Comic Cat » Marvel

Cable #25

Rock — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 02:26:26 +0000

If you haven’t noticed as yet Cable #25 is actually Deadpool and Cable #25. The title isn’t the only thing that they’ve changed, we see a new story writer as well as an arter, wait… artist! Duane Swierczynski being the story writer and Paco Medina being the artist. They bring together something really special in this issue, making it a really fun to read comic.

Story: Duane Swierczynski does a good job with this one, a really good job I must say. Surprised? Absolutely! This issue is an absolutely hysterical issue and can it not be with Deadpool around? This is probably one of the funniest comics I’ve read in a long, long time. Swierczynski has done what many people fail to do, bring humour to Deadpool’s character and do it well. Cable is his stern old self which brings some sanity to this issue. The only qualm I have with this issue is that there is no concrete story line in this whole issue and humour takes center stage with the issue ending on a bit of a serious note.

Art: In short, I would love to see more of Paco Medina. You’ll probably remember him from the “New X-men” issues. He not only does fine job in this issue, he nails it. He goes with the flow of the story line and keeps up the tempo. He’s very vibrant with his work if you’ve noticed. He gives the whole issue a very vivacious and spirited feel making the comic an enjoyable one to read.

Overall: You wouldn’t want to miss out on one of the very few comics that I actually found funny. Duane Swierczynski and Paco Medina do a fine job as a pair and brought out the best in themselves. As I said, Duane Swierczynski surprised me and it was a pleasant one at that. This book is wonderful if you want to get de-stressed. Go grab yourself a copy of this issue, sit back and enjoy yourself. If you’re a Cable fan, this is one book you’ll want to keep in your collection.

Incredible Hercules #139

Rock — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:01:20 +0000

The Assault On New Olympus is underway and Incredible Hercules #139 has plenty of action through the whole issue. There are plenty of great match-ups like Spider-Man vs. Arachne, Wolverine vs. Cephalus, and Pym vs. Argus. The issue starts off with everyone talking about Continuum before quickly jumping into the action. What is Continuum? Well, you will find out in this issue.

Story: Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente did a wonderful job writing this issue. An interesting part of the story was when Amadeus Cho came face to face with Delphyne, but was emotionally torn because they were fighting on opposing sides of the battle. It’ll be interesting to see how this relationship plays out in future issues.

Art: No complaints in this department. I feel the art had just the right amount of grit to depict the fierceness of battle, and the heroes and villains taking part in those battles. Rodney Buchemi and Reilly Brown did a great job capturing emotion and it really shines through when Amadeus Cho tells Delphyne that he loves her. The emotion on her face is perfect. Keep up the great work guys.

Overall: This a buy. Incredible Hercules is a series that’s been having a good track record, but still doesn’t get a lot of love for some reason. It has good story, good art, and a lot of your favorite Marvel heroes. What more could you ask for?

Uncanny X-Men #515

Rock — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:00:23 +0000

This issue of Uncanny X-Men starts with a bang and end with the even bigger one. Action-packed from start to finish the book focuses mainly on the creation of an X-Men nation and the ensuing action and drama it creates.

Story: As already mentioned, the bulk of the issues story revolves around the new X-men nation that has been created, but interestingly enough, the story does not start out there. In fact, the comic book begins in almost a whole different plot line, which although confusing, makes for a much more intriguing read.

Art: Greg Land, the artist behind this issue, has an amazing ability to portray action and he does it particularly well in this issue. From the lines that indicate the rippling muscles on the characters to the eyebrows raised ever so slightly to indicate feelings, Land has an amazing Knack for turning the story writers’ ideas into stunning artwork. He also does some very interesting stuff with crossover art into different panels, where the Art seems to stretch all across the page, yet it is still easy to understand. Best of all though, his artwork is detailed enough to portray every aspect of the story, yet simplistic enough to not confuse the readers anyway.

Overall: Uncanny X-Men #515 is all of what a comic book should be. It has the perfect balance of creative artwork, interesting plot, original ideas and concepts, and a great cliffhanger. Even if you aren’t a fan of comic books in general, you might find yourself enjoying this one due to its originality beyond typical comic books

Spider-Woman #1

Rock — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:02:44 +0000

Based on what I’ve seen, this comic book marks the beginning of a beautiful series. All about the recruitment of Jessica Drew, a.k.a. Spider-Woman, the beginning is little confusing starting off with a depiction of her being depressed and suicidal. Not much is done to explain this either, but luckily the stories soon turns to what we all wanted, the story of how Spider-Woman started working for S.W.O.R.D.

Story: The main problem I have with the story in this issue is the lack of explanation in certain parts which makes it rather hard to understand and a little annoying to read. In general, it is good for comic books to be complex, because a reader doesn’t want a story that will bore them, but at the same time the story needs to be understandable and well explained, something with certain parts of this story are most certainly not. However, that being said, the rest of the story is very well written and Brian Michael Bendis has some interesting ideas meshed in with his writing.

Art: The truly couldn’t have picked a better artists than Alex Maleev for this project, as he seems to have a real knack for working with Bendis and expressing Bendis’s ideas to perfection. He also is very talented with his use of tone and his style is something I have never seen the likes of. In fact, he seems at times able to convey more to the readers through his artwork than the writer can with words!

Overall: Spider-Woman #1, although lacking quite a bit in the explaining department, makes up for it with its original story, intriguing artwork, and its overall excellent content.

Incredible Hercules #135

Rock — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:15:03 +0000

This thrilling issue of Incredible Hercules focuses mainly on the story of Cho and the origin of her amazing mental powers. Written by Fred Van Lente & Greg Pak, the story mainly occurs in the past, particularly around a Dungeons & Dragons type game that Amadeus Cho is playing with Master Mind, and although this makes the story a little hard to understand, the comic is still an overall excellent read with a very strong plot.

Story: The story in this issue of Incredible Hercules is a little confusing at first, but compensates by being one of the most interesting and relevant plot lines in a comic book. One of the surprising elements to the story in the comic book is the amount of humor in it. Throughout the story there is a lot of inside jokes, particularly in relation to RPG games, and this makes the story of little more enjoyable to read and provides a nice break from the action when needed.

Art: Rodney Buchemi, the artist behind this issue of Incredible Hercules, has an amazing command of both color and tone, which he truly utilizes to its full extent in the creation of this episode. This is especially apparent in the very dark or very light scenes in which the artwork of the book really works to accent the story.

Overall: This episode of Incredible Hercules is extremely well-rounded thanks to its potent story,complex messages, and stunning artwork. All these elements combined make this episode both thrilling and enjoyable and overall, a comic book you need to read.

Fantastic Four #571

Rock — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:36:26 +0000

The most striking thing about this issue of the Fantastic Four is that it does not actually revolve around the Fantastic Four, but instead focuses primarily on the Council of Reed Richards. However, this in no way makes the comic book a bad read, in fact, it is perhaps one of the best Fantastic Four issues yet.

Story: As already mentioned, the main focus of the story is on the Council of Reed Richards, but there is little comic relief in a breakfast discussion with the rest of the team. The short-lived though, the story quickly returns to Reed Richard and his multiples. Overall, the story in this episode, written by Jonathan Hickman, is a pleasant alternative to the usual layout of the Fantastic Four comic books and explores a route that many readers will enjoy.

Art: The art for this issue, created by Dale Eaglesham, has a unique quality to it, mostly a feeling of raw intensity within the artwork. Whereas many other comic book illustrators primarily use color and tone to convey feelings, Eaglesham goes above and beyond and employs the use of carefully constructed lines. This is the most obvious when observing faces in the episode in witnessing how Eaglesham uses even the smallest, simplest of lines, such as those drawn on a forehead, to expertly convey every complex emotion that the character might be experiencing.

Overall: Although the story is not quite as action-packed as many other comic books, it compensates by providing a unique pathway and experience not normally seen in a comic book. The idea of a team of Reed Richards is especially unique and a pathway that not many other comic books would dare to venture on. This is what really makes this comic book a must-have for anyone who is slightly tired by the mundane nature of most comic books and wishes to read something unique and original.

Amazing Spider-Man #606

Rock — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:00:49 +0000

This issue of Amazing Spider-man takes a very different route than the usual issues as it mainly revolves around Spider-man and his relationships with other characters. However, this is not really a bad thing and actually makes the story quite enjoyable to read.

Story: The writer behind this issue of Spider-man, Joe Kelly, accomplishes something that is very rare to see in this type of comic books; humor. He does this with witty dialogue between the characters as well as interesting plot twists that create quite a humorous situation. However, the action addicts will get their fill as well with this episode as it includes a decent amount of thrilling combat and action.

Art: Mike McKone, the the primary artist for this issue, does a decent job of conveying both plot and emotions through his drawings, but he lacks in his variations between panels. At times it’s even hard to tell the panels apart and it almost feels as if you are looking at one giant work of art, which although in some cases might not be that bad, in this instance it doesn’t really fit the comic. That being said, the artwork is at least strong enough to not detract from the story and, although it is subpar for Spider-man issues, it is still a lot better than many other books.

Overall: Although this issue Spider-man doesn’t quite satisfy the readers in terms of artwork, it more than makes up for this in the story department and overall it is very enjoyable to read due to its simultaneous roles of comedy and action.

Incredible Hulk #601

Rock — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 09:59:22 +0000

Incredible Hulk #601 starts off with a small conflict between a powerless Bruce Banner and an abusive father on a subway, but then quickly morphs into a conflict between Bruce and his own son. The book also includes a tangent story on She-Hulk that is equally as interesting, but not quite as long.

Story: Greg Pak does a wonderful job creating an intriguing story line that starts off slow, but quickly climaxes to rapid action and rapid twists. The only negative aspect of Pak’s writing is that he plays off the child abuse scenario too lightly and doesn’t even have Banner contact any kind of authorities. Other than that, the story is very strong and even without the Hulk, there still was plenty of action to satisfy any reader.

Art: Ariel Olivetti is a truly amazing artist. The realism in the comic book was simply amazing and at times made it feel as though I was looking at photographs. The artwork really helps reel readers in and feel as though they are in the book themselves, without being so realistic that it appears fake. The contrast and tone in the panels is equally amazing as well and makes the feelings of the story really apparent.

Overall: Issue #601 of the Incredible Hulk comic series is an amazing read and a pleasure to look at. Not only is the story captivating enough to ensnare any reader, but it also has some of the most beautiful artwork you will ever find in a comic book. This issue is a true necessity for any serious comic collector, amateur comic collector, or actually anyone who just enjoys a good read and some stunning art!

Daredevil #500

Rock — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:54:56 +0000

Daredevil #500 is an amazing story and an excellent way for Ed Brubaker to end his run on Daredevil. The story is brimming to the top with non-stop action which makes this comic book one of the most thrilling you will ever read.

Story: Ed Brubaker did an astounding job writing Daredevil #500, writing it with enough adrenaline packed action to pacify even the biggest action junkie. The book also features a huge climax and development in the character Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, and a new shift in his goal and personality, as well as the introduction of the new Daredevil, Diggle. The only complaint that exists about the story is that it is so well written, it makes the book go by far too fast.

Art: Both Paul Azaceta and David Aja are excellent artists and do a wonderful job of crafting the complex action scenes in Daredevil #500 like no other artists could. The style is really something to behold and is unlike any other comic book out there. The attention to detail is also rather impressive and although it isn’t very noticeable because of the concentration on the action, it still helps make the book as much of a success as it is.

Overall: Daredevil #500 is a comic book that everyone really needs. Most series have disappointing climaxes, but in this case Brubaker surprised us all by going above and beyond of what was expected. The combination of action, emotions, and rapid character development make for one truly amazing piece of work.

Cable #17

Rock — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:53:00 +0000

Cable #17 is a slightly disappointing book due to its lack of variation from the other books in the series. That being said, it is still a decent read and certainly a comic book worth at least giving a try. There also is a slight change as well, as Hope and Cable can no longer easily travel into the future.

Story: The story is definitely not the best ever written, but it still makes for an interesting read. Duane Swierczynski at least does a good job of keeping the tension up and making the plot rapidly progress. However, that being said, the plot has a few major holes in it where events don’t quite seem entirely plausible, even in the comic book world. By then end of the book though, it is clear that these plot holes will most likely be patched up in the next editions of the series.

Art: Paul Gulacy, the artist behind the Cable series, has a very unique style that nicely matches the style of the books. He utilizes differences in shades to match the emotions of the story very well, such as using all darker shades and colors in a tense action scene and then using all lighter colors and shades in a lighthearted emotional scene. His artwork is really something to look at, because of how different it is from other comic books’, but it also is a style that some might not like.

Overall: Cable #17 is by far not the best one in the series, but it is still good enough to warrant a read.