DC COMICS
DETECTIVE COMICS #847
FINAL CRISIS #3
NIGHTWING #147
TRINITY #10
MARVEL COMICS
AVENGERS INVADERS #4
ETERNALS #3
HULK #5
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #4
IRON MAN VIVA LAS VEGAS #2
TWELVE #7
ULTIMATE ORIGINS #3
Normally I manage to make it to at least one major comic con a year. Usually it is Wizard World Chicago because I am just too lazy to fly all the way from the east coast to the west coast just for a comic con. I have to say that I was bummed that work got so busy this year that I could not go hang out with my fellow comic book fans and check out all of the interesting panels that DC and Marvel had cooking this year.
But, honestly what I really missed the most were all of the fine looking ladies dressed up in costumes. Luckily for me, Marvel was kind enough to post a video in order to satisfy my prurient desires.
All right, it looks like we have a total of 11 titles headed to the Bunker. This week is heavier with Marvel titles than DC titles. However, DC has the advantage of having its big gun title coming out this week. Now, I am curious to see if Final Crisis #3 can avoid getting beaten by a Marvel title this week. While I have enjoyed Final Crisis, there is no doubt that the sales numbers have been a real disappointment for DC.
Which DC comic book am I most looking forward to reading? This is an easy one to answer. Final Crisis #3. I have completely enjoyed this title so far. Yeah, it is thick and complex. And I agree that it is tough for new readers since it is incredibly continuity heavy. But, the fact is that I am not a new reader and I have been enjoying this intriguing tale that Morrison is weaving. Plus, I cannot wait to see my boy, Barry Allen, back in action once again.
Which DC comic book am I least looking forward to reading? That would be Trinity #10. This title is not terrible. It is just nothing incredible. There have been moments that I think that Busiek has finally hooked me and then he delivers an average issue and begins to lose my interest once again. I will say that at least Trinity is an improvement over Countdown. Hmm, I guess that really is not much of a compliment, huh?
Which Marvel comic book am I most looking forward to reading? I have completely enjoyed the Knaufs’ work on the Eternals. However, it seems that I am in the minority. Despite my deep appreciation for the Knaufs’ talents, the fact remains that the Eternals are a very hard sell. They have never been a particularly popular group of characters. And Marvel has never been able to figure out how to use these characters to their fullest potential. And it is too bad since the Eternals are the product of the great Jack Kirby.
I am going to go with Avengers/Invaders #4 as the Marvel comic book that I am most looking forward to reading. Krueger has done a great job with this title so far. I have really enjoyed his take on the Invaders. Unfortunately, it appears that this issue is going to treat us to some incredibly well worn territory as we are going to be forced to see the Secret Avengers “battle” the Mighty Avengers. Still, I have faith in Krueger to deliver a quality read.
Which Marvel comic book am I least looking forward to reading? I cannot say that I am all that excited about Invincible Iron Man #4. I still cannot believe that Marvel cancelled such an incredibly well written and delightfully complex title in the Knaufs’ Iron Man: Director of SHIELD in order to give us this unoriginal piece of fluff from Matt Fraction.
I am sure that Hulk #5 is going to be another half-baked issue. I have absolutely no idea what in the world Loeb is doing on this title. This story is reading like a teenager with ADD wrote it. I am at a total loss concerning Loeb’s work on Marvel up to this point. I completely enjoyed much of Loeb’s work over on DC. For some reason, it appears that Marvel is just not a good fit for Loeb. I have yet to enjoy a single title that Loeb has done for Marvel up to this point.
However, the Marvel comic book that I am least looking forward to reading is The Twelve #7. JMS has delivered what is quite possibly the worst comic book I have ever read. This title is slow, dull, preachy, predictable, PC and overly dramatic to the point where it is laughable. I keep reading this title only out of morbid fascination to see just how bad this train wreck of a title can get.
As always, I’ll try my best to start posting reviews as soon as possible. I hope everyone enjoys their new comic books for this week.
8 thoughts on “New Comic Books For August 6, 2008”
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A very light week for me:
Avengers/Invaders #4: Great writing, great artwork. ‘Nuff said!
Trinity #10: Although I really should read issue #9 first, which I still haven’t gotten around to yet.
Hulk #5: I admit, the story does seem to be spinning its wheels right now, but I love the artwork, and I’m genuinely intrigued by the red Hulk’s identity.
Plus, a back issue I just happened upon haphazardly:
DC Comics Presents #67: This title, for those who don’t know, was simply a knock-off of The Brave and the Bold, except comprised of Superman team-ups rather than Batman team-ups. In this issue, circa December 1983, Superman teams up with–Santa Claus! LOL! It seemed so bizarre, I had to get it! And there was no way I was going to remember it at Christmas time.
Final Crisis is like a good cult movie… those who understand it will love it to death. Those that don’t…..
Very light week (the first week of the month has been like that for several months in a row now; of course, next Wednesday is a 10-issue pileup).
Avengers/Invaders
Criminal
Invincible Iron Man
No Marvel comics for me this week. I did pick up the two Thor one-shots that came out recently off the back-issue wall, though. And I guess Criminal #4 doesn’t quite count as a Marvel.
Final Crisis was awesome again, and I have had no real problems following it even though I don’t know much about DC history.
Detective was good as well. I like Detective Comics more than Batman on a month to month basis. I’m not 100% sold on the concept of Hush being young Bruce Wayne’s childhood friend, but the stories are told well with great art by Nguyen as usual.
Nightwing slips a little bit this month, but is still a rock solid monthly read. Tomasi tells great Nightwing stories and Kramer draws great action scenes. Nice cliffhanger this month.
Both Detective and Nightwing seem to be handcuffed a bit by the RIP storyline, but both can be enjoyed monthly without knowing anything about Morrison’s ongoing Batman story. That’s a sign of good writing in my book.
DC’s biggest problem right now is that it isn’t new reader friendly. I know you love that all the multiverses are back, but I grew up reading the comics without any multiverses. Now, I’m having to go back and read about them to get caught up, and I think that’s why Final Crisis isn’t doing so hot.
” I have to say that I was bummed that work got so busy this year that I could not go hang out with my fellow comic book fans and check out all of the interesting panels that DC and Marvel had cooking this year.”
I know, I was all set to go to Sand Diego, and my wife got all mad and said that the convetion was on our baby’s due date. I thought that was a great idea, because if she went into labor at the comic con, think how much free swag we’d probally get. Anway, she just got madder about that, which kind of stinks because I had this sort of fanstasy that she Would go into labor and there’d be no doctor and then Alan Moore would jump out and say “Move aside lads, I’m going to deliver this baby, WITH MY BEARD!” (and you know he totally could too.
I am not a total DC noob, however. I have picked up bits and pieces of Dc history through the internet and various blogs, but my first-hand Dc knowledge is slim.
I’m able to understand much of what’s going on in Final Crisis, but I’m also sure that a LOT of information is going right over my head.
Dc seems to be cleaning up some of their continuity problems on a line-wide basis; this week’s Hawkman special addresses some of his origin problems and I’m VERY glad I picked it up. It has litle to do with the Rann-Thanagar mini-series so you should be able to jump right in.
I have a theory about Final Crisis: The less you know about DC, the easier it is to understand.
No, seriously: the biggest complaints about impenetrability seem to be coming from people who know a lot about DC but haven’t read specific earlier stories, so they dont’ recognize where certain characters came from. People who aren’t totally immersed in DC history assume they’re not going to recognize everyone, and are more willing to go with the flow.