Hellboy: House of the Living Dead

At first I must say I really like Hellboy as a character, but I haven’t really read any of his comics. So When I read “House of the Living Dead” I walked in with an open mind, and I must say it’s just one long brawl.

In 1956 Hellboy was sent to Mexico. In Mexico he met some wrestlers who fought monsters, and soon Hellboy was wrapped up in the wrestling ring. A day he’s met by a man, who has a proposition for him, and if he declines a girl will be killed. So he accepts, and soon he is in the wrestling ring with a man, who really looks like Frankenstein, and before the end he have killed a skinny Dracula and killed a werewolf. Of course also beaten some spirits by the way.

“Hellboy: House of the Living” isn’t a really rich story, or have a new take on things. It’s really just Hellboy beaten up some monsters.

4 of 10

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

Frank Miller is a well-known and an amazing artist. He has given us Ronin, Sin City and 300, and they were unforgettable. Now the turn it’s his turn to make a Batman comic. Will this be a real Dark Knight adventure, or will it just be a new Robin?

In Gotham city the criminal life live again. The gang called Mutants is controlling Gotham be night, and the Batman haven’t been seen in 10 years. Jim Gordon is about to retire, but the new and younger criminal gangs are not afraid at night, and the murdered victim count begins to rise fast. Then after, what you could call a sign from above, an old Bruce Wayne decides to ones again take the role as the caped crusader. But after a really cool comeback, where Batman must admit his a little older, he is challenged by the Mutants leader, where he gets a big kickback. Even though we quickly see that age, don’t make the Batman less persistent. With a new Robin, which be the way is a girl, he is determined to show the new generation that he is back in business. The whole thing begins to escalates when a new gang group called “The sons of the Batman” appears, and when superman, the Joker and the whole police force is dragged into the whole mess it becomes one of Batman hardest challenges yet, and maybe one of the most remember able adventures yet. Yet the ending is the saddest and best written yet.

“Batman: The Dark Knight Returns” is a really great comic, and Frank Miller does an amazing job. As said it’s really fantastic, but I just kind of think it is missing something. I can’t put my finger on it, but it just does miss something, or maybe I just am not that integrated in Frank Millers way to tell a story. But non or less an incredible tale of the last days of The Dark Knight. This is certainly a tale worthy of the Batman.

9 of 10

Spider-man Noir

If you are a real Spidey fan, you probably know his origin story. Or do you?

In “Spider-man Noir” is the year 1933 and New York is a really slum. The criminal underworld is controlled by Norman Osborn, and his mafia. Peter and his aunt May is living under hard circumstances of the mafia, and the police are totally corrupted, and even the media don’t have any real power. After a beating by the Goblin’s muscles, Peter is taken under the wings of Ben Urich. A reporter from Bugles, and Ben is generous by offer him a chance to get a job at the Bugle. Of course the Bugle is even in 1933, ruled by J. Jonah Jameson. With a deep hatred to the mafia (Peter suspects them of been guilty of the death of his Uncle Ben), Peter tries to pick up dirt on the Mafia. A day it’s goes horrible wrong and Peter is bitten by a spider, and get cursed by a spider god. With his new found power, Peter takes on the role as Spider-man, and tries to free New York from the evil Norman “Goblin” Osborn.

“Spider-man Noir” tries to replicate The Amazing Spider-man’s origin in a new age, and it really works. The most amazing is almost how the authors have extracted the familiar foes, and changed them to criminals of 1933. So don’t expect to see Vulture with flying wings, or a high-tech goblin armor, and don’t set your expectation too high to spideys web-shooters, but try to be ready for the experience of a new darker spider-man, who is out for revenge.

7 of 10

Civil War (Marvel Comics)

There exist a lot of marvel comics events. A whole lot of them. Mostly they are forgettable, and not many have rather new feeling about them. It’s mostly old stories they have rewritten, and you can just skip them, but not in this case. “Civil War” is a diamante in a charcoal mine, and I really appreciate its dark story and sad theme.

The events of “Civil War” are started by some kids with superpowers, who think they can take on the criminal underworld it shelf in a TV-show. You could say it goes horrible wrong when they are guilty of the destruction of a whole school. Fast the media attacks the superheroes, and accuse them of the accident and their right to hide behind a mask. The public begin to demand that the Avengers either become “public cops” without a secret identity, or become lawless superheroes. Each hero stands now over for a choice, if they still want to protect mankind. Iron man, who is already public, then stand in the front for the new registration law, and Captain America founds the Secret Avengers, who is criminals. This causes a civil war between the two sides of superheroes, and begins a bloody conflict, with Spider-man in the middle. Our friendly wall climber is especially very conflicted with his standpoint, and so are some members of the Fantastic Four. Mostly the story is concentrated on Iron man, Cap., Spider-man and the Fantastic Four, but you also follow a sad destiny of a lot of the other heroes.

I love this new idea, even it’s kind of a sad story of a war between heroes, but it doesn’t have to scare you away. If you love the Avengers or any kind of special Marvel event, then this is a really cool comic, even it’s from 2006.

7,5 of 10

Batman - The Long Halloween

When i first heard about “Batman The Long Halloween”, i was a bit skeptic. I had read some good, but mostly unimpressive Batman comics, and I was sure to read one more. I couldn’t be more wrong. Batman The Long Halloween is the best detective comic I have ever read, and now I am sure it’s a “must” read.

The story starts at the wedding of Johnny Viti. He is the nephew of Carmine ”The Roman” Falcone, the untouchable crime lord of Gotham city. The whole upper class of Gotham city is invited and of course Bruce Wayne is one of the humbly invited guests. But rather fast, the wedding is spoiled when Catwoman is about to break in into one of the Falcones safe boxes, and Bruce have to take to role as the caped crusader to interrupt with Catwoman. Of course is the flirt between the characters interrupted by the bat signal, and Batman have to stop the chase of Catwoman, to meet up with Commissioner Gordon and the District attorney Harvey Dent. If you have seen “The Dark Knight” of Christopher Nolan, you get a Déjà vu of the alliance of the three. But we aren’t done yet. Cause the story of “The Long Halloween” isn’t even about to get started. Cause The main plot Is really about the serial killer Holiday, and Batmans disparate attempt to catch him over a whole year or so. Before the book is done we have seen many of Batmans best well known enemies, such as The Joker, Poison Ivy, Solomon Grundy and many more.  And the conclusion is the far most epic I have ever witnessed.

So if you haven’t read “Batman The Long Halloween” or you are just a newcomer, I can’t think of any other well writing Batman story I could recommend more than “The Long Halloween”.

10 of 10