Even though it's ending, Ultimate U is still my go to! Ultimates #17 is just epic. :)
Ultimates is still awesome!! Absolute RULES!!
(also I think Mackay is a fine writer. Just a little tired from holding up *4* books.)
|
Supernatural - The old TV show was a guilty pleasure of mine once upon a time. I thought the first five seasons were pretty well written. And the monster of week formula was fun. So when I saw this as a new series, set in those early seasons, I figured what the hell. The first issue was okay. If nothing else, it captured the feel of those very early episodes. Other than that, it was meh. The art was nothing special. Maybe I'll continue, but if I don't I won't miss anything.
The Rocketfellers - Just in time for Halloween, we get the big confrontation between the time-refugee family and the now-villainous, corrupt cyborg sister. There were a few really humorous, well-done panels where the normal neighbors interact with cyborg sister. Great bits of dialogue there. The rest is a lot of action, ending with some time jumping which promises to throw the whole series for a much needed loop.
Superman: Red and Blue - I like the Red and Blue miniseries, so when I saw this one-shot, thought it'd be fun to pick up. The stories were not bad. My favorite was All the Time in the World. That story also had the art I liked best. The rest were okay to read. Not horrible. And the art was at least decent, except for the art by someone named Caitlin Yarksy. I thought that art was awful.
Batman: The Last Halloween - Well, that's over. I think this was definitely the least favorite of all the many Jeph Loeb Batman stories I've read over the years. The overall story almost felt phoned in. Though there were a few gems of writing here and there. The art was the real story, and I think most of the various artists did a pretty decent to awesome job.
Barbaric: The Black Knight - This was a one-shot to (hopefully) set up some future stories. The chick team comes across the talking flail from a previous story and have to find a way to destroy it. Let's just say things don't go as planned, and we get the aforementioned Black Knight back in action. Honestly, this story could have done better with at least one more issue to build things up. As is, it felt rushed. It was still fun, though. The art was different, but not too shabby.
Conan: Scourge of the Serpent - Continues the weaving together of three separate REH stories, focusing on three different characters (Kull, Conan, John Kirowan) across three different time periods, all dealing with some sinister plot by Set. The way Zub is weaving these stories together is truly impressive. Hands down, the Conan stuff from Titan is one of my favorite things in all of comics these days.
|
|
Hmph...
I was just stacking these new comics in the front room, and realized something about The Rocketfellers cover. It's a Halloween issue, so the cover has the entire family trick-or treating. Each member is dressed like another Ghost Machine character. We've got Simon Pure from Redcoat, Mr. X-Ray and Pranky the Scout from Hyde Street, Geiger and his two headed wolf from Geiger, and Rook from Rook Exodus. Cute. And there are a few other characters appearing on the street in the background. I appreciate clever covers like this.
Mortal Thor is epic!!! I love it!!! More please!!!
I can't wait to see what Chip Zdarksky will have in store when he takes over the reins on Avengers.
|
|
Batman - I'm still trying to figure out why Vandal Savage is suddenly a Batman foe. As if the Dark Knight didn't already have a far superior immortal enemy. This whole Gotham plot (whatever the point of it is) seems too pedestrian for him. I liked seeing Hugo Strange again. And then we had Harvey Bullock, PI. Not sure when it happened, but I like it. He's like a more slovenly version of Slam Bradley. Loved the new Bat Signal, and the way Batman did his disappearing act. It was also nice to see Bruce in the boardroom. And I've felt sorry for the Riddler before, since he can be kind of lame, but damn....poor guy.
JSA - The start of the new story arc. And a welcome change. Seems like it's going to be a retelling of the origin. Though I have to wonder about the timing. I have to think this is Spectre and Doctor Fate doing the narrating. I love seeing Jay in the classroom. And listening to Carter and Shiera discuss Kent as a fellow archaeologist.
Moon Knight - Yet another reminder that Moon Knight's split personality can be very useful at times. Still, I was kind of hoping this arc would finish up this issue. I heard the series is restarting in early 2026, which makes me worried they'll just drag this out until the end. And since when does a DID personality shift come with growing a mustache? What? Are we taking cues from Split now?
Nemesis Forever - Lots of moving pieces on this board. I can see why super douche wants that tech chip - so he can get genuine super powers. At first I thought he might be going for mind control. Then again, maybe a bit of both. Still, it's nice to see not everything goes his way, and even he can be caught off guard. I do think things won't end well for the undercover lady. Too bad. I kind of like her.
Huck: Big Bad World - This was a surprising end to the series. Definitely didn't see it coming. I liked it though. It was...hopeful. And positive about the human race. Which is not what I typically expect from most modern comic book writers.
Rook Exodus - Damn! This series continues to build a neat little world up. I love the way the main character has grown and evolved so much over these 8 issues. And I love the way each of the wardens has these really unique personality traits from bleed over with their animals. Like high tech druids. The spider warden is going to prove creepy as hell. Stag, though. He comes across as a badass, and almost samurai like. And this world of Exodus has so much potential, I hope they don't rush to move any of the action off planet. A few glimpses here and there would be nice, though.
Savage Sword of Conan - The main story, a Conan one, seemed overly complicated and kind of...artsy fartsy...that's the only real way I can think of it. Like the guy was given the task of writing a summer blockbuster, and instead decided to work it as some kind of wannabe Oscar contender arthouse crap. The art was solid. It just wasn't a good Conan story. The back up was a story of Cormac Mac Art. Short, simple, and too the point. Much better. I expect nothing less from Ron Marz though.
|
|
From last week...
Gotham by Gaslight: A League for Justice - I never pictured Zod as a religious zealot, but it kind of works. And I'm kind of digging this harsher Martian Manhunter. I am a little bummed though. I was hoping they'd go with something more Lovecraftian. Instead, we just get more Darkseid.
Even Horizon: Dark Descent - This isn't going as I expected, but it's still kind of interesting. It's way more tame than I thought it would be. It seems the entity is picking a handful of crew members to really work on, and all the others just sort of end up canon fodder.
Hellboy and the BPRD: The Ghost Ships of Labrador - I'm a sucker for most Hellboy stories. This one seems to be based off an historical shipwreck from the 1500s. Cool. The art was solid.
Mr. Terrific: Year One - The finale of this series sees Mr. Terrific complete his origin against the evil industrialist acolyte of Darkseid. Although it was a pleasant surprise to see the actual villain behind the villain as someone other than Darkseid himself. And now Terrific has a kid. Weird, but hopefully they can make it work. Unfortunately, the ending promises any future to this story might also involve the other over-used DC villain, Lex Luthor.
Batman Static Beyond - I'm also a sucker for most Batman Beyond stories. This one starts off pretty cool. Some Justice League action. The Khunds still being a-holes. And the possible origin of a new villain. That's what I'm betting on. The art was pretty good.
Green Lantern Corps - I keep wondering how long they'll keep this as just the Green Lantern Corp. I'm amazed they haven't just moved into an all-colors corps. I've long thought they have too many human GLs though, and that hasn't changed. If anything, it's gotten worse. It was interesting to see Fatality again. I thought she was one of the more compelling villains to come out of the Kyle Rayner era.
Aquaman - Holy Crap! The Deep Six?!? I think they were last killed off about 18 years ago. Nice to see Jeremy Adams using a bit of history there. I think Titanus is pretty new, but I like him. He kind of reminds me of the movie version of King Shark. They have definitely upgraded Arthur though. And I kind of like it.
Batman: Dark Patterns - I really liked this last issue. It was a solid conclusion, with some great exposition. And it still left some stuff unresolved for future use. Overall, this series was really well done. The individual story arcs were solid, and the overarching story they built was cool. The art throughout was excellent. I kind of hope they do some more with this creative team.
Transformers - Looks like the Autobots get a new (albeit slightly unhappy) recruit, along with some old friends. It's good to see Optimus back to his old self. And, of course, Miles Mayhem is showing his more villainous side.
Redcoat - I was not expecting this issue, which might be why I enjoyed it so much. Simon "Plum" as a settled down family man. Working in a clothing store. A man who is truly happy, but possibly still haunted by his past. And then that past comes back to haunt him some more.
Conan the Barbarian - Looks like we've got bats@#t crazy Numedides. This was a great start to what will hopefully be the tale of how Conan won the crown of Aquilonia. The art was by Fernando Dagnino. It reminded me at points of Buscema. Very fitting for Conan. The story itself was brutal and action packed. This series has definitely been my favorite of the whole year.
The Power Fantasy is STILL THE book to read, but Die Reloaded is pretty epic too, especially for us in the RPG crowd.
|
|
Not a lot of new books this week, which was probably a good thing considering my big back issue purchase...
Hello Darkness - I might have actually taken this book off my list, since it wasn't on when they checked. Nevertheless, I keep finding myself picking it up. This issue was much better than some of the more recent ones. Although there was one story that was utter trash. It's not a bad book, I just think most of the writers they get are young and too inexperienced to actually tell good stories. There are glimmers of hope, though.
Lost Fantasy - It had been awhile since the last issue. It looks like we're starting a new story arc. For the life of me, though, I cannot recall the name of the main character. He's the dude with the eyepatch and white hair. Anyway, this new arc seems like it's going to be a family affair. With some old secrets coming to light and ancient magic in play. The art is cool. My only problem with the series is they seem to be infected with that silly "really giant swords are cool" crap.
Punisher: Red Band - This one is definitely living up to the "red band" gimmick. Bloody and violent. Frank is....Frank. Tombstone is brutally sadistic. He makes a great organized crime boss. And Fisk is, if anything, super creepy now. Not really the Kingpin anymore. It's sad in a way. The how of Frank's return from that otherworld the previous idiot writer put him in is still a mystery. And I kind of hope they never reveal it.
Viking Moon - This is another one that seems to have taken awhile to get out. Still...worth it. Having escaped from the werewolves, the viking chieftan decides to make a stand. As any good viking should. The last page or two, however, bring an interesting revelation. I look forward to seeing where they take this story. And the werewolves look awesome! Very The Howling inspired.
New Gods - I was sad to hear this was the final issue of the series. The guys at the store were saying that Ram V had at some point said he had enough story for over 30 issues. That would have been cool. And this ending did seem a bit rushed. Still, I like where they finished up, and hope to see more in the future. The art was solid, as usual. First few pages almost reminded me of Mignola. Maybe inspired by him.
Gillen said that Power Fantasy's future depended on how well it did. A middling reception would end it early and a good one would extend it. IMO, a shortened version would no doubt have a massive blow up that would tear Earth apart.
Philip,
I want it to run longer since I'm kind of deeply invested in these guys.
As for New Gods, I think Ram just felt like as much as there were stories to tell, KO is running rampant and taking up a goodly amount of oxygen. (Along with Absolute which is as it should be.)
|
|
Spent an hour or so reading through some indie comics I had delivered recently:
Norfrica: Glorious Death - This is from the Rippaverse, covering the origin story of two heroes introduced in company’s first book. It’s very inspired by Thor from Marvel. The main characters are each gods come to Earth. One is from a Norse inspired pantheon. The other comes from African Mythology (not sure which). They travel around as the rock band Norfrica, playing concerts and fighting evil. Weird, but it kind of works. Most of this first book takes place in the Nordic Myth realms. The writing is solid enough. The art is….okay. Could be better.
The Horseman - The second issue of their series for this “street level” crime fighter. Chuck Dixon’s writing is solid, as the hero takes out criminal organizations, backed by a tech billionaire whose intentions prove to be less than honorable. The Horseman is similar to Punisher in that he’s ex-military and uses lots of military hardware and tactics. He’s also unlike him in that he doesn’t feel the need to kill all the bad guys. The art by Joe Bennett is top notch.
Escape From Monster Island - This is the third book in a story from Graham Nolan, who performs both art and writing duties. At the end of book two, the heroes were on Monster Island when it teleported off Earth. So this entire book is them dealing with the fallout from that and trying to get home. They end up fighting some evil aliens who look like goblins as they might have been drawn by Jack Kirby. Overall, the story was fun. The art, as expected, was phenomenal. I’m hoping we’ll get more stories with these characters.
Still say Gillen is the best for indie. :p
|
|
I finally got to read through my copy of Psychic Sam. That's the new character and story from Mark Millar. With art by John Romita Jr. Basically, this truck driver one day starts getting visions - seeing murders take place 24 hours before they happen. Think Minority Report, but instead of arresting the would-be killers, Sam decides to stop them in a more permanent way. The ending was kind of predictable, but the entire story was well done. Millar knows how to keep a good pace going. The art by Romita was great. He's not my favorite, but he always does decent work.
Anyway, I look forward to more of this. Luckily, I should get a notice from Kickstarter when volume 2 comes up.
Power Fantasy and Die Loaded are great and probably best indie comics. :p
|
|
Supernatural - I picked up another issue out of curiosity. Wanted to see if they continue with the monster of the week style they hinted at in the first issue. They did. This time it was a ghost, but a ghost that wasn't completely psycho killer. Interesting enough.
BRZRKR: The Bleeding Tide - I wasn't aware until a week or so ago this was coming out. I've enjoyed the BRZRKR stories, so of course I picked this up. The art wasn't Ron Garney, but it was still solid. And this one expands on the BRZRKR universe by introducing a vampire. A vampire pirate to be precise. One whom B teams up with to rescue someone from...a sorceress. So this was definitely one of the more fantasy style stories in the BRZRKR universe. It was a fun book.
Green Lantern - This was just a fun issue. The Hard Travelling Heroes back together. And fighting robots. With some really awesome use of energy constructs. The dialogue between Ollie and Hal was great. The art was really good.
Batman/Green Arrow/The Question: Arcadia - This was another series I didn't know was coming out until a week or two ago. These are three characters I really like (more Batman and Question, though), and the cover art looked magnificent. So I picked it up. The art was indeed gorgeous. Same dude did the writing. That was....adequate. Hopefully, he won't let his own innate biases ruin what has the potential to be a really good book.
Skinbreaker - Dave Finch's art continues to be the main selling point of this series. It's really top notch. The world they've developed seems to come alive from his images. At first I thought this would be story of clashing generations, but what's developed over three issues is more a clash of a a simple, physical-strength-is-all worldview versus there are different types of strength technological progression. This issue comes full circle with the first, so we'll see where they go from here.
Geiger - It's been awhile since the last issue, where Geiger was left locked up in a prison and powerless. That doesn't go well for several someones. And the narration driving the story is for a completely different character and arc, but the two dovetail nicely together. And it's a somewhat poignant story, asking a question that can be very complex: What is treasure?
Conan: Scourge of the Serpent - We still haven't seen the heroes brought together like in the first big event. And we don't see it this issue either. That really is working for the story they seem to be telling though. Namely, of an ageless evil whose plots and plans stretch across millenia. It really give a feeling of timelessness to the story.
Infernal Hulk is a MUST for those that loved Immortal Hulk. PJK is doing some epic Hulk writing.
|
|
Not a lot this week, although there were at least two books that got delayed.
Dark Souls: Mother of Mourning - I've never played the video game this is based on, but I've at least heard of it. It also seems there were several other comic miniseries already, but this was the first on that I noticed. That was primarily due to the cover, which was cool. Also because it was from Titan. Considering they put out one of the best comic series currently in existence (Conan), I was willing to give this a shot. It seems pretty boiler plate fantasy: World going to crap. Some warriors for a holy order are going on a quest to save the world. The writing is by some British guy named George Mann. Can't recall ever hearing about him before, but his writing seems solid enough. The art is really good. Some dude named Maan House. Pretty sure I've seen his work before.
JSA - The reimagining of the JSA origin continues. Most of the writing is pretty straightforward. There are a few attempts at being clever, but those unsurprisingly fall flat. The art really fits the timeline, I think. There's some really fun interaction between Hippolyta and Al Pratt. And I love seeing Hawkman and Hawkgirl as they're supposed to be: a couple. And badass.
Nemesis Forever - The character I love to hate. If the series ends with him winning, I can't really see a point to the continuation of the Millar-verse. Although it does seem like Millar is setting things up so that he loses, but in such a way that he can be brought back whenever. I do like the use of a rarely heard of Sumerian deity as Hanpa. Still, it would kind of ruin the character is he ends up coming back with mystic powers.
Rook Exodus - Holy crap! That was cool. And now we know why this terraformed world is all kinds of f'd up. It's another version of genetic engineering gone horribly wrong. The setting and background are what make it unique. Of all the stories Johns is doing for the fantastic Ghost Machine, I think this one is the most creative. And we get a little more detail on Matterhorn, Warden of Goats. Her backstory was cool. Plus some more insight into the background of Dire Wolf.
Still maintain that Ultimate Universe is epic, along with Absolute. Plus Infernal Hulk is a MUST!!