Weekly Comic Reviews 7/4


Greetings fellow readers, welcome to this week’s edition of Unleash the Fanboy’s Weekly Comic Reviews, I’m your host, Daniel Alvarez. We have a lot of titles this time around, including some from IDW. (You’ll be seeing Godzilla stuff here very soon folks.) Well I’m sure we all have things to do, so let’s not waste anymore time in this paragraph, onto the reviews.

Artifacts #19

The Top Cow universe continues to grow as Artifacts take its next logical step.  The story opens at a local hospital where we’re re-introduced to Dr. Rachel Harrison, the apparent bearer of the Heartstone.  It’s a dialogue heavy read that succeeds in yielding some solid pathos as we follow ex-Priest Tom Judge on his latest little adventure.

4/5

 

Creator Owned Heroes #2

In short, Creator Owned Heroes is as much a book about comics as it is a comic book. While I feel that there’s definitely a need for a magazine about comic creators, I also want people to be aware of what they’re getting.  Some of the other material feels like filler, but overall it’s cool to take a backstage look at the industry we all love. While the story/publishing info combination may not appeal to everyone, I recommend you give it a shot.

For the full review, click here.

4/5

Danger Club #3

Landry Q. Walker delivers a script full of emotional nuances that succeeds in properly conveying the dire situation both our world and this team is in. It’s an emotional roller coaster complete with betrayal, mental death traps and a suicide.  The character’s may still be a bit paper thin, but their basic human reactions almost succeed in selling this story on every possible level.

For the full review, click here.

4/5

HackSlash #17

By the end of this little jaunt we should have been rewarded with a character defining story arc, but it’s ultimately hampered by blandness and some script issues. This issue was a bit of a step-down from the previous one.  The story is fine and the art is good enough but I can only muster a recommendation for the hardcore Hack/Slash fans.

For the full review, click here.

3/5

Haunt #24

The concept of the Haunt character continues to be a compelling point in this series.  The idea that a man and his dead brother are working together to save the world is just fun, and the rest of the story easily builds from that foundation.  This is a very solid to excellent issue that see’s our dysfunctional heroes fight a formidable foe, while working out some of their own problems.

For the full review, click here.

4/5

Invincible #93

The conceptual hook of this issue is definitely Robot’s plan to escape from the Flaxans, which he’s able to lay out centuries in advance, thanks to the differences in the flow of time between the two dimensions. The second half of the book, set in the present, is almost completely taken up by the battle in London. The imbalance between the narration-heavy first part and action heavy second part is a bit jarring, as the pacing is slow (literally spread out over decades) in the beginning, before ramping up to high speed toward the end. Invincible #93 has some strong concepts on both the writing and art fronts, but it sometimes feels cobbled together.

For the full review, click here.

3.5/5

Morning Glories #20

Taking the time to flesh out the two main faculty, this story and this series leads the overall narrative into some bold and rather exciting directions. It goes without saying that a good deal of the subject matter in this book can be unsettling, but it is a very engaging and worthwhile read, for anyone who’s willing to give it a chance. This story will not be for every comic fan out there, but those who are interested in its narrative will be thrilled with this latest literary jaunt.  Highly recommended.

For the full review, click here.

4.5/5

Spawn #221

Todd McFarlane hits the script out of the park with an issue that’s dialogue heavy but one that never reads like it was overburdened with unnecessary exposition.  The narrative at play here successfully depicts addiction, the quest for self and the ultimate reality of the world.

For the full review, click here.

4/5

Thief of Thieves #6

Another issue in, Thief of Thieves is proving to be an excellent series. It plays to its genre’s strengths well, with an art style that makes the best use of the comic format, too. As with previous issues, the only major drawback to Thief of Thieves #6 is that its walking a line very well travelled. The crime genre is one of the oldest and most covered. The major plot devices have been repeated. This isn’t to say they aren’t any good. The one problem is that any crime fans will not be as surprised by the twists.

For the full review, click here.

4/5

The Boys #68

In its final run, The Boys is still delivering what it always has – a gritty take on the superhero theme. Yet with a few action movie cliches, I’m enjoying the end moments of The Boys far more than I should. As for the art and everything else, there isn’t anything overtly special. Its typical quality of The Boys, and fits the darker imagery and violence of the title well. In its closing moments, this is still a high quality example of the title. I for one will be sure to miss it in 4 issues time.

For the full review, click here.

4/5

Green Hornet #21

Despite not being around when they aired, I’ve seen a bunch of episodes from the classic series. A more noir take on the Adam West Batman. Even without having prior history with the franchise, one should be able to jump in to any issue of Green Hornet. Like with Amazing Spider-Man or Avengers, every issue should be accessible to new readers. Green Hornet #26 succeeds greatly in that respect. A fast-paced, intriguing story? Check. Not overly complicated? Check. It’s good issue to jump on if you haven’t been reading it.

For the full review, click here.

4/5

Kirby: Genesis: Captain Victory #6

Captain Victory #6 feels cramped, narratively and artistically. Sterling Gates’ story is very dialogue heavy in some places, while Joe St. Pierre‘s art goes overkill on the inks. As far as I can tell, this isn’t meant to be a space travel story in the mode of Alien, where the dark, enclosed spaces contributed to the atmosphere of dread, and yet Captain Victory’s ship is very poorly lit.

For the full review, click here.

2/5

 

The Lone Ranger #7

The Lone Ranger is a classic name to many adults. I’ve seen a bunch of episodes from the show, food stuff. What I like about Dynamite is that they expand on properties that never had much backstory. This issue is a prime example of that. It’s part one of a new arc. And guess what? It isn’t about the Lone Ranger. While some people might say “Not about the Lone Ranger? What gives?” It’s actually about his Native American sidekick, Tonto. This issue provides some interesting backstory that longtime fans will be interested in. Even non-fans will enjoy it, thanks to the intelligent writing.

For the full review, click here.

4.5/5

The Ninjettes #5

What we have here is a violent tale, that is so far off the reservation that it somehow yields a competent and entertaining comic book.  The Ninjettes is an engaging read with a silly premise that somehow works.  It’s a comic that will appeal to a select few, but the people in that crowd will find this to be a thoroughly engaging read.

For the full review, click here.

3.5/5

Vampirella: The Red Room

What begins as a promising second issue quickly falls into some mini-series pitfalls that ultimately prevent the story from resonating.  It’s a mediocre romp, that offers a quirky narrative that could have easily been an engaging read for any Vampirella fan, but at the end of the day it just does not succeed.

For the full review, click here.

2.5/5

Warlord of Mars #19

Arvid Nelson‘s story flows much more smoothly this time around. John Carter’s son Carthoris plays the central role this issue. John remains active in events, but is largely preoccupied by the possible loss of Dejah Thoris. Most of what happens this issue -the activation of the doomsday device; Carthoris’ reactions to Linea, the thern princess; and the final twist at the end- is predictable, but enjoyable nonetheless.

For the full review, click here.

3.5/5

The Cape: 1969 #1

If you are previously familiar with “The Cape” in one form or another, you’ll likely have trouble with the fantastic elements of the story in The Cape: 1969, but you’ll still get an awesome war story. I’m just sad that the naked floating Asian dude is gonna get more involved later on.

For the full review, click here.

4.5/5

Doctor Who Classics Series 4 #6

Much like the Doctor himself, the Doctor Who Classics Series offers a glimpse into the past. In this case, its a recolored reprinting of an older story. Whether you’ve read it before or haven’t, its certainly an insightful look into the various comics of the past.

For the full review, click here.

3.5/5

Dorothy of Oz Prequel #3

Despite some humorous elements to the adventure, it mostly feels like Denton J. Tipton is spinning his wheels with the story. As the prequel to a movie, this series can’t do anything of consequence that would affect the later plot. Rather than add new elements to the story as a secret history, Tipton is content to let the characters run in circles. However, Tipton does offer some enjoyable dialogue.  While some parts of Dorothy of Oz Prequel #3 make it a fun read, it too often feels like a combination cash grab/marketing tool to take advantage of and promote the upcoming movie.

For the full review, click here.

2.5/5

G.I. Joe A Real American Hero #180

G.I Joe has been going for along time. With various titles through out history, its no surprise that one of the longest, G.I Joe: A Real American Hero may be running short of ideas. With a recent plot set in Comic-Con, its a toss up between a lack of ideas or blatant fan service. To summarise, G.I Joe: ARMH is decent issue for G.I. Joe. However, the inclusion of Comic-Con does slightly ruin a good storyline. Between the beginning of the issue and the end, there seems to be too much of an obvious shift in plot, to quickly establish the Joes in San Diego. Despite this, regular Joe fans will still find plenty to like.

For the full review, click here.

3/5

Popeye #3

Popeye #3 is a hard issue to review. It does everything right, so it all comes down to the one question; do you like Popeye? I ask this, because Popeye #3 stays strong to the original roots of the character. The art style, in particular, is a prime example of this. Designed to imitate the style of the original comics, Popeye #3 adds better color, yet still gives the impression of an older title. The simple designs may seem aged to some, whilst some will appreciate the decision to imitate the original choices.

For the full review, click here.

3/5

Rocketeer Adventures 2 #4

A collection of short stories, Rocketeer Adventures 2 #4 is a decent stand alone issue, offering various adventures of the Rocketeer. In short, whether you’re familiar with the character or not, Rocketeer Adventures 2 #4 makes for some excellent light reading.

For the full review, click here.

3.5/5

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #7

An excellent jumping-on issue for anyone not entirely familiar with the Transformers universe, Transformers: Robots in Disguise #7 offers a fresh take on the old robots. It says a great deal about Transformers: Robots in Disguise #7 that the plot works so well into the title, creating opportunities to explore the depth and history of the universe, that it’s one of the last things I actually remember after reading.

For the full review, click here.

4.5/5

2000AD #1789

Another week, another issue of 2000AD. Whilst there is some undoubedly British science fiction within these pages, the results this week are somewhat of a mixed bag. In short, there is a fairly good issue of 2000AD. Then again, its hard to judge the issue as a whole when its combined elements are so uniquely different from each other.

For the full review, click here.

4/5

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