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TWILIGHT GUARDIAN #1 (OF 4) |
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Writer:
Troy Hickman |
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Artist:
Sid Kotian |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Image/Top Cow
Comics
Shipped On:
012611 |
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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IMAGE/TOP COW'S SYNOPSIS:
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The Pilot Season Winner Returns! The tale of a lone,
dedicated hero patrolling her nine block suburban neighborhood captured the
imaginations of fans during 2008's Pilot Season and after heated voting emerged
as one of the winning titles. Now Eisner-nominated creator and writer Troy
Hickman (Common Grounds) returns with a four-issue limited series, which will
delve into Twilight Guardian's past, her motivations for crimefighting, and even
give her an arch-nemesis in the terrifying Dusk Devil! Joining Hickman is
up-and-coming artist Siddharth Kotian (Eat The Dead). Issue #1 features a
beautiful painted cover by Eric Jones (Hack/Slash, Unknown). |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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I’m of the opinion that you can never have too many
strong, female role models, especially when Comics’ portrayal of the fairer sex
has been at most one-sided, so when I initially heard of “Twilight Guardian” I
was extremely interested. Maybe I hyped it up too much in my own head. Maybe I
put the idea on a pedestal and there was no way it could possibly live up to my
expectations, because when I finally got the finished book in my hands I
couldn’t find anything to like about it. A valiant effort, sure, but ultimately
it falls flat due primarily to the fact that nostalgia is as much a driving
force behind this title as creativity is.
The story of a woman who patrols a nine-square block radius in her sleepy
suburban neighborhood has the potential to ‘WOW’ readers in all sorts of ways,
but it doesn’t come close. Even when you get past the fact that this lady HAS to
be mentally ill, she just HAS to be, there isn’t enough substance here to keep
my mind from wandering. I found myself asking a bunch of questions, but none of
them pertained to the story at hand. I was more interested in the missed
opportunities, potential plot points that went up in smoke in favor of a rather
dull and boring piece.
There’s a costumed trouble maker attacking people within the Twilight Guardian’s
stomping grounds, and she’s hot on his trail. Unfortunately there’s no
confrontation, and we don’t even get to see the bad guy, though he’s mentioned
by page two. There’s very little in the way of ANYTHING that happens, anything
other than the Twilight Guardian walking around peeping peoples windows and
worrying about frayed Christmas Lights. WTF?! Seriously, who thought that THIS
made for intriguing reading? By the last page the whole book is aping “Kick Ass
2”, and I just don’t have time for this anymore.
The artwork, while competent, lacks any real inspiration. I mean, I don’t blame
the guy; he wasn’t given anything even remotely interesting to draw by writer
Troy Hickman. Kotian has the skills to be a great illustrator, but he’s not
being pushed to create anything in his artwork here. Sure, the brief one-page
shots of comic books the Twilight Guardian reads for ‘inspiration’ display a
certain amount of his creativity, but they’re few and far between. I’d much
rather see Kotian exerting his skills on a title that’s going to push him to his
limits, rather than expecting him to draw the same crap page after page. I was
looking forward to this title, and I guess in a lot of ways it’s my own damn
fault. |
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INFESTATION #1 (of 2) |
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Writers:
Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning |
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Artist:
David Messina |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
IDW
Comics
Shipped On:
012611 |
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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IDW'S SYNOPSIS:
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It begins here! The first-ever IDW event, which
affects the Transformers, G.I. Joe, Ghostbusters, and Star Trek universes! This
dimensions-spanning storyline begins with a specially priced 40-page story by
Abnett & Lanning (The Thanos Imperative) and David Messina (True Blood).
Something goes horribly awry in the Zombies vs Robots universe, threatening to
tear many of IDW's biggest realities asunder! Don't miss the IDW event ten years
in the making! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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“CVO (Covert Vampiric Operations) is the top-secret
squad of Vampire Agents who protect humanity’s fragile, existence from
supernatural danger.” By the end of that sentence, on the inside-front cover, I
wanted to claw my eyes out. Not only did IDW jump on the Zombie-bandwagon, but
just so that it had its pop-cultural/horror trends covered editorial went ahead
and threw some vampire-feds in the book, for good measure. Yikes.
Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, both first-class creators in their own right, have
laid a rather large, unlikable egg here with “Infestation”, the first part of a
sprawling epic that introduces licensed-properties to the popular undead plot
device, zombies. “Transformers”, “Star Trek”, “G.I. Joe”, and “Ghostbusters”;
only one of the aforementioned series even has reason to happen across the
undead and that’s the Ghostbusters. Why would anyone care what happens when a
giant Transformer comes into contact with zombies? No one would, unless the
writers introduced a way for zombies to infect ROBOTS, right? Then EVERYONE
would wanna know, right? Wrong.
“Holy &*&%$! She just zombi-fied a machine!” Yeah, that’s exactly how that line
is delivered, and yes, it’s just as stupid when read in context with the rest of
the scene. I can’t even put into words how mindless this book was, but I’ll try.
As a means of making a crossover with the Transformers work (because otherwise
it would be as stupid as a book called “Zombies VS Robots”…oh, wait…) Abnett and
Lanning had to figure out a way to assure that Zombies would be a threat to
techno-organic life, what readers get is two panels in which nothing is
explained; it just IS.
I understand the need to blend genres as a means to create NEW and DIFFERENT
stories, but would it hurt if these ideas were sensible, or interesting. I
understand that IDW had all these properties that could use a bump in sales, and
a ‘cross-over’ in the traditional sense wouldn’t necessarily work; I get that.
So using a Government Vampire Covert-Ops squad as a framing device editors
figured out a way to launch zombies into four parallel universes; Ok, whatever.
Now, readers have to buy four two-issue mini-series to bridge the gap between
this and the April-shipping second issue…*SIGH*.
Illustrations by Dave Messina were more than adequate at conveying the mish-mash
of genres that found themselves all flushed down the same creative toilet. He’s
a good artist, managing to make even this unreadable drek at the very least fun
to look at. I’d like to see him get a shot at drawing something interesting and
challenging, hopefully he’ll get that chance in the future. His work was further
enhanced by Gaeto Carlucci’s inks and ScarletGothica’s colors. There was an
animated feel to the work, and I thought that suited the cartoon subject matter
quite nicely. It’s a book whose visuals are underserved by the story at hand,
unfortunate considering how pretty it is. |
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AGE OF X ALPHA #1 |
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Writer:
Mike Carey |
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Artists:
Mirco Pierfederici, Paul Davidson, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, Harvey Tolibao and
Carlo Barberi |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics
Shipped On:
012611 |
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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The final war starts here and if you don't know
which side you're on, check your DNA. This kicks off the next big X-Men epic
that will change the course of Mutantkind forever. The survival of their species
rests on the shoulders of the few remaining mutants who are on their last leg.
Who is this mysterious group and at what length will they go to keep their kind
alive? |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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So this…wasn’t…what I was expecting. At all. I was
convinced this was going to play out in the same manner as “Age of Apocalypse:
X-Men: Alpha”, but as opposed to being one single narrative this is more of a
collection of background information on certain role-players in the “Age of X”
as the story barrels on without looking back. We’re introduced to the world the
story is set in, but only through dialogue and back-story, which is fine, I have
no problem waiting to find out what set this pocket universe on such a
dramatically different course than the one we’ve known. What DOESN’T happen is
anything noteworthy, and THAT is a HUGE problem for an ‘event’ book looking to
sink its teeth into a potential audience.
I thought the point of a jumping-on issue is to attract as much attention as
possible to the story you’re attempting to tell. I see that there’s a HUGE,
sprawling epic in the works here, but for the life of me I can’t figure out why
I should care. Aside from standing on the shoulders of the “AoA” story from
ten-plus years ago, is there anything NEW and DIFFERENT, or X-citing about this
story, because if there is let’s hop to it. I don’t have all day.
Back-story and history, that’s all that this book has going for it. On the eve
of the biggest battle of their lives the NOT-X-Men, as they’ve come to be known
in my heart, sit around a campfire and share stories about their pasts. Some
voluntarily espouse their own cause for fighting, others like the red-eyed
Basilisk’s (Cyclops) stories are told second hand. All make for a quick, if
somewhat interesting X-cercise in X-position, but ultimately fall flat as I’m
not so sure what, other than appearance, really sets this story apart from
everything I’ve seen before.
I will of course wait out a couple of issues before delving back into this
story. If it proves to be any good whatsoever, I’ll hear about it and revisit
it, maybe even during dollar days when my money will stretch the farthest. Until
then, I’m just finding missing out on this, amongst the glut of other
mini-events that pepper the Marvel landscape like so many airborne turds from a
passing flock of seagulls, I’m going to step out of the way and see what
everyone comes out smelling like by story’s end. |
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SHAZAM! #1 |
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Writer:
Eric Wallace
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Artist:
Cliff Richards
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC Comics
Shipped On:
012611 |
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MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DC'S SYNOPSIS:
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Blaze, the current ruler of Hell, has an offer for
Mary and Billy Batson that may be too good to pass up! Left powerless, will the
two former heroes have the strength to deny the devil? Can Freddy Freeman save
them? And how does the Titan Osiris fit into it all? Find out here, in this
one-shot special written by Eric Wallace (TITANS) with art by Cliff Richards
(THE ROAD HOME: BATMAN & ROBIN #1) |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Hey, everyone! Shazam is back! In one of the most
nauseating examples of textbook, paint-by-numbers, comic book storytelling, the
world is reintroduced to Freddie Freeman, current Captain Marvel, and while DC
scribe Eric Wallace plays it safe throughout the issue I can’t help but wonder,
why am I still here?
What would, at first glance, appear to be another story about Mary Batson gone
bat-$#!t crazy again, instead heads in the opposite direction, playing it safe,
and opting for the ‘Kids With No Powers Still Make a Difference’ plot device.
Don’t get me wrong, Captain Marvel, I mean, Shazam gets into a big ole’ fight
with some chick; they tear a bunch of stuff up; Captain Marvel, er, SHAZAM gets
the upper hand. He then uses that upper hand to impale some chick (yes, the same
chick he was fighting before) on a statue. Is it just me or should our male
superhero role models NOT be beating up and stabbing women?!
Anyway, I can get over simplistic plot devices, storytelling, and dialogue, as
long as the art moves me to such an extent, I can’t help myself. This is NOT the
case however, as I find Cliff Richards interiors too lackluster. It’s not due to
his own inefficiency as an artist, but rather Eric Wallace’s inability to
deliver anything interesting to look at. Richards does his best to spruce up
this snooze-fest, but ultimately trying to sugar-coat a turd just ends up
turning your fingers brown and making your hands stink.
I’m all for a revamped Captain Marvel…ahem…Shazam. I’d like to see it handled by
top-tier talent. Richards has what it takes, but I’d like to see him paired with
a writer that is going to attempt to give us something NEW and EXCITING. This is
a boy beating up a girl for almost twenty-pages. I get it, she’s a bad, even
evil chick, but c’mon…twenty-pages of intergender combat? HA! I’m not gonna say
DC HATES WOMEN, but…just kidding! |
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SUPERGIRL #60 |
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Writers:
Nick Spencer and James Peaty |
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Artist:
Bernard Chang |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC
Comics
Shipped On:
011911 |
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MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DC'S SYNOPSIS:
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SUPERGIRL welcomes aboard writer Nick Spencer (JIMMY
OLSEN, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS, Morning Glories) and artist Bernard Chang (WONDER
WOMAN, SUPERMAN) for a Girl of Steel story unlike any other! Someone is trying
to kill the young heroes of the DC Universe! Who is this villain, and how can
Supergirl stop him? Maybe her friends can help - namely, Batgirl, Blue Beetle,
Miss Martian, Static and...Robin?! Buckle up, folks, because this one puts the
pedal to the metal on page one and doesn't let up for a second! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Nick Spencer may be comics’ Golden Boy, but is the
Girl of Steel capable of maintaining his attention? I don’t think so. Alright,
maybe that’s not the case, but as this is the ONLY issue of the series that
Spencer’s name is attached to, I can’t imagine him jumping ship so soon.
Remember, only a year or so ago Spencer was launching his fourth creator owned
series, now he’s writing a member of the Superman family (albeit temporarily);
it’s almost as if he was offered a better deal somewhere else (hmmm?)…I wonder.
Anyway, while my review of “Supergirl” is quite a bit late, I’m forced to admit
that I found it extremely enjoyable, and despite my bias (I’m a fan of all of
Spencer’s other work) I would continue to read this book even if he does depart
after simply establishing the set-up. And what a set-up it is…a perturbed
college student with a massive ego and too much time on his hands has developed
an App, called ‘Flyover’, that allows people from all over to report sightings
of super-people. What happens after all the sightings have been coordinated and
such is left open for interpretation, but I imagine it’s nothing good.
There’s also an undercurrent of mystery surrounding Cadmus Labs and their
experimentation with Kryptonian DNA. Lois Lane, ever the intrepid reporter, is
at the center of this mystery, as she almost always is, as she attempts to
uncover the truth. This leads to all sorts of twists and turns as a confidential
informant, Catherine Devereux, is befallen by a tremendous tragedy, one that our
perturbed college student-turned-villain might just be responsible for. It’s an
extremely effective first issue, with typical Spencer pacing that manages to
keep readers on the edge of their seat throughout the story. I know I want to
know what happens next, and if you give it a shot, you probably will as well.
Bernard Chang is a talent made for illustrating the slender, youthful, female
form. His Supergirl is equal parts sexy and powerful, and her college-age
antagonist and his friends are young and hip looking. Lois is gorgeous as ever,
with the right amount of femininity combined with her hard-headed zeal for which
the character is so well known. He gets it. He doesn’t over-sex the lead; he
doesn’t over-muscle the bad guys, but he does capture perfectly the type of
action and angst that teen heroes/heroines thrive on. I enjoy very much the line
work and detail that goes into each panel, and like I said, despite being a
staunch Spencer-supporter, I think I’m going to stick around, even if he
doesn’t. |
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WOLVERINE & JUBILEE #1 (OF 4) |
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Writer:
Kathryn Immonen |
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Artist:
Phil Noto |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel Comics
Shipped On:
011911 |
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MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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STRAIGHT OUT OF THE PAGES OF X-MEN AND RIGHT INTO
THE JUGULAR! Jubilee is about as far away from the ideal X-Man as it is possible
for a 17-year-old minty fresh vampire to be. While the X-Men try to find a way
to give her as normal a life as is inhumanly feasible, her decidedly abnormal
vampire cravings will not be denied. Between that and her newfound powers, she's
winning the fights but not the popularity contests among most of the other
X-Kids. Most...but not all. And just when Jubilee starts to think that there is
no place for her anywhere, a group of vampire women make her an offer she can't
refuse. It seems like the perfect solution...unless Wolverine has anything to
say about it! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Wolverine has worn many hats throughout his long and
illustrious career as a righter-of-wrongs, but none of those roles has ever
brought as much insight into the character’s own past as that of his role as
mentor/father figure/bigger brother to the younger generation of Marvel’s
mutants. I don’t mean Professor Logan, or whatever, from his days as a teacher.
I’m referring more directly to his relationship with younger female
students/pupils/X-ladies, specifically Shadowcat, Jubilee, Hisako, and later
X-23. There’s something about his ability to communicate with these blossoming
young women, and the calming effect their company has on his more animalistic
urges, it makes for truly interesting reading when approached by a writer with
some sense of dialogue, characterization, and plot. Enter Kathryn Immonen!
“Hey.” “Hey.” It was THAT SIMPLE. From that first exchange of dialogue between
two old friends, as sparse as it may have been I BELIEVED that Immonen knew
exactly the kind of relationship these two had. From there Immonen only
continued to nail it, from Wolverine’s James Dean-style cool, to Jube’s icy
demeanor due not only to her being a vampire but also a teenager. She hit her
stride when a conflict in the weight room threatens to put Vampire-Jubilee back
into supervised custody, and again Immonen writes her way out by way of common
sense and honest-to-goodness ‘parenting’ on Wolverine’s part.
Say what you want about the editorial decision-making that went into
transforming Jubilee into a vampire; amidst the trends of Hollywood, television,
and comics it seems like dollar signs were floating around inside the heads of
everyone-involved. By giving the X-Men a mutant, teen, Vampire they’ve just
performed the hat-trick of ostracized. A minority within a minority within a
minority, watchoutnow! Anyway, Kathryn handles the hurdle like a champ, actually
making the reunion of this odd couple something I’m not sure I can miss. Instead
of some over-priced, under-written drek about ‘The Best There Is’, maybe I’ll
shell out a buck less for a title with a little heart? Yeah, that sounds about
right.
Oh, and even though it goes without saying, I’m gonna say it, Phil Noto is awesome.
His style carries with it a certain pop-art feel, and I wasn’t sure I was going
to really like a super-hero comic illustrated by his hand, but what I got when I
opened the book and flipped through was way more than just a ‘little’ surprise.
Inking his own stuff, and backed up with colors by Clayton Cowles, Phil has
brought something completely new to my eye, a streamlined, super-hero friendly
Phil Noto. I like it. I love it. I want some more of it! Without a doubt one of
the best renditions of Wolverine in the current comics market place. BELIEVE IT! |
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AVENGERS ACADEMY #8 |
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Writer:
Christos Gage |
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Artist:
Mike McKone |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel Comics
Shipped On:
011911 |
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MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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Avengers Academy vs. The Hood! The video of Tigra
being beaten by The Hood ends up on the internet -- but what's more dangerous:
how Tigra reacts, or the mission of revenge
the students embark upon? And when they seek out Parker Robbins, are they
getting in way over their heads...or going so far down the path of evil they can
never turn back? And how does it all lead to The Hood's new quest in AVENGERS?
Don't miss this powerful chapter in the hit new series that has Aint It Cool
News raving: "With this simple yet elegant twist...it's nice to see that teenage
angst isn't just for mutants anymore." |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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What may truly be one of the most under-appreciated
books beneath the Marvel umbrella, “Avengers Academy” continues to rock my world
month after month, after month, after month. In this issue Gage and the class
yank on a dangling plot thread left over from Brian Bendis’s previous volume of
“New Avengers”, the vicious attack on Tigra by Parker Robbins, The Hood. By
tackling the issue of ‘payback’ with a group of children, the victims of abuse
themselves, Gage effectively invokes the voice of ‘the victim’ while at the same
time asserting the feline Avenger as a true role model for this group of kids.
As traumatizing as it may have been, Tigra is first and foremost an Avenger, and
as such she has no room in her heat for revenge. Despite her anger,
embarrassment, emotional baggage, or anything else that may still linger from
the assault, she really, honestly believes that justice is best served through
the country’s legal system. This is a response that is both perplexing and
illuminating to the sad-sack group of cast-away children. While they appreciate
Greer’s stance on the subject, they can’t understand how she’s able to turn the
other cheek, especially after a few of them so willingly sought to even the odds
with one Norman Osborn, the man behind their current circumstances.
It’s a one-and-done that goes to show just what one generation of heroes has to
share with the next. It’s a poignant piece in the way it displays the courage of
the scantily-clad cat woman, the way she handles not only the invasion of the
children into her personal experience, then taking it one step further and
sharing with the world via television just what she had to do to overcome such
an assault. By the end of the issue the kids, as they were most likely to do,
have taken the issue into their own hands with…unexpected results.
I’ve read recently that Mike McKone will be leaving the book after the following
issue and that saddens me to no end. His pencils have been like a breath of
fresh air amidst the sea of similarity. His style is unmatched in its ability to
breathe life into unseen characters, creating emotive, stylish, and most
importantly effective stories. I’ve yet to hear what he’ll be working on next,
but I’ll be watching for it, no doubt about it. I’ve heard some names bandied
about in terms of follow-up artists, Sean Chen and Tom Raney, and while neither
one of those names is a kick-in-the-sack, I’ll have to wait and see what they
bring to the table before I make a final call. |
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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #652 |
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Writer:
Dan Slott |
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Artist:
Stefano Caselli |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel Comics
Shipped On:
011911 |
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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REVENGE OF THE SPIDER-SLAYER Part 1 of 3 "Army of
Insects", THE SCORPION was just the beginning! Alistair Smythe, THE
SPIDER-SLAYER, has returned, and Mac Gargan isn't the only subject he's
upgraded. The Spider-Slayer is about to unleash an entire INSECT ARMY on
Spider-Man's world! And as part of his ultimate revenge, Smythe is out turn one
of Spidey's first ever victories into one of his biggest losses. Everyone is at
risk. Big changes are coming! Don't you dare miss an issue! All this, plus an
all-new story showing a hidden side of Mac Gargan's past! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Featuring what may be one of the most effective and
gripping covers I’ve seen from ‘Amazing’ in quite a while, Dan Slott is back for
his second arc as the series’ only writer, and this time he’s brought the second
of three artists scheduled to share the book’s penciling chores, Stefano Caselli.
After last issue’s back-up prologue to this arc, featuring Caselli, I was more
than stoked to see this issue hit stands, as Stefano’s pencils really invoke the
spirit of Todd McFarlane’s linework, one of my favorite Spider-Man artists of
all time. What I got was MORE than I bargained for, as Slott and company manage
to heat things up both in Spidey’s personal life as well as his crime-fighting
career, without either over-shadowing the other.
Smythe and Spider-Slayers, and no not the giant, robotic monsters that Spidey
has fought time and again, but actually bug-men and women that serve no purpose
other than trying to kill the Wall-Crawler, that’s what this issue is all about.
Alistaire Smythe is out for revenge against J. Jonah Jameson, and he’s brought
Mac Gargan, once again The Scorpion. He’s also managed to scout a small group of
others in hopes of stacking the deck against New York’s new Mayor, and that’s
not to mention the bevy of cloned insect-people that make up his first wave of
attack. Smythe’s plan is simple this time around, not seeking simply to
eradicate his target, but also everyone whom Jameson holds dear.
His new found dream job at Horizon Labs has landed Peter Parker a front-row seat
to the launch of a shuttle piloted by career-spaceman John Jameson. Of course,
Parker-luck being what it is, more bad than good, the launch is interrupted by
Smythe and his new crew of Slayers, and it’s up to Spidey to save everyone’s
bacon. After a rather smart back-and-forth between Spidey and the Mayor, Peter
has to rush to keep up with the launching space-craft, only to receive the bum’s
rush by way of The Scorpion, who’s already waiting for him on board.
Caselli is, after only one issue, cementing himself as the Spider-Man
artist-to-watch. I’m aware of the popularity of Humberto Ramos, and the beauty
of Marcos Martin, but I wasn’t truly enlightened to the excitement that Caselli
brings to the page. His action is truly off the charts, and his characters are
both emotive and expressive. He’s equal parts McFarlane and McGuire (another of
my favorites, even if he’s not a Spider-Man artist), and at the same time he’s
an entirely new beast altogether. I’ll eagerly await the next issue, as well as
anything else illustrated by him, especially his future issues of “The Amazing
Spider-Man”. |
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SPAWN #200
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Writer:
Todd McFarlane |
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Artists:
Todd McFarlane and Michael Golden |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Image Comics
Shipped On:
011211 |
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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IMAGE'S SYNOPSIS:
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In June of 1992 the first issue of TODD McFARLANE's
SPAWN hit bookshelves in record numbers. Now, 17 years later, the new Spawn, Jim
Downing, comes head to head with the biggest enemy of the Spawn universe, with
his new sidekick Clown. Can this dynamite duo team up long enough to survive the
return of a ruthless Spawn villain? And what happens when GOD gets into the
action? This double-sized issue is jam packed with over a dozen of comic's
greatest creative talents. SPAWN #200 features the long awaited return of TODD
MCFARLANE and GREG CAPULLO to interior artwork! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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I guess the more things change the more they really
do stay the same. It’s been so long since I’ve bothered to crack open an issue
of “Spawn”, and to think that one weekend, years ago, I read a consecutive
hundred-and-nineteen issues…sigh, those were the days. It’s not that I miss the
book, because I don’t, and this issue only served to back up my assertion that
I’ve outgrown this title, but I do remember when all it took to amuse me was
pretty pictures and lots of back-and-forth fighting and the like. “Spawn”, in my
opinion, may have jumped the shark some number of years ago, but you have to
hand it to Todd McFarlane, the guy sure does devote himself to something, even
if it takes him a million years to finish it.
Did you know that Spawn is no longer a black guy named Al, but rather a white
guy named Jim?! Me either, until I crack open this two-hundredth issue and
received a bit of schooling to the latest history of Hellspawn. Apparently
long-time Spawn, Al Simmons, removed himself from the equation (sorta) by
committing ‘suicide’, forcing the “Spawn” symbiote to find itself a new host in
Jim Something-or-Other. As Spawn, Al, attempts to end his own un-life he creates
the Omega-class of Spawn, an idea originally debuted in “Image United”…or,
whatever. The truth is, as convoluted as all of this sounds, it’s even more of a
headache to try and make heads-or-tails of when you read the book. Seriously,
I’m breaking it down about as far as it gets…
The most disappointing thing about this anniversary issue is just how closely it
resembles the situations presented in the earliest of Spawn issues. There’s a
new Spawn…Violator, in his Clown alter-ego, is attempting to woo the new Spawn
into his fold…Some demons fight in a New York City alleyway…Sam and
Twitch…*sigh*.
It’s almost as if NO time has passed since 1992 and the debut of Todd
McFarlane’s meal ticket. This is the SAME stuff I was reading way back when…I’m
introduced to a whole new Spawn by way of comic-book rerun?! How does that, in
any way, serve to benefit long-time readers, returning readers, or altogether
NEW readers?!
As an artist, Todd McFarlane is still in peak form. His style sits as well with
me now as it did when I first discovered it. FCO Plascencia’s colors serve the
story two-fold, as it seems a return to the old guard was obviously the theme
Todd was going for, Plascencia must have poured over older issues to absorb as
much as he could from them. This book FEELS like it was drawn alongside issues
1-12. The second is, for a book with VERY LITTLE to look at in the way of
backgrounds, or details of any sort, Plascencia creates an eerie atmosphere that
ramps up the feeling of urgency this title tries to perpetrate. Unfortunately
for me, all I felt was an urgent need for it all to be over. |
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DAREDEVIL REBORN #1 Of (4) |
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Writer:
Andy Diggle |
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Artist:
Davide Gianfelice |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel Comics
Shipped On:
011211 |
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MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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The apocalyptic events of SHADOWLAND have left the
once-proud legacy of Daredevil in tatters. Now, far from the mean streets of
Hell's Kitchen, a new evil is rising, and the only man crazy enough to face it
is a man with nothing left to lose. The road to Hell was paved with good
intentions, but the long road to redemption is the far harder path... |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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I feel two ways about this. I love Daredevil so much
that I’m practically willing to forgive creators for anything they do, thanks in
no small part to the work of Bendis and Brubaker, Miller and Nocenti. Daredevil
has been a must-read for me for a while now, and that included the
less-than-stellar “Shadowland” mini-series, effectively taking DD off the board
for the time-being. By separating Matt Murdock from his home-turf of Hell’s
Kitchen, Diggle has essentially given the character limitless boundaries from
which stories could develop, but has he also cut the character off from the one
thing that made him different from the rest of the caped crowd of the Marvel U?
Daredevil, for a time, was as synonymous with New York as Spider-Man; he was the
man whose job it was to protect the little guy, by way of both his nightly
costumed activity AND his legal practice. The idea that you could take the
character out of his stomping-grounds and set him off on some sort of spiritual
journey of self-discovery was a little off-putting, but I was willing to go
with, just this once. The debut issue of “Daredevil Reborn” finds Matt wandering
the dusty roads of the country’s more rural areas, until he comes across a
small, seemingly nameless town. There is, of course, something strange afoot, or
else this wouldn’t be much of a comic book, and soon Matt finds himself at the
mercy of a gang of thugs.
So there he is, getting his @$$ kicked when the local Sheriff comes to his
‘rescue’. This is all shortly followed up by said Sheriff offering Matt two
options, get the hell out of town or spend some time in lock-up. Matt, ever the
line-stepper, does a little digging and the town’s elusive mysteries only grow
ten-fold. It’s nothing I haven’t ever seen before, but it’s something I haven’t
seen DAREDEVIL deal with, so the possibilities seem a bit more inspired, a bit
more dangerous, and even deadly. You could easily compare the ‘man without a
home’ theme to that of the old “Incredible Hulk” television program, or even
that of JMS’s latest take on the Man of Steel, but at the same time everything
is a bit foreign too, as if seen through the eyes of the blind.
I’m excited. For too long Daredevil has been saddled with a great deal of
baggage, Catholic guilt and the like, and this is a somewhat-refreshing change
of pace, but at the same time I’m reminded of the old adage, ‘If it ain’t broke…yadda,
yadda, yadda.” I’m always excited when characters get a kick-in-the-pants,
sending them in an unexplored direction, but the fanboy inside of me is still
screaming “WHY?!” (more in response to the “Shadowland” stuff, but this IS a
direct outcome of that series). Davide Gianfelice goes a long way toward calming
my nerves, as his pencils are immaculate, beautifully finished, and truly
different from what we’ve seen as far as Horn-Head is concerned. I’m excited for
the saga to continue, I just hope the destination is as thrilling as the journey
to get there. |
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WONDER GIRL #1 |
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Writer:
J.T. Krul |
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Artist:
Adriana Melo |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC Comics
Shipped On:
011211 |
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MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DC'S SYNOPSIS:
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Spinning out of the pages of TEEN TITANS comes this
spotlight on Cassie Sandsmark, the wonderful Wonder Girl! Even though not every
moment of Wonder Girl's life is spent being a Titan, strange adventures still
follow her everywhere. In this issue, she'll cross paths with the odd new hero
known as Solstice! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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It’s a good thing that super-villains only attack a
place when there’s more than one costumed hero around. As is the case with most
paint-by-numbers one-shots, “Wonder Girl” unearths practically every trope in
the comic book writer’s handbook and sticks to them like some sort of scared
child does its mother’s leg. I have no problem discovering new characters, and
yes, I know that Wonder Girl has been around for a long time, but as someone who
has no use for the “Teen Titans” I haven’t been exposed to the character as much
as some of you have. I figured a one-shot like this would be a perfect way to
find out if Wonder Woman Jr. has what it takes to keep my attention; SPOILER
WARNING: it doesn’t.
While on a visit to see her mother in London, Cassie, an archeological
enthusiast, roams about the museum in which her mother works. She bumps into
another girl who shares her passion for civilizations long since passed, Kiran,
and together the pair explores the cavernous halls of Great Britain’s Natural
History Museum. It’s a good thing Cassie is also a superhero because without
warning stone monsters rise from the ground and begin to wreck the museum and
its many exhibits. It’s at this point that Krul delivers his first and perhaps
only curveball of the story; Cassie may not be the only costumed do-gooder
roaming the museums halls.
The villain is revealed, and then promptly defeated. There’s little in the way
of resolution, just a lot of hugs going around amongst family and new found
friends. I’m always wary of a story that offers no substance, and this is one of
those stories. I don’t know what Krul’s point was, or if he ever had one, but as
far as I’m concerned this was little more than space-filler on store shelves. I
can’t see one thing coming out of this book that’s going to stick around, with
the possible exception of the new hero that Krul spent NO TIME devoting
characterization to. I’m sure, at some point or another, that she’ll show up in
the pages of Teen Titans now that she has an ‘in’ by way of Wonder Girl.
If there’s anything about this book that I find worth checking out it’s the
pencils of Adriana Melo. Her ability to pack panels with detail without
diminishing the quality of her line-work and story telling deserves praise.
She’s the kind of artist I want to see on a regular series, month in and month
out, delivering these kinds of goods on a top-tier title. It’s like that 80’s
song by Roxette; she’s got the look, now she just needs ample opportunity to
display her talents for the rest of the world to see. The rest of the
comic-reading world, that is. |
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ULTIMATE COMICS CAPTAIN AMERICA #1 (OF 4) |
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Writer:
Jason Aaron |
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Artist:
Ron Garney |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel Comics
Shipped On:
010511 |
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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Captain America meets his ultimate nemesis-the
Captain America of the Vietnam War! As new enemies face off, old secrets from
the super soldier project are revealed. From the superstar Wolverine: Weapon X
creative team of Jason Aaron and Ron Garney, get ready for a hard hitting story
of one man's quest to serve his country...and the sacrifices he must make. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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After seriously surprising runs on a couple of
different “Wolverine” titles, there was NO WAY I was going to miss the debut of
Aaron/Garney in Marvel’s Ultimate Universe. Ultimate Cap, while visually similar
to his 616 counterpart, is a far cry from the Captain America that we fans have
known for as long as most of us have been alive. He’s a bit more in-your-face, a
bit more crass, and seriously, seriously BAD-ASS. He also happens to have been
handled primarily by one writer throughout the character’s ten-plus year tenure
in the Ultimate U, Mark Millar, but if anyone seems more than capable of
capturing the spirit of those early issues of “The Ultimates” it’s Jason Aaron.
So Cap gets the crap kicked out of him this issue. It’s surprising, yes, because
he’s Captain-freaking-America, but also because of WHO it is that’s laying a
serious whooping on the star-spangled Avenger, er, Ultimate. Aaron introduces
the Captain America of Vietnam, a fill-in character that took on the mask and
shield while Cap was frozen in a big block of ice. This isn’t a NEW idea, as
there’s been replacement Captain Americas for a long, long time, but as far as
this character’s identity is concerned, it’s quite a shocker. I don’t want to
give anything away, but long-time fans of Marvel Comics have come across this
guy before, numerous times in fact.
After seeing the way Cap got his ass handed to him, and more than once in fact,
I would typically hold out little hope for the tables to turn, IF this wasn’t a
first issue. The fact that Jason Aaron piles so much $#!t atop our title
character in this debut issue of the miniseries really makes me wonder just how
low things can get for Steve Rogers. I haven’t really been privy to a number-one
that so prides itself on making the main character out to be a complete victim,
and even though Steve is more than capable of delivering a few chilling
one-liners, he does spend most of his time taking a beating from a younger, and
seemingly stronger super-soldier.
Ron Garney is one of those guys who may not make it on certain sites “Top Ten
Artists” lists, or whatever, but his books are some of the most incredibly
illustrated works on shelves. He’s a guy whose style is both simple and clean
while retaining more detail and atmosphere than many artists are able to
deliver. I’ve never, NEVER been let down by a book illustrated by Garney, and
this issue is no different. I appreciate, even though I’m ‘pro-ink’, the man’s
decision to skip the inking process, or at least ink his work himself if that’s
the case, and when he joins forces with colorist Jason Keith the pair
establishes an animated look to a two-dimensional picture book. Together they
deliver a rich viewing experience, almost motion picture-like in its momentum.
This is a series to watch! |
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STEEL #1 |
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Writer:
Steve Lyons |
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Artist:
Ed Benes
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC Comics
Shipped On:
010511 |
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MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DC'S SYNOPSIS:
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"REIGN OF DOOMSDAY," Chapter One.
John Henry Irons is a normal human being who managed to overcome all odds and
become a hero who Superman considers a peer and colleague. What kind of
determination drives a man to reach such heights? Doomsday has returned to
Metropolis, and Steel is the only hero who can keep him from destroying the
city! But how can Steel, a normal human, possibly hope to stop the monster who
killed Superman? Doctor Who novelist Steve Lyons and artist Ed Benes (BIRDS OF
PREY) deliver a story that shows why Steel is a true DC Universe icon! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Before you continue reading I must warn you, this
review contains one rather large spoiler. If the fate of the title character
matters to you in the slightest then I would suggest that you stop reading HERE,
and just go read the book for yourself. IF you’re NOT one to get hung up about
someone revealing secrets in the midst of a review, awesome, keep reading!
I have only one question regarding the “Steel” one-shot, which just so happens
to kick off the “Reign of Doomsday” mini-event that will encompass not only THIS
title, but also “The Outsiders”, “Superboy” and, um, something else…Why? Why was
it necessary to bring back a 90’s throwback, Doomsday, in order to wipe the
slate clean of another 90’s throwback, Steel. Oh, and just so we’re clear,
Doomsday ‘kills’ Steel at the end of this issue, so don’t expect a number-two
any time soon, unless of course you’re talking about poop, which is certainly an
apt analogy in this case.
I’m not hard-up about killing characters, killing minority characters or
anything of the sort. If it’s a natural story progression advancing the over-all
plot, as far as I’m concerned, writer’s can ‘off’ whomever they like. My problem
stems from the dramatic lack of any emotion surrounding the ‘death’ of John
Henry Irons (which I still think is a stupid name for a character), which, as is
the case in most comics, may simply be little more than wool pulled over our
eyes, a misdirection to garner media buzz. Re-introducing Steel and then killing
him a scant thirty-or-so pages later doesn’t resonate with me, as I’m sure it
fails to do with a majority of people that either don’t care about, or aren’t
familiar with the character at all.
“Reign of Supermen”, for what is was, was an interesting take on what makes
Superman “Superman”. Each of the four ‘replacement Supermen’ represented a
certain facet of Big-Blue’s personality, and the most interesting to me, even
then, was the entirely human ‘Steel’. Armed with a suit of armor and a powerful
hammer, Steel donned the ‘S’ emblem and set about righting the wrongs he
inadvertently put in action as a weapons designer for some shady corporation. It
wasn’t a particularly inspired back-story, but it really exemplified the
‘everyman’ take on Superman that is most easily over-shadowed by the character’s
own alien origin.
As far as this particular issue is concerned, readers are thrust into the middle
of a conflict between Doomsday and Steel with little explanation other than
‘Doomsday showed up in Metropolis again and the ONLY hero within a million miles
is STEEL!’ Oh go f*** yourself. You’re telling me that the one thing capable of
killing Superman, other than Kryptonite, is running loose in Metropolis and
EVERY HERO in the DCU hasn’t come to the rescue? That one guy in a METAL SUIT
with a SLEDGE HAMMER is all that stands between the citizens of Metropolis and
certain doom? No, thanks. I don’t buy it, and you probably shouldn’t either.
Everything about the issue is corny and stupid, from Steel’s niece showing up,
sans powers she received in ‘52’, thinking she was going to be of some help, to
the little boy whose “favorite hero in the whole wide world” is Steel because
he’s the ‘human Superman’. The only thing the book is missing is a cutesy-wootsy,
cuddly puppy dog and a musical montage and it is primetime ABC Family, here we
come! Sure there’s the whole fight scene that ramps up the violence levels
considerably, but it’s little more than run of the mill super-characters
throwing each other around. Seen it once, you’ve seen it a thousand times.
Even Ed Benes, a creator I could get behind most of the time, doesn’t really
seem to bring his A-game to the table here. His uninspired work does little to
redeem such an empty attempt at capitalizing on 90’s themes. Nothing about his
work here is remarkable, except how ordinary and lackluster it seems to be.
There’s very little in the way of detail, backgrounds, and any semblance of
‘story telling’ because, well, there’s such little story to tell. But what do
you expect when a creative team is instructed to tell a story, after planning
out something different, but they don’t know what direction this is going to
take.
Make no mistake; this is an editorially mandated piece of trash. Lyons and
whomever had plans to do a “Steel” one-shot, but the villain was supposed to be
Amazo and the title character wasn’t going to die at the end. Then someone
thought about things, or more concisely didn’t think about things thoroughly
enough, and the decree was handed down. Amazo is out, Doomsday is in. Oh, and
we’re not going to let you give away any clues as to what the hell is going on,
just ‘fight, fight, fight, die, die die’. I could go on and on about why I hate
this book, spewing venom like some kind of sulking internet message boarder, but
the truth is I just don’t wanna. I feel like beating myself over the head with a
hammer until I can’t feel anything anymore, that’s how bad this book is. |
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All Books/Characters pictured herein are © Copyright 2011 by their respective
owners. No rights given or implied by Alternate Reality, Incorporated.
Reviews © 2011 Alternate Reality, Inc.
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"The opinions expressed in the reviews below are not necessarily those of Alternate Reality, Inc. Hey, I don't agree with all of them either!"
