You know what? This was really a pretty solid week of comic books. I'm happy to say that because it reaffirms why I dump an average of $12 on my comic fix.
To the reviews!
In 4th place, though with a pretty solid performance:
Wonder Woman #609
The J. Michael Straczynski/Phil Hester run on Wonder Woman, in general, hasn't been so good. So when I find myself liking an issue, I'm genuinely surprised.
The enjoyment of this issue probably starts with the slow crawl to explaining what the hells been going on in this story since JMS took over. Plot points start coming together and you find yourself saying, "Oh, that's what that was all about." In short, Phil Hester has gotten back to some classic storytelling and the path of where the story is going gets clearer.
As far as the artwork goes, Don Kramer has some beautiful panels and he has some bad ones. Perhaps its a rushing issue? Perhaps that's an inking issue? Regardless, there's nothing so atrocious that it pulls the reader out of the story.
This story might actually be getting somewhere. But I don't want to jinx it.
The J. Michael Straczynski/Phil Hester run on Wonder Woman, in general, hasn't been so good. So when I find myself liking an issue, I'm genuinely surprised.
The enjoyment of this issue probably starts with the slow crawl to explaining what the hells been going on in this story since JMS took over. Plot points start coming together and you find yourself saying, "Oh, that's what that was all about." In short, Phil Hester has gotten back to some classic storytelling and the path of where the story is going gets clearer.
As far as the artwork goes, Don Kramer has some beautiful panels and he has some bad ones. Perhaps its a rushing issue? Perhaps that's an inking issue? Regardless, there's nothing so atrocious that it pulls the reader out of the story.
This story might actually be getting somewhere. But I don't want to jinx it.
With a mediocre 3rd place showing:
Green Arrow #10
This story has been going on for so long I feel like I'M the one fighting Etrigan. In actuality, I think its only been about 3 issues, but time is relative and its felt a lot longer.
We get closer to the end of the fight and learn who Galahad really is, so at least that's something. And I really like the way writer J.T. Krul handles the Galahad story. He makes him a real character that has the potential to pop up in Green Arrow stories years from now.
As always, Diogenes Neves and the art team give you a nice looking book. While the story might be taking a tad long to tell, Green Arrow continues to be at worst an entertaining read every month.
This story has been going on for so long I feel like I'M the one fighting Etrigan. In actuality, I think its only been about 3 issues, but time is relative and its felt a lot longer.
We get closer to the end of the fight and learn who Galahad really is, so at least that's something. And I really like the way writer J.T. Krul handles the Galahad story. He makes him a real character that has the potential to pop up in Green Arrow stories years from now.
As always, Diogenes Neves and the art team give you a nice looking book. While the story might be taking a tad long to tell, Green Arrow continues to be at worst an entertaining read every month.
Finishing 2nd with probably my favorite issue of the Paul Cornell run:
Action Comics #899
Lets start with Pete Woods' art. He's been the regular artist on this book up until this issue. And up until this issue, I thought his work was pretty solid. And it was. But Jesus Merino did the pencils for #899 and made me realize that if Merino was on the art for this entire run, I'd probably liked it a lot more. This is an example of an artist that should be on an on going. I'm looking at you, Eddie Barrows.
As for the story itself, it was a very entertaining issue even though you have to wade through a lot of exposition. A lot of exposition that makes a lot of what's happened before incredibly convoluted.
I still don't really understand what the black spheres are for or what they do, but this issue was a nice pay off for an up and down arc so far.
Lets start with Pete Woods' art. He's been the regular artist on this book up until this issue. And up until this issue, I thought his work was pretty solid. And it was. But Jesus Merino did the pencils for #899 and made me realize that if Merino was on the art for this entire run, I'd probably liked it a lot more. This is an example of an artist that should be on an on going. I'm looking at you, Eddie Barrows.
As for the story itself, it was a very entertaining issue even though you have to wade through a lot of exposition. A lot of exposition that makes a lot of what's happened before incredibly convoluted.
I still don't really understand what the black spheres are for or what they do, but this issue was a nice pay off for an up and down arc so far.
And finishing 1st:
Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #8
Emerald Warriors feels like a Green Lantern book in an inherently natural way Green Lantern Corps. doesn't. Its in the way Pete Tomasi knows these characters and the way Fernando Pasarin's art can resemble Patrick Gleason's.
The Felipe Massafera cover highlights an all out brawl between Hal Jordan and Guy Gardener. While I always have a "ho-hum, more mind control" attitude toward mind control, I'm glad Tomasi uses it here. With all the Earth Lanterns have gone through, its unrealistic to have them actually angry enough at each other to come to blows. This issue reveals the relationship between Guy and Hal that while they're not always going to agree, they're Lanterns together with a mutual respect for each other. There's a reason they were the 1st two Earth Lanterns chosen and Tomasi shows why.
Emerald Warriors feels like a Green Lantern book in an inherently natural way Green Lantern Corps. doesn't. Its in the way Pete Tomasi knows these characters and the way Fernando Pasarin's art can resemble Patrick Gleason's.
The Felipe Massafera cover highlights an all out brawl between Hal Jordan and Guy Gardener. While I always have a "ho-hum, more mind control" attitude toward mind control, I'm glad Tomasi uses it here. With all the Earth Lanterns have gone through, its unrealistic to have them actually angry enough at each other to come to blows. This issue reveals the relationship between Guy and Hal that while they're not always going to agree, they're Lanterns together with a mutual respect for each other. There's a reason they were the 1st two Earth Lanterns chosen and Tomasi shows why.
Fernando Pasarin also deserves an "'atta boy" for hooking up all those flying snow pages.
Part 3 of the War of the Green Lanterns story is a strong, tight issue that's keeping me excited for the rest of this story.
-Gint
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