Cameron McFarland Comic Reviews

I won't spoil specifics, but as lukewarm as this issue left me I am very much looking forward to #2 ofTime Train. I don't know that this issue is a must-read, even for fans, but depending on how well #2 stands on its own we'll see.

I want to recommend this book, but I also want to wait until issue #6 completes the set. A mystery is always best judged by how the pieces come together, and if #6 ends on a sour note, it will ruin the whole run. Let's be real, though, it has been a good run so far.

Much to Talmadge's credit, the art style is so fun and expressive that it is very easy to get sucked into the events of the story, each scowl and smile conveys so much that I often find lacking from some books, be they for younger or mature audiences. Though a humble package, there is a lot to enjoy inHomecoming, and I can safely recommend this to anyone out there who hates Mondays.

Readers who know me will know that I can be very picky when it comes to kids' books. For something to be interesting and worthwhile to a child, it needs to firstly look appealing. I have to say, the art inGoosebumps holds that bar well. It's clean and colorful; all of the characters are very expressive, and every panel is clear and easy to read. The writing holds up as well. It's all very natural, and I think easy to relate to for any young reader. Nothing in the book is so Lovecraftian-scale of horror that it will traumatize anyone, but there is a clear mood that sets in after dark and I can imagine this being the perfect comic to read on a camping trip or just under the bedsheets.

Pairing two cats that are grumpy by nature should be easier thanArchie vs Predator, but somehow we're left wondering if this is a concept pitch that wasn't yet ready for print.

But, ultimately this issue is just anotherGreen Lantern book. We don't have much of an idea for what Zod is planning and we have a little bit of insight into John's current mood, but I didn't close this book with much excitement for what's to come next.

I'm being a bit harsh, but after all this buildup I've become very hopeful that issue #40 pays off in a big way. Zod and his family have demonstrated power, but there is just so much exposition and claim to his strength that I'm really just hungry for actual conflict.

It can be a little hard to trust a large licensed property being turned into a comic book, and again we have seen a lot ofHalo content over the years, but this one earns my seal of approval. If you are aHalo fan, I believe it will earn yours, too.

Invader Zim #24, like the rest in the series, doesn't make the mistake of presenting itself as a storyboard that would be better treated with animation. It stands on its own with fun cutaway gags and goofy characters that are perfect for the comic book format the story was written for.

My bottom line forInvader Zim #25 is that it is a fun comic book with some silly jokes in it paired with unique and stylish art. But, any big fans will probably think about this little story from time to time when the topic of Zim comes up in conversation, and it will cement their passion, if only a little bit more.

While this issue doesn't stand out on its own as anything particularly spectacular, it is still a fun read that will compliment aZim collection. However, if you can stand a month without fresh alien hi-jinks, I do admit this wouldn't be a terrible issue to skip.

I can't say too much further about the plot without spoiling the meat and potatoes of the story, but for anyone who cares about these characters at all it's an easy sell. Again, I didn't follow the Secret Wars at all, and I'm left now caring about what I missed as well as wondering what's next for this pair.

I do feel this is an issue that fans will appreciate more than newcomers, but nothing here is too complicated to figure out. Even if you vaguely remember only the TV show when you were a kid and haven't been following the comics, I do want to recommend you take a peek intoMighty Morphin#25.

I'm going to hold onto this book, keep it with my Christmas decorations and probably read through it once every year when I need this reminder to not be a Scrooge just for the sake of my own ego.

Overall, this is another comic book that really seems like it would be up my alley but I cannot enjoy. The target audience may partially be nostalgic 90's kids, but if I assume they also want to entertain current-day kids they could have done something more to introduce Rocko and his world instead of dropping us into the middle of such a messy and congested ride.

I can't say much more besides these final thoughts. If you are a fan of the series of olde, dust off your cane and hobble down to the comic book shoppe and pick up a copy. The topic of "what if babies went to a toy store" might not be enough to bring in new fans, but share it with your friends and they might think it's cute, too.

All in all Scooby-Doo Team Upis a very fun read that I would recommend giving a chance to anyone who grew up on Scooby Doo and holds any amount of appreciation for DC's mighty assortment of heroes.

I experienced a very acute spike of joy when I saw Atom Ant's picture on the front cover of this issue. That iconic pose of him flexing his muscles with that non-threatening Hanna Barbera face speaks to my childhood. Heroes like Atom Ant were perfect for young audiences: purely a good example of simple morals with the added fun of supernatural powers. I don't fault modern cartoons likeAdventure Timeand Avatar: The Last Airbenderfor being more mature and complicated stories, but kids can enjoy simple things as well and for that I thank Scooby and the creators at DC Comics for keeping these characters so well preserved.

It is a shame that this first issue starts off with such a whimper, but I do have hope we'll soon see what IDW's new direction will be. There are new characters to introduce and a clean slate to work with, and it should be noted that one new issue will be released every week in April, so with a fast start I hope to see some fun in this series soon.

As a masochistic fool that will likely die alone after my wife leaves me for not understanding how important my Sonic pajamas are, I will maintain my optimism that we will see improvement as time goes on. However, as an objective critic of the medium, I cannot say I'm terribly impressed.

Ultimately, this book takes a big step in the right direction, but there is a long road still to cover before I can recommend this series to any longtime fans.

I'm very hopeful to see this series continue on the path they've set up and ultimately pay off with something more than "be sure to watch Star Trek Discovery on CBS All Access!"

While I can't give Teen Titans Go! a high score, I do want to offer a salute to our boys in light blue.

Ultimately, I'm left closing the book and contemplating if I'd want to buy an issue #2. I'll be here next month to review and follow up with where this series goes, but it is definitely a rocky start, and the rock puns were supposed to be in the other series.

The story is also still in its early first act and I'm reminded of that feeling one gets when watching a pilot of a TV series: they're clearly feeling out the characters and the world and any moment now we'll get that one episode that really sells it. But, after last month's pessimistic take I'm quite pleased to see that there is hope for this series. With any luck,The Jetsons will follow in the footsteps ofThe Flintstones with great pride.

There's likely a very fine niche that this is perfect for, but at present I'm left hoping the ending has a payoff that ties this series into a nice and complete package.

The moral of the story is that everything will work out anyways and no one has to die ever and everyone should be happy.

The bottom line is Spider King stands to keep me entertained for some time to come, but this #1 issue does drag a bit. I'm uncertain if future releases will pick up the pace or if each installment will be a slow build toward a greater conflict. But, I just love barbarians fighting space monsters and I can't knock it too much for being an entertaining first look at this new world.

Overall, I don't know that I can recommend Spider King to anyone in a broad sense based only on these two issues. There is certainly an audience for vikings fighting aliens, myself included, but my patience is beginning to wane.

As many #1 issues will attest, the best is yet to arrive and it can be hard to gauge just where a series will go, but I have faith in Dawson (as well as the art team) to deliver on the promise of a very fun and exciting new episode of theX-Files.

I wonder if perhaps this series should have aimed to wrap up right around October 25th instead of release then, but we'll let the story tell itself and perhaps win a place on our shelf.

Similar to the first issue, the art is a double-edged sword. The style of pursuing confidential documents and police sketches to help sell the secretive theme is clever, but greatly overused. If these occurred only flashbacks it might feel like readers are piecing together the conspiracy themselves, but when used cover to cover I'm just left feeling like it's a big mess.

The three short stories inTwisted Romance, each with their own twist on romance, are engaging and stimulating thought exercises on what it means to want and be wanted. Sometimes we are asked to give too much and sometimes we are surprised when we realize we gave too little. For any reader who is mildly entertained by character relationships, I can recommendTwisted Romancewithout worry. I only hope the rest of this miniseries continues to be as deeply interesting as these stories proved themselves to be.

Visually I do have one gripe, and this is only relevant to the art snobs out there, but the pages tend to focus on earthy tones and largely it feels like a Conan the Barbarian story. On occasion we see Dianna dressed in her bright red and blue outfit, and it feels out of place. The design of her costume is very modern and the colors sort of pop in a way that I don't believe is intended to draw your focus so immediately. Again, I must admit this is very minute a complaint to have that not all readers will agree with, and if that's all I have to say then I'm left being reminded once again that I am truly a sucker for crossovers and punching drunk people in a bar.