Tobey Cook Comic Reviews

Theres just so much more I dislike about this book every time I read through it, but thats something I could go on for hours about. I believe overall that Civil War has made a mess of the Marvel Universe, and if you want proof, just read this book as an example. The only reason it doesnt get a lower score from me is because the art delivers in most places where the story couldnt. Nothing about these new recruits stands out enough for me to want to invest the time in the second issue of this book.

I really recommend if you're a fan of comics from the 70s and 80s that you give this magazine a try. I've been with it since issue #1, and I can't think of a single issue that didn't have some feature I absolutely enjoyed reading over and over again.

Summary: A lot of people don't like Hudlin's work on this book, but I am definitely not one of them. I think this story proves he can write material that's important to the Marvel Universe and stand on its own as well. Definitely recommended. While this story is in the middle of the arc, you don't need to have read the previous chapters to understand what's going on. That's something you rarely see in comics these days.

Overall, Paul Dinis writing is passable and Jesus Saizs art (which I loved on Checkmate) serves the story well, making it easy to follow. The problem here, as Ive stated, is its just not very interesting. Much like how 52 kind of petered out near the end for me, Countdown starts off with a similar pace. Its a small recommendation, but if youre at all curious where DC is headed over the next year with their titles, youve got to start somewhere, and this is the one book thats going to be central to it all.

If you like harsh, street-level storytelling combined with a bit of investigative journalism, this is definitely a good read. Highly recommmended.

There's just so much going on in Matty's head that sometimes it can be a bit difficult to follow the dialogue here, and some of the story points (including the bombing setup near the end of the issue) seem a little forced. Otherwise, this is a great read, and easily something someone who loves good street-level storytelling would enjoy. I'm wondering if Matty's identity is revealed just what price it will ultimately have, but with the way the story is going, I know I'm in for a good ride.

I really enjoyed this issue, and it's good to see a situation where not only is Dr. Strange's mystical prowess put to the test, but we get a little bit of CSI-style investigation added to the mix. Strange's background as a surgeon makes this story work well and even more interesting. The only problem I really had was that the pacing of the story at times didn't seem to make sense, but it didn't really detract all that much from my enjoying the book, and I definitely want to see where it's going to go from here.

Overall, this is a decent book, but I think once there's more to the story added in later issues, it might read a little bit better. Not a bad start, but coming into the middle of a story without knowing what happened before is always difficult.

Overall, a slight recommendation, but only for the hardcore DC or Green Lantern reader. Not much here for new fans to pick up on unless you know all the parties involved.

Overall, I enjoyed this issue. I like that Gibbons did full chores on this (with Rodney Ramos on inks - a great choice), and I've always enjoyed his work. He really knows how to juggle the immense history of the GLs and make every character interesting to read. However, the one weakness is that there's so much to balance with two main tales and two smaller pieces that it really detracts from giving a good feature story (the Ranx sequence) the kind of punch it deserves.

All in all, this is a book I can highly recommend for someone who likes a good action tale with solid art and a plot that doesn't make you feel like you've read this book before. I'm hoping Keith Champagne is kept on as writer, because he really does have a great grasp of Guy (even though Guy is not my favorite GL) that hasn't been seen since the Giffen/Dematteis Justice League run.

I dont know what more I can say about this book. Brubaker, Fraction and Aja have a real hit on their hands here, and I predict it wont be long before this is one of Marvels top-selling titles. Its just that good. Buy it. You wont regret it.

I really did enjoy the two main stories, but unless youve been following this book for a while, a lot of it is not going to make sense because you might not know who the major players are. However, for an anniversary issue its a great way to celebrate one of Marvels best characters. Recommended.

If you're a fan of this series, you're going to enjoy the resolution to this subplot, because it's one that's been building for a while. This particular issue is somewhat new reader friendly, and having come in, I was able to pick up a little bit on what was going on without knowing much of the background (although I've read earlier issues of the book before) of the characters.

This was a fantastic issue and shows that Bernet's someone whose art speaks for itself. There's so much style to his work that it's just beautiful to look at. Gray and Palmiotti pull no punches here, and while this is the first of a 3-part story, you better believe I'll be picking up the next two parts. Highly recommended.

I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed this book, but suffice to say, this change to a new status quo for the Justice Society of America is not only brilliantly done, but theres a final page that gives you a sample of things to expect in the coming months. Ive rarely seen that done, but its nice foreshadowing that is going to keep people hooked. Highly recommended.

This book is a fantastic read, and a definite diversion from the mess of Civil War. Theres a brief reference to it here, but thats mainly out of minor necessity given the new status quo of the Marvel Universe. If youre looking for something in the vein of Runaways thats a good, fun team book, this is definitely for you.

Overall though, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for something a little different than your typical DC superhero. Kate Spencer is a fantastic character, and this book deserves to get more support. It will be interesting to see if it gets that, because I think it really deserves it.

And before I forget, we also get a sweet cover homaging Uncanny X-Men #141, the first issue of the "Days of Future Past" storyline, done up in painted glory by zombie master Arthur Suydam. Honestly, that alone is worth picking up the book for, but you can't go wrong with the interior story either.

Theres just so much simple and straightforward storytelling that Petersen conveys here. The pages are done in an almost muddy color, to convey the image of a torrential rain. It really works with the tone of whats going on in the book. I really enjoyed this a lot, and would highly recommend it for anyone looking for something new and different to read. Its also a fantastic book that you can give to a teenager whos into fantasy books like Redwall or even Harry Potter because its got that same sense of high adventure.

The last page of this issue is probably the biggest shocker of them all. It really is what is going to make me pick up the next issue, and suffice to say my fellow New Warriors fans will be very happy. Books like these make me glad to be a comics fan because it provides a solid story, very solid art and characters that all have significant history in the Marvel Universe. The bigger matter here, however, is this is a book you can give to a new comics reader, and they wont be bogged down by details. In an age where every book seems to be driven towards the next big event, its a welcome change.

This is definitely a book I can recommend. Its just a fun read, and anybody whos familiar with the New Universe will grab onto this book immediately. The characters are similar enough, but Ellis, in his own little way, makes them his own. That in itself is something to look forward to.

You owe it to yourself to pick this book up. Even if you dont like Shazam!, this is just one more example of comics done right.

Overall, Id say Waid and Kitson do a pretty good job of continuing the story from last issue, but if I had one complaint its that we dont know anything about the villains or their motivations, and thats something that probably could have made this story a little easier to follow. Still, its something Id recommend for any Legion fan. Easily one of my favorite books to read every month.

While I liked this issue, this is definitely something I would recommend waiting for the trade on. I think a story like this, given Sale and Cooke's styles, would read better that way.

Overall, not a bad first issue. I firmly believe that Waids encyclopedic knowledge of all things DC and Perezs love of drawing anything you can throw at him will make this book much better in the future, but its not off to a bad start.

Not recommended. There's no weight to this issue, and I just can't see how important this issue's going to be to the overall storyline when it's just more setup for whatever payoff we get in 6 month's time when this storyline reaches its conclusion.

Overall, I have to say this is a pretty decent book. My only complaint is I dont know much about the characters or the setting to really dig into it, but I think for long-time 40k fans whove been waiting for their favorite game to be turned into a comic, this is the way to go. Bringing in someone like Abnett who has a real background with these characters really makes all the difference, and Liu Antonios art brings out the strengths in his script. Ill definitely give the second issue a look to see how the story develops, because it piqued my curiosity that much.

The only minor problem that I have with the book is that She-Hulk is helping to try and stop her cousin. Wouldnt you think given the events of Incredible Hulk #106 and the WW:Hulk Prologue that shed just let him go wild? Theres a bit of a disconnect there, given recent events, but it was not enough to take away from my enjoyment of this book whatsoever. Im definitely on board this crossover for the long haul.

Overall, World Breaker is not a bad way to launch into a big event like this, but it suffers from material thats a lot weaker than the main story.

Every character in this book gets his or her moment to shine, even though Madrox is the focus of the story. Peter David pretty much does what a lot of writers struggle at, and thats balancing a large supporting cast in a team book. If youre looking for a good jumping on point, this is a great place to start. You will not be disappointed. My only complaint? The Rahne/Guido sequence was a minor weak point in an otherwise great book. I just dont think it grabbed me as much as the rest of the book did.