New comics. Many of them.
DC vs Vampires 1-12
Picked these up on the strength of an iFanboy recommendation and the awesomeness of Matthew Rosenberg and Otto Schmidt’s previous work. I think I was hoping for something similar to Tom Taylor’s magnificent DCeased. What I got was something close, but lacking the poignancy that elevated the zombie version.
Things start off very well, with the heroes quickly forced on to their collective back feet. The heroes are forced to scramble and regroup. So far, so good, But the plot fails with their final three-pronged plan; Green Arrow’s mission to rescue everyone is of no strategic significance, the quest to recharge Supergirl really has no business succeeding, and Batgirl’s final gambit makes no sense - She was always planning to become a bad guy?
On top of that, the storytelling is extremely muddled. There were plenty of instances where I had trouble tracking what was going on. I haven’t taken the time to determine who’s more responsible, but it’s definitely a combination of both the art and writing.
Still, it’s entertaining enough that I’ve picked up the tie-in trades and sequel series that just came out. I still believe in the creative team, and the world is one that I’m keen to read more about.
Nightwing 117
One more issue to go in Tom Taylor’s run. Dick gets over his fear of jumping and Bruce more than amply fills in his protege’s costume. Not Taylor’s strongest work, but not a bad swan song.
Ultimate Spider-Man 8
Just some really solid comic booking by Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto. Not top tier, but super fun to read.
Get Fury 4-5
Too much government conspiracy, not enough Frank Castle. I hope this isn’t a sign that Garth Ennis’ game is slipping; This is one of his weaker Punisher arcs, and it would be devastating for all involved if it’s the start of a trend.
Transformers 11
Turns out this is a 24-issue run. This has been on the cusp of my cut list for a while, but knowing it’s halfway through is enough for me to stay around.
Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter 2
This continues to be way better than any expectations I had for it. Both Jay Kristoff and Tirso are people I’ll be keeping an eye out for in the future.
Wonder Woman 12
Where does Tom King get his wonderful ideas? Wonder Woman and Damian Wayne take turns interrogating Captain Boomerang, and it’s hilarious. As with many of the high-concept pairings in this run, it’s a smidge too precious. But King manages to get away with it.
Penguin 12
Not the best of Tom King’s endings, but I’m pretty sure that reading the whole thing will still be a positive experience.
Scarlett 4
I didn’t enjoy this issue as much, but I think it was more my low energy level at the time than anything else.
Uncanny Valley 5
I’m so done with this series, the execution of an interesting idea has been remarkably lackluster. I’d quit if there weren’t just one issue left.
Batman: Off-World 5
Losing my enthusiasm for this as well. Am I just getting old and stodgy? Sigh.
Archie: The Decision 1
I bought this because Tom King wrote it. I shouldn’t have bothered, it’s like every other old school Archie comic ever: Lame.
Animal Pound 5
Maybe it’s not Animal Farm. But it’s damn good. I really liked the elegant twist on the classic final line of the book. This will be a fun re-read, and I haven’t come close to parsing all the references to the current political world.
Babs 1
This is Garth Ennis in funny mode, his spin on a female fantasy warrior. I’m so starved for Ennis comics that I’ll buy anything now… (It’s actually not bad.)
