Another week, another batch of comics to look at in the Post-Crisis Previews! Lots coming down the pipes this time around, so hit the jump to look over my thoughts on Captain America and Bucky #621, Duke Nukem #2, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1, and more!
AMERICAN VAMPIRE #18
Written by Scott Snyder
Art by Raphael Aluquerque
The Ghost War comes to a stunning conclusion!
Grant: This is easily one of the top Vertigo series coming out right now. Scott Snyder and Raphael Albuquerque have been collaborating to create some incredibly compelling comics. Their latest storyline, taking place in the midst of the Pacific Theatre of World War 2, has been a real winner, with the intensity ratcheting up with each and every issue. Now that we're finally reaching the conclusion, I cannot imagine what craziness is going to go down. All I know is that it's going to be well worth its $2.99 cover price.
BATMAN GATES OF GOTHAM #5
Written by Scott Snyder & Kyle Higgins
Art by Trevor McCarthy
It’s Batman vs. The Architect! The downfall of a major Gotham family! The betrayal of Damian Wayne! It’s all here in this final issue, plus the untold fate of Gotham City’s first Super Villain! Be here as GATES OF GOTHAM sets the stage for a bold new direction in the Bat books!
Grant: I wish I could express more excitement for this book, but this series has been a pretty big disappointment. The first two issues were pretty good, but since then, little to nothing has been happening. Things were really exciting after the second issue, but the creative team hasn't really built on that in any significant way. The way the story has gone, it seems like the reveal of The Architect's identity is going to either be very predictable or come completely out of left field. Suffice it to say, I would not be buying this book if it wasn't the last issue in this limited series. (I feel like I've been saying that a little too often of late. Might have to rethink that philosophy...)
BATMAN INCORPORATED #8
Written by Grant MorrisonArt by Scott Clark
When Waynetech’s launch of Interworld is plagued by a series of “virtual murders,” Batman teams up with Oracle to hunt down the culprit in a simulated environment that’s slowly collapsing into post-apocalyptic zombie-haunted chaos. A computer-generated Batman adventure that brings Dark Knight justice to a wild new frontier, to face a new and virulent menace. In a world of numbers, does everything have a price?
Grant: I've been following Grant Morrison's run on Batman for many a year at this point. While it can sometimes be a little challenging to follow, it's always been worth reading. Batman Incorporated is only the most recent installment in his epic story, and while it has been a little inconsistent in its release schedule, it continues to be worth reading. I'll also be interested to see what Morrison can offer in the way of a conclusion before the DC September Reboot.
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND BUCKY #621
Written by Ed Brubaker & Marc Andreyko
Art by Chriss Samnee
The acclaimed team of Ed Brubaker, Marc Andreyko, and Chris Samnee bring you the next chapter in the definitive history of Cap and Bucky's early days. What was Cap and Bucky's first mission together? And what was the tragedy that happened on it that changed everything about who Bucky was?
Grant: The previous issue acted as an excellent opening to this series. It set up Bucky's origin, teamed him up with Cap, and got them into position to start having some thrilling adventures. In the ever capable hands of Brubaker, Andreyko, and Samnee, I am terribly excited to see how it all plays out.
CHEW #20
Written by John Layman
Art by Rob Guillory
"FLAMBÉ," Conclusion!
Mike Applebee has been itching to get Tony Chu booted from the FDA, and today might be his lucky day. Tony and Colby infiltrate The Church of the Immaculate Ova, a cult of egg worshippers, and things, of course, go terribly wrong. The climax of "FLAMBÉ," CHEW's fourth story arc, and the end of an era for Tony Chu!
Grant: Chew is an incredibly consistent comic. Every single issue has been an absolute joy, offering a wonderful combination of humour, action, and the unconventional. With the conclusion of the series' fourth arc, I imagine that it should be more of the same, which is always a good thing.
DUKE NUKEM GLORIOUS BASTARD #2
Written by Tom Waltz
Art by Xermanico
Duke has made his way back through time to battle the mysterious (and mega-hot!) Vril chick called Maria and her bizarre menagerie of extra-terrestrial allies. It’s WWII-era alien butt-kicking, Duke Nukem style—an all-out blitzkrieg of babes, bullets, and beers!
Grant: This limited-series is the comic book equivalent of a B action movie. It has ridiculous dialogue, big guns, bigger explosions, and is politically incorrect as all get out. Simply put, it is the perfect adaptation of the Duke Nukem video games. This book is completely ridiculous and a ton of fun. It won't go down in history as a classic story, and that's just fine with me.
FF #8
Written by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Steve Epting
The War of Four Cities escalates and we learn what it is that Marvel's First Family fears most!
Grant: As I said in my review of FF #7, I haven't been a huge fan of the recent cosmic focus of this title. I will be happy to see Hickman turn his attention back to Marvel's First Family on Earth. With everything that's been building, I imagine that this should make for some good reading and for some fantastic visuals courtesy of the talented Steve Epting.
FLASHPOINT PROJECT SUPERMAN #3
Plot by Scott Snyder
Script by Lowell Francis
Art by Gene Ha
Grant: One of the (increasingly) few Flashpoint books that has been worth reading. The creative team has managed to do something interesting with their take on a Superman that was captured and raised by the US government. Events were pretty out of control in the last issue, and if this one features the two super beings facing off, I can only imagine the destruction that will come of it. Hopefully the issue can live up to expectations and manage to finish the story without offering a "To Be Continued in Flashpoint #5". That's getting a little old.
INTREPIDS #6
Wrttien by Kurtis J. Wiebe
Art by Scott Kowalchuk
“CYBORGS, BABOONS AND BEARS! OH, MY!”
The action packed finale that will have you high-fiving and fist-pumping in public places. With the true villain revealed, the Intrepids must face their darkest fears and most powerful enemy. A full-scale epic brawl for the fate of humanity. Enter the cyber-bears!
Grant: This has been a pretty fun series thus far. It's had a lot of wackiness going on, including cyber squids, villainous baboons, and this issue features the return of my favourite enemy, the cyber-bear. Or in this case, cyber-bears. The original was great enough in the first issue that I can't possibly say no to the offer of multiple cybernetic ursines. Cannot wait.
MYSTERY MEN #4
Written by David Liss
Art by Patrick Zircher
The Mystery Men combine forces for the first time! With a new evil washing over an unsuspecting New York City, the Operative, the Aviatrix, the Surgeon, the Revenant and Achilles blast through dangers from blood-soaked mob warehouses to monster-infested mansions!
Grant: David Liss and Patrick Zircher have quietly been telling one of the best stories of the summer with this heavily pulp inspired tale. The two have been creating the early history of the Marvel Universe, whipping up a bunch of brand new heroes based in the Great Depression that ostensibly existed before Captain America, Namor, the Human Torch, and so forth. It's been a neat little experiment, and a great tale to boot. If you haven't been following this one, I'd recommend giving it a look.
PUNISHER #2
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by Marco Checchetto
THE HOTTEST LAUNCH OF THE SUMMER CONTINUES.Hunting for the villains behind the Wedding Day massacre, The Punisher will leave no body unturned! With Detectives Bolt and Clemons on his tail, the massacre’s only survivor will seek the Punisher’s aid…which might be the worst of all possible choices
Grant: Like Captain America and Bucky, I absolutely adored the opening issue of this series. Rucka and Checchetto managed to sell me completely on their vision for Frank Castle and the seedy world he inhabits. I'm eager to see how their sophomore issue stacks up in comparison. Should be good.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1
Written by Kevin Eastman & Tom Waltz
Art by Dan Duncan
They’re BACK! This summer, the original heroes in a half-shell make a triumphant return to comics! Leonardo, Donatello, Michaelangelo, and Raphael reunite to bring their ninja aptitude and teenage attitude to IDW Publishing in this all-new, action-packed series. Featuring a cast of familiar characters—Master Splinter, April O’Neill, Casey Jones, and more—and true to the spirit of the original comics created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES are bigger and badder than ever, and ready to rock old and new fans alike!
Grant: Alright, I'll admit that I only kind of remember the original animated series, but I do still have some fond memories of those live-action movies. Some quality work by Vanilla Ice, to be certain... All that to say that I'll give this series a shot to see what it's all about. Worst case scenario, there's some fighting and pizza, which would be good enough for me.
Have you also been won over by IDW's attempts to cash in on your nostalgia? Or have you decided to steer clear of this latest iteration of the half-shelled heroes? Which other books from this week do you have your eyes on? Let us know in the comments!
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8 comments:
I'm liking Gates of Gotham. One of the few places where you can see all the Bat characters (sans Bruce) interact together.
On the other side, Batman, Inc has had me rolling my eyes. I might be the only person on the planet who thinks so, but I think that aside from the art, it's terrible.
Great week:
American Vampire, Star Wars Jedi, Kick Ass & Chew
Also getting X-Men Legacy and GI JOE.
Checking out TMNT
Have low hopes for Green Lantern Warriors but picking it up b/c of pull list.
TMNT is gonna overshadow all the books I'm picking up this wk. Kevin Eastman back to write my favortie childhood characters.
American Vampire, Batman Inc, Gates of Gotham, FF, and Uncanny X-Force rounds out the haul
Average size week: American Vampire #18, Kill Shakespeare #12, Mystery Men #4, Uncanny X-Force #13, The Intrepids #6, Graveyard of Empires #2 (get on this book, people).
I hear TMNT is only $1, if so, I'm all over that.
$1 really Ryan? If so more money saved. Says on solicits 3.99 but hey 3 bucks saved if it is a dollar.
Seems like a rather momentous week, as this is supposed to be the final week of old DCU titles, as well as the Flashpoint tie-ins. I guess the initial numbers show that the strategy is a good one just for upping the numbers at the direct market level, which probably make the online numbers frosting on the cake... well, for seven of those titles, anyway.
As for me (a collector of some 35 years), I'll take this as my cue to leave the stage gracefully & quietly. Goodbye, DC.
TMNT is $4 in most stores in the states....not sure where Ryan saw or heard it was $1 but I cant find it for that anywhere near me.
@Anon6 - damn, that's a big call. For 35 years of being on the junk it must be hard to go cold turkey. I'm wondering what your reasoning is? Is it the gall of DC to releanch of the creative teams all suck? I really hope you reply, I'd love to know.
I'm not a DC reader and I've gone from 1 DCU title to 7.
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