This week for our written reviews we covered quite a few books. Find out what we had to say about Young Avengers #8, Wolverine #7, What If?AvX #3, Superior Spider-Man Team Up #1, Superior Spider-Man #14, Gambit #15, Judge Dredd #9, and Mass Effect Foundation #1.
Dark Horse Comics
Mass Effect Foundation #1 $3.99
Writer: Mac Walters, Artist: Omar Francia
I just picked this one up on a whim because I've been playing the Citadel DLC for Mass Effect 3. This time around it served me right. The art was pretty solid, nothing groundbreaking or too unique but for what it did it did pretty well. I would have expected a more sleek, shiny, cleaned up look for Mass Effect but not for this. It was a little sketchy and rough, not too much though, dirty and just more realistic. The story was about what I believe was an Alliance agent on a mining colony. Right away she's compromised and is forced to shoot Cerberus guard. In the process she adds a child to her crew. It's obvious that she's there for one purpose and that purposes to kill Cerberus higher up. The fight scene that ensues when she reaches her target could've been done better but wasn't too bad. The twist of the who what where when why and how this fight ended was one of the most interesting aspects of the book. In the end the book ended up being an introduction story of a different character altogether and the way that it was done was pretty clever. Whereas I probably won't be buying this series I definitely want to know more about this character especially in videogame form or something of the like. If you're big Mass Effect fan this is definitely for you if not it's still a pretty solid one shot at the least.
Verdict: STRONG SKIM
IDW
Judge Dredd #9 $3.99
Writer: Duane Swierczynski, Artist: Nelson Daniel
This is the same creative team that has been on since issue on doing the same story arc. This time the issue only had one story though and it made all the difference. Despite breaking off and kind of doing a side story from this story arc I actually enjoyed it. It kind of reminded me of the Hulk family in Old Man Logan and Walking Dead with an art style and color palette comparable to Borderlands. In the wasteland Judge Dredd comes along to some mutated inbreds running an amusement park of death kind of like Arcade. Dredd does his best to fight them off but he's outnumbered and overpowered. He gets captured but happens next? It looks like he'll be in for the ride of his life or death rather. How they depicted how this demented death rides came together was as interesting as it was demented. It was a nice break from the long haul that they've been doing. Even though it left it at a cliff hanger it was much more enjoyable to just have one issue with one story with one creative team.
Verdict: SKIM
Marvel
Gambit #15 $2.99
Writer: James Asmus, Artist: Diogenes Neves
Another mediocre issue with art that I don't care much for. The art isn't necessarily bad it's just not for me. It has a very liquid and feel to it with thin likes and it all kind of blurs together. This issue has a reoccurring character that I couldn't even tell who he was because he was drawn so differently than the other artist that drew the character before. I had an idea of who the character was but really didn't know most of the book. In the story somebody stole some bell that stock exchange uses. Turn out it was just a way to get Remy's attention and that it did was well as other things. After much deliberation Gambit's friend talks him into taking the bait. Is there honor among thieves because that's what you end up finding out as the Guild of Thieves has Gambit at their mercy. I don't learn much reading these issues about the character except that he makes bad decisions and has a lot of crappy friends. The writing was okay as is the art and usually that's not enough for me to buy the issue.
Verdict: SKIM
Superior Spider-Man #14 $3.99
Writer: Dan Slott, Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli
What can I about this issue that issue actually of note. It's difficult to recall what happens in a book of such little substance. In this issue Spider-Man decides to take on the Kingpin and destroy Shadowland with his new army of guards from the prison that he scammed Mayor Jameson into giving to him as his new headquarters. There was little to no explanation that these dudes in Spider-Man styled riot gear were from the Raft so you have to connect those dots on your own. As Shadowland is getting obliterated Kingpin makes a run for it hoping that his associate Hobgoblin becomes collateral damage so he won't have to tie that loose end himself. By the end Spider-Man has destroyed this portion of the city and the question is asked, was it worth it? At the end of the issue Green Goblin recruits Kingpins men and proclaims himself the new Kingpin of the city more or less all the while hiding in the sewers. The art looked weird to the point it was practically abstract. I thought it looked awful.
Verdict: PASS
Superior Spider-Man Team Up #1 $3.99
Writer: Christopher Yost, Artist: David Lopez
Starts with Spider-Man whooping on all kinds of heroes throughout the city. At first I was outraged. Then the Avengers confronted him. I was excited to see them beat him down but not only did he explain the method to his madness he showed them too. By the end of the issue its reaffirmed that this is just a continuation of Avenging Spider-Man retitled. The art wasn't bad. It was better towards the beginning. Some of the Avengers and colors were off. The way that Yost writes Doc Ock as Spider-Man in such a way that he's actually likable at times.
Verdict: STRONG SKIM
What If? AvX #3(of 4) $3.99
Writer: Jimmy Palmiotti, Artist: Jorge Molina
I missed the last issue to no fault of my own. I searched high and low for it but was unable to locate it. I'm not sure if it was due to shipping issues since it has been coming out weekly or it just flew off the shelves. Going into this book I had no idea what had happened and I felt a little lost for it and would have been completely had I not read the original AvX event. Once I got on track with what was going on in this I realized how far this has gone off of the rails. Unfortunately I did not fully understand how it got to this point. It got to a point where this alternate story didn't even seem feasible anymore because the characters didn't seem like themselves. Things accelerated quickly and not in a good way. honestly i was quite suprised they were only doing 4 issues for this series.The art looked awful. It just looked sloppy and rushed. There was nothing I really found interesting in this issue with the story, art, or characters.
Verdict: PASS
Wolverine #7 $3.99
Writer: Paul Cornell, Artist: Mirco Pierfederici
Wolverine has officially lost his healing abilities. He talks with a couple people about them getting him his powers back but the end result is the same. What ensues after that is odd, depressing, weird, and interesting. Seeing the pain that Wolverine goes through when he pops his claws was rough. Even watching him shave was awkward and sad. He pretty much does or at least try's to do everything he usually does but with a sullen result. He almost seems as if he's returned to the state if his health before his powers activated, sickly and worn. It was odd seeing him react to pain or actually be drunk for the first time. It was a little difficult to watch because it was so depressing to see. The wasn't too bad in fact it felt like it fit this issue better than the others. I may not care for this title but this issue was interesting at the least because you see Wolverine like you've never seen him before.
Verdict: SKIM
Young Avengers #8 $2.99
Writer: Kieron Gillen, Artist: Kate Brown
I was a little lost going into this issue because I missed the last one but it didn't really matter all that much as far as I know. The story and this is kind of like playing DD you can go anywhere at any time at the roll of the dice especially when Loki is involved, kid Loki that is. With each issue you find out more about each character, their personality, and their abilities. In this issue I found out that miss America can travel to other universes and some of the music that Marvel boy enjoys. The things that bug me about this book in issues would probably be solved in trade with the exception of one. The storytelling is brilliant and innovative unlike anything I've seen in any other comic whether that be mainstreaming or independent. The only problem is I don't think anybody will realize that until this comes out trade. The wriding and art are so in sync in a way that I have only seen in books in which the writer and the artist are the same person. On one part I feel like this story didn't really go anywhere but on the other hand I feel like what did happen was crazy as hell because of how it's going to affect everything else. Unless you've been picking this title up from issue one I wouldn't suggest buying this series until it comes out in trade.
Verdict: STRONG SKIM
You can pick up these comics at Kaboom Test Labs or Twin Suns Comics & Games
SNBF
Sack Time
Talking Nerdy
Its about a young guy on the run with the one and only friend he's ever had from the institution that they ran away from. He has the ability to hear everyone's thoughts which is why everyone thinks he's crazy and why he's been institutionalized almost his entire life. He also has other abilities that he doesn't fully know how to control like telekinesis and telepathy which he uses for to get drugs to silence the voices. Living everyday with these powers is torture to him. He returns to his home to his old life only to realize theres nothing and nobody there for him. The only friend he had when he was a little boy wants nothing to do with him so like any confused teenage boy would do he uses his to powers to make her remember and fall in love with him. There's also a secret paramilitary group after him. They find out where he is and catch up to him. At the same time somebody like Peter reaches out to him. When things are at their worst with his friends getting attacked by the men after him he unleashes on them, gets away, and decides to join this mysterious man and his organization. Thats pretty much just the set up. 
There is a certain sense and level of realism on this book unlike most titles similar to this. The parts that make this so like X-Men and Heroes is that there are many people that have powers but they are latent. There are different levels and kinds of powers though not as ridiculous as any of the X-Men's mutants or their characters. They all look like normal human beings. The antagonist in this book doesn't really reveal himself as such until towards the end of the book which was an interesting dynamic to have the savior of the protagonist end up being the nemesis. In the end it comes down to manipulation and the unwillingness to let your closest relationships go. What separates this book from others like it is the level of emotional depth and realism. The art captures those elements exceptionally. This volume is just the tip of the iceberg and I can't wait to see more.
