Category: Book review

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight

batman gaslight

Batman is one of the greatest icons of all time and his legend is timeless, literally in this regard. Gotham by Gaslight asks the question what if Gotham’s greatest hero existed at the turn of the 19th century. Bruce Wayne has returned from years abroad, prepared to face the lamp lit nights of Gotham as the Batman against a legendary foe that drenched the streets of London in blood and has come to Gotham: Jack the Ripper. It isn’t long before the city gets weary of the new comer, and panic that Batman and the Ripper are one in the same settles in; can Batman vanquish this legendary killer and clear his name?

This book joins Superman: Red Son as a what if classic and rightfully so. While short, it doesn’t under deliver or overstay its welcome; the main story about the Ripper is awesome and feels like a classic detective story and the other story about Batman deciding to stay is also really cool. The art adds to the vintage feel and I must say, Gaslight Batman looks badass and is written really well. What I like is is there is a cool twist with Batman and the Ripper than is interesting and I like the steampunk edge to the second story. I definitely recommend the story to a Bat fan or comic lover in general. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Ant-man: Second Chance Man

ant man comic

The Ant-Man movie influenced me a lot more than I want to admit and was much better than anyone really any right to expect so I was really damn curious how reading one of his comics was going to be like. Well, this is around Why I fell out of favor as a Marvel fan. started coming into play, so the question is where does this book lie?

Scott Lange has some of the worst luck. Being an ex con to take up the mantle of a less sorted hero with no job, no home, with a ex wife that hates him isn’t a fun time; Scott’s daughter, Cassy keeps him going. He tries going for security director for Tony Stark, barely getting the job but life intervenes and Lange has to set up shop in Miami. He establishes his own security business with ex super criminal Grisly, starting small and coming up against Taskmaster as well as Darren Cross, the villain who started Lange as Ant-man in the first place. Can Lange get his crap together before the superhero craziness ruins his life?

I’ve read this book twice and I admit I enjoyed it way more the second time around but some of what I dislike about modern Marvel comes out. First, there are some cool action scenes and the fight with Cross at the end is pretty cool. Grisly and Ant-man are a fun pair to follow and honestly, I’d read a series about them. The heartfelt stuff is well written and I like the variety of characters we get in this book. I don’t like how this book feels like it’s trying to imitate the humor and even design of Ant-man from the movie; the humor falls flat in a few places and Lange starts to feel like a dumbass instead of a likable screw up. Darren Cross in the comics is essentially a big pink sumo wrestler looking bastard and I kinda wished for his MCU counterpart. In the end it’s a fine book, but I wouldn’t go far out of my way for it. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

 

All New X-Men: Here To Stay (vol 2)

an xmen 2

Awhile back I covered the first volume of All New X Men, All New X- Men: Yesterday’s X Men as covering pieces of there story here and there. I loved seeing the original 5 kids in the limelight, who I feel deserved more respect and went into the backdrop in favor of more popular characters like Wolverine, Storm, and a few others. So how do the story of our young time displaced mutant heroes continue.

Things have been better for the young classic X Men: Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman, Beast and Angel. Cyclops, rebellious and distraught over the future betrayal against the X men, seeks to try setting things right- starting by running away with Logan’s motorcycle. Kitty Pryde tries to comfort Jean as she struggles with her blossoming telepathic abilities as well as trying to discipline the team. Angel, finds his future self, carefree wings a rebellious streak, metal wings, and new powers; Angel discovers his fate at the hands of Apocalypse and freaks out, getting mind swept by Jean in a dark move. If the growing turmoil wasn’t problem enough, Mystique is going on a rampage with Mastermind and Future Cyclops announces a new school for mutants, preparing them for the revolution to come. Is this too much to handle for our disjointed heroes?

I have some mixed feelings on this book but for the most part I enjoyed it. My favorite part was Angel’s part, seeing him fighting alongside Archangel and seeing the trauma he suffers about his fate. Jean Grey also has a really cool arc where you see a darker side of her as she starts using her telepathic capabilities recklessly. The only arc I wasn’t that into was young Cyclops’s; more than a few times I thought he was becoming a brat rather than a sympathetic character. He had the biggest arc which made the beginning seem to crawl a bit but thankfully the cliffhanger ending saved it. The art is solid and the writing is pretty good, making me laugh and keeping me connected. In the end, it’s a solid read if you want to follow the All New X Men series. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Emperor Quill

gotg emp quill  The Guardians of the Galaxy have reformed after losing Star Lord to his new responsibility as the new leader of Spartax and Gamora falling out with Quill. Kitty Pryde, once Shadowcat of the X men and fiance to Quill, has taken his mantle of Star-Lord while Rocket Raccoon takes position as leader of Drax, Groot, Agent Venom and the Thing formerly of the Fantastic Four. Bored as hell of formal leadership, Quill can’t stand his new job until a viscous attack finds his way to Spartax and he’s forced to reunite with Gamora to face Hala, a vengeful Kree accuser who wants to destroy both Spartax and Earth in exchange for the Guardians failing to save the Kree homeworld. If that wasn’t enough, Yotat- the Destroyer of Destroyers has tracked them to Spartax with a grudge he has against Drax. Is it just the Guardians’s signature bad luck or is there someone else behind the scenes?

While I love the Fantastic 4 and I’m still not entirely sure why Kitty decided to call herself Star-Lord, this book is pretty entertaining. The Thing is a unexpectedly welcome addition to the team and fits right in and Kitty does add a unique dynamic as well. Quill has a good story arc and Hala puts up a epic fight, along with some fan service I appreciated. The artwork is well done and the writing is easy to follow and enjoyable. While it’s the first volume of a new story arc, it stands well on its own. The only issue I can see is the length which is short and sweet but may not be worth the expensive cost you will likely be faced with (because Marvel/ Disney) so I recommend definitely reading it just try to get a good price. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Batman: I Am Bane (DC Rebirth vol 3.)

batman rb v3

Batman is my favorite DC hero of all time and quite possibly my favorite superhero of all time because dammit he was the first I was introduced to and as much as I love Mr. J, I’m sick of almost every classic bat story involving if not totally revolving around him. Bane stands alongside Joker, Ras Al Ghul, and the Court of Owls as some of Batman’s greatest threats so what happens when he goes on a full fledged vendetta?

Batman has seen hope to win his war against crime through Gotham and Gotham Girl; he has amassed a family of allies and has harbored a love for Selina Kyle, Catwoman. Bane, the only enemy to have truly broken him, is on the warpath. Bruce warns his charges to go away, only to find surrogates hung in the Batcave in there costumes. Batman lures the brute into Arkham Asylum, arming some of his most dangerous foes to slow the behemoth down. Will Bane finally break the bat once and for all?

So, warning right now, I recommend reading the first 2 books in Rebirth before this (I Am Gotham and I Am Suicide) because I was pretty lost. Weirdly, Batman: The War of Jokes and Riddles( DC Rebirth) was way easier to follow and is the next book in the series. I love Bane who is a violent wrecking machine the whole book and kept me glued; while having issues with Batman here and there, I do love the comparisons done between the 2’s upbringing. There are other stories here as well including a prelude to Jokes and Riddles, a mini tale of Bruce warming up to a abused dog, and a little adventure of Bats and Swamp Thing tracking down the killer of Swampy’s father. The artwork is well done and truly grisly and badass at times. While Tom King isn’t my favorite writer, I can appreciate the effort made. In the end, its a solid book but I absolutely don’t starting with it, instead hitting the first 2 books beforehand. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Aquaman: The Trench (New 52, vol.1)

new 52 aquaman

Before the Aquaman movie, my friend Autobot had me read a Aquaman comic, the first book of DC’s New 52. Like many, I saw Arthur Curry as a joke amongst a solid roster of heroes and demigods. Little did I know, there was a lot more to Aquaman than meets the eye.

Aquaman is the definition of a short-change hero; the surface mocks him despite his incredible powers and the people of Atlantis mostly revile him for his half human heritage. Even aligning himself with the likes of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman in the Justice League, no one takes him seriously. But in Amnesty Bay, a threat is looming from the darkest part of the sea where even the king of the sea fears to tread. Ancient monstrous Atlanteans that dwell in the trenches leave in search of dwindling food and it’s up to Arthur and Mera to push them back alone.

While Aquaman (new 52, volume 5) sea of storms  and the few books that followed were good, this is the best I’ve seen from the New 52 line of Aquaman. The story is great and action packed, juggling mythos, horror, and a cool meta nature about the old reincarnations of the character. Aquaman is a complex hero and Mera is a epic badass. Geoff Johns, one of DC’s most talented writers gives Aquaman a hell of a new beginning. The artwork is beautiful and colorful. In the end, this book is pretty much everything I love about the characters of Aquaman and Mera and I highly recommend it if you thought Aquaman just talked to fish. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Original Sin

gotg og sin

The Guardians of the Galaxy, the cosmos greatest gang of misfits, have been countless adventures as well as ups and downs. During the The Thanos Imperative they beat the Mad Titan Thanos and sealed the Cancerverse at the cost of losing Star-Lord, Drax, and Nova. Drax returned from the dead and miraculously Star-Lord and Thanos found there way out of the Cancerverse, but not Nova. After Guardians of the Galaxy: Guardians Disassembled  Gamora corners Star-Lord for answers, recounting the horrors of the dimension where death is extinguished as the three heroes clashed against Thanos and the unstoppable Revengers for the Cosmic Cube and the hope for escape. Meanwhile, Flash Thompson has lost control of Venom as the Symbiote is loose on the ship, taking them to there homeworld as Captain Marvel delivers news of there next big problem: the new Spartax election.

This book is a prime example of why I love the Guardians. Quill’s recount of the Cancerverse is pretty harrowing there is a heavy emotional weight to it, while Venom’s story is comical and has some cool lore in it; between the 2 stories there is some cool action throughout. The book, unlike Imperative, flows nicely and feels like a nice easy read for it. I’d definitely pick it up, especially after reading Thanos Imperative and a few stories before it. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

 

30 Days of Night: Bloodsucker Tales (Dead Billy Dead)

30 days 4

With vampires going back towards there former glory and away from the Twilight school of thought and Morbius getting his own movie, I wanted to dive deeper into the 30 Days of Night series, starting with this side story away from the original trilogy ( 30 days of night , 30 Days of Night: Dark Days , and 30 Days of Night: Return to Barrow )

Billy is a asshole, a low life and a burden to the people he loved. One night he gets into a brawl with a psycho who bites him and the madness begins. Billy seemingly can’t die as he is mistakenly shot by a cop but the new powers developing seem connected to vampires. Desperate, he seeks help from his ex girlfriend while fleeing the cops and seeking help from a power hungry Dr Saxton, who has sick plans for Billy. Is there redemption for the creep after becoming a monster?

While nothing spectacular or groundbreaking, this is a solid vampire story. While reading it, I felt more than tad of influence from the Morbius comics only full R rated. Billy isn’t a bad character to follow but I have to admit Saxton was a more interesting villain and a pretty sick one at that. The art is pretty common to the series, blurry and bloody, so however you felt about the others is pretty much how you’ll feel about this. In the end it’s a pretty solid book but not really special. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Ultimate X-men/ Ultimate Fantastic 4

Ult x f4

What would bring a huge misunderstanding between the mutant peacekeepers and the first family of Marvel? Cerebro, Professor X’s device that amplifies his telepathic abilities across the globe, has been stolen while the most of the team deals with a crisis far away. Wolverine tracks Cerebro down to the home of the Fantastic Four; accompanied by Ice Man and Kitty Pryde they attempt to infiltrate the Four’s new HQ, being registered as intruders by the Four. Wolverine battles Mr Fantastic and the Thing while Ice Man battles the Human Torch as the ladies of the group bump into each other and the fighting seizes, but the question is who is responsible?

While not a bad quick read, there were some serious missed opportunities. While seeing The Thing and Wolverine was cool as hell and Ice Man vs Torch was sweet, the fights could’ve been longer and I wish there were more X Men. The end of the book is a bit anticlimactic but it’s a nice little crossover with some nice interactions between characters that’s meh overall. May the gaming gods bring you glory.