Weekly Comics Round-Up 17/10/2012

THE WALKING DEAD: MICHONNE SPECIAL (IMAGE)

While some readers may have come across this particular Michonne story in the pages of Playboy magazine, it's largely new material for the rest of us! Jumping back to the early days of the outbreak, we see Michonne before she was the katanna-wielding badass we've come to know. Initially, she wisely decides to lock herself away with her boyfriend and his best friend (despite him being an out and out idiot). Unfortunately, not knowing how to deal with zombies yet, the boyfriend is bitten before you can say 'all you can eat buffet'. Let's just say the situation doesn't get any better from there. However, it gives us a valuable insight into the beginnings of one of the best characters in comics.

7 out of 10

UNCANNY AVENGERS #1 (MARVEL)

Spinning out of the summer event 'Avengers vs X-Men', Captain America has become acutely aware of lingering Mutant prejudices, both against them and from them. Looking to put an end to such irrational hatred, he attempts to put together a team of Avengers and X-Men alike. All under the Avengers banner of course, extending the supposed public adoration to their Mutant brethren. His first pick? Ironically enough, disgraced X-leader Cyclops' own brother, Alex Summers aka Havok. The issue also features the latest funeral of Charles Xavier and a cliffhanger so disturbing you have to see to believe. While I didn't remotely enjoy the crossover this series springs from, it's wonderfully written by the talented Rick Remender and beautifully illustrated by John Cassaday. Hopefully this series can pull both franchises back up from the nosedive that was AvX.

8 out of 10

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #13 (DC COMICS)

Our first look at the terrifying 'Third Army' came in the Green Lantern Annual several months ago, but due to the need to establish rookie Green Lantern, Simon Baz, their threat has largely been reduced to the back burner. As such, this issue of Green Lantern Corps is one of the first to truly depict their spread out into the universe. Unexpectedly, the Third Army descends upon Guy Gardner's team and he's forced to watch in horror as one of his fellow Lanterns is assimilated and reborn as one of the alien menace. It's a disturbing sequence, as you watch the Corps member in question struggle against conversion, until there's literally nothing left but a faceless creature in the tatters of his former uniform. Obviously a beloved fan favourite like Guy Gardner isn't going to be the sacrificial lamb in this instance, but it is surprising to see him thrown into direct conflict against the Third Army quite so early. This issue was essential to establishing this new threat to the universe and does nothing but enrich the promise of this already highly anticipated crossover.

8 out of 10

Weekly Round-Up 25/09/2012

NIGHTWING #0 (DC)

Epitomising the notion of DC's "Zero Month", we're taken all the way back to Dick Grayson's origin as Robin. It's pretty much beat for beat everything you'd expect from such a story. No radical reinventions on display here. But even so, a solid retelling of the tale none the less. The only true alterations come in the form of furthering writer Kyle Higgins' running theme of Dick always looking forward, never back. There's a particularly clever scene depicting this, with Dick and a childhood friend racing a train and saving an endangered innocent in the process. The only possible downside is the ghastly revisionist Robin costume. What was once a tunic and pixie boots has become a godawful suit of armour with so many details it must take the artist an hour to simply remember what it looked like in the last panel. The New 52 has been rife with such outfits and sometimes they could do with taking a step back and realising - simpler is better.

8 out of 10

SPIDER-MEN #5 (MARVEL)

In the final issue of this landmark crossover between 616 and Ultimate universes, Peter Parker and Miles Morales team up one last time to take down the dimension-hopping threat of Mysterio. So why does it feel like nothing much actually happened in this mini-series? Over the course of these five issues, conflict has been kept to a minimum, instead being more of a polite meet and greet between the two Spider-Men. Mysterio is so easily defeated in this issue that you can't help but wonder why it took so long in the first place. However, it's not all bad, as the bonding between the two arachnid-themed heroes has been genuinely funny and compelling. While it's not really the 616 Peter's place to give Miles his blessing (what with being in the wrong universe and all), the advice he was relaying was heartfelt and meaningful. Miles has always been lacking in any endorsement from his universe's dead Peter Parker, so it's quite fitting he receives it here. The issue ends on a hell of a cliffhanger, with Peter looking into whether or not the 616 universe has a Miles Morales of it's own. I don't know what it is that he found on that Google search, but I'm sure I'd buy another mini-series to find out!

9 out of 10

 STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION - HIVE #1 (IDW)

As a life-long Star Trek fan, the initial news of this mini-series captivated my interest. Unfortunately, the implementation has failed to deliver on every conceivable level. Beginning five hundred years in the future, it's revealed that the Borg have achieved their goal of assimilating the entire galaxy. Yet their quest for perfection has yielded no answers, no resolution, no peace - they're actually quite bored by it. The reassimilated Locutus sets into motion a plan to restore the region to it's former glory and like all good Trek stories - uses time travel to do it. The issue itself features a horrifying scene which can only be described as Picard calling old flame Vash for a booty call, a frankly laughable Data substitute and manages to undo four seasons of character development for a major Voyager cast member (it shouldn't be too hard to guess who - she's on the cover!). Also, if the plot hinges on travelling back in time to stop the total assimilation of the galaxy, who are these new inter-dimensional beings acting as the villain and why should we care about them when all signs point to them being a wild goose chase. When Brannon Braga left the Star Trek franchise behind, that was the best decision anyone could ever have made. Why undo that all these years later?

3 out of 10

THE WALKING DEAD #102 (IMAGE)

Still reeling from the shocking events from issue 100, Rick's group have made their way back home to the Washington compound. Last issue's cliffhanger reveal of Andrea having captured a prisoner would have typically been taken as a rallying cry, especially with this group of characters. However, writer Robert Kirkman expertly turns the dynamic on it's head. Sure having a prisoner is a tactical advantage, but they're up against overwhelming numbers and one man held in a cupboard isn't going to change that. Previously, we would've expected lead character Rick Grimes to take his sweet revenge on the prisoner and set out looking for the villain, but recent events have shaken this once proud man into apathy. Where mere issues before he was offering his military support to a neighbouring community, he's now backed down and is actually conceding to the rebel's demands (or at least we think he is). For a hundred issues, these characters have proudly taken on the world all by themselves. This issue intelligently explores the option of cowardice under such circumstances, as worrying as that may be.

10 out of 10