Author Archives: windiebird

windiebird’s Weekly Winner: 老總夠意思

by windiebird

(Cover by J. G. Jones, DC Comics)

My winner of the week is Mister Terrific 5 by a wide, life-affirming margin! Mister Terrific is captured in the ninth dimension and only a combination of his heroic prowess and compassionate soul can save the day. In the character of Pylothia we are given a being that doesn’t fit in with the gender roles their society clings to and finds themself shipped off to alien slavers, viewed as the lowest of the low. Michael is able to share with Pylothia the lessons of our planet’s more terrible points in history and how we’ve grown from them. He inspires Pylothia to accept themself and ultimately to save the day and find a sense of self-worth. The comic is pure fun, action and heart the whole way through and is one of my favorite comics I can remember reading ever. With the series tragically concluding with issue 8, I strongly suggest everyone collect the individual issues and any trades that come out as well.

Weekly Anticipation: Light, Shadow and Three-Piece Suits

by windiebird

(Cover by Jamal Igle, DC Comics)

The Ray 2 continues the new mini-series written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti which started off so refreshingly upbeat, humorous and light-hearted that I simply can’t wait to see what they pull off in issue two! Lucien Gates is the Ray of the DCnUniverse and he’s quite a unique voice in modern comics already. Mixed in to some classic super-heroism, Lucien’s world is full of real and diverse people and the drama reflects that fully. Every piece of dialogue either brought a smile to my face or taught me who the character was in issue 1. If you like superheros, you will like this comic.

(Cover by Tony Harris, DC Comics)

The Shade 4 is James Robinson’s first “Times Past” comics of this limited series and is illustrated by the should-be-amazing team of Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone! It’s WWII and Shade – in the midst of his rise to villainous stardom –  is helping an industrialist on the side of the Allies survive an assassination attempt in what is slated as Shade’s new origin! Should be an excellent ride as the last three issues have been, for Starman fans or not.

(Cover by Nick Bradshaw, Marvel Comics)

Wolverine and the X-Men 4 sees the addition of two new students to the Jean Grey Institute as well as the news of a pregnant mutant in the school? I just fully got on board with this title last issue after not feeling the first two as much as I thought I would. Kid Krakoa got me on all the right levels and now I can’t wait to see how Jason Aaron continues to steer this strange, new (and old) ship going forward.

(My remaining comics this week are Batwoman 5, Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Season 9 5, Demon Knights 5, Green Lantern 5, Mister Terrific 5, Superboy 5 and Ultimate Comics X-Men 6)

-windiebird

Weekly Anticipation: Diana: Warrior Princess

by windiebird

(Cover by Cliff Chiang, DC Comics)

Wonder Woman 4 is pure, Greek insanity and it is such a great read! Diana has had enough of the parental lies and sets out to find herself once more just as Hera arrives on Paradise Island to beat up some Amazons. Even if I’m not all about the changes to her birth circumstances, I see the wisdom in creating that extra layer of drama. Especially so when that drama is used so masterfully! Top of the heap forever.

(Cover by Mahmud Asrar, DC Comics)

Supergirl 4 has our Woman of Steel trapped on board a space station in the clutches of her very own Lex Luthor, fighting for survival and for all these damn earth creatures to leave her alone! Mahmud Asrar is on fire in the art department and Michael Green & Mike Johnson are crafting a Kara that I can instantly and permanently relate to. Another book with a strong woman not to be missed!

(Cover by Kaare Andrews, Marvel Comics)

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man 5 returns the ever-fabulous (Ultimate) Spider-Woman to the limelight and I am a ball of ecstasy over the news! Jessica Drew in the Ultimate universe is a clone of Peter Parker and has almost a copy of his personality as well. We had some pretty great flirting between her and Bobby Drake in the past as well as a few heroic moments of her own but having her talk to young Miles as he tries to make sense of his powers, his life and his responsibilities is just the perfect move for Brian Michael Bendis to pull from his idea cap. “Sara Pichelli on art” makes any worries about price point disappear; buy this comic!

(The rest of my titles this week are Batman 4, Birds of Prey 4, DCU Presents 4, Generation Hope 14, Justice League 4, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents 2, Wolverine and the X-Men 3 and Xenoholics 3)

windiebird’s Weekly Winner: Quicker than a Ray of light I’m flyyyyying

by windiebird

(Cover by Jamal Igle, DC Comics)

Seriously, what is up with DC’s new miniseries? It’s like they’re the new Vertigo imprint or something, they can practically do no wrong! We have Penguin, Huntress, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents and now The Ray! Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti are two of the most creative writers in comics today and they’re proving why that’s true with this title. Only four issues long, I can already feel myself aching for more of Jamal Igle’s and Rich Perrotta’s beautiful cityscapes and superpowers. The characters are full to the brim with wit, warmth and love and it shows in every action or sentence. I have to add that this is EXACTLY how you insert diversity into your publishing universe, comics publishers! I love the cast with only 20 pages to get to know them and that is true storytelling. Absolutely one to read!

windiebird’s Weekly Winner: Rot R U Doing?

by windiebird

(Cover by Travel Foreman, DC Comics)

 Have y’all seen that meme “Perfect ______s don’t exi…” and then they show you an image of something that is perfect? WELL BOOM BECAUSE CHECK OUT THIS COMIC! Jeff Lemire and Travel Foreman are meme-ing me hard right now and it feels so good. They’re hitting all the high points from the Veitch run but in a totally new, refreshing way. The art is bilious and bulbous and so alive with its jagged lines. The characters are endearing (hard to do in a 20 page comic) and the horror is visceral. The crossover with Swamp Thing (also on top form!) feels natural and raises my curiosity and enjoyment of both titles. Basically, read or die, please.

Weekly Anticipation: X-Club 7

by windiebird

Animal Man 4/Swamp Thing 4; I am totally cheating this week in a BIG way by choosing 5 top picks as opposed to 3 but DC is totally killing me with my options! Animal Man and Swamp Thing, while very different in feel, are completely at the top of their game AND even managing to be in the midst of a mini-crossover between the two books. Jeff Lemire, Scott Snyder, Travel Foreman & Yanick Paquette are doing Grant Morrison and Alan Moore proud because they are truly making magic with both titles.

Huntress 3/Penguin: Pain & Prejudice 3; Again with the cheating but I am finding so very much to love about both Huntress and Penguin. Marcus To is bringing a Helena Bertinelli that not only moves and looks like a real woman but kicks ass and has a sense of fashion! All thumbs up on that book even if there were slower moments last issue. Penguin is, as I’ve said, a graphic novel that almost doesn’t need the graphic part (though Szymon Kudranski is bringing a stylized take that breathes new life into Penguin’s story). Every panel is a dark and twisted joy but a joy nonetheless. Both are things everyone should read!

X-Club 1 is a title that should press all my happiness buttons (sarcastic super-scientists! space elevators! mutant mayhem!) but I just don’t know a thing about Simon Spurrier or Paul Davidson. The X-Club is absolutely one of my favorite pieces of X-Men cosmology and Dr. Nemesis never fails to make me laugh. Science hoooooooooooooooo!

(The rest of my titles this week are Action Comics 4, Detective Comics 4, Green Arrow 4, iZombie 20, Stormwatch 4 and Sweet Tooth 28)

-windiebird

windiebird’s Weekly Winner: Ultimate Ultimate Avenger Avenger Location Location Location

by windiebird

(Cover by Kaare Andrews, Marvel Comics)

 Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic’s new take on The Ultimates has been quite refreshing up to this point. Nothing that really rocked the boat or blew my mind…until the ending of this issue! It brings it all together and CERTAINLY marks this as a comic that takes what has come before and pushes it into something new. Not only will this make you want to go back and read your old trades of Ultimate comics but re-read this series to see if there were any clues to the big reveal at the end of issue 4! If you were ever an Ultimates fan or been interested in a Marvel universe that was easy to jump into, check this series out before it gets too far along!

Weekly Anticipation: T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Womaaaaaaaan!

by windiebird

(Cover by Andy Kubert, DC Comics)

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents 1! IT’S BACK! Nick Spencer may be a Marvel exclusive but the publishing gods have thankfully allowed him to wrap up a few of his ideas from his original run in this 6-issue mini-series. Espionage, triple-crosses and super powers that kill are sure to be the highlights of the series and I can’t wait!

(Cover by Dario Brizuela, DC Comics)

Green Lantern: The Animated Series 0 is my first foray into the Johnny DC titles and I couldn’t be happier for this to be the one! I’m not sure how the print stories will relate to the new show but if they’re anything like the special/first episode that aired a week or two ago, I’ll be hooked! It’s going to be green vs. red on the frontier of Guardian space and plenty of ring-slinging action.

(Cover by Steve Morris, Darkhorse Comics)

Angel & Faith 4 means more creepy Wonder Twins and wonderful, perfect, well-researched characterization by Christos Gage! Seriously, this guy knows how Faith AND Angel feel and think and just how to test and grow them as characters. Both do so much better when they’re forced to live in moral grey and we’re right in the thick of it here. If you’ve ever liked Angel or Faith in the show, this is the series you should be reading.

(Ultimate Comics Ultimates 4 and Uncanny X-Men 2 are my only other two books this week! Uncanny, indeed.)

windiebird’s Weekly Winner: Made in the Shade

by windiebird

(Cover by Tony Harris, DC Comics)

My pick of the week was Shade 2 by a landslide! I have to admit that James Robinson isn’t my favorite writer in the world. I loved that he wrote a Green Lantern/Green Arrow series (Cry for Justice) but I didn’t like the execution. I loved that he created a Justice League that had interesting and diverse characters but again, I was lost on the final product. His love of comics history and continuity always shines through in his work and that’s a trait I look for in writers.

So, to a person who has not yet read Starman but did pick up this mini-series, I assure you he is making something wonderful with The Shade! It’s pure character-driven violence and explosion the whole time and I laughed out loud at least twice this issue. There are interesting uses of Shade’s powers, some touching moments with his girlfriend and even a non-tired use of the English/French animosity cliché! All in all, this is written by a guy on a mission and he’s even swung it to be friendly to new readers! This is not to be missed!

Weekly Anticipation: Winter Bucky

by windiebird

(Cover by Ed McGuinness, Marvel Comics)

Captain America and Bucky 624 is the finale of this re-telling of Bucky Barnes’ story since World War II by Ed Brubaker and Marc Andreyko and it was been a masterful character study into one of the most interesting heroes to emerge from modern superhero stories. I’m not quite certain how this and the other Captain America book fit into current continuity but this has been such a great look back and enriches the new Bucky/Winter Soldier history greatly.

(Cover by Tyler Kirkham and BATT, DC Comics)

New Guardians 3 seems like it’s really going to get the series off on its new direction, forcing the members of all the corps to join together against an emotionless Ganthet and the rest of the Guardians of Oa! We get more insight into how Larfleeze isn’t, uh, totally dead floating in space right now without his ring as well. This has been a fun crash course in Kyle Rayner-ness so far but has yet to really shine on its “nU” concept. Hopefully this issue amps up the possible amazingness.

(Cover by George Perez, DC Comics)

Superman 3 will be the best book of the week if it can keep up the pace from issue 2 (though issue 1 was a bit of a let down for me). Mysteries abound that put our man of steel in a peril he can barely touch or see, let alone fight! I like the new angles being played with concerning Lois and Jimmy and the underwear-less costume for Big Blue is growing on me. All in all, I think I’m becoming a Superfan!

(The rest of my titles in this light week are Aquaman 3, Justice League Dark 3, Shade 2, Ultimate Comics Hawkeye 4 and Wolverine & The X-Men 2)

-windiebird