What Comics Are You Reading?

[TecmoSuperJoe]

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II
Written by James Tynion IV
Art by Freddie Williams II



I read the first volume of this, and from what I remember, it was okay. It's essentially the same deal for it's sequel here. Basic plot is the Turtles are chasing the Foot Clan, and Donnie has his confidence as a fighter shaken when he loses a fight to one of the solders. He goes alone to send a message to Batman through a dimensional portal, but is attacked by the Foot Clan, which causes an accident forcing him to switch places with Bane from the DC universe in Gotham City, who arrives in New York, and starts to take over. Batman and the Turtles have to meet up through the dimensional plane to try and save the day again. 

I guess the story for me just wasn't that meaty. Maybe my expectations were too high? Not that I necessarily need to have a story that asks deep questions, but perhaps this just was more treading of the same ground previously. It did remind me of a typical Saturday morning cartoon type of deal. I like James Tynion IV, and seem to find myself reading a lot of his work. This was just meh though.

[mistakey]

just got back into it read multiple collections of the following comics over vacation
b**** planet 1 and 2
black monday murders 1 and 2
fatale 1 and 2
Criminal (the junkie one and #7)
gideon falls 1
manhattan projects 1 2 3 (think im gonna stop and not buy 4 5 6)
the fade out 1 2 3

got:
east of west or whatever complete collections 1 and 2
fatale deluxe vol 2
gidon falls 2
on deck

any recs?

[TecmoSuperJoe]

Once and Future #1
Written by Kieron Gillen 
Penciled and inked by Dan Mora

I was looking forward to this for the last month or so when I first found out about it. I'm a big fan of Dan Mora's work, especially when he was doing work for Power Rangers. Premiere issue here was okay. Typical setup. Essentially you have a grandmother who recruits her socially awkward grandson into what seems like a centuries old conflict dating back to the days of King Arthur. I guess I was expecting a home run in the debut read, but perhaps the expectation was too high. I have to say I was immediately turned off by the grandmother character, and I get the feeling I wasn't supposed to hate her. Oh well. The ball did get rolling here, so I'm going to at least give it a few issues. 

Edited August 15, 2019 by PapaShogun

[TecmoSuperJoe]

Powers of X #2
Written by Johnathan Hickman
Penciled/inked by RB Silva

Well, this was the big release of the week, and the alternating X-Books will probably continue to do so for the rest of the mini series every week. I think I liked maybe 2/3 of this one. The last couple of pages really confused me. The rundown of societies, and the intelligence scales. I guess I didn't feel like I had enough of a reason to care to read all of that, process it, and see how it relates to the story thus far (I did read all of the descriptions). Just felt like Hickman is introducing a lot of big ideas that aren't necessarily warranted. At least not now. BTW, this doesn't feel like a good jumping on title for new readers. I don't know anything about the Phalanx story arc, so I was lost there, and felt like I was supposed to know something. Weird, the more they go into the future, the less invested I feel. I recall someone making a comparison to 2001: A Space Odyssey, and when I heard that I thought it was spot on. Definitely not as vague as that film thus far or left up to personal interpretation, but with the big ideas, and expository dump via what seems like pages from a D&D player's guide manual I think I'm going to need a cup of coffee for these and/or read them a second time each week. Next week looks like things might pick up with House. Cover looks dope I have to say. RB Silva is killing it with the art on this book, so if I stick around at least I'll be able to be a recipient to that. 

Edited August 15, 2019 by PapaShogun

[TecmoSuperJoe]

Batman and the Outsiders #4
Written by Bryan Hill
Penciled/inked by Dexter Soy

I'm still liking this book, even though the last two issues have been the team essentially trying to plan their next move while working for Bruce, and I guess still learning to be a team after getting their butts handed to them in the second issue by Ishmael, Ra's al Ghul's overpowered minion. This resulted in the loss of a meta-human girl getting kidnapped, and now they have to get her back as they fear she is being turned into a weapon by Ra's. Strangely, this is more of the same in issue 3 with the team taking a step back, but I liked this issue more so. Somehow, Bryan Hill has kept it from getting stale. It really appears things are going to pop off next issue so hopefully that's the case. I want to see the squad get another crack at it fixing stuff. I'm also really enjoying the conversations between Black Lightening and Batman. Hill's dialogue they have for both of them seems really slick at times. 

I also love the art on this book a lot. So much, that I'm going to take a look at Red Hood and the Outlaws with Soy. I also wanted to read that anyway since I like teams of 3, and it seems like a reverse trinity setup.

Gotta say though, the covers have been pretty misleading about stuff that actually happens in the book, which is funny.

 

[TecmoSuperJoe]

Go Go Power Rangers #22
Written by Ryan Parrott, Sina Grace
Penciled/inked by Francesco Mortarino

After catching up the last 5 or 6 issues last month, this book really seems "meh", and kind of dragging on for me. It's actually been two issues after I think yet another reality reset even though Shattered Grid wasn't that long ago. Perhaps I'm not remembering correctly, but this was supposed to be a book before the arrival of Tommy...and I guess it still is that, but not really since Tommy is around...but went off on his own. Really, ever since Shattered Grid happened, and Kyle Higgins left the main book Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, things have just started to lull. Dropped that book a while back too. The art isn't that strong to necessarily keep me around, so if there isn't a knockout issue in the next couple of reads, might have to just move on. Sucks, because in 2018 everything was clicking so well.

[thrILL!]

8 hours ago, PapaShogun said:

Powers of X #2
Written by Johnathan Hickman
Penciled/inked by RB Silva

Well, this was the big release of the week, and the alternating X-Books will probably continue to do so for the rest of the mini series every week. I think I liked maybe 2/3 of this one. The last couple of pages really confused me. The rundown of societies, and the intelligence scales. I guess I didn't feel like I had enough of a reason to care to read all of that, process it, and see how it relates to the story thus far (I did read all of the descriptions). Just felt like Hickman is introducing a lot of big ideas that aren't necessarily warranted. At least not now. BTW, this doesn't feel like a good jumping on title for new readers. I don't know anything about the Phalanx story arc, so I was lost there, and felt like I was supposed to know something. Weird, the more they go into the future, the less invested I feel. I recall someone making a comparison to 2001: A Space Odyssey, and when I heard that I thought it was spot on. Definitely not as vague as that film thus far or left up to personal interpretation, but with the big ideas, and expository dump via what seems like pages from a D&D player's guide manual I think I'm going to need a cup of coffee for these and/or read them a second time each week. Next week looks like things might pick up with House. Cover looks dope I have to say. RB Silva is killing it with the art on this book, so if I stick around at least I'll be able to be a recipient to that. 

I loved this issue esp where Magneto allows Charles to show him everything Moira knows.  To see his reaction to how many times he’s failed when all along he’s been so confident in his own plans was fantastic.  

https://io9.gizmodo.com/house-of-xs-game-changing-reveal-is-already-presenting-1837275682

this review did a great job at breaking down the higher end subplots with the Phalanx etc.  

[TecmoSuperJoe]

51 minutes ago, thrILL! said:

I loved this issue esp where Magneto allows Charles to show him everything Moira knows.  To see his reaction to how many times he’s failed when all along he’s been so confident in his own plans was fantastic.  

https://io9.gizmodo.com/house-of-xs-game-changing-reveal-is-already-presenting-1837275682

this review did a great job at breaking down the higher end subplots with the Phalanx etc.  

I loved all of the stuff that has been taking place in XO or X10. Even X100 isn't so bad. It's mostly the X1000 events where things are a lot more hazy, and I'm not sure where we are going nor is there anyone I'm even starting to care about. 

Thanks for the link. 

Edited August 15, 2019 by PapaShogun

[TecmoSuperJoe]

Doctor Strange #17
Written by Mark Waid
Penciled by Barry Kitson

It's a shame this series is ending in 3 issues. I've just started to get into Doctor Strange comics, and I thought I would start with the newest run. Mark Raid is also maybe my favorite comics writer. I seem to like whatever he comes up with. In any case, I felt like he was on a roll from the start here. I binged through the issues the last few days, and I was captivated most of the time even as a novice Strange reader. Kitson is also a great penciller that came on during the second half of this run. I liked his stuff on JLA: Year One. The jump off here of Strange losing his magic powers, and taking off to the cosmos in search of ways to restore them appealed to me better than I thought it would. 

I'm anxious to go back, and read Lee and Ditko's run, but I'm already reading X-Men, and the Fantastic Four. Don't think I can handle reading 3 books of Lee's scripts all at the same time.

[TecmoSuperJoe]

Teen Titans #33
Written by Adam Glass 
Penciled by Sean Chen

This issue picks up a month after the defeat of Lobo, and it's essentially Robin having some self reflecting commentary regarding the current status of the team. With the revelation of Robin's little prison operation out in the open and the fate of Deathstroke, things aren't very chipper with the squad. Robin suspects a traitor, and Emiko deciding to quit the team after she felt she crossed a line. Also, regarding Robin's little operation he had going, there was an interesting I guess "compromise" I thought was interesting. Perhaps it's the best one could hope to ask for with Robin's attitude on organized crime. Just when this book looks like it will go into a lull, it at the very least treads water even if it isn't make a splash. 

Sean Chen was a guest artist for Bernard Chang this round, and it steps up to the task quite well. I still prefer Chang, but wouldn't mind seeing Chen again.

[TecmoSuperJoe]

Powers of X #3
Written by Johnathan Hickman 
Penciled/inked by R.B. Silva 

This was the fastest read of the new X issues by far. Amazing how things fly when the world building exposition takes a back seat. I had a feeling things would pop off here, and it does. Seems like Hickman realized it was time to pick up the pace a little bit, and actually move the narrative along a little quicker. I mean, at the end of the day these are still stories with the premise of heroes with amazing powers dressing up and saving the world. We get back to that here, but it's not just mindless due to the groundwork Hickman already setup. I do find myself questioning the endgame of all of this though, and if I'm going to care about the ultimate fate with characters in one of the time hops that Hickman has depicted. We shall see. R.B. Silva continues to put in a ton of quality panels in this book also. I'm really liking his backgrounds. 

PSA: Nimrod is a dirt bag.

Edited August 22, 2019 by PapaShogun

[TecmoSuperJoe]

Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 1
Written by Scott Lobdell
Penciled/Inked by Dexter Soy



Blaze through this recently. Like I said previously, I've really come on to Dexter Soy's work, and I thought the trinity of Red Hood, Artemis, and Bizarro was a cool concept. Essentially the reverse of the main Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman trinity. A lot of this first volume is essentially Red Hood going undercover to try and gain insight into Black Mask's criminal empire. Through a couple of strange circumstances, we get the three heroes of the title coming together by the end of the book. It's mostly a Red Hood story though, which is fine. I liked Scott Lobdell's method of getting inside Jason's head showcasing his rationale, and how he views the world due to his previous experiences that shaped him into what he is in present time. Batman is around a little bit, and the conversations between the former partners is interesting. When all the smoke is cleared, it definitely seems like this book is going in the direction of presenting anti-heroes on the fringe. I don't hate anyone thus far, so that's a plus. I'm excited for Vol. 2.

[thrILL!]

8 hours ago, PapaShogun said:

Powers of X #3
Written by Johnathan Hickman 
Penciled/inked by R.B. Silva 

PSA: Nimrod is a dirt bag.

I'm loving this series so far.  I'm not sure I understand Nimrod's attempts at humor.  He talks really strangely- not robotic enough and trying too hard with human colloquialisms.  Kinda remind me of Spader's Ultron in AoU altho hearing it verbally seemed to help more than reading it.  

It was cool looking at the genetic makeups of these non-pureblood mutant. I'll be curious to see that process explored more.

[TecmoSuperJoe]

15 hours ago, thrILL! said:

I'm loving this series so far.  I'm not sure I understand Nimrod's attempts at humor.  He talks really strangely- not robotic enough and trying too hard with human colloquialisms.  Kinda remind me of Spader's Ultron in AoU altho hearing it verbally seemed to help more than reading it.  

It was cool looking at the genetic makeups of these non-pureblood mutant. I'll be curious to see that process explored more.

I heard someone say elsewhere what I was also thinking about this series recently, which is it's probably going to be a much better read in trade. Even though folks are only having to wait a week before each issue, it's still pretty dense with a lot of the world building Hickman is doing. At least for me. I already get the feeling I'm going to go back a while down the road and read this entire thing again. 

[TecmoSuperJoe]

Only read two new release this session. Mega week next session though. Excited: 

House of X #3
Superman #14
Absolute Carnage #2
Justice League Dark #14
Doctor Strange #18
Batman/Superman #1

Also need to catch up on Justice League and Red Hood/Outlaws since they have new releases this week as well.