Superman Unchained #1 Writer: Scott Snyder Artist: Jim Lee

Batman #21 Writer: Greg Capullo Artist: Greg Capullo

Two very different books come from one writer this week. The big brand new ‘crazy awesome’ Superman comic kinda hits with a thump. There’s a lot of ideas here (a Superman-equivalent from the 40s could be used to beat Superman, Lois Lane’s dad is evil as always, Lex Luthor is watching, as always), but the problem is that there seems to be nothing I haven’t seen before. Even the Lee art seems like traditional stereotypical fare. It’s just very “meh.” Batman on the other hand, seems to have a lot of potential. While I’m worried about this story going on for an entire year, there’s enough pieces here involving the Riddler and newly introduced Wayne relatives that I’m kind of excited to see what happens.

The Killjoys #1 Writer: Gerard Way Artist: Becky Cloonan

Boy oh boy! this is a weird comic. So the former lead singer of My Chemical Romance has put out a book with the girl who was drawing Conan the Barbarian, and it’s awesome. The story revolves a young girl who acted as the Snapper Carr to a JLA type team. However, they kept trying to keep her safe cuz” they thought she was the Messiah, and they died for it. So now she has to fight her way through the apocalypse all on her own, thinking that she’s some kind of god. It’s very interesting, and puts a lot of pieces in place. It’s an incredibly good first issue, and worth checking out. Did I mention it’s pretty? Cloonan’s an amazing artist, but you knew that already.

Six-Gun Gorilla #1 Writer: Simon Spurrier Artist: Jeff Stokely

What more is there to say that isn’t already covered in the title of this book? It’s actually much more than a monkey that has five guns or more. It’s a complete sci-fi tale about some kind of weird war in a desert. A ragtag team of misfits (I’ve always wanted to say that) gets sent to this desert on a suicide mission to retrieve some information from an injured officer. On top of this, all of society can see the fight and watch what’s going on like a reality show. And there’s a group of people out in the desert who don’t like that. There’s a ton of stuff going on, and a lot of potential here, and the gorilla isn’t even the most important part. It’s a lot of fun.

Savage Wolverine #6 Writer: Zeb Wells Artist: Joe Madureira

When a book starts off by telling you it doesn’t give a flying F about continuity, you know you’re in for a treat (sarcasm). Let’s just start with my bias; I am not a fan of Joe Mad. I feel like all his stuff is overexaggerated and messy and boring, and it just brings down the quality of the book, regardless of the writer. Wells puts together an OK story (Fisk as leader of the Hand has had his authority questioned and hires Elektra to get a team together to help him), but it also doesn’t quite make sense. The Kingpin has evolved into an unbeatable character (he takes THREE throwing stars to the arm for pete’s sake), so why would he need any help? It’s goofy and meh and I’m not interested anymore.

Manhattan Projects #12 Writer: Jonathan Hickman Artist: Nick Pitarra

Every issue of Manhattan Projects makes the series more and more perfect. It’s a bit insane how good I think this book is. I never thought a book could make me care this much about Enrico Fermi (WHO?), but hot damn, if that last page didn’t make me feel incredibly depressed! Turns out Fermi is an alien, and he’s finally going to try to get his revenge. That mixes with a flashback to a scene that now takes on a completely different meaning. Hell, Hickman makes one word have twice the meaning it had before, and it’s just so perfect. Let’s not ignore that Pitarra keeps the characters enough to be completely noticable, and this comic is just perfect. Perfect perfect perfect!

And now some quick hits!

Black Beetle #4 Writer/Artist: Francesco Francavilla: Francavilla writes a better detective story than any issue of Detective Comics I’ve read in a few years. Great stuff!

Star Wars #6 Writer: Brian Wood Artist: Carlos D’Anda: Pieces keep moving right along in this story, and even though we know that this is not going to really change anything (we know what happened in Return to the Jedi…) it’s a fun experiment that’s very enjoyable.

Suicide Squad #21 Writer: Alex Kot Artist: Patrick Zircher: This book has been very interesting with two issues run by the new team. It’s still a little goofy, but it actually seems fun now, and not just violent for violent’s sake.

Thor: God of Thunder #9 Writer: Jason Aaron Artist: Esad Ribic: A gigantic fight of three Thors vs. a God Killer. It’s a pretty crazy battle that doesn’t quite go how you’d expect it to. The first issue that I’ve really enjoyed of this series. Fun stuff.

Wolverine & the X-Men #31 Writer: Jason Aaron Artist: Nick Bradshaw: Another good Jason Aaron issue, this time we’re dealing with the Hellfire Club coming together. It’s a lot of fun, but also incredibly interesting.

Uncanny X-Force #6 Writer: Sam Humphries Artists: Adrian Alphonsa & Dexter Soy: This book is getting better each issue. Using pieces from the past X-Force run to keep things going is a very good choice.

And that’s the week! Now I’m off to watch more Arrested Development!

“The” Dan Jacka

A new Astro City is always cause for celebration: Busiek and Anderson (plus Alex Ross on the covers) have been telling tales of this book’s title town for almost 20 years, and they’re always clever, human explorations of the superhero genre, packed with interesting characters and situations. Busiek’s been sick for the last few years, and unable to work on a comic as labor-intensive as this one — so the fact that this is a new ongoing series is good news, both for him and for us: check out the new players and new storyline on display here, and the easy collaboration between Busiek’s writing and Anderson’s clear, expressive art, you’ll see why.

Empowered Special #4 — Story: Adam Warren; Art: John Staton and Adam Warren

I’ve talked before about how much I like this comic’s offbeat exploration of female roles in superhero books, ranging from bondage and submission to feminism and, yes, empowerment and back again; now, others are noticing Adam Warren’s talents too: Bleeding Cool News offered an appreciation of this new issue here, in an article also printed in Wednesday’s New York Post: they find his brainy tech-oriented plots, affecting personalities, and sly metatexturalism as entertaining as I do. These short specials only hint at the complex relationships and sprawling world offered in the Empowered graphic novels, but they’re fun stand-alone stories on their own, and do their intended job of introducing readers to the pleasures of the larger books: buy one and see if you end up as hooked on its clever, entertaining humor and humanity as the rest of us.

Kick-Ass 3 #1 (of 8) — Writer: Mark Millar;  Pencils: John Romita Jr.;  Inks: Tom Palmer

Millar notes in the editorial material here that this is the last mini-series he’s going to write about these characters (hinting that events in the series itself will make that inevitable), and this concluding installment is getting back to the real-world complications of trying to act like a costumed hero that the second series, with its larger-than-life villains and operatic street-fighting plot, chose to ignore (it helps that the one truly unrealistic element, the impossibly-lethal Hit-Girl, is sitting in a maximum-security prison, out of the action; the other characters’ aborted attempt to break her out is a darkly-humorous example of the chasm between funnybook aspirations and stone-cold reality that’s the book’s main theme). As always, Romita Jr. and Palmer offer exactly the blend of grit and fantasy needed to make it all work, and even knowing that these characters are likely to come to a bad end, it’s going to be undeniably entertaining watching them get there.

Herobear and the Kid Special #1 — Creator: Mike Kunkel

This series, about a boy and his stuffed bear who comes to life, obviously owes a lot to Calvin and Hobbes, but adds its own spin by imagining the kid’s toy as a superhero instead of just a wiseass confidante; it also helps that Kunkel’s background in animation  allows the character designs to be just cute enough, without being cloying or overdone, and that his comics background (he wrote and drew the DC Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! series) gives him an effective sense of pacing and plot payoffs. This is a good book to buy for younger readers on your comics-giving list, and has enough charm to let adults appreciate it too.

Uber #2 — Writer: Kieron Gillen;  Pencils: Canaan White;  Inks: Keith Williams

Iron Man #11 — Writer: Kieron Gillen;  Art: Dale Eaglesham

Two by Gillen: Uber is his creator-owned vehicle, and it’s an ambitious, dark and well-researched “what if?” story about the Nazis developing superhumans right at the tail end of WW II. It might be too well-researched, in fact; Gillen comments at the end of the chapter about the ethical responsibilities of writing about war, particular this one (he’s British, and their frontline seat to that conflict means they take the sacrifices of the Greatest Generation even more seriously than we do), and his care sometimes threatens to suck all the energy out of the story. The tale’s only three issues old, though (there was a “0″ issue), and he’s a talented and thoughtful writer; the plot’s intriguing enough that he’s still got a lot of time to find just the right narrative mix. Iron Man is concerned with history, too: the current storyline involves some revelations/tweaks to Tony Stark’s origin. I’m usually suspicious of these — writers are always tempted to play with their characters’ pasts, and all the tacked-on additions can get unwieldy very quickly — but, again, Gillen is a clever guy, and his ideas about just why Stark is such a techie genius, and has a fascination with weapons systems, make for fun reading here.

East of West #3 — Writer: Jonathan Hickman;  Art: Nick Dragotta

Avengers #13 — Writer: Jonathan Hickman with Nick Spencer;  Art: Mike Deodato

Two by Hickman, too — like Gillen, he’s a world-builder, but even more elaborate at it: witness East of West, which after three issues has only revealed bits and pieces of its alternate-Earth world; that’s confusing for readers, but in a good way: the book is so carefully and stylishly put together, there are so many cool little scenes, and Dragotta’s art is so pretty and precise that we’re happy to go with the flow, and trust that eventually it’ll all come together, and be worth our time. Avengers tries to do much the same thing, as Hickman keeps adding pieces to a massive jigsaw puzzle (here, there’s Hyperion and Thor, the Savage Land and the High Evolutionary, the quickly-evolving children created by the… things from the guy on Mars who… um, yeah: complicated), but again the art, this time by Deodato, is both pretty and functional, and the individual scenes, like two gods discussing how family responsibilities can both trap and enoble a warrior, are more than enough to keep us reading to see what happens next.

Age of Ultron #9 (of 10) — Writer: Brian Michael Bendis;  Art: Brandon Peterson, Carlos Pacheco and Roger Bonet

All-New X-Men #12 — Writer: Brian Michael Bendis;  Pencils: Stuart Immonen;  Inks: Wade von Grawbadger

Yet another double shot, this time by Bendis: Age of Ultron is winding up, and the time-travel plot is doubling back on itself (as the cover indicates); after snarking about how slow the first few issues were, I have to admit that more than enough plot has been crammed into the rest of them, so no complaints there — and it looks like the climax next issue should be fun, with the door to continuity changes left just slightly open enough to give other writers some room to improvise. ANXM plays the time-travel card, too, as its teen versions of the X-Men interact with the modern Marvel world, and it continues to be encouraging by how stupid it isn’t: it could have been horrible, but instead, 12 issues in, is a fun, whooshing ride with just the right combination of action, character and humor (the Captain America/Wolverine/Young Jean/Scarlet Witch/Young Scott/Havoc scene here, which takes up most of the book, is a perfect example).

Macabre #1 — Creator: Richard Moore

This presents itself as a horror anthology, although the three stories are so short (two five-pagers and a three-pager) that they’re more sketches than full-blown ideas; there are also eleven pages of pin-ups and splashes, and they showcase Moore’s fantasy/sexy art style better than the stories (this is billed as “mature readers,” and what that really means is: “lots of girl ghouls with nipples.” No, that’s not a complaint…). The best news is the ad in the back for a revival of Moore’s Boneyard, a series that blended his horror, pinup and fantasy obsessions with actual character, plot and slapstick humor, and deserves another shot at finding an audience; if this comic helps to do that, then more power to it.

Ten Grand #2 — Writer: J. Michael Straczynski;  Art: Ben Templesmith

This features many of Straczynski’s obsessions — demons, angels, hard-boiled private eyes, and redemption — and fortunately they’re Templesmith’s, too, and he draws them in his unique shadowy/cartoony/surreal way; even if the writing sometimes seems a little paint-by-numbers, that art makes this this more than worth the $2.99 price.

Suicide Risk #2 — Writer: Mike Carey;  Art: Elena Casagrande

This book, about a cop who accidentally gets pressure-related super-powers (on an Earth used to them) has taken its time about getting the story going (the title isn’t explained until this second issue), but Carey is a past master at the slow build, and a good talespinner (his current series is The Unwritten, but he’s had long runs on Hellblazer, X-Men: Legacy and especially Lucifer, which was an impressive and darkly wonderful fantasy comic), so I’m inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt for at least five or six issues before making any final judgments; past consistency and quality will get you that.

The Movement #2 — Writer: Gail Simone;  Art: Freddie Williams II

This story of an Occupy-type group of reject superheroes battling corrupt police is OK (as is anything by Simone), but is mostly worth mentioning for Gen-13 fans: DC’s New 52 has already introduced Caitlyn Fairchild and Grunge to their regular universe, and the last page of this book introduces another former member of that team. Just sayin’….

Stuff I liked enough to buy, but don’t have anything new to say about, so read previous reviews in the archives if you’re interested:

Rachel Rising #17 — Creator: Terry Moore

Superior Spider-Man #11 — Writers: Dan Slott and Christos Gage;  Pencils: Giuseppe Camuncoli;  Inks: John Dell

Knights of the Dinner Table #198 — Creators: Jolly Blackburn, Steve Johansson, David Kenzer and Brian Jelke

Red Team #3 — Writer: Garth Ennis;  Art: Craig Cermak

New Avengers #6 Writer: Jonathan Hickman Artist: Steve Epting

Aside from Deadpool, which I don’t count cause it’s a comedy, sometimes I feel like New Avengers is the ony Marvel Now book really worth reading. It’s a completely fresh take on traditional Marvel characters, it’s introduced some new players, and it’s got a high concept that’s bound to have a payoff at some point. With this issue, the cover doesn’t lie, as a planet blows up, things get “taken care of” but there’s a lot of consequences. Hickman is balancing a lot of different personalities in this book and doing it wonderfully, it doesn’t hurt to have Epting drawing, with some of the cleanest visuals you’ll get. This book is pretty perfect.

Fury #12 Writer: Garth Ennis Artist: Goran Parlov

This is the kind of book that has to be re-read. I can tell that with it spanning several wars and several locales and the lives of four different people, this is a crazy book. With one issue to go, everybody gets a slight wrap-up, but there’s still time to take down the government stooge. This has all your traditional Ennis pieces (corrupt army people, corrupt government people, one guy trying to just do his job and paying for it…) it’s hard not to see exactly what’s coming. But cause it’s Ennis, you’re never quite fully aware of what’s coming next. This issue gives a baseball-bat filled conclusion to Barracuda’s story and still leaves enough to make you wonder how it all ends. Good stuff.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #22 Writer: Tom Waltz Artist: Mateus Santolouco

I have been obsessed with this book since it started, and now things just keep getting better. This is the first part of “City Fall” the story where Shredder tries to take everything over. Boy does he start big. Casey gets stabbed, one of the turtles gets abducted and everyone takes a beating. It’s a really good start to what looks to be a pivotal story from this run. Santolouco absolutely kills it on this book, as he has been doing for a while, and I’m looking forward to every issue month in and month out.

Adventure Time Annual #1 Writers/Artists: Various

Boy, Adventure Time is such a strange little title, and this annual is no exception. It’s got some of the best writers/artists in it doing their usual weird stuff. The book starts with Roger Langridge of Muppet Show fame dropping an alphabetical story on us all. Next worth noting is Dustin Nguyen doing watercolors for two pages. Otherwise the book is a mixture of indie artists doing the strangest things they can think of. (I’d call one a Lemon Party, but the internet would just not go well if I did…) It’s a fun little book that’s worth it’s price tag (it is an annual after all).

X-Men 1 Writer: Brian Wood Artist: Oliver Coipel

So this is weird. Coipel is only drawing for three issues before someone else goes on. This is a problem I’ll talk about later. As for this issue, it’s fine, except one really weird thing. DC is always bogged down with its history, and Marvel usually avoids that. But in this issue, Wood brings back John Sublime from Grant Morrison’s New X-Men run. Who could possibly know what that character has done aside from me and Phil? Really? I like the Jubilee angle that shows up, and I like the other characters being used, but pulling a random villain that no one will remember is just truly frustrating.

Savage Wolverine #5 Writer/Artist: Frank Cho

So. Wolverine, Shanna and Hulk fight but lose, then this alien gets away from the Savage Land and returns to his master who is a Galactus rip-off. Then the last page says “THE END”  and the letters page says Cho’s run is over. What in the actual world. He did 5 issues of nothing in the Savage Land, created a character that’s a rip-off, and leaves? This is about as stupid as you think it could be, and it’s more of what’s wrong with Marvel in general. Why do you bring guys in for limited series that you don’t announce as limited, then watch the sales plummet later on. At least they aren’t bringing Joe Mad in to do the next arc. Wait a minute…

And Now some Quick Hits!

Chew 34 Writer: John Layman Artist: Rob Guillory: This book is consistently one of the most fun to read on the stands. It’s dark, but amazing.

B.P.R.D Vampire #3 Writer: Mike Mignola Artists: Gabriel Ba, Fabio Moon: Ba and Moon working together immediately makes this B.P.R.D. series completely worth it.

Indestructible Hulk #8 Writer: Mark Waid Artist: Walt Simonson: I will not shut up about how great this book is any time soon. Deal with it.

The Wake #1 Writer: Scott Snyder Artist: Sean Murphy: A good first issue, beautiful to look at, but we’ll see if it pays off, cause it’s hard to say if Snyder can do that.

Justice League of America #4 Writer: Geoff Johns Artist: Brett Booth: Yeah, this isn’t very good, Finch lasted three issues and now we’re stuck with mediocrity and fake murder. Pass.

Wolverine and the X-Men Writer: Jason Aaron Artist: Pasqual Ferry: I like this book, and though it’s called an interlude, it still advance the main plot very well. Good stuff.

And that’s the week! We’ll see you in a couple weeks.

“The” Dan Jacka

Have you seen the Amazing Spider-man #1 that we have? Valued at $10,000 this gem is on sale for only 10 days! This will make  an “AMAZING” Father’s Day Gift for any true collector or Spider-man Fan.
On Sale for only $3995.99! That is 60% off. This offer is available June 1st through June 10th. If you are interested please stop by the store to take a look. Layaway is available with 25% down.

]]> http://allaboutbooksandcomics.com/wp/amazing-spider-man-1-on-sale-60-off/feed/ 4 http://allaboutbooksandcomics.com/wp/phils-reviews-stuff-i-bought-250/ http://allaboutbooksandcomics.com/wp/phils-reviews-stuff-i-bought-250/#comments Sun, 26 May 2013 18:10:48 +0000 Phil http://allaboutbooksandcomics.com/wp/?p=10443 Continue reading →]]> Young Avengers #5 — Writer: Kieron Gillen;  Art: Jamie McKelvie with Mike Norton

The comics that take first position in these reviews are generally the ones that make me happy — and that’s why this issue of Young Avengers, which concludes its first arc, is at the top this week: I love McKelvie’s expressive, very clean-lined art; I love Gillen’s group dynamics and clever plotting and sense of humanity and humor, and I especially like the way he uses Loki as the instigator and commentator, and in this issue gives a callback to his wonderful Journey Into Mystery run on the character. Get the first five issues of this stylish, smart super-hero team series, and see if you agree.

Green Lantern #20 — Writer: Geoff Johns;  Pencils: Doug Mahnke;  Inks: seven people whose names I’m not going to list

This book, on the other hand, used to make me happy, but Johns has probably overstayed his welcome on it: Rebirth, his resurrection of Hal Jordan, was over eight years ago, and the high point of his run, Blackest Night, was in 2009; since then, there’s been a lot of wheel-spinning, and a lot of colorful rings, and it’s all been at least entertaining, but… yeah, it was probably time to move on. This double-sized issue (66 pages for $7.99) is a suitable farewell, with a 55-page story that wraps up all the plotlines, and brings in a number of guest artists (although Doug Mahnke, as he’s been doing for years, provides the lion’s share of the work; his careful, suitably-alien art — especially his dead-eyed Sinestro — has been one of the best reasons to keep reading this comic), a couple of pages of other people congratulating Johns, and then a goodbye from the writer himself. Too bloated and self-congratulatory? Maybe a little… but hey, a decent eight-year run on any title is rare these days, so it’s hard to begrudge the party.

Gold Digger #200 — Creator: Fred Perry

This book, about archaeologist/teacher Gina Diggers, her were-cheetah half-sister Britanny, and their sprawling supporting cast and many Indiana Jones-styled, dimension-spanning adventures, is a tribute to persistence: 50 issues of a first volume in the ’90s, and now 150 issues of the second, and it’s reached a milestone few books can boast of, especially when they’re self-produced and creator-owned. This issue’s stand-alone story is a good example of its many charms, and includes a link to free online copies of the other 199 issues; grab it and see if you get as hooked by Perry’s vivid imagination and appealing fusion of American and manga styles as much as its many other loyal readers have.

Daredevil #26 — Writer: Mark Waid;  Art: Chris Samnee

This is a typical issue of this comic — which is to say a very good one, combining Waid’s twisty, insightful scripts and Samnee’s crisp, elegantly-composed visuals into the best-looking superhero book out there (well, maybe it’s a tie, since the Fraction/Aja Hawkeye is similarly gifted). It’s fun when a long-time character hits a sweet spot like this, and comforting to know that it’ll all end up in a series of reprint collections, and be available for years later — but the best part is that we get to read each issue as it rolls off the presses, and wait the long month until each cliffhanger is resolved; the readers who wait for the trade won’t get to feel that tingle of anticipation that the best serial fiction provides.

Batman: Incorporated #11 — Writer: Chris Burnham;  Art: Jorge Lucas

Aquaman #20 — Writer: John Ostrander;  Pencils: Manuel Barta;  Inks: four people

These two comics are linked because they’re both fill-in issues; Batman: Incorporated is the more annoying, since its regular Morrison story is about to reach its climax, but Burnham and Lucas’s tale of the Japanese Batman is a fun stand-alone story, with some sly pop-cultural references that fans of Japanese culture will appreciate. Over in Aquaman, the dependable Ostrander offers a story with only a page or so of Aquaman himself, but the plus for Phoenix readers is that it’s set in Arizona, involving a new character who’s a Native American hero. Points off for the cover, with its Johns/Pelletier creator credits that someone forgot to change.

Fantastic Four #8 — Writer: Matt Fraction;  Pencils: Mark Bagley;  Inks: Mark Farmer and Joe Rubinstein

Fraction’s current setup for this title involves the FF exploring all of time and space, leaving it open to almost any kind of tale – and so, we have one that focuses on the Thing, traveling to the Yancy Street of the ’30s during the one day each year when he’s able to turn back into Ben Grimm. While there are also a couple of subplots, it’s an effective stand-alone episode — although I expected a little more of a shoutout to Jack Kirby, who grew up on those New York streets during that time, and would have enjoyed drawing it.

Powers Bureau #4 — Writer: Brian Michael Bendis;  Art: Michael Avon Oeming

Uncanny X-Men #6 — Writer: Brian Michael Bendis;  Art: Frazer Irving

Two by Bendis: Powers, a police procedural set in a world with superpowers, has now-FBI agent Walker working undercover to infiltrate a gang, and sports the regular interplay between him and his partner Deena, plus the smooth collaboration between Bendis and Oeming that’s let this book last for 14 years. Uncanny is part of the Bendis X-Men universe, and offers Cyclops’s team of new recruits trapped in limbo, where the dread Dormammu has possessed Magick and sicced the Mindless Ones on them (I can’t believe that (a) I just wrote that sentence, and (b) most of you knew exactly what I was talking about…). Like All-New X-Men, it’s surprisingly good; Bendis’s talents and tics have proven a good match for the X-characters so far, and made their adventures addictive again.

X-Men: Legacy #11 — Writer: Simon Spurrier;  Pencils: Paul Davidson and Tan Eng Huat;  Inks: Davidson and Craig Yeung

Out of all the Marvel Now! titles, this is one that most threatens to get lost in the shuffle; it’s as idiosyncratic as its lead character, the son of Professor X, whose mind contains hundreds of split personalities, each with a separate power. Spurrier has made him damaged-but-valiant, and unexpectedly human: witness his reaction to the big plot-twist reveal near the end of the book, and his refusal to play by the regular superhero rules. This all makes it entertaining reading, and worth a look for readers who’ve been avoiding it because the lead doesn’t wear an actual costume. Hey, buy it for the covers, which have consistently been among the best in the business: look at this issue’s, which manages to sum up the whole plot in one visually striking and imaginative image.

Stuff I bought and liked, but have nothing new to say about, so look up previous reviews in the archives if you’re interested:

Dark Horse Presents # 24 — Creators: Various

Avengers #12 — Writers: Jonathan Hickman and Nick Spencer;  Art: Mike Deodato

Mind Mgmt #11 — Creator: Matt Kindt

Superior Spider-Man #10 — Writer: Dan Slott;  Pencils: Ryan Stegman;  Inks: Stegman and Can Smith

Age of Ultron #8 Writer: Brian Bendis Artist: Brandon Peterson

I just can’t get into this. I can’t explain why, I’m a huge fan of time travel, I love the high-concept stories, and I want to like the entire idea behind this, but it just feels like Bendis is trying to push a redone version of House of M at us, and I can’t get into it. Add the fact that Peterson seems wickedly rushed making his faces look crazy, and that everything has been building to a mediocre fight with Morgaine Le Fey (seriously), and I start to wonder why anyone would care. I still think they got the shipping right on this event, having it come out often is making it more memorable, but when the story isn’t very good, who cares?

X-Factor #256 Writer: Peter David Artist: Leonard Kirk

This, on the other hand, is almost completely perfect. Everything that’s been building in X-Factor for years finally comes to a head, people die, characters are completely changed, and no one quite knows exactly what’s coming next. The story is executed perfectly, and still has a totally depressing ending that leaves you begging for more. So what’s next? Well, this book has been cancelled so not very much, but there’s a ton of pieces that can still be messed with before the book comes to an end. This is an almost perfect X-book and you should definitely go back and look at the TPB’s to get the full story.

Dream Thief #1 Writer: Jai Nitz Artist: Greg Smallwood

I always hesitate on weird new titles, especially superhero stuff. It’s easy to go wrong. In this book, a mediocre dude steals an aborigine mask then blacks out. Every time he wakes up, he’s in a room full of dead people with no explanation why. It’s pretty freaking crazy, especially when he realizes who he’s killed. It’s the kind of mini-series that has a ton of potential. Because it’s a mini, we know there’s going to be a finite length with a complete ending. If you’re looking for something interesting that shouldn’t take years to fully read up on, this is absolutely the pick of the week for you.

Iron Man #10 Writer: Kieron Gillen Artist: Dale Eaglesham

Pay no attention to the Greg Land cover! This issue, as the last one, has improved the quality drastically just by having Eaglesham on the art. Gillen is taking liberties with Tony Stark’s origin story, and there’s a lot of potential here, but also a ton of possible backlash. It’s a good issue setting up an evil robot that we don’t really understand just yet, and Gillen is great at setting things up without giving any real information just yet. With the artist change, and this interesting story, there’s a good chance that Iron Man is about to get a whole lot better, so you should definitely get onboard now.

The Fall of the House of Usher Adapted/Drawn by: Richard Corben

Man, I am a sucker for Richard Corben, but it’s really hard not to be. Just look at this book! Everything about it is exactly what you’d want from a Poe interpretation; it’s creepy, mysterious, and leaves you wanting more. Corben takes some liberties and does his own thing, but you also know that he’s being incredibly faithful to the source material. There’s also a backmatter section where he shows sketches and talks about all the work he put into the book. C’mon you guys, this is Corben, do I really need to sell you on it?

And now some quick hits!

Battlestar Galactica #1 Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning Artist: Cezar Razek: This IS your parents BSG, and not the Sci-Fi version. It’s still fun and goofy so far, so we’ll see.

Wolverine and the X-Men #29 Writer: Jason Aaron ARtist: Ramon Perez: A fun little issue helping Wolverine grow more as a teacher, and involving time capsules and more. It’s enjoyable to say the least.

Wonder Woman #20 Writer: Brian Azzarello Artist: Goran Sudzuka & Cliff Chiang: Pieces keep moving right along and things keep happening while trying to save a baby!

The Dream Merchant #1 Writer: Nathan Edmondson Artist: Konstantin Novosadov:Absolutely worth the price tag, this is a big book again with potential. I don’t think it’s for me, but weight alone makes it worth looking at.

Cable and X-Force #8 Writer: Dennis Hopeless Artist: Salvador Larroca: I like this book more every issue. It’s fun and well put together. All the characters have distinguished voices and it’s a lot of fun.

Regular Show #1 Writer: KC Green Artist: Allison Strejlau: In the vein of Adventure Time, this is another fun all-ages book that you should definitely check out.

AND that’s the week! See you next time!

“The” Dan Jacka

Avengers

Secret Avengers #4 — Writer: Nick Spencer;  Art: Luke Ross

Uncanny Avengers #8 — Writer: Rick Remender;  Art: Daniel Acuna

Avengers Assemble #15 AU — Writer: Al Ewing;  Pencils: Butch Guice;  Inks: Tom Palmer with Rick Magyar

Lots of Avengers comics this week (plus Avengers Arena, although only the title of that mini-series really connects it to the franchise), and they’re a mixed bag. Hickman’s Avengers is the best; wisely, this is a special-ops, done-in-one story, so it doesn’t add to the title’s increasingly-complex backstory: it’s got Shang-Chi, Spider-Woman, Black Widow, Sunspot and Cannonball undercover at a casino in Macau, where A.I.M. Island is supposedly auctioning off weapons prototypes. Despite the cover, there are no costumes; everyone’s in civilian guise, and it’s a clever, twisty little James Bondish tale, with some fun with the A.I.M. henchmen (Hickman does more-human minions than anyone this side of Don McGregor), and a number of tributes to Marvel’s long-running ’70s/’80s Master of Kung Fu book (Deodato uses enough Bruce Lee photo references to justify the story’s title: “Wake the Dragon”).  Secret Avengers revolves around A.I.M. Island too, as the mad scientists there have mass-produced a bunch of Iron Patriot armor, given them sentience, and generally caused trouble; in response, Nick Fury, Black Widow (yes, she gets around a lot, thanks to the movie), Mockingbird, Hawkeye and the Hulk infiltrate the island (well, the Hulk is busy causing a diversion; he doesn’t infiltrate well) on an assassination mission. It’s fine, but suffers from being quite a bit grimmer and more cynical than Avengers, and only the first part of a continued story. Uncanny Avengers is more widescreen — Remender’s developing a reputation for pyrotechnics — and more complex, as Kang, twin Apocalypse offspring, an enchanted axe Thor wielded thousands of years ago,  the destruction of the S.W.O.R.D. space station, tensions between the X-Men and Avengers divisions of the group, and the deaths of a hundred thousand ex-mutant Apocalypse acolytes all combine into one flashy but maybe-too-unwieldy confection that’s nowhere close to being over yet; it will probably read a lot better in the trade than the one segment does here. Finally, Avengers Assemble is another Age of Ultron tie-in, showing how England et al. reacted to the invasion; it’s OK, and worth checking out if you’re a fan of Captain Britain and the other heroes across the pond, but reads a lot like… well, all the other Age of Ultron tie-ins so far, if at least a little more hopeful.

Uber #1 — Writer: Kieron Gillen;  Art: Caanan White

Gillen’s followed the traditional modern route for a successful comics writer: the small indy critical successes (Phonogram I and II), the well-received mainstream company runs (on X-Men, Journey Into Mystery and, currently, Young Avengers), and now the creator-owned, high-concept splash. Uber is an alternate-history war tale: what if,  just before the end of WW II, the Nazis had managed to create superhumans — not Captain America-level super soldiers, but Superman-level ubermensches (and uberfrauliens? My German, coming from dim Hogan’s Heroes memories, is nicht so gut…)? The #0 issue a few weeks ago, and now this debut, tell that story. Gillen’s put a lot of research into this, and his editorials in the two books so far have been fascinating reading; the comic itself is just ramping up, but between Gillen’s skill with the words and White’s gritty period realism, it’s easy to tell why readers have been drawn to it.

Battlefields #6 (of 6) — Writer: Garth Ennis;  Art: Russ Braun

Speaking of war books… Ennis, of course, has been doing them for years, and very well; he’s an obvious fan of military history and research, and this series of mini-series has been an obvious labor of love. This issue features the third and final chapter of his “Night Witches” trilogy, about Russian women aviators during WW II and after; here, his heroine, Anna Kharkova, has been exiled to Siberia for decades, but manages one last act of defiance and flight; it’s an affecting, and surprisingly sentimental, story, and one that should ring a chord in the heart of any pilot, or fan of flying.

Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror #4 (of 4) — Writer: Roger Langridge;  Art: J. Bone

This has turned out to be an entertaining series — the dependable Langridge (who’s worked on Muppet comics and the wonderful Popeye, and had his own series with the Lewis Carrol-inspired Snarked!) offers a ’30s-Hollywood plot that manages to combine the cast of The Thin Man, some pseudo-H.P.Lovecraft, and a narration by one Julius Marx (better known by his stage name, Groucho); J. Bone’s art is so cartoony that it takes a little getting used to, but eventually becomes just right — and, for fans of more realistic art, there’s the gorgeous cover by Walt Simonson. The capper is the end-pages ad for another Rocketeer mini starting in July, offering a team-up with The Spirit, written by Mark Waid and with art by Paul Smith.  Yes, please: I’ll have some of that.

Batman #20 — Writer: Scott Snyder;  Pencils: Greg Capullo;  Inks: Danny Miki

The conclusion of a Clayface two-parter, a nice little palate cleanser after the long Joker story; it’s good, although we’re asked to believe that Bruce Wayne can hold his breath for seven minutes, and the ending hits the pathos button just a little too hard re.: Damien. Capullo has been turning out very good art on this title for a while, too; it’s nice to see an artist work hard and grow beyond his early limitations, and easy to see why this has been DC’s top-selling book for almost two years now.

I Love Trouble #5 — Writer: Kel Symons;  Art: Mark A. Robinson

This story about girl teleporter who ends up working as an assassin, and the toll it takes on her, has been full of both interesting art (Robinson’s airbrushy style is both cartoony and sexy) and writing that can be both surprisingly poignant (especially this issue), and funny — there’s the imaginary monkey, for one thing, and the William Shatner “Rocket Man” riff he’s doing on the cover tells you a lot about the kind of offbeat sensibilities at work here. This is one of those titles that deserves more people picking it up, before it disappears too soon.

Thor #8 — Writer: Jason Aaron; Art: Esad Ribic

All three Thors — the young Viking-worshipped one from a thousand years ago, the Marvel one we know, and the far-future Odinlike one — get together to try to stop the God-butcher Gorr and the bomb he’s building, the one that threatens to destroy all gods throughout the multiverse. That’s Aaron thinking big, and while I think it’s all been a tad too lengthy up to now, the last-panel splash of the three iterations of the title character all getting ready for battle makes it worth the wait, and has me looking forward to the next issue (although, given that trade-driven stories these days are often in units of six installments, I’m hoping we don’t have to wait four more issues, until number twelve, for a resolution…).

Prophet #35 — Writer: Brandon Graham; Art: Simon Roy and Giannis Milonogiannis

This is a trippy, densely-written space-adventure comic; only Graham could get away with captions like “Within her ambulavit pod, the arc mother probes ahead,” or, at the climax, “Thauilu Vah: Earth’s junction on the cyclops rail, awakened after centuries of polycrystalline suppression. The tower’s energy threads space like a needle.” Add in Roy’s suitably-alien art, and all the Easter eggs for fans of the early-’90s Image universe (Troll shows up? Really?) and this is one of the strangest, and most compelling, books on the stands right now.

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]]> http://allaboutbooksandcomics.com/wp/free-comic-book-day-2013-photos/feed/ 0 http://allaboutbooksandcomics.com/wp/the-latest-and-mostly-greatest-73/ http://allaboutbooksandcomics.com/wp/the-latest-and-mostly-greatest-73/#comments Sun, 05 May 2013 23:57:21 +0000 Dan http://allaboutbooksandcomics.com/wp/?p=10308 Continue reading →]]> All right folks, we all survived Free Comic Book Day! That’s why this is a little bit late, but the quality will be as great as ever! I slept for 10 hours, so… Let’s do this!

Hawkeye #10 Writer: Matt Fraction Artist: Francesco Francavilla:

Guys, let’s be totally honest here. Did anyone think that I wouldn’t pick this as my book of the week? I am obsessed with Francavilla, and putting him on what is easily the best Marvel book coming out right now makes this an almost perfect issue of Hawkeye. After an upsetting secondary character death, Fraction rewinds the story and gives you some perspective and background on what was happening elsewhere. It’s a perfectly crafted issue, with Francavilla’s off-kilter page layouts making the book even better than it already is. It’s clearly the book of the week, and Hawkeye is on pace to be the book of the year.

Superior Spider-Man #9 Writer: Dan Slott Artist: Ryan Stegman

The story being told in Superior is working surprisingly well. Slott keeps coming up with these red herrings to bring back Parker, but then has Doc Ock completely take them down. It’s an interesting style, cuz’ everyone seems to know that something is going on, but no one can quite deal with it. This time around, Ock actually goes into his brain to wipe out any memories that Parker may have. This issue reads pretty simply, but the consequences of those actions could go on for the future of this title. Slott has always had a master plan with Spider-Man, and this is no exception. It’s really good stuff.

The Movement #1 Writer: Gail Simone Artist: Freddie Williams II

This is a weird book, but I think I like it? Conceptually, it’s as simple as, “a group of young people don’t like the way things are run, so they take justice in their own hands”, but there’s a bit more to it than that. The group is specifically targeting corrupt cops and taking care of business. I trust that Simone has a plan in place for the book, and this first issue is about as team building as you can get. I’m not really a fan of Williams II, but when he has the time to do a book, his stuff can look very good, and this is a case where he was clearly given some time to work. It’s a fun book, and the kind of sleeper that may turn out to be really good.

Suicide Risk #1 Writer: Mike Carey Artist: Elena Casagrande

We’re in a golden age of creator-owned comics. So much is coming out from so many different important writers that it’s hard to find the genuinely good ones. It’s hard to know which ones to invest (figuratively and literally) in, and figure out what’s a waste of time. Suicide Risk is a pretty good first issue. The plot basically revolves around the idea that all these regular people are buying drugs to get powers, but only using them for evil. So normal cops are screwed trying to deal with it, until one cop decides to try some out for himself. I enjoyed the hell out of it; it’s well put together and a solid first issue. Great stuff.

Ten Grand #1 Writer: J. Michael Straczynski Artist: Ben Templesmith

The Black Bat #1 Writer: Brian Buccellato Artist: Ronan Cliquet

These two books, on the other hand, don’t really pull you in for their first issues. Ten Grand is exactly what you expect from a Straczynski-Templesmith mash-up. It’s overly chatty, but damn nice to look at. I found myself thinking, “why does Straczynski NEVER let the reader actually read the comic?” It’s like he doesn’t trust the artist and loves his own words. Still, it’s pretty. Black Bat is a pretty generic superhero book. It was a bit confusing, (I think the superhero is blind? ish?) but put together well, as Buccellato has been working on Flash for a while. It’s not that either of these aren’t enjoyable, they just aren’t up to the level of something like Suicide Risk.

Now some quick hits!

Thanos Rising #2 Writer: Jason Aaron Artist: Simone Bianchi: Yeah, this is just stupid. At least Thanos is acting like Thanos and not a whiny idiot anymore.

Action Comics #20 Writer/Artist: Tony Daniel: With Andy Diggle off the book, it’s still hard to see the overall tone here. The story has a lot of potential, but with Daniel writing, I have a LOT of hesitation to commit to it in any way at all.

Detective Comics #20 Writer: John Layman Artist: Jay Fabok: This, on the other hand, is wrapping up a little piece of Layman’s story and setting things up for more. Detective Comics has been incredibly good; you should read it.

Abe Sapien #2 Writer: Mike Mignola and Scott Allie Artist: Sebastian Fiumara: I really, really enjoy this book. It’s a lot of fun and works independently of the Mignola-verse. It’s good stuff.

Indestructible Hulk #7 Writer: Mark Waid Artist: Walt Simonson: Guys it’s Waid and Simonson on Hulk. I can’t possibly hype this up any more than the names attached to it already do. It’s completely perfect…deal with it!

Age of Ultron #7 Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Artist: Brandon Peterson: A lot of ideas moving around at once. It’s OK, with a bit of potential, but I don’t have high hopes at all.

And that’s the week! I’m going to sleep for like 10 more hours. See you all next time!

“The” Dan Jacka

Young Avengers

A lot of good books came out this week, but I’m putting this one at the top just because Gillen and McKelvie are having such an obvious blast creating it — between the playful layouts (especially a double-page splash involving a Marvel Boy fight), the skillful mix of drama and deadpan humor, and the young Loki’s expressions as he walks his tightrope act (is he trying to do the right thing, or the wrong thing? How do you trust a trickster god?),  this is a comic that simply makes you happy to read it.

Jupiter’s Legacy #1 — Writer: Mark Millar;  Art: Frank Quitely

This has sold out quickly, and gotten some good press, but the story really isn’t that special — Millar is doing a ’30s superhero group origin, and then looking at how the children of those originals are coping with powers and fame today. Standard stuff, really — and kind of irritatingly careless: despite having had major superheroes around since the Great Depression, the present-day US is exactly the same as us, with the same history, president, and economic troubles. Ah, but then there’s the art; Quitely could illustrate a phone book and make it interesting, and looking at his precise, attractive renderings of people, fashions, character designs, expressions and backgrounds (one panel, involving a mental landscape that’s sketchy around the edges and increasingly detailed in the middle, is a perfect summary of his skills) is more than enough to justify the price of this book.

Batman: Incorporated #10 — Writer: Grant Morrison;  Art: Chris Burnham, with Jason Masters and Andrei Bressan

This is a prepare-for-battle issue, as Bruce Wayne gets ready to take on Talia/Leviathan; he’s isolated, dealing with his son’s death, and surrounded by enemies and superior firepower — but, as Nightwing says, “That’s Batman at his most dangerous,” and seeing what he comes up with, leading up to the last-page splash, should be enough to bring readers back for the actual battle next issue. The art changes are sometimes jarring — Burnham only draws about half the pages — but, unlike Jupiter’s Children, this comic is propelled by its writing anyway, so the book’s essential character still shines through.

B.P.R.D.: Vampire #2 (of 5) — Writer: Mike Mignola;  Art: Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon

Not much to say about this second issue that I didn’t already say about the first — Mignola, Ba and Moon collaborating on a Hellboy-universe vampire story? What else, exactly, do you need to know?

East of West #2 — Writer: Jonathan Hickman;  Art: Nick Dragotta

Avengers #10 — Writer: Jonathan Hickman;  Art: Mike Deodato

New Avengers #5 — Writer: Jonathan Hickman;  Pencils: Steve Epting;  Inks: Rick Magyar with Epting

Three by Hickman; East of West is the creator-owned book whose first issue sold out quickly last month, and it’s a mix of Dark Towerish western moments (Death is a gunslinger), alternate-timeline sf (there was never a Civil War, and the modern-day US is Balkanized into a number of different countries) and apocalypic imagery (literally: the Four Horsemen are characters). Dragotta offers impressive art, both in the future-city architecture and the character designs, and while the story is typically Hickman-dense (it’s gradually revealing pieces of an obviously-vast design), it’s got plenty to entertain readers, even if they aren’t sure what’s going on.

That same style is present in the two Avengers books, and, while the art in each is effective, and each has its moments, I’m not sure about the corporate strategy here: having your flagship superhero titles be almost-impenetrable to new readers seems a strange idea. Don’t get me wrong — I’m a fan of Hickman’s style, and I don’t mind books that require the reader’s close attention — but his brand of complicated, one-chapter-in-a-sprawling-epic design doesn’t offer the easiest path to retaining the kinds of casual saw-the-blockbuster-movie buyers that comics with the Avengers logo otherwise might. It’s a tribute to his perceived skills that a company like Marvel/Disney, usually so attuned to purely marketing concerns, is giving him this much leeway.

Fantastic Four #7 — Writer: Matt Fraction;  Pencils: Mark Bagley;  Inks: Andrew Hennessey

FF #6 — Writer: Matt Fraction;  Art: Joe Quinones

Fraction’s two interlocking FF titles — he’s more careful than Hickman to make each issue feel more self-contained, though, so these feel like more satisfying chunks of story. Fantastic Four sees the time and space-traveling adventurers at the “Big Crunch,” the heat death of the universe, while FF pulls a number of interlocking plots forward, notably Scott and Darla dealing with the Yancy Street Gang. No Allred art this issue, and the substitute is trying a little too hard to mimic his style, but, as with Batman: Incorporated, the story itself — including some nice character bits for almost everyone — comes through well anyway.

Amala’s Blade #1 (of 4) — Writer: Steve Horton;  Art: Michael Dialynas

This is an sf fantasy set in an unnamed world, one where there’s a civil war pitting steam technology on one side, and more advanced, body-mod tech on the other, and a girl assassin plys her trade between the warring factions. The character has previously appeared in a Dark Horse Presents serial, but this is her first full mini-series. Both the world and the lead character are gritty and well thought out, and the art is an appealing blend of realistic and cartoony (it’s appropriate that the alternate cover to this first issue was drawn by Guy Davis, because Dialynas’s art has some similarities to his); it’s a well-done package, and worth a look.

Dark Horse Presents #23 — Creators: Various

A good indication that the comics market is reasonably healthy right now is that it’s been able to support an indie-flavored, $7.99 anthology like this for two years; of course, it helps when every issue has more than enough stories to justify the price. This time out, the star is the first chapter of a new Nexus serial by Mike Baron and Steve Rude. That’s worth at  least $5 by itself; mix in Shannon Wheeler’s amusing “Villain House,” about a retired super-villain trolling the Internet to get a new gang together (apparently), “Bloodhound,” by Dan Jolley and Leonard Kirk (which was a DC title for awhile), and new art by, among others, Simon Roy, Sean Phillips, Denis Medri, Phil Winslade, Todd Harris, John Higgins and a few others, and it’s easy to see how this title is able to survive.

Guardians of the Galaxy #2 — Writer: Brian Michael Bendis;  Pencils: Steve McNiven and Sara Pichelli;  Inks: McNiven, Pichelli, John Dell and Mark Morales

Ultimate Spider-Man #22 — Writer: Brian Michael Bendis;  Art: Sara Pichelli

You say you want straight-ahead action for your second issue of an ongoing series like Guardians, as Iron Man, Drax, Gamora, Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon and Groot (sort of…) take on alien battleships over London? Well, here you go: Bendis reminds us that he can do an effectively-choreographed multi-leveled fight, and mixes in galactic intrigue and humor, while the seemingly-odd McNiven/Pichelli pairing turns out very attractive art. Pichelli’s on display over in Ultimate Spider-Man, too (although an editorial note says this is her last issue — too bad, since she’d been very good on this title for a very long time), as Miles Morales faces one of those unexpected tragedies that’s wired into any Spider-Man’s mythos, thanks to a fight with Venom; the next-issue cover shot shows the Ultimate version of a scene that should be familiar to any Marvel fan, too.

Mind Mgmt #10 — Creator: Matt Kindt

Rachel Rising #16 — Creator: Terry Moore

Why group these two comics? They’re both completely individual solo acts, whole packages created, owned and operated solely by one artist; both also have been in the news recently as possible movie or TV deals.  Since both have low print runs, that’s led speculators dreaming of Walking Dead-like profits to snap up their early issues.  Rachel is the more “normal” title, with an occult-possession storyline that’s both spooky and assured, while Mind Mgmt is the kind of quirky, sui generis work that’s perfect for comics, but hard to describe — it looks primitive on first glance, but its secret-society spy-thriller plot sucks you in, and the more you look the more you see there, lurking in the margins. Don’t be fooled by the speculators — an option isn’t the same as a done deal, and the odds on any title hitting the big-time media tie-in are very long. On the other hand, appreciate that we’re in the modern age of comics, where you don’t have to spend big bucks on originals: trade paperbacks are available of both titles, and they’re well worth picking up. Invest in the story instead of chasing the potential profit, and you’ll never go wrong.

Fury #11 — Writer: Garth Ennis;  Art: Goran Parlov

This title is winding down (it’s only got two issue to go), and while it’s a mystery why it never found a big audience (it’s the Ennis/Parlov team that brought us that long, wonderful Punisher run), its format — a secret history of Nick Fury, from the ‘end of WWII up, following his work for the CIA in various hot spots like the French-held Vietnam, the Bay-of Pigs Cuba, and now the ’80s Contras in Central America — was always more maxi-series than open-ended. It’s been fascinating to watch the cast of characters age over the 40-year span, and the characterization, sense of history, action and cynical-but-human themes have made it a great run; again, let’s be happy for the age of the trade paperback, because this deserves to be in print for a long time.