Chris Stark Comic Reviews

The name that most people will know on this book is Tradd Moore. His art is very unlike any Ghost Rider book of the past. It has a cartoon quality to it with television animation styles. But it completely fits. The line-work is astounding from the basic talking scenes to the action panels. The story looks to be heading in a good direction thanks to Felipe Smith. The first issue is a set-up book where we meet everyone and get some basic information about what is going to move the story forward. And this is a much better start than the last Ghost Rider series. Overall, I am on-board for the initial ride, no pun intended. I always enjoy a good Ghost Rider story and this different take might be just what the character needs to get back in the spotlight.

If you have been following this series, you'll be happy with this issue. The ending is in sight based on the last pages of this issue. Personally, I don't want this to end. From the beginning, we have been taken on a fantastic ride through the Batman universe that only Grant could tell, Chris Burnham on pencils was just the icing on the cake. There have been great Batman teams before and Morrison/Burnham belong on the list of those great teams. These two working together just make a good fun comic that I am glad to read every month.

Now if you have no idea who the previous Ventriloquist was and apparently never watched the 90s Batman cartoon, you will probably enjoy this. But knowing the previous incarnation leaves a lot to be desired with this one. A good enough story by a good writer earns this at least a 50%.

If you want to jump into Iron Man, this is not the issue, or even the arc. However, if you want a fun space adventure with a well known hero out of his element, this is probably up your alley.

This first issue was a good starting point. We meet the characters and get the plot. We get glimpses of the world around us and see why the new League was created. I will give the first arc a try as it has potential and is one of the better first issues of any Justice League book in a long time.

Again, there never is much to expect from these crossovers and I hope this one stays fun to the end. So far, it is looking much better than some of the past series' and that's a good sign.

Mitch Gerads does a stellar job showing us the Punisher we know yet bringing in different aspects we rarely see, like Frank smiling. The coloring on the book is also more vibrant and brighter than I've seen in recent Punisher stories. One page is completely cooler colors, bright blue and purple. I cannot remember the last time we have ever seen that. I decided to wait to let this book go a few issues before making a statement on its quality. However, I have to admit, I enjoyed issue #3 just as much as issue #1 and the story continues to grow into a very interesting tale. I hope the creative team sticks around and keeps up this pace for a long time to come.

And not to leave anyone out, Tom Fowler does another amazing job on art duties. The guy has never been a slouch but he just is above and beyond his previous work with this. The action, the expressions, everything is done with that extra added Fowler Flair. It's as much fun to read as it is to look at.

Why we keep giving the Robocop ball to Frank Miller is a mystery to me. Boom could have done so much more. Years back, Dark Horse did a Robocop vs Terminator book that was interesting and different. That's what we need from Robocop now. Not more of the same but tell new stories. Explore the world of Robocop, Detroit , and OCP. Instead we get another retelling of a bad movie that is going to last for 8 issues.

So yes, from cover to cover, this book is worth every single of the three hundred and fifty pennies it costs. So while you are thinking about one of the Kirkman, Spencer, or Snyder books coming out some time in 2014, check out one of the really good ones already on the stands.

In my opinion, Spider-Man is currently one of the best books Marvel is putting out right now and it shows no signs of slowing down.

As you can tell, this title just keeps getting better and better. Slott has proven to be a great writer many times over and his work on the Spider-Man saga is taking comic story-telling to new levels.

I know there have been a lot of Spider-books out recently. And when this happens, we sometimes get a lot of garbage. Thankfully, this title is still on par with the main title and is just as interesting. If you like the regular book, this issue is a must have.

Why this book doesn't get a 5 is that it still relies heavily on past events. I know that is partially necessary but even as a hardcore Transformers fan, I get lost sometimes and need to go back into previous issues to make connections. But it really is a fun ride.

Overall, I enjoyed it and await the next issue. Palmiotti and Gray very rarely steer me wrong and Jimmy alone is still a great writer. I think the major problem was making this a multiple part story when What If books are typically tight "one and done" issues.