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5 (12) 4 (40) 3 (25) 2 (6) 1 (0) 3.9 starsAverage score of 80 user reviews
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ANOTHER retro review? WHAT?! 0
Yep, it's about that time again, and it's another issue from my birthday list, and this time out, it's The Punisher. This is pretty much a stand-alone issue, which I guess was pretty common in these days, since the life expectancy of Punisher villains is always pretty low. But we start the book with your usual Punisher shootout, and when he gets home, he finds that he's been infiltrated by Wild Rose, an Israili secret agent tracking muslim extremists. They work together to work out their plot, w...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Powerful... 2
This is a Red Hulk story, but, unlike what I'm used to with Rulk stories, this one is really gripping. I think, honestly, it's the LACK of the constant "Bendis Banter" in this issue(it's there, but WAY toned down), that the story lets the action do the talking, and it works. After a little bit of the Avengers expressing their concerns over Rulk, we cut to The Thing's worthy form laying waste to NYC, and Rulk steps in to stomp him out. This is a FIGHT, plain and simple ,and it's fun to watch. Eve...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
My favorite Fear Itself tie in so far... 0
The writing on this book's been REALLY uneven for me. It started out strong, then started to sag about 7 or 8 issues in, then REALLY picked up again at about issue 12. That said, Gage is handling the students situation in Fear Itself PERFECTLY. They're a bunch of scared kids that are gonna learn a lot about themselves, whether they want to or not. The students get deployed to handle civilian evacuation in Washington DC, and it starts to get a little hairy, with Tigra feeling(somewhat justifiably...
2 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
A solid beginning... 0
As I said last time I reviewed the 0.1 issue, I'm not great when it comes to knowledge of Alpha Flight, but I know a good story, and that's EXACTLY what Pak and Van Lente are laying out here. We start in the middle of an attack by Attuma, in his Worthy form, wreaking havoc when he's stopped by Alpha Flight, minus Northstar, who's apparently just not down with being a superhero anymore unless his boyfriend begs. But that little annoyance aside, the action comes hot and heavy here, as AF take out ...
2 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
So okay it's average... 1
I'll be honest with you, I was REALLY excited by the concept of this comic book. Man-Thing, She-Hulk, Howard The Duck, plus Nighthawk and Frankenstein's monster? Sounds great in concept. In execution......it's alright. It's not bad, but it's far from good. Nighthawk, especially, seems to be working a bizarre "Batman wannabe" vibe. The story's got an interesting idea behind it, that being that all the fear inspired by the events of Fear Itself are basically driving Man-Thing crazy, motivating him...
8 out of 8 found this review helpful. -
I am ALL ABOUT this! 0
Full disclosure: I'm a huge Ghost Rider fan. Seriously, the character, especially the Johnny Blaze iteration, just does it for me. Danny Ketch is fine, but nothing beats good ol' white trash Blaze. And he delivers in this issue, from start to finish .We start out with Ghost Rider dealing with a giant fire demon, and a minor betrayal from the "woman" he saved. The highlight of this? "Incorrect Nirvana reference! For this, it must die!" It doesn't make much sense out of context, but the joke is aw...
5 out of 5 found this review helpful. -
They're losing me.... 3
I'll be up front about this: I HATE HATE HATE "tearing down the hero" stories, and sadly, that's exactly what this tie-in arc is. After exactly one issue of Herc being the celebrated hero, we're tearing him down and having normal people assault him in the street. I hate this kind of writing. I don't really care what the explanation is, magic, fear, etc..., I just know that I can't stand to read these kinds of stories, because it requires the people that AREN'T the hero to take insane leaps in lo...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Keeps on rolling.... 0
Heroes is one of my favorite Marvel titles going currently, and this issue doesn't disappoint. We join Spidey in the middle of a great fight with The Scorpion(I LOVE having Gargan back in that costume), and a bunch of crazy Savage Land raptors. He's shortly joined by Paladin, who's brought in a ringer in Satana to make sure the demonica weapons go bye bye in the most spectacular fashion in comics history. Seriously, just genius stuff from a comedy perspective. And now, Misty's back in the game, ...
2 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
A step in the right direction... 0
Last month this time, I wasn't sold on this title at all. There were just too many questions, and a lot of stuff flat out didn't make sense. Well, now we're getting some answers. This month, Bendis shows us that Moony's crazier than ever before. He actually thinks he IS Spidey, Moon Knight, Cap and Wolverine all rolled up into one anti-social ball. First we get a look at him infiltrating a prostitution/spy ring run by SUPER obscure Cap villain Snapdragon. After that goes to shit(and with a few u...
3 out of 4 found this review helpful. -
Actually kind of touching. 0
This is the real payoff to the "Going to Hell" arc, and it's, in it's own weird little way, remarkably sweet. The group shows up to rescue Scandal's girlfriend, and just beat the high holy hell out of her tormentor in another supremely satisfying moment for the group. Then, we get back to the mansion, where we find King Shark celebrating(as only he can), Black Alice gone, Knockout recovering and Ragdoll brooding. The group decides to live it up for a while, and Bane goes on a date. It's EXACTLY ...
3 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
Jam packed.... 1
So, as it turns out, the vast majority of the stuff happening in Fear Itself's secondary titles is directly because of The Juggernaut becoming Worthy. While the whole team is out in the desert blasting zombies, Juggy gets himself a hammer, and basically tears The Raft a new one in a big way, setting free most(if not all) of the prisoners held there, which of course means bad things for the rest of the Marvel universe. We see Man-Bull(currently of Herc status), Aftershock and co.(currently in the...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Fear Itself's first casualty... 0
Last issue, I bitched that it was a bit of slow going, and that it was time to get into the meat of the story. Well, Marvel heard and answered, and now we've got a war. Coordinated attacks all across the world are wreaking havoc, and it's up to the combined might of Marvel's superheroes to reign it in. She-Rulk and The Avengers are handling the Worthy Hulk, Thing becomes Worthy, and Loki's staging a jailbreak for Thor. Of course, that last bit goes awry, but in a way that works out in the long r...
2 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
Yay, it's a team book again! 0
One of my complaints about the most recent arc was what I felt was an overfocus on Steve Rogers and John "Generic Supersoldier" Steel. This issue remedies that in a big way. Yes, this is Beast's story, no doubt, but War Machine and Ant-Man get plenty of screen time too. That said, this is a Beast heavy story, as he has to "rescue" an old friend in the house of representatives from the first volley of Fear Itself attacks. The representative Beast meets is not only a truly fleshed out character, h...
4 out of 4 found this review helpful. -
A super villain science summit, and Atlantean action.... 1
What more can you ask for in a FF title? Not much, in my opinion. The bulk of the action in this issue revolves around Susan, Spidey, and Alex Power going to Atlantis to investigate some a part of the plot of the Reeds to take over(destroy?) this universe. But the real meat of this issue stems from Reed, Valeria, Nathaniel, Doom and the villains debating on how best to stop them under the careful eye of The Watcher. This book is SERIOUSLY turning me on to some old Fantastic Four villains I never...
5 out of 5 found this review helpful. -
And things just got real... 0
Well, I've been following along with this one since the beginning, and damned if it's not kicking into high gear now. Venom, after being sidetracked by Kraven last issue, is back on task and beating the high holy hell out of The Henchmen to get to that Antarctic vibranium. It's a pretty awesome action sequence that is both visually satisfying as a fight, and emotionally satisfying as Flash deals with the symbiote as best he can. Once Flash gets the shipment, things go a bit awry. The mysterious ...
3 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
Judd Winick writing Jason Todd? SOLD! 3
I love a good Jason Todd story. And you know who tells the best Jason Todd stories? If you guessed Judd Winick, congratulations, look who won the pony! This is a bit of a slow moving issue, but that's good. It shows that Jason has a plan, and that it's a great one. He's literally still a violent, murderous vigilante even when he's in the joint. The entire thing starts out entertaining with the dialogue between Jason and Bruce, then just gets a little bit chilling when you see the aftermath of Ja...
7 out of 7 found this review helpful. -
Fear Itself in name only... 3
I don't really see what this has to do with the overall Fear Itself story. They mentioned that Herc would have to fight his "greatest fear", but that was about it. That said, though, it's a decent story, even if I think it's a dropoff from the first two issues. I think the problem is, the villains for this issue don't even come CLOSE to approaching the charisma of Hobgoblin. I hate to say it, but that detracts from the issue. Herc's also got a new costume. I like it, personally, but I can see it...
2 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
Ehhhh...... 6
I dunno, something about this issue felt......off, to me. I love the B-Team Thunderbolts idea, and the recruits thereof, but I don't know, this issue fell flat for me up until the end. They followed up on the "occult" storyline of the A-team, and it was really unsatisfying, to be honest with you. The formation of the B-team and their first mission, along with the T-Bolts writing team clearing Juggernaut up for being involved in Fear Itself was okay, but I'm not sure, I was just underwhelmed with...
4 out of 5 found this review helpful. -
I freaking LOVE THIS BOOK! 0
Seriously, this book just keeps getting better and better for me. This is a continuation of last issue's story, and it reveals a lot about where the plot is going. Apparently, whoever was pulling the strings of The Puppeteer in the first arc has taken over all of the business that HFH busted, and now it's down to Spidey, a Paladin with broken ribs, and Misty herself coming out from behind the desk to take them down. The writing is spot on here, from Spidey's wisecracks to Paladin's grousing. And...
0 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
This issue is.....weird. 5
I picked this up, and was very interested to find that this is more of a "Prelude to Fear Itself" than I was expecting. This is both a good and a bad thing. It gives you a great look at the minds of the Avengers teams going into it, and is amusing in some places. This is Bendis writing right in his wheelhouse. A ton of dialogue, not a lot of action .If you're a fan of what Bendis offers comic book readers, you'll enjoy this. As it was, I found it lukewarm. It's funny in places, but in others it'...
4 out of 10 found this review helpful. -
Finally, some progress! 0
After a breather issue last time, we get a new storyline involving the Academy students, and it's great to see that they actually DO seem to have matured a little bit. And it's a doozy. While Pym and Quicksilver are handling a situation in Italy, it comes down to Tigra and the students to handle a break-in by Electro at a tech lab. Of course, as you can probably tell by the cover, Electro's not alone, nor is he the mastermind of this one. This issue is VERY action heavy, I guess to make up for t...
3 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
A decent story... 0
I'll be honest, I'm not familiar with Alpha Flight. I know little bits and pieces of their history, but mostly, this is my first foray into the team. I picked this book up for two reasons, Fred Van Lente and Greg Pak. I will give anything the write a shot. That said, this issue was not a disappointment. There was a little too much "politics" talk, but I'm willing to give that a pass, as the action it drove was more than adequate. All the characters seemed likeable enough, even if Northstar did c...
2 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
A new book, and a solid start. 0
This is my first foray into the New Mutants, but I'm already liking it. The cast is a little mix of VERY familiar to me(Dani Moonstar, Karma, Cypher), and some not so much(Warlock, Magick, Magma). I love the concept behind the new arc, that being Cyclops using the team as a means to clean up all the loose ends the X-teams inevitably leave behind in their adventures. That is a SOLID premise that I'm honestly shocked hasn't been used somewhere else earlier. All of the characters were likeable enou...
2 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
Yikes! 1
Picked this book up for the first time today, and DAMN!, did I pick a harrowing issue to pick up on. The team is infiltrating some odd villain's main office, while The Question and Huntress investigate a corrupt cop ring in the sewers. Of course, things go awry, and the REAL mastermind is introduced behind it. It's a testament to how horrifying a character Simone has created that I knew right away who the villain was, just from the decor. Overall, I have to say, even though I'm new to this book,...
2 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
For a free book, it was great. 0
Obviously, this was a Free Comic Book Day issue, and for what it is(basically an extended preview of Spidey's next big story), it was great. First of all, it's a Mandrill story, and that is AWESOME! I don't know if I've brought it up here before, but I LOVE Mandrill. He's such a ridiculous character, because his powers and appearance do not reconcile themselves to me at all, and yet he still manages to be entertaining. His part in this story, manipulating Spider-Woman to fight Spidey, is very en...
2 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
What? A retro review? 0
I know, I know, this isn't normally my forte, but I picked this book up today because it's pretty special to me. It was published on my birth month, March of 1988, and since I've been on a mission to pick up every major comic I can from that month, I had to grab this. I gotta say, I'm not too familiar with the KGBeast, the main enemy for this arc, but damn, if the first book doesn't do a great job of introducing him. He's a highly trained Soviet assassin in exile, and still looking to fulfill hi...
2 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
Like a bat out of hell. 7
This is a weird book. It's a resolution that just brings up ANOTHER problem. The Six are in hell, trying to rescue Knockout for Scandal, and it turns out, she's engaged to be married, to Ragdoll of all people, a prospective future prince of hell. Meanwhile, Catman is on a search for his father, and what he finds is.....incredibly satisfying to anyone who read Catman's arc and hated his dad. Lady Blaze shows up to ruin the fight, and show the Six what their own personal hells are gonna be like. T...
3 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
This book hooked me. 0
Just....damn, whoa. This book is intense, and brilliant, and, for the most part, silent. Magneto wants Wolverine to even up a score for him, and Wolverine reluctantly obliges. This story is intense because of the long, tense silences. You can tell there are a lot of heavy emotions being tossed around here. The target's story near the end is probably the most anyone talks in the book, and it's really poignant how Wolverine has to deal with the facts that the man is stating. Not an action packed i...
3 out of 4 found this review helpful. -
A much needed breather issue. 0
After the emotionally taxing Korvac situation, it's time for a breather for the students and, by extension, the reader. It's time for a dance! This works really well, even if it's not terribly action-packed. We get to see some of the characters actually develop, especially Pym, Mettle, and Hazmat. The cameos by the former New Warriors, Initiative recruits and the Young Allies are great, especially Komodo and Firestar. Reptil's story gets progressed, as well, but in a really vague way. Striker, a...
4 out of 4 found this review helpful. -
Well, it's....interesting. 2
I'm not sure how I feel about this one. It's kind of slow paced, and it goes against something that I distinctly heard the Marvel group say at a con earlier in the year. Here we see the selection process of The Worthy, a group of heroes and villains chosen by The Serpent to be his army, I suppose. We get The Juggernaut(this is NOT a spoiler, look at the cover and tell me that's not Juggy), Titania(really), and Hulk(which actually suprised me), with the promise of others in the tie-ins, which ann...
4 out of 4 found this review helpful. -
I'm a little confused about what this is. 7
I picked up this book, and I'm very excited to follow this story, because Moon Knight is my second favorite Marvel hero. That said, the first issue left me with a LOT of questions. Why is Moon Knight in LA all of a sudden? Why isn't Marc Spector the dominant personality again, like he was at the end of Hurrwitz's run? Where'd Mr. Hyde come from? Isn't he in the Raft, being considered for Thunderbolts membership? Jake Lockley's a tv producer now? What? That said, what's here is good, if a little ...
4 out of 6 found this review helpful. -
WHO'S THY DADDY NOW! 0
It just keeps on rolling here. Herc's second issue picks up right where we left off last month, with Herc vs. Hobgoblin. This iteration of Hobgoblin, I'm not too familiar with, but he's hilarious. And Herc matches him, quip for quip. I used the highlight as my title here. This title is clearly more serious in tone than Herc's last solo, but Pak and Van Lente know comedy, and they make sure that, even if the tone is more serious, that you don't forget about how funny Herc is. Herc's declaration o...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Fun to read, and great to look at. 0
This is the first story of a new arc for Misty and Co., and it's already off to a running start. Paladin, Misty, and Spider-Man are the three characters we get focused on this issue, and it makes for some great interplay between Spidey's irreverence, Paladin's inferiority complex, and Misty trying to keep Paladin from killing Spidey. They're still trying to tell the story from the first arc of the "hook" drug shipments, and who was really pulling the strings of The Puppetmaster, but for this is...
2 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
One word: Intense. 0
I was impressed by the first issue of this. The writing was solid, the action was entertaining, and the overall story is stacking up to be great. This month, we get a bit of a digression(in the second issue?) in a fight with, of all people, Kraven The Hunter. Now, I loves me some Kraven, so I was all over this issue. The Venom/Kraven fight in the Savage Land is the meat of this issue, and it's awesome to watch. There's a little emotional oomph with the slowly deteriorating relationship between F...
4 out of 4 found this review helpful. -
Remember when this was a team book? 2
Yeah, nor me. We get another full on Cap story, and the closest we get to any indication that this is "The Secret Avengers" is Beast in a few panels. This two parter has just been boring. John Steele, a character that ONLY Brubaker could possibly care about, is again given center stage, with Cap and John Aman as supporting characters. The whole thing is just really really dull. Cap and Aman fight a giant insect....thing. Steele shoots a couple of Nazis, and meanwhile, back in the modern day, Ro...
2 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
Damn fine story. 0
I'm a big Batroc fan. He's one of my favorite "C-list" villains, and always amuses me whenever he shows up, so when I saw this one shot, I knew I had to have it. Truth is, what I expected to be almost a comedy story was actually pretty deep. Batroc really takes a look at himself, and sees how his ongoing cat and mouse games with Captain Americas old and new looks to the outside observer. That said, there's still plenty of funny in the issue, and Batroc's acknowledging the parkour phenomenon was ...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
It's got it's good and bad points... 0
I've been really back and forth on this series. The characters, at least those of the students, feel really inconsistent from issue to issue, except Striker(who's main personality trait is "all douche, all the time") and Finesse. That said, this book was really interesting in parts. Finesse, in particular, continues to be the MVP of this book, showing us little glimpses of possible future heroes, including, most notably, what looks to be the daughter of Black Panther and Storm. Veil gets less li...
2 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
Too much for one issue. 0
This issue of Thunderbolts covers a topic that's very interesting to me: Picking the backup T-Bolts team. We get to see a lot of great cameos between some forgotten or obscure villains, and it works really well. Unfortunately, it's also wedged into a story about the A-team going to Germany on a really vague, occult based mission, for the convenience of letting the audience get used to Satana. This story really would have worked better as separate issues. The B-team selection process is fun, if n...
4 out of 4 found this review helpful. -
Tony Stark could get away with murder... 2
Well, another Avengers issue, another storyline down the tubes, and another instance where Tony Stark, after being condemned for doing something stupid, is then embraced and told "You were right along" by that same person. The issue itself is actually pretty good, writing-wise. The art's atrocious, but I've come to expect that from this title. The thing that gets me, though, is the ending. It's just a complete cop-out to avoid changing the status quo even a little bit. Turns out Iron Man was rig...
3 out of 4 found this review helpful. -
Stop trying to tell two stories in one book! 0
I was REALLY enjoying this book, until recently. For some reason, the decision to intercut the actually kind of compelling "Mockingbird dead?/H.A.M.M.E.R revivalists" story with the badly drawn and seemingly pointless story of the "first" Avengers is really hurting the book, because it's drawing out both stories longer than they need to go. The New Avengers should be the sole focus of this book, and the others should get a mini-series, if it's absolutely necessary. It's just really annoying to h...
2 out of 2 found this review helpful.
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