Reviews (2)

Must-read
This comic is for all you kids and kids at heart. Finally, a comic that acts like a cartoon. For all those people who love comedy, this is perfect. Definitely a must read.

Teen Titans Go!
If you like the cartoon then you will like the comic book! It has Robin, Beast Boy, Raven, Cyborg, and Starfire just like the cartoon! The stories are funny and exciting and the art is cool! Read it! You won't be sorry you did! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Pretty Good But Definitely Not The Best
After I had drifted away from Spider-Man for a few years, I decided to check in on Spidey in spring of 2002. Simply put, I was blown away.

I had always enjoyed Romita Jr.'s artwork, but it seemed so much better on the new glossy pages, coupled with Kemp's fantastic colors and Hanna's great inks. The artwork perfectly matched the intense storylines; and Romita Jr. has become my favorite comic artist.

J. Michael Straczynski's writing also amazed me. He came in and breathed new life into Spider-Man. The stories seemed fresh and new in a series that had grown stagnant in the nineties. His narrative added an intensity in the first storyline "Coming Home" that hadn't been in Spider-Man for a long time. Also one of the creative teams' lasting issues is the black cover 9/11 issue which was Straczynski's best as well as Romita Jr's finest moment.

I got a subscription for two years; some of the storylines were good but most were not very good. In the two years I read the books, only one traditional villian appeared (Doc Ock), and all of the rest were mythical/supernatural baddies after Spidey; the storylines also revolved around totemistic/supernatural plotlines that Spider-Man became involved in. Also, much of the dialogue was very cornball and most of the jokes were lame, but the art remained consistently good throughout the stories (some of the best in comics really).

Romita Jr recently left the series and I let my subscription run out. While I'm sure the art will be very good by other artists, the storys weren't working for me. I would rate this title more of a 3.5 than a 4 due to the writing that started off very good but lost momentum later on.

Some titles that remain consistently good over the years are "Ultimate Spider-Man" (for a fun, younger take on the character) and "Daredevil" (for a serious, mature superhero book).

The Amazing but decidedly Postmodern Spider-Man
I just started reading "The Amazing Spider-Man" and "Peter Parker: Spider-Man" again this year. I decided to do a unit on comic books for my Popular Culture class and since the Spider-Man movie was a summer blockbuster with legs (pick a number as to how many) I thought focusing on the web-head would be shrewd and productive. So the cherubs had to reading Volume 1 of "The Essential Spider-Man," which reprinted his origin issue and the first twenty issues of what is now Volume 2 of the comic book. On the basis of this they were to come up with a model of elements you usually find in a Spider-Man comic book. They then had to apply that model to a current issues of either "The Amazing Spider-Man" or "Peter Parker: Spider-Man." What has remained the same and what has changed over the course of almost forty years and 486 issues is rather interesting.

In the intervening years I have discovered that Peter Parker is "still" married to Mary Jane, but they are currently separated. Peter is now a teacher, which is certainly more ambitious than being a news photographer, but I do worry that super villains might be running around during school hours. In the biggest pair of changes Aunt May is now alive again (gasp!) and she knows that Peter is Spider-Man (GASP!) However, the essentially element of Spider-Man as the world's unluckiest superhero remains constant. No good deed goes unpublished. The new sub-text, that his secret identity is shared and causes an entirely new set of interpersonal problems than when he was making a concerted effort to conceal who he was from the people he loves, adds an entirely new level of depth to the comic book today.

The biggest complaint my students had was that in the contemporary economic world of comic books very rarely is a single issue self-contained, so that when they picked up their random issue it was either the end of a multi-part story or the beginning of the next one. The different in approach was quite key to them in terms of their lack of enthusiasm for the current comics. However, one of the inherent problems of superhero comic books is having the hero fight a different super villain every single issue and the multi-issue approach allows for more of an epic feel to the what is going on.

The comic book is currently scripted by J. Michael Straczynski, drawn by John Romita, Jr., and inked by Scott Hanna. The current version of "The Amazing Spider-Man" can be considered as postmodern not simply because it is Volume 2, but because it is decidedly self-referential. This is true not only in a blatantly self-promoting ways (unveiled references to what a "Spider-Man" movie would be like), but in an appropriate historical way. A recent issue (#45/#486) has Spider-Man concluding a battle with Doctor Octopus and being buried under a pile of rubble; the scene recalls what I consider the greatest of the Stan Lee-Steve Ditko stories which concluded in issue #33 "The Final Chapter" with Spider-Man trapped under tons of fallen steel. Just like the film, which invoked specific cover shots, such as John Romita, Sr.'s first issue #39, this is a comic book that is aware of itself as a comic book and of its history as a comic book.

The artwork by Romita shows a bit more flair than what we were used to from his father, although Sr. is still second only to Gene Colan in drawing the women of Spider-Man's world. Of course, by the time you read this all of these people could be long gone, but this is one of the flagship comics of the Marvel line, even more so today. At its best, Spider-Man can be as good as suepr hero comic books can get. Of course, now I have to track down back issues so I have a fuller understanding of what all is going on, but collecting things and tracking them down is part of the fun. Besides, we are but a year away from issue #500. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

More meaty than Wizard
While sections like "Longbox Manifesto" and "Ask Mr. Silver Age" will certainly appeal to long-time comic book lovers, CBG is a magazine that, month-in and month-out, will contain new and fresh news and stories that you more-than-likely didn't read elsewhere.The comic book and graphic novels reviewed each month are more than just Marvel and DC books, too, which is nice.

Wheras Wizard simply regurgitates the same news found on the various comic book sites online, Comics Buyers Guide is refreshingly new.

It's Wizard for the more discerning reader
When Comics Buyers Guide was a weekly tabloid, it appealed mainly to the hardcore comic book collector. Now that it has switched to a monthly format, delivering a healthy 244+ pages/issue, it has evolved into a dual-purpose magazine, still meeting the collector's needs while offering much more content for the discerning comic book reader and/or fan.

While Wizard is very good at what it does, hyping the latest Marvel and DC projects while offering a glimpse at the world beyond the big two - and the fanboys justifiably love it for that reason - Comics Buyers Guide offers meatier content and covers a much wider range of comics, with actual reviews as opposed to PR hype and creator-driven spin. Also, their price guide is more realistic, and thorough, than Wizard's seemingly hype-driven guide.

If you have to choose between them, Comics Buyers Guide is the one you want on a monthly basis.

How to get immersed in comics-buying culture!
This weekly publication is a great way to dive into the culture of the comics-buying world.The letters page is several pages long, often written by incredibly knowledgable and insightful readers.Also included are lots of reviews, articles on the industry and upcoming creative news, informative/interesting/entertaining columnists, convention guides, publication schedules, and classifieds.Content ranges from the beginnings of comic book history all the way to what's happening a year from now.Definitely a highlight of my week; often I read this before I read the comics I just bought.This comes from a publisher whose primary focus has been on collecting (coins, stamps, records, etc.)Trustworthy and entertaining! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Not for kids!
I ordered this subscription for my three year old son who is a Batman maniac. When the magazine arrived I thought the violence was far too graphic. I am not an overly protective mom but this comic was going to raise questions I wasn't planning to answer for a few more years. I am giving the comic to my 13 year old god son instead. ... Read more

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Find Wonder Every Month In This Great Comic Book
Though it is hard to write a review on a comic book that is constantly changing in new storylines and art, one thing to be said about the Wonder Woman comic is that it's a milestone book. Wonder Woman is one of DC Comic's flagship titles and has been around for over 60 years. Constantly pushing the limits of such topics as feminism, humanitarianism and social peace; the stories are often written from an idealistic point of view. Wonder Woman is the story of an Amazon Princess named Diana from the island of Themyscira (Paradise Island) who's mission in life is to teach the world the value of peaceful co-existance in an otherwise hostile envirnment. Which is no small task as Diana is constantly put upon by would-be anarchists. Using her gods given abilities of strength, flight, speed, wisdom and heart in her goal, Diana shows a passion that other comic book heroines have been templated off of. The only negative aspect of subscribing to the comic would be that it takes around two months for the first issue of the subscription to reach your home, and often times you can purchase the same issue you receive weeks in advance at your local comic book store. Still, if you would rather receive the book in the comfort of your own home, I would highly recommend to do so. ... Read more

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Who wants to live in a world without Superman?
I never really started reading any Superman comics on anything remotely like a consistent basis until John Bryne was given license to "start over." Having been intrigued by various revitalizations of assorted comic books, most notably "Swamp Thing" by Alan Moore, I started picking up the "new" issues of "Superman," "The Adventures of Superman," and "Action Comics." Bryne did a good job of reworking the logic of the character; for example, the planet Kyrpton was already becoming radioactive before it exploded, thereby explaining its various unhealthy affects on the Man of Steel. Bryne also worked out Superman's powers (think walking solar battery) and, perhaps most importantly, made the Superman/Clark Kent/Lois Lane love triangle into a more workable dyad.

After a few years the folks at DC added a fourth Superman title, "Superman: The Man of Steel" and with a Superman comic coming out essentially every week they then decided to create one giant story line. In addition to the traditional issue number the cover of each Superman comic was now adorned with a small Superman "S" shield that told you where that particular comic fell in the sequence for that year. I thought this was great. I was at the point where I let multi-part stories of "Daredevil," "Iron Man" or whatever sit around on the table until I had all the parts and then I could read it all at once. But with the Superman comics you read it immediately because the next installment was but a week away. Unfortunately, that approach has now been abandoned (along with the fifth Superman title, "Superman: Man of Tomorrow" that popped up once a quarter to bring the grand total of comics to 52 for each year). However, you will find that there are still mulit-part stories crossing over the various comics from time to time that are now four or eight parts long, like the recent "Ending Battle" story line.

The character of Superman remains both the most perfect and most problematic of comic book superheroes. The litany from the opening of the television series tells of all his wonderful powers and his commitment to "truth, justice and the American way." Who can do better than that? But that perfection becomes problematic. For example, if he is so committed to saving lives, how can Superman afford the luxury of a secret identity? Any time he is Clark Kent that are "x" numbers of crimes and accidents going on just within the sound of his superhearing. If he is powered by the sun he should just be working his way around the world, time zone by time zone, doing good deeds.

In the final analysis, the perfect ideal outweighs the logical consequences. The limitations that exist on Superman of the greatest importance become those created by his own standards. Superman does not kill; Superman stands for law and order; Superman respects authority. That is why the masterstroke of having arch enemey Lex Luthor become President of the United States has been so effective. I also appreciate the irony that the office has forced Luthor to assume some civic responsibilities as well.

I was going to comment on which writers and artists were working on each of the Superman titles at this particular point in the history of the D.C. universe, but I have noticed that half the titles have new scripters and/or artists since last month. Then again, this makes sense, since "Superman" is a comic book where a particular writer or artist has never really caught on as being definitive or at least substantially different. Again, that strikes me as totally appropriate to this seminal super hero. Still, it is a good thing that each title page reminds us that Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. ... Read more

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For now "Action Comics" is the best of the Superman titles
I greeted the decision by D.C. to give each of their Superman titles autonomy instead of having a continuing that united all of the comic books with minimal enthusiasm. I appreciated the fact that each week a new issue of a Superman comic would be available at my local comic book store. But now "Action Comics," "Superman," and "The Adventures of Superman" are on their own, and "Superman: Metropolis" is the new kid on the block.

So far, "Action Comics" is the Superman title getting off to the most interesting start. This was helped tremendously by a superb double-sized anniversary comic for issue #800 written by Joe Kelly and drawn by a host of guest artists. The comic retold the story of Superman with key episodes of his origin reflected in the story of ordinary people who have been touched in one way or another by the Man of Steel. Now "Action Comics" is launching into a major story line as one in every one thousand Americans are exploding with uncontrollable meta-human powers at a rate of one every five seconds. Welcome to the United States of President Lex Luthor.

Granted, by the time you read this it might no longer be true, but right now "Action Comics" is the premier Superman title and Joe Kelly gets the credit. It will be interesting to see who settles in as the "permanent" artist for the book, but the substance of the writing is ultimately going to matter more than the style of the art work. Hopefully, Kelly is in this for a long haul. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Joe Kelly and Derec Aucoin explore the legend of Superman
Last year D.C. decides to send each of the Superman comic books on its own separate way, instead of having a pattern of continuity that tied each together. That means that within the general context of a world in which Lex Luthor is President of the United States and Clark Kent has been fired from the Daily Planet (do not worry, he is working undercover investigating the aforementioned Luthor presidency), each comic book gets to carve out its own path. "The Adventures of Superman" currently features the effort of writer Joe Casey and artist Derec Aucoin to explore the legend of Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Recent issues have looked at the merchandising of Superman, the Superman of Yesterday vs. the Superman of Tomorrow, and the world of Heroville where Superman is just another character in colorful tights.

This approach means that the more you know about the Superman mythos the more you are going to appreciate these efforts, which, so far, have tended to avoided what would now be considered the "main" Superman plot line which is now found mainly in "Superman" and, to a lesser degree, in "Action Comics." It will be interesting to see how the various Superman titles flourish in this brave new marketing scheme, but Kelly and Aucoin are going to have to mix up the insightful looks at Superman with some more traditional superhero, ah, adventures. These creative looks at the legend of Superman would work a lot better if they were not coming up one after another like this. ... Read more

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I don't like the idea of Captain Marvel quitting the JSA.
I want Captain Marvel to stay in the Justice Society. He needs to belomg to a super-hero group. I like JSA because it feature three of my favorite DC's super-heroes, Hawkman, Wildcat and espcially Captain Marvel. Even if Captain Marvel has to tell his fellows JSAers his secret idenity is young Billy Batson. If the whole members of Justice League know it why not the Justice Society. I was hoping to see more of Cap's foes fight him and the rest of Justice Society. Like for instance Captian Nazi, Ibac, Mr. Atom, Chained Lightning and espcially my favorite King Kull. Also why super-villian fights with Ibac up against Black Adam, Solomon Grundy and Blockbuster. And have Wildcat in his alter-ego as Ted Grant teach Billy Batson boxing lessons that will help him when he changes into Captain Marvel. So I hope you'll keep Captain Marvel in the JSA he belong there. ... Read more

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I LOVE THE POWERPUFF GIRLS!!!!!
I love the powerpuff girls especially Bubbles because she is the sweet,babyish,and the adorable one. I am mostly like Bubbles like I get in over my head sometimes when I hear people talking about me or if they forget about me or they call me something I hate and sometimes I do get what I want. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Better than Volume 1
This comic is definitely better than the first volume. Catwoman really comes into her own as a stronger, tougher, Anti-Heroine...she's playing his game, but with her own rules. My only complaint is with the new artist, whose name I don't remember....but I much preferred the older gothic noir style used for the first 40 odd issues ... Read more