Still way behind on the principal comics stack and since last week's live blog provided enough incentive to read 50 comics (50!), I thought I'd give it another go. Only just an evening this time, so if I get to 25, it will have been a big night. Shall we begin? Thanks for putting up with it.
Action Comics #875: Greg Rucka writes - he's been hit and miss with me, though I did enjoy Checkmate - and we find his usual penchant for secrets here. With Superman gone, Action is about the new Kryptonian Nightwing & Flamebird sporting new costumes already. Did Rucka just come in and change everything? Perhaps including the identity of Nightwing? If you were expecting Superboy, you'll be disappointed. I am. The Phantom Zone Villains they're after... some are named after the pre-Crisis guys, but Az-Rel got a sex change. Nice bit with the subtitles.
Agents of A.T.L.A.S. #2: I admit to having missed the original mini, but I like these characters after only two issues. Especially Namora. I also like that there are two stories being told, the one taking place in the 50s alleviating the frustration of the Dark Reign thread. Sole real complaint: The second Uranus joke would have worked better without the first.
Batman: Battle for the Cowl #1: Just curious, really. The Knight & the Squire are in it. The happy surprises end there. Tony Daniel's art hasn't gotten better (and I do wonder why he's being "rewarded" with the task of writing an important event like this), with his usual botched story-telling. Panel placement, "camera" angles, clarity, Poison Ivy's dignity, are all strangers to him. So who's the new gun-totting Batman? Start your speculations.
Batman Confidential #27: What's Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez doing these days that we don't see his art more? No, we're stuck with the likes of Daniel and Benes instead. Anyway, good-looking comic, and Batman and the Riddler play well as a double act.
Batman: Gotham After Midnight #10: Another book to get for the art. That crazy, crazy Kelly Jones. Goes a bit far with the "heart" puns though, doesn't it?
Solomon Grundy #1: Again, curious. Curious to see how Didio believes Grundy can be the Swamp Thing of the non-Vertigo DC Universe. Writer-artist Scott Kollins' story is pretty disjointed, so I don't think I'll follow it. Sad, because Etrigan's in it.
Justice League of America #29: Retro-writer Len Wein guests to retell the story of Starbreaker's first couple JLA appearances (a bit like he did with that Libra special). Starbreaker may be a two-bit Galactus, but the comic has this panel going for it:
That, and Aquaman beats the living daylights out of a cosmic-level villain!
Justice League of America #30: The Milestone heroes. Shadow Thief working for Starbreaker. The moon's shadow attacking Earth. It should be cool, but it just lays there. I'm blaming the art, but it's not like the writing heightens it or anything.
Wolverine: Switchback #1: The art reminds me of Wolverine/Havok Meltdown. It's a Punisher-ish story about a serial murderer who uses a tight turn in the road to kill people, and then it's over and there's a second story, with interesting animation cell-like art, but really no story. What is this? Stuff that couldn't make it into a proper Wolverine series?
Green Lantern Corps #34: Sodam Yat makes his mom appologize for all she did wrong, and Mongul lays waste to Daxam. Hey, can a Lantern change the color of the sun so that the population can get revenge? That would be sweet. I didn't post Nightmare Fuel yesterday, but GLC 34 could have hooked me up:
Frank Castle: Punisher #68: A kinda got lost in the supporting player scenes, which makes me think this'll read better in trade, because it's otherwise cinematic and well done.
Immortal Iron Fist #23: HAWT!!! Danny gets to talk to the very first Iron Fist, also a prisoner in the 8th City, and Foreman provides a number of money shots. Folks, this book is as good as it ever was under Fraction.
Invincible Iron Man #11: Pepper Potts becomes Iron Girl, and Tony... shaves his moustache?!? He's on the run alright. Some nice cloak and dagger email stuff. A smart fight with War Machine. I dig it.
Haunted Tank #4: The tank finally reaches Bagdad!
Oh and we learn plenty of little details about the crew and old Jeb himself. Could he have been cursed to know no rest by a slave?
Unknown Soldier #4: I like this iteration of the character. I wonder if, as a "spirit", it will inhabit other people and hotbeds of violence as the story progresses. But I'm content with the African setting, a perfect place for the spirit of the Unknown Soldier to rise in the new Millennium.
Unknown Soldier #5: Moses is reunited with his wife and start getting flashes of his life before he became the Soldier. Then, violence erupts. If the next issue is going to be the arc's finale, it's gonna be a doozy.
Captain Britain and MI13 #11: Dracula has declared war against the UK, and while this is a lot of set-up for "Vampire State", there are still some great moments. Like an undercover vampire remotely detonated by holy water capsule.
And Faiza healing herself and the Black Knight at the exact moment they hit the ground from a great altitude.
Black Lightning Year One #5: I'm gonna miss this series when it's over. I like that Suicide Slum is just as much a character as BL, what with the shifting viewpoint and all.
Booster Gold #18: The end of the knife story, and I'm sort of glad. This thing has more temporal paradoxes than a season of Voyager! I sure hope Michelle's not gonna sacrifice herself because of existential blues.
New Avengers: The Reunion #1: First off, the cover with the classic costumes proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that they were better. So I got this because I'm a Hawkeye/Mockingbird fan from way back in West Coast Avengers (no, I will not call him Ronin). Bobbi still has her throwing batons , but she also throws a mean syringe!
Ooh, and the eraser heads from AIM! Mockingbird has a nasty case of PTSD. Love the Matrix joke. I hope they don't dilute the mini with too many Avengers, because I like it with just the two of them.
Ok, well, that makes 20, and I think I'll call it a night. Not bad for a few hours' "work".
Damn, that stack still has like 30 comics in it. It's endless!
Action Comics #875: Greg Rucka writes - he's been hit and miss with me, though I did enjoy Checkmate - and we find his usual penchant for secrets here. With Superman gone, Action is about the new Kryptonian Nightwing & Flamebird sporting new costumes already. Did Rucka just come in and change everything? Perhaps including the identity of Nightwing? If you were expecting Superboy, you'll be disappointed. I am. The Phantom Zone Villains they're after... some are named after the pre-Crisis guys, but Az-Rel got a sex change. Nice bit with the subtitles.
Agents of A.T.L.A.S. #2: I admit to having missed the original mini, but I like these characters after only two issues. Especially Namora. I also like that there are two stories being told, the one taking place in the 50s alleviating the frustration of the Dark Reign thread. Sole real complaint: The second Uranus joke would have worked better without the first.
Batman: Battle for the Cowl #1: Just curious, really. The Knight & the Squire are in it. The happy surprises end there. Tony Daniel's art hasn't gotten better (and I do wonder why he's being "rewarded" with the task of writing an important event like this), with his usual botched story-telling. Panel placement, "camera" angles, clarity, Poison Ivy's dignity, are all strangers to him. So who's the new gun-totting Batman? Start your speculations.Batman Confidential #27: What's Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez doing these days that we don't see his art more? No, we're stuck with the likes of Daniel and Benes instead. Anyway, good-looking comic, and Batman and the Riddler play well as a double act.
Batman: Gotham After Midnight #10: Another book to get for the art. That crazy, crazy Kelly Jones. Goes a bit far with the "heart" puns though, doesn't it?Solomon Grundy #1: Again, curious. Curious to see how Didio believes Grundy can be the Swamp Thing of the non-Vertigo DC Universe. Writer-artist Scott Kollins' story is pretty disjointed, so I don't think I'll follow it. Sad, because Etrigan's in it.
Justice League of America #29: Retro-writer Len Wein guests to retell the story of Starbreaker's first couple JLA appearances (a bit like he did with that Libra special). Starbreaker may be a two-bit Galactus, but the comic has this panel going for it:
That, and Aquaman beats the living daylights out of a cosmic-level villain!Justice League of America #30: The Milestone heroes. Shadow Thief working for Starbreaker. The moon's shadow attacking Earth. It should be cool, but it just lays there. I'm blaming the art, but it's not like the writing heightens it or anything.
Wolverine: Switchback #1: The art reminds me of Wolverine/Havok Meltdown. It's a Punisher-ish story about a serial murderer who uses a tight turn in the road to kill people, and then it's over and there's a second story, with interesting animation cell-like art, but really no story. What is this? Stuff that couldn't make it into a proper Wolverine series?
Green Lantern Corps #34: Sodam Yat makes his mom appologize for all she did wrong, and Mongul lays waste to Daxam. Hey, can a Lantern change the color of the sun so that the population can get revenge? That would be sweet. I didn't post Nightmare Fuel yesterday, but GLC 34 could have hooked me up:
Frank Castle: Punisher #68: A kinda got lost in the supporting player scenes, which makes me think this'll read better in trade, because it's otherwise cinematic and well done.Immortal Iron Fist #23: HAWT!!! Danny gets to talk to the very first Iron Fist, also a prisoner in the 8th City, and Foreman provides a number of money shots. Folks, this book is as good as it ever was under Fraction.
Invincible Iron Man #11: Pepper Potts becomes Iron Girl, and Tony... shaves his moustache?!? He's on the run alright. Some nice cloak and dagger email stuff. A smart fight with War Machine. I dig it.
Haunted Tank #4: The tank finally reaches Bagdad!
Oh and we learn plenty of little details about the crew and old Jeb himself. Could he have been cursed to know no rest by a slave?Unknown Soldier #4: I like this iteration of the character. I wonder if, as a "spirit", it will inhabit other people and hotbeds of violence as the story progresses. But I'm content with the African setting, a perfect place for the spirit of the Unknown Soldier to rise in the new Millennium.
Unknown Soldier #5: Moses is reunited with his wife and start getting flashes of his life before he became the Soldier. Then, violence erupts. If the next issue is going to be the arc's finale, it's gonna be a doozy.
Captain Britain and MI13 #11: Dracula has declared war against the UK, and while this is a lot of set-up for "Vampire State", there are still some great moments. Like an undercover vampire remotely detonated by holy water capsule.
And Faiza healing herself and the Black Knight at the exact moment they hit the ground from a great altitude.Black Lightning Year One #5: I'm gonna miss this series when it's over. I like that Suicide Slum is just as much a character as BL, what with the shifting viewpoint and all.
Booster Gold #18: The end of the knife story, and I'm sort of glad. This thing has more temporal paradoxes than a season of Voyager! I sure hope Michelle's not gonna sacrifice herself because of existential blues.
New Avengers: The Reunion #1: First off, the cover with the classic costumes proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that they were better. So I got this because I'm a Hawkeye/Mockingbird fan from way back in West Coast Avengers (no, I will not call him Ronin). Bobbi still has her throwing batons , but she also throws a mean syringe!
Ooh, and the eraser heads from AIM! Mockingbird has a nasty case of PTSD. Love the Matrix joke. I hope they don't dilute the mini with too many Avengers, because I like it with just the two of them.Ok, well, that makes 20, and I think I'll call it a night. Not bad for a few hours' "work".
Damn, that stack still has like 30 comics in it. It's endless!
Comments
best comic evah!
Jheaton: That's Chris Cross.
Colin: You're getting cards today, as a matter of fact.