Welcome to the first ever Lightning Review with me, Bamfing Bob! I read a lot of comics every week and it would be impossible to review every one of them, so this weekly series is designed to provide an abbreviated review for everything I read, whether it be from my personal pull list or my advanced copies I passed over that week, or the “Cut List”“. I won“t include back issues because they’re mostly old series I have built up with not much variety, and that“s no fun! This will be much less formal than my “reviews”“ and is just me being a fan, sharing my two cents. Enjoy!
PULL LISTÂ
Moon Knight #1- What a good freaking book! I recently started reading Moon Knight because he“s a badass with mental disease and because I’m hoping he get some attention from the boys at Netflix. They made Jessica Jones work, so I have no doubt Moon Knight would be a hit. He’s Marvel“s Batman for Pete“s sake! So, in the comic, Marc Spector is a broken mental patient with no clear idea of who or what he is. Such a great place to start the story, in my opinion. I expect no less from Lemire. I was surprised by how great the art is. Gritty stuff”¦ Smallwood impressed me. I’m pumped to continue this title.
Gwenpool #1- I added this one for the novelty of it and because I like the design of the character. Plus, everything Deadpool related is a hot commodity right now. The book is okay, but not mind blowing. Plenty of jokes and fourth wall breakage, but I’m not invested. It’s a great concept though, having someone from “our”“ world with no powers playing the superhero game with no consequences. Gurihiru is a fun artist, but I wasn“t a big fan of the prologue artist Beyruth. I already preordered the second issue through DCBS, but I don’t think I’ll continue the title.
Batman TMNT #5- So I picked up the first ish of this event for the novelty and collectability of it, but I was hooked after the first few pages. This issue provides ample Batman and Turtle goodness, with great classic art by Williams. The story mixes the universes very well for casual readers. This issue introduces the villains of Arkham Asylum and Robin (Damian). I’m excited for the conclusion next month, but hate to see this end. I’d honestly add this as a regular title if it was one (but the continued storyline would get muddy, so yeah).
Spidey #4-The beautiful thing about this title is the youthfulness and single-issue arcs. I don’t follow other Spider-Man comics because they“ve stretched his storyline so far, the essence of the character is lost. I feel this book is a great lead up to Tom Holland“s version of the webhead in the upcoming film. Spider-Man fights Dr. Doom in this one, and it’s fun to read. I think Robbie Thompson nails Spidey“s personality. The art is pretty good, but I preferred Nick Bradshaw, the previous artist. Some of the physics is off and that bugs the engineer in me. It’s not enough to keep me away though. This is my Spider-Man.
Amazing Spider-Man & Silk: The Spider(fly) Effect #2- The exception to my rule about not following other Spider-Man books. Thompson also writes this one, so it feels right, and Todd Nauck illustrates, so it looks right. I love Todd Nauck, as an artist and social media enthusiast, ever since his run on Nightcrawler (BAMF!). He shares the artwork with Tom Grummett, who does good too. It’s great seeing Peter and his Uncle Ben interacting in the past. I don’t know much about Silk, but she’s a likable enough character and she works well with Peter, so no worries. Also, the Chronosaurus Rex is the coolest thing”¦
Valiant Spring Previews- Three snapshots of Valiant books. Not too keen on Divinity II #1, but the other two look good. A&A #1 is clearly a superhero comedy book, which I appreciate, while 4001 AD #1 kicks off a futuristic miniseries.
THE CUT LISTÂ
The Manhattan Projects #6- TL;DR. I tried, but from the get go, I just was not interested in the art or the premise. I skimmed through it and could justify continuing. I’m not a huge Hickman fan and the alien art doesn’t appeal to me. There’s a reason I haven’t picked this title up before, and I’ll leave it at that”¦
Limbo #6- By the time I got this one to review, I was pretty much pooped and couldn’t review anymore this week. That being said, it’s a good comic. The art is vivid and has cool moments. The story is way confusing for me though because I jumped on after missing the first five issues. I do like the VHS-style reality warping stuff near the end. I would“ve enjoyed this more if I had context, but for what it’s worth, still a decent read.
King“s Road #3- This is the final issue of a three part mini, and it wraps this up nicely. Almost the whole book is essentially a monster fight in a mall, but it a fun read. A lot of sacrifice in this one, adding character development to the hero. One of my favorite parts is the wizard in the winged schoolbus.
Baker Street Peculiars #2- Another mini series installment that follows three kids in an unlikely team working for Sherlock Holmes. It’s a kids book, clearly. There“s a dog farting joke that lasts way to long and the plot is juvenile. But for kids, could be good. Just not me. Also, the art is very Cartoon Network-y.
Heartthrob #1- This one I also received later in the week. It’s a pretty great story about a woman with a heart transplant who starts having mood swings after the surgery. Turns out, she“s channeling the previous owner, who is also trying to be her love interest. It’s weird. The art is mediocre but it fits the tone of the book.
So that wraps up this week’s batch! Return next week for lightning reviews of Huck, Hulk, Haunted Mansion, and many more that don’t start with H. Follow me on Twitter (@bamfingbob) for all the latest reviews by me as well as other cool stuff. Below are links to my full reviews from the week and an article I wrote about Nightcrawler in X-Men Apocalypse. Thanks for reading! Till next time, BAMF on!
P.S. Normally these articles will post over the weekend, but kicking it off caused some delays. Expect the next one on Saturday or Sunday. Thanks Again!
Author Profile
Robert Anderegg
Robert joined Comic Crusaders in 2016 as contributor, but has been an active online voice through social media for almost ten years. His hobbies include reading and collecting comics, attending theme parks, making music, and driving his wife insane. Deadpool and Nightcrawler are his two favorite superheroes, and while his preference is Marvel, he dabbles in every major and indie label in the comics community. He graduated from UTPB in 2013 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and is currently seeking employment in that field. A southern boy at heart, he currently resides in the Midwest.
