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Comic Round Up
The Week of May 23
Mini-reviews on the good, the bad, and the fugly in new comics.
And quite a few Adamantium claws...
| ASTONISHING X-MEN #1 (MARVEL COMICS) |
Was the climax to X-Men Reload worth the hype? Damn straight it was.  Issue #1 puts to rest all the snarkiness that Buffy The Vampire Slayer's Joss Whedon's new X-mag was going to stink worse than a million "Bamfs!" Clearly, Whedon loves and respects these characters- Kitty's trip down memory lane as she entered Xavier's brought a pang of nostalgia to this fanboy's heart. With the wonderful scene of Wolvie hovering over Cyclops and the White Queen in bed, could Logan, Scott, and Emma be the new Logan, Scott, Jean love triangle? Whedon is a master of pacing straight up to the money shot where the team emerges resplendent in their new threads. In regards to the highly touted return to spandex, the new costumes are just peachy even if Beast looks like he raided Freddie Mercury's closet. Artist John Cassaday's strength is how much he leaves out. There's no grandstanding here; each panel is designed for maximum impact. While its debatable we actually needed another X-title, Astonishing X-Men is off to a wonderful start.
Website: www.marvelcomics.com |
| COMMON GROUNDS #5 (TOP COW) |
Since its premier issue, Common Grounds has been a consistently hilarious and touching series that reveals the humanity underneath super hero and villain archetypes. Issue #5's first story revolves around a quartet of giant monsters who routinely tried to take over the world in the sixties á la the classic Lee/Kirby monstrosities (CG's Wang Dang Doodle is a close cousin to Marvel's Fin Fang Foom). The basic concept of these would be world beaters just hanging out swapping "horror" stories serves the comedic side of Common Grounds while their dissection of what a monster truly is allows for just the right touch of sobriety. On the other hand, the second story about a lovelorn fanboy who gets girl advice from the immortal Eternal Flame (he's been a player since the dawn of man) comes off too much like one of those pat "And That's One To Grow On" segments they showed in between Saturday morning cartoons in the 80s. It's an adequate story, but falls short of previous entries of Common Grounds.
Website: www.topcow.com |
| SECRET WAR #2 (MARVEL COMICS) |
First off, this has absolutely nothing to do with the two Secret Wars limited  series from the 80s. No modernized Beyonder here! Nick Fury has discovered all technology based super villains are using weaponry built by Latveria, Doc Doom's crib and alleged American ally. After the Prez orders him to put the kibosh on the investigation, he assembles a black op team comprised of Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Daredevil, and Powerman to go undercover. While the plot is a rehash of the old "Armor Wars" saga in Iron Man, the scripting by Brian Michael Bendis is top notch as always, and Gabrielle Dell'Otto painting is the stuff from which bad ass posters are made of (his Spidey is particularly cool). Aside from the X-Men Reload title, Secret War is probably the hottest Marvel comic going - Issue #1 is long gone - so stock up fellow fanboys, stock up.
Website: www.marvelcomics.com |
| NYX #4 (MARVEL COMICS) |
Issue #4 is quite a few months overdue and after the quality of the first four  issues, it had a lot to live up to. Unfortunately, it doesn't. Oh yes, Joshua Middleton's artwork is still fantastic- his panels look like cels from some hip animated movie. It's the storyline by Marvel Head Honcho Joe Quesada I have a problem with. Nyx started off as a raw, edgy comic about a punk grrrl trying to cope with her mutant powers and hard knock life. It was a refreshingly gritty read. With the latest issue, things seem to be moving into some quasi-Sixth Sense realm with protagonist Kiden getting visits from her long dead father. Eyughh! We're also introduced to a Dr. Doolittle wannabee who talks to the animals. All this doesn't bode well for the future, but seeing as how long it takes these guys to crank out an issue, there might not even be a future for Nyx.
Website: www.marvelcomics.com
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