Nine books in the Pull-List this week. I'll try to make this quick.
Bonus Review
Swamp Thing #8
I'm finally caught up reading Swamp Thing and all eight issues have really been worth the scramble to get them read before the crossover with Animal Man starts.
The art in this book in tremendous. Marco Rudy and Yanick Paquette are in the same class as Travel Foreman when it comes to drawing some disturbing shit. Rotting moose, men with grotesque buffalo heads, baby heads atop walking spines... gruesome and also amazing.
This book seriously can't come recommended enough.
Eighth Place:
Superman #8
A cool-looking character does not a good story make. The first issue of Dan Jurgens and Keith Giffen's run was a good start, but this issue still had all the wordiness of the Pérez run, meaning, too much fucking talking!
Superman spends the whole time with Helspont (the guy on the cover with the flaming blue skull head) while pages go by where we could actually be building relationships with Lois/Jimmy and learning who these characters are and what they mean to each other.
I really don't want to NOT get Superman. But if I'm being honest, I'm just not feeling this book.
Seventh Place:
Justice League Dark #8
This book hasn't spoken to me. The art has. Daniel Sampere does good work on the interiors and I love Ryan Sook's covers. But the overall story seems to be missing something. I can't put my finger on it, but there seems to be some emotional attachment missing from this book.
The Dark League pulls itself together to save Andrew Bennett to confront Cain, the ultimate evil vampire. It looks pretty bleak but Andrew shows up in the end to give Cain a good zinger.
This crossover will end in the next issue of I, Vampire (see First Place in this review).
Sixth Place:
Teen Titans #8
New artwork this week by Ig Guara replacing Brett Booth on pencils and I have to say, I like Ig's work better.
Guara's work is closer to R.B. Silva's than Brett Booth's and if you've been following this space, you know I'm a fan of Silva. Everything is a little tighter and a little smoother. Inker J.P. Mayer does a great job differentiating thick and thin line work for a great looking book.
The Titans are in the clutches of Omen, also called Lilith. Apparently she's a throwback to the Titans days of old. Each Titan gets tortured individually while having their secrets exposed to the rest of the team. In the end they all get cool suits like Superboy's to apparently fight the Ravagers in the coming Culling storyline.
Fifth Place:
The Fury of Firestorm #8
Firestorm continues to be a good read though rumblings from the internet seem to suggest its not a strong seller.
Ethan Van Sciver does a great job on art duties as Ronnie Raymond and Jason Rusch have been split up. Jason, working for Zithertech and running into Britain and France's Firestorms while Ronnie was saved from torture by Pozhar, Russia's Firestorm. Oh, Ronnie also lost his left hand.
This book is pulling no punches and taking Ronnie and Jason places I didn't think the story would go. Its a shame more people aren't reading. These Firestorms are cool characters that need more love.
Fourth Place:
Green Lantern: New Guardians #8
This book has really made its own path. Though the Green Lanterns have become quite popular, I didn't see any need for this book. Tony Bedard and Tyler Kirkham have made it required reading though.
They've taken a member of each Corps and brought them all together, successfully navigating the rough waters of an ensemble cast. What's nice about this book is that the Universe is a big place. Sometimes on Earth you think, "how can this be happening and the Justice League not be there?" Not so in space. Anything goes and that allows this book to really stand on its own while keeping in touch with the rest of the GL mythos.
Also since Sinestro is a Green Lantern again, that's allowed for the Arkillo Corps. A nice twist in said mythos.
Third Place:
The Flash #8
The astounding quality of The Flash took a hit this week. Granted only a small enough hit to land it in 3rd place, but a hit still. Its was kind of confusing. Even being a scholar of the DC Universe, the Speed Force is just one of those things that's supposed to be a mystery. Every writer has tried to define it. Its meant and been responsible for multiple things since it was created. But the only constant of the Speed Force is that I don't think its supposed to be defined.
Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato do a great job trying to reign it in, but I don't think they have to. They add WWII Tuskegee Airman, Turbine (who's been stuck in the Speed Force since 1944) to help explain it to Barry when he gets there. It also ties somehow into Gorilla City.
So what we learned in this week's Flash is that no matter how you try to define it, the Speed Force will always be confusing. And that's OK.
Second Place:
Aquaman #8
I love what Geoff Johns has done with Black Manta. He's taken a silly character with a giant helmet and made him honestly scary. Sure Lex Luthor and the Joker have killed a lot of people. But the stories always do it in such a way that you don't really SEE those characters ruthlessly gutting a woman. Black Manta is no fucking joke.
Ivan Reis and Co. are at their best drawing this issue. Aquaman joins up with Ya'wara, a member of The Others to go find the rest of The Others before Black Manta kills them. What's impressive is the subtle way Arthur's early story is told in brief flashbacks. Also is the subtle nature of the jealousy between Mera and Aquaman's maybe-old-flame, Ya'wara.
Aquaman continues to bring the heat in the New 52.
First Place:
I, Vampire #8
Well, I didn't see that coming. The set up was in Justice League Dark #8, but the payoff is right here in I, Vampire. The conclusion to Rise of the Vampires didn't disappoint. If you wanted a traditional good guys win/bad guys lose story, that's not what happens here.
Andrew dies, is reborn, kills Cain the big bad and takes over the Vampire army in his stead. Yikes. But Andrew is noble. If John Troughton thinks he has something up his sleeve, I believe him.
Andrea Sorrentino continues to astound with his artwork. This book has had violent moments. Sorrentino illustrates their fury, but not in the in-your-face way Paquette does on Swamp Thing. Its more subtle, but no less impressive.
Panel of the Week:
Young love... hovering in the air with batwings.
-Gint
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