Mech Cadet Yu (2017) #1

Mech Cadet Yu 1

So giant robots come from outer space and befriend kids, who then pilot them in battle against… whatever. Maybe kaiju. Only this time a robot–a Mech–picks a teen janitor instead of an specially trained teen, because of course the U.S. military has gotten involved and corrupted the whole process. They’ve even built their own Mech; I wonder if the evil cadet who bullies teen janitor Yu will be a problem? Excellent art from Takeshi Miyazawa but utterly hohum script from Greg Pak. Mech Cadet Yu is off a rocky start.

Mech Cadet Yu 1 (August 2017)

Mech Cadet Yu #1 So giant robots come from outer space and befriend kids, who then pilot them in battle against… whatever. Maybe kaiju. Only this time a robot–a Mech–picks a teen janitor instead of an specially trained teen, because of course the U.S. military has gotten involved and corrupted the whole process. They’ve even built their own Mech; I wonder if the evil cadet who bullies teen janitor Yu will be a problem? Excellent art from Takeshi Miyazawa but utterly hohum script from Greg Pak. Mech Cadet Yu is off a rocky start.

CREDITS

Writer, Greg Pak; penciller, Takeshi Miyazawa; colorist, Triona Farrell; letterer, Simon Bowland; editors, Cameron Chittock and Eric Harburn; publisher, Boom! Studios.

Big Trouble in Little China/Escape From New York (2016) #2

Big trouble escape 2 crop

There are a couple plot twists and they’re both lame. Worse is Pak’s revelation Big Trouble Jack Burton has the same super powers as the Black Cat. Bayliss is weak on expressions, which doesn’t help Pak’s lame Snake Plissken characterization. Might be time to plan my escape.

Big Trouble in Little China/Escape From New York 2 (November 2016)

Big Trouble in Little China/Escape From New York #2 There are a couple plot twists and they’re both lame. Worse is Pak’s revelation Big Trouble Jack Burton has the same super powers as the Black Cat. Bayliss is weak on expressions, which doesn’t help Pak’s lame Snake Plissken characterization. Might be time to plan my escape.

CREDITS

Snake’s World; writer, Greg Pak; artist, Daniel Bayliss; colorist, Triona Farrell; letterer, Simon Bowland; editors, Alex Galer and Dafna Pleban; publisher, Boom! Studios.

The Incredible Hercules (2008) #141

Incredible hercules 141 2010

No.

Effing.

Way.

They rip off a line from Braveheart? Does Marvel even have an editor reading this book? The second or third most recognizable line from a blockbuster Oscar winner gets past the editor? Seriously? Pak and Van Lente are some lazy writers. Though I guess the very non-Edith Hamilton reveal is a bit of a surprise.

And I guess I wasn’t expecting Amadeus Cho’s “girlfriend” to be such a useless character. I figured Pak and Van Lente might actually pull that one off all right. Big shock, they didn’t.

I think this issue’s the last, which is good, because reading such drivel puts me in a bad mood.

Even the Agents of Atlas story concludes without much dramatic heft. It’s a capital b big deal, but it’s told in layered, third-person summary to give it that heft and it’s all pretty eh, which makes me sad.

The Incredible Hercules (2008) #140

Incredible hercules 140 2010

The full onslaught of chatter between Amadeus Cho and Hercules has to be one of the most astoundingly stupid things I’ve ever read. Still, there’s some moderately okay drama in this issue. The art’s still atrocious though, so it’s hard to muddle through.

The issue’s pacing is really funny, as the characters are racing against time, only to have more than enough time for everything.

And it’s really funny a Marvel comic book ripped off The Dark Knight. You’d think someone would have noticed it.

Lots of bad Greek god flashbacks again this issue. I can’t figure out who this comic book is made for… someone who likes bad writing and bad art?

The Atlas backup has one of the best one liners from Ken I can remember in quite a while and Parker manages to get in a lot of very solid character dialogue in an action-heavy story.

The Incredible Hercules (2008) #139

Incredible hercules 139 2010

Wait, Amadeus Cho is straight? I didn’t want to say they wrote him gay because I thought he might be Marvel’s attempt at a gay mainstream character but if he’s straight… it’s the most incompetent job of someone writing a heterosexual since… well, I don’t know when, maybe… umm… wow. He’s straight, really? And in love with a gorgon?

Anyway, this issue is lame, big shock. Lots of wasted pages with superheroes fighting Greek gods, which is boring as all hell. Edith Hamilton be damned, let’s read some Marvel gods. It’s laughable compared to what Perez did on Wonder Woman, but whatever.

The art’s weak as well. Especially on Amadeus Cho.

The Atlas backup is nice, Parker getting his backup pacing chops going here. There’s some humor, some action. It feels like Atlas. It’s just too bad there’s so little of it, especially given the feature story is such crap.

The Incredible Hercules (2008) #138

Incredible hercules 138 2010

So Hercules isn’t just a moron, he’s got a weird little Asian sidekick who’s super-smart? I mean, what would Wertham have to say about their creepy little relationship? Actually, it’s not creepy. It’s just dumb. But since the Assault on New Olympus prologue killed off so many brain cells, this issue doesn’t seem as bad. It’s a terrible, terrible Marvel superhero comic. But it’s not like Cable or something. It’s not Deadpool.

The Asian sidekick, Amadeus Cho, reads like a sidekick from an eighties television show. Like if “Automan” had a little kid sidekick. Oh, wait, he’s Short Round.

There’s some fighting, some jokes, some Christian propaganda.

The only reason to read it is the Agents of Atlas backup, which is a lot better than last time.

Parker’s got better pacing this time and he’s got the team together (Venus brainwashed was trouble). He pulls the recovery off well.

Assault on New Olympus (2010) #1

Assault1

Marvel dumped the Hulk from his own title to give it to Hercules? Hercules?

He’s an idiot. Reading this special, the Hercules part, is like watching a moron bumble through some superhero adventures; it’s so stupid, it’s sad.

Also sad is the artwork, Rodney Buchemi is a practical–since when did Marvel decide it was all right to run these amateurs on their B-titles. This guy isn’t ready for a Fruit Pie advertisement, much less a lengthy comic book.

His Hercules is just goofy, but his Peter Parker is just awful.

And, as my first unmarried Spidey book in a while… wow, de-aging Peter Parker is a terrible, terrible idea. The character flops.

Unfortunately, the Agents of Atlas backup flops too. It’s too short a story for Parker to really establish anything; instead, it’s just a series of events. It’s not even clear Venus is brainwashed.

Very disappointed.