Thursday 29 August 2013

Comic Book Reviews for 8/28/13

After over a year of teasing, the epic Trinity War story at DC Comics has come to an end, leading directly into next week's Forever Evil #1, the first event comic of the New 52. In addition, American Vampire returned this week in anthology form and Batman Incorporated lived on a new one-shot special.

At Marvel, the Thanos origin concluded in Thanos Rising alongside the big Hellfire Saga story in the pages of Wolverine and the X-Men.

Check out what the IGN All-Stars are doing in covering all of the latest indie comics on Comixology's Submit platform!

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DC COMICS

American Vampire Anthology #1

American-Vampire_Anthology_1-674x1024Written by Various | Art by Various

"The world and mythology of American Vampire lends itself well to the anthology model. At its heart, this is a classic vampire tale; one about love, darkness, power, and violence. The stories we get in the first collection capture that incredibly well. American Vampire has always been filled with a reverence for history, which is probably why a scattershot anthology that covers centuries of time works so well. This series has been gone for too long and left us with a fang-sized hole in our heart, so any time spent back in this bloody world is time well spent." -Ben

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Final Score:

8.6

Aquaman #23

Aquaman_23-665x1024Written by Geoff Johns | Art by Paul Pelletier

"The Death of a King arc has been full of political intrigue, mysteries within mysteries, and sea monsters, and now all of those waves come crashing together in a rousing conclusion. Geoff Johns has truly put the weight of the world (ocean?) on Aquaman’s shoulders, and in a rare feat for superhero comics, shows him making intense, irreversible decisions that affect both his character and the world around him. This issue is very much a cliffhanger -- the kind that would give Joss Whedon a fit -- but when the last page is this good, it’s hard to complain." -Joshua

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Final Score:

9.2

Batman: The Dark Knight #23

Batman_The-Dark-Knight_23-674x1024Written by Gregg Hurwitz | Art by Alex Maleev

"As a series, Batman: The Dark Knight has had a rough time. To be frank, it hasn't been very good. This latest Clayface arc looks to reverse that trend and, so far, it's doing a pretty good job. It keeps the dark, horror feel of the series but ramps things up a bit without dumbing it down. This is probably the best and most interesting Batman: The Dark Knight has been since, well, ever. It's actually a pretty good comic book." -Ben

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Final Score:

7.8

Batman Incorporated Special #1

Batman_Incorporated_Special_1-674x1024Written by Various | Art by Various

"Given how little the international heroes of Batman Incorporated have appeared outside of this series in the New 52, it was all but certain that the organization would be folding once Grant Morrison wrapped up his run. But if anything, the Batman Incorporated Special suggests that there could have been a future for the series beyond Morrison. This issue doesn't really add anything to Morrison's saga, but it provides a fun spotlight for these characters." -Jesse

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Final Score:

8.2

Batman/Superman #3

BMSM_Cv3_dsWritten by Greg Pak | Art by Jae Lee & Yildiray Cinar

"The newly relaunched Batman/Superman title has been a welcome diversion from the normal New 52 books. This series feels like it's in its own little corner, free to tell the stories it wants and have some fun while it's doing it. Plus, thanks to the world jumping and time shifting of the previous issues, we get two Supermans and two Batmans in this book. Throw in Wonder Woman, Lois Lane, and some little kid Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne, and you'll have a big, adventurous comic that's a damn fine read." -Ben

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Final Score:

7.2

Catwoman #23

Catwoman_23-674x1024Written by Ann Nocenti & Scott McDaniel | Art by Rafa Sandoval

"In Catwoman #23, writer Ann Nocenti continues the bizarre journey into Gotham's underworld that started in last month's issue. This time around, Nocenti is joined by co-plotter Scott McDaniel, who handled the issue's breakdowns while Nocenti dealt with the script. It's a testament to how off the rails this series has been when a book that's still head-scratchingly bizarre feels miles more coherent than the last one. Nocenti hasn't simply led us down the rabbit hole into the underground society beneath Gotham's streets. She's tied our hands behind our backs and shoved us over the edge." -Melissa

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Final Score:

6.0

The Flash #23

The-Flash_23_FullWritten by Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato | Art by Francis Manapul

"It's been a long road to this revelation, but in The Flash #23, written by series co-writers Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato, we finally learn who's behind the Reverse Flash's mask. Manapul and Buccellato have made a habit of the slow reveal, and in the fashion we've come to expect, they only pull back the curtain so far. By the issue's end, we're still left wondering why certain events have played out the way they have. The plot may be thickening at a slightly slower pace than normal, but it's nice to see that events are being given ample room to breathe." -Melissa

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Final Score:

8.7

Justice League #23

Justice-League_23_Full-665x1024Written by Geoff Johns | Art by Ivan Reis

"Event comics often fail because they're more concerned with setting up a new status quo and changing the playing field than simply allowing readers to savor the high stakes and epic nature of the conflict at hand. Trinity War may well emerge as the new poster child for everything wrong with that approach. In the end, Trinity War becomes little more than a stepping stone towards Forever Evil. The result is that Justice League #23 is an almost wholly unfulfilling 'finale' issue." -Jesse

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Final Score:

6.0

Larfleeze #3

Larfleeze_3-665x1024Written by J.M DeMatteis & Keith Giffen | Art by Scott Kolins

"Larfleeze continues to distance itself from the other Lantern books with its wacky plot and humorous self-awareness. Despite his silly quirks, the character was initially introduced with a fair bit of seriousness -- remember those haunting Agent Orange covers? -- but Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis have abandoned that and fully embraced the funny aspects of the character. Yet even though it’s full of fun and games, there’s still a strong narrative at its foundation." -Joshua

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Final Score:

8.5

Red Lanterns #23

Red-Lanterns_23-665x1024Written by Charles Soule | Art by Alessandro Vitti & Jim Calafiore

"Capping off his first issue of Red Lanterns by having Guy Gardner mortally wound Atrocitus and steal his ring was a bold start for Charles Soule. And it was just the sort of spark this series needed. That's why it's been slightly disappointing to see the ensuing two issues back down from that status quo shift a bit. The series is still obviously in capable hands, but it's not taking advantage of that newfound momentum." -Jesse

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Final Score:

7.5

Superman #23

Superman_23_FullWritten by Mike Johnson | Art by Jesus Merino

"It doesn’t take the award winning reporting skills of Lois Lane to see that a new writer has taken over Superman. It’s Mike Johnson, who used to write Supergirl. I've enjoyed that title, so that already gives Superman the potential for an upswing. While reading this issue, it was like I could feel the world of Superman shaking beneath my feet, terraforming into something new and coherent and likable. It’s far too early to say this is the new All-Star Superman or anything like that, but it’s definitely a well-crafted, accessible story that sets Superman’s house in order." -Joshua

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Final Score:

7.8

Tom Strong and the Planet of Peril #2

Tom-Strong-and-the-Planet-of-Peril_2_FullWritten by Peter Hogan | Art by Chris Sprouse

"Tom Strong and the Planet of Peril is just solid comic booking. Every aspect of it, the writing, the art, the lettering, the colors, all of it is great. The second issue of this series throws you into a planet-wide adventure, an entire world hanging in the balance. Seriously, I can't help but eat this stuff up. Tom Strong is great, guys. That is all." -Ben

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Final Score:

9.2


Source : ign[dot]com

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