Giant-Size Astonishing X-Men #1 : Midnight Comic Rambles

Writer: Joss Whedon
Artist: John Cassaday

Delayed for.....how many months was it? Anbody?

Giant-Size finally wraps up Whedon/Cassaday's run on Astonishing, which for a 25 arc give or take it has lasted a damn long time.

Earth-bound heroes are alerted to the incoming threat the Breakworld has sent hurtling towards Earth in the form of a giant weird bullet. Spider-Man, Storm, Iron-Man, etc, all are putting their power together in harmony to figure out how to stop this huge threat. On the Breakworld, Colossus prevents the destruction of it by an insane rebel named Aghanne. During all of THIS, Kitty is still hurtling in space, inside the giant weird world destroying bullet, unable to phase through the metal, the metal itself meshing with Kitty preventing her from leaving. MEANWHILE on Earth... Spider-Man and all the others each fall into a mental trap somehow imaging themselves saving the Earth from the giant bullet...Spider-Man being the first to figure out something is wrong when he single-handedly stops the huge bullet with only his webs.....

Ok folks it's hard to write a review on this. The words "GIANT MAGIC BULLET" keep coming up and it's kinda hard to keep a straight face typing it out every time. The writing by Whedon throughout this Giant-Size is good, the pacing feels right, and there is a nice wrap up of things at the end after the world is saved. How is the world saved you may ask? Well, I called it in January when Kitty got stuck in the bullet so....yeah....how the world is saved from the giant bullet, I will not say but, if I figured it out in Jan., good chances are you can already figure what's gonna happen.

John Cassaday as always does a fantastic job with the art in this series...uncharacteristically though in this one-shot you look at the penciling of some of the Marvel characters that haven't shown up in this series (Iron-Man, the Sentry, Spider-Man, etc.) and Cassaday's penciling seems a tad below his normal high quality. The cover of this 1-shot is something to see as well, it being a full two page cover from front cover to back cover.

Final Impressions/Thoughts.

The story Whedon wrote and art Cassaday did for this series was great but, the delays ultimately killed the title. I can't remember how many times I picked up a new issue of this series only to think "What was going on in this title again" This run by Whedon/Cassaday is definitely a series to avoid in singles and a trade to buy right away.

B+

(Would have been a B- but the Beast/Agent Brand relationship was cute and made me smile)

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

The newest Indiana Jones movie came out Thursday the 22nd, and around the world Indy and non-Indy fans alike...sorta packed theaters. (Side Note: Who the hell premieres a movie on a freaking THURSDAY ...in MAY?)

I walked into a nicely cooled theater that Thursday, not knowing what to expect. Would George Lucas butcher another legendary franchise? Would there be sickening amounts of CG? Most importantly.....would Short Round make an appearance?

Well...5 bucks and 2 hrs later....my general opinion of the movie...it was Ok.

Plot: The overall movie summed up is, the Russians look to return an alien crystal skull to El Dorado in some plan to control the minds of everyone on Earth, Indy of course tries to return the skull before they do and ultimately foil the Russians' plans.

There were a lot things which worked and just did not work for this movie.

What worked:

• Indy theme was played and you better believe I geeked out plenty when I heard it.

• Ark of the Covenant shown in a broken crate as Indy and the rest make their escape from Area 51. I was maybe one of four people that caught the reference in the theater but I was smiling the whole freaking time. It was a nice call-back to Raiders of the Lost Ark and in general a nice nod to the movies that came before.

• Marcus Brody statue, painting, and overall references. It's a shame that Denholm Elliott died before this movie came out but, I am glad they paid tribute to the guy.

• Harrison Ford working the fedora and whip, the man is still a bad ass.
  
• Shia LaBeouf. His portrayal of Mutt Williams was actually not half bad.
  
• Karen Allen as Marion....what the hell is this woman on, 57 and she doesn't look like she has changed hardly at all. Good acting from her overall from what few lines she was given
  
• The swordfighting scene between Shia's character and Cate Blanchett's character, as the two jeeps were speeding side by side....AWESOME! In retrospect the whole scene is a bit outlandish but, it's pulled off in such a way where you don't give a crap, you just think "Oh that's bad ass!"

What DIDN'T work.

• Indy escapes ground zero of an atomic bomb by hiding in a lead-lined refrigerator. Unfunny and just fucking stupid. The scene tested the lengths at which I will suspend disbelief for an Indy movie.

• Development on Cate Blanchett's character is poor. Initially the movie has her set up as having sorta/kinda telepathic/psychic powers, she even tries to read Indy's mind but...with no success. The whole psychic power aspect of Cate's character I thought would play out more later on in the movie but really it was just kind of a random thing about the character that had no real purpose for existing. The progression of Irina Spalko as the villain was just kinda left wanting. In previous movies you've had fully fleshed out villains, from René Belloq (Raiders) to Mola Ram (Temple) to Donovan (Last Crusade), all villain types have been written with a certain amount of substance and style, Spalko had a little style but not enough substance.

* Russians instead of Nazis. I understand that due to the time frame the movie was set in, and the age of Ford, the enemies had to be updated to fit the times but....let's be honest the Russians in this movie are like Nazi-Lite....their semi evil....quasi-evil. Russians just aren't the same as Nazi's in an Indy movie...this is more a bias on my part...and my love of Indy beating the crap out Nazi's in Crusade (tell me that motorcycle chase scene was not EPIC...oh right...review)

* The evil Russian plan was more an idea then a plan. Essentially the russians' evil plan is to use the power of the crystal skull to somehow control the minds of everyone on Earth. Irina Spalko (Blanchett's character) is kinda vague about the plan and the skull is never really hinted at as having the power to help others control others minds. In this aspect Kingdom of the Crystal Skull mimics Temple of Doom slightly, as Mola Ram's plan was to use the magic stones to somehow take over the world....again...the power of the stones really was never delved into....other then to say...all three stones glowed when near one another...which isn't so much a power....cool night lights maybe but...well yeah.

* Mutt Williams catching up to two speeding jeeps...by swinging from vines with monkeys. This is pretty much right up there with the atomic bomb scene...it wasn't funny....and it took me outta the movie.

• Location. I understand that we live in a world today where environments can be created quite easily with CG but, going to certain places on location gave the Indy movies a little something extra. The best example is something someone wrote about the sun lighting in Raiders compared to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. You have that one scene in Raiders where they are working in the hot desert sun digging to find the entrance to this tomb...the Sun sets against a black backdrop Indy standing ontop of this mound..workers swining axes at the ground...it's a great scene cinematically. Compare the scene in Raiders to when Indy is outside the Area 51 hanger, the sun light thematically is mild and muted, and the general feel is....this is very CG.

Final Impressions/Thoughts

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a ok "movie" bottom line. I thought as a "movie" Indy 4 was fine...not great...just fine, it had some nice action sequences, a somewhat decent story and moderately decent casting.

AS an Indy fan, judging this among the other Indy films, this movie is last. The plotting, villain character development, humor, and many other aspects of this film are found far lacking when compared to the previous three Indy movies that came before.

I hate being harsh on an Indy movie...it hurts but, this just isn't a great one.

For those new to the Indiana Jones movies, check this sucker out and see what you think but to those ole' school Indiana Jones fans that remember seeing at least one of the original three films in a theater...I say....try to watch this movie as you would a NORMAL movie.. cause expecting it to be the next Raiders or Crusade is just gonna amp up your expectations too high.

B-

(Side Note 2: There is nothing after the credits...I stayed the whole way through....no Short Round, Sallah or anything)

Episode 102 - Better Late...

In this episode, we catch up on two weeks of comics, and try to fit two weeks worth of awesomeness into one episode. Now with more intensity!

Episode 102 - Better Late...

Iron Man : Legacy of DOOM #2 of 4

Writer: David Michelinie
Penciling: Ron Lim
Inker: Bob Layton

Apparently I am the only guy reading or talking about this...and I got no fucking clue why.

For those that have not been reading this little mini-series, you are missing out.

The initial first issue had Tony looking over old memory vids as he was disposing of older Iron Man suits. While sifting through a couple of these mem. cubes he happens upon some video of events, he can't recall happening. Pretty much the whole issue from here delves into the story of this "missing time". Doctor Doom wrangles Tony to go on a trip with him, apparently to Hell, in true Doc Doom fashion Tony is left high n' dry in hell, as part of a bargain Victor made with Mephisto. While Doctor Doom teleports back to Earth, Tony is attacked by several minions of Mephisto. Pretty much from here in the story, Mephisto torments Tony, while Doctor Doom, Earth-side, gets Morgana Le Fay (what he got for trading Tony) to do a spell for him. The battle scenes in hell are great and the character dialogue of Mephisto and Doom are perfect. There is way WAY more to this whole story than I am saying but...it's soo good I don't wanna spoil it all.

Impressions/Thoughts

About half the time when it comes to stories and heroes I tend to side with DC Comics, I don't mean to favor them, it just happens. This Iron Man series is one of those times wherein I honestly think "Why can't DC have more stuff like this?" David Michelinie writes this series in such a way, that your excited at the turn of each and every page, and while the story borders on hoakey at times, it's a good hoakey. This miniseries is filled with huge arsed battles, Doom dialoguing , Mephisto tormenting Marvel heroes the way he use to (See: Thor/Soul in a bag), and Iron Man, portrayed as just a freaking hero an not some ass. THIS is the Marvel I like, THIS is the Marvel I dig. Ron Lim's pencils within this book fit the vibe Michelinie has going, the battle scenes in hell, especially a treat to look at.

In closing, if you want something that doesn't have a damn thing to do with Civil War or any of that other event BS, if you want something that is just a good, fun, action-packed read, pick up this miniseries.

A-

Review done!

drops mic, walks off

GeneXt # 1 Review

Authors: Chris Claremont
Penciler: Patrick Scherberger
Inker: Norman Lee
Colors: Chris Sotomayor

I’m sure I sound like a broken record when I reminisce of my childhood and reading comics. I couldn’t go a month without buying Uncanny X-men, New Mutants, and X-factor. By far Uncanny was the best of the three and I can’t think of Uncanny X-men without thinking of Chris Claremont. See, broken record. Things haven’t been the same since Claremont left in 1991 and made his return to the X-world in 2000. He’s had some good stories and some…err not so good ideas, but there is one thing that you can still say about the man and that is he knows his X-men history like no other, hell he wrote 90% of those classic stories.

Here comes GeneXt, the new kids on the block, Marvel’s answer to what today’s X-men generation would be like if the Marvel Universe aged in real time. Most of these kids seem to be children of original X-men such as Gambit and Rogue’s son Oliver Raven and Storm’s daughter Becka Munroe. Of course some are a third generation like the grandson of Colossus, Pavel Rasputin. Then there is No Name and Rico whose parents haven’t been revealed to the reader yet. They are trained by X-23 and seem to be under the tutelage of Beast and Cecilia Reyes. We still don’t know the whereabouts of the remaining X-men or what has happened to Professor Xavier.

It’s these kind of stories that really makes Mr. Claremont shine. He is not attached to old stories, even though I am sure he will get the urge to continue past plot lines left open. He is free to create his own rules and play with his new history. Damn, the man can still write some dialogue and each kid sounds different than the other. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but in today’s comics it gets harder and harder to find a writer that can give each character their own voice. If anything this kind of reminds me of a mixture of New Mutants mixed with the good elements of X-men The End. But it’s not all without flaw, because nothing really happens in the first issue. The kids train under a very angry and annoying X-23 and go out and have a dispute with “norms” at a club. It was a rather boring plot and if it wasn’t for the connection to the X-men I really don’t see this book working at all.

The art is something else I had a problem with. Scherberger can really draw the hell out of kids, but that’s the problem, much like Chris Bachalo and Humberto Ramos (who I’m sure are his inspirations) everyone looks like a young adult. His backgrounds leave much to be desired and his facial expressions seem to be limited. I also have no idea why the hell this book is $3.99. Is it because of the 8 page X-men First Class preview and sketches? Because gas is way too fucking high for me to fork over a gallon on a comic that was halfway decent. It’s not a bad start and the kid’s personalities and ties to the X-men is really the only thing keeping me interested. C+

Guardians of the Galaxy # 1 Review

Authors: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Penciler: Paul Pelletier
Inker: Rick Magyar
Colors: Nathan Fairbairn

I have mix feelings on how much Marvel has changed in the last few years. Five years ago a book like this wouldn’t even have had a shot of seeing the light of day. But then again five years ago Spider-man would have never made a deal with the devil. Thanks for Annihilation, Nova, and Annihilation Conquest Marvel’s cosmic characters are back and even though these aren’t the Guardians of the Galaxy I remember, these guys can still kick ass in the cosmic realm.

The lineup on this new team of Guardians includes: Quasar, Drax, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Warlock, all being led by Starlord. In the first issue the new team is put together by Starlord and Quasar. They are not there to keep peace in the galaxy, but to kick some ass before the shit hits the fan. Drax and Gamora don’t seem to have a purpose so they join with a little persuasion. Warlock is a new man who may or may not be from this timeline and thinks that this new form team is the cause of his resurrection and RR wants to help Starlord feel better about the Phalanx invasion. They go on their first mission and Mantis has a premonition about a betrayal and the death of the team. And damn, I sure hope that is Major Victory (Vance Astro) we see encased in ice at the end

While I thought Annihilation Conquest was a little disappointing it did have its great moments such as the sacrifice of Moondragon and the return of Adam Warlock. I do have faith in Abnett and Lanning to pull off this monthly series and I’m so glad I don’t have to wait till the next cosmic crossover to catch up with Starlord and RR. After all it’s those characters that really make this book work. Everyone has a different personality and once they start clashing it’s hard to put the book down. There is a great moment with Drax mourning Moondragon and Quasar might find herself a new friend in Drax since they did share a love for Moondragon.

Pelletier’s art really carries those flash-forward talking headshots to tell the story. The spaceships and the architecture are flawless. However, his humanoid figures need a little more life in them. I said humanoid creatures because his Rocket Raccoon, Cosmo, and aliens are perfect. Did I mention that we finally see a meeting between Cosmo and RR. This is an excellent way to start off a new series and I anxiously await to see the return of Major Victory, Yondu, or Starhawk show up in these pages. A-

Manga Spotlight: xxxHolic

This Review was Submitted by Thomas Pfeiffer

Story & Art: CLAMP
Publisher: Del Rey

Watanuki’s a normal teenaged high school kid, well except for the fact that he’s suffering from the Ichigo epidemic of seeing ghosts and ghoulies, who accidentally stumbles into a mystic shop run by an arrogant, crazy lush named Yuko, the space-time witch. Yuko’s specialty just so happens to be in fixing people’s “problems” in exchange for something equally important. For Watanuki that happens to be his “ghost-seeing” problem in exchange for Watanuki becoming the indentured servant for the witch. Watanuki’s day to day adventures include cooking, cleaning, shopping, acquiring the latest alcoholic beverage Yuko has the taste for at the time, and catching glimpses of other patrons of the shop and their tragic downfalls. Of course this is an occult shop so it’s not as hum-drum as it sounds, ordinary chores can quickly brush elbows with the supernatural.

Going into this manga I had no idea what to expect. I knew that it crossed over into “Tsubasa Chronicles” another CLAMP work being published at the same time, so I was intrigued, I heard great things about Tsubasa and its “crossovers” and of course been a CLAMP fan ever since those three girls went off to magical RPG land and started killing off princesses. Mostly I was excited about possibly seeing some crossovers from CLAMP series in XXXholic, but alas none (unless of course you count Tsubasa, and there is a drunk black Mokona). The premise for the manga that you get from reading the first couple of volumes sounds great. Problematic people coming into a mystical shop for help with their problems or addictions and the space-time witch which tries to help them, often ending in a sorrowful, or horror-filled climax for the individuals when they won’t listen to Yuko’s advice. It seems that’s where the ol’ CLAMP gals got the title (“XXXholic” as in “(insert addiction here)-holic”) Brilliant premise! But soon the manga turns into random stories about Watanuki, his exorcist rival, and the girl next door he’s in love with and the shenanigans they get into with japanese folk tales and mythology. It sort of turns into a poor man’s Urusei Yatsura, random stories involving the supernatural, but unlike Urusei Yatsura, no zany, over-the-top humor. The stories seem to try too hard to include fables and mythology without actually having a reason to giving you that “what was the point?” feeling. It feels like the majority of the stories are “filler” stories in an anime series that you end up hoping the next chapter will actually continue on with the plot. Just so you know after Volume 3 they really don’t, at least not often enough. In fact the only reason I continued reading this manga was to find out if it would ever go back to that intriguing premise that it led you into thinking this manga was about.

Of course the artwork is phenomenal. I honestly have to say that this is my favorite CLAMP artwork, and I’m a huge CLAMP fan. It’s drastically different than any of their other stuff. It still keeps with CLAMP’s way of doing malnourished, anorexic men, bubbly cute females and detailed hair, jewelry, etc. but it seems to have a much more clean line feel with much more simplified character designs (most of the male characters wear a school suit which transfers into CLAMP’s artwork as a pitch black body suit with angles). It might appear to be a very lazy style but the lines are so precise and technical every page is a work of art. Also the lack of details in the characters makes the read much more enjoyable and easy for to see character movements and depth.

All in all XXXHolic is a manga having an identity crisis. Tons of different ideas and premises leaving the reader confused on what kind of story the manga’s actually attempting to be telling. Pick up the first three volumes, if you liked the stories of Watanuki & Co. and their zany adventures with the supernatural, keep reading, that’s the plot point that CLAMP for the majority of the time runs with. If not stop there and just think of this manga as a really good idea wasted. B-

Captain Britain and MI 13 # 1 Review

Author: Paul Cornell
Penciler: Leonard Kirk
Inker: Jesse Delperdang
Colors: Brian Reber

Does anyone know if this book is an ongoing or a miniseries? Because it seems like it’s another incarnation with a deserving Excalibur somewhere on that title. I really enjoyed Cornell’s Wisdom miniseries. I really though besides Warren Ellis, Paul Cornell is the only writer that has been able to write that character properly. I really thought this books was doomed when I read Secret Invasion on the cover. After those so called “tie-ins” that Bendis is putting us through in the Avengers titles, I really thought we were going to get a story about a boy Skrull and his dog Skrull with the revelation that they have been disguising themselves as Superpro and Nomad (RIP). Instead we get a really solid story with some promising future.

We revisit John the Skrull from the Wisdom mini and it is revealed that a high ranking British official is a Skrull. It seems that the Skrulls have it out for the Brits and want to take out the Siege Perilous. The hell you say? When was the last fucking time someone other than Claremont brought up the Siege Perilous? Who is going to stop these freaking aliens from crushing dear old England? Well, that’s where Captain Britain, Pete Wisdom, John the Skrull, Black Knight, and Spitfire come in and each get a little spotlight. We even get the return of Alistaire Stuart….the man from W.H.O. It seems that Captain Britain has to divert a missile and save the magic and eventually the world and it seems like he is doing it no matter the cost.

Now this is how you do a fucking tie-in and how you get the ball rolling on a new book! Damn, it was so fun reading this book, writing a review on it won’t do it justice. This is the Captain Britain I want to see. A guy that can literally take a Skrull’s head off by punching it. This is a team I can take seriously, each member providing their own unique way of taking down Skrulls. By far my favorite would have to be Spitfire ripping throats out with her teeth…now that is a chick after my own heart. Cornell does an outstanding job introducing new readers to the heroes of England….alright fair is fair, Dane Whitman (Black Knight) is from Massachusetts, but he is still residing in England.

Kirk’s artwork has gotten better since his days on Agents of Atlas. He can capture the fluidity of motion during battle sequences and still show a sentimental side to Wisdom’s facial expressions when saying goodbye to Captain Britain. Sure there are Skrulls here, but the tie-in is used to get new readers to experience a new kind of dark humor and fun comic. This book was a big surprise to me, much better than I anticipated with a great script, great characterization, and great fun. A

Huntress: Year One # 1 Review

Author: Ivory Madison
Penciler: Cliff Richards
Inker: Art Thibert
Colors: Jason Wright
Cover: Mathew Clark

Damn, it seems everyone in DC is getting a Year One, so when is Booster Gold Year One going to get here? Before I start the review I can’t begin to tell you how upset I was when I opened the comic and found out Mathew Clark was not drawing the inside of the book. Nothing against Richards, but Clark’s artwork has something unique about it that I can’t get enough of. So, yes I loved the cover.

The story starts off with a 20 year old Helena Bertinelli living in Sicily. She is in hiding because she is the last survivor of her family, who were hunted by rival mobs in Gotham. Much like Bruce Wayne, she witnessed the death of her parents and the death of her older brother while eating dinner. While living with the Asaro family she learned to fight under Salvatore and eventually became a huntress. Now, it seems that Helena wants to repay those lessons by breaking him out of jail.

I really didn’t think there was a point to this book, let alone six issues worth of the Huntress’ first year. Don’t get me wrong I have been a fan of The Huntress since I first encountered her in the 3rd Robin miniseries, but you can get all the back stories you want by buying Huntress: Cry for Blood. However, if you don’t want to hunt down that trade, then this is a pretty decent read. Sure it had tons over the top voice over captions and the flashbacks were confusing at times (not sure if that’s the artist’s or writer’s fault), but it still kept my interested and I wanted to keep reading more by the end.

The art gets the job done, but it really doesn’t stand out from the rest. The transitions between scenes felt a little cluttered and to be honest I couldn’t tell how old Helena was supposed to be during the boar flashback. Maybe Sal likes em’ a lil young. I do have to say that his facial expressions and panel laying are done really well. . I’m glad they got Thibert to clean up the art; he is by far one of the best inkers working today. I would also like to point out that Wright’s colors are simply amazing; he really made those flashback scenes have a Batman: Year One feel to them. Even though the dialogue seems really clichéd, if you don’t know much about Huntress’ origin this book will keep you entertain. B-

Shameless Self Promotion!!!!! YAYYYYY!!!!!!

Ok, so as far as I know, this is the first time I've never really abused the great power that these bastions of comic knowledge and wisdom here at Aboutheroes have bestowed upon me, but it's for something I'm sure you can all understand the importance of. Thus, I am shirking the 'Great Responsibility' and coming to you with one simple request. I need you to give me a 5 star rating on this youtube video:

Here's the story. As some of you may know, Zack Snyder (Director of Dawn of the Dead Remake, 300, and now The Watchmen) is holding a contest for fans of The Watchmen to submit commercials for Veidt Industries Products that may actually find their way into the film. This is something that would make me go nuts. Not only would my work be in the film based on one of the (if not THE) best comics ever written, but as an budding Editor in Hollywood, it would look AMAZING on my resume. That being said, It would tickle me if you could click on the link below and give me a 5 star rating just to boost my stats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyfyjgVODCE

Thanks so much for your time and your overlooking of my Un-SpideyheedingUncleBen'slastwords-ness.

For just a touch of Legitimacy, here's video diaries they've released so far, they're actually really cool.

Tanks a Wot, GEEKS UNITE!!!!

X-factor: The Quick and the Dead Review

Author: Peter David
Artist: Pablo Raimondi
Colors: Jeremy Cox

Damn, every time I see a picture of Quicksilver I am reminded of how much he’s been royally fucked in recent years. Every since House of M the character has been dragged, shit on, and turned into a psychotic/pseudo villain. If there is one man that can make me care for Quicksilver again it’s Peter David. After all if it wasn’t for his X-factor # 87 I really wouldn’t be giving a rat’s ass about Pietro.

Life has not been good for Pietro. After being humiliated and defeated by Layla Miller Quicksilver has fallen even further. He is powerless, lost, hanging on the brink of sanity, and is a John Doe currently being held in a jail cell. But in his mind he is confronted and haunted by hallucinations and voices of his past. Everyone important to him shows up: Scarlett Witch, Magneto, Crystal, Luna, and even Layla Miller who informs him that deep down inside he didn’t want to kill her. She also tells him to follow the butterfly out the cell window. He can see across the rooftops of New York City from his jail cell, and upon one of them, he sees a couple having a domestic dispute. This leads to the man dragging the woman to the edge of the building. Pietro pulls the bars off and runs at top speeds to save the woman. He then takes a small trip around the globe coming to different conclusions about his life.

There are really some gorgeous series of dialogue between Pietro and his hallucinations. Magneto mentioning why everything has to go back to Hitler and the emotional reunion between brother and sister. I really feel bad for Pietro and the way his life has turned to utter shit. It was a really powerful tale of Pietro finding faith again and moving on from his recent lifestyle. While the book is not for everyone, the book really catches new readers up to speed…no pun intended.

The artwork by Raimondi is fantastic for the most part. He really makes Pietro look like a bum and a desperate man. He really captures the spirit and power of the moment of Quicksilver's revelation. Pietro’s facial expression when he realizes his powers returned are priceless. It was really nice to have David and Raimondi team up again. Other times it seems that his faces are a little off. It’s a great turning point in the life of Quicksilver and if you’ve enjoyed his recent devolution or just care about the character I highly recommend reading this book. A-

Action Comics Annual # 11 Review

Authors: Geoff Johns & Richard Donner
Artist: Adam Kubert
Colors: Edgar Delgado

Alright, so we all know how late this book has been. So I’m not even going to bitch about that and move on to the review. Although, I really feel for the people that were anxiously waiting for this conclusion. That’s right, it’s the finale to the Last Son storyline and it’s extra-sized. Much like the Heinberg Wonder Woman story, the main book kept moving forward and they left the conclusion to be told in an annual. I thought that was a great move by DC.

Along with Superman comes the Superman Revenge Squad: Lex Luthor, Parasite, Metallo, and Bizarro to take on General Zod, Ursa, and Non. So what we get is a battle with Superman against Zod….which for some reason I found really badass when Superman was dual wielding the Red Sun gun and the Green Kryptonite gun. The rest of the Revenge Squad takes on the remainder of Zod’s Kryptonian criminals. Luthor manages to reverse the rocket’s warp drive and pull the rocket back home and re-open the phantom zone along with everyone who has ever had contact with it. Chris realizes that the ship must be shut off in order to deactivate it. Chris goes in, and stops it, but doesn't come back out. In a desperate search for Chris, Superman contacts Mon-El and is informed he is not with the other Kryptonians, but the search will continue.

It was really a good finale to a mediocre storyline that kept getting stronger and stronger with each issue. The delays really killed the momentum and I’m sure this will read so much better in trade. The character interaction and dialogue was superb…of course what else is to be expected from Johns? What I really loved was the fact that Lex saved the day, but he still got locked up with no credit for it. Of course the story is not flawless. What I’m really confused about is the timeline of this story. Chris mentions he’s already met Robin…which means that everything up to Buziek’s last issue (Superman 675...I think) could have happened before Action Comics 845. If that is so, that’s a little hard to believe. Unless of course Chris came back with no explanation. There also wasn’t enough Revenge Squad in the book for me; they each got about three pages of fighting. Damn, and just when I thought I was going to see a huge JLA vs. Zod’s army....nothing happens.

I am really shocked at the unbalance that I find in Adam Kubert’s artwork. While some pictures are right down stunning like the reflection of the destroyed Metropolis, others feel rushed. His backgrounds are lavishing as ever, but for some reason some of his fight scenes just felt like they needed to be polished up. Perhaps he should have let someone else ink his pencils….hell they should have teamed him up with Art Thibert. There is a nice little bonus at the end with Geoff Johns introducing the readers to Superman’s supporting characters. The art by Stephane Roux was solid and I wish he would get a monthly Superman book. Overall it was an entertaining read and I’m not taking the delays into consideration when I rate the book so keep that in mind. I think a B- is a fair grade considering the lackluster scenes that Kubert provides at times, but seriously that is no reason for anyone to miss out and enjoy the conclusion to this story.

Avengers Invaders # 1 Review

Authors: Alex Ross & Jim Krueger
Artist: Steve Sadowski
Colors: inLight Studios

When I saw that Jim Krueger and Alex Ross were going to be working on a project for Marvel, I really got excited. I thought their Earth X books were some of the best written alternate-future Marvel stories I have ever read. I then found out the Invaders were going to be involved and I was reminded how wonderful Buziek’s Marvels was. Something happened to my excitement when I found out that someone other than Ross would be drawing the book and that the New Avengers would be involved….ohh yeah it went away.

The first part of the story is told through James “Bucky” Barnes’ journal and it re-introduces us to the Invaders (I still get confused with Toro and the Human Torch). As the Invaders take on some more Nazis during WWII they come across a green mist and walk through it, well everyone but Spitfire and a dying Union Jack. Meanwhile Spider-man is having a fight with the Thunderbolts about registering for the government (I can’t believe they are still ramming us this down our throats). Out of nowhere the Invaders appear and it’s Thunderbolts vs. Invaders with Spider-man caught in the middle. That’s pretty much about it, with the exception that Iron Man knows that Steve is somehow back.

It’s good to see a side by side comparison of classic heroes and the new anti-heroes that exist in the Marvel U. Everything that is good about a superhero and the shady heroes clashing together was a great analogy of today’s comics. I really like the young Bucky and Toro interaction; they really stole the spotlight….even from Spider-man, who was just trying too hard to get a joke in every panel. It really bothers me that not all the Invaders made it across the time rift. I really appreciate how much Ross loves the golden age characters, both here and in the DCU, but I wish he was just a little more involved than doing covers and co-plotting. The time travel mist wasn’t explained and to be honest I really don’t know if it will since that doesn’t seem to be the focus of the story.
Sadowski is a very talented artist and I love the colors just going over his pencils. He was able to do two different styles for two different time periods in the book and that takes some talent. He seems to put so much detail in each character and I think sometimes that backfires on him. Some of the lines he adds to the characters are completely unnecessary. Now, the one thing that I am definitely confused about is Cap’s shield. I thought at the time he was donning the classic 40’s shield . I could be wrong, but if anyone knows for sure, please correct me. It’s not a bad start, but the story really needs to get moving if the story is going to last only 12 issues. B-

The Invincible Iron Man # 1 Review

Author: Matt Fraction
Artist: Salvador Larroca
Colors: Stephane Peru & Frank D’Armata

It’s been a long time since we’ve reviewed an Iron Man book here at Aboutheroes. Even though the Knauf brother’s storylines have been really good, for some reason we just talked about the book on the podcast. I really didn’t think there was a need for another Iron Man title, considering the ongoing doesn’t fly off the shelves. But, with a number 1 movie in the world, I figured it would happen sooner or later. This book happens to be Stephane Peru’s last interior colors before he shockingly passed away of a heart attack at the age of 26.

It seems that Tony’s has five nightmares and some are coming to life: 1) Drinking alcohol again after six years of sobriety. 2) The Iron Man armor becoming replicable. 3) Someone other than him or Rhodey will operate the Iron Man. 4) The Iron Man becoming disposable. 5) Someone else other than him making Iron Man 2.0. The issue also focuses on Obadiah Stane’s son Ezekiel, who seems to be a new kind of threat to Stark Enterprises.

Since taken over SHIELD and leading the Mighty Avengers it seems that Iron Man has become more of an authoritarian figure in the Marvel universe, but in this book we get to see more of the lighter side of Tony’s qualities. I love how anyone can just pick up this book and enjoy it. Fraction does an amazing job of touching all the important aspects of Tony’s life from SHIELD to booze and women. Instead of following the main title storyline, the book really does its own thing. This is the Tony Stark that I used to like in my childhood. Not the poorly written piece of evil dictator that Mark Millar wrote him to be. I love the use of Pepper Potts, just the way she was intended to be used in the shortly lived, but great series The Order.

I have been a fan of Larroca’s artworks for years. To me his best work is still in X-treme X-men when he didn’t have an inker and the colors were done right on top of his pencils. He is a very fast and talented artist and has a complete understanding on the way the human body/muscles work. Which brings me to the next point….is it just me or does he seem like he is pulling a Greg Land on some of these pictures and using a light-box? Some of his panels have that photographic style that Land is notorious for over-using and it doesn’t seem like the usual Larroca stuff. I put a page on the left hand side as an example of his possible use of light-boxing. However, the Iron Man armor and action sequences are completely Larroca. The colors are completely amazing and D’Armata does a perfect job finishing Peru’s pages.

Overall, a great first issue for long time readers and a good jumping on point for new readers that are interested in the character. Even though I don’t see the need for another Iron Man series, it’s one that I will be reading monthly. A

Midweek Manga Reviews: From Bleach to Toto!

Bleach vol. 22
Story & Art: Tite Kubo
Translation: Joe Yamazaki
Adaptation: Lance Caselman
Publisher: Viz

So much is going on in Bleach that it’s hard to keep track of. I really do mean that in a good way. Even though it’s a very linear story, the focus jumps from so many characters to others that each chapter keeps me in suspense. Last volume left us with the revelation that Ichigo’s dad Isshin was once a Soul Reaper (and very much still is). He also has some kind of connection with Urahara and has finally avenged his deceased wife. Meanwhile the Vizards have taken an interest in Ichigo and are taking their time approaching him with their intentions. Two new villains appear in town: Ulquiorra and Yammy, the first of the Arrancar. A few bystanders are killed when they arrive, but when Yammy tries to suck Tatsuki’s soul the cavalry arrives. We learn just how powerful these new menaces are and who they are working for. That’s right, Aizen is back! But not to worry, Soul Society has sent reinforcements to Earth to help Ichigo and gang with this new battle. I loved the tribute to the arrival of Vegeta and Nappa on Earth with these two new characters. The art just keeps getting better and better and the story really seems to be hinting that we are in for a new long arc. I have to say that I’m really glad Viz decided to leave the artwork as is for the graphic novel release. After what just two of the Arrancar did to Chado and Orihime the good guys are in for the fight of their lives. One quick note though, this is actually more to do with the translation. Ichigo’s dad says that for the last 20 years he has regretted not avenging his wife, but how can this be when Ichigo is only 15/16? That’s just a small little confusing bit of info, other than that a flawless book. A

Hellgate: London vol. 1
Story: Arvid Nelson
Art: J.M.
Publisher: Tokyopop

This book already had two strikes against it going into it. 1) It was an original English Language Manga and 2) It was the prequel to a video game. From my experience, I have yet to read a good OEL manga and most of the time I end up disappointed on books based on videogames. Damn, I love it when I am wrong. All I knew about the Hellgate world is that it is a computer game made by the same guys that did Diablo. Seriously it really doesn’t take that much previous knowledge to enjoy the book. On Halloween 2020 there is a demon invasion that strikes at several major cities around the world. This particular story begins on October first and focuses on the city of London, more particularly around John and Lindsey Fowler. John is a rugby player haunted by nightmares of things to come and along with his sister attempts to discover the meaning behind all the bizarre occurrences. It seems that both siblings are descendants of a Knight Templar family and John’s grandfather seems to be the black sheep of the family. Unfortunately the siblings can’t stay together by the end of the volume because John is a demon hybrid. J.M. can tell a good story with some great sequential art. Clean when it needs to be and really dark and gory when the Fowler’s family are being killed. The book was such a good prequel that it has me interested in playing the game or reading more about the characters. It’s your typical action/horror story, but come on, how can you go wrong with a chick whacking demons with a cricket paddle? I really would like to know what happens to John and Lindsey, so if anyone has played the game, shoot me an email. B+

Kurohime vol. 3
Story & Art: Masanori Ookamigumi Katakura
Translation: Joe Yamazaki
Adaptation: Lance Caselman
Publisher: Viz

Quick little recap on the story of the buxom bullet witch. Kurohime was a witch with the power to control magical guns. She once made the mistake of challenging the gods and for her foolishness, she was cursed! The curse changed Kurohime into a little girl named Himeko, and now she can only regain her true form and her powers when she is in love. After 10 years of living with this curse, Kurohime/Himeko meets a skilled gunfighter named Zero. It turns out that when Zero was a boy, Kurohime saved his life, and he's been in love with her ever since. Together, the two have set out to find a way to permanently break the curse. Himeko and Zero hear about a witch who loves terrorizing villagers by turning them into household goods and prepare to do battle. However they end up getting turned into a plate and a chair…so a lot of good they did. We are also introduced to Asuna, a mysterious girl that wants to help Kurohime get rid of the curse. Of course things are never that easy when a God interferes and challenges Kurohime. Katakura is an artist of different styles. Most of the art is done in a simplified shonen style, but when Kurohime manifests in her full adult form, she’s rendered with the detail (of a more seinen (mature) title. Just when you start thinking this might be a love story, those wonderful crotch shots show up to remind us what this book is mostly about. B

Ral Grad vol. 1
Story: Tsuneo Takano
Art: Takeshi Obata
Adaptation: Kelly Sue DeConnick
Publisher: Viz

I wasn’t really sure what to call the title of the book, because to be accurate it would have to be Ral Omega Grad. When I think of Ral Grad, for some reason I think of Ra’s Al Ghul from the Batman comic, but I think it’s just the name. Sorry…rambling again. From the artist that brought you Hikaru no Go and Death Not e comes a new fantasy adventure story. When I started reading this, I was really reminded of Bastard!!! And you all know how much I love Bastard!!! Fifteen years before this story starts Le Noir (an army of shadow creatures) invaded the world of light. Led by the crazy Lady Bira, who wants to make all the beautiful women part of her and devour their souls. Ral was an infant and he was merged with the shadow dragon Grad and they were sealed away. Lady Bira’s forces have become stronger over the years and Lord Roy decides to release Ral and Grad in hopes that they can turn the tide in the battle front. In this new world he is befriended by his robust tutor Miss Mio and another human that was partnered with a shadow creature. This human also happens to be a 13 year old girl by the name of Aia. This book had such a great mix of fantasy, adventure, humor, and so much sexual innuendos that to me it became an instant page turner. Of course the art helps carry the story, because to sum it up in one word I would have to use stunning. The character designs are top notch the battle scenes keep you wanting more and the facial expressions really give you a look at the depth of the characters. It’s a shame I have to wait until October to read volume 2. A+

Toto! The Wonderful Adventure vol. 1
Story & Art: Yuko Osada
Translation: Elina Ishikawa
Publisher: Del Rey

Alright time to come clean. I was not interested in reading this book at all. I’ve had it for a couple of weeks now and looking at the cover I just kept putting it at the bottom of the manga pile. I think it was the colors that really turned me off from reading the book. I am so glad I finally got around to reading this book though, because as you will see I regret not reading it sooner. We meet Kakashi a small town boy who dreams of being a world adventurer much like his father, who left him a journal. He ends up stowing away on a zeppelin. Unbeknownst to him the zeppelin was being hijacked by the Man chicken family. Only Kakashi and a stow-away puppy remained on board the zeppelin. Unfortunately the zeppelin is blown out of the sky and after befriending the Man Chicken family Kakashi and Toto (the puppy) are the only ones left alive out of the invasion. It seems that the military is after Toto, because he did turn into a giant demon-dog to save Kakashi’s life not once, but twice. Along with Toto and his new found friend Dorothy Kakashi has sworn to see the world. From the very beginning I couldn’t put the book down; I was so hooked with the characters and the art. I really felt sorry for Kakashi for not only losing his father, but the friends he made in the Man Chicken family. I love all the little references to OZ and the feel of the story just reminded of one of those classic Miyazaki films. Its books like this that makes me glad I read manga and keep reading. A+

Episode 101 - A Perfect Movie

It's a post-100 world, folks. We're older and wiser now. It just doesn't show.

We start our episode with a recap of the Cincinnati Botcon and a little talk about the 25th Anniversary Transformers line they previewed at the show. Then we run through some wonderful e-mails and we talk about a few comics from the last two weeks, including Free Comic Book Day X-Men, Blue Beetle 26, Mighty Avengers 12 & New Avengers 40, DC Universe 0 and Green Lantern 30. Then we wrap up the episode with a discussion of the best comic book movie ever filmed, IRON MAN.

Episode 101 - A Perfect Movie

Cap's Shield in Iron Man?!?

So on a post in a community I usually check out, I saw a screen-grab from the Iron Man movie claiming that Captain America's shield was hidden in Tony's Workshop in the scene where Pepper walks in on him trying to get the Iron Man Armor off after his real first Iron-Many adventure. Well...I somehow magically procured a cam-copy of the movie (after paying for myself and 3 friends to see it in theaters) for the sole purpose of checking this out for myself, and I'll be damned...here it is...

Too hard to see? Here's a closer look. I've gone ahead and darkened out the stuff around it and kinda enhanced the colors a bit painting over the the dull colors to show what they're meant to be seen as...

And in case you need a reference pic...

I gotta say, I love how they're weaving them all together in small ways like this. My theory is that Tony was using the Cap shield as a reference for material when constructing the Iron Man costume. What else could it be? Anyway, I give this a solid, whole-hearted thumbs up!

Picture of the Week!

Another one from John Parrot.

Iron Man Movie Review

Bwaaaaaaaaawwwaawwwwwwwhhhhhhhh......IIIIIIIIIII AM IIIIIIIIIIRONNNNNN MAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNN...DUUHHHH DUHHHH, DUHDUH-DUHHHH, NANANANANANA-NAAAAAA, NA-NA-NAAAA!!!!!

Heh...ok, now I'll start writing. If you've been hiding under a rock for the past week and not hearing things about this movie, let me just say right off the bat, it's amazing. I might even go so far as to criticize you for sitting here reading this if you haven't seen it already, because only so often does a comic book movie come out that is virtually gripe-less, which this movie is. I had no complaints when I saw this film. Wait, hold on, back up, let's do this in somewhat of an orderly fashion shall we? If you haven't seen this movie, stop reading and just go see it. If you still want to sit there and read yet another review, well then, read on true believer.

Iron Man. Not the strongest character out there in comics. In fact, as he stands at the moment, he's somewhat of the George Bush of the Marvel Universe as far as public perception goes. Pretty much nobody likes anything he's been doing lately. Also, he seemed to be a bit of a weird pick when lined up against other heroes, such as Captain America, Thor and so on and so forth. Paired up with a Director who's track record sports Elf and 'Space Jumanji' (a.k.a. Zathura), it did seem as if we had another Fantastic Four scenario on our hands. A Director out of his genre-related depth. I'm so happy to see that this was not the case. Not by a long shot. After being so hurt by the enormous sandy cat-turd by the name of Spider-Man 3, it's really nice to see something on the opposite side of the spectrum. This movie has a broad appeal unlike any other comic book movie. If Iron Man, the comic, had never existed, this would still fly in theaters. It's just plain good.

One of the things that makes / breaks a comic movie from the get go is the actor's portrayal of the character we already know so well as comic book readers. This is why it's so hard to make a good comic book movie. We already know what the character should be like, so if they're off by even the smallest degree, we can sniff it out like a bloodhound can sniff a drop of pee-pee in a silo of water. That being said, this movie nails it. Robert Downey Jr. is so freaking phenomenal. It's just ridiculous. I mean I've enjoyed him in a lot of his recent rolls, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang immediately comes to mind, but he's just been doing really well since he's cleaned up his act a bit, and admittedly, even before all that mess. Obviously he's to be praised in this movie since he's the starring role, but I feel that the supporting cast is going to be somewhat overlooked in the reviews you'll be hearing from other places, so I'm just going to say it. The key supporting characters are all equally well done. Obadiah Stane, James Rhodes and Pepper Potts are all extremely well done, giving this movie not only a bright glimmering figurehead, but a very solid, well built supportive base that allows Mr. Stark to really shine at his best. I want to pick one person out of the lineup that I think out shined the rest, but in all honesty, Gweneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges and Terrance Howard all did astounding jobs at bringing the characters of the comics to life in such a way that they fill all those slots and gaps in the proverbial Iron Man Armor to really round out this movie in all the ways that make this world our hero lives in a believable one.

The special effects are amazing. As always, Stan Winston delivers like a crazy mofo. This guy's track record is just astounding. It's so good it prompted me to go home last night after seeing the movie and dreaming that I was on set just watching him build things and being amazed while doing so. Terminator, Alien, Predator, Jurassic Park, and of course, Invaders from Mars. What can't this guy make look amazing on film. We'll, the list continues with Iron Man. There are scenes in this movie where you'd swear it's just amazing CG you're looking at but no. They built a freaking Iron Man suit. Actually, they built 4. Mach 1-3 and Iron Monger, and God, they're so cool looking. The transitions of shots between actual models and CG models are literally seamless. The only way I could tell whether or not what I as seeing was CG or not was just what it was doing. If it was heaving a car, it was CG, that's pretty much the only way to tell, haha. My point: they do the Invincible Iron Man proud in this movie.

The movie is over 2 hours long, but it doesn't feel like it. And even if it did, it's just not enough. When this movie was over, I wished I could just jump ahead 2 or 3 years and watch the sequel right there, which is an unmistakably good sign. This movie makes you hunger for more, and obviously, it's bitter sweet, because besides The Dark Knight coming up in 2 months, I don't think we'll see a comic movie of this caliber again in quite some time. So enough of me just waxing praise for this movie, what are you still here for? Get to a theater and watch this. And when you do, make sure you stay after the credits for what will surely give you a geek-gasm that'll have the guys who clean up the theater after the showtime cursing you for all they're worth. A.

Teen Titans # 58 Review

Author: Sean Mckeever
Penciler: Carlos Rodriguez
Inkers: Bit, Rebecca Buchman, & Jimmy Palmiotti

One by one the Titans have been taken out by the Terror Titans. It’s Miss Martian’s turn and holy shit is that an editor’s note? I love these things; I really wish there were more editors’ notes in books nowadays. But I really don’t think that they needed to tell us that this issue takes place before and during the last two issues.

It seems that Miss Martian is still having internal conflict against her darker/possible future side. It seems to be getting worst with each issue and now M’gann is passing out. Meanwhile the Clock King puts his novelty clock glasses back on after banging Disruptor and we learn how he planned to have Terry take advantage of Kid Devil’s party to infiltrate Titans Tower. It also seems like Clock King is the one that gave the Terror Titans their suits that happen to be the source of their power. M’gann starts going to school and attempts at being a normal high school girl when her classroom is attacked by Disruptor. For some reason Disruptor’s powers seem to affect Miss Martian different and for a minute her and her possible future self become two separate entities.

One Titan per issue is getting repetitive. Other than the insight to the Terror Titans and Miss Martian’s struggle with becoming normal there is nothing new here and unfortunately much of what was shown has already happen in the previous two issues. The placement of this issue is a little awkward as well, not sure why they couldn’t have told this sequence in a flashback. This happens to be a team book and these solo stories seem to lose the momentum of the story. Hold the fucking phone here. Since when has Robin not been able to help out a friend with a little forgery? Damn, what a dickhead. But I did like the way that Mckeever is handling Miss Martian. This issue really made me like her even more with the whole puppies scene.

Fill in pencils for this issue is Carlos Rodriguez and judging from upcoming solicitations, he will be helping regular artist Eddy Barrows keep the book on schedule. To be honest I really didn’t notice that Barrows was not drawing this issue until I went back and read the credits page. His art matches up pretty nicely with Barrows', and he is a welcome addition to a book that suffered for a long time from being late every month. I just wish the editors would pick an artist that makes these Titans look like teens. What really makes me want to read the last issue is that cliffhanger with Eddie. C+

Thor: Ages of Thunder

Writer: Matt Fraction
Artists: Patrick Zircher & Khari Evans

I picked up this one-shot on a whim today, and it was a well spent $3.99.  Its a huge issue, and wonderfully written and drawn.  The story is split up into two parts, both concerning Thor and Frost Giants.  Don't worry if you're not reading the current Thor series, as this book is set firmly in Asgard, centuries ago, when the Norse Gods were at the peak of their power.  The first story has Thor battling Frost Giants, and knocking down the wall of Asgard, leaving a Mason from Midgard (Earth) to fix it.  The Mason makes a deal with Odin and Loki that if he completes the wall in one year, he can take a goddess as his bride.  Of course, Loki messes this all up, and Thor comes in to clean up the mess.  The second story has do with Loki in exile, and he promises the same goddess to be a bride for an eagle who feeds him for 100 days.  Again, Thor comes to clean up the mess.  These stories have more to do with the other gods in Asgard than it does Thor.  Thor is used sparingly, and to great effect.  Any moment we see him is a great one.  I like how Matt Fraction writes this like a Viking myth, there's lots of narration to set up the gods and the situation, but it's not unnecessary narration.  It's written short and too the point, and gives the allusion that you are listening to a great Viking orator telling this story by the fireside as you sail around Norway pillaging villagers.  Its great for the mood, and it helps you get swept up into the book.  If you are a fan of Norse mythology or not, this is just a pair of great stories, a welcome break from the long arc that JMS has in the ongoing book.  They both wrap-up in the book, but for some reason it says to be continued in the Thor: Reign of Blood one-shot coming out in June.  That's great news though because it means that I can get another dose of some great Matt Fraction Thor.

The art in this issue is split between Patrick Zircher (Terror Inc and Iron Man) and Khari Evans.  Each one does one story with their own team of inkers and colorists.  The great thing is that the art transitions nicely from one artist to the other.  Both artists use similar styles, but enough that you could tell them apart when they were next to each other.  Each page is trully beautiful to look at, in the cinematic widescreen panels that Fraction uses, and I could easily see both of these artists taking over for Oliver Coipel on the regular book if need be, or even Fraction taking over for JMS.  This book is a worthwhile read, go get it.  You only spent $0.50 on DC Universe #0 this week, so put the money you saved towards this great book. A+

Midweek Manga Reviews: Foxy Ladies With Swords Round 3!

Claymore vol. 11
Story & Art: Norihiro Yagi
Adaptation & Translation: Arashi Productions
Publisher: Viz

I remember way back when I looked at the cover of volume 1 in this series and thought to myself: “A tough looking chick with a sword, how can this book be anything but good?” That was the start of a page turning story that had everything a comic book reader could want: gore, guts, action, glory, blood, fantastic character designs, ruthless villains, and gorgeous heroines that could take your head off. Named after their immense swords they carry the Claymores are humanity’s last stand against the creatures known as the Yoma. They are half Yoma and half human and are able to awaken when needed. Clare has finally fully awakened her power and has avenged her fallen friends. But in the town of Pieta, Clare and five other Claymores make their final stand against a troop of newly awakened Yomas. The Claymores fall one by one and Priscilla can sense their lights fading away. We are introduced to the new twins Beth and Alicia who wear black armor and can fully transform themselves. The problem I had with this volume is that it ends and we really don’t get to see Clare or any of the other Claymores fall at the hands of their enemies. The fight between Isley and Luciela of the south is even left unanswered. Now we have to wait till July to find out what happened and it seems the story is going to jump seven years forward too. Hell, count me in. I can’t get enough of these girls with swords. A-

Foxy Lady vol. 1
Story & Art: Tachibana
Translation: Satsuki Yamashita
Adaptation: Andrew Wollman
Publisher: Tokyopop

When I first saw the fox ears on the cover, I was immediately taken back to all the anime conventions I have ever attended. There has always been something hot about a girl with animal ears on. I believe Gainax really knew this way back in the day when they made Otaku no Video. Now it seems that every girl I see in anime or manga, has developed some kind of animal ears to make them look cuter than they already are. To be honest, it’s really a gimmick that has been run to the ground. Foxy Lady is a little different in that aspect though. Kogane is a half demon/human fox who has come to the human world to make her dream of becoming a full human true. To do that she must unite with an heir to a shrine….funny enough Jin happens to be one such guy. Jin also happens to wish for a girl like Kogane to come into his life. Of course things aren’t always that simple when it comes to love and manga. With friends like Sogo and Kanoto, Jin has more than his fair share of challenges. Of course the party really starts when the half weasel half human demon known as Ten shows up. I’m really surprised this book didn’t have that much fan service for its targeted audience. I am also surprised I really enjoyed the book as much as I did considering it’s really not my cup of tea. The supporting cast really makes the book readable, because to be honest Jin is really quite boring and would kill the pace of the book if it just concentrated on him. I really enjoyed the artwork and have high hopes when volume 2 comes out. B+

Kannazuki No Miko (Destiny of the Shrine Maiden) vol. 1
Story & Art: Kaishaku
Translation: Adrienne Beck
Adaptation: Jessica Kathryn Feinberg
Publisher: Tokyopop

I was really looking forward to reading this book after looking at that gorgeous cover. In the mid 90’s it was that kind of artwork that made me put down American comics as a whole. I know the inside of the book is not color, but I will tell you this; the gorgeous artwork still continues in the inside pages. In the book we meet Himeko, who is shy, cute, and happens to have a crush on Chikane. Chikane is the gorgeous and cool "princess" of their exclusive boarding school. She's been looking forward to their joint 16th birthday party for weeks. To Himeko’s surprise Chickane remembered her birthday as opposed to everyone else who was concentrating on congratulating Chickane. But on that very same day of their birthday celebration a shrine appears in the sky and giant robots ravage the school. Himeko discovers that she is the reincarnation of the Solar Priestess and Chikane is the reincarnated Lunar Priestess. This of course explains the tattoo on Himeko’s chest that came out of nowhere. From this moment on their lives will never be the same. As I mentioned earlier the artwork is extremely amazing. The fights with the mechas are taken right of classics like Gundam and Mazinger Z. But there are some things within the plot that confuses me. The cycle (the reincarnation of the priestess and "necks”, the resurrection of the gods and the sacrifice of the priestess) and the relationship between the two girls should have been more detailed. There are also too many characters being introduced and they get hard to keep up with. It’s not the most original story, but the two main characters really carry the plot. I’m curious to see what happens to them and if their love is enough to stop all hell from breaking loose. The book also includes a special peek at Girls Bravo. B-

SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom vol. 8
Story & Art: Chi Wan Shum
Translation: Yun Zhao
Adaptation: Benjamin Stone
Publisher: Dr Master

It’s been a long time coming, but SVC SNK vs. Capcom is finally over. What started to be released in 2004 by ComicsOne has finally come to an end and everything comes together and leaves some questions unanswered. This volume has everything in it. Mr. Karate vs. Shin Akkuma, Evil Ryu vs. Dark Ken, Ryu vs. Terry Bogard, and Chun-Li vs. Kyo Kusanagi. Kyo and Iori battle Goenitz as Terry and Chun-Li lose an ally in a battle against Shiki. Even the Martian from Metal Slug makes an appearance to help and defeat Goenitz. This all leads to the final battle of Kyo and Ryu against Red Arremer and Athena. However, Ryu and Kyo refuse to battle each other to the death and break the rules of the tournament. Now chaos and rule, represented by God and the Devil (I kid you not) cannot determine a victor and grant them their wish of restoring a world before chaos. Of course this means only Ryu can return and Kyo is still dead. Confused? Yeah so was I. I couldn’t think of a more deserving title than Chaos for this book. I really couldn’t keep track of who was staying and who was going, who was dead and who was alive, and I never took Mr. Karate seriously. The story seemed to fly by and by the time the book wrapped up; I kept asking myself what happened to so and so. That’s my biggest gripe with the book. Packaging, print quality, and paper quality is exactly what you expect from DrMaster Publications, the highest standard! The art and colors are completely wonderful and I am now sold on being a Chi Wan Shum fan for life. Fans of Capcom and SNK are already buying this, but if you want to try something a little different with some spectacular art, give this book a shot. B

Yumekui Kenbun: Nightmare Inspector vol. 1
Story & Art: Shin Mashiba
Translation: Gemma Collinge
Adaptation: Kelly Sue DeConnick
Publisher: Viz

I had no idea what to expect when I saw the cover and the title of this book. I have to say for as dark as that cover seems, it really does have some wonderful use of colors. Nightmare Inspector reminds me much of the episodic manga that I highly enjoy such as Mushishi, Petshop or Horrors, and Ogre Slayer. The story centers around the Silver Star tea shop during Old England. Hiruko is the owner of this establishment and he also happens to be a dream-eater. The way he solves people’s problems is by entering their nightmares if he can eat their dreams after rescuing them from their torment. So throughout the book different kinds of people seek his services and they all have different outcomes. There are seven chapters in the first volume. They are all pretty short and all have some kind of irony twist towards the end. The seventh chapter does end on a cliffhanger though. The main problem is with the dialogue; it becomes rather repetitive and dull. Every chapter starts the same way and before you see the ending you can already predict what is going to happen. There is very little character development within the first five chapters, but just as soon as the book is about to end the characters start interacting with each other. While the art is pretty to look at, it’s really nothing that stands out above the rest of the books found in this genre. It’s a nice start, but I really had to push myself to read those first few chapters. C+

Zombie Powder vol. 4
Story & Art: Tite Kubo
Translation: Akira Watanabe
Publisher: Viz

I picked up Zombie Powder because I love Bleach, and the same creator did both series. From the beginning you could tell the subtle differences in the artwork and the way the story moved between the two books. As a locomotive blazes across the desert, Wolfina tries to rescue her brother whose body is fused to the engine. Emilio is one of the "hosts" of a Ring of the Dead! With no help in sight, Wolfina fights alone to save her brother from a fate worse than death. Gamma and C.T. manage to stop the train right before it hits Alcantara. The book finally reaches its conclusion with a happy ending and a possible way to continue the adventures of all our favorite characters. Hell, I would love to read more about Elwood in a spin-off series. Kubo's character designs show a propensity for small-framed women with rather prominent, rounded bosoms, while adult male characters tend to have the impossibly lanky builds such as the ones found in Shojo manga (they do remind me of designs by CLAMO). I must say, it's actually pretty impressive for a first-time manga, although about as good as I expected considering I had already read Bleach. It has most of the ingredients that makes a good Kubo series, even if it is a little rough on the edges, and I really like that about it. Sure the artwork is not perfect, but still great to see where his style goes from here. The only thing that disappointed me is that, much like the last volume, we get another 60 pages of another Kubo story. This time it’s a story called Bad Shield United. I would have rather gotten an additional 60 pages of Zombie Powder, but I guess I’ll take what I can get. B