New comics are released Wednesday (in the States at least; we have to wait until Thursday in the UK!). Here's a brief look at our expectations for the books we're picking up this week.
Stewart R: Ok, let me just kick things off with something of a goodbye. Deadpool, you’ve been a fun title for most of your run so far and Daniel Way, Paco Medina and Carlo Barberi can be proud of what they’ve put together over the past two years but I’m afraid this is where I get off the Merc With A Mouth train. Deadpool #26 offers up a chance at redemption for Wade Wilson as Ghost Rider makes and appearance and I’m afraid to say that the series, while admittedly bat-shit crazy half of the time, has lost it’s focus and seems to be floundering a little too badly. The best was to be had when Wade was going up against Skrulls in the Secret Invasion, the Thunderbolts during the Dark Reign and who could forget his ultra-funny face off with Bullseye/Hawkeye?? Since then we’ve seen Deadpool drift away from main, important Marvel continuity and I think the title has been suffering as a result. This comic used to act as a nice alternative commentary for events in the Marvel Universe and if it ever returns there I may well come back to it’s warm, schizophrenic embrace.
Recently on my ‘Hello’ list though was The Sixth Gun from writer Cullen Bunn, artist Brian Hurtt and publishing house Oni Press and The Sixth Gun #3 is high on my ‘to read’ list this week after a very promising first two issues. It seems that comics set in the late 19th century Wild West are having a little bit of a flourish what with Scott Snyder and Stephen King’s American Vampire visiting a similar period and setting through its first five issues and Bunn and Hurtt’s book is oozing a similar level of quality. There should be plenty of gun-slinging awesomeness as the difficult yet likeable Drake Sinclair tries his hardest to keep himself and poor Becky alive and out of the clutches of General Hume and his otherworldly posse.
Secret Avengers #4 should feature more of the ‘off-worldly’ rather than ‘otherworldly’ this week as Ed Brubaker and Mike Deodato continue the team’s perilous Martian mission with Richard Rider and his Nova Force having been overwhelmed and controlled by the Serpent Crown. This is now the only Avengers title that I have put my faith in and what has come before has been tightly written by Brubaker and delivered with some panache by Deodato. What has been refreshing to see has been Brubaker’s ability to keep this feeling like a team book with a handful of very different characters who you wouldn’t necessarily have put together in a team in the first place. I’m still not 100% happy with the Nick Fury angle in this comic as I feel that I can’t take his actions and motives here to be understandable until the events in the Secret Warriors title are finally wrapped up by Jonathan Hickman in a few months time. That of course is a small gripe and I’m sure the pay-off in the end will be justified.
The Heroic Age to date hasn’t been spectacular in this previewer’s opinion but there have been some highlights in these early days and the brightest of all of these has surely got to be Jeff Parker’s tinkering and toiling on Thunderbolts. Luke Cage’s team of reforming criminals and super-powered misfits were really in a spot of ‘bother’ last time out as the Terrigen Mists and a healthy dose of radioactive material had put our heroes into a deadly situation with a group of mutated S.H.I.E.L.D agents. In Thunderbolts #147 I’m certainly looking forward to seeing how Ghost, Crossbones and especially Man-Thing take the fight to monstrous aberrations that are out to feast upon their incapacitated team mates. Kev Walker’s artwork has been a revelation with this series and I’m incredibly excited to see what he’s bringing to the page this time.
Amazing Spider-Man #640 will continue the slow plod through One Moment In Time as Peter Parker and Mary Jane continue to dissect the events that led to their eventual separation and into the Brand New Day. For all of Marvel’s advertising and talking up of this particular Spidey ‘event’ it has to be said that it’s been pretty lacklustre thus far and has me looking a little further up the road to The Origin of the Speicies storyline which leads into Dan Slott’s eventual writing takeover and the change to a bi-monthly format. Charging an extra buck for each ASM issue at the moment is also sticking in the throat a little when the quality of the comic and story isn’t of the highest caliber. Fingers crossed that things pick up in this week’s instalment.
Adam Beechen has been doing a fine job of throwing us readers some 10 years into the future as Terry McGinnis has been coming up against Batman villains old and new after donning the cape - well, futuristic crime-fighting suit! - and being mentored by the pensionable-age Bruce Wayne. Batman Beyond #3 takes us to the halfway point of this latest miniseries focusing on Terry and Bruce’s attempts to stop a killer from mowing his way through Batman’s aging rogues gallery. Beechen has very quickly shown that he knows just how precarious a line Terry and Bruce’s partnership can walk and this series has been carrying on the feel of the gone-but-not-forgotten animated show with aplomb so far. Long may it continue!
Sooo that’s nearly time up but I best I should also give some mentions to the other titles out this week! Chew #13 from Layman and Guillory brings the mysterious Savoy back into the fold which is sure to have lasting repercussions for Tony Chu and should set the direction for this series’ next few issues. Atlas #4 has the well-loved (but not enough it would seem - Damn you Marvel!!) Atlas guys up against shape-shifting invaders intent on bringing the Atlas Foundation to its knees in its very home. Finally, in Green Lantern Corps #51 the mighty and noble Hannu may be the only Lantern able to help Kyle Rayner and Ganthet escape from Cyborg Superman’s clutches. I’m yet to discover what this particular Lantern is about but it appears that he doesn’t like to use his Green Power Ring as a weapon which should make for an interesting rescue mission to say the least!
Phew, that’s it, done for another week. Happy reading guys and gals!
Stewart R: Ok, let me just kick things off with something of a goodbye. Deadpool, you’ve been a fun title for most of your run so far and Daniel Way, Paco Medina and Carlo Barberi can be proud of what they’ve put together over the past two years but I’m afraid this is where I get off the Merc With A Mouth train. Deadpool #26 offers up a chance at redemption for Wade Wilson as Ghost Rider makes and appearance and I’m afraid to say that the series, while admittedly bat-shit crazy half of the time, has lost it’s focus and seems to be floundering a little too badly. The best was to be had when Wade was going up against Skrulls in the Secret Invasion, the Thunderbolts during the Dark Reign and who could forget his ultra-funny face off with Bullseye/Hawkeye?? Since then we’ve seen Deadpool drift away from main, important Marvel continuity and I think the title has been suffering as a result. This comic used to act as a nice alternative commentary for events in the Marvel Universe and if it ever returns there I may well come back to it’s warm, schizophrenic embrace.Recently on my ‘Hello’ list though was The Sixth Gun from writer Cullen Bunn, artist Brian Hurtt and publishing house Oni Press and The Sixth Gun #3 is high on my ‘to read’ list this week after a very promising first two issues. It seems that comics set in the late 19th century Wild West are having a little bit of a flourish what with Scott Snyder and Stephen King’s American Vampire visiting a similar period and setting through its first five issues and Bunn and Hurtt’s book is oozing a similar level of quality. There should be plenty of gun-slinging awesomeness as the difficult yet likeable Drake Sinclair tries his hardest to keep himself and poor Becky alive and out of the clutches of General Hume and his otherworldly posse.
Secret Avengers #4 should feature more of the ‘off-worldly’ rather than ‘otherworldly’ this week as Ed Brubaker and Mike Deodato continue the team’s perilous Martian mission with Richard Rider and his Nova Force having been overwhelmed and controlled by the Serpent Crown. This is now the only Avengers title that I have put my faith in and what has come before has been tightly written by Brubaker and delivered with some panache by Deodato. What has been refreshing to see has been Brubaker’s ability to keep this feeling like a team book with a handful of very different characters who you wouldn’t necessarily have put together in a team in the first place. I’m still not 100% happy with the Nick Fury angle in this comic as I feel that I can’t take his actions and motives here to be understandable until the events in the Secret Warriors title are finally wrapped up by Jonathan Hickman in a few months time. That of course is a small gripe and I’m sure the pay-off in the end will be justified.The Heroic Age to date hasn’t been spectacular in this previewer’s opinion but there have been some highlights in these early days and the brightest of all of these has surely got to be Jeff Parker’s tinkering and toiling on Thunderbolts. Luke Cage’s team of reforming criminals and super-powered misfits were really in a spot of ‘bother’ last time out as the Terrigen Mists and a healthy dose of radioactive material had put our heroes into a deadly situation with a group of mutated S.H.I.E.L.D agents. In Thunderbolts #147 I’m certainly looking forward to seeing how Ghost, Crossbones and especially Man-Thing take the fight to monstrous aberrations that are out to feast upon their incapacitated team mates. Kev Walker’s artwork has been a revelation with this series and I’m incredibly excited to see what he’s bringing to the page this time.
Amazing Spider-Man #640 will continue the slow plod through One Moment In Time as Peter Parker and Mary Jane continue to dissect the events that led to their eventual separation and into the Brand New Day. For all of Marvel’s advertising and talking up of this particular Spidey ‘event’ it has to be said that it’s been pretty lacklustre thus far and has me looking a little further up the road to The Origin of the Speicies storyline which leads into Dan Slott’s eventual writing takeover and the change to a bi-monthly format. Charging an extra buck for each ASM issue at the moment is also sticking in the throat a little when the quality of the comic and story isn’t of the highest caliber. Fingers crossed that things pick up in this week’s instalment.
Adam Beechen has been doing a fine job of throwing us readers some 10 years into the future as Terry McGinnis has been coming up against Batman villains old and new after donning the cape - well, futuristic crime-fighting suit! - and being mentored by the pensionable-age Bruce Wayne. Batman Beyond #3 takes us to the halfway point of this latest miniseries focusing on Terry and Bruce’s attempts to stop a killer from mowing his way through Batman’s aging rogues gallery. Beechen has very quickly shown that he knows just how precarious a line Terry and Bruce’s partnership can walk and this series has been carrying on the feel of the gone-but-not-forgotten animated show with aplomb so far. Long may it continue!Sooo that’s nearly time up but I best I should also give some mentions to the other titles out this week! Chew #13 from Layman and Guillory brings the mysterious Savoy back into the fold which is sure to have lasting repercussions for Tony Chu and should set the direction for this series’ next few issues. Atlas #4 has the well-loved (but not enough it would seem - Damn you Marvel!!) Atlas guys up against shape-shifting invaders intent on bringing the Atlas Foundation to its knees in its very home. Finally, in Green Lantern Corps #51 the mighty and noble Hannu may be the only Lantern able to help Kyle Rayner and Ganthet escape from Cyborg Superman’s clutches. I’m yet to discover what this particular Lantern is about but it appears that he doesn’t like to use his Green Power Ring as a weapon which should make for an interesting rescue mission to say the least!
Phew, that’s it, done for another week. Happy reading guys and gals!
1 comment:
Final issue of Ex Machina out this week too!
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