(No stickers, please.)
Here’s where we can discuss the new books that come out each Wednesday.
The Ongoing New Comics Thread
- This topic has 989 replies, 38 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 10 months ago by
.
Author
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
It’s that day again. What’re you picking up? What’re you reading? What’re you enjoying?
Looks like a big week with Green Lantern #12, Justice League #33, Legion of Superheroes: Millennium #2, Superman: Up in the Sky #4, Space Bandits #4 and House of X #6 today.
-
-
-
-
Green Lantern #12 – I had such high hopes for this book in the beginning. It seemed like Morrison was really doing something different with each issue being a bit standalone but also connecting into the larger plot. However, it all just descended into a morass of his usual tropes as he tried to connect all the dots. I can’t say I’m interest in Blackstars.
.
House of X #6 – Hickman has built this book in a very interesting way with a lot of what happens in this issue being what kicked things off at the beginning of the series. I’ve really enjoyed it all especially the way the council for ruling on laws for a mutant nation were set up in this issue. It still leaves me a bit uneasy as Xavier’s actions here are usually what we have been taught are the actions of a villain in this universe. I’m curious what will happen in the final issue of this duology. Interestingly enough the Krakoan text at the end of the issue reads, “House of X”. So maybe the last issue of Powers of X will connect the two more and finish setting up the new status quo.
.
Justice League #33 – Really loving this story now that it’s good and going. There is some fun stuff in this issue like the Monitor, Ant-Monitor and World Forger combining to form the Ultra-Monitor to fight Perpetua. The multiple cliffhanger endings were pretty great again too.
.
Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium #2 – Still not clicking with this book. The bit with Booster Gold was pretty cool and the art on a couple other parts was really good but I can’t say I’m any more into Rose/Thorn than the last issue. I’ll probably pick up the first issue of LOSH just to give it a shot but I don’t have high hopes.
.
Space Bandits #4 – No one writes a penultimate issue like Mark Millar. I love the twists and turns. The only thing I didn’t care for was how quick Thena fell for her old partner again. I can’t wait to see how it all wraps up in the next issue. This is going to be good.
.
Superman: Up in the Sky #4 – Thus far, this series has been a great set of vignettes that really show what Superman is about. The bad part is they don’t hold together too well as a continuous story. Maybe this works better in the Walmart anthologies that they were originally made for where there is just one story. With two stories per issue, the strings show a little more. Hopefully, it can all pull together a bit better in the last two issues. -
-
Glass Hood
I was looking forward to this comic a lot, and it didn’t disappoint.
I’ve said for a while now that my favourite Garvey book has been Red Rocket Comet, which used two very different artists to tell a story across two time periods: one, a retro superhero era with bold, colourful art to match; and the other a modern-day setting with much more realistic, black-and-white art, to suit the more grisly and disturbing elements of the story.
In that sense, Glass Hood is a spiritual sequel to that earlier book, reuniting Garvey with artists Grayham Puttock for the present-day scenes and Michael Rea for the arresting cover, and bringing Stefano Pavan into the mix for the retro flashback sequences.
And again, it works really well.
This is a slightly different kind of story to Red Rocket Comet, but the tone is similar and I love the contrast between the two art styles. There’s a bleakness at the heart of the story that’s carried perfectly by Puttock’s work (and alleviated only by spotting a certain British comedian seemingly used as photo-reference for one supporting character, which made me laugh) and many of these pages are beautiful and detailed in their own right.
And Matt’s writing is again excellent, letting the story unfold in an unhurried yet always compelling way. As we get drawn into the story of the two main characters we explore some pretty difficult moral territory, and I love the way that our feelings towards the leads change and evolve as we find out more about them.
This is Garvey at his best – yes, there might be fewer silly jokes and gags, but that’s replaced by genuinely mature and considered writing that hits the spot it’s aiming for perfectly.
A comic to be proud of.
-
-
-
-
-
What’s everyone picking up?
Powers of X #6 is the big book of the week for me, but I’m also really excited for the new Ellis/Hitch Batman’s Grave #1.
Then Blade Runner 2019 #4 concludes the first arc of this title, and Spawn #301 spins out of the big anniversary issue last month.
-
The Batman’s grave feels very old fashioned, the dark, gritty Batman comes across more and an anarchism than edgy. There’s a real 00’s comic feel, which may be intentional, but it’s doing nothing for me.
Also, the state of that Batmobile
Batman Universe however is still a load of fun but I’m not sure Hal is meant to be that clueless….
-
I’ll be picking up the latest issues of Coffin Bound and East of West, and the hardcover of the Mike Mignola series Baltimore Vol 1
Edited to add that I also picked up a pack of little Halloween comics to hand out to trick-or-treaters; this year, I got them Archie’s Madhouse Magic from Archie Comics.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Affleck-esque Bruce Wayne
That peaks my interest.
-
Batman: Universe #4 – Still really enjoying this book. Some have described it as more Brave and the Bold than just Batman and I think that is accurate. There are portions that obviously seem contrived to move Batman from one place to another while teaming him up with various heroes/groups in the DCU but it really works for me. The episodes are obvious but hang together a bit better than Superman: Up in the Sky. Each story doesn’t seem to need to bang on about the fundamentals of the character as loudly. I’m really curious what the endgame is for this book is but I’m really enjoying the ride.
.
Event Leviathan #5 – With this penultimate chapter, we are getting a clearer picture of what is going on. The end of the issue comes very close to revealing who the head of Leviathan is as he begins to remove his mask and I think gives a strong hint who it will be by the actions of other characters. I think it makes a bigger point about how the exact person under the mask doesn’t matter, what his purpose is and who might be connected. I’m interested in seeing how it all shakes out next issue. I suspect this will not be the end of Leviathan and there will be further reaching implications.
.
Powers of X #6 – Wow, I was so close on my theory of what was happening in the X^3 timeline but so far off. It really did play with my expectations of what I had assumed we were told before. I actually really liked how this issue went back and revealed the story of the why behind what we have already seen reframing what came before almost like the film Memento. I loved the subtle connecting tissue revealed here. I would have always loved to see behind the curtain more but I don’t think that was ever the intent of these series. Instead, they were obviously meant to set up the new status quo that will lead into the new series. I am definitely looking forward to X-Men and might sample a couple of the other books with my eye on Marauders and Excalibur. I’m toying with the idea of picking up all the #1 issues.
.
Superman #16 – This was a fun interlude issue focusing on Damian and Jonathan. David Lafuente’s guest pencils worked really well here. There was a lot of great exposition around how these two fit into other things currently happening in the DCU. However, it was mostly an issue about their relationship and how current developments (mostly in Jon’s life) have changed/not changed that. It was a great reminder of how great this team up was and how much I wish we still had it even though I like a lot of the stories that are happening now. -
-
-
What are you picking up?
Decent week for me – the final issue of Superman: Year One is out and the first issue of Hickman’s X-Men too.
Plus, I need to pick up the fourth issue of Blade Runner 2019 as my shop was shorted on it last week.
-
-
-
-
-
That Jimmy Olsen comic is so weird. I think I love it but I’m not sure.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Superman: Year One #3
This was a bit of a strange book in the end.
After two issues in which Frank Miller and John Romita Jr have given readers quite a different book to the one they might have expected, this final issue seems to feel a sudden need to tick off a lot of boxes that need ticking in the Superman origin story.
So, we get <spoiler>a meeting with Lois Lane, the move to Metropolis, the Daily Planet and the creation of the Clark Kent persona, a meeting with Lex Luthor, encounters with Batman and Wonder Woman, and even a mention of Brainiac towards the end.</spoiler>
Some of these scenes are pretty good – particular the ones revolving around Metropolis (where we get to see Superman take on some local crooks in a satisfying montage) and the Daily Planet (where we see all the old familiar faces and a “new” look for Clark Kent).
But as the issue barrels towards its conclusion, there’s a sense of the book trying to cram things in before the end, and it all feels a bit rushed and forced. It’s not like we really needed another encounter with <spoiler>Batman</spoiler>in a Miller story, but we get one anyway – and unfortunately the limited space allotted for the setup and payoff means it feels like a damp squib of a conflict that’s tossed off without much impact either way. At least that’s better than <spoiler>Wonder Woman</spoiler> gets, with an appearance that’s barely more than a cameo.
Having said that, there are still some good individual scenes here, with Miller leaning heavily on his love of repeated lines and rhythmic narration to hammer his story home. In some places, that works better than others – but the opening scene with Lois and the military worked well for me.
And on the art front, JR jr again turns in some amazing work here. I love Frank Miller’s work, but Romita has ended up being the main draw of the series for me, and there are more lovely full-page shots here like the one below (as well as lots of decent sequential pages, often packing a lot of action into a small space).
After the slightly wacky and off-brand first couple of issues, this finale brings everything to a close in a more conventional way than I expected. But there’s a sense here of Miller having dithered in the early issues with his various tangents, and suddenly having to do a lot of legwork to set up various elements of the Superman mythos. And even then, the open ending makes it half-feel like there should be a fourth issue to continue all of the elements that are left hanging.
(Even some of the art feels a bit rushed towards the end, with elements like Superman’s S-shield changing wildly in size from shot to shot.)
I’ve enjoyed this series, but as a mixed bag of interesting ideas and unusual approaches to Superman, rather than as a masterpiece. I’d buy a “Year Two” by the same team (although given that this series has covered a timespan of much more than a year, maybe that title wouldn’t work!), but I’d adjust my expectations accordingly.
-
-
Let’s try this again as the old post has disappeared.
Superman: Year One #3
This was a bit of a strange book in the end.
After two issues in which Frank Miller and John Romita Jr have given readers quite a different book to the one they might have expected, this final issue seems to feel a sudden need to tick off a lot of boxes that need ticking in the Superman origin story.
So, we get a meeting with Lois Lane, the move to Metropolis, the Daily Planet and the creation of the Clark Kent persona, a meeting with Lex Luthor, encounters with Batman and Wonder Woman, and even a mention of Brainiac towards the end.
Some of these scenes are pretty good – particular the ones revolving around Metropolis (where we get to see Superman take on some local crooks in a satisfying montage) and the Daily Planet (where we see all the old familiar faces and a “new” look for Clark Kent).
But as the issue barrels towards its conclusion, there’s a sense of the book trying to cram things in before the end, and it all feels a bit rushed and forced. It’s not like we really needed another encounter with Batman in a Miller story, but we get one anyway – and unfortunately the limited space allotted for the setup and payoff means it feels like a damp squib of a conflict that’s tossed off without much impact either way. At least that’s better than Wonder Woman gets, with an appearance that’s barely more than a cameo.
Having said that, there are still some good individual scenes here, with Miller leaning heavily on his love of repeated lines and rhythmic narration to hammer his story home. In some places, that works better than others – but the opening scene with Lois and the military worked well for me.
And on the art front, JR jr again turns in some amazing work here. I love Frank Miller’s work, but Romita has ended up being the main draw of the series for me, and there are more lovely full-page shots here like the one below (as well as lots of decent sequential pages, often packing a lot of action into a small space).
After the slightly wacky and off-brand first couple of issues, this finale brings everything to a close in a more conventional way than I expected. But there’s a sense here of Miller having dithered in the early issues with his various tangents, and suddenly having to do a lot of legwork to set up various elements of the Superman mythos. And even then, the open ending makes it half-feel like there should be a fourth issue to continue all of the elements that are left hanging.
(Even some of the art feels a bit rushed towards the end, with elements like Superman’s S-shield changing wildly in size from shot to shot.)
I’ve enjoyed this series, but as a mixed bag of interesting ideas and unusual approaches to Superman, rather than as a masterpiece. I’d buy a “Year Two” by the same team (although given that this series has covered a timespan of much more than a year, maybe that title wouldn’t work!), but I’d adjust my expectations accordingly.
-
-
-
-
-
Justice League #34 – This issue was heading toward an ending that would have been a twist on my expectations from what has been presented so far and then twisted again to give something closer to the outcome I expected. There’s still a lot to love in this book but it is starting to feel like this storyline is dragging out a bit.
.
Superman Year One #3 – As a lot of people have said, this issue started out in much the same quirky/weird territory as previous issue but then realized that they needed to cover some of the standard Superman origin pieces at a rather quick pace. There were still some incredible images here like the splash page of Superman flying in the rain. I think the best key to enjoying this story is realizing that this is the origin of DKR Superman. Once you realize that, it is easy to see how this characterization (and other characters) fit with that universe especially previous (though later chronologically within this world) appearances of this Superman (and Wonder Woman) in All-Star Batman & Robin, DKR and DK2. So this was far from being my favorite Superman origin but it was still enjoyable.
.
X-Men #1 – I really enjoyed the the one-two punch that was House of X and Powers of X. So I’m a little surprised that I didn’t enjoy this opening issue much. It just seemed overly verbose/expository especially in the first scene of the issue. I’m not sure if they were trying to get information across to those that might not have read the two mini-series or what. I plan on sticking around for at least a couple issue and still giving a couple of the other books a shot too. -
-
A selection for stickers for those that want them.
-
Bring on those sweet, sweet Wednesday comics. Looks like Action Comics #1016, Batman: Curse of the White Knight #4, Sharkey the Bounty Hunter #6 and potentially Marauders #1 for me.
-
-
Two corkers for me today.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Criminal #9
This issue gives us a real treat by bringing back the protagonist of the very first Criminal story, Leo from ‘Coward’, and mixing his younger self into the current ‘Cruel Summer’ mega-arc.
While it’s part of a larger story, this issue feels like a one-shot in the same way that previous issues have. I love the way we’re getting these character-focused single issues and I’m even more excited to see Brubaker and Phillips start to pull all these threads together from the next issue, as promised.
The art here is as good as ever – capturing the dark shadowy setting of this issue well, while still allowing for flashes of colour, especially when it’s used to illustrate key moments.
There’s great character development here, as well as suspense, a little bit of action and a bit of longer-term building towards the larger plot. The complete package! Can’t wait to see how this arc wraps up.
-
Batman: Curse of the White Knight #4
I’ve been really enjoying this series, but this issue was a ‘quieter’ chapter for the most part. It deals with the fallout from issue #3 well, and there’s an interesting interlude involving Alfred as well as a decent bit of action towards the end (any excuse for Murphy to draw a movie Batmobile is fine by me). But it doesn’t hang together brilliantly as a single issue, and the big cliffhanger feels like it comes a bit soon after the similar cliffhanger for issue #3 to be able to make the same impact. I think this will read better as part of the eventual collection.
-
Money Shot #1
I picked this up on a bit of a whim and found it quite amusing and fun, if a little slight in terms of the story.
Having already heard the premise in interviews promoting the book – science team seeks funding through live-streaming sexual encounters with aliens on a porn channel – it was a little disappointing that the vast majority of this issue is spent setting that premise up, with the larger story only really getting into gear fairly late on.
Having said that, we at least get the chance to get to know the characters reasonably well, which will help as the book goes on. And there’s still time for a bit of risqué alien action, with one of the team’s video shoots bookending the flashbacks that take up a big part of this opening issue.
The humour is pretty funny and the sex is presented in a very positive, non-sleazy way – and it’s actually pretty tame in terms of what’s actually shown on-panel (a little nudity is about the full extent of it). Which works for the book – if it went any more graphic it might offset the light, cartoonish comedy tone that the story is going for.
I mean, anything with an opening page like this is obviously going for ‘fun and silly’ rather than dealing with the sex or alien elements in any serious way.
So this is a solid start, even if it didn’t blow me away, and I’ll likely pick up issue #2 to see how it continues.
-
didn’t blow me
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
