One Month of Comics (Part One)

No excuses. Just comics. Let's get started.

Stormwatch PHD #13: First of all, I was glad this series had originally ended. I had been on the verge of removing it from my pull list anyhow. So, I was surprised to find this in my box. Didn't even know the series was coming back. I have not followed what has happened with Wildstorm stuff recently. So, I have no idea what they are referring to with this issue. In fact, I am completely lost. From reading this, I gather the supers caused the end of the world. Except the supers who didn't. And now there are people in space saving people on earth, but not all of them. And some of these people are supers. Who are good. Or something. Bah, this isn't even close to what the original series was doing, so why even use the same name? Why not just make a new series and go from there? Dropped, for real this time.

Madman Atomic Comics #10: What can I say about this? I have no effing idea what is going on, but I am enjoying every minute of it. Allred still succeeds in impressing me with his art and storytelling every time. I am also a hug fan of the first page recap showing the entire previous issue in thumbnail size. I had forgotten how brilliant the last issue was for the layout alone. The man is a genius.

The Walking Dead #51: Holy fuck, that was one of the creepier issues. Ever since the prison attack, this has been really a different comic. Which is exactly what was promised. I didn't know how this thing would go after such a major change, but wow. This one was great. A slice of life after the recent turmoil. I do have to admit, i was wondering why the person was calling this house. I figured it may have been their old home or a friends house or something. The real answer was even better. Poor Rick, and poor Carl. I think Carl is going to have to really grow up a lot, and fast.

Fables #75: I must admit, I was not expecting this at all. I was shocked back when they first revealed who the Adversary really was. I was even more shocked when the war was announced. Now, it's over, and successfully. I never in a million years would have expected that to happen. I mean, without the Adversary to keep the fables out of the Homelands, what is there left to the series? I am intrigued as to how this will continue on now.

Jack of the Fables #25: As usual, Babe is the real star of this book. I am very interested i how this series has progressed. From a simple "retirement village" for fables to a story dealing with beings more powerful than fables. Literals are quite possibly one of the most nifty ideas I have seen in a comic in ages.

House of Mystery #5: So far, this has been the modern successor to the Sandman series. Lots of creepy, and literary, and strange, and awesome all thrown together. This issue continued that trend. The first story arc is done with, but it leaves many unanswered questions. QUestions that had better be resolved at some point, because I am tired of too many questions and no answers (I mean, I do watch Lost). The midpoint story in this issue was the second best to date (best is still the girl who married the fly, amazing). This one had the most boring narration one could imagine, talking about almost being late to work. What sells it, though, is that everything that is left out of the story is pure excitement. Giant spiders, elder gods, dragons, vampire cats, homeless zombies. The narrator leaves these out, as they are just a part of his everydya world. But, they are the best part of the story. Perfection.

Fallen Angel #29: Bought but not read. Need to reread this series since the last issue I read was #15, and I don't remember much of anything about it.

Red Star: Sword of Lies #3: Another bought but not read, mainly because there is such a delay between issues I can't keep track of what is going on. I just know it is a great series with amazing art. Will read some day when I can get a hold of the rest of the Red Star books.

Epic Fail

So much for my "semi-daily" posts, huh? I just never have anything to say, I guess. I do have more comics to review, at least. A lot, actually. Lack of funds meant a large pile of comics waiting when I finally had the money. Here's the appetizer.

Ghosting 5#: So, I finished this series off. I wasn't terribly impressed. Too much story left to be resolved in a single issue. It felt rushed. Which means I guess I am done reading Platinum books...or am I? The previews of upcoming books caught my eye (as it always does). That section is how I ended up finding this series as well as Consumed. This time, it looks like Big Badz and Gunplay may be good. So, depending on my whims at the time I see them, I may read.

The Darkness #2: I am of mixed feelings on this new Darkness series. On the one hand, the art's not too bad. Pretty standard for a Top Cow book, really. The changes to Jackie's powers and the new uses he is finding, also not bad (even pretty damned cool at times). The Darkness as a drug/ruling a South American country thing...not so much in what I want to read. I'll keep reading for now, because the story is just unique enough to have my attention.

Locke & Key #1: I am so glad I found this. What a fun idea for a comic. A horribly violent and tragic start, with a few strange tweaks along the way, and a cliffhanger ending that got my attention. Some of the dialogue among the characters seemed a bit off a couple times, but mostly this was made of awesome. Another plus is that this is the first IDW comic I have ever purchased as singles, rather than the trade.

Fables #69: What a great ending to a great storyline. While I still am not a fan of the focus on the war and all, I have to admit loving the way Flycatcher was able to go from janitor to king, and take the Adversary down a notch. The interplay between him and Red Riding Hood is also very endearing. This was an ending I was not completely expecting, and quite enjoyed.

Jack of the Fables #19: As always, loving Fables leads to worshiping Jack. The "map" of Americana is great, and very well thought out. A clever idea filled with clever-er ideas. I just can't wait to see how Jack ends up finding, and losing, the treasure he seeks.

Crossing Midnight #15: Gah, this one really messed with me. Losing and eye to your sister has got to be one of the worse things than can happen to you. The way this thing twists and turns, it is a little sad to think it is not going to be continuing for years to come. On the flip side, it is best it ends when it ends, and not get dragged on forever just because.

Madman #6: I have no idea what is going on in this series, and yet, I don't really care. Mike Allred's art can get me to buy just about anything. Oh, and I loved the back cover gag. That was awesome.

The Walkign Dead #46: The obvious happens, made even more so by the cover. It is a mildly shocking and very tragic death, but one that makes sense. If Kirkman handles the aftermath right, once the rest of this storyline dies down a bit, it could prove to be a major emotional turning point for some characters. The "twist" ending was also one I saw coming a mile away. Still fun, though.

Umbrella Academy #6: So, this one comes to its end. An interesting, if somewhat unsatisfying, end. Not to say this wasn't good. It just wasn't as good as the rest of the series. Which, I suppose, is to be expected of a series as stunningly amazing as this has been. I do find it interesting that by the end half of the cast is not really available for further action. Out of the 7 kids (and one monkey), 2 are dead, 1 is powerless, 1 is out of commission for a long time (possibly forever) and pretty much powerless now, and the other 4 are pretty much still fine. I do want to see more of this team, and will likely love this new comic legacy much like I do Hellboy. I just am unsure how they will continue on, withiout restorting to flashback stories.

As usual...

I'm really late on these. Just haven't had the desire to read my comics for a while. Back to it, though. Here's the issues from my last comic run that actually have been read today.

Dark Sector Zero: While I can admire the fact that Seinkiewicz is a good artist, and has a very unique style that is refreshing in comics, I just am not a huge fan. In some comics and stories, it may work. This one, not so much. I also have to say that this is the second free comic I have seen used to promote a game, and the second to pretty much suck. The idea behind the game is awesome (gleaned from reading the interview at the end). The story they chose to tell in this comic to sell people on the game, not in the least bit exciting or interesting. A shame.

Crawl Space: Xxxombies #2: Pretty good follow-up to the first issue. The pornstar who did the zombie becomes one. The 'roid enhanced guy who punched through a zombie's head likewise becomes one. Nobody seems to know what is going on, which I kind of like as a change of pace. Jenny's dad is totally badass. I do think that his demeanor, and the fact that she ran away to become a pornstar likely means he is less than a good guy. I would not be all that surprised to see him being the final antagonist in this story.

Umbrella Academy #4: As always, a great read. A lot of arguing between the siblings. 005 explains his thought process a bit, and apparently has managed to catch teh eye of some tough looking dudes. I am guessing a temporal cop sort of thing. Vanya's power finally manifests, years too late to prevent some seruious issues. Next couple of these will rock.

The Exterminators #25: The story of how AJ managed to come back from the dead. A mildly interesting story, but it pointed out something I had not realized. While I like reading this series, I don't really like it enough to spend money on it. It just isn't quite as clever as it used to be, or doesn't feel that way to me anymore. Between the last issue with teh cruise ship catering to the most depraved of desires, and this one showing King Tut trying to sodomise AJ's dead soul-body...it just feels more crude than interesting. I suppose this means either reading at the comic shop, borrowing from a firend (if I have any that read this), or downloading a torrent. Bah.

Crossing Midnight #14: The current story arc is very interesting. One lie turning everyon against the only person who knows the truth. I will be interested to see how this one ends, and how the series will continue on after the current arc.

Jack of Fables #18: MORE BABE! I love the Babe the Bull interludes. This one was particularly clever, and funny. The Americana story is continuing the tradition of fantastic storuys in this series. I am very intrigued by the whole plot. Jack does his thing, not realizing that the bigger story keeps moving on, and involving him. A nice sort or irony. He wants to be the center of it all, and he is without realizing it. To think, i used to consider this series secondary to the original Fables.

Teen Titans Go! #50: THis particular issue wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either. It was a decent idea. Showing the growth of a villain that mirrors the growth of Robin. What makes it good, though, is that Robin's growth is very subtle. There's also the new opportunity for new characters, now. Would have liked a bit less continuity to this. I feel like i am missing something.

Justice League Unlimited #41: I liked that the Joker is feeling jealous over losing Batman's attention. I like how he and Harley are able to stall the four Leaguers who are around to stop them. I like Zatana, especially her "nrocpop." Somehow, though, I do not like this story.

So, that's all I read today. More as I read more.

28+1

So, as it is late and I must get to work early in the morning, I will try to be quick.

Demon's Mercy 1: Free preview. Crappy. Will not be buying this one any time soon.

Consumed 3: Still funny. Loving the roomies even more. Looking forward to the end, while wishing it could go on. Don't know how an ongoing would work, though.

Ghosting 2: Creepy. Confusing at the bit where there is the replay of the conversation from the graveyard inside the burned out frat house. Quite fun.

Stormwatch Post Human Division 10: Accidentally bought this, as it was in my box and I didn't pay close attention to the cover to realize I had it already. Oh well.

Madman 4: Awesome as always. Go Mike Allred.

The Umbrella Academy 1: Awesome origin story with a fun cliffhanger. If this can keep up the crazy/cool factor, it will be like another Hellboy.

Crossing Midnight 11: Yikes. Bad news. Good story.

Teen Titans Go! 47: Robin's origin was ok, with a good ending. Starfire/Raven bit was funny and awesome.

The Spirit 10: Great parody of modern "news" reporters. Loved all the parodies, and the ending was a blast.

Black Adam: The Dark Age 2: The beginning was cool, with fun visuals. The Felix Faust bit was kinda neat, and a great source for Black Adam's powers. Overall, though, it was sort of "meh."

Countdown to Mystery 1: I liked the whole thing, except the potential change to Eclipso's origin.

52 Aftermath: The Four Horsemen 2: Total shit. Not buying any more issues of this one. A shame, as I was looking forward to it the most save for the Bible of Crime.

Countdown to Adventure 2: Nice twist. Scary to think of what is coming. The JLAxis needed more story, less "Forerunner is cool and Monarch is a douchebag."

Shadowpact 17: Made of awesome. About time this comic started getting back to how cool it initially was. I think it needs more Blue Devil, and keep the level of Zauriel to 0 if possible.

Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Parallax 1: Disappointing. The rest better be as cool as the main event.

The Flash 232: The West Children are so awesome while being so cute. Almost glad that Wally's back now, even though I still miss Bart.

Teen Titans 51: A return to the arc that brought me to this comic to begin with. I love it all over again. Future Titans are assholes. Wanna see Future Ravager, though.

Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four 28: "Pizzower Coshizzmic?" Really? Just...no.

Marvel Adventures Avengers 16: Hawkeye was awesome. Villains were fun. Too bad they gave away the whole point of it early. Still good. Best Marvel Adventures series, by far.

Penance: Relentless 1: Nipple Piercings. Nothing more need be said, save I will likely buy another issue just to see what is going on with the numbers.

Avengers: The Initiative 6: Really hating the New Warriors hate going on here. The attacker was a scary surprise. Really really scary.

The Immortal Iron Fist 9: Still more awesome that anything short of Bruce Lee fighting a Ninja-Pirate-Monkey. For reals.

The Immortal Iron Fist Annual 1: Annuals should not be continuations of the main story. Especially if the first page recap spoils the current issue of the main series.

Captain America 30: Sharon is a scary lady. Captain Bucky is on his way. You just know it is going to happen.

Terror Inc 2: Icky, but fun (but icky).

Ultimate Fantastic Four 46: Hah, awesome. Thing's brain is in storage, and he still kicks bad guy ass. Psycho Man was much cooler here than in the real Marvel Universe. Next arc is called "Ghosts." Having not been paying attention to previews, I hope it means Red Ghost. I want me some Ultimate Super-Apes.

Ultimate Spider-Man 114: Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Par for the Spider-Course.

Annihilation: Conquest Quasar 3: Super Adaptoid is still one of the coolest villains. Moondragon is a dragon, bringing up images of creepy love scenes with Quasar. Shit hits the fan.

Annihilation: Conquest Starlord 3: More shit hitting many fans. The Groot/Rocket Raccoon interactions are the best.


So, that be all this week. Hopefully will have my next batch up closer to the actual purchase date this time. Either Thursday or Sunday, depending on outside forces.

Heavy load

So, here they are, the most recent reviews I have got to offer.

Stormwatch post Human Division 11: After the destruction of the bar last issue, the team is pretty messed up. Concussions, rebar through legs, and one alien-hybrid killing machine makes for a bad day. Lucky for the team, the monstrosity is in love with one of the other team members, and saves the day. There is a bit of intrigue with the teams families being threatened, until the actual treat is made more clear. Bye bye police station.

The Walking Dead 42: Wow, what an issue. Carol dies in the horrible way you expect from a suicidal-turned-zombie. The seeming tension with Herschel and Andrea over her friendship with Tyreese is resolved before it is even begun. More plans to defend against the nearby town, using a guard tower manned by Andrea and a layer of zombies outside the gates. Then the shit hits the fan when the nearby townsfolk invade. In tanks.

The Un-Men 2: I have no idea what the hell is going on here, but I like it.

Fables 65: The journey of Flycatcher seems to be at an end when he reaches his homelands. Bluebeard and Shere Khan are up to no good, still. We learn that the entire conflict is really more of a game of chess played out between the Adversary and Frau Totenkinder. Conflict on many fronts looms.

Jack of the Fables 14: The beginning of the true origin of Jack. Maybe. More stuff dealing with Kevin, who appears to be more powerful and less human than we were initially led to believe. I was also expecting him to be more Fable aligned than Golden Boughs. Babe steals the show with his rich fantasy life again. Enough so that I read his one page before reading the comic itself, again as I read the issue, and a third time just because it was that good.

Booster Gold 2:Rip Hunter finds trouble. Supernova causes trouble. Booster Gold is the reason Guy Gardener was not Green Lantern and also the reason Sinestro came up with the Sinestro Corps. Great way to play with continuity.

Green Lantern 23: More Sinestro Corps. Hal's ring runs out of juice, so he steals a bunch of Qwardian ones to use in the interim. Ion is freed, and Parallax seems to break Guy's neck (though he is better soon after). The Sinestro Corps attacks Earth and the Guardians lift the lethal force restriction.

Countdown to Adventure 1: Dude, Starfire is hot. Buddy Baker is not very bright, missing his son's obvious crush on her, and his wife's obvious discomfort with her. Adam Strange gets pink slipped, and replaced with a fucking psychopath. This will not end well. The history of the Forerunners is actually kind of cool. Definitely something I like there. Looking forward to another issue, if only for the Nazi Justice League bit.

Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer 1: This was utter crap. A shame, too, since it involves a character I sort of like now (Jason Todd) and the Wildstorm universe. *sigh* What a waste.

Suicide Squad 1: As with all things comics and cool, I missed out on this back in the day. All I know of the team I learned from one of the greatest minds in comics blogdom. That said, I think this will make me hunt down old issues of the original series so I can get acquainted with the cool. Must read it all.

Marvel Adventures Hulk 3: Hulk is captured by Hulkbusters. Rick Jones saves him, and Radioactive Man as well. They hang out, with Radioactive Man siphoning gamma radiation from Bruce to keep hum human. Then the shit hits the fan and Rick has to coerce the Hulk into staying mad (like that's all that hard). In the end, we are back to the status quo. All in all, a fun read.

X-Man Emperor Vulcan 1: We catch up with the team that stayed behind in Shi'ar space. They try to make a surprise attack on Vulcan and the rest of the Shi'ar Empire, but are summarily defeated. Then some new alien race appears that seem the hate the Shi'ar more than anyone else does. Interesting, and fun to see some of these character playing off each other.

The New Avengers 34: After a night alone, the team all come back together and let Doctor Strange cast a spell revealing their true natures. Luke Cage is pretty much himself, though more retro in look. Jessica Jones wants to be a superhero again. Iron Fist is his legacy. Spider-Man wishes to be himself, before the bit. Echo wants to be Daredevil. Hawkeye/Ronin wishes to be Captain America. Doctor Strange wishes to be a surgeon again. Wolverine, late tot he party, is apparently a samurai. Not a Skrull in the bunch. The team decide to say screw the danger and alert the other Avengers team of the danger. Instead, they see a lot of symbiotes running amok int he city. Also, Wolverine's junk is shot off.

X-Factor 23: We learn how crazy Quicksilver has become, which is a little scary really. Layla Miller is confused, which is more scary. Monet and Siryn get the kids they were after, which appears to be a set up. Finally, Josef Huber is a badass mofo.

Nova 6: Stuff happens. Nothing that really impressed of disgusted me enough to write about. Plus, I am getting tired of writing and want my dinner. HAH!

Ultimate Power 7: After who knows how long of a delay, we finally get another issue of this one. I still want to know where Doom came from, since I thought he was on Zombie Earth. Spider-man thinks Doom is responsible for the mess. Emil Burbank admits to Reed that he is responsible for the mess. Hulk is about to be brought into play. The original Squadron Supreme makes an appearance, just to make this more of a mess.

Ultimate X-Men 86: Stryfe seems to be up to something, but what is it? Psyloke is Bishop's future wife? Pyro is a spy, but already uncovered as such? Best part is Wolverine and Storm taking down the Sentinels.

Ultimate Spider-Man 113: All that needs to be said is that Norman Osborne is one crafty bastard...and not nearly as crazy as we thought.

With that out of the way, I invite you back Thursday(ish) when I will give you last weeks and this weeks comics. Together, for the first time.

Catch Up Reviews, Part I: The Others

In which we review the non Marvel/DC titles from weeks past.

The Weapon 3: Pretty much just one huge fight. Nice use of a volcanic steam vent to defeat the bad guy. During the flashback story bit, i almost felt like the Lin Kuei were not so bad after all. Then they acted like douchebags again. Looking forward to the last issue, while at the same time not wanting this to end. I would read this as an ongoing, if it managed to keep up the cool pace.

The Walking Dead 40 & 41: A baby is born. A leg is lost. More preparations for the inevitable showdown between the prison crew and the nearby town of survivors. Carol proves just how fuckign nuts she is, while the new doctor's great idea sort of backfires. As usual, greeat stuff.

Crossing Midnight 10: This issue totally squicks me out. The date girl thing is creepy in and of itself, and more so for the end page talking about how it is a real phnomena. It is nice to see the return of the mortal half of our twins (I can never remember their names). A bit of the spirit realm to continue on that half of the story, but a focus on more mundane things. Excpet for the crazy cool killings and stuff.

The Exterminators 21: What nees to be said? Totally fucked up in a cool way. Next issue will be scary crazy.

Faker 3: After this issue, I feel like I may be starting to understand a bit of what is going on. Which means I am likely all wrong, but whatever. Still a fun read and I can't wait for more.

So ends part one of our epic trilogy. Come back later for the rest.

A Little Stale, But Still Good

Last week's comics are go!

Consumed 1: Ok, I was expecting more from this. Love triangle, demonic possession, played for laughs. Sounded awesome. Except, this issue wasn't. It had some bits that were made of cool. Goth roommate was made of cool. Lecherous priest brother was made of cool. But, really, not enough demon summoning yet. My usual 3 issues of trial time will not apply to this one. One more issue. If this doesn't pick up by then, no more series for me.

The Walking Dead 39: Here's the excitement I was waiting for. We have gun play, zombie attacks, a birth, and all kinds of trouble. I am totally waiting with anticipation for the next issue.

Crossing Midnight 9: What a fun issue. The reprisal for last issue's altercation comes in the form of a rather nasty test. It all ends well, but man was that a cruel thing to do to our lovely leading lady.Just bring in all kinds of past memories, that are lost but on the edge of her mind. Ouch. Loving it.

Teen Titans Go! 45: Two for one issue. Beast boy telling his origin story, in his own way. Quite funny too. All of the grandstanding and elaboration, mixing truth with fiction. The know-it-all kid totally wins at life, too. Cyborg's origin is touching, and the love interest referring to what I assume is a previous issue is more of that lovely continuity. This comic is still a great one.

Green Lantern Corps 14: More Sinestro Corps stuff. We get Green Man atoning for past sins that are not really all his fault, and finding forgiveness. We get Mogo and an appearance by Sinestro's version of the same. Best of all, we have Sinestro fighting Soranik Natu and defeating her in a fantastically ingenious way. That, my friends, is evil genius at work.

Teen Titans 49: Meh. Amazons Attack tie-in, with no really great bits. Hate those army dudes for being stereotypical army dudes. Superman was kind of cool. Next issue should improve greatly, I hope.

Marvel Adventures Hulk 1: I bought this, just because my pull list includes all Marvel Adventures books. I was not expecting to like it. The Hulk is just not really my thing. Character's a cool idea and all, just don't really care enough to...well, care. But, man was this a fun retelling of his origin. I am totally looking forward to more of this series. Which is great, because the Iron Man series in this line has not impressed much yet.

Marvel Adventures Iron Man 3: Speak of the devil. Plantman as a villain was fun, just to see this lame character brought out for not real reason. But, the issue was all but forgettable really. Considering dropping this title.

Marvel Adventures Giant-Size Avengers: Avengers. Agents of Atlas. Kang. Really, that is all you need to make for a fun comic right there. The alternate reality, and time travel were super-awesome fun. I am loving this series more and more. By far the best of the Marvel Adventures all-ages line, I think. On top of all that, this issue also had the reprinted first appearances of Venus and Namora. The Venus story was so-so, but Namora was everything Golden Age comics were meant to be. You just can't go wrong.

X-Men 200: As I have not been reading this series, and don't really care to, I didn't really get much out of the issue. The Endangered Species bit was kind of fun. Would have been more so if I had not already read Part 3 first. Really, only bought this for the amazingly awesome cover.

The Mighty Avengers 4: I. Fucking. Hate. Thought. Bubbles. At least, the way Bendis does them in this series I do. I will give until the end of this story arc before I finish judging this series, but so far I am only partially liking it. Ultron's return, and new form are fun. The use of Stark's Extremis powers to totally fuck with the world is fun. Ares using the bottom half of an Iron Man suit as a gun is FUCKING AWESOME! TO THE MAX! But, the though bubbles are killing this thing for me.

The Immortal Iron Fist 7: A nice filler issue, which was sort of expected what with the initial story having been meant for a mini-series. This also happened to be just as much fun to read as the first arc was. More history about previous bearers of the power are great to read. I would love it if they did this between every story arc. As the introductory blurb says, there have been 66 men and women to wield the iron fist. That's a lot of history to tell. Enough that they could do an entire series with just those stories. I am sure a few fillers here and there would not be bad at all.

Annihilation: Conquest Starlord 1: The Space Dirty (half)Dozen. A fun concept. Written by Keith Giffen. A great idea. The characters they picked. Somewhat of a confusion there. I get some of the reasons for imprisonment. I wish they would have explained how and why the Celestial Madonna (aka Mantis) was imprisoned. I am looking forward to reading more. Rocket Raccoon is badass.

Ultimate Fantastic Four 44: Creepy Silver Surfer is a member of a creepy space hippy cult. Actually, no, not hippys. Jonestoewn stuff. I can just see it. This was a strange issue, but I think it will only get more strange with the whole leaving earth for the King's version of Heaven." Should be interesting.

Almost Nearly On Time

Last week I was actually going to post mostly on time for once. I had a large part of my pull list on time. Not all of my pull list, as I was a little early and had no patience to wait. I was going to review what I had and finish up with the rest this week with this weeks comics. Instead, i am doing last weeks tonight and this weeks sometime later (hopefully tomorrow). Oh, and just to be completely out of whack, I also have a comic I read previously and finally decided to buy in the mix as well. Now, on with the reviews. Probably shorter than normal, as it is sleepy time.

The Tick Comic Com Extravaganza: Holy hell, but I love the Tick. This was like every comic/sci-fi/gaming convention I have ever been to. With more fighting. Fun stuff.

Fables 63: Planning for the war. Redemption for Flycatcher. The return (somewhat) of Bluebeard. Mayor Charming is turning out to be quite effective in this role, which is a total shock. I was expecting a massive failure, instead of this actual good leader. What a nice surprise.

Stormwatch PHD 9: Lots of talking, little action. Disappointing resolution. This issue was ok, I guess.

Madman 3: Now, this is what I am talking about. I love me some Mike Allred writing. I love me some Mike Allred art even more. He's the reason I bought X-Statix back in the day. Anyhow, this shit is trippy. Existential and whacked out in a acid trip gone oh-so-right sort of way. I also love how each issue recaps the last by showing the entire previous issue on a single page in thumbnail. What a great idea. This issue is even more cool for the mass of comic homages Allred tosses in. Stunning.

Shadowpact 15: Um, I don't even remember what all happened in this one. Blue Devil talking with his family in Hell and some Doctor Gotham stuff. Apparently, not very great since I forget the whole thing beyond that.

Green Lantern 21: I bought this solely because it is Sinestro Corps stuff. That is how cool this idea is. It has me buying some comic I wouldn't normally care about to read the whole story. Still need to go back and get all of the back issues for Tales of the Sinestro Corps. This was a decent second chapter of the story arc. More set up before the meat of the story.


Annihilation: Conquest Prologue: I read this when it came out, but didn't initially buy it. After thinking on how much I liked this, and how much I was beating myself up over missing the first Annihilation event (since remedied with the 3 hardcovers), I decided I might as well get this. I love the Phalanx, and saw that one coming as soon as the Space Knights acted strange. Can't wait for the rest of this event.

Annihilation: Conquest Wraith 1: I am so confused, yet so intrigued by this. Haven't actually read the Annihilation stuff I have yet, so don't know how much that will clear things up. As I never really got into the big space stuff from Marvel until...well...now, I have little idea what I need to read to know what the hell is happening.

Nova 4: Fun stuff. Pretty art. Great ending. Not much more to say.

The New Avengers 32: What the hell was this crap? An entire issue of playing "Who's a Skrull" on a plane, followed by a crash. No cool action. Nothing that makes this issue mean anything to me. Still hate the art. In fact, the art is so bad in this, I spent half the issue mistaking Ronin for Iron Fist. Hopefully this will get interesting again soon.

X-Factor 21: Another comic that was pretty much just a slow build. Unlike the New Avengers, though, this was actually a good read. Peter David is a master of snappy dialogue and fun characterization. On top of all that, he ties in with plot threads that have been around for a while, and makes them remain interesting and viable throughout that time.

Ultimatre X-Men 84: Bishop does some more team building. We get the return of the Fenris twins (why?). Some badass Sentinel stuff. Ultimate Stryfe. The return of Psylocke. Still not completely trusting Bishop. Though, i have to admit, training Dazzler to improve her abilities is kind of nifty.

Last (few) Week's Comics

Here's a few weeks worth of comics. In addition to the list here, I also picked up some issues of Fallen Angel and the latest Dark Tower comic. Haven't read them yet, and likely won't for a while. These are series I enjoy enough that I don't want to rush through them. Plus, Fallen Angel is a series I got so far behind on, I think I will just go back and read from the beginning anyhow.

The Weapon 1: As one other blogger has mentioned, this is an awesome comic. Green lantern meets Iron Fist/Shang Chi. I totally wish I had thought of this one myself. Will likely buy the rest of this miniseries. Hell, would likely buy an ongoing of this for a while as well.

The Tick 20th Anniversary Special: How can you go wrong with the Tick? Big, blue, nigh-invulnerable, and dumb as a box of rocks. Even better, this book has 38 pages of some of the best short Tick homages I have ever seen. All kinds of fun stories, told in a page or two. All very much in the flavor of the Tick (from one of his many various incarnations). Plus, a bit of history on New England Comics and how the Tick came to be. I made sure to get the Suyadam zombie cover as well. Awesome!

The Walking Dead 38: Just a note to say that this is what got me to start reading Kirkman's work. It is this series that has convinced me to try anything else he does (even if he is mistaken in his belief that Liefeld and Kirby are equals). All that said, this was a relatively slow issue. A bit of character development and some good news for the survivors. Also a pretty decent ending that will definitely make me want to read the next issue right away.

Jack of Fables 12: Dear god I love to hate Jack Horner. He embodies every character I ever played in an RPG during my junior high/high school years. Even some of the more recent characters are painfully close. In this issue he actually does a few things that make him less of a self-absorbed asshole. Surprising. Also, who the hell is this Kevin guy in New York and why does he keep popping up?

The Exterminators 19: I really wish I had been reading this series from the beginning. I have managed to find most of the back issues, so have a general idea what is going on. But, I have missed a few of the more recent issues. The long term stuff I am getting just fine, but all of the recent developments are totally losing me. Still, intelligent roaches keeping drug dealers alive to feed on living flesh does make for a fun read.

Crossing Midnight 8: Reading this comic makes me want to do a comic of my own. The series is just so rich in detail and setting that every issue really just drags me further into it. I love how the siblings each have their own separate story. I am horrible in that I can't remember the names of any of the characters. But, it doesn't matter. Even without knowing the character's names, i can still tell who they are referring to by context. Which, really, is a sign of a much better story than many comics. Hell, even some novels I get characters with similar names confused. Crappy memory.

Flash the Fastest Man Alive 13: So, last issue of a series I wanted to like. I didn't dislike it, but it never really get me hooked enough to start buying it until recently. As in, this is the only issue I actually bought as it came out. Bad timing there. This issue made me sad, because I am a big Bart Allen fan from when he first became Kid Flash. Never cared for Impulse, but the character growth shown in Teen Titans was great stuff. In this series, he was a whiny little loser and I hated him. But, I still didn't want him to die. Sad panda.

The Spirit 7: *gasp* A non-Darwyn Cooke issue. How horrible. Yet, it was a lot of fun to read. Three stories for the price of one. The first was mediocre. The last was likewise less than satisfying. But, that middle story was pure gold. A ton of fun to read, great art, and just all around well done.

Shadowpact 14: The longer this series lasts, the less I enjoy it. I blame a lack of Ragman and Detective Chimp. Somehow, those are the characters I liked best in this series. I like the idea behind the Blue Devil thing, but not the execution of it. Also, what the hell is with the press-ganging of Zauriel? How do you think forcing anyone to help you, let alone and ex-angel is going to do you any good? Especially when said ex-angel is the reason you are a member short? I am thinking maybe this team would have been better off as guest stars and the occasional mini. Like Secret Six. That team is sweet.

Justice League Unlimited 35: The good was that this had Natasha Irons in it, and I always like to see random characters that are not immediately recognizable to the general public. The bad is that the was pretty much a heavy handed morality tale about being yourself and having patience to wait for your dreams. Or something like that. It would probably have been better if there was more explanation of how the problem was solved, rather than just saying "I know how to do it" and then having the solution just sort of happen. Even a crappy attempt would have been better than none at all. That's just lazy storytelling.

Teen Titans Go! 44: Having not been a long-term reader of this series, I am not sure if this is new or not. Actual continuity. Not like tying into the show or tying into the main DC Universe continuity. I mean, taking a dangling plot thread from a previous issue and using it to fuel a story in the current one. Regardless, I like it. This was handled well. They tell the story, with a quick one panel recap of how things happened if you didn't read the old issue. Only way it could have been better is if they would have actually told you the issue number of the original story.

Teen Titans 48: Damned crossovers. While I love them, i hate them too. I'm not buying Amazon's Attack, though I am attempting to keep up on reading it a bit. Not reading all the tie-ins, unless I already happen to be reading the comic. Still, with my only occasionally reading an issue here and there, when my main comic pulls tie in with the current big event comic, I get kind of lost. I don't want to have to read every DC title just to know what is going on in Teen Titans. I don't mind the comic tying in, if the story doesn't require me to know what is going on in the other comics of the event. This issue was just a big pile of "Piss the Fool off."

Batman Detective Comics 834: Great ending to a great story. I love how, even the "done in one or two" stories have connections later on. Like with the Teen Titans Go! issue, this has references to earlier issues without needing to have read them (with the exception of the first part of this particular story last month). Plus, a Joker story is almost always worth reading. Also..."Best. Gag. Ever." Zatanna is hardcore. I definitely do not want to get on her bad side. Yeesh.

Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special: Reviewing this one as I read through it. Professor Zoom is my favorite villain, I think. He's a bad guy with good intentions. Sort of. Batman as a Sinestro Corps member would have kicked ass, but also sucked. "My god, it's full of Yellow Power Rings." I am tempted to go back and pick up every issue of Green Lantern that has a Sinestro Corps backup story now. I like this dark mirror of the Corps thing. Ooh, a double page spread, done vertically. You don't see those much anymore. Shame it was wasted on a lame image. Kyle as Parallax...no big surprise. Even without having read spoilers, I was expecting this one. Dunno who the big guy at the end is, but Superboy-Prime is a creepy mofo. Oh, wait, is that the Anti-Monitor? Damn, that's hardcore.

Marvel Adventures Iron Man 2: Meh. Mandarin is cool, but this series hasn't done anything to impress me much yet. Give it a few more issues, then may drop it.

Marvel Adventures Spider-Man 29: Great cover. The Grey Gargoyle is one of those villains you just have to love. What a crappy power to have, and yet so completely cool. I liked how this story played out. All of the angst of a good Spidey story, without overdoing it. Plus, a villain showing some remorse was nice. Grey Gargoyle is a thief, not a killer, and he shows that well.

Marvel Adventures Avengers 14: God, how I love the banter in this book. Doesn't matter who is writing it, there is always good banter going on. That's the thing that really sells me on it month after month. On top of that, the stories are just so freaking fun to read. I mean, "Here how to smash...like Hulk," a trebuchet full of fertilizer, Wolverine leading the team in an attack...hell, I could find cool on every page of this thing and still probably miss some of it. There's just that much cool to be had.

Captain America 27: Somehow, Brubaker manages to keep this comic going strong even after the death of the title character. Not that I should be surprised This is the man who not only did the unthinkable and brought Bucky back, but also managed to do it in a way that was so damned cool it blew my mind.Not much to say. Good fights. Good story progression. Nothing new here, as this series has been like this since issue 1.

X-Men: Endangered Species: I can just see it now. Marvel editors sitting around a table wondering how to make the X-Men even more emo than they already were. This book is the answer. Hopefully the actual Endangered Species event will actually come up with a solution to this, and bring back the mutants. I don't want the thousands and thousands of mutants everywhere that was before House of M, but a few new ones here and there with the lack of an impending doom would be nice.

Silent War 6: The end of a series I only read because it was about the Inhumans. What did I think? I think there will be a follow-up series coming in a few months time to wrap this up and return things to the status quo. Or, there damned well better be. I don't want the Inhumans to be fucked over like this for too long.

The New Avengers: Illuminati 3: Ok, so we have the Illuminati. Which I like. We have the Beyonder. Which I like. We have crazy shit happening. Which I like. So, guess how I feel about this comic. Right you are.

Ultimate Spider-Man 110: An end to the Ultimate Knights story arc. We have the betrayal of Iron Fist come out, with a good enough explanation where you don't find him to be a total douche. You have Moon Knight/Ronin kicking his own ass (again) and being a real hero. You have Daredevil almost crossing to the dark side. You have the kid of the group (Spider-Man, of course) being the voice of reason. You have the Kingpin doing his usual thing, and almost getting away. You have the Kingpin actually go down for all the bad crap he pulls, and all thanks to someone doing what no sane hero would do. And Peter still gets the short end of the stick. Will be sad to see Bagley leave the book next issue, but don't think it will stop me from reading anyhow.

Thunderbolts 115: I miss the old team. Where they were villains but not really. While I love Warren Ellis's writing, I can't stand this team of psychopaths. Do have to admit, it was fun to see Songbird pull that stunt. Even more fun to see Bullseye get his ass kicked by a nobody hero. Hope this issue signals a change back to the less violently evil team.

Runaways 27: What has happened to one of my favorite teams of teen heroes? The beginning of this arc was kind of fun and not too bad, but this is just not at all interesting to me. I am intrigued to know more about these "Wonders" that have been mentioned. But, really, other than the very last page, I could care less about this issue. A shame.

The Immortal Iron Fist 6: This was a rocking good time. All sorts of martial arts badass and classic Heroes for Hire cool. Luke Cage with his "Sweet #%&%$ Christmas" and Misty Knight with her acting all Sam Jackson from Pulp Fiction. I am really looking forward the the tournament that is coming up. Also want more flashbacks to previous Iron Fists. Awesome...to the Max!

X-Factor 20: Just what the hell is Layla Miller anyhow? She's one of the scariest kids I have ever seen. What with her "knowing stuff" and crazy way of controlling the situation she was badass enough. Now there's the whole not a mutant, but something else entirely thing as well. Every month I eagerly await this title above most others. I have yet to be disappointed with an issue. Hell, I even read the first page recap in this one just because Pater David manages to toss in some funny shit there.

Ultimate Vision 4: We have Vision vs. Galactus. Vision vs. MODOK. Vision and MODOK vs. Galactus. Plus a cameo by the Falcon at the end. No too shabby, really. I am really intrigued as to how this will end.

Ultimate Fantastic Four 43: So, as usual, Reed manages to get himself in over his head. This time, though, he is called on it. A lot. Probably a good thing, though it did get a little tedious having every other piece of dialogue aimed at him be something negative. Also, Silver Surfer is kind of scary in that overly nice way. Like, you want to like him, you think he probably likes you, but you know he's still going to murder you in your sleep anyhow. I do wonder who this master of his is, since I am assuming it isn't Gah Lak Tus. At least, I hope it isn't. We need some more variety here.

Ultimate X-Men 83: The Morloks are just stupid here. First they attack the ex-X-Men, then they get all mad at them for fighting in the first place. You can't throw a punch at someone and then act all shocked and dismayed when they fight back. Dumbasses. Also, what the hell is up with Bishop? I know he supposedly has future knowledge and all that, but he himself has admitted that what he knows as history has already changed. I don't trust him and his dislike of Angel.

Ultimate Power 6: My first thought reading this was that I missed an issue. No way have there been five issues already. But, I haven't missed anything so far. As far as I can tell either I am mistaken and have read more than I realized, or the last couple issues have had nothing at all happen. Whatever. Emil Burbank is still an asshole. Nick Fury is still and asshole. Doom is still and asshole. I just want to know where the hell they got Doom from. Wasn't he in the zombie world? Still interested enough to want to see this resolve. Even with the Greg land artwork, which annoys me.