quick takes: september 6

So I'm starting to fall a little behind here. Long hours at work is reducing my free time to "I want to sleep" time. So I think until things slow down again, we might be seeing the quick takes become the norm rather than the exception.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

Y: THE LAST MAN #58
(w. Brian Vaughan, a. Pia Guerra)
EXTRA SPOILER WARNING. It was between this and Scalped this week, and this won out basically because of the last two pages and that I'm more emotionally invested in these characters five years in. MAN, you suck Brian Vaughan. The death of one our main characters was a shock, and really unexpected. Silly me to think that everyone would make it out of this alive. This sets the stage for two more issues, and I couldn't be more excited.

runner ups:

SCALPED #8: The story of Catcher almost took the top spot this week. This comic book is easily one of the best on the stands, and this issue is no different with a wonderful look into Catcher's character. (Also, "Granny Poor Bear.")

STRANGE EMBRACE #4: Who would have thought that this would be one of my favorite reads, but it is. This issue we learn more about Anthony Corbeau, and it just gets weirder and weirder. Excited to see how Sukumar plays into the overall story.

other real good comics:

BUFFY FAITH THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #6: Brian Vaughan jumps in and does a spot on Faith, and Buffy fans everywhere celebrate that this comic will still be good even when Joss isn't writing. Scott Allie tries his best to make sure people understand that this is how the TV Series went as well, and he's right. Good issue by the crew, but more than getting Faith for an entire issue is getting some real good Giles time for the first time in Season 8.

SHE-HULK #21: If anyone ever uses this as an explanation for Marvel continuity I will be surprised, but it made for a really fun comic, and a really good end to Dan Slott's run. It will of course go down as a definitive one for the character.

three star comics:


FAKER #3: Some of the "What the fuck is going on?" is starting to be explained, and although its starting to go in a slightly different direction that expected, this has been a surprisingly good mini-series.

DOKTOR SLEEPLESS #2: This will indeed end up being the book that Warren Ellis uses to talk about the nutty things that could be right around our corner. This issue: shriekyware. Good or bad, this comic will be one of the more interesting ones month after month.

MIDNIGHTER #11: Its official, Keith Giffen has brought the level of this book up. Although the look into Midnighter's past is a bit odd, the 4-page fight sequence is one of the coolest one-on-one super hero battles recently.

INCREDIBLE HULK #110: One of the better issues outside of the WWH proper, as Cho uses some Hannibal Lector methods on the Hulk.

THE BOYS #10: Some people are going to say this issue was too out there, and they'll be right. Some might even say, this is more than just ridiculous, it's just not that good. They might even have a case. But even though I'm shaking my head when I close this book and say "Fucking Garth Ennis" it was with a big, entertained smile on my face.

THE EXTERMINATORS # 21: Once again, I'm entertained by this bug madness although it baffles me at times.

MS. MARVEL #18-19: This is the first time I've tried this title since #1, and it was mostly to read some Machine Man from Nextwave. The reports are true, he is a wonderful addtion to the cast, bringing his off-the-wall brand of humor with him. The book itself, has some old-school silly plotting with the Puppet Master as the tongue-in-cheek villain, but for the most part these were both fun comics.

NEW WARRIORS #4: I'm still enjoying this series, especially the way Jubilee is being used and the Paco Diaz art.

comics with problems:

UNCANNY X-MEN #490: This is what, the 4th part of a 5 part storyline? This has been mostly boring, and I find myself just wanting to see Magneto get involved.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE CHOSEN #2: This book was a bit average. And I say that as a fan of David Morrell. It was just slow, and as the mini-series continues, I bet it will read better. This was made for a trade to be honest. Breitweiser was pretty good on art with good

BLACK CANARY WEDDING PLANNER #1: This wasn't really worth the money, but it was what it was I guess. Some fun moments, and I do like the Black Canary, but overall it did little for me. Also, has Wonder Woman ever looked any shittier than she did during the lingerie scene? Besides being what I consider out of character for her, Lee Furgeson should be banned from ever drawing her ever again for that panel.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #544: I was kind of excited for this storyline until the end of last issue, where I find out that this is just a continuation of the horrible Kingpin storyline. This at least, won't have the same continuity issues that hurt character, but it will still have the same odd path Peter is going down. (She-Hulk #21 could help here.) Anyway, Quesada art was good, but the story is so-so at best. And if it leads to some sort of end to the MJ marriage, I worry for how this story will be remembered.

WOLVERINE #57: Welcome back Guggenheim. Welcome back to a mediocre Wolverine. Why is it so tough to do a decent Wolverine story? This was okay, as far as goofy action plots go, but the whole Wolverine having an Atlantean girlfriend and then (cliche) losing Atlantean girlfriend sending him on revenge, is just plain dumb.

MEGATRON: ORIGIN #3: This has quickly gone from interesting Megatron back story, to a history of the formation of the Decepticon movement. Which is okay, but the book is checking off a checklist of things that had to have happened now, and is no longer a story about Megatron's character. Also, something about the art is leaving me cold. Some panels are hard to make out, as it just feels muddy.

um, just no:

CITY OF OTHERS #4: Well, am I glad this is over with. Bernie Wrightson's art is good, but it can not save this perfectly pointless story about an evil man that becomes a vampire and how he deals with it. Or rather, nothing worthwhile is actually exploring this idea, its just the uninteresting setup part. Not good at all.