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 Jay giving reviews for books from BOOM! Studios, DC Comics, IDW Publishing, Image Comics, 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!
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #5
Created By: Joss Whedon
Written By: Jordie Bellaire
Art By: David López
Colors By: Raúl Angulo
Letters By: Ed Dukeshire
Main Cover By: Marc Aspinall
Variant Covers By: Various Artists
Price: $3.99
The Scooby Gang learns of Xander's fate. Note that to get the full story you need to read Buffy The Vampire Slayer FCBD 2019 story in the middle of this issue. Bellaire continues an excellent job at re-envisioning the world of Buffy The Vampire Slayer while respecting everything the original was. Xander a character who was often overlooked in the show is now given the spotlight and could be forever changed. This issue could also be a spin on the Season One episode "The Pack" where Xander is possessed by a Hyena, the two share the theme of Xander being cruel to everyone especially Willow. The downside I would say was the art. Now the art was by no means bad, but it did lack that magical balance of original and familiar that Mora's art accomplishes. But what López does great here is the emoting especially through the eyes which are extremely expressive adding more emotion to the scenes. Overall little nuggets like this really make the series stand above other reboots/re-imaginings. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate
ADVENTURES OF THE SUPER SONS #11 (OF 12)
"Gang War Part 2"
Written By: Peter J. Tomasi
Pencils By: Carlo Barberi
Inks By: Matt Santorelli
Colors By: Protobunker
Letters By: Rob Leigh
Cover By: Dan Mora
Price: $3.99
The penultimate issue of Adventures of The Super Sons where they must team up with Tommy Tomorrow, Joker Jr. Space Cabbie, Teen Lantern, and their future selves to take of the Injustice Gang. Tomasi does a great job here with the Super Sons, he has their voices down. What this issue does the best is really show us how far these two have come, Jon and Damian have really bonded and become good friends that could rival their father's legendary friendship. We are left with a great cliffhanger with Rex about enact his ultimate plan and the Super Sons trapped, Tomasi does a great job in keeping us hanging until the next issue. Barberi manages to capture all the fun of being a kid in every panel and deliver some of the best action scenes. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate
YOUNG JUSTICE #6
"Seven Crises Finale"
Written By: Brian Michael Bendis
Art By: John Timms
Colors By: Gabe Eltaeb
Letters By: Wes Abbott
Cover By: John Timms & Alejandro Sanchez
Price $3.99
Young Justice must unite, take down Dark Opal, and get back home. The first story arc wraps up pretty quick. Bendis spent this whole arc in Gem World making it feel like it was more important but in the end, it was kind of empty as it was all quickly resolved. With that said I did like how it ended with the fate of the Young Justice team being uncertain. John Timms does a nice job with the art, especially the background humor with Bart, which I have to say is Bendis' strongest character as well. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate
MARVEL ACTION: AVENGERS #5
"The Ruby Egress Part Two"
Written By: Matthew K. Manning
Art By: Jon Sommarvia
Additional Inks By: Sean Parsons
Colors By: Photobunker
Letters By: Christa Miesner
Cover By: Jon Sommarvia
Variant Cover By: Billy Martin
Price: $3.99
The Avengers must stop Count Nefaria before he merges the two stones and unleashes an army he controls on the world. This issue cleans up a little of my problems with the last issue where it fills us in on where we came in the last issue. This book delivers on the action as the title indicates but I feel like this arc misses some of the character moments that made me like the last arc. Sommarvia continues to do a great job bringing an animated influence to the book, almost capturing a Wolverine and The X-Men. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate
PAPER GIRLS #29
Written By: Brian K Vaughan
Art By: Cliff Chiang
Colors By: Matthew Wilson
Letters By: Jared K. Fletcher
Cover By: Cliff Chiang
Price: $3.99
The Paper Girls are reunited in 1831 in the penultimate issue of the series. This series is about to wrap up and for the last few issues, Vaughn has been trying to jam the pages with as many "answers" as possible. Here we get the final face-off between the Old-Timers and the Teenagers who are with the clones and time-displaced versions of some of the Paper Girls when Jahpo arrives with the real Erin. The revelation by Jahpo was so forced and rushed and the whole ending feels very Duece Ex Machina and not an organic conclusion. I also felt this sacrificed some character moments like Tiffany not reacting to KJ and Mac kissing, in the '80s this was still a big thing, especially for their age. The art here is still amazing and bold and the use of colors to play off themes brings is brilliant. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate
THE WALKING DEAD #192
"Aftermath"
Created & Written By: Robert Kirkman
Pencils By: Charlie Adlard
Inks By: Stefano Gaudiano
Gray Tones By: Cliff Rathburn
Letters By: Rus Wooton
Cover By: Charlie Adlard & Dave Stewart
Price: $3.99
Rick is shot and Carl has to kill his own father. This issue was very rushed we went from Rick being shot to Carl having to shoot his now Walker dad to them finding the shooter and taking Rick's body back home all in one issue. Everything just went by so fast that we didn't get a chance to have any real emotions and the ones we did get were from Carl and seemed forced. While reading this issue I couldn't help but wonder if it was just Kirkman wanting to do something big to get people talking and used Carl's death on the show but reverse it so Rick is the one that is turned and killed. The art in here was good as usual and Adlard and crew did a great job visually conveying emotions that weren't there scriptually. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate
Verdict: 2 ½ Stars
MEET THE SKRULLS #5
"Family Unit Part 5"
Written By: Robbie Thompson
Art By: Niko Henrichon
Colors By: Laurent Grossat
Letters By: V.C.'s Travis Lanham
Cover By: Marcos Martin
Price: $3.99
The Warners find out the truth about Moloth but is it too late for them? This has been an amazing mini-series and this was a great ending to it. Now this wasn't a perfect issue, because I would have preferred it be spread over two issues to get more character beats in it like them dealing with their father's death and Moloth infiltrating them a little longer, but it was very solid. They way everything flowed was nicely timed and executed and I kind of love that we didn't get that closure because this story isn't over (yes I understood the code Lowe) so I am going to be paying special attention to my Marvel books from now on looking for one of the Warners. The themes here were so great from family to self hatred and acceptance were so well done Thompson did an amazing job. Henrichon also did one as he brought this whole thing to life making us feel for the family of spies as a family. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate
THE WAR OF THE REALMS - NEW AGENTS OF ATLAS #3
"Fire & Ice Chapter Three"
Written By: Greg Pak
Art By: Gang Hyuk Lim
Colors By: Federico Blee; Andres Mossa; Erick Arciniega
Letters By: VC's Clayton Cowles
Cover By: Woo Dae Shim
Variant Cover By: Annie Wu
Price: $3.99
The New Agents of Atlas plan their final attack on Sinder and take the fight to her. I am LOVING this mini-series and want it to be an ongoing so bad! Pak does a great job balancing this huge cast of characters giving them each time to shine and showcase their personalities. I also have to give a slow clap for bringing in Monkey King and keeping him so cocky, and a hell yeah when Shang Chi puts him in his place! Pak does such a great job here and pays attention to little things like something that bonds all of us is food and using Spam, something that is popular in Asian counties was a nice touch. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate
Find out where these books and more fall in the Frontline Six's Top 5 on this week's Frontline LIVE Tuesday, at 10:00 PM ET!
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