Happy New Year! It's 2011. We have a new year and, as we do every week, new comics to review. You would think that the last week of the year would have a slim selection of books and the first week would have tons of stellar books, right?
Unfortunately that wasn't exactly the case. Last week was full of really good books. That's not saying there weren't any good books this week. There were indeed some. Check out this week's reviews brought to you courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Comic Vine reviewing team.
Avengers: The Children's Crusade #4
Read Zack's full review here.When this series dropped the bombshell that Wiccan and Speed were supposed to be Scarlet Witch's long-lost twins, I was honestly a bit skeptical about the retcon. Although, now that the story's been allowed to advance, I'm warming up to the idea more, not only as way to tie together these generations of Avengers, but also to finally bring Wanda back into the fold and put her genie back in the bottle, as it were, in a way that feels more natural.
Ultimate Comics Captain America #1
Read Tony's full review here.Captain America has always been the hero that can overcome all odds. Ultimate Cap is a slightly different story. He's not as perfect as the 616 Steve Rogers and is put up against a foe that will really test what he is made of. The Ultimate comics were supposed to deliver familiar characters with a different twist. Over the years, some of those differences became more subtle and we basically had the same characters as the 616 Universe. This series is clearly showing that this Captain America isn't the one we've been reading for years. The first issue might feel it goes by quickly but sets up what should be an interesting miniseries.
Weird Worlds #1
Read Mat's full review here.While it's not perfect, no first issue of a series is, but this book is one of the better first issues I've read in a long time. It's a fun turn-your-brain-off book, and we get introduced to two new DC characters with great potential. This is a quirky book and I can't wait to see how things progress, even for Lobo whom I loathe.
Thanos Imperative: Devastation
Read Zack's full review here.I felt that the Thanos Imperative have a long enough resolution and this special answers that concern quite soundly while addressing a lot of concerns I had. For one, I wondered why these cosmic characters weren't all involved in a regular book and this bridge of a special sets up a great premise for the new Annihilators book (effectively the Avengers in space) that's going to have me coming back, month after month, come March.
The Walking Dead #80
Read Tony's full review here.Everyone should be reading The Walking Dead. I was catching up and was determined to just read the hardcovers. I gave up on that because I simply couldn't wait. Buy and read the hardcovers and catch up on the single issues if you haven't already. The Walking Dead manages to take you into a different comic book world that stands apart from other books. For eighty issues, the series has managed to continue the tale of surviving in a world filled with zombies. There might still be a lot of unanswered questions in the series but it doesn't matter. The book continues to entertain month after month.
Brightest Day #17
Read Sara's full review here.There was a point where I felt that this series was very exciting- but lately I have sort of felt let down. Believe it or not, I think you really can have too much action; and I think that can hinder the direction of the story.
Wolverine The Best There Is #2
Read Mat's full review here.The Best There Is..... Do me a favor, if you want to read a Wolverine book, pick up Jason Aaron's run, which is currently mid-way through the Road to Hell story. I've read both issues to this series and I do not understand the appeal. Almost everything about this book falls flat. Save your money and pick up something else.
Sweet Tooth #17
Read Zack's full review here.I'll continue to say this book is very much an acquired taste and, while I might not personally have that taste, I'd certainly recommend it to anybody looking or needing to break out of the comfort zone of costumed superheroes. If you're a fan of provocative, almost transgressive, horror with a more realistic edge, you're going to dig this book a lot.
Batman Beyond #1
Read Tony's full review here.I really enjoyed the miniseries by this same creative team but this first issue felt a little lacking. They really went all out before and it's understandable that not every story can have that same intensity. For the first issue in an ongoing series, there should have been more action and excitement. I will definitely pick up the next issue but hopefully it will deliver more than this one did.
Ant-Man & Wasp #3
Read Zack's full review here.Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to read the first two issues of this mini and, now, I really feel like I missed out on something here. I really want to go scoop up the back issues. Ant-Man's traditionally been the butt of a lot of jokes, getting the same respect at Marvel that Aquaman gets at DC, but this was the first I'd seen these characters explored in a way that's clever, inventive and moving instead of goofy tongue-in-cheek.
X-Factor #213
Read Tony's full review here.Month after month, X-Factor shines in its own little corner of the X- and Marvel Universe. X-Factor is a book that can be enjoyed without having to read a dozen other X-titles. Peter David has continuously made the comic funny and entertaining month after month. This issue might be light on the action but there are revelations and plot progression that will have affects in the issues to come. Do yourself a favor and start reading X-Factor if you haven't been lately.
Steel #1
Read Tony's full review here.Reign of Doomsday has the potential to be a big arc. We're talking about the creature that was able to kill Superman. Doomsday presence can't bring about anything good for those involved. For the first part of this big arc, the story is all over the place. Doomsday wants to fight Steel but as the story progressed, I found myself caring less and less. To make it worse, if you want to read the next part, you have to pick up the next issue of Outsiders. I can appreciate a good crossover but I'm finding it hard to see anything good about this one.
Transformers Prime #1
Read Zack's full review here.This issues comes without too many explanations and, even though I've been following Transformers since I was a kid, I'm not quite sure where this is supposed to fit into the mythos. It was fun and easy to follow, certainly, but it could've benefitted from a recap page to establish things. Without much plot advanced so far, the heftier price tag is really getting you some slick, glossy pages instead of an extra amount of content.
Billy the Kid's Old Timey Oddities and the Ghastly Fiend of London #4
Read Tony's full review here.O bviously if you haven't read the first three issues, this is a horrible starting point. Eric Powell always manages to create a crazy and interesting world with each story he crafts. Nothing against Kyle Hotz's art but it would have been amazing to see Powell's art on the Billy the Kid story. The backup stories with the Goon and Franky are priceless. This final issue gives a satisfying and fitting ending to the story and the series succeeded in provided a different kind of comic book entertainment.
Update
More reviews added.
Superboy #3
Read Tony's full review here.Superboy is continuing to evolve as a character. It's great seeing him in J.T. Krul's Teen Titans but it's here that he's getting the attention and development he deserved. Smallville may be a small town but with Superboy there, more and more action is headed their way. It's great seeing Conner spend some time in high school rather than have this be ignored but with another character learning his secret identity, high school is becoming more dangerous than it already was.
Azrael #16
Read Tony's full review here.I feel like I'm supposed to be liking this series more than I do. Michael Lane and the concepts of Azrael's history have so much potential. There's something that is preventing me from fully caring what goes on. I haven't read the last few issues and despite this being Part 3, I was able to easily jump into the story. It's a shame that the series is ending soon. If you've been wondering what, if any, involvement Azrael will have in Batman Inc, you'll find out here.
Captain America Hail Hydra #1
Read Tony's full review here.The idea that Hydra has been working behind the scenes for years is intriguing. With so many different Captain America miniseries coming out lately, it's hard to tell if this one really matters in the grand scheme. Will this story from the past have any repercussions or will it just serve as a vehicle to bring more attention to Hydra's involvement with Cap's history before the movie? Seeing Cap and Bucky in action during WWII is nice but I haven't decided if I'll buy this entire series just yet.
18 Comments