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Comics for December 8
Dave's Unspoilt Capsules and Awards
The Week's Picks and Pans, plus Awards of Dubious Merit
Standard Disclaimers: Please set appropriate followups. Recommendation does
not factor in price. Not all books will have arrived in your area this week.
Yay, my last class this semester is over! Rants, Capsules can be found on my
homepage, http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/Rants
First Looks:
Every so often, I will take my PDA and its folding keyboard down to the
comic shop on the weekend and type up reviews of the stuff I read out of the
First Looks pile. Books I end up buying will be moved down to the Capsules
section on Wednesdays. If I don't give it a recommendation, I'm probably not
buying it.
Marvel Team-Up #3: Marvel - Dr. Strange and the FF are teaming up this
time out, so Kirkman's clearly not out to make this an extra Spider-Man title
like the previous incarnation ended up being. This issue's kinda
transitional in nature, and does seem to be treading old ground from eXiles,
but it's a decent read. Recommended. $2.25/$3.25Cn
Capsules:
Short, relatively spoiler-free reviews of books I actually bring home
(as opposed to reading in preview form in the shop or online). If I get a
book late due to distributor foulups or whatever, I'll put it in the Missing
section.
Transformers Energon #30: Dreamwave - Mostly a big brawl between
Megatron and Scorponok. Much more satisfying than their battles in the
cartoon, by an order of magnitude or two. Matere's art could use a little
work in terms of visually carrying the story, but it's okay. Recommended.
$2.95
Rising Stars #23 (of 24): Image - This series started at the end, yet
there were still plenty of things unknown about how the end would be
reached. At first, it feels like the cover gives away the ending, but
thankfully there's more to it. Oh, and the Hunter/Killer preview didn't
really do anything for me. Recommended. $2.99/$4.60Cn
JLA #109: DC - More buildup, as factions get their acts together. Of
course, the cover doesn't say "versus" this time. :) Good buildup, and nice
homage to the first meeting of the two sides. Recommended. $2.25/$3.50Cn
JSA #68: DC - Heh, echoes of a pre-Crisis miniseries that holds a
special place in my memories, although it's a bit more graphic in the
violence. Well told so far, despite a bit of cheap shock value here and
there. Recommended. $2.50/$3.85Cn
She-Hulk #10: Marvel - Interesting reversal of tone here. Slott's been
bringing the Funny pretty consistently in this title, but now he takes
someone who has been played as a joke almost since her first appearance, and
given her depth and a bit of tragedy. And for once, the cover has something
to do with the story inside. :) Recommended. $2.99/$4.25Cn
PS238 #9: Dork Storm - The main story gets a bit too close to camp at
times, but ends well. And the main backup was great. Strongly recommended.
$2.99
Neotopia v4 #4 (of 5): Antarctic Press - Big thick penultimate issue. A
big heavy on the body count...sure, it's the Final Battle, but still. Lovely
to look at, though, and has the ultimate expressions of several of the moral
lessons that have run through the series. Recommended. $2.99/$4.05Cn
Girl Genius #13: Airship Books - The plot thickens, muahahaha! After a
few issues that I think let the humor slide a bit while concentrating on the
plot stuff, the balance is back this issue. Strongly recommended. $3.95
(and slightly oversized pages)
Late Comics Section:
Got a bunch of previously unshipped books this week, so I'm putting them
in their own section.
Amelia Rules #13: Renaissance Press - After the timejump of #12, coming
back to the present is a bit jarring, but it's a good issue other than that.
Recommended. $2.95
Blue Monday Painted Moon #3 (of 4): Oni Press - Some really, really
funny bits, although one of the cruder running gags is a tad overused. And
I've had bowling nights kinda like this one. Strongly recommended.
$2.99/$4.65Cn
Gold Digger Perfect Memory vol 4: Antarctic Press - I haven't had the
time to read this yet (it's a long read), but it's a guidebook. Useful for
getting caught up on things if you're relatively new to the series. It
covers some issues I've read, others I haven't, and background bits on some
groups and people that recur. Recommended. $5.95/$8.05Cn
Gone Missing:
Stuff that came out some places this week and that I wanted to buy, but
couldn't find for whatever reason, so people don't have to email me asking
"Why didn't you review X?" (If it's neither here nor in the section above,
though, feel free to ask, I might have forgotten about it!)
Current list as of 12/8:
Savage Henry Puppet Trap, Savage Henry Powerchords #2-3, Flare #2. Full
Frontal Nerdity didn't come in, but I'm not sure if I even ordered it. And
it looks like MTU #3 was delayed after all.
Awards:
Best Book: tie between PS238 #9 and Girl Genius #13
Best Late Book: Blue Monday Painted Moon #3 (of 4)
"Clash Of Style" Award to Transformers Energon #30
"Megawhoops" Award to Rising Stars #23 (of 24)
"Retcon Rage" Award to JLA #109
"Conviction of Strengths" Award to JSA #68
"Skeeter Madness" Award to She-Hulk #10
"Tampering In God's Domain" Award to PS238 #9
"Ablative Personae" Award to Neotopia v4 #4 (of 5)
"Tied To The Training Track" Award to Girl Genius #13
"The Full Ninja" Award to Amelia Rules #13
"Awwww, But Overhand Is FUN!" Award to Blue Monday Painted Moon #3 (of 4)
"The New Madrid Fault" Award to Gold Digger Perfect Memory vol 4
Dave Van Domelen, "Dupree. When I say the words 'ALIVE AND UNHARMED' - do ANY neurons actually FIRE in that brain of yours?" - Baron Wulfenbach, Girl Genius #13 (which also did a great recycle of an old punch line in a totally new gag near the end of the issue).
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