Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Random Review Corner

So the first 'Ultron Forever' issue pissed me off, because it had three senseless deaths. I bought it for the sweet Alan Davis artwork, which I associate with a happier time in comics, where there could be mature storylines (as would happen in the New Mutants or Batman and the Outsiders), but it was never crassly sexualized or sensationalistically bloody.

Otherwise, I kind of liked the premise. In a world dominated by Ultron, von Doom has reached through time to snatch a half-dozen Avengers to save the world! Two Thors (the current lady Thor, and a bearded armored Thor of the past), the Vision, Black Widow, Iron Man (Rhodey in the armor), a Hulk from his very first days (when his powers were unstable) and a future Captain America who is an all-growed up Danielle Cage, with some super-strength and invulnerability from both her parents, in addition to the shield.

Still, I glanced at the second issue in the store, and, lo and behold, it was a bait and switch, and *none* of the three deaths actually 'took.' (And each had a different and logical reason why not.)



The last two issues have some fun scenes, including Banner and the Hulk arguing with each other (a rare sight, since they don't usually get to be present at the same time), and *three* different Thors fighting side by side (and referring to themselves as 'Thors Three').

The last thing we see is the Avengers of Danielle Cage/Captain America's universe, which includes future versions of the Vision and Thor (with an axe, eyepatch and metal arm), a gray-haired but still spry Black Widow, a Hulk that has blonde hair, a tattoo and a wedding ring!, a Ms. Marvel in the classic costume who is a young black woman, a freaky Iron Man who has the tail of a fish!, what can only be, based on her appearance, Namor's daughter, and someone in a Nova uniform who is about a foot tall, just coming up to Thor's kneecap, suggesting some sort of bastard hybrid of Ant-Man and Nova.

I want to know more about these people immediately!

The story itself has just the sort of ending I'd expect from a book drawn by Alan Davis, complete with big smiles all around.

Including mine.

I picked up Earth 2: Society the other day.

I liked it, it was exciting, a bit messy like Coipel's Legion of the Damned Art but I'm intrigued. Reminded me of BSG.



I'll get a few more.

Three Power Boys (outta Thoth's six)

I'm still reading SAGA ... it's over the top sometimes, art is the best in the business but it's just sort of doddering along like a bouncing ball ... even though the characters are great and there's lots of shocks and cheap thrills ... it seems a bit pointless.


Three Peebs

I read this whole series ... Alan Davis is my wallet's Achilles heel!


I thought it was ok ... I was more Nom Nom Nom on the art that I just burned through it.

I'm digging Secret Wars ... Esad Ribic's art is yummy and there are lots of twists and new takes on this new Battle World. I'm actually more interested in this new Battle World than the ongoing story ... I'm preferring the fresh take on characters than caring when the good guys are gonna win.



I picked up Midnighter #1 ...

It's a sexy book, not sure how much actually happened in issue one but I liked it, liked the Midnighter, liked the art ... characters and style just had a really cool feel.





DC is getting em to buy their books ... no small feat ... I picked up Justice League the Darkseid war ... but it was so so .. DC seems all about Darkseid at the moment

I purchased two books about the same thing recently:

INMO

Arcadia



Nonplayer





The art was good and introduced some interesting characters and a problematic premise. I am curious what's going to happen.

Still one of the best books around. Last night I read about 10 comics to catch up on the last month's worth, and I was amazed at just how good Saga is, especially when read in the same order as various Marvel and DC comics right now.

I'm absolutely loving how the cast is split into groups you wouldn't expect. Dengo / Alanna and Marko / Prince Robot IV are just such wild pairs!

Plus, Gus is visually my favorite character in the history of visualization.

Really a post for Lardy: so after being totally turned off by Brian Wood after his hypocritical mistakes came to light a few years ago, I gave up on his then current work as I just couldn't get passed that knowledge. Fast forward to now and I see that Dark Horse and Wood have put out a title I simply can't resist, Rebels, an American Revolutionary War comic taking place in the rarely explored New Hampshire locale of the war. If you know me, you know I had to get this.

And I enjoyed the hell out of #1. It reminded me something I couldn't quite remember before: Wood is a damn good writer.

The story is so much more than the war setting, as all excellent war comics are, and Wood is already introducing complex interesting characters set within historical events.

This is probably the best #1 I've seen in 2015 so far.

^^To paraphrase an observation Dave Hackett made in the Legion forum about a beloved Legion artist with dubious politics, it's a case of separating the artist from the art.

Might be a good one for me to pick up. I've watched the first season of "Turn" and enjoyed that.


OT: but brought up in two previous posts.

Fowler - Woods


He admits he made a "pass" at her, which could be anything from, "let's go to dinner" to an awkward pick-up line to denial of something much worse.

Best I can get from Fowler's exchange, I think she's accusing him of a "casting couch" thing followed by intimidation after being rejected.

JMHO:

"Benefit of the doubt," okay I get that for the casting couch thing but what possible benefit of the doubt could you give for intimidation? If that indeed happened, I wouldn't agree she's contributing to bringing about a positive atmosphere, she's enabling. If it didn't happen or if hindsight she feels she blew it up, then be strong enough to admit.


Difficult situation but these things IMO, don't self correct. A person who is truly harassing and doesn't for whatever realize their actions are unacceptable will continue them if given any opening that they are accepted. Don't give "benefit of the doubt" if there is none and if there is, don't accuse.

That's good to hear. I passed on the launch because, well, I've concluded that Brian Wood is better read in trades. As much as I dug the Massive (haven't read the last issue yet, though), most individual issues of the arcs were not satisfying. DMV (the best thing he's ever done that I've read, imo) is an absolutely scintillating experience that I discovered thru the successive trades. Can't recommend those enough, but I can't recommend following a Wood book on a monthly basis.

Of course, it's not all Wood's fault. So many books have lost me monthly because they're so damned decompressed and written for the trade that it's gotten frustrating for me. My backlog of unread floppies now goes back to December or January, and I've now gone nearly 2 months without visiting my CBS--far and away a record for me during any time where I had a physical CBS to go to.

I'm not quite at the point of giving up floppies. There are a few that I wouldn't want to trade-wait, but I can see that number going down to around a dozen a month. I mean, I've got this great literal trade Pile (btw, wouldn't mind any commentary you could spare for my latest round of reviews on the Pile thread, Cobie... ) that gives me full stories and huge collections, so how can floppies compare to that? And, hell, with some of the great deals I can find on the internet for trades, why pay up to five bucks for 20 pages?

Sorry if some of this brings up a general trend for me I've discussed elsewhere, but Wood and his books is a natural segue for me to go on this basic rant!

Conversely, I'm surprised at the number of floppies I've been getting lately. I was thinking of reviewing them all this weekend, in bite-sized comments in one post in this thread.

So true. I worry about the fate of the monthly and the CBS but it's hard to justify even TRYING a new book when you're nearly down the cost of a bargain trade with one issue.


Still, there's a certain excitement with a #1.


I might get this simply because I've enjoyed the series "Turn." There are surprisingly few media using a Revolutionary War setting, relative to Civil and WWII that it hadn't even occurred to me I might enjoy those stories.

Yeah, TURN is on my radar of shows to watch, held up only because I'm getting through a current backlog now. My Dad and father in law both love it. I'm with you too on enjoying seeing the Revolutionary War get some play instead of just the Civil War and WWII. There is so much for mediums that can really "dig deep" like comics and television to explore.

(Also goes for WWI )

Lardy, I can't fault your logic one bit. My habits haven't taken quite as drastic a turn as yours but I've become much choosier in what monthlies I'll support or even try out.

Also, I'll be getting to the "coffee table" thread (as I call it ) soon!

Fanfie, that's great to hear! I definitely can't wait to see any thoughts on current comics you're buying!

For WWI, despite being a comedy, "Black Adder Goes Forth" had a lot to say about the "Great" war. The ending still sticks with me.

In comics, George Pratt did the very excellent "Enemy Ace: War Idyll", which explored some of the darker sides of the war.

Thanks Dave! Will check out both. I've also had "It Was a War of the Trenches" on my radar for some time (with I believe a new edition by Drawn & Quarterly done in recent years).

One of the reasons you don't see a lot of WWI in mainstream U.S. media, of course, is that the U.S. didn't join until relatively late. They declared War in 1917, but significant troops didn't arrive until summer 1918, and contributed to the endgame with the War ending in November.

While there were significant American casualties, they were nothing compared to what the Europeans had endured for years, and most of the U.S. legacy from the war is overshadowed by it's aftermath (The now instituted draft, the roaring 20's, great depression, etc.).

The U.S. also didn't have significant dramatic historical heroes arise from the war, like Billy Bishop up here or Richthofen in Germany.

Then in a few decades, WWII was upon us, and by the time America entered, there was plenty of fodder for the imagination and drama, coupled with an explosion in American print and new media forms. After that WWI slipped into becoming a largely overlooked conflict, in terms of American drama and fiction.

I once gave a hitch to a guy from Moncton

sounds like the beginning of a limerick.


Anyhow

"Black Adder Goes Forth" is on youtube. Only 480 resolution but I think I'll give the first episode a look tonight. Only one season though. A little afraid to get into it, just to have it end so soon.

Black Adder as a whole is 4 seasons (plus specials), but each "Season" is a separate story set in a different time frame. "Goes Forth" is technically the 4th season but they all stand alone.

I've bought a bunch of DC books the other day ...

(must be the end times)

Robin Son of Batman .. was fun but I'm not going for number two



I also got Black Canary one ... was fun, art was a bit better than Robin ... I might get number two ... or not because it seems like an indie rip off ... or a Spider Gwen rip off.



it's more of a 2.5

I got widescreen JLA. It wasn't as fresh as Hitch's Ultron Avengers story ... which I recently reread and prefer to the first issue of JLA widescreen ...

it's still full of fun yet canned art and lots of action but little excitement as it seems very stale. Hitch needs a good collaborator. I did like the characterization of the big seven .. although they too were two dimensional and these aren't my favourite big seven.



I picked up Dr Fate 1 as well! If this as a bit better I could totally be into it ... it just needs a bit more pizaz ... a bit better art ... a bit more tension or something ...

as it is .. i'll give it a three but probably won't pick up number two even though I will the new JLA even as stale as it is ...

idk .. it's cool ... I might be on the fence. It takes place in Brooklyn and the new fate is a teen called Khalid. sounds about right to me.





I got Old Man Logan 1 and 2. It moves slow but is super intense and thrilling just like a Western.

Art is messy but spectacular.



I picked up Squadron Sinister ... I feel a bit the same was as JLA Widescreen ... it was stale .. but I'm totally in. good art, action, and ... well ... characters I like.
2.5 to 3 Power Boys



I got Runaways #1 ... a pale comparison to the fantastic previous runaways ... but anything would be ... this book is also been there done that super powered child academy book ... but its still fun and I'll pick up number two. (despite a low rating) It's got Molly Hayes and a young Winter Soldier




btw if people have not read Deadly Class ... DO ... it is the best book on the shelves ... a guy at the comic store agrees with me its about an assassin school for random and very diverse teens ... the characters are just SO cool ... and the twists put Walking Dead on notice.


Thors on the other hand seems like something I would like but ... CSI Thors with Beta Ry Bill investigating murders is just kinda dorky ... and Storm Thor ... is reduced to girlfriend status ... even Ultimate Thor ... isn't really known for his cunning and investigative prowess ...

arts good ... not my thing ... there is one chilling moment though!




So lots of new things that peaked my interest ... and lots of threes in reviews. I didn't waste my money but I won't be continuing with most of them and the ones I will be buying ... sadly ... will be because the I like the tired formula of big superheroes and good art.

You know you're right. I was a bit harsh ... a 3 star so so SAGA is still better than pretty much everything else on the damn shelves.

It might read better all at once, which is how I came to Y the Last Man.

Thanks for the thoughts on the new DC's Peebs. Of all of the sneak peeks (see previous posts) Doctor Fate looked to be one of the few to have some potential.

I saw widescreen JLA in the shop. I've not got it yet, but might give in.

I hope Starfire does well, so I may give that one a look. Mainly as I picked up Power Girl a while back.

I was thinking of JLA 41. Probably the best scene in any of the Sneak Peek books came in that one.

Future Imperfect #1 - A bit of a fast read, but it sets up a potentially exciting battle to come, and ends with a beautifully executed cliffhanger that genuinely surprised me yet made perfect sense. Best thing Peter David's written since the Thor/Las Vegas arc of X-Factor. I give it 4 out of 5 Umbras:



JLA #1 - For a while, I thought Bryan Hitch was channeling the mediocre mid-late 90s Grant Morrison run -- Batman's acting a know-it-all little shit again -- then it picked up when Cyborg entered stage left to save the day, and ended with a great cliffhanger that I sincerely did not see coming but which is something that, to my knowledge, no DC writer has explored in nearly 80s years of Superman. The art is excellent throughout. 3 out of 5 Umbras:



Prez #1 - Mildly amusing political satire that nips where it should bite, but to its credit, the teenage girl who is chosen to become the next American president is a sympathetic, well-rounded character. Has potential. 3 out of 5 Umbras:



Starfire #1 - Kudos to Connor & Palmiotti for giving Starfire a guardian/best friend who is a dead ringer for Donna Troy and a Latin American woman to boot. But this sort of lighthearted spin on the stranger-in-a-strange-land concept had already worn thin by the end of the issue. 2 out of 5 Umbras:



Weirdworld #1 - Akron, a favorite of mine since more than 20 years ago, finally gets to play an anti-heroic protagonist as he journeys through a fantasy realm, in search of his home dimension. Great art, gorgeous coloring, and the thrills never let up. 5 out of 5 Umbras:

I picked up Harley Quinn and Power Girl #1 as well.

It said Conner and Palmiotti on the cover ... I didn't check the art on the inside before I bought it. I assumed it was Conner ART!!!

No Conner art ... and the book I food very annoying itself. ugh.

no stars. because of the sleight of hand and the writing that is the equivalent of hearing nails on a chalkboard ... except in my head ...

no likey.

I'll look for starfire too!