Monday, December 12, 2011

Christmas Break?

Hey Todd Squad, JT here with an update. The last few weeks of this blog have been weird for me, I've been forcing myself to post when I'm not in the mood, barely pulling down four books some weeks, and pretty much just posting for the sake of posting. I love comics but blogging is starting to seem like more of a chore and less of a hobby, so I'm going to take a little hiatus, depending on how quickly I start to miss it I'll be back, but as of right now I plan on coming back fresh in January, or maybe a bit sooner for the Second Annual Red Hood awards, but until then, I'm your friendly neighborhood burned out blogger, Jason Todd, signing off.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Ratings and Rantings featuring Uncanny X-Men #2

Hey Todd Squad, Jason Todd here once again, welcoming you outlaws to this week's edition of Ratings and Rantings! Last week's review was delayed til this week due to the holiday and the fact I only had three books last week and found out I'd only have one book this week, so I just decided to give you one post with the four reviews this week, so let's kick things off with Invincible.


Invincible #85

We start things off seeing Mark's parents on a space ship getting bizzay, if you catch my drift. We then cut over to see Allen the Alien (Wooooooooo) and his girlfriend discussing Oliver who apparently walked in on them playing a game of space invaders if you know what I'm saying. We then see a healed up, teenage version of Oliver, I hadn't even realized how much I missed the runt, who goes on a test run with his new and improved body parts. After reporting in with Allen and telling him that the Viltrumites have joined Earth and that's the agreement he and Mark had to make, Nolan retired to his chambers with Mark's mom to have an intergalactic voyage if you know what I'm saying. Man... there is a LOT of sex in this issue. After trying to take down a villain but watching the villain subdue himself to the police, Oliver is approached by his shoeless, super powered hippie father, Omni-Man, who takes him to see his mother. While the two catch up, Oliver meets with Allen and discuss what could happen with the Viltrumites living on Earth, and how that could either help or hinder things. After thinking long and hard, Allen decides he's going to send the Scourge Virus to Earth and personally deliver it, and Nolan objects since it will kill Viltrumites and Earthlings since they have similar DNA, but Allen stands by his decision and the two get ready to throw down as the issue closes. Well this comic was pretty funny, a lot more relaxed than the last few issues and the ongoing joke with Oliver hearing Allen and his girlfriend as well as his parents having sex *shudder* it was pretty enjoyable. Up until the end it was nothing amazing but far from bad, but after that great ending I can't wait to see what's next. I'd give this issue a 8.5/10 rating.

Debbie Grayson: Just because they say they're not going to cause any trouble, doesn't mean you should believe them. Your people are very good liars. (BURN!!!!)


Kick-Ass 2 #5

We kick things off with Dave going to see his dad in prison, who stands by his decision to lie for his son. He warns them that the villains know who he is and they put Katie in the hospital but Dave's dad says they can make it through this. Man...that noble dude is SO going to die. We then cut over to see The Mother Fucker working on his new lair because he's a comic mark and that's what we'd all do, and he gets a call from his uncle that works with the police telling him that he can't turn a blind eye to Chris' actions any longer, only when he was trying to help the family, and he says he'll target him like any other scumbag. We then see Dave with his friends discussing how Hit-Girl still won't come back when he gets a text message that includes a picture of his dad being hanged in prison. Poor, noble, fool. After his father is killed, The Mother Fucker released Dave's secret identity on Twitter (I knew Twitter was full of jerks... only confirms my past suspicion.) And we also see that Justice Forever is released from prison but have been banned from ever wearing their costumes. Afterward, everyone tells Dave how sorry they are and Dave says he's going to live with some cousins in Connecticut and giving this all up. He's then approached by Mindy who hopes he doesn't blame her for not helping and his dad dying but he doesn't. Suddenly, some people blow up Dave's dad's casket (holy shit!) and open fire before grabbing Dave and tossing him in a van before driving off. They attack Dave and dress him like Kick-Ass as they drive him to the Mother Fucker but suddenly two kidnappers are killed as we see Mindy on top of the van with a gun, as Hit-Girl returns. Damn this issue was brutal but SO fun to read. The outrageous of the death of Dave's dad, the stuff with Hit-Girl and the funeral, THIS is was a great comic. I'll give this issue a solid 10/10 rating.

Hit-Girl: Game on, mother-fuckers.


Uncanny X-Men #2

We start things off with the Extinction Team taking on a bunch of Mister Sinister clones, when Cyclops gets work from Agent Brand that the rest of the Celestials are heading towards Earth. When Sinister offers the X-Men a ceasefire to discuss the incoming celestials, to which Scott agrees to since it give the town more time to evacuate. Once entering Sinister's lair or palace or whatever you want to call it, we're treated the origin of Sinister, given by Sinister himself. He also says how the Celestial's will come and kill all the Earthling's for defiling the Dreaming Celestial and then the real competition starts, Sinister's species vs. the Mutants. He then uses his telepathic powers to control everyone with the exception of Emma who he takes shots at by calling her inferior to Jean but good enough to house Scott's seed. Well damn... that was hilarious. Luckily, Sinister makes the mistake of stepping into the open and gets sniped by Hope, and when he switches to another body to take control, his head is crushed by the juggernaut hands of Colossus. The issue ends with Sinister regaining control of another body and stating that he can't be killed, because he's his own species and if you're not Sinister, simply put, your time is over. This was a really good issue as well. I loved Sinister here, as well as Emma and Namor. I could've used more Magneto but it made sense why he wasn't around. I'll give this issue an 8/10 rating.

Namor: I increasingly understand the reason for the "X-Men." It's not Xavier or the X-Gene. The "X" is a target pasted on our backs. (I wanna make a joke about Namor and dry humor but instead I'll just say HA!)


Teen Titans #3

We start things off with Kid Flash trying to save what looks like a decaying and much thicker version (I notice these things) of Solstice but making a mistake and getting them into a hell of a position, that position being falling off of an icy mountain. One thing I like is Bart is still smart, we clearly saw that he does retain information he's read like pre-reboot Bart Allen. From there we see Cassie attacking Thrice in a hospital and looking for answers about who hired him to attack Skitter and Red Robin. We also see a young man that's from Mexico but in America on business and seemingly loves the land of the free. He hops onto a passing train and stumbles upon a giant cocoon as well as a vagrant that he also meets, and after talking for a bit the vagrant attacks. It turns out that the vagrant is none other than Red Robin in disguise (That was a good one...) and attacks, as he believes this young man is working for NOWHERE. The guy apparently set out for America to find Red Robin, as he's a big fan, and wants to join his team. He introduces himself as Miguel Jose Barragan, Codename Bunker. The train they are on stops soon after the introduction and they see a bunch of people that look mind-controlled coming towards the Teen heroes. Red Robin goes off to find out who is controlling them and finds a hunk of metal calling himself Detrius, but before he can be stopped, he mind controls Red Robin to return and forget about their encounter, and Red Robin does. Well alright, I guess they guy will show up later. As Red Robin returns he meets up with Bunker as we see Skitter is now back in her human form and wondering where she is and how she got there. Back with Solstice and Kid Flash, she manages to fly them to safety before passing out, and we see the two teens are in the middle of nowhere, and just as it seems things can't get worse, they're in the middle of a blizzard. Well, like the other three comics in this post, this was another good issue and a fun read. I like that the team has a deep pool so far, it seems to consist of Red Robin, Cassie, Kid Flash, Solstice, Skitter, Bunker, and we haven't even seen Superboy join yet which may be the next issue since it suggested they'd take on SB. One thing I want to do is compliment the are of Brett Booth who is doing an amazing job, from the big things to the small things like strands of hair, he's quickly becoming one of my favorite artists. I'll give this issue of Teen Titans an 8/10 rating.

Red Robin: A little advice. Don't reveal your entire backstory on meeting someone. It just makes it easier to defeat you.

And just like that, that's it for this week's Ratings and Rantings. Thanks for reading and feel free to comment and let me know what you think. That's it for me, until next time I'm your friendly neighborhood blogger-man, Jason Todd, signing off!

Last week's poll asked "How do you feel about the Walking Dead?"
Last place with 9.1% - Tie between I read the books and I do neither but I want to.
Third place with 18.2% - I'm not interested at all. 
Second place with 27.3% - I watch the TV Show and read the books. 
Winner with 36.4% - I watch the TV Show.


Next Week on Ratings and Rantings

Justice League International #4, Amazing Spider-Man #675, Deadpool #47, and Venom #10