WCBR’s Top Picks

Dean’s Top Picks

Best of the past week: All New X-Men #11 – I didn’t think this was a great comic, but to win pick of the week sometimes you don’t have to outrun the bear, you just have to outrun your buddies.  Last week just wasn’t a stellar week for comics.  Still, it’s nice to give some love to All New X-Men which has been as good as any Big 2 superhero series that isn’t Batman.  Stuart Immonen’s art is fantastic!  He just keeps getting better and better.

Most anticipated this week: 1). The Walking Dead #110 – After a few calm issues (including last issue), I’m sure Robert Kirkman is about to turn up the heat again.  The action probably won’t explode in this issue, but we’ll probably start to glimpse the rough outline of the iceberg that our protagonists are headed towards.

2). Chin Music #1 – The idea of a hard boiled gangster dude being hunted by demons isn’t exactly the type of story I love, but have you seen the preview art from Tony Harris?  Holy hell!  It looks like it’ll be a lovely comic to stare at.

3). Batman #20 – Last issue of Batman was probably the first issue of the series that I haven’t really loved.  It just felt like a random Clayface story and that was kinda a downer after so many epic issue (or as close to epic as you can get with a ~70 year old character).  Now that my expectations are properly calibrated, I’ll bet I enjoy this issue a lot more.

4). Uber #1 – I really liked the zero issue because the emphasis was unique.  Uber does explore the non-novel concept of the Nazis developing superbeings during World War II, but the comic is much more interested in being a war story than any kind of “deconstruction of the superhero mythos.”

5). Creepy #12 – Always room for black-and-white horror anthologies on my list.  Creepy hasn’t had an issue that was aces in a while, but it’s always very solid because the creative talent is top notch.

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Hugo’s Top Picks

Pick of the week: Dial H #12 – How can I not love this book? It’s got everything I’m looking for in a comic, with great characters, heroism, a sense of mystery and playfulness, amazing concepts and much more. Nelson and Roxie have really grown as characters and if the rumors about this series imminent cancellation are true. I’d be sorely disappointed. I want to know more about Open-Window Man and the fact that I just typed that sentence means a lot about the comic in general and its quality.

Most anticipated this week: 1) Thor: God of Thunder #8 – Was there any other possible choice for this spot? With Esad Ribic and Jason Aaron at the helm of this grand tale of heroism, divinity on a cosmic scale, I cannot stress enough the quality of this title. If this issue is as good as the rest, we’re in for quite a ride.

2) Suicide Squad #20 – I love this concept: Villains working as a team for the government to get out of prison. Having read John Ostrander’s initial run of this concept, I’d be glad to see Ales Kot get close to the brilliance of that author, as this title sorely need a shot in the arm. With Patrick Zircher on art, it will surely look good, but I really want a quality title that brings back the old days of this amazing concept.

3) Uncanny Avengers #8 – While it had a rocky start, this title really began getting good at issue #5. Now that Rick Remender has his entire cast, a regular artist and a direction for the title, I have to say I love it. With storylines that continues the excellent one from Uncanny X-Force, I am curious to see where it will all lead.

4) Justice League of America #3 – I want a quality title with characters like Martian Manhunter, Hawkman and the like. While I’m still not sure if this title will reach the height that Geoff Johns had reached with previous titles, I really want to see if he can achieve just that with a bunch of characters in sore need of a good spotlight.

5) Chin Music #1 – Tony Harris is a wonderful artist. Just for his art, I’d buy the book, but the concept in itself actually sounds quite neat too. Crime, mixed with magic and demons in the prohibition era. It would be really nice to see such a thing see some success and I am eager to see if the potential is there.

Dial H #12 – Review

By: China Miéville (story), Alberto Ponticelli (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Richard & Tanya Horie, Allen Passalaqua (colors)

The Story: Don’t be fooled by the curtain he’s wearing for a cape—this guy means business.

The Review: Although the potential of this series has been there from the start, only in the last few issues has it really developed into something special.  Miéville has slowly tightened up his freewheeling writing style; Roxie and Nelson have grown quite admirably into their roles as dual protagonists; and the story of the dial itself has become more focused and comprehensible, revealing what untapped riches continue to reside within the concept.

For a while, this series ran almost entirely on the power of the dial’s mystery, but now that we’ve got a clearer picture of where it comes from and how it works, all that’s left is to put it to some interesting uses.  Roxie and Nelson had their fun playing hero, but Earth’s pretty well taken care of already by an ever-growing crowd of folks with dependably consistent power sets.  The strength of the dial is its endless variety, and it needs more creative challenges than the bread-and-butter criminals and villains of this planet can provide.

WCBR’s Top Picks

Dean’s Top Picks

Best of the past week: East of West #2 – Love the way this series has started!  It is now 2-for-2 as Pick of the Week for me.  And for those a little confused about the events, there was even a commenter on my review that probably has sorted out a lot of the issues.  The comic just feels big and ambitious and bold.  It might collapse under it’s own weight in several issues, but I kinda doubt it.

Most anticipated this week: Again, light week…

1). Fashion Beast #9 – We’re entering the final phases of this story.  We know that Alan Moore knows how to close a story, so I’m expecting big things from this comic.  It’s too bad that not many people are talking about this.  It’s really great stuff.

2). Ten Grand #1 – I’m only kinda looking forward to this issue; that tells you what a light week it is for my pull list.  Although a team-up of J. Michael Straczynski and Ben Templesmith sounds like a juicy #1 issue, I can’t put much faith in this series having a good ending (due to JMS’s reputation) or shipping with any regularity (due to Templesmith’s reputation).  Maybe just buy the first issue and then use your imagination to fill in the ending?

3). All New X-Men #11 – I’m quite enjoying Bendis’ romp though the X-universe.  I’m glad as hell that I don’t have to review it because I don’t know that I’d have much to say, but it is a lot of fun to read, and Bendis usually is paired with good artistic talent.

4). Age of Ultron #7 – I’m not sure why I’m enjoying this “event” since the art has been pretty crappy, but it is fun nonetheless.  The idea of Wolverine and Sue Storm going on an assassination mission is just too cool.

5). Mister X: Eviction #1 – I know nothing about this series except that it is crime-related and the art looks super-cool.  Sometimes that is enough?

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Hugo’s Top Picks

Pick of the week: East of West #2 – Lots of very good stuff this week that could have been called Hickman’s week, with four titles coming from the writer. While there had been some very strong contender for my pick, it has to go to East of West with its clever world-building, its mysteries and its astounding art. While we discover a lot of things in each issue, we are also introduced to new questions as well, which makes this a very satisfying read and one that makes me want to continue doing so.

Most anticipated this week: 1) Superior Spider-Man #9 – This issue is supposed to make us hate Dan Slott even more. With a presentation like this, I do have to admit that I am curious to just what will happen in this issue to make the haters even more furious. Still, this has been a rather strong and unpredictable series, so to see Slott promising to go somewhere that might not please a lot of fans takes some guts. Just for that, I am really looking forward to this issue.

2) Hawkeye #10 – This series has been a complete joy to read so far thanks to the aloof, yet energetic vibe coming from the characters and the plot. Who knew Clint Barton could be much more interesting when he was not doing Avenger’s or any superheroic business? Matt Fraction did apparently, as his take on the bowman combined with the art of David Aja made this title a must-read each and every week.

3) Harbinger Wars #2 – With the second issue of Valiant’s big crossover event coming out this week, I do hope the story will advance in a meaningful way, as opposed to the first issue that set up the plot and the characters. With a confrontation between Bloodshot and Toyo Harada being proposed to us, I do hope we’ll get action that livens up to the promises made.

4) Dial H #12 – Weird, offbeat, yet delightfully original, this title has been a blessing in DC comics selection of titles. With such a strange concept being given the chance to shine and with two main characters so much more interesting than some others, I’d be a fool not to say I am looking forward to another issue of China Mieville unique take on this Silver Age concept.

5) Winter Soldier #18 – With the news of this title cancellation, I was definitely bummed to know that I would soon never see Jason Latour and Nic Klein’s take on this character that had been rejuvenated by Ed Brubaker. Still, with two issues left, including this one, I shall enjoy the experimental and excellent art of Nic Klein as well as Jason Latour’s plot. Here’s hoping that they end all of this with a bang.