Close at the heel of Dark Horse’s Angel & Faith comes Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9, continuing the story left off in the Season 8 comic book continuance of the popular television show. Season 8 left a lot of fans with mixed feelings about how the characters were being treated and where the story was going. Does Season 9 get us off to a start that will put the Buffyverse back on track? Um, maybe?
Another day, another arc completed— and with the strong (yet subtle) conclusion to Criminal: The Last of The Innocent, Ed Brubaker has officially converted me to the series. With Brubaker’s excellent writing, accompanied by Sean Phillips artwork, the duo truly delivers. And while it may not be the most exciting issues of this short run (which doesn’t say much anyway), it played its role and served the rest of the series justice, and it is sure to please those who have been keeping up with the four issue mini-series. For those who haven’t read this excellent run, be warned: spoilers lie beneath.
It’s been two months since Riley Richards had finally murdered his wife, got the wrong man committed for said crime, received a fortune from his in-laws, brought his rehabilitated best friend back onto drugs, and started hooking up with his high school sweetheart (who says nice guys finish last?). But with a private investigator on his tail, Riley finds himself in need of tying some up loose ends.
The very successful third issue of Barbarian is ruined slightly by this fourth issue. The story is solid, if slightly rushed. The art is only average, but the tone and origins crafted in the third issue are wasted in this final chapter, which could have been constructed differently. It’s not bad, but pales so much in comparison to the third by trying to connect with it and fails worse than it would have without the third issue coming out as good as it did. It finally creates a very entertaining and coherent battle that made the final chapter satisfying, even if it did not offer as many new elements as the third issue.
Scott Amundson writes the adventures of a silent warrior known only as the Barbarian who, with his allies, must break free and defeat the alien tribe of the Romisians. But the Romisians give the Barbarian an option to kill his allies, and the choice he makes will determine the fate of everyone around him.
So Barbara
Gordon is Batgirl again. And no, she’s not Batgirl in a wheelchair. She has
full use of her legs now as a result of the relaunch (I won’t spoil the
quagmire of a plot structure that is Flashpoint).
What is important to know is that the events of Alan Moore’s fantastic book The Killing Joke still happened. The Joker
did shoot her in the back in her own home, and it’s clearly still a defining
moment for Barbara. Whether you like the change or not, this is an incredible
start for the character’s return as Batgirl.
The four issue Barbarian mini-series changes drastically each issue. It started out with a free online first issue that, despite having heart behind it, was one of the worst comics I have ever read. The second issue had some improvements, with the fourth issue following the same motions as the second. The third issue, the one I’ll be going into detail about today, is by far the best issue of the mini-series. The execution and some artwork problems still make the issue an average one, but do make me look forward to more from its creators in the future, because they clearly have talent and the passion to do this. Just no idea how to pace the issue – a problem all issues of Barbarian share.
The Barbarian is a mysterious man without a name who refuses to talk and instead hacks and slashes his way to victory. This issue he and his allies get captured by their alien enemies the Romisians and the origins of the aliens and the Barbarian are revealed.
Hey everybody. Something you may not know about me: I’m a pretty big fan of the television series Angel. I mean, I am a fan of virtually everything that comes from the mind of Joss Whedon. Who isn’t? When I started watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer way back when though, my favorite character by far was the original badass, but mopey vampire with a soul, David Boreanaz as Angel. Then he got his own show. So that was nice. Until . . . (Dramatic reverb) cancellation! Only through that most undervalued of media, the comic book, did these characters and stories live on. Angel and Spike saw their continuing stories published by IDW, while Buffy eventually got a new “Season 8” from Dark Horse that brought her and Angel back together again. That brings us to now. Buffy has a new “Season 9” series on its way and Angel is under Dark Horse once more with the new canon series Angel & Faith. So that’s nice.
Vescell has big ideas but a mediocre execution. There are multiple stories in this issue with each contributing very little to the overall plot development. The art also fails to have any spark and looks amateur at times. With the number of creative ideas coming from the writer, Enrique Carrion, and fun but flawed characters, the issue is average and needs more work to reach its full potential.
The Vescell company can make your wildest dreams come true – by making you into another person. The company swaps your brain into another body, giving you the perfect opportunity to start over. Think of it as the ultimate form of plastic surgery, sci-fi style. The plot revolves around former detective Maurico “Moo” Barrino, who works as an operative for Vescell and handles their high profile cases with the help of his fairy Machi, Avery who is Barrino’s girlfriend, and a spirit that he wants in the flesh.
Finally, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back – and they’re better than ever! The story by Kevin Eastman (co-creator of TMNT)
and Tom Waltz is great. It’s perfect for new fans, with a lot of fan
service for older fans, and the art is solid. There are only minor
complaints, but this comic is a real gem with tons of callbacks to
satisfy any TMNT fan.
Right
away we’re thrown into the fray with master Splinter and three turtles –
Leonardo, Donatello and Michelangelo. After a quick victory we learn
more about their past and present, quickly finding out that Raphael has
left the group and is now wandering the streets alone.
Epoch is executed in a fairly entertaining way, but the story has a lot of moments where it regurgitates numerous ideas that have been explored countless times before and were handled better in those comics than they were here. Even with all these clichéd ideas, Epoch does manage to make most of them work marginally well. The art also has mixed results.
Our hero this time around is a detective (cliché number 1), who is investigating a gruesome series of murders (cliché number 2), and whose partner is killed in the process during a violent showdown where he sprouts wings and battles a demonic force encased in blue fire. This battle between angels and demons is cliché number 3.
DC’s sorceress supreme makes her triumphant return to the Player
Affinity stage! You’ll be shocked! You’ll be amazed! Zatanna will
perform her greatest magical feat of all: genuine improvement in
writing! That’s right, you heard it here first folks – Zatanna #16 makes a strong return to form for the series. If you read my review for Zatanna #14,
then you’ll know that I was disappointed with a stand-alone story
interrupting Paul Dini’s well-crafted, on-going story. You might also
recall that I was less than impressed with writer Adam Beechen’s single
issue story. Well, if that was the definition of bad filler, then
Beechen has redeemed himself with an issue that clearly defines good
filler.
