Kenny Coburn Comic Reviews

Valiant has been putting out great comic after great comic in 2016 and SHADOWMAN #1 is no different. There are problems with the pacing, and some of the proportions on the art are a bit off at times, but that does little to distract from how much world building and story are packed into this singular issue. If you are looking for a comic that feels worth every dollar spent, SHADOWMAN #1 is the perfect comic for you.

This comic is a great example of how to reboot a comic book series. Anyonecan jump into AQUAMAN #1 and #2 and know exactly who these characters are and what their motivations are. The deeper story of the uneasy trust between two worlds, along with the great art, really makes AQUAMAN one of the best titles to come out of DC Comics' rebirth.

Overall, this issue is only meant to build towards an eventual battle with Vandal Savage. And, while there may be issues with Batman and how his portrayal effects others, the story is very entertaining. There are many quality character moments and Superman internal struggle makes this a very good read.

BLOODSHOT #14 takes a tired premise and puts a unique twist on it. The problem is that it doesn't go far enough with the uniqueness of Bloodshot and falls too quickly into the common tropes of a person trapped on an island. This is still a good comic that could very easily become great.However, this issue isn't quite strong enough to take the title to that level.

Overall, Carnage #1tries to create Carnage as a monster to be feared by leaving him in the background and letting others actions show how dangerous he can be. The problem becomes, the comic overdoes this. Carnage is given so little time in this issue that, it actually hurts how dangerous he is portrayed. The focus shifts to a group of new characters with little time to flush out their own story. The titular character does not have enough time to develop nor, do any of the side characters and this leads to a comic that ends up struggling with its own identity.

DARK HORSE PRESENTS #18 is a collection of excellent stories, but a few suffer from, not only pacing but also structural issues that make them disjointed and, at times, hard to follow. The collection's strength, however, is also one of its biggest weaknesses. Stories that start to hook you in are done much too soon. While stories that are less than impressive are not too long, and there is always something fresh and new just a few pages away. This comic has something for everyone and a variety worth reading alone. With a total of 56 pages, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Overall, the issue a decent filler story to what is building to an interesting cross over between the new Batman and the Justice League. The mystery at the beginning, and the interesting tease at the end of what the Justice League are really trying to solve, keeps Detective Comic a worthy follow going forward. But, it is hard to justify a story where the beginning and end are the only highlights, making this issue a read at best.

Overall, Detective Comics is nothing more than a filler issue and Justice League cash in. But, once the monster of the months story progresses, albeit at a slow pace, there is some heart and tragedy to the tale. The problem is, it becomes too little too late to redeem this comic book.

DIVINITY II is a book with a simple idea that has been tried over and over before. What if the Soviet Union had won? But this book is presented in such a unique and interesting way that it easily separates itself from any other story with a similar premise. The time travel elements along with the god-like powers of the Divinities creates a book that is full of unique moments and intriguing themes. Along with the stellar artwork, DIVINITY II is a must-read comic book.

Dragon Age: Magekiller #1 fails to create an exciting introduction by spending too much time on exposition and not enough time developing the world.

Overall, The Flash #45is a letdown that does not build on the story of the last few issues. The ending panel makes the entire Zoom arc so far irrelevant and over complicated. What could have been a fun action survival story turns into a waste of time as the narrative shift makes the entire affair seem pointless.

If this were the fifth issue of the new GREEN LANTERN series, it could have been amazing. Unfortunately, there isn't enough here to make us care about these characters and the seemingly bi-polar decisions they make. The artwork is great, but the indecisive tone of the tale really holds the story back.

Overall, this is a fun filler issue setting up the next large story arc in the mystery of where the Green Lanterns have disappeared to. Not much is added to the mystery here but, it is still an enjoyable read because of very solid character moments and entertainingaction scenes.

Overall,Green Lantern #47misses a chance to create a solid character driven story of family, in favor of forcing drama and violence. What could have become a fun filler issue with interesting character moments quickly turns into a forgettable filler issue with little effect on the ongoing series.

In the end, GREEN LANTERN #50 has a lot of good story threads, but they either don't play out very well or are completely ignored. While the ending is interesting and could lead to some very cool stories in the future, right now it's hard to imagine the narrative will do anything but continue the same story of Hal just wanting to hang out with his family.

Overall, this is not a perfect comic book by any means but, there are so many strong character moments, and such an intriguing ending, that Justice League #44 becomes a must read. If for no other reason then to set yourself up for what comes next.

Justice League of America #6is ultimately a lot of interesting individual stories tied together under the Justice League banner. The problem is, as a result each of these stories is rushed and not fully flushed out. But, the story is clearly going to tie together in the future and the individual parts are engrossing enough to make this comic a solid read.

Lucifer comes home to find God dead and Gabriel lost. In a very exciting first issue, Lucifer creates great characters and intriguing mysteries that set the foundation for a fantastic comic.

LUCIFER #2 continues to build off of the first issue'sphenomenal start. The story continues to be immensely entertaining, and Lucifer and Gabriel really come into their own here. These interactions make this a great comic in its own right. The subplots do disrupt the overall pacing and flow of the story a bit but not enough to ruin the narrative as a whole. LUCIFER is slowly building into one of the most entertaining series coming out of Vertigo. After the second issue, the future looks very bright for this series.

If Lucifer agrees to do Heaven's dirty work, he can name his own price-but both the task and reward are more than they seem. Thrown into a position of great threat and ultimate opportunity, Lucifer knows that threading a path through this maze will require the harshest of sacrifices.

In the end, LUCIFER #4 is disappointing. The pacing is poor and the back and forth between the two stories causes both to suffer.

Overall, this is the best issue of Martian Manhunter so far. The story creates a fun dynamic between J'onn's personality carriers, while still building the ever growing threat of the martian invasion. New readers will be confused if they have not read anything before this point but, if you're willing to read a few of the prior issues, this is a fantastic read.

Overall, this is a fantastic comic book. The art is strong, the story is exciting, and the morals at play are ambiguous, creating interesting characters everywhere. This series has been a great read for a while now and only gets better with issue #6.

Overall, this is one of the stronger recent issues of Suicide Squad with the entire arc coming to a very satisfying close however, it just does not quite feel unique enough to warrant the annual label.

Overall, this issue is a large improvement over the last arc. The story is full of funny moments and good character interaction. For the first time in a while, Suicide Squad finally has a grasp of who these characters are. This, coupled with the new direction of the team, creates a really exciting future for this comic.

Overall, this issue is a wonderful conclusion to an incredible run of comics. If you have not read any Red Sonja before this, go and grab every prior issue and then make sure you buy this one too.

Overall, Secret Six builds on the momentum of issues #5 and #6. The characters are truly coming into their own and each is beginning to feel completely natural and fluid in the wild world that the Secret Six inhabits. The story may not be groundbreaking but, anyone looking for a fun comic, does not need to look any further than Secret Six #7.

Overall,Secret Six #8is a fun, action packed story which, is building steadily to an outrageous ending. In a taleinvolving this group of people, it is hard to predict how anything of this is going to end. And, that makes each story an exiting prospect worth reading.

SLAB #2 doesn't do enough to move the larger DOUBLE TAKE universe forward. There is very little character progression. Aside from some new insight into the attempt at a zombie cure, very little happens. The artwork is decent, but the lettering does take away from the overall product. In the end, the story doesn't do enough to move forward the Double Take universe or the characters involved in the SLAB storyline. The idea is interesting, but the execution does fall a bit flat.

Issue #3 is a very well-written story with a few areas that are beginning to falter after the great setup of the opening two issues. De Walt has become bland in his intentions, and the mystery aspects of the story are beingsolved far too easily to create much tension. Still, the heart of the story remains superb. Shan and Hwen are great together, and their love story continues to make this book a worthy read for any fan of the supernatural.

Overall,The Troop #1creates a highly intriguing tale of danger and violence but, beyond that, creates a deeper world of people trying to survive being hunted through no fault of their own. Rather, these people are being hunted for simply being who they are, and that message is as relevant in our world today as it has ever been.

The milestone issue #150 of Usagi Yojimbo shows the Miyamoto Usagi meeting a western traveler for the first time. In a fantastic tale of loss and friendship, Stan Sakai creates another masterful example of short form storytelling.

But now, the Eternal Warrior has been torn from the world he once protected and finds himself stranded in a hostile alien landscape unlike any he's faced before. Separated from his earthly environs, can history's deadliest soldier survive a realm far older, far deadlier, and fare more ruinous than anything he's ever encountered? Beyond Earth lies eternity"

I cannot praise WRATH OF THE ETERNAL WARRIOR highly enough. Every aspect of the story, from the writingto the art to the color work, is some of the best comic book work being made today. The tale of Gilad keeps getting better and better. At this point, there is no reason for anyone to not be reading WRATH OF THE ETERNAL WARRIOR.