Last Week's Comics Today - 04/03/2017

I must have used up all my words last week as this week I'm back to my usual brevity.

Pick of the Week

Dark Knight III #8 - Damn, Wonder Woman was the shit.  Batman and Superman show up for a few pages, but this was Wonder Woman's show, and she owned it.  I still don't understand Lara, though.  Maybe her motivation will make sense next issue when this wraps up?

Honorable Mention

Aliens Defiance #10 - I saw a headline or ad this week saying the upcoming Aliens: Dead Orbit is the best thing to happen to Aliens in years.  I have no doubt it will be excellent but also feel that statement overlooks the fantastic work Brian Wood and a handful of artists have been doing for the last 10 issues.

Everything Else

Black Widow #12 - S.H.I.E.L.D. continues to be terrible at everything.  Seriously, how do they still exist?  Compassion trumps vengeance and two lines from Maria along with Tony's money sweep any lingering plot threads under the rug.

BPRD Hell On Earth v15 - I'm not ready for this to be over.  The end was suitably apocalyptic, but I was hoping for more closure.  This is all I find I'm able to say about it as I may be in denial about it being over.

Moonshine #6 - There's a whole lot of death this issue. I'm hoping someone still knows how to make the titular Moonshine, otherwise all this death is just over pride.  This issue marks the end of "Book 1", per the final page, so I'll eagerly be awaiting more as this is always one of the first I read each week it comes out.

The Sixth Gun v. 1 - I avoided this book for a long time because I had my own supernatural western comic I was working on.  Even when it became clear that comic wasn't going to happen, I still kept away.  Now, the series is complete and the team is working on their old series - which I quite enjoyed - The Damned.  This served as a reminder to me that I should finally give this series a try.

I like it and have since bought four more of the nine volume series.  Briefly, there's a set of guns, each imbued with a special power.  There's a gang in control of five of these guns, looking for the sixth, and a loosely held together group in opposition to them acquiring it.

The story moved far more quietly than I expected, and I found this quite satisfying.  Just reading it made me feel like I'd learned something about storytelling from it.

Transformers Lost Light #4 - Whirl and Cyclonus are brilliant together (as always).  Megatron is having a case of deja vu, hoping things will turn out differently this time.  Rodimus doesn't seem to care about what's going on, which seems off, but lets his true feelings known while getting into an argument with Megatron which should make for great drama down the line.  There's also a few pages with Anode and Lugnut, but I couldn't care less about them.

Transformers Till All Are One #8 - I'm lost.  There's a titan, but it's not the titan it's supposed to be.  And someone's locked up with a connection to the titan that's not supposed to be but gets out.  And necrotitans are killed, but it's not clear how many are still a threat.  And someone died (highly doubtful).  I miss the Cybertronian politics.  This extended action-sequence-with-a-twist has failed to impress.

Unfollow #17 - The cover says '40' but that's nowhere near true by the end.  The sprint to the finish continues as a whole lot more people die and Ferrell's plan is finally explained.  Those two sentences read as somewhat dismissive, but it's quite good.

Last Week's Comics Today - 02/13/2017

The shop didn't have any Wicked + Divine, so that'll be in next week's write-ups.

Pick of the Week

Unworthy Thor #4 - This is better than the Jane Foster led Thor title.  Where that book has a lot of storylines to juggle, this benefits from laser-focus on Odinson getting a hammer.  Everyone standing in his way of that goal is screwed.  The writing is some of Aaron's best with art from multiple artists covering different time periods, not unlike recent issues of Moon Knight.

Honorable Mention

Green Valley #5 - It's knight vs dinosaurs.  Either that sentence interests you or it doesn't.  The writing is good, the art fantastic.  There's a moment in this issue in which a log full of dinosaurs gets kicked down a hill and it's utter brilliance.  It's tense, I care about these characters, and I'd love to see the bad guy get a sword through his guts.

Moonshine #5 - Lou's activities catch up to him in a far more tangible way than previous issues where he merely woke up hungover.  Less happens here than usual, but what does happen will have significant ramifications.  This was very much a stage setting issue with seemingly next issue kicking off fireworks on multiple fronts.  This remains one of my favorite books each month.

Everything Else

All Star Batman #7 - This is only loosely related to the previous issue.  Instead of Mr. Freeze, this issue has Poison Ivy.  Instead of Jock, this is drawn by Tula Lotay.  It's okay.  The art isn't Tula's best and the writing is dense with Snyder's research notes.  He tends to over-write but there's usually enough good to off-set the bad.  That's not the case here.  It hasn't been the case this entire series.  I guess I'm just holding out for Murphy's arc at this point.

Birthright #22 - With the introduction of Lore's daughter, this book is even more about family than ever before.  There's a tiny amount of forward movement on multiple storyline fronts, and while that tends to be the case in each issue, it seems to be even less movement than usual.  Still, Lore's daughter is one hell of a wildcard and it's hard to stop thinking about how she'll throw a wench into things.  The series remains good but likely reads better in trades.

Black Widow #11 - Black Widow chases girls through a secret facility while SHIELD once again proves just how inept they are at their jobs.  The art is great and the writing is... Look, clearly Brubaker can write.  There's nothing wrong with the writing, it's the world Natasha inhabits I don't care about.  The fact that SHIELD exists at all in movie or comic form after their constant and continual failures is mind-boggling.  This is supposed to be concluded next issue.  If it gets rebooted again, I'm out.  I'd rather this team were doing an Image book.

Gotham Academy Second Semester #6 - Mysteries deepen (literally in one instance) as a new (super?) villain (?) arrives.  The gang remains split looking for Colton, looking for Pom, and Pom pursuing her own agenda.  There's no end in sight for any of these threads, though things have to end soon with as much escalation happens here.  Second Semester has been darker than the first series but remains a fun read with these characters seeming more real than most at either of the Big Two and making the DC Universe seem more real as a result.

Justice League Of America Rebirth #1 - Pretty standard setup issue as everyone on the team gets introduced.  The way team books generally work is someone will join, leave, or betray the team by the end of the first arc, so let's see if that holds true here.  If you didn't read Justice League vs Suicide Squad, everything you need to know is covered here.  I'm interested enough to grab another issue and see what the real start of the series is like.  The best part here is the one page tease at the end of things to come.

Transformers Till All Are One #7 - I don't know if I'm supposed to be familiar with the final page reveal is supposed to mean something to me, but it doesn't, so I'm just confused.  The rest of the issue is infiltration vs defense of what are supposed to be allies.  It's alright, but the journey really wasn't worth it.  Starscream and Bumblebee remain a favorite pairing of mine.

Last Week's Comics Today - 01/18/2017

I read most of these early but didn't start writing about any of them until Tuesday night.  So these will be real quick as I try to remember what all happened.  This should be fun!

Pick of the Week

Spread #18 - I don't know if anyone's paying attention, but Justin Jordan is on fire.  Spread is already an amazing book, but this issue opens a whole new door on the world and is brilliant.  Loved every second of it.  Saying anything more would spoil it.

Moonshine #4 - Lou really needs to stop blacking out.  He might have less problems if he did.  But that might also make the book less interesting as he wouldn't need to piece together the happenings of the previous night while hungover each morning.  I'm surprised this is only issue four as it seems like a considerable amount has happened in that time.  This continues to be a favorite.  The writing and art are stellar.

Honorable Mention

Detective Comics # 948 - I haven't read Detective since it was Rebirth'd.  But with Batwoman getting her own title, which I'd like to read again, I figured it's time to give this another shot.  And it's good!  Well written, good art... really can't ask for more than that.  I'm in for part two and will be checking out her new series when it launches.

God Country #1 - Well written, well drawn... interestingly colored.  I loved Cates and Shaw on The Paybacks, and both continue to impress here.  I saw a comment about the coloring not really being representative of Texas in a review last week and saw what they were talking about when I read this today.  Would I have noticed if I hadn't been primed for it already?  I don't know, and now I'm passing that mental seed downstream.  Oh, I'll also be adding this to my pull list because it's great.

Everything Else

All Star Batman #6 - It's better than the Two-Face arc!  Beyond that, it's Jock's stylized art and Snyder's ridiculous Batman.  "Better than the Two-Face arc" is such a low bar to begin with, I honestly can't tell if this is good or not.

Birthright #21 - Another flashback issue with no advancement of the present storyline.  But these tend to color the explosive ends of arcs with new information and I find them fascinating.  Since the whole series has been told with regular flashbacks, it's just part of the DNA and I don't have a problem with it.  Here, we learn much more about Rya, before, during and after Mikey's arrival and eventual departure.  It's good stuff.  Should make their inevitable reunion all the better to watch.

Gotham Academy Second Semester #5 - Colton's on trial!  AFTER getting expelled.  There's a map (which Maps wants, obviously), and several competing agendas, and a Bruce Wayne appearance.  I haven't counted panels or anything, but I believe Bruce has been in this more than Batman, and that's cool.  This issue kinda makes me wish I were reading it in trades just so I didn't have to deal with the cliffhangers and wait between issues.

Green Valley #4 - When thinking back about this, it's easy to wonder, "But what actually happened?"  While reading, however, that never crosses my mind.  The writing is slow and deliberate, but good nonetheless.  And the art is excellent.  If you'd rather wait, grab the collection once the series is done.  But one way or another, you should read this series.

Justice League Suicide Squad #4 - It would have been nice if DC marketing hadn't spoiled the big reveal here months ago.  It's still good, though the art took a dip here from previous issues.  But what should have been a major twist is what I've been waiting four issues to get to.  Hopefully the final two issues won't be spoiled by the publisher as well.

Mighty Thor #15 - I hate to even say this because of what people might read into it, but I like Unworthy Thor (as a series, not a character) better.  The benefit that title has over this is a simple, straight-forward objective and main character in the right frame of mind to pursue that single-minded objective.  Here, Aaron's juggling far more plotlines and characters.  It's still good, but... why are the Shi'ar attacking?  I still have no idea.  And there's the other war, and the cancer, and Loki's schemes... and none of it seems anywhere near concluding.  Don't get me wrong, it's still a great series, but there's a helluva lot going on.  Still, I loved seeing Kid Gladiator again.  Brought back all those Wolverine and the X-Men memories.

Suicide Squad #9 - I tried the Rebirth issue of Suicide Squad and didn't find the writing to my liking.  But with a tie-in to Justice League vs Suicide Squad and art by Rossmo, I had to check this out.  It's an interesting look at the early days of Waller's squad.  Worth it alone for Rossmo's art.  Your mileage will vary beyond that.

Last Week's Comics Today - 12/20/2016

I put Turtles at the bottom of my stack because I didn't expect much from a holiday issue.  That was good and bad.  Bad that I didn't get to such a great issue sooner and good because if I'd read it earlier, nothing after it would have stacked up.

Pick of the Week

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #65 - Fantastic issue!  Practically every character in the series shows up as the turtle brothers throw a Christmas party (which made me wonder if Splinter shouldn't celebrate some Japanese holidays).  This is packed with character moments and artistic easter eggs.  If anyone has been considering picking up the series, this would be a great one to try.  There's certainly some things that will go over your head due to referencing past events, but it's a rare done-in-one with gorgeous art.

Honorable Mention

Descender #17 - This issue has three storylines happening simultaneously, often on the same page.  It works really well and while, ultimately, not that much happens, what does happen is significant in each case.  This book continues to impress me with every issue.

Green Valley #3 - I did not see that coming.  No idea where things go from here, but that's been true for the first two issues too.  Great art, completely unpredictable (while still being good) script.  For fantasy fans looking for something new.

Moonshine #3 - In a review of Frostbite #3 I only ever wrote in my head, I said, "Only bad things happen to this character."  It seems equally true for Lou Prillo.  Still, the art and writing are phenomenal and I couldn't be happier to read this title every month.  Recommended for any 100 Bullets fans.

Everything Else

Reborn #3 - Seeing Capullo draw dragons instantly flashed me back to the Angela mini series.  Other than that?  All I remember is the art.  Like a cat-person driving a flying bike-thing.  And essentially a tree-truck getting pulled out of the ground.  And a dog going over a cliff.  Story-wise, we're getting closer to the "all hell breaks loose" phase but aren't there yet.

Gotham Academy Second Semester #4 - Stand alone issue set... well, last semester.  It's well written and drawn with just the right amount of weirdness the series is known for.  Another solid issue all-around, even if it doesn't impact current goings-on.  It felt a little Halloween-y, but maybe that's just me.

Transformers Lost Light #1 - Helpfully, there's a lengthy recap at the end of the issue that covers the previous series.  Because this is about as good a jumping on point as any and everything picks up directly where the previous series left off.  If you were reading before, you likely still are now.  If not, well like I said, it's a great jumping on point.

Transformers Optimus Prime #1 - Earlier this week I recapped the series this spun out from, and one of the things I wrote is very nearly stated by Jetfire in this issue, "One too many people told [Optimus] he's the space messiah and he started to believe them."  It's interesting watching Optimus go down a path everyone says he shouldn't for the best of intentions.  Even after all the trash I've talked about the last series, I'll try this for at least a few to see where it's gonig.  The new artist really helps.

Wonder Woman #12 - Characters creepily smile at each other and Wonder Woman stumbles her way through English.  Then there's the last page reveal.  That's about it.