What I read 16 Mar 2005

[Augie De Blieck Jr.]

Got a few things read tonight:

Captain America #4: Another beautiful issue. I almost groaned at the Evil White Man In Big Business, but I caught myself. Brubaker is doing a great job in bringing back characters I remember best from my earliest days reading comics -- during Gruenwald's run on the character. They seem updated and fresh now, even if it's only a surface shine. Steve Epting's art never falters, and Michael Lark fits in nicely. I'm not buying trades on this one. I'm hoping for a hardcover collection. This art needs to be seen on a larger scale.

Shaolin Cowboy #2 - Might just be the book of the week. For starters, it's very very pretty. There's not a whole lot of "sequential narrative" in this one, but the art is still pretty. It's the dialogue that surprisingly shines for me. Lots of people are going to hate it, but I love the insane word play, puns, and running gags. There are some one-liners in here that should stand the test of time. I hope. Great book.

The Ultimates 2 #4 - OK, that's another issue. We have a couple of answers to things we've always been curious about now. The book is pretty. I'm not anxiously awaiting the next issue, but it's still a sollid read. Just wish Millar would back away from those full page splashes of a character looking at the reader. He did it again at the end of this issue. UGH Nice coloring from Laura Martin, too. The blue near the end is amazing.

Ultimate Spider-Man #74 - Lotsa strong character stuff, and the Harry plotline limps along. Looks like it'll climax pretty big in #75, though. Fitting.

-Augie

[Scott Beeler]

My store had sold out of "Shaolin Cowboy" #1 before I could see it, but I was able to look at #2 today. Very pretty, yes. A little too silly (crab-fu?) and over the top (the climax to the fight) for me. I do like silly and over the top in many cases, but this just didn't seem to gel. Plus, maybe I've seen way too many already on the net, but "Avengers Disassembled" jokes really turn me off now. Let them die, please.

"Ex Machina" #9 was really nice. One grade-A loony, one good additional bit of backstory, one dose of due retribution, one not-unexpected but abrupt plot twist, and one nice cliffhanger for next month's story arc finale.

[torippu]

I almost purchased Shoalin Cowboy #2 yesterday. Had it in my pile and decided to put it back.

The only book that I read last night was Invinicible #21 . Once again, I got to the last page and realized that I couldn't wait for the next issue. These days, there aren't that many books on the stands that make me feel like I'm 16 years old all over again, reading Todd McFarlane's issues of Amazing Spider-man and realizing that it's going to be another 30 days before the next issue hits the stands! Right now, Invincible is that one book a month that there is no way I'd ever be able to drop in favor of trades.

[torippu]

Finished reading these books last night:

Nightwing #105 - I think that the Dixon/Beatty writing team have done an amazing job over the past 5 issues of reminding me what I liked about this character while Chuck Dixon was writing the book on a regular basis. Scott McDaniel's kinetic art is top notch still has a knack for capturing the former gymnast in Dick Grayson while flying through streets of Gotham. This issue also did a fantastic job of reminding me why I hated Jason Todd in the first place and voted to have him knocked off.

Ex Machina #9 - With this issue, I'm starting to think that this will read better in trades.

Ultimate Spider-man #74 - I'll agree with Augie. Seemed a bit slow - where's the freakin' Hobgoblin? I thought we'd see what was in that bunker at the end of #73.

Birds of Prey #80 - I'm probably gonna get flamed for this comment, but I'm going to miss Ed Benes. After Butch Guice left, BOP really lost a lot of momentum with the lack of a regular writing/art team. Gail & Ed came on the book and made this one of my favorite reads again. I liked the Rose & Thorn storyline, but thought that the Huntress plotline at the end came out of left field to me. Maybe it was the art, maybe it was the story or maybe it was me (more than likely), but this outburst left me confused. Was this just a shocking way to end the story? If so, it fell flat for me - maybe because I still think of the Birds of Prey as a two person team.

Wonder Woman #214 - I'm not a regular WW reader so I bought this because it was a continuation of The Flash #219. I love Rucka, but there really wasn't a whole lot to this book. The first couple of pages were ongoing plot points that didn't make much sense to me and then there was a 20 page fight between Wonder Woman/Zoom & Flash/Cheetah that took about 45 seconds to read. Was I supposed to know who the villain on the last page is? Something to do with the upcoming Villains United mini-series I think.

[UniqueFrequency]

i got:

Ex Machine # 9 - wow outstanding. i, too, think it might read better in trades

Human Race #1 - nothing we've not seen before, but i love Justiniano's work

JLA #112 - bleh.

Manunter #8 - can't believe Kate managed to deal with Cheshire and live.. interest is waning on this one

Teen Titans #22 - some didn't like all the titans appearing at the end, i did. can't wait for the next ish

Wonder Woman #214 - classic example of how crossovers can hurt a title. i like the fact that the heroes didn't win though

Captain America #4 - besides the bit about the other caps, i truly enjoyed this issue. wonder who's behind the memory flashbacks cap is having and great crossbones appearance

Exiles #61 - sigh. good book going down the drain

Ult Spidey #74 - slow slow slow.

Ult. X-Men #57 - wow who saw that coming? definitely my fave x-book!

Ultimates #4 - first issue in a long time i sat up and noticed. don't like the new black widow costume and the captain italy/france/whatever, but i do like the thor subplot

Young Avengers #2 - i'm surprised how much i like this book. i wasn't even gonna pick it up from #1. but this issue i'm really loving it. best of the week for me

[Sabrina_Fried]

I got just ONE comic this week:

Star Wars: General Grevious #1: Which was actually kind of ho-hum honestly, I think maybe it was because they are just trying to squeeze too much into a 4-issue miniseries.

Everything else I was going to get and/or flip test, either didn't ship, was embargoed by order of LFL, or sold out before I got to the comic shop because Diamond short shipped my LCS' order. Y'know, this Purge is working out real well. With the help of Diamond and the comic shop publisihers Im spending less on comics in a month now than I used to spend in a single week!

Sabrina

[mgs]

I was REALLY busy this week, so, I was just able to read all my books (and then some) this morning. :)

Let me just say, this was like the 'darkest' week of comics I've ever encountered in a group like this.... :eek:

Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics
Street Angel #5
-Great Book, the 'comic' part of the comic was wonderfully done. Dark part, loss of limbs and lots o' dead people.

Comicsone
Iron Wok Jan GN #11 $9.95
-Hokay, at the request of Gail and the approval of Augie, I tried this book out. IT"S MANIACAL!!!! Fun, yes, but crazy! Like, gogogo all the time! Oddly, I felt weird about the whole use of meat thing in the main story, b/c I think those asians really do seem to eat anything that moves and tho the story is not really about that, it certainly turned my stomach. Dark part, pets for food.

DC
Birds Of Prey #80 $2.50
-Good book, the Benes art was kinda appealing, and tho I don't know what happened before this, Gail seems to be on top of things. Tho I do have to say, the dialogue seemed a bit weird with what was happening during the action sequences and the whole ending oddly overshadowed what was happening with the first part of the book. Dark part, stealing a body from a hospital for torture.

Catwoman #41 $2.50
-Now you want dark, this is it!! O.O I don't know who this new writer and artist team is, but man! They've got things going on in this one! I'd even rate this book a holey crap for those like me, who only just got back into this title! If anything, this shows the street level battles that occur in the superhero universe that not everyone is able to stop. GOtham is dark, yo bet! Great book, but I was unprepared for a practically, horror story when I read this. Dark part, serial killer takes on animals and humans.

Space Ghost #5 $2.99
-This is one..fine..book. The action is excellent, the art amazing, and the story/dialogue, perfect! SG does not act like his goofy, CN counterpart, he is more serious, even moreso than his original cartoon version, kicking it with violence and realism to the 'heroes' actions. Dark part, children being taken for food, spear through chest, etc...

Marvel
Stormbreaker Saga Of Beta Ray Bill #3 $2.99
-A great book! I love this cosmic battle stuff! Bill is kickass! Centering around one fight, this book shows how comics should be done! Cosmic Hell was awesome, and scary! Dark part, Bill, thinking his actions would kill another character, does so, almost without thought.

Wolverine #26 $2.25
-Again, this is one book I'm a sucker for. As long as Millar, Romita and Jansen and team remain on, I'll get this book! I have no idea how or why Gorgon is so powerful, but he makes an almost epic story. I wish they did not just one off his backstory like that. He's so powerful, he needs more. The wolvie simulator was funny at the end. I was fooled and almost shocked at every turn in this book. What would be ultimately funny is if those baddies at the end, simply go splat against the side of the carrier b/c their rockets are carrying them so fast. :D Dark part, origin and more graverobbing.

Archie Comics
Sabrina Vol 2 #65 $2.19
-Great book. THis one focused on what was happening in the magic world and how it interacts with the mortal one. Tania's art was superb as usual and the story was light and funny. The book even busted on Pokemon, Pokemon! heh. Anyways, this is a great book, if you have young ones, buy it for them. Dark part, hunter beats up animal.

[Augie De Blieck Jr.]

Just read OWLY: JUST A LITTLE BLUE. It's another charming book. Terribly cute. But there's a lot of crying in this one. You begin to wonder after a while if Owly and his little worm friend, Wormy, don't need some sort of medical help. They cry at the drop of a hat. . .

Still, a fun cute read.

-Augie