This Week In Comics: 02/21/2007

[Clayface]

Welcome to This Week in Comics for February 21st, 2007 - February 27th, 2007!

This is the place to discuss the comics you've bought this week, whether it be a brand new title or old back-issues. We also welcome and encourage talk about comics in general - news you've read on comic news sites, the state of the industry in general, upcoming issues you're excited about, etc. All we ask is that you please use spoiler brackets in the event that your comments get too detailed concerning a particular storyline. This way the book won't be ruined for anyone who hasn't read it yet.

For a list of the new items shipping this week, please consult Diamond Comics' Shipping List (http://www.diamondcomics.com/shipping/shipping_022107.txt).

To find a comic book store near you, check out the Comic Shop Locator Service (http://csls.diamondcomics.com/).


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Highlights of the Week!




Clayface's Pick:









wonderfly's Pick:


http://www.dccomics.com/media/covers/6795_180x270.jpg
The Brave and the Bold #1




Ace the Bathound's Picks:


http://www.edwick.com/comics/retrorocket_04.jpg (http://www.imagecomics.com/schedule.php)......http://www.dccomics.com/media/covers/6627_180x270.jpg (http://www.dccomics.com/comics/?cm=6627)
......Retro Rocket #4 (of 4)............Birds of Prey: Perfect Pitch TPB




"Theme Week" Highlights of the Week:


Wonderfly's Pick for "Favorite Ghost Rider Story Ever!":
http://image.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/large/35312407822.35.gif
Ghost Rider (original series) #35



Guest "Picks of the Week" by Noukon:
...http://www.dccomics.com/media/covers/6795_180x270.jpg.......http://www.dccomics.com/media/covers/6818_180x270.jpg
The Brave and the Bold #1....................The Spirit #3....


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[wonderfly]

Let's try and get some more mini-comic reviews in this thread, shall we? I'll get it started:

XIII Vol. 1: Day of the Black Sun TPB: Not bad for a European comic book, (and a dated comic book at that). It's more enjoyable for the nostalgic trip back to the 80's then for the plot, (it's indeed fairly similar to "the Bourne Identity"), and also a bit wordy at times, but it does manage to keep my interest. I'll probably pick up the next volume when it comes out. Grade: B

Punisher Presents: Barracude #1: Wait, he survived a shotgun blast to the face HOW?!? (that's not a spoiler, the solicitations openly state he survived his last encounter with the Punisher). Ennis's classic morbid, black comedy is back with this spin-off mini-series, and I'm fine with that outside of the main Punisher book. I don't want road runner cartoon/mindless violence in a book like "Punisher" (I want tales of vengeance!) but in a book staring a sociopath with a whimsical attitude towards the crimes he's commiting?!? It's so looney, you can't help but enjoy it. Grade: A-

Red Sonja Annual #1: I've had it with the ongoing Red Sonja series from Dynamite Entertainment, yet the Red Sonja one-shots still manage to entertain. This one is written by Michael Oeming, (writer for the ongoing series) and is a bit perplexing. Sonja herself isn't of importance to the plot, and instead we have a woman who has come to idolize the legendary Sonja, (who's tales are spreading across the countryside). Our "hero" here is the wife of the owner of a brothel, and we're meant to feel sympathy for her, yet it rings a tad bit hollow. The life she is shown to live is far from ideal, but the methods used to escape her "cage" are questionable, to say the least. Though her husband is depicted as being overbearing and uncaring to his wife's needs, on the other hand, he shows no personal tolerance for rape. Yes, he owns a brothel, which requires women to sell their flesh, but many of the women chose to work there of their own free will. It's an issue devoted to the empowerment of women, and there's nothing wrong in such a theme, but there's a fine line to walk here...the fact that I'm still undecided on the whole story signals to me that it's at least thought provoking. Grade: B+

[danreyes1]

New comics:

52: Week Forty-Two. I loved this issue. Ralph's story was one of my favourites during the whole series, and it comes to a very satisfying (and surprising) conclusion. And it's good to see Ralph finally have his peace, even if its not the kind I was hoping for.

Amazing Spider-Man #538. I'm not quite so sure about this issue. The whole thing was dealing ambiguously with the conclusion of Civil War. And the ending... Tragedy is one thing, but if the character dies it seems to me to be a shock-value death, nomatter how important it will be to future Spider-Man titles.

Civil War #7. Quite unsatisfying. Lots of fighting and then it just... ends. And I really -really- don't approve of the side that won, even if it's just setup for the next event if the effects last. And all these Marvel events hitting one after another, I'm really becoming jaded with the company. I've always been more of a DC fan, so when it comes to Marvel's big events the impact isn't quite as huge for me. The end of this one just alienated me even more.

Back-Issues:

Action Comics Annual #10: Very satisfying. I'm glad to see how Infinite Crisis effected Superman (and Krypton's) updated histroy. Zod's story was the highlight for me. I also enjoyed the nice extra features, the Fortress of Solitude diagram most of all.

[Darking]

Superman 859: Wasn't this supposed to be the Krypto issue? I mean the story was fine, but I was looking forward to reading that Krypto story. Did the higher ups decide that Krypto should stick around for a while longer or something?

[wonderfly]

Superman 859: Wasn't this supposed to be the Krypto issue? I mean the story was fine, but I was looking forward to reading that Krypto story. Did the higher ups decide that Krypto should stick around for a while longer or something?

Say, you're right!! I distinctly remember a "Krytpo themed" issue being solicitated! What the hell's up with that, DC!?!

[Xada-Hgla]

Wednesday, I got the TPB for Cyber Force: Rising From the Ashes series. There was a couple of changes here and there to the storyline (more clarification of the story-line a couple of pages added here and there), as well as a never-before-seen "one-shot" (I put that in quotes because even though it was advertised as a one-shot, things were left pretty ambiguous in the end).

[Darking]

Say, you're right!! I distinctly remember a "Krytpo themed" issue being solicitated! What the hell's up with that, DC!?!

I did a little digging and the story's been delayed, but I haven't heard a reason why yet.

Linkage:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SuperHeroNews/message/14047
http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?p=4426793

[danreyes1]

hazah! Went back and bought some more!

Brave and the Bold #1: Pretty cool. Team ups are always great fun.

Justice Society of America #3: This was on top of my "must get" list and for good reason. This series is drawing from all DC history, past and present, as well as alternate timelines (if Kingdome Come is still Alternate at this point). The characters are fun and the story telling is terrific. If I were to drop all comics except for one, this is what I would pick up.

And though it's not a comic, the comic store had a sale on old Star Wars collectibles. I picked up a MISB IG-88 (my fav SW character) figure from a few years back. It's now happily mounted on my wall ^^

[Ed Liu]

Jeff Parker blogs with New Stuff Coming, including pencils from the Spidey/FF (http://www.parkerspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/impyspidey.jpg) title that he's doing with Mike Wieringo (with something that looks suspiciously like fan service); Kevin Nowlan's Beast (http://www.parkerspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/hankbeast.jpg) in X-Men: First Class; and Giant Girl Fighting a dinosaur (http://www.parkerspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/dinovengers.jpg) in Marvel Adventures: Avengers. And, if the comment thread is any indication and Parker can get the OK to do it, MA: A will be host to the Greatest Marvel Crossover Anywhere Ever:

Marvel Adventures Avengers vs. Devil Dinosaur! DEVIL DINOSAUR!!! As I say there, get it drawn by Eric Powell and I will probably die from the sheer awesomeness of the comic before the same sheer awesomeness of the comic BRINGS ME BACK TO LIFE.

-- Ed

[Ed Liu]

Resurrecting a slightly older thread for an update about Superman #659. According to Kurt Busiek (http://www.comicworldnews.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi?;act=ST;f=7;t=3353):


DC has reason not to want to print (the Krypto story) just now. Hopefully, they'll print it later.

Not that I didn't like the one they replaced it with, mind you. But there you have it. The solicited Krypto story is on the shelf for now.

-- Ed

[Darking]

Resurrecting a slightly older thread for an update about Superman #659. According to Kurt Busiek (http://www.comicworldnews.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi?;act=ST;f=7;t=3353):



Not that I didn't like the one they replaced it with, mind you. But there you have it. The solicited Krypto story is on the shelf for now.

-- Ed

Since the story was supposed to remove the Dog of Steel from continuity (or something like that) I can't help but think someone else want Krypto around a little while longer.