Comic Quick Takes - December 7, 2005 review

Gotham Central #38



I am sorry to see this one end. Rucka and DC have decided to pull the plug in March, along with several other DC titles. GC has always been one of the strongest Bat titles, which is pretty amazing since Batman rarely, if ever, appears. It's about the cops, and the smaller characters. This month was pretty amazing, as usual. We lost a major character, one I am sorry to see go, because he seemed like a beacon in a sea of corruption. Great issue.





Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman #3



Part seven in the Other: Evolve or Die crossover. If you recall, I dumped this two issues ago, because nothing was happening. Of course, the next issue EVERYTHING happens. I picked up 6&7 yesterday, and it's very hard for me to write this without spoiling anything. I'll simply say that some pretty crazy things are happening, and it's living up to the title. What happens here will change Spidey forever. (Until they retcon it later, of course.) If you really want to know what happens, drop me an email – mike@ausgamedev.com. I'll fill you in.





Batman And The Monster Men #2



I really enjoyed #1, and this didn't disappoint. We get a little more insight into what the 'Monster Men' are, and the person behind them. This is a great read if you enjoyed The Long Halloween. It almost fits in right after that fantastic book. The art at times even reminds me of Tim Sale, but certainly stands on its own. Buy this one, don't wait for the trade.





Detective Comics #814



Finally, The City Of Crime arc ends. I can't say I hated this run, but I can say I was bored and ready for it to end. It certainly had its ups and downs. The art was serviceable, but didn't really set my hair on fire, and it would have been much better as a five or six story arc. The ending was meh, the premise was meh. Meh. Glad to be moving onto something new. Maybe something not so grim next time, DC. It was sort of like that relative you see once a year at Christmas – you sort of enjoy their company for a few hours, but by the end of the day, you want to poke them in the eye with some sort of sharp item.



Penny Arcade 25 Cent Comic



The idea is pretty cool, but I am not so sure going with early strips was the way to start. For fans, yes. But to bring in readers who may not visit the website three times a week – not so much. The comics are dated, and just not as sharp as they are now. If you are a long time fan, pick it up. It's only a quarter. If not, check out the web comic first. You have nothing to lose by getting it, but you may not quite see what all the hype is about.