Star ratings are from 1 (Do Not Like) to 5 (Faboo).
BATGIRL #22 (DC – Gail Simone w / Fernando Pasarin p) "A Day in a Life of Endless Velocity" — One of the few positive lights in the DC New 52, this in-between issue features both a date for Babs as well as a singularly unpleasant conversation between Jim Gordon and Batman. Batgirl can be both dramatic and also light-hearted, as this issue shows. I'm not quite sure why it's been unrelentingly darky-dark-dark of late, but this ish strikes a good balance. **
JUSTICE LEAGUE #22 (DC – Geoff Johns w / Ivan Reis p) "Trinity War, Part 1: The Death Card" – Super-hero teams fighting each other is massively cliche. But I will say this: the long JL/JLA setup in the New 52 has actually provided a plausible basis for it to happen, esp. when Captain Marvel is thrown into the mix (and the "well, are they really heroes" aspect for both teams is considered). I won't say I was agog at the first installment of the Trinity War, but the eyerolling was kept to a pleasing minimum. *
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #13 (Marvel – Dan Slott, Christos Gage w / Giuseppe Camuncoli p) "No Escape, Part 3: The Slayers & the Slain" — I continue to be surprisingly pleased by the whole "Spider-Man's body is now occupied by Doc Ock's mind" loooooong story arc going on, and this battle between Spidey/Ock and the Spider-Slayer — with side conflicts with some other classic Spidey villains and J Jonah Jameson playing wild cards — is really quite a lot of fun. It can't go on forever (Marvel doesn't carry the Comic Code any more, but "heroes don't kill" is still true for most of their line, except for the Punisher), but I'm really liking where they are taking the character. **
WOLVERINE #6 (Marvel – Paul Cornell w / Mirco Pierfederici p) "Drowning Logan, Part 2" — The world really doesn't need another Wolverine title, and the story here (infectious group mind from the Microverse has taken over SHIELD and is bent on taking over the world) is damned silly on the face of it …, but I'm enjoying Cornell's take on Wolverine — something other than "Bub" this and "snikt" that, and a bit more interior and human. Good stuff. *
INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK (Marvel – Mark Waid w / Matteo Scalera a) "Blind Rage, Part 2" — The storyline here (DD and Hulk tangle with Baron Zemo, Hydra, and a lot of bad weapons) is no great shakes, but what's remarkable is how easily, almost effortlessly, Waid appears as he writes both the protagonists and their relationship. The dialog is smooth, the personal interactions are solid, and it's just a joy to watch. **
UNCANNY X-MEN #8 (Marvel – Brian Bendis w / Chris Bachalo p) — I usually enjoy Bendis' dialog, at least, and this issue neither disappoints nor excels. Cyclops and Magneto have a war of wills over trust and leadership and how broken they all are post-Phoenix-Force-yada-yada, while one of their students quits and goes home, but not without repercussions. The repartee is sharp, as always, and Bachalo's art is both approachable and rough enough to match the emotional turmoil of the whole really-truly-rogue X-Men (though the blond women in the book are beginning to look awfully similar). There's enough here to make me want to read next month, even if Magneto looks ridiculous and Cyclops hasn't been acting believably for the last decade. *
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Argh. Forgot that G+ uses asterisks for formatting, Please add two stars to each of the above ratings.
I’ve been getting caught up on the podcasts and I think you need to redefine 2 stars. Based on the really pretty negative reviews that earn it (ranging from ‘this is just a mess’ to ‘this book is now on my kill pile’) I would suggest “2 stars: Disappointing. ”
You’re just too darn nice, man. 😀
Maybe so. While I have occasionally given true hot messes one star, it’s fairly rare. I do catch myself tending to lump everything under three or four stars. Something to ponder.
Oh, I don’t mind that you don’t give out more 1 or 2 stars – that’s your prerogative. What struck me as jarring was: fairly detailed releasing book is bad and you’re cancelling it, then… “two stars – it was all right.” I was listening in my car and exclaimed “No it wasn’t!”
I’m just saying that to get 2 stars from you means it was “disappointing” or something that temperature.
Yeah, I see what you’re saying. Part of it may be that being “just” okay for me means it’s cancellation fodder, given the large number of truly good-great comics out there today. Maybe instead of “okay” I should say “mediocre.”
The reviews are great, but. I’m enjoying them mostly at the gym, and have bought a bunch of stuff on your recommendation. It’s all been great.
Stupid autocorrect. 2nd to last comment, releasing should be “review”, and last comment “but” should be “btw”.