Artifex Weekly Rundown

OK so last week we had a sleeper issue that I don't think a lot of people knew about, and that is also going to tie in with a title coming out this week as well. Captain Marvel and MS. Marvel are soon to be knee deep in Skrulls, and last weeks issue, Captain Marvel 4, was the first big kick off to Marvel's Secret Invasion. Bad guys are returning that should be dead, and even Captain Marvel isn't too sure as to who he is and why he's back! MS. Marvel is having some Skrull issues of herself, and I will be going more in depth with that in this weeks picks o'da week. OH SO EXCITING!!!

Well, out with the old and in with the new as they say, so lets get going with this weeks picks and mentionables.

Kelly
Green Lantern 29 (and trust me it was a hard choice this week)
by Goeff Johns and new artist Oclair Albert joins GL vet Ivan Reis
Kicking off the "Secret Origin" story arc! Witness the beginnings of one of the bravest Green Lanterns who's ever lived as the "secret origin" of Hal Jordan is revealed in a whole new light! While Hal begins his career another Lantern, the greatest of all time, uncovers the mystery of Abin Sur's death and his obsession with the prophecy of "the Blackest Night."
*A little personal insight. For me I thought oh this is going to just be some filler for the '09 Blackest night story arc, however everything from the beginning of the Green lantern series has been leading to this moment so no breaks guys. Its gonna be new lanterns, new corps, and new enemies from here on out.*

Jim
Ms. Marvel 25
by Brian Reed (also writing for Captain Marvel) and art by Adriana Melo
The record-setting 25th issue is here, and it's super-sized! Is Ms. Marvel on the front lines of the Secret Invasion... or is she part of the invasion?! Brian Reed (CAPTAIN MARVEL) welcomes new series artist Adriana Melo onboard as Ms. Marvel begins her third year of action and adventure!
Ok so I promised so Ms. Marvel news, but if ya clicked the link above you should know whats going on so-ho-oh, let me tell you what I read encase you don't feel like doing it yerself.
So in the last issue Tony tells everyone Carol is a Skrull, and apparently you Ms. Marvel Fans should know this because when she was fighting the Brood on some Island there was another Carol walking around Stark Tower. So its going to be Ms. Marvel vs Ms. Marvel (oh yeah!)

Lauric
New Avengers 39
by Brian Michael Bendis and art by David Mack
The Secret Invasion is here! Award-winning artist David Mack brings his amazing talent to NEW AVENGERS to illustrate a major story in the life of Echo! Have the Skrulls infiltrated the Avengers? Is Maya Lopez the only one with proof? Will she live to tell the tale? All this and a major Avengers hook up!

OK so now that we have our names branded to titles lets shed some light on books coming in this week that just missed being picked as our picks of the week.

Ultimate X-Men 92
by Robert Kirkman (awesome Invincible writer) and art by Salvador Larroca
Hey, on the cover…is that Stryfe and Onslaught? Apocalypse's endgame is revealed as the beleaguered X-Men mount a last-ditch attack to save the world! Meanwhile, two more monstrous threats rear their ugly heads to ensure the young mutants' downfall! It's dark times for the X-Men, courtesy of writer Robert Kirkman (MARVEL ZOMBIES) and new ongoing penciler Salvador Larroca (UNCANNY X-MEN)!
and
Ultimate Spider-Man
Guest starring the X-Men! Now that one of Peter Parker's fellow students has been outted as a mutant, the struggle for their heart and mind is on! Magneto, Master of Magnetism, claims the new mutant as his own, but the X-Men aren't about to let that stand! It's a battle royale that rages across the city with the web-slinger caught in the middle! The dream tag-team of Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen deliver the finale to "Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends!"
I previewed both on Newsarama and freaking wow am I excited. These two books are doing really well right now, and I've been digging both.

Invincible Presents: Atom Eve #2 of 2

The most disappointing aspect of this issue was the wait for it to finally come out. I'm sure the trials and tribulations of the independent publisher are monumental, but with a two issue miniseries I just wish that Kirkman would have waited to have both in hand before soliciting and then publishing issue #1. It should be noted that this miniseries isn't critical to the "Invincible" monthly and is really just one big flashback over Eve's early life. Having said that, I did enjoy the read. Writer Genito Cereno has found Eve's voice and does an excellent job of presenting her early adventures. Artist Nate Bellegarde also is in good form producing art work that fits in well in the Kirkaverse. I enjoyed the read and would recommend it to "Invincible" fans.

Catwoman #77

Issue #75 didn't pull me in enough to put "Catwoman" on my pull list but it did make me want to see where the "Salvation Run" tied-in story was going. Well, two issues later and I can say that it was a satisfying read. The art from Adam Hughes' cover to David Lopez' penciling & Alvarardo Lopez' inking is really good. The covers are always fun - this one especially with the shocked and running Catwoman. The interiors are top notch. This team knows how to draw Catwoman. She stands head and shoulders above all of the other "heroes" in this book. I don't know how regular "Catwoman" readers found the detour over to "Salvation Run", but I was entertained. It wasn't earth shattering writing but it did make for a fun ride.

Invincible #49

Coming quickly on the heels of the last issue, "Invincible" #49 keeps the action (and intrigue) coming hard. Writer Robert Kirkman is setting up some big changes for the 50th issue of this series and the long laid seeds of Darkwing and the Reanimen come to fruition. Artist Ryan Ottley continues to impress with is great layouts and action sequences. I really like what he does with the title character.

I cannot recommend "Invincible" enough. I didn't hop on the bandwagon at the beginning. I was out of comics then. I did notice the "Invincible" section at the San Diego Comic Con. That's what got me interested. After picking up the first TPB, I was hooked. Everyone that I've loaned that TPB too has loved it. I'm now reading the "monthlies" and find that this series is a breath of fresh air. Of all of the Kirkaverse titles, this one truly stands out.

The Death of the New Gods #7 of 8

I guess with "Death" in the title one would come to expect a bit of carnage in the series and the penultimate issue of "The Death of the New Gods" takes out a few more New God favorites. I'm pretty numb to death in the DCU these days what with it being utilized at every turn as a major plot point. I started this series with relatively little knowledge of the New Gods except for what I picked up from the various appearances of Darkseid and Miracle Man. So, with the big revelation this issue I was pretty much thinking "who?" when it happened. I wasn't shocked or surprised...just baffled. I had no idea who this was and, therefore, it wasn't an "oh, wow" moment for me. Maybe if I was a big Jack Kirby Fourth World fan it would have been. Who knows? Writer Jim Starlin continues to whittle down the remaining Fourth World Gods and we are left basically with Darkseid all glowing and fiery ready to do battle with the universal yin/yang thing.

I'll hold judgement until the final issue. However, Starlin has done what DC editorial asked him to do. He's wiped out the New Gods, but the story along the way has been a frustrating read.

Artifex Weekly Rundown

Here are this week's picks from my LCS:

Jim
Thor 7
We say thee HELL YEAH! After the events of the mega-blockbuster, multiple-issue-sellout, critically acclaimed first arc that restored the mighty God of Thunder and Asgard to full glory, Thor is back in action with a vengeance! And joining J. Michael Straczynski…fan-favorite DAREDEVIL cover artist Marko Djurdjevic comes on board to provide amazing painted interiors for an explosive two-issue arc! Thor's never been more intense!

Kelly
Invincible 49
Story by Robert Kirkman art by Ryan Ottley
The Reanimen are back, but now they're fighting for the good guys?! And if that's the case, why are they facing off against Invincible? It all comes to a head here! Events are set in motion leading up to our big issue 50 – coming next month!

Lauric
Superman Batman Annual 2
Acclaimed writer Joe Kelly joins fan-favorite artist Scott Kolins (THE FLASH) for a reimagining of a classic story from Superman and Batman's Silver Age! In WORLD'S FINEST #178, Superman lost his powers and took on the identity of Nova, the inspiration for 52's Super-Nova. Now, the mysterious Socrates has robbed the world of its Man of Steel forcing Batman and Robin to find a way to replace him!

The Brave and the Bold #11

Any fears that reader's had with the exit of George Perez are silenced in this issue. Oncoming artist Jerry Ordway does a fantastic job. I remember reading a lot of Ordway back in the late 80s early 90s and I loved his Superman. He gets to double up on the Supes with both Superman and Ultraman hanging around. Mark Waid has the threads of the Megistus arc coming together as the first year of this series draws to a close. Waid has kept me interested throughout this first year with the quirky team ups and running thread of the threat of Megistus. This issue continues with another interesting team up and moves the plot along at a good pace.

Without skipping a beat, "The Brave and the Bold" gets a new, top-notch artist and moves head first towards the final chapter in the Megistus story arc. I'm left looking forward to next month's last chapter and for whatever the future brings this excellent title.

Batman and the Outsiders #5

This week DC and writer James Robinson announced a spin-off title called "Justice League". The mission of this team would be to be a proactive JL going after criminals. Now, I though that was supposed to be the mission of Batman & the Outsiders. I think that was probably true before Chuck Dixon stepped in at the last minute as writer. Now the Outsiders really serve as Batman's strong covert action team - somewhat related to the JLA. The first six issues of this series have been interesting and I like Dixon's take on Batman's team. This issue brings us one step closer to the launch of the OMAC-related satellites. I won't spoil it here but Dixon throws in a little twist right up front that took me to the reveal to understand what was going on. It will be interesting to see if he chooses to keep these two characters around for the long haul. Julian Lopez, Bit, & Marta Martinez continue to put out excellent art. Lopez does action well and his layouts are pretty good. The pacing throughout this issue is spot on and made the read quite enjoyable.

This is one of DC's best team books, beating out both "Teen Titans" and "Justice League of America" with its great writing and art.

The Flash #238

The new ongoing creative team steps up to the plate and gets on base at least. Addressing one of the issues that hasn't been addressed since Wally and his family's return, new "The Flash" writer Tom Peyer takes on how Wally supports his family. I'm glad to see Jay Garrick added back to the mix as well. I like the mentoring that he provides. I believe if this book could get back to the Flash legacy it would be a top tier book. The new antagonist "Spin" is a bit of a reach, but I like what Peyer does with him. The character design is not very inspired as I prefer him in his civilian guise. This issue is actually much better than the last half-year's worth of issues. While I love Mark Waid, his return to "The Flash" left me cold. Peyer comes on and quickly establishes his voice for Wally and moves the book in a new direction.

I would like to see Peyer do with Wally what Peter J. Tomasi has done with Nightwing in his solo book. We need to see the legacy of the Flash with Jay Garrick and maybe the return of others, see how Wally fits into the DCU with drop ins from his Titans & JLA buddies, and expand upon Wally's rogues gallery. Peyer hits on two out of the three notes in his first issue. While he didn't knock it out of the park, he provided new readers a good jumping on point and old readers hope for the future.

Countdown to Final Crisis #6

Umm...no. With the dramatic cover for "Countdown to Final Crisis" #6 and the tagline "The Great Disaster is Upon Us", I thought this might be the beginning issue of the final sprint to the finish. However, Dini & Co. stumble as they round the final turn. The text heavy observations where extremely boring and made for a tedious read. In the end we have the traveling heroes on a different Earth in the multiverse with the virus spreading. So, once again, we are getting a scorched Earth scenario where the stakes really don't matter - who cares if another Earth gets white washed. It didn't add up to much for Earth-51 and it doesn't make me care here either. One of the many Karate Kids is dead - should I care?

I'm only buying now because I've been buying all along. I hope that DC can do something better with "Trinity". "Countdown" has been a waste of time and money and did not live up to the standards of "52".

Green Arrow & Black Canary #6

After some heart wrenching issues, GA/BC gets back to the worldwide action and intrigue. This issue read like a "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" sequel with Green "Brad Pitt" Arrow and Black "Angelina Jolie" Canary going undercover and blowing stuff up. Cliff Chiang's art is truly the high point of this series. He is the fulcrum on which GA/BC turns. I read a lot on the boards about Judd Winick's writing and most of it is not good. I haven't read a lot of Winick so I don't know what all the Winick story tricks are. However, I think that this read while fun and entertaining was a bit off the mark on tone. With Green Arrow going after whoever incapacitated and kidnapped his son, you would think that the grim Longbow Hunter might resurface. However, here we get the Brett Ratner version of GA - that is not a compliment. I like popcorn media just as much as the next guy, but with the grim setup over the last couple of issues, I think the light hearted tone is missplaced.

Tiny Titans #2

The second issue of "Tiny Titans" got another thumbs up from my nine-year-old. Being a Titans fan, I get a chuckle out of each issue and this one had more hits than misses in it. Art Baltazar continues with the setup-punch line jokes with several shorts here. The "Fearsome Five" stories were the highlight of the issue but I also liked seeing Beast Boy crush on Terra.

If you are looking for a kid safe comic book that is fun to read, "Tiny Titans" is it.

Superman #674

First off, I have to admit that I liked Renato Guedes art here. I hammered him when he was filling in on "Supergirl" because of his "fat" rendition of the title character. However, here in "Superman", he really shines. I've been reading Bryan K. Vaughan and Tony Harris' "Ex Machina" and Guedes "Superman" art mirrors Tony Harris'. The realistic art plays very nicely. Kurt Busiek's story is actually pretty fun. I like that he brings Mon-El back into the picture. Man, the Legion crew is getting a lot of play this year - I guess anniversaries will do that. The antagonist is actually someone who can go toe-to-toe with Superman as well. It is always nice to see Supes use his head instead of his fists.

This issue would serve as a decent jumping on point for new readers. Busiek covers the bases for new readers while keeping guys like me interested in the story. All-in-all a solid read.

Teen Titans: Year One #3 of 6

At the end of issue three we hit the end of the review of the first Teen Titans adventure. What took one issue back in the day, took three here. The seams of the story began to show in issue two, but Karl Kerchel's art with Serge LaPointe and Steph Peru held the issue together. This issue is pretty much more of the same with the younger heroes bemoaning the actions of the older heroes and finally solving the case. This leaves us three issues for Wolfram to work some magic. I'm hoping that she takes new spin on this team and tells an original tale. There is a lot of fertile ground here and I believe that she can do it. The art team really makes this book, though. While the story has been weak, the art team has put out some great character designs, page layouts, and just plain cool art.

I can't fully recommend the first half of the series and I'm hoping that the back half brings something new.

Uncle Sam & the Freedom Fighters #6 of 8

This issue got lost in the shuffle during work - yeah, actual job work, and I missed reading it. I'm still digging on Renato Arlem's art for this miniseries. He matches the tone set by writers Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti. I'm not sure how the team will shake out as we head to the back quarter of this series, but Gray & Palmiotti have certainly put forth a wild ride affecting all team members. In this issue we finally get to see the team fight back against the Red Bee. The cover is a bit misleading because the young Ray is not in much of the book. The final splash page does provide an excellently cool moment going forward. I hope that the Ray - both father & son - move to center stage in the final two issues. I remember reading the younger Ray's adventures in his solo series in the 90s and loved his character.

With the meat grinder that the team has been through, who knows who will be left to face the "Final Crisis". However, I have enjoyed this mini so far and look forward to its conclusion.

Infinity Inc. #7

Not only did I put off reading this comic, once I read it I really didn't feel I had much to say about it. I'm really just holding out until the new artist, Pete Woods, comes on board next issue. The first seven issues of this series have really fell flat for me. I just don't care about any of the characters except for John Irons. It looks like issue eight will take the "team" in a new direction - uniforms and all. The art looks good and I hope that writer Peter Milligan can turn this book around. I don't know or get what he was going for in the first arc.

The Pull List - March 18, 2008

DC Comics
BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #5
BRAVE AND THE BOLD #11
CATWOMAN #77
COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 6
DEATH OF THE NEW GODS #7 (OF 8)
FLASH #238
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #19
ROBIN #172
SUPER FRIENDS #1
SUPERMAN BATMAN ANNUAL #2
TANGENT SUPERMANS REIGN #1 (OF 12)


Marvel Comics
THOR #7

Image Comics
INVINCIBLE #49

Robert Kirkman keeps the hits rolling getting out "Invincible" #49 this week. He is really the reason to read Superhero books. I'm trying out "Super Friends" and "Tangent Superman's Reign" this week. I'm sure the former will be cute. JMS' "Thor" continues to be a good read. I hope that he can keep up the quality story telling now that he's moved over to DC. Of the DC offerings only "The Brave and the Bold" has really grabbed me lately. All of the DC books seem to be slowing down as "Final Crisis" approaches.

Nightwing #142

DC puts out another great read in "Nightwing" #142. In just a few issues, writer Peter J. Tomasi has propelled Nightwing to the forefront of the DCU. He has him firmly established in the Batman family and with the greater DCU as well. He's a player. Dick - I mean Richard - is finally looking like the man that I thought he would grow into while reading those "New Teen Titan" stories back in the 80s. Penciller Rags Morales does a great job of incorporating Dick's aerial acrobatic past into his Nightwing moves. He gives him a fluidity that I haven't seen in any other book. With this creative team, I have gone from not wanting to pick this title up to looking forward to it every month.

If you haven't tried Tomasi & Morales' "Nightwing", you should. These guys have this title clicking and I hope that translates to sales.

Countdown to Final Crisis #7

Our intrepid heroes are now back on Earth...or are they? This issue has the collected heroes running around Earth looking for help for Karate Kid and finding out that they may not be back to where they started. The characterization of Ray Palmer continues to jump all over the place with him now acting as a hero and not a whiny ass. This issue rambles along really going no where. It is better than last issues repetitious story, but not by much. I get the feeling that the writers are starting to stall again. After stalling for 26+ issues, throwing in some decent action, now we are back to treading water.

You could probably skip this week's issue and not miss a whole heck of a lot.

Booster Gold #7

It is good to see Blue and Gold back together in action. Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz have put it all out there showing the ramifications of Booster's save of Ted. Basically all hell breaks loose this issue with the Blue and Gold team bouncing around assessing the situation. I had a lot of fun reading this issue. From the art team of Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund to the great characterization of both the lead characters and the backup crew, "Booster Gold" hits on all cylinders. If you haven't been getting this book, you should. It is one of DC's top reads and should be shooting up the sales charts. The creative team here have established "Booster Gold" as a pivotal comic read in the DCU.

So, what are you waiting for? Get out and get this book. You won't be sorry.