Something a little different — snippets from my pull list

I’m going to take brief looks at six titles on my current monthly pull list, all released during this past month of April. While these six titles do not comprise my entire pull list for April, they are the lion’s share of it. My more limited finances of late have taken a definite toll on what I’m willing to plunk down for today’s comics. But I’d rather save my money for books I’m enjoying reading. That makes sense, right?

Titans No. 36 (DC Comics) — This is the final issue of the Rebirth Titans title. While the book has failed to recapture the heights of the Wolfman/Perez era of the Titans characters, I was one of the people who enjoyed Dan Abnett’s take with the relaunch. His version of the characters read true to their respective personalities to me; the stories just weren’t all that riveting, especially as the title was held hostage more and more by the overall DC Universe. The new mission for the Titans in the wake of the team’s forced break-up and then the events of “No Justice” just didn’t seem as strong as focusing on the bond these people share with each other. Add to that the loss of several key characters other writers had plans for, and this title just seemed doomed several months ago.

Fantastic Four No. 9 (Marvel Comics) — I like a lot of Marvel characters, but I’m sure it comes as no shock to regular readers of this blog that I collect a lot more DC titles. But I decided to give the 2018 relaunch of Marvel’s first family a try based on past writings by Dan Slott. So far, he hasn’t disappointed. His first arc was a bit *meh* for me, dealing as it did with where the FF members have been for so long. But the long-anticipated wedding of Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters, quickly followed by the latest face-off between the FF and Dr. Doom, which concludes with this issue, were both great reads. These books prove once again that comics can be fun. More titles should follow this example.

Justice League Nos. 21 and 22 (DC Comics) — This is one of those titles that is killing others like Titans. Believe it or not, I like more issues than not of the sweeping epic Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV are weaving with Justice League since its relaunch in 2018 following “No Justice.” I do. But there have been a few clunkers in the past 22 issues. And the problem with having your sweeping epic take over so many titles and story lines and months of publishing time without a resolution is that at some point, it becomes easier to simply ignore the entire thing than to keep up with it. I haven’t reached that point yet, but I think about it more with each passing month. Comics are an ongoing medium meant to continue ever onward, but individual stories are not.

Star Trek: Year Five No. 1 (IDW Publishing) — I have liked a lot of what IDW has done with its Star Trek license, including the Year Four series they did several years ago. This is only the first issue, so it is pretty early to judge with much accuracy, but this series debut seems like a good one. There are references to previous episodes of the television series to please the die-hard fans. The characterizations seem pretty accurate, and the premise, at least so far, seems well laid out for any newbies. I have high hopes for this title.

Nightwing No. 59 (DC Comics) — The Rebirth Nightwing title has been hit-and-miss with me, and I dropped it some time back. While some of the stories were good, many of them seemed to be re-treading ground already covered in the title’s previous incarnations. The changes to the title character since his being shot in the pages of Tom King’s Batman did not inspire me to pick the title back up. What did was the promise of Dan Jurgens coming onboard as the writer. I like both Jurgens’ writing and his art. I’m buying the next few issues hoping he will bring back the character I enjoy — one of my top three favorite characters, in fact. This is only the first issue and there’s leftover baggage to be dealt with from the previous writers. This issue wasn’t great, but I’ll give Mr. Jurgens a few more to win me back to Nightwing.

Criminal No. 4 (Image Comics) — No surprise here for longtime readers of this blog, I’m sure. I love most everything this creative team — Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips — has collaborated on from Velvet to Kill or Be Killed to Scene of the Crime to previous incarnations of this very title. This latest version of Criminal is more of the same, and I love it.

So those are some of the titles I’m currently buying. What are the rest of you buying? And have you thought about why lately? Sometimes reflecting on your buying habits from time to time can be a good thing.

Happy collecting! And come back in two weeks for some thoughts on a Batman comic from my youth!

Changing Habits, Changing Suppliers

Superior Spider-Man Vol. 1: My Own Worst Enemy and Vol. 2: A Troubled Mind
Marvel Comics
Dan Slott, writer
Humberto Ramos and Ryan Stegman, artists

I've been buying a lot fewer comics of late.

This isn't the first time I've tried to trim my comics-buying budget. Several times in the past, I'd look at what I was buying and how much I was actually enjoying each title as opposed to buying out of habit. I think such periodic analysis is good, and it would often trim my pull list by a few titles here or there.

But this time has been different. It started out the same, weeding out a few titles only at first. But as I discussed last time, I'm selling titles I very much enjoyed but no longer have the storage space for. In light of some of the things I've been selling, it seems silly to buy so much stuff I might enjoy briefly, but will likely just turn around and sell in short order and take a big loss on. Don't get me wrong, reading and enjoying some books has its own value. But why buy so many knowing I'm just going to eat the difference?

Especially when I don't have to. The prevalence of trade paperbacks these days means there are other venues available to comics readers. For instance, the public library. I've borrowed a number of trades and read them through my local library. It's a good, inexpensive way to keep up with a title in which my interest might have waned or to try something new I'm not sure I'll like.

Superior Spider-Man is one of the titles I decided to give a try through the library, and I've been very glad I did. I like Spider-Man. I read some runs from the 1970s when I was a kid that I very much enjoyed, and I still have a few stand-alone issues that are fun to re-read from time to time. But I've never followed the character on a regular basis.

I've heard and read a lot of good things about Superior Spider-Man, the title that recently wrapped up to make way for the return of Amazing Spider-Man. I've also enjoyed other things Dan Slott has written in the past. So Superior Spider-Man seemed like a good title to try, but since Spidey isn't a character I regularly read, the library seemed a good option for a trial of the book.

The first two Superior Spider-Man trades aren't the meatiest in terms of page count; each one collects five issues of the title. But the first was good enough, I requested the second. And the second was also good, so I plan to continue with the series.

For those not in the know on Spidey's world, Superior Spider-Man launched with a new No. 1 in January 2013 because the man under the mask was no longer Peter Parker. In the final story arc of the previous volume of Amazing Spider-Man, the terminally ill Dr. Otto Octavius (Dr. Octopus) managed to transplant his own consciousness into Peter Parker's body, leaving Peter's mind in his own dying form. Peter was unable to undo that switch before Octavius' body died. Believing the real Peter to be "out of the way," Octavius set about using Peter's memories to assume the younger man's life, including his alter ego. But Octavius was not content merely to be young and powerful again. He set out to be a better Spider-Man than Peter had been — a superior Spider-Man.

The first trade in this new series showed Octavius assuming Peter's life and relationships. It also let readers know that Peter was not completely out of the picture. A fragment of his consciousness still existed in his old body, but Peter could not physically affect anything Octavius was doing.

In his defense, Octavius did do some good in Spider-Man's body. He used both Peter's scientific knowledge as well as his own to improve Spidey's costume and create a number of helpful gadgets. For instance, he took Peter's original design for the spider-tracer — a simple way for Peter to "tag" an enemy so he could find him or her later — and fashioned an army of tiny spider robots that could patrol the city, giving him instant eyes on any trouble situation. But Octavius' hubris and violent tendencies also made him much more brutal and unforgiving than Spider-Man had ever been before. In that first volume, Octavius as Spider-Man knowingly uses lethal force to stop a criminal, an act which garnered a mixed reaction among the authorities and civilians.

In the second volume, Octavius continues to operate as a much more inventive but brutal "hero," much to the horror of the phantom Peter trapped in his own body. But with effort, Peter slowly manages to gain some slight control of his body when Octavius sleeps. Peter hopes to use this limited control to call attention to his situation, especially when the Avengers begin to question the dark turn Spider-Man has taken. Unfortunately, Peter's actions also serve to make Octavius aware of his presence.

Slott is telling a gripping tale that is certainly holding my attention better than I expected it to. I'm genuinely curious to see what more Octavius can and will do in his effort to be a better hero than Peter was, and knowing full well that Peter will somehow come back, I'm still curious to see how that feat will be accomplished. Additionally, Slott has populated his tale with a number of new supporting characters that are equally as interesting as the leads.

Ramos' and Stegman's art is a little on the cartoony side and might not work for some other heroes, but seems to fit well in Spider-Man's world. In fact, the lighter tone of the art serves to soften some of the darker ramifications of Octavius' actions as Spider-Man.

I don't plan on dropping all of the titles I buy in favor of borrowing from the library; I still want to own the stories of my favorite characters and certain story lines I'm more likely to return to and re-read multiple times. But the library is a great alternative for reading and trying titles I might not otherwise be able to afford.

Why I Hate Supergirl

OK, kiddie-cops, I’m back for another lightning round of comics reviews looking back over mags that I’ve recently read. And starting us off is

Supergirl (2005) 7-8 (DC Comics) — OK, I cheated a little bit here in reading order since #8 didn’t come out until almost the end of July, but I didn’t expect to like either of these books much, so I read ‘em both together. Why buy them if I didn’t expect to like them, you ask. It’s the problem with advance ordering your comics. I didn’t expect to like them after reading #6 a couple months ago, but by that time, I’d already ordered these two. I have NOT ordered #9.

I like the original Supergirl. And I’m not necessarily opposed to updating and reintroducing old characters as new ones. I like the new Supergirl, Matrix, introduced after Superman’s revamp. I just don’t like this latest ultra-teen, sorority-chick, stereotype that DC is parading around as the Maid of Steel.

I could handle her introduction in the pages of Superman/Batman. I’m not altogether certain if she truly had an evil personality to begin with or if Darkseid “created” one when he kidnapped her, but that tale was passable, and even had some memorable moments. Her next adventure, kicking off her own title, wasn’t too bad either, tying in with the events of Infinite Crisis and Luthor and such, and the use of her evil side was a nice touch. But the story was so drawn out what with all of the delayed issues, it was a little hard to follow. But now, the midriff-baring whiner moves into One Year Later, dragging Power Girl along with her, into a twisted vision of the bottle city of Kandor. Making this story, even more lame, in my opinion, is the use of Ultraman and the evil Saturn Girl from another Superman/Batman arc. I’m just not buying it, literally.

Detective Comics 821 (DC Comics) — New writer Paul Dini is not the first scribe to return this title to one that lives up to its name, but as a creator on Batman, The Animated Series, he’s proven he gets Batman, isn’t afraid to use Bruce Wayne in a story as more than a fool, and above all, shows us why Batman is known as the World’s Greatest Detective. He doesn’t just punch his way to a resolution in this done-in-one tale, he searches out clues, follows leads and uncovers a new villain with good, old-fashioned detective work.

Teen Titans 37 (DC Comics) — I’ve been reading a lot of people bashing this title of late online. I’m starting to agree that maybe it's lost its focus a little bit with the jump One Year Later. I’m not opposed to having new characters in the group, but its almost like Johns is bored with keeping Cyborg, Robin and Wonder Girl around but feels he has to to keep his audience. Or maybe he’s stretched a little thin right now with all he’s doing. It’s the Titans; I have high hopes, so I’m not dropping it yet, but I’m disappointed in this most recent arc.

Secret Six 2 (DC Comics) — Just not quite sure about this one either. Gail Simone is such a great writer and Villains United such a great read, I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt so far. But this follow-up miniseries seems even more violent, and with somewhat less focus, so far.

The Thing (2005) 8 (Marvel Comics) — Now this is good comics, people!!!! Naturally, it’s the last issue. I don’t like everything Dan Slott writes. I just don’t get the appeal behind his latest reimagining of She-Hulk. It’s just not that funny to me. But he did right by bashful Benjy, the ever-lovin’ blue-eyed Thing. And in true style for a fun comic, Slott takes this book out on a high note. Just about evertbody who’s anybody in the Marvel Universe shows up in this blowout final issue for a rollicking Superhero Championship poker match.

Slott went out on such a high note, how can I do any less? That’s it for today. Happy collecting.

More Reviews From Early June

Hey, had a chance to read a few more books this week, so let’s jump right in with my thoughts on ’em. Not sure if I’ve said it before or not, but some spoilers will be included from time to time.

The Thing 7 (Marvel Comics) — This is a fun book. I didn’t care so much for writer Dan Slott’s humor in his revamp of She-Hulk a couple years ago, but as I’ve said in discussing the 1983 Thing series, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Fantastic Four’s monstrous quarter. Well, Slott succeeds quite nicely with bashful Benjy’s adventures in this series, at least as far as I’m concerned. Naturally, next issue is the final as this title has been canceled waaaaaaay before its time. This issue has Ben trying to surprise one-time girlfriend Alicia, a blind sculptress, by taking her back in time to witness the creation of the Venus de Milo, her favorite sculpture. Naturally, things don’t work out quite like Ben intended, and maybe even a little history is re-written.

Superman/Batman 26 (DC Comics) — I can’t quite make up my mind about this issue. The Superman/Batman book can be fun, but I really didn’t like issue #7, the first to focus on Robin and Superboy instead. The characterization just seemed off to me. Not so much Superboy and Robin’s personalities, but Batman and Superman’s. The elder heroes seemed to not even like their younger counterparts, let alone trust them. Issue #26 is a continuation of that earlier story in more ways than one. It’s a fun little tale, and the true-story behind its origins tugs at the heart, but again, the adult heroes seem overly judgmental concerning the teen titans.

JLA Classified 16-21 (DC Comics) — First, a side note: Whenever I’m buying a multi-part story that doesn’t fit into continuity, I wait and read the whole thing when I have all of the issues — kinda like “waiting for the trade” without really waiting all that time for the actual trade. Most of the tales in Classified happened sometime in the undefined past, so they fit this bill. That means I just read all six of these issues for the first time this week. Conclusion: This is the Justice league done right!!!!! They work together as a team. They don’t always agree, but they like each other. Even Batman. He’s unquestionably their strategist. He’s coordinating the moves of the others in the final battle in spite of the fact he’s the only one of them without some fantastic power. But he’s not ordering them about like his own personal pawns. He tells them the plan ahead of time so they can better play their respective roles. Gail Simone turns in great plots each month on Birds of Prey. This arc proves she gets more than just the girl heroes.

52 Week Five (DC Comics) — We learn more about the messed up condition of the returning space heroes. And sure enough, Alan Scott is missing an eye (actually two of them as he points out in the story). That was one of the most significant things for me in this issue because it messed up my system of ordering these books. Scott has two good eyes in current issues of JSA, or seems to at least. That means I have to place the current story arc from JSA somewhere before the events of Infinite Crisis when he went out into space since he returns without the eye. Since the beginning of the story arc involves the golden-age Superman, placing this arc before Infinite Crisis can’t be done. I’ll have to wait and see when each arc wraps up, but maybe the solution will have to be that GL went out into space, lost an eye, came back, and has ring-created sight in the JSA arc in question. The fact that Alan lost his eye in space also blows my theory that he was going to lose it in the current JSA Classified arc with Vandal Savage.

Anyway, back to 52, they’ve delayed telling us about what happened to John Henry Irons in the last issue. He’s too busy trying to help the injured now to bring it up to anybody, but it looked like his armor took him over. Whatupwidat? It’s nice to see that Adam Strange, Starfire and Animal Man aren’t dead, but where the heck are they? Why did DC turn Renee Montoya into such a butt-head when they made her gay? I don’t care that she’s gay although that turn of events seemed to come outta left field, but since she came out she’s been angry and bitter and self-destructive. I’d almost say they are moving her into position to be the new gay Batwoman, but that character is supposed to be a re-vamped Kathy Kane. Oh, and one more 52 question, why is the backup History of the DCU so un-interesting so far? I like this series but I don’t like parts of it a lot.

Detective Comics 820 (DC Comics) — I’m enjoying this Face the Face story bringing Bats back after his year away, and I’m really liking the Jason Bard backup feature. I hope it doesn’t go away when Robinson ends his run as writer, but I imagine it will. This is a competent Batman who likes and works together with Robin and Commissioner Gordon. Finally.

JSA 86 (DC Comics) — I’ve heard some grumbling about the incoherency of this final JSA story arc before the book ends. I don’t see it. The sequence of events isn’t that hard to follow to me, and since I’ve never followed Hawkman to any large degree, I have only a passing knowledge of the Gentleman Ghost, so there’s less history to contradict for me, if this story does indeed contradict what has gone before. I’m liking this ghost story by DC president and publisher Paul Levitz and golden-age artist extraordinaire Jerry Ordway.

Outsiders 37 (DC Comics) — Since One Year Later began, this title has taken a decidely darker turn. I’m not opposed to that on principle. Darker stories can be good stories. But each issue recently has made me worry about reconciling Nightwing’s behavior here and in his own book. I don’t want to drop this book. I like the concept and I like what Winick did before the Crisis. But this issue’s confrontation between Nightwing and Superman, I mean, this issue’s Nightwing threatening Superman, I just don’t know ...

Justice League Unlimited 22 (DC Comics) — This book is just plain fun. It follows the characters as they were envisioned in the Timm-verse of the recent departed Justice League cartoon. The stories aren’t simplistic, but they can be equally enjoyed by youngsters and older fans alike. They are filled with nostalgia, wonder and awe. Bravo to Adam Beechen and Rick Burchett for their outstanding work month in and month out.

Whew! That’s a bunch, but that’s what I read since the last post.

Thing Has Changed

Hello, again. We’ve been talking about the ongoing series I am currently reading or re-reading as I work my way through the back issues of my own comic book collection. So, far, we’ve discussed The New Teen Titans, The Warlord and Jon Sable, Freelance. The fourth book that fits into that time frame is the first Marvel Comics title devoted to the solo adventures of the ever-lovin’ blue-eyed Thing.

Now, Ben Grimm has always been my favorite member of the Fantastic Four. I tend to gravitate toward some of the more monstrous-in-appearance heroes from the Marvel Universe. I like Thing, I like Hulk, I like Beast, I like Nightcrawler and I like werewolves, so, since we’re talking about Marvel, I like Werewolf By Night.

Currently, Ben has his own solo title again. It’s already been canceled, but Dan Slott’s take on the character was spot-on. And during the Silver Age of comics, Thing starred as the recurring character in Marvel team-up title Two-In-One. But, today we are discussing the early ’80s series The Thing by John Byrne (writer) and Ron Wilson (drawing). A few of the issues in early 1984 were written by Mike Carlin, too.

This series started out pretty good. Ben battled a collection of strange villains and had some unusual adventures in his first several issues. It was the Thing we all know and love - a grounded everyman who just happens to be incredibly strong, has a big heart and muddles his way through whatever life throws at him.

And that’s why this series is only so-so for me. Those first issues were great. But then the Marvel Powers-That-Were came along and screwed things up. 1984 was when Marvel Comics produced its first Secret Wars miniseries (certainly not the last to bear that name) in which a god-like being called the Beyonder whisked several heroes and villains off to an artificial planetoid and pitted them against each other. At the conclusion of the 12-issue extravaganza, Ben decided to stay on the artificial world, a place where he could inexplicably transform back and forth from human to the Thing, and sort out some of the relationships in his life.

So, naturally, in his own title, Ben ceases to be Ben. It doesn’t so much bother me that for the next 10 to 12 issues, he can transform; that doesn’t change the core character. But many of the storylines during this “Rocky Grimm (where the hell did that name come from), Space Ranger” arc were just too fantastical for my tastes. Sure Thing has been put into some fantastic situations as a member of the FF, but again, what makes the character great is his everyman groundedness. Take that away from him, as in these stories, and I just don’t care much for this “new guy.”

OK, so I’m bashing several of these issues. You guessed it; you will find a number of them that I didn’t care for on my Web site for sale. See, that’s one of the beautiful things about comics. These stories weren’t my personal cup o’ tea. That doesn’t mean noone will want them. Somebody out there might think I’m crazy for my “narrow” opinion, love these issues, and snatch them right up. The stories aren’t bad, they just aren’t Ben Grimm to me.

Next time, we’ll move on to something else. In the week it’s taken me to post about these titles from 1984, I’ve almost worked my way on in to 1985.