Thursday, May 28, 2009

Comics Wednesday - on Thursday

In what may become a regular thing, here's a quick rundown of what comics I bought this week. I didn't realize going into the store how much stuff was out that I wanted to get, but $40 later, I found out. Some weeks I spend $10 or less. I wish that the stuff I liked could be spread out amongst the week a little bit more evenly. So, here goes:

Green Lantern #41 - This series is one of my current favorites, but it's having a bit of a hiccup right now. While the story "Agent Orange" is an interesting lead-in to the "Blackest Night" storyline that's coming this summer, the artist, Philip Tan, stinks. This is especially difficult to deal with considering that Ivan Reis, the guy who drew it beforehand, is arguably one of the most talented comics artists out there right now. Ahh well, just one more issue of Tan's suckiness and Dough Mahnke will take over, and he does some good stuff.

Ultimate Wolverine vs. The Hulk #6 - The last issue of this particular series. I haven't read the last few, as I was waiting for the series to conclude, so I can read them all in one sitting. The first two issues came out a few years ago, and the rest of the series finally went monthly just a few months ago. I don't remember much, but I remember The Hulk ripping Wolverine in half, and that was pretty damned cool. Hopefully the rest will live up to that moment.

Avengers/Invaders #11 - This series is only so-so, but it only has one issue left, so I can't just stop now! What's it about? Time travel and the superheroes of the WWII era meeting the heroes of the modern era. The twist? Captain America exists in both.

The New Avengers #53 - What the hell? Another artist with the last name Tan who stinks? Yeah, I don't like this guy either. Just like the other one though, he's leaving in an issue or two to be replaced by Stuart Immonen, who does some great stuff. Still, even with Tan's awkward art, Brian Michael Bendis' stories have been a lot of fun, so I'm looking forward to reading it.

Wolverine #72 - I'm only reading the regular title until the conclusion of the "Old Man Logan" storyline (unless what they have afterwards looks any good). Mark Millar wrote what was probably the best Wolverine story since the Claremont/Miller limited series with "Enemy of the State" and this one is shaping up to be another winner. Basically, it's Wolverine as an old man in a world where the villains have taken over America. For some reason, he refuses to fight, but a road trip with Hawkeye puts his pacifistic ways to the test. Fun stuff.

Superman #688 - I expected to drop the Superman books once they started this whole "World Without a Superman" storyline, but it's been too darned compelling to quit buying. I like what's going on in this series in particular with Mon-El, Superman's friend from the Phantom Zone, trying to take Superman's place in Metropolis. Renato Guedes' art alone makes it worthwhile.

The Astounding Wolf-Man #16 - Robert Kirkman also writes what's probably my current favorite comic series - The Walking Dead. This series is a consistent good read, as pretty much every issue has some sort of crazy plot twist that doesn't seem forced. This series really gets to the heart of what makes for good superhero stories, and that's that it really sucks to be a superhero. Wolf-Man has it really tough, as his mentor killed his wife, he was sent to jail, and his daughter is trying to kill him. It started off as what seemed like a standard superhero story in the early issues, until he flipped out during a full moon and gutted a fellow superhero. They've gotta make a movie with this one.

Stephen Colbert's Tek Jansen #5 - The final issue based on Colbert's sci-fi alter-ego. This has been a pretty solid and funny series - enough so that I don't feel like I'm just being a completist by buying the last issue.

The Amazing Spider-Man - The Short Halloween - This one's written by Bill Hader and Seth Meyers from Saturday Night Live. That alone wasn't enough to get me to pick it up; the fact that Kevin Maguire was doing the art was what sold me. I've only flipped through this one-shot so far, and it looks good at least. Hopefully the story will match up.

Star Wars: Legacy #36 - This is the only Star Wars comic I get. It takes place about 100 years after the days of Luke, Han, Leia, etcetera. It revolves around Cade Skywalker, who's as powerful with the force as his famous ancestors, but he has a rougish streak in him (having given up the Jedi life for the life of a pirate back when he was a teenager) that's reminscent of Han Solo. I think what's good about this series is that it has a lot more freedom to go in whatever direction it wants. The stuff with the established characters from the movies really can only do so much.

The Amazing Spider-Man #595 - I don't give a damn what some people say. Spider-Man's adventures have been more fun lately than they have been in a long time. Shoot, they're attracting A-list talent like Mark Waid, Joe Kelly, Phil Jimenez, Barry Kitson, and John Romita, Jr., aren't they? This one is the first part of a five-part arc that has Spider-Man going after Norman Osborn, who's basically become the most powerful man in America.

So, I've only read two of them so far - looks like I've got my work cut out for me. Remember - comics are awesome.

No comments: