Adam Graham's Blog: Christians and Superheroes, page 57

Book Review: Galaxy Quest: The Journey Continues

Galaxy Quest: The Journey Continues by Erik Burnham

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is a fairly good story idea where a key device that saved the day for our heroes by reversing and replaying time in the Galaxy Quest movie ended up causing problems across the solar system. The result is okay and for fans of the movie, you get to see the characters in action again. But that's about all I can say for it. Galaxy Quest set a high bar of combining humor with earnestness and poking fun at Sci Fi tropes in order to make a great movie and tell a superb story. This book tells a serviceable enough story with a few laughs that's otherwise forgettable.



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Book Review: Essential Amazing Spider-man, Volume 9

Essential Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 9 by Marv Wolfman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book is one of the larger Marvel Essential Collections featuring 25 issues of the Amazing Spider-man (186-210), along with 2 Amazing Spider-man Annuals and the first Spectacular Spider-man Annual.

The majority of the book is by Marv Wolfman, with Roger Stern doing a guest issue for #206 before Denny O'Neil takes over for Issues 207-210.

There were some good stories told in here. Wolfcouman hits a good stride with the introduction of Black Cat coupled with re-appearances by old favorite rogues such as the Kingpin, Electro, Doctor Smythe, and Mysterio. The Amazing Spider-man Annual #13 combined with the Spectacular Spider-man Annual #1 makes for an epic Doctor Octopus story. The multi-issue storyline regarding the apparent death of Aunt May is a superb lead in to the events of Issue 200, a huge milestone for the webslinger. Peter Parker faces a moral dilemma when Betty Brant, estranged from her husband, tries to rebound with Peter. Also, we see Jonah Jameson put through the ringer as he suffers personal tragedy and then a nervous breakdown.

The negatives of the book are few. The early going for O'Neil on Marvel's best known title are a bit mixed. He has an interesting story featuring Kraven the Hunter, but Spider-man's match-ups against Mesmero and Fusio are uninspired. And Amazing Spider-man Annual #14's story with Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom is interesting but feels like Spidey's become a guest character in his own book. Still, this is balanced out by Issue #210 introducing the mysterious Madam Web.

Overall, the late 1970s and early 1980s were a great time for the Amazing Spider-man and this title is a worthwhile read for Spidey fans.



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Book Review: Secret Origins, Volume 1

Secret Origins, Vol. 1 by Jeff Lemire

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book collects four Issues of Secret Origins, examining the origins of DC Comics characters in the New 52 universe. This first volume contains well-known characters such as Batman and Superman as well as the lesser lights of the DC Universe and even a villain.

The book surprised me by being able to wring a bit of emotional tension out of the Superman origin story. I also liked the Green Arrow and Red Robin origins. I'm a less a fan of Hal Jordan and Harley Quinn's origin. Hal Jordan is portrayed as being a disrespectful brawler before finding the ring, and otherwise it's unremarkable. With Harley Quinn, they go over the top and give her a bunch of serious mental issues prior to becoming a psychologist and ending up in Arkham. It's a bit trite that a psychiatrist needs a therapist herself even if there is a fairly large kernel of truth to it. It'd make sense for her to have some minor issues before going to Arkham, but they went over the top.

Other than that, the book was mostly forgettable. The stories were okay but rarely conveyed any great sense of epicness or made you want to read these characters books. For DC fans, it's still a legitimate as a definitive resource on where your heroes came from. until the Rebirth Universe takes full effect anyway...



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Book Review: Twelfth Doctor, Volume 2: Fractures

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor, Vol. 2: Fractures by Robbie Morrison

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


After a lackluster First Volume, Robbie Morrison hits his stride with the Second Volume of 12th Doctor Stories.

"Fractures" is the story of one of Clara's students dealing with the loss of her father, only to have him mysteriously re-appear and then the family is menaced by a strange alien race. The story has a great deal of emotion. It also captures the feel of the Twelfth Doctor perfectly with that crustiness combined with a heart of compassion underneath it.

"Gangland," finds the Doctor and Clara arriving in Las Vegas in the 1960s and meeting up with the Wolf pack (a knock version of the Rat Pack meant to avoid paying license fees.) and it features a somewhat typical alien invasion story that's spiced up by a Time Lord legend. It's a very stylish story. There's a gorgeous spread of the Doctor rolling the dice at a Craps table which stands out as a favorite image.

The lowlight of the book is the Free Comic Day comic that's included. The story itself is kind of forgettable, but the tale is written with Clara narrating and it includes some of the most smug narration I've ever read and manages to capture what people like least about her.

Overall, though, this is a very solid collection and the Twelfth Doctor comic stories appear to have hit their stride.



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Book Review: Gotham Adventures, Volume 1

Batman: Gotham Adventures by Ty Templeton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Gotham Adventures is the third comic book series based on Batman: The Animated Series (following Batman Adventures and Batman and Robin Adventures.) This book collects Issues 1-6 of that series.

Issue 1: “With a Price on His Head:” The double length opener finds everyone in the city is gunning for the Joker as the father of one of his victims has put a $50 million price on the Joker’s head, leading to a public safety problem and Batman forced to hide the Joker: the one place the Joker will be safe: The Batcave. Overall, a bang up first issue that manages plenty of action, a bit of comedy, and a great moment of truth. Grade: A
Issue 2: “Lucky Day:” Two-face takes over a TV studio where one lucky winner is going to walk away a millionaire, though if Two-face has anything to say about it, he won’t walk away at all. The story tries to offer additional insight into Two-faces past, but it seems forced, as does the ending. Not a bad story, but a bit flawed. Grade: B-
Issue 3: “Just Another Day,”: A sequel to “I’ve Got Batman in My Basement,” with a Batman obsessed kid with Batman in his belfry. A little monotonous at the beginning, but had a very cute ending. Grade: B
Issue 4: “Claws,” Batman’s relationship with Cat-woman was not as friendly in the New Animated series as it was in Batman: TAS. This is the story of how their relationship changed. A solid character piece. Grade: B+
Issue 5: “Polar Opposites,” Mister Freeze is stuck as only a head but is given access to his body suit to pursue Grant Walker as part of a rescue attempt for one of Bruce Wayne’s scientists, accompanied by Night Wing and Batgirl. Why he even cares is a mystery that’s answered only at the end. Okay, but not all that engaging. Grade: B-
Issue 6: “Last Chance,” In a previous Batman series, Boston Brand appeared but didn’t die and become Deadman (the paranormal with the ability to take over the bodies of others. Instead, he became a gymnast who went by the name of Deadman and wore the costume because you always want to dress the part if you might want to become an avenging spirit of justice. Brand dies and hunts his killer. The story is lackluster with little for Batman to do and Deadman is pretty much brought to a complete end and the story feels dull and pointless. Grade: D+

Except for the last comic, the stories in the book are good reads with the first issue being a truly solid start. Overall, a good beginning with a few ups and downs.





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Book Review: Martian Manhunter, Volume 1: Epiphany

Martian Manhunter, Vol. 1: The Epiphany by Rob Williams

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


A good first issue or first collection should be very welcoming for new readers. It should be a good jumping on point. This is not a very good first collection.

The book is puzzling. It's trying to be mystifying, profound and mind-bending. Instead, the story is disorienting, and unpleasant. The book spends a lot of time focusing on the issue of What the Martian Manhunter is that the who is very quickly lost in the shuffle. Plot wise, the end of the book should have felt like a great cliffhanger that made me want to pre-order the next volume. Instead, this leaves me cold.

Overall, fails to give a good judgment to a great character and that's a shame.



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Book Review: What If? Classic Volume 7

What If? Classic, Vol. 7 by Peter Gillis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects Issues 40-42 and 44-47 of What If? The final issues of the classic What If? Series:

#40: What if Doctor Strange Had Never Become Master of the Mystic Arts?: I’m not really a Doctor Strange fan but I found this to be an interesting story. I understood the basics because of another Doctor Strange What If? This one sees Baron Mordo getting the honor from the Ancient One. The only complaint is that the Ancient One has to be incredibly dense to Mordo’s obvious evil to make this story work. Still, Strange gets involved in an interesting way at the end and this is a well-thought out yarn. Grade: B+
#41: What if the Submariner Saved Atlantis From its Destiny?-Examines what had happened if the Submariner had stayed in Atlantis and saved it. A good action story with a bit of a downbeat (and not too believable ending. Grade: B
#42: What if the Invisible Girl had died? A look at what would have happened if Sue Richards had died in childbirth? The story was emotional, though occasionally overwrought. As is often the case in What If, they like to test concepts that might cause Reed Richards’ machine-like thinking to give way to emotion and do a fair job here. It shows how important Sue is the Fantastic Four. Grade: A-
#43-Since most of the book was Conan (for whom Marvel no longer owns rights and therefore can’t reprint), we only have a back-up feature which has three Marvel characters (Doctor Strange, Silver Surfer, and Phoenix) flying around a blank page.. The story’s not horrible but it feels like a pointless filler piece. Grade: C
#44-What if Captain America were Not Revived until Today?- A similar theme has been explored a few times. What if Captain America remained frozen and an imposter had taken over for his own means. This isn’t the best take on that scenario but there are some interesting angles, but some odd choices as well. Grade: B
#45-What if the Incredible Hulk Went Berserk?: Short answer is that a lot of people die. The story is a little better than that pat answer but not by much. Grade: B-
#46-What if Spider-man’s Uncle Ben had lived?-A good premise that examines what would have happened had Aunt May and not Ben died at the hands of the burglar. The difference in character and approach leads to a different life for Peter Parker and Spider-man? Grade: QA
#47-What if Loki found the Hammer of Thor-The classic What If? Series comes to a conclusion with an Asgardian epic wherein Loki finds Thor’s hammer before Don Blake leading to disastrous consequences and a battle royale. Grade: B+

Overall, What If? was still a fine magazine at the end even if they were running a bit low on ideas.




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Book Review: Wonder Woman Archives, Vo

Wonder Woman Archives, Vol. 4 by William Moulton Marston

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects Golden Age Wonder Woman stories from January-August 1944 and includes Issues 25-32 of Sensation Comics and Wonder Woman #8 and #9.

The stories are not quite as epic as previous volumes but are still fairly enjoyable in their own right. The single shot stories in Sensation Comics are solid. The most interesting thing is that Wonder Woman decided lack of recreational activities was a problem so she decided to raise $1 billion to establish a National Recreation fund, and then promptly the next issue used to purchase a war bond because nothing says "fun" like a war bond. Actually the way its written, it seems like the idea of giving a war bond wasn't what Marston had in mind but that there were complaints about raising a billion dollars for recreation while there was a war going on-even if it's in a fictional world.

Issue 8 sees Wonder Woman encountering a female-dominated Atlantian society with evil queens and having to battle them. Issue 9 has a scientist who turns back Evolution and turns everyone into Caveman and then people getting to the machine to extend human development and the state of the world forward. It's an okay story.

Overall, Wonder Woman remains fun and well-written with as always a caution for some of the messages that went over the kid audiences head. It's not as good as the earlier volumes, but still a fairly solid installment.



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Book Review: Doctor Who: The Widow's Curse

Doctor Who: The Widow's Curse by Dan McDaid

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The Martha Jones and Donna Noble eras in Doctor Who Magazine are captured in this book Here's a breakdown story by story:

The Woman Who Sold the War: On an alien world, a former Prime Minister put the word in hawk to an evil corporation. It's a somewhat tedious story that tries to add twists but mostly fails to make anything appealing. Overall, somewhat of a dud to start. Grade: D

Bus Stop: A man on the bus encounters the Doctor in the middle of an adventure. It's a funny idea, though I think it's not enough to effectively fill a 10-page story. A 4-6 story for the Annual might have been better. As it is, it's padded. Grade: B-

The First: A lovely pseudo-historical that finds the Doctor and Martha travelling with the unsuccessful South Pole expedition of Ernest Shackleton. The story is well-written as the truth about the aliens is slowly revealed. Shackleton is a written as a strong three-dimensional character who is fleshed out quite well. This one was a joy to read. Grade: A

The Solar Shield: The Doctor and Martha land on a Solar where the crew's assignment guarantees death in five years. This one's a quick one where a shirt holds the key to saving everyone. Okay, but unremarkable Grade: B

Death to the Doctor: An amusing tale that finds enemies plotting the death of the Doctor as vengeance as a way to gain reputation. An amusing story with a funny twist .Grade: B+

Universal Monsters: A bit of an homage to the Universal Monster films of the 1940s and 50s.. The art style is a bit jarring, but I can understand what they're going for. Okay, but not that great. Grade: B

The Widow's Curse: The titular story is a bit of a sequel to a Tenth Doctor TV episode. It's all about vengeance. It's a fair tale with some interesting twists. Grade: B+

The Immortal Emperor: The Doctor and Donna arrive in ancient China where something very wrong is going on. This eight page story from the 2009 storybook would have done better being fleshed out in a longer story. Grade: B-

The Time of My Life: Donna Noble's time on television ended tragically and it seemed all too short, this was doubly true for the Magazine comics where she only appeared in one story prior to this story. This story gives a sampling of Donna stories that might have been, which are of mixed quality, but the stollllry concludes with an emotional sucker punch on the final page. Grade: B+

Overall, the book was okay. There was one story I loved, one I really didn't care for, and the rest I can take or not. This was a bit of a letdown from the two prior New Who collections



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Book Review: Showcase Presents Wonder Woman, Volume 2

Showcase Presents: Wonder Woman, Vol. 2 by Robert Kanigher

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book collects Wonder Woman Issues 118-137, covering 2 1/2 years of comics from November 1960-April 1963.

This was an odd era for Wonder Woman. In many ways, the writers seemed to be doing much of the same thing that writers of Superman were and interested in similar themes such as featuring adventures of Wonder Woman when she was a girl and introducing a grown up version of the boy who chased her in childhood, Merman and making him a rival to Steve Trevor as a kind of mirror of the whole Lana Lang-Lois Lane rivalry, though I found it a bit tedious.

The big challenge with all of this is that Superman had two comic books, plus one more for Lois Lane, another for Jimmy Olsen, and a feature for Superboy in Adventure Comnics . Wonder Woman had one comic book, so the books became increasingly filled with tales from Wonder Woman's past and romantic fights for her affection by Steve and Merman and less with actual modern day adventures.

Another feature was what was called "Impossible stories," in which Wonder Woman would team up with Wonder Girl and Wonder Tot along with Wonder Woman's mother Queen Hipolyata to fight some evil (usually the Multi-man). Of course, except for Wonder Woman's mother everyone else in the "Wonder Woman family" was really just Wonder Woman at different ages, something that made the book confusing though apparently they kept getting requests to do more of them. It's no wonder that Bob Haney thought Wonder Girl was a separate character when he was writing Teen Titans.

The stories are fun but a bit below what you get in the better comics. My favorite is a tribute to, "The Fifty Foot Woman," and there's also a handy story explaining all the phrases Wonder Woman uses. Handy. Overall, okay, but not all that spectacular.



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