Wednesday, August 12, 2009

CBD 08/12/2009

The Unwritten, Wednesday Comics, Marvel Divas, Hero Comics, Ultimate Avengers, Ultimate Spider-man

The Unwritten #4 - Mike Carey & Peter Gross - This is one of those things you really need to read from the beginning in my opinion. If you haven't jumped on board this title yet, I recommend it, but but you will really be best served if you can get all the issues, or hopefully the trade when there hopefully is one. This is to literature as Phonogram is to writing. It's well done, written and drawn. My favorite line is delivered by a menacing figure stalking through a house
murdering people. To a victim hiding behind drapes after running from him he says "You know what's really guiding you? controlling you? Pushing you on?" in regard to the victim's actions. He then supplies the answer as he closes in for the kill. "GENRE conventions." It's good stuff so far.

Marvel Divas #2 - Aguirre-Sacasa, Zonjic - With two issues away, I can say for certain that I love the art in this. I really just enjoy the art an awful lot. The writing is ok, the story is ok. It's a lot of not too much happening and kind of a lot of talking. It also seems to be setting itself up for a sort of predictable series of next steps, but I am hoping I am a bit wrong about that. I like the angle this is taking. I like seeing supportive friends show how a
super-hero community and super-hero friends might deal with a friend having cancer, etc. It has a lot of 'very special Blossom' feel about it, but that doesn't have to be damning either. So... Love the art, have hope for the next 2 issues.

Hero Comics - There was exactly one of these at my LCS today and I grabbed it. It was the Wagner Grendel cover, so I feel like I won the lottery! This is a hero initiative Benefit book put out by IDW. A number of the entries are like presentations during a telethon, but so what, it's still comics for a comics related cause, so go out and buy 5 of it. There is a short American Flagg piece by Chaykin, and an extremely good piece about pop directors directing stories from the bible. It's good stuff. and it's worth picking up. All Proceeds from this title go to the Hero Initiative, which works to help people in the industry who have fallen on hard times, in many cases by helping them get work.

Wednesday Comics #6 - I have not loved every weekly comic that has been made available to me by DC over the years, but I sure love the idea of weekly comics. When I was getting it I really enjoyed getting Spider-Man nearly weekly as well. Happily, there is enough in Wed. Comics to have me excited to pick it up weekly. Here is a quick take on where I stand on the various features.
  • Kamandi, Batman, Metamorpho, Hawkman, Superman. are all very good, some of them are better than others, and Kamandi in particular is beautiful.
  • Supergirl is cute as heck, which is good, as Amanda Conner has stated that Cute was her strategy in this. It is refreshing to have it there, although there are a couple other light offerings.
  • Teen Titans gets my vote as most disappointing. I LOVE Galloway's style, but in this format everything seems to bleed together and it is hard to get into it.
  • Caldwell's Wonderwoman is beautiful, but so small and busy that I look at it for it's loveliness and don't even try to read it. I will read it when I have all the pages.
  • I think Sht. Rock is great, but we are six pages in and he is still tied to a chair at the start of this one. It's good though, and the art is awesome.
  • I like Deadman, but need to see where it goes.
  • I just can't love Metal Men. I'm not sure why.
  • I am not loving the Green Lantern series here, but it could be worse, it could be blackest night.
  • I am also unable to get very excited over the Flash, although I like the Flash too
  • I think that Adam Strange is the best of the offerings so far. The art and the writing are great. I wish that wasn't the case, but I really think it's true.
Ultimate Comics Avengers #1 - Millar, Pacheco - I Loved the Ultimates. I sort of Liked Ultimates 2. I stopped getting Ultimates 3 and cried a little about how much I disliked it at that point. I didn't follow Ultimatum, but I looked forward to some post Ultimatum Ultimate comics. After this first issue, I think it is not out of the question that I will really enjoy the Ultimates again, regardless of what they are called.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1 - Bendis, LaFuente - I hate Peter Parker's hair in this, but I like the art a lot. I enjoyed this issue and think it will probably be a pretty great series again. I had kind of weened myself off of Ultimate titles, but have always had a good bit of affection for that universe.


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