Comics

Winter Soldier #4

/ / Comics

winter-soldier-4-coverAfter convincing Victor von Doom that he’s not there to assassinate the Latverian dictator, Bucky and Doom set off the the United Nations where Lucia Von Bardas has unleashed her Doombot and one of the Soviet Super-Soldiers for part one of her nefarious plan.

Although the unlikely pair of Doctor Doom and the Winter Soldier are able to control the situation and the amount of damage the Doombot and Arkady are able to do at the UN, neither are happy to learn from the dying Soviet that this is only step one of Von Bardas’ revenge.

As Bucky and Doom shoot up the UN the Black Widow works to track down the Red Ghost’s and his machine gun totting, jetpack wearing, gorilla soldiers who (given the cover of next month’s cover) we should be seeing more of very soon. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Batman and Robin #8

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batman-and-robin-new-52-8-coverI really enjoyed the last issue of Batman and Robin but was put-off by the final panel which saw a tortured Damian kill Nobody in front of Batman. I was skeptical as to how this event would play out, but I have to admit Peter J. Tomasi gives us a thoughtful follow-up that includes a frank, and loving, conversation between estranged father and son that should lead to a fresh start for Batman and Robin.

The issues is definitely light on action but character is brought to the forefront as Batman and Damian lick their wounds and discuss Batman’s desire for deadly vengeance and his promise to his parents to never let that happen.

The issue doesn’t ignore Damian’s actions from last issue, but it also doesn’t condemn him for it (as I expected it to do, further driving a wedge between the two). Instead Bruce uses the opportunity as a lesson for his son to move both of them forward. By the end of the issue we’re given a Batman and Robin I really want to see more of, and that’s really all you can ask. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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Daredevil #10.1

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daredevil-10-1-coverI dislike zero issues. Even more so I dislike the idea of Marvel’s .1 issues, and yet somehow the House of Ideas has gotten me to shell out money for both over seven days. Honestly, other than Moon Knight (a book going away far too soon), I can’t imagine I’d have picked up another .1 issue. But this is Mark Waid’s Daredevil, and (as I expected) I got my money’s worth.

Most of the comic deals with Matt Murdock visiting Pyromania who, much to Murdock’s amusement, embellishes the tale of how Daredevil took him down before attempting to use the lawyer as a hostage to get out of prison. By the time the guards arrive Murdock is unharmed and unaware of how the super-villain ended up beaten to a pulp on the floor of the conference room.

The issue also moves forward the Omegadrive storyline (far more so than the last few regularly numbered issues) as Daredevil uses the device to burn Black Spectre for sending the Black Cat to steal it.

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Stormwatch #8

/ / Comics

In the last two issues the new team of writer Paul Jenkins and artist Ignacio Calero have breathed some new life into one of DC’s most inconsistent titles. Next month writer Peter Milligan takes over the writing duties and it seems the art will alternate bewteen Calero and original (and unimpressive) title artist Miguel A Sepulveda. For now, however, we get one pretty good story that pits the Stormwatch team against the Gravity Miners and two of the team’s most dangerous members against each other.

I actually liked the scenes between Jenny Quatum and Midnighter, you know, before he tried to kill her and all. Although the logic of the Midnighter’s turn works okay, it’s not sold as well as I’d like and something this big (we’ve already had one traitor on the team) should have been foreshadowed. That said, I’m curious to see what the New 52’s view of a pissed off pre-teen Spirit of the 21st Century might look like.

The comic’s still rough in a several areas, but I like how Jenkins used the characters over the past two issues (with exception of another decidedly insipid Jack Hawksmoor subplot). Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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Fairest #2

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After awaking Sleeping Beauty with true love’s kiss (without the love part) the thief and princess (along with their impish friend Jonah Panghammer) find themselves on the run from the reawakened Snow Queen. As Briar Rose and Ali Baba find themselves fleeing into the cold wilderness before the Snow Queen tires of torturing the goblins who held her sleeping body captive and turns her righteous anger their way.

After being captured by Ice Giants and thrown into a sack to be taken back to the Snow Queen the unlikely threesome pass the time as Panghammer tells them the story of the Snow Queen. Well, that is until they find themselves dumped unceremoniously at her feet wanting to hear the end of the tale.

Issue #2 continues to impress, and start to give us a little more insight into Briar and the Snow Queen, but it looks like we’ll have to wait at least one more issue of this opening six-issue arc before we get any real answers. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

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