New comics

Kaya 1-5

Picked up this trade because it got amazing reviews and I like Wes Craig’s art on Deadly Class.  This a Lone Wolf and Cub-type fantasy story, where a young girl must keep her ousted prince half-brother safe and deliver him to a faraway safe haven.  It’s not bad, but not good enough for me to buy more.

Cheetah and Cheshire Rob the Justice League 4

The heist kicks off, and is anyone buying that Cheetah’s playing the role of the wildcard?  This was already done in Ocean’s 11, and there’s no way this isn’t part of the plan.  

Assorted Crisis Events 6

So this might be an ongoing series now?  Deniz Camp writes a harrowing dementia allegory.  This is my nightmare scenario, to be trapped in my body as my mind goes, forcing those I love to care for me.  Kill me before it gets that bad.  

Absolute Green Lantern 8

I quit this with issue 6, and the issue 7 flip through shows me I made the right decision.  But Al Ewing gives us Sojourner’s origin story here, and it was compelling enough for me to buy it.  The next issue is on flip through watch as well.  

Runaways 5

As this much-appreciated miniseries ends, Doombot ceases to embrace the duality, Gert and Nico explore their new magical powers, and Alex might be back on the team?  I hope this does well enough for Rainbow Rowell to return in the future.

Voyeur 2

Issue 1 retold from the woman’s PoV.  Still enjoying it.  

Batman: Long Halloween: Last Halloween 10

I stopped enjoying this ages ago.  At least we’re finally done with this.

Absolute Batman Annual 1

Holy fuck can Daniel Warren Johnson write and draw a story.  So so visceral, and with an strong emotional core as well.  This was effing phenomenal.

New comics

Children of the Round Table 2

Boilerplate stuff; the kids start training with their weapons and mysterious government agents start chasing them.  One of the kids’ grandmothers turns out to have known more than she let on.  Nothing to write home about.  But the art is fun, the colors are bright, and I have no problem supporting these creators.

Battle Beast 6

Same with Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley.  I’ll plunk down my cash for whatever they want to put out, but even more so.  

Batman: Long Halloween: Last Halloween 9

Chris Samnee puts in his usual good work, Loeb fully retcons Selina Kyle as a Falcone, and talk about people who have lost their fastball.  Between this and Batman: Hush II, Jeph Loeb is cementing my belief that he hasn’t written anything good in a long time.

Krypto 5

This series did not need to exist.  I did not need to buy it.  It’s a slight, pointless waste of time and Ryan North’s talents.  I would never have believed that it came from his pen.  

Wonder Woman 26

The origin of Mouseland.  It’s pretty ridiculous, and I don’t buy it.  The execution and art save it some, but not really.  I’ll be happy when Tom King and Daniel Sampere put this behind them.

One World Under Doom 8

Valeria Richards enters the fray, and Ryan North finally reveals how this whole thing is going to end.  (Unless he has one final twist, which I wouldn’t put past him.)

New comics

New comics!

Absolute Martian Manhunter 5

Ah, so it’s Darkseid.  This is still a fever dream that barely comes down on the side of good, mostly based on Javier Rodriguez’s art.

DC vs Vampires: World War V 11

Big unexpected things happen here, as Vampire Batgirl and Vampire Damian both meet their ends.  One more issue to go, and while this hasn’t ended as strongly as DCeased, it’s still been a fun ride.

The War 1

No idea what this was about, but I saw Garth Ennis’ name on the cover, and I’ve really been  jonesing for some new work from him.  Apparently this was originally part of some anthology series, but it’s new for me.  

A bunch of people in their twenties who think they know more than they actually do argue about the politics of nuclear war before they’re actually forced to deal with the reality of one.  Ennis does an amazing job of making the scenario feel eerily possible, and that’s where he gets his hooks into me.  Can’t wait to read the rest.

Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween 8

Both present me and future me are furious that I’m continuing to buy this.  But there are only two issues left, and I feel pot committed.

Ultimate Spider-Man 19

A setup issue, but still good.  I think there are only six issues left, since Marvel’s wrapping up this whole Ultimate universe.  I’m happy to see Jonathan Hickman wrap this up before he has a chance to screw it up the way he does everything else.

Absolute Wonder Woman 10

Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman give us more reasons why this Diana is awesome both as a child and an adult.  I love this series so much.

Mr Terrific: Year One 3

I’m out after this one.  Al Letson hasn’t done anything interesting w/ Mr Terrific since the promising first issue, and I see no reason to stick around.

Runaways 2

The Runaways do Runaway things, an entertaining blend of stupid and fun, but rarely correct.  As always, it’s more about their interactions than the plot, and Rainbow Rowell continues to nail it.

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

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

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. 

New comics

New comics!

Battle Action 1

I’ve never heard of Rebellion Comics before, but I’ll go anywhere that Garth Ennis is writing war comics.  Here, he continues his work on Johnny Red.  It’s as good as it was before.  I may have to pick up the earlier Battle Action trades, it looks like Ennis did more Johnny Red stories there.

Absolute Wonder Woman 2

Wonderful.  I don’t know if I’d like Hayden Sherman’s art anywhere else, but it’s perfect for this.  Ready for more.

Detective Comics 1091

I didn’t expect Bruce to take the de-aging drug.  But I guess when Superman gives his blessing, it’s okay.  I’m just so happy to see Mikel Janin’s art again.  

JLA Unlimited 1

I was certainly going to give this Mark Waid/Dan Mora collaboration a shot.  It’s a take on the excellent cartoon series, where every hero in the DCU is a member of the team.  The result is fine, but nothing more.  I won’t be getting more.

Question: All Along the Watchtower 1

This ancillary miniseries is more of what I’m looking for.  I’ve always been a Renee Montoya fan as a detective.  I watched her downward spiral and subsequent transition into the Question with skepticism, but I’m on board for this interpretation by Alex Segura and Cian Tormey.  Montoya’s got a great look (cowboy detective!) and delicious interpersonal drama lined up (Kathy Kane’s the team!).  This should be fun.

Batgirl 1

This reads like a Chuck Dixon comic: Lots of action, just enough plot to tie it all together.  Cassandra Cain and her mother, Lady Shiva, are forced to team up against ninja.  That’s more than enough for me.

Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween 3

What a difference an artist makes.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen Mark Chiarello’s work.  I knew he was an artist, but mostly knew him as an editor.  Jeph Loeb is definitely a writer whose work rises and falls with the quality of his penciller.  All of a sudden I’m way higher on the rest of this series, especially w/ Cliff Chiang next in the lineup.

Jenny Sparks 4

I’m prepared to call this mini the rare Tom King piece of trash.  This is just plodding along, boring, pointless, and a negative on the entertainment scale.  Off my list, I think.

Black Canary: Best of the Best 1

Luckily, King is back on track with this much simpler story.  Black Canary versus Lady Shiva for reasons yet to be disclosed.  Ryan Sook is almost amazing here, but some of his drawings are a touch stilted.  This would probably be better w/ a different artist, but I’m not really complaining.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4

TIme for Donatello.  A fun, twisted single-issue tale from Jason Aaron and Chris Burnham.  An excellent start to this mini, and now we’ll see where things go with the brothers reunited.

New comics

New comics!

Plastic Man No More! 2-3

I thought this was going to be a redemptive story, Plastic Man pulling himself back together both literally and figuratively.  Instead, it’s about Eel O’Brian’s continuing downward trajectory as things just get worse and worse.  He’s constantly making bad choices, excusing them in the name of a greater purpose.  He’s lost his way, and while it makes for an interesting character study, it’s not that fun to read.  Great execution by Christopher Cantwell and Alex Lins, though.

Birds of Prey 12-15

Yes, yes, I dropped this because the story arc was crap.  Still true, but iFanboy gave the new arc a good review (starting w/ issue 14), and there was a sale at my LGS.  Man, I really hate the Worlds Without End arc.  But this new one is admittedly a lot better, so I might stick around for it, on a month-by-month basis.  

Absolute Superman 1

It’s funny-not-funny that the Absolute title I was most interested in (the only one I preordered) is the weakest one.  It doesn’t resonate the way the Wonder Woman and Batman comics do, but I trust Jason Aaron.  Though on second thought, his last Superman work was pretty horrible.  (Hate Bizarro!)  Going to give it at least another month.

Batman: Long Halloween: Last Halloween 2

Klaus Janson may be a legend, but his art does less than nothing for me.  I do not enjoy looking at it.  I’m inches away from cutting this.  The story is completely forgettable.  (Jeph Loeb has fallen so far in my estimation.)

DC vs Vampires: World War V 4

Another chapter in an entertaining story, but not much more to say.

Absolute Batman 2

This is so fun.  Nick Dragotta is channeling Dave Mazzucchelli, and Scott Snyder is at the top of his game.

Helen of Wyndhorn 6

Tom King and Bilquis Evely wrap up another super successful team up.  Beautifully drawn and written.  Only the framing story w/ the cassette tapes is an utter fail, and the ending is completely anticlimactic and disappointing.  

Batman: Dark Age 6

I think I read this more out of morbid fascination than anything else.  Mike Allred’s art is so compelling in its ugliness.  And the story by Mark Russell doesn’t suck.

Big Burn 2

Not as good as the first issue, but still entertaining.  And the final page reveal is obvious but effective at moving things along.

Aliens vs Avengers 1-2

This future dystopia is stunningly generic, and it’s Jonathan Hickman at his cold, emotionless worst.  Esad Ribic does what he can, and the Alien IP is strong, so I’m still in.

New comics

Scarlett 5

This didn’t end as strongly as it started, and I’m not sure if I’ll pick up any more of the Energon Universe’s GI Joe stories, but I don’t regret getting this.

Zatanna: Bring Down the House 4

I love how Mariko Tamaki writes Constantine and Zatanna together, and I love how Javier Rodriguez draws them together.  If only I liked the plot more, it’s pretty weak.  

Batman: Long Halloween: Last Halloween 1

I can’t decide if I like this or not.  I’m erring on the side of buying the rest of it, but I’m definitely not sure about this call.

Get Fury 6

Sigh.  Not one of Garth Ennis’ finest.  Is this his first complete fail w/ a Punisher story?

Catwoman 69

I picked this off of the shelf entirely due to Fabiana Mascolo’s stunning new Catwoman costume.  I love it.  I might even get it again next month.  

Nightwing 118

What a wonderful, delightful run by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo.  I hope these two team up again in the future.  (And I really hope the next creature team keep Bitewing and Barbara around.  Not that I’m going to stick around to find out.)

Absolute Batman 1

Apparently not an Elseworlds, just a parallel universe or something.  Whatever it is, Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta have created a gripping new take that I’m totally here for.

Wonder Woman 12-14

There’s so much that I don’t buy: Diana’s heart-to-heart with Damian.  Her constant smooching with Steve Trevor in the middle of combat situations.  Steve Trevor’s death.  But all of it still works, it has to work.  Because this story isn’t possible  if Wonder Woman isn’t the main character.  It’s hard to explain.