Recently, I opted to sell a portion of my comic collection. I have a rather large collection and a somewhat small apartment, so the time had come to pare down. I put together 22 short boxes of Key Issues, Complete Runs, Indie Titles, Silver, Bronze & Moderns, etc. Many of these were duplicates I had inadvertently acquired, others were series I had read but didn’t figure I would ever revisit, holding back on parting with my “best” books. The total count came out to 2,750 books. The buyer filled Five short boxes with books he wanted for his shop (keys, complete runs, signed covers, etc. The contents of the remaining 17 boxes were relegated as ‘bulk’ to be resold to a ‘bulk’ comic buyer. The final sale figure came out to an average of $0.35 per book. Ouch! I knew going into this that comics are currently in a Buyers Market, almost pulling the plug on the whole enterprise. Still, space and cash considerations ruled the day, and I also didn’t relish the idea of reloading all those boxes back into my vehicle (they’re heavy!) , so I went thru with the sale. Would I do it again? Not in this market.
If you’re like me and you had a daily newspaper delivered to your house every day, you’re old. hahahahaha. Kiddng! Yes, you’re probably still old, but you’re likely, also to have fond memories of the comic section of your daily paper., plus the (gasp!) large format color section on Sundays. The following is an unranked list of 5 of my favorites – excluding ‘Peanuts’, because ‘Peanuts’ is everybody’s favorite.
Tumbleweeds – Tom K. Ryan “The Western comic”. Yes! Somewhat dated and problematic nowadays, the adventures of the town residents of Grimy Gulch, the nearby Native American Poohawk tribe, and the soldiers of the US Army outpost Fort Ridiculous, was heavy on recurring gags, focused heavily on cowboy Tumbleweeds and diminutive Native American Lotsa Luck, who communicated primarily via scibbled notes, along with side characters including hulking warrior Bucolic Buffalo, husband-hunting Hildegard Hamhocker, and Col. G. Armageddon Fluster, commander of the 6 7/8 calvary.
Doonesbury – Gary Trudeau The classic social commentary, politics, college humor comic makes everybody’s lists. I’m no exception. a combination of political satire and college hijinks, the comic grew to become one of the most celebrated strips of all time. My fave characters include Mike, B.D., Duke and Mark.
Shoe – Jeff MacNelly A comic about a newspaper run by birds in sneakers. Seriously. Like ‘Doonesbury’, MacNelley poked fun at society and various political issues of the day. Old bird (literally) Professor Fishhawk was a favorite, although I admit his nephew Skyler became somewhat grating.
Gordo – Gustavo “Gus” Arriola As a kid growing up in the San Francisco Bay area I was surrounded by Spanish/Mexican culture. Gordo, steeped in Mexican culture fit perfectly into this mix. Even as a kid I appreciated Arriol’a drawing style and brush work. His art flowed so beautifully, and his animals felt as real as my own family’s cats.
Star Hawks – Ron Goulart & Gil Kane An epic sci-fi adventure by my favorite comic book artist, I loved Starhawks. It’s ongoing story about space-faring adventurers Rex and Chavez immediately caught this young teen’s imagination – this was before ‘Star Wars’, so quality Sci-Fi was had to come by. It read lie a comic, continuing over weeks. Always a battle, always a pretty girl. It started out as a double height strip before going with the traditional 3 panel layout later in it’s (too brief) run.
Another look back at the comics of 2019. Today it’s the 20 worst comics. (Based on books I actually purchased in 2019). ‘Worst’ is subjective, so I understand others’ milage may vary.
1. Avengers: No Road Home #10 (Marvel – 04/17/19) ★ Writer: Mark Waid, Jim Zub & Al Ewing / Art: Sean Izaakse / Colors: Marcio Menyz with Erick Arciniega / Cover: Yasmine Putri WTF was with that ending? A nine week build up for that? A Marvel homage issue? Terrible. I want my money back.
2. Absolute Carnage: Separation Anxiety #1 (Marvel – 08/14/19) ★ Writer: Clay McCleod Chapman / Art: Brian Level / Colors: Erick Arciniega So many questions. How many symbiots does it take to capture a tween? A bit too cute by half, this one. It’s like they were hardly trying (the writers and the symbiots).
3. Iceman #5 (Marvel – 01/09/19) ★ (Final Issue) Writer: Sina Grace / Art: Nathan Stockman / Colors: Andreas Mossa & Federico Blee / Cover: W. Scott Forbes There was a decent story buried in the muck of this book. Poor design and art just killed it. Also, jokes are okay, but the ones in this book are just stupid. Bobby’s an adult, not a tween.
4. Death’s Head #4 (Marvel – 10/30/19) ★ ‘Jailbreak’ (Final Issue) Writer: Tini Howard / Art: Kei Zama / Colors: Felipe Sobreiro / Cover: Nick Roche & Felipe Sobreirp Underwhelming, rushed and confusing finale for this up and down series. No laughs, no suspense, no real action, just lots and lots of talking. Big disappointment, yes?
5. Venom #15 (Marvel – 06/12/19) ★ ‘War of the Realms’ Tie -In Writer: Cullen Bunn / Art: Iban Coello with Alberto Alburquerque & Roberto Poggi / Colors: Andres Mossa / Cover: Kyle Hotz & Dan Brown Messy, noisy, subpar book. May be good for regular Venom readers. Not so as a ‘War of the Realms’ tie in. Also Alburquerque’s art ruins any book he touches. Dude’s awful.
6. Legion Of Super-Heroes #1 (DC – 11/06/19) ★ Writer: Brian Michael Bendis / Art: Ryan Sook & Wade von Grawbadger / Colors: Jordie Bellaire / Cover: Ryan Sook A jumbled mess. Lots of exposition and characters talking over each other in lame attempts at “youth humor”. I just don’t see a point or need for this book. Also, have I mentioned how much I hate aged up Jon Kent? It’s not working.
7. Captain America #14 (Marvel – 09/25/19) ★ ‘The Legend of Steve – Part 2’<br>Writer: Ta-Nehisi Coates / Art: Niko Walter / Colors: Matt Milla / Cover: Alex Ross A by the book rescue mission with few, if any real surprises. The narrative a was a bit confusing and a bit of an unpleasant read as well. This title continues to stumble along. Not sure how long I plan on sticking with it. (And I collect Cap books).
8. Amazing Spider-Man #16 (Marvel – 02/27/19) ★ ‘Hunted – Prelude’ Writer: Nick Spencer / Art: Ryan Ottley, Alberto Alburquerque & Cliff Rathburn / Colors: Laura Martin, Brian Reber & Carlos Lopez / Cover: Cully Hamner & Justin Ponsor Still no fan of Ryan Ottley’s art, but Alburquerque’s is some of the worst art I have ever seen. Ruined this book for me.
9. War of the Realms: Uncanny X-Men #1 (Marvel – 04/24/19) ★ ‘War of the Realms – Part 1 of 3’ Writer: Matthew Rosenberg / Art: Pere Perez / Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg / Cover: David Yardin A confusing mess of a battle book. The art makes it difficult to tell who’s speaking, and the whole thing just feels unnecessary.
10. Age of X-Man: Apocalypse and The X-Tracts #1 (Marvel – 03/13/19) ★ Writer: Tim Seeley / Art: Salva Espin / Colors: Israel Silva / Cover: Gerardo Sandoval & Israel Silva This book made very little sense. The mutants they’re coming up with are basically stupid. Horse Head Girl? Eye Boy? Please. Best thing was the cover.
11. Uncanny X-Men #10 (Marvel – 01/16/19) ★ ‘Disassembled – Part 10: Conclusion’ Writer: Matthew Rosenberg, Kelly Thompson & Ed Brisson / Art: Pere Perez / Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg / Cover: Giuseppe Camuncoli, Roberto Poggi & Jason Keith Not the most satisfying conclusion to the ‘Disassembled’ story. It’s big, overblown, and has a questionable ending. Please, no more telepaths and Uber-Mutants. They’re boring as hell.
12. Age of X-Man: Alpha (Marvel – 01/30/19) ★ Writer: Zac Thompson & Lonnie Nadler / Art: Ramon Rosanas / Colors: Triona Farrell / Cover: Phil Noto An incomprehensible prelude to another Mutant crossover EVENT!. No thank you.
13. Wolverine: Infinity Watch #2 (Marvel – 03/20/19) ★ Writer: Gerry Duggan / Art: Andy MacDonald / Colors: Jordie Bellaire / Cover: Giuseppe Camuncoli, Roberto Poggi & Dean White No story, just unrelated fight sequences. It ends on something like a story beat, but overall it’s a mess.
14. Uncanny X-Men #14 (Marvel – 03/20/19) ★ ‘This Is Forever – Part 4’<br>Writer: Matthew Rosenberg / Art: Salvador Larroca / Colors: Guru-eFX / Cover: Salvador Larroca & Rachelle Rosenberg A muddled, incoherent mess. I couldn’t understand anything that was going on. The final reveal was a plus, but overall this issue was another misfire.
15. Flash #78 (DC – 09/11/19) ★ ‘Death and the Speed Force – Part 3’ Writer: Joshua Williamson / Art: Rafa Sandoval & Jordi Tarragona / Colors: Arif Prianto / Cover: Sandoval Tarragona & Tomeu Morey Less action and more… lots more… talk in this issue. There’s some decent dialog, but overall its a bit of a bore.
16. Domino #10 (Marvel – 01/30/19) ★ ‘Soldier of Fortune – Part 4: Conclusion’ (Final Issue) Writer: Gail Simone / Art: David Baldeon, Michael Shelfer, Alberto Alburquerque & Anthony Piper with Victor Olazaba, Ed Tadeo & Michael Shelfer / Colors: Carlos Lopez / Cover: Gang Hyuk Lim So Domino ends not with a bang, but with a fizzle. The story tries really hard, but it’s a very unpleasant book to look at. Of the four artists, only Balderon’s work was any good (don’t get me started on Alburquerque). A sad way to go out.
17. Uncanny X-Men #18 (Marvel – 05/15/19) ★ ‘We Have Always Been – Part 2’ Writer: Matthew Rosenberg / Art: Carlos Villa, Juan Vlasco & Craig Yeung / Colors: Guru-eFX / Cover: Whilce Portacio & Erick Arciniega Taking the murdering mutants theme to the extreme in this one. I fail to see the point of this overly grim storyline.
18. Avengers #17 (Marvel – 03/20/19) ★ ‘The Kingdom of Vampires’ Writer: Jason Aaron / Art: David Marquez / Colors: Erick Arciniega / Cover: David Marquez & Matthew Wilson A bit of a jumbled mess. What was this story all about? Where’s the resolution? Such a disappointment.
19. Conan the Barbarian #3 (Marvel – 02/06/19) ★ ‘The Life & Death of Conan – Part 3: Cimmerians Don’t Pray’ Writer: Jason Aaron / Art: Mahmud Asrar / Colors: Matthew Wilson / Cover: Esad Ribic The magic’s of the return of Conan is already wearing off a bit, and it’s only the third issue. This was just a straight-up murder-porn story. Nothing to write home about.
20. Year of the Villain #1 (DC – 05/01/19) ★ ‘Doom’ Writer: / Scott Snyder / Art: Jim Cheung / Colors: Tomeu Morey‘Leviathan’Writer: Brian Michael Bendis / Art: Alex Maleev / Colors:Tomeu Morey ‘Justice’ Writer: James Tynion IV / Art: Francis Manapul / Colors: Francis Manapul / Cover: Greg Capullo & FCO Big EVENT! kick-off. Another one where all the heroes fight all the villains (sigh). More of a promo than a collection of true stories. It’s all stuff we’ve seen before, dozens of times. Yawn.
1. Daredevil #5 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (05/15/19) ‘Know Fear – Part 5’ Writer: Chip Zdarsky / Art: Marco Checchetto / Colors: Sonny Gho / Cover: Julian Totino Tedesco So good it hurts. You can feel the emotions coming off the page. Incredible writing and art to match. This series will go down in legend.
2. Batman #79 (DC) ★★★★★ (09/18/19) ‘City of Bane – Part 5’ Writer: Tom King / Art: Clay Mann & Seth Mann / Colors: Tomeu Morey / Cover: Tony S. Daniel & Tomeu Morey A perfect Batman book. This comic has it all. Gorgeous art, snappy dialog. Great action scenes. Romance. Humor. I love Bat & Cat together. Aces.
3. Immortal Hulk #24 (Marvel)★★★★★ (10/02/19) ‘The Steel Throne’ Writing: Al Ewing / Art: Joe Bennett with Ruy Jose, Balardino Brabo, Marc Deering & Roberto Poggi / Colors: Paul Mounts / Cover: Alex Ross Sweet Christmas. This book went places I did not see coming. The end of Fortean and the possible emergence of a new kind of Hulk. Big things are definitely brewing. Oh, and the ending? I have no words. I have lost all my words.
4. Spider-Man: Life Story #1 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (03/20/19) ‘The 60’s – Chapter 1: The War at Home’ Writer: Chip Zdarsky / Art: Mark Bagley & John Dell / Colors: Frank D’Armata / Cover: Chip Zdarsky Amazing. Great art, brilliant storytelling. Perfect.
5. Guardians of the Galaxy #1 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (01/23/19) ‘The Final Gauntlet – Part 1 of 6’ Writer: Donny Cates / Art: Geoff Shaw / Colors: Marte Gracia / Cover: David Marquez & Dean White A perfect book. Great art, a interesting story, big moments, and fun to read. Outstanding.
6. Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #11 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (08/28/19) ‘Friendly Neighborhood Mary Jane’ Writer: Tom Taylor / Art: Juann Cabal / Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg / Cover: Andrew C. Robinson Outstanding. Sparkling dialog.. complete with callbacks. Spot on art with lots of great little bits of business. A surprise guest star. Practically perfect in every way.
7. Daredevil #7 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (06/19/19) ‘No Devils. Only God – Part 2’ Writer: Chip Zdarsky / Art: Lalit Kumar Sharma & Jay Leisten / Colors: Java Tartaglia / Cover: Chip Zdarsky Beautiful. Just… beautiful. I love scruffy Murdock, and the religious elements really moved me. There was even a surprise. This may be a perfect book.
8. Cano #5 (IDW) ★★★★★ (10/02/19) Writer: David M. Booher / Art: Drew Zucker / Colors: Vittorio Astone / Cover: Drew Zucker Six pages of wordless battle and the end of Canto’s quest… or not the end? Beautiful storytelling and one of the most heartbreaking pages I’ve ever read (second to last page, I read it three times). Wonderful book.
9.Secret Warps: Arach-Knight Annual #1 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (07/24/19) ‘Part 4: Supremeuniversal’ Writer: Al Ewing / Art: Carlos Gomez / Colors: Carlos Gomez / Cover: Carlos Gomez & Edgar Delgado ’A Terrific Tangle’ Writer: Jim Zub / Art: Carlo Barberi & Juan Vlasco / Colors: Ruth Redmond Best book in the ‘Secret Warps’ series, by a mile. Beautifully drawn with with writing so fun I laughed out loud several times. Both stories are practically perfect, in every way.
10. Daredevil #12 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (10/02/19) ‘Through Hell – Part 2’ Writer: Chip Zdarsky / Art: Marco Checchetto / Colors: Nolan Woodard / Cover: Julian Totino Tedesco Gritty, dirty and brutal – twice. The fact the Murdock fight takes place in daylight makes it even more visceral. You could almost feel the punches. The Fisk scene… holy… yikes. Awesome book.
11. Immortal Hulk #19 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (06/12/19) ‘Butterfly’ Writer: Al Ewing / Art: Joe Bennett with Ruy Jose & Balardino Brabo / Colors: Paul Mounts & Rachelle Rosenberg / Cover: Alex Ross Holy Christmas, that was something! Grisley, cruel, shocking… amazing. Just wow.
12. Doom 2099 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (12/11/19) ‘2099 – Part 10’ Writer: Chip Zdarsky / Art: Marco Castiello & Vincenzo Acunzo / Colors: Chris Sotomayor / Cover: Tomm Coker & Michael Garland Outstanding Doom/Richards story. Zdarsky & Castiello combine for a near-perfect one-shot. The surprise of the 2099 EVENT!
13. Invisible Woman #3 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (09/11/19) Writer: Mark Waid / Art: Mattia De Lulis / Colors: Mattia De Lulis / Cover: Adam Hughes Outstanding. From the cover to the final page, this is a spy thriller done right. I love Sue as a bad-ass spy… and with a new power set too. Awesome stuff.
14. Fantastic Four #13 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (08/14/19) ‘The Fight of Your Life’ Writer: Dan Slott / Art: Sean Izaakse / Colors: Marcio Menyz / Cover: Esad Ribic That was crazy good. I don’t think I have never seen the Thing get beat up that badly. Loved the way the fight was portrayed. Loved the ending. Loved the coda. Loved everything.
15. Amazing Spider-Man #18.HU (Marvel) ★★★★★ (04/03/19) ‘Hunted’Writer: Nick Spencer / Art: Ken Lashley / Colors: Erick Arciniega / Cover: Greg Land & Frank D’Armata Sublimely dark and grim. Beautiful and sad. Wow.
16. Sharkey the Bounty Hunter #4 (Image) ★★★★★ (06/05/19) Writer: Mark Millar / Art: Simone Bianchi / Colors: Simone Peruzzi with Matteo Vattani / Cover: Simone Bianchi Excellent book. Betrayal, spies, living asteroids. Great stuff. Vatanni’s assist on the art provided a special kick. Just awesome.
17. Martian Manhunter #6 (DC) ★★★★★ (06/26/19) ‘We Plan Escape’ Writer: Steve Orlando / Art: Riley Rossmo / Colors: Ivan Plascencia / Cover: Riley Rossmo The fall of Mars as our story comes full circle – sort of. The fall of J’onnz is portrayed masterfully. The betrayal and loss. Beuautiufully written and brutally ilustrated. Awesome.
18. Silver Surfer: Black #3 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (08/14/19) ‘Black – Part 3 of 5’ Writer: Donny Cates / Art: Tradd Moore / Colors: Dave Stewart / Cover: Tradd Moore & Felipe Sobreiro Visually stunning throughout (that cover!) This issue has a directness and tight narrative that really improves the story. Surfer is valiant and strong, as opposed to previous issues where he displayed many of his flaws. I prefer this version.
19. King Thor #2 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (10/23/19) ‘Chapter 2: Gorr and the Last of the Gods’ Writer: Jason Aaron / Art: Esad Ribic / Colors: Ive Svorcina / Cover: Esad Ribic The Gorr/Loki/Thor dynamic makes for an incredible read. Aaron’s writing in this issue is simply amazing. The visuals are grim, brutal and sublimely beautiful. An awesome book. What a rebound. Wow.
20. Immortal Hulk #22 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (08/07/19) ‘Who’s There’ Writer: Al Ewing / Art: Joe Bennett with Ruy Jose & Balardino Brabo / Colors: Paul Mounts / Cover: Alex Ross Oh man, that ending. For a relatively quiet book, this was a riveting read. The intensity keeps building, until… BOOM!
The final Books of the Week for 2019. Short and Sweet. Books of the Week: 12/26/191.
Dr. Strange: Surgeon Supreme #1 (Marvel) ★★★★★ Writer: Mark Waid / Art: Kev Walker / Color: Java Tartaglia / Cover: Phil Noto Kev Walker’s art really makes this book pop. The writing is really strong too. I like the everyday nature of the first half. The fight sequence is quick, rough and surprising. All in all, this was a great read. Also: I love that they brought back the classic masthead.
2. Incoming #1 (Marvel) ★★★★ Writer: Various / Art: Various / Colors: Various / Cover: Patrick Gleason & Marte Gracia Multiple creative teams take turns at the writing and art for this compelling murder mystery that touches on the entire marvel Universe (almost). Lots of set-up for the 2020 Marvel slate. Definitely an interesting way to do a preview book. I liked the FF sequence the best.
1. King Thor #4 (Marvel) ★★★★★ ‘Chapter 4: Conclusion – What is the Spirit of Thunder’ (Final Issue) Writer: Jason Aaron / Art: Esad Ribic & Guests / Colors: Ive Svorcina & Guests / Cover: Esad Ribic Epic, mythical storytelling at its finest, and one beautiful way for long time scribe Jason Aaron to sign off. Esad Ribic’s art is amazing.
2. Mountainhead #3 (IDW) ★★★★★ ‘Chapter Three: The Other Shoe’ Writer: John Less / Art: Ryan Lee / Colors: Doug Garbark / Cover: Ryan Lee Wow. That was … intense, grisly, and eerie as all get out. The sequence between Abraham and his mother was especially good and wonderfully depicted, as is the opening scene. This is turning into a wonderfully dark series.
3. Agents of Atlas #5 (Marvel) ★★★★★ ‘The Port City of Pan – Part 5’ (Final Issue)Writer: Greg Pak / Art: Nico Leon / Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg / Cover: Junggeun Yoon Well that was an unexpected ending. Dragons, betrayals and answers to the mystery of Pan City fill this book. Another fun read with wonderful art. Amadeus’ expressions are priceless throughout. Nice to see the story will continue in a new mini-series.
4. Metal Men #3 (DC) ★★★★★ ‘Of Metal and Monsters’ Writer: Dan Did / Art: Shane Davis & Michelle Delecki / Colors: Jason Wright / Cover: Shane Davis, Michelle Dilecki & Jason Wright The remaining Metal Men fight a foe from their past – and it does not go well. The Nth Metal Man mystery continues to grow, and Magnus urns their HQ into a giant fighting robot. This book pretty much has it all. Tons of fun.
5. Batman #85 (DC) ★★★★ ‘City of Bane – Part 11’Writer: Tom King / Art: Mikel Janin / Colors: Jordie Bellaire / Cover: Tony S. Daniel & Tomeau Morey A tough call for this somewhat satisfying conclusion to the Tom King City of Bane era. As always, the Bat & Cat sequences were amazing. Gotham Girl saves the rest of the book. I suppose my main problem is that I was never truly invested in the Thomas Wayne mythos, so the final resolution did nothing for me. Still, what I liked I loved.
6. Gwenpool Strikes Back #5 (Marvel) ★★★★ (Final Issue) Writer: Leah Williams / Art: David Baldeon / Colors: Jesus Aburtov & Guru-eFX / Cover: Elena Strikes & Judith Stephens Funny, meta sort-of ending to this iteration of Gwenpool. It’l be interesting to se where they take her in the future. If you’re going to retcon a character, this was a pretty fun way to do it.
7. Invaders #12 (Marvel) ★★★★ ‘Dead in the Water – Part 6 (Final Issue) Writer: Chip Zdarsky / Art: Carlos Magno with Butch Guice / Colors: Alex Guimaraes / Cover: Butch Guice & Romulo Fajardo Jr. A fitting end to this latest Invaders series. Namor is Namor, Cap is Cap, the fight ends too easily. Pretty sweet double splash page. I enjoyed the Invaders’ bonding scenes throughout this series, and this one had a couple of solid ones too. I hope they restore the Torch. I hate the new robot armor body.
8. Amazing Spider-Man #36 (Marvel) ★★★★ ‘2099 – Part 13: Time After Time’Writer: Nick Spencer / Art: Oscar Balazuda / Colors: Steve Firchow / Cover: Tony Daniel & Edgar Delgado I enjoyed this book a lot, although I was completely lost throughout. How any of this ties back to 2009 I have no idea. I do like the Doom plot, but again… no idea how this ties back to 2099. Did I miss something? May need to revisit those early 2099 books.
9. Flash Forward #4 (DC) ★★★★ ‘Chapter 4: Flash of Two Worlds’ Writer: Scott Lobdel / Art: Brett Booth & Norm Raymond / Colors: Luis Guerrero / Cover: Doc Shaner Nice West family sequence and some fun action with a multiverse Linda helping Wally save two Earths. I like the pacing of this book. It fits the story beautifully. Cool stuff.
10. Once & Future #5 (Boom! Studios) ★★★★ Writer: Kieron Gillen / Art: Dan Mora / Colors: Tamra Bonvillain / Cover: Dan Mora Duncan takes charge in this exciting, if mostly action-less installment. The art continues to shine and the plot continues to thicken. It’s cool stuff, if a bit light on the charm of previous books.
11. Justice League #38 (DC) ★★★★ ‘Justice/Doom War – Part 9’ Writer: Scott Snyder / Art: Jorge Jimenez & Daniel Sampere with Juan Albarran / Color: Alejandro Sanchez / Cover: Francis Manapul Solid, coherent action in this surprisingly good JL book. Nobody behaves stupidly (except possibly Green Lantern), and editorial willing, Starro is dealt a fatal blow. What more can I ask?
12. Shapes #2 (Cave Picture) ★★★★ Writer: Jason Brubaker & Rick Rekedal / Art: Jason Brubaker / Colors: Jason Brubaker & Asdrian Amarteifiq Our cast stumbles through the dangers of their new reality while questions and mysteries abound. The Shapes are quite fun. I’m glad our hero doesn’t know what he’s doing – he just guesses. It keeps the comic interesting. Fun stuff.
13. Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #6 (DC) ★★★★ Writer: Matt Fraction / Art: Steve Lieber / Colors: Nathan Fairbairn / Cover: Steve Lieber & Nathan Fairbairn This book was a tad more serious in spots than previous issues, but Superman and Batman come in to provide the required laughs. Batman always wins, remember that. Words to live by.
14. Roku #3 (Valiant) ★★★★ ‘Part 3 of 4’ Writer: Cullen Bunn / Art: Ramon F. Bachs / Colors: Stephanie Paitreau / Cover (C): C. Crystal The action picks up and we get a bit of exposition. The stakes are set pretty high, but with only one book left, I’m curious how they can wrap all this up in a satisfying way. Its all moving very fast.
15. History of the Marvel Universe #6 (Marvel) ★★★ (Final Issue) Writer: Mark Waid / Art: Javier Rodriguez & Alvaro Lopez / Colors: Javier Rodriguez / Cover: Steve McNiven, Mark Farmer & Morry Hollowell A quick trip thru modern marvel history centering mainly on EVENTS!. The Galactus/Franklin bookends gave this final book a bit more pep than the previous issue, which was a welcome development.
16. Spider-Man #3 (Marvel) ★★★ ‘Bloodline – Part 3’ Writer: J.J. Abrams & Henry Abrams / Art: Sara Pichelli & Elisabetta D’Amico / Colors: Dave Stewart / Cover: Oliver Coipel & Dave Stewart Not what I was expecting in this book. Felt like a hard left turn. Still, it remains a compelling story at least. The plot development at the end is a bit eye-rolling, and I hope it’s over quickly in issue 4. A clearer narrative would be helpful too. Also: That Cadaverous font is hard to read.
17. Daredevil #15 (Marvel) ★★★‘ Through Hell – Part 5’ Writer: Chip Zdarsky / Art: Marco Checchetto & Francesco Mobili / Colors: Nolan Woodard & Rachelle Rosenberg / Cover: Julian Totino Tedesco A rare misstep in this DD series. The Foggy scene was stiff and emotionless. The Fisk scene felt wildly out of character. The best part was the DD/Elektra sequence, but even that felt a bit lackluster. I know it’s unreasonable to expect the same high standard every issue, but his book was surprising, and not in a good way.
18. 2099: Omega #1 (Marvel) ★★★ ‘2099 – Part 12’ Writer: Nick Spencer / Art: Gerardo Sandoval & Ze Carlos with Victor Nava / Colors: Morry Hollowell, Brian Reber & Andrew Crossley / Cover: Patrick Gleason & Rachelle Rosenberg Some interesting moments in this EVENT! Finale, but not enough to satisfy the many questions this ‘series’ raised. An up and down narrative evidently aimed at rebooting the 2099 franchises instead of offering a cohesive story. Sigh. Feels like a waste of time. (Except for the Doom & Conan books, which were awesome).
19. Doomsday Clock #12 (DC) ★★★ ‘Part 12: Discouraged of Man’ (Final issue) Writer: Geoff Johns / Art: Gary Frank / Colors: Brad Anderson / Cover: Gary Frank & Brad Anderson Maybe it’s the long delay between books, but I didn’t feel very connected to this ending. It was all a bit confusing. Superman is the messiah for all of the multiverse? Check. Manhattan is reborn as a new Clark/Superman in another reality? I think so…? It’s a head scratcher.
20. Tony Stark: Iron Man #19 (Marvel) ★★★ ‘The Ultron Agenda – Part 4: Conclusion (Final Issue) Writer: Dan Slott & Christos Gage / Art: Francesco Manna / Colors: Edgar Delgado / Cover: Alexander Lozano & Romulo Fajardo Jr. This book read pretty fast with a lot of conveniences to move things along. Manna’s artwork, while pleasant to look at, can feel a bit stiff at times. This final issue felt like like more of a set-up for Iron Man 2020. Btw:, the 2020 armor looks ridiculous, but I do like the AI Stark concept. I may stick around.
21. Show’s End #5 (Mad Cave) ★★ (Final Issue) Writer: Anthony Cleveland / Art: Jef Sadzinski / Colors: Julian Gonzalez / Cover: Jef Sadzinsky & Julian Gonzalez Our story concludes in an epic final battle, which provides more questions than answers. It was something of a letdown and read like they had to compress a lot of remaining story into one final issue. What a shame.
22. Annihilation: Scourge – Omega #1 (Marvel) ★★ (Final Issue) Writer: Matthew Rosenberg / Art: Manuel Garcia with Rafael Fonteriz, Cam Smith & Wayne Faucher / Colors: Federico Blee with Rachelle Rosenberg & Erick Arciniega / Cover: Josemaria Casanovas There was a lot to like in tis concluding chapter of Annihilation: Scourge, but there was also a lot to not like. The undoing of the resolution at the end felt cheap, and undercut the emotion of the previous pages (Not that there was a lot). This read very matter of fact and dot to dot. I think the writing & art failed the story. The stakes never felt particularly high.
23. Spider-Man: Velocity #5 (Marvel) ★★ (Final Issue) Writer: Dennis “Hopeless” Hallum / Art: Emilio Laiso / Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg / Cover: Skan Still not a huge fan of Haley. That chip on her shoulder along with her self centeredness is pretty annoying. It’ll be interesting to see what future writers choose to do with her. As far as the book goes, Great power, blah blah blah, Great responsibility… This is becoming a bit tired.
1. Immortal Hulk #28 (Marvel) ★★★★★ Writer: Al Ewing / Art: Tom Reilly & Matias Begara / Colors: Chris O’Halloran / Cover: Alex Ross ‘The New World’ Just when you think this title is going off the rails, Ewing pulls out a brilliant book like this one. Wonderfully dark and cynical. The art complements the writing beautifully. Wow.
2. Fantastic Four #17 (Marvel) ★★★★★ ‘Point of Origin – Part 4: Secret Agenda’ Writer: Dan Slott / Art: Luciano Vecchio, Carlos Magno, Bob Quinn & Sean Izaakse / Colors: Ericl Arciniega / Cover: Nick Bradshaw & John Rauch Great storytelling combined with some solid action make this book shine. The dialog pops and Slott manages to cram a ton of story into a single issue. Outstanding.
3. Annihilation: Scourge – Beta Ray Bill #1 (Marvel) ★★★★★ Writer: Michael Moreci / Art: Alberto Alburquerque / Colors: Jay David Ramos / Cover: Josemaria Casanovas Another outstanding installment in the Annihilation EVENT! Beta Ray Bill & Lockjaw make for a great pair. The book features an excellent battle sequence with a truly surprising ending. Most surprising of all, I actually enjoyed Al Alburquerque’s art. It looked great.
4. Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #14 (Marvel) ★★★★★ ‘A Night Off’ (Final Issue) Writer: Tom Taylor / Art: Marguerite Sauvage & Ken Lashley / Colors: Mauguerite Sauvage & Rachelle Rosenberg / Cover: Andrew C. Robinson Beautiful send-off for this up and down Spidey title. This issue took a a simple story and packed it with tons of feels. Very nicely done.
5. Superman #18 (DC) ★★★★★ ‘Truth’ Writer: Brian Michael Bendis / Art: Ivan Reis & Joe Prado / Colors: Alex Sinclair A surprisingly moving issue, considering the plot was well known going into the book. The art fit the story perfectly, showing the effect on Superman’s friends and the people of Metropolis. I’m looking forward to seeing how this changes things going forward.
6. Something Is Killing the Children #3 (Boom!) ★★★★★ ‘The Angel of Archer’s Peak – Part 4’ Writer: James Tynion IV / Art: Werther Dell’edera / Colors: Miquel Muerto / Cover: Werther Dell’edera & Giovanna Niro Very intense story telling as we finally get a look at what’s been doing the killing (maybe?). The chainsaw sequence adds some timely levity. The art remains stunning.
7. Annihilation: Scourge – Silver Surfer #1 (Marvel) ★★★★★ Writer: Dan Abnett / Art: Paul Davidson / Colors: Matt Milla / Cover: Josemaria Casanovas Really interesting take on the Surfer. His battle with the Revengers was short, but intense. The talky bits stayed compelling and the story flowed beautifully through to a surprising conclusion. Great stuff.
8. Undiscovered Country #2 (Image) ★★★★ Writer: Scott Snyder & Charles Soule / Art: Giuseppe Camuncoli & Daniele Orlandini / Colors: Matt Wilson / Cover (B): Crank! Nice intro flashback provides some more insight into our cast. Tension abounds as the crew decide on their course of action. Additional mysteries and secrets make for a compelling read. Solid stuff.
9. Amazing Mary Jane #3 (Marvel) ★★★★ Writer: Leah Williams / Art: Carlos Gomez & Lucas Werneck / Colors: Carlos Lopez / Cover: Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado Nice rebound. The story is moving again, the laughs hit the right note and the pacing is brisk and highly entertaining. All this and Sonny Diperna too! Cool.
10. Seven Days #3 (Lion Forge: Catalyst Prime) ★★★ Writer: Gail Simone / Art: Jose Luis & Jonas Trinidade / Colors: Michelle Madsen / Cover: Saida Temofonte We get the invaders’ backstory in this issue, and a glimmer of a battle scene, but mainly this book was about talking… lots… of… talking. Too much talking frankly. Oddly, the talking doesn’t explain some key things, like why would a reptilian race create sentries in humanoid form? Also: Exactly how did the sentries destroy the Earth’s armed forces if they can only protect themselves from one direction at a time? It’s still a solid concept, but I’m worried this book may be heading off the rails.
1. Annihilation: Scourge – Fantastic Four (Marvel) ★★★★★ Writer: Chrstos Gage / Art: Diego Olotegul & Juan Vlasco with Cam Smith & Scott Hanna / Colors: Erick Arciniega / Cover: Josemaria Casanovas A wonderful FF book. Going back to the Death of Johnny Storm days to add an unexpected twist to the overall story. I loved the writing. Doubt, regret, fears, it digs deep into the FF’s (especially Johnny’s) minds in a way that added a lot of new depth to the characters. The art was sometimes hit and miss, but the final battle scenes were outstanding.
2. Daredevil #14 (Marvel) ★★★★★ ‘Through Hell – Part 4’ Writer: Chip Zdarsky / Art: Marco Checchetto & Francesco Mobili / Colors: Nolan Woodard / Cover: Julian Totino Tedesco DD’s back… sort of. A lot of things good going in this book. It could have been a jumbled mess, but Zdarsky keeps the narrative tight, weaving all the threads together beautifully.The art remains moody and surprisingly dynamic for such a talky issue.
3. Annihilation: Scourge Nova #1 (Marvel) ★★★★★ Writer: Matthew Rosenberg / Art: Ibraim Roberson / Colors: Carlos Lopez / Cover: Josemaria Casanovas Another great installment of the Annihilation Scourge mini EVENT!. The art was solid, with some fun battle scenes. Annihilus looks off, but it works. The writing is where this book shines. The narraitive moves smoothly, with a perfect blend of humor and tension.
4. Black Cat #7 (Marvel) ★★★★ ‘The Want’ Writer: Jed MacKay / Art: Travel Foreman / Colors: Brian Reber / Cover: Otto Schmidt (Venom Island Variant) The slice of the history featuring the Guild, Odessa and Fox, anchors this exposition heavy book. It does manage to remain compelling even with little action. The return of Forman to art duties is a big plus. This title is one of Marvel’s best kept secrets.
5. Batman #84 (DC) ★★★★ ‘City of Bane – Part 10’ Writer: Tom King / Art: Jorge Fornes / Colors: Jordie Bellaire / Cover: Mikel Janin An interesting narrative construcution, along with Fornes’ art, make this book pop. Things are finally beginning to make sense. I really liked this issue.
6. Amazing Spider-Man #35 (Marvel) ★★★ ‘Doom’s Day’ Writer: Nick Spencer / Art: Oscar Balazuda / Colors: Steve Firchow / Cover: Tony Daniel & Edgar Delgado A very talky book, although the dialog pops and does a lot of the heavy lifting in an otherwise dull story. Bazaldua’s art provides a kick this title has needed for a while.
7. Doctor Doom #3 (Marvel) ★★★ ‘Death in the Afternoon’ Writer: Christopher Cantwell / Art: Salvador Larroca / Colors: Guru-eFX / Cover: Aco I found the Hell/Mephisto sequences in this book somewhat confusing. The writing still clicks, but the narrative felt a bit… choppy. Storywise we don’t get much new, except for another one of Doom’s visions. Read like a breather between acts, of sorts.
8. Spider-Man & Venom: Double Trouble #2 (Marvel) ★★★ Writer: Mariko Tamaki / Art: Gurihiru / Colors: Gurihiru / Cover: Gurihiru Not nearly as fun as the first issue. More a straightforward body-switching story. What jokes there are fall a bit flat or don’t live up to their potential. Still, an entertaining read, if only for the passcode sequence.
9. X-Men #3 (Marvel) ★★ ‘Hordeculture’ Writer: Jonathan Hickman / Art: Leinil Francis Yu & Gerry Alanguilan / Colors: Sunny Gho & Rain Beredo / Cover: Lenil Francis Yu & Sunny Gho Somewhat old-fashioned story, in that the ‘villains were ridiculous. Will these X-Men ever learn to fight as a a team? (Did that bullet to the head make Scott forget how?) Solo they each get beat. Duh. An interesting idea wrapped up in a dumb story. “S-Word”?, “A-word”?. Please.
10. Justice League #37 (DC) ★★ ‘Justice/Doom War – Part 8’ Writer: Scott Singer / Art: Jorge Jimenez / Colors: Alejandro Sanchez / Cover: Francis Manapul An immediate cut away from the promised battle, finds Supes and crew holding hands in a circle and.. talking. So. Much. Talking. Meanwhile, the Anti-Monoitor is hit by a car. Perpetua hurls a planet at Earth and we get promised, yet another, Great Battle. Completely ridiculous, but at least things are happening, and people aren’t acting stupid. There is that.
1. Martian Manhunter #10 (DC) ★★★★★
‘Through Carnage to Joy’ Writer: Steve Orlando / Art: Riley Rossmo / Colors: Ivan Plascencia / Cover: Riley Rossmo
J’onn and Diane grow closer during a big battle in the Mindscape against J’onn’s Three Great Beasts. Crazy good visuals run throughout this book. There’s even a few feels. The final coda didn’t add much, but it does remind you there is unfinished business to take care of.
2. Invisible Woman #5 (Marvel) ★★★★★ Writer: Mark Waid / Art: Mattia De Lulis / Colors: Mattia De Lulis / Cover: Adam Hughes
Tension filled ending to the IW mini-series. This was a great read with a lot of unexpected moments that really make it a stand out. This series really did a great job showing how powerful Sue actually is. Great stuff. Hopefully some of this will carry over to the regular FF title.
3. Fantastic Four: Grand Design #2 (Marvel) ★★★★ Writer: Tom Scioli / Art: Tom Scioli / Colors: Tom Scioli / Cover: Tom Scioli
This book packs a lot of FF history into a single narrative. It gets confusing at times, as I am unfamiliar with a lot of the source material, but still, it’s a interesting ride. Bold choice to retrofit elements from later FF stories into the earlier stories.
4. Second Coming #5 (Ahoy) ★★★★ Writer: Mark Russell / Art: Richard Pace & Leonard Kirk / Colors: Andy Troy / Cover: Amanda Conner & Paul Mounts
Interesting view of history from Satan and God’s perspectives. The dialog in this issue sparkles, it’s so good. Sunstar’s quest to adopt a baby goes predictably wrong, but it has a heck of a payoff. Another solid book.
5. Fantastic Four: Negative Zone #1 (Marvel) ★★★ ‘Ethical Dilemmas in Modern Science’
Writer: Mike Carey / Art: Stefano Caselli / Colors: Erick Arciniega
‘What Are the Fantastix For?’
Writer: Ryan North / Art: Steve Uy / Colors: Steve Uy
One-Shot featuring an FF and a Fantastix Story. The FF one was actually pretty good. It illustrates how Reed’s ethics often get the group in trouble. The Fantstix story was a fun surprise as I never though we would see them again. This was a somewhat siller story (Hell, Ryan North) than the first. Both stories were enjoyable, just not very memorable.
6. Venom #20 (Marvel) ★★ ‘Oversight – Part 2’
Writer: Donny Cates / Art: Iban Coello & Ze Carlos / Colors: Rain Beredo / Cover: Kyle Hotz & Dan Brown
Fairly straightforward ending to the Absolute Carnage story, with a hint of what’s up next. Not bad, but not really much to write home about either. There are the Brock family feels, otherwise… meh.
