This Week In The Funny Books: Jan. 21, 2009

Reviewing everything I buy in any given week probably isn't going to cut it since I barely have the time to read all fifteen issues, much less write about them, so I'm gonna try to focus on the handful of books that really jump out at me *cough* Dark Reign *cough*. Oh, and I think I'm going to buy a scanner, cause there is some goodness that needs to be seen.
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Dark Avengers #1
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Mike Deodato

Everything from the plot down to Deodato's stellar pencils makes this book feel like a spiritual successor to Warren Ellis' run on Thunderbolts, which is most excellent. The Avengers have always been popular in the Marvel U, and now that Osborn (Green Goblin and current savior of humanity) is publicly running the show instead of hiding in Thunderbolts Mountain, things are going to get really interesting.

Also, the team plays host to no less than four psychopaths, so it's gonna be awesome when the shit hits the fan. Oh man, I can't wait for that shit to hit the fan.


War Machine #2
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Leonardo Manco

Picture Commando, the badass 1985 opus about a one man war on South American bad people. Now replace Arnie with a man-tank and the South Americans with a bunch of guys that would make Blackwater look a Sunday-schoolers and you have the basic plot for this book. But don't get me wrong, this is not a bad thing. If there's one book that deserves to have it's own heavy metal soundtrack, it's this one. I mean, this is a book where War Machine gets his legs blown off and and replaces them with a tank.

They see me rollin', they hatin'...


Thunderbolts #128
Writer: Andy Diggle
Artist: Robert de la Torre

Finally, Marvel's answer to The Suicide Squad.

Honestly, I haven't read everything Marvel has ever published, but a covert squad of badasses that's answers to Norman Osborn is news to me. Throw in the fact that their first mission is to attack Air Force One and kill the president means this book has "It's the SHIT!!!" written all over it.


Mighty Avengers #21
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Khoi Pham

I'm happy to see the real Hank Pym (the new Wasp) doing awesome science shit again. And I'm all for seeing more Hercules and Amadeus Cho. But seriously, what the hell is going on in this comic? While I'm ever-so-slighty intrigued by the Avengers tackling evil on a grand scale, it all happens with no explanation, and since the Scarlet Witch is involved and countless triple-A heroes ate it, I can almost see Slott's finger hovering over the reset button.

Speaking about the Scarlet Witch, where the fuck did she come from? After being gone for a couple years and supposedly not remembering that she was the Scarlet Witch, she just pops out of thin air and decides to go rallying Avengers cause "there comes a day when earth's mightiest must unite against some super-evil shit" or something like that. Anyway, the problem isn't the premise, it's how it's handled. This comic has a very silver-age feel to it, which doesn't seem to gel with the more reality-based modern era.

Also, I gotta give it up for Khoi Pham's artwork. Any artist that can draw a teenage girl that actually looks like a teenage girl is A-OK in my book.


The Amazing Spider-Man #584
Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Artist: John Romita Jr.


I can't be the only one who thinks that Romita Jr. was born to draw Spider-Man comics. The his artwork simply looks amazing (pun intended) and even though Spidey is doing Spidey-stuff for maybe three pages total, you can still see the kinetic energy that JRJR puts into the character.

Oh, you want to hear about the story? BIG disappointment after last week's issue.

It's not that that it's a bad story, it's just that this arc is supposed to answer all the questions we've amassed over the past year. Problem is, I don't care. The mystery of the Spider-Tracer killer isn't all that interesting, I'd actually be pissed if Menace turned out to be Harry Osborn (but who else is there?), and I really don't care who becomes the fictional mayor of fictional New York City. The only plot-thread that's vaguely interesting is Harry's proposal to Lily Hollister, who also happens to have a thing for Peter Parker.

All in all, I really shouldn't judge the arc based on teh first issue, but after waiting this long, I'd like to have some more plot development for my money.


Green Lantern #37
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Ivan Reis

I really don't know where to begin with this book. It's simply amazing. With Green Lantern, Johns continuously proves why he is one of the best writers in the industry and why he's pretty much the architect of the DC Universe. He's been building one upon the developments of the Sinestro Corps War for some time now and it just gets better and better with each issue.

This is the way a superhero comic should be, with excitement brimming at the turn of every page. And with so many new developments occurring on almost a monthly basis, it's almost mind-boggling that Johns has been able to make the introduction of these new ideas as seamless as possible. And as for the story, you know the writer is doing something right when he has you cheering for one of the most ruthless groups of villains in the universe. It's good to see that the year-plus lead up to Blackest Night is paying off in ways that I couldn't have dreamed, but then again, that's why I'm not writing this stuff.
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Alrighty, I think that'll be it for now. I still have a bunch of stuff to read, so check back, I might be updating sometime this weekend.