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AICN COMICS REVIEWS MIDDLEMAN! WOLVERINE! JUSTICE LEAGUE! RASL! AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!

Giant-Size Man-Thing by unclemeat	Jun 25th, 2008 07:28:26 AM
That sure is a good name for a comic.
Damn.... by BangoSkank	Jun 25th, 2008 07:29:13 AM
I enjoyed the new Wolverine....
Middleman Time Slot by SpeakerWiggin	Jun 25th, 2008 07:36:52 AM
Starting next week it's moving to 10/9c. New Middletime, same Middlechannel.
still wanna read the Wolvie book. by Gatsbys West Egg Omlet	Jun 25th, 2008 07:54:30 AM
sounds fun.
OLD MAN LOGAN could be a fun time by stones_throw	Jun 25th, 2008 08:04:15 AM
Just not so much in the way Millar intends it. I think it's more of a cheese-fest than an action epic.
Yes I will shoot the messenger! by Series7	Jun 25th, 2008 08:22:05 AM
For fucking getting me sucked into buying comics again! God damn. Fucking I thought it was only Fast Food new sandwich commercials that could get me sucked into going out and buying something I didn't need. Now I'll have to add geeks talking about shit. Fuck i need a raise.
This Mad Max/Wolverine is basically a What If story, right? by rev_skarekroe	Jun 25th, 2008 08:24:20 AM
So maybe I'll like it when the trade comes out. I didn't care for his first stab at Wolverine a few years ago.
OLD MAN LOGAN could concievably work as a dream story by stones_throw	Jun 25th, 2008 08:39:00 AM
Like, if it was Wolverine dreaming about a potential future, like in old DC issues. The take on Wolverine (as loving father to a young family) isn't really believable enough for a What If. But it does seem like something Wolverine might fantasize about. That would also fit in with Millar's "everywhere just happens to be ruled by ex-superheroes/villains, even tho the superheroes are gone" idea. I can't think of a more coherent explanation as to why Doctor Doom would be interested in being a landlord in a Wild West America. Does anyone remember a story before they had fully revealed Woverine's origin where he dreams that he was raised, Mowgli-style, by wolverines?
Old Man Logan - another 'concept' Millar book by Steve Rogers	Jun 25th, 2008 08:44:25 AM
with no heart or soul. YAWN.
Wolverine spoiler.... by BangoSkank	Jun 25th, 2008 08:48:35 AM
I think that Wolverine laying down in front of the train is going to have a lot to do with his personality change... I don't know that it'll go far enough to convince everyone in terms of believability, but I guess time will tell... Same goes with if this'll actually be as monumental a Wolverine story as Millar is selling it as..... But then, I like a lot of Mark Millar's stuff, which is to say, about half of what I read.... I also like Wolverine a lot, but haven't enjoyed much of his solo stuff for years (and years).... So I guess simply the change of pace is enough to perk my interest.
Good to hear from Steve Rogers again! by stones_throw	Jun 25th, 2008 08:48:47 AM
There's too many usurpers to the name floating around the Ain't It Cool News these days.
Yeah... by BangoSkank	Jun 25th, 2008 09:00:07 AM
It seems to be more of "It could happen if" than a "what if?"... In the same vein as Age of Apocalypse was..... And I thought I read somewhere (here?) that it would also tie into 1985.... I could be wrong though....
HEY! So when are we going to see a comic... by Lolthien	Jun 25th, 2008 09:01:03 AM
telling the story of World War Z?? That's a friggin comic I'd buy, and I haven't bought comics in 20 years. Sorry, just your story of Old man Wolverine made me think of that.. not sure why.
Lolthien by RenoNevada2000	Jun 25th, 2008 09:10:28 AM
Max Brooks is writing a graphic novel charting the history of zombie attacks that should be out in the fall. They had an eight page preview that they handed out at Wizard World Philly that was pretty good.
Vixen by RenoNevada2000	Jun 25th, 2008 09:11:39 AM
Vixen's plotline has been going on for so long, you'd think that Chris Claremont was writing it...
Middleman actress in OCCIDENTAL by dastinson	Jun 25th, 2008 09:17:45 AM
The actress in Billy Madison was Bridgette Wilson. The actress playing the succubus in The Middleman was Elaine Hendrix, who works mostly on TV but has made a few movies as well (good and bad).
turkey...v...germany... by blackthought	Jun 25th, 2008 11:06:07 AM
goal! middleman is fun...next week's ep looks fun...i mean it has that man-god of a man in kevin sorbo appearing as a former middleman. so it should be herc approved.
Final Crisis #2 = terrible by messi	Jun 25th, 2008 11:21:28 AM
goddamn man, issue 2 of what should be the greatest event ever and that's what we got. Goddamn what mediocre art. i can't believe they let that shit get released.
Wolvie has always wanted to settle down by krushjudgement	Jun 25th, 2008 11:45:05 AM
Check the X-Men trade "From The Ashes" or Uncanny X-Men 172 and 173.
But that doesn't make Millar any less of a hack by krushjudgement	Jun 25th, 2008 11:45:50 AM

Yea same here.. I still wanna read the wolverine by T 1000 xp professional	Jun 25th, 2008 02:14:04 PM
He's always seemed like the kind of guy that has always tried but missed the target on living a happy life...Maybe he's realized that's all there is to being happy, anyways sounds good and I want to see Millar's take on him...the only thing that scares me is everything happens everytime you expect it, i hope not, w/e my interest is still there. Hope it's good.
messi by rock-me Amodeo	Jun 25th, 2008 02:43:03 PM
ever the soul of restrained reactions...Still, I hope to pick it up Friday. My fear is that it's going to be the emperor's new plot...lots of disjointed stories that seem like the should come together and be related, but may not be. Sigh...no comics for me today.
regarding RASL #2 by theWarning	Jun 25th, 2008 02:44:03 PM
That girl's name isn't Maya
Cute. by Dave Bowman	Jun 25th, 2008 03:10:22 PM
It's cute that Wolverine named his son after his best friend, Scott Summers.
Middleman. by The Heathen	Jun 25th, 2008 03:51:13 PM
I didn't know it was even a comic, but I decided to DVR it and I was pleasantly surprised. I had no idea LOST scribe, Javier Grillo was heading the show either. All in all it was entertaining camp and I dig that. Great write up Prof. Jr! I totally agree about the bleeps, btw. Also,(to Poppa Prof) I'd say you're more right about the tone being with Men In Black meets Buffy with the production values of an expensive Even Stevens but not so much on the Charmed side of things. I think Charmed was goofy unknowingly and Middleman does it on purpose. I'll keep watching. Why not? Nice reviews as always you @$$holes!
Millar's marvel books by ian216a	Jun 25th, 2008 04:08:27 PM
I heard from the local comic-shop guy that all 3 of his current marvel books link together with a big bad. Apparently whoever it was that kicked Doom's ass in FF is the nasty in Old Man Logan & 1985. Admittedly this is just hearsay.
Was Final Crisis#2 really that bad? by Laserhead	Jun 25th, 2008 04:25:13 PM
I'm in Aspen this week and there's no comic store, apparently. Admittedly, the description of the issue on DC's website sounds retarded, but, damn... I was really hoping Morrison was going to do something special. The more I see, though, the more I'm afraid it's another frantic collection of concepts and ideas that aren't shaped into anything resembling a dramatic narrative.
WOLVERINE: by CAPTAIN_ROCKIT	Jun 25th, 2008 04:38:53 PM
I smell a dream sequence.
That's not a misquote by Laserhead	Jun 25th, 2008 04:41:01 PM
He was mocking the comic's writing via sarcasm. If you say you're misquoting, it's not a misquote. I find the actual line pretty funny because, come on, how much money could selling toys generate anyway? It's like saying, "I'm not going to sell our socks, Maureen."
Yes, Jeff, the "misquote" was for purposes of humor... by stones_throw	Jun 25th, 2008 04:50:05 PM
...specifically to bring home the ridiculousness of putting a tough, solitary badass like Wolverine in scenes that are seemingly meant to touchingly evoke everyday family life. Hence the other examples listed. I just find it pretty funny to have Wolverine, always established as the loner, anti-social type, tending to pigs and talking about toys with his wife. But maybe that's just me. But, c'mon, you don't find "Paste Pot Creek" or "Pym Cross" at least a little rib-tickling? A LITTLE? No axe to grind with Millar either. I even positively reviewed his 1985 a week or so back. I was expecting this to be more along the lines of that, a relatively slick high concept, but it was a bit clunky as far as I'm concerned.
Blurb Hyperbole by stones_throw	Jun 25th, 2008 05:02:02 PM
I was thinking more specifically of stuff like Millar's KICK-ASS and Joe Quesada's ONE MORE DAY covers. I don't know why you bring up the Death of Superman. Did that have "THE GREATEST COMIC EVER!! OMG YOU'LL SHIT YOUR PANTS!!!" plastered all over the cover? Nah, cuz the image of Superman dead was powerful enough to sell it. If you asked these guys they'd probably say they were homaging Stan Lee's hucksterism. But braying abstractly about the quality rather than content of the book just comes off as cheap and insecure.
Actually an xbox might... by BangoSkank	Jun 25th, 2008 05:35:27 PM
fetch quite a bit.... This is a future where it's made clear that $500 is a lot of money and could pay off the Hulk gang for months. Just sayin'.......
Jeff, it's quite clear you're a literalist. by SleazyG.	Jun 25th, 2008 06:22:46 PM
It's also quite clear stones_throw was not being entirely literal, just as the "HOLY CRAP BEST BOOK EVAR!11!!" blurb was clearly not literal, and just as that was not literally the blurb. I can see you obviously would prefer it if our reviews stuck to a very dry, literal, straightforward approach. That, however, will never ever happen, at least not across the board with every single review. Try and be a bit more flexible, man. If people being snarky or crackin' wise is not just an annoyance, but is actually something you're incapable of comprehending or react negatively to, you're gonna keep having problems with our reviews.
Good TL@ Reviews R About Comics, Not... by Buzz Maverik	Jun 25th, 2008 09:15:14 PM
...the comic. As Quixote used to tell 'em, "You want us to tell you what the comic you read was about and what you thought of it."
KICK-ASS' cover blurbs actually live up to them by TallBoy66	Jun 25th, 2008 09:52:41 PM
Because Kick-Ass is the best goddamn book Marvel is putting out this year, period. Unless another issue of Nextwave magically appears.
Laserhead by messi	Jun 26th, 2008 12:23:13 AM
it isn't the narrative that's bad, it's the art. there's nothing special about it. for an event this big it is supposed to be the highest quality. say what you want about civil war, the art was great and consistent, this art looked like it was drawn by anyone on dc's lower end books. it should be somethiong special with a certain style. but seriously if this is all he has done with so much time i have no idea why DC hired him. JH Williams should have done it.
Final Crisis #2 by DuncanHines	Jun 26th, 2008 02:37:15 AM
Jesus Christ! If Morrison is on a slow burn and a build, I can not wait to see issues 3 and 4, because this issue shattered my brain. Having just read the Fourth World Omnibus Editions, FC2 further blew me away. Hail King Grant!!!
Why all the love for KICK-ASS by optimous_douche	Jun 26th, 2008 06:43:11 AM
I was woefully disappointed with the first issue. Did it get better? Are the lovers of the book looking at all issues?
Laserhead by optimous_douche	Jun 26th, 2008 06:44:17 AM
I agree about the art in FC. Not sure what happened since the first issue had AMAZING visuals.
Does anyone know by Series7	Jun 26th, 2008 09:24:23 AM
The who deal with the Millar/Harry Knowles bet? Also, since I am just getting back into comics, I am eating Millars shit up, and Kick Ass is probably his weakest stuff. I think my problem with it, is that it takes like 5 seconds to read one issue. They are short as hell. And kind of like Wanted, the story seems rushed. Wanted was a lot better though. Haven't got around to 1985 yet.
the "WHOLE"* deal by Series7	Jun 26th, 2008 09:24:52 AM

I am here to hate, I guess. by Homer Sexual	Jun 26th, 2008 10:36:49 AM
Last week was really weak. I was disappointed in several comics I usually enjoy. First, One Man Logan was indeed dreadful. It was pretty much a "Showgirls" level, so-bad-it's-kind-of-good, book. The map pretty much sums it up, and if you don't think it's ridiculous, then I guess we have to agree to disagree. That's the case for this whole comic. Fables was equally disapppointing this month, not badly done, just like some sort of textbook and very dull. Could barely finish reading it, and this after an outstanding Cinderella espionage tale. Dreamwar, also very dull. So yawniferous. Only good book last month was Incredible Herc, and it wasn't even quite as good as usual. Just to add on...Final Crisis 2 had good enough art, but I did not find it involving or entertaining. Doesn't seem event-like at all. The Skrull Invasion event is going much better, and I liked both New and Mighty Avengers this week. Looks like the whole "Stark is a skrull but doesn't know it" will turn out to be some sort of red herring, but the story's still good and this week's backstory on how a couple characters were replaced was actually quite interesting.
Old Man Logan Map by Jonas Grumpy	Jun 26th, 2008 06:28:55 PM
That map of the U.S. in the latest WOLVERINE: I want to know what happened that caused San Francisco to move so far inland.
Also, that Map doesn't rip off No Man's Land by krushjudgement	Jun 26th, 2008 11:57:50 PM
I've seen maps like that in science fiction from the last 70 years.
Kickass... by loodabagel	Jun 27th, 2008 01:45:33 AM
I think if somebody didn't enjoy the first issue, they'd get absolutely no enjoyment out of the subsequent issues. Not to say that the story failed to progress or declined in quality, but the appeal of Kick-Ass comes from the absurd violence and over the top hatred and nihilism that's spewing from inside it's pages. It's one of the few books you really can judge by it's cover, which is kind of cool.
Thanks Lood by optimous_douche	Jun 27th, 2008 08:19:41 AM
Lood That's a more than fair response. Watching some kid with no training or powers go out on the street and just get his ass kicked is not my cup of tea. I was also put off by the egrigious self-promotion. Best Super Hero Comic Ever...that sets up for something pretty spectacular, which I just couldn't agree with. That's why I respect INVINCIBLE. By sayiing "probably" before the same tag line lets you know you are in for some self-depricating fun. And on that it delivers.
Sorry Jeff Must Have Been on Shrooms by optimous_douche	Jun 27th, 2008 08:21:34 AM
I guess you're right nothing was said about the art. Jones blew me away on the first issue though and the second...well it just felt normal and in some cases below par.
Kick Ass' blurbs are part of the joke. by TallBoy66	Jun 27th, 2008 09:54:27 PM
Joke being this is a regular kid trying to be a superhero, but it all turns to shit because actually being a superhero wouldn't work at all. And the cover blurbs are a self-referential joke about cover blurbs and self-promotion, really. Because it says "The greatest superhero book of all time." and you open it up and the main character gets his ass whiped in 3 pages. That's the gag - doing something superheroic in reality would be insane. the book had one of the best 2page sequences I've seen all year, which sums up the tone perfectly, in issue 3 when the hero goes: "Alright time to jump some rooftops....Jesus, these things are high up..." stands there for a moment looking at the steep drop, then runs for the exit "Fuck this, I'm walking..." THAT pretty much sums up the book. It loves the superhero conventions, but it shows how supremely stupid it would be if someone actually tried it. And not in a "still have superpowers" Watchmen kind of way, but in a really real way. Really. And it's funny and bloody as hell. Not every superhero book has to be shiny and sweet, but this isn't as exhaustingly grim-and-gritty as, say, your average Wolverine comic because, deep down, Kick Ass knows and really loves the conventions of the superhero genre, it just skewers them alot.
TallBoy! by DuncanHines	Jun 28th, 2008 03:41:59 AM
Good call on Kick Ass. I was on a roof top earlier tonight (city living, and all that...). Fuck jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Them bastards are high as shit and far as hell apart. Kick Ass has done just that. Good book. Fun read. That's all I want from my contemporary comics anyway. Fun, entertaining reads. If you can't give me that, you can't have my money. And that's all...
I fucking hate Millar by DannyOcean01	Jul 7th, 2008 11:30:23 AM
Every single one of his 'creations' is high concept. So high concept you're too stunned to realise exactly how mediocre the dialogue and plotting is until the final episode. And then bang, he's gone, off to fuck up something else. I wouldn't mind so much if he wasn't such an incorrigible blowhard and only out to make as much money as possible through adaptations of his dreck.

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AICN COMICS REVIEWS MIDDLEMAN! WOLVERINE! JUSTICE LEAGUE! RASL! AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!

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