Hey there fellow comic readers,
Another long week has come and gone for myself. Between work and prepping for my upcoming trip comic reading and subsequent comic blogging has been severely delayed. Being the stoic and dedicated comic enthusiast I am, I have taken the time to power on through and get the Cosmic Comic Review completed for the week of August 17th 2011. A small note, I am going to attempt to get my last comic review this upcoming Wednesday (August 24) completed before I leave for Italy this Thursday. The review for the week of August 31 will be delayed on account of my vacation and will be made up by a double review the following week (Sept 7). To my fellow Torontonians I am sure this will not be a big deal on account of the fantastic FanExpo 2011 opening next weekend! I am sure there will be many things to do and see that shall keep them content enough to survive my absence. Terrible jokes aside let us continue with this week’s review. The title selection for this week are “DC Universe Online Legends #14” and “Venom #6”. Let us take a quick look at my Pull List and we will begin:
Pull List Aug/17/11
BOOM! Studios
Soldier Zero #11
DC
Batman #713
Flashpoint: Abin Sur the Green Lantern #3
Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies #3
Green Lantern Corps #63
DC Universe Online Legends #14
Marvel
Fear Itself: Journey into Mystery #626
Spider Island: Spider Girl #1
Spider Island: Venom #6
Schism: Generation Hope #10
One DC and one Marvel title on the review agenda this week, A little more on my “August effect” observation afterwards, for now, let’s begin.
DC Universe Online Legends #14
This title essentially gives the reader insight into the story behind the DC Universe MMO currently available at your local game retailer or even online. I have been following this title for a while now and I must say it has definitely been taken to dark and interesting places right now. This issue is written by Tony Bedard, with art by Howard Porter. Throughout the series the writing has alternate between Bedard and Wolfman, and to their credit they have managed to take what is essentially a video game story and turn it into something quite entertaining. This issue in particular manages to showcase the cunning and calculated mind of Braniac along with the action-packed battle scenes involving the Justice League. I am very much hoping that this title will continue after the relaunch as I am excited to see how the story leads into the main plot of the videogame. The art and writing of this series has been a joy to read and whether you play the game or not I would definitely recommend picking up these issues and start enjoying the action.
Cosmic Rating: 3.5/5
Spider Island: Venom #6
Following the beginning of the Spider Island event, I was delighted to see how the Spider powered invasion of NYC had resonated within the Venom series. The writing of Remender does not disappoint, alongside the stellar art of Tom Fowler. We pick up just after the quarantine of NYC now bustling with wannabe wall crawlers, both good and evil. The government, seeking to contain the mayhem, dispatch our favourite symbiote soldier, Flash “Venom” Thompson. If you have been following the series and you have not picked up this issue, please reconsider. From the very first page it is full of non-stop action and drama. As expected Spider-Island has incorporated Venom perfectly and vice-versa. I had been looking forward to this issue as soon as I had heard about the event, and I am glad to see that Remender has not disappointed my expectations. I generally don’t seek to give any spoilers but let me give you just a tidbit with these two innocent words; Symbiote Dog. That’s the best I can do, if that does not convince you to at least check this issue out then I am afraid my review shall never change your opinion. The conclusion of this issue alone will definitely keep you coming back, I know it has me hooked. Overall, with writing and art this good who would not want to add Venom to their pull list immediately? Don’t try to answer that one, just do so immediately!
Cosmic Rating: 5/5
That concludes the reviews for the week of August 17th 2011. Outside the Marvel and Boom titles I acquired this week, I cannot help but feel that the DC selection I had this week was very weak and uninteresting reads. I understand that the titles are being concluded in a sense for the upcoming revamp, but I feel like that is a poor excuse for what is being produced. The Flashpoint titles are definitely a disappointment, as they are in my opinion, very repetitive even across various titles. Hopefully the conclusion to Flashpoint does not follow this dismal pattern I have noticed and DC can exit the current universe strongly before entering the relaunch. On that note, I wish you all a good week and hopefully I will have a new CCR written up very soon. Until then, take care and happy reading!
Luca “Joriko” Baldassarra
Follow me on Twitter @Lucacosmic for news on comics, video games, and everything in between AND Check out my fan-page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Lucacosmic!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Cosmic Review #11! ASM #667 and War of the Green Lanterns:Aftermath #2!
Hey there fellow comic readers,
Yet another week has come and gone. I sincerely hope that it has been enjoyable for all. This weekend I have the pleasure of saying that I shall be enjoying the company of good friends up north at a cottage, where plenty of fun and relaxation will surely be had. I also plan to fit in some light reading as well, but we will see what the weekend allows. This week the comic gods have smiled down upon us unveiling the beginning and conclusion of two series events on my pull list. Before we discuss that let us take a quick look at my “Pull List” for the week of August 10, 2011.
Pull List Aug/10/11
BOOM! Studios
Starborn #9
DC
Flashpoint: Citizen Cold #3
Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman #3
Booster Gold #47
Batman and Robin #26
Batman: 80 Page Giant 2011 (One-Shot)
War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath #2
Marvel
The Amazing Spider-Man #667
Fear Itself: The New Avengers #15
Fear Itself: Book Five
A pretty solid list this week I would say. Between FI5, WoGL, and the latest ASM I was quite satisfied. For this week I decided to split it down the middle and review War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath #2 and The Amazing Spider-Man #667. Let us begin by taking a look at the conclusion to the DC event epilogue.
War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath #2
This issue is definitely something to look into if you are curious as to where the series is headed in the upcoming reboot. Written by Tony Bedard with art by Ransom Getty and Andy Smith. As with the first issue this story arc covers the residual effects of the War of the Green Lanterns on the various members of the GLC. Understandably many members are not pleased with the result of the war and feel that the Guardians have for the most part left them in the dark about many important questions. This issue shows us a darker more irritable side of corps members. I enjoyed this issue for many reasons, but seeing as I am limited by spoilers I must keep my explanation painfully brief. Think of the worst week of your life having just happened, and the following week you find yourself so upset and desperate for change that you are willing to take control back into your hands, even if that means hurting people you care about along the way. Bedard creates an exceedingly tense atmosphere throughout the GLC that we rarely see, and the art of Getty and Smith carry that feeling through with great art. My only problem with this book was the lack of explanation for the 4 lanterns of 2814, as I feel all of them should have been covered compared to what was given. Overall I like the direction being taken in this book and am highly anticipating the relaunch to see how this theme is carried over and executed among the various GL titles.
Cosmic Rating: 4/5
The Amazing Spider-Man #667
The event that Marvel enthusisasts have been waiting for has finally arrived, Spider-Island is here! Written by Dan Slott with art by Humberto Ramos, this issue is the start of something the veteran and newbie Spidey fans should check out without hesitation. As many previews show, imagine a NYC where Parker isn’t the only person with Spider powers. No we aren’t talking Venom or another clone here, though seeing either pop up in the story event would only make it more enjoyable, but rather criminals and normal citizens alike developing Spider powers of their own. Seems like a pretty simple concept, what is the harm in having more Spider-Men/Women in the world? Right? Wrong. Imagine those criminals I mentioned running around in various Spidey outfits (very enjoyable scenes) and friends and allies being put in danger and untrusting towards you. You can see how Spider-Island brings a whole mess of problems to the table. I really like how Slott starts off this event, good dialogue, a little bit of evil inspiration, and straight into an epic fight scene. Speaking of epic fight scenes, the art of Ramos definitely brings it home with some top-notch wall crawling action. I really enjoyed his art, as I felt that it simply jumped off the page at me. As you can plainly see there was very little I did not enjoy about this issue. The only thing I did not like was that it had to end! I will say that if you are new to comics, or curious about current Spider-Man now is definitely the time to jump in. With this kind of action and writing Spider-Island is an event that looks like it will be difficult not to enjoy, and with that I can safely say that I will be grabbing as many titles for this event as I can as it will definitely be an event to remember of this year. I think you can guess the rating for this comic.
Cosmic Rating: 5/5
That wraps up this week for the Cosmic Comic Review. I am going to state now that the week of the 24th I will be heading to Italy for a family event. I will be gone until the 5th of September. Right now I am debating if I will be doing a review that week of postponing a review until I get back, most likely doing a large review summing up the weeks I missed. It really will come down to how much time I find myself with so we shall see what happens. My apologies to anyone who may be upset with this news, rest assured I will come back well rested and ready to rock out some comic reviews, and read about 20 pounds worth of comic pulls. As for this weekend I look forward to the food, friends, and of course alcoholic consumption that will ensue. No worries, I never go overboard, but an intense game of beer-pong is definitely something I see occurring in my near future, don’t need spider-sense for that one. OHHHHH SEE WHAT I DID THERE?! Clever. Alright, enough idiocy for one post, I hope everyone a safe and happy weekend and I shall be back next week. Until then, take care and happy reading!
Luca “Joriko” Baldassarra
Follow me on Twitter @Lucacosmic for news on comics, video games, and everything in between AND Check out my fan-page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Lucacosmic!
Yet another week has come and gone. I sincerely hope that it has been enjoyable for all. This weekend I have the pleasure of saying that I shall be enjoying the company of good friends up north at a cottage, where plenty of fun and relaxation will surely be had. I also plan to fit in some light reading as well, but we will see what the weekend allows. This week the comic gods have smiled down upon us unveiling the beginning and conclusion of two series events on my pull list. Before we discuss that let us take a quick look at my “Pull List” for the week of August 10, 2011.
Pull List Aug/10/11
BOOM! Studios
Starborn #9
DC
Flashpoint: Citizen Cold #3
Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman #3
Booster Gold #47
Batman and Robin #26
Batman: 80 Page Giant 2011 (One-Shot)
War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath #2
Marvel
The Amazing Spider-Man #667
Fear Itself: The New Avengers #15
Fear Itself: Book Five
A pretty solid list this week I would say. Between FI5, WoGL, and the latest ASM I was quite satisfied. For this week I decided to split it down the middle and review War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath #2 and The Amazing Spider-Man #667. Let us begin by taking a look at the conclusion to the DC event epilogue.
War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath #2
This issue is definitely something to look into if you are curious as to where the series is headed in the upcoming reboot. Written by Tony Bedard with art by Ransom Getty and Andy Smith. As with the first issue this story arc covers the residual effects of the War of the Green Lanterns on the various members of the GLC. Understandably many members are not pleased with the result of the war and feel that the Guardians have for the most part left them in the dark about many important questions. This issue shows us a darker more irritable side of corps members. I enjoyed this issue for many reasons, but seeing as I am limited by spoilers I must keep my explanation painfully brief. Think of the worst week of your life having just happened, and the following week you find yourself so upset and desperate for change that you are willing to take control back into your hands, even if that means hurting people you care about along the way. Bedard creates an exceedingly tense atmosphere throughout the GLC that we rarely see, and the art of Getty and Smith carry that feeling through with great art. My only problem with this book was the lack of explanation for the 4 lanterns of 2814, as I feel all of them should have been covered compared to what was given. Overall I like the direction being taken in this book and am highly anticipating the relaunch to see how this theme is carried over and executed among the various GL titles.
Cosmic Rating: 4/5
The Amazing Spider-Man #667
The event that Marvel enthusisasts have been waiting for has finally arrived, Spider-Island is here! Written by Dan Slott with art by Humberto Ramos, this issue is the start of something the veteran and newbie Spidey fans should check out without hesitation. As many previews show, imagine a NYC where Parker isn’t the only person with Spider powers. No we aren’t talking Venom or another clone here, though seeing either pop up in the story event would only make it more enjoyable, but rather criminals and normal citizens alike developing Spider powers of their own. Seems like a pretty simple concept, what is the harm in having more Spider-Men/Women in the world? Right? Wrong. Imagine those criminals I mentioned running around in various Spidey outfits (very enjoyable scenes) and friends and allies being put in danger and untrusting towards you. You can see how Spider-Island brings a whole mess of problems to the table. I really like how Slott starts off this event, good dialogue, a little bit of evil inspiration, and straight into an epic fight scene. Speaking of epic fight scenes, the art of Ramos definitely brings it home with some top-notch wall crawling action. I really enjoyed his art, as I felt that it simply jumped off the page at me. As you can plainly see there was very little I did not enjoy about this issue. The only thing I did not like was that it had to end! I will say that if you are new to comics, or curious about current Spider-Man now is definitely the time to jump in. With this kind of action and writing Spider-Island is an event that looks like it will be difficult not to enjoy, and with that I can safely say that I will be grabbing as many titles for this event as I can as it will definitely be an event to remember of this year. I think you can guess the rating for this comic.
Cosmic Rating: 5/5
That wraps up this week for the Cosmic Comic Review. I am going to state now that the week of the 24th I will be heading to Italy for a family event. I will be gone until the 5th of September. Right now I am debating if I will be doing a review that week of postponing a review until I get back, most likely doing a large review summing up the weeks I missed. It really will come down to how much time I find myself with so we shall see what happens. My apologies to anyone who may be upset with this news, rest assured I will come back well rested and ready to rock out some comic reviews, and read about 20 pounds worth of comic pulls. As for this weekend I look forward to the food, friends, and of course alcoholic consumption that will ensue. No worries, I never go overboard, but an intense game of beer-pong is definitely something I see occurring in my near future, don’t need spider-sense for that one. OHHHHH SEE WHAT I DID THERE?! Clever. Alright, enough idiocy for one post, I hope everyone a safe and happy weekend and I shall be back next week. Until then, take care and happy reading!
Luca “Joriko” Baldassarra
Follow me on Twitter @Lucacosmic for news on comics, video games, and everything in between AND Check out my fan-page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Lucacosmic!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Cosmic Review #10! Flashpoint #4 and Flashpoint Batman #3!
Hey there fellow comic readers,
I hope this week has been treating you with much respect and joy, as it should. This week has been quite eventful for myself. It turns out I shall be travelling to visit family later this month, and some very exciting business opportunities have presented themselves as well. On the comic front, there has definitely been much comic related exploits this week whether on the movie front or in the eternal war of the printed pages within our local comic shops. Being as I am late to the party this week, no doubt this may not be news to many of you. All I would like to put out there that a new Spiderman and a glimpse at the upcoming Superman movie were definitely cool to check out mid-week. Definitely consider heading to Google and checking it out for yourself! Without further delay, let us begin with my pull list for this week and move on to this weeks comic reviews!
Pull List Aug/3/11
DC
Batman Beyond #8
Batman Arkham City #4
DC Universe Online Legends #13
Flashpoint #4
Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance #3
Flashpoint: World of Flashpoint #3
Marvel
Fear Itself: Hulk #38
Red Skull #1 & #2 (Back Issue Quest well worth it)
That is the pull list for this week. We see the conclusion of some Flashpoint series this week, and moving into the final chapter of the main Flashpoint storyline. On the Marvel side of things, I took the time to retrieve Issue 1 and 2 of the new Red Skull title, and am glad I have done so as I have thoroughly enjoyed it so far. Through much personal debate I have decided to review two Flashpoint titles this week; Flashpoint #4 and Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance #3. To those of you disappointed right now, I apologize but I truly believe that Flashpoint stole the show this week and deserves the attention. Without further delay let us begin!
Flashpoint #4
With the conclusion just around the corner we see Flashpoint #4 setting up an epic confrontation for the near future. DC’s summer event has definitely set up an exciting finish. Written by Geoff Johns with art by Andy Kubert one can definitely expect a great finish to this title. Working my way through this issue my anticipation was cranked up to the max as I waited for the glimpse of the world changing engagement by Flash & Co. As the cover page shows, this engagement happens in the middle of the Amazonian-Atlantean war. My impression of this book is one of awe, but after more critical thinking I can’t help but feel like this event is somewhat rushed. I imagine it is partly because I have not purchased ALL the available Flashpoint titles but I feel as if I have way too many questions going in to issue 5 that may not be resolved. Part of me feels many of these questions would have been answered if they decided to make the Reverse-Flash title 3 issue instead of the One-Shot. Despite this negative after thought, I was pleased with Johns build up and Kuberts skilful art to bring it all home. Looking forward to the conclusion!
Cosmic Rating: 3.5/5
Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance #3
This title definitely has to be one of the more interesting titles of the Flashpoint series. Written by Brian Azzarello with art by Eduardo Risso, Batman Knight of Vengeance brings about a Batman fan’s ultimate what if scenario. In a world like Flashpoint we see the defining night of Bruce Wayne’s life turned on it’s head. With a shocking outcome and a dark conclusion this series provides quite the experience. Overall thought it must be said that this story offers very little to the Flashpoint story as a whole, mainly offering a glimpse into the life and motivation behind that world’s Batman. Despite this I still don’t regret grabbing this title and would undoubtedly recommend it to any serious Batman fan as Azzarello and Risso have presented us readers with a very enjoyable read.
Cosmic Rating: 3.5/5
That concludes this week’s comic reviews. If this week has taught me anything is that I need to start drinking more coffee. Sleep is nice and good, but when it starts shaving off the little that is left of your free time it can get quite troublesome. Be sure to check out the latest comic news via the internet and be on the look out for my next entry, a recap of the comic movies of 2011! Until next time take care and happy reading.
Luca “Joriko” Baldassarra
Follow me on Twitter @Lucacosmic for news on comics, video games, and everything in between AND Check out my fan-page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Lucacosmic!
I hope this week has been treating you with much respect and joy, as it should. This week has been quite eventful for myself. It turns out I shall be travelling to visit family later this month, and some very exciting business opportunities have presented themselves as well. On the comic front, there has definitely been much comic related exploits this week whether on the movie front or in the eternal war of the printed pages within our local comic shops. Being as I am late to the party this week, no doubt this may not be news to many of you. All I would like to put out there that a new Spiderman and a glimpse at the upcoming Superman movie were definitely cool to check out mid-week. Definitely consider heading to Google and checking it out for yourself! Without further delay, let us begin with my pull list for this week and move on to this weeks comic reviews!
Pull List Aug/3/11
DC
Batman Beyond #8
Batman Arkham City #4
DC Universe Online Legends #13
Flashpoint #4
Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance #3
Flashpoint: World of Flashpoint #3
Marvel
Fear Itself: Hulk #38
Red Skull #1 & #2 (Back Issue Quest well worth it)
That is the pull list for this week. We see the conclusion of some Flashpoint series this week, and moving into the final chapter of the main Flashpoint storyline. On the Marvel side of things, I took the time to retrieve Issue 1 and 2 of the new Red Skull title, and am glad I have done so as I have thoroughly enjoyed it so far. Through much personal debate I have decided to review two Flashpoint titles this week; Flashpoint #4 and Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance #3. To those of you disappointed right now, I apologize but I truly believe that Flashpoint stole the show this week and deserves the attention. Without further delay let us begin!
Flashpoint #4
With the conclusion just around the corner we see Flashpoint #4 setting up an epic confrontation for the near future. DC’s summer event has definitely set up an exciting finish. Written by Geoff Johns with art by Andy Kubert one can definitely expect a great finish to this title. Working my way through this issue my anticipation was cranked up to the max as I waited for the glimpse of the world changing engagement by Flash & Co. As the cover page shows, this engagement happens in the middle of the Amazonian-Atlantean war. My impression of this book is one of awe, but after more critical thinking I can’t help but feel like this event is somewhat rushed. I imagine it is partly because I have not purchased ALL the available Flashpoint titles but I feel as if I have way too many questions going in to issue 5 that may not be resolved. Part of me feels many of these questions would have been answered if they decided to make the Reverse-Flash title 3 issue instead of the One-Shot. Despite this negative after thought, I was pleased with Johns build up and Kuberts skilful art to bring it all home. Looking forward to the conclusion!
Cosmic Rating: 3.5/5
Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance #3
This title definitely has to be one of the more interesting titles of the Flashpoint series. Written by Brian Azzarello with art by Eduardo Risso, Batman Knight of Vengeance brings about a Batman fan’s ultimate what if scenario. In a world like Flashpoint we see the defining night of Bruce Wayne’s life turned on it’s head. With a shocking outcome and a dark conclusion this series provides quite the experience. Overall thought it must be said that this story offers very little to the Flashpoint story as a whole, mainly offering a glimpse into the life and motivation behind that world’s Batman. Despite this I still don’t regret grabbing this title and would undoubtedly recommend it to any serious Batman fan as Azzarello and Risso have presented us readers with a very enjoyable read.
Cosmic Rating: 3.5/5
That concludes this week’s comic reviews. If this week has taught me anything is that I need to start drinking more coffee. Sleep is nice and good, but when it starts shaving off the little that is left of your free time it can get quite troublesome. Be sure to check out the latest comic news via the internet and be on the look out for my next entry, a recap of the comic movies of 2011! Until next time take care and happy reading.
Luca “Joriko” Baldassarra
Follow me on Twitter @Lucacosmic for news on comics, video games, and everything in between AND Check out my fan-page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Lucacosmic!
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