The Pull List: September 18, 2013

I read too many comics.  It's a habit that so far has only benefited my local comic shop.  That changes now as you can learn from the mistakes of my purchases, and perhaps even be intrigued to check out some of the cool picture books of the week.  There's always the option to make fun of my tastes, too.

Marvel

-Superior Spider-Man #18 (Dan Slott, Ryan Stegman)

Doc Ock's web of control keeps unraveling.  I know I say this all the time.  There were some seriously unheroic actions undertaken in this issue though.  To the point where he violated the first rule of Spider-Man, the one of great power and responsibility.  Man, I really want the real Spider-Man back.  Spider-Man 2099 is still involved and unfortunately the little scuffle he has with Spidey/Ock is very breif and Stegman doesn't get a chance to cut loose.  Maybe next time the Spider-Men will actually fight.  

-New Avengers #10 (Jonathan Hickman, Mike Deodato)

Marvel's Infinity event is in full swing and New Avengers is along for the ride.  The two are somewhat organically tied together, but it still feels like the Illuminati's search for Thanos' son comes out of nowhere.  It's a pretty weak plot point.  There's a lot of talking in this issue which would be fine if it seemed like anything really got done.  Instead it comes across as boring with more emphasis on tell over show.

-Daredevil #31 (Mark Waid, Chris Samnee)

Look, do I really need to say that Daredevil is a great comic again?  It is.  Daredevil remains the best superhero comic around for a number of reasons.  Daredevil saves people with his own hands as well as using his quick wit to ask a my favorite scientist, Hank Pym, for help.  The way Daredevil handles the present crisis reflects the heroism of the character, because he does so while trying to throw as few punches as possible.  There's an great opening scene, but I'll let the picture tell that story.  Also, Daredevil is confronted with his greatest weakness: LED screens.  Think about that for a second.  It's not too late.  You too can find out why Waid and Samnee are two of the best storytellers around right now.

The Pull List: August 27, 2013

I read too many comics.  It's a habit that so far has only benefited my local comic shop.  That changes now as you can learn from the mistakes of my purchases, and perhaps even be intrigued to check out some of the cool picture books of the week.  There's always the option to make fun of my tastes, too.

Marvel

-Thanos Rising #5 (Jason Aaron, Simone Bianchi)

The foolhardy and brave decision to place this comic at the top of the weekly read pile was based on the theory that every comic I read after it will be better, so might as well start off with the turd.  I stand by this decision, but it caused me to put off reading comics for a couple hours.  Boy was it bad.  Instead of resorting to offensive language might I suggest that Marvel offer reparations for all the poor souls who went into this mini-series expecting a passable story about Thanos.  Passable was all I needed; it didn't need to be good for I knew to lower my expectations since our world is one with such little goodness left.  It didn't have to be good dammit.  

When you can take a comic that expresses passage of time as "many, many murders" and turn it into something that is way too serious and far up its own ass then you have essentially committed comic book infant murder.

-New Avengers #9 (Jonathan Hickman, Mike Deodato)

Completely unfair reviews returns.  I've a better grasp as to what Infinity is so the lack of fairness is only partially based in not having read all the important pieces of the story.  The main factor in the bias is that I had to read an issue of Thanos Rising.  Someone has to take the fall for this affront, and an event in which Thanos is a key player seems to be a good candidate.  Therefore, damn you New Avengers.  Damn you to hell.

The Pull List: May 29, 2013

I read too many comics.  It's a habit that so far has only benefited my local comic shop.  That changes now as you can learn from the mistakes of my purchases, and perhaps even be intrigued to check out some of the cool picture books of the week.  There's always the option to make fun of my tastes, too.

Marvel

-Captain America #7 (Rick Remender, John Romita Jr.)

How do you match Ed Brubaker's astonishing run on Captain America?  By making the first story arc of the Marvel NOW! series a far-out story pitting Captain against a crazy Nazi scientist in a dimension of his own making.  Things continue to race towards the conclusion as not only does Cap have to rescue his adopted son from a fortress full of crazy mutants, but he's also got to stop Arnim Zola from infecting the Earth with a virus that implants the consciousness of Arnim Zola in the victims.  Remender's been firing on all cylinders, and JR Jr. is showing why he's a big name in comics.  His flaws are still present and rear their head occasionally during slow scenes, which is a small price to pay to see him masterfully draw grandiose settings and stunning action scenes.  From the very beginning this has been one of my favorite Captain America stories, so I can't wait to see how it finishes up.

-New Avengers #6 (Jonathan Hickman, Steve Epting)

An illuminati of the world's heroes continue to delve into the mysteries of "the wheel" as they attempt to halt the destruction of their world.  Some of them also continue to question the morality of their actions.  Interesting things occur, things that I like.  That said, the comic is still trending in the "2deep4u" direction, which is a tough and perilous path to trod.  While the comic isn't for everyone, nor Hickman's best work, it is certainly something that keeps me intrigued and coming back for more.

-Wolverine and the X-Men #30 (Jason Aaron, Pasqual Ferry, Pepe Larraz, Salva Espin)

This issue proves to be a good jumping on point for new readers as it manages to take a few of the ongoing plot threads and weave them into a single cohesive story.  In that sense, it's a comic all about setting up the coming conflict between Wolverine's Jean Grey School and the Hellfire Academy.  Wolverine vs. Hellfire (insert establishment here) is certainly a comic that I will be buying.  Nothing particularly stands out, but the previously mentioned convergence of plot points is a hallmark of X-Men comics and their ensemble cast.

DC

-Adventures of Superman #1 (Jeff Parker, Chris Samnee, Justin Jordan, Riley, Rossmo)

This is a collection of three digital first stories.  First up is Parker and Samnee's little episode of Superman taking on a guy tweaking on super meth.  The plot and story are well done, but the best part is definitely Samnee's art.  He brings the Daredevil awesomeness along with him.

Next up is Jeff Lemire pulling writing and art duties.  Two kids are playing and one pretends to be Superman and the other has to be the villain.  Not only is it a good story, but it's a cool way to have Superman battle Braniac, Bizarro, Lex Luthor, the Parasite, General Zod, and Mr. Mxyzptlk in one go.  It culminates in the kid who played the villian this time to call dibs on Superman next time.  The first concedes on the grounds that he gets to be Doomsday, the villian notorious for killing Superman.  Some more banter occurs, and then the final bit of dialogue is as follows:

-"So?  It doesn't matter if he's more powerful or not.  I still get to win!"

-"Why?"

-"Because... Superman always wins"

The final story involves Superman trying to stop Bizarro.  Eventually it turns out it's all a big misunderstanding, since Bizarro says the opposite of what he means.  Superman helps Bizarro help people and the crisis is averted.  The entire comic, all three stories, is a comic for everybody.  Those that already like Superman should greatly enjoy how the man of steel is portrayed.  Those that don't necessarily get or like Superman would probably acquire a better understanding for the last son of Krypton and all he stands for.  Part of what he stands for is hope, something this book is full of. 

IDW

-G.I. Joe #4 (Fred Van Lente, Steve Kurth)

Few things are as near and dear to me as G.I. Joe, so it pains me to admit that I've been a bit lax with keeping up with the exploits of America's daring, highly-trained special mission force.  That changes now with the latest volume of the comic.  The  Joes are currently on a mission to take back a Cobra controlled town.  Things don't go well, but man is it a good comic.  The action is well thought out and executed very nicely.  Small comedic touches enhance the dire stakes, which in turn builds on the overall intensity of the tone.  Fred Van Lente's work on Incredible Hercules is a modern masterpiece, and he is a natural fit for the G.I. Joe franchise.  Despite a few stumbles with background/crowd art this comic has reignited my love for these real American heroes.