Creative team: Story by Victor Gischler; Art by Bong Dazo
Villains to Watch: More zombies
They say: Zombie Ice Man is HUNGRY! And Zombie Firebird is feeling peckish too. Mmmmmmm. A Slice of Dr. Betty sounds good ... with a side of Bill, Agent of A.I.M. You really think Deadpool is gonna let that happen? Cue gratuitous violence. Following Headpool's half-baked plan to get back to the 'normal' universe, Deadpool and pals must first fight their way through the hungry of hungries. Which of Deadpool's compatriots gets zombie-fied? Tune in to find out. Same Deadpool-time. Same Deadpool channel.
I say: See… to anybody else, those are just two random picks from the Marvel Universe. But to guys my age, those are Spider-Man's Amazing Friends! And that's what keeps setting this book apart, month after month. The knowing winks from fellow fanboy Victor Gischler -- who is proving himself to be the best at delivering Deadpool's unique voice (er… "voices"). Paired with the sleek, sexy lines of Bong Dazo, this is definitely one to pull. Besides. I just like saying "Bong Dazo."
Creative team: Story by Keith Giffen & Judd Winick; Art by Joe Bennett
Villain to Watch: Maxwell Lord
They say: DC's new biweekly event begins here! Someone is targeting the old members of the defunct Justice League International. Now, surviving members Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Fire and Ice have to figure out what unseen mastermind is threatening to destroy the entire Super Hero community! There are no gray areas here - it's black and white and red with blood all over for this lost generation of Super Heroes as original Justice League International writer Keith Giffen is joined by superstar scribe Judd Winick for a new era in excitement!
I say: Longtime readers of DC comics will appreciate Maxwell Lord's plan -- as it was unveiled in the first issue: Maxwell Lord is out to erase his memory from the minds of Earth's mightiest heroes. Remember when Zatanna erased the knowledge of certain heroes' secret identities in ? This is that -- in reverse: it's a reverse mindwipe. That's gonna make for some meaty story-telling. Now for the part I'm not so crazy about: Max's speech to Booster Gold that he's just out to save the world, and that even the most horrible things he's done (like murdering Blue Beetle) was done because he had to do it for the greater good. Um. Norman Osborne called. He wants his schtick back. That's a road we've seen travelled phenomenally well in the past year. I'm really hoping this story branches off and takes a path less traveled.
Creative team: Story by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray; Art by Amanda Conner
Villain to Watch: Satanna and Ultra Humanite
They say: All the pieces of the puzzle come together as Power Girl faces friend and foe in the no-holds-barred climax of the Ultra-Humanite's mad grab for control of Earth!
I say: This is a sad pull, indeed… the final issue in an amazing run for co-creators Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and Amanda Conner. Scott Kurtz kindly introduced me to Amanda at C2E2 a few weeks back, and I have to say, I was awe-struck. I don't know that there are better artists working in comics today, but I'm confident that there are few who are kinder and more genuinely affable. I really hate to see this series end, but if it gives Amanda, "time to sleep," as she phrased it in Chicago, then rest well, Great One. You've earned it.
Creative team: Story by Ed Brubaker; Art by Mike Deodato
Villain to Watch: TBA
They say: Who are the Secret Avengers? Are they a covert team of heroes working the darkest corners of the globe to stop disaster? Are they part-spy, part-superhero? Are they XXXXXXX's newest idea to save the world...or all they all of the above? A new era begins as Marvel's hottest team takes a 21st century twist!
I say: Creators Ed Brubaker and Mike Deodato set the hook deep within the first three pages of Secret Avengers. It's Black Widow and Valkyrie in an undercover mission that, as so often happens, goes awry. The art is Deodato's finest yet, and the characterizations of the Norse goddess and the Russian superspy make for impeccable dialogue. Valkyrie stand behind only Plastic Man as the licensed character I'd most like to do a limited series about. But I can't draw horses for schniekies, so I'd have to off Pegasus within the first few pages.
Creative team: Story by Jeff Parker; Art by Kev Walker
Villain to Watch: Juggernaut
They say: The new era for Marvel's always-evolving, always controversial team kicks off here! It's a beginning, a return, a departure, and an arrival of a new artist all rolled into one in a fresh, shocking status quo! The most dangerous people on Earth are now all in one hellish prison, and the only way out is through rehabilitation and contribution to society via The Thunderbolts...under the leadership of the steel-hard-skinned Avenger named Luke Cage! So bring on the first participants: Juggernaut! Crossbones! Ghost! Moonstone! And...Man-Thing? Against the sordid recent history of the group as a black ops kill squad, can Power Man restore the Thunderbolts to their rightful potential?
I say: I almost expected Marvel to ditch the T-bolts at the end of the Dark Reign storyline. I'm so happy to see the series continue. And I'm happier still to see a fresh, new direction for the team of super-baddies. Luke Cage's new assignment is to turn this gang of ne'er-do-wells into a force for good. Take a little Dirty Dozen and add a dash of Suicide Squad. I have a very good feeling about this.
Creative team: Story by Tom Brevoort, et al.; Art by Mark Bagley and others
Villain to Watch: Several
They say: Villains die and debut in the nineties' pivotal Spider-saga! Spider-Man and the Scarlet Spider are both fighting crime, and there's plenty to go around when the Jackal arises - with more clones in the wings! But following a team-up with Daredevil - who's having an identity crisis of his own - Spidey faces a fate that could wrap up his web-slinging days forever! The answer may come down to one of Spider-Man's deadliest enemies - but what price will he pay for it, and what prize will he leave behind? Plus: Mary Jane's revelation! Aerial crime warfare, terrorism and a funeral for a fiend! Guest-starring Kaine, Puma and the enigmatic Nocturne!
I say: Fanboys argue over lots of stuff: Marvel vs DC… Superman vs Batman… the One More Day storyline… and, when going to a comic convention, how much deodorant to leave at home. But there's one thing that seems to be nigh-universal: The Spider-Man Clone Saga is one story for which we'd happy accept one of Zantanna's mind-wipes. TEGROF SENOLC!
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Re: Five to Pull / One to Pass: May 26, 2010 (Score: 1)
posted Wednesday, May 26, 2010 - 02:52 AM (#56066)
I actually got into an arguement with someone on Twitter (ok, that part isn't shocking) but they were ranting about the evils of what Geoff Johns is doing to DC by bringing back John's memories of what comics were like and what about bringing back this guy's fond comic memories... which apparently included the Clone Saga. Made my head hurt.
Mark me as another person who is going to miss the current Powergirl run. It is going to leave a hole in my reading that I don't know that I can fill.
Re: Five to Pull / One to Pass: May 26, 2010 (Score: 1)
posted Wednesday, May 26, 2010 - 06:44 AM (#56068)
Oh, come on, Marvel! You can't tell me that fans are such masochists that you think they'd buy a complete compilation of the most reviled storyline in comics!
Argh. OK, mini-rant over.
I am absolutely loving that homage to Lone Wolf and Cub, and I'm not even a Deadpool fan.
Re: Five to Pull / One to Pass: May 26, 2010 (Score: 1)
posted Wednesday, May 26, 2010 - 11:42 AM (#56069)
I am loving the new format of this!
The "call" from Norman? It was cheesy and felt like it was out of an old variety show....in other words.... I LOVED IT! And would love to see some more stuff like that!
--
Torture numbers and they'll confess to anything.
1. Star Wars: Invasion - Rescues #1 of 6 from Dark Horse. I kind of stopped paying attention to the Star Wars Novels just before the whole Yuuzhan Vong invasion mega-arc started, but I gave the previous Invasion mini-series from Dark Horse a look, and liked what I saw. The art was pretty tight and pulled off the difficult job of both accurately looking like the Star Wars universe and showing us nifty new imagery at the same time. It was nice to see the old favorites like Luke, Leia and han again, but they didn't overshadow the interesting new characters like the Galfridian family the the Invasion line will make viewpoint chracters. I'm hoping that this second miniseries continues the good work.
2. Gotham City Sirens #12 from DC. Paul Dini's writing was at least 51% of why Batman: The Animated Series was (and still is) the best comic-related TV series ever, so to have him working on not one but two Bat-titles each month is 31 flavors of awesome. I love the Harley/Ivy team-up he made famous, and it's fun watching them try to obey Catwoman's request, if not to go completely straight, then at least to avoid excessive crookedness. It's much smarter than the cheesecake book some people expect it to be, but the patented Dini schtick of "supervillainesses engaging in witty banter about personal matters while lounging about their lair in their underwear" doesn't hurt.
3. Doctor Who #11 from IDW. The "Don't Step on the Grass" arc continues, with guest appearance by Martha Jones, and we get another step closer to discovering the true identity of the Shadow Advocate, why she hates the Doctor so much, and why she's trying to poison his latest companion Matthew Finnegan against everyone's favorite Time Lord. As the clock counts down to the final 10th Doctor story from IDW, I can tell that there's likely to be some powerful tragedy coming at our heroes like a runaway freight train.
4. Proof #27 from Image. A quirky book, and sadly one that's almost at the end of it's current run, Proof is the story of a cultured, urbane, dare I even say metrosexual, Sasquatch who investigates monster sightings on behalf of a mysterious government agency. It's full of engaging characters, humor, and pathos; with a plot that keeps you eager for the next installment despite recent delays. This is the penultimate issue, but it's definitely worth tracking down the trades before they re-launch for "Season Two."
5. Ultimate Comics: Enemy #4 of 4 from Marvel. I know it sounds crazy to say today, but there was I time when Marvel's Ultimate line was better than some of its mainstream 616 titles. Sure, Mark Millar had to make the Avengers crude, murderous lunkheads, but the Ultimate versions of the X-Men and especially the Fantastic Four kept me hooked when I wouldn't (and still won't) touch their mainstream versions with an 11-foot pole (the kind you use to touch things that you wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole). This Spidey/FF-centric miniseries is like a welcome return to the days when Ultimate Marvel meant an exciting, widescreen story with cracking dialogue, and not just gratuitous shock-deaths of important characters beacuse they have to top the last thing Mark Millar did to make beloved heroes "darker and more adult".
Honorable Mentions:
Cold Space #2 of 4 from Boom! Studios
Star Wars: Legacy #48 from Dark Horse
Detective Comics #865 from DC
Mystery Society #1 of 5 from IDW
Amazing Spider-Man #632 from Marvel
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #37 from Marvel
Peter Parker #3 of 5 from Marvel
And 1 to pass: Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #2 of 6 from DC. As you can guess, a Batman title has to be really disappointing before I drop it, and I've almost reached that point with Grant Morrison's run on Batman and Robin. All it's been is essentially cleaning up the mess he left the Bat-franchise in after his Batman R.I.P. and continuing to unravel threads that he just won't leave tied up. I can't however, be bothered with this miniseries. Bruce bouncing through time like Scott Bakula in Quantum Leap? Batman as a caveman? Batman as a Puritan witch-hunter? Y'know Grant, sometimes things that nobody's ever done before are not done because everybody else recognizes that it's a frelling stupid idea. I just don't care how you fix the mess you created, Morrison, just tell me when Bruce is back under the mask and don't demand that I watch this sausage being made.
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Deadpool Merc with a Mouth #11 
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Amazing Spider-Man Complete Clone Saga Epic TPB
