Sorry I’m a few days late on this week’s comic review, I’ve been working on ComicCenter all this week. Here’s what I’m buying or recommending for recycling this week:
BUY IT!
DEADPOOL: SUICIDE KINGS #5 – I really shouldn’t be suggesting that anyone buy this since I hate the multi-titles for one character; but it’s just too d@mn funny. Writers Mike Benson & Adam Glass aren’t better than regular series writer Daniel Way, but they definitely have a hilarious grasp on Deadpool. Guest-stars Spider-Man & The Punisher seem to compliment Deadpool well, kinda like a cheesy cop movie. The three team to take down Tombstone in this series and the way that everything wraps in this last issue is classic. If you haven’t been getting this one, be sure to grab the trade when it hits.
POWER GIRL #4 – I’ve been buying this title strictly for Amanda Conner’s always amazing art, but with this issue that changed. No, the art didn’t change. Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray have kicked off their second story arc and the characterization with Power Girl is great. Power Girl (I would like to see a name change for her though, any female with boobs THAT big isn’t a girl…) has started a business to create new, green technologies, she is mentoring the new Terra (last seen in her own limited series…) and is moving in to her own apartment with this issue. All that and action too. This book is good simply for the art and now the story is finally catching up – making this a must read.
GRIMJACK: THE MANX CAT #1 – This reprint from IDW certainly doesn’t cover any new ground, but for anyone who hasn’t read anything by John Ostrander and Timothy Truman, this is one to check out. Set in a dystopian future, GrimJack is a bounty hunter/mercenary that is hired to reclaim a stolen statuette. Set up by both his friends and employer, GrimJack is forced to try to fight his way out. Like I said, no new ground for those of us who can remember First, Epic and Comico Comics, this is still a great read for fans of gritty sci-fi.
WOLVERINE: WEAPON X #4 – It’s about frickin’ time that this title started moving forward and making sense! After dispatching a squad of Wolverine duplicates in the jungle, Logan has decided to shut down Blackguard before they sell Weapon X secrets to the government. He’s enlisted Maverick to help bring them down as he has a connection in H.A.M.M.E.R. The coolest thing about this issue is the portrayal of the Blackguard “Wolverines” as just soldiers doing their jobs. Wolvie and one of the BW’s stop fighting after falling off an el track and land near a bus. I was seriously ready to drop this book this month if the story didn’t start making some sense – even with Ron Garney’s always beautiful art.
BLACKEST NIGHT: SUPERMAN #1 – I figured this to be just another spin-off, money sponge for Blackest Night, but the art was pretty good and the story actually gives a little more glimpse into what powers the black rings. The Black Lanterns see in what I’m going to call “Black-Lantern-O-Vision” or “BLOV” for short; allowing them to “see” on the emotional spectrum (which has been shown in other BN titles, but no to this extent). Will, fear, hope, love, rage, compassion and avarice seem to power up a Black Lantern’s ring – once their heart has been ripped out. The greater the emotion, the more power absorbed by the rings. I thought the coolest scene in the book was when Superman was shown possessing all seven emotions, making him a big target. The Earth-2 Superman, Kal-L, has been resurrected and has also revived Pa Kent. The Lois Lane from Earth-2 has also become a Black Lantern and kidnapped Ma Kent as Superman and Superboy both fight Kal-L. Eddy Barrows’ art just gets better and better on each new project, making me wonder why he doesn’t have a monthly title.
SWORDSMITH ASSASSIN #1 – BOOM! Studios is really making a push to gain market share in the industry. From getting the Disney license, to BladeRunner and other movie properties, to creating original titles like Unknown and Irredeemable, they have definitely been making moves. This week they released a book call Swordsmith Assassin with a “bait-&-switch” cover by John Cassady. Looking past that (I guess they stole that move from Dynamite…), Swordsmith is about a self-cursed Japan sword-maker that strayed from the honor that his father had given the family name. Seeking to reclaim his honor a find balance, Toshiro Ono swears to find every sword he ever made and cast them into the ocean. I’m a sucker for a good samurai story and this one by Andrew Cosby and Michael Alan Nelson has hooked me. The art needs an upgrade, but the colorist has picked up some of the slack. Swordsmith Assassin definitely has the makings of a decent series and a possible TV series or movie. I’m giving it a chance and hope you guys do too…
MIGHTY AVENGERS #28 – Finally we’re getting to the resolution on the whole Loki impersonating the Scarlet Witch thing. As Quicksilver and U.S. Agent help the Chinese deal with the threat of the Unspoken, the rest of the team continues to settle into their new HQ. Stature sees the “Scarlet Witch” turn off Quicksilver’s call for help and “SW” casts a spell on her which makes her unable to speak ill about the Scarlet Witch. Frustrated, Stature and the Vision decide to take some time off to visit their old Young Avengers teammates and Vision tells Wiccan and his brother that their mother (Scarlet Witch) is part of the Mighty Avengers. Wiccan then casts a spell to bring her into their presence, forcing Loki to change against his/her will and teleporting s/him to Y.A.-H.Q. An infuriated “Scarlet Witch” then starts spell-casting to kill all those present as Ronin lurks in the shadows (gee, I wonder if he’s still kinda pissed about that whole dead thing?). This is a series that still seems to be flying under the radar a bit more than it should. I’m hoping things really start blowing up with the future New Avengers/Avengers Initiative cross-over. Maybe we’ll eventually get down to just two teams of Avengers: The Mighty & The Dark…
DAREDEVIL #500 – I’ve tried really hard over the years to become a Daredevil fan, but something always turns me off; the last two being the Daredevil armor crap from the ‘90’s and then that abortion of a movie. Daredevil appeals to me because of the lawyer aspect in Matt Murdock that places justice above all else. I’d been hearing some rumblings about Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark’s run on the book, but never got around to picking an issue up. So I see issue #500 and think it’s at least worth the investment since very few titles even get to a five hundredth issue. And now my dumb@$$ is scrambling to find the trades that lead up to this issue. Foggy has fired Matt for making a deal with the recently returned Wilson Fisk? Who the heck is Lady Bullseye and why is she with the Hand? Who’s this guy that has been part of Stick’s clan and The Hand who’s mentoring Matt? Holy $H!T! Did Matt just join The Hand as their leader?!? Why is this Brubaker and Lark’s last issue? D@mn. This is why I tend not to pick up Daredevil. Here’s to hoping that the next creative team keeps it going ‘caused I’m hooked for a few issues…
X-MEN #227 – I guess I didn’t catch the part of the last storyline where Rogue can only store so much absorbed power, but I guess she was going to need some kind of weakness now that “Humpty Dumpty” is back together. Part of the Utopia storyline, Rogue, Gambit and Danger have been asked/told by Cyclops to help with crowd control and track down an injured mutant that had been staying at the San Fran compound. The new Ms. Marvel shows up to arrest them and the requisite fight ensues. Bottom line, this is a Utopia tie-in and it features Gambit kickin’ @$$. I also think that Cyclops is planning on using Rogue as field leader once the dust settles and the teams shake out a little.
RECYCLE IT!
BATGIRL #1 - Duuuhhhh… Ah wonda who da new Batgurl could be… In the aftermath of Bruce’s “death” and Dick putting on the cowl, Cassandra Cain has quit as Batgirl leaving: bum bum bah! Stephanie Brown aka The Spoiler to become Batgirl on the sly. She kinda sucks at it and Barbara finds out. The End. Skip it.
PUNISHER NOIR #1 – Ugh. When did Marvel ditch What If…? for entire universes? These stories should be regulated to one-shots. Noir, House of M, Blah, Blah, Blah.
ARCHIE #600 – Struggling for sales in a slow economy, Archie Comics has decided to get Archie hitched and he doesn’t choose the “girl next door” like he should. Archie pops the question to Veronica and the artwork couldn’t be worse. I’m still trying to figure out who buys this book (probably the same people who agreed that this was network newsworthy…).
RED CIRCLE: THE WEB #1 - Like I said in my last comic review: these heroes couldn’t hack it before and I doubt even J. Michael Straczynski can make them cool. Roger Robinson does lend some art cred to this character and I think I might actually be interested in this title if the costume wasn’t so frickin’ stupid. Pass.
JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA #36 – Len Wein? This guy may have been good in the ‘70’s, but now you’re just reaching. Not only are there no A-Listers in the current line-up, but you dust off Wein? Are you even trying DC? A least you’ve made a good move in bringing in James Robinson and Mark Bagley starting with issue #38…
DARK REIGN: MR. NEGATIVE #3 & DARK REIGN: THE HOOD #4 – I honestly still don’t care about Mr. Negative after three issues and while the Hood’s story is kind of cool, it really should be shown in one of the mainstream titles that he appears in. I’m tired of all the Dark Reign cross-overs that are starting to water down a really good story. Hopefully it wraps up soon.
What are you reading? Let me know!
