Grading the Comics: Week of August 10

Okay, let's see what's (hopefully) in the comic book box this week:

• ACTION COMICS #880
• ADVENTURE COMICS #1
• BATMAN #689
• BLACKEST NIGHT #2 (OF 8)
• BLACKEST NIGHT BATMAN #1 (OF 3)
• BOOSTER GOLD #23
• GEN 13 #31
• GREEN LANTERN CORPS #39 (BLACKEST NIGHT)
• MARVELS PROJECT #1 (OF 8)
• RED HERRING #1 (OF 6)
• SUPERMAN SECRET FILES 2009 #1
• ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #1
• ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #1
• UNCANNY X-MEN #514 DAX
• UNWRITTEN #4
• WALKING DEAD #64

As usual, the italics are for books I am not committed to buying but hope to glance over on the stands. Odds are good that if I like what I see, it'll go home with me.

In the meantime, what are YOU reading? Comment away!

Grading the Comics: Week of August 3

Hey there, seems like forever since I graded my comic book purchases.
Having a baby in the house will do that. I have books from two or three weeks ago that I haven't even read yet.
=sigh=
Anyway, here's what I'm planning to buy today:

• AGENTS OF ATLAS #9 - Darn it, I forgot to pick this up. Will try to snag a copy today.
• BOYS #33 - Sick, what Butcher does to Payback, but very entertaining. And there's material besides that sets up some interesting stuff ahead. B
• CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #2 (OF 5) - Good stuff. Steve Rogers is on his way back (slowly) and yet--will he be Cap when he finally returns? A-
• DOOM PATROL #1 - Side by side with Metal Men, this is one wacked-out book. A must-read. A+
• HULK #13 - Bruce says bye to A-Bomb and we're thinking Ol' Jadejaws is gone...? B
• JUSTICE LEAGUE CRY FOR JUSTICE #2 (OF 7) - Haven't read it yet.
• SAVAGE DRAGON #151 - Geez, for a dead guy, Dragon sure can carry a book. B
• SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #6 (OF 12) - Didn't have a copy at the store, hope to have it tonight.
• ULTIMATUM: FANTASTIC FOUR REQUIEM #1 - Ditto.
• ULTIMATUM: X-MEN REQUIEM #1 - Ditto.

As I've said elsewhere (I think), I'm probably going to let the WildStorm stuff fall by the wayside. "World's End" has been an interesting direction for the books but I'm ready to let it go.

Ditto the Ultimate line of books. I wasn't thrilled with the last issue of ULTIMATUM (see below), and now seems like a good time to let those titles slip off my reserve list. I'll keep an eye on the line to see what's happening, and reserve the right to change my mind, but... we'll just have to see.

Man, I sure didn't have a lot to say about the books this week-- but I'll fix that soon enough.

later!

Grading the Comics: Week of May 25, 2009

You're probably dying to know what's on my list this week, right?
Well, the suspense is over. Here's what I'm shopping for tomorrow (New Comics Day is pushed back one by Memorial Day--ah well):

• AVENGERS INITIATIVE #24 - Humberto Ramos sure draws a mean Typhoid Mary!
• GREEN LANTERN #41 - I'm guessing it's more Blackest Night, but that's just a guess.
• JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #33 - Probably going to drop this one today. I'm just not feeling it any more.
• JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #27 - Ditto.
• RUNAWAYS 3 #10 - This is Kat's book.
• SUPERMAN #688 - Oddly enough, this book is working out okay without Superman.
• TRINITY #52 - And another weekly title comes to an end.
• WILDCATS #11 - See Justice League of America.
• X-MEN LEGACY #224 - I think this is the issue wherein we take leave of Professor X, isn't it?

All right, folks, I'll be back with reviews and notes and general snark after I've read 'em. I have a few things to write for SFRevu but I'll try to be good this week.

later!

Grading the Comics: May 13, 2009

Okay, let's get back to work, shall we?
Here's what I'm aiming to pick up today (with some notations)...

• ACTION COMICS #877 - Nightwing takes the badly injured Flamebird to the one safe haven he knows, then engages in a brawl with Ursa and the US military. Good fun all around. B
• ALL-NEW SAVAGE SHE-HULK #2 - Thulkdra takes on Shulkie! Alas, didn't find a copy on shelf. No grade.
• BOOSTER GOLD #20 - Where in Time is Booster? Apparently back in the 1950s. Not bad at all, really. B-
• CAPTAIN BRITAIN & MI-13 #13 - Man, you thought Brian, Pete and their team got their butts kicked so far? You ain't seen nothin' yet. A
• GREEN LANTERN CORPS #36 - Sodam Yat and Arisia on Daxam, while Sinestro gets to know his kid. Not as much as I might have hoped. C+
• SECRET WARRIORS #4 - Nick Fury continues to be the consummate soldier, recruiting some old friends to his anti-Hydra cause, while the kids try and figure out what the good colonel is doing. B-
• STORMWATCH PHD #21 - It's StormWatch vs. Night Tribes, with a cameo from WetWorks' Dane. Apparently the sh*t is hitting the fan in Europe big time, but can our heroes do anything about it? B-
• TRINITY #50 - The world is dead, Earth is destroyed, and Krona has a long heart-to-heart with the worldsoul, only to find he had no idea what planets really do. Then the Trinity get together and make a decision with significant consequences. B
• ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #132 - Spider-Man gets reacquainted with Dr. Strange, who appears to be having a very bad day, plus Kitty Pryde 'fesses up and Mary Jane goes bonkers. Entertaining but I'm spiraling down on my "Ultimate" fandom. B+
• UMBRELLA ACADEMY: DALLAS #6 - Twisted with a capital S. Love it. The end of the Dallas storyline has an unexpected set of turns, setting the stage for an even bigger third act. Way to go, team! A
• UNWRITTEN #1 - You have to read it. A+
• WALKING DEAD #61 - Kirkman rules. Zombies rule. Kirkman and zombies totally rule. In this installment, the survivors meet a man of God whose survival is a mystery, and rough justice is meted out when someone does something both horrific and unimaginable. A+

And there you have it. What do you think? On the money or off target? Let me know.

Grading the Comics- January 14

UPDATED!
Another week, another batch of reviews.
I haven't read everything on my list this week (had a late night at a farewell dinner for a friend who's off to LA next week), but I did read a few. So here we go:

• ACTION COMICS #873 (FOE) - Superman is caught between the Kandorians and the people of Earth, even as unsuspected enemies plot very bad things for the Man of Steel and his fellow Kryptonians. Plus a very unexpected reveal on the last page. A
• BOOSTER GOLD #16 (FOE) - not read yet
• CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI 13 #9 - A terrific book that keeps getting better. Pete Wisdom really shows how hard a guy he is and Captain Britain suffers a loss, the scope of which he doesn't quite realize. A
• FINAL CRISIS #6 (OF 7) - You've probably read about this one. All I can say is, the pieces are definitely beginning to come together: Flashes Barry and Wally go on what could be their last run; the Green Lanterns don't give up; the last castle crumbles; Mr. Terrific makes a momentous decision and enlists a revived superweapon; Supergirl and Mary Marvel square off one final time; and Batman's big play comes to light, along with the return of a missing hero. We have an awful lot happening and the last page is a killer. Marred by uneven art, the story still comes through. B+/A-
• GEN 13 #26 - not read yet
• GREEN LANTERN CORPS #32 (FOE) - Kyle takes on Kryb, as the Star Sapphires show they can play nice when the mood strikes. Really interesting stuff AND we get more set up for the War of Light. And did anyone miss the significance of the response to the Guardians' Third Law? B+
• NO HERO #3 (OF 7) - The rookie is put through hell to trigger his powers, while the team suffers another loss--and the rest get a history lesson about how to kill a superhuman. Warren is bringing some real heat to this book, y'all. A
• PUSH #4 (OF 6) - not read yet (holding this one for last)
• TRINITY #33 - Okay, no Trinity in the flesh, but we do get a telling of Wonder Woman's "breaking" in this new world, as well as the battle for Tel Aviv (which has some really heavy emotional moments) between the JSI and the Dark Trinity. Great character work by Nicieza in the backup especially. B
• X-INFERNUS #2 (OF 4) - sold out! Hope to get it next week.

And that's where we stand. See ya!

Grading the Comics- January 2 & 7 Double Header!

UPDATE!!

Okay, here's the stuff from last week:

• FINAL CRISIS SECRET FILES #1 - Recap of Libra's origin story with some marginalia shoveled in at the back. Nice to see Len Wein working again but the story itself was inconsequential and the art was okay but nothing special. C-
• GREEN LANTERN #36 - Setting up the War of Light with Sinestro in the hands of Red Lantern leader Atrocitus, while Hal finds out more about the Blue Lanterns (who have a really impractical recruitment process, not to mention a pretty silly ambition regarding one Green Lantern). Plus a Sinestro Corps member changes color and a green ring gets hypercharged. Important in building toward the aforementioned War but not a terrific story in and of itself. C+
• INCOGNITO #1 - A real neat story, of a supervillain in witness protection who's having a hard time adjusting. A-
• JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #28 - JLA meets Milestone in a bruising clash that is not what it seems. McDuffie returns to the characters he helped create (and publish) all those years ago. B+
• JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #22 - A strong ending to the World Under Gog storyline that's been running for... oh, a long time now. Superman-KC has a nice few moments at the end and Starman gets to do something new. A
• KICK ASS #5 - I'm out. F
• SUPERMAN #683 NEW KRYPTON - Superman is caught between Earth's heroes, who want to "talk with" the Kryptonians who killed some of the Science Police, and the Kandorians, led by a vengeful Alura. Things are not going to end well. B+
• TEEN TITANS #66 - A feeble attempt at recruiting new Titans, a supervillain declaring revenge, and a core member takes a hike. I'm out. F
• TRINITY #31 - Well, my interest is sustained for yet another week, so it can't be that bad. B-/C+
• ULTIMATE HULK ANNUAL #1 - Truly awful. The art is okay but the storyline (Power Princess beats the $#!t out of the Hulk, who's naked and obsessed with pancakes) is really atrocious. Probably the worst Ultimate Universe story I've read; doubly so for the ending. No, just plain no. F
• ULTIMATE X-MEN #99 - Rogue lines up some help in taking the fight to Magneto, but her plans are derailed as human Sentinels attack the X-Mansion. Interesting set up but the payoff was regrettably weak. And Vindicator is right--taking out Magneto IS more important than helping out the X-brood. Oh well. C
• WHAT IF SECRET WARS - Doom keeps the Beyonder's power and kicks butt all over the Marvel Universe. Yep, the heroes who died on Battleworld stay dead and yep, Doom takes down pretty much everybody. And stays in character doing it, which is even better. B+

and here's this week's offering:

• AUTHORITY #6 - StormWatch and the Authority come to an agreement, things begin to move and an old enemy makes a very big play. Plus an unexpected ray of hope for Jack and the Engineer. B+
• MARVEL ZOMBIES 3 #4 - The end of the current mini sets up the next one in ways one could never miss. It was pretty good and had some neat gross-out moments, wrapping up a lot of "whatever happened to the OTHER guys...?" Still don't think I'll come back for another helping, though. Gotta cut somewhere. B
• TRINITY #32 - More legends about how Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman ended up in this quasi-Earth, with unsettling resonances for many of the would-be rescuers. Plus a character study of Triumph and Tomorrow Woman and why they're fighting the good fight. B
• WALKING DEAD #57 - Rick and Abraham set out for reconnaissance and recovery, while the others hunker down and wait for their return. Features some of the most disturbing content of the series, which is really saying something. A

Wow, that's kind of a light week. Four I'll definitely buy, two I might-or-might-not. Hm.

And finally, my "trimming the list" candidates (stuff that won't be on my pull list any longer):

• KICK ASS - Enough is enough.
• REIGN IN HELL - I've seen about as much as I need to see for this mini.
• SPIRIT - Once Darwyn walked away...
• SQUADRON SUPREME - Not enjoying it so much I want to shell out $3 (or more)
• TEEN TITANS - The team's falling apart and I just don't care that much.
• TERROR TITANS - ugh.
• TITANS - I wish the reunion of the original Titans was better than this. But it isn't. We're getting rehashed Trigon and now Jericho-gone-bad-or-is-he? nonsense. Isn't anyone interested in trying something NEW with these characters?

Wow, clean sweep of all the Titans books. Oh well.

That's it for now, friends! See you next week.

Grading the Comics- December 17, 2008

All righty, what's on the menu for today?

• AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #19 - hm... you're in the Avengers' own training camp and learned the guy in charge was a Skrull. I know it'd undermine my confidence in a federally-funded superhero career.
• DARK REIGN: NEW NATION- Gotta say, I like the "Illuminaughty" nickname that's been kicked around.
• STORMWATCH PHD #17- Random thought: having an orbital station sure makes for a gloomy spot to watch the end of the world, doesn't it?
• SUPERGIRL #36-NK
• TERRA #4- end of the mini
• TRINITY #29-
• ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #59- I'm betting Johnny Storm isn't really dead.
• WALKING DEAD #56- wonder how much longer Rick's gonna last. Any bets? I'm thinking a year, tops.
• X-MEN LEGACY #219- Professor X sits down with Juggernaut for a little brotherly heart to heart

Reviews to come...

Grading the Comics- December 9, 2008

Here's the review for this week. Reactions? Let me know!

• ACTION COMICS #872 NEW KRYPTON - Hm. Reactron has a pretty nifty new weapon, and Metallo is kicking all kinds of butt. Meanwhile, Superman realizes the Kryptonians are NOT on the same page when it comes to settling down on Earth, while Luthor toys with Brainiac. Plus a pretty brutal final page. Great art by Gary Frank, involving story by Geoff Johns. A
• BOOSTER GOLD #15 - Booster runs afoul of the Elongated Man while trying to tie up yet more loose ends from the multi-part story spinning out of a museum break-in. The McGuffin isn't great and the way it affects history is way too murky to be entertaining. Dan Jurgen's art is great but I don't know if he's locked in on the "Booster as Time Cop" premise wholeheartedly. UPDATE: re-read this over the weekend and decided to bump it up half a grade. Dan J is pretty solid and Booster IS his creation, after all. Still... C+
• CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI 13 #8 - Captain Britain makes a heartbreaking realization, courtesy of his brutally honest subconscious, while the rest of the team fights the Mindless Ones, Blade produces a nifty new weapon, the Black Knight discovers something unsettling about his Ebony Blade's side effects, and Wisdom gets schooled in what demons really want. A
• DETECTIVE COMICS - With Batman gone, Nightwing gets called into Gotham when a Two-Face groupie splashes acid on "the Face of Gotham." It's not a comfy situation for any of the major players, as the status quo post-Batman starts to shuffle around. Not a great story by Denny O'Neil but not a bad story either. B-/C+
• FINAL CRISIS #5 (OF 7) - some interesting stuff going on here. The Green Lantern Corps enters the fray (though will they be able to DO anything?), the few remaining heroes are doing their best in Bludhaven, and Checkmate appears to be, um, checkmated. Plus a strange new arrival, delivered via a puzzle box. How do the good guys pull this out of the fire? Strong story, strong art. B+
• FINAL CRISIS REVELATIONS #4 (OF 5) - Vandal Savage/Cain (with the Spear of Destiny) shows he's one sick puppy, the Question asks some questions (and gets answers!), Huntress shows up to reinforce the good guys (who are under siege) and God's mercy... well. A
• GEN13 #25 - the Gen kids encounter Warhol fever victims in a mall and wackiness ensues. Well, not really--this is probably the bloodiest and nastiest issue of the series to date, with a hanging plot thread that will probably pay off sooner rather than later. And Eddie tries assimilating some unusual materials when facing a plague of rats... B-/C+
• GREEN LANTERN CORPS #31 - Kryb takes on a squad of Green Lanterns, including a pregnant one out for revenge for the parental Lanterns murdered thus far. Nasty... and I never, ever thought Kryb was this badass. (Sure wasn't previously!). The Star Sapphire material is REAL interesting, too... B+
• JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #27 - the Milestone family of characters hits the DCU big time, following Static's recent debut in TERROR TITANS. They want the remains of a now-dead villain and are willing to face off against the JLA to get it. Lots of drama with Red Arrow and Hawkgirl, not to mention Black Canary giving the Trinity a piece of her mind (and rightly so!) and Hardware and Iota sharing some fun dialogue in the Hall of Justice gift shop (and you just knew there was one, right?). I guess I'm liking this book after all. B
• SAVAGE DRAGON #142 - In the aftermath of killing a beloved (if psychotic) hero, Dragon finds his name is mud AND he's a target for some superpowered vengeance. Meanwhile, Dragon Jr. and his friends face off against Mr. Glum, the search for the long-missing Jennifer is NOT going well, and a mysterious stranger promises to make Dragon's life very interesting, and possibly very short as well. A-
• SECRET INVASION DARK REIGN - love the story, not loving the art. Alex Maleev made Namor look like Bendis after a real bad night in the pubs--what gives? Namor with scruff and Bruce Willis hair? But Norman lays it out for the assembled villains (with serious badass style) and Emma Frost's motivations for being there get a good hard look. Story B+, art D+.
• TITANS #8 - okay, I'm out. The art is good but the story has totally lost me. F
• TRINITY #28 - the first part follows the six Friends of Trinity (FOT) into the former JLA HQ/cave in Happy Harbor, RI, then to terra incognita; meanwhile, the JSI and the League face off against an outbreak of weird-powered characters (including folks who were heroes in the mainstream DCU), while all hell appears to be breaking loose. B

Not a bad week so far, my friends. BTW, gave a glance at ASTONISHING X-MEN: GHOST BOXES by Warren E this week too... and WTF, man?? It's like RUINS all over again! Geez.

What's On Deck for This Week?

What am I planning to read this week? Well... let's find out. (With comments!)

• ACTION COMICS #872 NEW KRYPTON - SEE lots and lots of Kryptonians on Earth! SEE Superman try to mediate the differences between his native and his adopted people! SEE if I stay with this book after Johns and Frank move on.
• BOOSTER GOLD #15
• CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI 13 #8
• FINAL CRISIS #5 (OF 7) - sure hope something happens after all this waiting.
• FINAL CRISIS REVELATIONS #4 (OF 5) - I'm liking the Spectre enough to keep this rolling.
• GEN13 #25 - ...
• GREEN LANTERN CORPS #31 - looks like Kyle vs Kryb for all the marbles (or infants, or whatever)
• JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #27 - the Milestone-verse comes to the DCU at last!
• SECRET INVASION DARK REIGN - gotta see what they do, coming out of SI. Has lots of potential.
• TITANS #8 - at least we're done with Trigon's version of "My Three Sons"...
• TRINITY #28 - you may be surprised that I'm hanging in with this title but I have faith in Kurt Busiek and Fabian Nicieza. The story may be slow now but I figure it'll pick up speed until it's a runaway train this spring. Gotta hope, right?

See ya Wednesday!

Last Week's Comics

=sigh=
Even with the best of intentions...
Turns out the new books did not come out yesterday, so I'll stall for time by listing the ton of books I got last week, plus some quick grading and thoughts.
First, though, a mini-rant.
I'm not enjoying reading comics as much as I did. Why? Partly because of a big sense of "been there done that" that infecting everything on the market now. There's no real sense of anything truly new breaking in (with sporadic exceptions).
It leads me to wonder how much longer I'll indulge my hobby on a weekly basis. Could be the time's come to make a break. We'll see, but 2008 has not stoked the fires of my fanboy heart.
Now, as for last week, what'd I buy? Well... (SPOILERS BELOW, FOLKS!)

• BATMAN #681 RIP - Okay, it's finally over. Batman meets the Devil (borrowing the image of his long-dead daddy) and blows up a helicopter. I'm surprised Nightwing and Robin bought it--this is the kind of faux-death that every Bat-villain has come back from bigger and badder than ever. Hell, the Joker does it every other month. Speaking of, let's retire the Joker for awhile, okay? I'm sick of that green-and-white freak showing up EVERYWHERE. B-
• BODY BAGS (ONE SHOT) - why the hell doesn't Jason Pearson do Body Bags more often? Geez! I love this guy's stuff and it shows up, what, every two or three years? How the hell does he make a living? It's frustrating as hell to enjoy a creator's work so much and get it so infrequently. Clownface and Panda absolutely rock. Buy this book and write to 12 Gauge--tell them you want more Body Bags! A
• HULK #8 - whew, talk about stinky cheese. Two stories that add up to more filler. Honest, is there any reason why three superheroes show up in Vegas at the same time as Bruce Banner and a busload of Wendigos? As for the other, I've lost any interest whatsoever in the Red Hulk (for the record, I think it's Talbot [aka Grey from Gamma Corps]) and just hope somebody will off this mort sooner rather than later. The art's nice (Art Adams and Frank Cho could illustrate the phone book, for my money) but the story's on life support and fading fast. D- (story), B+ art
• JSA KINGDOM COME SPECIAL THE KINGDOM #1 - most spinoffs and tie-ins have nothing to say; luckily, this is the rare exception. The killer final page gets to what Geoff Johns has been building to throughout this arc, setting up JSA for a big smackdown and some payoff to long-running plot threads. Gog shows who he really is and the JSA, divided along ideological lines, has never been this unready to meet the challenge. And the artwork rocks too! A
• PUSH #2 (OF 6) - Used to work with Marc Bernadin back in my freelancing days, when he was at STARLOG and I was scrambling for work. Now he's a bigshot comics writer (with a gig at ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, no less) and I'm... well, I'm reviewing his stuff. Dammit. At least (as I recall), he was always a nice guy; pleasure to find out he's so talented at writing too. Read PUSH and you'll have a whole new appreciation for the psychic/espionage microgenre. A
• REIGN IN HELL #5 (OF 8) - Can somebody make sense of this story? I'll settle for being told why any DC reader ought to care at this point. C-
• RUNAWAYS 3 #4 - This one is Kat's specialty. I'll post her comments when I get them.
• SAVAGE DRAGON #141 - A big climax to the Solar Man story, along with a new vs old superhero throwdown. Erik Larsen does what he does best. B+
• SECRET INVASION X-MEN #4 (OF 4) MD - Always a big fan of Mike Carey's work, and this does not disappoint. Sets up a classic "should we go there?" dilemma for Cyclops, with Beast acting as Jiminy Cricket, and a splashy payoff as the X-Men deal with the Skrull threat to San Francisco in a pretty definitive fashion. Next question: is Tony Stark going to ask for their final solution? B+
• SUPERMAN #682 NEW KRYPTON - This is probably the most interesting way to go with Kandor that's been tried in a long, long time. Unfortunately, it's still not holding my interest. We all pretty much know 100,000 Kryptonians are NEVER going to assimilate on Earth--and is there any other reason to send Superman into deep space (2009) than to find them a new homeworld? Didn't think so. B-
• TEEN TITANS #65 - Wonder Girl gets empowered and celebrates with a new look, as well as kicking the ass of her psycho nephew. Okay story but nothing I'll recall in detail three months from now. B-
• TRINITY #26 - Earth is falling apart without the Big Three, I get it. Next. C+
• ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #128 - More about Venom and Carnage finally got interesting. Also, a fairly intriguing return. B
• ULTIMATE X-MEN #98 - An Ultimatum tie-in with the X-Men convinced that three of their teammates are dead in flooded Manhattan. Not bad at all. B-
• UMBRELLA ACADEMY DALLAS #1 - Hilarious stuff, setting up a truly grim-feeling storyline. A
• WALKING DEAD #55 - Rick's finally getting his head together, even as the little caravan makes some interesting discoveries (why are some of the zombies getting weak?). B+
• WILDCATS #5 - We get inside Spartan's head a bit, with help from Nemesis and Voodoo, and see that Hadrian is not a happy camper (and is also suffering a bit of an identity crisis). Good stuff. B

And that's what went on last week, friends. Till tomorrow! DB

Grading the Comics: Week of October 22

Hey gang!
Let's see what I have to look forward to this week...

• FINAL CRISIS #4 (OF 7) - kind of weird that FC and SI are shipping on the same week, isn't it?
• FINAL CRISIS SUBMIT #1 - guess this could be more of the Anti-Life mob...?
• HULK #7 - more Rulk?
• RUNAWAYS 3 #3 - okay, this is really Kat's book
• SECRET INVASION #7 (OF 8) SI - see FC4 above
• SUPERMAN NEW KRYPTON SPECIAL #1 - is this a "very special" issue of Superman? will we see a message, like "don't sunbathe too long, Kryptonians!"?
• TRINITY #21 - Earth kind of sucks without the Big Three around
• ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #127 - after bonding with the Venom symbiote, I'm guessing Peter Parker is ready to kick back and relax. I'm probably wrong.
• WILDCATS #4 - oddly, I'm enjoying Wildcats more now than I have in a long time.
• X-MEN LEGACY #217 - yay, Mike! Go team go!

And on Wednesday, we'll see if my snark is borne out.

Hasta la bye-bye!
Drew

Grading the Comics: Week of October 6, 2008

Hey folks,
Okay, time to grade the books! What did or didn't do it for me this week...?

• ACTION COMICS #870 (pre-spoiled!) - you've probably heard the big spoiler, but apart from that final page, this issue featured a really cool throw-down between Superman and Brainiac, as well as Supergirl having a turning point moment of her own, plus Metropolis--in a bottle! Way cool. A
• FINAL CRISIS REVELATIONS #3 - Radiant, the Spirit of Mercy, has some trouble dealing with Anti-Life maddened mobs in Gotham, as Crispus Allen tries to sort out some issues and the Question gets beat up by Batwoman. Probably the best street-level view of how this Crisis is affecting ordinary folks. And dig that mob scene outside the church! B+
• GEN 13 #23 - a quintet of "what I'd be doing now if I wasn't with you guys," spotlighting each of the five kids. Kind of dull but probably a necessary deep breath before the series plunges into extreme action. C+
• WILD CARDS: HARD CALL #4 - Daniel Abraham and Eric Battle keep the story rolling, as Croyd (the Sleeper) Crenson tries to find the guy who's framed him for murder. A neat murder mystery set in a decades-old superhero anthology world. B+
• GREEN LANTERN #35 - more of "Secret Origins," with Hal standing up to the Guardians for the first (but not the last) time and Sinestro really getting serious depth. Plus snapshots of Black Hand and Hector "the Main Brain" Hammond. B
• GREEN LANTERN CORPS #29 - a new Star Sapphire is born and Guy and Ice have a date (and a fight--what else is new?), while a batch of Lanterns search for a child-snatching member of the Sinestro Corps. Truly meh. C
• MARVEL ZOMBIES 3 #1 - the Florida Initiative team is wiped out by zombies sneaking through from (you guessed it!) the "Marvel Zombieverse." Zombie Deadpool and his pack of flesh-hungry undead snack on newbies like Siege and Conquistador, while Jennifer Kale and Wundarr the Aquarian survive (barely). So Morbius sends Machine Man and Jocasta on a little mission... B
• SECRET SIX #2 (missed #1... darn it) - missed this one too. No grade.
• SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE VOL 2 #3 (for Kat) - Kat hasn't read it yet. No grade.
• TRINITY #19 - more of "Earth without..." and we see how the world is worse off when Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman never existed. Both stories focus on folks who kinda-sorta remember the missing Trinity, but don't move the story very much at all. C
• WALKING DEAD #53 - Rick and Tommy find some old friends and face some troubling realizations, along with an intrusion with an intriguing twist. A-

Agree? Disagree? The comment field is always open.

Grading the Comics: August 8, 2008

You're probably watching the Olympics, my friendly readers, but just in case...

• AUTHORITY #1 - Okay, the WildStorm Earth is WAY messed up. Gotta see how this plays out but it's a different kind of place to set superhero stories. The heroes are facing serious problems on several fronts, not the least of which is that half the team is... well, let's just say they've seen better days as a group and leave it at that. And things are not looking up, either. B
• BOYS #21 - Part three of a four-part digging into the back story of why things are so jacked up in NYC especially, it has a lot to say about how superheroes don't work the way we think--even in the most cliche of situations. A-
• FINAL CRISIS #3 (OF 7) - Gotta admit, I'm not sure where this is going or what I think of it. Some interesting images but I don't know if it jells for me. Still, Barry's back! B-
• FX #6 (OF 6) - A neat six-issue mini, tightly plotted and very well drawn, with a cool Silver Age vibe to it. Here's hoping there's more on the way. A
• HULK #5 - Is it me or is the Red Hulk way too powerful to believe? C'mon, a monster that shrugs off She-Hulk or Abomination (old and new) I can buy... shrugs off original green Hulk, maybe... shrugs off Thor slamming Mjolnir into his face? Um, no. Well drawn but the enemy is amped beyond my suspension of disbelief load limit. C-
• STAR TREK ASSIGNMENT EARTH #4 - A nice done-in-one from John Byrne, who has a real affinity for Classic Trek. Hopefully he'll be on this title for a long while to come, 'cause I'm enjoying it a lot. A
• TRINITY #10 - Some interesting ideas but I'm not any closer to knowing if I like this story or not. Great art but... I'm not locking into the story. C+
• ULTIMATE ORIGINS #3 (OF 5) - Another story that seems a little too unfocused. We get to see Young Magneto and Young Professor X doing their bonding thing in the Savage Land, amid the original Brotherhood (guess the Evil Mutants part came later), while the modern FF try to figure out what this HAL 9000-meets-Stone Age probe is supposed to be doing. Um... halfway through and I have no idea what's really going on. Not good. C

Okay, that's it for this week. Overall not bad but not stellar either. Comments?

Grading the Comics: July 24, 2008

Okay, here's what we had this week...

• AVENGERS INITIATIVE #15 SI - In the last issue, a little wish really screwed over 3D Man, who might have become one of the major anti-Skrull heavyweights... but probably not any more. Thanks bunches, jerk. Overall, an okay story that doesn't much advance the Secret Invasion plotline so much as tell a peripheral character story. C+
• BLACK SUMMER #7 - End of the road for the Seven Guns, though Warren Ellis has enough left to continue if he chooses (but he probably won't). Interesting take on the extremes to which superpowered vigilantism can go. Nasty but a good ending. A-
• GREEN LANTERN CORPS #26 - End of the Mother Mercy story with a rather heroic (if out-of-left-field) effort by a GL. B
• JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #23 - The team gets its collective @$$ kicked by Amazo, whose use of their powers is inspired to say the least. Plus the first intimations that something is very wrong with Vixen after all. A-
• NUMBER OF THE BEAST #8 (OF 8) - The end of a protracted and not-very-great "end of the world" story. By itself, not interesting at all, but maybe it opens up some possibilities for WildStorm to break out of being just another superhero universe. D
• SUPERMAN #678 - Atlas kicks butt. Nothing special. C-
• TRINITY #8 - Bruce Wayne hosts a party and Despero entertains an offer. B-
• ULTIMATE X-MEN #96 - Big news for Wolverine (courtesy of a special guest star) and the X-Men have a little reunion. B-
• UNCANNY X-MEN #500 - the store sold out! Go figure!
• WAR HEROES #1 - Interesting kickoff: ongoing attacks inside the US result in a program that gives soldiers superpowers in pill form. Hm... Millar can't be making points about current events, can he? B
• X-MEN #214 - Despite the cover, which has nothing to do with the insides, Professor X gives a good accounting of himself, Gambit and Shaw bond and a new villain is unveiled. B+

Overall, not a bad week. Still wish I was at Comic-Con.

Last Week's Comics and This Week's Comics

Gotta say, friends, last week was lame for me. I bought all of three titles: ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #56, FINAL CRISIS: ROGUES REVENGE #1 and TRINITY #7. I know there were plenty of other worthwhile books on sale, but heck, I'm only one guy and I gotta tighten the belt when it comes to books.

As for this week:

• AMBUSH BUG YEAR NONE #1 (OF 6)
• AVENGERS INITIATIVE #15 SI
• BLACK SUMMER #7
• GREEN LANTERN CORPS #26
• JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #23
• NUMBER OF THE BEAST #8 (OF 8)
• SUPERMAN #678
• TRINITY #8
• ULTIMATE X-MEN #96
• UNCANNY X-MEN #500
• WAR HEROES #1
• X-MEN #214

Kind of interested to see where NUMBER OF THE BEAST will leave off-- sounds as if the WildStorm universe is going to be well and truly thrashed by armies of returned posthumans, giving our heroes something to do besides chase bank robbers and stray Daemonites.

Also figuring that the GL Corps will start setting up for the Red Lanterns story real soon.

This week is Comic-Con, folks, and I'm darned unhappy I won't be there. Kat and I had an absolute blast last year and wish we could make it in '09, but odds are good we won't be able to do it... for reasons I'll cover real soon.

later!

This Week's Comics

Okay, so I didn't grade last week's books.

Doesn't mean there weren't winners and losers in the bunch.

First, this week's books:

• ACTION COMICS #867
• BOOSTER GOLD #1000000
• BPRD THE WARNING #1 (OF 5)
• CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI 13 #3 SI
• DETECTIVE COMICS #846 RIP
• JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #17
• NUMBER OF THE BEAST #7 (OF 8)
• SECRET INVASION #4
• TRINITY #6
• ULTIMATE ORIGINS #2 (OF 5)

We'll see which of these come out thumbs-up this week.

As for last week...

• BATMAN #678 RIP - Reminded me of an episode of Starsky and Hutch, where Hutch was addicted to narcotics by the bad guys; in the '70s, you could do that and the character would be "clean" by the end credits, while now it'd be the focus of a season-long story arc (with the possibility of backsliding). Very interesting... A
• BOYS #20 - What can I say, Ennis and Derenick keep this comic rolling, even in a story where the real "action" is two conversations and a clean-up job. A
• FX #5 (OF 6) - I'm a longtime John Byrne fan, so this series continues to please me. (See more below) B+
• SAVAGE DRAGON #136 - Erik Larsen would be getting a better grade if this book came out more than once in awhile, but I do like his stuff. B-
• STAR TREK ASSIGNMENT EARTH #3 - A story about Gary Seven and Roberta that shows some forward momentum for one character (plus a bittersweet flash-forward); some really good storytelling by JB. B
• TRINITY #5 - So far, the weekly isn't blowing the doors off my fanboy brain but it's holding my interest. So far. C+
• WALKING DEAD #50 - Man, Carl sure has grown up in the past four years. He really lets his dad have it, too, venting all the horror and suffering he's gone through to reach a point of being self-reliant. Great storytelling and a return to the big danger being--zombies! A-

Astute friends of the site will notice some deletions from the list I posted last week. So be it-- some titles were sold out, others I chose to drop at the store rather than purchase.

Anyway, that's this week AND grading the comics, so... make of it what you will.

A Light Comic Book Week for Drew!

I didn't really buy very much yesterday, but... here's what I got (with remarks):

• GEORGE R.R. MARTIN’S WILD CARDS #3 (OF 6) HARD CALL - haven't read it yet, want to take some time and enjoy this one
• JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #22 - is it me or is Dwayne McDuffie just not doing it in this title? I love the guy's work but his JLA run is disappointing me.
• TRINITY #1-3 - haven't read it yet; Kat borrowed issues 1 and 2 last night.
• ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #55 - what is the story with the new Salem's Seven? Geez, talk about an aggressive new superteam. Leave it to Mike Carey to reinvigorate a bunch I considered "morts" back in the day.
• ULTIMATE X-MEN #95 - last issue, the X-Men got their asses handed to them by one badass Alpha Flight; now we're seeing a bit more about the mutant-amping drug Banshee, Cyclop's first optic blast (in flashback, natch), a secret agenda at work, and Vindicator showing signs of being a serious A-hole. Hm.

I'll post more opinion here as I finish the week's books. In the meantime, I'm reading OUT OF THE WILD by Sarah Beth Durst (see the link to her site on my home page). It's as fun and wacky in its sensibilities as INTO THE WILD (her first novel) and I'm enjoying it quite a bit.

Till then!

What I'm Liking and Not Liking in Comics Pt 1

Okay, so I'm shelling out my hard-earned bucks for comics every Wednesday... and I realize this morning that I haven't read a chunk of what I bought two days ago.

That would have been unthinkable when I was in my 20s or even my 30s. Nowadays? I'm lucky if I read everything I buy period. Used to be I could only say that about novels (I own enormous tons of books and, sadly, have a considerable pile of "never-reads" in that papery black hole I call a library).

So what am I liking and what am I not liking?

Let me see.

LIKE
1. WildStorm.
I know, I'm surprised too. While NEW DYNAMIX isn't kicking it for me, I love that they're going all out on NUMBER OF THE BEAST and the shape of the world afterward. It's a very bold step and I hope it pays off immensely. Plus they've been trying all kinds of energetic and innovative things to recharge their classic books. Despite a couple misfires (WildCats, Authority), WildStorm is getting better all the time.

2. Green Lantern.
A couple of interlocked books that have a master plan-- how cool is that? Geoff Johns is just rocking it on GL. For a hero I kinda-sorta liked, this has become "must read" stuff.

3. Secret Invasion.
It's about time the Skrulls got serious about kicking Earth's ass. And man, have they been doing it! Reed splattered over his lab, the Baxter Building sucked into the Negative Zone, the SWORD space station blown to bits... the list goes on and on. And where are the Avengers? Chasing their tails in the Savage Land, while New York is ground zero for the Skrull ground strike. Good stuff-- I just hope they avoid what befell WORLD WAR HULK: awesome story, miserable ending.

4. Cyclops.
I think Scott Summers is poised to become the fan favorite mutant of 2008. He's shaken off his decades-long misery over Jean Grey (who seems to have been reborn like... a phoenix?... over in CABLE), hooked up with the older-but-still-hot Emma Frost (c'mon, Emma's got to have five or six years on Scott easy), and assumed real leadership of the X-Men. Thank God one of my favorite X-characters is back to being himself.

5. Ultimate Marvel.
Yeah, it's heresy for anyone who's read comics for more than, oh, four years to admit liking the Ultimate books... but hey, they're doing what Marvel used to do in the old days: shaking up the status quo, keeping you guessing, and not playing it safe. I like Bendis on Ult Spider-Man (Peter Parker should ALWAYS be a high school student! yeah I said it!), I like Mike Carey on Ult FF, and the other books have given me some smiles. Sure, I wish ULTIMATES was a more regular title-- heck, the delays on ULTIMATES II were criminal-- but overall I like the line a lot.


DON'T LIKE
1. The new Question.
I'll give Greg Rucka big props for being a great writer-- but his version of The Question isn't great. Renee Montoya evolved from being "that cop chick from BATMAN: THE ANIMATED ADVENTURES" into a complex character who'd hit rock bottom... only to begin a path toward self-knowledge courtesy of a dying Vic Sage (aka "Charlie"). Now, following the events in CRIME BIBLE, she's in charge of the Dark Faith. What the F?? C'mon, Greg, where the heck is THE QUESTION in this? Ditko's version, O'Neil's version... any version of a character searching for truth instead of punching her way to control of an evil religious sect. If you want to write "The Adventures of Renee Montoya, wannabe Cobra Commander" just do it, okay? Leave my favorite hero's legacy in peace.

2. Wolverine.
So... very... tired....

3. Captain America still dead.
C'mon, Ed Brubaker, bring Steve Rogers back already. You know you're going to.

4. Limitless crossover miniseries.
Once in awhile, it works. I kind of liked GAMMA CORPS, that WWH spinoff, and I'll buy one or maybe two of the FINAL CRISIS or SECRET INVASION tie-ins, but folks (I'm looking at you, DC and Marvel), too much is too much. It looks like FINAL CRISIS will keep it under control; let's hope SECRET INVASION does likewise.

That's all I have for now. We have a taping of FANTASTIC FORUM coming up at the end of the month. Maybe by the time I get back from London, I'll have more butt-whups in mind.

Where did this week go?

Hey folks,

It's been a busy week. Kat had her birthday on Wednesday and we celebrated with dinner at Jaleo, then a visit to see the gang at Fantom Comics. Wackiness didn't precisely ensue but we did have fun hanging out with everyone. We also agreed that we'll be seeing Speed Racer this Sunday. Based on the reviews, I think I'd better bring dramamine if not Pepto-Bismol.

Still getting ready for the trip to England. Can't wait!


Other than that, I've been reading Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Norville novels. Kitty is a werewolf who hosts a nationally syndicated radio show discussing the supernatural. So far I've read the first two books; though werewolves aren't normally my favorite supernatural critter (and I've gotten pretty tired of vampires, sinceI'm discussing this), she makes Kitty and her supporting characters really come alive. I'll be keeping with this series as long as she's writing them.


Also on deck: Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson #4) by Rick Riordan. I've always loved Greek mythology; Riordan has a great knack for weaving ancient myths seamlessly into an ongoing tale of a boy who's Poseidon's son. Definitely one to follow, if you like urban fantasy YA (and who doesn't?).


I might have a Bugles Planet post coming up soon. Oh, and my review of Iron Man over at SFRevu? The folks at Marvel Comics took a peek at it and liked it a lot. Very very glad to hear that!

That's about all for now. See ya!

Been A Busy Week

Hey folks-

The biggest news of mine this week is a two-fer: seeing Iron Man on Tuesday night, writing up a review, and passing word of that review forward to Marvel Comics--whose folks there have been extraordinarily kind about my humble wordage. It's thrilling to think that Marvel is not only aware of what I did for SFRevu but enjoys it as well.

Aside from that, Kat's been busy with work and we're looking forward to her parents coming to pre-celebrate her birthday.

Take care... and go see Iron Man! It is, in the immortal words of Martin Bosworth, "made of awesome."