Weekly Comic Reviews for Feb. 27th, 2008 -- SPOILERS

First up, some of the more observant of you may have noticed some links added to the right. I finally decided that I needed to give credit to a few blogs and other websites I check out on a regular basis. They aren't the only sites I visit as that list would be quite long but they're the ones I check out the most often. You may also notice that the links are, for the most part and especially the newest ones, comic book related. When I first started this blog I didn't plan on it being a comic book blog but as someone who isn't entirely comfortable with posting the details of my life for all to see my comic reviews seemed to be the only thing I would post about on a regular basis. That doesn't mean I won't post a rant or two about other stuff from time to time but for now, the links will center around comics.

But enough chit chat, let's get to the reviews. This week we have 4 to get through with She-Hulk #26, Elephantmen: War Toys #2, Freddy VS Jason VS Ash #5, and Mouse Guard Winter 1152 #3.

She-Hulk #26 -- First off, I like the bigger story that Peter David has going on here. She-Hulk's questioning her hero status and all. I find it engaging and interesting, and it's a good fit for the character. Unfortunately, I didn't like this sub-story quite as much. I can see how it fits into the overall story but it still seemed somewhat disappointing. In this particular book, I found myself connecting more emotionally with the throw away characters as they're the ones who are being hit the hardest in this book (with the guy's wife dying and being brought back only temporarily and all). Sure it hits She-Hulk and her new Skrull friend and ties into their story but somehow I just felt it missed the mark somewhat by being too hard on the throwaways. I also found She-Hulk losing her pants to be a little out of place here. The art seems to be hit or miss with me, with some fairly solid storytelling and action in places and some not so pretty art in others. And only some of this has to do with the fact that we get two pencillers (which I found more noticeable when they drew the throwaway guy as his appearance seemed inconsistent). In the end, I'm still eager to see where She-Hulk is going (and where she's been) but I felt this issue could have been a bit stronger. And I think the art needs a bit more polish to it. So perhaps it slides off my "recommended reading" list and into the something you might want to check out if you're looking for something to read.

Elephantmen: War Toys #2 -- I'm always really happy to find an Elephantmen book (whether it's War Toys or the regular series) waiting for me at my local comic shop. The downside comes the next day when I have to come up with a new way of saying how much I enjoy the book. The artwork has a distinctive style to it and there may have been one or two panels that I thought could have been clearer but overall it's really fantastic work. The story and the writing is where this book continues to excel. You feel a connection with every character as the story and emotions build. I don't really know what else to say. If you aren't reading this book then I think you're missing out on a great comic. It definitely makes my recommended reading list.

Freddy VS Jason VS Ash #5 -- This series has been hot and cold for me. Sometimes I find the art works, other times (like with this issue) I find it doesn't or at least it's inconsistent. Sometimes I find they nail Ash's character (which I thought was well done in this issue) and other times I find they don't. But perhaps what hurts this issue the most for me is that it falls into the 'penultimate issue curse' for me. It just seemed to be there to tie things up in preparation for the last issue. I found myself not really all that into it as I knew everything was just waiting to happen in the final issue and I found there wasn't really that much to draw me in. Overall, I'd be hard pressed to recommend this book based on this issue but I'm waiting to see how the series finishes off before making my final decision on it.

Mouse Guard Winter 1152 #3 -- The biggest drawback for this book, it's been 6 months between issues coming out. Right off the bat I needed more of a re-fresher to know where we're at in the story. I think that with the 3rd series, I'll be waiting for the TPB or hardcover collected version. The art remains beautiful. The settings and backgrounds are gorgeous. The scene with the bats is really amazing with the dark ominous setting. The story is intriguing and engaging. It really is a great book. I just think that for me, it would be better read as the whole story at once. So I definitely think it's worth checking out but possibly more enjoyable to read when it's done.

That's it for another week. On a personal note, I'm happy to report I have finished "inking" the last page of Divine Leap Chapter 2, Issue 3 and I'm over half way through lettering the issue. Much of the issue is already up on DrunkDuck (check the link to the right). One of these days I'd really like to improve my site on DrunkDuck with links to the chapters and issues as well as to the character page I had started. I just need to find the time. :)