Off-Topic: Comic Book Reviews

DC's SMALLVILLE: LANTERN #1
Smallville was not my favorite television show, but I did watch it from time to time. It was a hard show to watch because most of the episodes weren't that good, but individual episodes reached the level of brilliant. It was a show with islands of excellence in a sea of suck. So you had to switch to it and watch a few minutes and decide what the situation was each week. I have not read the comic book that was the continuation of the show, but the idea of Superman with a Green Lantern ring was too interesting not to pick up. The book was pretty good, actually, and I enjoyed the approach, though my wife (who was a bigger SMALLVILLE fan than I) did not. The pacing was off and the art was just okay, but overall not a terrible book.
Storyline: 3 Stars
Dialogue: 3.5 Stars
Pacing: 2 Stars
Art: 2.5 Stars
Overall: 3 Stars

Marvel's NOVA #16
I kind of screwed myself with this story arc because somehow I missed the middle issue. But I love Beta Ray Bill and he was featured prominently here to good effect. What I got of the storyline I enjoyed because the story was very 'classic'. A young superhero's oversight has cosmic consequences. Those consequences cause him to fight with an experienced and older hero. Then they team up and wrestle with the bad guy. There was a lot in this comic about youth and power, and how important experience really is. I enjoyed it.
Storyline: 3.5 Stars
Dialogue: 3.5 Stars
Pacing: 3.5 Stars
Art: 3 Stars
Overall: 3.5 Stars

DC's JUSTICE LEAGUE #29
Here Cyborg and the Metal Men take center stage as progress against the Criminal Syndicate continues. I have to say, I am enjoying watching individual members of the Syndicate finally get taken down. Here Cyborg overcomes a mental block he's long had when it comes to manifesting mentally in the digital world. That overcoming of a long-standing limitation makes it possible for him to finally take out his evil robot nemesis Grid. I loved every aspect of this comic.
Storyline: 4 Stars
Dialogue: 4 Stars
Pacing: 3.5 Stars
Art: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars

Marvel's DEADPOOL VS CARNAGE #2
Well this book is just a shoot-em-up rage of chaos and laughter. This is not a comic book for kids, and the violence is extreme, but there is a loony toons edge to it all that really works. Funny and fun, this battle is one that really needed to be explored. These two characters work perfectly against one another. And Deadpool's comic awareness has perhaps the best effect I've ever seen in the comics. It sometimes annoys me, but here it just works.
Storyline: 3.5 Stars
Dialogue: 5 Stars
Pacing: 3.5 Stars
Art: 3.5 Stars
Overall: 4.5 Stars