twists, a look at Wolverine's dysfunctional family, and the "ohhhh, so THAT's why he liked Jean!" tidbit. The rest of the issues were a little boring, and I found the last issue to be someone predictable, but I suppose it's nice to see what it was that changed him into a savage killer (killing his final link with the rest of humanity). An Origin II series seems pretty likely at this point. ***

 

Catwoman #7 --  Holly gets shot, and Catwoman brings her to Leslie Thompkins, then hangs with Slam Bradley to investigate the corrupt cops who shot her. Unfortunately, the corruption seems to go pretty high up and things look like they're going to get worse before they get better.

 

As I've said for a while, this is my new favorite DC book. I first became a fan of Ed Brubaker when he did the Scene of the Crime mini-series for Vertigo, so the news that he was going to be writing Batman was one of the factors in my return to collecting the Bat-titles. But, aside from an interesting sub-plot involving Bruce and a childhood girlfriend (who is now involved in organized crime), his writing never really grabbed me the way it did in that Vertigo series--until now. Brubaker seems to be a lot more comfortable writing crime fiction than the superhero stuff, and the new Catwoman is definitely a crime fiction comic. The characters and the dynamics between them are all really interesting. Selina has appointed herself the savior/avenger of those who society regards as unworthy of protection. Holly is a recovering addict & former prostitute trying to pick up the pieces of her life, while helping Selina to improve peoples' lives. Leslie Thompkins & Slam Bradley also make good supporting cast. Brad Rader's pencils convey a noirish look, while maintaining a light, easy-to-digest animated style. This issue wasn't as awesome as last month's focus on Holly, but it's still great. **** 1/2

 

 

Birds of Prey #43 -- The "Fugitive" storyline is really starting to lose me, and I'm glad it'll be wrapped up soon. It's established that there was an intruder who visited the Batcave several times in the weeks leading up to the murder, and that they doctored Bruce & Vesper's journals. The Bat Scooby Gang realize that they can't exactly use this knowledge to clear Bruce without exposing his or their dual identities. That's pretty much the extent of the "Fugitive" content of this issue. The rest of the ish involves Deathstroke and some kind of time-travelling (or unaging) Japanese soldier from WW2. Who cares? Just read it in the store if all you care about is the crossover. Maybe I'll start reading this title when Dixon leaves and the TV show debuts, so I can start from a clean slate. **

 

X-Factor #2 (of 4) -- OK, I haven't had the time to read the main story yet, but Ron Zimmerman's backup story (involving Kraven Jr. at the Bar With No Name) is more or less a follow-up to Zimmerman's Tangled Web #13 (which TOTALLY ROCKED! Read it!), and there are one or two references to the earlier story. It's similar in tone & content (Kraven telling a story about a run-in with a hero, in this case, the Punisher), and if you liked one, you'll like the other. To be continued in X-Force, Tangled Web (by Scott "Raven" Levy), and other issues next week! *** 1/2 for the backup.

 

I'll review the main story and other comics later, after I've finished doing my taxes and maybe watching some of the Japanese wrestling that my main man goodhelmet taped for me.