Yay! Superman/Batman - more wacky time-travelling hijinks.
Haven’t gotten to the store yet, but I did finally finish some stuff from last week:
A.B.C. Warriors: The Meknificent Seven – Another of DC’s reprint TPB’s from 2000AD. This series is set in a world where human use robots to fight their armies, but the robots have just as much intelligence and emotion as people do. The protagonists are a team of robot warriors sent in to do a human officer’s dirty work. The first not-quite-half, where squad leader Sergeant Hammer-stein gathers the fellowship is all right, but once the team is put together and gets to work it gets really good. The Warriors fight plague, corporate raiders, and dinosaurs and the art is consistently lovely. This isn’t as good as the first Nikolai Dante TPB I mentioned earlier, but it’s definitely an enjoyable ride.
JLA Classified #3 – A pretty good ending to the story. I think it’d read better all in a row instead of monthly.
Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis II #1 – One of the interesting things about this and its predecessor series is that even though The Simpsons and Futurama are very different shows they mesh pretty easily here. There are a lot of pretty good gags and the last page suggests there’s more to come next issue. This isn’t quite as good as an issue of either series, but that’s not saying much against it because both Simpsons Comics and Futurama Comics are a hoot.
–Cliffy
Let’s see…
GI Joe : Reloaded - good issue; we get amusing… well, not quite “Exchanges” exactly… between Beachhead and Snake Eyes.
Superman/Batman - I saw the little twist here pretty early on, but it was still a darn creepy thing for them to pull off.
Authority : Revolution #1 - MY shop managed to track down this back issue for me.
Superman - Azzarello/Lee’s arc begins to shape up! I was concerned, but now it’s actually coming together and making sense.
Supreme Power - Good, as usual.
Firestorm - Ron Raymond may not be out of the running yet… will pick up next month’s issue to see what’s going on.
**New Avengers 3: **
Cap starts to assemble to the new team. Daredevil says “no” because he doesn’t want his ongoing crises tarnish the team’s reputation. Nonetheless, I can’t help but wonder who this never-before-seen character might be? DD in disguise?
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Loving the book, by the way.
Superman/Batman: So in this alternate world were capes are hunted down and eradicated, they just bury GL’s ring with him? How’s that work out? But I do give Loeb credit for the Big Box o’ Bodies that Supes has to fly around. That must have been a pleasant night in the graveyard.
Hellblazer: All His Engines OGN: I’ve felt underwhelmed about most of Vertigo’s OGNs, so I went into this clearly-timed-to-cash-in-on-the-movie release with a skeptical eye. What a pleasant surprise! This story turns out to be one of the best Hellblazers yet, and, as a self-contained plotline that draws elements from many of the classic Hellblazer stories, it’s new reader friendly too. Wonderfully moody art and coloring. Most definitely worth a read, and when you’re done, hand it to a Hellblazer newbie.
Batman #636: (I’m behind, sue me) Wow. Didn’t see that coming. Huh. Traces of Batman-as-Detective here, although he’s still a bit too much of Batman-as-Psychotic-Asshole for my taste. Still, I think this will satisfy my Dark Knight cravings quite nicely. B
Deadshot #3 (of 5): Some missed oppurtunities here with GA. Some guns versus bows quips, more liberal preaching. Hell, when Ollie’s string was cut, Floyd’s gun should’ve jammed. I like how they’re treating it that Floyd has successfully driven teh gangs out. Now he just has to keep the neighborhood. B
Superman/Batman #17: Some sloppy stuff here. Ra’s is genocidal, not a would-be-monarch. Batman is killing a bit too casually, but still too close to character if he’s still in “raised by L*SH baddies” mode. Still, it’s a time-travel romp, and a hell of a lot of fun. Who can say no to an all-zombie Justice League? B+
**
Aquaman: The Water-Bearer:** Ah. So that’s what’s up with the hand and Atlantis. Some neat stuff, although I see why they’ve taken him closer to his roots more recently. Is Atlantis still under the thumbs of a psychotic soreror class? B+
Woo! Grimjack’s back! Not only are they reprinting the old, classic issues (Grimjack may have been one of the 3 best independant titles in the '80s), but they’re coming out with new issues too!!! Yay!
[QUOTE=MenocchioDeadshot #3 (of 5): Some missed oppurtunities here with GA. Some guns versus bows quips, more liberal preaching. Hell, when Ollie’s string was cut, Floyd’s gun should’ve jammed. I like how they’re treating it that Floyd has successfully driven teh gangs out. Now he just has to keep the neighborhood. [/QUOTE]
Someone was asleep at the switch this issue. Ollie said something about “No open warrants,” which conveniently forgets that Floyd killed a cop in front of witnesses the dayfore. Yeah, Star City’s a rough place and all, but let’s get real.
I’m on the fence about the artwork. His red fatigues look like harem pants and his haircut looks like a bad comb-over, but I think we’ll see good things from this artist in another year or two.
Also Got : Shanna the She-Devil #1 (of 7); Adam Strange #5; Exiles #59;
Bizarro Comics Hardcover (the new one)
And New Avengers #3.
Simpsons Comics #102 – A Carl Barks parody/homage. Mr. Burns dressed in dinner clothes and top hat brings Homer (in a sailor suit) and the kids (in matching shirts and caps) on an undersea treasure hunt. Some good bits here, but the high concept gets in the way of the jokes. I’d rather read an original Barks story or a regular issue of the Simpsons.
Manhunter #1-6 – Picked up due to recommendations from folks on another MB. Excellent series. The first several issues where Kate, the new Manhunter, goes out and gets in real trouble in her fights brings home the danger of vigilantism in a way that most super comics don’t. Her relationships – and their failure – seem very real. Professionals letting their jobs get in the way of their personal life is something I see all the time and that story is well told here. I’m really looking forward to future issues.
–Cliffy
Ack!
Nothing I buy came out this week… eep!
I did pick up We3#3, though. What a great little mini-series. Between this, JLA Classified, and the fact that I’m buying his X-Men run through trades, I’ve grown to very much appreciate how Grant Morrison can tell fantastic stories in the space of three issues while most writers are stretching mediocre stories out over at least six (I know that it’s not entirely their fault, but still).
Also, :(. 3 was my favorite.
Ok, I’m super behind and I didn’t feel like resurrecting the old thread, but did anyone catch Wolverine: The End? God, that sucked. I wish I never picked up the entire series. What the hell was that all about? Ugh…that sucked. Ebay here I come!
As usual, I will probably pick my comics tomorrow and miss the thread yet again.
I really agree with you. That story seemed like it was just plain abandoned. They didn’t even show the “the end” of Wolverine, did they?
Just post on Monday, mazinger. That’s what I usually do – it was a happy accident that I managed to get my comics yesterday this week instead of the usual Sunday. I want to know what you bought and what you thought so that I can decide if it’s something I should try. I don’t care how old it is. Most everything that’s less than several months old can be ordered from Diamond, and even if there’s something I can’t find, I can be on the lookout for new projects from the same creators.
–Cliffy
As usual, I’m a bit late and a bit behind.
Okay, the new batch of truth.com ads depict a guy’s ear stitched shut. Lessee, we’ve had the mouth, the eyes, … are the nostrils next, or a lombotomy scar?
Shanna, the She-Devil #1 – I read this 3x before I read anything else this past week. Frank Cho is in his element here – drawing dinosaurs and big-breasted women. Yeah, I had hoped for lots of scantily clad Shanna panels, and what I got was her nude and strategically placed covering (YAY!). I’m not sure how this fits into continuity, if this is some Shanna O’Hara clone, but I don’t care and will just enjoy the ridet. I just hope future issues won’t be too late.
Superman/Batman #17 – Despite what I’m reading on other boards, I’m liking this story. This isn’t issue wasn’t its usual top-heavy Supes/Bats internal volleys; moreso just Superman here. Like previous chapters, this had some cool cameos (Haunted Tank, Sgt. Rock, Tommy Elliott).
Black Panther #1 – I didn’t get the previous series, but decided to try this after reading hype in newspapers (Chicago Sun-Times, USA Today). Not too bad. Seems there’s a lotta backstory to the character I wasn’t aware of and his #1 foe is seen, setting up for a future battle.
New Avengers #3 – Hmm … Sentry on the cover, Sentry appearing only on one page. I love Bendis, I know things have to get established, but it’s just moving a leetle bit slow for me.
Detective Comics #803 – I’ll have to reread it. There’s a lot going on here. This was an improvement than the previous issue, and we’re left with a cliffhanger (though not much of one since this story takes place before “War Games” so we know the outcome).
Deadshot #3 – Last issue set up a confrontation cliffhanger with Green Arrow. (About time he showed up.) This issue set up a confrontation with a former partner named the Closer, I think Green Arrow scares me more.
Adam Strange #5 – No deep thought here. Nice chapter. Good sci-fi stuff.
Superman: Strength #2 – I thought it moved along a bit better than the last issue, in both the background story and main story. I allow the morality stuff in exchange for the imaginitive bind that Superman is in.
Justice League Unlimited #6 – I’ve complained about the stories here and in Batman Strikes for not being that good for anyone of any age, but I thought this was a decent story.
Daredevil: Redemption #1 – Kinda weird reading a DD story nowadays NOT written by Bendis (and with the art by Gaydos no less). Still, this was interesting and kinda a nice change of pace. Nice establishing opening chapter, I hope the rest of it pans out the same way.
Bizarro World – Yeah, the hardcover “sequel.” I haven’t read the whole book yet (I was suffering from the $29.99 sticker shock & forgot I preordered this), but this is shaping up to a fast read with “stories” not lasting more than a few pages each. Some of it is mildly amusing stuff, but I’d say there are more misses than hits from what I’ve read so far. Some just don’t do anything for me (the story of Proty getting lost) and some just don’t go anywhere (Harvey Pekar’s Bizarro story). But, some combos connect well: “The Wonder of it All” where a teen Wonder Girl uses her lasso on her peers and asks what they REALLY think of her (and who wouldn’t if they were a teen amazon?). All of Evan Dorkin’s stuff was awesome, especially when Batman gets a monkey sidekick called “Monkey, the Monkey Wonder.” This was drawn by M. Wartella and his Batman reminded me of a cross between Sheldon Moldoff and Bill Elder’s stuff in the old Mad comics. Tiny quibble: They have a table of contents, but none of the pages are numbered. How bizarre!
Shimura – Yet another of the DC/2000AD reprint volumes. This one is set in the Japan of Judge Dredd’s world. It’s great. Shimura, the main character, is one of Hondo City’s Judge-Inspectors. The plot and the character of Shimura make a lot of sense and the changes he goes through are well thought-out. I hesitate to say more for fear of spoiling, but this is highly recommended. Robbie Morrison wrote this and the sublime Nikolai Dante – how on earth did he come up with such a boring Authority relaunch? Note, however, that the cover lists the artists as “Frank Quitely, et al.” Quitely draws maybe a quarter of the book, probably less. The rest of the art is very good, including more than half by Simon Fraser who I really dig, but if you’re buying it for a Quitely fix, you’d better just pick up We3 instead.
–Cliffy
Sniff aroound on Amazon–
there’s a new Blacksad book coming out…
I savor my comic book reading, so I usually don’t finish it the week that I get it, but I’ll post what I remember b/c I’m on an accelerated reading pace (gotta make time for a book that I picked up)
Superman/Batman Can’t they think of a better name for this? What about World’s Finest? Anyway, I love these stories. I haven’t found a bad one yet – continuity be damned! (Actually, I’m usually a stickler, but man, these are fun stories). I love details, so my only complaint is the lack thereof. However, I know what he’s going for, and if that’s the case, this issue sort of fails, b/c it feels like filler, that is, we should’ve seen more Ra’s. Why didn’t the Zombie League try to kill Bats and Supes? Shouldn’t they be in a murderous rage coming out of the pit?
Ultimate Spider-Man What’s up w/Bagley. I know he like hasn’t missed an issue, but I think he’s just dialing in the art now. Anyway, this title has cooled down for me. I kinda like Bendis writing his own history, even though a lot of it is a large re-telling of what has already happened.
Ultimate X-Men Hands down this is Vaughn’s worst work. I see some glimpses of greatness, but overall I’m unimpressed. Maybe it’s b/c I’ve never really been a X-Man fan…
Astonishing X-Men This is awesome. Whedon can write a comic. The art ain’t too shabby either (actually, the best in the business, imo). 6 book arcs are starting to piss me off. Tell the damn story already.
LSH Was never a big fan before and I only casually know them. Stupid names like Lightning Lad and Colossal Boy drove me away. This is some of the best Waid writing I’ve read in a while. See what happens when you don’t try to write every other book on the shelves… I love the logic versus intuition argument that Braniac tries to employ.
Superman Yes, I get it, Lee can draw. He wants to try new lighting on Superman. However, this story barely makes any sense to me. I find Superman talking to a priest to be neither very exciting nor very enlighting. I’m glad they seem to be off that for now. Who is that dude that looks like commission Gordon, and why does he want the knife? Why is that woman (in fact, who is she?) subdued by dogs? General Zod looks cool, but didn’t he die? I was way too busy in a trial (my last one) to read WWIII (or whatever it was called), plus it spanned like every book on the shelf so another reason for me not to read. And, isn’t anyone disturbed that Superman has a robot that looks like his dad around. I know he must miss his parents, but man, let it go.
Ok, that’s all I remember for now.