REAL

Writer Nick Spencer faced an overwhelming amount of backlash on social media after the release of “Captain America: Steve Rogers” #1, which revealed Cap had secretly been a Hydra agent since the very beginning of his career. Much of the criticism directed at Spencer was from those who hadn’t read or even seen the comic; some of those who had read the issue and condemned the development were also unaware of the of the events leading up to it, particularly the ending of Spencer’s preceding “Avengers Standoff: Assault on Pleasant Hill” event, where Steve Rogers’ youth was restored by Kobik, the childlike manifestation of the Cosmic Cube. While the second-issue revelation that Kobik had altered Cap at the behest of the Red Skull quieted a lot of the armchair critics, these first two issues haven’t been without their critical shortcomings — but they are atypical for Spencer’s current body of work. Spencer is the first writer in nearly two decades to write two “Captain America” titles con

With an acknowledgement to the cast and crew of “Janine Melnitz: Ghostbuster,” “Ghostbusters: Get Real” #1 gives readers a Ghostbuster-flavored “Flash of Two Worlds” experience like only Erik Burnham and Dan Schoening could provide. Mixing their history as “Ghostbusters” storytellers for IDW’s Ghostbusters with the “Real Ghostbusters” characters from the fan-favorite cartoon series, Burnham and Schoening bring Ghostbusters readers the comic book equivalent of chocolate and peanut butter: each Ghostbuster team is in good stead with these creators, both of who provide a brand-new, revitalizing experience. The story opens with a brief explanation of the goings-on from the Ghostbusters’ logo ghost, only this is the cartoon version and his explanations are framed in vaguely-television-shaped panels. From there, “Ghostbusters: Get Real” #1 opens with a cartoon-based segment, complete with softer, watercolor-influenced backgrounds. Schoening uses different line widths here and colorist Lui

Filed under “could not possibly be more relevant” given the current controversy in gaming, Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang’s “In Real Life” is a beautifully illustrated and charming look at one young gamer girl’s life. The messages and tone are heartfelt and entirely without cynicism, a welcome change from the Gamergate-related headlines that have dominated the recent news cycle. Doctorow has crafted an utterly charming story about a relatable, average girl gamer who learns a lot when she encounters the harsh realities of the very real world though her unreal online gaming life. The book makes no issue of the fact that our heroine is a girl — in fact the story has little to do with gender, and the ways in which it does touch gender are wonderfully refreshing. The story and its lead character, Anda, are sweet, but stay just this side of saccharine. There are lessons to be learned but Doctorow deftly avoids the “after school special” trap into which a lesser writer might have fallen. Wang

In Jason Aaron, Al Ewing, Lee Garbett, and Simone Bianchi’s “Thor and Loki: The Tenth Realm” #2, Thor’s entirely too trusting nature lands himself and Loki in a world of trouble when he announces their Asgardian heritage to an entire battalion of the Tenth Realm’s angels. With a story by Jason Aaron and Al Ewing, the issue plays to the brothers’ individual strengths under Ewing’s usual energetic flare for dialogue. However, the artwork — provided by Lee Garbett and Simone Bianchi — is a mixed bag, utilizing two different styles that result in an uneven story flow. Although “Thor and Loki” #2 is a whole lot of set up, Ewing — who wrote the script — manages to make the issue fun with snappy dialogue and spot-on character work. Where Ewing’s work on “Loki: Agent of Asgard” has proved him more than capable of handling Loki’s cunning, this issue shows that he is just as adept with Thor. Ewing’s Thor is big hearted and trusting, if a little rash, and unafraid in battle; his Loki is as dev

“Original Sin” #5.1, or “Thor and Loki: The Tenth Realm” #1, has the unenviable task of combining two very different (though very good) series in a storyline that’s been heavily spoiled in the press. Despite those handicaps, Al Ewing scripts an enjoyable opener that gets straight to the point without sacrificing too much of the character and quirk that’s made his run on “Agent of Asgard” so entertaining. Though the issue inevitably suffers from having to spend so much page space on setup, it’s surprisingly smooth — and it’ll certainly exceed expectations for event-related retcon. However, readers who were worried about the use of Angela will find neither relief nor grief here. The long-lost sister of Thor and Loki (and poor forgotten Balder) just barely makes an appearance, but she and the angels at least seem to be thoughtfully integrated. Lee Garbett and Nolan Woodard do a fantastic job of making her world look visually consistent with Asgard’s, drawing a battle from the past tha

There are some stories you read for the characters; there are some you read for the concept; and there are some you read for the craft — like Bryan Hitch’s creator-owned “Real Heroes” #1. The premise of this series has been most succinctly pitched as “the cast of the Avengers does the Galaxy Quest thing,” and it’s a promising enough idea. The actors in the world’s most famous superhero franchise discover that everything they’ve been acting out has actually occurred in another world’s New York City. In execution, however, it’s noticeably generic. The cast is standard, and the dialogue is heavy on the info dumps. The only treat here is watching Hitch’s visual storytelling. When he gives himself space, he knows how to make a story move. He’s often described as having a cinematic feel to his work, and it’s true that the eight pages of in-movie panels are larger than life. They include some very obvious parallels/parodies of “The Avengers” franchise, from the design of The Patriot’s cos

Writer Larry Hama hits a landmark with “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” #200, which celebrates the greatest military merchandising legend of the modern day. Artist S.L. Gallant joins Hama for a thirty-page story that name checks more Joes, Cobras and their vehicles that a trip down the action figure aisle at Toys ‘R Us, which is exactly what a celebratory issue should do. Hama has had the good fortune of writing those two hundred issues, and his familiarity with the cast is exemplary. None of the characters are given particularly interesting chores or chats in “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” #200, but that doesn’t stop Hama from touching all the bases and giving readers a chance to escape into battle alongside Duke as he lunges at the Cobra Commander’s HISS tank, pump their fists in celebration of the silent awesomeness of Snake Eyes or slip to the edge of their seats as Scarlett, Duke, Hawk and Stalker can’t help but react with surprise to an off-panel reveal that serves as the cl

Advice has been given to many a writer suggesting that they write what they know, and that’s exactly what writer Glen Brunswick does in “Reality Check” #1. At least, it appears that way, as the lead character in Brunswick’s story is writer/artist Willard Penn with his foot in the door of the comic industry looking for his first big break with his self-created “Dark Hour” comic book. That’s right, the creator of this comic made the story about the creator of a comic. Brunswick isn’t the first to tackle the idea, but his effort is certainly one of the better ones. His story is framed around one of every creator’s worst nightmares: the computer that mysteriously deletes a career’s worth of Penn’s work, compounded by the odd fact that Penn has no recollection of any of his ideas, other than knowing that he had some great ones at one point. It’s a simple enough story that should resonate with anyone who’s ever forgotten a brilliant idea or lost a working draft of a project to an evil hard

“Atomic Robo Presents Real Science Adventures” #9 by Brian Clevinger, Joshua Ross, Jonathan Ross, Leela Wagner and Ryan Cody contains two stories, the first continuing an ongoing story set in turn of the century New York City, the second concerning Atomic Robo’s military activities in post-WWII South Korea. The first story by Clevinger, Wagner and Cody picks up at the end of the last serial installment, with Charles Fort, Winfield-Scott Lovecraft, and Ehrie “Houdini” Weiss working together to foil The Billion Dollar Plot to overthrow the US government. In “Real Science Adventures” #9, the three uncover information and narrowly escape nameless henchmen in an extended chase scene. The 16-page installment concludes with Fort announcing his outlandish-sounding theory, to the amusing disbelief of his friends and the solemn agreement of an unexpected visitor and familiar face. Clevinger’s script is very decompressed and heavy on action scenes, characteristic of his work on “Atomic Robo.”

“Five years after the AIDS vaccine…” is the tagline that introduces you to the futuristic world of “Our Love is Real” and, well, there’s been some unintended effects from eliminating the deadly virus. Namely, sex and what’s considered acceptable in society has undergone some changes. The protagonist, Jok, is a police officer who finds himself oddly attracted to another human despite having a wonderful, loving dog by the name of Chyna at home. Not that it matters, because the human he’s attracted to, Brin, is in love with a crystal named Vor. They have sex for hours. And thus lies the conflict at the heart of “Our Love is Real,” one of the funniest comics I’ve had the pleasure of reading in quite some time. Jok is such an odd character. Full of disgust and anger for vegisexuals and mineralsexuals, he takes pleasure in cracking skulls of those ‘deviants.’ It’s at one such riot that he encounters Brin and, somehow, can’t get her out of his head. His confusion over the issue puts him at