I ran through a period of time when I tried my hand at some regular comic book reviews.
Then I ran out of time.
Also, they cancelled Greg Rucka's Punisher and that was the book that pulled me into trying my hand. I kind of lost heart after that.
Still, I continue to read a handful of comics regularly. So, because this is my blog and I can do whatever I want, I thought I would give some quick thoughts to recent issues (and thanks to my local shop, Beyond Comics for pulling my books and especially for Lazarus #1, which due to a miscommunication did not get pulled for me so the owner gave me HIS BOOK; thanks guys! You rock!).
First, Lazarus #1 by Greg Rucka (writer), Michael Lark (artist), & Santi Arcas (colors): GET THIS BOOK. This is the first issue in a planned long (but finite) story set in a dystopian future. Now, from Hunger Games (book and movie) to Elysium (upcoming movie with Matt Damon) and everything and more in between, dystopian future settings are hot, and some may feel saturated. If you were to give Lazarus a pass because of that feeling, it would be a BIG MISTAKE (yes, it's my blog, I can yell if I want to).
Lazarus is the story of a world ruled by powerful families who control almost all wealth. Each family has vast holdings, private armies, scheming members, and at least one champion, who is a bioengineered miracle. The family at the center of the tale is Family Carlyle, and their champion is Forever Carlyle. In the first pages of the first issue she is mortally wounded. Then we get to see why her kind is termed a Lazarus and why she is a bioengineered miracle.
If you want a taste before you buy, there is a free teaser story (complete unto itself and not part of the first issue) here. You should read it, then you should go get issue #1 and you should put the series on your pull list.
RIGHT NOW!
Hawkeye #12 All I have to say is DAMN YOU MATT FRACTION (in the best possible way).
I opened this book, which continues the storyline of the last few issues, and I was just going to look at the first page . . . . and . . . the next thing I knew, I was at the end, and I do not have issue #13 in my hands yet!!
DAMN YOU!
Read this book.
Captain Marvel # 13 In general, I love what Kelly Sue DeConnick has done with Captain Marvel.
I did not love this issue.
Not really even a little bit.
The art was a mess.
The story that had been building within the title got hijack for an "event" across a bunch of other books I don't want to buy.
I got to the last page, and I kinda did not care.
That made me sad.
I hope this mess is over soon and Kelly Sue can get back to her focus on the character driven book of fun and adventure that I so admire.
Sad to say it, but unless you are a completists or collecting all the other books this story got splashed across, you can skip this.
I may not do more reviews, but then again I might. We'll see what next month brings.
Showing posts with label Hawkeye. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hawkeye. Show all posts
Monday, July 22, 2013
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
A little behind schedule: Reviews of Hawkeye #2, Captain Marvel #3 and Punisher #15
September is slipping away and my three comic book titles were released days and weeks ago. However, I finally get around to some brief thoughts on each. Once again, my local store, Beyond Comics, came through with my subscriptions. Unfortunately, September is proving to be a heck of a busy month, so it's either short reviews or no reviews.
Hawkeye #2
Two Hawkeyes are Better than One
In this issue, we get not only Clint Barton doing the things he does away from the Avengers, but we also get "Young Avenger" Kate Bishop. Clint has been looking into many things that he thinks that he needs to take care of, and he is lucky to get Kate to join in. First off looks like "Something Big" going down at a circus performance attended by every major crime figure in Mavel's version of New York. Writer Matt Fraction does a great job of using Clint's shady past and Kate's high society background to lay the foundation for how things get moving. Once the performance starts in, as well as the heist, things really get cooking. Of course, Clint brashly goes in over his head, and it is a good thing he brought backup. Not that he is ever a slouch in any of the action sequences. Once again the issue demonstrates why Hawkeye is the best there is. There just happen to be two of them. The end of the book has Clint with more angry enemies than ever, and reveals that he has a serious plan to make a difference, no matter the costs. The art continues to be outstanding, and the book is beyond reproach. It is a perfect comic book experience, and if you are not reading it, go out and buy it!
Captain Marvel #3
The ride is fine so far, but where are we going?
There are two stories in this book. One is the main Captain Marvel story, and the second is a backup that relates somehow, as its focus is Carol Danver's childhood idol, but how the stories will intersect is still unclear. The "A plot" continues to follow Captain Marvel as she tries to sort out where and when she is, and why alien technology seems to have gotten involved in a lost corner of the war in the Pacific during the Second World War. The writing is solid. The art is growing on me. The plot is developing slowly. Generally, I don't mind a slow burn plot, but so far I am neither gripped by the situation or the characters. It may not be a fair comparison, but looking at last year's relaunch of The Punisher, which also featured a slow burn story (one that is just peaking now, in issues 14-16), there is a real contrast. That book gripped me from the first. I still have my attention on the story here for Captain Marvel, but it feels like I could easily shake off the grasp of the story, when instead I want to be locked in like I'm in an iron vise. The art is growing on me, but I am not convinced of its brilliance. It is different, but still remains merely adequate for me in the story being told. All in all, the main story delivers, but only marginally for me. I am interested in where this is going, but it feels like if I missed it, it would be no big deal. This is not where we should be at this point. DeConnick and Wacker need to get on the stick here and start hitting out of the park like Dare Devil and Punisher have over the last year, and the way the Hawkeye is killing it right now. They are more than capable of doing so. The "B plot" is quite short. The background is at the critical juncture in the women's Mercury astronaut program, the part where the men tell the women they aren't getting to go into space. Not a banner moment in American history, gender relations, or the historical advancement of women. The problem is, for most of the panels, I don't really care. I am not reading the book for this particular lecture on how carppy American culture was to women in the 50s and 60s. The packaging is clumsy and ham handed. I'm here for a Captain Marvel story. If I get a lecture in feminist studies on the side, so much the better, but it can't be the main event, because that is not what I paid for. Only in the last few panels, as Danver's childhood hero from the Mercury 13 is trying to make her own deal to get into space is there any inkling of interest. Again, the set up is adequate, but I am expecting so much more than adequate for my $3. The art is solid, and an interesting contrast from the main book. I will be back for issue #4, but without more, I may not last until issue #6.
Punisher #15
And I thought it couldn't get any darker, or better! But it is!
Last month began the final end game in the Punisher's plan to take down the Exchange and Rachel Cole-Alves' plan to complete her vengeance on every member of that organization. The problem is, as Feste the fool observes in Twelfth Night, "And thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges."
As it turns out, Sergeant Cole-Alves is not the only seeker of vengeance. The tables get turned on her and the Punisher and it starts to get really bloody. Further, despite every piece of advice and order from Frank Castle to Rachel on being patient, on not rushing her punishment of all those connected with the cause of her tragedy, she is too tempted to finish it, once and for all, herself. The result is pure tragedy taken to a higher level. Vengeance is begetting vengeance and begetting even more.
This is a great book, even better than issue #14 which was a tour de force. Even in the Marvel Universe, vengeance is not free, and only one man alive has converted his pain, and his experience in getting revenge into a cause and a mission that carries on, and that is The Punisher. Everyone else seems to be ready to follow the classic arc of revenge, and that pretty much ends up with everyone tragically dead (e.g. Hamlet). We have one more issue to go, and five issues of coda in the War Zone series. I am thinking it is going to be a hell of a ride.
With us for this issue and the next is the superior art of Marco Checcetto. Once again, he captures the characters, the places and the mood of every scene deftly. The entire art team on the book supports and enhances the story in every way. I will be sad to see the last of that in issue #16. However, don't miss issue #15! It would be tragic if you did.
For the second to last time on this run of Punisher, I give you other's voices on this issue:
IGN (8.5/10) "The beauty of this issue is that Rucka’s run has been so deliberate in its pacing and usage of violence, that the sudden chaos of this installment gives it more weight to the reader. If you read issue after issue of guns blazing, it loses its impact. Not so here, and the overall arc of Rucka’s Punisher is the better for it."
I Got Issues (Recoomended) "I recently discovered that this series is ending soon (like next issue) and while this makes me sad, I want to focus on the positive…that this issue, hell this whole series has been amazing since issue #1."
Comic Vine (10/10) "As I mentioned previously, this issue was fantastic because of the way that it connected three characters through very similar experiences. It is interesting to see that although the characters are different, their motivations are different, they act out very similarly when they lose someone or something very close to them. It's a very powerful issue and feels really dense when you read it. It's paired with some pretty incredible art, too, so if you're a Punisher fan you really can't go wrong. I don't recommend reading this issue without at least checking out the previous one as I feel they really go hand in hand."
Newsarama (9/10) "Frank Castle has made murder into a mission, but it's Marco Checchetto that turns it into art. This comic will hit you like a hurricane, as Frank and his partner [Rachel] take on a wild gunman inside Wall Street — not to mention the entire NYPD."
The Weekly Crisis (Verdict-Buy It) "Greg Rucka and Marco Checchetto's Punisher has been one of the best books coming out of the Marvel offices this past year. Frank Castle's actions and his world have been depicted through a serious lens that does not ignore the consequences of his deeds, and the story has been better for it. It will be a sad day when Rucka's run on the character ends with the Punisher: War Zone miniseries - a day made all the sadder by Checchetto's absence."
Hawkeye #2
Two Hawkeyes are Better than One
In this issue, we get not only Clint Barton doing the things he does away from the Avengers, but we also get "Young Avenger" Kate Bishop. Clint has been looking into many things that he thinks that he needs to take care of, and he is lucky to get Kate to join in. First off looks like "Something Big" going down at a circus performance attended by every major crime figure in Mavel's version of New York. Writer Matt Fraction does a great job of using Clint's shady past and Kate's high society background to lay the foundation for how things get moving. Once the performance starts in, as well as the heist, things really get cooking. Of course, Clint brashly goes in over his head, and it is a good thing he brought backup. Not that he is ever a slouch in any of the action sequences. Once again the issue demonstrates why Hawkeye is the best there is. There just happen to be two of them. The end of the book has Clint with more angry enemies than ever, and reveals that he has a serious plan to make a difference, no matter the costs. The art continues to be outstanding, and the book is beyond reproach. It is a perfect comic book experience, and if you are not reading it, go out and buy it!
Captain Marvel #3
The ride is fine so far, but where are we going?
There are two stories in this book. One is the main Captain Marvel story, and the second is a backup that relates somehow, as its focus is Carol Danver's childhood idol, but how the stories will intersect is still unclear. The "A plot" continues to follow Captain Marvel as she tries to sort out where and when she is, and why alien technology seems to have gotten involved in a lost corner of the war in the Pacific during the Second World War. The writing is solid. The art is growing on me. The plot is developing slowly. Generally, I don't mind a slow burn plot, but so far I am neither gripped by the situation or the characters. It may not be a fair comparison, but looking at last year's relaunch of The Punisher, which also featured a slow burn story (one that is just peaking now, in issues 14-16), there is a real contrast. That book gripped me from the first. I still have my attention on the story here for Captain Marvel, but it feels like I could easily shake off the grasp of the story, when instead I want to be locked in like I'm in an iron vise. The art is growing on me, but I am not convinced of its brilliance. It is different, but still remains merely adequate for me in the story being told. All in all, the main story delivers, but only marginally for me. I am interested in where this is going, but it feels like if I missed it, it would be no big deal. This is not where we should be at this point. DeConnick and Wacker need to get on the stick here and start hitting out of the park like Dare Devil and Punisher have over the last year, and the way the Hawkeye is killing it right now. They are more than capable of doing so. The "B plot" is quite short. The background is at the critical juncture in the women's Mercury astronaut program, the part where the men tell the women they aren't getting to go into space. Not a banner moment in American history, gender relations, or the historical advancement of women. The problem is, for most of the panels, I don't really care. I am not reading the book for this particular lecture on how carppy American culture was to women in the 50s and 60s. The packaging is clumsy and ham handed. I'm here for a Captain Marvel story. If I get a lecture in feminist studies on the side, so much the better, but it can't be the main event, because that is not what I paid for. Only in the last few panels, as Danver's childhood hero from the Mercury 13 is trying to make her own deal to get into space is there any inkling of interest. Again, the set up is adequate, but I am expecting so much more than adequate for my $3. The art is solid, and an interesting contrast from the main book. I will be back for issue #4, but without more, I may not last until issue #6.
Punisher #15
And I thought it couldn't get any darker, or better! But it is!
Last month began the final end game in the Punisher's plan to take down the Exchange and Rachel Cole-Alves' plan to complete her vengeance on every member of that organization. The problem is, as Feste the fool observes in Twelfth Night, "And thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges."
As it turns out, Sergeant Cole-Alves is not the only seeker of vengeance. The tables get turned on her and the Punisher and it starts to get really bloody. Further, despite every piece of advice and order from Frank Castle to Rachel on being patient, on not rushing her punishment of all those connected with the cause of her tragedy, she is too tempted to finish it, once and for all, herself. The result is pure tragedy taken to a higher level. Vengeance is begetting vengeance and begetting even more.
This is a great book, even better than issue #14 which was a tour de force. Even in the Marvel Universe, vengeance is not free, and only one man alive has converted his pain, and his experience in getting revenge into a cause and a mission that carries on, and that is The Punisher. Everyone else seems to be ready to follow the classic arc of revenge, and that pretty much ends up with everyone tragically dead (e.g. Hamlet). We have one more issue to go, and five issues of coda in the War Zone series. I am thinking it is going to be a hell of a ride.
With us for this issue and the next is the superior art of Marco Checcetto. Once again, he captures the characters, the places and the mood of every scene deftly. The entire art team on the book supports and enhances the story in every way. I will be sad to see the last of that in issue #16. However, don't miss issue #15! It would be tragic if you did.
For the second to last time on this run of Punisher, I give you other's voices on this issue:
IGN (8.5/10) "The beauty of this issue is that Rucka’s run has been so deliberate in its pacing and usage of violence, that the sudden chaos of this installment gives it more weight to the reader. If you read issue after issue of guns blazing, it loses its impact. Not so here, and the overall arc of Rucka’s Punisher is the better for it."
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
First August Reviews: Avenging Spider-Man #10 and Hawkeye #1
This month is starting off with me getting comics on the day they come out. Good for me, less so for my wallet, but whatever. Thanks to Beyond Comics, for being there when I want to spend my dough!
This week's comics are brought to you (seperately) by the Husband and Wife writing team of Kelly Sue DeConnick and Matt Fraction. That is a lot of writing talent under one roof! This month opens with two great books from them, one each respectively.
First I'll take a look at the conclusion of Kelly Sue DeConnick's story started in Avenging Spider-Man #9 and conveniently concluded in Avenging Spider-Man #10, then I'll talk about Matt Fraction's Hawkeye #1.
Avenging Spider-Man #10
More Fun! More please!
Last month I loved Avenging Spider-Man #9, with guest star Captain Marvel, and the love continues this month. DeConnick does a terrific job with both heroes, doing terrific justice to both characters. She plays them smart, funny and always heroic. Last month I gave only middling reviews to the actual debute of DeConnick on Captain Marvel #1, but I will definitely stick with the series because she can write and write Captain Marvel especially well. Even though I felt Captain Marvel #1 was too low key for my tastes, Avenging Spider-Man #10 shows what DeConnick can and will do with Captain Marvel, and it is a lot of fun.
Spidey also is done justice in this book. DeConnick plays him pitch perfect, and he proves a good foil to Marvel.
I won't spoiler the story, just say that the police, rent-a-cops in Iron Man cast offs, corporate and ex-corporate folks as well as the hero/villain introduced last issue, Robyn Hood (with a "Y" for Freedom) (yeah, she's kinda crazy) all play their parts well and provide a satisfying set of personalities to aid, inhibit and befuddle our heroes. I really enjoyed the book and recommend it.
Also, I have to credit the artists on the book again, it looked great!
I look forward to more from DeConnick with her blend of light comic touch over serious political and character issues. Captain Marvel is a keeper, and she can write my Spider-Man anytime.
Hawkeye #1
Bullseye!
This is a new title (ahead of the universe bending Marvel Now! new titles), which explores the "off duty" life of Clint Barton, Hawkeye. The first issue is a very good start.
I read an article where writer Matt Fraction described Clint Barton as the "Jim Rockford" of the Avengers. I was intrigued by that take on the character, and I think Fraction has made it work in spades. Of course, I think he has done more than just make Barton into the scrappy, never say die, never give up (on a client or other things) PI type, he has also gotten the interplay of dark and light in Barton's personality tuned just right. Fraction has done this hat trick before with Tony Stark on Invincible Iron Man; Danny Rand on the Immortal Iron Fist, and with the cast of characters in the current run of Defenders. He knows all about getting to the person behind the mask.
Barton can be a real jerk (much moreso that we ever saw from Jim Rockford). When he acts that way to his fellow heroes or the average guy on the street (which he can do), you cringe (good example of this for the character was Avenging Spider-Man #4 (written not by Fraction, but by Zeb Wells). Hawkeye was a criminal for part of his career, and part of what led him there was that he can have a very BAD ATTITUDE.
Of course, when he channels that attitude against guys who are even bigger jerks than him, then we are very happy. No cringing, pure applause. Of course, if that was all there was to Clint Barton, he would not be the hero that he is. Even though he can default down to a jerk, he can and does work hard to rise above his limitations. Often these are his physical limitations, because he is "just a guy." He is on a team with gods, robots, geniuses, and monsters. He is just a guy. With some sticks. So, he makes himself a hero by running into situations that no sane person would ever approach.
But more importantly, and Fraction totally sells this in the first issue, Barton knows how to exert himself to rise above being a jerk. He can make bad choices, but when the chips are down and it really counts, he makes the right decisions, the hard decisions, the personally costly decisions, and he backs them up with every ounce of skill and determination at his disposal. This was well captured about the character in Jen Van Meter's limited series, Avengers Solo, starring Hawkeye. Fraction doubles down on the premise. As much of a flawed jerk that Barton can be, he is, in the end, a "do the right thing" guy, and the extremes that he is willing to go to in order to make the right thing happen define his heroism.
The plot of the book almost doesn't matter, because the character stuff is so rich, but basically Fraction sets the scene for Barton as a resident of New York and what he can and will do when he is not leading the Secret Avengers or standing beside Thor, Captain America and Iron Man in some cosmic showdown like AvX. He solves smaller problems, for people and dogs, in his neighborhood, and I'd say it probably is one of the best first issues I have read since Punisher #1 by Greg Rucka.
The art is perfect. It's like Barton's neighborhood, a little rough, but with a classy heart. It totally fit the writing and I look forward to much more from this team.
Good stuff.
This week's comics are brought to you (seperately) by the Husband and Wife writing team of Kelly Sue DeConnick and Matt Fraction. That is a lot of writing talent under one roof! This month opens with two great books from them, one each respectively.
First I'll take a look at the conclusion of Kelly Sue DeConnick's story started in Avenging Spider-Man #9 and conveniently concluded in Avenging Spider-Man #10, then I'll talk about Matt Fraction's Hawkeye #1.
Avenging Spider-Man #10
More Fun! More please!
Last month I loved Avenging Spider-Man #9, with guest star Captain Marvel, and the love continues this month. DeConnick does a terrific job with both heroes, doing terrific justice to both characters. She plays them smart, funny and always heroic. Last month I gave only middling reviews to the actual debute of DeConnick on Captain Marvel #1, but I will definitely stick with the series because she can write and write Captain Marvel especially well. Even though I felt Captain Marvel #1 was too low key for my tastes, Avenging Spider-Man #10 shows what DeConnick can and will do with Captain Marvel, and it is a lot of fun.
Spidey also is done justice in this book. DeConnick plays him pitch perfect, and he proves a good foil to Marvel.
I won't spoiler the story, just say that the police, rent-a-cops in Iron Man cast offs, corporate and ex-corporate folks as well as the hero/villain introduced last issue, Robyn Hood (with a "Y" for Freedom) (yeah, she's kinda crazy) all play their parts well and provide a satisfying set of personalities to aid, inhibit and befuddle our heroes. I really enjoyed the book and recommend it.
Also, I have to credit the artists on the book again, it looked great!
I look forward to more from DeConnick with her blend of light comic touch over serious political and character issues. Captain Marvel is a keeper, and she can write my Spider-Man anytime.
Hawkeye #1
Bullseye!
This is a new title (ahead of the universe bending Marvel Now! new titles), which explores the "off duty" life of Clint Barton, Hawkeye. The first issue is a very good start.
I read an article where writer Matt Fraction described Clint Barton as the "Jim Rockford" of the Avengers. I was intrigued by that take on the character, and I think Fraction has made it work in spades. Of course, I think he has done more than just make Barton into the scrappy, never say die, never give up (on a client or other things) PI type, he has also gotten the interplay of dark and light in Barton's personality tuned just right. Fraction has done this hat trick before with Tony Stark on Invincible Iron Man; Danny Rand on the Immortal Iron Fist, and with the cast of characters in the current run of Defenders. He knows all about getting to the person behind the mask.
Barton can be a real jerk (much moreso that we ever saw from Jim Rockford). When he acts that way to his fellow heroes or the average guy on the street (which he can do), you cringe (good example of this for the character was Avenging Spider-Man #4 (written not by Fraction, but by Zeb Wells). Hawkeye was a criminal for part of his career, and part of what led him there was that he can have a very BAD ATTITUDE.
Of course, when he channels that attitude against guys who are even bigger jerks than him, then we are very happy. No cringing, pure applause. Of course, if that was all there was to Clint Barton, he would not be the hero that he is. Even though he can default down to a jerk, he can and does work hard to rise above his limitations. Often these are his physical limitations, because he is "just a guy." He is on a team with gods, robots, geniuses, and monsters. He is just a guy. With some sticks. So, he makes himself a hero by running into situations that no sane person would ever approach.
But more importantly, and Fraction totally sells this in the first issue, Barton knows how to exert himself to rise above being a jerk. He can make bad choices, but when the chips are down and it really counts, he makes the right decisions, the hard decisions, the personally costly decisions, and he backs them up with every ounce of skill and determination at his disposal. This was well captured about the character in Jen Van Meter's limited series, Avengers Solo, starring Hawkeye. Fraction doubles down on the premise. As much of a flawed jerk that Barton can be, he is, in the end, a "do the right thing" guy, and the extremes that he is willing to go to in order to make the right thing happen define his heroism.
The plot of the book almost doesn't matter, because the character stuff is so rich, but basically Fraction sets the scene for Barton as a resident of New York and what he can and will do when he is not leading the Secret Avengers or standing beside Thor, Captain America and Iron Man in some cosmic showdown like AvX. He solves smaller problems, for people and dogs, in his neighborhood, and I'd say it probably is one of the best first issues I have read since Punisher #1 by Greg Rucka.
The art is perfect. It's like Barton's neighborhood, a little rough, but with a classy heart. It totally fit the writing and I look forward to much more from this team.
Good stuff.
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