Captain Carter

Captain Carter 1-5

The only thing this comic has going for it is the main character herself.  Peggy Carter as the super soldier serum recipient is A-level stuff.  (Though I suspect that Hayley Atwell has a lot to do with the appeal.)  

Ridiculous.

It’s a shame that the story by Jamie McKelvie isn’t better.  The government conspiracy involving vampires does nothing but induce groans in me, and the Elseworlds versions of Tony Stark and Elizabeth Braddock are nothing noteworthy.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Fine

Black Widow

I’m a little worried that I’m reading with an eye towards the finish line right now.  I think it started when I updated my database with all of my ratings.  After that, I knew exactly how many comics were left to read, and I’ve been watching that number tick down every day.  “How many more comics can I read today to get closer to zero?”  “Ugh, reading this trade only counts as one issue.  So little progress today!”  It’s not like I’m eager for this to be done, I’ve really had a blast this whole time.  But there’s something about a countdown that gets into my head.  Anyway, I need to make sure this doesn’t affect my enjoyment.  

Black Widow 1-15

The first five issues of this are as amazing as I remember.  Both Kelly Thompson and Black Widow’s enemies realize that they’ll never be able to kill Natasha.  So what can they do instead?  The answer is brilliant and cruel beyond compare: Make her sublimely happy, then rip it all away from her.  So they brainwash her and some random guy to be the perfect husband.  They create a darling baby boy for the happy couple.  (DNA and everything.)  Then bad things start to happen.  

It’s amazing and soul crushing and so well done.  Probably the best thing of Thompson’s that I’ve read.  Plus it’s got Elena Casagrande on art.  I’d never heard of her before this, but I sure as heck know her now.  By the way, most of my notes for this run consist of “ducks, fight, ducks, fight, baby, fight.”  It’s an accurate representation of the best parts of this series.

Adam Hughes' covers are gorgeous as usual.

It's so unfair.

I love the hood addition.

Unfortunately, the subsequent two arcs aren’t nearly as good.  It’s the interactions between Natasha’s posse (mostly female, just like Thompson’s Captain Marvel crew), Natasha’s inability to process the emotional chasm left by her son’s departure, and Casagrande’s stunning art (when it’s not a fill-in penciller) that hold them up, because the plot’s pretty scattershot.  

Regardless, this version of Widow (volume nine!) ended prematurely.  I prefer it to Captain Marvel, as good as it is.   

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pure joy (Pretty good for 6-10, Nice for 11-15)

Hilo

Hilo 1-6

Judd Winick started Hilo because he wanted to create something that he could show to his kids.  By all accounts, he’s been hugely successful; kids love Hilo, including my nephew.  

As for me, it’s not as good as Winick’s best stuff.  Hardly a surprise, I’m not the target audience.  It’s all too easy to find parallels between the Hilo/Gina/DJ trio and Barry Ween/Sara/Jeremy.  Izzy plays the newcomer role that Roxy filled.  Hilo’s enthusiasm is a touch excessive for me, but it’s hard to find fault with the positive lessons of friendship, fun, and learning.

I’m thrilled that this exists for my daughter.  But for me, I’ll keep on wishing for more Barry Ween.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice (Pretty good for volumes 3 and 4)

Cross Game, Our Wonderful Days, Red Reminiscence

Red Reminiscence 1

A manga created by Yang Shan, a former colleague of mine.  A high school lothario decides to rescue a childhood friend from an arranged marriage to a triad.  Not something that I’d normally read, but I’ll always support a friend in their artistic endeavors.  Creating any kind of art is worthy of celebration.  Awesome job, Yang!

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: No

Rating: Fine

Our Wonderful Days 1

A slice of life manga about four high school girls, two of whom are developing feelings for each other.  It’s slow going, even for this kind of story.  I read the other two volumes in the store, and things don’t pick up at all.  Even the relationship between Koharu and Mafuyu is unsatisfying in its resolution.  (They admit their feelings for each other, but it’s not emotionally satisfying at all.)  Cutting.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Fine

Cross Game 1-8

I’m not sure how many times I’ve read this through.  This might only be the third time.  It doesn’t really matter, though.  This is one the most sublimely beautiful comics I’ve ever read, something I wouldn’t have imagined for something that’s ostensibly a baseball manga.  The relationships between all of the characters are perfectly balanced between LOL humor and delicate poignancy.  The baseball bits are almost filler, if not for the fact that the action is as tense and gripping as any playoff series in real life.  

Mitsuru Adachi is a genius, pure and simple.  As with Kaiji Kawaguchi, I dearly wish more of this work was legally translated in the US.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pure joy

Thor: Love and Thunder

Thor: Love and Thunder

TLDR: A cute little movie, but a little slight considering the fact that gods are getting slain.  I’m one of the few people who weren’t blown away by Thor: Ragnarok, and Taika Waititi’s humor is even less effective in this one (The scene where Sif loses her arm, plus all the nonsense with Russell Crowe’s Zeus fall completely flat for me.)  Other thoughts:

I love Natalie Portman as Mighty Thor.  She’s completely charming and delightful, though I couldn’t get the image of her standing on risers the entire time to give her six inches of height.  Her romance with Thor has some genuinely touching moments, and her death struck an emotional chord.  (And unlike Kirk’s resurrection in Star Trek: Into Darkness, I had no problem with her immediate revival in Valhalla at the end of the film.)

Screaming goats can’t be beat.

It’s too cute that Chris Hemsworth’s daughter, India, plays his adopted daughter here.  Their dynamic at the end is adorable.  

I’m not sure about all the kids getting Thor’s power.  It’s cute, but a little too cute.  

Christian Bale’s an odd combination of Fiennes’ Voldemort, Cage’s Castor Troy, Romero’s Joker, and Spence’s Mouth of Sauron.  I’m not the biggest fan of his portrayal, though there are definite moments where his grief as a father shines through.  

The final battle being resolved by “choose love, not hate” is anticlimactic, but it’s still better than the generic epic CGI battle that ends most MCU films.  

Love all the Gun ‘N Roses sound cues.  

This feels like a natural stopping point for Thor’s journey in the MCU.  Hemsworth has created an iconic character here, and deserves all the plaudits.  But he’s done enough, and it’s time for Portman’s Thor to take the hammer from him and carry on.

Regret watching: No

Would watch again: Yes 

Would buy on DVD: No

Rating: Nice

1. Avengers: Endgame

2. Captain America: Civil War

3. Captain America: Winter Soldier

4. Spider-Man: No Way Home

5. Ant Man/Wasp

6. Avengers: Infinity War

7. Shang-Chi

8. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

9. Black Panther

10. Captain America: First Avenger

11. Spider-Man: Homecoming

12. Avengers

13. Thor: Love and Thunder

14. Avengers: Age of Ultron

15. Spider-Man: Far From Home

16. Thor: Ragnarok

17. Iron Man 2

18. Captain Marvel

19. Black Widow

20. Ant-Man

21. Iron Man 1

22. Iron Man 3

23. Doctor Strange

24. Guardians 1

25. Guardians 2

26. Eternals

27. Thor

28. Hulk

29. Thor 2

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Superman: Secret Identity

This was an amazing day of comic book reading.  I haven’t been this happy in a while.  There were moments I was practically tearing up, the comics were so good.  I love this medium.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow 1-8

Looks like this is my favorite Tom King comic book.  I don’t remember Vision being quite this good, and though I love Human Target so far, it doesn’t have the emotional resonance that Supergirl does.  King imbues this with a genuine earnestness while mixing in enough edge and irreverence to keep it away from over-sentimentality (at least until the last issue).  He does it with some of the most beautiful prose I’ve read this side of Alan Moore, which perfectly matches Bilquis Evely’s stunning art.   

An AMAZING setup for this issue.

So choked up.  How do you say goodbye to your daughter?

There are no timeline shenanigans, no complex mysteries, none of the usual King hijinks.  This is just a series of brilliant, stand-alone stories tied together by the most basic (not in a bad way) of overarching narrative threads.  It’s staying on my shelf, no question about it.  I love this.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pure joy

Superman: Secret Identity 1-4

This has been one of my favorite comics books since it first came out.  It remains so after every reading, including this one.  This is no-doubt magnum opus stuff from Kurt Busiek and Stuart Immonen.  (Along with Astro City ½.)  Not much else for me to say here.  I know what this is.

First flight.

Heh.  A lot more people know about The Queen's Gambit now.

The second issue is a beautiful love story.

So unlike the rest of Immonen's (also awesome) art.

So Americana.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pure joy

Catwoman

Catwoman 1-4

Ed Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke team up to tell a story that…isn’t as good as I remember.  Though to be honest, I didn’t remember anything about this arc except for the fact that Cooke drew it.  

Selina reboots her life, coming off of Selina’s Big Score, along with her costume (which is still in use today).  Holly re-enters Selina’s life.  The plot itself is uninspiring, with a Clayface clone killing prostitutes.  I’m only keeping this for Cooke’s art.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Catwoman 5-7

Brad Rader enters and Cooke leaves, taking with him any incentive I have to stay with this.  Past me agreed, quitting after three more issues.  Selina investigates a drug ring involving corrupt Gotham cops.  Brubaker doesn’t have it here, but it’s good to know that he massively elevates his game for the upcoming Gotham Central.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Fine (Cutting)

Catwoman 17-19

I have no idea what made me come back for these three issues, but I’m so happy that I did.  This is a remarkable arc, dealing with the emotional fallout of Slam Bradley hooking up with Selina.  It’s the classic “he loves her, she’s using him to feel something/anything.”  It’s obviously destined to end with shattered hearts all around, and it’s masterfully done.  This is probably the most relationship-heavy story Brubaker’s done, and it’s a great one.  Javier Pulido does a wonderful job on the art.

That's...depressingly familiar.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good