Gint's 12-4-13 Pull-List Review

We say adieu to a pretty freaking bad book this week. It shan't cast its pall on the Pull-List ever again.

Fourth Place:

Batman Superman #6

More horizontal format shenanigans from Brett Booth. Couple that with a god-awful story and this is the shittiest book I've read in a long time. In fact, this is the last issue I'll be buying.

This book had a lot of promise when Greg Pak and Jae Lee kicked the book off. But now we're getting silver age silliness and weak art from Booth. Somehow Superman and Batman have been taken over by Mongul who is using the heroes as characters in a live video game, controlled by online gamers, to take over the Earth. I don't even know how the science of that works. I expect better from Mongul. And I expect more from Pak. His first arc was mediocre, this arc is flat out shit.

I've done a fair bit of hanging on to questionable books to finish an arc or whatever. This book won't make the cut.

Third Place:

Guardians of the Galaxy #9

I think I mentioned this last issue, but I Francesco Francavilla is not an artist that should be on something like Guardians. Hawkeye? Yes. Some other ground level hero? Yes. But for big epic space battles he just doesn't feel at home.

The other problem with this book is Bendis' dialog. Everyone has a witty zinger in the chamber. How is every character in this book a comedian? Rocket Raccoon is nearly unreadable. He had a relatively understated comedy in the old Dan Abnett/Andy Lanning run, but Bendis just writes him over the top and aggravating.

The only think keeping this book on the Pull-List right now is the potential return of Richard Rider. But the book really isn't that good. Speaking of the old bait and switch (see above) Marvel keeps pulling it too. Offer me Bendis and McNiven... then give me Bendis and a rotating cast of artists. Lame.

Second Place:
Green Lantern #26

Gah, I just can't get over hating the finite reservoir of emotional light idea. No matter how much I try to focus on other things going on, like the Durlan's being the bad guys, I can't get away from the ridiculousness of the light reservoir.

So, besides that, this was a pretty standard book. Lanterns find some bad guys, Hal calls in reinforcements, Lanterns win... sort of. Robert Venditti and Billy Tan are really playing up the grey area of what the Corps does and should police. The Corps is in a real rough spot right now transitioning from the Guardians to Hal's leadership. That much is interesting. And the way Venditti writes Hal and the other Lanterns in spot on. But the reservoir business is dumb.

Following up Geoff Johns ICONIC run was going to be tough. Venditti and Co. had me the first couple issues, but I'm afraid they're starting to lose me now.

First Place:

DC Universe vs. Masters of the Universe #3

How is a silly concept like this at the top of my Pull-List all the time? I believe its because the creative team putting it together really cares about the characters and wants to make something good.

They're doing a great job. Three issues in and it looks like Dexter Soy is finally finding a groove drawing this book. After He-Man kills Superman, the Masters are on the run on Earth since Skeletor has magically brainwashed the Justice League. What we have is just a classic team up story. Pretty soon the Masters and Justice League will make up and go after Skeletor. But until then Tony Bedard and Soy are doing a great job showing us what comics should be about: fun.

I love this book. Its well crafted and well written. Something I can't say about a lot of books these days.

Panel of the Week:

Dexter Soy's splash of the B-list Masters and B-List Justice League going at it.

-Gint