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So, here’s the latest installment of my so-far regular posts about new comic books I tried out in my continuing quest to seek out new life in comics, and boldly go where lots of other people have been going before!
I was a bit slowed down in my reading by attending C2E2 this year (which was a blast btw) but I did get a few new titles in.
Here we go…
All-New X-men #40 – It’s not a number 1, but this title is new to me. And, of course, this issue had a lot of buzz for getting waaaay more gay! As in, a team member comes out. I don’t know if I should even play coy at this point because I imagine everyone knows who it is. But just in case you don’t, I’ll be nice. I remember reading about the plot for this and being intrigued. But it was Bendis who is, frankly, not always my favorite writer. I was pleasantly surprised by this. It’s actually kind of cool to see characters I like not weighed down by HEAVY STUFF. I also found the art very appealing. I might have to go back and read more of this book… after I’ve gotten through my current mound of trades and books.
Infinite Loop #1 – This was another random off-the-shelf grab. The gorgeous variant cover art helped. As did the expressive, lovely art inside. It’s described as “a sci-fi story about women in love” on the IDW website. You only get a hint of that at the end. Much of this issue is about establishing the main conceit of the book, where time travelers (who seem to be able to just travel bodily through time at will?) try to set things right and combat time terrorists who leave a lot of misplaced time artifacts around. It’s a fun set-up, and I really liked the character work. The final panels are so great and emotive. Looking forward to reading more of this one.
Kaptara #1 – I’m kind of sad I never got to go by Chip Zdarsky’s table at C2E2. I am a fan of his work on Sex Criminals. I hadn’t had a chance to read Kaptara before C2E2, though. I was intrigued to see what it’d be like with him taking the reins from a writing perspective. And the guy at my LCS described it in a way that I couldn’t really resist. It’s sounded too insane. The end result is something pleasingly weird. There are times when I thought the humor came off a tiny bit forced. Perhaps. But that could also be me just settling into the rhythm of the writing. So I reserve judgement on that until I’ve read a few issues. Which I most certainly plan to do.
The Fox #1 – This is on Archie’s new Dark Circle Comics (formerly Red Circle… aka Archie’s superhero) imprint. I thought I’d give it a go. It is co-written by Mark Waid and Dean Haspiel. The art looks great, and the first issue is likable enough. But… maybe it’s just where I’m at currently in my comic book reading… but the issue as a whole left me a bit cold. It’s a fun little tale, but there wasn’t really enough there to motivate me to pick up issue 2. But I’ll keep my ears open to hear if it picks up or evolves.
Edward Scissorhands #1 – I’ve been intrigued by this book for a while, I just finally had a chance to pick it up and read it. It’s really, really good and further proof that we’re in a bit of a golden age of licensed comics at the moment. Or, as I like to think of it, licensed comics done right. The story picks up right where the movie left off, and it has an emotional core that echoes the movie. Plus, the artwork is really fantastic and evocative of the movie, too, while being heavily stylized. Probably better than a sequel ever would have been. I read issues 2 and 3 in the same sitting and the quality totally held up.
Catch-Up: Thought I’d give a quick update on some past comics I started reading and have now read more of! Chrononauts got a bit more interesting in the way it’s playing with history and the general thrust of the story, but I’m worried it’s going to be so short that it won’t amount to much story-wise by the end. We’ll see. Southern Cross continues to be superb and intriguing. One of my favorite books right now.
