This week seems pretty damn solid if you ask me. Got some of my absolute favorite ongoings, a couple number ones, and some continuations of Original Sin, Death of Wolverine, and, of course, Axis. It seems to me that Batman Eternal is even ready to climb the ranks again after having been in a slump for a couple weeks there. So lets get into it, my picks of the week.
Batman Eternal #30 (DC)
Ray Fawkes (W) Fernando Pasarin (A)
Last week’s entry was actually a pretty solid entry by Mr. Fawkes, but that doesn’t get this comic off the hook for me. Mostly because of theother things on this list that I’m excited for pushing it to the top. Let me emphasize that I don’t hate Fawkes, I actually haven’t read anything else by him to my knowledge. I just don’t think he is a perfect match for this story. That being said, the last issue was pretty damn satisfying as things begin to come together under Arkham.
Axis: Carnage #1 of 3 (Marvel)
Rick Spears (W) German Peralta (A)
I really dig this concept, horrible mass murderer becomes new star-spangled hero. After his appearance in Axis, actually pretty funny and enjoyable, and the Hobgoblin miniseries that premiered last week, I think these little tie ins are shaping up to be pretty funny little excursions into the “what if…” realm of these characters. Looking forward to this.
Death of Wolverine: Deadpool and Captain America #1 (Marvel)
Gerry Duggan (W) Scorr Kolins (A)
Now, there are a whole lot of comics following the events after Wolverine’s death, but I was really only looking forward to this one. I’m not wholly invested in a lot of the X-men comics right now, but I am invested in the Deadpool ongoing. (Being that I have a print subscription from Marvel I tend to get these issues, along with Thor, Hulk and Hawkeye, a few weeks later than they release that’s why they don’t appear on my pull lists!) I loved the arc “The Good, The Bad, and The ugly” which followed Cap., Wolverine and Deadpool as they searched for the person in charge of reestablishing the super-soldier program in North Korea. It’ll be interesting to see how Deadpool deals with Wolvies death with the new, older Captain America. Can’t wait.
Deathlok #1 (Marvel)
Nathan Edmondson (W) Mike Perkins (A)
Really pretty excited about this. Written by Nathan Edmondson, it follows the newest member of the Deathlok family, Henry Hayes. He is a warzone medic, who is activated by a mysterious group to do their bidding. All the while, he never knows he is a killing machine. Sounds ripe with potential.
Axis: Revolutions #1 of 4 (Marvel)
Dennis Hopeless (W) Ken Lashley (A)
This comic follows the things that happen outside of our knowledge after Axis #3 and the two villain tie-ins. The world is being affected bythe Red Skull’s mind control, and people are rioting in pure hatred. I’m interested to see who gets caught in the fire and who changes.
Wayward #3
Jim Zub (W) Steven Cummings (A)
A pretty interesting title about a girl who moves to Japan to live with her mother. After she arrives, strange things begin to happen to her. She meets some other strange people as she adjusts to the culture and sprawling city of Tokyo. Steeped in Japanese folklore and culture, an interesting journey into Japanese storytelling.
Fantastic Four #12 (Marvel)
James Robinson (W) Leonard Kirk (A)
I love the dynamic between Spider-Man and Johnny Storm, it’s one of my favorite duos. To see them back together after everything that Johnny has been through and his erratic slip out of the limelight and into a darker, more depraved scene is something I think will be very refreshing.
Justice League United Annual #1 (DC)
Jeff Lemire (W) Jay Leisten (A)
A new arc for the comic starts here as the team finds out that the 31st century is crumbling. I’m interested in this comic, very interested. I think some of the things Lemire has done to characterize his newest addition to the team. Equinox, in the past few issues is fantastic. I am truly excited to see the excent of her powers as she gets used to her new mantle, and the seasons begin to change (as her powers evolve with the seasons).
Elektra #7 (Marvel)
Haden Blackman (W) Michael Del Mundo (A)
Loving this series, absolutely one of my favorites. With Del Mundo on illustration, each issue is like a work of art, that paired with theamazingly etherial storytelling make this an absolute must read. This next issue begins a new arc for the series as she deals with thecollateral damage of the hits put against her for helping The Crow, a legendary assassin in hiding.
Guardians of the Galaxy #20 (Marvel)
Brian Michael Bendis (W) Ed McGuinness (A)
Bendis has a way of making everything spectacular and this comic is no exception. The final comic to still be doing Original Sin Tie-Ins (come on Bendis), we finally reach the conclusion of what happened to Drax, Nova, Star-lord and Thanos in the Cancer-verse. I can assure you it will be jaw dropping. Check it out!
Inhuman #7 (Marvel)
Charles Soule (W) Pepe Larraz (A)
This solicitation has me all giddy. It teases the return of one of my favorite characters of all time, Black Bolt. Mind you things may be a little different, being that the last time we saw him, he was a slave to his brother Maximus. Either way, this series continues to wow me and with a little tease like that, I can’t help but be excited.
Low #4 (Image)
Rick Remender (W) Greg Tocchini (A)
One of the darker series, as I’ve mentioned before, became just a little lighter last issue. There is hope! In a world fueled by corruption, gluttony and greed, there is hope. Something has just returned to the planet, something that signifies a chance to leave the dying planet behind. This is one chance to bring the human race back. But in the face of hope, there is always denial.
Southern Bastards #5 (Image)
Jason Aaron (W) Jason Latour (A)
Aw man, I don’t even know where this comic has left to go after the last issue. All I can say is that wherever Aaron decides to go, I’m onboard. The last arc left me angry, sad and extremely curious. Can’t wait to rekindle my southern love affair.
Black Science #10 (Image)
Rick Remender (W) Matteo Scalera (A)
Things in the last issue got dire, I mean heart-wrenchingly dire. We were shown some of the guilty past of one of the team members, whilethe hope of finding the lost children became very very unlikely. The issue ends with a fantastic reveal that left us all thinking that maybe there is hope after all, or maybe in the face of infinite possibilities, there had to be hope, at least the idea.
Saga #24 (Image)
Brian K. Vaughan (W) Fiona Staples (A)
My favorite ongoing currently. I genuinely ask you if you are not reading this and you are reading this column about comic books, assuming you read comic books, why the hell are you not reading this comic. Seriously. First off it’s Brian K. Vaughan, second off it’s Fiona Staples, third off why the hell aren’t you reading this? I’m not even going to tell you what it’s about. Just go buy the first volume, or download it, or use binoculars to read it over the shoulder of that one dude who is sitting in the Starbucks across the street wearing moccasins, fiddling with his gauges (which he would assure you aren’t the reason he can’t find a decent job) and drinking a caramel Macchiato. Read this comic, you fool.
So there you go. In summary, why aren’t you reading Saga right now? Seriously? If you need something to convince you, check out another absolutely amazing comic, The Private Eye by Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin. Better yet, it’s pay what you want! If you’re like me, that means an extremely cheap comic (that is until I get enough money to pay these guys what they deserve) If you got the cash, these guys are worth it, if not, try it for free. The future is a wonderful place, isn’t it?
