Read All the Comics!: Sam and Twitch

Sunday, August 8, 2021

Sam and Twitch

Sam and Twitch 9

A complete fail of a single issue. Brian Michael Bendis tries to tell a first person POV story, but it’s not that interesting of one.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Didn’t suck

Sam and Twitch 10-19

A string of average Bendis issues.

Issues 10-13: Sam and Twitch track down someone who’s been killing witches.

Issue 14: The “Eggs” story. A neat little experiment in storytelling by Bendis, and while it’s not any kind of standout, I’ve got to say that I’ve never forgotten it.

Issue 15-19: The Bounty Hunter War. Notable for the appearance by Jinx, one of Bendis’ first comic creations. Plus the fact that he KILLS KC!?!? It’s a sign of Bendis’ writing ability that I care so much about it after less than ten issues of knowing this character. It’s a total gut punch.

This is one of those times where emotional shock value doesn’t make for a good story. (I’m looking at you, Joss Whedon.) It’s not bad, but it doesn’t elevate it in any way. It just makes me sad.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Case Files: Sam and Twitch 1-6

Marc Andreyko piles the trauma on Twitch - He kills two of his kids and somehow brings KC back to life as one of the bad guys involved. (I still don’t know how that resurrection happened. Something with Udaku?) It’s not a bad story on it’s own, but I can’t believe Twitch is able to handle that level of trauma without having it carry over into future stories. (It’s mentioned later on, but like a distant unpleasant memory instead of the soul crushing tragedy that it is.)

Yeah, don't buy the family snuggle at the end.

There’s no way his wife goes back to him that quickly, there’s no way he moves on right into the next case as if nothing’s happened.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Case Files: Sam and Twitch 7-12

Ignoring the fact that Twitch shows no sign of having lost two children to mob-instigated murder, this is a nicely done murder investigation involving a closeted US senator and his prick of a father.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Case Files: Sam and Twitch 13-14

Issue 13: A done in one about Sam’s loser petty criminal brother. It’s fine all the way until the end, which hit me in the feels.

That juxtaposition w/ innocence lost...Brutal.

Issue 14: The beginning of the next arc, this one involving what appear to be vampires. Past me tapped out at this point, and while Andreyko’s run hasn’t been bad up to this point, present me doesn’t really feel the need to read on either. Cutting.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Prodigy, Sam and Twitch

That’s it for Image Box 4!

Box summary

Time spent reading: 25 hours, 36 minutes

Issues read: 202

Issues cut: 31

Highlights (Good or better): American Way, Astro City 1, ½, 4-9, 18-21, Deathblow/Wolverine, Fire Power Prelude, Halcyon, Highwaymen, Magic Order. Some wonderful miniseries to go with a lot of mediocre Astro City.

Project Summary:

Time spent reading: 40 days, 3 hours, 51 minutes

Issues read: 8383

Issues cut: 964

Jumping right into Image Box 5:

Prodigy 1-6

My reviews of the individual issues. Not as good as yesterday’s Magic Order (it’s too fluffy and slight to manage a higher rating), but still supremely entertaining.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Sam and Twitch 1-8

This is top tier comics. Brian Michael Bendis at his very apex with amazing dialogue, tightly paced plotting, a gripping, creepy mystery, and just the right amount of humor. I can’t get enough, and I totally would have read more tonight if my wife didn’t want to watch Black Widow. (It’s not bad the second time around. Florence Pugh is even better. This is really her movie, Scarlett takes a back seat in her own film.)