Whedon week: Buffy, Runaways AND Astonishing. (And a little thing called World War Hulk starts this week too.)
dark horse:
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #3
CITY OF OTHERS #2
dc:
100 BULLETS #83
ALL NEW ATOM #11 (most likely)
EXTERMINATORS #17
MIDNIGHTER #7
SCALPED #5
SHAZAM: THE MONSTER SOCIETY OF EVIL #3
WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY #6
devil's due:
G.I. JOE AMERICA'S ELITE #23
ASTONISHING X-MEN #21
AVENGERS: INITIATIVE #2
DARK TOWER: GUNSLINGER BORN #4
INCREDIBLE HULK #106
IRON MAN #17
LONERS #2
PUNISHER #47
RUNAWAYS #26
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #41
WORLD WAR HULK PROLOGUE: WORLD BREAKER
Monday, April 30, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
weekly loot: april 25
I was planning on getting Wonder Woman when Gail Simone took over, but my girlfriend and I have been curious about this Picoult run (even though I'm hearing mixed things), so I went ahead and picked up #6-8 this week to see what's what for myself. I set them on the "TO READ" pile that has various comics and graphic novels that have built up. I'll get to them as soon as I can.
This week:
USAGI YOJIMBO #102
(w/a. Stan Sakai)
The assassin Shizukiri has been after our hero for months now, and at the end of last issue-- our hero injured and obviously at a disadvantage-- finally meets him face to face. This issue then opens... with a flashback?!?! Aaaarrgghhh!! Okay, it wasn’t that bad. In fact, it was a pretty rockin' issue, just a bit of a jolt as Sakai doesn’t normally use this kind of storytelling device. Regardless, we see what happened to Shizukiri and his captor (Mayumi, a love interest for Usagi) leading up to last issues meeting, and THEN we get to the fight. It was refreshing to see Usagi outsmart as well as outfight his opponent. Mayumi’s death was sad, but only because Usagi’s personal life is always in shambles. Just one more thing for him to deal with. I was not disappointed, and it was another good chapter in the Usagi epic. FAVORITE OF THE WEEK, mostly because I've been waiting for this confrontation for a long time.
This week:
USAGI YOJIMBO #102(w/a. Stan Sakai)
The assassin Shizukiri has been after our hero for months now, and at the end of last issue-- our hero injured and obviously at a disadvantage-- finally meets him face to face. This issue then opens... with a flashback?!?! Aaaarrgghhh!! Okay, it wasn’t that bad. In fact, it was a pretty rockin' issue, just a bit of a jolt as Sakai doesn’t normally use this kind of storytelling device. Regardless, we see what happened to Shizukiri and his captor (Mayumi, a love interest for Usagi) leading up to last issues meeting, and THEN we get to the fight. It was refreshing to see Usagi outsmart as well as outfight his opponent. Mayumi’s death was sad, but only because Usagi’s personal life is always in shambles. Just one more thing for him to deal with. I was not disappointed, and it was another good chapter in the Usagi epic. FAVORITE OF THE WEEK, mostly because I've been waiting for this confrontation for a long time.
POWERS #24(w. Brian Bendis, a. Michael Oeming)
Over the years, Brian Bendis has BLOWN UP over at Marvel, and the buzz has long moved away from this book. But really, it continues to be probably the best book he does (there was a small battle with Ultimate Spider-Man for a while). Since Volume 2 has started, both characters now have powers, I.A. is all over Deena’s ass AND they continue to investigate gory-ass power murders. This issue, Deena finally finds out about Chrisitan's new powers, and she flips out. Christian doesn’t have time to deal with it, as he has to save the world. And by that, I mean finish whuppin' ass and outwit The Devil. Good times, and I can’t wait until Deena and Christian talk.
WORMWOOD GENTLEMAN CORPSE #7(w/a. Ben Templesmith)
I think this book moves up my Read Pile with every issue that comes out. Underneath another amazingly simple cover, is the conclusion to the 3-part leprechaun storyline. The wacky characters and even wackier plots all come together nicely, with a little bit of a promise for future story goods. And I think I may have said this before, but I feel like this could almost take place in the Whedon-verse. Regardless, I think the book is taking a little bit of a break, and that’s too bad. With as many comics as I read, this book is especially refreshing because nothing else is like it. No, seriously: nothing.
GIRLS #24(w/a. Luna Brothers)
The finale of this comic was delayed an extra week for me, since Diamond shorted my store their orders. But after another week of waiting, it finally arrives, and the Luna Brothers' second finite maxi-series comes to a close. And frankly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. This series started with a spectacular series of cliffhangers that had me freaking out for the next issue. Eventually, the cliffhangers fizzled, and then we were left with the characters and their interactions amidst the oddest alien invasion of all time. The Luna Brothers come from the Robert Kirkman/Erik Larsen form of writing, which is: lots and lots of words, with characters sharing their subtext via dialogue, rather than letting the readers infer from action. Which is an old-school hallmark of the medium for sure (so it's not entirely out of place or anything), but at times I would turn a page and see what seemed like two pages of text covering the wonderful art. The simplistic style is really attractive and the Brothers have an excellent cinematic style with wide screen pacing, so I wonder why they didn’t show us more than tell us. Regardless, for me, parts of the middle and the last third of the story seemed to be in a holding pattern, with the main characters talking a lot about their horrible situation with no real answers coming. Maybe that’s because there really weren't going to be many answers, and the ones that were given made me indifferent. Lastly, I was a bit let down because I thought a book titled “Girls” which had men uncontrollably fucking naked female monsters would have some commentary about the sexes and how they interact. Unfortunately, I don’t think we ever got that deep, and that’s too bad. Ultimately, I think Ultra was a much tighter arc for the creators. Maybe this book didn’t need 24 issues after all.
FALLEN SON: AVENGERS: A better effort than the Wolverine issue, but really, the highlight for me was, again, the art.
WALKING DEAD #37
DAREDEVIL #96
CROSSING MIDNIGHT #6(w. Mike Carey, a. Jim Fern)
I'm really starting to get into this series. Generally, horror books aren't my thing, but this one is so much more than your average horror book. Especially the blood splattered, flesh-eating zombie books that are the rage these days. This world that Carey is creating appears to be even larger than I thought it would be after the first storyline. Both of the twins, our main characters, seem to have their respective Masters of sorts, and things are getting more and more complicated. I look forward to the next storyline or two, to see more things answered and for the picture to get even clearer. The one thing that bugs me about this book is still the inclusion of Jim Fern. He's not a bad artist-- in fact, at times he is quite good-- he just lacks the creative design sense that would really make this book shine. (Perhaps a Chris Bachalo?)
EXTERMINATORS #16: Boy am I glad Laura dropped that chick of a cliff. Holy shit. Where is this book going?
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #5: What exactly is this crossover about?
WETWORKS #8
FANTASTIC FOUR #545
(w. Dwayne McDuffie, a. Paul Pelletier)
When McDuffie first took over, picking up those last two Civil War issues, I was really excited about what was to come, but two issues in and this title has completely fallen off of my radar. There are legitimate reasons, and there are personal ones. First, I still find the Reed/Sue interactions annoying. What happened to them during Civil War was serious damaging stuff, and things are just taken with a wink-wink. “Oh Reed, a Dream Vacation on Titan makes up for you cloning Thor, killing a hero (Goliath) and chasing others in a way that I completely disagree with.” It's just frustrating and lame. And I bet Pelletier has some fans, but he is just second-rate at best to me. Kind of like when everyone looked like a Jim Lee clone back in the day, for those that remember that. Waitasecond, wasn’t Pelletier ONE OF THOSE GUYS? Now, personally, I kind of hate the whole Black Panther/Storm thing. Okay, hate is not the right word. DESPISE. There. I’m not sure why either, 'cause I know that I’m an X-fan, and I miss not seeing Storm involved in those books. I just hate seeing her second fiddled to the Black Panther. (And I know that she will be back for the crossover, but she won’t be alone.) It still bugs me how shoe-horned the whole thing is. Whatever, I guess we are past that. And final personal reason, I don’t care about Gravity, Deathlok or the semi-sequel to a story I didn’t read, no matter how good it was. For the first time in a bit, I’m thinking of dropping this title.
SILENT WAR #4: Oh, HOLY SHIT. Blackbolt is piiiiiiiiissed.
WOLVERINE #53: – This is just awful. Simon Bianchi is being waaaaaasted on this. I would love to see him on Thor, or is that TOO obvious?
FANTASTIC FOUR #545(w. Dwayne McDuffie, a. Paul Pelletier)
When McDuffie first took over, picking up those last two Civil War issues, I was really excited about what was to come, but two issues in and this title has completely fallen off of my radar. There are legitimate reasons, and there are personal ones. First, I still find the Reed/Sue interactions annoying. What happened to them during Civil War was serious damaging stuff, and things are just taken with a wink-wink. “Oh Reed, a Dream Vacation on Titan makes up for you cloning Thor, killing a hero (Goliath) and chasing others in a way that I completely disagree with.” It's just frustrating and lame. And I bet Pelletier has some fans, but he is just second-rate at best to me. Kind of like when everyone looked like a Jim Lee clone back in the day, for those that remember that. Waitasecond, wasn’t Pelletier ONE OF THOSE GUYS? Now, personally, I kind of hate the whole Black Panther/Storm thing. Okay, hate is not the right word. DESPISE. There. I’m not sure why either, 'cause I know that I’m an X-fan, and I miss not seeing Storm involved in those books. I just hate seeing her second fiddled to the Black Panther. (And I know that she will be back for the crossover, but she won’t be alone.) It still bugs me how shoe-horned the whole thing is. Whatever, I guess we are past that. And final personal reason, I don’t care about Gravity, Deathlok or the semi-sequel to a story I didn’t read, no matter how good it was. For the first time in a bit, I’m thinking of dropping this title.
SILENT WAR #4: Oh, HOLY SHIT. Blackbolt is piiiiiiiiissed.
WOLVERINE #53: – This is just awful. Simon Bianchi is being waaaaaasted on this. I would love to see him on Thor, or is that TOO obvious?
Monday, April 23, 2007
ncrl: april 25
ALWAYS excited when I see a new Usagi on the schedule, especially this one. This confrontation with the assasin following him has been months in the making. This also marks my first foray in to JSA, because I'm reading JLA. But I've bitched about that enough, I hope I'm not TOO lost.
Oh, and GIRLS #24 from last week should come in as well.
dark horse:
USAGI YOJIMBO #102
dc:
CROSSING MIDNIGHT #6
EXTERMINATORS #16
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #5
WETWORKS #8
idw:
WORMWOOD GENTLEMAN CORPSE #7
image:
WALKING DEAD #37
marvel:
DAREDEVIL #96
FALLEN SON: AVENGERS
FANTASTIC FOUR #545
POWERS #24
SILENT WAR #4
WOLVERINE #53
Oh, and GIRLS #24 from last week should come in as well.
dark horse:
USAGI YOJIMBO #102
dc:
CROSSING MIDNIGHT #6
EXTERMINATORS #16
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #5
WETWORKS #8
idw:
WORMWOOD GENTLEMAN CORPSE #7
image:
WALKING DEAD #37
marvel:
DAREDEVIL #96
FALLEN SON: AVENGERS
FANTASTIC FOUR #545
POWERS #24
SILENT WAR #4
WOLVERINE #53
Thursday, April 19, 2007
weekly loot: april 18
With back-to-back events such as Civil War,
Also, my store was shorted Girls #24 from Diamond, so that will go onto next week’s pile.
X-FACTOR #18
(w. Peter David, a. Koi Pham)
Little Layla takes center stage here, even though she is mostly pulling the strings of her teammates off-panel. A good issue, although I was starting to get used to my Jamie “dupe of the month” gimmick. Layla continues to be a huge question mark, in actions and in words, and I can’t wait until Peter gives us more. (She should be fun in the X-Crossover later this year.) Pham’s art is really growing on me, and although I think Pablo Raimondi is still the regular artist, I will take Pham as an alternative.
DMZ #18
(w. Brian Wood, a. Riccardo Burchielli)
Has it really only been 18 issues since this series started? Matty has grown up a ton, and the kid that got here in issue #1 seems like a distant memory, really. Anyway, we have another storyline and another pretty damn good start. This storyline definitely feels like something I’ve seen on the news before, and that is one of the strengths of this book as far as I'm concerned. Looking forward to the rest of the arc. And damn, an awesome cover in a long line of good covers this series has had. MY FAVORITE OF THE WEEK
MIGHTY AVENGERS #2
(w. Brian Bendis, a. Frank Cho)
I had a similar problem with this book as I had with the latest New Avengers: by the end of it, we appear to be at the same place as we were at the end of the previous issue. I now have to wait for issue #3 for the THROWDOWN I was hoping to get here. In defense of this book, we do get some fun “this is how they joined” scenes, which Bendis excels at because he can have fun with his dialogue. Cho’s art looks great again, despite the female Cho-tron for the teen boys.
X-MEN #198: I love it when they make Sabretooth mean, scary and kind of cool. Loeb should takes notes.
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #108: Fucking Brian Bendis and an ultimate Ronin. This joke is funny to just him, right?
INVINCIBLE #40
FALLEN ANGEL #15
EX-MACHINA #27:I was a bit underwhelmed, but I’m glad to have it back. I blame it on the mini-publishing gap, not the content.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF (w. Brad Meltzer, a. Shane Davis)
So, I liked it. I think it’s definitely on par with the things I liked about #0 and #7. And although I have no idea who Karate Kid is, or the Legion Heroes, it doesn’t seem to really matter because neither do the main characters. And let's be honest, I don’t have to know everyone to have fun with the double page splash where the two teams meet. Good old-fashioned team up stuff. Fun.
AQUAMAN: SWORD OF ATLANTS #51
(w. Tad Williams, a. Shawn McManus)
There are a variety of reasons I really shouldn't like this book, but two issues in, and I’m having a good time. The sidekick is ridiculous, and our new Aquaman is a bit of a bumbling idiot too. (At least, that’s how he comes across in these two issues.) And although this Aquaman kind of bugs me, and I’d rather be reading about the real Aquaman, I feel like I’m learning about this new fantasy-esque world WITH him, so it works for me on that level. The art is almost cutesy, but seems to work with the tone Tad has for the book. I’m glad they are still doing something with Sub Diego, which I thought was awesome during Pheiffer’s run (the last time I read the book regularly). So although I really like a more serious take on the real Aquaman (one that appears to have failed in recent times), I’m (for now) on board with the world building that Mr. Williams is doing.
SPIRIT #5
(w/a. Darwyn Cooke)
My experience with this book has been an odd one. I got #1 and #2, liked them, didn’t love them, but ultimately figured that I read enough comics and any new titles have to knock me off my feet to make my pull list. Then I hear that #3 was great, and my girlfriend wonders where the book is, because she enjoyed it a lot, so I caved and got #3 and #4. Both of those were excellent, and to me, better than the previous two. So, I’m really happy (and so is the girlfriend) that I am getting it again. Then there is this issue, which I think is the weakest one yet. The Spirit canned goods and the villain with a Vulture sidekick were too much for me. Sometimes I hear people talking about how well Cooke is adapting the old characters, but since I don’t know the old series, those kind of connections are lost on me. Did I miss something here? Regardless, just a bit of a stumble backwards. As usual, the Cooke art was great, and the cover was awesome, though it isn't the one I show here. For some reason, the one that was floating around/solicited was different.
CABLE/DEADPOOL #39
MOON KNIGHT #9
ULTIMATE X-MEN #81
(w. Robert Kirkman, a. Ben Oliver)
Man, I’m really bored with this book. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: This book has basically struggled since Mark Millar left. It had an attitude and swagger that the 616 X-universe (which I love) didn’t have. For Shiva’s sake, Wolverine tried to KILL Cyclops. So since then, the book has just slowly spiraled closer and closer to just another version of the 616 books. And that, A) just kind of sucks, and B) renders the Ultimate X-Men book pointless. Back to the book itself, we now have Xavier alive again AND Beast. Now, I know that Xavier wasn’t going to stay dead, but I was hoping he would. That would possibly give this book a new identity. Instead we are just inevitably heading back that way, and whatever we do here is treading water. The one thing I do kind of like is Bishop taking on the cause and finding an X-Men team, even if it might veer closely to Cable’s X-Force of the early 90s. But we’ll see. Aside from my plot issues, Ben Oliver is a solid artist, but I think he’s almost miscast here. Something more serious, maybe even a horror book, might suit him better
Monday, April 16, 2007
ncrl: april 18
I have put a (maybe) after JLA, but I kind of already decided I'm going to see the book through this next arc too. And fuck you DC for making me buy another title to read ONE title.
(Army @ Love comes out this week. And after the "is this really a satire, or is it just stupid" first issue, I have no interest in it anymore.)
dc:
AQUAMAN: SWORD OF ATLANTIS #51
DMZ #18
EX-MACHINA #27
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #8 (maybe)
SPIRIT #5
idw:
FALLEN ANGEL #15
image:
GIRLS #24
INVINCIBLE #40
marvel:
CABLE/DEADPOOL #39
MIGHTY AVENGERS #2
MOON KNIGHT #9
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #108
ULTIMATE X-MEN #81
X-FACTOR #18
X-MEN #198
(Army @ Love comes out this week. And after the "is this really a satire, or is it just stupid" first issue, I have no interest in it anymore.)
dc:
AQUAMAN: SWORD OF ATLANTIS #51
DMZ #18
EX-MACHINA #27
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #8 (maybe)
SPIRIT #5
idw:
FALLEN ANGEL #15
image:
GIRLS #24
INVINCIBLE #40
marvel:
CABLE/DEADPOOL #39
MIGHTY AVENGERS #2
MOON KNIGHT #9
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #108
ULTIMATE X-MEN #81
X-FACTOR #18
X-MEN #198
Thursday, April 12, 2007
weekly loot: april 11
It was a pretty big week, as far as I am concerned, so I'll get right to it. And as it turns out, there wasn't much drama at all as to what my favorite book of the week was.
ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #7
(w. Grant Morrison, a. Frank Quitely)
What can I say? It was another magnificent installment for a series that is having a legendary run. I'm almost a little sad that it wasn't a done-in-one issue, but that's just because of the wait between issues. Grant's take on Jimmy Olson continues to be one of my favorite things in the series,and I would without a doubt pay for an All-Star My Pal Jimmy Olson. (Or, Jimmy Olson, Agent of P.R.O.J.E.C.T.) Frank, one of the industry's best by far, dazzles again. Loved the bit with Superman releasing his pet Sun-Eater. Awesome. BOOK OF THE WEEK, easily.
FELL #8
(w. Warren Ellis, a. Ben Templesmith)
This was not my favorite issue of the series, but it was another really solid one. The gimmick worked for the most part, although it really felt like more of a taste of a story rather than a complete story. But that’s okay, especially with Warren’s intentions with the series. I continue to be interested in this good man in a bad world. The last page was great, especially on the heels of last issue, where we saw a hint of his hubris.
LOVELESS #17
(w. Brian Azzarello, a. a. Werther Dell’Edera)
This was part 2 of “Blackwater Falls” and so far, it's looking like it could be the best arc since the first. Recently, it seems that Azzarello has been playing the book more straight-forwardly than it has been in the past, but that’s fine, because he has done it without losing any of the book’s depth. The new villain that has been introduced is scary, and the drama of our main three characters continues. It looks like Werther has settled in as the new artist, which as I’ve said before, this book really needed. But I’ve been frustrated that there has been no mention of what happened to Frusin. I miss him.
NEW AVENGERS #29
(w. Brian Bendis, a. Leinil Yu)
This was an odd issue, since nothing really happened and we are exactly where we were at the end of #28. We spent the entire issue in a flashback about how the guys got away, even though we already know that they got away since they are on a mission in Japan. Still, I suppose some people want to SEE Tony’s Avengers actually trying to find the “law breakers,” and Dr. Strange came off as a bad ass which is always cool. Nice Yu artwork once again.
WASTELAND #8
(w. Antony Johnson, a. Christopher Mitten)
After a perfectly good one-shot drawn by Carla Speed McNeil we are back with part 1 of a new arc. And whew, a damn good one it is. The main characters are back front-and-center, although after arriving in New Begin and sold as slaves, they have been completely separated. We are introduced to new characters, which are melded with the old, and everyone has new motivations that play off of each other beautifully. Johnson places the chess pieces expertly, as this multi-layered fantasy epic turns into a hidden gem.
FABLES #60
(w. Bill Willingham, a. Mark Buckingham)
Another series that is back to its main characters, and it's all the better for it. Ambrose the Flycatcher is the focus here, and after his tragic tale in 1001 Nights of Snowfall, I’m ecstatic. The short was gripping, and his response has been, to say the least, a bit surprising. Will he kick some ass, or will his story end even more tragically? The rest of the cast is picking up on old plot threads themselves, with the two witches Baba Yaga and Frau Totenkinder both getting key scenes. And for anyone that hasn’t, please read the highly recommended 1001 Nights, as recent events with Bigby and the current plot threads with Flycatcher and Frau are playing off of those stories.
UNCANNY X-MEN #485
NEWUNIVERSAL #5
STORMWATCH PHD #6: I’m going to be sad to see Doug Mahnke go
THUNDERBOLTS #113: Osborn-type crazy is fun, but Ellis’ Bullseye-type crazy is why I’m paying the admission price, where was he?
SHE-HULK #17 – I don’t mind that she sleeps around, just her choice in men.
IRON MAN #16
NEW X-MEN #37
(w. Craig Kyle & Chris Yost, a. Scottie Young & Niko Hendrichon)
As a fan of the X-Universe, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with this book of late. Truthfully, it's been ALL OVER the place since House of M, with characters dropping like flies and plot arcs centering on the still mostly annoying X-23 character. But still, some little fun things have come through amongst the different characters and their interactions. (Granted I’m a sucker for the teen X-Book.) The new arc promises some of the fun secondary students more panel time: Pixie, Match, Anole and even Blindfold from Whedon’s Astonishing book. One of the best decisions of recent memory is to add Skottie Young (and his redesigns) to the title. I was always hesitant about his panel work in comics (his covers and pin-ups are awesome, stylized fun), but I think his youthful creative style fits these characters. I hope he sticks, honestly. And for this issue, Niko Hendrichon of Pride of Baghdad fame, was excellent in his scenes.
PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #6
(w. Matt Fraction, a. Ariel Olivetti)
This book was just so-so for me. In truth, I’ve been a bit confused by the series completely, but I guess that could be my bias towards the MAX take that Ennis gives us month-to-month. So far we’ve had a really good issue (#4) sandwiched between a few average issues doing Civil War from Frank’s POV (#1-3) and a couple of average books leading into Captain Punisher (#5-6). I’m in for the duration of this storyline (and the odd Captain Punisher outfit), but it’s going to be an uphill climb for this book for me. Again, my MAX Punisher bias might be too strong.
THE LONERS #1
(w. C.B. Cebulski, a. Karl Moline)
I’m in for the mini-series even though it didn’t blow me away. Cebulski does good dialogue, and Moline’s art is good enough, but the story so far is pretty much average superteenhero fare. I like a couple of the characters (Mattie and Darkhawk especially), but unfortunately so far the coolest thing about the book is the cover homages to 80’s Teen Movies. And was it me, or was there a lot of crying?
NOVA #1
(w. Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning, a. Sean Chen)
Aside from the Annihilation Prologue, I’m yet to read anything from the crossover. But with bits and pieces here and there from online, I know the gist of what has happened. So I wasn’t lost at all here, but I don’t think I would have been anyway. It's rather simple, Nova is the last of his cop-kind and now, really powerful. We see that he’s extremely busy, and he needs a rest. Enter an Earth which has gone through a lot of changes since Nova has ben home. So it was GOOD, just not anything special. I’m in for the two earth issues (the Speedball reunion), but since I don’t read the Annihilation stuff, I might jump off before #4. (Fans of cosmic Marvel must be stoked: they are really pushing it, and doing their best to make it cool.)
GEN 13 #7: Um, I know that it’s the nature of the book, but the T&A was extra silly this time, and I kind of wish Simone would go in a different direction with the characters sometimes.
GRIFTER/MIDNIGHTER #2: All this does is make me yearn for a regular Authority series. (And a regular Wildcats series for that matter.)
WOLERVINE: ORIGINS #13: How long will I read this? Bets are being taken.
ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #7(w. Grant Morrison, a. Frank Quitely)
What can I say? It was another magnificent installment for a series that is having a legendary run. I'm almost a little sad that it wasn't a done-in-one issue, but that's just because of the wait between issues. Grant's take on Jimmy Olson continues to be one of my favorite things in the series,and I would without a doubt pay for an All-Star My Pal Jimmy Olson. (Or, Jimmy Olson, Agent of P.R.O.J.E.C.T.) Frank, one of the industry's best by far, dazzles again. Loved the bit with Superman releasing his pet Sun-Eater. Awesome. BOOK OF THE WEEK, easily.
FELL #8(w. Warren Ellis, a. Ben Templesmith)
This was not my favorite issue of the series, but it was another really solid one. The gimmick worked for the most part, although it really felt like more of a taste of a story rather than a complete story. But that’s okay, especially with Warren’s intentions with the series. I continue to be interested in this good man in a bad world. The last page was great, especially on the heels of last issue, where we saw a hint of his hubris.
LOVELESS #17(w. Brian Azzarello, a. a. Werther Dell’Edera)
This was part 2 of “Blackwater Falls” and so far, it's looking like it could be the best arc since the first. Recently, it seems that Azzarello has been playing the book more straight-forwardly than it has been in the past, but that’s fine, because he has done it without losing any of the book’s depth. The new villain that has been introduced is scary, and the drama of our main three characters continues. It looks like Werther has settled in as the new artist, which as I’ve said before, this book really needed. But I’ve been frustrated that there has been no mention of what happened to Frusin. I miss him.
NEW AVENGERS #29(w. Brian Bendis, a. Leinil Yu)
This was an odd issue, since nothing really happened and we are exactly where we were at the end of #28. We spent the entire issue in a flashback about how the guys got away, even though we already know that they got away since they are on a mission in Japan. Still, I suppose some people want to SEE Tony’s Avengers actually trying to find the “law breakers,” and Dr. Strange came off as a bad ass which is always cool. Nice Yu artwork once again.
WASTELAND #8(w. Antony Johnson, a. Christopher Mitten)
After a perfectly good one-shot drawn by Carla Speed McNeil we are back with part 1 of a new arc. And whew, a damn good one it is. The main characters are back front-and-center, although after arriving in New Begin and sold as slaves, they have been completely separated. We are introduced to new characters, which are melded with the old, and everyone has new motivations that play off of each other beautifully. Johnson places the chess pieces expertly, as this multi-layered fantasy epic turns into a hidden gem.
FABLES #60(w. Bill Willingham, a. Mark Buckingham)
Another series that is back to its main characters, and it's all the better for it. Ambrose the Flycatcher is the focus here, and after his tragic tale in 1001 Nights of Snowfall, I’m ecstatic. The short was gripping, and his response has been, to say the least, a bit surprising. Will he kick some ass, or will his story end even more tragically? The rest of the cast is picking up on old plot threads themselves, with the two witches Baba Yaga and Frau Totenkinder both getting key scenes. And for anyone that hasn’t, please read the highly recommended 1001 Nights, as recent events with Bigby and the current plot threads with Flycatcher and Frau are playing off of those stories.
UNCANNY X-MEN #485
NEWUNIVERSAL #5
STORMWATCH PHD #6: I’m going to be sad to see Doug Mahnke go
THUNDERBOLTS #113: Osborn-type crazy is fun, but Ellis’ Bullseye-type crazy is why I’m paying the admission price, where was he?
SHE-HULK #17 – I don’t mind that she sleeps around, just her choice in men.
IRON MAN #16
NEW X-MEN #37(w. Craig Kyle & Chris Yost, a. Scottie Young & Niko Hendrichon)
As a fan of the X-Universe, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with this book of late. Truthfully, it's been ALL OVER the place since House of M, with characters dropping like flies and plot arcs centering on the still mostly annoying X-23 character. But still, some little fun things have come through amongst the different characters and their interactions. (Granted I’m a sucker for the teen X-Book.) The new arc promises some of the fun secondary students more panel time: Pixie, Match, Anole and even Blindfold from Whedon’s Astonishing book. One of the best decisions of recent memory is to add Skottie Young (and his redesigns) to the title. I was always hesitant about his panel work in comics (his covers and pin-ups are awesome, stylized fun), but I think his youthful creative style fits these characters. I hope he sticks, honestly. And for this issue, Niko Hendrichon of Pride of Baghdad fame, was excellent in his scenes.
PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #6(w. Matt Fraction, a. Ariel Olivetti)
This book was just so-so for me. In truth, I’ve been a bit confused by the series completely, but I guess that could be my bias towards the MAX take that Ennis gives us month-to-month. So far we’ve had a really good issue (#4) sandwiched between a few average issues doing Civil War from Frank’s POV (#1-3) and a couple of average books leading into Captain Punisher (#5-6). I’m in for the duration of this storyline (and the odd Captain Punisher outfit), but it’s going to be an uphill climb for this book for me. Again, my MAX Punisher bias might be too strong.
THE LONERS #1(w. C.B. Cebulski, a. Karl Moline)
I’m in for the mini-series even though it didn’t blow me away. Cebulski does good dialogue, and Moline’s art is good enough, but the story so far is pretty much average superteenhero fare. I like a couple of the characters (Mattie and Darkhawk especially), but unfortunately so far the coolest thing about the book is the cover homages to 80’s Teen Movies. And was it me, or was there a lot of crying?
NOVA #1(w. Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning, a. Sean Chen)
Aside from the Annihilation Prologue, I’m yet to read anything from the crossover. But with bits and pieces here and there from online, I know the gist of what has happened. So I wasn’t lost at all here, but I don’t think I would have been anyway. It's rather simple, Nova is the last of his cop-kind and now, really powerful. We see that he’s extremely busy, and he needs a rest. Enter an Earth which has gone through a lot of changes since Nova has ben home. So it was GOOD, just not anything special. I’m in for the two earth issues (the Speedball reunion), but since I don’t read the Annihilation stuff, I might jump off before #4. (Fans of cosmic Marvel must be stoked: they are really pushing it, and doing their best to make it cool.)
GEN 13 #7: Um, I know that it’s the nature of the book, but the T&A was extra silly this time, and I kind of wish Simone would go in a different direction with the characters sometimes.
GRIFTER/MIDNIGHTER #2: All this does is make me yearn for a regular Authority series. (And a regular Wildcats series for that matter.)
WOLERVINE: ORIGINS #13: How long will I read this? Bets are being taken.
Monday, April 9, 2007
ncrl: april 11
An interesting week for me: I've given out a "Book of the Week" Award (inmyhead) since as long as I can remember. But I've only been doing it on paper since the first week of January 06. And only once on the ineternet, so this will of course mean nothing to anyone but me:
Both Fell and All-Star Superman have been my Favorite Book of the Week, every time they've come out since I started. But this is the first week that the two books have ever come out in the same week. OOOOH THE MOTHER FUCKING DRAMA!! Will one of these books win? Will some OTHER book come out of the Falkirk-esque melee to upset my favorite books? Who knows. But here are the contenders, in 19-book week:
dc:
ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #7
FABLES #60
GEN 13 #7
GRIFTER/MIDNIGHER #2
LOVELESS #17
STORMWATCH: PHD #6
image:
FELL #8
marvel:
IRON MAN #16
LONERS #1
NEW AVENGERS #29
NEWUNIVERSAL #5
NEW X-MEN #37
NOVA #1
PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #6
SHE HULK 2 #17
THUNDERBOLTS #113
UNCANNY X-MEN #385
WOLVERINE ORIGINS #13
oni:
WASTELAND #8
Both Fell and All-Star Superman have been my Favorite Book of the Week, every time they've come out since I started. But this is the first week that the two books have ever come out in the same week. OOOOH THE MOTHER FUCKING DRAMA!! Will one of these books win? Will some OTHER book come out of the Falkirk-esque melee to upset my favorite books? Who knows. But here are the contenders, in 19-book week:
dc:
ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #7
FABLES #60
GEN 13 #7
GRIFTER/MIDNIGHER #2
LOVELESS #17
STORMWATCH: PHD #6
image:
FELL #8
marvel:
IRON MAN #16
LONERS #1
NEW AVENGERS #29
NEWUNIVERSAL #5
NEW X-MEN #37
NOVA #1
PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #6
SHE HULK 2 #17
THUNDERBOLTS #113
UNCANNY X-MEN #385
WOLVERINE ORIGINS #13
oni:
WASTELAND #8
Thursday, April 5, 2007
weekly loot: april 4
A sixteen book week, which over the course of the past year or two has become the norm. I'm going to go ahead and talk about these in the order I read them, which usually equals my excitement level for the book.
I ended up leaving Omega Flight at the store. The final flip through was too much for it. Despite Oeming's involvement, just not interested in the characters enough.
DISCLAIMER: SPOILER WARNING
I do not intentionally try to spoil things, but it's probably best not to read these until you've read the issues themselves.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #2
(w. Joss Whedon, a. Georges Jeanty)
An even better follow-up to a book that already had a pretty good start. We catch up with a couple more old favorites from the show, while Joss begins to fully revel in his unlimited comic budget: the reveal of the undead climbing the castle was some great work by Jeanty. The humor from the show is front and center too, as I laughed more than once out loud. So far so good with Season 8, and although it would have been fun to see on TV, as a comic geek, this "next best thing" is turning out to be a brilliant idea. BOOK OF THE WEEK
RUNAWAYS #25
(w. Joss Whedon, a. Michael Ryan)
Good first issue. The dialogue was great, and the characters were all spot on, but I had some minor issues with the plot itself. The appearances of Kingpin and Punisher were a bit odd, and the new locale is not my favorite for these guys, who have their own little niche carved out west. Still, benefit of the doubt, we'll see where the story goes. On art, Michael Ryan was good, though he lacks the unique style and character that Alphona had.
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #1
(w. Dan Slott, a. Stefano Caselli)
It's nice to see Slott handle something a little more serious, even though I don't think it worked on every level, but the post-Civil War setup might be more responsible for misfires than his writing. The death of MVP this early was a surprise, especially since he was one of the bright spots this issue. Regardless, the kids are hit-and-miss overall, and R. Lee Gauntlet didn't completely work for me. I'm happy that Justice and Yellowjacket are getting some prime panel time, especially the ex-New Warrior. Caselli is getting better and better as he goes along, big things in his future if I had to guess now.
FALLEN SON - DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA: WOLVERINE
(w. Jeph Loeb, a. Leinil Yu)
Well so far, the mini-series is rather pointless. This didn't mesh with ANYTHING we read over in New Avengers #28, now, did it? One could argue this happened first, but for this ending to have any meaning, then the New Avenger issue wouldn't have even happened. Whatever. Leinil Yu's art was the shit. But I criticize him for not saying something to someone when reading the two opposing scripts. Hmm. I wonder if in the end, this series is going to be remembered for its run of good art rather than any kind of emotional story point.
DARK TOWER: GUNSLINGER BORN #3
(w. Peter David/Robin Furth, a. Jae Lee)
This series is getting better with each issue. Maybe I'll read those Dark Tower books at some point after all. At times, the art by Jae Lee and Richard Isanove is beautiful. And a friendly pat-on-the-back to Marvel for all the extras, which I'm sure fans that are used to the novels are appreciating. Or maybe not, but still, cool.
SCALPED #4
(w. Jason Aaron, a. R.M. Guera)
Another series that I'm enjoying more as it moves along. My biggest complaint was the art (mainly the difficulty in distinguishing people at times), but it has grown on me, and at this point, another artist might bug me more. Relationships between characters that were only hinted at before are starting to grow and reveal their complexities. That always wins me over. One of the better books of the week, actually.
PUNISHER #46
G.I. JOE: AMERICA'S ELITE #22
(w. Mark Powers, a. Mike Bear)
I think what's most shocking about this book is that I'm really enjoying a book written by Mark Powers, former X-Editor to Hate. Seriously, the "Sins of the Mother" storyline has been great. New stories with nods to older continuities (even Marvel's). And although at times the art has a wonky figure or two, the new art team is creating some moody, well-done art.
MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS #1
(w/a. Mike Allred)
I never actually read anything by Allred until his X-FORCE/X-STATIX run, although his exploits had been famous with me. So FINALLY, a good jumping-on point to the legendary Madman. Will I be lost? No. Allred supplies us with a handy-dandy recap issue, meanwhile starting an all-new plotline. I could see long-time fans being frustrated, but I for one appreciate the catch-up issue. Allred's art is unique and dynamic, and the wacky plots and creative character designs are completely what I expected. So I'm around for another few issues at least.
MIDNIGHTER #6
(w. Garth Ennis, a. Glenn Fabry)
Well, this had NOTHING at all to do with anything. In fact, I hope this isn't connected to anything and it IS just an Elseworlds story. With that said, I had a blast with it. Fabry's action sequences are great, and the Ennis dark humor was in full effect. With Vaughan next, and then Gage, I'm not sure what the plans for this title are. I wasn't that interested in it when it started (I prefer the Authority TEAM), but since the Authority's schedule isn't on track, it turns out I'm now happy this title exists.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7
(w. Brad Meltzr, a. Ed Benes)
Aside from the annoying printing error (was that in everybody's book?), I enjoyed this quite a bit. Hell, more than I enjoyed the previous six issues put together. Problem for me is, I don't really know recent DC continuity like I know Marvel's. (I bet DC fans in similar shoes would feel the same about one of the Avengers titles right after Civil War. Or would they?) Still, #1-6 were mostly inaccessible, and although I really want to be reading the JLA, I now have to deal with the looming JSA crossover. Meaning, to read these characters, I have to buy an additional title, and wade through even more characters and continuity that I don't understand. We'll see what happens at the store. I like the team quite a bit. (Oh, is it me, or would Wonder Woman have been a more logical leader than Black Canary?)
WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY #5
(w. Gail Simone, a. Neil Googe)
All the different plots in the storyline are coming together, and it's paying off nicely. Simone has crafted a pretty good little six issue arc here, where even the little scenes in issues past are turning out to be meaningful. The moment where Maximum Man gets his word was fucking great. His relationship with his nemesis, Dr. Hate, has been some of the better moments of the series.
INCREDIBLE HULK #105
(w. Greg Pak, a. Carlo Pagulayan)
I think I'm mostly alone on the internet in thinking that the whole Planet Hulk series has been rather silly, and not all that "bad-ass" as most seem to think. (Ridiculously cool Ladronn covers aside.) I think the storyline got better as it led to him being the Green King. And the 2-part Armageddon story was probably the best of it. The death and destruction (by evil Reed spaceship) of everything he has fought for, is a nice catalyst for the upcoming World War Hulk, and I find myself a lot more interested in his return to Earth than I did his exile. Too bad he's bringing with him the mostly goofy supporting cast.
PAINKILLER JANE #0
(w. Jimmy Palmiotti w/Joe Quesada, a. Lee Moder)
Although I was well aware of the character when she first existed, this is the first time I've ever picked up any of it. (I mean, I get almost ANYTHING that is 25 cents.) Unfortunately, it didn't grab me for the regular series. The main character was okay, but I was turned off by the each-dumber-than-the-next villains. Lee Moder was good.
I ended up leaving Omega Flight at the store. The final flip through was too much for it. Despite Oeming's involvement, just not interested in the characters enough.
DISCLAIMER: SPOILER WARNING
I do not intentionally try to spoil things, but it's probably best not to read these until you've read the issues themselves.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #2(w. Joss Whedon, a. Georges Jeanty)
An even better follow-up to a book that already had a pretty good start. We catch up with a couple more old favorites from the show, while Joss begins to fully revel in his unlimited comic budget: the reveal of the undead climbing the castle was some great work by Jeanty. The humor from the show is front and center too, as I laughed more than once out loud. So far so good with Season 8, and although it would have been fun to see on TV, as a comic geek, this "next best thing" is turning out to be a brilliant idea. BOOK OF THE WEEK
RUNAWAYS #25(w. Joss Whedon, a. Michael Ryan)
Good first issue. The dialogue was great, and the characters were all spot on, but I had some minor issues with the plot itself. The appearances of Kingpin and Punisher were a bit odd, and the new locale is not my favorite for these guys, who have their own little niche carved out west. Still, benefit of the doubt, we'll see where the story goes. On art, Michael Ryan was good, though he lacks the unique style and character that Alphona had.
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #1(w. Dan Slott, a. Stefano Caselli)
It's nice to see Slott handle something a little more serious, even though I don't think it worked on every level, but the post-Civil War setup might be more responsible for misfires than his writing. The death of MVP this early was a surprise, especially since he was one of the bright spots this issue. Regardless, the kids are hit-and-miss overall, and R. Lee Gauntlet didn't completely work for me. I'm happy that Justice and Yellowjacket are getting some prime panel time, especially the ex-New Warrior. Caselli is getting better and better as he goes along, big things in his future if I had to guess now.
FALLEN SON - DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA: WOLVERINE(w. Jeph Loeb, a. Leinil Yu)
Well so far, the mini-series is rather pointless. This didn't mesh with ANYTHING we read over in New Avengers #28, now, did it? One could argue this happened first, but for this ending to have any meaning, then the New Avenger issue wouldn't have even happened. Whatever. Leinil Yu's art was the shit. But I criticize him for not saying something to someone when reading the two opposing scripts. Hmm. I wonder if in the end, this series is going to be remembered for its run of good art rather than any kind of emotional story point.
DARK TOWER: GUNSLINGER BORN #3(w. Peter David/Robin Furth, a. Jae Lee)
This series is getting better with each issue. Maybe I'll read those Dark Tower books at some point after all. At times, the art by Jae Lee and Richard Isanove is beautiful. And a friendly pat-on-the-back to Marvel for all the extras, which I'm sure fans that are used to the novels are appreciating. Or maybe not, but still, cool.
SCALPED #4(w. Jason Aaron, a. R.M. Guera)
Another series that I'm enjoying more as it moves along. My biggest complaint was the art (mainly the difficulty in distinguishing people at times), but it has grown on me, and at this point, another artist might bug me more. Relationships between characters that were only hinted at before are starting to grow and reveal their complexities. That always wins me over. One of the better books of the week, actually.
PUNISHER #46
FALLEN ANGEL #14
G.I. JOE: AMERICA'S ELITE #22(w. Mark Powers, a. Mike Bear)
I think what's most shocking about this book is that I'm really enjoying a book written by Mark Powers, former X-Editor to Hate. Seriously, the "Sins of the Mother" storyline has been great. New stories with nods to older continuities (even Marvel's). And although at times the art has a wonky figure or two, the new art team is creating some moody, well-done art.
MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS #1(w/a. Mike Allred)
I never actually read anything by Allred until his X-FORCE/X-STATIX run, although his exploits had been famous with me. So FINALLY, a good jumping-on point to the legendary Madman. Will I be lost? No. Allred supplies us with a handy-dandy recap issue, meanwhile starting an all-new plotline. I could see long-time fans being frustrated, but I for one appreciate the catch-up issue. Allred's art is unique and dynamic, and the wacky plots and creative character designs are completely what I expected. So I'm around for another few issues at least.
MIDNIGHTER #6(w. Garth Ennis, a. Glenn Fabry)
Well, this had NOTHING at all to do with anything. In fact, I hope this isn't connected to anything and it IS just an Elseworlds story. With that said, I had a blast with it. Fabry's action sequences are great, and the Ennis dark humor was in full effect. With Vaughan next, and then Gage, I'm not sure what the plans for this title are. I wasn't that interested in it when it started (I prefer the Authority TEAM), but since the Authority's schedule isn't on track, it turns out I'm now happy this title exists.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7(w. Brad Meltzr, a. Ed Benes)
Aside from the annoying printing error (was that in everybody's book?), I enjoyed this quite a bit. Hell, more than I enjoyed the previous six issues put together. Problem for me is, I don't really know recent DC continuity like I know Marvel's. (I bet DC fans in similar shoes would feel the same about one of the Avengers titles right after Civil War. Or would they?) Still, #1-6 were mostly inaccessible, and although I really want to be reading the JLA, I now have to deal with the looming JSA crossover. Meaning, to read these characters, I have to buy an additional title, and wade through even more characters and continuity that I don't understand. We'll see what happens at the store. I like the team quite a bit. (Oh, is it me, or would Wonder Woman have been a more logical leader than Black Canary?)
JACK OF FABLES #9
WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY #5(w. Gail Simone, a. Neil Googe)
All the different plots in the storyline are coming together, and it's paying off nicely. Simone has crafted a pretty good little six issue arc here, where even the little scenes in issues past are turning out to be meaningful. The moment where Maximum Man gets his word was fucking great. His relationship with his nemesis, Dr. Hate, has been some of the better moments of the series.
INCREDIBLE HULK #105(w. Greg Pak, a. Carlo Pagulayan)
I think I'm mostly alone on the internet in thinking that the whole Planet Hulk series has been rather silly, and not all that "bad-ass" as most seem to think. (Ridiculously cool Ladronn covers aside.) I think the storyline got better as it led to him being the Green King. And the 2-part Armageddon story was probably the best of it. The death and destruction (by evil Reed spaceship) of everything he has fought for, is a nice catalyst for the upcoming World War Hulk, and I find myself a lot more interested in his return to Earth than I did his exile. Too bad he's bringing with him the mostly goofy supporting cast.
PAINKILLER JANE #0(w. Jimmy Palmiotti w/Joe Quesada, a. Lee Moder)
Although I was well aware of the character when she first existed, this is the first time I've ever picked up any of it. (I mean, I get almost ANYTHING that is 25 cents.) Unfortunately, it didn't grab me for the regular series. The main character was okay, but I was turned off by the each-dumber-than-the-next villains. Lee Moder was good.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
ncrl: april 4
An explanation: I do this list for myself, just so I'm up on what is coming out, and every week (it seems), there is at least a book or two that I write "(maybe)" next to. For whatever reason, it's usually something I'm interested in, but it is being left up to my gut feeling when I'm actually looking over the books in the store. A maybe book always gets a flip through, and that's basically the comic's last chance to win me over. Maybe that's not fair, but I read a lot of comic books as it is.
Two maybes this week, which would have been three. But Painkiller Jane's cover price made it a for sure try out.
dark horse:
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #2
dc:
JACK OF FABLES #9
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7
MIDNIGHTER #6
SCALPED #4
WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY #5
devil's due:
G.I. JOE: AMERICA'S ELITE #22
dynamite:
PAINKILLER JANE #0
idw:
FALLEN ANGEL #14
image:
MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS #1 (maybe)
marvel:
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #1
DARK TOWER: GUNSLINGER BORN #3
FALLEN SON: WOLVERINE
INCREDIBLE HULK #105
OMEGA FLIGHT #1 (maybe)
PUNISHER #46
RUNAWAYS #25
Two maybes this week, which would have been three. But Painkiller Jane's cover price made it a for sure try out.
dark horse:
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #2
dc:
JACK OF FABLES #9
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7
MIDNIGHTER #6
SCALPED #4
WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY #5
devil's due:
G.I. JOE: AMERICA'S ELITE #22
dynamite:
PAINKILLER JANE #0
idw:
FALLEN ANGEL #14
image:
MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS #1 (maybe)
marvel:
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #1
DARK TOWER: GUNSLINGER BORN #3
FALLEN SON: WOLVERINE
INCREDIBLE HULK #105
OMEGA FLIGHT #1 (maybe)
PUNISHER #46
RUNAWAYS #25
Monday, April 2, 2007
the top 25 (and more)
Or rather, state of my comic boxes. This is something I’d like to do once every three months (maybe six). Just check in with what I’m reading, and where it stands against everything else. The Top 25 (and all the others that didn’t make it). So beware, this is long, but a great primer to what I’m reading and what I think of it all. As I warned before, I lean Marvel, Vertigo and Wildstorm.
THE TOP TWENTY FIVE
1-10:
ALL-STAR SUPERMAN
(w. Grant Morrison, a. Frank Quitely)
This is by far the book I look forward to the most. The classic comic shtick melded with Morrison’s crazy sensibilities. The Jimmy Olson story in #4 could be one of my favorite single issues of all time. I adore Quitely’s art, and this is definitely the kind of comic that I want to read on a monthly basis. Too bad it doesn’t release on that schedule.
FELL
(w. Warren Ellis, a. Ben Templesmith)
Another book that doesn’t come out as often as I wish it would. It’s the best thing that Warren is currently writing, and my favorite since Transmetropolitan and early Planetary. Templesmith’s art is at times beautiful, even when depicting the horrors of Snowtown.
100 BULLETS
(w. Brian Azzarello, a. Eduardo Risso)
I’m obviously not the first one to say this, but at times, this book suffers from the format itself. Definitely reads better in arcs (read: trades), but I still maintain that it is one of the best comic books on the stands. Azzarello’s little crime book still has my utmost attention even after almost 7 years. It also helps that Eduardo Risso could be my favorite artist in comics.
USAGI YOJIMBO
(w/a. Stan Sakai)
Oh, the little Black & White that could. Issue-to-issue, pound-for-pound, it’s the most consistent funny book on the stands. The cute as hell, but very deadly rabbit ronin takes place in a well researched 17th century Japan, making this book a learning tool as it entertains.
Y: THE LAST MAN
(w. Brian Vaughan, a. Pia Guerra)
Finally entering its last arc, it will be sad to see this book go. Yorick’s adventure has been one of my favorite comics for its entire 5 year run. A special shout out to Goran Sudzuka who has pitched in almost seamlessly whenever Pia has needed it.
ASTONISHING X-MEN
(w. Joss Whedon, a. John Cassaday)
The X-Men are my favorite super heroes, so it’s no surprise that this falls here. Whether the pace of the single issues is bugging you or not, hard to deny that Whedon’s sense of dialogue and fun adventure has fit in perfectly with Marvel’s mutants. Cassaday is of course one of the best in the industry, and the book’s publishing schedule is the only real criticism I could give.
THE KILLER
(w. Matz, a. Luc Jacamon)
A newer entry for me, but I’ve been very quickly sucked in to this translated comic. I love spy stuff, and although it’s nothing earth-shattering, the book draws me in with great art and a main character, essentially a bad guy, who has my attention.
BATMAN
(w. Grant Morrison, a. Andy Kubert - supposedly)
Jumps back in the top ten (because it was down), now that it is actually written by Grant Morrison AND it’s actually, you know, a comic book. I feel like Grant is doing his version of All-Star Batman here and that is fine with me. Nowhere near that quality of course, but is that J.H. Williams III coming soon?
LOVELESS
(w. Brian Azzarello, a. Marcelo Frusin - almost never)
This book has stumbled for me, but not fallen. The artist situation is tough. With a book this dense, and hard to read in the singles (like 100 Bullets), it needs consistency in the art to help keep the myriad of bearded men in line from issue to issue. Still, to me, Wes Cutter is one of the best characters in comics right now. Brutal and complicated, this is a good comic.
CRIMINAL
(w. Ed Brubaker, a. Sean Phillips)
This book could be even farther up the list as it has just been great. Obviously, I like crime comics. And this one had an outstanding opening arc, and I can’t wait for more. Their Sleeper comic for Wildstorm was one of my favorites at that time.
11-25:
THE LONE RANGER
(w. Brett Matthews, a. Sergio Cariello)
A fantastic addition to the comics scene, and to my happy surprise, its another western. Brett Matthews (of Firefly and Buffy fame) translates really well to the comics form. The plot is subtle at times, so careful reading helps.
THE BOYS
(w. Garth Ennis, a. Darick Robertson)
Yeah, it’s completely over the top, but Ennis always manages to toss in that bit of humanity (in this case, Hughie) to make all the physical (and sexual) carnage worth it.
POWERS
(w. Brian Bendis, a. Michael Avon Oeming)
Since its inception, and all the books since, I consider this to be the best thing both of these creators have worked on. The new status quo continues to be interesting.
X-FACTOR
(w. Peter David, a. Pablo Raimondi - I think?)
Three things: A) At worst, Peter has made Layla extremely entertaining; at best, fascinating. B) Jamie Madrox and the drama of his dupes gets more complicated and rewarding with each dupe he comes across. And C) It’s the only comic in the entirety of the Marvel Universe that recognizes that House of M even happened.
THE AUTHORITY
(w. Grant Morrison, a. Gene Ha)
This is only here and not in with my top 10 because of its horrible publishing schedule. Whether it’s Morrison, Ha or Wildstorm editorial that’s responsible, it has been extremely lame. Both issues have been really good individually, but the book has had NO chance to build heat. Especially with a story paced like this.
DMZ
(w. Brian Wood, a. Riccardo Burchielli)
The two most recent storylines have been excellent, and although the book has been higher on my list in the past, it’s still a damn good comic. Where will Matty’s growth take us next?
WORMWOOD GENTLEMAN CORPSE
(w/a. Ben Templesmith)
Flat out one of the most FUN comics out there. The Worm and his crew and their misadventures are endlessly entertaining. This could almost take place in the Whedon Buffy-verse. Especially the drunken, sex-crazed leprechauns. The art has been spectacular.
NEW AVENGERS
(w. Brian Bendis, a. Leinil Yu)
Finally, a Marvel Super Hero comic! Seriously, I’m having fun with this comic. Curious to see where some of the pre-Civil War threads were headed, and it’ll look great with Yu at the art helm. Hell, I even like having Spider-Man and Wolverine as Avengers too.
MIGHTY AVENGERS
(w. Brian Bendis, a. Frank Cho)
So far so good with this one as well. Love Cho’s art and love the inclusion of Ares, (sorta) fresh off of a mostly solid mini-series. Though count me in the camp that rolled his eyes when we got a female Ultron just for Cho.
WASTELAND
(w. Antony Johnson, a. Christopher Mitten)
The first arc finished very strongly, and I’m excited to see where they go from here. The stand alone #7 was good, but I missed the main storyline.
THE WALKING DEAD
(w. Robert Kirkman, a. Charlie Adlard)
The two torture issues were more shockingly gross than shockingly good; but I’m still following along with Rick and his journey, regardless of subtext taking a back seat to wordy balloons.
GIRLS
(w/a. Luna Brothers)
The book meandered in its middle, and was definitely not as strong as it was in the beginning, but I’ve waded through the heavy dialogue to somehow still be excited about how it all ends. One more issue.
FABLES
(w. Bill Willingham, a. Mark Buckingham)
Sixty issues in and we are still going strong. Just a darn fine comic book in every way. The recent Reader Question issue was fun for the fans, but let’s get back to the main story. The best covers in comics thanks to James Jean.
CAPTAIN AMERICA
(w. Ed Brubaker, a. Steve Epting)
Well, he’s dead. So I guess we’ll see what happens next. Given what Brubaker has given us the first 25 issues, I’m sure it’ll be more good comics. And how cool is Bucky now?
DAREDEVIL
(w. Ed Brubaker, a. Michael Lark)
We are in an odd place now that we have bounced back completely from the Bendis era. If the most recent issue is any indication, it won’t be ground breaking, but it will be good Daredevil comics.
JUUUUUUST MISSED:
RUNAWAYS
(w. Brian Vaughan, a. Adrian Alphona)
Still pre-Whedon here, and although I think Volume 2 wasn’t as good as 1, this was still really good comics. Will Whedon’s arc be even better for the team? Sales will be at least, I’m sure.
THE REST
UNCANNY X-MEN: just missed; it’s moving back up under brubaker
X-MEN: ditto, carey as pointman in the x-universe is a good idea
ACTION COMICS
NEWUNIVERSAL
STORMWATCH: PHD: slowly moving up
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: still real good, clone war was fun
INVINCIBLE
DARK TOWER: THE GUNSLINGER BORN: never read the novels, but this is good
LOCAL
EX-MACHINA: this has moved down over the years, but still worth reading
THUNDERBOLTS
GODLAND
CASANOVA; the book everyone loves, but I just like
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
SCALPED
THE PUNISHER: ennis continues to entertain with this; an epic run
FALLEN ANGEL
CROSSING MIDNIGHT: premise would benefit from an artist with more style and vision
THE EXTERMINATORS: dropping down
SHE-HULK 2
WETWORKS: getting better
THE SPIRIT
MIDNIGHTER
G.I. JOE: AMERICA’S ELITE
FEAR AGENT
THE PUNISHER: WAR JOURNAL
FANTASTIC FOUR
ELEPHANTMEN
JACK OF FABLES: fun, but I wish jack was in FABLES still
NEW AVENGERS: ILLUMINATI
NEW X-MEN
CABLE/DEADPOOL: skottie young’s covers have been great
WISDOM: surprisingly fun, second issue was awesome
WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY
SILENT WAR
GRIFTER/MIDNIGHTER
GEN13
DEATHBLOW
MOON KNIGHT
CITY OF OTHERS
SHAZAM: THE MONSTER SOCIETY OF EVIL: real good, but I’m not the audience, kids are
THE INCREDIBLE HULK: planet hulk got better as it went along, don’t know what everyone else was loving early
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: confusing since I don’t read DC, and now a crossover too?
WOLVERINE: wow, I’m wishing for guggenheim back
WOLVERINE: ORIGINS: blah
ULTIMATE POWER: utterly pointless
ULTIMATE X-MEN: this used to be distinguishable from the 616 x-books
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR
DEADMAN: dropped it
INCOMPLETE (books I also collect, but haven’t had a book in the last quarter):
PLANETARY: one of my favorite comics of all time, but too hard to put in here with its schedule, but it would actually be #1
THE ULTIMATES; normally a top ten
WILDCATS
QUEEN & COUNTRY: where oh where have you gone?
SAVAGE DRAGON: this one has had books, but I’m behind
SQUADRON SUPREME
ALL-STAR BATMAN & ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER
DESOLATION JONES
THE TOP TWENTY FIVE
1-10:
ALL-STAR SUPERMAN(w. Grant Morrison, a. Frank Quitely)
This is by far the book I look forward to the most. The classic comic shtick melded with Morrison’s crazy sensibilities. The Jimmy Olson story in #4 could be one of my favorite single issues of all time. I adore Quitely’s art, and this is definitely the kind of comic that I want to read on a monthly basis. Too bad it doesn’t release on that schedule.
FELL(w. Warren Ellis, a. Ben Templesmith)
Another book that doesn’t come out as often as I wish it would. It’s the best thing that Warren is currently writing, and my favorite since Transmetropolitan and early Planetary. Templesmith’s art is at times beautiful, even when depicting the horrors of Snowtown.
100 BULLETS(w. Brian Azzarello, a. Eduardo Risso)
I’m obviously not the first one to say this, but at times, this book suffers from the format itself. Definitely reads better in arcs (read: trades), but I still maintain that it is one of the best comic books on the stands. Azzarello’s little crime book still has my utmost attention even after almost 7 years. It also helps that Eduardo Risso could be my favorite artist in comics.
USAGI YOJIMBO(w/a. Stan Sakai)
Oh, the little Black & White that could. Issue-to-issue, pound-for-pound, it’s the most consistent funny book on the stands. The cute as hell, but very deadly rabbit ronin takes place in a well researched 17th century Japan, making this book a learning tool as it entertains.
Y: THE LAST MAN(w. Brian Vaughan, a. Pia Guerra)
Finally entering its last arc, it will be sad to see this book go. Yorick’s adventure has been one of my favorite comics for its entire 5 year run. A special shout out to Goran Sudzuka who has pitched in almost seamlessly whenever Pia has needed it.
ASTONISHING X-MEN(w. Joss Whedon, a. John Cassaday)
The X-Men are my favorite super heroes, so it’s no surprise that this falls here. Whether the pace of the single issues is bugging you or not, hard to deny that Whedon’s sense of dialogue and fun adventure has fit in perfectly with Marvel’s mutants. Cassaday is of course one of the best in the industry, and the book’s publishing schedule is the only real criticism I could give.
THE KILLER(w. Matz, a. Luc Jacamon)
A newer entry for me, but I’ve been very quickly sucked in to this translated comic. I love spy stuff, and although it’s nothing earth-shattering, the book draws me in with great art and a main character, essentially a bad guy, who has my attention.
BATMAN(w. Grant Morrison, a. Andy Kubert - supposedly)
Jumps back in the top ten (because it was down), now that it is actually written by Grant Morrison AND it’s actually, you know, a comic book. I feel like Grant is doing his version of All-Star Batman here and that is fine with me. Nowhere near that quality of course, but is that J.H. Williams III coming soon?
LOVELESS(w. Brian Azzarello, a. Marcelo Frusin - almost never)
This book has stumbled for me, but not fallen. The artist situation is tough. With a book this dense, and hard to read in the singles (like 100 Bullets), it needs consistency in the art to help keep the myriad of bearded men in line from issue to issue. Still, to me, Wes Cutter is one of the best characters in comics right now. Brutal and complicated, this is a good comic.
CRIMINAL(w. Ed Brubaker, a. Sean Phillips)
This book could be even farther up the list as it has just been great. Obviously, I like crime comics. And this one had an outstanding opening arc, and I can’t wait for more. Their Sleeper comic for Wildstorm was one of my favorites at that time.
11-25:
THE LONE RANGER
(w. Brett Matthews, a. Sergio Cariello)
A fantastic addition to the comics scene, and to my happy surprise, its another western. Brett Matthews (of Firefly and Buffy fame) translates really well to the comics form. The plot is subtle at times, so careful reading helps.
THE BOYS
(w. Garth Ennis, a. Darick Robertson)
Yeah, it’s completely over the top, but Ennis always manages to toss in that bit of humanity (in this case, Hughie) to make all the physical (and sexual) carnage worth it.
POWERS
(w. Brian Bendis, a. Michael Avon Oeming)
Since its inception, and all the books since, I consider this to be the best thing both of these creators have worked on. The new status quo continues to be interesting.
X-FACTOR
(w. Peter David, a. Pablo Raimondi - I think?)
Three things: A) At worst, Peter has made Layla extremely entertaining; at best, fascinating. B) Jamie Madrox and the drama of his dupes gets more complicated and rewarding with each dupe he comes across. And C) It’s the only comic in the entirety of the Marvel Universe that recognizes that House of M even happened.
THE AUTHORITY
(w. Grant Morrison, a. Gene Ha)
This is only here and not in with my top 10 because of its horrible publishing schedule. Whether it’s Morrison, Ha or Wildstorm editorial that’s responsible, it has been extremely lame. Both issues have been really good individually, but the book has had NO chance to build heat. Especially with a story paced like this.
DMZ
(w. Brian Wood, a. Riccardo Burchielli)
The two most recent storylines have been excellent, and although the book has been higher on my list in the past, it’s still a damn good comic. Where will Matty’s growth take us next?
WORMWOOD GENTLEMAN CORPSE
(w/a. Ben Templesmith)
Flat out one of the most FUN comics out there. The Worm and his crew and their misadventures are endlessly entertaining. This could almost take place in the Whedon Buffy-verse. Especially the drunken, sex-crazed leprechauns. The art has been spectacular.
NEW AVENGERS
(w. Brian Bendis, a. Leinil Yu)
Finally, a Marvel Super Hero comic! Seriously, I’m having fun with this comic. Curious to see where some of the pre-Civil War threads were headed, and it’ll look great with Yu at the art helm. Hell, I even like having Spider-Man and Wolverine as Avengers too.
MIGHTY AVENGERS
(w. Brian Bendis, a. Frank Cho)
So far so good with this one as well. Love Cho’s art and love the inclusion of Ares, (sorta) fresh off of a mostly solid mini-series. Though count me in the camp that rolled his eyes when we got a female Ultron just for Cho.
WASTELAND
(w. Antony Johnson, a. Christopher Mitten)
The first arc finished very strongly, and I’m excited to see where they go from here. The stand alone #7 was good, but I missed the main storyline.
THE WALKING DEAD
(w. Robert Kirkman, a. Charlie Adlard)
The two torture issues were more shockingly gross than shockingly good; but I’m still following along with Rick and his journey, regardless of subtext taking a back seat to wordy balloons.
GIRLS
(w/a. Luna Brothers)
The book meandered in its middle, and was definitely not as strong as it was in the beginning, but I’ve waded through the heavy dialogue to somehow still be excited about how it all ends. One more issue.
FABLES
(w. Bill Willingham, a. Mark Buckingham)
Sixty issues in and we are still going strong. Just a darn fine comic book in every way. The recent Reader Question issue was fun for the fans, but let’s get back to the main story. The best covers in comics thanks to James Jean.
CAPTAIN AMERICA
(w. Ed Brubaker, a. Steve Epting)
Well, he’s dead. So I guess we’ll see what happens next. Given what Brubaker has given us the first 25 issues, I’m sure it’ll be more good comics. And how cool is Bucky now?
DAREDEVIL
(w. Ed Brubaker, a. Michael Lark)
We are in an odd place now that we have bounced back completely from the Bendis era. If the most recent issue is any indication, it won’t be ground breaking, but it will be good Daredevil comics.
JUUUUUUST MISSED:
RUNAWAYS
(w. Brian Vaughan, a. Adrian Alphona)
Still pre-Whedon here, and although I think Volume 2 wasn’t as good as 1, this was still really good comics. Will Whedon’s arc be even better for the team? Sales will be at least, I’m sure.
THE REST
UNCANNY X-MEN: just missed; it’s moving back up under brubaker
X-MEN: ditto, carey as pointman in the x-universe is a good idea
ACTION COMICS
NEWUNIVERSAL
STORMWATCH: PHD: slowly moving up
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: still real good, clone war was fun
INVINCIBLE
DARK TOWER: THE GUNSLINGER BORN: never read the novels, but this is good
LOCAL
EX-MACHINA: this has moved down over the years, but still worth reading
THUNDERBOLTS
GODLAND
CASANOVA; the book everyone loves, but I just like
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
SCALPED
THE PUNISHER: ennis continues to entertain with this; an epic run
FALLEN ANGEL
CROSSING MIDNIGHT: premise would benefit from an artist with more style and vision
THE EXTERMINATORS: dropping down
SHE-HULK 2
WETWORKS: getting better
THE SPIRIT
MIDNIGHTER
G.I. JOE: AMERICA’S ELITE
FEAR AGENT
THE PUNISHER: WAR JOURNAL
FANTASTIC FOUR
ELEPHANTMEN
JACK OF FABLES: fun, but I wish jack was in FABLES still
NEW AVENGERS: ILLUMINATI
NEW X-MEN
CABLE/DEADPOOL: skottie young’s covers have been great
WISDOM: surprisingly fun, second issue was awesome
WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY
SILENT WAR
GRIFTER/MIDNIGHTER
GEN13
DEATHBLOW
MOON KNIGHT
CITY OF OTHERS
SHAZAM: THE MONSTER SOCIETY OF EVIL: real good, but I’m not the audience, kids are
THE INCREDIBLE HULK: planet hulk got better as it went along, don’t know what everyone else was loving early
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: confusing since I don’t read DC, and now a crossover too?
WOLVERINE: wow, I’m wishing for guggenheim back
WOLVERINE: ORIGINS: blah
ULTIMATE POWER: utterly pointless
ULTIMATE X-MEN: this used to be distinguishable from the 616 x-books
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR
DEADMAN: dropped it
INCOMPLETE (books I also collect, but haven’t had a book in the last quarter):
PLANETARY: one of my favorite comics of all time, but too hard to put in here with its schedule, but it would actually be #1
THE ULTIMATES; normally a top ten
WILDCATS
QUEEN & COUNTRY: where oh where have you gone?
SAVAGE DRAGON: this one has had books, but I’m behind
SQUADRON SUPREME
ALL-STAR BATMAN & ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER
DESOLATION JONES
Sunday, April 1, 2007
the last comic blog
0001
I've wanted a place to rant and rave about the comics that I buy for a long time now. I mean, I've been reading comics for more than 20 years now, and I usually have something to say on most everything I read, whether the people around me want to hear it or not. I have successfully introduced (and reintroduced) comics to a couple of very good friends over the years, and I've even managed to get my (gasp) girlfriend into them. She now reads over 30 books a month herself. BUT STILL, their ears are not enough for me. They don't really care how Bendis' career has changed over the years, or the current state of the Wildstorm Universe 6 months after its re-launch, or even if we should be worried about the current sales boost the industry has seen over the past few years, with scary similarities to the 90's (multiple covers, 30 issue crossovers and impenetrable universe continuity). No, they really don't.
So that's where you fellow nerds/geeks come in. Obviously, A LOT MORE, soon.
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