EA's Weekly Comic Book Reviews - Week 13

[Everlost_MI]

Welcome to week thirteen of Evil Avatar’s Weekly Comic Book Reviews.

The Evil Avatar’s Comic Book Review Weekly giveaway for week thirteen is Green Lantern #1 courtesy of BCBcomics (http://www.bcbcomics.com/). The deadline for entry submissions for week thirteen is Sunday, June 5th. The selection of the random winner for the June books will occur on Sunday June 26th.

Since there is no way I can review all the books that come out every week, I’ve added a section entitled “What else is worth reading this week” to the end of the reviews. These books in my opinion are worth your time and money in reading.

Remember, these are NOT spoiler-free reviews.

This week's reviews are Green Lantern #1, New X-Men: Hellions #1 and Secret War: From The Files Of Nick Fury one-shot.

http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/comics/gl2-001a.jpg http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/comics/nxmen-hell001.jpg http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/comics/sec-war-fonf.jpg

[Everlost_MI]

Week Thirteen:

Green Lantern #1 (An ongoing series)

Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Carlos Pacheco & Ethan Van Sciver
Inks: Jesus Merino & Ethan Van Sciver
Colors: Moose Baumann
Letters: Rob Leigh
Cover Artists: Carlos Pacheco & Jesus Merino
Editor: Peter Tomasi
Price: $3.50 US/$4.75 CAN


No one stays dead forever in either of the major superhero universes, whether it’s Jean Grey/Phoenix from Marvel or in this case, Green Lantern from DC. I’ll spare you the whole story of Hal Jordan’s fall from grace and his subsequent redemption, but the whole story can be read here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Lantern).

This story picks up with Hal Jordan trying to rebuild his life as a pilot and Green Lantern while living in the newly rebuilt Coast City, which is a ghost town that no one wants to live in since the original was wiped out during the Death of Superman story arc. Geoff Johns does a decent job of trying to get long time and recent readers of Green Lantern up to speed on the origin of the character, while humanizing him with family ties and a new potential love interest. It’s a nice touch by Johns to use Jordan’s internal dialogue to comment on the blonde test pilot being a weakness to him. In the past, yellow was the one weakness that Green Lantern rings could not over come, evidently that has been resolved. According to this issue, the impurity that affected the rings from being effective against yellow is trapped back in the battery, however now all the Green Lanterns now know what the impurity is and how to defeat it. Uh, ok. Still not a solid explanation for first time readers like myself, but I am sure someone can explain it to me or in subsequent issues it will be further explained. All in all, the issue gave enough to whet one’s interest in seeing where the marauding alien subplot and Hal Jordan’s new life end up. Carlos Pacheco and Ethan Van Sciver provide excellent artwork that accentuates Johns’ pacing, dialogue and characterization resulting in an enjoyable issue. Of note, the coloring by Moose Baumann really brings a great level of vibrancy to the Green Lantern action sequences.

Bottom Line:
This is a decent sci-fi superhero story that has a nice human touch to it, but keep in mind this issue runs for $3.50. However, if you’re a Green Lantern fan and have been just itching for Hal Jordan to come back to the fold then this issue is for you.

8/10

http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/comics/gl2-001a.jpg

New X-Men: Hellions #1 of 4

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writers: Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir
Pencils: Clayton Henry
Inks: Mark Morales
Colors: Wil Quintana
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Cover artists: Clayton Henry & Mark Morales
Editor: Mike Marts
Price: $2.99 US/$4.25 CAN

This miniseries spotlights the top group of X-Men students that have been grouped together under the squad name of Hellions with Emma Frost, the White Queen, as their advisor. In the past, Emma Frost was part of the Hellfire club and ran the Massachusetts Academy, which was another school for mutants on the exact opposite moral and ethical end of Xavier’s. Her students became a super villain team dubbed the Hellions and often fought the Xavier’s students. Whether history will repeat itself or not, is yet to be seen. In any case, a smug telekinetic teenager, named Julian Keller, a.k.a. Hellion, leads this new group of Hellions and with summer vacation on the horizon he offers to take his team to his parents’ mansion in California for some R&R. However, after an incident in the airport that causes embarrassment and the public revelation of Keller’s powers, his parents decide to cut him out of his inheritance. Keller is unhappy about this turn of events decides with the help of the other Hellions to discover how his parents became suddenly rich. They find a hidden ancient scroll with a spell to invoke the Kingmaker and decide to dabble with the same ”ouija board.” By the next morning, the team dismisses their actions since no immediate results occurred. However as the issue ends, the doorbell rings with the Kingmaker himself standing in the doorway making the offer of granting one wish per person.

Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir do a decent job of introducing each team member and showing by dialogue and characterization that they have the potential of being interesting characters. However, the portrayal of Keller doesn’t leave the reader with much sympathy for his dilemma and the plot itself is rather weak. The artwork and layouts by Clayton Henry and Mark Morales is actually well done and adds to the tension during the various dialogue scenes and a touch of adrenaline to the action sequences.


Bottom Line:
This is a superhero book that was light on the action sequences but it gave a decent amount of characterization while setting up a nice basis for the rest of the series. Is it worth $2.99 if you’re not collecting ever New X-Men issue under the Sun? I’d say no.

5/10

http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/comics/nxmen-hell001.jpg

Secret War: From The Files of Nick Fury (One-shot)

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Mike Raicht
Painter & Cover Artist: Gabriele Dell’otto
Editor: Jeff Youngquist
Price: $3.99 US/$5.75 CAN

Ugh. Do NOT make the same mistake I did and buy this issue. I had my local comic book store pull the Secret War series for me, and since this fell under the Secret War banner it got pulled. This is a filler issue since the artist, Gabriele Dell’otto, is seriously behind in his work. All this issue contains is reused artwork and various bits of information from S.H.I.E.L.D. files that contain the power levels and history of the various involved superheroes. The same information one could gleam from the main Secret War story or other issues that involve these superheroes. As the reader you get to see why Nick Fury did or didn’t choose the heroes for the Secret War AND you get to read the dialogue in transcription form between various characters. So…that’s worth $3.99?

Don’t get me wrong; if this were as cool as the Marvel Universe A-Z series that came out years ago, it would be very interesting. But this was just a way to keep interest in a title that is so late I doubt anyone really cares what happens. I take that back, if you’re reading the Pulse you would care as it’s slowing down those issues from coming out. And to add insult to injury the Pulse is also retelling part of the Secret War story in it.

Bottom Line:
Run away! Run away! This is not worth a penny, let alone $3.99.

0/10

http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/comics/sec-war-fonf.jpg

What else is worth reading this week…
· Sleeper Vol. 2 #12, the end of a great series.
· Ultimates Vol. 2 #6, say hello to the Ultimate Defenders!

Thanks to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/) for the Green Lantern history link. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Lantern)

Remember, these books as well as back issues, trade paperbacks, toys and statues are available at BCBcomics (http://www.bcbcomics.com/).

The Evil Avatar’s Comic Book Review Weekly giveaway for week thirteen is Green Lantern #1 courtesy of BCBcomics (http://www.bcbcomics.com/). The deadline for week nine entry submissions is Sunday, June 5th. Click here (everlost_mi@evilavatar.com) to submit your entry and don’t forget to include your Evil Avatar screenname.

[Rommel]

There was a good chunk of time that Green Lantern was the absolute best super hero solo comic on the market. Hal Jordan's fall from grace and the turbulant rise and life of Kyle Raynor were brilliantly written and remarkably refreshing.

[Deadend]

Uhhh... What happend to Kyle Raynor?

Why is Hal Jordan back anyways?

Aghhh... I just don't care.

[Moatman]

Major Green Lantern Spoilers(for return of hal):


During Green Lantern Rebirth, it was revealed that Hal didn't go crazy and bad on his own, he was being controlled by an Ancient entity(as old or older than the guardians) named Parallax that the guardians trapped long ago in the power battery on Oa so it wouldn't escape. Parallax is yellow, so they say that's where the yellow impurity in the pre-kyle rings came from(and they also have it again now, but also have a way around it...) and it was the only way the guardians could deal with the beast. Sinestro managed to get hal to go into the battery and get infected by parallax and that's how it got out and went kinda crazy, not a bad story.

So Hal was never bad on his own, he was being controlled, so with most people it's "all is well" again(besides Batman...but current batman is pretty much a jerk) Now all of the power rings are again linked to the battery and have the old rules(like the yellow thing, the recharging daily with a power battery, and the oath) plus they are under the watchful eye of the guardians again(now with women guardians...thanks ion!) They are going to reform the corps again, but with 7200 members instead of 3600 this time, and it seems like every former earth-sector green lantern is back again in one role or another. Kyle is in deep space doing stuff for the guardians, Killowogg is a trainer/leader for them, Guy Gardner is kind of the black-ops team(roughguy stuff), I think Hal is the earth-sector or earth gl, not sure where John Stewart is though. Another thing they have going on now is that each ring has unique properties, based on the owner(Killowogg's makes noise, Guy's sparkles, John draws things from the inside out and his constructs have innerworkings, and kyle's is basically like he's drawing everything and has to make them perfect...)

All in all, pretty fun stuff and I am glad the green lantern corps is back, I just wish Kyle got a bit more credit in all he's done in helping to ensure the return of it all, he's taking orders from Killowogg now...

[Rommel]

Sinestro managed to get hal to go into the battery and get infected by parallax and that's how it got out and went kinda crazy, not a bad story.

Hal killed a number of lantern corps members before he went in that battery, so that would certainly be revisionist history.

besides Batman...but current batman is pretty much a jerk

Is Bruce no longer Batman, or was there a change in his personality I didn't know about? Hal killed a ton of people directly and indirectly, most of them corps members, and nearly destroyed the universe. If anyone is wondering how he did so, remember that he defeated the entire JLA with ease - and beat Superman within a few panels. To my knowledge, he did so quicker than anyone in history. Wouldn't a story of redemption be better than a "Hey! Hal's back..." explanation anyway?

I just wish Kyle got a bit more credit in all he's done in helping to ensure the return of it all, he's taking orders from Killowogg now...

People complained Kyle wasn't worthy to be a Green Lantern. I found him to be the best example of a man thrust into hard circumstances in the DC superhero universe. He finds a ring, has benefactors and enemies that he doesn't understand and has his girlfriend snapped in two and shoved into a refridgerator. He is clearly the most human of the bunch. The great part about Kyle was he never wanted to be a super hero, he just wanted a normal life and found himself having to choose to ignore the problems of the world or risk his life to deal with him. In case thast sounds familiar, it is the reason why Spiderman makes such great movies. Anyone can write a tale of Mr. Perfect.

[lpmiller]

Hal killed a number of lantern corps members before he went in that battery, so that would certainly be revisionist history.


Uh, no, not that time. The time before, sometime during Mosaic I believe.

[Adewade]

Anyone can write a tale of Mr. Perfect.

Yeah, but it's nigh-impossible to make them good.

*cough* Vin Deisel/Ahnold/Seagal/etc. *cough*

[Rommel]

Yeah, but it's nigh-impossible to make them good.

Thats why Superman is not a big seller, unless they are busy killing, cloning or raping him.

[mister_slim]

Maybe that issue of Nick Fury: Whatever sucks, but it should still get 1 point. Why? Because the cover is actually nice. Both of the other books reviewed have really tired, cliched covers but the Nick Fury one is not overcolored and poorly composed, but somehow still attracts the eye.

I'm still not going to buy any of them though...

[MosBen]

Ipmiller: I'm not up on my Green Lantern, but if we're talking about the Lantern story post Rebirth of Superman (Emerald Twilight, I believe), then yes, Hal killed a number of Lanterns including Kilowog. He also appeared to break Sinestro's neck, though from what I understand Sinestro is back and was somehow faking it all. I both love and hate awkward ret-cons.

[Rommel]

It was also revealed later that a number of the corps members were in the vacuum of space when their rings shut off. Oh well, all is forgiven.

[Morratut]

OMFG the Green Lantern beat Superman?In a few panels? I thought Superman was nearly immortal in the DC universe? :eek:

[Rommel]

Phallax nearly reshaped *Reality* as he saw fit. It took every single superhero in the DC universe to stop him. And by stop him, I mean convince him otherwise. The rings are powered by the will of the user. Hal's will grew so strong with his insanity that when combined with a return to the sourse of all the 3600 ring's power... his will *was* reality.