Deamentia
pozzyfreak
Ray Hilario
tonyrak
rsg8101
paladinking
DS Arsenault
joelopez101
SoldierHawk
dfstell
jtmazz
Roman ColomboBy Peter Tomasi and Geoff Johns (writers), Fernando Pasarin (pencils), Scott Kolins (art), Mick Gray (inks), Hi-Fi (colors)
I’ve been reading the Justice Society of America hardcover trades as they’ve been released so I’m not really up to speed with what’s been going on. Those books are just beginning to scratch the surface of the whole Kingdom Come epic, so I had hopes that I wouldn’t be completely lost with Magog’s storyline here.
I was wrong.
Sure, Peter Tomasi’s a good writer, but unlike Geoff Johns he lacks that rare skill of being able to make a comic accessible for a new reader — regardless of where the story may stand. From page one, I was lost and I hoped with due time I’d get more backstory. Instead I was given a series of horrific events that form the beginnings of who Magog is. Yes, the story told is quite good, but being stamped with a “#1″ is very misleading. I’m hoping Geoff Johns’ installment next week will clear up a lot of my confusion, because there’s a lot here that went unanswered. Speaking of Johns, he does a nice little Starman story, which, truth be told, is almost better than the main feature.
If you’re current with the JSA storyline, you’ll probably find little faults with this issue. But if you’re a casual reader or just picking up this book out of curiosity, I urge you to approach with caution.
Grade: B-
- J. Montes
Filed under: Marvel Comics, Reviews | Tagged: DC Comics, Fernando Pasarin, Geoff Johns, Hi-Fi, Justice Society of America: Kingdom Come Special: Magog, Kingdom Come, Magog, Mick Gray, Peter Tomasi, Scott Kolins
For a comic that is written explicitly as a part of a continuous story, especially the rich, episodic, sequential continuity of the JSA, it would probably be best to approach a review from that perspective. I don’t think this comic, or most DC comics for that matter, claims to be a good “jumping on point.” If you’re not current with JSA, is pretty much invalidates your review.
Imagine reviewing a random issue of, say, Avengers : The Initiative, without reading the last 5 or 6. Wouldn’t make much sense, since that series also does not claim to be anything but a very sequential story. Having to read every issue is pretty much an inherent expectation of such titles. Poor review.
Your logic is flawed. I’m the reviewer, and I’m telling you how it read to me. Also, if what you said is true, why make this a “#1″ issue? Why mislead people into buying this issue if they can’t follow along. This is, after all, a stand alone issue. That’s why the book got a lower grade. I don’t blame Tomasi – I blame DC editorial and marketing for making a decision to mislead potential readers into a quagmire of a story. The $3.99 price point doesn’t help the grade, either (more pages or not).