Tag Archives: Justice League of America

What’s Up?

26 Wednesday Jun 2013

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What a way to kick off summer break! How’s twenty books sound?

  • The Massive #13 (Dark Horse): Garry Brown–the artist on the “Black Pacific” arc–is back, thank goodness. One of my favorite titles. So gloriously understated in the classic Wood style.
The Massive #13

The Massive #13

  • Mind MGMT #12 (Dark Horse): Another one of my favorite titles for all the right reasons.
  • Adventures of Superman #2 (DC): We loved the first issue. The first two stories–from Parker, Samnee, and Lemire–are more Superman than anything we’ve seen in the New 52 this side of a few magical Morrison moments.
  • Batman/Superman #1 (DC): You got your Batman in my Superman. You got your Superman in my Batman. Yet another opportunity for DC to get these heroes right. First indication it may work: Scott Snyder’s not involved. Second: Jae Lee is.
Batman/Superman #1

Batman/Superman #1

  • Justice League of America #5 (DC): At this point, it’s one issue at a time. The Catwoman cliffhanger caught me. Go figure.
  • The Wake #2 (DC/Vertigo): Not excited about this in the least. I’d like to think that this issue will change that.
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23 (IDW): A comic-day decision. Only bought the last one to support an I&N favorite Mateus Santoluoco. The art was great, but the book as a whole didn’t grab me.
  • Clone #8 (Image): Still doing its thing–it’s oft outlandish thing.
  • Fatale #15 (Image): Another top title. After a terrific series of one-shots, It’s time for a new arc. Expecting nothing but brilliance from Brubaker and Phillips.
Fatale #15

Fatale #15

  • Lazarus #1 (Image): Lots of hype leading up to this one from Greg Rucka and Michael Lark. You’d have to be dead to have missed it. Don’t worry: odds are good this book’ll bring you back to life. I am stoked!
Lazarus #1

Lazarus #1

  • Jupiter’s Legacy #2 (Image): Derek’ll let me have it for even considering it. Sure, we hated the first one; but sometimes it takes two, you know? I’ll definitely flip through it.
  • All-New X-Men #13 (Marvel): I’ve liked some things Bendis has done. I’ve hated others. Still waiting to love it, though–and gosh do I want to. Maybe the crossover that’s comin’…
  • FF #8 (Marvel): I really enjoyed last issue. And to think I almost called it quits after a pretty terrible #6. Just missed being in our Top 5 for May!
  • Fury: My War Gone By #13 (Marvel): A great week of books gets even better with the finale of Ennis and Parlov’s hard-edged history lesson. Gonna be very sad to see it go, though–especially because its passing means a little less Ennis.
  • Daredevil #27 (Marvel): I think we can all agree that the return of Bullseye was a given from the get-go. The nature of his return, however? Not as expected. Yeah, I think Waid really nailed it. Can’t wait to see how it plays out.
Daredevil #27

Daredevil #27

  • Uncanny X-Men #7 (Marvel): As disappointing a diversion as I could imagine. Dormammu? No thank you. And still I buy.
  • X-Men #2 (Marvel): More Wood! #1 worked itself out well enough. Certainly earned another go-round.
  • Hawkeye #11 (Marvel): Yup: I’m jumpin’ on the monthly bandwagon. Sure, I can’t crack it open until after I get and read Vol. 2; but it’s all–not just a fraction–good. Hey, Derek! Quit being such a hater! Try Vol. 1 already!
  • Uncanny #1 (Dynamite): Haven’t necessarily cared for what I’ve seen from Diggle of late. (Snapshot was only OK, and his only full issue on Action wasn’t very good.). But I’m willing to give this a try.
Uncanny #1

Uncanny #1

  • X-O Manowar #14 (Valiant): Last issue was definitely a step up.

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

In Scott’s Bag (5/29)

02 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by in I&N Scott's Bag, Microviews

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As I had hoped: things are working themselves out.  Well, first, they worked themselves in–to my bag; and then I had to pull them out–you know, to read them and whatnot.  Now, after having read the lot of ’em, I’ve gained a bit of clarity, thanks, of course, to the creators themselves, who have helped me make my decisions–both for the better and for the worse.

Hey Mr. Shop Guy put comics in my bag/I want to read till I’m unconscious

  • Justice League of America #4 (Read it!  Brett Booth?  Already?  Yup: I judged this one by a name on the cover.  And through just about the entire book, I was content–no, ecstatic in knowing that I’d be casting it off with all of the other Geoff Johns titles I didn’t care for.  [That’s, umm, all the other Geoff Johns titles, by the way.]  Then came the end, which, for all intents and purposes, should have been the end of my JLA experiment; but it didn’t play out that way.  Not that it blew my mind.  Well, it blew somebody’s mind.  Ain’t willing to say whose ’cause that’d be a spoiler, now wouldn’t it?  As it stands, however, looks like I’m on for #5.  Cats!  No: Bats!  Ack!  I mean: Rats!  Aw, heck, whom am I fooling?  I mean all of ’em.)
JLA #4

JLA #4

  • Lost Vegas #3 (Read it!  As of this issue, Lost Vegas is officially off probation.  The story has finally caught up with the art.  I’m doubling down going forward–especially since I’m loving McCann’s Mind the Gap after having knocked out the first trade.)
  • Adventures of Superman #1 (Read it!  Loved it.)
  • The Shadow: Year One #3 (Read it!  Got to the end, asked myself: “Do I really care?”  The answer?  If the Shadow didn’t know before, he knows now: I’m done with this one.  It’s a rarity, you know: usually, if I make it past the second issue of a mini, I’m down with the entire series.  Not this time.)
  • Clone #7 (Read it!  A bit of a backslide, sure, but it’s still engaging enough.)
Clone #7

Clone #7

  • Fury: My War Gone By #12 (Read it!  Some seriously powerful moments.)
  • The Westwood Witches #1 (Read it!  The premise is really smart; the execution, not so much.  Not too sure if there was enough to warrant another issue.)
  • X-Men #1 (Read it!  A better first issue than any of the other X-Now! books.  And I’m not just saying that because I’m hooked on The Massive.  OK, maybe I am.)
X-Men #1

X-Men #1

  • The Wake #1 (Read it!  Speaking of The Massive.)
  • TMNT #22 (Read it!  Not bad.  Santolouco’s art is terrific.  Gorgeous cover.  Not sure if I was grabbed enough by the story to try another.)
TMNT #22

TMNT #22

  • Indestructible Hulk #8 (Read it!  Thank goodness we’re done with the Thor bore.  Plus, it’s worth noting that Mark Waid seems to have an all-of-a-sudden not-so-subtle addiction to fatal afflictions.  If I weren’t aware before, I’m certainly aware now!)
  • Deathmatch #6 (Read it!  Familiarity hasn’t bred contempt till now.  The Anti-Meridian?  Uh oh.)

What did you get in your bag this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

In Scott’s Bag (5/8)

10 Friday May 2013

Posted by in I&N Scott's Bag

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If I’m…using this…stupid abacus correctly…it seems…I’ve purchased…Gosh darn it!  I’ve purchased eleven books.

  • Uber #1 (Read it!  Soaked from the opening splash!  Memorable, for sure.  [Tell me you weren’t like, “Pull it, you Nazi bastard!  Pull it!]”  Then comes the twistory upon which the story is built.  After that, some obnoxious Nazi name dropping, followed by, as one might expect, violence worthy of the Avatar brand.  What I didn’t expect: Gillen’s got the Reich stuff!  He’s already made Hitler and his Nazi posse a more interesting lot than the post-Schism, pre-NOW! X-Men he so painfully mishandled.  Looks like I’m down for #2!)
Uber #1

Uber #1

  • X #1 (Read it!  Not bad.  Nguyen’s art is fine, never really spectacular.  So’s the story.  It is what it is: a #1.  Willing to give Swierczynski more time: I mean, Bloodshot‘s bangin’ and–at its core–this isn’t so different.)
X #1

X #1

  • Chin Music #1 (Read it!  Story’s sort of all over the place.  But, like Swierczynski, Niles has earned my precious patience.  [I’m not handing it out as freely as I had, say, when I first came back to comics and tried to stick with too many New 52 books because I loved the characters and the stories just had to get good at some point, right?]  Harris’s work, as expected, is fantastic.  Lovelovelove the layouts.)
  • Suicide Squad #20 (Read it!  Change is here!  And Ales Kot lets us know two panels in–just in time to support the upcoming release of the collected Change, Kot’s crazy little mini for Image that only recently reached its own form of flatulent enlightenment.  Blatant self-promotion aside, in this first issue from Kot and Patrick Zircher, we’re treated to a kick-ass Suicide Squad circa Adam Glass’s New 52 nod–before SS shattered to boring bits with some awful pacing and the relentlessly regrettable Regulus claptrap.  Man, I wanted to take the shards to my wrists and–I thought better of it and simply dropped the darned thing from my pull-list.  Safer.  Now, I’m back on board, and so is the sexy storytelling–the spirit of spontaneity–that sucked me in from the get-go.)
Suicide Squad #20

Suicide Squad #20

  • Batman #20 (Read it!  Convoluted.  Irrelevant.  Everything we’ve come to expect from the keystone Batbook.  I hate myself for having bought it because, at this point, I know better.)
  • The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror #4 (Never excited to see a good mini go–for a few reasons, actually.)
  • Justice League of America #3 (I really want to like it.  We’ll see.)
  • Batman and Red Hood #20 (Thanks to Peter Tomasi, I may have found a way to satisfy my need for a monthly Batbook.  Would make dropping Snyder’s  that much easier.)
Batman and Red Hood #20

Batman and Red Hood #20

  • Archer & Armstrong #0 (Still hate dinosaurs.)
  • Harbinger #12 (As solid a monthly series as your bound to find.)
  • Battlefields: The Fall and Rise of Anna Kharkova #6 (End of an arc–an Ennis arc.  The mourning period begins now.)
Battlefields #6

Battlefields #6

That’s what’s in my bag.  What’s in yours?

Turning pages,

Scott

What’s Up?

18 Monday Mar 2013

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Turns out, Brian Wood’s The Massive is about this week’s haul.  Man, I could’ve sworn that I was trimming my typical take-home.  Silly me.  Sure, I’ll be closer to broke after Wednesday, but there are some top-notch books in this bunch, which makes it so worth it.

Right There Waiting for Me

  • Mind MGMT #9 (Dark Horse): Hoping for a little more after a slightly off month.  (By “off,” I mean “really, really good,” which, for the average book, would be, clearly, a compliment.  Matt Kindt, however, has been working at a much higher level on this title; so anything shy of mind-blowing is remarkably obvious.)
Mind MGMT #9

Mind MGMT #9

  • Action Comics #18 (DC): Finally, Morrison’s finale.  Could very well be my jumping off point, which will leave me Superman-free.  Big-time sigh–especially considering Big Blue was a big reason why I got back into buying comics.  We’ll see what Diggle digs up next month–and what Snyder and Pak bring to the rack in the months to come.
  • Batwoman #18 (DC): Another one I may jump off of.  J.H. Williams’ art has been the draw, and that chore has now been delegated to another–in this case, Trevor McCarthy, who’s a fine artist, sure; but will he do enough–as Williams did–to overcome the story’s shortcomings?
  • Wonder Woman #18 (DC): Still solid.  A book you can count on every month–whether it’s Chiang or Akins on art.
  • TMNT: The Secret of the Foot Clan #4 (IDW): Mateus Santolouco conjured up a little magic in this mini.  It’s a shame it’s only four!  Let’s hope he gives us some more down the road.
  • Comeback #5 (Image): Ran the same route as Dark Horse’s Colder.  Started off a house afire and cooled off quickly–to the point where I couldn’t wait for it to end.  The waiting’s over.
  • Revival #8 (Image): Still have some mixed feeling about this one.  #7 was definitely an step in the right direction.  But there’s too much evidence that inconsistency is the true plague at play here.
  • Daredevil #24 (Marvel): #23 was great on many levels.  The Power Pair of Waid and Samnee are killing it–and Foggy?  Say it ain’t so!
Daredevil #24

Daredevil #24

  • Indestructible Hulk #5 (Marvel): I hope we’re not all monster this time around.  Not after the House half of last issue.
  • Ultimate Spider-Man #21 (Marvel): Not going to use Venom as a epithet this time around.  Amazing, I know!  I’m keeping an open mind because of how Bendis ended #20.
  • Harbinger #10 (Valiant): Dysart’s kicking all sorts of ass.  A must read.
Harbinger #10

Harbinger #10

  • X-O Manowar #11 (Valiant): Planet Death!  That about says it all, doesn’t it?

Wide Pickens

  • Saga #11 (Image): Lying Cat?  Nooooooooooooooooooo!  So damn good.
Saga #11

Saga #11

  • Justice League of America #2 (DC): #1 wasn’t terrible.  Still anticipating that #2 will be.  Gotta buy it to find out.
  • G.I. Joe #2 (IDW): Van Lente hit the ground running.  I’m willing to follow–at least for a while.
  • All-New X-Men #9: Ugh.
  • Poison Elves #1(Ape Entertainment): Lucifer returns!  One of my faves–created by the late Drew Hayes–is brought back to life by Robb Horan and Osvaldo Pestana Montpeller.  Could be good, could suck.  Either way, worth a try.
Poison Elves #1

Poison Elves #1

Wasn’t kidding.

So.  What are you looking forward to on Wednesday?

Turning pages,

Scott

What’s Up?

19 Tuesday Feb 2013

Posted by in What's I&N Store?

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Looks like a solid week: a bunch of stack stalwarts and four fingers worth of freshness.

  • Mind MGMT #8 (Dark Horse): #7 put Henry and Meru on the road: an excellent transition–but to what?  Can’t wait to find out.
Mind MGMT #8

Mind MGMT #8

  • Action Comics #17 (DC): Here we go again: Morrison’s making his way out–with a bang, I hope.  Expectations, however, have been comic-creator kryptonite of late.  So, who knows, you know?
  • Batwoman #17 (DC): Stunning cover.  The promise of a “[m]assive conclusion.”  J.H. Williams III.  That’s pretty must “all ye need to know.”  Ye also might like to know that Williams III will be handing over the art duties to Trevor McCarthy starting with the next issue.  Might fall from the pull-list as a result.
Batwoman #17

Batwoman #17

  • Wonder Woman #17 (DC): Has been consistently good.  In that, it’s been consistently shy of great.  Therein lies the true wonder.
  • Harbinger #9 (Valiant): Dysart’s been building his corner of the Valiant Universe with a rare verve.  A wonderful place to get lost in for twenty-two pages.
  • X-O Manowar #10 (Valiant): Marching toward Planet Death with renewed energy.
  • Daredevil #23 (Marvel): What will Waid and Samnee do–what can they do?–to follow up the Coyote storyline?  We’ll see.
Daredevil #23

Daredevil #23

  • Indestructible Hulk #4 (Marvel): Have it on good authority that my House connection–see #3–wasn’t too far off.  Looking forward to seeing how it plays out.
  • G.I. Joe #1 (IDW): Banking on Fred Van Lente for this reach buy.  His Archer & Armstrong has been remarkably balanced.  May play well here, too.
  • Justice League of America #1 (DC): For no good reason.  I mean, let’s be honest: Geoff Johns hasn’t had much to offer the New 52–other than reasons not to buy core titles.
  • Kill Shakespeare: Tide of Blood #1 (IDW): I didn’t buy the first Kill Shakespeare series.  Sounds fun, though.  If I find it, I’ll flip through it and go from there.
  • Revival #7 (Image): Losing interest as quickly as it was won.  Not a good sign.  Seems like Seeley has lost focus: the storytelling hasn’t been very good over the last couple of issues.
  • The Sixth Gun: Sons of the Gun #1 (Oni): Just getting into the The Sixth Gun.  Don’t want to let this slip by, especially if it answers some questions–questions I haven’t even asked yet!
The Sixth Gun: Sons of the Gun #1

The Sixth Gun: Sons of the Gun #1

Not too bad, right?

Tell me: what are you looking forward to tomorrow?

Turning pages,

Scott