Posted by Sheldon Lee, on January 6th, 2012
Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have really brought us some great work. This team of Writer and Artist have explored the seedy underbelly of various criminals with Criminal and have shown us a super hero world run amok with Incognito. Now they are back again to spin a new tale in Image Comics Fatale! I don’t want to spoil anything so if you haven’t read the book please I highly recommend you go read it first, as it is a fun read! When you are ready to continue come back and read my review of one of my MOST anticipated...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on December 12th, 2011
You want to know one of the best comics you should be reading? Reed Gunther #6, by Chris Houghton and Shane Houghton, from Image comics. I know what you’re saying: “But it’s issue six, and I haven’t read the previous five issues!” That’s fine, because this is a one-shot that explains how Reed (The Cowboy) met up with Sterling (The Bear).
Without giving too much detail about this issue, we find out that Reed had a hard time following in his father’s footsteps as a young child. Yet Chris Houghton...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on December 12th, 2011
Maybe it’s the optimism and joy the holiday period brings me, or maybe it’s because I’ve been driven insane by the infinite number of terrible Christmas songs my girlfriend has been playing on repeat throughout the house, but I’ve not been able to detect many bad comics on my radar recently. I probably have gone off the walls, but it does seem like there are a lot of truly great comics on-going right now.
Today when I went to pick up my stack, the shelves were illuminated and alive. It was a delight to...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on November 15th, 2011
I don’t read any Spider-Man comics on a regular basis and havn’t done in my life, though I can safely say that at a random point almost every year I will have this bizarre urge to buy a lot of the most recent Spider-Man comics. Whenever I do read them I tend to enjoy them as most people do (so I’m told), and right now, it would seem that November is my time of the year to start reading Spider-Man again.
Instead of picking up the most recent issues of Amazing Spider-Man as I usually have done in the past, I saw...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on October 27th, 2011
If you want to enjoy Marvel’s mutants and fancy a quick break from the rest of the X-titles whilst Marvel decide that they want to (once again) fiddle around with it’s continuity, then I’d say you should let your hands drift towards a copy of Astonishing X-Men #43. It’s ok, I know it will feel dirty and ever-so-wrong buying a book that you probably think no one else in the world reads, but just got for it.
For the previous bunch of issues of Astonishing X-Men, we had two story arcs playing out side by...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on October 27th, 2011
DC’s “NEW 52″ seems to have been a ringing success on all fronts. I can’t tell you the amount of people who I have talked to who really feel that they have done some great work on this facelift for the DCU. A great example of that is Nightwing. While we have seen Dick take on the mantle of Batman in the not-so-distant past, he now seems to be Nightwing again. However, do writer Kyle Higgins and artist Eddy Barrows make Nightwing# 2 soar above Gotham with pride or plummet to the ground all twitchy? Read...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on October 6th, 2011
Justice League Dark is yet another new comic offered by DC this month in the “New 52.” Written by Peter Milligan, with art by Mikel Janin, this book offers the reader something entirely new for a Justice-League-type of team book. The basic idea of this team is that they are all based in some form of magic, which is great because when it comes to magic baddies, Superman isn’t the most qualified to come in and rough them up - nor is The Justice League. Enter Justice League Dark. Does this book cast a spell...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on October 5th, 2011
One of my favorite comics is Chew. You may have heard us talking about it here at Comic Impact; after all, it has been the pick of the week four times. We talked to both John Layman and Rob Guillory this year at Comic-Con, when they won the Eisner Award for “Best Continuing Series,” and last year when they won the Eisner for “Best New Series.” Now Chew is about to start its new story arc, called Major League. Find out what I think of this first part of a five-issue story.
First off: WOW, Guillory’s...
Posted by Susan Damon, on September 27th, 2011
DC Universe, I thought I knew you. We have been together for so long, but after all this time, you can still surprise me. You are the boyfriend that still brings me my favorite flowers after two years together. That flower is now named Supergirl #1. I can’t imagine why DC did this to me, but I’m so glad they did. I have never liked a comic that involved anyone in the Superman family and now I like two. The surprise was a pleasant one, because here’s the thing, DC. I know that you give me Batman pretty consistently, but...
Posted by Susan Damon, on September 27th, 2011
I want this review to only say one thing: Wonder Woman #1 is brilliant. That’s it. Unfortunately for all of you, I am much longer winded than that. I really should have known that Brian Azzarello would knock this one out of the park (because he always does). I can gush and gush about how he seems to just understand these classic characters and how he manages to evolve them while maintaining their origins and purpose. Maybe I will do just that.
Have you all read The Joker? How about Luthor? NO!? Pick them up. I feel like they...
Posted by Susan Damon, on September 23rd, 2011
I was not expecting this. Something in the “New 52” that exceeded expectations – I never thought that would happen. It has, and that makes me hate life a little less this week. I think the biggest surprise to me was that it was with a book that I was so sure was going to be terrible. Green Lantern #1 made me smile. This is Geoff Johns doing what he does best, and he does do this best. Hal Jordan is Mr. Johns’ soul mate this much is clear. They understand one another and it comes through in every page of this book.
Sinestro...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on September 20th, 2011
Batman & Robin has been one hell of a ride with Grant Morrison. He gave us Dick Grayson as the Dark Knight and Damien as the disrespectful Robin. These two heirs to the Dark Knights throne were playing at being in the big time all by themselves. They handled themselves pretty fair if you ask me. Now with Batman & Robin #1 by writer Peter J. Tomasi and artist Patrick Gleason we get a fresh take as Bruce is back in charge and his son Damien is riding shotgun as Robin. Is this book good enough to keep you interested or...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on September 20th, 2011
A new week and a new set of “NEW 52″ put out by DC. This week we get something a bit out of the ordinary as DC is mixing in more characters that used to a part of the Wildstorm Universe and the Image universe prior to that. That’s right, this week we get GRIFTER # 1 by writer Nathan Edmondson and artist CAFU. So how does this Grifter stack up to the Grifter of the 90’s?Read on to find out!
I have been a big fan of Grifter as a character since I first read him in Wild C.A.T.S #1 by Image Comics back in...
Posted by John Mueller, on September 18th, 2011
It’s interesting to note the amount of conflict and turmoil “the big two” comic publishers are willing to inflict on their faithful and loyal readers, readers that without whom they wouldn’t exist. Relaunching, rebooting, renumbering, and the killing off of time-tested characters are some of the ways the majors shake beloved, long established universes up. There are two goals that can be achieved by doing this, and they rarely go hand in hand:
1. Drive up sales.
2. Produce good comics.
Whether such books...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on September 16th, 2011
Before I start off this review, I just want to say that I am a huge fan of the character of Frankenstein, both in comics and in other formats. Also, Jeff Lemire is one of the most original comic writers of his generation.
Now saying all this, was Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1 going to live up the hype? After all, I did pick Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1 Flashpoint as my pick of the week back in June of thisyear.
When I first opened the book, I was not a fan of the artwork. I told myself, “Ok, they are going...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on September 13th, 2011
I must admit I have only become a recent convert to the religion that is Jack Kirby. He has been at the forefront of creating some of the biggest icons in comic history. When Jack died, he left behind a legacy of work, some finished and some not. Kirby: Genesis is dedicated to both his memory and his life’s work. People feel that he and his unfinished work are a subject too precious to touch, and I agree that if the material is not handled correctly, it could be a mistake. However, is Kirby: Genesis #3 betraying Jack...
Posted by Matthew Todd, on September 13th, 2011
Batwing, the character that originally made his debut in Batman Incorporated, finally gets his own monthly book from the capable minds of Judd Winick and Ben Oliver. When it was first announced as one of the new titles in DC’s relaunch, I was skeptical. I thought, “They are going to give that guy a book?” Now to clarify, that statement is more a reflection on my thoughts on Batman Incorporated than the character of Batwing specifically. Then, at Comic Con, I was fortunate enough to hear writer Judd Winick talk...
Posted by Susan Damon, on September 13th, 2011
I am probably going to make a lot of enemies here, but I never really cared for the original Batgirl. I really enjoyed the Stephanie Brown run that just ended, but my Batgirl was always Cassandra Cain. I understand that Barbara Gordon was always the first and the fan favorite, but she was never really my cup of tea. I, however, am a HUGE fan of Oracle. It’s like the second the Joker’s bullet shattered Barbara’s spine, she became an interesting character. It might have been harsh, but that was how I felt. Needless to say,...
Posted by Susan Damon, on September 12th, 2011
If I am being totally honest with you all (and I hope I can be), I was not excited about the “New 52” from DC. I’m a DC girl and have been my entire life. To have them decide to change my world was not something I was too happy with. Now, I let down my guard a bit when I read that J.T. Krul was still going to be writing Oliver Queen’s adventures. I have to say, I was right to do so, because Green Arrow #1 was a fun ride with my favorite man with a quiver.
Let me first get into the things that I liked about this book....
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on September 12th, 2011
Greetings Lords and Ladies of Comic Impact! A new week is upon us, and with that week brings us a new set of DC’s “52″ that we want you to review! So, go on and write a review about any of the titles listed below, but make sure they are at least 300 to 600 words long.
Demon Knights#1
Legion Lost#1
Mister Terrific#1
Red Lanterns#1
Resurrection Man#1
Suicide Squad#1
Send them to Contact@comicimpact.com by Noon Pacific Time on Saturday! We want your voice to be heard! Without further adieu,...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on September 12th, 2011
One of the books I was most anxious to read out of “The New 52″ fromDC Comics was Swamp Thing. Not because I don’t trust Scott Snyder -after all, in my eyes, he is the greatest Batman writer of all time. After talking to him at Comic-Con this past year about Swamp Thing (you can watch my interview here), I was sure Snyder was going to do a great job on the book
Yet I had no idea how disturbing this book was going to be. Without telling you everything that happens in this first issue, here is a bit of a rundown...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on September 12th, 2011
I don’t know much about Animal Man. When I read DC, he was never a character that I knew about. Ok, well, that isn’t entirely true. I knew him as the guy in the lame costume with the weird triangle goggles. That was about the extent of my knowledge on the character, but Buddy Baker a.k.a. Animal Man is a cool concept, and if done right he could really be a hit. In one of the first “New 52,” writer Jeff Lemire and artist Travel Forman bring a more grounded, back-to-basics version of a superhero to...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on September 12th, 2011
The first set of the “NEW 52″ books is upon us, and the question you all have burning deep within your gut is, “Yes Sheldon, but do they suck?” Well I am here to tell you: not all of them suck! In fact, a good majority of them are AMAZING… dare I say it GREAT books. The first book I am here to talk to you about today is Stormwatch, by Whovian writer Paul Cornell and artist Miguel Sepulveda. Read on to find out if it should be lost somewhere in the toilet area of a T.A.R.D.I.S or if you should start...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on September 6th, 2011
After 70 issues, Greg Pak’s run on The Incredible Hulk(s) has come to an end with Incredible Hulks #635. With amazing stories like Planet Hulk and World War Hulk, Pak’s run is sure to be remembered for years to come. Having never been a fan of the Hulk until Pak took over writing for the character, I found this issue, despite its flaws, to be a really good end to the series.
In this final series everything in the Hulk’s world has gone crazy since A.I.M. scientist, Monica Rappaccini, has accidentally given wishing...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 31st, 2011
Kick-Ass 2 #3 has finally been released and I was starting to think I would never see it. We know that Mark Millar has decided that he will solely focus on his own creations as far as comic books go, but with John Romita Jr. being so busy with his art duties on The Avengers, I didn’t think we would see a new issue of Kick Ass for quite some time. Don’t get me wrong, I’m more than happy to see this issue, I’m just shocked that it happened.
Now, since it has been so long since we saw the second issue, I...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on August 30th, 2011
I am a fan of Jonathan “Polybag” Hickman. I loved his work with Secret Warriors, as well as his run on both Fantastic Four and now FF. I am calling him Polybag because the man knows BIG event books, and if you are working on a BIG event book over at Marvel, you’d better believe it’s going to be sealed up in a plastic tomb at some point. I suppose it shows that you have made it, right? Well if that’s the case, then Hickman has certainly made it, twice over. But will Ultimate Comics The Ultimates...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 30th, 2011
Greetings friends and Comic Impact followers! It’s Tuesday, so once again we’re gonna have us a little sit down and discuss another wonderful trade for Trade Tuesday! This week we’re going to be looking at Atomic Robo and the Dogs of War from the creative team of Brian Clevenger and Scott Wegener. A few months ago I did a feature of the first volume, so I thought, why not get into the second volume of this amazing series?
This second volume follows Atomic Robo’s exploits during the Second World War as...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on August 24th, 2011
This month’s issue of Hulk begins with a quote from William Faulkner,stating: “The past isn’t over. It isn’t even past.” With that, the brilliant team of writer Jeff Parker and artist Gabriel Hardman begins its descent into General Ross’s past. I bring this up at the start because, just like every other thing Parker has written for Hulk, it is completely original and unexpected. We have had 15 issues (counting the Point One issue) where Parker has given us something I have never seen...
Posted by Sam Taylor, on August 23rd, 2011
You don’t know how tempted I am to make an MC Hammer lyrical reference regarding anything related to Fear Itself, but that’d be too easy, so I’ll refrain. Not only that, but I haven’t been reading the main event book either, so it doesn’t really seem fair.
Because I don’t usually follow the big event plots on an issue-by-issue basis (I normally pick up the trades if I hear they’re good) I originally had no real interest in the mini-series Fear Itself: Deadpool. That all changed once I...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 23rd, 2011
So as for Fear Itself, well , some people are digging it, and some people aren’t. Personally, I don’t love it, but I certainly don’t hate it. I will say that for the most part, I have been enjoying Brian Michael Bendis’ take on things in his Avengers tie-in books. Did you read The New Avengers a week or so ago? Come on! He made Squirrel Girl pretty bad-ass. Anyway, this last week we got Avengers #16 from Bendis with John Romita Jr. handling the art duties.
Once again, this tie-in to Fear Itself shows different...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 16th, 2011
Tuesday has come again my friends! How’s your week going so far? Well, if things aren’t going so great at least you got Trade Tuesday to bring a little bit of happiness into your life. This week we’re going to be taking a look at Spider-Man: Blue from the amazing team of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. As I’m sure you’re already aware, these were the guys that did the outstanding Daredevil: Yellow and Hulk: Gray. At least you should be aware because I have already done Trade Tuesday features on both of those...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 16th, 2011
I really have to thank Jason Aaron. The man is an amazing writer, I don’t think that I’ve picked up a book written by him and was disappointed. A year or two ago when I found out he was going to be taking over the Punisher MAX series, I was skeptical. Garth Ennis had left the series and it just wasn’t that great anymore and I wasn’t sure that renumbering it with a new writer would make it any better. Sure, we got the return of the amazing Steve Dillon on art, but I didn’t think anyone could write...
Posted by Sam Taylor, on August 16th, 2011
I’m Batman! That’s wishful thinking on my part. How awesome would that be?! I am The BatSam though, and that’s on the serious. For now, Dick Grayson is Batman, and the latest run on Detective Comics has been nothing short of incredible. Let me tell you why…
Simon has been going on and on and on about how Scott Snyder is his favorite Batman author ever, and how Snyder is the best detective writer at the moment. While I can’t say I totally feel the same way about the first statement, I definitely agree...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 9th, 2011
Hey Comic Impact friends! It’s Tuesday and it’s time for this week’s Trade Tuesday! Sorry we missed the last couple of weeks, but you know how things get when there’s that San Diego Comic Con. It sure was a lot of fun and I was able to pick up a lot of trades to review for the next few weeks. One trade that I was very happy to get my grubby little mitts on was Screamland. If you’ve been paying attention, you probably noticed that we’ve mentioned the new ongoing series once or twice on the Podcast....
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 9th, 2011
The Punisher #1 is the third and final book in Marvel’s new “Big Shots” campaign. Written by Greg Rucka with art by Marco Checchetto this new series starring Frank Castle is Marvel’s latest attempt at keeping Frank involved in the normal Marvel Universe, but don’t expect a lot of visits from some of the more well known costumed superheroes.
As a huge fan of The Punisher, anytime there’s a new Punisher comic book, I’m the first in line to get it. After reading this, the only conclusion...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 2nd, 2011
How awesome was Captain America The First Avenger? How about the stuff where you see Captain America and Bucky fighting the bad guys in WWII? Wouldn’t it be cool if there was a comic book that just focused on Cap and Bucky’s battles during the war? Well, you’re in luck my friends because Captain America has taken a title change and is now Captain America and Bucky and this book now focuses solely on these two American heroes in their glory days. With this 620th issue Ed Brubaker is sharing the writing duties...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on August 2nd, 2011
I love giant killer robots. Seeing the X-Men fight Sentinels is something that brings me back to my childhood when I would sit in front of the TV every Saturday morning to watch the animated X-Men TV series. With X-Men Schism #2, it’s like Jason Aaron reached into my head and decided to give me exactly what I wanted in an X-Men book and I thank him for it.
So at this point, all the world’s leaders are super pissed off at mutants after a telepath named Quentin Quire decided to show up at a peace conference and demonstrate...
Posted by Susan Damon, on August 1st, 2011
I’m sure that you all have watched my video where I interviewed the awesome guy behind Undying Love (if you haven’t, just nod and pretend like you did, then watch it later). They were nice enough to give me a copy of issue four that came out on July 27, and I just love it. If you are a fan of a vampire love story done right, then please read this series by Image Comics. Seriously, this is really good stuff. I have always been a sucker for a toxic romance, but this one blows those stories out of the park! No wonder Warner...
Posted by Ian Candish, on July 22nd, 2011
We’ve been inundated lately by tie-in books from both Marvel and DC. DC’s FlashPoint has generated a ton of mini-series tie-ins, whereas Marvel’s Fear Itself has created both mini-series tie-ins as well as infiltrating currently running books. One of those Marvel books is The Avengers #15!
Written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Chris Bachalo, The Avengers #15 is now the third issue of the series to be a Fear Itself tie-in. In the main Fear Itself title, seven mystical, Asgardian hammers have fallen...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on July 19th, 2011
It’s the week of San Diego Comic Con! For comic book fans, it’s like Christmas and Columbus Day combined! But today is only Tuesday, so we’ll have to put our excitement on hold while we enjoy this week’s edition of Trade Tuesday. This week we’re going to take a look at Power Girl: Bomb Squad from Judd Winick and Sami Basri. This book collects issues 13-18 of the most recent Power Girl ongoing series. With taking over a book from the team of Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Amanda Conner; Winick...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on July 19th, 2011
The last of the regular Captain America series was issue # 619 and gave us the end of the Gulag story starting James “Bucky” Barnes as Captain America. The series had Ed Brubaker giving us a great come back story for Bucky. It ended nicely but still had lots of questions unanswered. Mainly where does this leave Cap? With Bucky seemingly dead in the pages of Fear Itself and now Steve back in the old blues, it seems to leaves us back where we started, with a man out of time. This is a new starting point with Brubaker...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on July 19th, 2011
Finally, that previous story-arc in New Avengers is over and a new one has begun. If you were able to make your way through that last story, good for you. Even I had trouble getting past it, but now we can move on to the future and hopefully this book will get back to be being as good as it should be. Once again, Brian Michael Bendis is writing the book, but this time we’ve got Mike Deodato doing the artwork solo. Thank God.
This latest issue of The New Avengers starts very similar to the last couple of issues of The Avengers,...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on July 18th, 2011
Simon is probably going to disagree with me, but I think Fear Itself has been a really good story so far. Okay, so maybe it’s not as good as Civil War or Secret Invasion, but it’s been a pretty fun story and I’ve been enjoying it. As with every other big comic book event, Fear Itself has a bunch of tie-ins to go along with it and give you more of the story. One of my favorite tie-ins for this event is Fear Itself: Spider-Man, written by Chris Yost with pencils by Mike McKone. Those two names alone automatically...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on July 12th, 2011
Happy Tuesday, my Comic Impact friends! Sorry to say that I missed last week’s Trade Tuesday. It was the 4th of July. Can’t I take a week off? One week! Come on, give me a break! I understand that it must have been hard for you, but don’t you fret because I’m back and this week I’ve got a pretty interesting book for you. The Unwritten by writer, Mike Carey (X-Men Legacy, Hellblazer) and artist, Peter Gross (Lucifer). So, let’s get down to business!
This series follows a character named Tom...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on July 12th, 2011
Fear Itself: Uncanny X-Force #1 of 3 - try saying that three times fast. This Fear Itself storyline is huge, so naturally, every Marvel book has got to have a tie-in. With Rick Remender’s Uncanny X-Force already being in the middle of a pretty epic story-line, it’s up to writer, Rob Williams, and artist, Simone Bianchi, to put out a three issue mini-series to put Wolverine’s X-Force into Fear Itself. Is it necessary? Maybe not, but it’s a pretty fun read that works well with this group of mutants.
The...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on July 12th, 2011
You know a comic book is really good when it gets three consecutive issues reviewed by three different people at Comic Impact. As long as they’re positive, anyway. I think that’s what the professionals refer to as a “turkey.” I’m sure by now, you have realized that what I’m getting at is that Batman Beyond #7 is another great issue from writer, Adam Beechen and artist, Ryan Benjamin.
This issue is the end of the current storyline which has brought Blight back into the world of Batman Beyond....
Posted by Susan Damon, on July 5th, 2011
I think I made it perfectly clear in my Mighty Thor review a few weeks back that I am not what one would call a “Marvel” person. I, however, read eleven issues of Uncanny X-Men this past week, including the latest issue, #539. Now, I will criticize Marvel in the fact that apparently #540 comes out this week. I’m happy that I don’t have to wait and see what happens, but that’s a little silly. Not as comparatively silly as bringing back Animal Man, but that’s a whole other universe. I feel myself moving off on a tangent,...
Posted by Susan Damon, on July 5th, 2011
Ok, I am at a loss for what to say here, so let me start by recapping what I know from Xombi #4. All over the world, there are floating cities – strongholds, specifically – that contain immortal people who know everything. Nuns have super powers and loose change can talk. Uh, what? This issue talked and talked at me, while I reread and even referenced past issues in order to make sense of it. What’s getting me through is the awesome idea the regenerating nano-bots exist and that we could use them to never die. It’s just...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on July 5th, 2011
Being as how The Fantastic Four was one of my all time favorite comics, one might think that I would be completely in love with FF. Well, up until this most recent issue you would have been wrong. I’ve been reading it and it was okay, but I just wasn’t into it. Slowly but surely, this book has been growing on me, but after this 5th issue, Jonathan Hickman has finally got me 100% on board.
Since Hickman’s run on Fantastic Four, he’s really been building on all these different plot lines, but it feels like...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on July 1st, 2011
Jeph Loeb. I love the guy and sometimes, I hate him. Ultimate X #5 finally came out and I remember liking every issue, but the problem is, I don’t remember what happened in the first 3 or 4 issues. Let’s put all the horrible delays aside for a minute because this last issue was really, really good. The Ultimate Marvel Universe has been kind of all over the place, but after reading this comic, I’m really excited for the future of these comics.
Jean Grey, who now goes by Karen Grant, has been in hiding since the...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on June 28th, 2011
Is there anything better than a Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale team-up? Probably, but you might have trouble naming fifty things that are better than a Loeb/Sale collaboration. One of my all time favorite stories from them is a 6-issue miniseries called Hulk Gray. The hardcover of this trade has been available for quite a while, but just recently became available as a paperback again, so I thought it might be appropriate to be the feature for this week’s Trade Tuesday.
First off, I love the way this story is told. It actually takes...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on June 28th, 2011
Captain America…this title has seen us through the return of Bucky, the death and subsequent return of Steve and now has thrown salt in our wounds as Bucky is serving time in a Gulag in Siberia. Ed Brubaker has taken the character that we all know and love and has breathed new life into him,bringing a gritty reality to all that is Captain America. This series has been a roller coaster and everything ends here in Captain America #619. So how was this, the last regular issue of Captain America? Read on to find out.
Captain...
Posted by Susan Damon, on June 28th, 2011
Now, I’m going to warn you all right off the bat, this is kind of a gushing love letter to the creative team of Zatanna #14. I’m not saying that because one of my favorite writers in comics, Adam Beechen, was on this issue. I’m also not saying it because the cover was done by Adam Hughes (you’d have to be new to Comic Impact to not know how much I love him). I’m saying it, because this team, artists and all, were able to get me to LIKE the character of Zatanna! I know. When does that happen to me? Never is the answer...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on June 28th, 2011
Did you manage to get a copy of Ultimate Spider-Man #160? If you haven’t yet, don’t worry because I saw that there are still some copies on the shelves at a few different stores. You might want to go pick up a copy before you read this because I guarantee there will be a few spoilers in this review. After all, this storyline is called Death of Spider-Man.
So this is it, the very last issue to feature a living Peter Parker in the Ultimate Marvel Universe. Peter’s been shot and is slowly bleeding out while he’s...
Posted by Ian Candish, on June 24th, 2011
Looking for a great, fun read with fantastic art that requires almost zero backstory but has some of the most talented creators in the industry? Then look look no further than Rocketeer Adventures #2!
Rocketeer Adventures is a four part mini-series that carries on the iconic character created by Dave Stevens in 1982. It takes almost no knowledge of Rocketeer’s backstory (or even the last issue) because each issue of this mini is a collection of short stories by some of the biggest creators working in comics today. ...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on June 24th, 2011
I’m not entirely sure why, but there’s just something especially awesome about a guy shooting people with a bow and arrow. That’s why every month, I get excited to pick up the latest issue of Green Arrow. Sadly, J.T. Krul, who’s been writing the series for the last year is busy with all the Flashpoint stuff going on, so for this 13th issue we have a guest writer, James Patrick. After reading this issue, I’ll admit that having a guest writer once in a while isn’t such a bad thing.
We join Ollie...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on June 21st, 2011
I hope you all had a good Father’s Day, but today is not Father’s Day, it’s Tuesday and at this point I’m sure you all know what that means. For this week’s Trade Tuesday I decided to go with Jonah Hex: No Way Back which was written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Tony DeZuniga. Gray and Palmiotti have been writing Jonah Hex since 2006 and DeZuniga was the original artist and co-creator of the character.
This story was published specifically as an original graphic novel and initially...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on June 21st, 2011
Alright, so Uncanny X-Men is coming to an end… at least until November when the book will return and be renumbered. What is it that’s going to destroy the X-Men? Well, it’s a story-line called Schism. What is Schism? I have no freaking clue. Luckily for us, writer Paul Jenkins has been putting out a mini-series called X-Men: Prelude to Schism. So far, all we know is that there is something so huge and threatening heading for Utopia that Cyclops has needed three whole issues to decide what to do about it.
Cyclops...
Posted by Susan Damon, on June 21st, 2011
I enjoyed the time when Gail Simone wrote her, but I usually pass up on the reading of a Wonder Woman comic. I don’t know that there’s any real reason for it. She’s not my favorite of the DC women, which I know is blasphemy, but it’s true. It’s not like she’s a boring character or her stories suck or anything, I just never took to her the way I took to other women. Another thing that I tend to dislike (and have expressed that dislike several times here on Comic Impact) is the event. Is Flashpoint even necessary? Whatever....
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on June 20th, 2011
FLASHPOINT has descended upon DC like a child being told it is time for bed or, even worse it is time to clean up your room.Neither of which I used to be a big fan of. As many of you are aware, I have been labeled ”the Marvel Fan Boy” and while I will accept that moniker you must be fully aware the whole, unnerving truth. I DO READ MORE THAN JUST MARVEL. Yes, let’s get the gasps and guffaws out of the way right now. I actually LOVE the idea of the DC reboot/restart. I would even go a step further and say...
Posted by Sam Taylor, on June 20th, 2011
The Flash is my favorite superhero ever. And as lame as it sounds, Gorilla Grodd is my favorite of his rogues gallery. Having said that, I’m gonna be honest about Flashpoint: Grodd of War. I thought it was gonna be mediocre to entertaining at best. I was definitely shocked by how wrong I was.
From the get-go, there is no mistaking Grodd’s state of mind. He’s a bored, egotistic, megalomaniac. The entire continent of Africa has just been conquered, and Grodd couldn’t care any less. “What’s that?...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on June 20th, 2011
I’m sorry, I’ve been on this huge Hellblazer kick lately and I’m really liking it. It’s like when I was a kid and discovered the X-Men for the first time, I just had to get my hands on as much as I could. It’s been really weird for me because I’ve been reading the current stuff and working my way through the old trades. John Constantine is just an awesome character and Peter Milligan’s run has been really interesting.
In Milligan’s run, the biggest impact he’s had on the character...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on June 14th, 2011
Today is Tuesday and of course, just like last Tuesday and the Tuesday before that, and so on and so forth, it’s time for a brand new Trade Tuesday! This thing comes out like clockwork! So, what book am I going to share with all of you wonderful people this week? How does Y: The Last Man Volume 1: Unmanned sound? This is one of those series that people have been telling me for years that I need to read. Is this comic book worth all the hype? Let’s find out.
As the title would suggest Y: The Last Man is a story about...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on June 14th, 2011
It is a pre-superhero world, there is great struggle in America as the Great Depression continues on…in a few years the world would see a new World War and the coming of some of Marvel’s greatest heroes. Mystery Men is the silent whisper before a great deafening yell. Writer David Liss along with artist Patrick Zircher introduce us to the Marvel Universe of 1932. A world of speakeasies and fedoras, but is this a world that makes you want to read more or just drift away to sleep? Read on to find out!
Mystery...
Posted by Sam Taylor, on June 14th, 2011
I think I’m the only person on the site–nay, the world–who cares at all about Aquaman. Don’t ask me why. I hate the beach. Perhaps it’s my wonder about the ocean. That’s where sea otters live, ya know? Love me some sea otters. Sadly they’re not found in issue #1 of Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman, but there’s other good stuff!
So far in the main Flashpoint book, all that’s known to the audience is that Aquaman and Wonder Woman and their respective armies are fighting a humongous...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on June 14th, 2011
The first comic book I ever got was X-Men Vol. 2 #1, it’s hard to believe that it’s been almost twenty years since that comic first came out. Now, I feel old and depressed. Anyway, this book just came out with its 250th issue under the title of X-Men Legacy. Writer, Mike Carey has been on the book since issue 188 and I’ve been a big fan of his run the entire time.
Since this is a big anniversary issue, it’s got three different stories in it. The first two are original stories with art by Khoi Pham for...
Posted by Susan Damon, on June 14th, 2011
It upsets me greatly that Gail Simone won’t be writing my favorite girls after the DC reboot. Birds of Prey is easily my favorite book on the shelves right now, and I just know it won’t be the same without the talent of Ms. Simone. Luckily, she is going to be saving the Batgirl reboot, because I’m fairly certain without her it would be the worst of all the new number ones. I’ve gotten off topic.
Birds of Prey #13 kept me on the edge of my seat. I love my horror, and Junior is an amazing horror villain. She hates to be...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on June 13th, 2011
When I was a little kid, one of my all time favorite cartoons was Batman The Animated Series. The best part about that show was Kevin Conroy doing the voice of Batman and Mark Hamill as The Joker. To this day, those are the voices I hear in my head when I read a Batman comic book. Paul Dini was a producer and writer for the show, so really the credit should go to him because this guy is a fantastic writer. If you don’t believe me, just check out the video game, Batman: Arkham Asylum or the brand new comic book sequel to...
Posted by Rob Andrews, on June 9th, 2011
I’ll throw my hands sky high for you guys and admit that I’ve fallen behind the herd when it comes to keeping up with my weekly reading of single issue comics. Excuses aside, the relationship status I’ve had with my local comic store has been on the rocks for a just over a year, but right now I’m once again in a more accessible position to get my head back in the game.
This past week I’ve flung myself back into the front lines. I walked into my local store, presented myself before the ‘new...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on June 7th, 2011
Did you guys check out that new Kirby: Genesis #0 book that came out a couple weeks ago? Doesn’t really look too much like Jack Kirby to me, but you know what does? Image Comics’ Godland from Joe Casey and Tom Scioli. If any book was created as a tribute to the work of Jack Kirby, it’s this book. Back in November of last year, I did a Trade Tuesday that featured the first volume of this series and, while going through my books, I came across the second volume and thought it would be a fun book to go over for...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on June 7th, 2011
Was this a big week for comics? It sure felt like it to me, but I think one of the books that stood out the most this week was Brian Michael Bendis’ Moon Knight #2. Although, almost anytime you get Bendis working with Alex Maleev, it’s going to be nothing but pure awesome. We’re only two issues in and I think this 6th attempt to give Moon Knight his own series could very well be the best.
So, Moon Knight has moved to Los Angeles and at the request of his Avenger pals, Captain America, Spider-Man, and Wolverine,...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on June 7th, 2011
S.H.I.E.L.D. wants to completely redefine what you think you know about world history in the Marvel Universe and Jonathan Hickman is the one teaching class, so sit down and take notes! This book has woven its tale through world history and has shown us how Imhotep quelled a Brood invasion in 2620 B.C. to form Shield. S.H.I.E.L.D. further investigates history to redefine the historical perspectives of Leonardo Da Vinci, Galileo and now a man named Leonid. How is the first issue of the second volume of this epic series by...
Posted by Susan Damon, on June 7th, 2011
I’m going to start with a confession. I was never a huge fan of the Batman Beyond cartoon. It just didn’t quench my thirst for Batman the way other cartoons had done in the past. I mean, I still enjoyed it and watched every single episode. However, it was not my favorite. I always felt that it was one of those things that I should like in theory, but didn’t in practice. Then, I heard there was going to be a new series of comics with the Terry McGinnis character and decided to give it another shot. Boy, do I love new creative...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on June 7th, 2011
We’re in to the 3rd issue of Fear Itself and it looks like everything’s going to Hell for the Marvel Universe. While Matt Fraction may have done something in this book that makes me want to give up on everything, at least I got Stuart Immonen’s pretty art to look at.
This book goes straight into the battlefield with Captain “Bucky” America leading the Black Widow and the Falcon into battle against Sin’s Nazi robot army. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to send the non-super powered Avengers...
Posted by Susan Damon, on June 7th, 2011
Did you all know that Green Lantern: Emerald Knights comes out this week on Blu-Ray and DVD? Well, you do now! Lucky for me, I was able to get a copy of it in advance, so I can share with you all the awesome that is Warner Brothers Animation Studios. I have a lot of fun every time I watch one of these, and this story is no different. It’s basically story time with Hal Jordan (voiced by the all too talented, Nathan Fillion). He goes through the origin stories of all the most important characters in the Green Lantern universe.
You...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on June 6th, 2011
For some time now, I was hoping the comic book industry would do more all ages books. In the past few months we have seen Image Comics Super Dinosaur from super star Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard from. Super Dinosaur number one was the pick of the week here at ComicImpact. I know that both Ken and myself are loving that book.
Now,thanks to Image Comics, we get one more all ages comics! From the team of writer Shane Houghton and cartoonist Chris Hougton we get, Reed Gunther. I recall seeing this in previews and I told...
Posted by Ian Candish, on June 6th, 2011
You want to know what book is almost always worth the price tag? HELLBOY! Mike Mignola’s big, red monkey from Hell does many things, but disappointing readers isn’t one of them.
Hellboy: The Fury #1 came out this week, written by Mignola with art by Duncan Fegredo. This story is a long time coming, after such previous Hellboy stories as Hellboy: The Storm. While The Fury is a mini-series that is basically already in the middle of a story after the previous stories, the first two pages of issue #1 catch the...
Posted by Sam Taylor, on June 6th, 2011
You missed me, didn’t you? DIDN’T YOU?! That’s right, you missed me and my reviews! Hey… Hey… Hey… Don’t blame me. I was in the hospital. But it’s okay. I’m back now, and we can get on with the wonderful business and pleasure that is comic book reviews! So let’s get to it, shall we?
Last we saw X-Force, they had just teamed up with Dark Beast to head off to the Age of Apocalypse to retrieve an item called the Life Seed. They need it because DB (no, not Dumpster Baby)...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on May 31st, 2011
If you’ve been listening to the Pick of the Week Podcasts lately, you’ve probably noticed that Simon and I have really been enjoying the Hell out of Hellblazer (pun intended). John Constantine is one of those characters that I’ve always liked, but I never read the comics. Despite its many flaws, I even liked the movie Constantine, I’d be willing to see a sequel. But for the past couple of weeks I’ve been picking up a lot of the Trades. The latest, being the most recent trade from Si Spencer and Sean...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on May 31st, 2011
Every book usually has an issue or two along the way that isn’t so great. Amazingly, Deadpool has gone 37 issues without putting out a bad book. It probably has something to do with the fact that Daniel Way has been there for every single issue. Throughout Way’s run, Deadpool has been a spy, a mercenary, a hero, an X-Man, a Pirate, gone to space, screwed over his friends, and been almost killed by those friends. So, what’s left for Deadpool? How about dying?
After the events of the last issue where all of Deadpool’s...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on May 31st, 2011
Secret Avengers #13 :Fear Itself. A very apt title as Ed Brubaker is no longer on the book and sometimes with a new creative team being handed off to it can be, well, disastrously awkward. Is that the case with Nick Spencer and Scot Eaton? Does the new creative team take our Secret Avengers down roads that we don’t want to go down, Secret or not? Can I ask more question right up front in my review? Read on to get definitive answers, comic fans.
With the last story arc all wrapped up and a new creative team on Secret Avengers,...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on May 30th, 2011
I love Batman, but in recent months, Batman hasn’t been that great of a read. Thank the comic book Gods for Detective Comics! It’s been such a great book since Scott Snyder has been writing it and Jock’s art is so freaking good. I’m probably in the minority, but I think Dick Grayson as Batman has been pretty interesting. At least in this book he is. Everything about this book is awesome, except for one thing. There’s one thing in this particular issue that really bothered me. I’ll get to...
Posted by Susan Damon, on May 30th, 2011
What do we have here? I am reviewing a Marvel book! Clearly the rapture did happen, because my world as I know it has ended. I cannot believe it. Oh well, as Bob Dylan put it so ingeniously, “You better start swimming or you’ll sink like a stone, for the times they are a changin’.” He was brilliant to say that, and I took his advice. Yes, I love DC. Yes, I still consider myself a DC Girl. However, I can’t deny anymore that there is another major universe in the comic book world, and I want to be a part of it!
In light...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on May 24th, 2011
Did you guys check out Ian’s article on the 20th anniversary of the release of the movie adaptation of Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer? If not, check it out. Anyway, if you couldn’t tell, Ian is a big fan of the Rocketeer and he was nice enough to loan me his copy of The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures so that I could feature it on this week’s edition of Trade Tuesday. That’s right, IDW was able to get the rights and release the whole collection in one book.
I think at this point, we all know the...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on May 24th, 2011
How are you guys and gals liking this Fear Itself thing? Pretty neat, am I right? Of course I am. When am I ever wrong? Okay, maybe the rapture didn’t happen and I shouldn’t have stood outside staring at the sun waiting for something to happen all day last Saturday. I will say that Invincible Iron Man #504 was not a waste of time. In fact, it’s probably the best Iron Man comic book I’ve read in a long time. Matt Fraction really did a fantastic job on this one.
What’s great about this book is that...
Posted by Susan Damon, on May 24th, 2011
If there is one thing that I absolutely love it’s a historical mystery. If there is one person who really knows how to make comics out of them, it’s Scott Snyder. Batman: Gates of Gotham brings a bunch of elements that we know and love about Batman and makes history out of them. Weird. I feel like that might be what Return of Bruce Wayne attempted to do, but failed. This book does it better. I love seeing how Gotham came together as a city, and I’m even more interested in knowing about the Four Families of Gotham. Really,...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on May 23rd, 2011
Brian Michael Bendis has given us a lot of great stories in the Marvel Universe. It is rare that we get a bad story from him; likewise Chris Bachalo’s career has given us some beautiful artwork as he continues to wow us on books like X-Men and The Amazing Spider-Man. How, now, do they fare working together on this issue of The Avengers #13? Read on to find out.
Well folks, it is officially event time in the Marvel Universe, which means we will start to see more and more of Fear Itself snake into our beloved books. The...
Posted by Ian Candish, on May 23rd, 2011
I know what you’re thinking, “Hey, waitaminute, pal! Giant-Size X-Men #1 came out in 1975! You can’t pull the wool over MY eyes!” But, fear not, oh comic book reader! This is a totally new book! You can tell because the title is X-Men Giant-Size #1! See, the Giant-Size is at the END! It’s totally different.
X-Men Giant Size #1 is written by Christopher Yost with art by Paco Medina and Dalabor Talajic. This special issue is the first part of the new story-arc titled, “First To...
Posted by Simon Daoudi, on May 23rd, 2011
Ok,I know what you’re thinking, “Is Simon going to review all the Flashpoint tie-ins?” I can tell you, no way dude. Yet, I can tell you if you ever wanted to know who Booster Gold is, then this issue if for you, as the team of Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund does a great job to recap Michael Jon Carter’s, aka Booster Gold’s, origin story . Right after that, Booster becomes our eyes and he is lost just like the rest of us when it comes to Flashpoint.
Jurgens does an amazing recap of Booster’s...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on May 20th, 2011
If you don’t know who Science Dog is, you’re not really a fan of Robert Kirkman. You may not see this character as much as you do Invincible or even Brit, but he’s a big part of the Invincible Universe. In fact, Science Dog is referenced in pretty much everything Kirkman has written. You watch The Walking Dead, right? Well, take a look at little Carl’s t-shirt. That’s the Science Dog symbol.
Science Dog was an idea that Kirkman, along with Cory Walker created that sadly, never got picked up. This...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on May 17th, 2011
If you’re a fan of Hellboy, you will love Atomic Robo. Remember a couple of months ago, I did a Trade Tuesday on Killer of Demons? Did you end up reading it? You should have because it was awesome. Anyway, after I read that book, I decided that I really wanted to check out Atomic Robo because both books have art from Scott Wegener. So, I just finished reading the first volume entitled, Atomic Robo and the Fightin’ Scientists of Tesladyne. How awesome is that title?
Have you ever heard of Nikola Tesla? If you haven’t,...
Posted by Susan Damon, on May 17th, 2011
I have to ask: How long before Undying Love becomes a movie? I could use a good vampire movie in my life. Until then, I will settle for reading the comics (I know, it’s a HUGE burden to have to read). I like reading this series, because it’s a new take on the vampire genre. I always enjoy new spins on classic ideas, and I love it even more when the idea stems from something so simple. Basically, Image Comics has done it again with this very new and truly unique vampire story.
Undying Love #2 picks up where we left our characters...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on May 17th, 2011
What happens when one of the smartest guys in the Marvel Universe becomes evil and self serving? What makes Reed Richards the man we know in the Marvel 616 and how would he change if he lost, or never had, his sense of family and honor and replaced it with cold facts and numbers. This seems to be one of the theme’s running through FF #3 by Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting. I am sure you are wondering, Did Hickman and Epting continue to maintain a great book or is it time for a change? Read on to find out.
“Whatever...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on May 17th, 2011
Poor Daredevil. The guy hasn’t had a decent comic book on the shelf in months and Daredevil Reborn #4 is no exception. Like Shadowland, this mini-series started off decent enough, but the book ended about as poorly as I should have expected. I wanted to enjoy this book, it had amazing covers from Jock and Davide Gianfelice’s art wasn’t too shabby. Not to mention that Andy Diggle is a great writer and I loved his work on Daredevil until Shadowland ended, but this series was just disappointing.
So, Matt Murdock...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on May 16th, 2011
New Mutants, it’s one of those books that’s gone through dozens of changes since it started in the early 1980’s. Over time, the book evolved, we got some new characters and everyone sort of grew up and the book became X-Force because the New Mutants weren’t so new anymore. They’ve tried filling the spot with books like New X-Men and Young X-Men, but after a while it became apparent that people wanted the original New Mutants line-up. So, they brought it back and surprisingly, it was really good....
Posted by Ken Zeider, on May 10th, 2011
After 70 issues of Invincible, Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley have finally gotten to the story they’ve been building up since the series started, The Viltrumite War. This is one of the few trade paperbacks I’ve purchased where I actually own and have read the individual issues as well. The only time I ever do this is for stories that I really enjoyed and plan on reading over and over again. Also, I thought volume 14 would be a good book to feature for Trade Tuesday.
So, we all know that Invincible and his father,...
Posted by Ian Candish, on May 10th, 2011
So, last week we got our hands on Uncanny X-Force #9. This is now nine opportunities that Mr. Rick Remender has had to let us down with this bookand nine times he has failed to disappoint.
Written by Remender with art by Billy Tan, Uncanny X-Force #9 was a standalone issue that focused mainly on Wolverine and Magneto. The book as a whole focuses on a special team that Wolverine has assembled consisting of Archangel, Psylocke, Fantomex, Deadpool and more recently, Deathlok. This team exists in secret with one purpose: to...
Posted by Ken Zeider, on May 9th, 2011
We’re now six issues into Heroes for Hire and it feels to me more like a first issue rather than a sixth one. Granted, it’s the beginning of a new story-line, but everything appears to be starting from scratch. Which, I think, makes for a great jumping on point for new readers.
Now that Misty Knight has freed herself and the other heroes from the control of the Puppet Master, she’s decided that the Heroes for Hire business isn’t such a bad idea. Problem is, everyone knows it was the Puppet Master who put...
Posted by Sam Taylor, on May 9th, 2011
I’ve never read a book by Brian Michael Bendis. Shame on me, I know. But after reading Moon Knight#1, I can see why people hold his writing in such high regard. And Bendis’ artistic partner with the pencils on this book, Alex Maleev, is a perfect fit for this character, book, and everything that goes with it.
The best way I’m able to describe the character of Marc Spector/Moon Knight is as follows: a former mercenary who was left for dead in Egypt, but saved (s0 Spector believes) by a deity named Khonshu. (Bless...
Posted by Sheldon Lee, on May 9th, 2011
Fear Itself is upon the mighty Marvel Universe and lying in its wake is the ripple effects of so many books. Sin has liberated a dead Asgardian god and that god has in turn thrown the world into turmoil. We have seen different hammers thrown all over the world yielding different results for each one, but all with the same end consequence, chaos and destruction.
Fear Itself: The Home Front is, and has always meant to play out as, a companion piece to Fear Itself. This book was meant to show us a glimpse into small fragments...
