Comics of November 5, 2014 – first impressions

It’s the first Wednesday of November, and I’m in the middle of my first week of Nanowrimo. While I take Wednesdays off of writing to refresh my mind and read some comics, I’ll still write at least on comic review along with this post. Whether I write more than that it depends on how I feel after I’m done with it. Also, I’m not picking up the Weapon X mini-series exploring the aftermath of Wolverine’s death, at least for now. Unlike some of the Logan Legacy issues, Weapon X holds no real interest to me.

It’s also worth noting that so far, I’ve written at least 10,000 words a day, and my total word count is 44,914 words (probably a bit more than half-way through my first book planned for the month). At this point, the plot is really starting to ramp up and the conflicts will only grow more intense.

My most anticipated book of the week was Amazing Spider-Man 9 as it kicked off the Spider-Verse event – the only event in the foreseeable future I’m actually excited for. I also picked up Rocket Raccoon 9, Legendary Star Lord 9, All New X-Factor 16, Gotham Academy 2, Vampirella 6, Blood Queen 6, Velvet 8 and Superman Unchained 9. Here are my first impressions, and links to full reviews will be added when they’re posted.

Superman Unchained 9 review

Amazing Spider-man 9 review

Rocket Raccoon 5 is kind of adorable. It’s a story about Rocket and Groot following a treasure map, all told from Groot’s perspective. Besides the first few pages and the last, all the dialogue is “I am Groot”, allowing the pictures to tell a story of adventure. If that sounds appealing, then you must pick this up.

Legendary Star Lord 5 is good. The issue is a blatant setup issue for the upcoming Black Vortex crossover, but it’s an enjoyable one at that. It showcases Peter Quill’s unique talents at gathering information and provides a fun backstory involving an alien race that look like horses. Whether you enjoy Star Lord as a character or are curious about the crossover, this is at least worth reading.

All New X-Factor is great. It continues exactly where the last one left off, in the middle of World War Hate with the Serval Industries building surrounded by sentinels. The action is fun, the characterization is great across the board and when Danger gets angry, things get really awesome. I haven’t been reading the Axis event, yet this tie-in is still easy to follow and stands on its own very well. In short, pick it up.

Gotham Academy 2 is fun. It continues the ghost story from the previous issue, while also referencing several families tied to the Batman mythos. The characters are interesting, the art is charming and the spooky mysteries in the school could go pretty much anywhere at this point. I’m not sure how long I’ll stick with this series, but it’s a breath of fresh air for the Batman franchise.

Vampirella 6 is decent. While Vampirella’s internal struggle with the Shadow Queen had a lot of good build-up, the climax felt a bit anti-climactic. Vampirella seemed to overcome both the shadow queen and her dark nature way too easily, and then completely obliterates the cultists with her overpowering abilities. Still, the last page teaser partially made up for it. It’s not that I haven’t enjoyed this story arc, but I probably won’t be picking up any more of the series. Even so, I’d recommend Vampirella to anyone interested in a horror series starring a scantily clad vampire woman.

Blood Queen 6 is intense. The series build-up has been slow at times, but this final issue made up for it. Elizabeth goes on a blood magic killing spree after learning her true lineage and ends the comic vowing to take over the kingdom. There’s really not much else to say, nor are there any huge surprises. It’s just a dark yet fun comic that’s loosely based on Elizabeth Bathory, who is quite possibly the most notorious serial killer in history. Adding blood magic to the mythos didn’t’ hurt either. If that interests you, then by all means pick this mini-series up.

Velvet 8 is great. After an issue from the perspective of the man hunting Velvet (sorry, I don’t remember his name at the time), this issue goes back into Velvet’s head while she breaks into her spy agency’s headquarters. As with the rest of the series, it’s a great espionage title that really delves into the way Velvet thinks. And why shouldn’t it be great? It’s a creator-owned espionage series written by Ed Brubaker.