REVIEW: Cable and X-Force, Volume One: Wanted

PLOT: Cable is back! NOW!, with a new X-Force at his side, he must tackle the threats that nobody else can know about - even if it makes him and his team public enemy number one. Just who are Cable's new recruits? Where has Colossus been post-AV X, and what is wrong with his powers? And most importantly, why are Cable and his team attacking a civilian company? Caught red-handed at the scene of a terrorist attack on a major American corporation whose CEO has expressed anti-mutant views, the X-Force find themselves branded criminals and on the run...with none other than the Uncanny Avengers in hot pursuit. There's no going back from here... 

REVIEW: This graphic novel was really poorly written. I could not for the life of me focus on the story and try to wrap my head around what was going on. I could only tell the basics from location and such, but the dialogue and interactions between characters didn't add much to the storytelling process. It was really a bummer to read this because the art was fantastic and of course it's supposed to be more of a darker Marvel tale being that it deals with Cable and a couple of the other darker characters. I really liked what was trying to be done, but somewhere along the lines the story was just lost to poor writing. I have read Dennis Hopeless before and it wasn't terrible so I know better is possible. This book needs a clear story to go through, and the first few issues do a really poor job of introducing the characters and the plot. The last issue was good and I think may be the turning point for this set of heroes and begin a new mission that some of us who are unfamiliar with most of these characters can grab on to. I have hopes that this series could turn around, but so far I wasn't impressed with anything but the art.

WRITING : ( 5 / 10 )

ARTWORK : ( 8 / 10 )

STORY : ( 5 / 10 )

COVERS : ( 6 / 10 )

AWESOME : ( 5 / 10 )

FINAL RATING : ( 5 / 10 )

REVIEW: Thor: God of Thunder, Volume One: The God Butcher

PLOT: Throughout the ages, gods have been vanishing, their mortal worshippers left in chaos. Now, Thor follows a trail of blood that threatens to consume his past, present and future. The only hope for these ravaged worlds is for Thor to unravel the gruesome mystery of the God Butcher! In the distant past, Thor follows the bloody wake of murdered gods across the depths of space. In the present, the Thunder God discovers a forgotten cave that echoes with the cries of tortured gods...and is shocked to find himself among them! And thousands of years from now, the last god-king of a ruined Asgard makes his final stand against the God Butcher's beserker legions. As three Thors from three eras race to stop the God Butcher, the full extent of his vicious scheme takes terrifying shape!

REVIEW: I wouldn't go as far as considering myself a big fan of Thor, but I did really like the film Thor that came out as part of Marvel's Phase One. I wasn't extremely excited to see the film even though I knew that it had to be good because Marvel has done an extraordinary job with re-branding themselves in terms of film, and it was even better than good and may be my favorite other than Iron Man. This book, is the first book of the Marvel NOW! series now called Thor: God of Thunder and I have to say I was extremely surprised with how great it was. It opens with a spectacular first issue showing the many sides of Thor. An avenger, and a man of the people, the godliness of this character is shown in many different lights. I loved the way that the author is so easily able to blend the darkness and haunting story of Thor and The God Butcher, with Thor's recently unraveled sense of humor. The film showcased Thor's immense misunderstanding of the different world around him, where this book shows his simplest desires in the places he calls home. There are quite a few good jokes about Thor's habitual drinking, and I think it humanizes an otherwise unrelatable character. The God Butcher is a great villain, and flashes of Voldemort from the Harry Potter series shows in his look and his words. The writing is also phenomenal in telling three separate stories of Thor but keeping them entangled together to tell an even grander story of one of Thor's most dangerous enemies. I have to say that this may easily be the best Marvel NOW! title I've read, and again I'm shocked at the titles that this NOW! initiative has gotten right, over the ones that they've completely butchered, in my opinion. This is a must read for Marvel fans, Thor fans, and fans of the film.

WRITING : ( 8 / 10 )

ARTWORK : ( 9 / 10 )

STORY : ( 9 / 10 )

COVERS : ( 7 / 10 )

AWESOME : ( 8 / 10 )

FINAL RATING : ( 9 / 10 )

REVIEW: Hawkeye, Volume Two: Little Hits

PLOT: Artist David Aja returns to the most critically acclaimed comic of 2012, as ace archer Clint Barton faces the digital doomsday of - DVR-Mageddon! Then: Cherry's got a gun. And she looks good in it. And Hawkeye gets very, very distracted. Plus: Valentine's Day with the heartthrob of the Marvel Universe? This will be...confusing.

REVIEW: After reading the first volume of Hawkeye, I had a pretty good idea what to expect of the second volume. This one is much like the first, where I find it hard to believe that this is so critically acclaimed when I really can't recall there ever being a threat to Hawkeye's well-being or super hero status. It focuses too much on the relationship between Clint Barton and Kate Bishop, with little to no outcome of their relationship or their adventures as Hawkeye. I guess I'm not just not seeing what everyone else sees, because these comics are kind of boring. I mean, shouldn't Hawkeye be doing something as an Avenger instead of running around as Clint Barton being a comedian? That's one of the few things I'll give these comics, and that's the sense of humor but where is everything else? My main gripe with this volume over the first one is while it's much the same, the tenth issue is phenomenal and comes out of nowhere. The art style is beyond amazing and really breathes life into the otherwise dull Hawkeye artwork, and it gave Hawkeye a viable threat that looks uncannily like Clint in clown makeup. I like the introduction of this villain, and maybe it will take us somewhere in the future. But until then, I'm still in the minority on this comic as it's way too bland and just squandered opportunities in my opinion. Also, the last issue of the volume is told from the point of view of a dog. While it's different, fresh, and somewhat funny, what was the point? Last time I checked this comic was Hawkeye, not his dog and I can't really say I got much from that issue at all. There's no desire for me to try and flip through a 20 page issue of a comic and try to decipher what the writer was trying to convey from the eyes of a dog. It just doesn't make sense, does it?

WRITING : ( 7 / 10 )

ARTWORK : ( 5 / 10 )

STORY : ( 5 / 10 )

COVERS : ( 6 / 10 )

AWESOME : ( 6 / 10 )

FINAL RATING : ( 6 / 10 )

REVIEW: Gambit, Volume One: Once A Thief...

PLOT: When Marvel's premiere thief sets his sights on his biggest score yet, he may just end up over his head. Desperately searching for a means to destroy the pilfered artifact that's cursed him, Gambit journeys deep into the Guatemalan jungles in search of a lost temple - but finds an ancient god-monster accidentally loosed on Earth! It's going to take more than just playing cards and southern charm to get out of this one! Then, coerced by a criminal mastermind, Gambit is sent to the United Kingdom to heist the greatest weapon in the history of man: Excalibur! How will Marvel's premiere thief manage to dupe his extortionist while also escaping with a clear name? Be here as the X-Men's ragin' cajun kicks off his all-new solo career!

REVIEW: As I'm sure you can imagine, I wasn't much looking forward to reading another volume of a Marvel NOW! comic. So far my adventures in the NOW! aren't very stimulating or exciting, and I was about to vow off of them completely, until now. Leave it to one of the coolest Marvel characters in the universe to restore my faith in Marvel's mock New 52 run. Gambit is obviously part of the X-Men, but I love that this book focuses on him as a solitary character and not part of a group, though the X-Men are mentioned quite a few times in his thoughts. That was one of the strengths of this comic, is the ability to convey Remy's thoughts without it taking away from the action on the page. There's a lot of thought bubble going on with Mr. LeBeau in here, and where that usually gets annoying and becomes too much, it was a brief respite from the action every once in awhile but didn't completely suck you out of it. The story is great, as Gambit goes back to his thieving ways away from the X-Men and ends up getting himself into problems that he's not sure how to get out of. The ensuing journey to discover what exactly he has done to himself is great and really a lot bigger than you'd expect a story in Gambit's realm to go. He has of course, some hottie help from another hero, and the art and humor of the comic are just fantastic. I was thoroughly pleased with Once A Thief... and Marvel should pray that more of their NOW! titles are more like this one and not the multitude of other stinkers I've read thus far.

 

WRITING : ( 8 / 10 )

ARTWORK : ( 7 / 10 )

STORY : ( 8 / 10 )

COVERS : ( 8 / 10 )

AWESOME : ( 9 / 10 )

FINAL RATING : ( 9 / 10 )