Cody Comic Reviews

47 Ronin has been a beautiful retelling of a legendary story. Richardson and Sakai have pulled off something truly special with this series. It remains faithful to the original while doing something different with the presentation. You can see why it ships every other month, but it does lose a little heat with space. This is one that will read amazingly well as a trade.

Absolute Carnage Vs. Deadpool #1 is a tie-in, and although the art is amazing, the story is stale with jokes more suitable for a simpler time.

You either have or are going to get this issue. The good thing is that it's actually good. It doesn't rely on the death gimmick for its punch. Morrison writes a great script, but it's Burnham that blows you away. It's an incredibly fun issue until you get the gut punch that is the last 4 pages.

Batman: Curse of the White Knight #2 goes all for one and one for all.

Berserker Unbound is exactly what it looks like, but still fresh, original, and intriguing. Lemire introduces a barbaric mystery tale and Deodato makes it feel like you're living in it.

Black Hammer: Age of Doom #12 is a gloomy yet heart warming ending to an amazingly crafted story.

Burn The Orphanage isn't a bad book, it's just for a particular type of reader.

Canto #4 continues the journey for his beloved's heart.

Collapser #2 takes a darkly comedic approach to the effects a new black hole on your chest might have to an anxious unsuspecting individual.

Dead Body Road reads as something familiar, but it does more than enough to make you want to come back for the second issue. Jordan writes some great dialogue and intriguing characters. The introductions are out of the way, so hopefully we start to see a little more differentiation from other stories of the genre.

Die #6 brings up more of the past our adventurers have endured, everywhere they go in this world, their past haunts them. This issue gives any RPG players that dread that if they were sucked into their fantasy world, they might regret their choices.

Prisoners of Time has been a pretty good series so far. Even with my old fan crankiness aside, the Tipton's have crafted fun standalone adventures with an intriguing overarching story. You have to commend them for making the older Doctors assessable to readers new and old. A good story with perfect art makes for a fun read.

Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time has been an enjoyable series, but having the companions around as little more than cannon fodder has been a big drawback. The Doctors have been nailed down perfectly, to the Tipton's credit. This is a fun and fast story with vibrant art.

This is a self-referential, fun, touching, emotional issue that runs the gambit of Doctor Who. This takes pieces of everything that makes Doctor Who so great and mixes it up into one final story to send things off in a great way. While I absolutely hate to see IDW's run on Who end, they have given us a pretty impressive body of work over the last six years. I don't know who will get the license next, but good luck you've got some seemingly impossible shoes to fill. Roll on Doctor Who and thanks for everything IDW!

Five Weapons continues to be one of the smartest and best looking series out there. This issue lays it all out there as we race towards the finish line. Robinson does a lot of things with this issue and sets up what looks to be an ambitious finale. Issue #5 is absolutely a can't miss now.

Mooney gives us a huge blockbuster film in a six issue comic. Half Past Danger has quickly become one of my favorite miniseries and I hope we get a sequel before long. If you want Indiana Jones with a dash of Jurassic Park and a hint of Captain America, this is absolutely a comic you have to read.

Immortal Hulk #22 is dialogue and story driven while also setting up what promises to be a truly epic smack down between all our Gamma infected comrades.

Jinnrise seems to have pumped the breaks for this issue. Taken by itself it's a very entertaining and exciting issue, but taken as a part of the whole it is slowing things down. We've still got a little more story to go, it will be interesting to see how this one plays out. So far most of Jinnrise's magic has been trapped in the bottle.

Judge Dredd: Year One is a good story that will have you coming back for more. It's a great Dredd story, but it doesn't feel like it earns the Year One title just yet. With the introductions out of the way, hopefully we get a few more of the things that make you think this is Dredd's earliest years.

Lacking originality or intriguing characters, Leave on the Light leaves much to be desired from a slasher horror story.

Another great chapter in the series, more reveals, more mystery and some great body horror.

Marvel Monsters is a kid-friendly introduction to the biggest and baddest Marvel has to offer.

Miss Fury is a solid series so far. The first two issues seem to have framed things up and now we're going to get into the larger story at work. Williams has an ambitious story that takes the character in a new direction, so it's understandable it's a little bit of a slow build. This is definitely a series worth looking into.

Nailbiter delivers a killer issue. Williamson and company have created a story that pulls you in from page one and guarantees you'll be sticking around to see what happens in Buckaroo, Oregon. The first two issues set up an incredibly intriguing story that separates itself from all other offerings in this particular genre.

Oblivion Song #18 gives clues to the Faceless Men's plans and we finally learn a little more about them and why they know so much.

Gail Simone's Red Sonja lives up to the hype. It's not high octane action, but things are set up wonderfully and we get the starting blows of the battle we know is coming. Simone handles the character well and makes her stronger and more believable than we've seen in more recent tales. Judging from the sales before it ever came out, you're probably reading this. If you're not, you should.

Simone is only two issues into her run, but she has already presented a new and spectacular Red Sonja that should please fans new and old. This is the Red Sonja series you have been waiting for. Simone does the character justice and makes her strong and dangerous instead of a piece of eye candy. Very few comics surprise me when the cliffhanger rolls around, but this one made me literally say "wow." If you haven't been reading this series yet, do so right now.

Red Sonja Berserker is a quick and enjoyable one-shot. The story is paint by numbers in some respects, but the art really raises the rating and makes this one worth checking out if you see it at the comic shops.

A new independent magical fantasy from Vault Comics gives us the first chapter in what promises to be an expansive universe destined for the big or small screen.

Silver Surfer: Black #4 is a gorgeous exploration of the birth of Galactus that Marvel historians will love.

Something is Killing the Children is full of intrigue and with plenty of blood and gore to satisfy any horror lover.

Spawn makes history with an amazingly drawn 300th issue.

Star Trek #18 is a fantastic self-contained story that gives us a look into what makes Uhura tick. Issues 17 and 18 have been great entries that serve not only as a refresher course for the movie version of the characters, but also a great study on McCoy and Uhura's largely untouched backstories. Next month's teasers shows us Scotty, and if it's anything like this month's issue it will be a treat 4/5

We're starting to make some headway with Countdown to Darkness. It's been a solid story, just not one that feels like the movie tie-in it's touted as. Three issues in and we're starting to see some of the puzzle pieces fall into place. Especially with the cover for next month's issue showing Klingon's, I expect things to really kick into high gear.

So far the tie-ins have felt like a good way to introduce some other shows now that the big heroes are off fighting in the main event, but that's about it. If they are serving as a sample of what the respective teams can do with the characters they're given in an ongoing series, then I say definitely bring it on.

City Fall kicks things off with a burst of adrenaline. As someone who has jumped in and out of the Turtle comic, this is one you can pick up without missing a step and still be absolutely thrilled from the beginning to the cliffhanger. City Fall part 1 will take the hype to a whole new level, and I really think it can live up to it.

Ten Grand is a fantastic fusion of supernatural, crime noir/PI, and love stories that make for an excellent read. JMS has crafted a story that feels familiar yet goes off in a new direction. Templesmith's art pulls off the story's feeling of despair splendidly. If you were left wanting more stories like Hellblazer, this is definitely one for you.

The Answer raises more questions than answers, but I's still a fun ride. Hopeless and Norton team up to give the superhero genre a bit of a twist and invent an interesting hero and a pretty capable damsel in distress who is really neither of those things. With two issues to go, hopefully we get some more answers 4/5

The Black Bat is a strong start and great re-introduction to an old hero. Buccellato hasn't revealed all the answers, but he gives us enough clues to want to find out the larger mystery. Black Bat is a character that, while predating and influencing several heroes, could have easily felt like a modern parody. Buccellato has managed to keep the balance between the original character and making it feel in step with today.

Chris Ryall has combined several different genres to make one absolutely insane story. The opening scene with zombie cows is worth the price of admission alone. With an interesting story and great art, The Colonized is one mini-series worth joining up with.

Another hilarious issue from Eric Powell, Goon #4 is a unique satire of current American politics.

How many times do I have to say you need to be reading this book? I'm running out of creative ways to say it, but this is a terrific new take on the Green Hornet and Waid has set things up for an interesting future. Some things come to an end this time, but we see some new seeds sown. Waid brings the action, but it's more about the men behind the masks and their relationships. This is one of the few Green Hornet runs where you wished Britt Reid got equal, if not more, screen time than the Hornet. A great story and inventive art makes this required reading.

Once again Waid gives us a fun and thrilling tale of The Green Hornet and Kato's exploits. Dynamite is the destination for pulp, and Waid's Green Hornet is easily one of the best titles they have to offer. I keep waiting for a misstep with this series, but it hasn't happened yet.

The Green Hornet continues to gives us a good old-fashioned pulp-y story each and every issue. This time around things happen a little faster than they have been, but finally seeing the Black Beauty getting some real action will be a crowd pleaser.

The Hollows is a beautiful and emotional story that shows off the best of Kieth and Ryall. With one issue to go, there's a lot that is seemingly left to do but it will be interesting to see how the duo puts a bow on it. Whether you read it monthly or in a trade, this is one you should really give a look.

The Hollows finishes strong. Kieth and Ryall have presented something truly great with The Hollows. Equal parts action and emotion make for an impressive finish.

Hollywood Horror is sure to be a hit. Langridge and J. Bone present another great entry into IDW's already impressive Rocketeer series. If you liked Cargo of Doom, I guarantee you'll dig this story 5/5

Hollywood Horror is a high flying hit for Rocketeer fans. The first issue was great and so is the second installment. Langridge and Bone bring a slightly different story than some of the other Rocketeer miniseries, but they keep it fun 4.5/5

The Shadow: Year One has reintroduced one of pulps most enduring heroes in a new and entertaining way. This issue gets us even closer to The Shadow we know, but there's still a lot left to do and explore with the Year One theme. Wagner and company aim to please with this one.

Uslan offers up a fast-paced and intense story that pulls you in from the first page. There's a lot of ideas thrown out and not everything is pulled together just yet, but the story has a great premise. The Green Hornet and The Shadow fighting Shiwan Khan and Hitler in WWII is something you cannot miss.

The Wake hooks you in and pulls you under to the deepest depths of the sea. Snyder and Murphy have laid out the skeleton for a great mystery that seems to have epic implications. Snyder is truly a master of the spooky and mysterious.

Bebop and Rocksteady are here and their arrival was well worth the wait.

Todd does a little something different this time around, and it works brilliantly. You still have your laughs, but there's also a lot of development with the other characters. Kristensen adds another dimension all around this time.

Todd, The Ugliest Kid On Earth is one of the most impressive new comics out there. Like I've said many time, it takes a special twisted sense of humor to get into it but if that's in your wheelhouse it is perfect. We have to wait until September for the next installment, but I think it will be worth it.

Jane Foster becomes the new Valkyrie without having a grasp on everything she can do. New powers, new responsibilities, new job, this book serves as a great introduction to an old character in a new role. Excited to see how Jane reacts to her new jobs with the dead.

You Are Obsolete #1 is a slow burning mystery horror that will keep you on the edge.