Comic Reviews!

Man this week has been crazy. Not "oh my god I can't get any of this stuff done" crazy, just a series of very full days. However, that doesn't mean I ain't got time to read comics!

Nemesis #3 (of 4)

Well, Nemesis, it's about f%*(@ing time you showed up. This third issue of the series by Mark Millar (Kick-ass, Wanted) and artist Steve McNiven was supposed to be released way back in June, but due to  Mr. Hollywood's quest to turn every comic (including this one) he's written into a movie, Nemesis got delayed, big time. Part of this can also be attributed to Steve McNiven's art, which is known and admired for its super detailed style.
While I am annoyed by how late this book shipped, I can safely say that this issue was worth the wait. When we last left Millar's "anti-Batman", he was being sent to prison after being caught by police chief Blake Morrow. However, the four issue series wasn't going to end at issue 2, and getting caught was all a part of Nemesis plan. And what a plan it is.
From the opening sequence of Nemesis' very, VERY violent escape, to completely destroying Morrow's career and family, the issue delivers on every level. I have never been as shocked by a villain's actions I have been in Nemesis, and as long as you can handle its very adult content, you're in for a rollercoaster ride of   explosions, violence, and one very good lesson on why you should never get into law enforcement.







Thor #615

Thor has always been a character that I've tried to follow, but for some reason or another, I would forget to pick up the next issue. By the time I would realize that I had forgotten an issue, 4 would have gone by, and I would just give up. I'm a big fan of the character in books like The Avengers, as well as new writer Matt Fraction (currently writing the awesome Invincible Iron Man series), who starts his arc with this issue.Teamed with artist Pasqual Ferry, the issue is designed as a "jumping on point" for new fans, and it succeeds.
The main crux of the story is a race of mythological creatures that are crossing into different worlds and wiping them out. The issue starts with a scientist talking with a fairly famous rotund Asgardian about his theory of multiple Earths and societies living as one. This basically gives new readers a sense of how the Marvel universe can contain Norse, Greek, and Christian mythological figures without collapsing their universe. The scientist goes on to explain that he believes that there is something big coming that will threaten all of the worlds, including our own.
At the same time, Thor is brooding over the death of his brother Loki, who, while his nemesis, was also his best friend. These eventually leads to Donald Blake's subconcious showing up and talking with Thor (Blake's conciousness is transported to another dimension while Thor is in charge, and vice versa), which led to some of my favorite moments in the comic, as the banter between these two is hilarious.
The art by Pasqual Ferry was a little bit of a let down for me, but I do believe that it will improve over time. Some of his faces look a little too cartoony, but the big splash pages that he draws of Thor standing in the hills of the mid-west and his character designs are really cool. If you've always wanted to get into Thor or want to see what all of the fuss is about before his big-screen debut next summer, then check out this book.

Bat-Reviews

This week's comics came out today, thanks to labor day. This week we'll be looking at the two big Batman releases.

Batman #703

 The latest issue of Batman is a textbook example of a "filler issue". It's still too early to "officially" return Bruce Wayne to the DC universe, but they're gotta put out a Batman issue, so here we get a decent, if unmemorable, story from Fabian Nicieza and artist Cliff Richards.
The issue finds Dick Grayson, Damien Wayne, and Tim Drake (or Wayne now) dealing with the recent emergence of someone named "The Getaway Genius", an art thief whom Dick had tangled with way back when he was the original Robin. We also get an appearance from Vicki Vale, although not looking like Kim Basinger like I remember.
Everything about this issue was average. From the story to the art by Richards. While it was nice to get some of Damien's feelings on his relationship with his "dead" father, even the revelation that is revealed to him seemed like something I had read before.  Again, this issue is just "filler". It doesn't move the whole "Return Of Bruce Wayne" story forward nor add any new details or insights. It just exists. Unless you are an absolute die-hard Batfan, save your cash for something that actually contributes to the ongoing Batman saga.


Batman and Robin #14

Remember how I was complaining about Grant Morrison and his plan for Batman a few weeks ago? Well, it's incredible how he can come up with really stupid ideas and be completely maddeningly cryptic in one comic, but be easily accessible and firing on all cylinders in another. This is an example of the latter.
B&R issue 14 is the second part of "Batman Must Die!", in which the new dynamic duo must try and survive the deadly machinations of not only Dr. Hurt and Professor Pyg, but also The Joker. Fraser Irving's art is amazing in this issue, and his Joker is one of the creepiest recent incarnations of the character. I won't spoil the issue, but I actually enjoyed this issue and I'm anticipating the next issue, mainly because I really like the way Morrison writes the clown prince of crime. Plus I find Prof. Pyg to be delightfully disturbing. 
Morrison's pacing is spot on in this issue, and it almost makes up for the last issue of Batman that he wrote. Almost. It's really frustrating having a writer like Morrison sometimes, mainly because of his tendency for epic, potentially ground-breaking ideas. When they work, they are awesome, but when they don't work, they go train-wreck-meets-school-bus-accident horrifyingly wrong. The unfortunate thing is that it's extremely hard to tell what kind of book you're getting until you read it. Batman and Robin is still the safest bet for casual Batman fans, as it appears that Grant Morrison has YET to deliver a bad issue.