Welcome back to another edition of comic book reviews round-up! This week we’ll be covering Amazing Spider-Man #7, Birds of Prey #23, Captain America #1, Power Rangers Prime #8, Ultimate Wolverine #7, and X-Men: Hellfire Vigil. Find out how these comic books turned out with the latest comic book reviews round-up below.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #7
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Joe Kelly
Artist: John Romita Jr.
Inker: Scott Hanna
Colorist: Marcio Menyz and Erick Arciniega
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
One of the striking things about this story with Spider-Man and Black Cat taking on Hellgate is the sense of confidence in the creative. Amazing Spider-Man #7 isn’t at all perfect but there is a vibe that Joe Kelly and John Romita Jr. have a direction in mind for Peter Parker’s world they are confident in. That is even with the idea of Spider-Man and Black Cat taking on a supernatural threat like Hellgate not necessarily being what you think you’ll read when picking up Amazing Spider-Man. To Kelly and Romita’s credit, they place a focus on the action and mystery behind driving the story. This allows a general intrigue for what exactly this storyline will mean for both Spider-Man and Black Cat’s future direction.
Overall Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
BIRDS OF PREY #23
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Sami Basri
Inker: Vicente Cifuentes
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Birds of Prey #23 really highlights how there is a disconnect with this version of the team. They aren’t as a well-oiled machine as cracks have been shown with the team dynamic of this Birds of Prey roster, particularly with Black Canary and Oracle. The first third of this issue drives that home with how Black Canary and Batgirl spend that time wondering if Oracle is dead. The rest of this issue is dedicated to setting up the big finale of this latest story arc. While the Thompson’s dialogue is strong in this aspect of the issue there is a feeling this was a filler issue. There was just a lack of urgency to things that led to the final page lacking the powerful punch it was aiming to have.
Overall Rating: 5.5 Night Girls out of 10
CAPTAIN AMERICA #1
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Valerio Schiti
Colorist: Frank Martin
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
With One World Under Doom dominating the present of the Marvel Universe it is a smart call for Chip Zdarsky and Valerio Schiti to focus on the past with the start of their Captain America run. The decision to focus on the early days of Steve Rodgers after the Avengers found him on ice creates a sense of freedom that they wouldn’t have had otherwise right now. Sure we have seen Steve’s past explored before but Zdarsky and Schiti make sure they present their story in a way that does feel like this is an untold Captain America story. In the process they are able to establish their voice for Steve Rodgers that will help inform the series when we get back to the present day of the Marvel Universe. It all makes Captain America #1 a very good debut for Zdarsky and Schiti’s creative run on this series.
Overall Rating: 7.5 Night Girls out of 10
POWER RANGERS PRIME #8
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Melissa Flores
Artist: Michael Yg
Colorist: Fabi Marques
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Power Rangers Prime #8 is the chapter that this series has needed for several months. While the series has overall been enjoyable, there’s been this feeling that things have slowed down after starting so strong. And it is not just that we got cool Power Rangers Prime vs VR Troopers action that made this issue great. Though that certainly helps. It is the fact that we have a strong mix of development across the board for all the characters in this series that makes Power Rangers #8 stand out. Having that balance helps made the action that much stronger. Which in turn makes the surprise at the end of this issue hit even harder visually and narratively.
Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10
ULTIMATE WOLVERINE #7
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Chris Condon
Artist: Alessandro Cappuccio
Colorist: Bryan Valenza
Letterer: Cory Petit
Ultimate Wolverine #7 slows things down to give time for Logan to process the mind-altering experience he just had. This slowdown was honestly needed as we have seen Logan’s mind intensely played with from all sides. Taking the time to show Logan, interacting with Kitty Pryde and the rest of The Opposition was needed for everyone. Logan has been truly impacted by his experience as The Maker’s Council’s Winter Soldier. Understanding that makes The Oppositions discussions so intriguing to see play out. On the other side of things, we once again see the brutality of the Rasputin Family showcased, further driving home their villainy. It all comes together to keep your interest high in how this series will continue to play an important part in shaping the greater Ultimate Universe.
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
X-MEN: HELLFIRE VIGIL #1
CREATIVE TEAM
Writers: Murewa Ayodele, Eve Ewing, Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Jason Loo, Jed Mackay, Alex Paknadel, Stephanie Phillips, Gail Simone, and Geoffrey Thorne
Artists: Netho Diaz, Sean Parsons, Javier Garron, Federica Mancin, Roi Mercado, Sara Pichelli, Declan Shalvey, Marcus To, and Luciano Vecchio
Colorists: Fer Sifuentes-Sujo
Letterer: Travis Lanham
X-Men: Hellfire Vigil is a disappointing wasted opportunity by the X-Office. This comic book simply has way too many creative teams involved that the narrative is a mess. Editorial put each creative team in a box of only having a handful of pages to tell their segment before another team took over. All of the clashing art style further damper the experience that highlights how there was no momentum carried over to each segment. It is an unfortunate result for a comic book that had the potential to reach the heights of the Hellfire Gala at its best.
Overall Rating: 3.5 Night Girls out of 10
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