CBF Quick Picks #118 : Avengers vs. X-Men #6
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
If it wasn’t for last issue’s cliffhanger, I wouldn’t have bothered staying along for the ride for Marvel’s summer event book. But then it was Jonathan Hickman’s turn to start the second act and it blew me away. It makes sense given Hickman’s knack for being able to handle super-powered teams with big ideas as he does so well in Fantastic Four. And a change in art to Olivier Coipel brought a breath of fresh air to the story, making this book one to pick up after it looked like it was going to fall flat.
Image’s current big-selling book came very close to the pick. Saga #4 took a diverging path and split half of the issue for Marco and Alana’s story and gave the other half to The Will. The latter was the most intriguing – and by that, I mean where the heck does Brian K. Vaughan come up with Sextillion? In any event, great insight into The Will and it shows us that not all characters are what we think it will or may end up being. Fiona Staples is killing it with the art – probably the best facial expressions I’ve seen from anybody today.
Don’t get sold out! Buy advance tickets to The Dark Knight Rises.
CBF Quick Picks #111 : Saga #1
It’s weeks like these that remind me why I love comics. The superheroes may dominate the market (and quite honestly are keeping it alive), but new ideas pop up that make me happy to know how much more this industry has to offer.
Look no further than Brian K. Vaughan’s return to comics with Saga #1. If you know his knack for characterization in previous works like Y: The Last Man or Ex Machina, you’ll be no stranger to this premiere. Mixing it with a Star Wars and Romeo & Juliet premise makes for intriguing drama. Even better, Fiona Staples brings a grounded approach to the art that makes you feel so much for the characters that you forget that it’s a sci-fi book. Please get this book – if not for you, then for your father’s brother’s former college roommate. He’ll appreciate $2.99 for 44 pages of content and no ads.
Not to be pushed to the side, Vertigo unleashed Paul Cornell and Ryan Kelly’s political sci-fi drama in Saucer Country #1. I’m always a fan of genres meshed together and Cornell’s a good writer to do it. This could have easily went the X-Files route and it still could. But the focus on the New Mexico governor and her history keeps it grounded and focused – even if she’s not all there.
While it’s not creator-owned, it’s still a book you’re overlooking. Suicide Squad #7 is icky, creepy, and messed up. But it has Harley Quinn. And it has Joker’s face. And it has Joker’s face on Deadshot’s face. I’m going to stop typing now…
CBF Quick Picks #6 – Pride of Baghdad
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Not much to pick from this week due to my lack of reading time, but I did think of one favorite of mine from Brian K. Vaughan, who you know well from Y: The Last Man and Ex Machina.
This standalone graphic novel speaks highly about the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and what it is to really earn freedom through the eyes of four lions that escaped the Baghdad zoo. Great pacing and characterization, as you would expect from a talent like Vaughan, and equally exquisite art from Niko Henrichon. There’s a good few political metaphors you can grab from this (it’s about the invasion of Iraq, so not surprised there), but ultimately it speaks volumes about the price of freedom and whether it’s given or earned. Go check it out!
Comic Book Fury Episode 2: Green Lantern and a peek inside DC Catalog
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Show runs about 40 minutes.
Lots of Green Lantern
Podcasts!
