Author: Mike Sims

Review: Patsy Walker: Hellcat #2

Her first day on her new job and Pasty Walker is already on thin ice. Actually, it’s kinda more like through the ice. After being attacked by a giant squid monster and dragged into icy Alaskan waters at the end of the first issue, Hellcat now finds herself in the company of a group of Shamans who inhabit the Middle World. The Shamans charge Hellcat with the task of finding their heir, who has apparently been kidnapped by the cannibalistic Windigo. Is the feisty Hellcat up to the task? You better believe it!

This series continues to be just a fun, kinetic read! I found this issue to be a little hard to figure out what was going on in certain spots, but it was such a fun story that I was able to look past it. Writer Kathryn Immonen does a great job of delivering a story that is keeping me interested in what’s going to happen next. And David Lafuenta’s art is not too bad either! His style is a perfect fit for this type of book and really adds to the fun, lightheartedness of it.

Hellcat is a character I’ve never been familiar with so this has been my first exposure to her. Immonen has done a great job of getting me interested in this character and wanting to find out more about her. I’m not sure how this version of Hellcat compares to the one that was in the old Avengers series, but I’m definitely going to be looking up some of her old stories! If you haven’t given this book a shot yet, I highly recommend picking it up and giving it a try!

COVER: STUART IMMONEN
WRITER: KATHRYN IMMONEN
ARTIST: DAVID LAFUENTE
COLORS: JOHN RAUCH
LETTERS: DAVE AND NATALIE LANPHEAR
EDITOR: NICK LOWE
Rated A …$2.99

To find a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook

Review: Fantastic Four: True Story #1

When Reed Richards can no longer find solace in the theatrical version of “Josie and the Pussycats”, you know something very serious must be going on! But when the whole world seems to lose it’s love for fiction, some villian must definitely be behind it! Now it’s up to the Fantastic Four, with the help of their old friend Willie Lumpkin, to get to the bottom of the problem. Get ready to take a journey through classic literature with the Fantastic Four as your guides in this all new four part miniseries!

Writer Paul Cornell (Captain Britain and MI:13, Wisdom, TV’s Dr. Who) and artist Horacio Domingues seem to have something really special going on with this series. This book was just a really fun, off the wall experience from start to finish. This is probably unlike any other Fantastic Four book you’ve read before! The story literally finds the FF using their imaginations to get to the bottom of the worlds sudden missing love for fiction. Along the way, the team encounters classic characters throughout literature including Dante (not the one from Clerks) and the Dashwood sisters from Sense and Sensibility. You really feel that Cornell has a great love for the classics with this story. Horacio Domingues’ art is just a blast to look at! His playful style is really a wonderful fit for this book. Just wait till you get a look at the Fictocraft! I would love to see what he could do with Spider-Man. This was just an all around great read that I truly had a blast with and can’t recommend enough!


COVER BY: NIKO HENRICHON

WRITER: PAUL CORNELL

PENCILS: HORACIO DOMINGUES
INKS: HORACIO DOMINGUES
COLORED BY: HORACIO DOMINGUES

LETTERER: DAVE LANPHEAR
EDITOR: TOM BREVOORT
Rated A …$2.99

To find a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook

Review: Black Panther #39

The Skrulls think an invasion of Wakanda will be a walk in the park. But King T’Challa, the Black Panther, and the citizens of Wakanda have other plans! It’s non-stop Secret Invasion excitement as the Skrulls bring the fight to Wakanda’s front door! Black Panther #39 features the new creative team of writer Jason Aaron and artist Jefte Palo. Story wise, I thought this issue was a really good read. I loved the back and forth between the Skrull battleship and the Wakandan command center leading up to a final confrontation at the gates of Wakanda. I really appreciated the insight we get into the motivation of the Skrull Commander leading the Wakandan invasion. For me, it really helped make the battle feel more than just another Skrull attack. You knew the Skrull leading this mission was fighting for a purpose and I felt that really added to the story. Really great writing on Jason Aaron’s part. The art from Jefte Palo was kinda hit or miss for me. There were a couple of splash pages that I thought looked really good, especially some of the battle scenes. But than there were other spots that just didn’t really do anything for me. Overall, this was a really good issue and an excellent tie-in to the Secret Invasion event. There were some really well done battle sequences and the story was well written. This book is definitely worth picking up!

COVER: JASON PEARSON
WRITER: JASON AARON
ARTIST: JEFTE PALO
COLORIST: LEE LOUGHRIDGE
LETTERER: VC’S CORY PETIT
EDITOR: AXEL ALONSO
Rated T+ …$2.99

To find a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook

Review: True Believers #1

The heroes of the Marvel Universe better look out! There’s a new team in town, and their not completely into the whole hero scene. In fact, if your a hero in the Marvel U., you better make sure all those dirty little secrets you don’t want the public to know are well guarded or you may end of like… You’ll just have to check out True Believers #1 to find out!

Written by Cary Bates (Flash, Star Brand, Superman) and illustrated by Paul Gulacy (Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu, Six From Sirius, Batman, Catwoman) issue one introduces us to the True Believers, a team of four computer hacking superheroes who use their powers and abilities to run a popular tabloid style blog that covers the slimier side of the Marvel Universe as well as the latest superhero gossip and dirt. The team’s leader, Mavis Trent who goes by the name Payback, also doubles as an adviser for S.H.I.E.L.D. I really, really dug the hell out of this first issue! The story is told from the view point of Mavis, who I found to be a really fun character to read. Bates’ dialog is very believable and has a great flow about it. This is the first time I have read any of Bates’ work, and so far I am thoroughly impressed. The story was very entertaining, and the cliff hanger at the end really leaves you wondering: did this really happen?

The art from Paul Gulacy is absolutely phenomenal! Once again, Gulacy is an artist I am not familiar with, but I thought the stuff he did in this issue was outstanding. Each panel was incredibly detailed and he draws some absolutely stunning women! I am really curious to see where this book goes. Based on the end of this issue, I’m wondering what kind of dirt we will be getting on some of our other favorite heroes? Definitely give this book a try, I can’t recommend it enough!

COVER BY: PAUL GULACY
WRITER: CARY BATES
PENCILS: PAUL GULACY
INKS: PAUL GULACY
COLORS: RAIN BEREDO
LETTERS: ARTMONKEY’S DAVE LANPHEAR
EDITOR: MOLLY LAZER & BILL ROSEMANN
Rated T+ …$2.99

To find a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook

Review: She-Hulk #31

When She-Hulk and bounty hunting partner/Skrull Jazinda land in Detroit tracking down a premonition Jazinda has regarding the highly revered Skrull Talisman, the pair find themselves crossing paths with private mutant investigators X-Factor who believe the duo are after some friends of theirs. But are these “friends” really who they say they are? Get ready as the Secret Invasion infiltrates the She-Hulk’s world in She-Hulk #31!

She-Hulk #31 continues the story that began in X-Factor #33 and ties into the current Secret Invasion event. Since Peter David is writing both books, the story in this issue fits in seamlessly with the one in X-Factor. David does a good job of mixing humor and action and keeping the story moving forward. Having not been a reader of either X-Factor or She-Hulk, I found the story was easy to jump into and I was able to pick up enough information from the characters that I didn’t feel I needed to read all of the She-Hulk back issues to know what was going on. The Secret Invasion parts of the story feel as if they could potentially be a big part of the event, but seem almost a little too big for She-Hulk and X-Factor. Then again, Peter David might just be setting up something that is going to play out in one of the bigger Invasion books. Either way, I’m definitely enjoying the story and I’m looking forward to the next issue of X-Factor to see how this pans out.

I thought the art from the team of penciler Vincenzo Cucca and inker Vincenzo Acunza was pretty solid. I wouldn’t call it spectacular, but I felt it fit the story well. I thought each of the characters were well drawn and that there were some pretty good action scenes. However, at times I felt that some of the panels may have been a little lacking in detail. There was nothing that was just blaring out at me, but there were just a few places here and there I thought the artist could have added a little more detail to the surroundings.

In all, I really had a good time with this book. The story was fun and has me looking forward to what happens next. If your enjoying the Secret Invasion event, and haven’t picked this book up before, definitely give it a shot. I think you will be glad you did!

COVER: MIKE DEODATO & RAIN BEREDO
WRITER: PETER DAVID
PENCILER: VINCENZO CUCCA
INKER: VINCENZO ACUNZA
COLORIST: BARBARA CIARDO
LETTERER: DAVE SHARPE
EDITOR: BILL ROSEMANN
Rated T+ …$2.99

To find a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook