Comic Book Reviews III

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2: Generation Why 

Author:  G. Willow Wilson 

Artist:  Adrian Alphona
Rating:  2.5

That's it, I gave this series a shot, but the second volume is just as disappointing as the first.  It seems more like a parody of a comic than the real thing. There's nothing new, nothing that really grabs you. It has a tendency to be rather cliche and generally cringe-worthy.  The art, too, left much to be desired. What threw me off the most with the art style was how disproportional it could be.  I am definitely in the minority with this one, but I just expected more.

The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 2: Dallas 
Author:  Gerard Way 
Artist:  Gabriel Bá
Rating:  4.5

Admittedly, I had the foolish notion that Apocalypse Suite was as good as it could get.  Like I said, it was a foolish notion.  Dallas is a stroke of genius.  It's a ridiculous mess of time travel, assassins, and talking fish.  If I must repeat myself--it's genius.  And that's not even mentioning Gabriel Bá's phenomenal art.

The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys No. 1-6 
Authors:  Gerard Way and Shaun Simon
Artist:  Becky Cloonan
Rating:  4

This is one of those projects created to send a message, and while the story can often be sacrificed for that message, this comic mini series struck a nice balance.  The world-building may be a little lacking and the plot a bit predictable, but the cast of characters are nothing but fabulous, and that message I mentioned earlier?  It's also fabulous. The art, too, was clean and colorful.  However, I fully admit that the enjoyment from reading this relies a bit on watching and understanding the music videos that go along with the comics.  

The Amazing Spider-man, No. 1:  Amazing Fantasy #15 
Author:  Stan Lee
Artist:  Steve Ditko
Rating:  3.5

All the way back to the beginning of Spiderman, to his origin story.  Who ever thought that originally Peter Parker planned to cash in and be a media spectacle instead of fighting crime?  It's a solid start, but rushed and simplified.  But where would we be without this first issue?

The Amazing Spider-Man No. 2, The Chameleon Strikes
Author:  Stan Lee
Artist:  Steve Ditko
Rating:  4 

Spiderman gets a reality check in this second issue as he is forced to confront life of being a hero--one that not everyone may trust.  The struggles within his family in the wake of his uncle's death also add some depth to these short comics, making Spiderman into less of a paper character and more of an actual crime-fighting teenager who was bitten by a radioactive spider.