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5 (0) 4 (18) 3 (34) 2 (27) 1 (3) 3.1 starsAverage score of 79 user reviews
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Oh, you're still here, Hickman? 0
I don't really get why this issue is here. I know Hickman's not quite done yet with his run on Fantastic Four, but with him having tied up most of his long-running plot threads in the last few issues, this stand-alone issue just feels... trivial. I've loved Hickman's run on Fantastic Four and I don't want it to end but if stuff like this is what it's got left now that his primary story is done, I wish he was already gone so the run could end on a high point. Maybe it's a fluke.So this issue open...
1 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
Downright BRAVE 0
This mega event tie-in issue marks the second issue of "New Avengers" in a row... without the New Avengers (or ANY modern era recognizable characters) in it. There are a few recognizable characters... but only if you've read the critically beloved but relatively short-lived "Immortal Iron Fist" series from a few years back, or the critically beloved and terminally unmarketable "S.H.I.E.L.D." series by Jonathan Hickman that's wrapping up its run currently (and into the foreseeable future, with hu...
0 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Too much too soon 1
My comic store was giving these out for free instead of for the hefty $1 asking price, so I was more than happy to give it a shot whereas I'd otherwise have been completely unaware of the book's existence (except for the fact that Marvel has already tapped its writer as a new "up-and-comer".I am less than impressed and can safely say that this jumping-on issue is as far as I'm going to go with this book. The story is something of a mess; just throwing seemingly random elements at the reader with...
1 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
The strongest issue there's been in quite some time! 0
I can imagine some, perhaps even many, finding this issue plodding, or even to be pure filler. It's a lot of talking heads as our gathered Avengers of multiple teams (minus Storm) mill around waiting to see how Cap and Cyclops' meeting goes. There are a lot of characters here and Bendis, ever at his best with believable dialogue rather than plots, captures each and every one of their voices with a believable love for these characters.This issue treats the assembled three Avengers teams more as s...
1 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
Meh... can we have Williams back on art now please? 1
Two issues back, I was content with this book even without J.H. Williams on art, as fill-in artist Amy Reeder's work, while not on Williams' level, was still noteworthy. The book was remaining merely decent in the story department, and primarily worth picking up as an artistic showcase. Those 2 issues back, I was content.Two issues later, things have changed. Word is out that Amy Reeder is leaving the book, and with that knowledge I can't help but notice that the art on this issue and the previo...
0 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
A begrudging buy for completion's sake 0
Right off the bat, let me say that there is nothign WRONG with this issue... I just feel that I've seen it all before.The trio of characters involved in this crossover generally gets roped together for a story along similar lines to this once every few years. And we've seen it all before: Daredevil and Spider-Man are friends with a quippy rapport, and Punisher agrees to work with them for a common goal, promising to not use lethal force during the team-up (however hard it is to imagine him actua...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
A strong coda for an overall strong run 0
I'm extremely glad to have this issue here to cap off Jason Aaron's overall great run on Wolverine. While the run has been kinda "blah" for most of its final year, it started off so VERY strong in Wolverine: Weapon X and continuing into the first 12 or so issues of "Wolverine" that I'd still call the run as a whole mostly successful. This endcap for Jason Aaron's run is a very strong send-off (and look forward as it sets some seeds for incoming writer Cullen Bunn). The previous storyline left me...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Much stronger than such a crossover needs to be 0
With just a little time to fill before tying in with the Avengers Vs X-Men mega-crossover event, Avengers Academy has elected to fill that space with a brisk 2-parter where they get to meet fellow fan favorite young heroes the Runaways. "They meet, they fight, they team up" crossovers like this are a dime a dozen; formulaic and predictable, but writer Christos Gage, who has consistently made Avengers Academy one of Marvel's strongest books, has a few tricks up his sleeve to make this still predi...
2 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
Add ANOTHER element to this title's backburner... 0
It is common knowledge that this title, while receiving a noteworthy amount of positive industry reviews, is among Marvel's lower selling ones hovering around the cancellation mark. It is a fun title with strong characterization, crazy concepts and a consistent artistic feel from its stable of revolving artists. Overall, it is a triumph all across the board: from its writer Jeff Parker, from its artist pool and even from how it has been handled editorially.But I can't get behind what this latest...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
Brilliant Morrison stylings or arbitrarily overcomplicated? 1
Like no other ongoing title I'm reading at the moment (which is more than my wallet appreciates), Grant Morrison's action comics, with each and every issue, leaves me scratching my head trying (and usually failing) to remember what's come before and how that relates to what's happening now. Morrison is a master of complex, multi-layered storytelling where one might have to give it a few reads to see how all the details line up (see "Seven Soldiers", "The Invisibles")... but in Action Comics, not...
3 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
Can't go COMPLETELY wrong with ninja craziness... 0
With Jason Aaron's run on Wolverine coming to an end, I am more sad for the note on which it is wrapping up than with the fact that is ending. Aaron has been with Wolverine for a few years now, starting with "Wolverine: Weapon X" and the entire run of Weapon X plus the first dozen or so issues of the relaunched "Wolverine" were FANTASTIC. Some of the best stuff Marvel was putting out. Then Aaron started to repeat his own ideas (from within his own run on his own title, plus some other places), a...
1 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
Talking Heads and exposition dumps in horror. MEH. 0
A Garth Ennis story without a Garth Ennis script just doesn't really feel like a true Garth Ennis product. I respect Mike Wolfer as an artist, but thus far am not that impressed with his skills in the writer column.This issue largely takes a breather from the survival and horror angles to make room for lots of "talking head" style planning and an exposition dump that [sort of] explains away how "The Stitched" came to be that way. It works and does not work. We get to see how the terrorists have ...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
A smooth artist transition maintains the high quality level. 0
I was initially concerned when I'd heard Travel Foreman would be leaving this title. It's a great book for its writing and its art both, yet I still felt that with Foreman's departure, something that makes the book as good as it is would be lost. Thankfully, this is not to be the case. While Foreman is still on board for about 4 pages of this issue, and presumably the next, the majority of the issue is drawn by incoming series artist Steve Pugh. I'm familiar with Steve Pugh and have liked his wo...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
No. Dr. Strange did NOT just do that. 0
I'm not usually one to nitpick a book to bits and let one out-of-character moment destroy the whole issue for me... but this issue has a DOOZY. Jaw-on-floor whopper. Complete and utter betrayal of all we hold near and dear of our heroic ideals. It's not Captain America or Spider-Man who do it, but even though it isn't Boy/Girl-scout #1, it's still something that should NOT happen. The Punisher could do this. MAYBE Wolverine. MAYBE certain 90's era soldier of fortune types like Deathlok. But not ...
0 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Not your typical superheroics 0
After multiple issues of showing each and every member of the fresh Avengers lineup (with the exception of Quake) being systematically beaten to a pulp by Osborn's united AIM/Hydra/Hammer/Hand forces, the team gets to start fighting back. All readers knew it would work out this way eventually, as if the heroes definitively lose, then the successful title is over and done with, and that won't happen. Bendis has skillfully managed to do some things differently in this story, however, so that while...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
A gorgeous book with a unique perspective 0
This series took its time in getting going, but as it approaches its end (seemingly with issue 12, with no solicitations beyond that) it has picked up steam like mad; quickly becoming one of Marvel's best books, and the best place on the comic racks to make us remember why it is that Brian Michael Bendis is a superstar writer.Bendis and Maleev's latest collaboration is their most stunning yet, with plenty of opportunities for Maleev to show off with action sequences, moody settings and even in B...
2 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
McKeever's nicest art in 20 years 0
New Ted McKeever material is always a cause for celebration. Even when his output isn't necessarily comprehensible (which is about half the time, maybe more), it is still well worth the read for the art alone. There never has been and likely will never again be a comic artist quite like Ted McKeever, with his distinctive surreal style and his strange blend of obsessions that are recurring themes in his body of work.This new series is off to a very strong start. It's a strange story, with some tr...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
Even a weak issue for this book soars! 0
With multiple amazingly good standalone issues in recent memory for this title, its heading into a new actual continuing story is a mixed blessing. In part two of "The Terrorism Myth", the story is taking its time in building, and with a broader story to tell here than in those recent standalone issues, it makes this particular issue, when judged entirely on its own, seem notably less entertaining on the whole than the series has been of late. But even a "weak" issue by this particular series' s...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
A decent start, but no more than that 1
Following after Warren Ellis' unofficial "Global Frequency" revival in the pages of this title is a tough position to be in, but considering that Ellis' run on the title was known to be impermanent from the start gives new creative team Rick Remender and Gabriel Hardman some much needed leniency. Note: both creators are strong talents who have been receiving well earned recognition for their work elsewhere in the industry this past year... but even so neither of them is yet quite "A-list" househ...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Expect to see this up for major awards. 0
There's absolutely a place in the comics industry and the storytelling world at large for complete stories with a definitive ending in mind, and this series is absolutely great for having that... but it's also terribly saddening to see it end. These past 7 months, this title has been a breath of fresh air on the comic racks (though I'm sure it will read just as well in single dosage graphic novel form as well).In just 7 brief issues, this series has created a very strong world for itself: the ti...
2 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
Not a complete loss W/O Williams on art! 0
Let's be honest: "Batwoman" has, up to now, been sold primarily on the strength of J.H. Williams' art, and the strength of the previous run of "Batwoman", which was written by Greg Rucka. Up to now, this relaunch has had the same BEAUTIFUL art from the prior volume, but as far as writing is concerned, the book hasn't felt anywhere near as strong as a whole as it did when Rucka was writing. Granted, Rucka's shoes are difficult ones to fill. So yeah, up to now this series had been merely decent in...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
Bueller... Punisher... Bueller... 0
Right off the bat, let me say that it's possible my review for this issue is influenced by how strongly it feels like an issue of "Gotham Central", which Rucka and Lark had worked on together years ago. Gotham Central was among the best books on the racks, and even today I get a strong emotional reaction just thinking about it. This issue (and more of the issues leading up to it than I'd realized until reading this issue) exhibits much of that earlier title's strengths.The narrative on this titl...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
A deliriously fun read that makes brave choices. 0
If this book is able to maintain the high level of quality these first two issues have displayed, then it could swiftly wind up becoming one of my absolute favorite Marvel books. The cast is a great group of characters (and set to expand with the eventual inclusions of Nick Fury and Hank Pym as well), the art is cheery and dynamic, the random bottom-of-the-page blurbs are a riot, and all in all Matt Fraction's writing (which has been very hit-and-miss this past year considering the BIG, very hig...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Such a consistently good books it's easy to overlook 0
Month-in and month-out (and sometimes multiple times in one month), Jeff Parker's Hulk remains, as ever, a thoroughly good read. It's got its weak moments ("Hulk of Arabia" ended pretty poorly and "Planet Red Hulk" was a misfire), but both here it is returning to its home territory: actually getting back to dealing with the initial storyline that is repeatedly interrupted by unrelated diversions. As we return to dealing with the threat that is Zero/One, the title instantly becomes much more inte...
2 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
Choppy pacing has ups and downs. 0
Grant Morrison is a genius. This is not opinion; it is long-since confirmed fact. So while there are aspects of this issue that don't play out in the most sensible fashion due to being presented in a choppy way that cuts around in time and space without absolute facts and a seemingly arbitrary, I'm sure Morrison knows what he is doing. If things are coming out somewhat unclear, this is by his design and not due to editorial negligence. It will be more smooth, or we will be able to appreciate...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
Hugely anticlimactic 1
This is, hands down, the least satisfying conclusion I've seen to any of Marvel's big crossover events of the past decade, with the possible exception of "Shadowland" (though Shadowland doesn't really count as BIG like House of M, Civil War, Secret Invasion, Siege, Fear Itself).All over the Marvel Universe these past 7 months, there has been massive buildup in this title, its spinoffs, and the crossover tie-in issues of all the regular monthly titles. Heroes and villains are reborn as "The Chose...
4 out of 5 found this review helpful. -
Further blandness and another artist switch spell "MEH" 1
Dear Hellraiser,Please pick an artist and stick with them for more than 2 issues. You're an ongoing story and not an anthology title.Sincerely,-AdamWarlockSeriously now: this issue is as bland and thoroughly non-engaging as the few that have come before. The story progresses as a slow and predictable pace, Kirsty spouts uncharacteristic vulgarities and a heroic/cliche'd "noooooo!", and all in all... this is just a poor product. Pinhead's character gets to follow a moderately intriguing goal, but...
1 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
Eh... maybe it's just as well this title is on its way out 1
I loved Pak & Van Lente's full run on "The Incredible Hercules". I was intrigued with the pitch for this continuation now that Herc lost his powers. And yet... this relaunch has royally failed to recapture the magic of the prior Hercules title. Coming from the same writing team, I'm really not sure why (unless it's just the lack of Herc's foil Amadeus Cho).This title, which I hear is ending with #10, has been plagued with crossovers. If it is indeed ending so soon, then pretty much the entir...
2 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
The artistic innovation continues! 1
I feel like up to now a great deal of the praise for this series has been laid solely at Mark Waid's feet. And yes, this series has thus far maintained a very strong voice of its own, with a very upbeat and fun tone that the rest of the Marvel universe right now is not sharing, and that's a huge breath of fresh air. Nonetheless, for me anyway, the standout aspect of this series has been Paolo Rivera's stunning artwork.Like no Daredevil artist ever before, Rivera has taken to drawing Daredevil's ...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Returning Mephisto to his former glory 0
"One More Day", what? That's right; Kieron GIllen is taking Mephisto back to the character's grim, scary roots and far, far away from being a convenient deus ex machina device with an unhealthy obsession for breaking up peoples' marriages. This whole issue ignores this volume's main character and focuses instead on Marvel's demon king, and it is an absolute delight.For those looking for an action packed comic, they need to look elsewhere. Then again, the entire run of this title thus far has bee...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
A solid fix of Ennis-style mayhem 0
After a lengthy gap of about 4 months, Jennifer Blood returns, with a new artist on this issue, and it has recovered nicely from the problems I felt were plaguing the prior issue. In the last issue, I'd noticed that each issue up to that point had been going through essentially the exact same formula each issue and it was getting dull. I'd also noticed that the art was getting kinda lazy, with action panels with the mayhem up front and NOTHING in the back; literally no background whatsoever. ...
3 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
Unfortunately, even lackluster storylines sometimes need a coda. 0
Well, here we are. The "Wolverine's Revenge" storyline that I had grown increasingly bored with is finally over, and now we have the aftermath. Repeat plot twist or no, it makes sense that the "surprise ending" to Wolverine's Revenge would have big ramifications for the character. And where he goes in this issue as a result, both literally and emotionally, makes sense for this character. Unfortunately, it's still pretty boring. There are a few surprisingly strong emotional beats in this iss...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
Great character study at the expense of story 0
I applaud Bendis' work with the character of Moon Knight. His new take on the character and his schizophrenia remains a highly intriguing twist that keeps me very interested in this title, even though it continues to progress its storyline at a glacial pace. The character work is strong and the art is STUNNING... but the story is weak. I'd keep reading this title indefinitely even if it never progressed beyond this level for Bendis' strong work with the character's internal monologues and Mal...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
Very strong, Vertigo-Flavored debut 0
This is a debut issue that works on near all levels. It addresses that "things" in the DCU have recently changed, both overall and for Swamp Thing in particular. This helps the issue work for new readers who are unfamiliar with the specifics of the current DCU status quo, as well as being fairly unfamiliar with the character and world of Swamp Thing in particular. I'm a Marvel zombie born and bread picking this title up on the strength of writer Scott Snyder rather than any love for DC produc...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Cute but ultimately pointless 0
For the first six issues, this title was phenomenal. Then around issue 9... the title became very hit and miss. Issue 10 in the middle was fine, but 9 and 11 both are really unnecessary in the big picture and aren't that entertaining to boot. This issue has a big leg up over issue 9 due to Kyle Baker's art, but still, with how strong this title started off and with how nicely each one-off issue somehow connected to a greater whole, this issue stands alone in a perplexing way. All the more so...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
Too hectic 1
This issue has its moments, ultimately it throws too much hectic action and way too high of a random innocent bystander bodycount at the reader to add up to much. Kirsty chases after "The Box" as it is passed around in the streets, causing the deaths of everybody it comes into contact with. This causes continuity problems galore as it is a major departure from the rules of the Hellraiser World. "It is not hands that summon us, it is desire" or something like that, Pinhead clearly proclaims wa...
0 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Overlong story finally gets interesting 0
The Palmer Addley storyline (derailed for 3 issues of Fear Itself Crossovers) resumes and finally gets interesting again. It started off well enough in the first issue, then floundered a while, then got pushed aside for crossovers... but now it's back, and it's actually holding my interest in this issue. This issue, much like Spencer's recent work on Secret Avengers, is a superhero book that does not FEEL like a superhero book. It feels much more like police/FBI procedural TV programming. Th...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
A refreshing break from Fear Itself 1
While this title has been very strong and has provided some of the best Fear Itself crossover issues of any Marvel book, EVERY SINGLE ISSUE of the title thus far has been within the crossover, so it's a refreshing change of pace to have a one-off here that works towards defining Loki's reborn and changed character outside the perameters of crossover-land. A rare .1 issue not done by the regular or upcoming series writer, Rob Rodi manages to do a strong job on this issue nonetheless, as he has a...
2 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
Global Secret Avengers Frequency works! 0
Bringing Warren Ellis in to take the reins of this book and give each issue the done-in-one "Global Frequency" treatment was a BRILLIANT idea. All the more so if each separate story ties, however loosely, into the greater plot-thread whole, as this one does. I haven't read much from Warren Ellis in some time and I really missed his unique way of blending mad science, super espionage and witty dialogue. Beast, as the team's science expert, serves largely in this issue as an exposition machine ...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Jason Aaron has used this twist ending before... 1
If I hadn't read Jason Aaron's issue of the Iron Fist spinoff "Immortal Weapons" mini featuring Fat Cobra, this issue would have been so much better. But I have read that issue... which features a very similar twist... and for that, this issue suffers. I don't want to say exactly what the twist is, to avoid spoilers, but let me just say... read Immortal Weapons #1, before or after reading this issue, and share my disappointment in Jason Aaron, for repeating himself like so. That's not the onl...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful.
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