Morbius the Living Vampire #3

Morbius the Living Vampire #3 was alright in a story telling kind of way.  But really in the end it was just more whiny teenaged angst from some thirty year old doctor who happens to also be a weird not Vampire.  It is also really crappy writing if the gangbanger who was picking on Morbius was actually a good guy.  If he was good he would not go around beating up people just minding their own business – so if it turns out he is actually good as implied in this issue I will not be happy.  I have said it before but if I wanted the whiny characters I would just read the X-Men set of comics.  I hope things improve because the only character I care about is not in this story enough to make me keep buying future issues (but I think I have one more in the stack).

Thunderbolts #7 !!!

Thunderbolts #7 was interesting with a lot of plot advancement.  There was very little action this issue was almost all dialog with most of the fighting happening off page.  Somehow Deadpool has a crush on Elektra who for some reason appears to be sleeping with the Punisher.  There is some plotting against the Red Hulk that is foiled.  But Ross still tells the team what he knows about the secret stuff they are chasing by using the submarine.  After some of the weirdness of the first story arc I should be happier with what is happening now.  But there was something lacking in the story telling.

Young Avengers #3!!!!

Young Avengers #3 was good.  We got to see a quick fight with Loki’s father the Troll that ended when Miss America showed up.  But as soon as she ended one fight her guardians (parents?) show up wanting to talk.  It appears that along with Loki’s father Miss America’s guardians are also dead.  She allows Young Loki to get the group to safety.  A bit of story catch up occurs and then the Young Avengers are captured by the thing summoned from another world as a cliff hanger.  This was another good issue of the comic I hope the creative team manages to keep the story quality at this level for a while. 

Batman Incorporated #8 Requiem

Batman Incorporated #8 Requiem was really bad.  Considering this was the first story after Robin (Damian) died I was hoping for something better.  Instead we see Gotham City cave to terrorists’ demands, failing to bring in any of the other super groups or heroes to help defend the city.  They do not even consider bringing in the National Guard or the Army.  They do not ask for help from any of the super groups under government control and none of those groups show up.  Gotham City just gives up to terrorists and not just terrorists but an unknown group with only one act of terror to their name.  Not just that but instead of fighting back Batman and Batman Incorporated stop doing anything they take time for a funeral.  Really? In the middle of a war - a massive terrorist attack they all stop fighting and in some cases go home to other countries and have time to come back to Gotham that is how much time they waste.  Just recently there was another story called Death of the Family and during the multi-day terror inflicted by the Joker not one character took time off.  They all kept fighting the good fight until the Joker was gone.  Not just kept up the good fight but brought in other supers to help out.  The only redeeming bit to the story is we get to see how the surviving heroes escape the building – well except for Batman’s exit from the building.  There was one last insult to the reader hidden in this story and spoiler! there are still active Lazarus Pits around ready for use – I believe that counts for a “I told you so” meaning Robin might be back even faster than I originally thought.

Batman Inc #7!

Batman Incorporated #7 was interesting but considering how badly done the previous issues one good issue does not make up for the crap.  It makes no sense that Batman would fall for bad dreams or Talia’s plots.  It is not just Batman being bad but bad writing – making changes to characters and personalities so they do not match what is cannon for the character.  What happens is everyone is just stupid and does stupid things, while the villainess plot goes off perfectly and without one hitch.  I am also not believing how the membership of Batman Inc are suddenly idiotically stupid, Batman did not recruit idiots he recruited people like himself.  I fear the writer and creative team thought they were writing something epic but instead it is something terribly bad – especially considering what happens in the next issue.

Batman the Dark Knight #18!!!

Batman the Dark Knight #18 was rather disappointing.  The story has been developing rather well with the Mad Hatter even if the story was disjointed at times.  But it turns out all this setup was so the Mad Hatter could have a do over with his High School Prom.  Considering the number of bystanders being killed in this story growing very large and is starting to match the number of people killed in the Death of the Family story you would think more interest from the police and other Heroes would have happened by now.  Instead all we get is Catwoman looking for a quickie after hitting Batman with a hubcap.  I’m seriously disappointed in how this story is turning out.

Superman Unchained #1 (SPOILERS!)

Spoilers Below for Superman Unchained #1!

Spoilers!
I do not normally post reviews of comics this close to release!

Superman Unchained #1 was a very entertaining comic book.  The action, the story telling the artwork flowed across the pages of this comic.  There is no boring origin story and almost no mention of Superman’s human parents and hometown.  The story simply starts out with the destruction of Nagasaki Japan by the American’s dropping a bomb that looks a lot like a human during World War 2.  We then flash to the present where Superman is saving the day as someone has managed to fire satellites from Earth orbit at the planet like giant bombs.  Superman mentions that he has destroyed or diverted all the satellites heading for populated areas and we get to watch him work to literally defuse the most dangerous satellite shooting out of orbit.  The satellite has a reactor core that would be like a bomb if it were to hit the Earth.  Superman fixes the bomb problem by slowing the descent by disabling the Satellites decent.   Using his X-ray vision did not work to short out the engine controls so Superman changes the wavelength of his vision to Gamma vision and that turns off the engine.  In the end Superman manages to save the astronauts and the military base that was being targeted.  Back in Metropolis Superman interrupts an escape attempt or helicopter crash. During which he has an interesting conversation with Lex Luthor that was as I said interesting and full of potential – Lex actually sounded smart and composed compared to how he had been acting in other New52 Superman stories.   The next scene is with Jimmy Olson and Clark Kent, Jimmy looks a lot like Seth Green for some reason, it might be the new hipster look or I am just getting old.  While the two are making chit chat Lois Lane calls to point out errors in Clarks latest Superman Saves the Day blog post.  While they are talking the Daily Planet Chief Perry White comes in to complain to Lois about advertisement placement.   Lois drops at least one clue about how the plot of the comic will develop and then tells Clark that the reason his article was wrong was because Superman had stopped all eight Satellites heading for Earth.  Superman takes off to see who or what had deflected the Satellite and finds a big handprint on the Satellite debris that he does not recognize.  Superman is then attacked by torpedoes.  We then flash to a secret military base full of cool looking high tech weapon systems. All the while Lois’s dad (apparently) monologues about how being discovered by Superman is not really a problem because they have their own Superman already – the end.  Then there is a short story of Perry White’s past and a pair of binoculars his Great Uncle gave him, binoculars that appear to be the very pair used in the first pages of this comic book.  While Perry is talking there is another story also in the current day of a fishing trawler pulling a man from the ocean whom wants to talk to Lois Lane badly – even though his eyes appear to have been melted.  There is also an interview with Scott Snyder and Jim Lee that was just somewhat interesting.  At this point I just want to know how the American Government managed to keep a being as powerful as Superman a secret for seventy years?  They kept this super being a secret mind you while he / she has been used in operations during the seventy years since the creature was dropped on Nagasaki Japan.  If this comic book turns into an American Military against Superman comic I will not continue to read or buy the comic.  If I wanted a teen angst story I would just read one of the million X-Men comic books that Marvel Comics produces.  I do have a hope that having Jim Lee on the creative team means that the stories will be good and in which case I will continue to buy this comic because issue number one of Superman Unchained was well done and entertaining.

All Star Western #18 Feature Jonah Hex!!

All Star Western #18 Featuring Jonah Hex – the Hex story was good but with the one problem that the story could have easily been included in the previous issue.  The entire story was actually just a page or two stretched out over 20 or so pages.  The bad guy could deflect bullets with a sword; he caused a plague to descend upon Gotham City to get his way.  He fathered many children.  The bad guy left his mark on Empires throughout history but he could not avoid a shotgun blast.  The end.  Jonah Hex is next seen on a train heading west and with luck the writers will stop trying to make him into Batman.  The backup story about Stormwatch was interesting, but Mr. Thirteen is even more annoying than Dr. Arkham from the Jonah Hex stories.  The tale is very short and unsatisfying as there was no follow up at all with the town that hired Mr. Thirteen to solve a murder mystery.

Talon #6

Talon #6 was interesting but left more questions than it answered.  I am sure this was the intent of the creative team.  Turns out after letting himself get captured that Talon was taken to the head of the Court of Owls, where he is informed that he has actually been working for the old Grandmaster of the Court of Owls.  All the time he thought he was working to destroy what remained of the Court of Owls our hero Talon was actually working for the guy whom directed the fight against Batman and killed off all those members of the Court.  True or not at least it is interesting, a bit predictable and some information that might have been held back a few more issues.  The creative team actually managed to bring in Batman and Jim Gordon for a page.  Anyway this actually turned out to be a good story and hopefully it indicates an improvement in the quality of this comic.

Teen Titans #18 Requiem

Teen Titans #18 Requiem was a good story.  Red Robin had some issues to work through with imaginary dead Robin (Damian Wayne) this was a good little story with a nice pep talk from Alfred.  But then we move onto the main Teen Titan story or as I call it “Let’s see how many supers we can cram onto a page.” Seriously Superboy flies to the Titan yacht and by the pool are Bunker, Kid Flash, Solstice, Wonder Girl and Red Robin.  Then Red Robin takes the team on a mission to save a young lady from evil.  This entails attacking Belle Reve Prison home of the Suicide Squad Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Killer Shark commanded by Amanda Waller.  There ensues a quick fight with some clever dialog, but all this is just a distraction so that Red Robin can cut a deal with Waller which is kept a secret for the moment from both the reader and the two super teams.  We then cut to New York and Trigon!  I might have to hunt down the next issue afterall.

Captain Marvel #11!!

Captain Marvel #11 has an excellent cover I like the retro style poster on the building with Captain Marvel running past.  I fear though that the rest of the issue is seriously lacking in quality when compared to the last few issues.  If I had wanted to read a whiny woe is me the world is out to get me I would read from my collection of Spider-Man or X-men comics from the 1980s.  It is rather obvious who this new mystery villain is and it is just a matter of waiting on the lazy writer to see if I am right or not.  I am seriously disappointed in this issue.

Deadpool #6

Deadpool #6 was entertaining but a bit wordy and lacking in killing of more than a couple of zombie presidents.  I fear the writers had mostly run out of ideas at this point and lucky for them this was the final issue of this story arc.  I’m hoping the next story arc is as well written.  The bit at the end was amusing when we learn where the Necromancer placed Agent Preston’s soul after she died.

The Fearless Defenders #2!!!

Fearless Defenders #2 was again an entertaining comic book continuing where the previous issue had left off.  Though the story starts out with the kidnaping of X-men / New Mutant Moonstar and while she put up a valiant defense she was captured by normal humans.  It will be hard to believe that she would then be of much use against evil Asgardian or the undead.  Though I suspect we will find her doing just that in future issues.  We then return to following Valkyrie, Misty Knight and Annabelle Riggs who have traveled to Oklahoma to visit Asgard to learn about the Death Maidens.  It turns out Valkyrie has been procrastinating in her task to find additional Valkyries to lead in defense of the universe.  There is much recrimination and then a fight with Hela Queen of the Underworld of death.  This leads to the final splash page where Hela introduces a new character Warrior Woman or as she prefers to be called Hippolyta.  At this point I will speculate that since the Valkyrie was tasks with finding new Warrior women and having found all supers so far lacking.  I also notice that so far we have only met female heroes and gods that this incarnation of the Defenders the Fearless Defenders will become Valkyries or at least fight under Brunhilde’s leadership.  This could make for some very interesting storytelling.  I wonder how the writers will mess it up.

X-Treme X-Men #12

X-Treme X-Men #12 has yet another jump to a new location.  At the end of the last issue the good guys were confronting the three evil Xaviers.  Though now they are in an Egyptian world with the Xaviers in control with the good guys sneaking around looking for a victory.  There is a speech and a plan, the team attacks but opens a portal and while the side effect is the death of two of the evil Xaviers it appears they destroyed that world.  We also get a glimpse of the evil destruction on the other side and it looks like Sentinels again.  I was thinking Sentinels make sense in that in the past Sentinels have decided killing everyone is the only way to get rid of mutants some might have decided killing the universe was an even better plan.

All New X-Men #9!

All New X-Men #9 was interesting with all the talking and talking about what was going on as if the writer was stalling.  It was rather obvious that the Times Square fight was in the Danger Room because we had already seen the X-men from the past fight well in a group.  It is not like they had fought bad guys in this series but they had fought people in their own past.  But there is some sloppy writing going on here and while I realize there will be some weirdness due to the time travel.  The lady whom Mystique breaks out of jail is suddenly with the current day X-men under crazy Cyclops as the cliff hanger?  I realize this could be a projection of the ladies power but still it is weird.  I am not even going to point out how the whole reason the X-men from the past came to the current day has been solved and not solved, the Beast was cured.  Yet the writers are still avoiding the whole save Scott Summers from himself plot – not counting the cliff hanger.  The entire comic feels like filler for the sake of filler and stretching out a clever idea way too far.

Catwoman #18 Requiem

Catwoman #18 Requiem deals with Batman mourning for Robin yet that part of the story feels crammed into the main story line.  So Batman and Catwoman have a chase and then they fight.  Catwoman then goes to try and find her fence that had been taken in by the police.  But the friend it turns out did not need her help and was out of the police station before Catwoman could help.  Then Catwoman robs the guy whom paid her to steal some artwork that she then returns to the Gotham Museum.  This comic was crammed with all kinds of stuff but felt a bit flat because so much information presented that nothing really gets done.  Oh well DC got to slap Requiem on another comic to make money off the death of Robin.

Justice League of America #2

Justice League of America #2 was much better than issue #1.  In this issue we actually get some story movement and the team members actually get to meet each other.  I also enjoyed the introduction of the “Society” the evil or bad guys.  The Scarecrow is recruited so that is one down if we are collecting villains from the old Saturday Morning Cartoon.  Not sure without looking it up whom the villain that looks like the Joker really is, but it could be the Joker.  The fake Justice League is kind of stupid but that might just be the fractured storytelling being used so far.  It did give the writers and artists a chance to plop more images of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman into the book.  I was happy to see that we the reader might get to see some super hero action, but then the story ended in a cliffhanger.  Then there is what turns out to be a Martian Manhunter story which I guess is to show how and why the JLA was finally approved.  While the story itself was nice and solid I am disappointed in how a story that should have been part of the main book was just slipped in and used to pad out the pages.  I am really getting tired of DC Comics just cutting up a main storyline and dropping in unrelated stories to not just charge for a larger comic book but to stretch out the story into more and more issues.  As a reader I would much prefer a complete story told as written in a few comics and then a whole new story.  I realize that would require the company to spend more money on a writer for new stories.   But when the writer is most often the real star and seller of a comic it seems like that would be a good idea. 

Nightwing #18 Requiem

Nightwing #18 Requiem was good as far as the Death of Robin stories go.  Nightwing mourns the death of his friend and sort of bonds a bit with Batman.  Nightwing then using information from Batman, Nightwing goes after a villain the Dealer who is a guy whom sells items associated with supers.  The Dealer is selling a costume that was once worn by Dick Grayson’s father and used by the Joker in the Death of the Family story.  There is a short fight and we move on to the other story that could be interested.  The guy who killed Grayson’s parents is still alive! Either that or someone is going to be sorry for picking that old alias as a cover once Nightwing gets to him.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #18 Requiem

Red Hood and the Outlaws #18 Requiem actually has nothing to do with the Death of Robin.  Robin is not mentioned or his passing is not noticeably mentioned.    This is Jason Todd recovering from the acid attack left by the Joker for after the Joker was “defeated”.   Basically this is a post Death of the Family story and not actually a Requiem story.  The Red Hood has a bad dream telling a version of a re-birth story or possibly an introduction for those people whom had avoided this comic book until feeling forced to buy copies because of the Death of the Family mega story.  It feels as if the creative team is hoping that with a cool re-birth story readers will forgive them for the terribly sexists treatment of Starfire.  Unfortunately the only time we see Starfire she is dead and still nearly naked so no I’m not really interested in buying more of these comics.  Frankly this fake Requiem tie in makes it even less likely that I would ever buy a comic book in this series ever again (so lucky for the DC comics I might have bought the next issue because I am still a few weeks behind reading comic books as they come out). 

JSA Liberty Files #4 !!!!

JSA Liberty Files the Whistling Skull #4 was alright and kept the story going.  But we have flashbacks or possibly flash forwards and a break to go see what the Skull’s girlfriend is doing right now.  The story feels lost at this point and I am losing interest quickly.

Age of Ultron #2 !!!

Age of Ultron #2 was just a long and uninformative monolog by Spider-Man.  We got to see the Black Widow and Moon Knight in the ruins of San Francisco but that was just more set up of the main story.  We do get to see Moon Knight kill a guy that looks a lot like Paul Giamatti before the guy could steal from the Black Widow.   This issue seemed to just be a holding spot and stalling until Captain America finally says something.  The cover art is completely and totally false and misleading.

Fantastic Four #5

Fantastic Four #5 was kind of weird.  I say the issue was weird because this time the Fantastic Four Family head to ancient Rome to ask Jullius Caesar a question.  The kids and Johnny Storm (Human Torch) want to know if Caesar really did live with pirates and over pay his own ransom.  It turns out that Caesar was actually a time traveling alien and hilarity ensues.  Reid and Sue have some alone time to discuss Reid’s illness.  All ends well and the timeline is only a little changed.  We flash to what we are told is “Last November” and get to see Caesar has survived.  While I did call this issue weird I have to say it was a vast improvement in story telling reaching all the way to entertaining.

Thor God of Thunder #6

Thor God of Thunder #6 is a wait what? Kind of comic.  We went from an entertaining adventure comic with three Thor stories from different times in history.  Two of the Thors finally meet and that seemed to be a set up for a great bit of story and action.  Instead we get a long whiny origin story of Gorr the God Killer.  Turns out the God Killer is just another whiny bitchy God – oh and he has a son.  Very disappointing.

Thunderbolts #6!

Thunderbolts #6 started out slow but became more and more interesting as the pages passed.  It turns out that the Leaders brother is trying to learn all the Leaders secrets.  At some point the Leader had uploaded his knowledge to the internet and the brother was trying to find and download that data.  There is a lot of talking things over in this comic and very few people die visibly in this issue.  It looks as if the team is heading off on a chase in a submarine. At some point I am going to have to read up on when Red Hulk became the new trend over green.  We have in the Marvel Universe Red Hulks, Red She-Hulks and now the Red Leader.  It leaves me a bit confused.  Otherwise I found this comic very interesting.