Weekly Comics List for 1404.30

Weekly Comics List for 1404.30

One  of the most difficult things about being behind in writing these little missives about comic books is finding the comic books. I did a partial sort recently. I separated comics into categories of Marvel, DC, and Other. I pulled out certain series and set those aside knowing I wanted to write about them. I tried to isolate the comics from the weeks since my last posting so to be able to finish these weekly comics list. I am dedicated to try to roll them out more frequently in order to get caught up and to move on to other projects. This determination also means less review content, but I still feel I need to make a few remarks about some of the books each week otherwise my blog entries are going to be pretty sparse. Though I am aware that some would RECOMMEND that they be sparser.

In other news, as I was felled by illness earlier this week, I managed to almost finish watching the entire first season of MARVEL AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. I concur with the general sentiment by many viewers that the show starts slowly and then kicks into gear and becomes riveting around the same time as the release of the Captain America: Winter Soldier movie, which, like all of this year's super hero movies, I still have not seen. But like many of Joss' TV work, Buffy in particular, one must slog through the less worthy stuff for the better stuff to pay off and to be fully enjoyed. Those who jump into the February-April episodes will not enjoy the full impact of the surprises as those who have been watching all along.

Okay, so just a few remarks this time...

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SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS 

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RE: SPOILERS: I don't have to explain that you read at your own risk, right?
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Amazing Spider-Man #1

I already generated a lot of content recently about Spider-Man comics. I covered the bases of the conclusion of the Superior Spider-Man comics in Weekly Comics for 1404.16.

Now, after the Superior Spider-Man, and concurrent with the new Spider-Man movie (which wilted at the box office; I have not seen it), Marvel re-launched Amazing Spider-Man with Peter back in the suit.

I really liked this issue, even though I am not a fan of Humberto Ramos' art. Now that he's not drawing everyone with huge feet, and he has toned down the goofier aspects of his character rendering, I am almost liking his work. He's a fine artist. No condemnation of his skill. It's just that his style is not to my taste, which is a different argument than it not being any good; this is a distinction that not everyone can make.

Just seeing Peter Parker back in mind, body, and spirit warms my heart. Seeing him with his Aunt May, finally being his true and loving self, is all the better.

This issue did very well advancing the story into the next chapter of Spider-Man's life while tying up loose ends from the last two years of story line, especially in regards to what Peter will do with Doc Ock's lover Anna Maria Marconi.

Marvel also planned well to make this debut issue double sized by filling it with additional stories by other creative teams dealing with other characters in the Spider universe, such as Electro and Black Cat.

Also, Spider-Man having his suit get shredded so he must fight in makeshift web-underwear reminds us that only Peter Parker could ever have such problems and that the one and only Spider-Man is truly back in action, webby-tighties and all.

Hulk #002

I also reviewed issue #1 of the new Hulk comic in Weekly Comics for 1404.16.

I happen to agree with this review HULK #2 REVIEW from MAJOR SPOILERS.

It's always fun just to watch an artist I like take over a comic and such is the case here with Mark Bagley. As I mentioned in my previous review, despite Waid's smart writing, his work fell flat in the previous incarnation because the art was sub-par, and my enjoyment of this story is increased ten-fold by the much improved art.

The idea of a brain damaged, "stupid" Bruce Banner heightens the isolation and outsider-status of the character while exploring an as yet unexplored direction. It's too bad that the story will not continue long. Already, in current issues of Original Sin off shoots, Banner is a genius again, which is part of the problem with Marvel. The company has too many "magic tricks," in which it can employ cheap deus ex machina to fix a story line with a a wave of a godly magic wand rather than telling a story in which the character prevails through much hardship.

Still, there's a good story here, and it's fun to see S.H.I.E.L.D. more involved as well, especially given how the TV show has increased awareness of the espionage subculture of the Marvel universe.

Bagley's Hulk work is gorgeous, and so it's even more fun to see him tackle a classic story line, such as the Hulk versus the Abomination.

Great stuff!

Uber #12 and more about writing

As far as I know, I am the only one loving Uber. This is not true as the book is selling well as far as I know, especially since it was originally a short series and has been renewed by publisher Avatar. And there is a great deal of chatter and reviews of it online. But I do not know anyone who reads it locally. I have talked it up quite a bit in the comic book store, trying to encourage the discerning readers to pick it up. Not sure if I have had success with that yet or not.

One of the strengths of Uber is author Kieron Gillen's back matter. I mentioned the back matter from this issue recently in the post for Comics from 1404.16. I am always very interested in a writer's process, and Gillen gives an excellent glimpse of how Uber comes from conception to completion. In this back matter, he discuss the Uber schedule, which is why the comic is coming out more than monthly, and he elaborates on how this creation process is different in comic books, as he's been feeding three artists as once to maintain this schedule. In addition to writing about how this issue focused on the character of Stephanie, but how he struggled to write it as he was working the time following the death of his father. He used this personal confession as a way to write about writer's block and how it does not exist (or he doesn't believe in it, that is). Gillen inspires me and motivates me as a writer much in the same way that Stephen King inspires me (as I am also writing a review of Doctor Sleep right now, which may be the next blog post ... or not).

I once had a supposed "friend" tell me that I was not a "real" writer because after a few years of being my friend she had not seen me finish anything, any novel. Though I am well aware that I have not finished a draft of a novel since the two I wrote in the 1990s, I took exception to her unkind and obviously bitter remarks. I feel that my recent blog work, including the t-shirt blog, proves this "not a real writer" thing as wrong.

I was also struck and affected by words of Stephen King that I read in an interview while working on my Doctor Sleep review. Here it is:

The biggest beef King has with mainstream literary culture is one of productivity. He was recently asked by the New York Times to review Donna Tartt's new novel, The Goldfinch. "And Donna Tartt is an amazingly good writer. She's dense, she's allusive. She's a gorgeous storyteller. But three books in 30 years? That makes me want to go to that person and grab her by the shoulders and look into her face and say, 'Do you realise how little time you have in the scheme of things?'"
It is 11 years since Tartt's last book, and King says, "I looked at it and thought, 'God help you, Donna, this better be interesting.'" And was it? He smiles. "It's very good." When people ask why he is so prolific, he smiles and tells them: "I'll stop soon enough" (GUARDIAN article).

For me, I am striving for the opposite of King's situation. I am striving to get started, for real this time.

WEEKLY COMICS LIST

COMICS FOR 1404.30

Amazing Spider-Man #1
Hulk #002
All-New X-Men #026
Avengers World #005
Avengers #028
New Avengers #017
Uber #12
Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze #5
Silver Surfer #002
The Flash - annual #3
Uncanny Avengers - annual #1
Dream Police #1
Black Science #6

BACK LOG

Batman Eternal #4
Avengers AI #012


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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 1407.20 - 11:14