Pick of the Week 26/10/2016 Flash #9 Kid Flash of Two Worlds

God dammit this is a difficult choice! There were 3 excellent issues this week and a good supporting cast of other titles to boot, hell I even liked Suicide Squad!!

The List;

Flash #9

Action Comics #966

Detective  Comics #943

Hal Jordan and the  Green Lantern Corps

Titans #4

Teen Titans #1

Hellblazer #3

Wonder Woman #9

Suicide Squad #5 

Deathstroke #5

So why Flash 9? It was a tough one with some major competition, Hal Jordan and the GL Corp was REALLY good with an ending I did not see come like at all! Action Comics is just superb at the mo as is Detective Comics, but Flash had a moment that's rare in comics these days where I actually had goosebumps.

Everything about this issue was done well from the amazing cover, a homage to Iconic Flash 2 world, to the interaction of the characters and the huge moment at the end of the book it was really excellent stuff. This issue finds the Flash in the company of both Wally Wests, it starts off with Barry and the new 52 Kid Flash up to some heroics when they are joined by (the real) Wally West. Having the 2 Kid Flash's together does something to the Barry and he has a vision of pre-Flashpoint earth and he is taken over by the Speed force, he says some pretty mean things and drops the bombshell on Kid Flash that the Reverse Flash was his father, after that he runs off and you get some nice moments where the other Wally spends some time bonding with him and helping him deal with the bombshell, this whole passage is dealt with really well, what I also really approved of is that we are reminded about the catalyst for Re-Birth as Barry and Wally discuss the mystery of who stole time form them. Finally and what was the clincher for me was.....

Oh hell yeah the JSA are coming back! I know we knew that already but this is the 1st proper hint since the Rebirth special and I am so bloody ready for this!!

Just overall the writing was excellent here and it really feels like Joshua Williamson gets these characters and the spirit of how a Flash book should be, there was a change on art this issue which usually annoys me but I think Jorge Coronas style works well with the subject matter, excellent stuff.

4/5

Elsewhere in comics;

Action Comics #966:This continues Lois Lane back at the Planet, ultimately this is about our Lois Lane after watching a video message left for her by the now deceased New 52 Lois Lane asking for her to take her place and finish her unfinished book on Superman and be there for he r father. Right sure there are plot holes here none least of which, why is no-one questioning why Pre-New 52 Lois suddenly looks 5 years older? But it doesn't really matter because the writing and characterisation is spot on and ultimately I and many others want to see Lois back in this role, the art is inconsistent but there are moments of brilliance such as when Superman flies to Save Lois from a suspicious and angry Superwoman, this bit just looks fantastic, as  I said before the Superman books at the moment are fantastic.

Detective  Comics #943: This is a Batwoman focused book but I am ok with this because I love the character, the main talking points here are Batman and the team still coming to terms with Tim Drakes apparent death, spoiler thinking about giving it all up, Batman chooses Batwing to replace Tim as the tech guy in the Bat family (Batwoman is not onboard) and the debut of the suitably creepy looking Victim Syndicate. Overall I love the tone of the book, love the character interaction and I am intrigued by these new villains.

Hal Jordan and the  Green Lantern Corps #7: This should drawn by Ethan van Sciver and its a damn shame he isn't. The content here is great its the blow off to this initial arc and the BIG showdown between Hal and Sinestro which features the apparent death of both characters and the the obliteration of War World. The writing is continues to be great here and Jordi Tarragonas art is fine serviceable, its ok but for an ending as epic as this on a Green Lantern book REALLY would have liked to see Van Sciver drawing it, I call foul on the deaths btw Sinestro looks like hes being torn apart BUT he could also be transitioning back to the anti matter universe, and with Hal, well with all the weird moment hes had with becoming pure will power  I am guessing he is still very alive.

Titans #4: This was ok, I am not enjoying this book as much as I want to, but it was still fine, the art in particular was very strong.

Teen Titans #1 Currently the stronger of the two Titans books, this is helped by the fact I love Damian Wayne and think he is a great character.

Hellblazer #3: This has been fine, the book isn't blowing me away so far, there is a fantastic opening involving the audio from a horse race including horses named  Cameron's Stupid Stupid stunt, Boris Johnsons Knob, Farage you don't! This is ok there are several plots being juggled which doesn't hurt the book as much as it could have, the arts ok but I think this book would benefit from a more gritty visceral style.

Wonder Woman #9: I wish this book wouldn't jump about so much, its making it a bit jarring but overall this is a good issue which see's Wonder Woman hooking up with Steve Trevor! I am ok with this, the issue otherwise focuses on the search for Themyscira and we end with Diana seeming finally home and re-united with her mother?

Suicide Squad #5: Better this one focuses on tension within the team and Rick Flag trying to stop Amanda Waller from utilising the insane General Zod as a new member of the Squad, I am glad they addressed the ridiculous size of Zod we witnessed before which annoyed me, we get a shock ending as Flag seems to shoot Waller to stop her.

Deathstroke #5: Solid issue, I am enjoying the run Batman vs Deathstroke is the premise, interestingly though Deathstroke is only really in the last page, I am enjoying this run and the ending in particular has made me really looking forward to issue 6.

Pick of the Week 19/10/2016 Superman #9

This was another week of good comics, the choice for pick of the week ultimately boiled down to the big two books Batman and Superman and picking one over the other was really hard, I think ultimately I was won over by the fun and over the top action of Superman #9 ahead of Batman #9 but it was a close thing.

The pull list;

Superman #9

Batman #9

Aquaman #9

Green  Arrow #9

Green Lanterns #9

Justice League #7

Nightwing #7

Trinity #2

Doom Patrol; #2

DK III: Master Race #6

PoTW

I think whats been so great about the Superman books recently is they have been great fun and captured the true spirit of the character, the last 3 issues in particular have just been utterly fantastic. This is the conclusion of the 2 part Escape from Dinosaur Island (how can you not love a book with that title) this arc is in part a tribute to the sadly departed Darwin Cooke and see's Superman and Superboy hooking up with Captain Storm of the losers, is it an alternative universe? Final Frontier certainly cant be viewed as canon surely? But those questions aside( I am sure there is a good answer) this is a great ride. After initially trying to shoot them Captain Storm exchanges stories with Superman and son as to what hes doing here and how they suddenly appeared, Storm explains about the losers and how he escaped the  Pterodactyl nest and Superman explains how they came ot be transported here and that they need to find the device that brought them here aaannnd...TEAM UP! Captain Storm tells them he thinks he knows where to find the doohicky Clark makes Captain Storm a new prosthetic leg using a branch and his heat vision and they depart, Captain Storm riding a fricking Pterodactyl he tamed which is just bad-ass. We are then treated to an action packed throwdown with Dinosaurs and a gigantic white ape, ok full disclosure on seeing the cover and the ape for the 1st time I was like "is this the Ultra humanite???" sadly its not, but that's ok I can deal, you get to see more of Clark and Jonathan teeming up in battle and there the obligatory noble sacrifice as Captain Storm apparently sacrifices himself to allow them to escape, its actually a  great moment as Superman tells him they will get him home and his response is "I am home"  its interesting that this island that has taken so much from him now seems to be part of him to the point he doesn't want to leave. We are then teased by the mysterious figure we saw before watching on holding Captain Storms new leg, (he shot if off to as Clark wouldn't let go of it and give up on saving him) so the indication is that this figure was responsible for the teleportation as he somehow snagged the leg, who is he? Is this Watchmen related? Time will tell I guess, whats also Great here is the art by Doug Mahnke, I am not always the biggest fan of his work I do find him a bit hit and miss but this is just excellent the Superman team are really firing on all cylinders at the moment.

Elsewhere in comics;

I thought Batman was excellent, this was a non action issue which I am absolutely fine with, the issue opens with a someone recounting a horrific childhood of torture, we see a shadowy figure who I am assuming is Bane (huzzah!) recounting this tale to Psycho Pirate and using his powers as a form of therapy. The bulk of the issue shows Batman putting together a suicide squad of his own to go to Santa Prisca and capture Psycho pirate to help undo the damage he did to Gotham girl. Apparently he's allowed to just draft Arkham inmates as he sees fit...wait what? Oh well he's Batman. Its who is on the squad which is the real treat, the Ventriloquist, Punch and Jewlee, Bronze Tiger and Catwoman, there's some deep cuts right there.  Really good set up issue but since when did Selina Kyle kill over 200 people WTF!?

Justice League I am still not getting into, I'm not sure if its the arc or the team, personally for me they would have been better off having the new creative team taking on a classic villain to start the new run but hey ho. What I want from this book is a shake up in the line up, for one thing I would have one Green Lantern, 2 is just silly (although when the book ends it does seem that is what we may be getting) I would bring in at least 2 more members I would love to see Green Arrow and Shazam in the League, I will keep on with it though.  

Green Arrow I am really enjoying this run but the changes in the art team are killing me! Otto Schmidt who drew issue 8 is fantastic but I just don't like Juan Ferreyra's art at all! It makes the transistion a bit jarring, I was happy to see the continuation of Ollie and Dinah's budding relationship here, this was a good action packed issue and thank god it ended with them leaving the island, I don't think I could have dealt with a prolonged stay.

Aquaman this is again just excellent, I am LOVING this book Dan Abnetts doing great work, his writing of Arthur is just brilliant any another week and this have been PoTW. This issue sees a wild brawl with the Shaggy man in Amnesty Bay,  Aquaman is made to look super heroic in this issue, he gets beat down HARD and keeps going his face is swollen mess afterwards (which you don't see enough of in superhero comics) they are still pushing the outsider thing for Arthur which make sense and works for the character, he eventually outwits Shaggy man, he refuses to ask the JL for help but does use his JL teleportation card to send the creature into space, it ends with a close up of the card discarded in space (is he done with the JL?) and Murk shouting for help for a stricken Arthur.

Trinity, its early days for this book, I do love these 3 characters together but this issue is just ok, we do get a big reveal at the end that its Poison Ivy who's behind the supposed jump backwards in time, the team are in fact in the grips of some kind of giant plant, I am ok with this I guess but I was hoping for Mongul and the black mercy, I am still holding out for this,  pretty please DC comics! I think my hope is we will find out that rather than this just being Poison Ivy its going to be a team of  classic villains a batman one a superman one and a wonder woman one, that would  make me very happy.

Doom Patrol I should have picked this up last week so the end result is that's its been so long since I read issue one that I dont know what the fuck is going on, its good but mad and I do wonder if this will be one of those books better suited to being collected in trade.

Green Lanterns This is book is continuing to improve, we don't really see the lanterns at all in this book, it seems more about setting up a new villain who it looks like is going to steal the Phantom ring. Its ok, I just really don't look forward to this book, I don't dread it either, but its just been very "meh" for me, and that should never be the case with a Green Lantern book, hell it was Johns run that seduced me back into comics again, I used to look forward to every issue, sticking with it fir a bit longer.

Nightwing I am digging this book I and I really like Dick Grayson, I am not sold on the Raptor character this continues to tease is he a villain or anti hero etc and what is his connection to Dicks family, good stuff.

DK III; The Master Race great book they have used some really good tools to tell this story, and lets be honest its a dream creative team, the only problem is there's soooo long in between issues that I find myself disconnecting with the story, I will have to go back and re-read issues 1-6 before 7 comes out I think, but for the record this is an excellent book.

Death of X I really enjoyed this book, there's been some good story telling which sees the Inhumans and Mutants drawing closer and closer to confrontation this issues that end is furthered by miscommunication between Storms team of Mutants and Crystals team of Inhumans. The truly great thing about this issues is I can finally read a x book with a sense of enthusiasm and not dread thanks to the pant wetting excitement of the announcement of 2 New  XBooks X-Men Blue and Gold as well as solo titles for Iceman and Cable. FAN-BASTARD-TASTIC I have to admit I had brought into the conspiracy theories that said Marvel was going to get rid of the X-Men. To really make this work for me Marvel has to do 3 things;

• Bring back Professor X
• Do NOT turn Magneto back in to a villain
• For the love of GOD bring back Cyclops and heal his relationship with Hank and Bobby and the rest

If they do that then shut up and take my money!

Pick of the Week 12/10/2016: Action Comics #965

Another week, another stack of comics, another week where making a choice for pick of the week is a real challenge!

A really good week, some top work from some top creative teams, we are back to it being all about DC comics, the pull list this week was;

Action Comics #965
All Star Batman #3
Detective Comics #942
Hal Jordan and the Green Llantern Corps #6
New Super-Man #4
Deathstroke #4
Wonder Woman #8
Flash #8
Red Hood and the Outlaws #3
Suicide Squad #4
Superwoman #3
Supergirl #2

In the end it came down to 2 titles but this time I have to give it to Dan Jurgens Action Comics 965. For me personally the Superman books have been brilliant so far, the last 2 issues of Superman have been utterly fantastic, and Action Comis has been, up until now, living up its name with the Doomsday Brawl but last issues showdown with Clark and Supes slowed things down a tad and this issue continues that theme but in a great way.

What we get in this issue is Lois Lane returning to the daily planet! And I mean the real Lois Lane not the New 52 one. This follows up on the letter New 52 Lois wrote to the real Lois before her death in Superwoman.
Concerned that there was no follow up or sign of Lois since she wrote the letter our lois goes to the daily planet posing as this Earths Lois to try and found out whats going on, she managesto blag her way past Jimmy, Perry and Even Lex Luthor who drops by very briefly, his short cameo in this issue shows him sprinkling more water on the seed of doubt this Lois has about Lex, is he a better version than the Lex she and Clark both new?

Theres a nice interaction with the mysterious new Clark, he ends up being Christopher Reeve Clark Kent clumsy which I really liked and ends up wrecking Lois's computer which leads her to go back to this Earths Lois appartment, which spookiliy is in the exact same place as her old appartment in the old continuity, where she is confronted by Red Superwoman Lana Lang.

This is just a really well written issue and its great to see Lois take the spotlight, Jurgens really knows these characters and does a great job, what elveates it to pick of the week was the absolutely wonderful art. Stephen Segovias pencils are a joy behold, I love his Lois and the image of Superman on page one is near perfect, this isnt something I always notice but the pencils here are really enhancd by Arif Prianto on colours, this is just utterly gorgeous to look at and definely worth picking up.

4/5

Honnourable mentions;

Hal Jordan and the Green  Lantern Corps #6

I am just loving this book at the moment, this issue could easily have been written by Geoff Johns, writer Robert Venditti's grasp of the characters here is just pitch perfect, he really captures Hals reckless bravery, Guys sheer bloodymindedness and Sinestros cold superiority.

This issue is a bit of a tease the confrontation of the GL Corps and Sinestro Corps doesnt happen just yet, instead you see Hal Jordan attempt to take on the entire SC single handed with a fleet of willpower created planes, the issue closes with Sinestro finally confronting Hal, his ring powered by the fear engine to 1000! Ow have mercy as dude love would no doubt say.

4/5

New Super-Man #4

This book has been a real surprise package, this issue continues form the last and we see the Justice League of China vs The Freedom Fighters of China! Its sounds hokey but it works really well, Ii love this inept surly boy-superman and the Tubby batman, I even dig the hard ass Dr Omen, this is just a really fun read and the plot is moving along at a nice pace, theres a twist at the end that reveals that the leader of the freedom force is none other than Kenan's father! Though they did kinda telegraph that twist to you during the fight, still definetly an enjoyable read.

3.5/5

Detective Comics #942 

This is the blow off to Night of the Monster Men, this arc has been really fun, Ii mean c'mon Batman vs Kaiju, in what world could that be anything but awesome. We see Dick take down the ultra Kaiju by literally diving into its stomach with the antidote and Batman take down Hugo strange without lifting a finger, thanks to clayface choking all the air out the room and Strange passing out, I like the premise here the 4 monster all represented one of Batmans character flaws, strange was trying to show Batman his weaknesses and why he isnt fit to be the Batman, he misses the fact that Bats weaknesses dont hold him back or make himunfit they feed his desire for justice. Strange thinks he has bats beat, he is wearing a suicide batman suit if batman touches him it will kill strange, but with Clay face envelping the room the lack of oxygen causes Strange to faint, a but bit anti climactic but good nevertheless.  FInally this issue ends with Batman saying he is going to track Bane down since its his venom which was used to create the Kaiju, this I cannot wait for, I love Bane so they have my money.

3.5/5

And finally...

Superwoman continues to impress definetly going to continue with this one, very srong issue.

Supergirl steps up a gear with a much better effor this week and finally Suicide Squad continues to dissapoint. 

Pick of the week 05/10/2016 Death of X #1

God dammit Marvel! I havent brought  a Marvel comic comic since AvX the reasons for this I will get into on a seperate post but after re-watching X-Men Apocalypse I felt the need to check in with the Children of the Atom, starting with Brian Michael Bendis run on Uncanny X-Men Vol 3, I mention this because this back reading directly impacted my choice of pick of the week.

My pull list;

Death of X #1
The Uncanny X-Men #14
Nightwing #6
Batman #8
Aquaman #8
Superman #8
Justice League #6
Green Lanterns #8
Green Arrow #8
He-Man/Thundercats #1

This wasnt an exceptional week for comics but it was a hard choice because the books that were good were really good, ultimately the pick goes to Death of X I hate where this appears to be going, I hate what I think Disney are going to do to Mutants and the X-Men in particular, but I am so invested in these characters that I am pulling for the X-Men to come out the other side and then Whup the Inhuams next month.

This book starts with my favourite X-Man Cyclops leading his team to investigate a distress call left by the multiple man Jamie Madrox on  Muir Island, at the same time a team of Inhumans is intercepting a soon to be newly born Inhuman, this turns into a Hydra ambush with the squad of Inhumans fighting for their lives and the life of this new Inhuman, meanwhile the X-Men find hundreds of dead Madrox dupes and a dying Jamie Maddrox, and the big reveal, which may or may not be Marvels vehicle for writing out the X-Men for good, is that the Terrigen mist which creates new Inhumans is terminal to mutants and as the issue closes with the revelation that Cyclops is infected with the mist and with the Cyclops effectively declaring war on the Inhumans.

I like this even though I fear were it might lead, I dont give a flying fook about any of the Inhumans but I am buying into the story and really rooting for them to get their ass's handed to them. Also this is being written by Jeff Lemire so by default you just know its going to be great, the art is really strong on this book too but despite all that part of me does wish that Bendis and Bachalo were on this book.

4/5

Honourable mentions;

Aquaman #8

Still just absolutely really loving on this, this is one of those books I look forward too every fortnight and this new ark continues where the last left off, Black Manta the new leader  of Nemo has weapon is heading for the surface and hes going to walk through Atlantis to get there, queue buckey loads of action as Aquaman and the Drift try to stop it in its tracks but the weapon adapts to every attack and doesnt miss a beat, elswhere Mera is undergoing her trials and education to be judged a suitable bride for Arthur, I am digging this sub story and it s a nice contrast the action, the issues closes with the reveal that this giant doomsday weapon is in fact Shaggy man!
3.5/5

Superman #8

The last issue was just excellent and maybe should have been my pick of the week and this is really strong too, Supes, Jonathan and  Krypto get sucked to a Dinosaur Island by a misfiring science project, and after fighting raptors, giant Fish and Pterodactyls you start to see some clues as to where this story is heading which finally pay off with the finel panels when it is revealed that this is the cave that the Losers used during Darwin Cookes amazing New Fontier, now obviously this does not make a lick of sense but I enoyed this and I am going to be interested to see how this plays out.
3.5/5

Batman #8 and Nightwing #6

The enjoyable over the top romp of Batfamily vs giant monsters nears its climax, the issue closes with Batman racing to showdown with Hugo Strange whose dressed in a bat longjohns.
3.5/5
    
Uncanny  X-Men #14

Lets be honest this is essentially X-Force of a few years ago, with team of edgy mutants including Archangel fighting fire with fire, I can live with that I dug the X-Force run, this series does suffer in comparioson to Brubaker or Bendis runs but taken insolation I dig it, and anythign where Magneto is the main character is going to have my money. We see the return of one of my favourite x-Characters in Exodus in this issue and he still has his warped hero worship for Magneto, hes been responsible for turning the brainwshed mutants into killers the =, Magneto rumbles him kicks his ass and puts him on ice as an insurance policy and Betsy finallly decides shes been lied to enough and leaves the team. 3.5/5

PS Green lanterns didnt suck! Am I warming to these characters? Maybe. Also Green Arrow is back on form and Mummra stabbed Prince Adam through the chest and then got the taken out by Skelator shut up and take my money.