Category: Comic review

Spider-man: Matters of Life and Death

spidey life and death

Spider-man is one of the most pure hearted superheroes of all time, but has also suffered some of the most too. This book deals with yet another loss for Peter Parker as well as his drive not to kill…

Things were starting to look up for Peter Parker at last. He had a good job where he could use his scientific genius, he found a new girl and still best friends with MJ, and Aunt May was happy with her new husband and daughter in law, even if her son in law was Peter’s ex boss/ mayor of New York, J. Jonah Jameson. Jameson’s sins rear there ugly head when a group of scorned villains try to sabotage his son John’s big space mission, led by Scorpion and Alistair Smythe. Spider-man puts up a hell of a fight but Jonah’s wife Marla gets caught in the crossfire and dies in his arms. Once again Peter is wrought with guilt, not just over the guilt but the feeling that he’s too soft on the villains he fights and if he killed, some people would still be alive. When a psycho named Massacre starts committing his namesake, Spider-man’s morals are put to the test…

This book is a good addition to any Spider-man fan’s collection. Besides the main story, we also get some stories from Agent Venom, The Fantastic Four, and Power Man which was really cool. The writing and art are really well done and the story I liked a lot, reminding me why I love Spider-man so much, being a perfect blend of pathos, action, and humor. There are a good amount of villains, both well known and lesser known. The only complaint I have is the last story feels tacked on and doesn’t fit so feel with the overlying theme but was a nice decent short. In the end, it’s a good book for any Spidey fan and I’d recommend it. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Aliens: Dust to Dust

aliens dust

In Alien 3 we learned the Xenomorph can adapt based on it’s hosts traits, giving us a dog/ ox alien in 3; Dust to Dust gives gives us a surprising take on the Xenomorph’s ability to change from there hosts.

Maxon is a  twelve year old kid living with his mom on a Terra-forming colony. One night he has a terrible nightmare, and wakes up to a dead animal on the floor and his mother is alarmed. He dreamed it was wrapped around her face. His mother isn’t so worried about that because outside the colony is under attack from a massive infestation of aliens. Without guns, just the bare supplies they can grab, they flee for an struggling, nearly full escape shuttle and barely manage to leave the area. When things seem to be going alright, Max’s mother’s chest explodes with an alien. The chest-burster kills one of the passengers but they seemingly kill it by destroying the ship around it. Now trapped in the sands during a violent sandstorm trying to reach an outpost to escape while being haunted by a one armed alien obsessed with Max…

Dust to Dust is a good ole fashioned survival horror story. I like that Max, a kid is the main character which adds some vulnerability. There are plenty of aliens, including a brief encounter with a Queen at the end, but I like Max’s connection to the one armed alien. The art is really good but sometimes the abundance of darkness makes some of the action scenes hard to track. The story is one of the better I’ve read in Aliens comics with some decent characters. If you are a Alien or horror fan, this is a cool comic to pick up. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

 

 

Harley Quinn SDCC trailer

It’s no real new the DC streaming service ain’t doing so great, after the fast cancellation of Swamp Thing and the only Titans getting green lite for a second season, despite meh ratings at best. I must admit, I dig the bright, colorful, and pretty adult-rated Harley cartoon. I can’t say it looks great but it sure looks promising. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

SDCC Flash season 6 trailer

As with the CW DC universe, I’m pretty out of touch but I did love Flash, season 1 and always meant to catch up (ha ha Flash pun). Away, Flash season 6 has the Scarlet Speedster and crew facing off against Bloodwork who seems to have bone to pick with the crew. The only thing I’m not that thrilled with is how super bright Barry’s costume is to me; I know it’s traditional but I liked the darker red better myself. My the gaming gods bring you glory.

SDCC Arrow season 8 preview

Next year Arrow concludes after 8 seasons and the story of Oliver Queen and Green Arrow is coming to an end. While the show has had it’s fair share of ups and downs, it did launch the CW’s DC universe and that alone grants it a lot of credit. I’m wondering if Oliver will live to see a happy ending or he’ll meet his match at last. Time will tell next year. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

All New X- Men: Yesterday’s X Men

an xmen 1

Dealing with the past is hard enough, but how do you deal with the future? Being a mutant in the Marvel universe has never been easy, especially for the X-Men, but dealing with the dark future that awaits you is something else entirely.

After countless adventures and a battle against the Avengers, Cyclops, leader of the X-Men has given up the cause. Xavier’s school has divided, joining Cyclops in starting a new violent revolution with Magneto and Emma Frost. Professor X is dead and the X-men are in disarray under the guidance of Kitty Pryde, Storm, Iceman and a dying Beast. Beast in a last fit of desperation travels back in time to when the X-Men originated, with hopes the original team can reignite present Cyclops’s faith in there cause. At first he’s seen as an enemy, but his younger self, Professor X, and a young Jean discovering her new telepathic abilities verify his story. Professor X lets them go thinking it will be a quick mission, hoping what he discovers about there futures won’t come out, but it doesn’t stop Jean from finding there futures out. Can the original X-Men stop this new revolution and bring peace to the present?

Normally, I’m not a fan of time travel stories but this is one of my exceptions. Bendis, who wrote Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Avengers which lead to the crossover Guardians of the Galaxy/ All New X Men: The Trial of Jean Grey . I love the premise and I love the idea of the young X Men having to cope with there futures. The final battle at the end between past and present Cyclops was pretty cool. It’s honestly a cool series for those who enjoyed the movies and I recommend it. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

 

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Avengers

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A huge complaint I hear from many a nerd about comic books is the age old question: where to begin? With multiple story arcs, renditions, and multiverses it becomes pretty hard for new fans to pick up. I admit, I wasn’t a fan of the Guardians, let alone knew who the hell they were until I read this, a year before Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)came out in theaters. My world was rocked…

The book starts with a quick origin of Peter Quill aka Star-Lord and how his mother was assassinated by aliens that were hunting him down because of his absent, royal father J-son. Years later, Quill has grown to be a hero, scoundrel, and leader of the famous and infamous Guardians of the Galaxy. One day while trying to get in a alien babe’s pants, his father approaches him after years of fighting against him with a warning- stay away from Earth. J-son, along with a secret galactic coalition consisting of the All-mother of Asgard, the Brood, The Badoon, and the Gladiator who all deem the heroes and mutants of Earth have become a threat to the universe at large and have quarantined the planet. The Guardians jump in to piss off there old foe, but do there plans ever go as planned, even when helped by the one and only invincible Iron Man?

For newcomers to comics in general, I can definitely recommend this book. It’s a great introduction to Star-Lord, Gamora,  Drax the Destroyer, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot as well as cool cameo by Iron Man. The characters are fun and there are some cool big scale fights. I like the contrast of Quills and J-son is a fair villain to start. It’s the first volume of a great run, part of which is Guardians of the Galaxy/ All New X Men: The Trial of Jean Grey  which is partially why I’m reviewing it now with Dark Phoenix in theaters but I do recommend it. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Batman: Hush trailer 1

When I heard that Hush was going to be the next DC animated movie, I was pretty excited. Originally I was under the understanding it was going to be R rated and at first I was bummed. Regardless the animation and voice acting looks solid and I think it would be a cool, though my main fear is it being watered down. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

HBO Watchmen teaser

When I heard HBO was rebooting the Watchmen, one of the most important graphic novel stories ever, I was pretty intrigued. While I had no issue with the movie and actually thought it improved some things, I was curious what could be done. The first teaser looks interesting and the dark tone is there. I’m curious if this is meant to be before or after the events of Watchmen, considering the cult of people wearing Rorschach’s mask, I’m leaning towards after. I am curious what they’ll come up with. May the gaming gods bring you glory.