Adam Graham's Blog: Christians and Superheroes, page 27

Book Review: Defenders, Masterworks, Volume 1

Defenders Masterworks Vol. 1 (Defenders by Steve Englehart

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects Issues 34 and 35 of Sub-mariner, Marvel Feature 1-3 1-3, and Defenders 1-6 and introduces Marvel’s novel non-team of Superheroes. The Sub-mariner story is kind of a backdoor pilot that sees Namor recuring the Silver Surfer and the Hulk to save humanity from an ill-advised experiment. Then the Marvel Feature stories are more full-blown that has Doctor Strange calling for aide fro m Sub-mariner and the Hulk. Those three issues ended on a note that could have wrapped up the Defenders, but instead we got the full series which stars Strange, Namor, and the Incredile Hulk, but also an occasional from the Silver Surfer. The most important issue in this book may be Issue 4 which introduced Valkyrie who joined the Defenders as much as anyone can.

Of course, the Defenders is a non-team, and I didn’t fully grasp what that actually meant until reading the book. They have no secret headquarters and communicators. If one of them runs into a crisis they can’t handle, they call on as many of the others as they can. The book features a combustive mixture of personalities that makes the 1977 Yankees look tame by comparison with Namor being the second most level-headed member of the group. The Defenders are so entertaining and fun to read together that it makes the book worth reading. The art is well-done and manages to give the team a lot to do. You get to see some of the most combustible characters in the Marvel Universe let loose in glorious four colors.

Probably the worst thing to say about the book is that the villains are obscure, and I think that’s almost inherent with the format. Though one villain they face twice almost destroys the world, so it’s not the villains are weak, so much as they are little known.

Overall, I enjoyed this and will definitely check out Volume 2.




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Book Review: Ms. Marvel, Volume 8: War of the Marvels

Ms. Marvel, Volume 8: War of the Marvels by Brian Reed

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is the War of the Marvels featuring an epic battle between Carol Danvers and Karla Sofen for who will be the one and only Ms. Marvel.

The battle between Carol and Karla is epic. The action is intense with each using their power. Carol's a warrior with skills and grit that Karla just doesn't possess, but Karla's advantage is that she's just a ruthless psychopath. Both maintain a line of talking smack that would make most wrestler bow before them and declare in Wayne World'seque fashion, "We are not worthy!"

The book is not one big battle scene. They're interspersed in between Karla and Norman Osborn trying to figure out what they're supposed to do and the journey of Catherine Donovan from LA to New York as she deals without doubts about her own identity. The question of who Donovan is and how exactly this all happened is a bit of a contrivance, but it doesn't ruin the story.

The finale is superb. It leads to a definitive end to the war, a reveal of Karla, and Carol stepping up in probably the most interesting thing she's done in the entire Ms. Marvel series.

Overall, while this is not a great character-defining arc for Carol Danvers, it is a great ride of a story that makes for a fun read.




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Book Review: Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows, Vol. 4: Are You Okay, Annie

Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows, Vol. 4: Are You Okay, Annie? by Jody Houser

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The worst thing about this book is that it's title doesn't sound like a Superhero book, it sounds like a bad after-school special. Come on, Marvel, what was with this title?

That issue, out of the way, there's a one-shot and a four-part story.

Six issues and two storylines after shooting the Parker's eight years into the future, the book begins by taking them eight years into the past as Peter and Mary Jane decide to take a cruise. Mary Jane makes a persuasive case for why Superheroes should take cruises and throughout most of the story, we just get to see them and their relationship and them enjoying each other's company. Of course, there's a monster attack and a welcomed cameo.

Then we have the four-part story Weird Science which is set in the established timeline after Annie started her own superhero team. She has a dream about a character with her hair attacking innocent people and wakes up to find out it happened and is on social media. She denies that it was her, but Wolverine smells her scent.

This is a pretty typical superhero plot but it's well-executed. It's a not bad story with a somewhat predictable arc. The characters sell it. I like the Parker family, I like Wolverine as this wise old godfather figure and friend of the family. It's a decent story that's fun and well-realized. It's not really a suitable conclusion to a series. The final words letter on the last issue seem like nothing more than a tacked on rush job, but that's editorial mandates for you. I hope we do get to see more of them even beyond the Spider-girl mini-series.



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Book Review: Ms. Marvel, Volume 7: Dark Reign

Ms. Marvel, Volume 7: Dark Reign by Brian Reed

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects three stories. First, is the three issue "Death of Ms. Marvel" storyline which answers a lot of questions from Volume 6 such as why Carol wasn't using her powers because after her encounter with the Cru they are spiking. At the same time, we learn about Carol's investigation. It's a good conclusion to the previous arc.

Then there's, "Meet the New Boss" where with Carol assumed dead after the previous arc, Karla Sofen (anti-hero/Thunderbolt Moonstone) has been chosen to be the new Ms. Marvel as one of Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers, but first she has to meet with the official psychiatrist, who has an agenda of his own. This is a good introduction for Sofen. It doesn't cause you to like her or sympathize with her, but it does show what she's about and serves as a good introduction for the character.

Finally, we have the last three issues which are very fast-paced. The Dark Avengers are trying to secure Modokesque clones of the Storyteller, however AIM wants them back and hires Deadpool to help, while it's Karla's job to protect them. Meanwhile, colored female light-shaped entities are searching for Ms. Marvel and they don't mean Karla, and the New Avengers are drawn into the case leading to a stunning reveal to end the book and set the pace for Volume 8. Overall, best book in the series so far and sets the stage for the next book.



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Book Review: Tales of the Batman, Gene Colan, Volume 2

Tales of the Batman, Volume 1 by Gene Colan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects Batman stories drawn by Gene Colan. The art is great, the stories are generally good. However, Colan started drawing Batman in the 1980s and by that time there was a lot of ongoing plotlines and continuity. So, while there are only two stories (including the last one) where we're left on an unressolved cliffhangers, there are several ongoing plot lines we're constantly dipping in and out of. Since this book was originally released: Tales of the Batman, Gerry Conway, Volume 2 has come out collecting all the Batman Issues in here prior to 349 and all the Detective Comics issues prior to 517, but as Conway is writing both books, you get to see more of the context.

The highlight then is the uncollected tale of Batman and Robin both having to battle becoming Vampires drawn by the artist of Tombs of Dracula for Marvel in Detective Comics 349-351 and Detective Comics 517. If they make a Tales of the Batman Gerry Conway, Volume 3, that will be in it, but for now, it's uncollected elsewhere (and incomplete in this book as the story continues in Detective Comics 518 which isn't collected here.) After that are three other Detective Comics stories including a clash with Solomon Grundy, a corrupt cop pre-Crisis Harvey Bullock, and a story with Jason Todd talking to a clown and threatening to join the circus if Batman doesn't make him the new Robin. This is also not resolved.

Overall, this isn't a bad digital collection to pick up on sale, but really shouldn't be bought otherwise unless you're a big Colan fan due to dangling plot threads and unresolved storylines.



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Book Review: The Incredibles: Revenge from Below

The Incredibles: Revenge from Below by Mark Waid

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


When Dash disobeys orders during a battle and attacks the supervillain rather than getting his sister to safety, he is grounded with his mom giving him an injection that suspends his powers. However, Dash may need them as it appears his teacher is an alien.

This book is a fun-filled action story as usual, but also has a really good focus on Dash and him as a character and as a hero. Co-Writer Mark Waid, who had a legendary run as the writer of DC's Flash is able to channel that experience to capture a few Speedster-specific concerns as well as plot ideas. Also, the writing for Edna Mode is perfect.

If I had one concern, it is that Bob and Helen's behavior is unpleasantly out of character, particularly in the first quarter of the book and this could turn the younger readers the book is targetted too off. Still, this explained as adequately, as are most of the other seeming plotholes in this story.

Overall, this is a solid book that focuses on the most underwritten character in the Parr family and does him justice. This makes it worth checking out.



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Book Review: The Golden Age Starman Archives, Volume 1

The Golden Age Starman Archives, Vol. 1 by Gardner F. Fox

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects all of the Star Man comics drawn by Jack Burney (except for those done for the JSA Crossovers.) This book features Starman stories from Adventure Comics #61-76.

The Good: The art is marvelous, simply put some of the best Golden Age Art I've seen not drawn by Jack Kirby. Really some great stuff for the era. Starman is a cool design and I love the gravity rod (even though more explanation of the whys and wherefores of how it worked would have been nice.) The ride is what you'd expect from a book mostly written by Gardener Fox, with a nice mix of sci fi and battling mobster giving way to battling saboteurs as America moved to a war footing. However, Fox also came up with a very strong villain in the Mist and to have a villain turn out to be a keeper in these golden age books is rare.

The bad: There are a few nitpicks. The book struggles a couple times to be consistent about where Starman's rod was. In one panel, after being captured Starman brags that he had it attached to his wrist even though a previous panel showed he didn't. The personality of Ted Knight is annoying. It seems that Fox got tired of writing the same sort of foppish or nerdy secret identity and it was decided that Ted Knight would be an insufferable hypochondriac. Thankfully, he's usually out of the story rather quickly, ut it a quite terrible idea.

OVerall, a decent book that's a fun read for fans of Golden Age comic art.



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Book Review: Superman, Vol. 6: Imperius Lex (Rebirth)

Superman, Vol. 6: Imperius Lex by Peter J. Tomasi

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This volume collects Issues 33-and 36 and 39-41 (Issues 37 and 38 are in the Super Sons of the Future crossover.)

Imperius Lex (33-36): Lex is taken back to Apokolips with them wanting him to become their new leader in the wake of Darkseid's death. He calls for Superman to help without providing details for his summons. When Superman goes on a family night instead, Lex sends a Boom Tube that brings the entire Super family to Apokolips. There's some really cool and fun stuff for Lois and Jon plus we get to see the long overdue falling out between Superman and Lex. There are a few holes in the logic of character actions and the way the leadership vacuum in Apokolips is addressed is a bit of a cop-out. Still, fairly fun.

Good Night Moon (39): Superman takes kids with cancer to the Justice League Watchtower. It's a sweet, funny, and touching story. Not a whole lot of action, but a lot of heart. Charming.

The Last Days (40 and 41): Guest written by James Robinson. This story finds an all-too cheerful Jon showing up at the Fortress of Solitude to commemorate the day Krypton exploded, when an alarm goes off that Superman created to warn them when a planet's about to explode. Superman and Jon go to save the planet, but they don't want saved because they believe it's the will of their god for them to perish.

The art in this story is fantastic. The colors are great and both space and the alien world come to live. The story, on the other hand, is hot garbage. The dialogue between Jon and Clark in the Fortress is stilted. Superman acts incredibly out of character in a way that ultimately leads the planet's inhabitants to turn on him so that Superman meets another character. It's an attempt to go after an aspect of belief and faith in a ham-fisted way, and the conclusion reached about religion is weak and uninteresting.

It's hard to believe Robinson is the same guy who wrote Starman. This story is easily the worst Superman story that I've read since DC Rebirth and overall, it gives the book a mediocre feel



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Book Review: Ms. Marvel, Volume 6: Ascension

Ms. Marvel, Volume 6: Ascension by Brian Reed

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book is a bit of a hodgepodge.

It starts out with Ms. Marvel Annual #1, which is a team-up between Spider-man and Ms. Marvel after Ms. Marvel attempts to capture Spidey for being unregistered fail and a group of roots attack the city. The story is fun, although Spider-man steals the show, but also has a few remarks that are a bit sophomoric.

Ms. Marvel/The Storyteller Special #1 finds Ms. Marvel flying to warn the Storyteller, a boy with the power to bend reality to his imagination, that AIM has found him, but finds herself being drawn in to his fantasy. This story is part fun but also a bit bittersweet.

Issue #31 has Carol visiting her dying father, and we get a look at her messed up family relations and how Rogue stealing her memories has affected that.

Issues #32-34 focus on Carol's past and we get a story of how she was shot down, captured, and tortured in #32 in far too much detail. We also see her with ridiculous strength as a pre-Super Powers Carol Danvers and how she rebuilds herself and joins military intelligence.

All of this is leading up to Issue 34 where she plans to steal something from the CIA but doesn't use her powers. Spider-man shows up in the mix and we have to wait until later volumes for resolution.

Overall, despite the unresolved nature of the book and the torture stuff in Issue #32, this was a solid volume, and it left me wanting to pick up the next book.



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Book Review: Nightwing, Volume 6: The Untouchable

Nightwing, Vol. 6: The Untouchable by Sam Humphries

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book contains a seven-issue story and two one-shots.

The Seven-Issue story has a lot to commend it. The villain, the Judge, has a very cool design and there are some interesting ideas behind him that are explored. There are some fun ideas like the Limousine League of Assassins. The is fantastic with so many great scenes.

On the other hand, the story is one (or maybe two) issues too long. A lot of the backstory on the character is vague and a little implausible. I also think that the lack of usable supporting characters leads writer Sam Humphries to make up characters to go bad, which lessens the emotional impact. Overall, I still enjoyed the arc.

However, the one-shots really sell me on this book. Both explore Dick's relationship with Damian. One is a fun martial arts story with Dick going to Japan and then the other has Dick, Damian, and Roy Harper teaming up. We get a nice story with a little bit of insight into Dick Grayson's character.

Overall, this is a perfectly solid Nightwing volume.



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