EXCLUSIVE! Chad Nevett's Comic Book Mini-Reviews and Star Ratings for the Week of November 7, 2012

Action Comics #14: That was a perfectly fine comic book I read, yes. Was that what they were going for? [**3/4]

Age of Apocalypse #9: Hey, Roberto de la Torre is back! And, once again, I can't tell any characters apart. I gave up on that long ago, though. Who they are doesn't really matter, does it? If they were worth knowing, I'd know them. I know Jean Grey and Prophet and Little Creed and Big Creed and Wolverine and Cyclops. Does anyone else actually matter? There's almost a plot in this issue. A sense of direction. That shouldn't last long. You know who I miss? That narrator fellow whose inclusion in this book was baffling at the beginning and never made to matter at all. Is he dead? Did I nod off and miss his death? And, yet, I do enjoy this comic. They still have a "From the pages of Uncanny X-Force..." tagline at the top of the cover. Really? Who are you fooling? [No one]

Avengers #33: It's always encouraging when the Big Three (plus Mr. and Mrs. Ant-Man) get their asses handed to them by Brand New Generic Villain. Tha baddie's mockery of Thor was kind of funny. The 'real world' stuff was good. This feels like such a throwaway, though. This how you want to go out, Bendis? [***]

Daredevil: End of Days #2: In the future, there will be "Hulk: The Musical." Screw President Wilson, that is the real story of this comic. That, and Nick Fury never dies. Ever. [***1/2]

The Defenders #12: A bit of a hot mess by the end there. Matt Fraction Explains the Marvel Universe and, like all big explanations, it just makes you wonder why he bothered. No. Really. Why? Why try to explain this? Why try to offer up a reason for why this fictional universe exists as it does when we all know the real reasons? It doesn't make it better. It doesn't make it better. When the fuck did Fraction become Straczynski? There is something amusing in that the world is saved by Dr. Strange tricking himself into not being as big a douchebag. I liked that part. I liked the storytelling technique used here to rush through in a manner that actually gave the issue a bit of weight. But, still... The Marvel Universe didn't need an explanation. [***1/4]

Iron Man #1: Did... did Marvel trick me into buying Invincible Iron Man #1 again? It sure as fuck feels like it. [Marvel THEN!]

The Manhattan Projects #7: I am intrigued. I do love the blue and red colouring. Every issue is a joy and a surprise. [****]

New Avengers #32: A bit better than what's going on in Avengers, but it is revisiting one of the worst New Avengers stories (the Brother Voodoo magic arc with the Hood). And this issue was pretty tedious in Dr. Strange trying to figure it out, while everyone else runs around like idiots. But, there's another issue next week! And Jessica looks shot on the cover! OH NOES! [***1/4]

Later

EXCLUSIVE! Chad Nevett's Comic Book Mini-Reviews and Star Ratings for the Week of October 3, 2012

Action Comics #13: A solid superhero comic. Nothing too special. [***1/4]

Age of Apocalypse #8: An interesting issue up until the end where it punked out in the same way that mainstream superhero comics always seem to punk out. "They're not just fighting for humanity, they're fighting for their humanity." Shit. I'm rooting for the mutants. [**1/2]

The Boys #71: The minute Butcher started talking about Hughie's family, you could tell what he was doing and that was the point: we could, but Hughie couldn't. That's part of what Butcher was talking about the rest of the issue. That trusting, emotional nature of Hughie -- how he should know better, but never does. And that's fine, because he's a good guy and you'd rather he was like that than be a right bastard. There's a sense that he never really got Butcher and that's sad. If Hughie has a flaw that needs correcting, it's his absolutist thinking at times. Butcher was always more nuanced than Hughie gave him credit for -- and more simple than he appeared to us. This wasn't Jesse/Cassidy, but it was pretty fucking good. I don't know where we go from here for next month's finale, but I can't wait. [****1/2]

Daredevil: End of Days #1: "You don't understand... I tried everything else." Line of the year. [***1/2]

The Defenders #11: Wow, that's a big crock of shit. Here it is: the reason why so many superheroes are in the Marvel Universe aka the explanation that no one needed or wanted. At all. Why the fuck would anyone waste their fucking time thinking up that shit? What is this obsession with everything requiring an explanation no matter how unnecessary or downright fucking awful? Maybe the final issue will redeem things... probably not. Issues like this lead to my weird, complicated feelings on the work of Fraction. He's so incredibly hit or miss it seems. [BIG FUCKING MISS]

Fatale #8: Okay, this book only really works when read in big chunks it seems. I enjoyed the first arc more when I read a bunch of issues and any sort of delay nearly kills whatever interest I have in this series -- which I'll admit is on the lower end of the scale. [***1/2]

Later

EXCLUSIVE! Chad Nevett's Comic Book Mini-Reviews and Star Ratings for the Week of September 5, 2012

It's been many weeks since I've last read comics outside of a context involving Avengers vs. X-Men. Usually, the comics for that event are what I read first (the first Wednesday of the month is an exception as nothing gets between me and the newest issue of The Boys). It didn't change much, really. Why would it?

Action Comics #0: The most frustrating thing about Grant Morrison's Action Comics is that this early Superman/Clark Kent is leagues more interesting than the Superman/Clark Kent we're used to seeing and Morrison is continually moving away from the former, running towards the latter. It's hard to come to grips with sometimes. I appreciated a chance to see the character at an earlier point than before. A chance to be reminded that, yeah, a young, driven Superman who spends his off time geeking out with Jimmy Olsen and trying to prove he's worth a damn is far superior to the Superman we usually get. [****]

Age of Apocalypse #7: I still don't know anyone's name in relation to their image. Nor their personality. Except for maybe Graydon Creed as he descends into drunken failure. Yet, I don't mind. I enjoy Arlem's art. It suits the tone set by del Torre. Lapham continues to wander through this world with characters that mean nothing and display motives that I'm not sure we're supposed to be rooting for. They fight against the future. They will (and should) lose. [***1/4]

Black Kiss 2 #2: You can't fight customs. I know that from my dayjob. They are all-powerful and answerable to no one. Whenever I forget that, they make a decision that flies in the face of all logic and prior experience simply because they can. I'm not angry or upset, because that's like being upset at the rain. Customs is and that's all there is to it. Bitching and whining is lying about the world. [Dude, pick me up the rest of the series. Yes, you. You may be wondering if I'm addressing you and I am. Really. BUY THEM ALL FOR ME AND THEN MAIL THEM TO ME.]

The Boys #70: The difference between Garth Ennis and everyone else: when he explains a mystery that requires no explanation, he still makes it damn entertaining. "Ain't there s'posed to be?" is the punchline of the year. [****]

The Defenders #10: Matt Fraction Week Part One: The Silver Surfer pages... my god, McKelvie! [***3/4]

Hawkeye #2: Matt Fraction Week Part Two: David Aja and Matt Hollingsworth win. They had stiff competition from the likes of Amanda Conner and Paul Mounts, Russ Braun and Tony Avina, and Alan Davis, Mark Farmer, and either Javier Rodriguez or Chris Sotomayor. But, they won the week. Easily. I dug this issue more than the first. Fraction's dialogue lends a little too flip in places, though. I loved the white explanation panels. [****]

Hell Yeah #5: I guess the problem here is that this book isn't really about anything yet. It hints at being about things, but it isn't actually about anything. It dances around the point, getting in close before pulling away and running across the room. And that's fine. I just keep wanting more. Something to latch onto. It's not even "Answers that raise more questions," it's "Vague statements provided in response to questions that just sort of get on your nerves after a while." Maybe it's my fault for thinking there's more. Maybe this is all there is. What to do what to do what to do what to do what to do blah blah blah. [***]

The Mighty Thor #19: Matt Fraction Week Part Three: That final page is meant to mean something, but, without context (and damn good context), it's just a weak cliffhanger in my house. The stuff with the Vanir isn't quite working for me, because it came out of nowhere. At no time in either of these titles' currents runs have those people been mentioned. So, to suddenly have a big part of this revolve around the tension between the Aesir and the Vanir feels false and convenient. But... Alan Davis draws a pretty book and the stuff with Thor and Loki continues to win me over.

Later

EXCLUSIVE! Chad Nevett's Comic Book Mini-Reviews and Star Ratings for the Week of August 1, 2012

Action Comics #12: How can one empty their brain of all thought and still explain how they're emptying their brain of all thought? Also: RIP Johnny Clark. [***]

Age of Apocalypse #6: I love how, on the cover of this issue, Cyclops takes a punch from Colossus and his head stays attached to his body. This series remains a little strange, a mixture of awful people and even worse people... a lack of anything approaching a plot... characters that fail to leave any impression... Yet, I'm drawn to it somehow. [***]

Black Kiss 2 #1: This is some fucked up shit. A dude survived the sinking of the Titanic because a Succubus anally raped him. A move screen comes alive and shoots out tentacle penii to rape the audience. There... there's something wrong with Howard Chaykin, I think. [So... I have to wait a month for issue two?]

The Boys #69: We march towards the conclusion and it's not quite the same lively march that other Ennis series have had at the end, but the sense of dread is somehow bigger. It's a proper superhero story in many ways. A pretty easy to grasp attempt to kill a large chunk of the world's population, allies betrayed and killed, and one lone man standing alone to stop his former mentor. It was inevitable almost that, after last issue, two more would fall here. What I can't figure out is how the V-A folks will factor in. And what of Annie? [****]

Daredevil #16: The Pym/Murdock stuff left me cold, but Waid and Samnee nailed the Foggy/Matt scene. [***1/2]

The Defenders #9: Heh... I liked that. It never quite cohered how you can picture it meaning to, but it was still pretty fun. Somehow, though, two issues in and McKelvie's art hasn't quite lived up to expectations/past work. It feels almost at odds with Fraction's writing. He needs something a little wilder. [***1/4]

Fury MAX #5: Reading this, if this weren't based on what happened, you'd think that Ennis was writing a pretty bad comic in how the whole Bay of Pigs thing goes down. And, yet, that's how it happened. Fucked up. I love their surprise when they learn that Castro wasn't hiding in some bunker, letting other people do all of the fighting for him. [****]

Gødland #36: From the beginning of this issue, the endpoint seemed obvious, but no less satisfying when it was reached. It's amazing how big this got while still maintaining a small, human perspective. Scioli fucking brought it and Casey is at his verbose, hyperbolic best. This is the comic that I'll be thinking about for a while, picking up, flipping through, and just lingering on cøsmic cømic gøødness. [øøøøø]

Hawkeye #1: Not at all what I was expecting. This is a pretty different take than what we've seen before and it has potential. A little cheesy in places, but definitely an attempt to carve out a unique spot for this character. And, y'know... David Aja... yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah. [***3/4]

RASL #15: And, so it ends where it began and it's a great final issue. Smith lingers a bit here and there and his visual storytelling is incredible. So clear and engaging. I'll miss this book. It was always something new and surprising right down to the final page. [****1/2]

X-Men #33: Somewhat disappointing. I'm not really a fan of the whole 'bad guy is confronted, brags about the hero is too late, and kills himself' thing. It seems like a cheap way to provide 'closure' on the story while leaving the door open for more later. Like, the cheapest way to do so. But, the focus here is more on the characters and what this mission meant to them and, in that respect, Wood and Lopez succeed. [***1/4]

Later

EXCLUSIVE! Chad Nevett's Comic Book Mini-Reviews and Star Ratings for the Week of July 4, 2012

Action Comics #11: There's a fragmented approach to Action Comics over the past couple of issues that I like. Superman is pulled in numerous directions: the social-justice-crusader in a t-shirt, the new fireman persona, the fully costumed superhero... he's basically trying to be everything at once. I don't really dig on the art of either Rags Morales or Brad Walker, but I like the idea of different artists presenting these fragments of his life. What I'm concerned with is whether or not this run will add up to anything. It's been fairly all over the place. [***1/2]

Age of Apocalypse #5: Bringing on a new artist (for this issue at least) was a big shift and it made me realise how I didn't recognise almost any characters just by looking at them. That's problematic. As is the languid, directionless feel of this comic. It doesn't feel like it's actually going anywhere. The AoA Quentin Quire is an interesting character/concept raised and dismissed... a shame. [**1/2]

Animal Man #11: Underwhelming issue. This comic was once interesting and scary and something I looked forward to. Now, it's just been doing the same thing for so long that I should just drop it and be done. [Held up, hand opens...]

The Boys #68: When MM and Butcher were in the same room, you knew what was going to happen. It was obvious and Ennis didn't try to hide it. The cut-away for two pages was a brilliant delaying tactic that only made the return worse. One down, eh? And Butcher... the amount of damage he has inside has always been there, but, until now, it was easy to deny. I mean, this is a suicide mission he's on. A man who is genuinely determined to tear the world down -- the supervillain of the book, if you will. Brilliant. [****1/4]

Fury MAX #4: If you thought being in Vietnam would end in disaster, getting involved with Cuba is a lovely raising of the clusterfuck stakes. I love the way Parlov drew faces in this issue. I don't know why I noticed them more this time, but I did. [****]

Haunt #24: Visually, this issue was a bit of a mess. Nathan Fox's style does tend to lean in a direction where you have to try a little harder to understand what you're looking at sometimes, but this issue was a whole new level of that. A big part of that is the colouring, which does a pisspoor job of clarifying Fox's line work, instead making it messier. What could have been a thrilling action issue falls flat in a lot of places. [Damn shame]

Later

EXCLUSIVE! Chad Nevett's Comic Book Mini-Reviews and Star Ratings for the Week of June 6, 2012

Giant week. At least by my standards. 16 comics, though only 12 are discussed below. Three Avengers vs. X-Men comics will be discussed in this week's "Riding the Gravy Train" post and Before Watchmen: Minutemen #1 will be discussed, possibly, on two different sites. If Brian Cronin and I can get our shit together and begin our weekly discussion series on the project, look for that on Comics Should be Good. And, depending on what happens, some brief words on the pirate back-up will appear elsewhere. Because why not? (UPDATE: That capsule review is up in this week's Spandexless Reads, written/compiled by friend of the blog Alec Berry.) Still. 12 comics is plenty.

Action Comics #10: People went crazy over issue nine (and it was good), but I think this might have been my favourite issue of the series yet. Strong lead that touched on a few different aspects of Superman's life and has a pretty big twist. Even the back-up strip was strong, which is a change of pace as far as I'm concerned. That bit with Superman busting in on the child murderer was fantastic... [****]

Age of Apocalypse #4: There's a danger in this comic of making the human resistance too good at what they're doing. This issue felt a little over-the-top in that regard. At least Lapham is playing into their advantage -- surprise and being able to plan out an attack without the enemy having any recourse but to react as it happens. Still, mutants are so dominant that the resistance needs to suffer a big loss soon, I think. Otherwise, it's less 'underdogs fighting against tyranny' than 'awesome people beating up a bunch of fucking goofs that you can't believe took over the world in the first place.' You know, just like Star Wars. [***]

Animal Man #10: Just... just get to the fucking point, won't you? [Please?]

The Boys #67: Four things. 1) My cover says that this is issue 66. It is not. 2) That stuff with the Legend screaming at his dead, unseen artist at the beginning of this issue is some of the funniest, most cynical comic book metafiction that Garth Ennis has written in this series. The best quote is "Soldier Boy! Stormfront! Webweaver! Starboard! All were mine! Thou didst no more than scrawl thy doodles at my bidding!" Or... the lawsuit bit. He may look like Jack Kirby, but he says fuck you, Kirby. Oh ho ho. 3) "Did I just... pull a Butcher?" HA! 4) I'm not entirely sure what Butcher's endgame is, but... Christ. This is getting big and crazy and... yes, Legend, it will have blood. [****1/2]

The Defenders #7: I rather enjoyed this issue. Fantastic tone, the art was a perfect fit, and the story is really taking shape. I loved the next issue teaser of "MCKELVIE!" [****]

Dial H #2: At some point, this issue lost me a bit. Some fun ideas, but a combination of art that turns me off every chance it gets and storytelling that doesn't really engage makes for a rather lacklustre comic. I may get issue three. I may not. [**]

Fury MAX #3: That ending is chilling. Perfect writing and perfect art. Just looking at the cover right now, it bothers me a little... damn fucking good comic. [****1/2]

Green Arrow #10: This... is not a comic that wants to keep me as a reader. There's just nothing to latch onto here. Maybe, somewhere underneath, there's a good idea, but the execution is just so grating, so slippery and deflective, that I find myself moving forward more out of duty than because I give a fuck. [DONE]

Journey into Mystery #639: Once you get past the first four pages, this is a fairly enjoyable comic. It's not that I dislike lots of narration/prose in my comics, it's that I don't especially enjoy the way that Kieron Gillen writes narration in this comic. It's always on the verge of making me close the book, put it down, and never pick it up again. Thankfully, there's plenty of other stuff he does very well in this comic -- enough for me to press on and try my best to absorb the necessary details. Still... dreary, dull, bad fucking writing. But, hey, the rest of the issue has some nice bits and I love Loki's enthusiasm. [***]

The Mighty Thor Annual #1: I'm currently on hold in my reading of the Clone Saga. I finished volume three the other day and am waiting for Amazon.ca to send me volume four. Once that arrives, I can read up through volume four of the Ben Reilly stuff. And, then, it's just waiting for Marvel to release the remaining books. But, anyway, Scrier is a mysterious figure in those comics; an associate of Judas Traveller who also appears to Kane. Why he does anything is unknown. Apparently, he (and Traveller) was the creation of JM DeMatteis, who also wrote this annual, which features... Scrier...? I mean, that's what he's called, but he doesn't look anything like the Scrier of the Clone Saga. This title is on my pull list, so I got the annual and it's actually decent. Some weird bits of dialogue and a plot that's oddly simple and confusing at the same time -- mostly because it's so big that it doesn't actually matter at all. I'm mostly thrown by Scrier being in it. Also, it marks the second Richard Elson-drawn comic of the week. Though, judging by the Thor stuff here, this seems like an inventory issue released now, because... uh... why not? [***]

Secret #2: I... uh... what happened in the first issue again? No. Really. I remember some of what happened, but nothing about characters. Why is it that the comics with the more intricate stories, the one that require you pay close attention and remember a lot are also the ones that come out less frequently? Nonetheless, I like the tone of this comic -- the mood it creates. And that opening was killer. [***1/2]

Winter Soldier #6: I'm a little disappointed that Leonid shaved his beard at the end. I prefer my Russians to have beards. This issue does make me wonder about the future of this book. Once we deal with the third sleeper, what next? Will this always be a comic about cleaning up the Winter Soldier's past or will it also look forward? Will it always look back? Also, another Bucky replacement dies. Being Bucky is a worse gig than being Robin. [***1/2]

Later

EXCLUSIVE! Chad Nevett's Comic Book Mini-Reviews and Star Ratings for the Week of May 2, 2012

The tragedy of the day is my shop not getting any copies of Fury MAX #1. They ordered them, but they never arrived. Drat.

Action Comics #9: What are we to make of this one-off issue that doesn't really have anything to do with the series otherwise? Hell, this title seems to have little approaching a larger structure. That's not a bad thing since this was an enjoyable issue. Hints of Hexus in there -- Hexus as Superman / Superman as Hexus. And Lex Luthor of Earth 23 denying he's a racist is funny. Still, what seemed like it would be a series about the young and upstart Clark Kent has quickly become something more freewheeling -- more like I would almost imagine Morrison's idea for more All-Star Superman would be like. Weird. [***3/4]

Age of Apocalypse #3: Small moments amuse me in this series. The little one-page scenes usually, like Pierce busting Shaw's balls on that first page. I like the way this series meanders a little -- more about the characters and their world than a strict forward-moving plot. And de la Torre draws the hell out of it. [***3/4]

Animal Man #9: Reading this comic sometimes feels like riding in a car on a long trip and watching for signs that tell you how far it is to your destination and no matter how much distance you think you've travelled since the last sign, the change is small and depressing and you will never get there. Never ever. [**3/4]

The Boys #66: Similar idea to the final arc of Scalped: jump ahead a period of time and move past the immediate fallout to the 'good part.' There, it's the trial of Red Crow; here, it's the 'trial' (senate subcommittee thing) of Vought-American. And Hughie is made to look the ass in front of the Boys because Butcher is sick of his whining. And his girlfriend leaves him because she's sick of his whining. Next issue: the fat hamster kills himself because of his whining. Oh ho ho. [***1/2]

Daredevil #12: A thoroughly enjoyable comic with some great art. That's enough, right? (Though, that ending did make me wonder... what the fuck was the point of last month's crossover? Did it actually accomplish anything?) [***3/4]

The Defenders #6: Watch as the art grows increasingly bad as the issue progresses! It's like the world's worst magic trick. There's something about this issue that felt so forced. The chaos and meandering (I like that word) of the first few issues has been replaced with... I don't know what. Something. Something I don't like as much. It's not order. It's almost like continuity. Or being too pleased with itself and the self-awareness that lacks true self-awareness? Like, those 'dateline' bits that were, three quarters of the time, really lame. It's like Fraction took that Doc Brass issue of Planetary and decided that it was too exciting for the modern Marvel audience so he took out all of the clever and interesting bits. Except for the bar one. That was pure Venture Bros. [**1/2]

Dial H #1: It's like reading one of those early Vertigo comics. But without the swears or nudity. The art even looks like it came from that period. DC will eat itself -- all of it. That sounds really snarky since I did like this comic. I didn't love it. But it was solid. Good enough that I'll probably buy the next issue. [***1/2]

Exiled #1: Another crossover! Unless the Journey into Mystery issue kicks this up a notch, I can't see myself buying the New Mutants parts of this crossover. There just wan't much that I found interesting in this. Some nice little moments, but not much else. [**]

Green Arrow #9: Does this make sense to anyone else? Yet, I can't look away... [???1/2]

Wolverine and the X-Men: Alpha & Omega #5: I like how Wolverine is the type of guy who, if you kick his ass, he immediately likes you more and wants to hang out with you twice a week so he can learn how you kicked his ass and he can make sure it never happens again. Once he's done this, he will then kill you and feel a little bit bad about it, but... dude, you kicked Wolverine's ass. You do not get to walk away from that. Obviously Avengers vs. X-Men will end with Hank Pym's head on a one clawed hand and Quentin Quire's on the other. Also, Wolverine hates those thinkin' types. Probably. I don't know anymore. So... where are people placing this in Wolverine and the X-Men chronology? [***1/4]

Later

Best of 2011: The Top Ten

Finally, only four months late... If the blurbs seem a little brief it's because I just want this done. And because it's hard to capture the feelings I had when I made this list back in early January -- and to separate some of the books from what's happened in them in 2012. As far as credits go, they'll vary from title to title how detailed I get. And, of course, this list draws upon the comics I read in 2011. I almost surely missed out on tons of great stuff, but, alas, I am but one man with one wallet and one pull list. Let's get to it...



10. Secret Avengers #16-20 by Warren Ellis, Jamie McKelvie, Kev Walker, David, Aja, Michael Lark, Alex Maleev, and others.
I'm amazed it took this long for a comic like this to pop up: Warren Ellis doing Global Frequency with Marvel characters. He took a title that never quite hooked me (and one I would have dropped if he hadn't come aboard) and made it a vibrant, energetic, inventive, must read every month. Each month, it was him and a fantastic artist telling a single story of crazy superhero espionage, usually with a few moments that stopped me dead in my tracks. Ellis has hit the point where he can play to artists' strengths better than almost any writer in mainstream comics. He can mix big expository scenes and KICKSPLODE! I would gladly read a comic like this every month forever.

9. Daredevil by Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, Marcos Martin, and others.
I admire the approach Mark Waid took with this relaunch. It was thoughtful and smart, aimed at taking the book in a different direction than it's been for... well, years (decades?). And, paired with two incredibly talented artists, it was a great pop superhero comic this past year.



8. Holy Terror by Frank Miller.
Not to be too simplistic, but it's a graphic novel drawn by Frank Miller. Forget the story, the characters, everything. It's a big book of new Frank Miller art. It may be Batman pastiche, it may get a little sloppy in parts, it may feature some of his weakest writing (goddamn, that ending is lame), but this is a book that I can flip to any page and find something to stare at, to pour over, to love completely. Most of the books on this list have some great art, but this is the only one that made it here almost solely on the art.

7. Ultimates by Jonathan Hickman, Esad Ribic, Dean White, and others.
Speaking of great art... Esad Ribic and Dean White became one of my favourite art teams this past year thanks to their works on Ultimates. Stunning, gorgeous, lush pages that manage to show a strange, foreign world that's large and insane, while still filled with these small, human moments. Thor's beard dripping with beer... Nick Fury looking completely fucked... the Black Widow's streaky mascara... the City in all its glory... the Children killing Asgard... this book lives in the extremes. Jonathan Hickman took all of two issues to completely hook me, to make me think that this is a comic that may live up to its potential and go completely batshit crazy. It was the best blockbuster comic of the year bar none.



6. Punishermax by Jason Aaron, Steve Dillon, Matt Hollingsworth, and others.
I have said this many times, but I am astonished that someone could follow Garth Ennis on this title. Ennis's run was so fucking good, such a definitive take, that the idea of others trying to write 'mature' Punisher stories in this little universe seemed destined to fail. And it did for a time after Ennis left the title. Under Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon, though, Punishermax has thrived, managing to add to and equal Ennis's run. Aaron's take on Frank Castle after he returned from Vietnam is chilling, especially with how he relates to his family. And, what's worse, is that it doesn't feel like a wrong approach to the character. It feels natural and that's insane. I don't think this title will make next year's list, so let's just pretend that the final two issues came out at the end of 2011 and remember this as one great comic. That final battle with Fisk and the final issue were both brilliant (though I still don't like the last couple of pages...). It brought Frank Castle's story to a fitting end. I still can't believe the balls in getting Steve Dillon to be the artist on the follow-up to Ennis's run, either. Awesome.

5. Batman, Incorporated by Grant Morrison, Yanick Paquette, Chris Burnham, Cameron Stewart, Scott Clark, and others.
Originally, this didn't make my CBR list of the top ten comics of 2011. That was a mistake. By the time December rolled around, this series was woefully behind and the last issue we'd gotten was that putrid Internet 3.0 issue. You can understand why, when it came to make that list, I passed Batman, Incorporated over. And, then, I talked to Tim and thought about it and Leviathan Strikes came out and reread the series and... well, here we are with it going from 'not on the list' to number five. That's because it's a damn entertaining comic. Thoughtful, energetic, crazy, layered, nuanced... and with great art by everyone not named Scott Clark. It's the next step in Grant Morrison's Batman and it genuinely comes off as something new and exciting -- something more than just a regular Batman comic. To me anyway.



4. Deadpool MAX by David Lapham, Kyle Baker, Shawn Crystal, and others.
Damn, this comic made me laugh. It was subversive and absurd, never going where you thought it would. The approach Kyle Baker brought to this comic was a combination of 'not giving a fuck' and pure straight man. Everything looks so serious that it adds to the absurd comedy. His Cable blows my mind with how it captures the over-the-top Rob Liefeld design while undercutting it with the monocle and sense that this is some prissy old dandy underneath it all. Every issue that this series went on, I was surprised that Marvel was still publishing it. I'm just sorry they never got around to using Captain America somehow...

3. Vengeance by Joe Casey, Nick Dragotta, and others.
These lists are always subjective, but this entry strikes me as more subjective than usual. Vengeance, from beginning to end, felt like a comic that Joe Casey wrote for me. He didn't obviously, but it's a comic that's so steeped in his work at Marvel that it feels that way. This is a comic so perfectly aimed at me, filled with allusions and references, starring characters that I haven't read about in years... Beyond that, it's a damn entertaining comic -- epic in scope, wonderful in its humanity, and filled with some of Nick Dragotta's best work of his career. He's quite adept at switching up his style in subtle ways. But, really, this is the comic I've been waiting years to read and it makes it this high on the list because... well, how often do you get something that seems so squarely aimed at you and only you?



2. Butcher Baker, the Righteous Maker by Joe Casey, Mike Huddleston, and others.
I agree that the Eisners didn't need to nominate anything for the "Best New Series in 2011" category -- because they should have just given the award to the goddamn Righteous Maker. If Vengeance was the comic my inner Joe Casey obsessive fan was waiting for, Butcher Baker was the comic that the Automatic Kafka fan inside was waiting for. An all-out look at superheroes that wasn't afraid to shy away from the 'adult' stuff without simply putting it out there for the sake of it. A hero comes out of retirement to kill all of his villains, except some survive and he pisses off a highway patrol man... Mike Huddleston is channeling Ashley Wood to a degree, except you can understand everything he draws. Everything about this screams thematic sequel to Kafka and, yet, it also manages to be its own thing.

1. Scalped by Jason Aaron, RM Guéra, and others.
And Scalped finally makes it to the top of the list after how many years of coming oh so close... Actually, it hit the top this time by a wide margin. When I make my lists, I tend to write down all of the comics I bought that year and begin putting contenders in a separate list. Once I do that, I begin eliminating things that I don't think make the top ten while also putting ones that will for sure make it near the top. There was a lot of movement this year for every spot, except the number one spot. Nothing else I read this year could challenge Scalped for the best comic of the year. Constantly surprising, moving, and just damned impressive... I don't know what to say. It's a book that gets better every year and, as it moves towards its end, it was at its peak in 2011. Maybe it will top itself in the first half of 2012.

Later

EXCLUSIVE! Chad Nevett's Comic Book Mini-Reviews and Star Ratings for the Week of April 4, 2012

Since I'm no longer 'sketching' for the actual things, in the long-standing GraphiContent tradition, I've once again retitled my brief thoughts on comics I've gotten. I think this is the most accurate title yet. And sure to be a hit getter... I expected to have this up earlier today, but the Toronto Blue Jays' opening game against the Cleveland Indians went 16 innings and almost five-and-a-half hours. Which was awesome. Fantastic way to start the season. Especially since they won. Well, let's get to this because there are too many fucking comics here...

Action Comics #8: There are two things I rather liked about this comic: 1. Lex Luthor being Clark Kent's secret source. 2. Superman won ultimately by being smarter, not stronger. I guess I also liked how it poked fun at the fact that he went from public enemy #1 to everyone's favourite son in no time flat. I'm still struggling with my personal conception of Superman and Grant Morrison's conception of Superman not meshing entirely. That and the art that manages to only look attractive maybe one of twenty-three panels. [***1/4]

Age of Apocalypse #2: There's a big problem in this comic: I don't remember who any of the humans are. Nor do I care. Moving past this, this is has some nice sick moments of dark cynicism, some surprisingly strong moments of bright optimism, some good art, and, of course, alternate versions of characters we know. [***1/2]

Animal Man #8: "It's my fault that the red is in my sperm!" Just so you know, old lady, when you wish your daughter never married that guy, you're also wishing that your grandchildren had never been born, and you're pretty much ensuring that they'll kind of hate you as they get older. Sorry... that's... uh... a little too personal a reading of this comic, right? Steve Pugh's art doesn't wow me as much as Travel Foreman's spectacular work on this comic, but it's pretty good. [***1/2]

The Boys #65: This issue had the first genuine "Marshal Law moment" of the series for me. People compare the two a lot, but the tone is actually pretty different. But, when the Black Noir stood on the White House lawn, half dead, naked, his guts spilling out, and chunks of him missing... well, that made me think "This is like something I'd see in a Marshal Law comic." I like what Garth Ennis was going for here -- a bit too exposition heavy. From the end of issue 64, I figured we'd learn that the Black Noir was behind it all somehow. I didn't expect this, though. That was pretty fucked up. As was Butcher's revenge. One more big story left and where do you go from here? [***3/4]

Casanova: Avaritia #3: Christ, now I'm going to have to put up with people going "Let's. Get. Fucked." on Twitter or in blog posts for a while now, aren't I? "It's not the band I hate, it's their fans..." Always the case. Always. That said, I'm not sure this holds together completely. It may have crossed that chaos line that this comic always gets right on top of... Maybe. We'll see in June, won't we? [***3/4]

Daredevil #10.1: It's weird to watch an artist try very hard to fit in with the visual tone of a comic like this and it become apparent almost immediately that he doesn't. The art never comes together how it should, always looking unfinished... The story almost felt the same way. It's funny that Daredevil would show up and mock the bad guys, but why not take them out one by one? Why insist that they all come at him as one? There's a certain logic there... but it seems mostly fucked to me. I'm probably not getting it. That happens sometimes. [***]

Fatale #4: Gorgeous art and writing that's so relaxed, so geared towards chapters of a novel pacing that I'm tempted to set each new issue aside until the whole series is out and THEN read it. [***1/2]

Green Arrow #8: I found the seventh issue charming in the way it bounded ahead, carried by a way of banter and energy... This issue didn't have that so much. Instead of being carried away, I had to fight my way through a bit. I guess we'll use issue nine as the tie-breaker then. [*3/4]

Hell Yeah #2: This issue was an improvement over the first issue in both writing and art, but both areas can still be improved upon. I think my biggest issue with the writing is that this comic seems to (and those two words are key) want to be wild and energetic and crazy... almost like Casanova. But it's paced like something Brian Michael Bendis wrote. And I like Bendis's writing quite a bit. But, chaotic and energetic in a way that mimics what it's like to be young and full of mad, crazy ideas... that's not what he does. And this comic seems to try to do that, but doesn't give us enough and feels slight for it. It's almost like what happened in this issue and the first needed to be the first issue to really get the tone and feeling right. If what they're aiming for is what I think they are. As always, I'm probably wrong. I do like this, just not as much as I'd like to. Or they'd like me to. [***1/4]

OMAC #8: A mirror of sort of the first issue... appropriate and leaves the door open to the future. About as good as we were going to get... I'll miss this book. [***1/2]

Wolverine and the X-Men #8: I'm not entirely sure the time jumping worked, but another fun issue with some heart. And I do like some Chris Bachalo art... [***3/4]

Wolverine and the X-Men: Alpha & Omega #4: I don't like Quentin Quire as much when he grows as a character. There. I said it. [***1/4]

Later

Sketch Reviews (March 29 2012)

Avengers #24.1: Between this and Avengers vs. X-Men #0, we get a little closure on the Vision's resurrection. But, is anything of value said? I'm not sure. There's obviously value in his struggle to figure out what he should do -- and how he should react to what happened to him. It's like he feels like he should be upset or sad or... something. There's almost a sense in the She-Hulk scene of the Vision feeling let down that she immediately apologises and is ready to be attacked, saying she won't fight back. He wants to be angry, to blame someone... and there isn't anyone. He can't find the Scarlet Witch, so he's left... with nothing. Thankfully, Avengers vs. X-Men #0 provides him with the chance to tell off his ex-wife in a story that easily could have begun an event titled "Men vs. Women." This issue, though, is unsatisfying, because it's meant to be. There's no satisfaction to be gained when you come back from the dead, discover that your teammate tore you in two because your ex-wife went nuts and made you both do fucked up shit. All you can do is make strange faces and wander around aimlessly... and maybe actually kill the terrorist... stoopid android. [***1/4]

Daredevil #10: That final page is strange... The rest of the issue is good. The Mole Man actually has an odd paradoxical depth here and Paolo Rivera draws the hell out of this issue. Next month: another crossover! [***3/4]

Deadpool MAX II #6: David Lapham writes and draws this issue and that's a little strange. He previous provided art for the Christmas special and, aside from Shawn Crystal doing a couple of issues, this has been a Kyle Baker joint. As much as I like Lapham's art, it feels wrong to end this way. The tone is different... Maybe the vision is purer, more like what Lapham intended, but that wasn't the comic I was buying. I don't know... [***1/2]

The Mighty Thor #12: And, so it ends, with a completely rushed reveal that, hey, yeah, the bad guys were kind of shit here, weren't they? Yeah, they were. You can see it clearly when the two big fights end within two panels and the good guys not even breaking a sweat. I particularly enjoyed how Iron Man did nothing. Literally nothing. He just sort of stood there and went "Um... maybe we should go inside and wait this out, ladies?" As much as I enjoyed the art of Giuseppe Camuncoli and Klaus Janson (they make for an interesting pair), it's a pretty big shift from the art on this story to date. It's messy and blocky and awesome... though stuck living under the shiny D'Armata colouring that kind of makes me hate the art. Very little about this issue works -- everything that does is undercut somehow. Except for those final two pages. I dug those. I really did. [**1/2]

Moon Knight #11: Someone please tell Alex Maleev to stop using low angle shots where it looks like he's cramming the figures into the panel awkwardly. In fact, much of this issue looked akward. Madame Masque seems to lend herself to weird, stiff-looking movements... [***]

New Avengers #23: We already know how this ends. But, it's nice to see how utterly useless this group of Dark Avengers are. I still don't know who half of those people are, too. And I don't care. [**]

Scalped #57: This issue swings wildly in the other direction from last issue. It was hard to tell exactly what the conflict in these final issues would be. Red Crow v. Dash isn't dead yet, son. [****]

Secret Avengers #24: A gorgeous comic that doesn't quite click for me. I like it. I do. But something is off. The ending of this issue seemed obvious for one thing. For another... I'm not quite sure the plot matters to me. Nor am I necessarily impressed by the conceit of a magical robot city featuring entire species of robots that... wait, why are there so many Visions or Machine Men besides it being 'cool?' Still, enjoyable in its moments. [***]

Spaceman #5: Hmm... [****]

The Ultimates #8: Interesting game being played here. Reed Richards neutralises the Hulk with ease, the People look ready to attack the City, and the United States seem ready to commit suicide... Of course, that last bit won't happen, because of the effects it would have on the other two Ultimate titles. This is an issue of broad movements hidden by nice character scenes. Reed Richards doesn't say it, but there's almost a suggestion that he at least respects the Hulk for his evolutionary responses -- his ability to constantly change and adapt to situations. He fits in with the Children in a way... And Esad Ribic and Dean White continue to be one of my favourite art teams. [****]

The Unwritten #35.5: I guess this issue provides a hint at the future of the title. It spans the course of the series (more than the course of the series, actually) and introduces Pullman's replacement possibly. Good stuff. [***1/2]

Later

Sketch Reviews (March 21 2012)

Smaller week, so I picked up a couple of recent issues based on some good buzz from some people...

Age of Apocalypse #1: It was pointed out to me that I might dig this and it was alright. The rough-around-the-edges elements worked quite well -- and the art matched the writing's tone. Based on feeling alone, this comic had me. Based on plot... well, I couldn't care less. There doesn't seem to be much of one besides a bunch of sad, deluded people thinking they can make a difference. I automatically want to root against them for some reason... I think I'll check out the next issue or two, though... [***1/4]

Batman #7: If ever there were a series that pulled me in two directions at once... I'm not, in general, a fan of plots that hinge on unknown threats from a character's past or that have always been there but not mentioned. This is no exception. The Court of Owls does nothing to engage me. They exist for no reason that we can see... besides something supposedly big and scary that can 'reveal the truth about Gotham' to Batman (whatever the fuck that means). Except by having them appear out of nowhere, apparently always there, is a cheap way to build them up without having to do the work. I had the same issue with Fear Itself. Except... all they've managed to do is be idiots in dumb masks that seem obsessed with... something? Dick's reaction to the new that his great-grandfather was a Talon ("Who cares?" basically) is mine most of the time. There's almost a sense where I keep waiting for Bruce to just sort of shrug and laugh about the idiots hiding and pretending like they're big and scary while the world goes on without them... But, ignoring all of that, this is an entertaining comic at times. Decent little scenes or moments. This issue not as much, but the issues leading here. In many ways, it's a better comic once you stop paying attention and ignore the specific details, just taking in the atmosphere and broad strokes. Because it's got good atmosphere. [***]

Batman: Odyssey vol. 2 #6: Jesus... what is this comic even about? It's like Neal Adams doesn't even know and is just throwing out whatever he wants... Clark asking about stuff that Bruce skipped over seems less a character moment than Adams smacking his head and going "I can't believe I forgot..." Weird cuts rule this issue. Though, I do like how Alfred seems to side with Ra's al Ghul. That's amusing. My main question: why does Clark have a band-aid on? [***]

Green Arrow #7: This comic has great forward momentum. Every scene just hums along, driving forward, very energetic. Another comic where the plot doesn't matter to me at all, because simply going along for the ride was pretty fun. [***3/4]

Prophet #23: Last issue seemed almost relaxed compared to this. Not quite a 'chase' comic, it comes close. John Prophet just scrambling and driving himself forward no matter the cost or the danger... and then he accomplishes his mission... and none of it feels like a victory. Remarkable. [****]

Uncanny X-Men #9: Along with Avengers: X-Sanction #4 (which I'll hopefully discuss tomorrow in the start of something), the tease for Avengers vs. X-Men pick up before next week's zero issue. Whereas X-Sanction introduces a point of conflict, this is like the last hurrah of everyone being cool and having fun in a good ol' fashioned superhero team-up. I'm glad that Kieron Gillen did this -- and in a way that called back to SWORD logically. Though, minor quibble... those aren't exactly the Avengers. Or are the two teams basically one big team? [***1/2]

Wonder Woman #7: A case of expanding upon the backstory of characters in a manner that feels organic and not necessarily the crux of the story, but a means for the real story to occur. Or maybe I just think Azzarello does it so well that I don't care? It's not a hard and fast rule, it's a preference. I don't like vampires or zombies usually, but that doesn't mean I'm not up for some top notch stuff involving either. Also, I'm a hypocrite. [****]

Later

Sketch Reviews (February 22 2012)

I placed an order with Mile High Comics last week to complete my Starlin Dreadstar collection (when I did a reread in late 2010, I reread my dad's copies) and pick up a couple of things thanks to an awesome discount code and free stuff. They have a habit of saying "Hey, we got a bunch of X, so, if you order $20 or more, you can have it for free!" This time, it was the Jack Kirby Captain America: The Swine trade. So, with that on the way, I looked for the other two Kirby Captain America trades at my shop. They didn't have them. They did have two copies of The Swine. Of course.

Captain America & Bucky #627: Man, I don't care. I went from really, really enjoying this comic, what, two issues ago and, now, I plod my way through and wonder why I bother. It's just some story about some robot that thinks he's better than Captain America, but will soon find out that, no, he is fucking not. Did he not observe the fear and respect the Vision showed Cap in recent issues of Avengers? He knows the score. Even Francavilla's art doesn't do much for me here -- or, at least, it doesn't make me happy to drop some money on this. When he's going to do Daredevil or something? [**]

Deadpool MAX II #5: I spent the first half of this comic confused, because I didn't remember Deadpool getting captured last issue. I didn't particularly care either. This is not a comic where I focus too much on remembering plot details. Save that sort of thinking for the reread, son. Instead, I focus on how Inez is such a good copycat that her body becomes that of an old woman... and Kyle Baker draws a naked old lady who's really a naked young, hot lady. Or how this is my favourite Cable. One more issue left. And the plan is insane. [****1/4]

The Mighty Thor #11: Is it just me or is this evil plan pretty bad? It didn't take long for everyone to figure it out... I also love how ads for issue twelve promote it as the final battle between Thor and Tanarus despite there being no other battles. Sure, Thor has kicked the crap out of Ulik, but this is different! ...I think? Ah, probably not... [***1/2]

RASL #13: I love the two panels where Robert tells the doctor he doesn't know that he doesn't know him and to sit down... and then the doctor sits down. I don't know why, I just love them. [****]

Wolverine and the X-Men #6: As I mentioned regarding issue five... I really don't care about the plot. This issue had less 'hanging out' than the last few and, therefore, I cared less. Kid Gladiator amuses me, though. Quentin Quire... not so much. [***1/4]

Later

Sketch Reviews (January 19 2012)

Man, did Haunt #21 actually come out this week? Because my shop didn't get it. Another shortage perhaps? Ah well, I should get it in the next two weeks. But, let's discuss the comics I did get (and am not reviewing for CBR)...

Batman Odyssey #4: Either I'm not following along carefully enough or, sometimes, Neal Adams just makes leaps in storytelling logic that you just have to roll with. Batman suddenly ranting at the scientists was funny -- and he blew up Robin! In some places, Adams's crazy lack of logic works and, in others, it's just baffling. Thankfully, the former beats out the latter. Only three more issues left. [***]

Deadpool MAX II #4: Agent X (the X-Man!) is such a delightful twisting on the concept in some mirror version of Deadpool. The end of the issue was hilarious. Kyle Baker was missed last issue and returns with gusto. Only two more issues left. [****]

Moon Knight #9: I love how the only logical explanation for Buck as to why Moon Knight would want Captain America's shield, Spider-Man's webshooters, and Wolverine's claws is that those are the voices in his head. Now, that's the truth -- but who the fuck WOULDN'T have their support guy build those for him? Those seem like excellent crimefighting tools to have. Why aren't the Avengers arming all of their members with electronic Cap shields for times where a shield like that would be useful? I kind of want to see Moon Knight begin to hear Thor's voice so he demands a hammer, too. I'm really liking this series. An issue-long fight where you genuinely feel like the hero is in danger is a rare thing. The 1-2-3 narration shift was too cute for me -- why bring out the weapons one at a time like that? Seems like a pretty dumb strategy... Can't wait to see what happens next. [***3/4]

Prophet #21: Good issue. That it's different and confident in its storytelling seems to make people think that it's the greatest thing since forever (if I can be condescending and presumptive). I liked it. I liked the confidence and the sense that this was going somewhere right away. I liked the narration and the art. I like that John Prophet is a bit of a blank slate -- almost like a machine. The different alien stuff was quite good, too. Nothing that pushed this into 'great' territory for me... but, fuck, how many first issues do that? [***3/4]

Wonder Woman #5: Surprising design for Hades. Tony Akins does a good job of not changing the visual tone of the book radically. The picture of what's happening seems more complete -- and, if I read the end of the issue right, Diana is showing some sly intelligence. [***1/2]

Later

Sketch Reviews (December 8 2011)

Looks like I could finish Trailer Park Boys tomorrow. Just have the last three episodes of season seven, the final TV special, and the second movie to go. Pushing on, boys. Pushing on. So, the comics I bought and am not reviewing for CBR:

Animal Man #4: Travel Foreman's refinement continues and is damn impressive. Jeff Lemire's writing is at its best in this issue when he's setting up mood... the plot stuff just seems to get in the way. [***3/4]

The Boys #61: Goddamn, Hughie is getting annoying. The comic recognises this, but still. The Mother's Milk stuff seems a little distracting at this point in the book's run. Everything else seems pointed towards the finish line except for that. Russ Braun... I almost dread Darick Robertson's eventual return (probably for the final arc) because his work has been great. They really lucked out with him coming aboard. [***1/2]

Deadpool MAX-Mas #1: Finally, David Lapham draws some Deadpool and Bob! A strange sort of mash-up of A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life where Bob is given every reason not to live. The perfect Christmas present. If this doesn't fill you with holiday job, only Cable can... [****]

The Defenders #1: An enjoyable first issue. A bit busy and superficial in places, but definitely one of the more promising things I've seen from Fraction at Marvel since Iron Fist. Consider me aboard for the first few issues at least. [***1/2]

Men of War #4: Real world power is powerless in fictional world... also, when Ivan Brandon leaves, I do, too. [***]

OMAC #4: My favourite issue so far. They managed to touch on Kevin's personal life and still provide some great action. At this rate, Max Lord will run out of people to send after OMAC... [****]

Stormwatch #4: Another book I'll probably drop when Paul Cornell departs (though, unlike Men of War, I'll possibly pick up issue seven to see if there's a big change). Probably the most cohesive issue so far with a stronger focus than the first three. Stormwatch itself is still so scattershot as a group that I don't have a handle on them. The end of the issue is promising... [***]

Later

Sketch Reviews (November 16 2011)

Keeping things extra sketchy this week...

Avengers #19: Interesting new line-up. Even though he created her, Daisy Johnson doesn't 'feel' like a Bendis character anymore, does she? I chuckled at the Vision taken aback by Red Hulk. Or, Spider-Man and Wolverine realising that they're not on this team anymore. Daniel Acuna does some fine work. I kind of wish this issue and issue 18 switched covers, though. That final panel is a killer -- totally unfair. [***3/4]

The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #5: A strong follow-up to last issue. Ennis wasn't lying when he said this would be a great series. And Darick Robertson handles the emotion fantastically. [****]

Captain America #4: As always, when a weird different reality is introduced, I immediately lose all interest in the REAL world. I could read many comics about Captain America's different 'dream worlds' that reflect his best hopes and his worst nightmares. Digging Steve McNiven's art... [***1/2]

Deadpool MAX II #2: When this series ends, we can have Cable MAX, yes? Fun game: when the preview for Avengers: X-Sanction starts, pretend it's part of this comic! [****1/2]

Severed #4: Gorgeous art and wonderful interplay of characters. The scene in the diner was just horrible -- in that good way, you know? [****]

Wonder Woman #3: I really enjoyed this issue. I don't have much to say beyond that. [****]

Later

Sketch Reviews (November 10 2011)

"Autumn's Here" by Hawksley Workman is the song of the moment. Just like it is every year around now. I miss baseball.


Batwoman #3: Gorgeous. The writing is getting better, too. A little more suggestive than before. But, damn, that art... [****1/4]

Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE #3: The action bits were good, but this felt like stalling for time somehow -- maybe too much exposition. 'Part three' syndrome strikes again! [***1/4]

Journey into Mystery #631: Rather good writing. I like the way Loki fits into this new Asgard. And, probably the best art Whilce Portacio has done for this comic in his short time aboard it. Still not good in a lot of spots, but much more consistent throughout and didn't entirely ruin the issue. [***]

New Avengers #18: Just fucking get on with it. Norman Osborn gathers his new Dark Avengers and I couldn't give a fuck. Why? BECAUSE IT MEANS NOTHING. We don't need to see any of this. It's something about Bendis's writing that I've grown to hate: his inability to just get on with the story without showing every minute detail that went into the story happening. Just have the new Dark Avengers show up and assume they're on the team because Osborn recruited them -- how else would they get there? This wasn't interesting or insightful or anything. It was a complete waste of 18 pages before those final two pages, which were the only needed pages. Everything that came before was filler. Also: Barney Barton? What the fuck? (Wow, having looked the character up, he's real... and sounds pretty awful. At least Max Cash was interesting...) [*]

Point One #1: Oh, Marvel... Marvel, Marvel, Marvel... I've been fairly on board with what you've been pushing since Civil War. That event may have been godfuckingawful, but it was interesting and got me into a lot of your stuff and I've been a keen reader for years. That seems to be changing. 2011 was not kind. Fear Itself was just as godfuckingawful as Civil War except it lacked the interesting ideas and hook. (No, really, what was it about?) And, now, we have Point One (a horrible title named after a horrible initiative that you keep claiming is a success even though no one else can figure out the criteria for what makes it a success in any way, shape, or form), a preview comic, basically, that sets the stage for 2012. If this is any indication, 2012 will be even worse than 2011. Granted, most of what we see here either doesn't apply to the next big event or is something we've known is coming for a while. The Ultron stuff at the end was unnecessary since we've known that there's a big Ultron story coming since the first Avengers arc... and, then, since that 'point one' issue of Avengers... and this 'tease' added absolutely nothing. No context, little content -- what was the point? Showing off how effects can deliver two entire pages of 'shaky cam' art that looks like shit as a result? Great idea! Get Bryan Hitch to draw seven pages for you and, then, make two of them look like they were printed incorrectly. So, that's seven pages wasted. I don't really care about the Scarlet Spider, so those pages were just lost on me. That they were overwritten with horrendous narration didn't help. The Nova/Terrax/Phoenix bit felt like it was meant to have a purpose and didn't accomplish anything that the 'It's Coming' teaser didn't already... except show that there's a new Nova and he responds to the death of an entire planet with the phrase 'epic fail.' Better get used to hearing that phrase, Marvel. Fuck, better make it the catchphrase of 2012 if this comic is any indication. Okay, there were some things I liked. The mutant stuff looked great, but I couldn't care less about the story. The Doctor Strange thing has lessened my burgeoning enthusiasm for The Defenders following Fraction's Comics Alliance interview. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't good either. Is there something about working in the Marvel Style that makes writers suddenly cover pages with narration? It's like a fucking Stan Lee disease or something... I kind of dug the fire and ice twins story until they broke out. It went from intriguing and a little mysterious to pretty fucking goofy with the turn of a page... and I paid six bucks for this. Fuck me. [*]

Punishermax #19: You know, Frank Castle has a pretty awesome head of hair for a man his age and the amount of stress he lives with. Decent issue that only really got going near the end. The stuff with the Kingpin being isolated and perceived as weak was smart. [***1/2]

The Unwritten #31: The active nature of the story really worked up until the end when Lizzie is all "But Tom's only been doing magic for, like, a day! What if something goes wrong?" and then something goes wrong. Still, this is promising. [***1/2]

Later

CBR Review: Deadpool MAX II #1

I recently reviewed Deadpool MAX II #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "It’s been too long a time since Deadpool MAX #12 shipped, ending the book’s first volume. After an arduous wait, finally, lovers of violence and monkeys can rejoice, kick back, grab a beer, and read the first issue of Deadpool MAX II! Okay, it’s only been three weeks since Deadpool MAX #12 came out, but, for fans of this comic, that’s two weeks and six days too long. Deadpool and Bob are back to take down Hydra and clear Bob’s name after he was framed for an act of terrorism that killed most of Cincinnati. Their first stop? A chapel with a monkey. Welcome back, boys."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Deadpool MAX #12

I recently reviewed Deadpool MAX #12 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "The first ‘season’ of Deadpool MAX draws to a close by killing a large chunk of Cincinnati and cementing the bond between Hydra Bob and Deadpool that’s been building over the course of the title’s first year. Between all of the violence, the horrible childhoods, the gratuitous sex, the damaged psyches, and more mockery of regular Marvel heroes than you’d expect, Deadpool MAX has been telling a simple story of the growing friendship between Bob and Deadpool. Putting behind them the lies, the betrayals, the manipulations, and the almost-killings, the two finally become the best buddy duo they were always meant to be. It’s a shame all it takes is a giant plot to melt people and pin it on Bob for that to happen."

You can read the rest HERE!

Sketch Reviews (September 8 2011)

Big week. One of the biggest in recent memory with all of the various #1s coming out. It helps that, for the first proper week of DC's relaunch, half of the comics I'm buying from said relaunch came out. Gives it that bigger feel than it might have had if things skewed towards the third or fourth week of the month. Random chance, I suppose. Let's get to it...

Action Comics #1: An entertaining comic. Pretty basic, actually (and, by that, I mean simple/straight forward). Still not the biggest Rags Morales fan, but some pages were really nice (others not so much). Definitely an interpretation of Superman that suits me just fine. I'm glad this is one of the first week books and second Brian Hibbs in thinking this would have been the right book to kick off the relaunch. [****]

Animal Man #1: The art is a bit hit or miss at times; the writing is spot-on. Normally, I don't really like dream sequences. Something about them seems cheap and lazy. I liked this one; it added to the horror of the book. That Lemire shifts so effortlessly between domestic bickering, slightly comedic superhero bullshit, gravely serious, loving, and horror is pretty amazing. This issue cycles through a lot of different tones without any ever feeling 'wrong' or inconsistent. This was a comic I decided to pick up more as a hunch, a guess that it would suit my tastes, and, so far, it does. [****]

Casanova: Avaritia #1: It has returned. Is it everything I hoped for? No. Is it a disappointment? No. It falls somewhere between all of that. It's been a long time since the end of the second volume (the exact time is in the issue) and it's hard to see this book completely clearly. It feels like Casanova and looks like Casanova... but, it's not the Casanova I remember. Then again, I'm not the guy who read it originally. Hard to account for how both of us changed since then. I liked a lot of it. But: the montage of alternate realities is a better idea than it plays out; that bit at the end with 'Ott' was a little too corny; and... actually, that's it. Yeah. Yeah, I liked it. [***1/2]

New Avengers annual #1: Okay, that ending is bullshit. The follow-up hasn't even been solicited, so why release this now? So it can sit in people's boxes until the second half of the story eventually comes out whenever? This was nothing pressing about this comic that it couldn't have waited for the Avengers annual to be ready. Beyond that, it left me a little cold. I just didn't believe it. Wonder Man gets together a group of losers and rejects and they take down Luke Cage's band of Avengers? Maybe if they seemed helped more by the surprise element... It was a fair fight and, somehow, those idiots won? I don't buy it. Hell, I don't even buy Wonder Man's rationale completely. Seeing Dell'otto's art coloured by someone else is interesting, though. [**1/2]

O.M.A.C. #1: Tim talking this up made me give it a look. I like Giffen's art, just not enough to get past this script that was so fucking obvious and didn't really have any meat on it. [**]

Swamp Thing #1: Was a little on the fence over this one, too. It's an interesting set up that didn't quite grab me completely. Part of the problem is the obvious horror feel this book is going for and that doesn't really play to Paquette's strengths as an artist. His line work is too clean and smooth to really convey the horror that's happening. There's a disconnect there, at least for me. Otherwise, the art is gorgeous (just not horrific) If anything, this issue felt only partially done. It ends on a good cliffhanger, but left me wanting more. Not in the 'I want to see what happens next month' way, in the 'Is that all?' way. [***]

Wolverine: Debt of Death #1: Goddamn, David Aja puts on a show here with Bettie Breitweiser (who is quickly becoming one of my favourite colourists). David Lapham's writing services the art more than anything and that's pretty much what you want from an Aja-drawn one shot, right? Lots of action, lots of mood, lots of crazy page layouts... it's a great-looking comic. [***3/4]

Later

Sketch Reviews (September 1 2011)

I don't know why, but it's very busy outside in the city of Windsor today. Lots of cars on the road, lots of people on the sidewalks, lots of people on the bus, even lots of people in my comic shop (okay, like, five other people -- but, considering I'm often the only one in there when I show up on Thursday, that's a lot of people). It's also incredibly hot and humid. Now, I am inside with the AC on, my slushy mug mostly full, David Bowie on the stero, and this week's comics read. Now, to discuss them...

Butcher Baker, the Righteous Maker #6: Liked the way the flashback scene was presented and Huddleston's depiction of the generals was great. The amount of style changes he uses in a single issue... Wait, what religion is Jihad Jones? [****]

Deadpool MAX #11: Goddamn, that's fucked up. I love Kyle Baker even if he isn't trying. [***3/4]

The Mighty Thor #5: Aside from that ending that is funny for all the wrong reasons, another entertaining issue. Odin headbutting Galactus is awesome in that way that even I can appreciate it -- and it looked damn cool. [***1/2]

Secret Avengers #16: A cross between Global Frequency and Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E.. I rather like how this issue ended and the way that Steve dealt with it. Thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable. McKelvie handled the action quite well, choosing some fantastic angles (like when Steve shoots his gun at us). Lovely done-in-one that also manages to fit into the larger narrative of the book so far. Pretty much what I was hoping for. [****]

Later