Continued from yesterday, these are some recently read comics that made me want speak up. I’ll be doing a roundup of trades soon.
EXILED #1 (OF 5)
I loved the original New Mutants series and for the most part think they have been under used or used wrong since. It’s almost hurt watching people try and figure out what to do with these characters. This is another tale of the new Mutants and Asgardian lore. It really didn’t do much for me, and the treatment of them as slacker type kids in an episode of the OC does nothing for me.
FAIREST # 3
The story continues as our little imp tries to negotiate with the Ice Queen and we get more on what happened with Briar Rose as a baby to cause the curse. Great art, great story telling. Top of the pile every time it comes out.
FANTASTIC FOUR #605.1
I’m still not sure why Marvel is doing these point one books, they feel like a what if with loose ties to continuity. This one has us watching a Fantastic Four on an Earth where Hitler wins and the Four are sent to space by Nazis. Reed is more like Skyler from Heroes than anything else.
A disturbing scene with Dr. Doom seemed almost gratuitous to me. I love Hickman on Fantastic Four, but this seemed like a long winded way of introducing one of the Reeds from the Council of Reeds. Had I not read this it would have had no bearing on my enjoying the series, but now I gave that scene stuck in my head.
GREEN LANTERN #9
I was a bit unsure how I felt about Sinestro being Green Lantern again, and having Hal kicked out and becoming a reluctant Lantern under Sinestro’s thumb was interesting, but it’s all coming to a head as we discover the origins of the indigo tribe and see what may be a pretty messy final showdown with these form villains turned indigo zombies. Never dull and always fun.
JUSTICE LEAGUE #9
This series started a bit slow for me, it seemed like the first arc
should have been done in two issues. It was an orign telling piece so I get it, just took much time for my taste. Well with issue nine we are in full on action mode and the story telling is where it should be. Someone who feels he was hurt by the League is coming after them and it is building nicely to what look like it will be a real nice confrontation.
The back up Shazam story has been loads of fun and I love this new take on the character.
JUSTICE LEAGUE FREE COMICS DAY
Wonderful story giving a sneak peek at whats coming down the line for the JL. Magic characters are back and there are palce where these magic items are being stored, and now raided. Trinity War looks like it is going to be great with loads of new characters introduced. I can’t wait.
NEW AVENGERS #26
A tale of Iron Fist lore with a redhead Hope stand in who is being prepped for the Phoenix I old K’un Lun. A loose reason to tie it into the A vs X but still fun. With flashbacks it also meant that we didn’t get all the “hip speak” from Bendis. I love his story telling but sometimes I think his dialogue is the same in every damn book he writes.
Here it actually feels right. Some nicely underplayed art by Mike
Dedato, it would have been very easy for him to go nuts with detail here but he focuses on what’s important and the result is a clean fast paced feeling look.
PUNISHER #11
For my money one of the best people writing today, and not just comics but novels, is Greg Rucka. His story telling technique is so amazing, layers of stories overlapping and circling each other, wonderful dialogue and great pacing. In this issue we are seeing a cop get grilled by fellow cops and being asked why he is tied to the Punisher. Great stuff. And Mirko Colak is wimping on the art, it conveys mood and place perfectly.
SECRET SERVICE 1 & 2
Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons are setting up what looks to be a really fun espionage book. So far we’ve met the players and are starting to get their stories. Big things afoot and big moves will be needed to stop them. So far We’re digging this. And by we I mean Ruth and I both, she’s the one who handed me issue 1 after spotting the name of the guy who wrote Kick Ass.
UNCANNY X-FORCE #25
The team is breaking up, all the killing is too much for Betsy, but the new Nightcrawler is digging the action so he and Logan will keep being the baddasses working behind the X-scenes. Also some really nice use of Deadpool who actually gets treated as someone with skills and not just a nutjob.
UNCANNY X-MEN #12
More A vs X, which in the issue boils down to discussion of Namor having sex, saucey leers from all the ladies and a big punch fest with The Thing and Namor. Greg Land is an amazing artist and I love everything he’s done, but I have to say, it would be nice to every now and again see him draw a woman who doesn’t look like she’s seducing with a sly grin. The biggest plus for me in this issue was the lack of Cyclops. I hate what happened with this character. His delusional view towards the way the Phoenix will save mutants is dumb and out of character. I also think that in recent years he has gone from being protective to being a fascist, I get that it is supposed to play into Wolverine leaving and getting back to X-roots and all, but the treatment of Cyclpos has been WAY over done. I don’t know if it is an editorial directive for the X-books or from higher up, but I’ve had about enough and may stop buying any books with Cyclops in them. He may have been a bit boring before, but I can only read so much of someone being a douchebag before I have to stop.
WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN #10
An issue in which Cyclops tries to talk to Wolverine and basically just show off some more on why he’s a jerk. I’m loving Aaron’s writing here, this book is really showing a side of Wolverine which is too often over looked and Aaron does it with real understanding who the character is.
WORLD’S FINEST #1
Huntress and Powergirl, from Earth 2 and now on Earth 1. Paul Levitz seems to ba having a lot of fun with this, I know I had fun reading it. I love the way the Powergirl and Huntress interact with each other, I love the new costumes (No open middriff on Huntress thank God, her old costume looked like a bad swimming suit) and I love where this looks to be going, suspense, action and mystery!
X-MEN #28
Victor Gischler’s run with the team has been loads of fun, just enough humor, great action and broad fun that reminds me of why I loved it so much as a teenager. In this issue we’ve got Spider-Man, Skrulls and a break in at the Baxter building. Nuff Said!
