On The Shelf This Week - 08.13.08
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
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AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #23, $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics
Written by Tom Defalco, Art by Ron Frenz
Spider-Girl, while usually consistently good, has been all the more enjoyable these past few months. The “Brand New May” has proven to be a really compelling story idea, and definitely worth reading. Spider-Girl has always been an intricate story, with a lot going on at once - which really is to Defalco’s credit. To this day Spider-Girl maintains a very old-school Spider-Man feel. The large supporting cast with intertwining plotlines, some cheesy teen angst, some semi-poor art but amazing artistic storytelling… Spider-Girl is a title that is easy to read, easy to enjoy, and the fact that you aren’t burdened with an entire universe of continuity (just enough to make it interesting) is a huge plus. Can’t wait to see where this story ends up.
ASTONISHING X-MEN #26, $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics
Written by Warren Ellis, Art by Simone Bianchi
Brand new creative team started last month on Astonishing X-Men - Ellis and Bianchi took over for the departing Whedon and Cassaday. Marvel does look like it is going to try to maintain this titles “individuality.” One of the biggest selling points of Astonishing throughout its history was its detached nature. Today, with so many major events going on, it will be nice for readers to have a source of good X-Men stories that will not be bogged down by event mass hysteria. So far - results are mixed. Ellis has a very distinct writing style that doesn’t quite garner the same universal appeal that Whedon’s mere name does, so it might be a few months before this team really sticks with readers. If he pulls out a good story in the end, I suspect fan disappointment over Whedon’s departure will be quick to evaporate.
BROTHERS IN ARMS #3, $3.50, Dynamite Entertainment
Written by Mike Neumann, Art by Davide Fabri
A comic based on a video game is usually an easy one to pass up. They typically aren’t very well done, and are just an excuse to get the game’s characters on page in an effort to make a few quick bucks. This comic has gotten almost no attention, probably for that reason, but this might be an occasion where a good book is being overlooked. The few reviews this title has received have been extremely positive, and this series is being compared to some of the great war titles of the past. Plus, it is Dynamite - and they have been putting out some outstanding work of late. This might be a title to give a second look to - it seems clear that at the very least, it is more than your run-of-the-mill video game comic adaptation.
FINAL CRISIS REVELATIONS #1 (OF 5), $3.99, 40 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Greg Rucka; Art by Philip Tan, Jeff De Los Santos and Jonathan Glapion; Covers by Philip Tan
Yeah, this series is going to get some attention because it is a Final Crisis tie-in, but it really is interesting for an entirely different reason. Greg Rucka penning two Gotham Central alums - Crispus Allen and Renee Montoya - that is always worth checking out. Not sure how he is going to work out a Spectre/Question team-up, but there is little doubt he has a decent story in mind. This should be a good read.
SECRET INVASION X-MEN #1 (OF 4), $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics
Written by Mike Carey, Art by Cary Nord and Dave McCaig
The Secret Invasion tie-in minis are in full swing, with a bunch of them coming out about now. Tough to say what to expect from this mini - seems like there will be a lot going on, so it could end up being a bit cluttered. Marvel is promising something HUGE in this series (of course, they say that about everything), and has indicated that every single X-Man will be appearing here. On the surface, that makes it seem like we will have cover-to-cover action, but some story tid-bits from future issues (Nightcrawler being subverted by a Skrull bible… that one had me scratching my head) definitely indicate that there will be a lot more than action in this series. Typically, the tie-ins are better than the event itself, so that may hold true here. Definitely one to pick up if you are an X-men fan who has been waiting for their appearance in this story.
WONDER WOMAN #23, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Gail Simone Cover by Aaron Lopresti; Art by Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan
Overall, this issue really did seem like a hiccup for Simone’s young-but-acclaimed run on Wonder Woman. There was a lot of potential - but with this final issue of the arc arriving this week, it seems apparent that a lot of that won’t really be realized. This could have been a decent story to help Wonder Woman come to grips with her true self… sure, it isn’t exactly the most creative story technique, but it is the way most truly “great” runs on a comic start… tuning up the character before sending them through the ringer.
Still - the previews for the upcoming story do show some promise, and while Ends of the Earth wasn’t as mind blowing as it could have been, there is still an issue to go, and a lot can happen.
SPOTLIGHT PICK OF THE WEEK
X-MEN ORIGINS JEAN GREY, $3.99, Marvel Comics
Written by Sean McKeever, Art by Mike Mayhew
McKeever would have been great during the early X-Men run. His style fits perfectly with that kind of character group - his work on Teen Titans now really shows that. With that in mind, it will be interesting to read his take on Jean Grey’s early career with the X-Men. This Origins story follows Jean’s first outing with the X-Men, starting with her admission to the Xavier Institute. Naturally, we should get to see the entire original X-Men.
Of course, this issue has been sitting in a drawer for a while now, with McKeever’s move to DC Excliusive, so it does make you wonder why Marvel has elected to release it right now. Probably a question we will never get answered, but it is worth thinking about.
With the good work done on X-Men First Class, it wouldn’t be too bad to see more of that original group. Especially if writers like McKeever will be taking them on. Less mutants was almost always better. We probably won’t really get anything new in this issue, but books like this are always about how old information is represented. A good pick for a Jean Grey fan.
DC COMICS
BATMAN #679 $2.99 Now: $2.69
BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #20 $2.99 Now: $2.69
CHECKMATE #29 $2.99 Now: $2.69
CHUCK #3 (OF 6) $2.99 Now: $2.69
FINAL CRISIS REVELATIONS #1 (OF 5) $3.99 Now: $3.49
GREEN ARROW BLACK CANARY #11 $2.99 Now: $2.69
SUPERGIRL BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL TP $17.99 Now: $14.99
TINY TITANS #7 $2.25 Now: $1.99
TRINITY #11 $2.99 Now: $2.59
WONDER WOMAN #23 $2.99 Now: $2.69
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
BROTHERS IN ARMS #3 $3.50 [b]Now: $2.99/b]
IMAGE COMICS
SPAWN #181 $2.95 Now: $2.69
MARVEL COMICS
AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #23 $2.99 Now: $2.69
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #567 $2.99 Now: $2.69
ASTONISHING X-MEN #25 2ND PTG BIANCHI VAR 2.99 Now: $2.69
ASTONISHING X-MEN #26 $2.99 Now: $2.69
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI 13 #4 $2.99 Now: $2.59
FANTASTIC FOUR #559 $2.99 Now: $2.69
GENEXT #4 (OF 5) $3.99 Now: $3.49
HULK CHRONICLES WWH #2 $4.99 Now: $4.39
LAST DEFENDERS #6 (OF 6) $2.99 Now: $2.59
SECRET INVASION #5 (OF 8) $3.99 Now: $3.49
SECRET INVASION RUNAWAYS YOUNG AVENGERS #2 (OF 3) $2.99 Now: $2.69
SECRET INVASION X-MEN #1 (OF 4) $2.99 Now: $2.69
WOLVERINE TP GET MYSTIQUE $10.99 Now: $8.99
X-MEN ORIGINS JEAN GREY $3.99 Now: $3.49
The opinions in this article are the writer’s alone, and no not necessarily reflect the views of X-World Comics or comiXtreme.com.
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August 3, 2008
On The Shelf in October 2008
DARK HORSE COMICS
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Page 26 - Hellboy: In The Chapel of Moloch, $2.99, 32 Pages
By Mike Mignola, Colored by Dave Stewart
We do seem to be getting a lot of Hellboy these days, which is great. Of course, some of this probably has to do with the movie, but the hype surrounding that has died down quite a bit (especially since The Dark Knight was released), and it is unlikely that this issue is going to be a good movie-to-comic transition issue. Mignola is doing the art, which is great - it has been a couple years since he drew an issue of Hellboy, and it is always nice to see him take up that role again.
The movie was entertaining - just like the first, and did a lot for Hellboy’s public profile as a property. If good comics continue to come from that on a regular basis, then you can’t help but call the movie a success.
DC COMICS
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Page 60 - Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns #1, $3.99, 40 Pages
Written by Geoff Johns, Art by Shane Davis and Sandra Hope
While Final Crisis has been lackluster at best, there is another DC event looming on the horizon that has some promise: “Blackest Night.” This issue, while a titular Final Crisis tie-in, might not be so closely linked with that story. Hopefully this is the case - Johns’ Green Lantern Corps saga is fantastic on its own, a Final Crisis link would only weigh the story down.
This issue promises to be a “prelude” to Blackest Night, with the new Red Lanterns warring with the Green Lanterns over Sinestro. I have my reservations about all of Didio’s talk of possible Black Lanterns (all the name-dropping is making me cringe), but we seem to be far from that point yet. No reason not to enjoy a good story just because of oncoming potential disaster. This issue should be worth picking up.
Page 63 - Vixen: Return of the Lion #1 (of 5), $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by G. Willow Wilson, Art by Cafu
This series makes me miss JSA Classified. That format was fantastic, and if JLA Classified had followed it (and were still around), this is exactly the kind of story that would be a perfect fit. Vixen, while known, is certainly not on the A or B list of DC Heroes, and some stories boosting her exposure would have worked well in a JLA secondary title. Can’t really say if the mini is a better approach or not, but either way - if you are a Justice League reader, you shouldn’t forget to add this title to your list. It will give some good background on Vixen, and will hopefully end up being a decent read in the process.
Page 64 - Terror Titans #1 (of 4), $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Sean McKeever, Art by Joe Bennett & Jack Jadson
Still not totally sold on the idea of Ravager going back to the dark side, but McKeever has really hit his stride with his recent Teen Titans stories so perhaps it is a good idea to trust him. Ravager has been a key part of his Teen Titans story, and moving to this mini as a centerpiece, it is clear that he intends to develop her even more. Perhaps someday she would make an excellent foil for the Titans, but it might be too early for that. The best Titan villains have often been former members. Unfortunately, she wasn’t a member quite long enough for that kind of impact. Hopefully this story is a vehicle for her redemption. Either way, it should be a pretty good read.
Page 67 - Batman #681, $3.99, 40 Pages
Written by Grant Morrison, Art by Tony Daniel & Sandu Florea
So is Bruce Wayne really going to die? That is what DC is trying to tease with this story. Fans don’t really seem to be buying it (and there is a marked lack of interest overall in this story), but comments at the San Diego Comicon call this story back into question. Sure, it was played off like a joke, but every mention of a potential dead character being met with an “I need Black Lanterns” response was kind of an ominous thing, especially when you consider how well that kind of tactic has worked in comics before. Is Batman going to be killed, and returned as a Black Lantern? Or is Bruce Waybe just going to be declared completely insane, and unable to function as Batman any longer, as other speculate? Or is this all hype, and everything will return to the status quo once this story concludes? Impossible to say really - but it looks like all of this will be answered in October.
Page 74 - Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen Special #1
Written by James Robinson, Art by Jesus Merino
Now this is a fun idea. As supporting characters go, Jimmy Olsen (for some reason) always makes for an entertaining story. I still remember that issue of Our Worlds At War he and Harley Quinn was featured in - a real show stopper that was. The point is - Olsen, as a character, can be confronted with all kinds of strange and dangerous situations where he is hopelessly outclassed and in dire peril, and still seem interesting. I’d love to see him have his own ongoing again - odds of that are miniscule, but this one-shot will be a nice treat. This issue will tie into the New Krypton Special, so if you are getting that one, don’t forget this issue.
Page 75 - Supergirl #34, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Sterling Gates, Art by Jamal Igle and Keith Champagne
Great news all around for this title. Outside of seeing Igle and Champagne together again (I still miss Firestorm), it is exciting to finally have the prospect of a responsible Supergirl. I don’t mean the character - she is a teenage girl, and “responsibility” isn’t necessarily most teenagers’ strong suits. But since Supergirl was brought back, she has been little more than an underage sexpot with absolutely no redeeming qualities of her own. Coming right after a much more practical Supergirl in Linda Danvers, Kara’s reintroduction was especially troubling. Still haven’t heard a ton about where this team will take Kara, but what we have heard so far is pretty good. Fingers crossed on this one.
Page 106 - Unknown Soldier #1, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Joshua Dysart, Art by Alberto Ponticelli
A new Vertigo series is almost always worth a look, and DC is really pushing Unknown Soldier. Already there were three full preview pages in this month’s Previews - it looked a little confusing, but it doesn’t really seem like the kind of story that can be demonstrated in so few pages. The story is set in Uganda - Dysart spent a month there doing research for the project, so it will be a bit grounded. There is a superhero vibe to it - at least in part. The protagonist suffers from a kind of split personality where the dormant one knows how to effectively kill. Kind of a Rose & Thorn thing. Well, its Vertigo - so it is worth a shot.
IMAGE COMICS
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Page 130 - Spawn #185, $2.95, 32 Pages
Written by Todd McFarlane and Brian Holdgun, Art by Whilce Portacio and Todd McFarlane
Trying to decide if this is a good thing or not. OK - a series creator returning to a book is always a good thing. McFarlane taking over as a writer for this title is surely sending Spawn fans into a giddy fit. But is it a step in the right direction? For a title that seemed to be finally getting back on track in terms of timeliness, is it really the best idea from a business perspective to go back to someone who was, in large part, responsible for the book’s inability to adhere to a shipping schedule?
Keeping the fingers crossed for this one, but consider me skeptical. I am sure in terms of quality, this issue and the subsequent arcs will be everything Spawn fans could hope for. Definitely buy the issue. But one can’t help but believe that it won’t be too long before we are once again talking about 6-12 month delays on this book.
Page 134 - The Walking Dead #56, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Robert Kirkman, Art by Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn
Ah - the great thing about comics. You can declare an anniversary issue on the basis of issue number (25? 50? 100?), or you can go with simple years. We just celebrated the 50th issue of The Walking Dead - why not go with the 5 year anniversary as well! Eh - it seems a bit much, but The Walking Dead deserves all the attention it can get. This issue promises to be a little bit of a retrospective, exploring the history of the characters, and examining what has been lost to each of them. Sounds like a great jumping on point to me.
MARVEL COMICS
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Page M3 - Ender’s Game: The First Series #1 (of 5), $3.99, 32 Pages
Adapted by Christopher Yost, Art by Pasqual Ferry
It is great to see that this adaptation is going to focus on the original Ender’s Game novel alone, and not some weird blending of Ender’s Game and Ender’s Shadow. Don’t get me wrong - the whole Ender’s Shadow series was interesting, but not great. Not in the way that Ender’s Game and Speaker For The Dead are. It was beginning to seem like Ender’s Game in any form (film, comic, etc) would always be blended with Ender’s Shadow. While it does look like Marvel has plans to publish an Ender’s Shadow adaptation at the same time, the fact that they will be making them two separate books means that this adaptation should be relatively pure. Thank goodness. This should be great in comic form.
Page M14 - Ultimate Captain America Annual #1, $3.99, 48 Pages
Written by Jeph Loeb, Art by John Romita, Jr.
Page M15 - Ultimate Hulk Annual #1, $3.99, 48 Pages
Written by Jeph Loeb, Art by Marko Djurdjevic & Ed McGuinness
A pair of Ultimate Annuals this month - focusing on individual Ultimates team members. Not a bad idea leading up to the Ultimatum event - the Ultimate books have rarely focused on just one character (really, Ultimate Spider-Man is the only character that gets a solid solo treatment, not counting the recent Ultimate Iron Man books), and allowing The Hulk and Captain America get a little more face-time might not be such a bad idea. The Captain America issue is going to spend some time exploring the relationship between Ulimates Captain America and Black Panther, while the Hulk book will feature Power Princess in addition to the Hulk. Should be a decent couple issues… and a real test as to whether Ultimatum is going to be entertaining, or a bore like the unfortunate Ultimate Galactus story.
Page M20 - Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1, $3.99, 48 Pages
Written by Marc Guggenheim, Art by Mike McKone
Well, Marvel has definitely been obvious about Jackpot, and who she is supposed to be. Well, despite all that, Marvel is set to reveal all about this “great mystery” in this issue. Of course, the fact that they have been so transparent about her identity means that there is probably something more to this than they have let on, and I am sure the specter of One More Day will once again rear its head. Impossible to say if this issue will help smooth over what happened in One More Day, or make things worse - Amazing Spider-Man has been much better since that event ended, and it might be damaging to call on it too strongly here. Time will tell. Should be worth checking out though, especially if you are following the mostly weekly title.
Page M22 - Amazing Spider-Girl #22, $3.99, 48 Pages
Written by Tom Defalco, Art by Ron Frenz
Wow - it has been a really long time since we heard any Spider-Girl cancellation flap. Too long, in fact… it doesn’t seem right! Of course, it is great that the latest volume of Spider-Girl has made it 25 issues without that threat resurfacing, and even better that the title, overall, has been pretty entertaining. The seeds of Spider-Girl being taken out of her element were just planted recently in the title, and it looks like things will be full blown by the time this issue hits the stands. Many people don’t really like the feel of Spider-Girl, but overall it is a great Spider-book, and sometimes even the best Spider-Man on the market. Through the mainstream Spider-Man’s ups and downs, this title (along with Ultimate Spider-Man) really exemplify what a Spider-Man story should be. Glad to see that this book is still going strong.
Page M28 - Captain America: White #1 (of 6), $3.99, 32 Pages
Written by Jeph Loeb, Art by Tim Sale
This series has been in the news a lot over the past few months, but it looks like it will finally be here come August. The fourth title in Loeb and Sale’s “Colors” series will focus on Captain America and Bucky, deep in World War II. With the overall tone of the previous Colors installments, and the violent nature of WWII that wasn’t really presented accurately when Captain America’s early WWII exploits were first put to paper, this could end up being a very dark read. This duo has done very well with their past collaborations, which makes this title an easy one to try out. Should be pretty good.
Page M68 - Thor: The Truth of History #1, $3.99, 48 Pages
By Alan Davis
Sometimes time travel stories can be fun - with superhero stories, it can be tricky, especially when going into the far past. This, though - should be fine - Norse Gods showing up in ancient Egypt isn’t as out there as it seems - and a good Thor story, especially a one-shot, it always welcome. Plus, Alan Davis is the entire creative team on this one, which is certainly worth notice, especially for fans of his. This one should be a solid Thor tale, definitely pick this one up if you are a fan of the God of Thunder.
Page M81 - Giant-Size X-Men First Class #1, $3.99, 48 Pages
Written by Jeff Parker and Roger Langridge, Art by Michael Cho, Roger Langridge, Nick Kilislian, Dean Haspiel, David Williams, and jeff Parker
Seems like all the really good issues this month are the extra sized ones. This one is no exception! Parker’s X-Men First Class has been an outstanding concept, and it is great to see it still around. A lot of Marvel characters have lost a bit of their original flare over the years, and that is especially true with the X-Men. Seeing a simple story with the original core group, and not having to worry about thousands of other mutant characters popping up and decades of weird stories and conflicting continuity is nice. This is a Halloween themed issue, with Beast looking into a few paranormal mysteries around the world, with the X-men in tow no doubt. Should be a fun issue - simple and enjoyable.
INDEPENDENT COMICS
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Page 344 - The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes #1 (of 3), $3.25, 32 Pages, Viper Comics
Written by Dale Mettam, Art by Erich Owen
Heh - this looks like a bit of fun. Not sure how close to the original movie this comic will be - it is “based” on the film, which could mean a lot of things, but Dixon is present, so I would imagine it will be pretty close. I can’t help but wonder if this is in any way going to relate to the alleged remake that is in the works (though why you would need to remake this movie is beyond me, but I digress).
In any case - this is going to be a hilarious read and well worth tracking down!
Craig’s Top Five Of The Month
#5 - Batman #681, $3.99, 40 Pages, DC Comics - Not sure Bruce is really going to die here, but something major is going to happen one way or another.
#4 - Captain America: White #1 (of 6), $3.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics - The return of Loeb and Sale to Colors will be great news for many.
#3 - Amazing Spider-Girl #25, $3.99, 48 Pages, Marvel Comics - Spider-Girl has really bounced back in recent months, and regained a lot of its old charm. Looking forward to seeing where this Brand New May story goes.
#2 - Supergirl #34, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics - Looks like Supergirl might finally be going in the right direction.
#1 - Ender’s Game: The First Series #1 (of 5), $3.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics - This adaptation is long overdue.
The opinions in this article are the writer’s alone, and no not necessarily reflect the views of X-World Comics or comiXtreme.com.
Post your comments in the Forum!
July 30, 2008
On The Shelf This Week - 07.30.08
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EXTRA, $3.99, Marvel Comics
Written by Zeb Wells, Marc Guggenheim, and Joe Kelly, Art by Chris Bachalo.
This one shot issue features three brand new stories set in Spider-Man’s new reality - presumably to help flesh out some of the nuances of the universe shift that Spider-Man went through in the wake of One More Day. Joe Kelly joins regular Spider-Man writers Guggemheim and Wells for this issue, and it promises the return of Hammerhead, as well as hints about future storylines. A definite must by if you have been following Amazing Spider-Man since it went thrice-monthly.
CATWOMAN #81, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Will Pfeifer; Art by David Lopez and Alvaro Lopez; Cover by Adam Hughes
It really is a shame to see this one go. Pfeifer has done an admirable job taking on a title that has been extremely solid since it was relaunched (especially Brubaker’s outstanding run), but DC has seen fit to put it out to pasture. Of course, it had a tough time starting with the One Year Later shift, but even though that, Pfeifer delivered an excellent story. Sadly, it didn’t seem like fans were taking to the storyline as DC had hoped, and this title finally has been ended. Catwoman has been one of the few titles with a female lead that has maintained much consistent success (Birds of Prey and Wonder Woman are both outstanding, but two titles compared to a wealth of books featuring male leads is certainly unequal), which makes its loss even more painful. Naturally, this isn’t to say that DC should follow an “affirmative action” approach to publishing, but Catwoman is a strong character and her title has been consistently good - how DC couldn’t keep this one afloat is a real mystery.
It might seem too late to check this book out, but pick up this issue, and write DC and tell them what you think. If enough people show support for this book, perhaps it will make a return. It worked for Manhunter, after all…
JOKERS ASYLUM TWO FACE #1, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics
Written by David Hine; Art and cover by Andy Clarke
So far, the Joker’s Asylum stories haven’t been very well received. This could be an exception, however. One of the perks of a series like this is the rotating creative team, and David Hine is usually the kind of writer that can be counted on to tell a good story. He occasionally gets a little too political, but with a one-shot story, there won’t be much time for that kind of shortcoming. You might be ready to give up on Joker’s Asylum, but if any issue is going to buck the trend, it is this one.
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT UNCANNY X-MEN 500 ISSUES, $2.99, Marvel Comics
Written by John Rhett Thomas
Marvel Spotlight is one of those titles that can be a mixed bag. Sometimes they focus on a subject that is blatant marketing, attempting to generate hype around a project in order to increase sales (basically, a $3 ad), but sometimes they focus on something that deserves the attention. 500 issues of Uncanny X-Men is definitely the latter. As mentioned last week, Uncanny X-Men is the first title Marvel has taken all the way to #500 without any numbering tricks, relaunches that were later taken back, or any other monkey business to get to the big magic number. A retrospective of the title’s history is most definitely in order.
NEWUNIVERSAL 1959 #1, $3.99, Marvel Comics
Written by Kieron Gillen, Art by Gregg Scott & Val Staples
The first “season” of newuniversal was kind of an unappreciated title. The story was solid, but the title itself got some needless criticism for the art style, in which the look of several characters was not-so-subtly based on existing Hollywood stars. Perhaps that was a bad choice in terms of artistic direction, especially with the Heroes television series just kicking off, and the similarities between the two stories drew some negative comparisons. Still, it sold well, and got some good reviews, and the second mini got started a couple months ago. This will be the first of two one-shots that will be published before issue #3 of Shockfront comes out in September. If you still haven’t tried the series, this might be a good issue to check out. It is stand alone, and though it is produced by a different creative team, Kieron Gillen was supposedly “handpicked” by Warren Ellis, and you can imagine that Ellis had a lot of input on the direction of this issue.
TRUE BELIEVERS #1 (OF 5), $2.99, Marvel Comics
Written by Cary Bates, Art by Paul Gulacy and Rainer Beredo
Tough to know what to expect from this series. It calls itself a “Female Fight Club,” where a group of superpowered women who seek subversion via transmitted messages across the internet. Is this an example of “edgy sex appeal,” or is there something more to this? Would have to read and see, of course. If this series is meant to tie into current continuity, this group is supposed to be generally heroic, seemingly, but opposed to the status quo. Might be one to check out if you are interested in something a little different, and the idea appeals to you.
SPOTLIGHT PICK OF THE WEEK
X-MEN ODD MEN OUT, $3.99, Marvel Comics
Written by Roger Stern and Michael Higgens, Art by Dave Cockrum
If you are a fan of the X-Men, particularly of the legendary Dave Cockrum, this is a must-buy issue. Cockrum of course, passed away a couple years ago, and is remembered as one of the creators of the X-Men relaunch in the 1970’s. Though his work on the X-Men was relatively brief, he is credited as the co-creator of mainstay X-Men like Storm, Colossus, and Nightcrawler. With the arrival of the milestone 500th issue of Uncanny X-Men, it is fitting to take a look back at his work. This issue contains a pair of unpublished stories drawn by Cockrum, one a Professor X story, and the other telling a story of the New Mutants confronting the Mad Thinker. This issue is a definite must for X-Men devotees.
DC COMICS
CATWOMAN #81 $2.99 Now: $2.70
GREEN LANTERN #33 $2.99 Now: $2.69
HUNTRESS YEAR ONE #6 (OF 6) $2.99 Now: $2.69
JOKERS ASYLUM TWO FACE #1 $2.99 Now: $2.69
NEW DYNAMIX #5 (OF 5) $2.99 Now: $2.59
SUPERMAN BATMAN #50 $3.99 Now: $3.49
TEEN TITANS #61 $2.99 Now: $2.69
TRINITY #9 $2.99 Now: $2.69
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
NEW BATTLESTAR GALACTICA SEASON ZERO #11 $2.99 Now: $2.69
PROJECT SUPERPOWERS #5 (OF 7) $2.99 Now: $2.69
IMAGE COMICS
PILOT SEASON THE CORE #1 $3.99 Now: $3.49
MARVEL COMICS
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EXTRA $3.99 Now: $3.49
HULK #4 2ND PTG MCGUINNESS WRAPAROUND VAR $2.99 Now: $2.69
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT UNCANNY X-MEN 500 ISSUES $2.99 Now: $2.59
NEWUNIVERSAL 1959 #1 $3.99 Now: $3.49
SECRET INVASION WHO DO YOU TRUST 2ND PTG JIMENEZ VAR $3.99 Now: $3.49
SPIDER-MAN WITH GREAT POWER #5 (OF 5) $3.99 Now: $3.49
THOR #10 $2.99 Now: $2.69
TRUE BELIEVERS #1 (OF 5) $2.99 Now: $2.79
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #124 $2.99 Now: $2.69
WOLVERINE #67 $2.99 Now: $2.69
WOLVERINE ORIGINS #27 $2.99 Now: $2.69
X-MEN FIRST CLASS VOL 2 #14 $2.99 Now: $2.69
X-MEN ODD MEN OUT $3.99 Now: $2.69
Flash: Rebirth
One of the biggest announcement coming out of the San Diego Comicon was the upcoming Flash: Rebirth series. This event, by the same creators behind the acclaimed Green Lantern: Rebirth series, will bring back another icon from the DCU’s past, Barry Allen. Unlike the Green Lantern event, however, this one could backfire in a major way. There is little doubt that the story will be great. Johns and Van Sciver are accomplished creators, and their work of late has been stellar. But to bring back Barry… that is something that isn’t going to be well received. Hal Jordan’s death was never something that was totally permanent. He has been ever-present in the DCU in his role as the Spectre’s host (something fans never really took to), and his return could be celebrated, because those fans who had taken to Kyle Jordan wouldn’t necessarily lose their favorite Green Lantern. And while there are multiple Flashes running around, Wally West cemented himself as THE Flash of the modern era. Even as beloved a character as Bart was, fans didn’t take well to his assuming the mantle, and Wally was quickly returned as a means of damage control. Wally was a character heavily developed prior to Barry’s death, and his assumption of the Flash mantle in the wake of Barry’s incredibly noble sacrifice was a pivotal moment in the history of the DCU. Wally was arguably the first sidekick to take on the mantle of his mentor with such success - over the past couple of decades, Wally was no longer an impostor. He was the Flash, and Barry was a memory. A fond memory, but a memory all the same. Returning Barry to the DCU not only diminishes Wally’s important rise, but it also cheapens Barry’s sacrifice.
Johns has an incredible uphill battle ahead of him. Hopefully he is up to the challenge.
NOTE: Opinions here may not reflect those of X-World Comics LLC or its staff and are solely the opinions of the writer.
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July 22, 2008
On The Shelf This Week - 07.23.08
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
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AMBUSH BUG YEAR NONE #1 (OF 6), $2.99, 32 Pages. DC Comics
Written by Keith Giffen and Robert Loren Fleming; Art by Giffen and Al Milgrom; Cover by J.H. Williams III; Variant Cover by Giffen
Giffen is back again with his Amush Bug creation - this will be a great pick-up for anyone looking for a light-hearted read. There is a lot to spoof in comics these days, and with so much revolving around heavy themes and overhyped major event crossovers, sometimes it is nice to have something you can just laugh at. This series is the right medicine for that.
There have been some recent appearances of Ambush Bug, either as a brief cameo or mention, but he hasn’t had a real solid appearance since 52. A good sure bet this week.
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #15, $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics
Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage, Art by Harvey Tolibao and Daniele Rudoni
It isn’t an exaggeration to say that this is one of Marvel’s “Must Read” titles. The Slott/Gage combination has proven to be a winner, and as “Avengers” titles go, this one is consistently well written and entertaining. Even if that is contrary to logic - the whole genesis of this title was an event tie-in, and it continues to be neck-deep in event plotlines (Secret Invasion, this time), Gage and Slott have managed to make the events integral parts of the title’s ongoing story, instead of a distraction. A definite safe bet this week.
IMMORTAL IRON FIST #17, $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics
Written by Duane Swierczynski, Art by Travel Foreman and Matt Milla
Creative team changes sometimes are heralded with great fanfare, but sometimes they are greeted with a collective gasp and cringe from the readers. Sadly, this might be one of the latter. Brubaker, Fraction, and Aja quietly made this book one of Marvel’s best, and their departure in favor of Cable’s Swierczynski definitely earned the ire of some long-time readers. This probably does signal that the title will be drawing a little bit closer to the overall universe, which is great for readers who dig the interconnected universe, but it probably means the end of the deep story and breathtaking art that we have come to expect from this book. Still - it could end up being a decent action read - so all hope isn’t lost for this book.¬
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #23, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Dwayne McDuffie; Art and cover by Ed Benes
So far this arc is off to a pretty good start, which is a good sign. It is kind of hard to believe that this title is almost two years old. Not really in a good way - for all the fanfare surrounding this title’s relaunch, it has been horribly overrated and frankly outshined by Justice Society of America through most of its run. Not that this is necessarily the fault of the creative team - DC has been mired in Events or Event Gear-Up though this title’s entire history. Still, this story pretty well stands on its own, which almost goes to show that we generally do get better stories out of a title when they are more inward focused. Some readers of late may have been vacillating about this title - hate to prolong what might be the inevitable, but this might not be the arc to finally decide to drop it. It might even be a good issue to give this book a try. Hopefully this is the beginning of a permanent improvement for Justice League of America.
LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #44, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Jim Shooter; Art and cover by Francis Manapul and Livesay; Variant Cover by Neal Adams
Shooter’s return to the Legion of Superheroes has thus-far been a success. This isn’t totally a surprise, but whenever someone returns to a title after thirty-some years, it is a little scary. But he did hit the ground running, and has so far managed to bring back his own feel for the book, without discounting what has happened to these characters in the passing decades.
Legion, for a long time, has been a love or hate title. Mark Waid did an excellent job writing the book, but his style on this title was a real turn-off to a lot of readers which made it difficult for the book to get a more universal appeal. Bedard’s short stint was decent, but it was really just filler for Shooter’s return. Shooter’s arrival has ended up signifying the end of that “love or hate” period, opening the title up to more universal acceptance. Or at the very least “love or kinda like” instead of “love or hate.”
SPOTLIGHT PICK OF THE WEEK
UNCANNY X-MEN #500, $3.99, Marvel Comics
Written by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction, Art by Greg Land, Terry Dodson, and Justin Ponsor
500 issues of Uncanny X-Men - man, 500 issues. This is a big one for Marvel - Uncanny, if I am not mistaken, is the only Marvel title to have actually lasted 500 issues without renumbering, volume merging, or any other later-reversed #1 relaunches. An achievement to say the least.
As often happens around the time of a major milestone issue, the X-Men have had a bit of a status quo shift with their move to the West Coast. This issue promises to “begin” the new era for the X-Men, so you can bet that it will be extremely new reader friendly, and probably action packed. Should be some tributes to history as well, with Sentinels, Magneto, and Master Mold promised to appear. Brubaker and Fraction are an absolutely outstanding team - this looks like it could be a solid start to a strong run of issues. About time the X-Men was good for a change…
DC COMICS
AMBUSH BUG YEAR NONE #1 (OF 6) $2.99 Now: $2.69
BATMAN #676 RIP 3RD PTG $2.99 Now: $2.69
BATMAN GOTHAM AFTER MIDNITE #3 (OF 12) $2.99 Now: $2.69
BRAVE AND THE BOLD #15 $2.99 Now: $2.69
DMZ #33 $2.99 Now: $2.59
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #23 $2.99 Now: $2.69
LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #44 $2.99 Now: $2.69
TRINITY #8 $2.99 Now: $2.69
TWO FACE YEAR ONE #1 (OF 2) $5.99 Now: $4.99
MARVEL COMICS
ANGEL REVELATIONS #3 (OF 5) $3.99 Now: $3.49
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #15 $2.99 Now: $2.69
DAREDEVIL #109 $2.99 Now: $2.59
IMMORTAL IRON FIST #17 $2.99 Now: $2.69
IMMORTAL IRON FIST #17 AJA VAR $9.99
IMMORTAL IRON FIST #17 DRAGON LOGO VAR $18.99
MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPER HEROES #1 $2.99 Now: $2.69
NEW AVENGERS #43 $2.99 Now: $2.69
SHE-HULK #31 $2.99 Now: $2.59
ULTIMATE X-MEN #96 $2.99 Now: $2.69
UNCANNY X-MEN #500 $3.99 Now: $3.59
WOLVERINE FIRST CLASS #5 $2.99 Now: $2.69
X-MEN LEGACY #214 $2.99 Now: $2.69
Ender’s Game Mini
In the recently announced Marvel Solicits for October was the announcement of a comic adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game series. This should be fantastic. The Dabel version of Wyrms was solid, but since Ender’s Game is Card’s most famous title, this adaptation is going to be much, much bigger news. I am also glad to see it is Ender’s Game solo - and not a melt of that and Ender’s Shadow. The latter title (and series) were interesting, but this sort of thing will be much better with Ender’s Game all on its own. Glad to see they are finally doing this.
Kirkman Named Image Partner
All I can say is, what took them so long? Invincible and the Walking Dead have come to represent Image every bit as much as Spawn and Savage Dragon. It may have been the first time this has ever happened since Image was founded, but then again, we haven’t seen a character like Invincible come around since the label was founded. This most certainly dashes any hope of seeing Invincible ever migrate to Marvel, but it is great news for Kirkman. Hopefully it leads to some real positive change at Image.
NOTE: Opinions here may not reflect those of X-World Comics LLC or its staff and are solely the opinions of the writer.
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July 16, 2008
On The Shelf This Week - 07.16.08
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
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FINAL CRISIS ROGUES REVENGE #1 (OF 3), $3.99, DC Comics, 40 Pages
Written by Geoff Johns; Art and covers by Scott Kolins
OK, so Final Crisis isn’t what it was cracked up to be. Few really thought it would - but if we have learned anything over the past could years of Major Event Mania, it’s that there are often little gems to be found in the tie-ins to the major events. This might be one of them.
It is hard to forget Geoff Johns’ outstanding run on the Flash - he is still missed on that book, in fact. That is a perfect reason to give him a chance here - he has proven he can write a fantastic Flash story, especially when it involves the Rogues. Of course, DC is promoting that horrible “It is a Crisis, so a Flash has to die” thing again, which could be a bad tiding for this story, but we can hope that DC has learned from its mistake last time here. Johns is the best Flash writer in recent memory - this series should be a safe bet.
FOOLKILLER WHITE ANGELS #1 (OF 5), $3.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics (MAX)
Written by Gregg Hurwitz, Art by Paul Azaceta
The last Foolkiller series was semi-decent. Not quite as thought provoking as Gerber’s original (this one seemed more Punisher), but if you like gory, violent comics, you probably enjoyed the last one. It didn’t win any stellar reviews, but sales must have been good enough to warrant a second run.
Of course, speaking of Punisher, this series is heavily hinting that Frank will be making an appearance in this story, crossing paths with Foolkiller as he hunts down a White Supremacist gang. Hopefully Hurwitz takes this opportunity to contrast some of the differences between the two characters, to put to rest the notion that the Foolkiller is little more than a Punisher clone.
HELLBLAZER #246, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Jason Aaron; Art by Sean Murphy; Cover by Lee Bermejo
It might have been a bit of a downer to get a fill-in arc so early into Diggle’s run, but this one hasn’t turned out too bad so far. Of course, Jason Aaron’s name just kinda popped on the map - he has a creator-owned title (Scalped) being put out by Vertigo that is getting good reviews, and he just signed an exclusive with Marvel, and is already drawing Eisner nominations. Some decent credentials to say the least. Looks like this is one fill-in worth checking out.
For those who are still pining for Diggle’s return - you will get than next month. Just a little longer!
MIGHTY AVENGERS #16, $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Khoi Pham and Jason Keith
Well, it probably isn’t as important of a mystery as Marvel would like you to believe, but in terms of retcon, it will be interesting to see how far back Marvel is going to introduce this Elektra-Skrull thing. Was she a Skrull back during that horrible Enemy of the State Wolverine story? Even farther? This issue is supposed to answer that question, and tell us exactly when Elektra was replaced. Probably not enough of a resolution to attract new readers, but if you are really into the Secret Invasion story, this is an issue you can’t miss.
SKY DOLL #3 (OF 3), $5.99, Marvel Comics
Written by Barbara Canepa, Alessandro Barbucci, and C.B. Cebulski, Art by Alessandro Barbucci and Barbara Canepa
The worst part of this? This is the last Sky-Doll for a while. Issue #4 hasn’t even been released in Europe yet! You would think that Soliel was Image Comics or something - they have been working on issue #4 since before Sky-Doll was originally released in America 2 years ago in Heavy Metal Magazine. Frustrating - this is a great story with a lot of complexity and flat-out beautiful art. Should Marvel have waited to release this one? Maybe - but then, 
considering how long it has been since #3 was first released in Europe.
Hopefully Canepa steps up the pace on production, so we can see the rest of this story before it fades away into distant memory.
SPOTLIGHT PICK OF THE WEEK
UNIVERSAL WAR ONE #1 (OF 3), $5.99, Marvel Comics
Written by Denis Bajram and Paul Benjamin, Art by Denis Bajram
Well, Sky-Doll has been outstanding - makes spending the money on this new Soliel release that much easier. This series looks like it will have more of a hard sci-fi angle than the cultural sci-fi we see in Sky Doll, retelling a civil war between the outer and inner planets of the Solar System. Hm, sounds a little like Firefly. Unlike Firefly, in this series, a strange wall has divided the warring planets, and this series follows a crew who has been sent to investigate the mysterious phenomenon. Sounds interesting - a good sci-fi premise. This story has received its share of acclaim overseas, so it must be something worth checking out. Could be a good read.
DC COMICS
BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #9 $2.99 Now: $2.69
CHECKMATE #28 $2.99 Now: $2.59
COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS TP VOL 02 $19.99 Now: $15.99
FINAL CRISIS ROGUES REVENGE #1 (OF 3) $3.99 Now: $3.49
FLASH #242 $2.99 Now: $2.69
HELLBLAZER #246 $2.99 Now: $2.59
WORLD OF WARCRAFT #9 $2.99 Now: $2.69
DEVIL’S DUE COMICS
FORGOTTEN REALMS THE LEGACY #3 (OF 3) $5.50 Now: $4.99
WORLDS OF DUNGEONS & DRAGONS TP VOL 01 $18.99 Now: $15.99
MARVEL COMICS
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #566 $2.99 Now: $2.69
FOOLKILLER WHITE ANGELS #1 (OF 5) $3.99 Now: $3.49
IRON MAN DIRECTOR OF SHIELD #31 $2.99 Now: $2.69
MARVEL ILLUSTRATED ILIAD #8 (OF 8) $2.99 Now: $2.59
MIGHTY AVENGERS #16 $2.99 Now: $2.69
SKAAR SON OF HULK #1 2ND PTG $2.99 Now: $2.59
SKY DOLL #3 (OF 3) $5.99 Now: $4.99
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #56 $2.99 Now: $2.69
ULTIMATE X-MEN TP VOL 18 APOCALYPSE $13.99 Now: $11.99
UNIVERSAL WAR ONE #1 (OF 3) $5.99 Now: $5.39
WAR IS HELL FIRST FLIGHT PHANTOM EAGLE MAX #5 (OF 5) $3.99 Now: $3.49
X-FACTOR #33 $2.99 Now: $2.69
FAVREAU UP FOR ANOTHER
The Iron Man film to me has been the shock of the summer - perhaps it was my low expectations, but of the comic films that have been released thus-far, it has been the most enjoyable. We will see how that holds up once I see Hellboy (and Batman is released), but it is a great start.
That makes this news all the better - Jon Favreau has officially signed to direct the sequel. It might seem like that was going to happen regardless, but after Marvel released a tentative date for the sequel hitting theaters without even contacting Favreau to secure his services (and later accusations of Marvel dodging and a lowball contract offer: all rumors), there was some fear that studio-director conflict might put an end to that partnership and place the film in the hands of a new director. Comic movie-goers certainly can think of a few examples of the worst that can happen with a popular franchise gets a new director.
But it is all happy and good - Favreau is on for the sequel, and we will likely see it in 2010, if not the next year if things don’t go smoothly!
NOTE: Opinions here may not reflect those of X-World Comics LLC or its staff and are solely the opinions of the writer.
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