Now to business.
Action Comics #19:
I have been reading A C's since the start of the New 52 and haven't reviewed one because I'm still rereading them and trying to come to a decision on whether or not I liked Morrison's run so it was with relief and high hopes that I awaited Andy Diggle's mark on the man of steel. In one respect Diggle delivers; he brings a more linear form of narrative and succeeds with a hint of flirtation between a certain two reporters and intrigue courtesy of the ever neurotic obsessive scheming of one Lex Luthor. Alas the issue on it's on is centered around much too simple a thing; Supes bashing some big robots and this blasé affair is made frustrating by a 'wtf' twist that feels forced.
Daniels art is cool but more showboating than storytelling with lots of big robots exploding but what else could it be when that's all she wrote!
Score 6/10
Batman #19:
Capullo is the star of this issue as his deft style elevates the story to a higher level of customer satisfaction complementing Snyder's best bits like the bat-pod going into 'lateral drive' etc. Rather than being a highly intriguing plot this issue was a collection of golden nuggets add to these the fact that the 'wtf' fold out cover reveal actually had an organic and substantial place inside the book and #19 flies straight and true.
The backup story was great but it felt like a Legend of the Dark Knight story. A nice straight forward tale of uneasy mystery that was more about the relationship between the bat and the kryptonian. Maleev sets the tone and it is well set, the only problem is Superman comes off a bit naive in the company of Batman which I found unfair.
Score 8/10
Batman and Robin #19
Here we are introduced to Carrie Kelley who has only appeared (as far as I know) as Robin in The Dark Knight Returns and it's follow-up and this is all well and good. She seems feisty, charismatic and funny but her role is as of yet solely complementary to the after math of Damien's death and she there is no real pathos of her own (yet). One hopes she isn't just going to fade out. The good stuff is with Batman as he further alienates Alfred and everybody else and in grief hunts down Frankenstein to do mad science of his own.
It is only right that Batman and Robin is the title that succeeds best at showing the pain of loss and it's symptoms with such convincing drama bottled in great storytelling at the hands of Tomasi and Gleason.
Score 8/10
Green Lantern #19
This whole First Lantern business finally starts to make some ground but it's still far from smooth sailing. Volthoom targets Sinestro, and yet again, we are indulged with his memory changing and I don't want to go on about it too much but at the end something actually happens that rocks Sinestro's world! Still the best bits are with Hal as he finally makes a decision on whether or not he should die and the last page is exciting but not all that convincing.
There is 3 different pencillers on this issue (why?) and whoever does the dead world pages wins.
Score 7/10
Green Lantern Corps #19
This is a really enjoyable issue. Why? Mogo, that's why. The Planet corps member intrudes on the First Lanterns buffet del Lantern and rescues all of his teammates by using his outer core! What happens after is a bit of a 'and they wok up and it was all a dream' i.e nothing really happened but still there were loads of pages of dynamic hard light construct battling that entertained the eyeballs. The ending is cliche but one can't help but feel inspired when a planet literally teaches you a lesson.
Pasarin's page layouts are fluid and well paced especially on the action pages.
Score 8/10
Thor; God of Thunder #7
Present day Avenger Thor meets Future All-Father Thor in this highly entertaining issue with some great back and forth between the young and old. As has been the case so far Thor GoT remains one of Marvel Now's best items on an overloaded shelf. The book is balanced in action and character with solid pacing and humor to fill the gaps.
This issue doesn't slip, if anything it up's the ante becoming even grander in scale as all Gorr's moves start to make sense and you get a really satisfying 'ohhh right' moment at the end.
Ribic's art is beautiful, with life in every page and perspectives that bring extra punch to each panel. A lot of fun and a must read.
Score 9/10
Hawkeye #9
Another ace in Marvel Now's deck but for very different reasons. This issue sees Aja return and readers are once again witness to a finely tuned co-op between artist and writer (Fraction). The story is split into 4 each one based on a leading lady in Clint's life as they all start to learn that the Hawkguy's recent choices may be leading him into choppy seas.
Color and style rarely have went so well with dialogue the way it does here. My only irk is the dress choice on some of the women; a bit outta time!? but this is a little thing.
Score 9/10
Uncanny X-Men #4
If you've read the last issue of All New X-Men then you can immediately see that this is the same events at the same time just from the oppositions (Cyclops') perspective and there isn't a whole lot else to it. The issue moves from Emma Frost confronting the Cuckoo's to the newbies back at base getting a little closer and just at the end Magik has a fit and limbo seems to reach out and grab her. The last one is definitely the high point but gets the least attention, being left for later issues obviously, while Cyclops and Co have very limp reactions to Magik's instability are unbelievable forcing the whole affair to fall flat and create no great expectation.
A book that didn't have it's priorities straight leaves one adrift but for a few glimmers of banter between characters.
Oh and the 'mystery' person who left the Jean Grey school for The New Xavier school in ANX-Men #1 is revealed on the very last page. Poorly executed plotting for this issue.
Score 6/10
Uncanny Avengers #6
Remender is really starting to find his form with this book as he draws on his experience with Apocalypse from his run on Uncanny X-Force and he further expands the mythos of the Celestials Evolutionary Caretaker by intersecting it with that of Jason Aaron's newly born Young Thor and also includes an English ancestor of Wolverine. Meanwhile Kang continues to move certain events over time towards an endgame that is still unclear but highly intriguing. Whats it all leading to? Guess we'll have to stay tuned.
Acuna's art is pulp-tastic with real vibrant colors that both make the book feel retro and come alive.
Score 8/10
Age of Ultron #5
After the excitement of last issue this one seems to fall back into slower streams with a lot of dialogue and a lot of planning on the part of the surviving superheroes. In fact the only bit of action is a bunch of Ultrons blowing up Austen. The whole thing reads like a 'LOST' episode with a flashback, a bunch of survivors in a jungle, a bunker, a surprise character reveal.
Hitches art is on form for the most part with only minor hiccups in line work but more often the landscape/wide shoot panel layouts disrupt reading leading one to miss bits of dialogue but not enough to miss any real plot advancement mainly cause nothing really happened this issue.
Score 7/10
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