Sunday, June 08, 2008

This Week's Haul: Grab Bag Week

Every four to five weeks or so I hit what I call the 'grab bag week.' This was one of those weeks. The big titles this week were, of course Buffy and Dark Tower, but since I don't read those I get an odd selection of sidekicks and minor characters. With a couple of notable Marvel exceptions.

Nightwing #145

This has actually turned itself into a really good Bat title. The current storyline is totally messed up and insane, but very fun. And the Morales art has been fantastic.

This issue is also monumental because, I believe, it's the first time I've seen the word 'vaginally' in a mainstream superhero comic. And it's not even used the way you'd expect in a Nightwing comic!

Robin/Spoiler Special

As I mentioned in the comment section of the last post, I don't really care one way or the other about the lack of memorial in the Batcave for poor Stephanie Brown. I liked her as a character, I hated everything about the War Games storyline, and I am glad that she's back. I think the whole "Hey guys! I faked my own death! Leslie helped!" return is pretty lazy, but I forgive it. I kinda feel the same way about it that I do about Brand New Day: I don't care how they did it, as long as they fixed it.

So this comic was pretty good. Two stories, both by Chuck Dixon and both with great art. I enjoy Robin and Spoiler together. It's got a nice old school Robin/Batgirl feel. Stephanie is the Barbara to Tim's Dick.

Wait. That didn't come out right.

Secret Invasion #3

Alright, here we go.

So, is Tony Stark a Skrull or what? And if he is, is that good or bad? I mean, obviously that's an easy way to explain away why he's such a douche now, but at the same time...

Well, either way, Yu has been at the top of his game with the art on this series so far. And I'll say this: whatever is happening in this whole Secret Invasion thing, it's holding my interest. Keep it up, Marvel!

Jonah Hex #32

Matador vs Bull!

Bear vs Bull!

Hex vs Bull!

Hex vs Scum Bag!

And all with fabulous Jordi Bernet art! Darwyn Cooke is doing the art for the next issue, in which Hex travels to Canada! I can't wait! I'll bet Darwyn draws some attractive mounties!

Justice Society of America #16

I really like comics/television episodes where the characters are granted wishes, so I really enjoyed this.

Damage gets his face fixed! Yay!

Lookin' good, buddy! We should introduce Gog to Jonah Hex.

Overall, I'm not super into this whole Kingdom Come storyline, but I really like this big, happy Gog.

And I like that Black Adam is working his way back into a JSA title.

Midnighter #20

This is a the final issue in a story that, I'm just gonna say it, got pretty bland after Giffen took over. Love Giffen, but this just wasn't a good run. This series started with a fantastic Ennis story about traveling through time to kill Hitler, and continued to be very good until the latest storyline. This issue, however, was pretty good. Certainly very violent, which is the reason to read Midnighter comics.

I am sorry it's canceled because I was hoping for a day that it would get awesome again. Oh well. If only the Morrison/Ha Authority comics would ever continue.

Justice League Unlimited #46

Another final issue. I find it sad when an all-ages title bites the dust, but I guess it's inevitable when the series has been off the air for several years. And, really, the series was more for nerdy adults than kids anyway. The end of this series means the end of the fantastic institution that is Justice League Unlimited. A great show, and a fun comic. This issue, much like every issue of this series, probably had too much going on in it for young kids, which is why Super Friends makes a lot more sense as an all-ages title. But it did make me think that a Green Lantern Corps cartoon series/all-ages comic would be a great idea. I mean, come on...Gnort? Gnort is made for all-ages reading!

Trinity #1

I love the cover because Superman is all "My logo's in focus! Bam!" As an aside...I really hate that Trinity logo. It's like "We need a logo for this series...pile them all on top of each other! No wait...that looks weird...um, blur the bottom two."

I had pretty low expectations for this, after the crushing disappointment that was Countdown. This wasn't bad though. At worst, it was boring. And that's just how I felt. Maybe I just don't have the energy for another weekly. The issue was fine, I just didn't read it and think "Sign me up for another 51 issues of this!"

The Amazing Spider-Man #561

This was SO GOOD. Really, there are no complaints at all about this series so far coming from me. Especially if they are putting people like Marcos Martin on art. (It should come as no surprise that I am a huge fan of Batgirl: Year One).

I never thought I would say this, but Spider-Man is now one of my favourite titles. And JLA is one of my least favourite. What crazy, upside-down times we live in.


Sorry these reviews are so late this week. I was having some computer troubles. Better late than never though, right? And I am trying really hard to not make it never.

9 comments:

team spawns said...

good to have reviews from you regularly again. I agree on the art for amazing spider-man, I wish martin drew every issues!

SallyP said...

It was a surprisingly good week for me, most of my favorites come in other weeks.

I still can't quite believe how good Nightwing has become. Tomassi and Morales are doing a bang-up job.

Jonah Hex was very good,and excellent artwork. And the twist at the end of course, always the twist.

I'm getting just a tad bored with the endless tie-in to Kingdom Come in Justice Society, but I love them all, so I really don't mind that much. But this was pretty decent, and who knew that Damage was so pretty?

Justice League Unlimited. It had G'nort. That automatically makes it fabulous.

I liked Trinity. Not a WHOLE lot happened, but it was nice, and certainly a hell of a lot better than Countdown, although I suppose that falls into the "damning with faint praise" category.

I have to admit that I was happy to see Black Adam show up. It's been a while, but I really did want him to shout "Chocolate Egg Cream!" instead of Shazam. Bummer.

Sea-of-Green said...

Darwyn Cooke on the next Hex? I'm SO there! Thanks for posting the info! :-)

JackalsIII said...

Spoiler is back!?! I may have to pick up a few more DC comics now! Just really like the character. Besides Cameron Chase, she's my other favorite DC Lady.

Anonymous said...

No review for Detective?

Selina totally calls Bruce out for his plethora of girl-toys lately. Plus, Batman in a chatroom.

It's as if Dini wrote it just for you to blog about.

In other news: yet another person I respect falls prey to the shiny piece of offal that is Tomasi's Nightwing. (sigh)

It's like I'm the last cultist left and I ain't drinkin' the Flav-O-Ade.

Tomasi is severely overrated, writing some of the worst, hackneyed Spider-man ever and calling it
>Nightwing
.

But, shit, everyone else loves it, so I guess I'm the a-hole. But man, I seriously think you're all on the Brown Acid. It's almost Bruce Jones bad.

JohnF said...

I'm a big Midnighter fan, but I just don't know how many interesting stories that character has in him. In the later issues of his comic he was just Lobo with a cooler costume.

Anonymous said...

Hooooooolllld on. Lenil Yu on top of his game? I admit, his art isn't terrible in Secret Invasion -- I'm actually quite pleased. His art on New Avengers has been absolutely bloody awful, though. I see no reason why he has to draw about fifty lines on everyone's face. And the fight scenes he draws are a terrible mess. It's ugly, ugly art and it looks like an amateur just learning the trade rushed through it.

If you want to see Lenil Francis Yu at his best, read the Warren Ellis written Not Dead Yet arc in ye olde Wolverine 119, back when he didn't have his adamantium -- a four part story where an old assassin acquaintance of Logan's sets out to kill him. THAT was good art. I have no idea what happened to Yu after that, but his art just became horrible.

http://readrant.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/mcleish-explodes.jpg

I can't believe this art comes from the same guy.

Anonymous said...

Hmm, I don't think that link works. Well, if you're interested, google image search Wolverine 119 to 122 and you'll find a few things.

Anonymous said...

You reviewed Jonah Hex but missed the biggest event of the week, Jonah Hex revealing a secret power of his-

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3118/2574229011_46eb991fee.jpg?v=0

Splash! Behold the watery backhand of Jonah Hex