pick o the week 24.9.12

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Ayes this is happening. I can feel it even now. The worlds a better place for it all ready. The suns blazing and aww the doom and gloom has collapsed in on itself like some sort of doom and gloom based cake that's capable of collapsing in on its self. I'm not a bakery scientist so I'm not sure of the logistics there. Shame that's all contradicted by the fact its autumn and the weathers decided to be utter shite not five minutes after that lad summer has been laid to rest in his jewel encrusted coffin.

Point is new guardians wasny shite. And I diny ken about you. But that's mind blowing. There I was rocking threw last weeks comics and BAM. New guardians knocks it out the fuckin park. The book grabbed me by my non existent collar an was aww HEER MATE ! SEE THIS SHITE ! ITS WELL WRITTEN ! SO SIT THE SHITE DOON ! AND READ IT ! New guardians speaks with an aggressive Scottish accent in my head now. It probably sits and reads the papers in a pub some ware. Its turned into that sort of guy.

 

Things happened in that issue man. The actual honest to god things. Cool things. Things WORTH talking aboot. That's something magical. Many things are capable of bringing a tear to my ruggedly manly eye socket and the quality of this issue was one of them. The bits that made it my pick o the week were the numerous moments of awesome like kyle rayner being able to channel the power of the other lantern cores to smoosh black lantern zombie mooks but also the wee touches like kyle referring to Hal jordain as “colonel jordan” and carol ferris's new less skanky costume.

 

Aye so basically its was a damn fine issue from a book iv come to not expect all that much from. I really REALLY hope new guardians keeps this going. Since issue one hit iv always hoped it live up to its potential as the ranger team lantern book. Hopefully this change in its levels of awesomeness its the book wakening up to what it can be. Power rangers. IN SPACE. But EVEN MORE SPACEY!

comic book quickies 31/7/12

Gotta say this was a this was a damn satisfying and hefty week that I thinks to do with green lantern being delayed and popping up here.

THE FLASH #11

Written by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato art by Marcus To

Barry Allan is now the bartender for a rouges bar. FUCK YES.

AQUAMAN #11

written by Geoff Johns art by Ivan Reis

Damn likes. Damn ! I get that big goff john's writes reconstructed Saturday morning cartoons with ranger teams as far as the eye can see and magufin based plots. I really love that. Aquaman has been like that but on ACID. But an inconstant acid. Not so this month. The Saturday morning cartoon ness hits you in the face like a sledge hammer this month. A blazingly sunny and warm sledge hammer. The relics held buy aquamans team are the millennium items. I never got that before. I'm so sorry. I failed you an a very basic reference level. Not digging the aquaman killed black mantas dad plot line but it wasn't as big a deal this issue. Its still a deal but not as big a deal. Still damn solid book.

GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #11

written by Brain Tony Bedard art by Tyler Kirkham

Its still terrible. But I quite like it. Its shite. Not badly written shite just auld pre awesome shite. Like it be a fine ass comic if it had been released in the seventies or eighties. Its just going on. Still trucking away doing its not being a ranger team thing. I'm still buying it so that's something.

TEEN TITANS #11

written by Scott Lobdell art by Brett Booth

Aye so its still pretty middle of the road clunky stuff. That said it has been getting better every issue thought it still has a long way to go before ill call it a damn gid read. Getting there though. Getting there.

FF #20

written by Jonathan Hickman art by Nick Dragotta

Space ! I always wanted you to go there. Quite liked this issue. Some nice we bits of banter with the ff being the ff which is something I'm always wanting to see.

GREEN LANTERN #11

written by Goff Johns art by Doug Mahnke

Buddy cop based comment !

BATMAN INC VOL 2 #3

written by Grant Morrison art by Chris Burnham

So I here DC were pulling this issue from the shelf's over the Denver shooting. I don't really see why. There's one panel ware a teacher pulls a gun on a classroom. No one gets shot though so un less I'm missing something big id have to say DC are over reacting a wee bit. What can I say about the actual comic. Bat cow makes another ladish appearance. So that's nice.

THE AVENGERS #28

written by Bendis art by Walter Simonson

Gotta admit it. Bendis you magnificent bastard king. You've pulled it back. I opened up this issue and was all like BENDIS whhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhy !!!!!???? see there's no proper speech bubbles in this entire comic. It has like a booky thing at the side that's like narration. I knows. Its so bendis. BUT the actual content of the issue is god damn awesome. To me at least. Red hulk soldiers off to utopia to assassinate Cyclops. Gid solid plan there. The bit that pulled bendis back for me was when rulk de hulks into thunderbolt Ross and infiltrates utopia big boss style. Fuck yes. Admittedly I don't read much hulk comics so this might be a conmen thing but this just blew me away when I read it. I was all ready to rage and then ross's manly moustache pops into view. Well played bendis. Well played. Really I think I have Stockholm syndrome for bendis's avengers. I genuinely don't know how ill feel or cope when he finishes his run.

comic book quickies 28/5/12

THE FLASH #9

Written by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato art by Francis Manapul

Now this was a hole lot of fun. Its the flash vs gorilla grod. Nice classic super hero action but at the same time it drives the plot forward quite a bit. I quite like that the writers are trying to tie the speed force into other aspects of DC continuity. Here they have gorilla city being built around the “light” which is later shown to be the speed force. Well maybe that's always been the case. Research ? What's that ! Also this issue Barry comes down with a case of explosive amnesia. He dose get over it fairly quickly but I personally found the resolution satisfying plus it had the classic sliver age vibe the comic was going for. We find out that the flash's true destiny is to run. He's literally told that he keeps the planet safe just by running. FUCK YES.

AQUAMAN #9

written by Geoff Johns art by Ivan Reis

Silly Aquaman you don't belong in the rainforest. This book is still trundling along nicely. Yeah its mainly the art that's keeping it worth reading but the story's not half bad either. Also the fact that Aquaman has his own book again is crazy cool. This issue we get a little more insight into Aquamans team. This time focusing on the prisoner. Sadly the issue wasn't spent in a welsh village with psychedelic spy action. Its nice to see that every time a new character is introduced they turn out to be a better Aquaman than Aquaman is. By that I mean Aquaman is the generic guy of the aqua family. He's got super strength, can breath underwater and can talk to fish. Cools. Have you seen the shite mera can do ? Crazy tidal wave telekinesis type shite. Not that that's a bad thing. I do like generic red ranger Aquaman but is definitely a thing that exists. Spoilers guys but at the end of the issue were told that in a fit of rage after black manta attacked his dad Aquaman killed black mantas dad. Eh naw pal. I know your trying to make Aquaman all gritty and cool but that's too far geoff. I'm willing to see ware this is going but I really don't know what to think if this is played straight.

GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #9

written by Brain Tony Bedard art by Tyler Kirkham

Hmmm. Now this is tricky. I quite liked this issue. In fact it was pretty fun. So that's really cool coming from a book that's been pretty disappointing for most of its run. This issue we finally, FINALLY get the fight between the blue lanterns and the reach that was promised WAY back at the start of the current blue beetle run. And its a lot of fun. I totally forgot that the beetle suits could change form. It feels like an age since that gimmick was used in the actual blue beetle comic. I'm not really sure why but blue lanterns are just plain awesome. Dunno why. There are sort of weak and don't do all that many plot relevant things as well as being space hippies. But dammit there cool. Maybe its the combination of my favourite colour and the emotion hope. So yes the month brought a nice step up in quality that I hope continues.

TEEN TITANS #9

written by Scott Lobdell art by IG Guara

Here's the thing. I missed part three of the culling. It happened in this months issue of legion lost. Now I would have got it had I known that the culling was going to be one of those events ware you had to buy multiple books. But I didn't know soon enough so I missed it. Here's the thing though. I don't feel like I missed anything. Sure things must have happened in that legion lost issue but I'm guessing nothing major. To be fair I have quite enjoyed this wee event. Nothing really blew my mind but nothing really offended me ether and I cant accuse it of taking too long or losing it's momentum. That seams to be a thing about event comics this year. Even marvels avengers vs x-men is running every other week.

FANTASTIC FOUR #606

written by Jonathan Hickman art by Ron Garney

Damn there's no slowing down these fantastic four books likes. Last week we had an awesome if a little heavy point one issue and now just a week later we have this crazy fun fantastic voyage one and done standalone issue. That's all this issue really is, a fantastic voyage to the centre of the fantastic fours post man willie lumkins brain to kill some cancer dead. Its a simple story but its done just so damn well. Every point plot and trope you'd expect to see is here and played straight. Gloriously straight. Its one of those issues ware the fantastic four do very fantastic four-ish things and the fantastic voyage is one of those story's you or at least I Imagen happen to the four all the god damn time.

BATMAN INC SEASON 2 #1

written by grant Morrison art by Chris Burnham

This was AMAZING. I knew it would be and it more than lived up to my expectations. Which is rare. Most times I over hype things in my head. This did have a tough act to follow. The main bat book has been god damn spectacular for nine solid months. Never doubt Morrison though. This was crazy awesome. Its got batman and robin being batman and robin. Fighting crime. HELLS TO THE GOD DAMN BELLS. Plot wise leviathan is starting to take control of Gotham and has put a bounty out on the head of Damien Wayne. That's the basic plot summery but that in no way dose it justice. Every page is overflowing with STUFF happening. Both visually and with glorious dialogue. So I'm really looking forward to the months to come as we now have two dam gid bat books with both this and synders batman. Yeah I here good things about batman and robin but meh I dropped that back at issue one. I gave it a chance and it was too un fun. So Morrison's bat god is back ! Canny wait for more.

comic book quickies 26/4/12

THE FLASH #8

Written by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato art by Francis Manapul

The flash is trapped in the speed force and dose battle with a super powered WW2 fighter pilot. Now that's some damn awesome stuff happening right there. The explanation of the speed force is a wee bit clunky though yeah I guess it is being told by a mad man but the issue sort of went back and forth on what was causing the flash's current problems and what he is in relation to the speed force. Well it felt like it did at least to me anyway. The new kinda villain turbine was pretty cool. Just a guy trying to get home to his own time. In an oddly dick move from Barry he provokes turbine in to attacking him by telling him he cant go home to the 40s. Yeah Barry gives him a timey whimey reason but still man. Dick move Barry. Dick move. And as always the art is AMAZING and really gets a chance to shine with all the weird background swirly dimension thingys happening.

AQUAMAN #8

written by Geoff Johns art by Ivan Reis

How cool is it that aquaman has his own book again ? Pretty sweet likes. So six years ago aquaman was a 90s anti hero. Cool I can dig it. Now not only was he a 90s anti hero he had his own team of 90s anti heroes. Ok fair enough. Now not only was aquaman the red ranger of that team but as shown so far he was the biggest bastard on the team. Yeah sometimes you can go to far trying to make aquaman a bad ass. Amazingly team aquaman turn out to be pretty cool guys, choosing to save civilians over taken revenge on the villain there chasing. Well played goff man. The issue still has the same problem that the book has had from the start, that being issues fly by too fast. Though I guess that's a good thing always wanting more from the comic after putting it down. Well played indeed. The best thing about the book continues to be the art. Is just so god damn warm and summery.

GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #8

written by Brain Tony Bedard art by Tyler Kirkham

Its pish. But I'm still reading it. I don't know why. Tradition I guess ? Nostalgia for when the world was young and news of a lantern ranger book was world rocking ? Yeah that sounds about right. I spose you could say this issue was better than the lasts few that came before it what with it being a sort of spotlight issue for yellow lantern what's his name. Its eight months in and I DONT KNOW HIS NAME. Well we get an issue of what's his name being buddy cops with the weaponer of qward. Yeah ok that was pretty fun. And oh yeah the sinestro corps don't exist any more. That happened and I totally forgot about it. In my head I still thought they were kicking about in space some ware. But oh wells I'm sure they will be back one day. The book is still even this far in wasting it potential as the lantern rangers book. They don't feel like a team in anyway with them always bickering amongst themselves. Yeah I get that's one of the things that happen with super teams but there's a difference between bickering and banter and the team has yet to reach the fun banter stage. The lantern rangers aren't even really a team any more by the end of the issue with each member splitting off to do there own thing. Yeah wasted potential.

TEEN TITANS #8

written by Scott Lobdell art by IG Guara

Things get mind screwy this issue when the titans bring the beat down to “omen” but sadly its the annoying kind of mind screw not the interesting thought provoking kind. Well this was a struggle to get through. Now it wasny baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad. Its just that the book is so mellow dramatic with everyone being so cheesy in they way they talk. Except when they don't. Which is even more annoying. Its still one of those meh middle of the road books that shows glimpse of potential that stop me from dropping it. Plus the titans new costumes all have tron lines awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww yeah.

FF #17

written by Jonathan Hickman art by Nick Dragotta

SPIDERMAN AND THE HUMAN TORCH ARE ROOMMATES. HILARITY ENSUES. !!!!!

AVENGERS VS X-MEN THE FIGHTS #1

iron man vs magneto written by Jason Aaron art by Adam Kubert

the thing vs namor written by Kathryn Immonen art by Stuart Immonen

Awww yessssssss. Finally ! A comic all about fighting. Hell the god damn yes !!! Now I know I said the fighting over in the main avengers vs x-men book were boring. Now that's because they were. Very boring even. Buts that's because they wernt really proper fights but the set up for fights. Now guess that's what the fights are like in most event comics and every event has a thousand god damn tie in comics to expand those fights but its nice to have a dedicated comic that is all just fights. The comic is split into two fights the first being iron man vs magneto. Now this went down exactly just like I thought it would what with iron man's non metallic armour though it dose get a fair bit crazier than I thought it would with mag's making his own suit of power armour out of satellite's and iron man using the magnetic POWAH of Jupiter. Yeah shit gets a little crazy all right. A damn gid fight if a little clunky in places. The second fight is the thing vs namor the submariner. Aye not the first guys that spring to mind when I think avengers or x-men but damn awesome none the less. This fight had a VERY old school feel with both combatants trading witty one liners with each other that got me genuinely laughing. Now maybe its just me but with this fight taking place in water it made it so much more summery and that's very important for an event comic at least in my opinion. So yeah the fights. SURPRISINGLY worth it.

comic book quickies 22/2/12

THE FLASH #6

Written by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato art by Francis Manapul

Captain colds got an upgrade and is out for flash's blood ! Who knew the lack of sleeves made you stronger ? They must have been weighted. Right so flash is gid. Now by that I mean that its well written and the art is always amazing. I think you get that by now its pretty much all I say about this book when it pops up here on quickies. But daaaaaaaaaam flash is gid. Its one of those comicy comics that I love so much. Like this issue the flash fights captain cold. AND ITS AWESOME. Its a welcome change as despite how fun the last five issues were I was getting a wee bit board with mob rule and there slight brown shooter-nes. But only a wee bit. The plot point of the speed force being too dangerous to use continues on from last issue and I sort of like the way its been done which is weird for me as I don't normally like these power limiting story lines but all that's happened is the flash has been given a speedometer. And that's kinda cool in my opinion and fits in well with the hole theme of you know speed. It wont last but its so far not been as fun draining as it could have been.

AQUAMAN #6

written by Geoff Johns art by Ivan Reis

Mera go's shopping. hilarity ensues. She brakes a dudes arm and almost kills another guy. Yeah they both deserved it but still. So yeah this was a spotlight issue focusing on Mera who's aquaman's wife. Actually I'm not sure about that is she his wife ? Like in the new 52 ? or was she even his wife back in the day during the last universe ? I could just check. I am on the internet just now. It would take like two seconds. It would preserve my reviewers integrity. Naahhhhh ill just keep writing and see ware that takes me. So Mera's kicking about town trying to buy dog food because aquaman has a dog now and I think we can all see just how awesome that is. The quest for dog food leads to her getting perved on by this pervy guy. Who's a pervert. The issues AMAZINGLY unsubtle about showing that. I mean that's the point but that dudes got baaaaalllls man. She then gets her self arrested for the arm breaking shenanigans so she can help out with a hostage situation. It dosent go that well. She takes most of the water out of the bad guys body with her water control powers showing that she's a better aquaman than aquaman is. The hostage was like the bad guys daughter and she dosent take too kindly to her fathers all most murder even though her father KILLED her mother. Yeah. Mera makes a friend by the end of the issue so alls well.

GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #6

written by Brain Tony Bedard art by Tyler Kirkham

The lantern rangers fight a slightly Kirby space god of light. Ohhh new guardians why are you being that guy ? I don't want to drop you but your trying very hard to make me. Its not that your a bad comic. It's not like your like your emo brother the red lanterns book that did something that was both insanely dumb AND offensive to me that I had to drop it. No the problem is your just ever so slightly bland. Now I don't mind blandness that much its just your the wrong kind of bland for me. You also suffer quite heavily from the sickness of generic lantern art, so even your bland story's cant be saved by nice art. Your also not written by the big goff and sadly that means your filler. Now I don't want to be that guy that says just because a certain book isn't written by a certain big name writer that book is instantly filler but in the case of green lantern book its sadly true. The big goff man is there true daddy and if he's not writing them then there filler. This months issue was slightly more interesting than the rest as the teams fighting a villain who says he's actually the good guy. Aaaaaaaaaaannnnd he has a point most of the lantern rangers are bad guys its only really the blue and green lanterns that are true good guy's and even then kyles gone all renegade on the corps. Still I don't know what to feel about this book but maybe if it introduced a juice bar to the plot....

TEEN TITANS #6

written by Scott Lobdell art by Brett Booth

The titans after getting beat buy superboy sort of mooch around static shocks place while they try to cure kid flash of speed force instability. Firstly ill say this, static shock built a robot dinosaur. AWWW YEAH. As we all know there's not much that's more awesome than robot dinosaurs. Its literally only in the comic for one panel and it is slightly bayformers-ish but the comic is much better for its inclusion. Also it has tron lines. The comic itself was all right its like new guardians in that its not all that awesome or well written but unlike blandy Mc blandington up there teen titans dose have some gid banter here and there and most of the characters are entertainingly genre savvy. Mainly bunker. Who's gay by the way. Did the comic not mention that he was gay? Because he is indeed gay if you didn't know.

FANTASTIC FOUR# 603

written by Jonathan Hickman art by Barry Kitson

The fantastic four fight an epic battle against mad space gods in space and it is epic. I'm going to say this upfront, Dr Doom dose not appear in this issue yet again. I can only hope there building to something with him. If not shit will get real. However this comic was bloody amazing even without the god of awesome that is doom. The entire run of FF and the return of the main fantastic four book was completely worth it as build up for this issue. Firstly galactus is a proper pimp. He gets jumped by the four space gods and he's like ILL TAKE YOU ALL ON !!! which he dose killing one of them but then and I am going to put my reviewer cred on the line and say is most likely going to be one of the highlights of the entire year for me a least, THE FOUR GODS COMBINE. Omgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it was so amazingly awesome after all combining is the soul of man ! So galactus is like petty dead after getting hit was the combined gods energy and falling to earth so the fantastic four rig up a god killing gun back on earth that was nicely set up in previous issues. They mange to de combine the gods but its not enough to kill them out right and end the threat so all hope looks lost but future franklin and valeria show up for a nice cliffhanger. Now ill wait and see how that turns out but I feel they missed a trick there it should have been Doom that turned up and saved the say there. I can see it now he'd be all battle damaged and be all like “see you bastards ! Ahm no done with you yet !”

UTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #7

written by Brain Michael Bendis art by Chris Samnee

Miles learns how to be spider-man in a nice training arc issue. Well here we are seven issues in and miles realises he cant shoot webs. Um why ? I kinda get that he dosent know that peter built his own web shooters and he might have thought they were an organic deal that came with the other spider powers but shield gave him his new suit so shouldn't they have given him web shooters too ? I'm pretty sure they knew what they were and that miles would need a pair and its not like it be hard for them to build . Maybe its just nick fury taking the pish. The prowler in a feat of epic dickery kills the tinkerer this issue. See before he was stealth deadpool and a pretty cool guy. Now he's just a murderer. Way to drop the ball bendis. Still loving the current art and I cant complement it enough. So I wont.

Slightly is a damn gid word