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Greetings one and all and welcome back to The Back Stack. Last week’s comics were generally very good, with a few choice exceptions. There will be spoilers and I may be vague. It was a very heavy week and I’ve decided to make a couple drops here and there to help myself out. Since there are so many, let’s just get started.
Amazing Spider-Man #678 started a new arc in which Spider-Man receives a newspaper from the future and must prevent the destruction of New York City before a certain time during the day. To add to the pressure, Spidey is told by the new Madame Web, Julia Carpenter, that he must go through his day just as he normally would have done. It’s a generally fun issue, if not obscenely silly, but it ends on a decent cliffhanger. I really think Dan Slott is the guy needed to carry Spider-Man forward post One More Day, for better or worse. I still have an off relationship with this book because of One More Day (being someone who grew up with a MARIED Spider-Man, didn’t think of that one, did you Joe Quesada?), but it’s still good clean superhero fun.
Verdict – Recommended
Avengers #21… while Osborn’s war with the Avengers teams is a lot better handled here as opposed to New Avengers, it wasn’t as exciting an issue. In this issue, I actually believed that Osborn’s new cabal of evil is a threat and could beat this team of Avengers. Things were fairly dull, but the point got across. One thing I distinctly didn’t like was the cover, which depicts Storm seemingly rising up to strike back at her assailants. That didn’t happen. I also didn’t like Spider-Woman’s attempts at weaseling out of danger by saying she was undercover for Hydra. Granted, this may end up being true, but I don’t think so. I did like the competency shown by The Protector that he was willing to call for help when Iron Man seemingly got compromised by Osborn’s tech, but I can’t tell if Iron Man was able to break free after taking Protector down, but knowing Osborn is going to want a new Iron Patriot armor, I’m saying it’s 50/50, unless I missed something. So-so book, but it continues things well.
Verdict – Cautiously recommended
Avenging Spider-Man #3 was a complete disappointment. Going into Avenging Spider-Man, the concept was team-ups with members of the Avengers and possibly other heroes. In this first three-issue arc, Red Hulk got completely outshined by Spider-Man in virtually every way and the resolution was completely unsatisfying. For as big of a threat that the usurper of Mole Man proved to be, a comedy resolution was truly disappointing. I don’t think I’ll be going forward with this series from here. I’ll pick it up again if there is a hero I’m interested in such as Spider-Girl, Gravity, Ms. Marvel, X-23, or others. For now, no thanks. Also, Marvel, why is your stinkin’ digital code only good for TWO DAYS following release? What if you pick the book up on Saturday? Then you’re screwed! So, yeah, not the best book, but if you’re willing to take Spidey over any other hero, you might enjoy it, but it’s just not for me on a regular basis.
Verdict – Pass (personally dropping)
Batman #5 was a pretty darn good read, and a bit psychedelic. As you experience Batman’s madness in traversing the Court of Owl’s catacombs under Gotham, the book turns on its side and even upside down. It’s kind of a trip, actually, and ends appropriately. For almost entirely focusing on Batman, it’s an engrossing read. Batman has been one of the best books since the DC re-launch, but I’m still convinced that Aquaman has been the best. Still, Batman isn’t a book you want to miss.
Verdict - Recommended
Blue Beetle #5 is a book I got into particularly because of Linkara’s video on the character Jaime Rayes. I don’t think this book has quite captured what Blue Beetle once was, but I’m guessing things will become more leveled out as Jaime and the scarab understand one another. I just hope this takes its happy turn sooner rather than later.
Verdict - Pass
Daredevil #8 is the second part of the “next great love triangle” between Daredevil, the Black Cat, and Spider-Man. I absolutely love the Black Cat. Some reasons are more obvious than others, but she’s always been a lot of fun to have around because when she gets serious, she gets serious in a good way. Anyway, long story short, another great issue of Daredevil, Black Cat ends up in bed with Daredevil, and we learn she may betray him later on… which will probably end with her coming forward to him about it and these two having an actual relationship beyond the physical. But the big cliffhanger? Someone has stolen the corpse of Jack Murdock, Daredevil’s father. More next issue and I definitely hope you’re buying.
Verdict - Recommended
Fear Itself: The Fearless #7 is a continuation of Valkyrie’s quest to get the magic hammers of The Serpent back. This issue focuses more on the battle between Wolverine and Crossbones, which proves to make for good superhero action. It ends with Son of Satan supposedly betraying the heroes to join with Sin and the others, but I’m going to call another heroic double-cross here. Son of the prince of lies, after all. However, the only real reason I’m following it is because of the star of the book. Marvel has a severely unrealized horde of female heroes that they could and should be using and Valkyrie is one of them. If you weren’t a fan of Fear Itself and don’t care about woman superheroes, I can’t recommend this series. Otherwise, if you’d like some good action and are willing to be in it for the long haul of the 12-issue maxiseries, I’d consider it.
Verdict – Cautiously recommended
Ghostbusters #5 continues the fun rebirth of the Ghostbusters. You can really tell that these guys have a feel for who the Ghostbusters are and they nail the characters. The scenarios have been fun and we even have a tribute to Extreme Ghostbusters, that considerably worse cartoon show following Real Ghostbusters, in the form of Kylie, who is working at Ray’s bookstore from the second movie, Ray’s Occult, and it’s got me hoping to see her put on the proton pack soon since she was generally a fun character. The new situation shows the Ghostbusters jumping through Walter Peck’s loopholes and being sent upstate to take care of an amusement park being taken over by a swarm of seemingly hivemind ghosts that have encased it, much like the river of slime from said second movie, only sentient. This book has been a lot of fun and this is a perfect jumping on point.
Verdict – Highly recommended
Green Lantern Corps #5 is another good book, but not great. It’s a series that’s good enough to keep me interested, but hard for me to recommend otherwise. The idea of them fighting a group of Lantern Keepers that can fight off the Corps’ green energy is very intriguing, but it looks like we’re heading for a bit of a dumb ending with Guy Gardner calling in a group of expert Green Lanterns. Good book, not great, definitely the weakest of the three Green Lantern books… but still much better than Red Lanterns.
Verdict – Cautiously recommended
Invincible Iron Man #512… I’m half-tempted to drop this book. Good premise with the Mandarin taking advantage of Iron Man’s getting drunk when faced with the onslaught of the Serpent from Fear Itself. However, I can’t help but feel things have been incredibly dull since and I’m looking for my books to be entertaining without compromise. I also feel we’re glossing over character potential with Iron Man and that his new secretary’s getting pimped too much at the expense of Pepper Potts, who went under incredible character development while Stark was being chased down by Norman Osborn prior to the Siege. I don’t know. Things are hitting the wrong notes with me, but I’ll give it a fair chance.
Verdict - Pass
Red Sonja #62. The Red Sonja books are something I have a very questionable relationship with. On one hand, I love the world of medieval wizards and warriors lore. I wouldn’t call it a mythologically based book since she’s not typically fighting monsters and myths, but they do come around from time to time to keep things interesting. On the other hand, she dresses in a chain mail bikini and expects to be taken seriously. But, still… Red Sonja is a badass hero by the very definition. She doesn’t always have to be bludgeoning and beheading in order to get her point across. She’s compassionate too. Plus, she doesn’t always make the best decisions. This issue shows us her surrendering herself to an Egyptian pharaoh so her comrades can live and she can get closer to the source of the problems of this story arc. I won’t give too much away, but if you can get past your hero looking more like she’d be at home on the cover of Maxim, I say check it out.
Verdict - Recommended
Red Sonja Raven doubled my Sonja fun by pitting Red Sonja against someone also blessed by the same goddess who blessed her after her trials in her beginnings, a woman named Raven. Raven starts off by having soundly defeated Red Sonja in battle. And, no, this doesn’t mean the two end up having lesbian sex (it’s one of the sillier aspects of Red Sonja, long story). Instead, it shows Sonja in a decidedly non-combative situation, particularly when she is talking with a servant girl who is tending to her. This shows the dynamics of Sonja’s character and if you’re going to pick one issue this week to see if she’s someone you’d be interested in, I’d pick this over Red Sonja #62. This one gives you a complete extended story. Yes, it’s more expensive than the other, but I think this one is the more satisfying read.
Verdict - Recommended
Sonic Universe #36… I’ve made it no mystery that I dislike Ian Flynn’s run on Sonic the Hedgehog. What starts off with a good storyline typically ends in dull, drab, here comes the hero and all is well nonsense. This arc in Sonic Universe focusing on the cast of Sonic Riders as part of the Bird Battalion has been handled by Tracey Yardley… a.k.a. Ian Flynn Light. I’ll give her credit that she can at least make the ending fun, even if it is more of the same, but I think her biggest weakness is that she has no concept of character hierarchy. In the last issue, she made the Bird Battalion responsible for most of the destruction of New Mobotropolis instead of Robotnik (as it was shown) in the main series, the new big bad Ixas Naugus getting sucker-punched and trumped by the Bird Battalion captain, and Bunnie, having just gone through an emotional realization that she’s not robotic anymore and realizing she could be of use (as quick and contrived as the subplot was), being CARRIED off by ANTOINE. Are you freakin’ kidding me?! Ian Flynn’s and Tracey Yardley’s run on Sonic has been an absolute insult to the long time fans. They’ve reconstructed the status quo and not for the better in my book. As big of an issue fans had with Ken Penders and Karl Bollers, at least they knew how to keep things focused and coherent.
My biggest issues with Sonic Universe are when they have a sub-story to the main story like this. When it’s being it’s own unique story outside of what’s happening in the books, its quality varies. When stuff like this happens, it’s a disaster and just unenjoyable. Well, okay, this issue wasn’t bad. It was a solid ending, but it left so many loose ends. If they wanted to push the Bird Battalion, fine, but this was not the way to do it. They still seem incompetent and we didn’t need to see them again so soon after Tails’ arc in Sonic Universe. While Yardley’s not nearly as bad as Flynn, it’s really a case of pick your poison.
Verdict - Pass
Supergirl #5 was a significant step up from previous issues that seemed to drag on without answer. We get a new villain who proves to be Supergirl’s superior and we learn of more of them being out there. We get good emotion and a good start to the new story arc. I just hope we can get Supergirl back down to earth (figuratively and literally), but that may be me missing the old DC talking.
Verdict – Recommended
Thunderbolts #169. I was prepared to drop this book until I saw this one went back to the era of King Arthur. Since it’s something I’ve wanted to get into, I gave this issue a chance. Kind of glad I did because it was a generally enjoyable issue with decent hero bits. I wish this series would get back to the main era and just start being a fun book with supervillains again and end this time travel nonsense that happened at the end of the Fear Itself tie ins. Good issue, not great, but I’m willing to check out the next one.
Verdict - Recommended
And finally, there is Uncanny X-Men #5. I’m loving the X-Men. I did drop a few X-titles such as Astonishing X-Men, X-Men Legacy, and Uncanny X-Force (reluctantly on the latter), mostly because of cost concerns, but the ones I kept have been great and I think this one has been the best post-Schism. They replaced Emma Frost with Psylocke temporarily after the fallout of the Mister Sinister arc (although I hope she’s sticking around even afterwards) and the new issues seem to be remnants of the fallout from the Dark Angel Saga and it seems as though that Psylocke’s time with X-force could come back to bite her. We get some good moments including banter between Cyclops and Storm that emphasizes that Cyclops isn’t just some jackass but a leader who is thinking long term and Storm as his number two can actually bring him more levity than Emma Frost, his current lover. Other good moments include Magik getting Colossus to keep in touch with his emotions following his union with the Juggernaut power and the tease conversation between Cyclops and Captain America that’ll lead up to Avengers vs. X-Men. This is an absolutely enjoyable series and if you’re looking for a darker side of X-Men that’ll contrast to the lighter side that Wolverine and the X-Men is about and not a full-on violence-fest, this and X-Men are the books you want.
Verdict – Recommended
And so ends another week and what a heavy week it was. It looks like a shorter pull this week so that’ll give me more time to get into a rhythm for my other two shows. Just an update, the first Grave Issues will be Thursday/Friday and the next WWEekly Wrap-Up will be this Saturday/Sunday and it will include the ever-tricky Royal Rumble picks. Until next time!
Cheers;
Graveheart
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