Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities The Week's New Books Reviews

I suppose this could technically go under random reviews, but I thought I'd see if there might be interest in people talking about new books as they come out. I figure I will post very brief reviews of the various books I get each week. If other people share their own or simply comment on mine, then it will be a thing!

To start, here's a list of books I'll be reading tomorrow. I'll save any comments about them for after I've read them, except to say that the three #1s from DC are all single-issue trials to see if I want to go further. I copy and pasted from ComicList. The variant cover is random, I'm a digital guy now, and Comixology doesn't do variant digital editions (thank God.)

Batwoman Rebirth #1 (Cover A Steve Epting), $2.99
Cave Carson Has A Cybernetic Eye #5 (Cover A Michael Avon Oeming),
Mother Panic #3 (Cover A Tommy Lee Edwards), $3.99
Super Sons #1 (Cover A Jorge Jimenez), $2.99
Wild Storm #1 (Cover A Jon Davis-Hunt, $3.99

Black Panther World Of Wakanda #4, $3.99
Doctor Strange #1.MU (Brian Kesinger Gwenster Unleashed Variant Cover),
Doctor Strange #17 (Joe Jusko Corner Box Variant Cover), AR
Mighty Thor #16 (Joe Jusko Corner Box Variant Cover), AR

Invincible #133 (Cover A Ryan Ottley & Nathan Fairbairn), $0.25
Postal #18, $3.99
Sex Criminals #16 (Cover A Chip Zdarsky), $3.99

Looking forward to this! I'm a long time Invincible reader and have been loving Sex Crims since it debuted. After reading and loving volume one of Doc Strange, I'm now a committed trade buyer of the series. I'm also interested in hearing about Batwoman and Super Sons.

Okay, here we go. Sadly, the days of getting out of class in the afternoon and devoting the rest of my Wednesday to new comics are a distant memory, so I'll be covering them the way I read them: over a few days. I tend to start with the ones I consider light reading, so I actually got through a fair number of them last night.

I realized I needed some sort of spoiler policy so people could decide if they wanted to read, so I came up with this: I will try not to spoil the issue at hand more than necessary, but it can be almost impossible to describe a current issue without spoiling older ones sometimes, so if you're planning on reading the whole run and REALLY don't want any spoilers, probably best to skip that one.



The Mighty Thor #16: Jason Aaron (writer), Russell Dauterman (Artist), Matthew Wilson (colorist), VC's Joe Sabino (Letterer & Production)

The Asgard/Shi'ar War Part Two: Challenge of the Gods.

This is as well-written and beautiful as it always is. I wasn't sold on this storyline for a couple of reasons, but I'm enjoying it so far. I was afraid it was going to be tying into the sprawling mess that is the Guardians franchise these days, but it seems to be standalone at least so far. I've also never been very keen on bringing alien gods into this series. I get why it's logical in the Marvel Universe, but it just never felt very "mythological" to me. To be honest I still feel that way, but as long as the story keeps me entertained, I'm willing to go with it.

We see once again why Jane Foster does not belong as Midgard's representative on the council of worlds, as the absence of her secret identity ironically impairs her allies' ability to mount a rescue operation for her Thor identity. I really hope this storyline ends with Jane realizing she can't do both well and stepping down as Midgard's rep. Roz would be an excellent choice for a replacement, and it would tie her more closely into the main storyline.



Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye #5: John Rivera and Gerard Way (Story), Michael Avon Oeming (Artist), Nick Filardi (colors), Clem Robins (Letters)

Night Pudding

I REALLY want to like this title more than I do. I enjoy it, but I'm not sure how long it's going to be able to hang onto my crowded new books list if something doesn't click more for me. Given that Doom Patrol and Shade the Changing Girl are loaded with youthful enthusiasm, it seems interesting for Young Animal to do what is essentially a meditation on middle age and loss. I also like that the book harkens back to pulp adventure more than superheroics. It just feels like the book isn't sure what it wants to be beyond those thematic settings.

We actually get a fair bit of explanation this issue of what is going on. Cave spends some time bonding with his parents-in-law, and it was nice to avoid the expected "blame him for their daughter's death" cliche. Cave's daughter gets to spend some time in her mother's culture. There are also welcome developments with his former team, and the company he once worked for. The action sequences feel more like actual violence than the super-hero punchups that magically do no lasting damage to anyone. That suits both the sombre tone of the book and the throwback to pulps over superheroics. I'm still not sold on Wild Dog, a character who was very good in a one-shot gimmick miniseries, and has had no real reason to exist since.

My favorite moment was when Cave realized he was in over his head and tried to call in Superman, but the phone number he had was disconnected. In keeping with the sense of aging and loss, it was both a visceral reminder of the way old friends drift away, and the feeling of your life drifting away into irrelevance. I suppose it's possible on a purely continuity level that the phone is disconnected because the Superman he must have known is dead, but we won't open THAT can of worms.

Because I've been paying more attention to coloring, I noticed that the underground sequences (the whole issue this time) is full of purples and blacks, creating a gloomy and claustrophobic air. There are no brightly colored surface world sequences this issue and the gloom all became a bit much.

I think I like the issue a little more after writing this and thinking about it, so maybe that's a good sign for the future. As the first arc comes together, hopefully we'll get a better glimpse of what the series will be beyond that.



Doctor Strange #17: Jason Aaron (writer), Frazer Irving (artist), VC's Cory Petit (Letters)

A malevolent creature named Mister Misery, shaped by all of the bad Karma Doctor Strange has been piling up throughout his career, has possessed Wong and his using him to get revenge on Strange. Dr. Strange and his new librarian Zelma try to track them down. The usual gang of mystics can't help, but Man-Thing shows up to help in a weird Man-Thing way, and also to do some unnecessary touching. "Of COURSE I'm afraid! I could have just told you that!" Meanwhile Mister Misery probes Wong's mind and comes up with a VERY creative form of revenge against the good Doctor, leading to a guest appearance on the last page by Jason Aaron's other major Marvel character right now, The female Thor. After the huge universe-shaking opening arcs, this story feels much smaller and more personal, and that's a very nice change of pace.

Guest art by Frazer Irving, so you know it's beautiful. It's kind of surprising since his style is SO different than the flatter, almost two-dimensional stylized art of Chris Bachalo, but it works very well. I'm not sure if his work is actually painted or just creates a painted effect digitally, but either way I assume by the lack of a color credit that he does it all himself. It also reminds me that Frazer Irving needs a steady gig somewhere.



Invincible #133: Robert Kirkman (writer), Ryan Ottley (penciler & Inker), Nathan Fairbairn (Colorist), Rus Wooton (Letterer)

The End of Everythings, Part 1

So this is the first issue of the 12-part storyline wrapping up the entire Invincible Universe. I'm going to be honest here. I stopped reading this book years ago. I only came back when I heard it was ending, and spent a couple of months binge reading the whole thing. And while it's enjoyable enough, I doubt I would have made it through and been reading this issue if it weren't ending. I'm tired of the endless Viltrumite storylines. I'm tired of the constant storylines delving into ethical issues without ever seeming to land on a coherent viewpoint. I'm tired of the many, many relationships or worldviews that keep cycling back and forth between the same two states. I'm enjoying it enough to see it through to the end, but I can't honestly say I'll miss it a whole lot when it's gone.

Anyway, this issue. It opens with a funeral and contains a wedding. Invincible lashes out at someone in grief, then Eve lashes out at him in turn. Then Invincible explains his new code against not killing, because this month the dial landed on "moral relativism and ends justify the means," and he goes off to kill the Bad Guys.

Wow, that was... a lot of negativity. I almost deleted the whole thing, but then decided to let it stand. I'll just say that I clearly have issues with the series as a whole, and if you've been wanting to try it out, I wouldn't let my comments keep you from at least giving it a whirl.



Super Sons #1: Peter J Tomasi (story and words), Jorge Jiminez (artist), Alejandro Sanchez (colorist), Rob Leigh (letterer)

When I Grow Up...

This was a charming introduction to the series. Jon Kent tries to figure out how to protect a kid from bullies without using his powers or hurting anyone. Damian Wayne helps him sutbtly, then recruits him to help with a mission. Batman won't help because Damian is grounded for not doing his homework.

This was as absolute delight. The boys are very well written and have great chemistry. The plot moves along smoothly, focusing heavily on "kid stuff" while setting up superhero stuff in future issues. Superman, Lois and Batman all felt very in character. It avoided the continuity quagmire that has been sucking down so many Rebirth titles. It feels relatively clear of the Super- and Bat-franchise inbreeding. The art is light and slightly cartoony while still functioning as genuine sueprhero artwork. I will keep reading, and would definitely recommned to anyone who thinks it might be up their alley.

The only thing that rubbed me the wrong way is that Damian used rubber masks to pose as both a substitute teacher and a bus driver. Okay, fine, mask technology in the DCU is amazing, and Damian has incredible acting skills. But look at that kid! No way can eve the best mask make that small body look like a grown man. That's a very minor complaint though.



That's all the books from this week I managed to read yesterday.

Okay, after seeing that wall of text, I'll do each comic as a separate post.

Postal #18 Bryan Hill (writer), Isaac Goodhart (artist), K Michael Russell (colorist), Troy Peteri (letterer)

Most of the comics I really care about right now seem to be doing okay at the moment saleswise. The ones that are on the bubble are ones that I honestly wouldn't be too broken up about if they were canceled. Postal is the exception. I find it a fascinating and wonderful read, and it always seems to come in pretty low even by Image standards. It generally fails to even make Diamond's Top 300 chart. This makes me sad.

Given how few people read it, it could probably use an introduction. Eden, Wyoming is a town that officially doesn't exist. It's composed of criminals who want a quiet new life off the grid. An uneasy deal with high-ranking politicians and law enforcement officials keeps them secret in exchange for being a place to stick embarrassing people. The town's mayor is Laura Shiffron, who overthrew and kicked out her ex-husband Isaac when he became violent and unstable.

The main character is their son Mark, who is the postal worker in their little town. He also has Asperger's Syndrome. I am far from an expert on Asperger's, but I did spend a few years working as an aide in special ed, and it seems very accurate to the kids I worked with, although obviously it would take someone with AS to truly say how well it's portrayed.

In the current arc, Laura appoints Mark temporary mayor for a month to see if he will be up to the job of running the town when she is no longer able to. Because of his AS, most of the people in town underestimate Mark, a very bad handicap in a position that has to be run through fear to keep the powder keg of Eden from exploding. In fact, just the fact of the temporary appointment already has many of the residents muttering about revolt.

His sort-of-love-interest Maggie tries to talk to him, and in a very telling scene he makes it clear that he understands exactly what everyone's motivation is, often more than they do themselves. They all want to mold him into the man they think he ought to be. Far from being manipulated, he is simply listening to the perspectives of all the people around him until he himself decides who he wants to be.

He then visits his other sort-of-love-interest Molly, a psychopath so dangerous she is locked up even in a town of hardened criminals. We finally learn what it is Mark thinks he can learn from her: to understand and master the dark side of himself that he inherited from his father.

Speaking of Isaac Shiffron, an FBI agent named Christopher has been trying to get to the secrets of Eden and has gone rogue when TPTB shut down his investigation. He was investigating the new cult-like organization Isaac has been running recently. He was captured a couple of issues back. They appear to have gotten into his head, because when he is taken to a bound man and told only that he has done "very bad things" and Christopher has to kill him to meet with Isaac, he does so.

Sorry this one was more summary than analysis, and kind of broke my spoilers rule. But I figured this post was primarily going to be a pitch for a series most of you haven't heard of and probably wouldn't be particularly inclined to pick up without a strong hook.

Invincible Iron Man #4: Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Stefano Caselli (Artist), Marte Gracia (color artist), VC's Clayton Cowles (letterer)

This issue was good. I enjoyed it. I like Riri Williams, the new Iron Man (pending her coming up with a better name), and this take on Pepper and Tony (albeit an AI Tony programmed with his own personality). I will read the next issue.

And that... is what I have to say about this comic. If this is the kind of comic you enjoy, then you will enjoy this comic.

Thanks for the snapshot summary of Postal, BFOB. It sounds worthy of tracking down at least the first trade. It's hard to decide which Image books to try out and harder to take the time to read every one's solicitations. As a dad of a son with autism (though not Asperger's), this sounds particularly interesting.

The main student I worked with had autism, and I was his one-on-one. It was very rewarding work, but also very draining. My hats are off to the parents who rise to the challenge and can't go home at the end of the day. I loved the work, but after about three years I was just too drained to do it any more.

My son's autism is very mild. It mostly shows up in his lack of social skills. I wouldn't change a thing about him.

Brining it back to Postal, one of the things that pleased me about the portrayal of AS was that they avoided the lazy cliches. He's not a "savant" with exceptional knowledge of and obsession with one certain thing, and he doesn't repeat the same words over and over. As I'm sure you know, those things can present with spectrum disorders, but they are FAR from defining characteristics of everyone on the spectrum, as most popular fiction would have us believe. His biggest trait in that regard is his willingness to say the things that would make most of us uncomfortable, but is just stating the obvious to him.

Sex Criminals #16: Matt Fraction, Chip Zdarsky

Even though I'm about to shower this comic in golden praise, I should still warn you that it is very obviously a NSMW comic book, and if it could get you in trouble/offend/disturb you, you should skip this post.

Also, while the book is obviously sexually explicit, it is not one of "those" comics. The ones designed for... y'know.

This is one of the best comics being published today, and this issue, the first issue of a new arc following a long hiatus, is a great place to start.

It opens with an 8-page recap perfect for new readers. This is in addition to a normal length story, but it was so well done that honestly, I wouldn't have been upset if it were part of the regular page count. How often is the recap itself a solid work of entertainment?

Here's the skinny, and remember my warning: Growing up, Suzie and Jon realized that when they had an orgasm, time literally stopped. When they met and had sex, they discovered that if they orgasmed at the same time, they could move around in a frozen world together. They used this ability to rob banks. "Sex Criminals." While their tumultuous relationship develops, they meet other people with their powers, including the Sex Police.

This book is simply breathtakingly sublime. The way it mixes the highbrow with the juvenile, meta comentary, sex comedy, and genuine character depth is just unbelievable.

This issue counterbalances discussions among the people who don't like the Sex Police and what if anything can be done about them, with Suzie and Jon having some pretty serious and significant relationship work, although they ultimately find a fun and sexy way to do it. The best being "Strip Relationship Goal Building," where the other person has to take off an item of clothing when one of them makes an addition to the list of their relationship goals.

This comic also has one of the best lettercols in the history of comics. I won't say the best becasue there's some pretty stiff (hur hur) competition, but the lettercolumn is long (hur hur) and filled (you get the idea) with really fascinating letters and responses. And great sex tips like "Joining the Mile High Club? Certain types of miles expire at year's end; if you don't use them for travel, you can convert them into magazine subscriptions!" and Want to blow her mind in the bedroom? Rearrange all her stuff, and then insist you don't know what she's talking about."

If there's one comic out this week that I would recommend, it's this one. But only to certain readers obviously. Not you, GERRY.

Batwoman Rebirth: Marguerite Bennett and James Tynion IV (writers), Steve Epting (artist), Jeromy Cox (colors), Deron Bennett (letters)

First off, Steve Epting did the art. It's absolutely as fabulous as you would assume. What could I possible add to that?

Here's the good and bad about the writing side of things:

Good:

It's entertainingly written, with no major distractions.

It gives a very good introduction to the character, primarily being a recap of Batwoman's previous history.

It's largely untouched by the Rebirth continuity cluster****. It's so refreshing to read a DC comic where no one complains about their inability to keep their own backstory straight!

The bad: it's largely a recap of Batwoman's history to date. Only at the end does it give any hint of where the book is going. Batman asks Batwoman a question, and we get a montage of memories, but I'll be damned if I can figure out what the images mean, or what her answer to the question is supposed to have been, or what that means for what the new series is supposed to be like/about. Then cut to a new character that I have no idea who they are or what they're doing or how they're going to interact with Batwoman!

Basically it does a fantastic job of setting up the character, but a pretty poor job of setting up the series. Still, it's well crafted and beautiful to behold, so I will pick up the next issue to let them give me some of the information I felt should have been given in this one.

Mother Panic #3: Jody Houser (writer), Tommy Lee Edwards (illustrator), John Workman (letterer)

"A Work in Progress, Part 3"

This is definitely a case of a book I need to accept on its own turns and ditch my preconceived expectations, but I seem to be having trouble doing that.

Tommy Lee Edwards is a great artist, and it shows here. It's definitely a case where the colors (I assume he does them himself based on the lack of a credit) are integral to the artistic feel of the book. Sometimes the art is scratchy, almost like colored pencil. Sometimes it looks like watercolor. The pure white costume really pops against the dark backdrop of Gotham City.

The story is also pretty engrossing. I can't put my finger on why, but it reminds me of the better parts of Morrison's Batman run. There's a colorful and Gotham-worthy villain in the person of Gala, an artist who creates her works out of violence and slavery. She is brought into Mother Panic's sphere when she does a commission for one of Gotham's leading socialite/businessmen, whom MP is targeting.

While I'm not in love with the character's backstory or cast, they are good enough to be getting on with, and I think this issue's revelations and interactions is a good step in making them worthwhile on their own. I'm at least intrigued to learn what the mysteries are being presented.

Ultimately, the problem is that it would be perfectly at home in the bat-lineup. Aside from unbleeped swear words, there's nothing in this comic that would make me in any way surprised if it were coming from the Bat-Office. But it's part of the Young Animal line, promoted as edgy and intellectual and bleeding edge, and this book just... isn't. It's a well-made comic about a dark vigilante operating in Gotham City, interacting with the other dark vigilantes in Gotham City, including Batman and, in this issue, Batwoman. I think I'll enjoy it if I can just let go of the disappointment compared to what I was expecting, but I'm just not there yet.

Also, while I don't usually call out specific books for there lack of diversity, I can't help but continue to be disappointed with the unbearable whiteness of the Young Animal line, unforgivable in a line of comics professing to be young, edgy, and contemporary. 3 solo books starring white people, and a team book that focused so far mainly on the white characters, with a couple of characters of unspecified ethnicity floating around. Just... just no. They need to fix that.

Another busy week for me!

Astro City #41
Deathstroke #13
Future Quest #10
Kamandi Challenge #2 (Of 12)
Wonder Woman #17

Descender #19
Loose Ends #2 (Of 4)
Old Guard #1
Revival #47
Surgeon X #6

Black Panther #11
Hulk #3


The most notable things are a new Greg Rucka series from Image, and the final issue of Revival.

Lots of great reviews BFOB—I hope you make this a regular thing! I won’t comment on everything but I’ll say that I’m also reading most of the series you are.



This is actually my favorite Young Animal series at the moment, and I like the general sense of chaos and craziness which is then brought down to Earth by the very human themes of family and loss (for both Cave and his daughter). Oeming on art is really doing some of his best work ever, and I agree on the coloring being fantastic. I’ll keep my eye out more closely on the underground scenes going forward.

Both Cave and his daughter are very relatable and likeable. I like the addition of Wild Dog, which is kind of a novelty for me as I considered him a character we’d never really see much of again. He works for me so long as he isn’t the lead.



Can’t wait to read this issue as I’m a big fan of Frasier Irving and think he’ll compliment Aaron’s Doc really nicely. Dr. Strange, along with Black Widow and Silver Surfer, is a candidate for my favorite Marvel series right now. I really like the way Aaron writes Doc—he’s injected *something* into the series that’s been missing. What that might be is complicated—adventure, immediacy, humor—but I hope it doesn’t go away.



I agree: this was an absolute delight. I loved it from start to finish, and it was one of the most enjoyable stories I’ve read in an age. I commented on it further in the Superman thread. The Damien – John chemistry may be the best chemistry Damien has ever had, including Dick Grayson.

I'm going to cover most of the books I read yesterday here quickly, and write up longer pieces on a couple of them later.

Deathstroke #13 - As I've said elsewhere, this is a great book. The most recent issue ended on a perfect cliffhanger, surprising yet totally logical once you think about it. It's a very different take on Jericho, but as I've also said elsewhere, I was never the biggest Jericho fan to start with, so I'm okay with it. Could have used more Rose.

Batman '66 Meet Wonder Woman '77 #7 - I have enjoyed pretty much everything that has come out of the revival of the Adam West Batman and Lynda Carter Wonder Woman, and this teamup is no exception. The "60s" take on Ra's Al Ghul, Talia, and the League of "Shadows" is delightful. I expected them to fudge the timeline, but they've actually been very faithful. The first 4 issues were set in WW2, during Wonder Woman season one. The current issues are set during the Batman series, and I expect the last few issues to be set during the later seasons of Wonder Woman.

IF you haven't tried any of these comics, I would strongly recommend them. I'm sure if the line expands it will be the Christopher Reeve Superman, but I'd actually really prefer to see Shazam! '75.

Kamandi Challenge #2 - It continues to be a lot of fun. Peter Tomasi finds a really bizarre way to resolve the cliffhanger he was handed, which is perfect. In case anyone here has missed the news, this is a revival of Jack Kirby's Kamandi in a 12 issue miniseries. It's in the style of the old DC Challenge, with a different creative team on each issue, and each team ends with a huge cliffhanger, passing it along with no notes on where the story should go from there. It's not Great Art, but it is a lot of fun.

Wonder Woman #17 - I still want to like this series more than I do. I'll be glad when the continuity patching is done. I'm also not a huge fan of Veronica Cale. But it's nice to see Ferdinand again, and a Greg Rucka book is never bad. I just wish it would pick up the pace and get to answering some of the questions it's been posing.

I also read Hulk #3 and the final issue of Revival, but I have more to say about them, so I'll hold of for now.

I used to really like Spider-Gwen, but it drove me off with the increasingly tight spider-verse crossovers. I was feeling nostalgic when I saw an issue came out this week and considered trying it again. Wouldn't you know, it's in a multi-part crossover with Miles Morales' title. Smell ya later, Spider-Gwen. The whole POINT of setting a book in its own universe is that it can be self-contained!

Hulk #3: Mariko Tamaki (writer), Nico Leon (artist), Matt Milla (color artist), VC's Cory Petit (letterer), Manny Mederos (designer)

Deconstructed, Part 3

Y'all, I have SO much crow to eat about this comic. Not here, specifically, because I wasn't hanging around here when I was saying these boook seemed like a bad idea. But generally.

I encountered She-Hulk briefly in her original series but fell in love with her during Roger Stern's Avengers run. I've had a soft spot for her ever since. And like most people, I've come to associate her with comics that have a light touch. Not always straight up comedies, but books with humor and a quirky style. Dan Slott and Charles Soule are probably the best examples of this (although John Byrne is the most FAMOUS example.)

So when a saw she was debuting in a new super serious, dark, violent looking comic, I thought it was a TERRIBLE idea. But lo and behold, breaking the character out of her comfort zome has really made her feel very fresh and new.

Jennifer Walters has only recently come out of a coma due to injuries from Civil War 2. Between her injuries, friends tearing apart and many deaths, including her famous cousin Bruce, she's suffering from PTSD and she's trying to escape her trauma by retreating into a "normal" life.

She's no longer constantly hulked out. In fact, she can't become a Hulk at all. Whenever she starts to get upset, she not only triggers a PTSD episode, her wounds reopen and she collapses in agony and has to calm herself down. Three issues in, and we haven't seen her become Hulk once. That scary grey version of her on the cover? Never shown up. I assume that is what she'll eventually become, but for all I know, it's just a symbolic thing to make a book about a lawyer with PTSD more appealing.

It's become painfully obvious that her new firm hired her specifically to be a superhero show pony. They were suprised when she showed up not green, and so far all of the cases they've assigned her have been to do with superpowered people. Obviously, not something helping her feel "normal."

It also provides the basis for the first storyline, although it's really sort of a B plot running along Jennifer Walters' personal story. The case is question involves Maise Brewn, a woman who never leaves her apartment since getting powers that made it impossible to pass for normal (and a murder attempt by her former work partner.) Despite paying her rent punctually, her landlord is trying to evict her. Unfortunately, when a combination of Jen's personal problems and the slow workings of the law are more than the timid and nervous Maise can handle, she turns to a mysterious "something" that lives in her apartment for protection. Previously it murdered the landlord, and this issue it murders the cops investigating his disappearance.

If I had to guess, we will finally see Jen return to Hulking in time to fight this whatever it is.

I can't necessarily recommend this beyond the shadow of a doubt if you've liked previous series. It is a much darker, horror tinged character piece. But Jennifer Walters is recognizably still herself, despite the very different circumstances, and it's a fascinating new direction for a character who's been a cult favorite for decades, but never been able to break into large-scale sales success for any length of time. I really like it, and it's worth a shot if you think you might as well.

Another batch of shorter ones:

Future Quest #10: This is my favorite of the newly launched Hanna Barbera comics, probably because it's the one that plays the characters straight, which tickles my nostalgia bone. Future Quest is a 12 issue mega-crossover of all of H-B's "serious" adventure characters. Aside from dialing down the comic relief and ratcheting up the tension, these are recognizably the characters of my youth. The Herculoids and Johnny Quest are my favorites of the characters appearing here. The story is starting to coalesce towards a climax at this point, and I'm loving it. Jeff Parker has hinted that there will be *something* coming with these characters after the series ends, and I hope there is. But honestly, this series is fun enough that it's worth a read in its own right, even if it doesn't succeed in launching a long-term project.

Astro City #41 - The "100th" issue, with some very careful choices in what to put in the tally. This one tells the story of the Astro-Naut, the figure Astro City is named after. I enjoyed it, but it has a few too many resemblances to the Silver Agent's story for me to totally be in love with it. Still, it does the job of an anniversary issue by telling an entertaining story that fills an important hole in the history Kurt Busiek and company have been crafting. Fans should definitely enjoy it, but there are better issues to start with if you're new.

Black Panther #11 - The year-long story reaches its climax, with the 12th issue set to cover the fall-out. There are several nice moments and character interactions, most notably the actions of the professor who has inspired many of the rebels. But ultimately this is the "action" issue, and this book has always been at its most interesting in its more cerebral moments. I enjoyed it, but I'm really hungry for next issue, when the subtler plotlines I care more about will finally reach THEIR climax.

The Old Guard #1 - Given that this is a new creator-owned Greg Rucka series I expected to be writing a long entry for this, but I find I don't have a whole lot to say. The book revolves around a paramilitary squad of immortals taking jobs and keeping their nature on the downlow. Someone who has hired them in the past brings them in to shut down a human trafficking ring focusing on children. There are a couple of developments that complicate the squad's lives. The squad leader is a woman named Andy, a world-weary and cynical soldier who drowns her emotional problems in, apparently, an endless string of anonymous sexual encounters. And honestly, that's about all I got in this first issue, which is why I don't have more to say. It's Greg Rucka, so I'll give him at least the first arc to deliver, but except for her sexual insatiability, I feel like I could have described the lead character pretty well just knowing it's written by Rucka. I assume she will develop more as her comfortable setting gets blown apart by the events of this issue.

That's it for now. I still need to cover Descender, Revival, and Surgeon X. And I still need to read Loose Ends. The Image books tend to be denser reads than the superhero stuff, so I usually read the latter in a quick flurry, then read the latter more slowly over the rest of the week.

Astro City 41
An anniversary tale that gives the backstory on how the city got its name. It’s a strong enough story but, due to its historical sweep has echoes of other titles from Robinson’s Golden Age to Busiek’s won Marvels. That’s not a bad thing, although Busiek’s characters often represent cultural archetypes and fashions, rather than being characters who I’d want to see in their own books or that interest as villains. There’s more layers to Astro City than the above, and it’s the characterisation (here the hard choices made by the main character with a different perspective than the warring nations around him), that make it work.
4.5




Sex Criminals 16
You miss a few issues of a mainstream book, and a little previously paragraph will probably do. Here, we get an 8 page recap that’s way too pleased with what it considers to be its own genius. It’s not that the plot was complicated enough to require a fraction of that. The central relationship is what makes the book worth getting. The hang ups, the friction, the attraction and attempts at understanding. All the material in that 8 page preview is very much secondary in appeal for me. After our recap, one of our central characters is called on his actions, and they realise that one of the villains (an interesting combination of silly with menace) is still out to get them.
4.5



Justice League 14
Now, I didn’t actually buy this one. I read the start in the shop (while I was waiting for someone to make room at a shelf.) The Hitch art is more than enough to draw me in.

They’ve been blasted by a big energy weapon from an earth destroying threat. They all look very beat up. Batman must have been granted superpowers in my absence as he gets up before a few of the others. I’ll look for Super-Bats monthly.... or not.

The story grinds to an utter halt as the two Green Lanterns on the team question their own abilities in a badly done “Look at me! I need validation!” scene. Up above, the citizens are probably being slaughtered, but I’m sure they understand that it’s all in the cause of a good whine. I laughed and put the book back.

3 (but it would be less if Hitch wasn't doing the pencils)




I also bought a few other things, but will need to catch up before I get to them...

I read Doom Patrol 3! but it has it's own thread...

How long before ReviewFlix and Amazon Reviews split us further?! How Long?!

This week:

Shade The Changing Girl #6

Extremity #1
Invisible Republic #15
Nailbiter #30
Paper Girls #12
Royal City #1

America #1
Doctor Strange #18

A relatively light 5 books, plus three first issues I may or may not try out.

Okay, video games have kept me preoccupied. I'm about to walk out the door, but when I get home later I will knock out this week's books before I fire up a game. I promise!

First, some last books from the week before last. I meant to write longer pieces on them, but I kept putting it off, and a short comment is better than a long post that only exists in my head!

Revival #47 - The final issue in the series, which makes it hard to talk about in a non-spoilery way. It was by and large a satisfying conclusion, although a couple of characters got short shrift. One in particular has been backburnered for a while now, and it frustrates me that he didn't have a bigger role at the end. The basic premise is that a small town is quarantined because the dead started coming back and no one knows why, so they are treating it as a potential disease outbreak. In addition to the obvious plotlines that suggests, the main character Dana is a sheriff's deputy who is trying to solve the murder of her revived sister Em, who doesn't remember how she died. Well worth a read. It got slow in places, but once the book moved into it's final act, it was a rocket ride to the finish.

Surgeon X #6 - I literally bought this book just because Karen Berger edits it, her first return to comics since leaving Vertigo. It's yet another dystopian future, but with an unusual premise. The human race has developed a resistance to almost all known antibiotics, and the few that still work are being rationed by the government, who decides who warrants treatment and who doesn't. Rosa is a rogue doctor who performs unauthorized guerilla surgery. It's a dense read, not helped by being one of those image books drenched in dark, "serious" colors all the time. Likie almost every issue of this series, it sometimes takes a while to get myself to read it, but once I do, I wind up really enjoying it. That said, if I wind up having to cut back my list, this will probably be one of the first on the chopping block.

Descender #19 - This is always a beautiful book. It's also a fun space opera read. There are some similarities to early Star Wars, but enough differences that it can't really be said to be a clone. This issue reassures me that what appeared to be a death in the previous issue was only mostly dead, although it rips it away at the end with an awful cliffhanger. The book is about character more than plot, and these messed-up, broken people (and aliens and robots) always move me, even if it makes me wish I could punch them also.


And this week (new books don't come out for several hours, so it is still technically this week's books!):

Doctor Strange #18 - Jason Aaron is always a good time. This issue combines his two magical doctors, Doctor Strange and Jane Foster the female Thor, as the work together to remove evil monster tumors from people's brains. Meanwhile, Mr. Misery continues to possess Wong and try to ruin Strange's life. If Jason Aaron has one flaw, it's that his plotlines can sometimes outstay their welcome. I'm ready to move on from Mr. Misery, who was a B-plot for the first two arcs before moving front and center for this one. With any luck, I will be getting my wish soon.

Invisible Republic #15 - If Surgeon X is an example of an Image book that is a long, dense read drenched in drab colors, Invisible Republic is the specific book I was thinking of the first time I made that complaint. It's an example of a sci-fi story where the SF is only background to a plot that could be told pretty easily without any SF trappings. That's not good or bad in itself, and this book for the most part does it well. It's a story told in two timelines, the story of the rise of a dictator told by his... sister? cousin? I forget the exact relationship. The present day (well, present-future day) features the political turmoil after the dictator's fall. The present day plot is finally picking up steam, to the point that I'm starting to lose interest in the flashbacks and am ready to move on from the device. They still haven't told us exactly what happened to the dictator in question. Was he killed? Is he in prison? Did he run off and live in hiding? The clock is ticking on how long I am willing to consider that an interesting kind of eliptical storytelling, and when I will decide that it's simply stalling. I like it, but I have to be in just the right state of mind to wrestle with it.

Nailbiter #30: And absolute shocker to me. I got halfway through, and asked myself "Is this the last issue?" and it was. In this age of everything being trumpeted in advance, I can't remember the last time an ending took me by surprise. I suspected the book was drawing to a close by how quickly events were moving, but I had no idea the end was upon us. An excellent end to an excellent series, with one huge shock that absolutely took me by surprise. Absolutely worth reading.

Paper Girls #12 - I still have absolutely no idea where this story is going, but I love being along for the ride. A group of young girls who work paper routes, a classic 80s style "stand by me" crew of misfits, gets wrapped up in a bizarre time travel plot that I'm still nowhere near understanding. With nice little character moments, this is a fun book with plenty of meat on its bones to digest.

Shade the Changing Girl #6 - It looks like a lot of what I thought was going to be the concept of the book comes to a head in the final issue of the first arc. Looks like the book may be heading into some new territory soon, while still having plenty of loose ends from this first arc to contend with. It's a worthy sequel to the Milligan run, and continues to tickle my "Vertigo nostalgia" bone just right. I wouldn't recomment this book for everyone, but I love it a lot.

America #1 - I tried it out. I didn't think I was going to like it, but there were moments that gave me hope. The book spends a lot of time telling us how amazing America Chavez is, and how she represents youth and hope and a progressive view of what America can be. It's pretty heavy handed, and she was starting to feel a little too perfect. Ms. Marvel fills a similar niche, but Kamala makes mistakes and poor or selfish decisions, and lots of people are very critical of her and/or Ms. Marvel. That book doesn't have to tell us she's wonderful, it shows us. This book tells us. Over and over. Still, there were some signs that she may have some flaws that will be spotlighted. She had a very immature reaction to a romantic breakup and to the teacher who wasn't impressed by her. If the book develops in that direction, I may be on board after all.

Revival is a book I picked up for a while but dropped after it started wandering aimlessly and was no longer riveting from issue to issue. It kind of had that, "let's string this out in case it gets picked up a TV series" feel. Now that it's over, maybe I'll revisit it at some point. 47 issues seems an odd point to end it, though. Maybe its end was hastened by sales droppage?

Paper Girls really connected for me with that second arc, after a so-so first arc. The "Stand By Me" comparison is apt on a few levels.

I just recently got Aaron's second Doc Strange collection, "Last Days of Magic", and hope to read it soon. Volume One really knocked my socks off far more than anything I've sampled of his work-for-hire output. I was really impressed! If you haven't yet, though, you should really try out his Scalped or Southern Bastards books. These are where his true talent really shines!

I've definitely been a fan of scalped since it was coming out in Flappies. I discovered southern bastards about the time the first art ends, and I absolutely love it too. I enjoyed the goddamned, but it feels like it's taking some time to gel, and the long wait between issues doesn't help.

I agree with you about revival getting pretty dull in the middle. I described it as slow, but I think you're harsh or criticism is probably more on the nose. I thought ending on number 47 Woodside as well, but it does feel like a natural and built up to organically. I feel like you can put your finger on the exact issue where they decided to stop treading water, and start telling the final act of their story. If the ending was pushed along by sales or some external factor, it happened in a way that wound up benefiting the book.

Invisible Republic - I read the first trade and then forgot about getting any further ones. It's disappointing to read that they didn't pick up the pace. Thanks for the review.

I've got the first half dozen issues of Invisible Republic. I do remember quite liking it. But obviously not enough to keep it going. I'm thinking I'd enjoy a number of series more if I read them in TPBs. This would be one of them.