What I Buy Wednesdays: June 3rd 2009

June 2--- The Return



Been a few weeks since we reflected on What I bought Wednesday- luckily we’ve got a whole new comics’ landscape to go over. Holler.

Batman and Robin #1 (DC): was first off, because there aren’t many creators that win multiple awards for their superhero work. Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (or his real life alter ego, Vin Deighan) are the rare team that earn universal acclaim. They’re just great together. I was extra pumped to read this because I had just done an interview with the Quite Frank one himself for Newsarama He’s such a thoughtful and thorough interview, it’s really rewarding. Anyway the issue itself rocks, just panel after panel after page after page a constant stream of good ideas and good comic-ery. This book has a lot to live up to, not in the least because of how well the passing of the cowl in Brubaker and Epting’s Captain America book. Thing is, it has an asset Cap and Bucky didn’t- Dick was always supposed to become Batman. Maybe we would never see it, but we knew it would happen. This story is just a chance to show us that future, and there’s no reason to predetermine a ceiling for how successfully this concept might play out. Either way, like the book says, “Crime is doomed. “




The Muppet Show #3 (of 4?!? >:-[ Boom): I’m really not okay with the fact that there’s only one issue of Roger Langridge’s Muppet Show left, especially with last week’s lackluster Muppet Robin Hood. This was my favorite issue thus far, not surprisingly given the spotlight on Gonzo the Great. Langridge’s Muppets feel more like the originals than every project since Henson’s passing- that’s really what I think. The voice and writing is perfect, and I just love revisiting all the sketches, from Pigs in Space to Bear on Patrol. It all just feels right. Never mind the sketch with Gonzo’s nourish and almost-properly-spelled Gumshoe McGurk act. I love the energy of this book, and I never want it to go away.



Buffy, Tales of the Vampires #1 (Dark Horse): Speaking of energy in comics, Becky Cloonan and Vasilis Lolos might be the most energetic creators making comics right now. Both of their works’ just feel like young adulthood, almost an ugly/ beautiful manifestation. Maybe that doesn’t make sense to anybody but me, but I don’t care. Anyway I could give a damn about Buffy, but with Cloonan writing and Lolos artin’, I wanted to check it out for myself. Glad I did, because this book had all the ambiguously awesome storytelling that was offered in their Pixu book. I think this issue was kind of about boredom and luxury, but it might be a story that’s different things to different people. It’s sexy and sad and kind of damning. Anyway, it got me to buy Buffy, so they must be doing something right.



Amazing Spider-Man #596 (Marvel): Paolo Siqueira does an admirable job, but it’s hard not to be disappointed by the lack of Phil Jimenez in this second chapter of the American Son storyline. The first issue was so starkly powerful, it just would have been nice to see this project through by one artist. Alas, not all things can be. The art is still good enough, and Joe Kelly’s story is a perfect summer blockbuster. Of all the stories in the new era of Spider-Man, (I would love if we could stop citing One More Day and Brand New Day altogether, and move on) this one has the makings of being the most memorable. Harry’s just a ticking time bomb at this point, and Pete’s going undercover. Like I said, perfect summer fodder. I’m plenty on board.



Atomic Robo: Shadow from Beyond Time 1 & 2 (Red5 Comics): Somehow I missed the first issue of this series hitting the shelf. Understand, this is very unlike me. Curious. Anyway, I’m thrilled with the new storyline. I think we’d just reached our max of seeing the army-style Robo, so the pulpy Lovecraftian plotline is welcome. This book is as funny as Spider-Man in its prime, with storytelling as crystal clear as any superhero book on the stands. It’s actually so good I don’t always know how to talk about it. It’s just everything I want my comics to be.



Superman: World of New Krypton #4 or 12 (DC): I’m still loving Pete Woods’ work on this series, and given that this is the only book starring Superman, this is the only Superman book I’m buying. It’s a thrill to see him playing a true espionage role, because it undercuts all of the points of Superman haters. He’s showing his ability to inspire and be “Super,” without the luxury of his dominant powers. It’s nice to have as grounded a science fiction story as this is, because it allows us to see the Green Lantern Corps from the perspective of those they are expected to police. Hal and John are fun guest stars, and I think this book has a lot more adventure left in it.



Dark Avengers #5 (Marvel): Norman Osborn’s never been more powerful, but the eerie thing is that he’s never seemed so totally in control of his own demons, and that was makes the entire Marvel Universe such a tense place to be right now. From the early going, I think I like the adversarial relationship between this book and New Avengers more than I ever liked the interplay between that title and Bendis’ Mighty Avengers. Hawkeye went public to the media with his concerns over Osborn’s stability and general villainy in NA, and here Bendis delivers an all-too familiar response, with a deft showing of media manipulation from the erstwhile Green Goblin. Between this title and Deodato and Ellis’ Thunderbolts work, Norman Osborn has become the most compelling character in the entire Marvel U. Ares provided my favorite moment in this book, by calling his teammates out, and reminding them that, hey, from here on out, they can be whoever they choose to be. Maybe one or two will choose to take the side of the righteous, but this book will be a lot cooler if they don’t.



Deadpool: Suicide Kings #3 of 5 (Marvel): I just like seeing Wade Wilson get into all kinds of wacky hijinx with Marvel’s greatest street level characters. He and Punisher make perfect foils, and Daredevil is the quintessential straight-man to ‘Pool’s shenanigans. While I’m digging the ongoing series, I really appreciate the use of Agency X in this book, and think this miniseries has done well to integrate Deadpool into the Marvel U at large. It and the ongoing series are serving different masters. Frankly, I don’t care- Marvel can put out as many Deadpool books as they like, and I’ll probably be on board with all of them. I’m stubborn that way.



Astro City: The Dark Age Book 3 #2 (Wildstorm): Kurt Busiek and Brett Anderson can make superhero stories about just about anything, and the epic Dark Age set of books is no exception. I might go back to reading this in trades, not as an indictment of the singles, but rather as a testament to how well the series works in total.



Jersey Gods #5 (Image): Okay, so I was late to the party in figuring out just how this book worked. I was a little weirded out by the main hero’s nomenclature- because really, are we ready for a white space god named “Barock?” Maybe we are… but I’d have waited it out a bit, or something. Anyway, this issue wraps up the introductory arc of this series, finally getting together the two romantic leads; Barock and Zoe. I dug the direct way they handled all the potential Superman similarities, as it allowed Brunswich and McCaid to fully differentiate their book from the icon by stating the disparities explicitly. Barock the Jersey God is strictly on Earth for the chance to be with his love. Going forward, will a romantic relationship with part of humanity be enough to motivate the extranatural being into the role of hero? We’ll find out. This book seeks to be the perfect blend of superhero comics and romance ones, and now that the couple’s got together, it will be interesting to see how the creators continue to innovate and challenge the title, without resorting to trite superhero cliché stories. With a great look, and a story that makes that visual style necessary, this is a title I plan on paying attention to for as long as it’s hitting the shelves.



Chew #1 (Image): This was what I’d call a “buzz” book, because when Ed Brubaker is telling you a book should have been picked up by Vertigo, you’re gonna read that, and that’s buzz. Detective Chu is cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions via food consumption. That’s the hook I’d heard, and that was a decent one, to be sure, but to me it’s the other part of this story that makes this book so intriguing: it seems that the world’s lost its mind over bird flu, and as a result all fowl is outlawed, making deliciousness like chicken a controlled (read: narcotic) substance. See, to me it isn’t Chu’s kind of cool power that makes this book worthwhile, it’s the backdrop that utilizes that trait in to the strongest degree in-story. Concept’s good. Art’s good. Writing’s good. Comic’s good.



Astonishing Tales #5 (Marvel): I’m buying this book for Mojo. I refuse to make any bones about it. C.B Cebulski’s Punisher/ Wolverine story has its moments, and I like the idea of the 2020 Iron Man, but the only thing that’s satisfying me month in and month out in this series is the hilarious New Mutants meets Mojo meets modern Hollywood storyline. I don’t mind reading the rest of this book for the potential of finding another gem, but I would personally prefer to see only one or two ongoing stories in this anthology, and a smattering of shorts and vignettes. I thought the ongoing serials were what killed Marvel Comics Presents, and I hope this series avoids the same mistakes, and sustains as fertile grounds for fresh talent.



Skaar #11 (Marvel): I’ve just got such a soft spot for Ron Lim’s style, and I’m glad to see him on a book like this, because it suits him well. Hulk’s bastard son has descended on Earth to hunt down his jade, gigantic dad, and to show him the what’s what. I like the new wrinkle of a meeker alter ego for Skaar, as it is nice to see him saddled with the burden of his parent’s issues, as we all are. Pak has made the Hulk mythos his own, and I can’t wait for the day that we get the Skaar/ Amadeous Cho ongoing he must have up his sleeve. It will be glorious.



Ultimatum #4 (Ultimate Marvel): Look- hate the sin, not the sinner. It’s not my fault that Jeph Loeb is writing a miniseries that turns the tide on my beloved Ultimates line. And no, I don’t particularly want to support this series, or the concepts that drive it, but goddamn it, I was there at the beginning of Marvel’s 21st century, collection- focused publishing initiative, and goddamn it, I’m going to see it through. I read this issue completely unmoved, and really felt like it was just a level of a platform video game, but I bought it with the green American money, so I guess I can just stuff my opinions in a sack and let Loeb laugh all the way to the bank. Just know, sir, that I’m shaking my clenched fists towards the sky, ruing your base villainy.



Ultimate Spider-Man #133 (Ultimate Marvel): I just wanted to make sure I read that other book so I could fully appreciate this one. I think it’s been this to many people- but hot damn if Ultimate Spider-Man isn’t the book that kept me in comics, and challenged me to begin to analyze what I thought made the comics I enjoyed good, and why I was so drawn to them. I’m sad to see this title come to a close, but not really since it is soon to be relaunched as Ultimate Comics Spider-Man. But hey, we gave Conan O’Brien his moment of reflection when he moved from Late Night to Tonight Show , so I’m going to take a second and go over just what this iteration of the Web-Head has made it so important to me for a decade now.

Understand, when Ultimate Spider-Man launched, I was as close to Peter Parker as I’d ever been in my life. I was fourteen years old, he was a shade over fifteen, I had a girl best-friend that I had aims to make a best-girlfriend, as did he. I wasn’t the biggest loser in school, but I had my share of foils and nemeses. So did Peter. I just didn’t have powers, and until the very last page of the first issue, neither did he. I’d read comics all of my life at that point, and Marvel Comics to boot, but I’d never followed Spider-Man intently until that series. Suddenly, it was the most anticipated book I read each month. It all clicked- I finally saw what made Spider-Man the transcendent character he was. His everyman-ness, his resilience, his ability, well, ultimately… Amazing, it all came together. He was funny the way I tried to be funny, he was embittered in the teenage fashion I was, I know, I know, that’s how every Spider-Man fan in the history of ever has felt, that’s what makes him an “everyman,” but still, I was profoundly affected by thi s book.

That was ten years ago. The decade of one’s teen years into one’s young adulthood is funny because, within the confines of one’s mind, it is one long narrative of a constant central character. I think of myself as pretty much the same person as I did when I was 14; my inner monologue sounds the same, my life-goals are pretty much the same (although that might say more about who I am at 24 than who I was at 14), but, of course, I’ve acquired all the life experiences a 14 year old only thinks he has. In any case, it’s surreal to think that month in, month out, during that entire era, this book has been there, and been a model of consistency. Sure, people can gripe about the Geldoff story, or the Carnage one, and claim that the title fell off in quality, but I would contend that those people simply outgrew their need for, and maybe thereby their ability to understand and relate to this book.

The lesson of this book has been pretty much a constant- Peter, for all his capabilities, is someone whose desire to be a great agent of change has been outclassed by the world’s ability to stay exactly the way it is, despite the efforts of the young and idealistic. The only thing that’s really happened is that Peter’s world has become more complicated. He has more battles to fight, and maybe he’s gotten better at managing the struggle, but the struggle has also gotten better at managing him.

I hope the revamp of this title doesn’t change too much of the book’s core strengths. I hope I haven’t outgrown it. The ability to read the same book, chapter by chapter, for 10 years is one of those qualities exclusive to comics.

Maybe there’s nothing profound to draw from the decade of this run, maybe it’s just a book I’ve read for a long time. But I can’t help but feel like when this book started, I was that Ultimate Peter Parker, and here at issue #133, I’m the aged Peter of the 616 Marvel. It’s just a bizarre sensation… and it feels a little too much like growing up.



Until next time-

I wrote the Internet

My Threads on the Web















It's been a while since I did a comprehensive wrap-up of my contributions to the info-tapestry-net, so that should be remedied. I must say, I don't think I've ever been as satisfied with the books I've been able to cover. That is mostly because I don't think there has ever been a better, more diverse array of comics available in my lifetime. Of course, being a pretty normal comicbook reader means that the plurality of what I buy is superhero fare, but it's the other genre stuff that usually comes out the most exciting.

Also, the new WIBW has allowed me to give a little look at everything I get, which allows me to more fully develop my features for Newsarama. As a critic for a news' site, it's my obligation to cover the most important books of the market, and the ones that I feel would reacher greater success with greater attention. With WIBW, it is just an unapologetic take on my personal taste in comics, not always a barometer of quality. Long story short, WIBW is what I like. Best Shots' are things I think you would like.

Well, for the most part anyway. Kevin Smith is counter-culture god, and earned a rep as a Hollywood-type who legit loves comics. Most of the work he's done has been nothing short of top-notch. He swung that influence into a gig with his homeboy Walt Flanagan on Batman Cacophony, and you can see what I thought of it. As I posted the negative review, I couldn't help but think of MoviePoopShoot.com in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, but this was an honest assesment on what I thought was really an underqualified artist. Others might disagree, but for me it just didn't ring right. Maybe it wasn't a case of weird comic-industry nepotism, but I just felt like there had to be other artists who would have killed for the chance to work with Kevin Smith that could have done a better job. But that's why critiques are subjective.

I really have little to no problem with renumbering, especially if it garners a cool aniversary like Thor #600. I've said it all before; I love Thor, and as such am predisposed towards loving things about Thor. It's funny, but I think only comicbook fans can understand how frustrating it is to have one's favorite character go unpublished and left by the wayside for years on end. Editorially, I understood the wisdom in both waiting for the right creative team to become available and for the best time to promote the book within the shared universe and the publishing line, but it still sucked. Actually, it is probably similar to how Cleveland Browns fans felt when the team skipped town. Only when Thor came back, the book was really good, so it all seemed worth it. Probably Browns fans don't feel that way.

Now, if I love Thor, there's a good chance I like vikings. I suspect Ivan Brandon knew this with Viking #1. Okay probably not. But I am psyched to see vikings growing as a genre. There's no reason to let Brian Wood have all the fun on Northlanders. As I've said, the whole book is just beautiful, and it seems to me like it will be the biggest breakout book at Image since Cassanova. I see that book going far.

I like Black Adam because he's a character that exists right between Namor and Dr. Doom. He's a villain with a god-complex, or a hero with a villain complex, or something. Anyway when DC did its villain month I was happy to see a Black Adam Faces of Evil. His tragedy is so effective because of its melodrama, making each storyline he stars in to an act in his great saga.

I don't know if I could have enjoyed any convergence of interests more than BOOM!'s The Muppet Show. I don't even know if I have anything more to say about it besides I snicker at each and every page. What more could a man ask for?

I loved Groom Lake as soon as I read it. Then I heard the Wordballoon interview with Ben Templesmith, where he shared that it was his choice to add the cigarrette smoking flourish to the IDW's brand of aliens. That, my friends, is comics' genius.

I was so impressed with the Messiah War Prologue I don't know what to do with myself. Do I have to go back and read Messiah Complex? Does this mean I have to buy 6 X-titles a month again? I feel dirty and confused.

I dug Killer of Demons, and then found out from artist Scott Wegener that the book was actually done a few years ago, only to be released now. Color me impressed, because to me Wegener's art there is just about as strong as his stuff on Atomic Robo.

Some sequels take forever, and Marvels: Eye of the Camera is no exception. Busiek is such a great writer of superheroes when he's on his game, and I think he is here.

I did some reporting from New York Comic-Con 2009 for Newsarama, covering panels for Dark Horse's Creepy and Aspen Comics. Both companies seemed to have some cool things up their sleeves.

Mark Waid writes superheroes well, which is why it is interesting when he decides to write villains, as in Irredeemable. I'm eager to see if Waid can live up to the promise of the strength of his concept, here.

With Muppets, Irredeemable, and even the Incredibles comic, BOOM! was rolling for me. Or it was until Cars: The Rookie. I don't know, maybe that property is just among Pixar's weaker forays, but I had a hard time coming up with reasons to tell someone else to read that comic. I actually hate giving negative reviews, because I know that almost no comics get made without some serious loving intent put into the process, but I also can't shirk from honest assesments. Maybe some kid out there will totally love the Cars movie, and this book will be his or her bridge into comics- I just don't see it.

Some books just need to exist on the fringes, and Destroyer and Haunted Tank are good examples of that. I got pwned on the Newsarama boards for not realizing that the Destroyer was actually an old Marvel character, which was embarrassing in a way that only a nerd could understand, but I think I'm over it. I had held off from doing a full HT review until the series had wrapped, because I was really curious about how the series would read from the wide angle. That turned out to be the right call, because I think in the end the finale was the best issue of the series, and like The Dude's rug, really brought it all together.

I wasn't sure what to expect out of Lovecraft, but that was what made it exciting. This was basically a structurally sound historical meta-fiction piece that set the man Howard Lovecraft in a Lovecraftian horror story, (which, come to think of it, is more succintly put than I ever managed to get in my review, alas...). I'm no expert in the ways of the Cthulu, but it was a well told comicbook, and that was enough for me.

Rarely have I been more excited and inspired by the first issue of a series than I was with Warren Ellis' Ignition City. Steampunk evolved into space-frontierism just seems like an idea that should have been there all along, and Ellis is casually introducing it to us. This guy just consistently challenges the boundaries of the comics' creative community, and ever once and a while he belts one out of the park to remind us.

I couldn't help but weigh in on the big farewell issue for Geoff Johns and Dale Eaglesham on Justice Society of America. And apparently I couldn't weigh in fast enough, because not only did I let a totally uncouth typo out on the first goddamn line, but I also had a total brain fart and created my own American in my mind named "Norman Rockafeller," who I can only assume mainstreamed iconic but propaganda like art designed to enslave suburban minds. Or maybe he's related to this guy. Anyway I loved the run by the creators, and I thought the issue was a fitting farewell. I was also pleased with review itself, which furthers my theory that better books make for better reviews. I totally invented that theory.

Finally, I was thrilled to spotlight MC Esoteric's Serve or Suffer album. As rewarding as it is to give my perspective on the biggest releases in comics each week, ultimately critque is only a small offering to contribute to the broader discourse. Spotlighting a local hip-hop artists' high concept Silver Age inspired album was an opportunity to clue in a large audience to something I knew they would have had no exposure to otherwise. Chances are, if you are reading my JSA review, you were already going to read the comic, but an average Newsarama reader isn't likely to be able to find hot tracks like Galactus Trilogy or Steve Rogers on his or her own. And if you're a Newsarama reader, you really want to know those songs. Believe me. In any case, I've never watched the traffic on a story so intently as I did on that one, and I really hope that it was able to connect with the people who needed to read it, because it was a cool treat for that not-so-rare someone that loves his comics as much as his iTunes.


And that's pretty much a wrap to date. Somewhere in the throes of these NBA playoffs, Bruins chase for the Cup, early part of the Red Sox season, and beginnings of Patriots training camp, I expect I'll have some thoughts longer than tweets to collect on my other great obsession. But only if I can avoid writing my own version of Bill Simmons articles, because now that he's on twitter, I'm not sure I'd be able to fly under the radar. Or something. I'm going to be smart from now on and link to my stories as they go up, because the more time I let pass before I do one of these, the more likely I am to totally forget to link to one, and thus lose it to the vast void of the Interspheres. And that shit won't fly.

Now, to close with a fun little ditty, here's the video Esoteric was kind enough to put together to better share his sound with the nerd-republic. Give it a listen and I guaran-goddamn-tee you'll be humming this shit all day.

What I Buy Wednesdays

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As a lifelong reader and fledgling critic of comicbooks, I take my weekly trip to the comicbook store pretty seriously. I suppose film buffs might have a similar feeling towards Fridays, and music aficionados may hold their breath for Tuesday releases, but I don’t think either of those examples are quite as appointment-like comicbook readers make their new release day. I would guess that it has a lot to do with the serialized nature of comics, and the loyalty of its readership to specific brands. In fact, I would say that the closest approximation to the scheduled issue would be football fans on Sunday, but of course, that is also the day of rest. Wednesday as new comics’ day, for a certain breed of nerds, is a midweek holiday, and for us the hump day is a little bit easier.Regardless, the fact is that if you love comics, you’re getting your weekly fix the day they come out.

Or maybe I just have an addiction. Either way.

So I go just about every Wednesday to find my fix. Unlike many readers, I don’t have a specific store that I visit every week. I think of it more like a starting rotation; I have my ace, my change-of-pace, my junkballer, and my mop-up. Okay that last one sounds bad, but it isn’t. I enjoy the variety of experiences, though sometimes it is based on nothing more than where I might be that day. Also, because I’m somewhat grandiose in my ambitions and investments in comics, I enjoy the idea that I might be able to help multiple retailers keep roofs over their heads. With the way buying works in comics’ direct market system, retail stores are often expected to be both subscription services to their loyal customers, along with being prognosticators of the success and subsequent demand of those titles, (basically because it is a no-returns system for the retailers, but what a digression…)

So when I buy matters to me, where I buy matters to me, but, obviously, what is most important to my reading experience is what I buy. Because as I said, I take this stuff serious as shit.

It’s because of all the effort I realized I put into this weekly ritual that I’ve decided I want to use this space to document my purchases, and provide short blurbs as to why they earned my mighty dollar or four. Obviously, it is from the best of these books that I select my weekly Best Shots for Newsarama, but really, it isn’t my one favorite book of each week that proves gratifying for me as a reader; it is the whole goddamn stack of books that make each Wednesday so good! So let’s get the hell to it.

- The Muppet Show Comic Book #1 (Boom Kids): When I was 10 years old, I wanted my life to go one of two ways; I either wanted to join Jim Henson’s creatureshop, and live my life as a Muppeteer, or I wanted to run Marvel Comics, and justify a lifetime of playing with action figures, if only to plot out the Marvel character’s lifetimes and mega-wars. Those were literally the only two things I could imagine doing with my life. I was so serious about the puppeteer route that I actually ran for student office via a speech delivered by a Muppet-puppet of my own creation. I won the election, actually, but probably set my dating opportunities within my class back somewhere around a decade. Doesn’t matter, it was awesome. Anyway, the convergence of these great loves of mine downright defines ‘serendipity,’ and I got to review an advance of this book for Best Shots. I loved it, obviously, but since the advance I reviewed from was a .pdf I still had to get my hands on a hard copy.

- New Avengers #51 (Marvel): I would never want to admit that I’m a slave to Brian Michael Bendis’ writing, because it would compromise my integrity as a critic. But when reading his work, much like that of his cross-town rival Geoff Johns, it feels like the only work that counts. The New Avengers is where the Marvel Universe happens, there’s no two ways about it. I haven’t loved Billy Tan’s work on the book; it is technically sound, I guess, but it just lacks a clear definition, to my eye. Chris Bachalo is a very stylized artist who balances that style well with clear visualization, which is really just a roundabout way of saying I dig his work, because that is what every comic artist should be doing.

- The Umbrella Academy #5 (Dark Horse): To me, this book is the most unlikely success in comics. I don’t know or care about My Chemical Romance, which is sort of the circus gimmick that rides in this series by frontman Gerard Way. I came to this series via the strength of artist Gabriel Ba, because homeboy can draw.

I’ve written about all the things I love about this book before, but to me the most critical aspect of it is that here five issues into the second volume of the series, the book still has momentum. It is no flash in the pan. It has achieved the highest honor I can bestow upon any comic; the-zero-contemplation-auto-buy. The only way I miss this book is if it doesn’t ship. Dallas, the latest volume, has had an uncanny sense of Americana about it, and added a welcome extra element of pulp culture to the series.

- X-Force/ Cable: Messiah War One-Shot (Marvel): Unless someone beats me to it, I’m going to cover this book in a Best-Shot this week. The most important aspect to me about this book is that I am no lover of either the X-Force, Cable, Bishop, or the X-brand as a whole, but I was really curious about this one. That zero-contemplation-buy thing? The X-Men branch sustains on a massive clan that bestows that honor upon any title with an “X.” This is cool, and I’m not saying I haven’t done my X-Zombie time, but things get to a point where the overarching concept is more interesting than the books. After that, it takes that much more of a good story to bring you into the fold. The Messiah War has the potential to be just one of those great stories. Editor Axel Alonso has taken great pains, and a load of patience, in getting the X-wing of Marvel Comics to a place where they can both be serving their more slavish followers while at the same time challenging readers, (and creators) to tell more modern, better stories. Looking at how this story uses hyper-convoluted characters like Bishop and Cable in a way that actually naturalizes their complex, time-traveling continuities in a way that explores the characters without resorting to gimmicks. If this series can make the lamest characters of the 90s work, anything might be possible.

- Justice League of America #31 (DC): This book has never really caught on for me. It is always on my radar, because it is meant to be the flagship title of the DC line, but I’ve never gotten very far from feeling overall underwhelmed by the title. I don’t really know how to make bones about it, a large part of my feeling this way has been the consistency issues in the work of Ed Benes. It’s weird, because I was a huge fan of Benes’ work directly before coming on to this high-profile assignment. His Superman book was really the first oning Superman title I bought on a monthly basis. But the pieces have never fit together on this series, and to me, the book suffered. Enter Shane Davis. Now, full disclosure, I know Shane more personally than I know most artists, so I’m not sure I’m fully impartial when looking at his work. But the fact is that to my mind he is one of the most talented superhero artists in DC’s stable. And without slighting his earlier work, I don’t know that his talents have been optimized with regards to the market. His Mystery in Space work was solid, but it wasn’t the most visible of projects. He did a fill-in issue of JLA previously that soared, but that was 22 issues ago. His Superman/ Batman story was my favorite since the series beginnings under Jeph Loeb’s spectacle-focused work. But the writing team he was matched with was hardly top-tier in fandom’s eyes, so it may not have gotten the attention it deserved. From his collaboration with Geoff Johns on Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns to here, to what I expect and hope is an ongoing assignment on what should be the jewel of the ongoing DCU, it looks as though DC-higher-ups have finally put two and two together, and Davis will be able to shine on the main stage.

Not even halfway through my stack. Will have to pick up from here later.