Week In Review : 47 Ronin #1 + Before Watchmen Moloch #1 + Colder #1

Pardon the belated posts this week folks, the festivites of Diwali (amongst other things) had us terribly short on time and we were not able to post these up sooner! 

47 Ronin #1 (Dark Horse)

Story : Mike Richardson

Art : Stan Sakai

(Reviewed by Anubhav Dasgupta)

There is a saying that the tale of the Forty Seven Ronin is the definitive Japanese story. From what I’ve gathered, it’s a tale that more or less commands a huge chunk of their culture, much like our myths of Ram and the Mahabharata.

“To know the tale of 47 Ronin is to know Japan.”

And that’s not far off from the truth. 47 Ronin feels like a very Japanese tale. There are some stories that just feel classy, that feel noble, like Seven Samurai, Citizen Kane, Kumonoso Jo and this comic feels like one of those stories. It doesn’t cheat you with gimmicks and cheap shocks, but simply tells a story, and a good one at that.

Week In Review : AvX Consequences #4 + Bedlam #1

It's been a big week folks and we had some great comics reviewed for you and now we bring the final new-release reviews for the past week - two monster reviews of books you really should be checking out in our estimation. Enjoy!

- Akshay the Amused

AvX Consequences #4 of 5 (Marvel)

Story : Kieron Gillen

Art : Mark Brooks

(Reviewed by Mayank Khurana)

Who knew that the mediocre AvX summer event could lead to such a fantastic series!

For me it was all marked by inscrutable agendas, out-of-character actions and an overdone “fight first-speak later” mentality. The entire event left a sour taste, despite it being a culmination of so many story lines that I've been following and collecting avidly these last eight years.

I'd almost decided to not read AvX : Consequences as I thought it'd be a cash grab from the “House of Ideas” and didn't think that it would matter. Shows how much I know! I only picked it up because of the writer attached to it, Keiron Gillen, the man behind the awesome Journey Into Mystery and a brilliant run on Thor. He once again rewarded my faith in him by making AvX Consequences THE story to follow if you are remotely interested in the mutant side of Marvel-U.

Week of October 24th Reviews : Bravest Warriors #1 + Deadpool #63 + Talon #1

IT'S TIME! ONCE AGAIN! FOR EVERYBODY!! TO COME ABOARD THE ZEROOOOOOO-DAY TRAIN!!!!
...so enjoy folks. Cheers.
- A-bit-embaressed-by-that Akshay

Bravest Warriors #1 (Boom Studios)

Story : Joey Comeau

Art : Mike Holmes

(Reviewed by Akshay Dhar)

Well it's safe to say I've never read a comic quite like this one. (And I picked this out of the 4 inaugural covers because I'm a huge Star Wars – original trilogy! – nerd...)

I should start by saying, “FANS OF ADVENTURE TIME, REJOICE!” For you see, this series is also created by Pendleton Ward, the brains behind that cult favourite series. And a pretty entertainingly bizarre creation it is indeed! We follow a teen-age interstellar/galactic super-group that is as kooky and quirky as any I've ever seen.

I've never really dabbled in Adventure Time, so this was a bit of an experiment for me and an exercise in trying out something out of my regular sphere – a good habit for anyone to have.

Week In Review : Deadpool #61 + Happy #1 + Invincible #95

CAPTAIN! ICE-BERG AHEAD!!! ...no not really, it's actually just some awesome new comics, including the much-awaited return of super-scribe Grant Morrison to creator owned writing – so keep reading and enjoy!
- Akshay the amused

Deadpool #61 (Marvel)

Story : Daniel Way

Art : Ale Garza (pencils) + Sean Parsons (inks)

(Reviewed by )

YEAH BAY-BEE!! Hit Monkey’s back.

So this first issue after the Blacklisted saga, we see Wade explaining himself to what seems like somebody 'off-camera'.

So this issue is all about a ex-FBI agent who has a vendetta against good ol’ Wade.

What’s awesome is how eloquent Wade seems to sound when he’s trying to stop HIT MONKEY from KILLING him.. Yes I’m excited. Hit Monkey is awesome. If only I did all my reviews with this intensity.

Hit Monkey holds a special place in my heart, and in the hearts of many a Deadpool fan. Although what pissed me off was the lack of him in the issue and why he’s going ballistic.

So anyway back to the former agent. Yeah, so she was caught in Wade’s line of fire back when she was undercover, now she’s disabled. And, of course, wants DP dead.

DC Animated : The Dark Knight Returns (Part 1)

THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS - PART ONE

It's that time of year again, when DC's animation house releases its next movie - this time around it's a legendary story that is beloved by fans and is the first to be split into 2-parts, adapting the legendary series into this first part and the follow-up graphic novel as the second.

I know I’m preaching to the choir but I’ve gotta say it. Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns is one of the greatest Batman stories ever. It’s right there in the top 5, oscillating between positions one and two, because this is one story that you can’t rate lower. Heck, we’re talking about a comic-book that changed the world here. 

Week In Review : Deadpool #60 + Fairest #07 + Green Lantern v5 #0

More new comics!! No blather, just enjoy!- Eager Editor

Deadpool #60 (Marvel)

Story : Daniel Way

Art : Salva Espin

(Reviewed by Anant Sagar)

Quick recap for those of you not up to date..

Deadpool, the merc with a mouth (and a healing factor as awesome as the legendary Wolverine), has lost his healing factor. He can’t super heal anymore.

Now the knowledge has reached the Deadpool hating baddie, Black Box, who's sent a bunch of villains who have “problems” with Wade after him - namely Black Swan (former awesome merc) and arch nemesis (of sorts) Black Tom Cassidy.

And now, onward!

When Wade was in school he liked to put a lit matchstick near his backside. Cut to the present fight, he puts a fuel pipe between his legs and a lighter near his a$$ and screams “I’m the Human Flamethrower.” Thus with the power of a flaming derriere, Wade defeats Black Tom and Black Box, and burns himself in the process.

Week In Review : All-Star Western #12 + America's Got Powers #3 + Web of Spider-Man #129.1

Hey folks! Another new week, another bunch of new comics for you! This week we got a trio that covers some excellent titles from the Big-3! Enjoy!- Waiting-for-the-weekend Akshay

All-Star Western #12 (DC)

Story : Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray

Art : Moritat

(Reviewed by Anant Sagar)

Ah, Jonah Hex! What new madness have you brought before us.

All-Star western takes place primarily in Gotham City back in the days of the wild wild west. Not the Will Smith movie. With our heroes (of sorts) Hex and Dr. Arkham captured and chained, we wonder what in God’s name is going on. Their “guest-star” this time, a crazy young lady by the name of Tallulah Black, has managed to escape the chains our friends are caught in and ends up saving their backsides all by herself. And boy is she violent! Chops of heads with an axe, throws knives, shoots bad guy brains out - damn this girl is nuts. She’s also tappin' Jonah!! Not much about Jonah Hex in this issue, seems to be very backstory driven about his meeting with Wayne (yes, Batman’s ancestor). But apart from the little bit of action with the crazy chick, this issue kind of bored me.

Art’s ok, story is ok. Re-readability was just not there for me.

SCORE : 5 / 10

Week In Review : Hawkeye #1 + Infected #1 + The First X-Men #1

Three more #1's folks! This week has been choc-full of new-comic goodness and we've got some doozies here for you today! The hotly anticipated Hawkeye and First X-Men as well as IDW's new offering. Enjoy!
- Always-helpful Akshay

Hawkeye #1 (Marvel)

Story : Matt Fraction

Art : David Aja (linework), Matt Holingsworth (colors)

(Reviewed by Anubhav Dasgupta)

Marvel is winning.

I can’t believe I typed that. I’m a harcore DC guy and I typed “Marvel is winning.”

Now, I don’t know a lot about Hawkeye beyond what I’ve read since the Heroic Age. I wasn’t really a fan until I read last year’s Hawkeye & Mockingbird by Jim McCann, which was amazing fun. But this one… it’s textbook. It’s brilliant. It’s so good that it makes making brilliant comics look easy.

This comic doesn’t have any epic fights between super-powered heroes or alien invasions or another stupid plot involving the Phoenix, rather it’s a human story. It’s what happens when Hawkeye isn’t 'Avengering'. It’s what Clint Barton does when he isn’t hanging around with Tony Stark or Steve Rogers.

Week In Review : B.P.R.D. Hell On Earth Exorcism #2 + Debris #1 + Star Wars Blood Ties Boba Fett Is Dead #4

B.P.R.D. Hell On Earth Exorcism #2 (of 2) (Dark Horse)

Story : Mike Mignola and Cameron Stewart

Art : Cameron Stewart

(Reviewed by Anirudh Singh)

The best part about a two comic story arc. Is that it has to be sharp and slickly done. You wont find useless filler villains, or feints and counter feints. There isnt any room for them. What you would expect is direct storyline, no holds barred. And that is exactly what you get. In spades.

Exorcism, deals with one of the many secrets of BPRD. One of the many tangents in this Hell on Earth where the agency interfered without even know what it was interfering in. And must now bear the price. An ancient Demon of great power and potency was imprisoned on this Earth. Its time of freedom now at hand, BPRD Agent Ashley Strode will venture into realms best left untouched to complete her mission.

A wonderful throwback to the old spooky Hellboy storylines, this comic works wonderfully. The artwork is just plain awesome, and the writing as always top notch. If you are looking for a good

Week In Review : Alabaster Wolves #4 + B.P.R.D. Hell On Earth The Devil's Engine #3 + Mars Attacks! #2

Another week over and one last lot of new comics folks!
Today our team breaks down three of the most interesting titles on the stands - Alabastar Wolves has been making some waves in horror circles under the pen of Caitlin Kiernan and BPRD has been like a juggernaut of insanity for the past year and is still going. And to wrap it up, we've got the utterly insane Mars Attacks comic!
Enjoy!

Alabaster Wolves #4 (Dark Horse)

Story : Caitlin R. Kiernan

Art : Steve Lieber

(Reviewed by Anirudh Singh)

Ah, Alabaster Wolves... So much potential, so much disappointment and yet so much hope. First off, I really like this series. It has a dash of myth and legends interspersed with a lot of interesting characters. On the downside we are dealing with a primarily Christian mythos here. Our heroine has a guardian angel, and I dont mean that in a metaphorical sense. She literally has an angel watching her back. Talk about real firepower.

As for the heroine herself well she manages to hold her own. A cheeky albino brat out hitch-hiking through the wilderness with a bird to keep her company and a kitchen knife to serve as a weapon. Not good odds I know, even with an angel watching your back. But she survives, rolling on from one near disaster to another near death experience. Monsters and ghouls are thick in this book, werewolves prowl the shadows. And the old rules of riddling are still held sacred.

Week-In-Review : Daredevil #15 + Saga #5 + X-O Manowar #3

Welcome back fellow comic-addicts! It's been too long a gap and we're happy once again to bring back our weekly reviews! No wasting of your time here, let's just dive straight into some of this past week's releases and remember, more tomorrow!

Daredevil #15 (Marvel)

Story : Mark Waid

Art : Chris Samnee

(Reviewed by Anupam Sarkar)

In the previous issue, while trying to escape Latveria , Daredevil started to lose his senses one by one (thanks to Dr. Doom) and was finally captured by Dr. Doom's 'subjects'.

One of the best things that I love about Waid's take on Daredevil is the amount of characterization he puts into the character. For instance, in this issue, Matt Murdock realizes that he's starting to lose his senses. He can't feel, see or hear a damn thing. He's weak and so are his senses. Still, he tries to escape Latveria again to call Avengers for help. But, he get's shot and is captured.
You turn the next page, and suddenly Iron Man jumps in outta the blue. The issue ends with Iron Man rescuing Daredevil and giving a good hint to keep the readers waiting for the next issue.
This issue is not as good as its predecessors . Though, Waid's writing is flawless and he experiments with Murdock's senses, the issue is not very engaging compared to the previous ones. But keeping the con's aside, there are very few writers who are consistent with each every issue, and Mark Waid is one of them. Even his 'bad' issues are better compared to the other comics in the market.

DVD Review : Superman VS The Elite (DC Animated)

(Click to Enlarge)

Directed by : Michael ChangWritten by : Joe KelleyFeaturing the voice talents of : George Newbern, Pauley Perrette and others.

The folks at DC animation seem to be back in form after a lacklustre adaptation of All Star Superman and JLA : Doom (which wasn’t as good as it should have been). Superman v/s the Elite is an adaptation of a critically acclaimed story called What’s So Funny about Truth, Justice and the American Way which I have to confess I haven’t read. I’m sure it pales in comparison to the source material, but Superman v/s The Elite is a really good film.
What I love about this film is that the story it tells is immensely personal, yet affecting on a very grand scale. Also, it’s quite relevant. The Elite are a group of Super-powered youngsters with a warped sense of morality and they don’t hesitate when it comes to killing criminals. And know what? The people bloody LOVE it. They want their criminals tortured, butchered, made to suffer. The people want their criminals killed. Superman, who stands by his no-kill ideologies comes under fire for not resorting to Elite-like tactics. But he knows their methods are wrong, and it’s up to him to prove why.

Week In Review : Batman #10 + Before Watchmen:Silk Spectre #1 + Conan The Barbarian #5 + Planetoid #1 + Spider-Men #1

I love a good new-release day and this week has been an amazing one, with a slew of great comics to check out!

Not only do we have several titles from DC fresh after the harrowing events on the Night of Owls, but also the start of the second Before Watchmen series and many, many more to read.

Here's some of our picks of the ongoings and even a new Image series - now go ahead and enjoy! (and make sure to be back here tomorrow for more new releases in burst-reviews!)

- Editor

Batman #10 (DC)

Story : Scott Snyder

Art : Greg Capullo (main story) & Rafael Albuquerque (back-up)

(Reviewed by Anupam Sarkar)

I've been reading Batman comics from time immemorial (actually, about 10 years) and to me this issue is the perfect example of why I like Batman. While most go with action or a relationship crisis, very few writers can capture the detective in Batman. Amongst those few is now Scott Snyder.

To start with, the story - Snyder does a masterful job. Not going knee deep into spoilers, I can say that this issue has a major revelation at the end (cough...something to do with Lincoln March...cough). And everybody's going to love it. Not only does it give weight to the “New 52 Batman”, but it also shows that the Wayne's are not as squeaky clean as people thought they were.

As of the artwork, Greg Capullo amazes me after each consecutive issue. The man is an active volcano of talent! There are however only a few panels which show the Court of Owls, in all of which they are dead (literally). But, throughout the issue Capullo maintains the owl vibe. One of my favorites is the second page from the issue. Be sure to check it out.

Week In Review : Earth 2 #2 + Extermination #1 + Sweet Tooth #34 + Trio #2

Here you go folks, the wrap up on our picks from this weeks new releases!

Today we have a wickedly amazing mixed bag of comics - every single one unquestionably awesome and entertaining. This is maybe the highest scoring total for new releases in one post I'd wager! 

Enjoy!

Earth 2 #2 (DC)

Story : James Robinson

Art : Nicola Scott (pencils), Trevor Scott (inks) & Alex Sinclair/Pete Pantazis (colours)

(Reviewed by Anant Sagar)

Ladies, gentlemen and other species. Welcome back to Earth 2. And boy what a welcome it is!

It’s time for a match between Holt and Sloan. “TERRIFIC?” I thought, as I saw them. So basically Earth-1’s Mr. Terrific (this is the point where you go “oh that’s what terrific meant” ) has landed up on Earth-2 by accident, and right there waiting for him is Terry Sloan. The first Mr. Terrific from Earth-1, plain ol’ smartest man here. There's fighting, Sloan wins, cut to next scene! No that’s not a spoiler.

Picking up from last issue, Jay Garrick meets Mercury. Not Max Mercury – MERCURY like the roman god. And it’s time to power up. This issue is all about the birth of the Flash.

I like and don’t like the costume at the same time. Is that possible?

Also if you didn’t already know, ALAN SCOTT IS GAY! (No it’s not a problem for me, I just felt like writing in caps since it seems to be such big news these days) We catch a glimpse of him with his boyfriend.

Week In Review : Ame-Comi Wonder Woman #1 + B.P.R.D. Hell On Earth The Transformation Of J. H. O'Donnell + Star Trek TNG / Doctor Who : Assimilation2 #1 + The Ravagers #1

Back for more dear readers? Well we're as happy to be here as you are and we've got a new lot of fresh-off-the-presses comics reviewed just for you!

Ame-Comi Wonder Woman #1 (DC Digital)

Story : Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray

Art : Amanda Conner

(Reviewed by Akshay Dhar)

If you had told me months, weeks or even days ago that I would not only be reading but thoroughly enjoying a comic based on a really cheesy Wonder Woman statue created as a gimmick and be a proper fan by the end – I'd have smacked you sideways and sued you for defamation. And I would have been dead wrong.

The first big-awesome on this comic? It's created by the master-class team of Gray/Palmiotti/Conner that brought us the much-missed Power-Girl series (pre-reboot) that was and still is one of the single best heroine-centric series. Period. I admit openly that I'm overjoyed to find that amidst the mess that DC is making of a lot of titles that could be better and screwing-up the mainstream (not completely but a fair bit) titles, it's great to have a book that is lighter, more enjoyable and disconnected from the massive weight of history that DC just doesn't seem able to shake off for some reason.

Week In Review : Batman Inc. #1 + Dancer #1 + Deadpool #55 + Hardcore #1 + Youngblood #71

MORE COMICS!!! 

We've got a bunch of new titles for you this week and we start today with a couple of big ones and whole lot of new Image #1's!! Be sure to come back tomorrow for more of this week's releases!

Batman Inc. #1 (DC)

Story : Grant Morrison

Art : Chris Burnham

(Reviewed by Anant Sagar)

So much blood!!

The issue gets going from a couple of pages in with a whole bunch of action and blood and beating-the-living-hell out of a bunch of guys in weird masks. Yes, weirder than Batman’s. They look like goat heads. Goat heads trump bat ears in weirdness. This issue also marks the introduction of Bat-Cow, and Damian stating he is now vegetarian.

Damian has a price on his head. Apparently set by his mom to get Batman’s attention. At the same time a bunch of villains known as Leviathan are taking over the Gotham underworld. Meanwhile we see various Bat based superheroes (part of Batman Inc.) who are hiding out in Batcave West. And you wonder ‘What in god’s name is going on?!’ I’m not going further for fear of spoilers.

Ok so the story is interesting. Gripping and full of action, violence and blood.

Last Week-In-Review : Dan the Unharmable #1 + Deadpool #54 + Hell Yeah #3 + Mystery In Space #1 One-shot

Welcome back to another new week of comics folks! Don't let us get in your way, let's jump right on into it:

Dan the Unharmable #1 (Avatar Press)

Story : David Lapham

Art : Rafael Otiz
(Reviewed by Akshay Dhar)

Week In Review : Daredevil #12 + Earth 2 #1 + Teen Titans Annual #1 + World's Finest #1 + X-O Manowar #1

Welcome back for more new issues! Read the feedback from our crack staff as they review the books fresh off the racks!
Today is a bit DC-heavy, but given the huge number of titles they put out every week and a bunch of hotly anticipated new titles - so more books tomorrow, but for now, enjoy!

Daredevil #12 (Marvel)

Story : Mark Waid

Art : Chris Samnee

(Reviewed by Anupam Sarkar)

First of all, the cover is extremely awesome and sexy. Man, I just love Paolo Rivera!

The issue starts with a date between Matt Murdock and Kristen McDuffie, the Assistant DA, where she, (in a sexy pose) asks Matt to tie a scarf around her head as a blindfold. The reason for her to use a blindfold is to experience how a blind guy like Matt “enjoys” the world.

Within the issue, Matt tells Kristen about how he and Foggy became friends and also about their 'mock trial' against a professor at the university who had accused Foggy of cheating.

Mark Waid is a brilliant writer and storyteller and has brought something new with each issue. Daredevil #12 is not one of the action packed comics but more like knowing 'bout the guy behind the Daredevil Mask. In fact, there are only two glimpses of Daredevil in this issue (including a shadow).

Chris Samnee's art is pretty awesome and he provides with some jaw dropping visuals.

Special Movie Review : Joss Whedon's Avengers 2012

(click to enlarge!)

Directed and written by : Joss Whedon

Story by : Joss Whedon and Zak Penn

Cast (In alphabetical order)

Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff : Scarlett Johansson
Captain America / Steve Rogers : Chris Evans

Hawkeye/Clint Barton : Jeremy Renner

Hulk/Bruce Banner : Mark Ruffalo

Iron Man/Tony Stark : Robert Downey Jr.

JARVIS : Paul Bettany

Loki : Tom Hiddleston

Maria Hill : Cobie Smulders

Nick Fury : Samuel L. Jackson

Pepper Potts : Gwyneth Paltrow

Phil Coulson (Agent) : Clark Gregg

Thor : Chris Hemsworth

[Editors Note: ALL images in this article are especially compiled HIGH RES so, click and use on your desktop!]

There are tons of reviews out there and you can pick any one of them up and read them. But it won’t change the fact that you’ll be watching this film regardless (unless you’re an idiot, in which case, get back to your made-for-TV rom-coms). So why read this? Because it’s a review by a comic-book fan for a movie for comic fans (and others, sure...) directed by THE comic fan of our era.

(click to enlarge!)

Week In Review : Avengers #25 / B.P.R.D: The Long Death #3 / Batman #8 / Nighwing #8 / Ragemoor #2 / The Shadow #1

 Avengers #25 (Marvel)

Story : Brian Michael Bendis

Art : Walter Simonson

(Reviewed by Anubhav Sharma)

As I’ve said last week, I’m a big fan of Bendis penned event tie-ins, mainly because he gets the level of characterisation and depth stories as big as the events we’ve been seeing for the last half decade which may not fit in well with all the big action in the main books. At face value, one may not see how relevant this issue is to AvX as a whole, but deep down it gives much needed buildup on the Avengers side of the conflict at the core of the event, and serves as a bridge between the recent Osborn storyline and AvX. Captain America and the Protector, in particular, get their motivations fleshed out, which explains some of the former’s decisions in AvX so far and the latter’s solicited actions.

Of course, one can’t talk about this issue without talking about the return of legendary artist Walt Simonson to Marvel. With modern colouring techniques showing is art in a new light, it’s safe to say it as the same level of dynamism he was known for at his best. Also, is Thor particularly looks as majestic as ever.

SCORE : 8.2 / 10