Spider-Gwen, Vol. 0: Most Wanted?

Spider-Gwen, Vol. 0: Most Wanted? by Jason Latour
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"Upsy-daisy lazy Swayze. The Vulture's gettin' awayze."



So on this Earth, Gwen Stacy was bit by the radioactive spider, Peter Parker becomes the Lizard and then dies, Matt Murdock works for the Kingpin and Frank Castle is a cop. Interesting alternate Spider-Verse. Wait, that was a crossover event that I haven't read yet. I probably need to track that down.



Robbi Rodriguez does a fine job with the art on this one, just like his previous work on FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics, Vol. 1: The Paradigm Shift.

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Daredevil, Volume 3

Daredevil, Volume 3 by Mark Waid
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The climax of the Omega Drive storyline kind of sputters to a finish in this one. While the team-up with the Punisher, his new female partner and Spider-Man is a nice touch, the conclusion seems a bit thrown together. Why is it that Doctor Doom is supposed to be the big bad but he only makes an appearance in a painting? I guess attempting to recreate Daredevil's powers seems believable enough.

The art in this volume definitely takes a step back from the previous volumes as well. From the beginning to end of the story we go from this...



To this...



Maybe the bar was set too high by the previous artist but Samnee's art feels like a real letdown by the end.

Likeable enough overall, but could have been a lot better.

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The Omega Men: The End is Here

The Omega Men: The End is Here by Tom King
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars





Quite enjoyable space-epic here. The story maintains a decent pace through the first six issues but really gains steam in the last six. The art is very good throughout, minus the one or two issues with a different artist.



I have to admit that I had never heard of The Omega Men before reading this, although my limited exposure to Kyle Rayner beforehand did provide a solid foundation of understanding. If you're a fan of intergallactic wars and cosmis power struggles this is worth a look.




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Daredevil, Volume 2

Daredevil, Volume 2 by Mark Waid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I like what Waid is setting up with this volume.



The art is perfectly matched to the hornhead and his powers.



Plus who doesn't love a good team-up? Short though it may have been.



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X-Men: Schism

X-Men: Schism by Jason Aaron
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars





Likeable, but not great. Definitely not Aaron's best work here.

So we all know that some fundamental divide occurred between Cyclops and Wolverine even if you haven't read this. I really just wanted to know what that was and it turned out to be a little anti-climactic and felt forced.

The fight between Cyke and Wolvey was well drawn but seemed a bit petty to me. Although, Wolverine's reasoning for starting the Xavier school up again did seem justifiable.



The Regenesis story included in this collection was quite terrible, art and all.



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Silk, Vol. 0: The Life and Times of Cindy Moon

Silk, Vol. 0: The Life and Times of Cindy Moon by Robbie Thompson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars






"Okay, I seriously need to work on my quips. Is there a handbook for that?"



So, women are taking Marvel titles by storm these days (see: All-New Wolverine, Vol. 1: The Four Sisters, Thor, Volume 1: The Goddess of Thunder, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 1: Squirrel Power, Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal, to name a few). Honestly, I was pretty skeptical of this tactic but overall it's working out quite well.

Cindy Moon got bit by the same radioactive spider as Peter Parker but has been locked in a bunker for the last ten years. Now she's working as an intern with J. Jonah Jameson's boss and fighting crime on the side. She's also trying to find her parents who disappeared shortly after she went in the bunker. After some run ins with Black Cat and several of her goons, Cindy is able to find her brother, just before the Secret Wars event interrupts everything.



Really looking forward to reading more of this.



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Wolverines, Vol. 4: Destiny

Wolverines, Vol. 4: Destiny by Charles Soule
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Apparently I enjoy torture. Why else would I have finished this terrible series?

Maybe because Charles Soule rarely does wrong? Or because the new characters in this had a ton of potential?

All I can say is that this whole thing was way too cluttered with too many characters and having a different artist every week completely screwed up any positive flow it might have had.

The only thing I really liked in this volume was the first issue and Shogun's mask



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Rocket Raccoon & Groot, Vol. 1: Tricks of the Trade

Rocket Raccoon & Groot, Vol. 1: Tricks of the Trade by Skottie Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Hey Skottie, come here man.

knuckles


This volume is flarking awesome. All four stories in this one hit the mark dead-on.

First we have Groot on a scavenger hunt across the Galaxy following "tattoos" (really just carvings, right?) that Rocket left on him in order to come find him. Turns out that Rocket was pulling one over on Groot the whole time but in the process we get to meet:



Pockets Possum and his pal, Shrub!

So, basically the alternate universe and equally hilarious version of our title characters.

Moving on, Rocket is DM'ing a wicked game of D&D (wait, they call it Wizard Wars) with the Avengers and others.



Tony Stark keeps going off script so they make a bet that Rocket can't win in Tony's "Fantasy Football" league. Let's just say that it's not what Rocket was expecting, but he still comes out on top.



Next they have a run-in with some space viking type people who think Groot is a God and want to sacrifice him via volcano.



The last issue has Rocket and Groot engage in an epic battle of "I can beat you at anything" which surprisingly has Groot come out ahead in just about everything. It's also responsible for one of the funniest exchanges between these characters that I've read.

Rocket: "I'm about to fast you so furious you don't even know!

Groot: "I am Groot!"

Rocket: "Get the %#$@ outta here. If anyone is Vin Diesel, it's me!"

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Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Vol. 1: The Crucible

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Vol. 1: The Crucible by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



"Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble."



This is definitely a much darker take on Sabrina than my limited knowledge of the TV show, with art to match.



I liked it enough to read the next volume, but that's about it.



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Spidey, Vol. 1: First Day

Spidey, Vol. 1: First Day by Robbie Thompson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars





THIS is my favorite Spider-Man. The still inexperienced, tons of quips mid-fight, filled with teen angst Spider-Man. Not the Avenger or the successful CEO of his own company, this one.



All of the usual baddies show up in this one. Sandman, Lizard, Kraven (ever so briefly), Green Goblin and of course Doc Ock. Definitely excited to read more of this.



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Starbrand & Nightmask: Eternity's Children (Attend University)

Starbrand & Nightmask: Eternity's Children (Attend University) (Starbrand and Nightmask by Greg Weisman
My rating: 2 of 5 stars







Starbrand and Nightmask tries incredibly hard to be good. Maybe a bit too hard. It fails miserably at being much of anything more than a dud. Two rather vanilla lead characters don't a great comic make. The only saving grace is a brief cameo by the one and only Doreen Green, Squirrel Girl!



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Scarlet Witch, Vol. 1: Witches' Road

Scarlet Witch, Vol. 1: Witches' Road by James Robinson
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars



Every issue of this series has a different artist...

Issue one: Definitely leaves something to be desired.



Issue two: Goes with the trippy water color art that I tend to love (see:Weirdworld, Vol. 0: Warzones!).



Issues three and four: Are partially done by the amazing Steve Dillon, part by someone else.
It was quite the surprise to see Dillon's current art here having just read Preacher, Book 4.



Issue five: With art by Javier Pulido (of She-Hulk, Vol. 1: Law and Disorder)



Interesting start to the series here. Much like with Doctor Strange, Vol. 1: The Way of the Weird, I want to see more of what some of Marvel's "magical" heroes are up to.

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Preacher, Book 4

Preacher, Book 4 by Garth Ennis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This continues to be one of the top series I've read.

Three things I learned in this book:

1) The Saint of Killers is practically indestructible.



2) Jesse Custer can survive falling out of a plane at a thousand feet. Well, minus an eye.



3) Arseface was a loner pothead before he tried to blow his brains out.



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