Adam Graham's Blog: Christians and Superheroes, page 39

Book Review: "Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor: The Sapling Volume 1: Growth

Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor: The Sapling Volume 1: Growth by Rob Williams

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Doctor and Alice are joined by a sentient baby tree.

The book is divided into two parts. The first part of the book sets up the main plot as the Doctor follows some messages from the and Alice's friend Jones where they encounter Scream, a member of the Silence who is so effective even fellow Silents forget him. But he has an evil to steal the Doctor and Alice's memories in part using a powerful alien sapling. Jones once again enjoys the TARDIS, returning after a season away, now in his prime as a famous musician. This story is good as far as set up tales go. The big detraction is Scream. He looks really creepy, but one of the benefits of the Silence and what makes them creepy is they don't talk a lot and it's barely intelligible. He has a multi-page monologue, not good.

The Doctor, Alice, and the Sapling return to find Earth's timeline fractured with a neighbor of Alice's having past versions of himself having fled to his apartment. The Doctor has to things right and to do that, he has to get back to 1968, and when the TARDIS breaks down, it means taking a bus. This is a clever story and it works beautifully in comic format in a way it wouldn't work on the screen. The reveal of who the 1968ers are is very clever and has a nice message about it.

Overall, this is probably the weakest start for an Eleventh Doctor series Titan has done, but it's till pretty good.



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Book Review: Doctor Who Classics, Vol. 7

Doctor Who Classics, Vol. 7 by Simon Furman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This IDW book collects the earliest appearances by Sylvester McCoy in Doctor Who Magazine from 1987-88 with each adventure tastefully colorized by Charlie Kirchoff.

There are a total of eight stories, with each ranging from 8-32 pages.

The lead-off story, "A Cold Day in Hell" features the Seventh Doctor meeting up with the Ice Warriors on a paradise planet that's turned frigid. The story is also Frobisher's farewell. The continuity on the story is a bit wonky and it leaves me wondering whether this story was written with Colin Baker's sixth Doctor in mind.

Another highlight is, "The Claws of the Klathi," which finds the Doctor uncovering a plot in Victorian England that tie into a series of unexplained burglaries. This story hits just the right spot with the Doctor in this era as that's almost always a winner. "Planet of the Dead," sees the Doctor landing on a planet where he runs into departed compansion and his former self. The story's okay, but the art is so much fun to look at. Finally, "Culture Shock," is a Grant Morrisson story that finds a discouraged doctor running into a sentient cell structure in need of his help. It's a very inventive story, that's pretty entertaining for being only pages.

The only story I thought was bad was, "Crossroads of Time" when the Doctor rams into a giant metal monster in the Vortex and it's handled like a fender bender. This is a story that tries to be funny but really isn't and at the same time, the ending has the Doctor betraying his character.

The rest of the stories are okay. Their decent enjoyable sci fi stories from an era when the Seventh Doctor was on the air and they were playing it safe.

Overall, there's enough good Doctor Who comics in this one to make it worth a read.



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Book Review: Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1

Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1 by Christopher J. Priest

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects the first seventeen issues of Christopher Priest's epic run on Black Panther and introduces such key concepts as Everett Ross as well as T'Challa's female bodyguards the Dora Milaje.

The book does a great job showing the strength of T'Challa as a character, establishing him as a key, master strategist, and absolute force to be reckoned with. At the same time, Ross' narration makes for fun and humorous reading, even if his disjointed narrative can be hard to follow.

The first twelve issues are the Marvel Knights run and form a single arc centered around an evil that killed a child in America to get T'Challa out of Wakanda to put a madman in his place. The story features loads of political intrigue, a showdown with Mephisto, as well as battles with the Lizard and Kraven the Hunter, and a re-evaluation of T'Challa's relationship with his friends in the Avengers.

The second half of the book is a much more loose freewilling narrative with Ross taking over Wakanda temporarily while T'Challa has to save an airplane from Hydroman in midair and then have an epic team up with Marvel's street level heroes as well as meeting the Hulk and a new bodyguard.

The book is generally good but has it flaws. The number of artists who worked with Priest is astounding and the styles very widely. There are a few elements that don't make sense as well as a few characters such as T'Challa's giant friend Zuri who are introduced but never quiet developed. Ross' cartoonish antics occassional entertain but occassionally annoy.

Still, overall this is a fun book that manages to be entertaing by getting readers to laugh at the story but take the hero far more seriously than they had before.



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Book Review: Essential Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man, Vol. 3

Essential Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man, Vol. 3 by Roger Stern

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-man Issues 54-74, and Annual #3.

This may be the third Spider-man book Marvel was publishing, and the villains may include more visits from second raters like Nitro and Goldbug than fan favorites like Doctor Octopus and Kraven the Hunter, but there are some great Spider-man stories from the early 1980s.

Among the highlights. We get to see the origin and early adventures of Cloak and Dagger, Annual #3 offers closure for the Man-Wolf saga, and we meet one of Marvel's most unlucky villains, Boomerang. We also get a gun control propaganda story in Issue #71. Debra Whitman's mental state comes to fore after her seeing Peter changing leads her convinced she's relapsing to viewing the world as fantasy.

The stories are enjoyable and written by two scribes who know Spidey. The art is good, but rarely impresses, though there are exceptions. Ed Hannigan pencils a couple of really fine title pages. The cover for issue #74 with Debra Whitman trapped by several tiny Spider-man is a classic.

Overall, while the stories aren't necessarily spectacular, they are really good and a worthwhile read for any Spidey fan.



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Book Review: Batman, Volume 4: The War of Jokes and Riddles

Batman, Volume 4: The War of Jokes and Riddles by Tom King

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Before Catwoman responds to Batman's proposal, he first has to tell her about the war of Jokes and Riddles, a war led by the Joker and Penguin and which every criminal in Gotham took part.

The War is massive, yet the book shows little of it. It's a character piece focusing on Batman's view of himself, as well as providing a new ake on the Riddler. King also pays off the previous appearances and references to Kiteman in his run by making him a tragic feature character who readers can grab on to.

The story has a very Noirish feel to it, and provides a solid payoff to both the story and Selena Kyle's answers. This is the best of King's Batman books so far.



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Book Review: Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows Vol. 2: The Venom Experiment

Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows Vol. 2: The Venom Experiment (Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows by Gerry Conway

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects Issues 6-12 of Amazing Spider-man: Renew Your Vows and includes three story arcs and a one-shot:

School Daze (6 and 7): Mary Jane and Peter receive an invitation to enroll Annie in Xavier's School for the Gifted and they make a visit on the same day an attempt to take over the school is made. This story is pretty fun (and the last fully written by Spider-man legend Gerry Conway.) It raises some interesting questions and also fleshes out the alternate universe and explains at least part of why the deal with Mephisto that happened in 616 didn't occur here.

The Venom Experiment (8 and 9): Feeling the pressure of trying to balance being a Superhero with the challenges of being wife, mother, and small businesswoman, Mary Jane gladly accepts the Venom symbiote from Liz Allen. There are two problems with this. First, the way that it effects her is weird and different from how Venom typically operates. Secondly, the arc is rushed. She doesn't even get the Venom symbiote until late in Issue 8. This should have been at least a four issue arc, but the rush to wrap it up in two issues makes it unsatisfying.

A Day in the Life of an Osborn (10): This story sets up the finale as it focuses on the sad and lonely life of Normie Osborn. There's some good emotion and also Spider-man and daughter battling the Lizard to get things from getting too heavy.

The Curse of the Green Goblin (11 and 12): Normie's evil plans are revealed, Annie is kidnapped and it's up to Peter and Mary Jane to write things. This story has some great action, but also allows some good character moments and allows Annie to save the day through her heart rather than her fist without being corny about it. The issue is maybe a little too compressed due to the demand to wrap this run up with Issue 12.

Indeed, that's my prime complaint. Really, this series and this team needed six more issues. I also did think at times they made Peter too weak, so the ladies could step up. Still, these didn't become big enough issues to stop this from being an enjoyable book.



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Book Review: Titans: The Lazarus Contract

Titans: The Lazarus Contract by Christopher J. Priest

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


In this three way crossover between Deathstroke, The Teen Titans, and the New Teen Titans, Deathstroke determined to go back in time to prevent the death of his son. To do that, he kidnaps both Wally Wests (the pre-52 one who is the Flash for the Titans and the New 52 one who is Kid Flash on the Teen Titans) and it’s up to our two teams of heroes to stop them.
The most positive thing that comes out of this story is young Wally’s growth as a character and a hero. He takes a journey and at the climax makes a key choice that changes the outcome of the story.
On the flip side, Damian Wayne’s character is hurt as he is constantly unwaveringly insufferable. Most books I’ve read in which he’s appeared such as Superman, Super Sons, and Nightwing have tried to humanize him. Here he’s at his absolute worst as he not only cuts down anyone who makes a mistake but takes an action that heaps more misery on Old Wally.
Actually except for Deathstroke, the two Wallys, Dick Grayson, and Damian Wayne, everyone else is forgettable. This felt like a crossover for the sake of having a crossover. Most of the time it wasn’t bad, although I will admit to still being confused what it was that was promised in the titular contract. I also couldn’t help thinking that Deathstroke might appreciate this more. Overall, another forgettable crossover to add to a long list.




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Book Review: Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Volume 6 - Sonic Boom

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Volume 6 - Sonic Boom by Robbie Morrison

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book collects the final five issues of the Twelfth Doctor's Second year:

First we have the Terror of the Cabinet Noir: Evil is afoot in late 17th Century France as Cardinal Richelieu has prolonged his life in cooperation with the evil alien power, The Darkness. The Doctor teams up with notorious opera singer Julie d'Aubigny. Overall, I didn't find Julie likable and she dominated the story becoming a bit of a Mary Sue. In addition, the plot is pretty derivative of other Doctor Who stories, many others. Overall, didn't care much for this.

The second is Invasion of the Mindmorphs which finds the Doctor meeting up with a comic book writer and artist pair of flatmates Sonny and Val who are writing a Doctor Who knockoff comic that the Doctor doesn't appreciate, and he determines to take them on some real adventures in time and space. This is a funny story with a few imaginative twists and a nice enjoyable (if somewhat predictable relationship story.)

Overall, I'd give it 2.5 stars because I thought the first story was as bad as the second was good.



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Book Review: X-Men: Gambit: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1

X-Men: Gambit: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1 by Fabian Nicieza

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects the first 11 issues, the Annual, a half Issue, and an Issue of X-Men unlimited featuring Gambit. The story is set in the aftermath of the Trial of Gambit when the X-Men abandoned him in Antartica after they found he led a band of mercenary mutants to the Morlocks (sewer-dwelling mutant,) and the Marauded slaughtered the Morlocks, even though Gambit tried to stop them.

Gambit was rescued by the New Sun who expects him to steal stuff, which Gambit does in his time away from the team:
ng else.
This book features several strong points and several weaknesses. The good:

-Emotional fall out from the Trial. This is explored throughout the book as Gambit copes with it as does his team. Gambit has been abandonned as a child, kicked out of the thieves as an adult, and now this, plus there's guilt over what happened to the Morlocks. Probably one of my favorite stories in here was the X-Men unlimited which showed him speaking to specters of the X-Men in deciding how to deal with Hydroman.
-Gambit is possessed by a female entity who enhances his powers, but maybe doing something else, more insidious. She's introduced in Issue 1/2 and makes her presence known in various issues until everything's sorted in the Annual.
-Gambit spends time in New Orleans and we get insights on his past and how the Thieves Guild works.
-Two tie in issues to the crossover story the Shattering that felt relatively self-contained rather than you were getting two disjointed parts of a 14-part story. This is how participation in a cross-over be done if it it has to be.
-Team ups with Blade the Vampire Slayer and especially Daredevil. Both were well done, but the Daredevil one was particularly good, creating a good conflict and a sense of mystery.
-The art is not great but avoids the excesses from earlier in the 1990s.

The bad:

---A theme about New Sun and it's true intents is tossed around, and a mysterious lady visits people in their dreams to get information about Gabmit. These take several pages out of each issue. While I appreciate the series eventually answered these issues, it doesn't even feel like the plot moved on these two points.

---Issue 10 has a fantastic set up with work my Gambit's stepfather who teamed up with the Howling Commandos, Gambit in a tuxedo, and the story has a very conclusion.

---The X-Cutioner talks A LOT and was not a fun character to read.

---The art has some inconsistent moments. While this is nowhere close to early to mid 1990s excesses, this book does have some art issues that reflect its times.

Overall, an okay book, that's not a bad read, even better if you're a Gambit fan.



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Book Review: Silver Surfer, Vol. 5: A Power Greater Than Cosmic

Silver Surfer, Vol. 5: A Power Greater Than Cosmic by Dan Slott

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This collects the last of Dan Slot and Mike and Laura Allred's run on Silver Surfer and brings resolution to the love story between Dawn Greenwood and the Surfer.

This book continues issues 7-14 of the series. The first six issues are one-shot adventures that see our heroes visiting a galactic casino, telling tall tales to giant sized germs and anti-bodies inside a space whale, and meeting the now reformed Galactus, as well as dealing with an alien who is determined to battle the Silver Surfer.

Yet, there are also some sadness and grief for our heroes, particularly in the emotional two-part finale, which packs a wallop because of how much we care about these characters. Overall, this a wonderful and beloved epic space opera romance that's worth reading from start to finish. It's a beautiful finish to one of the best written comics out there.



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