Starting off we have Teen Titans #85. Art is solid, not the best work ever on titans but still enjoyable. The story has improved a little bit, just enough for me to stick it out till a creative team change in issue #88 and Damien Wayne showing up. The second feature is getting worse in my opinion. Not only have I lost practically all interest in the story but the art has deteriorated. Hopefully that ends soon and we get a price cut or they get a better second feature.
Next up is Brightest Day/Green Lantern double feature with Green Lantern #56 and Green Lantern Corps #50. A lot of cool stuff going on in GL proper. Larfleeze is back and trying to get on a certain some one's good list, Saint Walker gives The Question some hope, and Hector Hammond finds a new friend in Ophidian (the avarice entity). Doug Mahnke put some solid work into this issue, with all the constructs and entities looking spectacular. Green Lantern Corps was the better GL book of the week but I am bias towards Kyle and Cyborg Superman so that could be the reasoning. I am really enjoying Bedard's Revolt of the Alpha Lanterns story arc, matched with Syaf's pencils it really is one of the top DC books for me right now. Could this finally be the time Henshaw gets his wish? I doubt it but he is always a fun/sadistic character to see in action.
Last DC book of the week is Brightest Day Justice League Generation Lost #6. Interesting little tale set a few issues previous when Captain Atom absorbs an explosion. Loved this issue for helping me to understand Captain Atom a little bit more. Never read much of his history (brief retelling of it here) so he has always seemed a bit one dimensional and this issue really expanded him a bit.. Art is sweet as well keeping this book at the top of my Brightest Day tie ins.
Next up is another $1 preview from Radical Comics, The Rising. Art is pretty much the usual fare from Radical but still pretty enjoyable. The gist of this one is an alien race has come to earth and "helped us" by pretty much taking over with pockets of human resistance (including our protagonist) here and there. Somewhat of a generic sci-fi story but the dialogue about religion, god, and Darwin got me really involved. This three issue mini starts up in early 2011 and I think I will be checking it out.
Moving over the Marvel Universe we have a double feature from our favorite merry mutants. First up is Uncanny X-Men #526. Great issue! Coming off the heels of Second Coming, Hope goes looking for her biological family and starts meeting with the five lights (the five new mutants that appeared on Cerebro at the end of second coming.) Also featured a back up tale that acts as a prologue to the first issue of Avengers: The Children's Crusade. Art is solid on both (coming from Whilce Portacio and Oliver Coipel respectively.) Looks like Uncanny might be returning to its rightful place as the flagship title of the X-Books. Part 2 comes from X-Men Legacy #236. To be honest the book left me a bit colder than the rest of the X-stuff since Second Coming. It seems to just be the combination of not caring much about Rogue (the main character in the book), a story that has potential but could also suck, and art that is just ok. I will probably check out the next issue but so far this is looking to be cut from the list.
Last entry from Marvel is Secret Avengers #3. Have to say, I am enjoying this book more than I have enjoyed an Avengers book in quite a while. Story and art are both phenomenal so far and neither shows signs of slowing down. Looking at this character line up months ago I would have never guessed I would be loving this book. While I am normally not a huge fan of the intergalactic happening in comics (except for the Shi'ar) this one is totally drawing me in. Highly recommend checking out the first couple issues even if you don't think it sounded like something you would normally read from the previews.
Heading over to Vertigo we have American Vampire #5. Both tales come to somewhat of a conclusion while still leaving plenty of room for the book to continue. Rafael Albuquerque's distinct bloody art for each tale continues to wow, while Snyder and King's tales finally catch up teach other. Can't wait to see what comes next from American Vampire.
Finally, pick of the week is the final issue of 7 Psychopaths from Boom! Studios. Epic conclusion to this three part mini-series. Yeah, some aspects of the ending were predictable but the ride getting there was a great one. Disbursed through out Germany each psycho attempts to kill Hitler in their own way, meeting with quite a few interesting results. Pick this up when it comes out collected, I think I might just so it will be easier to let people borrow
That's it for regular comic this week but I have quite a few other pickups to discuss.
Starting us off is the first volume of Scott Pilgrim. Really enjoyed it and I plan on trying to read the rest before seeing the film but we will see how successful I am at that. Filled with tons of laughs and a few panels I can't wait to see on the big screen. Hopefully the film does not pull a Kick-Ass and lose its awesomeness.
Next is The Walking Dead vol. 12. Don't even know where to start with this one, just another solid volume from Kirkman and the crew. If you haven't checked out The Walking Dead, stop reading this and do so immediately! For those of you who have, you know you can't wait to read this latest volume as well.
Going back to Vertigo (can't get enough of this imprint) we have graphic novel title The Alcoholic. Did a review for it already on the blog so check that out if you want to know more, a solid read.
Last up is the two Blu-Rays I got from Barnes & Noble's Criterion sale, both at half price! Chungking Express is an interesting little film out of Hong Kong that I was turned on to in college. Can't wait to watch this newly restored version with updated subtitles. The film that really put Wong Kar-wai in the international spotlight. Second film is Hunger, a 2008 film out of the UK that examines the life of and IRA member in prison. A pretty powerful film if you have the patience for it (there is one dialogue scene between two character that last around a half an hour), this is probably the best film I have seen on the Irish Republican Army (of which I have seen more than my fair share.) Both films have great cinematography and are packing some special features I am looking forward to checking out.
Well, that's all folks. Come back for more soon and be sure to tell your friends who would also be interested in reading fair to poor comic reviews riddled with terrible grammar. (I actually misspelled "grammar" just now, wow.) Leave some comments below with questions, suggestions, or rants.
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