3/27/13

Marvel and DC galore! I had a "balanced" pull-list with many treasures and only one disaster. I also want to thank everyone who joined the G+ community this week +Sam's Pull List is also doing great. I am so thankful that all of you read and enjoy this blog.

My Pull-List this week. Enjoy!

• Deadpool Killustrated #3

This is one of the funniest non-Millar comics ever. With a hilarious new cast of story-book characters for Deadpool to butcher and some of the wittiest one-liners yet. The art was luscious with dark inks and bright colors and the cover art was spectacular. One of the most endearing parts of this particular storyline is it's ability to make supporting characters more than just mindless lackeys. When Deadpool takes over Frankenstein as a home for his "second mind" I thought: "We won't be seing much of him." I was so wrong. Frankenstein is the perfect sidekick for an insane mercenary and together they slash their way through many dear children's story characters. Some victims are:

• Scrooge
• The little Mermaid
• The jungle book characters

I mean, the Jungle Book characters? It was quite a battle to behold, complete with a Shakira reference. Great issue!

• Age of Ultron Book 3

I was so confused when this issue began. They showed a scene that seemed disconnected from the arc so far, and it was. Only when I began to read deeper into the issue I realized the thought behind the opening scene. What followed was an issue of lots of dialogue and very little action. This was quite enjoyable because BMB is a master of the craft of conversation. The plan that the survivors came up with was smart but risky. All of the major heros played a large part in the making of the final decision  but it was Hawkeye who really made the best points. The best part of this storyline is the ability to switch between little groups of survivors. Seeing how different heros are taking in the apocalypse.

About the art. Everyone LOVES Bryan Hitch. I do not understand that at all. His terrible facial expressions cause dialogue to be less meaningful which is tragic when the writer is the legendary BMB. I am excited for next issue and am thinking about buying the Ultron title.

• Batman Incorporated #9

I would have thought that it would be hard to settle back down to the normal BI after the universe altering #8. This issue was perfect in all aspects. A emotion filled funeral, suspenseful flashbacks, a sidekick becoming a hero, a tank and a speech that said that Batman was no longer welcome in Gotham. Bruce's speech at Damian's funeral was meaningful without crossing the line into cheesy-hell. The book was well paced and bleak with Chris Burnhams art remaining to be the perfect fit for this title. Batman is a very emotional character and Grant Morrison makes that very clear. I am sad that Morrison is leaving but think he has done a superb job on this crazy title. 

• Guardians of the Galaxy #001

I didn't know that this issue was being so hyped until I received a promo card and info card from the comic store tonight. They had already given away all of their posters. The issue was a great debut and I felt like I really got a good feel for all of the characters. I usually don't like Iron Man but in this story he is portrayed as less of a self-confident snob but more as a team member. The encounter of Peter and his dad was exciting and well-written, it is a very interesting dynamic that I am sure BMB will explore in more detail. The action sequence was terrific. I enjoyed how BMB split the Guardians into a few "mini-teams" within the team. 

• Batman: The Dark Knight

This is now one of my favorite DC title. The artwork is unmatched, with the best inking for a long time and Batman at his finest Ethan Van Sciver is a top-notch illustrator. It's emotionally driven. Gregg Hurwitz make the Mad Hatter one of the best in Batman's rogues gallery. The frequent flashbacks make this title less about Batman and more about the villains. This book deserves more than a T though, maybe T+ borderline A. There is a ton of brutal, immoral murder and gallons of blood. The Hatter seems to be planning some kind of performance and I can't wait to see what it entails. 

• Talon #6

The Grandmaster! What an ominous title. Calvin delves deeper into the court and finds things that were meant to stay hidden. The battles are great and suspenseful, the Washington's are their emotion driven selves and a HUGE secret is revealed. The art is beautiful and plays well with the writing. I was skeptical about this spin-off but know I am digging it. 

• Teen Titans #18

One word: Unreadable.

1/2/13

I had three books pulled today. The best being Batman Incorporated #6 and the worst being Teen Titans #15. The other book was Talon #3.

• Batman Incorporated #6:

I love Grant Morrison, let me just get that across. His entire run on Batman was phenomenal and I enjoyed the original Batman Incorporated immensely. Of the New 52 Batman Incorporated this one is definitely the best. The Al Ghul's are awesome and this portrays Talia very well. She is smart and gives Batman a mental and physical challenge that makes a very interesting story. Leviathan takes center stage again as Batman recovers from the battle in issue 4 while trying to find where Talia's elusive voice is coming from. An extremely interesting interaction happens where Dick, Jason and Damian get a little more familiar with each other. The ending left me speechless. I am very excited for next month!

• Teen Titans #15:

This is one of the worse Death of the Family tie-ins. Scott Lobdell is a hack, and this book shows exactly that. The book guest stars Batgirl but doesn't go anywhere with it. All of the Titans respond in exactly the same way by being snotty and disrespectful to someone who is clearly superior and has much more experience dealing with the Joker. That being said the confrontation between Tim Drake and the Joker is very interesting. The Joker wears Tim's wings and flys around the rafters. He also has a very creepy way of guessing exactly what Tim is thinking that I thought was clever but not exceptional writing. The art is okay, but of course all of the women are grossly over-sexuallized and the Joker is not nearly as well drawn as Greg Capullo's version of the Joker.

• Talon #3:

Court of the Owls was one of the best Batman stories ever written. Period. When I saw that a former Talon was going to get their own book I was super excited, and just when I thought it couldn't get any better I found out that Scott Snyder was writing it. After four books I am still not delighted with how they are directing this book. In almost every book Calvin (the protagonist) kills a Talon or two in some uninteresting way. This issue was no different. However, this issue did feature an interesting run-in with a rogue group of anti-heroes and an interesting robbery. The writing was quite entertaining and the art was decent. I really hope they find their groove with this book, because if they do Calvin will become a very interesting character.