Comic of the Day 6/4: "Star Wars: Kanan" #2

Always regarded as the black swan among Marvel's Star Wars comics, and now coming to a close, Kanan #1 was a welcome surprise. It offered a well-balanced and intelligent angle on the Jedi Order and the relationship between Master and Padawan, trumping even Marvel's more recent Obi-Wan and Anakin series in this regard. 

Kanan #2, however, seems to have lost almost all of its edge already, feeling lazy and unimaginative throughout. Caleb's inner monologue, even more untypical for a child, retreats too much into worn-out phrases, while never fully exploring the intriguing transformation from friend to foe so central to this storyline. Pepe Larraz' art only adds to this overall impression. Apart from the chase scenes, it is never able to create the grit the comic misses so dearly.

Kanan #2 trades in the maturity of its initial issue for a tone and simplicity that far more match the aesthetics of the younger-audience targeted TV show.   

Comic of the Day 5/4: "Thunderbolts" #101

This one is the first Thunderbolts comic I've ever read, without knowing much about the series in general, and having close to no clue what anyone of them is talking about in any given scene. Hence, I have to admit I don't feel in the most comfortable position to review this properly. 

But then, don't they say that every comic you pick could potentially be your first one, offering enough insight and background to make it an enjoyable read? So then, does that hold true for Thunderbolts #101, letting me jump right into the action?

The answer is simple: no. Although the comic offers sufficient exposition at the beginning, I hardly ever had the feeling to know what's going. Too much seems to depend on whether you've read earlier issues and are familiar with the characters. I do not say this is a bad thing in general, as I can see seasoned Thunderbolts readers enjoying this issue.

And, consequently, this also makes it rather difficult to answer another important question positively. Is the comic fun? The Thunderbolts seem oddly dated in 2016, with group dynamics and an art style that simply don't hold up with today's comic standards. 

So, will I read another issue. Strangely, yes. I have four more comics in the Civil War volume, so eventually I'll see if things get more coherent over time, letting me enjoy the comic at least a bit.

Comic of the Day 4/4: "Avengers: Assault on Pleasant Hill Alpha" #1

With recent "Avengers" outings rather being disappointing, this promises to be a strong crossover series, returning the superhero team-up to top-form again. 

Assault on Pleasant Hill manages to convince in almost every area, with high production standards throughout that gives the comic a movie-like feeling. Character relationships and dynamics work very well, with Captain America old and new being convincing leads and Bucky as the perfect choice as the anti-hero.

Hopefully the series will add a bit more action scenes to its repertoire in the issues to follow, and drop some of its comedy elements, which are stale and forced on too many occasions.

Comic of the Day 3/4: "Batman/Teeanage Mutant Ninja Turtles" #4

It's the surprise series of 2016, offering perfect fan service for admirers of the Bat and/or the Turtles. Any chance of making this an ongoing series, DC and IDW? 

Admittedly, the story does hardly progress at all, and another journey back into Crime Alley, even if just to make Batman more relatable for the Turtles, feels like filler material at best.

But all is ironed out and then some by the sheer crossover possibilities James Tynion IV explores here. Just to name a few, we can see 

• Batman eating a slice of pizza (!)
• The Turtles riding a Batmobile
• Raphael walking through Gotham night in a trenchcoat

With only two more issues left, I hope there's more to come in the future.

Comic of the Day 2/4: "Star Wars: Obi-Wan & Anakin" #3

This is the strongest issue in the series so far, particularly shining when showing Palpatine's masterful manipulation of young Anakin. The dialogue in these scenes is meticulously crafted, with the Sith Lord in disguise precisely appealing to Anakin's interpretation of right and wrong, while never revealing his broader agenda.

Marco Checchetto's art presents an interesting angle on the Star Wars universe, creating an ice world that strays away from common conventions, while also feeling considerably distinct from Hoth. Only the Fishers seem unimaginative and too much like your usual Marvel space-alien-villain.

With only two issues to go in this series, Obi-Wan & Anakin still leaves much in the dark when it comes to what exactly is happening on Carnelion IV. The relationship between the Open and the Closed remains unclear, and it's hard to make any sense about what happens to the two Jedi at the end. One can only hope Soule starts to tie up some loose ends in #4 already, not risking a final issue that feels too rushed and confused. 

  

Comic of the Day 1/4: "Hawkeye" #4

Hawkeye continues to be the best-looking major coming series at the moment, and its plot does not disappoint either. Having said that, Jeff Lemire plays it safe as to what he does with his characters and how he develops them.

Kate's childhood story, albeit being well-told, offers nothing new to the "rich/spoilt-but-neglected girl" perspective, retreating far too often into well-known tropes and phrases. Only the final revelation about Kate's father manages to add some depth and diversion.

Meanwhile, Clint's attempt to recover the Project Communion children sees the other Hawkeye at his loud-mouth best (watch out for the hilarious "Mad Max: Fury Road reference), offering a welcome and up-beat change to the thoughtful Kate story arc.

Still going strong in #4, Hawkeye is one of the essential comic series right now, and absolutely recommendable.  

Comic of the Day 31/3: "Star Wars" #17

It's very much black and white in this one, as one cannot shake the feeling that recent "Star Wars" comics favour style over substance. The art still amazes, with great set pieces that are a delight for every Star Wars fan, but the story seems to unnecessarily drag without any essential developments.

While Leia's and Sana Starros' involvement in the prison assault features some awesome moments of suspense and action, the story seems to skip forward all the time, leaving out important information in the meantime. And then there's the comic's conclusion, with an obviously doubtful and unlogic decision and a team-up really no one needs.

And yes, there's also Han's and Luke's story arc, featuring either never seen before scenes as tie-fighters chasing the Millennium Falcon (wow!) or subtle comical masterpieces as poo jokes (poo jokes? poo jokes!!!). Cut the few pages of that, extend the prison break story line and you would have had a really good comic... It wasn't to be this time.