The Essential Comics
By Scott Snyder, Jock and Francesco Francavilla
This is the best issue of Detective Comics there’s been since Greg Rucka left. And looking back on it, that’s not really been very long. In fact, the last time Rucka was on this book beyond the brilliant Question back-up, Jock was drawing it.
Putting Scott Snyder, the genius behind American Vampire, on this book was a brilliant move on the part of DC; Snyder gets character and depth, and his tone is dark enough to accommodate someone like me who likes his Detective Comics to be gritty and internal – a look at the more intricate side of crime fighting and investigation, rather than a series of splash page brawls.
The main story here revolves around an investigation into someone dealing a mysterious drug that has turned a boy into a Killer Croc-like monster; there are some other allusions to Batman’s rogues gallery throughout the main story, and that, in part, is the reason why this issue was so striking. It’s a great move by Snyder to incorporate classic villains in a unique way, without resorting to dragging them out of prison for a quick story arc – this is a methodical piece of storytelling.
The art by Jock is fantastic throughout, too; it’s not quite as crisp as his work on The Losers and Green Arrow: Year One, but it looks gorgeous nonetheless. His Batman is wondrous to behold, and his sense of choreography is unlike anyone else working in comics right now, except, perhaps, J H Williams III.
The back-up by Snyder and Francesco Francavilla was also a pleasant surprise; Snyder’s doing something with Commissioner Gordon that it’s only appalling to think nobody’s done before, incorporating elements of the character that haven’t been seen since Year One, but which make numerous appearances in the Christopher Nolan movies. It’s absolute genius.
The art by Francavilla is gorgeous, too; it’s on the same level of brilliance as Jock, and tempts me to buy the first issue of his Black Panther run, just to gawk at his artwork.
This is a truly special time to be a Batman fan, and this and Batman Incorporated are the two essential books right now. In fact, this one might even be better.
Rating: 10/10
By Brian Michael Bendis, David Lafuente, Sara Pichelli, Joelle Jones, Jamie McKelvie and Skottie Young
Ultimate Spider-Man is the first comic book I collected. Not bought, mind you; that honour goes to Detective Comics #741, which I still have (for those of you playing at home: that’s the final issue of No Man’s Land, and I was 9). But, Ultimate Spider-Man is the one comic I’ve collected since issue one, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it; even the issues that weren’t fantastic or innovative were fun enough that I didn’t care if they were introducing someone like Geldoff (nice one, Bendis).
So, to see it reach 150 issues is something special for me (even though, technically this is issue 149...or, if you include the Requiem issues it’s 151...in fact, the only way you can make it 150 is if you count the impossible to find issue 0, or the Super Special as one of the 150...but the Super Special is reprinted here...GAH! My head hurts).
Anyway, this was a fantastic issue; it’s essentially a one-shot dealing with various encounters between the Ultimates and Spider-Man. Each story is a fun little anecdote, and Bendis writes each member of the team, and Spider-Man’s reaction to them, brilliantly.
Then, we come to the art. This issue gets the prize for best art team of the year. David Lafuente, the regular artist, deals with the opening Spider-Man/Ringer story; Sara Pichelli deals with the narration scenes featuring Carol Danvers and the Ultimates; Joelle Jones does the Iron Man section; Jamie McKelvie does the Captain America section; and Skottie Young does the Thor section. Now, let me phrase this just right... Jamie McKelvie NEEDS to be drawing a Spider-Man book. Right now! And Skottie Young NEEDS to be drawing a Thor book. Their art on these characters is absolutely astounding, as is everyone else’s for that matter, but those two really pack a punch.
Also reprinted here as an anniversary bonus is the mostly Mark Bagley drawn hard-to-find Ultimate Spider-Man Super Special featuring numerous pin-ups by the crème of the comic book art crop. The only problem with this whole thing, aside from the numbering, is that the reprint takes up more space than the new material. That said, it’s great to read the Super Special again, and the new stuff was worth the six dollars for the Young and McKelvie pages alone.
Rating: 10/10
And the Rest
Action Comics #895By Paul Cornell, Pete Woods, Nick Spencer and RB Silva
Paul Cornell has proved over the years that he can be a decent writer; he’s not my favourite by any stretch, in fact, he’s probably in the lower echelon of creators for me. His Doctor Who stuff annoys me; His Marvel stuff was fun; and now, his DC stuff is proving to be the best work of his career. Action Comics has been an enjoyable ride so far, and after two amazing issues, this was a slight drop in quality; it’s a pacing thing, this issue was much slower and more methodical than the bang-bang approach of the last two. It’s focus is almost entirely on Vandal Savage, and this leads to some ho-hum moments, but also some amazingly funny comedy bits between him and Luthor. The art in this issue was generally okay; it’s not the best style, but it works well with the material in the script. Regardless, this issue made me excited for the next part, and the crossover with Secret Six.
Rating: 7/10
By Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos
The fact that the second issue of this new status quo for Spider-Man was just as fantastic as the first really sums up my attitude to the series as a whole. Brand New Day was a great experiment, and now it’s led us to this, the return of the Hobgoblin, one of my personal favourite villains, not just from Spider-Man but in Marvel’s entire catalogue of rogues. And Dan Slott manages to pull a twist into the mix I didn’t see coming, which only serves to increase the tension and excitement generated by this latest arc. The stuff with Peter Parker’s personal life and his new job is great, too; as is the Spidey/Black Cat team-up at the start of the issue. Humberto Ramos’ style isn’t for everybody, but for me he’s always been a fantastic artist, particularly when it comes to Spider-Man, and this is no exception; it looks gorgeous and feels fast and energetic. This is the most fun I’ve had with a Spider-Man book since the mid-way days of Brand New Day. And I loved 99 percent of Brand New Day.
Rating: 10/10
By Rob Rodi and Mike Choi
The majority of the Astonishing books have been just that; Whedon and Cassaday’s run on the X-Men, Aaron and Kubert’s tale of Spider-Man and Wolverine. Now we come to Thor. But where this series differs in its creative team; no more top tier talents, but a fine book nonetheless. The story is standard Thor fare, and the interaction between the Mighty Avenger and Ego, the Living Planet, was decent. It’s intriguing enough to warrant a look at the second issue in January. Where this series excels, however, is the artwork; it is absolutely stunningly gorgeous – some of the best Thor outside of Samnee’s work – and paints a wonderfully detailed picture of this mesh of fantasy and science fiction.
Rating: 8/10
Avengers vs. Pet Avengers #2 (of 4)By Chris Eliopoulos and Ig Guara
This series has been my first major exposure to the Pet Avengers; sure, I’ve read bits here and there, and been drawn in by Chris Eliopoulos’ sheer creative brilliance. But this is the first read-through of a series, and so far it has been absolutely phenomenal. The story is fun and engaging; obviously aimed at younger audiences, but serving enough of a Pixar-esque punch that adults can find loads to love within, too. The artwork, too, by Ig Guara is decent throughout; the animals actually look like animals, and the humorous expressions on the faces of the frog Avengers are absolutely hysterical for the most part. This series is definitely, a must-read.
Rating: 9/10
By Paul Cornell and Scott McDaniel
It’s sad to see this series drop so far so quickly, especially when you consider how great it’s been for the last sixteen issues. Paul Cornell and Scott McDaniel are filling in for a story arc, and it is honestly, very average. I’m not a huge fan of Cornell’s work, and it’s clear this story was whipped up very quickly, but it just doesn’t pop. The exchanges between Dick and Damian are perfect, and Cornell should make it his mission to write those characters at some point in the future, but the story was weak and the allusions to the larger scheme of Batman Incorporated felt off. It’s almost as though Cornell is making up his own rules for the arc, but then again, maybe he’s working off Grant Morrison’s grand plan; it’s just the moment when Dick says that were Bruce in the US he’d probably be at the gravesite with Gordon, too...because he’s Batman’s boss. That just rubbed me the wrong way. Why would Bruce be there? It’s unbelievably irksome. On the art side of things, we get a pale reflection of Scott McDaniel’s art; it used to be amazing, particularly in the Golden Age of Rucka/Brubaker Bat-Books. But here, it’s stiff, lacklustre and at times ugly. This issue was such a disappointment; hopefully the next two will improve, and tie nicely into Tomasi and Gleason’s run in February.
Rating: 4/10
Batman Beyond #6 (of 6)By Adam Beechen and Ryan Benjamin
Batman Beyond has always been a strange and alluring beast; the animated series stands tall as one of my all time favourite spins on the Dark Knight. It’s been great to see him finally make the jump from television to comic book, and this series, despite it’s flaws, has at least guaranteed us an ongoing for a short while. That being said, the story here wasn’t the strongest; the twists and turns throughout have been decent enough, but as a final instalment this was fairly lacklustre. There was no depth here, at all; something that Beechen is normally good at. The major flaw was the artwork, which was messy and unappealing for the most part. There were a few great panels, but overall this wasn’t the right style for a book based on an animated series; sure, it’s not expected for them to emulate the Bruce Timm look, but this take on the world was, in a word: boring. And that is an absolute shame.
Rating: 5/10
Batwoman #0By J H Williams III, W. Haden Blackman and Amy Reeder
It’s such a relief to see a Batwoman book back on sale. The brilliance of Greg Rucka and J H Williams III’s run on Detective Comics is something that’s rarely been bested in the last year, and now we’re getting a new series exclusively about Kate Kane’s superhero counterpart. For the most part, this issue is a draw for the art more than the story, but J H Williams III and W. Haden Blackman manage to present a pretty compelling piece of storytelling; it’s basically a follow-on from the godawful Road Home books from last month, but this demonstrates just how flawed that series was by giving us a great look at how Bruce Wayne would analyse a fellow hero. There’s no dialogue, though; not that you’d notice at first glance, but it does beg the question over whether Williams and Blackman will do a convincing job when the series starts properly. Now, the art; J H Williams III is one of the three best artists working in comics right now, and his art in this book is dynamic, exciting and gorgeous. There’s also a nice contrast with Amy Reeder popping in to draw the half focusing on Kate herself and proving to be just as engaging as Williams. In all, this was a great reintroduction to Batwoman and whets the appetite for the ongoing series.
Rating: 9/10
Captain America #612By Ed Brubaker and Butch Guice
Captain America hasn’t been good since Steve Rogers came back. Every time a new arc begins, excitement boils up as we enter into a new and interesting storyline; then, before you know it, the hype has faded and by the time the conclusion of the arc rolls around, nobody cares anymore. That’s happened with the last two arcs on this title, and it’s strange to finally have a Part 2 issue that doesn’t fall by the wayside. Maybe that’s because the first part of this story arc was essentially a recap one-shot, and not a great one at that; decent art, but art that clashed with the content. This instalment has a much more rounded storyline, harkening back to the early issues of Brubaker’s run of Daredevil; back when he was writing two of the best series available simultaneously. The art in this issue is also great to look at; moody and sketchy – the kind of style we’ve come to expect since Steve Epting’s departure from the book. This arc looks set to be a genuine game-changer for Bucky; the plot changes things, but the elevation of an old rouge into a formidable foe on the eve of the titular event is a genius move from Brubaker. This is the best Captain America has been in over a year.
Rating: 9/10
By Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting
This is the best ongoing series Marvel is publishing right now, and it’s a shame they’re going to ruin it in February with a final issue/relaunch/whatever-they-plan-to-do. The combination of Jonathan Hickman’s brilliantly crafted story and Steve Epting’s gorgeous artwork is a huge draw for most folks, and this issue everything starts to come together and point towards the events that will kill off a member of the Fantastic Four. There’s an ongoing thread involving Namor and Sue Storm which could result in her death; there’s the thread of Reed Richards, Galactus and the Silver Surfer which could result in his death; there’s even the thread of Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm being left to look after the kids in the Baxter Building which could result in either of their deaths, particularly with the surprise reveal of a villain planning to attack the Baxter Building. It’s all been wonderfully worked out, especially as any one of the four could be killed off and we’re none the wiser as to who yet. That’s good storytelling, right there. Epting’s art in this issue was on par with his Fantastic Four run, too; gorgeous, dark stuff that captured the mood of the story while also grabbing some of the quirky charm that makes the Fantastic Four so enduring. My only problem is that after Doctor Doom’s appearance in the first part of this arc he’s been absent ever since; but, I have faith in Hickman, and I’m sure his inclusion in the first issue will make perfect sense in the end.
Rating: 10/10
By Greg Pak and Barry Kitson
It was surprisingly easy to pick up this Hulk title in the final instalment of a story arc and understand exactly what was going on with the characters and the plot; that’s a sign of some decent writing, something that I hadn't thought Greg Pak capable of in the past. Despite this fact, the story itself was flimsy and repetitive. The art, meanwhile, was extremely good and helped to capture the mood of the Hulk universe perfectly. This issue gives me hope for the Hulk books, which between this and the standard "Hulk" series are looking to be re-energised following the departure of Jeph Loeb.
Rating: 7/10
Justice League: Generation Lost #14By Judd Winick and Aaron Lopresti
This series should be the regular Justice League book; it’s got the broad appeal, the multitude of characters and the intricate ties to current continuity. Not to mention the fact that every few issues they do something absolutely outstanding. In this issue, Captain Atom ends up in the future with a futuristic Justice League; it’s not the first time we’ve seen this happen in the series, but it’s great to see this weird take on the next generation of heroes. There’s also a huge revelation about what Max Lord’s master plan is. The art by Aaron Lopresti is great as always, capturing decent superhero action with raw human drama. Pick this up; you’ll love it.
Rating: 9/10
By Marc Guggenheim and Scott Kolins
Not since Geoff Johns penned the JSA has the series been as entertaining as it is right now. Somehow this new creative team have managed to breathe life back into the dying series and made it fresh and exciting. The story is interesting, delving into the relationship between Alan Scott and Jay Garrick; both men are veteran heroes and deserve this kind of loving attention paid to them. That said, Alan’s present predicament does seem to be an excuse to plumb the depths of the drama between the pair. Scott Kolins’ art is much the same as it has been in DC Universe Legacies; there’s the occasional moment of absolute genius, but otherwise his style is deteriorating in nearly every way. It’s a sad thing to witness given his reputation from working on the Flash. Regardless of that, though, this was an extremely enjoyable issue.
Rating: 7/10
New Mutants #19By Zeb Wells and Leonard Kirk
New Mutants as a series has long been in the background of my comic book reading existence. It’s only with the most recent arc that I decided to dip my toe in the pool and give it a go. And I’m extremely glad I did. This arc has been enormous fun. I couldn’t tell you who any of the team members are, but that doesn’t matter; the way this book presents itself, every page is pure enjoyment for me. This issue was brutal and powerful and original, while also remaining true to the previous issues of the arc. Zeb Wells has done a fantastic job with this series. In much the same way, Leonard Kirk’s art here is absolutely incredible; it reminds me of the days when he was on Captain Britain with Paul Cornell; it’s brilliant stuff to look at. I’m toying with whether to continue with this series beyond this arc; maybe this is all the New Mutants I’ll ever need to read. I don’t want to taint it. It’s been such a fun ride.
Rating: 9/10
By Jason Aaron and Jason LaTour
I’m a big fan of Scalped; it’s a series that keeps me engaged, even when the content of story is minimal. It’s so good that it’s inspired me to pick up every book Jason Aaron writes ever since. He is my favourite writer. And this issue is a perfect illustration of why. It focuses on a small-town Sherriff as we see a day through his eyes; it’s bleak, powerful and made me really wish I bought this series regularly in issues. It’s a one-shot, so anyone can dive right in, even without a working knowledge of the world. The art was decent, too, though slightly funky at times; but the style choice was there to tell an minimal story about an overblown individual. It all works so well.
Rating: 10/10
Secret Avengers #7By Ed Brubaker and Mike Deodato
Out of all the Avengers books, Secret Avengers is one that’s dropped below the radar the most for me, which is strange, because it’s written by Ed Brubaker, one of my all-time favourite writers. Recently, though, we’ve had some fantastic stuff from this book, mostly in the issue drawn by Michael Lark, David Aja and Stefano Gaudiano. The story of this most recent arc has been interesting, placing the focus on Shang-Chi is something that wouldn’t normally curry much favour with me, but following the recent magic-centric New Avengers arc, it was strangely enjoyable; it feels smart, and that makes the book flow wonderfully. The art, on the other hand, is something less than wonderful; Mike Deodato’s art is repulsive to me. Back when he worked on Spider-Man with JMS, I remember really liking it; but here it follows the Dark Avengers route of being muddy and confusing. It lets the book down, which is a real shame, because this should be the best book Marvel is publishing right now.
Rating: 6/10
By J. T. Krul and Nicola Scott
This is the first time the Teen Titans has ever been appealing to me, probably because of the inclusion of Damian Wayne on the team as Robin. It’s such a genius idea, and I’m glad that DC have finally taken a step in the right direction by trying to humanize the character from his current unlikeable state. The interactions between the Titans in this issue are fantastic; their bickering and joking is perfect teen angst on the page, while their attitude towards Damian is expected, yet adds a fun layer of tension to every scene. The problem here is the story itself, which doesn’t really grab all that well; the initial premise established in the first issue of this arc was interesting, but here it just seems reduced to standard superhero fare. The artwork is the best thing about this issue; an insanely gorgeous mixture of superhero action and accurate renderings of teenagers. It’s great to see Nicola Scott on a book, and this one serves her art perfectly.
Rating: 8/10
By Roger Landridge and Chris Samnee
It’s a literal crime that this book is being cancelled. It’s the most fun there is to be had from reading comic books; every issue has something new, fun and exciting to find within. This issue focuses on a date between Thor and Jane Foster; it’s wonderful to see the two interact and the way Roger Landridge scripts the scenes is perfect. The parallel to an encounter between Thor and Heimdall is smart and works well to establish the mysteries of Thor’s past. Now, the artwork; Chris Samnee is one of the five best artists working in comics right now, and this book is showcasing his best work. The style feels a lot darker this month, but it fits the tone of the story and creates a wonderfully engaging series of scenarios. This book will be greatly missed when it ends, but hopefully Samnee and Landridge will unite once more on an equally brilliant book.
Rating: 10/10
By Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz and Todd Nauck
As if there weren't enough Thor books already, another mini-series has begun recounting the adventures of a Thor-esque character in the Marvel Universe. Having never read anything about the character Thunderstrike before, it was pleasantly surprising to find that this first issue fills in all the back story perfectly, even making the old Thunderstrike stories sound appealing to a modern audience. The character of Kevin Masterson is incredibly irritating and unlikeable, however; and the artwork is sub-standard ‘90s fare, which lets down an otherwise fun book.
Rating: 6/10
By Mark Millar and Steve Dillon
This series by Mark Millar and Steve Dillon has been a strange one. Because of it, the excellent Punisher MAX has been delayed, as Dillon dedicates all his time to drawing vampires battling superheroes. Not that this is a bad thing. No, this third mini-series focusing on the Ultimate Avengers has been great fun; Millar’s using his own sense of over-the-top action and snappy one-liners to perfectly form a tale bringing vampires into the Ultimate universe. It’s not as good as the previous two mini-series, granted, but it’s a damn sight better than Jeph Loeb’s awful work on New Ultimates. Steve Dillon’s art is fantastic as ever, though he does seem to be wasted on this tale, which brings back thoughts of Preacher and parallels to how this doesn’t quite compete with that masterpiece, particularly when you consider that his work is best suited to the Punisher in this day-and-age, and yet this is the series that takes priority due to sales. In the end, it’s just a fun action romp; nothing too bad, but nothing particularly great, either.
Rating: 8/10
By Rick Remender and Jerome Opena
It’s surprising to think that this series is two months old; the delay of this second issue has hurt it, dramatically. At first, it felt confused and insubstantial, but eventually, once the mind refreshed the events of the previous issue, this second part began to make sense. It’s the charm of Rick Remender as a writer that he can make so many unappealing members of the X-Men appealing; Deadpool is actually funny, Fantomex isn’t annoying and Angel comes into his own as a fully-formed character. But the story isn’t great; there’s just something about it that doesn’t sit right. The art by Jerome Opena is the real master of this issue, though; great character designs and layouts meshed together with a dark colour palate and some gritty style choices, and you have the best looking X-Book around right now. Hopefully the next one is on time; that way, it will surely have more of an impact.
Rating: 8/10
By Matt Fraction and Greg Land
Matt Fraction’s run on Uncanny X-Men has been a major series of ups and downs; when it’s good, it’s really good, but when it’s bad, it’s really bad. This issue sees the start of a new arc, ignoring a lot of the Generation Hope stuff currently occurring in the X-Books. This was a delightfully fun issue by Fraction; the premise is simple, but effective and some moments were perfectly written. But, the art by Greg Land is absolutely atrocious; his cut-and-paste images are substandard at best, and the book suffers horribly for that reason.
Rating: 6/10
By Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard
There is nothing that can be said about this series that hasn’t already been said. It’s a flawless piece of work. Every issue is absolutely incredible. It’s all about drama, though the zombies make a nice distraction from that. This issue leads is the perfect lead-in to next issue’s gaming changing story arc event. This was incredible. And that’s all there is to say about that.
Rating: 10/10
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