Books I Bought Last Week
Y: The Last Man vol. 7 "Paper Dolls" (Vaughan and Various)
Awesome as usual. Vaughan is probably the best writer in comics right now. In Y he is able to mix ridiculously sophisticated political and social commentary with nerd talk that appeals to, well, nerds like me (Optimus Prime references) and also come off smelling like a feminist while tacitly suggesting the assassination of liberal presidents like Bill Clinton. He might have bigger ideas than Grant Morrison but just couch them in such a way that they don't seem, you know, completely drug-addled. Also the theology references from when we were at St. Ignatius together and the visual Shakespeare all together with the lesbians, tits, and tabloid journalism... It's like ninjas, spies, mad scientists, and a genocidal plague all rolled into one. Actually it's exactly like that, but better. There is a reason Y is the book that made Brian. It's that good. Buy.
Superman/Shazam: First Thunder tpb (Winick and Middleton)
I bought it for the Middleton art (The Real World's Judd Winick is very hit-or-miss for me), but it really feels like Middleton has missed a step since NYX. This book seemed really phoned in. The story was predictable but somewhat heartwarming, but the art was just spotty given the fact that Middleton is the best artist on the planet according to my wife. Maybe Joshua just isn't cut out for superheroes and should only draw, I dunno, spunky young girls in trouble. Shrug.
NYX tbp (Quesada, Middleton, Teranishi)
This is an industry where big name writers get top billing -- and when they are the Editor-in-Chief of the biggest comics company, they should be getting that top billing -- yet NYX was marketed mostly on the right hand of glacially slow but superbly talented Joshua Middleton. The original run was plagued by delays, and Middleton's exclusive with Marvel ran out before he finished the book, so he only drew the first four episodes. They are gorgeous obviously. Teranishi does his best to play Middleton but he is not quite the best artist in the industry, which is not a knock mind you. The one thing that surprised me is how good the story is. I only bought the first 3-4 floppies originally and had no recollection of the plot, but it's surprisingly good given that Quesada is mostly known for being an awesome penciler and average inker and not really as a writer. Buy, I guess.
Story: Y, NYX, S/S
Art: NYX (first 4), S/S, Y, NYX (last 3)
Overall: Y, NYX, S/S
Awesome as usual. Vaughan is probably the best writer in comics right now. In Y he is able to mix ridiculously sophisticated political and social commentary with nerd talk that appeals to, well, nerds like me (Optimus Prime references) and also come off smelling like a feminist while tacitly suggesting the assassination of liberal presidents like Bill Clinton. He might have bigger ideas than Grant Morrison but just couch them in such a way that they don't seem, you know, completely drug-addled. Also the theology references from when we were at St. Ignatius together and the visual Shakespeare all together with the lesbians, tits, and tabloid journalism... It's like ninjas, spies, mad scientists, and a genocidal plague all rolled into one. Actually it's exactly like that, but better. There is a reason Y is the book that made Brian. It's that good. Buy.
Superman/Shazam: First Thunder tpb (Winick and Middleton)
I bought it for the Middleton art (The Real World's Judd Winick is very hit-or-miss for me), but it really feels like Middleton has missed a step since NYX. This book seemed really phoned in. The story was predictable but somewhat heartwarming, but the art was just spotty given the fact that Middleton is the best artist on the planet according to my wife. Maybe Joshua just isn't cut out for superheroes and should only draw, I dunno, spunky young girls in trouble. Shrug.
NYX tbp (Quesada, Middleton, Teranishi)
This is an industry where big name writers get top billing -- and when they are the Editor-in-Chief of the biggest comics company, they should be getting that top billing -- yet NYX was marketed mostly on the right hand of glacially slow but superbly talented Joshua Middleton. The original run was plagued by delays, and Middleton's exclusive with Marvel ran out before he finished the book, so he only drew the first four episodes. They are gorgeous obviously. Teranishi does his best to play Middleton but he is not quite the best artist in the industry, which is not a knock mind you. The one thing that surprised me is how good the story is. I only bought the first 3-4 floppies originally and had no recollection of the plot, but it's surprisingly good given that Quesada is mostly known for being an awesome penciler and average inker and not really as a writer. Buy, I guess.
Story: Y, NYX, S/S
Art: NYX (first 4), S/S, Y, NYX (last 3)
Overall: Y, NYX, S/S