Comics of November 12, 2014

Today saw the first issue where we actually see the Female Thor in action, and what a spectacle that was. It also brought the conclusion to She Hulk’s battle in court with Daredevil, the second issue with Batgirl’s new look and a special issue of Captain Marvel. I picked up a lot of good comics this week, a few alright ones and really, nothing I disliked. As for Nanowrimo updates, I posted my second journal yesterday and there aren’t any significant updates since then.

The comics I read this week include Thor 2, Nightcrawler 8, Captain Marvel 9, She Hulk 10, Death Vigil 5, Justice League United 6, Red Sonja 13, Batman 36 and Batgirl 36. Here are my first impressions, and there will only be one full review this week because I have a busy day today and I kind of need a mental break from writing 100,000+ words of fiction in 10 days in addition to my blogging. Honestly though, I’m not sure which comic I want to review right now, because there’s so much to talk about this week.

Thor 2 review

Nightcrawler 8 is alright. After a danger room session with Colossus and dodgeballs, Nightcrawler finds himself transported across the world to another lady friend of his, Bess. They end up fighting a very powerful X-Men villain, and the situation spirals out of control by the end. This storyline has potential and the cliffhanger is intense, but the writing style feels a little dated and there are a few moments that seem completely random and pointless. Still, it’s at least worth reading if you like Nightcrawler. I’ll probably drop this series soon since I need to make room on my pull list for a couple upcoming titles and it hasn’t really been great.

Captain Marvel 9 is great. It’s an adventure with the teleporting mutant music star, Ms. Lila Cheney. Most of this issue is written in rhymes with consistently fun and sometimes funny dialogue. The story is self-contained and strangely compelling despite the weirdness. If you read Marvel in general, you’d be mistaken not to at least give this series a chance.

She Hulk 10 is fantastic. While most issues in this series have been fun, this storyline has been fairly dramatic and serious. It concludes the court case between She Hulk and Daredevil involving the wrongful death case against Captain America. It expands greatly on the story the last issue started and shares a compelling tale of before Steve Rogers became Captain America. The second last page is hilarious though, and the last page is a great cliffhanger for the final two issues of this series. She Hulk’s legal thriller/superhero comic has been a wonderful, refreshing title and I’ll miss it when it ends.

Death Vigil 5 is fun. It’s hard to describe this series without going into full detail, but it’s about people fighting necromancers and the demons they unleash on the world. The action is great, the characters are fun and the art is fantastic. This issue delves more into the backstory behind the Vigil, and then ends by setting up a huge fight for the next issue. Just read it; you are welcome.

Justice League United 6 is a step down from the annual, but it’s still decent. The action remains entertaining, and the random teleportation problems the Justice League team faces keeps the situation interesting. That said, keeping the fight in three different locations at once makes this issue difficult to follow if you don’t already know what’s going on. With this also being a straight fight issue, there’s virtually no time for any character moments or to even explain the Legion of Superheroes’ powers to new readers. This is worth reading if you’ve paid attention to Justice League United so far, but newcomers will be completely lost.

Red Sonja 13 is great. It kicks off a bit of a darker story, with Sonja facing multiple kinds of problems at once. It’s hard to describe it too much without spoiling it, but there’s a wizard who curses her, a figure from her past that brings her a lot of pain and a powerful being who wants her dead. This could turn out to be a dark and complex arc and it’s off to a powerful start. If you’re into barbarian stories, this is worth checking out.

Batman 36 is intense. All you need to know is that this storyline kicked off with the last issue, and the Joker is back and coming at full force. If you’re a Batman fan, you should be picking this storyline up.

Batgirl 36 is fun. Just like the last issue, the new creative team’s more upbeat approach is refreshing in a franchise that’s normally dark. They utilize Barbara’s unique skills and talents well, most notably her vast computer skills and excellent memory. The story seems straight forward at first, but there’s definitely a growing mystery behind the last two issues. If you’re interested in a more upbeat Batman related book, this is an easy recommendation.