The Week in Ink, 8/31/05

Josh pointed out today that for the first time in our lives, a gallon of gas is more expensive than comics. I don't know if that's depressing in and of itself, or just two depressing facts put togther. Regardless, here's what I bought this week. Feel free to follow along on the shipping list (Kevin-style!) to see what I didn't bother to pick up.


Astonishing X-Men #12: My second favorite out of all the comics I read this week. Like most comics readers, I have a quirk about how I read. Specifically, I go in reverse order of how I think I'll like them, saving the best for last. So after a fairly disappointing start, this one was a great surprise as the penultimate issue I read.

Astro City: The Dark Age #3

BPRD: The Black Flame #1

Captain America #9: Did not have MODOK. Otherwise solid. Moving on.

Ex Machina #14

The Flash #225: The Geoff Johns run comes to a crashing end in an issue so spectacularly disappointing that it's got me on the edge of my seat with anticipation for what Joey Cavalieri's going to bring to the table. I like the Johns run entire (heck, I even like "Wonderland"), but "Rogue War" has been a major disappointment, and this issue feels like he crammed every bit of story he had planned for the next year into five pages.

Forgotten Realms: Homeland #3: Hey, shut up.

Freshmen #2

Green Lantern #4: I hate to use the phrases "Geoff Johns" and "spectacularly disappointing" twice in the span of one post, but really, there's no other way to describe Green Lantern. Simply put, Johns writes Hal Jordan as an asshole. And not the fun John Constantine/Spider Jerusalem kind, either. Just a major dick who likes to punch people in the face. Batman suggests that maybe they shouldn't give a man that murdered literally thousands of people the most powerful weapon in the universe? Uppercut! Sonar taunts Hal from inside a locked jail cell? Right cross! Military leader won't immediately acquiesce to GL's demand for a plane? Southpaw! Between the awkward joke about Hal being an American that apparently aliens who have never seen a human think is hilariously funny and Hal using his ring to perform complex neurosurgery so that Hector Hammond can feel it when he--wait for it--punches him in the face, this was the one that broke the camel's back. Dropped like it was hot.

JLA: Classified #11

The Losers #27

The Middle Man #1: The first time I heard about this comic, I thought it was the Metal Men series that Mike Allred was supposed to be do a year or so back, and got really excited. But I decided to give it a shot, and it's not half bad. Every now and then Viper Comics will come out with something I find myself really wanting, like Daisy Kutter or (shut up) The Art of Josh Howard (Seriously. Shut up.).

Neverwhere #3

New Avengers #9: The best issue of the run so far, which, let's face it, is not a high hurdle to jump. Still, McNiven's art's gorgeous, and the story sort of makes sense, maybe? Also, no teenagers almost get raped, so that's a plus.


OHOTMU: Ultimate Marvel 2005: More like the Official Handbook of ULTIMATE GELDOFF!

Revelations #1: When I saw that Paul Jenkins was writing a murder mystery set in the Vatican, I got pretty excited. I used to be a big fan of Humberto Ramos, back when he was doing Impulse (read: before he got stylized to the point of insanity), but the coloring in this book was great, and did a good job of covering the art's weird eccentricities. I enjoyed this one thoroughly, though admittedly I was coming off Green Lantern when I read it.

Robin #141

Runaways #7: I owe Tug a coke.

Seven Soldiers: Shining Knight #4: This was the best comic I read yesterday, bar none. It's one of those rare comics where there's something on every single page that's just amazing. It had a twist I didn't see coming, it had Kid Scarface on a pegasus, and it had a piece of dialogue that made me say "Jesus Christ!" out loud. When I was in bed at one in the morning. I mean, it's no Guardian #3, but I'll be damned if it doesn't come close.

Silent Dragon #2

What... Huh? #1

Wonder Woman #220

Young Avengers #6: So here's the thing. I really like Young Avengers. I've got that hardcover on the way. I also think the last five pages of this one are pretty rough, writing-wise, no matter how many hot teenage girls in purple leather they throw my way. It can all pretty much be traced to the fact that I think "Wiccan" is the worst super-hero name since... well, since ever, really.

Although to be fair, I really like the name "Hawkingbird," so who am I to judge?