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Weekly comic thoughts
Feb. 26th, 2014 09:37 pmTMNT #31
Meh. That's all I can say, meh. I hoped my conclusion after the previous issue was premature, but nope, looks like Leo's almost back to normal with no mention of PTSD and only a hint of the mildest of depressions. Also, I hate Alopex and didn't care for how much space she took up in this issue. (Sometimes I seriously wonder why I continue reading this series...)
The Flash #28
Intrigue! Drama! Mystery! Seriously, though, this issue was pretty great and I'm looking forward to the conclusion to all this next issue (I think). Although...apparently Barry's dad is Captain Frye? That's a pretty soap-opera-esque "plot twist."
Aquaman #28
This was a fun little breather issue (Arthur & Mera go to a high school reunion, lol!). Overall, though, I'm not really feeling this story arc; it seems to lack a focus.
Teen Titans #28
Blehurgh. Bart/Bar Torr magically regains his senses after a chat with his sister, despite having been a homicidal revolutionary for 2 issues. Kiran using her powers is awesome, but I'm not sure how cool it is for her to insist that she is spiritually dead if she's not with Bart. God, just let this series end and be rebooted, please...
Captain America Volume 5, Captain America & Bucky, Winter Soldier
Yeah, I kinda went on a mega Bucky reading spree to prep for the upcoming movie. The result is, of course, tons of Buckyfeels.
I liked Cap Vol. 5. My favorite parts remain the Winter Soldier arc & Bucky's struggles before he becomes the next Captain America. Something that spoils a lot of the Bucky-centric comics, for me, is the fact that I'm vehemently anti-Bucky/Nat, so their romantic scenes make me cringe. (No particular reason why I hate that ship, it's just a personal preference thing...) That's also a big reason why I didn't really enjoy the Winter Soldier series all that much, though I will say that that series has an awesome art style.
I liked the exploration of Bucky's past in the initial Captain America & Bucky issues, though didn't care for the latter half that dealt with the non-Steve Captain Americas and non-Bucky, uh, sidekicks. (In my totally biased opinion, I feel that DC does a much better job with legacy heroes & superhero "families.")
I did want to take a moment to talk about Brubaker's treatment of female characters. In Cap Vol. 5 and Winter Soldier, we have:
- Sin, who is violently tortured until she snaps and becomes a psychotic killer.
- Sharon Carter, who ends up getting brainwashed into shooting Steve & serving the bad guys (also, she tragically miscarries her baby).
- Natasha Romanova, who gets Damsel in Distress'ed in Winter Soldier and then brainwashed.
...This is not a good track record. I mean, at least Brubaker didn't fridge any of the women (well, there was a minor WoC character who got killed off at the tail end of Cap Vol. 5) and the major ones get a lot of agency, but the brainwashing thing is really terrible.
Meh. That's all I can say, meh. I hoped my conclusion after the previous issue was premature, but nope, looks like Leo's almost back to normal with no mention of PTSD and only a hint of the mildest of depressions. Also, I hate Alopex and didn't care for how much space she took up in this issue. (Sometimes I seriously wonder why I continue reading this series...)
The Flash #28
Intrigue! Drama! Mystery! Seriously, though, this issue was pretty great and I'm looking forward to the conclusion to all this next issue (I think). Although...apparently Barry's dad is Captain Frye? That's a pretty soap-opera-esque "plot twist."
Aquaman #28
This was a fun little breather issue (Arthur & Mera go to a high school reunion, lol!). Overall, though, I'm not really feeling this story arc; it seems to lack a focus.
Teen Titans #28
Blehurgh. Bart/Bar Torr magically regains his senses after a chat with his sister, despite having been a homicidal revolutionary for 2 issues. Kiran using her powers is awesome, but I'm not sure how cool it is for her to insist that she is spiritually dead if she's not with Bart. God, just let this series end and be rebooted, please...
Captain America Volume 5, Captain America & Bucky, Winter Soldier
Yeah, I kinda went on a mega Bucky reading spree to prep for the upcoming movie. The result is, of course, tons of Buckyfeels.
I liked Cap Vol. 5. My favorite parts remain the Winter Soldier arc & Bucky's struggles before he becomes the next Captain America. Something that spoils a lot of the Bucky-centric comics, for me, is the fact that I'm vehemently anti-Bucky/Nat, so their romantic scenes make me cringe. (No particular reason why I hate that ship, it's just a personal preference thing...) That's also a big reason why I didn't really enjoy the Winter Soldier series all that much, though I will say that that series has an awesome art style.
I liked the exploration of Bucky's past in the initial Captain America & Bucky issues, though didn't care for the latter half that dealt with the non-Steve Captain Americas and non-Bucky, uh, sidekicks. (In my totally biased opinion, I feel that DC does a much better job with legacy heroes & superhero "families.")
I did want to take a moment to talk about Brubaker's treatment of female characters. In Cap Vol. 5 and Winter Soldier, we have:
- Sin, who is violently tortured until she snaps and becomes a psychotic killer.
- Sharon Carter, who ends up getting brainwashed into shooting Steve & serving the bad guys (also, she tragically miscarries her baby).
- Natasha Romanova, who gets Damsel in Distress'ed in Winter Soldier and then brainwashed.
...This is not a good track record. I mean, at least Brubaker didn't fridge any of the women (well, there was a minor WoC character who got killed off at the tail end of Cap Vol. 5) and the major ones get a lot of agency, but the brainwashing thing is really terrible.
