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5 (11) 4 (205) 3 (109) 2 (22) 1 (4) 3.8 starsAverage score of 351 user reviews
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Review: New Ultimates #5 1
Hell hath no fury like a grieving thunder god, and the Ultimates just may be forced to take down their teammate for the good of Earth. The Good Frank Cho's art is just top-notch, tying the flash of big action with tried-and-true storytelling. And it goes without saying that he can draw sexy and strong (yet realistic) women like no other! Story wise, I could glom to the new thematic tension of the Ultimates struggling to define their direction in the wake of the Ultimatum catastrophe. The Bad ...
3 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
Review: The Amazing Spider-Man #653 0
When Spidey's struggle with the Scorpion and the Slayers gets too tough, he deals his Avengers trump card and calls in the cavalry. The Good Page for page, this packs ton of a value in for your buck. The storytelling's dense in the best way, being quickly paced and concise rather than over-cooked and thick. You get a thrilling fight with the Scorpion, a frantic campaign against the Slayers and then there's even still room for some charming development of the Daily Bugle's soap opera. That's a ...
16 out of 17 found this review helpful. -
Review: Generation Lost #18 5
Power Girl rages against the JLE, being utterly convinced that they're actually a corrupt JLA. The Good I never paid much attention to Winick prior to just recently and, after putting more attention on him, I've been really digging the guy's way with dialogue and character. From the short, opening flashback to the waking nightmare Power Girl finds herself in, and then from Blue Beetle's almost-naive resilience against torture to Lord's almost-removed perspective on who's the good guy... the c...
6 out of 6 found this review helpful. -
Review: Fantastic Four #587 1
3 concludes with that important death you've all been hearing about for so long. The Good Sue's coronation as an undersea queen and the subsequent, significant shift it brings to her relationship with Namor was pretty clever - - a turn that brings characters into a new direction while still staying true to their established identities. Storytelling wise, I have to say that the mostly "silent" way the big death in this issue was handled added a lot more gravitas than it would've had in less car...
7 out of 14 found this review helpful. -
Review: New Mutants #21 0
Magik deals what's quite possibly the ultimate trump card in the game against the elder gods - - the ultra mutant Legion. The Good When it comes to the over-arching themes of the X-mythos, it's a rather brilliant move for Illyana to make this absurd gambit to basically sic Legion on the Elder gods so as to destroy them permanently. I've seen a lot of Byzantine metaphysical movements in comics (even just this week!) and, thus, really appreciated the sparse artistry with which Wells and Kirk rea...
7 out of 7 found this review helpful. -
Review; Chaos War #5 5
Hercules and the Chaos King go mano-a-mano for the fate of the entire Marvel universe - - and even some pocket universes! The Good As far as arcs go, I can't think of a more appropriate way for Herc to come full-circle than to achieve godhood and then renounce his all-power in the interests of humanity. While I'm only catching the tail end of it, I do have to say that Herc and Amadeus' relationship comes to a similarly-appropriate cathariss, with the two of them legitimately learning from eacho...
4 out of 6 found this review helpful. -
Review: Thunderbolts #152 4
The T-Bolts' take on a gang of nasty kaiju with the assistance of Hyperion; though they don't exactly which Hyperion they're dealing with. The Good I was intrigued by Hyperion's surprise addition to the team last issue and I'm glad to see the storytelling possibilities of his inclusion getting explored so satisfactorily. A big part of the fun of this book is to watch these extreme personalities having to work together even when they don't trust eachother - - so I was, thus, really enjoying the...
7 out of 7 found this review helpful. -
Review: Scarlet #4 0
Scarlet's campaign against the Portland police ramps up with the involvement of the FBI and an underground flashmob. The Good Bendis' signature dialog works marvelously here, setting a metronomic cadence that plays quite clearly in the theater of your mind. Maybe more than anything, I'm glad to see a comic with this kind of polish in production actually get to go as far out with such potentially incendiary subject matter. I'm sure Bendis is playing devil's advocate a bit, so it's refreshing to...
5 out of 5 found this review helpful. -
Review: Memoir #1 0
A journalist investigates a town where every resident, except one stranger, has forgotten his or her memories. The Good There's a palpable sense of creepiness to these proceedings and every aspect of the book - - from the bleak grayscale to the hushed delivery to the clinging-to-calmness narration - - contributes to it. Cook's art arcs from convincing naturalism to grotesque curvature with some skilled fluidity, recalling David Lapham''s work to my mind. Even without the text, there's this gre...
3 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
Review; X-Men Legacy #244 1
On the eve of the Age of X's dawn, Rogue searches for several missing X-Men who're caught in the clutches of aN extradimensional spider-squid. The Good It's cool to see the X-Men's telepaths finally get organized and coordinated with their group therapy approach to solving Legion's multiple-personality and the almost-clinical assessment of Blindfold's visions. I was also really digging Tolibao's art throughout, as it reminded me of the work of Leinil Francis Yu and Marc Silvestri while still r...
7 out of 7 found this review helpful. -
Review: Thor #619 0
Odin's back again and he isn't happy. Not at all. But with the first king of Asgard returned, what horrible fate lies for the acting king? The Good Ferry gets to riff on some similar ideas he explored during his clipped stint on Mr. Miracle and I'm pleased to see him taking those ideas as far as he has. While staying true to the viking fashion, the new designs here have a Tron-style cyberpunk edge that gives the whole thing a really cool balance of classical and futuristic. And Fraction's got ...
5 out of 6 found this review helpful. -
Review: Brightest Day #18 5
Hawkman and Hawkgirl's potential triumph over the Killer and their curse might actually make them targets of the White Lantern battery. The Good In other circumstances, I might be flustered by how Hawkman and Hawkgirl's cathartic reunion is so quickly quashed by another complication, but I think the circumstances here are absolutely brilliant. I've been consistently riveted by the philosophical and dramatic themes this new cosmology of entities entails, and it's awesomely clever how the ...
7 out of 8 found this review helpful. -
Review: Deadpool Max #4 1
Deadpool's South American assassination tango is cut-in by Cable, an ally-to-be who claims that the merc's missions is a lie. The Good There's something refreshing about getting to see Deadpool with the kiddy gloves finally off - - be that with F-Bombs dropping, discussions of futuristic lovemaking or a sidekick having to swim through an identified river of excrement. Despite some small issues, Baker's trademark cartoonist style actually meshes surprisingly well into this world of mercs and mut...
3 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
Review: Invincible Iron Man #500 3
Iron Man and Spider-Man get to the bottom of a possibly-dangerous leak of Stark's designs while visions of the future show the disastrous consequences of their potential failure. The Good Reminding me of DC One Million in a great way, this story brilliant weaves threads of the past and future together into a wonderfully-complex puzzle that instills much greater resonance and tension to every beat by actually telling you what's coming ahead of time. Fraction plays with expectations and associat...
7 out of 7 found this review helpful. -
Review: Starborn #2 0
Ben Warner's destiny as a galactic hero manifests deeper implications as Tara reveals just how long the alien conspiracy has been a part of his life. The Good The one-two punch of Randolph and Gerads on the art is an absolute delight. No matter what's happening, no matter what's being said, they make every inch of this space opera feel fresh with a real urban, graffiti style. There's also something intrinsically appealing about the metafictional notion of a sci-fi novelist getting all his idea...
4 out of 4 found this review helpful. -
Review: Hack/Slash: Me Without You 0
The sad, tragic origin of Cassie Hack's bodyguard, Vlad, is at last explored in this tale of a monster who's been abandoned by everyone he ever loved. The Good I continue to feel that Hack/Slash has a mythos with a lot of potential and this provides some long-in-coming explanations for one of the mega-series' most important characters. The title's been smart about never taking itself too seriously and, while I do wish this comic could've dug a little deeper, Vlad's plight is immediately sympat...
8 out of 8 found this review helpful. -
Review: Batman and Robin #19 4
Caught in the Absence's fiendish deathtrap, the new dynamic duo has to confront some serious questions about the humanness of their boss. The Good I'll say it every time I see him on a book - - Scott McDaniel's art is an unbridled joy to behold. Everything I said about his arc on Detective continues here. Cornell also infuses this comic with great character drama to underlie all the weirdness. Not only is the double-drill a classic bat-villain deathtrap, it adds an edge-of-your-seat twist that s...
8 out of 9 found this review helpful. -
Review: Thor the Mighty Avenger #8 0
Thor finds himself an unlikely rescuer in Iron Man, who might even harbor some doubts about the sincerity of this thunder god. The Good Charm charm charm. This title really does live up to the hype of delivering a lot of the magic and whimsy you enjoyed about comics as a kid, while still having the nuances you need as an adult reader. I especially enjoyed the subtle humor in a Stark's lines as he considers ditching his lady friends and then ponders how "for real" Thor is. Samnee's art has an ef...
3 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
Review: Red Robin #19 3
Red Robin finds himself in the waking nightmare that is the Unternet, and he must marshall the unlikely allies of Anarchy and the Riddler to help find his way out. The Good Nicieza and To make this swashbuckling superhero-er work like a well-wound clock, delivering the kind clarity and directness you'd really want out of a title like this. I especially liked the depict ion of Tim's disciplined thought process - - how he was using the Riddler as a means to keep his sanity in check and how he wa...
7 out of 8 found this review helpful. -
Review: Transformers Prime #1 0
After a botched bout of smash 'n grab on Cybertron, Cliffjumper is saved by Arcee JUST as both of them are called in to help Optimus Prime's mission on a mysterious planet called "Earth." The Good Johnson totally nails the tone of this book because it very much feels like an episode of Transformers. Yes, that means the character interaction is as basic as Arcee being leery of Cliffjumper's recklessness ruining her stealth, but there's nothing wrong with feeling that. Nothing at all. I was espe...
3 out of 4 found this review helpful. -
Review: Sweet Tooth #17 3
Jeppard and the kids break out of this latest prison they've found themselves in, but at a cost most terrible for Jeppard's family. The Good As I've said for every issue I've read of this title, Lemire's got real strength as a storyteller and his cartoonist's flourish in these layouts involves you on a visceral level in every little moment. The title page splash, in particular, with its ring of outlines, was a real striking example of that. While the look may have gotten a little too intense f...
1 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
Review: Avengers: Children's Crusade #4 5
Wiccan's attempt to remind the Scarlet Witch of her previous life incurs the action of the Avengers and the wrath of Dr. Doom. The Good The fact that Cheung isn't at a higher level of comic stardom baffles me. As I've said before, he's a total package artist. Storytelling, emotion, flash, detail... he's got it all in equal measure. With one exception (more on that below) the characterization of the dialog fit the characters to T, from Wanda's willful kind of naivete to Wolverine's "I told you ...
9 out of 9 found this review helpful. -
Review: Ant-Man & Wasp #3 3
Monica Rappaccini makes the Wasp a devilish offer while Ant-Man struggles to find a way of Goliath's iHeaven. The Good Seely infuses this comic with some impressive intelligence and biting humor. O'Grady is a legitimate jerk, but you're also legitimately laughing at his wisecracks, even when he's doing some really petty things. Likewise, Pym truly comes across as a brilliant man who's had a serious change of heart after years of not being in control of himself. His attempts to find creative way...
3 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
Review: Thanos Imperative: Devastation #1 2
As the galaxy still recovers from war with the Cancerverse, Cosmo assembles a team of cosmic heavy hitters to quash the new threat of Blastaar. The Good This whole issue being narrated by Cosmo's swarthy brand of Russian accent made it twice as enjoyable as would've been otherwise. Not only is just plain funny to "hear" this mutt talking about such heady cosmology, it also added a much needed humorous contrast to balance all the somber galactic drama without tipping everything over into parody...
4 out of 4 found this review helpful. -
Review: Heroic Age X-Men #1 4
Steve Rogers' thoughts and observations of every mutant in the Marvel Universe. Includes a comprehensive listing of characters. The Good If you've only recently gotten back into the X-Books, as I have, this is a handy, concise guide that'll give you the 411 on all the new mutants and also catch you up on all your old friends and favorites. Rogers' entries reveal as much about his personality, post-resurrection, as they do about those of the individually-profiled characters. And Jae Lee's cove...
6 out of 6 found this review helpful. -
Review: Chaos War X-Men #1 4
Thunderbird leads a team of resurrected X-Men, including Banshee and the Stepford Cuckoos, against a murder of the Chaos King's soul-stealing crows. The Good Claremont and Simonson key in on something here that's actually a lot more tragic than anything any number of tribute specials could convey. Thunderbird actually would've been a great X-Men, maybe even a great leader, if he'd ever gotten his fair shake. That, plus the quite-accurate characterizations of the rest of the resurrected, makes ...
7 out of 8 found this review helpful. -
Review: Secret Warriors #23 1
With John Garret as his trainer, Sebastian masters his body and his life to properly ready aide his team at their most dire moment in the war with Leviathan. The Good Vitti's got some amazing range in art, handling tough-as-nails wet work, spectacular superheroic magic and even an extended bout of weight loss with equal enthusiasm. I haven't been reading this title from the beginning so, at times, I haven't always been square about who's who here, but I could really get behind this short tale o...
8 out of 8 found this review helpful. -
Review: Deadpool Corps #9 2
Deadpool gets into an intergalactic love triangle that puts him at odds with Lady Deadpool and the rest of his loyal corps. The Good Yackey really deserves a lot of commendation for his colors in this issue, because they pick up a lot of the slack in detail, shading and general rendering that's missing in the actual lines. He also knows how to simulate cinematic elements like edge lighting and depth of field in ways that actually add to the storytelling experience, rather than intruding on it....
2 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
Review: Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine #4 0
Wolverine and Spider-Man's histories intersect again and again as two goons and the real mastermind finally show themselves and own up to this time-crossed predicament. The Good Aaron totally gets these characters and his spot-on characterizations anchor the book, even when it's at its wildest excesses. There's some really inspired audacity to the kind of ridiculous situations he puts these guys through - - whether it be Wolvie donning a luchador mask or Spidey running around with a coat of gu...
5 out of 5 found this review helpful. -
Review: Flash #8 2
The Reverse Flash's origin is retold as we watch the obsessed and burden Professor Zoom develop an increasing hatred for humanity and the Flash, in particular, as a teacher at the Flash museum. The Good There's a superb, visceral quality to the storytelling in this issue. You can just watch Zoom's bitterness and hostility worsen with every cruel rewind and brutal edit he makes to his own timeline. Johns smartly weaves together some great themes about the dangers of impatience as we watch Thawn...
9 out of 9 found this review helpful. -
Review: Avengers #8 1
When a bruised and beaten Red Hulk seeks the aide of the Avengers, his pleas alert them to the Hood's underhanded scheme to nab all the Infinity Gems. The Good I never thought I could appreciate an Avengers book with this many characters for its procedural qualities, but the investigations of both the Illuminati and Cap's Avengers were just as riveting as the Rulk's slug fest with the Hood. Bendis achieves such verisimilitude in these larger-than-life characters' affairs without sacrificing a...
5 out of 7 found this review helpful. -
Review: Chew #16 1
With the chicken ban temporarily ignored in the face a possible alien Apocalypse, Tony Chew investigates a former agent whose food-related abilities have taken a grotesque turn. The Good We're introduced to another agent with a new kind of eating talent (or is that a disorder? Take your pick,) adding a twisted spoke into this wonderful wheel of culinary fantasy. The confrontation in his apartment was wonderfully bent, just as I've come to expect, and I was impressed with the creativity of his...
4 out of 4 found this review helpful. -
Review: Invincible Iron Man #33 3
With both War Machine and Rescue powered down and out of commission, Tony Stark gives Detroit Steel and his drones one hell of a race IN their would-be assassination. The Good Smartass superheroes are more the rule than the exception these days, but Fraction's Tony Stark ridicules his foes with such flippant panache, it feels like a much realer brand of showboating. Let me put it this way - - Stark turns an narrowly-repelled attempt on his life into a smug commercial for his new car. So much ...
6 out of 6 found this review helpful. -
Review: Generation Lost #16 4
The Creature Commandos' relentless assault on the JLI's hide-out actually yields a possible, last-minute remedy for Fire's fatal injuries. The Good It's so cool to see the Creature Commandos back in action! I thoroughly enjoyed the revival mini-series they got from Tim Truman a few years back - - they're one of the few cases where classic monsters have actually been updated in a creative, fun way. It speaks to how sharp Winick's writing on this that so much tension and suspense could be found...
6 out of 6 found this review helpful. -
Review: X-Men #6 0
The X-Men step back to let Dracula sort out his differences with Xarus, but what will they do when Blade wants to intervene? The Good I was about as leery as anybody when the X-Men jumped on the vampire bandwagon that's currently plowing through America but, now that this arc has concluded, I have really enjoyed this take on the bloodsuckers. Since the mutants have organized into their own nation, it's actually quite appropriate for them to run afoul another order of humanoid creatures. Believe...
7 out of 7 found this review helpful. -
Review: Chaos War #4 5
Hercules battles his sister, Athena, the latest servant of the Chaos King, while the waves of entropy fell Amadeus Cho, Thor and even Galactus. The Good As I've said before, this has been one of the most character-driven crossovers I've encountered and I really appreciate the specifics of Herc's personality. He's got this indomitable can-do attitude that never accepts defeat because he, quite literally, can't understand it. His pep talk with the other gods in the pit had this great quality of a...
4 out of 5 found this review helpful. -
Review: Avengers Academy #7 2
Hank Pym abandons the Wasp identity at last and becomes Giant Man once more, just as a brawl with the Absorbing Man forces him to face the loss of Janet van Dyne. The Good Gage's strength on this series has been in his three-dimensional characterizations that encompass each hero's good and bad traits without efer simplifying them into caricatures. To that end, I appreciated him embracing the volatility of Hank Pym's fractured psyche while still keeping him a fundamentally noble character. Als...
5 out of 6 found this review helpful. -
Review: Batman & Robin #18 4
With the dynamic duo firmly clasped in her clutches, the Absence fills them in on the details of her tragic origin and the source of her seemingly-impossible head wound. The Good Batman's got the best rogue's gallery of any superhero and I'm sure it's incredibly hard to come up with new villains with gimmicks that are not only strong, but also distinct from those that have come before. In a matter of only a few pages, the Absence has won me over as a worthy addition to this cadre of criminals....
8 out of 10 found this review helpful. -
Review: Emerald Warriors #5 6
The secret of Guy's pact with Atrocitus is revealed just as his unit of Honor Lanterns are arrested by rookies mistaking them for the Sinestro Corps. The Good I'm always impressed by how Tomasi infuses this outer space with such grand emotion and philosophical weight. In this issue, he puts Kilowog into the absolute worst position he could ever be in - - both physically and emotionally - - and that's exactly what a dramatist is supposed to do. Pasarin is just lush, too, and I appreciate his ...
9 out of 9 found this review helpful. -
Review: Thunderbolts #51 4
While the grounded T-Bolts pace in their bunker, a bored Moonstone asks Ghost for the true story of his origin. The Good Walker's layouts in this issue were really inventive and I'm so glad to see a penciler opting for some inventive approaches to storytelling as opposed to the standard grid. Parker writes Ghost with this wonderfully-ostentatious voice that gives his familiar tale of revenge a uniquely socio-political spin. It reminded me of some of the best Batman the Animated Series episode...
7 out of 7 found this review helpful.
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