The Activity #1- The story and art were decent, but I felt like I was watching a pilot for a new USA suspense-thriller.  It felt like it was a pitch for a network to adapt it into a tv series, and while that maybe wasn’t their goal it still bugged me a bit.  Maybe I’ve been spoiled by such shows like the Wire, The Unit, or any of the other eleventy gajillion crime/espionage/drama/suspense shows out there, but this story just felt like it was showing up late for the race. B-

 

FF#13- “Because….I am DOOM. Destroyer of worlds……what gods dare stand against me?” And you know the context for that quote? He was saying it to a little girl to console her. While at the same time to grandstand against a alternate dimension Reed Richards. With that small bit of characterization, Hickman has made it clear that he has a handle on these characters and with the concept of epic storytelling. This run has put most of Marvel to shame, and I’m not just saying that because I love Doom. A

 

Dark Horse Presents #7- So let’s break this sucker down like we have to for every issue of DHP to see if it’s worth your money. On the plus side we do have a brand spanking new Mignola drawn Hellboy, although it reads like every other short story Hellboy escapade. That’s not a bad thing per se, but if you’ve read one you’ve essentially read them all and this is a $7.99 book we are talking about.  Next on the plus side, the Skeleton Key story was very cute and the new Skultar The Unconquered by Butler and Wheatley was fun. You also get a quick and solid Usagi Yojimbo, the usual Finder which I always love, and some Brandon Graham for you fans out there. On the flip side you have the usual Neal Adams and Chaykin puke fest that makes you want to rip your eyes out. That may just be my biases though. A decent package for this issue and worth the cover price. Mostly. B+

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aquaman #4- I’m happy that people are enjoying this run and that DC seems to actively be pushing Aquaman into the spotlight. Also, he now has a pet dog and that’s just fine. I also think Ivan Reis is really shining here and hope they keep him on the title. Underwater action sequences are tough to depict, but it seems Reis has his stuff down and had a great dynamic flow throughout the story. Well worth keeping an eye on this title. A