Gint's Pull-List Review 3-9-11

Three books on 3-9-11. I'm fairly confident as to which one will be the best of the week and which will be the worst. So lets get right to last place...

Wonder Woman #608

Had I not finished reading this I would have missed out on some cool shit at the end. Much to my surprise.

The first half of this issue was the same crawling along, boring story that I've come to expect from this run. Then it hits you with the slight twist ending and gives you the illusion that this story is actually going somewhere. AND that the real Wonder Woman might be returning soon. My fingers are crossed.

I like the addition of our mystery savior at the end. I also like the fact that they made Cheetah and Giganta former Amazons. I'd like to see that brought over to regular Wonder Woman continuity.

Don Kramer, who's art has been a saving grace on this book, takes this issue off. While I initially scoffed when I saw that, Geraldo Borges does a great job filling in.

While this book is still unimpressive, there was at least a light at the end of the tunnel this week.

In second place:

Superboy #5

Maybe its me lately. Maybe its not the stories that are dragging ass, but maybe I'm just impatient.

This was a cool issue. Not a whole lot happens to further the plot of the story arc, but we get a really good look inside of where Superboy is mentally. We also get some good Connor/Bart character moments. Lemire deftly handles their relationship. Since I don't currently get Teen Titans, its nice to see these guys together in a book I AM getting.

And our top finisher:

Doom Patrol #20

Doom Patrol (like Secret Six) is a perfect example of how good a comic book can be when its run like its supposed to. With a steady writer/artist team who not only work their craft well but do it ON TIME, it gives the reader a solid bedrock to read their comics on. With the oftentimes revolving door of writers and artists and late books, Doom Patrol is a book you can count on.

There isn't a whole lot (if any) action in this issue but that doesn't matter. Giffen has found such individual voices for these characters it could be 22 pages of sitting around a table talking and it would be a good read. This issue finds the Doom Patrol kicked off of Oolong Island and looking for a place to live. Giffen knows how to write a serious story with all the right touches of humor.

Matthew Clark continues to stay strong on art with some help from Ron Randall.

It blows my mind that books starring B (and most likely C and D-list characters) can be so consistently good when such icons of superhero-dom like Superman and Wonder Woman struggle to find anything resembling good, steady storytelling.