Oh where to begin?! Firstly I must apologise for the delays this week but I have actually been on holiday, and failed to get through all my comics until….well just now. The comic arena has become a little convoluted and confusing recently with all the changes. DC is bringing out some very modern ideas such as the We are Robin book and their continuation of a youthful outlook with books such as Black Canary. It is difficult to read the blurbs in the DC books because they once again tailor a “new” approach but what they are actually doing is trying to bring DC back to the younger readers. This is welcome but they have yet to quite grasp what that actually means, but they are trying and no doubt will succeed. I enjoy how they make out it was all planned but we know the demise of the new52 was never expected. Like I said some books hit and some miss, such as the Robin book above which is not really about the ward at all, but it may prove quite interesting one day. Marvel are really producing a mixture of tones and themes and I have no idea whether they are coming or going. Certain books such as Deadpool/Shulkie/Mighty have ended and in decent time for the Secret Wars work, but others are persisting either in current SA times, such as Magento and Loki, and some even in their own continuities, such as Black Widow, All New X-Men and Punisher. In fact I really fail to understand why Widow and Punisher are continuing when their stories reached a natural and generally satisfying conclusion. You have to then consider just how many Secret War tie books there are and try to keep up with so many different stories of variable quality. Frankly it is a mess and I have to give up on any kind of continuity to truly enjoy them, and as you can see below, I am very much doing that!
Marvel Codes
Secret Wars: Korvac Saga #1 – FMDPJDK46B59
Howard the Duck #4 – FMD0QA2Y5ST2
Black Widow #19 – FMDPT53U0F2V
DC
Grayson #9
The intelligence tone of this book is so perfectly rendered by King and Seeley, that even though this issue was a basic spy story, it was thoroughly enjoyable to read. There were a couple of great splash pages showing Grayson in all his glory that Janin is thoroughly enjoying drawing. I like this book because there are few out there like this at all.
Marvel
Punisher #19 – FMCGZNZF7PVZ
The so called one more mission issue. As much as I do not feel the need for this issue, I feel the love for this issue. Gerads’ art has come such a long way in showing Frank’s brutal violence but also the intensity he brings to any battle. The colours and panel usage are brilliant and this has been a hidden gem in the Marvel Now world.
Loki: Agent of Asgard #15 – FMDRGW7NIXLE
I am completely lost by the goings on of this book and it is probably worth a complete re-read. The Asgard story is entertaining though and I like the different players but sometimes it is hard to know who to root for. In any case Verity’s story is really well told and the troubled origins of the human lie detector is quite lovely.
Daredevil #16 – FMDPV53HRAXJ
Woooah the excitement of seeing Kingpin and Matt together is so engulfing because I cannot recall this happening before. The gentle twist of the identity idea is a great one and there is a palatable build up to an epic conclusion to this run. Waid and Samnee are the elite combination in Marvel and books like this make you realise why.
Secret Wars: Planet Hulk #2 – FMDTSXW2BXEI
Now this book took a delightful rise in estimation as we introduce Doc Green into the mixer. Plant Hulk is not a reference to the book we all know and love but a gamma intoxicated wasteland. There is a Cap story in there somewhere but it failed to combine the two tropes until we met the above mentioned character. And now we have, the story has excelled and become quite interesting.
Secret Wars: E is for Extinction #1 – FMC9FWCXNEJ6
This book was brilliant. That may be because it holds a title I consider very dear from Morrison’s New X-Men run but more so because it was done very well. This is the world where Professor X kills himself in order to rid himself of Cassandra Nova, meaning that Magneto and Quentin took over the school with exciting consequences. Villalobos’ art harks back the the Quitely days of the original book and it is great to see.
Independent
Rasputin #6
Check out what I wrote for my Cover of the Week! https://houseofflyingscalpels.com/2015/06/30/cover-of-the-week-246-rasputin-6-by-riley-rossmo/
Suiciders #5
I never imagined I would like this book as much as I have because it seems like the cliche disgruntled warrior comic. However Bermejo’s art is so in depth and rich in texture that the emotional play is quite compelling. The combination of old and new stories is confusing at times but the actual content of the plot is really quite impressive.
The Legacy of Luthor Strode #2
Once again Jordan and Moore produce a fantastic comic with gory violence and epic stand-offs. This issue was particularly brave because they had a fair amount of Russian dialogue that remains untranslated in order to keep us in the dark as Petra and Luther are. Despite being able to Google translate it, I admire that gutsy approach to this comic.
Wayward #9
The Earth spiders are a terrifying Japanese mythical monsters and I am quite disturbed by their coherent communication. Steve Cumming’s art has such a beautiful line that anything he draws looks amazing, especially the monsters. There is a very slow build up in this second arc but it is the slow resurgence of our protagonists and I am thoroughly enjoying Rori’s transformation.
Invisible Republic #4
This book has an incredible insidious tone to it because we have an end and a beginning but we have no idea how to connect the two. The political themes are quite well crafted and the slow build up makes for excellent tension. Not a huge amount occurred in this issue but the landscape is being developed so wonderfully.
House Of Flying Scalpels 