Mini Reviews: Free Comic Book Day 2010

This Saturday, May 1st, sees the 9th annual Free Comic Book Day. Those unfamiliar with the event should head to the official site – here we take a look at an advance selection of freebies that should be available at your local comic shop on the day. Of course, those of you in the same catchment area as us should head over to Paradox where Andy H will have available not only the comics reviewed below, but many more besides!

WAR OF THE SUPERMEN (FCBD) #0
Writers: James Robinson & Seterling Gates
Art: Eddy Barrows & J.P. Mayer
DC $0.00

Matt C: I gave up on DC’s Superman line (bar the excellent Superman: Secret Origin) when it started to get fully invested in the whole New Krypton deal – the concept just didn’t appeal. Free Comic Book Day therefore provides a great opportunity to catch up and see if War Of The Supermen, the month long four-issue event, is something I want to invest in. On this evidence I think I’ll wait until Straczynski takes over writing chores for the Man of Steel before I pick up another ongoing Superman title. While this is understandably heavy on the exposition (the aim being to attract new readers to the upcoming mini) it reads very flatly and offers an extremely formulaic confrontation between Kal-El and Zod. The dialogue is hackneyed and in the case of Clark, fairly out of character. Barrows art is okay, touching greatness in places, but an over reliance on the same front-on facial expressions for various characters spoils the impact. A bit of a yawn-fest unfortunately, incapable of generating the same level of excitement as last year’s Blackest Night #0. 4/10

Stewart R: DC seem to know how to get the best out of the timing of FCBD. Last year they led the field with Blackest Night #0 and this year they're working the calendar well by introducing the comic reading public to War Of The Supermen. The first half of the book brings the readers of Superman: New Krypton together with the slightly larger comic-reading population who may have no idea what Kal-El has been up to these past few months when he's not been busy being a Black Lantern. Having Zod as the major villain should ensure that a certain familiarity and broader appeal can be found for those who don't follow Supes on a regular basis, though of course this characterisation is a completely different animal to Terence Stamp's performance in Richard Donner's Superman 2. The art's a little iffy in places but I tend to think that's down to inker Mayer more than Barrow's pencils. The Lois Lane focused backup allows the audience to play catch up with associated events that have been taking place on Earth and all told this is a solid lead-in to this mini-event. 8/10


FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2010: IRON MAN/THOR
Writer: Matt Fraction
Art: John Romita Jr & Klaus Janson
Marvel $0.00

Stewart R: Where last year's effort by Bendis and Jim Cheung really blew me away and made for a terrific advert for what Marvel can do when they get the right people and the right ideas together, this year's big Marvel offering feels a little lacklustre and dare I say it, hurried. Plonking Iron Man and Thor together smacks of the marketing dial cranked to 11 seeing how Iron Man 2 conveniently hits the cinemas this week and Thor is due out this time next year. We've had nothing but adverts and news releases for 'The Heroic Age' over the past few months and instead of giving us a prelude to the new Avengers title due out soon this comes across as a throwaway one-shot that actually has me worried about JR Jr's artistic involvement in what will surely be Marvel's flagship title of the Summer. This certainly isn't Fraction's best either and I'm sure I won't be the only slightly disappointed reader. 3/10


MOUSE GUARD/FRAGGLE ROCK FCBD 2010
Writers: David Petersen, Nichol Ashworth & Sam Humphries
Art: David Petersen, Jake Myler & Jeremey Love
Archaia $0.00

Matt C: Mouse Guard is really a thing of wonder. Brilliantly evocative tales centring around a colony medieval mice (think Lord Of The Rings without the magic and with anthropomorphic rodents instead of humans, hobbits and elves) it’s exquisitely rendered by writer/artist David Petersen. Not for everyone, of course, but I would recommend that people pay cash to check it out, so trying it for free? A no-brainer. The Fraggle Rock stories are fine, obviously pitched younger and not aiming for the all-ages market of Mouse Guard, and not half as witty as Boom!’s Muppet Show book. 7/10

Stewart R: Despite my growing knowledge and exposure to the comics industry, Archaia remains a publisher that I know very little about. I see Mouse Guard sat on the shelf in Paradox and I occasionally hover over an advert or piece in Previews but I've never got stuck in. I will say that that may be about to change as this delightful freebie - setting the scene for upcoming Mouse Guard: Spring 1153 - really drew me in. Writer/artist David Petersen delivers a captivating piece as the various Mouse Guard members go about their duties while we're guided through the thoughts of leader Gwendoline. The Fraggle Rock section is also entertaining though being a little lighter and aimed at a younger audience despite the retro appeal. I was very impressed with Jake Myler's art style in particular which took me back to the Fraggle comic stories published in the back of the old Muppet Babies comics of the mid to late 1980s if I'm not mistaken! Good fun. 7/10


LIBRARY OF AMERICAN COMICS #0
Writers: Various
Art: Various
IDW $0.00

Matt C: IDW’s Library Of American Comics line has been producing collections of American comic strips from throughout the 20th Century since 2007, and if money and time were no object I would seriously considering snapping up a large quantity of their output. Characters like Dick Tracy and Rip Kirby, creators like Alex Raymond and Al Capp…. basically this is stuff that helped shape the medium and absolutely deserves to be preserved. This FCBD compilation only offers brief snippets of what’s available, but it’s enough to whet the appetite for more. If you’ve got an interest in comics history and you want to develop that interest a bit more, this sampler will point you in a few directions worth exploring. 8/10


FREEDOM FORMULA: SPEED METAL OVERTURES #0
Writers: Edmund Shern & Brandon Jerwa
Art: 'Puppeteer' Lee
Storm Lion $0.00

Stewart R: OK, this is a bit of a weird one. The main story 'Devolution' is a stylish and slightly clichéd tale of mech-conflict, hardened grunts and emotionless experimental soldiers. There's nothing terrifically new being done here but what is on show is a highly polished demonstration of nothing terrifically new. 'Puppeteer' Lee's muddy artwork adds to the atmosphere tremendously even if his style doesn't make it easy to pick out just what's happening in the action scenes. The rest of the comic - which I must say has top-notch paper and print quality for a free title - serves to highlight some of Storm Lion's potential future releases. A brief look around the Internet explains that Storm Lion - 20% of which is now owned by Radical Publishing - is a Singaporean media conglomerate who like to dabble in comics, film and general media, and I'm personally looking forward to seeing if they make a decent go at capturing a share of the market. Page 24, showing Skan's 'Breaking In' concept art has me very interested indeed. Funny how a single image can do that. 7/10


OWLY AND FRIENDS! FCBD 2010
Writers: Andy Runton, James Kochalka & Christian Slade
Art: Andy Runton, James Kochalka & Christian Slade
Top Shelf $0.00

Matt C: Every year one of the main highlights of FCBD is a new short adventure for Andy Runton’s Owly. This year’s no different: the Owly tale is brief, but a delight. The Johnny Boo and Korgi stories don’t really do anything for me, and I while I wish Top Shelf would go back to the time when their FCBD release was 100% Owly, I can understand the reasoning behind the additions. Pick this up for your kids and then read it yourself. 7/10


STUFF OF LEGEND/MORTAL INSTRUMENTS PREVIEW FCBD 2010
Writers: Mike Raicht & Brian Smith
Art: Charles Paul Wilson III & Nicole Virella
Th3rd World Studios $0.00

Matt C: The Stuff Of Legend was the real winner from last year’s Free Comic Book Day. With the same kind of all-ages appeal of Mouse Guard, it mixes deeply rooted childhood fears with sharp storytelling and glorious art. Even if they didn’t pick up the first two issues of the book far more people are aware of its existence this time around, and I think this teaser for the second ‘series’ will convince many people to investigate further. The Mortal Instruments preview felt like it was aimed at the Twilight crowd, which is fine but I’m definitely not the target market for that kind of thing. 7/10


THE SIXTH GUN #1
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Art: Brian Hurtt
Oni Press $0.00

Stewart R: By far the most impressive and well-written FCBD title has to be this offering from Oni Press, The Sixth Gun, a mystical tale set in the Wild West where a mysterious female benefactor is rounding up several items of spiritual importance. Protagonist Drake Sinclair appears to be, at this early stage, the type of anti-hero we're really not sure whether to love or loathe and female lead Becky's traumatic introduction is sure to be a major point of interest. Brian Hurtt's simple panel layouts work very well, as does his similarly simple colour work, and this is very promising indeed. Definitely a case where giving me something for nothing could end up paying off for Oni Press in the long run. 8/10

Matt C: One major annoyance for me over the last couple of years of comic-buying is that I’ve been unable to get hold of the last issue of Bunn and Hurtt’s last collaboration, Damned: Prodigal Sons. I don’t even know if any copies made it into the UK and I’m not quite prepared to pay around ten quid to get one from the States on eBay. I’m hoping Oni will release a trade at some point. Anyway, based on what these guys did on the original Damned mini I’m always keen to check out anything new from them. This series hasn’t got as strong a hook as the gangsters and demons premise of Damned, and it does feel a little convoluted at points, but it’s atmospheric, the characters are interesting and the art’s really evocative (not sure if I prefer Hurtt’s stark black and white illustrations to his full-colour work though). There’s plenty of promise to make me want to come back for more, so Oni are probably onto a bit of a winner here considering this is something that would normally pass a lot of people by. 7/10


G.I.JOE #155 1/2
Writer: Larry Hama
Art: Agustin Padilla
IDW $0.00

Stewart R: G.I.JOE was my second comic love growing up, being found as it was as the backup strip to my first love, the Transformers UK comic. Since the US Marvel run ended in the mid-nineties with issue #155 the license has been passed around to a few publishers with varying degrees of success but IDW now seems to be the home that really cares about JOE and the possibilities that lie within such a rich and varied comic-book world. Fresh reboots and new ideas have been drawing in readers but this FCBD sees something special. Larry Hama has been allowed to continue on from where he left of some 16 years ago and brings us the true continuation of G.I.JOE's battle to prevent COBRA from terrorising the world. It's a true guilty little pleasure to see the characters depicted as they were all that time ago and as they will be if IDW and Hama really go for it and extend the much loved series. The art from Padilla neatly crosses that classic styling of the ‘90s with a fresh, modern appeal that I think could please readers old and new. Plus that cover shows how well breaking the fourth wall can work. 7/10

Incoming... 28/04/2010

New comics are released today (in the States at least; we have to wait until Thursday in the UK, dust clouds and airspace permitting!) Here's a brief look at our expectations for the books we're picking up this week.


Stewart R: Hear that? Shhhhhhh. If you're very quiet... yep, there you go, that my friends is sound of my wallet gently weeping. With the mighty belly of Eyjafjallajökull apparently emptied of ash for now - well that's what I can only assume now that news agencies seem to have completely forgotten about it - I'm treated to a double-dose of comics this week! Some might say that I should have prepared for this financial outcome last week but disposable income, much like volcanic ash, will burn a hole in your pocket!

With no fewer than 25 paid-for titles covering the two weeks AND a tasty handful of Free Comic Book Day goodies to nose through as well I'm anticipating a tired and satisfied pair of eyeballs in need of a deserved rest come Sunday evening. Luckily the haul that I'm gearing up for should be abundant in quality and therefore ensure that any ocular-weariness is truly worth it.

The release of the week for me - amongst the many contenders in the running - has to be Duncan Rouleau's Great Unknown #3 which makes a very welcome return after almost reaching the year anniversary since issue #2 was gracing many a comic shop shelf. I'm really hoping that the nearly 12 month gap hasn't detracted from this great premise and that while Rouleau has been deeply involved with Man of Action studios newest TV project, Generator Rex, he's still found time to capture some more truly absorbing pages as Zac Field continues his rather lazy quest to uncover just who has been stealing his ideas and thoughts and how they've been doing it.

Also released following a hearty break is Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini's Last Days of American Crime #2 which I've really been looking forward to ever since the incredibly polished and highly entertaining debut issue came out. The prospect of Hollywood buzz increasing exponentially what with Sam Worthington (or as I've begun to call him 'The Incredible 3D Man') being involved in bringing this story to the big screen hopefully shouldn't affect the creators' vision for this gritty three part mini series. I'm certainly hoping that we don't have as much of a wait for the final instalment!

But the much anticipated and desired returns don't stop there folks, oh no! Punching out of the Oni Press corner comes the unstoppable force of Greg Rucka's Stumptown #3 which will no doubt have some of the Paradox faithful hopping about with no small amount of geekish glee this week. Dex Parios' stumbling attempts to play Private Eye have been captivating so far and Rucka's ability to string out the mysteries involved in her investigation has really hooked me in. This had been a comic I was just checking out because Rucka seemed to be impressing everyone on Detective Comics but it's set solidly into my pull-list now. Of course Rucka also continues work on his Question backup in Detective Comics #864 this week though the main story has shifted from the extremely successful focus of Kate Kane's Batwoman to fall back on Batman under the writing talent of David Hine. As good a writer as Hine is this could be the point where I have to make the tough decision and let Detective fall from my pull-list.

Another title with a make-or-break week in-store for it is Image's Shuddertown #2 by Nick Spencer and Adam Green. The first issue showed signs of promise as Homicide Detective Isaac Hernandez faced the bizarre and numbing possibility that victims of cases he'd investigated previously were returning from the grave to commit murder themselves. It is a great premise and Green's artwork really helped to set the sombre tone the first time around.

My stars and garters, it's all been a little down to earth with gritty realism and real humanity so far but never fear, there's plenty of spandex and alien life to be found out there in this week's comic delivery. And alien life forms is what it's all about in Green Lantern Corps #47 as the survivors of the Blackest Night try to rebuild their beloved Corps and establish where they want to take their brand of peace-keeping and intergalactic justice at the dawn of the Brightest Day. It's something of a sad farewell to Peter J Tomasi and Patrick Gleason as I've loved every issue of this title that they have produced and I just hope that they'll collaborate on another series over an extended period at some point in the not too distant future.

I haven't mentioned anything from the mighty offices of Marvel yet and they have a great many titles hitting the stands tomorrow. Matt Fraction gets opportunity to show us just where his actual 'reboot' of Tony Stark may take the armour-clad genius as he comes to terms with the events of the past few years having no memory of how and why they occurred and the part that he played. Invincible Iron Man #25 is a double sized issue, a nice little treat when being released alongside John Favreau's cinematic sequel, and a double sized helping of Salvado Larroca's artwork is worth the extra dollar for sure.

There's also a double helping of Nick Fury and his 'caterpillar' team of powered trainees as we get Secret Warriors #15 and also Siege: Secret Warriors #1 shoved playfully in our faces. I've tried to ignore as many of the Siege tie-ins as I can but I feel the return of Nick Fury from his underground operations and the implications of his reappearance hasn't really been focused on enough in the Siege main-title so I'm intrigued to see just what Jonathan Hickman might possibly reveal in this one shot.

Briefly skimming through the slew of other titles there's of course Amazing Spider-Man #629 which wraps up the latest Juggernaut-involved antics; X-Force #26 which carries on the engrossing Second Coming X-event and also Captain America #605 which has to try very hard this week to prevent me from axing what had been an undroppable title just a year ago from my pull list. Mind you, I'll of course have to find some way of carefully putting down this mountain of quality comics first before being able to pick up and swing that axe...

Mini Reviews: Volcanic Buscema Avengers Project Special

Due to volcanic activity in Iceland, no new comics arrived in the UK this week (and that's one sentence I never thought I'd write!). If all goes to plan hopefully we'll have two week's worth of reviews for you next Sunday.

In the meantime, rather than leaving you with nothing, Matt C has taken a look at five issues of Avengers for his continuing Buscema Avengers Project.


AVENGERS #261
Writer: Roger Stern
Art: John Buscema & Tom Palmer
Marvel $0.65

Matt C: An incident packed issue, that’s for sure. Reading this you realise how comfortable we've become with the decompressed style of storytelling that’s de rigueur these days, and how surprising it is to look back at a comic where there’s so much going on! The Avengers wind up their cosmic shenanigans with the Skrulls and it’s sadly the last (ever?) appearance of General Zedrao, a proud leader displaying a level of characterization that was sorely absent for the entirety of Secret Invasion (there’s your Bendis potshot this week, folks!). One of the team quits to pursue his personal agenda, while the remaining Avengers return to Earth to discover the government wants the Quinjets (and the highly flammable fuel they run on) out of Manhattan. Before they've had an opportunity to digest this, the Beyonder makes another sudden appearance to throw a cat among the pigeons. A brilliant, hilarious scene with Hercules completes a sequence of events that remind Earth’s Mightiest Heroes of the potential threat the Beyonder presents. It feels like the characters are almost writing themselves here, meaning Stern had pretty much mastered how to tell a gripping, compelling Avengers comic. 8/10


AVENGERS #262
Writer: Roger Stern
Art: John Buscema & Tom Palmer
Marvel $0.65

Matt C: The cover doesn’t hold any secrets – what you see is what you’re going to get, namely a smackdown between Herc and Namor. Namor is moping around having been cast out of Atlantis, so Hercules decides to present him with “the gift”. If you know a fair bit about Hercules, you’ll now what “the gift” is, and you’ll now what usually happens when he offers it to someone. These were the days when it was still acceptable for a superhero to wander about in nothing but his swimming trunks. A few weeks ago Namor recalled this scrap in Hercules: Fall Of An Avenger #1 – his memory was obviously a bit faulty because his recollection had him full clothed. Fortunately for us there’s plenty of evidence in the back-issue bins to prove he did indeed feel that the worthy attire for a Prince of Atlantis was a pair of scaly underpants. There’s something almost joyful in the way Buscema and Palmer render the punch-up between the two bemuscled colleagues, like watching a super-powered version of WWE Raw. When Cap offers his old Invaders colleague a place on the Avengers, you kind of know that it won’t be the last time we see Herc and Namor at loggerheads. 8/10


AVENGERS #263
Writer: Roger Stern
Art: John Buscema & Tom Palmer
Marvel $0.65

Matt C: Herc and Namor are at it already when the Sub-Mariner decides he likes the look of the Prince of Power’s bedroom in the Avengers mansion. The real meat of this issue though is the discovery of a man-sized cocoon in Jamaica Bay, just adjacent to JFK airport. With the slogan “It begins here! X-Factor.” on the cover it’ll come as no surprise to those familiar with Marvel lore that this marked the return of Jean Grey to the Marvel Universe, in a story that carried on into Fantastic Four #286. Although somewhat functional, we do get some great displays of Stern’s firm grasp of characterization here, along with the usual high standard of artwork. 8/10


AVENGERS #264
Writer: Roger Stern
Art: John Buscema & Tom Palmer
Marvel $0.65

Matt C: Hardly the most exciting instalment of Avengers. Captain Marvel visits her folks in New Orleans while the Black Knight helps Wasp learn to keep her wings when she's full-sized. Whoop. Okay, it’s a fair bit more involving than my description indicates thanks to the usual high quality of writing and art. Stern makes these characters come alive, and the soap opera of their everyday superheroic existence remains compulsive reading even when not much is happening. Special mention should also go to Buscema’s knack of producing really punchy imagery for the first-page splashes. Even if the scene is relatively static, the layout, angle and level of detail are always enough to have you eager to turn the page and get involved in the story. 7/10


AVENGERS #265
Writer: Roger Stern
Art: John Buscema & Tom Palmer
Marvel $0.65

Matt C: The Beyonder’s flipped his lid and the Avengers are in the firing line. There’s some pretty great stuff going on in here as the ‘One From Beyond’ hands the team their asses without breaking a sweat, but there’s a nagging feeling that this all merely padding before the real action gets underway in the final instalment of the Secret Wars II miniseries. Still, this creative team seem incapable of putting out a duff issue and this doesn’t skimp on the action. Even though it is basically a somewhat inessential 'offshoot' of an event title, it still provides enough thrills to ensure it’s a worthwhile read. 7/10

Thought Balloon: The Rise Of Celebrity Comics

By Matt T

There's no getting round it, and it's almost painful for a geek such as myself to admit, but comics are cool. No longer are the fanboys of the world downtrodden and insulted for their love of funny books. This is partly down to the emergence of comic-themed movies, which have suddenly made Hollywood spy the dollar signs and option every mildly successful book with the intention of getting us geeks, and even a few normal people, into the theatres.

This has, of course, had a huge backlash in the comic book industry. Where even the most popular properties would be lost in development hell ten years ago, now these projects actually become reality, and have propelled the likes of Hugh Jackman from virtual obscurity into superstardom. Rather than waiting to get chosen for a coveted role, a number of celebrities have started involving themselves in a comic at its inception, usually credited with 'concept by' which might as well translate into 'idea drunkenly scrawled onto a napkin after too many Martini's' or 'nodded when an actual comic book writer suggested idea'.

Incoming... 21/04/2010

New comics are released today (in the States at least; we have to wait until some huge rock on an island north of the UK stops its belching!) Here's a brief look at our expectations for the books we're (unfortunatley not *whimper*) picking up this week.


Stewart R: Well that's it. Mighty Eyjafjallajokull has spoken! The UK *sniff* will receive *sob* no comic goodies from the US this week!!! Waah! Egads, I feel like I could explode at any minute but am afraid that any cloud of disappointment that I might produce could delay Diamond's delivery further! I can't even tell if these are tears of frustration or simply irritation caused by glass and sand in the air. If that's not bad enough that big old lump of rock has also seen the Iron Man 2 World Premiere move from London to Los Angeles to ensure that the stars could get there! Surely they could all climb into the various 'Mark' armours and jet-boot over to Blighty for the red carpet event?

Of course, despite my mocking of the situation I am nothing if not professional so I will still give you the best gosh darn Incoming... that I can so that our American and Canadian friends can have a little look at what they might be picking up in a couple of hours time - and what I may finally get in my hands in a couple of weeks' time! Biggest title of the week for me would be Joe vs The Volc... hang on, nope, Joe The Barbarian #4, that's it! Grant Morrison's tale has been a gripping fantasy read to date and the art from Sean Murphy has been some of the most impressive that I've seen in 2010. I'm predicting the tension to dramatically increase like a growing cloud of fine silicate dust this week as Joe's condition begins to decline and his journey becomes more dangerous.

I'll also be taking a long, hard look at American Vampire #2 when it rolls into stores like a flow of hot magma as I wasn't fully convinced by the debut issue and I want to give it the benefit of a couple of issues before passing judgement. I enjoyed the first issue's split story format enough and it's going to be interesting to see just where Snyder and King choose to take Pearl and Skinner Sweet now that their paths seem to be entwined. Rafael Albuquerque's art was certainly decent enough in the first issue to make the second visit a guaranteed pleasure for the eyes.

Now that the Brightest Day is here we should start seeing what Geoff Johns has in store for Hal Jordan and the other Lanterns of various Corps who were brought together in their darkest hour to form an uneasy team. Green Lantern #53 looks set to deal with the aftermath of the conflict and the next phase of this temporary alliance. I'm anticipating that the bickering and posturing for power will begin anew as everyone tries to investigate and understand the powers of the White Light. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing if and when Johns decides to expand on Atrocitus's personality and background as he stood out as one of the successes of the Blackest Night storyline.

Ahhh bumlets! OK, now I'm really gutted as I've just realised that the next installment of "Something Can Stop The Juggernaut" is out tomorrow in Amazing Spider-Man #628. The occasional increase in price to $3.99 has meant some decent, value for money reads in ASM over the past year or so and with Mark Waid contributing this time I'm looking forward to this Spidey-read even more. I just want Lee Weeks' terrific art to wash over me like a scalding pyroclastic flow as he truly impressed me with his style in the previous issue and I'm eagerly awaiting the point where old Jugg-head gets to make a fighting comeback. I'll just have to pray like a Pompeii body-cast that those planes get a-flying for next week.

There's some SBU (Spaced-Based-Universe; the last time I'll explain that little term) fun to be had this week as well as we get Nova #36 and Guardians of the Galaxy #25 to ogle at. Nova seemed to go somewhat dormant over the course of the past few issues as he found himself sucked into The Fault but I'm hoping things'll become a little more 'active' as Abnett and Lanning send him, Darkhawk and Quasar back to Earth. Guardians meanwhile has been hitting a high point of late with the revelations about Magus' plans bringing plenty of emotion to the title and now with the double-deliciousness of Thanos' return AND Brad Walker back on pencils there's no way that I'll be missing this issue. I'm expecting things to really start to come together as we draw ever closer to the impending and tantilising (or should that be Titan-tilising?) Thanos Imperative.

On the subject of big events I will of course be grabbing a copy of X-Men: Legacy #235 as the Second Coming X-event rumbles on and threatens to shake the mutants' world. Greg Land gets pencilling duties for this chapter and while he seemed to have reigned in his female-asset focus recently, I've already seen one extreme and gratuitous cleavage shot of Rogue on a preview page so it may not be the high brow artistic read that it could have been. Nonetheless I look forward to seeing how Cannonball's team fair against the monstrous Cameron Hodge and how the rest of the X-Men try to pick up Cable and Hope's trail again. Oh and I must say that the Iron Man By Design Variant covers have all been very appealing so far but the one for this week's issue of X-Men: Legacy is one of the best on offer by a long shot! You could say that I simply... 'lava' it!

Mini Reviews 18/04/2010

While we may not always have the time to review all the comics we get every week, we do try and provide a snapshot of the latest releases, mixing the good with the not so good.

This week also sees the next instalment of Matt C's Buscema Avengers Project.


BRIGHTEST DAY #0
Writers: Geoff Johns & Peter J. Tomasi
ArtL Fernando Pasarin & Various
DC $3.99

Stewart R: What a relief. I had been worried that we were just going to get small, 5-6 page adverts for future DC comics in a $4 issue but what we actually get is small, 5-6 page adverts for future DC comics in a $4 issue... with some sense of narrative linking them together. Boston Brand, formerly the hero known as Deadman, was one of the more interesting plot points to spill forth from Blackest Night's mediocre finale and having him act as the focus for the journey through the DC Universe, visiting and viewing all of those who have been brought back to life, works well to make this feel like an important beginning for Brightest Day. Admittedly I have no intention of following more than three titles in this related event - including obviously Brightest Day itself - and this debut has helped me to pick out those of significant interest. Johns and Tomasi provide some questions and mysteries for each of the involved characters as well as instilling a retinue of emotions throughout this hefty taster. Pasarin's artwork fits the whole thing very well indeed and it's actually a shame that this looks to be his only involvement with Brightest Day for the foreseeable future. Pick this up if you're unsure of which BD comics you might want to shell your cash out for. 7/10

Matt C: We’ve barely had time to absorb the conclusion of Blackest Night, but as DC are eager to milk the cash cow Brightest Day is already upon us. It’s a pretty safe bet it won’t achieve the same kind of popularity as Blackest Night, and already I’m wondering whether this is a miniseries I really need to invest time and money in. Johns and Tomasi do a decent enough job of making a group of characters I mostly have minimal interest in seem appealing, and it’s a testament to their writing skills that I’m even considering getting the next issue of this book because, in all honesty, I’m not feeling that compelled to discover why these particular characters were resurrected. Pasarin’s art is really nice though – it’s very trad DC but with a level of dynamism and detail that impresses. It’s actually the final page that may sway me towards getting the rest of the series, but I remain undecided, and indecision isn’t the kind of reaction you want when you launch a new ‘event’, is it? 6/10

James R: Just before Final Crisis got going, DC brought out a comic for fifty cents called DC Universe #0 and it was largely an extended series of trailers for series that were due to be released in the coming year. Well, jump to today and we have Brightest Day #0 which - hey! - is virtually the same thing. But this time we have to pay $3.99 for it. Johns and Tomasi do place a narrative thread throughout the issue, but really, this is disjointed read. Some of the elements look like they're going to be promising - Deadman and Aquaman look show potential, but Hawkman? Hawk & Dove? Martian Manhunter? I can't say that this title will be going on my pull-list. 5/10

Matt T: As has become something of a tradition in the DCU this book details the attempted return to the status quo of those most affected by it. In the case of Brightest Day, all the characters back in the land of the living are given the spotlight as they attempt to process the events of their resurrection. The whys and wheres are the main crux of this compendium of stories, including Aquaman, the Hawks, J'onn J'onzz and the (formerly) Deadman. Most interesting of all is Ronnie Raymond being forced to combine with Jason Rusch to form Firestorm, as the last occasion the two combined the Black Lantern version of Raymond murdered Rusch's girlfriend. All of these stories are used to promote approaching miniseries or ongoings, and as such are short and sweet, but there are a few standouts to be found within. Johns has done an impressive job again, and I'm definitely going to pick up a couple of the new Brightest Day books. 8/10


COLD SPACE #1
Writer: Samuel L. Jackson & Eric Calderon
Art: Jeremy Rock
Boom! Studios $3.99

Matt C: It was somewhat inevitable that Samuel L. Jackson would get involved in the creation of a comic sooner or later. While various "celebrities" who've probably never picked up a comic in their lives have managed to get their names on the covers of (usually short-lived) series in recent years, Jackson is a self-confessed comic geek who's love of the medium recently culminated in his casting as Nick Fury in a selection of upcoming Marvel movies (the irony being that Bryan Hitch based the character of Fury on Jackson in The Ultimates during the first half of the last decade). But, where another celebrity geek - Jonathan Ross - made a hugely impressive foray into the medium with Turf last week, Jackson's debut sees him fall flat on his face. This is lowest-common-denominator space adventure, where a roguish - very familiar - galactic fugitive winds up on a planet in what looks like another rehash of the Yojimbo plotline. Riddled with clichés and verbal clunkers it seems obvious that this wouldn't have received publication if Jackson's name wasn't attached. The art's fine, but doesn't really grab hold of the opportunity to unleash any exciting cosmic visuals. That might have made the experience more engaging, but as it stands this is utterly forgettable and you'd be better served spending your money elsewhere. 3/10


ULTIMATE ENEMY #3
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Rafa Sandoval
Marvel $3.99

Tom P: At C2E2 this weekend Marvel announced the second chapter of this trilogy of miniseries that will see the dawn of a dangerous new foe into the Ultimate universe. The sequel to Enemy will be called Ultimate Mystery. With Bendis and artist Rafa Sandoval returning… hey, if it ain't broke…. The most exciting thing is seeing what’s happening to Ben Grimm, picking up from a plot point Bendis used in Ultimate Power with his thick rocky skin starting to break up as he transforms into something new. The tension between Fury and Danvers is also a lot of fun. Bendis is doing a good job building this story from his previous Ultimate work and I just hope he can pull it off. I felt he created a terrific build-up to Secret Invasion but that series failed to live up to its promise. However, his work with Ultimate Spider-Man and Siege has impressed me recently so I’m definitely up for the ride. 8/10


FLASH #1
Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Francis Manapul
DC $3.99

James R: I really loved what Geoff Johns did on his last run (forgive the pun) on Flash - he's brilliant at fleshing out the supporting cast of the title, and he has an obvious love for Barry Allen. So, this is a nailed-on slab of comics gold? Well, yes and no. Johns sets up a great conceit for his first arc - the idea that the Flash's time-travelling exploits in the past are now going to have grave consequences, and it looks beautiful (as you'd expect from Manapul) but it's lacking a certain something. It might just be because this is a set-up issue, but there's a lack of dynamism in these pages, and in a comic all about a fast character I think it's something you need to establish from the start. I'll certainly be sticking with this, but I'm hoping issue #2 shows a cleaner pair of heels. 7/10

Matt C: I've always wanted to be a fan of the Flash; I love the concept of the character but every time I've tried to get onboard with his adventures something hasn’t quite clicked and I usually find myself parting ways pretty swiftly. This is my umpteenth attempt to become a Flash acolyte then, but after being underwhelmed by both Flash: Rebirth and Blackest Night: Flash my expectations weren't particularly high. On top of that, the creative team behind this new series, Johns and Manupal, recently commenced a pretty impressive relaunch of Adventure Comics with Superboy, only to abandon it several issues later. Still, even bearing all that in mind, I had to give this book a go. It's actually a pretty decent start: Barry and Iris' relationship is often a little too reminiscent of the Clark & Lois template, but if there's one thing that sets Flash apart from his JLA colleagues it's the Rogues, and here's where Johns has the opportunity to make this book unique. The signs are generally positive, and the cliffhanger is enough to make me want to return next month. It's way too early to say for sure, but maybe - just maybe - this could turn out to be the Flash book I've been waiting for. 7/10


THE LIGHT #1
Writer: Nathan Edmondson
Art: Brett Weldele
Image $2.99

Andy H: The dark. That's what scares us when we're kids. It can still scare some of us now, you just don't know what could be lurking there and your imagination will do the rest. Let's turn that on it's head. What if the dark is our protection from... the light? In this atmospheric tale it's the light we must fear. The art and especially the colouring really add to the mood. It's all quite a grim and muted palette but that makes the light look brighter, colder, even dangerous. The lead character, Coyle, is a loser. He's a drunk, his wife has left him and he's fired from his job within the first two pages of the book. Now his family and friends are being consumed by the light. Why? We don't know, yet. Let's hope Coyle will stay sober long enough to save himself and his daughter. Until then 'Don't look into the light'. 8/10


BOOSTER GOLD #31
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Art: Dan Jurgens & Norm Rapmund
DC $2.99

Matt T: Giffen and DeMatteis take over the reigns from the current creative team starting next issue and I, for one, am glad. Mainly because much of the fun of the early run of Booster has been lost in exchange for too much sentimentality, making Booster appear much like a moping teenager rather than a glass-half-full kinda guy. This installment wraps up Booster's issue with his sister, and softens Rip Hunter's outlook somewhat, but otherwise serves as filler till the changing of the guard. 6/10


IRREDEEMABLE SPECIAL #1
Writer: Mark Waid
Art: Paul Azaceta, Emma Rios & Howard Chaykin
Boom! Studios $3.99

Stewart R: 'Special' is a word than can instil excitement or trepidation in a comic reader, so random is the occurrence of high quality writing and artwork in titles emblazoned with the term. Luckily Boom! provide you with an effort worthy of your investment should you happen to be a keen follower of the Irredeemable universe. Mark Waid takes the opportunity to provide three separate vignettes which give some insight into previous events from the main title as well as fleshing out certain character backgrounds. He masterfully takes things back to issue #1 where we bore witness to the quick and fiery end of The Hornet's resistance and actually shows us the brief and strained relationship that developed between the Plutonian and the everyman who was almost the world's first superhero. The origin of Kaidan is beautifully delivered over a mere 8 pages and Waid manages to pack in a great feeling of sadness and tragedy to such a simple tale. Finally we're shown the very first meeting of Max Damage and Jailbait, an introduction that is depicted in succinct, to the point fashion and is just the type of start to their partnership that I'd expect from these newly-reformed ne'er-do-wellers. The artist choice throughout is perfect, Paul Azaceta being the top pick for me, and I'm pleased to see that all of their respective pencil and ink styles make a very good fit for this increasingly expanding and absorbing comic world. 8/10


UNWRITTEN #12
Writer: Mike Carey
Art: Peter Gross & Kurt Huggins
DC/Vertigo $2.99

Stewart R: Mike Carey you mad literary genius you. After last issue’s reveals about Tommy Taylor's powers and ability to manipulate the written world I figured we'd still be following him through his journey of discovery this month. Instead, Carey and Gross provide a comedic and, it appears, relevant interlude as they weave us an entertaining and expletive-filled story of Mr Bun's attempts to escape his book-based prison. There are small nods to the Br'er Rabbit and Winnie the Pooh tales along the way but the grin-inducing high point is Pauly Bruckner's anger and exasperation at failing time and time again to find his way out of his cute and fluffy hell. Carey adds a Beatrix Potter-esque narration to the whole thing that counters Bruckner's bitter resentment and really adds to the sense of sugary torture that he's being exposed to. Everything Carey has brought to this book tends to have important repercussions later on and I suspect that the introduction of Eliza Mae Hertford is the real reason that we've been given such a bizarre and wonderful chapter which seems quite removed from what we have read up to now in this title. Terrifically well-delivered and worth picking up this week. 8/10

James R: Well, I never saw this coming! Last month's The Unwritten marked the end of a story arc, and having not looked at Previews, or any online solicitations, I expected this to be the next instalment in the Tom Taylor saga, but it seems Mike Carey had a killer diversion planned. The issue takes place in a world which seems so close to being familiar - anyone who has even taken a cursory glance at the work of Beatrix Potter or A.A. Milne will recognise the simple, fairytale world of anthropomorphic animals that we see here. But there's a dark twist. This world is a saccharine prison - the consciousness of one of Wilson Taylor's enemies has been trapped in a talking rabbit, and he's determined to escape. I know it sounds insane, and it is! But in the best way possible. The juxtaposition of the fairytale art with Pauly Bruckner's foul-mouthed tirades as he tries to escape is genius, as is the concept of being trapped in somewhere so child-like and seemingly innocent. Gross' art is incredible, and it's augmented by the superb inking of Kurt Higgins and the colouring palette of Zelda Devon. Inspired stuff, and it seems that a plethora of great Vertigo titles are raising the bar every month. This is a vintage year for the discerning reader. 9/10

Matt C: As with the Kipling excursion in #5, we take another break from Tommy Taylor’s adventures as a fictional character in the ‘real’ world, and focus here on a ‘real’ character trapped inside a fictional world. And it’s utterly brilliant. Mr Bun is a talking rabbit attired in a smart waistcoat and caveat. At least that’s what his furry friends see. In actuality his name’s Pauly Bruckner, but following some sort of altercation with Wilson Taylor he’s found himself stuck in a quaint fairytale world where excitement comes from the prospect of a nice cup of tea. Cue endless profanity as Bun/Bruckner attempts to escape back to a place where ‘cute’ companions don’t surround him. This is my favourite issue of The Unwritten so far, with Carey clearly having a ball writing such a foul-mouthed contradiction, and Gross altering his style to ape the kind of Beatrix Potter characterizations that form the basis of the fictional setting of Willowbank. It’s times like this when you get a sense of the scope of ideas Carey is playing with. A real treat. 9/10

Matt T: A welcome break from the Tommy Taylor storyline brings us to Eliza Mae Hertford's Willowbank Tales, a sort of Wind In The Willows/Winnie the Pooh hybrid in which a character from the real world has been trapped within the body of a lovable bunny called Mr Bun. His profane tirades create an interesting paradox with a child's tale being inhabited by a foul-mouthed, violent arsehole who seems determined to ruin tranquillity surrounding him. The narration seems undeterred by Mr Bun's attempts to free himself from the fictional land, after seemingly being double-crossed by Taylor's father, making the comedy all the more entertaining. This delightfully twisted issue is made all the better by the fantastic artwork, which again punctuates the fact that the alter ego of Mr Bun doesn't belong there. A top read, and I hope Carey goes off the beaten track again before this series ends. 9/10


NEW MUTANTS #12
Writer: Zeb Wells
Art: Ibraim Roberson
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: Looks like my 'too many cooks' fears are pretty well buried in the ground now as this issue of New Mutants feels like a simple continuation of the last chapter of 'Second Coming' in Uncanny X-Men #523. The great success here is to make this a New Mutants book - the team are sent by Cyclops to deal with technological nut-job Cameron Hodge - while also providing plenty of other X-Men action. Wells continues Wolverine and Co's desperate fight against Stryker and the Purifiers, utilising neat tricks and strategies to counter various mutant abilities and make the conflict less one-sided that previous X-scraps have been. Ibraim Roberson does a great job himself of keeping the darker feel present in the other two issues’ artwork and his depiction of Cameron Hodge's transformation was particularly creepy in its simple delivery. The big question now is whether this event has the legs to span over the full 14 chapters. 7/10

Matt T: I'm more than a touch confused as to what this added to 'Second Coming', as it just seemed to include yet another fight into the mix. If Marvel are going to drag out the back and forth between separate X-teams and Bastion's teams of nutcases I may just have to skip it all and wait for the conclusion. Spotlighting a team I'm not particularly familiar with has its benefits, but things take so long to get moving, and don't conclude in a meaningful manner, I'm struggling to see the point of it. 4/10


CHEW #10
Writer: John Layman
Art: Rob Guillory
Image $2.99

Tom P: This is the last part of Chew Book II: International Flavour, and I'm still enjoying this wacky and truly original comic. While I’m a little disappointed not to find an explanation to the shocking and funny last page in the previous month's Chew, I feel confident that Layman wont let us down. The vampire stuff in the book is also a great twist and it’s nice to see Tony kicking some ass and getting a bit of romance. If you like something a bit different than I strongly recommend you pick this up in trades. 8/10

Matt T: The last part of the second arc of Chew ends in a manner expected of this quirky little book, in that yet another random aspect is thrown into the mix. In this case it's a Vampire-ish character who's been tweaking strings since a previous adventure. I'm enjoying how relentlessly inventive Chew is, and how the situations are rarely as straightforward as they seem. Bringing Tony Chu back to home shores is a safe bet, and hopefully the results will keep the momentum of this title going. The art hasn't dipped either, and Rob Guillory's cartoony style is what keeps the series from straying too far into gory horror territory. 8/10


POWERS #4
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Michael Avonm Oeming
Marvel/Icon $3.95

Matt T: Regardless of the other tosh he can chuck out, Bendis can normally be relied on to turn out the goods in Powers. The mystery which has been the central plot of the first four issues is unravelled pretty quickly as the killer of Z is revealed, but more interesting is how Walker reacts to one of his old team mates being murdered, and the reappearance of another face from the past. Where Bendis goes from here will be interesting, but the police procedural element which gave this book meaning earlier on now seems to be playing second fiddle to bigger ideas and I, for one, am glad for it. 8/10


SPIDER-MAN: GRIM HUNT – THE KRAVEN SAGA
Writer: Joe Kelly
Art: Michael Lark & Stefano Gaudiano
Marvel $0.00

Matt C: I left Spider-Man’s corner of the Marvel Universe behind around issue #600 but the prospect of a return to the same creative well that produced ‘Kraven’s Last Hunt’ (still my favourite Spider-Man storyline) is possibly strong enough to tempt me back. The art in this free preview is quite something, reminding me how much I’ve missed Lark’s pencil work since he moved on from Daredevil. Having said that, the pencil ‘sketchbook’ pages really serve to show just how much inker Guadiano and colourist Matt Hollingsworth bring to the visual experience. Alone Lark’s art is great; with the two other guys adding their skills, it becomes something wonderful. As well as the short precursor to the story that properly commences in Amazing Spider-Man #634, you get a brief history of the Kraven clan as well as biographies for both the Chameleon and Kraven. Hats off to Marvel for continuing to put out these ‘Saga’ freebies. 7/10


LONE RANGER #21
Writer: Brett Matthews
Art: Sergio Cariello
Dynamite $3.50

Andy H: Something of a patchy read at times but still worth sticking with for the overall story. This issue amps up the tension with every turn of the page. As the Ranger and Tonto head out to take care of business little do they know they are being watched and nor do they realise the danger those close to them are in. The dastardly Cavendish has found the Ranger's family and has only evil in mind. The pacing of this issue is just right. Moving the story along while switching from character to character only adds to the build up. One of the best issues to date 7/10


HULKED OUT HEROES #1
Writer: Jeff Parker
Art: Humberto Ramos & Carlos Cuevas
Marvel $3.99

Matt T: See that title? Complete bollocks. In fact I'd encourage every comic shop owner to cross it out and write 'Hulked out Deadpool wanders about in time cracking wise, much like he could have easily done in HIS OWN FRICKING BOOK'. Granted it's not as snappy as Hulked Out Heroes but it's a damn sight more honest. DP tooling about in history after being gamma-irradiated is a good laugh, but don't sell me a book on the promise of seeing the Marvel Universe all hulked up. ‘Cos it's a complete and utter lie. 3/10


DAYTRIPPER #5
Writers: Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba
Art: Gabriel Ba & Fabio Moon
DC /Vertigo $2.99

Stewart R: This book continues to impress and as we hit the halfway point it seems that we're not being thrown any particular twists just yet. What we are given by Ba and Moon is a lovingly crafted story of innocent familial childhood with Bras' trips to the Brazilian countryside as a young boy, the setting for this month's outing. I've begun to notice that these artists alter their palettes subtly whenever trying to depict shifts in mood and emotion and because of the general jovial demeanour of young Bras we end up with a lush and sun-flecked countryside filled with yellows, blues and greens which are only really tempered by darker sections involving and highlighting the relationship with his father. With another five issues to go it's getting hard to predict what these writers may have in store for us in terms of any shocks or revelations, and how many instalments it may take to deliver them should they appear at all. The mystery there alone is worth buying this and digging out those back issues. 7/10

Matt C: There's a certain sense of frustration with this book as you try to figure out exactly what Moon and Ba are aiming for. A series of vignettes reminding us how fragile and transient life is, and how it could all come to an end in an instant? Or perhaps a sci-fi themed tale dealing with alternate realities? That's not a criticism - while you may feel like you're being teased by the brothers as they lay out their narrative puzzle in front of you, this is such a wonderfully written, beautifully observed and exquisitely illustrated series that you become utterly absorbed while reading each chapter, and it's only afterwards that the questions start popping up. This actually works perfectly as a monthly series; the episodic format allows time for various thoughts and theories to swirl through your mind before you reach the next instalment. In that respect, feel lucky if you're picking this up in comic book format rather than waiting for the trade, because I get the feeling something will be lost if you can jump straight into the subsequent chapter before you've had a proper opportunity to digest what's come before. 8/10


SIEGE: YOUNG AVENGERS #1
Writer: Sean McKeever
Art: Mahmud A. Asrar, Scott Hanna & Victor Alazaba
Marvel $2.99

Matt T: The return of the Young Avengers is something I've been looking forward to ever since their hiatus, and this one-shot gives me all the more reason to anticipate something special. The characters and interplay are superb, and in Asrar there's a safe pair of hands on the art side. The plot has the Young Avengers simply tidying up after the Asgard incident, but they do have the time to lay some smackdown on the Wrecking Crew. I'm really looking forward to any new ongoing with this set of characters, as well as Stature and Vision, so it can't come soon enough. 8/10


DAREDEVIL #506
Writer: Andy Diggle & Antony Johnston
Art: Marco Checchetto
Marvel $2.99

Tom P: I have been enjoying Diggle's run on Daredevil a great deal. Its been interesting, exciting and dark. This issue sees Matt struggle to keep order in the Hand as he attempts to prevent an assassination of one of the more brash members of their leadership. Any comic that features the red-ribboned super killer that is Elektra will always get extra points from me, even if Matt is only dreaming… or is he? Add that to some moody art and an unseen twist and you have a great read! 8/10


AVENGERS #260
Writer: Roger Stern
Art: John Buscema & Tom Palmer
Marvel $0.65

Matt C: Imagine a space battle akin to the Rebel’s final assault on the Death Star in Return Of The Jedi, but with the addition of the Black Knight riding an ‘atomic steed’ and Hercules tearing apart spaceships wearing nothing but a helmet and his pants. In other words, absolutely awesome. Where previous issues have had their fair share of chatter, here’s it’s wall to wall action, and it’s visually glorious thanks to the exemplary skills of Messer’s Buscema and Palmer. I first read this issue back in the ‘80s when it was reprinted as part of the UK version of Secret Wars II. It was effortlessly exciting then and hasn’t lost any of its potency now. From the exceptionally powerful first splash page of Firelord in flight to an ending that sees the Beyonder appear in the guise of a superhero only to royally screw things up, this is a cracking piece of superhero fiction and a worthy (and cheap I suspect) addition to any collection. 9/10