Ghost Rider #34 -- Holy hell, this is maybe the first issue I've seen where an artist handily trumps writer Jason Aaron. Usually the latter chooses artists that compliments his talents and they both look good, but Mr. Aaron took a step back to let Tony Moore shine (though not before spicing up the book with some great Southern dialect). This issue even outshines Roland Boschi's earlier work on this series, at the start of Aaron's run -- no mean feat at all. This is a great self-contained story that I intend to use on folks to get them into this run of Ghost Rider. And help me god, the next issue has ninjas on the cover.
Thor #601 -- I've tried to get my roommates into this series, to no avail. Perhaps they're bored (or intimidated) by the idea of Norse Mythology Action with Shakespearian Dialogue.I don't think they know that part of the appeal of this series is in the deft mix of Asgardian nobility and weight with Oklahoman hospitality and charm. The way these two peoples, brought together at the start of the new series (a little over a year ago; it's since been renumbered starting with last month's #600), interact is sort of heartwarming in an Everything Will Be Alright kind of way. There have been a lot of moments in Straczynski's run that seem like those one-off chuckles in films that gives everyone in the theater a common smile. It does get to be a bit much at times (Dr. Doom mentioning Wikipedia? Really?), but it doesn't ever grate for very long. No, any harsh feelings I have for this series are currently aimed at the permanent pricejacking to $3.99 an issue. This is becoming awfully common for Marvel books.
Guardians of the Galaxy #13 -- Oh hey, speakofthedevil -- a Marvel book that's both better and cheaper than Thor! Not to dump on a decent comic, but Guardians just kicks too much ass. This issue recaptures the first issue's manic pace; awesome brawls are spotted with zippy little "talking head" panels (think The Office, with cosmic superheroes), and the second half finally catapults the Guardians head-first into both sides of the War of Kings! I know I sound like a solicitation from Marvel, but this is such a blast of a comic.
Jack of Fables #33 -- I am not one to say that It Was I Who Told You As It Was, but, I do remember wondering earlier in this blog if the rushjob on the previous Jack issue was a casualty for the coming of the Great Fables Crossover. Indeed, Braun's lines here are so much stronger, matching the confident swagger of its titular hero. One need look no further than the second and third pages, a spread which details the meeting of dozens of Fabled persons and creatures in a decidedly Mos Eisley fashion. I especially loved one inset zoom-in on Jack, eerily channeling the similarly brutish Beauty and the Beast villain Gaston. The writing here is quite solid, too, especially the bits with the ultra-powerful Kevin. It sounds funny when you say it that way, but this is a guy who can bend reality by writing with his pen, and as it turns out, his creative half is also his sadistic one. I do abhore the ongoing full-page Peanuts-esque lamentations of Babe the Blue Ox, though I do like his newfound Woodstock. Kevin has his own text-heavy six-panel spread too; I wish it would replace its obnoxious cousin.
Detective Comics #853 -- This is the second part of the etherreal Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusdader? arc. I should mention that I take issue with DC calling this an "arc". An arc, by its very nature, has at least three parts, so it can rise and fall. This story is made up of exactly one couple of issues. The absolute most it could ever aspire to be is a line segment. I don't care that it's Neil Gaiman's lovely and surreal love letter to Batman, complimented with Andy Kubert's stunning visuals. It's still horseshit.
Buck Rogers #0 -- I can't complain about the price of this one. Though street-priced at what was once associated with a single Shave and a Haircut, I actually scored this for the low sum of True Love. And heck, it's not a bad comic, to boot! It's gotta be maybe ten or twelve pages, but it's a pulpy and fun dozen pages. I thought the new look of Buck Rogers was pretty cool, until I looked at the front cover of this week's Guardians of the Galaxy to see a dude (Chris Summers, I think? Brother of Cyclops?) in uncannily similar duds. Ah well. This little guy did its job -- I'm interested to check out the "first" issue of the series, whenever that's coming.
Scalped #28 -- I am kind of damned excited that I'm "in" on this series at close to the ground floor. I swear this series will keep growing in stature among comics fans, even moreso when the book concludes in a few years. We finally get RM Guera back to draw this whopper of an issue, wherein we finally find out what happened on that day, more than 30 years ago. Criminy Christmas, this series is great. Have I said it's my favorite series currently running? Because it so, so is.
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