Superboy

This week:

JSA #10

This has been DC's consistently best superhero book. Not a single trade isn't worth picking up, and the storytelling never got spotty. Nothing less than brilliant.

Which made this issue a really tenuous read for me. I wasn't that big on Infinite Crisis; seeing Kal-L in the first issue really got me pumping but the whole thing reeked of being rushed and cobbled together. I loved Kingdom Come - the meta-comic factor worked wonderfully. So I felt every page turn was just going to bring disappointment. What I loved about this story though, was that it really got to the core of the KC Superman. He's not any less idealistic; it's just that the world he lives in is no longer ideal. He's more powerful than Earth-1 Superman, but he's more vulnerable. He's faster than a speeding bullet but his past is chasing him down constantly.

I loved this issue.

Spez

I picked up the following this week:

Action Comics #858 - Absolutely loved it. The art is great and I can't wait to see where this goes.
Annihilation Conquest Quasar #4
Batman #670 - Interesting start to this crossover. I've loved the whole Damian arc and I'm looking forward to more.
Daredevil Annual #1
Dynamo 5 #8
Justice Society Of America #10 - Interesting start, but I was expecting a bit more. We didn't really get a lot of story here, I felt.
Trials Of SHAZAM #9 - Another fun issue. I just wish this series would finish already.
Ultimate Power #8
X-Men Messiah CompleX One Shot

boredsilly

I disagree. I found the Lightning Sage to be awful. Granted, a lot of that could be my complete lack of knowledge of the Legion, but that doesn't change the fact that I completely tuned out during that whole story. Outside of that though, you're right, JSA has been awesome. I too was a bit nervous to see how Johns could make this work, but he has so far. I think what is most telling is that the Kingdom Come Superman came off cooler and more interesting in one single issue than Superman proper. I think it is the gray temples.

I also read Gotham Underground on a whim and was surprised how much I enjoyed the issue. I LOVE Batman and that section of the DC universe, but most of that love has come from the cartoon and not the comics, so I don't really bother to read too much Batman stuff. However, this issue was hitting all the right notes. It had a good number of the rogues, most of the Bat Family, some crime bosses...it was like a survey of Gotham. In an odd way, it's kind of like the 52 of the Batverse, in that there are a bunch of different plotlines going on and you aren't really sure how they all intersect just yet. Oh, and it has Matches Malone in it, and who doesn't love him?

fujishig

I also thought that last storyarc about the gentleman ghost or whatever of the previous JSA volume was entirely skippable. But you're right, it's been an overall incredible book to read.

Sessa17

I just read Proof #1 which looks like it will be a pretty promising new series from Image. Plus, it's really worth supporting, the creators put soooo much extra content into the first issue, I love comics that take me more than 5 minutes to read. Check it out for anyone who is a fan of X-files, BPRD, or just good quality comics.

Bronkster

On its own, this issue was enjoyable - but overall I'm becoming more and more confused about where Superman is. Within the DC universe or multiverse or crisis-on-infiniteverse there's no longer any firm basis as to which "version" of the character I'm reading about. For example, the start of this issue seemed like it was taken straight out of the original movie, which is based on the pre-crisis Superman, with Clark being all wimpy - it goes on with pre-crisis Legion characters, then jumps into the current (I think!) iteration of the Legion. The last few issues of Action dealt with Bizarro, but not the post-crisis Bizarro - more like the pre-crisis version, along with all the pre-crisis Bizarro silliness (and I actually enjoyed the 2nd and 3rd parts of it - maybe the 1st part just confused me again). Recently in Superman, he stated that he had not killed - confirmed by Lois - but he has in the post-crisis world! Ever since the recent collapse of the DC Multiverse (which apparently didn't happen anyway) I've had a hard time trying to keep Superman rooted in one reality. Maybe this is what DC is planning and all will fall into place at the end of Countdown - but I doubt it.

Holy crap, but can't Marvel do anything without it being another event that will change mutantkind forever again? With my recent trimming of titles, this could be "event" that gets me to drop all X-titles (except X-Factor - I'm lovin' that one).

What?! How the Hell did I miss this?

Spez

I can agree with you in that things are a little funky for DC at the moment. The analogy I've given is that DC was carrying all of their stories in a big pile of papers and walking with them. Then 52 ended and someone tripped the guy walking with the pile. The papers went everywhere and now they're scrambling to put them back together. Countdown was horrible. I only read about 10 issues before dropping it and I've dropped a lot of other DC books. The Sinestro Corps War has been great though. I've loved that.

And I agree with you about the X-Men thing. I've liked the X books (except for New X-Men. I just don't care to read that one) for awhile now and they've been pretty good, especially X-Factor. I've liked the fact that they were separate and most of all, that Wolverine wasn't on EVERY team. Bringing them together again seems like a waste to me. The Endangered Species storyline was horrendous and a huge waste of time.

Chew

Gary Frank and whatever inker he was paired with have resulted in a pretty similar style over the last few years. I think this inker overshadowed him a bit in Action and it's not at all what I was hoping for. Still enjoyed the issue though.

boredsilly

I agree that this could go on to be something special. I'm not one who gets all into the extra content of comics (as much as I enjoy walking dead, the letter pages do nothing for me), but the stuff in this issue is really cool. Granted it was the first issue so the team had a lot to say, but I'm curious to see what they do with the back section of the book in the coming issues.

I am a sucker for the idea cryptozoology. I don't actually believe these things exists, but I like to think they do. It's fun. So this book is right up my alley. One issue in and I already like the bigfoot Proof. He's kind of the yin to hellboys yang. And the little cryptoid facts were great fun too. I'm on board.

Rocketdog2000

That's what I was going to say, too. It was the only weak part of an otherwise impressive run on one of DC's best books.

Superboy

This week:

Y: The Last Man #49.

This series just never runs out of surprises.

Giantrobo

John Stewart is filling in for Hal in the JL right? I just noticed I've been seeing John more and I started wonder. Don't get me wrong, it's cool to see John and Black Lightning bringin' the Funk so I'm not complainin'. A couple issues ago John was making fun of BL for cutting off his afro.

EDIT: Ok, I think I remember Hal asking John to fill in for him in one of those GA/BC Wedding special issues....

JLBkret

I have been reading the Countdown weekly series all together and this series is downright horrible. I can safely say this is going to be my LAST weekly series from DC, when this one is done I am going to group them together with 52 and unload them on Ebay, probably for next to nothing. What a waste of money comic books have been lately.

ytrez

I'm reading The Complete Bite Club and find it just okay. I just finished the first half of the book and was disappointed by the ending.

boredsilly

I didn't like 52 or Countdown. 52 was a book of some quality that just didn't fit my needs, but Countdown just seems to be a trainwreck. I have seen barely any positive feedback for the book. However, if the next weekly series (and there will be another) is good, I will gladly read it.

JasonF

I've been reading the 52 trades and I'm enjoying them. I have heard that pretty much everyone except Dan DiDio dislikes Countdown.

Anyone pick up the Black Dossier today?

boredsilly

I keep meaning to, but I just haven't gotten around to reading LoEG yet. One of these days, I'm definitely going to take the plunge. Just another in a long list of titles on my "to read" wish list.

Did anyone here read the Luna Bros. Girls series? They have a new complete HC volume out and I'm thinking about getting it. Is it worth it?

Sessa17

It is sooooo amazing, you should really bump it to the top of your "to read" list. The amount of references & knowledge that Moore puts into the book, is unlike anything that has ever even been attempted before.

The Hardcover is one of the best looking over-sized hardcovers I've ever seen. Just the looks of it made me almost buy it yesterday when I went to pick up my books. However I really didn't like Girls that much. I stopped reading it about half-way through. It starts off pretty good, but went in a really bizarre & boring direction.

However, I've read the first two issues of their new series The Sword & really diggin' it so far. I would suggest picking that up instead.

slop101

I may have given up the floppies, but I sure as shit bought that - it just looks like a big book of Win. But it's been so long since the last League book, that I need to go back and skim the previous books before I dive into this one - now if I could only find them...

Shiv Shankly

I was planning on picking up Black Dossier, but Moore has said in interviews that the Absolute edition is coming next year, with a vinyl record (!) that was supposed to be included in the regular edition along with the other "bonuses" (Tijuana bible and 3-D). So I'm going to wait for that. At this point, what's a few more months?

DataZak

A vinyl record? How many here still have a turntable?

Chew

It came with my DBCS shipment this week. It's been a loooong wait.

Patman

I do! It's a 20+ year old so-so linear tracking turntable.

JasonF

The Tijuana Bible and the 3-D sections are in there. Jess Nevins says that as far as he knows, the album is the only thing missing, though they'll almost certainly add other things (scripts, sketches, etc.) to the Absolute.

I would probably pick up an absolute LoEG that includes all the ABC LoEG stuff, since I only have the two minis in individual issues. But I just don't think I can justify buying three Absolutes.

JLBkret

Anyone read the new Batman And The Outsiders #1 that came out Wednesday? I am a pretty faithful Batman reader but not the Outsiders. I have to say it was pretty darn good! Not sure if I want to add it to my monthly pull list since I am trying to cut down on comics, I am getting ready for the next price hike which I have a feeling will be very soon, probably by the new year. Anyone want to guess what the books will go up to? My guess is going to be $3.25 per book.