REVIEW: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Volume One

PLOT: Prince Adam sets out to reclaim the mantle of HE-MAN, a legendary power that he can wield for the powers of good. But around every turn the evil villain Skeletor seeks to destroy the young hero and keep him from finding his fellow Masters.

REVIEW: I don't know why I read this book because I'm not really familiar with He-Man, nor do I consider myself a fan of much anything like it. But it was a graphic novel and why not give it a read right? I do like the way the story unfolds from the beginning, with Prince Adam not knowing truly who he was until the sword gives him the power of He-Man. Skeletor has taken his memory away from him so he does not remember, but the lingering power that still dwells within him leads him to a new revelation about himself that pits him once again against Skeletor, the legendary villain of this universe. The art was pretty good, but it's truly not my kind of thing, this sword and shield type world. It was a pretty decent book, but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it. It's a fun read, and probably a really entertaining graphic novel for fans of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Also, the web comic printed at the beginning of the book by Geoff Johns I actually really enjoyed.

WRITING : ( 7 / 10 )

ARTWORK : ( 8 / 10 )

STORY : ( 8 / 10 )

COVERS : ( 5 / 10 )

AWESOME : ( 6 / 10 )

FINAL RATING : ( 6 / 10 )

REVIEW: Aquaman, Volume Two: The Others

PLOT: Long before the King of the Seven Seas joined the Justice League, Aquaman was a part of another super-team: The Others. These young costumed adventurers traveled the globe, each trying to find their own individual road to redemption. Six years later after a grisly murder, The Others are reunited. They know only one man could be responsible: Black Manta. Aquaman must lead the charge to stop his arch-nemesis, but will the years have fractured The Others just enough to keep them from bringing this villain to justice?

REVIEW: After the stellar debut of Aquaman under the New 52 title, it was a big question as to whether or not one of the famed comic authors Geoff Johns could keep going full steam ahead with a character that seemed dead in the water. Aquaman has always had the stigma of being fruity, or lame, or just plain dumb as a super hero that comes from the depths of the ocean. I for one, was never a huge fan of the character, but Johns has brought such life to the character in these new volumes that it's definitely amongst some of my favorite titles now. In the first volume, The Trench, I was extremely impressed by not only the introductory story to the character but also the detailed and beautiful art by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado. This wasn't a title I expected to like at all, but after this second volume, it's been proved enough to me that the first was no fluke. The art again was completely breathtaking from regularly paneled pages, to the amazing covers and even the double page panels. The characters are all perfectly illustrated and just the attention to detail with all of the aquatic elements is just amazing. One thing that I really loved about this volume that the first volume didn't have was the story with The Others, and one in particular named Prisoner. I've never heard of him before but his storyline ending at the end was kind of touching, and really great and added to the story of Aquaman himself and who he's become. I'd highly recommend Aquaman to any of the New 52 fans out there looking for the better titles, and anyone looking for an overlooked series because this could easily be one of them for most. Geoff Johns, you are one of the masters. Not anyone could do what he's done with the character, and that's make the silly Aquaman character into a complete and total badass.

WRITING : ( 10 / 10 )

ARTWORK : ( 10 / 10 )

STORY : ( 9 / 10 )

COVERS : ( 10 / 10 )

AWESOME : ( 10 / 10 )

FINAL RATING : ( 10 / 10 )