Guest Review - Kick-Ass #6 and All Hail Megatron #10 by Shawn

Today we have two new reviews by guest reviewer Shawn. Beware of the language in the Kick-Ass review. Although if you're at all familiar with Kick-Ass, where one of the main characters is a pre-teen girl who could make bikers cry, you won't mind at all. I mean seriously, it has Ass in the title of the book. A Simpson's quote comes to mind...We'll live like kings, damn hell ass kings! Anyway, click below to get into the mind of Shawn :

Kick-Ass #6
Story by Mark Millar
Art by John Romita, Jr.

Did you ever want to be a superhero? If your answer is a resounding “FUCK, YEAH!”, then listen up. Issue after issue Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr. deliver one brutal kick to the nuts after another and all I can say is, thank you sirs, fucking do it again!

Dave Lizewski was a comic book fan like the rest of us… Then he decided to become a real superhero and the world went sideways. He meets a ten year old girl whose father trained her to be an assassin that would seriously unsettle the Punisher. As Dave learns the ups and downs of his new lifestyle choice, he also comes across another hero about the same age as himself named Red Mist, who seems to be into it more for style and getting laid. Fuck Spider-Man, this is Marvel’s teen hero!

The cover of this issue says it all, “The Secret Origin of Big Daddy And Hit-Girl!” What kind of fucked up person shoots his own kid? I’ll tell ya, the kind that wants her to not be afraid when some dumb cunt pulls a gun bigger than her. If that doesn’t warrant father of the year, then I’m living in the wrong goddamn universe.

The best part in this issue for me is when Big Daddy and Hit-Girl come to recruit Dave for their team. Dave acts like a pussy, saying he’s not going to kill anyone because he’s a superhero and Hit-Girl responds, “Oh, kiss my ass. What is this? The Silver Age?” That, my friends, is the proverbial shit!

The issue concludes with a team meeting gone completely awry, which looks like it’s going to come full circle to the first issue where we first see Dave being tortured. Now, if the issues would come out on fucking time. Each one seems to be later than the last. They’re always worth it, but damn if it’s not fucking irritating. Kick-Ass is what it is, kick ass and I count it among my top five books on the rack. If you ever wanted to be a superhero, this is your book…just ask mommy and daddy first.

All Hail Megatron #10
Story by Shane McCarthy
Art by Guido Guidi

As a child of the eighties, the Transformers have been almost as important to me as Star Wars in the way that they impacted my impressionable young mind. I bought the action figures, watched the numerous cartoons and read the plethora of comics that came out over the years but, there is something about All Hail Megatron that stands out above the rest.

Every character has a distinct personality, making each and every one of them memorable. My personal favorite is Perceptor, who several issues back we come to find is not a glorified microscope but a lethal sniper. It sent a giddy chill up my spine.

The story itself has multiple layers of complexity, although in this issue there isn’t much with the human side of the conflict. With the story going into it’s final act, the action focuses on the Autobots still stranded on Cybertron and being besieged by more Deceptions than you can shake an all-spark at, while at the same time keeping our attention on Megatron and the treachery that goes with.

Last issue’s art was a little lackluster due to having a fill in artist, but Guido Guidi is back and thank goodness for this, or my favorite parts may have lost their edge. Without spoiling too much, there is the return of Omega Supreme which had my jaw on the floor, and there is the sheer awesomeness of seeing Megatron fending off the traitorous Devastator!

With only two issue left to go, the anticipation is mounting and as much as I love the current Michael Bay movie, there is a small part of me that wishes All Hail Megatron was hitting the big screen.

ALL HAIL TRANSFORMERS!!

-Shawn

Guest Review #2 - Green Lantern #39 by Shawn

Green Lantern has long been a favorite character of mine, right behind Flash, so it goes without saying that I love this book! Issue 39 starts the Agent Orange story line, the next chapter in the War of Light, written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Philip Tan. Click below for the review (spoilers ahead):

Green Lantern #39
Story by Geoff Johns
Art by Philip Tan

First things first, it should be known that I’m a Geoff Johns “whore”, so I’m a little biased. The man is a master storyteller and Philip Tan’s art is fantastic, right up there with Van Sciver and Reis; he fits right in.

Back to the task at hand, this issue is awesome! I’ve been waiting for this ever since they revealed what the Orange Lantern was going to be… Greed. I just kept picturing Golem in space with a power ring. It’s close, only Agent Orange’s name is revealed to be Larfleeze and even though he is whiney like Golem, he’s a hundred times more badass.

The awesomeness begins when The Controllers arrive on the planet Okaara in the Vega System looking for the source of the orange light. Having interrupted his feast, Larfleeze unleashes his Corps, who rip the controllers apart quite ferociously. All the while we only get glimpses of our badboy in question, which leads me to believe that the Orange Corps are constructs created by Larfleeze. We get more insight into the Blue Lanterns and their relationship with Hal that, although interesting, has a few awkward outbursts from Hal.

The story then goes back to the Vega System where another Green Lantern, Stel, is chasing a member of the Sinestro Corps. Philip Tan’s design for Stel is so awesome that it deserves to be an action figure! Anyway, the Vega System is off limits to the GL’s due to some past treaty between the Guardians and Larfleeze which has yet to be addressed, but that doesn’t stop Stel. You know bad things are going to happen, right? You better, it’s pretty obvious.

The issue ends in what can only be called the “Oh, shit!” moment, when the Guardian we’ve come to know as Scar drops another new law that puts the Vega System back in the GL Corp’s jurisdiction and that the Guardians need to become physically active in the War of Light, damn!

Month after month, Green Lantern continues to be the best book on the stands and I’m a hardcore Flash fan! Blackest Night is coming… so what the hell are you doing? Go buy this book!

Guest Review #1 : Joker (OGN) Review by Shawn

Below we have our first in a regular series of reviews written by guests of the Clever Name Blog. The series starts here with a writeup of Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo's Joker Graphic Novel, reviewed by Shawn Robinson. Spoilers ahead! :

Joker (OGN)
Story by Brian Azzarello
Art by Lee Bermejo

The other day, I was looking through my bookcases and found JOKER by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo. It had been sitting there unread for too long…not any more. Was it worth it? For me, yes.

Brian Azzarello has an uncanny ability to bring concepts and ideas down to a street level but in this case he brings the Joker right down into the gutter, and that’s a good thing. The Joker isn’t the "Clown Prince of Crime" with gag weapons and silly jokes, he’s an unpredictable psycopath with a really big smile.

Throughout his journey to reclaim Gotham as his own the Joker encounters plenty of noteworthy characters all brought to life with screaming realism. My personal favorite is Harley Quinn. She’s Jokers little fuckpuppet, just as certifiable and completely devoted, and she doesn’t speak a word through the whole book.

The story itself is told through the eyes of an underling named Jonny, who clearly doesn’t have a clue what he’s gotten himself into. It’s like an urban Greek tragedy played out in the world of super heroes. Yes, there are allusions to the film The Dark Knight, but that’s all they are, allusions. This is the Joker story that Azzarello wants to tell, so there are no ties to any kind of continuity. My only complaint was that the dialog gets a little muddy in places, but I suspect it is intentional, being that these are characters living in urban decay.

The question I had to ask myself was, would I read it again? Absolutely! It’s a fast read with interesting takes on well known characters and some genuine memorable moments. It’s not for everyone but it was just what I needed.

-Shawn