Strap in and hold onto the new website - it's comic reviews and discussion - 01/16/08 [Archive]

ryan79

01-16-2008, 11:03 PM

I LOVED New X-Men. It was a non-stop pier 6 brawl from start to finish and I ate it up. Great, great stuff. And I hope we all know that Sinister isn't going out like he did. I'm sure he'll pop up again very soon.

Countdown...I liked it but the art just seems to be getting worse.

Flash...speaking of bad art. This was my last issue. I was going to give it until the end of this storyline to see if anything would get better. It didn't. It got worse. And it included maybe the single worst drawing of Wonder Woman I've ever seen. The title of the issue said it all...'Finished'.

Cable & Deadpool...I'm going to be really sad to see this book go, but this issue was pretty weak. I laughed out loud during Deadpool's "contract negotiations" but this rest of the book was just...meh.

DMZ...This was great. But that's nothing unusual.

Incredible Hercules...I like this book much better now that Hulk isn't in it. That's not supposed to happen, is it?

Amazing Spiderman...I love the new direction. There, I said it. And I feel much better for it.

dave-accampo

01-16-2008, 11:15 PM

Only read two at lunch today:

New X-men - Messiah Complex has been a fun ride. I disagree with Conor that not enough has been happening. I do see the point that the central mystery about the baby hasn't been revealed (and the baby has essentially been a Hot Potato), but within that framework, there have been a number of big reveals in the past few isssues. This one is no different. We get more about the baby and about what's really going on. One thing -- I'm having a hard time believing that it all wraps up next issue. Is next issue double-sized? Is there an epilogue in another book or in a one-shot of some kind? Seems weird.

JLA - OK, this book is about to be fucking dropped. Last issue had McDuffie squeezing some good writing into a terrible, editorial mandated framework. This issue is even worse - the main story presumably ties into Salvation Run, but if you're not reading Countdown or Salvation Run then good fucking luck caring at ALL about the story. The story itself is barely readable. It's written by Alan Burnett (from the Justice League animated series), but I can't say if it's his scripting or the obviously mandated Salvation Run story that's just completely mediocre.

And then they really screw with me because the back-up about Vixen (written by McDuffie) is actually really good! Yep, the story that DOESN'T serve as a feeder from other mega-continuity events is good. And it only gets a third of the space. That sucks.

I like McDuffie, and I want to support him, but I really resent books being highjacked into service of the "masterplan." NO thank you.

I'm conflicted but leaning toward dropping the book and waiting until Final Crisis is over and done with.

paper

01-16-2008, 11:17 PM

New website? Wha?

tehdave

01-16-2008, 11:17 PM

- brand new day is still good. for serious.

- booster gold was perhaps my least favorite of the bunch, perhaps because of the way they skirted their own "you can't change some events" rules by randomly bringing in future blue beetle, who somehow CAN change said events! i'm hoping there'll be more repercussions than we can tell right here, but i'm choosing to overlook it just because we have booster and beetle together again. let the joy commence!

- when i flipped to page 4 of iron fist, i thought i needed a new pair of glasses. javier pulido's aja impersonation makes my eyes hurt. a real downer - i just hurried through his pages as quickly as possible. i don't think i realized until now that aja is like 70 percent of why i love this book.

gungadin

01-16-2008, 11:21 PM

Quick hit: Countdown had my favorite moment of the week and in two panels undid 20 years screwing up a character.

"I'm Donna Troy, Bitch. Donna. Troy."

Ugh. I saw this page and I rolled my eyes...

luthor

01-16-2008, 11:43 PM

Ugh. I saw this page and I rolled my eyes...

Contextually, it makes sense. Her doppleganger runs down all the crap Donna's been through, and Donna takes her identity back. I think it's a great character moment.

paper

01-16-2008, 11:45 PM

What new website? What's going on!?

labor_days

01-16-2008, 11:50 PM

What new website? What's going on!?

Explained here (http://www.revision3.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13731&page=3).

I thought the same. I only care about iFanboy. Those other sites meant nothing to me, I swear.

(Didn't get my comics today. Was too busy.)

paper

01-17-2008, 12:55 AM

Haha, it would suck if Ron had to do the Pick this week in addition to his other duties.

Josh's turn?

paper

01-17-2008, 01:00 AM

Anybody want to play a game? I'll understand if you don't, but maybe it will be fun.

What should Pol buy at the shop tomorrow? You may spend around 25 Pol Dollars. The list must include Fell.

acomicbookgirl

01-17-2008, 01:08 AM

paper

01-17-2008, 01:10 AM

Birds of Prey...is it a standalone story this week? McKeever, right?

itsbecca

01-17-2008, 01:13 AM

Fell
4 boxes of Pocky

jackw

01-17-2008, 01:21 AM

It is great to have new Fell to read, maybe it's just me missing having the book to read but I really liked this issue. Templesmith grows on me more and more everytime I see his finished work.

Immortal Ironfist also continues to grow as one of Marvels best books. Yes I really think this a top 5 book for Marvel right now. Every issue there is something there that surprises me and this was no exception.

fred

01-17-2008, 02:24 AM

stats are up: http://thisweekincomics.com/thisweekstatistics.php (http://thisweekincomics.com/thisweekstatistics.php)

BOW - American Virgin #22
SBOW - DMZ #27
Publisher of the Week - Image

tlederz

01-17-2008, 02:45 AM

I thought Checkmate this week was great. The whole Mme. Marie oath page was fantastic.

itsbecca

01-17-2008, 02:50 AM

Did the dialogue in Countdown this week strike anyone as.... how do you say... really silly? The Donna Troy line (I appreciate the sentiment, but the line itself... You just can't do that in our society anymore) was one. I'm not very familiar with green lantern, but does Kyle Rayner really say things like "Splainin' "? I don't know I just found myself laughing several times, and considering the actual plot that's probably not a good thing.

steve-m-

01-17-2008, 03:07 AM

New X-Men was totally awesome. Don't dispute it Conor. This book was awesome--some stuff totally happened!!

dave-accampo

01-17-2008, 03:13 AM

I thought Checkmate this week was great. The whole Mme. Marie oath page was fantastic.

Just read that, and YES it was great.

There were a couple of transitions that were awkward, I thought, but overall this book is really sailing right now.

Question: I know it's a new character in the Rocket Red armor, and I know Val Vostok from Doom Patrol. I'm usually pretty good with DC minutiae, but I have to admit, I have no idea if "Bad Samaritan" is a new character or an existing one. Anyone know?

dave-accampo

01-17-2008, 03:16 AM

Anybody want to play a game? I'll understand if you don't, but maybe it will be fun.

What should Pol buy at the shop tomorrow? You may spend around 25 Pol Dollars. The list must include Fell.

What's the exchange rate on Pol dollars?

If you haven't read it yet, the softcover edition of Charles Burns' Black Hole came out last week. It's only $17.99. That plus Fell should get ya pretty close.

dave-accampo

01-17-2008, 03:18 AM

stats are up: http://thisweekincomics.com/thisweekstatistics.php (http://thisweekincomics.com/thisweekstatistics.php)

BOW - American Virgin #22
SBOW - DMZ #27
Publisher of the Week - Image

Thank you for giving JLA a D. I'm pissed about the last two issues of this book...in case that wasn't clear to anyone. :D

fred

01-17-2008, 03:26 AM

Thank you for giving JLA a D. I'm pissed about the last two issues of this book...in case that wasn't clear to anyone. :D

glad to oblige

it was stupid and BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING

racemccloud

01-17-2008, 03:27 AM

Light week, somewhat weak week. Here's a look:

Robin #170 - Tim Drake rocks it. His book, though, is on-and-off. Right now it appears to be off. And... would Robin really fall asleep on patrol at a bowling alley? That seemed a bit silly.

Nightwing #140 - Yeah, I know this was last week, but in accordance with this past show... I also love Nightwing, but his book is never good. Now it is. (And written by somebody who really knows their NYC. Oh, and regarding the last page... has anyone tested Superman for HGH yet?) Good call, Conor. Add!

Justice League of America #17 - "Hi, DC, sorry to bother you... listen, you guys might be a little confused or something, maybe somebody read a memo wrong. JLA (are you listening? Because this is important.) JLA is supposed to be 'awesome', not 'awful'. No, no, that's cool, it happens to everyone, no big. An honest mistake... yeah, so, I'm just gonna drop this until you get that straightened out, okay? Cool. Hey, nice job with Sinestro War. Peace!"

New X-Men #46: Messiah CompleX Ch. 12 - I THINK stuff happened in this book. I'm pretty sure stuff happened... hell, even if it didn't, this whole crossover has been x-cellent. (Pun very much intended.) Marvel deserves points not only for such a solid X-Crossover, but for putting out a book that didn't make me completely hate Cable and all things Cable that include Cable. Oh, and big surprise! SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER! In the "next chapter" blurb, they reveal that the end of Messiah CompleX will also include THE END OF THE X-MEN! That's crazy! I can't believe they're ending the X-Men books! Well, they had a good run. (This very same bad joke appeared at the end of ASM #547. I make no apologies.)

Speaking of which...

POTW - The Amazing Spider-Man #547 - So old school I think Will Ferrell was in it.

(Side note... Fell or Fear Agent? Or should I just wait for both of the complete series to come out in trade?)

fred

01-17-2008, 03:33 AM

They're both awesome but Fell is better imo.

acomicbookgirl

01-17-2008, 03:38 AM

Birds of Prey...is it a standalone story this week? McKeever, right?

Last issue was a standalone.. Yes, its McKeever.. :)

racemccloud

01-17-2008, 03:40 AM

They're both awesome but Fell is better imo.

What is "Fell", in a nutshell?

dave-accampo

01-17-2008, 03:42 AM

glad to oblige

it was stupid and BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING

Listening to your show now...nice...

racemccloud

01-17-2008, 03:45 AM

neb

01-17-2008, 03:45 AM

I had a pretty good, light week this week. Some thoughts:

The Sword #4-- This book rocked my ass off. Kind of diappointed that Dara didn't go ape crazy with the sword like last issue, but I had fun reading this and when I finished, I really wanted to know what was going to happen.

Amazing Spider-Man #547-- I'm enjoying this reboot and it's old school feel, but the plot feels a little...silly. Call me crazy, but I'm sometimes turned off by books where all the bad stuff happens because of timing or some weird serendipitous moment gets in the way. I love Slott's take on Spidey, but I'm not sure I like where it's going. It's like walking a balance beam between being silly and modern, and I'm not sure where it's really at right now. That said, I'm still on board, and this is certainly better than JMS's stuff.

Fell #9-- Mr. Ellis, can you please put this book out more often? God, this book is just so good and Templesmith's art was just...wow. So good. This makes me want to re-read the Vol. 1 HC, which is awesome as well.

Flash #236-- This storyline finished stronger than it started, but it's not saying much. I didn't really mind Williams II's art, but it did look really rushed and sloppy. I thought the storyline tied together nicely, and the character moments with the JLA were fun (Iris putting Jon Stewart in his place...priceless!). I'm not sure if I want a book about him being a dad though. Like next issue is supposed to be him pondering on fatherhood...not so sure about that.

Immortal Iron Fist #12-- I liked this issue, I like where this is going, but can I please have Aja draw it? The other artists they have helping out (which I assume is so it comes out on time) are complete barf, particularly Pulido, who does a terrible Aja impression. Seriously, I'm willing to wait for this book for Aja's art. He really brings the goods when he draws everything. I'm anxious for this tournament to get going and for all the pieces to fall into place.

Robin #170-- The return of Chuck Dixon brings back a better Robin. I really enjoyed this issue. The pencils were strong and the story was good. I'm really looking forward to this arc. Big time.

I also grabbed Green Lantern Corps from last week, and all I can think is, how awesome of a villain is Mongul, and how much fun could Domination potentially be? Can't wait.

luthor

01-17-2008, 03:46 AM

I've really enjoyed the BND stuff, but the whole anti-smoking thing in Marvel books is starting to really get to me. I find that they are doing it so blatantly that it's like having a shovel hit me over the head repeatedly. Everyone knows smoking is bad for you. We get it. Stop now. Please?

dave-accampo

01-17-2008, 03:48 AM

What is "Fell", in a nutshell?

Someone will probably write up something better, but Fell is about a police detective who works in a fictional city called Snowtown.

It's a series of single-issue police procedural stories set in this town and starring this detective. The stories usually touch on really dark aspects of life - they're often pretty macabre.

Oh, and to answer your question: I agree with Fred -- I'd go with Fell over Fear Agent. If you're looking for something to try, Fell is the easy pick because each issue is a complete, standalone story. So you can spend a couple bucks and decide if you like it right there.

racemccloud

01-17-2008, 03:49 AM

Someone will probably write up something better, but Fell is about a police detective who works in a fictional city called Snowtown.

It's essentially a series of single-issue police procedural stories set in this town. The stories are usually touch on really dark aspects of life - they're often pretty macabre.

Oh! Now I remember them talking about this a couple of months back. Sounds easy to jump into. I'll check it out.

neb

01-17-2008, 03:50 AM

What is "Fell", in a nutshell?

Fell is about a big city detective who is forced to transfer out to Snowtown, a neighborhood/borough that is basically a living toliet bowl. The Snowtown PD is understaffed and largely incompetent. The comics follow Detective Fell's exploits in Snowtown, and each issue is a one and done cop story with amazing art by Ben Templesmith. It sort of explores the darker side of humanity and the toll it takes a good detective.

Edit: Damn you Accampo and your fast typing! :)

paper

01-17-2008, 03:52 AM

If I bought only one book every month (ish) it'd be JSA. If I bought two, it'd be JSA and Fell. Not that Fell comes out every month. It should come out hourly.

itsbecca

01-17-2008, 04:19 AM

Just a note McCloud. You can definitley pick up the latest issue of Fell with no problem catching up. There's character and plot development over the series, but the stories themselves are fairly self contained in one issue, so you shouldn't have a problem. ALSO! Note that this latest issue was #9... and the tpb covers issues 1-8. So if you like it you can get caught up with one quick purchase.

Seperate altogether Robin. This issue was... good but the whole Stephanie thing was almost eerie. He's not only mourning, he specifically points out the lack of her memorialization. I had to just stop for a minute and blink. It felt like straight up fanservice.

meccaed

01-17-2008, 06:05 AM

Anyone pick up Fight For Tomorrow, Brian Wood's new graphic novel?

conorkilpatrick

01-17-2008, 06:55 AM

Did the dialogue in Countdown this week strike anyone as.... how do you say... really silly?

I can see Kyle being the kind of guy who watches late night I Love Lucy reruns.

dave-accampo

01-17-2008, 07:01 AM

Anyone pick up Fight For Tomorrow, Brian Wood's new graphic novel?

Didn't pick this up since I have the original issues. Curious about what people think of it today. I thought it was one of Wood's more underwhelming miniseries when it came out...damn, I'm not even sure when it came out originally...2002 or thereabouts?

darkknightjrk

01-17-2008, 07:32 AM

On Countdown: Did anyone else pick up on the irony of the alt. Donna saying to Our Donna that she has no real identity when Alt. Donna's still wearing a version of her Wonder Girl outfit? Also, the "Donna Troy bitch" line was fantastic.

Fell: Maybe it's because I'm a Ellis whore, but this is definately one of the best single-issue comics coming out. Hopefully now that Templesmith isn't whoring for the adaptation of his work, this will come out a bit more regularly, espicially because of Ellis' tease for #16...

humphrey-lee

01-17-2008, 07:46 AM

What is "Fell", in a nutshell?

Amazing and only $2. That's all anyone needs to know really. :D

keithm

01-17-2008, 09:21 AM

So how freaking good was New X-Men this week!?!?! Normally Ramos' art bothers me, but when he's doing non-stop smash-bang action it really works. Also, I was pretty convinced that the Predator X story would remain uninvolved in the main plot of the crossover, and would serve simply to cull the remenants of the NXM cast. It was a stroke of genuis to have everything come together so well and set things up for the fantastic finale.

As to people's concerns that things won't be wrapped up in the next issue, I can almost assure you that they won't. All X-events seem to end with a "where do we go from here?" feeling, and the new direction gets hashed out in the respective titles.

Also, as to the criticism that nothing has happened, well, nothing really has. But's it's been a hugely entertaining ride, even if it went in circles a few times. The crossover HAD to be weekly. If this had been streched over 13 WEEKS it would have been a tedious crawl, but at machine gun rate it was quite a blast.

Finally, I just want to have a moment of silence for the New X-Men title. It never really managed to get its stride, but it's been a pretty good run, going all the way back to the Academy X series. The cast, at certain times, was so bloated and overblown that the book was unworkable. When it came time to slice that cast down to a workable team, the book fell into moments of melodrama and became an emo-fest. But by the end, a core cast of FANTASTIC characters emerged, and I hope we see more of them in the future. There's been talk of a book titled Young X-Men spinning out of the end of Messiah Complex, and hopefully it features Surge, Hellion, Rockslide, Anole and the rest of the crew are somehow involved.

mikegraham6

01-17-2008, 11:05 AM

I was VERY VERY bored by JLA this week, but i friggin' love Roy Harper (red arrow). the only time i've been interested in this book (in the past 4 issues) has been when he shows up (especially his personal life, whenever he's with his daughter, i get a big stupid grin on my face).
Anyway, i think im going to drop this book but i still want to read about Red Arrow, anyone know if he's still in the Outsiders? is he as interesting in that book? If not, any suggestions were i can get my red arrow fix?

fred

01-17-2008, 11:22 AM

Listening to your show now...nice...

thanks sir.

fred

01-17-2008, 11:25 AM

Anyone pick up Fight For Tomorrow, Brian Wood's new graphic novel?

I did. I haven't read it yet.

six-gun

01-17-2008, 11:53 AM

It's not a new graphic novel. It's a collection of a series he did a while back so it may not be quite what you all are expecting :o

winters_night

01-17-2008, 03:58 PM

well i Picked Fell #9 also. and i could go into great detail about what i thought but it would generally be just re-stating what Ron already said. however, what i will add is that it's interesting to see Fell slowly crack up and struggle with the knowledge that he's walking a fine line between good cop, and crazy cop.
i'm very interested to see where he goes from here.

Here's to hoping that we'll see the next issue sometime this year.

So what was your Pick?

jaflanagan

01-17-2008, 04:29 PM

I didn't read Fight for Tomorrow past the first issue.

Meh.

labor_days

01-17-2008, 05:26 PM

Countdown was pretty good. The Donna Troy bits worked as a reaffirmation of her murky history and the line "I'm Donna Troy, bitch."; seemed designed to play against the fabled "Who Is Donna Troy" John Byrne story of old. I bought it. T'was great to see her own it like that.

Less excited by the Mary Marvel part. That may just be because I wanted her to stay evil for a good long while. Or at least explain where all those wonky powers of her's were coming from. Given that I couldn't suss out any previous instances when Adam or the Marvels (sans the Wizard, of course) had those kind of powers- I want an explanation.

I also dig Pete Wood's art. Bringing him on Countdown was the best decision they made art wise. The coloring was rather nice and crisp too. Big improvement for Countdown.

Fell was my POW too. No doubt. Templesmith's art is so evocative. Gorgeous to behold. I felt like Ellis effectively addressed what/how Det. Fell has changed while in Snowtown. Perfectly executed comic books. POW, indeed.

JLA wasn't so bad. The main story of the villains seeking sanctuary seems interesting. Though I am kinda curious why this story had to be told in JLA. The Vixen backup was leaps & bounds better. I really feel bad for McDuffie being derailed by editorial so early into his run. From McDuffie's own comments it seems like he doesn't have much control over these things. C'mon DC, let the man write fun Superhero cartoons.

dave-accampo

01-17-2008, 06:43 PM

I really feel bad for McDuffie being derailed by editorial so early into his run. From McDuffie's own comments it seems like he doesn't have much control over these things. C'mon DC, let the man write fun Superhero cartoons.

Exactly. McDuffie's a good writer, and he proved himself on the animated series.

JLA should be a flagship book and not a victim of Mega-Continuity. IMHO, this should be like Astonishing X-men - a singular vision on the fringe of continuity.

So now I'm stuck between wanting to show support for McDuffie and wanting to show DC my displeasure with their tactics.

conorkilpatrick

01-17-2008, 06:50 PM

Anyway, i think im going to drop this book but i still want to read about Red Arrow, anyone know if he's still in the Outsiders? is he as interesting in that book? If not, any suggestions were i can get my red arrow fix?

Despite showing up in the last issue of Green Arrow and Black Canary the only place to find Roy on a regular basis is in Justice League of America.

deezer

01-17-2008, 11:22 PM

I don't know how I feel about JLA this month. On one hand, I liked the back story about Vixen's powers still being messed up, but the regular story wasn't even saved by the new Dr. Polaris and the (admittedly pretty cool) last scene... here's the hoping it gets better

idave

01-17-2008, 11:32 PM

JLA IS DROPPED.

I don't want to read something that only exists to get me to pick up another book. I liked Meltzer's run way better. He told actual stories and for some reason what he did really appealed to me.

big-e

01-18-2008, 12:06 AM

Though I had quite a short stack of books this week, Booster Gold #6 was great. I know absolutely nothing about Ted Kord, nor do I really need to. Johns has done such a great job of showing how important Ted is to Booster that I'm pumped to see the two reunited.

Oh, and I thought Brand New Day was pretty durn good too. And I don't care who knows it.

humphrey-lee

01-18-2008, 01:13 AM

It's not a new graphic novel. It's a collection of a series he did a while back so it may not be quite what you all are expecting :o

I was actually shocked they traded it. I actually bought the first issue over five years ago when it first came out but could never find the rest as they came out it sold so poorly. I always meant to go out and dollar bin it at a con but kept forgetting. Needless to say, I bought the trade yesterday and it's on my giant ass stack of to reads...

six-gun

01-19-2008, 03:57 AM

Call me crazy, but I liked this issue of JLA more than any since #11

they're finally dealing with a real threat and a lot of the choices we questioned (the hall of justice, the kitchen) seem to be coming into their own really well

I have to say that the main story was better than the back-up which was admitidly fantastic (plus, libertarian Batman;)) B+ (anyone else agree?)

Countdown on the other hand was a real disappointment, I feel like the battle for Earth 51 has lost the momentum it had going into last week and isn't interesting anymore. However if DC doesn't put Jason Aaron or Frank Tierre on an Earth-51 Batman mini it's a crime. D

six-gun

01-19-2008, 04:03 AM

Wow, I just caught up on the thread and man, this JLA hate is depressing.

Conor? anyone? Bueller?

conorkilpatrick

01-19-2008, 04:31 AM

Wow, I just caught up on the thread and man, this JLA hate is depressing.

Conor? anyone? Bueller?

I really, really liked the back up story and got bored with the main story halfway through and ended up skipping it.

six-gun

01-19-2008, 04:39 AM

I really, really liked the back up story and got bored with the main story halfway through and ended up skipping it.

I stand alone on an island of self ;)

kwok_talk

01-19-2008, 12:48 PM

Call me crazy, but I liked this issue of JLA more than any since #11

Weird, me too. I thought it started a little weak, but I really liked the story.

six-gun

01-19-2008, 01:09 PM

Weird, me too. I thought it started a little weak, but I really liked the story.

Yeah! Great, I'm not alone (I thought the Black Lightning intro was a bit week too)

kwok_talk

01-19-2008, 02:16 PM

Oh boy, bring on the hate mail after reading this...

Book of the week (tie): JLA #17 / Incredible Hercules #113
Worst book of the week: Immortal Iron Fist #12

six-gun

01-19-2008, 03:01 PM

Oh boy, bring on the hate mail after reading this...

Book of the week (tie): JLA #17 / Incredible Hercules #113
Worst book of the week: Immortal Iron Fist #12

May I interest you in a

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a161/Sn4ke22/ShieldWall97118.jpg

kahunablair

01-19-2008, 04:17 PM

Oh boy, bring on the hate mail after reading this...

Book of the week (tie): JLA #17 / Incredible Hercules #113
Worst book of the week: Immortal Iron Fist #12

I don't know if I really could pick one or two books, this week, because I really liked a lot of them quite a bit.
I just wanted to agree with you, Kwok.
The Hercule's book, really is turning into a lot of fun. I was a die-hard mythology fan for years, so revisiting those memories is making me a happy lad.

The Iron Fist storyline isn't really doing it for me. I picked up this book when I heard all the raving about this Tournament storyline. The first few issues were good, but now I'm lost. I don't think I'll be picking up the next issue.

kahunablair

01-19-2008, 04:42 PM

Wrong thread... oops!

labor_days

01-19-2008, 04:51 PM

I didn't think JLA was so bad it needs to be dropped. I've read and seen far worse comics.

As I said earlier, the main plot of the villains seeking sanctuary is interesting. I don't know if it needs to be in JLA, per se. It wasn't terribly well written either. Two strikes against it. Sure.

But I was intrigued enough by the ramifications of the premiere Superhero team, of America, having a conflict of morality with the government of America.

Vixen back up was good. I like that is being followed up on. That's how I want the JLA to interact.

six-gun

01-19-2008, 10:26 PM

I agree that Iron Fist was weak this week, I'm loving the plot a ton, but the actual details came across as muddy and confusing

kwok_talk

01-19-2008, 11:45 PM

I agree that Iron Fist was weak this week, I'm loving the plot a ton, but the actual details came across as muddy and confusing
Conceptually I like the plot overall, but I have a real hard time keeping track of the characters. I can't keep the characters straight. I only vividly remember the one guy that the iFanboys refer to as Cobra Commander

zombox

01-19-2008, 11:55 PM

Fell... awesome return. Not sure what happened here, did we 'miss' some time? I don't remember Fell being too psychotic in previous issues. Or maybe the art just didn't convey that to me and it should have. Either way, good stuff and I want to see what happens.

The Sword... another excellent book. Nice art. Only quibble was the whole book doesn't reveal much more than we already knew and moves the plot very minimally.

New X-Men... was a decent issue, mostly action. A few more minor reveals that help tie the plot up and make sense. REady for the finale though, and ready to see the fallout in the X-Men universe.

Flash... this may be the best issue in Waid's return. That isn't saying much. Art is a D overall. Waid's writing is clearly not on its game. The problem? I don't give a flip about those kids. They have stupid personalities. They have ugly costumes. The manufactured drama between Flash and the JLA is stupid. Get rid of them. Bring back the traditional solo Flash.

itsbecca

01-20-2008, 12:47 AM

Flash... this may be the best issue in Waid's return. That isn't saying much. Art is a D overall. Waid's writing is clearly not on its game. The problem? I don't give a flip about those kids. They have stupid personalities. They have ugly costumes. The manufactured drama between Flash and the JLA is stupid. Get rid of them. Bring back the traditional solo Flash.

In general I hate children in comics. So as soon as I picked up the first issue and saw them I said, nope. That's it. I am going to hate this and haven't looked at it again. Guess my initial reaction was probably right!

gungadin

01-20-2008, 01:13 AM

Ummm... Did anyone point out that the crap part of JLA was written by Burnett and not Benes? Just thought I'd say that before I started my stack for the past two weeks...

conorkilpatrick

01-20-2008, 04:53 AM

Ummm... Did anyone point out that the crap part of JLA was written by Burnett and not Benes? Just thought I'd say that before I started my stack for the past two weeks...

McDuffie. Benes is the artist.

dave-accampo

01-20-2008, 07:25 AM

Oh boy, bring on the hate mail after reading this...

Book of the week (tie): JLA #17 / Incredible Hercules #113
Worst book of the week: Immortal Iron Fist #12

Well, you WILL be happy to know that I picked up Incredible Hercules 112-113 on a whim today, and I thought they were both great!

So, on THAT, we can agree. :D

JLA, on the other hand...

animalvader1

01-20-2008, 07:25 AM

Like I said on the POW post:

My pick this week, to even my surprise, was Cemetery Blues #1. Fun, yet intriguing story, cartoon like but at times very spooky art. Great stuff.

Amazing Spider-Man dropped off a little from last week, but still pretty good.

The Sword #4 was pretty solid.

76 (Seventy Six)#1 was entertaining, but not great. I might see where it goes if it comes out on a light week.

The Stranded #1 was pretty strong, with just enough action and unanswered questions to keep the reader wanting more. I'll be watching this one...

Northlanders #1 & 2 awesome! I'm sold on this series.

Immortal Iron Fist #12 was very good. The only thing that stopped it from being great (as usual)was that I didn't like the art on a few pages. I'm sorry Mr. Javier Pulido, but your art isn't for me.

dave-accampo

01-20-2008, 07:35 AM

I didn't think JLA was so bad it needs to be dropped. I've read and seen far worse comics.

Oh, I've read and seen far worse comics...but most of them were written in the early 90's. I think that's what this felt like to me -- some short story written by an editor that shows up in Justice League Quarterly...

I get that the idea is intriguing, but I tend to care less about the ideas (which are dime a dozen) if the story is not well written. So, that alone is a "droppable offense." Throw onto that the fact that the past two issues directly stem from and play into two "events" that I care nothing about...?

Yeah, that makes it really hard to talk me off the ledge.

Did love the back-up, though. Maybe that's what's making me even madder. If McDuffie was just left to his own devices, we'd get more stories like that.

But I think I've been bitter enough already in this thread. ;)

kwok_talk

01-20-2008, 12:33 PM

Well, you WILL be happy to know that I picked up Incredible Hercules 112-113 on a whim today, and I thought they were both great!

So, on THAT, we can agree. :D

JLA, on the other hand...

Hey alright! Glad you liked them!

neb

01-20-2008, 03:38 PM

Well, you WILL be happy to know that I picked up Incredible Hercules 112-113 on a whim today, and I thought they were both great!

So, on THAT, we can agree. :D

JLA, on the other hand...

You know, I've heard nothing but good things about the Herc series, so I think I'll give it a go next week. I know my store still has quite a few copies, so I'll check them out.

deezer

01-20-2008, 03:56 PM

is the Herc series a re-start of an old one with the original numbering instead of starting over again? if so, I can't believe that I would have missed it all these years. I'll need to go find it I think...

labor_days

01-20-2008, 04:49 PM

Oh, I've read and seen far worse comics...but most of them were written in the early 90's. I think that's what this felt like to me -- some short story written by an editor that shows up in Justice League Quarterly...

I get that the idea is intriguing, but I tend to care less about the ideas (which are dime a dozen) if the story is not well written. So, that alone is a "droppable offense." Throw onto that the fact that the past two issues directly stem from and play into two "events" that I care nothing about...?

Hey, don't let me stop ya if you are not enjoying a book. I am a big fan of dropping books.

I simply didn't feel this issue of JLA was the proverbial straw on my proverbial camel's back. However, your millage may vary if you aren't following Suicide Squad, Checkmate, Salvation Run, Countdown shenanigans. Just so happens I am reading those. :D

six-gun

01-21-2008, 01:22 AM

Checkmate was magic this week, POW by far

racemccloud

01-21-2008, 02:39 AM

Hey, don't let me stop ya if you are not enjoying a book. I am a big fan of dropping books.

I simply didn't feel this issue of JLA was the proverbial straw on my proverbial camel's back. However, your millage may vary if you aren't following Suicide Squad, Checkmate, Salvation Run, Countdown shenanigans. Just so happens I am reading those. :D

I am not reading those books, and I have certainly read far worse books than this issue of JLA, but I really think JLA should be knock-your-pants off awesome, rather than decidedly "meh". Maybe if I was into those other titles I'd feel differently.

labor_days

01-21-2008, 03:25 AM

Booster Gold was terrific fun this week. I'm curious how Johns is going to resolve breaking his own rules. Though I am glad the Blue & Gold are back.

So much fun. Booster Gold.

humphrey-lee

01-21-2008, 03:30 AM

Yeah, I'm on this "Ditch JLA" train myself, but more because I really just need to start skimming books off my pull list and it's one of the ones I enjoy the least. Really I think I'm going to cut something like the bottom ten books I read and that I know I can pick up sometime at a con in dollar bins to catch back up if need be. JLA is pretty much the definition of that bit of culling.

dave-accampo

01-21-2008, 06:24 AM

I simply didn't feel this issue of JLA was the proverbial straw on my proverbial camel's back. However, your millage may vary if you aren't following Suicide Squad, Checkmate, Salvation Run, Countdown shenanigans. Just so happens I am reading those. :D

Actually, I'm reading about half of those (Checkmate and SS), and I still didn't like the fact that this story relied so much on those elements. So it's not that I was in the dark -- it's that I resent the continuity-heavy storytelling. That part of it is more of a political stance than a storytelling issue.

By contrast, the back-up was something you could enjoy if you were just following JLA.

I don't know if it's fully dropped yet. Looking at the new solicitations, McDuffie will soon be on full writing duty and what appears to be a new story not tied to anything else. So that looks promising.

six-gun

01-21-2008, 03:25 PM

OK, who here would kill a kitten for Greg Rucka to do a Vertigo Sgt. Rock/Mdm Marie/Unknown Soldier WWII book for Vertigo?

I would be a kitten genocider for that

labor_days

01-21-2008, 03:31 PM

Just give me the Rucka penned Madame Marie Vertigo book.

edit: I wasn't feeling Fear Agent this week. Somewhat boring and slow in the middle. The ending redeemed it all but there was good stretch there when I was wondering where it was all going. One of the few weaker issues in the series.

six-gun

01-21-2008, 03:41 PM

Just give me the Rucka penned Madame Marie Vertigo book.

Hrm... I think that there are enough Rucka books starring BA chicks, I'd like to see him do a scarred OSS agent and an Airborne Ranger

hudsonphillips

01-23-2008, 09:37 PM

I don't get my books every week, so I am just now catching up.

I'd just like to say that I was really looking forward to the new Youngblood. Back in the 90's it was my favorite book. And it's a great idea for a book. And the character's were interesting (to me at the time).

However.

This Youngblood #1 was horribly boring. I have no desire to buy the next issue. No payoff of the premise, no interesting characters, and really no through-story as far as I can tell. I just didn't care about any of the characters or anything that happened to them.

What are Johnny Panic's powers, by the way? I never read his stories in the original series and they didn't try to explain it here at all.

I agree with Josh that the best part was the panel of the forks in the Nazi's eyes. I would've liked to see more of that story than the one page presented.

I was very disappointed.