Adam Graham's Blog: Christians and Superheroes, page 23

Book Review: Captain Marvel Masterworks Vol. 5

Captain Marvel Masterworks Vol. 5 (Captain Marvel by Scott Edelman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This penultimate volume featuring the avengers of Mar-vel of the Kree as Captain Marvel collects issues 47-57, as well as his guest appearance in Avengers Annual #7 and his somewhat less substantial role in Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2.

At this point, Captain Marvel settled into being a decent enough "villain of the month" comic which alternated between typical Earthbound Marvel villains and more cosmic threats (including a beserk Ronan the Accuser.) Some of the highlights of the book include the introduction of Doctor Minerva, a crossover with the Avengers to battle the Super Adaptoid in Issue 50, and a team up with Black Bolt in #53. He also decides he needs to settle into life on Earth and so think about adopting a secret identity before deciding he doesn't need one given that he doesn't have any loved ones. However, when he lands a job based on being Captain Marvel, he learns that may have been a mistake. The Annuals are all about Thanos. No, it's not as good as the Jim Starlin stuff, but it's really a fun bit of Space opera, featuring a guest appearance by Adam Strange. Mar-vel is relegated to the side for most of Marvels Two-In-One Annual #2 which focuses on Spider-man, and to an extent, The Thing. However, it's still a good story and leads into Issue #57 where our hero tries to get Thor to kill him.

Overall, while this isn't Spider-man or Fantastic Four, Mar-vel continues to be a fun character to read and if you love 1970s comics or Sci Fi of this era, it's a book that's worth checking out.



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Book Review: Doctor Who Classics, Volume 8

Doctor Who Classics, Vol. 8 by Grant Morrison

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects comic strips from 19 issues of Doctor Who Magazine during Colin Baker's time as the Doctor and featuring his TV companion Peri Brown and Frobisher

Exodus/Genesis/Revelation: Three inter-linked stories that lead to one of the Doctor's oldest enemies. A decent story, though the Doctor's a bit rude to refugees who arrive in the TARDIS due to no fault of their own. Grade: B-

Nature of the Beast: The Doctor and crew arrive on a planet where there are military types going about and a queen has disappeared and a strange beast has appeared. Typical Doctor Who story with a surprisingly New Who feel for the 1980s. Well-executed. Grade: B

Time Bomb: An alien species is threatening to stop all life on Earth from existing and its up to the Doctor and Froisher to thwart them as Peri at a baseball game on Earth. Major annoyance is how little the Doctor does in this story, minor annoyance is how they messed up the baseball stuff. If they had a U.S. Audience in mind I'd think the writer was making a joke, but here it just feels a bit ignorant. Stilll, I do love the final scene. Grade: C-

Salad Daze: Brief 1-part story where Peri ends up in an Alice in Wonderland pursued by salad vegetables. Zany and with a humorous explanation. Grade: B

Changes: Weird things happening in the TARDIS. Has since become a trope of Doctor Who comics, however this is written by Grant Morrison, so it's a bit better than usual. Grade: C+

Profits of Doom: It's up to the Doctor to stop profiteering space pirates from destroying an Earth Colony Ship. A fairly typical plot but done with gusto and some great twists. Grade: B+

The Gift: The longest story in the book and the best. The Doctor, Peri, and Frobisher go to a planet that's an echo of 1920s America, complete with jazz culture to celebrate a duke's birthday. However, the gift of the Duke's scientist brother causes a lot of problems and puts the Doctor and friends lives at risk. This is big, colorful, and fun. It's the perfect Sixth Doctor comic story. Grade: A

Overall, this is a good book. There's not a really bad strip in here, but the quality does vary quie a bit. Still, I enjoyed this and for me, it definitely ended with a bang.



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Batman, Detective Comics, Volume 8: On the Outside

Batman: Detective Comics, Vol. 8: On the Outside by Bryan Hill

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


After James Tynion's departure, we get a five-issue storyline where Batman brings Black Ligtning to Gotham to care for the remaining former Gotham knights and help Batman protect them from a new villain called Karma who believes that Batman's family makes him weaker.

This is a pretty good story with a lot of nice character moments and moves at a good pace. The story is the comic version of a backdoor pilot for Hill's Batman and the Outsiders. My only complaint was dragging Barbara to the batcave and put her under Black Lightning. Given the time she's been in the Gotham and the fact that she's so far beyond the other members of the team, that was practically an insult.

Then we get a Batman fighting in the shadows and dealing with Deacon Blackfire. The art is nice for the dark scenes, though a little less impressive for the beautiful cityscape at the end. Nice atmosphere and some good character exploration without spiraling into out of control navel-gazing.

Overall, a fun filler volume.



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Book Review: Batman, Volume 8: Cold Days

Batman, Volume 8: Cold Days by Tom King

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


In Cold Days, Bruce Wayne gets jury duty on a case where Mr. Freeze is being tried on evidence produced by Batman. Bruce becomes the only hold out on a guilty verdict based on a theory that Freeze was set up that has no evidence to support it.

Tom King delivers what every Batman fan wants: three issues full of Bruce Wayne on jury duty. We essentially get an idea of the over-the-top amount of self-doubt that's hit Bruce after Selena left him standing at the aisle.

The final issue includes a long conversation in which Bruce makes his case for not believing in Batman's evidence because Batman's not God. This monologue was touched off by Bruce asking a woman wearing a chain if she was wearing a cross under her shirt. Good thing it wasn't a dogtag to honor a fallen soldier or the whole monologue wouldn't work.

There's something to the monologue because a lot of writers who treat Batman like he's a God and not just writers of Batman, but writers of other books who can't stop themselves from fanboying about Batman even to the detriment of the story and characters to be writing. It's a good idea to remind readers of Batman's humanity.

However, there's something silly about applying this to religion and further the overwrought reaction to the break up. Sometimes Bruce sounds like, "My engagement was broken, therefore Batman is not God."

Next up is the one-shot story where Nightwing shows up in Gotham to team up with Batman and just be a friend. This is a nice celebration of Dick and Bruce's relationship and my favorite part of the book.

That leads into Beast of Burden where a hired killer shoots Dick and Batman sets out to hunt him down. You have Batman getting tough, finding his man, and having a solid fight scene. You also have some gratuitous patricide because Tom King. The story ends with Batman doing something that is not consistent with his character.

Overall, this book is just not for me. The art is very good, and I think Tom King is a good writer in general, but I don't like his conception of Batman as overdone indie comic psychodrama and self-analysis with a few fight scenes and gratuitious acts of cruelty and murder to keep the hoi polloi reading. At this point, I've lost confidence that he's going to land the book somewhere good, so I'm done with this series.



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Book Review: Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection, Vol. 2

Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection, Vol. 2 by Christopher J. Priest

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects Issues 18-35 of Black Panther plus Deadpool #44 from the 1990s-2000s:

Issues 18-20 features the Panther vs. Killmonger while Ross is serving as Regent. This ends with an unexpected victory for Killmonger that makes him the Black Panther. Issues 21 and 22 has T'Challa fighting for his life in a surreal kingdom of the death (look for Black Panther as Batman and Ross as Robin) while Killmonger assumes the role of Black Panther.

Deadpool #44 and Black Panther #23 features Killmonger trying to join the Avengers while Deadpool is hired by an enemy to T'Challa to kindap Killmonger's pet leopard. This one has some fun concepts but is a bit meh. Issue #24 sees a lot going on, T'Challa continues to be king despite losing leadership of the Panther tribe. They come under attack from his former bodyguard who causes a death of a recurring character. Meanwhile Killmonger's time of Black Panther comes to an end anti-climatically.

Issue 25 is the Maximum Security Crossover. The best part is a long overdue confrontation between Ross and T'Challa over recent events. Ross has been complaining for a while and it's glad to see he and T'Challa finally have it out. There are some nice surprises and that saves the issue from being a dull bit of obligatory continuity.

Issues 26-29 is the Sturm Und Drang: A Story of Love and War. When a Wakandan has a child who ishalf Wakandan and half sea-dwelling deviant Lemurian, the Deviant Lemurians asks that T'Challa return the child to be killed and this sets off a global incident. Magneto and Namor appear and this is one of the better uses of political thrillers in comics. A reveal of an old enemy comes in this story.

Issue 30 is a one-shot in which Captain America's first contact with Wakanda is revealed and Ross delivers a spirited defense of the Panther before a Senate subcommittee. Issues 31-33 is Seduction of the Innocent in which his ex-bodyguard Malice returns for another story while Ross deals with Mephisto having switched bodies. The story is okay but feels like treading water as it also sets up the finale, "Gorilla Warfare" in Issues 34 and 35 as Black Panther battles Man-ape and one of T'Challa's allies learns the truth about her family.

Overall, the book is a strong continuation of the previous volume. While T'Challa does some questionale things he remains undoubtedly on the side of the Angels and is easy to cheer for.



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Book Review: Pet Avengers Classic

Pet Avengers Classic by Stan Lee

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book is a hodgepodge of stories including a few full-length issues and a lot of back up stories that haven't been reprinted elsewhere as far as I know, all focusing on pets of Marvel Universe heroes. There's even a Jack Kirby drawn story from a pre-Silver Age Journey into Mystery. There's even an issue of Speedball and I've never heard of this character.

Unfortunately, rare doesn't add up to good and it's fair to say the quality is pretty uneven. My favorites are the Squirrel Girl orign story from Marvel Superheroes #8 from#2 from 1992, The Franling Richards Special from 2007, the New Warriors #2 from 2005 and the aforementioned Journey Into Mystery. The rest are kind of okay. However, due to rarity, this might be a nice one for a collection if you could get it at a good price.



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Book Review: The Flash, Vol. 8: Flash WarThe Flash, Vol. 8: Flash War

The Flash, Vol. 8: Flash War by Joshua Williamson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The Flashes battle with Wally attempting to use his speed to reclaim his memory and his life through time travel, but Barry is trying to stop him. Together both Flashes are ripping the world apart until the Justice League has to step in and do their best.

This story isn't awful, but it's got problems. The heroes don't act heroic. In fact, Wally is literally willing to risk every other person on Earth to get his family back. We get two new forces in addition to the Speed Force: The Strength Force and the Sage Force which sounds like a dumb idea, but I'll reserve full judgment.

Overall, an okay meh volume that leaves hoping that I can get a book where I like the Flash (at least one of him.)



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Book Review: Amazing Spider-Man: Edge of Spider-Verse

Amazing Spider-Man: Edge of Spider-Verse by David Hine

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is an anthology book giving us five stories of alternate universe Spiders:

Spider-man Noir: Really does a great job evoking the era with a mystery.
Spider-Gwen: Good introduction to the character, a little rushed because of how much story it had to tell.
The Spider-man: A more techno version of Spider-man. Like the concepts. character is a bit of a jerk but not in a fun way.
I Walked With a Spider: Spider-man in an alternate universe as horror. Don't look the grimmer parts of this but can see how it could work.

SP//DR: A sort of reality where a girl has a symbiotic relationship with a huge robot. The concept had some good moments but needed some place to develop.
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Overall, not a bad book, but other than the first story, none were really standouts.



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Book Review: Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, Vol. 7: Darkstars Rising

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, Vol. 7: Darkstars Rising by Robert Venditti

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A fitting conclusion to Robert Venditti's run on Hal Jordan and the Green Lanterns Corps as the Darkstars return more powerful than ever and recruit a disgraced Lantern to lead them as they seek to dispense lethal justice throughout the Universe. After an initial attempt to defeat the Darkstars fails, John Stewart realizes the Green Lanterns can't do this alone, they'll need some help from their friends and a few enemies too.

While there are technically two stories in the book, they are linked, so this book is a 9-issue space epic that has plenty of call backs to prior arcs that come together in a coherent story that occasionally raises some questions of justice while never ceasing to be a fun heroic space opera. Overall, a fitting end to a fun run.



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Book Review: Spider-Gwen, Volume 0: Most Wanted

Spider-Gwen, Vol. 0: Most Wanted? by Jason Latour

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book introduces Gwen Stacy, the Spider-woman of another Earth. It collects her initial appearance in Edge of the Spider-verse and the first five issues of her ongoing series.

The book works pretty well. The story is likable and heroic. The story is fun and even though it wasn't resolved at the end, I found myself wanting to read more. I also liked a few of the nice call-backs to the main Peter Parker from TV and comics.

If I had one complaint is that the book has a lot of characters from the 616 Marvel Universe who are different in this one. With the exception of Frank Castle, no effort is made to explain or show why they're different, they just are. Hopefully, they'll work on that in future volumes.



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