Every comic you've read in 2016

[Venneh]

I can't ignore the similarities, and if it is, man, that's even more beautiful. 

[Missy]

War Machine #5-8: Rhodey's recent actions come back to haunt him in a big way, which is nice to see, but there isn't a lot of emotion here. There's no real connection to him or his supporting cast, so my interest has started to waver. But, Deathtoll held my interest. Imagine The Doctor if his regenerations were fueled by his kill-count. Yeah, the character is pure 90s Image, but I love the idea.

All-New Wolverine #8: Don't flip through or even glance at the pages ahead of time. Enjoy this one page by page, because the reveal is awesome and should remain a surprise.

Black-Eyed Kids #2: It's creepy, yeah, but I cannot tell who's who.

Spider-Man #4: What the hell is up with Ganke? Total dick move.

Comics: 254

[Dread]

Avengers Standoff Omega #1: It's ok. Weird ending. Nice to see the Zemo that's you know, a good villain.

House of Penance #1: Fucking creepy. I like it.

Huck #6: weak ending.

Hyperion #2: I'm liking this story. I hope for a continued slow burn.

Illuminati #6: fun.

Imperium #15: ehhh...ok.

International Iron Man #2: read it two days ago and the only thing I could tell you about it at gunpoint is that the main character is Iron Man. I remember almost every detail about the first issue, but nothing about this one.

Jacked #6: Fun ending. Really liked this. Felt very 90s Vertigo.

Jackpot #6: REALLY fun and exciting first issue. I don't know where they're going next with that last page. Interesting choice.

Joyride #1: I'm now fully in the belief that I just don't like American sci fi comics.

Killbox #1: this had no idea what it wanted to be. I liked the art style, but everyone looks like they're walking in weirdly exaggerated ways. It's distracting.

Leaving Megalopolis #4: the worst issue yet. Maybe it's because it's been so long between reading ALL the megalopolis stuff and then this issue, but I was not impressed.

Limbo #6: still have no real fucking clue what's going on., Still loving every page of it.

Lucifer #5: Maybe the best book coming out of DC right now. So good.

Micronauts #1: Holy shit. Fuck this book.

Moon Knight #1: holy shit. I loved this.

New Avengers #10: Snooze.

Nova #6: Great.

Old Man Logan #5: This went great all of a sudden.

Robin Son of Batman #11: it's alright.

Satan's Hollow #2: Liking this a lot.

Scare Tales #1: fun two story anthology.

Second Sight #3: this one was mostly an info dump. Still good though.

Slash & Burn #6: so good. This would be a great horror film/a super premise to revamp for a TV series at the same time. The Dexter of firefighters.

Squadron Supreme #6: This was amazing. Except Toro is still a kid and actually an Inhuman? I would think he predates the Inhumans in earth society. Confused.

Suiciders: Kings of Hel.LA #1,2: fucking great. like it more than the first series.

Superman American Alien #6: Loved this. Great writing on this.

Comics: 523
Trades: 18

Graphic Novels: 14

Omnibuses: 7

 

[Donomark]

Spider-Man #4:

 

Spider-Man #4: What the hell is up with Ganke? Total dick move.

 

I KNOW RIGHT?!

That came outta nowhere. I mean I guess I buy a dorky teen like him acting that way, but it went some distance into making him unlikable. Goddamn. I liked the issue okay, but that was weird.

[Missy]

Martian Manhunter (2015) #1-12: Somewhat recently I reread the complete John Ostrander Martian Manhunter series from 1998, and was utterly blown away by its complex world, deep characters, and rich Martian lore. The visual and written storytelling drew me in, page after page. The series as a whole reopened my eyes to the wonderful-yet-underutilized J'onn J'onzz, who's a character I always forget I have a fondness for -- dating back to JLA: Year One. His outsider status is so different from Superman's because, unlike Clark, J'onn has to change everything about himself to fit in on Earth. Even when he disguises himself as human, he knows his true form; he knows one wrong move and humans will scream "monster" while attempting to lock him up. Furthermore, the "last of my kind" element adds to his isolation; he cannot go home, there's no one to comfort him, and he always fears rejection.

With all of this in mind, today I eagerly read the 12-issue series spanning 2015 and 16. Seven of the issues were gobbled up before work, with the rest finished this evening. In between (RE: while at work), I lamented not being able to read a single panel for eight hours. That's how good this book is. With a firm grasp on horror, drama, and comedy, Rob Williams (Unfollow) examines the, proverbial, human condition. He also wants us to question what we know about ourselves, as J'onn learns very hard truths about himself. Specifically, J'onzz must ask himself what and who The Martian Manhunter is. Is he a man of his own making, or is he exactly what he was born to be? The answer and revelations change the character in many ways, ways I hope DC carries into Rebirth and beyond.

There are healthy doses of Doctor Who, Mad Max: Fury Road, Pacific Rim, and A Princess of Mars here, but the series is very uniquely a Martian Manhunter tale. There's even a mystery to solve -- several in fact. After 12 issues, it has sadly come to a close, but I highly recommend grabbing the issues or trades. 

Comics: 266

[Davedevil]

The Ballad of Halo Jones - At first, I wasn't digging it too much. But as the story unfolded, I got more and more sucked into the story. It's pretty amazing how it organically evolved from cyberpunk, to a more lowkey 80s Doctor Who story to a Vietnam War allegory. I know there wasn't any more and never will be, but that's just fine. Halo Jones is a rather well-defined character, I really felt for her especially at the end. The supporting cast tends not to stick around too long but they're all memorable in their own ways. Dug the art by Ian Gibson. It has the pitfall for me of being in black and white, which led to some confusion, but hey it's still great art. Has a bit of an Alan Davis feel. Probably the best 2000 AD story I've read so far. I really like their female characters, and there's dearth of them. 

[Missy]

Mae #1: A beautiful slice-of-life drama with fantastical adventure elements, written and drawn by Gene Ha? Yes, please.

Comics: 267

[Dread]

Empire Uprising vol 1: I think I read the first issue or two of this in digital, but this is not only a solid sequel to Empire (from like 10 years ago) but it's even better than I remember the original being.

Superman Lois and Clark #7: fucking great. Goes without saying that perhaps the greatest thing about the New 52 is bringing back the Superman from previous continuity.

Switch #3: been a long time between issues here, but Sejic does a great job bringing you up to speed. Beautiful and interesting take on the Witchblade universe.

Astonishing Ant-Man #7: solid entry. Kind of aa transitional piece,

The Last Contract #4: violent and grizzled. Good stuff.

The Walking Dead - The Alien: digital only tale of a character mentioned all the way back in issue 3 that is never seen in the main series. BK Vaughn has a fun time playing in the universe.

The Mighty Thor #6:Ok.

X-Files #1: this is the brand new series, but I can't tell if it's an adaptation of the recent season or not. I would rather watch the show if that's the case.

Wrath of the Eternal Warrior #6: REALLY wondering why I'm still reading this.

Xena Warrior Princess #1: not very good. Disappointing.

Comics: 532
Trades: 19

Graphic Novels: 14

Omnibuses: 7

 

[Davedevil]

ANAD Avengers #9 - Not having read the FCBD issue, some things lost me but overall it was pretty solid. Some of the best art Asrar's done for this title so far. The new Wasp is pretty intriguing.

Black Panther #2 - Still trying to get a feel for it, but I liked it. The art by Stelfreeze carries it a lot.

Silk #8 - Weak part of the Spider-Women story but okay enough. Not a fan of the art.

Darth Vader #20 - Great issue. The backup was neat.

The Ultimates #7 - Loved it. Somewhat slower than previous issues to set up stuff, but still fantastic. Art doesn't work as well, since it's a lower key story.

Web Warriors #7 - Fantastic. Just batshit crazy insane fun. Ducktor Doom 2099!

[Venneh]

Unity vol 4: Some shit's gone down in between 2 and 4 (I think 3 was a Armor Hunters tie in? Haven't gotten our hands on it), and this arc is Faith coming on board the team for a try out. It goes about as well as you would expect. Will talk about this more on an upcoming podcast ep. 

Savage Sword of Criminal: The magazine edition. Good one shot, and the letters section in back is pretty priceless. 

Single Issues: 232
TPBs/Collections: 67
Digital First Issues: 10

[Missy]

Chyna #1: Some rich asshole and his daughter are hunted by the in-no-way-generically-named Death Cult, and Chyna is there to be a bodyguard. Sure. Whatever, I'll go with it. It's a Chaos / WWF book, so you can't expect much, but even with that in mind everything is the barest of bones.

Chyna II #1: This time around Chyna is hired to protect a mob informant. There are so many crosses, double-crosses, and triple-crosses, the whole thing becomes a mess. The only saving grace is Mike Deodato Jr. While far from his best work, he brings some excitement to the story. Regardless, these two are better lost to time.

Comics: 269

[Missy]

Mankind #1: A mad scientist is abducting homeless people, including Mankind, and is experimenting on them to create an army of supermen. As a concept, it's been done before, since, and better, but it was mindless fun. Mankind is suitably creepy, his insanity is just right for the tone of the book, and his ability to absorb pain is used to fuel his rampage. Honestly, this is kinda what I always thought an out-of-ring Mankind story would be, so it worked for me.

The Rock #1: All of The Rock's lines are dropped, ad nauseam, but I did chuckle at the use of his "it doesn't matter" catchphrase. The story is beyond stupid, but the art is okay at times. Close-ups of The Rock, especially, are really good. 

Comics: 271

[Dread]

SHIELD The Complete Collection: I recall this originally being called Jim Steranko's Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD, but it's probably a good idea to change the title. Steranko doesn't appear on the book until almost 400 pages in, and boy does it get better immediately once he does. It was half-assed form the get-go, even on Kirby's part. Steranko injected it with life, but it didn't even become brilliant until it goes from Strange Tales to Nick Fury AOS. That's when the true art begins. Great shit. I love that they kept the letters pages in here. Some great familiar names in there like Bill Mantlo, Steven Grant and probably 5000 words in total of Don McGregor letters. The best is a young Mark Evanier (likely the world's foremost Jack Kirby expert) writing to try and prove that Jim Steranko actually IS Jack Kirby. Hilarious. All in all, I thought it refreshing that Steranko brought AIM and Yellow Claw as well as aliens and other despots in to try and diversify away from Hydra. I just wish there was more Jimmy Woo.

Comics: 532
Trades: 19

Graphic Novels: 14

Omnibuses: 8

[Dan]

Adventure Comics Vol. 1 #468-473: Got a short run of this title on the cheap, and it looked interesting. At the time a split book, featuring Martin Pasko and Joe Staton on Plastic Man and Paul Levitz and Steve Ditko on Starman. Overall, fairly disappointing stuff. Pasko is trying to channel Jack Cole and it's just not happening; the humor isn't terribly funny and the art isn't all that expressive or engaging. In the other feature, this is the Prince Gavyn version of Starman, which is essentially Levitz trying to do Jim Starlin's cosmic stuff on Captain Marvel and coming up way short. More frustrating is the art; every once in a great while Ditko delivers something stunning, but on the whole this is dashed off work done without enthusiasm or investment in the material. The two strips couldn't be more dissimilar in tone and really don't belong in the same book. Overall a bit of a letdown.

[Missy]

Chavo Guerrero’s Warrior’s Creed #1 (01 June 2016): Coincidentally, after reading the two Chyna books, along with the Mankind and Rock one-shots, I was sent this preview copy of Chavo Guerrero’s Warrior’s Creed. (Seriously, it's very odd timing.) Not only does this book treat wrestling as worked entertainment (a first?), it's a rare wrestling-related comic that's actually fun. The story centers on Chavo retiring from the ring, but finding himself in a fight for his life as it's discovered his blood holds the key to a greater mystery. By subtly admitting wrestling outcomes are predetermined, Fabian Nicieza treats readers with respect, and it's through this simple act that he gains our trust. With our trust in-hand, he can lead us anywhere -- including a mystical place -- because we know he will treat us with respect. The characters might not be Vertigo-levels deep, but Chavo has wants and needs, along with a family life now that he's off the road. 

Another exceptionally strange coincidence? One of the co-artists is Fabiano Neves, who illustrated The Rock comic. (This is so weird!) The other is newcomer Eddie Nunez, and together they've created an animated style that sells both the action and mystery, along with the drama Chavo finds himself wrapped up in. While the action could use some work, the face and characterization are solid, which actually makes me very interested to see where this book goes.

Comics: 272

[Dan]

Daredevil by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee Vol. 5 hardcover: collects Daredevil (2014) #11-18 and 15.1.

This wraps up Waid and Samnee's run on Daredevil, and as I've said for the past four volumes, OMG THIS IS SO FUCKING GOOD. It's not going to go down in history as an all-time classic in the vein of Elektra Saga or Born Again, but these were thoroughly, consistently entertaining comics that had a lot of humor, excitement, and fun, with terrific characterization and fantastic art. Matt's ongoing pity-party is both understandable and a source of endless eyerolling from the rest of the cast, as Waid acknowledges the realities of Matt's life and the way Matt's brain chemistry works, neither belittling it nor indulging in it. The visual storytelling is, as usual, stellar, and what little action there is - this book is surprisingly light on physical action for a Daredevil series - is really, really good. I'm sorry to see them leave the title, but I'm really looking forward to reading Black Widow once it's collected.

[Dread]

Jupiter's Legacy vol 1: had these for a while and wanted to read them, but only got around to it. Quitely's art is brilliant and what they're doing here is carrying on from their work on The Authority. Character motivations area little weird sometimes, but pretty solid overall.

Jupiter's Circle vol 1: This is telling the story of the older generation and it really is just an attempt to do a Minutemen series with different characters. I don't get how they plan to tie the two together by portraying everyone in the past as so morally bankrupt.

Comics: 532
Trades: 21

Graphic Novels: 14

Omnibuses: 8

[Missy]

Captain America: Steve Rogers #1: Zemo is oddly funny, Red Skull is so very Trump, and the cliffhanger is a game-changer for the Marvel Universe. While the Cap / Zemo fight dialog is clichéd, the Maria Hill / Sharon Carter exchange was well-handled. Lots of people are going to hate this, but I want to see where Marvel takes it.

DC Universe: Rebirth #1: Geoff Johns has presented DC with a gift here, and I hope they don't mess it up. By now, we've all heard the talking points -- returns, reveals, etc. -- but what needs to be said is that this book is trying so very hard to bring back the pure, childlike joy of the DC Universe. While mature stories can be told within the universe, said universe is not meant to be gritty and angry. Look at Superman Annual #11 (For the Man Who Has Everything), for example. In those pages Alan Moore was able to tell a very real story about Superman's hopes and dreams, as well as loss and fear. However, by including the rookie Robin / Jason Todd, Moore was able to showcase lighter moments that are inherent to Superman stories. Hell, Moore's Batman makes a boner joke then cracks a smile. The point is, DC lost that spark of glee over the last 10 to 15 years, in favor of so-called mature stories. Johns realizes this -- and says as much in the book, to the point one has to wonder if select bits of narration are direct shot as DiDio -- and shows us what superhero comics -- what DC Comics -- are supposed to be. It's too bad he's taking a backseat to focus on the movie side of things, because I really do fear all of this good work will be wiped away by people who do not share Johns' vision and who do not understand superhero comics are meant to be a fun, fantastical getaway from the real world.

Comics: 274

[dc20willsave]

From what I've read, John is still going to be doing some supervising stuff on the comics side.

[Donomark]

DC REBIRTH #1:

To add to Mike's thoughts...

The story is about as DC Comics as it can get. It's wacky, cosmic, wibbly wobbly timey-wimey, continuity-porn-y, requires a "YOU MUST KNOW THIS MUCH DC HISTORY TO RIDE THIS COMIC" pedigree, and is probably one of the silliest concepts in a while.

But I don't care.

I still think bringing in what they're bringing in to explain the darkness of the DCU is somewhat creatively bankrupt, and shifting the blame. Geoff Johns is responsible for every bit of the DC darkness of the last decade as Dan Didio. It's really fucking disingenuous of him to parade around like a savior and pretend he's bringing back the very thing he helped revoke from the company in the first place. THAT BEING SAID, this is the most I've given a shit about a DC story in five years. Every scene with Wally had me in my feelings, and the scene with him and Barry legit made me well up. I loved the history, loved the clip show of his origin, the Teen Titans, the Crisis, all of it. Loved the Blue Beetle stuff (confusing as it was), loved the Atom stuff (confusing as it was), loved all the stuff a nerd like me was made to love.

DC's got me by the balls and I know it. But this is a company-wide apology tantamount to Joe Quesada reversing One More Day. It said everything that fans have been saying for years, with excellent artwork all throughout (although Gary Frank loves his chipmunk mouths still I see). I've seriously not been this excited for the DCU in half a decade, and even if things will be different, they've assured me that they're going to respect their history and legacy from now on and care about the characters they made us care about again.

You know...until they don't.

Justice League #50 That sure was Justice League. I only read this because Rebirth #1 told me to.

Superman #52: Someone watched the Buu Saga from Dragon Ball Z

[Venneh]

DC Rebirth: More on this later in a podcast. TLDR, don't fuck this up 

Single Issues: 233
TPBs/Collections: 67
Digital First Issues: 10

Edited May 26, 2016 by Venneh

[Davedevil]

DC Rebirth - Johns wrote the hell out of this. And the artists all meshed really well together, tied together by Brad Anderson's great colors. If this is the standard of writing and tone set across the DC Universe, with exceptions where it's needed of course, it might be the best course-correction done lately. 

[Missy]

Hyperion #3: Nik Virella seems to be finding her stride on the book artistically, and I hope we get more of Doll's background because I was intrigued by what little we saw here.

Nighthawk #1: I might stick with this one. Nothing's really hooked me, but nothing turned me off either. We'll see after a few more issues. Ramon Villalobos' art, though, is trying a little too hard to be Frank Quitely -- what with the long necks and limbs. It's an interesting take, but I'm not sure it works for the book. Maybe, like Virella on Hyperion, Villalobos will grow into the book (or it will grow on me).

Daredevil #7: The bombshell dropped last issue is wrapped up, and, I have to say, though I would have liked another issue or two, it's nice to have a two-issue story. They've also left the door wide open for follow-up tales.

Scooby Apocalypse #1: This was harmless fun. The setup is a little clunky, but I appreciate the new take on the characters. Daphne has a low-rent Ghost Hunters-like TV show, and Fred is her charming-but-dim cameraman. Together they seek out Velma, who's the lead scientist at a super-secret, privately owned, definitely shady laboratory. Shaggy works at said laboratory as Scooby's caretaker, the latter of which is genetically modified and equipped with headgear that allows him to project his emotions. Velma is attempting to stop the fall of humankind, which she had a hand in. By the end, we have a reason for monsters and monster-hunting. Best of all, though, is that it isn't taking itself too seriously. I mean, Fred throws his camera at Velma's head because he mistakes her for Mole Man. If that isn't funny to you, you probably won't like the book. For me, that's worth a chuckle.

Howard Porter's style has never worked for me, but he owns this book. Thanks to his craftsmanship and the wonderful colors by Hi-Fi, he takes Jim Lee's ugly, clunky redesigns and makes them work within this world. The five leads look great, the background characters all have their own visual personalities, and the monsters (though they're only seen for one page) are a perfect mixture of cartoony fun and horror.

This issue bought enough goodwill to hook me for the first storyline.

Be on the lookout for the Scrappy-Doo cameo.

Comics: 278

[Missy]

Carnage #8: It boggles my mind that I'm not only enjoying a Carnage book, but that I'm reading it monthly.

Comics: 279

[Missy]

Faith #1-4: From flirting with Archer to not wanting to tear down her ex, from her hidden shame to her outward joy, from trying to be the tough hero (or faking it) to the "No. Shooting. At. Puppies." softie, this limited series truly has heart, and is so much fun. The reveal of the villain was lost on me and the resolution was a bit too quick, but that doesn't matter; all that matters is how Faith deals with every situation while growing as a character. Without spoiling anything, what she does in her office was the absolute right path to take, and it was then that I became a true fan.

Using two artists is a wonderful idea, too. Though their styles are vastly different, they both perfectly represent Faith, her world, her friends, and her dreams (literal and figurative). Her bright soul shines through on every page; you can't help but want her to succeed, join in her sadness when she makes a major miscalculation, and feel her righteous rage when she's wronged.

I will be buying the monthly starting in July.

Comics: 283