Take It Or Leave It – May 22, 2013

Justice League #20

This issue, and last have been an interesting prelude for the upcoming Trinity War event. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing though. The battle of the issue on the Watchtower with the new league members didn’t feel all that important to the issue. Really the only important thing that happens is we know that Batman, like always, has plans to take down each of the league members should he need to. Except Wonder Woman, because she’s apparently without a weakness. . . So that’s cool. I do like the relationship between Batman and Superman and it makes me want to read the upcoming Batman/Superman book coming out. It was cool that even Bruce knows he’s a liability and could snap, and that he trusts Superman enough to give him his ‘Kryptonite’ just in case was a nice touch. I suppose as a lead up to a big event this was about as good as you could hope for in today’s market. And at least there was some nice character stuff going on. I don’t however know if the big reveal at the end was suppose to be surprising or not, I sort of saw it coming. But for all I know if you read the other Justice League titles maybe it was already common knowledge.

Verdict: Take It

Score: 7/10

Reviewed By: Chris

Teen Titans #20

I’ve enjoyed Teen Titans for the most part, but lately it’s been getting a bit odd. I’m cool with the whole demon thing going on, but whatever is going on with Red Robin is getting old, especially since we know nothing! I know comic book covers shouldn’t always be taken at face value, but the last several have been playing up all this Red Robin stuff, and nothing ends up happening in the book. This issue particular I thought maybe something would happen, but ultimately we just got a lot of boring back story for Trigon and Raven. The ending at least left hope that next issue there may be some decent action, but I’ll be waiting to see that for myself.

Verdict: Leave It

Score: 5/10

Reviewed By: Chris

Scarlet Spider #17

I really like Scarlet Spider, with a few exceptions it’s been a stellar book. And from what I’ve been seeing it’s just going to keep getting better with issue 17 as a kind of spring board for all kinds of problems. Kaine and Aracely having to infiltrate the Jean Grey School was pretty cool, and the fights were all a lot of fun. We’ve seen Spidey interact with the X-Men for years, but we’ve never seen someone with all his power and none of his history straight up fight them. I’ve also found myself becoming more and more a fan of Aracely, she’s a mystery but the things she does and says are usually pretty funny and awesome. Her powers are getting more interesting with each issue too, I hope we can find out more via the psychics of the X-Men. Well assuming they don’t all part on super bad terms.

Verdict: Take It

Score: 8/10

Reviewed By: Chris

Superior Spider-Man #10

Oh Superior Spider-Man, you have so much going for you, but it’s just not the same. Don’t get me wrong, I’m loving the story, but right now we’re living in a world where neither of the main Marvel Universes (616 and Ultimate) have a Peter Parker. Sure Miles is finally starting to warm up, and I’ve been enjoying watching Doc Ock evolve into what he deems a Superior Spider-Man, but I’m not sold yet, and I keep expecting them to put everything right. I even held out hope with the end of last issue that maybe the ‘Good’ side one, but issue 10 stomped those hopes out. Sure there’s still some possible solutions, but they become more and more far fetched as time goes on. I’m alright with Otto being around for the time being, like I said it’s enjoyable, but how long will it be fun to see this guy, who talks like an old school villain play the hero? I will say this issue had one of the coolest reveals I’ve seen in a while, and at this point I’m going to break away and start a new paragraph for the sake of spoilers, you’ve been warned.

**SPOILERS**
So The Green Goblin is back! We don’t know yet if it’s Osborn, but he’s back and it’s been far to long. Everything points to it being Norman, but at the same time it does feel a little small scale considering how he went out in Avengers. Slott has been planting seeds for the Goblin army for years now, with characters occasionally sporting Goblin tattoo’s and even more of them are on patrol in this issue. Green Goblin is definitely building and army and it’s going to be great to see him back in action. The big thing though he doesn’t have the same effect on Spidey anymore. That emotional reaction Peter would have had to Norman being back will be lost with the new Spider. Ock will probably thing it’s stupid and say something very curmudgeony. It should all still lead to a great story, and I feel like the Goblin, if it’s Norman should be the first one to out right claim something is wrong with the Spider. Much like Batman villains Two Face and Joker called out Dick Grayson when he wore the Cowl before the New 52 Reboot.

Verdict: Take It

Score: 8/10

Reviewed By: Chris

Uncanny X-Men #6

Uncanny X-Men 6 picks up right where 5 left off. Cyclops and his team are trapped in Limbo, having been pulled there against there will by some demons. It’s probably one of the less interesting issues of the book so far, but it had some decent moments too. I liked what Emma had the Cuckoo’s do, while it wasn’t the ‘good’ thing to do it was the ‘right’ thing. A lot of the build up with Hill outside of Limbo was fairly interesting too. But that leads me to the big complaints, and this goes for both X-Men books that Bendis is righting. It seems like he’s leaving each issue with a big reveal moment just to do it. I don’t want to get into what this one was, but it wasn’t even that great. Well unless you happen to be a hardcore fan of the character that I guess you’ll be excited. I kinda wish we could just get on with you know mutants trying to survive and saving the world again, or whatever it is these two drastically different teams are going to be doing. I feel like we get enough of the political stuff over in Ultimate X-Men I’d like just good old fashion super hero stuff in these books.

Verdict: Leave It

Score: 6/10

Reviewed By: Chris