Superior Spider-Man #4 Review

Dan Slott kicks off his second story arc on this title in quite some style in this issue. We saw even more development for Octavius as Spider-Man, as well as the reintroduction of a villain  We also got a very well known character make an appearance in the last couple of panels; which was something I was just not expecting at all. This was a fantastic issue, which once again showed us why we should trust Slott and the team.

The start of this issue showed Otto using his newly created spider-bots  to help him see crimes that were happening throughout the city. I absolutely love this new system that he has going, and hope to see a lot more of it in the future.
This directly led on to some interesting conflict that showed another difference between Otto and Peter. I like the way Slott has blurred what is right and wrong here. In one way, Otto is not doing much wrong, and is actually doing things which Peter probably should have done. On the other hand though he is also not doing things that Peter would have done for sure. The writing here is very clever, as there is enough of a difference between these characters, but you still can't say that Otto is being a "bad" version of Spidey.

We saw the reintroduction of "Massacre" here, who I can say I have actually never seen before. Considering I have never seen him before, I was very very impressed with the scenes he was involved in. It gave the book a darker edge, and the content was actually something I was not expecting from a book such as this. It impressed me and made Massacre look pretty awesome at the same time.

I also enjoyed the way Otto has now returned to college due to his outrage at Parker for not officially being a doctor. This looks like it is could be quite an interesting development, especially if it something that is going to continue for a while.
As well as that, I am also very excited to see what is going to come from the character involved in the big reveal at the end of this issue. I am sure there will be a massive story arc just round the corner; which, by the way, has the potential to be brutal.

The art was superb in this issue. I really could hardly fault it. Good to see that the art is still improving in this book, which is something I feel that had to be done. In total, I can honestly say I can hardly fault this issue. Slott is really starting to feel comfortable here, and I think this is now the time to really start to get behind this title.
This issue really felt like a proper Spider-Man book, and I can't wait to see how the threat of Massacre will be dealt with in the next issue. Otto may have to do something that Peter would never do, and I for one am expecting fireworks if things progress like I think they will.

Rating: 9 / 10

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Thor: God Of Thunder #5 Review

It feels like an absolute eternity since #4 of this series was in our hands. In fact it felt so long ago that I was really grateful for the summary page at the start of this issue, as without it I really do think I may have been a bit lost. Regardless of that, Jason Aaron continues his God butcherer story line in this issue; in which we learn a tad more about the motives of the butcherer, as well as what exactly happened the first time he and Thor met.

It is funny because the next issue of this series advertises the fact that it will be covering the origins of the God butcherer; but it is in this issue where we get a glimpse into why he wants to kill of every God in existence  The first few pages of this book cover this, and set up the rest of the book really nicely. It is clear that he is annoyed at the Gods for deserting him, and he seems to want people to understand why he doesn't think Gods are worth anything. It seems to be an opinion that he wants everyone to share, and this issue does a good job at piquing my interest for the origin story next time around.

As I mentioned in the introduction, this issue also shows what happens the first time these two met. It was interesting to see how their first encounter ended, and it was also interesting to see just how much of a bad taste it left in Thors' mouth. The overly confident young Asgardian was nowhere to be seen, as he seemed quite shook up by the events that took place.
We also saw the current encounter between the two of them; which led directly to what we saw at the end of the last issue. This also led on perfectly to what I was sure was going to be a final encounter in the next issue...until I saw it was an origin story next issue. I am not complaining about the origin story by the way, it just shows how good a job this issue did at building up the next epic battle in this story.

I have loved the art throughout this series, however I felt that in this issue it was a bit hit and miss. Some of the panels, especially close ups of faces, were just tremendous. However, other panels which were busy. seemed to be quite confusing. This is really odd as in other issues these busy panels have really come to life and looked just awesome. It is only really a minor concern as it wasn't like that throughout the book, and I do think that it will just be a one off.

Once again, this series has really impressed me with this issue. I am really looking forward to the next one and finding out more about the big bad guy. After each issue in this series I have felt really satisfied after reading it and this particular issue is no different. You know when you have it in your hands that you are going to get a good read out of it; which is quite a testament to it considering it is only 5 issues in. Lets hope it can keep it up, which I have no doubt that it will do.

Rating: 8.3 / 10

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Avengers #6 Review

This is the 3rd Avengers issue in a row that solely focuses on one of the lesser known characters that new fans may not be aware of. I have been a big fan of this format, as not having read comic books for as long as some other people, I feel that I have really benefited from these. This particular issue focuses on Captain Universe, who I honestly have never read about. By the end of the issue however, I not only knew about her, but I also felt quite a bit of sympathy towards her.

This issue focused on telling us who exactly Captain Universe is. There is a woman who is the host of this life form, and that is who we learned about. This issue only really touched on who she was, and there are still some questions surrounding her, but it was enough to make me intrigued enough to want to know more about her. Hickman does a great job here in one issue of turning a relative unknown into a character that you care about. He is now 3 for 3 for me using this kind of format.
She also helped us understand exactly what "Adam" has been trying to telling us since he has been with the Avengers. The cryptic message that he gave is exactly that; cryptic. I am not too sure what it means, but it looks to me like things will become clearer in the next issue. What can be said for sure though, is that it still looks like Hickman is going for that epicness I have spoken about so many times regarding this series.

Spider-Man had some great moments in this issue with Sunspot and Cannonball; who are characters that I also know nothing about. There moments were very comedic, and they have also made me want to see more of those two guys in that kind of capacity. Of course I want to see them doing something of use for the team as a whole, but it was clear to me in this issue that they also work fantastically when used in this particular way.

I have enjoyed these last 3 issues immensely as they have spotlighted characters that I would not have read about otherwise. This particular issue seems to link in very nicely to the next story arc we will be seeing in this series. As of right now there is quite a bit of darkness surrounding what it all means, but I trust Hickman to tell a great story with it. Whatever it is, it feels like it is going to be huge.

Rating: 8.7 / 10

Daredevil #23 Review

This was an issue designed for new readers, who for whatever reason, have not been reading this series. If anyone picked this up who hasn't read any of this series so far, then I can guarantee that they will be picking up a lot more issues from now on! This was an amazing issue that truly has the power to make you laugh as well as cry. So what exactly happened? There will be spoilers in this review, so if you have not read this then please turn away now...

This issue focused on two different stories throughout it. The first of these being; the night before Foggy goes to the doctors to get his test results back. This was and absolutely tremendous section of this issue which went a long way to show how friends come together when the going really does get tough. Not just that, there was one moment between friends that was actually hilarious. Watching Matt and Foggy sitting on a roof laughing at a joke Foggy made was a great sight; which Waid did a great job of making you feel apart of. It was a very easy scene to connect with seeing as we all have people in our lives who we would do things like this with.
The second part of this issue focused on a group of prisoners who had been blinded by the same toxic waste as Matt had when he was a child. These criminals were then unleashed in a big society event. What happened next was madness, which Matt successfully controlled. This section highlighted that whoever was behind the massive plan to take down Matt, actually knew him very well. I am very intrigued to find out who this person is, and I hope Waid keeps us waiting a big longer. I have a feeling that the reveal is going to be huge whenever it does eventually hit.

Now, the last few pages of this book may just have been some of the most powerful pages I have read in a comic book. I was hoping, like many others I imagine, that Foggy was going to be ok. However, it now looks like that this is not going to be the case at all. The way this was written though, as well as drawn, was just unbelievable. The way Matt was assessing the situation by reading heart rates was very impressive, as well as doing a really great job at adding extra tension to a scene. The looks that then followed between Foggy and Matt was really heart breaking. I shut the book after reading the last page feeling like I had just been punched in the stomach. Say what you want about comic books, but a standard book has never ever made me feel like that. Waid and Samnee have done a tremendous job in about 4 pages to show just how magical comic books can still be.

Pick this up now! Even if you are unfamiliar with the characters, I still think that this will hit you hard. It was just a very solid issue which also saw Chris Samnee firing on all cylinders art wise. This book shows that comics are still important in our society. Not just that, it also sets up what I am sure to be some cracking issues in the coming months. Do yourself a favour and get on this series before you regret it.

Rating: 9 / 10

Comic Book Thoughts

Fatale #12: This issue was based on another femme fatale in medieval France. What we got here was another fantastic one shot story, after the last issue set the standard for this format. The story really was a one and done, as it had a really satisfying non traditional ending which this series also seems great at doing at the minute. There was a betrayal in this issue that I did not see coming at all.
 I can't wait for the next issue which is based on yet another new femme fatale in the wild west. This series is growing rapidly and I love it. 8 /10

Avengers Arena #4: This was another great issue in a series that has really been impressing me. I loved the focus on Nico and Chase. the recap on Chase was done really well, and fit into the issue nicely. Once again these are characters that i was previously unfamiliar with, but this issue really got me caring for the both of them. I loved their interaction with 3 other members of the group. My only gripe with it however is the fact that X-23 was not in it enough. I think she is a great character who is never quite used in a way that I think she should be in whatever she is in. I loved the art in this issue too. 8 / 10.


I should be buying new books on Saturday guys, we will see. I do not get paid until Monday but I think I should be ok. If anything changes then I will let you know. :)

Katana #1 Review

I am going to be honest here; I know pretty much nothing about this character. I understand that she will be in the JLA book coming out, and I thought she looked pretty badass so I decided to pick up this #1 issue of her new series. I was not too sure whether I would purchase any more issues past this one, but now after reading it, I know I am definitely in for at least one more.

One thing that hit me while reading this issue was how much history this woman has. I have not heard of her before as I mentioned, so was kind of expecting a weak back story, but ended up being very pleasantly surprised. She has a background which would liken her to a Japanese Punisher kind of character. If you guys read this blog regularly then you know that this already is right up my street.
What this book does with the backstory is very clever. It gives us bits and pieces and leaves out the rest. It is designed to make you want to pick up more issues to find out more, and for me it has pulled off very successfully.

It is not just the backstory that impressed me in this issue, but also the way it set everything up. I do not know how often some of the characters featured in this particular issue will feature in the future, but their appearances in this book sat with me well. I really hope we will be seeing more of her landlord type character, as well the girl Shun; who has old Japanese legends drawn all over her body. I have a feeling we will definitely be seeing more of the latter.

The overall bad guy in this issue, Coil, seems pretty interesting too. He has a sword that is just crazy as it acts like a snake for some reason. It wraps itself round his opponents and squeezes and cuts them. I don't think I have seen anything like it previously in comic books. This issue has teased what group Coil is part of, but I am sure we will be learning more about that in future issues. You see what it is doing here now? Giving us a bit and making us want to come back for more.

Overall, I really enjoyed this issue, a lot more than I thought I was going to. I originally bought this issue believing that it would be my only one of this series; oh how wrong I was. I hope the next issue does a good a job at answering some questions about certain characters for us, while also throwing new questions at us about them and the future. This could turn out to be a very interesting title. I do not think that it will ever become essential reading, but I think if you want to read a decent story with a very intriguing character, then you should check in right here.

Rating: 7.3 / 10

Bedlam #4 Review

In this issue things start wrapping up in the first arc of this series.We start getting answers in regards to just who this new serial killer is going around, as well as the reasons behind it. This is a funny issue as our main character is literally hardly in it at all. This is strange as this may actually be my favourite issue of the series so far behind the mightily 10 / 10 first issue of the series; and Fillmore Press is only in a few panels. Just goes to show how good this series is.

So in this issue we learn more about who the serial killer is, but how did we learn this? Well, this issue was very police procedural; focusing on some of the fringe characters of the series, and Guess what? The effect this had was tremendous. It was thrilling seeing these police officers coming closer and closer to just what was going on, and I felt a sense of achievement for them when they finally narrowed the suspects down. This could have been a really boring issue in the hands of the wrong person, but Nick Spencer really knows how to right any sort of genre it seems. The genre of this book keeps moving around between issues, and even between pages in some cases, but Spencer seems to know exactly what he is doing with it.

The serial killer in question has not really done anything to really make me too interested in him throughout this series, but that all changes in this book. The last couple of pages were shocking to say the least, and I am sure they will be upsetting parents around the world if they saw that their child was reading something like this. Make no mistake whatsoever, this is a mature book and the content of this issue really confirmed that. Once again, this goes to show just how powerful the story telling and art are in this book.

When this arc most probably concludes in the next issue, I really do not have a clue where this series will go. This is not a concern in the slightest, in fact it just makes me even more interested in this series. It now seems like there are endless routes as we are not only interested in just the one character now, but the fringe characters are also worthy of our attention. This is a very exciting time to get involved in this series, and I for one am sure that it is going to lead us in some thrilling directions in the not too distant future.

Rating: 8.5 / 10