Thanks all for being patient this week while we in the IGN Comics Review Crew enjoyed our firework blastin' holiday.
Only one week until San Diego Comic-Con, folks. It's hard to believe it's already been a year. But that doesn't mean the big releases are slowing down any -- this week saw the release of Batman: Earth One, Avengers vs. X-Men #7, a new He-Man comic, and the next chapter of the big return of the Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man.
We should note that due to SDCC next week, there will be no comics review round-up. Sorry! We will, however, still be reviewing some of next week's bigger releases. You can follow our coverage of the show here.
DC COMICS
Action Comics #11
Written by Grant Morrison | Art by Various
"Even almost a year after the New 52 relaunch, I hear plenty of readers complaining that they don't like Superman because he isn't relatable. I can only assume those people haven't been reading Action Comics. For whatever problems this series might have, Grant Morrison is able to balance the various sides of Superman into a cohesive whole. The strong characterization drives the book forward even when the plot falters." -Jesse
Click to read the entire review!
Final Score:
7.0
Animal Man #11
Written by Jeff Lemire | Art by Alberto Ponticelli
"It’s the climax you’ve been waiting for that brings several plot threads together for a brawl to remember. One of those gross guys from the Rot is masquerading as Buddy Baker and has his son Cliff while the real Buddy gets a makeover of sorts from two Coneheads in the Red. Jeff Lemire not only provides a satisfying conclusion to his Extinction is Forever arc, but he evolves the character of Animal Man by changing the nature of his abilities for the better." -Joshua
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Final Score:
8.0
Batman: Earth One
Written by Geoff Johns | Art by Gary Frank
"It’s hard to believe that it has been two and a half years since DC Comics announced the Earth One line of graphic novels, which included the reveal of Batman: Earth One. After the massive success of Superman: Earth One (though a critical disappointment), fans waited eagerly for the Dark Knight incarnation. Whether it was a creative delay or simply a marketing effort to wait for the next Batman movie, Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s Batman: Earth One is here, and best of all, has been worth the wait." -Joey
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Final Score:
9.0
Batwing #11
Written by Judd Winick | Art by Marcus To
"With Batwing, Nightwing, Batman, Penguin, a new villain, and a dragon all figuring into Batwing #11, you’d expect to find some interesting developments. The reality is that the story being told is full of happenings but lacking in impact. As a result, this issue ends up sagging for want of a compelling narrative backbone." -Poet
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Final Score:
6.5
Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #1
Written by Len Wein | Art by Jae Lee
"Before Watchmen: Ozymandias is the first of these prequel titles to break the desire of plugging itself into the greater Watchmen universe and really hone in on character. That’s not to say there aren’t ties to the greater narrative at large, but Len Wein and Jae Lee’s first priority is delving into the mind and past of Adrian Veidt. Remarkably, the exploration of his background not only supplements the character’s motivations in the original Watchmen, but also makes the reader more sympathetic to them. That said, without the context of the original story, I fear Ozymandias #1 would be less effective." -Joey
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Final Score:
8.0
Detective Comics #11
Written by Tony Daniel | Art by Julio Ferreira & Eduardo Pansic
"Batman has followed Mr. Toxic’s trail to Dr. Marden’s lab in Wayne Tower, but that’s only the beginning of the mystery. Improving on last month’s enjoyable installment of Detective Comics, Tony Daniel has penned one of the best issues of the series to date in issue #11." -Poet
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Final Score:
7.0
Dial H #3
Written by China Mieville | Art by Mateus Santolouco
"If you’ve been reading Dial H, you already know it’s a weird book. It’s a good thing for readers to understand from the outset because writer China Mieville plunges his readers straight into the weirdness in issue #3. Longtime readers of the Dial H property will have an advantage over those who are just learning the ropes; however, it still takes until the last few pages for Mieville’s seemingly disparate clues to coalesce into something that makes sense. That may sound frustrating, but it actually continues the totally unique vibe of the series nicely." -Poet
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Final Score:
8.0
Earth 2 #3
Written by James Robinson | Art by Nicola Scott
"Behold the origin of Earth 2’s Green Lantern. It’s nowhere near as powerful or epic as it tries to be. Instead, it functions as a rite of passage that so many heroes often have to endure: receive the power, put on the costume, and declare the agenda. While the actual proceedings are dry, there’s an unexpected layer of heart to it. Alan Scott lost his would-be fiance in last issue’s fiery train crash, so he pledges to fight in his memory. The only person more upset about this loss is me." -Joshua
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Final Score:
7.0
G.I. Combat #3
Written by Various | Art by Various
"It's hard to complain about a concept as fundamentally sound as soldiers battling dinosaurs in a prehistoric wonderland. And to date, J.T. Krul's update of The War That time Forgot has been the primary draw with G.I. Combat. Unfortunately, even that appeal is beginning to wear thin with issue #3. Krul relies on the same storytelling elements once more in this arc. A brief flashback explores the civilian life of one of the soldiers, and then more dinosaur carnage ensues. What worked well enough for a couple months is becoming played out now." -Jesse
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Final Score:
5.5
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #1
Written by James Robinson | Art by Philip Tan
"For those of us that grew up that magical time known as the 80s, He-Man is a true icon. He's up there with G.I. Joe and Transformers. His world was filled with some of the most crazy-awesome heroes and villains ever to grace the cartoon world, and don't even get me started on the incredibly cool toys. Yes, He-Man was a big deal, but he has yet to have a proper resurgence -- a full-blown comeback -- like many of his 80s and 90s counter parts. DC Comics is looking to rectify that with a brand new He-Man and the Masters of the Universe comic series, and the good news is that the first issue is pretty decent." -Benjamin
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Final Score:
7.5
Red Lanterns #11
Written by Peter Milligan | Art by Miguel Sepulveda
"Last issue blew me away with the focused story and impressive art, but here the splintered narrative breaks down the story’s strength to a point where Miguel Sepulveda’s spectacular art can do little to save it. The Red Lanterns are on a mission to fix their poisoned power in order to save their lives. While the conflict itself is solid, the way writer Peter Miligan has the different Red Lanterns go about fixing it is curious, making me wonder if their Corps would self destruct due to poor management if Abysmus hadn’t poisoned their central power battery." -Joshua
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Final Score:
5.5
Stormwatch #11
Written by Peter Milligan | Art by Ignacio Calero
"Peter Milligan has a great story for Stormwatch here, but the clunky execution has it buried beneath an unclear plot and forced dialog. The Hidden People, a group of super powered survivor Neanderthals, have hatched a plan to devolve humanity with a powerful cube device. Sounds Stormwatch-y enough for me, but between the truncated history lesson in the beginning, the confusing action sequence in the middle, and the hokey mustache-twirling end, the team has seen better days." -Joshua
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Final Score:
5.5
Source : ign[dot]com
