So the summer of the trade off begins! Phil and I will be switching off on these reviews every week, so that means I need some kind of new title. If you have any good ideas, send them in, but for now I’m sticking with “Phil-in” even though it’s completely not applicable anymore!
Darkstar and the Winter Guard #1 (of 3) Writer: David Gallaher Artist: Steve Ellis
The latest in a long line of “wait… Marvel is publishing what?” style comics brings us the Russian team you’ve all been waiting for! But really, why does this exist? The Agents of Atlas show up (because that will boost sales…), there’s a giant fighting bear which is kinda cool, and some teen angst from the title character. Don’t get me started on the back up with the amateur Rob Liefeld art either. The problem that lasts through the entire thing is the huge question of WHY? This reviewer has no idea, so if anyone does feel free to let me know.
Superman/Batman Annual #4 Writer: Paul Levitz Artist: Renato Guedes
This is a perfectly solid re-introduction of Batman Beyond into the DC comics universe. Levitz writes a very solid story and Guedes draws as strongly as he always does. This is a very good comic for people who have missed the character for several years. So why is it on my put back list? Cause I never really cared about Batman Beyond that much. But you might! So check this out if you do.
Adventure Comics #12 Writer: Paul Levitz Artist: Kevin Sharpe
Well, I’m about to completely repeat myself here. This is Paul Levitz’s second part of his grand return to the Legion (following Legion of Superheroes #1 from a couple weeks back) and again it is a very strongly written and strongly drawn piece. It’s even something that would work pretty well for kids too, seeing that there is literally no excessive violence or blood splatter in this comic. So why is it on my put back list? Cause I never really cared about the Legion that much. But you might! So check this out if you do. (Whoa… déjà vu…)
Hawkeye and Mockingbird #1 Writer: Jim McCann Artist: David Lopez
Tom Breevort wins the no-prize when he said on his Twitter, “Guaranteed to have 100% less heroin use and impotence than the average comic starring an archer.” However, that doesn’t mean it is any good. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not nearly as bad as Rise of Arsenal, but it is just a whole lot of nothing. Mockingbird has been insecure about her status since coming back for about a year, and her character hasn’t really advanced anywhere. Very much a big time “Meh” for this issue.
JSA All-Stars # 7 Writer: Matthew Sturges Artist: Freddie Williams II
I absolutely hate funeral issues. Comics with funerals are one of the dumbest and most irrelevant ideas in all of comics. With the natural resurrections that occur, all the “character development” that grows from a funeral becomes completely irrelevant. So this issue with the “funeral of Damage” is just as dumb as all the rest of them. We have that Judomaster chick that is supposed to have “emotion-free” being part of her shtick suddenly crying at a funeral and “growing” as a character. Pointless and stupid. When Damage comes back or is completely forgotten this issue will look even worse.
Jokers Asylum II: The Riddler Writer: Peter Calloway Artist: Andres Guinaldo
Back by popular demand! The sequel to a series of OK ones-shots from last year starts this week. Just like the last batch this is a fairly coherent story with nothing especially bad about it. The ending decided to try to hard to be confusing and cryptic and it killed all momentum. Good enough for a generic Riddler story, but nothing too special.
Red Hood #1 (of 6) Writer: Judd Winick Artist: Pablo Raimondi
So ya know how some things are just bad, and you don’t even want them explained to you? Well here’s all about how that “superboy punch” thing from a couple years back affected Jason Todd, and how he got to where he is now. This is just as mediocre as I was expecting, mixing Lazarus Pits with amnesia and leading to nothing special. Six issues of this, really?
“The” Dan Jacka
