Sessa17

Awesome, I'm so psyched to see anyone dig on Godland, it's really one of the most unique & fun comics around. Have you tried Ant-man? It's so god damn original it breaks my heart to see it may get cancelled, it needs support.

Yeah, the art on the last issue was brutal. The book really needs Mahnke. It was also the weakest issue so far, but mostly just b/c I've never read Stormwatch before & I don't read any other Wildstorm books, outside of Midnighter, so I didn't really have much of a clue as to all the backstory. Still a great series though.

Superboy

That's what Marvel does: can good books. Deadpool was one of the most original anti-hero books in the 90s. Then came She-Hulk, then Thing, and now Ant-man. It seems like after the creative boom in the early 2000s Marvel just wants to make all their books formulaic and tired. If Milligan's X-force came out now it would have been canned after 2 issues. Especially with the level of fan vitriol hurled at any change in X-men status quo.

fujishig

To be fair, if people actually bought these titles, and they made money, they'd keep them around. It's not like they purposefully try to cancel "good" books.

Superboy

But the point is that they can still be profitable. Look at Vertigo titles and how little they sell, but they go on for years. They're eliminated because Marvel wants to make room for yet more X-men titles.

boredsilly

Ant-man isn't for me. I tried the first few issues and it just didn't hit my buttons.

But, and I shit you know, I was just listening to a podcast...and Jay Faerber (the guy behind the cool Noble Causes) was talking about his new book Dynamo 5 and it sounded interesting. So...I'm starting to think you're Scarlet Witching my podcasts, bending them to your will or something.

fujishig

I'm not quite sure how Vertigo numbers compare to Ant man numbers, but Vertigo titles are catered to a different audience, one that DC wants to target, and even they have a cancellation threshold. For whatever reason, the superhero-targeted market (which, lets face it, Ant-man is targeted towards) is not picking this up, but will pick up copies of the next crap X-men spin-off. I've had my share of favorite titles that were cancelled/ended due to low sales, but I'm not sure what Marvel could do to make this title suddenly profitable (besides what you're already doing by encouraging others to buy it). Any ideas?

RichardW

I'm mostly a Marvel person, so would 52 be an enjoyable read to someone who isn't very familiar with DC outside of the 1990s Batman, Superman and JLA books?

Patman

If pushed to a binary vote, I'd vote "no".

Sessa17

As much as I've been diggin' the hell out of 52 & think it's been great, I would definitely say it is not for someone who doesn't no much about DC, since its almost entirely centered around C not even B level characters.

I had a nice little stack waiting for me at the funny book store today. Here is what I picked up today . . .

52 Week #46 - Every issue now is just great. This one had Grant Morrison written all over it. Loved the Black Adam stuff.

Aquaman Sword Of Atlantis #50 - Is this book really late? . . . . why am I asking this? I'm the only person in the country that reads this book. That's right, I'm not ashamed. Aquaman has always been one of my favorite characters. Yeah, I said it.

Army At Love #1 - New Vertigo series means a must buy for me.

Batman Confidential #4 - It would probably helped if I read the first 3 issues.

Birds Of Prey #104 - Since the original mini-series, this is honestly one of my favorite comics ever, but I'm sadly, literally about 2 years behind reading this book. Each issue just gets thrown in my "books-to-be-read" long boxes.

Brave And The Bold #2 - First issue was fun, nothing amazing, just old-fashioned comic booky fun.

Checkmate #12 - EVERYONE RUN OUT & BUY THE FIRST TRADE. Then pick up every single issue after that. And then email me heeping praise & thanks.

Detective Comics #830 - Another book I'm very far behind on.

Exterminators #15 - Follow the rules about Checkmate.

Flash The Fastest Man Alive #10 - This book blows beyond all belief. Yet I still buy it.

Justice Society Of America #4 - Really good first 4 issues of the relaunch.

Shadowpact #11 - One of the best books on the market.

Spirit #4 - I don't know how anyone can look at the covers to this comic, & not be magically pulled into spending money on this comic. The art is brilliant.

Supergirl #15 - This book may actually be worse than Flash. Can't wait for Garza to take over on the art. Finally this series will have a good artist.

Testament #16

Noble Causes #28 - Never a bad issue of this book, as good as any team comic out there.

Walking Dead #36

Ms Marvel #13 - When it's not bogged down by Civil War crappiness, this is a surprisingly good comic.

X-Factor #17 - Really diggin' the dupe collecting story with Jamie. David is writing one of the best X-men related comics in years (which I know isn't really saying that much)

X-Men #197 - This is constantly the single worse comic I buy every month, but I have every issue, I'm a dork like that, I can still dream that one day, this book will be good.

Conan #38 - It doesn't get much better than Conan. One of my favorite comics ever.

And, if you all can only buy ONE comic book this week, make sure that it's:

Shadowpact The Pentacle Plot TP


Now all you trade zombies have no excuse not to be reading one of the most creative, original, brilliant comics being published. 168 pages of Detective Chimp, what better reason do you need to buy this book.

fujishig

You've sold me on Shadowpact, I enjoyed the Infinity Crisis prelude miniseries with them, so I'll give the first trade a try. I've been burned in the past with DC supernatural series always failing, so hopefully this one has some legs. Also going to check out Checkmate. How's OMAC, anyone collecting that one?

Just finished reading the New Avengers HC with the Civil War issues. Man if I was collecting this monthly, I'd be a little ticked... we get what boils down to an issue of Cap, and issue of Cage, one of Spider Woman, one of the Sentry, and one of Iron Man. Sure, they're all members of the New Avengers, and I guess with Cap and Iron Man on different sides they couldn't exactly be a team, but it wasn't exactly the team book I was looking forward to.

Giantrobo

Today I picked up 3 weeks worth of comics not counting this week @ $120($99 with Discount) OUCH!!!!

Anyway, both Shadowpact and Checkmate are awesome titles and I've been with them since the minis. Shadowpact has lots a wit and coolness and Checkmate shows a scary Geo-political side of DC with less emphasis on Superheroes. I mean damn, I love me some Amanda Waller but that bitch is -Scarier- than many super powered villians. I also like Mr. Terrific's role in Checkmate.

PalmerJoss

Not a huge week, but some great comics:

After The Cape #1 I remember reading about this series a while back and it seemed interesting, so I was a little wary picking it up. I'm so glad I did because this was probably the best comic I read this week. A disgraced, alcoholic superhero who turns to bank robbery to make ends meet? I am so there. This has the workings of a great series - I hope it's an ongoing and not a mini.

Y: The Last Man #55 A solid issue, but not too much happens plot-wise. Then again, even a mediocre issue of this series beats the hell out of almost everything else on the shelves.

The Spirit #4 I can't say enough good things about this series. The artwork is just pitch-perfect and the writing has such a great tongue-in-cheek feel to it. I can't wait to see more of Silk Satin - she has the makings of an amazing character.

Brave & The Bold #2 The first issue was really good and this was even better. The banter between Green Lantern and Supergirl was just hilarious and worth the purchase alone. I can't wait to see where this story goes - it should be a fun ride.

Justice Society #4 Yet another amazing issue from Johns and Eaglesham. Loved the splash page at the beginning with Wildcat and Vandal Savage - just beautiful. I was apprehensive because of DC relaunching this series, but it hasn't lost any of it's momentum. It's still a great read and one of DC's best books.

boredsilly

I think this title feels more like DC's flagship title over, moreso than JLA. This and Birds of Prey are my go to DC books now(still need to read the last volume of JSA though).

I should probably check out Shadowpact and Checkmate as DC's 2nd tier books seem to kick ass.

Superboy

The Walking Dead #36: This comic has gotten progressively more violent, and really, i've come to enjoy it less and less because of that. For me, the most terrifying aspects of this book are impending threats and showing mysterious conditions, like the end of issue #34. That for me is where the strength of this book lies. It would have been great if they didn't directly show us , but instead him getting dragged away and then the final splash page.

Y: The Last Man #55: This book has been one amazing ride, and I love how the entourage of characters are all waiting for a huge clash. The way Ciba, Hero, other-Beth, and Natalya mesh together so well and create comic moments as well as a genuine bond seems totally natural and not forced.

Amazing Spider-man #539: This issue confirms what i've known for about 15 years: Spider-man has absolutely no storytelling power left, and he's somehow managed to eclipse Batman as the most tired Superhero ever.

X-Factor #17: Oh, if only all the X-men books had this level of creativity.

Justice Society: It's so great to see this book back, it's been my favorite book for years. A book like this reminds me how well team books can be done, and how they should be written. If only.

Flash, Supergirl, Aquaman, Ion - Is DC totally intent on publishing ONLY Superman and Batman books?

GearsWar666

Green Arrow, Nightwing, and Robin have become GREAT in the last year

Bronkster

Having waited until all four parts were out, I just read Spider-man: Reign. Considering the current state of the regular Spidey books, this was pretty good. I'm curious about something and will spoilerize for the safety of those who may read the series later:



In any case, an entertaining story and good art. Bravo. *clap clap*

Superboy

Green Arrow has just become another glorified Batman copycat, by DC no less! way to go Judd Winick!

Nightwing was a part of the wave of DC titles that turned a lot of their heroes into Spider-man types - down to earth and more human - unfortunately after the whole OYL business, I dropped the book. Haven't been keeping tabs on it since.

Robin for me was always a mediocre and unnecessary comic...how has it improved?

boredsilly

You know what book is surprisingly good? Spider-man loves Mary Jane.

I would have never thought I would like this, but after hearing some good word about it I decided to give it a try. Pleasantly surprised.

Sessa17

Green Arrow IMO, & I love the character, is the single worste superhero book on the market (along with X-men). I have no clue what someone could find redeeming in the comic, its been a pointless story for the past year with nothing but childish GA schtick. The character is such a cool character, & Winnic writes the book like a kid writing a comic.

You've been reading Robin since the 1st issue of the original series? And Robin is arquably one of the 5 most iconic characters in the history of the medium, I can hardly see how his comics is unnecessary. The book, under Beechen's run has IMO been the best the series has ever been. He's given the book an edge & a great story. Something the book pretty much has never had.

boredsilly

Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Spider-man being the other four?

Superboy

WHAT ABOUT THE RAINBOW RAIDER?!

Sessa17

The last week of the month is always a great comic book day. Here is what my funny book dealer had waiting for me today as I picked up my comics. . .

52 Week #47 - This issue had what IMO has been the only real complaint of this project, in really, really awful art. That aside another solid issue as far as story goes. Fantastic last page, dig the Animal Man stuff, not diggin' though.

Action Comics #847 - Got behind on my supes-books, but I've been diggin' the hell out of Action lately.

Batman #664

Catwoman #65 - Pretty much nobody reads this book, but it's definitely one of DC's best.

Crossing Midnight #5 - I can't find anyone that reads this book, not even anyone at my store, so I'm a bit worries that this series may not last too long, even for a Vertigo book. It's a shame, very unique comic with last pages much like "Y" where you just can't wait to see what happens next issue.

DMZ #17

Fables #59

Firestorm The Nuclear Man #34 - Just as the series has been the absolute best it has ever been, they cancel it.

Green Lantern #18 -One of the books I look foward to the most every month. Cannot wait for the Sinestro Corps epic to begin, it is going to be awesome.

Hawkgirl #62 - Another very underrated comic.

JSA Classified #24

Superman Confidential #4 - Much, much, much better than Batman Confidential.

Wonder Woman #6 - Haven't read 1-5 yet.

Elephantmen #8 - This book rules.

Godland #17 - This book rules even more.

Sam Noir Ronin Holiday #3

Texas Strangers #1 - Benn waiting for this one since it's first preview & it did not disspoint. I can't recommend this series enough.

Black Panther #26

Daredevil #95 - Brubaker is actually too good. Things really heat up this issue. Bru is such an amazing story teller.

Fantastic Four #544 - I'm so sick of this Civil War crap.

Wolverine #52

Usagi Yojimbo #101 - There is no comic better than this.

Star Wars Legacy #10

The "It's-only-3-freakin'-bucks-spend-a-little" Pick fo the Week:
Texas Strangers #1


Six Shooters and Sorcery! Gunslingers and Goblins! Old Magic meets the New World as teenage twins Wyatt and Madara begin a perilous quest to reclaim their heritage and dispose of a deadly artifact in a weird Wild West - a world full of monsters, mayhem and the mysterious lawmen called Texas Strangers!

vinhj

I was surprised at how much I valued Miyazawa's work until the latest issue with the new artist. A lot of the charm of the story was lost without Miyazawa.

Superboy

Spider-man Loves Mary Jane is what Ultimate Spider-man should have been. It's a consistently great teenage drama, and the only decent Marvel Age book. The alterations to continuity are fun but the characters themselves feel so much more fleshed out. Reading classic Spidey stories, the stories seem extremely dated...it's nice to see a genuine freshening of his teenage years.

boredsilly

I got up to that issue and I agree. Though I like the new art well enough (his spidey is pretty awful though), I wish Miyazawa could have stayed on until issue 20 when McKeever leaves so they could have completed their run together. Part of me doesn't want to book to go on when Sean leaves it.

You know what impressed me most about Miyazaza? And this is going to sound funny, but his sense of fashion. I don't know if he was looking at teenage fashion magazines or what but the variety of the clothes in the book, and how each characters wardrobe fit their personality without ever being boring was really something. Usually characters wardrobes are stock and boring, but Miyazawa really went the extra mile.

A deluxe HC just came out with the two Mary Jane minis as well as the first 5 issues of Spidey Love MJ so I can't wait to get that.