Comics Roundup for 7/13/11

Captain America #1 - This issue is definitely a great jumping-on point for new readers, especially those who might have heard about what a cool character Cap is under writer Ed Brubaker. Long-time readers might be a little disappointed though. Why? Because Bucky isn't even mentioned in it. Personally, I don't mind so long as we'll eventually get around to Steve Rogers dealing with the loss of his sidekick. Perhaps that will happen in the other series, now re-titled Captain America and Bucky. Anyway, this is still a solid read, and having Steve McNiven on board, who drew some of the coolest Cap action sequences back in Civil War, is definitely a plus. It has everything that makes a Captain America book great - action, intrigue, connections to the past, and the return of an old villain.

Batman: The Dark Knight #3 - Seems silly that they're going to have one more issue of this series and then reboot it, but I guess the folks at DC thought it would be even more silly to reboot the entire line except for one title. Anyway, this series has been so delayed that I forgot a lot of what happened beforehand. Still, it's a plus when I find myself enjoying it anyway, and I still think that David Finch's strengths are still well-suited to drawing Batman. I also think he does a pretty awesome Demon, and I wouldn't mind seeing him do a series with that character.

Green Lantern #67 - While "War of the Green Lanterns" was merely a decent storyline, it definitely ends on a strong note here, and it also sets things up for the reboot of the series. I had read that Sinestro was going to be a Green Lantern again, and this issue explains how - and it has the appropriate amount of incredulity amongst the characters. Also, the Guardians make a decision that reveals exactly why they're so concerned about Hal Jordan - they are quite literally afraid of him.

The New Avengers #14 - This Fear Itself crossover is handled much better than the ones in the main Avengers title, as it moves forward with the book's main storyline along with tying it into the overall crossover story. There's definitely a lot of interesting stuff going on with this one, as Spider-Man quits, but then Wolverine and Luke Cage have a talk with him - but we don't get to hear any part of it. What does that mean? He quits because he doesn't trust the team's liaison to the government, but maybe he's not alone in that mistrust? We'll see.

Wolverine #12 - More revelations as to exactly who's behind putting Wolverine through the ringer in this issue. Apparently, he's pissed off a lot of people in his lifetime. I'm looking forward to the inevitable showdown.

The Amazing Spider-Man #665 - This is a pretty good stand-alone story. I think that what I'm liking the most about Dan Slott's writing is that I really feel like I get a lot with each issue. Considering that so many writers are writing for the trade paperbacks nowadays, it's nice to get such a satisfying read in every issue with this series.

Batman: Detective Comics #879 - Seriously, if you want to read a Batman comic and you only want to read one, read this one - and that's saying a lot considering that Batman himself doesn't even appear in this issue. Of course, once the reboot happens, you want to follow writer Scott Snyder over to Batman, but it's his work on this title that's made me a fan. All sorts of creepy stuff going on in this issue, and there's some great emotional investment on the part of the characters.

Incognito: Bad Influences - This is the second volume of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips's superhero/crime/noir title. I really liked the first, and I think that I want to reread it before sitting down to read this one. I expect to like it, as this creative team rarely lets me down.