New comics

New comics!

Superman: Space Age 2-3

I wasn’t a fan of this the first time around.  Or the second.  But it kept getting good reviews from iFanboy, and I found myself really wanting to like it, for no reason that I can discern.  So I went ahead and bought these last issues hoping that Mark Russell and Mike Allred could pull it off.  

Well, Russell delivered on his end.  The very beginning of the series should have tipped me off, but this is a way darker series than I expected.  (Even with the Flash doubling as the Justice League’s punching bag.)  But it’s done very, very well, and I really wish he had a more suitable (not better, since Allred can do some amazing work) artist.  This could have been so much better.

Superman: Space Age, Superman: Red and Blue, Superman: Son of Kal-El

I’m down to around 800 comics left to review, with only two short boxes remaining plus whatever’s still on my shelf.  (I’m down to one bookshelf of comics, everything else is in boxes.  *sob*  One day, my library will return…)  So things are going to be pretty haphazard from here on out, as I try to save the best stuff for last.  (It’s getting hard, it’s all pretty good at this point.)  

Plus there are the ongoing series that I’m still collecting, I probably won’t review those.  

Superman: Space Age 1

I bought this less than two months ago, and my thoughts haven’t changed.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Fine

Superman: Red & Blue 5

From a little over a year ago.  This is such a good comic book, every story (except for the Mark Buckingham one) tugging perfectly at my heartstrings.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Really good

Superman: Son of Kal-El 1-5

An average series, which makes it below average when it comes to Tom Taylor-written comics.  I gave it a fair shake, and quit at the right time.  My very first impression turned out to be correct.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, New comics

New comic!

Superman: Space Age 1

A miniseries by Mark Russell and Michael Allred.  I bought this off of an iFanboy recommendation.  I wish I hadn’t bothered.  This is basically Russell doing his version of New Frontier, only it’s not as well written or well drawn.  I’ll be passing on the rest.  I did like this bit, talking about the important role that hobbies play in one’s life:

I don't think John Lewis really said this, but it's a nice sentiment.

Ultimate Marvel Team-Up 9-16

Ultimate Spider-Man Super Special 1

Brian Michael Bendis can dress it up however he likes, but most of these issues are text dump origin stories for Ultimate characters, none of which deviate from the 616 versions very much.  The artists are the only things keeping this title from getting cut:

Issue 9: Jim Mahfood does the Fantastic Four.

Issue 10: John Totleben does Man-Thing. 

Issue 11: Chynna Clugston-Major does the X-Men.

Issues 12-13: Ted McKeever does Doctor Strange.

Issue 14: Terry Moore does Black Widow

Issues 15-16: Rick Mays does Shang-Chi

Super Special: Jam session.

The Shang-Chi issues totally stand out.  Mays draws teenagers really well, and I would have loved to see more of his take on Peter and MJ.  A Shang-Chi series would have been welcome as well.

Bendis indicates in the last issue that this series was canceled prematurely, and that he had a lot more stories to tell.  I’m kind of glad it ended when it did.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Fine  (Nice for the Super Special, Pretty good for 15-16.)