Quick Comic Reviews - Road to Oz and Saga Vol. 2

Two very different books this time around.

Marvel's Road to Oz - Getting Skottie Young to draw these books was genius, he's probably the main reason I keep coming back to these books. This one felt a bit weak in terms of story, but the art makes up for some of the weaknesses. The characters and their stories are creative, and Young's art really brings it all to life. The Marvel adaptation of the Oz books are a great idea for introducing people (young or old) to the world of Oz. As someone who has never read the books, I can't say any more than that. I definitely recommend these books.

Saga Volume 2 - Includes the big controversial issue which I won't bother to talk about because I feel too much has been said already. This volume continues to introduce us to the amazing (and very unique) universe that Vaughan and Staples are building as well as the characters within. We get to see quite a lot of Marko and Alana's story, Marko a bit more so in this particular volume. The story and writing continue to amaze me and the art is gorgeous. Fiona's art not only match the incredibly unique world being built up but also tell the story quite effectively. All in all, I think this is one of the best books out there right now.

Quick Comic Reviews - Manhattan Projects Vol 2

Manhattan Projects Volume 2 -- The first volume hit me so hard with all its twists and turns, I figured this one would have a tough time topping it. Granted, it didn't have quite as much "shock" to it as the first volume but this volume continued some pretty darn strong storytelling and some very interesting (and weird) twists. The art matches the craziness of the story and it all works well together. This series has quickly become a must read for me. It's probably a little too out there for many but I'm really enjoying it.

Quick Comic Reviews - Buffy, Superman and RIPD

This week was hell. Just, hell.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 Volume 3 - I'm not entirely sure why I'm still buying this series. Yes, it's Buffy but it's not exactly good Buffy. This series has been better than season 8 but still not really that good. The first story just seemed to drag on and really didn't feel necessary. The second story, about the first male "slayer", just seemed to be a silly idea from the get go to me and didn't get much better when I read it. Not a bad comic, but not one I'd really recommend.

Superman Earth One Volume 1 - I went in to this one acknowledging that this is yet another Superman origin but hoping it would be an original take on it, which I knew would be tough given how many times we've gone through this. Despite some small parts that seemed original (some of which seem to mirror what I've seen of the upcoming Man of Steel film) it felt completely unnecessary and unoriginal as a story. It felt like they needed an Earth One story so they threw this together, it didn't feel like they had a great story idea and developed it into this. Definitely not on my recommended reading list.

RIPD Volume 1 - Wow, this was a pretty bad comic. Right off the bat, I don't want to say "Men in Black rip off" but there are just so many similarities. And even the differences were so cliche that I found it tough to read. The art? Okay in parts, but weak storytelling in others. Close up shots in weird places where I don't have a clue what was happening took me right out of it. All in all, a pretty big disappointment. Hopefully the movie they made is better because this one was a regrettable purchase.

So some disappointing reads as of late.