Weekly Comic Reviews

Greetings everyone on this rather cool summer night. Here I have just two reviews. (Also, be sure to check out my review Before Watchmen: Rorschach #1 here.) Now we have the Lizard going super, and Cyclops taking out Thor, Thing, and Hawkeye in one blast.

Amazing Spider-Man #691

Official Description

• “No Turning Back” comes to an epic conclusion as only one man on Earth has a chance of helping Spider-Man stop the Lizard. And his name is Curt Connors. • Plus a shocking development that will set things in motion... for AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #700! • Be sure to pick this issue up fast, because you can bet it’s going to be VERY important later. You’ve been warned!

Review

Now that's what the Lizard should have looked like in the film. The movie went the non-reptilian route, this issue features the Lizard's 'final form' which looks like a more threatening version of the film's. Never Turning Back has been a pretty great arc. Like with Doc Ock's 'final story' in Ends of the Earth, this is Lizard's big final (for now) story. The reptile villain stole the show, this is by far the greatest incarnation of the character. It's great to see him without Connors getting in the way, we get to see the true Lizard. The actual battle between him and Spidey could have been better, haven't seen a really good one-on-one Spidey fight in awhile. The writing is strong, and the ending with the Lizard was pretty surprising and makes you think of what will happen with him in the future. Madame Web is as annoying as ever, saying pretty much the same things she always says about the dire future. Art is good, it makes the Lizard's final form look all the more deranged. The cover is generic, (how many times have you seen something with a creature's eye like that?) but looks pretty good anyway. And is it me, or is the Hobgoblin acting exactly like Jack O'Lantern from Venom?

Overall it's a fine conclusion to the story. With a very interesting ending, I look forward to seeing how things play out in the coming issues.

9/10

Avengers vs. X-Men #10

Official Description

• Time is running out as the Avengers are cornered in their last stronghold! • But the stakes change when Hope and the Scarlet Witch join forces! Why?! How?!

Review

The big Marvel event of the year is coming to a close in the next two issues, which means big things has to happen between this issue and those. In the previous one we were introduced to an even more powerful Cyclops. Seriously, they don't downplay the power he has. In my favorite scene where Thor, Hawkeye, and Thing confronted him, he shot a single blast from his visor, defeating the three and then saying "How's that for clobbering time?" Iron Man also gets some good page time and lines. Cap, Spidey, and Wolverine surprisingly don't do much. This issue was good at showing hope, then destroying it, that happened twice. (Remember how the Scarlet Which was the Avengers' ace? Not anymore.) Hope is finally developing into an actual 'character' and not just a plot device. The scene with Emma Frost acting like a dictator and her short conversation with Magneto was great. The art fits the overall energetic tone well. Cover is okay, nothing great, but not bad.

Overall it's another great installment, looking forward to the showdown next issue.

9/10

Weekly Comic Reviews

Greetings all, glad to see you're back to check out this week's reviews. I hope you've been checking out Unleash the Fanboy, you'll find my reviews of some Image, Dynamite, and IDW comics there. Now, for Spidey taking a stand, two Mr. Toxics, and a giant squid.

Avengers vs. X-Men #9

Official Description

• Their numbers dwindling, the Avengers stage a daring raid on the X-Men’s prison to rescue their captive members—and you won’t believe where it is! • Alliances begin to change as the nature of the Phoenix becomes apparent! • And in the end, it all comes down to Spider-Man!

Review

There are just three more issues left of this event, then the Marvel NOW initiative can commence. Avengers vs. X-Men is one of the longer Marvel events, tied with Secret Wars. For the most part it's been good with little to no average issues. The latest issue sees Spidey taking more of a central role. I for one am happy to see that, he hasn't done much of anything in the whole event, he's just been there in the background. Jason Aaron's writing is top of the line, I haven't found myself laughing out loud from Spidey's lines like this in awhile. The Phoenix Five are getting corrupted, and the way that unfolds is really suspenseful. By the end, you're left wanting to find out what happens next right away. There are really no complaints about the art, it's very good, I especially like the cover.

Overall it's by far the best comic yet in this event. This issue reminded me of why I'm a Spider-Man fan, I'm proud to give it a perfect score.

10/10

Detective Comics #12

Official Description

• What is the final fate of Charlotte Rivers and Hugh Marder? • Guest-starring ROBIN. • The TWO-FACE backup story continues!

Review

This little arc has been pretty fun. After some mediocre issues, this arc was welcome. While Detective Comics hasn't been astonishing, right now it's not a bad story with Batman. This issue plays out like the final part in an episode of The Animated Series. Mr. Toxic has surprisingly been an above-decent antagonist, I hope to see him more in the future. (In fact, I found myself enjoying him over Doll Maker.) The writing isn't anything fantastic, but it's good, Batman isn't acting out of character this time. Though actually the best part was the backup story featuring the Joker's face. It was greatly written and has me excited for when he comes back in Batman. The art is one of the book's strongest aspects, it's fantastic. There are some really great splash pages in there. Cover is pretty good. (Note, despite the description, Robin doesn't appear.)

Overall it's a pretty solid conclusion of the arc with a great backup story.

8/10

G.I. Combat #4

Official Description

The conclusion of “THE WAR THAT TIME FORGOT” and “UNKNOWN SOLDIER” epics! G.I. COMBAT continues next month

Review

Generic. That's what describes the latest installment in the G.I. Combat series. I had originally started picking it up because the concept of soldiers vs. dinosaurs sounded awesome. The War that Time Forgot offers nothing new and just ends up being a SyFy original movie with a slightly better budget. The writing is bland and just isn't that great. There are some pretty cool scenes with the dinosaurs of course. (A highlight is the splash page with a giant squid.) In the end, The War that Time Forgot was a disappointment. Saving this comic from getting a below average score is the Unknown Soldier segment. It's a contrast from The War that Time Forgot, the writing is very good. I like how they use real time instead of a fictional world where real life current events don't happen. The art for both stories is pretty good, the dinos look fantastic. The cover is pretty nice, showcasing a Triceratops.

Overall it's a pretty forgettable issue. Nothing against the series, but after this issue I'm dropping it cause it just isn't worth the money and there are much better series out there.

6/10

Weekly Comic Reviews

Hello all, I'm a little late with these reviews, huh? I would have gotten them up earlier, but it was the third Thursday of the month, so I was at a youth group event called BEYOND. Well, chances are you're watching The Dark Knight Rises right now, so enjoy it! This week we have Namor attacking Wakanda, four-legged carnivores versus two soldiers, and Wonder Woman losing her cool with one of the League members.

Avengers vs. X-Men #8

Official description

• Last stand in Wakanda as an out-of-control Namor invades this sovereign nation in pursuit of the Avengers! • And a shocking truth stands revealed that may cause fractures in the X-Men’s alliance!

Review

Now this is what I'm talking about. This issue had it all, great action, good story, very good writing, and fantastic art to top it off. The heroes, (the Avengers) are technically on the losing defensive side, yet at the same time there's a slight hope for them without making it too cheesy. There's some really great splash pages here, such as the opening scene with Namor destroying Wakanda and the Avengers all about to gang up on him. This is how you do action scenes in world-scale event, every blow is felt. It's brutal, (especially what Namor does to Red Hulk) and one of the best fights in this event yet. It's easy to forget that Bendis, one of my least favorite writers currently, is the one that did this issue, the writing is top notch. From Captain America to Namor, the writing is the issue's strongest aspect, great drama here. Spider-Man's lines range from cringe-worthy to admittedly humorous, so that's mixed. Adam Kubert takes on art duties, and it's some fantastic work. For once Spider-Man is drawn as he should be, reminds me of him from the late 90's.

Overall it's by far one of the best issues yet in this event. With a very interesting plot development at the end, it'll be hard to wait the two weeks to see what happens next.

9/10

G.I. Combat #3

Official Description

• It’s modern warfare versus prehistoric horror in “The War That Time Forgot”! • The Unknown Soldier and his newfound super powers head to Pakistan in search of chemical weapons…and retribution!

Review

Take away dinosaurs, what does G.I. Combat have? Really, if there's no dinosaurs, all it has is the second story, Unknown Soldier. This series I've been buying really for The War that Time Forgot, which has been pretty fun. The writing could be better, and it slightly improves in this issue. It's by no means great, just generic stuff, but nothing too generic seen in the previous issue. This one definitely had a pretty big excitement and heart-adrenaline factor. As the four legged carnivores emerged, you could feel and almost hear their panic as if this were a film. The action featuring the dinos was pretty intense and satisfying, only thing is that it's too short. This should be the main thing, not half and half with the other story. I was extremely disappointed at how fast this part of The War that Time Forgot ended. Unknown Soldier continues to be an interesting ride. It would probably work better as its own separate series though. The art is glossy for The War that Time Forgot, the dinos look great. The art in Unknown Soldier is more gritty, as it should be.

Overall The War that Time Forgot is like a SyFy original movie, only with an actual budget and script. It's fun, noting great, but fun. Unknown Soldier continues to be an interesting story.

7/10

Justice League #11

Official Description

• “The Villain’s Journey” part three! • Batman , Cyborg and Aquaman battle Element Woman! • Continuing the origin of SHAZAM!

Review

Eleven issues in, and here we are with some of the League members fighting each other. You would think with the five year gap stuff like this wouldn't happen. The two best things about this issue is Graves and Jim Lee's amazing art. Graves has been established pretty well in this arc, a much better villain that what Darkseid was. The scene with him and Steve's sister was pretty intense and greatly written. The writing in this issue is pretty good for the most part. However, it has some of the same problems. Civilians sound really dumb, and I mean really, really dumb. And there's something off about Wonder Woman, her lines sound rather cardboard and forced. And then Steve's sister saying she's going to "haunt Wonder Woman for the rest of her life?" I mean really? I found that pretty funny, not haunting. It just sounded so strange. If you're going to buy a comic solely for the art, this would be the one to get. I almost chuckled a bit at the awesome splash page with Wonder Woman, cause you saw it coming. The Shazam backup story (this is how a backup story should be, long enough but short so it doesn't get in the way of the main story ) heats up with Black Adam taking center stage, intense stuff there. Billy is still annoying, and his adoptive brother has a very creepy smile.

Overall it's a pretty good issue with a great villain, minor writing annoyances aside. The Shazam backup continues to be solid way to introduce Captain Marv-I mean Shazzam to The New 52.

8/10

Weekly Comic Reviews

Hey all, I have three comic reviews for you this time around. Before I begin, I think I'll take some of this space to talk about something pretty interesting. Thanks to my, I quote, 'stunning work and dedication' of my work over at Unleash the Fanboy, I'm getting a free trade paperback of my choice! I ended up choosing the original Secret Wars story. (I was deciding between that and Marvel Zombies.) Hard work and dedication pays off. So yeah, now that I bored you long enough, onto the reviews. Here we have the Lizard taking over, Namor attacking, and Batman getting pummeled...

Amazing Spider-Man #689

Official Description

• Spider-Man, Peter Parker, Curt Connors, and the Lizard. The stars of this summer’s big blockbuster movie are right here! • Morbius the Living Vampire is on the loose and no one at Horizon Labs is safe—including a recently cured Curt Connors. • But if Curt Connors is cured, who or what is that new Lizard creature? It’s definitely someone Spider-Man knows…

Review

Never Turning Back is shaping up to be the best Lizard story of all time, and the best Spidey story in awhile. It feels like something from the late 80's, and that's a good thing. This version of Lizard is by far the best we've seen, Slott's writing for him is savage yet incredibly smart. However, other than the whole Lizard thing, Morbius takes a central role here. My favoriote part of the issue is when after he bit into Sajani's neck, Spidey was on the scene and attacked. The writing is stronger than ever, in fact, it's the strongest aspect. I just want to say the plot point of having Connors' mind out of commission in place of the Lizard's is such a unique and awesome thing. I'll be disappointed if this arc ends with the generic amd cheesy 'Conners mind eventually takes over and wins.' The art is very good, I wouldn't mind seeing it for the rest of the Spidey issues.


Overall it's another great issue. Never Turning Back looks to be a classic, this issue shouldn't be missed.

9/10

Avengers vs. X-Men #7

Official Description

• Cyclops changes the game with these three words: “No More Avengers!”

Review

With Marvel NOW being announced, everyone's wondering how exactly the ending of Avengers vs. X-Men leads into it. While technically not much happened in this issue, it was still very good. For once Cyclops doesn't come off as rather insane, his reasoning and logic makes sense. The tension between him and Namor was pretty intense, these Phoenix Five are getting pretty shady with each other, it makes the story a whole lot more interesting. Scarlet Witch is turning out to be one of the best characters in this event, it's interesting how she is really the only one that's able to keep the X-Men at bay. It makes for a great story when the heroes are on the losing side. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this all ends. And...someone dies! Or...not. Oliver Coipel's art works better for this event than John Romita Jr.'s.

Overall not much is progressed, but still another fantastic issue in this event.

9/10

Detective Comics #11

Official Description

• The connection between HYPNOTIC and the attacks on Wayne Enterprises is revealed! • Plus, the latest chapter in the TWO-FACE backup story. 

Review

The previous issue in this series had renewed faith for me, I was on the verge of dropping it. Detective Comics has been a pretty 'loose' series, sometimes it's good, and sometimes it's pretty bad. The next part in this arc thankfully keeps up the good. First off, I just want to say that I'm really enjoying Mr Toxic as the antagonist, I hope he keeps popping up in future issues. My only minor gripe is Batman's portrayal, he's coming off more as a dark Spider-Man than Batman. The way the story progress is interesting, Batman doesn't know what Mr. Toxic is doing, but at the same time the latter's plan isn't exactly going as planned. Interesting plot points there. The art is once again one of the strongest aspects of the book, one of the best covers I've seen in awhile.

Overall it's another great issue, this arc with Mr. Toxic has been the best since the first story with Joker and Dollmaker.

9/10

Weekly Comic Reviews

Hey all, welcome back. There was no Weekly Comic Reviews last week, the only comic I had picked up was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #10. Ah, such nostalgia. The issue reminded me of the days I would get up on Saturday mornings to check out Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the FoxBox. (Then they changed that title to 4Kids, lame.) I highly recommend TMNT from IDW. (Who's also doing Godzilla no less!) Anyways, here we have Avengers vs. X-Men #5, Detective Comics #10, and G.I.Combat #2.

Avengers vs. X-Men #5

Official Description

• The fiery conclusion of Act One brought to you by Matt Fraction and John Romita Jr! • Clashing on a lunar battlefield, the tide of the conflict will be turned…• The Phoenix takes its host! All hope is lost?!  

 Review

The moment we've all been waiting for, the Phoenix has arrived, and it does not disappoint.The build-up from the earlier issues has been great, and this issue is no exception. There's a sense of doom because the reader really has no clue how this is all going to play out. In that sense, Avengers vs. X-Men really is the new Civil War. I also like how something that happens here is so out of left field, it's the last thing you would expect. Unfortunately, the dialogue is often not that great. Cap referring to Iron Man as 'Stark' was probably the most off thing about the issue. At this point in time, Cap wouldn't refer to him as plainly 'Stark.' It's a little thing, sure, but also Cyclops sounds like a complete madman! In fact, all the X-Men seem like mindless drones for Cyclops. The art is pretty mixed. It's great for splash pages and making the Phoenix look creepy/menacing, but sometimes the characters look off. Cap suffers especially from this.

7.5/10

Detective Comics #10

Official Description

• BATMAN must defend WAYNE ENTERPRISES from espionage and himself from the menace of HYPNOTIC! • The latest chapter in the TWO-FACE backup story!

Review

Now this is what I'm talking about. When you open a Batman comic, this is what you want to see in the first few pages. We have a few Batmen with guns assaulting a truck, it's good stuff. The story is the strongest aspect here, it's really great. Also, for the first time, the Bruce Wayne scenes don't feel forced or filler. As you know from the description, a new villain in the form of Mr. Toxic makes his debut. (Alright, he's appeared before, but here he's not in the background. Who the heck is Hypnotic?!) Great design, if not a just a little bit ripped-off from Red Hood. He has a pretty impressive 'debut,' but let's see if he's not one of those throwaway villains to buy time. The dialogue is sometimes strong, but also can be very off, namely with Batman. This sarcastic portrayal of him is not working. The backup Two Face story is slightly interesting, but those pages could have been used to flesh out the main story better. After reading Avengers vs. X-Men #5, it was good to see some fantastic comic book art here. The art here is some of the best currently in comics.

8/10

G.I. Combat #2

Official Description

• In “THE WAR THAT TIME FORGOT,” contemporary soldiers must battle pterodactyls and a tyrannosaurus rex as they struggle to understand where – or when – they are! • THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER becomes a human guinea pig in hopes that the experiments will grant him super powers.

Review

Despite the backup story, this issue doesn't feel worth the $3.99. It's lacking something. The War That Time Forgot is my kind of concept, but the dialogue isn't that strong. It does deliver fantastic dinosaur action, it's just hard not to smile as the dinos get substantial page time. So far nothing has been really explained of why this is happening. Normally that wouldn't be a bad thing, but the characters aren't particularly engaging. Still, the dinosaurs get enough page time to keep the story fun. The backup Unknown Soldier story contines to be interesting. If they could apply the writing from there into The War That Time Forgot, it would be perfect. The art has a glossy look, the dinosaurs look incredible.

6/10

Weekly Comic Reviews

First off, I must apologize for the lateness of these reviews. Now that I'm becoming a writer for Unleash the Fanboy, getting these reviews up between Wednesday and Friday is tough. I will attempt to do better in the future. But for now, check out reviews for Avengers vs. X-Men #2, Justice League #8, and Amazing Spider-Man #685.

Avengers vs. X-Men #2.

                                       Official Description 

• As The Opening Shot Is Fired, The Avengers Storm The Beach Of Utopia, And The Phoenix Draws Ever Nearer To Earth! • But Which Side Will Wolverine Fight On? • And What Choice Will Hope Make That Will Change The Direction And Scope Of The Conflict Dramatically?

                                          THE GOOD

This comic was pretty darn exciting. It's basically what fans of both teams have dreamed about for a long time. Sure these teams have battled before, but nothing of this magnitude. Who doesn't want to see some satisfying, brutal action between Cyclops and Cap with some great writing to compliment it? The match-ups and fights are exciting. However, my personal favorite scene was when Spidey and Wolverine 'slipped' the battle to get Hope. It's moments like that when we know that Marvel doesn't forget the history with these characters.

                                            THE BAD

Well everything seems to be happening a bit too quickly. The war between the two teams just felt a bit pushed. Also, Cyclops seems extremely clouded in judgement. He just doesn't seem to be thinking clearly really at all. Spidey's dialogue is also much to be desired. Also, the dialogue sequence between Iron Man and Emma Frost bothered me a bit, it felt kinda strange.

                                                ART

Fantastic, John Romita Jr. continues to impress. His style with the characters make the battles come alive. Great cover also.

                                           OVERALL

This is definitely one of the most exciting comics I've read in awhile. Even though it's non-stop fighting, it still manages to continue the story with some interesting developments. Now all we need is for Cyclops is to start acting like Cyclops.

9/10.

Justice League #8

                                                   Official Description

In the five years that the Justice League has been a team, Green Arrow has never once been a member. And he intends to rectify that right here, right now! One member against his candidacy: Aquaman! Plus, in “The Curse of Shazam” part 2, Billy arrives in his new foster home just as an ancient evil is uncovered halfway across the world.

                                         THE GOOD

Did you see the way Superman was drawn and portrayed? He actually looks like a Superman, not a Super-teen. It's also nice to see him getting some GOOD dialogue for once. The action is fun, and I take back everything I've said about Cyborg in the past, he's a fantastic addition to the team. And you know, Steven Trevor isn't that bad anymore, I'm beginning to enjoy reading his character. The backup Shazam story is so far a great modern retelling of the origin of Earth's Mightiest Mortal.

                                            THE BAD

Nothing happened! It was practically filler! It was unimportant. It started out good, but ran into joke territory. Green Arrow *attempting* to join the the team on three occasions in the issue became a running gag. A lot of the dialogue is a joke. Geoff Johns is really beginning to remind me of Bendis. The writing is plain juvenile sometimes. Oh, and Billy Batson is a complete jerk! Why did they decide to make him an emo kid?

                                                ART

If there's any comic you should buy for the art, it's this. Carlos D'Anda takes over for art duties on this one, and honestly he's just as good as Jim Lee. There's an amazing splash page with the League battling Martian Manhunter. This is some of the best art currently in comics.

                                           OVERALL

A rather disappointing issue. In fact, this is the worst one yet. Green Arrow and his dialogue are a complete joke. A lot of the writing here is below sub-par, even Batman isn't sometimes written correctly, he comes off as TOO arrogant in this issue. To be completely fair, the comic did have its few merits. Some of the banter between the League was admittedly funny, and the action is fun.This comic isn't an awful one, but not great.

6/10.

Amazing Spider-Man #684

                                      Official Description

• Spider-Man’s Globetrotting Adventure Against The Sinister Six Moves To The Middle East For A Face Off Against…The Sandman! • In The Past, Spidey’s Fought Sandman On Beaches, In Quarries, But Never Like This – How Can Web-Head Hope To Defeat Sandman When He’s Controlling The Sahara Desert?! • Special Guest Stars: Black Widow And Silver Sable.

                                           THE GOOD

The story continues to be exciting and intriguing. Doc Ock continues to be a great main villain, his well-done but short dialogue with Spidey was very good. In fact, Dan Slott is at his finest here. Spidey is actually acting like how he used to. The writing here is great and often humorous. (Here's the best quote of the entire issue. After seeing Silver Sable's invisible jet, Spidey quips "An invisible jet? Sounds like something out of a comic book." Brilliant? Yes.) Also, I just want to say how awesome the new Spidey costume (technically armor) is. It's great and I hope it doesn't go away anytime soon. Also, the strange team up of Spidey, Black Widow, and Silver Sable works fabulously, it's something we haven't seen before. And I have to mention this, the way Spidey defeats Sandman is incredibly intelligent, I applaud Slott once again.

                                             THE BAD

Well I don't think all the nations of the world agreeing with Ock is a wise move. After all these years of these super villains pretending to be good, are they really going to buy that? I think not. The Sandman seems to be clouded in judgement, he only seems to be 'bad' because Slott wants him to be.

                                                  ART 

Humberto Ramos really surprised me here. He seems to be laying off the extremely cartoony art he normally applies. His style of art here really gives this book its own look. It makes the new Spidey suit look fantastic. However, the cover really bothers me. It's not bad for the most part, except Spidey. Why is he in his regular costume when in this arc he's using the new arnor? And what's up with those strange eyes on the mask? Sorry, but it looks really weird.

                                            OVERALL

Another great addition to the Ends of the Earth story. Slott is using great dialogue, and the issue is just plain fun. This is by far the best Spidey story in awhile.

9/10.