Comics for last week

[angelophile]

Bit behind on reviews again - I haven't actually finished reading those I bought so expect some more catching up next week. Light week of comics this coming Saturday anyway…

In last week's bundle was:

CATWOMAN #45
HERCULES #5
NEW X-MEN #16
NEW X-MEN HELLIONS #3
NIGHTCRAWLER #8
PULSE #10
RUNAWAYS #6
X-MEN #173
Y THE LAST MAN - RING OF TRUTH (Trade)



CATWOMAN #45
Selina has been manipulated into performing a break-and-enter job by Hush (the most boring villain ever, which is alluded to in the dialogue that describes him as "just some guy in bandages"). Of course, things go horribly wrong and Selina finds herself pitted against the killer who she first faced in the very first story arc of this series. An extended fight scene and a major cliffhanger ensure this is an enjoyable read with some snappy dialogue and beautiful artwork.
RATING - ****

HERCULES #5
This whole series has been a bit of a mixed bag. The jokes and humor are there, sitting uneasily with more serious points. The final task is a bit of a damp squib - it does a lot for character development, but very little in terms of a grand finale. The problems with a lot of the humor falling flat seems to lie with the artist, who can't time a good gag, or kills it stone cold with incomplete visuals. He can't handle action that well either. Sadly, that's the problem - it's been a good series, hampered by disappointing art which has meant it's only managed to be average.
RATING - ***

NEW X-MEN #16
Not read this yet.

NEW X-MEN HELLIONS #3
Less character stuff this month, although there's some great moments with Julian as the wise-guy act breaks down and he demonstrates a real compassion and care for his team, particularly in the moments with Tag and Cessily. Other than that there's an excuse for some action scenes and the Hellions have to make some difficult choices. Julian's actions at the end of the issue can be interpreted two ways - either cold-hearted selfishness or a desire to ensure his team members get what they've earned. I like to think it's the latter. It continues to be Julian's show throughout, however. No bad thing considering he's the most fully realised of the characters here.
RATING - ****

NIGHTCRAWLER #8
Not read this yet.

PULSE #10
Supposedly Bendis' love song to Hawkeye, since he revived him in House of M. Is it any good? Well, not being familiar with Hawkeye I have no clue whether the characterisation is on the ball or not. There's some snappy dialogue and a twist that Layla has also "unhexed" Clint's memories and he remembers the world as it should be, not the House of M world. It doesn't add much to the story, and you could happily read House of M and not even know about this subplot. Bendis' writing is pretty strong but it's a fairly pointless distraction.
RATING - ***

RUNAWAYS #6
Brian K. Vaughan is a son of a bitch. After the twist last issue as the identity of Victor's "villain" father was finally revealed, there's the obligatory fight scene and it's Excelsior who "take care of business" (as they should. Relegating the former heroes to the roles of bungling idiots while the Runaways ran the show was a flaw with the storyline up to this point). Then there's another twist as the group's benefactor is revealed. That should be it. But then in the final pages Vaughan throws a curve ball that has me both marvelling at his genius and wanting to throttle the git for being such a sneaky bastard.
RATING - *****

X-MEN #173
The "soap opera" drama continues. Probably not everyone's cup of tea and it's clear Milligan's not playing to his strengths, but it's okay stuff if you like that sort of thing. The true identity of "Foxx" comes out, Rogue and Remy have a major bust up, Alex and Lorna have a 'moment' and it's all very "Days of Our Lives" with a mutant twist. Larocca's art doesn't seem to be struggling so violently against the story this issue, so that's an improvement. But it all continues to be very average and, ultimately, unmemorable.
RATING - **

Y THE LAST MAN - RING OF TRUTH (Trade)
Brian K. Vaughan continues to be a sneaky git in this, the latest trade of the Y The Last Man series. I suspect it read better in individual issues, because a couple of the major twists and cliffhangers would certainly benefit from having a month between the twist and the reveal. Even so, you can see how effective they COULD have been for people reading single issues.
That aside, there's much to enjoy. Y is probably the most consistent book on the market - it's never less than entertaining. There's the usual witty dialogue, pop culture references that bring a smile to the face, funny monkeys and twists, as well as a little romance. Yorick has a nice little storyline without his companions, then it's business as usual before a story that focuses on his sister, Hero. A little more of the history of the characters creeps through. Mann and 355 get less screen time this arc, but things work out nicely regardless. Not flawless but always great.
Oh, and Yorick's obsession with ninjas is amusing.
RATING - ****