Comic Quick Takes - November 17, 2005 review

We are trying something new here at the Toast. Every week, Mike will do a quick review on the comic titles he gets for that week. Don't look for a three page dissertation - these will be quick takes only. They may or may not contain specific information or spoilers. They may just be comments - whatever he feels like writing about a given comic. Enjoy.



Batman & The Monster Men #1



Oh yeah. After the disappointing (and in this readers eyes - insulting) All Star Batman And Robin, I was ready for a new mini-series I could sink my teeth into. Batman & The Monster Men, written by Matt Wagner, is just the ticket. This is a GREAT first issue. We have a near rookie Batman taking on his first case that does not involve petty criminals or mobsters. For those that enjoy tales from the early days (with characters such as Falcone, etc.) will love this. The art is excellent also. Must own title.



Birds Of Prey #88



Another solid BOP title. Calculator is on the move, Helen (Huntress) finally infiltrates one of Gotham's mob families, and Oracle is in danger of being discovered. There is some great interaction between Dinah (Black Canary) and the Green Arrow. Strong writing, as usual, keep this title going. For those of you that think of this as the 'girls club' - check it out again. I've really only read one issue that I didn't like, and that was sort of an - oddball, filler issue.



Marvel Knights Spider-Man #20



Part #5 of The Other - Evolve or Die. I am only getting this title because it's an Other: EOD crossover. I really don't like the art here at all, and wouldn't get this if it were not part of a larger story. I am really starting to lose interest in this Arc - it started off strong, but is quickly spiraling into the land of boredom. Nothing really was resolved here, Aunt May in a cyber-suit was sort of neat, but overall - blah. I am giving this arc one more issue before I can it. And please, someone tell Tony Stark the mustache really needs to go - at least the way it's drawn here. He looks like that creepy member of your family nobody wants to sit next to at Christmas.



Daredevil Vs. Punisher #6 of #6



Comics that pit heroes against each other can be both fun, and frustrating. Here, we conclude the six part mini. I enjoyed this run, mainly for one reason - The Punisher. Here, he's drawn old school. This isn't the MA rated version from Marvel Max. You will either love that, or hate it. I personally enjoyed seeing Frank kicking it old-school. And David Lapham proved that Garth Ennis ain't the only one who understands the character. The ending was satisfying, I suppose. I would have liked to see Frank get a little more immediate satisfaction, but that would not have allowed the tension between him and DD. While they certainly had their differences in the way each takes care of business, I think they respected each other by the end.



A final note, I thought my two Marvel comics felt a little thicker this week - only to find that they had about six extra pages of ads in the back. In addition to the ads in the main comic. No point really, just something I noticed.