Randy Reviews July 13

Greetings one and all. Having a great week? Hoping so. Mine is meh, so hoping yers is better.
This week- all of five books. I can count them all on one hand. But since my math sucks, I still use two hands.
Normally, or at least recently, my reviews have gone from a worst to best order.
This week, I don't really have an outstanding "worse" book, or "best" book. None were particularly bad, and only one was really outstanding for me.
So, lets begin shall we:


Snakewoman (or Shekhar Kapur's Snakewoman)
Issue 1
A Snake in the Grass

Week two of Virgin Comic launch. I know I said I wasn't going to get this one, but I'm going to get all of the Virgin Comics #1, because I really like the idea behind them.
So, we get to meet the unknowing-soon-to-be Snakewoman in this first ish. Much like Necromancer and Wraithborn, we get the introduction to the innocent girl who knows nothing of what she "is." Current typical drivel. We get some smutty type cast of characters in the apartment building that she lives in, one being her over-sexed, over-hyper roomate. I for one and looking forward to her death and some point. And I will cheer loudly.
Plot moves on slowly. Girl meets boy. Girl takes boy home. Girl umm...does things to boy. And not in that way. Sheesh, get your minds out of the gutter, please! As per the catch-phrase for the book- "she's killed 13 in LA....blah blah blah. Well, lets just leave it at that, shall we?
It wasn't a great read. My purchase of #2 is unknown. It probably depends upon how many other books come out that week. The art was good though, VERY X-Factorish. Too bad it didn't have the fab writing of X-Factor.
Rating: 2/5. It wasn't stupendous, but it wasn't horrid either. Probably gamble on an ish 2.


Warbird
#5
Time and Time Again

Once again, not a bad book, but not a tremendously strong read either. Why? Alternate times, alternate universes. I'm soooooo fricking tired of that. Its the Comics U. Its ALREADY a frickin alt u, so leave it alone already. Blah!
So, the scenes with Doctor Strange are really pretty good. Nice to see someone not make Strange not look and act like a doofus. Well, only a tad, but it was very well placed, and fun.
More Warren Traveller, lots of universes and time thingies. By far the weakest of the five issues to date. Until, the ending.
Its a Civil War ending. It leads right into the next issue, and I'm sure all the beans will be spilt in the mini, but oh well. I loved the ending. Now that, that is some suspense. I wanna see what happens. Like now! I wasn't real high on the Civil War tie in for Warbird (even though obviously I was going to get them) but now, if she is torn like I am expecting the FF to be torn, I'm going to enjoy the trip. Its a minor book, Warbird is technically a minor character, but she sure is getting a lot of visitations from big name heroes so far. I"m sensing some good vibes coming.
Rating: 2/5. The ending just not quite enough to bring the meh of the rest of the book up.



Firestorm
#27
Good-Bye

Ah Firestorm. One book I can always rely on to tell me a good story. And once again, it continued. Its a solid, good, quaint little bit of storytelling here. Its not earth shaking or moving. Just a kid trying to find himself in the superhero world, and in his own life outside of Firestorm.
I really like the joining with Firehawk. I think that adds mucho potential to the joining. Albeit, short lived. I am starting to pick up on his Gehenna relationship. As this is a final chapter in the recent arc, the next arc picks up Jason exploring who Gehenna is, and STOP IT!!! Not in THAT way. Mind, gutter, out now.
And yes, Martin Stein returns. Did you really expect anything less?
This book continues to work for me. I have not been disappointed with the story yet. The art is still sometimes...um, slugghish, but nonetheless it works. I like how the art is downplayed while Firestorm is staying, and I'll say it, B-listish.
Rating: 2/5. Little lost by the ending, but I think its the Pupil in some way, shape or form. If I used decimals, this would be a 2.5/5. But I don't. Too much math.


Ultimate Fantastic Four
#31
Frightful Part 2

Its pretty. Mr. Land, its very pretty. Thank you.
Its fun. Mr. Millar, its very fun. Thank you.
What a great book. Could have used a little more FF, and less Baxter Building Staffage, but still, wow.
Victor? Victor Von Doom rules in this book. Man, he is just impressive. And, well, quite the prick, but, still, impressively done.
Can he save Johnny? Yep, for a price. WEE-HOO, let the good times begin. I will be picking up the next few, even without Millar and Land. The story alone is going to be that good methinks.
Oh, and the um, zombies break out. Sigh. Looking forward to them going away soon. But man, are they ever the prick too.
Very little FF, lots of Reed and Doom, lots of Baxter Building Staffage, lots of zombies. Like 2 panels of Flame Boy.
But damn, I'm still liking it.
Rating: 4/5. That banter between Doom and Reed is some good stuff.


Annihilation Super-Skrull
#4 of 4

This my friends, was my book of the week.
Now, this series didn't start strong for me. I was turned off by the art, the goofy looking art, and the character, who I really didn't care about. But each book got better. The art stayed consistent, and it grew on me. It really worked for this book, for these characters. It wouldn't work for say, Nova or Ronan. But this was well suited.
SuperSkrull & Friends. Caught. Betrayed. And pissed.
Oh my, don't piss of this guy, ever. Ultimate Super Skrull? A big nancy compared to this guy.
Needless to say, they bust loose. They start to beat the living hell out of the bug dudes. Sacrifices are made, emotions run rampant, and betrayers are, shall we see, given their due. Mackerel Mackerel Mackerel, was R'kin ever showed his due. That was not at all expected what was done. And I cheered. I cheered for the SuperSkrull every bit of the way. I wanted to see him dish out some death after his son getting dun blowed up with the planet. I wanted his allies to dish death with him.
I got all I wanted. I got a climatic ending which was fricking beautiful. And, I got a most suprising ending.
I so hope Nova and Ronan can go out like this. (I didn't buy the Surfer because, well, I don't like the Surfer.) I don't think I was disappointed one iota in this book.
Read it again. Nope. It was fricking good.
Rating: 5/5. It was that damn good. Series Rating: 4/5. Just kept getting better.