New comics

Batgirl 11

Batgirl and her half-brother fight the second Sword, then agree to go on a quest with the third one.  (Not sure why the three bad guys were lumped together, they weren’t working together at all.)  I’m done with this, there’s nothing that puts this above replacement level.

Free Comic Book Day: Fantastic Four 1

There’s a cute little FF story by Ryan North and Humberto Ramos here.

Absolute Superman 11

This is such an up and down series. This is a down issue.  The “brainwashing by running the subject through thousands of VR scenarios” story has been done to death, and this iteration doesn’t bring anything new.  The “push the hero to the dark side only to fail” thing has been done even more times, and Jason Aaron doesn’t make it all that interesting either.  Hoping he ends this arc on a high note.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 11

Things fall apart for the evil DA as the city rallies around the Turtles.  Cue the final fight.  Gene Luen Yang takes over w/ issue 13, I might actually stick around and give it a shot.

Absolute Green Lantern 6

I’m done.  This is all nonsense.

Mr Terrific: Year One 4

I cancelled my sub, but picked up this issue after it was pick of the week on iFanboy.  It’s fun seeing Bruce Wayne and Michael Holt interacting, but I don’t know if it’s enough for me to get the rest of the series.  I’ll flip through it in the shop next time around.  

The War 2

Garth Ennis is still bringing his A game after all of these years.  This is one of the darkest, grimmest things I’ve read in a long, long time, and it’s so so good.  I only wish Ennis didn’t bring in the armed intruders at the end.  The series is so strong because it’s grounded in realism, and this new element takes me out of that headspace.  

Cheetah and Cheshire Rob the Justice League 1-2

Another iFanboy recommendation, and it’s a good one.  It feels like I haven’t read Greg Rucka in a long time, and he’s as good as ever.  The titular characters are still gathering their crew, and it’s a fun ride so far.  

Absolute Flash 7

Not as bad as Absolute Green Lantern, but there’s not enough to keep me around.  I’m done.

Krypto 4

I appreciate the sadness warning at the beginning of the issue, but I’ve read sadder.  This has not been the best of series, but with only one issue to go, I’m going to play it out.

Fantastic Four 3

The FF figure out a way around Doom’s video game save/restore machine, with Ryan North’s typical cleverness.  Lots of fun, how does this guy not run out of ideas?

Battle Action 6, 7, 10

Apparently real-world comic distribution problems created this gap in issues.  Issue ten finishes off this Johnny Red arc with a happily-ever-after.  Fine, but not up to Ennis’ best.  

New comics

New comics!

Absolute Superman 10

Absolute Superman is tempted to break his “no killing” mandate, and passes with flying colors.  Talia shows up in a twist that isn’t really surprising.  If this wasn’t written by Jason Aaron, I’d probably quit around here.  This series has definitely had its moments, but overall doesn’t really leave that much of an impression.

Absolute Green Lantern 5

I’m so close to quitting this.  It reads like one of those animes that’s a total incoherent mess, with big blobby things, large explosions, and just a semblance of plot that’s not nearly enough to keep things on the rails.  I’ve been unable to find out how many issues this is scheduled for.  One more issue for me, I think.

Batgirl 10

This arc has been a fun read.  Tate Brombal has made it more of a traditional martial arts movie, to its great benefit.  Cassandra’s newly discovered half-brother is way more annoying than I would have liked, and their reconciliation happens way too quickly.  But the action is well done and the escalations keep things moving along at a brisk, enjoyable pace.

Daredevil: Cold Day in Hell 3

Very Dark Knight Returns.  Nice job by Charles Soule and Steve McNiven.  Some excellent, excellent use of Bullseye.  

One World Under Doom 6

The heroes finally discover the reveal, the engine behind Doom’s power.  Ryan North has really done a spectacular job of making this event self-contained and epic.  RB Silva’s art is beautiful, even if his character posing is a bit over-the-top.  Marvel would do well to make North one of their overall story drivers moving forward. 

New Comics

New comics!

Absolute Green Lantern 4

So little happens in this issue.  We find out how Jo gets the ring.  Hector Hammond shows up.  None of it is very interesting.  Not sure if this is a miniseries, but it’s now officially treading on thin ice w/ me.

Batgirl 9

On the other hand, Batgirl has earned itself a little more time w/ the introduction of the Jade Tiger, Cassandra’s newly-discovered half-brother and spawn of Shiva and Bronze Tiger.  His appearance brings both a literal and figurative splash of color to the proceedings, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this pans out.

Absolute Superman 9

Talk about fluctuating quality; This issue did very little for me as Kal-El fights the urge to kill Lazarus soldiers.  It reads like a direct rip-off of Luke’s temptation in Return of the Jedi, complete with Agent Alpha playing the role of sneering Emperor Palpatine.  It all feels very tired to me.

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring 1

I was super surprised and happy to see this on the shelf, I had no idea a sequel by Patrick Horvath was in the works.  I have no idea why Samantha chose to bring a victim’s sister into town, but I’m eager to find out.  

Fantastic Four 1

My wish is granted, and Ryan North gets an artist equal to his writing talents.  Welcome to the spectacular Humberto Ramos!  Pair this legend with an exceptional idea (the Forever Stone) and you get a wonderful issue.  If it takes a brand new number one to get this penciller change, I’m all for it.

Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman 2

The middle time-travelling Trinity engages in professional and pseudo-romantic hijinks with Jason Todd days before his death at the hands of the Joker.  Breezy and entertaining.  Not at all what I was expecting from this when it first came out, but it gets no objections from me.

Godzilla vs Thor 1

Comics like this are why I listen to the iFanboy podcast.  I would never have picked this up otherwise, having completely missed the fact that Jason Aaron wrote this.  This is classic superhero fun at its finest.  Action-packed, non-stop fighting, I couldn’t imagine how this could get any better.

New comics

Batgirl 8

I love that Tate Brombal found a way to tie Richard Dragon into Shiva’s origin story.  Other than that, I think I’m done w/ this series after this arc.  

Absolute Superman 8

Kryptonite makes its debut in the Absolute Universe, and Superman gets a nice fight scene.  Still the weakest of the original three Absolute titles, but it’s up against some truly exceptional material.  

Runaways 1

Rainbow Rowell returns, and this time she’s brought Elena Casagrande with her!  It’s always fun to return to this group of kids, and how wonderful that Doombot takes center stage with this “One World Under Doom” tie-in.  Embrace the duality!

One World Under Doom 5

All the heroes fight Dormammu, which is great.  Then Thor brings up the honest question of whether or not Doom’s really doing a bad job as global dictator.  It’s a surprisingly valid question, and I enjoyed the heated discussion.

Absolute Batman 9

This is a truly grotesque Bane.  Nick Dragotta draws him with Otomo-like bulbous sinews, completely inhuman and disgusting.  It’s so cool.  

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 9

More raving about Juan Ferreyra.  He’s such a freaking good artist.  Marvel needs to put him on something. 

New comics

I’ve got like a month of new comics to catch up on.

Batgirl 7

The origin of Lady Shiva.  It’s nothing special, and I’m pretty sure I’m done after the arc finishes next issue.

Absolute Superman 7

The origin of Absolute Braniac.  Jason Aaron and Carmine Di Giandomenico have created something terrifying here.  This is quality stuff.  

Absolute Wonder Woman 7

I’m still not sure how The Lady and the Tiger is relevant in this story, but for all that, it’s well-written and beautifully drawn.  I need to find more things by Mattia De Iulis, I love his work.

Absolute Martian Manhunter 2

This so reminds me of another comic that’s equally dreamlike, but I can’t put my finger on it.  Maybe it’s because I recently saw Javier Rodriguez’s work in Zatanna?  Anyway, this is still a nice deviation from the usual comic book fare.

Batman 159

Hush 2 part 2.  As much as I love Jim Lee, this certainly isn’t his best work, and the story by Jeph Loeb is as unreadable as his stuff over in Last Halloween.  One more issue, I think, and then I’m done.  

One World Under Doom 3-4

In issue 3, we learn that the world’s leaders voluntarily agreed to go along w/ Doom for various reasons.  I totally saw it coming, but I still like how it was done.  In issue 4, Dormammu takes advantage of Doom’s short-sighted thinking.  (Where planetary defense from the magical world is concerned.  He’s doing a pretty good job of whupping the heroes.)

I’ve been pretty pleased with this event so far.  The main title is telling a self-contained story, and the tie-ins are exploring the tangents.  It’s how you should run something big like this.  

Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween 7

The best thing I can say is that there are only three issues left.  And I don’t even like Becky Cloonan’s art, so next month is a waste too.  Dave Johnson’s a lot better on covers than he is on interiors.

Fantastic Four 31

The FF travel to different multiverses in an attempt to bombard Ben Grimm with cosmic rays and return him to his rocky state.  Things go wrong, of course, and the FF are wiped from existence.  A very nice issue by Ryan North.

Ultimate Spider-Man 16

So my prediction from a few months ago was incorrect, Gwen Stacy does not end up as the new Green Goblin.  But she is Mysterio, and Jonathan Hickman makes that twist very nifty indeed.  I can’t get over how good this title is. 

New comics

New comics!

Batgirl 6

So the first arc ends, and it turns out what I thought was a miniseries is now an ongoing.  I’m not sure if I’m going to stick around; As with Kelly Thompson’s Birds of Prey, I want to like this more than I actually do.  The pieces are there, but it’s just not clicking.  Maybe one more issue.

Absolute Superman 6

We find out how the Kents fit into the Absolute universe.  And in a haunting, harrowing twist, Kal-El was essentially in solitary confinement for seventeen months on the journey from Krypton to Earth.  No cryosleep.  He just about went crazy from the isolation.

Absolute Green Lantern 1

As with the rest of Absolute Wave 2, not as strong as the first batch.  But I’ll stick around for at least a little longer.

Daredevil: Cold Day in Hell 1

Charles Soule and Steve McNiven do their Dark Knight Returns spin on Matt Murdock.  McNiven channels Kaare Andrews circa Iron Fist: Living Weapon, which is just fine by me.  

Battle Action 4-5

Nothing new to say about these.  Serviceable, I’ll keep supporting Garth Ennis doing war comics.

Big Burn 3

I can’t remember the last time a comic brought such a broad smile to my face;  The final scene is absolutely pitch perfect, I loved it so much.  Joe Henderson and Lee Garbett continue to be one of the top creative teams out there.

New comics

Batgirl 5

Cassandra Cain fights more of the blue ninja.  Entertaining enough, and my daughter is getting a kick out of this title.  

Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween 6

I’m not familiar with Enrico Marini, but he’s got a mega Matt Wagner vibe going, which I’m never going to complain about.  I stopped caring about the plot months ago.

Batman 158

I suspect it’s going to be the same for this Jeph Loeb-plotted story as well.  I wasn’t impressed with the original arc, and I certainly wasn’t clamoring for a sequel.  I’m only getting this for the Jim Lee art, and even that doesn’t have the same luster that it used to.  Hard to say if I’m going to make it through this whole story.

Wonder Woman 19

Tom King wraps up this storyline and starts the next one, foreshadowing the death of Diana and the rest of the Wonder Women.  It’s not the strongest of issues, but it’s still a good effort from King and Daniel Sampere.

Black Canary: Best of the Best 5

More of the same, which is pretty underwhelming.  Ryan Sook isn’t a bad artist by any stretch, but I think this title would have been so much better if drawn by someone capable of more dynamic action sequences.  This fight between Black Canary and Lady Shiva should be way more engaging.  Also, for two of the world’s top martial artists, there are way too many moves straight out of the WWE.  It really detracts from the supposed high stakes of the bout.

Absolute Martian Manhunter 1

I don’t think I’ve ever read anything by Deniz Camp.  The jury’s still out on this title, it’s one of those mindfuck “man’s world is falling apart around him as he starts to question the reality he’s living in” kind of things.  Javier Rodriguez is perfectly suited for this, I just hope that the story lives up to the artwork. 

Ultimate Spider-Man 15

Absolute Sandman shows up.  Not much else happens, but it’s still a lot of fun.

 

New comics

One World Under Doom 1

Ryan North begins his first (?) Marvel event.  He’s off to a good start, as Doom finally makes his move and takes over the world.  I suspect his eventual downfall will be self-inflicted, much like with Thanos all the time.  

Fantastic Four 29

Tie-in to the previous title.  Part of Doom’s plan is to give everyone a minority to hate.  The daywalking vampires from the previous Marvel event are the target here.  They’re an easy target, since they, you know, suck your blood and everything.  In order to remove the fear, Mr Fantastic develops a blood substitute that will sustain them.  It all comes a little too easy, and Cory Smith is not a league average artist.  This was one of North’s weaker efforts.  Too obvious.  

Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween 5

Love the Bill Sienkiewicz art.  Not so much with the Jeph Loeb story, but that’s nothing new.  

Batgirl 5

Cassandra Cain fights some more as she attempts to save Lady Shiva from the blue ninjas.  

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 7

The brothers’ relationships remain fractured as they fight the Foot and amongst themselves.  Juan Ferreyra’s art is still awesome.  

Detective Comics 1094

Tom Taylor and Mikel Janin are a wonderful team for one of DC’s flagship books.  Taylor makes Damian Wayne not-annoying, which is a nigh-impossible task.  He’s such a good writer.

Black Canary: Best of the Best 4

This month’s in-fight flashback shows us how Dinah and Ollie first meet.  Their meet cute is more of a meet-kicking-the-crap-out-Ollie.  I said that I like Tom King’s more linear stories, but this one’s too slight for me so far.  I expect more complexity from a King story, and there’s none of that here.

Absolute Wonder Woman 5

Man, do I love this title.  It’s beautiful, epic, touching, and overall breathtaking.  At the end of the day, the Tetracide is just another big monster, but Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman manage to make it the scariest thing in the world.  

This and the next title are why I love comics.  

Wonder Woman 18 

Sometimes you just need to see the hero be so much better than the bad guy.  Diana’s ROFL stomping of everyone in front of her is so satisfying, given everything that’s happened to her so far.  It’s completely earned, which is what makes it work.

New comics

New comics!

DC vs Vampires: World War V: Darkness and Light 1

A one-shot that fleshes out vampire Wonder Woman and Green Lantern Alfred.  The highlight is how Guy Gardner keeps himself alive after being ripped in half.  It’s a level of creativity from Matthew Rosenberg that’s so fun to sink into.  

It’s Jeff: The Jeff-verse 1

More of the same from Kelly Thompson and Gurihiru.  My daughter gets a kick out of these.  

Jupiter’s Legacy: Finale 4

You’d think a five-issue miniseries that took 3 years to produce would have a consistent art team.  But Lee Carter is the third artist in four issues, and in a style totally different from Tommy Lee Edwards.  I can’t remember anything that’s gone on before, and inertia is the only thing keeping me around.  

Once again, Mark Millar has no problem with the wholesale slaughter of main characters.

Absolute Batman 5

This issue suffers so much from poor storytelling.  Nick Dragotta has been splendid on this title, but there are a number of instances here where I have no idea what’s going on, and the story is much weaker for it.  

But the scene where he skewers the dude on his back had me vocalizing in shock and delight.

Absolute Superman 4

Minimal focus on Kal-El and his parents results in a less interesting issue.  This world dominated by a heartless, cruel corporation, complete with vicious stormtroopers, is pretty cookie cutter, and I don’t need to spend too much time with it.

Batgirl 4

Still a good action comic, but I wish I cared more about the plot and Cassandra’s relationship with Lady Shiva.  It should be a no-brainer, but Tate Brombal doesn’t manage to pull it off.  

Batman: Off-World 6

Same thing with this title.  I feel like I should like this more than I do.

New comics

More new comics!

Battle Action v3 2

I don’t know why I can’t quit Garth Ennis war stories.  By this point, they all blur together, and it’s really hard for one to set itself apart from the crowd.  (Including this one.)  But I’ll keep buying them for as long as he puts them out.

Jupiter’s Legacy: Finale 3

Just playing out the string.  That’s all I’m doing.

Batgirl 3

Some really nice action from Takeshi Miyazawa.  Still don’t know what Shiva’s motivations are, which is how it should be.

Absolute Batman 4

Scott Snyder continues to kill it as we get a little more of Bruce’s origin story.  It’s too bad Nick Dragotta isn’t here to do the art.  Gabriel Walta is fine, but it’s just not the same.

Absolute Superman 3

More origin material, and Jason Aaron’s finally sunk his teeth into me.  He provides a sympathetic, engaging portrait of Kal-El and his parents  on Krypton, which will surely make their inevitable separation all the more heartbreaking.  Great stuff.

DC vs Vampires: World War V 6

Darkseid shows up in the middle of a major throwdown.  Matthew Rosenberg keeps tossing in more elements, and he continues to make it work.

Question: All Along the Watchtower 3

Wow, I lost enthusiasm for this rather quickly.  I really wish I liked this more, the potential is certainly there with Renee and Batwoman.  But the Eradicator, Cyborg Superman, a mystery I don’t care about - it’s not happening for me.

Birds of Prey 17

I gave it another story arc, but this still doesn’t have it.  Kelly Thompson is always pushing up against the awesome barrier, but more often than not fails to break through.  (She does have her moments, though.) 

New comics

It’s been a month since I’ve been to my LCS.  Here’s some of what I bought:

DC vs Vampires: World War V 5

Matthew Rosenberg does a great job of weaving multiple storylines together.  And like Tom Taylor did with DCeased, he manages to squeeze in an “oh shit” moment with just about every issue.  This month, it’s what Nightwing’s been doing with the Flash this whole time.  Chilling.

Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter 6

This was one of the prettiest comics I’ve read in a long time.  Tirso’s work is flat out gorgeous.  

Fantastic Four 27

I get the same thought reading this that I do w/ Mark Waid’s current work: I feel like I should be liking this more than I am.  Not prepared to quit on it yet, though.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 5

By far the weakest issue of the run.  It focuses on the villain, not the Turtles, and though it’s well written, I just don’t care as much about this guy.  

Absolute Superman 2

Rafa Sandoval is channeling major Steve Epting vibes here, which isn’t that bad of a thing.  This is still my least favorite of the new Absolute titles.  (Not a strong month for Jason Aaron.)  But it still has promise.  

Batgirl 2

Still a fun, action-oriented comic that feels like a throwback to the 2000’s.  

Detective Comics 1092

Can’t get over how much I love Mikel Janin on interiors.  Also surprised by how un-Tom Taylor this title feels.  It could have been written by any competent writer, and lacks that Taylor flair.  Giving it time.  

Batman: Long Halloween: Last Halloween 4

Cliff Chiang!  This series continues to illustrate just how massive a difference an artist can make on the tone, feel, and success of a comic book.  It’s truly a collaborative effort.