Comics

Samurai Jack #10

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Samurai Jack #10Constantly defeated by Samurai Jack‘s prowess in battle, Aku decides to change tactics and attack the samurai’s mind in the latest issue of the IDW series. Taking various forms and disrupting Jack’s childhood memories, at first Aku wins several small victories, but the master of shape shifting darkness soon finds out just how mentally strong his adversary is as well.

The story from writer Jim Zub focuses on the mental strength of the time-displaced hero offering several moments of levity once Samurai Jack’s unconscious begins fighting back against Aku’s attempts to destroy the samurai’s mind.

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Transformers vs. G.I. JOE #1

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Transformers vs. G.I. JOE #1By any definition Transformers vs. G.I. JOE #1 is a mess – one hell of a god awful mess. Written by Tom Scioli the story (such as it is) is a non-linear attempt to throw in as many characters from both franchises into a single comic without any attempt at all to create plot to tie the various panels together. Jumping wildly from one set of characters to another the comic reads like a giant finger to actual storytelling or some kind of poorly designed logic puzzle the creator actually needs your help to solve. In fact the comic makes so little sense IDW felt the need to include writer’s notes for every single page (taking up far too many pages of a $4 comic book) in an attempt to explain what the hell is going on.

If the story is crap the visuals aren’t that much better. Although I don’t have an issue with John Barber’s nostalgic throwback-style art of some of my favorite characters from both franchisees, I was very much distracted by the attempt to make the comic look like faded newsprint of an 80s comic on glossy current comic stock. The attempt to make the comic feel vintage actually makes it look incredibly cheap and (even more) half-assed. Pass.

[IDW, $3.99]

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten #5

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten #5Season Ten’s opening arc comes to a close as Buffy and the Scoobies fight Maloker (the Old One responsible for creating vampires) who has taken over Dracula‘s body. With the help of a very tall building and giant-sized Dawn, Buffy is able to halt the demon’s rise, but it takes Xander‘s quick thinking to truly save the day.

The conclusion of “New Rules” resets Xander’s odd relationship with Dracula while also forcing the Scoobie’s one-eyed member into finally dealing with his relationship with Dawn the fallout of which leaves them both bruised but ultimately better off (at least for the time being).

The main takeaway from the arc (featuring the co-writing duties of Buffy star Nicholas Brendon), other than getting to see Xander and Dracula back together again, is the importance of the Vampyr tome which now controls the mutable laws of magic and which Buffy can trust no one but herself and her friends to keep safe. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $3.50]

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures #13

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures #13The latest issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures offers a pair of strong stories highlighting individual characters while also including the final chapter of the origins of the LEGO Turtles who face and defeat the Shredder.

In the opening story April puts both her smarts and ninja training to work when attending a school field trip at the zoo where she discovers the Kraang have plans to mutate all the animals into their new mutant army. Alerting the Turtles, but unable to wait for their arrival, April proves capable of dealing with the situation on her own earning the praise of the team.

The other story included features an injured Raphael ignoring Splinter‘s repeated orders to rest his shoulder. It takes Raph getting buried alive while taking on some leftover Mousers for the Turtle to finally learn his lesson. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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Batman ’66 #13

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Batman '66 #13Collecting two rather than the usual three issues of the digital series (meaning there’s no back-up story following the two-part tale this month), Batman ’66 #13 features the Dynamic Duo taking on on Hollywood when a dark and grim television show begins depicting the Dark Knight Detective in a way that begins to affect how both criminals and law-abiding citizens view Batman and Robin.

Reversing the idea of the 60s television show helping to lighten-up Batman (with the help of the Comics Code) from his grimmer roots, the story has a certain flair although I don’t expect “Bat-Business” to actually catch on as a favorite catch phrase. The first-half of the story works better me than the wrap-up as the Hollywood producer turns out to be your typical Batman villain (attempting to kill the Dynamic Duo live on-camera).

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