Invincible Ultimate Collection Vol. 5 by Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley consists of issues 48 through 59 plus Astounding Wolf Man #11.
Invincible is a comic about a very powerful teenage superhero. Robert Kirkman does a great job of humanizing the character while at the same time giving us tons of fun adventures. One thing I love about Kirkman is that he keeps developing subplots in issues while finishing previous subplots. This way, every issue seems important while at the same time it creates moments where a bunch of subplots come into the forefront creating a big mess for our hero. I love this. You never know where Invincible will be in the next issue. There are countless villains making up their own plans and who knows when they will attack.
I read this volume in one sitting and it made me eager to get more issues of Invincible. This series is so good that it seems like waiting a year for the next collected hardcover is too long a wait.
I love this series. I read a lot of comics and this might be my favorite series. I highly recommend it.
Showing posts with label ryan ottley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ryan ottley. Show all posts
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
More Reviews of Single Issues
Amazing Spider-Man #616 by Fred Van Lente and Javier Pulido.
The issue continues on the Sandman story introduced in the previous issue. The issue continues with the great artwork and great writing. I particularly liked the artwork on a two page spread where the panel snakes up as Sandman is snaking up. The panel is creative and it makes the action look much better than if the panel were just a rectangle.
The ending in the issue is sad. It made me think about the government taking children away from parents because of negligence. Movies, comics and books many times put this in a bad light, but then again, abusive parents must be held accountable somehow. It is a tough subject. I think child's services is better for society than not having it, but some situations are just sad.
A very good issue.
What If Aunt May had Died instead of Uncle Ben? by Ed Brubaker and Andrea Di Vito.
The story is told as if the narrator was a comic book store owner talking to another comic book fan. It is nice that the owner has a T-shirt with The Watcher in it, as The Watcher is usually the narrator in the What If? storylines.
The story is a fun read. It makes it clear how important Aunt May is in the Spider-Man universe. Without someone to ground him, Spider-Man would lose control and go through more experiences before becoming a good superhero.
It was a good story and I really liked the way it was handled with the two superhero fans discussing this.
Star Wars: Purge Seconds to Die by John Ostrander and Jim Hall
The comic is about a Jedi that tries to take down the Emperor after Order 666. She acts as if she wants to be Sith. The Emperor tells her that he'll take her as a student as long as she defeats Darth Vader. Therefore we get a pretty good fight scene between them.
The issue was good. It established a character I didn't know in one issue and it made me care about what would happen to her.
A solid issue.
Marvel Adventures #57 by Paul Tobin and Matteo Lolli
This issue was great. It had humor, romance, action, Peter having moral dilemmas. Essentially it had everything that a Spider-Man comic needs.
The humor came in the guise of Emma Frost as the Silencer. She became a "villain" essentially to see Spider-Man in action, as her best friend Chat is Spidey's girlfriend. In the issue we get a lot of good dialogue between Chat and Emma, between Spidey and Chat and between Peter and Chat. This is the issue where Spidey and Chat have a fight, as Chat confesses that she knows he is Spider-Man and this fight is what generated the funny line I posted about yesterday "...we're sending messages through pigeons now..."
The series is fantastic.
Web of Spider-Man #1,#2,#3 by J.M. DeMatteis, Fred Van Lente, among others.
The first issue is not very good. It has a good but not great story about Kaine written by J.M. DeMatteis. It has a story about Spider-Girl, which I don't care much about, and it has a story about Frog-Man, which was funny but not much. I felt like the first issue wasn't worth buying.
The second issue has the origin of Electro, which was a good story. It had a better Spider-Girl story (now I start to care a bit more) and it has a pretty good final story involving Jameson. This issue is almost worth the price of admission, but it is not there yet.
The third issue has the origin of Rhino, which is a great story. I have a little more respect for Rhino after reading this. Then it has a good Spider-Girl story, which made me want to get the next issue to find out the conclusion to the Spider-Girl current arc. Finally, it has another J.M. DeMatteis story. This time he writes a nice short about May and JJJ Sr.'s honeymoon. It is a moving piece and very funny too. It is nice how he manages to make it touching and funny.
The third issue is very good and that is the reason I'l; get the next couple of issues.
Haunt #1,#2,#3 by Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, Greg Capullo and Todd McFarlane.
This title generated a lot of news as it brings back Todd McFarlane into creating a character. McFarlane created this character with Kirkman and now inks the series. The comic is about a priest Daniel Kilgore, whose brother is a secret agent, Kurt Kilgore. Kurt dies and somehow his ghost can still talk to Daniel and if he gets inside Daniel's body, they become a powerful being called Haunt. This is the set up.
The first issue is a good start. The story moves fast and we are introduced to the two main characters, Daniel and Kurt,effectively. I like the first issue.
The second issue is even better than the first. We know more about Daniel and we find out that he has a thing for Kurt's wife. It is also fun to see how Daniel reacts to his newfound powers. The interaction between Daniel and Kurt is quite fun.
The third issue reveals to us a lot more. A creepy Bolivian woman calls him Haunt, somehow she's able to sense the ghost of Kurt. We also learn more about where Kurt worked before, as Daniel is there in their jail (while they try to find out how he was able to get into the secret facility). It is a very good issue. The series keeps getting better and better.
As mentioned yesterday, the fourth issue wasn't so great. The series however has great potential.
That wraps up all the issues I have read in the last two months, so I won't be reviewing any more single issues until next Wednesday when a new batch comes in. However I'll be reviewing a lot more trade paperbacks in the coming days.
The issue continues on the Sandman story introduced in the previous issue. The issue continues with the great artwork and great writing. I particularly liked the artwork on a two page spread where the panel snakes up as Sandman is snaking up. The panel is creative and it makes the action look much better than if the panel were just a rectangle.
The ending in the issue is sad. It made me think about the government taking children away from parents because of negligence. Movies, comics and books many times put this in a bad light, but then again, abusive parents must be held accountable somehow. It is a tough subject. I think child's services is better for society than not having it, but some situations are just sad.
A very good issue.
What If Aunt May had Died instead of Uncle Ben? by Ed Brubaker and Andrea Di Vito.
The story is told as if the narrator was a comic book store owner talking to another comic book fan. It is nice that the owner has a T-shirt with The Watcher in it, as The Watcher is usually the narrator in the What If? storylines.
The story is a fun read. It makes it clear how important Aunt May is in the Spider-Man universe. Without someone to ground him, Spider-Man would lose control and go through more experiences before becoming a good superhero.
It was a good story and I really liked the way it was handled with the two superhero fans discussing this.
Star Wars: Purge Seconds to Die by John Ostrander and Jim Hall
The comic is about a Jedi that tries to take down the Emperor after Order 666. She acts as if she wants to be Sith. The Emperor tells her that he'll take her as a student as long as she defeats Darth Vader. Therefore we get a pretty good fight scene between them.
The issue was good. It established a character I didn't know in one issue and it made me care about what would happen to her.
A solid issue.
Marvel Adventures #57 by Paul Tobin and Matteo Lolli
This issue was great. It had humor, romance, action, Peter having moral dilemmas. Essentially it had everything that a Spider-Man comic needs.
The humor came in the guise of Emma Frost as the Silencer. She became a "villain" essentially to see Spider-Man in action, as her best friend Chat is Spidey's girlfriend. In the issue we get a lot of good dialogue between Chat and Emma, between Spidey and Chat and between Peter and Chat. This is the issue where Spidey and Chat have a fight, as Chat confesses that she knows he is Spider-Man and this fight is what generated the funny line I posted about yesterday "...we're sending messages through pigeons now..."
The series is fantastic.
Web of Spider-Man #1,#2,#3 by J.M. DeMatteis, Fred Van Lente, among others.
The first issue is not very good. It has a good but not great story about Kaine written by J.M. DeMatteis. It has a story about Spider-Girl, which I don't care much about, and it has a story about Frog-Man, which was funny but not much. I felt like the first issue wasn't worth buying.
The second issue has the origin of Electro, which was a good story. It had a better Spider-Girl story (now I start to care a bit more) and it has a pretty good final story involving Jameson. This issue is almost worth the price of admission, but it is not there yet.
The third issue has the origin of Rhino, which is a great story. I have a little more respect for Rhino after reading this. Then it has a good Spider-Girl story, which made me want to get the next issue to find out the conclusion to the Spider-Girl current arc. Finally, it has another J.M. DeMatteis story. This time he writes a nice short about May and JJJ Sr.'s honeymoon. It is a moving piece and very funny too. It is nice how he manages to make it touching and funny.
The third issue is very good and that is the reason I'l; get the next couple of issues.
Haunt #1,#2,#3 by Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, Greg Capullo and Todd McFarlane.
This title generated a lot of news as it brings back Todd McFarlane into creating a character. McFarlane created this character with Kirkman and now inks the series. The comic is about a priest Daniel Kilgore, whose brother is a secret agent, Kurt Kilgore. Kurt dies and somehow his ghost can still talk to Daniel and if he gets inside Daniel's body, they become a powerful being called Haunt. This is the set up.
The first issue is a good start. The story moves fast and we are introduced to the two main characters, Daniel and Kurt,effectively. I like the first issue.
The second issue is even better than the first. We know more about Daniel and we find out that he has a thing for Kurt's wife. It is also fun to see how Daniel reacts to his newfound powers. The interaction between Daniel and Kurt is quite fun.
The third issue reveals to us a lot more. A creepy Bolivian woman calls him Haunt, somehow she's able to sense the ghost of Kurt. We also learn more about where Kurt worked before, as Daniel is there in their jail (while they try to find out how he was able to get into the secret facility). It is a very good issue. The series keeps getting better and better.
As mentioned yesterday, the fourth issue wasn't so great. The series however has great potential.
That wraps up all the issues I have read in the last two months, so I won't be reviewing any more single issues until next Wednesday when a new batch comes in. However I'll be reviewing a lot more trade paperbacks in the coming days.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
What I Read Today (Wednesday Jan. 6)
Today was a good day for me in terms of receiving comics. I got five single issues and three trade paperbacks. I haven't read the trades yet, those reviews will appear sometime this week. However I read the five issues and the reviews follow:
Murderer #1 by Robert Kirkman, Marc Silvestri and Nelson Blake II.
This one-shot is part of the Pilot Season program in Top Cow Productions. The idea is that five one-shots written by Robert Kirkman and Marc Silvestri will come out. Then readers vote on which one they like more. The winner becomes an ongoing series in Top Cow Productions (note that Top Cow is part of Image Comics).
I decided to buy Murderer because the premise looked interesting. Jason is a man who can hear people's thoughts. He has no control over it, so it doesn't feel very good. I won't spoil the particular story of this issue, but I will say that it was very well done. It made me want to read more of this series. The art was very simple and has a lot to improve. However, the writing very well done and makes for a great read.
Now, I am planning on reading the other one-shots. If any of the others is this good, it will be worth buying all four. If none of the others is as good as this one, then I'll happily vote for this one to be an ongoing, I wish it were an ongoing already.
Haunt #4 by Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, Greg Capullo and Todd McFarlane
The first three issues of Haunt were good. Each issue getting better. The third issue made me want to continue buying the series. Today I got the fourth issue and I was looking forward to reading it. I like the issue. The art is very good, which is not surprising as Ottley is a fantastic penciller.
The story is getting more interesting as more questions arise and we get to know the main character more. However, I was bothered by several unbelievable things that happen in this issue. There is one scene were a sports car is driven through a brick wall. In fact there are two scenes where this happens. I don't think this is possible, unless you have a very special car (tank). It did create a cool scene to watch, but it took me out of the story as it was too unbelievable.
Another problem I had was with the reaction Amanda has to the extreme violence. She witnesses a monster-looking thing brutally murder several people and then hugs him. That seemed very strange to me.
I am looking forward to next issue, but I have to say I didn't like this issue that much.
God Complex #2 by Michael Avon Oeming, Dan Berman and John Broglia
Another Image Comics book. The first issue of this comic was good, but not great. The second issue again is good but not great. The first issue made it seem like Paul (Apollo) would have a difficult challenge in this issue. It did take Paul 6 pages to get rid of the monsters threatening him, however, he was never really in trouble. It seems weird for a witch to summon powers of great Gods to create such lame adversaries.
After the initial six pages, the book actually gets good. We are introduced to a new character, Jimmy Wu, who has a lot of potential. I am interested in finding more about Jimmy as he seems to be more powerful than Paul, yet way calmer. It reminds me of a Jedi. The interactions between Jimmy and Paul are great.
I have to say that while I am not loving the series as much as I thought I would, I think the series will get better.
Amazing Spider-Man #615 by Fred Van Lente and Javier Pulido
Amazing Spider-Man has been a joy to read for the last 5 months. Every issue has been great, which must be hard to do if you have to publish three times a month as the title does. They rotate writers and all of them are great, but my favorite is Fred Van Lente. Van Lente did a wonderful one-shot about The Spot in Amazing Spider-Man #589 and then he wrote a great three issue arc #603-605 about the Chameleon. Van Lente is funny and his stories are very fun to read. This issue is no exception.
The issue is very funny and a lot of it comes from the great art work. Pulido has Spider-Man wearing a scarf and socks for winter and does a very good job of having Spidey look like Spider-Man. I don't exactly picture Peter Parker and Jameson the way he draws their faces, but the expressions he draws on them work quite well.
There was one scene that had me laughing a lot, so I'll share it:
Spider-Man comes to Betty to ask for some information on some guy. After Betty talks for a while, she turns left and sees the window open while she says "Spider-Man?". This is the last panel of one page. As we turn the page we see a looming Spider-Man on her right saying "I'm over here." It was such a funny scene, making a little fun of the often used stealthy superhero. This was a scene where the writing and the art were pitch perfect, this is the sort of scene that you can only do in comic books.
Excellent issue.
Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #58 by Paul Tobin and Matteo Lolli
Marvel Adventures Spider-Man is a title for all ages. It is a fantastic comic book. The art is playful, the writing is funny and exciting. It is just a really good comic book. I don't know why, but a lot of "for all ages" products are better than the specific ones. If we look at Pixar, their movies are usually much better than the average movie. That is just one particular example, but this comic happens to be excellent and for all ages.
Let's talk about this issue in particular. We are introduced to a new character, the Blond Phantom, a superhero that makes money out of saving people's lives. She wants to recruit Spider-Man. The issue moves with a conversation between Spider-Man and Blond Phantom while we get some flashbacks to Spidey's day. I like the way the story is told and I love the new character. This issue is also great in that you don't need to read any other issue to get it. It works great as just one issue.
Again, there was one scene that deserves to be mentioned:
Spider-Man gets hit in the head by a pigeon. Spider-Man then talks to the pigeons about a girl. Blond Phantom is confused to which Spider-Man says "My Girlfriend, the girl I'm dating, can talk to animals. We had a fight. We're working through it, but for now we're too mad at each other to talk, so we're sending messages through pigeons. And yes, I know it's weird". Brilliant.
Murderer #1 by Robert Kirkman, Marc Silvestri and Nelson Blake II.
This one-shot is part of the Pilot Season program in Top Cow Productions. The idea is that five one-shots written by Robert Kirkman and Marc Silvestri will come out. Then readers vote on which one they like more. The winner becomes an ongoing series in Top Cow Productions (note that Top Cow is part of Image Comics).
I decided to buy Murderer because the premise looked interesting. Jason is a man who can hear people's thoughts. He has no control over it, so it doesn't feel very good. I won't spoil the particular story of this issue, but I will say that it was very well done. It made me want to read more of this series. The art was very simple and has a lot to improve. However, the writing very well done and makes for a great read.
Now, I am planning on reading the other one-shots. If any of the others is this good, it will be worth buying all four. If none of the others is as good as this one, then I'll happily vote for this one to be an ongoing, I wish it were an ongoing already.
Haunt #4 by Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, Greg Capullo and Todd McFarlane
The first three issues of Haunt were good. Each issue getting better. The third issue made me want to continue buying the series. Today I got the fourth issue and I was looking forward to reading it. I like the issue. The art is very good, which is not surprising as Ottley is a fantastic penciller.
The story is getting more interesting as more questions arise and we get to know the main character more. However, I was bothered by several unbelievable things that happen in this issue. There is one scene were a sports car is driven through a brick wall. In fact there are two scenes where this happens. I don't think this is possible, unless you have a very special car (tank). It did create a cool scene to watch, but it took me out of the story as it was too unbelievable.
Another problem I had was with the reaction Amanda has to the extreme violence. She witnesses a monster-looking thing brutally murder several people and then hugs him. That seemed very strange to me.
I am looking forward to next issue, but I have to say I didn't like this issue that much.
God Complex #2 by Michael Avon Oeming, Dan Berman and John Broglia
Another Image Comics book. The first issue of this comic was good, but not great. The second issue again is good but not great. The first issue made it seem like Paul (Apollo) would have a difficult challenge in this issue. It did take Paul 6 pages to get rid of the monsters threatening him, however, he was never really in trouble. It seems weird for a witch to summon powers of great Gods to create such lame adversaries.
After the initial six pages, the book actually gets good. We are introduced to a new character, Jimmy Wu, who has a lot of potential. I am interested in finding more about Jimmy as he seems to be more powerful than Paul, yet way calmer. It reminds me of a Jedi. The interactions between Jimmy and Paul are great.
I have to say that while I am not loving the series as much as I thought I would, I think the series will get better.
Amazing Spider-Man #615 by Fred Van Lente and Javier Pulido
Amazing Spider-Man has been a joy to read for the last 5 months. Every issue has been great, which must be hard to do if you have to publish three times a month as the title does. They rotate writers and all of them are great, but my favorite is Fred Van Lente. Van Lente did a wonderful one-shot about The Spot in Amazing Spider-Man #589 and then he wrote a great three issue arc #603-605 about the Chameleon. Van Lente is funny and his stories are very fun to read. This issue is no exception.
The issue is very funny and a lot of it comes from the great art work. Pulido has Spider-Man wearing a scarf and socks for winter and does a very good job of having Spidey look like Spider-Man. I don't exactly picture Peter Parker and Jameson the way he draws their faces, but the expressions he draws on them work quite well.
There was one scene that had me laughing a lot, so I'll share it:
Spider-Man comes to Betty to ask for some information on some guy. After Betty talks for a while, she turns left and sees the window open while she says "Spider-Man?". This is the last panel of one page. As we turn the page we see a looming Spider-Man on her right saying "I'm over here." It was such a funny scene, making a little fun of the often used stealthy superhero. This was a scene where the writing and the art were pitch perfect, this is the sort of scene that you can only do in comic books.
Excellent issue.
Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #58 by Paul Tobin and Matteo Lolli
Marvel Adventures Spider-Man is a title for all ages. It is a fantastic comic book. The art is playful, the writing is funny and exciting. It is just a really good comic book. I don't know why, but a lot of "for all ages" products are better than the specific ones. If we look at Pixar, their movies are usually much better than the average movie. That is just one particular example, but this comic happens to be excellent and for all ages.
Let's talk about this issue in particular. We are introduced to a new character, the Blond Phantom, a superhero that makes money out of saving people's lives. She wants to recruit Spider-Man. The issue moves with a conversation between Spider-Man and Blond Phantom while we get some flashbacks to Spidey's day. I like the way the story is told and I love the new character. This issue is also great in that you don't need to read any other issue to get it. It works great as just one issue.
Again, there was one scene that deserves to be mentioned:
Spider-Man gets hit in the head by a pigeon. Spider-Man then talks to the pigeons about a girl. Blond Phantom is confused to which Spider-Man says "My Girlfriend, the girl I'm dating, can talk to animals. We had a fight. We're working through it, but for now we're too mad at each other to talk, so we're sending messages through pigeons. And yes, I know it's weird". Brilliant.
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