Top 5 Comics (04-24-13)

It's a  birthday edition of Top 5 Comics. No, none of the comics birthdays... well I guess one of them, since it's their first issue today, but I'm not talking about that. It's my birthday, so tomorrow we will have a birthday geek gift recap post before I head up to Calgary for Calgary Expo this year. Anyways enough with this pre-talk lets get to some comics.

5. Jupiter's Legacy #1 (Image comics): I actually don't know much about this title beside its creative team, but that alone is some that has sold on this, Mark Millar and Frank Quitely. For those of us who are long time comic fan, or even short time comic fans those are going to be two names we know. For me it was Quitely on Earth 2, and Millar on Superman: Red Son. Those were two of the first trades I ever picked up, and how many others have started with books like All Star Superman or Kick Ass? So let's hope that this title can live up to the legacy of its creative team, because I know right now I have high hopes for this book.

4. New Avengers #5 (Marvel Comics): This issue is supposed to focus on the character Black Swan, you may remember she's the other dimensional being that came through & kind started this story rolling. So getting some back story for this character would be pretty interesting. I'm just down for pretty much whatever Hickman will through at us too.

3. Batman Incorporated #10 (DC Comics): This series is just one of my favourite series in comics right now, and that we are getting to see the return of a post New 52 character that has been missing. As well with the gatefold cover reveled of Man or Bat who will survive? What does this all mean for the captured Jason Todd?

2. Avengers #10 (Marvel Comics): The Avengers come to Canada. This is a big deal to me, some of my long time followers over on twitter may know that I am advocate for international characters/stories/events/other things in comics as I am also an international reader. I have been quite critical of DC for it's constant xenocentrism towards the United States of America, and it seems that their answer as of late has been to add England into the mix of countries they can go. That's great for them, I look over at Marvel and see what Johnathan Hickman is doing with Avengers & can't help but be happy to see an global team taking on global issues. You have a real world feel, you have them going to real places, and this time they happen to be coming to my neck of the woods. I'm excited for this. It will be good to see Omega Flight in action, maybe the Avengers will recruit a member. who knows.

1. Young Avengers #4 (Marvel Comics): Hawkeye (Kate Bishop) and Marvel Boy return to Earth. This was my most anticipated Marvel NOW title, and now only four issues in I have to say I am not disappointed. Kieron Gillen has just knocked it out of the park, and is able to fully capture what it would seem to be like to be a teen super hero in this world. This is a must read title if you haven't been so far.

Top 5 Comics (04-03-13)

It's the beginning of April and so lets try to start again with the blog, and with a new attempt at we go forward with Top 5 Comics. So lets look forward to this weeks books.

5. Age of Ultron #4 (Marvel): I haven't had a chance to speak on this highly anticipated event, and now that it's here I really haven't had much of a chance to read much of it besides the first issue. I'm curious to see what this event will mean for the Marvel universe (if anything, besides for the already spoiled final issue appearance of a certain creator and his creator owned character from the Spawn universe). Anyways, much like the results of an important test, we will just have to wait and see how this turns out.

4.Swamp Thing #19 (DC Comics): Rot World has come to an end and so has Scott Snyder's time on this title, and so with issue 19 we welcome Charles Soule as writer and Kano on art as the new Swamp Thing creative team. With this we will see a direction away from the tight crossover lead story from before (not that that wasn't good), but a new era that will hopefully shine as bright as the past 18 plus annual issues of this title.

3. Action Comics #19 (DC Comics): With this issue we welcome on the creative team of Andy Diggle & Tony S. Daniels start their run on the title, Diggle has already stepped off title I'm sure this should still be a good read. I'm a big fan of Andy Diggle, and if you enjoy this title make sure to check out his other title out this week Snapshot. Daniels will finish the story out, & personally I've enjoyed his writing work on the Batman title prior to the New 52 relaunch, I just hope that DC can find a steady creative team for Action Comics after this & not take a year like it did with Superman.

2. Thanos Rising #1 (Marvel): Marvel's Thanos based mini-series by the great writer Jason Aaron is here to remind us of who the hell that purple dude was at the end of The Avengersmovie in case forgot about him from last summers blockbuster. This is Aaron' s take on the death courting Thanos' origin, and from early reviews of it I hear it comes down to him really just needing a hug. Come on people of Titan, get it together and give Thanos a hug.

1. Earth 2 #11 (DC Comics): *SPOILER ALERT* I'm talking about what's on the other side of the WTF cover, and inside the book. Only reason this book makes it to number one is that. So you are warned.

MOTHER FUCKING MISTER MIRACLE AND BIG BARDA SHOW UP IN THIS ISSUE!!!!!!

Top 5 Comics (01-02-13)

It's a new year with some new comics. So lets stop with this chatter and head on to the comics list.

5. Adventure Time: Fiona & Cake #1 (kaboom): This is the first time I've had a Kaboom title on the list, but this one has the potential to be great. I've started recently reading the regular Adventure Time title, and it has been great. I'm looking forward to this gender swap mini series.

4. Iron Man #5 (Marvel):  This has been one of my favourite series to come out of the Marvel NOW relaunch. This is building up to the conclusion of the Extremis story that has been building the bones for future stories, and I'm looking forward to the way this will lead into Tony Stark (Iron Man) being in the Guardians of the Galaxy.

3. The Manhattan Project #8 (Image): If you're not new to the blog you know I have a soft spot of this series, and the writer of it. I look forward to every issue of this title as it comes out. I'm just going to say this again READ THIS BOOK!

2. Batman Incorporated #6 (DC Comics): Like I really have to talk about this series. Come one it's the build up to Grant Morrison's cross title spanning series. I can't wait to see how this story plays out, and with the amazing art it's a title that can't be beat.

1. New Avengers #1 (Marvel): Johnathan Hickman taking on the Marvel universes Illuminati and them taking on the macro problems that face Earth. As well it is Hickman taking on characters I absolutely love, and other that I've fallen for while reading his other works. Lastly Black Panther is one of the freaking stars of this series, and it appears to have heavy focus on him.

Top 5 Comics (October 10, 2012)

NOW is the time for us to Marvel at this weeks Top 5 Comics! Okay bad puns aside this week is the start of Marvel NOW, and yes that first title is on this weeks list. Now lets get to it, yo! (That was weird).

5. Red She-Hulk #58 (Marvel Comics): Stemming out of the Hulk title that starred Red Hulk from issue 1, we now see his daughter the Red She-Hulk take over the title. It is also good to see another female lead title at Marvel, and I really hope that this title gets the support it deserves.

4. Batman #13 (DC Comics): It's the start of the Death of the Family event. Scott Snyder's second story arc in The New 52 Batman universe, which sounds interesting. The Joker is back and he is out for blood. The only problem I have with this event is that I think it's getting a little tiring to have every story in the Batman title cross over with all the other Bat-Family books. Making you buy 11-12 books just to get the complete story might seem like a great business idea, but for the average consumer it could really drive them off. In fact it has caused me to consider dropping all the Bat books.

3. Creator Owned Heroes #5 (Image Comics): Always a must buy for me. The comic magazine from Image Comics is just a wonderful piece of insight into creators that I really enjoy. Tie-in to great comics into it and you have a monthly must read for me.

2. Fantastic Four #611 (Marvel Comics): DOOM IS GOD! This is the final issue of Hickman's run on Fantastic Four, and with it we see him wrapping up loose end as we see what happens with Doctor Doom stuck in the council chamber of the Reed's. What happens when Doom has the power to create a universe, and what happens when that universe is made in the image of Doom? Find out here, and look out for what is planned at the end.

1. Uncanny Avengers #1 (Marvel Comics): Marvel NOW! begins here, and what a beginning. Opening up with lobotomy, suicide terrorism, prisoner of war Scott Summers, and the Red Skull. This looks to be an interesting series, and I plan to continue reading this for the long haul.

Thursday Comics: Justice League

Justice League #1

Warning this review contains spoilers for the first issue of Justice League by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee

First off I want to say that only 4/7 of the characters on the cover show up at all in this first issue, and I have a problem with that since in the 80’s we could have a half a book story in Secret Origin and we would get the back story on all the characters and why they needed to come together in the first place. Anyways so yes in this issue we are privy to see Batman, Green Lantern, Vic Stone (eventually Cyborg), and the Man of Steel himself Superman. As we saw in the six-page preview two months ago the world, or just Gotham, isn’t to friendly to the whole vigilante super hero thing with the police hunting down Batman and the thing he is chasing. The beast Batman is chasing looks to me like some kind of strange robot/Parademon/Doomsday hybrid. Then out comes Green Lantern to help out old Bats, but Batman doesn’t care for how bright Green Lantern is. At this point the beast shots some sort of laser blast at the two heroes, but misses them and hits the police helicopter instead. To be the hero Green Lantern catches the crashing helicopters with bats, have to say I would preferred to have seen him use a catchers glove instead. This is where we find out that old robo-para-doomsday can shape shift, as he does so to run away. The creature escapes underground and our heroes are quick to follow. By this point we are made fully aware of how cocky and arrogant Green Lantern is, with his attitude of “I can do everything and you can do nothing because you are just a puny man dressed as a bat. Nothing makes you special.” The batman spots the creature and that’s when it sets of some ort of device, Green Lantern protects the two heroes as the creature cries out “FOR DARKSEID”. Green Lantern mistakes it as “Dark Side”. The two heroes check out the device after all the smoke and fire subside, Green Lantern scans it with his ring and guess what its unable to identify the strange thing, well Batman thinks it could be some sort of alien computer (possibly and exploding Mother Box). So since Batman and Green Lantern both agree that the device is alien they decide to be xenophobic and question the only known alien on the planet. Cut to a football game where star athlete Vic Stone scores a touchdown, but that means nothing to him since the person who he had a reserved seat for did. In the coaches office scouts offer anything they can to get Vic, but the coach wont let any of them talk with Vic till his dad is there, unfortunately for Vic daddy is a busy man. A green light construct of a fighter jet fly’s overhead, and everyone is excited to see”…one of them!” even if its not Superman. This also where we find out that Vic’s dad studies super-humans. Now if I were abetting man I would be putting money down on Vic’s life being drastically changed after this. Batman and Green Lantern land at a Lexcorp demolition zone where Superman is supposed to be according to the ring. Batman grumbles about how they should have been stealthy in their approach instead of taking “a glowing green jet”. Green Lantern has still got the cocky attitude that he can handle anything, so he locks Batman in a construct and faces off against Superman all by himself. Turn the page and Superman is knocking Green Lantern out, and with the three dialogue balloons I get an attitude of arrogance from Superman that I don’t care for, hopefully Grant Morrison can fix that. After that we get a couple of pages of concept art from the designing stage of the title.

As much as I have my problems with this issue I still enjoyed it. There’s not a lot of meat to this first issue, but it’s paving the groundwork for this new universe to take shape. I don’t think they should have reveled that the big bad was Darkseid, because now the suspense of who is behind all this is gone. One more problem I have with the Darkseid story plot was that all through SDCC we kept hearing that the New Gods were going to be Earth-51 and that we would see them in Multiversity, but here we are in Justice League getting a New God, or is it that Darkseid isn’t a New God anymore or is this “Darkseid” something completely different? The final thing I have to say is that I still feel Geoff Johns can’t write Batman anywhere near as good as we have some to expect thanks to writers like Grant Morrison and Scott Snyder, Johns still seems trapped in writing Batman as “I’m dark, brooding, and angry… FEAR ME!!!” and we all know that Batman doesn’t have to be like that anymore. Sadly the personality traits Johns gives Batman lead me to believe that he still thinks of Batman as the paranoid crazy person that dresses up as a bat and has plans to take down everyone in the universe because he can’t trust them.

The next issue is Batman vs. Superman out in store on October 19, 2011. I hope you all enjoy this first month of the reboots.

Review written by Justin Gyorfi