Every comic you've read in 2016

[Dread]

God is Dead #48: Whoa. I knew this series wouldn't end with sunshine and lollipops, but this was close to gun in the mouth brutal. Tour de force comics in 50 issues (two one shots if I'm not mistaken).

Hellboy & the BPRD 1953 #2: Fun. I'm gonna read through my Hellboy LIbrary Editions soon.

Hellchild #1: Hell no. 

Howling Commandoes of SHIELD #6: And lo, a mediocre series was cancelled with a whimper in the middle of an event.

Huck #5: Good. 

Comics: 365
Trades: 17

Graphic Novels: 12

Omnibuses: 4

[Missy]

All-New Captain America Special #1: According to ComicBookDB, writer Jeff Loveness has about a dozen comics under his belt, yet this issue seems like it sprung from the pen of a comic-writing vet. Despite being the third part of a three-issue crossover, Loveness manages to give the readers all they need to know without bogging the book down in exposition or flashbacks. Sam's self-doubt is wonderful, in that, by fighting through it, he become a better hero; when he remembers he's not Steve, that's when he's able to kick things up a notch. And, best of all, Loveness' Spider-Man is amazing! The jokes are funny, but, more than that, Peter's very serious, inspirational side comes through in spades. This is a man who gets these characters. Based on this, I will read the other two issues in the crossover, as well as his Groot series.

Alec Morgan's art is a wonderful mixture of Ryan Ottley and Adam Kubert. His storytelling is fluid, perfectly utilizing the gutters to demonstrate time. At one point, he does this thing were a portion of a panel is left off the page, indicating unseen action before a vicious attack begins. I've never seen that before, but I like it.

Comics: 104

[Donomark]

Batman and Robin Eternal #26 (Final Issue): Ended solidly. Great teamwork and solidarity between the partners of Batman, especially the Robins all working together. Perfect characterization of Cassandra, which is most important. I was a bit taken aback by her new codename (Orphan((?))) but whateves. Really looking forward to Detective Comics post-Rebirth.

All New All Different X-Men vol.2 #7: Continues to be the best X-book in how I'm reading none of the other ones. Hopeless makes 05 Scott sooo sympathetic.

[Venneh]

Promethea Absolute vol 2, tpb 4 and 5: Alan Moore is Alan Moore and gives us a six issue or so tour of the Sepirot, and also the end of the world, and just generally being a crazy wizard. JH Williams III does even crazier. It's a great ride.

Wayward Hardcover vol 1: Contains issues 1-10, manages to bring in Japanese folklore in an intriguing way and not be super weaboo about it. Wanders a bit at times, but the end of the volume has me real interested to see where it goes. Zub also does the coloring, which is amazing. Art is pretty solid, doesn't rely overly much on manga tropes. Definitely worth a read.

Single Issues: 88
TPBs/Collections: 40
Digital First Issues: 10

Edited April 5, 2016 by Venneh

[Missy]

Spider-Man #3: False drama between Miles' father and maternal grandmother, horrific character-is-out-of-touch-with-the-world dialog, a forced cutesy scene with Miles and Ms. Marvel, overly scripted crime drama (because Bendis), and a limp joke to end the issue with a whimper. If this book didn't look so damn pretty and I didn't like Miles, I wouldn't be reading it month-to-month; issue two was very strong, but one and three have been less than impressive. 

Comics: 105

[Missy]

Superman #51: New 52 Superman is dying, so he chats it up with Lana and Lois. Someone else is claiming to be Superman. And another someone else is hacking into The Fortress.

If my guess is correct, this storyline is meant to clear post-Flashpoint Superman off the table to make way for the post-Crisis Superman to become the post-Rebirth Superman. Post.

The book looks quite good, but the poses are too stiff (digital?) for me to make any sort of connection to the characters.

Maybe if I cared about this Superman I'd feel something here, but I've read too many "Superman is dying" stories to care about another.

Comics: 106

[Dread]

Hyperion #1: Interesting take. Love the character. I'm in for a while.

Illuminati #5: maybe the least impressive issue thus far. Some revelations didn't make sense as I've been out of touch since whatever the Asgard event was. Still pretty good though.

Imperium #14: getting better

International Iron Man #1: Not sure what the point of this is so soon after the launch of the other, better, series, but this was ok.

Jacked #5: crazy. Fun.

Lords of the Jungle #1: Sheena and Tarzan. Not as good as that initially sounded to me.

Lucifer #4: this is consistently great.

New Avengers #8: This series is terrible.

Robin Son of Batman #10: ok, wasn't expecting this angle, but I'm liking it.

Second Sight #1,2: this is solid.Feels a little like vintage Hellblazer with art that combines Tom Raney and Bill Sienkewicz. Pretty sweet.

Comics: 376
Trades: 17

Graphic Novels: 12

Omnibuses: 4

 

[Missy]

Bloodlines (2016) #1: I couldn't finish this fucking thing. Even if this was set in 1993 (when the first Bloodlines was published), these teenagers would be laughably cliched. The only thing setting it now rather than then is the existence of pocket-sized cell phones. Otherwise the dialog, narration, storytelling, and character designs could be dropped into a 23-year-old book without making one flinch. Also, the Brett Booth wannabe doesn't help things.

Comics: 106.5

[Missy]

Also, whoever said "the post-Flashpoint DCU needs its version of Bloodlines" needs to be fired.

[Donomark]

Black Panther vol.? #1: Issue one of the Ta-Nehesi Coates/Brian Stelfreeze run. Somewhat of a slow start but I liked it. Definitely a strong set up for a story with an intriguing new villain, plus some interesting developments with the Dora Milaje.

Batgirl #50: Final issue of the Burnside era. It's good, not great. A little too pat. The second year of the Burnside Batgirl wasn't as good or interesting as the first, but overall it was an enjoyable run.

[Missy]

Black Panther #1: The slow build we see here might pay off as the story reaches its eventual conclusion, but this issue by itself left me wondering what all the pre-hype was about. No disrespect to the creative team -- this is an okay read -- but, for a first issue that's getting a lot of outside media attention, it's mired in continuity. Said continuity is explained to some degree, but there's too much to get across -- too much to absorb -- in too few pages. Everyone is standing around lamenting recent events and the state of their lives; no one moves from one place to another unless the plot pushes them there. I get the sense others will call this "Game of Panthers," and maybe they're right. Me, I'll come back for another issue. If that doesn't excite me a little more, I'll wait for the trade.

Comics: 107.5

[Venneh]

(Placeholder for Black Panther review. This is $5 for 22 pages of story. My expectations are high. Also that had better be going to a higher page rate for Ta-Nehisi AND Stelfreeze.)

(also paged through Batgirl 50, same price, think it had more pages? Seems like a good wrap to the run. Black Widow 2 too, switching to the trade on that, feels like it's gonna work better in one read.)

[Donomark]

Spider-Man #3: I dug it. I TOTALLY see why Mike didn't care for it. Miles' grandmother is a cartoon laid on way too thick, but I dunno...I appreciated the Parker-like dilemma. Sara Pichelli's art never looked better for me. That first shot of Ms. Marvel in the hoodie was gorgeous and awesome. I really want to two of them to get closer if not romantically then as friends because they're very similar. I've never heard of Goldballs, but it's an interesting mix. I'm still not a fan of how they ruined 25 years of character development with the Black Cat ever since Brand New Day, but I'm interested to see where it goes. Slightly below issue #2 but still good for me.

Power Rangers #2: In some ways this reads like some MMPR fan-fic I've read in that the shipping is pretty out there. Still entertaining. Higgins has this book read slightly modern with texting and dialogue, but still Power Rangers-y with the classic tropes of the show.

[Missy]

Spider-Man #3: I dug it. I TOTALLY see why Mike didn't care for it. Miles' grandmother is a cartoon laid on way too thick, but I dunno...I appreciated the Parker-like dilemma. Sara Pichelli's art never looked better for me. That first shot of Ms. Marvel in the hoodie was gorgeous and awesome. I really want to two of them to get closer if not romantically then as friends because they're very similar. I've never heard of Goldballs, but it's an interesting mix. I'm still not a fan of how they ruined 25 years of character development with the Black Cat ever since Brand New Day, but I'm interested to see where it goes. Slightly below issue #2 but still good for me.

Some years ago, there was an issue of Ms. Marvel where Carol and Peter went on a date. Nothing came of it, but it it was a fun look at the two veteran heroes. That said, if Miles and Kamala do begin to date, it's an appropriate extension of what Peter and Carol could have had through their young counterparts.

[Missy]

Poe Dameron #1: This is exactly what I expected, in that it's a direct prequel to The Force Awakens which doesn't reveal too much in its opening issue. In that regard, it's an okay read with some (as always) lovely art by Phil Noto, but it didn't hook me enough to read the second issue next month. Once a few more issues are out (or the storyline is complete), I'm sure I'll read more. 

Black Widow #2: Unlike last issue, which lacked anything resembling a plot, we get some much-needed backstory here. The book opens with a great action piece, showcasing Widow's deadly skills. Through this action, we can see why Director Hill hires the freelancer, in that even experienced SHIELD agents rarely know when she's on the job. The book ends with more questions being raised, yet it answers why the events of the first issue took place. If you've yet to read issues one and two, I would recommend reading two before one.

Comics: 109.5

[Dread]

Sons of the Devil #6: it returns like it left, with a whimper. This is odd...odd but intriguing.

Squadron Supreme #5: this is probably the best title Marvel publishes. Even taking place in Weirdworld.

Comics: 378
Trades: 17

Graphic Novels: 12

Omnibuses: 4

[Donomark]

Is Poe Dameron meant to be an ongoing? If so, that's nuts.

[Davedevil]

Yep, it's an ongoing series. Marvel really knows how to take my money.

Hellboy Beyond the Fences #2 - Not as good as the first issue but enjoyable enough. Paolo Rivera continues to deliver stunning work. 

Harley Quinn #26 - Downtime issue, to catch your breath after the events of last issue. I don't like basing her look on Suicide Squad's, but it had a funny nod to it. Dug the art by Hardin and Timms.

ANAD Avengers #7 - Solid issue, has enough going on that even though I'm not reading the crossover I'm getting enough out of it. Best Kubert art since this series started.

THE ULTIMATES #5

 

[Missy]

The Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110: Dan and I will cover "The Death of Jean DeWolff" in an upcoming episode of The Show, so I will save my thought 'til then.

Comics: 113.5

[Venneh]

High Crimes: And I just realized the punning of this title goddamnit. A secret agent on the run takes his secrets to Everest and dies there. His body is uncovered by body scavengers, which starts a chain of events that leads to an ex-Winter Olympic contender who's also an addict playing a game of cat and mouse with a secret government agency on the mountain. Yes, it's complicated as shit to explain, but the ride is so worth it. Great art, great story, and just a fun ride.

Spider-Man: Fever: Brendan McCarthy does a Ditkoesque trip mini with an actual Ditko backup to pad it out. Trippy as hell, but worth reading for the experience.

Sandman: Overture: Gaiman returns to Sandman after 20 years, to tell a prelude story that tbh it feels like he wrote down between other stuff so no one could try to Before Watchmen it. JH Williams III is as always a goddamn wizard.

Black Panther 1: First things first: this is $5 for 22 pages of story and ads. Marvel, that had better be goddamn going to a higher page rate for Ta Nehisi and Stelfreeze. Art is gorgeous, no surprises there. Ta Nehisi is trying his best to both establish current continuity in the wake of Secret Whatever and bring in his own ideas about Wakanda (well fucking done on the Dora Milanje). I can see stuff moving here that is narratively up my alley. Here's the thing though. I can't justify it monthly at that price; I'll gladly get the trade and all, but even with high preorders for issue 1, we don't know if that will continue for issue 2. I wanted to be going FUCK YEAH about this, but right now, I'm only interested, and the price is making me balk. Maybe my expectations were too high for a first issue from a guy who's used to prose. Still.

No Mercy 9: Alex was selling her advance copies at her table. She'd been saying that this was a rough one. She isn't kidding. We get to see how one kid's parents deal with him being trans, through a troubled teen program of questionable legality in Mexico. In a series including kidnapping, a girl's eye being torn out by a hawk, drug cartels, and coyotes, this is the roughest issue that I've read. It's just an ugly, brutal issue, which is countered in a great way by some of the gentle beauty of McNeil's art for this. Two of the pages are a partial list of teens who have died in these kinds of programs. That alone should let you know what you're in for here. It's a great read, but jeeeeeeeesus.

The Wicked and the Divine 18: And we're back kids. In some very literal ways for some characters. Great fight scenes that you can tell McK and Wilson fucking loved doing, good laying out of beats for the arc, and some gorgeous designs for characters during the six month gap between 17 and 18. Kieron's called this the Bad Blood/pop crossover arc, and I'm alright with that. Bring it on, or, take me on.

Single Issues: 91
TPBs/Collections: 43
Digital First Issues: 10

Edited April 10, 2016 by Venneh

[Missy]

Vision #1-6: I so want this as a morbid sitcom; a Breaking-Bad-meets-Small-Wonder type of show, with all of the dark drama of the former but filled with the cheesy (RE: forced) family humor of the latter.

As for these six issues, they are an honest look at family, the dark secrets kept within, and the false faces we present society all in an effort to seem normal. That this is a Marvel comic astounds me, as, outside of a few glimpses of Vision working with The Avengers, there are zero superheroics featured within. This is a slice-of-life drama set on the fringe of the MU starring a synthezoid and the family he created. Marvel's post-Secret Wars output very much reminds me of mid- and late-90s DC, in that some very bold chances are being taken on titles, characters, and creators.

Comics: 118.5

[Missy]

Amazing Spider-Man Special #1 and Inhuman Special #1: These two issues comprise parts one and two of the Inhuman Error crossover, of which All-New Captain America Special #1 was part three. And as I noted in my brief write-up of the Cap special, Jeff Loveness gets Spider-Man. His jokes range from funny to annoying, they can make the coldest heart chuckle or they can fall flat or they might be meant only for him, but they're there for a reason; he's not too sure of himself when it comes to dating, yet he knows the superhero game inside and out, making him a perfect mentor for teenagers with powers; and he's utterly selfless. In these two issues, we see Spider-Man dive into a situation which has literally nothing to do with him, but he lends a much-needed helping hand because Peter cannot not help. This is some of the best Spider-Man characterization I've outside of Amazing Spider-Man in a long time.

However, as much as I have praised Loveness' work with Spider-Man, it must be said that most of the focus is on Spider-Man and not The Inhumans. In fact, some of the scenes with the Inhumans lack the energy and characterization of those with Spider-Man and, later, Cap. Also, though Red Raven's motivation is explained and some of his backstory is fleshed out, he's coming from the often-used place of "You hurt my wife / family! GRRRRR!" While that's an okay place to start, if we don't get to know the character outside of a few pages of backstory, said character will not move past the point of clichéd villain in the eyes of the reader.

Despite Red Raven being a GRRRRR-ing foe, as a whole, Inhuman Error is a surprisingly fun superhero story. 

Comics: 120.5

[Missy]

Harley Quinn and The Suicide Squad: April Fool's Special #1: Though the concept of Harley attempting to deliver therapy to her fellow villains is an interesting one, I grew bored halfway through. Rob Williams is trying way too hard to make Harley DC's version of Deadpool, complete with a fourth-wall-breaking inner monologue. (Maybe that's been done before. Maybe it hasn't. Either way, it was trying too hard here.)

Sean Galloway's art makes this worth a flip-through, though. His line works brings the bouncy fun the writing was reaching for. 

Comics: 121

[Missy]

Scarlet Witch #1: Try as I might, I've never been able to get into James Robinson's works. Often it feels like scenes are missing, his dialog is unnatural in its flow, and he has that Brian K. Vaughan trait of reading something somewhere then writing it near-verbatim into his scripts. All three elements are, sadly, on display here. I say "sadly" because I really wanted to love this book. Maybe issues two through five will grab me, but I'm not hopeful.

That said, it's gorgeous and Agatha Harkness is awesome.

Comics: 122

[Venneh]

Vision #1-6: I so want this as a morbid sitcom; a Breaking-Bad-meets-Small-Wonder type of show, with all of the dark drama of the former but filled with the cheesy (RE: forced) family humor of the latter.

As for these six issues, they are an honest look at family, the dark secrets kept within, and the false faces we present society all in an effort to seem normal. That this is a Marvel comic astounds me, as, outside of a few glimpses of Vision working with The Avengers, there are zero superheroics featured within. This is a slice-of-life drama set on the fringe of the MU starring a synthezoid and the family he created. Marvel's post-Secret Wars output very much reminds me of mid- and late-90s DC, in that some very bold chances are being taken on titles, characters, and creators.

Comics: 118.5

and it's all gonna go downhill the moment King leaves so get it while the getting is hot