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 - 02/27/2017

I thought most of this week's books were okay, until I started writing all the reviews.  That's when the wheat really separated from the chaff and I remember all the good books I'd read nearly a week ago.  Which is why Honorable Mention is so stacked.

Pick of the Week

Fix #8 - The mayor is on the cover, but not in the issue.  Pretzels, however, is all up in this.  And the book still manages to inject humor even while slowly crushing your heart.  Also, are both leads independently deciding to do their jobs better?  How crazy would that be?  If you're a fan of the humor of Sex Criminals, you should be reading this book.

Honorable Mention

Black Road #7 - There's a subtitle on the cover, "A Magnus the Black Mystery."  I noticed this early on and thought it was cool - a nice indication for a hopefully long-lasting title.  But I took notice of it again this issue, specifically the "mystery" part.  'cause I gotta say, it seems pretty straightforward to me.  Christians and Northmen don't get along.  There's going to be religion and death.  I mean, clearly.  I read this last night and kept thinking about it today - cool moments in the issue and what's to come in the next.  I'm loving it.

Descender #19 - This damn book.  It's like Saga in that it's incredibly good and makes me feel feelings... except no one else is talking about it.  One of my first reads every month and one I most anticipate.

Frostbite #6 - I had no idea this was a mini series.  I've talked about how I thought this series and Unfollow could be the next breed of Vertigo titles to hit 60 issues, and now both are ending within weeks of each other.  If you were ever curious about Frostbite, I absolutely recommend picking up the trade.  I'll hold out hope for another series since I continue to think it could sustain it and the end perfectly invites additional exploration of the world.

Few #2 - I'd like this a bit better if Sherman made the characters more visually distinct.  A good chunk is tall people in masks walking around in the snow, but when the masks come off, it's dramatically more clear who's-who.  The story and world remain compelling.  Per solicits, it's only a six-issue mini series (though for some reason, called a maxi-series (because the page count is higher?)), which is unfortunate because I'm really enjoying it.

Everything Else

Belfry - This was good.  If it had been a series rather than a one-shot, I probably would have added it to my pull list.  For anyone that enjoys Hardman's art and horror, I suggest grabbing it.

Justice League Of America #1 - This was okay.  Pretty standard superhero comic, and standard hasn't been good enough for a long time.

Old Guard #1 - It's interesting enough that I'll grab the first arc to see where it's going.  The art is okay, but I don't think it's as good as it should be for a Rucka book.  A lot of that comes down to character faces which are large, weirdly proportioned, and have perspective issues.  The art is sometimes helped but frequently further hindered by the bright, simple coloring.  It's like no one on this creative team was on the same page.  Writing this, I may have just talked myself out of buying the first arc.

Teen Titans #5 - Two things: 1) I feel like the Ra's thing ended as best it could.  Which was actually pretty good; he was suitably disgusted by the outcome and his own descendant.  2) I'm pretty sure the ending here gives the Batman writers a reason not to include Damien in their books.  I mean, they weren't before, but now there's something they can point to when asked why he's never around.  I'm looking forward to Aqualad.

TMNT Universe #7 - It's hard to put too much stock into anything this series does.  Maybe I'll ultimately be proven wrong, but it feels like the Agents of SHIELD show whereas the main series as Marvel's movies.  Sure, things will get referenced back and forth, but you know where the real talent and focus are on the main stage.

Transformers Lost Light #3 - That's not Rung.  I've already written one Saga comparison this week, so why not another?  On an issue-to-issue basis, Saga isn't always amazing (I almost went with "stellar" instead of "amazing" but couldn't let myself do that).  However, each arc starts slow and builds to something phenomenal and/or crushing and great moments along the way.  More Than Meets The Eye was a lot like that, and I'm guessing Lost Light is continuing that considering it's the same creative team and all.  Good stuff happens here, but it's building toward something much greater.

The Wicked + The Divine - There's a new terrible thing and still no one can get along.  I'm less interested in the new bad that's coming for the cast and more interested in the varied and always entertaining way the cast interact with one another.  There's going to be a lot of fallout from decisions made here.  It's gonna be great.

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 - 02/07/2016

Well this is awkward.  Some good books this week, but top honors goes to an ad?!

Pick of the Week

[this space intentionally left blank]

Honorable Mention

The Wild Storm - This is not a comic (yet), but an extended ad that ran in the back of DC's books.  And one I liked enough to comment on.  I was a fan of WildStorm in the beginning and everything Ellis speaks of here - secret organizations, space programs, human experiments - continue to interest me while hitting all the right nostalgia notes.  Additionally, I'm a fan of probably half of Ellis' output, so this is right up my alley.  I'm really looking forward to this line and whatever he's got cooking.

Everything Else

DC Comics Bombshells #22 - There's a panel early on with Selina, Kate, Renee, and Vixen glowering at Hawkgirl and I think they might be as irritated with her as I was with her seven straight panels of soapboxing.  I'm kinda glad she gets shot outta that sky immediately after.  I made it a few more pages but can't finish this.  The heroes get captured and then it's Cheetah turn to parrot the writer's research.  I'm dropping this.  It's nowhere near as good as it used to be and hasn't been for a while.

Invincible #132 - I read this sitting across from my wife and made several exclamations while reading the events within.  My immediately Facebook post upon completion was "Fucking hell, Kirkman" and in the resulting comments discussed how Ottley would have drawn it both better and more gruesome.  For that, I am both thankful and sad.  Next issue starts the march toward the finale, so there's still roughly a year to get aboard this train before the ride is over.

Justice League #14 - The bulk of this issue takes place in a hole.  Various members of the league discuss things they should have gone over years ago immediately following their founding, and Superman throws Batman under a figurative bus as he deflects like a motherfucker.  Whatever else is in this category, just know that Justice League #14 is the worst of the bunch (Late note: not worse than Bombshells).

Moon Knight #11 - This title continues to be a fantastic read told with incredible art and a story that's difficult to succinctly summarize.  Marc Spector (or is it Jake?  Or Steven?) continues to grapple with his own mental state and the possible machinations of gods.  It is, as always, highly recommended.

Paper Girls #11 - I don't have much to say about the events of this issue, but that last page is a real nice kicker.  I'm glad this is back.  It's good, in case you were wondering.

Planetoid Praxus #1 - It's really nice to revisit Ken Garing's Planetoid.  Note: You don't have to read the first series to understand anything that's happening here.  There's enough of a recap to get you up to speed with the major players and idiosyncrasies of the place.  That said, it's a good read.  I don't know the sales figures of the original series, but can't imagine they were good.  So I'm extremely glad Praxus exists and hope more people check it out.

The Spirit: Corpse Makers #1 - I love Francavilla.  Between his work on Batman, Archie, and Black Beetle, I'll be interested in anything his guy does for life.  Him on The Spirit makes perfect sense.  Unfortunately, this isn't as good as Black Beetle.  I mean, obviously, this isn't complete so there's that, but a couple storylines are started and by the end a few are starting to converge.  Of note, there's a couple pieces of dialogue that threw me.  Contractions that were separate words, slang that's jarring.  Not enough to ruin the book, but it does lose some luster as a result.

Superman #16 - Multiplicity was over faster than I expected.  I just assumed it would be four.  That's what I get for not paying attention.  The Justice Incarnate bits were amazing, the antagonist alluded to things there were more interesting than he was, and everything was resolved with punching and laser eyes.  Kind of a mixed bag, but I'll chalk it up as a Win.  Hopefully we get back to the heart of the book - Clark, Lois and Jon next.

Transformers Lost Light #2 - Next issue promises we'll learn about rung's alt-mode and I have more to say about that than the events of this series.  Because what happens here relates to something this (roughly) same cast did in another series years ago.  Rung, I have long suspected, is a crucial piece of something larger - like a combiner, only not.  I used to think he was a trigger, but a lever works too, or even - gasp - a rung!  I don't know how that last one works out either.  I guess we'll find out!

Walking Dead #163 - This is the first issue I've read since #100.  Not that I found anything specific in #100 to turn me off the series, just the general sense that bad things would continue to happen to everyone and I didn't need that negativity in my life.  It's a good series, but can be pretty heavy.  I grabbed this because it was $0.25 and to see whether I should get back into it. What I found was that this issue is the start of a fairly significant event, and I no longer care about any of these characters.  Thanks, but I'll just stick with Invincible.

Last Week's (ish) Comics Today - 01/09/2017

Note: Most of the rest of the last three week's worth of books are below.  There's still two or three stragglers that will make it into next week's post.

I complain about Black Widow and the interconnectedness of Marvel's comics below, then give high praise to two nearly stand-alone Marvel books.  So it's maybe not as line-wide as I indicated, but this week also saw that pic of a few panels of Nova complaining about recent Marvel developments that leads me to think that, yes, it really is that bad and I'm just reading the exceptions.

Pick of the Week

Unworthy Thor #3 - This series is kicking ass.  Loads of unexpected characters show up, and oh my god, text boxes explaining references to past events.  TAKE NOTE, BLACK WIDOW, THIS IS HOW IT'S DONE.  Really looking forward to next issue and the eventual conclusion.

Honorable Mention
Exodus Life After #10 - I can't be sure it's intentional, but there's a tiny smiley face on the space potato god early on in the issue that brings me joy just thinking about it.  Oh, and this is the final issue.  Honestly, I'm surprised it lasted this long as it's unlike anything else on the shelves, is trying to convey a message, and has a space potato for god.  It's brilliant.  I love it.  I'll miss it.  And you should absolutely try it if you haven't already.  The only reason this isn't getting Pick of the Week is because it came out weeks ago.

Ether #2 - It's hard to talk about anything that happens in this book.  There's a lot of otherwordly fantasy going on which you wouldn't understand unless you read the book, and then there's something else going on, which I don't want to spoil but is full of emotion and hits hard.  This is only issue two.  I'm SURE you can find a copy of the first issue somewhere, and you really should.  Another candidate for Pick of the Week.

Fix #7 - Below, I comment on things going wrong in Aliens Defiance.  The kind of wrong you can practically predict from aliens, humans, and androids in space.  Things go far more wrong here.  The kind of wrong that's perfectly set up before dropping the hammer.

Frostbite #4 - Nothing is going well for the main characters.  Things are going pretty well for the antagonists, however, so that should tell you something.  I have no idea where any of this is going, but it makes a great comic.

Moon Knight #10 - I don't know when it happened, but this has become my favorite Moon Knight series.  Not that I've read a ton of Moon Knight - really only since Ellis - but this really in phenomenal.  Watching the character struggle with reality and compelling and I'm regularly questioning how much of any of this is real vs in his head.  If you haven't tried it, I can't recommend it enough.

Everything Else

Aliens Defiance #8 - Some surprisingly good things happened last issue, so to balance that out, things go wrong here.  Still, all that wrong was merely setup for things to come.  Which, will very likely involve things getting much worse.  The artist changed, once again, but Wood's script was as solid as ever.

Autumnlands Tooth & Claw #14 - Androids and a human vs a goddess.  This ends another arc, and there's a note at the back about how it will be a while before the book returns so they can get ahead and ship on-time.  But was it shipping on-time for the last few issues?  Doesn't seem like it, but maybe I just haven't been paying attention.  Still a good book, though I find I have nothing else to say about it.

Black Hammer #6 - What the hell kind of ending is that?  It's mildly infuriating, in a good way.  Most of the issue follows Madame Dragonfly and her journey to how she got to the farm, with a gut punch thrown in every few pages for good measure.  In short, it's great.

Black Widow #9 - Isn't Bucky supposed to be in space or something?  It's like if you're not reading EVERY Marvel title, you shouldn't bother reading ANY Marvel comic.  Anyway, there's a nice fight scene and characters speak vaguely about things you should remember from months ago.  The art sure is nice, though.

Dark Knight III #7 - I don't remember what happened to Hal.  Not that he's a major part of this or anything, but he makes an appearance in the main book and the mini is almost entirely him.  I'm confused by the actions of both Superman and Lara.  I've been confused by Lara this entire time and would need to go back to read her motivation.  Superman kinda makes sense, though I expect a "why?" as soon as he's able to speak.

Justice League #12 - A Justice League vs Suicide Squad tie-in not written by Hitch.  I wonder if Hitch is the new Johns in that he doesn't care what other writers are doing.  It's not essential reading, but does help flesh out Maxwell Lord specifically and the New52/Rebirth world more generally.

Justice League Suicide Squad #3 - Final page surprise!  The real surprise is the book is still good; everything is chugging along well.  It looks like next issue we'll have three teams in combat with one another, so that's sure to be interesting.  I barely noticed the artist change this time.  There's a couple panels where it's stand-out, but since everyone's been basically doing "DC style" art, it flows better than expected.

Lady Mechanika La Dama De La Muerte #3 - A whole lot of people die here.  A bunch of people died off-panel last issue, but here their deaths are seen.  It's been a fun jaunt, despite the mutilated children and a town wiped off the map.  It would have been better had this finished nearly Halloween rather than started, but still good.

Lucifer #13 - Aw, Christmas with Lucifer and Mazikeen.  This features two entirely skippable but enjoyable short stories.  I've been trying to figure out something more to say, but that really covers it.

Optimus Prime #2 - I'm stopping here.  I could maybe tolerate it for a while longer if there weren't any humans, but then we'd probably just get more Prime snark and worship and I've had enough of that too.  Ultimately, I just don't care about any of this and the only plotlines I did care about ended in the last series.

Ragnarok #11 - I don't care that this book only ships every other month, or that there's less art pages and more backmatter this issue.  It continues to be a great read, with impressive art.  I will happily endure the wait for as long as this series runs.

Superman #14 - Clark has a very real problem with changing into Superman when it would be blatantly obvious to any casual observer.  As he steps out of his own vehicle, for instance.  Anyway.  This should be an interesting crossover since I'll be skipping the Jurgen's half as I can't stand his writing style.  The beginning is interesting in a vague-threat-with-cool-guest-stars kind of way though, but suffers from people talking too much when there should be action... which I've complained about in a few different books recently.

Teen Titans #3 - Three issues in and the Teen Titans are almost, but not quite, a team.  About half of that is because of Damien's actions and the other half is in spite of them.  Things get a bit overly share-y in the middle with people admitting things to strangers that felt more forced than organic.  Other than that, this remains a fun book, in line with Robin, Son of the Batman.

Transformers Till All Are One #6 - It's not going well for Metroplex as he almost single-handedly battles an army or reanimated titans.  The fight takes a surprising and unexpected turn, however, yet once I considered the decisions being made, everything was completely in character.  I have no idea where things will go next, but it's an interesting ride.

Wonder Woman #13 - I don't know what's going on with the artists on this book, but the art here isn't done by either of the regulars.  I'd have to check, but I believe this is about as far into Azzarello's run as I made it before dropping.  It was a book I wanted to like more than I actually did and was hanging on because I liked the author and hoped things would improve.  Maybe it's time I faced reality.

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.