Comic Book Resources

Usagi Yojimbo #101. Stan Sakai is nothing less than a master of his craft, and UY is one of the most consistently excellent comics out there. I've been reading every month for seven years, and it's been one of my favourite series the whole time.

And honestly, can you say that cover isn't completely awesome?

If you don't have it, the GRENDEL DEVIL BY THE DEED HC is a comics masterpiece. Matt Wagner's top writing and art serves a story about the first Grendel's life, a criminal hedonist whose sole human weakness bring on his downfall. This one has staying power, it's not a comic you'll forget five minutes after reading!

Best,
Hunter (Pedro Bouça)

I'd have to give my nod towards Blue Beetle #13. The book has been a great superhero romp month after month and remains fairly accessible from issue to issue. It's not as heavy as most superhero books are these days, plus it has a great supporting cast, and the storyline is getting more interesting month to month. Plus, the new artist, Raphael Albequerque, is just warming up and I think he will make quite a name for himself if the next few years.

I am enjoying the new Blue Beetle immensely. Writer John Rogers summed it up well:

Teenager Jaime Reyes has a spiffy, homicidal armored suit made by aliens who hate him. He has no instruction manual for the armor -- that's stuck in the brain of his mentor, who may soon shoot him in the face. His best friend's Mom is his nemesis, the other superheroes left him to die in space, and he has midterms and no date for the prom. He's El Paso's only superhero. He has no idea how to do that job, and El Paso has no idea how to have a superhero. Jokes are told, things blow up, New Gods and Batman and Green Lanterns and other superheroes visit to punch and wise-crack and occasionally weep over a bloody, tragic demise. It's old-school adventure comics drawn by an artist you can brag about discovering ten years from now. Come for the ride.

Why not try Firestorm: The Nuclear Man? I started reading it recently and so far I'm really enjoying it.

Shoot, Pedro, I forgot to mention it in the post. I already have the Grendel book, and you're right - it's excellent. I highly recommend it if you don't already have it!

Oh, or Blue Beetle. I love that too.

If you were a fan of Gargoyles back in the 90's, check out Gargoyles #3. It's doing something similar to "Buffy Season Eight" in comic book form, and is written by Greg Weisman, the series creator. I suppose if you didn't care for Gargoyles, it might be hard to follow, but giving support to a truly great series in a new form is never a bad thing.

I'm gonna recommend PS 238 #21. It's fun superheroics for all ages from one of the best talents working today.

I go with DMZ or Blue Beetle. Blue Beetle is fun and enjoyable. A niuce take on the scarab, with decent pacing and dialogue. I really do believe the lead character is a teen.

DMZ is a very interesting take on journalism, politics, and society, although this is the last issue of a 5 issue arc I think, nonetheless it is worth checking out. Good writing and art in general.

I think it would be absolutely hilarious for you to review Tarot.

Nothing really speaks to me this week.

I'm guessing you'll have trouble finding Joe & Max #2 from The Guardian Line, but if it happens to be on the shelves, I encourage you to pick it up. The first issue successfully introduces the premise, a boy and his guardian angel, without overdoing the religious overtones, and I think you'll appreciate the throwback undertone of "heroes who try to do the right thing."

Sticking to the Big Two, I'd say go with Blue Beetle #13 as John Rogers has a great take on the character and you should be able to jump in with a minimum of confusion. It's one of the few DCU titles still on my pull list.

Yeah, nothing really speaks to me this week either. Kind of a slow week after the last two weeks. The only thing I feel might be worth mentioning is Ultimate Spider-Man seeing as Bagley's time is winding down and the first issue of the arc seemed fairly promising.

"Heroes for Hire!" This book has all sorts of wackiness mixed with high-octane action and more vlassic supervillians than you can shake a stick at. I mean, last issue featured Man-Ape wearing a bathrobe over his costume and cooking eggs for Grim Reaper!

I vote Usagi Yojimbo

I'm not a huge fan m'self, but I'm curious to see what you'd make of Usagi Yojimbo.

Fantastic Four #544

Dwayne MacDuffie has done two very good issues, one wrapping up JMS's so-so Civil War tie ins (and making them much better for it) and one "anniversary" issue. This should be the first one really kicking off his own storylines. I say give it a go.

I'm not picking up much myself, but I think I will give a try to Texas Strangers#1 from Image. It looks like it could be a fun series, though I don't know much about it except it takes place in the old west and the art is on the cartoonish side. These days, I'm for anything that looks like fun.

Are you a fan of the hit tv show "24"?
Then IDW's 24: Nightfall # 5 is the one for you.
The last issue of the series is the prequel to Season One which answers all questions regarding the Bauer/Drazen storyline and also other sub-plots which ties in Season Three.

Originally stated as a 6-issue mini-series but actually a 5-issue mini with 6 interlocking covers.

If this was one month from now, I'd say DMZ, but as has been said this is the last part of storyline, that even the writer will admit reads better all together, so consider this an advance recomendation for DMZ #18, or a suggestion to look for the first trade.
In it's place suggest Pirates of Coney Island #5. The mini series has been a lot of fun so far, with a unique art style, and an off the wall sense of humor.
And if your store doesn't have that, Ultimate Spider-man 107 and Green Lantern 18 are good back ups.

I'll have to go with Blue Beetle too. The series got off to a bit of a slow start, but since issue #7 has been an extremely enjoyable series. Rogers and Albuquerque are doing one of the better jobs of presenting a realistic teenage character whose also providing a first person tour through the DCU. His recent run-in with a couple of the New Gods was fantastic. The next couple issues promise to not only reveal more about the aliens who created the Scarab in the first place but to also bring back Guy Gardner.

Normally I'd suggest either Ultimate Fantastic Four or Spectacular Spider-Man, because Mike Carey and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa are two of the more interesting and underlooked writers out there right now, but both of them are in the midst of arcs and might not be the best jumping on points.

Granted, Carey's arc has DIABLO in it and is all sorts of trippy, Italian, alchemy-induced, time travel cool. And Sacasa is a VERY interesting writer with a ton of upside who brings his playwright experience with him on most projects to provide novel character work and a feeling of mood that you'd never usually get from a writer who's written so few comics.

But since they're both in the midst of arcs, I'll go with Blue Beetle. It's got as much heart as any book on the market right now, yes, even Invincible. It doesn't have as much as Gravity did, but that was just a mini and McKeever's over at DC now anyway. It's just fun and it makes you feel good after reading it. It reminds me of almost all the things I enjoyed about comics as a kid, the sense of wonder and discovery of new things in an amazing universe, because our hero is figuring things out alongside the reader. It's got everything a good teenage superhero book should have, thrills, alien chills, a really solid and distinct supporting cast, and a heaping dose of mystery. And now that we're into year 2, we're about to get some answers.

What more could you ask for?

I'd recommend 100 Bullets #82, but if you haven't been reading it thus far, it may be a bit off putting. I'd suggest picking up the trades for this great series. I have a hunch that it reads much better collected than as signle issues, anyway.

Other suggestions:
Elephantmen #8

Sorry, that's all I've got. I would suggest Snakewoman #9, but the series, particularly the art, has grown flat the last couple of issues. The first few issues were nicely done, though.

-r-

Either Blue Bettle, which is fun teenage super hero book, the sort of stuff people complain the big two doesn't do more often, or Fantastic Four. This is Macduffie first real FF issue (the other two were house cleaning and set-up stuff), so if you like his previous writing, I'd say give it a shot.

Pirates of Coney Island #5 rules!

Spirit #1 2nd printing.

Just kidding.

If DMZ is the last part of an arc, then yeah, I'd wait til the next issue, but it really is a great series.

I'm not so huge on anything else, though I have to wonder, why the hell is Marvel putting out all THREE of its monthly Ultimate books out on the same week?

Oh yeah. I was kinda blah on the first issue, but it did get a lot better.

Okay, this week I'm going to try to recommend something based on YOUR track record instead of my own opinion. Based on your own regular shopping list, you seem to think mediocre stuff is good, but good stuff is bad. Luckily, you also think bad stuff is bad too, which no doubt saves you a lot of money each week.

So here's the good pick that you will think is bad: SILENT WAR #3. Why is it good? Frazer Irving--a great artist! Why will you think it's bad? Because "nothing is at stake" or the characters aren't "likeable." So don't bother picking that up.

Instead, get BLUE BEETLE #13, which is actually mediocre but you might like it. Or maybe not, because Blue Beetle is bordering on goodness lately, and whatever is good is bad in your world.

Except Godland. That's the one you get right.

And, of course, the fact that you're even on the fence about Batman is ridiculous. Even if it's a weak Morrison issue, how can it possibly be worse than every other pick on your list?

Silly Greg!

Gosh, Tim, I'm sorry I don't drool uncontrollably whenever The God Of All Comics deigns to write something. I actually try to judge his output on whether it's good rather than whether his name is on it. What the hell is wrong with me?

And someone who thinks the best comic to come out last week was 52 #46 is picking on MY choices? That's pretty funny. Thanks for the laugh.

I do what I can.

And I will stand by that issue of 52. It was really good. Did you read it?

Add my vote to the Blue Beetle tally.

Blue Beetle is so awful, I can't believe people seriously recommend it. It's up there with Whedonspeak and Bob Haney Teen Titans for worst attempts at kewl teen speak ever. Although the Haney stuff rocks as affectionate camp. But yeah, I think Rogers thinks his dialogue is a lot more clever than it actually is, it was too annoying for me to keep buying.

And Tim...you really do come off as one of those people who give Morrison fans a bad name. It's perfectly possible to be a rational person with good taste yet not believe that the man shits gold bricks. And conflict and engaging characters are two of the most common tips given in writing, so I don't know why you give Greg a hard time for taking those things into account when evaluating the stories.

Silent War has actually been pretty good so far, for what it's worth.

Hine REALLY cares about the characters and it shows.

I'm going against the grain and say Betty & Veronic Digest #150. I think that's one with the new artstyle that the internet honks are all getting riled about.
Review that

I thought the first issues of Blue Beetle were awkward too, but after Giffen left, the series started really improving. My 6-year-old son likes very few mainstream comic books, for example, but he likes it when I read Blue Beetle to him because the dialogue actually works when read out loud (at least over the past few issues), and the stories have some imaginative ideas in them. Once again, it's an almost-good series (and much better than when it started).

Moving on.

I'm not a mindless Morrison fanatic, but when the man is the best comic book writer working in the medium, it's pretty easy to recommend his work over someone like the average Bill Willingham or the quite-good-on-Daredevil-but-not-great Ed Brubaker.

I realize that statement makes me seem like a mindless Morrison fan, by the way. But what can I do?

I see it like this: Morrison's Batman has been underwhelming compared to his best work, true, but will it be worth reading in 20 years? Yes. Will Brubaker's Daredevil run? I doubt it. Its quality is only in proportion to its context (i.e. the weakness of Marvel's current output and the fact that it follows Bendis's promising, but ultimately VERY disappointing run on the title). Morrison's Batman, on the other hand, deals with significant themes of identity and duality and uses sophisticated graphic and rhetorical devices (like image patterns) to add layers of meaning.

And the whole thing about "engaging characters" is really irrelevant to an analysis of quality. The two best superhero comics ever are arguably Miracleman and Watchmen, and what makes them so superior has nothing to do with "engaging characters." The characters are bastards. But the storytelling is brilliant.

That's how I see things, anyway.

And I don't mean to offend, Greg. I'm just teasing you a bit. You're right to poke fun at my recommendation of 52 (because, I mean, it's 52!), but seriously, it was really good last week (and it won't be this week, because it's probably Rucka's turn).

This is getting difficult. So far Blue Beetle is in the lead, but the voices opposing it are so strong. We'll see what's going on tomorrow. Keep the choices coming!

Tim, I didn't read the issue of 52, because I haven't read any of the issues. I just wonder if you read every single book that came out last week, so you can boldly proclaim it the best, or if it was the best one you read and since Morrison was the driving force, you assume it was the best. Morrison is certainly capable of horrible missteps, just like the best of writers.

It was the best of what I read, obviously, but I read quite a bit of stuff (20-30 titles a week), and what fun is it to proclaim with a qualifier? (Answer: Zero fun)

Just for fun, you should read last week's 52 in the store just to see if it's any good. (My perception may be skewed tremendously not by being a Morrison fan, but by the fact that the book has been pretty bad lately--I'd like to see what you think as a total outsider to the whole series.)

And Morrison is not identified as the driving force of the issue, anyway. The writers are purposely secretive about their collaboration, so the only evidence I have that it's his work is the way the dialogue is written and the thematic emphasis. I'm confident that he wrote it--it's quite apparent to me--but I don't rate it as the best JUST because it's his work.

’m going against the grain and say Betty & Veronic Digest #150. I think that’s one with the new artstyle that the internet honks are all getting riled about.
Review that

It's the next issue that has the art change.

And don't you worry, there WILL be an entry on that issue!

I'll suggest Usagi which I only read the trades but it's generally a good book with rich and interesting characters. And it's got animals sword fighting. And it's pretty easy to follow too.

"It’s the next issue that has the art change.
And don’t you worry, there WILL be an entry on that issue! "

Can't wait.

I have to say it's hard to offer suggestions if you are limited to Big Two books. I know your store doesn't order as many small press books but part of the fun of these exercises is to get away from the Big Two.

I'm definately giving MacDuffies F4 a shot. Black Panther leading the Four sounds kind of fun.

Grant (and others who may have misunderstood me): I didn't say that my store doesn't order anything but DC and Marvel. I wrote that they don't order trade paperbacks from other companies unless someone orders them. I wouldn't mind getting the Conan trade that's coming out, but I probably won't see it for a while. My store has plenty of non-Big Two stuff out on the shelves, just not a lot of trades. They usually end up with trades down the road, but not on the day they come out.

Sorry for the confusion.

re: Conan and the Songs Of The Dead, it's a great Joe Lansdale story, but it's not really a great Conan story. Still worth reading if you like Lansdale.

Anyway, I picked Blue Beetle above, but F4, Heroes For Hire, and Pirates of Coney Island have been good so far too.

Dunno about you, Greg, but damn if I'm not ready to pick up Blue Beetle based on the recommendations here! (Which are far more reliable, I'd bet, than they naysayers, since the pro-BB peeps seem to have stuck with it and find it really hitting its stride, whereas the opposing voices probably stopped reading it after one or two issues.)

And I was already gonna pick up FF to see what McDuffie does with Storm and Black Panther. That's a change in status quo I'd probably love to see last a looong time, but I won't be surprised if the roster reverts to "normal" by June when the film comes out.

Anyone who says Bill Willingham is merely average has never read Fables. It's great beyond words.

Unfortunately, his mainstream DC work is pretty damn average.

Well get Usagi to switch things up. After all the last two books you got were Big Two books.

I'll be honest.

I tried Fables, but I gave up after 8 issues. I tried Jack of Fables because of all the Fables love from around the world. Gave up after 4 issues. I actually enjoyed Willingham's Elementals back in the day, but I found Fables to be a fantastic concept that was executed in a flat and predictable manner. It read like Neil Gaiman's Sandman as written by Tom DeFalco.

Yet I hear the later arcs were much better. Convince me, people!

I feel mildly obligated to chime in and point out that whether or not characters are engaging has nothing to do with the actual moral quality of their actions. It doesn't matter that most of the characters in Watchmen or Miracleman are bastards; they're entertaining bastards that a reader has reason to find particularly interesting. As the stories develop, many of the characters become so distinct and interesting that they alone can compel a reader to keep going along with the story. Watchmen by itself is so full of careful characterization and sublime moments of pathos and horror that I just can't see describing the characters as "not engaging", especially when the cast gives us still-imitated gems like Rorschach, Ozymandias, and Dr. Manhattan.

And the whole thing about “engaging characters” is really irrelevant to an analysis of quality. The two best superhero comics ever are arguably Miracleman and Watchmen, and what makes them so superior has nothing to do with “engaging characters.” The characters are bastards. But the storytelling is brilliant.

See, I think a lot of people confuse likable or engaging with nice. I don't look at "engaging" or "likeable" as being the same as being "nice." For example, the characters in Watchmen may be bastards, but I like them. I find them engaging, and I am interested in learning more about them. Sometimes we like people that aren't nice. Look at Simon Cowell and Howard Stern's careers for example. Look at Joker stories, when he's done right he's not nice at all but is totally likeable. Some characters are nice, but aren't engaging or likeable. Justice in Busiek's Avengers run is totally nice, but many people found him boring and unlikeable.

So while I can't speak for Greg, for me when I ask for characters to be likeable or engaging, I'm just asking for writers to give me something to draw me into the character, to make me root for them even if I know I shouldn't.

Hay, Greg, if you already have Grendel, then you have prof of very good taste and should ignore any comment that says otherwise. You already own the best comic to be published this week!

Then I change my reccomendation to Fantastic Four. The book isn't particularly great, but Dwayne McDuffie is a good writer and deserves to get some readers. And he restored the characters to form after J. Michael Strangler's realm of terror and THAT should count for something!

Best,
Hunter (Pedro Bouça)

I want to add my .02 to praise Bill Willingham some.

I first read him on the Elementals, which was very well done.

I also read his work on Robin and I have to say he brought me back to that book after some time away due to bad stories.

Fianlly, I am enjoying Fables very much. I recommend checkng out the war with the Adversary issues and the Boy Blue adventures as some good high points, but I have enjoyed the entire series so far.

Jack of Fables is also entertaining, but not quite as good as the Jack issues in Fables were when he became a movie mogul.

Who knows if this is too late, and I doubt my vote will make a difference, but I say you should pick up Pirates of Coney Island. It's fast-paced, wild, violent, wacky fun. And I'm pretty sure this issue features a character called Cadillacula.

If someone was just going by his Bat-work, I can see how they could hate Willingham. I didn't like him until I tried Fables. Really good stuff. His Bat-stuff is horrendous though.

I fully agree with you, T. As much as I adore Fables and Jack, I cannot find any goodness or joy in Willingham's maistream DC work. I really wanted to like Shadowpact, but I find it middling at best. And the less said about the Batman stuff, the better.