This Week's (Gamechanging) Comics

On this, quite possibly the most hyped up day of new comic book releases, both Marvel and their Distinguished Competitors have gone with a publication plan I am not used to seeing either of them employ: restraint.

And yet in a week of limited titles being put on the shelves, we get summer events continuing, alternate universes revisited, classic creators starting on popular books, the end of a story and a universe in one issue, and then the birth of an entirely new one.

This is the week the DC we've known our whole lives ends, and the New DC 52 begins. Not too dramatic, eh? Let's hope their marketing pays off and the stores are as packed as an open call for new Avengers members. As for their trusty fanbase, well, of course I'm already on board.

DC

Flashpoint #5 of 5:  It all ends here. The battle to change the Flashpoint universe back to our own, and (SPOILERS) it doesn't work out exactly as hoped. Flash vs. Professor Zoom/Reverse Flash. Aquaman vs. Wonder Woman. Batman vs. Redeye. Everything you've ever regularly spent money on and invested your emotions in is gone in a flash.

Justice League #1: A new League for a new universe. Younger, fitter, and better looking, it's all our favorite big time superheroes of the DC universe banding together under the pen of Geoff Johns and the pencil of Jim Lee (who is quite familiar with bright, young, fit, new team books premiering at #1 to high sales numbers.) The characters are familiar and beloved...except for Cyborg and Aquaman, respectively...and Johns is a proven success in the big moments. I'm not expecting spectacular comics here, but it should really be fun.

MARVEL

Amazing Spider-Man #668:  Spider Island continues. Which means almost all NYC civilians have spider powers. And Peter Parker isn't special anymore. Or is he? Does he have great responsibility now that....yada yada yada. Kinda thought this would be moving faster. Also I really don't enjoy the slightly-anime cartoon style of Humberto Ramos...I remember when he ruined an entire run of X-Men for me (of course there was a team that had Lady Mastermind, Mystique, and Karima Shapandar on it, so it wasn't stellar to begin with.)

Secret Avengers #16:  Goodbye Ed Brubaker, hello Warren Ellis. Ellis takes over Secret Avengers here, beginning a new, fairly anticipated run. It never felt like Brubaker nailed this title; his storylines were too obscure or seemingly irrelevant. I have hopes for Ellis but I'm also pretty confused: what happened to Fear Itself? This title has been purely tie-ins, and now they have a separate adventure? Doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Uncanny X-Force #14: The Dark Angel Saga chugs along, and our team is back in their home reality with some of their new AofA refugee X-friends, but it seems they took too long and Warren's gotten his evil evolution on. This book is aesthetically pleasing, dense, seriously well-written, catered to continuity fans, original, and comfortingly regular. Buy it.

DARK HORSE

Angel & Faith #1:  As previewed yesterday, the new Buffy in-continuity comics start today, with the spinoff featuring, obviously, Angel and Faith premiering first. The most recent preview pages reveal some independent adventures of Giles in England and his documentation of his exploits; now with Faith and Angel living in his home and with access to his library, they are following his leads, taking care of his unfinished business, heeding his warnings, and generally trying to redeem themselves as ever. Not a bad premise, being guided by the Watcher from Beyond.

So it's a big week and small week, if you get what I'm saying. Top story is the DC game-changing comics out today. However you feel about it, it's pretty much history, so let's all try and give Jim Lee a new record-breaker.