The Ongoing Bought/Thought! 2013

[hippie_hunter]

I never liked the criticism of books not being new reader friendly. We have things called trade paperbacks. They're not hard to obtain.

 

[Phaedrus45]

I understand that idea, but then he talks about how close he's been to dropping it several times hence my confusion.

Yep, I was close to dropping it because since the birth of the baby, I found the story starting to seriously drag on. The same thing happened with Swamp Thing and Animal Man in their Rot storyline. When the conclusion came, I was so close to saying "To he'll with these books." Thankfully, a new writer on Swamp Thing and newish direction for Animal Man saved my dropping of those titles just in the nick of time.

As for Hippie, I would think it's easier to get a new reader to buy a single issue over a $19.99 or $24.99 trade. Some titles don't need to be new reader friendly, like those whose purpose is to have an eventual end date; but I don't think that holds true to ongoing titles that need new readership as others might drop off.

Now for a few more reviews.

A + X #9 was decent. It's nice to see some of these team-ups; and even better many of the stories are filled with good action and humor. Plus, readers don't have to get bogged down with a multi-issue storyline. 7/10

Uncanny Avengers #9 was fantastic. Remender really gives a reader their $3.99's worth! His story lines tend to be a bit on the complex side, where sometimes it takes me a while to remember what the heck happened before and where all this dialogue is going. I admit I tend to get frustrated sometimes; but by issue's end, I'm glad I went along for the ride. What I love best is how this book is an extension of what he's done before in his previous X-Force title. I guess I should have the same complaint with this book as I did with Wonder Woman; but for some reason, I apply a different set of rules to it. It just feels different. Maybe it's because all the characters are pretty established, and I find them more interesting than gods and amazons. (It's one of the reasons I was never a big Hercules fan with Marvel.). 9/10

Batwoman #21 is another title that I've found has gotten a bit better. A couple of those previous storylines left me wanting. This issue finds Williams and Blackman sharing writing duties (lesson I learned at elementary teaching: never get caught saying the word "duty" out loud), and it's a one-off story about Killer Croc. Not bad, and it seems like we might be seeing more of him down the road. It is kind of nice how this title is a bit separate to the other Bat-books. Williams seems to be able to tell the stories he wants without really getting too bogged down in all the Joker/Owl/Damien crap from all the other books. 7/10

Red Hood and the Outlaws #21 was boring. I used to love this book; but since it got a new writer, it's been extremely boring and by the old DC books. The fun is gone, especially since they stripped Jason of his memories and evil ways. Consider this book dropped, when it used to be one of my top ten books from DC. 2/10

 

[IFryKids]

I never liked the criticism of books not being new reader friendly. We have things called trade paperbacks. They're not hard to obtain.

Yeah, but isn't it easier to drop 3-4 bucks on a single issue to check a book out, rather than shelling out 20 on a trade paperback if you're not even sure it's something you'd enjoy?

 

[hippie_hunter]

Yeah, but isn't it easier to drop 3-4 bucks on a single issue to check a book out, rather than shelling out 20 on a trade paperback if you're not even sure it's something you'd enjoy?

For books that have had long running stories like Johns' Green Lantern run or how Azzarello's Wonder Woman run is turning into, you're going to be dropping a lot more than $3 - $4 for a single issue. Trade paperbacks offer an easier way to read a story and in the long run can be cheaper. If you appear to be interested in something, chances are pretty good that you're going to like it to begin with, especially in today's day and age where it's pretty easy to get other people's opinions on whether or not something is worth plunking down the money.

 

[Dread]

Largest week of the month, let's get it over with. Spoilers!

DREAD'S BOUGHT/THOUGHT for 6/19/13:

BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED #17: It may seem random and unlikely, but this is actually the final issue of this anthology reprint of DC Comics' line of "Beyond" digital comics. Despite being one of the best selling and most stable of DC's reprints of "digital first" comics, their editorial board has decided to relaunch the anthology as "Batman Beyond Universe" in August with a fresh number one. The decision could not only be an attempt to spike sales for an issue or two, but due to the fact that the creative teams for the well known "Batman Beyond" strip is changing. In particular, writer Adam Beechen will be leaving the series since writing a six issue mini series in 2010 and an eight issue ongoing from 2011-2012, which shifted to digital first with the debut of the "New 52". Naturally, all three current strips come to a conclusion. J.T. Krul and Howard Porter's "Superman Beyond" story resolves a surprisingly nuanced story revolving Superman's well intended meddling with another planet with a simplistic and predictable ending. Beechen and Adam Archer wrap up Beechen's final "Batman Beyond" story, which sees Terry McGinnis and Max Gibson pool efforts to save Gotham City from being destroyed by the Metal Men, who a deranged hacker reprogrammed for destruction. The final "JLU" strip also ties up some loose ends with infiltrating a cabal of psychics from the "Batman Beyond" TV show, but it more forgettable compared to the other two. The relaunch of this series will bring with it a new writer and a new futuristic Batgirl, and hopefully it continues DC digital's foray into quality comics.

TMNT MICRO-SERIES: VILLAINS #3: IDW Comics continues with their secondary title to their core TMNT series which spotlights characters in one shot tales. This incarnations focuses on villains, and likely will tie more into the current arc than usual. Previous issues focused on well known villains such as Krang and Baxtor Stockman - with the Shredder's origin getting an entire mini series of itself - but this issue has perhaps even more weight. The star of this issue is Old Hob, who was the first original character created for this new TMNT continuity by Kevin Eastman and co-writer Tom Waltz, who was talked up before their series debuted. Writer Jason Ciaramella and artist Dave Watcher are thus handed the task of fleshing out one of the newest characters co-created by one of the founders of the franchise itself. Once a simple house cat named "Hob", the future unlikely leader of a street gang would become linked to the Turtles, mutagen ooze, and Baxtor Stockman by chance and his gritty desire to survive at all costs. His survival of Baxtor's betrayal is revealed, and he appears to be attempting to unite alongside at least one other similarly mutated and tormented animal. This issue does a terrific job of fleshing out this IDW addition to the TMNT lore, with solid art and some effective exposition.

INVINCIBLE #103: Robert Kirkman continues an upswing on his perennial creator owned superhero series from Image Comics after some flaky issues that led up to the series' centennial. As the cover notes, longtime arch nemesis Angstrom Levy returns after having paid off the last cabal of creeps who genetically modified him after his last battle with Invincible, which was literally years ago. This comes after Mark Grayson has once again settled into a status quo where he is working with Cecil Stedman again (this time as a reformed anti-hero) and is expecting his first child with Atom Eve. Meanwhile, Nolan gets used to running the Viltrumite Empire and some spare supporting characters appear on a few pages for the first time in ages. The steady artwork by Ryan Ottley with inks by Cliff Rathburn and colors by John Rauch continues to be as much a trademark of the book as Kirkman's writing. The return of Levy has been an event which this title has been gestating for dozens of issues, and its rise to the fore should make for some interesting reading. It is understandable for some wheels to spin on a creator owned series by this stage, but at least Kirkman has one more trick up his sleeve.

AGE OF ULTRON #10: The first of the two crossover events Marvel has planned for the year finally lurches to an uninspired and tedious conclusion which concludes nothing but the sales pitch for yet more comics. When "indie snobs" lecture fans of mainstream comics about how it is drivel where nothing ever changes but the advertisements and window dressings, it is hard to argue with them when reading drivel such as this. The creative team reads like the starting line up of a football team of artists working on the finale to Brian Bendis' story, which include chief creative officer Joe Quesada himself. The gist is that the third attempt to defeat Ultron by screwing with time paid off because a retroactive continuity implanted fail safe programmed into Ultron activates in the middle of one of Bendis' previous Avengers stories. Thus, the world was never enslaved by robots and everyone is saved. Whoops! The multiverse which Joe Quesada himself used to insist didn't exist in Marvel Comics suddenly shatters and now all sorts of strange things are emerging. Galactus is crossing over into the dying "Ultimate" line, a character co-created by Neil Gaiman is added to the cast of "Guardians of the Galaxy" for random reasons, and yet another Avengers series is launched. As the added wrinkle, this isn't even the final issue; a #10.1AU issue will be released later this month! While Hank Pym's accidental creation of an evil robot has been used to tarnish him forever, don't expect Wolverine's literal destruction of the space/time continuum to effect how lauded he is in the Marvel Universe in the slightest. Marvel's published worse events than this, but that's no compliment.

INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #9: Often considered the "other book" that Mark Waid is writing on a regular basis for Marvel Comics, this month's issue of the primary Hulk title manages to merge what has worked best for it in addition to what works best for Waid's "primary" ongoing title. For those needing a reminder, that would be "Daredevil", which won an Eisner last year for it's quality take on monthly superhero action. The end result may not be a tale which reinvents the wheel, but it is a tale which in the opening chapter appears to be far better than some recent stories.

Matteo Scalera becomes the third artist within nine issues for this series, on a story which is essentially a team-up story. As the cover notes, Waid has decided to have the two major Marvel heroes he is currently in control of - Hulk and Daredevil - meet up. While team-ups between superheroes have become old hat lately - especially in an era where every Marvel hero seems to be an Avenger or an X-Man - these two characters have rarely met outside of major events where both were part of some group brawl. To a degree the pair actually do have similarities; both Matt Murdock and Bruce Banner have histories of mental instability as well as periods of being seen as threats or fugitives. Rather than have this team-up appear arbitrary, Waid has wisely built it up with a subtle subplot. The gist is that Bruce Banner has struck a deal with Maria Hill and SHIELD to gain their aid in his inventions in exchange for their use of the Hulk as a living weapon against criminals, threats, and terrorism. Ever wary of SHIELD, Banner claimed to have an outside party monitoring the situation whose wrath would be felt if SHIELD betrayed him. It turns out that said "party" is Banner's lawyer, the "man without fear". It is a bit obligatory since Banner's cousin Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk is also a lawyer, but at least it keeps the green presence a minimum in Hulk's own book.

The plot is simple and essentially a vehicle to justify the team-up. Hill is leading a raid on yet another of Marvel's many secret terrorist organizations of men in silly outfits with hi-tech weapons, much like in the first issue. This time, said organization happens to be one which Daredevil has run into in the recent and distant past, and the man without fear quickly gets embroiled in the action. One of the goons manages to flee into Hell's Kitchen with a very dangerous weapon, leading Daredevil and Banner on a merry chase before revealing a classic Marvel villain in the cliffhanger. Chasing a MacGuffin is standard team-up procedure, but it is the execution which sells this. Scalera's art is colored well by Val Staples and works well for both the action and chase scenes from a mangled ship or the streets of the city. Waid creates a unique dynamic between Banner and Murdock, and while it can seem convenient, it also provides a new spin on two heroes who rarely team up.

As always with Waid's series, while this picks up from the previous issue, it also stands alone for any who may be picking this up simply for Daredevil. Marvel's editors should be commended for not stretching this out to make it an actual crossover between "Daredevil" and "Indestructible Hulk", much as they have with similar small crossovers between "Daredevil", "Punisher", and "Avenging Spider-Man" last year. Murdock and Hulk are vastly apart in terms of power levels and operations, but Waid manages to balance both well enough in a team-up which proves to be stronger than typical issues of this title have been. "Indestructible Hulk" continues to ride on the coattails of "The Avengers" film while offering up some new ideas to one of Marvel's oldest characters.

MORBIUS THE LIVING VAMPIRE #6: Morbius may be technically alive, but this book isn't; sales were DOA on arrival and it will be canceled with issue nine. Despite all the pissing and moaning about AVENGERS ARENA, more readers flocked to that than this (or FEARLESS DEFENDERS, which likely isn't long for this world either). I suppose the lesson is that it is better for a comic to be infamous than bland, which is what MORBIUS often has been.

At any rate, this issue gets in the obligatory team-up with Spider-Man, only now he's "superior" so it's the same song and dance with arrogant Otto Octavius wearing Spidey's body. He catches up with Morbius as he pummels some diner robbers and while he apprehends the fugitive, it isn't for a trip back to the Raft. Turns out there has been a theft at Horizon Labs and Max Modell wants Morbius' help to solve it, and in exchange will give him a final shot at a cure. Morbius seems along for the ride and the thief, some unbeatable woman named Nikola Harrow, shows up to stomp the heroes in. She's been hired to torment Morbius by the new Rose, just because. Her last name is similar to Jonas Harrow, so I wonder if they're related? At any rate, Joe Keatinge wants his villains to be master manipulators, but they're too blunt to pull that off. Rose literally told Morbius his entire plan last issue, and Nikola is no better. The only bright spot is watching the arrogant Spidey-Ock get his head stomped in a little.

The fill in art is by Valentine De Landro and it's perfectly fine, although he makes Spidey's new eyelets look very weird. But in the end it is more middle of the road fare for this comic, attaining neither greatness or terribleness and winding up in the middle. In this comic market, that may not be good enough, especially for a D-lister like this.

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #12: Dan Slott and sporadic co-writer Christos Gage continue with their "trapped in a prison" story with Spidey-Ock and artist Giuseppe Camuncoli. With a vengeance seeking J.J. teamed up with the morally ambiguous Spidey-Ock, this quickly becomes a game of "bad cop, worse cop", as immortalized in "TANGO & CASH". The acting mayor of NYC continues his slide into near fascism as he socks a lawyer in front of witnesses (including the press), escapes a force field and takes up arms to execute Smythe by himself to avenge his murdered wife. Jonah's often been a mad man at times, but he's only some green suits away from being one of Norman Osborn's cabinet members at this rate. There are a few pages getting some good emotional beats out of Jonah here, but unfortunately this is probably a story which would have played out better with the standard Spidey for the morality shift.

Smythe sics his cybernetcally enhanced revenge squad at Ock, and the issue devolves into a game of which mad scientist dressed as a spider can beat the other. The twist at the end of course is that Ock cares nothing about saving hostages and is taking Jameson's orders (as mayor) to the letter - make sure Smythe dies regardless of the cost. Considering that the Massacre arc was willing to eliminate a spare cast member to spike home the importance, I do wonder if someone will bite it next issue (besides Smythe, of course). The artwork is great and the action is fine, even if this plays out like most "trapped in a prison with the inmates" stories beyond for the "twist" ending. But is it really a twist anymore to see Spidey-Ock do something that Peter never would? That's been the standard ending for every arc even WITH "Peter the Friendly Ghost" trying to stop things. Naturally, while Jonah is acting like a bit of a maniac, the death of his wife is obviously something which would do that to him, and wanting to go Punisher on her killer is understandable. The Lizard comes in next issue, and he may wind up as the most morally righteous character in the arc - and all he did was consume his own son. What an upbeat little book this has become, eh?

UNCANNY AVENGERS #9: Rick Remender and Daniel Acuna continue their blend of Avengers and X-Men, and as usual this is a team which works better on paper together than on practice. Someone died during their first press conference, and it well went downhill from there. The first few pages ask Wolverine if his only solution to anything was to stab it to death, and my immediate reaction was "Yes!". In fairness to Wolverine, that is essentially his only superpower - stabbing things very well. I'd also read this after AGE OF ULTRON, where Wolverine literally stabbed the space/time continuum, and Iron Man glosses about it as if he'd just left a mess in the men's room again. This is another issue which picks up pieces of a story from UNCANNY X-FORCE which I never read, so while all the important bits are recapped I still sometimes feel late to the party.

Wonder Man rescues Capt. America, who is being manipulated by Immortus against the Apocalypse Twins, with more time travel paradox logic than in seven seasons of "STAR TREK". There is a lot of complicated super-science stuff in here and it is easy to go cross eyed trying to make sense of it all. Rama Tut, Kang, and Immortus are all the same guy who co-exist across all of time and muck with each other, and these twins are their latest bit of muckery which also ties into Apocalypse and the Celestials and probably Sonny & Cher for all I know. The real meat of the issue is the continued debate about mutant rights which drives a wedge into the team.

To say that Havok's speech about mutants two issues ago sparked debate was an understatement. In this issue, Remender inserts himself into the mouths of the characters to better explain what Havok meant and bring up both sides of it. It often annoys me when a writer does it so blatantly, whether it's Bendis or Kirkman or now Remender. To give some credit, it furthers the wedge between Rogue and Wanda in an interesting way, as Wanda comes off as a bit of a self-loather while Rogue has become proud of her heritage. The other big scene is Cap finding out that Logan killed a child in UNCANNY X-FORCE and sees this as the straw too far in terms of being an Avenger. It would be easier to sympathize with Cap if he didn't TWICE gleefully recruit the same teenage heroes he tried bullying into quitting into virtual suicide missions for canon fodder (CIVIL WAR and SIEGE). The bottom line is the "break up the team" plot is as old as time, and this one gets to it pretty much by the numbers. It is hard to expect any ramifications for Logan considering he's done something worse in AGE OF ULTRON and not only do I expect everyone to be shaking hands at the end of this arc, but parallel appearances by the Avengers in other books will probably still include Wolverine. Don't get me wrong, Wolverine's a monster, but if one looks at Avengers history it can seem a bit hypocritical to come down on him. After all, both Cyclops and Wanda had their out-of-control moment where they were corrupted by power and caused a lot of death and heartache; the difference is one of them is Cap's ex, and one isn't. Guess who is back on the Avengers, and guess who is an irredeemable terrorist, hunted on all sides. Imagining that even Captain America is a slave to the concept of nepotism is a bit depressing, even if a bit realistic.

Although for the record, Iron Man made Logan an Avenger; Cap just went along with it. Spider-Man was the one Cap seemed to recruit. Wolverine's most defining moment as an Avenger was literally stabbing the space/time continuum and shattering reality because he was too macho to listen to anyone. Spider-Man's most defining moment as an Avenger was sacrificing himself to two of the Phoenix Five in AVX and managing to survive.

I'm not terribly fond of how Janet is acting here, and it is starting to appear obvious how she could drive someone into becoming half crazy. Wonder Man comes off as the most rootable of everyone, and he was trying to slaughter them all just last year. I do feel a bit of sympathy for Havok, cast into an unfavorable position on several sides, and very close to becoming an "Uncle Tom" for the mutants. The twins resurrect some dead characters for yet another group of Horsemen and while there was a lot going on with some lovely art, the writer mouthpiece segment took me right out and on the whole I thought this issue was a bit by the numbers and underwhelming. Acuna's art continues to amaze, though.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Thunderbolts #11: Early on, I enjoyed this title. The book had serious potential; but, adding Red Leader has made the book suffer. It's a good line-up, made up of characters with lots of personality and no regard for the bad guys they need to kill. The storylines just haven't been there. (Before it was a storyline with Red Leader's brother, and now we have Elektra's brother. Like with Batman, not everything needs a personal connection with the characters.) 4/10

Wolverine Max #8: Another good story. This might be my favorite Wolverine title. It doesn't have to involve the rest of the 616, and it's just gritty, noir-style storytelling. 8/10

Cable ad X-Force #10: I hated the first issue. Probably for that reason, issue's 2-10 had built up in my collection without any real urge to read them over other books. Thankfully, after reading all nine issues, I feel Hopeless' Cable is starting to grow on me. The premise is rather simple: Cable gets visions of future events, and his X-Force must covertly stop the events from transpiring. (Of course, everything results in utter destruction if not handled correctly.) Naturally, he cannot let others know of his visions, besides his teammates, because it will lead to other disasters. This makes his team appear to be terrorists, and numerous organizations, including the Avengers, are out to apprehend them. What's best about the book is that Hopeless is most interested in the team dynamic; so, each character has an individual identity. Heck, he almost makes me interested in Colossus! 7/10

Sergio Aragones Funnies #8: After a hiatus in which Sergio needed surgery, Funnies is back. It's another great issue, combining Sergio's humor with his storytelling. As always, my favorite parts of the book are when he tells about his life; and in this issue, readers get a look at Mad Magazine's annual trips abroad, including the time Sergio got to plan a trip for the crew to go to Mexico. I'm sad to hear he book will now be bi-monthly; but, that's better than no Funnies at all. 9/10

Dark Shadows Year One #3: Meh. I guess if you don't know Barnabas' origin, the story might be a bit more interesting for the reader; but, this brings nothing new to the table. In fact, I think I'll probably just drop the Dark Shadows books from my pull list. 3/10

Occupy Comics #2: I love to get these books, not because of the political commentary of the various writers and artists; but, because they are awesome books to get numerous signatures on at comic cons. This series is preoccupied with the 99/1% aspect of America's economy. It's suppose to incite me to be upset at how few of us are in the upper class and how little that upper class cares about me. While I do like to hear other's opinions, it's not anything that stirs me to protest.

If you like political commentary, this book has plenty for you to read. 5/10

Game of Thrones #15: I should drop this title, too. It's just that I'm a huge fan of the books, that I was extremely excited when I heard they were going to adapt them in comic form. While the adaptation is true to the novels, the art is too cartoonish for my taste, and severely takes away from my enjoyment. Like with this issue's death at the end of the issue, it lacked any emotion I should have felt. 3/10

 

[Thwip!]

I've dropped Thunderbolts and Ult X-men after the last issues. Just don't find them worth the money :/

 

[chamber-music]

I dropped Thunderbolts as well. Only ultimate book I read in Spidey.

 

[Slick]

I dropped Thunderbolts as well. Only ultimate book I read in Spidey.

Honestly they should just get rid of the other ultimate books and keep Ultimate Spidey and just have the ultimate mini here and there. once Hickman left The Ultimate's I left and I lost interest in UCXM after the first arc but hear good things about Brian Woods run. Ultimate spider-man is still an amazing read thanks to Bendis after all these years IMHO. This last issue that came out proves it such a fun read and great story.

 

[StreetWarrior]

I dropped Thunderbolts as well. Only ultimate book I read in Spidey.

Thunderbolts has consistently been the worst "Marvel Now" title since the relaunch. However, the new writer and artist starting next month might be able to turn the tide around. However, if Way and/or Dillon were staying I would be done with the title too. Even Age of Ultron was better and that's really saying something.

Daniel Way might be the worst writer at Marvel right now and Steve Dillon needs to stay far away from superhero books...

 

[hippie_hunter]

Honestly they should just get rid of the other ultimate books and keep Ultimate Spidey and just have the ultimate mini here and there.

I think that's the plan. Rumors are that Marvel is planning on putting an end to the entire Ultimate line with the exception of Ultimate Spider-Man. Some even go to the extent that the Ultimate Universe will get destroyed with Miles Morales getting transported to the 616 universe.

 

[runawayboulder]

Thunderbolts has consistently been the worst "Marvel Now" title since the relaunch. However, the new writer and artist starting next month might be able to turn the tide around. However, if Way and/or Dillon were staying I would be done with the title too. Even Age of Ultron was better and that's really saying something.

Daniel Way might be the worst writer at Marvel right now and Steve Dillon needs to stay far away from superhero books...

Steve Dillon already left ....Phil Noto has been doing the book for a few months now.

 

[StreetWarrior]

Steve Dillon already left ....Phil Noto has been doing the book for a few months now.

Dillon left with issue 6 and was replaced by Noto for until 11. Dillon's back for issue #12 csad but will be replaced by a new artist going forword from issue 13.

Way wrote through issue 11 but is being replaced with issue 12.

So, Thunderbolts won't be awesome until issue #13 at the earliest...

 

[Thwip!]

I think that's the plan. Rumors are that Marvel is planning on putting an end to the entire Ultimate line with the exception of Ultimate Spider-Man. Some even go to the extent that the Ultimate Universe will get destroyed with Miles Morales getting transported to the 616 universe.

A Miles/SpOck showdown would be cool

 

[JewishHobbit]

Maybe Noto can go to a book I read now. I fell in love with his art in X-23 and then again in the second half of Uncanny X-Force.

 

[runawayboulder]

Noto has a nice, simple style to his work. I think he would be great on something like Daredevil.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Huge week and my computer broke. So as a phone post, I'm keeping it simple.

Uncanny X-Men 7 - Magik destroys Limbo and transports herself into the past to receive training from Dr. Strange. Good issue but still inferior to All New. Frazier was a great fit for this arc.

X-Men 2 - Alright issue. I like Sublime but care nothing for his sister. Arc concludes next issue.

Uncanny X-Force 7 - This title's beginning to pick up. Female lip lock.

All New X-Men 13 - Fantastic issue. I like the direction this seems to be going into, but it seems like Mysrique and Sabretooth are everywhere right now.

Wolverine and the X-Men 32 - Definately better than last issue. I like Toad and the use of the Bamfs. Again, Sabretooth and Mystique.

Young Avengers 6 - I liked this issue better than the whole previous arc, and that's with an inferior artist. Prodigy rocks!

Daredevil 27 - Fantastic ending to the story that's been building since issue 1. Loved it.

Justice League Dark 21 - Great ending to what started as a mediocre arc. I loved Flash and Swamp Thing and wish ST could stay on the team. Still miss Zantanna.

Justice League 21 - Concluding the Shazam story. It was good. I want more Mary Marvel!

Aquaman 21 - This arc is really starting to pull me in. There are just so many things going on and it's all very interesting. I love Pelletier.

Talon 9 - I liked this issue. Talon is probably my favorite new character since Larfleeze.

Batman Superman 1 - I wasn't going to get this until I thumbed through it. Gorgeous art and an interesting storyline. Question though... is this the man Batman and Superman or a young Earth 2? I've not paid attention to this book at all but I was questioning after reading it.


Best and Worst of the Week

Best: Batman Superman 1 - Surprisingly, I LOVED this book. Provided it isn't Earth 2, I'll pick up issue 2. Justice League Dark was a close 2nd.

X-Men 2 - It was alright but didn't wow me. Easily the bottom this week.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Noto has a nice, simple style to his work. I think he would be great on something like Daredevil.

Heck to the yes!

 

[Tron Bonne]

I haven't read the issue of Batman/Superman, but I do know that the solicitations have made reference to the main Batman and Superman crossing over with their Earth 2 counterparts, so if it's not, that stuff will be coming in some way or form over this arc.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Okay, cool. I don't mind that, but not reading any other books dealing with Earth 2 I didn't really want to get pulled into it with this. The art pulled me in and I'm growing increasingly interested in Early Bruce, between Zero Month and Year Zero, and now this, I'm liking reading about his origins.

 

[slim_summers]

I read Age of Ultron 10:AI today. It was better than all ten actual issues of the event combined.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Has anyone read the new Ghost series from Dark Horse? It's written by Kelly Sue DeConnick with art by Phil Noto and has always caught my eye, and now it's at Half Priced Books. Issues 0-3 are $1 each and I'd have to buy the last issue (#4) at the comic shop for $3 or $4. So is it worth $10 after tax?

 

[Mad Ones]

This week was an awesome X-men week!!

All New X-men #13: Details of Mystique's plans are revealed as the O4, along with Wolverine and Kitty Pryde, attempt to take them down. I've been raving about Kitty Pryde on here for a while now, and she just keeps getting better and better. In this issue she responds to Havok's "M" word speech in a way that really points out why it's offensive and divisive. She explains that she's both jewish and a mutant, and her pride of belonging in these groups gives her strength against adversity. That's who the X-men are, and that's why I love them. The ghost of Jean's future continues to haunt Teen Jean as her telepathy isn't up to task in this issue. Whether you love her or hate her, Jean has been portrayed as perfect. But I think Bendis is finding depth here, as she now knows she HAS to be perfect or else very bad things happen. It was a great character moment and a fantastic set up to the ending of the issue. I cannot express how much Bendis is rocking this title. My one complaint is that Teen Iceman wasn't funny and was too juvenile.

X-men #2: The all female team faces Arkea in the form of Omega Sentinel. This issue was all action and it really worked for me. I love ANXM and Uncanny right now because they're both very contemplative of the direction of the mutant race, but that hasn't paved the way to amazing action sequences. After the first two issue, X-men has presented itself as the action series and it complements the other titles really well. Coipel's pencils are so dynamic and great looking, making him the perfect artist to express the constant moving and fighting. Ultimately Kitty didn't want to destroy Arkea because she was hoping Karima was still in there somewhere. Rogue and Kitty got the meat of the issue, while Storm, Psylocke, Rachel, and Sublime assessed the threat and formed the plans. Jubilee is surprising me. I was pretty indifferent to her character, but making her a parent is a really interesting direction that I'm a fan of. My main complaint is that it's clearly the second issue of a three issue arc in that it's more setting the stage for what comes after.

Uncanny X-men #7: The limbo journey continues as Illyanna narrates the struggle to Doctor Strange in the past. I almost feel like this limbo stuff is a detour in the larger point of Uncanny, which is Cyclops' school and his revolutionary ideals. However, it's not bad at all. I've really liked Illyanna since Gillen's run and it seems like Bendis has BIG plans for her. I really can't wait to see how Illyanna changes after absorbing all of Limbo into her. However, this arc didn't make me like the newly recruited students any more, and character development for these characters is really needed. I'm not a big fan of another group of teenage mutants to begin with, so this book really needs to sell me on them.

Young Avengers #6: Prodigy and Speed are featured in this episode. While I definitely welcome the addition of these characters, this issue didn't even feel like an issue. The team just formed, but this issue focuses on new characters, with no indication on how they're going to join up with the Young Avengers. It was still humorous, and the replacement artist kept the spirit of McKelvie, though wasn't as quite as good. I actually like the "realness" of this series as it attempts to be relatable. Sometimes its "hipness" falters, but I loved the commentary on tedious menial jobs (since I have one!).Not a terrible issue, but probably the worst of the week. I'd rather see more of the team work together and form a dynamic at this point. Hopefully its paving the way for better issues in the future.

 

[JewishHobbit]

I thought Young Avengers was the best of the series, though that's probably because I prefer both Prodigy and Speed over any of the regular cast.

 

[Mad Ones]

I thought it was fine, I just wanted to see the rest of the team. I did like Prodigy chatting with Laurie. I think I'm the only one who liked the Generation Hope cast, so it was nice seeing Prodigy talk to her, who was really academic.