Here's a few reviews of new titles that recently hit:
LOKI: AGENT OF ASGARD #1: Written and drawn by two guys I've never heard of, this one features the adventures of the jerk/teen Loki. The finale has the original, older Loki showing up which I guess is a good thing (remember J. Michael Straczynski had a hot female Loki parading around during his Thor run?). It's simple, okay to look at, fairly forgettable. Eh. * (out of ****)
EMPIRE OF THE DEAD #1: Written by George A. Romero with art by Alex Maleev, this is a zombie tale set in NYC. The catch? There's vampires in it. I hope werewolves aren't far behind...but Romero does a good job here. He's not a bat-shit crazy zombie writer, he builds worlds with real characters and heavy tension and suspense. It's creepy, a bit silly, but feels like one of his films. The stark, dirty dark art by Maleev fits perfectly here. Probably rough being a vampire in a zombie world...or perhaps it's easier. And can you become a zombie vampire? ***
THE PUNISHER #1: I miss the old days when there were multiple monthly Punisher books. These days we're lucky to even have one good one. The last one was the short-lived, critically raven upon Greg Rucka written book...that I didn't care for. We had Jason Aaron's awesome short-lived MAX title. Garth Ennis' bland run was long. And don't get me started on Franken Castle. This new one is pretty basic but it does feature a new locale; L.A. Other than that it's Castle against bad guys. The plot also has a group of secret police that are going after him. The art, by Mitch Gerads, is simple, effective. The script by Nathan Edmondson is paint-by-numbers but it works here. Nothing exceptional, but that's okay. **1/2
WINTER SOLDIER: THE BITTER MARCH #1: Hmmm...instead of cancelling The Winter Soldier title, why didn't they just shoehorn this awesome story into that title's run? Either way, Marvel loves #1's and this is a new mini-series written by Rick Remender and drawn by Roland Boschi. It's more a Nick Fury story, though, since it takes place during the Cold War when Bucky Barnes was the Russian's secret spy/warrior/killing machine known as...the winter soldier. I think Ed Brubaker was the one that made Bucky and the winter soldier the same person, which is ingenious, and so we get to see the "evil" Bucky at work here. The story is great; an evil mansion on a snowy hill-top filled with henchmen, a James Bond-esque opener with fisticuffs on skis. This is pure fun stuff. I could do without Madame Worm (Remender is known for his ridiculousness), but the rest is top notch. ***1/2
SHE HULK #1: Jeez...how long is this book going to last? I know that Marvel cancelled Red She-Hulk last year...and I didn't even know that existed. I thought I was up to date on comic books. Sigh. This new book got great reviews...but probably will sell half as many copies as a Spider-Man book. Charles Soule, the new go-to writer is writing this (he's currently writing Swamp Thing, Thunderbolts, Superman/Wonder Woman, Red Lanterns...and he's a lawyer in NYC). Which is good...because She-Hulk is a lawyer by day (but always with green skin). This book is basically a rip-off of Matt Fraction's , which is a good thing. This means it's light, comedic, and focuses on She-Hulk's daily life instead of her superhero stuff. This first issue was slick, enjoyable, but nothing outrageously good. Javier Pulido's art is cartoony, adequate, pretty. Soule does not have the good sense of humor Fraction has, though, so it feels a bit like a cheap version of Hawkeye. A good start, though. ***
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