Showing posts with label Star Wars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Star Wars. Show all posts

Sunday, 8 January 2017

Last Week's Comics, Ranked. (28/12/16)

A highly subjective ranking of a selection of last week's comics (28/12/16).

1. Wonder Woman #13
2. Mother Panic #2
3. Star Wars #26
4. All-Star Batman #5
5. Dark Knight III: The Master Race #7
6. Deadpool: Too Soon #3
7. Black Widow #9
8. Action Comics #970
9. Captain America: Steve Rogers #8
10. Batman Beyond #3
11. Detective Comics #947

Monday, 14 November 2016

Review: "Poe Dameron" #8

Agent Terex wasn't necessarily a fan favorite among Star Wars comic readers. Poe Dameron's tight-lipped antagonist checked too many boxes of not just Star Wars, but Sci-Fi baddies in general. While writer Charles Soule managed to establish Poe Dameron as a somewhat distinct and layered character, Terex remained ironically bland at best. 

The more surprising (and definitely welcome) it is now that we get such a well-executed and entertaining origin story of the First Order agent, which even manages to tie in with some of the motives explored in The Force Awakens. The character goes through such a substantial and engaging transformation that one has to wonder why it took the comic eight issues to finally tell it. 

Poe Dameron was already the best Star Wars comic around, where intelligent storytelling, fresh characters and Phil Noto's wonderfully varied art make the galaxy feel truly alive. Now we got ourselves a credible villain as well.

8/10

Wednesday, 19 October 2016

Review: "Han Solo" #4

Han Solo #4 confidently confirms the impressions of the first three issues: this is the best Star Wars series on sale at the moment. Why? Because writer Marjorie Liu does what may sound easy, but is actually hard to achieve: combine the traits of proven Star Wars characters and environments, but add new layers to it. 

Thus everything in Han Solo feels fresh, even though it gives readers a certain sense of familiarity which is certainly desired in any Star Wars publication. All that comes with a story that very effectively combines combat, racing and detective story elements, and art and colors by Mark Brooks, Sonia Oback and Matt Milla that manage to convince both on the small and large scale with its beautiful, realistic approach. All in all, Han Solo #4 makes for a thoroughly enjoyable experience. 

8/10

Monday, 26 September 2016

Quickfire-Combo Reviews: "Poe Dameron" #6 / "Batgirl & The Birds of Prey" #2 / "All-Star Batman" #2

"Poe Dameron" #6: The galactic mouse hunt between Poe Dameron and Agent Terex continues to be a highly entertaining affair, and one of Marvel's best Star Wars comics to date. It's light, fun, and perfectly captures the Poe Dameron established in The Force Awakens.

8/10













"Batgirl & The Birds of Prey" #2: Neither Batman nor her father can convince Barbara Gordon to accept any help here, and the comic is all the better for it. Batgirl, Huntress and Black Canary wonderfully click in this series, with a plot that retains a clear focus on where its headed altogether.

8/10












"All-Star Batman" #2: 2016 has not been short of great Batman series, and one almost has to feel sorry for Tom King, whose excellent new take on the Dark Knight in the main series gets overshadowed by this beast of a comic book. The artistic freedom Snyder enjoys here makes All-Star Batman truly excel in every aspect, and one of DC Comics' highlight series of the year.


9/10




Tuesday, 13 September 2016

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Deadpool v Gambit" #4 / "Han Solo" #3 / "Captain America: Steve Rogers" #4

"Deadpool v Gambit" #4: Only picked that up again because both Marvel and DC hardly released anything that week. And yes, the moment Deadpool and Gambit do not even really appear in their own comic, we suddenly have a half-decent story at our hand, treating the inevitability of fate through the Scramblers backstory here. 

7/10












"Han Solo" #3: Fast, fun, entertaining and with a take on Han Solo that feels fresher than in any other of Marvel's "Star Wars" series.

8/10







"Captain America: Steve Rogers" #4: What does it have to do with "Civil War II" again? Never mind. It's solid, compelling and thoroughly narrated, but definitely has lost some of its magic from earlier issues.

7/10

Tuesday, 6 September 2016

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Batgirl & The Birds of Prey: Rebirth" #1 / "Nightwing: Rebirth" #1 / "Star Wars" #22

"Batgirl & The Birds of Prey: Rebirth" #1: That's how a "Rebirth" issue should be: a proper and interesting introduction to Batgirl and Barbara Gordon, and the Huntress makes for a perfect "frenemy". Thoroughly fun.

8/10













"Nightwing" #1: The depiction of Nightwing is nuanced and intelligent, and his relationship and dynamic with Damian Wayne is simply superb, but what the hell is going on half of the time? You'll have a hard time following the plot if you haven't been into Nightwing before. 

6/10













"Star Wars" #22: To see the Rebels fight an empirical starship is gripping and entertaining, unfortunately though, some narrative holes spoil the party a bit. The eventual encounter between SCAR Squad and Han, Luke and Leia promises to be epic.

7/10




Wednesday, 31 August 2016

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Green Arrow" #5 / "Poe Dameron" #5 / "Daredevil/The Punisher" #4

"Green Arrow" #5: This terrific storyline ends with the blast it deserved, as Benjamin Percy skillfully concludes the conquest of The Inferno and Juan Ferreyra again displays his great artistic talent.

8/10













"Daredevil / The Punisher" #4: Charles Soule is one of the most prolific comic book writers around at this time, but this is easily his most outstanding piece of work right now. From the great chemistry of the two protagonists to an absolutely intriguing story and memorable art by Szymon Kudranski, this has it all.


9/10











"Poe Dameron" #5:  This has sneakily become the best Star Wars series on sale right now. Its mostly careless fun, with a tone that effortlessly fits into that established by The Force Awakens and a protagonist that feels less and less just like a Han Solo copy. 

8/10

Sunday, 21 August 2016

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Deadpool & The Mercs For Money" #2 / "Action Comics" #961 / "Darth Vader" #24

"Darth Vader" #24: It's a small glimpse of what this series could have been, if only Kieron Gillen had remotely made use of the potential a character like Darth Vader offers. Too little too late, even though this one here convinces.

7/10













"Action Comics" #961
: This is still solid, even though one cannot help but feel that Jurgens has to get the story to some kind of conclusion soon (or shake things up, respectively) if he doesn't want to risk that the series becomes directionless.

7/10
"Deadpool & The Mercs For Money" #2: If you didn't particularly like the first series, you should definitely give this one another try. Deadpool's better, the Mercs a lot deeper and more dynamic, and the cast of villains is highly compelling. 

8/10

Monday, 8 August 2016

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "The Fix" #4 / "Black Widow" #5 / "Star Wars" #21

I need to catch up with my comics, so here's something new to get up-to-date relatively quickly. Enjoy!

"The Fix" #4: More Mac, more Josh, more Pretzels, more mayhem. Fun, entertaining, hugely disturbing, the surprise series of 2016 keeps impressing.

9/10



"Black Widow" #5: It's pace and relentless action reminds of the fantastic first issue, as Natasha feels the heat on her from everywhere. Still great, even though it lacks some of the magic we were getting used to.

8/10












"Star Wars" #21: Superbly narrated, as its art perfectly matches the comic's sombre atmosphere. Whether you love or hate the Stormtrooper special unit we get to know here, their appeal is unmissable. Marvel's darkest Star Wars comic so far.

8/10

Friday, 29 July 2016

Review: "Han Solo" #2

This is easily the best looking Star Wars comic so far, with artistic team of Brooks, Vines and Oback going for a beautifully naturalistic look on the environments, while the warm and earthy colors on characters' faces add additional depth and emotion. Liu's story continues to impress with a fresh take on Solo himself, even though the narrative mode of a sports broadcast seems weirdly out of place for the Star Wars universe. 


8/10


Further Links:

Wednesday, 27 July 2016

Keepin' It 360: "Poe Dameron" #4

Poe Dameron opens up a new chapter, and it's all the better for it, as the hard-boiled prison setting benefits the characters of Black Squadron. Phil Noto's art is unspectacular, but aesthetically in line with other current Star Wars comics, while writer Charles Soule fortunately resists the temptation of depicting Grakkus the Hutt too close to Jabba.


7/10

Further Links:





Thursday, 21 July 2016

Keepin' It 360: "Darth Vader" #22

Only 3 issues to go before we won't have to endure this anymore. Darth Vader has hit another low point with a uninspired, directionless and confusing story. Featuring cheap twists, utterly annoying droids, mediocre art and Darth Vader himself as a mere caricature of his film version, it doesn't manage to convince on any level. "May the farce be with you."


3/10


Further Links:


Tuesday, 19 July 2016

The Good, The Bad and Something About Comics: "Star Wars" (1977) #1


              + Positive                                         - Negative

  • Good coloring
  • Poetic language fits the story
  • Loose adaptation of “A New Hope” leaves room for some interesting scenes
  • Some interesting new characters
  • Art is close to the movies, but Luke is drawn too overly masculine (he looks like He-Man)
  • Too much focus on text and dialogue contains the rest of the comic
  • Dialogues are occasionally too close to the original

It's everything you love and hate about 70's comics, but definitely better than Marvel's recent The Force Awakens adaptation.


6/10

Saturday, 16 July 2016

Keepin' It 360: "Poe Dameron" #3

Fortunately, this is better than the sum of its parts. Clumsy and childish action scenes, a more than unsatisfying revelation of the "savior", and one and the same expression on Poe's face do tarnish the comic, but its entertaining character dynamics and vivid dialogues, paired with a ubiquitous love for Star Wars itself still make this a worthwhile read.


6/10


Further Links:

Saturday, 9 July 2016

The Good, The Bad and Something About Comics: "Han Solo" #1



+ Positive       - Negative

  • A more anxious side of Han is an entirely new take on him.
  • Mark Brooks’ art is positively straightforward and clear.
  • The main story is original, entertaining and sufficiently complex.
  • “Dragon Void” race feels like a great addition to the Star Wars universe.
  • Finally a Star Wars comic that gets the larger space panels right.
  • An amazing cliffhanger.
  • While going for a true-to-life interpretation of Han Solo, Princess Leia looks nothing like the original.
  • The same old skirmishes between Han and Leia become slowly annoying.
  • Barring one exception, the comic’s supporting cast is hardly worth mentioning.

Apart from some minor flaws, this is still as good a first entry as you could have wished for.



8/10

Tuesday, 5 July 2016

Review: "Star Wars" #20

The "Journal's of Old Ben Kenobi" have been among the highlight's of Marvel's Star Wars comics, and this one continues to fill some vital gaps between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, as Obi-Wan is confronted by the deadly Wookie bounty hunter Krssantan. 

Jason Aaron is dead-on when it comes to how one would imagine Obi-Wan to be as a middle-aged Jedi, finding the perfect balance between wisdom and bravery in his depiction. We get to see a slightly different side of Uncle Owen as well, but unfortunately to the expense of Luke Skywalker himself, as you won't see as much of him as you'd probably like.

Artist Mike Mayhew's sometimes naturalistic approach also visually sets this story apart from the series' other entries. It may not be for everybody (and Krssantan definitely looks too much like a gorilla), but his stunning attention to detail, paired with a range of strong colors, particularly manage to shine in the desert environment of Tatooine. 

Star Wars #20 is a treat throughout, whose minor issues never overshadow the sheer quality in both writing and art.


9/10


Further Links:

Monday, 4 July 2016

Review: "Star Wars: Poe Dameron" #2

Poe Dameron #2 is a solid and skillfully told comic, but suffers from the fact that writer Charles Soule never comes out of the comfort zone provided by well-established Star Wars tales and characters. 

There is Poe himself, who never manages to rise above the status of "Han Solo 2.0", the charming adventurer who can talk himself out of almost every situation. And Agent Terex is the cunning, opportunistic antagonist who plays by his own rules and only uses the First Order as a means for personal advancement, not because he necessarily agrees with their ideology. It's all well done and mostly entertaining, but fails to stand out compared to other of Marvel's recent Star Wars series. Artist Phil Noto, however, has found a clearer vision of where he wants to go with his art, offering an approach that is clearer and more outlined than in #1.

Star Wars fans will be glad to hear that they do get some additional information on Captain Phasma and the inner workings of the First Order. While we have to keep in mind that the comic is narratively limited by the comparably little information provided by the new Star Wars trilogy, a little bit more risk will definitely help this series going forward.


6/10


Further Links:



Thursday, 30 June 2016

Keepin' It 360: "Star Wars: Darth Vader" #21

Darth Vader #19 is far away from the lows it reached several months ago, but especially with the series' end looming on the horizon, neither the team around writer Kieron Gillen nor editors seem to care much about it any more (the scary number of typos tells a lot). No glaring issues, just the same story and aesthetics all over again. Only for hardcore fans.


5/10

Further Links:

Monday, 6 June 2016

Review: "Star Wars: Obi-Wan & Anakin" #5

Unfortunately, Obi-Wan & Anakin doesn't end on a high note, as Soule can't figure out a way to conclude the story in a way that does justice to the excellent quality of the series so far. 

The conflict between The Open and The Closed is explained too superficially, while their reasoning and motivations are still only vague. The Scavenger as a metaphor for hope is underwhelming and would have benefited from more depth in its approach; and the fact that the comic's finale relies on a deus ex machina only further emphasizes its narrative weaknesses. 

But it's not all doom and gloom. Checchetto and Mossa's art uses the freedom offered by a planet appearing for the first time in Star Wars lore with a captivating, imaginative and detailed effort. The Scavenger herself is subject to an entertaining revelation, while Soule continues to grasp the essence of the Jedi philosophy like few others can. The whole series is still highly recommendable, especially if you're interested in the education and character development of Anakin. This last issue, however, is a bit of a let-down.


6/10

Further Links:

Obi-Wan & Anakin #4
Star Wars #19
Darth Vader #20

Wednesday, 1 June 2016

Keepin' It 360: "Star Wars" #19

It's a remarkably strong ending to an often mediocre overall story, that particularly impresses with a surprise revelation that no one saw coming. The art's vague tone and outstanding lighting capture the comic's atmosphere perfectly, as Sana and Aphra still don't really develop a chemistry and nobody knows why Han and Luke have to be in here at all.

8/10

Further Links: