(Editor’s Note: There are pop-up’s a-plenty in the Best Book column today. I highly recommend clicking all of them, as they are very important to the overall experience.)(And also, they’re funny as heck!)
Secret Avengers #16 gotta lotta love a couple of weeks ago. Wasn’t my pick for Best Book of the Week, but it certainly ran away with the Best Book of the Week Poll. A crushing victory over my pick of Flashpoint #5. I did like Secret Avengers #16. Nominated it. Enjoyed it. And I’m very happy that Warren Ellis has come onboard Secret Avengers to write a series of one-shot adventures.
So, I will be picking SECRET AVENGERS #17 as my Best Book this week. Thought it blew issue #16 away and was flat out awesome.
The plot is this: a demon tractor trailer is careening through towns abducting people out of their homes via electromagnetic levitation fields; it basically shoots wormholes out its sides. Steve Rogers and his Secret Avengers — Sharon Carter, War Machine and Valkyrie, this time around — have to stop it.
Commander Rogers breaks out Quincarrier Zero and the Secret Avengers fly off to confront the Demon Truck!
It actually doesn’t go very well. A sonic attack thwarts Valkyrie and her horse. Steve Rogers basically gets run over. And War Machine gets blown away. Never fear! Commander Rogers implores the members of his team to get their act together. And they do.
Pace was off the hook. Action-packed from beginning to end. My man Warren! Mix in a Star Trek saucer separation, a tractor trailer from Death’s Head garage, and Mean Machine’s power dial, and you get one action-packed romp! Loved it.
Holy smokes, Batman #1 absolutely demolished the competition in last week’s poll! I won’t even mention the closest competitor because Batman’s victory was so decisive. Okay, you talked me into it: the runner up was Cobra Ongoing #5, which came in with less than 25% of the voted that Batman tallied. And a deserving victory it was indeed for old Batsy, since it might have been the best book of the New 52.
Got a whole new crop of DC #1 issues for you this week (the last new crop, in fact), plus some of our favorites from Marvel, Dark Horse and everyone else. So get in there and tell us how you feel!
What was the best book of the week?
Aquaman #1 (11 Votes)
Captain America and Bucky #622 (6 Votes)
Rachel Rising #2 (5 Votes)
Secret Avengers #17 (4 Votes)
Superman #1 (3 Votes)
Green Lantern New Guardians #1 (2 Votes)
Abe Sapien Devil Does Not Jest #1 (2 Votes)
Annihilators Earthfall #1 (of 4) (2 Votes)
X-Men Legacy #256 (2 Votes)
Mighty Thor #6 (2 Votes)
Ultimate Comics Ultimates #2 (1 Votes)
Voodoo #1 (1 Votes)
So many good books!! And yet you guys STILL managed to miss my favorite. Which is... (1 Votes)
Starting to sound like a broken record, but here I am once again trying to whittle my Best Book of the Week nominees down to 10 issues, and it’s impossible. Yeah, there were a few high profile misses this week. Wolverine #16 for instance. But the quality of comics this week was once again outstanding.
Mentioned AQUAMAN #1, GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #1, TEEN TITANS #1, and VOODOO #1yesterday. X-MEN LEGACY #256 was excellent again. As was IRON MAN 2.0 #9. It’s wild. Palmer Addley explained how he transferred his mind into someone’s kidney this time around. And Mojo showed up in ANNIHILATORS EARTHFALL #1 (OF 4). Rocket Raccoon’s gonna be a TV star! I am Groot! All deserve nominations.
Here’s 10 more!
AMERICAN VAMPIRE #19 – Really didn’t think I would like it. A flashback? On Skinner Sweet and Jim Book? No. No. No. Move forward in time, please… and yet it was great. Boys growing up together in 1863 Missouri, then as men fighting together in the Army circa 1871. The Indian Wars. Jordi Bernet draws a great western. Scott Snyder writes a great comic. Chief Hole in the Sky has amassed a force of more than 200 of his finest warriors to take on the blue coats and enlists the Goddess Mimiteh to help. Needless to say… she’s a vampire! A totally different take on American Vampire and impressive once again.
ANGEL & FAITH #2 – Better than issue one. Angel, with Faith’s help, is putting a plan in motion to bring Giles back to life. It’s just flat out good.
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND BUCKY #622 – Haven’t seen a bad issue yet out of CA&B. The Invaders make an appearance and this issue was about how regular old Bucky has to prove himself to his super-powered allies in WWII. Namor question! Namor is showing up quite frequently these days and while I know he is supposed to be arrogant… is he really supposed to be this much of an ass?
I VAMPIRE #1 – I will mention again. Thought it was a little different take on vampires. Thought the tone and the art were utterly fantastic. Mostly set-up. Really curious to see where the story goes. Think it has a chance to be a very, very good series.
KICK-ASS 2 #4 – Was awesome. Hit Girl is awesome. Her opening quote about the Red Mist was doubly awesome. The violence level was off the charts. And yet made total sense for the context of the book. And the cover tag line was right on the money: The Must-Read Book for all Psychopaths!
MIGHTY THOR #6 – The end of the Galactus arc. Thoroughly enjoyed every issue. Wrapped up nicely. What I thought would just be a big fight arc, and it was a great big fight arc, actually brought about some changes to the Marvel U. Silver Surfer gives up his Herald status. He’s going to remain on Earth. He can even become human if he wants. The Thor/Odin pissing match continues. The Thor/Loki love-you-like-a-brother-but-don’t-trust-you dynamic continues. And Pastor Mike is the new Herald of Galactus!
RACHEL RISING #2 – Even better than issue #1. Newly risen from the grave, Rachel goes to visit her Aunt Johnny who just happens to be a mortician. She also happens to talk to dead people on a regular basis. The ensuing conversation was hilarious! And then a young girl cracked her older sister over the head with a frying pan! Whack! Loved it.
SUPERMAN #1 – I will mention again. So dense. So easy to read. Usually not a big fan of George Perez. Understand he is a comic book legend. He’s also the king of little panels and lots of words! Which is not really my cup of tea. But I sure did like this. Excellent job!
ULTIMATE COMICS ULTIMATES #2 – Even better than issue #1! Opened with a two-page explanation of the bad guys, which was great and sucked me right into the issue. And the scope is huge! Nick Fury summed it up best: "You’re going to have a hard time believing this, but a low-yield nuclear detonation in Uruguay only ranks third on my ‘this #@$% is gonna kill you list.’" And then the bad guys decided the superheroes were mere peons and went to Asgard to kill some gods! Pace was great. Mucho action. And a fine, fine comic all the way around.
I do think it’s worth noting that three of the 10 comics mentioned above were issue #2′s. Sometimes the first issue is mostly set-up and the "real" story doesn’t get rolling until the second issue. And a lot of DC’s New 52 #1 issues were mostly set-up. Anxious to see what they got up their sleeves for October and 52 #2 issues! Bring it on!
So here we are. The last week of #1 issues in DC’s The New 52. It’s the week I’ve actually been looking forward to the most. Voodoo and Aquaman are two of my all-time favorite characters. I also wanted to see what they did with All-Star Western… and Hawkman… and Zatanna. And ever since I read Superboy #1, I’ve been super curious about the Teen Titans. And the week did not disappoint. No F’s this time around. Or D’s. Or even C’s for that matter. I thought all 13 issues graded out to at least a B and five maybe even six deserved an A. See what I nominate on Thursday.
I was very pleased with AQUAMAN #1. Such a misunderstood character. The butt of many a joke. Very unfairly I might add. If you read Flashpoint Emperor Aquaman and/or Brightest Day #1, you know how cool a character he can be. And I loved that this misconception was addressed right away. What’s Aquaman doing here? There’s no water around here. Do you need a glass of water? All you do is talk to fish. What are you doing in a seafood restaurant? How does it feel to be a laughingstock? How does it feel to be nobody’s favorite superhero? Hah. Hah. Hah. And WRONG! I don’t talk to fish. They have no brains! Did you see me flip that car with my trident! Did you see those bullets bouncing off me! Did you see my hot wife! I’m the king of Atlantis! And I hope Mr. Johns continues to bear that in mind as we move forward with the series. Now, AQUAMAN #1 maybe could have used a bit more action in it, leaned toward the set-up side of things, but everything was set up nicely and it made me very happy.
VOODOO #1 opened with the following monologue: "Who is she? Where did she come from? What secrets does she hide? Are you ready, gentlemen? Because this is why you’re here! This is who you came to see!" Damn straight skippy! Here’s the page if you would like to see. And yes, for the second week in a row (see Red Hood), DC Comics has gone the alien slutress route. Didn’t mind Starfire last week because she’s not a character I have any history with. Didn’t mind Voodoo this week because I thought it was very much in line with the original Wildcats Voodoo portrayal. And to be fair she did quit her job, albeit not before going Damonite and killing an undercover cop, who she then impersonates using her shape shifting powers. Nice set-up once again. Made me happy once again. And I have to give you another popup. You guys and your uniforms… Voodoo ain’t in spandex yet but this rendition of Voodoo couldn’t be more perfect. Nailed it.
Of course I VAMPIRE #1 was about vampires, which might put a lot of people off these days, but I liked it a lot and Andrea Sorrentino’s artwork reminded me of Jae Lee, which is high praise indeed. GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #1 focused on Kyle, Ganthet and the rainbow coalition and made the Green Lantern books go four for four on the reboot. Fine job all around. Scott Lobdell goes three for three with TEEN TITANS #1. Kid Flash was annoying. Red Robin was large and in charge. And Wonder Girl was fantastic. Even tied into Superboy #1 at the end.
But I do think the Best DC Book of the Week was SUPERMAN #1. If Batman #1 set up the world of Gotham last week. Superman #1 set up the world of Metropolis this week. Just a super dense book. Perry White. Lois Lane. Jimmy Olsen. The defunct Daily Planet. The new Planet Global Network. Everything got put in its place. Plus a huge Clark Kent newspaper article monologued action sequence of Superman fighting a fire monster. It was great. And if one of DC’s initiatives in the New 52 was to make the content and/or context more modern Superman #1 totally did that. Although I’m not so sure about the "twittering." Here at Cosmic Comix we only tweet. Maybe that’s just us… Anyway…
Hats off to DC comics for what can only be considered a very successful month of #1 issues. Thought I might like half, ended up liking almost them all. Just a great start. Bring on October and 52 new #2 issues!
It’s an exciting week for me, readers: my wife is out of town! I am a free man, free from the bonds of domesticity, without a care in the world and living it up! I am imagining myself on the cover of an old Tales of Suspense comic (like the one I tweeted yesterday), except the title of my story would be, "When Walks the Married Man… Unbound!" And the Jack Kirby cover would feature me busting out of some chains in a dank basement with my wife’s picture in a little inset bubble saying, "I know I’m supposed to love and serve my husband, but he’s gone… MAD!"
Okay, okay. It’s nothing like that. I’ll probably just be hanging at my place and finishing up that Larry Sanders Show box set. *Sigh"
SECRET AVENGERS #17
Cover by John Cassaday & Paul Mounts
Great, great cover for Warren Ellis’ second issue of Secret Avengers. Probably my favorite cover on the day. "Look out, Steve Rogers! The Secret Avengers Express is comin’ through!" [Insert sound of 18-wheeler horn with Doppler effect as it cruises by.]
I’m not sure what exactly Steve is trying to accomplish here. Here could be: A) in the process of jump-kicking the grill of this big rig (in which case, GOOD LUCK), or B) getting his knee broken by the cowcatcher as he tries some Indiana Jones-style maneuver to get underneath of it (in which case, OUCH).
He is the one character who you could arguably say is responsible for the entire New 52 (see Flashpoint #5). At times bogged down by his own history and often thought of as a character for the hardcore DC people only, this time around we’re looking at a brand new Flash. He’s younger and more of a do-gooder than former incarnations of Barry Allen and he’s brought to you by superstar artist Francis Manapul! Considering the important role that Flashpoint has played over the past few months, it’s fair to say that Manapul and co-writer Brian Buccellato have put in some serious man-hours to do this up right. Should be cool!
THE FLASH #1
Written by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato
Art by Francis Manapul
The Fastest Man Alive returns to his own monthly series from the writer/artist team of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato! The Flash knows he can’t be everywhere at once, but what happens when he faces an all-new villain who really can! As if that’s not bad enough, this villain is a close friend!
This week marks the fourth week of DC Comics’ The New 52! With the 13 new #1 issues this week — 12 of which you’ll see below, with one more (Flash) to come later today — we’ll have seen at least one issue of every new title! Which ones are you looking forward to the most?
The Annihilators — Gladiator, Quasar, Ronan, Ikon and Beta-Ray Bill — are rocketing back this week in Annihilators: Earthfall #1! Writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning bring these mighty cosmic heroes to Earth for a turf war of intergalactic proportions, and, according to them, it’s a great series for new readers and longtime fans alike.
“If you read the previous [Annihilators] series, then this is a return to those characters and a continuation of the storyline, but if you’re just joining us, this is the perfect place,” Lanning notes. “This is the moment when the front line of Marvel’s cosmic characters comes to Earth, so we get to introduce them, who they are, and what their agenda is, through the eyes of Earth characters who don’t know what’s been going on in space. Hey, it’s almost like we designed it to be the perfect jumping-on point!”
We’ve been fans of DnA’s cosmic tales for some time now and are definitely looking forward to this one.
ANNIHILATORS EARTHFALL #1 (OF 4)
Written by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning
Art by Timothy Green, Tan Eng Huat
Marvel’s coxmic heavy hitters come to Earth — and fight The Avengers! What has brought Gladiator, Quasar, Ronan, Ikon and Beta-Ray Bill to our planet…and why are they at odds with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes? All this, plus each issue will feature a five-page chapter of an all-new, all-hilarious Rocket Raccoon & Groot story!
Marvel Comics’ Annihilators: Earthfall #1 comes out on Wednesday!
This week, Marvel’s main man Brian Michael Bendis is teaming back up with his Ultimate Spider-Man partner Mark Bagley for a new series to be published under Marvel’s imprint for creator-owned titles, Icon. Check it out!
BRILLIANT #1
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Mark Bagley
The first creator-owned book by Ultimate Spider-Man co-creators Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley, Brilliant tells the story of a handful of college-age geniuses who challenge each other to solve the mystery of superpowers. Can the best and brightest change science fiction into science fact? And if so, how will the world at large react?
Brilliant is a thriller of the highest order. It is a story of how true power can either destroy or protect the strongest of friendships. It is the story of how the world will react when our true potential is finally unlocked. This fast-talking, whip-smart new series will thrill fans of Ultimate Spider-Man, Powers and Scarlet. The first award-winning collection of Bendis and Bagley’s Ultimate Spider-Man has sold well over one million copies.
We’re also set to get another favorite title from the Icon stable this week with Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.’s Kick-Ass! Always a good time when this one comes out, and the end of the last issue looked like the return of the one and only Hit-Girl!
KICK-ASS 2 #4
Written by Mark Millar
Art by John Romita
Red Mist takes on a new identity too vulgar for print and issues a command to all his super-bastards on Twitter to wreak havoc on New York. Meanwhile, the cops are cracking down on all costumed activity and tracing the secret identities of all the heroes. Could Dave get a knock on his door, and has enough spit hit the fan for Hit-Girl to pick up her sword again?
Marvel Comics/Icon’s Brilliant #1 and Kick-Ass 2 #4 both come out on Wednesday!
The first issue of Rachel Rising arrived with some fanfare here at Cosmic Comix, especially in light of how strong creator Terry Moore’s previous series, Echo, had been. And we were not disappointed! It was a great first issue (which we still have in stock). The second issue comes out this week and we are definitely excited to see what’s in store for the girl who rose from the dead…
RACHEL RISING #2
Written and illustrated by Terry Moore
Rachel Beck was murdered yesterday. Today she’s back from the grave and looking for her killer. The problem is, death zaps the memory bank pretty hard. So now Rachel will have to investigate her own murder!
Abstract Studios’ Rachel Rising #2 comes out on Wednesday!
This Wednesday sees the release of an original graphic novel hardcover by comics legend Frank Miller! It’s called Holy Terror, and by the sounds of it, that’s exactly what it is. Be sure to watch the trailer, too!
HOLY TERROR HC
Written and illustrated by Frank Miller
There’s a deadly menace somewhere in Empire City, and The Fixer only has until dawn to save his town – and civilization as we know it! Legendary Comics presents an all-out, head-busting, bone-breaking, neck-snapping brawl of a tale from Frank Miller, one of the most celebrated storytellers of the medium. Years in the making, Holy Terror features the desperate and brutal quest of a hero as he is forced to run down an army of murderous zealots in order to stop a crime against humanity.
As an added bonus for our subscribers, we’ve got an Empty Box Bonus: if your box is empty, you can purchase ANY ONE ITEM IN THE STORE AT 40% OFF! Not just Wolverine, but anything in the store! It’s our "40% Off" Subscriber Empty Box Bonus!
Here’s the deal:
Starting this Wednesday, September 28, if you are a subscriber here at Cosmic Comix — and everyone is welcome to become a subscriber — and your box is empty, you are eligible to purchase any one item in the store for 40% OFF!
Items already in your box don’t count, new stuff this week doesn’t count. Otherwise, you have your pick of the entire store and our massive inventory! Trades, hardcovers, action figures, statues, whatever!
It can be on the same day, too. You can clean out your box AND get that 40% off on the very same day. The Empty Box Bonus lasts from Wednesday, September 28, through Tuesday, October 4. Stop on by!
It’s time once again to go back to one of our favorite Whiz Bang’s: WOLVERINE: ENEMY OF THE STATE. In the past we’ve offered this excellent trade paperback at 40% off the cover price of $29.99, which made it available to you for the bargain price of just $18.00! Well, we’re doing it again!
Same great comic, same great price. For this week only — from Wednesday, September 28, through Tuesday, October 4 — the Wolverine: Enemy of the State Ultimate Collection trade paperback is 40% OFF!
WOLVERINE: ENEMY OF STATE
ULTIMATE COLLECTION TP
Written by Mark Millar
Penciled by John Romita Jr.
The complete epic! Brainwashed by the ninjas of the Hand, Wolverine slices and dices his way through foes and friends alike, ultimately resulting in the death of an X-Man! Captured and reprogrammed, Wolverine is sent against his former masters – but amid an orgy of death and destruction, is even the fiercest mutant alive a match for the deadly stare of the Gorgon?! Collecting Wolverine #20-32.
Yep, that’s 13 awesome issues of Mark Millar-style action, so you know it’s about as over-the-top as it can get. If you haven’t read it before, now’s the time!
DC Comics and The New 52 will once again lead this week — it is the fourth and final week of new #1 issues after all – and the big one this week is Flash #1! He was a key player in the run-up to the New 52 and I have to imagine he’ll be a key player going forward. There are a few other big ones, too, in Batman The Dark Knight #1, Aquaman #1, Superman #1, Green Lantern New Guardians #1 and Justice League Dark #1!
From Marvel, we’re set to get the first issue of Mark Millar’s newest Icon mini-series in Brilliant #1. Also, Eric Shanower’s latest Wizard of Oz series kicks of in Dorothy and Wizard in Oz #1 and Abnett and Lanning’s next cosmic saga begins in Annihilators Earthfall #1! Plus, New Avengers #16.1, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #2, Ultimate Comics Ultimates #2, Wolverine #16, Wolverine Best There Is #10, X-Men Legacy #256!
Plus, Angel & Faith #2, Rachel Rising #2 and a new hardcover graphic novel from Frank Miller, Holy Terror!
Here we are once again at the end of our monthly trip through the comics we’re looking forward to a couple months down the road. We’ve already seen Marvel and we’ve already seen DC, which means it must be time for Everything Else! Look out for Dark Horse, Image, Avatar and more!
GUNS AND DINOS #1 (of 3)
IMAGE COMICS
Written and illustrated by Frank Cho
With a catastrophic fossil fuel shortage looming, several scientific and military groups are hard at work trying to find alternative fuel sources and modes of transportation to keep the United States military machine running. A small group of quantum scientists and engineers have made a breakthrough in transportation: space folding. Things go awry on its maiden voyage, though, and instead of teleporting the soldiers across the lab, it sends the entire military base back in time – with disastrous results!
We always joke around here that if Frank Cho’s name is attached to a comic book you can rest assured that two things will show up in said comic book: 1) dinosaurs and 2) hot women. Needless to say we will be VERY disappointed if no ladies show up in this one.
Artist Minck Oosterveer, who worked on Marvel’s Ruse and Boom’s The Unknown and Zombie Tales, passed away last week from a motorcycle accident. My sympathies are with his his family. Mr. Oosterveer, thanks for the good comics. I enjoyed them. You will be missed.
Dynamite is bringing back Tarzan, but for legal reasons have to call the comic Lord of the Jungle. The Tarzan novels are in public domain, but the name Tarzan is trademarked by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. Arvid Nelson and Robert Castro will be the creative team on the book and the first issue is out in December for only $1.
There is already some of creative shuffling on DC’s 52. Writer J.T. Krul is leaving Green Arrow after issue #3 to be replaced by Keith Giffen. (Wow, now I will have to give Green Arrow another try!) Dan Jurgens will remain the artist on the book.
Last week I noted that there was going to be an adaptation of one of Jim Henson’s unproduced screenplays as a graphic novel entitled A Tale of Sand. Well if you are interested in it (as I am) you can find a 20-page preview of the GN at Bleeding Cool.
Believe it or not, last week’s New 52 poll actually ended in a tie! Your two favorite books, which both received eight votes, were Superboy #1 and Batwoman #1! Batman and Robin #1 and Deathstroke #1 tied to come in strong in second place with six votes apiece.
This week, you’ve seen a couple of the titles already over in the main Best Book poll, but now you get your pick of all of ‘em!
I enjoyed this week’s worth of DC books more than last week’s. I felt that overall there were more titles I want to continue reading in the months to come. Hands down the best part of this relaunch has been loving books I did not expect to really enjoy such as Animal Man, Demon Knights, Batgirl, Resurrection Man, Birds of Prey, and Superboy. So how did this week stack up? I really dug most of the books, with a few exceptions.
WONDER WOMAN #1
Written by Brian Azzarello
Art by Cliff Chiang
Anyone that is not new to Wonder Woman might roll their eyes at a new relaunch for the character. After all, DC had done a soft reboot of her over a year ago, and it was as recent as 2006 that Allan Heinberg and Terry Dodson did their own relaunch of the character. To say that DC struggles with the creative direction Diana should take is a bit of an understatement.
This new Wonder Woman book is completely different from anything you have seen before for the character. Brian Azzarello treats us to rogue gods and mythical creatures that are impeding on the world. Zeus has disappeared and left a “gift” behind that the pantheon of gods – such as Hermes, and Apollo – will be fighting over. Diana is dragged into the fray to protect Zola, a young woman who is the bearer of Zeus’ gift.
To be fair the story takes center stage with Wonder Woman just one of many players. The reason I think this works is because Azzarello does not fall into the pool of writers desperately trying so hard to get a handle on Diana as a character that they forget to tell a compelling story. This Diana could be any version you had ever read about, or she could be brand new for you, it works either way. We get a sense of her through her dialogue and mostly from her actions. I think this is how Azzarello will define her as the story is told moving forward, and I am quite alright with that.
Cliff Chiang’s art is wonderful. It is at once clean in its storytelling and heavy in its linework, providing the menacing nature of the story. It is a superhero comic, but it is also a horror comic. Chiang walks back and forth through these genres with relative ease.
This feels very much like the Vertigo-zation of Wonder Woman. It throws you into the deep end of the pool right away, but I expect that was to get the ball rolling. I look forward to see just where the creative team is going with this, and I personally cannot wait for it.
FINAL WORD: An unexpected direction for Wonder Woman, and I loved every page of it. I want more.
Last time I read The Suicide Forest which was a fantastic horror story. As is my habit, having read a really good story in one genre, I wanted to read something completely different next. And it doesn’t get any different than European books, so this week I read Legend of the Scarlet Blades written and illustrated by Saverio Tenuta, published by Humanoids.
For years, the winters in the land have grown longer, and attacks by the Izuna wolves have gotten more frequent and more ferocious. The land lives in fear and now the noble Lord is dead. When Raido, a ronin, returns seemingly from the dead after having fought the wolves, a chain of events transpires that will uncover the truth about the winter, the wolves, and how the land itself has become corrupted by evil.
In Blades, Tenuta created an intricate world full of swords, sorcery and captivating characters. Tenuta’s ability as a storyteller is on full display in this book as he takes a basic plot, similar to manga classics ‘Blade of the Immortal’ and ‘Lone Wolf and Cub’, and inserts interesting characters and events to make it a taut read. Unlike those mangas, this doesn’t need 1000+ pages to tell the story.
Did GI Joe Cobra come out this week? You know it did. You know I love it. Just what does our mysterious plane stealer have in store for us? But do I dare pick it for the third issue in a row? Alas. I dare not. I love my Cobra but Batman #1 easily wins this week.
Scott Snyder’s run on Detective Comics was fantastic. The last issue, Dectective #881, was ranked as the best issue for the month of August here at Cosmic Comix (a sentiment I whole heartedly agree with) and we’ve all been anxiously awaiting Mr. Snyder’s take on Batman in the new DCU.
Needless to say, expectations for Batman were very, very high.
Consider those expectations met. If not surpassed.
Batman #1 really had a Gotham feel to it. Really had a Batman feel to it. Loved that so many different characters showed up. Loved that all the character’s roles were quickly defined. Even established what the Batcave looks like. This may be the new 52, but you knew you were reading a Batman comic!
Perfect jumping on point. Everything a number one issue should be. Really established a base line for the series moving forward. And if you haven’t read it yet, we did sell a ton of copies this week, you absolutely should. Totally worth it.
Very easy to read and yet had so many different elements to it. A monologue about what Gotham is. A riot in Arkham and Dick Grayson pretending to be the Joker. The introduction of a new Mayor and a revitalization plan for Gotham City. Batman’s conversation with Jim Gordon. Batman’s conversation with Harvey Bullock. A contact lens with a remote access processor linked to the computer. Heck, Mr. Snyder’s patented creepiness vibe even managed to sneak its way in.
And yet at the heart of it all…it was a detective story. There’s been a murder. There’s a mystery. There’s a twist. There’s a problem. And Batman will have to figure it all out.
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(Editor’s Note: There are pop-up’s a-plenty in the Best Book column today. I highly recommend clicking all of them, as they are very important to the overall experience.)(And also, they’re funny as heck!)
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Starting to sound like a broken record, but here I am once again trying to whittle my Best Book of the Week nominees down to 10 issues, and it’s impossible. Yeah, there were a few high profile misses this week. Wolverine #16 for instance. But the quality of comics this week was once again outstanding.
So here we are. The last week of #1 issues in DC’s 
He is the one character who you could arguably say is responsible for the entire New 52 (see Flashpoint #5). At times bogged down by his own history and often thought of as a character for the hardcore DC people only, this time around we’re looking at a brand new Flash. He’s younger and more of a do-gooder than former incarnations of Barry Allen and he’s brought to you by superstar artist Francis Manapul! Considering the important role that Flashpoint has played over the past few months, it’s fair to say that Manapul and co-writer Brian Buccellato have put in some serious man-hours to do this up right. Should be cool!
This week marks the fourth week of DC Comics’ 
The Annihilators — Gladiator, Quasar, Ronan, Ikon and Beta-Ray Bill — are rocketing back this week in Annihilators: Earthfall #1! Writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning bring these mighty cosmic heroes to Earth for a turf war of intergalactic proportions, and, according to them, it’s a great series for new readers and longtime fans alike.
This week, Marvel’s main man Brian Michael Bendis is teaming back up with his Ultimate Spider-Man partner Mark Bagley for a new series to be published under Marvel’s imprint for creator-owned titles, Icon. Check it out!
We’re also set to get another favorite title from the Icon stable this week with Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.’s Kick-Ass! Always a good time when this one comes out, and the end of the last issue looked like the return of the one and only Hit-Girl!
The first issue of Rachel Rising arrived with some fanfare here at Cosmic Comix, especially in light of how strong creator Terry Moore’s previous series, 
This Wednesday sees the release of an original graphic novel hardcover by comics legend Frank Miller! It’s called Holy Terror, and by the sounds of it, that’s exactly what it is. Be sure to watch the trailer, too!
ATTENTION! CALLING ALL SUBSCRIBERS!
DC Comics and The New 52 will once again lead this week — it is the fourth and final week of new #1 issues after all – and the big one this week is Flash #1! He was a key player in the run-up to the New 52 and I have to imagine he’ll be a key player going forward. There are a few other big ones, too, in Batman The Dark Knight #1, Aquaman #1, Superman #1, Green Lantern New Guardians #1 and Justice League Dark #1!
Here we are once again at the end of our monthly trip through the comics we’re looking forward to a couple months down the road. We’ve already seen 
Artist Minck Oosterveer, who worked on Marvel’s Ruse and Boom’s The Unknown and Zombie Tales, passed away last week from a motorcycle accident. My sympathies are with his his family. Mr. Oosterveer, thanks for the good comics. I enjoyed them. You will be missed.
I enjoyed this week’s worth of DC books more than last week’s. I felt that overall there were more titles I want to continue reading in the months to come. Hands down the best part of this relaunch has been loving books I did not expect to really enjoy such as Animal Man, Demon Knights, Batgirl, Resurrection Man, Birds of Prey, and Superboy. So how did this week stack up? I really dug most of the books, with a few exceptions.
Last time I read 
Did GI Joe Cobra come out this week? You know it did. You know I love it. Just what does our mysterious plane stealer have in store for us? But do I dare pick it for the third issue in a row? Alas. I dare not. I love my Cobra but Batman #1 easily wins this week.
