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

The Back Stack: June 6, 2012

And with this, we return to our regularly scheduled… schedule.  This week we see a return of a book I formerly dropped, the end of a weekly series, the return of the non-big-two, a pair of annuals, and the Boys in Grey taking a trip to my back yard.

As always, SPOILER ALERT!  Let us begin.

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #39 was a book that was probably unnecessary, but certainly had its moments.  I’m sure a story where Peter Parker met his Uncle Ben on some level has been done, but this still wasn’t bad.  I kind of got a kick out of it because of some of the scenes of what Spidey would do if he went back to certain periods of his life knowing what he knows.  That’s the human side of Spider-Man that I like to see alongside him being the superhero.  The issue itself had its moments, but you’ll have to decide for yourself if you’re interested.

Verdict – Recommended

On the flip side, Batman Annual #1 was a huge letdown.  I’ve always enjoyed the revival of Victor Friese, a.k.a. Mr. Freeze, and his torment at being driven to madness in trying to help his wife.  Well, all that was thrown away in the new DC Universe as he becomes just a nutcase obsessed with cold.  His wife?  Not really his wife.  He just became obsessed with her because she was frozen.  This kills the arc to Mr. Freeze’s character, in my view, and makes him impossibly less interesting.  The action was bland and the storyline was just blah.  It wasn’t up to par with what the Batman books have been since the reboot.  Also, the tie-in with the Court of Owls feels REALLY forced and unnecessary, and it is really a shame.

Verdict – Pass

Ghostbusters #9.  I’m probably going to sound really partisan on this, but the fact that this issue took place in Detroit and didn’t go out of its way to take shots at the city really put a smile on my face.  While I’m not from Detroit proper, I do spend some time there enough to gain a bit of an attachment to it, mostly Tigers and Red Wings games.  But, no.  They’re completely respectful of Detroit, the officials trust them, Winston is a Red Wings fan, and the Ghostbusters have apparently been to Detroit before and have a good solid relationship with the city.  I like that.  It sure beats the hell out of Justice League of America’s “anyone can beat Detroit” crack before Black Canary disbanded the Avengers.  Anyway, I enjoyed the scenario with the fallen soldiers, General Wayne of Fort Wayne fame, and Winston’s “moment” with him.  It was an issue of Ghostbusters that worked as much as the others, but on a far different level.  I may be bias because it took place close to home, but I say it’s another issue well worth your money.

Verdict – Highly Recommended

Hulk Smash Avengers #5 completes the downward spiral that had been happening since issue #3.  I’m going to keep it short because it really was just so dull.  The post-Civil War avengers are fighting the Red Hulk and Iron Man is trying to talk Bruce Banner into stopping him.  It fills in a gap that really didn’t need to be filled.  Long story short, consider the first two issues, but the last three are unnecessary.

Verdict – Pass

Queen Sonja #29 was on the incoherent side for me, but certainly had some moments.  The story of Sonja returning to her kingdom while the prostitution cult of magic continues to do their thing… and there isn’t much else to say about it.  I do hate Red Sonja’s costume at this point.  Blue jeans and a metal blouse.  If you’re not going to have her in her iconic chainmail bikini, then stop putting her in it on the covers!  Good action, lackluster story, and that terrible costume.  What can I say?  I’m a sucker for iconography.

Verdict – Cautiously Recommended

Sonic the Hedgehog #237 was… okay.  I hesitate to call it good, but it wasn’t exactly bad either.  There was one story involving the Wolf Pack and Mecha Sally going after them with Lupe, one of the more storied original characters of the series, being taken by Robotnik and threatening to be Legionized.  It was okay, but some scenes were overly goofy considering the stakes.  A second story was between Mina Mongoose and Nicole where they patched things up and made nice in one of the most contrived, forced, and stupid ways.  It can be said that it was directly because of Mina’s concert that the people backed Ixis Naugus in usurping the order of Acorn and then this?  I would have preferred more of a story arc where Mina has to stew in her own juices and deal with her actions, but this is Ian Flynn we’re talking about, the king of unrealized potential.  Still, not nearly as bad as other issues have been lately, but I’m not looking forward to where this whole “Team Freedom, Team Fighters” angle is going.

Verdict – Cautiously Recommended

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #10 was decent, but I feel is relying too heavily on other incarnations of the TMNT with this one, particularly with April O’Neil’s antique store, Second Time Around.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good homage, but it seems just more than a little convenient.  Then again, she’s not living above it, so maybe it’s not as outrageous as I’m making it out to be.  I would have liked to have seen more out of the Shredder, though.  Here he is, the most iconic villain of the Turtles, and all we've seen is him standing around.  I'd have much preferred something with a bit more bang to his entrance.  There was also some good dynamics between the Turtles themselves that wasn't quite so good-natured, particularly between Leonardo and Donatello and the debate on whether past events have come back to play out in their modern day with the scientifically-minded Donatello taking a more skeptic approach whereas Leonardo is going with  Splinter's teachings and stories, interpreting them today.  We've seen Leo and Donnie butt heads before, but nothing quite like this, and it's good to see.  Siblings who spend time together like this tend to bicker and it's a refreshing change of pace to see that it isn't Raphael and Leonardo AGAIN.  In fact, I kind of appreciate that, considering Raph's backstory in this series, being separated from the others for so long.  We also get to see why Splinter IS the master to the Turtles, which is something that sadly gets overlooked by many who do interpretations of the Turtles.  It's not one of the best books in the series, but it's one that I enjoyed.

Verdict – Recommended

Wolverine and the X-Men #11 did for Kid Gladiator what should have happened for him a while back.  It gave us a reason to care about him.  Defying the order of Gladiator, one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe, Kid Gladiator decides to stand with the X-Men in their hour of need.  We get some other good moments and some great action including Iceman vs. the Red Hulk.  Yeah, Iceman against the Red Hulk and it’s actually got some decent moments in it.  Wolverine and the X-Men is a book that can be really good when it’s clicking and this is one where it was really clicking.

Verdict – Highly Recommended

X-Men Legacy #267.  Yeah, I brought back X-Men Legacy to my pull list and I’m thrilled to start back up with this issue.  We pick up in the middle of a fight between Rogue’s X-Men and a handful of Avengers members and it isn’t going well.  It’s a primarily action-heavy issue, but you see the heart of the X-Men play out beautifully here including their desire to defend their students.  On an action standpoint, it’s great to see upwards and creative thinking on each of the combatants’ parts including Kitty Pryde vs. “Iron Man,” Moon Knight vs. Rogue, “Iron Man” vs. anybody (seriously, though, if this were an RPG, it’d be spammed to hell for being “God Moding), and others.  This was a fun issue to read and I’m looking forward to getting caught up… but I’m sorry to say I probably won’t cover my back issue purchases of those books here.  This is a series typically for what came out last week as you go to pick up this week’s comics.  However, if you want my opinions on them, ask and I shall do my best to make an exception if I feel there is a lot to say about them.  As for this one, it’s another X-title well worth your time from last week.

Verdit – Highly Recommended

And so we come to an end of another pull.  I hope I gave you some good ideas as to what to pick up from last week in addition to what you might pull this week.  For me, I’m hoping World’s Finest keeps up the good work, Earth 2 doesn’t let controversy cloud the potential for a good story, and the Avengers vs. X-Men tie-in books can keep up what X-Men Legacy pulled off, and Black Cat brings some extra fun to the Defenders and hopefully is there to stay.

Cheers;

Graves

EDIT 6/7/2012 - Yeah, I screwed this up.  Didn't finish my TMNT review.  I fixed that.  Sorry, folks.

The Back Stack: May 31, 2012

Sorry I forgot to do a Back Stack last week.  Kind of hard getting back into the swing of things following my hiatus.  It doesn’t help that I have a HUGE My Little Pony project I’m working on.  There was a Sonic hardcover I picked up, but I haven’t actually cracked it open yet, so I’ll save that for next week.

But onto this week!  This week was… underwhelming, by and large.  Certainly, there was some good stuff to be had, but everything else was just fair to moderate.  Let’s get started.

As always, SPOILER ALERT!

Amazing Spider-Man #686 continues the Ends of the Earth storyline.  This one was more focused on action and saw that the Sinister Six wasn’t as cohesive as once thought.  The Chameleon and Mysterio work on their own means to confront Spider-Man immediately, but Doc Ock put the kabash to that.  We see Mysterio reluctantly join Spider-Man to face Octavious… and his new Sinister Six, The Avengers.  The end revelation was admittedly pretty weak and a bit of a stretch, but something that works with this episode is that, in the face of Armageddon, we see how some of the supporting characters spend their moments.  While I’m disappointed with how J. Jonah Jameson responded to his father, I’m glad to see Mary Jane have so much faith in Spider-Man, seemingly, that she buys an expensive building to throw a party at.  This isn’t the strongest issue, but it’s far from weak.

Verdict – Recommended

Aquaman #9 continues to be just awesome.  We see some insight into Aquaman’s past and a pretty nifty revelation at the end about Aquaman and his “father.”  Honestly, I’m running out of stuff to say about Aquaman at this point.  It’s well-written with great characters and good action.  This issue is more of the same greatness that you should be reading right now anyway.

Verdict – Highly Recommended

Captain America #12.  This wasn’t bad.  We learn more about the new Crossbones and how it’s affecting Cap.  We also see he might still hold a flame for Diamondback, but clearly she’s still no match for Sharon Carter right now.  I can’t say I was impressed with some of the revelations, but it’s kind of humorous to see just how routine duking it out with Hydra is to Cap and Dum Dum Dugan, one of the more unfortunately named supporting characters in Marvel if I do say so myself.  I mean, really, just how bad would it be to go through school with the name “Dum Dum”?  But I’m sure I’m missing something with that in the backstory.

Verdict – Recommended

Deadpool #55 was a big letdown, but I understand why it was written.  It was written to establish the new status quo of what an essentially powerless Deadpool will be like, but it wasn’t exactly a compelling read.  It wasn’t funny and the action was just dull.  I haven’t been impressed with Deadpool for some time.  The last arc had its moments, but it’s been far too inconsistent to be a series I could recommend at the time.

Verdict – Pass

Fantastic Four #606.  Wow.  Hickman is still knocking it out of the park even after the Council of Reeds series.  This issue started out with me scratching my head and then realizing just why exactly the Fantastic Four were on this mission, to save the life of one of their longest family friends, Willie Lumpkin.  Seeing the Fantastic Four, especially Mister Fantastic, go to this extent on such a small scale for someone who they care for really lets this superhero team live up to their pedigree.  This is a great feel-good issue.

Verdict – Highly Recommended

Green Lantern:  New Guardians #9.  This issue focuses on the Blue Lanterns and I was thrilled with that at first, because I feel of the expanded Lantern Corps.’, they have the best source of raw material to work with… then they brought in the cast of Blue Beetle.  Ugh… and I had such high hopes for this issue.  I’m not even entirely sure of how this ties in with the current storyline, but what saves this issue is how the Blue Lanterns relate to one another.  How they hold each other to such a high degree and how their own Hope is truly the source of their power.  Sadly, the issue isn’t completely compelling and I can’t give it a complete recommendation.

Verdict – Cautiously Recommended

Hulk #52 concludes the Haunted Hulk series.  It was far better than the last issue (which I didn’t review) and we finally see who is haunting the Red Hulk.  Doc Samson.  It wasn’t exactly thrilling, but I did like seeing the monsters who helped the Punisher while he was Franken-Castle make a comeback, unlike the Forgiven from the last issue who were sadly sans Jubilee (an angle that still ticks me off).  It’s good for seeing more of General Ross’s personality as both a human and a Hulk and it ends on a high note in the most bizarre of ways.  Good stuff.

Verdict – Recommended

Hulk Smash Avengers #4.  This issue focused on one of quirkier versions of the Hulk, Mr. Fixit.  It wasn’t exactly one of the more compelling issues of the series and at this point it’s become way more formulamatic than anything.  A Hulk incarnation fights with the Avengers, one of the Avengers has a heart-to-heart with the Hulk, resolution.  Seriously, the first few issues had so much more depth to them and this one just… didn’t.

Verdict – Pass

Journey Into Mystery #638 is, to me, textbook 101 of how NOT to do a crossover event.  You don’t overlap the story between unrelated titles.  Once upon a time, I forgave a Titans/Teen Titans crossover since they were related, but in general, I hate crossover storylines like this that span two or more titles, especially when they’re books I don’t pick up, such as the case with New Mutants.  The storyline, nor the characters coming from New Mutants, were particularly compelling this time around and it certainly didn’t invite me to want to see how this plays out.  I’ll wait for this series to get back to its own stories.

Verdict – Pass

The Mighty Thor #14 was just okay.  I’d have liked to have seen more of the dynamics between the Enchantress and Donald Blake, considering it’s going to play big dividends later, that and I’m just genuinely entertained by The Enchantress sometimes and it’s been a while since we’ve seen her.  However, what we got with Thor wasn’t exactly interesting until we got to the very end, which isn’t a sign of a good comic.  But, it’s still far better than its counterpart, Journey Into Mystery.

Verdict – Cautiously Recommended

Superman #9 was kind of boring for the first bit, but picked up towards the end.  I’m not sure how I feel about Superman right now.  When it’s good, it’s very good, but when it’s not up to par, it’s sometimes a bit of a chore to read.  It’s a book I’d drop if it were less consistent than it is, but right now, it’s doing just enough to keep me around and wonder what’s happening next.  It won’t be the first series I recommend, but I wouldn’t say it’s one I’d entirely pass either.

Verdict – Cautiously Recommended

And that ends it.  Next week, The Back Stack returns to Tuesday at its regular time.  Welcome back.

Cheers;

Graves

The Back Stack Catch-Up Special - May 11, 2012

Hello all.  I’ve missed you guys.  It’s been a while, hasn’t it?  Definitely a lot longer than I had initially intended, and for that, I apologize.

As you know, I’ve missed a LOT of weeks and, with that, a LOT of comics.  Naturally, it’s nearly impossible for me to review ALL the comics I pulled during my downtime, because just as I begin to catch up, a new week comes by and that means new comics to buy.  It’s a never-ending mess if I let it be one.  Instead, I decided to take the notables, both good ones and bad ones.  These are going to be very cut and dry and shorter than normal reviews of mine.  Regular reviews will resume on Tuesday/Wednesday morning (before comic shops typically open with the new stuff).

Anyway, let’s begin.  (As always, SPOILER ALERT!)

Fantastic Four #605.  This was a very good change of pace from the action-heavy issues.  We learn a lot about The Thing and what his potential future has for him.  All thousands of years of it.  That’s right, apparently The Thing ages at about the speed of a rock and is only accelerated thanks to the serum that lets Thing be human for one week out of the year.  It’s nice to see a human side of Reed Richards in this one and just slow down and realize what shouldn’t be taken for granted.  If only he’d do that with his wife every so often… but still, it was a great book with great characterization, especially in the end where Reed and Ben share a beer and watch TV together.

Verdict – Highly Recommended

Justice League #8 brings to an end my patience with the DC superheroes being a band of assholes.  Recent issues haven’t exactly painted the Justice League in a good light and this issue didn’t help either.  Made worse is the Shazam back-up that features Billy Batson being just as big of a dick as the Justice League.  What is with DC?  Did they decide that DC should stand for Disregard Character or something?  It was a boring issue to boot and I can’t say it’s a story in a book I’m interested in continuing with.  The only remotely interesting thing is that we learn that Martian Manhunter apparently was a member of the Justice League and it ended badly with the Justice League unceremoniously kicking him out.  And he’s supposed to be a good guy now?  Ugh… no thanks.

Verdict – Pass (personally dropping)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #9 continues the awesome revival of our favorite sewer-dwelling teens in green.  Of course, the big thing with this issue was the reveal of THE SHREDDER!  What do I think?  Well… it certainly was The Shredder all right.  I won’t say it was a very impressive reveal and the surprise was kind of negated from how prominent the Foot Clan had been in the past couple issues, but hey, this was what we all waited for.  Things are coming together beautifully for this series, though, and I can’t wait to continue once we’re up to speed.

Verdict – Recommended

Sonic Universe #39… that’s right, our old pal Ian Flynn continues his unnecessary made-for-trade Sonic side-series.  However, to his credit, this one doesn’t feel like a complete waste of time and might help to validate this particular story arc known as “Scrambled.”  We get the return of the least-requested character in the Sonic comic’s expanded mythos, Monkey Khan (I guess “Ken” Khan wasn’t cutting it anymore) and his reaction upon seeing Sally become roboticized.  It ends with Robotnik tricking him in becoming his servant again as Khan gives up his power ring control crown to restore Mecha Sally.  While this does provide some interesting story angles, it also opens up the door for several potentially bad story angles and, knowing Flynn’s track record, it’s likely one of the ones we’ll be getting.  While I do like the prospect of Robotnik starting his collection of robot minions made from Sonic’s old running buddies, it isn’t something I think Flynn has the forethought or talent to capitalize on.

Verdict – Cautiously Recommended

Mega Man #12.  I am quickly losing my patience with Mega Man.  This issue of this made-for-trade series wraps up the Mega Man 2 adaptation, and mercifully might I add.  What could have been so much more was wasted with Ian Flynn behind the keyboard scripting this story.  Wily’s minions continue to look like tinfoil against Mega Man and Dr. Light’s Robot Masters and the potential drama of Wily pretending he was an alien was wasted needlessly.  This is clearly not a series Ian Flynn has a connection with.  While I consistently criticize Flynn’s Sonic comics, at least it seems like he wants to build something.  With Mega Man, it just seems like he’s looking to just get it over with, and that’s a shame because I think, even more than Sonic, Mega Man has the potential to be one of the best comic adaptations out there.  It’s just a shame that it’s all squandered with Ian Flynn.

Verdict – Pass

We’ll end on a trade paperback I picked up.  Sonic Select vol. 5.  This is a mix of both good and bad.  The good being the inclusion of the Girls Rule Super Sonic Special.  The bad being the inclusion of BOTH Sonic Kids Super Sonic Specials.  But with the good and the bad comes the ugly.  For the first noticeable time, we see a major edit done to one of the old stories.  In particular, during Sally’s story in the Girls Rule special, her vest is superimposed in when she’s immersing herself with a pool of liquid known as “The Source,” which has guided the Acorn Family for generations.  Grant you, it isn’t used hardly at all in general and it has led to the belief that it was just Ken Penders’ excuse for making softcore furry porn, but honestly, I give Penders a slide on this.  Think about it.

The Source is described as a near-sentiant, near-all-knowing guiding force.  Sally enters it and experiences of oneness.  I think that Sally not wearing her boots and vest actually helped that idea of oneness and facing the future.  While maybe not something you’d agree with, there was something pure about it, almost like it was a higher deity.  That’s what lets me give the concept a pass because of that idea of pure oneness.  Also, because it’s just stupid for Sally to take her boots off, but not her vest, especially considering she runs around without pants anyway.  The edit to add her vest not only breaks that view of oneness by having a big, super-imposed blue block thrown in on all the shades-of-orange panels and makes it look gaudy as hell, and really makes it look like Flynn is trying to continue to paint Penders in a bad light, like he made the story simply to have Sally strut around in the nude in a glorified swimming pool.  It's very furry-phobic of Flynn, almost like anything that could be described as fuel for furries automatically triggers a panic button with him... interesting considering Sally was running around in other issues and trades without her vest for so long without her vest IN PUBLIC and a vest is edited in for when Sally is by herself.  Anyone else see the problem here?

While the Girls Rule special is still good and features some of the best artwork in the series (Flynn’s stupid-ass edits excluded), this is just an okay trade and I can only recommend it if you can’t find Girls Rule by itself (where you’ll get more beautiful artwork) or if you are a die-hard Sonic collector… like me.

Verdict – Cautiously Recommended

So, there you have it.  There would be more comics I’d touch on, but honestly, nothing majorly new to report.  Next week, a full, true, return of The Back Stack.

Cheers;

Master Graveheart

Postponement Update

Hey everyone.

Just wanted to give you all a quick heads up.  If you haven't followed my Twitter account, you'll know there is no Back Stack for this week.  I've just gotten terribly busy and haven't finished all the comics I picked up from last week.  In addition, there will be no Back Stack next week either as I'm planning something special in my personal life and probably won't have time to work on it anyway.  The Back Stack will resume on May 1 or May 2.  If there are comics worth noting from these past two weeks, I may decide to throw them in with that week, but from what I HAVE read so far from last week's books, there's nothing particularly impressive.  Don't get me wrong.  There have been good books, but there have been bad books too *coughSoniccough* and nothing that's really wowed me.

Then again, I haven't gotten around to Batman and Robin yet.

So, yeah.  Sorry to bring the bad(?) news to you all.  Don't worry, though.  If I play my cards right, we might get our first Grave Issues Spotlight this Saturday.

Cheers;
Graves

EDIT:  After deliberation, I've decided that the Back Stack's catch-up edition will be on May 8th.  Why?  Well... I didn't pick up all the books I would have liked to this week.  They're waiting for me and I will read them, but I'd like to read them all for you, so, yeah, I'll cover the best and worst then.  For those asking, yes, I am well aware of the edits made to the Sonic Select vol. 5 book.  You better believe I'll be covering THAT.

The Back Stack: April 11, 2012

Hey all.  Another late edition, but a full docket nonetheless.  As always, spoiler alert.  Let’s begin.

Amazing Spider-Man #683.  Hot damn, has this arc been hitting the right notes with me.  We see just how much of a menace and master manipulator Doctor Octopus can truly be and he’s equipped the Sinister Six with enough tricks and methods to do battle with the freakin’ Avengers… AND WIN.  Seeing that alone should be worth the price of admission.  Seriously, we see the Avengers just brutalized and beaten in a matter of minutes, in-comic time.  Even Thor gets taken out by Rhyno.  Yeah.  Let that sink in for a bit.  It also continues the angle of J. Jonah Jameson going after Horizon labs, but it never overstays its welcome and adds a much-needed break in the appropriate location.  So far so good for “The Ends of the Earth,” and I’m wondering where the return of Silver Sable is going to play out.  Certainly, she helps Spider-Man, but I wouldn’t picture her as someone who can do what the Avengers couldn’t.  It’s going to be an interesting read going forward.  After the disaster that was One More Day and One Moment In Time, Dan Slott has made Spider-Man not only readable, but an enjoyable read.  I would never make the claim that these arcs couldn’t happen with Spider-Man being married to Mary Jane, so yes, One More Day is still effectively useless and still didn’t need to happen.

Verdict – Highly Recommended

Avengers Academy #28 was a big disappointment for me in terms of the issue as a whole.  We end this arc with the Runaways which, really, didn’t need to happen.  I don’t even think Marvel would really bring them back, since they trashed their old teen hero books in no time flat recently, including Young Allies and not even letting “The Chosen” get off the ground.  I can’t say I actually gave much of a damn about this arc.  Don’t get me wrong, it was good, but only good in an okay kind of way.  Oh well.  Can’t win ‘em all, but now I can safely say that Aquaman IS better than this book, generally speaking.

Verdict – Cautiously Recommended

Avengers vs. X-Men #1 was… pretty slow starting.  Everything we’ve read in previews is played out here, just to a longer degree.  We see Cyclops brutally training Hope when she manifests her Phoenix powers.  This results in a visit from Captain America and the Avengers, which goes as well as can be expected.  If you skipped the preview pages because you didn’t want to be spoiled, than I’d say you should pick this up.  If not, there really isn’t too much here to warrant a purchase.

Verdict – Pass

Daredevil #10.1 was our second straight solid entry into the Marvel.1 series.  This was just good ol’ Daredevil fun as we see ol’ Horn Head dealing with some jackass detention center officers and facing off with a supervillain who can generate fire.  He also confronts representitives from several crime organizations including A.I.M. and Black Specter with some good, verbal, cat and mouse, showing us that Daredevil isn’t just all about fisticuffs.  If this book was meant as an introduction, it’s certainly succeeded.  Daredevil is probably Marvel’s best book right now and Ii certainly hope it’s one you’re all reading right now anyway.  Even if you’re already familiar with Daredevil, this was a pretty fun read.

Verdict – Recommended

Fear Itself:  The Fearless #12 ends with one thing that comes to mind:  Marvel cannot do a bi-weekly series not named The Amazing Spider-Man.

Verdict – Pass

Hulk #50 was pretty solid stuff.  We see Red Hulk being haunted by apparent ghosts, to which he goes to Doctor Strange for help.  It starts off an angle which will amount to being a big conspiracy against Big Red, but we also see some glimpses into Red Hulk being General Ross again, finding new romance and trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter.  It was a solid read, something Hulk needed desperately to remain what I’d call a worthwhile series.

Verdict – Recommended

Queen Sonja #28 would have gotten a straight “Recommended” verdict out of me if it weren’t for the fact that there is some questionable nudity.  In this book, we get a fully nude woman who is obscured by shadows.  That would have been fine and no cause for concern, except for the fact that in a couple panels, we can clearly see the outlines of her nipples!  How are the artists getting away with this?  And how has this book not been relegated to the adult section of the comic store?  Other than that, the book is just fine.  There are some decent interactions with the characters, some good action, and we continue the conspiracy against the kingdom Sonja is empress of.  I’m interested, and like I said, this would have gotten a straight “Recommended” verdict, but since I know some people aren’t interested in their comics as softcore porn, I’ve gotta give you guys a fair warning.

Verdict – Cautiously Recommended (via nudity warning)

Red Sonja/Witchblade #2.  This was BORING.  That may be because I’m interested in this book for Red Sonja and this was heavily focused on Witchblade, but this is where the writer has to make me care about the character I’m not invested in.  The only thing I care about with Witchblade is that she’s a mother, which is pretty unique for a superheroine supposed badass.  Other than that… why should I care?

Verdict – Pass

Sonic the Hedgehog #235… There are about a thousand different story arcs happening in this book, most of which occur at a break-neck speed, and none of which I’d say are very satisfying.  First, you get Silver the Hedgehog, who is only margionally less useless of a character than Shadow, going on about his believed traitor in the Freedom Fighters (whom I’m leaning towards Tails, at this point), and coming off as a generally delusional hack, not some savior from the future.  Next, you get Bunnie, mourning over her hospitalized husband.  Rather than stay by his side, she leaves to do something.  Great domestic display there, Ian Flynn.  Have her ignore the man she loves to take a gamble somewhere else.  Then you have Tails and Amy, doing who cares what.  Generally, they’re being emo.  After that, you get Rotor quitting from the royal council after they vote to exile Nicole’s consciousness to Freedom HQ outside of New Mobotropolis.  While I can appreciate the symbolic gesture Rotor was going for… Rotor… YOU JUST FORFEITED YOUR SEAT OF ACTUAL POLITICAL POWER AGAINST IXIS NAUGUS JUST SO YOU COULD PROVE YOU WERE HAVING A HISSY FIT OVER A DECISION YOU DISAGREED WITH!  Geesh, how dumb can a smart guy be?  Now, Naugus can put someone, oh say, an apprentice of his, in that position to always vote his way.  We’ve already seen that the former Reserve Freedom Fighters will automatically make the worst possible decision possible, Rosemary Prower doesn’t seem to have rhyme nor reason for her votes, and Charles… is spineless on that council.  After that, Sonic the Hedgehog mopes and throws temper tantrums.  Our hero, ladies and gentlemen!  Finally, the only thing of merit to this book, Harvey Who, who comes across as a legitimate mastermind, recruits Silver to his “Secret Freedom Fighters.”  I appreciate the attempts at drama for this book, but it’s either out-of-character drama or it’s set-up to which we have no reason to become immediately invested in.  Ian Flynn, you find new reasons to make me hate you with every book you write, don’t you?

Verdict – Pass

Thunderbolts #172… I can’t say I’m thrilled with the fact that this series is going to be re-branded as Dark Avengers and, unless it really wows me, I’m likely going to drop it.  Seriously, this act of re-branding series’ mid-run bugs me.  Thor becoming Journey Into Mystery, for one.  It bugs me almost as much as re-numbering.  I say, be proud of your heritage and keep your true numbering.  If you want to do volume numbers, than acknowledge the volume you’re on.   But if you DO change your numbering, don’t change back will-nil for milestones.  You broke your chain, now you start again!  Anyway, Thunderbolts.  It starts what will be the final arc as the Thunderbolts face the Thunderbolts of the Heroes Reborn era.  It’s got some potential, as we see Moonstone confronting, well, Moonstone.  Obviously, this time-travel to face their past-selves is non-canon due to Marvel’s laws of time travel, but then again, this is the Joe Quessada Marvel that ignores such rules by the sake of their own convenience *coughOneMoreDaycough*.  The issue itself was okay, but uninspired to say the least.  Honestly, it was a little too slow for me.  Not what I’d call a bad issue, but far more could have happened to start this final arc with a bang.

Verdict – Cautiously Recommended

We’re ending on a high note this week.  Wolverine and the X-Men #8.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  Wolverine only really works, in my book, on team books or while flanked by several characters to play off of his dynamics, with him playing off of theirs.  This is why Wolverine is fondly remembered when he’s paired off with the likes of Kitty Pryde and Jubilee, but issues where it’s him being “the best at what he does,” aren’t quite remembered so much.  This is why I dropped the Wolverine solo book in favor of this one and it’s been a damn good investment, I think.  We don’t get bombarded by the Mary Sue-prone nature of Wolverine’s character, but we still get to see him being a bad-ass.  This issue, however, isn’t all about Wolverine.  He’s mentioned and he has some minor scenes, but this is more about Sabretooth trying to help the Hellfire Club get back at Wolverine and his school.  More importantly, it heavily features Sabretooth’s attack on the S.W.O.R.D. satellite and an awesome battle between him and Beast as he tries to save his would-be girlfriend, Abigail Brand.  It’s a fun issue with a lot of good action and some good moments from the students, including a particularly sweet scene between the “reborn” Angel and Genesis.  Wolverine and the X-Men has been a generally fun series and it’s good to see this series challenge expectations and develop its own unique identity.

Verdict – Highly Recommended

And with that, we’re done here.  Now go out there and pick yourself up some comics.  I hope I’ve piqued your interest with some of these books and I hope you’ll consider them… the good ones, anyways.

Cheers;

Master Graveheart