Every comic you've read in 2011

[Missy]

5 Ronin #3

Where I praised The Hulk-centric issue of 5 Ronin for using the conventions of a Hulk story to its advantage, the third issue takes what we know about The Punisher but does nothing new with it. A soldier with a dead family is out for revenge, and he's working his way up the food chain. What made #2 unique was its use of the setting and concept to its advantage, whereas #3 is a Punisher story set in Japan. It's just another Punisher one-shot. It's worth a read, sure, but you won't get anything new. And the same goes for the art; grab any modern Punisher one-shot, and you'll see the same there.

Comic books: 38

Trade paperbacks: 6

Graphic novels: 0

[Missy]

5 Ronin #4

Nothing special in terms of story, but Peter Milligan found an interesting way to work Psylocke's power into the comic; instead of reading minds to her advantage, she reads body language. As an oiran, this helps her know what men want, which helps her reputation grow, which puts her closer and closer to being chosen for the daimyo, all so she can murder him.

Previously the only connecting threads were the bloodlust for the daimyo and random Deadpool appearances. This one has the former but not the latter. Here, Wolverine crosses paths with Psylocke, which makes sense considering their history as fellow X-Men. He's also the only character Milligan could have used in the issue. Deadpool is too scarred to be with such a beautiful woman, The Punisher is too set on his mission to care about sex, and The Hulk is a monk. Wolverine, on the other hand, is a fallen Samurai looking for one last night of pleasure before he's potentially killed while trying to assassinate the daimyo. Knowing the character as we do, it works.

Artistically, Goran Parlov does a wonderful job depicting the youthfulness and joy of the young Psylocke, alongside the sexy yet troubled adult version. Most of all, though, what I took away from this was his Wolverine. This man needs to be drawing a monthly Wolverine comic book. He's broad and powerful, but there's a deep, longing sadness to his expressions -- especially his eyes. Every line is very expressive.

My one true gripe with the issue is that on one page we see Psylocke as a child, and on the next, set 20 years later, she's in the midst of sex. It's a little jarring going from one to the other so quickly. Had there been more pages, placing her origin between the two scenes, I don't believe I'd have found it as unsettling as I did.

5 Ronin #5

This is the issue I was most curious about. Not because it features Deadpool, but because I was interested to see how Milligan told Deadpool's story while tying up the five-issue series. The main question I had going in -- and it'll be the question everyone has going in -- is which of the five characters will get to slay the daimyo? The answer is a little disappointing, mostly because it's crammed into the book. After four issues, we're prepared for a big showdown, but we wind up with a brief, lackluster sword fight.

Of course, we're also privy to Deadpool's origin, revealing why he's insane and his desire for revenge. Sadly, none of it is interesting, but I don't blame the writer for that. He had few too pages to work with. This should have been a six-issue series, with the first five dealing with the heroes, and the final issue showcasing a battle between the daimyo and his killer(s). Had this been the case, Deadpool's origin could have been much more compelling; following a man into madness needs to be spread out over several pages, not one.

Now that I've read all five issues, I'd say the eventual collections is worth a look. They all have strong art, and there are some interesting elements throughout the series.

If I were to rank the issues from strongest to weakest, I'd say 2, 4, 3, 1, 5.

Comic books: 40

Trade paperbacks: 6

Graphic novels: 0

[Missy]

Fear Itself #1

Matt Fraction's done a good job setting up the rest of the miniseries, and I'll be sure to read future issues. However, I'm not getting the animosity between Odin and Thor. If that's coming from Fraction's run on Thor, great. Continuity. But for those of us coming to the story fresh, we need to be let in on why Odin's acting like an asshole.

Thoughts in Earth-2.net: The Show 455, 456, or 457

Uncanny X-Force: The Apocalypse Solution

Doc Savage: Lords of Lightning

Nextwave: Agents of HATE

Comic books: 41

Trade paperbacks: 9

Graphic novels: 0

[Koete]

Oh...I think I know which comic is worse than WWE Heroes.

[dc20willsave]

Oh...I think I know which comic is worse than WWE Heroes.

Yeah, that should make for a very interesting episode of the show.

[SuaveStar]

Fear Itself #1

Matt Fraction's done a good job setting up the rest of the miniseries, and I'll be sure to read future issues. However, I'm not getting the animosity between Odin and Thor. If that's coming from Fraction's run on Thor, great. Continuity. But for those of us coming to the story fresh, we need to be let in on why Odin's acting like an asshole.

Just going to agree with everything you've said on Fear Itself #1.

Brightest Day #23: You know, this series really just seems like it wants to rush to the next, and final issue. If you haven't been reading the rest of the series, don't start here.

Trades: 5

HC:0

Comics: 49

GN:0

Omnibus: 1

Alien VS Predator Volume 1 Omnibus. Tiny Titans #35, Brightest Day #17, Shazam: Monster Society of Evil TPB. Red Robin #19, Titans #31, Batman #706, Streets of Gotham #19, Brightest Day #18, Brave and Bold #33. Batman Beyond #1. Detective Comics #891, Detective Comics #892, Detective Comics #893. Action Comics #897, Shazam 1 shot. JL: Generation Lost 19, Secret Six #30, Red Robin #20, TMVP #6. Flash #9, Batman and Robin #20, Titans #32. Batman: Dark Knight #1. Green lantern #62, Green Lantern Corps #57, Brightest Day #20. Justice League International volumes 1-3. Teen Titans #92, Action Comics #898, JL:Generation Lost #20. Brightest Day #20, Green Lantern #63. The Crow TPB. Green Lantern: Rebirth #1, Batman and Robin #21, JL: Generation Lost #21 Batman Inc #3, Titans #33. Brightest Day #22, Red Robin #21, Secret Six #31. Green Lantern #64, GLC #58, Batman Inc #4. JL: Generation Lost #22, Batman: Streets of Gotham #22, Action Comics #899, Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #155, Detective Comics #875, DC Universe Legacies #9-10. Fear Itself #1, Brightest Day #23

[Koete]

Batman, Inc. #4 - Grant Morrison had the opportunity to take Kathy Kane, a character that has never been fully realized due to sexism in the time she was created and general apathy from later creators, and revamp her with quality 21st century characterization. Instead, he turned her into a Mary Sue that functions as a plot device in his grand scheme for Batman, Inc. and a means to prop up Batman. Some of the worst writing I've ever read from Morrison. It's a shame because Chris Burnham's art is fantastic, with a different style for each story thread. Batman, Inc. has been a mixed bag so far and I hope Morrison can turn things around.

Fried Rice #1 PDF - Sean Dove's comic for the last 24-Hour Comic Day. It's a fun story that gives Dove an opportunity to draw bizarre situations through a boy's imagination. The black and white cartoony art by Dove complements the weird goings on. Worth the .99 download I think.

Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #1 - Phil Hester draws a great Godzilla, but, apart from a few good touches, the story didn't do anything for me. Not that I think Godzilla needs to be Shakespeare or anything, but I think you can tell a story with more substance than what was in this first issue. Godzilla is one of those characters where I don't think you need to do a day one rebootp; just drop the reader into the story. I might pick up the first trade to see if it improves after the start, but I can tell this will be one of those series that is unsatisfying to read in single issues.

Jimmy Olsen #1 - Collecting and finishing the "Jimmy Olsen's Big Week" back-up that ran in Action Comics, Nick Spencer and R.B. Silva tell a story that's fun from cover to cover. Jimmy encounters techno-genies, partying aliens, Maggie Mxyzptlk, and more as he gets off his couch and stops playing Superman: The Game to prove that he can still be exciting and save the world. Throughout it (except for three pages that are by another artist for some odd reason), Silva's art wonderfully captures the wacky situations that Spencer came up with. It's a shame that Spencer is Marvel exclusive because I would buy a monthly Jimmy Olsen comic by him.

Marvel Must Have: Uncanny X-Force - This book blew me away. I thought Rick Remender's writing was okay in the Punisher issues I read, but his writing was on a different and upped level on this book. The scenes between Psylocke and Angel had emotion, everything Fanotmex said and did was awesome, Wolverine was subdued and down to business, and Deadpool was funny rather than annoying. There's a different take on Apocalypse that has potential; plus, the backstory of and the Final Horsemen themselves were interesting. Add to the great writing the artwork by Jerome Opena, who I think is one of the best artists working in comics today, and you have the one of the best comics Marvel's put out in years. Unfortunately, this Must Have only collects issues 1-3, and 4 is apparently hard to find, which means I have issues 5, 5.1, and 6 just sitting here waiting to be read. On the bright side, it's good to have a comic that I'm so excited to read.

Ruse #1 - The story was entertaining and the art was good, but I wasn't as impressed as I thought I'd be considering the affection I've seen for the series.

Sea Bear and Grizzly Shark PDF - In the Sea Bear half, Jason Howard throws everything including the kitchen sink into it to see what sticks and the result is an incoherent mess of a story. For the Grizzly Shark story, Ryan Ottley keeps his plot focused and the result is an entertaining short story about a shark in the woods. The art from both creators is strong, but the differences in story quality drag it down. I'd say it's worth the $2 download, but not the $4.99 the print version cost.

Sea Ghost #1 - A kids comic inspired by Hanna-Barbera and Alex Toth. There isn't anything new here and the story is told too simply; it lacks the all ages quality of writing in a title like Thor: The Mighty Avenger. I could see this as a book to give a child in the same demographic as Tiny Titans.

Who is Jake Ellis? #2 - The thriller plot keeps moving along and Tonci Zonjic's art remains the reason to buy this book.

Xombi #1 - A man enhanced with nanotechnology teams up with a pair of clairvoyant nuns to investigate a break in at a secret underground prison for people tainted by magic. It was a fantastic first issue, catching readers up to speed who didn't read the original Milestone series and then throwing a bunch of wild concepts at them. Then you have Frazer Irving, another one of the best artists in comics right now, capturing the supernatural like he does best. Since this book is on the fringes of the DC Universe, it wil probably be cancelled in a year or so, but I'm going to be with it for as long as it lasts.

Total

Comic Books: 45

TPBs: 1

HCs: 1

Graphic Novels:

Manga:

Digital Comics: 2

Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories HC, Batman: The Return, Batman, Inc. #1-4, Batwoman #0, Doctor Strange: From The Marvel Vault #1, Fried Rice #1, Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #1, Image Firsts: Hack/Slash #1, Hack/Slash (2011) #1, The Infinite Vacation #1, Iron Man: Enter The Mandarin TPB, Jimmy Olsen #1, Mage: The Hero Discovered #1, Marvel Must Have: Uncanny X-Force Officer Downe, Orc Stain #5, The Punisher #1-9 and Annual #1, Ruse #1, Sea Bear and Grizzly Shark, Sea Ghost #1, The Sixth Gun #1-4, Transformers #1, The Untold Legend of The Batman #1-3. Who is Jake Ellis? #1-2, X-Statix #6-7 and 21-24, Xombi #1

[Koete]

Annihilators #1 - There was a time when I was fully invested in the cosmic corner of the Marvel Universe, but a drop in quality and disinterest in War of Kings got me to drop them. It's been a few years, so I decided to see if the cosmic books were worth getting into again. The short issue is no. Between the writing on the main story trying too hard to be cute and the art by Tan Eng Huat, it was a chore to finish. The back-up starring Rocket Racoon and Groot had a fun story and excellent art by Timothy Green II, but it's not enough to get me to buy the rest of the series.

Hack/Slash #2 - The story moved along, but the plastic looking art still turns me off. Not a bad book by any means, but I don't think I'm going to continue with it.

Venom #1 - I was really excited for this book after reading Uncanny X-Force, but it was more like the pre-Frankencastle Punisher by Remender I've read. It's a decent read, but it did not blow me away. My real problems were a sequence of caption boxes that don't flow with the story and minimalizing Flash Thompson to a copy of Peter Parker. Jack O'Lantern got some villainous deeds to do and Tony Moore's art was great though, so like I said, not a bad issue. The news that Tom Fowler will be alternating with Moore is enough to get me to stick with the book for a few more issues.

Total

Comic Books: 48

TPBs: 1

HCs: 1

Graphic Novels:

Manga:

Digital Comics: 2

Annihilators #1, Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories HC, Batman: The Return, Batman, Inc. #1-4, Batwoman #0, Doctor Strange: From The Marvel Vault #1, Fried Rice #1, Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #1, Image Firsts: Hack/Slash #1, Hack/Slash (2011) #1-2, The Infinite Vacation #1, Iron Man: Enter The Mandarin TPB, Jimmy Olsen #1, Mage: The Hero Discovered #1, Marvel Must Have: Uncanny X-Force Officer Downe, Orc Stain #5, The Punisher #1-9 and Annual #1, Ruse #1, Sea Bear and Grizzly Shark, Sea Ghost #1, The Sixth Gun #1-4, Transformers #1, The Untold Legend of The Batman #1-3, Venom #1, Who is Jake Ellis? #1-2, X-Statix #6-7 and 21-24, Xombi #1

[Missy]

Thoughts in Earth-2.net: The Show 458, 459, 460, or 461

Batman #358

Batman Beyond #2

House of Mystery (1951) #315

House of Mystery (2008) #34

Power Man and Iron Fist (1978) #92

Power Man and Iron Fist (2011) #1

Comic books: 47

Trade paperbacks: 9

Graphic novels: 0

[dc20willsave]

Thoughts in Earth-2.net: The Show 458, 459, 460, or 461

Batman #358

Batman Beyond #2

House of Mystery (1951) #315

House of Mystery (2008) #34

Power Man and Iron Fist (1978) #92

Power Man and Iron Fist (2011) #1

Comic books: 47

Trade paperbacks: 9

Graphic novels: 0

Too bad for House of Mystery you guys didn't stick to the 80s. Otherwise you could have reviewed this:

[SuaveStar]

Red Robin #22: Part 1 in a three part crossover dealing with Azrael. I don't give a shit about Azrael, or the right or wrong themes going on in the comic, so I disliked this. FWII's art was a serious step down from Marcus To.

Ultimate Spider-Man #156: I'm interested in the death of Spider-Man. Yet, I don't really care about this, it was good, but not great, and not enough to make me continue caring about the USM or the Ultimate Universe in general after the story wraps up.

The Flash #10: This book is just setting the pieces for Flashpoint now, and I felt shortchanged by that. Although the art is good, the book itself was missable.

Justice League: Generation Lost #23: Weird issue. I think this story is either going to get a weird and stupid ending, or it is not going to end in the next issue.

All Star Comics #3: First appearance of the JSA. I've had this comic for nearly two years now. I got it for 25p at a comic convention, and it felt so dense, I couldn't read it. I finally did, and well, it was interesting. The team sit around sharing solo stories, rather than teaming up to fight some big bad guy. It looked strange compared to recent comics, however that was part of it's charm to me. Strange to read, but enjoyable. Hour Man has got to have one of the best costumes in comics, but is also one of the crappiest, and generic characters to write about.

Crisis On Infinite Earths #12: I got this cheap a while back, and finally got round to reading it. Basically, I have next to no fucking clue what happened.

Legion of Superheroes #300: Big anniversary issue. I was ploughing through old stuff that I haven't read. This was basically a big giant "What if..." issue of Legion with a whole host of guest artists doing stories. It wasn't bad, it just was annoying not really knowing who half the characters were in the book, and sort of reading the book not knowing what was going on part of the time. However, it was still a fun read.

Batman and Robin #22: Worthless. Crappy storyline with some alright art. It didn't grab me, and just ends on a flat note.

Trades: 5

HC:0

Comics: 57

GN:0

Omnibus: 1

Alien VS Predator Volume 1 Omnibus. Tiny Titans #35, Brightest Day #17, Shazam: Monster Society of Evil TPB. Red Robin #19, Titans #31, Batman #706, Streets of Gotham #19, Brightest Day #18, Brave and Bold #33. Batman Beyond #1. Detective Comics #891, Detective Comics #892, Detective Comics #893. Action Comics #897, Shazam 1 shot. JL: Generation Lost 19, Secret Six #30, Red Robin #20, TMVP #6. Flash #9, Batman and Robin #20, Titans #32. Batman: Dark Knight #1. Green lantern #62, Green Lantern Corps #57, Brightest Day #20. Justice League International volumes 1-3. Teen Titans #92, Action Comics #898, JL:Generation Lost #20. Brightest Day #20, Green Lantern #63. The Crow TPB. Green Lantern: Rebirth #1, Batman and Robin #21, JL: Generation Lost #21 Batman Inc #3, Titans #33. Brightest Day #22, Red Robin #21, Secret Six #31. Green Lantern #64, GLC #58, Batman Inc #4. JL: Generation Lost #22, Batman: Streets of Gotham #22, Action Comics #899, Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #155, Detective Comics #875, DC Universe Legacies #9-10. Fear Itself #1, Brightest Day #23. Red Robin #22, Ultimate Spider-Man #156, The Flash #10, JL: Generation Lost #23, COIE #12, All Star Comics #3, Legion of Superheroes #300, Batman and Robin #22

[Molly]

I can't wait to hear Mike and Dan EVISCERATE Batman Beyond.

[Koete]

I can't wait to hear about the Batman Beyond story by Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo from the 80s.

[Koete]

The Infinite Vacation #2 - On the plus side, Spencer gave more insight into the world of the comic like I wanted. On the negative side, the villains at the end felt completely out of place with the rest of the comic. So, the story is okay, but intriguing enough that I'm sticking with it. Christian Ward's painterly art is still the main draw for me.

Journey Into Mystery #622 - Kieron Gillen does a good job setting up the reincarnated Loki on the journey he has planned for him. He captures the voices of the Asgardians well; Loki best of all as one might imagine. The narration he uses in certain scenes adds to the fantasy feeling of the book. Ullses Arreola's colors over Dougie Braithwaite's pencils gives a mythic feeling to the Asgardians and Asgard, making the art a perfect fit for the book. Gillen has said he has a 30-40 issue epic planned, and after this strong start, I hope he gets to tell it.

Uncanny X-Force #4-7 and 5.1 - The first arc ends strong with #4, setting up the characters and the title's story for the long term. The second arc, 5-7, is a step down from the first, but still strong. You get X-Force against a team of Deathloks from a potential future, so the action quota is met. It also rounds out Fantomex's character more and gives some of history for people (like me) who hadn't read him before. Psylocke gets some continued character moments in response to the end of the first arc. Esad Ribic's artwork is good, but it doesn't have the same energy as Opena's. While Remender sets up the ending with nods here and there so it isn't exactly a surprise, it's still an interesting twist and sets up everything to hit the fan. Issue 5.1 was probably the worst so far, but it wasn't bad. Just a little side mission between the two arcs. Psylocke got some more character time, which was easily the best part. Overall, still a strong book, and I look forward to seeing what Remender does next.

Total

Comic Books: 55

TPBs: 1

HCs: 1

Graphic Novels:

Manga:

Digital Comics: 2

Annihilators #1, Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories HC, Batman: The Return, Batman, Inc. #1-4, Batwoman #0, Doctor Strange: From The Marvel Vault #1, Fried Rice #1, Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #1, Image Firsts: Hack/Slash #1, Hack/Slash (2011) #1-2, The Infinite Vacation #1-2, Iron Man: Enter The Mandarin TPB, Jimmy Olsen #1, Journey Into Mystery #622, Mage: The Hero Discovered #1, Marvel Must Have: Uncanny X-Force Officer Downe, Orc Stain #5, The Punisher #1-9 and Annual #1, Ruse #1, Sea Bear and Grizzly Shark, Sea Ghost #1, The Sixth Gun #1-4, Transformers #1, Uncanny X-Force #4-7 and 5.1, The Untold Legend of The Batman #1-3, Venom #1, Who is Jake Ellis? #1-2, X-Statix #6-7 and 21-24, Xombi #1

[Missy]

I can't wait to hear Mike and Dan EVISCERATE Batman Beyond.

Dan does more than me, but, yes, it takes a mighty kicking.

[Dread]

Captain America and Batroc

FF #1

Hellraiser #1

The Lone Ranger & Zorro: The Death of Zorro #1

Comics: 141

Trades: 13

Graphic Novels: 1

Omnibuses: 5

[SuaveStar]

Deathstroke: The Terminator: Elseworlds annual #3: Weird, Deathstroke becomes Cable somehow. It was nice seeing early Ed Benes art, though underlining every THIRD word got on my nerves quickly.

Ultimate Avengers VS New Ultimates #3: I couldn't care less about the Ultimate Universe, and this book did nothing to change that. I want to see how Spider-man dies, and this book, was just a giant clusterfuck of stuff.

Trades: 5

HC:0

Comics: 59

GN:0

Omnibus: 1

Alien VS Predator Volume 1 Omnibus. Tiny Titans #35, Brightest Day #17, Shazam: Monster Society of Evil TPB. Red Robin #19, Titans #31, Batman #706, Streets of Gotham #19, Brightest Day #18, Brave and Bold #33. Batman Beyond #1. Detective Comics #891, Detective Comics #892, Detective Comics #893. Action Comics #897, Shazam 1 shot. JL: Generation Lost 19, Secret Six #30, Red Robin #20, TMVP #6. Flash #9, Batman and Robin #20, Titans #32. Batman: Dark Knight #1. Green lantern #62, Green Lantern Corps #57, Brightest Day #20. Justice League International volumes 1-3. Teen Titans #92, Action Comics #898, JL:Generation Lost #20. Brightest Day #20, Green Lantern #63. The Crow TPB. Green Lantern: Rebirth #1, Batman and Robin #21, JL: Generation Lost #21 Batman Inc #3, Titans #33. Brightest Day #22, Red Robin #21, Secret Six #31. Green Lantern #64, GLC #58, Batman Inc #4. JL: Generation Lost #22, Batman: Streets of Gotham #22, Action Comics #899, Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #155, Detective Comics #875, DC Universe Legacies #9-10. Fear Itself #1, Brightest Day #23. Red Robin #22, Ultimate Spider-Man #156, The Flash #10, JL: Generation Lost #23, COIE #12, All Star Comics #3, Legion of Superheroes #300, Batman and Robin #22. Ultimate Avengers VS New Ultimates #3, Deathstroke #3.

[Venneh]

Birds of Prey: Dead of Winter: Aka that one where it crosses over with Secret Six, there is a knock-down all-out brawl between Knockout and Big Barda, Tora shows up, and Oracle and Spy Smasher have it out. Wonderful trade.

IIWY:

Justice League: Generation Lost #21

Dollhouse: Epitaphs

Soldier Zero #7

Comics: 13

Trades: 2

[SuaveStar]

Red Robin #22: Part of a bad crossover involving Azrael going mad. Average art and poor writing. I'd say avoid it.

Green Lantern #65: Interesting, Krona is bad ass. I'm liking where this story is going.

Green Lantern Corps #59: More set up than anything else. Still enjoyable.

Trades: 5

HC:0

Comics: 62

GN:0

Omnibus: 1

Alien VS Predator Volume 1 Omnibus. Tiny Titans #35, Brightest Day #17, Shazam: Monster Society of Evil TPB. Red Robin #19, Titans #31, Batman #706, Streets of Gotham #19, Brightest Day #18, Brave and Bold #33. Batman Beyond #1. Detective Comics #891, Detective Comics #892, Detective Comics #893. Action Comics #897, Shazam 1 shot. JL: Generation Lost 19, Secret Six #30, Red Robin #20, TMVP #6. Flash #9, Batman and Robin #20, Titans #32. Batman: Dark Knight #1. Green lantern #62, Green Lantern Corps #57, Brightest Day #20. Justice League International volumes 1-3. Teen Titans #92, Action Comics #898, JL:Generation Lost #20. Brightest Day #20, Green Lantern #63. The Crow TPB. Green Lantern: Rebirth #1, Batman and Robin #21, JL: Generation Lost #21 Batman Inc #3, Titans #33. Brightest Day #22, Red Robin #21, Secret Six #31. Green Lantern #64, GLC #58, Batman Inc #4. JL: Generation Lost #22, Batman: Streets of Gotham #22, Action Comics #899, Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #155, Detective Comics #875, DC Universe Legacies #9-10. Fear Itself #1, Brightest Day #23. Red Robin #22, Ultimate Spider-Man #156, The Flash #10, JL: Generation Lost #23, COIE #12, All Star Comics #3, Legion of Superheroes #300, Batman and Robin #22. Ultimate Avengers VS New Ultimates #3, Deathstroke #3. Red Robin #22, Green Lantern #65, Green Lantern Corps #59

[SuaveStar]

Big week.

Action Comics #900: The stuff with Lex Luthor vs Superman was great. The stuff with Doomsday, was well average. The extra stuff ranged from alright, to couldn't care less.

Batman Inc #5: Haven't got the faintest fucking clue what happened in this book. All I took away from it was the feeling of boredom and not really caring about what I just read. Going to give the book a little bit longer, cause the Batgirl arc has Cameron Stewart art, which could be good.

Brightest Day #24: So that's it. Full thoughts in BD thread.

Detective Comics #876: Snyder is still writing what is currently the best Batman comic out there right now. Usually I don't really like Jock's art, but here, it's good.

The Flash #11: I miss Scott Kolins old style. This water colour looking style, just isn't grabbing me. And neither was this comic. Average at best.

Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #9: Good. Not great. More fleshing out of the story.

Justice League: Generation Lost #24: Thoughts posted in the Brightest Day thread. Better than BD, I enjoyed it.

Secret Six #32: What happened to this book? It used to be so great. I'm not going to blame this on J Calafiore's art, which is average at best. I'm blaming this on the piss poor writing that sees Gail Simone throwing shit at the wall and hoping something sticks, or is funny, and fails on both counts. The storyline dealing with the get out of hell free card looked great on paper, but in practice, it sucks.

Well in this issue while Scandal's current GF is being kidnapped by a crazed ex who wants to force out the lesbian in her. Scandal is away in hell trying to get Knockout back, who in a last page reveal, we are told she is set to marry Ragdoll who is now the leader of hell. It's meant to be a big shocking moment. But it comes out of nowhere, and when you know the next issue has to deal with this issue, and them getting out of hell, and dealing with the card, and Scandal's current GF getting away from her crazy ex, you just know something is going to be lost in the shuffle.

Trades: 5

HC:0

Comics: 69

GN:0

Omnibus: 1

Alien VS Predator Volume 1 Omnibus. Tiny Titans #35, Brightest Day #17, Shazam: Monster Society of Evil TPB. Red Robin #19, Titans #31, Batman #706, Streets of Gotham #19, Brightest Day #18, Brave and Bold #33. Batman Beyond #1. Detective Comics #891, Detective Comics #892, Detective Comics #893. Action Comics #897, Shazam 1 shot. JL: Generation Lost 19, Secret Six #30, Red Robin #20, TMVP #6. Flash #9, Batman and Robin #20, Titans #32. Batman: Dark Knight #1. Green lantern #62, Green Lantern Corps #57, Brightest Day #20. Justice League International volumes 1-3. Teen Titans #92, Action Comics #898, JL:Generation Lost #20. Brightest Day #20, Green Lantern #63. The Crow TPB. Green Lantern: Rebirth #1, Batman and Robin #21, JL: Generation Lost #21 Batman Inc #3, Titans #33. Brightest Day #22, Red Robin #21, Secret Six #31. Green Lantern #64, GLC #58, Batman Inc #4. JL: Generation Lost #22, Batman: Streets of Gotham #22, Action Comics #899, Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #155, Detective Comics #875, DC Universe Legacies #9-10. Fear Itself #1, Brightest Day #23. Red Robin #22, Ultimate Spider-Man #156, The Flash #10, JL: Generation Lost #23, COIE #12, All Star Comics #3, Legion of Superheroes #300, Batman and Robin #22. Ultimate Avengers VS New Ultimates #3, Deathstroke #3. Red Robin #22, Green Lantern #65, Green Lantern Corps #59. Action Comics #900, Batman Inc #5, Brightest Day #24, Detective Comics #876, The Flash #11, GL: Emerald Warriors #9, JL: Generation Lost #24, Secret Six #32

[Missy]

FF #2

What a waste of time, money, and paper. This issue has maybe five pages of story, yet is padded out to fill an entire issue. The cliffhanger if rote, there's zero characterization, and the writing is weak. Also, why is Spider-Man in this book? He's done nothing thus far.

Comic books: 48

Trade paperbacks: 9

Graphic novels: 0

[dc20willsave]

I kinda have to agree. FF #1 was a good book for me and #2 is kinda dropping the ball. Frankly, Spidey is there to boost sales and I can see him being off the book in a few months with Doom taking over the fourth slot.

[Dread]

Latest roundup:

Godzilla: Kingdom of the Monsters #!- Probably the greatest disappointment comicswise, I have ever had. Phil Hester's art was pretty good, not great. But Powell played the whole fucking thing as a joke. You finally get the chance to do a great Godzilla comic and you play it as a joke? Fuck you. Done with his shit. I should email and retract the invite to come on the show. 0/10 (sorry Phil)

Northern Guard #2-I am so glad that I only pre-ordered three of these. I was so taken with the idea that i never thought "what if it sucks?" Well, it sucks. Story and art. Ty Templeton is better than this garbage and Moonstone (who puts out some good stuff) should be ashamed. 2/10

Captain America #615.1-Let's keep the negative train a runnin', shall we? THIS is the story you deliver to get people on as first time readers. This is the most impenetrable issue of the series Brubaker has written. It's also the second worse, only after the House of M crossover he obviously did not want to write. This was a piece of shit. 3/10

Captain America #616-While I love seeing Travis Charest, one page is not enough and to see it being a ripoff of the opneing of All-Star Superman is a little disappointing. The first installment of Gulag was good. As was the Azaceta drawn story. The rest I could throw away. Wish it was two bucks cheaper and only contained good stuff. I am defintiely dropping Cap after this arc. 5/10

Fear Itself Prologue: Book of the Skull-I bought this one on a whim and enjoyed it. Eaton's Red Skull is FANTASTIC and would love to see him get a longer shot at it some time. Otherwise, I was not enticed to pick up Fear Itself but enjoyed this nonetheless. 7/10

DC Universe Legacies #10-You know, when they announced the Eisner noms, Len Wein put on Twitter that he was upset none of his stories from this series got a nomination. I had to do everything I could in my power to not tell one of my heroes why. Because it sucked after issue three. That's why. This series has had a slow slide into shit. This last issue is far from an exception. Anybody want the ten issues? Fifteen bucks plus shipping. 1/10

Brightest Day #21-22-I really enjoyed 21 as a Manhunter from mars issue and thought he was handled very well. But I think this series has gotten me as close to giving a shit about Firestrom as I ever have been and it didn't carry through to issue 22. I just don't care about him. I'm interested to see you it all plays out in the next couple of issues though. 7/10

Batman Inc. #3-4-I fucking love El Gaucho! But not as much as I love Yanick Paquette. Fuck that guy's good. Burnham was an interesting choice on issue four but his style really grew on me. And he's a great storyteller. I'm having a fucking blast with this series. 9/10

Green Lantern #63-4-Pure fucking awesomeness. Benes, on 63, is a guy I've never really enjoyed, but much of his work didn't even look like him. Then Mahnke comes back and all is good again. War of the... is a fucking fantastic crossover so far. 9/10

GL Corps #58-Kyle vs. John is interesting but they're the two least interesting GLs for me. 7/10 I want me some...

GL Emerald Warriors #8-of probably the best book DC publishes. Holy shit this was fantastic. Guy vs Hal is always great and this ranks among the best of their matchups. Even with the blatant homosexual imagery in the issue. Fanboys need to calm down and stop taking one panel out of a book to condemn it, because this book is fucking rad. 10/10

Comics: 155

Trades: 13

Graphic Novels: 1

Omnibuses: 5

[Dread]

So, part of what I've been doing for the fan-fiction thing is dipping into old school books. Over the last month I've read this:

Marvel Comics Presents #1-124: Thoughts

-I can look at John Buscema's pencils and Janson's inks on Wolverine all day.

-Weapon X is a creative high point for the series, but there are some other goodies. MOst of them in the first 30 issues.

-Panther's Quest needs to have all the caption boxes removed to be readable. Colan's art is superb, but fuck McGregor! Take it easy man! There's like a 1000 words per page!

-Havok vs The Living Pharoah is pretty awesome too.

-Coldblood by Paul Gulacy is greatness.

-Erik Larsen's Spidey and Wolverine team-up is as fun as I remember it.

Comics: 279

Trades: 13

Graphic Novels: 1

Omnibuses: 5

[elnino14]

My March and April and reading:

Spider-man Gauntlet: Lizard and Grim Hunt:

I don't read Spidey consistently but the Gauntlet had me intrigued (I really haven't read much since JMS' run, flipping through New Ways to Die and American Son).

I finished up the spider-man Gauntlet, with the last one being Lizard. The entire Gauntlet was a lot of fun, but the Lizard story was on another level, not only was it fun, it was really good as well. Probably one of the best Spidey stories I've read in a long while. They play Lizard a bit differently, with Lizard being played more like Hulk, than like just an animal. Connors is of course a tragic character, and it sucks to see how far he's fallen. Fantastic story.

Grim Hunt, was another great story and a semi-sequel to my favorite Spidey story of all time Kraven's Last Hunt. It deals with a lot of different elements, not only does it deal with the Kraven family, but with the Spider-family as well, including Kaine, Mattie Franklin, Aracne (sp), Madame Web, and another. It's a really harrowing look at just how messed up the Kraven family is. I enjoyed it, but it certainly doesn't stand alone like Kraven's Last Hunt, and it's definitely not anywhere as great as that story was. Still some great stories in a Spidey-verse that I don't care about much. Now I'm probably going to go back to ignoring Spider-man for a while.

Ultimates 1 & 2 by Mark Millar

This didn't jive with me this time. I loved this series before, but now...my goodness, I don't care for this much at all. Everybody is either an asshole (Fury, Cap, Hawkeye, Wasp, only Iron Man is Supposed to be an asshole, maybe Clint too) or shown to be pathetic (Hank Pym, Bruce Banner, Thor...before he proved he was awesome...twice!). I like how the book talks about politics and uses superheroes in a real world/slightly futuristic setting but I'm not able to get behind a single one of the characters. The art is beautiful and I have it in two large hardcovers and it's a beauty to look at, but the story doesn't do much for me anymore.

Ultimate Galactus Trilogy

I don't know what it is, but I like this book. The first arc, Ultimate Secret, is really good, creates a super foreboding atmosphere and really plays up the terror of this "thing" coming to destroy Earth. The next two arcs aren't nearly as good, but still enjoyable to an extent. Warren Ellis gets to play with his all his techno-babble in this one while creating his story. I actually liked it, it was a good mix of earthly story and cosmic story. The story doesn't mesh fantastically but I enjoyed seeing how these earthly superheroes deal with a crisis way larger than any of them. It actually piques my interest in reading some Marvel Cosmic...something I've never even thought about before.

Next I'm going to read Ex Machina, I have the entire series in trade now... and Y the Last Man is my favorite comics book ever, so I hopefully Vaughan has another great story to tell me.