New comics

New comics!

Detective Comics 1090

So this is where Tom Taylor went after finishing off Nightwing.  And with Mikel Janin, most recently seen by me doing a drive-by on Wonder Woman.  Hopefully he stays longer than the one? two? issues he lasted that time.

Taylor kicks things off w/ a massive retcon; Thomas Wayne once saved Joe Chill’s life on the operation table.  Dun dun DUN!  Doesn’t feel necessary, but there’s no question of me sticking around.

Babs 3

A lot more fun than the previous issue, where I had dropped the title from my pull list.  (Too late to keep this from making it into my box.)  Not enough for me to bring it back, I think.

Zatanna: Bring Down the House 5

The plot’s been a bore for the entire story, but the character moments and art have sparkled throughout.  It averages out to an above average effort from Mariko Tamaki and Javier Rodriguez.

Absolute Wonder Woman 1

I’ve never heard of artist Hayden Sherman, but this is stunning work.  Kelly Thompson has me intrigued with this take on Diana, and the unanticipated Absolute line at DC is now two for two.  

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3

Cliff Chiang is the next top shelf artist to draw this title.  It’s Leonardo’s turn for Jason Aaron’s treatment.  This is super fun.

Plastic Man No More! 1

Christopher Cantwell puts a human face on the happy go lucky hero, forcing him to deal with his mortality in a world where no one takes him seriously.  I don’t read all of Cantwell’s work, but I’m always impressed when I do.

Jenny Sparks 1-3

Not Tom King’s best work.  I’m not digging the “Captain Atom-as-immature-Doctor-Manhattan” hostage situation, and Jenny Sparks isn’t much more than an attitude right now.  At least this is a shorter series.

New comics

As always, so far behind.

DC vs Vampires: World War V 1-3

More of the same, which is a fun Elseworlds.  It’s starting off a lot better than the previous series ended; a lot more coherent w/ the action, and plenty of excellent twists.  (Alfred the Green Lantern is chef’s kiss.)

Babs 2

Jacen Burrows has become a Steve Dillon clone, probably why Garth Ennis loves working w/ him so much.  Not bad, but I definitely was not excited to see it in my pull list.  Taking it off.  

Ultimate Spider-Man 9-10

I’m really enjoying this now.  Probably because it feels like a strong Bendis book.  Jonathan Hickman continues to impress me with how much this doesn’t read like his usual style.

Batman and Robin: Year One 1

I picked this up because Mark Waid and Chris Samnee are always worth a try.  It’s a solid effort, but I just don’t care enough to want to read more.  It doesn’t stand out in any way.

Jupiter’s Legacy: Finale 1

Picked this up because my LCS automatically added it to my sub.  But it’s still a good read, and I might as well finish it out.  (I’ve definitely cooled on Mark Millar; I’m not getting the new Prodigy series, for example, even though the first arc was entertaining.)

Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter 3-4

Still gorgeous art by Tirso.  And the backup story by Tom Taylor has a delightful twist where the Kents end up raising another super-powered orphan.  (It’s Arthur Curry.)

Fantastic Four 26

Ryan North pairs up Johnny and Reed in a funny little adventure where Mr Fantastic justifies his actions by pointing out that, “Again, if I could draw your attention to how the dread Mongaroth is not charnelly destroying any mortal flesh at the present.”  Completely insubstantial, but totally happy to be reading it.

Helen of Wyndhorn 5

Helen’s governess proves her quality as this excellent fantasy romp continues.  Sad that there’s only one issue remaining.

New comics

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.)