Every comic you've read in 2010

[Venneh]

Movie, actually. Fifth bottle.

[Missy]

Free Comic Book Day 2010: Iron Man / Thor

This arrived in my DCBS shipment today, and... wow. Just... yeah, wow.

It starts out okay. Thor can no longer command the out-of-control weather, and Tony realizes someone has stolen his weather-controlling tech. Since their problems dovetail, they team up. Then everything goes to shit. They destroy a moon base with people still in it, then they send those people to Mars with no way off (or ability to control) a ship. The dialog is beyond terrible, too! It's been mentioned before, but it deserves mentioning again. This is in the comic: "We renounce our so-called home! We, the ultra-rich pioneers of tomorrow, dare to go forward and buy a better future for ourselves!" And, "We're elite! We are powerful! Who cares about the rest of them? We are incredibly rich! We have more rights than you!" Maybe Matt Fraction was going for a Silver Age-style villain, but he missed the mark if that's the case.

Romita's art is mostly good. He does both characters well, but there are some sloppy moments.

This isn't one of those "it's so bad, it's good" comics. But it is a "it's so bad, you have to read it to believe it" comics.

Comic books: 75

Trade paperbacks: 44

Graphic novels: 1

[Missy]

New Avengers, volume nine: Secret Invasion, book two

As with the other Secret Invasion tie-in books, I cannot recommend it to the uninitiated, and I can see why even those familiar with the franchise would be put-off by the Skrull overload and one-off stories. But I liked this one. It finishes some of the stories touched upon in the first NA:SI volume, gives more of the Skrull's motivations, and ends with a touching story about Jessica and Luke.

That said, thankfully the Skrull stuff is over!

All around, the art is solid. Billy Tan's art clearly grows throughout the book, too. It isn't the best and I still wouldn't call myself a fan, but it improves from start to finish.

New Avengers, volume ten: Power

The war is over. Osborn is in control. Baby Cage is missing. Luke joins Osborn's crew. Norman Osborn's Avengers debut. Ronin takes a stand. And that's this one.

This is a very straight forward story, which is appreciated after the one- and two-issue introspective looks at the Avengers and odd juggling of time Bendis has been doing before now. And though it isn't the best of the bunch, it's like a warm breeze on a hot day: it could be better, but it mostly gets the job done.

Like I said before, I am not a fan of Billy Tan, but he busts his ass here. Everyone looks great, especially Wolverine, Cap, and Iron Fist. And the double-page panel where Luke Cage destroys Venom with The Wrecker's crowbar is awesome! Some of his faces are a little too similar and his women strike odd poses, but they're proportioned well.

Comic books: 75

Trade paperbacks: 46

Graphic novels: 1

[Dread]

Thor: Tales of Asgard-Wow. What a fucking excellent package. On top of the entire run of back ups form JiM (then Thor) retelling Norse Mythology from Stan and Jack's perspective, it includes every piece of Asgard design and OHOTMU entries in the universe. PLus a great foldout poster size art piece by Coipel. And it has given me what I needed to finish a King and I I've had on the shelves for months now. 10/10

Comic books: 138

Trade paperbacks: 23

Graphic novels: 1

Omnibuses: 4

[Missy]

New Avengers, volume eleven: Search for the Sorcerer Supreme

If I recall, when Dan and I covered this volume on The Show, I wasn't crazy about it. But I liked it more this time around. Though, it still has problems; they spend a lot of time setting up a Doctor Strange / Doctor Doom subplot that never comes to fruition, the search is hardly a search at all, and the big bad is taken down way too easily. But it's good to a see a book star Doctor Strange, and other magic users for that matter.

And I'm still not a fan, but Billy Tan really seems to be growing on me.

Thoughts in Earth-2.net: The Show 408

X-Babies: Stars Reborn

Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt

Thoughts in Earth-2.net: The Show 409

Birds of Prey #1

Booster Gold #32

Justice League: Generation Lost #1

Titans: Villains for Hire #1

Zatanna #1

Comic books: 80

Trade paperbacks: 49

Graphic novels: 1

[Dread]

Thoughts in Earth-2.net: The Show 409

Birds of Prey #1

Booster Gold #32

Justice League: Generation Lost #1

Titans: Villains for Hire #1

Zatanna #1

Comic books: 143

Trade paperbacks: 23

Graphic novels: 1

Omnibuses: 4

[Venneh]

IIWY Books:

Power Girl #12

Star Wars Invasion - Legac - Resc - whatever that book was called

Books: 12

[SuaveStar]

Thoughts in Earth-2.net: The Show 409

Birds of Prey #1

Booster Gold #32

Justice League: Generation Lost #1

Titans: Villains for Hire #1

Zatanna #1

Looking forward to that.

[Dread]

It's a pretty bizarre episode actually.

[SuaveStar]

It's a pretty bizarre episode actually.

You say tits a lot, don't you?

[Missy]

Des said a phrase that has never been uttered on The Show. Ever.

And yeah, it's a fun but bizarre episode.

[Dread]

Excalibur Visionaries Warren Ellis volume 1: I'm not sure what to say here. Besides the fact that I'm glad I put this on the top of my reading list. Because orders for volume 2 go through DCBS this month and I'm glad I didn't spend anymore money on this shit. This is easily THE WORST trade paperback I have ever read. Fucking Awful. If you would have told me that the next year saw Ellis writing Stormwatch I would laugh in your face. This is the worst comic writing I have seen in a long time. Seriously, Dubs. Where is my Dan Slott Omnibus? Because I'd rather read that than this tripe. No character has a voice other than "generic character." Pete Wisdom is the biggest lame duck character i've ever read. It's bizarre to think I liked him so much in MI13. Terrible stuff. I haven't even gotten to the art yet. In a word: grotesque. And not in a good way. In all eight issues I don't think there's one where a single guy drew and another single guy inked an issue. It's not like there are several storylines or flashbacks to accoiunt for the different artists or anything. One issue had FIVE pencilers and SIX inkers. Abortion. This is an abortion. -286/10

Now that IIWY is up, I'll list the two books I was unable to review in time:

Whatever Happened to Baron Von Shock? #1-I am entirely convinced that in Rob Zombie's office there is a motivational phrase on a plaque above his computer that he looks to for inspiration when he clearly has none. That phrase is: Boobs and Cursing. It's probably a good thing I didn't get to write this review because it would have been so vile and repugnant that it would have gone beyond enjoyable into the nihilistic. 0/10

Wolverine Origins (the latest issue)-Fans of Daken probably want to read this. But only readers of this series will know or care about what's going on. I don't even care enough to look up the issue number. This is a big fuck you to a new reader. In return I say, "No, fuck you."

Comic books: 145

Trade paperbacks: 24

Graphic novels: 1

Omnibuses: 4

[Guest]

IIWY books - The Flash #2, New Mutants #13, DC Universe Legacies #1, and Mystery Society #1

Brightest Day #1, 2, and 3 - Finding the Manhunter stuff the most interesting right now. Wish I didn't have to go elsewhere to get stories with the villains.

Green Lantern Corps #47 and 48 - Why the fuck do they even bother with the Guardians at this point? Good stuff otherwise.

Green Lantern #54 - Completely stupid ending that came out of nowhere. Atrocious is your god.

Joker's Asylum II: The Riddler - This fucking ruled. If you disagree, you're wrong.

Comic Books: 87

TPBs: 2

HCs: 0

Graphic Novels: 1

[Dread]

On the Far Side with Dead Folks-I know what you're thinking: "Long enough title?" Actually it's Tim Truman's adaptation of Joe Lansdale's short story On The Far Side of the Cadillac Desert with Dead Folks. So there. This one is aquick and dirty little trade that shows off Truman's ability to tell a story. Hint: he's about the best in the business. The story is far from Lansdale's finest but it's mean and dirty and bleak. And I like it. 8/10

Terminator 2029 #3-Still by far the greatest Terminator universe story since the first film. It is perfect in that it gives the source material more potency. I'll be grabbing the follow-up series for this which actually seems to be retelling the first film in an altered timeline. Awesome. 9/10

Comic books: 145

Trade paperbacks: 26

Graphic novels: 1

Omnibuses: 4

[Dread]

Free Comic Book Day entry-

Dr. Solar/Magnus the Robot Hunter-Good. Not great. But I'll be grabbing the trades for each of these for sure.

Atomic Robo-I'm done hoping this series would be as good as the first miniseries. Dull.

DC Kids Sampler-Fun. I'll give it to my sons now.

Iron Man/Thor-Ugly. The story wasn't great but not terrible either. JRJr's art is just an eyesore here.

War of the Supermen-God, this art was great. I loved it. Nit sure I took anything of the story in. Just blah on that part but I'll read through it again just to see Barrows do his career's best.

Comic books: 150

Trade paperbacks: 26

Graphic novels: 1

Omnibuses: 4

[Dread]

Incorruptible volume 1-When I read Irredeemable volume 1 I was unconvinced. After the second volume I was sold. I rarely give a book two trade paperbacks but something drew me to pick it up. This one blew me away. Loved it. The only worry now is whether they can follow it up. The art needs work. That's for sure, but it has its moments and I'm always more for a story anyway. Waid hits on all cylinders here and I dig it. Max Damage is kind of like a more deranged Holden Carver. thumbs up. 8/10

Comic books: 150

Trade paperbacks: 27

Graphic novels: 1

Omnibuses: 4

[Dread]

Sleeper Season 2-Ask me what the best comic series of the past quarter century was and depending on my mood, it would be between Planetary and Sleeper. This second season of Sleeper deals more with Lynch AND Tao as opposed to just Tao in the first season. And man, I think it's even better. This is easily the best espionage comic ever made. If another one comes out that claims that title, I call bullshit. Criminal and Incognito are fantastic, but Brubaker and Philips made their opus with this one. 10/10

IIWY?: Darkstar & The Winter Guard #1

Comic books: 151

Trade paperbacks: 28

Graphic novels: 1

Omnibuses: 4

[Venneh]

IIWY Book:

Franken-Castle #17

Books: 13

[Dread]

Destroyer-The most fun I've had reading Marvel in a while. Great violent adventure story with a Golden Age hero in the modern day. Fantastic. It has the aesthetic of an IMage book with a writer from IMage too! Cory Walker's art is even better than in Irredeemable Ant Man. Fantastic. 9/10

Comic books: 151

Trade paperbacks: 29

Graphic novels: 1

Omnibuses: 4

[SuaveStar]

Justice League International Vol 2: It didn't have the fun of the first volume, and the first half was very slow paced, but the second half the book was very enjoyable. I'll be waiting a few months before I get the third volume, to get a breather from the series. Art was good, but wasn't as good as the first volume. The Suicide Squad crossover was the best part of this book.

Tales from the crypt #12: Didn't have high hopes for this, and it still underwhelmed me. The story was really stupid, even for a Crypt story and made no sense, art was crap for the most part, and the story just wasn't any fun to read.

Scalped #1: Well, it didn't grab me, the art was strange, didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. 1st issue, and that's all I'll be getting.

Hellblazer #1: Fun, a bit dark, art and writing took a bit to get used to, but all in all, an enjoyable read. Definitely plan on reading a good Hellblazer comic in my Amazon wishlist.

Action Comics #858: A good start to the storyline, art wasn't as good as I've expected from Frank, but was still good. I didn't care about the legion before reading this, and I care a little bit more now, but not enough to read more about them sadly.

Batgirl #3: Fun comic, good art. Not a book I'd pick up monthly, but a trade, it's definitely worth a look.

Gotham City Sirens #5: The most inconsequential book DC is probably publishing right now. The story about the Joker may look annoying at first look, but things got better. March isn't horrible here, but he isn't great either. Writing really was bland here, nothing special, and when the cliffhanger came in, I just shrugged and said I don't care.

Jokers Asylum-The Riddler: I didn't love this as much as Dubs did, but I enjoyed it. The art at first reminded me of Gulliem March on GCS, which I do not really like, but once I got into the story, I really enjoyed it, if it did get a bit screwey near the end. Still, it was a Riddler story, and I couldn't complain, as the ending really was a Riddler ending.

Jokers Asylum-The Mad Hatter: This is the only other full price JA II book I am going to pick up. Art was really good here, it was messed up, but that was the point. Like the Riddler story, it was a bit of a rogue love story, but that didn't mean it couldn't be dark, and the ending makes me want to read more stories involving the Mad Hatter.

Red Robin #13: It took one issue for me to care about Tim Drake again. Marcus To is getting better and better each month on this book. Nicenza is setting Tim up for a fall in this book, and I can hardly wait to see what happens next.

Batman #700: A good fun anniversary comic. Won't go into detail, but apart from Scott Kolins, the art was great. Really enjoyed the issue, the price tag was a bit high, but still a fun comic.

Trades: 14

HC:0

Comics: 112

GN:0

[Missy]

Hellblazer #1: Fun, a bit dark, art and writing took a bit to get used to, but all in all, an enjoyable read. Definitely plan on reading a good Hellblazer comic in my Amazon wishlist.

Keep in mind, this was written in 1988, so comic book writing was vastly different back then.

As for Hellblazer trades, grab Dangerous Habits.

Red Robin #13: It took one issue for me to care about Tim Drake again. Marcus To is getting better and better each month on this book. Nicenza is setting Tim up for a fall in this book, and I can hardly wait to see what happens next.

Though I didn't read the issue, I did flip through it, and the art was great!

[SuaveStar]

Hellblazer #1: Fun, a bit dark, art and writing took a bit to get used to, but all in all, an enjoyable read. Definitely plan on reading a good Hellblazer comic in my Amazon wishlist.

Keep in mind, this was written in 1988, so comic book writing was vastly different back then.

As for Hellblazer trades, grab Dangerous Habits.

And I am now putting that on my Amazon wish-list.

Though I didn't read the issue, I did flip through it, and the art was great!

I really hope he has another ten issues in Red Robin before he is put on Batman or something for a good run to get his name out there for more people to see.

[Koete]

Atlas #1 - I'm a broken record at this point, but I love Agents of Atlas. Add in Gabriel Hardman as the regular artist on this relaunch and I love it even more. Pricing this issue at $3.99 and having the majority be about the new 3D Man isn't going to appeal to new readers, but it was a solid introduction to this new member of the cast. The backup set in the '50s is back, which was one of my favorite aspects of the first ongoing. The first issue only sold around 22,000 copies, so I don't expect it to be around for long, but I'm going to enjoy it as long as it's being published.

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1-2 - This is a weird one for me. If you know me, you know that I love Morrison's writing and that Morrison's Batman is my Batman. The first issue provided what was promised by the the cover, but it was just okay and except for a line that may or may not be hinting at a sequel to Final Crisis, it didn't get me excited. Issue 2 on the other hand was excellent from beginning to end, with a great twist and a great reveal. One of my favorite characters when Morrison writes him feels off to me though, and I hope that changes as it goes on. The artwork by Chris Sprouse and Frazer Irving respectively was great, especially Irving. I have faith that Morrison will bring it together by the end as he always does, but with my iffiness on the first two issues and Cameron Stewart being replaced by Georges Jeanty on issue 4, my excitement has been diminished a little.

FCBD Atomic Robo - This was more like the second Atomic Robo mini-series than the first one, which wasn't a good thing.

FCBD Doctor Solar/Magnus - The art was nice, but the stories didn't really grab me. Of course, I didn't read the first round of re-imaginings from Valiant in the 90s, so I don't have that affinity for the characters. I might pick up the trades if I hear good things, but I'll be passing on the issues.

FCBD Iron Man/Thor - This was a big disappointment. I like Matt Fraction as a writer, but the story in this one was, to be kind, very very not great. I haven't been a fan of the inks and colors on John Romita Jr.'s pencils for awhile and this comic didn't change that opinion. Even for a free comic, this was a letdown and it really didn't get me excited for Fraction's run on Thor.

FCBD Iron Man: Supernova - Tony's characterization was a little off and Craig Rousseau isn't my favorite artist, but this was a fun little kids comics.

Joe The Barbarian #5 - Morrison continues to tell a great modern fantasy, Sean Murphy's art continues to be phenomenal, and this book continues to be the highlight of my comic buying month.

Orc Stain #3 - The art was great as usual, but the story treaded water a bit. The end seems to be setting up the next leg of the title, so hopefully next issue picks up the pace a little.

Spider-Man: Fever #2 - I love Brendan McCarthy's art and I think he has a good handle on Dr. Strange, but his characterization of Spider-Man is way way off. Not exactly the kind of thing you want in a Spider-Man mini-series. As McCarthy's art is so great and this is three issues, I'll be getting the third, but I really wish Spider-Man had been executed better.

Total

Comic Books: 60

TPBs: 1

HCs: 1

Graphic Novels: 1

Manga:

Atlas #1, The Authority #2, Avengers vs. Atlas #1-4, Batman and Robin #7-12, Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #1-2, Brightest Day #0, Chew #1, Cowboy Ninja Viking #3-5, FCBD Atomic Robo, FCBD Doctor Solar/Magnus, FCBD Iron Man/Thor, FCBD Iron Man: Supernova, G.I. Joe European Missions #3, Hellblazer #25-26, The Indomitable Iron Man, Invincible #1, Joe The Barbarian #1-5, Marvel Boy: The Uranian #1-3, Marvel Must Haves #1, 3-4, 9, 15, Marvel Must Have: Vengeance of The Moon Knight, The Mystic Hands of Dr. Strange, Orc Stain #1-3, Pinocchio Vampire Slayer OGN, Proof #1, Sam Slade RoboHunter #27, Savage Dragon #1, Secret Origins #50, Spider-Man: Fever #1-2, Spider-Man/Human Torch: I'm With Stupid Digest TPB, Thor by JMS Vol. 3 HC, Time Twisters #2,8,15,17,20-21, Weird War Tales #3, WildCats #1

[elnino14]

I bought Ultimate Spider-man vols. 1-21 from E-bay, so yeah. That's all I've been reading lately.

I've gotten through the first 10 volumes since I bought this shit in late May.

So here's my thoughts on each, with a ranking of what I liked from worst to best thus far. Mind you even at it's worst, Ultimate Spider-man is still Highly entertaining.

Vol. 1: Power and Responsibility - This really doesn't hold up well. People know the origin of Spider-man by heart, and there's a TON of overlap with the first film here. Also this volume is incredibly long-winded. It's a good re-telling of the origin story, but kind of feels like a chore. Really it's not the plot that stands out, it's the characterization of Aunt May and Uncle Ben as hipper, younger parental figures and the immediate introduction of MJ as a good friend of Peter's that really stands out. Also the high-school experience that Bendis incorporates into his scripts, that almost everybody can relate to. I really hate the Ultimate version of Green Goblin, although the ultimate Norman retains some of the smarminess as the 616 version, it's not nearly as well written.

Vol. 2: Learning Curve - I really like the Ultimate version of Kingpin, it doesn't stray too far from the regular version, but there's also a ton of changes. I remember the regular version being a lot more hands-on, while this Kingpin seems to stay as far away from that aspect as possible. The plot is a lot of fun in this volume as Peter deals with lingering issues from volume 1.

Vol. 3: Double Trouble - the best part about this volume is that it introduces Gwen Stacy. I really feel like this plot is long-winded and kind of boring. Another character I didn't care for is the Ultimate Octopus. I didn't care for all the industrial espionage, that works fine in an Iron Man book with an older character and different responsibility, but not in a book that's basically about highschool. As much as I didn't like Octopus and the fights with Octopus, I liked how he's shown more to be a horror villain than a superhero villain in this book, that was a really interesting take. Bendis really tries to create these characters as black and white as possible, because the aim was for newer (probably younger) readers. But it's the characters that aren't obviously villains that seems to stand out to me more. Kraven as an entertainer is hilarious and fittingly anticlimactic.

Vol. 4: Legacy - Norman Returns! And with him are long speeches. This is when the Spider-man book begins to merge with the larger Ultimate universe as Nick Fury appears. Also the characterization of Norman here is better, as he's more of a psychotic master manipulator like he is in the regular 616. Also a really nice call back to the original death of Gwen Stacy story and lots of great character moments. I'm not a fan of the Ultimate Goblin character and design, but I think Norman is great in this compared to his last showing. He's psychotic and Bendis is really pushing the idea that these monstrosities are doing it to themselves, and you can see it here with Goblin. The series really gets serious in this volume and it continues for the next couple volumes.

Vol. 5: Public Scrutiny - The one shot involving Ultimate Rhino that begins this volume is awesome and a quick and humorous look at the Ultimate Spider-man series. It's a breath of fresh air after having a pretty serious ending to the last trade. Then the rest of the trade takes a very serious turn as Ultimate Spider-man is hated by the community, hunted by the cops, and Parker gets in deep shit that puts a lot of strain on all his relationships. It's one of the most well-crafted arcs I've read thus far, and has reverberations through the series felt for a long time, and really shows the complexity of Peter Parker's world and the careful crafting he has to do with every single choice.

Vol. 6: Venom - Easily my favorite arc and my favorite re-visioning of a villain. Again a deeply tragic three trade arc as Peter deals with deadly consequences of his actions. Lots of great character moments in here for all the characters and a great balance between revitalizing an older character, making it seem fresh yet still familiar. Also a fantastic ending as Peter recognizes how everyone is turning into these villains because of him, and recognizes the death that surrounds him. Probably the most serious arc of the series. The only real issue is Eddie Brock's characterization and his motivation to become Venom.

Vol. 7: Irresponsible - I really like this arc as well, it's lighter than the last three and a ton of fun. It's basically an X-men/Spiderman meet-up and plays with the differences between Mutants and genetics experiments. Lots of great jokes in this one. And a great ying/yang of Peter and Geldoff, what would happen if Peter didn't suffer the tradgedy of Uncle Ben's death and still got his powers? Also there's a lot of depth on May as a whole issue is spent with her and her thoughts about the world she lives in.

Vol. 8: Cats & Kings - Another fun arc, more of the great Ultimate Kingpin character, but it all felt inconsequential and tagential to what was going on in the Ultimate Spiderman series beforehand. Introduces Black Cat and Elektra both come off very 2-dimensional. A great twist at the end that builds some sympathy for Kingpin's actions even though he is a murderer.

Vol. 9: Ultimate Six - The entire Ultimate Universe comes colliding, as all the SHIELD crossovers and Nick Fury appearance really pay-off here. While this is a mini-series not directly part of the Ultimate Spider-man line it fits in like a glove. A really great look at the villains of the Spidey-verse and a great epic battle at the end of the book. I really liked it and it brought characters and themes so prevalent in Spider-man to the forefront, and also brought these little clues that were hinted throughout the entire series and brought them to a head here.

Vol. 10: Hollywood - I really don't like this arc, it's supposed to be fun, but it's hokey and it's more of Doc Ock who I haven't liked in this series thus far. Although he's presented much better here as they take cues from the second film with his arms having personality of their own. I just don't think this arc really worked all that well. Again more great stuff from Gwen here who has been awesome in this series and is a great character.

Ranking:

10. Double Trouble

9. Hollywood

8. Cats & Kings

7. Power & Responsibility

6. Learning Curve

5. Legacy

4. Ultimate Six

3. Public Scrutiny

2. Irresponsible

1. Venom

[Molly]

Heart of Hush: Written by Paul Dini, Drawn by Dustin Nguyen.

Nguyen's art is the star of the show. Throughout this whole book, he feels like a cleaner, sexier, Mike Mignola, which is about the highest praise I can give. Everyone looks great. Hush looks great. My only complaint is how young Tim looks. He looks about 12.

The writing is great, I love the story, shows us who Tommy Elliot really is.

9/10.