I'm not sure what's going on this week, but I've only got two books on tap while Ryan has well over a dozen. Disparity seems to be in his dipping his toe in on the various Heroic Age titles coming out from Marvel this week, all of which I'm taking a pass on. Find out what books we're both buying this week and our thoughts on each after the jump!
AGE OF HEROES #1Written by Various
Art by Various
Eisner-winner & fan-favorite KURT BUSIEK RETURNS TO MARVEL! THE HEROIC AGE IS HERE! The Heroes are restored to their rightful place in this new era, and the world is safer for them. They defeated Osborn & his Siege on Asgard, now they have one last foe to face: the Mayor of New York--J. Jonah Jameson! Also, MI13 come to the US, but one of them isn't leaving--they are defecting to the AVENGERS?! Plus Dr. Voodoo's Sorcerer Supreme duties infringe on ""date night"" and how much trouble can Spider-Man get into in one day? The answer: A LOT!
Ryan: Marvel has three anthologies spinning out of the end of Siege dropping this week, the first of which is Age of Heroes. The premise behind the Heroic Age definitely has piqued my curiosity about this anthology, but I can’t say I’m exactly wowed by this solicitation. I’ve never been a huge Kurt Busiek fan (he’s good, but not legendary in my opinion) and stories starring MI13 and Dr. Voodoo aren’t my cup of tea either (which is why I didn’t buy either series). This is going to come down to a flip-through, but for now, I’m leaning towards “no.”
ATLAS #1Written by Jeff Parker
Art by Gabriel Hardman and Ramon Rasanas
THE HEROIC AGE IS HERE! It's the Agents you love, in an ALL-NEW ONGOING SERIES! Someone has come to ATLAS looking for answers to some very strange questions, and on his trail is a danger of a new level. Marvel's Rat Pack are back to solve the mystery behind THE 3-D MAN. The star team of Jeff Parker and Gabriel Hardman return to take Jimmy Woo's agents to the weirdest and most fantastic heights yet!"
Ryan: I absolutely loved the first Agents of Atlas miniseries, but could never seem to get on board full time with the last Agents of Atlas ongoing series for one reason or another. My love for the characters will bring me back for this go round and I hope that it turns out positively, but bringing in 3-D Man makes me very iffy about how great it is going to be. I’ll keep my fingers crossed on this one.
AVENGERS #1Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by John Romita Jr.
THE HEROIC AGE IS HERE! There came a day! A day unlike any other...where two of Marvel's top creators teamed up for the very first time to create a bombastic new monthly Marvel comic that not only ushers in the Heroic Age of Marvel Comics but unleashes onto the world the most blockbuster Avengers team ever! Who will answer the call? And will they assemble just in time...because Kang the Conqueror is here from the future. And wait till you find out why...! Bonus back up feature: the oral history of the Avengers, part one. A brand new illustrated look at the Avengers in a way you have never seen before by series writer Brian Michael Bendis.
Ryan: While the lack of a coherent direction in the recent Avengers books might have caused me to drop them from my pull list, I have always been a huge fan of the Avengers (I even have the Avenger’s logo tattooed on my leg), so with the new series looking like it could be a return to classic form, I don’t think I could be more excited. The combo of Bendis and Romita Jr. is the key selling point here, while the involvement of Wonder Man is the icing on the cake. I’ve got a feeling this is going to be the issue to beat this week!
BRIGHTEST DAY #2Written by Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi
Art by Various
BRIGHTEST DAY continues, but in ways you can't possibly expect! What does BRIGHTEST DAY mean to the DC Universe? Is everything from here on out going to be bright and shiny? No, BRIGHTEST DAY means something else entirely, something we can't tell you...yet. But we can tell you our heroes will need to rise up more than ever to combat the forces of evil, and a select few will uncover a secret that binds them ALL.
Ryan: This is going to be the make-it-or-break-it issue for me. After being totally underwhelmed and disappointed by both Brightest Day #0 and #1, unless something happens here to capture my interest, I’m going to be done with this series. I am marginally interested in the fate of Firestorm(s), but that alone isn’t worth a twice-monthly series that has done nothing but disappoint me thus far.
Kirk: I'm in agreement with Ryan. I've been underwhelmed so far with Brightest Day, which is surprising since I'm still enjoying his Green Lantern work and that's roughly the same ball park as what Johns is doing in Brightest Day.
DEAD @17: WITCH QUEEN #3Written by Josh Howard
Art by Josh Howard
Nara attempts to rescue Asia from the clutches of Lilith, but Asia may have other plans. Meanwhile, Purgatory begins to self-destruct as the Time of the End draws near.
Ryan: At the halfway point of this miniseries I’ve been very pleased with what feels like a love letter to the fans of the Dead @17 franchise. Howard is playing to his strengths and his readership’s expectations, which has made this is a very fun miniseries, though I would love to see him break out of the box at some point. He has a great style, but he doesn’t vary from much it as often as I’d like to see!
ENTER THE HEROIC AGE #1Written by Various
Art by Various
THE HEROIC AGE IS HERE! The Marvel Universe Starts Here! Five killer creative teams present the dawning of five all-HEROIC ongoing series. Who will answer the call to rise up and defend the world? The answers are in these pages exclusively! You can’t miss this first look at these new series that’ll have everyone buzzing.
Ryan: The second of Marvel’s Heroic Age anthologies this week looks to be a “trailer issue” for new ongoing books that will be spinning out of the event. Marvel has done these in the past with other events and they’ve been fairly enjoyable litmus tests for what is to come. I’ll give this a flip through and, based upon my interest in the books previewed, might plunk down the cash. Of course, in a week this loaded with great books, it will be hard to justify a $4 purchase for a book that is nothing but short previews of other books I might not be willing to purchase down the road.
GI JOE #18Written by Chuck Dixon
Art by Alex Cal
What starts as a desert survival exercise for the Joes turns into a fight for survival, with COBRA soldiers sent to find the Pit. Unarmed and out of communication, Covergirl, Downtown, and Tripwire must outwit, outlast, and outkill COBRA’s best if they want to stay alive and prevent the disclosure of the Pit’s secret location. The start of an all-new storyline, featuring art by Alex Cal (G.I. Joe Origins: Mainframe).
Ryan: Chuck Dixon has done a brilliant job of revitalizing the GI Joe franchise with this ongoing series, though the best issues have always been with artist Robert Atkins. Alex Cal is filling in for Atkins with this arc, which has me a bit nervous. I’m not familiar with Cal’s art, but it sounds like he has an exciting issue to draw here. I just hope that his involvement in this series works out better than SL Gallant’s!
GIRL COMICS #2Written by Various
Art by Various
Already one of the most talked about comics of the year, Marvel is proud to present the second issue of GIRL COMICS, spotlighting some of the most talented women working in comics today! With something for every comic reader, from the Fantastic Four to the X-Men to the reunion of acclaimed creators LOUISE SIMONSON and JUNE BRIGMAN on the Power Pack, you won’t want to miss this Marvel milestone!
Ryan: The first issue of Girl Comics was a ton of fun and featured some great (and a few not-so-great) short stories from some of the best female creators in the business. I have high expectations for this issue, especially with legendary Louise Simonson involved. I still don’t care for the name much, but I won’t let that get in the way of enjoying this issue!
Kirk: It's been like two months since the first issue of this series. Anyone know if it was delayed or if that's just the shipping schedule? I'm just curious because I really enjoyed the first issue and it seems like any hype it had sort of fizzled out with how long it's been. I was beginning to wonder if it was a one-shot deal instead of a miniseries.
LEGION OF SUPERHEROES #1Written by Paul Levitz
Art by Yildiray Cinar
Fan-favorite LEGION writer Paul Levitz returns to the 31st century super team he made supreme with an all-new intergalactic era! This exciting series picks up on threads from Geoff Johns’s “”Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes”” storyline and creates its own all-new ones, including a Green Lantern Corps tie-in and the destruction of a major planet! Rocket on board here as Levitz and rising star artist Yildiray Cinar (TEEN TITANS) revitalize one of DC’s most beloved franchises starting with an oversized first issue!
Ryan: With just about every single recent relaunch of the Legion of Superheroes, I’ve given it a shot to see if I can see what all the fuss is about and, thus far, I’ve never been able to latch whatever it is about these characters that makes their legion of fans (pun intended) so rabid. Since Paul Levitz is one of the most legendary Legion writers ever and Yildiray Cinar is one of my favorite new artists, I’m thinking about giving this one a shot. I just hope that they can overcome the hurdles that have prevented me from really enjoying this franchise in the past—unmanageably large cast, relying on a history that is inaccessible to new readers, unclear distinctions between character personalities, etc.
ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS #1Written by Various
Art by Various
An all-star lineup of creators brings you the origins of Marvel's greatest heroes! Short, accessible origin stories, all drawn by a roster of the hottest artists, including John Romita Jr., Leinil Francis Yu, Alan Davis and MORE! From the Avengers to the X-Men! From Iron Man, Thor, the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man to Hulk, Deadpool, Black Widow and the Punisher! They're all here!
Ryan: Marvel’s third (and final) Heroic Age anthology of the week is perhaps the most interesting, but also the most unnecessary. I’m definitely drawn to the idea of seeing the origins of some of Marvel’s most prominent characters drawn by some of the top artists in the business. The problem is that these stories are already well-worn and so a retelling of them now seems totally unnecessary. Again, I’ll give this one a flip through to make my final decision, but it is really going to come down to the strength of the art.
SPIRIT #2Written by Mark Schultz and Harlan Ellison
Art by Moritat and Kyle Baker
In this second gripping issue, Angel Smerti is a lady who gets what she wants – and she wants The Spirit dead! The Spirit's first encounter with the Golden Tree crime organization will show him that the threat extends far beyond Central City! And in the co-feature, THE SPIRIT: BLACK & WHITE, modern fiction master Harlan Ellison teams with the brilliant Kyle Baker (WEDNESDAY COMICS) to bring an adventure right to the Spirit's backyard — Wildwood Cemetery!
Ryan: The first issue of The Spirit was a great reintroduction to the character that showcased Mark Schultz’s ability to balance humor and intrigue with gorgeous art by Moritat. I wasn’t as thrilled with the backup story, but things are looking better with Harlan Ellison and Kyle Baker taking the reigns in that regard. I think this series is going to fly under the radar for a lot of readers, but I’ve got a feeling that this could be one of the strongest issues of the week.
SUPERMAN: WAR OF THE SUPERMEN #3Written by James Robinson and Sterling Gates
Art by Eduardo Pansica
The Battle for Earth! All of Earth's heroes must make one last stand against the Kryptonians while Superboy and Steel try exposing the evils of General Lane! But will they be branded traitors?
Ryan: There hasn’t been much big action in War of the Supermen so far, but I expect that will change in this penultimate issue which finds the heroes of Earth standing against the Kryptonians. The series has been surprisingly strong with the three issues we’ve seen (#1, #2, and the Free Comic Book Day issue) thanks to the very focused storytelling, so I hope that the inevitable chaos of the war itself doesn’t derail this story.
X-MEN: LEGACY #236Written by Mike Carey
Art by Greg Land
Bastion's plan comes to fruition as an impenetrable dome makes the Bay Area a prison. It's bad enough for the millions of humans, but it's even worse for the 98% of the world's mutants who live there.
Ryan: My shop sold out of the last issue in the Second Coming crossover in 15 minutes, so I missed out on the preceding events. Based upon this solicitation, it sounds like I’ve missed a lot, so I might not review X-Men: Legacy this week if I can’t get a copy of last week’s New Mutants. If I had to guess, though, my review would probably praise the story (which has been great thus far) but trash the tracings of Greg Land.
ZATANNA #1Written by Paul Dini
Art by Stephane Roux
At last – the Mistress of Magic in her own ongoing series! Zatanna Zatara has long made her home in San Francisco, but right under her nose a sinister threat has developed – a crime boss who dominates the criminal underworld with the dark powers of the magical underworld! The terrifying Brother Night is making his play for San Fran, and the police force – including hunky detective Dale Colton – turn to Zee for help. But Brother Night is a whole new kind of criminal and if Zatanna thinks she can backwards-talk him down, then she's in over her top-hatted head! Superstar writer Paul Dini (BATMAN: MAD LOVE) is paired with the gorgeous art of Stephane Roux (BIRDS OF PREY), making his anticipated DC debut on interior art! There's only one thing to say – T'NOD SSIM TI!
Ryan: I never cared much for Zatanna before she guest starred in Detective Comics during Paul Dini’s run with Don Kramer. Since then I’ve become a fan of the character, especially when she is written by Dini, which has me excited for this debut issue. The big draw, though, is Stephane Roux’s first interior work for DC. I’ve been a huge fan of his covers for years, so I can’t wait to see what he has in store for this issue. Siht dluoc eb taerg!...Err…This could be great!
Follow each of us on Twitter:
22 comments:
I'm getting only 3 books this week which are Ultimate Comics Spider-man #10(which came out last week I know), Ultimate Comics Avengers 2 issue 2, and War of the Supermen #3. I'll also get the sixth Scalped trade and maybe the Uncanny X-men Nation X hardcover if my LCS has it.
Decent week from Marvel and DC.
From DC, I'm picking up War of the Supermen. The first two issues could be recapped by the last splash pages. There was little, if any pertinent in the dialogue in both issues. I'll be trying out Legion of Super Heroes. I don't know anything about Levitz, but last time I read Legion I enjoyed it. There's some bat books that I might take interest in. Streets of Gotham and Azrael both have interesting Solicits, but with changing teams and nothing worth mentioning in terms of reviews, I haven't picked them up.
From Marvel, I'm grabbing Invincible Iron Man. Small week, but quality.
It's
Justice League Of America #45
Brightest Day #2
Legion Of Super-Heroes #1
For me. Plus the Sweet Tooth TPB
I'm enjoying Brightest Day, so I'm in for the long haul. Also, looking foward to the Legion of Superheres.
I'll be getting American Vampire #3 and Resurrection #11, and flipping through some of those Heroic Age anthologies to see if any cut the mustard.
I'll also be getting last week's books as they were delayed. Cage Match here I come.
Why would you want iron man? (curious)
Not so Anonymous said...
Is it my imagination or am I sensing a lot of love for Marvel's new anthologies and no love for DC Universe legacies#1 ?
Give a chance to dc universe legacies, the preview rocks!
Wolverine is featured in both Avengers and New Avengers?
why didnt you read MI13? its was one of the best books that were out. does anyone know why people like greg land and salvador get to work on big titles/ if any titles?
legion of superheroes written by someone other than Geoff Johns, means they might actually be the main characters this time and good. Is this retroboot, post zero hour or threeboot legion?
Ryan, in reference to your comment on maybe dropping Brightest Day if nothing happens - there's only been 3 issues, to be fair. It's obviously a slow-burning storyline - do you share this sentiment for other books of it's ilk? I have to say, the third issue (Brightest Day #0 obviously counts, for what we're talking about) is a make-or-break for the book, but when I can sense that it might require a bit of patience for the good story to start flowing, I tend to give it a chance... then, by the end of the first arc, at least, if it still hasn't picked up, that's when it's gone. Your thoughts?
Looking forward towards two of those Marvel anthologies. "Enter The Heroic Age" is a must for me, as I am going to be following a bunch of the new series that Marvel is pulling out, and if previous similar anthologies are anything to go by, these should be all short stories, not previews of upcoming titles (I know Ryan used it in the metaphorical sense, but I wanted to note they are not literally previews). This one is just a one-shot though.
Age of Heroes has some really good creative teams. And the Captain Britain team getting back together is a must have for me.
Finally, Origins of Marvel Comics is probably a reprint of a material they put out in one of those Siege freebies they gave away. They were just simple one page synopsis of popular characters. Not something worth spending money on, in my opinion.
@Daniel Woburn - I had the same opinion as Ryan and my reasoning is simple - it's twice a month and not interesting me, so I can't justify dropping the money on it. I've felt like I've gotten the same story from just reading teh GL titles. Everyone else's appearances so far have been Countdown-like with brief cameos that on their own dont really add anything to the story. It just doesn't feel like I'm reading anything with a cohesive narrative or storyline. It's like a series of cameos and random 2 page stories that are tangently related.
Will it all come together? Not based on past experiences with weekly comics from DC (yes, this is biweekly, but same thing). If it picks up later, I might grab a trade or some back issues, but it'll need something big to happen to make this series 'matter' to me enough to keep with it.
Not-so-Anonimous said...
It would be great if you guys review the walking dead, that is a great title that does not get enough love.
@Anonymous14 - I get Walking Dead in trade, and you can expect a review of the next one as soon as I get it.
I followed Walking Dead in singles up until about the end of the prison arc. I grab it in trades now.
Kurt Busiek not legendary!?!?!? You've never read his Avengers relaunch with George Pérez? Ultron Unlimited? Avengers Forever?
...Bendis should read his run to understand what the Avengers are!!!!
I know I'm a broken record BUT...
...Walking Dead looks to be awesome this week.
Also looking forward to X-Men Legacy, Atomic Robo and Joe the Barbarian. A short but solid week for me.
Also picking up Muppets Snow White for my daughter. Snow White and the Muppets are two of her favorite movies/properties. It's like Yoda meeting Hellboy for a team-up for me.
michael kors outlet online, tiffany jewelry, tiffany and co, longchamp outlet, burberry outlet, prada outlet, jordan shoes, nike air max, nike free, michael kors outlet online, oakley sunglasses, christian louboutin shoes, tory burch outlet, nike air max, polo ralph lauren outlet online, kate spade outlet, michael kors outlet online, burberry handbags, christian louboutin, oakley sunglasses, kate spade, polo outlet, christian louboutin uk, ray ban sunglasses, coach outlet, coach outlet store online, longchamp outlet, replica watches, christian louboutin outlet, longchamp outlet, coach outlet, ray ban sunglasses, chanel handbags, michael kors outlet, michael kors outlet, oakley sunglasses wholesale, prada handbags, michael kors outlet store, gucci handbags, nike outlet
timberland pas cher, jordan pas cher, polo ralph lauren, nike free run, sac longchamp pas cher, michael kors pas cher, burberry pas cher, new balance, nike air force, north face, michael kors, vans pas cher, mulberry uk, nike blazer pas cher, hollister pas cher, nike roshe, lululemon canada, louboutin pas cher, guess pas cher, sac vanessa bruno, sac hermes, converse pas cher, nike air max, true religion jeans, longchamp pas cher, hogan outlet, ralph lauren uk, nike tn, ray ban uk, north face uk, oakley pas cher, air max, true religion outlet, true religion outlet, hollister uk, ray ban pas cher, coach purses, true religion outlet, polo lacoste, michael kors outlet
jimmy choo outlet, asics running shoes, instyler, vans outlet, nike roshe run, chi flat iron, soccer shoes, ghd hair, insanity workout, hermes belt, nike huaraches, nike trainers uk, bottega veneta, babyliss, ferragamo shoes, mont blanc pens, abercrombie and fitch, nike air max uk, mac cosmetics, longchamp uk, celine handbags, north face outlet, nike roshe run uk, beats by dre, nike air max uk, wedding dresses, new balance shoes, lululemon, north face outlet, soccer jerseys, nfl jerseys, giuseppe zanotti outlet, p90x workout, valentino shoes, herve leger, abercrombie and fitch uk, hollister, mcm handbags, nike free uk, reebok outlet
nike air max, vans, baseball bats, montre pas cher, converse, juicy couture outlet, iphone 6 cases, links of london, pandora charms, pandora jewelry, lancel, juicy couture outlet, swarovski, pandora uk, marc jacobs, thomas sabo, karen millen uk, wedding dresses, supra shoes, hollister, replica watches, ray ban, swarovski crystal, converse outlet, timberland boots, nike air max, toms shoes, coach outlet, louboutin, hollister clothing, oakley, hollister, gucci, ralph lauren
Post a Comment
Thanks for checking out the Weekly Crisis - Comic Book Review Blog. Comments are always appreciated. You can sign in and comment with any Google, Wordpress, Live Journal, AIM, OpenID or TypePad account.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.