Chris' Reviews: Random Edition!

Afternoon, everyone! Since the usual Joey Da Q interview over at the 'Rama was even less substantive that usual last week, no New Joe Mondays this week.

And so, I give you these quasi-reviews:

IRON MAN #16 --- Garbled storytelling up front almost torpedoes the issue in which Tony and Maya try to go all CSI on a terrorist corpse, but things brighten considerably when a shackled Mandarin goes medieval on his would-be rescuers. Also, absolutely brilliant work by Roberto de la Torre, who really cuts loose in the Mandarin scene. A confusing beginning and a hackneyed end drag the whole operation down, though. CBG: 2/5.

FELL #8 --- The densest issue so far, told entirely through Post-It notes attached to each panel, which are themselves photographs taken by Fell on a night in Snowtown. It's a "day-in-the-life" issue, and one that wraps up kind of sweetly (well, as sweet as Fell ever gets, anyway). Still love the art, still love the atmosphere. CBG: 3/5.

DETECTIVE COMICS #831 --- A cute Harley Quinn episode that only further serves to endear her to me, as she teams up with the new Ventriloquist for some hijinks that aren't what they appear to be. Good character issue for Harley, which should come as no surprise seeing as how Paul Dini is the author. Also a good scene at the end showing us once again that the new OYL Batman is much more of a good guy than the pre- Infinite Crisis jerkwad. CBG: 4/5.

IRON MAN: HYPERVELOCITY #4 of 6 --- Attention, fans of Len Kaminski: this miniseries puts the science back in Iron Man, much like Len's run did back in the day. There's about 7,000 pounds of technobabble per page, but it moves quickly, has an interesting premise, and Brian Denham's art continues to amaze. Adam Warren has my thanks for delivering what's at once a bleeding-edge cyberpunk Iron Man and a near-textbook on what makes Iron Man cool. (Hint: it's not in continuity.) CBG: 3/5.

JONAH HEX #18 --- Wow. Not only a creepy cannibal story, but a damned depressing one, as Hex's sense of justice betrays him and tragedy ensues. A somewhat confusing chain of events and Val Semeiks' art seems disjointed at times, but quite frankly the issue is worth the price for the cover alone, done by legend Bill Sienkiewicz (who might be the best "modern" cover artist ever, now that I think about it). Check it:



Awesome. CBG: 3/5.

Tomorrow: Better Know A Hero returns!