Rapid Reviews: Week of 8/20/2008
August 25th, 2008
Well, I missed doing Rapid Reviews for the last couple of weeks. I apologize if anyone was anxiously awaiting these short little recaps/reviews of last week’s comics. But I am back this week with more quick shots of comic book goodness.
This week, I will quickly be reviewing Foolkiller: White Angels #2, Guardians of the Galaxy #4, Captain America #41 and Robin #177. So hit that jump and check out these Rapid Reviews!
Foolkiller: White Angels #2 Cover
The Punisher… er, wait, Foolkiller is back for another issue in White Angels #2. I loved reading the original Foolkiller and still love it with White Angels. Though the art, by Paul Azaceta, is a little (ok, a lot) weird, it fits so well with the series. In addition, the goriness is just enough to make it realistic, without being over the top. And who doesn’t like a story about killing White Supremacists? Not to mention, The Punisher shows up in this issue, which continues to up the awesomeness ante. Writer Gregg Hurwitz really nails the story. Totally recommend this book.
I must say that Guardians of the Galaxy has made me a fan of the Marvel cosmic stuff. I absolutely love the writing by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. They do a great job mixing action, drama and comedy (I mean, a telepathic dog and a talking, gun-toting raccoon: how awesome is that?). This issue does a great job bringing in the Secret Invasion Skrull-centric storyline and sets up great tension-building mistrust amongst the team. Most of the time, I love the art (with pencils by Paul Pelletier), but sometimes, the panels seem rushed and lacking detail. Still, the art is adequate and sometimes spectacular in this issue.
Captain American #41 Cover
We are one issue away from the conclusion of the epic “Death of Captain America” mega-arc and boy is it getting good. Ed Brubaker continues to craft an intricate tale that has so much backstabbing and double crossing that I am shocked by almost every page. And this issue is no exception. The second half of this issue is jaw-dropping. The writing is so great that it is easy to forget about the art. But just as Brubaker is a master of this noir-style writing, so too is Steve Epting a master of noir-style art. His dark art mixed amazing detail makes his art really note-worthy here. Another great book to pick up this week.
Finishing up this week is Robin #177. I started reading this series to get all the R.I.P. tie-ins and decided to keep reading it cause it is a lot like a mini Batman. I thought now that it is out of R.I.P. that it would be less interesting, but the first issue of this arc has me hooked. The story is about Jason Todd (a.k.a. Red Robin and a previous Robin, who was killed in the 80s), who thinks he can control Gotham’s gangs and make Gotham a safer, better place. The writing reminds me a lot of Ultimate Spider-Man and Robin being torn about whether Jason Todd is doing the right thing or not is reminiscent of Marvel’s Civil War, so this book really hit home hard. Art wise, it is a little cartoony, but with great detail and vibrant colors, so I can’t complain too much. Another book that I recommend.
Hmm, 4/4 last week. Not too shabby. I guess those awesome comic book creaters really stepped up for us last week. Thanks, guys!
