I'm glad I had #1 and #2 of this one stacked up to read back to back. I enjoyed what the first issue threw me into, and it looked great, but I wasn't that connected to the characters. But that was sorted by the second issue. Another great new Image series. Looking forward to tracking down #3.
I was really intrigued by the premise of this one. And having done radio all through college, I was looking forward to that element of the story. And I don't mind B&W. But I found the storytelling flat and a lot of the characters were cliche to me, and needlessly reduced to archetypes. For a book that is going to be so driven by human-sized character drama, I need the writing and the "acting" to be better than it was in this one.
I had this in the pile for a long time and finally got to it. I should have done so sooner. I thought it was an excellent first issue. Beautiful art, and I loved the visual, even theatrical way they handled the challenge so many first issues have of giving you the background and selling you on the setting and premise. Looking forward to tracking down however many issues I have missed. I am excited to have a good Western to read again.
I picked up Deadly Class #1 last week and thoroughly enjoyed it. Gone back and preordered the next couple too. Remender gives some interesting insights to his childhood too.
I gave this one a pass initially - figuring it was just jumping on the "specialized school theme" bandwagon of Morning Glories and Five Weapons. I'll have to give the first issue of D.Class a look. Along with your post there seems to be good buzz.
For the week of February 5th. Starting to include which link has previews of the comic listed. Support what looks interesting now rather than analyzing its obituary later. :)
Picked up Royals: Masters of War yesterday. I was very excited by the premise and was not disappointed. I'm in for the series. Also thought about picking up Mercenary Sea, but was a little short on cash - maybe next week.
She-Hulk #1 was very entertaining. Have always been somewhat indifferent about the character, but this book had a cool vibe to it. The book focused primarily on Jennifer Walters' problems in her non-superhero life, in a vein that I found somewhat similar to the "Hawkeye" series. Her struggles going up against the legal team of a certain major tech firm in the Marvel world were quite humorous. Definitely coming back for issue #2.
She-Hulk #1 was very entertaining. Have always been somewhat indifferent about the character, but this book had a cool vibe to it. The book focused primarily on Jennifer Walters' problems in her non-superhero life, in a vein that I found somewhat similar to the "Hawkeye" series. Her struggles going up against the legal team of a certain major tech firm in the Marvel world were quite humorous. Definitely coming back for issue #2.
I'm planning on picking this one up (Pulido art!) once the snow and ice goes away enough that I can make it in to the shop.
She-Hulk was a borrow for me. Maybe it's just me, but it felt like it was trying to be Hawkeye, but for She-Hulk. I've been living Charles Soule lately so I'll give it another couple months. It did make me chuckle I must admit though.
I am always up to give Antony Johnston's work a try (I am not familiar with the artist, Justin Greenwood). It is an SF story about homicide detectives on a large, international space station, so that is definitely a mix of genres that I like. I liked but didn't love the first issue. Some #1s put in so much premise detail and exposition they weigh down the story. This didn't do that. But I actually could have used a little bit more fleshing out of the world before things got into crime procedural mode. But I am definitely going to give it longer, and I expect things will get broadened.
A minor thing-- the coloring in the book was a little strange to me. The characters playing the Russian police were colored SO pale that they looked like vampires. Maybe that is a style choice, like this is what happens when very white people live in space? I don't know, but I didn't love the choice.
King Conan: The Conqueror #1: This should really be King Conan: Hour of the Dragon #7. I'm not sure why they broke up "Hour of the Dragon", Robert E. Howard's only Conan full length novel into two mini series, but they did. The good news is Truman and Giorello still faithfully adapt Robert E. Howard's Conan stories. Which is more than I could say for Brian Wood. I'm glad Fred Van Lente will be writing the new monthly, Conan: The Avenger. I hope they keep bringing these guys back, and I wouldn't mind seeing Truman and Giorello adapt Queen of the Black Coast, since Wood dropped the ball on it.
I was afraid She-Hulk #1 was going to retread a lot of the same ground the Slott series did, but that was needless worry. The legal stuff was handled more seriously than that run, but still fanciful enough to be interesting and "comic booky", and it was a great reminder that Jen is as clever as she is strong. Looking forward to seeing where it goes.
Ms. Marvel #1 was a blast. Kamala's struggles with her personal identity and how that fits in with both her lives at home and at school make for a great counterpoint for the struggles that will likely ensue in her superpowered life. Loved all of the character development in this, seems like this could be one of the most well-fleshed out high school aged casts Marvel could have outside of a Spider-Man book. Superheroics played only the smallest of parts in this first issue and I didn't mind at all.
Fantastic Four #1, on the other hand... bleh. So many writers come into the FF either wanting to deconstruct the team's family dynamic or restore things to the traditional status quo. So it seems like James Robinson is trying to do both? Two tired old chestnuts do not make one new thing. And, personally, if you're trying to go about making the FF all gloomy and dark, then I don't think you understand the appeal of the FF at all. On the plus side, this has led me to go back and re-read some older FF that I do find enjoyable. That Carlos Pacheco run, you guys... so underrated!
Pacheco's FF run is great, art and story (the few issues he drew). Diablo. Galactus. Loved the very simple way he brought back the original Baxter Building in that run.
That Pacheco run was the run that brought me to the FF. I loved it. It has the disadvantage of being followed immediately by the Waid/Weiringo run, which was a classic. In comparison just being really good seems like a huge step down.
She-Hulk was a borrow for me. Maybe it's just me, but it felt like it was trying to be Hawkeye, but for She-Hulk. I've been living Charles Soule lately so I'll give it another couple months. It did make me chuckle I must admit though.
I was a little bit higher than you on it, but I was expecting greatness and only got "good" on the first issue. I've always liked Shulkie; Soule has been a rising star in my eyes; and I love Pulido's art . . . but the first issue felt like Hawkeye Light. It wasn't bad but it felt a bit frivolous. Hawkeye can feel frivolous too, but beneath it there's usually a strong sense of plotting and much originality in the storytelling. She-Hulk #1, on the other hand, felt kind of pointless, like it could have been a (decent) one-off or Annual/Special but not a great start to a run. That said, I still LIKED it and will be giving the next few issues automatic buys regardless. With this creative team, a She-Hulk book SHOULD be good.
Pacheco's FF run is great, art and story (the few issues he drew). Diablo. Galactus. Loved the very simple way he brought back the original Baxter Building in that run.
Yup. "We built it in space and just teleported it back into place." Boom. It was also cool to finally meet the building's namesake, who was an awesome character. Oh, and Ben could transform back and forth between human and Thing forms because of a weird body chemistry reaction to some serum of Diablo's and the powers of the Grey Gargoyle. There's a whole lot of "Because science, that's why!" in that run, and what could be more FF than that?
That Pacheco run was the run that brought me to the FF. I loved it. It has the disadvantage of being followed immediately by the Waid/Weiringo run, which was a classic. In comparison just being really good seems like a huge step down.
I think it would've been remembered better if it hadn't ended so abruptly... Pacheco went from writer/artist to writer to, IIRC, just plotter, and then dropped off altogether. Started off great, but just sort of fizzled out.
She-Hulk was a borrow for me. Maybe it's just me, but it felt like it was trying to be Hawkeye, but for She-Hulk. I've been living Charles Soule lately so I'll give it another couple months. It did make me chuckle I must admit though.
I was a little bit higher than you on it, but I was expecting greatness and only got "good" on the first issue. I've always liked Shulkie; Soule has been a rising star in my eyes; and I love Pulido's art . . . but the first issue felt like Hawkeye Light. It wasn't bad but it felt a bit frivolous. Hawkeye can feel frivolous too, but beneath it there's usually a strong sense of plotting and much originality in the storytelling. She-Hulk #1, on the other hand, felt kind of pointless, like it could have been a (decent) one-off or Annual/Special but not a great start to a run. That said, I still LIKED it and will be giving the next few issues automatic buys regardless. With this creative team, a She-Hulk book SHOULD be good.
Yeah, that's a good point, I didn't think of it like that. It did feel a lot like a one n done. I've got the first four on order so far so I'll give it at least that. Think the next one is out Wednesday actually.
I try not to complain too much about uniform changes. new 52 superman looks "fine" without his trunks, but something strikes me as off about the Fantastik 4's new red costumes, I was fine with future foundation black and white but something just doesn't look good about this new change.
I try not to complain too much about uniform changes. new 52 superman looks "fine" without his trunks, but something strikes me as off about the Fantastik 4's new red costumes, I was fine with future foundation black and white but something just doesn't look good about this new change.
Yeah, I'm not a big fan of FF uniforms that aren't predominantly blue, whether it's the classic royal blue or the darker blue used in the 80s. The red looks too bloodlike, which I'm guessing is intentional to represent the Big Gloomy Seriousness this storyline seems to be aiming for, but it doesn't look good. A good FF uniform brings out Bashful Benjy's eyes... and he'd be the first to tell you that!
As for Superman, it's not the trunkslessness that bothers me, it's the everything else. :P
I try not to complain too much about uniform changes. new 52 superman looks "fine" without his trunks, but something strikes me as off about the Fantastik 4's new red costumes, I was fine with future foundation black and white but something just doesn't look good about this new change.
Yeah, I'm not a big fan of FF uniforms that aren't predominantly blue, whether it's the classic royal blue or the darker blue used in the 80s. The red looks too bloodlike, which I'm guessing is intentional to represent the Big Gloomy Seriousness this storyline seems to be aiming for, but it doesn't look good. A good FF uniform brings out Bashful Benjy's eyes... and he'd be the first to tell you that!
As for Superman, it's not the trunkslessness that bothers me, it's the everything else. :P
I try not to complain too much about uniform changes. new 52 superman looks "fine" without his trunks, but something strikes me as off about the Fantastik 4's new red costumes, I was fine with future foundation black and white but something just doesn't look good about this new change.
Yeah, I'm not a big fan of FF uniforms that aren't predominantly blue, whether it's the classic royal blue or the darker blue used in the 80s. The red looks too bloodlike, which I'm guessing is intentional to represent the Big Gloomy Seriousness this storyline seems to be aiming for, but it doesn't look good. A good FF uniform brings out Bashful Benjy's eyes... and he'd be the first to tell you that!
As for Superman, it's not the trunkslessness that bothers me, it's the everything else. :P
The biggest problem with red FF costumes for me is The Thing. Orange and blue are complementary colors and look good together. Orange and red are not and don't go as well together. The other problem is that wave pattern on Reed and Sue’s costumes, which makes their figures look off-balance and less readable.
I really dug this. I am not familiar with the creators' prior work, but the cover and art looked great, and these days I am game to try just about any #1 from Image. This was a lot of fun. I loved the art, and that it feels like there is a lot of dense world building that has been done here, both story-wise and design-wise. Basically this is like an ancient historical epic, but the cast are all Atlanteans, and it is set before humans are civilized. But I liked that you had to piece a lot of that together as the issue went along. It throws you in, and you get your bearings as it goes along, instead of getting all expository. Good stuff. Looking forward to the next. And Image continues to reward me trying every #1 of theirs that catches my eye.
I loved New Warriors back in the day, but maybe you can't go home again. I read this only a few weeks ago and I now barely remember it. It didn't grab me and didn't seem to have a strong idea or direction behind it. And at $4/issue, I'm out after a single, weak start.
Solid first issue that I liked better than I expected to, given the past work of the writer, and that I usually don't gravitate to books with teenage protagonists (Runaways being a rare exception). I knew I would like the art (again, longtime Runaways fan). I thought this had energy and a voice to it, and at only $2.99/issue Marvel is making it easy for me to try a few more.
I have been a Punisher fan since the '80s, though there is plenty of Punisher product I skip (especially at the times when they have been piggish on the amount of titles). For me, probably nothing will ever top the Ennis era of Punisher, especially Ennis and Parlov on the Max Punisher series. Though I like the character enough to give a lot of other teams a try.
This volume, by Edmondson and Gerads has a very different energy than the Ennis, Aaron, and more recent Rucka runs. Frank, when he is not killing people, is a little more chatty than in the past. He has allies. He has places he frequents out of costume where people don't know he is the Punisher. He is pursuing a case in and around Los Angeles. In many ways, it is a more film-friendly version of the character than the ultra-stoic and grim last couple volumes. Like the Fraction and Remender runs on War Journal, he is in more of a world of superheroes and villains. He is going up against Electro, there is a new version of the Howling Commandos hunting him down, etc.
I love the art, and especially what Gerads does with coloring his own work. The last (Rucka) volume lost me in its slow build, and I ended up reading it on Marvel Unlimited, but this one I think I will stick with in print.
I got this because the cover caught my eye, and I love Brett Weldele. As I read it, I went from feeling like they made the bold choice of throwing you into the middle of the story without a lot of exposition. . . to starting to wonder if this #1 issue was actually not the first issue. That maybe there was a #0, or a prior strip in Dark Horse Presents.
As it turns out, there had been a prior miniseries (maybe it was digital first?) that I missed. And this first issue was not a good jumping on point. Also, I found a lot of the characterizations of the young cast a bit shrill and forced, so I am out after the one, as much as I like Weldele. If I ever see the trade of the original four chapters for cheap I might give it a try.
Well. Not every #1 from Image is going to be for me. It was dreary work getting through this one. I am not averse to gore, heck, there are a lot of Avatar books I have loved. But this one, by Ross and Churchill, felt like all the worst excesses of an Avatar book without any of the assets that the good one brings to the table. I feel like Ross hates, and is sitting in judgment of, all the characters he is writing in this book. But also has nothing novel to say in commenting on them. This is only thrill and exploitation, not satire. A vapid exercise in cruelty and mockery. No thanks.
Loved it. I have never been much of a Moon Knight reader, but I will try anything that Ellis does, and I loved the look of the preview pages I saw (art by Shalvey and Bellaire). And, with apologies to those who like their Moon Knight to be silver, what Bellaire does with basically leaving Moon Knight uncolored on the page really pops. I love the effect. In keeping with a lot of Ellis' past gritty detective characters, the Spector in this book is a pretty grim and eccentric investigator, and I like that the book holds its cards a little bit on the sanity question (it is clear that such is his reputation, but not certain yet just how unstable he is or isn't). Great first issue, looking forward to more. It is probably unrealistic for me to hope that this team will stay together for years, as Ellis will likely abandon comics again to go write more novels, but one can hope.
Loved this one, too. It was a strong Marvel NOW week for me, as both of these are now new ongoings that I am on board for. I have always been a fan of Magneto as a character, and this book by Bunn, Walta, and Bellaire (color artist Bellaire, by the way, adds huge value to every book he is on) is basically Magneto in True Detective mode, only without a partner. On his own, with less power than he used to have, Magneto is on the road, staying in shitty hotels, on the run from SHIELD, and trying to investigate mutant murders by some new form of cobbled together Sentinel/human hybrid. I'm in.
I used to be a big Millar fan. These days, I am enough of a fan to try everything he does, but less sticks than used to. I dug this one, though. It helps that the art is Goran Parlov, who I have loved in his various collaborations with Ennis (especially last years' brilliant and criminally unsung Fury MAX series). And for me Millar is at his best when he is writing a story that has an emotional core to it. This is off to a good start. Basically the premise is 'what if Flash Gordon came back from his adventures offworld, and no one believed him about where he had been and what he had done. . . and then he got old'. The premise is derivative and leans heavily on pastiche of Alex Raymond's ideas and designs (even though, of course, the names are changed to avoid licensing troubles), but I am okay with that. Sometimes great work is made standing on the shoulders of something that has come before. Hopefully this turns out to be that. We'll see.
I haven't been paying enough attention to solicits lately, so this took me by surprise when I saw a Rucka Dark Horse book on the rack. I thought it was good, not great. Not as strong as other recent work like Lazarus and the Stumptown minis, but not a bad start. It is a five issue mini, so the scope is more narrow and less ambitious than a Lazarus. It is a SF mystery/thriller sort of story with a female protagonist thrust into a situation where she doesn't know how she got there. In tone, it feels like something that could fit into a Whedonverse. I thought the art by Toni Fejzula was strong. I expect to finish out the mini.
Comments
http://www.imagecomics.com/comics/releases/black-science-1
I'm glad I had #1 and #2 of this one stacked up to read back to back. I enjoyed what the first issue threw me into, and it looked great, but I wasn't that connected to the characters. But that was sorted by the second issue. Another great new Image series. Looking forward to tracking down #3.
A VOICE IN THE DARK 1
https://www.imagecomics.com/comics/series/a-voice-in-the-dark
I was really intrigued by the premise of this one. And having done radio all through college, I was looking forward to that element of the story. And I don't mind B&W. But I found the storytelling flat and a lot of the characters were cliche to me, and needlessly reduced to archetypes. For a book that is going to be so driven by human-sized character drama, I need the writing and the "acting" to be better than it was in this one.
PRETTY DEADLY #1
https://www.imagecomics.com/comics/releases/pretty-deadly-1
I had this in the pile for a long time and finally got to it. I should have done so sooner. I thought it was an excellent first issue. Beautiful art, and I loved the visual, even theatrical way they handled the challenge so many first issues have of giving you the background and selling you on the setting and premise. Looking forward to tracking down however many issues I have missed. I am excited to have a good Western to read again.
APOCALYPSE AL 1 of 4
https://www.imagecomics.com/comics/releases/apocalypse-al-1-of-4
ASCENSION 1
http://shop.zenescope.com/ascension/ascension-1-cover-a/
(preview)
LOBSTER JOHNSON: GET THE LOBSTER (mini) 1
http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/21-547/Lobster-Johnson-Get-the-Lobster-1
(preview)
LOKI AGENT OF ASGARD 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/48514/loki_agent_of_asgard_2014_1
MS. MARVEL 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/49089/ms_marvel_2014_1
PUNISHER 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/49377/the_punisher_2014_1
TUROK DINOSAUR HUNTER 1
http://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/viewProduct.html?PRO=C72513021358701011
(preview)
WOLVERINE 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/49235/wolverine_2014_1
the BUNKER 1
http://www.onipress.com/title/the-bunker-1
CITY: THE MIND IN THE MACHINE 1 of 4
http://www.idwpublishing.com/news/article/2704/
DEVIL'S HOPYARD 1
http://www.previewsworld.com/Home/1/1/71/915?stockItemID=OCT130878
FUSE 1
http://www.imagecomics.com/comics/releases/the-fuse-1
GRAVEL: COMBAT MAGICIAN 1
http://www.comcav.net/collections/avatar-press-february-2014-releases/products/gravel-combat-magician-1
MERCENARY SEA 1
https://www.imagecomics.com/comics/releases/the-mercenary-sea-1
ROYALS MASTERS OF WAR 1 of 6
http://www.vertigocomics.com/comics/the-royals-masters-of-war-2013/the-royals-masters-of-war-1
SHE-HULK 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/49115/she-hulk_2014_1
WINTER SOLDIER: THE BITTER MARCH mini 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/49785/winter_soldier_the_bitter_march_2014_1
WONDERLAND CLASH OF QUEENS 1
http://shop.zenescope.com/clash-of-queens/clash-of-queens-1-cover-a/
X-FORCE 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/49916/x-force_2014_1
http://www.imagecomics.com/comics/releases/the-fuse-1
I am always up to give Antony Johnston's work a try (I am not familiar with the artist, Justin Greenwood). It is an SF story about homicide detectives on a large, international space station, so that is definitely a mix of genres that I like. I liked but didn't love the first issue. Some #1s put in so much premise detail and exposition they weigh down the story. This didn't do that. But I actually could have used a little bit more fleshing out of the world before things got into crime procedural mode. But I am definitely going to give it longer, and I expect things will get broadened.
A minor thing-- the coloring in the book was a little strange to me. The characters playing the Russian police were colored SO pale that they looked like vampires. Maybe that is a style choice, like this is what happens when very white people live in space? I don't know, but I didn't love the choice.
For the week of February 19th:
DEXTER DOWN UNDER 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/50400/dexter_down_under_2014_1
LOKI: RAGNAROK AND ROLL 1
http://www.boom-studios.com/loki-ragnarok-and-roll-01-cover-a-3814.html
NEW WARRIORS 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/49486/new_warriors_2014_1
TERMINATOR: ENEMY OF MY ENEMY 1
With art by Jamal Igle!
http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/24-901/Terminator-Enemy-of-My-Enemy-1-Jamal-Igle-cover
UNDERTOW 1
http://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/undertow-1
WHITE SUITS 1
http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/24-061/The-White-Suits-1
FANTASTIC FOUR 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/49771/fantastic_four_2014_1
KING CONAN: THE CONQUEROR 1
http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/22-198/King-Conan-The-Conqueror-1
ONE HIT WONDER 1
If anyone wonders where artist Ariel Olivetti has been hanging out lately.
http://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/one-hit-wonder-1
PARIAH 1
http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/24-209/Pariah-1
REVENGE 1
http://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/the-revenge-1
TOMB RAIDER 1
http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/22-838/Tomb-Raider-1
VANDROID 1
http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/24-228/Vandroid-1
Ms. Marvel #1 was a blast. Kamala's struggles with her personal identity and how that fits in with both her lives at home and at school make for a great counterpoint for the struggles that will likely ensue in her superpowered life. Loved all of the character development in this, seems like this could be one of the most well-fleshed out high school aged casts Marvel could have outside of a Spider-Man book. Superheroics played only the smallest of parts in this first issue and I didn't mind at all.
Fantastic Four #1, on the other hand... bleh. So many writers come into the FF either wanting to deconstruct the team's family dynamic or restore things to the traditional status quo. So it seems like James Robinson is trying to do both? Two tired old chestnuts do not make one new thing. And, personally, if you're trying to go about making the FF all gloomy and dark, then I don't think you understand the appeal of the FF at all. On the plus side, this has led me to go back and re-read some older FF that I do find enjoyable. That Carlos Pacheco run, you guys... so underrated!
As for Superman, it's not the trunkslessness that bothers me, it's the everything else. :P
Put the blue trunks back on Aunt Petunia's favorite nephew, Marvel. :)
AUTEUR 1
http://oni-press.myshopify.com/products/the-auteur-1-premature-release
EVIL EMPIRE 1
http://www.boom-studios.com/evil-empire-01-cover-a.html
GASOLINE ALLEY HC VOL 01 COMPLETE SUNDAYS 1920-1922
http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/25-028/Gasoline-Alley-Volume-1-The-Complete-Sundays-1920-1922-HC
MAGNETO 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/48913/magneto_2014_1
MOON KNIGHT 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/49077/moon_knight_2014_1
ROGUE TROOPER 1
https://read.idwpublishing.com/Rogue-Trooper/comics-series/13568
STARLIGHT 1
http://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/starlight-1
TALES OF HONOR 1
http://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/tales-of-honor-1
VEIL 1
http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/23-944/Veil-1-Toni-Fejzula-cover
WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/48896/wolverine_the_x-men_2014_1
AVENGERS UNDERCOVER 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/48545/avengers_undercover_2014_1
CAPTAIN MARVEL 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/49018/captain_marvel_2014_1
THE CROW: PESTILENCE 1
http://www.previewsworld.com/Home/1/1/71/916?stockItemID=JAN140479
GFT NEVERLAND AGE OF DARKNESS 1
http://shop.zenescope.com/neverland-age-of-darkness/neverland-age-of-darkness-1-cover-a/
LIBERATOR EARTH CRISIS 1
http://blackmaskstudios.com/bms/hardcore-legends-earth-crisis-join-forces-with-liberator/
MAGNUS ROBOT FIGHTER 1
http://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/viewProduct.html?PRO=C72513021455301011
MONSTER AND MADMAN 1
http://www.previewsworld.com/Home/1/1/71/916?stockItemID=JAN140483
RETURNING 1
http://www.boom-studios.com/the-returning-01-cover-a.html
SECRET AVENGERS 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/50285/secret_avengers_2014_1
SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN SEASON 6 1
http://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/viewProduct.html?PRO=C72513021270201011
STRAY BULLETS: THE KILLERS 1
https://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/stray-bullets-killers-1
UNDERTOW 1
http://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/undertow-1
I really dug this. I am not familiar with the creators' prior work, but the cover and art looked great, and these days I am game to try just about any #1 from Image. This was a lot of fun. I loved the art, and that it feels like there is a lot of dense world building that has been done here, both story-wise and design-wise. Basically this is like an ancient historical epic, but the cast are all Atlanteans, and it is set before humans are civilized. But I liked that you had to piece a lot of that together as the issue went along. It throws you in, and you get your bearings as it goes along, instead of getting all expository. Good stuff. Looking forward to the next. And Image continues to reward me trying every #1 of theirs that catches my eye.
NEW WARRIORS 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/49486/new_warriors_2014_1
I loved New Warriors back in the day, but maybe you can't go home again.
I read this only a few weeks ago and I now barely remember it. It didn't grab me and didn't seem to have a strong idea or direction behind it. And at $4/issue, I'm out after a single, weak start.
MS. MARVEL 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/49089/ms_marvel_2014_1
Solid first issue that I liked better than I expected to, given the past work of the writer, and that I usually don't gravitate to books with teenage protagonists (Runaways being a rare exception). I knew I would like the art (again, longtime Runaways fan). I thought this had energy and a voice to it, and at only $2.99/issue Marvel is making it easy for me to try a few more.
PUNISHER 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/49377/the_punisher_2014_1
I have been a Punisher fan since the '80s, though there is plenty of Punisher product I skip (especially at the times when they have been piggish on the amount of titles). For me, probably nothing will ever top the Ennis era of Punisher, especially Ennis and Parlov on the Max Punisher series. Though I like the character enough to give a lot of other teams a try.
This volume, by Edmondson and Gerads has a very different energy than the Ennis, Aaron, and more recent Rucka runs. Frank, when he is not killing people, is a little more chatty than in the past. He has allies. He has places he frequents out of costume where people don't know he is the Punisher. He is pursuing a case in and around Los Angeles. In many ways, it is a more film-friendly version of the character than the ultra-stoic and grim last couple volumes. Like the Fraction and Remender runs on War Journal, he is in more of a world of superheroes and villains. He is going up against Electro, there is a new version of the Howling Commandos hunting him down, etc.
I love the art, and especially what Gerads does with coloring his own work. The last (Rucka) volume lost me in its slow build, and I ended up reading it on Marvel Unlimited, but this one I think I will stick with in print.
http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/24-209/Pariah-1
I got this because the cover caught my eye, and I love Brett Weldele. As I read it, I went from feeling like they made the bold choice of throwing you into the middle of the story without a lot of exposition. . . to starting to wonder if this #1 issue was actually not the first issue. That maybe there was a #0, or a prior strip in Dark Horse Presents.
As it turns out, there had been a prior miniseries (maybe it was digital first?) that I missed. And this first issue was not a good jumping on point. Also, I found a lot of the characterizations of the young cast a bit shrill and forced, so I am out after the one, as much as I like Weldele. If I ever see the trade of the original four chapters for cheap I might give it a try.
REVENGE 1
http://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/the-revenge-1
Well. Not every #1 from Image is going to be for me. It was dreary work getting through this one. I am not averse to gore, heck, there are a lot of Avatar books I have loved. But this one, by Ross and Churchill, felt like all the worst excesses of an Avatar book without any of the assets that the good one brings to the table. I feel like Ross hates, and is sitting in judgment of, all the characters he is writing in this book. But also has nothing novel to say in commenting on them. This is only thrill and exploitation, not satire. A vapid exercise in cruelty and mockery. No thanks.
MOON KNIGHT 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/49077/moon_knight_2014_1
Loved it. I have never been much of a Moon Knight reader, but I will try anything that Ellis does, and I loved the look of the preview pages I saw (art by Shalvey and Bellaire). And, with apologies to those who like their Moon Knight to be silver, what Bellaire does with basically leaving Moon Knight uncolored on the page really pops. I love the effect. In keeping with a lot of Ellis' past gritty detective characters, the Spector in this book is a pretty grim and eccentric investigator, and I like that the book holds its cards a little bit on the sanity question (it is clear that such is his reputation, but not certain yet just how unstable he is or isn't). Great first issue, looking forward to more. It is probably unrealistic for me to hope that this team will stay together for years, as Ellis will likely abandon comics again to go write more novels, but one can hope.
MAGNETO 1
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/48913/magneto_2014_1
Loved this one, too. It was a strong Marvel NOW week for me, as both of these are now new ongoings that I am on board for. I have always been a fan of Magneto as a character, and this book by Bunn, Walta, and Bellaire (color artist Bellaire, by the way, adds huge value to every book he is on) is basically Magneto in True Detective mode, only without a partner. On his own, with less power than he used to have, Magneto is on the road, staying in shitty hotels, on the run from SHIELD, and trying to investigate mutant murders by some new form of cobbled together Sentinel/human hybrid. I'm in.
STARLIGHT 1
http://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/starlight-1
I used to be a big Millar fan. These days, I am enough of a fan to try everything he does, but less sticks than used to. I dug this one, though. It helps that the art is Goran Parlov, who I have loved in his various collaborations with Ennis (especially last years' brilliant and criminally unsung Fury MAX series). And for me Millar is at his best when he is writing a story that has an emotional core to it. This is off to a good start. Basically the premise is 'what if Flash Gordon came back from his adventures offworld, and no one believed him about where he had been and what he had done. . . and then he got old'. The premise is derivative and leans heavily on pastiche of Alex Raymond's ideas and designs (even though, of course, the names are changed to avoid licensing troubles), but I am okay with that. Sometimes great work is made standing on the shoulders of something that has come before. Hopefully this turns out to be that. We'll see.
VEIL 1
http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/23-944/Veil-1-Toni-Fejzula-cover
I haven't been paying enough attention to solicits lately, so this took me by surprise when I saw a Rucka Dark Horse book on the rack. I thought it was good, not great. Not as strong as other recent work like Lazarus and the Stumptown minis, but not a bad start. It is a five issue mini, so the scope is more narrow and less ambitious than a Lazarus. It is a SF mystery/thriller sort of story with a female protagonist thrust into a situation where she doesn't know how she got there. In tone, it feels like something that could fit into a Whedonverse. I thought the art by Toni Fejzula was strong. I expect to finish out the mini.