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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.
Well, the warm snap's over, sigh. Rants, Capsules can be found on my
homepage, http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/Rants
http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/Rants/Best04.html - Best Books of 2004!
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.
The Intimates #3: DC/Wildstorm - While it treads pretty hard on some of
the cliches of "relationship stories", it's steadily getting better overall.
I may end up getting the inevitable trade of the first 6 issues. $2.95/
$4.50Cn (price still in 5 point typeface guaranteed to drive the guy behind
the counter nuts)
Phoenix Endsong #1 (of 5): Marvel - There's always an element of
graverobbing in any story that brings back dead comicbook charaters, but
rarely is it so literal as in this story. I think it's in-continuity, but I
don't have a whole lot of reference for x-continuity these days. :) Pak's
story is pretty good, if sometimes hard to follow for someone not up to date
on all the X-books. Land's art is, well, typical of his work. $2.99/$4.25Cn
New Avengers #2: Marvel - There's some controversy online about a
certain character's mask coming off in this book (no, I won't say who), but
given the circumstances Bendis set up, it's not really something the characer
could have avoided. That said, I'm not too keen on the circumstances
themselves, or the frequent "But isn't he/she dead?" reactions Bendis's
choice of "guest stars" led to. Oh, it's not a horrible abomination that
spits on the name "Avengers" by any means. But neither is it something I'm
tempted to buy. $2.25/$3.25Cn
Captain America #2: Marvel - Methinks the lady doth protest too much.
But on both sides of the pivotal issue, which is good in one way, at least.
Mildly recommended. $2.99/$4.25Cn
Fanastic Four: Foes #1 (of 6): Marvel - Heh. Cute easter egg WAcom
stylus appearance. More "Isn't he dead/reformed?" stuff, which I suppose is
inevitable these days, especially if an artist is simply told to draw a crowd
scene. OTOH, experience tells me Kirkman's more likely to deliver a story
I'll enjoy despite thise problems than, say, Bendis. Mildly recommended for
now, $2.99/$4.25.
Incredible Hulk #77: Marvel - Peter David is back, in what was
originally going to be a miniseries. Now it could turn into a regular run
again if sales are good. Lee Weeks does the art, and while I'm used to
seeing multiple inkers or colorists, this one has three assistant editors.
Heh. Anyway, this arc is called Tempest Fugit, and at least at the moment it
seems to be another dive into Banner's life before the Gamma Bomb made the
Hulk real. So far, so good, plus lovely monster fun. Recommended.
$2.99/$4.25Cn
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.
Midtown's list has for me the following: Flaming Carrot #1, Alpha Flight
v3 #11, Captain America v5 #2, Fantastic Four Foes #1, Incredible Hulk #77,
Gold Digger v3 #59.
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 12/29:
Savage Henry Puppet Trap, Savage Henry Powerchords #2, Flare #2,
Serenity Rose #5, OHOTMU Golden Age, Invader Zim action figures.
Awards:
Best Book: Pending
Dave Van Domelen, "That wasn't no firefly." - Wolverine, master of the obvious, Phoenix #1
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