Two weeks to catch up on today. I will start with a new number 1. Cullen Bunn, creator of Sixth Gun, started a new Magneto series. I picked it up because it's Bunn. Magneto hunts down a mutant killer when he turns all sentinel and tries to kill Magneto. I like the idea of a cyborg type sentinel and Magneto hunting down the people who did that to the poor kid promises to be an exciting fun ride. The creative/dark storytelling of Bunn taking on the intriguing character of Magneto is a wonderful match and I love it a lot so far. Gabriel Hernandez Walta on art is pretty good. The design of Magneto is a little odd. His face is more round and less tall than the normal look for him. It's a little jarring and feels like more of a Lex Luthor than Magneto. Otherwise the backgrounds are gritty and dark. Showing the not best side of the world. 4.5 out of 5.
Also in the Marvel villains category, Loki Agent of Asgard 2. I love this issue. It has Loki at a speed dating event. He's there talking to a human who has a power to see through any lies, including Loki's mirage. It's an extremely absurd premise for a book, but Ewing perfectly portrays Loki's charm so it shines through to the reader. A great book. It portrays a heist scene the best I've ever seen on a page. This issue sets up a plot that promises to be Loki's Eleven which is always a fun story to follow. Art is by Lee Garbett and isn't the most detailed, but when mixed with Nolan Woodard's colorization it provides a basic, flat look that works perfectly for the story. While the first issue caught my interest, this one has certainly caught my attention. 4 out of 5.
Now we'll hop over to Image for Velvet 4. Ms. Templeton attends the Carnival of Fools and hunts down an old rival from the KGB who is being hunted. After saving his life they discuss the situation he is in until he reveals a twist that turns her past upside down. More great work by Brubaker. I've been reading some of his Captain America and Winter Soldier stuff over on Comixology. They were both stellar, but don't have as excellent espionage as Velvet though. This story is still unravelling fairly slowly, but gives enough intrigue and mystery each issue to make it exhilarating. The art manages to capture the intensity of the moments and the joy and fun of the carnival only a couple pages apart. There's a 3/4 page panel that just glows with the excitement of the carnival and is 100% mesmerizing. Once again, can't wait for the next issue. 5 out of 5.
Now we will head over to DC for a bit of Green Arrow 29. Book 4 of the Outsiders War. This issue is just as good as the previous few. It does feel like it's dragging on too long to get to the actual story, but still a fun read. Oliver heads to Prague to take on Komodo and the spear clan and believes he has saved the city, but alas, he only stopped one of the four ships of sarin gas. Solid issue. I've already raved about Sorrentino's art in this book and this issue keeps up that trend. There's a lot of similarities to the Arrow show at the moment, but not in a bad way considering there's a limited number of characters who work well in a Green Arrow story. This issue is good more for the setup than for the actual events. Especially the cliff hanger which is mildly intriguing in the sense I want to know how Lemire gets out of it. Even though it's obviously a misdirection. Good, but nothing too impressive. 3 out of 5.
Now for this week. Justice League of America 13. This book is alright. Stargirl fights with Despero some more. It has possibly the worst twist I've read in a while. It's a cliched "by the way, what's been happening isn't really happening" story. It's also a story that just doesn't feel very fresh or exciting in any way. It's not horrible, just a resounding okay. 1.5 out of 5
Lastly, I got The Mercenary Sea 2. Fun book. This issue sets up the plot for the first full arc. The crew gets a job and sets off to do it. It's a very unique book and one that I never really thought I'd see. It's a beautiful book on top of it. Second issue is a whole lot of fun. Looking forward to reading the whole story. I said I was going to wait for trade on this one, but might pick up the first run in issue format. Like Loki, this book has grown in excellence. 4 out of 5.
