So I figured since Matt had a cool title for each of his posts, that I would get one myself. However, after a very long deliberation, and many options, I ended up going with another idea. That idea being, that I would just use a line from one of the comics I was reviewing.
Batgirl #5 ****
Well hot damn folks. I can say this much, that was pretty damn awesome. I can't say that I have loved the past issues, because I haven't. I mean, I've loved Barb, who is hands down my absolute favorite living female character. In all honesty, she's probably my favorite female ever. Jean Grey, as much as I love her, is more like number 1.2. This issue was great. Barb's interactions with Dick was awesome. Stephanie's interactions with Damian were highly amusing. I don't like where things are going with St. Nick. The ending cliffhanger was genius, because I did not anticipate it happening, at all.
Red Robin#7 ***
A couple of things about this one. I'm pretty sure I want this story arc to end. The Counsel of Spiders have the potential to be interesting, and I should add he the final pages did increase my level of interest. I did think that there was a slight moment in the issue where Tim may have begun to question his choice of actions, and I will welcome that realization at any point. Tammy Fox, I don't particularly care for her. She seems useless. Vicki Vale's role in the future might make things interesting for the Wayne clan, not so much the Bat clan, if you get my drift. All in all, I love Tim, love how he continues to kick ass and get his way everywhere. And so much has happened to this kid, that you just can't not like him. I just don't know where the writers are planning on taking this and I don't know if they're doing him justice.
World's Finest
The premise behind World's Finest amuses me. It's basically what would happen in the world, if all of the main Superheroes were gone, which they are not. Well, that could be debated.
1. This one came out a while ago. I enjoyed it. It had Red Robin and Nightwing (for those of you who don't know, Nightwing is Clark Kent's adoptive son Christopher.) I thought for just a one-shot this team up was fun. Nightwing and Red Robin worked well together as a unit, plus this reminded me that I was out of touch in all things Superman, other than Superboy. ***
2. This one involved Robin and the Gaurdian. I gotta say that while I don't like Damian, I do find it enjoyable when other characters pick on him. I wouldn't necessarily consider this a team up, seeing as for the most of the issue the Gaurdian was trying to arrest Robin, but their interaction was fun. There was a part in particular which showed Damian's dedication to his father, as well as a part that showed where Damian existed on the superhero totem pole (not high, kid.) ***
Adventure Comics ****
So I thought I would do a review of the series from the renumbering. Superboy is probably the only "Super"-person that I care enough about to follow. I don't hate any of the others, I just don't care to care. Now, I think that Geoff Johns is a fabulous writer. I am in awe of just how many things he has going on write now. The writing in Adventure comics has been great, the story has been cool. I totally dig the internal struggle of good and evil-Superman vs. Lex thing going on in Connor's head. I love that Connor is Tim's best friend and I like that Connor is taking a moment to just be a kid. The interactions between Con and Tim, Martha, Cassie, and even Krypto are just great to read. Frank Manupul is a tremendous artist. If nothing I've said makes you want to read this, the art alone should be enough. It's some of the most beautiful artwork you will see being produced on a monthly basis (at least for one more month.) Sadly, Geoff Johns and Frank Manupul will be leaving after the 6th issue. There haven't been that many, I suggest you all just go out and read these. Pronto.
p.s. Adventure Comics 4/5 are Blackest Night tie-ins and will be reviewed in my Blackest Night tie-ins part 2 post.
Berserker #3 **1/2
I thought the premise to this comic was pretty cool. The Berserkers being this ancient mythical race of Norse warriors who fought with an uncontrollable rage, and the comic following their modern day ancestors. I thought number 3 was a tad bit bloody and much more gore-y than needed. I also am beginning to prefer Farris' character to Aaron's. All in all, not bad. But I might have to let this one go, seeing as I can't afford all the comics I buy.
Showing posts with label GeoffJohns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GeoffJohns. Show all posts
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Blackest Night part one
A little note before I start. I have a habit of just liking things in general, especially because I haven't particularly ever needed to review anything. I will be following Matt's guidelines for ratings (which can be found to your right), however it needs to be kept in mind that we do have different tastes (rare, but it happens). I will most likely become a tad bit more critical as this process continues. To begin, I will be covering a fairly large realm of comics: Blackest Night Tie-Ins. Blackest Night is a pretty big deal, if you haven't noticed, and the tie-ins can be a nice addition or a waste of time. I will attempt to lead you in the right direction. As Blackest Night is separated into three parts, I will do the same.
Forgive me if I leave anything out.
Part One:
Blackest Night: Batman ****1/2
Over all I thoroughly enjoyed this miniseries. Although I am a big fan of the Bat-verse, I am not being biased.
I gave it 4.5 stars because I feel if you are a fan of Batman, then you definitely need to read this. However, if you aren't a fan (who isn't, though) then there isn't a necessity to read this, although it will inevitably bring you joy and pleasure. It's fun, the story line is pretty good, the art is nice, and it does what it set out to do: bring Blackest Night to Batman. Blackest Night Batman #1 does what the first issue of any miniseries should, it lays our the foundation of the series as well as generating enough interest to further read the series. The whole series will focus on Batman, Robin, and Red Robin's reaction to the reanimation of their loved ones. This plays along with the rest of Blackest Night, with the resurrection of dead loved ones, but it also toys with the recurring theme in Batman, which is the death of one's parents igniting the course of action. The scenes/panels/pages, call them what you will, that displayed the relationship that Tim and Dick have as well as their relationships with their parents were good. The scenes portraying the dynamic of the newly formed "Dynamic Duo" were also done very well. Blackest Night brought back guests, such as Boston Brand, aka Deadman, as well as brought recurring cast members, Commissioner Gordon and Barbara aka Oracle. Deadman was an unexpected guest, but was thoroughly amusing. As a long time fan of Barbara's, I can't say that I'll ever not appreciate a cameo on her part. You won't leave this miniseries knowing more about Blackest Night, but that's ok because I don't think you are meant to. There are bits and pieces of information that you can carry on to the main Blackest Night series, but the story is pretty self-contained, which isn't a bad thing mind you. I personally enjoyed the story very much and urge you to read it as well.
Blackest Night: Superman ****
I will be honest and say that I've never been a huge Superman fan. I like him fine, but personally I don't see any reason why the DC universe needs to him to be its savior. That being said, I did like this tie-in. I am a huge fan of Superboy and while I haven't read much on Supergirl, I do like her. On to the story. I did not know that New Krypton existed, so that threw me off for second, a short second I promise. Other than that, I liked seeing the interaction between Superboy and Superman. It's nothing like a Batman and Robin moment, but it's almost like watching two brothers interact when one is living in the other's shadow. I thought that choice for the antagonist was interesting and somewhat unexpected. I personally would have thought it would have been Pa Kent, shows how much I know. The most interesting thing to take from this, in my opinion, was the machine that the Kryptonians built to repel the power of the Black Rings. I know that they are an advanced race, but man, who knew. The possibilities. If they weren't so obsessed with themselves they could probably save everyone by trapping the Black Lanterns in the same sort of force field on their home planet (whatever that is.) Besides that, it was nice seeing Supergirl interact with her mother (Who, again, I did not know was alive.) Moving on, I never knew that one person could be feeling as many emotions at once as both Superman and Superboy did. What a display of, hmm, I don't know if I would consider a lack in controlling one's emotions or a complete control of one's emotions. Either way, the resulting artwork is fantastic.
Overall, nice tie-in. It had a little bit of everything you need in a good read. Some nice writing, great artwork (which I feel most people ignore comics, but some of the greatest artwork I've come across in recent years can be found in comics), a strong leading cast, as well as a likeable supporting cast, like Ma Kent and Krypto. Stop reading me, and go read it! Along with Batman!
Sidenote: I find it a tad strange that my spell-check finds nothing wrong with Superman, but throws red flags when I type Superboy or Supergirl.
Blackest Night: Titans ****1/2
This tie-in is probably the most revealing of all the Tie-ins I've read. Even if you haven't been following the Titans I'd suggest reading this one if only for the understanding that will come with reading it. While the other tie-ins (Superman and Batman) were great, they didn't particularly tie into the main story nor did they enlighten readers with further knowledge. This, to reiterate, is not the case with Titans. The non-regular readers will need to look up characters, that much at least is to be expected. Also, just like the other tie-ins this one does follow its own story, why wouldn't it. But, and that is a big but my friends, there are two things that happen in Titans that I found to be very important. The first was that Don Hall, the original Dove, did not rise when summoned by the black rings. The Black ring circled his grave, but alas, Don Hall did not rise because he was "at peace." This gives the reader just the slightest insight into the powers of the Black Rings. It should be mentioned that the being who bears the name "Dove" is usually an embodiment of peace. Furthermore, later in Titans, the current Dove (Dawn Granger) encounters some Black Lanterns, one being her now deceased sister. During their tussle, it became appear to us all (us being the readers) that the Black Lanterns could not "read" Dove as they do all other sentient beings. In a scene that seems to have shocked even Dove, Dove's peace (personified by her light) repelled the darkness of the Black Lantern and severed the Ring's connection to its body host. This lead my fellow comic book aficionados and I to conclude that Dove, and all her white Light, was the embodiment of all of the emotions (and colors of the spectrum.) Which goes along with the path that Indigo has taken Hal (combination of Lanterns and spectrums.)
This was a pretty good read. I knew the Titans well enough to know who was who, but even beyond that this tie-in brought with it the most twists and information. It is definitely a must read, even if you just read it once.
Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps ***
I wouldn't particularly consider this a tie-in, mainly because it's more of a history lesson. If you want a brief overview of the different Corps, this is where you'd go. I thought the writing is great (as I've come to expect from Geoff Johns.) I will admit that it was a fairly interesting read. I can't say for sure why, but the story of Hope slightly disturbed me (blind faith tends to have that effect on me.) The story behind Fear didn't impress me any. It made it's point but nothing stood out in a good or bad way. I will admit that I allow myself to get a bit sappy when it comes to fictional characters (especially comic book characters) so the story behind Carol and her love ring did pique my interest a bit. I also would like to learn more about these supposed Violet Lanterns. Enough that I'll probably end up going back and reading her journey and interaction with Hal. I don't know if I like that the Orange Lanterns aren't "real." The Red Lanterns do intrigue me. I won't lie, I was fairly pleased when Bleez turned and killed the Yellow Lantern, I only wished she caused him a tad bit more pain first. What I found to be the most confusing were the Indigo Lantern. I didn't particularly perceive their actions to be all too compassionate. To clarify, I mean what they did to the Yellow Lantern wasn't compassionate, what they did to the Green Lantern could be perceived as putting him out of his misery (if he was not healable at least.) The stories behind Kilowog and Arisia, I thought, were touching. I didn't know too much about either and this story did a good job in getting me somewhat emotionally attached to the both of them.
I'm not sure if I should add a short review on Blackest Night #0 with Director's Commentary. I figure Geoff Johns and Adam Schlagman did a great job covering the issue. I always like reading commentary because it just gives you the slightest bit of insight.
Overall I thought the tales were a nice little insert thrown in, but not completely necessary to read. They're good to read if you enjoy absorbing the history and every aspect of the the story (Blackest Night) but not needed to follow Blackest Night.
Stay tuned for Part Two next month. In the following weeks, I will be reviewing individual issues. Read long and hard folks!
Forgive me if I leave anything out.
Part One:
Blackest Night: Batman ****1/2
Over all I thoroughly enjoyed this miniseries. Although I am a big fan of the Bat-verse, I am not being biased.
I gave it 4.5 stars because I feel if you are a fan of Batman, then you definitely need to read this. However, if you aren't a fan (who isn't, though) then there isn't a necessity to read this, although it will inevitably bring you joy and pleasure. It's fun, the story line is pretty good, the art is nice, and it does what it set out to do: bring Blackest Night to Batman. Blackest Night Batman #1 does what the first issue of any miniseries should, it lays our the foundation of the series as well as generating enough interest to further read the series. The whole series will focus on Batman, Robin, and Red Robin's reaction to the reanimation of their loved ones. This plays along with the rest of Blackest Night, with the resurrection of dead loved ones, but it also toys with the recurring theme in Batman, which is the death of one's parents igniting the course of action. The scenes/panels/pages, call them what you will, that displayed the relationship that Tim and Dick have as well as their relationships with their parents were good. The scenes portraying the dynamic of the newly formed "Dynamic Duo" were also done very well. Blackest Night brought back guests, such as Boston Brand, aka Deadman, as well as brought recurring cast members, Commissioner Gordon and Barbara aka Oracle. Deadman was an unexpected guest, but was thoroughly amusing. As a long time fan of Barbara's, I can't say that I'll ever not appreciate a cameo on her part. You won't leave this miniseries knowing more about Blackest Night, but that's ok because I don't think you are meant to. There are bits and pieces of information that you can carry on to the main Blackest Night series, but the story is pretty self-contained, which isn't a bad thing mind you. I personally enjoyed the story very much and urge you to read it as well.
Blackest Night: Superman ****
I will be honest and say that I've never been a huge Superman fan. I like him fine, but personally I don't see any reason why the DC universe needs to him to be its savior. That being said, I did like this tie-in. I am a huge fan of Superboy and while I haven't read much on Supergirl, I do like her. On to the story. I did not know that New Krypton existed, so that threw me off for second, a short second I promise. Other than that, I liked seeing the interaction between Superboy and Superman. It's nothing like a Batman and Robin moment, but it's almost like watching two brothers interact when one is living in the other's shadow. I thought that choice for the antagonist was interesting and somewhat unexpected. I personally would have thought it would have been Pa Kent, shows how much I know. The most interesting thing to take from this, in my opinion, was the machine that the Kryptonians built to repel the power of the Black Rings. I know that they are an advanced race, but man, who knew. The possibilities. If they weren't so obsessed with themselves they could probably save everyone by trapping the Black Lanterns in the same sort of force field on their home planet (whatever that is.) Besides that, it was nice seeing Supergirl interact with her mother (Who, again, I did not know was alive.) Moving on, I never knew that one person could be feeling as many emotions at once as both Superman and Superboy did. What a display of, hmm, I don't know if I would consider a lack in controlling one's emotions or a complete control of one's emotions. Either way, the resulting artwork is fantastic.
Overall, nice tie-in. It had a little bit of everything you need in a good read. Some nice writing, great artwork (which I feel most people ignore comics, but some of the greatest artwork I've come across in recent years can be found in comics), a strong leading cast, as well as a likeable supporting cast, like Ma Kent and Krypto. Stop reading me, and go read it! Along with Batman!
Sidenote: I find it a tad strange that my spell-check finds nothing wrong with Superman, but throws red flags when I type Superboy or Supergirl.
Blackest Night: Titans ****1/2
This tie-in is probably the most revealing of all the Tie-ins I've read. Even if you haven't been following the Titans I'd suggest reading this one if only for the understanding that will come with reading it. While the other tie-ins (Superman and Batman) were great, they didn't particularly tie into the main story nor did they enlighten readers with further knowledge. This, to reiterate, is not the case with Titans. The non-regular readers will need to look up characters, that much at least is to be expected. Also, just like the other tie-ins this one does follow its own story, why wouldn't it. But, and that is a big but my friends, there are two things that happen in Titans that I found to be very important. The first was that Don Hall, the original Dove, did not rise when summoned by the black rings. The Black ring circled his grave, but alas, Don Hall did not rise because he was "at peace." This gives the reader just the slightest insight into the powers of the Black Rings. It should be mentioned that the being who bears the name "Dove" is usually an embodiment of peace. Furthermore, later in Titans, the current Dove (Dawn Granger) encounters some Black Lanterns, one being her now deceased sister. During their tussle, it became appear to us all (us being the readers) that the Black Lanterns could not "read" Dove as they do all other sentient beings. In a scene that seems to have shocked even Dove, Dove's peace (personified by her light) repelled the darkness of the Black Lantern and severed the Ring's connection to its body host. This lead my fellow comic book aficionados and I to conclude that Dove, and all her white Light, was the embodiment of all of the emotions (and colors of the spectrum.) Which goes along with the path that Indigo has taken Hal (combination of Lanterns and spectrums.)
This was a pretty good read. I knew the Titans well enough to know who was who, but even beyond that this tie-in brought with it the most twists and information. It is definitely a must read, even if you just read it once.
Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps ***
I wouldn't particularly consider this a tie-in, mainly because it's more of a history lesson. If you want a brief overview of the different Corps, this is where you'd go. I thought the writing is great (as I've come to expect from Geoff Johns.) I will admit that it was a fairly interesting read. I can't say for sure why, but the story of Hope slightly disturbed me (blind faith tends to have that effect on me.) The story behind Fear didn't impress me any. It made it's point but nothing stood out in a good or bad way. I will admit that I allow myself to get a bit sappy when it comes to fictional characters (especially comic book characters) so the story behind Carol and her love ring did pique my interest a bit. I also would like to learn more about these supposed Violet Lanterns. Enough that I'll probably end up going back and reading her journey and interaction with Hal. I don't know if I like that the Orange Lanterns aren't "real." The Red Lanterns do intrigue me. I won't lie, I was fairly pleased when Bleez turned and killed the Yellow Lantern, I only wished she caused him a tad bit more pain first. What I found to be the most confusing were the Indigo Lantern. I didn't particularly perceive their actions to be all too compassionate. To clarify, I mean what they did to the Yellow Lantern wasn't compassionate, what they did to the Green Lantern could be perceived as putting him out of his misery (if he was not healable at least.) The stories behind Kilowog and Arisia, I thought, were touching. I didn't know too much about either and this story did a good job in getting me somewhat emotionally attached to the both of them.
I'm not sure if I should add a short review on Blackest Night #0 with Director's Commentary. I figure Geoff Johns and Adam Schlagman did a great job covering the issue. I always like reading commentary because it just gives you the slightest bit of insight.
Overall I thought the tales were a nice little insert thrown in, but not completely necessary to read. They're good to read if you enjoy absorbing the history and every aspect of the the story (Blackest Night) but not needed to follow Blackest Night.
Stay tuned for Part Two next month. In the following weeks, I will be reviewing individual issues. Read long and hard folks!
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