Good, good comic book day.
Yesterday I stopped at Flying Colours Comics and Other Cool Stuff and picked up:
* The new 'Fables'.
* The latest issue of 'Exiles'.
* The most recent 'Y: The Last Man'.
* The second 'Ultimate Fantastic Four' trade paperback, 'Doom'.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Good, good comic book day.
Exiles #55
All right, let's be upfront: I miss Judd. I started reading this comic because of him, I loved what he did with the characters, I thought the concept -- while really just a wider-scale retreat of 'What If...?' had a lot of potential, and I trusted his pacing. None of the writers since him have been able to win back or maintain that trust, and this is the book that's next on the chopping block for me; one or two new comics worth buying hit the shelves, and 'Exiles' will be leaving my reading list with nary a tear. All that being said, this was actually a really good issue. A few more like these and I may consider sticking it out another few months. Maybe.
Much of my initial loyalty to this title was bought through Blink. I love the character, I love her powers...and really, that's the problem. Because following whatever happened to her during her stint away from the team, she became -- dare I say it? -- dull. She preaches. She poses. She totally fails to wisecrack or joke around, and while some might say that fixing reality is a serious business, this is a girl who used 'mutant cheesecake' to describe herself during the Age of Apocalypse. The Age of Apocalypse, people. Blink is not a stoic warrior. Blink is not 'down to business dead seriousness' girl. Blink is hot mutant cheesecake, and this needs to be remembered, dammit.
My rating (on a scale of one to five):
Three. I'll buy the next one and the story interests me, but my loyalty is waning.
Y: The Last Man #29
Brian Vaugn is one of my comic-book heroes. I love the art in this book, the characters, the characterization. I love the way it's paced and constructed, even when -- as with this most recent issue -- the ending makes me crazy with needing the next installment now now NOW NOW NOW. This book is one of the best things out there, bar none, and proof once more that Vertigo is a place where good things are made.
What's good? The dialogue. The pacing. The flashbacks. The way they use and reuse characters to keep them interesting, keep them fresh and keep them relevant, without resorting to any of those tacky 'now we give them a mohawk and a leather jacket and they're badass, yo' stunts that sometimes crop up in comic books (yes, Marvel, I'm looking at you right now). What's bad? The wait for next issue. Seriously. There have been missteps in the series, because there are missteps in every series, but never one serious enough to knock it off the balance beam. The thrill of finding out what's been going on, and knowing that Vaugn knows the ending, whenever it comes? I am overjoyed by this book. Go, buy, read. Now.
My rating (on a scale of one to five):
Five. Why aren't you reading this yet?
Fables #32
This was a very subtle issue in some ways. Things are being established for whatever the next story-arc is going to be; right now, we're seeing the fallout of three major events. 1) The election, wherein Prince Charming became the new Mayor of Fabletown, with Beauty and the Beast taking over Snow and Bigby's positions. 2) The March of the Wooden Soldiers, following which Boy Blue did a runner to try and find his lost, impersonated lady-love, Red Riding Hood (whom he calls 'Ride', which I think is cuter than just about anything in the history of ever). 3) The birth of Snow and Bigby's children, which resulted in his departure and her relocation to the Farm. No major plot events happened for most of the issue, but somehow, that's okay.
'Fables' is constantly warring with 'Finder' for the title of 'only comic I would demand to have delivered regularly whilst living on a desert island'. I honestly adore this series, and trust the writer immensely. I continue to be irritated by the colourist's insistance that Snow have skin tone (dammit, she should be snow white), but when that's my biggest complaint, you're doing something flawless. The first four story arcs, 'Legends in Exile', 'Animal Farm', 'Storybook Love' and 'March of the Wooden Soldiers' have been collected in trade paperback form. If you know someone that's not reading, we have a holiday coming...
My rating (on a scale of one to five):
Five. Once upon a time...
Ultimate Fantastic Four TPB #2: Doom
I find it utterly hysterical that Warren Ellis -- king of slamming on superhero comics -- is now writing a Fantastic Four title. I find it somewhat awe-inspiring that it not only works, but has flung 'Ultimate Fantastic Four' to the head of my Ultimate line reading list. As in, 'I am considering buying this one on a monthly basis, which I have never ever done with any Ultimate title ever, because I need to see what happens next'. It helps that this version of Sue Storm could easily be one of my RPG characters, even down to promising making out in exchange for science. The plot is good and intense, and best of all, thanks to the TPB format, it's all here, in one place, ready for reading and enjoyment.
What's good? The art. The way Sue's invisibility goes layer by layer when she's stressed. The settings. What's great? The dialogue. The feeling of these being real people. The references to the days when the Baxter Building Think Tank was still fully active (go go Strange Josie and the stealth corset!). The physical explainations. The new cause of their change.
Love.
My rating (on a scale of one to five):
Five. If you like superheroes, you'll like this.
And that's this week.
* The new 'Fables'.
* The latest issue of 'Exiles'.
* The most recent 'Y: The Last Man'.
* The second 'Ultimate Fantastic Four' trade paperback, 'Doom'.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Good, good comic book day.
Exiles #55
All right, let's be upfront: I miss Judd. I started reading this comic because of him, I loved what he did with the characters, I thought the concept -- while really just a wider-scale retreat of 'What If...?' had a lot of potential, and I trusted his pacing. None of the writers since him have been able to win back or maintain that trust, and this is the book that's next on the chopping block for me; one or two new comics worth buying hit the shelves, and 'Exiles' will be leaving my reading list with nary a tear. All that being said, this was actually a really good issue. A few more like these and I may consider sticking it out another few months. Maybe.
Much of my initial loyalty to this title was bought through Blink. I love the character, I love her powers...and really, that's the problem. Because following whatever happened to her during her stint away from the team, she became -- dare I say it? -- dull. She preaches. She poses. She totally fails to wisecrack or joke around, and while some might say that fixing reality is a serious business, this is a girl who used 'mutant cheesecake' to describe herself during the Age of Apocalypse. The Age of Apocalypse, people. Blink is not a stoic warrior. Blink is not 'down to business dead seriousness' girl. Blink is hot mutant cheesecake, and this needs to be remembered, dammit.
My rating (on a scale of one to five):
Three. I'll buy the next one and the story interests me, but my loyalty is waning.
Y: The Last Man #29
Brian Vaugn is one of my comic-book heroes. I love the art in this book, the characters, the characterization. I love the way it's paced and constructed, even when -- as with this most recent issue -- the ending makes me crazy with needing the next installment now now NOW NOW NOW. This book is one of the best things out there, bar none, and proof once more that Vertigo is a place where good things are made.
What's good? The dialogue. The pacing. The flashbacks. The way they use and reuse characters to keep them interesting, keep them fresh and keep them relevant, without resorting to any of those tacky 'now we give them a mohawk and a leather jacket and they're badass, yo' stunts that sometimes crop up in comic books (yes, Marvel, I'm looking at you right now). What's bad? The wait for next issue. Seriously. There have been missteps in the series, because there are missteps in every series, but never one serious enough to knock it off the balance beam. The thrill of finding out what's been going on, and knowing that Vaugn knows the ending, whenever it comes? I am overjoyed by this book. Go, buy, read. Now.
My rating (on a scale of one to five):
Five. Why aren't you reading this yet?
Fables #32
This was a very subtle issue in some ways. Things are being established for whatever the next story-arc is going to be; right now, we're seeing the fallout of three major events. 1) The election, wherein Prince Charming became the new Mayor of Fabletown, with Beauty and the Beast taking over Snow and Bigby's positions. 2) The March of the Wooden Soldiers, following which Boy Blue did a runner to try and find his lost, impersonated lady-love, Red Riding Hood (whom he calls 'Ride', which I think is cuter than just about anything in the history of ever). 3) The birth of Snow and Bigby's children, which resulted in his departure and her relocation to the Farm. No major plot events happened for most of the issue, but somehow, that's okay.
'Fables' is constantly warring with 'Finder' for the title of 'only comic I would demand to have delivered regularly whilst living on a desert island'. I honestly adore this series, and trust the writer immensely. I continue to be irritated by the colourist's insistance that Snow have skin tone (dammit, she should be snow white), but when that's my biggest complaint, you're doing something flawless. The first four story arcs, 'Legends in Exile', 'Animal Farm', 'Storybook Love' and 'March of the Wooden Soldiers' have been collected in trade paperback form. If you know someone that's not reading, we have a holiday coming...
My rating (on a scale of one to five):
Five. Once upon a time...
Ultimate Fantastic Four TPB #2: Doom
I find it utterly hysterical that Warren Ellis -- king of slamming on superhero comics -- is now writing a Fantastic Four title. I find it somewhat awe-inspiring that it not only works, but has flung 'Ultimate Fantastic Four' to the head of my Ultimate line reading list. As in, 'I am considering buying this one on a monthly basis, which I have never ever done with any Ultimate title ever, because I need to see what happens next'. It helps that this version of Sue Storm could easily be one of my RPG characters, even down to promising making out in exchange for science. The plot is good and intense, and best of all, thanks to the TPB format, it's all here, in one place, ready for reading and enjoyment.
What's good? The art. The way Sue's invisibility goes layer by layer when she's stressed. The settings. What's great? The dialogue. The feeling of these being real people. The references to the days when the Baxter Building Think Tank was still fully active (go go Strange Josie and the stealth corset!). The physical explainations. The new cause of their change.
Love.
My rating (on a scale of one to five):
Five. If you like superheroes, you'll like this.
And that's this week.