New Comic Books for January 9, 2008

DC COMICS

COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS #16
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #20
NIGHTWING #140
SALVATION RUN #3
SUPERMAN #672

MARVEL COMICS

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #546
GHOST RIDER #19
MIGHTY AVENGERS #7
NOVA #10
PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #15
WOLVERINE #61
X-FACTOR #27

Well, we have gone through the Iowa primary and now the New Hampshire primary and I’m already going to puke if I have to hear another fake plastic politician spew forth more lies to me. Unfortunately for me, mi esposa can’t get enough of the primary coverage. So while I want to watch either Cartoon Network or ESPN, she wants to watch coverage of the primaries. God, I truly hate election years. Personally, I urge everyone in America to not vote at the ballot box. If you want a change, then vote with a bullet. That might be the only way we ever get a government for the people and by the people in this country.

Whenever an election year rolls around I tend to think about Thomas Jefferson. Going through law school cultivated a deep respect for many of the great men during America’s rocky early years. Thomas Jefferson is by far and away the figure from American history that I respect and admire the most. I firmly believe that Jefferson is the greatest and most intelligent American ever. Jefferson’s philosophy has always ringed true with me. Some of my favorite Jefferson quotes include:

“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.”

“That government is best which governs the least, because its people discipline themselves.”

“Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.”

“The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.
When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”

And of course my favorite: “Every generation needs a new revolution.”

What depresses me the most about an election year is the amount of hate and venom that people spew forth at each other. Both Democrats and Republicans get rage fueled eyes as they work themselves up into a frothing mess. They succumb to hive mentality and shout down those that disagree.

But, the point is that despite this being an election year we still have to remember not to get swept up in blind party politics and show some love to each other. Thomas Jefferson also said “I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.”

Wow, that was an uncharacteristic rant. I apologize for that. I make it a general rule to always avoid talking about religion and politics. Nothing ever good can come from talking about those two subjects. Anyway, thanks for letting me blow off some steam. Maybe I’ll get lucky and I can watch some anime tonight instead of god forsaken CNN.

All right, let’s talk about something fun like comic books! After all, that is why you are here. It looks like we have a total of 12 titles headed to the Bunker this week. This is a pretty average sized week for The Revolution.

Which DC comic book am I most looking forward to reading? Honestly, none. This is a pretty weak selection of comic books from DC.

Which DC comic book am I least looking forward to reading? Take your pick. Superman continues to be a painfully pedestrian read. Hopefully, this new story arc can reverse the trend or else this title may fall to The Revolution’s dreaded axe.

Nightwing continues to struggle mightily. And once again, DC is giving us yet another creative team as they desperately try to find the right combination on this title. Peter Tomasi hops aboard as the writer along with Rags Morales and Michael Bair as the artists.

I’d like to think that this would signal a positive sign that this title will improve. But, the fact is that I simply don’t think DC knows what to do with Dick’s character. Dick Grayson is that awkward middle child. He isn’t the youthful Robin who is growing and learning to be a super hero. And Dick isn’t Batman, the patriarch and master crime fighter. Instead, Dick is somewhere in the middle. And that middle hasn’t made for a good read in a very long time.

The title that I’m going to go with as the issue I’m least excited to read has got to be Countdown to Final Crisis #16. This has to be one of the most pathetic excuses for a comic book that I have ever read. I just cannot comprehend why anyone would enjoy the juvenile and amateurish story that we are getting each and every week with Countdown to Final Crisis.

Which Marvel comic book am I most looking forward to reading? That is an easy one. It has to be X-Factor #27. With all the garbage associated with Civil War and The Initiative as well as the atrocious retconning over on Spider-Man, The Messiah Complex continues to one of the few bright spots for the House of Ideas. I fully expect another excellent installment of this story arc.

Which Marvel comic book am I least looking forward to reading? I continue to be summarily unimpressed with Punisher: War Journal. This title is about to fall victim to The Revolution’s dreaded axe.

I’m going to have to go with Ghost Rider #19. Daniel Way continues to deliver one of the worst written comic books outside of a Judd Winick comic book. Way has made Ghost Rider practically unreadable. And Way’s silly retcon of making Ghost Rider an angel instead of a demon does absolutely nothing to make me more interested in this title.

I’ll try my best to start posting reviews as soon as possible. I hope everyone enjoys their new comic books for this week.