Yeah, sure. Just make a liar out of me why don´t cha ?

Yesterday morning I posted that I would not have any time to write entries in the next few weeks so just to make me look bad today I have plenty of time on the computer. So I decided to get to the reviews right away. Like always I try not to spoil anything and just comment on the important stuff, like, what was good and what turned me off.

SENTRY 8

Well, this was the final issue and I´m not that thrilled. Maybe that´s because the relevation of the big secret was not what I expected. I mean I just read the first original miniseries and this last one. So maybe it makes more sense if you read all three parts. I just have the feling that every time I read a SENTRY miniseries there is still more lying under the surface I didn´t get and the really big secret is not revealed yet. Don´t know if this is good writing or bad writing. I just know that the real Status Quo never changes in Sentry. At the end of the first one it was like at the beginning - nobody knew who he was. And the end of this one was no big turning point for me.

The positive things about the series was the art by John Romita Jr. who never disappoints ( can´t wait for his work on ETERNALS with Neil Gaiman ) and the single issues. I know that sounds weird but although I didn´t like the resolution I found the single issues entertaining, intriguing and they were always throwing curve balls at the reader when nobody was expecting it. So, all in all, it was a good read.

BLACK PANTHER 15

I´m not so sure storywise. The art by Scott Eaton is tight but I just don´t know what to think about the wedding between T´challa and Ororo. Is it just stereotype that two afroamerican people get married ? Or is it just reality ? The story itself was just a prologue to the big event so not much happened.

WARLORD 3

Nothing much to add after what I said about last issue. The more I read of this the more I want to read the old series by Mike Grell. The story is kind of intruiging but sometimes the art is just too confusing for me. In the second issue did the sword just pass through Travis Morgan or did he just avoid it ? Here is a link to a preview if you want to check it out

AMAZING SPIDERMAN 531

The second part of the ROAD TO CIVIL WAR. Some unexpected twists here and there but because of civil war we already know how how the hearing turns out. The art didn`t do much for me. Just an in-between issue for the big event again.

FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDERMAN 6 & 7

Okay, I´m including the links to previews for issues 5 to 8. And I have to say : I´m just too stupid to check out my own preview links. If I had done that I wouldn´t have bought issues 6 and 7 of friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Because I´m not a big Peter David fan. I know that he can be a great writer but for every SPIDER-Man 2099 or X-FACTOR there is a SUPERGIRL or YOUNG JUSTICE. So it´s mostly hit or miss with me.

When I was at the comic shop a few months ago I got hold of issue 5 and was really surprised. THIS should have been the first issue of the series. Just skipping the whole THE OTHER crossover ( because nobody likes a series that starts with the reader having to buy other series to read it ) and beginnig with issue 5. It`s a wonderful story and...it´s a standalone issue. Yep, that´s right, there should be more standalone issues in comics. So I was willing to give the series a chance but what really got me hooked was the art by Mike Wieringo.

So because I forgot to check out the previews to issues 6 and 7 I didn´t know that Roger Cruz is drawing them. Normally I would have skipped them so I don´t know if I didn´t like the book because I was miffed that Mike Wieringo didn´t draw it or because the story didn´t grab me that much. Thankfully Mike Wieringo is back with issue 8 so for the moment I will keep reading the series.

Issue 5 / Issue 6 / Issue 7 / Issue 8

SHAMAN´S TEARS 4 & 5 ( 0,37 cents ) 6 & 7 ( 0,28 cents )

I know what you´re thinking : what the f??*'§$%% ? This is like old comic history but I never really looked at the issues. It was image, I wasn´t soo interested in the art of Mike Grell so it just came out when i wasn´t interested. But I was thinking about getting the SABLE trades because I never read the series and now they come out in nice collections. So I went to Mike´s website and when I was looking at all the nice art I thought : Wow, why did I ever stop looking for his stuff ?

So when I found four issues of SHAMAN´S TEARS for under 50 cents I just had to check them out because my comic shop doesn´t have a 50 cent bin and the only chance for me to get comics for 1 EURO or 50 cents is at comic conventions. So I read the four issues ( the last three even had Jon Sable in it ) and they weren´t that bad as I expected. Right, they came out at Image but the story was not so bad.

The issues of bio engeneering ( which now has been done to death but maybe was rather new at the time the issues came out ) and the indian culture are done interesting without the usual preaching comics sometime do. It is kind of weird that the main character is a wildlife inspector but then again - why not ? There were some gory parts in it ( and it seems I missed some nudity ) but here in Europe I´ve seen heavier stuff. Overall I liked the series especially the long letters page.

So at the Stuttgart comic fair I will be looking for more SHAMAN´S TEARS in the 50 cent bins and the SABLE trades. I think there even was an IRON MAN storyline by Mike Grell which was collected into a trade. This time there is no preview ( I don´t know if there was internet when shaman came out ) but here is a link to the official Mike Grell website

THE THING 5 & 6 ( by Kieron Dwyer )

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite series. Storywise thing 5 nad six are a two part story about Ben trying to give back something to the old neighborhood he grew up in. The art by Kieron Dwyer was not soo distracting for me because I always liked his art since the Captain America issues he did when Johnny Walker ( or was it Jack Daniels ? I wonder who came up with the names and what his alcohol level was ) tried to replace him.

This is a book that deserves more readers. Come on guys, I want to read the big poker game issue. Don´t you ?

BLOOD OF THE DEMON 14

Okay, I admit it. I´m one of those guys who reads comics by John Byrne. I was a little surprised by that myself but it all started with me gettimg the reprints of MAN OF STEEL and FANTASTIC FOUR by John Byrne. When I heard that there was a JLA stroyarc from Chris Claremont and John Byrne involving a new DOOM PATROL team I just knew it was the prologue for the new series ( I was so surprised that most german readers never made the connection ) so I got it with my JLA subscription. Later on I saw some issues of DOOM PATROL at may comic shop so I read those and always wanted to know what happened next. And isn´t that the main criteria for a comic ? Do you want to know what happens in the next issue ? So when more stuff from John Byrne came out in ACTION COMICS and BLOOD OF THE DEMON I just added it to my pull list. Sadly Action and Doom Patrol have ended but Blood is still going on for four more issues. So far the series has been always entertaining and John Byrne can still draw perspectives and skyscrapes like nobodys business. I wonder how everything gets resolved. Just how many demons are there now running around after one year later ?

Some previews for John Byrne stuff

Doom Patrol 4 / Doom Patrol 10 / Doom Patrol 18

Demon 1 / Demon 2 / Demon 3 / Demon 4 / Demon 7

Action 828 / Action 829 / Action 830 / Action 831 / Action 832

ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR 29

Well, I wanted to keep this issue for later but since my brother already spoilered it I thought : What the heck. The story is one of the better time travel stories but what really compelled me to try the series was the fantastic art by Greg Land. I knew of his comic work but never became an admirer till he started SOJOURN for the sadly extinct CrossGen. While you may say what you want about CrossGen and the reasons why it failed there is no denying that many artists careers really took of when they were there : Paul Pelletier, Steve Epting, Karl Moline or....Greg Land.

After the PHOENIX ENDSONG mini and his work on ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR I just hope Greg Land stays a little longer on his next series. I read that coming next issue Pascual Ferry will be taking over the art chores so I will definitely check thoes issues out to see what´s in store. I really liked the ultimated versions of old Marvel characters and can´t wait to see what´s up with Dr.Doom and the zombie versions of the FF.

VILLAINS UNITED INFINITE CRISIS SPECIAL

A INFINITE CRISIS tie in that really shakes up the status quo of the villains in the DCU. Interesting side the Secret Six take in this confrontation I just wonder what will happen in the new mini. I hope the art team stays the same as they sadly changed artists for the Shadowpact ongoing. I just hope Detective Chimp has lots of stage time. Wouldn´t you just love to read a DETECTIVE CHIMP COMICS starring Robin and drawn by Arthur Adams ? I tell you the sales on that comic....well, maybe it´s just me.

SGT ROCK - THE PROPHECY 4

I never was a big Joe Kubert fan till he made a quick drawing for me at a comic convention in Erlangen that looked just terrific without any sketchwork first.

No construction lines just doing the picture with every line going where it is supposed to go.

While the art on the graphic novel he did with Brian Azzarello looked a little raw and crude here he is at his best. One of the great comic pioneers and he still has it going on.


Issue 1 / Issue 2 / Issue 3 / Issue 4

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