January 24th, 2007 Reviews
Wolverine #50
Let me start out by saying that this is how every comic book should be. A big name writer, teamed with a big name artist, and awesome extra content. Jeph Loeb, who has more than enough projects coming out in the near future, does a nice job of getting the ball rolling. He still is a bit "caption" happy, but at least the captions aren't filled with cliches like they were in just about every issue of Superman/Batman. The biggest surprise I got was when I opened up the book, began to read, and realized that Wolverine and Sabretooth were already throwing down (which is the main purpose of this arc, the final battle, and the history between Wolverine and Sabretooth). So, Loeb does a pretty excellent job of making sure that this first issue of the arc doesn't end up being just setup. Now onto the biggest reason why this book rocks. Simone Bianchi should draw every comic book, ever! His smooth pencils, and colors make for very realistic, and cinematic art. I have enjoyed his cover work at DC, but his interiors top his covers, and are some of the best around. Let's hope that he can keep on schedule, and continue to reproduce this excellent art on a monthly basis. The other cool part of this issue was the backup story which details the relationship between the Hulk and Wolverine. Now, that story has been told before, but the real cool part is that Ed McGuinness pencils the story. I really enjoy Bianchi's realism, but I still like McGuinness's more cartoony and "classical super-hero look" art too. There is a strange moment towards the end of the backup story that will raise some questions as well. Overall, this was a very good start to an arc that looks like it has lots of promise.
Grade: 9/10
Review by Christopher Hoerdemann
Civil War: The Return
This is the first time that I have read a comic that has an unecessary Civil War banner slapped on the cover. It's no real secret that the return of a Marvel character was Captain Marvel. His return doesn't really have much to do with Civil War at all. The only connection is that he returns, and the pro registration side puts him to work as the warden of the negative zone prison. Tom Raney's art was okay, but nothing spectacular. The second story in the issue was about the Sentry. Once again, this story was hardly connected to Civil War at all. The biggest connection that it had to Civil War was that at the end of the issue, the Sentry officially registers. Paul Jenkins does a pretty good job of scripting the issue, but he couldn't save this story. The resurrection of Captain Marvel was not necessary, and the Sentry story didn't really ad to the Civil War event. So all in all, unless you are a die-hard fan of Captain Marvel, this issue isn't a must read.
Grade: 5/10
Review by Christopher Hoerdemann
52 #38
52 continues to impress. The beginning of this issue deals with the least focused upon storyline of the evil scientists on the island. They have unleashed the four horsemen, who are definitely up to no good. Then, we flash to the Natasha Irons storyline, where surprise, surprise, she has realized that Lex Luthor is up to no good. The rest of the issue details Renee Montoya's journey to Nanda Parabat, where she believes she can cure the Question, who she is towing along with her. Overall, this issue is quite eventful. The stories are kicking into high gear, and the last fourteen issues should be quite a ride. Joe Bennett returns to do another stellar job of pencilling. The colors in some spots seemed kind of strange, but Bennett's art continues to be the best that 52 has to offer. To nobody's surprise, JG Jones provides another stellar cover. So, if you dropped this series because you thought it was moving too slow, now is the time to pick it back up again. As we approach the end of the series, I am really intrigued to see how all these storylines come together. Overall, the issue was another solid addition to the series, and next up is WWIII.
Grade: 8/10
Review by Christopher Hoerdemann
52 #38 (take two)
Is the Question dead? I originally thought he was alright after finishing the latest issue of 52, but after discussing it with Christopher and seeing the trends of people dying in 52 thus far, I too am beginning to doubt that we have seen the last of the Question. Joe Bennet, by far my favorite artist to work on 52, draws an amazing Question and Renee Montoya. If there is ever an ongoing featuring the two of them, I would hope he would be the first to work on it. Elsewhere in the story, Natasha Irons finally sees through the plans of Lex Luthor, and rather than getting herself out right away, she has decided to stay and spy on LexCorp and put a stop to the Everyman Project once and for all. This issue also continued the Mad Scientists storyline, with them resurrecting the Four (although it happens to be three) Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The back-up tale featuring the origin of the Red Tornado is drawn by Phil Jimenez, and serves as a sort of companion to the new Justice League of America series written by Brad Meltzer.
Grade: 8/10
Review by: Tim Nash
All-Star Superman #6
I get this book on a subscription directly from DC, so that's why this book is new for me, even though the book has been out for a couple weeks. Once again, Grant Morrison takes a Superman story, that if told by anyone else would be very confusing, and makes it simple and fun. Between the team of Supermen, and Krypto, this truly feels like a silver age book. This whole series so far has walked the line perfectly between being a fun silver aged homage, and being cheesy. The other positive is that if you hadn't read the previous five issues, you could pick this issue up, and still enjoy it. I think that really shows you why Grant Morrison is a great writer. He can do big epic super hero tales, and small one shot issues too. Quitely's art is solid, and has grown on me. At the beginning of this series, his art was a negative for me, and now I am starting to enjoy it. His cover is a wonderful example of a very simple yet iconic image, and just like JG Jones's work, it gives you an idea of what the issue is all about. All of the Superman books on the market today are pretty solid, but the best one for your money is definitely All Star Superman. If you haven't read this series yet, next issue is a good time to start, as we will get our first look at grant Morrison's rendition of Bizarro!
Grade: 8/10
Review by Christopher Hoerdemann
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