[click to make bigger]
One of my favorite artists of all-time, I'm happy to see him return to American comics. Can't wait until we get an entire issue of something.
Monday, October 29, 2007
monday night art: travis charest
I am dangerously behind on new comic books this week. If I get a post up this week I'll be impressed. In the mean time, here is a page of Travis Charest's art from an Ultimates recap book coming up soon. He only does 4 pages apparently, but HOLY SHIT, I think I might just get it anyway.
[click to make bigger]
One of my favorite artists of all-time, I'm happy to see him return to American comics. Can't wait until we get an entire issue of something.
[click to make bigger]
One of my favorite artists of all-time, I'm happy to see him return to American comics. Can't wait until we get an entire issue of something.
Friday, October 26, 2007
ncrl: october 24
This year is going by fast, eh?
THE BIG LIST ! From a record NINE publishers too!
archaia:
THE KILLER #5
THE KILLER #6 months of no Killer and then two?! i guess the french version is behind too, since one of their issues is two of ours
avatar:
DOKTOR SLEEPLESS #3
STREETS OF GLORY #2
boom!:
POTTER'S FIELD #2 although my guy was out, and i need to track it down now
dark horse:
FEAR AGENT: THE LAST GOODBYE #4
dc:
ACTION COMICS #857
AUTHORITY: PRIME #1 this snuck up on me, i thought it still had a few days
GEN 13 #13 last simone
GREEN ARROW: YEAR ONE #6
LOVELESS #20
SUPERMAN #669
WETWORKS #14 apparently, this has one more issue
dynamite:
LONE RANGER #9 sweeeeeet
idw:
TRANSFORMERS: DEVASTATION #2
MEGATRON: ORIGIN #4
image:
CASANOVA #10
VELOCITY PILOT SEASON #1
WALKING DEAD #43
marvel;
CABLE/DEADPOOL #46
DAREDEVIL #101
MOON KNIGHT #13 drrrrooooooppped
SHE-HULK 2 #22
THUNDERBOLTS #117
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #115
X-MEN #204
THE BIG LIST ! From a record NINE publishers too!
archaia:
THE KILLER #5
THE KILLER #6 months of no Killer and then two?! i guess the french version is behind too, since one of their issues is two of ours
avatar:
DOKTOR SLEEPLESS #3
STREETS OF GLORY #2
boom!:
POTTER'S FIELD #2 although my guy was out, and i need to track it down now
dark horse:
FEAR AGENT: THE LAST GOODBYE #4
dc:
ACTION COMICS #857
AUTHORITY: PRIME #1 this snuck up on me, i thought it still had a few days
GEN 13 #13 last simone
GREEN ARROW: YEAR ONE #6
LOVELESS #20
SUPERMAN #669
WETWORKS #14 apparently, this has one more issue
dynamite:
LONE RANGER #9 sweeeeeet
idw:
TRANSFORMERS: DEVASTATION #2
MEGATRON: ORIGIN #4
image:
CASANOVA #10
VELOCITY PILOT SEASON #1
WALKING DEAD #43
marvel;
CABLE/DEADPOOL #46
DAREDEVIL #101
SHE-HULK 2 #22
THUNDERBOLTS #117
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #115
X-MEN #204
weekly loot: october 17
So this is a bit late this week. But better late than ever! Good week too, as I enjoyed most of what I read.
book of the week:
POWERS #26
(w. Brian Bendis, A. Michael Oeming)
New format! More pages! New Story! Well, that's what the cover says, even though the story is a continuation of pretty much everything since this volume's inception. But nonetheless, Walker and Deena finally have their confrontation and it didn't go quite as smooth as Walker probably wanted because Deena has a virus and she is fucking crazy. Basically. The scenes with the Enki the new partner were all pretty good, as she really starts to nicely settle in to the cast. And I mean every scene. From the opening with I.A., to the Deena scene, to the genuine scenes she has with Walker afterwards. Allllll good stuff. The sequence with the high school kids was creepy enough on its own, then got downright scary with the cliffhanger. Best Powers issue in a while. [First time this has won this since February 1, 2006]
runner up:
DMZ #24: This was damn close to BotW. A few issues ago Matty saved this girl called Amina, and boy am I glad he did. This issue focuses on her current life, what she does to survive and how by doing just that she has been placed between a rock and a hard place. Basically, two motherfuckers that care more about killing each other than her nothing life. "Welcome to the shit Amina." Indeed. Really good issue with fantastic Burchielli art.
other real good books:
EX-MACHINA #31: This title had a bit of a hiatus not too long ago, and it has always been over shadowed by Vaughan's more popular books (Y: The Last Man, Runaways), but now that Brian and the always awesome Tony Harris are back on track the book is as good as it has ever been.
UMBRELLA ACADEMY: APOCALYPSE SUITE #2: After being completely surprised by how much I liked the first issue, this issue fires back with more plot this time, like why it is named Apocalypse Suite. And although it didn't get my Book of the Week, it still maintains the same quirky, clever flavor that the first issue had. Gabriel Ba is awesome AGAIN.
FABLES #66: Have I mentioned how much I'm adoring Flycatcher as a mastermind and bad ass? Well, I am. The Good Prince rolls on, with a cliffhanger that promises a battle.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #31: When Brubaker said that this book would still be interesting without Steve Rogers, I'm sure everyone had a little bit of doubt. But seven issues into the storyline and it turns out he is STILL right. Winter Soldier being the shit helps, and being that this is in many ways HIS arc, is there any way he ISN'T the next Captain America when all is said and done?
three-star books:
THE PROGRAMME #4: Sales are apparently shitty, but no matter, I'm enjoying this. This series about Cold War Russian and American super heroes is getting better and better. C.P. Smith's art is pretty perfect for this title.
ELEPHANTMEN #11: Elephantmen returns after a bit of a gap thanks to Moritat having a bout with carpal tunnel syndrome. One of my favorite encounters at San Diego was with Moritat, so I don't mind waiting for this title if it means waiting for him. Oh yeah, good issue too.
BOYS #11: Fresh off of a character fucking an asteroid with a vagina like orifice, comes a little more down to Earth storyline for Da Boyz. This time off to Russia to solve a murder. Some good character stuff, I still love Hughie, and this arc looks promising.
SUBURBAN GLAMOUR #1: A teenager has an odd day where amidst normal teenage hijinks, her imaginary friends from childhood start popping up (!). There was a lot of scenes of "getting to know the characters" with little plot movement, but in a first issue that is welcome. This is definitely more accessible than Phonogram was, and the McKelvie art is really quite good.
SWORD #1: The Luna Brothers are back! I really liked Ultra and most of Girls, before Ithe second half meandered, but these guys are still young and making some really fun comics. As far as first issues go, the other two titles have it beat, but this was still pretty good and its all about how it finishes rather then opens. The violent attack in the latter half of the issue was pretty gnarly, and what you would come to expect as far as violence goes from the Lunas. Good start.
PENANCE: RELENTLESS #2: This mini is turning out to be pretty entertaining. Norman has been good, Robbie is interesting and I like the idea of Latveria as a villain. Doom cometh.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE CHOSEN #3: Well this stepped up a notch. We get some of the answers we wanted here, and for an Elseworlds story, I dig 'em. Good job Morrell.
MIGHTY AVENGERS #5: Well this is running a bit late isn't it? Some cool Cho art with some fun fight sequences. Who knew that Ares was so damn resourceful? Great cliffhanger with Ares entering the mouth of Ultron thanks to some Pym particles.
G.I. JOE: AMERICA'S ELITE #28: WW3 continues... Mike Bear is back with some nice art, and we get some young Duke flashbacks. Perfectly good Joe entertainment, but this is the second time that Mark Powers has written another MADDENING SCENE where a trained GI Joe can somehow miss someone with a MACHINE GUN at point blank range! Stupidest fucking thing in the world. Seriously: STUPIDEST FUCKING THING IN THE WORLD.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #14: I'm having a lot of fun with McDuffie's JLA. Why is it so much easier for me to enjoy this than it is his Fantastic Four run?
WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #18: This has been the best storyline in Origins thus far, highlighted by another bad ass Bucky appearance. The "Shield" joke was horrible.
PRIMORDIA #1: Archaia's three-issue fantasy mini about a Wood Nymph that finds two human babies that grow up to be opposites (Sun and Moon). The story so far reads like pieces of other fantasy series, but the real strength of the book was in the artwork. Both the pencils and colors were excellent.
AQUAMAN: SWORD OF ATLANTIS #57: Being the last issue, it felt like Tad Williams tried to fit in as much as he could, and you can feel it. Regardless, what was making the series fun before, is still here regardless if not all the sub-plots were finished. In the next issue box, it says to follow the new Aquaman to Outsiders, but with the change in creative team over there, I wonder if that is still the plan.
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #47: Just barely makes it in the three-star section, but it was perfectly good start to a FF story. Too bad Pasqual Ferry isn't here. Unfortunately, Brooks doesn't compare.
comics with problems:
TERROR, INC #3: The super violent action scenes are the best part of the title, but the rest of the storyline is still kind of ho-hum.
ULTIMATE X-MEN #87: So this was all some master plan between Cablerine and Bishop to get the X-Men into fight shape? Its not a hoooorrible idea, but I'm still bored with the title. After 87 issues, I'm around to see what Loeb is planning, then we'll see.
X-MEN: EMPEROR VULCAN #2: Scy'Ar Tal huh? As I said last time, this storyline didn't really need a third party villain. Especially not a badly designed one.
just bad:
WOLVERINE #58: Um, wow. I don't even know where to start hating on this. Never mind, I do. How about this storyline hinging on the fact that he fell in love with some girl off-panel and her death takes away his will. To do what you ask? His soul's will fight Azreal in Purgatory so that he can come back to life. You know, like he has been doing every time he dies!? Granted, I've only been reading Wolverine since about 1991, but this, coupled with Loeb's "cat people" arc could be the two worst things ever written for the character. Seriously, it's that bad.
book of the week:
POWERS #26(w. Brian Bendis, A. Michael Oeming)
New format! More pages! New Story! Well, that's what the cover says, even though the story is a continuation of pretty much everything since this volume's inception. But nonetheless, Walker and Deena finally have their confrontation and it didn't go quite as smooth as Walker probably wanted because Deena has a virus and she is fucking crazy. Basically. The scenes with the Enki the new partner were all pretty good, as she really starts to nicely settle in to the cast. And I mean every scene. From the opening with I.A., to the Deena scene, to the genuine scenes she has with Walker afterwards. Allllll good stuff. The sequence with the high school kids was creepy enough on its own, then got downright scary with the cliffhanger. Best Powers issue in a while. [First time this has won this since February 1, 2006]
runner up:
DMZ #24: This was damn close to BotW. A few issues ago Matty saved this girl called Amina, and boy am I glad he did. This issue focuses on her current life, what she does to survive and how by doing just that she has been placed between a rock and a hard place. Basically, two motherfuckers that care more about killing each other than her nothing life. "Welcome to the shit Amina." Indeed. Really good issue with fantastic Burchielli art.other real good books:
EX-MACHINA #31: This title had a bit of a hiatus not too long ago, and it has always been over shadowed by Vaughan's more popular books (Y: The Last Man, Runaways), but now that Brian and the always awesome Tony Harris are back on track the book is as good as it has ever been.UMBRELLA ACADEMY: APOCALYPSE SUITE #2: After being completely surprised by how much I liked the first issue, this issue fires back with more plot this time, like why it is named Apocalypse Suite. And although it didn't get my Book of the Week, it still maintains the same quirky, clever flavor that the first issue had. Gabriel Ba is awesome AGAIN.
FABLES #66: Have I mentioned how much I'm adoring Flycatcher as a mastermind and bad ass? Well, I am. The Good Prince rolls on, with a cliffhanger that promises a battle.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #31: When Brubaker said that this book would still be interesting without Steve Rogers, I'm sure everyone had a little bit of doubt. But seven issues into the storyline and it turns out he is STILL right. Winter Soldier being the shit helps, and being that this is in many ways HIS arc, is there any way he ISN'T the next Captain America when all is said and done?
three-star books:
THE PROGRAMME #4: Sales are apparently shitty, but no matter, I'm enjoying this. This series about Cold War Russian and American super heroes is getting better and better. C.P. Smith's art is pretty perfect for this title.ELEPHANTMEN #11: Elephantmen returns after a bit of a gap thanks to Moritat having a bout with carpal tunnel syndrome. One of my favorite encounters at San Diego was with Moritat, so I don't mind waiting for this title if it means waiting for him. Oh yeah, good issue too.
BOYS #11: Fresh off of a character fucking an asteroid with a vagina like orifice, comes a little more down to Earth storyline for Da Boyz. This time off to Russia to solve a murder. Some good character stuff, I still love Hughie, and this arc looks promising.
SUBURBAN GLAMOUR #1: A teenager has an odd day where amidst normal teenage hijinks, her imaginary friends from childhood start popping up (!). There was a lot of scenes of "getting to know the characters" with little plot movement, but in a first issue that is welcome. This is definitely more accessible than Phonogram was, and the McKelvie art is really quite good.
SWORD #1: The Luna Brothers are back! I really liked Ultra and most of Girls, before Ithe second half meandered, but these guys are still young and making some really fun comics. As far as first issues go, the other two titles have it beat, but this was still pretty good and its all about how it finishes rather then opens. The violent attack in the latter half of the issue was pretty gnarly, and what you would come to expect as far as violence goes from the Lunas. Good start.
PENANCE: RELENTLESS #2: This mini is turning out to be pretty entertaining. Norman has been good, Robbie is interesting and I like the idea of Latveria as a villain. Doom cometh.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE CHOSEN #3: Well this stepped up a notch. We get some of the answers we wanted here, and for an Elseworlds story, I dig 'em. Good job Morrell.
MIGHTY AVENGERS #5: Well this is running a bit late isn't it? Some cool Cho art with some fun fight sequences. Who knew that Ares was so damn resourceful? Great cliffhanger with Ares entering the mouth of Ultron thanks to some Pym particles.
G.I. JOE: AMERICA'S ELITE #28: WW3 continues... Mike Bear is back with some nice art, and we get some young Duke flashbacks. Perfectly good Joe entertainment, but this is the second time that Mark Powers has written another MADDENING SCENE where a trained GI Joe can somehow miss someone with a MACHINE GUN at point blank range! Stupidest fucking thing in the world. Seriously: STUPIDEST FUCKING THING IN THE WORLD.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #14: I'm having a lot of fun with McDuffie's JLA. Why is it so much easier for me to enjoy this than it is his Fantastic Four run?
WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #18: This has been the best storyline in Origins thus far, highlighted by another bad ass Bucky appearance. The "Shield" joke was horrible.
PRIMORDIA #1: Archaia's three-issue fantasy mini about a Wood Nymph that finds two human babies that grow up to be opposites (Sun and Moon). The story so far reads like pieces of other fantasy series, but the real strength of the book was in the artwork. Both the pencils and colors were excellent.
AQUAMAN: SWORD OF ATLANTIS #57: Being the last issue, it felt like Tad Williams tried to fit in as much as he could, and you can feel it. Regardless, what was making the series fun before, is still here regardless if not all the sub-plots were finished. In the next issue box, it says to follow the new Aquaman to Outsiders, but with the change in creative team over there, I wonder if that is still the plan.
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #47: Just barely makes it in the three-star section, but it was perfectly good start to a FF story. Too bad Pasqual Ferry isn't here. Unfortunately, Brooks doesn't compare.
comics with problems:
TERROR, INC #3: The super violent action scenes are the best part of the title, but the rest of the storyline is still kind of ho-hum.ULTIMATE X-MEN #87: So this was all some master plan between Cablerine and Bishop to get the X-Men into fight shape? Its not a hoooorrible idea, but I'm still bored with the title. After 87 issues, I'm around to see what Loeb is planning, then we'll see.
X-MEN: EMPEROR VULCAN #2: Scy'Ar Tal huh? As I said last time, this storyline didn't really need a third party villain. Especially not a badly designed one.
just bad:
WOLVERINE #58: Um, wow. I don't even know where to start hating on this. Never mind, I do. How about this storyline hinging on the fact that he fell in love with some girl off-panel and her death takes away his will. To do what you ask? His soul's will fight Azreal in Purgatory so that he can come back to life. You know, like he has been doing every time he dies!? Granted, I've only been reading Wolverine since about 1991, but this, coupled with Loeb's "cat people" arc could be the two worst things ever written for the character. Seriously, it's that bad.Monday, October 22, 2007
monday night art: stan sakai
I do not know if this is becoming a weekly thing or not, but it is here tonight! This week, the super fucking cool SAMURAI HULK by Stan Sakai.
AWESOME:
Click to make bigger.
AWESOME:
Click to make bigger.Thursday, October 18, 2007
northlanders
My most anticipated book of the year is Brian Wood's NORTHLANDERS from Vertigo Comics. In fact, it has probably been my most anticipated ever since I first heard about it (I think) at Comic-Con 2006. Brian Wood's DMZ has been one of my favorites over the last couple of years* and his indie hits DEMO and (especially) LOCAL have been excellent as well.There is a brand spanking new interview with Brian Wood over at Comic Book Resources about the series.
AND
Myspace Comic Books has a 7-page preview as well. Just click on Sven below:
Can't fucking wait.
*DMZ has won 10 "book of the weeks" since I started keeping track in January 2006.
back over 20 books: ncrl for october 17
Along with WOLVERINE #58 that my retailer didn't get last week, here was what I picked up yesterday:
archaia:
PRIMORDIA #1
dark horse:
UMBRELLA ACADEMY #1 i'm reaaaally excited for this
dc:
AQUAMAN: SWORD OF ATLANTIS #57 cancelled, last issue
DMZ #24
EX-MACHINA #31
FABLES #66
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #14
THE PROGRAMME #4
devil's due:
GI JOE AMERICA'S ELITE #28
dynamite:
BOYS #11
image:
ELEPHANTMEN #11
SUBURBAN GLAMOUR #1 the previews to this have looked great
SWORD #1 new luna brothers
marvel:
CAPTAIN AMERICA #31
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CHOSEN #3
MIGHTY AVENGERS #5
PENANCE: RELENTLESS #2
POWERS #26
TERROR, INC. #3
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #47
ULTIMATE X-MEN #87
WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #18
X-MEN: EMPEROR VULCAN #2
archaia:
PRIMORDIA #1
dark horse:
UMBRELLA ACADEMY #1 i'm reaaaally excited for this
dc:
AQUAMAN: SWORD OF ATLANTIS #57 cancelled, last issue
DMZ #24
EX-MACHINA #31
FABLES #66
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #14
THE PROGRAMME #4
devil's due:
GI JOE AMERICA'S ELITE #28
dynamite:
BOYS #11
image:
ELEPHANTMEN #11
SUBURBAN GLAMOUR #1 the previews to this have looked great
SWORD #1 new luna brothers
marvel:
CAPTAIN AMERICA #31
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CHOSEN #3
MIGHTY AVENGERS #5
PENANCE: RELENTLESS #2
POWERS #26
TERROR, INC. #3
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #47
ULTIMATE X-MEN #87
WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #18
X-MEN: EMPEROR VULCAN #2
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
quick takes: october 10
Over the course of the last 4-6 weeks, I have been slowly trying to increase the amount of writing I do when discussing the weekly loot, but after a long weekend in Vegas for a wedding, shuffling between friends and family, and coming back to work on a Tuesday to play catch-up basically meeeaaaans... that these will be on the briefer side of what they've been.
book of the week:
X-FACTOR #24
(w. Peter David, a. Pablo Ramiondi)
Not a great book this week, but a pretty good one gets the top spot. The final part in the latest X-Factor storyline ends with our heroes barely escaping (the crazy!) Isolationist and his slightly far-fetched plan to kill the Earth's remaining mutants. From here the series moves into the big Mutant Crossover: Messiah Complex. Then somewhere down the line will hopefully return to the character as series villain. Also, even though we got some teases over the course of the first 24 issues, I'm excited to see these X-Factor characters interact with the main teams again. Some nice Raimondi art once again.
other real good comics:
BLACK SUMMER #3: This is really going into old-school Authority territory here (although not as ground breaking), with basically, even better powers on the heroes. Some crazy action, with just enough character bits with politics and science thrown in to make it entertaining. Good issue, even if we spent a lot of time talking at the beginning.
PUNISHER #51: I really liked this issue, but I really can't help myself when Frank goes completely over-the-top bad ass. You know, biting people's faces, all the while, still wanting to protect the puny humans from the big bad Barracuda. Looking forward to their showdown, but I will be sad if the Garth Ennis rumors are true. PLEASE DON'T LEAVE GARTH! PLEEEEAAAASE!
three-star comics:
NEW AVENGERS #35: The cover was awesome! Too bad it had absolutely NOTHING to do with the issue! Why not put the Hood on the cover, and save this thing for next issue when it, you know, actually has Wolverine in it. I enjoyed the issue, but I can't help but feel that the Hood s being pushed too hard, too fast. I buy him as someone that is up-and-coming. Hell, I even buy him as someone that WILL be a future bad-ass. What I don't buy, is the Hood sa an A-level Super Villain. And NO, killing The Owl and beating the shit out of Tigra isn't going to change my mind.
STORMWATCH PHD #12: A good, if a bit of a ho-hum ending to a rather confusing series. For one, without a doubt, Gage is a talented writer. He has a good knack for character, and juggles a large team book (basically two teams) with great ease, letting most of the characters get their moment to shine. Its just too bad that I feel like this series slowly fell downhill, bottoming at the horrible Synergy murder attempt on her husband, and then meandered back up to pretty good in the final issues. If I can find time, I've really wanted to post something about Wildstorm as a whole because I have much more to say about this one.
NEW WARRIORS #5: I like the idea of this comic, the story and even the art, as I think Medina has "big star" in his future. And this was another perfectly good issue. My problem at this point, is that I don't feel like I know the New Warriors much at all besides for Sofia and what I already knew of Jubilee as a long time X-Fan. It looks like some of the characters are starting to get a little detail with this issue, but it took a meaningless death to kind of start that.
GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY #1: So I liked this. In fairness, Cliff Chiang is a big part of the reason, as the art is pretty much amazing. The rest of it was good fun, and a pretty good comic book. Nice moments with Green Lantern and Batman (the autopsy was hilarious) and a decent cliffhanger that wasn't really too much of a surprise. But yeah, Chiang is the shit.
RUNAWAYS #28: Another chapter in the Whedon Runaways. Still not reaching Vaughan levels, but I'm still having fun with the arc.
EXTERMINATORS #22: God damn this comic is crazy. No, seriously, its fucking crazy.
STORM SHADOW #4: So this book did continue with the goofy formula: bad, good, bad, good! The story was so-so, the art and that action were all pretty awesome. Zartan showing up was a nice surprise, and his confrontation with Storm Shadow was good times.
WONDER WOMAN #13: A pretty good filler issue, helping to set up and lead in to the much anticipated Simone run.
comics with problems:
SUPERMAN #668: Thought I'd check out this little three parter, but unfortunately it didn't do much for me. The villains seem lame and Busiek's writing was surprisingly eh. I'm not that big on Rick Leonardi's art, so that was just okay for me. The best part was definitely the exchanges between the young Kent and Robin.
PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #12: The main World War Hulk title has been a mostly entertaining slug fest, but the side books just continue to be ugh for me. The art was good though, and I could seriously get into the Punisher symbiote outfit as necessary gear every once in a while.
FANTASTIC FOUR #550: The return of Gravity already? Blah. And it looks like we've already reached the end of the Black Panther/Storm era. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that we are, but it still is odd to me the progression that Sue/Reed go through from Civil War to here. I guess it really wasn't supposed to affect things for years to come.
FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #24: I'm obviously not the only one thinking this, but really? Two issues into the four parter that changes everything and nothing has really happened? The last page was at least promising. And I dug Quesada's art more.
WORLD WAR HULK FRONTLINE #5: This still isn't working for me. The best part of the issue was probably the Top Ten reasons to hate Sally Floyd.
um, no:
NONE
book of the week:
X-FACTOR #24(w. Peter David, a. Pablo Ramiondi)
Not a great book this week, but a pretty good one gets the top spot. The final part in the latest X-Factor storyline ends with our heroes barely escaping (the crazy!) Isolationist and his slightly far-fetched plan to kill the Earth's remaining mutants. From here the series moves into the big Mutant Crossover: Messiah Complex. Then somewhere down the line will hopefully return to the character as series villain. Also, even though we got some teases over the course of the first 24 issues, I'm excited to see these X-Factor characters interact with the main teams again. Some nice Raimondi art once again.
other real good comics:
BLACK SUMMER #3: This is really going into old-school Authority territory here (although not as ground breaking), with basically, even better powers on the heroes. Some crazy action, with just enough character bits with politics and science thrown in to make it entertaining. Good issue, even if we spent a lot of time talking at the beginning.PUNISHER #51: I really liked this issue, but I really can't help myself when Frank goes completely over-the-top bad ass. You know, biting people's faces, all the while, still wanting to protect the puny humans from the big bad Barracuda. Looking forward to their showdown, but I will be sad if the Garth Ennis rumors are true. PLEASE DON'T LEAVE GARTH! PLEEEEAAAASE!
three-star comics:
NEW AVENGERS #35: The cover was awesome! Too bad it had absolutely NOTHING to do with the issue! Why not put the Hood on the cover, and save this thing for next issue when it, you know, actually has Wolverine in it. I enjoyed the issue, but I can't help but feel that the Hood s being pushed too hard, too fast. I buy him as someone that is up-and-coming. Hell, I even buy him as someone that WILL be a future bad-ass. What I don't buy, is the Hood sa an A-level Super Villain. And NO, killing The Owl and beating the shit out of Tigra isn't going to change my mind.STORMWATCH PHD #12: A good, if a bit of a ho-hum ending to a rather confusing series. For one, without a doubt, Gage is a talented writer. He has a good knack for character, and juggles a large team book (basically two teams) with great ease, letting most of the characters get their moment to shine. Its just too bad that I feel like this series slowly fell downhill, bottoming at the horrible Synergy murder attempt on her husband, and then meandered back up to pretty good in the final issues. If I can find time, I've really wanted to post something about Wildstorm as a whole because I have much more to say about this one.
NEW WARRIORS #5: I like the idea of this comic, the story and even the art, as I think Medina has "big star" in his future. And this was another perfectly good issue. My problem at this point, is that I don't feel like I know the New Warriors much at all besides for Sofia and what I already knew of Jubilee as a long time X-Fan. It looks like some of the characters are starting to get a little detail with this issue, but it took a meaningless death to kind of start that.
GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY #1: So I liked this. In fairness, Cliff Chiang is a big part of the reason, as the art is pretty much amazing. The rest of it was good fun, and a pretty good comic book. Nice moments with Green Lantern and Batman (the autopsy was hilarious) and a decent cliffhanger that wasn't really too much of a surprise. But yeah, Chiang is the shit.
RUNAWAYS #28: Another chapter in the Whedon Runaways. Still not reaching Vaughan levels, but I'm still having fun with the arc.
EXTERMINATORS #22: God damn this comic is crazy. No, seriously, its fucking crazy.
STORM SHADOW #4: So this book did continue with the goofy formula: bad, good, bad, good! The story was so-so, the art and that action were all pretty awesome. Zartan showing up was a nice surprise, and his confrontation with Storm Shadow was good times.
WONDER WOMAN #13: A pretty good filler issue, helping to set up and lead in to the much anticipated Simone run.
comics with problems:
SUPERMAN #668: Thought I'd check out this little three parter, but unfortunately it didn't do much for me. The villains seem lame and Busiek's writing was surprisingly eh. I'm not that big on Rick Leonardi's art, so that was just okay for me. The best part was definitely the exchanges between the young Kent and Robin.PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #12: The main World War Hulk title has been a mostly entertaining slug fest, but the side books just continue to be ugh for me. The art was good though, and I could seriously get into the Punisher symbiote outfit as necessary gear every once in a while.
FANTASTIC FOUR #550: The return of Gravity already? Blah. And it looks like we've already reached the end of the Black Panther/Storm era. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that we are, but it still is odd to me the progression that Sue/Reed go through from Civil War to here. I guess it really wasn't supposed to affect things for years to come.
FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #24: I'm obviously not the only one thinking this, but really? Two issues into the four parter that changes everything and nothing has really happened? The last page was at least promising. And I dug Quesada's art more.
WORLD WAR HULK FRONTLINE #5: This still isn't working for me. The best part of the issue was probably the Top Ten reasons to hate Sally Floyd.
um, no:
NONE
Friday, October 12, 2007
oh holy shit, we're almost there
Pretty fucking rad. Y: The Last Man #60:
(click to make much biggah)
(click to make much biggah)
another week under 20!?: ncrl for october 10
This is what I got this week:
avatar:
BLACK SUMMER #3
dc comics:
ABSOLUTE SANDMAN VOLUME 2 i don't know that i'm going to get this THIS week, but i will be getting it.
EXTERMINATORS #22
GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY #1
STORMWATCH PHD #12
SUPERMAN #668 don't know why but i felt like getting this three-parter see what busiek is up to
WONDER WOMAN #13 only one more issue...
devil's due:
STORM SHADOW #4
marvel:
FANTASTIC FOUR #550
FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #24
NEW AVENGERS #35
NEW WARRIORS #5
PUNISHER #51
PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #12 i feel sorry for this comic book coming out opposite the REAL punisher comic.
RUNAWAYS #28
WOLVERINE #58 store was shorted, so i'll get this next week.
WORLD WAR HULK FRONTLINE #5 blah
X-FACTOR #24
avatar:
BLACK SUMMER #3
dc comics:
ABSOLUTE SANDMAN VOLUME 2 i don't know that i'm going to get this THIS week, but i will be getting it.
EXTERMINATORS #22
GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY #1
STORMWATCH PHD #12
SUPERMAN #668 don't know why but i felt like getting this three-parter see what busiek is up to
WONDER WOMAN #13 only one more issue...
devil's due:
STORM SHADOW #4
marvel:
FANTASTIC FOUR #550
FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #24
NEW AVENGERS #35
NEW WARRIORS #5
PUNISHER #51
PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #12 i feel sorry for this comic book coming out opposite the REAL punisher comic.
RUNAWAYS #28
WORLD WAR HULK FRONTLINE #5 blah
X-FACTOR #24
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
a really average week: october 3
It was a small week, and unfortunately, that translated into a lot of three-star comics (books that were perfectly entertaining), but not too many that rose above that. You know, books that make me freak out with ape-like grunting in anticipation for the next issue. THOSE kind. Still here were my reactions:
book of the week:
SCALPED #10
(w. Jason Aaron, a. R.M. Guera)
No other book really had a chance this week. It was not the best issue of the series (as the book has been on fire), but it was still pretty good, and in a week like this one, it was plenty. This issue concentrates on the youngest character to date, Dino Poor Bear. In fact, I'm having trouble placing exactly how old he is. Still, this father to a baby wants off the reservation pretty badly, as he dreams of women and cars. Although the issue's climactic scene is a conversation between Red Crow and Dino, this issue appears to be the least connected to the overall storyline. Still, the character is well done and interesting (as is every other character in the book) and he is a welcomed addition to the brilliant ensemble.
other real good comics:
OMEGA THE UNKNOWN #1: So I should apparently know who Jonathan Lethem is, eh? And I should also know who Farel Dalrymple is as well, right? Well guess what, I don't. None of that means anything to me. Hell, even the title character means little. I've heard of the character (Gerber and all), but know nothing of the previous incarnation so this book basically stands on its own. And it works. The art was definitely "indie" and normally I wouldn't want that in a super hero book, but for this quirky and odd story, it fits. My favorite part is the main character Alexander. He talks weird and acts weird, and his demeanor and delivery is hilarious. I found the scenes after he woke up with the Doctor and Nurse to be pretty awesome. I don't know what's up with the protector hero, but I'm curious. Good stuff.
three-star comics:
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #7: Faith vs. Gargoyle monsters! Do that with a TV budget! Ha. How perfectly has Brian Vaughan fit in, eh? The conversation between Willow and Dawn was classic Buffy.
FAKER #4: The answers come fast and furious in this issue, and although this series has gone so far in a direction I couldn't fathom when it started, I'm still very entertained and looking forward to the end. To think, I almost didn't get #2.
JLA/HITMAN #2: A really fun conclusion to this little two-parter where Hitman improbably gets to finish saving the world alongside the JLA. Well, not really alongside them at all, and more like in spite of them. Good comic, which I'm sure is enhanced for longtime fans of Hitman. DC, trade these damn things already so I can read em!
UNCANNY X-MEN #491: Probably the best issue in the arc, as this has been slow moving. It appears to be setting more up for the future than anything, but that's okay considering that the BIG X-OVER (!) is coming. Hepzibah and Warpath got right to it, and aside from the light speed romance, I'm really happy with her addition to the cast.
JACK OF FABLES #15: I completely bought the reasoning behind Jack and John and why John thinks Jack is a copy. This was a good comic, now that we finally got our answers. But the jury is DEFINITELY still OUT on the addition of other immortal POWERS OF THE STORYVERSE. This could lead to some interesting stories though, and will definitely gave this book its own focus separating itself from the concerns of the Fables book. Though the question exists, will Revise et al eventually get involved in that storyline too?
WOLVERINE ANNUAL #1: CALL OFF THE SEARCH!! CALL OF THE SEARCH!! MARCELO FRUSIN HAS BEEN FOUND !!! Now, can someone please ask him why the fuck he isn't drawing Loveless? DAMN! In all seriousness, Frusin draws the hell out of Gregg Hurwitz's first comic book, with a plot that mirrors the Punisher Annual from a week ago. I felt Wolverine went a little far out of character on this vengeance though, flat out torturing people with his claws (through their eyes, etc.) but for the most part this was good. Hurwitz does some good character building with the Red Shirt though, and he definitely shows promise. As a crime fan, I thought both Benson and Hurwitz had solid debuts.
MS. MARVEL #20: Well, this got reeeallly serious after the previous two issues, didn't it? Don't get me wrong, I still had fun with the issue, but it took me off-guard. Part 1 and 2 had tons of Machine Man antics, with tongue and cheek Puppet Master doing villainous things with his mind-controlled super heroines. But here, no Machine Man jokes and Ms. Marvel being filed with rage, and basically killing the Puppet Master (she let him commit suicide) before having an internal power hungry rant. It was definitely far from bad, I just felt like the comic tricked me a bit.
MIDNIGHTER #12: This was nowhere near as cool as last issue and that BAD ASS Chris Cross drawn fight, but it was entertaining enough. It has been the best Wildstorm title over the last few months for me.
TRANSFORMERS: DEVASTATION #1: First part back after a spell, and we got a bunch of talking robots and set-up. Where is my robot-on-robot destruction? Dag! Coming next issue I guess with Sixshot on full attack, after he warned Megatron that he might just break the entire planet if he does it his way.
WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY #11: The zombie story continues. Although I'm having fun with the comic, and I really enjoy the flashbacks with older art styles, sometimes it comes across as disjointed. Still, this has been fun.
PARADE (WITH FIREWORKS) #2: I'm not sure what I think of this book. Some people have been saying they thought the art wasn't right for the content, but I disagree. Still, I thought the problems were with the story, and I thought the first part worked a lot better than this one did. Part 2 is basically a big downer where our main character Paolo, ultimately goes to jail before a last page "life goes on" moment. It was an odd point to stop the story for me, as I thought the Epilogue they ran in the back would have been a better Part 2 than what we got. Dunno. Still, I enjoyed the attempt, the book looked pretty and I'm glad Image published it.
comics with problems:
THE VINYL UNDERGROUND #1: The problem with Vinyl Underground isn't that it is badly written, or even badly drawn, because it isn't. This is a perfectly competent comic book. Thing is, there is nothing original in this story idea at all. The book came across as some weird caricature of what a Vertigo comic should be. Ultra hip lead that does drugs (in this case did), with every character trying to out hip the other one. In London. While investigating the Occult. While smoking. It made me want to laugh a bit that this somehow got through as an original idea.
um, no:
ACTION COMICS #856: I'm fully aware that this will be a minority opinion, but Bizarro bugs the hell out of me. Morrison's take in All-Star has been good, but even that title, as good as it is, pushed the limits with the issue entirely in Bizarro Earth. But that has nothing to do with this series. I mean, besides the fact that DC is over exposing a one note character that really isn't all that interesting. So basically we get a ton of Bizarro speak here via various bizarro counterparts to Superman's supporting cast. This was just bad.
book of the week:
SCALPED #10(w. Jason Aaron, a. R.M. Guera)
No other book really had a chance this week. It was not the best issue of the series (as the book has been on fire), but it was still pretty good, and in a week like this one, it was plenty. This issue concentrates on the youngest character to date, Dino Poor Bear. In fact, I'm having trouble placing exactly how old he is. Still, this father to a baby wants off the reservation pretty badly, as he dreams of women and cars. Although the issue's climactic scene is a conversation between Red Crow and Dino, this issue appears to be the least connected to the overall storyline. Still, the character is well done and interesting (as is every other character in the book) and he is a welcomed addition to the brilliant ensemble.
other real good comics:
OMEGA THE UNKNOWN #1: So I should apparently know who Jonathan Lethem is, eh? And I should also know who Farel Dalrymple is as well, right? Well guess what, I don't. None of that means anything to me. Hell, even the title character means little. I've heard of the character (Gerber and all), but know nothing of the previous incarnation so this book basically stands on its own. And it works. The art was definitely "indie" and normally I wouldn't want that in a super hero book, but for this quirky and odd story, it fits. My favorite part is the main character Alexander. He talks weird and acts weird, and his demeanor and delivery is hilarious. I found the scenes after he woke up with the Doctor and Nurse to be pretty awesome. I don't know what's up with the protector hero, but I'm curious. Good stuff.three-star comics:
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #7: Faith vs. Gargoyle monsters! Do that with a TV budget! Ha. How perfectly has Brian Vaughan fit in, eh? The conversation between Willow and Dawn was classic Buffy.FAKER #4: The answers come fast and furious in this issue, and although this series has gone so far in a direction I couldn't fathom when it started, I'm still very entertained and looking forward to the end. To think, I almost didn't get #2.
JLA/HITMAN #2: A really fun conclusion to this little two-parter where Hitman improbably gets to finish saving the world alongside the JLA. Well, not really alongside them at all, and more like in spite of them. Good comic, which I'm sure is enhanced for longtime fans of Hitman. DC, trade these damn things already so I can read em!
UNCANNY X-MEN #491: Probably the best issue in the arc, as this has been slow moving. It appears to be setting more up for the future than anything, but that's okay considering that the BIG X-OVER (!) is coming. Hepzibah and Warpath got right to it, and aside from the light speed romance, I'm really happy with her addition to the cast.
JACK OF FABLES #15: I completely bought the reasoning behind Jack and John and why John thinks Jack is a copy. This was a good comic, now that we finally got our answers. But the jury is DEFINITELY still OUT on the addition of other immortal POWERS OF THE STORYVERSE. This could lead to some interesting stories though, and will definitely gave this book its own focus separating itself from the concerns of the Fables book. Though the question exists, will Revise et al eventually get involved in that storyline too?
WOLVERINE ANNUAL #1: CALL OFF THE SEARCH!! CALL OF THE SEARCH!! MARCELO FRUSIN HAS BEEN FOUND !!! Now, can someone please ask him why the fuck he isn't drawing Loveless? DAMN! In all seriousness, Frusin draws the hell out of Gregg Hurwitz's first comic book, with a plot that mirrors the Punisher Annual from a week ago. I felt Wolverine went a little far out of character on this vengeance though, flat out torturing people with his claws (through their eyes, etc.) but for the most part this was good. Hurwitz does some good character building with the Red Shirt though, and he definitely shows promise. As a crime fan, I thought both Benson and Hurwitz had solid debuts.
MS. MARVEL #20: Well, this got reeeallly serious after the previous two issues, didn't it? Don't get me wrong, I still had fun with the issue, but it took me off-guard. Part 1 and 2 had tons of Machine Man antics, with tongue and cheek Puppet Master doing villainous things with his mind-controlled super heroines. But here, no Machine Man jokes and Ms. Marvel being filed with rage, and basically killing the Puppet Master (she let him commit suicide) before having an internal power hungry rant. It was definitely far from bad, I just felt like the comic tricked me a bit.
MIDNIGHTER #12: This was nowhere near as cool as last issue and that BAD ASS Chris Cross drawn fight, but it was entertaining enough. It has been the best Wildstorm title over the last few months for me.
TRANSFORMERS: DEVASTATION #1: First part back after a spell, and we got a bunch of talking robots and set-up. Where is my robot-on-robot destruction? Dag! Coming next issue I guess with Sixshot on full attack, after he warned Megatron that he might just break the entire planet if he does it his way.
WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY #11: The zombie story continues. Although I'm having fun with the comic, and I really enjoy the flashbacks with older art styles, sometimes it comes across as disjointed. Still, this has been fun.
PARADE (WITH FIREWORKS) #2: I'm not sure what I think of this book. Some people have been saying they thought the art wasn't right for the content, but I disagree. Still, I thought the problems were with the story, and I thought the first part worked a lot better than this one did. Part 2 is basically a big downer where our main character Paolo, ultimately goes to jail before a last page "life goes on" moment. It was an odd point to stop the story for me, as I thought the Epilogue they ran in the back would have been a better Part 2 than what we got. Dunno. Still, I enjoyed the attempt, the book looked pretty and I'm glad Image published it.
comics with problems:
THE VINYL UNDERGROUND #1: The problem with Vinyl Underground isn't that it is badly written, or even badly drawn, because it isn't. This is a perfectly competent comic book. Thing is, there is nothing original in this story idea at all. The book came across as some weird caricature of what a Vertigo comic should be. Ultra hip lead that does drugs (in this case did), with every character trying to out hip the other one. In London. While investigating the Occult. While smoking. It made me want to laugh a bit that this somehow got through as an original idea.um, no:
ACTION COMICS #856: I'm fully aware that this will be a minority opinion, but Bizarro bugs the hell out of me. Morrison's take in All-Star has been good, but even that title, as good as it is, pushed the limits with the issue entirely in Bizarro Earth. But that has nothing to do with this series. I mean, besides the fact that DC is over exposing a one note character that really isn't all that interesting. So basically we get a ton of Bizarro speak here via various bizarro counterparts to Superman's supporting cast. This was just bad.Saturday, October 6, 2007
ncrl for october 3
Small week for me for the first time in a while. It's also a relatively "weak" week, with not many of my favorite "Top 25" books on the list. (Which I'm due for my quarterly check-in this month.)
So this is what I got, and I should be back with some reactions tomorrow.
dark horse:
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #7
dc:
ACTION COMICS #856
FAKER #4
JACK OF FABLES #15
JLA/HITMAN #2
MIDNIGHTER #12
SCALPED #10
THE VINYL UNDERGROUND #1 it wasn't until i was at the store that i finally decided to give this book a try
WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY #11
idw:
TRANSFORMERS: DEVASTATION #1
image:
PARADE (WITH FIREWORKS) #2
marvel:
OMEGA THE UNKNOWN #1
MS. MARVEL #20
UNCANNY X-MEN #491
WOLVERINE ANNUAL #1 MARCELO FRUSIN HAS BEEN FOUND !!
So this is what I got, and I should be back with some reactions tomorrow.
dark horse:
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #7
dc:
ACTION COMICS #856
FAKER #4
JACK OF FABLES #15
JLA/HITMAN #2
MIDNIGHTER #12
SCALPED #10
THE VINYL UNDERGROUND #1 it wasn't until i was at the store that i finally decided to give this book a try
WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY #11
idw:
TRANSFORMERS: DEVASTATION #1
image:
PARADE (WITH FIREWORKS) #2
marvel:
OMEGA THE UNKNOWN #1
MS. MARVEL #20
UNCANNY X-MEN #491
WOLVERINE ANNUAL #1 MARCELO FRUSIN HAS BEEN FOUND !!
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
weekly loot: september 26
Another week, another fun jaunt into the world of comics. Here's how it went.
book of the week:
BATMAN #669
(w. Grant Morrison, a. J.H. Williams III)
What a lovely three parter this was. Of course, this is no secret as from Part 1 it has been getting rave reviews all over the internet. So I will be surprising no one by giving it my Book of the Week. In fact, all three parts ended up getting Book of the Week for me. (I don't know what that means, but it makes me happy.) Morrison finishes off his island mystery with The Club of Heroes and the only shitty part in the whole deal is the fact that this is J.H. Williams' last issue. As fun as the script was, (and it was definitely Morrison's best thus far), what REALLY elevated this storyline was the art. J.H. shined from panel-to-panel, page-to-page, drawing the hell out of Morrison's story. Tony Daniel is the next artist, and although I don't hate him or anything, it returns the title to more standard superhero dare, and I just feel bad that he has to follow this. Bravo J.H.
other real good comics:
CRIMINAL #9: Shit really starts to hit the fan, as the "bad guys" get closer to Tracy while the woman (in his crew!) he is sleeping with finds out who he really is: The brother of her dead ex-boyfriend. Really good issue, with some nice flashbacks to the Lawless way of upbringing. All this is setting up the end game where we should finally get the answer to "What happened to Ricky Lawless?"
USAGI YOJIMBO #106: Sakai rarely does multi-part storylines, usually trying to keep it to done-in-ones or two-parters. So when he does, it's always a treat. The latest storyline cruises into its second part with a lot of characters coming together to hunt down fugitive Inazuma, who of course is currently being possessed by the demon Jei. I have no doubt that all this setup will eventually payoff big time. Good issue.
IMMORTAL IRON FIST #9 & IMMORTAL IRON FIST ANNUAL #1: So glad that I jumped back on this title! Flat out one of the hippest, entertaining titles out there today. Definitely one of Marvel's gems. The current storyline, with Iron Fist fighting in a tournament (with K'un Lun in the balance), has been gloriously unpredictable. And a story that leads right into an Annual that actually means something, is more than I can ask for. Okay, its not, but its usually more than I get.
CROSSING MIDNIGHT #11: Another solid Crossing Midnight story. I still find this to be the best and most coherent arc of the series.
GREEN ARROW: YEAR ONE #5: Cool, cool, cool. Diggle and Jock are kicking ass. Bring on the finale.
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #114: Dear Mr. Immonen, I'm sorry that I ever talked about you art in anyway but awesome. Best, Jaime. This title has been steady and consistent since the Clone War storyline, but Immonen has found a way to re-energized the series amidst yet another Green Goblin story. Awesome.
three-star comics:
X-MEN #203: OF COURSE neither Mystique or Gambit do anything truly evil when given the chance. I mean, it's not that I wanted to see Bobby or Sam die, it's just not surprising that these two "villains" did what they did. NOTHING.
PUNISHER MAX ANNUAL #1: Not written by Garth Ennis? NOT WRITTEN BY GARTH ENNIS!? Who the fuck is Mike Benson and why is he touching the Max Punisher? Ok, I'm over-reacting. Plus, it was pretty good. Nothing too original here, as Punisher is pushed to supporting character, or rather ghostly antagonist to our on-the-run criminal. But it worked, and was well worth my money. Nothing to shabby from Benson, but the real star here was Laurence Campbell on art. His use of wider panels, and wide "shots" worked really well, and the Firday the 13th-esque use of Frank Castle was pretty great.
THE ORDER #3: Our third issue in, and we get our third character focus. I enjoyed this one more than #2, as that one came across as a bad cliche, but Calamity Wa was actually a bit more interesting. I dig Anthem as the leader too, and with concepts like Zobo's from Fraction, I'm definitely around for a bit. But what was with Pepper Potts and the water bottle?
WONDER WOMAN ANNUAL #1: How long has it been since Part 4? Some 7 months or so, right? Regardless, just like Heinberg did a pretty good Wonder Woman in the first four issues, he does so again here. I would have liked to have seen the climax be kept to just Wonder Woman and the Wonder Sidekicks rather than the entire DC Universe, but that is definitely more of a personal quibble. The art was gorgeous as the Dodsons are perfect for Diana. They draw her so powerful and beautiful, that the usually good Gary Frank's version was made to look UGLY in the back-up. Too bad Heinberg couldn't do more, but at this point I'm more excited for Simone anyway.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #13: As much as I've despised McDuffie on the Fantastic Four, this was a treat. It definitely draws from the cartoon, with the Injustice League and what not, but it works for me. The Joker being subservient to anyone, even Lex Luthor has always bugged me (especially if this is supposed to be in the same world as the new Morrison Joker), but even that I can overlook based on the fun I had with this issue. I really enjoyed the Superman/Vixen interaction, as it always fun when they have small character moments, and it even keeps with the continuity of Meltzer's run which is nice. on art, I have no real love for Benitez, but I will say this: he didn't really distract to the point of removing me from the story. And that's important! This was fun, and mostly what I wanted from a JLA title. (Something tells me some die hard DC Universe fans are hating this.)
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #46: For the most part, Carey has been pretty good with his little Fantastic Four run. I would go so far as to say when Pasqual Ferry is on art, it has been pretty damn good, and not so good when it is someone else. Proof that a good script needs a good artist too? Or do I just love Pasqual Ferry? Maybe both.
ALL-STAR BATMAN & ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER #7: Surprised to see this at three stars? Well, don't be. Because it has sinked so far into cartoon, that it being an over-the-top bad comic, has made this title entertaining. I still don't think that Miller is being bad on purpose, but it works for me on that level regardless. Jim Lee is still the first artist I fell in love with in comics, so I will never complain to get a book with his art in it.
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #6: This was borderline, but for the most part, I'm still enjoying the comic. The ending with Slapstick did nothing for me, and I find myself wanting the "Initiative: Black" team back.
IRON MAN #22: A decent issue from the Knaufs and De La Torre. I still feel, all the way back to #7 that there is a really good comic fighting to get out. The Knaufs must be so frustrated with the title constantly being derailed for two years because of Tony's importance in the "Summer Crossovers." Maybe Marvel will let them actually get a story out in the #20's.
comics with problems:
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE CHOSEN #2: Although I placed it here, I'm being pretty hard on this title early on. It isn't baaad really, its just not that interesting. YET. Hopefully.
THE SPIRIT #10: I was bit bored by this issue. Especially after the high I was left on with the last one which was excellent. The whole news anchor thing was just kind of dumb to me.
ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #3: I'll still read a few more, or at least to an obvious jumping off point, but I don't know if the mix of horror and super hero is working for me here.
CABLE/DEADPOOL #45: Dammit, Bob finally hit a little bit of a funny wall for me here. I love that he's a supporting character, but this was a lot of Bob. And for as much as I thought the running into Cap in the past thing feels played, Bucky was pretty damn funny.
WETWORKS #13: Another lame duck Wildstorm title that just seems to be going through the motions until everything in the Wildstorm is eventually canceled. The greater Wetworks team has moved into their position in the new Vampire War. The art was uninspired. (They should totally give THIS title to Diggle and Jock.)
um, no:
DEATHBLOW #7: I'm sorry Brian Azzarello. I adore 100 Bullets, and I'm still fighting for Loveless. But this is a mess. Just a plain fucking mess. What is going on here any more? And why should I care? What was even more maddening than the issue, was seeing "to be continued" at the end.
book of the week:
BATMAN #669(w. Grant Morrison, a. J.H. Williams III)
What a lovely three parter this was. Of course, this is no secret as from Part 1 it has been getting rave reviews all over the internet. So I will be surprising no one by giving it my Book of the Week. In fact, all three parts ended up getting Book of the Week for me. (I don't know what that means, but it makes me happy.) Morrison finishes off his island mystery with The Club of Heroes and the only shitty part in the whole deal is the fact that this is J.H. Williams' last issue. As fun as the script was, (and it was definitely Morrison's best thus far), what REALLY elevated this storyline was the art. J.H. shined from panel-to-panel, page-to-page, drawing the hell out of Morrison's story. Tony Daniel is the next artist, and although I don't hate him or anything, it returns the title to more standard superhero dare, and I just feel bad that he has to follow this. Bravo J.H.
other real good comics:
CRIMINAL #9: Shit really starts to hit the fan, as the "bad guys" get closer to Tracy while the woman (in his crew!) he is sleeping with finds out who he really is: The brother of her dead ex-boyfriend. Really good issue, with some nice flashbacks to the Lawless way of upbringing. All this is setting up the end game where we should finally get the answer to "What happened to Ricky Lawless?"USAGI YOJIMBO #106: Sakai rarely does multi-part storylines, usually trying to keep it to done-in-ones or two-parters. So when he does, it's always a treat. The latest storyline cruises into its second part with a lot of characters coming together to hunt down fugitive Inazuma, who of course is currently being possessed by the demon Jei. I have no doubt that all this setup will eventually payoff big time. Good issue.
IMMORTAL IRON FIST #9 & IMMORTAL IRON FIST ANNUAL #1: So glad that I jumped back on this title! Flat out one of the hippest, entertaining titles out there today. Definitely one of Marvel's gems. The current storyline, with Iron Fist fighting in a tournament (with K'un Lun in the balance), has been gloriously unpredictable. And a story that leads right into an Annual that actually means something, is more than I can ask for. Okay, its not, but its usually more than I get.
CROSSING MIDNIGHT #11: Another solid Crossing Midnight story. I still find this to be the best and most coherent arc of the series.
GREEN ARROW: YEAR ONE #5: Cool, cool, cool. Diggle and Jock are kicking ass. Bring on the finale.
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #114: Dear Mr. Immonen, I'm sorry that I ever talked about you art in anyway but awesome. Best, Jaime. This title has been steady and consistent since the Clone War storyline, but Immonen has found a way to re-energized the series amidst yet another Green Goblin story. Awesome.
three-star comics:
X-MEN #203: OF COURSE neither Mystique or Gambit do anything truly evil when given the chance. I mean, it's not that I wanted to see Bobby or Sam die, it's just not surprising that these two "villains" did what they did. NOTHING.PUNISHER MAX ANNUAL #1: Not written by Garth Ennis? NOT WRITTEN BY GARTH ENNIS!? Who the fuck is Mike Benson and why is he touching the Max Punisher? Ok, I'm over-reacting. Plus, it was pretty good. Nothing too original here, as Punisher is pushed to supporting character, or rather ghostly antagonist to our on-the-run criminal. But it worked, and was well worth my money. Nothing to shabby from Benson, but the real star here was Laurence Campbell on art. His use of wider panels, and wide "shots" worked really well, and the Firday the 13th-esque use of Frank Castle was pretty great.
THE ORDER #3: Our third issue in, and we get our third character focus. I enjoyed this one more than #2, as that one came across as a bad cliche, but Calamity Wa was actually a bit more interesting. I dig Anthem as the leader too, and with concepts like Zobo's from Fraction, I'm definitely around for a bit. But what was with Pepper Potts and the water bottle?
WONDER WOMAN ANNUAL #1: How long has it been since Part 4? Some 7 months or so, right? Regardless, just like Heinberg did a pretty good Wonder Woman in the first four issues, he does so again here. I would have liked to have seen the climax be kept to just Wonder Woman and the Wonder Sidekicks rather than the entire DC Universe, but that is definitely more of a personal quibble. The art was gorgeous as the Dodsons are perfect for Diana. They draw her so powerful and beautiful, that the usually good Gary Frank's version was made to look UGLY in the back-up. Too bad Heinberg couldn't do more, but at this point I'm more excited for Simone anyway.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #13: As much as I've despised McDuffie on the Fantastic Four, this was a treat. It definitely draws from the cartoon, with the Injustice League and what not, but it works for me. The Joker being subservient to anyone, even Lex Luthor has always bugged me (especially if this is supposed to be in the same world as the new Morrison Joker), but even that I can overlook based on the fun I had with this issue. I really enjoyed the Superman/Vixen interaction, as it always fun when they have small character moments, and it even keeps with the continuity of Meltzer's run which is nice. on art, I have no real love for Benitez, but I will say this: he didn't really distract to the point of removing me from the story. And that's important! This was fun, and mostly what I wanted from a JLA title. (Something tells me some die hard DC Universe fans are hating this.)
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #46: For the most part, Carey has been pretty good with his little Fantastic Four run. I would go so far as to say when Pasqual Ferry is on art, it has been pretty damn good, and not so good when it is someone else. Proof that a good script needs a good artist too? Or do I just love Pasqual Ferry? Maybe both.
ALL-STAR BATMAN & ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER #7: Surprised to see this at three stars? Well, don't be. Because it has sinked so far into cartoon, that it being an over-the-top bad comic, has made this title entertaining. I still don't think that Miller is being bad on purpose, but it works for me on that level regardless. Jim Lee is still the first artist I fell in love with in comics, so I will never complain to get a book with his art in it.
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #6: This was borderline, but for the most part, I'm still enjoying the comic. The ending with Slapstick did nothing for me, and I find myself wanting the "Initiative: Black" team back.
IRON MAN #22: A decent issue from the Knaufs and De La Torre. I still feel, all the way back to #7 that there is a really good comic fighting to get out. The Knaufs must be so frustrated with the title constantly being derailed for two years because of Tony's importance in the "Summer Crossovers." Maybe Marvel will let them actually get a story out in the #20's.
comics with problems:
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE CHOSEN #2: Although I placed it here, I'm being pretty hard on this title early on. It isn't baaad really, its just not that interesting. YET. Hopefully.THE SPIRIT #10: I was bit bored by this issue. Especially after the high I was left on with the last one which was excellent. The whole news anchor thing was just kind of dumb to me.
ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #3: I'll still read a few more, or at least to an obvious jumping off point, but I don't know if the mix of horror and super hero is working for me here.
CABLE/DEADPOOL #45: Dammit, Bob finally hit a little bit of a funny wall for me here. I love that he's a supporting character, but this was a lot of Bob. And for as much as I thought the running into Cap in the past thing feels played, Bucky was pretty damn funny.
WETWORKS #13: Another lame duck Wildstorm title that just seems to be going through the motions until everything in the Wildstorm is eventually canceled. The greater Wetworks team has moved into their position in the new Vampire War. The art was uninspired. (They should totally give THIS title to Diggle and Jock.)
um, no:
DEATHBLOW #7: I'm sorry Brian Azzarello. I adore 100 Bullets, and I'm still fighting for Loveless. But this is a mess. Just a plain fucking mess. What is going on here any more? And why should I care? What was even more maddening than the issue, was seeing "to be continued" at the end.
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