Green Arrow #6 - Well, the last book from the old creative team for Green Arrow is out, albeit minus the original penciller, and it's strangely my favourite issue yet! This achievement comes once more on the backs of two recurring characters I enjoy far more than old Oliver Queen - Blood Rose and Midas! In this issue we learn a little more about their origin and connection to the Archer, as well as a shocking surprise! I won't give away any more, but if you liked the first part of the story, you'll like this one too.
So Green Arrow was one of the books I was considering dropping at issue 4...now I guess I better give the NEW creative team at least a few books. Doesn't hurt that it comes out on a week when only 2 other comics I buy appear...If only I could drum up more enthusiasm for a hero with a bow and arrow...I prefer my heroes to dress up like bats and shout at everybody! Don't they know?
Overall Run:
Pros:
- The overall story line has slowly been building and becoming more enjoyable
- Back-up characters are likeable and interesting
Cons:
- The actual business of crime-fighting for Green Arrow is pretty dull, especially the first 4 issues.
- In a world with Superman, Batman, the Flash, etc....Green Arrow just seems silly and small-potatoes. He's not done anything impressive enough in the new 52 to convince me otherwise...
Score: 2 out of 5 bull's eyes...need more practice!
As always, more after the jump!!!
Action Comics #6 - Hmmmm. It's amazing how many properties I really enjoy that involve time-travel. Back to the Future, The Terminator, Star Trek, and....Action Comics???? Actually, scratch that last one. It featured time travel, but I didn't really enjoy it much.
This month's issue somewhat confusingly features a Superman from the future fighting to preserve the past by remembering things from the slightly-more-distant past that we never even knew about. Meanwhile, the present-day Superman (who is actually in the past since this whole title is 5 years behind the rest of the New 52. I think. It's hard to figure out...Justice League is such a wild card) is not really in this issue.
There's a secondary story about Clark and his parents that I really enjoyed, although the pencils were rough. People will probably hate it but I thought it was nice. It's depressing how many New 52 heroes have dead parents, and it's nice to see some of the interaction between Clark and his parents BEFORE they died, since to me it seemed that they were such an integral part of the morals and values of the pre-reboot Superman. I'm glad that hasn't changed, even if Jonathan and Martha's status amongst the living has.
Overall Run:
Pros:
-Intricate and imaginative retelling of the Superman origin and his early days in Metropolis, feeling both familiar and fresh.
- I LOVE the T-shirt, Jeans, Combat Boots and Red Cape look of the just-starting-out Superman and can't wait to see how he evolves to the Man of Steel who appears in the Justice League and Superman.
Cons:
- The continuity and time-line for this run of Action Comics is a little muddled and hard to follow, going back and forth in time in Clark's life and now adding time travel on top of it.
- Superman's origin has been told and retold so many times that it seems like old news to a lot of readers. It's hard to get people excited about Krypton exploding....
- Just a personal pet peeve, but I wish the "S" on Superman's cape was still yellow. Black doesn't look as good.
Score: 3.5 out of 5 yellow "S" shields! Good work!
Detective Comics #6 - This month's Detective continues last month's story, as Batman discovers that the mysterious assassin he was chasing last issue is actually a woman with an eye-patch. he's tracked her to the Iceberg Casino to try and bust up an explosives ring. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne's "date", Cameron Hampton is an investigative reporter doing undercover research on the Penguin and his Iceberg Lounge . It turns out that the eye-patch wearing female is Jill Hampton, Cameron's sister! With the help of her accomplish, a man named Snakeskin who can change his face at will, she seems to be planning to blow up the lounge!
All this is happening while Penguin is holding some sort of meeting in his V.I.P. section, where it appears he's trying to put together a team of extraordinary-powered villains. I'm certain he's not planning to sell girl scout cookies door-to-door! Poor Batman. World's busiest crime-fighter...
Overall Run:
Pros:
- A grimy and realistic portrayal of the Dark Knight Detective doing what he does best...solving mysteries alone in the night. Great artwork and writing, the most grounded and realistic version of the Bat.
- The plot of the last 6 issues has been intriguing and unpredictable, beginning with the Joker's disappearance, with many plot-threads kept open and ongoing. A great balance of right-away satisfaction and long-term storytelling.
Cons:
- The violence and murder in this comic may seem excessive, especially for younger readers. Definitely not the Batman comic you buy for your 8-year old.
Score: 4 out of 5 razor-sharp batarangs!
Short but sweet this week with only 3 titles! There are 5 Wednesday's in February so perhaps the release schedule is slightly staggered. I could google it but I prefer the suspense. Stay tuned next week for another 6 number 6's, including Green Lantern and Batgirl!! Plus more overall run reviews! Have a good week!
No comments:
Post a Comment