New comics are released Wednesday in the States and guess what, in the UK too! Here's a brief look at our expectations for the books we're picking up this week.
Stewart R: Brace yourselves people! Joe Madureira’s back in the artist hotseat and this time he’s going to be tackling Spider-Man’s actiontastic antics! Yes, Avenging Spider-Man #1 hits the shelves of comic book stores everywhere this very day and as excited as I am to see the artist responsible for Battle Chasers back in the comic book world, there’s the sceptic in me looking back at the sub-par Ultimates #3 and the previously witnessed schedule changes and delays that this talented penciller has been known for in the past. There has been a big enough lead in time to think things will work out okay on the timekeeping side of things and the preview art is certainly looking tasty. Better still is the fact that this series is written by the very talented Zeb Wells who I rate as one of the best Spider-Man scribes in the game today alongside Amazing regular Dan Slott - just see his Lizard-focused 'Shed' arc through Amazing Spider-Man #630-633 for proof of his story writing skills. The Wells/Madureira combination here could well provide an unmissable Spidey read indeed.
Another unknown quantity swaggering out of the Marvel barn doors today is Fear Itself #7.2. Last week’s Captain America instalment from Brubaker and Guice was a superb read, albeit being more about what Brubaker had set in motion in the Cap title several months ago than Marvel’s big event of the Summer, but this Thor-centric issue is more likely to be an epilogue to Fear Itself since Fraction is writing it. With that in mind I suspect that a few out there may well pass this by having come away from the event somewhat underwhelmed and, from talking to a few comic reading friends, the recent shift on Mighty Thor to an Asgardian history lesson hasn’t helped that feeling either. Having never read Simonsen’s immortalised run on Thor, a lot of the backstory appeals to me and so I’ll be picking up #7.2 to see just what occurs through Odin’s period of grief at the loss of his son. Of course the Adam Kubert art should help as well.
Over at DC I finally get up to speed with Suicide Squad #3 today, having had to pick up the previous two issues with reprints as I was slow arriving to this particular back-stabbing party. The comparisons to Marvel’s Thunderbolts aren’t completely misplaced but the prime difference with Adam Glass’ team of desperate and deadly villains is that they’re simply fighting for survival, not trying to be heroes, especially considering that the unscrupulous Amanda Waller is pulling the strings. The interest here lies in the completely expendable nature of the roster - although we might assume that at least one of the current cast a pretty safe considering their status in DC lore - and the tension arising from not knowing who could find a bullet lodged in their brain on the next page makes it an enthralling read. The use of two artists in Federico Dallocchio and Andrei Bressan is a little jarring from time to time as their styles aren’t exactly a match for each other and I think I’d rather see Dallocchio carry the book alone given the choice.
The art teams to be found on DC’s other #3 books this week seem to be working well however! Patrick Gleason has done a damn fine job with Bruce and Damian Wayne’s crime-fighting escapades so far and Batman And Robin #3 will no doubt be of a similar high standard. J.H. Williams III is often on the receiving end of a huge gush of praise from the Paradox Comics Group members - Tom P often pauses after each compliment, as if he’s on the verge of falling into the very artwork itself, such is its power over him - and while I’m not convinced that the man has the writing chops to best Greg Rucka’s steering of Kate Kane in the DCU, his artwork has not yet faltered and we should see more non-standard panel magic from him again in Batwoman #3.
Outside of the big two publishers I will be picking up two other titles this week. Following a very promising debut I’m hoping that Orchid #2, from Tom Morello and Scott Hepburn, will expand on the strange future world that the story takes place in and perhaps offer further insight into just how the caste system came to be. Considering that she only had a bit part to play in the first chapter I’d also like to learn a little more about the titular Orchid as she seems to be something of the swamp-wise protagonist that a series such as this deserves. The other book to be picked up is Unwritten #31 and I mention it here for update purposes only as I predict that I have some 16 issues of Mike Carey’s Vertigo series to read before I’m completely caught up. With the expansion to a twice monthly format edging ever nearer I’m thinking I should maybe start that little reading project sooner rather than later...
Stewart R: Brace yourselves people! Joe Madureira’s back in the artist hotseat and this time he’s going to be tackling Spider-Man’s actiontastic antics! Yes, Avenging Spider-Man #1 hits the shelves of comic book stores everywhere this very day and as excited as I am to see the artist responsible for Battle Chasers back in the comic book world, there’s the sceptic in me looking back at the sub-par Ultimates #3 and the previously witnessed schedule changes and delays that this talented penciller has been known for in the past. There has been a big enough lead in time to think things will work out okay on the timekeeping side of things and the preview art is certainly looking tasty. Better still is the fact that this series is written by the very talented Zeb Wells who I rate as one of the best Spider-Man scribes in the game today alongside Amazing regular Dan Slott - just see his Lizard-focused 'Shed' arc through Amazing Spider-Man #630-633 for proof of his story writing skills. The Wells/Madureira combination here could well provide an unmissable Spidey read indeed.Another unknown quantity swaggering out of the Marvel barn doors today is Fear Itself #7.2. Last week’s Captain America instalment from Brubaker and Guice was a superb read, albeit being more about what Brubaker had set in motion in the Cap title several months ago than Marvel’s big event of the Summer, but this Thor-centric issue is more likely to be an epilogue to Fear Itself since Fraction is writing it. With that in mind I suspect that a few out there may well pass this by having come away from the event somewhat underwhelmed and, from talking to a few comic reading friends, the recent shift on Mighty Thor to an Asgardian history lesson hasn’t helped that feeling either. Having never read Simonsen’s immortalised run on Thor, a lot of the backstory appeals to me and so I’ll be picking up #7.2 to see just what occurs through Odin’s period of grief at the loss of his son. Of course the Adam Kubert art should help as well.
Over at DC I finally get up to speed with Suicide Squad #3 today, having had to pick up the previous two issues with reprints as I was slow arriving to this particular back-stabbing party. The comparisons to Marvel’s Thunderbolts aren’t completely misplaced but the prime difference with Adam Glass’ team of desperate and deadly villains is that they’re simply fighting for survival, not trying to be heroes, especially considering that the unscrupulous Amanda Waller is pulling the strings. The interest here lies in the completely expendable nature of the roster - although we might assume that at least one of the current cast a pretty safe considering their status in DC lore - and the tension arising from not knowing who could find a bullet lodged in their brain on the next page makes it an enthralling read. The use of two artists in Federico Dallocchio and Andrei Bressan is a little jarring from time to time as their styles aren’t exactly a match for each other and I think I’d rather see Dallocchio carry the book alone given the choice.The art teams to be found on DC’s other #3 books this week seem to be working well however! Patrick Gleason has done a damn fine job with Bruce and Damian Wayne’s crime-fighting escapades so far and Batman And Robin #3 will no doubt be of a similar high standard. J.H. Williams III is often on the receiving end of a huge gush of praise from the Paradox Comics Group members - Tom P often pauses after each compliment, as if he’s on the verge of falling into the very artwork itself, such is its power over him - and while I’m not convinced that the man has the writing chops to best Greg Rucka’s steering of Kate Kane in the DCU, his artwork has not yet faltered and we should see more non-standard panel magic from him again in Batwoman #3.
Outside of the big two publishers I will be picking up two other titles this week. Following a very promising debut I’m hoping that Orchid #2, from Tom Morello and Scott Hepburn, will expand on the strange future world that the story takes place in and perhaps offer further insight into just how the caste system came to be. Considering that she only had a bit part to play in the first chapter I’d also like to learn a little more about the titular Orchid as she seems to be something of the swamp-wise protagonist that a series such as this deserves. The other book to be picked up is Unwritten #31 and I mention it here for update purposes only as I predict that I have some 16 issues of Mike Carey’s Vertigo series to read before I’m completely caught up. With the expansion to a twice monthly format edging ever nearer I’m thinking I should maybe start that little reading project sooner rather than later...
1 comment:
You must absolutely, positively catch up with The Unwritten!
Post a Comment