Post-Crisis Comic Book Previews for 10/17/07

I'm starting the week off right for you wiht this week's Post-Crisis Comic Book Previews, spotlighting my pull list for this Wednesday! While not as numerous as last week's pickings, we are blessed with a very strong week from all the books present on my pull list. With books like Captain America, JLA and, yes, even Marvel Zombies 2, this week should be one of the strongest in recent memory. Hit the jump for the full solicits and be sure to let me know if there's a specific book you think I might be missing and I'll try to pick it up this week.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #14
Written by Dwayne McDuffie
Art by Ed Benes & Sandra Hope

The League loses a member as writer Dwayne McDuffie turns up the heat in the “Injustice League” story arc! A party has turned very deadly for the World’s Greatest Heroes when they find themselves prisoners of the Injustice League!

KIRK'S COMMENTS: It's hard to believe this is the same man writing last week's Fantastic Four. His JLA has been highly entertaining, in a Silver Age, campy sort of way. This book has been plain, old fashioned fun since he took over and this issue should continue the trend.

MARVEL ZOMBIES 2 # 1
Written by Robert Kirkman
Art by Sean Phillips

Are you ready for Marvel Zombies Civil War? Forty years have passed and the zombies have come back home after eating just about everything else in the universe. Yum yum! What awaits them back on Earth, though, is beyond anything even these shambling monstrosities could have conceived!

This is a new series featuring the amazing, irreverent take on the Marvel characters that became last year’s unexpected smash hit. They’re back and more stomach-churning than ever!

The smash hit series is back, daring to ask: "Whose stomach are you in?"

KIRK'S COMMENTS: I was reluctant to pick up the first book. It was a comic about zombies for God's sake! Adding Marvel character versions just seemed like a cheap cash-in story and I assumed it would be terrible. As we all know, it turned out to be a great read and is responsible for the deluge of zombie variants and derivatives. I almost feel bad supporting this book again after the numerous cash-in's and the amount of over exposure Marvel has thrown at us with the Zombie brand. Since the original team is actually involved with this sequel, I'll definitely check it out, but I'm hoping the novelty hasn't worn off and that this series will live up to the original.

DEATH OF THE NEW GODS #1
Written by Jim Starlin
Art by Starlin & Matt Banning

The title says it all! For months now readers have witnessed the unimaginable and unthinkable as New Gods across the DCU have seemingly died, with Lightray’s death in COUNTDOWN the biggest of them all. Now, the carnage continues but the mystery and adventure is just beginning!

Jim Starlin — master of the cosmic odyssey — writes and illustrates this epic tale of death and destruction on a scale never seen before. With a cast of hundreds and cameos by the entire DCU, this intergalactic 8-part series cannot be missed!

KIRK'S COMMENTS: Another Countdown tie-in. I keep wondering if the death's of the New Gods even has anything to do with Countdown. Aside from a couple panels, they've had very little exposure and almost no bearing on the actual story. They haven't even been mentioned in the last few weeks. I've never been a big fan of the New Gods, with the exception of Darkseid, so I was hesitant to even pick this up just a few weeks ago when I noticed it on the solicits. With the strength of the Countdown and its tie-ins this last month, I'm more than happy to give this title a shot now.

MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS # 2
Written by Various
Art by Various

Hellcat leaps into action coming face-to-face with her darkest nightmare—herself!?! And if one man could single-handedly take down a S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, it’s—Taskmaster! Meanwhile, the mystery deepens, as we learn more about a secret team, dedicated to the ideals of Captain America…in a manner of speaking. And if that weren’t enough—who is—what is—Weapon Omega? Find the answer in the second issue of Marvel’s all-new, cutting-edge anthology!

KIRK'S COMMENTS: The first issue didn't overly impress me. The Spidey story was fun, in a back up tale sort of way. The Hellcat tale was similary enjoyable, but not something that entices me to return month to month. The only story that really grabbed me was the first story with that ended with the Watcher as a suspect. I'm giving this book another shot this month, but it will probably be the last if it doesn't give me some meat to sink my teeth into.

CATWOMAN #72
Written by Will Pfeifer
Art by David Lopez & Alvaro Lopez

Selina Kyle’s life is over — now there is only Catwoman! And her first step is stealing from the richest man in Gotham City: Bruce Wayne!

KIRK'S COMMENTS: Catwoman is one of the lower tier titles, saleswise, from DC that deserves more recognition. How this is the same writer that wrote Amazons Attack is a mystery to me, similar to the McDuffie pheonomina with JLA/FF. Seeing Zatanna on the cover just annoys me though, as based on the last few issues, it looks like she will be mindwiping Selina and retconning out the entire baby story. I don't like to prejudge stories before reading them, but I do believe I will drop this title if they do this.

MIGHTY AVENGERS # 5
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Frank Cho

Iron Man has been destroyed, the Sentry's wife is murdered, nuclear missiles are being launched around the world and the one man with the plan to stop the new and improved Ultron...is a God of War who's been an Avenger a total of five minutes.

KIRK'S COMMENTS: Mighty Avengers? Marvel still publishes this? It's about time another issue came out. It seems like forever since the last issue. As much as I like Cho's art, the man can't produce a monthly and deserves the ol' heave ho. I do, however, find it funny he managed to sneak in an ass shot on this cover with Ms Marvel getting shot in the back. Can always depend on Cho for the obligatory ass shots. Maybe if he spent more time drawing and less oggling fictional asses, he might get some work done on time.

BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #1
Written by Tony Bedard
Art by Koi Turnbull & Art Thibert

Tony Bedard (BIRDS OF PREY, COUNTDOWN) and Koi Turnbull (Fathom) launch a bold new direction for the DCU’s misfit heroes! The rules have changed all over the DC Universe — but for the Outsiders, they’re still just things that were made to be broken!
It’s a fresh game of dirty pool for the Outsiders as the Dark Knight sends his new team to the frontlines of a massive assault on metahumans. Batman and the Outsiders must fight even dirtier than their enemies...and risk becoming the supervillains they despise!

KIRK'S COMMENTS: The last issue of the Outsiders series failed to impress me. The entire set up from that issue just felt contrived and cliched. I also hate the fact Catwoman is on the team and not with her baby. It looks like this week's Catwoman issue will explain this change in personality with the old mindwipe from Zatanna deus ex machina. I'm going to take a chance on this issue, but I won't be holding my breath in an aticipation or anything.

PENANCE: RELENTLESS # 2
Written by Paul Jenkins
Art by Paul Gulacy

The most hated man in America has now become the most dangerous man in America. After going AWOL from the Thunderbolts, Robbie Baldwin hunts down the one man who can help him get what he needs as the C.S.A. and S.H.I.E.L.D. scramble to figure out exactly what the hero formerly known as Speedball is after.

KIRK'S COMMENTS: This series is an enigma. I honestly canot place it in any timeline I can think of to reconcile it with the current Thunderbolts series. Bullseye is up and about in the first issue. Must be before he gets crippled. But Penance has some random number fixation and was living in a full furnished room with lights and what have you. So it can't be before the last issue of Thunderbolts. Many of the characters are completely different from other books that star them. So, while the last issue was good, provided you take it at face value and ignore all outside influences, the series still remains a mystery and these incongrueties distract me from fully enjoying the book. However, the whole numbers fixation and witty dialogue between Robbie and Norman were enough to bring me back for more this month. Hopefully Jenkins does not disappoint.

CHECKMATE #19
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by Joe Bennett & Jack Jadson
Cover by Kalman Andrasofszky

“Fall of the Wall” Part 2! The White Queen turns to bare-knuckle blackmail to hang onto her job — and Amanda Waller knows everyone’s secrets!

KIRK'S COMMENTS: Fall of the Wall has reinvigorated my love of this book. Last issue was one of the best in the series and based on this cover and solicit alone, I think this issue might even top the last one. If you haven't been reading this series, grab last month's and this week's issue and find out what you've been missing. This is another one of the low sellers / high quality books DC has failed to promote, much like Blue Beetle and Catwoman.

CAPTAIN AMERICA # 31
Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Steve Epting
THE WINTER SOLDIER HELD PRISONER BY THE RED SKULL! While Sharon and the Falcon race to his rescue, about to cross paths with the Mighty Avenger that Tony Stark has sent hunting our rogue hero – THE BLACK WIDOW!
Will the Red Skull kill both Cap and Bucky? It's anyone's guess, as the second arc of the epic "DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA" storyline opens with a bang!

KIRK'S COMMENTS: Brubaker has been producing one of Marvel's best books for the last couple years with this definitive run on Captain America. It's gotten Comic Book of the Week awards from me several times and it will take a serious contender to stop it from getting it again this week.

COUNTDOWN 28
Story by Paul Dini
Breakdowns by Keith Giffen
Script by Tony Bedard
Art by Al Barrionuevo

Karate Kid confronts Brother Eye! Jimmy Olsen is grabbed by Forager! Shadowpact tries to subdue an out-of-control Mary Marvel! The Crime Syndicate, the Extremists and Monarch gather against the Challengers! Holly and Harley arrive on Paradise Island — and begin their “training”! A lucky coin-toss might have Two-Face save Piper and Trickster from Checkmate! Oh, and Mister Mxyzptlk explains it all!

KIRK'S COMMENTS: Countdown hasn't sucked in several weeks now. It still has a bit of a ways to go before I could consider it a great book, but it's been fairly enjoyable the last few weeks and I'm actually, kinda, sorta looking forward to it each week these days. Last week was a slight dip from the previous 2 or 3 weeks. Hopefully it bounces back this week with another strong performance.

*Note* Solicit information and covers from DC and Marvel respectively. This post does not contain all comics coming out next week, just the ones I intend on purchasing.