First off let me start of with a shout out and thanks to my LCS ( local comicbook shop/store ) Pulp Fiction in Long Beach. I have my pull list at this store and each week I run and get my weekly reads and out the store within 5 mins. Always pleasant. This month only for subscription members they have been giving out free copies of DCnU issue #1 with every issue #1 that is on your pull list. So even though I don't read Superman/Action and Batwoman I will review these as well. Thanks again to Pulp Fiction.
SUICIDE SQUAD 1:
We open up with Deadshot being severely tortured by a man under a potato sack. Page pans out and we see that more members of the squad are in the room on separate tables. While being tortured, Deadshot thinks back to a hit that went wrong as Batman interrupted the hit. He says to himself that was his first failure as a hit man. Next we see El Diablo on another table literally having salt poured onto wounds. He thinks back to an incident with him going into a house to punish some drug runners but find out while killing them he killed innocent babies. The devil with a conscience? Harley Quinn is up next and she remembers the good old days of being with the Joker and being heartbroken of being separated from him. King Shark is off to the side and the captors inquire to see if he is dead as there is no movement. Bad decision as one of them gets too close and loses a limb. Lastly we see Savant and it appears he is about to break as he starts with a back story of the Squad. He talks about how the Squad came to be and went on their first mission together to retrieve a rogue agent hiding out in the woods. The swarm the cabin and kill what they think is their target but upon closer review they realize that it is a robot of the target. They tried to exit the cabin but the robot explodes and the next thing they know they are here being tortured. Savant then asks to be released. The captors due that by killing him. Hours later the remaining members are awakened and asked for a final time who sent them. After each refuse it is then revealed that all this was a test and out of 37 only 6 didn't crack and they are now officially the Suicide Squad which is head by Amanda Waller. Their first mission is to kill 60,000 people in a sports arena.
Rating : 2.5/5 - Nothing much of substance in the issue as it is totally a set up for the series. Seeing as I always liked villain comics I will give this series at least 6 issues and go from there. Art is choppy at times so that needs to improve. I remain optimistic that this series will be good.
ACTION COMICS 1 :
As solicited this all happens 5 years in the past. We are introduced to Superman as he is interrogating a "business man" in his penthouse. He trys to get him to give a full confession to his unlawful deeds while standing over the edge. The local police barge in on the scene and tell Superman to put the guy down while he continues to defy Superman. After a little drop from the ledge he gets what he came for and Superman leaves the scene while the police try to detain him. Some underground group is seen tracking Superman and notes how he has grown faster, stronger since first appearing within the city. The group controls a demolition ball to destroy a run down building with people in it which draws Superman's attention. As he saves them tanks converge to the area to fire upon Superman. Obviously all a plan to bring him down. The group of people that Superman saved though stand up for them and block the tanks which allows just enough time for him to escape. He flys to his residence and changes into civilian alias Clark Kent. After some chit chat with the landlady and rent past due he calls his buddy Jimmy Olsen who happens to be with Lois Lane. They are on a bullet train that is has been rigged to blow and Superman races to stop that from happening. He gets in front of it and manages to stop it but at a cost as he is now pinned to the offices of the Daily Planet.
Rating : 2/5 - Never been a Superman fan ( Batman is my cup of tea ) so going in this did not hold my interest and the issues held ups it's side. I find the Superman in JL more entertaining than this and though I know this is an "origin" story don't we all know what that is and how he became to be? This is just a re introducing to the world. A fast paced issue with no lagging but nothing of interest or at least not for this reader. So for the Superman enthusiast it would be good but for me it was just meh.
BATWOMAN 1 :
Book opens up with a couple at a police station talking to Detective Swayer on an incident that happened where their three young children where taken from them by some "ghostly" entities. The couple states that Batwoman has promised to find them and return to them but the detective says she can't make the same promise but she does promise to never stop looking for them. As they leave the detective runs into Kate Kane and they flirt back and forth and say they will meet later in the evening. Obviously just some playing the game as they both reconvene at Kate's house and they both change as it is revealed that Kate is Batwoman. We are taken to a building where there is this skull faced figure that is talking to an Agent Chase and informs her that she has a new assignment to track down Batwoman. Now we see the police at a lake fishing out a 13 year old child that went missing. Commissioner Gordon is also there and is informed that people have taken to calling the killer/kidnapper The Weeping Woman. As Batwoman and Detective Sawyer go back to the house after a night's out of crime fighting Kate's father walks in. They discuss how her twin sister is dead and how her father didn't help out in trying to rescue her. She walks out and next we see her back at the lake where the dead child was found. As she is looking for clues Batman walks up and says he has a proposition for her.
Rating : 2.5/5 - I like that there is "different" feel to this "Bat" book than the rest of the family. I don't know much about Batwoman but this has me intrigued to where it will lead to. Having Batman involved doesn't hurt but they can't use that crutch forever. The art is the Vertigo style which is good for the tone of the book. This is a series to keep your eye on.
FEAR ITSELF 6 :
We have reached the second to last issue of this mini-series.and it opens up where we left off with Thor being carried out of the battle zone after his fight with the powered up Hulk. The make there way to Asgard where Thor says Odin can heal him and they can continue to fight. Cap and his men make it to Asgard and demand that Odin fixes Thor to which Odin is none too pleased with Cap's tone and teleports them away as he takes Thor back to his chambers. We go to Spider-Man out looking for Aunt May and he finally finds her while she is being evacuated from the city. Back to Asgard and we see Odin and Thor talking about how grim things have become. Thor says he must do what his dad can't do and that is to kill the Serpent. Though still injured he is outfitted with new body armor and instead of his traditional hammer he is given the Odinsword. They go and see Tony Stark as he has been building weapons for the upcoming battle and states he is ready. He jumps into a pool to be transformed into a weapon ( seen in previews ). We go back to Earth as we see Cap picking up a gun and manning the front line. The Serpent arrives and final battle is about to begin.
Rating : 3/5 - Overall not a bad issue but not much action. A lot of talking and not much else. I would like to see a more even balance but at least the story moved forward unlike a couple of issues ago. I expect balls to the wall in the next issue. Cap is being pushed to the extremes and Gods and Man are forced to worked together. What possibly could go wrong?
NEW AVENGERS 16 :
Well we are back again for the "interview" type of issue which compare to the last Secret Avenger issue (see past review) is a way better alternative. The team is discussing what is an "Avenger" and what it takes. Each with a negative point on their own record to prove anybody can earn that title. They are all talking about Daredevil and how on the surface he doesn't fit the profile. We now see (obviously the past) Daredevil fighting more of the Serpent's armed forces. Battle rages on with Daredevil even taking up guns. In the distance he notices Avengers Tower going down and knows he has to go there as there are no Avengers in the area. Now we shift to Avengers Mansion where it was under attacked last issue with Squirrel girl babysitting Luke and Jessica's baby. Daredevil leads them to an underground bunker. We fast forward three weeks and we see Daredevil taking an offer from Luke Cage to join the Avengers.
Rating 3/5 - I like these interview type of issues but I know this is now the last one. Good action in between the dialogue. Daredevil doesn't really fit the Avengers mold but that is the whole reason for the story and I am open to seeing how Bendis (writer) takes this further. Art is above average as usual. This and the main Avengers book are still a step above Secret Avengers and both are good reads.
UNCANNY X-FORCE 15 :
Opens up with Archangel and his cronies still at ground zero of the total devastation of the town they blew up last issue. Dark Beast plants "The World" that Fantomex was protecting in the center of the town. It is explained that this is where it all starts. Within "The World" they will open it up our world and integrated it and they will pick a time of there choosing to start anew for everybody. They watch as 130 million years of evolution happens within 24 hours our time. As this is happening Psylocke is trying to escape her captors and try to stop what Archangel is doing. Fantomex and Deadpool make it to ground zero but instead of seeing destruction of a town they see a jungle that is growing. Archangel confronts them a battle ensues with Fantomex actually hurting him with a sentient bullet to the head. Genocide comes to Archangel's side while Fanotmex makes his escape to meet up with Deadpool. Archangel meets up with Dark Beast in San Francisco which is being monitored by a Celestial which has summoned them to discuss matters. Archangel must chose a guardian and successor to him and states it is a simple choice as the last panel is focused back on Psylocke.
Rating : 3.5/5 - Still the best X book out there in my opinion. Issue moves briskly and advances the story at a great pace. The compliments the story. Even though the story is now 5 issues long it has been a good read throughout.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 669 :
Story starts off where we left off with Peter and Carlie breaking into a Jackal hideout and being attacked by super powered villains that were waiting for them. Carlie takes one on the chin and Peter reacts by taking the whole crew out in a quick minute. They are being watched by Jackal via remote camera in an unknown place. Jackal again is seen talking to an unnamed woman who now referred to her as "us". We are taken around the city in various areas with the Avengers handling some powered up civilians and Mary Jane watching in awe of everybody swinging around. We see J.J. being informed by Reed Richards that the virus is now airborne and bound to affect everyone. Anti-Venom is out "healing" people by taking away their powers which is not going over well with said people. Madame is being consumed by all the "spider" activity around the city. Carlie meets up with Spider-Man to discuss the Jackal situation and is miffed that Peter is not around. She asks if she matches teeth marks on Spidey's sandwich he is eating if they would match with Peter's? She is starting to put two plus plus together. They swing away to investigate an area when they are confronted by a now six armed Shocker. He reveals that he is trying to get help to change back to what he was. He doesn't want the Spidey powers. We pan back to Carlie and see her mutate into more of a spider as her face has been transformed. Last page we see Jackal kneeling before his master, Spider-Queen.
Rating : 3/5 - Good overall issue though not a lot of movement in story. Art is good as always but with the big reveal at the end I think things will pick up next month. Mary Jane not having her powers yet is interesting as through previews we know she acquires them. Are they dormant or just not acquired yet?
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