The Outhouse - The Greatest Comic Book Forum

[Victorian Squid]

Originally I though doomwar #1, but after looking over the list, and knowing that I'm going to have to read a Clairmont book next week I'm going with Supergirl #50.

I was just going t predict that!!

[Starlord]

it was either doomwar, supergirl, or The outsiders.

[******]

Originally I though doomwar #1, but after looking over the list, and knowing that I'm going to have to read a Clairmont book next week I'm going with Supergirl #50.

Thanks for the quick pick, star.

[center]
Supergirl #50
selected by starlord[/center]
Written by Sterling Gates, Helen Slater and Jake Black
Art by Jamal Igle, Jon Sibal and Cliff Chiang

Special celebratory 50th issue! Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle reunite to tell an epic, oversized battle royale between the Girl of Steel and a mysterious, diabolical new foe! Still reeling from last issue's harrowing events, Supergirl is put to the test when she uncovers a terrible secret about her friend and confidant, Lana Lang.

Plus! A look into a day in the life of the Girl of Steel written by Jake Black and Supergirl herself, actress Helen Slater!

Featuring a cover by the man who redefined Supergirl for the 21st century, Michael Turner, SUPERGIRL #50 is an extra-sized extravaganza you won't want to miss!

Superman | 56pg. | Color | $4.99 US

[Victorian Squid]

I hate The Outsiders. They are a second-rate Teen Titans. Wait, the Teen Titans are currently a second-rate Teen Titans. So The Outsiders are a third-rate Teen Titans.

[******]

Michael Turner covers are the new Tupac records.

[Starlord]

no prob.

[spidertour02]

Michael Turner covers are the new Tupac records.

I've long suspected that he used ghost artists (from his Aspen Comics stable) to draw many, if not most, of his covers.

Case in point ...



That cover, from Action Comics #813, is clearly the work of Talent Caldwell. Not only is the face a giveaway, but Caldwell drew the interior of the comic.

[S.F. Jude Terror]

Tails of the Pet Avengers

Story: I started out reviewing each story on its own here, but by the fourth one, I started to realize there really wasn't much to say about them. These are like cartoon shorts. Cute little stories meant to entertain kids, with perhaps a simple moral, or a couple of jokes thrown in there. In some cases, like the Zabu story, I feel it accomplishes its mission well. In others, like the Frog Thor story, I worry that it is too mired in continuity and in-jokes to be of much value to a new young reader. Then there are stories like the Lockjaw one which clearly seem to be for an older audience.

I wish the book would decide one way or the other what it wants to be. Is it silly fanwank, or is it a clever way to introduce kids to the Marvel U? If it had chosen one or the other (preferably the second), it would rate a higher score.

4

Art: The art was well done throughout. inconsistent, of course, as it was a different artist on each story, but the colors seemed to mesh well overall and bring it all together somehow. The artist on the first story was named IG, so I expected some improper lawn maintenance, but it was actually very nice. Nothing spectacular, but better than quite a few more mainstream titles.

7

Overall: 5.5

[S.F. Jude Terror]

Does starlord know?

Next time you wanna trade, do it before Sunday night.

Yeah I spoke to him on the post-podcast wrap-up. I wouldn't have done it otherwise.

[doombug]

Next week i'm looking forward to. I may skip jude's week though.

Why do you guy think I didn't want to give him any of my bumps? that's why!

[Jubilee]

if she doesn't like the nerdier side of you why would you stay with her?

Because my nerdy side is a very small part of my life, and not something I want to show to people I want to bone?

[Jubilee]

I applaud Twigglet for wanting to get out there and stick his dick in things. He's also right, girls his age view comic fandom as a negative. He's not looking to meet the girl he's gonna marry.

Exactly! You're always right.

[Jubilee]

So ... three reviews, one of which wasn't even by a member. Nice work, guys.

Good. Less people buying this shitty book.

[Jubilee]

Tails of the Pet Avengers

Story: I started out reviewing each story on its own here, but by the fourth one, I started to realize there really wasn't much to say about them. These are like cartoon shorts. Cute little stories meant to entertain kids, with perhaps a simple moral, or a couple of jokes thrown in there. In some cases, like the Zabu story, I feel it accomplishes its mission well. In others, like the Frog Thor story, I worry that it is too mired in continuity and in-jokes to be of much value to a new young reader. Then there are stories like the Lockjaw one which clearly seem to be for an older audience.

I wish the book would decide one way or the other what it wants to be. Is it silly fanwank, or is it a clever way to introduce kids to the Marvel U? If it had chosen one or the other (preferably the second), it would rate a higher score.

4

Art: The art was well done throughout. inconsistent, of course, as it was a different artist on each story, but the colors seemed to mesh well overall and bring it all together somehow. The artist on the first story was named IG, so I expected some improper lawn maintenance, but it was actually very nice. Nothing spectacular, but better than quite a few more mainstream titles.

7

Overall: 5.5

It's pretty obvious this isn't aimed at kids. If comic companies think that kids want to read something like the "pet avengers" rather than the actual comics they're massively mistaken. This is aimed at the fanboys who enjoy stupid stuff like this and Marvel Apes.

And no Amlah, I don't want comics to always be serious business. I just want them to be good if they're "fun" and more often than not, they aren't.

[MrBlack]

Tails of the Pet Avengers #1

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the original Pet Avengers mini. It was a good mix of light humor and superheroics which managed to be kid friendly without being condescending. Now we have a Pet Avengers one-shot before their second mini (previously an ongoing) launches next month. This comic features six vignettes covering almost every member of the team. Furball is not featured, but perhaps his absence will be covered in the next mini (or perhaps he's just spending time with his newly non-insane former master).

The first story covers Frog Thor's bittersweet reunion with his tribe. This story pretty much has it all: a very brief summary of the previous mini, action, emotion, and perhaps the best art in the issue. It also manages to establish the nobility of its main character in a scant five pages, which is quite the feat.

The next story covers Zabu coming to the rescue of a pair of T-Rex hatchlings in the Savage Land. Again, this short story is able to establish a central facet of Zabu's character and show that he is more than what he appears to be in a bare handful of pages. The art here is not as detailed as the Frog Thor story, but it is clean and expressive.

The third story features Ms. Lion, May Parker's pet (male) dog. Ms. Lion was the Rick Jones or Snapper Carr of the group during their last outing, but showed his heroism during the final fight with Thanos. Here, Ms. Lion again establishes that he's far more than he appears, as he manages to stop a plot to rob a cruise ship through nothing more than his own quick thinking. It's a simple story, but it is good to see Ms. Lion continuing to act the hero outside of the team. The art is cute, and a good match for its title hero.

Lockjaw takes on Mad Dog for the Terrigen Mists in the fourth story. As in the prior Pet Avengers mini, Lockjaw manages to save the day without any acknowledgment from his human (or rather, Inhuman) masters. The art here looks almost like a modern Saturday morning cartoon in comic form, but I see that as a good thing. The characters are all very expressive and the layouts are effective at conveying the story.

I was not as fond of the Lockheed story as I was the others. We only see Lockheed in a few panels over the course of the story, with the main character instead being a high school girl constantly teased for being an introverted dragon loving weirdo. I have zero sympathy for this girl. When Lockheed finally does show up, the effect is not to help the girl make new friends and break out of her shell, but instead to drive people away and pull the girl deeper into her fantasy world. What a horrible story! The art here is well done, but really is not my cup of tea. It's very "Sunday Comics" looking.

The final story features Redwing, the Falcon's, umm, falcon, as he tries to stop a robbery with the help of Melvin, his biggest fan (and a pigeon!). Melvin ends up saving the day, with Redwing getting a bit of comeuppance for his arrogance. At the end of the day, both Melvin and the readers learn a powerful lesson about what truly motivates superheroes: guilt! The art here is serviceable, but not the best match for the story; unlike the Ms. Lion piece, it is not really the best fit for the title character.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable comic. The vignettes, with one exception, accomplished the goal of highlighting the main features of each character's personality, while showing that each is a hero in his own right. The Lockheed story was the only downside to this issue; I wish the writers had given us a Furball feature instead, especially since Lockheed has been getting more face-time of late in S.W.O.R.D. Still, this was an excellent comic and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a classic, fun superhero story.

Story: 8.5
Art: 8.5
Overall: 8.5