Sunday Comics

Welcome to another edition of Sunday Comics!  In case you were wondering why these don't seem to be occurring as often, it's because they're now a monthly post instead of a bi-weekly post.  I haven't been as reading as many comics lately, so it's more productive to do it at the end of each month.

Hawkeye Vol. 5: All-New Hawkeye

Writer: Jeff Lamire

Artist: Ramon Perez

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Now, I don't normally do graphic novel reviews in my Sunday Comics posts, but with the amount I read, unless I have something particularly special to say about it, I'm just going to include them here. I'm a big fan of Hawkeye, as you may know from reading my other reviews of this series, but this one fell flat for me.  That's not particularly surprising since it's coming off one of my favorite comic arc's of all time (seriously, go read Fraction and Aja's take on the characters immediately!).  There was no way it could be better, or even as good.  And as a comic, it was very good, something I would probably recommend to people.  My big problem with it is the fact that the story that was set up in the end of Fraction and Aja's run, one I was eagerly awaiting, is not the one this looks like it will be covering.  This installment certainly did a lot of work to set up a whole new plot, one that doesn't seemed tied in at all.  I shall wait patiently to see if I'm wrong.  The art, while it can't stand up to Aja's, is gorgeous.  I loved the difference between flashback scenes and real time.  I'm eager to continue this series.

Teen Titans Vol. 1: It's Our Right to Fight

Writer: Scott Lobdell

Artist: Brett Booth

Rating: 3 Stars

This just doesn't seem to be my month, huh?  Another book I was pretty excited for was this one.  I love Teen Titans (the classic Cartoon Network show and some of the older comics) so I was looking forward to this rendition.  Like many other New 52 relaunches, I just wasn't happy with it.  The art was great, but overwhelming since they seemed to want to cram something into every single corner and it often didn't meld with the story, leaving me feeling lost.  The story was decent, but certainly over-the-top ridiculous.  I didn't like the new origin stories and personalities assigned to characters I was used to seeing one way and I didn't like that, when trying to connect them all, it seemed like they were just being thrown together at the expense of the story.  Also, it reminded my of Inhumans a hell of a lot.  I don't know which came out first or whatnot, but I'm more familiar with Inhumans, so this felt like a rip-off.

Sunday Comics

So, yes, I did read quite a bit more comics these last two weeks.  I was really out of sorts comic-wise, but with Marvel series' coming out and a sudden taste for X-Men (read: Angel) comics, I've begun to really love them again.  Sorry for the lack of pictures, they won't save correctly on my computer.  Hopefully the problem will be fixed soon.

Sunday Comics

Sunday Comics is something I do every other week in order to review and comment on the comics I've recently read.  Since I read so many, and since they're so short, I like to keep them all in one place.  These last two weeks I've read fourteen comics.  I also signed up for Marvel Unlimited.  So far it's been an awesome decision.  At only ten dollars a month I'm able to read a huge amount of comics- recent ones and older ones.  It's wonderful and I really recommend it!

Sunday Comics

Sunday Comics is something I do every other week.  Rather than review each comic individually, I wrap them all up in one place.  Lately I've been reading quite a few, but you can expect that number to start going down soon.

Blackest Night (Issue #0) written by Geoff Johns with art by Ivan Reis, Oclair Albert and Rob Hunter
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Definitely a little confusing at first, but with classic characters and a pretty good catch up on what's going on.  It sets up a very interesting concept, and many pages at the end are dedicated to the different orders of Lanterns etc.

Batgirl Preview (2011- ) written by Brenden Fletcher and Cameron Stewart with art by Babs Tarr
Rating: 5 Stars
So much fun!  I really want to dive into the series for real now.  The characters come right off the page and our heroine is spunky in all the best ways.  Plus, she's good at what she does.  Top of my list now.

Black Canary Preview (2015- ) written by Brenden Fletcher with art by Annie Wu
Rating: 1.5 Stars
Ugh, no.  I enjoy the character of Black Canary quite a bit and was excited to see that she had a new series starting.  For one, the art is hideous (in my opinion) and the story is stupid as can be.  She's in a band now, fighting off members of other bands.  Like, it makes no sense to me, and I dislike the direction her character is taking.  Sad, because I was looking forward to this one, too.

Supergirl (Issue #1) (2011-2015) written by Michael Green and Michael F. Johnson with art by Mahmud A. Asrar, Dan Green, and Dave McCaig
Rating: 5 Stars
I loved it!  The only thing I wish is that it were longer.  I'll be picking more of these up in the near future because it was such a wonderful change.  Both the art and the story were fresh and it gets me even more excited for the upcoming TV show.

Silk (Issue #2) (2015-) written by Robbie Thompson with art by Stacey Lee
Rating: 4 Stars
I enjoyed this again, though it wasn't as interesting as the first issue.  It did a good job at starting to dive into her old life and how her new life was vastly different.  It also expanded her powers and how they worked exactly.  The villain was silly, but that's okay.  It's only issue two, and I'm still very much looking forward to reading these for some time.

Grayson Preview (2014- ) written by Tom King and Tim Seeley with art by Mikel Janin and Jeromy Cox
Rating: 5 Stars
I have no idea what's going on in this series or how it gets there, but I enjoyed every second of what I read.  It was great in every aspect, and now I look forward to reading it some day.

Midnighter Preview (2015- ) written by Steve Orlando with art by ACO
Rating: 2.5 Stars
And on the flip-side of Grayson, is Midnighter.  I'm not a fan, at least not yet.  I may give this another chance someday, perhaps when I'm more familiar with the character, but until then, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Harley Quin Preview (2013- ) written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Chad Hardin
Rating: 2.5 Stars
My cousin is a huge Harley Quinn fan, so I was eager to give this a try.  It wasn't really my stride, though it does have potential.  I think it was just a bad place to start.  I did like the writing and the cast of characters very much.  Just, perhaps, not enough to carry the story itself, which seems nonexistent.  Perhaps someday I shall continue the series.

Robin: Son of Batman Preview (2015- ) written by Patrick Gleason with art by Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray
Rating: 2.5 Stars
I'm not a huge fan of Damien in general, and this did little to help me like him.  Although, it didn't do anything to make me dislike him, either.  It was confusing from the get-go, story and art.  It didn't end on a good note, either.  Rather than getting me intrigued in the future of the series, it left me wondering what was even going on.

Wolverine (Issue #42) (Civil War) (2003-2009) written by Marc Guggenheim with art by Humberto Ramos
Rating: 4 Stars
I liked this more than I thought I would.  The character of Wolverine is normally a miss for me (I enjoy Jackman's portrayal of him for the most part, but as a supporting character in other comics I always consider him a jackass).  I am in love with the Civil War story line, though, so knowing this would tie in helped.  Wolverine's role in the whole arc is going to be great.  He's the only character actively looking for revenge for what happened, and I couldn't have asked for a better character to do it.  I eagerly await what comes next.  On a side note, I really dislike the art, it's too cartoon-y, especially for this character.

Starfire Preview (2015- ) written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Emanuela Lupacchino
Rating: 5 Stars
Sign me up, I'm hooked!  The preview's a good taste of what's to come, and the art is absolutely gorgeous.  I like where the story's headed, and the interaction with other characters was a lot of fun to watch.

Teen Titans (Issue #3) (2003-2011) written by Geoff Johns with art by Mike McKone, Marlo Alquiza, and Jeromy Cox
Rating: 4.5 Stars
This one was less personal than the previous two, and the story itself was left a little weak because of it.  However, propelling into the major story line and a confrontation with Deathstroke helped.  The ending was a bit strange, but I'm willing to see where it goes.  Overall, a very good issue, though, seeing as it manages to balance several different story lines and characters.

Sunday Comics

Sunday Comics is something I do every other week.  I've been reading so many single issue comics lately, that I want to be able to review them.  However, the reviews would be short, so I find it easier to do this cumulative post.  Below are all the comics I've read for the last two weeks.  If you have any recommendations, please feel free to comment!

Children's Crusade (Issues, #2-5) written by Allan Heinberg with art by Jim Cheung
Rating: 5 Stars
This series just keeps getting better and better.  I love all the characters and the story itself is top-notch.  My favorite comics so far this year.  The only issue to really deviate and make me less happy is the fourth, at which point I had over-exhausted myself for the day.

Teen Titans (Issue, #2) (2003-2011) written by Geoff Johns with art by Mike McKone, Marlo Alquiza, and Jeromy Cox.
Rating: 5 Stars
Great character development, though the story was a bit lacking.  It makes up for it with the fantastic art.  Geoff Johns really can't do any wrong, if you ask me (and many others, I'm sure).

Birds of Prey (Issue, #1) (1999-2009) written by Chuck Dixon with art by Greg Land, Drew Geraci, and Gloria Vasquez
Rating: 4 Stars
My first thought upon starting this issue was how dated it felt.  Not bad, but also not the kind of art or story you would find in modern comics.  I didn't feel particularly close to the character's based on this alone, but I have high hopes since I know I already enjoy these heroes.

Superior Iron Man (Issue, #1) (2014- ) written by Tom Taylor with art by Yildiray Cinar
Rating: 3 Stars
The art was nice but the story is a really poor place to start with this character.  It was just a lot of "eh, no" feeling I got from it.  Read it for Pepper, maybe, but not for Tony.




Bravest Warriors: Tales from the Holo John
Rating: 4 Stars
A fun break from the tedium of life, but nothing extra special.  It does expand nicely on the idea of the Holo John, which I felt was underused in the Youtube Series.

Thor: God of Thunder (Issue, #1) written by Jason Aaron with art by Esad Ribic
Rating: 4.5 Stars
I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did.  It's got three aspects; a very past, present, future thing going on.  And I'm interested in all of them!  It'll probably be something I invest more time into eventually, though not right away.

Hulk (Issue #1) (2014-) written by Mark Waid with art by Mark Bagley
Rating: 3 Stars
I'm not a huge Hulk fan.  I can enjoy the character, but stories that center around him just aren't my cup of tea.  Plus, there's a lot that goes on with brains in this one, including a head that's half cut open the whole time.  That sort of stuff leaves me extremely queasy.  I don't expect to continue this series in the least, even though the story did promise good things.

Batman Beyond Preview (2015-) written by Dan Jurgens with art by Bernard Chang
Rating: 5 Stars
I love Batman Beyond, it's one of my favorite story lines.  This series looks as though it's a bit spoilery though, since it directly follows the Future's End story.  I do like where it looks like it's going, and I love the main character.  That's all I'll say about that.

Gotham Academy Preview (2014-) written by Becky Cloonan and Brenden Fletcher with art by Mingjue Helen Chen
Rating: 2 Stars
A cute idea and too cute of a follow through.  It's aimed at a younger audience, which I was expecting.  Younger than I expected though.  It struck me as a Disney channel show.  Plus, the continuous rhyme throughout the preview and the lack of getting to know any characters really bothered me.  I plan to pick up at least one issue of this eventually, but that won't be soon.

Silk (Issue #1) (2015-) written by Robbie Thompson with art by Stacey Lee
Rating: 4 Stars
The art is absolutely gorgeous during the action and costumed scenes.  It wasn't great when Cindy "dressed down".  The story was pretty good at setting up her own comic series, though I feel it could have had a little more meat to it.  I will absolutely be continuing this one, ASAP.

New Avengers: The Reunion (Dark Reign) (Issue #1) written by Jim McCann with art by Alvaro Lopez and David Lopez
Rating: 4 Stars
It follows two of my favorite characters, but completely throws you into the story, leaving a lot to question.  I had to do a little research to make sure I knew what was going on in the wider Marvel world at the time.  The art is pretty decent, though nowhere near half as gorgeous as the cover.  I recommend this one, though, particularly if you want to see some Mokcingbird/Ronin (read: Hawkeye) action.

Martian Manhunter Preview (2015-) written by Rob Williams with art by Eddy Barrows, Gabe Eltaeb, and Eber Ferreira
Rating: 3 Stars
Another character I'm not a super huge fan of.  But this makes me think I could grow to love him.  I'm looking forward to continuing this series, though at my own pace.

Sunday Comics

Welcome back to my bi-weekly comic review post.  In case you missed the first post last week, every other week or so I'll be doing Sunday Comics.  I've been reading a lot of comics lately (read: emptying my wallet on comics lately) and rather than have several very tiny reviews, I'll be able to put them all at once.

I've continued to read only digital comics, but I've been scoping out my local comic shops, too.  Since I'll be leaving in September for college, I may just wait until then to get a pull list at the local comic store.  Which, thankfully, there is one where I'm going to school.

These last two weeks I read ten comics.  I had a pretty good time with them all, but it certainly depletes my store of cash and takes a toll on my book buying.  I think I'll be going into a book buying ban when the summer rolls around, or maybe a semi-ban.  More on that when it actually happens.

Without further ado:

Teen Titans (Issue #0.5) (2003-2011) written by Geoff Johns with art by Ivan Reis, Marc Campos, and Sno Cone.
Rating: 3.5 Stars

It was good, but confusing.  I know it was more promotional than part of the story, but from where it's meant to take place, it should be called issue 0.5.  I liked the preview of the character's, though.









Captain America (Issue #1) (2012-) written by Rick Remender with art by John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson, and Dean White
Rating: 2 Stars
There wasn't very much I liked about this one at all.  It was confusing, the art wasn't particularly great, and while I like the character, he's not my favorite.  The relationship between Cap and Agent 13, though, that deserves at least two stars.  They're great together.

Civil War (Issue #1) written by Mark Miller with art by Steve McNiven
Rating: 4.5 Stars

I cannot wait for this movie!  Because of all the buzz related to it, I've wanted to jump on this story.  Plus, it rocked the Marvel Universe forever.  Just one issue has me so excited.  It wasn't what I thought it would be, it's better.  It's super thought provoking and, by pulling together all the corners of the universe, promises to make every fan have feels.  A definite read for everyone who's a Marvel fan.






Arrow (Issue #1 Special Edition) (2012-2013) written by Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim with art by Omar Francia and Rex Lokus
Rating: 3 Stars
I'm a big fan of the show so I thought I'd give this digital only (I think; I'm pretty sure) series a spin.  I liked it, but it was nothing special.  I'll be reading more of it thanks to the finale having just happened.  I need something to fill up Wednesdays, after all.

Teen Titans (Issue #1) (2003-2011) written by Geoff Johns with art by Mike McKone, Marlo Alquiza, and Jeromy Cox
Rating: 5 Stars

This is what I call an amazing read.  Can I just say that I love Wonder Girl?  This is the second group of teen titans, and they're clearly still nervous about getting together after what happened last time.  It provides great tension without having to force anything.  The characters don't require much introduction, and they all have a pertinent reason to be a part of the group.  The story was just picking up and left me with a cliffhanger at the end.  I was breathless and in love the whole time.  Another comic I very much recommend you read ASAP, especially if you're newer.  It explains everything pretty well.




Batgirl (Issue #2) (20)0-2006) written by Scott Peterson and Kelley Puckett with art by Damion Scott, Robert Campanella, and Jason Wright
Rating: 3 Stars

Well, that's a better rating than last week.  The story is less confusing, though it's not perfect.  What really bothers me most about this series is the art.  I really can't stand it at all.  Too cartoon-y maybe?  Really frustrating.  And all the characters look really similar, it's bizarre.  I'm going to finish the story arc (which is only six issues) before I decided whether I want to continue reading Batgirl or not.






Black Widow (Issue #1) (2014-) written by Nathan Edmondson with art by Phil Noto
Rating: 5 Stars
The art does everything for me.  My favorite art I've ever seen in a comic to this date.  I've lovingly returned to it's pages just to take in the colors and the lines and the everything.  It's beautiful.  And the story?  Totally does the character justice.  I won't be buying these digital any more (this copy was actually free) because I want it all bound up and pretty.  Expect to see me read more of this series sooner rather than later.

She-Hulk (Issue #8) (2005-2009) written by Dan Slott with art by Paul Smith
Rating: 3.75 Stars

I feel split about this one.  The character was different, though nothing special, and it added well to the Civil War story, but it also could be left out.  I'd say only pick it up if you're a She-Hulk fan, which I'm not much of.









Future's End (Issue #0 FCBD Special Edition) written by Brian Azzarello, Keith Giffen, Dan Jurgens, and Jeff Lemire with art by Keith Giffen and Patrick Zircher
Rating: 3 Stars
This is the second time I'm reading this issue.  It's less disturbing than the first time, and actually more entertaining.  Mostly, I picked this up because I love, love, love Batman Beyond.  It features his character prominently and I love to see Terry in action.

Avengers: The Children's Crusade (Issue #1) written by Alan Heinberg with art by Jim Cheung
Rating: 5 Stars
So I haven't hauled this one yet, but you will see it sooner rather than later.
One of my most dreaded questions is, "Who's your favorite superhero?"   I can always cop out and say Hawkeye, or Speedy (though she's technically a sidekick), but as much as I love them, I wouldn't really say they were my favorite.  I need look no further- my favorite hero is Wiccan.  I can't say exactly why because I don't know exactly why, but he is undeniably my favorite.  I shall protect him like the precious character he is.
The story itself is really cool, too.  I'm a bit drunk on this story line, to be honest.  I really, really recommend reading this.


PS. Sorry about lacking some photo's.  I had a pic of each comic I read, but they're on my pinterest, and that wasn't working for some reason (dang internet).