It’s a fairly small week for the Comic Book Review Power Rankings, but luckily for us, its also a strong week—seven books reviewed and none of them earn the dreaded “Permission to Avoid” Verdict. So, if all of the books are worth reading, the real question is, what books are the best of the best? Could it be Marvel’s Mighty Avengers? Power Girl by Palmiotti, Gray, and Conner? Or will the debut of the new Batgirl take the Top Spot? Well, there is only one way to find out—by checking out the Rankings after jump!For the uninitiated, the Comic Book Review Power Rankings is a countdown from worst-to-best of my weekly comic book haul. Before reading the issues, I preRank them based on the creative team, previous issues, solicitations, and gut instinct. The final Ranking number is based upon how the issues actually turned out. I attempt to keep everything as spoiler free as possible, but keep in mind that there may be the occasional minor spoiler that I overlook. As always, I can be reached via responses to this thread or at ryanreviews@gmail.com.
As per usual, the always brilliant Tiny Titans and ever-enjoyable Wednesday Comics were part of my purchases this week, but won’t be on the Rankings for various reasons. I did really dig both of them, though, so you can pretend that I did review them with a Strongly Recommended verdict.
07. SUPERGIRL #44Written by Sterling Gates
Art by Jamal Igle, Jon Sibal, and Nei Ruffino
Letters by Jared K. Fletcher
Cover by Fernando Dagino, Raul Fernandez, and Mazi
preRanking: 06
• I’ve always been sucked into reading all of the books in a crossover if it enters into one of the titles I’m currently reading—even if I’m not picking up the other books regularly. With the current line-wide Superman crossover, Codename: Patriot, I decided to only pick up the issues I’d normally pick up instead. It’s a bold experiment as a reader and I can honestly say that the results weren’t that great.
• In terms of craft, this issue is fairly strong. Both Sterling Gates and the art team perform admirably given the circumstances.
• I was especially impressed with Jamal Igle’s work here. It had good energy and some of the strongest expressions of the week. It wasn’t Igle’s best work, but he certainly didn’t disappoint.
• I’m also glad to see Igle teaming up with Nei Ruffino, whose bold coloring and strong “lighting” is a good fit for Igle’s iconic approach to the cast. It’s big, bold art all around.
• The problem with the issue is that there are almost no clues as to what is going on or what has gone on previously. DC’s lack of a recap page, combined with a dense script left me completely in the dark.
• Given that this storyline is running through four books, some consideration should have been paid to readers who weren’t along for the whole ride.
Verdict: Read with Caution. If I were reading this entire crossover, this would be a pretty strong issue and would’ve pulled in some form of a recommendation. However, jumping in for just one issue, I found myself completely lost in the too-tight plotting and lack of recapping. The craft is solid on all fronts, but if you aren’t reading all of Codename: Patriot or you aren’t a Supergirl completeist, there isn’t much of a reason to pick this one up, other than the pretty pictures.
06. THE MIGHTY AVENGERS #28Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage
Art by Khoi Pham, Allen Martinez, and John Rauch
Letters by Dan Lanphear
preRanking: 02
• This week’s Mighty Avengers tightens its focus to just two main plots—Quicksilver and US Agent having all sorts of trouble with an Inhuman outcast in China and Stature trying to uncover the truth about Scarlet Witch (Loki in disguise). One plot is pretty awesome and the other isn’t; the two cancel each other out, leaving the issue to be pretty “meh.”
• I had a lot of fun with the Stature/Scarlet Witch storyline. The strong pacing and quality character work from Christos Gage made it incredibly readable. Plus, it’s about time Wiccan and Speed got to confront their “mother.”
• I especially dug the resentfulness the other Young Avengers directed at Stature—this is a scene that should’ve been written when she first joined the Initiative and is long overdue.
• The other storyline really didn’t work for me. US Agent remains pointless and even Gage seemed at a loss for what to do with him, leading to some iffy interaction that was more clichéd than clever.
• It also doesn’t make much sense that the Avengers would be so stupid as to assume that if Quicksilver and US Agent can’t be reached and haven’t checked in, it means they are fine. It’s a small plot point, but it’s pretty aggravating.
• The saving grace for the issue was Khoi Pham, who works his usual magic here. This issue is almost all widescreen action, which does add some spice to the otherwise disappointing China scenes, and is crammed full of tight close-ups with strong expressions. There is some stiffness to the art and the storytelling doesn’t always flow logically, but Pham’s boldness and strong designs make up for it.
Verdict: Mildly Recommended. Half of the issue is really intriguing and the art is pretty great, but the Quicksilver and US Agent adventure is so painfully dull that it nearly overwhelms the better parts of the issue. Once that storyline has passed, I’ve got a feeling that this book could rocket into “can’t miss” territory—especially if Khoi Pham sticks around a bit longer.
05. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #603Written by Fred Van Lente
Art by Robert Atkins, Victor Olazaba, and Jeromy Cox
Letters by Joe Caramagna
Cover by Stephane Roux
preRanking: 04
• You may notice that the cover I’ve posted for this review isn’t the standard cover for this issue. That’s because the regular cover is pretty bad. As a fan of Stephane Roux’s usual work, I refuse to acknowledge that it exists from this point forward, so instead you get the variant by Mike Mayhew. Enjoy.
• Picking up where last issue left off (Chameleon stole Peter’s identity), this issue takes an interesting approach by focusing solely on the actions of the villain, though that is pretty easy to do when said villain is impersonating the lead character.
• I really like how sadistic Fred Van Lente is here with how the Chameleon is disupting Peter Parker’s life. He isn’t just content using Peter to get closer to his terrorist plans, he also feels the need to cause problems whenever possible—including taunting Flash Thompson for his disability and shoving the memory of Gwen Stacy upon Mary Jane. It’s sick and it’s dark and it’s tremendously enjoyable.
• The only problem with it is that for most of the issue, Chameleon is far too familiar with the events and actions of Peter’s life. He seems clueless on certain relationships, but still manages to piece everything else together rather quickly—too quickly to be plausible, even by comic book logic.
• I did, however, get a good laugh with the Chameleon’s comment about all of the women in Peter’s life being gorgeous.
• Robert Atkins tackles the art—making him the third artist in three issues on this arc—and does a good job with it. His storytelling and expressions are top-notch, though he does have some problems with design consistency and drawing jaw-lines. It’s a far cry from his GI Joe work, but is a solid effort nonetheless.
Verdict: Strongly Recommended. Fred Van Lente’s relentless sadistic streak for the Chameleon makes this strongest issue of this arc; every scene of this dense issue is the Chameleon turning the screws just a little bit more, which builds great tension for the next issue.
04. POWER GIRL #4Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray
Art by Amanda Conner and Paul Mounts
Letters by John J. Hill
Cover by Amanda Conner
preRanking: 03
• After an action-packed opening arc, the creative team slows things down with this week’s Power Girl #4, as the titular character takes time out to bond with Terra and to pay a bit more attention to her secret identity.
• First of all, I’m glad to see Terra staying on as Power Girl’s sidekick. This really helps flesh out PG’s personality, as we get to see her in a mentoring role, and the interaction between the two is handled extremely well. Terra’s naiveté balances well against Power Girl’s “worldliness” and it led to some great moments here—in particular Terra’s learning the ropes of being a superhero and the hilarity of the movie theatre scene.
• My biggest complaint with the first arc was how poorly developed the support cast from Power Girl’s civilian identity’s company were—which is still a problem here. I get what they are doing and the purpose they serve, but their personalities and how they should be relating to Power Girl definitely needs to be fleshed out more.
• As per usual, Amanda Conner’s art is the true selling point. We all know that her work is energetic, expressive, and features awesome designs, but what really impressed me here were her layouts. She does a great job of controlling the pacing and keeping things fresh by using a strong mix of layouts. Some pages have standard rigid grids, others are a chaotic collage, and some are simply inventive in their execution. It’s a great showcase and, despite its range, is incredibly cohesive.
Verdict: Strongly Recommended. This one has it all—great character work, strong action, and gorgeous art. If you had doubts about how good this series was going to be, this issue is a great showcase of its potential. There are some glaring problems that need to be addressed, especially with the supporting cast (except Terra), but this issue goes a long way to show that Power Girl is more than just a busty Superman rip-off.
03. BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM #3Lead Written by Paul Dini
Lead Art by Dustin Nguyen, Derek Fridolfs, and John Kalisz
Lead Letters by Steve Wands
Co-Feature Written by Marc Andreyko
Co-Feature Art by George Jeanty, Karl Story, Jack Purcel, and Nick Filardy
Co-Feature Letters by Sal Cipriano
Cover by Dustin Nguyen
preRanking: 07
• Since its debut, Batman: Streets of Gotham has struggled to find its identity amongst the other post-RIP Bat-books. As such, its been a bit of a disappointment, especially given how strong Paul Dini and Dustin Nguyen’s run on Detective Comics was. Thankfully, this issue is just the kick in the pants this book needed.
• The highlight of the lead story was the strong character work by Paul Dini. He covers a broad range of events in here, including Dick Grayson’s reaction to Hush impersonating Bruce Wayne and giving away to the Wayne fortune to various projects and organizations, as well as Zsasz’s “induction” into the Penguin and Black Mask’s crime family. Dini handles all of the “voices” with extreme comfort and none of the scenes feel of character—even Zsasz’s makeover is perfectly in line with what you’d expect (and is quite awesome).
• The plot here is fun, including the twist on how Dick is going to deal with Hush’s very public take on Bruce Wayne’s persona. There are a few things that I was lost in—including the large number of people that seemed to know who Batman is, the absence of Firefly despite his prominence in previous issues, and Damian’s seemingly abrupt change to how he feels about Hush.
• Dustin Nguyen’s art in the lead story is as strong as ever—though he does seem to draw Damian surprisingly old, which was also a problem with how Dini wrote him. He shouldn’t be a teenager, but is presented as such (though I thought his reaction to Katana was fun).
• The co-feature is brutal and action-packed, making it very similar to the early Andreyko’s early Manhunter stories, with Kate having to be more resourceful to defeat her foes. The only problem is that the first two installments of the story weren’t tremendously memorable, so I found myself a bit lost on why Manhunter was being attacked by Jane Doe.
• The art in this story was definitely George Jeanty’s best effort thus far; it’s extremely dark and atmospheric—a perfect fit for the tone. The most noticeable issue was the shading, though it isn’t clear if this was a problem with the original line work, the inker, or the colorist. Regardless, it made some shots of Kate’s face look distractingly misshapen.
Verdict: Strongly Recommended. This issue is definitely closer to the level of quality that the creative teams are capable of than the previous issues had been. Dini and Nguyen show strong chemistry in the clever lead story, while the back-up features a good balance of brutality and engaging character work to remind me why the original Manhunter series was so addictive. I was ready to drop this title, but after this issue, I’ve found reason enough to stick around for a while.
02. X-MEN: LEGACY #227Written by Mike Carey
Art by Dustin Weaver, Ed Tadeo, and Brian Reber
Letters by Cory Petit
Cover by Terry Dodson
preRanking: 01
• Mike Carey continues his transition to the new direction for X-Men: Legacy with this issue that wraps up the “unofficial” tie-in story to the Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men crossover, which finds Rogue and Company working to save the mutant Trance from Norman Osborn’s forces during the San Francisco riots.
• This is a simple, direct story that features extremely strong characterization and interaction. It’s a nice change of pace from the overly complex X-stories of late. Carey isn’t trying anything fancy here and that works in his favor.
• It’s great to see him put Rogue in the position of a leader, which is a great way to kick-off her expanded role as the lead character in the title. Carey does a good job of showing that Rogue “has what it takes” for the spotlight while remaining true to the core of the character.
• Plus, he manages to make the “current” Ms. Marvel (Moonstone) pretty interesting in the cleverly orchestrated fight scene that dominates the second half of the issue—something that I didn’t really think was possible (I’m sorry, the only thing duller than regular Ms. Marvel is fake Ms. Marvel).
• Dustin Weaver’s art follows a similar path as Carey’s writing. Its clean designs and strong linear storytelling. His expressions help push the tone and his action is well-choreographed. When you add in his strong character representations, it makes me a little sad that he’ll be leaving the series after this arc.
• With such strong craftsmanship on the writing and the interior art, my biggest problem with the issue is horrible anatomy on the cover by Terry Dodson. Yikes—people do not actually bend that way!
Verdict: Don’t Miss This Issue. There’s nothing fancy or earth-shattering about this issue. It’s just quality craftsmanship on an enjoyable plot. The directness of the creative team’s approach is a welcome breath of fresh air and a big reason why this issue is so great. It’s easy to get lost in the fun and personality of this issue, which is a major compliment to the effectiveness of Mike Carey and Dustin Weaver.
01. BATGIRL #1Written by Bryan Q. Miller
Art by Lee Garbett, Trevor Scott, and Guy Major
Letters by John J. Hill
Cover by Phil Noto
preRanking: 05
• The internet is all a-buzz about the debut issue of Batgirl, which finds a new lady donning the cape and cowl for the first time…well, this particular cape and cowl, that is. Since I can’t really praise it with out spoiling things (pun not intended, actually), we are on full SPOILER ALERT.
• This is a strong debut for Stephanie “Spoiler” Brown as Batgirl—Bryan Q. Miller quickly sets up her status quo as an outcast in the Bat-family, develops her non-hero identity, and even finds a place for the original Batgirl, Barbara Gordon, in the supporting cast.
• Miller wrote a great line from Dick Grayson about Stephanie not being as good as the “other” Batgirl. This does highlight the problem that most of the internet seems to have with this one. It isn’t clear why Cassandra would drop the mantle and Miller makes no bones about playing this one close to his chest.
• However, I do have to hand to Miller by keeping the moment where the torch passes in character for the previous Batgirl. Cassandra has had a close friendship with Spoiler in the past and it would make sense given her near-adoption by Bruce Wayne (and surprisingly close relationship to him) that she would not want to continue carrying his legacy after he is gone. This is a girl who has had everything taken from her and built her role in the Bat-family out of that—having Bruce gone takes away the meaning of her role and so she passes it on to some eager to follow the crime fighting path and someone that she can trust. This all happens in a relatively short scene, but Miller executes it with surgical precision—the answers might not be in your face, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t there.
• Miller also does a great job of keeping things light and accessible. You get to see how things are with Stephanie and what her feeling on crime fighting is—all perfectly in character with her headstrong, often times irresponsible, but ultimately likable demeanor.
• The interaction throughout the issue and the inner monologue from Batgirl all worked extremely well. After this and his few issues on Teen Titans, I’m quickly becoming a big fan of Miller’s character work.
• Although, I do have to nitpick a bit and point out that no college freshman would be taking a 400-level philosophy course, especially not in their first semester. It’s a minor problem, but one that was noticeable enough to disrupt the flow of the issue for me.
• The art by Lee Garbett is solid, but nothing spectacular. His approach is pretty standard to DC’s overall sense of style and reminds me a lot of Freddie Williams—which is a good fit for the title as it is essentially replacing the role of the Robin solo book. He brings a lot of energy and personality to the book, which is nice, and he draws teenagers as teenagers, which is even better. Seriously, it is ridiculous how many artists can’t seem to draw a teenager looking any younger than 35 these days.
Verdict: Don’t Miss This Issue. I imagine I’ll get all sorts of flack for picking this as my Book of the Week, but there really weren’t any issues out there that were this strong of a mix of pure enjoyment and strong craftsmanship. Bryan Q. Miller does a great job of establishing the direction of the new series and writing Stephanie in a manner that is more compelling than I think she has ever been written before. Yes, there are a few plot pieces missing, but that is part of the fun of the ride. For my money, I don’t think there was a more enjoyable book this week and for that, I say don’t miss this one.
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6. The Amazing Spider-man #603: Van Lente/Atkins Marvel $2.99
Really? This could be the single worst issue since the BND reboot. The story makes me cringe I couldn’t believe I was reading this, the art however was actually good. So I can’t trash that but the story brings it down so much. I’ve read other reviews the liked the issue. I just don’t get it I don’t know what the point was. But again the art was really good. I can’t wait for this arc to end. Oh and the cover WTF!
3.0/10
5. The Astounding Wolf-man #18: Kirkman/Howard Image $2.99
The last few issue have been ready good this issue keeps it up. While it’s not great it pretty good. The issue is set up for the end act. (The book is ending at issue 25) The art continues to get better and better I really am looking forward to Kirkman/Howard next project together. What I liked the most was the moments with Chloe; this issue really shows what effect the recent events have had on her. The last 10 issue have really shown what this book can do and how good of a writer Kirkman is.
8.2/10
4. Wednesday Comics #7: Various/Various DC $3.99
Finally! This issue was fantastic after two so-so issue Wednesday Comics kicks it up a notch. Just about every strip was A material. Except Wonder Woman and Superman….yet again. The Hawkman felt off as well but the quality was still there. For me The Batman and Flash strips were the best from this week. So was the Supergirl one which was just plain old fun. We only have 5 weeks left and I don’t know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. How some of these can be wrapped up I just don’t see it. But I’m sure I’ll be surprised.
8.6/10
3. BN: Superman #1: Robinson/Barrows DC $2.99
Besides the fact the Robinson writes everyone in Smallville as hicks (I don’t have a problem with it but it got a bit annoying) this issue owns. The action, the art the story its all there. The art I thought was fantastic, I wish Barrows had had full art duties during Agent Orange in Green Lantern cause he would of knocked it out of the park. I can’t really say much other than this is a mini worth your money.
8.8/10
2. Invincible #65: Kirkman/Ottley Image $2.99
Kirkman sets so much stuff up in this issue the book almost couldn’t contain it. The last few pages have so much information in them wow is all I can say. The beginning however seemed a little off. But that was just the few 3 or so pages. The rest of the book like I said really keeps the quality that you expect from Invincible. On art, Ottley can do no wrong he has really been showing what he’s got and I couldn’t imagine another person on the book. However next month co-creator Cory Walker is returning to the book for a 2 issue arc which I am very much looking forward to.
9.0/10
1. Daredevil #500: Marvel $4.99
• Return of the Kind Conclusion: Brubaker/Various
In May of this year the season finale of House MD aired. You could feel something was going to change by the end of the episode. Indeed something did it was a major change. Issue 500 of DD from the opening pages has the same feel; you know something isn’t going to be the same. WOW! Is all I have to say I had planned to give Diggle only one issue but due to the mind blowing ending I plan to be on board for the entire run. Daredevil has never been taken in this direction and it excites me. Now the art side of things are just as good as the story. Lark/Gaudiano own here as does the Klaus Janson page. Which Janson is doing the art for the upcoming Daredevil: The End which looks great. I am blow away by how Brubaker ended this run, I actually feel it was a better ending than the ending Bendis had on his run. Can’t wait for more loved it.
9.7/10
• The List Preview: Diggle/Tan
Now I won’t give this a score, but I will talk about it. It shows me that Diggle might have a few tricks up his sleeve. Tan’s art actually looks good for once which is a great thing. Full issue hits store 9/9/09 check it out should be awesome.
• Jacks: Nocenti/Aja
Great art, anything Aja does is gold. The story is pretty good as well, it seems like something out of the 80’s which isn’t a bad thing. I enjoyed it for what it was. And again Aja=WIN!
8.5/10
• Pin Up gallery: Various
Bendis? I remembered reading that he was a artist and let me just say I really liked his pin-up. Was it the best? No. I personally wish Rafael Grampa’s Pin-up would have been a variant cover for this issue I would of dropped at least $30 on it.
Great way to end Brubaker’s run, this also marks the 3rd time DD has been book of the week, I hope Diggle can keep it up.
9.1/10
@Daringd - What didn't you like about ASM exactly? No one was grossly out of character (maybe Michelle just jumping on Peter, but they did just knock uglies at the wedding, too) and it was Peter's world through Chameleon's eyes. Just curious what it was that made it the worst BND story so far for you.
@Kirk I'm just not feeling it, the Waid issue was quite enjoyable but the last 2 issues have been lackluster. This issue just didn't click for me, with the Michelle jumping on Peter then real lack of MJ in the book and the ending which I found to be awful. This issue just did nothing for me. But neither did The Spot issue Van Lente did. I think it was issue 590. Looking at the issue with last issue the arc to me has taken a complete and total nose dive. I think if the last issue hadn't left a bad taste in my mouth I might of liked this issue a tad bit more.
I'm happy with this ranking. Agreed on your opinion of Manhunter. I'm not 100% sure Andreyko is comfortable with 8 pages. (i think the Question and Metal Men are the best back ups).
As an asian, im a little sad Cassandra is no longer Batgirl.
@ Dangster, having borrowed a friends copies of Steets of Gotham issues 1-2. I would have to say I think Manhunter is better than The Question back ups. That said I have not read the new issue so I can't comment. But compared to back #1 Manhuter covers alot more ground than The Question did.
i think the Question back ups work as more of a side story, it works great since Rucka writes the Question as a parallel to what Batwoman does. in issue 1 Question and Batwoman investigate a gang mystery (it also introduces us their allies and base of operations) issue 2 has them in action, getting the lead and getting captured.
Smaller week for me.
4. Mr. Negative #3 - I do like ASM and I think Mr. Negative is a good villain but the story in this mini probably would have worked better as elements of a proper ASM story. I'm going to be more selective about which spin off minis I pick up from now on.
3. Wednesday Comics #7 - Another solid issue. I think I enjoyed Sgt. Rock for the first time this issue. As of last issue I've stopped reading Wonder Woman, I enjoyed it when I spent the time figuring out the flow of panels but it got to be too much work. Kamandi still reigns supreme!
2. Amazing Spider-Man #603 - Really liked this issue. This and last issue remind me as to why I used to read ASM in the car before getting home. It's exciting, it's got lots of subplots going on, it's got humor, it takes a while to read. Just straight up solid comics.
1. Doctor Who #2 - I debated as to whether this or ASM should have first slot, this issue deals with the Doctor working with a Charlie Chaplin-like character in early Hollywood. The art is rather experimental and cool but what really makes this issue is the cleverness of the writing in regards to how the scenes are executed. There's a great "silent movie" chase scene that is funny and cute and bangs along at a brisk pace and is far more clever than any TV show spin-off has a right to be. The art doesn't quite keep up in some of the best scenes but damn it's nice to see him pushed by the writer. I genuinely think this Tony Lee guy could become a big deal.
Finally, unranked was the first issue of the Spider-Woman motion comic. Ummmm, Marvel Comic dialog sounds really dumb when actually spoken, doesn't it? I'll probably pick up the next installment as it's a buck and I like to try new formats but I've yet to be convinced.
Mr. Negative's conclusion kinda stole the week for me against Power Girl and Batgirl (most DC comics I read appear to have female leads, how weird).
Also the hilarity that no-one can say 'spoilers' for batgirl without spoiling who batgirl is only just dawned on me
Does any one of you read The Hood mini? I was completely surprised by how good it is. It really fleshed out Hood's character for me, and while it seems a bit disconnected from his usual portrayal in other titles, it is nonetheless a great read. The man there is much more than a thug with two pistols; you can literaly feel how he is torned by his choices, how difficult it is for him to balance his life in any way. There is a wonderful feeling of dread there, as it is clear that he is constantly walking on the edge and one little mistake may cost him his life, his soul or his family. Art is well-adjusted for that kind of story; overall, I think, it is a very solid story, worth of recommending.
David, cheers for the shout out about my Doctor Who #2 - but I would be remiss if I didn't ensure that artist Al Davison got equal credit for that silent movie scene, as we spent an afternoon a few months ago planning that little joy out. :-)
Glad you like it! Tell more people!
@Ha-rel: I'm not surprised that it is a good mini series, as it is written by the almighty Jeff Parker. That guy has a good handle on just about any character he touches.
You know, it's honestly great that everyone has different tastes and opinions, or the world would be mighty boring! I gotta say though, almost all the time Ryan, you're art tastes and mine are polar opposites! Ha ha! The ones you hate, I usually love; and vice versa! I thought the art on Spiderman this issue was really bad; like some of the worst they've had since BND began. But alas! I also just CAN'T believe he covered himself in webbing, and that kept ACID from eating him. I mean, at the beginning of the arc, they dropped a guy in there and the acid ate him in like 30 seconds! But Peter can survive (what seems like a day?? But that can't be possible either, cause he wouldn't be able to breathe...) and just have some wounds.
I'm wondering if anyone else is noticing that since BND started, Peter's healing abilities seem to have gone into overdrive. The "old Spiderman" (to my knowledge) could never have survived the bullets, stabbings, acid baths, and what not he's been given recently; and usually just brush it off like he does now. Am I wrong here? I'm just surprised at the Wolverine healing powers he seems to have retained at some point...
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