Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Severed #7 of 7
Image Comics
Snyder, Tuft & Futaki

Snyder's horror series wraps up with an over-sized, but standard priced issue. The book puts in an x-factor when the major conflict occurs between Jack and the deranged, child-eating, killer. It's a very good ending to a very good series. I'm not sure this book packed nearly the same level of terror punch as previous issues but it did have a highly intense ending. I liked this series and I think any fan of the horror genre would enjoy it as well.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Conan The Barbarian #1
Dark Horse Comics
Wood, Cloonan & Stewart

Dark Horse's latest relaunch of Conan is the reinterpretation of an old Robert Howard story called "Queen of the Black Coast." This particular launch carries a heavy-hitting creator crew lead by Brian Wood. I should confess that I only purchased the issue because Wood was the writer and because Dark Horse did a good job advertising that fact. What I found was not exactly the Conan I expected. This story takes place when Conan is just setting out. He's a young man that carries a lot of the flaws you'd expect to find in an inexperienced warrior. Overall, I liked the issue and will probably see the arc out and that means the opening did its job.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

PunisherMAX #22
MAX (Marvel Comics)
Aaron, Dillon & Hollingsworth

The finale of the Jason Aaron run on The Punisher is basically a tying up of loose ends as the climax occurred in the previous issue. Once again, Aaron shows how he has mastered putting together an interesting story that combines flashbacks and events in the current time period. Aaron packs a lot of information into this issue but still manages to move the book along at a nice pace. I have loved this run and this issue is no different. I believe if someone only picked up this issue, that they would be compelled to read the rest of the run. Definitely find space in your budget for this issue.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Secret Avengers #22
Marvel Comics
Remender, Hardman & Breitweiser

Remender and Hardman's run on Secret Avengers kicks off in this issue with a book that sets up the team and introduces the new threat. The book manages to establish unique voices for some of the members of the team. The comic also provides a good explanation for the inclusion of the some of the odder characters that were added to the mix. Overall, this is a good start to the book but I do not get the sense that this book is getting ready to launch into a saga, such as Remender's Uncanny X-Force.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Thief Of Thieves #1
Image Comics
Kirkman, Spencer, Martinbrough & Serrano

The first issue from heavy-hitters Robert Kirkman and Nice Spencer is a crime drama that plays out a lot like the first episode of a TV show. The book carries the tagline on the front cover that there isn't anything he can't steal except the life he left behind. But does the book deliver on that premise in the first issue? Does the book provide something to stand out among the many other books that deal with tough characters set in criminal settings without superheroes? This first issue provides a good character outline and a decent story within the issue but doesn't really show that the book is going to be too fast paced or all that different from other crime books. Overall, I found the book to be a very ordinary read.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Dawn Of The Jedi #0
Dark Horse Comics
Ostrander & Duursema

The zero issue of the new Star Wars series is essentially a handbook for the new series. The book basically explains the general set-up of the Star Wars universe some 30,000 years before the films take place. Overall, the book does a good job of moving the massive amount of information and pieces into place in preparation of the new series but I was a little turned off by the price point and the absence of any story pages. Based on how dense this book is with information it sure seems like this will be mandatory reading if you want to hit the ground running when you pick up the first issue in two weeks.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

The Strange Talent Of Luther Strode #5 of 6
Image Comics
Jordan, Moore & Sobreiro

Luther Strode races towards its conclusion with what appears to be the most violent and bloody issue to date. For the most part, this story still leaves a lot that is yet to be revealed but the individual issue is straight forward enough that the unanswered questions really don't matter or factor into the story. Once again the art nearly steals the show, particularly when the gore comes into play. I am enjoying this series as I find this to be a refreshing look at violence in a way that I don't believe I have seen since something like Kick-Ass. If you aren't too squeamish then I recommend picking this issue up.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Venom #13
Marvel Comics
Remender, Moore & Staples

This issue kicks off a six part story that could easily have been a straight-up crossover with red Hulk, Ghost Rider and X-23. The arc, titled "Circle of Four" is to run solely in the Venom book (utilizing the ridiculous "." numbering convention) weekly for the next five weeks. This first issue comes with a hefty page count for the $4 book cover price and uses those pages well to setup the story and provide some fun moments and ideas. I found this book to be a pleasant surprise and I plan to pick up the entire arc as a result of the strength of this book. I recommend picking this book up.

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