The Comics Professor

How were this week's comics? (February 3, 2016)

If you missed it last week, this is a new thing I'm trying here, registering my very brief thoughts on the comics I buy each week.

NEW COMICS FOR FEBRUARY 3, 2016

Big week this week, with 13 books (10 Marvel, 3 DC). I'll be brief with the last few.

FAVORITE: A-Force #2. I tend to be drawn to clever books these days, and while these tend to be the more humor-oriented books like The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and Howard the Duck, they also include more traditional super-books, and A-Force is a perfect example. Full of wondrous action and punches galore, this comic is also replete with sharp writing from G. Willow Wilson and Kelly Thompson and attention-grabbing art from Jorge Molina and Laura Martin. The story of Singularity trying to connect with unfamiliar versions of her Battleworld teammates is both heartbreaking in her disappointment and uplifting when she sees the same heroism in these people that she remembers from that world long gone. And when the heroes assemble near the end to confront the danger facing the world, you might get chills as Molina and Martin nail their strength and resolve.

CLOSE RUNNER-UP: Howard the Duck #4. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a unique Galactus story, and no one does unique like Chip Zdarsky, Joe Quinones, and the rest of the Howard team. The promise of Howard the Silver-Surfing-Duck from last month is fulfilled; we see guest stars galore; and we get one of the best meta-comments on the resolution of Secret Wars we might ever see (at least until next issue). 

Spider-Man #1. Finally, Miles Morales is back in his own book and firmly ensconced in the 616 Prime universe. (They couldn't just pick a prime number? You know, like 617?) Brian Michael Bendis, Sara Pichelli, and Justin Ponsor do a fantastic job of welcoming readers new to this Spider-Man while making oldtime fans feel at home with Miles' new dimensional address (and the return of his mother, thanks to a generous gift of a burger to a hungry Molecule Man). As well as elevating a deserving new character to the big leagues, this book also retains the essential high school setting of the classic Spider-Man comics (also seen currently in Spidey and Ms. Marvel) but from a new and fresh viewpoint. The Avengers storyline may have felt a little forced, and it sets up a guest appearance that might have come too soon, but I have faith that both will pay off next issue.

Batman: Europa #4. I didn't know what to expect from this loooong-delayed series when it finally came out, but I was very pleasantly surprised. It's been a fantastic, old-fashioned Batman-and-Joker story by Matteo Casali and Brian Azzarello with an interesting twist, and terrifically lush art by a different team each issue, reflecting the shifting locales, unified by Giuseppe Camuncoli's layouts. And Batman hasn't looked this good in years–classic and timeless.

Invincible Iron Man #6. One of my favorite artists, Mike Deodato Jr., joins this title's second arc and brings a significant shift in visual tone that matches Frank Martin's subdued color palette, both contrasting interestingly with Bendis' characteristically chatty and hilarious scripts. Dr. Doom returns in a big way in this issue, stealing every scene he's in, and Rhodey also gets some much-appreciated screen time. Bendis is definitely showing a different side to Doom here; I never thought I'd like seeing him out of armor for this long, but I do. (Doom, that is, not Bendis.)

Doctor Strange #5. This book continues to impress with stunning work from Jason Aaron, Chris Bachalo, and an Avengers team of inkers (Bachalo's colors in particular standing out from his always amazing line work). While Stephen continues his epic and draining fight against mysterious forces, we see more of Wong's character come to the fore, including a surprising (and somewhat disturbing) view of just how far he'll go to help his caped friend. (Definitely got a Kazuo Ishiguro vibe from this.)

Batman & Robin Eternal #18. In this issue we get the payoff we've been waiting for and in a way that makes sense and that I did not see coming, thanks to very clever plotting by James Tynion IV and Scott Snyder, with script by Ed Brisson, and fine art from last issue's team: pencils by Scot Eaton, inked by Wayne Faucher, and colored by Allen Passalaqua (with Gabe Eltaeb filling in on the last four pages). (There was a jarring decline in the quality of the art in the last four pages, but I can't blame it on the colors.)

Captain America: Sam Wilson #6. The Serpent Solutions storyline wraps up with a partial return to the status quo with a new addition (which will not be a surprise if you read the solicits but I'll keep mum all the same). I felt Nick Spencer's editorializing went a little overboard in this issue; it's been an important aspect of previous issues but seems to dominate this one, and the characters involved come off as caricatures more than they did before. Joe Bennett's clean pencils, inked here by Belardino Brabo and colored by Romulo Fajardo, are always a joy; appropriately, Bennett also illustrated a fair bit of Priest's short-lived Captain America and the Falcon run, which had a similar narrative tone to the current book.

Scarlet Witch #3. Steve Dillon acquits himself quite nicely here in a different context than I'm used to seeing him in, and James Robinson mines more of Wanda's past than in previous issues, which is appreciated. With colorist Frank Martin and an art assist from Chris Visions, this book shows the formidable (and in control) Scarlet Witch we always knew was there.

Captain Marvel #2. Had I been doing these reviews when the first issue came out, Captain Marvel #1 likely would have been my favorite, and this issue continues the high quality, making great use of Carol's new supporting cast, including Agent Brand of S.W.O.R.D. and members of Alpha Flight.

Rocket Raccoon and Groot #2. Like Captain Marvel, another #2 that maintains the quality of the first issue; the focus shifts almost entirely to Groot, with some nice Memento-like touches and commentary on Groot's rather limited word use.

Uncanny Avengers #5. The best issue of the run so far, even though it featured only half of the cast (and very little of Steve Rogers). I liked the art much better (pencils by Carlos Pacheco, inks by Mariano Taibo and Dave Meikis, and colors by Richard Isanove), I appreciated seeing more of Johnny Storm, and the reveal at the end was very well executed.

Detective Comics #49. A nice Gordon-and-Bullock story within the current status quo by Peter Tomasi, Fernando Pasarin, Matt Ryan, and Chris Sotomayor. Even though it's not fair to the work done by this fine team, one can't help feel the higher-ups are playing out the clock until Bruce comes back in Batman #50. Or do have I simply been led to expect every story these days to be huge and have impact, so I don't appreciate the delights of a simple superhero/detective yarn any more? That would be sad indeed.

So... what are your thoughts on these books or any I missed?

How were this week's comics? (January 27, 2016)

This is something I've wanted to do for a while, a round-up of the new week's comics, made up of short thoughts and comments rather than any attempts at longer, in-depth analysis (although I'll still try to do that when appropriate). Not full reviews either, so apologies in advance when I don't mention every creator of every comic by name. I'm thinking more along the lines of Hannibal Tabu's "The Buy Pile" column at CBR, where he gives brief comments on a few comics and his general impressions of others. Really, these are the same kind of quick and easy comments I'd shout out on Twitter, but this format gives me a little more space.

If nothing else, this will give you an idea what I'm buying these days: still a lot of Marvel and very little DC (just Batman titles, Justice League, and Aquaman). I try independent, non-superhero books from time to time, such as Monstress and Black Magick, but while I admire the craft, I just can't seem to get into them enough to follow them regularly (although I plan to get the two I mentioned in trade). (I'm all about the capes, I guess.)

My goal is to get this online Thursday morning; I'm trying to schedule my time better, and that includes setting aside time on Wednesdays for reading the week's new comics and writing about them. No promises about how long this will last or how timely it will be, but I hope it's fun while it lasts!

NEW COMICS FOR JANUARY 27, 2016

What order to do these in? I like alphabetical, or by company, but part of me also wants to do my favorite book of the week first. But maybe I should leave it until last? But will people read that far–or will that get them to read that far? (Are you even still reading this? Whew.)

FAVORITE: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #4. Practically guaranteed to be my favorite book of the week any week it comes out, Ryan North and Erica Henderson's Squirrel Girl is a delight month after month, and this issue is one of the best yet. What's more, it has almost as much Doctor Doom as it does Squirrel Girl, and I find it very interesting how Doom can be mocked so mercilessly as he is here (and elsewhere) and still remain the most feared and respected supervillain in all of comics. (There's also a cute dig at Old Man Cap–get them in while it lasts, folks!) 

Spider-Woman #3. It's such a relief to find a superhero comic these days that's nonstop action; last week it was Captain Marvel #1, and this week it's Carol's bestie Jessica Drew's book. But the exciting plotting and clever dialogue by Dennis Hopeless is outdone this month by the brilliant art from Javier Rodriguez, Alvaro Lopez, and Rachelle Rosenberg. Not since the days of Kirby and Steranko have I seen such mindblowing layouts as when Jessica is traveling through the intergalactic maternity ward. A feast for the eyes indeed, and a fantastic comic all around.

Daredevil #3. Most of this issue is a battle in which Daredevil, Blindspot, and Tenfingers' gang fights the Hand. (Hey, I've got ten fingers too, but you don't see me making a big deal out of it.) There isn't a lot of character work here until the very end, where a couple quick hints are dropped about Matt's new status quo as well as possible changes to it. Ron Garney's new style for this series remains a joy to behold, but I find the pacing in Charles Soule's approach to the series to be slower than I would like, and I am eager to find out more about Matt's new life aside from his job in the district attorney's office.

All-New All-Different Avengers #4. I find myself underwhelmed by all of Avengers titles since the relaunch, but because this seems to be the "main" Avengers book, I am more disappointed by it than by the rest. (I'm not counting The Ultimates as an Avengers book, and it is incredible. If you're not reading it, fix that right now. Go!) ANADA (really?) has a terrific line-up but seems slow to get off the ground. The team is still finding its feet, building a new headquarters (with very little funds), confronting minor threats–even Jarvis doesn't know what to make of them yet. I don't mind trying out new Avengers concepts in the other books, but I'd like one Avengers book, the main Avengers book, to feature an experienced, confident, and capable version of the team from the get-go. (It has been eight months since Secret Wars ended, after all.) Hopefully this book will get there soon, because the creative team is as impressive as the team of Avengers, and I know they can produce a knockout book. But for the time being, it seems almost as if they're holding back. (At least the kiss on the cover was well played out inside, and Mark Waid and team got a nice jab in at folks who complain about a diverse range of superheroes.)

Grayson #16. We don't see any of the fallout from Robin War in this issue, but we do get a lot of exciting spy work from Agents 37 (Grayson) and 1 (Tiger) while they try to take down Spyral, with the Matron (the New 52 version of Helena Bertinelli) appearing to fight back, including recruiting some interesting new protagonists for our titular hero. Best of all, and most surprising from a book from the reliably dour DC Comics, this book was fun, not only because of the witty dialogue given to Grayson by Tom King, but from the entire approach to the book, plotted by King and Tim Seeley and illustrated by Mikel Janin and Jeromy Cox. I think the best word for the this book is "romp"–nothing heavy, just action, humor, and charm. It's not often I smile or laugh while reading a DC book these days, but I certainly did with this book, even more than usual.

Batman & Robin Eternal #17. A much more consistent and tightly-plotted affair than the first weekly Batman title, Batman Eternal, this installment should have been more satisfying, as we finally learned more about Batman's dealings with Mother in the past. It may have given away too much too quickly, though, and was somewhat disappointing because of it; but it seems there are still secrets to be told. While the art in this series has been up and down, this issue was very well drawn and colored, thanks to Scot Eaton, Wayne Faucher, and Allen Passalaqua.

Aquaman #48. This issue wraps up Cullen Bunn's storyline, and I'm sad to see him go. I have to admit that this storyline didn't excite me, but I like Bunn's work and I stand among those who feel he got a tough break from Aquaman fans and DC. (Who knew there were so many Aquaman fans and that they were so vocal?) As for the story, Aquaman and Mera's reunion was very nicely portrayed, and Bunn ended the arc and the issue with a nod to current global events that I hope his successor Dan Abnett picks up on when he starts his run next month. (Having been a huge Tempest fan before the New 52, I hope Abnett continues to develop Garth's character as well.)

Well, there's my first try at this–we'll see how I do next week with thirteen books as my list compared to this week's seven! If you have any comments or thoughts on these books, or any others I didn't read, be sure to leave them in comments, and I hope to see you here again soon!