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Wayne Markley

by Wayne Markley

Here we are once again as well as this time around I am reviewing two trade collections of older material; one from marvel as well as one from DC. Captain America as well as the Falcon has just come out in time for the new movie, as well as the Flash trade I am reviewing since I have had a number of people rave about it as well as told me I have to checked out it.  I am likewise going to evaluation the new Legends of Tomorrow comic from DC as well as when once again look at my preferred DC comic, Scooby-Doo team Up.  These are all superhero oriented books as well as none of them are bad, one is fantastic, as well as one is most likely much better than I am providing it credit history for.  The Captain America as well as the Falcon, Legends of Tomorrow as well as Scooby-Doo Team-Up are all new in the last week or so.  The Flash collection came out last fall. Are should be offered at your regional comic retailer or at www.westfieldcomics.com.

Captain America as well as the Falcon by Christopher Priest: The total Collection

Captain America as well as the Falcon by Christopher Priest: The total Collection  is a collection of all 14 problems of this series from 2004.  just like most of Christopher Priest’s work, I truly enjoyed the composing in this book.  All fourteen problems tell a comprehensive story about American politics as well as what is seemingly wrong with them. What is amazing is this was written 12 years back as well as the stories are just as true today.  It is extremely important of politics, however it is not heavy handed in the storytelling.  priest tells an original story that harkens back to Steve Englehart’s run on Captain America with the trick empire as well as Nomad, one of my personal preferred stories.  priest utilizes characters from around the marvel world such as Nick Fury, Luke Cage, Yellowjacket  and the Avengers to their best, as little players in a much bigger story where they are conscious of events, as well as perhaps even contribute a bit, however do not overshadow the lead characters. There is likewise an continuous subplot with Steve Rogers as well as the Scarlet Witch as well as a extremely fascinating story with J. Jonah Jameson as well as the Falcon about the Falcon’s mindset towards the “man”.  This part of the story was a bit as well much like a black exploitation movie, however it’s okay provided the context of the story.  Also, throughout the run there is a sub story about the Anti-Captain America, who is a failed (?) Navy experiment to re-create Cap, as well as he plays a bigger as well as bigger part of the story as it goes along.  This whole story takes location during the Avengers Disassembled period.

The art on the other hand is a mixed bag.  The very first four problems are drawn by Bart Sears. I did not care for this art. I might not make out what was happening in many of the panels as well as say thanks to goodness the story brought the muddled art. It seemed that Sears was trying to do a elegant panel style versus telling a story as well as there were a number of times I had to go back as well as re-read the pages prior as I might not figure out what was happening.  With problem #5, Joe Bennett took over as well as the book looked leaps as well as bounds much better as well as was easier to read.  now there is a great story as well as great art. Bennett stays with problem #12 (with a few guest artists assisting out) up until Dan Jurgens wraps things up with problems #13 as well as #14.  general I believed this book was a excellent checked out with a great deal of action with a great mix of locations, (the ghetto, Cuba, new York, Zambia, Columbia, as well as more). It starts out as a corrupt government story with a medication cartel to a major battle with one of my favorites, M.O.D.O.K. as well as then a battle between the Hulk as well as M.O.D.O.K. towards the end. The book is really worth reading just to see exactly how it goes from Guantanamo Bay prison to the huge battle at the end. The story is a bit choppy at points as there are so many players as well as so many place changes, however if you can get past the very first four problems in this collection, it is a extremely enjoyable checked out that shows exactly how deep as well as challenging the connection between Captain America as well as the Falcon is.

Flash by Geoff Johns book 1

For years good friends have been telling me I must checked out Geoff Johns run on Flash. Well, not that long back DC easily released  Flash by Geoff Johns book 1, as well as I lastly got to checked out it.  It collects Flash #164-176 of the second series of Flash.  What this means is Flash is Wally West (not Barry Allen) as well as it is pre-New 52 so Wally is still an All-American white boy.  before I evaluation the stories let me state the cost of this book is almost worth it if only for the Brian Bolland covers that are reprinted inside.  It assists that the stories are extremely good.  It opens with a multi part story featuring a number of Flash’s rogue’s gallery as well as an alternate world where there never was a Flash.  This arc is an fascinating alternate story that makes utilize of the characters of Captain chilly as well as Mirror Master to truly flesh out the story as they have to work with Wally (Flash) to get back home.  There are  a number of nice bit touches here, such as at one point Captain chilly as well as Flash are looking at a book on the history of heroes in this parallel world as well as it is written by John legislation (an old will Eisner characters from the 1940s). There are a number of adorable insider references thrown in throughout this collection.  The artist on the very first six problems is by Angel Unzueta as well as it is a style I do not care for.  It resembles the style that was prominent after picture very first started as well as to me lacks remove storytelling as well as is all flash (no pun intended). With the seventh problem Scott Kolins takes over as well as I discovered this to be a vast improvement.  The second story details a villain from Flash’s past as well as a cult that worships his power. just like most Johns’ stories he modifications about the origins of the character as well as tries to explain elements of the hero we never truly believed about. one more John’s trademark, he likes to modification the condition quo as Wally as well as his other half have to move from the suburbs of Keystone City to downtown (because Wally is tired with the simple life) as well as throughout the book there is a subplot about a secret person who is amping up the rogues gallery powers.  It should be noted the super-prison Iron Heights is introduced in this collection, with art by Ethan Van Schiver. almost all of these stories are similar as Johns’ run on eco-friendly lantern (which I believed was much better) as he picks up bits as well as pieces from the past as well as spins new tales that vintage in shape into the continuity.  These are not as great as James Robinson or Brian Bendis do, however it is solid work.  With this very first volume I do not believe these are the very best Flash stories ever done, contrary to what I was told. I prefer mark Waid’s run on the book, as well as the original traditional material by John Broome (soon to be collected in a spiffy trade called Flash The Silver Age Vol. 1 with a Darwyn Cooke cover! however it was a fun checked out as well as is worth inspecting out.

Legends of Tomorrow #1

Legends of Tomorrow is a giant-sized perfect bound comic featuring Firestorm, metal Men, Metamorpho as well as Sugar as well as Spike.  seems like a DC fans dream doesn’t it? First, a bit background.  all of these stories were originally revealed as being new series coming from DC, then they were all yanked as well as put into this new 80 page (plus) giant that was revealed with the exact same name of the television show. It has a cost tag of $7.99. Now, to be fair, I am a significant Sugar as well as Spike fan.  If I could, I would provide everybody a copy of the Sugar as well as Spike Archive (so that it offered sufficient that they would do a second volume) as well as everybody would see the brilliant as well as appeal of the original comics. So based on that alone, the Sugar in Spike in this comic, two young adults who are detectives as well as are supposed to be the two lovable tykes from the traditional comics, are reason alone for me to dislike this comic as well as shed every copy I might find. Sugar as well as Spike was as close to comic book perfection you would ever get as well as to try as well as revive as well as modernize it is a sin.  now all of that aside, onto the actual book. The very first story in this anthology is Firestorm as well as it is extremely good.  It brings back Ronnie Raymond, professor Stein, Jason Rosch as well as Multiplex.  This was a well written re-introduction of the character that is quick passed as well as fun to read.  It was written by Firestorm’s original creator, Gerry Conway, as well as drawn by Eduardo Pansica. The second story is Metamorpho which is written as well as drawn by Arron Lopresti with inks by Matt Banning. This is a hybrid story retelling the origin of Metamorpho with an updating from his very first appearance back in take on as well as the strong in the 1960s.  It is a solid story that had sufficient of the old appeal of the series to make me want to checked out the next problem however it was not as great as Firestorm or as fun as the original Metamorpho, which easily is offered in a showcase reprinting all of his 60s appearances. next I am going to look at the fourth story, the metal Men. It is written by Len Wein as well as drawn by Yildiray Cinar as well as Trevor Scott.  This, like Firestorm as well as Metamorpho, is a hybrid of the old as well as new. The metal guy are the exact same robots we liked from the 1960s, however Doc Magnus is much younger, barely in his 20s by the looks of him, as well as he is surrounded by similarly young other scientists. The story is a set up for the bigger story about the government wanting to shut down the metal guy which are now a Pentagon job as well as the Nameless (similar to the hacking group Anonymous) who want manage of the metal Men.  This was a nice set up as well as a great story. Not great, however good. One thing that truly stood out for me was the coloring. Each of the metal guy shined as well as looked excellent as well as the colors truly stood out making each one distinct, even when all of them integrated to produce a giant gun. Finally, the third story, Sugar as well as Spike.  Frist off I truly liked the art by Bilquis Eveely (And I liked her work on the Doc savage miniseries she did for Dynamite. watch as she is going to be a star extremely soon.) The story is by Keith Giffen as well as if it was not for utilizing the characters of Sugar as well as Spike, I would have liked this story. It was fun, it entailed them (they are now personal detectives) having to recuperate Batman fits from the past, (Zebra, Rainbow, Caveman. See Batman stories from the late ‘50s as well as early ‘60s), as well as general it is a well-paced humorous story that is the very best thing in this book.  It even had the characters of S&S, with the female being the wise as well as dominate one as well as the boy kind of just tagging along as well as assisting the very best he can. I would have liked this story if it had any type of other two characters called anything other than Sugar as well as Spike; be it feline as well as Mouse, Molly as well as Mac, Hart as well as Hart, Simon as well as Simon, etc. any type of two other names, I would have been thrilled with this story, however I cannot get past Sugar as well as Spike. however you should inspect out Legends of Tomorrow as it is a extremely great checked out with parts of it being spectacular.

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #15

Scooby-Doo Team-Up continues to be one of the very best comics out there.  The newest issue, #15 guest starring the Flash, is absolute brilliant. (And a step up from problem #14 with Aquaman which was a bit of a letdown. It felt as well much like there were trying to shoehorn in whatever about Aquaman into the story making it seem cluttered.)  With the Flash they are back to the formula that works finest as the gang assists the Flash stop the Mirror Master before the Flash is called off on an important satisfying in the hidden city of the gorillas.  right here the story is just a riot with a gorilla ghost, Gorilla Grodd (naturally), as well as a ton of jokes about exactly how gorillas cannot tell different humans apart as well as vice versa.  All extremely funny.  I state this all the time to anyone who will listen, Sholly Fisch as well as Dario Brizuela are doing the very best comic every other month being published today. A amazing book for long time older comic fans like myself or for the youngest visitors just finding the joy of comics.

That is it for this time. Some extremely great books, a excellent book, as well as a book I truly enjoyed even though it pains me to state it. whatever written in this blog are my opinions as well as do not show the thoughts or opinions of Westfield Comics or their employees.  have you checked out any type of of the collections? What did you think? Do you like Scooby-Doo Team-Up as much as me? What are your thoughts of the Legends of Tomorrow comic (or the television show)?  I would like to know. I can be contacted at MFBWAY@AOL.COM or with Facebook at MFBWAY. As Always,

Thank you.