ComicList Reviews

Batman and Robin #2 REVIEW

2009-07-05T20:10:33Z

Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Batman & Robin #2
DC Comics
Morrison & Quitely

The second issue of Batman and Robin manages to accomplish an awful lot in an effortless fashion. What the comic provides is something so simple that it seems obvious and yet it couldn't have been executed any better. The comic is essentially about Dick Grayson and Damien Wayne not living up to their new jobs, physically or mentally. The comic frames everything around a couple of new villains and the hint of a larger plot but the main story just uses these developments to put the new Batman and Robin in a very compromising position early on in their relationship and new roles. It's simply a terrific comic.

There are three comparisons to this story arc that might come to mind when reading this new series. First, Knightfall, Dick Grayson's first crack at becoming Batman, second, Batman and Son, Damien's arrival on the scene and RIP, Bruce Wayne's final adventure as Batman (for now).

Thus far, this comic does something very different than all three of those stories with these characters and style. With Knightfall, Dick doesn't struggle with being Batman, he struggles with the mental anguish of having to deal with scum night after night without an end. With Batman and Son, Damien is an arrogant gnat who seems to want to agitate and couldn't care less about the "job" at hand. Finally, with RIP, the general story is layered with red herrings and mystery that it just wasn't possible to read it once and "get" everything in a straightforward manner.

In this comic, Batman and Robin show at the police headquarters to talk to Gordon when a jailbreak begins to take place in the holding cells. Batman and Robin spring into action and completely fail. Gordon even has to draw his gun to restrain Robin from beating a villain to death. In the process another villain sneaks in and kills a suspect. In the fallout of all of this Dick is filling with complete doubt about his ability and he is all too aware that those around him know he is faking the role of Batman. He's essentially lost his audience before ever getting started.

The development with Dick is tremendous. The comic just tells a plain old story about Dick and everything not going well in his role as Batman. This is ground that Knightfall never really covered. Dick is a capable crime fighter and good detective, but it's the cops, Gordon and Robin that see him as a shallow replacement and his confidence is completely shaken as a result. This is where the role of Alfred is crucial and is used perfectly here. Alfred provides a pep talk and gives Dick a way to continue on as Batman without simply hoping people embrace him. Alfred also reminds Dick of just why he needs to continue even though Damien clearly has given up with working with Dick.

The comic digs so deep into the reasons why a Batman is needed and why Dick is the one who is best suited for the role. However, the comic is at its best because it so clearly illustrates how the surrounding characters drop their trust in him page to page. To read this issue you could easily see Dick completely giving up the mantle quickly. On the other hand you'd have to wonder if he this is the beginning of his turnaround and everything might start clicking in short order.

The art in the comic has a quality that is so timeless. To look at some panels you'd swear it was right out of the 1960s TV show, but on the other hand you see some other panels where it looks like a futuristic story. The art also takes its character creation to another level when Batman is fighting the man that appears be to three men connected to the same torso. You have to see it to believe it.

This issue is a great one. If you have any interest in Dick Grayson or Batman then this comic manages to break both down to their very foundations. In the process the comic has some interesting villains and manages to add more depth to the character of Damien. He's not just an arrogant, spoiled brat. He has intentions and ambition, just as the other Robins had before him. This is a must read.

5 out of 5 geek goggles

Original post blogged on ComicList.

Chew #2 REVIEW

2009-07-05T19:03:01Z

Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Chew #2
Image Comics
Layman & Guillory

The second installment of Chew tops the first issue and Tony barely even has to unveil his “power”. The comic proves immediately it can stand on its own feet without the gimmick because it has strong characters and excellent dialogue. The comic has laugh out loud moments and has some great introductions to some new characters. This is a series worth paying attention to.

Tony’s first day on the job at the FDA has him meet his boss, Mike Applebee. Mike is a tough guy and is real hard on Tony. You might think this is clichéd and a tired concept. Perhaps it is but this character has charisma through his dialogue and is a perfect fit for this comic. That, and Applebee orders Tony to take a bite from a finger found in a fast food restaurant so he can use his cibopathic powers on it. Through this interaction we also find out that Agent Savoy is a cibopath. This opening scene manages to make Savoy a much deeper and a slightly more mysterious character.

The comic gets better as Tony heads to the fast food restaurant to do some investigating of the teenaged workers that were present for the finger found in the food. This scene is brilliant because it captures the paranoia and defiance that a teenager might have and then it quickly switches over to the other side which is that teenagers tend to be spineless in the face of real resistance. It’s a hysterical interrogation and it seems to ring so true in more than a couple of ways. This sequence makes you understand why and how Tony might have been a good cop prior to entering the FDA.

The comic ends with a raid of sorts that ends up taking a wrong turn. Here we get even more complexity with Agent Savoy as he quickly becomes of the most intriguing and important characters in this comic. I could see him becoming a Snake Eyes or Wolverine type of a character before you know it.

The comic relies on its great writing instead of an overly complicated plot or the power of cibopaths. I was fearful that biting flesh and chasing chicken speakeasies would grow old but it won’t if this comic continues to role out terrific characters with personalities and dialogue that all clicks together perfectly.

The artwork is outstanding. There are so many panels to point to that show off some level reality while presenting the story in a dark and humorous manner. You need to look no further than the opening page when the kid goes to paste a ball of snot on the burger but finds the finger. I also loved the scene where Tony’s desk sits across the panel separation bar while the character Tony is speaking to switches sides of the desk from panel to panel. It’s just such a fresh view of a story I can’t help but be very impressed with the art.

Chew was strong out of the gate but delivers a fantastic second issue. I recommend this story because it is telling an interesting story with cool characters and a neat little gimmick to help keep things out of the realm of totally normal. This comic gets the highest possible recommendation. Good luck finding the first issue if you missed it.

5 out of 5 geek goggles

Original post blogged on ComicList.

Captain America Reborn #1 REVIEW

2009-07-05T11:55:05Z

Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Captain America Reborn #1 of 5
Marvel Comics
Brubaker, Hitch & Guice

The return of Steve Rogers is upon us. This comic has one major thing going for it that makes jump from an average comic to a very good comic. The idea behind how Steve Rogers will be saved is different and unexpected and definitely a refreshing look at returning from the dead. The story content of the comic is very typical for an opening issue of a mini series overall. There is some task that’s executed to get all the main players introduced and set up the gravity of the situation. It’s a good comic but it is not a true indication of how well the whole series will actually be. We’ll have to see how the return from the dead actually plays out.

Comic heroes seem to return from the dead by reuniting their soul with their bodies, like Green Arrow or Green Lantern. Or the hero wasn’t really dead to begin with, they were just in a deep stasis, like Superman or Captain America in the 1940s. When Rogers was launched into the ocean after he died a couple of years ago I assumed he would just get frozen and then found and revived at some point. This is not the case. Instead, Steve Rogers appears to have been body switched and sent to another time and place.

I understand there is some level of uproar because this was apparently done in the TV show Lost. However, I don’t watch Lost and can claim to find this idea unique to the super hero world. I simply didn’t expect this type of execution when dealing with the return of Steve Rogers. If it was lifted from Lost then it lucky out with me because I wouldn’t have been the wiser.

However, it isn’t just that Rogers was never really killed, just kidnapped, but that the Red Skull had further plans for him. We still don’t know the full extent of what the Red Skull had in mind for Steve Rogers but its clear his plot involvement is far from over. When you can run a villain’s involvement for some fifty issues in a comic series you clearly understand how to write a great comic book story, which is the case here.

The comic itself really just has Bucky and some of the other members of the supporting cast searching for pieces of the Red Skull gadgets that were used on Sharon when she was captured and tortured by the Red Skull. It pits Bucky and company against the Dark Avengers and adds a new obstacle to knock over: Norman Osborn. The story really is fairly basic and serves to introduce everyone.

The artwork is good but you could make a case that it seems unpolished and that this is a result of rushed work. Its impossible to say whether or not the comic was racing to meet a deadline and that the art suffered but I can say that the art holds much of the dark feel that we’ve seen in virtually the entire run of this series. I personally like the art style but it is not the usual super hero fluff and that might not sit well for the event seekers out there.

The story definitely steps up an interesting return, if indeed it is as straight forward as it seems in this issue. The intriguing thing about the set up isn’t just that Bucky has two layers of villains to fight through, but also that Steve Rogers may be in a space and time that he doesn’t want to leave. Maybe he has no interest in returning to a world where he battles Tony Stark or one where HAMMER is run by Osborn. We’ll see as the series unfolds more and more.

4 out of 5 geek goggles

Original post blogged on ComicList.

The Punisher A Man Named Frank REVIEW

2009-07-04T17:48:22Z

Suspended Animation Review

The Punisher: A Man Named Frank, published by Marvel Comics in 1994, 48 pages, cover price $6.95.

Classic westerns are one of my favorite indulgences. Well-defined heroes and villains, as well as clear lines of right and wrong, black and white. That’s “classic”, in my book. That’s also an apt description of The Punisher: A Man Named Frank, from Marvel Comics.

The story isn’t much different from the modern-day origin of this hard-edged scourge of crime. A man loses his wife and children to outlaws and seeks revenge afterward. And, even though the reader is left with the assumption that his war on crime continues at tale’s end, perhaps the fact that we only see the guilty parties reap the whirlwind is why this Frank Castle seems a more sympathetic figure than his 21st Century counterpart. And, despite the lengths he goes to avenge his family, there is never any question that Frank is the hero of the story. That sympathy, as well as the dastardly and despicable nature of those vile villains, is why praise for entertaining characterization has to be laid on the shoulders of writer Chuck Dixon, a long-time comics mainstay.

In comics, however, a good story isn’t worth much without pretty pictures with which to tell it. That’s where John Buscema comes in. What can one say about Buscema’s art work? Plenty! John is a legend in the biz, and for good reason. His penchant for strong heroes, thoroughly unpleasant villains and grand action are evident by his expert ability to illustrate them in awe-inspiring fashion. His work grabs the reader and doesn’t let go without a fight. Of particular interest is the unbounded suffering and determination etched in Castle’s face early on, as he struggles to survive a harrowing fate. Very nearly epic.

The Punisher: A Man Named Frank is recommended for those who enjoy westerns, or just an uncomplicated, straightforward action tale. Find it at comics shops, conventions or online retailers and auctions.

Review by Mark Allen

Original post blogged on ComicList.

Midwest Book Review June 2009

2009-07-04T17:48:16Z

Midwest Book Review

June 2009

The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no funds from authors or publishers.

Alice's Adventures In Wonderland: A Literature Through Art Novel
Lewis Carroll, author
Adapted and illustrated by Glenn Diddit
Davenport Creative Group, LLC
1441400850 $34.95 www.createspace.com

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is the full-color, graphic novel adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic, fantastic adventure of a young girl who follows a white rabbit and becomes lost in a topsy-turvy magical world. Faithful to the original novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland perfectly captures the sharp-edged wit and wisecracking of the original. Best of all, dialogue of the original novel is completely unabridged - readers can enjoy the full literary experience! A treasure for all ages, and a "must-have" for any collection featuring graphic novels adaptations of works that have stood the test of time. "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" is also available in a more inexpensive black-and-white version (9781441422897, $19.95).

Astro Boy Movie Prequel Underground #1
IDW Publishing
5080 Santa Fe Street, San Diego, CA 92109
MAR094306, $3.99, www.idwpublishing.com

One of the first Japanese animation superheroes, Astro Boy is basically an intelligent, self-aware robot in the form and shape of a young boy who fights to protect people from a wide assortment of villains. Now this anime character is coming to the big screen this summer. Paving the way for this much anticipated film by legions of Astro Boy fans, is a four-part comic book from IDW Publishing that will serve as a prequel to the forthcoming movie. The creation of writer/artist Osamu Tezuka, Astro Boy searches for his lost father (the scientist who made him) in an exotic underground kingdom. This four-part series is deftly written by Scott Tipton and superbly illustrated by Diego Jourdan with the first issue graced by the cover art of Ashely Wood. A 'must' for all dedicated Astro Boy fans, "Astro Boy: The Movie" will admirably serve to introduce a new generation of readers to one of the most popular and enduring of Japanese anime characters -- Astro Boy!

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no funds from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, internet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested individuals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.

The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "California Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwatch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview (dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugalmuse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publisher, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

Original post blogged on ComicList.

Graphic Content: Fables TPB Vol. 8: Wolves

2009-06-30T09:59:20Z

by Elisabeth@TFAW

I’m a little late with this week’s Graphic Content “book club” meeting, so let’s get right to it! We’re at Fables TPB Vol. 8: Wolves, which–I’m starting to sounds like a broken record–is my favorite Fables trade paperback so far! As usual: since this is a book club, we assume you’ve done the required reading, so SPOILERS ARE AHEAD!!!

Fables TPB Vol. 8: Wolves signals the triumphant return of Snow and Bigby from the backburner to a major story development: they reunite and get married! But let’s back up. The story starts with Mowgli combing through a frozen Russian fishing village, searching for Bigby, who left Fabletown and Snow when it turned out he would be separated from her and their cubs. Turns out their children don’t look quite human, so they were required to move to the Farm–the one place Bigby is not allowed. So after leading Mowgli on a fruitless chase, Bigby finally lets himself be discovered, in a remote cabin in Alaska. Where he is not alone. Hello! Turns out he’s been numbing the pain with booze and a hot chick named Sarah Tanaraq.

Meanwhile, it turns out that Snow has been busy playing mother and father–literally–as she has been sending her children presents from “Daddy” every holiday, taking family photos to “send” him, and answering their letters in his stead. The children are growing up quickly, and are hilarious as they struggle to maintain their human forms. Once they can do this for a month, they’ll be allowed into the Mundy world, but Aunt Rose isn’t making things easy for them, testing them at every turn!

So Mowgli convinces Bigby to come back with him, as Prince Charming has a job Bigby can’t refuse: travel up to the Cloud Kingdom and drop down into the Homelands to send the Adversary a very important message: don’t f$%& with Fabletown! To get his point across, Bigby blows up the Magic Grove and makes his getaway via giant beanstalk. Awesome. In return, he and Snow are awarded property adjacent to the Farm, where they can raise their family in peace. And in return for bringing back Bigby, Mowgli earns the freedom of his friend Bagheera. More awesome!

The extra story shows us a day in the life of Cinderella, special agent of F.A.B.L.E., as she tries to get the momentary king of the Cloud Kingdom to sign a treaty with Fabletown. Reading all the twists and turns and witnessing Cinderella’s ingenuity and plain, old-fashioned cussedness was delightful–I hope we see more of her in the future.

On to the questions:

Were you surprised that Bigby as shacking up with another woman?

EF: I was surprised, just because we never saw him with women before Snow, so I kind of thought he didn’t bother with that unless he was really in love. However, the rebound fling is a classic, and I guess no one is immune. At the end of Sarah’s part of the tale I wondered if they were setting her up for another story–it would be interesting if she pops up again in the future.

What did you think of Snow’s decision to pretend that Bigby was writing letters and sending presents to the children?

EF: My respect for Snow grew by leaps and bounds–especially when she presented all of her careful documentation to Bigby and demanded that he memorize it before meeting the children. I understand why Bigby felt he had to leave, but he put Snow in a tough position. That she handled it with grace, charity, and the best interests of her children–and Bigby–showed what a wonderful mother she is.

Do you think Snow and Bigby will live “happily ever after”?

EF: It was heartening that Colin showed up near the beginning to tell Snow that things were about to get better for her, but Snow and Bigby aren’t the prince and princess of a fairytale–they’re not supposed to be. I’m interested to see them adjusting to married life, living together, and raising their children. After all, Snow is used to being in charge–or as much as she can be with those hooligans!

Do you think the Adversary will retaliate against Fabletown for destroying his Magic Grove?

EF: I was really surprised by how easy it was for Bigby to drop down there, get to the Adversary, cause mass destruction, and get out. Is it because the Adversary has been unchallenged for so long, he’s gone soft? Or is it that he’s no match for modern technology? Something didn’t quite sit right there. If anything, I’m worried that the more he knows about modern technology, the more he’ll try to use it against Fabletown. And we know he has spies there!

Join the conversation! Post a comment below, and we’ll email you a $5 gift certificate! And make sure to meet back here this Friday for Fables TPB Vol. 9: Sons of Empire.

Original post blogged on ComicList.

Wolverine Weapon X #3 REVIEW

2009-06-29T16:57:00Z

Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Wolverine Weapon X #3
Marvel Comics
Aaron, Garney & Keith

Wolverine, at the conclusion of the previous issue, was hunted in the jungle by twelve assassins made exactly like him. You’d expect a bloody issue with a lot of fighting and popping claws and snarky dialogue. Well, you’d be wrong. Instead, this issue shows off how Wolverine uses his brain a little bit and how the new army of assassins has leadership that knows how to work the political circuit. This goes on while a nosey reporter is on the verge of uncovering this whole mess. It’s a very good issue that relies on great writing instead of a ton of fighting.

The issue opens with five pages or so of Wolverine hunting the assassins. However, rather than cutting them to pieces, we have a narration of how Wolverine began picking them off from the assassin’s perspective. This is great because it takes some level of imagination to not be shown something but to hear about it from the antagonist’s point of view. It’s a very nice relief from the usual way Wolverine handles situations in these types of stories.

From here we see how one of the assassins is hit with cancer bullet and how he is eroding before the very eyes of the medical staff back at the henchmen’s hangout. Wolverine has himself a captive who he’s been torturing. In the end, Wolverine lets him go, but not without a tracking device planted firmly on him.

The remaining elements of the comic deal with the company that makes the assassins called Blackguard. Blackguard has a sellout who is giving up secrets to the press. This causes some problems for the leak and for the reporter. Also, the leader of Blackguard finds himself trying to convince the government that everything is going smoothly as the cover up seems to be working in overdrive for now.

The comic is very good. The story uses such simple story elements like the media, manipulating Congress during hearings and a little nighttime jungle hunting. Yet, the comic works really well because the writing is so simple and strong. Wolverine isn’t really the chief character in the comic. In fact, I’d say the Blackguard fellows and the reporter all get pretty much even face time in the comic. This helps to keep the comic moving quickly and interesting while making Wolverine’s dialogue pop out a little more when he is on page.

The art is great. I enjoy the buttery-faced reporter and the ugliness of Wolverine and the assassins. It’s a fun comic to just look through at the art. Sure it would have been interesting to see the comic have twenty-two pages of action from an art perspective, but the comic did much more than just fine with the dramatic moments.

The new Wolverine series further proves that Wolverine stories can be consistent with ideas that just make plain sense. He’s tracking a group of assassins that were created with the blueprints that made him. The company is corrupt and the government is getting dragged into this, but a smart reporter is breaking the story. It’s so easy you want to say “duh!” and yet it seems so rare that we get this type of story from the character. The comic has a lot of creativity and twists as well. It’s worth picking up, especially if you are looking for a nice and consistent look at Wolverine. This is something I definitely recommend.

4 out of 5 geek goggles

Original post blogged on ComicList.

Muppet Robin Hood #2 REVIEW

2009-06-29T10:19:46Z

Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Muppet Robin Hood #2 of 4
Boom! Kids Comics
Beedle, Villavert Jr & Aum

The second installment of the Muppets acting out a variation of Robin Hood is hysterical. The comic has a lot of the vintage elements of the Robin Hood story and it covers a lot of ground, but it is the humor that makes the comic stand out. The comic has a couple of oddities to it and the characters don’t entirely feel like the regular characters as they are partially in roles and partially in their normal characterizations. The comic is fun and packed with entertainment and that’s really all that you can ask for.

The story starts out with Robin Hood aka Kermit and the Merry Men taking from the rich and giving to the poor. What makes this all unique and very humorous is the scams that Prince John is running to take more money from the people. Whether it’s the Land of Imagination or the Museum of Socks, the entire sequence had some funny scenes and great one-liners.

Eventually Robin Hood stumbles upon the World’s Largest Venus Flytrap. Marian aka Miss Piggy manages to get herself swallowed up by the flytrap only to have Robin Hood rescue her. This scene I found to be hilarious as Piggy gets herself into the predicament after much complaining about the nature of the flytrap and then the manner in which Robin Hood saves her was expected to some degree but still shockingly funny when it happened.

The comic continues with Marian and Robin Hood beginning their cat and mouse courtship while Prince John attempts to recruit someone to infiltrate the Merry Men as his spy. He eventually settles on the court jester turned Friar, Fozzy aka Friar Tuck.

The comic concludes with Robin Hood putting a full court press on his interest in Marian while he pesters Prince John right in his own home with a good old fashioned banquet crashing that ends up as a food fight.

The comic is terrific. It’s funny almost in every single scene. The comic uses a good group of Muppets to bring in a new twist here or there to keep the reader surprised and guessing as to who you might see next. While not every single popular Muppet gets face time in the comic, there are plenty of appearances that will keep the die hard fans pleased.

The only downer in the issue is that I simply didn’t recognize the Muppet playing the role of Prince John. Whether this is a ruse for the time being or just a problem on my part I still found it a little annoying. The only other small gripe is that the characters have no problem breaking character but their lines while in character don’t seem to always let their real personalities shine through.

The art is terrific. The characters look very similar to the cartoon work of Langridge in the Muppet Show comic. This comic has a lot of areas to show off in whether it’s different settings, action sequences or just a huge cast of characters and it does so well each and every time. The art helps to make this comic fun.

With most of the introductions out of the way this comic is able to kick back and just flat out entertain. The comedy is dry at times and slapstick at time but it is frequent. There’s some high flying acrobatics and great paced storytelling. The comic even has a line that actually references the other comic series’ creator! This comic has everything for a Muppet fan, die hard or casual.

5 out of 5 geek goggles

Original post blogged on ComicList.

Green Lantern #42 REVIEW

2009-06-29T09:47:41Z

Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Green Lantern #42
DC Comics
Johns, Tan, Barrows, Glapion & Jose

The orange lantern is dealt with in this issue. This comic had such a mixture it was tough to be fully happy with it. For the most part, the comic simply has Hal Jordan against Larfleeze. Hal wants to stop Larfleeze from doing whatever evil he feels like doing while Larfleeze wants Hal’s blue ring. The comic adds in a little other plot elements here and there to set up as much as possible for the Blackest Night storyline coming up next month. It’s a good issue but it isn’t anything close to great.

The Guardians continue to battle with the orange lantern corps, which really just consists of Larfleeze’s constructs. Some green lanterns are assisting the Guardians, but John Stewart is in his own predicament. He is trapped in a love bubble at the hands of Fatality, his old arch enemy, who has now turned into Yrra a member of the Star Sapphires. While this interaction provides a good introduction in the new character of Yrra, what I found it to do is really map out another allegiance. If you think about it there is some level of alliance between many members of the various colored corps. Hal has ties to the yellow, blue and sapphires and even to a deceased member of the red. Now John Stewart finds himself involved with a sapphire. It’s a development I hadn’t thought much about until this part in this particular comic. I can’t help but wonder how this will all play out in the Blackest Night story.

What ends up happening is that Hal figures out how to anger Larfleeze which makes Larfleeze channel all of his energy against Hal, letting down all of his protective constructs in the process. Hal unlocks the power of his blue ring and the comic ends with the Guardians cutting another deal with Larfleeze. There is also something about a Black Lantern or some dead rising or some such thing in the end of the issue. You’ll have to pick up the issue to see what happens for yourself.

The best place to start here is with Larfleeze. What exactly is his motivation here? He obviously wants the blue ring, but before that ring showed up on his doorstep, what did he want from the universe? He is a good character but he just seems to have no depth to him at all. I found his involvement in this comic to bog it to down a little, which is bizarre because he is supposed to be the central part of it.

The Guardians, on the other hand, make this issue very good. They manipulate everyone. It’s great. They even seem to scold their own kind in this issue. The Guardians are twisting the screws better than any previous incarnation of their kind. It will make it all the easier to watch them get wiped out in the Blackest Night story. Did I say that out loud?

Hal Jordan is okay in this issue. However, the entire fight with Larfleeze fizzles. Hal unloads the power of the blue ring and that does what to Larfleeze? Calms him down? Why does this fight come to an end? What motivation does Hal have to stop fighting? Even if his blue ring is empty he still has the green one. This was just puzzling to me. It just felt like the comic needed a fight between the two characters so we got one with no real resolution or ending. It stops because it was time to wrap up the comic. Baffling.

Finally, the art. Let’s face it there are multiple artists in this issue and the cover clearly depicts that fact. So it’s tough to be surprised to find the images inside all over the place. However, to have the two art teams work on different panels within the same two page layout seems so unnecessary. Also, would it have been that difficult to make the color palette close to the same among the two teams? As much as I missed the point of the fight I enjoyed the art showing it off. When Hal creates his own army of constructs you have yourself one of the better spreads I’ve seen in a while. On the other hand, there is one panel where a Guardian states how he is getting tired of “your insubordination” but the panel just isn’t clear. Is he talking to the Guardian that was just speaking? The one with the hair? It was just confusing at times.

The comic has a lot of elements to like. Chief among them is the ending and the Guardians actions. Sure we know more about Larfleeze, which is a good thing, but it took a while to get us there. I liked the issue, despite the parts I found to be a little bit of plain old filler. Not the best effort for Green Lantern, but still worth picking it up to find out the tricks the Guardians like to play on others.

3 out of 5 geek goggles

Original post blogged on ComicList.

Muppet Show #4 REVIEW

2009-06-28T20:32:16Z

Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

The Muppet Show #4 of 4
Boom! Kids Comics
Langridge

Roger Langridge wraps up his four issue look at the Muppet Show this week with a case study of Miss Piggy. As we’ve seen in the previous three issues, the character has a small plot built around them to showcase their personality mixed in with various Muppet Show skits which don’t always have to do with overall dilemma of the main character. This month’s effort is very good because the plot that is created for Piggy also manages to hook in plenty of the other characters giving the comic some depth. I also found the comic to have more subtle humor during the character’s interactions. I definitely enjoyed this comic a lot and it might be my favorite of the four.

The issue opens with Scooter and Kermit debate who to have on as the main guest. The humor here is the creative names they spew out like Kim Jarrey of Ace Fedora Hat Detective fame. They eventually settle on a psychic named Madame Rhonda.

Madame Rhonda proceeds to tell the various Muppet cast members their fortunes while she steals money from them. Her con artist tricks have Muppets mostly feeling great about their futures while they don’t realize they are being had. Piggy, though, finds her fortune to be frightening as she is told she’ll be parting with something green. She takes this to mean Kermit and not the cash. This sends her into a panic as she finds new levels of paranoia while spying on Kermit.

The comic has some excellent skits, like Sam the Eagle, Veterinarian’s Hospital, Talking Houses and the constant staple; Pigs in Space. For the most part, Madame Rhonda stays out of the skits as she is working the Muppets behind the scenes. However, some of the skits do deal with mind reading skills to keep the general theme.

Eventually, Piggy begins to put things together and all is returned to the normal status quo.

The comic is very good for a few reasons. First of all, the plot is a good one because the con artist hits up so many Muppets that we have the focus of attention bounce around putting a ton of personalities on display. Secondly, the skits manage to entertain without having to involve the overall plot, but giving some humor and a break in the fortune telling scam. This technique worked really well to show some time lapsing as more and more Muppets make their way in to have their fortune’s read. Finally, the comic works well because it shows all the sides of Piggy that you’d expect to see. You see her feelings for Kermit, her vanity complex, her anger, her distrust of outsiders and her love of entertaining. This comic really nails her entire array of emotions very well.

The art is again excellent. Langridge is known as an excellent cartoonist and you can see why. He’s made to draw the Muppets. He captures so many of the skits perfectly as well as showing off their proper facial expressions. All you need to do is check how well he does with the Muppet Labs skit. He hit all the right characteristics with Honeydew and Beaker. The art just couldn’t encompass the Muppets any more than it does in this comic.

Miss Piggy had her day in the sun this issue and it was terrific. A simple plot that allows many, many Muppets to get some involvement, all while running an excellent isolation look at the complexity of Miss Piggy. This might be the last of this mini series but with issues like this it sure would be a shame to not continue the momentum of good storytelling that’s presented in this comic.

4 out of 5 geek goggles

Original post blogged on ComicList.