Too Cheap for the Intro
So recently I dropped by a local Borders sale, and had the fortune of coming across a bunch of old trades sold at low prices. All of them were still in great condition and shrink-wrapped, each at 75% off. So being the thrifty Chinaman I am, I went ahead and splurged on seven books.
Which probably doesn’t sound like much for you Westerners with your cheap Amazon shipping, but it was a pretty sizeable snag, personally. Long story short, the seven TPBs rounded up to about 32 USD, and I was one very happy comic-book fan. So in the spirit of my happiness, I decided to do these reviews for each trade I bought.
These comics are all books that I probably wouldn’t pick up if I was perusing bookstores with wide selections, but I like to broaden my reading horizons. Every now and then, I enjoy dropping by a spot without reading online reviews, and buying whatever strikes my fancy.
So these are the trades that I ended up spending dime on, and I’m gonna (try) to keep my thoughts short and sweet because we know how annoying long blogs can be (and that ship has saiiilleed by this paragraph…). Who knows, I might even convince one of you to pick some of these up.
So without further ado, leggo:
Captain America: Road to Reborn
Story by Ed Brubaker & others
Art by a crapload of people; there are more artists here than an Army of the Pharaohs song
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Breakdown
Road to Reborn is a prequel of sorts to the Reborn miniseries. Basically Steve Rogers died after being assassinated by Crossbones and a brainwashed Sharon Carter. His sidekick Bucky took over for a while. But then Marvel decided to bring him back (didn’t see that one coming), and so commissioned the Reborn series. Road to Reborn was supposed to lead up to Steve’s return.
But….meh, this trade doesn’t really accomplish that. Now, to be clear, I’m a big fan of the Baker’s run on Captain America. But after the epic Death of Cap trilogy, the series kinda meanders as the momentum begins to slow. Reading this, I was left largely bored, and the entire book just screams ‘filler’.
Story
Road to Reborn collects the ‘Sentinel of Liberty’ one-shot, two issues of the ongoing Cap series, the #600 anniversary issue, and #601 – which is an one-off flashback to Cap in WWII. Now the first problem with this TPB, which might be evident by now, is that it has a wide variety of stories – many of which have little relation to one another.
So the quality of this trade goes up and down more than moods at that time of the month. And it also lacks a unified tone; it’s just a filler trade before Reborn, where they throw in a bunch of issues to be collected. The first one-shot, ‘Sentinel of Liberty’, is essentially just a retelling of Cap’s history and accomplishes nothing (aside from pretty art).
Issue 49 of the ongoing Cap series focuses on Sharon Carter, and the grieving process after the Death of Cap. It’s character work I suppose, but I found it completely non-engaging. Issue 50 fares a little better as it deals with Bucky’s birthday and flashbacks to his past birthdays, but again, it doesn’t feel worthy of the page ink. It doesn’t suck, but it’s just…there.
The #600 anniversary issue is probably the best of the bunch, and reunites several classic Cap writers for an anthology of six parts. The first story is just a two-page origin retelling by Alex Ross and Paul Dini – and looks gorgeous. Following that is Brubaker’s ‘One Year After’, which covers every Cap-related character’s reactions in the one-year anniversary of Steve Roger’s death. It drags on for far too long I feel, but makes good use of Cap’s cast and history.
Next up is probably my favorite story in this entire trade – and that’s a short story by Mark Waid, and involves an auction of Captain America memorabilia. And here we get to see all the lives Cap has touched in the bidders – from a soldier who served with Cap, to a police officer from Steve’s time on the beat. But my favorite is the man who buys Cap’s first Avengers ID – something that I won’t spoil for you.
Concluding the issue is a short letter by Joe Simon, which provides some interesting background to Cap’s creation, as well as short strip entitled ‘Passing the Torch’…which references some obscure Cap story. Finally, the trade ends with Issue #601, which has legendary Gene Colan drawing a WWII flashback where Cap fights vampires. It’s a serviceable horror yarn…but nothing memorable.
Art
The art here ranges from great to meh. Great comes from Marcos Martin on ‘Sentinel of Liberty’ (which despite the gratuitous nature of the story, does offer some splendid layouts). As well as Dale Eaglesham on the Waid story, and Alex Ross (as always) on ‘Origin’ (which again, while unnecessary, looked very pretty). Everyone else was kind of meh.
But the one artist that I was kind of conflicted on was Gene Colan on the vampire story. His style here is very different than his usual one – with murky tones that fit the horror-vibe of the issue. At the same time it works, but his art here also gets pretty messy and unappealing. I sense I would’ve enjoyed this one more had Michael Lark been on the art. I realize this issue won an Eisner Award but…ech.
TL; DR
Some gems in this Cap anniversary filler, but there’s a lot of dirt to sift through. It would probably be more enjoyable for a Cap fan.
Rating: 3 Shark Bites out of 5
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Fantastic Four: Books of Doom
Story by Ed Brubaker
Pencils by Pablo Raimondi
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Breakdown
I’ve always been a big fan of Doom, so this pick was pretty much a no-brainer for me. I’ve been hearing a lot of good feedback surrounding this TPB, and being a fan of the Baker too, I gave it a go. For the uninformed, Books of Doom is basically a six-part miniseries retelling Doom’s past; from his birth to his eventual rise of power in Latveria. It’s a supervillain origin story and framed in the style of an interview with the doctor.
So how does this most recent retcon fare? I’ll be upfront with you – it’s not going to blow your mind. But it is a solid comic-book that I would wholeheartedly recommend, and does justice to the greatest Marvel baddie (Yeah that’s right, Magneto fans, I said it!). If any of you Viners want a crash course on the Doc or have even the slight interest in him, Books will not disappoint.
Story
Even though we know how the story is going to conclude, and it hits a lot of familiar beats, Books of Doom is still an enjoyable trip from start to finish. You know how motivational speakers always talk about ‘the journey, not the end’? From Doom’s accident, to him building his armor, and then taking over Latveria – it’s got enough fleshing out to merit reading this trade.
The first thing the Baker does right is making Doom a sympathetic main lead. Despite what Breaking Bad fans might have you believe, an entirely-evil protagonist doesn’t click with audiences. Oh we all know Doom’s a colossal asshole (seriously, Doc, the FF wedding issue? Have some standards, mate). But he has enough humanity to make you support him here.
And it’s not just Brubaker making Doom into a more nuanced character, but he really draws you into Doom’s life, making you understand the Doc’s motivations, and why he does the things he does. His villainy is a mix of nature and circumstance. And how one man went from gypsy, to scientist, to sorcerer, to revolutionary, and finally – king.
The whole yarn is told like a History Channel program (sans the coma-inducing voice-overs), and flows well from start to finish. Brubaker throws in a few curveballs here and there to spice up this familiar tale, and almost all of them work (Doom fights a Yeti!). But the story’s genius twist ending is what really ties all six issues of this story together; and gives a satisfying end to it too. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but if you’re really curious:
Doom becomes a woman. No, that’s not what really happened. Buy the book if you really want to know, you turd.
Art
And I’d be doing a disservice to the book if I didn’t mention Pablo Raimondi’s fantastic pencils. I’ve never heard of the guy before, but his work here is superb. Raimondi’s art is similar to Carlos Pacheco on Ultimate Avengers; smooth lines that are both cartoonish and realistic. There’s one particularly detailed panel of Doom walking down an Eastern European street that would make a Bryan Hitch fan blink twice.
And another notable bit where Doom is climbing the Himalayas, and wearing a green hooded parka while his scarred face is bandaged in the style of his future metal mask. Can you say, ‘visual foreshadowing’? Raimondi’s work is solid, and I’d love to see more of him.
Credit is also due to Brian Reber for subdued colors that give the story another added layer of realism; and to Paolo Rivera for some gorgeous painted covers. It wouldn’t be too hard to imagine these paintings hanging in Castle Doom itself
TL; DR
Great supervillain origin story for Marvel’s best baddie, with a clever twist ending and strong artwork.
Rating: 4 Shark Bites out of 5
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Gotham Central Book 2: Jokers & Madmen
Story by Ed Brubaker & Greg Rucka
Pencils by Michael Lark & others
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Breakdown
You’re starting to see a pattern in the first three trades I bought, aren’t you? No, it’s not that they all have superheroes in them, you dolt. They all have the Baker! This was actually an entirely unconscious decision on my part – I didn’t even notice it until the checkout counter. Either way, we’ve seen Bru miss on Cap and hit on Books of Doom, so let’s find out how well he does here.
Spoiler alert: This is the best damn comic of the bunch.
Gotham Central was the ridiculously critically-acclaimed book which focused on the eponymous city’s underfunded and corrupt police department. It features the everyday lives of ordinary Gothamite po-pos living in the shadow of the Bat, and having to deal with both normal crimes and those of the costumed psychotic variety.
A stark contrast to the rest of the DCU, Gotham Central is an extremely gritty tale, mixing depressing police procedural tales with supervillains. In this second trade, we have the GCPD going up against the likes of a sniper-rifle-wielding Joker, a violent Harvey Bullock, and the Mad Hatter, in some of the best comic-books DC has ever put out.
Going into this trade and having never read the first volume before, I suspected it was going to be as mind-blowing as all the reviewers claimed. Now I know I’m years late to this particular party…but damn, Gotham Central does not disappoint.
Story
Brubaker on noir is like Jay-Z on a soul-sampled beat. Like Michael Bay in the heart of an explosion. Like Kate Upton in a revealing outfit. He’s in his element, in his zone. And while I haven’t read much of Rucka, his writing here is definitely on par with the Baker’s. The series is after all, the brainchild of these two. It’s not hard to see why the Eisner nominations came pouring in.
The first thing I felt was that this series was very much less CSI, and more ‘The Wire’. Every panel and every scene just screamed ‘HBO Original Programming’ to me. I could imagine this comic-book being adapted for cable. But at the same time, Brubaker and Rucka remember to keep it grounded in Gotham and the DCU. Batman makes like two short appearances in the ten issues collected here, but the GCPD characters and the city’s villains are all put to good use.
Gotham Central features a large ensemble cast no doubt, and the two writers do a fantastic job of balancing each character’s life stories and personalities across different story arcs. There’s an (extremely) helpful roster guide for new readers such as myself, and before long, you’ll easily get what makes each police tick. And each character feels real, and fully-realized.
They’re dressed in mundane clothing, they’re fallible, they have human problems…but at the same time, underneath all their baggage, a good number of them are cops who just want to do good. And this is the best part of the series – that the ‘good guys’ are both likeable leads, yet human. Harvey Bullock, Renee Montoya, Crispus Allen, Stacy, Ron Probson, Dagmar Procjnow…they all feel more than just names and faces. They feel plausible in a world of implausibility.
And that’s before we even get to the crimes and the villains. There’s a great Mad Hatter yarn towards the end of the book, but what is without a doubt, one of the book’s most memorable arcs – is the four-issue ‘Soft Targets’. In it, we have the Joker using a sniper rifle to gun down a number of civilians, all in the name of creating a sick, twisted game for the Bat. It was a definite inspiration for TDK.
And what makes ‘Soft Targets’ so excellent from this book’s PoV is that it doesn’t try and focus on the Joker’s psychology, as ever bloody Joker guest appearance attempts. No, Gotham Central homes in instead on the effects that such a terrifying villain as the Joker causes in the civilian populace, and how the cops are just collateral casualties in the ongoing war between the Knight and his Jester. It’s a chilling look, to put these human characters into such a situation, and we see some of the trade’s strongest character works in this arc.
To put the cherry on top, the Joker using a sniper rifle to gun people down at Christmas draws a lot of similarities to real-life crimes, and the more pragmatic nature of his plan here (compared to his laughing fish ones), just nails home the hardboiled noir tone of the series. Superb.
Art
Michael Lark does most of the pencil work on this series, and I first encountered his work when he drew the WWII flashbacks for Brubaker’s Cap run. I liked his style then – it was gritty and rough, but his pencils work so much better on this series than Cap. The heavy inks, the true-to-life expressions – they all feel so real. In the sense, they’re aesthetically ugly like real-life, but also beautiful to look at. His renditions of the Joker and Mad Hatter are grounded. Every panel Lark draws just drips with verisimilitude (look it up, don’t be lazy), and I can’t think of a better artist for this title.
Special mention to Lee Loughridge on colors, his subdued tones work very well with the nature of Gotham Central.
TL; DR
Go. Find. Buy. Read. Realistic police stories in the DCU, with incredible character work and very real tales of crime and morality.
Rating: 5 Shark Bites out of 5
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Kobra: Resurrection
Story by Greg Rucka & others
Pencils by Joe Bennet & others
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Breakdown
I bought three Brubaker books unintentionally, and also bought three villain-oriented trades too (Doom, Kobra, Thunderbolts). Patterns, patterns. Alright, back to the review. Kobra Resurrection was a book I picked up because the cover looked sweet, and I’ve always thought this dude had potential. He’s the leader of a cult, and the first man to solve the formula for the Lazarus Pits.
So I was hoping for a more in-depth view on Kobra ala Books of Doom…but sadly, I was disappointed. Now that’s not to say this is an entirely bad trade, but the truth is that we learn very little about Kobra as a character. Resurrection is more a collection of the last few Checkmate issues in Rucka’s run, with a few Kobra stories tacked on.
Story
From what I gather, Rucka’s run on Checkmate was well-received. Now maybe I’d appreciate the first three issues in this trade more were I to read the series from the start. But I found the Checkmate issues to be cool, though not particularly noteworthy. Basically, Kobra has planted mutated sleepers across the world, and Checkmate and the JLA/JSA are at war with the cult.
It’s a thriller type story with enough beats to keep you interested (and a really nice twist ending, actually), and also deals with tensions between the organization and the DCU’s superheroes as a result of Maxwell Lord going nuts. Nothing to write home about, but none too shabby either.
In addition to the main story though, the book also includes Kobra’s original appearance. Following that is a Batman issue where Bats teams up with Kobra’s brother to bring down the cult. Then we have the Faces of Evil issue, where Kobra is dead…and his brother takes his place as the cult’s leader. I won’t go into detail on these three; they’re just boring filler, really.
Which is a shame because the initial three Checkmate issues are really not bad, but the following Kobra-related stories just drag this book down into mediocrity. I get it’s to justify putting this out as a trade, but it feels like a waste of dime. They do throw in Kobra’s Who’s Who entry at the end of the book though, which I will admit, is a nice touch.
Art
One of the reasons why I even picked up this TPB was, as aforementioned, the awesome trade cover by Andrew Robinson and Greg Digenti. Seriously, just look at that. A sneering Kobra emerging from the darkness – now that’s how a villain should look. Cover aside, the interior art was done by different pencillers across multiple eras, so results are varied.
The three Checkmate issues are by Joe Bennett, and the pencils here are quite well-done, if lacking a little in polish. But it’s understandable for a monthly book, and I can’t complain. It certainly looks like most DC art of the 2000s though. The Kobra issue was done by the King himself, but I’m not afraid of admitting that it’s a far cry from his Marvel work. Kirby’s art here is stiff and lacking dynamism, though he apparently shared the art chores with others.
The Batman issue was done by Mike Nasser and Joe Rubinstein, and is definitely from the 70s, with Bats looking very Neal Adams. Not much to say here. The final Faces of Evil issue was done by a Julian Lopez, who has a rougher style, but overall still functional. I think, overall, Bennett’s pencils were the most intriguing, while everyone else was kind of meh.
TL; DR
Isn’t really a ‘Kobra’ book focused on the character, and the weaker issues bring it down. But the Checkmate issues are an interesting-enough espionage yarn.
Rating: 2 Shark Bites out of 5
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Nova Vol. 6: Realm of Kings
Story by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Pencils by Andrea Divito & others
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Breakdown
I’ve always had a passing interest in Nova. Maybe it was the kickass costume, or the idea of an uber-powerful war hero that appealed to me. Richard Rider came across as cosmic Captain America, and I looked forward to adding new blood to my roster of favorite heroes.
Now I’ve dabbled a little with DnA’s critically-acclaimed cosmic stuff before, like War of Kings, but none of it really struck me as memorable. It wasn’t that the stories were bad, but more like I didn’t really feel much of a connection to the characters. See, I’ve always been a little wary of space-oriented comics like Green Lantern. When superheroes spend more time in space fighting aliens than on Earth fighting villains, I don’t know, it just doesn’t draw my attention.
So suffice to say, I went into Nova Vol. 6 with both excitement and apprehension. On one hand, he seemed like a really fly character to get into, but on the other, ‘cosmic’ books have always left me apathetic (Don’t believe me? I read Sinestro Corps War and was bored). Not to mention that I wasn’t even starting from the first volume of the run, but the last!
So how’d it go? Well, Nova fans…you officially have a new member in your ranks.
Story
Right off the bat, I just want to say that I enjoyed myself throughout all the volume’s eight issues. This was a fun, exciting Marvel read, and even being thrown into the deep end, I could still follow the story fine. Nova Vol. 6 is what a solid superhero book should be – a mix of action, humor, insane concepts, inventive use of continuity, and charming characters.
The first thing that struck me about Nova though, was that despite the fact it was a ‘cosmic comic’, it felt more like a classic superhero tale that any other book I’ve read in a while. Back on Earth, Marvel was putting out nonsense like Secret Invasion or Dark Reign, vapid ‘political’ allegories that just felt trite. But here in space, Nova was battling bad guys and saving lives.
In this volume alone, Nova fights drug-dealing Mindless Ones, a giant crocodile, and Ego the Living Planet. He meets his old ally Darkhawk, before being caught in a conflict between his arch-nemesis Sphinx…and a younger Sphinx from the past. Both Sphinxes summon five champions each, with the older Sphinx choosing Nova, Mr. Fantastic, Namorita, Black Bolt, and Darkhawk to battle five villains chosen by the younger Sphinx.
If that previous sentence alone doesn’t get you pumped, then superhero comics probably aren’t your preferred reading material!
Another thing I got a good sense of was the character of Richard Rider. He comes across as a Peter Parker who grew up – a teen hero who became a war hero. In this way, he seems to have more nuance than Hal Jordan. Nova is a likeable lead, and I definitely look forward to picking up the earlier volumes of the series to delve deeper into the character and his world.
Art
On the matter of the artwork, I won’t say that it’s particularly unique or noteworthy, but that it definitely services the story well above-average. You know how many comics have rushed ‘monthly comic art’? Well Nova does look like a monthly book, but there’s also enough detail in its panels to look better than most monthly titles.
Bruno Hang’s (No, I did not make that name up) colors pop off the page with Silver-Age excitement, and Divito’s pencils really do convey a sense of scope with some of the high-concept stuff that goes down in this book. The panels with the Sphinx being a god are especially awe-inspiring, and the action scenes are a blast to read. I had no issues with the art at all.
I will say though, that the Brandon Peterson computer covers were a little weird. I’ve never been the biggest fan of his work and they were kind of hit-and-miss here.
TL; DR
Classic superhero action at its finest, with awesome villains, great fight scenes, and cool characters.
Rating: 5 Shark Bites out of 5
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S.H.I.E.L.D.: Architects of Forever
Story by Jonathan Hickman
Pencils by Dustin Weaver
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Breakdown
The f*ck is this sh*t, Hickman?
Story
Okay, that was a joke, S.H.I.E.L.D. isn’t that bad. But here’s the thing…it’s not that good either. But I don’t think that on an objective level – I think that on a personal level. See, I picked up Architects of Forever because I recall many reviewers gushing about this series. I’m also a fan of much of Hickman’s Marvel stuff (FF, Ultimates, New Avengers), so this looked promising.
What I ended up with was one of the dullest reads I’ve ever had the misfortune of enduring. At first glance, this felt like Hickman at his worst. Self-indulgent over-dramatic narrations, with scientists and smart men talking vaguely about high-concept ideas, characters that you could barely care for, and lots of bloody diagrams. It felt like the predecessor to Manhattan Projects.
I love Hickman when he infuses some character work in between all his high-falutin’ science. His best runs are when he manages to find a balance between the two. But this trade here just reads like a dry documentary with links to the Marvel Universe, and lots of historical figures being superheroes. A secret brotherhood of scientists have some hazy destiny or something.
All that being said…I can understand why this series received its critical acclaim. Here’s the thing, I feel like this story is not for me, but I can understand if some people like it. If the ambitious mix of historical figures and science-fiction appeals to you, and its style of not being a traditional Marvel book is something you dig…by all means.
And another thing about Hickman’s stuff is that sometimes it often takes me longer to gravitate to it. I didn’t understand all the nuances of his FF run at first, but as I reread and delved deeper, I started to appreciate it more. So perhaps the same will happen here with Architects of Forever – possibly in a future reread. I’m not ruling out that possibility.
But damn it, this book isn’t even about Nick Fury’s S.H.I.E.L.D.!
Art
Dustin Weaver’s art though, I will admit, is immaculate. The level of detail he puts into the panels is awe-inspiring, as is his unique European-ish design sense of steampunk and mechanical gods. The epic scenes he draws of Apocalypse and the original Moon Knight fighting the Brood in Egypt, the Celestial in China, and Galactus in Rome…jaw-dropping with detail and scope.
But the inking can get a little scratchy and ugly at points – kind of reminiscent of Pete Woods’ inking actually (though no disrespect to Woods, his pencil work is great). Credit is due to Christina Strain on Justin Ponsor (one of my favorites) on colors though, as they use a realistic palette that enhances the pencils.
TL; DR
Not for me, but a history/science buff might enjoy it. Gorgeous art; and ambitious story of science and history that falters under the weight of its concepts.
Rating: 2 Shark Bites out of 5 (But…I might change my mind)
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Thunderbolts Vol. 2: Caged Angels
Story by Warren Ellis
Pencils by Mike Deodato Jr.
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Breakdown
You know, for a guy who doesn’t really care for superheroes, Warren Ellis actually writes them pretty well. His work on Iron Man, Authority, and Ultimate Marvel are some of my favorite comics to date. Now I’ve heard good press regarding his Thunderbolts run, and reading it, you can tell that Ellis is just having a good time.
For the uninformed, this Thunderbolts team was organized post-Civil War to arrest unregistered superhumans. They’re led by Norman Osborn, and are basically Marvel’s Suicide Squad.
In this six-issue arc, four telepaths surrender themselves to the team’s custody and are held in Thunderbolts Mountain. But it turns out they wanted to get captured, and plan to use their TP to drive the entire team crazy and shut down the whole Thunderbolts operation. At the same time, superhero psychiatrist Doc Samson comes in to pay Robbie Baldwin a visit.
Needless to say, sh*t goes down.
Story
Even having not the read the first volume (another pattern you see with all the trades I picked up, though not an intentional one), I could follow the story with ease. Basically, the Thunderbolts’ PR face is at an all-time low, as a result of a mission where Venom ended up biting the arm off an unregistered superhuman. And which gives the motivation for the four telepaths to willingly get thrown into Thunderbolts Mountain; in an attempt to destroy the team from the inside.
It’s definitely an intriguing premise, and Ellis gets to run wild with the characters. The pressure slowly builds as the telepaths force one Thunderbolt after the other to lose control. Swordsman sets off a bomb, bribes a few Thunderbolts guards to aid him, and starts killing everyone. Venom goes full-on cannibal. Moonstone attacks Doc Samson. And Osborn…oh lord, Osborn.
Bendis’ Osborn is the only version of the character where I can believe that he replaced Stark. Fraction writes him as an incompetent dolt. But in this book, pre-HAMMER, Ellis gets to go psychotic with Osborn, as Goblin rampages through Thunderbolts Mountain. I won’t spoil it for you; but let’s just say we get a naked Osborn monologuing and a horrific fight with Swordsman.
At the same time that all this carnage is going on, we also have it juxtaposed with an ongoing therapy session between Doc Samson and Penance. Their conversation really provides some fantastic insight into Robbie and the nature of superheroes. And though these two eventually do get embroiled in the fighting, their side story offers some great character work.
Art
I’ve always found this incarnation of the Thunderbolts to be the most visually-interesting team. From Goblin’s suit, to Swordsman’s purple armor, Radiation Man’s hazmat suit (his best look, by the by), and Venom (which Deadato excels at) – they all look very intimidating. And Deadato’s overly-dark shadows suit this violent TPB very well.
I will say that Deadato’s pencils do appear rushed at some points, but they’re all still very nice to look at. His tendency to use slanted panels just adds to the claustrophobic tone of the story, and he pulls off some of his best action work here. The panels of giant Venom tearing through innocent guards and devouring them? Good times.
TL; DR
Intense ‘trapped in a cabin and everyone slowly goes nuts’ type story between crazy supervillains, mixed with solid character work and nice art.
Rating: 4 Shark Bites out of 5
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So, How’d I Do?
Tallying up, I’ve got two books scoring 5/5, two books scoring 4/5, one scoring 3/5, and two scoring 2/5.
As my Shark Bites might imply, I would thoroughly recommend Gotham Central and Nova Vol. 6. The former is a fantastic Wire-esque crime tale that mixes police procedural and noir with supervillains. It’s gritty Brubaker at his best. And Nova is just a straight-up kickass superhero tale, involving time-travelling villains and hustling Mindless Ones. Cosmic heroism at its finest.
Books of Doom and Thunderbolts: Caged Angels are also highly recommended by yours truly. Books is a solid history of Marvel’s greatest villain and a great character piece, coupled together with attractive art. Thunderbolts has an insane premise and pushes its cast to their extreme, with villains tearing each other apart amid some good characterization. It’s just violent fun.
Captain America: Road to Reborn and S.H.I.E.L.D. are mixed bags, personally. Road to Reborn reads like unnecessary filler, but there are some gems in here for Cap fans to enjoy, though I don’t imagine general readers would. It just doesn’t seem worth the money. As for S.H.I.E.L.D., it’s not for me, but I can understand the acclaim. If high science-fiction and an ‘intelligent’ comic is up your alley, by all means.
Kobra: Resurrection is deservedly the worst of the bunch, but it really has more to do with the nature of the TPB. It’s clearly meant to reprint the three Checkmate issues, but with that not being enough to merit a trade, they’ve thrown in a few more terrible Kobra-related issues that are definitely not worth purchasing. So unless you’re a Rucka Checkmate reader, I’d pass on this.
Thanks for reading, and let me know if you’ve read any of these and if you agree/disagree with my thoughts, or if my reviews have convinced any of you to try these trades.
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