LIGHTNING REVIEW #23

Hey, you’re back! Of course, that’s assuming you have read my weekly Lightning Review before; if not, welcome! I’m going to be straightforward with you though”¦ this week has been very busy. Not only did I write three full reviews, but Saturday I am attending the Ohio Renaissance Festival which is over 3 hours from my home. I“m sure to be totally pooped from the fun and the driving, so I finished early this week (a first!) That being said, I am making this Lightning Review short and to the point, with simple explanations of my PASS or PULL rating for each book. Enjoy!

PULL LIST

Animosity #2- PULL! As amazing as the general idea of this is, the winning ticket is the relationship of Jesse and Sandor, her bloodhound. Great sociopolitical commentary on the rights of animals and the changes that would need implemented to make a completely equal community viable. This might be my favorite Marguerite Bennett book to date and Rafael de Latorre handles the wide range of species with expertise. Also, the references to Animal Farm and Planet of the Apes were well received.

Deadpool #18- PULL! The beauty about have two near indestructible characters being married is that the domestic violence is frequent and mutually cathartic. After catching the Wolfman looking for a bone, Deadpool and Shiklah throw down in the underground! Then, Wade and Rogue have some relationship building of their own. Art and writing hit their own high standard once again and we finally get some Madcap doing his best Voldemort impression. Dreading next issue though, as it“s another 2099 installment.

Uncanny Avengers #14- PASS! Captain America is being such a dick! There was a lot I really liked about this comic, but I just can“t get over how upset and disappointed I felt after reading it. The issue ties in the back-burner mission to stop the Red Skull and sets up the next big threat involving the corpse of Bruce Banner, but the attitude of Steve Rogers is just piss poor. One by one, he insults every mutant in the Unity Squad before exclaiming that it is to be immediately disbanded. Deadpool gets a pretty raw deal, as does Brother Voodoo. I just hope Hydra Cap snaps out of it, pronto.

VARIETY LIST

Dark Souls: Legends of the Flame #1- PULL! Containing three short stories about knights of the undead, this has different creative teams for each and all have merit. I don’t know anything about Dark Souls, but the tales are creepy and interesting, so I didn“t care. The first has some dark humor at the end that I really liked. It’s only the first issue, but this feels like a comic you could pick up any single issue and not be confused by missing backstory. Just short, gothic fun.

Doctor Who: Supremacy of the Cybermen #3- PASS! Once again, over my head. So many Doctors and companions and settings and villains and subplots”¦ it“s exhausting! Granted, the art is not that bad and I can tell the characters apart fairly well, but I shouldn“t even have that issue with a comic. Also, while this has nothing to do with the comic itself, Titan has serious issues with their digital copies that make reading their stuff more trouble than it“s worth.

Doom Patrol #1- PASS! Had high hopes for this issue that just weren“t met. I have literally no prior knowledge of this team, so I was very confused when I read this. There are a couple interesting characters, but their stories felt so disconnected. An ambulance driver rescues a robot man hit by a garbage truck, then gets a singing birthday-gram from a woman who almost immediately proclaims herself Casey“s new roommate. Seemingly unrelated pieces are thrown in intermittently, making me curious, but not so much so that I“d read the next issue.

Faith #3- PULL! I love this! What“s the point of having a super nerdy heroine if you“re not going to have her go to conventions dragging along her reluctant boyfriend? And in cosplay, no less! A string of robberies give these off duty heroes a good ol“ time until a magical relic leaves our hero having an identity crisis! Wonderful cameos of the creative team on artist alley and just an overall great read for comic fans. Reading the last two issues is almost enough to add this to my Pull List just in time for the Election Special in November. We“ll see”¦

Kaijumax: Season Two #4- PULL! This surprised me. It still contained the elements I could deduce from first glance (goofy monster and robot artwork, crazy speech patterns, over the top story) but it was much more well done than I“d anticipated. The characters have really captivating personalities and the crime drama angle thrown in just adds to the fun. A slug hooker says “Sucky sucky”“ for crying out loud”¦ I really thought this would be a disappointment, but this just shows that first impressions aren“t always the best one.

The Maxx: Maxximized #35- PASS! Even with no prior knowledge of the Maxx series, I can tell this was the last issue from the title (Endings and Beginnings) to the author“s note at the end. Even without those dead giveaways, the story about each character being snuffed out one by one is a pretty good indicator. Not a fan of this though, as the writing and art are both quite strange. One of my issues was that the Maxx that I“m familiar with isn“t Maxx at all, but rather called Dave. Many may dig it, but reading it made me feel weird.

Mechanism #3- PULL! I loved the colors in this comic, with reliance on bright blues and purples and highlights of red and orange. In a world overrun with machines, there are several people of focus in this issue. A boy befriends an unresponsive machine, a father looks for his daughter, and rebel rescues a scientist from his own creations. This is immersive and dramatic and oddly emotional for a comic about technological power struggle. Sci fi dystopia at its finest.

Nvrlnd #2- PULL! The first issue was good enough for me to read the second (star to the right) and it was even better! We see Wendy and Tiger Lily ditch school after a fight, Hook doing drugs after a threeway, and Peter rocking out with the Lost Boys. All the characters are akin to their classic counterparts but also very unique. Also, is it just me, or can Peter actually fly? Because I thought this story lacked magical elements, but after this issue, I“m beginning to think otherwise. The writing contains easter eggs carefully woven into the story to seem natural to the plot. A very interesting modern (and adult) adaptation of a children“s classic.

Powerpuff Girls #3- PULL! As a classic PPG fan, this is both nostalgic and new for me. I can tell I’m getting older though because some things were just dumber than I remember. The addition of a magical unicorn character made for an interesting story, but didn“t do much for the group aside from making 2-on-2 badminton possible. The art brought back memories and the tone was correct for this fun action comic. I felt like the girls played second fiddle to Princess Morbucks & Donny the unicorn, but it was a PPG comic through and through.

Spring #5 ReviewÂ

The Strain: Master Quinlan- Vampire Hunter #1- PULL! Didn“t think I“d like this at first glance, but this is a really cool vampire story. I don“t know how The Strain ties into this (because I know very little about it to begin with) but this feels like a solid concept on its own. A strange and unique origin story about the child of a recently turned vampire that eventually becomes a Roman gladiator to kill the monster that created him. The designs for the blood-suckers are quite creepy, being more parasitic than bat-like. I was impressed by this horror comic by Dark Horse and you will be to.

Teen Titans #24- PULL! A proper farewell to the series, the team, but most of all Tim Drake. For those who missed Detective Comics #940, Red Robin was “killed”“ and his teammates spend the majority of this issue remembering Tim with their fondest memories. I really do regret not reading this title on a monthly basis because the last two issues were fantastic. The art is very inviting and the characters have incredible depth for younger heroes. Side note: Does Beast Boy have a Peter Pan complex or what? He going to be led by Damien in the TT Rebirth. Damien. Let that sink in.

Z-Men #5 ReviewÂ

You know, come to think of it, making these much shorter feels more organic and casual. I may continue making the Lightning Reviews quick, as they were intended. With 10 Pulls and 4 Passes, our weekly rating is

3.6 out of 5 Lightning Bolts

Making this week SPARKY! Granted, this is not factoring in the reviews of Z-Men and Spring, which would“ve both been passes. See for yourself by following the links. However, for a review of a great comic and some commentary on the Harambe meme, please check out my advanced review of Tarzan on the Planet of the Apes #1, linked below. Next week I will be at Cincinnati Comic Expo, so I will either be early with the Lightning Review or late, depending on how much I have to read. Follow me on Twitter (@bamfingbob) because I will be live tweeting and if you see me there, say hi! If you can tell me that my favorite superhero is NIGHTCRAWLER, I will give you a shoutout in my convention review, as well as a follow on Twitter. Also, I will be interviewing the incredible @ToddNauck while there, so keep on the lookout for those articles in the coming weeks.

ADVANCED REVIEW- Tarzan on the Planet of the Apes #1

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.