Four Quick Comic Reviews

It's been a very busy October in 2012 but I did manage to read a couple comics during that time. Here are some very quick thoughts:

Batman #13 (Wed. Oct. 10th)

This book debuts the Death of the Family twenty-three book mega-series involving the Joker and had already sold out when I arrived at my local shop on Wednesday. Because of this, I was only able to read it Sunday. Before that however, my friend (via email) remarked: "Now THIS is Batman, AND the Joker. Haven't been this excited for a comic in a long time."

DC Comics' Batman #13 (December 2012) Writen by Scott Snyder with art by Greg Capullo with secondary story by Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV with art by Jock
PRICE: $3.99

'Fear' is a major theme in Batman #13

Wow, was he right. This is Batman at his best and Death should be outstanding. Snyder is once again at the top of his game and I have to say he has the voice of the Joker down(,) Pat. Likewise, Greg Capullo draws Bats and the Joker magnificently but the end story involving the Joker and Harley Quinn co-written by Snyder and James Tynion IV with art by Jock was simply outstanding. I don't recall the Joker ever looking as maniacal as he was portrayed here. 4.5/5 STARS 

Daredevil: End of Days #1 (Wed. Oct. 3rd)

While I've never been the biggest of Daredevil fans, I picked up this issue after listening to the podcast circuit. Like the title reveals, this is a stand alone series about the death of the title character and can be enjoyed with minimal knowledge of him. 

Marvel's Daredevil: End of Days (December 2012) Writing by Brian Michael Bendis & David Mack with pencil by Klaus Janson and finished art & paintings Bill Sienkiewicz 
PRICE $3.99

It's a violent comic and has a great story too.

Written by Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack, it’s a good first episode that's very busy and totally gives you your money's worth. For example, one two page combination had 17 panels, making the artwork the true strength of this book. Veteran artists Klaus Janson and Bill Sienkiewicz bring a gritty nastiness to Daredevil`s demise and it's really something to see. The 'final' battle with Kingpin was especially well drawn. 4/5 STARS 

Green Lantern #13 (Wed. Oct. 3rd)

Unfortunately, I found this comic to be the weakest of the four I'm reviewing here. It's unfortunate because I really wanted to see the first Arab-American super-hero take the world by storm and do his part to bring an increased diversity to the DCU. So although GL #13 helped further establish Simon Baz in the larger Lantern universe, it really was a so-so comic besides that and there really isn't much more to say about it. That said, I'm sure it will lead to something good in the Rise of the Third Army storyline -- but until that time we'll have to wait. 3/5 STARS

DC Comics' Green Lantern #13 (December 2012) Written by Geoff Johns with pencils by Doug Mahnke & inks by Christian Alamy 
PRICE: $2.99

Fantastic Four #611 (Wed. Oct. 10th)

My last review marks the end of two eras: the first being the end of a comic book run that goes back to 1961, and the second being the end of Jonathan Hickman’s run that goes back to 2009. 

Marvel's Fantastic Four #611 (December 2012) Writing by Jonathan Hickman with art by Ryan Stegman 
PRICE: $2.99

Ryan Stegman's art, while a little too cartoony in places, is outstanding in others. The above two images demonstrate the latter.

Now, I'm not going to say Hickman's ranks up there with the original Lee/Kirby run: that one is legendary and was a turning point for our medium. But his run was for lack of a better word fantastic. I especially enjoyed all the time-travel and family themes that it contained throughout and #611 did a good job wrapping up volume #1 nicely. Ryan Stegman's art for the most part was great and had in many places an eerily enjoyable quality to it. That said, the best part of this book was the message Hickman had for readers on the final Fantastic Four Fan Page. In it he touched upon why he used LOVE, the most important of all family attributes, to tie his stories together: which is what he did. Well done, Jonathan. 4.5/STARS