The Essential Comic
Thor: The Mighty Avenger #7
By Roger Landridge and Chris Samnee
This was my favourite issue of Thor: The Mighty Avenger. Partly because it was the first part of what will be the final story of this magnificent series; partly, because it was an absolutely fantastic tale of Thor taking on giant robots and starting to lose the trust of the people he’s sworn to protect. It feels like a fall from grace for the character and Roger Landridge pens one of the single issues about the character I’ve read in a long time; there are even some references to Landridge’s work on The Muppets comic book via the unwitting villains. Then there’s the implied night of passion between Thor and Jane, something I never thought I’d see in an all ages book, but it works perfectly with the world Landridge has built up in this book. Now, the artwork: Chris Samnee is my favourite artist working in comics right now, and this series has been the best example of his work; every page is vibrant and alive and the characters are perfectly realised. It makes me sad that the next issue is the last as this has certainly been the most fun I’ve had reading a comic book in 2010, and it darkens the doorway into 2011 by having it taken away from me.
Rating: 10/10
And the Rest
27 #1 (of 4)
By Charles Soule and Renzo Podesta
The fact that nobody has thought of this idea before is an example of its simplistic genius. Take the concept of the 27 club of musicians who died before their time and put a twist on it; introduce a guitarist who’s suffering from an affliction that prevents him from playing and watch his journey to recovery. But then you add the weird supernatural elements and you have yourself one of the most intriguing books of the year. This should be one hell of a mini-series. Is there a flaw, you ask? Only one: The art isn’t great.
Rating: 8/10
Batgirl #16
By Bryan Q. Miller and Dustin Nguyen
The thing Batgirl is doing best right now is the short stories; the one-and-done issues, or the quick two/three parters that tell a story as quickly as possible. It makes the series feel more like a fun, drop-in than a meaty, complex continuing series. This most recent two-parter has seen Stephanie become a murder suspect, and go on the run as she attempts to discover the true culprit. It’s great stuff and Bryan Q. Miller is demonstrating his absolutely incomparable skill at crafting a character from an individual who’s been screwed over by editorial more times than I can count. As the new artist on the series, Dustin Nguyen is handling his art chores magnificently; everything feels slightly cartoonier than before, but it works with the book as a whole and helps to develop the world of Batgirl, on the fringes of the other Bat-Books. This book is constantly a must read, and if you haven’t dipped in, this most recent story and the Dracula one-shot that preceded it might be the best place to start.
Rating: 10/10
Booster Gold #39
By Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis and Chris Batista
A lot of what I’m told about Booster Gold’s series involves the death of the Blue Beetle way back in Infinite Crisis. That event had such a profound impact on Booster and has made him a more compelling character for the most part. This issue deals with Booster’s mourning process, and also how the death of Ted Kord has been changed by Maxwell Lord’s actions in Generation Lost. Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis are two writers who understand characters like Booster Gold, and this issue is powerful, engaging and emotionally poignant.
Rating: 9/10
Captain America and the Korvac Saga #1 (of 4)
By Ben McCool and Craig Rousseau
This was a lot of fun. There’s something about Marvel’s All Ages books right now that just seems appealing; maybe it’s the fact that they don’t tie themselves down to continuity and anyone who seems out of character gets the benefit of the doubt approach of “well, it’s not in continuity.” That sums up the experience of reading this Captain America story – a new interpretation of an ancient story arc – it’s just a lot of fun; Ben McCool maintains his great sense of drama and quirky style from Choker and the art by Craig Rousseau while overly scratchy in places, isn’t too shabby either. There are a couple of moments where Cap feels woefully out of character, though, but again, this is a completely new continuity and Cap can be written any way McCool feels like writing him. But I’ll say it again: This was a lot of fun!
Rating: 7/10
DCU Holiday Special 2010 #1
By Various Creators
This is the worst holiday special DC has put out in years; out of all the stories, only the Jonah Hex one was even slightly entertaining or engaging. The rest were simple run-of-the-mill stories that just seemed to pad out the whole book. None of DC’s big hitters, save Superman, appear much at all (if at all) and it just feels like a poorly thought-out cash-grab. I’m all for them trying to promote second tier characters with a book that’s guaranteed to sell relatively well, but the least they could do is make then effort and not hand us a collection that’s filled with weak writing and ugly artwork.
Rating: 4/10
Detective Comics Annual #12
By David Hine and Agustin Padilla
With the recent slew of Batman Incorporated titles, this Detective Comics Annual was a surprisingly entertaining read; normally these annuals are reserved for bland storytelling and mediocre artwork, and while this issue isn’t anything special it does continue the status quo established by Grant Morrison to great effect. Bruce and Dick are in Paris, both parading about as Batman, which is nice to see as this strange scenario is reflected in their dialogue and attitude to one another. David Hine has proved himself to be a decent writer when it comes to Batman, and while his work on Azrael has been less than readable, this annual was a lot of fun. The back-up stories, meanwhile, were pale in comparison.
Rating: 7/10
Doc Savage #9
By Ivan Brandon, Brian Azzarello, Jason Starr, Nic Klein and Scott Hampton
Doc Savage is slowly becoming a sleeper hero for me; the series started out with a whimper and over the last few months it’s got better and better – almost the opposite of First Wave, the book that spawned it. This issue sees Doc in a sort of hostage situation; there’s action, humour and thrills as we learn the circumstances of his predicament and the eventual repercussions of it. The story by Ivan Brandon and Brian Azzarello has been tailored specifically to maintain the pulpy feel of the character and his origins, but has been updated enough that everything feels fresh and original. The art by Nic Klein is decent throughout, merging cartoony line art with muted colours and simplistic choreography. This series can only get better, it seems; despite the waning interest in the Justice Inc back-up which is becoming a chore to read.
Rating: 8/10
Fables #100
By Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham and Various Others
Fables has never been my favourite series, but I’ve stuck with it for almost 100 issues now. Yes, almost; I haven’t quite caught up with it in trade yet, but as I bought this and wanted to give it the chance to be a highlight of the week I gave it a read. The story was great fun in this issue and although some things didn’t make total sense, I looked past them and just enjoyed myself reading it. The back-ups were great, too, particularly the prose section written by Mark Buckingham and drawn by Bill Willingham. The art throughout was a fantastic thing to behold: Buckingham is on form as ever, Willingham does some nice illustrations and the all-star cast of the back-up section deserve a round of applause. I’ll look back at this when I catch up in trade and re-evaluate, but as a single issue it was well worth the price tag.
Rating: 9/10
First Wave #5 (of 6)
By Brian Azzarello and Rags Morales
The train wreck of First Wave comes to a crashing halt in this penultimate chapter to the mini-series that spawned pulp resurgence. Considering how well this all started it seems almost ironic that it’s ending on such a down-note. The charm and integrity of the story is gone replaced by some wacky, nonsensical action and characters who feel like nothing more than cardboard representations of their source material. Brian Azzarello has proven before that he is a genius, but somehow he’s managed to fail dismally when it comes to this series; unless the final issue of this is spectacular then only a third of it will have been entertaining. It’s upsetting to think that the first two issues of this series were so spectacular and powerful. The art by Rags Morales is the one saving grace of this issue; Morales can’t draw anything that isn’t amazing to look at, but even he has started to slump over the course of this series. It’s not bad, it’s just less spectacular now than earlier in the series, which is surprising as this penultimate instalment was an action-packed piece that should have been marvellous fun.
Rating: 6/10
Flash #7
By Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins
At last, we get a Rogue spotlight; the highlight of Geoff Johns’ previous run on The Flash makes a return as we delve into the origins of Digger Harkness, the original Captain Boomerang. The majority of the issue is told in flashbacks, with the present day showing his infiltration of Iron Heights Prison to confront Professor Zoom, the Reverse Flash, and learn of his true purpose following the Brightest Day resurrections. It’s great stuff and Johns clearly has a big plan for the Rogues, particularly Boomerang and Professor Zoom. The art is by Scott Kolins this month, the primary artist from Johns’ previous run; it’s more in-line with Francis Manapul’s style of art this time around, but that’s more down to Kolins’ change in art style. It’s not bad at all, but it’s different if you go in expecting old school Scott Kolins art. Regardless, the Flash is clearly going to become a book you need to be reading in the run-up to Flashpoint in 2011; this is the same quality we were getting from the Green Lantern books pre-Blackest Night. Let’s just hope it doesn’t take a dramatic drop after the event, like the GL books have done.
Rating: 10/10
G. I. Joe Origins #22
By David Lapham and Werther Dell'Edera
Alongside G. I. Joe Cobra, G. I. Joe Origins is arguably the most enjoyable comic book IDW puts out. The fact that G. I. Joe characters can be portrayed in such a dark light is astounding to me; the art is sketchy and brutal, and the writing is absolutely perfect. If you haven’t been reading any of these books then you’re missing out; but this most recent arc is probably a great place to start.
Rating: 10/10
Halcyon #2
By Marc Guggenheim, Tara Butters and Ryan Bodenheim
It seems like a tacky idea, right? What if the super villain saved the world? But in this series that idea works wonderfully. Marc Guggenheim and Tara Butters have done a great job of crafting a world where things aren’t quite what they seem and the villain has become the hero. The art by Ryan Bodenheim is wonderfully representative of this strange world; it looks like standard superhero fare, but looking deeper it shows layers of intricacy and brilliance that feels almost unfathomable. It’s not the best book out there, but you need to give it a try, because it’s certainly one of the most interesting.
Rating: 9/10
Incredible Hulks #618
By Greg Pak and Paul Pelletier
I’ve not been reading Chaos War, so I was hesitant when I picked up this issue due to its tie-in factor. As I soon learned, though, this is how you do a tie-in issue to an event that most people won’t be reading. The Hulks’ involvement in the story was perfectly explained and made sense on the page; Greg Pak is surprising me consistently with how well he writes these characters and Paul Pelletier is blowing me away with this art. That said, it’s starting to grate me, already, that there are so many different Hulk characters around, which is the point of the book; but it just feels wrong. The return of the Abomination for a brief fight was fun and held my interest, but I just want this to go back to being a book about Bruce Banner, because even the normal Hulk book isn’t about him anymore. That aside, this was a lot of fun; you don’t have to be reading Chaos War to enjoy this, but it was good enough that I now have an interest in that event.
Rating: 9/10
Justice League: Generation Lost #15
By Judd Winick and Joe Bennett
Why is Generation Lost not the main Justice League book? The main JLA book is an abysmal waste of paper, while this series focusing on the Justice League International and their search for Maxwell Lord is easily the most fun team book being put out by DC right now. This issue primarily focuses on Max himself as he realises that somehow Wonder Woman has been erased from existence thanks to JMS’ run on her solo book, which is establishing her in a world of her own. It’s weird to comprehend that no one has realised Diana is gone, but this book hits the nail on the head when it comes to the harsh reality of hopelessness. There’s also some nice character development between Booster Gold and Captain Atom as the latter finds himself labelled as public enemy number one following Max’s latest scheme to ruin the JLI’s lives. This is absolutely fantastic stuff and if you’ve missed out, I strongly recommend picking up the trade early next year.
Rating: 10/10
Knight and Squire #3 (of 6)
By Paul Cornell and Jimmy Broxton
Maybe it’s the fact I’m English, but Knight and Squire is just a lot of fun. When Grant Morrison penned the characters throughout his run on the regular Batman book, and even when they popped up in Batman and Robin, they weren’t very likeable. In fact, they offended me. But Paul Cornell has turned them into charming and engaging characters; they are fully rounded and their adventures speak to me as someone who appreciates our culture here in England. The fact that Richard III returns as a psychotic super villain is just one example of Cornell's growing genius; the man may not be great when it comes to British television (say what you will, his Doctor Who episodes are awful), he knows comic books! This is a fascinatingly great read and maybe that’s only because I see it as the DC equivalent of Captain Britain.
Rating: 10/10
Let Me In: Crossroads #1 (of 4)
By Marc Andreyko and Patric Reynolds
Let the Right One In is one of my favourite novels of the last few years and both film adaptations are spectacular, so obviously, this comic book was a no-brainer purchase, but was almost certainly going to be disappointing. Surprisingly, though, it wasn’t disappointing; this is a great representation of the characters from the Americanised version of the story, portrayed through the comic book format. They look like the actors who play them, but in that Buffy style where they also look different enough to not be jarring constantly. Marc Andreyko is clearly a fan of the material, and of horror in general, penning a tale that is deeply disturbing and gritty while grounded in reality and the reality of the story. The art by Patric Reynolds is wonderful, too; it’s a scratchy, crime-noir style with just enough edge to achieve originality and flair. This is a must-read if you’re a fun of the novel or the films; a frightening and poetic look at the world of vampires.
Rating: 10/10
Muppet Sherlock Holmes #4 (of 4)
By Patrick Storck and Amy Mebberson
The Muppets and Sherlock Holmes are not a combination which comes to mind immediately, but they are undoubtedly a combination that warrants abundant praise. This mini-series recounting Sherlock Holmes adventures with Muppet characters and their general style of humour has been an absolute joy to read. Yes, it’s not always funny; some of the jokes are so clearly aimed at children that no adult could find them amusing, but that’s part of the charm of the Muppets. This final issue incorporated elements from The Final Problem, Holmes’ epic duel with Moriarty and managed to make it wonderfully silly and slapstick. If you didn’t read this series pick it up in trade; it’s great fun.
Rating: 8/10
New Avengers #7
By Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen
Following the last issue’s action-packed resolution, this epilogue feels like this team of Avengers finally coming into their own. It’s an extremely talky issue, dealing with the characters more than anything else; Spider-Man is picked out as the only Avenger not to receive a paycheck because of his identity being a secret from the team and his realisation that Victoria Hand worked for Norman Osborn was handled well. There’s also some great Luke Cage stuff here that shows how far Brian Michael Bendis has come as a writer; no longer is Cage a stereotypical thug, now he’s a true leader of heroes, a man of principle more than anything else. The art by Stuart Immonen continues to dominate, however, and serves as the primary reason for buying this series; it’s such a shame he’s leaving in a couple of issues to be replaced by Mike Deodato. Sigh.
Rating: 10/10
Northlanders #35
By Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan
It’s astounding that this series has passed me by, but the cover of this issue, the promise of a self-contained story unrelated to anything that’s come before and the guarantee of some Becky Cloonan art meant that I read it. And it’s warranted the purchase of all thirty-four issues prior in some form or other. This is an astounding piece of work; Brian Wood is a truly poetic writer – I wasn’t a huge fan of the first DMZ trade so that series hasn’t been pursued either, but this is just an incredibly emotional portrait of an old man looking for answers in the wilderness. Becky Cloonan’s art is as fantastic as ever, and the whole experience has rubbed me the right way so that now I feel obliged to have a look at the next issue of DMZ to see if I’m missing out on Wood’s work there.
Rating: 10/10
Project Superpowers Christmas Special #1
By Brandon Jerwa and Patrick Berkenkotter
Maybe it’s because I’ve never read Project Superpowers before and all I’ve heard is bad things that this book was something of a surprise to me when I sat down to read it. It wasn’t bad, by any stretch of the imagination, but it just didn’t capture me like I had anticipated it. I’m a sucker for Christmas specials, and this felt forced and contrived; but maybe, that’s because I don’t know the characters at all. This issue was essentially a riff on A Christmas Carol, one of my favourite stories of all time; that part, I liked – we get three separate stories that all relate to the grander scheme of things. But whereas the Batman Christmas Special from oh-so-many years ago covered the same ground fantastically well, this fell flat. Again, it might be my problem more than the book’s. The art in here was fairly decent throughout; there were some gorgeous images, but a lot of the time it felt fairly mundane and average. This special has intrigued me when it comes to Project Superpowers enough to constitute a look back at the first story, but if this was an example of what I’ll find there, I’ll be glad to have missed it.
Rating: 5/10
R.E.B.E.L.S. #23
By Tony Bedard and Claude St. Aubin
This arc has been my first exposure to R.E.B.E.L.S. and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I’m still not completely certainly what that acronym stands for, or who this series is about, but so far what I’ve read has been a fun tale focusing on Adam Strange, John Stewart and two Green Lanterns with little-to-no skill or intellect. Tony Bedard isn’t my favourite writer by any stretch of the imagination, but here he’s penned a story that engages and manages to hold interest for the whole arc. There was a sub-plot here that caught my eye, too, involving the return of a sinister villain who’s been around for as long as there have been DC comic book team-ups. I’ve never seen any art by Claude St. Aubin, but it’s a decent style that captures the right mood throughout. This is definitely a series I’ll be checking out more thanks to this arc; hopefully the next will be just as good.
Rating: 9/10
Red Robin #18
By Fabian Nicieza and Marcus To
One of the most consistent Batman books of the last two years has been Red Robin (and Robin, before it). The adventures of Tim Drake have been the most serious outside of Grant Morrison’s work, focusing on the realities of being a crimefighter and maintaining a secret identity in the modern world. This issue sees Red Robin travel to Russia to investigate a connection between a businessman and a sinister criminal network. The story by Fabian Nicieza is a lot of fun, highlighting the heroism and power of Tim Drake as a character and also his strained relationship with fellow superheroes. The art by Marcus To is great, as ever, offering us a vibrant and energetic look into the world of teen superheroes and globetrotting adventure.
Rating: 8/10
Shadowland: After the Fall #1
By Anthony Johnston, Marco Checchetto and Roberto De La Torre
The aftermath of Shadowland, while certainly just as predictable as the event itself, has certainly been more fun to read; the progression of the Daredevil book into the new Black Panther series has been interesting, and this one-shot appears as a capper to the thing – one last epilogue. Antony Johnston has been one of my favourite under-the-radar creators since his work on Queen and Country with Greg Rucka – here he gives life and emotion to the entire Daredevil supporting cast and wraps up Andy Diggle’s tale neatly, while leaving the door open for the new status quo. The art by Robertyo De La Torre and Marco Checchetto evokes Michael Lark throughout and manages to carry on the style and image of Daredevil from the last few years. There’s only one problem with this, though; it’s almost identical to Daredevil #512, which was also an epilogue to Shadowland. This isn’t as a problem as that was the best issue of the event, but this does seem rehashed and plodding because of it. To someone who has only been reading the mini-series, though, this would be the perfect capper to Marvel’s turkey of the year.
Rating: 8/10
Stan Lee's Starborn #1
By Chris Roberson and Khary Randolph
None of the Stan Lee books released so far have grabbed my attention in any way, but Starborn intrigued me. I’m a big fan of space operas, and a hero in space is just what I need to fill the void left by Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy. This was not only a good choice on my part, but it was absolutely fantastic; Chris Roberson has taken Stan Lee’s idea and turned it into a fully realised, wonderfully presented world – and the craziest part? It’s not even a space opera...yet! The art by Khary Randolph works brilliantly with the story, complementing it throughout and it just intrigues on every conceivable level. If you aren’t planning on picking up Starborn, reconsider your decision – its well worth your time and effort.
Rating: 9/10
Superboy #2
By Jeff Lemire and Pier Gallo
This is my favourite Superman-related books, outside Action Comics. Jeff Lemire has made me care about a character who, prior to this series, I had little-to-no interest in whatsoever. Connor Kent is wonderfully engaging, though; his role as Superboy is powerful and his interactions with his own Lex Luthor and Poison Ivy throughout this issue are fantastic and demonstrate a man who will go on to rival the integrity of the big guy himself. The only problem with this issue, other than the slow pace, is the fact that Lemire isn’t drawing it; there’s nothing wrong with the art, but having Lemire on this book would be a fantastic thing to behold in every respect.
Rating: 8/10
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #2
By Nick Spencer and Cafu
Nick Spencer just as a knack for penning amazing concepts; “Morning Glories” has been a spectacular series, and this new superhero book from DC sees him branching out and using the team dynamic to great effect. This issue focuses on a THUNDER Agents mission, featuring the new team and highlighting the speedster of the group and the arduous experience of using the superpower that makes him a member of the team. The art by Cafu is amazing; I don’t know where this guy came from but his style is wonderful to behold. Everything about this is great, and it can only get better!
Rating: 10/10
Terry Moore's Echo #26
By Terry Moore
Terry Moore got me. In this final run-up to the end of Echo, he’s managed to pull a fast-one and twist the story in a way I never expected. As we build towards what’s sure to be an epic climax, he offers us a last page reveal that could be the most important moment in Indie comics since he wrapped up Strangers in Paradise. Is the reveal really real? Or is this all some nasty trick? Are Echo and SiP in the same continuity? We’ll find out next issue, but for now it’s blown me away.
Rating: 10/10
Thor #618
By Matt Fraction and Pasqual Ferry
I’m starting to think that Matt Fraction’s work reads better in trade paperback. Invincible Iron Man is a tough nut to crack month-to-month, while Uncanny X-Men is fun but lifeless in small chunks. Thor manages to be the inbetweener; the one book that is constantly fun, but tough to get into every four or five weeks. This issue continues Fraction’s tale and brings Odin into the mix, something which I’ve been waiting for personally; and this was certainly the best issue of the run outside of the first instalment (which was the perfect first issue). The art by Pasqual Ferry is as gorgeous as it’s ever been, but I do worry that at times it can become lifeless and unengaging, but for the most part – and throughout this issue – it meshes perfectly with Fraction’s interpretation of Thor. If you’ve missed this so far, check out the trade; it’s worth a go, at least.
Rating: 8/10
Tiny Titans/Little Archie #3 (of 3)
By Art Baltazar and Franco
This was so awesome it can be summed up in one quote from a headless Batman: “Who are you? You have an R on your shirt but you’re not Robin! I’m a Detective, y’know. I can tell.” That made this book absolutely, hilariously perfect. That, and Batman's subsequent conversation with Joker about coming to pick up his daughter from the Bat Cave. There was no logic there, but it was wonderfully funny. If you don’t love Tiny Titans (and Little Archie), who stole your childhood?
Rating: 10/10
Uncle Scrooge #398
By Carl Barks and Haroldo Guimaraes
There are two stories in this issue of Uncle Scrooge, both of which manage to hark back to a time when Saturday morning characters were exceptionally fun. The first story involving a time travelling belt feels just like a DuckTales episode; the story is fun, but relatively simple and the art is absolutely gorgeous. The second is more like a classic Disney cartoon of days gone by – it’s just as wonderfully written, and the art is just as fabulous – but it feels like a completely different style. Both are perfect and demonstrate just why this book is such fun for kids (and big kids) of all ages.
Rating: 9/10
Widowmaker #1 (of 4)
By Jim McCann and David Lopez
For the first time in a while I’m glad to be reading a Hawkeye book. That’s not meant to be a slight against Jim McCann’s Hawkeye and Mockingbird series, but this book was such an enjoyable read that it made me reassess why I hadn’t loved that series completely. It’s because I like just seeing Hawkeye and Mockingbird taking on unimaginable odds and coming out on top; and for the first time ever I’m interested in the Ronin persona of Hawkeye’s life and the origins of it. Yes, this was meant to be the next issue of Hawkeye and Mockingbird, and yes it probably would have still been fantastic as that comic book, but as its own series it’s the perfect jumping on point for anyone who’s wanted a Hawkeye series that focuses on the things that make him such an enduring character.
Rating: 9/10
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