Meanwhile, at the Pull List of Clare!- 11/04/09

Another hefty week for me, but hey that's okay by me! The more comics I read the happier I am. So, let's see what's in store for me this week:

From DC this week comes a bunch of great titles. I was really interested by the first part of Leviathan so I'm looking forward to picking up Batman: Streets of Gotham #6. While I much prefer Dini, Yost is telling a great story with one of my favorite characters- Huntress. Then there's Tiny Titans #22, which we all know I'm quite fond of. Then there are the Blackest Night tie-ins! I'm totally excited for Adventure Comics #4. Not only do I love this book like crazy but it also marks the return of Superboy Prime after the events of Legion of 3 Worlds. Plus it comes with the Blue Lantern ring! The Blue Lanterns are my favorite so I'm psyched about that. Outsiders #24 is a continuation from Blackest Night: Titans and it comes with the Star Sapphire ring. Then there's Superman/Batman #66, I don't exactly get how an out of continuity book ties in but it's got Bizzaro and Solomon Grundy so I'll give it a shot.

It's one of those weeks where I have more Marvel books this week. From the Other Company I've got a few good ones. Amazing Spider-Man #612 has been solidly good since American Son. I'm not sure what Gauntlet is exactly going to be but I'll give it a shot. However, I know I'm going to enjoy Dark Reign- The List: Amazing Spider-Man. Let's be honest, this is the moment of Dark Reign that we've all been waiting for-- Norman versus Peter. Bring it on! says I. Dark Avengers #11 and Mighty Avengers #31 have been two books I've solidly enjoyed. Dark Avengers just started a new story arch and Mighty Avengers is wrapping up something pretty epic. Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth #5 is one of those books that I can't help myself with. Funny, stupid, mindless violence, hot chick with underwear showing (satirically, of course), and sweet movie-parody covers. What's not to like? Spider-Woman #3 is one of those books where I like where it's going but I'm not sure I'm in love yet. We will see! And wrapping up Marvel is X-Men Legacy #229, a book I believe to be highly overrated.

And let's top it all off with a nice cherry-- a Dr. Horrible one-shot explaining everyone's favorite villian's backstory. Nice!

Have a happy Wednesday, my loves! This weekend should hold a review of the first issue of Mark Waid's "Strange" from myself.

Aw yeah Wednesday!

Gorga's Looking Forward to Wednesday 11/18/2oo9

I'm going to start including collections and graphic novels in these pull-lists because they're comics too dagnabit! You're just not going to see a review from me on one of them for SIX MONTHS. I'm slow.

The weeklies:

The usual Spideys!
"the Amazing Spider-Man" #612 (definitely)
I'm not too keen on any experimental re-envisioning of classic characters. So... apprehension is the word.

"Dark Reign: The List - Amazing Spider-Man" one-shot (definitely)
Dan Slott himself told me in person how excited he was to write this. I can't NOT buy it!

"Dr. Horrible" one-shot (probably)
I loved the web-video (or IPTV series) to which this is a prequel. Who doesn't right!?

"Cowboy Ninja Viking" #2 of 4 (probably)
This got pushed back. STILL haven't read issue #1...

"Drone" #1 of 4 (maybe)
This sounds smart and disturbing. A good combination.

"Tiny Titans" #22 (maybe)
Clare's editorial of last month made a big impression on me about this series.

The books:

"Pictures That Tick" (maybe)
I'm really fascinated by experimental comics, although I've rarely been able to handle a whole collection of them. I usually end up trying to take it slow to absorb each piece because they can and will be SO different. As a result... I never finish the damn things.

Strange week. We'll see...

Meanwhile, at the Pull List of Clare!- 10/28/09

Why? Why the week when I have money saved up? Why why why? Oh well, at least I'll be working a few shifts next month which means more money to feed my addiction. Oh the shame! THE SHAME! I still stand by my theory that weeks like this are plots designed specifically to separate me from my money.

On the Gotham Front, I'll be picking up Batman #692, Gotham City Sirens #5, and Detective Comics #858. I'm not terribly thrilled about Tony Daniel being back on Batman. DC-- I love you guys, really I do, but Battle for the Cowl blew. I was happy with the Winick/Bagley team. However, I am a sucker and I can't pass up most Batman comics. I'm really looking forward to reading Sirens as it is a continuation of a Joker/Harley Quinn story, and Paul Dini is the master of those stories. He invented them after all. Batwoman: Detective Comics has actually really grown on me. At first the story was only so-so but it's a lot more interesting now. Plus the art and panel layout is not just eye candy, it's a rich, decadent eye desert.

There are also three Blackest Night books coming out that I'm really looking forward to! First is Blackest Night: Titans #3. This hasn't been the best out of the Blackest Night mini-series but it holds a special place in my heart because it's the Titans. Also, it is good! Next is Green Lantern #47. After some awesome Sinestro stuff (a.k.a kicking Mongul's sorry ass!) we're moving back to the war between the Blue Lanterns and Agent Orange. This means more Saint Walker, and he's my favorite. And finally, the best-- Blackest Night #4. Still loving this, and if the book is half as good as that cover it will be money well spent.

Other DC books that will be making their way into my shortbox are Teen Titans #76. Even with McKeever gone, this book isn't picking it up. In all honesty, I should give this up but I can't give up hope that one day it will be good. And then there will be some Supes in my life in the forms of Superman Secret Origin #2 and Superman #693. Robinson's run on Supes has been great from the beginning and I love the Mon-El/Guardian stuff. However, what I'm really looking forward to is Superman Secret Origin. Johns and Frank (with Sibal's inks of course) team up to do a beautiful retelling. Look for a review of this within the coming weeks!

On the Marvel side there are only a few books. I'm making it a point to read all of "The List" so I'll be grabbing Dark Reign: The List- Punisher and Dark Reign: The List- Wolverine. I'm really interested in seeing how the all fit together when it's all done. It's a series of one-shots that ultimately are a mini-series. Plus, it's a nice way to see what's going on in parts of the Marvel Universe that I don't follow. I'm also getting Dark Reign: Young Avengers #5 and New Avengers #58.

Stuff that I can't afford this week (or for awhile) but would really like to own-- The Sandman Dream Hunters HC and the Old Man Logan HC. Sigh. So many nice hardcovers coming out lately. I still really want that new 1602 HC as well. A girl can dream, right?

"Frankencastle". WTF.

Rick Remender is promoting his new arc of "Punisher" here and it looks to be a doozy.

It appears that during Dark Reign Frank Castle is so physically fucked-up by Norman Osborn and so psychically fucked-up by The Hood, that to continue his war on crime, he has no choice but to become a half-cyborg, half-reanimated corpse, hence "Frankencastle".

(The solicited cover of "Punisher" #12)

This is (I'm going to admit it first) clever. The character of The Punisher has grown pretty stale as all he ever was, and still is, is a crazy guy with guns. He was a franchise all his own only because the late 8os and early 9os happened to have a film and comic-book fad for that stuff, which has thankfully passed. The only place he's remained interesting (indeed, occasionally excellent) is in his Marvel MAX title usually written by Garth Ennis. Furthermore, Marvel has a large roster of great monster/horror characters from the 70s that have been almost entirely overlooked for years and will now apparently be integrated into "Punisher", albeit temporarily.

So Marvel says: "TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE!!"
And Gorga says: "Why THIS way?"

Why not bring a new writer on to "Punisher" and create a new title written by Remender to spotlight the old Marvel Monsters? Instead of this awkward shoe-horn method of reintroducing them in a series they REALLY don't belong. Better yet, have them appear as guests in the new "Doctor Voodoo" title already being written by Remender (or anywhere else magic and horror could fit better than in a crime comic) and gauge audience reaction that way.

Corporations mystify me.

Looks Like I Was Wrong

The presence of Loki in the image above suggests that this is, in fact, the part of the event that drove JMS off of Thor; I can only hope it's awesome as it looks, and furthermore that it represents more than just a Dark Avengers issue.

Already Tired of Tuesday

This is going to be another really big week for me. Not only are the $2.99 Batman and Robin #4, Fables #88 and Agents of Atlas #11 coming out, but also the $3.99 Captain America Reborn #3, Dark Reign: The List- Daredevil, Thor Annual #1, and Wednesday Comics #11.

If I drop one, it will probably be the Daredevil list issue but- and this is a huge but- Gorga convinced me to buy the Avengers List issue that I railed against in this space last week and it was an excellent purchase (there is a review forthcoming). I was hoping to pick up DMZ #45 this week, after not having picked it up last week, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. Same thing with the first issue of that Nomad mini.

Despite its expense, however, it will (with essential Batman, Captain America and Thor purchases) be an excellent week.

Already Tired of Wednesday

Comics come late this week, thanks to a holiday celebrating the Labor Movement.

Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Exodus #1:
Matt Fraction's big summer crossover concludes! Will Scott Summers' plan work? Will Norman Osborn rue the day that he messed with the X-Men? Will the coloring of Emma's diamond form be brilliant or awful? After a disappointing last issue, I'm hoping it picks up here.

Incredible Hercules #134:
More of the INCREDIBLE THORCULES! I loved the last issue of this arc, and with the addition of a cover homage to The Graduate, this one looks even better. It took me a while to pick up this book, but now I'm really glad I did.

Nomad: The Girl Without a World #1:
I'm a sucker for anything involving Cap somehow, even as peripheral as this is. I'll take a look at it, for sure, but whether or not I actually buy it is sort of up in the air. Still, it looks like an interesting piece to the Cap puzzle.

The Marvels Project #2
Everything Ed Brubaker touches turns to gold. This project, in particular, seems like its going to be an explosion of awesome after last month's wonderful introduction. I know Jon wasn't that fond of it, but Epting's art on its own makes this book worth a look.

Wednesday Comics #10
Karl Kerschel!

A quick note on what I'm NOT picking up: Dark Reign: The Avengers. Part of it is because I'm already picking up several four dollar books this week, but the other part is that I'm simply tired of this Dark Reign thing. If I care about the character, I might pick up the book, but I mostly just want Norman's rule to end. Right now. It was a good idea, but it has become both detrimental to the stories within some of the books themselves and REALLY REALLY EXPENSIVE. It needs to end now.

Jon's Looking Forward To... (9/the 10th!/2009)

Hm...

Wednesday comes on Thursday this week thanks to Labor Day. So the new books will be out on Thursday September the 10th!

(From my pull-list...)

the requisite Spider-Man: "the Amazing Spider-Man" #604
This description is... awkward to say the least. This is the kind of stuff that my General Manager says is going to be gone from the main Spider-Man books when Disney starts to show their hand in half-a-year or so.

"Dark Reign: The List: Avengers"
Another Spider-Man appearance. (If you haven't guessed yet, I have what my boss likes to call "a Spider-Man problem") This looks hot. No question about it.

"The Life and Times of Savior 28" #5
I am VERY excited for this one. This series is brilliant, although the last issue was a bit of a let down compared to the first three. It was essentially set-up for the final act, I suspect. The fantastic story of this poor, poor superhero is probably going to be wrapped up in this issue. And if it is indeed the end, I will do a retrospective piece about the series because it is in many ways the new "Watchmen" and nobody knows it.

(From the take-a-peek pile...)

"The Marvels Project" #2
Well, the first issue failed to impress me but Josh feels that it was all set-up for some great stuff to come so I will check it out.

"Thunderbolts" #135
This looks and sounds damned cool.

So check back to see what I actually buy!

A Case of Mistaken Energy Signatures

"Ms. Marvel" #43 from Marvel Comics

(I haven't read "Ms. Marvel" #35-42 and I think that should be made clear first.)

Okay. So. At the current moment in Carol Danvers' life, she's just come back from the dead... I think. She died in battle with the person pretending to be her: Moonstone. But she didn't really die (of course) she was transformed into two (or three?) distinct energy signatures: one is in her old body, one is in the body of a Los Angeles screenwriter... hmhmm, and a third I suspect has fallen into the body of her impersonator although this is yet to be stated.

This issue of "Ms. Marvel" opens with former Thunderbolt team-member Moonstone. She has, as part of the "Dark Reign" crossover assumed Ms. Marvel's identity by donning her Eighties outfit and running around with the new 'Avengers', all essentially Norman Osborn's supervillain cronies currently posing as superheroes. She's telling all of this to some guy she abducted right out of his own apartment and flew off with. Then to give herself some 'therapy' she drops the guy right into Manhattan.

Honestly, for an issue opener that's pretty strong.

She claims that she likes being a superhero now, but I have a bad feeling that this desire to be heroic is actually just a shard of the real Ms. Marvel's being trapped inside 'Ms. Moonstone'.

BAH!

The only good moments in this issue are those between Wolverine and Spider-Man and between Lily Hollister and Norman Osborn, four characters NOT in the title of this comic.

1. Spider-Man says: Shouldn't we make sure Ms. Marvel is okay? She just died and came back? Wolverine basically says: Yeah sure. You go do that. I'm going to leave now.
Classic.

2. Lily Hollister (a woman in her twenties) offers to give some pleasurable distraction to Norman Osborn (a man in his forties). Skeezy, skeezy, skeey. Also I believe this marks the first time a Brand New Day Spider-Man character has appeared outside of the Spider-Man books, proving once and for all that it's supposed to be the same fictional universe. They're just doing a craptastic job of making that clear.

The rest of this issue was one very overdone fight and pages and pages of this faux-Carol Danvers screenwriter woman, which would be fine and dandy in an autobiographical comic, but seem pretty silly and boring between pages of action.

Honestly THE LONG AND SHORTBOX OF IT?, all this boils down to the fact that this is confusing and mediocre stuff. In issue #34, it looked like Carol Danvers was going to make a crusade out of taking down Norman Osborn and I was looking forward to reading it whenever Spider-Man dropped in. Spider-Man dropped in and if it weren't for his appearance I would have dropped out.

Considering that Brian Reed is supposed to be one of Marvel's best writers, (or at least this was what I understood) I expected better.