REVIEW: ‘Daredevil’ #6

(Marvel Comics, 2014)

Written by Mark Waid
Pencils/Color by Javier Rodriguez
Inks by Alvaro Lopez

Mark Waid’s run on Daredevil has reached near legendary proportions; it is mentioned along with such names as Miller, Bendis and Brubaker. He has redefined the character for a new generation of readers; in fact hordes of new comers to Daredevil have been introduced to the Man Without Fear through Waid’s dynamic writing Continue reading

REVIEW: ‘Original Sin’ #0

(Marvel Comics, 2014)

Written by Mark Waid
Pencils by Jim Cheung & Paco Medina
Inks by Mark Morales w/ Guillermo Ortego, Dave Meikis,
Juan Vlasco & Jim Cheung
Color Artwork by Justin Ponsor

Uatu, aka The Watcher, has been used by many writers in many and varied ways, usually as a plot device to add gravity to an event in the Marvel Universe. The tone set by the appearance of The Watcher greatly depends on the writer; for instance, Matt Fraction employed a rather large dose of Continue reading

REVIEW: ‘Daredevil’ #1

(Marvel Comics, 2014)

Storytellers: Mark Waid & Chris Samnee
Coloring: Javier Rodriguez
Lettering: VC’s Joe Caramagna

New York City was more than just a location in the previous runs of Daredevil; the city itself was a supporting character in many ways. It provided a lush, complex environment that often insinuated its way into the narrative much as it does in the Spider-Man mythology. Continue reading

REVIEW: ‘Daredevil’ #36

(Marvel Comics, 2014)

Written by Mark Waid
Artwork by Chris Samnee
Color Artwork by Javier Rodriguez
Lettering by Joe Caramagna

With one flawless issue Mark Waid has written both a perfect, poignant ending and perfect, promising beginning in the on-going Daredevil story. This issue represents closure in many areas of Matt Murdock’s life while equally illustrating the boundless potential and limitless opportunities that await Continue reading

REVIEW: ‘Sidekick’ #5

(Image Comics/Joe’s Comics, 2014)

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Artwork by Tom Mandrake
Color Atwork by Hi-Fi
Lettering by Troy Peteri

The deconstruction of a super hero is not a new concept; it has been done to great acclaim by the likes of Alan Moore, Mark Waid and Grant Morrison to name a few of the stand-outs. Now, with his engrossing and intriguing series Sidekick hitting its stride, it seems we can add J. Michael Straczynski’s name to that list. Continue reading

REVIEW: ‘Red Lanterns’ #27

(DC Comics, 2014)

Written by Charles Soule
Artwork by Alessandro Vitti, Jim Calafiore
Color Artwork by Gabe Eltaeb
Lettering by Dave Sharpe

Charles Soule is without a doubt the hardest working man in comics. He is certainly prolific but more impressive than the sheer volume of his creative output is the quality of the work he produces. Soule is impossible to classify as any one type of writer because his work Continue reading

REVIEW: ‘Miracleman’ #1

(Marvel Comics, 2014)

Review by Shawn Warner

Written by: Mick Anglo, Mike Conroy, (“The Original Writer”)
Artwork by Mick Anglo, Don Lawrence, Gary Leach
Color Artwork by Steve Oliff
Lettering by Chris Eliopoulos

Art Restoration by Michael Kelleher & Kellustration w/ Garry Leach
‘Marvelman Classic’ Art Restoration by Digikore

I have been waiting for the conclusion of this story since the last issue appeared on the racks a long time ago in a comic book shop not so far away. However collapsed publishers and consequential legal entanglements Continue reading

Bag and Bored’s ‘Best of 2013’: CORY THRALL

BEST OF 2013
with Cory Thrall

When I started this crazy thing called Bag & Bored I was looking for something to kill some time and have some fun with.  Nothing big, no readership - just silly meanderings on whatever comics I had read that week.  Consider my surprise that here we are over a year later and with quite a cast of reviewers and writers on our team.  One of the major pay-offs with this site has been Continue reading

REVIEW: “Superior Spider-Man” #20

(Marvel Comics, 2013)

Review by Shawn Warner

Written by: Dan Slott
Artwork by: Giuseppe Camuncoli, John Dell
Color Artwork by: Antonio Fabela

This issue was the most hyped Spider-Man comic since Amazing #700. With most of that hype coming from Dan Slott himself I was eager to read this issue to say the least besides I love this book so much anyway. After reading issue #20 I have to say Continue reading

REVIEW: “Daredevil” #32

(Marvel Comics, 2013)

Review by Shawn Warner

Written by: Mark Waid
Artwork by: Chris Samnee
Color Artwork by: Javier Rodriguez

Mark Waid and Chris Samnee do the monster mash in this issue of Daredevil which is a major Halloween treat however the nasty trick may be that this series is ending with issue #36. That’s right the buzz is that in just four short issues Marvel will be pulling the plug on one of its most consistently well written and engaging comic books being produced today. Continue reading

REVIEW: “Daredevil” #30

(Marvel Comics, 2013)

Review by John Monaghan

WRITTEN BY:  Mark Waid
ARTWORK BY:  Chris Samnee
COLOR ARTWORK BY:  Javier Rodriguez
LETTERING BY:  VC’s Joe Caramanga

Firstly, a little context:  I’ve never liked Daredevil. It’s probably not something I can really justify. A mixture of bad timing and my personal tastes while growing up dictated that any time I dipped into Daredevil I was left cold. Continue reading

REVIEW: “Green Hornet” #1

(Dynamite Entertainment, 2013)

Review by Jared Butler

WRITER:  Mark Waid
ARTWORK:  Daniel Indro
COLOR ARTWORK:  Marcio Menyz

Green Hornet #1 takes us back in time to 1940s Chicago, a city overrun with organized crime lords and corrupted officials that is about to get the hero it so desperately needs. Inspired by his Great-Uncle (a masked hero of the wild west) and funded by a substantial inheritance, Britt Reid has taken on the quest to clean up the Windy City. Continue reading

REVIEW: “Indestructible Hulk” #4

(MARVEL NOW!, 2013)   -   Reviewed by Feral Fang

IndestructableHulk-no4I had been hearing a few hints and whispers about this title from all sorts of people and places, so I finally sat down with the first issue not too long ago and gave it a read.  I was very surprised at this title, and how fun it can be.  It isn’t “literature”, of course - I mean, it *is* the Hulk - but this title holds perfect ground between mindless SMASH and some pretty emotional drama.  Now we’re up to issue #4 which, while it may not be the best one so far, still holds testament to the idea that makes this title the oddly workable premise it is.  If you are new to this book, let me give you a quick run through: Bruce Banner has fully given in to the fact that he will never be rid of the Hulk, as everything that could possibly be tried to ‘cure’ him has been tried, and he sees no other options available of any kind.  Using a surprise meeting with S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Maria Hill (in a diner, of all places), he runs an idea by her - if S.H.I.E.L.D. supplies Banner with all of the tech, Lab space, and workers he needs to fully realize his potential as a scientist, he will allow them to use the Hulk as a form of ‘weapon’ - just drop him in, point him in the right direction, and hope he destroys what you sent him to destroy.  Banner sees this as a way to repay the world for all of the bad that Hulk has done over the years (as he says in this issue: “Hulk Breaks, Banner Builds”), while Maria Hill sees an interesting opportunity for S.H.I.E.L.D.  The arrangement is made, and Banner begins to assemble his work, Lab, and assistants, while he is sent as the Hulk to handle missions not suited or safe enough for any normal agent.  Oh, and eventually S.H.I.E.L.D. gives Bruce/Hulk a R.O.B. (Recording Observation Bot) to watch over him.  There really hasn’t been enough of this ‘character’ to know here nor there on my opinion of it.

A.I.M. had reactivated the Quintronic Man - a “walking weapon of mass destruction” that Hulk has had quite the problem with in the past - and Hulk took him down, no problem.  Now, Banner has the equally scary experience of meeting his new Lab Assistants, who may or may not be hiding interesting secrets and agendas.  Giving them the “Banner is about to Hulk-out, what do I do???” test (which they all pass without flinching), Banner makes the creepy statement that the Hulk “does happen” and, if he does “you can get to safety…if you run.”  To me that is what the whole book has been about - that fine line between Bruce and his other self, and the constant danger that, regardless of any helpful tech or other ways to curb his aggression, Banner can still become the Hulk at basically any time.  Even in the safest of situations, he is a constant wild card.  At this point in Banner’s life, it seems to have driven him to be a bit demented, maybe even darker.  His humor is more jaded, his attitude more direct, and his want to create rather than destroy almost seems fueled by nothing but a deep guilt and regret at what his life has become.  Now he wants that spot back, the Banner that he was before the accident.  His seeing the Hulk as a bargaining chip with S.H.I.E.L.D. tells a lot about how he views himself, especially in that form.  Expendable, unreliable, deadly and destructive.  He may act as if he has found a sort of peace with his ‘problem’, but to me he reads as if he’s really just attempting to separate himself from the beast, allowing it to run free under S.H.I.E.L.D.’s loose control without Banner being fully responsible for his actions.

After Banner runs his new team through the Hulk Test, he meets with Director Hill to discuss an undersea city known as Lemuria, a place previously known as more of a rumor than a reality.  Atlantean Warlord Attuma is attempting to seize control of the entire Pacific Ocean with the help of not only his impressive army and weaponry, but also giant sea monsters - ones that have been proven to originate from the legendary city.  Hulk, in a specialized (and very Sci-Fi looking) suit, is sent off to deal with this attack, and a cliffhanger ending wraps it up nicely, with Attuma sending Hulk to his ‘death’.  Which, of course, will *most likely* not be the case, but it’s still a fun cliffhanger to a great issue from one of new favorite titles.

WRITING:  7 / 10

ARTWORK:  7.5 / 10

COLOR ARTWORK: 8 / 10

OVERALL EXPERIENCE: 7 / 10

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