Final Comic Book Wednesday

Welcome to the final installment of...

Comic Book Wednesday

Issue #33

Yep, you read that right. After this issue, I'll be unable to continue my weekly blog. It's been a blast writing about the books I read here, and I think it's actually increased my enjoyment of those comics. I've been working as a Screenwriting teacher at Five Towns College, and my workload has increased threefold this semester... and I think it's time to focus all of my writing attention on - well, you know, my writing. I'll still write about comics, and I'll even post reviews, but I definitely can't do it on a weekly basis any more.

So alas... let's get to it!

Thankfully, this was a good week. Angel & Faith, TMNT, and JLD all delivered fantastic reads, and even the books that didn't totally impress me weren't quite bad.

Angel & Faith #6

Daddy Issues - Part One

Written by Christos Gage

Art by Rebekah Isaacs

Dark Horse Comics

It makes sense that the best installment of Angel & Faith thus far has the best cover. Steve Morris' cover, featuring a younger Giles emerging from a Russian doll-version of Giles as we know him... it's perfect. It's perfect because it intrigues and mystifies while also accurately representing the inside story. It also functioned to tease the fandom a bit, as it was released before we got a chance to read A&F #4, which many fans thought to be the climax of the "Angel resurrects Giles" arc. However, it wasn't, and Christos Gage is telling that slowburn story over the course of the whole twenty-five issue series. What this cover did was make the fandom wonder if Giles was going to be brought back successfully as Ripper - which is a great idea, but Gage has something else in mind.

Angel, while still obsessed with the idea of bringing Giles back, continues his mission of using Giles' Watcher's Diary as a yellow pages of the supernatural. He goes after a Lophrage demon, a mosquito lookin' mamajama who we're introduced to in a kickass flashback to Giles' time in Watchers Academy. The show, because of obvious age issues, never gave us a look at the teenage, pre-Ripper Giles... but now, in this comic, all those old impossibilities are nothing but memories. Along with the rest of his senior class, Giles has an encounter with this horrifying Lophrage demon, which serves to give Angel a new mission as well as to shed some light on why Giles became Ripper in the first place.

Faith is kept busy, investigating a vampire named Mother Superior. Faith's story is still very tied to Nadira, who is about as fun to read as Rona was to watch in Season Seven, but at least the Slayer Juniors get very little page time here. As Angel brings Faith on board with his Lophrage hunt, it becomes clear quickly that the elusive Mother Superior is involved with the demon in some way. I'm just going to go ahead and spoil the reveal at the end, because... well, anyone who has seen the covers knows, and really - anyone that knows Drusilla knew it would be her as soon as the name "Mother Superior" was mentioned. What other vamp who would warrant a reveal would choose such a name?

The real reveal, though, is that Drusilla is sane. This intrigues me a lot, because the optimist in me thinks that this may be Christos Gage attempting to tie his stories into IDW's work on Angel and Spike, considering Drusilla's sanity (and the fragility of it) was a major, major aspect of Brian Lynch's final Spike arc. On the other hand, I can see Drusilla using the Lophrage demon to steal other people's sanity - but there's enough speculation on the boards. From where I stand, it was the best issue of the series so far. I love how we're playing with the motif of fathers (Angel - Drusilla, Giles - his father, and Faith - her father... who we meet in this issue as well), which solidifies my hope that this series isn't just throwing Angel and Faith together for the hell of it. This series is about something, and I'm very, very engaged.

The most awesome aspect of the book, though, is Rebekah Isaac's artwork. Her characters are the perfect marriage of stylization and capturing likenesses. The action moves nicely, the small character moments really sing, and it has a dark, consistent tone that elevates this book quite a bit. I may like the lightness and the wordplay in the Buffy: Season Nine book slightly better than the story Gage is telling, but Isaacs' art just makes this one the winner. That might be, though, because BtVS:9 is such a vast improvement over BtVS:8, which Angel & Faith has just been really consistently good.

I hope this title continues to grow, but it really has everything right. I hope that the one-shots and the comedic stories are a bit better going forward, but Christos Gage and Rebekah Isaacs knock the arcs out of the park.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6

Story by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz

Written by Tom Waltz

Art by Dan Duncan

IDW Publishing

I originally tweeted that this was the best of IDW's ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, but I'm going to amend that... it's the best since the first issue. And don't think I'm trying to turn this issue into Pluto, but I just went back and reread all of the issues, and that first one is really the perfect comic book. This one continues the story in an incredibly exciting way, continuing to blend the original gritty comic with the pizza-celebrating cartoon, creating a book that all generations of fans can embrace.

In this one, shit begins to hit the fan. It's revealed that Baxter Stockman hired Old Hob to bring down the turtles, and this uneasy alliance makes for great reading. It leads to the awesome reveal at the end of the issue which reintroduces the MOUSERS to the TMNT-verse, but the best think about the Hob/Stockman team-up is the humor. My favorite scene in the comic:

HOB: Holy...

STOCKMAN: Impressive, aren't they? We've been developing them as part of a program to locate and destroy I.E.D.s on the battlefield.

HOB: I.E.D.s?

STOCKMAN: Improved Explosive Devices.

HOB: ...

STOCKMAN: A booby trap that goes boom.

HOB: Ah. Gotcha.

All of the plotlines from the previous issues continue here. Casey Jones meets up with April O'Neil, the turtles and Splinter continue to talk about and debate their presumed reincarnation, and the Foot Soldiers brew up some trouble. It's all building toward something big, and I can't wait to see what the ongoing and Brian Lynch's two remaining microseries bring.

Aquaman #5

Lost

Written by Geoff Johns

Pencils by Ivan Reis

DC Comics

I liked this. I liked it a lot better than JL#5. It's about as "written for trade" as JL, but the thing about this book is that it's a hell of a lot stronger than JL, so the overall effect is a bit less damning. It's a quick read, but the narrative device of throwing Aquaman into the desert and then showing us how he got there by alternating from the desert to the past is strong.

The current arc is leading to a major storyline having to do with Atlantis, and I'm very much looking forward to it. I like Aquaman as this likable, badass, overlooked hero. I like that the events of the previous arc are still bothering him. I like that the new mystery is still attached to the events of "The Trench" storyline, giving this book a cohesive "big picture" feel. I like a lot of things about this book and I think that, in good time, I may even love it. This issue doesn't do much to make Aquaman climb to the top of my pull list, but I'm consistently enjoying it.

Justice League Dark #5

In the Dark finale: There Was a Crooked Man

Written by Peter Milligan

Art by Mikel Janin

DC Comics

And the first arc of one of my favorite New 52 books comes to a close. It's a satisfying, if not perfect, ending that leaves me wondering where the hell Milligan's going to take the story. The dark tone that makes this series such a creepy read permeates this issue especially, so there is no happy ending for June Moone... but it's not heart-crushingly dark either. At the end of the issue, our team of characters isn't a team at all. Hell, they don't want to see each other, and I don't blame them. Milligan is cooking up some nastiness for them in each issue, and none of these people are true heroes. They lack the moral fiber of Superman and his kind, but some of them still try to be heroes... which leads them to clash. A lot.

One minor complaint was that Constantine was a bit too much of a jerk here. I know he is no longer the man who wants to save the world that we first ran into in Alan Moore's Swamp Thing, but he's a bit... well, he's sort of like Spike in the finale of the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. For those of you that don't worship at the altar of Whedon, that means that Constantine claims to only be interested in saving the world because he is on the world. The Constantine I've read has lost a lot, but isn't selfish enough that he only values his own safety. Maybe it's just him being a hardass and I'm reading too literally, but that was a bit jarring for me.

The art is perfect. Mikel Janin's work is perfect for this book, and I hope he's in it for the longrun. He is perfect for this book and certainly vice-versa.

I know some folks have lost patience with the slow-boil narrative, but this is one of the most consistently enjoyable books in my pull list. I can't wait to see what fate has in store for these poor bastards next.

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Thanks for reading. I'm going to keep updating this blog, so hang around. I've got a lot more to say.

Comic Book Wednesday - Best of 2011

With one day left in the year, I'm a week behind in my weekly comic book reviews. It's the holidays, though, so what can I say? Instead of this week's round of Comic Book Wednesday, I've decided to do a bit of an awards show.

Eh, who am I kidding? One ginger's opinionated ramblings do not an awards show make. Here's a run down of my favorite comics this year, as well as some stuff from years past that I think you should give a look at.

The Comic Book Wednesday 2011 Not-Really-Awards Awards

Best Ongoing Series - Mainstream

Batman

Written by Scott Snyder

Art by Greg Capullo

DC Comics

This is absolutely no contest. While DC's New 52 changes have forced my formerly favorite title (Supergirl) to the bottom of my pull list, Batman was left unscathed by this shiny new universe. In fact, with Scott Snyder at the wheel, this revamp of Batman is the best on-going title I've had the pleasure to read all year. Snyder's Bruce Wayne is intelligent, calculating, flawed, human, obsessed, and entertaining as all hell. While more than six titles feature Batman as a lead character, do not let this one get lost in the shuffle. Scott Snyder is the Batman writer to follow.

Best Ongoing Series – Indie

Morning Glories

Written by Nick Spencer

Art by Joe Eisma

Image Comics

Again, not much of a contest here. Image, Vertigo, Avatar, IDW, Zenescope, and (especially) Archaia are putting out great creator-owned series, but the sheer quality of Nick Spencer's magnum opus is what, as a creator, I personally aspire to. The dialogue is perfect; the characters are alternately intriguing, amazing, and despicable; and the plot, as mind-fuckey as it is, creates the most interesting fictional setting since Lost. Nothing but praise for this series.

Best Ongoing Series - Media

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Nine

Written by Joss Whedon & Andrew Chambliss

Art by Georges Jeanty

Dark Horse Comics

It's an understatement to say that Buffy: Season Eight got a bit wacky, but Joss Whedon managed to reel his imagination in and start this new season of comics with a story that was as true to the characters as any episode of the original show. It's still early in the series (we're currently four issues in), but this has already moved back to the very top of my pull list.

Best Miniseries – Indie

Mystic

Written by G. Willow Wilson

Art by David Lopez

CrossGen

I'm not sure if this can really count as indie, because Marvel puts out CrossGen books, but this is about as far as you can get away from your normal superhero fare. G. Willow Wilson's tale of magic, privilege, friendship, and class was two parts Harry Potter, one part Victorian, and fully awesome. With the best art and some of the wittiest writing of the year, I hope that this will return with the same creative team for a long, long run.

Best Miniseries – Mainstream

Flashpoint

Written by Geoff Johns

Art by Andy Kubert

DC Comics

I was going back and forth between this and Nick Spencer's Spider-Island: Cloak and Dagger. I'm still not 100% sure that I've made the right choice, but here's why I settled on Geoff Johns' Flashpoint... despite all the shit that it's gotten. This series has a lot of build-up and not much action to pay it off, but what it does have is more emotional payoff than I've seen in this medium. By the time I finished this series, I was a shivering mess - and I applaud Geoff Johns for that. It heralded the end of a universe, but for Barry Allen, it was the end of the hope that he'd be able to save his mother's life. It's that core of the series that makes this mini so much stronger than people give it credit for.

Best Miniseries - Media

Illyria: Haunted

Written by Scott Tipton & Mariah Huehner

Art by Elena Casagrande

IDW Publishing

It might be cheating a bit because I ended up working on IDW's Angel and Scott is a friend, but I'll be damned if this wasn't one of the best books of the year. This series, which is mostly a team-up between Spike and Illyria, has a perfect balance of action, emotion, and humor - basically, it's everything that Angel the TV show was at its best. Also, it's pretty ballsy, considering the character-altering changes made to a licensed character. I'm not sure if we'll ever get another Illyria series, but it's good to know that the comics finally lived up to the standard that Whedon set with "Not Fade Away" and Brian Lynch set with the stunning climax to his "Angel: After the Fall" arc.

Best One Shot – Mainstream

Jimmy Olsen

Written by Nick Spencer

Art by RB Silva and DYM

DC Comics

This was my first introduction to Nick Spencer, and I've since powered through his entire impressive catalogue. Hilarious and heartfelt, this one-shot collects and finishes the stories that Spencer began in Action Comics. It focuses on (obviously) Jimmy Olsen, Superman's pal. I hope this gets collected in some sort of trade, because if I read this oversized issue once more, it's going to fall apart.

Best One Shot – Indie

Gotta be honest here. I haven't read any indie one-shots this year except for a few that it would be totally douchey to list. I read Scott Tipton's ANGEL: THE COVERS, which is great... but it's an art book. Tim Seeley gave me a one-shot of his at NYCC, but that's not from this year. It would be totally pretentious to even mention my Grimm Fairy Tales one shot, and it would be pandering to Zenescope to list their one shots that I read (and really enjoyed, particularly Dan Wickline's SINBAD stuff). I really enjoyed THE BEAUTY from Top Cow's PILOT SEASON event, but that is effectively the first issue in (hopefully) a series. So I fail. Instead, I'm going to leave this blank and ask you guys what indie one-shots you'd recommend to me.

Best One Shot – Media

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Michelangleo

Written by Brian Lynch

Art by Andy Kuhn

IDW Publishing

To get an idea of why this comic is listed here, check out this preview of the issue. This book just came out last two days ago, and I've already read it through twice... because it's really just that good. Brian Lynch, who wrote Angel: After the Fall and the creator-owned Everybody's Dead through IDW, has been scripting one-shots focusing on the Turtles since November. He began with Raphael, and then finished out 2011 with this issue that features Mikey attending a New Years Eve party and... and, well, getting into some deep shit. It's hilarious, a bit cute, and pretty damn fun. Can't think of a better book for both new and longtime Turtles fans.

Best New Series – Mainstream

Justice League Dark

Written by Peter Milligan

Art by Mikel Janin

DC Comics

You won't find such an assortment of wonderfully tortured, criminally interested characters in one book anywhere else in comics. While I think these characters should also have their own books, their team-up is one of the other good aspects of DC's New 52. The book is clever, creative, and - most importantly - different from everything else out there. If you're looking for a comic that satisfies both your superhero cravings and that small part of you that loves being creeped the hell out, this is your book.

Best New Series – Indie

Infinite Vacation

Written by Nick Spencer

Art by Christian Ward

Image Comics

Though it only came out a few times in 2011, this book is one of the best new creator owned properties since American Vampire and iZombie. It's got all of the humor and what-the-fuckness that Nick Spencer always offers, but what makes this series go above-and-beyond is Ward's beautiful art. Just open one these issues in a comic shop and I dare you to leave the store empty-handed. Utterly gorgeous, even (especially) when it's so terrifying it makes you squirm.

Best New Series - Media

Ghostbusters

Written by Erik Burnham

Art by Dapper Dan Schoening

IDW Publishing

I had a couple of ways I may have gone for this. I'm loving Buffy: Season Nine, Angel & Faith, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Brian Wood's Supernatural... but this comic does something very rare. I'm still scared that Ghostbusters fans might seek me out and stab me to death, but at just five issues, I already like this comic better than the movies. It's brilliant. Brilliant. The dialogue is the best Ghostbusters comics have ever seen, incredibly interesting things are being done with the characters, and Burnham is embracing all of the Ghostbusters tropes while also paving his own way. And that, my friends, is everything a tie-in comic should aspire to be.

Best Webcomic

The Adventures of Superhero Girl

Written and drawn by Faith Erin Hicks

I joined the party late, but I think I'm sticking around until everyone else is long gone. Yeah, gonna be that guy. This is one of those excellent comics that you visit for a few laughs... and before you know it, you've gobbled up the entire thing and you're late to do that super important thing that you now realize wasn't nearly as important as spending your day reading this excellent strip.

Best Artist

Michael Allred

(iZombie)

Chris Roberson's amazing entertaining creator-owned book iZombie is one of my favorite series, so I had to give this to Mike Allred. His retro-inspired art is perfect for this book, adding to the off-kilter tone that Roberson plays both up and against. More than any other artist this year, Allred's style kept me lingering on each panel a bit longer than necessary. I hope he and Roberson stay on this underrated book for a long, long time.

Best Cover Artist

Jenny Frison

(Angel, House of Night, I Vampire, Hack/Slash)

For me, there's no better cover artist working in comics. She's distinctive, consistent, so wonderfully strange in her concepts, and... well, the work speaks for itself. When it's not utterly terrifying, it's painfully beautiful. Jenny has been getting more work lately than I've been capable of tracking, and no one deserves it more. I can't think of a single other cover artist whose books I will buy just for the cover - but her work is just that good.

Best Writer

Scott Snyder

(American Vampire, Batman, Swamp Thing)

Scott Snyder and Nick Spencer's work really defined my reading schedule this year. However, it's Snyder's inspiration posts about the craft of writing, his pitch perfect scripts, consistency and intriguing ideas that pushed him (slightly, because I love me some Nick Spencer) to the top for me. This is a man who, after this year, has gotten me hooked. He's joined the ranks of Alan Moore, Brian K. Vaughan, Joss Whedon, and Nick Spencer in the I'm Going to Buy Everything They Write No Matter What club. It's because the books are great, yes, but also because Snyder's phenomenal work makes me want to be a better writer. And what else can a guy ask for?

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Just for kicks, here are a few other recommendations.

An Elegy for Amelia Johnson. Written by Andrew Rostan. Art by Dave Valeza and Kate Kasenow.

Fly. Written by Raven Gregory. Art by Eric J.

Hack/Slash. Written by Tim Seeley.

Growing-Up Comic. Written and drawn by Matt Roscetti.

The God Machine. Written and drawn by Chandra Free.

27: First Set AND 27: Second Set. Written by Charles Soule. Art by Renzo Podesta.

All right, friends. See you next week for another set of reviews for Comic Book Wednesday.

Comic Book Wednesday

Issue #29

Like almost all comic book readers, this strange fifth Wednesday of the month saw my smallest pull list in quite a while. Let's get to it!

Angel & Faith #4

Live Through This - Part Four

Written by Christos Gage

Art by Rebekah Isaacs

Dark Horse Comics

With this finale of the first arc, Angel and Faith go up against Pearl and Nash in a fight as bloody as it is glowy. These two Big Bads, who are apparently "so far beyond what (Angel and Faith) can even imagine," are dealt with in a clever way that leaves room for our heroes to escape without downplaying the major threat these baddies pose. The skirmish is fun and exciting, though the issue itself doesn't reach the emotional heights I thought it would based on what the previous three installments seemed to be building toward. However, with the way this chapter ends... well, let's just say that it's clear that Christos is writing this story with the long-haul in mind. A lot more questions are posed by the end of the issue, and they're all interesting, true to the characters, and one of them is even all out shocking.

After the battle with Pearl and Nash, Angel comes to a startling discovery about the affect of Mohra blood in a world with no magic. It's grotesque, but it leads Faith and Angel to a sad but necessary decision that, for me at least, seemed to harken back to the old days of Angel. He's darker than Buffy, and he's able to do things that she (at least during the TV show) would have had a problem with - it's debatable whether that makes him more of a hero or less, but what it surely makes him is one of the most interesting characters in the 'verse.

Faith also gets a lot of cool scenes, and the way she plays off of Angel is great. All of my reservations about Angel sharing his title are gone, because while Faith clearly plays an enormous role, Christos and Rebekah never shortchange Angel.

The issue ends with a reveal... and I know I don't normally talk about this sort of stuff in my reviews, I think it's such a big moment that it warrant a bit of speculation. Toward the end of the issue, a glasses-wearing Angel asks Faith for, in lieu of a mug of blood, "a spot of tea, if it won't put you out." Faith says that his impression of Giles was great... and Angel says that he doesn't know what she's talking about. Confused and disturbed, she walks away to get the tea. End of issue.

What.

It seems that Angel is channeling Giles. Or possessed by him. Or something. Whether it's due to something with the Seed, the loss of magic, or something sinister... I don't know. How can we? Maybe it's just Angel's guilt trying to make up for the absence of Giles in a creepy way... but I tend to think not.

This story is going somewhere strange and new, somewhere creepy and fascinating. Is it time for #5 yet?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4

Story by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz

Written by Tom Waltz

Art by Dan Duncan

IDW Publishing

Another finale of sorts. The first storyline of TMNT wraps up in this issue, which sees Raphael reunited with his brothers as Old Hob pulls out all the stops to take his revenge. We're treated to another flashback, which gives us some time with soon-to-be-villain Baxter Stockman and another look at the freshly mutated turtles and Splinter. There's a really cool metatextual scene where Spliter alludes to the turtles relearning what they once knew in another life (seemingly referencing the old Turtles continuity, giving a wink to old fans), but mostly this issue just deals with the ongoing war between Old Hobb and the turtles.

There is some great action in this issue, and it's more nostalgic than I can say to see all of the turtles fighting together. What really works, though, is the emotional scenes. Raphael's return to the fold is moving, to say the least - especially Splinter's reaction upon seeing him.

This series - the creative team, the ideas new and old, the art, the flashbacks, and the characters - just works. It's month to month one of the best books being published, both for nostalgic and quality reasons, and with the turtles united at last, it seems as if it's only going to get better.

Plus, with Brian Lynch, the brilliant writer behind ANGEL: AFTER THE FALL on next week's RAPHAEL one-shot... well, let's just say that turtles fans who haven't read/seen Brian's previous work are about to become big, big fans of a new writer.

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NEXT WEEK: Action Comics, Detective Comics, Supernatural Caledonia, TMNT: Raphael.

REVIEWS: Batman #3, Supergirl #3, Ghostbusters #3, Morning Glories #14, House of Night #1, Birds of Prey #3, Justice League #3 and more

Comic Book Wednesday

Issue #27

Before we kick things off, I'd like to direct folks to a post I wrote earlier this week. I shared an encounter I had with a young comics fan that gave me a bit of hope for this industry. Also, now I kind of want to read the Archie Sonic comics.

Well, I've been planning on doing that anyway, because a good friend of mine just announced that he'll be penning a story in an upcoming issue. The man in quesiton (Scott Tipton, who wrote a hell of a lot of excellent stories for IDW's Angel and Star Trek line) also has a book out this week. It's an Angel comic from IDW - which is a bit of a bittersweet thing. While Dark Horse has the license, IDW is still allowed to reproduce material that has already been published. Scott Tipton's Angel: Portraits is a 100 Page Spectacular in the vein of this years Angel and Spike 100 pager. This offers more than those, however, in that it gives us some new material. Scott interviews each of the artists in here, and the book reprints covers that failed to appear in the hardcover collections (something I know a lot of fans took issue with). This is the most beautiful comic you'll find on the shelf this week, and while I wish it were released in the hardcover format in which it was originally solicited, this is still one of the best books IDW has put out. Jenny Frison, who is for my money the best cover artist to work within the Buffyverse, deservedly gets the spotlight here, but longtime IDW artists David Messina, Elena Casagrade, Stephen Mooney, Franco Urru, John Byrne, and Nick Runge get lots of love as well.

Buy that. It's the best eight dollars you'll spend.

Now, let's get to some reviews.

Batman #3

The Thirteenth Hour

Written by Scott Snyder

Pencils by Greg Capulo

DC Comics

When I talk about Scott Snyder's Batman, I always worry about veering into hyperbole. I mean, when I took notes on the issue after the review, I came up with this:

- Amazing mystery

- Dichotomy of text to art is fabulous - almost at an Alan Moore level

- Consistently the best DC title

Thing is, all of that is true. And more. Synder approaches his Batman story with such attention to detail. A lot of folks comment on how good writing reads as if it was done effortlessly... but this absolutely doesn't. The strength of the theme and how each scene and each passage of dialogue serves to further the mystery as well as the character journeys makes it clear that this book was slaved over. Writing this good doesn't come easily, and Snyder's effort pays off tenfold.

I've been told that I should do more plot recap in reviews, and maybe I should. This time, though, I'll let the other reviews do that, because what interests me most about this series isn't the plot at all - but the ideas, characters, and intrigue behind it all. This isn't just a comic that I like. It's a story that matters to me. It's one of those rare books that I like so much that, when I read a review that I don't like (or as I pretentiously think, that just "doesn't get it"), I get a bit peeved. That's a bit of comic book fanboy sensibility, which I doubt ever wears off judging by the behavior of some of even the most famed professionals, but it's also a bit of testament to how much this book works. For some, it doesn't at all. For me, it matters to me as both a fan and a writer who wants to be this damn good.

Supergirl #3

Memento

Written by Michael Green & Mike Kohnson

Art by Mahmud Asrar & Dave McCaig

DC Comics

I feel like this book is going to be different every month. In September, it was hyper decompressed and didn't offer nearly enough plot to latch onto. In October, it was a hell of a lot better, and set up Kara as a sympathetic yet strong character. Now... well, this month was just sort of weird. It's back to the decompression, in that this issue was really just a recap of Kara's fight with Superman and her confusion over what he's saying about Krypton, and then one scene of the new Big Bad testing her with some of her monstrous creations.

The meat of the issue is definitely with the new Baddie, Simon Tycho. He's a young, rich dude who floats over Earth in his craft, checking out the whole "incoming alien" situation whenever that happens. He's all evil and maniacal, and the scenes where he lures Supergirl on board his "home" and proceeds to pit his monsters against her to test her powers show that DC was serious when they made Hunger Games comparisons. This book is definitely going for that. If it succeeds is a question I'll ask myself in the coming months. See, The Hunger Games had a lot of set-up and background that made readers connect to characters before putting them in danger. All in all, the amount of plot in issues 1-3 of Supergirl would be less than a chapter of that book. This comic, while consistently readable and beautiful in the art department (though this month it isn't nearly as sharp or stunning), seems to lack a story arc. There are just events happening, strung together by... well, not by much at all.

I'm looking forward to getting more character moments and an actual arc. I'd never drop a Supergirl book, especially one with art this good, but I definitely need more from my monthly dose of Kara.

Morning Glories #14

Written by Nick Spencer

Art by Joe Eisma

Image Comics

Wow, Morning Glories just won't suck.

Despite the fact that a lot of scenes here are, in fact, repeated from the last issue, this is the most story you'll get for the least amount of money this week. Image is still somehow selling Morning Glories for $2.99 (a dollar cheaper than Justice League) while still having thirty pages of story (ten pages more than Justice League). THAT is phenomenal.

About the repetition of scenes. It's done for effect, giving the readers different perspectives. It fleshes out the story and the characters, allowing us to live in their lives and follow each of the characters on their respective journeys. This issue features a strange group coming together, muddy motivations, revelations that just pose more questions, and a dynamite cliffhanger. So yeah, basically it's every issue of Morning Glories ever, but that's not at all a bad thing. It's the best creator-owned series being published right now, and while the "this will be a 100 issue epic!" scares me into thinking we won't get answers for a long time, it also kind of sets me at ease.

We'll be reading Morning Glories for a long, long time. It's worth saying, though, that I miss reading this series in trade. The "different perspective" thing works so, so well when reading these issues one after the other. However, it's a testament to the strength of the writing and the art (gotta give credit where it's due to the brilliant Joe Eisma) that I can't wait for the trades any more, and neither should you. I want this comic to keep coming out, so I'm gonna keep buyin'.

Ghostbusters #3

Written by Erik Burnham

Art by Dan Schoening

PCOC Pages by Tristan Jones

IDW Publishing

Man, this week is big on my favorites. Snyder's Batman is my favorite superhero book, Spencer's Morning Glories is my favorite creator-owned series, and now Burnham's Ghostbusters tops it out as one of my favorite tie-in comics. Not only does this issue keep on with the goodness that loaded the last two installments, it does something very, very rare. I'm afraid that fans of the movies will think me a blasphemer, but I'll be damned if this comic isn't equal to the first movie in every way. The dialogue is on point, the mythology building is the best this franchise has ever seen, and the plot itself just keeps getting better and better. It's a slow-boil, letting the character moments and the comedy take the stage while the mystery and horror bubble in the background. It adds depth to the movies while telling its own story. It's just the highest caliber of tie-in comics that you'll find on the market.

Justice League #3

Written by Geoff Johns

Pencils by Jim Lee

DC Comics

Okay, now THIS is what I'm talking about.

I've had a bit of a rough time with this series, but I had a blast reading this issue. It focuses on Wonder Woman, who is often my least favorite of the heavy hitters in the DCU. She's the character that everyone writes differently but hardly anyone really makes her likable. She's fine enough in her on-going, but her previous guest appearances in the DC books I followed before the reboot made her the least likable character in the 'verse. Even her solo books, which I gave chance from time to time, did nothing to make me buy into her.

Well, then I read this book. Wonder Woman is the most likable character in the League. She's funny, powerful, brave, sexy without being a sex object (though Lantern calling "dibs" upon seeing her is great), and - most importantly - a character that I want to follow. Her scenes make this issue what it is, because the subplot with Victor being Cyborg really pushes my suspension of disbelief (and by pushes, I mean shanks eighty times and then kicks it into an active volcano). It's funny, because when I think about this issue, I almost blot all of those bad scenes from my mind. That's how effective Johns' Wonder Woman scenes are. They don't make up for the awkwardness of the Cyborg stuff, but they sure as hell give this book higher marks than either of the prior installments.

The team is coming together nicely, as is the story. I hope the Cyborg bits can make sense in the larger story arc, but for now I'm increasingly enjoying everything else in this book.

Nightwing #3

Past and Present

Written by Kyle Higgins

Pencils by Eddy Barrows & Eduardo Pansica

DC Comics

I like this book. I like it quite a bit. However, after reading it, I'm not sure that I have anything more to say about it than the first two reviews. While the story is enjoyable, it's sort of just that. It's nothing brilliant or particularly striking, just serviceably good on every angle. The mystery is interesting, Dick is a likable and fun lead with the most unfortunate name in comics, and the book even works on a thematic level. The "can't escape your past" theme, while incredibly heavy handed, goes a long way to keep this book in my pull list. I like what's going on with Haley's Circus and how Dick can't seem to... well, escape his past. Again, I'm left with nothing much to say. It makes for a fun companion read to Batman, but it doesn't work nearly as well as Batgirl.

Or, surprisingly...

Birds of Prey #3

You Might Think

Written by Duane Swierczynski

Art by Jesus Saiz

DC Comics

It's funny... I wanted to drop this book. Hell, I was looking to drop at least one New 52 book a week this month. But this was just so, so good. Swierczynski's BoP easily the most improved series of the New 52, and it was already good to start with. The team comes together when Poison Ivy joins the ranks, much to the (violent) protest of Starling and Katana. However, when the dust settles, we're given one of the most interesting ensembles in superhero comics today. While Black Canary is our leading lady, I'm increasingly interested in the new lady on the scene... Starling. This bad-ass, tattooed chick manages to embrace all of the bad-ass tattoo chick cliches while still surprising me and endearing herself to me.

As these ladies chase down the mystery of the exploding folks, all my thoughts of dropping this book have fizzled out. It was among my favorite this week which, if you read the other reviews, you know is saying a lot.

House of Night #1

Story by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Script by Kent Dalian

Art by Joelle Jones and Karl Kerschl

Dark Horse Comics

Let's start off with why I bought this book.

1. It costs a dollar.

2. Dan Roth told me to.

3. It costs a dollar.

4. Jenny Frison did the cover.

5. It costs a freaking dollar.

Comic book fans care a lot about their money. Compared to other media, comics are very, very affordable and generally offer more than most similarly priced items do... but still. There are a lot of comics published every week, so readers have to pick and choose what series they'll follow based on a lot of factors. Price is one of mine. Thankfully, most of the books I follow end up in the $2.99 - $3.50 range. What I've seen increasingly, though, is new series being offered for a buck. It's a brilliant strategy that is clearly pandering to the reader who normally wouldn't shell out the three bucks to try something new that they aren't guaranteed to love. And hey, I'm evidence of that, so it clearly worked.

Now, besides the fact that the cover is fantastic, the book actually isn't bad. I'm not sure if it's something I'd follow on a month to month basis, but I enjoyed this issue despite having never read the series of books on which this comic is based. To my understanding, this comic fills in the gap between one of the earlier books... but don't quote me on that. It's perfectly understandable on its own, though Kent Dalian is a bit careless with how he doles out exposition. The first scene is by far the clumsiest first scene I've read in a very long time. Zoey, our protagonist, has a bit of a confrontation with Aphrodite (this series' Draco Malfoy) and this conversation is used as a way to get all the exposition out in the fastest way possible, which just makes every line of dialogue so, so clunky.

A: Well, aren't you special with your filled-in mark and adult vamp tattoos? [...] How did you get those? Oh, wait, I remember! You screwed me over so Neferet would make you leader of the Dark Daughters!

Z: I have zero interest in leading the stupid Dark Daughters, and I didn't screw you over. You were letting those vampyre ghosts eat my ex-boyfriend. And I stopped you.

A: Hello, I was possessed by one of those vampyre ghosts and Heath is only your ex-boyfriend because you stole my boyfriend.

Z: You and Erik were already over, and so were me and Heath.

A: You may think you've won, but-

And so on.

I was ready to stop reading after that (hell, all that is just from pages one and two), but it seriously gets better. For Dalian's first foray into comic book writing, it's not bad. It's clunky, yes, but it effectively introduces a world and establishes the lead as a somewhat interesting character. The flashback scenes are great, and I dig the anthology feel of this series (a different vampyre in history seems to get spotlighted every issue).

Best thing about the issue? The art. Joelle Jones and Karl Kerschl's work is outright amazing. It adds so, so much to this series. I'll see how the reviews for the next few installments come out before I decide whether or not to follow this in trade, but I will say... for a buck, everyone should buy this. Jenny's cover alone is worth a hell of a lot more than that.

-

NEXT WEEK: Aquaman #3, The Flash #3, Justice League Dark #3, Superman #3. I guess all the titles I usually follow came out this week.

Upcoming Pat Shandery

Hey all. I promise there will be some original content here as soon as I catch up on grading and whatnot. Whatnot being the eleven creator-owned comic book proposals that I'm working on - mostly because I'm crazy. For now, here's a bunch of stuff that's either out or coming out soon that you might find some me-ness in.

COMICS

Angel: The End

This is a biiiiig hardcover that collects all of IDW's final Angel stories. It has the entire Bill Willingham run, all of the Eddie Hope back-ups by Bill Williams, the David Tischman/Mariah Huehner final arc, and all of the ANGEL: YEARBOOK stories. That means that this recollects my story Angel: My Only Friend, which was illustrated by the brilliant Stephen Mooney. It's up at Amazon for almost half price now!

ORDER here.

Grimm Fairy Tales: Holiday Edition 2011 - COVER A

COVER B

I wrote this giant sized issue off of an outline by GFT creator Ralph Tedesco. It's a modern take on "A Christmas Carol" and it's completely new-reader friendly.

ORDER: Cover A and Cover B.

1000 Ways to Die - graphic novel

This is a big collection of stories based on the show from Spike TV. I wrote five of the stories in this graphic novel, all off of outlines provided by Spike. It's very true to the show, but it adds a lot of stuff that could only be done in comics.

ORDER here.

PROSE

Big Book of New Short Horror

Includes my short story The Dick, the Wife, and the Pen.

ORDER in hardcover or softcover here: http://www.pillhillpress.com/shoppe-anthologies.html

31 Nights of Halloween

Includes two flash-fiction stories that I wrote (The Ghost of Gertrude Garvey and A Pity Party of Monstrous Proportions).

ORDER from Amazon here.

Halloween Frights - Volume One

Includes my short story Kids Playing Monster. I'm partial to this one, as it's a very long story and ended up feeling a hell of a lot more like a novella than a short. I'm proud of this one, so even with Halloween about to pass... I'd definitely encourage checking this one out.

ORDER here: http://www.pillhillpress.com/shoppe-anthologies.html

Zero

Includes my short story The Morning Show Host.

ORDER from Amazon here.

Told You So: An Anthology of Conspiracy

Includes my short story Gordon Macduff is Just a Man.

ORDER here: http://www.pillhillpress.com/shoppe-anthologies.html

The Undead that Saved Christmas: Vampire Edition

Includes my short story Not Many Vampires, which introduces my character Winter... something I have been waiting for the right moment to do. My story includes an illustration by the amazing Rachel Dukes.

COMING SOON from Rainstorm Press.

A Hacked-Up Holiday Massacre

Includes my short story Face, which is my first go at straight horror. Just finished copy-editing my story for this one, and it turned out pretty damn creepy.

COMING SOON from Pill Hill Press.

Thanks to everyone for supporting me, working with me, and buying stuff. To those who didn't buy stuff, I'm watching you. It's Halloween. Be afraid. Mwahhahahaa...

Angel & Faith #2 review, Aquaman #1 review, The Flash #1 review

Comic Book Wednesday

Issue #20

Part One

Ah. The final Wednesday of the New 52. Once all of these reviews or out, we'll know what books are awesome, which we're dropping, which we're giving one more month, and which are setting the internet on fire. Today's slice of the Comic Book Wednesday pie is a thin one, with only three reviews, but we've got a lot more content coming tomorrow.

Angel & Faith #2

Live Through This – Part Two

Written by Christos Gage

Art by Rebekah Isaacs

Dark Horse Comics

Angel & Faith #2 is impossibly good.

Following up on the reveal at the end of the first issue, we watch how Faith copes with the knowledge that Angel plans to bring Giles back to life. The two of them work so well as a team because of their deep, dark history. Faith knows that she owes Angel for how he stuck by her at her worst when no one else would, so despite how much she disagrees with Angel’s ill conceived plans, she stays by his side, not condoning his actions but being what he needs: a friend.

This book is steeped in the rich history of both ANGEL and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, referencing old stories from this rich universe. This, paired with the spot-on voices of Angel and Faith, lends a weight and an authenticity to the comics that elevates this comic to a higher level. And damn, that art is fantastic.

It’s a wonderful, exciting read that is true to the characters and the heart of the show. I love it.

Aquaman #1

The Trench – Part One

Written by Geoff Johns

Pencils by Ivan Reis

DC Comics

I’ve had a very Geoff Johnsy year. I’ve been reading through some somewhat recent trades, discovering how awesome Johns is at reinventing characters. His runs on Green Lantern and The Flash were some of the most fun I’ve had reading funny books all year, and his fine work on Flashpoint (especially the final issue) was among the most exciting and moving comics I’ve had the pleasure of reading. I was looking forward to his Aquaman for a number of reasons, chief of which is the fact that this character needs a writer who approaches characters with respect, sensitivity, humor, and pathos to breathe life into him. And Geoff Johns does just that, while poking fun at the perception of Aquaman.

The mission statement of this book is clear: it’s going to recognize and even call attention to how the public sees Aquaman as a joke… and then pull the ground out from under them. In the book, people laugh when Aquaman appears on scene. A blogger, while interrupting Aquaman’s meal to score an interview, asks him how it feels to be no body’s favorite superhero. This could all come off as way too meta and easy, but these scenes are balanced out by scenes of Aquaman showing how badass he actually is, as well as some humanizing flashbacks to his past—in typical Johns fashion.

If you enjoyed Johns’ work in GREEN LANTERN: SECRET ORIGIN or THE FLASH: REBIRTH, this is right up your alley. This book finally does justice to the man that Grant Morrison always believed in:

Oh yeah. Aquaman's the baddest ass in the seven seas.

The Flash #1

Written by Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato

Art by Francis Manapul

DC Comics

This is another of the New 52 that I was looking forward to the most. The Flash’s story arc in Flashpoint was emotionally driven, heroic, and so poignantly bittersweet that I’d hoped that would translate over into his ongoing series as well. Writers Manapul and Buccellato forge ahead, however, not addressing what Barry went through in the Universe altering finale of Flashpoint. It’s a brand new story in a brand new world… while Barry “set the world right,” this new world is one where he isn’t married to Iris West. They haven’t even been on a date. Hell, he doesn’t even seem to like her very much, though that’s obviously a means to set up their romance arc. Especially in context of Flashpoint, and what Barry sacrificed in order to return to world to what he thought would be normal, it’s sad and a bit disappointing to see how different his life has become, and how unaware of the changes he is.

The comic itself is decent. The story doesn’t carry the weight than Geoff Johns’ Barry Allen stories did, but those had a lot more at stake – this serves as a very functional beginning to a new arc. The writing is mostly decent, and the art is phenomenal. It’s a good team, and I think they will build a good Flash story. I do hope, though, that these books eventually grow to address the “Flashpoint wall” the same way that the Legion books have. Barry Allen has, in some ways, become the heart of the DCU… so I hope he eventually realizes that his sacrifice has been manipulated and things are not as they are supposed to be.

But hey. That’s just one fan’s wishes. I liked the book.

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TOMORROW: A whole entry dedicated to IDW's GHOSTBUSTERS #1.

AND THEN: Reviews for Superman #1, Justice League Dark #1, The Dark Knight #1, The Savage Hawkman #1, I Vampire #1, and The Fury of Firestorm #1.