The first thing you need to know is that The Long Halloween isn't actually a Halloween story. Sadly, if you're looking for that perfect spook2.5 stars
The first thing you need to know is that The Long Halloween isn't actually a Halloween story. Sadly, if you're looking for that perfect spooky tale to curl up with during October, you'll need to keep on looking. It's a Young Batman vs the Mob story.
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Mmm. Ok, this is one of those Batman stories that everyone loves and I just sort of tolerate. I don't hate it or anything, I just can't really muster up any excitement for it. But I keep trying. This was my 3rd time and I thought maybe now that I'm more mature I'd appreciate this sort of crime story. Apparently not.
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I'm just not at all interested in mobsters. They just don't evoke any real feelings in me. Yeah, they're criminals, but...eh. Live and let live. They're like drug dealers in that they wouldn't have a job if someone wasn't asking them to do that job. Plus, they're organized. As someone who likes things kept tidy, I have an appreciation for anyone who manages to stay organized. I'm only sort of joking...
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The point I'm trying to make is that these aren't serial killers or child molesters. And they're only half as dirty as the people we elect into office. So. Whatever. It doesn't excite me when Batman goes after these guys.
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Ok, ok. There are a lot of his regular bad guys involved in this one. But because the main focus is on crime and corruption in the city, the supervillains seem...less cool. Like they're there as background props simply because this is set in Gotham. You know what I mean? It's expected that Poison Ivy shows up with her weird leaf hair and breathes her roofie breath on everyone.
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But even the Dark Knight's entire rogue gallery showing up couldn't really save me from being a bit bored by the plot. The gist is that there's a new killer in town. The Holiday Killer. <--because they kill on holidays. It's all very genius. I swear. <--I'm totally kidding. There's a bunch of suspects and it seems like everyone is in on it, but then...NO! It's that weird janitor that you saw mopping the floors back in issue one! <--stop crying, you whiner baby, that's not whodunnit. In other words, a lot of running around for very little reward.
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To me, this one reads like Hush but without the fun jazz hands or Jim Lee's art. And you know what's weird? I actually like Time Sale's stuff in other books! But for some reason, I really don't like to look at The Long Halloween. Catwoman, especially. Her outfit is fugly and stupid. I can forgive the idiotic tail...maybe. But when you couple it with those fucking needless whiskers you've completely trip-tropped right into Furry territory.
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Every time I look at her, it makes me want to reach for my tweezers and check my upper lip for stray hair. *shudder*
The main thing that makes this one interesting (to me) is that it tells the story of how Harvey Dent became Two Face. But even that doesn't quite salvage it enough to make it actually interesting. <--just my opinion
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This is considered a classic Batman comic, so I'd suggest reading it and making up your own mind as to whether or not you love it....more
The first book was about Warriors, so now it's time to find out about the Wizards!
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I do think I was a bit more invested in the characte3.5 stars
The first book was about Warriors, so now it's time to find out about the Wizards!
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I do think I was a bit more invested in the characters this time around, so I've got to bump the rating up just a tad for this one. On the surface, Seph...which is just the oddest nickname for Joseph I've ever heard...looks like just another a trust fund baby, who can't seem to stay in one school for very long without screwing up. But, in truth, he's a wizard who doesn't know how to control his power. Lucky for him, a kindly giant with an overgrown beard swoops in to help him!
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No. Wait. That was a different book.
There can be more than one story about a young wizard boy trying to grow up while being hunted by bad guys at every turn, right?
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Right. Anyway, after a particularly nasty fire that started because another wizard used a magical drug to roofie Seph's drink at a club, he ends up quickly shuttled off to a reform school out in the middle of BFE by his lawyer/guardian. And once he's there, he has to choose between being a basketball star, or following his heart (& the girl of his dreams) and singing in the...
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Nope, nope. That doesn't sound right, either. Hang on. *thumbs through pages* Ok, yes, now I've got it. It turns out that this is no regular reformatory for the rich and famous. The headmaster is, in fact, an evil wizard hell-bent on mentally torturing Seph until he basically gives up his free will, and hands over his power to him. And since Seph is untrained, it looks like Principal McEvil will win! Until two little mice show up to save him!
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Or...no. Um. Yeah, I think I may have seen the mice thing somewhere else. My memory isn't what it used to be, you know? Don't judge.
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Look, I enjoyed this book quite a bit, even though it wasn't the bestsest thing I've ever read. So, if you're interested in seeing what actually happens why don't you just read this one for yourself?
Yeesh. I must not be artsy-fartsy enough to appreciate Astro City's...whatever it is that I'm supposed to appreciate. It was boring. And the art was fYeesh. I must not be artsy-fartsy enough to appreciate Astro City's...whatever it is that I'm supposed to appreciate. It was boring. And the art was fugly. However, everyone else seemed to love it, so it's probably just me....more
This is my first time reading anything by Gena Showalter, and I doubt it will be my last. I absolutely loved the world that built in this book! The chThis is my first time reading anything by Gena Showalter, and I doubt it will be my last. I absolutely loved the world that built in this book! The characters were so interesting (both the good and the bad) that I couldn't help flying through the pages. The only reason I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is because I felt the ending was sort of rushed. There were a lot of things that weren't explained fully enough (for me, anyway). Maybe some of the answers are in the next book? At any rate, I'd love to keep reading this series!...more
4.5 stars. Cry for Justice is worth the read just for the art alone. Wow! The story was really good, but maybe not quite great. Not sure if that make 4.5 stars. Cry for Justice is worth the read just for the art alone. Wow! The story was really good, but maybe not quite great. Not sure if that makes any sense, but I didn't feel it was a five star story. Did I mention that I loved the art? I still had an awesome time reading it, even though I'm not as familiar with some of the characters as I would have liked....more
I liked the idea of the story better than the actual story itself. The main character, Tara/Devi, was seriously underdeveloped. There was not much of I liked the idea of the story better than the actual story itself. The main character, Tara/Devi, was seriously underdeveloped. There was not much of a back-story on her at all, so you couldn't tell what kind of a person she was before her transformation. In fact, there wasn't much about her after the transformation. Really liked the art, though. Maybe the story line will progress with the next volume....more
I read this 7 years ago and absolutely loved it...in all its violent, tragic glory. And with the movie coming out soon, it seemed like the perfect timeI read this 7 years ago and absolutely loved it...in all its violent, tragic glory. And with the movie coming out soon, it seemed like the perfect time to do a re-read and see if this could stand the test of time and nostalgia. The short answer? Yup. It's still a fucking fantastic book.
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The story is set in a dystopian future where the villains won. The United States has been divided up between the most powerful baddies, and there's nobody left to challenge them.
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Well. That's not entirely true. Logan's still alive, but...
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Something happened to him on the night that the heroes lost. Something bad. Something that broke him completely, and made him vow to never fight anyone again. Ever. He's a changed man. Older, with a wife and two children that he loves, he just wants to be left alone with his family.
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Fate has something else in mind, though. The Hulk gang (<--cannibalistic offspring of Bruce Banner) runs the area Logan lives in, and he's short on the rent money. After taking a beating, Hawkeye (now blind) shows up and offers him a job. He wants Logan to help him navigate the Spider Buggy across the country, and for that he's willing to pay enough money to set Logan's family up for a long time... All he needs is a driver. Famous last words...
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I won't ruin the story by giving away any of the details, but I will say that the details are incredible. And from the look of the movie trailer, it's only loosely based on the source material. Which means if you want the real story, you're gonna need to read this sucker. And I highly recommend you do just that.
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Original Review: 2010 A violent 'what if' futuristic tale with lots of gore, and just a pinch of the Wild West in it. I guess that puts it squarely in the dystopian/cowboy/slasher genre? Brilliant! Just remember to put on your Big-Boy pants when you read it, because there are some disgusting moments in this thing, and they are all depicted with hideously beautiful artwork....more
4.5 stars! Really enjoyed Nick and Isabel's story. Can't wait to read the next book in this series!4.5 stars! Really enjoyed Nick and Isabel's story. Can't wait to read the next book in this series!...more
Not sure how this happened, but I definitely like the book better this time around. Not that I even realized it was a re-rea*Re-Read 2014* 4.5 stars
Not sure how this happened, but I definitely like the book better this time around. Not that I even realized it was a re-read until I went to write a review for it... Maybe my tastes have changed over the years, and now I'm more interested in reading about amoral characters? Whatever the reason, I loved it this time around! You wanna know what's weird? Doesn't matter, I'm going to tell you anyway. I had an entirely different reaction to the things I didn't like 4 years ago. Take Cap using the kindergartners as human shields, for example. First time around I was (evidently) horrified. When I read it this time, my first thought was, Heh. Smart move, Old Man! What's wrong with me?! Apparently, I not only changed my view on the comic book, but I'm also turning into a horrible person. Huh. shrugs
*Original Review from 2010* Rating: 3 stars
Honestly, I don't know about this one. Part of me really liked it, but another part of me just hated Millar's story line. Captain America and Hawkeye are about the only two characters in the story that I didn't totally hate, but that may just be because I haven't kept up with the Ultimates. Nah. I think it's because even the most iconic Marvel personality tends to be more than just a teensy bit scuzzy in the Ultimates universe. I absolutely loved the touch of scum that Millar gave everyone in Ultimates:Super-Human, but I think that the novelty of it is lost on me at this point. Actually, Millar even managed to taint Captain America in this one. Throughout most of the story Cap was awesome. It was worth reading the whole thing just for the part where he gets taken into custody by the French agents. Ah, good times... Anyway, I do think Millar has a great grasp on what an extreme adversary Steve Rogers could be if he decided that he had been pushed too far. I just think he kinda lost his mind a little bit when he had Rogers use a classroom full of kindergartners as human shields. Really? Um, I thought that it was a tad out of character for Captain America, even in this universe. I'm also still a little iffy on what the hell happened to turn Cap's son into such a psycho. Yes, he was raised on a military compound and tested to see how strong, fast, and smart he was...Oooook. I'm not saying it was a Leave It To Beaver childhood, but how do you parlay that into him gutting everyone on the military base, cutting the skin off of his face (Ewwwwww, by the way!), and turning into a crazy lunatic bent on world destruction? Did the Super Soldier serum make Cap's sperm all wonky or something? Eh, not really sure about that one. Again, maybe I'm missing some key bit of information due to my on-again off-again relationship with Ultimates. Maybe. Ok. I'm not going to say that I'm done with the Ultimates, because I'm sure that I'll get interested in this universe again, but I will say that I'm in no hurry to visit these guys anytime soon.
Loved it! Loved it, loved it, loved it! The heroine and the hero were both incredibly interesting characters. I don't want to give anything away, but Loved it! Loved it, loved it, loved it! The heroine and the hero were both incredibly interesting characters. I don't want to give anything away, but I have to say that I thought that the part where Elissande 'traps' Vere was one of the best scenes I've ever read in a romance novel! In a million years, I never would have seen it playing out like that. This whole book was just one long breath of fresh air. Did I mention I loved it? ...more
I'm going to start by saying that I read all three monstrous volumes of Trinity on the recommendation of a friend. An evil friend, as it turns out. HaI'm going to start by saying that I read all three monstrous volumes of Trinity on the recommendation of a friend. An evil friend, as it turns out. Ha-ha, Rick. Very funny, asshole! Ok, on to the review. Trinity is a mess. Have you ever seen that TV show Hoarders? You know, where the crazy people won't get rid of their junk, and their houses are so cram-packed full of stuff that they only have a narrow walkway to scooch through the entire place? Eventually, the house is so full that they can't clean anything and the mice and bugs take over. Or (even better) some concerned relative calls a reality show and outs them on national television. Then the Hoarder cries, as several dozen people in hazmat suits attempt to haul away all of the obviously worthless (read: unsanitary) crap. That's the kind of mess I see when I look at Trinity. You know what I think? I think Busiek used up 1200 plus pages to bring Tomorrow Woman back to life. Yeah. By the way, Rick, I have an awesome recommendation for you. You should definitely read Ultimate Iron Man Volume 1. I loved it! Really!...more
Ooooooooh, still so confused! There are so many different story lines. All. Going. On. At. Once. What? Who's that? Are they important? Uh, never mind.Ooooooooh, still so confused! There are so many different story lines. All. Going. On. At. Once. What? Who's that? Are they important? Uh, never mind. We're flashing back three days in time? Nope. It's a different reality. Wait! It's this reality. No. It's the past in this altered reality. Right? Right? Hang on. We're in ancient Egypt...I think. Gaaaah! My head is starting to throb, and my left eye is twitching. I'm going to take two Tylenol, and then start on volume 3....more
I grabbed this title because my kids love the Batman the Brave and the Bold cartoon on tv, and I thought this might be similar. It was. Well, except BI grabbed this title because my kids love the Batman the Brave and the Bold cartoon on tv, and I thought this might be similar. It was. Well, except Batman was not in every story, naturally. It's a collection of short filler stories, that borders on trying a little too hard, but still manages to be fun and easy to read. Most of the stories you could live your whole life without reading, but Girl's Night Out is not to be missed. It's the best story in the bunch, and I highly recommend getting this collection just to read that one!...more
I expect any story written by Morrison to be dark, and this is one lived up to my expectations. Good stuff. I'm not giving it five stars because I absI expect any story written by Morrison to be dark, and this is one lived up to my expectations. Good stuff. I'm not giving it five stars because I absolutely hated the chapters in the middle of the book. It always annoys me when I pick up a graphic novel only to discover that the writer has decided, at some point in the story, to leave out the graphic part. Sorry, it's just a personal peeve of mine....more
Ehhhhhhh. Didn't like the art (except for the short story illustrated by Tim Sale), and didn't like the stories very much. I thought Ego was the dumbeEhhhhhhh. Didn't like the art (except for the short story illustrated by Tim Sale), and didn't like the stories very much. I thought Ego was the dumbest of the bunch. Bruce Wayne has some kind of a nervous breakdown, and ends up having a conversation with Batman, who turns out to be about as crazy as the Joker. Sounds like it would be a cool story, but it's not. Really. Selina's Big Score was ok, but nothing to write home about. This is not a must-read (in my humble opinion)....more
The story wasn't awful, but it was pretty forgettable. I really disliked the art, though. It looked like everyone in the story was recovering from a bThe story wasn't awful, but it was pretty forgettable. I really disliked the art, though. It looked like everyone in the story was recovering from a bad case of the flu....more
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