Panel Of The Week - 03.12.2012 - "Dr. Von Hurrrm..."

After Watchmen?

No.

Rorschach?

Not either.

But this panel surely cracked me up. From Winter Soldier #3 by Ed Brubaker and Butch Guice.

Rorschach reference FTW.

Shazam!

Big Red Cheeze no more. And looks more like... Ezio Auditore?

Just kidding. I like the new style and the idea of this guy's powers rooted more into sorcery and magic. Fits him very well.

"Nothing is true... Everything is permitted. *KRAKOOM!"
Art by Gary Frank

It would be interesting as to how Geoff Johns will solve the "introductory problems" when the time has come for him to let the Justice League know his name.

Captain Mar... er, Shazam will "debut" in Justice League #7 to be released on March 21.

Full interview transcript can be read via the NEW YORK POST.

Panel Of The Week - 03.05.2012 - "Its a Bird! Its a Plane!"

There are so many great panels this week, but I'm biased on this one just because I frickin' love Supes no matter how sucky his recent books have been (except for Action), and also due to the fact that Superman felt like Superman this time around in this marvelous double page spread from JL # 6: 

Turn on the John Williams' Superman theme for full effect.  

Earth 2 Superman Design Is Better Than DCnU Supes!

You may very well heard about the Earth 2 initiative by DC now and whether you like it or not, its gonna happen folks. I'm not here to talk about that though (but it does pose a very interesting argument), but instead, i'm here to talk about this Earth 2 Supes design by DC Co-Publisher Jim Lee:

Holy smokes, this is looks a LOT better than the collared and uber-piped Supes costume in the DCnU. It pays homage to the old suit, the All-Star Superman suit, its got a nice yellow thingy with the belt which is nice, and finally Lee's twist to the iconic logo is superb here. Wonder why he didn't thought of this before. 

But wait there's one more thing! Its those annoying pointy boot designs. He's not Batman, and those pointy stuff doesn't fit the bill. I suggest go for the traditional boots or anything and completely avoid the ugly boot logos. 

By the way, even though i think that the Earth 2 concept contradicts DC's new 52 goal - I'm pretty excited for  the Earth 2 and World's Finest books coming out in May - just because maybe they can cook up some good Superman stories with that setup. DcNU Supes kind of sucks, especially the current on going. Its a shame. 

Latest Comic Book Reviews - 03.01.2012

Haven't posted in a long long time, i know. Been busy with work making moolahs (we all have to, don't we?), but I still read comics every week just to a little bit of entertainment and take a break from the exhausting work and stress.

So here are some books that I read recently:

Justice League #6 
by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee
Published by DC Comics

We have been given some less-than impressive issues since this whole thing started, but this issue kind of gave everything fans wanted to see: the Justice League finally kicking Darkseid's ass and establishing their description as the "World's Greatest Superheroes". They didn't kill Darkseid, but they managed to bring him back to the hell hole he came from courtesy of Cyborg and the team's collective effort. JL #6 also introduces new readers to those "boom tubes", "mother boxes" and Darkseid's henchmen. Oh, and Jim Lee's ever so-90s art is present too with his ridiculously detailed action double-spreads.

Also introduced is that mysterious lady that appeared in all the DC New 52 books and the enigmatic Phantom Stranger. Interestingly yummy.

And with that, I give this issue a rating of....

4 out of 5 Mother Boxes!

Daredevil #9
by Mark Waid and Paolo Rivera
Published by Marvel Comics

When will Mark Waid's DD brillance stop? I don't know, but we're lucky to have him writing this awesome series. And the latest issue continues Matt Murdock's mission on solving the mystery of the missing and stolen coffins - which apparently includes his dad's. Its a simple story but yet Waid manages to mix in thrill, excitement, action, scary moloids, and even show the dynamic in Black Cat and DD's relationship after that one night stand they had last issue. And yes, the whole thing still revolves around that mysterious Reed Richards hardrive, but somehow Waid managed to make me forget about that for a bit. And when he did remind me that the hard drive is still the main focus (this time involving Black Cat), it hit me with a bang. Now things just became a bit more complicated for DD.

No need to review Rivera's pencils, because if you have been reading this book you know that its sooooo good. There's so much going on in every panel that it's hard to take you eyes off of it. 

And with that DD gets...

5 out of 5 Reed Richards data drives!!!

Voodoo #6 
by Ron Marz and Sami Basri
Published by DC Comics

Okay... after that reveal last issue, this Voodoo thing just got crazier. And i mean crazy in a bad way because we still don't know who Voodoo is, and now we learn that she was a clone of the real Priscilla Kitaen and we do not who how the hell did that happen. Issue #6 doesn't answer those questions either as it spends more time giving us what we already know and gives emphasis to neck-slashing and Voodoo killing off Daemonites. And Agent Fallon is almost  non-existent in this issue by the way, and that's a turn off for me. The meeting with the "Council" (whoever these guys are) at the end is good though and gives me hope that we're finally going to get some answers come issue 7. 

But still, the writing on this book is starting to get boring for me and the only thing that keeps me tuned is Sami Basri's ever-clean pencils. But that has to improve too as I have seen no additions to his game asides from better facial expressions. Backgrounds are still too simple and he still relies too much on close-ups. That can only take you too far. 

So for that, Voodoo receives...

2 out of 5 Daemonite heads

The Flash #6 

by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato 

Published by DC Comics

Now that the Mob Rule arc is finished, its time to get some Captain Cold goodness and we saw that last issue when he was introduced with a not-so-surprising hoodie get up (you know, hoodies and collars are hip in the DC universe these days). Now in this issue, Captain Cold's background is explored a bit and it involves drama of course, but the most interesting part is his reinvention of his power set. Gone are the freeze guns and it looks like Cold's powers are innate and are within his body, thus he has more control over it, making him a more serious villian. Credit the writers for making this happen. Bye Bye Mr. Freeze references. 

Nothing special happens as the story centers a good old-fashioned matchup between The Scarlet Speedster and Captain Cold while throwing in some Speed Force trivia, little bit of the Wally-Patty Spivot romance, and a new Flash gadget along the way... but what really sells this issue though is the amazing art which has become the staple of this Flash reboot right from day 1. From the clever play on the title introductions almost hidden in the icy tower backgrounds, to the full double page spread of a boat cracking in half, to the Flash using his powers to save the day... is just pure creativity at its highest level.  Sequencial art being honed to its full potential by Manapul and Buccellato. Incredible.

Obviously, I'm all praise for this title so this gets...

5 out of 5 Flash Treadmills!!! (the superb art really trumps the "just okay" story) 

American Vampire #24 

by Scott Snyder and Rafael Alberquerque

Published by Vertigo

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Our favorite vampire Skinner Sweet is back. And I'm not so sure though if this was intended to be a surprise because right from the end of Death Race part 1, I already knew that this vamp our beloved Travis is hunting is Skinner. There's couldn't by anybody else than him. Now that we got that out of the way, let's continue.

This picks up immediately where we left off with AV #23 and Snyder does his magic once again by interweaving Sweet and Travis' pasts, connecting Travis to the Vassals of the Morning Star and simply creating a believable universe within these two characters . He breathes life into them, making us readers feel the horror, the sweat, the suspense, the high stakes of the race, and even the dark and dry setting of the desert. Skinner is unrelenting. Travis is losing his cool. This is about survival. About consequences. And Snyder gets all of these across with justification and clarity.

And let me also give a big hand of applause to Alberquerque for staying on top of his game and giving more and more effort into this book each and every time. Though its Snyder who gives the character's life, its Alberquerque who makes them move, run, scream, and feel pain - he gives his art an authentic feel to it thus making a huge emotional impact on its readers and more importantly, brings genuine magic when combined with Snyder's masterful wordplay. 

One more issue remains for this Death Race arc, and I'm feeling that we're gonna get a pretty sad goodbye to one of AV's memorable characters. I think I'm gonna cry if that's the case. 

Still one of Vertigo's best on-going, this gets...

5 out of 5 Molotov Cocktails

Highlander: Way of the Sword TPB (2006-2008)

by JT Krul and Carlos Rafael

Published by Dynamite Entertainment

This collection was a four issue comic book limited series based on the popular cult franchise - Highlander and stars Connor McLeod in a story where he simply searches to retrieve his sword (well, his mentor Ramirez' sword) when he lost it to long time nemesis The Kurgan by accident eons ago.

Yes that's the whole story in a nutshell, but along the way you get a lot of the trademark Highlander pieces that made it a cult favorite in the 90s. You get awesome sword fighting, gore, lots of blood, heads flying everywhere, and orgasmic Quickening. You get to travel in different time periods as well, which to be honest, gets a bit confusing when the setting suddenly changes from 1966 to 845 AD for example. And as with McLeods, there's the one night stand turning into romance which then turns into sad tragedy. Oh Immortals. They're like "the walking dead". 

In any case, I have to say JT Krul's writing here is great. I really enjoyed it. Never too cheesy, over-the-top angry or depressing, with the just right amount of tone appropriate for every situation and he does takes it up a notch in the ending with a nice send off narration. 

This book is cool especially for fans of the franchise and its packed with great art from Rafael too. Sword choreography is great, he doesn't hold back on depicting over the top violence, and he's pretty good with facial expressions too. You really see the anger and despair in the characters and feel them. His Christopher Lambert version is good too as well as his backgrounds, so that's a plus. Only downside is that he draws his anatomy too muscular especially for women, but other than that, his art is solid.

So with that said, I'm giving this...

4 out of 5 Immortal Heads 

Feel free to comment and discuss some of these books in the comment section. 

Best Supergirl and Huntress Midriffs... EVER.

I know I know, these might be photoshopped, but still... these damn midriffs are driving me crazy.

[via ComicsAlliance]

Panel of the Week - 11.04.2011 - "What's up Doc!?"

So many big time books this week and I don't have more than enough time to review them all so I thought why not pick the best panel out of the pile of titles this week at least? Sounds like a good idea so here we go:

The best panel from this week goes to...

**(ROLL ON SNARE DRUM)**

***SPOILERS!!!***

Alan Moore is Rorschach [Video]

This clip is from "The Mindscape of Alan Moore" where he talks about magnum opus - Watchmen - and how he and artist Dave Gibbons thought of the issues that they raised through out the book. Its good stuff especially coming the mastermind of the greatest comic book of all time.

But arguably the best part of this clip is down the 3 minute mark, where Moore himself reads some of Rorschach's lines, and damn.... its eerily creepy and awesome at the same time. No disrespect to Jackie Earle Haley, but fuck - Alan Moore IS Rorschach.

The Best Krypto Cosplay EVER

Let's see if any of you would disagree that this dog is undeniably Superman's best buddy:

That's what I thought.

[via ComicVine]

Happy Halloween Everyone!

 

The Weekend Recap - 10.23.2011: The Crow DVD Review and more Walking Dead goodness begins

This is a late post because its freaking Friday here already in the Philippines, but its better late than never right?

So this past Saturday I finally got to watch the hyped Brandon Lee cult-classic "The Crow" - a movie adaptation based on the gothic/horror comic book series from James O' Barr.

What did I think of it?

First off, let me say that the hype and legend surrounding this movie was very well deserved. I thought it was one of those stink 90s movies, but damn, Alex Proyas and the late Brandon Lee pulled it off and delivered a classic that will forever be remembered. 

Sure, Lee's death may have had a melancholic / nostalgic effect on viewers, but the movie itself - its quality, execution, fast paced action, and uber-dark setting - is something to behold and is a masterful work of cinematic art and rightly deserves its as one of the top 20 comic book movies/adaptations of all time, despite its very simple story and lack of character depth. 

Lee was perfectly cast as Eric Draven - brutally murdered with his girlfriend Shelley Webster on Devil's Night - who then eventually becomes the angel of vengeance aided by a  mysterious crow that somehow manages to bring him back from the grave, but this time, with god-like abilities that enables him to exact his own personal brand of dark, bloody, and violent justice. And all the critics were right. Lee - if he was alive today - would have been a superstar after this film because his true acting abilities showed here which surpasses of his dad, the legendary Bruce Lee. Hell, even this whole film was better than the movies Bruce has done in his lifetime.

Really enjoyed this film.  Lee's presence is such a powerful one that you get sucked in his performance and will make you wish that the man was alive today. One of the best action movies ever.

Favorite moments: 

Brandon Lee's MTV-esque transformation to the Crow (all with The Cure's "Burn" soundtrack in the background) is one of the greatest moments in cinematic history. 

And.... the final scene. Its a heartstring-tugger (at least for me).

------------

After that, the Fox Premiere of the first episode of Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead  Season 2 titled "What Lies Ahead". 

Pretty slow build up story wise, but I can't complain because this drama series is just too damn good. Production quality, the script, writing, the tension buildup, and characterization is still phenomenal and never missed a beat.

And its unpredictability is off the charts. That's saying a lot because you see, I'm a big fan of the comic book (which is still on going right now) and I know pretty much what's going to happen. Or at least that's what I thought previously last season. There are those familiar scenes that harkens to the comic books, but then it quickly zig-zags and diverts into another scene that I have never seen/read before, and that's fucking awesome. Keep long time fans guessing and tell them:  "you think you know what's next huh? well, fuck - you're dead wrong." Add to that two AMC original characters that adds new dynamics to this series and everything is set for another compelling season.
 

Can't spoil anything about the first episode of S2 but it picks up where it left off last season, but this time there are more zombies, we see more character interaction, somebody gets lost, and the Rick-Shane-Lori dilemma is slowly unfolding just like Dale's (or Shane?) and Andrea's relationship. Finally, this episode's cliffhanger is one that would blow your mind and shock you - comic book style.

And yes, there's a lot of hiding under the cars going on in this episode. [via kitchensofa.files.wordpress.com]

Sorry, can't tell you even the slightest clue about it. That's why you gotta watch it and tune in to it every week 8:55 pm every Saturday (if you're in the Philippines).

(Hmm... Me thinks I have to review every episode I catch. We'll see).

Comic Book Ratings - 10.27.11; Current Reading ; Keep Calm and Assemble Tee Rocks

        

 
It's been a busy week my friends so no comic reviews because I just don't have that much time to review so many titles every single week they come out of the shelves. But here's a rundown of last week's titles that I have read and my own personal ratings / recommendations as to whether or not you should buy them (maybe I would do this more often than my more "elaborate" reviews just because I'm too lazy).

Wonder Woman #2 - 5 out of 5 Zeus Lightning Bolts. MUST BUY.

Batman # 2 - 5 out 5 Batbikes. MUST BUY.

Supergirl #2 - 4 out of 5  Karas. Buy.

Justice League #2 - 4.5 out of 5 Mother Boxes. Buy. 

Catwoman #2 - 2.5 out of  5 Stolen Portraits. Read only.

Birds of Prey #2 - 3 out of 5 Katanas. Read only.

Red Hood and the Outlaws  #2 - 3.5 out of 5 Red Helmets. Buy. 

Nightwing #2 - 4 out of 5 Dick Grayson Jackets. Buy.

Batwoman #2 - 5 out of 5 Missing Children. MUST BUY.

Green Lantern #2 - 4 out of 5 GL Rings. Buy.

Batgirl #2 - 2.5 out of 5 Mirrors. Read only.

Punisher #4 - 5 out of 5 Vulture Claws. MUST BUY.

Fear Itself #7 - 2.5 out of 5 Asgardian Weapons. Read only.

Ultimate Comics X-Men #2 - 4 out of 5 Nimrods. Buy.

Ultimate Spider-Man #3 - 5 out of 5 Gankes. MUST BUY.

Superior #5  - 5 out of 5 Ormons. MUST BUY.

------------------

Currently reading Grant Morrison's comics history journal, part superhero genre analysis mixed with pop culture and divine allusions, part self-indulging, and part (boring) autobiography - Supergods: "What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human".

Though every comic book fanboy pretty much knows what he's going to say here in terms of comics history, Supergods still its a fun read, despite being frustratingly lengthy mainly because of some unnecessary personal stories featuring the occult, and some ill-researched factoids (e.g. Ultraman - which he describes as a "faceless-robot" was Japan's Superman clone).

Still, give it a try. Recommended for comic book newbies, GM haters and GM fanboys alike.

Doomed Planet. (Desperate Scientists) Last Hope. Kindly Couple.

And I still can't get over the usage of the awesome 3 panel opening sequence (minus the desperate scientists part) from Morrison and Frank Quitley's classic All Star Superman as this book's cover.

------------------

Finally a shirt worthy of your money.

This is a damn cool shirt. More of these and other superhero memes on shirts from Mighty Fine.

[via Comics Alliance]

The number one reason why I love comics.

It is this magnificent scene and dialog from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' highly touted Watchmen (1986) - known by many as arguably the greatest comic book of all time and the only graphic novel that was included in TIME Magazine's Top 100 Novels.

 

(Click on the images to enlarge.) 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful prose, amazing artwork, and a whole lot of meaning than any other title in the medium packed in just 10 panels.

And this is not even the whole 12-issue book itself. 

If you haven't read Watchmen yet, please do pick it up and read it before you die. Its one of the greatest stories mankind will ever have and one of the rare books that gets better and better after every re-read. Its just that damn good.

Threesome Art - 10.14.2011

Here's a couple of awesomeness I found today. 

Starship Troopers tribute by Dan Hipp

I love Starship Troopers (and its alien bugs) even more. 'Nuff said.

Rejected cover for Uncanny X-Force by Rafael Alberquerque

Yes the same guy who is doing the covers and interiors for American Vampire did this Wolvie. Rejected? Seriously? 

Then there's Phil Noto and his Avengers Press Day photo that defies Father Time and all explanation. I'll let the picture and captions tell you why.

From the Hank Pym Photo Archives- Avengers Press Day  “Tony thought it would be a good idea to invite some of the press over to Stark Mansion to highlight some of the work we were doing as the Avengers. I took this photo during an interview with a team from The Daily-something-or-other. I do remember the reporter asking us what we thought about other heroes’ roles in the country’s affairs. Apparently their city had, as the woman reporter put it, ‘A one-man Avengers team.’ “

I didn't notice the uber-awesomeness of Noto's photo at first until I read captions. And then it hit me.

Designer Ashley Hay As "Ame-Comi Mera"

Apparently Ashley isn't just designing logos and anonymous facebook superhero avatars. Here's Ashley herself looking fabulous as Arthur Curry's (Aquaman) one and only love, Mera.

I love it when cosplayers are putting their 100% effort on being creative.

[via Ashley Hay's Google+ cosplay album]

The First Official "Avengers" Trailer [Video]

I'm not kidding folks. This is our first glimpse of the bad-ass superhero movie. Yeah I'm putting it down already: THIS. MOVIE. IS. BAD-ASS.

Especially Tony Stark's last line. 




Couple of notes about the trailer and what could be expected in the film:

- there will be a lot of butting-heads early in the movie (naturally)
- Captain America is reminding us that he is not only a gymnastic-shield throwing artist, but also a military man trained to kill using fucking machineguns.
- Nick Fury finally gets something to shoot at.
- There will be SKRULLS invading earth and then there's Loki creating the fiasco.
- Black Widow is still bad-ass just like she was in Iron Man 2.
- Thor vs Cap? Nah. That Captain America is a Skrull posing as Cap.
- Wow, HULK is actually there!
- Hawkeye flinching his bow. Pfft. Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) > Clint Barton (Hawkeye) any day of the week.
-  Finally... and as always... Robert Downey Jr is gonna carry this film.

Now time to watch it again.


[via CBR]

Directed by Josh Whedon.

Latest Comic Book Reviews - 10.10.2011

Its been a busy week and a lot of fantastic comic books hit the shelves this week and the last. Here are some quick reviews from the ones that I've read so far:

X-Men Schism #5 - Nothing really new here, its just basically the culmination of all the pent up frustration and rivalry between Cyclops and Wolverine. Jason Aaron splits the X-Men into two after the savage 1 on 1 battle between general and soldier, masterfully illustrated by Adam Kubert. Its full of action, rage, and bittersweet emotion and its a fitting introduction to the newest development in everybody's favorite mutant universe. And I love the way Kubert draws that big fucking super Sentinel's hand. Now that the dust is finally settled, the question is: who was right? Are you Team Cyclops or Team Wolverine? Whichever team you are, be sure to read this before jumping into the two new X-titles by end of October.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The Walking Dead #89 -  After a long and boring No Way Out arc, Robert Kirkman comes back with what maybe his best issue so far since this zombie-apocalypse epic started. The Community has never been this tense - factions are forming due to mistrust, assassination plots are being mapped out, and Rick is starting to think that his son Carl is never the same after waking up from the coma - and Kirkman delivers every bit of awesome writing and character development in this issue. I like Adlard's energetic pencils here, showing his talent in creating the drama, suspense, and tension necessary in a masterful fashion. Can't wait to see how this latest development turns out for Rick and his gang. 

Rating 4.5 out of 5

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 - We pickup where we left off and my favorite turtle Raphel goes on to deliver some turtle-smackdown on an abusive father and saves his beat-up son (Casey Jones) in the process. It seems like Casey and Raph are going well together in this new found friendship, but things turn 180 degrees by the end of the issue. Can't spoil it here sorry, it was one of the best things in this book. Also, the story of how the turtles came you know... mutant ninja turtles is told, but I'm really not sold on it. Turtles can't become mutants and very skilled ninjas all of a sudden without training and some unexplained comics science. Another problem is the very lax art and the lack of detailed backgrounds hurts this otherwise dynamic and action packed issue. I will continue to read this anyway no matter what. Come on... its the Fucking Turtles.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Huntress #1 - Why does DC's mini-series are often better than a lot of their regular comic book titles? I'm bewildered. And that is such the case of Huntress. This is some great writing by Paul Levitz and puts a charming and feisty Helena Bertinelli in a trip to Italy to bust to what appears a drug smuggling operation. As usual with plotlines like this, Huntress quickly finds out that its not just an ordinary crime operation, and that there are far more powerful people running this whole shebang, which I guess will be the subject of next issue. 

Marcus To's pencils are good overall, but he's got a habit of illustrating movements that are impossible for a woman or a human being could do. On the upside, he was able to make Helena both sexy and kick-ass without showing panties and titties and leaves everything for the reader's imagination. Overall, this book is good and is something worth picking up especially for those who want to read more of DC's top-tier super heroines.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

More reviews after the cut...

How Mark Millar would've done DC's New 52

This is what the acclaimed writer of such titles like Wanted, Ultimates, Kick Ass 1 and 2, and Superior has to say:

"Congrats to Johnny DC for getting good numbers and plenty of returns on their investment on the DC reboot. But how would yours have been different? I'm taking today off to arse around, but before I go I'm curious: Who would you have nabbed for the books?

I love playing this game. My friends and I were chatting about it just this morning. DC would need to pony up serious cash (as Marvel's biggest creators [are] generally paid WAY more), but imagine you've got access to the WB vault and you can literally buy anyone. Even Image guys who were making a million an issue in the 90s. You've got access to EVERYBODY. How would your DC 52 differ? Mine, for starters, would be about 25-30 books :)

But go for it. I'd love Leinil Yu on Batman, McNiven drawing Justice League, Kirschl drawing Teen Titans, Brendan McCarthy on The Flash. Kev O'Neill (does the best aliens) on Green Lantern (with Pat Mills on scripts) and Frank Miller doing anything he wants."

That's pretty insightful. Leinil Yu illustrating the goddamned Batman? Awesome.

How about Ed Brubaker and Steve McNiven's Batman? Damn, that would be uber-awesome. 

And nice to see somebody who still believes in Frank Miller. He is not the best artist, but he's an awesome writer/artist who can take an idea and turn it into something epic. 

But I wish Millar wasn't such an egotistical prick. Saying that Marvel pays way more than DC is uncalled for, even if it is true. 

[via ComicBookMovie]

I am Maximus Deridius Meridius... no more.

Russell Crowe people. Former gladiator with a beautiful mind... now the father of a Kryptonian alien who eventually becomes the greatest hero the world has ever known.

That. costume.

Man of Steel has never looked this good until I saw this picture. Agree?

[via iFanboy]

DC New 52 Picks - Week Four Reviews

Alright, this is the final wave. I haven't read everything last week, but I'm going to review some of those that I picked up.

Superman #1 by George Perez and Jesus Merino - this is by far the most disappointing book that I read in the new 52. It wasn't that bad in every stretch of the imagination... it's just that I expected more from George Perez story and dialogue-wise. Having a young Superman / Clark Kent deal with the demolishing of the old Daily Planet and seeing the new office building and its new management is nice, but there was nothing new here. I mean, reporters, the Daily Planet, and Superman saving the day from a flaming alien is all the same to me - except that Supes here is a little brash and quips lines like Green Arrow.

The final pages showing Clark sucking it up and being a loser once again didn't help either, just like Perez' shallow storytelling that made me think that he was having a hard time finding the right words to describe all the action.

Merino's art wasn't that impressive but it was nice, with that old-school vibe to it as influenced by Perez' layouts, but I wish they could get somebody else better to draw Supes. 

Still, I'm going to read the 2nd issue just to see if they could bounce back. But right now, this is almost forgettable to me. Thank God we still have Action. 

Aquaman #1 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis - "How does it feel to be nobody's favorite superhero?" 

I mean let's face it - nobody likes Aquaman because he's a guy who only has powers when he is in the water and because we have this belief that HE FUCKING TALKS TO FISH. Who wants to have that kind of hero?

But damn, Geoff Johns' nails it by poking fun at Aquaman himself, using all the jokes that undermined the character all over the years. He gives Aquaman an almost Superman calm attitude with an almost cold demeanor, and this makes the character a sympathetic one at that. Right from the opening scene where Aquaman saves the day by taking down some robbers in a truck, we immediately see Aquaman making that i-dont-know-anything-about-that face when asked by the police if he needs water - which is illustrated right on the spot by Ivan Reis - sets up the whole tone of the story. 

Johns' continues his funny jokes even when Aquaman enters a seafood restaurant and gets backhanded compliments from people, and in the process, Aquaman becomes more of just a laughingstock - but a real superhero who knows exactly what people outside of his kingdom think of him and thinks that he deserves more than what people is crediting him for. 

Flashbacks showing a young Aquaman with his father sitting on a nearby shore together and introducing his beautiful wife Mera gives us the more sentimental and softer side of this hero, and the ending with those ugly looking water monsters gives me more reasons to read the next issue. 

Ivan Reis gives us his trademark detailed illustrations that trudges beautifully through all the action, horror, and the more serene moments. Very well done by my favorite Green Lantern artist.

To sum it up: Geoff Johns just made me a true believer . And that's that.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5