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. :)

Weekly Comic Reviews for Feb. 20th, 2008 -- SPOILERS

I know I'm a little ahead this week as I normally don't post reviews until Friday. But yesterday was my father's birthday and since he decided to go hit golf balls with his buddies we have to get together for dinner tonight. And that pushed my comic run up a day. And if that makes no sense to you, just ignore it and skip to the reviews.

As for the reviews, this week was a really busy week by my standards with 8 books coming out so let's get right to it shall we. And a warning that SPOILERS are throughout (especially in the Hulk review):

Hulk #2 -- If this book was written as some sort of alternate dimension book or just fan fiction I might be mildly okay with it. Yeah, I think it's crappy writing but at least the art is pretty. But as it stands, I think it's just ... very bad (that's not what I want to really say but I'm trying to be nice). There are so many things that just make me cringe in this book. The giant pistol that SHIELD has sitting around that seemingly can kill the Abomination. Iron Man standing around doing absolutely nothing while She-Hulk gets beat all over the SHIELD helicarrier. He even waited until she was knocked unconcious and almost killed before he put his mask back on. Oh, he did bark a couple orders but that's not Iron Man. Iron Man multitasks. He barks orders as he does other stuff (like throw on his mask and confront the monster taking down his ship). And why is he surprised that the Hulk's hands were red? We got the red description from the kid in Russia. And why does he even insist on calling this the Hulk considering Banner is still locked up? And Rick Jones is the new Abomination (or "A-bom" as he calls himself), really??? That makes no sense to me. I actually had to double check that there was some confirmation that this was Rick Jones and not just Blonsky with long hair. I really hope there are some extremely good answers for this because at the moment it makes me wonder if Loeb was just given carte blanche to do whatever he likes whether it made sense for the characters or not. And as for the theory that Samson is the new Hulk, this issue really seems to push that but it's pretty obvious and wouldn't make much sense to me either. But then again, maybe not making sense actually makes sense. So yeah, I'm not recommending this series. Maybe when it's all played out it'll redeem itself but for now I just have too many problems with it.


Ultimates 3 #3 -- Meh. That's pretty much how I felt about this issue. Yeah, we get some flashbacks and more icky talk about Quicksilver and the Scarlett Witch (I really do hope that Loeb turns it around and says that Logan wasn't actually watching them ... you know). The art was good. But overall, I just can't really put this book on my recommended reading list. It seems to be pushing certain things (Clint's obsession with getting someone to kill him and the Pietro/Wanda love connection) just for the sake of seeming "edgy" and more "mature". And I felt quite a bit of the book could have been cut out except they wanted to see more of Maduira draw "sexy" women. Only two more issues to go and I'm hoping they are an improvement over what we've seen so far.


Angel: After the Fall #4 -- I really think the art is holding this book back. Not only are likenesses and issue but the art in general was just lacking. Characters looked weird, not just in their likeness. And it's too bad because I'm really enjoying the story. The dialogue may be somewhat lacking at times but the overall story is really good. Yeah, it makes my recommended reading list but I wish it could be a bit better.


Incredible Hercules #114 -- I keep thinking that this book could show a turning point in the character of Ares back to being a villain. I mean, he's trying to kill Hercules, he's turning Avengers against Herc to try and get them to kill him, and he's beating up his teammates. But since he's in the Mighty Avengers and this is just a Hercules book I'm sure he'll remain the good guy. You would think that the Black Widow would eventually say something about him though. Anywho, I'm surprised to say I'm still rather enjoying this series. I didn't think a Hercules series could keep my attention. I don't know how long it'll last though and I'm eager to see the Hulk back (with Pak writing him). The art was pretty solid and you got a good sense of Hercules' insanity from the Hydra blood. Things don't look good at the end though with Amadeus seemingly being pushed over the edge with the injuries his little pup sustained. It's too bad, as I liked Amadeus as a good guy but I guess we'll have to wait and see where it goes. So yeah, this series is on my recommended reading list.


Runaways #29 -- This book's biggest problem continues to be the amount of time between issues and with this particular storyline, that's a bigger problem. With the Runaways having travelled back in time and meeting a number of characters (I think someone counted it to be 25 characters including the Runaways themselves in this particular issue) and all those characters being part of groups and subgroups and such a 4 month wait between issues can be problematic. Not only do I not remember where the Runaways left off after the last issue I don't remember all these extra characters. Yeah, the page at the beginning helps a bit but it can't cover everything. And maybe the problem would be solved if I just wait until all the issues are out or read the TPB but this is supposed to be a monthly comic, I shouldn't have to do that to enjoy it for what it's supposed to be. Having said that, after the initial headaches of figuring things out the issue was a solid continuation of the story and the characters. You get a lot of poignant moments (Molly is such a scene stealer) and some depth to what's going on. And the art is solid and reflects the story's setting well. So yeah, it makes my recommended reading list but perhaps you should wait for the TPB, there's no telling when the last issue will come out.

Ultimate Human #2 -- After some Hulk action we're treated to a brief Iron Man versus Hulk. And then some talky-talky between Bruce and Tony, and the Leader and his men. Then it's time for the main storyline to take over with the Leader's plan being executed. Overall, I enjoyed this issue. It had some cool moments in the fight and the "talky-talky" parts were really interesting for someone who wants to really get in to the characters' heads and see what makes them tick. This take on the Hulk (in his Ultimate form) is a very interesting one and a departure from the 616 Hulk. That's not a bad thing, I kinda like seeing other takes on the character. So yeah, it makes my recommended reading list.

World of Warcraft #4 -- What I liked about this issue: The art didn't bother me quite as much as usual though there were a few panels where I had to spend a bit more time figuring out what was going on. And it was interesting to add depth to one of the main characters. But on the other hand, it felt a little odd. The two main characters just happen to show up just as the elves and humans are about to be ambushed and come up with the plan to ambush the orcs back. And the other elf just happens to show up in time to start following that guy who's chasing the main human character. It just seemed rather convenient how things fell into place. And now they have a new mission to go on. It almost seems to be playing out like a game, finish one mission, get the next. Overall I thought the issue was okay but it didn't blow me away or anything. I don't think it makes my recommended reading list but it may be worth checking out.

World War Hulk Aftersmash Warbound #3 -- I'm actually enjoying this series. I know it's not hugely successful or popular but I kinda liked the characters from Planet Hulk and it's great to see them being developed further as now they can be explored more fully in their own book. The art isn't overwhelmingly great but it tells the story well. And it's an interesting story at that. I'm not quite sure what the Leader's full story here, why he's dying and such, so I'm hoping that gets cleared up at some point. I know it's not for everyone as it mostly deals with second or third tier characters from the Incredible Hulk (characters that most people would barely know if at all) but I really do think it's well done. So it makes my recommended reading list.

Whew! That's it for this week and what a week it was.

Weekly Comic Reviews for February 13th, 2008 -- SPOILERS

Only two books this week and only one was a regular one. So let's get down to reviewing Marvel Adventures Hulk #8 and The Spirit #13 (which actually came out at least a week ago).

Marvel Adventures Hulk #8 -- I'm still enjoying this series for what it is, a lighter take on the character that makes him available to a younger audience. And with the Hulk out of commission in the regular universe and the Jeph Loeb book delayed it's all I have of the character for the moment. So yeah, the book continues to succeed in just being a fun book to read and not take too seriously. Ignore continuity, don't worry about making the character or story mature, and throw in a lesson to the kiddies. Yet it still holds true to the characters. The art continues to be okay and match the target audience. Sure, there are some panels where the Hulk's hands tend to look too small or the panel of Namor with a squinty face, it took me a while before it dawned on me who he reminded me of but now I remember, it's Jeff Dunham's puppet Walter (feel free to look him up on google or youtube). Anyhow, it's still a fun read so it makes my recommended reading list. Though I know the more "mature" readers out there might not get much out of it.

The Spirit #13 -- I know I tried this series out a while back and gave it up but when I heard the writer was leaving with issue 12 and issue 13 was going to be an assortment of creators doing short stories I decided to pick them up. Unfortunately I missed issue 12 though. :) Issue 13 was a fun enough read and harkens back to the classic Eisner short stories. They're simple stories that just flow instead of looking to bombard the reader with over the top muscles/action/whatever else. So it was a fun book to read. Overall it actually makes my recommended reading list.

So that's it for another week of not many comics. I also "finished" Strangers in Paradise. I say "finished" because I skipped over the Molly and Poo stuff. I do plan on going back to reading it but I heard it wasn't important for the Katchoo/Francine story and it felt like it was just getting in the way of the story I wanted to read. I also polished off another volume of Ex Machina (volume 5 to be exact). Both, Strangers in Paradise and Ex Machina, also make my recommended reading list. This weekend is going to be a busy one with my aunt and uncle coming for a visit and me wanting to finish off issue 3 of Divine Leap (somewhat unlikely but I have high hopes).

See ya next week all!

Weekly Comic Reviews for Feb. 6th, 2008 -- SPOILERS

It's rather sad that I almost forgot to do my reviews for this week. What's really sad is that I only have one review to do but it's for Buffy #11.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #11 -- Okay, so here are the spoilers. Buffy has a heart to heart with Xander, Buffy has a heart to heart with Satsu, and Buffy has a fist to fist with the new "Big Bad". It's a fairly dialogue heavy book to start with but if you're as in to Buffy dialogue as I am you'll be okay with that. A little bit of it feels like re-hashing some of Buffy's insecurities and depression from season 7 but considering what she's going through, it's still solid character building stuff. But the new bad guy on the scene, he really makes his presence felt. Some people on other forums have wondered what could be a threat to Buffy, her army of slayers, and Willow (and throw in Xander as well) but this guy seems to be building something. He's obviously a physical threat to Buffy herself but it's his planning on top of that and his teaming up of various factions that could be his biggest threat to Buffy and her army... And Willow... And Xander. And that tease as to the big reveal of who it is was just so perfect for me. Yeah, it's kinda corny I guess but in some way perhaps that's what made me think the reveal may actually happen. Artistically, I'm not sure it was the strongest issue so far but it was solid. Overall, although they label this as a standalone issue I don't really see it as such. It seems to me to be an important moving forward point in a bigger story and I can't wait to see more of it. It definitely makes my recommended reading list. One thing I did kinda wonder about was the cover. Maybe it's just me but the cover seemed to be a cheaper quality (paper quality I mean, not artistic quality because even though I prefer Jo Chen's covers I thought Jon Foster's cover was pretty good here) but again, it could just be me.

So yeah, that's all I have for this week. But in case you were wondering, I still have plenty of comic reading on the go. I'm currently working my way through the fifth digest of Strangers in Paradise and the 3rd Buffy Omnibus. I also finished off volume 4 of Ex Machina. And I have some more Ex Machina volumes coming in shortly (hopefully today) along with the first volume of Y: The Last Man which I decided to pick up after all the talk about it's recent conclusion (I don't actually know how it ended and don't spoil it for me). So that's enough to keep me busy for now, not to mention the webcomics scene and such.

Weekly Comic Reviews for Jan 30th, 2008 -- spoiler and REVIEW free!

Yep, this week's reviews will not only be spoiler free but also review free. What do I mean by that? Well, I actually had no books come out for me this week. Kinda sad really. But I do have some reading material so don't feel bad for me. I have the latest Wizard Magazine as well as my Strangers in Paradise pocket books and Ex Machina TPBs. Not to mention a few webcomics.

Which brings me to the point of this posting. Since I have no printed comics to review I figured I might as well take this opportunity to list off a few webcomics I check out. No lengthy reviews or anything, just a quick list in case you're looking for something to read. Unfortunately I pretty much stick to two locations for webcomics at the moment so you'll notice they're all either DrunkDuck or Zuda comics. So here goes (in alphabetical order):

Araknid Kid -- Originally appearing on Zuda Comics, the story of the "mysterious stranger" who talks in pictures continues on SugarySerials: http://araknidkid.sugaryserials.com/

Basketcase -- A fun daily comic though it's not always politically correct or "opinion free". http://www.drunkduck.com/basketcase/

Battlefield Babysitter -- Another comic originally appearing on Zuda, the adventures of the superhero babysitter continue (albeit slowly) at http://battlefieldbabysitter.blogspot.com/

Bayou -- The first winner (without going through a competition) on Zuda and a very engaging story. http://www.zudacomics.com/bayou

Blip -- An entertaining story about K and the forces that suround her.
http://www.drunkduck.com/Blip/

High Moon -- Another Zuda winner dealing with Werewolves in the Old West. Interesting premise and beautifully drawn. http://www.zudacomics.com/high_moon

Locoma -- Living toys battle Mr Advertising. Fun stuff and pretty (various mediums are explored for the art). http://www.drunkduck.com/Locoma/

Nuclear Neal -- Just caught this one today when I saw it featured on the DrunkDuck main page. Seems like an interesting idea and distinct art. http://www.drunkduck.com/NUCLEAR_NEAL/

ZomBen -- Ben gets the powers of a Zombie and decides to become a superhero. How can an idea like that miss? And it's got cool art. http://www.drunkduck.com/ZomBen/

So yeah, just because I didn't have any comics to pick up this week I still have plenty of reading material. Plus, having a bit more extra time could mean more time for me to write/draw... Or just goof off. :)

Weekly Comic Reviews for January 23rd, 2008 -- SPOILERS

It was definitely a busy week for me comics-wise... At least by my standards. Not only did I have 5 comics waiting for me this week (Astonishing X-Men, She-Hulk, Mice Templar, Freddy VS Jason VS Ash, and Ultimates) I also decided to pick up the third Buffy Omnibus. Then, to top things off, I find 3 Strangers in Paradise pocket books and an Ex Machina TPB waiting for me in my mailbox when I get home. So I have quite a bit of reading to do.

Astonishing X-Men #24 -- The last regular issue for Whedon and Cassaday before the Giant Sized issue hits. My biggest complaint about this book remains the delay between issues. After devouring each issue I'm left waiting for however long for the next part of the story. And yet again, we get some amazing work by both Whedon and Cassaday. I've been turned off by the X-Men for quite a while but this book is what I've been looking for all this time. Great characterization with depth, amazing dialogue, phenomenal art, and a cool story with twists and turns. And most importantly, a core X-Men story with every character getting the chance to shine. Honestly, I don't know what else I can say about this book. I've already gushed over it with each issue. So yes, obviously this issue makes my recommended reading list.

Ultimates 3 #2 -- After my less than positive review of the last issue I wasn't expecting much here but I was actually pleasantly surprised to a degree. First up, I didn't find the colours as washed out or at least they weren't as noticeable this time. I also didn't find the story as cluttered and messy as the previous issue. I thought the Hawkeye/Spider-Man thing was "meh" and my first thought was "why didn't Spidey's senses go haywire when Hawkeye shot him in the back?" but it didn't ruin the issue or anything. Thor's explanation of his speach change was a bit of a low point and I didn't really feel it felt right but again, it's not a big issue for me. Overall, I'm actually a little more interested in where the story is going though I groaned when Wolverine made his appearance on the last page. Yay! Another Wolverine appearance. So yeah, the books slides up a bit into "possible recommended reading" range but I'm still taking a wait and see approach to it. We have 3 more issues of this story to either keep the upward climb going or stumble badly.

She-Hulk #25 -- Peter David continues to put his stamp on this book. And as Shulkie is hell bent on staying out of the hero business (while at the same time tracking down a terrorist bomber) she gets pulled in to an intergalactic powder-keg (thanks in some part to her new Skrull friend). Though I probably should have seen the big twist coming I didn't and I have to applaud Peter for that. And I have to admit, I laughed at the intergalactic bounty-hunter's remarks about women. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing for me. It wasn't a break out issue or anything but I'm sure Peter David fans as well as She-Hulk fans would enjoy it. Plus, it's just good reading. Then came the first mini-story. I was pretty surprised to see the main story end so quickly and get thrown into this. At first I wondered what the heck it was (having no knowledge of "Man-Elephant" prior to this). It's not an exceptional story yet it does seem to make a very forgettable character a little more interesting with slightly more depth to him. I'm actually looking forward to seeing more of him all of a sudden. The last story now, a totally tongue in cheek She-Hulk story. This one I could have done without. I'm sure some people will get a laugh from it but it seemed more like a "What the..???" sorta cartoon strip. I wonder what was going through Peter's head when he knew he had to bring up John Byrne's She-Hulk. So in the end, this book does edge onto my recommended reading list. I know fans of Dan Slott's She-Hulk may feel they are missing out but I think Peter David's done a great job of continuing the character with his own style.

Freddy VS Jason VS Ash #4 -- I keep forgetting the order of names here and I'm sure I've mixed them up in previous reviews. Anywho, I kinda liked some parts of this issue. Ash being attacked by lots of little Freddy hands fits in so well with both of their stories. That seemed to be a nice touch. But overall, I just don't think they've really nailed the character of Ash. And artistically I felt this book was a bit of a letdown. Some of it may have been the inking. Some shots of Freddy seemed a little flat with thin inking lines. And Ash just didn't seem to be very consistent. It wasn't a huge disappointment but I don't find I'm enjoying this series as a whole as much as I think I should. It doesn't make my recommended reading list but I'm sure that doesn't matter to the fans that are already reading this series. Though I should point out I'm not saying it's that bad, I just think it has potential that it's not living up to and could be better in some parts.

Mice Templar #3 -- It took me a little while to remind myself of the back story here. And some of that back story (the mythological stuff) I still don't remember. But this was a pretty solid issue. The art was good, the story is building, the characters are interesting, and it has all the pieces of something great. I'm intrigued by it though I still find it slightly confusing trying to distinguish which mouse is which (I'm glad they have a tendency to repeat each others' names when talking). But it's an interesting story so far and makes my recommended reading list.

So that's it for this week. How about a story of my own now. No, not a comic story but a real events story. After picking up my comics I was waiting to cross the street when a woman pulling a cart of her belongings asked me for money. I said "No sorry, I don't have any money." Okay, it was a lie as I did have some money but I can't afford to give money to everyone that asks. Since I was stuck at the light she decided to persist asking for money for a hotel room. I thought that was rather odd, I've been asked for money for coffee or food but a hotel room? I said again "No sorry, I don't have any money." She replies "F**k you! I hate you too a**h**e!" and begins crossing the street (in front of traffic). I get a little upset so I replied "I'm sorry, I just don't have any money." She yells back "Yes you do! Go to the bank and get me some a**h**e!" I'm ashamed to say I found the event somewhat comical despite the sadness of knowing that there are people living on the street.

Weekly Comic Reviews for January 18th, 2008 -- SPOILERS

I picked up a whopping 4 books this week so let's just get to it...

Angel: After the Fall #3 -- The biggest detractor for this book is still the art. Not only do I find the character likenesses off but sometimes the overall story telling just isn't there. The panel with the dragon spitting out Illyria had me confused for a bit, my first thought was that she somehow popped out of its chest/stomach. The writing is pretty solid though as this issue seems to answer a few things and take a couple twists and turns along the way. I was a little confused as to the time jumping and why Angel wouldn't say that he saw Illyria (it's not like it would be something new for Wes unless something else is going on). But I have to admit, I did not see that ending coming and I just though "Wow!" Suddenly I can't wait to read the next issue and the book inches it's way back up to my recommended reading list. Though obviously it's only really for Angel fans and even they may get turned away by the art.

World War Hulk: The Warbound #2 -- The main portion of this book was okay. The art was pretty solid for the most part (though I do have a complaint or two that I won't go into) and the writing was okay. But the overall story seemed somewhat lacking. The Leader quickly disappears and we're left with giant mutant bugs. Kinda cool I guess. And then a huge mutation of townspeople at the end. Meh. Hiroim shines in this book as his character is given the meaty parts. He shines even more in the second part of the book, a flashback to why he is "Hiroim the Shamed". I'm really looking forward to seeing more of this guy. Overall, although it's a pretty solid book I can't really see recommending it. For the most part because I really only see it appealing to Hulk fans and more importantly, Hulk fans who are fans of the Planet Hulk storyline. And even for them, it's not required reading. So perhaps it's something to check out to see if it's your cup of tea or if you're just looking for something to read.

The Incredible Hercules #113 -- Wow! Does Ares ever come off as a b*****d in this issue. I've found that generally, I still can't get a grasp of this character. In some stuff I've read he's a moron. Here, he's actually pretty smart but hellbent on killing Hercules which doesn't seem to fit for me either. They don't see eye to eye but this seemed somewhat extreme. But that confusion aside, the book is pretty well done with some nice moments and cool Hercules action (with the tease of a lot more to come). The art isn't the greatest and I barely recognized Ares on the first few pages but it gets the job done for the most part. I'm still disappointed that they decided to make this book Hercules' book with Banner (and another Hulk) running around in the other series but I guess life goes on. Overall, I'd put this in my marginally recommended reading list. Definitely not a must read but a good Herc story for fans of the character.

World of Warcraft #4 -- I have to say that I think this issue was an improvement and possibly a turning point in the series for me. The first 3 issues didn't impress me too much but now that the story seems to be growing it's finally starting to catch my interest. I'm still not the biggest fan of the art or anything but I suppose it could be a lot worse and for the most part, it gets the job done here. It's too early for this series to make it's way on to my recommended reading list but this issue helps it along. Plus, it had an advertisement for the new Dragonlance DVD which I didn't know about until now. :)

So that's it for my weekly comics. I did read through the new crop of Zuda Comics but I don't have time for the reviews at the moment. Though at the moment, I'm not feeling particularly great about this batch. Hopefully as I let them sink in something will come up.

Speaking of Webcomics I figure I should pass along a few links. This first one is a collection of resources to help you get started on your webcomic by Laura Milligan, it was pointed out to me on David Gallaher's High Moon Blog. The second contains some tips to marketing your comic now that you made it. Perhaps one day when I have something I feel is worthy of marketing I'll make use of those tips. :)

Which leads me to talk about Divine Leap. I haven't mentioned it in a while so maybe I should. Yes, I'm still trudging along on it. I'm currently working on issue 3 of chapter 2 with the entire issue being a test to see if I can get used to using a Tablet. I'm still not 100% happy with the result but then again, I never am. But I did get added to the Favorites List of two more DrunkDuckers which brings me up to a whopping 13. The reason I bring this up is because I was falling into another one of those "why do I bother?" periods where I question whether I should keep it going or not. At the moment, I'm pushing myself along because I just don't want to give up. But who knows, when I get to the end of chapter 2 I might feel that that's enough or at least that I need a break from it.

Enough babbling, I need to get back to work. See ya next week!

Weekly Comic Reviews for January 9th, 2008 -- SPOILERS

Only two books this week and they're both Hulk books. Go figure...

Hulk #1 -- I've actually been reading a few reviews after reading the book myself and most seem pretty positive. My take on the book, poop. Yep, I didn't like it. In fact, I just wanted to toss it when I was done. Now first off, I know you don't want to answer everything in the first issue but this book raises so many questions. And they aren't even questions that should be pivotal to the story. I predict not all will be answered by the end of the series but even still, it's just too messed up. Why is She-Hulk working with Tony et al now? Why does she lecture Ross about the whole World War Hulk thing when Tony (the real mastermind behind it and the one she decked because of it) is standing right there? What's with Samson's haircut and why does he snap and deck the Red Guardian? Speaking of which, given the Red Guardian hasn't had powers in the past nor is his shield isn't Cap's so why wouldn't a punch from someone the strength of Samson pretty much KO him or send him flying? Why isn't She-Hulk making mention of the last time we saw Blonsky he was "permanently" de-powered by Tony and SHIELD and in their custody, now he's supposedly walking around Russia? I could go on but it just seems that so much of this book makes no sense. One thing I found absolutely hilarious was the huge gears showing out of the "soldier"'s back, they can do life model decoys and use scans from every part of your body for security yet the guard has some huge gears showing like he's a robot from some Ed Wood movie? And their rationale that SHIELD might be involved because nobody has guns that would fit in the Hulk's hands? Really? Nobody in the world would have guns that big? Heck, the Pantheon seemed to have a buttload. The Rick Jones scene is obviously set up to make you think Rick is the new Hulk, whether that's the case or not is the question I guess. And then we get to the big payoff in the end, Ross and Samson visitting Banner in his cell. I pretty much flipped it into the trash at that point. For me, it's way WAY too soon and the wrong way to bring him back. World War Hulk was a huge monumentous event for the character where he reached a level of anger and power where the earth itself shook beneath his feet when he walked. Suddenly Banner's back all snug and cozy in a glass cell. For me, it diminishes where the character was at the last we saw him and makes little sense story-wise. It seems to me that everyone involved would be more intent on keeping Banner in a suspended state for the time being and they wouldn't go to him so quickly with news of another Hulk running around or whatever else they're going to tell him. And through all this all I can think is why the heck I'm picking up the Incredible Herc with Hercules replacing the Hulk in that title when the Hulk's story seems to be continuing in this series. If Banner wasn't involved I could see it, now I just shake my head. Now I know I'm just being a wet blanket and considering the reviews I've seen it seems that this book is being well received but personally, I think it's horrible story telling. It wouldn't make my recommended reading list... Maybe I'd say it's something you should check out for yourself because opinions will obviously differ. And yes, I will finish out the series... I'm just stupid that way.

Marvel Adventures Hulk #7 -- I'm actually enjoying this series. Fun, non-continuity based stories of the big green guy. Yes, it's aimed for children but I don't care, I just like the fluff. The art seems to be improving as the series moves along and so long as you don't over-analyze it (funny I would say that after that last review) it's an enjoyable story. You even have a moment of depth when the Hulk considers that he may actually be able to live out his dream of being along (though I doubt it) if he keeps the Surfer's powers and just stays in space. Though this kind of thing is not for everyone, yet again, it makes my recommended reading list.

I also polished off two more volumes of Ex Machina (loved them, great story telling) and am working my way through volume 2 of Strangers in Paradise (a lot of fun and interesting stuff so far).

Weekly Comic Reviews for January 2nd, 2007 -- SPOILERS

Only two books this week, Buffy #10 and Ultimate Human #1. So let's get down to it shall we...

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #10 -- Uhm... Wow! Some pretty big twists come up in this book. Buffy leading the slayers to steal? Willow keeping Kennedy (and herself) away from Buffy because of Tara's death making Willow the prime suspect for betraying Buffy... Well, plus if Buffy does get rid of all magic from the world then where does that leave Willow? Dawn reveals her "little" lie to Xander. Like so many Whedon/Buffy stories, it kinda takes a little while to digest and fully consider it. I know there will be a bit of a backlash (I've seen some) to these twists but personally, even though I obviously don't approve of their actions, it's not beyond the realm of possibilities. But enough about that, what about the nitty-gritty details. Well, to start, I actually found the first few pages a little weird to read. I had a bit of an issue following parts of the dialogue and such. I don't know if it's just me or what but sometimes I feel Joss's dialogue needs to be heard to fully get it, not just read. As the book went on I felt it got a bit better. I felt the art was fairly solid even if the likenesses were maybe not spot on for some characters (which is weird given that Richards is probably best known for drawing the Buffy comic). Though the demon design seemed somewhat weak to me. So overall, this book continues to make my recommended reading list. This issue may not be the strongest in technical aspects but is a pivotal turning point in the story I believe.

Ultimate Human #1 -- I've actually been staying away from most Ultimate universe books (other than the Ultimates) but I figured this might be an interesting story. First off, this is definitely not the 616 universe Hulk. In fact, you might argue it's not even the Ultimates Hulk or the Hulk we saw (briefly) in the Ultimate Hulk/Wolverine series (hey, Lost writers are on strike so why can't he finally finish off that comic!). The character and the dialogue just seems different. Having said that, it's a very interesting take on the character. Peter David recently introduced the notion of the 616 Hulk adapting (breathing under water) and Ellis seems to be taking it even further. And given that this Hulk was brought about by the super soldier serum and not just gamma radiation, it almost makes sense. The super soldier serum may work to adapt the soldier to any environment. So let's get down to the details, the writing is good and the dialogue between Banner and Stark is great. It's really interesting to here them talk, not only about the science stuff but the personal stuff. The art has a very unique look to it but the dark mood set in the military bases is pretty impressive. And to be a total geek, the Hulk just looks really cool to me. I was a little disappointed at first that the Ultimate Leader is not Sam Sterns but I think this take on two 616 characters is pretty interesting and could lead to some good stuff. So yeah, this books my recommended reading list. I think it's worth checking out for Ultimate universe fans and people just looking for a story to read (as prior knowledge of both characters isn't really necessary I found).

I've also polished off a few more volumes of the Manga series "Monster", I'm done volume 12. I like how things are coming together here. I've been a little hesitant for a while now but it's picking up steam as we head in to the last 5 volumes.

And of course, there's "One More Day". I had been keeping my thoughts to myself until after Carl read it as I didn't want to spoil it for him but even now I find myself somewhat torn by it. On the one hand, I think it's a horrible story that was poorly executed. And in my mind, it's left the character and the story in a very messy, confusing state. On the other hand, I can understand how some characters are just becoming too bogged down with their back stories or not being accessible to new readers. So I can see some promise for the new creative teams but I also mourn the loss of the character as I knew him. To make a long story short, I have a lot of emotions going on right now and I may never really be able to properly express them. Overall though, I'm greatly disappointed with this story and this approach and I feel it's just another example of Marvel no longer having people like me as their target audience.

Weekly Comic Reviews for December 26th, 2007 -- SPOILERS... BUT NOT SPIDEY SPOILERS

I know, I'm really late with these reviews. I only got my books on Saturday and it's been a busy couple of days. Only two books this week and neither one of them is Amazing Spidey so if you're looking for that, click the next blog on your search. Instead we have Hulk VS Fin Fang Foom and Freddy VS Jason VS Ash #3.

Hulk VS Fin Fang Foom One Shot -- This book really seems to capture the old style Marvel comics. A quick story in 22 pages with a big simple fight. Even the art seems to be Kirby-esque almost. So in that sense, it was a nice throwback to when I was young. And there were a few cute little jokes and one liners (the purple tights comment made me smile) that are typical of Peter David's work. Yet despite all this and my desire to like Peter David's work, I still felt pretty let down by this book. First up, it's advertised as a bigger special book that you pay extra for but the main story is still the standard 22 pages (with Fin's first appearance being reprinted to add pages). And really, the 22 pages aren't really all that special. You get a bit of a cool build up to the fight and then a pretty quick battle that's actually pretty disappointing. Though the Hulk keeps up the humour throughout. I hate to say it but despite the positives, I just can't recommend this book.

Freddy VS Jason VS Ash #3 -- Well, after I felt some disappointment with the last issue I'm happy to say I enjoyed this one. I still don't know if they are really using the Ash character to his potential but he has his moments. Maybe it's just that he has to share top billing here that's bothering me. Anyway, we get lots of cool hack and slashing, some story progression (yes, there is a story here), and a fairly cool cliff-hanger ending. The art was pretty good but seemed somewhat inconsistent at times, especially with Ash. This issue would make my recommended reading list but I guess the big question is whether the whole series will, and for that we'll have to wait and see. So far I think there's a little something for fans of all three and maybe something for non-fans who still know a little something about them.

So I guess that's it for this week. I did get some TPBs read though. Quickly...
Strangers in Paradise Volume 1 -- Loved it. Thought it was a great book.

Ex Machina Volume 1 -- Thought the writing was amazing and a great story, found the art somewhat distracting at times though. It was great for the most part but every once in a while it seemed as though the people he got to model for him were over-acting their parts and it came through in the characters' body language. Still an amazing book though.

Ghost World -- Fun and interesting. I'm glad I read it but I wouldn't push it on anyone else though. It's definitely for a certain type of reader.

Weekly Comics Review for December 19th, 2007 -- SPOILERS

Yeah, I'm late with these reviews, I know. I'm not sure when next week's will be up either since comics will be delayed until Friday at my comic shop due to Christmas. Here are this week's reviews though for Warbound #1 (of 5), Incredible Hulk #112, Angel: After the Fall #2 (of 12), She-Hulk #24, World of Warcraft #2 (of 5 I believe).

Angel: After the Fall #2 -- The art still bothers me a bit in this book. Sometimes it's not getting the likenesses down and other times I think it's something else. One thing that kinda bugged me was how many big-breasted women with tiny waists were shown. I can almost understand it with Spike's situation but then there was Nina, the werewolf. The story is still interesting though I almost wanted to see a bit more progression. It almost seemed like things were slowed down so the issue could end on the latest big reveal. Though I didn't find it to be too much of a surprise. So it wasn't the strongest issue I've read but as an Angel fan, I'm still enjoying it. And they have matched the characters well. So it makes my recommended reading list but only for the Angel/Buffy fans out there.

Warbound #1 -- I was actually somewhat doubtful that this team could keep my interest but this first issue is pretty good. Pak does a great job of keeping me interested in them and having Kate back with SHIELD is interesting. She does seem to be the perfect match for this book given her history. I was only mildly surprised by the reveal at the end (well, the first "end") that it was the Leader behind things. I was actually more surprised to see him with the brace on his head. It almost seemed like another "Let's move some of our Ultimates ideas into the regular universe". But overall, I thought it was a solid enough story, good writing, and fine artwork. So I was pretty impressed by the first issue. It actually makes my recommended reading list for the time being.

Incredible Hulk/Herc #112 -- I'm still not sold on this idea of replacing the Hulk with Hercules. I find it to be a somewhat decent story and the character to be interesting enough but I'm not so sure it should be in the Hulk book. I'd probably be happier had they stopped the Hulk book altogether and given Herc is own mini-series or something. The writing is good and the art is okay (though inconsistent at times which I believe was due to the two artists listed in the credits). I don't think it makes my recommended reading list though, perhaps my "suggest you check it out for yourself" list. I'll keep with it for now but I can't seem myself going long-term with this book. Either bring the Hulk back or end this series for now.

She-Hulk #24 -- We get to see a bit more of She-Hulk's new life as well as the new Skrull that's tagging along with her. It may not have the over the top zanyness of Dan Slott's run but we knew that going in to Peter David's run. And I can respect that, to try and mimic Dan Slott's work just wouldn't work very well. I do seem to be enjoying this new direction and I'm curious to see where things are going with it which is almost to be expected from a Peter David story (that and that there will still be some comedy put in when possible/appropriate). And although the art doesn't blow me away, I think it's still pretty solid for the book. So it makes my recommended reading list but I know it's not for everyone. People looking for more of Dan Slott type stuff may have a hard time getting over the change but I do think it was necessary.

World of Warcraft #2 -- To summarize this book, the human kicks butt in the fight that was left over from last issue. Then he kicks butt in the arena fights. That's pretty much it. I'm pretty disappointed in this series. I'm not a World of Warcraft fan but I know there's more to the game (and the story behind the game) than what's being shown here. There are minor hints to that history in some parts but it's really not enough. So far, it's been your pretty typical "uber-human with no memory in a fantasy land". And the art really doesn't do it for me. Sometimes it may just be a style thing but other times it seems that the art doesn't match the story. There was one point where one of the spectators yelled out that a character was decapitated yet to me, the picture seemed to show him being slashed across the chest. I'm a bit of a completist so I tend to finish any mini-series I start but this one is borderline for me. So far, it just doesn't seem that interesting to me. So unfortunately, it doesn't make my recommended reading list. Though to be fair, I'm sure there are fans of the game or the genre that may enjoy this book so I wouldn't say to avoid at all costs or anything.

So that's it for this week. I also finished League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier but I don't have time for the review at the moment. I'm not even sure I'll ever really be able to review that book properly. At the moment, I'm feeling pretty disappointed in it. Maybe the more scholarly out there will enjoy it. And maybe it was just too "out there" for me but the book just became way too much of a chore to read. Maybe as I let it soak in and read more stuff on it (so I understand a bit more about some of the characters) I'll have a better outlook on it. But we'll have to wait and see. So up next I believe will be the first volume of Strangers in Paradise. Ex Machina is also on my pile of books to read and Ghost World should be coming my way in 2 days. ;)

Weekly Comic Reviews for Dec. 12th, 2007 -- SPOILERS

I know, I said I'd get the Zuda reviews up at some point. I'm about half way through typing them up but I've been swamped at work as of late so they got delayed. Here are my normal reviews for now. I had three books this week, Elephantmen: War Toys #1 (of 3), Captain Carrot...The Final Ark #3 (of 3), and Marvel Adventures: Hulk #6.



Elephantmen: War Toys #1 -- Synopsis: Africa and China go to war with Europe, having been almost entirely wiped out by a virus, serving as the battlefield. And here we have the Elephantmen (MAPPO's "War Toys") entering the fight. The stories coming out of the Elephantmen universe continue to blow me away with some great writing and amazing art. Perhaps you could say that this issue spends a lot of time telling us what we already know about the Elephantmen in the narrative but you don't notice it too much with the events going on along with the narrative. This is a war story so be prepared for some graphic violence and some mature themes. The ending of this book really had me psyched for the next issue, I can't wait to see what comes next. This definitely makes my recommended reading list.



Captain Carrot and the Final Ark #3 -- Well, it seems the "Ark" is now fully understood. I was actually enjoying this issue more so than the previous two up until the end. Then I just felt let down. Yes, I understand it was meant to be a cliffhanger of sorts but this really didn't feel like an ending at all. Their planet is being flooded, some (including Pig Iron) are left behind presumably to die (especially Pig Iron), and the survivors are left in animal form on the main DC Earth with still human level intelligence (no way of talking though) and their powers (minus Captain Carrot himself who needs his magic carrots). And speaking of Captain Carrot, he's now part of Zatanna's act. Honestly, it's just too much left open and not enough closure for me. I guess it's been said on the DC boards that if there is enough demand they'll continue the story but this just seemed like a cheap tease to me. It was solicited as a 3 issue series and it didn't even seem to finish any sort of storyline. So no, it doesn't make my recommended reading list. And as someone who actually hoped to see Captain Carrot return I'm now saying he should disappear. Or if he does come back I'll probably stay away unless DC can convince me they'll handle it differently.



Marvel Adventures: Hulk #6 -- I was actually somewhat disappointed in this issue. Not enough to give up on the series but I didn't enjoy it as much as some of the previous issues. I didn't find the artist was the right fit for this book though I didn't find it all that strong to suggest moving the art team to a more mature book either. And I found the writing somewhat missed its mark with all the jumping around in time and having the various characters narrating. It just seemed difficult to get into any of the story. It's still a pretty decent kids book but not quite as good as it has been. So it doesn't quite make my recommended reading list, it's more of a "suggest checking out if this sort of thing is your 'bag'" kinda thing.

Well that's it for now. I'll try to get those Zuda reviews done soon. But for now it's back to work. It's oddly quiet around the office as everyone else has gone off to the holiday lunch. No rest for the wicked I suppose.

Zuda Reviews for December 2007 Competition

I know I said these would be done a while back but the old job suddenly exploded in my face and I've been a little swamped. I am glad that I was able to take some time to let the current crop soak in. So here goes...



Adventures of Maxy J Millionaire -- This story combines elements of a kid's story (the talking stuffed toy, the cartoon almost child-like art, etc. with very adult elements (the prostitute Maxy encounters for example). The 8 pages presented do a great job of getting the story moving and giving you an idea of what to expect. And it is a pretty clever idea with interesting characters. I'm just not sure it's something I'll be looking to read on a regular basis. Perhaps if it continues I'll wait until a good chunk is done before I decide for sure. But for now, though I think it's worth taking a look at it won't be getting my vote.


Araknid Kid -- Though the 8 pages don't really give us much of a backstory it's an intriguing intro to the character. Dropping the Araknid Kid straight in to battle is probably the best way to present this mute character who talks with pictures (reminding me of Artie from the X-Men). The art is solid with some pretty unique character designs. Though these 8 pages present a pretty standard story it's still enough to catch my interest somewhat. I'm a little unsure whether I could read a whole book or storyline with the Araknid Kid talking in pictures the whole time. I think it might be novel to start but it may get old at some point. So it's another book worth checking out but I don't think it will be getting my vote either.





Avaste Ye -- I have to be honest, this comic was coming in as the underdog right away as I typically can't seem to get in to strips with simple (I don't want to say "stickman") art. I know it sounds pretty bad of me to say that but I guess I'm just too much of a visual kind of guy and feel like I need something more. The story is at least pretty unique with the main character deciding to become a pirate and the jokes/punchlines had me chuckling slightly, which is more than I can say for similar webcomics I've seen of this style. I might recommend checking it out as well but it's not something I'd keep reading and it won't be getting my vote. Which is too bad, I'd really like to vote for someone coming from DrunkDuck. :)




Development Hell -- A webcomic for techies, these usually don't work for me. Yes, I work in the IT field. Yes, I've been in similar situations and laughed at the absurdity. But generally unless there's something unique to the characters the overnight gaming and stupid clients don't seem to be able to carry a cartoon. The art is pretty solid though is it just me or is the first and third panel on page 1 a copy/paste job along with the second panel on page 5? I'm sure this comic could find a niche and it's probably done better than many of the web comics with similar concepts but I have to say this is not one I'd go out of my way to recommend. And I won't be voting for it.





Frankie --Hmm... As someone with a bit of a liking for the classic monsters (Frankenstein's creature, Dracula, Mr Hyde, Phantom of the Opera, etc) I was intrigued with this one. And I was happy to see the creature referred to as the "monster" and not Frankenstein. Overall, it seems they have done their homework on this one and not going with the Hollywood-ized creature. The overall story and the tone that is set seems to be a decent continuation of the original novel. I'm not saying it lives up to the original but it's a good attempt. I don't know if I really feel that the art style matches the story yet the dark settings and the scene where the creature punishes the son are done extremely well. I don't know if this one is going to get my vote but I would like to see more and see where it's going from here. I don't know if I'd even recommend it, maybe just suggest checking it out, but for me (due to the above mentioned interest in the characters) it's something I might be interested in.




Ponbiki Z -- The art is a different style but I kinda like it and leaving it black and white probably fits. But I don't know how much I like the story. It didn't really strike me as unique or engrossing. Some of that may come from the way the story is told, the constant narration, even over details that are evident in the art, kinda detracts from it in my opinion. Though I suppose, given that it's the kid narrating then it could be argued that it makes sense. But from my perspective, it just made it less enjoyable to read. Overall, it's not something I'd recommend checking out and it won't be getting my vote.




Pray for Death -- This one had an interesting premise to me. A detective with a complex past being called in on the latest weird homicide. Right away I was intrigued to learn more about the past as well as the present. Are they connected? The art is interesting in its style and works pretty well for the story. The writing and dialogue is pretty solid and lets the story develop but my only gripe might be that the two stories could have been intertwined a bit more. What I mean is that you start off on page 1 with both, the killer's and detective's story presented. Then you don't see the killer again until page 3 in one panel. It made it a little unclear what was happening, whether these events were going on in parallel or were flashbacks to her previous case. I suppose you could do this intentionally but it didn't seem the best approach to me. Even when I got to the end I had to go back and re-read it to see the connection. It also seems that the victim's hair is red when you see her later but almost brownish at the beginning. That might just be me but it made me think it was two different couples. But enough nitpicking, I still think this could be an interesting story and the 8 page preview caught my attention. It's possible that after reading a bit more it's something I might recommend to others. So it may be getting my vote.


The Crooked Man -- This one seems to be a popular choice yet I didn't care for it. The art is pretty solid, the style fits the tone and setting of the story. But I just didn't get a good sense of the story from the 8 pages presented. I know I can't expect too much from 8 pages but after reading it I didn't have a sense of who the characters were. There was no connection made for me beyond maybe a little when the people turn their backs on the officer as he tries to save the man who has been shot. But that was short lived. I don't think I'd come back to read any more of this book so it won't be getting my vote. Which is too bad as it appears that a lot of work went in to it to research the time period (visually and storywise).


The Mundane Overrated Misadventures of Spudman -- I actually kinda liked this one. The art is solid. The characters look pretty unique and the facial expressions are great. I found myself smiling throughout and chuckling at parts. The story seems to be a pretty unique one that I haven't seen before and it makes me curious to see more. I can see it as a book that might not appeal to everyone but it looks like it could be a lot of fun. So it's something I might recommend and is a possible vote getter for me.


Word of Power -- This one seems to have some potential with the characters but there just wasn't enough story in the 8 pages to hook me. The art is solid manga style stuff and not the over the top stuff that I don't really care for. And it showed the story well. But from those 8 pages I got that this guy plays guitar in a subway, has the hots for a woman who comes by regularly (but can't get up the courage to talk to her), and spaces out from time to time with some visions of playing guitar in a huge concert. I just don't know if that's enough of a story to hook me. The write up talks about making friends with a reclusive composer who may be more than what he seems but not much more than that. I guess in some ways this is rather typical of manga with short chapters that only give you snippets of the story and keep you coming back to by the next part but in this case, I feel I need to see more before I'd vote for this one over the other stories or recommend it. So it won't be getting my vote either.

The 8 page limit really is hampering some people. A lot of times you have to read the blurb beforehand (or after) to see what the story is going to be about. I'd rather the 8 pages do that. So for me, it's looking like it'll be a last minute decision between Adventures of Spudman and Pray for Death with Frankie and Araknid Kid just barely falling out of consideration. I have a couple more weeks to make up my mind. :)

Addendum to the previous post

One thing I forgot in my review of World War Hulk: Aftersmash, I'm getting extremely tired of Greg Land's use of wrestlers as models. Not only to use them as guides but to use their signature poses. At first I was kinda happy that he didn't use his standard Triple-H pose for Herc but it was about a second later that I was wondering why Herc was doing a Randy Orton impersonation. I suppose non-wrestling fans wouldn't catch it but I find it annoying. Put Herc in a Herc pose, not a wrestler's flex pose.

And in case you missed it, the next Zuda competition is up. I'll try to write up some reviews for each of them at some point but overall I have to admit that I was somewhat disappointed with this crop of comics. I'd rather see more from the first set of competitors.

Weekly Comic Reviews for December 5th, 2007 -- SPOILERS

A whopping three books this week with Buffy #9, World War Hulk: Aftersmash, and Ultimates 3 #1 coming out. I also decided to pick up Strangers in Paradise Volume 1 but it'll have to wait until I'm done the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (about half way through) and Stephen Colbert's "I Am America (And So Can You!)".

Buffy #9 -- Brian K. Vaughan's Faith storyline comes to an end. I really enjoyed this storyline. I didn't expect Faith and Buffy to be at such odds with each other but it made for a very compelling story. I don't really want to go into too much detail but everything just worked for me. And I find Vaughan continues to nail the character's in dialogue and attitude. He seems to have been a perfect choice for this book (which made sense after I read his Runaways series). As for the art, I was still somewhat disappointed with Faith's look but it seems to have improved with each issue (or maybe I'm just more used to it). But other than that, the art remains high quality stuff. I really can't say enough good about this book. Then there's the epilogue at the end. I had just recently looked back at the Fray TPB so it was fresh in my mind. Now it's not to say that people who haven't read Fray will be lost or anything but it was a definite nod to those who have (and I highly recommend that you do). Overall (and in keeping things short), this book continues to make my highly recommended reading list.

World War Hulk: Aftersmash -- I had pretty low expectations going into this book. Sure, Pak was writing it but I wasn't overwhelmed with his latest Incredible Hulk issue. So I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this book. It had some interesting in depth stuff with various characters (Heroes for Hire, Tom Fowler, the Warbound) but I won't go into my Iron Man rant. And the art was pretty solid. I wouldn't consider it a "must read" for people who read World War Hulk but it seemed a better epilogue story than what we got in the Incredible Hulk book (which I suppose, to be fair, wasn't really an epilogue). So perhaps it doesn't quite make my "recommended" reading list but falls to a "suggested" reading list. Hmm.. Perhaps that's how I should rank books in the future; Recommended, suggested, take it or leave it, skip, and avoid at all cost. And I can play with stuff in between or for certain fanbases. But enough of that. Getting back to the review, one thing that I just had to laugh at (and BIG SPOILER coming up here) was Tom Fowler becoming the new Goliath. I mean really, kill off one Foster just to have another Foster step in to replace him? Are we even going to be able to tell them apart in the future? That just sums up some of the issues I have with comics as of late.

Ultimates 3 #1 -- I gotta admit, I was fairly disappointed with this book. Perhaps the shoes it had to fill were just too big or I had higher hopes for it but overall it didn't have much impact on me. First off I found the art fairly lacking. A lot of it had to do with the colouring, everything seemed to have the same fuzzy look where things just blurred into a big brown mess for me. For shots of the Ultimates sitting around the mansion I couldn't even distinguish the characters from the furniture and surroundings. I think they could have been a bit clearer here. And as the big finale comes up I had no clue what was going on, was that a magic bullet zipping around or what? And Valkyrie needs some serious support if you know what I mean. So yeah, the art didn't do it for me. Then there was the writing. Again, it just didn't seem to work. It seemed to rely on making the characters "bad-ass" and forcing "mature subject matter" in. Gratuitous shots of Tony and Natasha having sex, the "brother-sister" discussion with Cap (regarding Quicksilver and Scarlett Witch), Hawkeye's brooding comment about not calling him Clint (and threatening to kill anyone who does), Hank's overdose, etc... None of it really seemed natural and came off as forced. So by the time you get to the end and you get the big finale it just doesn't have much emotional impact on me despite the fact that it really should. I just think this was a poorly executed start. It may have been better to put the Ultimates in a more positive atmosphere and then pull the rug out. Now it just seems that there was no rug to begin with. It seems odd to me that the only thing I'm curious about is whether that doctor with the wood walking stick is who I think it is. And for an issue that seems to be pushing so many twists and turns that's probably not a good thing. Now I don't want to write off the entire series just yet and I'm hoping the story comes together better soon but for now, I have to say that this doesn't make my recommended reading list. It actually falls somewhere between suggested (as it may appeal to some) and "take it or leave it".

So that's it for this week. Have fun and drive safely. :)

High Moon Wins Zuda Competition

Congratulations to the creative team and everyone else behind High Moon for winning the first Zuda Competition. Though it may not have been my top pick I did feel that it was worthy of winning. I'm still not entirely sure if I'll keep reading it but I'll try out the next few pages to see. I am disappointed that I won't be seeing any more Raining Cats and Dogs as I really did like that one and wanted to see more of it. I guess that's one of the downsides to the Zuda set up, you get a tease of something you might like and it can disappear if it's not the one chosen by the majority.

Now I guess we wait and see what the next batch of competitors look like.

And just a quick comment on last week's Criminal Minds episode. I thought I'd chuckle at Frankie Muniz being the killer but I thought his performance was really good in the episode. What I did sorta chuckle at was a comic book creator having an agent who drove him around in a limo. :)

Weekly Comic Reviews for November 28th, 2007 -- SPOILERS

Well, I'll have to make this quick. Not only is my bus coming shortly but the more I stare at this computer screen the worse my headache gets courtesy of a trip to the optomotrist and all the crud she dropped in my eyes. So it's fortunate I only have 1 book to review this week, Freddy VS Jason Vs Ash #2.

Freddy VS Jason VS Ash #2 -- To be honest, I didn't care for this issue so much. Ash gets picked on by the young S-Mart employees and something about it just didn't seem like Ash to me. I know, he's not the most suave and such but something about his reaction to them and being suckered into buying a bunch of stuff for another young woman just seemed off. I didn't really feel like they were capturing the character for me. And after the high paced start to the story in the last issue it seemed rather slow here. Sure, Jason slaughters a few run of the mill girls thanks to some taunting from Freddy and a few others but it just didn't have the oomph of the first issue to it. Him slicing one girl in half just didn't have the "wow" factor after what he did the last issue. Though the charolers were pretty funny. The art was fairly solid for the most part though there were some panels that didn't work as well for me, either Ash was off or Jason was. I know it's got a quicker pace to it than the movies as we are already getting into some killing where as the movies typically start off with a bang and then get slow as they build up to the slaughter but this issue (and maybe it had a lot to do with Ash for me) just didn't carry the story so well. I may reserve judgement of whether it makes my recommended reading list until after I read the full series or at least the next issue but this issue didn't impress me. I'm sure the avid fans of each character or of the genre may enjoy it but I was slightly disappointed with this one. I just hope it was a small blip and I get right back into it with issue 3.

So that's it for this week. And now I'm off to run down my bus. :)

Weekly Comic Reviews for Nov. 21st, 2007 -- SPOILERS

A whopping three books for me this week. Plus, I was fortunate enough to pick up a copy of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier. Unfortunately though, I haven't had the time to read it yet. But it comes with 3D glasses and anything that comes with 3D glasses has to be good right? :) So as for the reviews we have Angel: After the Fall #1, The Incredible Hulk #111, and She-Hulk #23. So let's get down to it...

Angel: After the Fall #1 -- Without Joss writing it and with less hoopla surrounding it (let's face it, Buffy is much more well known than Angel) I wasn't sure what to expect here. But Joss is over-seeing it so I had high hopes. I don't want to get into too many details of where the characters are after the series finale (and not all of their situations are given in the first issue) but overall I liked it. Each character's reveal is a "wow" moment followed by 50 questions of how they got there. And you get the feeling that this is just the teaser and I can't wait to see what's coming next. So yeah, I think the story works and they nailed it. I don't think the dialogue and narrative match the Buffy series (especially with Vaughan's latest Faith arc succeeding on several levels) but it worked enough for me. The art I wasn't quite as big a fan of. I found they didn't really get the likeness of the main characters down and their big reveals were somewhat limitted by my wondering "Who is that???" But the art was solid enough in the storytelling and overall aspects of it. So in the end, yes, this does make my recommended reading list. And I hope Buffy/Angel fans pick it up quickly.

The Incredible Hulk #111 -- The end of an era (more about that spoiler later). Amadeus and his friends battle the small piece of the essence of Zom (released by Strange) who has taken over Iron Man's Hulkbuster armour. They spend a lot of time bad mouthing Strange and Stark for this and I can understand the hostility towards Strange, he did release the Zom thing, but I think it's somewhat misplaced on Stark in this instance at least. You could just as easily blame the Hulk for leaving the suit laying around after he imprisonned Stark. But Amadeus and friends are pretty single minded. As for the review, this issue seemed like total filler. Though it ties up a few loose ends (what happened with Zom and where Stark's armour went) even if nobody really cared too much about those ends and I don't think they really needed to be tied up even. We do get Amadeus re-stating over and over "Who is the real monster?" and such but with World War Hulk already ended, this seemed somewhat unnecessary and anti-climactic. It was a well written, well drawn story but one that doesn't necessarily have to be told. On the other hand, it does lead to where the book will be going next issue when it's re-titled "The Incredible Herc(ules)". So I guess for Herc fans or collectors who will be staying on it's a good lead in. Overall it just barely makes my recommended reading list. It's high quality comics telling that may have simply been wasted on filler for a bigger story that overshadowed it.

She-Hulk #23 -- Absorbing Man seems to be a tough character to right properly. For one thing, writers seem to mis-interpret his powers. Peter David even has She-Hulk comment on whether he's truly "absorbing" anything. I just found it somewhat inconsistent here too. On the one hand you have him going back to not only absorbing the physical texture and such but when he touches a shark he even gets the "abilities" (large teeth, poor eye-sight, etc) but on the other hand he accidentally absorbs the properties of lego? There was a time where he couldn't control his powers as well but for a character that's been around for a while and has been shown to have mastered it, that seemed like a silly thing that was done only for the sake of adding humour (almost to Dan Slott's level). They even make a point of saying that he only loses control in the end by the shear amount of water pounding on him and entering his body. But once you get past the comic-geek nit-pickyness the issue is a fun story with plenty of humour and action. The twists and turns continue (and I was way off on who She-Hulk's partner was and now I just have more questions) and the over all story is an interesting one. So overall, I still like the direction Peter David is going with the series but I'm just not sure it will be for everyone. And the art is pretty solid in this issue. In the end it makes my recommended reading as I think it's something you have to read and decide for yourself if it's right for you.

So that's it for this week. Switching things up a bit, I posted the 200th page of Divine Leap this past Wednesday. The sad part is that I'm going through another "down" time for me where I'm falling behind working on it and questioning whether it's worth the effort. I have a few other comic ideas I'd like to pursue so that's also a factor in my thinking. And I don't think the Tablet is really working for me yet, I still feel that I need the physical page in front of me and all that. I'm still determined to at least finish chapter 2 (it's about 6 or 7 issues and I'm currently drawing issue 3, posting issue 2) so I have some time to decide what's going to happen.

Weekly Comic Reviews for November 14th, 2007 -- MAJOR SPOILERS

First up, I want to take a minute to thank David Gallaher, writer and co-creator of High Moon over at Zuda Comics, for not only taking the time to read my review but also for taking even more time to comment and pass along the creative decisions that went into creating those 8 pages. I think all comics (and I'm including web comics in that) can benefit from healthy discussions of what goes into making a good comic so to take the time to converse with his readers is a sign of a true professional in my opinion. I would also recommend checking out the High Moon blog to see the work that goes into creating the comic.



Now we move on to the reviews. It was a pretty busy week for me with World War Hulk #5, Mice Templar #2, Marvel Adventures Hulk #5, Captain Carrot and the Final Ark #2, and World of Warcraft #1. So let's get started...



World War Hulk #5 -- Of course this book went right to the top of my pile to be read first. And overall I was happy. In the end, the Hulk ended it as he always does. He doesn't become the cold-blooded killer that people want to see him as. He accomplishes what he wanted to do, to out the Illuminati to the world, but of course the Hulk can't have his happy ending like that. Now I won't go through a whole recap of the story and I'll try to just stick with a review. On the writing side of things I was happy with the overall story. I know some people were expecting more but as a Hulk fan, everything seemed to be tied up nicely and the story was "big" enough. I think I would have liked a few more lines of dialogue explaining a few things. Maybe have Tony or Reed say something about the energy all around the Hulk and Sentry as they fought. Or a little more about the satellite thing. And I could have used a bit more closure on Rick Jones' condition. But who knows, perhaps these are things to be left open for the next story to take over. On the art side, Romita and crew (especially the person doing the colours) really do a great job during the battle. You really get a sense of two unimaginably powerful beings taking out the city with their punches. It's only during the "quiet" scenes that I find Romita's art slightly more confusing as I try to differentiate Stark from Strange or Banner from Jones. In the end, I almost felt like I was reading the last true Hulk story. And as a life long Hulk fan I actually felt okay with that. It almost seemed like a fitting end to the character. Though in some ways I couldn't help but feel it echoed Thor's "demise" from a little while back (getting to a point where he had an insane amount of power only to have to give it up and go to "sleep") but that was probably just me. I think I've analyzed this story to death with each issue so I'll just say in the end, it makes my recommended reading list. I think it's a great example of a really good universe wide character story.

Now on to the shorter reviews...

Mice Templar #2 -- Well, with only two mice in this book my inability to quickly identify them from each other wasn't much of a factor. This issue serves to fill in more of the back story of the Mice Templar and the mythology while getting the new Templar's training started. It was almost done in such the usual fashion that I didn't really focus on the differences between this and similar stories. But there was still enough there to catch my attention. Though there were times where I felt the storytelling was lacking, as the mice seemed to go quickly from talking to sobbing or something else. The abruptness of it sometimes made me wonder if there was a third mouse with them. The art is fairly unique and not always to my liking but the final sequence as the two mice confront an army of red ants was effective and gave me shivers. So overall I recommend checking out this series.

Marvel Adventures Hulk #5 -- So now we get Bruce Banner meeting Dr Strange. It's a simple, fun story that can appeal to a wide range of age ranges. The jokes (such as Dr Strange lamenting when his "Wardrobe of Nar Na" is destroyed) make you chuckle and it's not overly slapstick. It's definitely not for readers looking for the "mature" stories of the regular Marvel universe but it serves up decent stories for those looking for a simpler time. The art seems to be improving though it's not always a constant quality. Sometimes it feels like they are using Dale Keown drawings as reference and other times it seems to have an Adam Kubert feel to it. It almost felt like the artist hasn't found his own style yet. But it makes my recommending reading list for anyone looking for a simple Hulk story without the extra baggage of the years of continuity and such. For those happy with Marvel as is, you'll probably want to pass.

Captain Carrot and the Final Ark #2 -- Well, I guess I spoke too soon in my last review as the previous story with Alley-Kat-Abra killing Little Cheese seems to be retconned as an evil doppleganger of her doing the murder. Somehow, this actually makes me happy. I guess I just didn't like the whole "teammate betraying the team" thing. I'm still not sure this series is working for me though. It just doesn't seem as fun as the original series seemed to be for me but then again, I was young at the time. So unfortunately it doesn't make my recommending reading list just yet. Though I will see how the third issue pans out.

World of Warcraft #1 -- I was hesitant about picking this book up. I don't play the game and know only bits and pieces of the established history and such. But I figured I'd check it out anyways. The "good" news is that you don't really have to be a fan of the game to pick up what's going on. Though this may turn off fans of the game as I understand there's a pretty rich history that is somewhat ignored or changed (though I'm only reporting what I've been told second hand here). Overall, the story doesn't seem all that strong. It's a pretty standard story and so far it doesn't really reflect the vastness of games such as World of Warcraft. And the art I found was a bit of a turn off when it came to the blood elf. It was too many boob and butt shots for me. And there seemed to be times where the dialogue balloons were pointing at the wrong person (one instance was when one character transformed into a bear and the balloon pointed at him yet it seemed to be the blood elf talking). Honestly, I was hoping for something a little better. This just seems like your typical "let's rush a comic out" kinda thing. I'll be on the fence when the next issue comes out (though I'll probably pick it up just to see) but so far, it doesn't make my recommended reading list.

So that's it for me for another week. Have a good one!

Weekly Comics Reviews for Nov. 7th, 2007 -- MAJOR SPOILERS

Ok, I'm feeling a little under the weather at the moment, I have a cold and my head is in a fog, so the reviews will probably be a little short this week. We have 4 books to review, Astonishing X-Men #23, Buffy #8, Freddy VS Jason VS Ash #1, and New Avengers: Illuminati #5.

Astonishing X-Men #23 -- Instead of going with the slow moving penultimate issue to a storyline, Joss switches gears about half way through this issue to create an explosive buildup to what I can only hope to be a grand finale. This issue really had me cheering on each and every member of the X-Men. It just made them so cool. Cyclops' plan and the flashback was great. The art was spot on. I'm going to be sorry to see this end. I don't think any team of writer and artist will be able to follow this up, at least for me. This issue and the series in general definitely makes my recommended reading list. I'm absolutely loving it.

Buffy #8 -- Two Joss Whedon books in one week? It's even better than being my birthday. We continue along with the Faith storyline (with a little bit more Buffy woven in with this issue) and Vaughan continues to hit it out of the park. The characters, the dialogue, the story, it's all great. The art was a bit of an issue with me. Sometimes I felt Faith and the other slayer weren't quite as recognizable as they could have been. His rendition of Faith still seems to be somewhat hit or miss with me. But that's part of the problem of trying to do a real life person's likeness continually in comics. I guess I should be happy he's not doing the Greg Land approach. :) So overall, this comic still ranks very high on my recommended reading list.

Freddy VS Jason VS Ash #1 -- I didn't have very high hopes for this series. I figured that it would be pretty brainless and a simple mash up. Which I was prepared to regret because the idea of Freddy VS Jason by themselves I find interesting. One of the few things I did like about the movie was they touched on Jason's nightmares and Freddy's exploitation of them. And this book seems to be continuing that. Though I'm not quite sure how much of it is Freddy and how much is the Necronomicon. The scene between Freddy and Jason's mother alone was also enough to give me nightmares. :) The art was decent enough but there were a few points where I thought it could have been stronger. Overall it tells the story well and they do a good job on the three main characters but there were a few points where it wasn't as clear what was happening as it could have been. It made some panels almost wasted as you had to wait for a few more to see what was happening (such as Freddy's face coming out of a door, a scene extended over a few panels). Issue 1 tentatively makes my recommended reading list with a special note that it really is intended for gore audiences with some level of sex and violence involved. I just hope that the story is strong enough to carry the series.

New Avengers: Illuminati #5 -- And the poop hits the fan, the Skrull invasion is officially on. I was slightly confused by the start of this book when Namor asks if it's Captain America's body in the bag since he was there when that body was lowered into the Arctic. Unless he believed Tony deceived them or went and got it again. But I didn't see Black Bolt being a Skrull until that moment he spoke. My first thought was "Crap! That means the Hulk beat up a Skrull???" But then again, if the Skrull had replaced Black Bolt a while back then perhaps it just makes sense for the Hulk to beat him up. But that leaves the obvious question, how long has Black Bolt been a Skrull and where is he? So I have to give Bendis props for that, it was quite the twist. I'm left wondering though what that means for stories such as Silent War or other books Black Bolt appeared in. If I had written those stories and now been told that I wasn't writing Black Bolt but a Skrull I'd be a little bit irked by it. I wasn't a big fan of how this issue ended though. It seems they just ran out of pages and said "Oops, that's it. We don't trust one another." It just seemed too abrupt. But I have to say that despite my dislike of pushing the Illuminati into Marvel history this one issue by itself got me at least a little bit interested in the Skrull storylines. And the art was pretty solid. So going on this issue alone, it makes my recommended reading list. I'm cuious to see where this goes yet somewhat concerned as well.

So that's it for this week. See you all next week when I'll hopefully be cold free.