WCBR’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Batman #1 – That was pretty easy.  Scott Snyder pens a script that is both a good starting point for someone who heard about this new 52 thing and fanboys who have read hundreds of Batman comics over the years.  That’s no mean feat and what helps him do it is that he’s a really gifted writer!  Comics isn’t just about having nifty ideas or clever dialog….sometimes it comes down to whether the writer can string sentences together well enough to power through a wordy portion like Bruce Wayne’s speech about rebuilding Gotham in this issue.  A lesser writer falls on their face during that sequence.  Of course, it helps that Snyder is paired with his most recent A-list artistic talent in Greg Capullo.  Capullo has been a favorite of mine for a long time and it’s great to see him getting some mainstream love.  He’s an incredible visual storyteller and his slightly cartoony and expressionistic style is so superior at capturing action and emotion.  This will be a must-read for a long time.  Runner-up: Hulk #41

Most Anticipated This Week: American Vampire #19 – Of course, I’m excited to see what’s next for Scott Snyder’s vampires, but I’m just about giddy to see some Jordi Bernet interior art!  If you aren’t familiar, do a Google image search and behold the beauty and then consider how gifted Snyder is at feeding his artists what they’re good at.  This is going to be a great issue.  Special Mention: Kamandi Omnibus – Jack Kirby goodness for WAY less than you could buy the first ~20 single issues.

Other Picks: All-Star Western #1, Elephantmen #35, Amazing Spider-Man #670, Brilliant #1, Kick Ass 2 #4, Secret Avengers #17, Rachel Rising #2, Fear Itself: Hulk vs. Dracula #2