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

An LCS that I go to occasionally (usually whenever they stock an issue my usual shop doesn't have) has a perpetual "Buy 2 TPBs get 1 free" sale.  This time around, they had enough for me to splurge: The first four trades of the Tom Taylor All-New Wolverine and the two Terry Moore Motor Girl collections.  I picked up the last two Wolverine trades used online.  (How are they already out of print?) 

All-New Wolverine 1-35

I've actually already read these online, so I knew they were good enough to pick up on sale.  Particularly the delightful issue 31, where Honey Badger and Deadpool take out an animal testing facility.  Zombie sloth!  Taylor is on point with this run, combining humor and heart with his usual skill.  Very happy to add this to my collection.

Motor Girl 1-10

At this point, I'm buying Terry Moore trades more out of habit than anything else.  The craft is always top notch, but the stories are rarely more than fine.  But he's worth supporting, so I don't really mind.

Catwoman 70

In a completely predictable move, I'm dropping this after two issues.  I was bored reading this, and there wasn't enough of the awesome new costume.  

Wonder Woman 15

When Tom King is on, he's on.  Even when he uses a gimmicky device like this issue's "Princesses jumping on the bed," he makes it arresting and a completely satisfying read.  I continue to worship Daniel Sampere's art.  The "Elysium" backup story is equally obvious with its repetitive nature, but again, it totally plays.  

Batman and Robin: Year One 2

Good enough to pick up for a second month, but not enough for me to put on my sub.  We'll see how much longer I go with this.  

Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter 5

Great main story, but the backup Aquaman story may have eclipsed it at this point.  Love the "Aquaman raised by the Kents" take.

Jupiter's Legacy: Finale 2

I'm only in this because I'm pot committed.  And maybe it'll read better in one go.  I've never been a Tommy Lee Edwards fan.  

Venom War: It's Jeff 1

It's always a delight to see Gurihiru in action, and nothing's cuter than Jeff.  But even Jeff can't make Venom interesting.  My daughter still loved it, though.

Ultimate Spider-Man 11

Still fun.  Still in.

Asgardians: Thor

I'm not sure if Greek myths are just better than the Norse ones, or if George O'Connor is just more inspired by the former.  I'll keep getting these because I believe O'Connor is worth supporting, but they're just not as good as the Olympian series.  I am looking forward to his interpretation of Ragnarok. 

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.)