Comic Book Reviews For The Week of 1/26/11

Comic Book Reviews For The Week of 1/26/11: "This was a big week for comics. It honestly felt like this week's stack got bigger as the day went by. I can't believe it's time to post this and there's still so many comics I want to read and review. We've had a busy day and it's been a crazy week with a certain death in one of the comics. For that issue, we'll give you not one review but two so you can see some different perspectives.

Be sure to let us know what you reviewed as well as what your favorite issue was this week.

Fantastic Four #587

Despite being a comic book death issue and with the scene a tiny bit cliché, this is an issue you won't want to miss. The Fantastic Four has been a great and overlooked series and you know Hickman has big plans for everyone involved. This death issue is just a small part of where the characters will go. Will the deceased character return from the dead? Sure. That shouldn't be the main focus of this issue. This was the culmination of what Hickman's been working on since THREE began. There are still a lot of plot points from this arc that remain to be seen. This is the gamechanger issue and while the death may not be forever, the team will not be the same for a while. Hickman and Epting manage to deliver a death issue that is simply phenomenal.

Read Tony's full review here.

Odds are, the surprise of this issue has already been blown for you. As far as events go, this is probably the first time I've seen a comic shrink-wrapped so secretively since - - wouldn't you know it - - the death of Superman. Kudos on the team for the way they've dressed it up, but this is really more of the tying-up of a continued story than it is a self-contained event that casual readers can pick up and discuss around the proverbial water cooler.

Read Zack's full review here.

Action Comics #897

We're closing in towards the end of this storyline, so this isn't the ideal time to jump on. However, this is the best Action has ever been for me, and you don't need super-powered beings pounding each other into the ground or a woman in distress that needs to be saved. All you need is a solid story and compelling characters. This issue of Action Comics has it for me, and even though I haven't finished reading everything I picked up this week, I feel strongly I can say that this book is the Pick of the Week!

Read Mat's full review here.

Detective Comics #873

This is what I want from my Batman comics. I am intrigued by Batman, Inc but seeing what Scott Snyder can do with the character has me craving this book month after month. He and Jock deliver a Batman book that stands out from all the other Bat-titles. I love Batman and I love the other titles. Detective Comics is by far my current favorite Bat-book. It's not often that I get a shock while reading a Batman comic. We've seen some crazy things recently but this issue delivers all the Bat-action and suspense you could ask for without feeling forced or gimmicky.

Read Tony's full review here.

X-Men #7

It's a new story that has a lot of promise. The first story line was a lot of fun, and it seems like this one is right on track with the other one. For some reason, I've always enjoyed it more when the X-Men has to fight a hoard of villains/aliens/monsters rather than a singular menace. I have a feeling this one will be a lot of fun. Check it out!

Read Mat's full review here.

Justice League: Generation Lost #18.

Yet another overlooked book that certainly deserves better recognition, I'm feeling like a broken record with my praise because I'm hitting the same positive points for the book every couple weeks it comes out. It's thatconsistently good. Many creators have been trying to recapture the classic Giffen/Maguire run and this, in my mind, is the one that's finally done it.

Read Zack's full review here.

Age of X: Alpha

I was excited to see what this issue would have but I was a little disappointed. We don't know the reason for this alternate reality or where it fits in and we're not supposed to. We are exposed to some of the back stories on different characters but they weren't quite enough to get me overly excited to see where the rest of the story goes. Whenever a big issue contains different artists in one story, I can't help but cringe a little. I can dig seeing different versions of familiar characters and there is that sense of mystery since we don't know why we're seeing these versions. I would have liked to know why we're seeing these versions.

Read Tony's full review here.

Chaos War #5

Though there's going to be a follow-up series for Hercules coming in the spring, I'm really more intrigued to see what kind of lasting repercussions this crossover will have on the greater Marvel universe. Herc's powerless, now, sure.... but will all the heroes that've been resurrected continue to be amongst the living? Are all those realms destroyed for good? So much was covered in such a short time here, I feel like there's a lot we've yet to see the full implications of.

Read Zack's full review here.

Incorruptible #14

Mark Waid shows that the old concept of villain-turned-good can be used to really good and fun stories. It's amazing how well it works here when it has immediately become lame when the notion has been put on characters from the Big Two (Venom, Sabretooth, etc). With Incorruptible, you never really know what you're going to get. Waid and Takara take an issue dealing more with the fallout of recent issues and still manage to provide the entertainment you'd expect from a BOOM! title. Seeing how Max and Alana If you have any concerns about the slight lack of action here, you can bet there's going to be a heckuva lot of it next issue with the way it ends here.

Read Tony's full review here.

Thunderbolts #152

This is the T-Bolts as I've wanted to see them since the height of the Nicieza/Zircher era of the title - - a super Dirty Dozen. The clash of egos continues to be so much more fascinating than any other straight super-team book and it's a real shame that this book's probably stealthy enough to be sneaking under most readers' notice. If you aren't digging the team book you're reading, now, start picking this up immediately!

Read Zack's full review here.

American Vampire #11

American Vampire is simply a great great comic book series. I had been burned out by the overexposure of vampires and, I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of the old-timey period (except I did dig Sandman Mystery Theatre) but it all works here. I can't get enough this series. It's great having a series where time passes and characters can have lasting changes. Even though the cast isn't that large, no one is really safe (unlike with other established franchise series). American Vampire is always at the top of my reading list when it comes out. Do yourself a favor and read the past issues if you haven't had a chance yet.

Read Tony's full review here.

Magneto (One-shot)

It's a one-shot that I'd much rather see as the opening to a mini-series. It would be fun to watch the transition from wannabe hero to menace to homo-inferior. If you like Chaykin's artwork, chances are you'll really like this book. It has the start to a good story. If you're like me, and you're not a fan of Chaykin, it's going to be so-so for you. Overall, it's worth the read, but it may not be worth the money depending on your preferences.

Read Mat's full review here.

Conan: Road of Kings #2

Conan is showing that he is more than just a simple barbarian. This issue was a little light on the killing but there is a good amount of action. Things might be going pretty smoothly in his life and you get a sense that some heavy calamity is headed his way. Roy Thomas clearly knows Conan and this is a series that you can easily jump into.

Read Tony's full review here.

New Mutants #21

New Mutants is another team book that I feel deserves some more attention, because it's one of the better-executed books in the X staple right now. I wasn't even that much of a fan of the earliest iteration of this title and, yet, I've been consistently impressed by the amount of subtlety, nuance and moral ambiguity that Wells has been able to achieve in this book. This issue, in particular, had some stand-outs with Cannonballs brutal-but-necessary handling of the Hellions and the reunion Magik has with Colossus that hits on so many conflicting emotional levels simultaneously.

Read Zack's full review here.

Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #1

I'm always happy to get a good Star Wars comic. This is a Darth Vader we haven't really seen from in between his time as Anakin and the Vader from the original trilogy. The story and art conveys Vader's sense of loss as he coldly kills and orders others to be killed. Seeing Vader use the Force to accomplish his deeds is great to see. As with most sci-fi comics, I always have a problem with them coming across as too colorful. I'm not sure where this series will go or how the story will depict Vader but I cannot wait to see what happens in the next issue.

Read Tony's full review here."

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