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. 

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.

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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.

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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]

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...

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

DC New 52 Picks - Week Two Reviews

After reviewing a lot of the first week titles from DC's New 52 initiative, I'm back with more titles from their 2nd week of publishing.

So let's get in the bizniz, shall we?

Batman and Robin #1 by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason -  Frankly, I was excited to read a book that finally stars father-and-son Bruce and Damian Wayne. Excited to see how their relationship goes and how Batman will deal with a spoiled brat of a son that he has. And it worked pretty well in this comic. The back and forth dialogue between them is fun, but Robin becomes more annoying everytime with his disrespectful banter and  "my way or the highway" style of doing things. I hope they will tone it down a bit.

Also, it was nice to see Batman celebrate the time of his parent's wedding instead of their deaths, and that signifies something on the lighter side that I haven't seen in the character in years. He's still brooding yes, but at least he makes an effort to forget the bad stuff and celebrate the good ones.

Finally, the action is well executed and was beautifully illustrated, but I wish their first encounter was with somebody more powerful, rather than just some bunch of ordinary thieves. Good ending with the mysterious Bat-killer and the Batman of Russia (yes, Russia has one. Read Batman Inc folks) in a pool of vat though. Its something that I could look forward to.

Rating 3.5/5

Batwoman #1 by JH Williams III and Haden Blackman - Its been a long time since I read a Batwoman story and the last one was way back 2010, with the incredible Batwoman: Elegy. So normally, I would expect nothing less but absolute perfection with this book.

And as expected - JH Williams didn't disappoint. 

He killed the storytelling (with help from Haden Blackman of course), infusing detective work with the horror genre, and then giving us his patented 2-page spreads of remarkable art filled with dynamic and fluid action sequences and awesome paneling that only JH Williams can do. The only problem I have (if there is anything), is that Williams had Kate spill all of her emotions in a spread just to keep new readers up to speed with what happening, and how the hell did we end up here. Its a beautiful storytelling technique, but its too confusing and too much to absorb, especially if you just have to understand everything through images. 

Still, this is the BEST book from that week, and its one of those comic books that you have to have in your hands in order for you to appreciate its beauty. That's right: JH Williams tells us that you can't read his book with a damn iPad (or any type of device for that matter)!

Rating: 5/5

Demon Knights #1 by Paul Cornell and Diogenes Nieves - Are you a fan of magic, sorcery and dragons? Then this book is for you. Set in the Dark Ages of the DC Universe, Demon Knights introduces the other side of DC, with sorcerers, dragons, medieval knights, and exploding babies. Wait... come again? 

Yes exploding babies. If that doesn't sound mystical (and creepy) to you, then I don't know what it is.

The book doesn't explain much as who these characters are and how are they related to each other, like you're supposed to know them already. The truth is, I don't know Madame Xanadu, Etrigan, Merlin and the Shining Knight and this was my first time encountering them in a comic, but what the hell... the comic is so damn entertaining and wonderfully drawn that I couldn't help but keep on reading. Its like reading and playing a video game with the detailed medieval environment, the familiar formula of a bleak but interesting prologue + characters meet and greet in a pub, then capping it off with DINOSAURS crashing the party. Yeah, dinosaurs. They're back! 

Paul Cornell and Diogenes Nieves are fcuking awesome. Now, they have to introduce all (if not some) of these characters in the second issue one way or another while getting them to kill some giant reptiles.

Rating: 4/5

Continue after the jump for more reviews... 

Porn Star Tanya Tate Reviews DC's Justice League & Batgirl #1!

My friend Tanya sent me an email with her video reviews of two DC New 52 titles, and I have to say, its pretty interesting what she's got to say about these two books. And I actually agree with almost everything she said and overall it was a good.

Go check Tanya's videos below and let me know what you think!

DC New 52 Picks - Week One Reviews

I know this is late, but I don't care. This article covers my review of some the titles from the first week of the game-changing DC Reboot.

I didn't read every DC book that went out, and basically just picked out the ones that interested me, so if you don't see any titles that you want to see I do apologize and cut me some slack. Thank you.

Let's get it on.

Justice League #1  by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee - two of the biggest superstar and writer tandems today team up to tell the story of how DC's flagship team came together, and their names alone makes for a great sales pitch. But the story itself  (though it focused more on Batman and Green Lantern bickering right from the start) and dialogue makes the book even more fun and sells the book even more. 

Set 5 years before the current continuity, JL is set at a time where costumed vigilantes are feared and hunted. The League isn't introduced fully here - no Aquaman or Wonder Woman which is a shame - but by the end of the issue, we see a certain stripe of red and blue knocking out big-mouthed Hal Jordan, and that's more than enough for me to get on board. There's also a lantern-ring theft moment featuring Batman (and his cold) grin at the middle part of the story, something that the comic book world will talk about for a long long time.

Its so good to see Jim Lee's art once more, and I feel that 90s vibe once again with his lines and exaggerated musculature, and his ability to tell a story hasn't diminished one bit.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Action Comics #1 by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales - I have only read a single Morrison book, and that's All-Star Superman which I really liked,  so I expected a lot of from this book that features a young Clark Kent (who works as a journalist for the Daily Star)  in his early days of vigilantism, way before he became Superman. 

And its safe to say that Morrison didn't disappoint. For one, he made this version of the hero more vulnerable and somebody who feels like a normal human being. Sure he takes on tank bullets and a high speed bullet train, but he gets wounded and weak in a degree, and is not the uber-powerful near-indestructible alien we used to know. That's refreshing. Also, I like the fact that this Superman defends the common man and deals with problems that human beings can relate to, such as scaring a corrupt official to spill out his beans. I can wrap my head around that. Its also a nice tribute to the early Siegel and Shuster stories of the 50s and 60s by the way, so a plus point.

In addition, introducted are the familiar Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen (who doesn't have any relationship with Clark at all asides from being a competitor working for the Daily Planet), and the ever bald Lex Luthor, who actually looks different here - and I meant that in a bad way. 

Morales' art isn't that impressive for me, but its passable, and he did a great job of keeping things going by having Superman running and leaping tall buildings in a single bound. I want more.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Batgirl by Gail Simone and Vicente Cifuentes - They said that if there's one writer who can write Batgirl, its Gail Simone. And yes, she made a suddenly-walking Barbara Gordon the one and only Batgirl that I have known since the classic Batgirl: Year One.

And take note, the events that happened in Alan Moore's The Killing Joke still happened (which we see via Barbara's dream) so the continuity fanboys have nothing to worry about, but still, I can't help but wonder as to how in the world Barbara healed. I don't know. Maybe it has to do with the bone section where she was hit before.

Anyway Simone captures the correct tone for the character, making her an optimistic person who is determined to bring the pieces of her life back. But at the same time, Simone includes all the guilt and trauma in the world for her to handle, all the while facing a creepy and mysterious villain that uses a damn mirror. I don't know who this new villain is, but he surely looks formidable for Babs, especially now that our heroine is a little bit disoriented with all the shebang in her present and past life. 

The art is nice and shows Babs new costume with all the seams, and the action working hand in hand with Batgirl's internal monologue is fantastic. Over all, it was great to see the original Batgirl on patrol again, and I'm looking forward to number 2. 

Rating: 3 out of 5

Click on the jump for more reviews...

Back to blogging, Marvel Reviews... Daredevil, Captain America, Ultimate Comics Spiderman and more!

Man, I missed this. Been busy with my real life lately that's why I haven't got any posts for a long time, and I'm still pretty busy so I'm just gonna make this quick. 

So what's up? Well, I will tell you right off the bat that its a FREAKING GREAT time to be a comics fan now. No scratch that. ITS AWESOME!

Marvel is hitting the strides with their books and they have pretty much kept pace with their own new #1s, especially with their revamped Ultimate Comics line, and a new Punisher and Daredevil series that has kept me absolutely happy every month.

Here are my picks (ongoing series and individual issues) from The House of Ideas:

• Punisher #3 (new ongoing series) by Greg Rucka and Marco Checchetto - Frank Castle is back and is better than ever with Rucka writing a detective-themed and action packed book with good 'ol guns, knives, decapitations and badasserry that you can't help but scream the word awesome. Marco's art is on full force here with some of the most bad-ass action sequences in comics today featuring a high flying Vulture-Frank Castle battle in midair. Another reason why this is one of Marvel's hottest books. You gotta see it to believe it. 

• Daredevil #4 (new ongoing series) by Mark Waid and Paolo Rivera & Marcos Martin - say goodbye to the old DD. This is a fresh take on the Man Without Fear and the man behind the suit, Matt Murdock. Waid has figured this hero out completely by balancing  the life and thought-process of the lawyer and the vigilante, and is starting to become of the greatest 'Devil runs since Frank Miller's. And the art? Gorgeous. The guy has mastered the ability to illustrate Daredevil's Radar Sense partnered with simple, yet dynamic storytelling sequences. This issue has some detective work, old-school vigilantism, and a tutorial on how to defend yourself in a gut-wrenching trial. Cool.

• Captain America #3 (new ongoing series) by Ed Brubaker and Steve McNiven - I have reviewed issues #1 and #2 somewhere in this blog, and that's all I need to convince you that this is a gem that you should be digging. This time, Cap fights a gigantic robot in a Captain America costume! Full of non-stop fighting, chaos, and incomparable art, (that scene where Sharon throws the shield to Cap is priceless) McNiven and Brubaker continue their streak as they make this series completely unpredictable to make fans happy. Damn, how I wish they could make this a bi-monthly series already so I don't have to wait for 30 more days for the next issue.

• Ultimate Comics: Ultimates #1 by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic - after the horrible Ultimates 3 and Ultimatum, Marvel decided to reboot their continuity-free franchise for new and old readers alike. And issue #1 just hit the mark. Our heroes has to deal with an uprising threat to the US, but with little resources to back them up. Previous political overtones from Ultimates #1 and #2 are retained which sets up a connection to previous installments. Finally Esad Ribic's clean pencils blend in very well with the naturalistic dialogue and setting. Overall, a solid book that any Marvel fan (new and old) should pick up. 

• Ultimate Comics: Spiderman #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli - you might have heard this in the news. Peter Parker is dead (at least in the Ultimate Universe) and now, we got a new #1 which means a new Spiderman. And he's black! He's Miles Morales! Ethnicity aside, this is a great start. New storyline, new hero, familiar villains and new power(s) that I haven't seen before. Then throw in Sara Pichelli's stunning art and I don't know what else would make you skip this. I'm sold on this one and I believe you will too once you read it. 

• X-Men: Schism #4 by Jason Aaron and Carlos Pacheco/Cam Smith -This is it! Cyclops vs Wolverine. And it doesn't get any bigger than that. More importantly, this marks the beginning of the end of the X-Men that we all knew. By the end of this battle, the X-Men will be no more. Cykes and Logan battle it out in Utopia after a bitter disagreement, while a dangerous and powerful uber-Sentinel looks out to eradicate mutant kind. The stakes have never been higher, and the end coming closer. This is one event that you don't want to miss out on.

•  Ultimate Comics X-Men #1 by Nick Spencer and Paco Medina - I never thought Spencer's writing will work on an X-book, but damn he does it. This is not the X-Men you were used to see in the past Ultimate stories. Mutants are being tortured and hunted more than ever, and the government is behind it all - while telling people and the media otherwise - making them look good on the outside. Sinister. What a great way to set up an intriguing storyline that sees Iceman, Human Torch and Kitty Pryde take center stage. Art is not great but good enough to make me try a second issue. Can't wait for the X-Men to re-group and kick the government's skinny fat asses. 

• Fear Itself #6 (intercompany crossover) by Matt Fraction and Stuart Immonen - ah the event that wasn't as big as it was dubbed. But still, I can't help but follow this and see our Avengers get newly designed Tron costumes and powerful RPG-inspired weapons courtesy of Tony Stark and Odin's Asgardian warehouse after that last panel. I know they will be kicking The Worthy and Sin's asses next issue, and Thor will go one-on-one with The Serpent himself to end things once and for all. Or maybe not. Nonetheless, this is a pretty cool issue. Stuart Immonen's art is another reason why this is on my pull list.

That's it for now folks. I'll be back tomorrow with my DC New 52 Picks that should at least help you choose the titles you will be spending your money on because like most of you, I'm just an ordinary guy with a decent work who just can't get every comic book that's on the stands right now. So we have to pick carefully. 

Are we good with that? Alright.

Now back to reality.

Graphic Novel Review: Batman - "Gotham By Gaslight"

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight

Written by Brian Augustyn

Art by Mike Mignola

Inks by P. Craig Russell

Published by DC Comics

Time for some old graphic novels folks, and this one I picked up from the grave is one that was published months before I was born. 

Published in February 1989,  Batman: Gotham By Gaslight is an Elseworld story that re-imagines the whole Batman mythos in the year 1889, pitting the Caped Crusader himself up against a slick and dreaded opponent who stalks and kills women in the shadows... the famed Jack The Ripper. 

Written by  Brian Augustyn, the story is a straightforward mystery-detective thriller set in the late 1800s steampunk age, designed by Augustyn to keep readers engaged in its rich, history-influenced plot, while making them guess until the big finale.

Latest Comic Book Reviews (07.19.2011): Wolverine #12 & American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest #2

I'm still intrigued with Aaron's Wolverine although has the same taste for 3 consecutive issues, and the team of Snyder and Murphy continues to impress me with their AV project that I'm wanting to see a live-action series or film based on the comic. *sigh* I can only dream.

All of my reviews after the jump. 

Latest Comic Book Reviews (07.14.2011): Red Skull: Incarnate & Captain America #1

Marvel's greatest villain (and Captain America's arch enemy) gets his own origin series and a new #1 starring the Captain of all Captains. I can't be more thrilled sharing my thoughts on both of these incredible titles.

All of my reviews after the jump.

Latest Comic Book Reviews (07.12.2011) - Flashpoint: Batman - Knight of Vengeance #2 & American Vampire #16

Two stunning comic book with fantastic cliffhangers and shocking reveals in a comic book week that's full of surprises. Yes, reviews are little bit late, but as the saying goes - "better late than never".

All my reviews after the jump.

Latest Comic Book Reviews (07.08.2011) - Fear Itself #4 and Flashpoint #3

Its been quite a while since I have read any comic books.

Time to weigh in some thoughts on the continuation of the mini-events from Marvel and DC Comics and see who made some impact this week.

All my reviews after the jump.

Latest Comic Book Reviews (06.24.2011): X-Men Prelude To Schism #3 & Ultimate Spider-Man #160 (Death of Spider-Man)

Two pretty good books from the House of Ideas yesterday.

The dragging Prelude to Jason Aaron's "Schism" event finally shakes up a little bit thanks to Cyclops finally coming up with his decision, and then the death of the one of the most important characters in the Marvel Ultimate Universe finally bites the dust - for good.

All of my reviews after the jump.

Latest Comic Book Reviews (06.23.2011) - Wolverine #11 | Power Girl #25 | Superman #712

I'ma skip the daily news first and give some of my thoughts for comic books I read a couple of hours ago.

Wolverine continues his bloody battle against the Red Right Hand, and my beloved PeeGee teams up with the godddamn Batman against a weather-controlling metahuman, and finally, the Grounded storyline takes a one issue hiatus (mainly because DC decided to scrap the original storyline that features a Muslim superhero in LA), giving way for Kurt Busiek's "lost" Krypto tale, circa 2007 (a.k.a the events after Infinite Crisis).

All my reviews after the cut.