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100 Bullets #46
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Artist: Eduardo Risso
I know I'm in the minority on this one, but I actually prefer the original concept of 100 Bullets to its overall plot. I like the self-contained stories in which Graves gives a person 100 untraceable bullets, a gun, and the evidence that shows who was responsible for fucking up their life.
Those types of stories read sort of like a Tales from the Crypt kind of thing, and I think it would make a good TV series. The underlying plot of 100 Bullets, however, with Graves and the minutemen, doesn't really interest me as much.
Out of all the characters in the minutemen plotline, Lono interested me the least. He just seems like the big thug who does the dirtiest of jobs. That's why I was surprised when I actually got interested in the current plotline which follows Lono in prison, no longer in control of his own destiny.
This issue finishes the Lono in prison arc by showing what it means in the overall scheme of things. Lono is given an offer that may get him out of prison if he accepts it, but can you really predict what decision a man as psychotic as Lono will choose?
The rest of the story deals with Little Hughes, who has a variety of people after his head. He thought was safe by getting himself thrown in the infirmary, but when his enemies get thrown in too, it's not such a safe haven anymore.
I found the resolution of this arc to be a bit confusing. I'm not sure if it's because of the language or because I just didn't pay attention enough. The minutemen plotline sometimes causes my eyes to glaze over a bit and I don't focus enough when I should.
I guess I'm just not the main target audience for this comic. I see it as an amusing diversion when there's nothing else to buy, but really don't find the main plotline too great. If you're a fan of the series though, you probably won't be dissapointed.
Recommended for Fans
6/10
Alias #24
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Michael Gaydos
Let me start off by saying that if you don't read this comic, you are a complete and utter bastard and I hate you with a firey passion. In fact, unless you run down to a book store and buy all the trades to catch up on this comic, I will force you to read late-90s Spider-Man comics until you become suicidal.
Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let me proceed to lavish praise upon the newest issue of Alias. Brian Michael Bendis can't write for superheroes worth a shit, but that's okay since he rarely tries. He might as well rename Daredevil to "Matt Murdock," because it's a rarity for the man to even don the red costume.
With Alias he doesn't even have to bother with that, since the main character is basically just a secret identity, a former super hero who became disgusted with the whole deal. The past two issues of Alias focuses on Jessica Jones' origin and how she got her powers. This newest arc, "Purple," promises to show us just what made her give up being a superhero.
The victims of a murderous super villain known as "The Purple Man," have come together to ask for assistance from Jessica Jones, who has a long history with the man. Jessica wants nothing to do with the whole deal and wants to keep the past behind her, but everyone seems to be pushing her into this confrontation from Matt Murdock to the Avengers.
We don't delve too far into the story as of yet, we just get some set-up in this issue. There's also a few panels that aren't elaborated on, but may foreshadow some things to come later in Jessica's life. It remains to be seen if anything comes from it or if Bendis is just trying to throw people a curve ball.
Alias is one of the most consistent comics out there and I can't recommend it enough. It's a great comic for people who both love and hate superhero books.
A Must Buy
10/10
Arkham Asylum- Living Hell #3
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Ryan Sook
I remember reacting with disgust when I first heard that another Arkham Asylum series was being done, but that's only because the first Arkham Asylum series was on of the worst comics I have ever read. It was one of the most pretentious piles of shit I have ever seen published in comic book form.
Luckily, DC saw fit to give this new Arkham series an actual plot and some entertaining dialogue, making it one of the most refreshing and enjoyable Batman series in years. I'm actually sad that this is just a mini-series now.
The story follows Mr. Fish, a white-collar criminal who through his actions caused tons of americans to lose their jobs. Think of him as a chairman of Enron.
Unfortunately, he couldn't flee the country fast enough and got brought to trial. He pled insanity, and by some miracle actually won. But the vindictive judge wasn't one to let him get off so easily, and send him to the worst asylum in the known universe- Arkham, home to the criminally insane of Gotham City
In a place full of men who murderous psychos like the Joker and Two-Face, it's frequently pointed out that Mr. Fish is the most dispicable of the lot. He desperately tries to get himself out of the mess he's gotten into, but it's to no avail.
He's currently sharing a cell with Mr. Humpty Dumpty, who gets his kicks by taking things apart and putting them back together in a better way. The issue illustrates Mr. Humpty's origin and how he became criminally insane. It's not hard to sympathize with the guy, and even though he causes the deaths of a few people he really doesn't seem like that bad of a guy.
While I prefer seeing the action that goes on with Mr. Fish, this was still an outstanding issue. Slott finds a way to make the origin of a throwaway character very interesting and humorous, kind of poking fun at the old golden-age style. The subplot of the comic will surely have some implications in the next issue, which promises to be filled with a lot of action, but I don't want to spoil anything for you- there's always the "Next Issue" box for that.
If you've ever been entertained by the insanity of a Batman villain, you really should give Arkham Asylum a shot, although you'll really need to pick up the previous two issues to get into it. Perhaps a trade will come out when it's all over.
Highly Recommened
9/10
Paradise X #12
Writer: Jim Krueger
Artist: Alex Ross/Dougie Braithwaite
The Earth X Saga was supposed to be Marvel's answer to DC's Kingdom Come, but so far has failed on every level except the covers of each issue. Sometimes it seems that the only reason to pay attention to this series is because of Alex Ross' beautiful cover art.
I feel that most people are like me with this series, and have invested so much time into following it up to this point that we have to bear with it and buy the remaining issues no matter how bad or convoluted the plot it.
I'm not even going to bother with recapping the plots of Earth X, Universe X, and Paradise X thus far for the people who haven't read it, because it would probably take me all day and quite frankly, I barely understand half of it.
The newest issue is the next to last and focuses on wrapping up all the problems going on the Earth realm, leaving the resolution of Marvell's paradise to the last issue. I went into this latest issue expecting the worse, but was actually really surprised.
The beginning does a great job of recapping the events of the saga and clarifies a few things that I found confusing. Things wrap up in a way for the Earth realm that really do make sense and don't feel forced or trite. I really don't have any complaints about this issue when comparing it to the rest of the series.
It's pretty much as good as a closing issue for the Earth saga as you could hope for. I guess the only minor gripe I have is the cover, which shows Reed Richards going into the Paradise in the Negative Zone, an event which occured last issue and is only briefly mentioned in this issue. That's some false advirtising right there. The cover should have featured Mephisto or Captain Britain, who are the main players in this issue.
Before reading this issue I thought there was no possible way for Krueger and Ross to wrap this one up with only two issues, but now I see that it can easily be done. My interest in the series has been renewed and I'm eagerly anticipating its conclusion.
Recommended for Fans
6/10
Sentinel #4
Writer: Sean McKeever
Artist: UDON Comics
Although most of the Tsunami line is crap, you can always look forward to the books Sean McKeever writes. Sentinel is basically a lighthearted book that is aimed primarilly at younger readers, but it's not hard to get enjoyment out of it even if you're older.
It's basically a Marvel Universe version of The Iron Giant, with a young kid finding the remains of a mutant-killing Sentinel and rebuilding it to be his pet. While rebuilding the machine, he still has to deal with the typical kid problems at school and taking care of his younger brother in a single parent household.
The sentinel has played second fiddle to the kid's relationship with girls and his friends up until this point, but the newest issue marks time the sentinel has really stepped into the forefront of things.
Juston finds out what the sentinel really used to be in this issue, and he's not too happy that his robotic friend used to terrorize mutants, but he won't do anything like that ever again if he can help it. As he rebuilds the sentinel physically, the sentinel is beginning to build itself a new personality while trying to recover its old one.
It's not unlike John Connor teaching the T-800 in T2 to be more human and teaching him new lingo and slang. The sentinel is close to operational now, and can shoot its laser beams and even walk around now. While investing so much work into the sentinel, Juston has been ignoring his family and friends who are now becoming concerned.
This book barely feels like a Marvel comic book sometimes and never takes a very serious tone even in the very direst of circumstances. With the sentinel being operational now, the book is only going to get better as Juston tries to juggle his newfound obsession and his personal life.
If you've got a kid who is into comics, you really need to pick this book up for them. You can read it and enjoy it on your own once they're done with it.
Recommended
6/10
Retro Recommendation of the Week
X-Force: Famous, Mutants, and Mortal
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Michael Allread
I decided to add a new feature this week- a section where I recommend great comics that you have missed. For the most part I'll be recommended collected trade paperbacks or graphic novels, as it's much easier to get all the issues you need in this format rather than buying back issues.
This hard-cover collection contains all of Peter Milligan's run on X-Force before it became X-Statix. Don't look for any of the familiar X-Force characters, Milligan ignores all past X-Force continuity and starts from scratch, jolting new life back into a shitty comic that had become one of the worst X-books on the market.
This new X-Force is the opposite of the X-Men who live in secrecy and are feared by society. These mutants are the darlings of the entertainment world, idolized and admired by millions. With their superhuman powers and cutting-edge costumes, and an image crafted by the best marketing money can buy, the members of the new X-Force are in it for all the fame, sex and power they can get.
Of course, sometimes they actually have to break away from the benefits that they reap from their jobs and actually try to fight some crime. Most of their crime-fighting capers are carefully staged to make themselves look good, but oftentimes a member of two of the squad won't be coming back.
Milligan shows no mercy with these characters he has created and won't let fan attachments keep him from telling the story that he wants to. Even though you might get a bit pissed at the offing of a character, you'll respect his decision to do so and enjoy the fallout that occurs from it.
This hardback costs 29.99, which is actually cheaper than buying the two softcover X-Force collections. If you're into a less traditional superhero group, try out Milligan's X-Force. If you enjoy it, you should also pick up the one X-Statix trade paperback that's out there and get up to date on the issues so that you don't miss the next plotline in which Princess Diana comes back from the dead as a mutant.
And for you retards out there that actually enjoyed the old X-Force, there's been rumors that a X-Statix/X-Force battle is in the works. I personally hope X-Statix kicks the shit out of those Rob Liefeld losers, but that's just me.
Highly Recommended
9/10
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