Last Week's Comics Today - 10/11/2016

Green Valley and Moonshine were both great, I couldn't pick just one.  Other than that, a lot of confusion this week trying to remember what happened in comics past.

Pick of the Week

Green Valley #1 - Gorgeous art, good story, all-around great start for the series.  The focus is squarely on the characters here, establishing primarily two of the knights, but showing enough of all four to get a sense of their personalities.  But there's a good amount of action as well, and a final page to teases plenty more to come.  Recommended.

Moonshine #1 - I love this team and would likely read any book they do together.  You might think that means my opinion can't be trusted, as I'm someone that read all of Spaceman, but I can admit that was weird and not their greatest collaboration.  This, is a reminder of the heyday of 100 Bullets.  Bad men doing bad things with some of the best dialogue in the business.  All with art, heavy in shadow, telling just as much of the story through gesture and facial expression.  These two remain at the top of their game.  Recommended.

Honorable Mention

Paper Girls #10 - The titular paper girls - both young and old - get on the same page with one another and take some serious action this issue.  The craziness is as high as ever, and it caused me to let out a single "ha!" when I got to the last page.  There's a lot of books trying to out-do each other with great last pages, and I think that makes us all winners.  Recommended.

Superman #8 - This was kind of spoiled by some articles before I'd read the issue.  If you haven't been spoiled, it should be a nice surprise.  If you have, it's a pretty long setup when you already know the payoff.  Regardless, it's still a good issue.  Clark and Jon are great together.  I don't know if Lois is being given much time in Action, but she's barely in this series.  She's great whenever she shows up, and that's coming from a guy with a life-long hatred for Lois.  Anyway, between this and Trinity, I have to wonder who's messing with Superman.  Same person/being or different in each book?  Something is definitely going on.

Everything else

Archangel #3 - There was an announcement for a collected version of this series at NYCC this past weekend.  Which is good, because I suspect a lot people are going to need it.  I remember the first issue better than the second, and the recap page didn't help much.  I have a rough memory of what's happening, but there's so many characters here with different agendas, the series either needs to ship more quickly or do a better job within the series itself.  Things happen, but the best I could figure is "the good guys got away from the bad guys."

Autumnlands Tooth & Claw #13 - I think I'd like this series better if I read it in trades.  It's a great series, but without a recap page and what seems like (I haven't verified) a less-than-once-per-month shipping schedule, it's hard to remember where things left off.  Context is king, and the story caught me up well enough once I started reading.  I'm somewhat purposely avoiding writing about anything that happens this issue since, like a handful of other series, you'd be completely lost if I were to explain anything.  If you like Birthright, check this out.  If you like fantasy in general, check it out.  If you like a Paper Girls-style mystery and trying to figure out what's really going on... you should check the series out.

DC Comics Bombshells #18 - Mera vs Siren for the fate of Atlantis!  Where did the cast teleport to last issue?!    Hint: There's still Nazis.  This issues appears to wrap another arc, but by the last page, there's a hint of what's to come.  I'm constantly amazed by the number of characters getting added to this series, and wonder how long it can go on.  It's good, though I don't know anyone else reading it... makes me wonder if the sales are good enough to sustain.  Certainly appears that way, and I wish it the best.  It's positivity is always refreshing, the stories entertaining, and the art almost always wonderful.

Future Quest #5 - Two stories this issue - minor advancement of the main storyline that ends in a great last page, and a disconnected story involving The Impossibles.  I'll be dropping this.  As much as I like the main story, it's exactly stuff like The Impossibles I couldn't care less about.  And with good new books coming out all the time, it's time to make room by clearing books I'm not as interested in.  I'm too young for most (all?) of these characters, and they're getting introduced faster than I can keep up.  I'm not invested in any enough to continue.

Ghostbusters International #9 - Issue 11 seems to be the last for this series, which is unfortunate, as I'd been really enjoying it.  So, with only a couple issues to go, things are starting to wind toward the inevitable conclusion.  The team have split in order to achieve multiple objectives, but what I wasn't expecting was a different artist for each team.  I'm going through the book and suddenly think, "Kylie's face doesn't look right..." look closer, check the cover and credits page, and sure enough - two artists.  It's a little weird this late in the game, but it's still a good series and will make for a nice collection once concluded.  

Justice League #6 - This arc looks to be the polar opposite of the first.  Where the first arc focused on huge action and the team working together, this issue opens with them quickly ending (or did they?) a fear-based assault with the rest of the issue focused on their civilian lives.  It's a nice contrast that breathes life into characters I'm not reading elsewhere (except Superman).  If DC have their ducks in a row, it won't clash with their solo books like Johns' run did.  The art and writing remain strong.  

Ragnarok #10 - Thor has done some impressive things in this series, but here we're shown even he has limits.  And unless he does something about it quickly, he's not going to make it.  So I think we're due for a side quest soon to get his strength back.  The book continues to be well written, with art I can't help but stare at in awe.  I know the publishing schedule is slow, but this is one book that's always worth the wait.

Shade, The Changing Girl #1 - I sometimes write these immediately after reading a comic.  Other times, I need to figure out what I want to say, so the write-ups come a few days later.  This is one I've sat on, and I'm still not sure what I want to say.  It's weird, that's for sure.  Marley's a friend, and I think she was a fantastic choice.  This issue the surreal and very alien alongside the very real and human.  And she does a great job with all of it.  The story?  ...It's... all those things from two sentences ago.  I never read Shade before.  Maybe if I had, I'd like this more.  As it is, I'll check it out for a few more issues, but... I don't know... it's weird.

Shipwreck #1 - What the hell did I just read?  I don't know if there were preview pages for this book or not - either way, I didn't read them.  I saw the names "Warren Ellis" and "Phil Hester" and I was sold.  Phil Hester did The Wretch (among other things), and for that I'll take a life-long interest in any comic he does.  At a minimum, it deserves a look.  Warren Ellis, is of course, Warren Ellis.  Some hits, some misses, but when he hits, it's outta the park.  I can't even describe to you what happens in this issue.  If either of the creative names behind it interest you, you should pick it up.  I'll be getting issue two and see where that takes me.

Transformers #57 - I'd written a review of this, but for reasons unknown, that was lost to the electronic ether.  Rather than try to re-write it, I'll get straight to the point: this is a bad ending to a mostly bad series.  It was briefly good following Dark Cybertron, but the plotlines I cared about moved over to Til All Are One.  I'll miss Soundwave and Thundercracker, but that's about it.  The writing is horrible as characters possessing multiple names try to explain overly complicated schemes I could not care less about.  The art is incomprehensible in places.  This issue was a chore to get through and exactly the justification I needed to drop it when it's rebooted into the Optimus Prime title in a few months.

Last Week's Comics Today - 10/04/2016

Pick of the Week, Pick of the Month, Pick of Whatever-since-the-last-Deadly-Class came out should go to Velvet vol. 3, but it came out a couple weeks back.  Instead, I'm giving it to Frostbite.  There were several great books this week, but only one was a new #1 and first issues need all the help they can get.

Pick of the Week

Frostbite #1 - Great first issue.  Lots of world-building and great character work.  Basically, a new ice age has set in and everyone is struggling for heat.  On top of that, a new disease called Frostbite has emerged that's both fast-acting and fatal, further devastating a population fraught with hardship.  It's well written with art that perfectly suits its bleakness.  Recommended.  

Honorable Mention

Saga #38 - This feels like the Saga of old.  A character dies and agendas are revealed to be at cross-purposes.  It makes me remember that the last few issues have seen the cast working together, which is probably why they felt weird at the time, but I couldn't figure out why.  Surprise appearance by The Will, which is always nice.  And another, brief, time jump.  I thoroughly enjoyed this and can't wait to see what happens next.

Transformers More Than Meets the Eye #57 - The letters page may have been the best part of this stellar ending.  The Sentinel plotline seems (?) to have wrapped up quickly, though I know we haven't seen the end of one element of his plan, and wouldn't be surprised with another returns down the line as well.  All-in-all, it's a nice end, even as it acknowledges there's still a lot left unresolved that will carry over to the new Lost Light title.  I can't wait!  Ordinarily, opening with "the letters page is the best part" would be an insult, but it's not meant to be here.  It's just a really good letter from the writer to the readers about endings and beginnings and things left undone.

Paybacks #3 - Best cover of the week.  I get the feeling the series is ending next issue, but can't find confirmation of that anywhere, just an old comment by the creators about wanting to do the series as a series of mini series, like Hellboy.  Anyway, events came to multiple heads this issue, so things should be rather explosive for the conclusion... aaand I'm hoping that comment about a series of mini series still stands because I'm not ready to let this go yet.  The art is amazing and writing phenomenal.  I really can't even vaguely reference events of the issue as everything would be a) a spoiler, or b) you wouldn't understand it anyway unless you're already reading.  Let me just say this issue felt a bit like Invincible.  If you like Invincible, check this out.

Velvet vol. 3 - "Brilliant" is really the only word I can use to describe this.  Due to both story twists and the amount of time it took this volume to be released, I want to go back and re-read the series from the beginning.  The writing is exceptional and Epting makes everything look fantastic.  Velvet has been a favorite of mine (both the series and the character), but this is starting to top Queen & Country, which is one of my all-time favorites and a title I frequently recommend to everyone.  The way everything unfolded and wrapped up here cements this among my shortlist of favorites.  Seriously looking forward to more.

Everything else

Aliens Defiance #5 - Tristan Jones is back on art, but if it hadn't been pointed out to me, I wouldn't have even noticed.  Burchielli was a good match for Jones, but there was something missing from those issues that's definitely back here.  Mostly it's the sense of creeping dread.  Horror can be hard to do in comics, but Wood and Jones pull it off.  This book is an Aliens movie on taking place on paper.

Atomic Robo vol. 9 - Atomic Robo in the Old West!  Which is a spoiler for the end of the previous arc, but the kind of spoiler that entices non-readers to learn more.  Plus this volume's been out for over a year, and the previous one for even longer.  My point is: Atomic Robo in the Old West!  All the usual action and humor, completely new setting.  It's great, and I'm suffering a minor panic attack because I want more but vol. 10 isn't out yet.

Lake Of Fire #2 - This is like Aliens, only set during the crusades.  And with far more emphasis put on the religious crusade angle than the aliens.  At least so far.  The preview pages in Image+ with a giant spaceship crashing into the countryside is what sold me on this book.  I'm still waiting for that book to emerge.  It's not bad, it's just not the book I thought I'd be getting based on those pages. 

Descender #15 - A very nice flashback issue going over Effie and Andy's history.  There's a lot of good material here about why they were together and why that's no longer the case.  As always, the book is well written and beautifully drawn, and you should be reading it if you're not already.

Lady Mechanika: La Dama De La Muerte #1 - Lady Mechanika tries to take a vacation, and things naturally go awry.  What's interesting is this issue is more a cultural lesson than the usual steampunk mystery.  As the title suggests, this has to do with a grieving Lady Mechanika taking a trip down south and inadvertently running into a small town celebration for Dia de los Muertos.  A conflict gets setup, but hasn't begun by the end of the issue, so things will have to move quickly in the remainder of this shorter-than-usual series.

Ultimates #11 - I'm just waiting for this to end.  The art is a clash of styles, likely stemming from Rocafort getting tapped for the IVX 0 issue.  He draws a seemingly random assortment of pages while Morissette draws the remainder.  The clash reflects the story as well, as Anti-Man, Thanos, and the Ultimates fight amongst themselves.  This title is no longer the tight, well done book it once was, and I won't be continuing once it renumbers.

Wonder Woman #7 - This ended better than I expected.  Which isn't to say expectations were low, but that this pulled out some good surprises.  I'm pumped to see where this goes next.  Also: Doomsday Swamp Thing.  Not really, but that's totally what it looked like.

Last Week's Comics Today - 09/27/2016

Almost everything I read this week was great.  Choosing a Pick of the Week was relatively easy, but separating everything else from those I wanted to spotlight with an honorable mention was much more difficult.

Pick of the Week

Lucifer #10 - This is probably the best issue yet.  If you liked Mike Carey's Lucifer, you need to be reading this series.  It's really that simple.  I could write something vague about what happens in the issue (some seriously massive shit goes down), but why?  Just buy it and read it.

Honorable Mention

Rumble #14 - It's ridiculous how much I love this book.  More action than usual as Rathraq and Rathraq's possessed body are fighting on every side.  But the comedy and human moments aren't left out either.  Also, Rathraq's heart!  How this book juggles so much, while remaining consistently good, and managing to make it look effortless is beyond me.

Superman #7 - Probably my favorite issue of the series.  After helping some Leaguers early in the issue, Clark arrives home and takes the family to the fair.  It's all very nostalgic, like a moment out of time.  The writing is fantastic and the art is gorgeous.  I've said it before, and I'm likely to keep saying it - this is the first time I've ever cared about Superman.  Highly recommended.

Trinity #1 - I can't stop wondering who gave Jon those seeds.  Naturally, I have an idea, and think it'd be awesome if I were right... but I'd love to be surprised if it's someone unexpected too.  Anyway, Bruce and Diana come to the Smith's for dinner.  The whole thing is well written and drawn and this will immediately be added to my pull list.

Everything else

Black Hammer #3 - If it wasn't clear the cast are based on well-known corporate-owned characters, one of those becomes MUCH more obvious here.  We're shown the back-story for Barbalien, and it's well done.  The not-quite-origin is inter-spliced with scenes of him in the present and minor check-ins with Gail and Abe.  I found the scenes with Barbalien's outsider status in the present strike a chord inside me I didn't know was there.  And then seeing Gail on the roof... rough stuff.  If you're looking for a comic to make you feel, this is certainly one.

Chew #58 - Much like this week's Superman, Tony tries to have a quiet day with the woman he loves.  Things quickly and comically go off the rails.  Even still, this manages to be a lull (but not dull!) after the recent Savoy- and plot-heavy last couple issues, and what's sure to be a wild finish.  It's hard to tell what the final page of the issue means... but I don't expect it's good.

Empress #6 - Of the major events to unfold this issue, I predicted all but one back in the first issue.  Not that I think I have some special ability or anything, it just seemed obvious from the outset.  That's also not to say the book hasn't been enjoyable despite knowing (guessing) these things would happen.  The book is still a fun read, and research shows spoilers enhance a story rather than detract.  With all that said, the one thing I didn't predict is a delight since it has the most potential to make a truly unpredictable finish.  ...though I further predict the story won't fully wrap up next issue and we'll get a second series next year.  Maybe I'm wrong!  Starlight managed to wrap everything up when I didn't see how it possibly could.

Justice League #5 - The Justice League save the world!  Or did they?  For the last couple issues I've thought the Kindred were there to help, but the league fights them just as hard as they fought the invasion.  They're all so convinced they had me questioning what I firmly believed.  I love the ambiguity - that I question what the League did here.  What WERE the Kindred trying to do?  I AM certain their actions here will echo into future.  This book is one of DC's best. 

Mighty Thor #11 - Cancer-ridden Jane Foster teams up with Thor, and it's pretty amazing.  This issue wraps up a lot of plotlines, so I'm sure we're in for something new next issue.  Back to Malekith?  I don't know, I haven't looked at the solicits in a while.  Doesn't matter, I'm getting this book for as long as Aaron's on it.

Seven To Eternity #1 - I listen to a lot of audiobooks.  Fantasy tends to be the most difficult genre to determine whether I'll like a book or not before purchasing.  Some go for a kind of immersion technique that bombard you with a bunch of invented nouns and leave it to the reader to figure things out.  Seven to Eternity is this kind of comic.  It's the weakest book I read this week, and that's not good.  The art isn't as good as I think it should be.  I like Opena and Hollingsworth, separately, but I'm not sure the two together are the best team.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #62 - Several plots moved incrementally forward, which is pretty normal for this title.  It's a bit like TV in that multiple plotlines are happening in the short-, medium-, and long-term and get touched on each "episode" until one builds to a major event.  This may sound generic, but in a world filed with writing-for-the-trade and a few done-in-ones, this feels like a genuine serial story.  There's likely to be something big going down next issue.

Transformers: Till All Are One #4 - As seen on the cover, Bruticus!  There's a good amount that happens here, and all of it well told and rendered.  Windblade tries talking, Chromia makes a decision, Blast Off fights as best he can, Starscream schemes in both the past and present (naturally), Ironhide arrests someone, AND THERE'S BRUTICUS.  I mean, did you see that cover?!  All of this will have repercussions for some time.

The Wicked & The Divine 1831 #1 - Simply put, this is 1) separate from the main series and 2) highly entertaining.  I say it's separate, but it's hard to know if a new reader would feel the same way.  There should be enough material on the "recap" page to get everyone up to speed, but I'm saying that as someone that's read what came before.  Also, I'm very interested to see if any of the elements introduced here will be followed up upon.  Well written and drawn, I'd recommend it to anyone interested in checking out the series.

Last Week's Comic Today - 9/20/2016

Not doing a Pick of the Week this week because there's a six (6!) that stood above the rest and I just couldn't pick one I liked better than the others.  They're all so different too...

Honorable Mention

Gotham Academy: Second Semester #1 - I've missed this book.  Olive meets a new student that's a bad influence and they quickly get into misadventures.  After months of Year Book and the Lumberjanes cross-over, it's great to have the creative team back together.  Like a coiled spring, this book is full of potential.  Last week I was talking about Unfollow and Sheriff of Babylon being books that flew under the radar while everyone was complaining about DC.  Gotham Academy was another excellent book during New52 and DCYou.  I think it's gotten more attention than their Vertigo stuff, but now that Rebirth is rolling and everyone thinks DC is great, I hope this gets a bump as well.  It's much deserved.

The Fix #5 - Another last page that flips everything on it's head.  Even if this issue weren't a verbal and visual feast (it is), I would still love it for the shopping cart panel.  heh, that one's going to stick with me for a long time.  Highly recommended for crime fans of humor with their crime.  Kind of an Elmore Leonard vibe.

Black Monday Murders #2 - There was a conversation at the comic shop last week about the double-page title spreads and symbols in this book.  I don't mind them.  In fact, I kinda like 'em.  I said they likely stem from Hickman being a former graphic designer and trying to design a comic as a complete artistic object.  And maybe there's some truth in that, but really, they feel cinematic or like high-end television.  Where the show starts and 15 minutes goes by before you get the opening sequence or go to a commercial break.  It feels like a natural evolution after the "widescreen" years.  Oh, the murder investigation continues and there's plenty of weirdness - financial and otherwise.  I'm hooked.  Side question: What the hell happened to The Dying and the Dead?

Briggs Land #2 - This is stellar.  It should probably be my Pick of the Week but I can't figure out if I only feel that way because it's the last book I read this week - so freshest in my mind - or it legitimately deserves that title.  It probably deserves it, but I've already decided I'm doing like a five-way Honorable Mention split that you've already read above, but I haven't written yet.  So that's a little awkward.  Seriously though, the book is great.  I keep flipping through it between sentences.  There's not a ounce of fat anywhere on this that could have been trimmed or cut.  The book is lean, but rock-solid.  It's dense but without filling the page with massive word balloons (I'm looking at you, All Star Batman).  It's only on the second issue.  Buy it, check it out.  I'd say buy an extra to squirrel away for when it's a massive hit on AMC, but I'm not a speculative asshole.  Just buy it and read it.  You decide what to do with it after that.

Lady Killer 2 #2 - Two men approach Josie with different business propositions this issue.  The first seems worthwhile at the time but more questionable later.  The second sounds intriguing but surrounded by much uncertainty.  What I do know is the art and writing remain top-notch and this book always finds itself one of the first books I read.  Highly recommended if you're looking for something different in a crime title.

Spread #16 - Well!  Given that last page, something is going to need to happen immediately if our cast is going to survive.  And we know at least Hope does, since she's narrating in past tense.  Many decisions made this issue, with at least half of them being poor.  We MAY have learned something about the spread itself, though the backmatter is quick to point out this is simply one character's belief.  I think this is my "The Walking Dead" and once I understand it myself, I may write a piece about why I'll buy every issue of this but stopped reading The Walking Dead.

Everything else

All Star Batman #2 - Synder admits this is basically his Long Halloween (I actually think it's more along the lines of Hush, but whatever).  In contrast to his mega-arcs that focused a single villain (or group) during his time on Batman, he's now throwing every possible villain at the hero.  Unfortunately, Romita is drawing the early issues.  It's not exactly that I hate the guy's art, but it definitely takes some getting used to each time I open one of his comics.  The book is... good?  Fun, I guess?  It's over-the-top and ridiculous and being told completely out of order, with some apparently pretty staggering consequences.  While reading I'm forced to wonder if any of this will impact the other bat-titles or if this is supposed to be self-contained.  I'm honestly not sure which I'd prefer.

Birthright #19 - That's another one helluva last page (because I've already written about the Spread, down there, alphabetically).  This issue comes down to two big sequences inter-cutting each other - the men of the Rhodes family vs the mages, and the mages' decision and reasoning to leave Terrenos.  Both are sure to have serious consequences.  Interesting, informative, and action-packed.  Recommended.

DC Comics Bombshells #17 -  The art this issue isn't as good as usual, but the story is still on point.  Everything that's been building in the ghetto goes down and the series continues to add more characters at a surprising pace.  Held back by the art only because it's usually so stellar.

Doom Patrol #1 - The guy at the comic shop described this as "more Killjoys than Umbrella Academy."  I have to agree.  I'll pick up another issue or two to see if this goes somewhere, but thus far, not especially impressed.  Nice art, though.

Hadrian's Wall #1 - An alright first issue, but in this market, that's just not going to cut it.  There's a death in space and our main character is sent to investigate.  The solicit sounded interesting enough to pick up the first issue, but spends a lot of time focused on the characters rather than the investigation... and none of the characters are likable or that interesting.  The art is mostly good, though there's something about it I can't quite put my finger on.  They're sometimes a little stiff, posed, even emotionless.  I wish I could describe it better, but no words seem quite right.  Not recommended.

Lumberjanes Gotham Academy #4 - The plot is moving along, though with a cast this size, it's moving rather slowly as we check in on everyone.  I just couldn't help thinking it might have been better as a four or five issue series rather than six.  Also, legit Gotham Academy is out this week, so my interest is this is waning as it was only a hold-over until the main series returned.

Wonder Woman #6 - Wonder Woman arrives!  ...And it's sad as hell!  Deeply saddening for how true this rings.  It's good, but sad.  I think I like the present storyline in the even numbered issues better.  I didn't really want another origin story, but it was well-written and certainly nice to look at... but now I just want it wrapped up so we can get to more adventures.

In Which I Praise Atomic Robo

Recently, I've been staying up much too late to read Atomic Robo.

I first read Atomic Robo years ago.  One of the Free Comic Book Day issues -- I can't remember which.  It was fun, but didn't ignite a need in me to read more.*

Years go by and I'm looking for something new to read.  I've had the first Atomic Robo trade sitting on my Amazon wish list for quite a while and I finally pull the trigger on it.  Again, it's good - Nazis!  Robots! - but I don't immediately run out and buy the second trade.  The second takes the place of the first on my wish list and sits there for a few more months.

I buy volume 2 with some other books and it goes to the bottom of my reading pile.  When it get around to it, again, I find it good enough to buy the third collection, but not immediately nor immediately read it once it arrives.  (My mistake!)

Volume 3 is where I really started to take notice.  Without going into too much detail, there's a monster Atomic Robo is battling in different time periods.  Each issue takes place at a different point in time and it's all brilliantly tied together in the end.

I quickly bought volume 4, but was delayed in reading it.  This is a collection of mostly stand-alone issues as Robo deals with an invading dimension of vampires, hiring a new employee, a giant rampaging monster, a ghost... and Dr. Dinosaur.  Dr. Dinosaur is hilariously brilliant.  I love the hell out of him, but what really grabbed me was the last page.  No spoilers, but we learn a tiny bit more about Tesla and Edison here.  I needed more, and I needed it now! **

As if reading my mind, volume 5 gave me exactly what I wanted - the early days of Atomic Robo and much more on his relationship with Tesla, as well as Tesla's relationship with Edison.  (There's also the amazing Jack Tarot and his daughter Helen, but I'll let you discover that for yourselves.)  It's fantastic and I can't recommend it enough.

Volume 6 gets crazy.  Non-stop action as Robo realizes he's two steps behind in a race he didn't even know he was running.  It's phenomenal and you should read it.  I've also reading the introductions in each trade and in this one artist Scott Wegener talks about how he went back to Akira as part of his preparation for this series.  It's evident.  I believe writer Brian Clevinger and Wegener have both improved their craft with each series, making each book better than the last.

I finished volume 6 last night and immediately started volume 7 (reading the introductions first, which are full of praise from well known creators and insights from the Atomic Robo team themselves).  It begins with an insane aerial combat... and that's as far as I got before realizing how late it had gotten.

Last week I emailed my comic shop to grab volumes 8 and 9 (hopefully they're waiting for me right now) and I'll be placing an order for volume 10 so it will already be on my nightstand when I get there.

In short: Read Atomic Robo.  It's good.

* Some people say Atomic Robo is like Hellboy.  Sure, the early issues both have Nazis and a main character that cracks wise, but that's about it.  It actually reminded of Gun Fu, which is a comic I still have fond memories of, but I don't think anyone else even knows it existed.

** This is where I began staying up later than intended because I couldn't put the book down.

Last Week's Comics Today - 9/13/2016

Pick of the Week

Moon Knight #6 - If you know anything about Moon Knight, you likely know he's got some mental problems.  That's on full display here using multiple artists with dramatically different styles to illustrate his shifting reality.  That's all I'm going to say about what happens in this issue, but it really should be read and seen.  Highly recommended.

Runner-up
Justice League #4 - This is a top-tier superhero comic.  It's filled with ideas that would have fit in with old-school Authority, but starring the Justice League.  We get more answers about just what's going on, though not ALL of them... yet.  And it seems like even if they prevent the immediate threats (there's at least two) to Earth, more are lining up for down the line.  Highly recommended.  I hope this team stays on for a long time to come.

Everything else

Superman #6 - A great end to the opening rebirth arc.  It got a little dodgy in the middle issues with some confusing fight panels and a submarine in space, but all that is behind them now.  I was a huge fan of Tomasi and Gleason on Batman and Robin, but this is even better.  Seeing the multiple post-battle hero poses (not just for the man himself!) confirmed it.  It does out of step with Action Comics, since people seem surprised Superman is back even though he showed up and picked a fight with Luthor and then has been fighting Doomsday ever since, so surely someone should have taken note of that.  Right?  This paragraph makes it sound like I have more issues with the series than I do.  It's good.  I recommended it.

Sheriff Of Babylon #10 - This issue turns everything on its head.  As the book barrels toward its conclusion, threads from throughout the series are getting pulled together.  I'll probably have roughly the same thing to say about the next two issues as well.  If you're at all interested in the series, pick up the eventual collection.  It's very good and will read better when not spread out over a year.

Unfollow #11 - Some shit goes down in this issue and there's a great cliffhanger, but none of that means anything to you if you haven't been reading.  Unfollow reminds me of the Vertigo of old, when books like Y The Last Man and DMZ were being published.  If that sounds good to you, give it a try.  But I fear many people are writing off Vertigo due to the rise of Image, Hellblazer jumping to the main DC universe, Young Animal, and people writing off DC as a whole due to New52 or DCYou.  Vertigo lives on and continues to produce good work... if anyone would bother to give them a shot.

Kill Or Be Killed #2 - I really like this series, but am finding it hard to explain why.  Hopefully, all I need to say is it's Brubaker and Phillips.  If you're unfamiliar with the team, pick up the first issue and see what everyone's been talking about for more than a decade.  The art is appropriately dark and moody.  The writing is... I'm in love with the narration, but obviously that's only a piece of the writing.  At this point, it's hard to tell where the story is going, but I'm along for the ride to find out.

Night's Dominion #1 - An interesting set of characters and a plan that will surely go wrong are a good start, but I didn't find the art as strong as Naifeh's work on Courtney Crumrin or Polly and the Pirates.  I find the faces aren't as distinct as previous work and there's a character that's apparently a man I'm constantly thinking is a woman.  It's a stumble, but I'll give the series another issue or two based on the strength of Naifeh's previous work.

Paper Girls #9 - Basically no plot advancement, but all the girls plus the two extra Erins are together now.  Still, some riveting reading as everyone tries to decide what to do next and who to trust.  It's good.  I'm hooked.

Skybourne #1 - The only reason I have the slightest idea about what's going on in this book is due to a one-line description from a YouTube video.  There are some people that want a sword and whomever happens to possess said sword is trying to stop those people from getting it.  It's well drawn, but the story is razor thin.  And that's not good for only being a five-issue series.