Comics Roundup for 12/28/11

Tons of stuff this week - let's keep it brief, shall we?

Star Wars:  Crimson Empire III #3 (of 6) - Another solid installment of this series, with Kir Kanos as probably one of the most interesting characters from the expanded universe.

Superman #4 - I really wanted to like this series.  I don't though.  I found myself completely losing interest about halfway through.  While I appreciate that George Perez is trying to pack as much story into each page as possible, it doesn't help when the story just isn't that interesting.  Dan Slott has been doing a much better job of this over in The Amazing Spider-Man.  Anyway, I'm done with this series.

Uncanny X-Men #3 - I've stated before that I remember Mr. Sinister from the Chris Claremont/Marc Silvestri days, so he seems a bit different here.  I never realized that he could be such a fun villain though.  Anyway, good stuff - I didn't even plan on picking this series up when it started, but I'll probably get the next issue.

Kick Ass 2 #6 - I always say that I always say the same thing about Mark Millar's writing, and I'm going to say it again - every issue moves the story forward and leaves me wanting more.  That's what comics are all about.

Captain America #5 & #6 - Since Steve McNiven can't keep his deadlines, we wind up with two issues in the same week.  Also, we wind up with some fill-in art on issue #5, and it's pretty crap-tastic.  Anyway, nice to see Alan Davis stepping in for issue #6.  Hopefully that will get this series back on track.

Aquaman #4 - Another good issue, but I hope that this isn't the end of this story's antagonists, and I hope that they'll tie into the big Atlantis story that's hinted at on the last page of this issue.  Are we going to have an Aquaman-centric crossover in the DC Universe?  That just might be the thing to give him the respect he deserves.

Captain America & Bucky #625 - I really liked this issue, but I'm confused as to why the original Human Torch was alive in the "now" time period.  Did I miss something?  Oh, and I like Francesco Francavilla just fine as an artist, but he drew Cap's energy shield way too small.

Batman:  The Dark Knight #4 - They're trying some interesting stuff here, and I like the interactions with the rest of the DC Universe and the relationship with Commissioner Gordon.  I'm not quite sure if it's working, but it's interesting enough to keep me reading.

Wolverine & the X-Men #3 - I'm not sure if I'll continue to get Wolverine's solo series when Jason Aaron leaves, but I'll probably continue to get this one.  I read somewhere that he's a fan of Grant Morrison, and it really shows in this issue.  Wacky, fun stuff.

I, Vampire #4 - Another fun read, even though I thought that we'd have Batman involved in all this by now.  Honestly though, I think that the art is a bigger draw than the story - but the story's not bad.

Batman Incorporated:  Leviathan Strikes! #1 (of 1) - Nice to see that the Batman Incorporated stuff is continuing in the "New 52" although in a somewhat convoluted way.  Any reader who came on board with the relaunch will no doubt be confused by this, but us long-time readers need some satisfaction, dammit!

Comics Roundup for 12/21/11

Pretty good week.  Let's do this:

Wolverine #20 - This issue is pretty much just a setup for a new storyline, but it was nice to see Wolverine's girlfriend actually doing something.  I'm disappointed to hear that Jason Aaron isn't planning on sticking around after this arc.  Hopefully they'll get a good writer to take his place.  I've always liked the character, but few creative teams have motivated me to buy the series.

Batman #4 - Scott Snyder is weaving a pretty intricate tale here, just like he did with his arc on Detective Comics.  This one goes far back into Batman's past and explores Gotham City's history as well.  Greg Capullo is firing on all cylinders as well.  Nice to see his artwork go with a story that actually has a plot.

Justice League #4 - While I didn't dig this issue as much as I did the last one, it still was enjoyable.  I'm worried though that they're going to wrap everything up by next issue.  I don't know how they're going to do it. Plus, Batman needs to punch Green Lantern out sometime soon.  Oh, and I love the bit where GL touches Wonder Woman's lasso and accidentally reveals a bit too much about himself.

The Amazing Spider-Man #676 - I didn't quite feel like I got as much bang for my buck with this issue, as it basically just involves the Sinister Six, and we don't even get to see Spider-Man in it.  Still, the ending was pretty satisfying, and I'm eager to see what's happening next.

Wonder Woman #4 - Another awesome book.  I really love how Brian Azarello is utilizing the Greek Mythology, while at the same time not making me feel like I've seen all this before.  Not much else to say other than this is one of my favorite books right now.

The Avengers #20 - Just like New Avengers, this is a whole lot more interesting now that Norman Osborn is playing a role in the storyline.  I guess it makes sense that after everything that happened before Siege, it wouldn't be as simple as incarcerating him in order to shut him down.

Daredevil #7 - This is a stand-alone issue, and a pretty decent one at that.  Again, this book is really finding the right tone, as the darker stuff has been pushed about as far as it can go, while at the same time, you've got to keep a certain edge to the character.

Comics Roundup for 12/14/11

Some good stuff this week, starting with:

Batwoman #4 - I'm enjoying this series more and more with each issue.  The artwork is fantastic, as always.  My favorite part was the messed-up way Chase got Flamebird to reveal her secret identity - some cold-hearted stuff going on there.

Batgirl #4 - A satisfying conclusion to the first story arc with a cliffhanger that makes me eager for the next issue.  I don't have much new to say about this series, only I'll reiterate that I'm glad that they are dealing with the fact that Barbara Gordon spent so much time in a wheelchair, and her "miracle" recovery is being dealt with in a manner that makes the character more interesting.

Batman and Robin #4 - Easily tied with Batman as my current favorite book with the Dark Knight in it right now, this issue didn't disappoint either.  Batman definitely has a lot of work to do with this current Robin, and each issue develops the relationship further.  Plus, the villain is a pretty interesting one, as he's trying to recruit Damien Wayne to join up in a more ruthless vigilante partnership than the one he has with his father.

The New Avengers #19 - This series is picking up steam again, and it had one of my favorite Spider-Man lines in a long time:  "I like to take as much blame as I can whenever I can.  Don't take that from me.  It's the only joy I have."  Good stuff - is there any wonder why I love this character so much?

Green Lantern #4 - Good stuff, yet again.  Sinestro only gets more and more interesting in this series, as he has what all good bad guys have:  the conviction that he's actually the good guy.

Avengers:  X-Sanction #1 (of 4) - Meh.  Cable fights the Avengers.  Who gives a crap?  Not me.  I'm not getting the next one.

The Walking Dead: Volume 15 - As always, I zoomed right through this trade paperback.  I once worried that this series would start to feel repetitive, but with this current story, it definitely feels like it's going in a different direction.  The main motif is "hope" and that's what these characters are trying to hold on to in a world that seems to have crushed all sense of it.  I'm curious to see where it will go from here.

Comics Roundup for 12/7/11

The Avenging Spider-Man #2 - This was another fun issue of Marvel Team-Up.  I suppose that so long as this continues to be such a brisk, entertaining read, I'll keep getting it.  Still, it feels a bit inconsequential, as they're not going to do anything major with Peter's personal life in this book.

The Defenders #1 - Even though I've never been really into The Defenders as a team, and I can't ever seem to stay with anything that Matt Fraction writes, I figured I'd give this new series a shot.  It was an interesting enough of a read, and it's always nice to see Terry Dodson on pencils.  Maybe I'll pick up the next issue.

The Amazing Spider-Man #675 - Is it just me, or are Peter Parker's girlfriends more interesting when they're ex-girlfriends?  That was the case for Mary Jane, and now it seems to be the case with Carlie Cooper.  Anyway, nothing special about this issue, but this has been such a solid series since Dan Slott took over, that it just fits in as another solid installment.

Action Comics #4 - Maybe my expectations were just too darned high with this title, and maybe I just really wanted to read a good Superman book.  However, this series just really isn't living up to what I wanted it to be.  I really dug the first issue with the socially conscious Superman who had the world against him, and I was hoping for some more of that.  This issue was fine, but it felt like a standard superhero book to me.  I'm hoping that Grant Morrison will toss in some of his wild ideas soon.

Detective Comics #4 - This was entertaining enough, but it's definitely the weak link in the current run of Bat titles (with the possible exception of The Dark Knight).  I need to cut stuff.  This might just fall victim to that.

Justice League International #4 - Speaking of cutting stuff, I might stick around for the final chapter of this current storyline, but I'm somewhat surprised that I got this one.  (Maybe because it was a slow week.)  It's not bad, and I really like Aaron Lopresti's artwork.  It just doesn't have a lot of interesting stuff going on to make me really look forward to the next issue.

Comics Roundup for 11/30/11

Crimson Empire III #2 (of 6) - I finally got around to rereading the original two series, and I'm glad that I decided to pick this one up.  Dark Horse puts out a lot of Star Wars books, and this is definitely one of the better ones.  Kir Kanos is definitely an interesting, non-canonical character, and I'm intrigued as to how his story is going to end.

Wolverine #19 - This was another fun issue, and I'm glad that it's finally starting to refer to some of the pretty earth-shattering storylines from earlier in this series.  Also, this issue sees Logan's girlfriend come back into the picture.  I had completely forgotten about her.  I don't know where she was introduced, but I know that she had a very small part in the first story arc.  If they're going to have her, then I hope that they actually do something interesting with her.

Daredevil #6 - This was probably my favorite issue of this new series.  I liked the explanation of how the villain's powers worked, and even better, I liked how Daredevil was able to defeat him in a way that only Daredevil possibly could.  Oh, and I hear that Marcos Martin isn't sticking around.  Dangit - that guy never sticks around for long.  Hopefully whatever he draws next is something I'm already getting.

Wolverine and the X-Men #2 - I told myself I wasn't going to get this one, but it was a slow week and I'm weak-willed.  Kind of glad that I did, as it was a pretty fun issue.  I'm starting to dig Jason Aaron as a writer, as he seems to be a bit of a toned-down Grant Morrison.  The ideas are crazy, but you can read one issue and it has a cohesiveness to it - unlike Morrison.  Maybe I'll pick up the next issue as well.

Uncanny X-Men #2 - I also said that I wouldn't get this one, and just like with the other X-book, I liked this one a bit more than the first issue.  I remember Mr. Sinister from his earliest appearances, so I'm not too familiar with what they've done with him since.  Still, this is a pretty wacky thing that he's doing in this issue.  Dammit...might just have to pick up the next one as well.