Review: X-O Manowar (2017) Volume 3: Emperor

X-O Manowar (2017) Volume 3: Emperor by Matt Kindt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clayton Crain's art is the real winner in this book. Despite being pretty dark at times, it is just gorgeous. This series has been rocking the art from the beginning, so I'm really glad to see that trend continue here.

The story wasn't as good as the previous two volumes. It sort of deals with the fallout of X-O Manowar deposing the former ruler of the largest nation on this alien planet. I think I didn't enjoy it as much because Aric wasn't really taking charge. Instead he spends most of this volume reacting to the things that are happening around him. It's a shift in the character that might be difficult for some readers to adapt to.

I did enjoy the continued world building. I really want to see how this is going to be tied into the rest of the Valiant universe. With the way this series has been going, I am excited to dig into the next arc too.

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Review: Silver Surfer, Vol. 1: New Dawn

Silver Surfer, Vol. 1: New Dawn by Dan Slott
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I don't know much about the Silver Surfer. This book didn't do a whole lot to fill in the gaps either. There are references to his past, i.e. working for Galactus. However, this book seems to assume that the reader will know at least that much about the Surfer. Despite that, it actually is okay for jumping in and reading about the character.

I wasn't a huge fan of the writing or the art though. That's a tough place for a comic to be in. First off, the writing didn't grab me. The story is okay, but I felt like there wasn't much reason for me to care about the characters or ultimately what happened. Usually I enjoy a book that makes references to other bits of pop culture, but the efforts here seemed kind of ham fisted. There were some amusing moments to lighten things up though.

As far as the art, the style did not work for me at all. It may have been bordering too much on the abstract for my tastes. Certain panels, particularly ones with the Surfer in them, seemed to have a weird perspective or tended toward less realistic character design. The color work was good, especially with all the strange outer space stuff.

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Review: Eternity

Eternity by Matt Kindt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is gorgeous. The color work is phenomenal. The story takes place in a strange realm on the edge of the universe, so things don't have to follow the same conventions of a story set solely on Earth. I thought the creators did a good job setting up this imagined world so that readers won't feel like they are missing out on something.

It picks up the story of the Divinity character and revolves around the theft of his son. As much as I enjoyed this story, I feel like things are returned to a sort of status quo by the end. The story served to bring a returning character into more of a villain role. I want to see how things will play out with him in the future.

As much as I enjoyed the art, the best part of this book has to be Divinity himself. Here is a superhero that doesn't resort to fighting all the time. He spends more time trying not to fight and show respect for those that might wish to harm him. It was refreshing to read a story where alternatives to fighting are the character's initial choices.

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Review: Hawkeye, Volume 1: My Life as a Weapon

Hawkeye, Volume 1: My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not a bad series. Funny throughout. I was not a fan of the art. The play between Clint and Kate is nice. Two Hawkeyes for the price of one. I would like to see more development on Clint.

Update: I reread this after a couple of years and I have to say I enjoyed it a lot more the second time around. For one thing, I appreciate Aja's art style a lot more now. He has certainly risen to be one of my favorite current artists. The dynamics between the two Hawkeyes is great. There is a roguishness about the characters that is really fun to read. I can see some details in this volume that carry through to other books in the series.

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Review: Jim Shooter: Conversations

Jim Shooter: Conversations by Jason Sacks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley I exchange for an honest review.

So I picked this book up because I was interested in learning more about Jim Shooter's time Valiant in the early 90s. Turns out there isn't a lot in here about that period, but it covers Shooter's career in comics pretty in depth. Now, this book is comprised of a series of interviews and there is some repetition as the book goes on. Each interview adds more to the overall picture though.

I recommend this book for anyone that is interested in the history of the comics industry. Sure it's nice to learn more about Shooter specifically and there is a lot in here that I didn't know about him. His insights into the comic industry are fantastic though. These interviews give a nice impression of how comics changed from when Shooter started writing, through his time as editor-in-chief at Marvel, and into his own attempts at creating a comics company with its own cohesive universe.

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Review: School for Psychics

School for Psychics by K.C. Archer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had a hard time getting into this book. The premise sounded pretty good. It's basically a pseudo sci-fi version of Harry Potter with somewhat older characters. Exploring different psychic powers and how they could be put to a good use is awesome. It falls short in the execution, especially with the main character, Teddy.

I found her to be pretty unlikeable. She's a loner and, despite being inside her head, she comes off as too harsh. And that doesn't really change during the book. I questioned her motivations at times not because it would be a stretch for the character but because the groundwork wasn't there to make it believable. Another thing that bothered me about the character is the way her power set changes. I don't know if the author changed their mind about what Teddy should be able to do or what. Her abilities change more rapidly and more distinctly than any of the other characters and it felt out of place.

There are some good moments to the book too. I was drawn in by the first few chapters because they made Teddy seem interesting. The different psychic abilities are fun to see in action. And the execution of the school itself, i.e. its purpose, how it comes together, etc., is fantastic. Unfortunately, it just isn't enough to make me want more.

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Review: Moon Knight, Volume 2: Midnight Sun

Moon Knight, Volume 2: Midnight Sun by Charlie Huston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book tackles some of the darker aspects of Moon Knight, ties it into the greater Marvel universe, and gives the character a new starting point. In volume one, Marc Spector was picking up the pieces of his life and trying to step back into the role of Moon Knight. Volume two dredges up a lot of old issues from his past and delves into the psyche of the character in an interesting way.

This particular series of Moon Knight is filled with blood, violence, and art that matches the heavy nature of the character. It also doesn't shy away from the fact that he is just a man. There are scenes where he is going through physical therapy, being torn to pieces, and questioned about any powers he might have. These seemingly unconnected moments tie back to the core of the character because he is not one of those legends that almost seem untouchable.

They also play a role in how this book interacts with the Civil War event that was going on at the time. The reactions from both Captain America and Iron Man to Marc Spector are great. My favorite part of the whole volume is how calculating he is to be able to sidestep that whole issue without just blowing it off.

There are a bunch of characters that show up that fans of the character will recognize. Admittedly, I'm not familiar with the one that ends up being the antagonist in this book. I still found him intriguing, especially when contrasted with the character that becomes Moon Knight's pseudo sidekick. Facing this threat gears Marc to look toward the future personally and in his superhero identity.

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