TABLE OF CONTENTS
Comics
Nightwing #2
Batgirl #2
The Flash #2
Aquaman #2
All-Star Western #2
Wolverine & The X-Men #1
Manga
One Piece ch.644
Naruto ch.561
Bleach ch.470
History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi ch.450
Kimi no Iru Machi ch.156
Kuroko no Basket ch.109
Hajime no Ippo ch.953+954
Volumes
Batman: Knight & Squire
The Unwritten Volume 2: Inside Man
Animal Man Book 1
Rating System
MVP = Most Valuable Pages. Best issue or chapter of my week.
STAR = Good comic being good, makes me want to keep reading it.
GLUE = Not outstanding, but not bad. Could be worth reading.
FUNK = Good series has an off week. Haven't lost faith yet.
BENCH = Subpar comic. Doubting its value. Needs to redeem itself.
CUT = Bad comic. Not worth continuing to subscribe.
Nightwing #2 Nightwing #2 set the stage for the next story arc or even next several arcs by having Dick Grayson inherit the circus in which he used to perform and plan to travel across the United States as its owner and ringmaster. Glancing at previews, it appears that our hero has upcoming books set in Chicago, New Orleans, and a number of other locales while an unknown group of assassins tries to put a hit on him. I'm not sold on the villain from these first two issues, but this book was quite good, featuring some solid action, drama, and the most tasteful romance / implied sex scene in the New 52 so far. Overall, great book for Dick Grayson fans. GLUE
Batgirl #2 I'm aware that Gail Simone is an acclaimed writer, especially for female characters. I really, really don't want to sound like a chauvinist here, but I think Batgirl is too feminine. Sure, it's fine when she's on a date or talking to her roommate (not my favorite scenes, btw), but when she's in combat against Mirror, the antagonist of her first arc, she is vulnerable and underconfident. Not my favorite qualities in a heroine. It's fine for any superhero or superheroine to feel those emotions in small to moderate doses, but Batgirl #2 seemed excessive. Mirror is a pretty well-developed villain - he's a war hero turned serial killer with severe PTSD - but not enough to make me want to read Batgirl #3. Sorry, Barbara. CUT
The Flash #2Holy wow, way better than Flash #1. We get some dialogue from Mob Rule indicating that Barry's friend Manuel isn't quite Mob Rule's true identity; those thousands of Manuel clones don't consider themselves to be Manuel clones, but a separate being altogether. Dayum. Even better, we see Flash attempting and succeeding to improve his powers by training his mind to tap into the Speed Force at the same level his body can - this results in a crime-solving 4-page spread/montage/clusterfuck that I had to read three times to properly understand, but was mind-blowing in its own right. This story is approaching the powers of both its hero and its villain in fascinating ways that make me want to keep reading just to see the limits of their abilities. I really, really want to subscribe to this, but I'll hold out to see if #3 holds up to this extremely high standard. MVP
Aquaman #2Geoff Johns sure is good at dialogue, as its a strength both in Aquaman and in Justice League. Johns also seems to really like Aquaman, because our man Arthur is being handled with sensitivity and respect in every page. However, Aquaman is certainly not treated by the public in that way. This chapter had more Aquaman hate from members of the police, but nothing but Aquaman love from his lady friend Mera. Arthur and Mera manage to kick some serious Trench ass in this chapter, but only until the alpha Trench makes a judgment call that has me worried about what's going to happen to this super-couple that I've already grown attached to. Oh, and the art is stellar. Ivan Reis is thus far my favorite artist of the New 52's creative teams not named J. H. Williams III (sorry Jim Lee!). I think this issue could have used more action, but now that our heroes have made first contact with the Trench I'm sure we'll have more than enough down the road. STAR
All-Star Western #2This comic's two writers (Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmotti) wrote a Jonah Hex comic for a couple of years prior the New 52. Instead of relaunching it, they revived an old title that hasn't been around in over 30 years. Why? Well, I think it's their excuse to continue writing Western tales starring Hex in addition to using other heroes from DC's surprisingly robust Old West scene and putting them in the same book. All-Star Western #2 continued Hex and Arkham's investigation into the prostitute murders in its first 20 pages and also included an end-of-issue short starring El Diablo, a flamboyant crimefighter who looks like demon-influenced version of Zorro. I enjoyed both stories and look forward to where they're going, but the dialogue was really skimped compared to the fascinating Odd Couple vibe of All-Star Western #1. The inclusion of the Religion of Crime makes me wonder if the Jonah Hex bit will tie into Batwoman, but I'm even more curious to see if this underground team of Gotham luminaries is related to The Court of Owls in Batman, as the two organizations seem similar. Whatever - this book got me thinking, it has pretty good action, and it has a great pair of main characters. Lots of potential here, but I wish this issue had more Hex and fewer rich people bitching about trying to kill him. GLUE
Wolverine and the X-Men #1So... I figured I ought to give Marvel a chance. I've been reading dozens of DC material, but no Marvel. Part of why it was so easy to get into the DC reboot is because EVERYTHING was rebooting. It was a new starting point, and DC was trying to get new blood into the comics-buying fold (with me they extremely obviously succeeded). Marvel had no similar starting point made clear to me, and I've always been more of a DC fan than a Marvel fan; blame the old Bruce Timm cartoons.
But anyhow, I think I found a comic that I can use as my Marvel launching point: Wolverine and the X-Men. This immediately follows a Marvel event called X-Men: Schism, where Wolverine clashes with Cyclops over the leadership of the team and its priorities. Perhaps surprisingly, Logan takes a more peaceful route; Wolverine is opposed to using the youngest members of the X-Men as weapons of war while Cyclops believes the X-Men should use every resource they have. Following Schism is a reboot for two Marvel series: Uncanny X-Men and Wolverine & the X-Men. Both series will begin with #1, and Uncanny #1 and #2 both land next month. While Scott and Logan both support the education of young mutants and using the X-Men defend the planet from threats beyond the scope of humanity, Wolverine and his series will focus on the opening of a new school while Cyclops and his series will focus on MUTANT BATTLE.
Anyhow, I was really, really impressed with WatXM #1. Wolverine names his school The Jean Grey Institute of Higher Learning, and his faculty includes Kitty Pryde, Rachel Summers, Beast, Rogue, and Gambit (Charles Xavier is listed as a guest lecturer). I am unfamiliar with a great many of the younger mutants in this comic (Broo? Idie? Kid Gladiator?), but this book had stellar dialogue, a few of my favorite classic X-Men characters, and a Wolverine that is both understated, restrained, and consistent. This was a great book (and I've gone on too long already), and will only get better as Wolverine further stresses out as he grows into the role of headmaster. STAR
One Piece ch.644This was the chapter I expected, but not the chapter I wanted. We're treated to more flashbacks of Hody and his core team as children and how they grow up as true believers of the anti-human propaganda rampant on Gyojin Island, plus some more scenes of the current battle, mostly from the perspective of Luffy or the onlooking citizens. This was almost a boring chapter, but it was saved by a end-chapter 2-page spread of Luffy FINALLY getting into a position to attack Hody and unleashing a devastating Ace-inspired special move. GLUE
Naruto ch.561Naruto continues a very strong run of Kage-level fights with Madara dropping TWO gigantic meteors on the allied ninja army and digging deep for some of 1st Hokage's wood-element techniques, with the old man Kage and Naruto teaming up to shut down the attacks. This Madara fight will probably last awhile and see several top-tier ninja enter the fray, and I couldn't be happier. My only concern is how they'll possibly be able to top this confrontation without a final-final showdown involving fake Madara and/or Sasuke. STAR
Bleach ch.470So far the Rukia fight against the doll-user of Xcution is living up to the level of comedy I was hoping for, and I'm still not sure how much of the Xcution team is being controlled by Tsukishima and/or Ginjou. Hell, I still don't completely understand how Tsukishima's powers work, unless my understanding is accurate and they're just totally bullshit. Anyhow, we get some of the Rukia fight, which isn't bad, and getting some hints as to what Ginjou's capable of before he gets tore in with Ichigo. Overall, could be better, could be worse. GLUE
History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi ch.450
Jenazad's manipulation of Miu is happening real damn fast. In this chapter we get some reactions from Ryozanpaku, some Pencak Silat training, and a setup that could pit fan favorites Miu and Hongou against one another. Overall a fair-enough chapter, but not enough action, humor, OR intrigue to be a really good one. Jenazad still creeps me the fuck out. FUNK
Kimi no Iru Machi ch.156
Better chapter than usual. We get some sexual humor out of Haruto's neighbor (the newest member of the comedy-harem), then a scene of Haruto NOT being a dumbass with Yuzuki for once. The end-chapter hook was... surprisingly good! I am actually pumped for next week on this series for the first time in awhile, because trust me: girlfriends' dads are scary. GLUE
Kuroko no Basket ch.109
Basically a filler chapter, but that's to be expected right after a game. Settling on one of those traditional comedy manga scenarios, the Seirin team visits a hot spring, has one perverted teammate try to look through the fence to the ladies' side, and *happens* to encounter Touou Gakuen, one of their chief rivals, visiting the same spring. Nothing much to see here, but it's the kind of dialogue break that every sports manga gets once in a while. FUNK
Hajime no Ippo ch.953+954
No-one does pre-match hype the way Ippo does. In our three matches in a row featuring the "back three" Kamogawa fighters, Itagaki is up first and he and Saeki use up a good 14 pages just running up and leaping into the ring. Once the round begins, it's more internal monologues about how fast the two competitors are. My eyes are already bracing for all the fast-motion blur effects that we'll be seeing and my groaning muscles are similarly bracing for all of the Itagaki puns. GLUE
Batman: Knight & Squire (paperback)
I decided to try this one out because it was cheap (~$8), written by one of my favorite authors of the New 52 (Paul Cornell), and highly recommended by my friend Diane. Cornell is reviving this book which has had versions off and on since the 1950s, originally a British sorta-parody of Batman. Cornell uses this vehicle to create his own version of a UK superhero scene, inventing at least a hundred heroes and villains for his ensemble fights and scenes at the pub. My favorite chapter (other than the stunner of a finale) is when Richard III is revived and creates chaos in a supervillain-esque bid for the throne . This comic is SO British that Cornell even devotes one full page of text each chapter to explaining the references and slang used in the chapter. It's a welcome feature. Overall, Knight & Squire is quite funny at times and has a hell of a finish. Cornell knows his shit. STAR
The Unwritten Volume 2: Inside Man (paperback)
I don't collect The Unwritten in individual issues (it's an ongoing comic), and I'm sort of glad I don't. Not because it isn't great, far from it, but I would be confused as FUCK trying to work out the story issue to issue when it jumps between the main narrative, historical fiction, and meta-fictional scenes between issues so quickly. Having it in a trade paperback gives it bounds and makes it easier to visualize the story arc. And holy hell is it a good story arc.
The Unwritten is one of the coolest ongoing stories in comics today. One of the Vertigo titles that wasn't rebooted into DC's New 52, The Unwritten combines the stories of Harry Potter and Christopher Milne (the real-life Christopher Robin from Winne the Pooh who grew up to be an extremely bitter adult) into Tom Taylor, an adult whose childhood was the basis for the most popular book series of all time (Tommy Taylor, an extremely obvious homage to Harry Potter). Inside Man has Tom accused of murder and escaping into a German Jewish morality novella of the 1930s. There's also a scene where an unknown enemy of Tom's father, Wilson Taylor, is trapped in the hidden darkness of a children's book. Reminding me of Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next novels in the best way possible, The Unwritten is something special. But I'm glad I'm getting it in chunks instead of month to month. STAR
Animal Man Book 1 (paperback)
Damn, what a trip. This is the first nine issues of the Animal Man comic written by Grant Morrison in the late 1980s collected into a trade paperback, and it's... very uneven. It makes light of Animal Man's status as a D-list superhero (good), stars Animal Man's family in major roles, with their own struggles living as the family of a superhero with a known identity (also good), has a major bent towards animal rights and veganism (...ok), portrays hunters as degenerate rapists and murderers (…not ok), features a great fight between Animal Man and B'wana Beast in its fourth issue (yes!), and then features several one-shot stories thereafter.
Those short stories range from interesting (Justice League Europe pays for damages to the homes of a hero's family) to foreboding (the US government paid Mirror Master to harass Buddy's household?) to completely bizarre (a cartoonist-God creates an immortal real-world version of a Looney Tunes-esque villain that must suffer for redemption). If you couldn't already tell, this book was all over the place. I really enjoyed the first four issues, and the following ones open many more doors than they close but always make you think, even if they're hit/miss standing alone. Morrison hits you so hard with the personal/political issues of animal rights and vegetarianism in this book that it could definitely affect your enjoyment of it. I liked it at times and didn't at others, but I can see why it's so acclaimed - this is a very different comic that goes to interesting, innovative places. I can also see how Jeff Lemire's new Animal Man series draws from both Morrison's version and also from the darker, more horror-themed Jamie Delano run (which I haven't read, but may eventually). I'll definitely try Book 2, and if I like that I could very well go further. GLUE
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That's all, folks. A lot of text on this post, I know, and I'm sorry. I'm not turning this in for a grade or for a paycheck, so I kind of forget to edit myself. Whoops. Anyhow, I just finished inFamous: Festival of Blood, so my next blogpost will be tomorrow, about it.
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