With me ignoring DC comics during the Convergence event there is only 25 books this month. On to the countdown...
25. Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier #8
Last ranking: 29.
ALES KOT (W)
MARCO RUDY (A)
Cover by MICHAEL DEL MUNDO
“A NIGHT FLIGHT OVER YOUR HEART”
• Bucky One. Bucky Two. It’s time for a talk.
• Astral travel across dimensions! Daisy Johnson flies!
• The mastermind -- uncovered!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
24. C.O.W.L. #10
Last ranking: 28
story: KYLE HIGGINS & ALEC SIEGEL
art / cover: ROD REIS
MARCH 25 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99
After weeks of vicious attacks by Camden Stone and Geoffrey Warner's villains, C.O.W.L. finally has a new contract with the city. Now, will Geoffrey be able to reign in the fabricated villains? Plus, Detective Evelyn Thompson confronts John Pierce's killer.
23. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures #23
Last ranking: 26.
story: KYLE HIGGINS & ALEC SIEGEL
art / cover: ROD REIS
MARCH 25 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99
After weeks of vicious attacks by Camden Stone and Geoffrey Warner's villains, C.O.W.L. finally has a new contract with the city. Now, will Geoffrey be able to reign in the fabricated villains? Plus, Detective Evelyn Thompson confronts John Pierce's killer.
22. Inhuman Annual
Last ranking: 25.
CHARLES SOULE (w) • RYAN STEGMAN (a/C)
VARIANT COVER BY DAVID NAKAYAMA
• All the threads of the first year come to a head in this epic oversized Annual!
• Medusa! Lash! Ennilux! Reader! Lineage!
• What will be left standing before Secret Wars pulls it all crashing to the floor?!?!?
40 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ …$4.99
21. The Chilling Adeventures Of Sabrina #3
Last ranking: 22.
It’s the night before Halloween, the night before Sabrina’s sixteenth birthday, the night of the blood-moon and the lunar eclipse, and Sabrina has made her decision: She will go into the woods of Greendale as a half-witch and emerge…on the other side of a frightful ritual…as a fully baptized member of the Church of Night. But there will be a cost, and his name is Harvey. And unbeknownst to Sabrina and her aunts, there is a serpent in the garden, their great enemy Madam Satan, who is conspiring against them...
For TEEN+ readers.
Script: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Art: Robert Hack, Jack Morelli
Cover: Robert Hack
To Hell and Back Variant Cover: Robert Hack
On Sale Date: 5/20
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.
20. Postal #4
Last ranking: 24.
story: BRYAN HILL & MATT HAWKINS
art: ISAAC GOODHART
cover: LINDA SEJIC
MAY 27 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99
Mark, having barely survived capture, suffers emotional and physical scars. With the mayor and the sheriff afraid to confront the threats to the town, Mark chooses to confront the town’s enemies on his own, but the price of vengeance may change him and the town forever.Cullen Bunn (W) and Tyler Crook (A/Cover)
19. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Color Classics
Last ranking: 21.
Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird (w) • Jim Lawson (a) • A.C. Farley (c)
The TMNT Color Classics line continues! In "City at War, Part Three," the TMNT have been reduced to playing street vigilantes as a full-scale war is brewing in the criminal underworld. Will they be ready when the Foot Clan finally launch their attack?
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
• Originally printed as Mirage TMNT #52, Volume 1.
18. Harrow County #1
Last ranking: NEW!
On sale May 13
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Ongoing
Emmy always knew that the deep, dark woods surrounding her home crawled with ghosts, goblins, and zombies. But on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she learns that she is connected to these creatures—and to the land itself—in a way she never imagined. Don’t miss the first issue of this southern gothic fairy tale from the creator of smash hit The Sixth Gun, beautifully and hauntingly realized by B.P.R.D.’s Tyler Crook!
• Featuring two backup stories exclusive to the single issues!
• Drawn by Eisner-winning B.P.R.D. artist Tyler Crook!
17. Return Of The Living Deadpool #4
Last ranking: 17.
CULLEN BUNN (w) • NICOLE VIRELLA (a)
Cover by JAY SHAW
• Oh man—there’s a zillion Deadpools and a zillion zombies!
• I have no idea how this is going to end.
• I hope Cullen does. You do, right Cullen?
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99
16. Edward Scissorhands #8
Last ranking: 18.
Kate Leth (w) • Drew Rausch (a) • George Caltsoldas (c)
The eyes of the world begin to turn towards Edward as a famed and fanatical surgeon sets her sights on "fixing" him.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
15. Past Aways #3
Last ranking: 16.
Matt Kindt (W), Scott Kolins (A/Cover), and Bill Crabtree (C)
On sale May 27
FC, 40 pages
$3.99
Ongoing
As the PastAways grapple with the mystery of a gargantuan robot from beyond time, a shocking revelation threatens to fracture the group!
• The first arc comes to a thrilling conclusion!
• Every issue contains bonus backup material!
14. Powerpuff Girls: Super Smash-Up #5
Last ranking: 13.
Derek Charm, Mariah Huehner (w) • Charm, Cat Farris (a) • Charm (c)
The Powerpuff Girls enlist Mojo Jojo to help them catch Dee Dee before the entire multiverse falls apart! What could possibly go wrong?
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
13. Silver Surfer #12
Last ranking: 12.
DAN SLOTT (W) • MIKE ALLRED (A/C)
“The New Life of Norrin Radd”
• No surfboard. No trace of the Power Cosmic. No hint of silver. It’s an all-new life for Norrin Radd on an all-new world.
• And heralding a strange, new chapter in Dawn Greenwood’s story as well...
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
12. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutanimals #4
Last ranking: 15.
Paul Allor (w) • Andy Kuhn (a & c)
The climactic showdown between the Mutanimals and Null! Surprises await both sides of the conflict!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
11. Magneto #18
Last ranking: 8.
CULLEN BUNN (w) • PAUL DAVIDSON (a)
Cover by DAVID YARDIN
• Earth is on a collision course with oblivion…and Magneto’s just learned time is running out.
• With everything he’s fought for being brought to an unescapable end, how will the Master of Magnetism spend his LAST DAYS on Earth?
• Will Magneto celebrate his legacy…or be tortured by it?
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99
10. Fight Club 2 #1
Last ranking: NEW!
Chuck Palahniuk (W), Cameron Stewart (A/Variant cover), Dave Stewart (C), David Mack (Cover), and Lee Bermejo (Variant cover)
On sale May 27
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Ongoing
Some imaginary friends never go away . . . Ten years after starting Project Mayhem, he lives a mundane life. A kid, a wife, pills to keep his destiny at bay. But it won’t last long; the wife has seen to that. The time has come . . . Rize or Die.
• Chuck Palahniuk writes the sequel to Fight Club!
• One of the most anticipated comics of the year.
Named to ComicBook.com’s Top 10 Comic Events We Can’t Wait For in 2015!
9. Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars #1
Last ranking: NEW!
CULLEN BUNN (w) • MATTEO LOLLI & JACOPO CAMAGNI (a)
Cover by TONY HARRIS
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
VARIANT COVER BY TBA
YOUNG VARIANT BY SKOTTIE YOUNG
ALBUM ARTIST VARIANT BY NICK GANZIN
BLANK VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
• NOT A SECRET WARS TIE-IN!
• Well...it is...but not THAT Secret Wars.
• Remember the original Secret Wars from 1984? And remember how Deadpool played a huge important role in it? Wait...you DON’T? Then you need to read this series immediately and be educated! From the team that brought you DEADPOOL KILLUSTRATED comes the most Secretest War of all!
• Plus: a bonus Deadpool Contest of Champions tale!
40 PGS./Parental Advisory …$4.99
8. The Red Ten #7
Last ranking: NEW!
And then there were four… The surviving members of the Alliance turn on each other, as secrets of horrifying MAGNITUDE come to light. And finally, the killer shows his face… or is it a her? Find out in the most terrifying and bloodiest chapter of THE RED TEN series yet!
Author(s): Tyler James
Artist(s): Cesar Feliciano
Cover Artist(s): Charles Paul Wilson, III
7. Howard The Duck #3
Last ranking: 10.
CHIP ZDARSKY (w)
JOE QUINONES (a/C)
Variant cover by JASON LATOUR
NYC VARIANT COVER BY TBA
• Howard’s big first case goes off the rails as he’s pulled into investigating a NYC crime spree!
• But this spree features a Very Special Guest Star!
• We’ll only give you one hint: they’re a Marvel Comics character who has “died” before! Hope that narrows it down for you, True Believer!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
6. Nailbiter #12
Last ranking: 5.
story: JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
art / cover: MIKE HENDERSON
MAY 6 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
The dreaded media has arrived!
5. All-New Hawkeye #3
Last ranking: 6.
JEFF LEMIRE (w) • RAMON PEREZ (a)
Cover by Ramon Perez
NYC VARIANT COVER BY TBA
VARIANT COVER BY TBA
• What makes a hero and what breaks a hero? Hawkeye and Hawkeye experience both. In ONE GLORIOUSLY BEAUTIFUL ISSUE!
• Jeff Lemire and Ramon Perez bring you the hotly anticipated series of the season.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
4. Afterlife With Archie #8
Last ranking: NEW!
“A Ghost Story.” Contrary to popular belief, the current zombie outbreak is not the first time a shadow fell across Riverdale and its citizens. As the survivors hunker down in a hotel to wait out a snowstorm, Hiram Lodge and Mary Andrews relive the darkest chapter of their town’s history. Ten years ago, the adults of Riverdale struck a terrible bargain with the witches of Greendale, setting the stage for the present-day apocalypse.
Writer: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Artist: Francesco Francavilla, Jack Morelli
Cover: Francesco Francavilla
Here’s Juggy Variant Cover: Francesco Francavilla
3./2. Secret Wars #1 & #2
Last ranking: NEW!
JONATHAN HICKMAN (w) • ESAD RIBIC (a)
• THE FINAL INCURSION IS HAPPENING!• THE MARVEL UNIVERSE IS COLLIDING WITH THE ULTIMATE UNIVERSE!
• AND NEITHER WILL SURVIVE!
• WHEN THE MARVEL UNIVERSE IS GONE, ALL THAT REMAINS IS BATTLEWORLD!
• LEARN THE SECRETS OF THIS BRAVE NEW REALM IN THIS SPECIAL OVERSIZED ISSUE!
1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #46
Last ranking: 2.
Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman (w) • Mateus Santolouco (a) • Santolouco, Eastman (c)
Casey prepares for a final showdown with Hun as the Purple Dragons run amok. Meanwhile the TMNT struggle to reunite as a family while a greater threat looms… what is THE STOCKMAN SWARM?
Drops: None
Finished: Batman Eternal, The New 52: The Future's End, Earth 2: World's End, Deadpool, Fantastic Four, Arkham Manor.
Showing posts with label Afterlife With Archie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Afterlife With Archie. Show all posts
Thursday, 7 May 2015
Sunday, 11 January 2015
Special: 2014 In Review: Best Comic Series of 2014
Publisher: Image Comics
Issues released last year: #1 - #3
Why?: You'd be hard pressed to come across someone who isn't reading this title. Writer Scott Snyder generally makes his work accessible to a wide variety of audiences and Wytches is no different. Colourist Matt Hollingsworth is revolutionising the way we look at comic colourists as he adds a crazy amount of detail to each panel which was expertly crafted already by a gifted artist and detailed artist in Jock. Words can't describe how big 2015 can be for Wytches if it continues on it's current trajectory.
9. Hawkeye
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Issues released last year: #15 - #20
Why?: There's a reason people keep talking about Matt Fraction's run on Hawkeye, it wasn't that long ago that Hawkeye was the joke of the Marvel Universe, Fraction used that to his advantage and crafted an excitingly dark, yet humorous tale around Clint Barton and 2014 saw more of the same while focusing more on Kate Bishop, the other Hawkeye, journey to discover herself, something all 20-somethings can relate to.
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Issues released last year: #1 - #7
Why?: Hands down the biggest surprise for me in 2014 was how much I enjoyed reading about the exploits of Norrin Radd and his new... Ally? I'm not quite sure what to call Dawn Greenwood but I will call her a tremendous breath of fresh air when comparing her to other new characters the big 2 (Marvel and DC) have churned out recently. Dan Slott has shown he can do more than write a compelling Spider-Man story, Silver Surfer often feels upbeat but emotional at the same time which as a reader, keeps you hooked. Mike Allred was the perfect artist for this book as the visual style can only be described as "out there" and like all great books, Slott and Allred work together in perfect synchronicity crafting the perfect story.
Publisher: DC Comics
Issues released last year: #1 - #5 plus 1 annual and Future's End month title.
Why?: What can a hero do when his secret identity has been revealed and he's been presumed dead by most of the world? Well if you're Dick Grayson, under Batman's orders, you go undercover in a secret spy agency as an operative while still answering to Batman about the agency's darker secrets they'd like to keep hidden. Grayson has by far been the best new title in the New 52 since Superman Unchained debuted over 18 months ago. Writer Tim Seeley had an excellent idea for where to go with Grayson and Kyle Higgins, writer of Nightwing, graciously stepped aside despite being a fan favourite by many, myself included and Tim has hit the ground running and hasn't pulled up yet. The Future's End title was pretty much the best of the bunch as far as I'm concerned so that just added bonus points for Grayson.
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Issues released last year: #1 - #12
Why?: Magneto is not the man he once was, in his new weakened state he's forced to find creative ways to eliminate threats to mutantkind which more often than not leads to your jaw dropping. Cullen Bunn, as I've said many times before, is an excellent writer when it comes to villains and their motives so there was no better person to shepperd this title than him. This title has had a consistently strong year, which is surprising since it had to enter the dreaded "event tie-in" status for AXIS but Bunn navigated it perfectly allowing Magneto to become my favourite Marvel title from 2014.
5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Issues released last year: #30 - #41 plus 1 annual.
Why?: Falling all the way from #2 on last years list, the TMNT find themselves at number 5. Not for lack of trying however, last year was just a circumstance of the title peaking with the City Fall storyline where 2014 was mostly a non-starter for the series. It began with the Turtles taking some much needed recovery time and then preparations for the much anticipated "Attack On Technodrome" storyline which kicked off in the final issue of the year. But don't worry Turtle fans, writer Tom Waltz has been navigating the Turtles since the start of the title and he's been doing fantastic things, even in a year where not a whole lot happens it still remains a treat to read.4. Sex Criminals
Publisher: Image Comics
Issues released last year: #4 - #9
Why?: TMNT might have fallen but Sex Criminals remained strong at #4 for the second year in a row. If you look up "consistently great comic" in your favourite search engine, I can guarantee you Sex Criminals comes up. Matt Fraction shows his greatness by having 2 titles on our top 10, artist Chip Zdarsky does fantastic art in the book, but even better work in the letters column... Seriously if you've been skipping over those you best be going back into your long box and getting those back issues out and reading them. The only thing that holds this title back is the fact that Fraction has such a busy schedule that over a 12 month period they were only able to push out 6 issues.
3. NailbiterPublisher: Image Comics
Issues released last year: #1 - #8
Why?: And the award for best new series goes to... Nailbiter is a thrilling horror book shrouded in mystery. An agent must get help from known serial killer Nailbiter to discover the secret behind Buckaroo, Oregon, the birthplace of 16 serial killers, Nailbiter included. The biggest mystery about this book however is the lack of notoriety it gets despite being one of the strongest titles on shelves. Even Scott Snyder agrees as he was quoted saying "If [writer Joshua Williamson] died I wish he'd leave Nailbiter to me in his will so I could say it was my idea."
2. Batman
Publisher: DC Comics
Issues released last year: #27 - #37, plus 1 annual and Future's End month title.
Why?: It's hard to pick against Scott Snyder's Batman, but I've done it. After holding the top spot last year on the strength of Zero Year, it gets knocked down to #2 this year mostly due to fact that Endgame hasn't been as good as advertised, perhaps an over hyping situation? Either way, although Zero Year finished strong the filler issues, specifically #29 and #34 left a bad taste in my mouth, especially breaking up Zero Year for #29. But in Snyder we trust so I'm sure Endgame will conclude amazingly and it'll have a realistic shot at the top spot this time next year but as of now the #1 spot belongs to...
Publisher: Archie Comics
Issues released last year: #3 - #7
Why?: It's sickening how good this book is... I've never really read Archie but this has just been so entertaining, It essentially sounded like a joke book that would die off fast (no pun intended) but the Archie/Zombie crossover has done wonders for Archie Comics and myself personally. Even the months break between issues had no effect whatsoever on the storyline, I was just happy to be reunited with the world of Afterlife With Archie. Thank you to Francesco Francavilla for coming up with the Afterlife idea and providing the perfect ghastly art to go along with Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa words that somehow managed to find humanity in inhumane situations.
Friday, 24 October 2014
Special: Halloween ComicFest!
15. Rachel Rising: This book is in black and white and the pencils aren't good, plus the story is boring. Avoid this book.
14. Vamplets: I was really excited for this mini comic. Even bought some to hand out on Halloween, but little did I know that this would be a poor jumping on point with little happening and no back story to go on.
13. The Adventures Of Ernie: The cover is misleading, this is very cartoony. Also very kid-like, the pages are meant to be coloured in and numerous puzzles like maze's and alike disrupt what little narrative there is.12. Plants Vs. Zombies: I get this is based of a video game with no narrative but this is pretty hard to follow even split up in different stories. Maybe if I played the game I would understand more, but at face value it's nothing more than a couple physical gags.
11. Scooby-Doo Team-Up: Another one for the kiddies here, although this book isn't really bad, the Scooby gang aren't allowed to do what they do best with Batman hanging around, it's also the '66 Batman so I'll just leave that at Zoinks!
10. My Little Pony: This actually had it's share of laughs until the end when we learned moral lessons... This will be a great book for kids but it's a little too silly for me,
8. Boom! Halloween Fright Fest: Really without the god awful Adventure Time holding this book back this could've easily been a top 5, maybe even top 3... But where Adventure Time failed, Peanuts and Fraggle Rock shined.
7. Resident Evil: A Fun read for fans of the series, difficult for new readers since it reads like traditional Japanese manga from right to left. It's also all in black and white but it gives that certain aura about it being a Resident Evil book.
6. Angry Birds: The birds interacting with the pigs made for some funny moments in this all ages book that reads just as well to adults.
5. Grimm Fairy Tales: This was a very good read and although in true Zenoscope fashion there are ridiculous amounts of oversized cleavage espescially since we are to believe that this half naked witch woman is hanging out with a bunch of kids. We get a retelling of the classic monkey paw story and it is definitely the book you get the most bang for your free buck since it's a full book,4. Betty and Veronica: The creme de la creme of mini comics this year, normally Archie ends up near the bottom of my list but this was a very good read as was the other Archie title.
3. Hero Cats Of Stellar City: If you follow my Big B blogs I wrote about how much I enjoy this series and the Halloween story is no different, we also get a back-up Princeless story that I didn't think was as good as the critics say it is but hey it still made the top 3.
2. Afterlife With Archie: This is just a reprinting of the first part of the first issue of Afterlife and although it avoids the gore to make it more kid friendly, and black and white to keep the cost down, you also get the first few pages of the newly launched Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina.
Other titles I haven't read:
Marvel Comics #1
Secret Wars #1
Little Battlers Experience Mini-Comic
Mermin Mini-Comic
Sunday, 12 January 2014
Special: 2013 In Review: Best Comic Series of 2013
At the blog I slave week in and out to make sure you have knowledge of all the hottest books. But what were the hottest of the hot books in 2013? We’re about to find out as I used an expert mathematical formula consisting of what I like most to rank my Top 10 comic series of this past year. On to the list before Shia Labeouf can plagiarise any more of my intro…
10. Batman & Robin
Publisher: DC Comics
Issues released last year: #16 – #26, 4 Villains month issues and 1 Annual
Why: Although the recent Batman And Two-Face arc left me mostly uninterested, even with the addition of Carrie Kelly, there was still a lot of great moments in this title over the last calendar year. The Batman and Nightwing issue as well as #18 were two of the best single issues DC released all year as #18 started the mourning period of Damian Wayne while issue #24 (Batman and Nightwing) finally gave Bruce a bit of closure with the death of his son (Not a spoiler, it happened forever ago) Not to mention it had 4 of the strongest Bat-verse villains month issues.
9. Amazing X-Men
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Issues released last year: #1 and #2
Why: Okay, granted it’s only 2 issues in. It’s still a really exciting book and features the return of everyone’s favourite fuzzy elf. That alone gets it on this list, add the fact that X writer extraordinaire Jason Aaron is writing with beautiful art from veteran Ed McGuinness and this book looks poised to take a top spot on 2014′s list.
8. Double Jumpers
Publisher: Action Lab Entertainment
Issues released last year: #4
Why: And you thought a 2 issue release was bad, in 2013 we saw only the conclusion to the Double Jumpers saga, and boy was it worth the wait. If you’ve never heard of Double Jumpers you can read about it right HERE courtesy of your friends at Big B. It’s definitely worth your time.
7. Earth 2
Publisher: DC Comics
Issues released last year: #8 – #18, 2 villains month issues and 1 annual.
Why: Had you of told me this time last year Earth 2 would have cracked my top 10 I would have scoffed since I was on the verge of dropping the title after I was left disappointed with the Grundy arc, but between The Tower of Fate and James Robinson’s exit arc, that’s exactly what happened. Now with Tom Taylor (Injustice: Gods Among Us) on board as the regular writer the title has actually gotten better! We know this isn’t the Earth 2 of yesteryear but it’s doing just fine presently.
6. Afterlife With Archie
Publisher: Archie Comics
Issues released last year: #1 and #2
Why: This is getting ridiculous isn’t it? How could a couple of issues on one series beat out an entire year’s run? Easy. Afterlife With Archie takes two things that are currently overused in the market, Archie Comics and zombies, combines them together and delivers the 2nd most original story of the year. We’ve talked about Earth 2 not being the same as it once was, well this definitely isn’t your grandma’s Archie. This book also had the honour of being the subject of my first Big B Article.
5. The Red Ten
Publisher: ComixTribe
Issues released last year: #0, #2 – #5
Why: Derivative? Yeah it is. Is that a bad thing? Not at all. The Red Ten takes ten Justice League clones and places them in the centre of an Agatha Christie novel. The Alliance is brought to a mysterious island to investigate the death of one of their own, Red. Red was assumed murdered by Oxymoron, longtime nemesis to The Alliance and Red, but when he turns up dead and teammates around them start to perish the remains of the team is left scrambling to discover the secret of the island, and Red herself, before they meet a similar fate.
4. Sex Criminals
Publisher: Image Comics
Issues released last year: #1 – #3
Why: Remember earlier when I said Afterlife With Archie was the 2nd most original book this year? That’s because Sex Criminals takes the cake, and I’m not the only one that thinks so since it was recently named the best comic series of 2013 by Time magazine and is at or near the top of virtually every year-end list. This series is so good, the Big B writers couldn’t talk about it just once but twice.
3. Deadpool
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Issues released last year: #4 – #21 and 1 annual
Why: As a bi-weekly title, Deadpool had all the chances to run away with the top spot if it could remain consistently good by way of sheer numbers alone. Unfortunately we took some bad with the good, although the latter outweighed the former by a wide margin, it was enough to keep it behind two great monthly titles. Deadpool’s 2013 highlight was The Good, The Bad and The Ugly arc which seen him team up with Wolverine and Captain America to save his supposed daughter and her mother. Hey! There’s also an article on that arc HERE! Hooray! I also did a little something on the annual right HERE.
2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Issues released last year: #18 – #29
Why: I’ve talked about how great City Fall was and that was the major point of the TMNT storyline in 2013. But it was wedged between the almost as impressive Krang War arc and the just started Northampton arc which sees the Turtles recovering from the events of City Fall but will they ever be the same? We’ll just have to watch what 2014 brings our heroes in a half shell.
1. Batman
Publisher: DC Comics
Issues released last year: #16 – #26, 4 villains month issues and 1 annual
Why: 2 words: Zero Year. Scott Snyder’s re-imagining of Frank Miller’s classic Year One story has been the best thing to happen to DC Comics in 2013. Snyder has been on a roll and one has to wonder when this run of excellence will end. After crafting a historic opening arc with The Court Of Owls, he tackled the Joker in the 2012/2013 Death Of The Family arc before Zero Year completely took over explaining The Dark Knight’s origin in this new 52 universe which Snyder and artist Greg Capullo make all their own with effective pace, vibrant colours and great storytelling.
So those are my top 10, I’m anxious to hear what you guys have been digging so comment below so on my next trip to Big B Comics in Niagara Falls I have some new titles to look into.
Sunday, 20 October 2013
Review: Comic #1's
So in pondering what I should do for this week's special... Yes I realize none were done last week but I'm allowed to take the holidays off I think... Anyways... I have a stack of comics on my table and I decided to delve into them and I noticed I have a large amount of number 1's so why not review those? Sure let's do it...
First off courtesy of Marvel Comics we see the return of their "Marvel Knights" imprint with Marvel Knights: Spider-Man. The cover alone is enough to draw you to the book, even if you know nothing about Marvel Knights you may take it up to the counter and say something the lines of "Hey cool comic shop employee, what's the dillio with this book?" they will then tell you that it is from an amazing writer in Matt Kindt and is a 5 part mini-series where Spider-Man has to take down 99 of the world's most vile villains or a bomb will go off killing millions. My original gripe with this was a simple one... How do you fit 99 villains into 5 books? Now villain overload is a real problem to have (See: Deadpool Now's first dead president arc) where you seen them for a panel and then gone. But the reviews were so good for this book I figured "Hey, maybe they pull it off"... Well let me just tell you something, this first book is nothing but a set-up for the gauntlet you see a couple villains poke their head in but Spider-Man doesn't defeat them... They seem to be a means to set up and not part of the 99 so my original worry about having 99 villains in 5 books is really 99 in 4 books... That's 25 a book, and this title is a 32 pager so I'll let you figure out the math on that one... Fractions... Ouch... Decimals... Am I supposed to carry the 3... Sorry. Back on point. Although this book does give me some fears and issue 1 did nothing to quell those, I will continue to pick up the series in hopes that it delivers on the excitement it has promised.
Rating: "Pull" for now anyways...
Next up we have those crazy wholesome teenagers at it again. That's right the Riverdale gang are back and up to their old tricks as Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica and all are celebrating Halloween, fighting over each other, living the high school life, killing dogs, becoming zombies... Wait what? Are you sure this is an Archie title? Yup sure is. In Afterlife With Archie the gang is back and normal or so we think... This dark tale begins to spin once Jughead visits Sabrina The Teenage with his dog Hot Dog to see if her and her magical aunts can help Hot Dog seeing how he has been hit by a car. They are unable to do anything as the dog has already passed on, Sabrina, against her aunts wishes, perform Necromancy and raise Hot Dog, although the price is very high. Sabrina gets in massive trouble with her aunts and Jughead gets a zombie dog. So not only does Archie have to deal with Betty and Veronica fighting over him to be his date to the Halloween dance, he's dealing with Jughead's sudden "sickness" as well as Reg's sudden depression... This was a very fun book and I highly recommend it.
Rating: "Pull"
Moving on let's take a look at Dynamite's Cryptozoic Man. Fans of AMC's Comic Book Men (Starring Silent Bob, Kevin Smith) will recognize this title as it was a focal point of the 2nd season as they created the pitch, got Stan Lee to endorse it and got Dynamite to pick it up. The writing was handled by relative newcomer, he's got 2 comcis credits to his name, and Comic Book Men main caster Bryan Johnson off a story that he and artist Walt Flannagan, also a Comic Book Men main stay though he's much more veteran having drawn Johnson's previous comics as well as Kevin Smith's Batman: Cacophony and Batman: The Widening Gyre. The premise itself was interesting enough for me to pick it up, and the connection with the show ensured I picked up the monthly's instead of the trade. And I just got to tell you after reading issue #1, I am very dissapointed. The storytelling definitely lacks, and Flannagan's art is nice and right in his wheelhouse but overall given the bouncy nature of the story it's just not something I can fully appreciate thanks to the scripting. This is a 4 issue mini series and I will likely be getting them all since I'm willing to give it a 2nd and maybe even 3rd chance, and by that point what is the harm in grabbing the final issue for collections sake, I would not recommend this book to anyone at this point. It may still redeem itself now that hopefully the sloppy origin is out of the way but if not, you didn't waste your money, if it does get better, there is always the trade to look forward to.
Rating: "Don't touch"
Finally, I've been in love with Forever Evil since the first issue which litterally blew my mind. So how does the mini-series tie-in Forever Evil: Arkham War hold up? Well it's written by Peter Tomasi who has a string of goodwill behind him after his excellent handling of Damian Wayne in Batman and Robin, now known as Batman and... The premise is this, the nutjobs at Arkham Asylum are out and have divied up Gotham into districts in which each villain controls, all overseen by mayor Penguin of course.But Bane and his Blackgate prison pals have also broken out and aim to take control of Arkham. The premise had me hooked as the thought of Team Bane vs. Team Scarecrow duking it out gave me a nerd boner, but this first issue offers very little. We see Bane take out Professor Pyg and Scarecrow meet with Penguin. So although a first issue should get you hooked and make you not want to wait for the following issues, Arkham War doesn't. Although I'm still hoping to see an all out war errupt in the following 5 issues so I'm not about to give up on it similar to Marvel Knights Spider-Man the premise is too strong to give up on after 1 issue, and again it wasn't that bad, it just wasn't amazing like I would have expected.
Rating: "Pull" for now.
I'd like to hear your thoughts on these books and some others you may have recently read so tweet at me @DonnyForTheWin and keep loving comics kids.
First off courtesy of Marvel Comics we see the return of their "Marvel Knights" imprint with Marvel Knights: Spider-Man. The cover alone is enough to draw you to the book, even if you know nothing about Marvel Knights you may take it up to the counter and say something the lines of "Hey cool comic shop employee, what's the dillio with this book?" they will then tell you that it is from an amazing writer in Matt Kindt and is a 5 part mini-series where Spider-Man has to take down 99 of the world's most vile villains or a bomb will go off killing millions. My original gripe with this was a simple one... How do you fit 99 villains into 5 books? Now villain overload is a real problem to have (See: Deadpool Now's first dead president arc) where you seen them for a panel and then gone. But the reviews were so good for this book I figured "Hey, maybe they pull it off"... Well let me just tell you something, this first book is nothing but a set-up for the gauntlet you see a couple villains poke their head in but Spider-Man doesn't defeat them... They seem to be a means to set up and not part of the 99 so my original worry about having 99 villains in 5 books is really 99 in 4 books... That's 25 a book, and this title is a 32 pager so I'll let you figure out the math on that one... Fractions... Ouch... Decimals... Am I supposed to carry the 3... Sorry. Back on point. Although this book does give me some fears and issue 1 did nothing to quell those, I will continue to pick up the series in hopes that it delivers on the excitement it has promised.Rating: "Pull" for now anyways...
Next up we have those crazy wholesome teenagers at it again. That's right the Riverdale gang are back and up to their old tricks as Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica and all are celebrating Halloween, fighting over each other, living the high school life, killing dogs, becoming zombies... Wait what? Are you sure this is an Archie title? Yup sure is. In Afterlife With Archie the gang is back and normal or so we think... This dark tale begins to spin once Jughead visits Sabrina The Teenage with his dog Hot Dog to see if her and her magical aunts can help Hot Dog seeing how he has been hit by a car. They are unable to do anything as the dog has already passed on, Sabrina, against her aunts wishes, perform Necromancy and raise Hot Dog, although the price is very high. Sabrina gets in massive trouble with her aunts and Jughead gets a zombie dog. So not only does Archie have to deal with Betty and Veronica fighting over him to be his date to the Halloween dance, he's dealing with Jughead's sudden "sickness" as well as Reg's sudden depression... This was a very fun book and I highly recommend it.Rating: "Pull"
Moving on let's take a look at Dynamite's Cryptozoic Man. Fans of AMC's Comic Book Men (Starring Silent Bob, Kevin Smith) will recognize this title as it was a focal point of the 2nd season as they created the pitch, got Stan Lee to endorse it and got Dynamite to pick it up. The writing was handled by relative newcomer, he's got 2 comcis credits to his name, and Comic Book Men main caster Bryan Johnson off a story that he and artist Walt Flannagan, also a Comic Book Men main stay though he's much more veteran having drawn Johnson's previous comics as well as Kevin Smith's Batman: Cacophony and Batman: The Widening Gyre. The premise itself was interesting enough for me to pick it up, and the connection with the show ensured I picked up the monthly's instead of the trade. And I just got to tell you after reading issue #1, I am very dissapointed. The storytelling definitely lacks, and Flannagan's art is nice and right in his wheelhouse but overall given the bouncy nature of the story it's just not something I can fully appreciate thanks to the scripting. This is a 4 issue mini series and I will likely be getting them all since I'm willing to give it a 2nd and maybe even 3rd chance, and by that point what is the harm in grabbing the final issue for collections sake, I would not recommend this book to anyone at this point. It may still redeem itself now that hopefully the sloppy origin is out of the way but if not, you didn't waste your money, if it does get better, there is always the trade to look forward to.Rating: "Don't touch"
Finally, I've been in love with Forever Evil since the first issue which litterally blew my mind. So how does the mini-series tie-in Forever Evil: Arkham War hold up? Well it's written by Peter Tomasi who has a string of goodwill behind him after his excellent handling of Damian Wayne in Batman and Robin, now known as Batman and... The premise is this, the nutjobs at Arkham Asylum are out and have divied up Gotham into districts in which each villain controls, all overseen by mayor Penguin of course.But Bane and his Blackgate prison pals have also broken out and aim to take control of Arkham. The premise had me hooked as the thought of Team Bane vs. Team Scarecrow duking it out gave me a nerd boner, but this first issue offers very little. We see Bane take out Professor Pyg and Scarecrow meet with Penguin. So although a first issue should get you hooked and make you not want to wait for the following issues, Arkham War doesn't. Although I'm still hoping to see an all out war errupt in the following 5 issues so I'm not about to give up on it similar to Marvel Knights Spider-Man the premise is too strong to give up on after 1 issue, and again it wasn't that bad, it just wasn't amazing like I would have expected.Rating: "Pull" for now.
I'd like to hear your thoughts on these books and some others you may have recently read so tweet at me @DonnyForTheWin and keep loving comics kids.
Tuesday, 8 October 2013
Comic Shop Corner: October 9, 2013
Another week, another hit to your wallet as your money leaves faster than a speeding bullet. Let's see where your cash should go this week...
Dark Horse Comics
Shaolin Cowboy #1
From artist/writer Geof Darrow comes an all new story! The Shaolin Cowboy returns, but nowhere in sight is there a dead Robin, any infinity gauntlets, or a single conquering Ultron—just flat-out action, intrigue, and plenty of roadkill. Darrow’s slow-talkin’, kung-fu-gripping hero proves once again, in this brand-new new series, that the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a chainsaw! This issue is guaranteed to have more action in it's 32 pages than the rest of your pull list combined!
Also Available: Star Wars #10, Elfquest Special: The Final Quest, Halo: Initiation #3, Resident Alien: The Suicide Blonde #2, X #6, Creepy Comics #14, Abe Sapien #6, and many more!
DC Comics
Superman/Wonder Woman #1
Beginning a bold new series that details the relationship between The Man of Steel and the Warrior Princess as rising star writer Charles Soule is joined by fan favourite artist Tony S. Daniel to tell the tale of a romance that will shake the stars themselves. These two super-beings love each other, but not everyone shares their joy. Some fear it, some test it-and some will try to kill for it. Some say love is a battlefield, but where Superman and Wonder Woman are concerned it spells Doomsday!
Also Available: Batman #24, Forever Evil: Arkham War #1, Green Lantern Corps #24, Coffin Hill #1, Nightwing #24, Constantine #7, Suicide Squad #24, World's Finest #16, Batgirl #24, Astro City #5, Superboy #24, Trinity Of Sin: The Phantom Stranger #12, Stormwatch #24, and many more!
IDW Publishing
Memory Collectors
Well Halloween is just around the corner so why not spotlight a very intriguing horror book debuting this week? IDW brings us the story of three jaded fetish models who are unexpectedly thrown into a violent world and made to confront a horrible and unperceived truth: Hidden among us are entities that feed on the very thing we hold most sacred, our memories. No longer content with their lives as hunted cattle, they become the hunters. Known mostly for their contracted comics of characters we already know and love (TMNT, Transformers, etc.) It's nice to see IDW branch out.
Also Available: KISS Solo #1: The Demon, Mars Attacks Judge Dredd #2, Transformers Robots In Disguise #21, Ghostbusters #8, Popeye Classics #15, and many more!
Image Comics
Americas Got Powers #7
Too many Americans with too many powers...so the government decides it's time to wipe them all out and start from scratch. Nobody ever said it would be easy. Image's superhero title wraps up with this issue concluding the mini-series and I for one am anxious to see how it ends. Will they leave it open for an on going or is this the last we seen of Americas Got Powers?
Also Available: Walking Dead #115, Rocket Girl #1, Chew #37, Walking Dead Tyrese Special, Sidekick #3, Peter Panzerfaust #15, Three #1, Hoax Hunters #11, Miniature Jesus #5, Manhattan Projects #15, Ghosted #4, Think Tank #10, Bushido #2, Walking Dead #1 (10th Anniversary Special), and many more!
Marvel Comics
Astonishing X-Men #68
Through thick and thin, from marriage to apocalypse, the X-Men have always stood together as a family. Is there anything in this world--or any other--that could break them up? It all ends here as writer Marjorie Liu bids a fond farewell to the Astonishing team as this is the final issue of this long running ongoing.
Also Available: Infinity #4, Captain America #12, Avengers A.I. #4, X-Men #6, Thor: God Of Thunder #14, Deadpool #18, Dexter #4, Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #4, Uncanny X-Force #12, Avengers Arena #16, Wolverine #10, Marvel Universe: Hulk Agents Of S.M.A.S.H. #1, Ultimate Comics: X-Men #32, Fearless Defenders #10, and many more!
Spotlight:
Archie Comics: Afterlife With Archie #1
That's right kiddies, Archie is releasing it's first Teens+ book starring your favourtie Riverdale characters, as Archie and the gang go where they've never been before... To the grave and back! A horrific accident sets off a series of grim events and Sabrina the Teenage Witch must try to repair the unspeakable evil her spell has unleashed. Gasp in horror as Riverdale faces an impending zombie Arch-pocalypse in this brand-new, spine-tingling ongoing series-but be warned, kiddies, this one's not for the faint of heart!
As always folks, feel free to tweet at me @DonnyForTheWin and let me know what you're looking forward to and what you thought of this week's Halloween themed comics.
Dark Horse ComicsShaolin Cowboy #1
From artist/writer Geof Darrow comes an all new story! The Shaolin Cowboy returns, but nowhere in sight is there a dead Robin, any infinity gauntlets, or a single conquering Ultron—just flat-out action, intrigue, and plenty of roadkill. Darrow’s slow-talkin’, kung-fu-gripping hero proves once again, in this brand-new new series, that the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a chainsaw! This issue is guaranteed to have more action in it's 32 pages than the rest of your pull list combined!
Also Available: Star Wars #10, Elfquest Special: The Final Quest, Halo: Initiation #3, Resident Alien: The Suicide Blonde #2, X #6, Creepy Comics #14, Abe Sapien #6, and many more!
DC ComicsSuperman/Wonder Woman #1
Beginning a bold new series that details the relationship between The Man of Steel and the Warrior Princess as rising star writer Charles Soule is joined by fan favourite artist Tony S. Daniel to tell the tale of a romance that will shake the stars themselves. These two super-beings love each other, but not everyone shares their joy. Some fear it, some test it-and some will try to kill for it. Some say love is a battlefield, but where Superman and Wonder Woman are concerned it spells Doomsday!
Also Available: Batman #24, Forever Evil: Arkham War #1, Green Lantern Corps #24, Coffin Hill #1, Nightwing #24, Constantine #7, Suicide Squad #24, World's Finest #16, Batgirl #24, Astro City #5, Superboy #24, Trinity Of Sin: The Phantom Stranger #12, Stormwatch #24, and many more!
IDW PublishingMemory Collectors
Well Halloween is just around the corner so why not spotlight a very intriguing horror book debuting this week? IDW brings us the story of three jaded fetish models who are unexpectedly thrown into a violent world and made to confront a horrible and unperceived truth: Hidden among us are entities that feed on the very thing we hold most sacred, our memories. No longer content with their lives as hunted cattle, they become the hunters. Known mostly for their contracted comics of characters we already know and love (TMNT, Transformers, etc.) It's nice to see IDW branch out.
Also Available: KISS Solo #1: The Demon, Mars Attacks Judge Dredd #2, Transformers Robots In Disguise #21, Ghostbusters #8, Popeye Classics #15, and many more!
Image ComicsAmericas Got Powers #7
Too many Americans with too many powers...so the government decides it's time to wipe them all out and start from scratch. Nobody ever said it would be easy. Image's superhero title wraps up with this issue concluding the mini-series and I for one am anxious to see how it ends. Will they leave it open for an on going or is this the last we seen of Americas Got Powers?
Also Available: Walking Dead #115, Rocket Girl #1, Chew #37, Walking Dead Tyrese Special, Sidekick #3, Peter Panzerfaust #15, Three #1, Hoax Hunters #11, Miniature Jesus #5, Manhattan Projects #15, Ghosted #4, Think Tank #10, Bushido #2, Walking Dead #1 (10th Anniversary Special), and many more!
Marvel ComicsAstonishing X-Men #68
Through thick and thin, from marriage to apocalypse, the X-Men have always stood together as a family. Is there anything in this world--or any other--that could break them up? It all ends here as writer Marjorie Liu bids a fond farewell to the Astonishing team as this is the final issue of this long running ongoing.
Also Available: Infinity #4, Captain America #12, Avengers A.I. #4, X-Men #6, Thor: God Of Thunder #14, Deadpool #18, Dexter #4, Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #4, Uncanny X-Force #12, Avengers Arena #16, Wolverine #10, Marvel Universe: Hulk Agents Of S.M.A.S.H. #1, Ultimate Comics: X-Men #32, Fearless Defenders #10, and many more!
Spotlight:Archie Comics: Afterlife With Archie #1
That's right kiddies, Archie is releasing it's first Teens+ book starring your favourtie Riverdale characters, as Archie and the gang go where they've never been before... To the grave and back! A horrific accident sets off a series of grim events and Sabrina the Teenage Witch must try to repair the unspeakable evil her spell has unleashed. Gasp in horror as Riverdale faces an impending zombie Arch-pocalypse in this brand-new, spine-tingling ongoing series-but be warned, kiddies, this one's not for the faint of heart!
As always folks, feel free to tweet at me @DonnyForTheWin and let me know what you're looking forward to and what you thought of this week's Halloween themed comics.
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