dc comics

Comics Ahoy!

| xeyeti

Another week, another collection of sequential art storytelling magazines! Get ready, it’s comics time!

Secret Six #17: Picking up where last week’s Suicide Squad #67 left off, we basically get a great big fight scene. Or a series of fight scenes. But very nice fight scenes, and with plenty of clever dialogue and some great character moments. I swear, Gail Simone could be writing a comic book about paint drying and I’d still read it.

Invincible Iron Man #22: Matt Fraction not only writes an awesome Iron Man, but he’s got the voice and character of Doctor Strange down perfect, too. Will someone get this man writing a Strange ongoing now, please? I mean, sure, he’s already doing Iron Man, X-Men, and (if I’m not mistaken) about to take on Thor as well, but surely he’s got enough time to do another title, right?

Batman: The Widening Gyre #4: This feels an awful lot like a middle of the miniseries issue, which is exactly what it is. Kevin Smith does a decent job with the characterization and the different relationships he’s juggling in this book, but there doesn’t seem to be much of a conflict in the story to really drive the plot. There’s just two issues left, so I’ll just follow it through to the end, but I can’t help wishing there was something more happening.

Slightly-Belated Comics!

| xeyeti

So yeah, Wednesday was new comics day, so here’s my (rather meager) haul:

Doom Patrol #6: A pretty cool way to reconcile the numerous reboots, revisions, and reimaginings of a character (The Negative Man) that’s been around since the ’60s. Giffen does a good job of tying everything together and making it seem at least semi-coherent, and the almost complete lack of dialogue actually works pretty well. And the Metal Men co-feature is, as always, fantastic. I’m really sad the co-feature won’t be around for much longer.

Suicide Squad #67: The first of a two-part Blackest Night tie-in with Secret Six, this issue hits all the right notes and doesn’t feel like a cash-grab event tie-in. It helps that John Ostrander and Gail Simone do such a fantastic job with the writing and that Calafiore’s art fits perfectly with the story, and that the Suicide Squad has done in so many characters over the years and thus has a rather sizable collection of characters to resurrect as Black Lanterns. Can’t wait to follow this up next week with the next issue of Secret Six.

Also picked up the trade of Frank Miller’s Daredevil story Born Again, one of the best Daredevil stories ever. Really looking forward to readin that this weekend.

Comics Cavalcade

| xeyeti

Yesterday was New Comics Day, the greatest day of the week! Get ready!

Detective Comics #860: The completion of the origin of Batwoman. This was definitely a stronger story than the opening arc, and seeing Kate Kane’s motivation for becoming Batwoman really made a lot of sense and felt pretty good. JH Williams III continues to knock it out of the park artistically, coming up with amazing page layouts and fantastic little details (the subtle changes in Kate’s physical appearance to the more jarring changes, such as her pallid skin and the dark circles around her eyes) make this book a pleasure just to look at. I’m sad this issue ends his run on the title, but there’s apparently hope of further collaboration on the character between Williams and Rucka in the near future (yay!). Rucka’s writing is pretty solid; this is the kind of story he can write in his sleep. And the Question backup was lots of fun, too, which is what I want out of a wise-cracking faceless crimefighter comic.

Incredible Hercules #139: The Assault on New Olympus isn’t going well as we finally find out what Continuum is. This title continues to be pure, distilled awesome (favorite sound effect: Maceindaface!), and I’m glad that I’ve started following it on a monthly basis instead of just waiting for the trades. The Agents of Atlas backup fits in well, and is appropriate considering the Agents are attempting to infiltrate New Olympus themselves for their own ends.

Wonder Woman #39: I heart Gail Simone. Her taking on this title was the whole reason I started following any comics on a monthly basis instead of just trade-waiting everything, and she hasn’t disappointed (neither has Secret Six. Damn, that’s an awesome comic!). We finally see why her bracelets have been acting all wonky, Alkyone gets the smackdown she’s been deserving, and the Amazons prove why they’re awesome. Also, Zeus apparently gets a little humility and does some stuff he should’ve done ages ago (and those weird space suits the Olympian gods have been wearing since their return are explained finally). Good stuff.

Trades I picked up: Incredible Hercules: Dark Reign (I love me some Herc), Agents of Atlas: Dark Reign (there’s like a pattern here or something), and the More Than Complete Action Philosophers! (one of the most awesomest titles ever). Seriously, with one floppy and two trades by Mr. Fred Van Lente, it was definitely Van Lente Week around here!