It's the end of the month but we get quite the selection of awesome books this week. Hopefully you've been enjoying The War of the Green Lanterns because three parts come out this week. We have some X-titles, some Fear Itself tie-ins, Bat-books as well as Doomsday in Action Comics and Venom in a crazy action-packed issue.
Sadly, we did not have time to review every single book that came out this week. We did our best to review as many as the day allowed us. Let us know what you thought of these books along with the other great (and not-so-great) books you've read.
== TEASER ==Green Lantern #66
Get ready for your monthly dose of crazy Green Lantern action. The War of the Green Lanterns is still underway and Geoff Johns & Doug Mahnke continue to put out the best GL title. This issue is crammed with action between Hal, Guy and the infected Guardians. We finally get an update on Sinestro, Carol and the others that got sucked into the Book of the Black. There is a tiny little revelation that will have some very interesting repercussions after all this. Comic Book events can get out of hand but this one has been chugging along at a great pace and the last page here will make you dive into your stack of this week's comics in order to read GL Corps #60 and Emerald Warriors #10.
Click here to read Tony's full review.
Secret Avengers #13
Tie-ins don't have to suck, and they don't have to be parts of a storyline that divulge crucial pieces of information. All they really should do is show the events in that world taking place through another person's eyes, and this is a great example of that. The writing and art are fantastic, and we get to see a side of Beast that we all know about yet rarely see in the comics anymore. Plus, did I mention Lincoln punches a Nazi? I highly recommend this issue, even if you're not reading Fear Itself. Secret Avengers has been a great book since issue one, and it's really picking up heat now.
Click here to read Mat's full review.
Green Lantern Corps #60
After what seems like years of war between different Corps, I'm finding it really difficult to care about this civil war, regardless if it's the result of mind control or not. I really get the feeling that turning the "good guys" into other Lanterns was as much of a "hey, don't forget about the other colours!" move as it was to further the plot. I really wish DC would just assign heroes a color and leave them be; having temporary members just cheapens the mystique of the Corps when anyone can get in.
Pick this issue up if you're following the crossover, or if you're a Mogo fan.
Click here to read Matt's full review.
Venom #3
One thing you can't say about this issue is that it is lacking on action. After Flash Thompson's run in with Kraven the Hunter last issue in the Savage Land, he still has his hands full. Dealing with trying to keep control over the suit along with new enemies and the fact that his secret identity has been uncovered, it'll be surprising if he can even survive this issue. There is even more things besides those mentioned that happen here. The events in this issue fly by and you'll be on the edge of your seat through out it all. I can't help but wonder what Rick Remender has planned and if we are indeed on a tight schedule. Either way, the issue is a trip. Sadly we don't have Tony Moore doing the art but Tom Fowler draws some great scenes (even if Venom's tongue looked a little off). If you like Venom, Spider-Man and action-packed comics, you need to read this.
Click here to read Tony's full review.
Xombi #3
This is like nothing I have ever read! Xombi is a concept completely unique. It stands out from any other comic out in the market right now, which is exactly the kind of series I have been searching for. Xombi manages to successfully integrate elements of sci-fi, fantasy and super-heroism together in a refreshing and eloquent way, delivering characters that are interesting and unique. The book, overall is very impressive. I highly recommend this series (and this issue) to anyone who is looking for a very different, well written book.
Click here to read Sara's full review.
Secret Warriors #27
This issue's solid for a number of reasons: it's emotional without being sappy, and action-packed without forgoing plot development. It's everything you want from a spy novel (in comic book form) without showing glaring weaknesses in other areas. However, like any good spy novel, you have to. This isn't an issue for newcomers to the series: for that, I recommend starting all the way back at issue one. Big things look to be on the horizon for Secret Warriors, and I, for one, can't wait to see what happens.
Click here to read Matt's full review.
Detective Comics #877
It's almost hard to take a villain calling himself Roadrunner seriously but the added development to him makes him a little more interesting. The true hook in this issue is the mystery behind Sonia Branch and what her true intentions are. We get some great insight into the mind of Dick Grayson, courtesy of Scott Snyder, that also gives an idea of what goes on in the mind of the others in the Bat-family. Snyder continues to superbly write Grayson's character and shows that this is about Dick evolving into his version of Batman instead of just another Batman comic with Dick under the cowl. Jock manages to make even the simplest scenes pop off the pages and really establishes the mood that compliments the writing. You just can't go wrong with Detective Comics these days.
Click here to read Tony's full review.
X-Men Legacy #249
This looks to be the right time to start getting into X-Men Legacy if you haven’t been already as the aftermath of Age of X is starting to come to a close and you’ll have a good jumping off point to see just where Magneto, Rogue, Frenzy, and Legion are when the next big arc starts up.
Couple this with an always powerful Auschwitz story from Magento and great character development all around and I would highly recommend picking up this issue as we look forward to the future of the characters featured in these pages.
Click here to read Ray's full review.
Action Comics #901
It's no secret that I'm not the biggest Superman fan, but I was a HUGE fan of Action when Lex took over. I tried my best to give Superman a shot, with Cornell writing, and I really didn't like it. The problem wasn't the characters. The problem was that this new story starts in the middle of another one, which previous parts took place in other books. For me, I'm going to sit this story out and give Action Comics one more chance when this Doomsday story is over, and I'll say the same to everyone else in my situation. If you've been keeping up with this story, you'll love it. Cornell and Rocafort are a great team, and while it sucks that there's a different artist in the middle of the book, Rocafort's art really holds the rest of the book together.
Click here to read Mat's full review.
FF #4
FF's only four issues in and it's getting to the meat of an adventure: I like this. Sometimes series take too long to get going, and as a result they come off flat. I'll be adding FF to my pull list based on this issue, as I'm genuinely curious as to what happens next. I'm hoping that Doom continues to be a presence in this book, enmity with Richards aside: I mean, he is one of the foremost scientific minds in the (Marvel) world, and a badass character to boot. Keep an eye out for issue five to bring us into the thick of the FF's newest challenge.
Click here to read Matt's full review.
Gotham City Sirens #23
What I thought of as a lack of originality aside, this comic features a lot of action between many different characters and sets the stage for what looks to be a mighty test for both Catwoman and Batman in the future issues. If you haven’t been reading this comic, you might be a little lost since even though it’s technically a new arc, you’re really jumping into a continuation of the last one, but you should be able to catch on quickly enough to still enjoy it.
Click here to read Ray's full review.
Wolverine #9
Although it was incredibly quick read, and one of the outcomes of this issue left me a bit disappointed, Aaron's run on Wolverine has been phenomenal. In fact, it's the best run on an on-going Wolverine book in years. Some people may have a problem with the art of Daniel Acuna on this book, which I've mentioned in the past, but I truly feel it fits the book and makes it an extremely great read.
Click here to read Mat's full review.
The Tattered Man
While I wish there was more exploration of these characters, I still enjoyed the book for what it was. I thought it was very interesting to take something from the Old Testament and make it into this looming, threatening being that haunts the story. The pacing was good, the story was good, and the art was appropriate. While it is on the small side, (about the size of two comic issues), it's a self contained story and is easy for anyone to pick up and delve into. I personally wish that this could be a full mini-series; maybe someday.
Click here to read Sara's full review.
Uncanny X-Men #537
If you’ve been reading this Uncanny storyline, then you’re going to want to see where it ends up, but I’m tempted to tell you to pass on this comic due to blatant page filler moments and the unnecessary build up of a character that just doesn’t need all this attention. Not to mention I still can’t stand the intangible Kitty Pryde thing, even if it does look to be coming to a head soon.
Also, if you’re looking to get into Uncanny X-Men, this is definitely not the issue to do so and I would wait until this arc at least finishes up before adding this to my weekly pull box.
Click here to read Ray's full review.
Hellraiser #2
There's no question that this is what fans of Hellraiser want to see. With Clive Barker taking part in this series, we are getting a continuation of the movie events. Too often horror movies simply end with very few survivors and you don't really see what happens afterwards. This series is showing us that the story is not over. Readers newer to the franchise may have some difficulty keeping up. Even after reading the first issue, it almost feels like something happened in between that issue and this but you can see that we will be getting answers. The art doesn't feel quite as consistent as in the first issue but the action packed scene towards the end delivers and has some really nice details.
Click here to read Tony's full review.
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #5
Darth Vader and the Lost Command gave us a look at the Vader between Anakin and the one from the original movies. This Vader isn't perfect. At the same time, he will still get in there and do the job with his bare hands rather than sit back and rely on the Force. Haden Blackman gave us a great story showing us what's going on in his mind. He hasn't completely given up his past life and is still dealing with his transformation. The mission he is on left me wanting more. I had hoped to see more action but there were some nice scenes of Vader jumping into the thick of things. Rick Leonardi's pencils are always great to see but there were moments that some scenes felt a little off. He did do some really nice scenes dealing with Vader coping with who he is and who he will become. Overall it was a good series. I hope we'll see more of Vader during this time period, before he fully becomes the Dark Lord of the Sith.
Click here to read Tony's full review.
The Mighty Thor #2
Like I said, it's a great introductory title for new readers, but certainly not essential to your understanding of current Marvel continuity. Still, it's a decent story with incredible art and is a lot of fun to read.
Click here to read Sara's full review.
'68 #2
A well constructed, well organized second issue to a four part mini series. If you're into zombies and Vietnam war stories, then this is bound to be your cup of tea- even if it wasn't for me.
Click here to read Sara's full review.
Planet of the Apes #2
This is pretty much uncharted territory in the Planet of the Apes mythos. We know there is a lot of time between the present and the time of the original movies. The great thing is this series drops us right in. You get the sense that the world has been moving on and everything hasn't just been fabricated for the sake of a comic book. Daryl Gregory is setting the story up for a big clash between men and apes. There is a mystery behind the assassination of the leader of the apes. Seeing both sides try to solve that mystery has been intriguing these past two issues. Carlos Magno does a great job in giving us the visuals of this time period. The apes sometimes look a little off but otherwise, you can almost say they look better than the original make up designs from the original movies. Planet of the Apes is great for fans of the original movies and new readers can dive right in to explore this new world. The way this issue ends, a bunch of ape and man poop is about to hit the fan.
Click here to read Tony's full review.
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