Wednesday Pickups 2/9/11

It's new comic book day again but can one truly appreciate new comics if they don't learn from the old ones? No, so as an invaluable service to you the reader here are last week's comics and what I thought of them.


First up this week is Widowmaker #4 of 4. This sordid-spy tale comes to a conclusion as Black Widow faces her ex-husband while Hawkeye, Mockingbird, and Fortune are left to deal with an active volcano and an army of nationalist ninjas. Did not care to much for this issue as both writing and art felt very bland which I mainly attribute to this creative team handling issues 2 and 4 while a different one handled 1 and 3. I am holding out some hope for the next Hawkeye mini (entitled Blind Spot) since I think it will have a steady creative team or at least only Jim McCann writing it. If you were going to pick this up in trade, I have to recommend passing on it as the book just never blends into one solid story.

Next up from Marvel is Ultimate Captain America #2. Steve wakes up after having his butt handed to him by Frank Simpson (aka Vietnam Era Captain America) last issue and doesn't exactly play by the rules when he's told to stay on the bench and let the black ops team handle Simpson. I really like how Jason Aaron handles Ult. Cap, writing him as more of an arrogant jerk than his regular universe counter part, giving him a unique flavor. Ron Garney's art goes well with it, presenting some strongly defined close ups but leaving it a little rougher for the action sequences. Looking forward to the rest of this mini and the different kind of Cap story it's telling.

Staying in the Ultimate Marvel U, we have Ultimate Avengers vs. New Ultimates #1 (its also under the Ultimate Death of Spider-Man event banner but since nothing in the book seems to be related to him I'll just leave that be.) The New Ultimates (with two new additions to the main team) stop a train supposedly carrying stolen super soldier information but what they find is something a bit darker. I've never been a huge fan of Lenil Yu's art but once again it manages to work on these ultimate characters, the grittiness of it complimenting the style of the world. Mark Millar's overall story has been building nicely since the first volume of Ultimate Avengers but to someone just picking up this issue it probably seems like an excuse for a hero vs hero fight. Definitely going to pick up the next issue but if I continue to just find it ok, I might try to drop the title before getting sucked into this arc.

Heading over to DC, we have Justice League: Generation Lost #19. Max continues to torture and experiment on Jaime (the Blue Beetle) while the rest of our band of outsiders finally tracks down his location. Another fantastic issue from writer Judd Winick, the way he is handling these character keeps me chomping at the bit for more every time. Not to be outdone though, Fernando Dagnino's art (and Dustin Nguyen's stylish cover) provide the book with some compelling and action packed visuals. Going to be interesting to see where the books moves from the ending of this issue.

Rounding out DC comics is Red Robin #20. Crossing over with Teen Titans, Tim fails to stop Catman from recovering Unternet access and has to call in the reinforcements when he discovers a world-wide network of Calculator androids. I enjoyed Marcus To's pencils, as always, with Guy Major's colors filling them out nicely. The story here, written by Fabian Nicieza, seems like it could really be handled in one title and doesn't need the crossover gimmick, but we will have to wait and see how it wraps up in J.T. Krul's Teen Titans.

Getting into the non-capes and tights books, we have Uptight #1 from Fantagraphics Books. Written and drawn by Jordan Crane, this anthology title features two stories (Below the Shade of Night and Keeping Two) dealing with the loss of loved ones. Overall, I enjoyed Crane's illustrated shorts. While I wasn't too crazy about the art the stories were interesting enough to keep me going and I really like the cover design. I think my local shop had the next few of Uptight so you might see those make an appearance here soon.

From Image we have Hack/Slash jumping from mini-series to full blown on-going with Hack/Slash #1. Cassie and Vlad have been tracking slashers without rest leading them to Louisiana and a meeting with an old friend while Cat Curio's investigation leads her to Emience, Indiana and the man who put her into a coma. Great start for the series, even for readers like myself who aren't caught up on all the prior Hack/Slash mini-series. As usual with a Hack/Slash book, we are treated to some great cheesecake art (this time done by Daniel Leister) and Tim Seeley's deadly yet funny universe. Hoping this series has a long run.

Moving over to Image's Shadowline department, we have Twenty-seven #3. Will Garland further explores what the magical box in his chest can do and meets up with a famous rocker to learn more about the 27 club. Still enjoying the story in this book (written by Charles Soule) and its take on the whole "9" thing but I can't say the same for the art of Renzo Podesta. Its alright but sometimes it's loose backgrounds and emotionless faces just distract me from really getting into the book. I know their is more comics to be set in this universe after the mini but I don't think I will be sticking around for them if their drawn by Podesta.

Taking to the high seas, we have The Unwritten #22. Tommy continues his search for Moby Dick but finds a different "monster" while Lizzie and Savoy begin playing parts in someone else's plans. Initially I thought there was a large gap missing between this and last issue until I realized I missed #21 (whoops). Still consistently great, like The Unwritten always has been, Mike Carey and Peter Gross world of "real" and powerful literature is among the top books on the stand. If you still haven't checked it out, you really should.

Pick of the week should be no surprise, Matt Fraction and Fabio Moon's Casanova: Gula #2. Zephy begins taking down her assigned targets very sexily, while the Casanova's crew continue their search for him. I've written a lot about this series in previous post so I won't rehash it all but I love pretty much everything about this book. The sci-fi/spy world, the oddball references, the multiple WTF moments, and the art done by Fabio Moon (or Gabriel Ba from the first volume) are all fantastic. Hopefully with the rising popularity of all three, this book will get into the hands of more fans soon enough.

That is it for this week. You know the usual routine; comments, criticisms, or suggestions can all be left below or set to talesofthegeeklanterncorp@gmail.com Now if you'll excuse, I am off to search for the illusive The Unwritten #21.

Wednesday Pickups 1/12/11

Great week of floppies, so lets dive right into them:


Kicking it off is Justice League: Generation Lost #17. Max now has Blue Beetle, and given his track record on having someone with that name in his possession, it doesn't look good. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang tries to track him down only to get a visit from an old friend who was definitely built for speed and comfort. Another solid issue from Winick and crew, that gets into what Max has been planning but doesn't give it all away just yet. Next issue, looks to be a battle of DC heavyweights and I for one can't wait to see.

Moving right into it's solo character connected title, we have Booster Gold #40. Titled "The Life and Times of Michael Jon Carter", this issue examines the high jinks of Booster through the eyes of one of his recent enemies. From his lackluster beginnings up through his "cash for Gold" days, this issue presents a fun re-telling of his origin but also manages to begin a new story. Bang up job by Keith Griffen, J.M. DeMatteis (writers), Pat Olliffe, and Rich Perrotta (artists) who manage to create a great jumping on point for the title as well as tackle an issue of Booster's past that seems obviously overlooked through out the years (or at least to my limited knowledge.) If you've been thinking about giving the book a try, now is the perfect time.

Taking a break for a friendly meal, we head over to Red Robin #19 (Yum!) Tim and the gang wake up in a world that isn't quite right, granting the readers a chance to dive in and take the Red Robin pill. Writer Fabian Nicieza and artist Marcus To bring us a wonderfully whimsical issue that is certainly one of their best yet. Even if your not a regular reader of the title, you may want to give this issue a shot as it is a slice of golden age fun set in the modern DCU.

Last up from DC is T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #3. This issue tells the back story of NoMan, the invisible/immortal member of the original T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, who has come out of retirement for this rescue mission. Making him out to be part Dr. Manhattan and part The Vision, Nick Spencer (writer) and Cafu (artist) give us another wonderful issue of this series that examines what is sure to happen when "people" like that live long enough. Looking forward to next month's issue, which I have a sneaking suspicion will focus on the new Lightning.

First and only book from the Marvel universe this week is Widowmaker #3 of #4. Mockingbird and Dominic Fortune infiltrate a Russian army base while Black Widow and Hawkeye go the more traditional route of intel gathering and hit up a Japanese Geisha brothel. A descent issue, that had a few laughs and cool moments, but overall I have been less impressed by this mini-series the more I see of it. Still going to pick up the final issue but not really expecting a whole lot out of it and would definitely recommend passing on the series.

From Image comes Hack/Slash: Me Without You one-shot. Featuring great art by Daniel Leister along with Tim Seeley's awesome narrative, this comic tells the tragic origin of Vlad right up until the moment he first met Cassie and became her slasher killing partner. The perfect companion piece to the recent My First Maniac mini-series, this great one shot gives just the right amount of personality and history to the character without over doing it. While it might be more enjoyable for fans of the Hack/Slash series, I think it can still be fun for those new to the book or who have never read it.

Runner up this week comes from the Marvel imprint Icon, Casanova: Gula #1. Starting another chapter in this wacky/sci-fi spy world, writer Matt Fraction (along with artist Fabio Moon this time) brings us almost more absurdity than a reader could handle. Almost. After a mission gone wrong (maybe?) Casanova Quinn is missing in time and everyone, including a sexy sometimes six-armed blue woman from the future, is looking for him. Meanwhile, his alternate reality sister, Zephyr makes new criminal friends who have some sweet digs and hair styles. Its is hard to explain what exactly I love about the Casanova books but a big part of it is Matt Fraction's bravado to make the story whatever he wants it to be, most of the time fighting against a sensible narrative. In addition to that, it is consistently well drawn (whether by Gabriel Ba or Fabio Moon) and is the one comic that has me choking out "WTF?" in between the constant laughs. Normally I would recommend tracking down the first mini-series (and you definitely should at some point) before jumping into this one, but this series is so twisted you won't be much more lost than every other reader if you just start here.

Pick of the week goes to the latest comic from Image, The Infinite Vacation #1. This comic is about a guy named Mark, or many Marks depending how you look at it, as he sells and buys his way through the lives of his doppelgangers throughout alternate realities. Everything is going... well... not great but ok until suddenly a lot of the alternate Marks Mark has been start dying. This comic blew me away! Spectacular art by Christian Ward with a unique and bizarre story by Nick Spencer, this one has sunk its hooks in and is pulling me deeper into the rabbit hole as I write this and flip through it again. I think the advertisement that got me in called it a blend of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, (500) Days of Summer, and Inception which after reading it I completely agree with. So if you some how skipped this book last week make sure to pick it up this time, as we need awesome comics like this to sell through the rough.

That it for this week. Usual deal leave comments, critiques, suggestions either below or email them to me at talesofthegeeklanterncorps@gmail.com. Now if you'll excuse me I off to search eBay for an alternate reality Geek Lantern that is either shacked up with Tricia Helfer, Taylor Swift, or both.