Comics I Like: 8/03/2011

From the depths of the internet, it's COMICS I LIKE! August is here and that means we're reaching the end of the Summer. It also means we're a month away from the DC Relaunch. This week, we've got comics, comics, and more comics. We also have some manga! So let's get started:

DC/Marvel/Liscensed

Batman: Knight of Vengeance #3

Writer: Brian Azarello

Artist: Eduardo Risso

Batman: Knight of Vengeance has been quite the wild ride. This alternate reality tale where (spoilers)Bruce Wayne died and Thomas and Martha Wayne ended up as Batman and the Joker is a truly tragic tale. Watching the flashback to young Bruce's death is a real heart breaker. Watching the Waynes slowly lose themselves in their attempts to cope with their son's death is crushing. All of it comes down to a final, devastating confrontation where nobody walks out okay. This team of Azarello and Risso have crafted a truly amazing take on this mythos that stands so well on it's own. As good as Flashpoint itself has been so far, this comic by itself stands leagues above it and goes above and beyond what my expectations for this event and all of it's tie in stories.

Secret Six #36

Writer: Gail Simone

Artist: J. Califiore

Colorist: John Kalisz

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Just like Batman: Knight of Vengeance, Secret Six was an ending that made me sad. Over the last three years, this has been hands down one of my favorite team books coming out of DC. As the story draws to a close, we find the Secret Six aiming to take down Batman by attacking and killing members of his "family". We're also treated to 3 small vignettes between, each summing up well how the members have grown over time. Each one sums up nicely the growth this team has gone through over the run of this series: Scandal Savage has found herself some happiness and Catman, Deadshot, Ragdoll have a particularly touching moment where they come to terms with what it means to be friends. Perhaps the best moment is the group realizing that they're at the end of the rope. Their last stand, along with Huntress' little monologue, is a great way to end this book. And it really sums up what I've loved about this book: Sure, these characters aren't heroes, but they are people and most of all, they're friends. Thank you, Gail Simone, wherever you are. This was a really fun ride while it lasted.

Venom #5

Writer: Rick Remender

Aritsts: Tony Moore and Tom Fowler

Inker: Crimelab Studios

Colorist: John Rauch

Letterer: VC's Joe Carmanga

Okay, this one's actually from last week, but still, Venom #5 is my first foray into this title from Mr. Rick Remender and it's got me sold on this series. This issue, we find our hero (Flash Thompson, Spider-Man's high school bully and the current recipient of the Venom Symbiote) actually not doing much work as Venom. He takes out some weird fly person at the beginning of the issue, but for the most part, this is a story about Flash Thompson's relationship with his dad, which is an abusive one. Reading this one tore at my heartstrings, and if you've ever had a loved one who was addicted to substance abuse, it'll resonate with you too. Reading about how Flash's life was affected by his father's alcoholism and just what he went through in his attempts to earn the love and respect of a man who didn't seem to keen on giving it is crushing. It's a harsh issue and by the time it's over, I don't see how anyone won't feel a little choked up reading it. (What is it with me and heart breaking comics this week?)

Amazing Spider-Man #666

Writer: Dan Slott

Artist: Stefano Caselli

Colorist: Marte Garcia

Letterer: VC's Joe Carmanga

Enough of this sad stuff; let's get to some good ol' fashioned comic book fun. If that's what you want, look no further than Amazing Spider-Man. Issue #666 is the Prelude to the Spider Island event, where New York comes down with a case of Spider Power fever. This issue is comprised of small scenes showing off just how awesome Peter's life is lately. There's a great mix of the Peter Parker and Spider-Man parts of Pete's life here, so there's not too much of one half. this is a nice little issue that gives us one last little breath before the storm that's about to take us through to November begins. Dan Slott's run has been nice so far, but this is the first big test as this is the first major story arc we'll really have. This will also be the last time I talk about this book on the blog until Spider Island ends. I want to see how it plays out entirely before I really voice my opinion of the entire story.

Hulk #38

Writer: Jeff Parker

Artist: Elena Casagrande

Colorists: Bettie Breitweiser and Jim Charalampidis

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Forget the Blob: nothing can stop Jeff Parker's run on the Hulk. Not even a mediocre event like Fear Itself can slow this series down. Yes, this is yet another great issue in Mr. Parker's great run on this series. This issue, we've got the Red Hulk getting his butt kicked around the the Hammer possessed Thing and MODOK and new Hulk baddie Zero/one teaming up together to kill Nazis. Not once does this event tie-in issue slow down because of it's association with Fear Itself. This is a plot that just keeps on soldiering along, even if it has to acknowledge that something big is happening across the Marvel Universe. So I salute you, Mr. Jeff Parker; not only are you writing two amazing books, but you're doing so despite the fact that they're being tied into one of those pesky event books.

Indie/Creator Owned

Criminal: The Last of the Innocent #2

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Sean Phillips

Okay, so this one isn't from this week, but if you're not reading Criminal: The Last of the Innocent, then you're just really bad at comics. Yes, the creator owned series from the team of Ed Brudaker and Sean Phillips is back and I've decided to take the dive and give the series a shot. This series follows the tale of a man who wants to kill his wife so that he can get out of his marriage while still remaining rich. This is a really great tale of what drives a man to kill and it's fascinating to watch the depths of underhanded, mean things that are accomplished. Mixed into it all is flashbacks done in the style of old Archie, but with much more vulgarity mixed in. And just when you think you're done with the issue, unless you've been reading this series for a while now, you'll find yourself surprised to learn that each and ever issue features a fascinating little essay in the back. So for the price of one comic, you're getting a great comic and a great essay. Why haven't you purchased this one yet?

Manga

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Vol. 1

Writer: Kenji Kuroda

Artist: Kazuo Maekawa

Translators: Alethea and Athena Nibley

Letterer: North Market Street Graphics

One of my favorite Nintendo DS games is Capcom's Ace Attorney series. Sadly, the latest title in the series might not get distributed in North America, which really sucks. Still, I managed to find a bright side this week, as I came across this at my local comic shop this week. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, from Kodansha comics is just the fix I need, providing new stories set in the world of the games. It even follows the formula of a game in the series. Every case has twists and turns in it, each a little more complex than the last. Also like the games, the first case in this manga features poor old Winston Payne as the prosecutor who just can't seem to build a solid argument. Another great things about this book is the art.

Artist Kazuo Maekawa does a fantastic job of making this comic look incredibly close to the art in the games. She even does a great job of working well with the tiny details in images. One great example in the first case is a very important detail in a cellphone image that ends up proving the defendants innocence. This is exactly the kind of thing you'd find in the games themselves, and this team of writer and artist really did a great job of crafting a story that fits in perfectly with the games. Another nice part of this comics is a section that gives some translation notes: it's nice to see the translators explaining that Japanese and English aren't perfectly compatible and explaining who and why they made some of the changes they made. There is one part of this manga that left me scratching my head: the Honorifics Explained section is nice and all, but it's unnecessary when this thing doesn't even keep the honorifics in the dialog (which again, runs true with the games).

Overall, this is a great book and belongs on the shelf of any fan of the Ace Attorney series. Even if you haven't played the games yet, give this one a shot; you may like what you read. (You might also be interested in previous manga releases "Ace Attorney: The Phoenix Wright Files" and "Ace Attorney: The Miles Edgeworth Files").

That's it for this week (and some of last week) in comics. Come back for some more reviews next week and maybe even a few more surprises (like me posting at all!) I've been watching a lot of Doctor Who lately, so I think I'm going to post up a big ol' review of the first three seasons. I've also got to get back to posting Webcomics I Like; I've really been slacking off on those. Enjoy your weekend!

The Weekly Round-Up: 10/20/10

Hey there, anybody awesome enough to read this; it's time for the Weekly Round-Up! What's the Weekly Round-Up? It's where I get every comic I've read this week, pick out a few, and write a short review for each one because I'm too lazy to write up a full review for each individual comic! Now let's get started shall we?

This week saw the release of Kick-Ass 2 #1, the first chapter of the sequel to Mark Millar's crazy comic which got turned into one of my favorite movies from this year! This issue has us looking in on the current situations of both Kick-Ass and Hit Girl after the big finale from the first series. Kick-Ass is trying to step up his super hero game, which include getting training from Hit Girl as well as looking into joining a super hero team. Hit Girl, meanwhile, is trying to get back into living life with her mother and new step father, which means she might just have to give up her life as Hit Girl. Story wise, it's a slow start back, though it is a first issue so it's not like I was expecting anything huge to happen. Still, much like last book, we're given a small taste of what's to come towards the beginning of this issue and what's to come looks amazingly awesome. Mark Millar, you have me ready to buy issue two, so please don't let me down with this one! Art duties are still held by John Romita Jr. and I wouldn't have it any other way. The guy draws some great violence and he draws a pretty good showdown between Kick-Ass and some thugs. There's also a nice little thank you letter from Millar himself as well as a look at how one of the pages from this issue was made, which is always kind of cool to see. I'm still on the fence on whether or not I'm going to buy all of this volume in issues: if I'm going to be waiting 2 years for 6 issues again, I'll just wait for the collected version. But if you liked the first one and you want at least a taste of what's to come this time around, pick this issue up!

This week also so the release of Carnage #1 by Zeb Wells and Clayton Cain. That's right, Marvel decided that it was time to bring Carnage back! Okay, I know how horrible that sounds; I'm not a fan of the guy either, but I picked this issue up because it's being penned by Zeb Wells, the guy who wrote the fantastic "Shed" story in Amazing Spider-Man a few months back. If he can make the Lizard awesome again, I have no doubt he can make Carnage into something other than a crap relic of the 90's! So does this first issue have me sold on this series at all? I'm still not sure, myself. The dialog here is good enough, and it's not too bad a start, but this issue has heavy reference to Maximum Carnage, which I've never heard anything good about (except for the SNES game based on it; that was awesome). We've got the Spider-Man doppleganger showing up and Shriek even shows up towards the end. Spider-Man even recounts a small bit of what happened in Maximum Carnage and how Carnage has the ability to make people go crazy. Wells already visited something like this in "Shed", so to see him maybe bringing an element like this into another one of his stories so soon is a bit alarming. And at $4 an issue for a mini bringing back a character I'm not sure should even come back I really need to be sold before I can recommend this to anyone else. So if you're really looking to feed that itch for Carnage, give this one a look. For everyone else, give this a small skim through at the LCS. I'm probably coming back for issue two, but I'm not sure I'll be going much farther than that.

Speaking of characters I wasn't sold on getting redemption: Jeff Parker's Hulk #26 is out this week and the big red jerk is actually proving to be a really good read! We start right back where we left off last issue with Rulk and Iron Man facing off with the cyborg drones from last issue. That doesn't last too long, as Rulk gets that solved rather quickly. We also get to see Thor smack Rulk around for a bit before the two are sent off into space to stop two comets from crashing into earth and doing some serious damage. We've also got the A-Bomb back-up which isn't too shabby itself. Parker is doing a great job writing this series so far and I look forward to seeing where he's going next.

Meanwhile, over at DC, Grant Morrison's Batman and Robin continues this week, with the penultimate issue of Morrison's run seeing release this week. This issue starts us off with Robin kidnapped by the Joker, Batman captured by Hurt and his cronies, and Gotham on the brink of destruction thanks to Hurt's plan. This issue has Robin kicking some ass, Hurt almost taking the win, and a final page that has me excited to see where this final issue of the run is going to take us! Not to be out done by the writing, Frazier Irving does a magnificent job on the art duties in this issue; I may still miss the glorious styling of Frank Quietly, but with Irving around I think I can live. Hopefully next issue isn't delayed too long, because I'm ready for it already, as well as the final issue of "The Return of Bruce Wayne". Add on top of all that the promise of the upcoming Batman Incorporated, and I'm as giddy as a school girl!

Finally this week, we've got Darkwing Duck #5. This is the start of the book's second story arc, and is the perfect jumping on point for anyone who hasn't done so yet. Negaduck is back and he's looking to take Darkwing down. This time, however, he's teaming up with a powerful ally that Ducktales fans might recognize: Magica de Spell! Their plan: destroy Darkwing's reputation by hypnotizing various Darkwings from alternate worlds and having them wreak havoc! To say that I'm loving this book would be a huge understatement: this is the book I find myself looking forward to more than any! It's funny, it's well written, and it isn't afraid to be a comic book, and I love it for that. And on top of all that, this is a comic that can be entertaining while still being for both kids and adults. There's only a handful of comics that can say that and as far as I'm concerned, this is the best of them! If you're planning on picking up only one comic this week, this is the comic you should be buying! I know how much wank I'm writing for this title, but it deserves every last bit of that wank and it deserves every last bit of praise and money I can give it.

And that's if for the Weekly Round-Up! But before I go I do have one last thing to add: DC Comic Presents: Batman 100-Page Spectacular is out this week and it's got some fantastic Batman reprints from none other than Ed Brubaker. It's an $8 book, but it's damn good and if you've got the money to dish out for it, get it! It's awesome. I'm also going to write up a full review for Strange Tales 2 #1 at some point in the next two days, so look for that!

The Weekly Round-Up: 09/29/10

Another week, another stack of comics and this week had some really good comics! So let's get started with this week's first book

We'll start off with a book I didn't think I'd ever be reading: Hulk! Yes, the one with the big red guy. The one that had Jeph Loeb's name on it until very recently. Well, I decided to give Jeff Parker's run on the book a chance; the guy is doing well on Atlas and Thunderbolts, so I can't go wrong here, right? Well, it could, but luckily for me it didn't. The issue itself is a pretty good jumping on point; Rulk's now under the watch of Bruce Banner and Steve Rogers, so that means he's playing on the good guy's side, whether he wants to or not. Of course the real surprise here is the art, which I thought was going to be the delicious Ed McGuinness art on the cover (the cover actually states otherwise, but I'm an idiot.) At first that put me off a little; the art by Mr. Hardman is so much different from the McGuinness art, but after a few pages of comic I found that I actually love Mr. Hardman's stuff just as much. There's also an A-Bomb (and I will go on record by saying that that name is stupid and should go back to the 90's where it belongs) back-up, and a one page story featuring three different hulks. The (ugh) A-Bomb back-up is a fun little story, with nice cartoon-y art by Mark Robinson (writer is still Parker). The one-page hulk story is written by Audrey Loeb with Dario Brizuela on art, and that story will fit right in with those of you who love the mini-marvel stories. Overall, if you've been avoiding the Red Hulk like it was red tide, you might actually find yourself surprised with this one. Give it a shot!

Meanwhile, over at DC, Paul Cornell is tearing it up on Action Comics; his Lex Luthor story is getting more and more fun with each issue. This issue has the mortal enemy of Superman facing down one of the Flash's greatest foes, Gorilla Grodd and what a fight it is! Luthor pulls some impressive stunts and Grodd goes the Venom route and eats brains (FOR THEIR DELICIOUS, DELICIOUS KNOWLEDGE!). And the whole thing ends with a guest appearance that will knock your socks off! (...unless the internet already spoiled it for you.)Of course that's only 1/3 of the issue; there's also the start to what is looking to be one of the most unusual second features yet as Jimmy Olsen, Superman's pal gets his own stories told. No Superman here, though; this story is following the events in the life of Jimmy Olsen during Superman's time on New Krypton! Oh, and Chloe Sullivan from Smallville is in it. One of the few things I really enjoyed about Smallville up to the end was Chloe, so I was really happy to see her showing up here. Overall, this is a fantastic book and is easily one of the best things DC is putting out right now!

Amazing Spider-Man #644 continues the finale of "Brand New Day" with "Origin of Species part-3" and boy does it have some great moments. Spidey continues to face off a huge gauntlet (oh, hey, I see what I did there) of his greatest foes and he does so while protecting a baby! Favorite moments from this include: Spidey getting rid of the Rhino using logic, Spidey beating Mysterio with logic, and Spidey beating up Vulture and Freak with, you guessed it, clever decoys! Okay, that joke was bad, but this issue had some pretty good LOL moments, like Doctor Octopus' "Octo-tracers" and the Chamelion pulling one over on Spidey. With one more issue left in this story, Mark Waid continues to build the grand finale that Brand New Day deserves and I'm excited to see how it all ends.

And finally, Brian Michael Bendis' Powers continues in Powers #6. Bendis' fantastic little series about police officers dealing with super power related crime is a pretty good series, and this issue has flash backs, twists and turns, a dead god, and a last page that will have long-time readers doing a double take. If you aren't reading this series yet, this is a good issue to give it a shot with. If you are reading, then I don't have to tell you twice. If you're only reading this one in trade, then I'm not going to spoil much more than I already have.

Overall, while this is a light week for me, it's a pretty good week. I found a new book, and got three issues of books I'm already really enjoying. And I'm not done yet! I've got the final issue of Atlas and a Pilot Season one-shot from Top Cow to talk about later this week, but for now I've got a cold and I feel like being lazy for a bit!