Customer Reviews

Gen 13: We'll Take Manhattan

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is, without a doubt, the funniest comic book in existance. Gen-13 is exactly what would happen if a bunch of young people got super-powers. This isn't some high-and-mighty Justice League of America, nor is is some sniveling X-spinoff with the characters too sorry for themselves to do anything.
These are kids trying to have a good time in life, and be superheroes second.
For those of you just browsing for the Gen-13 comic books, this is one of the fully-illustrated and not one of the cheesey novels.
The jokes alone are worth the money. The battle with one of Moore's old characters, Tao, was a laugh-and-a-half. Check this: what happens when a villian who depends on twisting logic through complex sentences meets up with Grunge? The painful illogic and Who cares? attitude of the grunge-man end in a headache for Tao. Grunge is definately the humoroius focal point. In the one when Grunge is "transformed into a giant, hairy monkey," the running gag response is "'transformed?'"
Buy it and enjoy. I know I did.

I've always loved Gen13, and I was very delighted with this volume, which contains issues 45-50. The writer, Scott Lobdell, is pretty decent, trying to revamp the series by bringing it back to its comedic roots. He succeeds more or less, but while the dialogue is actually quite funny, Lobdell overkills it by narrating each issue way too comedically. Every page has a narrator box with some sort of joke and it is a bit too much. My other main complaint was the lack of story and plot, and villains. The villains were poorly introduced and I never was scared for Gen13 for a minute. I guess Lobdell was trying to lighten the series, but I think he needs to learn from Brandon Choi (the original writer) how to balance comedy with action and suspense. I was expecting issue 50 to be full of action and high stakes, but it was a total letdown in my opinion. That aside, Lobdell does do a good job developing the kids of Gen13, and I like a lot of the conversations the characters had with each other.

The art is a huge plus for buying this book. Ed Benes pencils #45-49, and the first 13 pages of #50, and his art is spectacular. He is quite talented, and seems like a J. Scott Cambell prodigy. Unfortunately the pencils for the rest of issue 50 are not so hot, but whatevs.

All in all, this deserves 4 stars because I enjoyed reading it, and I was entertained with the art and laughed quite a few times while reading it. If you like Gen13, this is for you.

This is issues 26 - 29, and though it is my first Gen 13 I've read, i have to say it's pretty good. Was confused at first as to why they are hidding, but will have to find out more by picking up the previous TPB's.
The story seemed good, when your hiding out, don't go out and get peoples attention, good point. The art is great, well done.
I gave it 5 stars because i liked the story and art, and really have no outer Gen 13 books to compare it to. If your new to Gen 13, i would not recommend begining with this book as i did. I'm still trying to find a list for the order the comics are in.

Gen 13 was always good because of the characters and art. Don't imagine anything more than that in this book.
The history is previsible and very lame.