comics

Uncanny X-Men Vol. 2: Broken Review

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Of the modern X-Men books I have read so far, Uncanny X-Men is the series that has the most upside. Centred around a strong-willed, yet misguided Cyclops, he and his band of fugitive mutants are in the midst of starting a mutant revolution while squashing anyone that may try to stop them. The base premise and all of the nuances around it make for a compelling take on this anti-hero/villain group. Unfortunately, I think most of Vol. 1: Revolution‘s potential is squandered on idle chatter and exposition.

With most of the table-setting out of the way, Cyclops and the gang can move the story forward in a meaningful way. First stop: Limbo.

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Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls Review

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An uncharacteristically stubborn Bruce Wayne refuses to believe in the existence of a shadowy organization that has run Gotham for over a century. He sure did pay for it in Vol. 1: The Court of Owls, as Batman narrowly escaped death at the hands of the Talons. But what can he do when a gang of Talons get the drop on Bruce in Wayne Manor while the rest of their army terrorize Gotham?

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Pick-Up Post: April 2014 Reading Material

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All is more or less still quiet on the video game front, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Having that extra free time has been beneficial for going to the gym or playing hoops. Hopefully, I’ll be able to turn some of that extra free time into a better body, but I certainly wouldn’t turn down any hot video games if there were any of interest coming my way.

In the meantime, things are only heating up on the comics side. April has been a great month for expanding my collection with back catalogue books while sampling some of the newer stuff that’s outside of my current reading list. With May being the month for the next installments of Batman, All New X-Men, Uncanny X-Men and X-Men, things are only going to pick up from here. Check out the April stash below!

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Batman – Detective Comics Vol. 3: Emperor Penguin

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Had I not bought the first three volumes of Detective Comics in one shot, I would have stopped after the second one. The first showed potential, yet had a few glaring holes, while the second only made things worse with a droning story that didn’t go anywhere. I picked up Vol. 3: Emperor Penguin with the mindset that I would just plow through to get it over with, but then I noticed that the names on the cover were completely different.

Kudos to Tony Daniel for all the work he’s done in the past. I think his art in Detective Comics is great. I even liked his writing in Savage Hawkman #1. But as far as his work with this series, it really fell off a cliff. With a new creative team at the helm, this may be the kick start it needs to get back on track.

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Batman Eternal #1 Review

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Between the myriad of solo stories, team-ups and Justice League responsibilities, Batman is the busiest man in comics. His life is only going to get crazier from here, as Batman Eternal #1 is the start of a new weekly series for The Dark Knight. Have we reached the saturation point for Bruce Wayne stories? Well, if they continue to be as good as this one, then the answer is no.

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Ms. Marvel #2 Review

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Ms. Marvel #1 came into the scene as a breath of fresh air. It could have simply rested on the fact that she’s not your typical all-American superhero, but it was also a well written and well drawn comic in its own right. Issue #2 continues where she left off, having just physically transformed into the iconic Ms. Marvel.

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Harley Quinn #4 Review

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Ever since Harley Quinn severed ties with the Joker, she’s been on a roll. First, she’s made her presence felt as a member of the Suicide Squad. Now she has her own best-selling series. Harley Quinn #4 follows the same story template that have made the previous issues a success, but it falls short of the mark set by its predecessors.

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Wolverine: Origin Review

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For a very long time, Logan’s past has been shrouded in mystery. Bits and pieces have trickled out over time, though Wolverine: Origin aims to be the definitive starting point for the character. Presumably taking place over a century ago, this story follows him during his childhood up until he becomes a young adult.

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Uncanny X-Men Vol.1: Revolution Review

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Professor Charles Xavier had a dream. He wanted to help create a world in which humans and mutants could happily coexist. He also wanted to create a school that taught mutants how to get the most out of their powers in the name of good.

Cyclops sort of wants to follow that dream. As new mutants begin to pop up, he wants to rebuild Charles’ school and be a leader for all of mutant kind. The problem is, Scott Summers is down to kill any humans that want to hurt his fellow mutants. Also, he’s sort of a fugitive wanted for the murder of Charles Xavier. Together with Emma Frost, Magneto and Magik, they begin to build a new X-Men.

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Off-Topic: The Joy of Reading

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Over the past few decades, whenever anyone has asked me what my favourite book is, my answer has been Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Part of my reasoning is that it’s a great novel. The other part is that I have a very limited pool of books that I’ve read to draw from. Take away the books I had to read for academic purposes (including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and I could count every novel I’ve read for leisure on one hand. The last book I read for fun was Angels and Demons almost a decade ago. This shortcoming of mine has been something I’ve been self-conscious about for a long time.

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