Comic Reviews

Buy, Read, Pass – Everyone Dies Edition

Well there was a ton of deaths this week, so many B and C list deaths that you’ll really be wondering how and why they all ended up dead in the same week. I’ll try to put a big old *SPOILER* in before I say who dies, but then you’ll totally know some eats it in that issue so either way it’ll suck for whoever’s reading this. In that regard, you should probably read your own picks for the week before taking a gander at my list.

Ultimate Spider-Man #153 – Pass – This is the prelude to the “Death of Spider-man” saga happening across all of the Ultimate books. I should say all of the books that didn’t have a lazy ass writer on them that just kind of fell off after three or four issues. Yeah I’m looking at your Jeph Loeb! Anyways it’s not really a spoiler, but a bunch of civilians die and Mysterio looks just beyond stupid.

Cyclops #4 – Review

Doug and his team continue their TV success as they run their first mission in Argentina. The manipulation of Multicorps runs even deeper as Doug may be getting in for more than he’s ready for. Also Doug’s past may have finally caught up to him.

It’s a typical mission for Doug’s team; they go into a city that’s supposed to be deserted, having already been cleared out by a black ops team. As they scout the city they find signs of blood and what seems like a gruesome scene. Multicorps CEO’s make sure that Doug’s team is given easy missions to limit his risk since they have so much invested in him. The mission goes south as a sniper takes out one of the soldiers. The team scatters into nearby woods only to find a massive grave… a familiar massive grave. The CEO’s freak out and send an immediate extraction for the team. Doug, his team and the TV audience have all seen too much this day.

Lucid #3 – Review

The third issue begins in 1576 with a relative of Matthew’s finishing the third volume of his magic memorials. The first two volumes were a “handbook” for magic users while the third one is dark magic. In order to better understand the light side of magic, Matthew’s ancestor needed to better understand the dark side as well. He wrote the book to be used only as a last ditch effort if the world were invaded. Back in modern days the book has fallen into the wrong hands. The mystery man calling himself the Pendragon is using it to perform heinous acts for an unknown reason.

Matthew in the meantime is still beating himself up over not protecting the President better. He finds a reflection spell that he thinks could have better protected the President. His girlfriend is finally revealed as… a ball of light. It’s not revealed why she’s a ball of light or if she was even human once. She asks him why he hasn’t at least revealed the fact to his fellow mage’s, but the conversation is cut short as Matthew is called to duty.

Lucid #2 – Review

The world of combat magic returns as Matthew learns classified secrets. Matthew is forced to make hard choices when it comes to protecting the president and face the fact that he might very well be the Pendragon.

After a bit with the President and his son, the issue opens with Matthew and Edison discussing the prophecy of the Pendragon. The Prophecy states that with the return of the Pendragon, Camelot’s court will return bringing the age of magic and everyone will be able to do magic instead of a select few. Matthew brushes of the prophecy and chooses to get back to his duties protecting the President before his big speech.

Batgirl #18 – Review

Batgirl and Klarion make an amusing pair in this Valentine’s Day issue. It’s another one-shot story rather than the start of a new story arc. While the art is interesting its far from fantastic, the story is an odd mix of fun and corny. The ending is especially corny, but that’s what you’d expect for Valentine’s Day!

Batgirl Stephanie Brown discovers a pimp with his heart literally ripped out on Valentine’s day and in the hands of Klarion the witch boy. Klarion’s cat killed the pimp while in the search for a mate and Batgirl decides to help the feline find love. Just the above summary of this story shows how original it is. It sounds like a strange story conceived during a drug trip, but if so this is a great trip.

Amazing Spider-Man #654 – Review

The Revenge of The Spider-Slayers results in casualties! As Spider-Man has saved John Jameson from an attack by Scorpion and the New Avengers come to help Spidey take down Smythe, that isn’t just affecting our friendly neighborhood web slinger. His boss, Max could jeopardize Peter’s duo identity. However, is Max onto his identity or onto a different truth? Anyway, Peter’s Aunt and J. Jonah Jameson’s wife, Marla (whom is the cousin of Peter) is in danger still! Can Spider-Man spin a web to free himself in this issue? Fret not true believers; Spider-Man is smarter than he appears!

Bomb Queen Vol 6 #4 – Review

Bomb Queen #4 is the last issue of a four part arc that was
released by Image Comics and their Shadowline productions. The book closes out
Bomb Queen’s plot to raise havoc to the world. 
Let me start off with this warning: Bomb Queen is not for the faint of
heart or for kids; this book is straight up an adult book and readers should be
cautious when picking this up.

The issue’s art and story are done by Jimmie Robinson who is
also known as the creator of Bomb Queen and for his work on Evil & Malice. The
books takes place in D.C. were President Obama is gathered by his regular
advisors along with a team called Capewatch. Capewatch specializes in gathering
intelligence on the “super” community.  Obama
is faced with a very tough situation: apparently information had leaked that
Obama was involved in a sex scandal with Bomb Queen and that because of their
affair, Bomb Queen was pregnant with his child.   In reality, Bomb Queen got pregnant by an in vitro fertilization process using supposedly
Obama’s sperm. 

Captain Action – Winter Special Review

Moonstone Books Winter Special is a showcase of characters from the company that are represented in their own short stories within the issue. Captain Action and the A.C.T.I.O.N. agency are the uniting theme of the book for the most part and as such Captain Action leads off the issues with his tale.

This first story was very interesting to me considering I have never read anything with Captain Action and really had no idea what to expect. After all here’s a man in tight leather and a funky hat, who knew he’d turn out more savvy than James Bond. The story begins with Captn’ Action hanging off a ledge after being doubled crossed by a French Spy. He then backs up the story to explain that he was teamed with the beautiful blonde to obtain an orb for the occult before the Russians could. When they two weren’t working on the missing they were working on each other which make for plenty of great one-liners and puns later in the story.

Days Missing: Kestus #3 – Review

Another catastrophe and another interjection from the Steward, but this time there’s something far more sinister about the disaster waiting to happen. Days Missing launches into the modern era as the Steward must prevent the destruction of Apollo 11.

The Steward sits outside the fence waiting for the launch of Apollo 13 with a large crowd that is there for the same reason. After taking off a hundred feet or so, the ship experiences problems and comes crashing down towards the crowd. The Steward stands in the space craft’s way and stops time. He then folds the moment back upon itself several hours before the shuttles launch. He must now figure out what he hasn’t accounted for to make sure the mission is a success.

Days Missing: Kestus #2 – Review

Days Missing returns with the Steward trying to prevent another historical catastrophe this time it’s as Rome attacks the Egyptian city of Alexandria. The Steward is forced yet again to make pleas to both sides before damage is done to the progress of man. With everything happening around him so fast the Steward must make sure to save one little girl.

We last left the Steward thwarting the plans of Kestus’ army as a very sad and lonely Kestus road away. Now in Egypt we find the Steward on a Roman slave ship that is barreling down upon an Egyptian sea fleet. The Steward is trying to convince them that they will destroy a lot more than just the ships by throwing their lives away. The Stewards convinces two of the Romans not to go through with the plan when it’s revealed to be a suicide mission, but that doesn’t stop their third companion. He lites the ship on fire causing an explosion that no one other than the Steward can escape.