The Sunday Open: Fourth Week of June 2008

[As always, these reviews are brief impressions, gut reactions if you will, to the books I got this week rather than proper fully-rounded reviews. Read them as such. If, at any point, you don't understand what I mean by something... well, that happens.]

A big week, mostly because Marvel decided to ship everything it publishes in an effort to crush Final Crisis. Not the smartest of strategies (and if it wasn't a strategy, it still wasn't smart) as it almost had me passing up a few of their books. But, whatever, let's get to it...

Captain America #39

Frank D'Armata's colours keep the art looking like that of Steve Epting's enough for my taste. I didn't notice that it wasn't Epting, Mike Perkins or Butch Guice on art for a couple of pages--and was surprised when I realised it wasn't one of those three. I guess it was bound to happen since Perkins and Guice are very talented and working as Epting's fill-in boys probably doesn't pay the bills. Still, it kind of sucks. But, I read that Luke Ross is coming on board and I like his art, so we'll all live. Oh, and the writing continues apace.

Final Crisis #2

I liked this book. While doing this week's column with Tim, I came to the conclusion that we may as well just be totally honest and rename the thing "Tim and Chad Read Comics Better Than You Do" because that seems to be the point half of the time... and we're arrogant fuckers. Strangely enough, I think I'm worse than Tim is despite his having more cause to be than I do. *shrugs*

Oh, my only complaint about the book: the colourist didn't colour Turpin's hair when he was buying his bus ticket. Sloppy.

The Immortal Iron Fist #16

For some reason, I thought Brubaker was co-writing this issue. I was wrong. Great art by David Aja. The first of our various Matt Fraction books for the week. A decent read, but that varied from scene to scene. The charity stuff was alright and a lovely thematic follow-up to Wildcats Version 3.0, but didn't really grab me. The stuff with Danny was fantastic and makes me miss Fraction already. I'm not sure about the new creative team, but I'll give it a shot.

The Mighty Avengers #15 & The New Avengers #42

Hey, yeah, isn't it great when two books by the same writer ship in one week and fuck up the timeline in a story where when someone was replaced by the Skrulls is actually important? In Mighty, we have Henry Pym replaced in England after the "new" Avengers form; in New, we have Pym already replaced when that happens and at Columbia University. Well done, sirs and ma'ams.

I did like the way New Avengers ended, though.

No Hero #0

I'd have rather gotten Black Summer #7 first, especially since No Hero #1 doesn't come out until August (the extra month there, I assume, to allow for people to pick up this issue and then place an order for the first issue). But, you know, let's ignore that.

An alright teaser that is all concept, no character. Which is fine since I like the concept. I'm almost disappointed that the main story won't take place back in the '60s. There will probably be all sorts of flashbacks, though. I do wonder how much of the info given in the backmatter will actually appear in the comics.

I'm on board, but did anyone really think I wouldn't be?

Thor: Reign of Blood

Much like the first Fraction one-shot, I really enjoyed the narrative voice employed here. Thor continues to play a small role until the second story, making the first half of the total story (since there will be a third one-shot, making six stories in total) very light on Thor--an interesting way to go about things. I'm looking forward to the third one-shot.

Thunderbolts #121

And so Warren Ellis ends his tenure on this book... It was really fucking good. Normally, when Ellis leaves a book, I shrug and move on, because that's what he does, but I'll miss him here. He wrote a mature book involving villains better than anyone else I've seen and really hammered home how stupid the entire idea was. He also managed to make Penance work and his Norman Osborn is fantastic. I won't be buying this book any further.

Young Avengers Presents #6

Almost didn't buy this because it was a big week, but Tim made me. It was rather good and made me care about a character I had barely encountered before. It also has great Alan Davis art, which is always a plus. Fraction's Clint Barton is pretty damn good, too. Although, I will say that that last page made the whole issue work and without it, I may have been a little annoyed. But, then again, Eli's rant while leaving the park at the beginning is one I've delivered inside my head many times, just never having the balls to say it aloud, so...

I hate the f-word. I really do.