It’s a light week for the last New Comic Book Day of 2015. But there are still some great books on the stands. For example!
1) Last Sons of America #2
Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Matthew Dow Smith smartly explore both the complicated feelings we have toward our families and what exactly would happen if America were attacked with a contraceptive weapon. Yes, we said a contraceptive weapon. It’s a smart, thoughtful thriller and increasingly a must-read.
2) Jughead #3
Riverdale’s master of ducking the rules is struggling, and not just with hunger; it turns out being framed has consequences even when everybody knows you were set up. That, combined with the witty dream sequences that are rapidly becoming this book’s staple, makes Riverdale’s infamous slacker a surprisingly funny and sympathetic character, anchoring a book well worth reading.
3) Omega Men #7
Tom King and Barnaby Bagenda pack a hell of a twist into their tense, morally gray thriller about the oppressive Citadel and the desperate terrorists fighting them. Kyle Rayner is smarter than he’s been given credit for, but there’s only so much he can do against this many forces aligned against him. As always, a must-read.
4) Rumble #10
John Arcudi and James Harren’s relentlessly funny mashup of high fantasy, urban fantasy, and ancient legend wraps up its second arc in this issue, and it’s a beautiful thing. If you’re not reading this book, take a moment and pick it up; Harren’s complex creature design and kinetic layouts give Arcudi’s scripts a lightning pace and a kinetic feel.
5) Jem And The Holograms #10
Jill Thompson makes the bold move of humanizing the Misfits in this issue. This book has stood out for Thompson’s careful characterization and taking the concepts around a bad ’80s cartoon seriously, and this issue in particular stands out.
6) James Bond #3
Warren Ellis and Jason Masters deliver a book that feels a lot like a Bond movie, right down to Masters’ use of action movie visual tropes and Ellis’ gleefully perverse Bond henchmen. Most of the book is an elaborately thought-out action scene that shows off Masters to his best effect. It’s one of the best action books on the stands, and a must read.
7) Colder: Toss The Bones #4
Juan Ferreyra and Paul Tobin are closing in on the finish line on their excellent horror series. Declan can heal the insane, but it costs him body temperature. And the more insanity he absorbs, the more his foe Nimble Jack can’t wait to eat him. If you want some horror, this is some of the best on the stands.
8) Seduction Of The Innocent #2
Ande Parks and Esteve Polls deliver a fun, pulpy crime tale that puts a dangerous, but sensitive guy at the center of a messy crime. Admittedly, Polls’ work can be uneven here: The depiction of San Francisco’s Japanese Garden is gorgeous, but the art is rougher in other places. Still, it’s a heck of a read for noir fans.
9) Rat Queens #14
Kurtis Wiebe and Tess Fowler know how to deliver a fantasy comedy, and this issue in particular is firing on all cylinders as we meet a reasonable dragon, an equally reasonable atheist brother, and a substantially unreasonable and somewhat homicidal college faculty. Yes, it’s all a bit madcap, but it’s also funny.
10) Drax #2
The uneven characterization aside, CM Punk’s smart-assed take on Marvel’s unrelenting revenge machine is pretty funny, not least for Punk’s willingness to draw on back-benchers like Terrax and give them a new spin, let’s say. Combined with Scott Hepburn’s loose but fun art, this feels like a ’90s book in the best way possible.
11) Ringside #2
Joe Keatinge consistently undercuts his action-man narrative in smart ways that reflect reality; our hero spends most of this issue called out on his BS. Paired with Nick Barber’s intentionally rough art, it makes for a smart, grounded book that toys with masculine stereotypes, and worth a read.
12) Bob’s Burgers #7
Once again, this book delivers everything you want if you’re a fan of the show. Gene playing “Peter Pants” alone is worth the price of admission. If you need a laugh, this will more than fit the bill and fill in the lonely Sundays until Bob and his family are back.
13) Doctor Fate #7
This book will probably move issues just based on that Rembrandt parody of a cover, but this also marks the first issue where Doctor Fate has really gelled as a book. Paul Levitz’s script brings out just why we should care about this particular incarnation of fate, and Sonny Liew is uniquely able to depict the mix of pop Egyptian mythology and high fantasy the book needs to work. Pick up the trade if you haven’t been following this.
14) Lobster Johnson: The Glass Mantis
Lobster Johnson decides to experience culture when a Turkish glass artist arrives in the States. As usual, this is a straightforward pulp story, but Mike Mignola and John Arcudi enjoy the tropes thoroughly, and as always the Hellboy franchise shows impeccable taste in artists, with Toni Fejzula giving the book a supple watercolor-esque feel.
15) Carnage #3
This book started off dull; Cletus Kassidy is the flattest of flat villains unless he’s being forcibly brainwashed by a crossover, and the first two issues did little to change that. But Gerry Conway’s one-two punch of Carnage fighting Man-Wolf and the final twist has my attention, and Mike Perkins’ art has been well-suited to this kind of book. That said, one hopes Carnage gets some dimension, or at least an interesting problem, fast.
This Week’s Other Books:
DC:
Batman: Europa #3: Great art, but we’ve seen this story before.
Batman & Robin Eternal #13: This book is a great argument to have limited Bat-family series. Nothing groundbreaking but a heck of a lot of fun.
The Flash #47: A decent idea for a Flash book is somewhat abruptly ended.
Black Canary #6: A pretty fun twist at the end isn’t quite enough to keep this book from sliding into conventional superheroics, great art from Annie Wu not withstanding.
Harley Quinn and Power Girl #6: So Power Girl’s creepy suitor is even more creepy than we thought, in an unfunny extended joke that gets less funny as the book progresses.
Justice League #47: Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok are writing for the hardcore fans at this point, but if you’re a hardcore DC fan, it’s a blast!
Superman Annual #3: We get more of an intro to this new version of Vandal Savage, but the real selling point of this annual is Luthor being a total dick to depowered Supes, which shouldn’t be nearly as funny as it is.
Superman: Lois & Clark #3: ’90s Supes meets New 52 in a fun flashback for fans of the era.
Superman/Wonder Woman #24 and Superman/Wonder Woman Annual #2: You know how you make the bad decision to date a coworker, and then you have to work together after you break up? These two books are like that, but with (hopefully) more punching.
Wonder Woman #47: A hokey plot and way too much dialogue will make you wonder if this is a Silver Age script with new art.
Marvel:
Chewbacca #5: A Marvel comic makes a shout-out to the Holiday Special emotionally resonate. We are as surprised as you.
All-New Wolverine #3: New character, but sadly, the same old plots.
Captain America: White #5: Tim Sale’s art can’t save Jeph Loeb’s cliched and rushed finale.
Howling Commandos of SHIELD #3: This book is amusing, but perhaps too goofy for its own good.
Squadron Supreme #2: This book suffers from two problems: One, DC is already doing the evil Justice League thing better over in Justice League, and two, it’s kind of hard to care about a pile of psychopaths, even if one of them does punch out a horse alien.
Image:
Black Magick #3: This book’s slooooooow burn is starting to be a real problem.
East of West #23: Jonathan Hickman’s complex space opera gets… well, more complex. A great read, but you need to start with issue #1.
Dark Horse:
Conan The Avenger #21: Conan does not take being crucified at all well.
IDW:
Drive #3: Sadly, a conventional take on an unconventional crime novel.
BOOM! Studios:
We(l)come Back #4: This solid but uninspiring action book throws out an unsurprising twist.