Picking up this list is one of my favorite parts of the week, and the most dangerous part for my checking account. Financially, I am dreading the DC Relaunch. Even if I get very picky about which new titles to buy, which I intend to, it still seriously increases my weekly DC pull. Clever bastards.
DC
Batgirl #22: I assume there are only three issues of this remaining. The announcement of Barbara Gordon's return to the role of Batgirl, and the world of the ambulatory, makes this fantastic title all the more bittersweet. I don't particularly care for the current villains, but it also isn't important. The joy of this book is being in Stephanie's head these days. Bryan Q. Miller has done wonderful things, and it's a damn shame he wasn't even given one of the 52 new titles. Here's a question: will Proxy/Wendy step into Oracle's shoes/tires? Or fade away into obscurity and disuse come Relaunch time?
Batman #711: I might resist this one. I am not a Tony Daniel fan. I'm not even terribly crazy about his art. However, it's tough for me to not pick up a shiny new Batman comic. Very tough.
Cinderella: Fables are Forever #5 of 6: One of the best Fables characters, Cinderella is the most dangerous spy in the entire world, after honing her craft for centuries. Following her in a solo adventure is just as much fun as it sounds.
Power Girl #25: Poor PG didn't get a new #1 in the Relaunch either, and the propriety police in the editors' office will doubtless give her a new uniform and a breast reduction. The few issues I've purchased of this have been enjoyable, some of Winnick's funniest work. Plus, Batman's in it.
Teen Titans #96: JT Krul's blundering evil-Indian-god arc continues, and hopefully concludes. Krul makes the unfortunate decision of putting the most boring members - Beast Boy and this new beatnik, ethnic, bright-light-love-peace chick Solstice - front and center. You'd think having Tim back on the team would make this comic succeed, as I was hoping. But once again, an attempt at reviving the Teen Titans is failing. No one's managed it since Geoff Johns did it several years back, and I am not at all convinced by Scott Lobdell's Relaunch plans.
In fact, with each passing week, and each tidbit of news released, I'm more anxious and pessimistic about the Relaunch and less excited than ever. I don't know if I can get over personality and backstory changes for people like Tim and Stephanie. They're the main reason I'm still buying DC anyway.
MARVEL
Alpha Flight #1: Not sure if I'm going to buy this. Usually just like the team when they cross over with the X-Men. But if I do, it will mainly be for Northstar and Aurora, and because I hear great things about Pak and Van Lente (though I've never read their Herc of Amadeus Cho.)
Avengers #14: Another Fear Itself tie-in that will mostly be confessional dialogue from members of the team. And I'm actually OK with that--I rather enjoy Bendis when he just fully commits to the Oral History thing. Plus I imagine there will be some more frames devoted to the burgeoning romance between Hawkeye and Spider Woman (and I need some more story to convince me that's interesting.)
Avengers Academy #15: Fear Itself comes to the Academy, and one of the Worthy throws down with Hank Pym. I'm guessing it's the Absorbing Man. We know from solicits that things get pretty bad for the kids--war and all--so this should be good.
Generation Hope #8: Teon is in custody for...well, a custody trial, I believe. Gillen's focused, original corner of the X-universe continues to grow, and knowing the upheaval in store for Hope's team in Schism, I expect these last few issues will be devoted to really solidifying the group dynamic and making us fully care about the Lights (cause I'm not actually all the way there yet.)
Ruse #4: The final Issue! Simon Archer dead?? Emma Bishop fighting for her life...again?! Archer's arch-enemy steps out of the shadows?! Dear God, someone make this an ongoing series.
Uncanny X-Men #538: Gillen's Breakworld-related arc has been, well, a bit boring. His Gen Hope is much more tightly plotted and purposeful. Granted, I love that he's using Kitty a lot, and it could be Terry Dodson's art that slows things down for me. I would like a new Uncanny artist, but I guess we're stuck with him for a few more months, until the title ends (temporarily, I believe) and Schism "changes everything ever forever."
X-Factor #221: The saga of Rahne's pregnancy and impending birth continue, with Rahne and Shatterstar side-by-side. An unusual pairing in a wonderful cast, but it's working. Last we saw, Feral appeared in Church, seemingly back from the dead. I remember her relations with Shattbuns fondly when they were on X-Force together, as well as her and Rahne's bloody, brutal fight during the X-cutioner's Saga. This is easily one of the best hero books out there. Buy it.
X-Men #13: This Evolutionaries and buried X-Men memories story is not really hitting my sweet spot, but it's fairly pretty and I want to see Storm get pissed and take them all on herself. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Storm is not used nearly enough these days. Hopefully post-Schism she'll have her own team, or school, or strikeforce, or government sanctioned job, I don't know. Just bring her back to her former glory and responsibility, and maybe give her a new costume.
X-Men Prelude to Schism #3: Yeah, yeah I'm a complete sucker. Preludes, prologues, epilogues, addendums, if it's X-related, I'll probably buy it. This month gets inside both Cyclops and Wolvie's head, which leads one to wonder who (or what) the next and last one will focus on. Jenkins has underwhelmed so far, so let's hope he picks it up, and turns this miniseries into something that was actually worth writing instead of merely a marketing ploy for easy marks like me.
Happy Wednesday.
DC
Batgirl #22: I assume there are only three issues of this remaining. The announcement of Barbara Gordon's return to the role of Batgirl, and the world of the ambulatory, makes this fantastic title all the more bittersweet. I don't particularly care for the current villains, but it also isn't important. The joy of this book is being in Stephanie's head these days. Bryan Q. Miller has done wonderful things, and it's a damn shame he wasn't even given one of the 52 new titles. Here's a question: will Proxy/Wendy step into Oracle's shoes/tires? Or fade away into obscurity and disuse come Relaunch time?
Batman #711: I might resist this one. I am not a Tony Daniel fan. I'm not even terribly crazy about his art. However, it's tough for me to not pick up a shiny new Batman comic. Very tough.
Cinderella: Fables are Forever #5 of 6: One of the best Fables characters, Cinderella is the most dangerous spy in the entire world, after honing her craft for centuries. Following her in a solo adventure is just as much fun as it sounds.
Power Girl #25: Poor PG didn't get a new #1 in the Relaunch either, and the propriety police in the editors' office will doubtless give her a new uniform and a breast reduction. The few issues I've purchased of this have been enjoyable, some of Winnick's funniest work. Plus, Batman's in it.
Teen Titans #96: JT Krul's blundering evil-Indian-god arc continues, and hopefully concludes. Krul makes the unfortunate decision of putting the most boring members - Beast Boy and this new beatnik, ethnic, bright-light-love-peace chick Solstice - front and center. You'd think having Tim back on the team would make this comic succeed, as I was hoping. But once again, an attempt at reviving the Teen Titans is failing. No one's managed it since Geoff Johns did it several years back, and I am not at all convinced by Scott Lobdell's Relaunch plans.
In fact, with each passing week, and each tidbit of news released, I'm more anxious and pessimistic about the Relaunch and less excited than ever. I don't know if I can get over personality and backstory changes for people like Tim and Stephanie. They're the main reason I'm still buying DC anyway.
MARVEL
Alpha Flight #1: Not sure if I'm going to buy this. Usually just like the team when they cross over with the X-Men. But if I do, it will mainly be for Northstar and Aurora, and because I hear great things about Pak and Van Lente (though I've never read their Herc of Amadeus Cho.)
Avengers #14: Another Fear Itself tie-in that will mostly be confessional dialogue from members of the team. And I'm actually OK with that--I rather enjoy Bendis when he just fully commits to the Oral History thing. Plus I imagine there will be some more frames devoted to the burgeoning romance between Hawkeye and Spider Woman (and I need some more story to convince me that's interesting.)
Avengers Academy #15: Fear Itself comes to the Academy, and one of the Worthy throws down with Hank Pym. I'm guessing it's the Absorbing Man. We know from solicits that things get pretty bad for the kids--war and all--so this should be good.
Generation Hope #8: Teon is in custody for...well, a custody trial, I believe. Gillen's focused, original corner of the X-universe continues to grow, and knowing the upheaval in store for Hope's team in Schism, I expect these last few issues will be devoted to really solidifying the group dynamic and making us fully care about the Lights (cause I'm not actually all the way there yet.)
Ruse #4: The final Issue! Simon Archer dead?? Emma Bishop fighting for her life...again?! Archer's arch-enemy steps out of the shadows?! Dear God, someone make this an ongoing series.
Uncanny X-Men #538: Gillen's Breakworld-related arc has been, well, a bit boring. His Gen Hope is much more tightly plotted and purposeful. Granted, I love that he's using Kitty a lot, and it could be Terry Dodson's art that slows things down for me. I would like a new Uncanny artist, but I guess we're stuck with him for a few more months, until the title ends (temporarily, I believe) and Schism "changes everything ever forever."
X-Factor #221: The saga of Rahne's pregnancy and impending birth continue, with Rahne and Shatterstar side-by-side. An unusual pairing in a wonderful cast, but it's working. Last we saw, Feral appeared in Church, seemingly back from the dead. I remember her relations with Shattbuns fondly when they were on X-Force together, as well as her and Rahne's bloody, brutal fight during the X-cutioner's Saga. This is easily one of the best hero books out there. Buy it.
X-Men #13: This Evolutionaries and buried X-Men memories story is not really hitting my sweet spot, but it's fairly pretty and I want to see Storm get pissed and take them all on herself. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Storm is not used nearly enough these days. Hopefully post-Schism she'll have her own team, or school, or strikeforce, or government sanctioned job, I don't know. Just bring her back to her former glory and responsibility, and maybe give her a new costume.
X-Men Prelude to Schism #3: Yeah, yeah I'm a complete sucker. Preludes, prologues, epilogues, addendums, if it's X-related, I'll probably buy it. This month gets inside both Cyclops and Wolvie's head, which leads one to wonder who (or what) the next and last one will focus on. Jenkins has underwhelmed so far, so let's hope he picks it up, and turns this miniseries into something that was actually worth writing instead of merely a marketing ploy for easy marks like me.
Happy Wednesday.
in regards to the mention of Power Girl getting a breast reduction i like to go back to the sage like advice of a very wise man, "if it ain't broke don't fix it".
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