NEW MARVEL BOOKS

Marvel has a new "idea." Their brilliant new idea is that people only like new things...so why not keep the new things coming? The past few months have brought a slew of cancelled titles: Journey to Mystery, Venom, Scarlet Spider, Morbius: The Living Vampire, FF, Cable & X-Force. A few other titles are going back to #1: Wolverine & the X-Men, Daredevil, The Amazing Spider-Man, X-Force. Their idea is that a book numbered in the hundreds is for suckers. Whatever. I still miss those big numbers. Besides returning books back to #1, they're putting out some new books as well (last year they brought out new titles like Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy, this year it's stuff like Magneto, Silver Surfer, Elektra, and New Warriors). So Marvel is trying to push sales higher by all new all the time. Like DC's "new 52" two and a half years ago...this kind of stuff is only good in the short term. What you really need is a good writer/artist and keep them together on the same book for the long haul.

Here's a few reviews of new titles that recently hit:

LOKI: AGENT OF ASGARD #1: Written and drawn by two guys I've never heard of, this one features the adventures of the jerk/teen Loki. The finale has the original, older Loki showing up which I guess is a good thing (remember J. Michael Straczynski had a hot female Loki parading around during his Thor run?). It's simple, okay to look at, fairly forgettable. Eh. * (out of ****)

EMPIRE OF THE DEAD #1: Written by George A. Romero with art by Alex Maleev, this is a zombie tale set in NYC. The catch? There's vampires in it. I hope werewolves aren't far behind...but Romero does a good job here. He's not a bat-shit crazy zombie writer, he builds worlds with real characters and heavy tension and suspense. It's creepy, a bit silly, but feels like one of his films. The stark, dirty dark art by Maleev fits perfectly here. Probably rough being a vampire in a zombie world...or perhaps it's easier. And can you become a zombie vampire? ***

THE PUNISHER #1: I miss the old days when there were multiple monthly Punisher books. These days we're lucky to even have one good one. The last one was the short-lived, critically raven upon Greg Rucka written book...that I didn't care for. We had Jason Aaron's awesome short-lived MAX title. Garth Ennis' bland run was long. And don't get me started on Franken Castle. This new one is pretty basic but it does feature a new locale; L.A. Other than that it's Castle against bad guys. The plot also has a group of secret police that are going after him. The art, by Mitch Gerads, is simple, effective. The script by Nathan Edmondson is paint-by-numbers but it works here. Nothing exceptional, but that's okay. **1/2

WINTER SOLDIER: THE BITTER MARCH #1: Hmmm...instead of cancelling The Winter Soldier title, why didn't they just shoehorn this awesome story into that title's run? Either way, Marvel loves #1's and this is a new mini-series written by Rick Remender and drawn by Roland Boschi. It's more a Nick Fury story, though, since it takes place during the Cold War when Bucky Barnes was the Russian's secret spy/warrior/killing machine known as...the winter soldier. I think Ed Brubaker was the one that made Bucky and the winter soldier the same person, which is ingenious, and so we get to see the "evil" Bucky at work here. The story is great; an evil mansion on a snowy hill-top filled with henchmen, a James Bond-esque opener with fisticuffs on skis. This is pure fun stuff. I could do without Madame Worm (Remender is known for his ridiculousness), but the rest is top notch. ***1/2

SHE HULK #1: Jeez...how long is this book going to last? I know that Marvel cancelled Red She-Hulk last year...and I didn't even know that existed. I thought I was up to date on comic books. Sigh. This new book got great reviews...but probably will sell half as many copies as a Spider-Man book. Charles Soule, the new go-to writer is writing this (he's currently writing Swamp Thing, Thunderbolts, Superman/Wonder Woman, Red Lanterns...and he's a lawyer in NYC). Which is good...because She-Hulk is a lawyer by day (but always with green skin). This book is basically a rip-off of Matt Fraction's , which is a good thing. This means it's light, comedic, and focuses on She-Hulk's daily life instead of her superhero stuff. This first issue was slick, enjoyable, but nothing outrageously good. Javier Pulido's art is cartoony, adequate, pretty. Soule does not have the good sense of humor Fraction has, though, so it feels a bit like a cheap version of Hawkeye. A good start, though. ***

Best Comic Book of 2013: SAGA

For the second year in a row, Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staple's sci-fi/fantasy/romance comic book is the best book of the year. One of the reasons is the fact that it has everything and can't really be labeled. It has emotion, romance, action, humor, comedy, heroes, villains. It's totally bizarre, too. There's a lying cat, royal family members with talking heads, a one-eyed author, a cut-in-half ghost nanny. This book is insane but beautiful, highly entertaining, pretty to look at, funny, engrossing, hard to put down, easy to jump into. This is a masterpiece in the making.

Best Cover: HAWKEYE #8

David Aja is just killing it on the artwork for Hawkeye. There's not much to say about this killer cover except that the point of a good cover is to get your attention. THIS will get your attention. I love everything about this cover: the colors, the frayed edges making it look like an old-school, 70's porn mag, the image that makes you dying to know what's inside. Perfection.

Best Writer of 2013: BRIAN K. VAUGHAN

Saga is, quite basically, Romeo & Juliet in Space, and his "hero", Marko, is, more or less, Yorick from Y: the Last Man. But Vaughan still continuously surprises, excites, and entertains. His whip-smart quips and colorful characters are not all that he's good for; this book has a deep well of emotion running through it. The best scene from Saga was a simple scene when Marko is reminiscing about his now-dead father, remembering when he taught Marko how to fly an alien-creature (you know...like riding a bike). Just a perfectly written sequence.
Besides Saga, Vaughan launched a new book, The Private Eye, that takes place in a future where people wear masks and the internet is dead and gone for good reasons.
Everything Vaughan writes is super entertaining, emotional, humorous, action-packed, visceral, engaging, and fun. Hell, he even writes one of the best letters columns in the business.

Best Artist of 2013: ESAD RIBIC

Jason Aaron writing Thor: God of Thunder probably would have been enough, but my God, the glorious, beautiful, epic art work of Esad Ribic. Panels that look like famous paintings, covers that look just as bad-ass as they do enthralling. The artwork on this book was simply put, legendary.

Best Issue of 2013: AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE #1

I suppose you could be sick of zombies by now...but when a zombie book/film/show is done right, it can be insanely creepy and totally entertaining. This issue was both. The reason it was creepy and unsettling in a sense is because Archie and Jughead and Betty and Veronica and the crew from Riverdale are as innocent and carefree as can be. "Let's fuck up their world!" is not really something anyone has probably ever said (unless you're, like, evil). When a zombie outbreak occurs in their world it's not just a gimmick, it's something fresh and new. Writer Roberto Aguire-Sacasa (a play write and Glee writer) does a terrific job at creating a realistic way that a zombie outbreak would happen in this world (how many zombie movies or TV shows or comic books give a reason for the outbreak? NONE!). And the way he writes all of the characters makes it feel like a typical, gee-shucks Archie book except there's a sadistic undercurrent that bubbles up towards the end. The art, by Francesco Francavilla, is super-spooky and perfectly atmospheric. It's such a cool concept that it's almost a shock that it turned out as great as anyone thought it could've-should've-would've been.

Short Reviews 12-11-13

THE SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN #6: First off, I love that all the new Marvel books have their issues numbered like this: 006 instead of #6. Like this fucking book is going to be in the triple-digits someday. With that said, I wouldn't mind. This is a lot of fun. It's a comedy/caper book about bumbling thieves. Not all the jokes work of course, but enough do. Writer Nick Spencer is at least coherent here (unlike Morning Glories) and quite funny. The plot doesn't really matter, but this issue involves a stolen painting of Dr. Doom's real face. Light, easy on the eyes (Steve Lieber pencilled it), and a quality read. **1/2 (out of ****)

DEAD BODY ROAD #1: Writer Justin Jordan's follow-up to his Luther Strode epic is a book that should, seriously, just be re-titled Cliches. A guy's wife is murdered so he sets out, shotgun in hand, to avenge. I suppose #2 and #3 could reveal all sorts of cool, ingenious plot devices that I didn't expect...but this first issue is really debilitating. -No Stars-

UNCANNY #5: One of the year's best books. And the thing is, it's full of cliches and it's super simple but it works. We've got the down on his luck con man with a supernatural power, a shady organization, a military base in South America, car chases. Andy Diggle, who lasted all of one issue this year on Action Comics, is a terrific writer when doing this type of crime/action drama. The art is mediocre but so far it's a hell of a ride. ***1/2

BATMAN #26: This is, without question, the best mainstream book out and the best Batman book since Grant Morrison's run on the flagship title. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo have been knocking it out of the park. Every month this is one of the few comics I really look forward to and can't wait to dive into. And it's been a fucking origin story most of the year! Granted, an awesome one that's showed us the birth of The Joker, The Riddler, and Batman. And the glorious colors by FCO Plascencia. This issue focuses on Dr. Death. It's another great issue, even with the lousy cover. ***1/2

CHEW #38: Yeah, this probably should've been a 12 issue series. It's still good but that buzz is gone. Even the over-the-top jokes that were kinda cool early on just feel stale and bad now. The plot? One of the men that know what started the avian flu outbreak is being housed in an underground bunker in a prison. Mason Savoy, the big bad, finds him and bites him and then escapes from said prison and...yeah, this book is fucking bonkers. The art is still crisp, cartoony, amusing. It just feels like it's treading water a bit. **1/2

INVINCIBLE #107: A Robert Kirkman double feature this week. The cover on this book is outstanding. Invincible is really one of the best looking books out there. It looks so vibrant. The plot now has Invincible trying to take care of his pregnant girlfriend while deciding to go off and kill one of his nemesis', Angstrom Levy. But there's more! One of his father's alien race people kisses him...and there's a battle with some underground monsters. Plus the letters page is hilarious. Not all of it is stellar but it's mostly win-win. ***

THE WALKING DEAD #118: This book is amidst its best storyline since The Governor arc. I suppose it isn't too much of a surprise since Negan is a crazy leader hell-bent on domination that goes to war with Rick...which was what The Governor was. But I'd rather read an exciting similar story than a dull fresh one. This particular issue is weak, though. The big news? The black dude's tiger dies in battle (yes, there's a tiger in the book). This storyline, "All Out War," is being double-shipped so Charlie Adlard isn't inking his own stuff. Honestly? It looks worse, albeit similar (I probably couldn't tell if I didn't know). And the voice-over doesn't work in this issue (Kirkman playing new tricks). But it's not terrible and the letters are great as usual. **