Other comics from December 18, 2013

Merry Christmas everyone. I have just enough downtime today to write a first impressions post on the comics I saved from last week. I didn’t pick up any comics this week as nothing really interested me. That and I worked all day yesterday. I also won’t bother with any full reviews because I’d personally rather not post any reviews for a comic more than 2 days old. It’s also nice to take a week off every now and then.

I also started re-reading John Byrne’s Fantastic Four run this week. Such a wonderful run on the series.

So the comics I picked up last week but saved for today include Young Avengers 14, Fantastic Four 15, FF 15, Thor God of Thunder 16, Indestructible Hulk 17, Animal Man 26, Mass Effect Foundations 6 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 29. Here are my first impressions.

Young Avengers 14 was alright. As with the rest of the series, I can see the talent behind the writing, but it’s not really my kind of story. It also switches around between artists a bit too much for my taste. Those who have enjoyed the rest of the series should enjoy it though.

Fantastic Four 15 and FF 15 were both very good. This is where the stories are finally starting to fit together. We finally find out exactly why the Fantastic Four’s powers are out of whack, and each issue has a fight against doom in a different universe. Fantastic Four takes a more serious approach with some great drama, while FF is just plain entertaining. Every single page of FF 15 has something fun and creative on it. These are both easy recommendations for Fantastic Four fans.

Thor God of Thunder 16 was very good. The fight against Malekith takes an interesting dark turn, as there is a traitor within Thor’s team. Who the traitor is, well … the final page was the best surprise I’ve seen in a while. This is Jason Aaron at his best; such a great storyline, and such a great Thor series.

Indestructible Hulk 17 was fun.  The storyline has a lot more to do with Infinity than the last issue seemed to have. Bruce Banner is trying to contain the Inhuman epidemic while the other Marvel Universe scientists are needlessly scrutinizing him. What results is a very entertaining fight scene between the Hulk and a few of the Avengers. Definitely worth checking out, whether you’re into the Hulk or are interested in Inhumanity.

Animal Man 26 was disappointing. It wasn’t bad, and what happens within could lead to some interesting storytelling, but it’s a huge distraction from the current storyline. It’s easy for new readers sure, but the current storyline is almost completely ignored. If you’re an Animal Man regular, read it before you buy it.

Mass Effect Foundations 6 was better than the last two issues, but it was still just alright. This, along with the last issue, is just an unnecessary expansion on the vastly superior Mass Effect: Redemption mini-series. If the next issue isn’t good again, I’m probably dropping this mini-series.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 29 was simply great. It’s the first aftermath issue from the epic City Fall storyline. Leo is dealing with his brainwashing, while all the other characters are trying to recover in their own way. We also get some insight into a former villain, meet April’s family and this ends with a mysterious tone. If you’re a Ninja Turtles fan, do yourself a favour and start reading this series if you aren’t already.