Here's a quick recap of this week's comics that were reviewed today.
Last week we were hit with so many great comics. Most likely the publishers wanted to get the hotly anticipated books out before the Thanksgiving weekend. At first glance, it didn't appear as if we would be getting too many awesome comics this week. Let's check out what has been reviewed so far. Click the link to read the full reviews.
== TEASER ==
The Boys #49
The hook of The Boys is that it never pulls any punches and, unlike some series that seem to gradually ease back on the provocation as they get along, it’s maintained a consistent (perhaps even escalating) level of shock for almost 50 straight issues. While this current arc’s spin on alternate (recent) history might be too touchy for my tastes, you’ve got to admire the book for living up to its ballsy promises so consistently.
This is an interesting counterpoint to the Stan Lee superhero books that Boom ’s doing right now because it very much feels like a Silver Age superhero transplanted to a modern setting. We haven’t advanced too far into the story, but if it continues to have characterizations this unorthodox, then I’m going to be very intrigued to see how this unnamed hero rises to glory in this series.
If you've ever read any of the Darkness before, but maybe you've dropped off, you should have no problem jumping back onto this book. For the few of us who have never read the book before, there will be some confusing points in the issue, but it stands out on its own. I've come to learn this year that Top Cow does a lot of quality books that I didn't think I'd like. I really got sucked into Magdalena and Artifacts this year, because of other reviews I've done, and now I plan on catching up with Darkness. I highly recommend this issue.
Although this first issue does come off as a bit confusing, it does a decent job of catching the reader up on what's happened previously. One of the things I found most interesting in the book was the incorporation of how the virus affects animals. There's tons of zombie comics out there, and a lot of them don't cover this. Out of all those zombie comics on the shelf, this is by far one of the better ones. It's worth the read, and this is a good place to jump on.
Knowing that this season is almost at an end makes me a little skeptical. Seasons usually end with a cliffhanger. We've already seen some characters get wiped out so it's hard to say what the final issue will have in store. There's also the question of how dead is dead in the Buffyverse. There is a nice expect the unexpected vibe and I get the feeling we ain't seen nothing yet.
After reading this, I realized I love to read a book about the Adventures of Young Lex Luthor by Paul Cornell. The issue had a pretty cool Silver Age feel to it, much like the old Superboy, Jimmy Olsen, or Lois Lane books. It was really great seeing Lex interact with other villains in the DCU, and this is a book I could really back. I highly recommend this issue. You don't need to know what's going on in the Action Comics series to appreciate this either.
Batman Orphans is a dark story. Reading about a Batman impostor preying on children is a little creepy. It's great seeing that the idea of Batman could have some negative effects when someone uses the myth for their own means. The story comes together nicely and the art takes you to a different part of Gotham. The only downside is that this is a two-issue mini series. Knowing that the story will most likely be neatly tied up in the next issue makes me wonder how much of an impact it will have on Batman's mythos. It's an interesting story and I'm definitely curious to see how it plays out.
Churchill mentions in his afterward that he wanted this book to capture the pure enjoyment he felt when reading comics as a boy and his unadulterated enthusiasm is infectious. This is exactly what a creator-owned book should be - - work that's a clear reflection of the artist - - and you can feel Churchill's excitement for marine life on every square inch. Reading this will make you smile and even feel a bit educated.
Charlie Huston's past writing and Juan Jose Ryp's art will make you want to check this out. There is a parental advisory is on the cover for a reason. I heard about the violence before reading this issue and I'm happy to say that it didn't feel too gratuitous. If Wolverine is the best there is at what he does, I expect there to be some blood. Base on what happens to Wolverine, there's no reason he would hold back. Even though he's been working over the years to keep his anger and violence in check, some times there are moments you just need to cut loose. I may not be completely sold on the book but I will return to see what shenanigans Wolverine gets into next month.
I continue to be thoroughly impressed by how high a standard of quality has been maintained on this bi-weekly title. DC occasionally includes some of their better shorts in year-end collections and I think this told-in-one definitely deserves a place in one of those. J'onn J'onzz isn't exactly a character with a long "Greatest Stories" list, but this is one of the best comics he's starred in.
Heroes For Hire is like the Little Engine that Could . There have been a few different volumes and they usually end in cancellation. I would like to see this title stand out from the past ones. I like the idea of mixing up the heroes from mission to mission but I'll only give this a few issues to see if it's enough to hold my interest. Without a set roster, it could get hard to have an emotional attachment to characters in the book. A team where most of the active members are just there for the money might not be enough of a reason to read the book month after month.
I'm always impressed whenever a writer's able to do some continuity fixing in a way that weaves possibly contradicting stories into a complex, sophisticated character portrait. To that end, Van Lente has made sense of Tasky's waxing heroism and waning villainy in way that not only cleverly makes connections to the costs of his famous photographic memory, but also redefines him as a deeply tragic character. This might be collected in trade soon, but it might not be. Grab your chance and go back - - get all the issues, now!
If you like cool fight scenes, great writing, and amazing art, but don't really care what actually happens in the story, you'll love this book. However, Shadowland is more of the same from Marvel: Great set-up, good execution, but everything reverts to normalcy at the end of the story. Sure, a few minor things are different here and there, but within a year or so, everything will most likely revert to the way it was.
And so concludes another awesome arc of Secret Six. This is one of the few comics I've read that captures what I always felt a "super community" would be like. That is, these characters would be looking for any reason to fight and would be just as likely to hang out afterward since moral alliances and team allegiances shift so often.
The overarching plot line about Hope reigniting mutantkind following the severe depletion they suffered during Decimation has been proving to be quite rich, thematically, and this title's an appropriate extension of that. The storytelling's keeping me quite involved, but I feel like we've still yet to see an important card in the deck get dealt.
Sure it introduces a new Black Panth- erm, I mean, Daredevil (but we already knew that), and sure, maybe I would have enjoyed it more had it not been spoiled for me months ago. Unfortunately, this issue, at least for me, was somewhat anti-climactic. However, for fans of Matt Murdoch this is a must read, as it addresses the future of one of Marvel's most prominent characters.
I like the cover art on that Batman Orphans. Though it's sort of raising my irritation over the lack of Cassandra again. They can find the time to do those stories but not one for Cassandra.
@NXH said:
" Where's Unscripted?? :S "
It is disappointing that they aren't doing those anymore.
" I can't believe Black Panther is taking over the mantle of Daredevil. It's a bad idea. "
Why is it because hes black!? lol j\k, but I do see what you mean, there was a time when I hated Falcon but lately he has been kicking @$$ in Captain America books, I just hope BP can make the same kind of impact in DD books.
I don't know what to read first, DD sounds good maybe I should start there! Love the new take on the review section, this way it doesn't flood the news page (no offense Zack, you do great work)
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