Posted by Ian Candish, on August 31st, 2010
Never let it be said that Robert Kirkman is a man without ideas. Or a lazy writer. He’s the creative force behind some of the best selling comics around today, from Invincible, to Marvel Zombies, The Walking Dead…the list goes on. Plus, he’s got the forthcoming “Walking Dead” TV show on AMC which has already been approved for a second season in spite of the fact that the first season is 2 months away from its premiere!
That said, last week brought us Science Dog #1 which featured the first...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 31st, 2010
Let’s forget that the movie adaptation of The Spirit and Robo Cop 3 ever existed, instead let’s focus on what Frank Miller was good at, writing comic books. In the early nineties Miller along with artist John Romita Jr. wrote what is arguably the best Daredevil story, Man Without Fear. Originally it was intended to be a graphic novel, but instead Marvel decided to release it as a five issue miniseries, it is now available as one trade with the full story.
The book is a retelling of Daredevil’s origin story....
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on August 31st, 2010
Stop the press! Green Arrow is dead! Well just from looking at the cover I’d say so. But now on with the review of Green Arrow #3. Also, does anyone still say “stop the press”?
Last time we saw Oliver Queen he had just been shot in the head by an arrow which left him for dead. Who was the unknown assassin who was trying to kill him? I was thinking the issue would of open with his sidekick Roy Harper, aka Arsenal (Red Arrow) taking down his Oliver as payback for the stuff that went down in the ‘Rise and...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on August 31st, 2010
This latest edition of The Avengers written by Brian Micheal Bendis with art by John Romita Jr opens with a bang as out heroes descends upon a Manhattan that is caught in multiple time lines and well I guess you could say all hell has broken lose. But is this issue any good? Well read on to see what happens to out main group of Avengers.
Marvel and most comic publishers tend to have a habit of putting things on the cover that well I will just say it aren’t true. It is just to sell books of course.This cover is more...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 30th, 2010
It’s only been six years, but Astonishing X-Men has made it to 35 issues. Overall I have been a fan of this series, mostly because it finally made Cyclops a cool character. The drawback of this series is that is so far between issues by the time you get a new one you forgot what happened. Issue 35 is the end of the storyline eXogenetic which I found to be a whole lot better than the previous and super confusing storyline Ghost Box.
After saving Abigail Brand from crashing a spaceship and then fighting off a Sentinel made...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on August 29th, 2010
If you’ve been keeping up with Victor Gischler’s new X-Men series (‘Curse of the Mutants’) then you’ll know that there are a couple of one shot tie-ins which you can pick up at your own leasure, if you so please, to accompany the main story. My attention was grabbed by this interesting one shot, ‘Storm & Gambit #1‘. I thought to myself, ‘what an odd pairing for a one shot’, so seen as though I had been hooked from the title alone, and that I quite like Gambit and Chris...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 27th, 2010
Remember ten years ago when there was only one Deadpool series, and you felt lucky to have it? Now there’s so many Deadpool books you can’t throw a rock into a comic book store without hitting one. I’ve been a huge fan of the Merc with a Mouth for a long time now, and even I’m starting to groan when I see another new Deadpool book on the shelf. In my opinion Deadpool Team-Up is a hit or miss book, it only works if the guest star works. For instance the issue with The Living Colossus didn’t do much...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 24th, 2010
Ah 2009, it was a simpler time. A time when Dinosaurs roamed the Earth, and I had never heard of Justin Bieber. It was also the last time ComicImpact had Trade Tuesday. Well guess what boys and girls?! Trade Tuesday is back! And it’s gonna be exactly as you remember it! Except instead of video we’re doing written reviews. But besides that it’s exactly the same! EXACTLY! So get ready because this week I’ll be doing a review of Chew Vol. 1: Taster’s Choice.
I got to be honest when I first heard about Chew I was...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on August 24th, 2010
A few months back I picked DC Universe Legacies #1 as my Pick Of The Week, and I was hoping that it would still be good after #1 and now I’m posting a review of #4 and I can say I still loving this book! It tells us the story of the DC Universe through the eyes of man on the street, Paul Lincoln, an NYPD officer.
Now there is a new wave of heroes joining the DC Universe team such as the original Teen Titans. Although one of my favorite parts of this series so far has to be when the two Flash’s ( Jay Garrick and...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 23rd, 2010
I absolutely hate it when comic book characters die, especially when it’s one of my favorite characters. I’ve been a fan of Nightcrawler since I was a kid and saw the Pryde of the X-Men video, and when I read X-Men Second Coming and saw him die I was pissed. I think the worst part of Nightcrawler being killed was that it happened in the middle of the story arc. Suddenly Kurt is dead, they take a few minutes to give him a quick funeral, and then it’s back to the fight for the survival of the mutant race. I felt...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on August 23rd, 2010
Secret Avengers #4 is the final issue in the ‘Secret Histories‘ storyarc by Ed Brubaker and Mike Deodato. So what did I make of the first story in this new series? I thought that all in all, it was a bad story to start the series with. This story would have been much better if it had been told around the #20 mark. We’ve just not seen enough of this team working together yet for us to take in something as climatic as this. I was a little overwhelmed by this whole story arc.
This issue sees Commander or Captain...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on August 23rd, 2010
For a while now I feel like I have been one of the only people reading and enjoying both the Incredible Hulk and Hulk.The story has been,to me,one of the best the Hulk has had in a very long time.They have built up a great anti hero in the Red Hulk while showing a different side to the regular Hulk.It has made Banner confront his father issues by dealing with Skarr , his son, in Incredible Hulk 611.Now in Hulk 24 he is made to deal with another issue…one that has been with him since the beginning of Banners transformation...
Posted by Ian Candish, on August 21st, 2010
When you’re a person in charge of a group of people from time to time you have to let loose and show everyone that you really are a badass motherfucker. Thunderbolts #147 is Luke Cage and Warden John Walker’s chance to do just that.
Issue 147 of Thunderbolts starts off with a quick wrap up of the previous issue where the T-Bolts were sent to find a group of S.H.I.E.L.D. and U.N. agents who were investigating a deposit of mutation causing terrigen crystals. The agents were mutated and the Thunderbolts had to work...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on August 21st, 2010
The kids at Avengers Academy take a field trip this week to The Raft (Maximum Securtiy Prison) as part of the ‘Scared Straight’ program,set up to keep the young whippersnappers from thinking of doing anything remotely evil with their powers. For this issue and the next, Avengers Academy will be focusing on the events which took place on August 18th on The Raft, home of the Thunderbolts.
If you read the truly wonderful Thunderbolts #147 which also came out this week, then you’ll know what happened with the blackout...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 20th, 2010
Highland Laddie is the newest spin off series from Garth Ennis’ The Boys. This series follows Hughie after he decides to take a sabbatical and go back to his home town of Auchterladle, Scotland. As always Garth Ennis does a fantastic job of entertaining me and confusing the Hell out of me at the same.
The book starts with Hughie getting off a bus, he then walks through the town, giving the readers a chance to see what kind of town he grew up in. He then walks to a house where his mother is doing laundry and singing Hughie...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on August 18th, 2010
Steve Rogers has been alive,dead(frozen),alive,dead(shot through time), and now alive again.So needless to say Mr.Rogers has been through a few things. Through all these different things though he always seems a victim of circumstance. In every story I never think of him as the type of super hero who has to use his brain to take down his foes.Unusually Steve is more of a tactician. In that he is always alert and takes advantage of his foe at exactly the right moment to make the biggest impact on the battle….you know like...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on August 17th, 2010
For sometime now I have been saying that ‘Ultimate Spider-Man’ by Brian Michael Bendis and David Lafuente is the best Spider-Man book out there, and this week’s issue shows you why. In the first few pages we see the Chameleon running around making everyone in New York city think that he is the real Spider-Man. Lafuente’s art is just so beautiful, but I will get back to Lafuente in a bit.
A few pages on we see Peter with J. Jonah Jameson in a warehouse that looks like something out of Fight Club....
Posted by Rob Andrews, on August 16th, 2010
We are now 2 issues into Victor Gischler’s ‘Curse Of The Mutants’ story, a story which most of us here at Comic Impact thought would fail from the get go, but I can give you my assurance that this does not suck (was that a bad pun?). In fact this issue was a heck of a lot of fun, and it feels like it’s actually pushing the boat out a bit beyond where most modern vampire stories dare to go.
I think the way it incorporates a good X-Men story with the Marvel vampires is entertaining and it feels quite new...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 16th, 2010
To be honest I have never been the biggest fan of The Hulk. Prior to World War Hulk my only knowledge of Hulk came from the old TV show with Lou Ferrigno, and the more recent movies. I gotta say though in the last three years or so I have really warmed up to the Hulk, or rather Bruce Banner. When Bruce lost the ability to change into the Hulk I got hooked on this series. I’ve really enjoyed seeing Dr. Banner use his scientific genius to take down his enemies instead of changing into a monster and beating the snot out of...
Posted by Ian Candish, on August 15th, 2010
Things haven’t been going well lately for Daken. He lost his spot on the Avengers when Norman Osborn was brought down, he was used as a tool by Logan to bring down Romulus and now Franken-Castle has come back for round two after being murdered by Daken.
Issue #89 of Dark Wolverine is chapter 3 of the Dark Wolverine/Franken-Castle rematch, titled “Punishment.” Chapter 1 was in Dark Wolverine #88 and Chapter 2 was in Franken-Castle #19.
The story of this series has been pretty simple: Franken-Castle is really,...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 13th, 2010
A small town with something weird happening, in this case everybody in the town is disappearing. Not the most original way to start a story, but when it’s the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense you know it’s going to be interesting. B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: New World is a new series from Mike Mignola that continues where King of Fear left off.
There’s a lot of stuff going on in this issue that makes it a tough read, but I have high hopes that it will pay off. Dr. Kate Corrigan is the current field director...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on August 12th, 2010
It isn’t often that I will ever get the chance to do a soundtrack review for the site but this time I felt it required it! You may be asking yourself though. Why now? Why Scott Pilgrim? Well let me explain. Most soundtracks connected to a movie based off a comic are either a pure orchestrated one or have songs that have either influenced the original comic or the band themselves are lending songs to the soundtrack because they have been influenced by the comic.In most cases they are sub par and are not that great, with...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on August 10th, 2010
Doom might have done it this time. He has put the X-Men,The Fantastic Four,The Black Panther,War Machine,Deadpool & The Country of Wakanda up against the wall along with all of that nations most precious of resources Vibranium. At every move some of the smartest minds in the Marvel Universe have been usurped by Doom and his bevy of bases and bots! At this point in the game he has all the power, all the vibranium and it would seem all our heroes at the mercy of Victor Von Doom. Does he have what it takes to finish the job?...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on August 9th, 2010
If the comic business doesn’t work out for Brian Michael Bendis (very unlikely, but stay with me), then I reckon he could make a pretty good living out of being a DJ. Whereas the first issue of Avengers Prime felt like a song with an upbeat tempo, this second issue felt more like a layed back, slightly slower piece of music. So with that pathetic analogy of which I am quite ashamed, you shouldn’t be surprised when I tell you that unfortunatly this issue was not as special as its predecessor.
It wasn’t as special,...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on August 8th, 2010
Along with Hellboy: The Storm #2 (which was phenomenal), Mike Mignola also has another comic on the stands this week, and it goes by the name of Baltimore: The Plague Ships #1. Along with fellow writer Christopher Golden and artist Ben Stenbeck, Mignola and co’ give us the first issue of a 5 issue mini series focusing around the character Lord Baltimore.
I am aware that Mignola and Golden have worked together before on an illustrated novel about this very character, though I must admit I’ve never read it. Truth be...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 8th, 2010
So Daredevil has become the leader of The Hand, he’s got an army of ninjas that he’s used to create a police-state, and he’s built a giant castle in the middle of Hell’s Kitchen. If that wasn’t crazy enough Daredevil, who has sworn never to kill, has actually killed Bullseye by stabbing him through the chest. When I saw that at the end of the first issue of Shadowland I was stunned. It would be like Batman shooting the Joker in the head, everyone believes it to be the only logical end, but nobody...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on August 8th, 2010
Five years ago I fell in love with Ed Brubaker’s Captain America. I was telling everyone I know to read this new Captain America book, and then when I first meet Comic Impact staff member Sheldon I told him how great this book was.
I told him how great Brubaker was and then last year Captain America: Reborn came out and I was not a big fan of it, and my man crush for Brubaker went away. But I still read Captain America anyway since I was loving Bucky as Captain America. Now for the past two storylines (Two Americas...
Posted by Ian Candish, on August 7th, 2010
So what has Ken Hale, everyone’s favorite gruff adventurer trapped in a gorilla’s body, been up to? Getting in a whole lot of trouble in jolly ol’ Africa, that’s what he’s doing.
Gorilla-Man is an adventurer who, thanks to a big heaping helping of magic, was turned into an immortal ape. About all that is known about him is that he works as an Agent of Atlas so this mini-series has been showing the reader where Ken Hale came from and what he did to lead him down the path toward becoming Gorilla-Man.
Issue...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on August 6th, 2010
On this weeks Figure Friday we are going to take a look at the Comic Con Exclusive Plastic Man this is the first time we get to see him as a part of the DC Universe Classics line.
Package Description:
There is no Package Description yet MattyCollector.com has this to say about this Exclusive SDCC 2010 figure.
One of the SDCC figures we know you’re stoked to see is the one and only malleable immortal, Plastic Man. Being that he’s a super hero and all, we felt his packaging should be equally impressive and here’s your...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 6th, 2010
The New Mutants Forever takes place when writer Chris Claremont left the book with issue 54. This was when Professor Xavier was written out of the series and Magneto was made the headmaster of the school, but thankfully he doesn’t wear that lame costume with the giant “M.” Unfortunately that’s about the only thing to be thankful for in this book, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
What is nice about the book is that Claremont does a great job of giving the reader the necessary back-story to understand...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on August 2nd, 2010
I don’t know a lot about Green Arrow to be honest, sure I know he looks like Robin Hood and he is a member of the Justice League, or one of these DC team books, but that’s all.
This and The Flash comic are the only Brightest Day books that I am reading. Now for the two issues in a row J.T. Krul has made me a fan of Green Arrow. The story starts right after the end of the first issue as Hal Jordan comes to check up on his old friend Ollie Queen, who is now living in the forest. As Ollie tells Hal Jordan “You...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 2nd, 2010
Look at Haunt and I think somebody took their Spawn and Spider-Man action figures and just smashed them together, but this series is about as far as you can get from those books while still being in the same genre. For those of you who don’t know about this character from Robert Kirkman and Todd McFarlane, Haunt is about a priest named Daniel Kilgore who is linked to his dead brother, Kurt Kilgore and when the two merge they become a superhero. Did I mention that Daniel’s brother was killed because he was a secret...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on August 1st, 2010
Fantastic Four 581. Wow. For the longest time I have been invested in Hickman’s run on the Fantastic Four wondering where it was going.This is the payoff issue! We have seen Marvels first family go into parallel universes and fight seemingly lame villians (Arcade I am talking to you) but one of the biggest mysteries as of late is what was going on with the older Franklin coming to the younger Franklin and whispering something to him on his birthday.It really may seem like I am building this issue up but just keep reading...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on August 1st, 2010
If one comic rocked my cock off this week, it was Artifacts #1 from Top Cow Productions. Truth be told, this is the only Top Cow comic I’ve purchased, ever. But not the first one I’ve read. Let me explain. If you cast your minds back to May, you might remember that Top Cow published Artifacts #0 as a free comic, part of FCBD. Well believe it or not, but that free copy of Artifacts #0 gave me everything I’d ever wanted to put myself in a prime position to jump into the Top Cow Universe.
For a complete Top Cow...
Posted by Ian Candish, on July 31st, 2010
The new Flash series by Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul is only up to issue four and already it’s one of the books I look forward to the most every month. The reintroduction of Barry Allen into the modern DC Universe has been done flawlessly. They’ve shown how he’s a man truly out of time who is unfamiliar with modern life. They have also made a point of showing that Barry and Iris aren’t jumping right back into their old relationship, they’re taking things slow which seems very natural.
Issue...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on July 31st, 2010
I had a hard time taking in what I had just read when I finished this 3rd issue of Ed Brubaker and Mike Deodato’s Secret Avengers. I was not expecting Brubaker to make this story so cosmic, as I could probably say that everything about this issue was cosmic material. The weird thing is as well is that as much as I love Marvel’s cosmic comics with all my heart, I am a bit scared about this series getting engrossed in the cosmic stuff. I think that this story could lose it’s way if it is not handled with the upmost...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on July 30th, 2010
The current PunisherMax has been going for almost a year now, and I gotta say Jason Aaron has done a fantastic job of filling in Garth Ennis’ shoes. This is the Frank Castle we all know and love, a normal guy with guns who kills people that just need killing. And let’s not forget the art of Steve Dillon, one of the few people that can properly convey the anger of The Punisher.
Issue Nine starts out with Wilson Fisk (the still wet behind the ears Kingpin of Crime) giving a very stern lecture to Bullseye over the phone...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on July 26th, 2010
And finally, here comes the good stuff! At its third issue, Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr have at long last won me over. I loved this issue. It was everything a good Avengers comic should, in my opinion be. The first two issues were hit and miss in their various ways, but this issue used the ups and downs of what was the ‘build-up stuff’ in the previous issues to really propel itself to infinity and beyond. This series can’t come down from the high level it’s put itself in with the contents of...
Posted by Ian Candish, on July 22nd, 2010
I’m going to start this review by pissing off my college journalism professor and leading with a definition. One of Merriam-Webster’s definitions for “progress” is, “a forward or onward movement.” The first part of the “One Moment In Time” story arc that begins in Amazing Spider-Man #638 is (along with “Brand New Day” in general) the exact opposite of the word progress.
Aside from getting a terrible Whitney Houston song stuck in my head, “One Moment In Time”...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on July 19th, 2010
Many of you who have read my reviews know that I am a fan of Jeff Parker and Agents of Atlas. I love the idea of another underground agency working within the Marvel Universe. On the surface, the idea of a book about Gorilla-Man sounds only a little enticing.This book has GREAT potential to get lost in the shuffle of weekly books but, after reading this first issue it shows that Parker and Company still have a few surprises up their sleeves.
Gorilla-Man and Ken Hale have a sordid past at Marvel Comics. That much is true but,...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on July 19th, 2010
Avengers Academy has taken me by surprise as one of the better comics to have come out of Marvel’s ‘Heroic Age’. I do not mean that in the sense that I think the ‘Heroic Age’ has produced a lot of poor new series and reboots, quite the opposite in fact! I mean it as in I honestly believe this is one of the better ‘Heroic Age’ comics I am reading.
It’s a busy book (just like ‘Avengers: Initiative’ was before this basically replaced it) with a lot of characters and a lot...
Posted by Ian Candish, on July 17th, 2010
Are you into comics that have tons of violence, gore, sex and cannibalism but Crossed just doesn’t feel wacky and fun enough and you’re not so much into graphic rape? Then Chew is the book for you my friend!
Chew is about Tony Chu (see what they did there?) who is an FDA agent in a world gone mad where, due to bird flu epidemic, there is a prohibition on chicken and chicken products and the FDA is now one of the most powerful branches of the US government. What makes Tony Chu special is the fact that he is a “cibopath.” ...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on July 17th, 2010
After years of long, sleepless nights asking yourself “where did Bruce go at the end of Batman R.I.P?” well now we know. Thanks to writer Grant Morrison and artist Tony Daniel. Now we’re getting the missing chapter of Batman R.I.P just like the cover tells us. Sure I know that Grant Morrison’s writing can get a little confusing and I think he reads better in trade.
This is Bruce Wayne’s first appearance as Batman in almost two years. It is great timing as Doctor Hurt’s had a recent appearance...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on July 16th, 2010
With such powerful cover artwork and an extremely intriguing name, ‘X-Force: Sex and Violence’ was something I felt I had to pick up. I had heard about and seen this comic in the previews a few months ago but had given it nothing more than a quick raise of the eyebrow. Yet here I am, giving it more attention than I’d have thought it would warrant.
It’s the first of a 3 issue mini series by writers Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost, and artist Gabriele Dell’Otto. It explores the physical relationship...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on July 13th, 2010
If you have been reading some of articles here on our site or if you’ve been listening to some of our audio podcasts, then maybe you’ll be aware that I love Jeff Lemire’s ‘Sweet Tooth’ from Vertigo Comics. The question I have been asking myself is “how would he do on a superhero comic with capes”. Then a few months back we found out that he was going to work on the ‘Brightest Day The Atom Special #1′ for DC Comics.
Now that I have read it I can tell you he did a great job....
Posted by Ian Candish, on July 12th, 2010
Tim Drake has been busy since he got back to Gotham City. First he had to fend off the League of Assassins, protect pretty much everyone he knows from the League, prevent Ra’s Al Ghul from obtaining the entire Wayne estate and then got his ass royally kicked by Ra’s. Now Red Robin is creating a “hit list” of villains to bring down. The list is prioritized so that by taking one person down it will lead to the next.
Lately Tim has been living in Wayne Tower with Dick, Damian and Alfred but he wants to...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on July 11th, 2010
Alone, broken and out for justice no matter how big or small the crime is…that is how Scarlet, written by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by Alex Maleev starts and it promises big, BIG things! I first heard about Scarlet when every one else did around C2E2. The idea as I remember it was promised to start out small and very personal and then get VERY BIG fast, kicking off a new American Revolutionary War ofsorts.Before I get to far into the review please know that this is not a statement on my political views but more of...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on July 11th, 2010
The award for the ‘Most Sadistic Bastard of the Year’ goes to… Grant Morrison. Undeniably, the man writes good comics and he is an astonishly smart writer, but by God does he lather everything in mystery and cryptic mumbo-jumbo. Reading his current Batman comics is one of the most painstakingly agonising experiences I’ve ever been through, yet I love his work and the impact it leaves when he finally delivers the punch at the end of his stories.
Take this issue for example, Batman & Robin #13. Once...
Posted by Ian Candish, on July 10th, 2010
I’m a fan of The Young Avengers. I have the first hardcover on my bookshelf and I lend it out to anyone who shows any interest because it’s so good and so much more than the average sidekick book. Unfortunately a lot of the Young Avengers stories that have followed that collection haven’t really lived up to it in my eyes. So when I found out that writer Allan Heinberg and artist Jim Cheung, the creators of that fantistic original run, were coming back to write “Avengers: The Children’s Crusade”...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on July 5th, 2010
So here it is, Wonder Woman #600. The last of the milestone issues from DC Comics this year. This is the one I know the least about as I am not big fan of Wonder Woman, and I know very little about her. I know the basic stuff, but you shouldn’t ask me who she was fighting in issue #350. For that, I would tell you to pick up the ‘Wonder Woman encyclopedia’ by Phil Jimenez and John Wells.
Now onto the review of this book. Just like the two other comics of this type, it is full of shorts stories, although this...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on July 4th, 2010
For sometime now, we have been hearing about this all new X-Men comic, that is going to have vampires in the first story arc. I personally think it is a bit silly.
Well, guess what I read last night? That’s right, the new X-men number 1 from Victor Gischler (’The Death of Dracula’) and artwork by Paco Medina (‘Deadpool’). How was it? How did I get a copy, and does it spoil ‘Second Coming’? Read on to find out.
First off this issue does not spoil ‘Second Coming‘. Thank God,...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on July 4th, 2010
If it’s one thing I have learned in my 25 years of collecting comics it is NEVER ,EVER trust a cover and The FLASH issue#3 is no exception. I would like to add that apparently you can NEVER, EVER trust the Comixology description as well…but I digress.
I would like to take you now on a journey… a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That’s a signpost up ahead: your next stop: The Flash Issue 3. This issue is written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Francis Manapul.This issue...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on July 3rd, 2010
Regardless of whether this comic was good or bad in anyone’s eyes, one thing that rings universal is that Victor Gischler quite obviously has big plans to bring vampires back into the Marvel Universe on a large scale. This comic saw the uprising of what could be said to be a ‘civilization’ of vampires. I’m not talking just for a story-arc or two in the future which might focus on these vampires, but perhaps what could be for the forseeable future; and if I am wrong about that, then even so, I want to shake...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on July 2nd, 2010
Before I start this review I am sure you are asking yourself “What can the guy that loves Marvel possibly tell me about a DC book.”. Well allow me to retort. I am only hard on DC because I know they can up their game.Lately in my own humble opinion they have not been up to par.They have some of the MOST recognizable characters in the comic brand but they are treating them with little respect and not considering the future of the brand. Having said all that…I would like to talk to you about Batman Beyond 1 of...
Posted by Christina Flores, on June 30th, 2010
I reviewed the first issue of American Vampire with very high hopes and all of them have been surpassed by leaps and bounds. Both parts of this two story book, one by Scott Snyder and the other by Stephen King, get better and better along with the amazing art by Rafael Albuquerque. I seriously don’t know what to rave about first.
Albuquerque’s art is so rich with texture and atmosphere. There is actual movement in hair and clothing, nothing is too stiff or posed. People have facial expressions that actually...
Posted by Mathew Hyde, on June 30th, 2010
As the summer draws in another season of a much loved TV show winds to a close. Comic Impact favorite Doctor Who brings season five to an end, and what an ending! But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Doctor Who season five has been the perfect jumping on point for anyone wanting to join in the fun for the first time. A brand new Doctor, a new companion, a new TARDIS and even new Daleks. The whole season has been under a new lead writer, Steven Moffat, and he’s opened the door for anyone who’s curious about what...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on June 30th, 2010
The other day when I was at the comic store, I saw that there was a new original graphic novel out called ‘Arkham Asylum: Madness’ from writer/artist Sam Kieth. You may remember Kieth from the 1990s ‘THE MAXX’ comics from Image.
Well this time around Kieth invites us to spend 24 hours inside the mad house that is Arkham Asylum. Let me tell you this much, this book is not for the weak of heart.
If you’re a fan of old school horror movies like Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre or the TV show...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on June 29th, 2010
Sometime back I posted a review of Batman #700. This time around we looking at Superman #700. Firstly, I love this front cover. Looking at it, it feels like an old school comic book that I might have got at 7-11 back in the days before going to my local comic book store. Great job by the best Superman artist of all time in my book, sorry Jim Lee and sorry George Perez, but for me Gary Frank is the best artist at Superman.
This oversized issue features three complete stories that don’t link up at all like the Batman #700...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on June 29th, 2010
It is with great trepidation, that I read this issue. It fills me with dread to even consider opening up an issue of Franken-Castle anymore. Rick Remender seems to have done the impossible, and turned something with such high potential into one of the most fragile series Marvel is currently publishing. I’d rather walk on dangerously thin ice right now, than read an issue of this. The amount of wonderful stories that could come from this are certainly plentiful (which is something we’ve known for as long as I can remember,...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on June 28th, 2010
If there is one thing for certain it is that we FINALLY can lay to rest who the RED HULK or Rulk is..but at this point in the game are there are any readers still left who care? That is what keeps coming up in my mind as I read through HULK#23.
I know for a lot of the HULK readers may have given up along time ago with all the allegations of “Who is the Red Hulk” which quickly from a lot of the people I have talked to turned into “Who cares who the Red Hulk is”. I can’t say that I don’t understand...
Posted by Amy Dallen, on June 28th, 2010
I actually tried not to pick this one.“You loved Avengers #2, you could talk about that,” I said.“You loved/hated the latest Second Coming issue, as usual. You could talk about that,” I said. “You tried really hard to feel something about the new Power Girl other than grief that it wasn’t
Amanda Connor, how about that?”“Don’t write about this one. No one is reading this one.” And there, my friends, is the rub. If you are a fan of the expansion of the medium of comics, of the idea that comics can and should...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on June 26th, 2010
Never in my life have I seen a comic so ridiculous in title, yet quite so exceptional in content. Believe it or not, but this comic had me in fits of laughter for the majority. ‘Sea Bear & Grizzly Shark’… just say it once outloud and you’d think it would fall flat on it’s face in the dirt and have no chance of ever reeling in a single decent review, because it sounds so unbelievably random and stupid. Well, yes. But also, no. I thought it would suck terribly as well, but surprisingly it was the...
Posted by Ian Candish, on June 24th, 2010
Power Girl’s solo series has been one of the biggest surprises for me in a while. I’ve been a fan of the character but never expected her series to entertain the way it has. The writing team of Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray did an excellent job of keeping the series light hearted but at the same time giving Power Girl challenges that really put her to the test both in her super hero life and her personal one, as Karen Starr. Amanda Conner’s art was a perfect fit for not only the character herself but the mood...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on June 23rd, 2010
It’s come around to another Pick of the Week podcast once again folks, and this time around it’s down to Rob to choose his pick. Rob is joined by Sheldon, Simon and new Comic Impact staff member Ian, who makes his first podcast appearance.
It’s a not a very fun week for comics this week, and the guys didn’t have an awful lot of fun reading their comics this week. Next week is going to be amazing though for new comics! But the guys make the best of what they have and made a hilarious show for you. The guys...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on June 21st, 2010
Last month on one of our Pick of the Week (POW) podcasts, I made: DC Universe: Legacies #1 my pick of the week. A couple of days ago DC Universe: Legacies #2 came out and I wanted to a leap upon it. Have Len Wein and Andy and Joe Kubert kept some of the same magic that made me fall in love with the first issue?
The answer is yes, and we are still in one of my favorite eras of American history, the 1940s. New York specifically. We get to see our main character , our ‘man-on-the-street’ Paul Lincoln one more time about...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on June 21st, 2010
If you have been reading my reviews for a while then you know I have a love hate relationship with our friendly neighborhood Spiderman.To kind of reiterate Spiderman seems to have gotten the c-class treatment over the last year or so and I have been waiting for a creative team to turn that around and stick with the book.Now I realize that Spidey comes out like 4 times a month and again I would MUCH rather see him come out 2 times a month with a better book.
Onward now with the review of The Amazing Spider-Man # 634 with Joe...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on June 19th, 2010
‘Dark Wolverine’ is surprising me lately, and not in a completely positive way. It used to be a consistent series with a reasonably sound sense of progression and rhythm from issue to issue. Now it just reads as if it’s a mix of random events thrown at a timeline in the wrong order. Cause and effect doesn’t seem to matter anymore. The ‘Reckoning‘ crossover with ‘Wolverine Origins’ was just nuts, and then you have this issue which relates in no way to -anything- that just happened...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on June 18th, 2010
Package Description
Though he is blind, DAREDEVIL perceives far more than most people. His senses heightened to superhuman levels by a childhood accident, he lives a world of continuous sensation. He can smell lies on a man’s breath, or hear the panicked heartbeat of a mugging victim from ten blocks away. His uncanny radar sense paints a detailed picture of the world around him, allowing him to dodge bullets, and survive incredible dives from the rooftops to the streets.
Appearance
This figure is very red, and...
Posted by Ian Candish, on June 17th, 2010
In the aftermath of Dark Reign and the Siege of Asgard, things are finally getting back to normal in the Marvel Universe. The heroes are no longer on the run and Steve Rogers is in charge. With a gaggle of heroes to manage, he has coordinated a number teams with members specially suited for the type of work that team will be doing. To put it mildly, I’m sooooo into this!
The newest team book, and the one I’ve been most looking forward to, is New Avengers #1 written by current Marvel overseer (seriously, what...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on June 17th, 2010
Welcome to the Pick of The Week podcast once again everybody. It’s been yet another slow week for comics as I’m sure you were all aware. We had a small technical problem on Tuesday morning, but we’re here for you now with our weekly podcast! Simon has the POW, and is joined by Sheldon and Rob.
Listen in to find out stuff like why Rob loves S.H.I.E.L.D so much. Find out why the guys are not feeling the love for DC Comics as much these days, and what the guys think about Baron Zemo cropping up in a couple of their...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on June 14th, 2010
Hack/Slash: My First Maniac #1 is the first publication for Tim Seeley’s ‘Hack/Slash’ since it moved to Image Comics from DDP. I have loved Tim’s Hack/Slash series for a while now, and although I have not been following it since it’s beginning, I can tell you that a year or so ago, I did the deed any good fan would and went back and bought both the Hack/Slash omnibuses, of which I have both truly enjoyed!
When I first heard that Hack/Slash had moved to Image Comics, I was pleased, because it would...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on June 14th, 2010
This past week, DC Comics released Batman #700, written by Grant Morrison. As a Batman fanboy, I was thinking it would only be fair that I took the time to review this special 700th issue. First off, this is truly issue number 700, not like Deadpool’s fake #900 a few months ago. It is also the first of three $4.99 DC anniversary issues for the month of June. The rest are Superman and Wonder Woman.
So what do you get for $4.99 here? Well you get Grant Morrison returning to Batman, with seven pin-ups, and four pages of “Secrets...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on June 12th, 2010
Feeling a bit patriotic today because of the US vs England World Cup Game? Whew it was a nail bitter! Still in the mood for some good old American fun? Then you need to run not walk to your local comic store and pick up Captain America issue #606!! This was a great issue and a good jumping on point for newbies as it really does set up a new , and what looks to be wild ride of a story arc for Bucky and crew!
The Issue starts off with Bucky and Falcon on a mission and Bucky Cap just keeps taking over the top risks which gave Falcon...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on June 11th, 2010
Package Description
Originally know as “The Bat-man” Batman goes by many names: The Dark Knight The World’s Greatest Detective The Caped Crusader. Batman’s thirst for justice is nearly unquenchable. As Gotham City’s defender and savior. he is the darkest of heroes. As the scourge of Gotham’s network of criminals,he is the cleverest of foes.
Appearance
The classic Batman figure looks just like what you would see in the pages of a Batman comic book back in the day when the great Bob Kane and...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on June 11th, 2010
Around this time last year, I heard about a comic called Chew. It told the story of Tony Chu, an F.D.A Agent who is also a Cibopathic. I know you’ll be asking “what the hell is that?”, well it is someone who gets psychic impressions from whatever they eat. Like a super-powered Cannibal, the first issue was more than impossible to find. Luckily, last year when the first trade came out I got it, and I fall in love with the world that John Layman and Rob Guillory had created.
Now as Chew starts off it’s...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on June 11th, 2010
Marvel have been putting out some wonderful new series over the past few weeks, and they are truly winning the keys to my heart with their quality. Secret Avengers, Thunderbolts and now S.H.I.E.L.D… all these series are brand new (Thunderbolts, athough not a new series, has reached new beginnings) and combine a bit of everything I look for in an ideal comic. Secret Avengers and Thunderbolts are unconventional team books, and S.H.I.E.L.D is an amalgamation of historical fiction and pure thrill-drenched mystery. Although...
Posted by Ian Candish, on June 10th, 2010
The pages of Ultimate Marvel have been rather tumultuous in the recent past with the events of Ultimatum. While most books have largely moved on, Ultimate Spider-Man has been keeping the aftermath of Ultimatum a constant source for storylines by spotlighting the backlash toward mutants from “normal humans” (would Magneto be offended by that phrase?). More specifically how “normal humans” are reacting to Kitty Pryde, a known mutant and former X-Man, going to public school with ...
Posted by Butner Brimberry, on June 9th, 2010
I’m a pretty large proponent that when done correctly, science-fiction, is the greatest of all genres. However, even the term “sci-fi” has an unshakable stigma associated with it that conjures images of smelly nerds, fat nerds, and…awkward nerds.
Everyone has seen, or at least heard of, movies like Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Aliens, etc. However, there are some of the more hardcore fans who are deeply into those “cult sci-fi” franchises. Franchises like Logan’s Run.
Enter Paul J. Salamoff....
Posted by Rob Andrews, on June 9th, 2010
It’s Pick Of The Week time once more, and Rob is very, very excited! Why? Because someone other than him has chosen a Marvel cosmic book as their Pick of the Week! Sheldon has the pick this week, and he’s joined by Rob and Simon as always.
It’s been a rather poor week for comics this past week, but the guys try to jazz things up for you listeners a bit by searching through their stacks to find the best comics to talk about. The main topics this week are where the guys think Franken-Castle should go from here?...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on June 7th, 2010
Ok let me be Frank about this book right now and all of you can be Microchip…..haha get it cause his name is ..well ok now onto the review.
I really don’t know where to start with this book right now. I have mixed opinions on what this book should be versus the current state of the book. I should start out by saying I do like Rick Remender a lot! I also have a long history/love affair with good Punisher books..War Journal I am looking at you!So when I saw that they were doing something radically different to Frank...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on June 6th, 2010
Most people are probably asking themselves, “who the hell is Darkstar and the Winterguard?“. Well, that was what I was asking myself when I saw the cover for this comic. I had no idea who these characters were at all, I saw a bear and Crimson Dynamo and I told my self, Oh my god it’s actually a communist bear so I knew I wanted to read this and review it for you Comic Impact readers.
So who the hell are Darkstar and the Winterguard? Well think of these people as Avengers but with a Russian setting. The...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on June 5th, 2010
We’ve seen the adverts for ‘Avengers: Prime’ in the pages of our Marvel comics for a few weeks now, and what do I think of the first issue now that it has finally hit the shelves? Well, it was actually a damn sight better than I thought it would have been! The adverts seemed dull and entirely boring. If they were really trying their very best to enthuse me into reading it with ads such as those, then they left a lot to be desired.
This comic deals with the aftermath of Siege, and focuses on Thor, Steve Rogers...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on June 4th, 2010
Package Description
It’s been a long time since LUKE CAGE went by the name Power Man, and a lot has changed. He’s gone from being an independent operator, making money with his powers, to a leadership role in the AVENGERS. There was a time when his bulletproof skin and super strength made him impulsive and short-tempered, but his recent responsibilities force him to think of others first before he acts.
Appearance
Looking at this figure you can tell he is a bad ass mother fucker, the way I have always read Luke...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on June 2nd, 2010
I understand that a lot of you will be used to refering to this book as ‘Fall’, and not ‘Autumn’. It’s just that here in Britain, it is published as the later. I thought I should mention that straight off the bat for the sake of clarity, incase some poor soul had no idea that we Brits do not (usually) refer to the Autumn period as ‘Fall’.
Mouse Guard Autumn 1152 is the first in the ongoing ‘Mouse Guard‘ series of books, drawn and written collectively by it’s creator,...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on June 1st, 2010
Hold your horses a minute, Moses. I’ve got another commandment you can stick on your big ol’ tablet right here. If any aspiring comic creators even dare to set out in aim of creating a comic book as awesome as Secret Avengers #1, then I may be inclined to have to strangle them. Why? Because when I read a comic this awesome, it makes my job of reviewing it a living hell. I don’t know where to start!
That’s why this review is, alas, a few days overdue. I’m ever so sorry about that readers. But if you...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on May 31st, 2010
On Free Comic Book Day, if you were lucky, then you could have gotten yourself a copy of War of the Supermen #0, which introduced this new storyline. I was looking forward to this book and I had high hopes. Now it is over with issue number four. Did this series leave me with a happy ending? The cover had “Kneel Before Zod!” so maybe.
Before I tell you the answer, here is my review of War of the Supermen #4.
This story takes place in the middle of the Hundred Minute War and we see different parts of the world, as...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on May 28th, 2010
Package Description
William Hand used the weapon of Atrocitus to drain the power form Green Lantern’s ring energizing his own criminal activities. Plaguing Hal Jordan for years. Hand never posed a serious threat fading into obscurity. His return ignited the foretold Blackest Night,threatening to destroy everything the Guardians and Green Lantern Corps stand for - in ways never dreamed imaginable.
Appearance
Before I talk about this figure, I would like to talk to you about something….. That’s that when I first saw...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on May 28th, 2010
At the rate I’m going with giving new Marvel Comics a chance I will be reading most if not all of the books they put out! That is the first thing I thought as I finished reading Thunderbolts #144.Let me start off by saying that I did not read any other version of the Thunderbolts before this. I know the general idea of this team though is to take high end super criminals and form a team to try and reform them which will either take time off their sentence or at the very least allow them to get out and kick some ass while...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on May 26th, 2010
Welcome one and all, to the Pick Of The Week podcast for May 19th. You’ll be joined by Sheldon, Simon and Rob this week as they guide you through the weeks best comic books. Dana is absent once again, but she’ll hopefully be back with us soon. Simon has the pick and chooses what he thought was the better of the two ‘legacy’ books which came out this week.
In this episode you’ll hear a lot of Avengers talk, what with the release of the first issue of the new Avengers series. This ‘Avengers talk’...
Posted by Dana Shukartsi, on May 26th, 2010
Words, words, words. I’ve been thinking a lot about words this past week. Specifically, I’ve been thinking about the words used by comic book characters, but I’m getting ahead of myself. What got me thinking about words was Zatanna #1 so let’s talk about that.
Zatanna is a new series starring Zatanna Zatara, sometimes member of the Justice League, she’s a magician with actual magical powers. That’s really all you need to know about the character in advance. Oh, and of course, the words. Zatanna ...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on May 23rd, 2010
One of my favorite storylines from last year was ‘American Son’ in the Spider-Man comics by Joe Kelly, and a few months back I saw that there was limited series called American Son coming out too.
I was thinking to myself “Wow, I can’t wait to read this”, and this past Wednesday, guess what hit comic book stores?First off, I was bit sad to see that Joe Kelly was not working on it, and to see that we get Brian Reed (Ms.Marvel) on it, was a bit of a let down. I told myself this is not the end of the world....
Posted by Rob Andrews, on May 22nd, 2010
I would like to follow up on Sheldon’s review of The Flash #1, with a review of what I thought about the second issue in this new series. My thoughts on the first issue are pretty much identical to those of Sheldons, and I think it’s safe to say that we both thought it was a beautiful work of art. Therefore I was expecting the second issue to be just as good, and I had put my faith quite comfortably in the hands of Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul to continue working their magic.
So with relatively high expectations,...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on May 21st, 2010
Package Description
Created by Russian scientist Anton Vanko to perform miracles of electrical control, the CRIMSON DYNAMO was every bit as powerful as IRON MAN. Manipulated by his Soviet masters, Vanko very nearly defeated the American hero before he realized his mistake and committed himself to the cause of freedom.
Appearance
The sculpt makes me think of an old Soviet Union type armor but that works as we are talking about Crimson Dynamo here. This is NOT part of the Iron Man 2 film line this part of the Comic series....
Posted by Rob Andrews, on May 21st, 2010
This week’s Pick Of The Week has a new structure, and one that will continue to run throughout future podcasts! Since this is our 140th episode, we’ve decided to give you our Pick Of The Week comic at the start of the podcast, instead of at the end. It’s a nice change and we think it works well, but let us know what you think, as we record these podcasts for you!
Simon, Sheldon and Rob are the brothers in arms this week, so listen in as they rifle through what the good reads were this week. There is a lot of...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on May 21st, 2010
The Spy.The Spaceman.The Goddess.The Robot.The Gorilla. Normally not a by line that would grab my attention but it did and boy am I glad I took the chance on Atlas #1 by Marvel Comics. I have to say right off the bat that I am not a big fan of anything with a talking ape.Having said that the way in which Gorilla-Man’s origin is explained is acceptable to me. Now on to the book.
Here is a quick summary of what to expect from Atlas.
In the late 1950’s, The U.S. Government let FBI Special Agent Jimmy Woo forge a team of...
Posted by Christina Flores, on May 20th, 2010
A book that stood out to me as overall amazing last week was Birds of Prey. The cover by Ed Benes and Nei Ruffino, the artist and colorist team who also does all the interiors, caught my eye and it was all up hill from there. The cover alone was beautiful. A dull grey and green background helps the colors of the “Heroes” pop. Oracle, Black Canary, Lady Blackhawk, Huntress, Dove and Hawk all look so powerful, like you really don’t want to mess with this group of good looking people.
This was a great first...
Posted by Dana Shukartsi, on May 20th, 2010
Oh comics. I love you so, there are so many good stories you tell, but, there is something amiss between us. I’m sorry comics, but it has to be said: all the banners, all the epic fights, all the deaths, I’m all tuckered out. Please comics, it’s not you, it’s me, please can you stop the endless event books? Please can you give me stand alone stories and relatable characters?
Dear reader,
Have you had this conversation lately? Maybe not directly at comics like me, but are you also burnt out from our diet...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on May 17th, 2010
Here it is folks, it’s the official Comic Impact ‘Iron Man 2′ podcast! Where we’ll be talking about the latest hit film from Marvel Studios.
Find out whether in this film, if the guys think the Iron Man film franchise is better than in it was for the first film? Find out how Sheldon, Dana and Simon felt about Mickey Rourke’s performance. Hear what exactly were Simon’s thoughts about Gwyneth Paltrow in the film. Dana says she enjoyed Spider-man 3 more than anyone, and also did you know that...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on May 16th, 2010
I fear, dear readers, that I may have made a grave error in my past. An error not so harsh it is irredeemable, but one that could cause great internal suffering if circumstances carry on as they are. No, I’m not talking about my varying social affairs, I am infact talking about my decision to have stopped reading The Amazing Spider-Man. I stopped reading the series because I quite simply got bored of it, I had no other reason than that, and now having picked up a few issues (for reasons to be explained), I fear that I may...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on May 14th, 2010
Package Description
Once a leading high-wire artist for a traveling circus, Boston Brand was felled mid-performance by an assassin’s bullet. Impressed by Brand’s many acts of kindness during his life, the goddess of balance, Rama Kushna, allowed him to return to Earth as a spirit to find his own killer. After avenging his death, Rama Kushna assigned Deadman the task of welcoming new souls to the afterlife. From time to time, Deadman has lent his assistance to living heroes in situations of interdimensional crisis.
Variant:...
