Thor #609

I picked up the Iron Man By Design variant which says “Iron Man does not appear in this Issue” on the back.  Neither does Thor.  Much like Gillen’s ‘Loki’ one-shot, he shows a deft touch and dealing with the god of mischief and finally resolving story arcs set up by JMS.  Recent previews have shown the Fractions debut on Thor has been pushed by a an issue or two, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

The Walking Dead #71

Again, I have to heap more praise on this book.  Kirkman delivers a pretty wicked twist and not one zombie appears in the issue.  Evil really is in the eye of the beholder and we finally enter a phase were we get a new perspective on the crew we’ve been following and  just what sort of toll these people have paid.  For the first time you realize just how deeply affected Rick and his son really are, and it’s a brutal scene.  TWD is easily my second favorite title after Scalped, do yourself a favor and don’t miss this issue.

Iron Man #25

As much as I love what Matt Fraction did with this volume of Invincible Iron Man, it seems a bit odd that what took several issues to undo is practically redone in a few pages.  Worse, the best part, the new armor (Mark MMXVIII?) is all a ’secret’, Tony just has an epiphany and rolls to Reed Richard’s lab and now has Super Extremis Armor, but we are invited to keep reading to see all the new capabilities of the armor.  As a huge Iron Man fan, new armor is something you look forward to, and I feel shortchanged on what we are given in this oversized issue.  Stark’s new company direction (I like the fact that Stark turns down an Asgardian bail-out) harkens back to the Circuit Maximus days and the whole issue feels like an homage to the late 80’s Invincible.  Hopefully, Fraction is only using some of these rehashed beats to set the table before he sets off in a new and fresh direction.

Ultimate Comics Avengers #6

Say what you will about Mark Millar, but this was one of the better books out of the Ultimatum fiasco.  I came this far, so I have to see how this all wraps up with Father Cap vs. Son Red Skull.  This incarnation of Red Skull is pretty brutal, and Millar seems to be juxtaposing how far a moral man like Cap will go against a nihilistic and amoral man like Skull.  If Cap kills Red Skull, you have a pretty good idea of how a Millar Batman/Joker finale would end up.

X-Factor #204

Peter David has long been one of the better writers around, and his X-Factor has been consistently one of the better X titles.  While the other books recycle the race war story line (which is stupid, since humans would be worried about any metahuman, regardless if they were born with the power or had a freak accident), David was doing his own thing and it was very entertaining.  Well, they have sucked him into the latest X-event, but it’s worth taking a look at to see how David puts his own unique signature on it.

Since Jason Aaron reset the Punisher MAX universe, it’s been highly entertaining.  After getting a pretty brutal Keyser Soze-esque Kingpin origin story, Aaron gives us his take on Bullseye.  If his version on Daredevil’s arch-enemy is in the same vein, this book should not be missed.

Green Lantern #53

Regardless of how you felt about Blackest Night, there is no doubt that the landscape of the Green Lantern Corps has been seriously altered and this is the jumping off point of the new status quo.  Johns (not to mention Tomasi) has done an admirable job of corralling all of these characters and story threads up to this point, and for those that have come this far, this looks like the beginning of the payoff.  I’m hoping Brightest Day fills in some of the gaps and compliments and completes what has come so far.

But I’m very impressed and excited by what I see here. This underscores a sentiment that everybody in comics has felt ever since rumors of an Apple tablet became tangible: that the device would finally make the experience of reading comics digitally into something that’s practical, enjoyable, and most importantly deliver the story in a way that feels like a comic book.

Read the full article here.  More details and video here.

New Series

The Gwaii
An all-ages book from Arcana Kids! Tanu is a sasquatch lost in the Canadian wilderness who must face the Fearsome Creatures in order to find the clues that will lead him to his mother. Using his agility, speed, jumping ability, and a mean snowball-throwing arm, the young Sasquatch must find his way back home facing the most fearsome mythological creatures ever whispered about in the wild wilderness.

Birth
A graphic novel prelude to the ongoing series ‘Novo’, creator/writer/artist Michael Bracco has created a world filled with passion, war, and revenge. The tale of two alien nations that have cursed one another to the brink of extinction, ‘Birth’ tells the story of the conflict that becomes of them, when joy and love turn into resentment and bloodshed.

BloodRayne: Tibetan Heights #1
Seventy years ago, Rayne met her mentor at the roof top of the world to begin her training as an agent of the Brimstone Society. For the first time ever, catch a glimpse of Rayne alongside Mynce in one of their earliest action-packed adventures together. The fate of Tibet hangs in the balance as master and apprentice fight to stop a vampire occult from hijacking an entire country!

New issues from Marvel

Uncanny X-Men #466-468
In the wake of House of M, Marvel Girl’s emotions are heating up! Faced with a future she thought was destroyed, Marvel Girl will find out just what she is really made of!

Daredevil #88-90
This month features a stand-alone issue entitled, THE SECRET LIFE OF FOGGY NELSON, a special interim episode focusing on Daredevil’s recently deceased best friend. Did we really know all there is to know about Foggy? What remains hidden in the life of this man, that could still affect Matt Murdock’s fate to this day?

Fantastic Four #11-15
In this issue, Dr. Doom returns! Doom traps the FF inside the Baxter Building and hurls it towards the sun, how will the FF survive?! Guest starring the Sub Mariner. Brought to you by the legendary Stan Lee and Jack Kirby!

Fantastic Four #540-544
CIVIL WAR tie-in! It had to happen! Amidst the tumult and tensions of CIVIL WAR, the Fantastic Four break up! Who will toe the line, who will join the resistance, and who will leave the battlefield altogether? And is this the end for Marvel’s First Family?

New issues from Top Cow

Witchblade #8-12
Ian Nottingham plots to take the power of the Witchblade from Sara Pezzini, will she survive? Written by David Wohl and Christina Z, with art by Michael Turner.

The Darkness Vol. 3 #7-9
Never has Jackie Estacado’s dark, evil history served him so well as when he crosses paths with La Bruja de Las Paredes. Fleeing from the Central American country he once ruled over, Jackie runs afoul of the witch, who has enslaved a Mexican town by eating the memories and nightmares of its citizens.

Also new this week

Jericho: Season 3 #3
Jake and Hawkins arrive at Loomer Ridge Prison in Colorado. Their goal: break into the massively fortified, off-sight facility and retrieve terrorist John Smith. This unreachable goal becomes slightly more attainable with the aid of Chavez, who knows the ideal way to infiltrate the Allies States’ defenses. Meanwhile in Jericho, ASA intelligence officers target Beck and Heather in their attempt to quell the growing resistance.

New Issues

• The Walking Dead #52-54
• Invincible #10-12
• Comic Book Comics #3-4
• Public Enemy #4-5

Powers #3

In this 3rd iteration of Brian Michael Bendis’ ongoing super hero cop drama, the full impact of the reveal of Walker’s immortal status is front and center.  If you are even remotely a fan of Bendis and Oeming’s previous work, so far this seems to be on point with their better runs of the past.  And besides, you got to love this preview quote:

Walker’s past has come to bite him right in his ##$! big time and it’s going to take a @#$@#$ and a $@#$@ to get him out of the !@$#@#$@$@$@.

Batman & Robin #10

This book has been shipping like a mofo lately and overall the quality has been pretty high.  The rotating artists have all been on point and besides Rucka’s Detective, is really the only Bat-title worth reading.  Starting this issue we get to see how Bruce Wayne comes back Captain America style.

Rob’s Picks

Greek Street TPB

This one looks to be worth your buy. Peter Milligan’s been impressing me since The Books Of Magic back in the 90s, and a the cover alone makes me want this book. Says the publisher,

“Boasting a “Greek Chorus” of sexy strippers, vengeful gangsters, a murderous youth and a disturbed clairvoyant teenaged girl, GREEK STREET is Peter Milligan’s reimagining of the brutal and visceral tragedies of Ancient Greece played out on the mean streets of modern-day London. This first paperback collects issues #1-5 of the provocative new series.”

Captain Swing #2

I really dug the first issue of this new Ellis series, even with it’s uneven pacing and slow start. It’s got all the joy of most of Ellis’ work – pathos, violence, dark humor. Oh, and tesla-punk goodness written into every page, drawn into every panel by Raulo Caceres. Pick up issue two while you can — I think this is going to be a success.

Professor’s Pick

Stephen King’s “N” #1
Story: Marc Guggenheim
Art: Alex Maleev

This fascinating tale from King has had an odd evolution as a medium. Many comics start out on paper, before being transformed for the mediums of Internet or video. But “N” started out as a novella from one of King’s collections. It then was turned into an animated webisode back in 2008. The use of motion and voice-over made for an eerie experience. It was even released on DVD as a promotional. Flash-foward to the present and it is being released as the standard comic format, same graphics and text. Guggenheim does promise more in his prologue and there is indeed a few extra pages of story and art not released before. Overall, this is the type of psychological horror we’ve come to enjoy from King.

Tyler’s Picks

Ultimate Spider-man #8

I had mentioned in our now defunct Pull List that I was going to make a case that Ultimate Spiderman Vol.2 is the best Marvel book on the shelves. Bendis’s reinvigortated relaunch turns the mythos on its ass with Peter juggling the hottest chicks in school, being the little guy, and also confiding his biggest secret in his friends, said girlfriends and even Aunt May. In fact, this is almost a team book with Johnny Storm and Bobby Drake living with Peter and Aunt May thus creating the ultimate super-hero sleepover. Throw in a very active and angry Kitty Pride and this mutant friendly book reads better than most X-men titles these days. Issue 8 introduces a new hero that is supposed to be kind of a big dea to the Ultimate universel. In honor of the teeny bopper feel I gotta say: Can’t Hardly Wait.

Justice League: The Rise and Fall Special #1

The fallout from Blackest Night and Cry for Justice has caused quite the rift down the center of DC premier team book and this is the exploration of the aftershock. The new ruthless attitude of our heroes seems to be causing waves of fear in the rogues gallery and James Robinson has never been known to pull punches with his script. There is rumor that Green Arrow is going to be changed forever in this book so for those that love the quiver, order this puppy now!

• Amazing Spider-Man #624 (Michael Lark Regular Cover), $2.99
• Amazing Spider-Man #624 (Pasqual Ferry ‘You’re Fired’ Variant Cover), Set by retailer
• Avengers X-Men Utopia TP, $34.99
• Black Widow 2010 Postcards, Set by retailer
• Breaking Into Comics The Marvel Way #1 (of 2), $3.99
• Cable #24, $3.99
• Criminal The Sinners #5, $3.50
• Dark X-Men #5 (of 5), $3.99
• Enders Game Command School HC (Premiere Edition), $24.99
• Fantastic Four #575 (Dale Eaglesham 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99
• Ghost Riders Heavens On Fire TP, $16.99
• Halo Helljumper #1 (Comic Book Legal Defense Fund/Peter David Signed Edition), $24.99
• Hulk Let The Battle Begin #1, $3.99
• Iron Man 2 Spotlight #1, $3.99
• Lockjaw And Pet Avengers Unleashed #1 (of 4)(Ig Guara & Chris Sotomayor Regular Cover), $2.99
• Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers Unleashed #1 (of 4)(Roger Langridge Variant Cover), Set by retailer
• Marvel Adventures Super Heroes #21 (Final Issue), $2.99
• Mighty Avengers Secret Invasion HC, $29.99
• Mystic Hands Of Dr Strange #1 (Black & White), $3.99
• Powers #3, $3.95
• Prelude To Deadpool Corps #2 (of 5), $2.99
• PunisherMAX #5, $3.99
• Runaways Parental Guidance HC (Premiere Edition), $19.99
• Spectacular Spider-Girl Who Killed Gwen Reilly TP, $24.99
• Spider-girl Volume 12 The Games Villains Play Digest TP, $14.99
• Super Hero Squad #3, $2.99
• Super Hero Squad Get Yer Hero On Digest TP (Book Market ‘Tales Of Suspense 39′ Cover), $9.99
• Super Hero Squad Get Yer Hero On Digest TP (Direct Market Canadian ‘Giant-Size X-Men 1′ Variant Cover), $9.99
• S.W.O.R.D. #5, $2.99
• Twelve Spearhead #1, $3.99
• Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #8, $3.99
• Ultimate Comics X #1 (Art Adams 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99
• Vengeance Of The Moon Knight Must Have (issues 1-3), $4.99
• Web Of Spider-Man #6 (The Gauntlet Tie-In), $3.99
• Wolverine Dark Wolverine Volume 2 My Hero HC (Premiere Edition), $19.99
• Wolverine Mr X #1, $3.99
• Wolverine Weapon X Volume 2 Insane In The Brain HC (Premiere Edition), $24.99
• Wonderful Wizard Of Oz #1 (Marvels Greatest Comics), $1.00
• X-Men Forever #19, $3.99
• X-Men Pixie Strikes Back #2 (of 4), $3.99

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #623
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #32
CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN #6
DAFFODIL #3
DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #895
FALL OF THE HULKS: THE SAVAGE SHE-HULKS #1
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #24
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN MGC #1
MIGHTY AVENGERS #34
PRELUDE TO DEADPOOL CORPS #1
PUNISHER MAX: BUTTERFLY #1
REALM OF KINGS SON OF HULK #2
SPIDER-MAN MAGAZINE #10
SPIDER-MAN NOIR: EYES WITHOUT A FACE #4
STEPHEN KING’S N. #1
ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #5
WOLVERINE WEAPON X #11
X-MEN NOIR: MARK OF CAIN #4
X-MEN: HOPE #1

Collections On-Sale:

BLACK WIDOW: DEADLY ORIGIN PREMIERE HC
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN VOL. 1 HC
IRON MAN: ARMOR WARS TPB (NEW PRINTING)
IRON MAN: DEMON IN A BOTTLE TPB (NEW PRINTING)
NEW AVENGERS: THE REUNION TPB
SPIDER-MAN: AMERICAN SON TPB
STARR THE SLAYER: A STARR IS BORN TPB
STRANGE TALES HC
X-MEN FOREVER VOL. 2: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE SENTINELS TPB

New Series

• The Immortal Iron Fist #13-14
• Oz: The Manga #1-3
• Nexus: The Origin #1
• Black Vault #1
• Se7en: Gluttony #1
• Dragon Arms #1
• BloodRayne: Dark Soul #1
• Crozonia #1

New issues from Marvel

• The Incredible Hulk #s 82-86
• Runaways #s 10-12
• Teenage Wasteland: Conclusion!
• X-Men #s 165-167
• Hark How the Bells!
• New X-Men #s 28-30
• “NIMROD” Part 1 (of 4)
• 1001 Arabian Nights: The Adventures of Sinbad #3-4
• Grimm Fairy Tales #s 12-13

New Issues

• The Walking Dead #s 46-48
• Invincible #s 43-45
• The Blade of Kumori #s 4-5
• Impaler Vol. 2 #2
• Warlock #s 3-4