funnybook of the week: May 29th, 2013

A short week means I'm this much closer to being caught up. I may even have some rankings for June before June is over!

5 - X-Men #1 (last issue - n/a)

I really want to like a book with this cast, but I don’t know that there’s room on my pull list for a book where characters are unironically saying “OMG” on multiple panels. Furthermore, the evil baby that can posess machines plotline isn’t doing much for me either. So sadly, this one’s a pass.

4 - Captain America #7 (last issue - 3 out of 8 books)

I never quite appreciate stories where someone who’s been raised as a sociopath starts taking on traits (such as empathy) that a sociopath just wouldn’t display. So it is with all of Jet’s decisions in this issue. And that puts an unfair pall over the rest of what should be the extraordinary issue where Captain America swears that he will not be absent for his son the way he’s been absent for so many, nor give into the situation he’s in the way his father before him did.

This should have been a character-defining issue, but instead I’m hung up on the inexplicable actions of a secondary character.

3 - Uncanny X-Force #5 (last issue - 7 out of 8 books)

It says something about Humphries’ ability as a writer that we had to endure one of those mindscape journeys that artists must love but I just don’t care too much for and I still want to know what happens next. As we recover a Bishop that somewhat resembles the once-popular X-Man, and see the team dynamic form, there’s a lot of good character work backgrounding a so-so story.

The final piece of the puzzle is Fantomex, which has finally found their way into the thick of things at a very inconvenient time. Still on the hook.

2 - Avenging Spider-Man #21 (last issue - 5 out of 8 books)

Yost’s long form story in this title is possibly the most intriguing thing going on in Marvel Comics right now. We got the first window into what Octer-Man actually has in this issue as he claims the Chameleon is “my responsibility.” It’s a nice touch without tipping too much of his hand.

The rest of the story, a cantankerous Spider-Man having his plans ruined and cursing the Parker Luck for the interference, was just a good time. Hulks coming and going, banter being exchanged, and one massively unamused Otto in the center of it all. This was just a joy.

1 - Morning Glories #27 (last issue - 3 out of 8 books)

Here’s where we are now: there’s a lot of strange and unexplained pieces of the puzzle, which now absolutely involves time travel. At least two students are in the “present” while the rest are returned to another present or at least not-so-distant future unscathed...and I just don’t care.

Not in the bad “I don’t care about this story” sense, but in the good “I don’t care where the plot is because the characters just make sense” sense. Every character, regardless of whether I understand where/when they are, comes off as more compelling than in the issue before. And that’s real storytelling.

None of these characters are more properly fleshed out than Casey, who may not yet be a fully realized dynamo in the story, but we get why she’s doing the things she’s doing in the places she’s doing them...and all of that means so much more than the puzzle of whats and whens that’s going on, even if that’s a fascinating puzzle.

funnybook of the week: May 22nd, 2013

One of those weeks where, with one exception, everything was so good that it’s hard to swallow that something had to come in 2nd place, let alone 8th...

9 - Green Team #1 (last issue - n/a)

I sincerely wanted to like the story of a few rich kids who super hero up to do some good in the world, but I’m not sure that this is the story I thought it would be. Or at least, they seem to be taking the long way to get there. The truth is, we don’t know what the motivations of our teen heroes are because only one of them seems to be into it, and his motivations are either nebulous or dubious. 

Our point-of-view entry character is lost and either trying to do right by his father or prove him wrong, but again, it’s hard to say. This one’s not going to say on the list.

8 - Uncanny Avengers #8AU (last issue - 1 out of 8 books)

Convenient, I’d say, that we have a story with a time traveling Kang running parallel to an event story about timestreams in “Age of Ultron.” Kang gets to use the weird world created by Wolverine’s slaying of the good Doctor Pym as an object lesson for the children of Apocalypse, as this tie-in actually holds closer to its parent title than any other one yet.

We see what the Apocalypse Twins are being told and how they’re digesting it, and we get a few expendable alternate time line characters, to boot. This is the best indication yet that we’ll be returned to our regular continuity virtually unscathed when it’s all said and done.

7 - Daredevil #26 (last issue - 1 out of 8 books)

The problem with Big Reveal issues is that the Big Reveal is rarely a surprise and even more rarely what you were hoping for. In this case, I was specifically hoping for “not [spoiler]” and lo and behold [spoiler] it was! So it’s immensely difficult to have a good attitude about the story as a whole based on that.

All that out of the way, I did appreciate Waid showing that Matt is freaking out and using all of the tools in the toy box to do so, where the visualization of his powers are concerned. It’s a nice touch, and an even nicer one when you find that it’s Foggy - the beleaguered and cancer-ridden friend - who finds Matt’s focus.

The extra story at the end was a nice explanation of why we love our comics (see: Man, Super and his creation) but was a little too saccharine for my taste as well.

6 - Powers Bureau #4 (last issue - 8 out of 13 books)

The phrase “vaguely badass” gets repeated in this book, and it’s a pretty fair assessment of the issue in general. A lot of cool “what you didn’t see” last issue sleight of hand kicks things off on the way to an old-fashioned undercover story with a lot of the conventional tropes and a psychic thrown in for good measure.

There were a few weird storytelling beats where a few points had to be sought out rather than read as the narrative, though, and I’m not entirely sure where to pin the blame. Still entertaining, but definitely off somehow.

5 - Ten Grand #1 (last issue - n/a)

The story of Joe, who has a complicated job with complicated folks. He’s given a pretty solidly stable noir background, given a heaven vs. hell twist that always seems to rope me in, and set in motion to go after a man he’s already killed.  We have a solid setup, and a nice tone that plays right into Ben Templesmith’s style. It’s a strong foothold into the world the story will take place in and a nice diving board for the story itself, we’ll have to see where it goes from here.

4 - Superior Spider-Man #10 (last issue - 5 out of 6 books)

First the good. And there’s plenty of it. Otto catching a love interest, Aunt May beaming with so much pride in her nephew’s seeming accomplishments she doesn’t see what’s happening right in front of her (very clever, Mr. Slott), and the inevitable use of the Spider-Man’s bullying against him by someone who would want him taken down a few pegs. It’s all wonderful and engaging storytelling.

So then there’s the bad: that people keep mentioning that Spider-Man is not all that good a guy. By mentioning that this guy isn’t Peter Parker and therefore isn’t Spider-Man, you don’t let us accept this new Spider-Man. Which is fine, but you just left a story where we - as readers - are supposed to be at least doubtful of Peter Parker’s return even if we - as fans and/or comic book folk - know it’s coming one way or another at some time or another.

Then again, all I do is complain about how this isn’t sustainable while at the same time enjoying almost everything about it except the shadow of what must be, so maybe I’ll just shut up and enjoy the next issue. Maybe.

3 - Sixth Gun #31 Sixth Gun (last issue - 5 out of 8 books)

We’re seeing more and more of what Drake may or may not have done in a past life and what those weapons may or may not have been as Becky’s walk through the spirit world invites us to reread a few of the more cryptic moments in the series thus far. It’s fine storytelling.

At the same time, there’s a strong emotional core as the idea of what my happen to Becky and -secondarily- the titular sixth gun consumes the guy who we were led to believe was always kind of a sumbitch. Still can’t say enough nice things about this title, which gets a genre infusion next issue, it would seem.

2 - Wolverine & the X-Men #30 (last issue - n/a)

And we’re back! Back from the Savage Land! Back from dealing with Wolverine’s convoluted past! And this title is suddenly everything it once was in one fell swoop. Everyone jumping into the fire to help someone else, all for deeply personal reasons. This is the character-driven series (rather than continuity and nonsense-driven series that the Savage Land and circus stories let it drift into) that I loved. I can’t wait for the Hellfire Saga proper.

1 - Young Avengers #5 (last issue - 1 out of 8 books)

There’s something about Gillen’s work here that really makes you want to stand and applaud at the concluding chapters. The cheeky bastard (with no small assist from McKelvie) just tricked me into enjoying a “getting the band together” story more than I think I ever have before. Now, that could be damning with faint praise, but really, it’s not.

The opening with Loki and his own Ghost of Peter Parker (only not) was a wonderful explanation of our new Loki’s motivations as well as a nice counter-weight to Ikol from Gillen’s JiM run. Wiccan’s guilt and Hulkling’s stabilizing presence were a sweet touch. Kate’s insistence on being a hero and Marvel Boy’s insistence on hot make outs were light and still driving. Miss America Chavez’ rough edge and mistrust of Loki pull the whole thing together and it all happened in such a nice little package that there’s nothing to dislike.

Not to mention the end was a perfect bow on the first story. Well done.

funnybook of the week: May 15th, 2013

Age of Ultron is really starting to fall down on the whole "getting the job done" thing. The conclusion to this story better be fantastic...

5 - Age of Ultron #8 (last issue - 6 out of 6 books)
In a world without Hank Pym, things haven’t ended. But no one trusts each other and Tony Stark lives in a daily fear of Morgana LeFay. A few characters’ questions about Sue and Logan arriving in this timeline were notable, but this was still a messy mish-mash of House of M and Secret Invasion that isn’t working for me.

4 - Fatale #14 (last issue - 7 out of 13 books)
I had been kind of dreading the inevitable one of these one-off issues that brought Josephine to World War II. I have nazi fatigue on top of nazi fatigue when it comes to comics, but this did a fine job of putting all of that noise as a backdrop more than making it central to what was going on.

This was still about Josephine’s long, tragic, violent, and sex-filled history. We actually learn a great deal without giving anything away we hadn’t already put together ourselves as readers in this issue. The depth of character is missing, as this one is almost entirely narration, but this was still an excellent comic. Even with the nazis.

3 - Think Tank #7 (last issue - 9 out of 13 books)
The last two-thirds of this book were fantastic. Strong character work, decisions that had consequences, and a villain that is completely and totally firm in her convictions that she’s in the right. That’s storytelling.

The opening third, devoted to an elaborate drone strike, seemed too much like a book that was reveling in how smart it is. To be fair, it is very smart, but I’m far more interested in the characters’ journeys than I am in the myriad of ways that exist to kill people. Especially when a classic way can turn this story so hard and so suddenly.

2 - Iron Man #10 (last issue - 3 out of 6 books)The temptation here would be to devote the whole issue to the big heist scheme, but Gillen smartly skips from the recruiting (showing off how many of the old school Marvel U’s residents it took to make Tony Stark happen) right to the big twist ending so we can get to the next issue’s what now that we’ve established the troubling how.

The requisite wit from Gilen was placed in the story, but what most fascinated me was the commitment to the grey area (ha! I didn’t even mean to do that!) our robot friend/fiend is operating in, which I’m sure will be well-extrapolated from here.

1 - Avengers: The Enemy Within #1 (Captain Marvel #12 - 4 out of 8 books)
Carol Danvers is having a day so bad she may as well be Daredevil. People are plotting behind her to make her crazy, she’s having such a hard time holding it together that silly villains from the past can throw her out of the “no fly” mindset, and her friends are having a hard time finding the right way to help her.

I really do appreciate what Kelly Sue DeConnick does with Carol, showing the genuine love and friendship between her and Spider-Woman in this case. You almost feel like you’re sitting with them, also making bad jokes to try to distract from the worst of reality.

I’m still not sure I care for the villain, but we’re cooking a helluva plot here.

funnybook of the week: May 8th, 2013

There have been some below-par weeks lately, but this week saw even the last place book do a ton of things right. And the first place book? Well, yikes it was good.

8 - Avengers Assemble #15AU (Avengers Assemble #14AU - 4 out of 11 books)

This is my least favorite type of tie-in, where what should be major development for the central conflict hits a dramatic ending and not once in the main series (especially this one because of where it is) will no one say “Well, thank goodness all that stuff in England went down that was quite beneficial to the British people and our cause.”

I’m going to be a hard sell on anything with Captain Britain. Sorry, just how it is. Add a character called Computer Graham and more sacrifice already rendered meaningless by the crossover, and this really didn’t have the punch that it could have or should have.

All that said, this was still a very solid self-contained story that you needn’t be a fan of the Age of Ultron, Avengers Assemble, Captain Marvel, or wherever Captain Britain hangs out these days in order to appreciate. The characters were well-established and the story unfolded nicely. But it’s hard not to be extra cynical about these event tie-ins.

7 - Uncanny X-Force #4 (last issue - 6 out of 7 books)

As the team grows together, the book seems to pick up a real sense of purpose. Betsy’s confrontation, short though it is when she finally gets it, with Spiral is probably the highlight here, but Puck provides enough laugh lines and Storm enough central heart for the team to work as a whole now that it’s nearing just that.

I’m not sure how much I’m going to like another psychic big bad, but I am curious enough to see how the Fantomex trio works back into this when they finally do come crashing in.

6 - Secret Avengers #4 (last issue - 3 out of 11 books)

Eventually, we’re going to have to see Daisy, Maria, Nick Jr., and Coulson to do some character development. As is kept bringing up over and over again, our super heroes won’t be able to remember and thusly not grow. Now that the gripe session is over, let’s talk about what a clever and outstanding book this is.

The global political beats here have domestically political implications. Drone strikes, confirmations being held up, and he like? Nick Spencer is a political animal, and he clearly enjoys slipping sly things like that in even as we

5 - Avenging Spider-Man #20 (last issue - 9 out of 11 books)

Otto’s Sinister Six reunion tour gets complicated when he tries to break into a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier in order to break the Chameleon out of a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier. There’s some not-so-subtle plugging for Secret Avengers, but that’s been a strong enough title that I don’t mind it one bit, and it made for a few fun bits.

This is our first real glimpse Otto unleashed. We’re not dealing with any moral qualms, he readily identifies himself as the threat here and cockily deals with the crew of the helicarrier in a most Otto-like manor. Good stuff, but it does resurrect my initial worries that Otto isn’t likable enough to anchor the Spider-Man franchise. That remains to be seen, though.

4 - Supurbia #7 (last issue - 8 out of 11 books)

Here we go. This issue was a little more building action as opposed to strictly soap opera. Not that the soap opera aspect wasn’t there (oh, it is...and involves a super-smooth move) or isn’t part of why I pick this comic up to begin with (it is), but it just reads so much better when the super hero aspect is more than costumes and aliens.

It comes in huge in a number of places, and all of it feeds into the soap opera instead of taking place in spite of it. This is probably Randolph’s strongest issue of Supurbia since the ongoing series launched.

3 - Suicide Squad #20 (last issue - n/a)

Ales Kot has a reputation, and I still love the concept of the Suicide Squad even if I didn’t totally love the direction and hated the character redesigns in this New 52 version of the team. 

Can’t do anything about the character designs, but the new direction seems promising.

I decided to treat this as an issue 1 in reading, leaving whatever I learned in the 7 issues of this volume I did read to whatever ether. This was a nice introduction to who the team, what each member does well, and at least a small peek into what makes them tick. Anytime a writer can give Harley a little credit and a lot of agency, you have a strong start and Kot’s take on Deadshot and the vice grip he’s in were dastardly and wonderful.

The nice twist and reveal of the newest team member on the last page was a nice final hook to sink into me. I’m definitely on board with this version of Suicide Squad, and the new direction is certainly the shot in the arm the series needed.

2 - Thor: God of Thunder #8 (last issue - 2 out of 11 books)

I know I said this last month, but who needs a supporting cast when you can have Thor literally be his own supporting cast. Each version of Thor talking down to a younger one until the youngest has no recourse but to talk back to the eldest, leading to a request for more ale. Thors love ale, by the way.

The legitimate gripe with gods and religion is still at the heart of it, and I’m glad that - even in passing - the gripe is mentioned as having gotten to at least one Thor. This is the big build issue, which normally feels like a deep breath rather than a stand-out issue on it’s own, but it really did amp things up considerably.

And I dare you not to get all geeked up over the last page. I. Dare. You.

1 - Uncanny Avengers #8 (last issue - 4 out of 8 books)

The bickering I complained about in the last issue finally serves a use, and returns in a much more palatable form in this issue as well. Everyone’s been keeping secrets (everyone being Shiro, Wolverine, and Thor), and those secrets are each coming home to roost.

This, fittingly enough given how much its taking from that run, is an issue that feels like an issue of Remender’s Uncanny X-Force. Where the characters are all having quiet, personal moments amid an epic-scale story. Yet in spite of so much personal history driving each of the characters individually, and such a huge Grant Morrison-like scale to the story, the moments themselves are so accessible and easily pulled in without any clumsy exposition.

This issue is what I wanted this title to be. Avengers and X-Men against a foe that could ruin them if they don’t get it together.

funnybook of the week: May 1, 2013

From the ashes of last week’s carnage, come some new titles to the list, all of which look like keepers. But it’s Bendis’ revenge that gets the top slot. Of course, he also has the bottom slot. It's a Bendis sandwich!

6 - Age of Ultron #7 (last issue - 7 out of 8 books)

“We messed up time and now everything is different”

“Hey, Skrulls.”

“No, we’re not Skrulls, we’re time displaced good guys”

“We have no choice but to have a misunderstanding fight.”

Yawn.

5 - Superior Spider-Man #9 (Superior Spider-Man #8 - 2 out of 8 books)

The thing is, I generally hate these little mindscape battles in comics. Probably my least favorite thing that happens in a comic book outside of a new Summers being introduced. This one was better than most, but that little pet peeve of mine kept me from enjoying it to it's fullest. The whole thing though, was Slott showing how well he knows Peter Parker. 

His strength is his family and the people who love him, his weakness is his crippling sense of guilt. I kind of love the hypothesis that Slott put out there that one of these is the overriding force that drives Peter. Hopefully, the freedom that the last page promises is a status quo free from “when will it happen?” that allows us to enjoy what comes next for as long as it lasts.

All that said, it was still a mindscape battle.

4 - The Movement #1 (last issue - n/a)

Interesting start for this series. I didn’t know a ton about this series going in other than Gail Simone’s name (enough to get me in the door for just about any series) and DC’s cute “99%” marketing campaign. We’re first introduced to corrupt officials (cops, of course) before we meet the The Movement. It’s a nice reveal, and they’re immediately set up as against these corrupt cops.

In a nice twist, though, Simone makes sure we know that it’s not all bad with the Coral City police, and that there’s a strong chance that perhaps some of this anger from the youth of The Movement is misguided. All of the background work in place, we get a quick roll call for the group in an action sequence that shows the full difference between “The Movement’s way” of dealing with a threat and “their way.”

If not for the clunky cliché at the start, this could have made a real press for book of the week on its debut.

3 - Iron Man #9 (last issue - n/a)

Gillen. Secret origin story. Tony Stark. DEATH’S HEAD. And Greg Land is not doing the art (no offense, but his art -tracing allegations aside- always strikes me as too finished and I can never tell his women apart from one another). There’s nothing not to like.

We’re introduced to Tony’s Status as a Guardian of the Galaxy, and his intergalactic hunt for a devious robot (not Unit, but there are some similarities - so I’m pumped). This whole thing, with the brilliant interactions between Tony and Death’s Head, turns out to just be an elaborate setup for Gillen to give us the secret origin story. But it was a fun frame.

2 - Suicide Risk #1 (last issue - n/a)

There are some great ideas on the table. Immediately Carey gives us a lens to view this through. Someone to feel for, root for, and travel this new world with. I know this is basic storytelling 101, but it’s been absent in so many comics lately that it feels like a big, fresh deal.

We have a cop in a world where super powers are for sale, which means that it isn’t impossibly noble people accidentally getting power, but people actively seeking superhuman abilities...with all of the corruptions that can come with that. We’re introduced to the idea that even those with good intentions never stay on the side of angles for long. So we have an overmatched police force, and an incident that’s going to take our totally lovable and relatable hero down a dark path in the name of doing the right thing.

Solid, wonderful start.

1 - All-New X-Men #11 (last issue - 6 out of 7 books)

Here’s a thing. While there’s definitely some villany in the background with a long fuse (Mystique’s plan is genuinely interesting, if slow to develop), this book is selling the internal drama of the time-displaced X-Men so well that it hardly matters. It’s not so much Warren’s decision to leave, as his justification of it (and why it should be a complement for Young Scott). Mostly, though, it’s Kitty Pryde.

Kitty’s mentorship of the young X-Men, especially Jean Grey (who, in her young form, fails to impress people who should know better) is just touching and wonderful (“I think I’m going to hug you now.”). And that’s the real heart of this book, something that it’s companion title in Uncanny lacks.

funnybook of the week: April 24th, 2013

I still can't quite understand how these bloodletting weeks happen, but here's one, come to claim three titles. Two of them by a guy who probably has more writing credits in the winner's circle than anyone else.

8 - Helheim #2 (last issue - 7 out of 11 books)

Nope, this isn’t going to work out. Again, there’s just no character to rally around and experience all of the wizardry through, so it just seems like witches and vikings and magic and then something else happens without the core of it to make you care.

Bunn is capable of delivering that, see The Sixth Gun for a book with tons of likeable characters, but it isn’t happening in this book.

7 - Uncanny X-Men #5 (last issue - 10 out of 11 books)

I’m just not making any connection to the characters here. Magik is too petulant to carry the title, Cyclops to “self-congratulatory” (seriously, his own book is explaining why I don’t like him), Emma too pushed aside, Magneto too fluid in his loyalties and motivations, and the new kids too undeveloped. There’s just no anchor. The closest thing to a relatable character in this book is Angel, and he just came over from the book that has been working for me. Maybe I’ll drop this for a few issues and come back when the opportunity presents itself.

6 - Rachel Rising #16 (last issue - 1 out of 13 books)

This is a little bit of a backstep, as the gang around the table puts together things that we already know and some witches do some chanting that seems to point to Lilith being “that Lilith” and our disturbing child gets more disturbing but this time there’s a priest involved, too.

Part of a whole, but as an issue this lacked any real punch.

5 - Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #22 (last issue - 7 out of 8 books)

There’s a whole lot right with the emotional core of this book. Peter Parker’s friends watching Miles’ attempts to fill the shoes of Spider-Man and find one big, horrible failing that was out of the poor kid’s control should be a story I love reading.

Maria Hill acknowledging that the kid has the best chance to save his dad and giving him basic permission to go do something about it should have been a great moment.

Still, something is off with this issue and this story, and I think it comes down to the actual super heroics. I’m bored by venom blast after venom blast, and I’m frustrated by the lack of depth revealed in our villain. I think it’s once again time to put the Ultimate Universe to bed.

4 - Uncanny Avengers #7 (last issue - 5 out of 11 books)

This is backwards. The Apocalypse Twins, the Celestial assassination, the acquisition of a death seed...all of this stuff is the kind of thing that I find gets in the way of storytelling, but Remender has made it more fascinating than fascinating by making it the story instead of the detail to the story - if that makes any sense.

On the other hand, the internal team strife, the kind of character work that I usually cling to when stories like this get so big and sprawling, is just not doing a thing for me. Rogue is coming off like a spurned teenager and Wanda isn’t coming off any better. The rest of the team’s inability to deal with it is equally annoying when it should be frustrating.

But man, the bigger story is just fantastic.

3 - Morning Glories #26 (last issue - n/a)

One issue into “Season 2,” and I’ve got to be honest, my fears have come to fruition: this book is going to be a real chore to read an issue at a time. So much cross-referencing to do with past issues, so many beats repeating and so you can appreciate them from a different angle. And yet...

I’ll be getting the next issue. I’ll get it and read it because Nick Spencer has dropped Casey in an interesting situation with an interesting look in an interesting time. We know Casey has been sent on a mission, but we don’t yet know what it is. It’s all time travel and strangeness but, at the heart of it, a scared girl trying to do something.

And I’m going to keep buying this comic until I figure out what.

2 - Guardians of the Galaxy #2 (last issue - 6 out of 13 books)

Two Bendis titles dropped, and this seems to be where he’s doing all the things I want. Little character beats within an exciting story where the villain hits close to home but is also devious and clever. Star Lord’s team’s chemistry is magnificent, Rocket Racoon might be a new favorite character for me, and the fate of Groot is something I care about one issue after being introduced.

This is how you introduce a super team. Immediately show that they care about one another, their mission, and the fact that it’s literally them against the galaxy.

1 - Young Avengers #4 (last issue - 2 out of 13 books)

Once again, this creative team gives me an opening to a comic that made me want to stand up and cheer. It was clever, funny, action-packed, had a soundtrack, and was a perfect way to introduce Noh-Varr to the team (and this version of him to the reader). With Kate and the once Marvel Boy there, the team chemistry seems perfectly rounded out as those two bounce off of the existing team (particularly Miss America and Kid Loki) beautifully.

Honestly, that character interaction is so brilliant that I don’t really care that this seems to be an odd story about a bunch of young adults and their struggles with their overbearing parents. I mean, it’s a little strange - especially in a book that’s supposed to be about how they’ve moved on from being teenage superheroes. Right? Or maybe this is the story that pushes them in that direction by use of heavy-handed metaphor?

What I mean is that this book is lapping itself in terms of brilliance.

funnybook of the week: April 17th, 2013

Nothing bad, but a few minor flaws kick decent comics to the bottom of a strong list.

8 - Sixth Gun: Sons of the Gun #3 (last issue - 4 out of 13 books)

Not as strong as the previous character issues, this one worked to establish some daddy issues without really bringing anything to a significant character revelation as with the last two. Fine enough, but lacking the oomph of the other chapters.

7 - Age of Ultron #6 (last issue - 3 out of 7 books)

Always so up and down, this story. Wolverine goes to do what he must do, along with a surprisingly solid choice for a questionable conscious. Overall, though, the last issue did a better job of selling the ethical dilemma and this one just answered the question of whether or not Wolvie can pull the metaphorical trigger.

The problem here, though, is that the answer seems to make the rest of the odd, stilted, future action unnecessary. A good hinge issue, I suppose, but this one’s future value will be judged more by what comes next.

6 - Daredevil: End of Days #7 (last issue - 6 out of 9 books)

Things are getting a move on. The body count is rising, the Hand plays a prominent part, reincarnation is mentioned, we’re almost to the meaning of “mapone,” and the most disturbing blowup doll in the history of comics makes an appearance.

In a series where anything has been fair game, the last carpet that could be jerked out from under us has been leaving things wide open for next month’s finale.

5 - Sixth Gun #30 (last issue - 1 out of 10 books)

The nature of the guns, what they are, what they were, and their corruption of the soul gets a lot of attention in this book as Bunn layers another piece of old west imagery that seems almost a no-brainer pairing with the mystic themes.

There’s also some sly showing off of the trust that’s built between Drake and Becky as compared to the rest of the gang, who maintain that steady mistrust amongst thieves that make them all so detestable yet charming. There have been better issues, but this one still stands as better than most of what else is on the stands.

4 - Captain Marvel #12 (last issue - 6 out of 8 books)

Carol’s determination, wit, and frustration are on a key display here and DeConnick ties the whole run up to this point together with one plot twist. I’m still not in love with the art, but the plotting and character development here is top-notch. Can’t say I’m looking forward to digging into Carol’s convoluted history, though.

3 - Captain America #6 (last issue - 4 out of 8 books)

Things are racing to a close, it seems, as lines are drawn and what looks to be the final battle begins. Not so fast, true believer, there’s a couple more twists with Zola’s children, one not-so-surprising and one that will test the very will of Steve Rogers all over again.

Remender, if you recall, excels at putting his heroes through the wringer, and Steve Rogers is about to get one helluva ringer in the coming issue. In the meantime, JRJR continues his best work since he was on Amazing Spider-Man, really giving Dimension Z a creepy and other-worldly feel.

2 - Superior Spider-Man #8 (Superior Spider-Man #7 - 4 out of 7 books)

8 issues in, and I feel like Otto has really learned his first real lesson about power and responsibility since the finale to Amazing Spider-Man. Slott found himself a fine use for Cardiac (no, really) in teaching this lesson while also linking the whole kit-and-caboodle to what was likely Doc Ock’s most horrible scheme.

And that doesn’t even get into the wonderfully frustrating encounter with the Avengers that springboards us all into the next chapter of the Superior Spider-Man. Slott is making this work.

1 - Daredevil #25 (last issue - 3 out of 8 books)

Waid has had so much fun with Daredevil’s powers during the course of this run, culminating in the most interesting and simultaneously dangerous twist in this long story yet. Samnee brings it with the art, finally filling the seemingly impossibly large shoes left for him, and the finished product is just an incredible page-turner.

In most cases, this has been a quietly amazing comic book since this volume started, but this issue shouts about the overall success in character, tone, art, and story that Daredevil has represented since coming back from the huge misstep that was Shadowland.