Join us on the Frontlines with our weekly review roundup. This is where we have assembled to give our thoughts on various issues that are released each week. This week we have Brant, Jay, & Kat giving reviews for books from BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse, DC Comics, and Marvel Comics! Check out the reviews below and let us know what you think in the comments below or on Twitter. Welcome to the FRONTLINE REVIEWS, hope you enjoy the experience!
FIREFLY #3
Written By: Greg Pak
Art By: Dan McDaid
Colors By: Marcelo Costa
Letters By: Jim Campbell
Cover By: Lee Garbett
Pre-Order Cover By: Joe Quinones
Variant Covers By: Marguerite Sauvage, Joe Quinones, Lee Garbett
Price: $3.99
This version of Firefly got off to a bit of a rocky start for me with issue one, but over the course of each issue, Pak has gradually settled in and found the voices of these characters and their universe. This issue, in particular, I felt each character leaped off the screen to deliver readers an authentic experience from “The Verse.”
In this issue, we learn more about what exactly Mal and Zoe did in the war, and why they have been branded war criminals. It’s a heavyweight they have to live with but is right in line with who they are and how passionate they can be. As always, learning more about Mal greatly affects the dynamic of the entire crew, with Kaylee trusting him less, Jayne trusting him more, and Book understanding him better.
The actions both Zoe and Wash took to ensure the safety of the other was extreme but felt like something they would do. Every single one of these people is very passionate, and that’s something that stood out about the crew on the show, and what Pak has finally been able to harness here.
The Unificators on their trail had just cause and reasoning that was explained well in this issue, though I still didn’t care for them as the villains of the story here. Aside from a moment of characterization and backstory, they were, by and large, a faceless militant group, setting out to capture a score, or in one case, get vengeance. The art also could still be stronger for me, but I am getting used to the vibe and tone of the book artistically.
Finally, the subplot that leads us into the next issue is interesting and added a much needed new layer to the people they were helping get to their holy site.
All in all, a much-improved series that now has me looking forward to the next issue. ~ Brant @BrantFowler
AVATAR: TSU'TEY'S PATH #1
Written By: Sherri L. Smith
Pencils By: Jan Duursema
Inks By: Dan Parsons
Colors By: Wes Dzioba,
Letters By: Michael Heisler
Cover By: Doug Wheatley & Wes Dzioba
Price: $3.99
Journey back to the world of James Cameron's Avatar. Sherri L. Smith does a great job getting us into the world of Avatar. I felt like I was watching the movie with the world building and the refamiliarizing with it. The art here though is what really sells the book, just like the movie the visuals are outstandingly beautiful. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate
"Even Endings Have Beginnings"
Written By: Scott Lobdell
Art By: Pete Woods
Colors By: Rex Lokus
Letters By: ALW's Troy Peteri
Cover By: Pete Woods
Variant Cover By: Philip Tan & Jay David Ramos
Price: $3.99
Red Hood continues his mission and takes time to reflect. I have been loving Red Hood lately but this issue did suffer a little from a recap of a story that is only a few issues in. But after the recap what we got did intrigue me a lot to get me into the story and to anticipate the next issue. The art is always solid and really captures the tone of the story. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate
SUPERMAN #7
"The Unity Saga: The House Of El Part 1"
Written By: Brian Michael Bendis
Art By: Ivan Reis (pp 1-6, 23), Brandon Peterson (pp 8-22) & Jason Fabok (pg 7)
Inks By: Oclair Albert (pp1- 6, 23)
Colors By: Alex Sinclair
Letters By: Josh Reed & Carlos M. Mangual
Cover By: Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, & Alex Sinclair
Variant Covers By: Adam Hughes
Price: $3.99
Jon is back but he went through a hell of a growth spurt and Lois & Clark have a lot of questions that need answers. I am so torn of John's rapid aging. I think it has great possibilities, but I also feel cheated not seeing him growing up which helps me to relate to Lois & Clark in this issue, so nice job on that Bendis. The heart and emotion is so true here, and I really like the way the story is being paced. There are multiple artists on this book but they do work hard to line their styles up with each other, I just wish we could get one steady solid art team for the book. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate
Verdict: 4 ¼ Stars
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #13
Written By: Nick Spencer
Art By: Ryan Ottley
Inks By: Cliff Rathburn
Colors By: Laura Martin & Andrew Crossley
Letters By: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover By: Ryan Ottley & Laura Martin
Variant Cover By: Phil Noto
Price: $3.99
J. Jonah Jameson won us all over with this issue.
If you weren’t already a fan of JJJ or a fan of his role in Peter Parker’s life these days, you probably are now. This issue brought about some much-needed resolution to JJJ’s outlook on life, what effect he’s had on those in his life, and a general sense of closure on the recent back and forth between him and Peter.
This entire arc has been a decent read, but nothing that blew me away. Spencer dug deep into the rogues' gallery of Spider-Man to pull out Big Man and his crew, only to throw us a curve ball as their target was seemingly Jonah. Turns out, they were after Spidey all along, and that’s where things got interesting.
Jonah coming face to face with the offspring of Big Man made him realize just how much he had poisoned people’s minds toward Spider-Man over the years, and how wrong he was. This entire kidnapping and elaborate plot ultimately resulted in Jonah having a crisis of conscience, which in turn gave him the edge to get the pair out of the mess they had found themselves in. It was a great character journey for Jonah and showed Peter another side to him and their relationship as well.
Then we have JJJ standing up to Wilson Fisk, which was just icing on the cake. This is something that has been slowly building through various books, people being blunt with Fisk and publicly humiliating him in the process.
And then there’s the subplot with Taskmaster and Black Ant that logically leads us into the next arc.
Overall, some great development for Spidey and Jonah as well as the series as a whole. ~ Brant @BrantFowler
FANTASTIC FOUR #6
Written By: Dan Slott
Art By: Aaron Kuder
Colors By: Marte Gracia & Erick Arciniega
Letters By: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover By: Esad Ribic
Variant Covers By: Alex Ross; Phil Noto; Pasqual Ferry
Price: $3.99
Galactus is here to devour and Doom is here to save Earth and doesn't want any help. Dan Slott continues his hot streak on the Fantastic Four. He has managed to find the sweet spot of high adventure, science, and family that always leaves me wanting more. What is Doctor Doom up to? We don't know. Could Doctor Doom be so self-righteous and self-important that he lured Galactus to Earth to show that he and he alone gound get rid of him? I can not wait to see more! I like the art here Aaron Kuder is a great choice to fill in for Pichelli. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate
Verdict: 4 ¼ Stars
IRONHEART #2
Written By: Eve L Ewing
Art By: Luciano Vecchio
Colors By: Matt Milla
Letters By: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Price: $3.99
This volume of Ironheart is exactly what I wanted the series to be after Brian Michael Bendis’ premiere issue, but sadly none of Bendis’ stories quite lived up to that first issue. Eve L. Ewing makes Riri a more relatable character with her added supporting characters, while still continuing to build the social boundary that Riri created because of the loss of her loved ones and her super genius. Luciano Vecchio’s pencils shine the most when Riri is in her suit, but his gritty linework doesn’t completely fit Riri’s civilian scenes. Ironheart #2 is a solid follow up to a very promising series. This is the type of story that Riri always deserved! ~ Kat @ComicUno
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