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[thefourthman]

New Avengers #3

So I have mixed feelings about this book.
First off, I think Immonen is coming around with this book. His art is pretty and it’s not Nextwave, but it’s getting there.

The big fight scenes with Luke, Ben, Spidey, Logan and the gang are awesome. Bendis even manages to make the characters sound different. If this book were nothing but that, this review would end right here with a perfect ten, but it isn’t so it doesn’t.

I know it’s not just me but Strange and Voodoo seem to be getting the shaft here. Also, I am not a knowledge person when it comes to Hellstorm, but is he supposed to look and act like John Cena? This stuff is all magic mumbo jumbo that seems to have the characters that are supposed to understand this stuff just making crap up.

But the biggest problem is every scene involving Iron Fist. Is Bendis doing some kind of thing where Danny acts like a moron when he is with Cage and then becomes the bad ass from Bru and Fraction and that guy with the funny name’s book? If so, isn’t that demeaning to both Luke and the character those others made into one of my favorites? If not, then why does it read that way?

Then there is the reveal of the big bad. Whatever happened to the days when there were flashbacks in comics that told you the importance of a character? Sure, it might have been seen as foreshadowing and may have taken away some of the thrust of the reveal, but it wouldn’t just thud for a reader like me. I readily admit that magic mumbo jumbo might as well be cosmic bullshit to me. They are both less interesting to me than more grounded comics. That being said, I think Strange is pretty cool and seems like a guy I might want to read about in the future (and I really liked that Marvel animated movie, too), but the almost slight way who the Ancient One is is handled makes it less cool to me then it would be to someone who has read fifty million Marvel Comics. I still want Bendis to take the time to make his stories important to not just the long term fan, but the possible new fan as well.

Overall, this is a fun issue with really nice art. I can’t hate on it, but I can’t love it either.

Story 3
Art 4
Overall 7

[thefourthman]

TINY TITANS is unreadable. It is like the superhero version of Caillou, that unwatchable children's cartoon that PBS plays all morning, every morning, in an attempt to lobotomize preschoolers. I tried very hard to enjoy this comic for what it is. I really did. But I couldn't. The story about Lex and Superman both showing up to a birthday party with gift-wrapped t-shirts is so dull I considered flipping on the TV and watching Caillou instead. I can't imagine TINY TITANS being entertaining even to four-year-olds.

STORY: 0
ART: 5
OVERALL: 2.5

I think the book is geared at young readers and full of in jokes. I could see how it would be indigestable for people who are neither young readers nor in on the jokes.

[thefourthman]

I don't think I was in for that.

Tiny Titans

Tiny Titans has a lot more DC in-jokes referencing the past couple decades of comics than any kid will ever catch, where last week's all-ages book seemed dumbed down too much, this week's all-ages book is really a comic for old men disguised as a kid's book. Although there is a level of humor in the book younger readers would relate to, it's about on par with your average Bazooka Joe offering. How many younger readers will recognize the various iterations of the Brainiac character over the years, or the Superman II references? Hell, not knowing who or what the heck Match was almost made the first story impenetrable to me as well.

It's definitely a book for a long-time DC fan to enjoy, and just maybe one his or her kids might like too. I would be surprised, though, if there weren't a lot more old men reading this than new readers. It's a bit bizarre that your typical mainstream Marvel or DC comic book seems to be what many kids are reading, while a book like Tiny Titans seems skewed toward an older market. I think DC and Baltazar have pitched this book to the "Dad & kid" market, something to have a multi-generational appeal but still make it on many adults' pull lists. I just don't think it succeeds on more than one level the way, say, an old Warner Bros cartoon or Roald Dahl story does or even some of the early comic strips. I don't think it would take long for a child of any age to outgrow this book, unless they are at least in their thirties.

5

Match is like Bizarroboy.

Working in a shop, kids love this book. Seriously, they eat it up. When the book debuted, I would agree with you, old men were reading it and that had a lot to do with its initial success. Overtime, the old men, including myself dropped it. It is very kiddy and reads like a bazooka joe, for sure, but in small doses that is okay. At the end of the day it is the DC equivalent of one of them kid's menus at IHOP or Shoneys. It is kind of geared at getting parents who are involved with their kids to enjoy it when they are reading it with them. As such, it has a limited marketable audience - it is geared at the same age that enjoys Yo Gabba Gabba and the ilk.

[Victorian Squid]

Match is like Bizarroboy.

Working in a shop, kids love this book. Seriously, they eat it up. When the book debuted, I would agree with you, old men were reading it and that had a lot to do with its initial success. Overtime, the old men, including myself dropped it. It is very kiddy and reads like a bazooka joe, for sure, but in small doses that is okay. At the end of the day it is the DC equivalent of one of them kid's menus at IHOP or Shoneys. It is kind of geared at getting parents who are involved with their kids to enjoy it when they are reading it with them. As such, it has a limited marketable audience - it is geared at the same age that enjoys Yo Gabba Gabba and the ilk.

It would have gotten a much higher score if it came with a plate of pancakes to put on it.

[thefourthman]

It would have gotten a much higher score if it came with a plate of pancakes to put on it.

mmmm. pancakes.

[Victorian Squid]

Note of interest: Not surprisingly, the latest estimates show a whopping huge 35% drop in sales for New Avengers after its debut, and an 11.5% drop for Avengers #3 after another pretty big drop following its debut issue the month before. Secret Avengers, while not selling as many books as the other two, is still in the Top Ten and only lost about 7% in contrast.

Yes Jubilee, I'm talking to you.

[******]

Secret Avengers is the only Avengers book not drawn by Jim Cheung worth reading.

I haven't had time for any RG stuff over the past couple of days and I just got my NA and TT today so I'm probably not getting to those until the weekend. I will get the much anticipated Garrison thread up on time tomorrow morning fo sho tho.

[Victorian Squid]

Secret Avengers is the only Avengers book not drawn by Jim Cheung worth reading.

I haven't had time for any RG stuff over the past couple of days and I just got my NA and TT today so I'm probably not getting to those until the weekend. I will get the much anticipated Garrison thread up on time tomorrow morning fo sho tho.

You used to make time!

[******]

You used to make time!

I knew this was coming and tried to bow out before it got to this, but you fuckers wouldn't let me. I should have more time in a few weeks.

(I probably could have made time this week, but making time to read Bendavengers is kind of like making time to get fisted up the the elbow by Popeye.)

[thefourthman]

so wait, did you just need help for a few weeks or did you really want to give it up?

there may have been a misunderstanding in the way you asked.

[Victorian Squid]

I knew this was coming and tried to bow out before it got to this, but you fuckers wouldn't let me. I should have more time in a few weeks.

(I probably could have made time this week, but making time to read Bendavengers is kind of like making time to get fisted up the the elbow by Popeye.)

Luckily it takes longer for yoni to write a review than it does to read a Bendis-Avengers book.

Well, things are busy in a good way I hope.

[Victorian Squid]

so wait, did you just need help for a few weeks or did you really want to give it up?

there may have been a misunderstanding in the way you asked.

We have become like an albatross, weighing him down.

[******]

so wait, did you just need help for a few weeks or did you really want to give it up?

there may have been a misunderstanding in the way you asked.

I knew I had busy time coming up and I had been doing it longer than any of the previous tyrants so I figured it was time to pass it on to someone else, but since you fuckers were too lazy to step up the moment has passed and you're now stuck with half assed me.

[******]

Well, things are busy in a good way I hope.

Nothing bad, just EOY work stuff that looks like it's now going to spill over a few weeks into September.

[Victorian Squid]

I knew I had busy time coming up and I had been doing it longer than any of the previous tyrants so I figured it was time to pass it on to someone else, but since you fuckers were too lazy to step up the moment has passed and you're now stuck with half assed me.

[youtube=425,344,vYhjBcYnzvU][/youtube]

you=Thomas Jefferson