My thoughts on Nikki Bella surpassing the Diva's Championship record (and WWE programming in general)

Hey everyone.  It's been a while, hasn't it?  I hope you've been well.  I've kinda cleaned up my act since we've last talked and I like to think I'm a bit more coherent, I hope.  I won't do regular scheduling anymore, but I will

So, I said a long time ago that I had given up the WWE.  Well, that didn't last long as it was something I still enjoyed watching when I was with my dad.  Eventually, I became somewhat invested because, hey, try to enjoy it, right?

Quick thoughts on a few things.  And keep in mind, I'm writing this at about four in the morning and in great need of sleep.  I did wake up later and try to tighten up some pros, but forgive me for any inconsistencies for hiccups.

Daniel Bryan:

Terrific athlete, injuries are a problem, wish he opted for the more longer-term surgery.

Dolph Ziggler:

Terrific athlete, far more durable (if less skilled) than Bryan.  One of the most wasted talents on the roster.

Cesaro:

Why isn't he the face of the company?  He has as much personality as Cena at the least and ten times the talent.

John Cena:  

Actually has some in-ring chops.  The US Open Challenge was the best thing that happened to him.  His matches were usually the best matches on Raw.

NXT:

Awesome.  Some IWC snobs will point to Shimmer, Ring of Honor, and others, but considering how hard it is to watch those shows for your average consumer, NXT does a good job of being a straight-out wrestling show.  Not buying Eva Marie as this future champion, though.  Then again, Carmella sucked and look how far she's come.

Roman Reigns:

Doesn't deserve nearly as much hate as people give him.  His rush to the main event following his hernia surgery was on WWE and they cost themselves a legit main eventer.

Sting:

Vince McMahon loves reminding people "he killed WCW," doesn't he?  But, if you think about it, WWE survived WCW.  And ECW.

The Diva's Revolution:

What Diva's Revolution?

The New Day:

New.  Day rocks.  Plus they're all bronies (Big E and Xavier Woods, at least).

IWC:

I still don't get you.

Okay, okay, okay, that's enough of that.  Let's move on to the theme of the blog.  What happened on the September 14, 2015, edition of Raw.  The supposed season premiere.

A couple of things I want to say, though.  First, MizTV.  Reigns and Ambrose should have told the Wyatts that that Miz was their partner, "just to see what happens," before teasing their real partner on Sunday.  My prediction is Daniel Bryan.  I hope it isn't Erick Rowan.  I hope he goes back with the Wyatts when he comes back.

Sting in the main event of Raw?  Awesome.  Versus the Big Show?  Okay, fine.  Give him an opponent he's familiar with.  All good.  I was actually looking forward to it.  Two minutes in, Seth Rollins interferes, followed by Cena to "save Sting" and turning it into a tag team match with minimal Sting involvement, however?  I won't say it was wrong, but it was disappointing and reeked of Vince not wanting WCW franchise Sting to shine over one of his boys like The Big Show.  Yes, he got the submission decision over Rollins, but Cena did the heavy lifting in that eventual tag match.  Sting schooled Triple H at WrestleMania.  I don't think you have to worry about him being in a match for an extended period of time.

So, let's talk about Nikki Bella and let's talk about the Diva's title reign.

First, some backstory for those not familiar.

In January of 2014, CM Punk, one of the WWE's most popular wrestlers and one of their longest reigning WWE Champions, walked out of the company amidst a complicated combination of reasons that I won't get into.  The company thought he'd come back after "time off," but didn't, and was subsequently removed from everything WWE-related.  No more merchandise, no more video packages, no more mentions on TV, nada.  Now, there was some rumors about Punk and Cena's actual relationship and some professional jealousy on Cena's part, but nothing I can say with certainty.  Keep it in mind, though.

During this time, AJ Lee, Punk's real life girlfriend and reigning Diva's Champion, in the middle of her record-breaking reign, remained with the company and actually won the title two more times that year.  However, that November, AJ Lee dropped the Diva's Championship to Nikki Bella, Cena's real life girlfriend/friend with privileges, in one of the most oddly written story points in history.

Leading into the match, Brie Bella had been forced to be Nikki's slave (not as exciting as it sounds) in an emotionally driven and poorly acted angle which included Nikki wishing Brie died in their mothers' womb.  Then, at that November Pay-Per-View, Survivor Series, Brie inexplicably kissed AJ, distracting her, and allowing Nikki to win the Diva's Championship from her.  Cena's girlfriend just beat Punk's wife, as many fans saw it.

Now, the whole thing left a bad taste in a lot of fans' mouths, as AJ disappeared from WWE TV for a while afterwards.  Never really given a rematch, and only showing up once more on the road to WrestleMania to aid Paige temporarily in her feud with the Bellas before leaving the company for good herself, but not before a controversial exchange with Stephanie McMahon over Twitter.

What followed was a meandering, boring feud between the Bellas and Paige, eventually featuring Naomi.  It was boring, it was predictable, it was uninspired, it was exactly what the WWE had featured in the women's division for years.

Enter one fateful night when the WWE decided that Stephanie McMahon was no longer in the back pocket of the Bella Twins as allies of the authority.  The surprising announcement of anticipated debut of Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks, to the main roster, was anointed as the Diva's Revolution and promised to bring about change.  All in the name of challenging Nikki Bella for the Diva's Championship, mixing things up in the roster, and being all-out competition.

Nikki Bella would defend her title all of once since the Revolution started as Team PCB (formerly the Submission Sorority, consisting of Paige, Charlotte, and Lynch) and Team B.A.D. (Beautiful And Dangerous, consisting of Naomi, Tamina, and Sasha Banks) spent more time facing each other than chasing after the Diva's Championship.  Even worse, these supremely talented women (well, most of them.  I'm still not sold on Tamina or anyone in Team Bella) were relegated to mostly 3-minute matches that were eerily similar to what we've been putting up with before.

All the while, the countdown to the Diva's Championship reign record being broken continued and nobody brought the title up.  Not once.  It was an afterthought.  It's like creative forgot what the Diva's Revolution promised and just went about business as usual, but with new action figures to play with for three minutes before they get bored and go back to writing the Rollins/Cena/Reigns show.  It was a terrible disservice to these women athletes from top to bottom.

But I can hear people yelling at me now.

Yeah, let's do that. 

On the last edition of Monday Night Raw, Nikki Bella retained her Diva's Championship against Charlotte via disqualification which resulted in her being able to continue her title reign and eclipse AJ Lee as the longest reigning Diva's Champion of all time at 295+ days.  Now, let's not mix things up here.  Long reigning Diva's Champions typically haven't been very good in the ring.  Maryse, the once-longest reigning Diva's Champion at 216 days, was never good in the ring.  But she had a way of being a heel.  Being underhanded, being tricky.  It sold it and, as the title was young, the length of her reign was largely irrelevant.  Kaitlyn, another much maligned Diva, had another lengthy reign at over 150 days.  But Kaitlyn improved and showed a real earnest in her craft which gained her a lot of deserved respect.  Did she deserve to be called a champion?  Eeeeehhhhh... maybe not then and there, but with the Diva's Division as weak as it was, it wasn't the worst idea.  Kelly Kelly, over 100 days.  Not very good in the ring... and that's all I remember of her.  Layla, 140 days and... I'll come back to her, actually.

For the past few months, the WWE was writing it up as a big deal that Nikki Bella was closing in on AJ lee to become the longest reigning Diva's Champion of all time, conveniently ignoring the fact that the Diva's Championship continues the legacy of the WWE Women's Championship and ain't no way in hell Nikki's eclipsing the Fabulous Moolah's 10,000-day plus reign.  But, okay, longest reigning Diva's Champion.  This was at first opposed by Paige, who wanted to stop the reign and enjoy a new one of her own.  Along the way Naomi also got involved, as did Tamina, who joined with Naomi.  However, Nikki and twin sister Brie gained Alicia Fox and the trio, now known as "Team Bella" asserted their Stephanie McMahon-privilege and status in the company.  It was all basic heel stuff, nothing to complain about so far aside from some uninspiring Bella/Alicia matches.  That and the fact that Nikki probably violated the 30-day clause what seems like a half-dozen times.

Enter Stephanie McMahon who, for some reason, decides she doesn't really care about the Bellas in particular anymore and brings in three of NXT's Four Horsewomen:  Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and then-NXT Women's Champion Sasha Banks, three of the four best women wrestlers in the company (the one they left behind is the forth, but you can't completely raid the pantry) and three of the ten best overall wrestlers in the company.

It was coined as the Diva's Revolution and it was set to redefine the Diva's Division!  A celebration of in-ring skill in women athletes!  Like Ronda Rousey!  Serena Williams!  And now, the Diva's Revolution!  No more Diva's matches being the christened beer and bathroom run matches!  Finally, talented women's wrestlers would be celebrated and we could actually be invested in the division again, like in the days of Trish Stratus, Chyna, Ivory, Lita, Victoria, Melina, Gail Kim, Mickie James, Michelle McCool, and others!

Except... it wasn't.

The WWE showed its true colors over the course of the supposed revolution.  New blood, but same old bag of tricks.  Sure, the new Divas were featured strongly, but the matches were the same three-minute snooze-fests and the Bella matches weren't helped one bit.  They still got to control unquestionably throughout the matches in a series of rest-holds and basic striking and the true in-ring talents of all Divas involved got put on the back burner.  If you want a great comparison, take a look at NXT Takeover Brooklyn's Women's Championship match (what fans were expecting), then take a look at the next night's SummerSlam three-team elimination match (what fans have been getting).  The main roster's poor booking has been the greatest detriment to the Diva's roster for so long, and new, superior women wrestlers have only served to put bandages over bullet wounds.

And guess what?  Throughout this whole Diva's Revolution?  Guess how many times the Diva's title has been defended.  Six?  Four?  Three?  Once.  And that was last night's Monday Night Raw.  The last chance for the record of the much-beloved AJ Lee.  Kind of defeats the purpose of the Diva's Revolution to begin with, doesn't it?

We finally reach Monday Night Raw last night.  It was Charlotte, fresh from her successful petition to get her title match early to try and stop the record from being broken (WWE Creative finally remembering that was the initial point), against Nikki, one day away from breaking the record.  Surely, a match of this magnitude would have a raucous finish that would shake the Diva's division to its very core!  Right?

Nope.  Instead, the WWE recycled an ending involving Paige and the Bellas from a few months prior and Nikki backs into the record rather then taking it by the throat.  She'd switched places with her sister, let Charlotte pin her, then have the result of the supposed title change thrown out.  This makes doesn't help Nikki's image at all and only serves to reinforce the "Cena's squeeze" stigma that's plagued her for almost two years when, by all rights, she should be forming an identity as one of the company's biggest heels.

Now, let me be honest with you guys.  I was fine with Nikki Bella retaining the Diva's title and breaking AJ's record.  In the long run, that was probably the right call after building it up for so long.  However, the execution was horribly done and for three very good reasons.

1.  Any successful accomplishment either of the Bella Twins have these days will always carry with it the "oh, it's because Nikki's dating Cena" or "oh, it's because Brie's dating Bryan" stigma, fair or not.  At that point, it stops being so much about either Bella Twin and starts being an indictment against the WWE's political structure.  Mind you, there's still a lot of fans out there who don't follow all the insider stuff with WWE, or watch Total Diva's, or have the WWE Network, so this probably won't be an issue with them.  But let's move on to point #2.

2.  For as much as the Bella Twins have improved, few are convinced they're the most talented Divas on the roster.  Now, before NXT, there wouldn't have been many who had come and gone who you could really compare with in terms of talent.  Beth Phoenix, Melina, Michelle McCool, Mickie James, and Natalya are probably your most talented champions (Women's and Diva's) who didn't initially go through NXT and held a title since the retirements of Trish Stratus and Lita, two Hall of Famers.  Between all of them, only Mickie James, Beth Phoenix, and Michelle McCool held the title for over 100 days.  And, even then, there's rumors of Mickie James being connected with John Cena herself for a brief time and Michelle McCool was actually The Undertaker's girlfriend (now wife).  Even worse, during this time, Gail Kim, one of the most talented and internationally appealing women in the world, was also on the roster.  What happened to her?  Nothing, aside from losing a tournament finals match to Maryse for one of her Diva's Championship reigns.  It's enough to break a wrestling fan's heart and, seeing how the Bellas have been championed so mightily in WWE at the expense of others, makes you wonder just who writes the angles.  Creative?  Vince?  Cena & Bryan?  For as much as the Bellas have improved in the ring, as you would expect when starting from zero in a time where they both still each won a Diva's title reign, nobody is convinced that either of them have the actual skill to keep a title for as long as they have.  But then again, maybe that's why they're written as underhanded as they are because even creative knows they suck at wrestling?

3.  The WWE, once again, falls victim to making things up as they go along.  Remember how I said Nikki retained her title?  And remember how I said it happened once before?  Well, guess what.  It actually happened once before that too.  In a Diva's Championship match involving Nikki Bella and challenger Layla, a former Diva's and Women's Champion, Layla pinned Brie in similar fashion Charlotte did tonight.  But guess what happened?  There was no decision reversal.  There was no narrative follow-up.  That was it.  Layla became your Diva's Champion.  And, before anyone asks, Layla was also playing the face of that match.  Mind you, the Bellas left the company that night, but that doesn't matter.  WWE set a precedent with that match.  If the WWE was serious about Twin Magic, as the switches were called, and how that affected their matches, they'd be consistent.  And that lack of consistency hurts the credibility of Nikki as a champion.

How would I have booked it?  Here, I'll script it for you.

*Nature Boy Ric Flair, Charlotte's father, is backstage, wishing her daughter luck tonight, as was the case on Raw as it actually happened.*

*Early in the match, Team Bella and Team PCB are ejected from ringside, leaving the match one-on-one entirely.*

*Charlotte has the Figure-8 Submission hold on Nikki in the middle of the ring.  The champ looks as though as she's going to tap.  Then, the TitanTron catches up with Team Bella members Brie and Alicia backstage, and Alicia is holding a baseball bat or a lead pipe.*

Brie:  Oh Charlotte!  Daddy's girl!  Up here!  We were so moved earlier tonight that your dad came to wish you luck, but, oh look!

*Camera pans down to show Ric Flair on the ground, face down, holding his knee, writhing in pain.  Alicia has her foot on the back of his neck.*

Brie:  He's falling to pieces!  I guess it just goes to show what a disappointment you are to him and to the fans.

*at this point, Charlotte has broken the hold and has gone the ropes, watching this*

Alicia:  Don't worry, girl!  We won't let him watch any more of you letting everyone down.

*Alicia pulls the bat/pipe back as the camera zooms in on her face.  She swings downward with a sickening THWACK!  The camera zooms out and Flair is motionless.*

*A distraught Charlotte is ready to go help her father, but Nikki turns her around, smashes her in the face with her forearm shot, hits her with the Rack Attack, and gets the pinfall with the help of the distraction.*

*Later in the show, Triple H confronts Team Bella and lets them know how furious he is about what they did to Ric Flair.  He says he can appreciate the underhanded tactics, but that was Ric Flair they sent to the hospital, his mentor and friend.  They make an enemy out of Ric, they make an enemy out of him.  He informs Nikki that she'll defend the Diva's Championship at Night of Champions again against Charlotte.  He says that it will be a No Holds Barred match, meaning anything goes.  He smirks and says "good luck."*

BAM!  There you are!  Fans have an investment beyond the Diva's Championship reign, the stakes are made even higher, the fans sympathize with Charlotte to a greater degree, and Team Bella gets actual storyline heat instead of just "Cena heat."  Tell me you wouldn't be compelled in the feud beyond some lengthily title reign supposedly meant to spite CM Punk!  That'd be an angle I want to watch.  How about you?

But, no.  The WWE chose the easy way out and, in doing so, mortgaged the Diva's Division, and the Diva's Revolution, even further.  All in the name of allegedly sticking it to someone who hasn't been with the company in over a year and a half.  And no, you don't get this same kind of heat and sympathy the way it was done on Raw.  The whole thing was staked on Nikki breaking the record and she succeeded.  The villain won.  The Diva's Revolution failed to do one of its most important goals, and no, the Bella Twins are NOT a part of the Diva's Revolution.  Divas like them, Kelly Kelly, Eve Torres, Maryse, Layla, and others were the reason for the Diva's Revolution, because fans were sick and tired of supermodels pretending to wrestle and be more concerned with their future in Hollywood than actually investing in the wrestling environment.

A lot of writers about this angle have praised WWE Creative for adding heat to Nikki and talked about what a despicable heel she is.  I laugh at that idea, though, because it isn't Nikki the fans are frustrated with.  What has she done that's actually been despicable or evil?  Hell, she was penned as a FACE in matches against Team B.A.D.  She was ambiguous at best thanks to poor writing.  No, the heat has always been towards WWE Creative, owner Vince McMahon, right-hand man Kevin Dunn, and poster boy John Cena.  It's like Nikki isn't even a factor in this heat.  It's like a bully stomping around school with a jump rope and whipping everyone and people being mad at the jump rope while forgetting who was doing the actual whipping.

And that's what the WWE seems to be when it comes to storytelling.  Bullies.  They're not telling a compelling good vs. evil story.  They want to make fans angry and claim it's "part of the story."  But fans have gotten smarter in this day and age.  The Internet has made things much more transparent, be it accurate or not.  That's why it's imperative that creative try harder to write better stories to compliment great athletes.  This isn't just a problem with the Diva's Division, it's a top-to-bottom problem.  Compelling characters and in-ring work can only take you so far.

If you want an example of a dislikable, but highly respected, character holding onto a title through technicalities, underhanded tactics, and general backhandedness, look up Chris Jericho's runs as Cruserweight and Television Champion.  During such, he defended the titles what seemed like on a weekly basis, all the while unmasking luchadores, stealing tribal dresses, disparaging the dead, driving a colleague to near-retirement, enlisting the help of referees, and making one of his opponents wear a dress.  That is how you make a detestable heel.  There was a lot of thought and care put into his run... or at least there was a method to the madness.

Or, in a shorter-term example, Chyna's feud with Ivory for the Women's Championship, which saw Chyna's neck be broken (in-storyline) and emotional interviews following it up leading to a big payoff at WrestleMania.  People wanted to see Chyna come back and take the title from the evil Ivory.  And the payoff of her basically squashing Ivory was perfect.

The journalists covering this also claim that the pop will be bigger on Sunday when Charlotte wins.  It won't.  Because the limited investment the fans had in this is already gone.  Nikki got what she wanted.  She won.  It's over.  Like One More Day, evil wins.  And there's no more hook.  Nothing left.  If Charlotte does win on Sunday, and I'm not convinced she will, it'll be more of a meandering transition then taking a division by storm.  And now it's more expected.  There'll be polite applause and they'll wait for everyone to get out of the ring so the next match can start.  This is no revolution.  This is regression.  Regression back into what we were saddled with for years, just with new faces that WWE creative doesn't know what to do with.  I weep for the future under this regime.

All this effort, all this care, all this missing from WWE programming today.  And, as a result, people have turned to the Internet to hear the scoop and the web rags have defined what's what these days.

It's not business as usual for the WWE in this age of the Internet.  They need to put in a stronger effort with their programming, not take the easy way out to try and fill three hours every Monday.  Last night, the Diva's Division suffered for taking the easy way out.  The Diva's Revolution suffered for taking the easy way out.  Nikki Bella's title reign suffered (again) for taking the easy way out.

Come on, WWE.  We want to be fans again.  Not armchair McMahons.

The Back Stack: Drop Special

Hey everybody.  I want to apologize.  For a couple weeks, I've been teasing an overall Back Stack review in which I'd recount comics I pull every week and tell you my opinion of them.  Well, it ended up with me deciding to drop a large number of comics, primarily from Marvel, particularly as a result of the upcoming Marvel Now relaunch coming up.  Since most of the titles I dropped are going to be cancelled and, since I'm not thrilled with most of the storylines, I'm dropping them prematurely and seriously debating not going back too.

I've also dropped some more than lackluster books from other publishers due to my tastes changing and just an overall disappointment with them.  This is my recap of all the titles I've cut.

The Avengers.  The Avengers is a title that can do great things, but when it gets to these event comics, it becomes an uninteresting mess that adds nothing.  Since Avengers is the forefront title for tie-ins, it interrupts its own pace at the detriment of the reader.  I'd prefer stand-alone mini-series while the comics do their own thing and adapt things afterwards.  Avengers isn't the WORST book by any means, but it's just uninspired sometimes.

A vs. X... got real pointless real fast.  It was just... fighting.  It makes for a good one-shot if you do good fights, such as the fight between Captain America and Gambit, but it just became uninteresting.

Batman & Robin.  It quickly became a Robin book made to make Damian Wayne out to be a badass at the expense of all the other, better characters.  This isn't the type of book I want to read anymore... but I AM considering a trade paperback of those first few epic issues.

Captain America... this was primarily cost-cutting.  Captain America is, by no means, a bad book, but the storyline just wasn't that great, so I dropped it.  If you're interested, go for it, but don't expect epic.

Captain Marvel was actually decent, but that artwork was a KILLER for me.  I'm thrilled that a new book with a female lead is on shelves, but... ugh, that art!  Why do great characters keep getting crap artists?!  It was so much of a distraction, I couldn't let myself get truly into it.  That's a real shame.

Demon Knights.  I've dropped it once already, but this time I think I'm done for good.  The biggest problem is I think that I have zero past familiarity with the characters.  The only character I can say I've really enjoyed is Vandal Savage, but even then I can't say I'm getting really attached.  I picked it up again out of curiosity and it was good for an issue or two, but... meh.  Half cost-cutting here.

The Incredible Hulk.  I hung with this piece of crap because of Greg Pak's epic run with the last run of The Incredible Hulk... this one has been absolutely stupid.  There were some good ideas, but unlike Ian Flynn where it just fizzled and died, this shifted the crank to downright stupid.  I was willing to let this arc play out, but since its conclusion means the end of the series, I'm quitting while I'm ahead.

Mega Man.  This had to be done.  Mega Man has downright pissed me off.  It's clear that Ian Flynn has no grasp on the thoughts and themes of Mega Man.  He's relying on dumb memes ("You Can't Defeat Air Man," anyone?), rushing through beloved games, and dumb interludes.  I'm not happy with Ian Flynn, but his work on Mega Man is an insult to my childhood love of the Blue Bomber.

The Mighty Thor.  This one is half cost-cutting, but the impending tie-in with the recently dropped Journey Into Mystery helped me make this decision.  Maybe if it wasn't doing the cross-title multi-chapter story, I'd be more inclined to keep it around, but I'm doing my massive droppings of titles as cost-cutting too.  Thor isn't bad, I'll probably pick it up again at the relaunch.

The New Avengers.  New Avengers is easily the B-book of the Avengers titles and it usually gets treated as such.  However, there IS a certain hart to this title that can't really be denied and there is enjoyment to be had.  Why am I dropping it, then?  Small reason, the most uninspired covers of ANY comic series.  A bunch of standing around and rushing forward.  Big reason?  Inconsistancy.  We can have a mighty fine issue on one hand, but then we get a couple of pointless ones.  Luke Cage is a standout in this series, but... there isn't a whole lot else to say about it.  Again, also cost-cutting.

Supergirl.  Simply put, this got real boring real quickly.  There's... not much else to say about it.  It felt like it was taking up space and stopped being interested.  Simple as that.

Superman.  THIS one is unfortunate.  With the relaunch of the new DC Universe, we saw many heroes lose the majority of their development and Superman was, unfortunately and surprisingly, one of them.  Superman was a character who, for better or worse, was one of the heroes who had a wonderful road of growth, from facing his past to getting married and growing to become truly the Man of Steel.  Now, I'm all for getting to know a new iteration... but that's part of the problem.  I really DON'T know this new Superman and I've given this book enough time to decide who he is.  This is also partially cost-cutting but... the whole retconning of Superman was unnecessary and I can already see we're treading over old territory in a bad way.

So, there you have it.  The books I'm dropping.  To those who do enjoy these titles, I'm sorry, but that's it from me with these, at least for now.  You are under no obligation to drop these yourselves, naturally.  We can have different interests.

Speaking of different interests... that new My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic comic from IDW coming in November?  Yeah.  I'm getting that.

Cheers;

Graves

The Back Stack: July 11, 2012

Welcome back to that one thing you read on the Internet between better quality works.  It’s time for another Back Stack, and last week was actually surprisingly good, with complaints few and far between.  Unfortunately, I missed World’s Finest #3, but I’ve enjoyed the first two issues so I’ll pick that up and hopefully review it soon.

For now, let’s get started and, as always, spoiler alert.

Amazing Spider-Man #689.  Spider-Man, when it’s on its a-game, is really good.  Suspenseful, funny, action-packed, interesting.  Despite One More Day’s best efforts, in the hands of writers who care, in this case Dan Slott, Spider-Man can still be a highlight item in your pull list.  While this issue wasn’t funny, it had plenty of other qualities you’d look for in a Spider-Man book.  This issue focuses on the “humanized” Lizard, returning to his appearance of Curt Conners, but he still has the mind of the Lizard.  What’s great about this issue is just how much precision the Lizard shows, even though in some cases, he hasn’t really shown this much tactical know-how in the past.  Oh, I’m not saying he’s not smart, but his perception of Morbius’ subtle motions is the one thing I raise an eyebrow at.  However, his plan to usurp control of Horizon Labs, capture Peter Parker’s boss, turn HIM into a Lizard himself, chase off Morbius, make him attack Horizon’s resident eye candy, and goad Spider-Man into chasing after the living vampire and beat him in a blind rage certainly does its job in delivering the suspense and intrigue.  What isn’t clear is if Lizard actually did anything to Spidey, or if he’s just really gone off the deep end, considering recent events with Silver Sable, Conners’ son, and Morbius’ employment at Horizon leading to his attack on a co-worker.  Not perfect, but still a damn good issue.

Verdict – Highly Recommended

Avengers vs. X-Men #7.  If there is one thing I love about this issue is FINALLY seeing the Scarlet Witch back in action as well as the differing tactics of both the Avengers and the X-Men/Phoenix Five.  Speaking of the Phoenix Five, it looks like there is a bunch of dissention in the ranks.  So much for the five being united.  We got Emma keeping secrets from Cyclops, both the location of the Avengers AND her making out with Namor on the side, as well as members of the X-Men beginning to question the Phoenix Five.  I’m not sure if Namor was being goaded by Emma to attack the X-Men by himself, using the capture of the X-Man Transonic as a lure, but this issue has at least done enough to keep my interest as we enter the last half of this event.  One thing I really did like, though, was seeing that Cyclops hasn’t completely gone off his rocker and gone into supreme dictator.  He’s not looking to take, he’s looking for acceptance from the world.  He even shows mercy to Hawkeye when he’s burned alive by Emma.  Good deal there.

Verdict – Recommended

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #1 of 6.  I don’t know how I forgot about this, but seeing this triggered my earliest nostalgic memories, playing with Castle Grayskull, conquering Snake Mountain, and having no idea what supposed homosexual innuendos were in the TV show (just to note, I STILL don’t see them).  This comic though, wasn’t bad, but wasn’t particularly great.  We get our setup, but everything progresses at a snail’s pace.  Apparently, Skeletor is up to some bad voodoo that is seemingly reshaping the world in some way, or at least messing with Prince Adam’s memories and history.  We do get a good fight scene between Adam and Beast Man which shows the much weaker Adam using his wits to outsmart and beat his bigger, stronger, and probably faster enemy.  This was a decent read and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.  I just hope James Robinson doesn’t screw THIS up like he did Lian Harper.  Sorry, Linkara, but I’m giving the devil his due on this one.

Verdict – Recommended

Hulk #55.  This issue really picked things up on this whole angle.  We get cameos at the right time, some genuine emotion between the Red Hulk and his robotic squeeze, and a supposedly Mayan god bringing destruction at the cost of A-Bomb.  In addition, more Mayan demons come back as more and more heroes are lured into the temple’s trap.  On a side note, it’s really good to see Toro, former “member” of the Young Allies, again.  He hasn’t been seen since that incredibly stupid Onslaught Unleashed.  Mayan Rule has become a lot of fun and really made me a fan of Hulk again.

Verdict – Recommended

Invincible Iron Man #520.  This one had a lot of great action…both literally and figuratively.  Literally by having two confrontations on two different fronts in the form of the new Iron Man protecting Tony Stark and figuratively with Sasha Hammer fighting back against her would-be captor, Detroit Steel, in some extremely gratuitous shots of her sticking out her generous breasts and showing off her legs in low-cut short-shorts.  While I do find stuff like that a bit campy… I’m also a bit chauvinistic and get enjoyment out of it if it isn’t TOO silly.  The twist comes when we learn that the Mandarin is now in complete control of Tony Stark from just about anywhere he wants, making Tony fall to a knee and call him master to end the issue.  One thing I need to give this arc credit with is keeping things fresh.  I don’t know where each issue will end and I continue to find myself enjoying this more and more.  Yes, I was skeptical at first, but rereading and giving these books more of a proper shake is really letting this and Hulk score big with me.

Verdict – Highly Recommended

Justice League International #11.  I am so sorry to see this title go.  When it’s not doing a stupid crossover with a book I have no interest in, this book continued to be a lot of fun and the premiere team book in the new DC Universe in my opinion.  We get some closure to the storyline about the fall of the Hall of Justice and the new villains challenging the JLI.  I’m not going to call the villains themselves memorable by any means, but this issue did have a lot of great moments including August General in Iron avenging Rocket Red in the end and Booster Gold showing his trust towards O.M.A.C.  Of course, being the penultimate issue, things do get rushed a bit drastically including the romance between Booster and Godiva.  Maybe someday we can come back to this team and we can have a FUN superhero team from DC.  Until then, Green Lantern: New Guardians, you’re our only hope.

Verdict – Highly Recommended

Sonic the Hedgehog #238.  This issue of Sonic suffers from another Ian Flynnism.  Things wrapping up too fast and conveniently.  Forgetting the decent backup story involving the Secret Freedom Fighters which fills in most of the questions I had about the last Sonic Universe, and no, knowing them NOW doesn’t fix my opinion about it.  If there was still facts to get in, and not all of them are in, then the Secret Freedom Fighter arc should have been held off in Sonic Universe.  This brings us to the biggest issue with the 4-issue made-for-trade arc.  You’re absolutely STUCK with your time schedule.  You run into rare instances where if you pull the trigger too early, you won’t have all your information out, but if you pull the trigger too late, then you’ll have probably messed up your timing to have stories have the most impact on the reader.

As for the issue itself, as I said, pacing is one of Ian Flynn’s enemies and here, the rescue of Lupe, Tails fighting Mecha Sally, and the fight with Drago all wrap up far too quickly for the story’s own good and you don’t get a chance to truly see the impact of these results.  It also rushes in the Wolf Pack’s resident twins being suddenly shipped off for no apparent reason to join Harvey Who’s Secret Freedom Fighters.  Also, it seems that Ian Flynn is really nerfing Mecha Sally.  One thing that needs to happen is that she needs to be presented as a legitimate threat and possibly Eggman’s most deadly creation so that, when the time comes for them to rescue Sally, whenever that may or may not be, that it’ll truly be an uphill struggle and it may not work out.  At this rate, it’s shaping up to be a “Sonic runs in, does some speed stuff, and saves her” type of quick, cheap exit.  Again, an Ian Flynnism.

But, this isn’t exactly a BAD comic.  As quickly as it goes, the story is at least complete and, like I said, the backup story was decent and advanced the Secret Freedom Fighter story.  I really don’t see how this group is going to play into the future of the story, considering we already have a TWO other Freedom Fighter groups doing exactly what the Secret Freedom Fighters are doing, only in two distinct fields and with far more experienced members.  But, as with all things Sonic, I’m giving it a chance, despite my better judgment.

And yes, I’d have dropped this series if it wasn’t so rooted into my childhood.  I’d have to be downright offended to stop buying all together.  Right now, I’m just mad as hell.

Verdict – Cautiously Recommended

We close this week on Uncanny X-Men #15.  Psylocke and Magneto continue to have concerns over the Phoenix Five with Magneto being more accepting, naturally, while Psylocke has her doubts, also naturally.  Danger continues to be manipulated in such a way that everyone should be suspecting her.  Collossus attempts to negotiate with Cyttorak to release him as he’s accepted the Phoenix as his master now.  Cyttorak ain’t having that, yo, and he decides to keep Colossus.  I’m not entirely sure Cyttorak is actually more powerful than the Phoenix Force, but perhaps divided, it evens it out.  I don’t know.  Finally, Mr. Sinister.  Oops, someone found him and now the Phoenix Five are on their way to eliminate him.  Goodie.  Pro-active superheroes.  Can you sense my excitement?  Oh, wait, that’s sarcasm.  Going after Sinister seems a bit forced for my taste, but I really couldn’t get into that last issue, so maybe I’m missing something.  Overall, a good issue with enough happening to keep you from not dropping it because of a lousy issue #14.

Verdict – Recommended

And so ends our look back for another week and, thankfully, this one was very short.  Next week, however, will be very long, so I’ll try to get started early and maybe even get it up early.  Until then, I hope you’ve enjoyed this blog and, coming soon, pictures!  …Maybe!

Cheers;

Graves

The Back Stack: July 4, 2012

Happy Fourth of July to all American viewers and welcome all to The Back Stack!

I’ll keep the fluff to a minimum this week.  I’ve made the decision to drop Deadpool, Journey Into Mystery, and Supergirl.  They were okay, but I’m on a budget and have to manage my comic purchases accordingly.  Deadpool and Supergirl were just average to under par.  Journey Into Mystery was too much of a bore with the only redeeming quality being its gorgeous artwork.  So, no, you won’t be seeing those three around.  More drops to potentially follow if the holding pattern holds true, particularly from DC.

Anyway, as always, SPOILER  ALERT!

Amazing Spider-Man #688 starts the new story arc, and rather abruptly if you missed the last issue of Avenging Spider-Man which unofficially closed out Ends of the Earth.  It’s a bit of a downer that the conclusion didn’t happen in the main Spider-Man book.  But, I digress.  This issue starts Spider-Man’s decision to finally stop The Lizard and he enlists the help of Michael Morbius, the Living Vampire.  I find it amusing when we get these supernatural characters and they’re so scientifically grounded.  It’s just very funny to me, even if there is a scientific means to them resembling something like a vampire or a mummy.  Anyway, the issue ends on a decent cliffhanger and the scene between Peter and Mary Jane does two things for me.  One, it’s good to see that for all the trouble they allegedly had post-One More Day, that they’re still there for one another.  Two, it makes me REALLY hate Joe Quesada and that stupid-ass retcon.  But, you can’t let that mar the now too much.  This issue is what it is.

Verdict – Recommended

Aquaman #10.  If I have to keep telling you to go buy Aquaman, then I’ve clearly not done my job.  This issue continues to fill in the blanks about the new Black Manta and Aquaman status quo.  The artwork is beautiful, the characterization is spot-on, and the action doesn’t overstay its welcome when it’s trying to convey the story.  Aquaman, month-in, month-out, is a delight and I really hope you’re all reading this anyway without my help.

Verdict – Highly Recommended

Green Lantern:  New Guardians #10.  I’m mixed about this, but actually, this one was pretty good all things considered.  It shows heroes being heroic, Blue Lanterns being badass, and something big to set up the next issue.  If this series has had one major glaring weakness is that it’s, again, doing a crossover with another book and entire issues of story are lost to that other title, in this case, Blue Beetle.  I absolutely DESPISE crossover stories like that.  I hate being lost next issue because I didn’t pick up an issue from a series I’m NOT interested in, and I have ZERO interest in today’s Blue Beetle.  Still, for its own merits, this one’s fine.

Verdict – Recommended

The Incredible Hulk #10.  Lather, rinse, and repeat.  Hulk wakes up in a new location, all hell breaks loose, he saves the day, falls unconscious, and wakes up in a new location.  This has been a terribly redundant story arc and the fans of the Incredible Hulk deserve better.  Thankfully, we only have one more issue of this crap to endure, this time, focusing on Kraven the Hunter, AWOL since Grim Hunt.  I’m giving this series A LOT of rope, but I won’t ask you to do the same.  If it gets good in Hulk United, I’ll let you know.  Otherwise, I’ll be in the same boat as you guys.  Passing on this series and not looking back.

Verdict – Pass

The Mighty Thor #16 sees the fallout of that absolutely stupid satanic version of Thor from last issue (I misspoke and referred to him as an entirely different character).  The different arcs that have been going on are starting to come together and it’s all leading up to one big showdown next issue.  Things continue to be done decently in Mighty Thor, but I’m still hoping for better.

Verdict – Recommended

Sonic Universe #41.  We begin a big arc for Sonic the Hedgehog’s universe with the Secret Freedom Fighters, led by Harvey Who and headed by Silver the Hedgehog.  So far so good, right?  Wrong!  Enter Larry Lynx.  Larry Lynx is one of the dumbest new character concepts from the golden days of Sonic.  He has an interesting ability to “jinx” others to his own ability (think Longshot from X-Men), but his personality is baron and he’s just genera.ly uninteresting.  We also get a new heroic Metal Sonic that I don’t immediately recognize.  Anyway, the story is about taking down the Ixis Naugus reign and Silver begins to suspect that his mentor, Mammoth Mogul, isn’t as good as he suspected.  While membership of the Secret Freedom Fighters remains dubious, the seeds are planted for what this arc is going to be about.  Anthromorphic creature espionage and magic powers galore!  It should be fun, but this IS Ian Flynn we’re talking about.  A good idea with him can turn to crap in an issue’s notice.

Verdict – Cautiously Recommended

Superman #10.  It wasn’t bad, actually.  We see the sentimental side of Superman and his compassion for all, friend and foe alike.  While I agree with Linkara that Superman has been acting more like Spider-Man in this relaunch, this demonstrates Superman pretty well.  A bit old school, a big heart, and willing to fight for anyone no matter the issue at hand.  It’s not perfect, it’s not great, but it’s enjoyable.  The end scenes with Anguish and the man who was suspected of being Superman are pretty well done too in my opinion.

Verdict – Recommended

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #11 is more of a catch-up issue than anything else.  We’re introduced to the Purple Dragons, who are basically a crew of gang bangers, the leader, Angel, apparently aquaintences with Casey Jones.  That’s going to be fun when she meets April, isn’t it?  Splinter continues to be a badass.  Also, when evidence of the Foot Clan comes out, it’s refreshing to see Leo and Donnie make up for the fight they had the previous issue rather than hold any prideful grudge.  Something I’d expect from those two.  Next issue, after months of waiting, we’ll FINALLY see what The Shredder can do.

Verdict – Recommended

Wolverine and the X-Men #12 was just okay.  I was looking forward to seeing Kid Gladiator agitate and be a pest to the Avengers, but he was just background for most of it and gets taken down somewhat easily by Wolverine.  It doesn’t really grab me, but I can’t call it bad.  It’s just one of those issues that are just… there.  The next issue promises the arrival of Gladiator, though, so we’ll see where this goes.

Verdict – Pass

X-Men Legacy #269 features another rematch between Ms. Marvel and Rogue.  I actually really dig this issue because it IS focused on Rogue and it plays up the relationship that has formed between her and Ms. Marvel since.  The action is pretty good and we see just how much the Phoenix Five have influenced the rest of the X-Men.  Rogue, I felt, was a character who could really tip the scales in this event, but it’s looking like that’s going to be Scarlet Witch’s territory.  The build-up in the end with Rogue watching Phoenix Five member Magik cast Ms. Marvel into an apparent circle of hell is also surely going to lead to some fun times next issue.

Verdict – Highly Recommended

So, there you have it.  A bit of a mundane week, but some real strength here and there.  I hope you all enjoy your picks and, hopefully, I’ve given you some ideas.

Also, for those of you also celebrating the Fourth of July, have fun, stay safe, God bless America, take care of your pets, and I’ll see you next week on The Back Stack!

Cheers;

Graves

The Back Stack: June 27, 2012

And here we are, once again.  Welcome back to the Back Stack.  We have a heavy week this week, I have no new news, so let’s begin, shall we?

Again, SPOILER ALERT!

Avengers Academy #32 was pretty good, focusing on Sentinel and his co-pilot whom I’m unfamiliar with.  I kind of like the “boy and heartless machine that somehow has a heart” mechanic, but it’s beaten over your head a little bit here.  However, I didn’t read the Sentinel series, so I can’t relate to it quite so well.  Basically, Emma Frost, now powered by a portion of the Phoenix Force, has come to dismantle the once war machine built for mutant genocide in her efforts with the other members of the “Phoenix Five” to reshape the world into a global utopia.  She’s met with resistance in the form of X-23 in specific, who goes through her own growth this issue, and the rest of Avengers Academy.  Despite some clichés being overplayed here, everything works and Avengers Academy continues to be a highlight on my pull ist.

But the Academy students are SO getting their asses kicked by Phoenix-Emma next issue.

Verdict - Recommended

Avengers vs. X-Men #6 begins what can be considered the second act of the 12-parter.  What this series is doing right that Fear Itself: The Fearless went wrong is that it’s varying the characters, intertwining its plotlines nicely, and isn’t quite as repetitive as its 12-issue bi-weekly predecessor.  I’d like to think they’re getting help from Dan Slott and the Amazing Spider-Man team on this one.  We jump ahead from the battle on the Moon to see that the X-Men are actually bringing about a lot of good for the world, ending hunger and drought in numerous regions, fixing energy crises, but you can also get the feeling that it’s a “their way or the highway to hell” with them, but not so much that they’re really the clear cut villains.  Of course, this could just be my rose-colored glasses for the X-Men because, honestly, the Avengers haven’t actually been terribly unilaterally heroic in this story.  So far, the X-Men have made efforts to protect their own, do their best to build a better world, and honor Professor X’s vision of human/mutant peace.  Of course, by issue’s end, you can see it’s going to go downhill and the return of the Scarlet Witch and Hope going with the Avengers doesn’t help matters.  Still, what have the Avengers really done?  They’ve attempted to seize a child, they’ve placed a school under their own lockdown, and they arrested younger members of the X-Men and quarantined them to Avengers Academy.  I know the Avengers are supposed to be the guys we’re rooting for in the end, but I’m just finding it a hard time to go with that.  Then again, maybe that’s something else that’s working with this series.  You CAN pick a side and run with it.  If so, then mission accomplished, because merits and faults can be seen on both sides of this fight.

Verdict – Recommended

Daredevil #14 was a bit of a step back from recent issues, but a step back for Daredevil still puts it head over heels above most titles on the pull list.  This one is a bit goofier than past issues, but that’s fine by me.  I’m not a huge fan of uber-dark Daredevil.  In fact, I like lighthearted Daredevil.  And yes, I STILL want an “I’m Not Daredevil” sweater for my next Christmas party!  Anyway, not a whole lot to say about this issue.  Daredevil gets kidnaped and taken to Latveria.  He attempts an escape that goes poorly, but leads to what amounts to the only real misstep here.  We don’t see how he gets caught.  We see that he tries to escape, but he’s captured and delirious right afterwards.  And these are the last two to three panels of the comic.  Umm… what?  But still, Daredevil is a book I’ll wholeheartedly recommend for anyone.

Verdict – Recommended

Ghostbusters #10 departs Detroit for New Orleans.  I won’t speak as to how well New Orleans is depicted in this issue compared to how well they pulled off Detroit, since I’m not a resident of the Big Easy, but I like to think that the same level of respect is there.  This issue deals with the daughter of a great voodoo priestess and gives good focus to Egon, who shows some slight waning from his rigid scientific belief, which I think is refreshing.  I like the science-type characters who have a bit of the “take a chance and go with the unconventional” arcs to them.  The ghost and her minions were fun too, but I still like the war general from the Detroit issue.  Of course, that could just be my bias talking.

Verdict – Highly Recommended

Green Lantern Corps #10 was a pleasant surprise for me.  This one did what I wanted to see happen.  Have John Stewart answer for his crimes, face the people he’s hurt because of it in a touching scene, and had some general badassery to go with it.  While I think John is a little quick to be willing to accept his death in the face of the now corrupt Guardians and Alpha Lanterns, I’m glad to see that he understands that what he did should have consequences.  Not saying I’m ready to see him die, but they’re treating what he did with legitimacy, and sometimes, I like that for a comic book with heroes in colorful tights and superpowered rings.  Throw in a couple comedic bits and you have a real winner this week.

Verdict – Highly Recommended

Hulk #54 continues the Mayan Apocolypse arc.  This arc is a lot more coherent than some of Red Hulk’s recent arcs.  My only real problem is that for having not seen a lot of the She-Hulks, aside from Red She-Hulk, when we finally got them back, they’re at death’s door.  This may just be me, but I’d really like to see these two treated with a lot more dignity than they’ve gotten.  The original She-Hulk is given the sexual pinball treatment and Lyra hardly gets any real development.  My grievances aside, this was a good issue in a series that I think is finding its legs again.

Verdict – Recommended

One I missed from last week, Incredible Hulk #9.  I’m growing more and more disillusioned with this new Incredible Hulk run.  Greg Pak worked wonders with his tenure on the title and made the Incredible Hulk one of my absolute favorite superheroes.  He understood the uniqueness of the character and made it work.  This new run by Jason Aaron is doing everything in its power to destroy that.  This new status quo for the Incredible Hulk just doesn’t work and it’s not helped by the terrible artwork we’ve had since issue one that has steadily gotten worse.  It pains me to say this, but I don’t know how much further I can go on with the series the way it is.  Like I said.  I’ve grown to absolutely love the Incredible Hulk thanks to Greg Pak, but Jason Aaron is the wrong man for this job.  I can only hope we get the payoff to this evil Bruce Banner angle and move on to the next arc in the Jade Giant’s saga.  Oh, and this issue was a complete bore.  He goes to a part of the sea that is apparently beyond Namor, which boggles my mind in itself, and gets in a fight with the natives.  Nothing in the least bit interesting to say about it.

Verdict – Pass

Invincible Iron Man #519 was a bit of a misfire for me this week.  I don’t know what went wrong.  Fundimentally, we had a complete story and it advanced everything that has been going on but I just didn’t really feel it.  Maybe it was the lack of action, maybe it was the fact that a lot of this felt like a reinteration, aside from the Detroit Steel stuff… I just can’t put my finger on it.  I can’t say it was weird, I can’t say it was bad, but I can’t say it was good either.  It’s just… there.  I don’t know what to say about it. 

Verdict – Cautiously Recommended

Journey Into Mystery #640 continues the best and worst thing about the repackaged series: high concept ideas with poor storytelling.  While I love the wit and the concepts brought forth in it, I’m not thrilled with the fact that the story just seems to drag on and become a bit boring to read.  Now, I love the idea of Loki, Captain Britain, and King Arthur fighting together in the underworld too, but when you can’t use that to keep my interest for an entire 32-page comic book, your storytelling has some problems.  The artwork remains beautiful, though, and I find myself sometimes just taking in the artist’s work on most pages.  Maybe that’s the problem.  I don’t know.

Verdict – Cautiously Recommended

New Avengers #27… not much to say here.  It was a good read and we get some good stuff relating to the Phoenix and Iron Fist.  The more I read about this and the new connection, the more I’m starting to like it.  Maybe it’s because I’m hurting for some good Iron Fist stuff after his excellent series got the unceremonious shaft, but hey, it’s working for me.  I’m not thrilled with the idea that the Iron Fist is a near-perfect block to the Phoenix Force, but that could be something else entirely too.  The X-Men come across a bit more villainous in this one with the Avengers more heroic… then again, this is an Avengers title.  I do like the brief interactions between Spider-Man and Hope, though.  It’s nice to see Spider-Man as a mentor figure in some way… though his new connection to the Iron Fist is even more ridiculous and hasn’t flowed nearly as well.

Verdict – Recommended

Supergirl #10 caps off a series, for me, that started with such promise but degraded into a dull mess.  It ends the angle with the banshees, Kara saves her new Sibohan’s (Silver Banshee) brother or boyfriend or whatever, blah, blah, blah, it was just a boring mess that I’m happy to finally be dropping.  This is a shame, though, because it seems female lead books are continuing to not get the same respect they deserve.  I was shaky on the old Supergirl series towards the end, but our new series really shook my confidence in it in recent issues.  The action wasn’t great, the dialog was stupid, and it lacked real enjoyment for me.  Right now, my books with female leads as the focus include Batgirl, World’s Finest, and my two Red Sonja books, all of which I think have seen better days with Batgirl easily being the best of the bunch.  Hopefully, Captain Marvel can fill this void well, but I’m still holding out hope for a return of Spider-Girl (again, Anya Corazon, not Mayday Parker).

Verdict – Pass (personally dropping)

The second title I missed from last week is significantly better than Incredible Hulk.  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Color Classics #2 continues to bring back the original Turtles comics in this colorized format.  This one tells the timeless story of how April O’Neil met the turtles by rescuing her in the sewers (albeit more believable than other interpretations), the rise of the Mousers, and why some stories were made to be black and white.  Sometimes, recoloring black and white comics works, like with Garfield.  Other times, it can make things look a bit… dark.  While I appreciate having these stories beautifully remade for us, one can see that it doesn’t work in all cases.  Take Baxter Stockman.  His skin was shaded in with black, but now he’s shaded in with a more appropriate African-American flesh tone… OVER the black shading.  He looks a bit messy, is all I’m saying.  Splinter is the same way, really.  Coloring issues aside, this was a decent issue and it’s fun to contrast it with other things Turtles and see just how far they’ve come.

Verdict – Recommended

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series #5: Splinter is another decent entry into the Micro-Series line.  This one focuses on Splinter’s past with Hamato Yoshi and the fate of his family.  It’s touching to see just how deeply he cares for his sons and that he’s willing to put his own honor and soul on the line to stop the man who he believe to be behind their demise and now reborn before him.  Also, we see more of Splinter being a badass, which is genuinely appreciated.  Not a whole lot to say here.  It’s Turtles being a solid comic once again.

Verdict – Recommended

Uncanny X-Men #14 was a dull, drab mess that only has one interesting bit at the end.  We’ve already seen a lot of Mr. Sinister lately and he doesn’t do a whole lot different here.  One twist that was both interesting and confusing to see was a whole bunch of Sinister Jean Greys who are his mind-controlled servants.  Didn’t he learn anything from Madeline Pryor?  It’s not going to end well, Sinister!  And neither did this issue.

Verdict – Pass

Venom #19 continues the Savage Six angle and you can really feel the strain on Flash Thompson’s psyche when it comes to his efforts to rescue his family.  We had some good action and great characterization.  Betty Brant is understandably upset that Flash has been lying to her, but he has more things to worry about, such as saving his family, one who has already suffered a casualty in the form of his sister’s husband, who got Jack O’ Lanterned in the most grotesque of ways… seriously, that’s a real turn-off for me as a calling card, but, whatever.  Lots of great suspense in this issue, though, especially towards the end.  We see just how easily the Savage Six can get to Flash and his loved ones and the tension mounts beautifully.  It makes me wonder how and if Venom is going to get out of this mess.  And THAT my friends, is how you do a comic with a dramatic situation.

Verdict – Highly Recommended

I picked up a trade paperback last week, so let’s take a look-see, shall we?

Sonic the Hedgehog Archives #18 was one of the weaker in the series of the Sonic Archives books.  The stories included aren’t exactly classic, though it does feature the return of then Prince Ellis.  Keeping it short, this isn’t one of the series’ best collections, but you could spend your money on worse titles... like Red Hood and the Outlaws.

Verdict – Cautiously Recommended

Sorry again for the short time between Back Stack and weekly comic release.  I’ll try to bring this back to a Tuesday thing rather than a Wednesday morning thing so you can get a chance to actually read my mundane thoughts.  Next week, I’m going to post a rant about whether we should be following characters or follow authors in our comic book habits.  That will be included in the next Back Stack, so stay tuned.

Cheers;

Graves

The Back Stack: June 20, 2012

Welcome back to The Back Stack.  I apologize for missing last week, but life happens sometimes.  If I’m quick writing this, I apologize, but I was running late on this week’s edition as it was.  In addition, many of my micro-reviews are going to be far more clean and to the point than usual because it was a HEAVY week last week and there is a lot to cover.  Sadly, it wasn’t a particularly memorable week and I feel the words “missed opportunity” fits perfectly for many books.

In addition, I’m sorry to say, but I missed last week’s new Incredible Hulk and TMNT Color Classics, but I hope to pick them up this week and throw them in for my review for the next Back Stack, even if it somewhat defeats the purpose.  Also, in the previous week’s would have been Back Stack, the only book that stood out to me on a big degree was Avengers Academy.  It was fun and kept dynamics in other books going while not robbing the Academy students of their time.  It was well balanced and I’d recommend it most out of the books I would have covered last week.

But for now, let’s begin, and as always, SPOILER ALERT!

Amazing Spider-Man #687 ends a story arc on an epic scale and was a worthy follow-up to Spider-Island in my opinion.  The only downside is that this arc didn’t end on the same high note, there are some emo bits, and how Spider-Man actually wins can only be described as “par for the course.”  Don’t get me wrong, it wraps things up nicely and leaves an opening as to the fate of Rhino and Silver Sable, but compared to Spider-Island, this one didn’t have the same fulfilling end.  And… I’m guessing this IS the end story of Ends of the Earth, because next issue will be rolling right into a new story arc involving The Lizard and Morbius (at least I think).  Still, there was some fun to be had here and if you like Spidey, this one is pretty decent.

Verdict – Recommended

Avengers #27 was… bad.  I’ve been a fan of the Protector and I liked the idea of his conflicting feelings between Earth, the Avengers, and the Supreme Intelligence, but I can’t help but feel it was a little rushed.  I’m not sure if they’re really going to get rid of the Protector for a while or what, but I definitely didn’t like the way the Avengers handled it and especially didn’t like the portrayal of Beast, who is typically the calm, rational, level-headed one.  I guess “singed fur” can drive even super geniuses nuts.  There are better stories to be had and you’re better off just skipping this chapter.

Verdict – Pass

Avengers Assemble #4 was… meh.  Thanos arrives, but he doesn’t do a terrible amount.  He controls Hulk for a while, the Zodiac arrives, and a reveal of the Guardians of the Galaxy at the end to set up the next issue.  For Thanos, you need a whole lot more set up as to just what a badass he is and this issue failed, I think.  It’s a shame, because this series hasn’t been that bad, all things considered.

Verdict – Pass

A vs. X #3.  I’m going to keep this one short.  The action wasn’t up to par with previous weeks, the wit wasn’t there, and I was 1-for-2 in predicting the winners.  Previous weeks have been better and hopefully upcoming weeks will be more like those issues instead of this one.

Verdict – Pass

Batgirl #10 reaffirmed my interest in Gail Simone’s Batgirl title.  I liked seeing Barbara show the human side of the mask and show empathy for the people she’s rescuing.  I know next to nothing about Knightfall, though, so I’m going to be in the dark going forward in this storyline.

Verdict – Recommended

Batman #10.  As Night of the Owls finally winds down, we get a revelation of supposedly Bruce Wayne’s long lost brother who was apparently either born early, stillborn and reanimated, or something along that line, it escapes my mind at the moment.

Verdict – Recommended

Batman and Robin #10.  I can’t help but feel this was a Damian Wayne ego-booster issue and we all know there just hasn’t been enough of that lately.  My sarcasm aside, I enjoyed seeing the different former Robins come together (even if Stephanie Brown is missing), but the focus of the story was Damian and Tim Drake.  I don’t know what they were supposed to accomplish with this issue, especially considering Tim Drake is meant to be featured in a completely different book that I dropped issues ago.  This book has become something of a disappointment following a great opening run as the last two issues I couldn’t bring myself to wholeheartedly recommend and, in this case, I’m going to suggest you just save your money.

Verdict – Pass

Captain America #13 was… pretty forgettable, honestly.  There were some good bits of Henry Gyrich getting his, but nothing else that really stands out.  We get ready for the final showdown between Cap and the new Scourge.  This was just setup, but it wasn’t particularly compelling setup.  I wouldn’t completely write this one off though as the characterization is pretty good, the art is good, and it tells a coherent story.

Verdict – Cautiously Recommended

Deadpool #56.  I am quickly losing patience with Deadpool again.  I thought this book was supposed to be funny.  So why am I not laughing?  It seems they’re trying to change Deadpool up and try to play him more straight, like a genuinely psychotic Moon Knight, and that’s not the way you want to go with Deadpool.  The story of him losing his regeneration powers has potential, but it seems to be wasted here.

Verdict – Pass

Demon Knights #10.  I’m glad to be back with this book and glad to see things are picking up again like they were in the first few issues.  This is one of those titles where I’m in the dark as to all of these characters, so I’m learning as I go, but the team is definitely enjoyable, if not for some personality flaws, but hey, I’m always open to character development.  If you’re not reading this, give it a shot.  You might enjoy it if this is your kind of thing.

Verdict – Recommended

Fantastic Four #607 was one of the standouts in a pretty bad week for comics.  Reed and Sue travel to Wakanda to meet with the Black Panther and Storm about the revival of the inert vibradium, the principal metal of the kingdom.  I like the fact that Reed seems to have taken a step back from being the stuck-up science thumper he was for a while and genuinely acts like a hero and friend to a fellow hero.  It isn’t enough for me to want to give FF another chance outside of choice issues, though.

Verdict – Recommended

Frankenstein:  Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #10 remains one of the standout series of the new DC Universe to me.  We get some good action, some hints of a future Frankenstein/Nina relationship, and good setup for the next issue.  And… that’s about all I want to say.  It was a well done issue for a well done series.  Not one of the best, but I’m enjoying it, especially considering how in the dark I am about the characters as opposed to their old DC Universe counterparts, but unlike Demon Knights, I don’t think it’s a wall here.

Verdict – Recommended

Green Lantern #10.  It was a decent issue that serves as more of a bridge to the next series of events, capping off with the return of Black Lantern Black Hand.  I’m not thrilled with the dark turn the Indigo Tribe took, but I’m not terribly familiar with them, so who knows, maybe this is just something I’m missing from the old DC Universe.  Still a good read with some good character bits from Hal and Sinestro.

Verdict – Recommended

Mega Man #14 continues to suck and wouldn’t be getting my money if I wasn’t a major Mega Man fanboy, but I’ve really lost patience with this book.  It was bad enough they whip through the game arcs, but now Ian Flynn is doing a poor job with the filler arcs.  The villain is severely out of place in the Mega Man universe and the character dynamics aren’t working at all.

Verdict – Pass

The Mighty Thor #15 was a step up from the last issue, but ends completely stupid with a Satanist character being born out of a goth kid’s mind.  If they were trying to appeal to the darker side, the Thor books aren’t really the books to deal with.  But, hey, maybe this will still surprise me.  I don’t know what they have in mind with Donald Blake, but this pattern of two sides of a hero being split apart and the human side getting the royal shafting is really starting to tick me off.  It was bad enough they turned Bruce Banner into a megalomaniacal bat-snap insane villain, but to have Donald Blake crave godhood so much that he’d let himself be seduced by one of Thor’s greatest enemies in the Enchantress, only to have his head chopped off so it can ooze a new god is just… off-putting.  The issue, though, is pretty good overall, but how the two storylines tie together is something I’m not seeing clearly yet.

Verdict – Recommended

X-Men Legacy #268 took a look back at a character I have absolutely no investment or interest in.  Frenzy.  It’s a pretty straightforward story where she explores her past in comparison to events happening around her as an X-Man today.  I can’t say it made me a fan of Frenzy, though, and it certainly has little to do with the Avengers vs. X-Men story, but it wasn’t terrible from what I read.  Maybe my expectations were high just because of last issue’s awesomeness, but this is just me.  Not bad, but not enough to warrant a full recommendation.

Verdict – Cautiously Recommended

And, there you have it.  Another week, another mess of comics.  It wasn’t a particularly thrilling week or one that gave me anything in particular that I was thrilled to have read, but hey, it happens.  It’s just a bummer that it happened with such a heavy week.  There is another big week next week (they tend to happen together for me), but there are also better titles next week, headlined by Daredevil, TMNT, and Ghostbusters.  Hope to see you all then.

Cheers;

Graves