Comic Reviews Week of 8/5/09

It's one of those weeks.


Justice League - Cry For Justice #2 (of 7)
Written By James Robinson
Art By Mauro Cascioli

There's really no getting around the fact that this comic sucks. Oh, it's better than the first issue, but that just means that it's awful instead of hilariously awful. I don't have good feeling about this series, since it has, so far, been superheroes whining at each other for the better part of two issues.

Anyway, this issue features the team slowly coming together as they begin to realize that these attacks are linked. Actually, they don't quite make it that far in this particular issue, but that's certainly where things are heading...albeit in the most glacial manner possible.

Also, after reading this issue, I have never hated Hal Jordan more, as Robinson somehow takes something like five pages to discuess why Green Lantern hated Batman, which is even less exciting than it sounds. At least last issue when the characters said stuff it was entertainingly stupid, this time characters are just boring.

Come to think of it, this is kind of like the exact opposite of Grant Morrison's run. Morrison's JLA was over-the-top, Robinson's is painfully low-key. Morrison's stories focused on action, Robinson's seem to be almost entirely character development. Morrison featured DC's most popular characters, Robinson includes characters like Congorilla. People liked Morrison's JLA, Robinson's....not so much.



Hulk #13
Written By Jeph Loeb
Art By Ed McGuiness

First of all, if last issue was #600, shouldn't this be #601? I mean, aren't you obligated to at least wait one issue before renumbering it again?

Anyway, at this point I don't think there's anything left to say. It's about big things hitting each other until the issue ends. I guess that's fine, it's better than most of what Jeph Loeb has written lately, but most of the better Hulk runs have offered something besides mindless action and this doesn't.

Also, I officially don't care about the Red Hulk who has done nothing interesting ever.


Captain America-Reborn #2
Written By Ed Brubaker
Art By Bryan Hitch

I don't get Captain America. I understand the concept of a guy who embodies all of the positive American ideals, which is what the Steve Rogers version of Cap is, but it doesn't seem like a very interesting character to me. At any rate, this is the miniseries designed to bring back the original version of Captain America.

I'm not a huge fan of Brubaker's run on Captain America. On an intellectual level, I know that it's well-written, but it just doesn't do much for me. Given that everyone else likes it, and that I basically have no idea what I'm talking about, I blame myself for this.

In retrospect, I suppose the point of this review was to inform the reader that a) I don't like Captain America and b) I'm a moron. Mission accomplished.

Mini-reviews: When ten sentences are simply nine too many!

Agents of Altas #9: Not only does this issue feature better use of a man trapped in a gorilla's body than Cry For Justice, it also features better use of Bruce Banner than the Hulk. Kind of makes you think.

Amazing Spider-Man #601: Why won't the writers of Spider-man stop talking about One More Day? Seriously, why can't they just let it alone.

Exiles #5: CANCELLED!!!!....again.

The Hangman #1: Did it ever occur to anyone that the reason that some characters were abandoned in the Golden Age was because they weren't very good?

Secret Six #12: Every issue I like this series less and less, although I'm not sure exactly why.