Gamblor187

A very expensive week....

JLA #59 - I'm not sure why I picked this up. Just being a completist, I guess. I hate crossovers and I'm not too keen on Chuck Dixon. This ain't gonna be pretty.

Spider-Man's Tangled Web #7 - A good idea. A different creative team with each storyline (like Batman: Legends Of The Dark Knight). Of course, a book's only as goos as its creative team, so this series is probably hit and miss. It does have a good track record so far, though.

Promethea #17 - Here's hoping that this title returns to its former greatness soon.

Bone #45

Strangers In Paradise #44 - Everytime I think I'm out, they pull me back in! If this title doesn't improve soon, I'm going to drop it....and I mean it this time!

Powers Annual #1 - I hate annuals almost as much as I hate crossovers, but this one looks to be pretty good.

Murder Me Dead #9 The best mini-series that no one is reading comes to an end with this HUGE (70 pages!!!) issue.


I also had a few things put on hold until next week...

Optic Nerve #8

Snakes And Ladders - Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell team up again!

All three of the new Endless figures (Daniel, Desire, and Delirium) as well as The Simpson's Radioactive Man and Fallout Boy set.

Liquid Death

Batman Dark Victory HC came out too (I didn't get it yet though).

I did pick up:

Ruse #1 - I really liked it - a storyline about a brilliant detective aided by a woman with "mysterious" powers.

GI Joe #2 - decent story - I still have the same complaint about the artist's rendering of the human face - it doesn't look right.

Ghost Rider #5 - I've never been a huge GR fan, but this mini is great so far and Trent's artwork is fantastic.

Startling Stories: Banner! #4 - I've never been an Incredible Hulk fan (at all), but I picked up the series on word of mouth and it is simply terrific. I definitely recommend picking up the upcoming TPB if you're a fan of the talent involved or the Hulk.

I've heard good things about Murder Me Dead - what is it like? The HC is coming out soon, so I might give that a try.

Sessa17

A lot of stuff I've been looking forward to this week. I picked up. . .

New X-men #118 - (Book of the week!)Got it last week actually. Flat out my favorite book every single month. It's amazing how exciting Morrison has made this book & I'd much rather have Van Sciver as the regular artist on this book than Quitely who can't make a deadline if his life depended on it.

G.I. Joe #2 - What can I say, it's cheesy but I like it. Awesome cover, I wish Campell did the whole book.

Giant Sized Powers Annual #1 - I had know clue this was coming out. Even though I have the 1/2 issue it was still a pleasant surprise.

U.S War Machine #8 - If anyone bothers to read my little blurbs every week then you know how much I love this book.

Ruse #1 - Haven't read it yet & I'm not really into the Crossgen stuff that much but Waid is one of my all-time favs. & I've been a huge fan of Butch Guice since way back when he first started X-Factor.

Wolverine #169- I've really enjoyed this story arc & Wolverine has become one of my favorite monthlies. Can't wait till next issue when Sean Chen comes back on.

X-men Unlimited #33 - This was really a great issue & the story by Steven Grant & Sean Phillips about the blob was fantastic. Also I loved Esteban's Maroto's art on the White Queen story & I'd really like to see more of his work.

Trades:

X-Force: New Beginnings - I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the new X-Force revamp & I'm glad Marvel came out with the trade so soon.

Twisted Toyfare Threatre Trade - Finally got it after my store sell out of it immediately every single time they get more in. Absolutely F'n hillarious & if anyone reads the TTT bits in Toyfare magazine they know what I mean. If not check them out.

Also got my Daredevil #168(the first appearance of Elektra) back from CGC on Wed. & it is a 9.7 & CGC gave may a certificate that its the highest graded issue of #168 they have received. I could sell it for some serios cash but it's one of my 3 all-time favorite comic I own & I don't plan on ever selling it.

Al Infinitum

Justice League of America: The Nail

When I originally started reading comic books, I was strictly a Marvel reader. I remember particularly enjoying the What If? line in those days, so I thought I would try the DC equivalent, an Elseworlds title. Unfortunately, I've learned that much of the enjoyment of these sorts of titles is derived from being extremely familiar with the characters and histories of a universe, so a lot of this seemed rather hokey to me. (I had a similiar experience with Crisis on Infinite Earths, which I read about halfway and then skimmed the rest for major happenings.) An interesting idea, but unfortunately the execution didn't elevate this above an average comic book.

Transmetropolitian: Back on the Street

Eh. Everyone gushes over this one, but it just didn't hit me. It was well done, and much like my review of The Invisibles last week, I would recommend it to anyone predisposed to this sort of thing. One problem I see with recommending it, though, is that I have absolutely no idea what genre it falls under. Cyberpunk, maybe? I loaned it to a friend and he said it reminded him of Alien Nation.

One major gripe on this one is that the price seems a bit steep for, what, 3 issues of the comic? It can't be much more than that. It is a full story arc, admittedly, but if you spend twice as much on any other TPB, you're getting a much better feel for the direction the book is headed in. That aside, if you're a big fan of Alien Nation, this comes highly recommended.

Planetary: All Over the World

Ahh, this was refreshingly entertaining. I respect that the Ellis was able to refrain from revealing all the characters' powers in the first two or three issues. I like the feel of the world established in this book - it's pretty impressive that Ellis was able to scrape together a cohesive atmosphere despite each issue occurring in an entirely different locale. Looking forward to the next collection.

Gamblor187

It's a solid crime comic, very reminiscent of classic film noir. Plenty of plot twists and characters you love to hate. Similar to Bendis's crime comics, but without all the flashy dialogue. (Not that I have a problem with Bendis's flashy dialogue.)
It's written and illustrated by David Lapham, perhaps best known for the cult-fave crime comic "Stray Bullets", which is finally returning in January.

A softcover version of "Murder Me Dead" is also being released for those who can't afford the hardcover.

A few comments on the other books I picked up....

JLA #59 - A total waste of time and money. I'm ashamed of myself for picking it up.

Promethea #17 - Although I appreciate the story Moore is trying to tell, I guess this title just isn't for me...but I can't seem to bring myself to drop it.

Spider-Man's Tangled Web #7 - Not bad, but not enough to make me finish this storyline. I do like the idea of the title and the fact that it's more character-driven. I'll probably pick up the next storyline, depending on the creative team.

Bone #45 - It just gets better and better. The story's moving along well, and it's good to see a lot more humor back in this book.

jim

Gamblor187

I wouldn't suggest that you buy the next TPB because there's no sense wasting more money on a series that you don't care for. However, if you know someone with the next story arc, definitely borrow it and give "Transmetropolitan" another chance. I was a bit underwhelmed by the first TPB, also. I don't think the title really hit it's stride until the second or third storyline where it gets more into the politics of The City. And it hasn't slowed down since.

jim

Liquid Death

I concur about Transmet - the second TPB is where everything heats up with the presidential campaigns...

Thanks for the info about Murder Me Dead - I'll look for the SC.