Friday, April 04, 2008

Weekly Comic Reviews for April 2nd, 2008 -- SPOILERS

With my cutting back on Marvel titles I was a little surprised to have 5 books this week. But then I remembered that all 5 were either limited series or, as in the case of the Buffy series, a finite series. So let's get to it shall we...

Buffy Season Eight #13 -- This one was a weird one for me. Perhaps I just generate too much hype in my head but after reading this book I felt like "that's it???" Yet thinking back now it's hitting me that "yes, and it was good." There may not have been the "holy crap!!" moments that other issues had but it had a lot. It had the Dracula/Xander comedy (which may or may not have gone on a page too long for me), a touch of the Buffy/Satsu drama, and a "Oh crud!" moment as pretty important tidbit of the plans of the villains is revealed. The art was pretty solid though I didn't like some shots of Buffy, she just didn't look right at time. Maybe it was her looking too young or the hair being tied up like it was. Despite my initial reactions to it I think the issue was solid and I still eagerly await the next issue to see what happens next. So I still recommend it.

Angel: After the Fall #6 -- My feelings haven't changed since I first read this one, I remain somewhat disappointed in it. It just felt like there was no meat to it. The breaking up of the story into the individual characters' sub-stories seemed to limit what could be told and left me thinking "that's it, that's their reaction to this?" The only real story I felt was worth it was Connor's and that's only because of his flashbacks (which weren't all that necessary for those of us who've watched the show). And the take on Lorne's story just seemed out of place to me and took me out of the book. On the plus side, I felt the art was slightly stronger in this, even with the various artists, than previous issues. But it's not really an issue I could recommend.

Logan #2 (of 3) -- I was hoping this issue would be where things get turned around for me. Unfortunately, it still feels like a "been there, done that" kind of Wolverine story. Some of the small elements may be different (this guy who it seems you can't kill) and it's well written and drawn (you feel Logan's emotion as he opens up with the Japanese woman) but overall I'm not really feeling that much from this book. Knowing what I know now, I probably would have skipped this series. Not a bad pickup for the Wolverine fans out there but not a recommended read in my opinion.

Dark Tower: The Long Road Home #2 (of 5) -- This series is losing its luster for me already. It definitely has a different feel and tempo from the first series. The art is lovely and all in this issue (though some panels I had no clue what it was showing) but I didn't need that many pages of them crossing that bridge. As a completist I'll probably finish out this series but unless something clicks soon I'll probably be dropping it after that. Another book I wouldn't put on my recommended reading list.

American Splendor Season Two #1 (of 4) -- It's odd for me that the book that probably had the least excitement happening in it seemed to have the most while I was reading it. I don't know how Peckar does it but he makes the most simple life story seem like an adventure. Of course, I don't think it would work nearly as well if it wasn't for his personality and quirks. It's definitely not for everyone but I really enjoy reading it. It makes my recommended reading list with the caveat that there's a good chance you'll wonder what the heck I was thinking when I recommended it.

I felt a little let down with this week's books but oh well, life goes on. Now I hope that the Invincible TPBs I ordered come in the mail today so I have something to read this weekend (on top of the crapload of other books I have that I want to read).

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