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Rusty’s Comic of the Week: Saga #1
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I am really late on this post because my weekend was crazy. Awesomely crazy. I spent all day Saturday at my annual strat draft, followed by a successful night playing poker. Sunday I featured at Dusty Owl.
So I didn’t get my comics until Sunday and then last night I had a VERSeFest meeting and I have been swamped.
Here they are, in order from best to… least best. 
SAGA #1 (Brian K. Vaughan / Fiona Staples) Image
I am ON the Saga fan train! I have drunk the kool-aid and it was GOOD! Everything about this comic was great! Great story, great art, great value. Both main characters are interesting. The support characters are interesting. EVERY character felt like they WERE someone, not just scene filler.
I read one review that said the breast feeding was gratuitous and that it was somehow sexist to make the female so strong.
Needless to say, I do not give that review any credence whatsoever. Both complaints are absolute rubbish.
I know this is sold out everywhere, but if you didn’t get it, buy the reprint. Trust me. Soon we will be say that Y, the Last Man is that old comic by the guy from Saga.
THE UNWRITTEN #35 (Carey / Gross / Perker) Vertigo
Remember how I said that Saga was such a great value? Unwritten was $2 more than Saga, for no more comic. It was really good though! This is what everything has been building up to! But it isn’t over. I am REALLY looking forward to the fall out from this one.
I am a big Fables fan, but I have to admit that the Unwritten has become the best Vertigo book. It is consistently good.
SAUCER COUNTRY #1 (Paul Cornell / Ryan Kelly) Vertigo
This week is just amazing! Not only did we get the first issue of Saga, but the latest Vertigo offering is Saucer Country. Now this book is not quite as strong as Saga, but that isn’t taking anything away from it. The only character I didn’t like is that republican strategist. I know here are people like that but being willing to listen to someone who says those things without immediately throwing them out on their ear does not say much for the main character. It was kind of disgusting.
THIEF OF THIEVES #2 (Kirkman / Spencer / Martinbrough / Serrano) Image
Ruthanne doesn’t like this comic. We don’t always agree.
This is just a good week for characters as I go back to that well again. Even with only small glimpses into their lives, these all seem like REAL, fully formed people. The art wasn’t quite as good as issue #1, but I really like the DESIGN of the book, so the artist gets some credit there. The layouts are interesting and evocotive. Where he falls is the simple skills, like faces. They aren’t terrible or anything but the craft doesn’t seem to keep up with the art, if you know what I am saying.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #9 (Brubaker / Davis / Farmer / Martin) Marvel
Another solid issue by Bru and Davis. This reads like a Gruenwald issue, and that is high praise. The inclusion of villains like Machinesmith and the Serpent Squad sure helps that comparison. Is Crossbones going to show up next?
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #1 (Bendis / Bagley / Miki / Mounts) Marvel
Just like Cap and Avengers Academy, I get a real retro vibe out of this. Good old fashion superhero fun! I like lots of other stuff (see above) but this is the kind of book that turned me into a comic fan in the first place, lo so many moons ago. (I have been buying comics for…28 years.)
AVENGERS #24 (Bendis / Acuna) Marvel
Did people who weren’t long time Avengers fans like this book as much as I did? Beating Osborne would seem a little anti-climactic if it weren’t for the history that goes with it. “He has the super-adaptoid powers? No problem. We know how to beat that.”
As always, the Acuna art is excellent. The only thing I didn’t like about this was stuff that isn’t even in this… the news that Thunderbolts is morphing into Dark Avengers with some of the lame versions of characters from this book. Some are okay, but anything that has the Thor clone drops five notches in my estimation.
BATWOMAN #7 (J.H. Williams III / W.Haden Blackman / Amy Reeder) DC
Sigh. I have heard why this book does not showcase the amazing Amy Reeder that was so great on Madame Xanadu. Apparently the powers that be are trying to make her draw like Williams, which just makes her not fully realize the work on her own. Too bad. She is off the book now (sounds like it was a pretty awful experience and her leaving was very mutual). All I know about her replacement is the rumour that the got a Williams wannabe to be his fill in.
Is it too much to hope that they get a better writer and put Williams back doing the amazing art he excels at?
FANTASTIC FOUR #604 (Hickman / Epting / Magyar / Mounts) Marvel
Well that was.. something. The story is over, I guess. The Galactus thing was cool but a big seeming sacrificial scene where nothing was sacrificed? Using a character that we have no investment in anyway?
I am done. Book dropped.
BATGIRL #7 (Gail Simone / Ardian Syaf / Vicent Cifuentes) DC
So, if I am dropping Fantastic Four, why I am I keeping Batgirl when I have it rated lower? Mostly because I want to support them publishing female characters (of a different sort than Catwoman). I have also been a fan of Gail Simone and I hope she can turn it around… but this was the worst issue of the run. The characterization of Batgirl and Black Canary was really… off. (That slap was just stupid.)
Simone has received praise for keeping Killing Joke at the forefront of the comic. Personally, every time I see a mention of it, I am reminded of how much I dislike the sloppy, mishandled reasoning behind Babs walking again. Moreover, I am reminded of how much better a character she was as Oracle and what a terrible mistake they made by switching her back. When the announcement was made, I had faith in Gail Sim one. That faith is gone.
Tags: Avengers, Avengers Assemble, Batgirl, Batwoman, Captain America, Fantastic Four, Saga, Saucer Country, The Unwritten, Thief of Thieves
DC Solicits for June… and some stats.
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The June solicits are out for DC… and they include three Before Watchmen books.
I’m buying them.
(pleasedontsuckpleasedontsuckpleasedontsuck)
I just went through and checked out my ‘Rusty’s Comic of the Week’ columns and statted them up.
In 18 weeks there have been 11 different comics that got the Comic of the Week ‘award’. There have been 3 3-time winners and 1 two-time winner.
3-Times
AVENGERS, FABLES, UNWRITTEN
2-times
BATWOMAN
1-time
FAIREST, RASL, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, MOON KNIGHT, SECRET AVENGERS, SWAMP THING, ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN
Marvel Infinite
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So the end of comics has begun.
Rusty’s Comic of the Week: Fairest #1
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What a great week for comics! It was a little big… enough that it was supposed to be a ‘cancellation’ week… but there is nothing deserving of cancellation! (Yet… see below.)
FAIREST #1 (Bill Willingham / Phil Jimenez / Andy Lanning) Vertigo
Right from the amazing Adam Hughes cover, this book was a treat. This is Fables back before it got bogged down in overarching plot. Fables is still good, but this book is better! Willingham has totally mastery of these characters, not that it is a surprise at this point. Phil Jimenez is at his best… evoking a little Neal Adams in much the way he used to evoke a little George Perez. It is a little odd that a book that is meant to represent the female Fables characters has a first issue where the star is clearly Ali Baba, but that just seems to be set-up for a certain Slumbering Siren…
Buy this book. You won’t be disappointed.
THE DEFENDERS #4 (Fraction / Lark / Gaudiano / Hollingsworth) Marvel
A book that was hovering near the bottom of my list has rocketed way up! Matt Fraction took what I thought of as a weakness (Dr. Strange’s casual playboy attitudes) and turned it into a strength by giving us a peek behind it. Did you imagine that Molly from issue #1 would be back? I sure didn’t… and neither did Strange, likely.
I am a fan of the Dodsons but Michael Lark’s fill-in was perfect for THIS story, where the super-heroic postures of the Dodsons may not have worked as well.
ANIMAL MAN #7 (Jeff Lemire / Steve Pugh / Travel Foreman / Jeff Huet) DC
As I have said before, I find Foreman’s work on Animal Man to be a little TOO effective, so I like the switch to Pugh, but that isn’t totally why the book is this high on the list. It is the writing. The scenes with Buddy and Cliff are excellent. Cliff is the often overlooked member of the Baker family, and Lemire knows it and is using it. Other touches, like the cat-shaped avatar of the red making its food preferences known. I am not so sure about the dream (?) sequence with ‘Animal Woman’, but I AM sure that everything is about to hit the fan.
SWAMP THING #7 (Scott Snyder / Yanick Paquette) DC
Beautiful cover. Beautiful art. Normally I have Swamp Thing ahead of Animal Man, but they are so tightly connected that it almost doesn’t matter.
This is it folks… this is where the book REALLY starts.
AVENGERS: CHILDREN’S CRUSADE (Heinberg / Cheung / Morales / Ponsor) Marvel
SPOILERS!
SPOILERS!
SPOILERS!
Still here?
Wow. I was SURE that when they brought Scott Lang back that he would be dead again before the series was over. Well, a Lang is dead, but it is Cassie. That truly surprised me. Killing Vision didn’t, because the new one is back. No more Patriot… Iron Lad on his way to being a villain (separate from Kang, I think). So now there aren’t two Visions, but there are still two Hawkeyes and now there are two Ant-Mans (Ant-Men?) as well.
Hmmm.
This book was hurt by the bi-monthly pace but the characterization is strong and the art is excellent.
Oh…are they engaged? For real? Well done. (as was the kiss.)
AVENGERS ACADEMY #27 (Gage / Moline / Fern / Sotomayor) Marvel
I love the Runaways and Gage did I good job capturing them. The art didn’t, but you can’t have everything. I hope that Tom Grummett is just taking an issue off. His addition to the book was a bog step up, I hope it wasn’t temporary.
The conversation between Pym and Tigra was terrible. I don’t mean the content, but the actual delivered lines only existed to make a damning sound bite. People don’t talk like that.
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #8 (Bendis / Pichelli / Ponsor) Marvel
Still a great comic, but the focus this time was a little more on plot than characterization. Other than the fact that Miles is bothered by his Uncle’s revelation, there wasn’t much there for him. Scorpion coming to the U.S. was interesting. (Who does he look like on the cover? The Rock maybe?)
iZOMBIE #23 (Chris Roberson / Michael Allred) Vertigo
I really like this book. The risk, though, when there are so many disparate plots, is that it starts to feel ‘crowded and chaotic. This is the same problem Hickman has a lot. Still well worth a read, even if just for the Allred art.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (Slott / Yost / Camuncoli / Janson / D’Armata) Marvel
Good read. It is funny that a plot hole became a plot point, as Peter’s plan was ridiculous. Also, why didn’t Johnny bring one of those special ‘FF-space suits’ that lets him be the Torch without using up the oxygen (or lack thereof). By not having it, it made him pretty useless.
WINTER SOLDIER #3 (Brubaker / Guice / Gaudiano / Breitweiser) Marvel
Only this low because the week was so good. The Doombot stuff is nice. The story was a little jumpy, but it still works. I love how this reads like a spy thriller. Everytime Guice draws Black Widow it feels like this book is thirty years older than it is. That’s a good thing.
NIGHT FORCE #1 (Marv Wolfman / Tom Mandrake) DC
I only just this moment noticed that the cover says this is a miniseries. I loved the premise of the old Night Force from … what, the late 70′s? Early 80′s? This book is all set-up, though. Super jumpy and more hints at plot rather than actual plot.
I was really looking forward to this and I hope it gets better.
Rusty’s Comic of the Week: AVENGERS #23
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I am a little late on this because I have been SUPREMELY busy as one of the organizers of VERSeFest in Ottawa. That is a poetry festival that encompasses both ‘page’ and ‘stage’. Just last night I hosted etc. OpenSecret, Mighty Mike McGee, Taqralik Partridge… and Ursula Rucker.
URSULA RUCKER
I am still buzzing.
AVENGERS #23 (Bendis / Acuna) Marvel
This book is SO much better when Acuna is on it. This book had the Avengers a little less chumplike. The scene with the president talking to Madame Hydra with Cap in chains was great (especially after my distaste for the way it LOOKED like it was going last issue). Stark’s cockiness even when a prisoner was spot on. All in all, a great read and I am looking forward to next issue!
NEW AVENGERS #22 (Bendis / Deodato / Conrad / Beredo) Marvel
Another nice uptick in the book. Luke Cage was great (though while his characterization is really good – he isn’t much of a leader in those situations). The Victoria Hand stuff was solid (though predictable). The end, though… the end was sweet! I didn’t see that coming (but then I never read the books he has appeared in before).
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #680 (Slott / Yost / Camuncoli / Janson / D’Armata) Marvel
Spidey – in – space! The only thing, and I mean the ONLY thing, that I didn’t like in this issue was Spidey saying that Human Torch had changed and then having him act as if nothing had changed. It was a ‘show me, don’t tell me’ moment… and they just told.
This is obviously a ramp up to that big Spidey story coming down the pipe.
MOON KNIGHT #10 (Bendis / Maleev / Hollingsworth) Marvel
I honestly expected to open this book and see Echo alive. Not to say they might not still do that, but not yet. Now add Buck to the endangered list. Did Bendis create a supporting cast only to eliminate them before the book wraps up in two months?
THE TWELVE #10 (J.Michael Straczynski / Chris Weston) Marvel
I look forward to reading this complete. I honestly can’t remember if the reveal here is out of left field or if there were hints.
How often do you see full frontal male nudity in comics? Especially in a MARVEL comic!
THE UNWRITTEN #34.5 (Carey / Gross / Erskine) Vertigo
I find the Unwritten .5 issues to be hit or miss. This one was mostly a miss. Still worth reading but not something to jump to the top of the pile.
THE ULTIMATES #7 (Hickman / Ribic / White) Marvel
I think Hickman is trying to make this book very dense. He did the same thing with Fantastic Four before clearing the decks and clarifying the goings on. I expect that will happen here. Eventually.
FF #15 (Hickman / Dragotta / Sotomayor) Marvel
Well… the art is better. Lots better. Two Hickman books on the bottom of the pile. That isn’t good, but this book reads okay. The big Power Pack cover makes no sense. Sure they are there, but they are not very important (character-wise) and there is no explanation why Julie is not in California.
It just reminds how much better Avengers Academy is then this book. I’m not dropping it, but the ice is not very thick.
Tags: Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, FF, Moon Knight, New Avengers, The Twelve, The Unwritten, Ultimates
Rusty’s Comic of the Week: RASL #13
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A good comic week and a good saturday in general.
RASL #13 (Jeff Smith) Cartoon Books
I don’t buy much in the way of indy books. Heck, it was only recently that I added Image to my consideration list. (I still thought of Image as Spawn and Youngblood. Ick.) Many years ago I went to San Diego Comic Con. I was hanging out with a retailer from Calgary, Mike Moynihan, and through him I met Mike and Laura Allred (of Madman and now iZombie fame). We ended up spending most of the week together. It was nice. They are good people.
It was Mike (Allred, not Moynihan) who said he had just picked up the first four issues of this cool new comic. He recommended I give it a try. It was called ‘Bone’.
What a wonderful book. It is one of my ALL-TIME favourites.
(Aside… it may be time to contact Linda Medley. Over the years I have created a string of book books directly recommended to me. Mike Moyniham got me to try Madman. It was awesome. Then Mike Allred, the creator of Madman, got me to give Bone a go. It was Amazingly Awesome. So I then asked Jeff Smith, creator of Bone, for a recommendation. He suggested Castle Waiting. The trend continues…)
Anyway, when I heard Jeff Smith was doing a new book, I had to pick it up. Now, is Rasl as good as Bone was? No… but it is still pretty darned good. Dimensional travel. Art theft. Weird kid. Love. Nicola Tesla. What’s not to like?
Highly recommended.
SECRET AVENGERS #23 (Remender / Hardman / Breitweiser) Marvel
From one of my least favourite books to the top part of the list in just a couple months! The .1 issue by Remender showed promise but there was still something missing. The official first issue (last issue) was strong, but I still had some gripes. THIS issue, on the other hand, was excellent! I am still not totally down with Hawkeye’s characterization, but I think it is going to change (Beast’s talk with him and the fact that it NEEDS to change to get Agent Venom on the team).
Two things really stole the show in this book. Beast laying the verbal smackdown on Hank Pym (I like Pym, but this attitude SHOULD exist towards him.) and Ant-Man. I have never really cared for the new Ant-Man but this issue changed that… of course it may be too late.
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #7 (Bendis / Samnee / Ponsor) Marvel
Did I talk about Chris Samnee on this book already or I am just repeating what I said abut Amy Reeder on Batwoman? Normally I LOVE Samnee’s art. He was PERFECT on Cap & Bucky and I really loved his work on the old Ultimate Spidey book he did.
This time? Not so much.
I don’t know what it is. It is still well crafted but it just doesn’t seem to ‘fit’.
Still a strong book. The scenes where Miles is testing out his powers were great. The bit with Prowler and the Tinkerer were also really strong.
ALL-STAR WESTERN #6 (Jimmy Palmiotti / Justin Gray / Moritat / Phil Winslade) DC
A good book but the Batman refs are starting to get tiring. That underground tribe of people was just weird… and it felt pointless. The gun battle was cool and the teaser for next issue looks awesome! I am looking forward to New Orleans and a couple more classic DC western characters!
The back-up… well, I’ll just say that I am glad it is over. Hopefully I’ll dig the next one more.
FANTASTIC FOUR #603 (Hickman / Kitson / Mounts) Marvel
The most shocking thing in this issue? That letters praising the Bobillo art from FF.
I am not normally a big cosmic fan but this one was good. Clearing out the Kree and Inhumans while ramping up the Celestial / Galactus scrap was a good call. Looking forward to what happens next… which is something that wasn’t happening with the two FF books for a while.
AVENGERS ACADEMY #26 (Gage / Grummett / Hamscher / Sotomayor) Marvel
Uh, what’s with the cover? Was it supposed to be for last issue? Jocasta is IN the book, but that is where the connection ends.
I enjoyed this. It was pretty talky but that works for me. I was kind of disappointed that at least one main character didn’t switch sides (either direction) just for drama value. I really hope they are wrong about the kid. I think having an organization like that which actually does those things and isn’t secretly evil would be awesome.
FURY OF FIRESTORM #6 (Ethan Van Sciver / Gail Simone / Yildiray Cinar / Norm Rapmund) DC
I have waffled on Firestorm, but I like the way it is going. The emotional wringer that they are going through (especially Ronnie) feels real. The cover reads ‘CONSEQUENCES’. I hope they follow through with that.
CAPTAIN AMERICA & BUCKY #627 (Asmus / Brubaker / Francavilla) Marvel
I couldn’t care less. Since they left WW2 behind the book has been uninteresting (and the art is pretty weak at times). I am looking forward to the next iteration of this book.
AVENGERS SOLO #5 (Van Meter / Robinson / McCann / Kesel) Marvel
The credits on the cover don’t include the two incredibly awful pages by Declan Shalvey. Wow, do they suck.
Why can’t they make a decent Hawkeye comic. I feel dumber for having read this. Avengers Solo is the worst book I have read over the past year (and that INCLUDES Avengers X-Sanction.)
Rusty’s Comic of the Week: Fables #114
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Interesting week. Nothing really blew me away, but there were some solid reads. Disappointing art in a lot of books… including one bad enough that I may drop it.
FABLES #114 (Willinham / Buckingham / Leialoha / McManus) Vertigo
Q: How many storylines were advanced in this comic? A: A lot.
From Winter to Spratt. From Oz to an interesting talking boat. nice McManus art in the back-up. I a, looking forward to the next issue ! (And to Fairest.)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #679.1 (Yost / Slott / Clark / Palmer) Marvel
The secret is out… but Morbius leads to another classic Spidey foe (just in time for the movie…) The big strength in this issue was all about the scipting. There were some very funny bis and Uatu was a treat. Dan Slott has made a wonderful supporting cast and Chris Yost was a seamless addition to the team.
THUNDERBOLTS #170 (Parker / Walker / Pallot / Martin) Marvel
I still have some issues with the art… Troll’s costume is ridiculous and Moonstone does not look very… natural. The story, though, is very strong. Merlin is great in here. Ghost rejoining the squad… Boomerang’s ‘creative’ thinking. The best moment was Troll taming herself a dragon. Any chance it joined them in their tower? Now THAT would have been something…
AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #4 (Zeb Wells / Greg Land / Jay Leister / Wil Quintana) Marvel
Land seemed a lot less… bad tracing job this issue. Keeping him away from female characters might be a good thing. The little insight into Hawkeye’s character seemed more like answering to stupid comic readers that think that power is everything rather than actually reflecting the character. but the story worked. Next is SPidey and Cap.
NEW AVENGERS #21 (Bendis / Deodato / Mounts) Marvel
New is the better of the two main Avengers books right now, despite the Deodato art. I enjoyed this book despite DESPISING the character of Ragnarok. I am enjoying ht return of Osborne story but if this gets anywhere near actually havign the governemnt consider reinstating him… well, that is just too stupid for words.
WINTER SOLDIER #2 (Brubaker / Guice / Breitweiser) Marvel
The marvel espionage book. It even had some Fury in it. I do wish they woudl change the name, though. A: He is NOT Winter Soldier, and B: this is a TEAM book. A team of Bucky and Natasha. Name it something to fit.
AVENGERS #22 (Bendis / Guedes / Magalhaes / Keith) Marvel
The story isn’t bad but the art is really sloppy. What is with the cover? This book reads almost like Under Seige but the art really distracts.
WONDER WOMAN #6 (Brian Azzarello / Tony Akins / Dan Green) DC
Speaking of art being a distraction, I am sure looking forward to Cliff Chiang returning to this book. The story is falling into place, but Akins is too ‘straight-forward’ for this quirky take on WW and the gods.
ULTIMATE X-MEN #7 (Spencer / Barberi / Wong / Gracia) Marvel
This may be the last issue I get of this. The story wasn’t interesting. The ‘twists’ did not excite me. The art was SO bad. Look at the Wanda reveal. Wow. I mean holy crap. That art is embarrassing in it s awfulness. Is it 1993 again and I didn’t notice.
Yuck.
Rusty’s Comic of the Week: The Unwritten #34
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Solid, though relatively small, week. The battle for the top spot was TIGHT!
Though there was one BIG disappointment.
THE UNWRITTEN #34 (Carey / Gross / Perker) Vertigo
A strong issue clear through. I really liked how the heroes weren’t stupid just to make the trap better. It seems the cover should be for NEXT issue rather than this one. I foudn the art wasn’t as tight as usual, but no real complaints. I REALLY wanted to see what Tom pulled out of that mouth. Guess not…
THIEF OF THIEVES #1 (Kirkman / Spencer / Martinborough / Serrano) Image
This was REALLY close to taking the #1 spot, and I hadn’t even ordered it! It was a small enough week that I took a chance on a book I had heard good things about, and I am sure glad I did! The art is really nice and the story has just enough of a hook to keep me waiting for the next issue. Not a super-power in sight…
CAPTAIN AMERICA #8 (Brubaker / Davis / Farmer / Martin) Marvel
The new Cap series, especially since Alan Davis joined, feels like a throwback to the 80′s for me, and that is a good thing. It feels like Mark Gruenwald could have been writing it. This and Avengers Academy are the books that seem like they remember what comics were like BEFORE the 90′s damn near destroyed the industry for me.
BATGIRL #6 (Gail Simone / Ardian Syaf / Vicente Cifuentes) DC
A pleasant surprise. This book has been annoying me with Gail Simone’s refusal to address the massive elephant that has been in the roof since the series was announced… and it still annoys me. The interplay between Batgirl and Batman made this issue very enjoyable, though. I especially like the way Batgirl was concerned with the villain. Sure the parallels were a little sledgehammerish, but they worked.
SECRET AVENGERS #22 (Remender / Hardman / Breitweiser) Marvel
This was mostly quite good. Another ‘throwback’ style comic, like Captain America. but a couple of things didn’t sit well. Has Captain Britain been that obnoxious for a while? I sure don’t remember him that way. Plus, while the ‘provocative clothing’ comment didn’t seem unrealistic, it also rubbed me he wrong way. I realize they were making fun of the terrorists, rather than muslims in general… but still.
BATWOMAN #6 (J.H. Williams III / W. Haden Blackman / Amy Reeder / Richard Friend / Rob Hunter) DC
This was a disappointment, in a lot of ways. Look, Batwoman has been CotW around these parts. Let’s be honest, J.H. Williams III is probably the best comic designer in the business right now. I like what some other artists do in the way of design (Marco Martin’s two-page Spidey back-ups leap to mind) but Williams is the best.
MEANWHILE, when they announced Amy Reeder (has she dropped the Hadley?) was going to alternate arcs with Williams and there was consternation and gnashing of teeth, it didn’t come from here. Her work on Madame Xanadu was exemplary. A book that alternates between these two great artists has to be great, right?
Right?
Here’s the thing… the story is not strong. The Batwoman that was brilliant had Williams drawing over Rucka’s story. Now it is Williams and Blackman doing the story and I think the amazing art has been hiding a fairly lacklustre script. On top of that… this isn’t the Madame Xanadu Amy Reeder. Her action scenes are weak and what amazed me the most… her faces were not crisp. That was one of her strengths before!
I don’t get it. The book isn’t bad, but it was disappointing enough to drop to the bottom of the list.
VERTIGO PREVIEW 2012 (Lots of people) Vertigo
It is here because it isn’t a satisfying read, but… there are four previews and here is my take and how this preview has netted them some sales.
DOMINIQUE LAVEAU: VOODOO CHILD (Selwyn Seyfu Hinds / Denys Cowan / John Floyd)
I was not impressed with the preview. I found it jerky (which is a trait I find in lost of comics these days… a trait I don’t like) Ruthanne liked it hough and we are going to give it a shot… at least for a trial run.
THE NEW DEADWARDIANS (Dan Abnett / I.N.J. Culbard)
I quite liked this one, The premise is interesting and the art flows nicely. The characters have enough to get me to want more… and the preview was timed at quite well. We are adding it.
SAUCER COUNTRY (Paul Cornell / Ryan Kelly)
Sold. Nice story. Interesting characters. I want more.
FAIREST (Bill Willingham / Phil Jimenez / Andy Lanning)
This is the only one we were already down for… and it was the best preview. I am looking forward to it.
Tags: Batgirl, Batwoman, Captain America, Secret Avengers, The Unwritten, Thief of Thieves, Vertigo Preview
Good News? Bad News?
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Travel Foreman is off Animal Man, replaced by Steve Pugh, as of issue #9.
I think it is good news. My friend Shayne probably thinks it is bad news.
It probably depends on Steve Pugh. Still got it, Steve?
Rusty’s Comic of the Week: Amazing Spider-Man #679
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So, I have been sick for days now. All the way through the weekend and just getting worse and worse. I finally stayed home today which means… early comics!
So, how were the comics that had to get me through a sick day? Pretty darned good, actually!
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #679 (Slott / Ramos / Olazaba / Delgado) Marvel
I know that Kin down at Silver Snail hates time travel stories, but I don’t! This is two really good ones in short order (the Black Widow story in Secret Avengers is the other that comes to mind). I LOVED the resolution of this two parter. Strong story, strong characterization. Amazing Ramos art. This issue had it all! “To Be Continued… Last Issue!”
ANIMAL MAN #6 (Lemire / Leon / Foreman / Huet) DC
In soem ways this was a ‘break’ issue… but not really. This interlude told us a LOT about Buddy… and Cliff. And the ART! If John Paul Leon were to take over on Animal Man I would be thrilled! I am not a Travel Foreman hater, but the transition back to Foreman on the last few pages was jarring, because the Leon stuff was so good. The parallels between Buddy and Red Thunder were obvious but I would like to see more of the ‘movie’.
iZOMBIE #22 (Chris Roberson / Michael Allred) Vertigo
After a nice interlude, we are back to some great Mike Allred art! The story is moving along with all of its disparate pieces. There are so many characters that it would be heard to keep them straight, except they are all so well-delineated. (Dixie is a retired monster hunter? Did we know that already?)
WINTER SOLDIER #1 (Ed Brubaker / Butch Guice / Bettie Breitweiser) Marvel
For a while Bucky was Captain America… kind of. It was always a terrible fit. This was not Captain America in any way, shape or form. He always seemed like a completely different character that just seemed silly using someone else’s name. Kind of like the Young Avengers Hawkeye. Good character but hurting due to the inappropriate name choice.
BUT, as blatantly obvious that he was NOT Captain America, the Brubaker BuckyCap books were really good! So now, with the launch of Winter Soldier, we get more of those books without the extra baggage, while the Cap book has gone back to being a good CAP book. EVERYONE WINS!
And this book IS good. The title seems to only be there because calling a comic ‘Bucky’ would be lame (though I wish it was WS & Black Widow, as she is clearly a co-lead).
Question: what is the connection between Mitch and Bettie Breitweiser?
AVENGERS ACADEMY #25 (Gage / Grummett / Hamscher / Sotomayor) Marvel
Is that kid’s Sentinel destroyed? I hope not. Another good AA book. I am not a big fan of ‘Hey, let’s just whip together this gadget to fix everything’, but hey. The time travel thing was good. The Jocasta bit was telegraphed, but Veil wasn’t. Looking forward to next issue and… THE RUNAWAYS! Woo-hoo!
SWAMP THING #6 (Scott Snyder / Marco Rudy) DC
Why so low for a book I have said is one of my favourite of the new DC books? No Yanick Paquette for one, but mostly it is a style of book that I don’t like. The whole issue is a sort of willpower struggle where lots is on the line but nothing actually happens. It is kind of like the equivalent to the old wrestling submission moves like the abdominal stretch. They act like everybody is straining hard but it is just dragging things out until the inevitable hip toss.
THE DEFENDERS #3 (Fraction / Dodson / Dodson / Oback) Marvel
Well, the book LOOKS pretty! Is that it for Nul? Not exactly the big threat he seemed… A little deus ex machina there, but I guess that was the point.
THE TWELVE #9 (J.Michael Straczynski / Chris Weston) Marvel
When did issue #8 come out? 2010?
Not actually a bad comic, but how can you hold any interest with that kind of schedule. I do believe that there is a real story here and I look forward to reading it all when it is finished. By then I may be reading it on my private holo-viewer, though.
AVENGERS: X-SANCTION #3 (Jeph Loeb / Ed McGuiness / Dexter Vines / Morry Hollowell) Marvel
#1 had about as much story as I expect from that wretched AVX: Vs series. (none.) #2 had hints of story. This issue had ACTUAL story. It wasn’t enough to make the book more than passable… but that is a big step up.
