Steins;Gate anime review

STEINS;GATE

(WARNING: There will be spoilers in this review.)

When you think about it, Mayuuri is actually a pretty relatable character. I mean, we all head that period where we were obsessed with those toy vending machines. 

So, I've got to admit something. I've never seen a perfect anime. Let alone, a time travel story without plot holes. So, when my friends wouldn't stop recommending a little show called Steins;Gate to me (Yes, there has to be a semi-colon), I was hesitant, and my expectations were considerably low. So, lo and behold, consider my shock when it turned out to be one of the best shows I've ever seen. It's not perfect, but strengths throw the flaws off a freaking cliff, hit them with a car, and pushes them in front of a mutha-!@#$ing bullet train. The story follows a self-proclaimed mad scientist, Okabe Rintarou, or as he prefers to call himself, HOUNIN KYOUMA (which must be shouted out like a retard) as he and his "lab crew" unlock the secrets of time travel. Now, the plot doesn't really heat up until about episode 12, and to be fair, it's really more of a sci-fi slice of life show with some  mystery elements. During those first couple of episodes, the show relies mostly on its characters, but it moves slower than a dead snail in molasses. But in episode 12, the show's genre completely changes into a frantic thriller with some sci-fi elements. The only time the show really didn't snap for me was in about episodes 18-21 or so, where it feels more like  a harem, where Okabe gets his one on one time with each of the 4 female supporting characters. However, even then, the show seems to keep pulling an endless amount of twists and turns from it's seemingly bottomless bag of surprises. Sometimes, it will even keep you emotionally engaged in scenes (See: Azusa's episode). Another thing the show has going for it, is the time travel. Not only is the element used to great effect, but it does its best to steer clear of plot holes (get it, plot holes?), and even uses some real world science such as SERN, John Titor, and stuff about texting a phone that's attached to a microwave. 

Okabe, despite being an ass, and sometimes even a dick, is a surprisingly likable protagonist. He's flawed, but he has a lot of like. Sort of like a tsundere. Or, I guess he techinically is one. While Mayuuri plays a huge role in the show's intense second act, I never really warmed up to her. I liked her as a character, but I was never completely emotionally attached to her. Sadly, for me, Daru is one of the show's most relatable characters. He's somewhat of a lady's man trapped in a fat guy's body. The rest of the supporting cast are memorable characters, like the humanized Nyan Cat, Azusa, the creepy ass Moeka, and Ruka. The less said about her, the better. However, the best character in the show, the one that you really have no choice but to like, is Kurisu. She's like a cross between Sarah Conner and Sam Rockwell's character from Pacific Rim. She has a badass attitude, is likable, and has an intense dedication to SCIENCE! 

The soundtrack for Steins;Gate is decent enough, but there aren't that many tracks that stand out, with the exception of one (which I'll get to in a bit). Each song does fit the scene, but you won't be humming them uncontrollably, like say, the Air or Chobits theme, or the ending theme for Clannad.

The animation is decent enough, while it's  nothing special, it really stands out during the more frantic scenes, especially during a very intense scene where the style suddenly roughened up, and the coloring went white. But where the animation really shines, is in the opening. By God, it's just awesome. From the subtle foreshadowing, and that freaking song (Hacking to the Gate by Itou Kano, freaking ear candy)...

Now, for the ending. The ending is Steins;Gate's biggest strength. Or I should say, strengths. The series at first glance ends on a satisfying, albeit, depressing note, with Makise's death, and it's one of the most effective endings I've ever seen. And then, there's the shows true ending, a short two episode arc involving more John Titor, and future Okabe. Not only does it throw us a curveball, that reunites us with Kurisu, it doesn't feel forced, and is very  smooth. 

Steins;Gate is one of the best animes I've ever seen. While it has it's flaws, they're easy to look past considering the show's intriguing story and characters. This is time travel done RIGHT.

STORY: 4.5/5

+ A very effective and nail-biting second act

+ The best use of time travel in almost any story I've seen lately

- The first few episodes are slow, but still entertaining

- Towards the end, a few weak episodes

CHARACTERS: 4.75/5

+ Okabe makes for a great main character

+ A good supporting cast

+ Makise Kurisu is one of my favorite anime characters

- You won't get attached to Mayuuri

SOUND: 4/5

+ Not bad

+ Always fits the scene

+ DAT OPENING
- For the most part, none of the tracks are anything special

ANIMATION: 4.5/5

+ Good, clear animation

+  Frantic and scratchy when it needs to be

ENDING: 5/5

+ Well done and effective

VERDICT: 4.75/5

Justice League Dark #22 Review

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #22

by Jeff Lemire and Mikel Janin

I love Zatanna's reasoning for teaming up with Wonder Woman. "I've learned that it's best to do the opposite of what John Constantine says."

Jeff Lemire does a good job taking over the event from Geoff Johns. It doesn't feel like Johns left, and at the same time, he has a much stronger grasp on his characters. Best of all, it's not completely hero vs hero, but more along the lines of a moral debate. Sparks fly, people get punched, and we even get to see more of the Question! The Phantom Stranger enters the fray, and the Justice League Dark even gets a legit reason to enter the fight. I had a couple of minor gripes with the issue (one of which was a bit too large to ignore). The biggest one was that they a few characters' actions were very questionable. I was also really annoyed at how they left the entire Shazam/Constantine hanging unnaturally. I know it's supposed to lead in to the Constantine Trinity War tie-in, but it just bugged me personally.

Mikel Janin has the cleanest and most consistent art style out of the 3 artists working on the event. It's looks very crisp and energetic, and captures a lot of the scenes incredibly well. However, sometimes his work feels a bit stiff, and there was a really awkward panel that made it look like Batman broke his ankle, and Steve Trevor was about to run into Green Arrow, among other really strange poses.

Justice League Dark #22 just continues the epicness of Trinity War. This is how a hero-vs-hero themed  event should be. Suck it, AVX. I'm satisfied with not all of the story is spent making characters  punch each other, and there are some legitimate surprises.

STORY: 4/5

+ The best character work of the event so far, which is saying something

+ Really surprising

+ The Question!

+ The JLD enter the fray, and surprisingly, don't feel forced 

- Some annoying loose ends 

- Questionable (no pun intended) motivations

ART: 4/5

+ Clean and crisp

+ Energetic

- An really weird looking panel

- Sometimes looks lifeless

VERDICT: 4/5

Hawkeye Annual #1 Review

HAWKGUY ANNUAL  #1

by Matt Fraction and Javier Pulido

Tiny Kate monologue should be used for every single comic this year.

Alright, where the now  famous Hawkeye #11 teased a bunch of  developments for the series, it ended with Kate leaving Clint for a little CALIFORNIACATION! And this is what this whole issue is about. This is an all-Kate (and Pizza Dog) issue, and works as a standalone story well. It chronicles Kate's second encounter with Madame Masque, and I got to say, Fraction is killing it! And it feels like you get multiple issues worth of story crammed into the few pages here, but it never feels too compressed. The pacing is excellent, and Fraction writes Kate as if she could hold up her own series. Madame Masque serves as a generic villain, but she's still pretty entertaining to read (was it just me, or did you read all of her dialogue in Catherine Zeta-Jones' voice?) 

Javier Pulido's artwork is perfect for this kind of story. It's not as dark as the past few issues, so Aja and Francavilla wouldn't be able to nail the Mission Impossible feel of this. I love how he draws a tiny chibi-ish Kate in all of her monologue boxes, and whenever she's trying to make a decision, there are two mini Kates duking it out, and I thought that was the definition of AWESOME. The only thing I didn't like was his overuse of silhouettes. It works when used in the right places, but I thought he used it too much.

Hawkeye Annual #1 is a nice standlone chapter of the Hawkeye saga. So far, I've loved every issue of this series, and the Annual is no exception. And I wouldn't mind seeing a Pulido-drawn Kate solo series. 

STORY: 5/5

+ Kate holds up her own story

+ Great standalone

+ Excellent pacing, feels like there are a lot more pages than it actually has

+ Pizza Dog!

ART: 4/5

+ Perfect for the script

+ Mini-Kates

-  Heavily relies on silhouettes, to the point of annoyance

VERDICT: 4.5/5

Justice League of America #6 Review

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #6

by Geoff Johns, Jeff Lemire and Doug Manhke

The relationship between Aquaman and his trident is like that of a walrus and his bucket.

Jeff Lemire comes on board as the co-writer of JLA, and uh... Can he stay on board? Like, forever? JLA continues Trinity War, and I got to say, Trinity War just might be one of my favorite crossovers in a while. First off, it delivers on the promise of a summer event, with bombastic action, and also, it gives us a good and surprisingly emotional comic! Yep, you read that right, Justice League of America #6 is an emotional comic. The characterization is great, and there's even an ounce of humor thrown in, and we get to see how the JLD will be thrown in to the mix. Best of all, it's not just a hero-vs-hero yawnfest like AVX was (ha ha, suck it Marvel), and there's ACTUALLY A STORY. One of my favorite parts of the issue was the ending (I won't spoil it), which caused me to do a fist pump, and it got me looking forward to Justice League Dark #22. 

Now, for the event, the art is a step down, but for JLA as a series, it's a major step up. I was delighted to hear that Brett Booth was off the series, but Doug Manhke faced the uphill battle of matching Ivan Reis. Now, I'm sure Mikel Janin can be just as good as Reis (granted that Vincent Cifuentes is staying away from it), but Manhke's art has been incredibly inconsistent lately. He deals with 5 inkers in the issue, and it gives the story a very odd feel. However, he delivers on the action scenes, and I the way he draws a lot of the JLA. And, (my biggest problem with Booth), HIS ART ACTUALLY MATCHES THE TONE OF THE SERIES.

Trinity War just might turn out to be one of my favorite books this year if it keeps getting better like this. With good writing, and art that's more decent that Brett Booth's art, what more could I ask for?

STORY: 5/5

+ Very intriguing

+ Enough action for a summer blockbuster, but they don't spend the entire issue punching each other!

+ Great emotional scenes

+ DA MOTHER!@#$ING QUESTION!

ART: 4/5

+ Great on the action scenes

+ Matches the tone

+ Better fit for the series than Brett Booth

- Fails to live up to Ivan Reis

- Unbelievably inconsistent

VERDICT: 4.5/5 

Animal Man #22 Review

ANIMAL MAN #22

by Jeff Lemire, Steve Pugh and Francis Portela

WHAT THE ACTUAL !@#$?

So, the Dark's two big books are getting more and more effed-up by the issue. First, Soule gave us that grisly and completely insane "Whisky Tree" issue in SW #22, now Lemire gives us "Saw: The Comic Book" with Animal Man #22. But among all the death and chaos in Buddy's side of the story, there's a nice emotional side story going on involving Maxine in the Red. Lemire has a tendency to focus on his characters rather than the action, and that has never been more apparent. More than half of this issue is devoted to Maxine's adventures in the Red trying to bring back her brother. It feels like these scenes were plucked out of a little girl's imagination, which was then handed to Lemire, and he made a comic book out of it. And then, there's the Eli Roth gorefest taking place during the rest of the book. These scenes don't have the character beats or emotion that make the rest of the book great, but they're still a bloody good time. 

Francis Portela is the MAN! Seriously, his art during the Maxine scenes is just amazing! Not only does he capture emotion well, but his rendering of the surrealistic (and sometimes nasty) visuals of the Red are breathtaking. With Portela stealing the show, I can't help but feel that Pugh's art is overshadowed by Portela's. Pugh does continue to deliver great work, but Portela just steals the show. 

Animal Man #22 continues the upward trend of Animal Man. The last issue was a gross good time, while this issue balances the horror and the drama flawlessly.

STORY: 4.5/5

+ Maxine's scenes are delightful and imaginative

+ Buddy's scenes are delightful and bloody as !@#$

+ Some good emotion

- The scenes with the Splinterfolk lack the character of Maxine's scenes

ART: 4/5

+ Portela's visuals

+ Pugh nails the gore

- Portela steps up his work, and Pugh falls behind

VERDICT: 4.5/5

Red 2 movie review

RED 2

"What happens in the Kremlin, stays in the Kremlin." I'd think that Ethan Hunt would agree. 

So, Red 2 is a sequel to the surprise hit of 2011, Red. When a sequel was first announced, I didn't know what to expect. Thankfully, Red 2 lives up to its predecessor and then some. First off, the story is more complex, as it involves a nuclear weapon being smuggled into Moscow, one of Anthony Hopkins's best roles yet, and of course, Bruce Willis teaching Mary Louise-Parker how to use a gun. While it's nothing special, the plot of the movie is decent, though it mostly serves as an excuse to bring the heroes from scenario to scenario.  The dialogue is incredibly well done, especially Marvin's.

Speaking of Marvin, as with the last film, John Malkovich ROCKS. While Willis and Louise-Parker do a good job in the film, Malkovich, Mirren, Hopkins and, believe it or not, Byung Hun-Lee all make this movie. That's right, these 4 actors steal every scene they're in, and they all appear in scenes together. The 7 main leads (including Catherine Zeta-Jones) all have top-notch comedic timing, and yes, Helen Mirren is still a complete badass. Now, at first, I thought Byung Hun-Lee was smuggled into the movie just for some  more martial arts action, and while we do get some martial arts action, he actually ended up being one of my favorite characters. And then, there's Anthony motha-!@#$ing Hopkins. This guy plays one of the film's most interesting characters, and has a ball doing it. That's the thing about the film, all the actors have great chemistry, and they all have a blast.

The action in the movie is over the top, and high octane. This is a popcorn movie, in all definitions. An action scene involving Lee and Mirren is one of the best and most hilarious action scenes I've seen all year.

Red 2 is one of the best movies of the summer yet. While it's not perfect, it's the most fun you'll have this weekend. Tomorrow, look for a review of RIPD, and I'll upload my comic reviews on Monday.

VERDICT: 4/5

Clannad After Story anime review

CLANNAD: AFTER STORY

Now, I want to do something a bit different today. Today, I'll be reviewing an anime series that is very close to my heart, and that is Clannad: After Story. Now, this will only be a review for the second season, the After Story only. If you want to know what I thought of the first season, I enjoyed it and was good for a nice heartwarming anime, but it had a lot of flaws, mainly involving pacing. I'll be dividing this review into 4 parts: Story, Characters, Animation and Sound. Now, there will be major spoilers towards the end, but I'll remind you when we get to that part.

STORY

Clannad: After Story continues the story of Tomoya Okazaki, and the large supporting cast the series boasts. The story of After Story is divided into 3 parts. The first part is simply more of the first season, high school drama, and is my least favorite part of the series. The second, is mostly Tomoya and Nagisa getting used to life after school, something very few animes do. And then, there's the 3rd act, in which the series takes a completely unexpected turn. The end of the 2nd act is where it all hits the fan, and involves a story twist you would never expect from a drama or harem. The 3rd act is what really makes this series stand out, as it's filled with some incredibly effective and powerful tear jerking moments. As one reviewer perfectly put it, "It takes the baseball bat of emotion, and keeps hitting you with it, and doesn't know when to stop." In my opinion, this series deserves to be known as one of the greatest dramas ever told. This is a tragedy, comedy, and romance all perfectly blended into one bittersweet package. The first act of the show is entertaining, but doesn't deliver on the powerful moments of the third. The second part is much better, as it focuses on Nagisa and Tomoya's married lives, and I think it's perfectly justified to compare this to the first 8 minutes of Pixar's Up. But like I mentioned earlier, the third act completely steals the show and pulls the rug out from underneath the audience. I know a fully grown man who was moved to tears by this show, and that is saying something. The pacing is perfect as well. I honestly think that 25 episodes is the perfect length for any anime, the 3 parts never feel too slow or drawn out.

CHARACTERS

By the end of the first season, you'd think Tomoya, our protagonist, has already gotten his character developed enough, but he hasn't. Clannad: After Story is a VERY character driven show, and it's amazing watching Tomoya go through the events of the show, and  trying to hold up. Nagisa is a great character, though I think more could have been done with the character. HOWEVER, there are some absolutely great traits about her, and those come into play halfway through the show. The supporting cast of the first season remains prominent in the show until the second act, when they're chucked out of the show 99% (with the exception of some minor appearances, in which the demoted to nearly mere background characters). Just like most people, one of my favorite characters is Sunohara. He just works as a comic relief, and even gets his own serious character arc that manages to stay true to his personality. Another thing I really love about the show, is that during the 2nd and 3rd acts, the Furakawa family gets a much bigger role, and by the last few episodes, they are integral to the show. And then, there's Fuko. She got on my NERVES in the first season, though I eventually grew attached to her. She sort of serves as comic relief after Sunohara seems to go away. Sometimes she gets in the way of the plot, and is hard to take seriously, even when she is meant to be taken seriously. 

SOUND

The voice acting is very well done in this show, but when it comes to sound, the one thing you will notice, is the soundtrack. From the gorgeous opening, Toki no Kizamu Uta, the beautiful rendition of Dango Daikazokou, and, the one song everyone seems to love, The Palm of a Tiny Hand, the music is as crucial to the show as the story is. 

ANIMATION

The animation of the series looks great, though the moe look of the characters doesn't fit the tone of the rest of the series. I think it could have benefited from a slightly less cartoony look, more along the lines of the animation of Steins Gate, maybe.

ENDING (spoiler alert!)

OK, now for the ending. The ending, almost ruins the anime, and I think was completely unnecessary. First off, the magic elements of  the series were kept very subtle throughout, and I think that was the right move. Keep the whole wish granting light things as nothing more than an urban legend. But they don't. Why? And then, bringing Nagisa and Ushio back to life just cancel out all of the hardships that made Tomoya really progress as a character. Now, I do see why some people like the ending, and I think it's just a matter of taste. People want Tomoya to have his happy ending after the writers basically screwed him over throughout the show. This is what makes Jun Maeda such a hit or miss writer for me. The endings. The way I see it, the ending of Angel Beats is After Story's polar opposite. While Angel Beats's ending managed to pull off pretty much the same thing, they did it without undoing any of Otonashi's character development. Character development is at the core of any good story, and Tomoya needs some in this show as well, not just the first season.

THE VERDICT

Now, Clannad: After Story is the anime that got me back into anime after I spent a few years away from the medium. While I do admit, it has it flaws, After Story is the culmination of the storytelling potential of anime. If you watch this anime, you might want to bring a box of tissues with you, and you might want to bring the Medic from TF2, because your heart will break. More than once. Seriously, if you enjoy anime, or not, do not go another day without watching this series. This is the show that will make you a fan of anime.

STORY: 4.5/5

+ Straight up, well written

+ Hits every emotional beat possible

+ Perfect pacing

+ The third act is absolutely amazing

+/- You will either really hate the ending or it will just make you fall in love with Clannad more

CHARACTERS: 4.75/5

+ Tomoya gets some great character development

+ Nagisa is a slightly bland character, but you will grow to love her either way

+ The supporting cast is great

+ The Furawakawas play a larger role

- The original supporting cast say goodbye to the show in the second act

+/- You will love or hate Fuko

ANIMATION: 4.5/5

+ Very fluid and clear

- The Moe style doesn't fit the later part of the show

SOUNDTRACK: 5/5

+ Flawless voice acting

+ The soundtrack... Feels in every note.

VERDICT: 4.85/5

Batman #22 Review

BATMAN #22

by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, James Tynion and Rafael Albuquerque

Before Bruce Wayne was Batman, he was... THE PENGUIN!

The first chapter of Zero Year was an incredibly disappointing debut for the new Batman storyline by Scott Snyder. And this issue just continues the disappointment. This is sad, as Snyder is one of my favorite writers as of late. He's made 4 of the best Batman stories I've ever read in a while, The Black Mirror, the Court of Owls, Death of the Family, and the spectacular Batman #12. The first problem Zero Year has is that it tries to be too different. Now, I understand that Batman's origin is a story we've all seen before, and it has to be fresh each time. However, this deviates too much from the formula of any Batman story. For one thing, Bruce is written as an unlikable jackass, and I don't see any way he would ever become the hero we're all attached to. Another problem is, the tone. On paper, making Bruce Wayne a very Jason Bourne-like character sounds great, but the execution doesn't do much with it. Another thing I didn't like, was the confrontation with the Red Hood gang. It felt sort of stale, and lacked any of Snyder's normal pizzaz. Despite all these flaws, Snyder sets up some interesting plot threads, involving Edward Nygma, and Phillip Kane. And Alfred steals the show in EVERY SCENE HE'S IN. He even bitch slaps Bruce, and that instantly brightened my day.

As Snyder's writing has a lapse in quality, Greg Capullo's art makes this book. He would be perfect on drawing a secret agent book, and his rendering of the many set pieces give off a sense of energy and motion, and you really feel like Capullo's having a blast drawing it. He even brings in some  JH Williams-ish page layouts that add more spice to some scenes.

The backup story is no where near as bad as the backups during the Clayface arc, but they don't even reach the mystery and amazement of the Court of Owls backups, or Jock-drawn stories. Tynion's story is interesting enough, but I wish he did more with the entire premise of "Bruce Wayne being buried alive underneath a Sphynx". Thankfully, while we still don't have anymore American Vampire this month, Albuquerque really delivers in this issue. His painted style just looks gorgeous.

Batman still soars over a lot of books DC is publishing right now, but this issue was a major bummer in terms of story. Zero Year is not the best story Snyder and Co. have put out, and while the story leaves something to be desired, the art astonishes. 

STORY: 2/5

+ Interesting plot threads

+ Alfred bitch slapping Bruce

- Bruce deserved that bitch slap

- This is not a Batman story, it's not even a Bruce Wayne story!

- The Red Hood confrontation

ART: 4/5

+ Energetic

+ A blast to look at

+ Engaging page layouts

BACKUP: 3/5

+ Excellent art

+ Decent writing

- Feels like more could have been done with it

VERDICT: 3/5

Hawkeye #12 Review

HAWKEYE #12

by Matt Fraction and Francesco Francavilla

So wait, how did I not know that that Hawkeye had a brother?

Coming up on the heels of the amazing Pizza Dog issue, it seems like Hawkeye won't be able to top itself itself for a while. However, this was still a pretty damn good. I really like the nonlinear form of storytelling that Fraction is using. This puts a bit more emphasis on a scene from #11. Barney is a very likable character, but you can tell there's more to him than meets the eye. The only thing I don't like, is that it doesn't really progress the main story, as it's mostly devoted to exploring Barney's character.

Francesco Francavilla is one of the greatest artists ever. Seriously, he can do no wrong. His art is like a cross between Neal Adams with softer pencils and Joe Kubert. He's just awesome, and was perfect for this issue.

Hawkeye #12 (of course) doesn't live up to the Pizza Dog issue, which is something that people are going to inevitably compare it to. That doesn't mean it's good though, because it's still freaking awesome.

STORY: 4/5

+ Barney is a good character

+ Great dialogue

+ Interesting nonlinear storytelling

- Stops the flow of the main story

ART: 5/5

+ Perfectly suits the story

+ Good coloring

ART: 4.5/5

Justice League #22 Review

JUSTICE LEAGUE #22

by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis

Holy cow. Did... Did that just happen?

OK, for Justice League #22 to make sense, you have to have read Justice League #20-21, JLA #5, and Trinity of Sin: Pandora #1. But besides that, this was a DAMN good issue. Johns takes us through some surprisingly shocking twists, and he kills off two characters, one of which was one I was not expecting. Johns's character writing is much better, (For the most part) the dialogue doesn't sound that cheesy. The reason for the multiple teams fighting seems a little bit forced, but for the most part, this is a good issue. 

Ivan Reis's art  is a lot more explosive and cinematic, and perfectly suits the mood of the story. The colors are vibrant, yet dark at the same time. The only problem with the art, (it's a problem that I have with his art all the time. along with Gary Frank's) is that some of his facial expressions seem too forced, and expressive.

Justice League #22 is one of the best issues of the series to date. Trinity War gets a magnificent setup, and the art is just beautiful.

STORY: 4/5

+ Great setup

+ Shocking twists

+ Good dialogue

- The hero vs hero thing feels forced

ART: 4.5/5

+ Cinematic

+ Great coloring

- Sometimes too expressive

VERDICT: 4.25/5

Top 5: Biggest Announcements From DC's October 2013 Solicits

OK, so DC released their October 2013 solicits a bit ago, and believe, they have some awesome things in store. Such as, Travel Foreman on the Swamp Thing covers, Stormwatch not getting canceled yet, among others.

5. One Month Closer to Lobdell Leaving Action Comics!

If you don't know, or haven't recalled, this week's Action Comics #22 is the only 0/5 that I've ever... "Rewarded". So, yeah, awesome. Plus, the way the Superman solicit is written, it looks like Lobdell will be leaving that title as well. Hallelujiah.

4. Superman/Wonder Woman #1

Charles Soule wrote the best Superman story of May... And it wasn't even a Superman title. So it makes sense to put him on a new Supes book. But pairing him with Tony Daniel? Oh God, yes.

3. Forever Evil: Arkham War

Out of all of the Forever Evil tie-ins, Arkham War is the one I'm the most excited for. Putting Peter Tomasi on another Batman book is genius, seeing how he wrote the BEST Batman story all year (BAR #18). 

2. Lights Out

The first big story of Rob Venditti's GL. Now, I read Green Lantern #22 but I didn't have time to review like a bunch of other comics (By the way, that 5/5 worthy comic I mentioned earlier? Green Arrow #22), but it was flippin' good. I like where Venditti is going with the series, but I hate that you have to read all 5 GL series to get the complete story. Despite this, I'm excited for "Lights Out". 

1. Albuquerque on Animal Man

Rafael Albuquerque has become one of my favorite artists as of late, and being able to see him draw Animal Man? I couldn't ask for more.

Trinity of Sin: Pandora #1 Review

TRINITY OF SIN: PANDORA #1

by Ray Fawkes, Daniel Sempere and Patrick Zircher

I think the cover for Pandora #1 is one of the coolest pieces of art Ryan Sook has ever done, along side the cover to DC Universe Presents #6 and Justice League Dark #4. 

So, Pandora #1 is a prelude to Trinity War, and we still don't know that much about it. This issue isn't concerned with setting up the DC's big summer event, but more telling us Pandora's origin story. Pandora  is made a very sympathetic character, but Fawkes hasn't completely given us a reason to root for her. Yet. But she is absolutely badass, and capable of carrying her own series. I also got to give Fawkes credit for telling a story that stretches from 300 BC all the way to the present day. It feels odd that I'm praising Fawkes, because in my opinion, he sort of ruined Justice League Dark. 

Speaking of creators I'm not fond of doing good work, I never thought I'd say any good things about Daniel Sempere and Vincent Cifuentes. You know the phrase, "Two negatives make a positive"? That's pretty apparent here. Sempere and Cifuentes make  some marvelous art, and if I didn't know it was them, I'd swear it was Ethan van Sciever. Patrick Zircher cranks out some good art here, but his darker painted style does not make for a transition from Sempere's lighter comic book style. 

Pandora #1 defied all of my expectations, as 2 creators I do not like have made an awesome book. I'm interested in seeing where this book goes. 

STORY: 4/5

+ Pandora makes for a compelling protagonist

+ Huge, epic story

+ Vandal Savage!
- No legitimate reason to root for the Lady in Red yet

ART: 4/5

+ Sempere and Cifuentes make good art!

+ Patrick Zircher's style looks great

- The transition between the two artists isn't the smoothest

VERDICT: 4/5

Swamp Thing #22 Review

SWAMP THING #22

by Charles Soule and Kano

So, is it spelled whiskey or whisky? 

So, if you ever thought the version of the Giving Tree that replaced apples with whiskey (Yeah, I'm spelling it like that) couldn't be screwed up, you're wrong. Because this is an incredibly screwed up comic (in a good way). Soule starts  the Whiskey Tree arc here, and this is going to be one hell of a ride. The first 12 or so pages are very calm and it's more of a moral dilemma  Swamp Thing is facing. But then things go to hell, very, very fast. I mean, Soule takes the American History X curb stomp to a new level here! One of the coolest things Soule does is that he makes the early parts of the issue very laid back, and it feels like nothing is wrong. But there's always this sense of foreboding in the air. Soule writes Holland and Constantine very well, and the Seeder is a menacing force. The only problem I have with this issue, is Constantine seems to be here for no reason. However, I'm not going to linger on that. It feels like Soule wrote a Vertigo story in this issue. 

Kano's art looks great too. I was skeptical of his art in #19, but he's quickly improved into something that resembles Stephen Bisette or Bernie Wrightson's art on the old Vertigo stories.

Swamp Thing #22 is a sickening, frightening, and blast of a ride. Pick it up, if you're looking for a good horror comic.

STORY: 4/5

+ Pushes the boundaries of it's T+ rating

+ Good characterization

+ The Seeder is a pretty menacing guy

- Constantine's appearance feels kind of forced

ART: 5/5

+ Very Vertigo-ish (if that's a word)

+ Matches the tone of the story

VERDICT: 4.5/5

Action Comics #22 Review

ACTION COMICS #22

by Scott Lobdell, Tyler Kirkham, Frank Hannah and Tom Derenick

This has been quite the week for DC, eh? Detective Comics got its groove back, another 5/5 worthy comic, Stormwatch got better as well, and then... Scott Lobdell joined Action Comics. Just when things were looking good. 

You know, I'm grateful that Scott Lobdell's Action Comics arc isn't going to be the six-issue story DC told us it would be when first announced. No, for real, thank God. This was just terrible. I don't even know why I picked this up. Maybe it was me giving Lobdell the benefit of doubt and falling for my love of a good Superman story. But a good Superman story this is not. This shouldn't even be considered a story. It's just a bunch of words thrown onto paper. OK, first off, where Detective Comics's new villain was a menacing and murdering badass, the antagonist of AC (See, I don't even remember his name!) is a generic, stereotypical, boring, poorly written, stupid, terrible, bland, and suckish character. Just like the rest of this comic. You know, I don't even see how Lobdell was chosen to write Superman. He doesn't even write the Man of Steel that well! He just feels like some guy with black hair, with a cape and the Superman symbol on his chest. You could replace with Steve Buscemi wearing a space suit with an Adamantium skeleton, and this issue would make a bit more sense. And, what is with the use of Hector Hammond? He's not the tragic villain Geoff Johns wrote him as, he's just Lex Luthor with a giant head and a mustache. You see, Lobdell tries to imitate Brian Michael Bendis when it comes to dialogue, but just botches it. I mean, there's NO substance to the story whatsoever, it's just Superman going to a party, punching a guy because Hector Hammond told him to, and then some random alien people showing up. Right there. That's all that happened. I just saved you $4. 

Tyler Kirkham's art is OK, but it can feel pretty rushed. At times, it looks great, sort of like a hybrid of Tony Daniel and Kenneth Rocafort. Sadly, it's very inconsistent, as it lapses in quality throughout the issue.

The backup story fares no better than the main story. While Hannah is only a tad better at writing  dialogue ("Between military and science... I choose SCIENCE!"), he still sucks at plotting, and the villain he introduces at the end of the issue is an uninspired choice. Tom Derenick's art just doesn't look too good either.

Action Comics #22 is a failure. I don't see why DC continues to give Lobdell work. I'm done. From now on, no matter how much I'm tempted to give his work I try, I'm staying away. If you thought Superman #13 was bad... Oh boy.

STORY: -1/5 (IT'S THAT BAD)

- Terrible dialogue

- Too much dialogue

- Overdramatic

- Terrible villain

- Hammond is nowhere near the interesting character Geoff Johns made him to be

ART: 3/5

+ Looks great when it does

- Doesn't look great when it does

BACKUP: 0/5

+/- Only slightly better dialogue than the main feature

- Meh art

- Uninspired villain choice

VERDICT: 0/5 (Because I'm in a terrible mood) 

Detective Comics #22 Review

DETECTIVE COMICS #22

by John Layman, Jason Fabok and Andy Clarke

Wrath is Prometheus done right. Not the movie, but I'd like to see that done correctly too. 

Detective Comics #22 marks the start of a new arc, involving Batman facing parallels of both, his superhero and civilian identities. First off, is Mr. Caldwell of Caldwell Tech, who is the mirror of Bruce Wayne. He is very Lex Luthor-ish, but with a more benevolent vibe. He makes for an mysterious character, but we don't really learn that  much about him. And then, there's Wrath. This bastard is freaking awesome. He has a vendetta against the GCPD, and when jumps into action, he's completely menacing  and badass. Layman is back at the top of his game with this issue. It has a very Christopher Nolan-esque vibe, and it really works. It's a lot darker and grittier than the Emperor Penguin arc. Another thing Layman does great, is the mystery he sets up about Wrath. I was completely sure that Wrath would turn out to be Caldwell, but Layman plants these very subtle hints that it's not Caldwell, and you really have to think about the clues Layman plants. The only problem I had with the story is Scorn, who seems like a pretty weak and useless character.

Jason Fabok has a new colorist in this issue, and it makes ALL the difference. It looks more like Fabok is trying to make his own style instead of imitating David Finch. The color palette is similar to what you would see in a Christopher Nolan film, with a heavy use of bland colors like grey, black and white and a limited use of more poppy colors. It looks absolutely breathtaking, and I could pour over each panel for hours.

The backup story is very good as well, this time around. Clarke seems to be going back to the darker style he had with the backups in the main Batman series, and Layman sets up a complex mystery here. And when the culprit is revealed in the very last panel, you won't believe who it is. 

Detective Comics #22 is an awesome issue. Layman, Fabok and Clarke are at their best here, and they even introduce a new villain who might actually be pretty interesting!

STORY: 4/5

+ Intriguing mystery

+ Great setup

+ Wrath is awesome

- Scorn is lame

ART: 5/5

+ Great coloring

+ Feels very cinematic

+ Awesome action scenes

BACKUP: 5/5

+ Complex mystery

+ Kirk is truly becoming his own character, maybe even worth of his own title

+ Shocking ending

VERDICT: 4.75/5

The Lone Ranger movie review

THE LONE RANGER

What the hell is wrong with the rabbits in this movie?

OK, there are a LOT of things that went wrong with the Lone Ranger. But I'm going take things one by one. First off, I want to start with the plot. 

The plot of this movie is practically nonexistent. There are simply lines of dialogue that move characters from over-the-top scenario to over-the-top scenario, and it just doesn't work. I mean, there's a shoehorned twist involving one of the characters that you can see coming from the very first moment he shows up on screen. The are some forced emotional scenes in the movie that come off as stupid and forced, that made me just cringe when they came on screen. There's also one character who's morally ambiguous, and not in a good way. I can't tell whether he's completely loyal to the good, but was the victim of misunderstanding, or if the writers just wanted an extra guy to shoot people. 

Alright, now let's get to the performances. Armie Hammer is cold and bland as the titular character. His performance is stale, and might even be up for a Razzie nomination. But it's not just Hammer's performance that makes the protagonist stupid. The writers put in some terrible character choices, that completely defy logic. I mean, throughout the entire movie, HE'S the reason bad things happen! It just pisses me off! Now, people are divided on Johnny Depp's performance as Tonto. It wasn't his best role, but it wasn't his worst either. Tonto is the only character who has a single shred of depth to him in the entire movie, and he had some funny moments at times.

Speaking of funny moments, there are just so many in the movie. There are some  scenes where I questioned whether the movie was a slapstick prop comedy. And there were actually only a few moments where the comedy worked. (Case in point, the scene where John gets hit with an arrow) Another problem with the comedy, is that it conflicts with the tone of the film. There are some outright violent moments in the film, where you can just see blood spraying everywhere, and one of the few likable characters dies in a horrible way. And then, there's slapstick humor.  I mean, you can tell they were trying to go for an Avengers style sense of humor, but the thing with the Avengers, was that it never felt like it broke the mood of the film. Here, it seems like the film can't tell whether it wants to be a dark Western action/revenge tale, or a Western comedy with Three Stooges action.

Now, for the tiny little bit of good in the movie. The action. It's over the top Summer fun, and I will admit, it kept me entertained. A lot. And I won't deny that I got pumped up towards the end when the big finale began, and the William Tell overture began to play. That was actually a little cool.

So, The Lone Ranger is a failure. It fails at story, characters, and humor, but it does deliver on the trailer's promise of massive over-the-top action.

STORY: 1/5

CHARACTERS: 1/5

HUMOR: 1.5/5

ACTION: 4.5/5

VERDICT: 2/5

Top 5: Biggest Questions of the New 52

Now, I've been very vocal in my support of DC's New 52. I've enjoyed it (for the most part). But now, it's time to hop on over to the other end of the critical spectrum, and take a look at the biggest unanswered questions of the relaunch, whether continuity error or just straight up plot hole.

5. What is with the screwed up Batman timeline?

OK, in the reboot, out of all of the corners of the DCU, Batman seemed to be the most affected. First off, with a reduced career timespan of 6 years,  how did he pull off 3 different Robins over the years? If Tim was never a Robin, how is he connected to the Bat-Family? Is Batman Inc. proof that Final Crisis happened in the DCnU?

4. Why hasn't Flashpoint been mentioned? Like, ever?

OK, so, if you recall Flashpoint #5, remember that Barry ACTUALLY REMEMBERS the events of Flashpoint actually took place. Hell, he even revealed it to Batman, and gave him a letter from that universe's Thomas Wayne, which you can actually see in Justice League #9. So, why hasn't Barry looked into the merging timelines more? And does this mean Barry remembers the classic DCU?

3. How does Batman Incorporated fit into all of this?

Continuing from #5, I'm really confused as to how Batman Inc fits into the new DCU. For one thing, Final Crisis had to had happened for Batman Inc to take place, but apparently it never did. Also, in issue one, Element Man mentions he used to be in the Justice League. Is this something that will be addressed in later issues of Justice League, or just a simple continuity flaw?

2. WHERE THE HELL ARE STEPH AND CASS?

This is really more of a personal thing... But where is Spoiler and Black Bat?

1. Was the Flashpoint universe merged with the DCnU?

As I was reading Justice League #20, I realized something. Johns has been subtly incorporating elements (no pun intended) from Flashpoint into the New 52. Example A: Element Woman. Example B: The S.H.A.Z.A.M Kids. So, did Johns just love these ideas from Flashpoint so much, that he just wanted to use them, or does this mean we might be able to go back to the World of Flashpoint some day?

One Last Thing on My Mind: The Martian Manhunter

OK, so this will be a bit of a stretch, and I'm 99.999999999999999999987% sure it's just a tiny mistake, but here goes. So, Blackest Night and Brightest Day both still apparently took place in the New 52, right? Otherwise, that would completely contradict the events of Green Lantern, right? But with the Martian Manhunter apparently being a much more covert figure to the DCU right now, how did those two events go down? J'onn played a central role in these events, especially Brightest Day. So, why did apparently no one know about him until the events of JLA?

Trade Review: The Avengers Vol. 1: Avengers World Review

THE AVENGERS VOL. 1: AVENGERS WORLD 

by Johnathan Hickman, Jerome Opena and Adam Kubert

So, I have been giving Hickman's Avengers a lot of crap, but I was told it reads much better as a trade. So I was able to read a copy... And here's what I think.

So, Avengers World is a storyline that basically pits the Avengers against a villain named Ex Nihilo, and then there are 3 issues of character origins. Now, the Avengers does read differently as a trade, and in this case, different means better. A LOT better. The opening story arc feels more coherent and makes more sense, and the origin issues don't feel like they're just killing time. One of the concepts (among a lot of interesting concepts) Hickman introduces, are opening the Avengers up to a larger group of heroes. This works very well, as we get introduced to a lot of layered characters, such as Smasher and Captain Universe. Ex Nihilo is a very complex villain, considering he's not exactly a villain. I can't think of a single time I've seen someone like Nihilo to be honest, and that is quite an accomplishment. And then, we come to the character origin stories. Let me get this clear. I STILL HATE ISSUE 4 WITH A BURNING PASSION. If you search through the site long enough, you'll find my review of Avengers #4, and I think it holds the lowest score I've ever given. There's a reason I hate that issue, but I'll let you read my review of it, and find out for yourself. With #5 and #6, Hickman actually tells some surprisingly heartwarming origins for Smasher, and a tragic and completely unexpected one for Captain Universe. Hickman is very good at writing characters, though his writing of Iron Man and Spider-Woman feel a little off. The biggest problem is the book is the slow and trodding pace. While putting in the origin issues in a trade does help matters a lot, as it doesn't feel like Hickman is trying to kill time as much, I'd still rather have 3 more issues of story, and then a special with the origins. 

Jerome Opena is one of my new favorite artists. I wouldn't put up there with Quitely or Cloonan, I would definitely compare his art (quality wise) with someone like Sorrentino, Jae Lee, or Francesco Francavilla. He's like Esad Ribic, if he didn't have the occasional unintentionally creepy facial expressions. And then, there's Adam Kubert. Issue 4 still looks like $#!@, but surprisingly, #5 and #6 actually look pretty good. His art doesn't look rushed in them, and he helps lend some emotional weight.

The Marvel NOW relaunch of the Avengers does work better as a trade than single issues. The problem, is the slow pace at which Hickman is telling the story. He's setting up some big things, so I'd recommend giving this a try. HOWEVER, Marvel always overprices their trades. This trade contains 6 $2.99 length books, (but they charged $3.99 per issue), and it's $24.99, so I'd recommend picking it up on Amazon if it's cheaper there. Don't buy this for more than $16.99. 

STORY: 4/5

+ Very interesting concepts and set ups

+ Great opening arc

+ Ex Nihilo is a complex villain
+ (For the most part), the origin stories are very touching

- Slow pace

- Some characters aren't themselves

- Issue 4 still sucks

ART: 4/5

+ Jerome  Opena's art is awesome

+ Adam Kubert's art improves by a margin with #5

- Issue 4 still sucks

VERDICT: 4/5

Justice League of America #5 Review

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #5

by Geoff Johns, Brett Booth, Matt Kindt and Manuel Garcia

OK, I've seen people demanding this all over the web, and I can't help but agree: MAKE B'DG PART OF THE JLA.

JLA #5 continues directly from the fourth issue. We get some insight on the origin of Doctor Light, Catwoman's "death", and Simon Baz finally joins the team. But it's also a very cluttered issue. Johns seems like he tries to cram as many ideas into this book before Trinity War, and it just comes off as convoluted. The reveal of the leader of the Secret Society is unexpected, but it's not surprising. Another of the book's problems is the lack of focus on Simon Baz, who's only in the book for about 3 pages. However, it's biggest sin must be the lack of closure we get here. I mean, Justice League and Justice League Dark both wrapped up their Trinity War prelude arcs nicely, but this book is just left open, and is incredibly unsatisfying. Not just that, there isn't much focus on about half the team, like Katana, Hawkman, or even Green Arrow here. Thankfully, Johns does redeem himself by doing some interesting things with the Secret Society, and Stargirl absolutely steals the show.

Brett Booth's art was never suited for this book, and it's never been more apparent. His style is way to cartoonish for the story's sake. I mean, what was DC thinking when they put him on here? Not just that, but there are some really noticeable art problems. There's one panel where it's mentioned that Hawkman has a compound fracture, and has lost over a quart of blood, but there's not a single scar and drop of blood on him. Speaking of Hawkman, I'm not a fan of the way Booth draws him either. And towards the later half, the art starts to look sloppy and rushed. However, as usual, the colors look very good, but the bright palette doesn't suit the tone.

This is the most disappointing chapter of the Martian Manhunter backups yet. It's focused on why J'Onn came to Earth in the first place, but it's uninteresting, dull, and it has a terrible villain. Manuel Garcia's art looks a little choppy too. This is really odd, considering that the first two chapters of the backup were very good. The one thing it gets right though, is that Garcia's art seems to look fine in some shots.

JLA #5 is the worst issue of the series. Granted, I will be staying for Trinity War, so let's hope Doug Manhke can fix the art problems. But despite all the gripes I had with this, I am looking forward to Trinity War.

STORY: 3/5
+ Stargirl is awesome
+ Some interesting concepts
+ Simon Baz finally joins the team!
- Doesn't pay attention to about half the team, including Baz
- Doesn't do a good job wrapping up

ART: 1/5
+ Bright and pretty colors
- Bright and pretty colors
- Booth's art is not suited for a dark book
- Starts to lapse in quality towards the end
- Art flaws

BACKUP: 2/5
+ Manuel Garcia's art looks very good in some spots
- Uninteresting story
- Art looks bad in some spots

VERDICT: 2/5