Michael Govan Comic Reviews

S.W.O.R.D. reigns supreme.

The Red Planet makes its glorious stand.

A great end to a great series.

It's scary to witness Hulk welcome Venom into the family.

There may be no redemption for Black Adam but his journey is a fun ride all the same.

ALl of that hardly even touches on the jumbled chaos that occurs when Liam's black hole activates in his apartment. I could honestly be here all day detailing what I liked on the art side of things. “Collapser”#1 is fascinating from start to finish. I read about a man changing bedpans and it was as fascinating as a superhero battle. Things are probably only going to get weirder from here and I can't wait.

It all comes together to make for a strong end to a strong series.

Howard and To create magic in "Excalibur" #9.

Riri Williams rises to new heights in Ironheart #1

Spider-Ham's sizzling in this annual!

"Strange Adventures" #4 really is AMAZING science fiction.

Ian Flynn and Michael Dialynas make a strong case for Michelangelo being your favorite ninja turtle.

This issue still wraps up very nicely but it sort of feels like maybe a page or two is missing. Still, the creative team does a fantastic job. It's so good I'm actually kind of annoyed with Marvel editorial. This has no business being just a one-shot, one-issue team-up.

Seriously, don't leave Beast in charge of things.

Bendis is great exploring the streets of Metropolis.

"Action Comics" soars up, up and away this issue.

It's awesome to see Atlantis attack in"well, "Atlantis Attacks".

"Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III" #2 is a wild ride, a thoroughly enjoyable read for the fans. The multiversal shenaningans are great and leaves the reader wanting even more. If we take Raph at his word, the next issue will be even bigger and weirder. I can't wait.

The Outsiders are ready to take on all challengers in a great issue.

This series also ends on a much quieter note than you might expect. There's practically no superhero action but it's still very engaging. The stakes are personal and honestly, they always have been.

Things are just heating up in Devils Fork!

The arena battle and comic as a whole is better thanks to the contributions of Carmen Carnero. The artist does a solid job on the artwork throughout this comic, drawing epic fight scenes and an intriguing post-apocalyptic world and resistance. It all has me very interested to see what comes next in this comic.

Teamwork makes the dream work in "Champions" #8.

Daredevil enters the 'Inferno'"but he's not alone.

The Freedom Fighters take the fight to those Ratzi thugs!

"Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" #1 brings readers a Spidey for the people, by the people.

This issue was Morphenomenal!

In "Harleen", Dr. Quinzel starts to dance with the devil in the pale moonlight.

Even if Hawkeye's the worst Avenger, his comic sure is great.

What will happen to our beloved Warners?! Tune in next issue to find out! Same Skrull-time, same Skrull-channel!

I'm so glad it's Morphin Time and you should be too.

"Mysteries of Love in Space" offers the best of both worlds. It focuses on superheroes while giving a little taste of romance comics's long gone heyday. It's nice that this giant chooses to laser in on the positive aspects of the DC Universe, like friendship and love. It might be a little corny, but it's always appreciated. It makes the heroes more relatable, fleshes out their character. Somewhere in the multiverse, there's a reality where romance comics still reign supreme. Since we can't visit for the foreseeable future, this issue is as close as we're going to get.

It's Archive's turn to effectively show that 'Even an Android Can Cry' in "Quantum Age" #3.

Manifold takes us everywhere in a solid issue of S.W.O.R.D.

The wonderland in "Sparrowhawk" is absolutely killer"figuratively and literally.

If you were ever on the fence about Jennika, this is the comic to win you over.

The 'New Agents of Atlas' are (literally) on fire!

The creative team on "West Coast Avengers" makes babysitting B.R.O.D.O.K. a thoroughly fun time.

So far, this crossover is two for two and I can't wait for the next issues.

The end of this issue is incredibly intense and had me on the edge of my seat. I can't wait to see where this particular story goes"in another couple of issues or so.

"X-Men" #9 may be light on, well, X-Men but it's heavy on fun.

Three out of four ain't bad. Not bad at all.

Come on outside, Kang. The Moon Knights arent going to jump you, they swear.

Tiny heroes, big laughs in "Ant-Man" #3.

"Batman and the Outsiders" are charged up in this latest issue.

It's even more fun if you hum the Mission Impossible theme.

Mama Vox Supreme said knock you out!

The page that shows the team's morphing sequence is especially great and worthy of note. I hope the title continues to be so solid and I'm eager to see where this book goes next.

Soon, Namor or the rest of the Invaders will sleep with the fishes.

Things are improving in the magic corner of the DC Universe.

A hard-knock life for Kamala but a bang-up issue for us.

"Marauders" #9 definitely continues the streak.

"Meet The Skrulls" #1 is a very good opening issue to this mini-series. It does exactly what it's supposed to do. The issue introduces intriguing characters, sets up the plot and gets readers hooked and ready to see more. It will be really interesting to see the journey of these unique characters.

Nebula can see the future...you'll be back for the next issue.

“Oliver” #1 seems to be one of those adaptations that is inspired by the original work while being its own distinct work. There may have been some references to Dickens that I missed but I was never lost or confused about anything. It does a great job of immersing readers in this dark, new world and leaves readers with burning questions. What is Prospero hiding from Oliver? What is the state of society outside of the clones? How will Oliver change the world? I need answers and can't wait to see what's next.

It's strange to say (they do fight a giant monster after all) but #1 feels like it's just scratching the surface of magic here. I'm eager to see the series go deeper into Bridgette's strange, twisted world.

Rocky Balboa had his turn going up against Russia, now its Frank's.

This issue offers a perfect take on Lando himself. It's a very good showcase for his character. He's smooth and charming, a constant smile on his face. He hustles, wheels and deals. At the same time, writer Greg Pak highlights that every step of the way,

Come visit Gotham City! Get a bomb removed from your neck, get the crap kicked out of you by Batman"good times.

Their personalities comes through in the artwork as well. Ivan Reis does a great job throughout the entire comic but the highlight is certainly the pages featuring the Legion. You can tell from their cheering, smiling faces how excited the teenagers are to witness the very first Unity Day, how much it means to them. The costumes all look great too. Some of my personal favorites are the ones on Lightning Lad, Timber Wolf and Brainiac 5. Each costume is unique but are also cohesive at the same time. They are all vibrant, colorful designs that denote a bright, shining future. In "Superman" #15, the end of the 'Unity Saga' is really a new beginning.

I will say that I didn't much care for Tony's inner turmoil throughout the issue. In the virtual world, Tony drank alcohol. It's certainly an interesting concept, whether that actually counts or not, but the execution hasn't gripped me so far. Neither has the idea of Tony being a copy or 'clone' of the original. I don't dislike the ideas but I am indifferent to how it's playing out so far, an issue since it's the focus of the book. Still, overall a pretty fun and enjoyable issue.

As the first issue of this arc, it's mainly concerned with setting the stakes and putting the pieces into place. If this were a heist movie, we're in the part where they're assembling the crew.

This is going to be an insane entry in Frank's war journal.

A party for Krakoa means problems for X-Force in a fairly strong issue.

It was a long time for Synch and a long time for us but we finally got a solid ending to the Vault mission storyline.

Sinestro, Lord of the Microns has a nice ring to it.

If you wanted to read just this and ignore the rest of the event, you'll probably be a little lost. Still, "Age Of X-Man: NextGen" #1 manages to be one of the strongest releases of this event so far.

The new Agents of Atlas are short on gorilla-men but big on heart.

Overall, a good showcase for all the characters involved and a good read.

For better or worse, everything is right in Riverdale.

"Darkness falls across the land, the midnight hour is close at hand, Creatures crawl in search of blood, To terrorize y'all's neighborhood..."

This mini might not have perfectly stuck the landing but it does open up some new possibilities for the cosmic side of Marvel that should be exciting to see. A fun ride worth reading.

If this comic is a trailer for the movie, well, I'm pretty interested.

The heroes (and this comic) are finally exploring new territory.

The Giant-Men are large and in charge.

Mattia De Iulis does great work here. It's always interesting to see how artists depict invisibility. Some do a white outline while others go the direct route and draw absolutely nothing at all. Iulis depicts Susan as see-through and transparent, an impressive feat in my book.

Our heroes stand ready to eradicate the Eradicator in a solid "Justice League".

Kamala wants to shrink but life's forcing her to embiggen.

It's worth it for the Piledriver joke alone"

Final Verdict: 7.0 " It's rough being Raph in the conclusion of this macro-series.

"Trial of Amazons" #1 marks a decent start for the crossover event.

This is a solid comic though I do hope the creative team goes somewhere new in the coming issues.

Its good to see the Winter Soldier do his very best to save lives instead of taking them.

Monsters and demigods run rampant in the wonderful world of Wonder Woman.

Young Justice hopes that the next leap will be the leap home.

Ghost Riders, rev up your engines!

Five villains take their shot at the Bat in the okay "Batman Secret Files" #3.

Not the best team-up but a pretty good issue for John Constantine.

This issue feels a lot like a trailer for the upcoming feature presentation. Still, that feature presentation is probably going to be awesome.

Everyday its been the same old thing on my block.

They don't call it the 'Wild, Wild West' for nothing...

Marvels history is truly a marvel to behold...its just a lot at once.

My cherie amour, lovely as a summer day...

Stop me if you've heard this one. Spider-Man, Wolverine and Moon Knight walk into a bar"

Many mutants (some good, some bad) means many stories (some good, some bad).

We had an alright time but we sure could use something 'new' in "New Mutants".

I haven't grown terribly attached to these characters but I still felt for them. Especially because the art team depicts a truly brutal sequence. There's no mercy for any of them and sad as their end is, it all makes me more intrigued by the villain of the series.

Things slow down when the Punisher gets punished.

Marvel promises that "This is the Spider-Woman book you've been waiting for""maybe not quite yet though.

The best part of the issue is without a doubt Strikeforce's members and their interactions with one another. The writer, Tini Howard, picked some pretty interesting characters to team up and has a good handle on all of their characterizations.

The Last Son of Krypton shines in "Superman" but the shadow of the bland Rogol Zaar keeps this good book from being truly great.

A teaspoon of fantastic art helps the so-so story go down.

All in all, it was an alright issue of a so-far strong series.

It's an enjoyable time for readers when a new sorcerer reigns supreme.

Final Verdict: 6.0 – Welcome to the Marvel Universe, Aero (and Wave) – Hope you survive the experience!

Time travel"if you can see the future, how can you not see this is going to blow up in your face?!

Nova 'nopes' right out of the Negative Zone in a okay issue.

Spencer gets readers caught up so he can kick off mysteries in Riverdale.

Batman's rumble in Russia is entertaining but not quite as epic as the build-up.

"Betty & Veronica" shouldn't get hung up on Archiekins"

I accuse this comic of being just okay and Lauri-ell of being a sweetheart.

"Children of the Atom" #3 is a so-so issue featuring our newest team of"well, whatever they are.

For the fourth 'X of Swords' issue in a row, the swords stay in their sheaths.

In this corner, we have the Devourer of Worlds with the might of the Shi'ar Empire! In this corner we have"well, we've got Quill. Just the one guy. If you can get off-planet, I'd go for it.

Zemo was born better than this.

Not the worst but not the best stop on our trip through the Spider-Verse.

Read all about Superboy's Lost"Day? Week? (It couldn't have been longer than a week).

"Thanos" isn't 'inevitable' here"he's alright, I guess.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...Optimus and Megatron actually got along.

Seriously though, watch out for Daken.

Reunited and it feels so good...at least at first.

Great Hera! Wonder Woman's new adventure starts off okay.

"2020 Machine Man" #1 could be better...but hey, I'm just a dumb meatbag. What do I know?

Here's hoping next month's 'War of the Realms' crossover turns out better.

While I have plenty of sympathy for his son, Billy, I can't stir up any for Curt. If the Lizard is one of the characters that meets his end in this 'Hunted' story arc, I doubt many would be distraught.

Ladies continue to pursue 'Archiekins'"for reasons that are beyond me.

This team-up of very random characters just isn't doing it for me.

"Black Widow" #1's bite doesn't feel all that deadly.

The Blossoms interfere in Archie's boring love life.

Seriously, Matt's a creep here.

"Doctor Strange" #6 is a rough homecoming for Stephen and a rough transition for readers.

The Fantastic Four fight Doctor Doom and Galactus again!

Please flash forward to something new...

"Heroes in Crisis" should focus less on murder mystery and more on...well, the heroes in crisis.

The first "Marauders" run ends on a shaky issue.

Mojo's latest show is just so-so.

While I found Tonya pretty amusing, the giant special was definitely too much of a good thing. If you disagree, if the small doses aren't enough, you're in luck. There's plenty Sasquatch to go around in this oversized issue.

Maybe we don't need to know everything that happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away"

Did you see the trailer for The Mandalorian though? That's the Star Wars content I'm looking for.

The five dreadlords didnt quite fill me with dread.

The Prodigal Son returned but now he's gone. Let's just move on.

'Uncanny' might be too strong a word...

With every #1, be it a mini-series or a regular ongoing, it's important to hook readers so that they will come back for more. On that front, I don't know if the comic is that successful. would I like to see more of the two Yondus bicker and fight? Sure. Do I care about what happens with the Herald's Urn? Not really. I'm not terribly interested in seeing why Yondu stealing it is so catastrophic to the time-stream either.

A lot of interesting bits are boring when mixed all together. Oh what a tangled web we weave"

Here's the scoop: maybe the Daily Bugle should have stayed in the background.

Comic book readers can basically guess how the conflict will play out without picking it up.

Maybe a bit more 'Cosmic Ghost Rider' and less 'Marvel History' next time...

Joker needs to work on his material.

The southern belle and swamp rat fall flat.

Listen to me, no more Spider-Men making deals with Mephisto. We get it, "One More Day" was a thing. This is the last time, let it go.

The plot itself doesn't feel terribly interesting. Characters act out of character to show that this is the 'darkest timeline' and the 'end of mutants' and all that.

Final Verdict: 4.5 – Let's just Flash-forward to the last issue…

The cover promises the movie but readers end up with just the trailer instead.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away"some unimportant stuff happens between the movies.

A trillion years of Venom can't breathe in twenty-something pages.

'Ultron Agenda' is already off to a shaky start.