Strange #1, SUPERGOD #1, The Unwritten #7 and Red Robin #6 Reviewed!
Strange: 'A Whole New Ballgame' #1 of 4
Written by: Mark WaidArt by: Emma Rios
Colors by: Christina Strain
It must be pretty humiliating to go from being the most powerful man in the mystical universe and holding the title of "Sorcerer Supreme," to barely being able to conjure up some hocus pocus in your pinkie finger to save yourself from a sticky situation! At least you still recall your incantations, right Doctor? Mark Waid pens this book and does a fantastic job dealing a still recovering Stephen Strange who still happens to be suffering from being a bit too arrogant for his own good. Nothing like the old "Sorcerer Supreme" we knew from before, this new Doctor Strange will be taking on the role of mentor and hanging up the cape; at least for a little while.
There is a lot of great dialogue in this book. Waid does a phenomenal job with the characterization of Doctor Stephen Strange who is still coming to terms with the fact that he has been embarrassingly demoted. The interaction between he and ' Tul'uth,' the evil demon who has possessed the baseball team is fantastic. The story seems to be setting up Casey to be Strange's protege, particularly considering her grandfather's death so early on; a scene which felt a bit rushed even after being "dealt with" towards the end. The art work is impeccable, and the colors are brilliantly vibrant; managing to capture emotion, expression and plot progression perfectly. While I did personally find Casey's character to be somewhat obnoxious, I am willing to overlook it because Stephen and Tul'uth were so perfectly captured."I'd forgotten how terrific it felt to simply relax and not have to feel responsible for every little thing that goes wonky in the-"
4 out of 5
SUPERGOD #1
Written by: Warren EllisArt by: Garrie Gastonny
I really have few words for this book aside from "wow." I almost feel intimidated having to review it, not a surprise since it is after all written by Warren Ellis. I will start off by saying first that I do not recommend the book for the immature or casual comic reader (being that it deals with some very adult issues,) not solely because I feel there should be an age discrepancy with this book, but because I feel that younger readers would not appreciate the sheer depth and beauty of the plot. If you are a fan of sci-fi and you happen to be the least bit politically aware, I really recommend this book. In short, Warren Ellis has developed a masterpiece with the first issue of SUPERGOD, dealing with thought provoking and intricate concepts, he has managed to intertwine religious, political, and social issues with elements of science fiction perfectly. A task which, I imagine, is not exactly easy to accomplish. It is an original story that deals with the idea that man is inherently prone to look to religious deities to save them from the mistakes they have forced upon themselves. Based on the plot thus far, I would imagine that it is a post apocalyptic tale told through the eyes of Simon Reddin, who appears to have witnessed the self inflicted death and destruction of humanity and civilization. While the first issue did read like an issue #0 in that it gave a lot of background information, I would imagine that it is vital to the reader's understanding of the progression of the story. The art is unbelievable. Detailed, intricate, dark, gritty and jaw dropping. The fact that I read this issue three times (and discovered something new every time) should be an indication of how good it is.
5 out of 5
The Unwritten #7
Written by: Mike CareyArt by: Peter Gross
While the story may be difficult to understand at first if you are new to it, it can be very easy to become quickly engrossed in the tale. I feel as though I almost can not do the book justice in a review being that I picked it up so late in the game, but I digress. I found myself wondering whether I should finish the issue, or wait to pick up the previous six comics as not to spoil anything for myself. Carey writes a truly captivating story centered around some mystical and fictional characters which certainly leave you wanting more.
Carey writes a thought provoking and intellectual "Frankenstein" character, but moves swiftly from that scene to another in the very beginning leaving it hard to follow. The language, however, is gorgeous. Carey does a great job capturing the dialogue of the characters in the story. The dialogue reads smoothly as though he put a lot of effort into it; so much so that the characters read the way they speak without any breaks. The language of the story flows effortlessly. While this does seem to be one comic that I would recommend for more mature readers in that it deals with violence, language, as well as clever and risque inuendos; I do highly recommend the title. The writing is fresh and invigorating, and readers that enjoy other Vertigo titles ( Fables) will enjoy this one."I understand your dilemma. It is frightening to think of the world as having no firm foundations. Frightening to meet one's maker...You. And Myself. We have that in common. We are creatures. Made things. And those who made us do not Love us."
4 out of 5
Red Robin: 'The Council of Spiders' #6
Written by: Chris YostArt by: Marcus To
Being that I had dropped the series around issue four, I decided to give it another go. While the organization and flow of the story seem to have improved with this issue; I felt that I disagreed with the interpretation of some vital elements in the story and erego found myself slightly disappointed. To me, Ra's al Ghul's ' League of Assassins' is supposed to be the most threatening and intimidating evil international organization in the bat-verse, period. Yost writes them to be somewhat non-threatening. This bothers me. While the book does draw on the importance of the 'League of Assassins,' it seems to dilute their capacity as a morally threatening organization. For years, Ra's' "assassins" have been more than just a group of hired guns and hit men. They have represented moral change (based on Ra's al Ghul's moral code). That characteristic does not exist in this series. Yost's "League" seems to exist as a group of hired assassins that waste their time on adulterous Hungarian wives as opposed to being the extended arm of Ra's whose purpose is to change the world by any means necessary. As a result of not having some unanimous consensus on moral code, the assassins read like mindless characters that exist solely to do Ra's' bidding. Tim Drake is always the most intelligent person in the room, but is not always written intelligently, leaving all the supporting characters a little bit dumber.
3 out of 5
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