Tag Archives: Royals: Masters of War

What’s I&N Store (7/9)

09 Wednesday Jul 2014

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A very welcome wee week:

  • American Vampire: Second Cycle #4 (DC/Vertigo): I’ve been disappointed by the Second Cycle thus far.  It pales in comparison to the first go-round; it’s as if the life has been sucked out of the story by some supernatural force–because there’s no way Snyder’d stumble so badly on his signature series without there being a unreasonable explanation, right?  Damn thing’s gone from blockbuster to B-movie.  At the end of #3, I was like “What the devil?” and “What?  The devil?” at the very same time!  Followed with an “Ugh.”  I’m only considering it because it’s a light week.  Smart move’ll be to pass.  Honest self-assessment: on Wednesdays, my IQ drops more than a few points.
  • Grayson #1 (DC): I’ve always preferred Dick over all of the other Robins.  Sure, his transition to Nightwing was tough to swallow at first; but in the end it made terrific sense; and the character has played an rock solid role in the DCU and in the Bat-family ever since.  This move–to super-spy–seems more like engineered evolution, meekly bending toward what’s trending; see: it has me thinking Winter Soldier–which means I won’t be able to help myself from comparing Seely’s work to Brubaker’s.  Yeah, yeah, I know: but all’s fair in love, war–and comics.
Grayson #1

Grayson #1

  • Royals: Masters of War #6 (DC/Vertigo): The penultimate issue ended with a kingly twist–a perfect set up for the finale.  Rob Williams and Simon Coleby have packed five issues of Royals with high energy and explosive moments.  Should probably wear a bomb-disposal get-up while reading this one.
  • All-New X-Men #29 (Marvel): Still waiting on #28.  Wonder if I should take it as a sign and pass.  Followers will note that for 24 issues–I skipped #25–I begged for the strength to leave Bendis’s mutant massacre on the shelf and that #26 stripped me of all complaints and left me believing in Bendis anew–all the way through #27.  That’s right: still waiting on #28.
  • Daredevil #5 (Marvel): Time to find out about Foggy.  A quick note on #.1: Surprisingly good.  I’m generally wary of .this and .that issues; but this one’s got a clear purpose: filling in some of the blanks between New York and San Francisco.
Daredevil #5

Daredevil #5

  • Original Sin #5.1 (Marvel): As much as I’d like to avoid the Original Sin trap, I can’t here: Al Ewing and Jason Aaron are serving up a little Loki.  Oh, and Thor, too.  Can’t forget Thor.
  • The United States of Murder #3 (Marvel): Bendis is in his criminal element here.  If there were any question after a lackluster #1, then #2 is all the proof you’ll ever need.
  • Armor Hunters #2 (Valiant): #1 was a solid opening salvo and was supported very well by a strong X-O Manowar #26.  Super-high praise: kudos to Venditti for making me feel like I did when I read comics as a kid.
Armor Hunters #2

Armor Hunters #2

  • Doc Savage #7 (Dynamite): Has lost some of its shine.  As time has gone on, The Man of Bronze has become The Man of Boredom.  Can’t imagine I’ll be sticking around much longer without a real knockout of an issue.
  • The Life After #1 (Oni Press): Joshua Hale Fialkov is a must try considering the tremendous job he’s doing with time travel on The Bunker.  The guy can flat-out tell a story.
The Life After #1

The Life After #1

  • Magnus: Robot Fighter #5 (Dynamite): #4 ended on a pair of strong notes.  The series, in general, has been my favorite of the Gold Key books.  Could it be–I don’t know–because Van Lente’s at the top of his game right now?  You just nodded in the affirmative, didn’t you?
Magnus: Robot Fighter #5

Magnus: Robot Fighter #5

  • Thomas Alsop #2 (BOOM!): #1 was a BIG surprise!  Chris Miskiewicz and Palle Schmidt delivered an excellent set-up issue that balances well the spirited situation in the present and the foundation that was laid in the past.  Can’t wait to get into this one.

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

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What’s I&N Store (6/11)

10 Tuesday Jun 2014

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  • Astro City #13 (DC/Vertigo): While #11 earned Top 5 honors for April, #12 left us wanting.  We’re still wanting–wanting #13 to make us want for nothing.  I’m betting on Busiek and Anderson and their single-issue, Astro City version of a season of 24.
Astro City #13

Astro City #13

  • Royals: Masters of War #5 (DC/Vertigo): Rob Williams had himself a helluva month of May.  Ordinary #1 was extraordinary, and Royals #4 was a crowning achievement!  A little inside info: you just may see Mr. Williams’ name on our next Top 5 list. For which book? You’ll just have to wait and see!  Until then, bombs away!
Royals: Masters of War #5

Royals: Masters of War #5

  • Starlight #4 (Image): A stellar first issue has fallen a bit to formula.  Typical of Millar, no?  Sell that concept!  Sell, sell, sell!  Worthy of praise: it’s been on time.  That’s something!  Aw, heck: of course I want to see how Flash–I mean, Duke–gets out of this scrape!
  • All-New X-Men #28 (Marvel): I’ve finally come ’round–or is it that Bendis has finally come ’round?  Hmm. Probably a bit of both.  Just like any good–or evil–mutant, it takes time for their powers to manifest; this mutant manifesto just so happened to reach puberty at #26.  Phew.  This has been–by far–the longest leash I’ve ever let out.
  • The United States of Murder #2 (Marvel): Speaking of Bendis: #1 wasn’t a game changer by any means, but I found the twist at the end enough of a lure to go at least one more.
  • Archer & Armstrong #21 (Valiant): Yo, man, #20 was a trippy return to form, man.  Blew my damn doors off, man! Lucky for us, my beautiful friend, this uniquely American dream of an arc has only just begun.
Archer & Armstrong #21

Archer & Armstrong #21

  • Armor Hunters #1 (Valiant): Of course I’m gonna try it!  Venditti has sold it well enough in X-O.
  • Dicks #1 (Avatar): Ennis, McCrea, and Avatar?  Seems like a menage a trois made in a seedy apartment.  Fast forward to next month, assuming the best, of course: Well, wouldn’t you know: turns out I do like Dicks!  I know at least one ex-girlfriend, who, short on context, would say, “Mm-hmm.”
  • The Empty Man #1 (BOOM!): Cullen Bunn (The Sixth Gun, Magneto)–a fella who’s full of ideas–teams up with Vanesa Del Rey (Hit)–a striking stylist, who’s in need of a strong showing after a disappointing turn on Zero–to infect our bags with a viral mini.
The Empty Man #1

The Empty Man #1

  • The Sixth Gun #41 (Oni Press): Double your Bunn, double your fun!  Oh, yeah, this book Hurtts so good. This is their .44 Magnum opus.
  • Uber #14 (Avatar): #13 was a very different Uber story.  Sure, it was a big ol’ cliche; but that’s OK: Katyusha is a character that just tugs at your heartstrings–and rips your heart through your ribs and blows the rest of you to bits.  Gotta love her and what Gillen’s been doing with Uber.

Avery’s Pick of the Week:

  • Bee and Puppycat #2 (BOOM!): #1 was a winner–though Grammy was a bit concerned about Puppycat: “It’s just…unnatural!”  Get over it, Grandma!  Avery likes it!

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

What’s I&N Store (5/14)

13 Tuesday May 2014

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It’s the Alka-Seltzer of New Comic Book Days!

  • Justice League United #1 (DC): #0 didn’t grab me in any way, but I’m going to give it another shot anyway. Jeff Lemire’s earned that–though not so much with his hero books. While Animal Man started off well enough–and we said as much by making it one of our top books of 2012–it kind of lost its way during and after the “Rotworld” crossover with Swamp Thing and never lived up to its promise. His run on Justice League Dark wasn’t spectacular; and I couldn’t get past the second issue of his current–and surprisingly well-regarded–run on Green Arrow. Trillium was mostly a success, highlighted by some terrific visual storytelling. The story itself–well, not so much: I really wanted to connect to the characters and their plight but, alas, found that I could not.  Come to think of it, we did celebrate his Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.–and rightfully so; it was pretty terrific. We’ll see what happens here. Expectations aren’t very high.
  • Royals: Masters of War #4 (DC/Vertigo): Has been OK.  #3 was definitely better than an impatiently paced #2, that’s for sure. Feels like the overly coddled child of Montynero and Michael Dowling’s Death Sentence and Kieron Gillen and Canaan White’s Uber. Doesn’t quite live up to either.
  • Shutter #2 (Image): Leaning toward passing mainly because there wasn’t much about #1 that I liked. In fact, I hated the ending.  I’ll flip through this one just to be fair.
  • Starlight #3 (Image): The series has been very good.  #1 was great.  #2 was a decent follow-up.  The most remarkable quality of the series thus far?  It’s been on time!  Hey, is this really a Mark Millar book? Love, love, love Goran Parlov’s art, which transports me back–not too far back, mind you–to the fabulous Fury: My War Gone By, which was one of our top books of 2013 and has been nominated for the 2014 Innie for Best Limited Series. So, perhaps I’m predisposed to liking this series for that reason. Could also be that I’m predisposed to liking well-written stories that deliver sentimentality with a tender hand. Millar has certainly done that with Starlight–so far, anyway.
Starlight #3

Starlight #3

  • Stray Bullets: Killers #3 (Image): A transcendent #1 was followed by a mediocre #2.  Here’s hoping that this one returns to form–the form we’ve come to expect from David Lapham.
Stray Bullets: Killers #3

Stray Bullets: Killers #3

  • All-New X-Men #27 (Marvel): The scene that brought together Jean and present-day Cyclops was an effective one–one of the best of the series.  It’s those little flashes of Bendis brilliance that keep me coming back for more.
  • Secret Avengers #3 (Marvel): Quirky stuff from Ales Kot and Michael Walsh that owes a lot to Fraction and Aja’s Hawkeye.  Just quirky enough to keep me around.
  • Afterlife With Archie #5 (Archie): We celebrated #4 as one of our favorite books of March.  Definitely looking forward to this one from undisputed undead master Roberto Aguirre Sacasa and Innie-nominated artist Franceso Francavilla.
Afterlife With Archie #5

Afterlife With Archie #5

  • Quantum and Woody #10 (Valiant): Continues to be a lot of fun.  How’s this for a comparison: it’s the Rat Queens of the Valiant Universe, just, you know, done up a tad more tastefully–if that’s even possible.
  • Uber #13 (Avatar): Finally read #11.  (A pull list problem, if you must know.)  It was the best single issue of the series and has reignited my excitement in what Gillen’s doing with his twist on WWII.
Uber #13

Uber #13

 

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

 

 

What’s I&N Store (4/9)

09 Wednesday Apr 2014

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The lightest week in a long while swings around at the right time.

  • Astro City #11 (DC/Vertigo): On to something new after the Winged Victory arc.  Doesn’t matter what it is, really; it’s going to be a solid read.  Kurt Busiek’s good like that.
  • Royals: Masters of War #3 (DC/Vertigo): My problem with #2: the pacing. If Rob Williams were shooting for the fog of war, then he hit the target and caused plenty of collateral damage in the process. The art from Simin Colby, however, was just as strong.
Royals: Masters of War #3

Royals: Masters of War #3

  • Batman Eternal #1 (DC): I have no faith in the value of this series–for a couple of reasons, really: the words “weekly” (more so “weakly’?) and “various” wail like a siren warning me away; and I’ve found no use for Snyder’s Batman since the penultimate issue of the Court of Owls storyline. Hard to imagine things’ll be different this time around. I’ll thumb through it and make the call from there.
  • East of West #11 (Image): Still a slow death–even after an uncharacteristically busy #10–but still very good. Funny: Hickman’s plodding style plays well here but not so well on his hero books.
East of West #11

East of West #11

  • Manifest Destiny #6 (Image): I swore to Derek that #5 was my last issue.  Let’s see if I can stick to my muskets.
  • Shutter #1 (Image): A “female Indiana Jones”?  That promise doesn’t do much for me–mostly because I couldn’t care less about Indiana Jones. (Deep breath, Derek. It’ll be OK.) How about, maybe, a “classy Lara Croft”? Nah. Still nothin’. OK, how about an “Image #1”? Now we’re talkin’!
  • All-New X-Men #25 (Marvel): Anniversary issues–and why not celebrate an anniversary at #25!–generally suck.  My expectations?  Already in the vacuum bag, boys and girls.
  • All-New Ghost Rider #2 (Marvel): Will most assuredly pass.  #1 was a disaster–save for Tradd Moore’s art, of course. Terrible transitions, head-scratching moments, and stomach-curling schmaltz add up to a missed opportunity.
  • Daredevil #1.5 (Marvel): Leaning toward leaving it on the shelf.  Again: anniversary issues never satisfy.
  • Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #1 (Marvel): I’ve always liked Iron Fist/Danny Rand.  And I also like the idea of a singular creator–in this case, Kaare Andrews–taking him on. I’ll give it a try.
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #1

Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #1

  • Nightcrawler #1 (Marvel): The name Chirs Claremont carries a lot of weight.  Unfortunately, Nightcrawler is my least favorite X-Man–ever.  May have to BAMF! its way into my bag.
  • Flash Gordon #1 (Dynamite): Not kidding: the main reason I’m leaning toward “yes” is because I’ve taken to Millar’s Starlight, a clear spin on the Flash Gordon story.  Doesn’t hurt that Jeff Parker and Evan Shaner are attached to it.
Flash Gordon #1

Flash Gordon #1

  • Magnus: Robot Fighter #2 (Dynamite): I enjoyed #1 enough.  You down with FVL?  Yeah, you know mehl.
  • The Twilight Zone #4 (Dynamite): #2 was one of our top books of February.  #3 didn’t quite reach that level, but it was still pretty good.  #4 brings J. Michael Straczynski’s first arc to its face-melting final act.  Will the real Trevor Richmond please stand up.  Please stand up.  Please stand up.
The Twilight Zone #4

The Twilight Zone #4

  • Unity #6 (Valiant):  I’m awfully close to passing on it.  It’s no secret: I’m a Matt Kindt junkie.  Thing is, #5 was pretty terrible.  Arrgh!  I don’t know what to do!

Which books are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

What’s I&N Store (3/12)

11 Tuesday Mar 2014

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My work here is done.  Time to get to work.

  • Astro City #10 (DC/Vertigo): Busiek’s Winged Victory tour has been a revelation!  Hope it soars right to the end.
  • Royals: Masters of War #2 (DC/Vertigo): #1 was a jolly good show!  Rob Williams’ characters were instantly engaging; and Simon Coleby’s art was terrific, like Jae Lee with more detail and without the reliance on silhouettes.  Together, they’ve delivered a well-rounded opening salvo filled with “awe,” “exhilaration,” “excitement,” and “fear.”  Has a depth that separates it from the very similar Uber, which just so happens to be on tap this week, as well.
  • Monster & Madman #1 (IDW): Frankenstein’s monster and Jack the Ripper together in the same book?  Oh, and Steve Niles as the facilitator?  Yes, please!
Monster & Madman #1

Monster & Madman #1

  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #32 (IDW): Ross Campbell’s surprisingly strong run on the post-“City Fall” arc comes to an end.  Good news, though: one of our favorites, the terrific Mateus Santolouco, is back with #33!
  • East of West #10 (Image): A compelling read that has really started to take off.  It’s a solid showcase for Hickman’s serious side, which is a nice counterpoint to his maniacal The Manhattan Projects.
  • Manifest Destiny #5 (Image): I’m just about done.  It’s a shame, really: #1 promised so much–maybe too much.
  • Stray Bullets: Killers #1 (Image): Gonna have to stick this on the ol’ Catch Up pile because…
  • Stray Bullets Uber Alles Edition (Image): I recently read the first four issues of Stray Bullets on Dave Lapham’s website.  Have been waiting for this bad boy ever since.  Thanks to my man Derek for pointing me in this direction.
Stray Bullets

Stray Bullets

  • All-New X-Men #24 (Marvel): I’m a sucker for the Shi’ar Imperial guard, so…
  • Fantastic Four #2 (Marvel): I’m a fair fella. I put The All-New Invaders out of my mind–only after a bit of a purple purge–and jumped into James Robinson’s reboot of The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine with the optimism of an innocent.  As it turned out, it wasn’t bad.  It wasn’t fantastic, but it wasn’t bad.  Robinson–one of our favorite writers of 2012–set the terms of his take on the cosmic quartet–with fine art from Leonard Kirk–and did so well enough for me to follow along.  4 Now! anyway.
  • Hawkeye #17 (Marvel): Sure, we’re bee-bopping around a bit, but it doesn’t matter much: wherever Fraction fires his arrows on Hawkeye, they hit the mark emphatically.  This departure from the deafening events of #15 promises to be “a raucously adorable and hilarious animated adventure.”  Sock it to me!
  • Secret Avengers #1 (Marvel): The secret’s out: Ales Kot and Michael Walsh are teaming up again (see Zero #1 or the recently released Zero TP) for an Avengers title that I’m really looking forward to.  No, really.
Secret Avengers #1

Secret Avengers #1

  • X-Force #2 (Marvel): I didn’t really love #1.  Heck, I barely liked it.  But I’m going to give it another issue because Si Spurrier has earned my not-so-easily-earned loyalty.  (Yes, I’m still riding the high of the meticulously meta Six-Gun Gorilla, one of our favorite books of 2013.)
  • Death Sentence #6 (Titan): No hyperbole here: this is one issue away from cementing itself as the mini to beat for 2014.  Writer Montynero’s made himself a must-read–the result of his brilliant storytelling, his unforgettable characters and his insightful back matter.  Mike Dowling’s art–which calls to mind the fabulous Sean Phillips–is the perfect complement to Montynero’s wild, wild words.  If you foolishly missed out on this rocking good time, fret not: there’s always the trade.
Death Sentence #6

Death Sentence #6

  • Red Team #7 (Dynamite): Wow.  Forgot this was a thing.
  • Magnus: Robot Fighter #1 (Dynamite): Fred Van Lente’s bringing Magnus back, and, I’m like a groupie, so, yeah, I’m going to pick this up.  Don’t have any experience with the character, so, yeah: groupie.  Oh, c’mon: you know you’re down with FVL.
  • Uber #10 (Avatar): Still solid.  Wondering how long Gillen’s going to go with it.  Wonder how long he can go on with it.  Fair or not: I’m going to be holding it to Royals: Masters of War.  It’s the nature of the business, ain’t it?  Yeah, comics are hell.
  • Unity #5 (Valiant): Looking forward to the new arc, which has not been billed as Kindt, CAFU, and you.  Man, it should’ve been.

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott