Since I’m dropping the Monthly Pull List, I’m going to make This Week’s Reviews it’s own category, rather than a sub-category of the ComiXology Pull List. So if you’re looking for the category in the sidebar, that’s where it is. I’m still working to make this site work the best way possible, which includes organizing my RSS feeds and other ideas, so pardon our dust. At least the reviews are intact.

However, I’m still trying to get all caught up with what’s in my pull folder at the store, so while five comics are up to review tonight, only three of them came out this week, and one of them is a set of reprints. So let’s see what’s up for grabs this week.

Spoiler-blocked versions of these reviews available at ComiXology.

The Muppet Show #4 [FINAL ISSUE]

Boom! Kids (June 2009)

WRITER/ARTIST/COVERS “A” + “B”: Roger Langridge

(cover “A” shown)

COLORS: Digikore Studios

LETTERER: Deron Bennett

EDITOR: Paul Morrissey

ULTIMATE COMICS COVER: Amy Mebberson

The guest for tonight’s show is psychic Madame Rhonda, who disrupts the theater with her predictions. The harshest one is for Miss Piggy, who is about to lose “something green”, which she assumes is Kermit. However, it’s actually money, as the “psychic” is really a thief.

Skits include Sam the Eagle’s commentary, Veterinarian’s Hospital, the talking houses, Muppet Labs, Pigs in Space, and a dance number Piggy almost misses because of the story.

What they got right: Pretty much everything. Langridge really went into the old show, even breaking out the houses while still taking advantage of the comics style, as we get a look at multiple streets rather than the show’s one angle. I’m assuming that was due to the limitations of keeping the Muppets believable (the houses are after all still puppets), and while it did give the show a bit more believability (which was supposed to be a stage performance), the comic doesn’t have those limitations. Also, we do get some Miss Piggy background, but most of her focus scenes are just her reacting jealously involving Kermit, which isn’t the first time.

What they got wrong: My usual character model issues, and while re-reading the last part of the sentence, it does make it look less like a stage performance, but it’s not the first time and doesn’t really detract from anything.

Recommendation: A good finale to this mini, and after the next mini, I would like to see a regular Muppet series. Roger really does “get” this show.

Doctor Who Classics Series 2 #9

IDW Publishing (August 2009)

(reprinted from Doctor Who Magazine #73-75, Marvel UK)

WRITER: Steve Parkhouse

PENCILER: Mick Austin

INKERS: Paul Neary & Mick Austin

EDITOR: Alan McKenzie

IDW COLORIST: Charlie Kirchoff

IDW EDITOR: Denton J. Tipton

IDW DESIGNER: Amauri Osorio

With Shayde’s help, the Doctor is able to separate the entity from the TARDIS. However, the Time Lords want a few words with him about the whole incident. While the tribunal fills him in on the missing information, Shayde destroys the evidence, so the Time Lords have to let him go.

What they got right: Steve Parkhouse continued to pump out some good Doctor Whoing. Using an event from an earlier story he wrote, and creating the foe in this arc is a good movie. (Take note, Bendis and Johns. I actually believe it when Steve does it, and doesn’t take many years of “why are you doing this to our favorite characters” to do it. Not everything has to be Babylon 5, especially when you get it wrong, unlike B5 and like Heroes or Lost.)

What they got wrong: The art level really drops from last issue. I’ve seen artists on these comics, be they Marvel UK, Panini, or IDW, that have done a bad job up close, but not bad far away. This is the complete opposite. Up close, the character model is a ringer for Peter Davidson, but from far away everyone looks like they’re being portrayed by midgets. Also, Steve did introduce three characters in a way to make them interesting, but unless he’s foreshadowing again, just kills them off on the next page. I don’t understand that.

Recommendation: If you want to see some of the best writing of comics Who, check this issue out.

Muppet Robin Hood #2

Boom! Kids (May 2009)

WRITER: Tim Beedle

ARTIST: Armand Villavert, Jr.

COLORIST: Mara Aum

LETTERER: Marshall Dillon

EDITOR: Paul Morrissey

COVER “A” (shown): David Petersen

COVER “B”: Richard Garcia

Robin and his Merry Muppets go on raiding Prince John’s (Johnny Fiama, and yes Sal Minella is there, too.) lousy attractions, hoping to shut them down. The band decides to confront the Prince himself, while the Prince sends his court jester, Tuck (Fozzie Bear), to go undercover as a Friar. Robin also meets Maid Marian, and falls in love with her, even if she doesn’t care for him much.

What they got right: I was sure that Link would be Prince John, so nice surprise bringing Muppets Tonight crooner Johnny Fiama into the role. (Link does make a cameo appearance.) He even gets Johnny’s usual monkey sidekick, Sal, into the story. Tim seems to be doing for the Muppet parodies what Roger does for The Muppet Show.

What they got wrong: Usually in these things, the Kermit character/Piggy character are either mutually attracted or Piggy character falls for Kermit character while Kermit character isn’t interested. (In the latter case, this was the relationship of Kermit and Piggy themselves for many years. It’s only recently that they became an official couple.) This time, Piggy/Marian is not interested while Kermit/Robin Hood falls immediately. That could simply be in keeping with the “Robin Hood” legend, or maybe Tim wanted to play with the formula, but I do notice it, and I’m thinking a Muppet fan even more nitpicky than I will make a bigger deal of it.

Recommendation: If you love the Muppet parody movies, this seems to be right in line with them.

The Tekwar Chronicles #2

Bluewater Comics (July 2009)

WRITERS: William Shatner and Scott Davis

PENCILER: Eric Owen

COLORIST: Michelle Davies

LETTERER: Jaymes Reed

EDITOR: Craig J. Nevius

LOGO DESIGN: Patrick Foster

Investigate the dead girl at his old house, Jake is attacked and knocked unconscious. He wakes up on the beach, where he’s found by an old man, Gustavius, who worked for TezCorp and identifies the blue liquid Jake wakes up with as a variation of Tek. Gustavius, however, is still connected to the company, who is giving Jake the run around in his investigation. Jake, meanwhile, goes looking for Dr. Danenburg, who ends up having been murdered. He also comes across the robot cop that put him away, and is more than eager to do so again. After another message from the virtual “Gomez”, Jake comes across the not-so-dead Danenberg, who claims her name is Beth Kittridge.

What they got right: Shatner and Davis are weaving quite an interesting tale. The characters and the world are quite believable, and the art continues to pull out the little things, like the “hologram room” where the holograms are see-through, like they came out of a film projector. You can also which narration is done by Jake and which is done by a more omniscient narrator when needed. The little touches add to the story.

What they got wrong: I was under the impression that this would be an adaptation of the novels. However, they’ve either skipped a heck of a lot, or decided to go back to square one, and use the Tekwar novels more as a guide than a continuation/adaptation of the novels, like the TV series did.

Recommendation: If they’re going to do a re-imagining, at least they’re getting it right. (GALACTICA!) Making me enjoy a dark story isn’t easy, and so far they’re two for two.

Iron Man & The Armor Wars #1

Marvel Comics (October 2009)

WRITER: Joe Carmagna

ARTISTS: Craig Rousseau

COLORIST: Val Staples

LETTERER: Dave Sharpe

COVER: Scottie Young

PRODUCTION: Damien

EDITOR: Nathan Cosby

PUBLISHER: Dan Buckley

Tony’s moved his operations to Los Angeles (this doesn’t take place in current continuity), and abandoned weapons after bad guys got a hold of Stark weapons. Things haven’t been going well for the company since, but he’s hoping that his new search-and-rescue armor that he’s designed for military and police use will change all that. However, this armor, and all his Iron Man armor is stolen. After tangling with Crimson Dynamo unarmored, Tony is attacked by a woman wearing one of his armors and possessing psychic powers. As Stark is taken off his feet, who should be standing there but Doctor Doom.

What they got right: Secret identities. Tony as Stark Enterprises CEO and inventor. Rhodey not a cyborg psycho. It’s like a continuation of Marvel Adventures: Iron Man, the first time in years that the “real” Iron Man stories were being told since Mike Grell started the slide of the series down. (Unlike Degu (insert sub-title here), I really can’t decide on how well Fraction’s been writing the comics, since a lot of what’s happened to Tony is the fault of Bendis and other writers involved with the various Civil War events that have dogged him into every story since. Fraction has to keep running damage control to even give the semblance of being a super hero, which can’t be easy.)

What they got wrong: The art isn’t so much bad as bad for the armor. It doesn’t come off looking nearly as cool as it did in various Marvel Adventures titles, and just doesn’t look nearly as amazing. More like passable, and that’s after making Trump’s costume pretty cool for a thief with a magician gimmick. And with this story at least based on the MA style rather than the mainline stuff, why not just call it “Marvel Adventures”? The same thing with Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers. It’s not like MA has ever had a connected universe anyway. Finally, hasn’t variations of this story already been done before? Isn’t it kind of happening now? Tony and Stark hurting for money was practically the main plot of the 90’s cartoon, both seasons, and the armor being stolen (including Osborn at current) happens so often you’d think “Stark’s security” is an oxymoron.

Recommendation: Despite its flaws, at least someone besides the movie writers understand how this character is supposed to work. For that alone I recommend it.

Best Scene of the Week

Iron Man & The Armor Wars #1

Tony's been watching Magic Secrets Revealed again

Real tough call on this week’s winner. Two of the comics are weeks old and one is a reprint, so all I had to choose from were this one and Tekwar Chronicles. I hope I get things back on track soon.