COMIC BINGE: Saga, Vol. 4 & Swamp Thing, Vol. 5: The Killing Field
Saga is still the number one comic right now that I’m reading, and I’m so happy to finally be caught back up. This last volume, which is the fourth, is probably my favorite so far in the series. This book takes everything that the last 3 books have been building on, and continues to build it. It’s going to be amazing when every little thing from this wild ride of story comes crashing together at the end. In this volume we find the family broken apart by the lives they are now forced to lead while on the run. Hazel is growing into a toddler, and her narration of the story becomes ever more aware of her surroundings. She has become a larger voice in the comics now than she was in the past, and it’s partly due to her growing out of being a baby. I really like the play between Marko and Alana. Marko is now taking care of their daughter as a stay at home dad, and develops a relationship with another woman at the park. While Alana is working on the Open Circuit on some strange reality television, stage play soap opera to provide for the family. But as the struggles of her life catch up to her, she finds easier ways to cope but ultimately cause problems with the family. These issues are familiar and common plots, but Brian K. Vaughan finds a way to make them his own, and present a story unlike any other. The first page of the book opens with a baby TV head being birthed by its mother, and ends with one hell of a cliffhanger that I can’t wait to see pay off. Talk about epic! Read this book now!
RATED : ( R )
STORY : ( 10 / 10 )
ARTWORK : ( 9 / 10 )
COVERS : ( 9 / 10 )
AWESOME : ( 10 / 10 )
FINAL RATING : ( 10 / 10 )
Back in the DC realm, I’m still enjoying quite a few titles, but several of my favorites have been phased out or given to new creative teams. One of my favorites from the beginning was Swamp Thing, that was generously rebooted by the DC go-to, Scott Snyder. His transition into being DC’s go-to author for any hot commodities, left Swampy with Charles Soule. I enjoyed his transitional phase, but I was interested to see how the book held up after the magic of Snyder wore off. I have to say, that I was really, surprisingly impressed by this fifth volume. Seeder is back, and Swamp Thing has yet to find a way to rid him of his powers. Seeder made his debut in the previous volume, and proved an equal match of the green to Alec Holland. This volume has a fantastic showdown between the two characters, and it really tests Swamp Thing as a character to where I never doubted it all could end here. I love this character, and I love this book. I feel like the artwork has suffered a bit since the transition, but it’s still a beautiful and colorful book with an extremely satisfying plot between Seeder and Swampy. This author has proven to me that they deserve the right to be writing this book, and I’m really delighted by what was likely this team’s first entirely independent book. Ultimately, the book ends with just the right touch, and leaves me clamoring for more Soule in my New 52.
RATED : ( PG-13 )
STORY : ( 9 / 10 )
ARTWORK : ( 8 / 10 )
COVERS : ( 9 / 10 )
AWESOME : ( 9 / 10 )
FINAL RATING : ( 9 / 10 )
In addition, I was able to check out the latest volume of Red Lanterns. For those who have not been following, the expansion of the Lantern universe has probably been the largest in the New 52. Stories that were rarely mentioned before in Green Lantern books, now have their own series and stories within the universe. One of such is Red Lanterns, which focuses on the Lanterns whose power is derived from hate and anger. Obviously, the subject material is rich for possibility. This fifth volume of this spinoff comic is probably the best since the first volume of the series, where we were re-introduced to the villainous Atrocitus. This book has two great stories within it, as it is as big as pretty much every other Lantern book out right now. First, we get to see Supergirl join the Red Lanterns, which I thought was a much cooler story that it seems on paper. I really liked Supergirl as a Red Lantern, and almost wished that this was actually just how she was. Then we get Guy Gardner vs. Atrocitus, and let me just say, it was awesome. If you haven’t picked this book up yet, now is the time. The Green Lantern universe is right up there with the new Batman universe in New 52. And yet again, the Soulemaster has his hand in it with the Red Lanterns series right now.
RATED : ( PG-13 )
STORY : ( 9 / 10 )
ARTWORK : ( 9 / 10 )
COVERS : ( 10 / 10 )
AWESOME : ( 9 / 10 )
FINAL RATING : ( 9 / 10 )