Greg's Comic Reviews for the Week of March 17, 2010

Last week was a good-sized week of comics and a huge week for not reading them (sorry). 5 Marvel, 7 DC/Wildstorm and 2 indies came home, but unfortunately only four made it through the meat-grinder of my brain.

The Reading Order

March 17, 2010

SEIGE #3

HERCULES: FALL OF AN AVENGER #1

GREEN ARROW #31

TITANS #23

Unread - Hyperlinks will be provided as these are reviewed.

AMAZING SPIDERMAN #625

AMERICAN VAMPIRE #1

GREEN HORNET YEAR ONE #1

BRAVE AND BOLD #32

SPIDER WOMAN #7

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #46

AZRAEL #6

SHIELD #7

IRREDEEMABLE #12

The Good

SIEGE #3 (w: Brian Michael Bendis/a: Oliver Coipel) It is hard to follow up a great issue, Siege #2 was a great comic. Siege #3 does a good job bridging the drama that has been building all around the Marvel U for the past few months and sets up the climatic end to Siege/Dark Reign and the Heroic Age. As it should be, the Big Three Marvel-style: Captain America, Thor and Iron Man steal the show, even if the best panel of the book is reserved for Spider-Man. Overall, the Siege plot is contrived and derivative and the “surprise twist” really isn’t that much of a surprise. On the other hand it is astronomically better than Blackest Night. Coipel’s artwork stands out and lives up to the tradition set by Civil War and Secret Invasion. Grade: B+ (story: B/art: A).

GREEN ARROW #31 (w: J.T. Krul/a: Federico Dallocchio) continues Green Arrow’s mission of vengeance. The story picks up after the Fall of Green Arrow one-shot, almost a little too immediately. “Fall” has a great, sneaky, surprising ending, which unfortunately dies an unceremonious death while Krul recaps all the events that led up to “Rise and Fall”. Ollie’s decline takes a few more twists as this series drives onward. All in all, Green Arrow #31 is an interesting peek at the story from Green Arrow’s point-of-view, with a very interesting (if not a bit sad – in a good way) twist at the end. Grade: B (story: B/art: B).

TITANS #23 (w: Eddie Berganza/a: Scott Clark & Ardian Syaf) Was excellent. A larger review will be forthcoming. Grade: B (story: B/art: B)

DARK AVENGERS #15 (w: Brian Michael Bendis/a: Mike Deodato) Even as Dark Reign draws to its inevitable conclusion in Siege, Dark Avengers continues to be a decent read on its own. Bullseye, pardon me: Hawkeye gets to do some work and we get to see firsthand what has been lurking in the background for some time now. Like Siege, it isn’t really surprising, and hasn’t been really well done. Of course, Dark Avengers #15, like the whole of Norman’s empire now hinges on Sentry – a limited character, derivative of every other wanna-be Superman that was “retcon-ed” into the history of the Marvel Universe a couple decades ago. Even as a an ancillary story to Seige, Dark Avengers #15 advances the coming of Marvel’s Heroic Age. Grade: B (story: B/art: C+).

Not So Good

HERCULES: FALL OF AN AVENGER #1 (w: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente/a:Ariel Olivetti). The title “Fall of An Avenger” implies that an Avenger might actually fall in the series. Regrettably, the action happens prior the start of the two-issue mini-series. Probably might have been better to make this series “Hercules: Requiem”, but what can you do. Once you get past the idea that the Avenger has already fallen the rest of the story is a moderately interesting re-cap of a second-rate superhero (Herclues). Each vignette is a narrated by a different character from the Marvel U, Pak & Van Lente (whom I would guess pulls the lion’s share of this deed) do a good job lending personality to the introductions – even if it is a little heavy handed at times. Olivetti’s artwork adds a lot to the otherwise mediocre character-defining episodes from Herc’s past. There’s a thin plot of some kind that that is weaved around the shorts, but requires you to have been reading the Incredible Hercules to follow (Pak’s handiwork I’m sure). Grade: C- (story: D/art: B).