BB Review Group week 21 - Great Lakes Avengers #1 (spoilers)

[Thudpucker]

This week, we are reading / reviewing:

Great Lake Avengers #1 (Marvel) by Dan Slott and Paul Pelletier, chosen by J. R. Scherer

Next week we will be reading - Nightwing #107 (DC) by Devin Grayson and Phil Hester, chosen by Criden

Here is a link to last weeks thread, for those who want to catch up and review it. I am waiting til the end of next week to average the official score, so if you didn't review it last week please do:

http://www.606studios.com/bendisboar...3&page=1&pp=30


Our Reviewers are:

Thudpucker - 9
TIP - 5
TonyFleecs - 9
Kirby's Corpse - 4.4
silverboy - 7.5
neophyte - 7
Mike D! - 6
Mark - 4
rodnunley -
STOLTMAN - 5
Tom G - 7
Jaypee - 6
Auron - 8.5
denny - 9
J. R. Scherer - 8
Criden - 7
Gaspar - 7.5
Boris the Blade - 8
Anthony The Ghost -
WAKKAJAWAKKA - 8
Pat Loika -
Nathan Patton - 7
anThONY_s - 8
Lord Aidian -
Dharma Bum -
Frozen Sooner - 8
Shane Welker - 5
Fourthman - 2
alan - 8
Freeway2k - 9
The beggar - 3
Raydawggie - 9.5
BriRedfern -
Blake4000 -
arthurloewenkamp -
Andrew j -
You Killed Hawkeye - 7
Opus Croakus - 6
JABSEN - 6.5
itsdlevy - 6


Our Previous 16 weeks of reviews (scores lost to the void)

Week 1 - 11/17/04 – Captain America #1
Week 2 - 11/24/04 – Flash #216
Week 3 - 12/01/04 – Darkness Vol. 2 #17
Week 4 - 12/08/04 – Demo #12
Week 5 - 12/15/04 - Plastic Man #13
Week 6 - 12/22/04 – Goon #10
Week 7 - 12/29/04 - Legion of Super Heroes #1
Week 8 - 01/05/05 – Flaming Carrot #1
Week 9 - 01/12/05 – Majestic #1
Week 10 - 01/19/05 – Human Target #18
Week 11 - 01/26/05 – Conan #12
Week 12 - 02/02/05 – Black Panther #1
Week 13 - 02/09/05 – Young Avengers #1
Week 14 - 02/16/05 – Ex Machina #8
Week 15 - 02/23/05 – X-Men #167
Week 16 - 03/02/05 – Ultimate Iron Man #1

Week 17 pick - Shining Knight #1 (Morrison & Bianchi) average grade - 7.8
Week 18 pick - Invincible #21 (Kirkman and Ottley) average grade - 6.3
Week 19 pick - Expatriate #1 (Moore and Latour) average grade - 5.4
Week 20 pick - TEMPORARY: THE REAL ME #2 (Hurd & Smith) average grdae - (we are giving people one more week before averaging it)

http://www.606studios.com/bendisboar...ight=Temporary

Our higest average grade so far was for Ex-Machina #8 with 8.4
Our lowest average grade so for was for Darkness #17 with 3.7

Our SF Bay sponsor is Isotope Comics



(If any other retailers would like to sponsor our reviewers in your area, I'd be happy to promote your store in the thread too )

[J. R. Scherer]

GLA #1, by Dan Slott and Paul Pelletier

I read the advance copy last week. It was a lot of fun. Seeing characters like Squirrel Girl was a nostalgic hoot. Slott does a pretty good job of mixing in the seriousness of certain situations with the absurdity of the characters. The whole bit with Mr. Immortal and Deathurge was really inspired and extremely amusing, I thought. I'm really looking forward to future issues.

I give GLA #1 an 8 out of 10.

[Ray G.]

When I first found out about this book, I didn't have very high hopes for it. I assumed it would be Marvel's version of FkatJL, and I rolled my eyes. But this was a surprise. In addition to the nostalgia factor and some genuinely side-splitting moments, this is a surprisingly dark book. I'm not kidding. Some details of Mr. Immortal's origin come to light, and really surprised me. However, none of this was what made the book so great. What made this book so great was one character: Monkey Joe. Give that squirrel his own title, stat! All joking aside, this was a great surprise from Marvel. I think the concept might get old after a little while, so it's good that it's only a four-issue mini. But what a ride it's been so far. Slott has made me a believer. Bring on issue #2.

9.5/10

[Thudpucker]

I liked this book. Alot.

Slott has a real talent for taking characters that would not work fr most writers, the C and D list ones, and maing them work. And he doesn't re-invent them either, he doesn't scrap them and start over. He takes what they are, and he fleshes it out and fixes it. Few writers can do that.

The GLA are Marvels equivelent of "Formerly Known As The Justice League". Anly they were never formerly know, they never even got off the ground floor. The issue is mostly an origin story for the team and it's leader, a guy who wants to die but can't.

From birth, he has been gaurded over by a dark figure, a being who seems to take on the role of Death, bring spirits over to the other side on a piar of Snow Ski's. The Spirit has a malevolent side though, it seems to target his family and loved ones while keeping him safe and imune to death.

Did everyone notice at the end of the issue, it looks like the Spirit is one of Dinah Soars race? I wonder if it's because he looks like the race he is taking, or is he realy her Immortal race?

Anyway, great first issue! And Mr. Leather in the original lineup was a nice touch

The art was perfect for this title. Peleteir is a solid artist and doest the classic superhero style story just right.

I'm going 9 out of 10 on this, because this was a solid, fun Superhero story that delivered everything promised at I can't wait for more!

[Bandit Chimera]

i was debating on getting this or waiting for the trade. After issue one what do yall think ? is it worth the immediate read ?

[Thudpucker]

i was debating on getting this or waiting for the trade. After issue one what do yall think ? is it worth the immediate read ?

It's only a 4 issue mini, and a book that is bound to be a 'niche' title, so there may not be a trade. So yes, the singles are well worth the money (even with Marvel fucking us up the ass with ad count) and I would pick them up if I were you.

[xyzzy]

I read the advance copy last week. It was a lot of fun. Seeing characters like Squirrel Girl was a nostalgic hoot. Slott does a pretty good job of mixing in the seriousness of certain situations with the absurdity of the characters. The whole bit with Mr. Immortal and Deathurge was really inspired and extremely amusing, I thought. I'm really looking forward to future issues.

I give GLA #1 an 8 out of 10.

I liked it, but amusing isn't the word I'd use.

[Thudpucker]

I liked it, but amusing isn't the word I'd use.

Yea, that relationship is more tragic than amusing to me too.

[Boris the Blade]

FINALLY. A book that my store has. Jesus, I was starting to think I'd never get back on track.

Okay, so, this book was equally funny and somewhat tragic. It made me laugh out loud every now and then, but there is some truly sad stuff going on here with Mr. Immortal and the price he's gotta pay. His immortality seems to mean bad news for everyone around him, and this contrast actually works in the books FAVOR. This is the first Slott book I've ever picked up, but if this is any indication I'm going She-Hulk back issue hunting.

8/10

[J. R. Scherer]

I liked it, but amusing isn't the word I'd use.

I guess I should've elaborated. The scenes from when Mr. I is a child and Deathurge is telling him to go play in traffic because it'll be fun I found amusing. It does get much more serious and tragic later.