First Impressions 7/21/10

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 7/21/10

Time Masters: Vanishing Point #1

By Dan Jurgens & Norm Rapmund
Price: $3.99

Brief Thoughts: I’m a sucker for time travel, and while this first issue doesn’t break the mold of the genre (Dinosaurs? Check.  Appearance of a DC character from the past? Check.  Time machine acting wonky? Check.), it’s a fun bit of fluff to pass the time.  Rip Hunter works well as an engaging protagonist and Booster Gold’s supporting role makes sense, both story-wise and continuity-wise.  Less so is the appearance of Green Lantern Hal Jordan.  While I can excuse Superman’s presence, he being Batman’s best friend, it really irks me that Jordan is there and not, say, Tim Drake or Dick Grayson.  I get it, Green Lantern is DC’s Wolverine right now, but it still comes off as gratuitous.  The best part of this issue?  Despite the ties to its plot, you don’t need to read Return of Bruce Wayne to understand it!

Verdict: Give it a shot.

Lady Deadpool #1

By Mary H.K. Choi & Ken Lashley
Price:  $3.99

Brief Thoughts: More unnecessary Deadpool-related stuff from Marvel.  I really want to know who’s buying these because they’re the ones to blame, honestly.  I don’t have much to say about this except that it’s supposed to be funny, but it’s not.  So, if you considered picking this up for a laugh (And what does anyone buy a Deadpool comic for besides that?) then skip it.  No laughs to be found here.

Verdict: Save your dough.

CBGB #1

By Kieron Gillen, Marc Ellerby, Sam Humphries & Rob G
Price: $3.99

Brief Thoughts: I am a worshipper at the altar of CBGBs.  Though I grew to love music long after the bar’s heyday, I found myself listening to bands there plenty of times during my youth and young adulthood.  It was with this fondness that I approached this somewhat-random one-shot.  In the two tales told within, Gillen and Humphries deliver a somewhat entertaining picture of what CBGB meant to people.  Gillen’s tale in particular is interesting, despite that it’s a not-so cleverly disguised history lesson.  Nothing to write home about, but fans of music (punk rock especially) and its history will find something to like here.

Verdict: Give it a shot.

Neonomicon #1 – Review

By: Alan Moore (writer), Jacen Burrows (art) & Juanmar (colors)

The Story: Two FBI agents tracking a serial killer enlist the aid of an institutionalized killer who had the same M.O.

What’s Good: It’s an Alan Moore written comic, so this comic has a much higher certainty of “not sucking” than just about any other comic book you can grab off the shelf.  At worst, you’re going to get something like Tom Strong and at best, you could get something like Promethea or Watchmen.  So, I’ll admit to being a little baffled in a few weeks when I’ll see from the sales charts that this only sold ~5K issues or so.

Moore does a very fine job of establishing his story in this first issue.  There’s no screwing around, no forays into the meaning of life/religion/the universe… None of that stuff.  He just lays out the story.  Two FBI agents (including a hot female agent who is a recovering sex addict) are tracking a serial killer who doesn’t just kill folks…. He cuts off their arms and heads and “carves them like tulips”.  It is heavily implied that this carving isn’t just figurative… The guy is actually making something like an ice sculpture, but one of the very nice things is that they do not show us anything.   A lot of lesser creators would have just jumped into showing the gore, but here it is implied and I appreciate that.

Weekly Comic Book Review’s Top Picks

Dean’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Daytripper #8 – It is so hard to make a comic that can cause an emotional reaction in someone who consumes tons of media, but Ba and Moon pulled it off yet again in this issue that shows the death of Bras through the eyes of his wife and child.

Most Anticipated: The Walking Dead #75 – Kirkman really started to stir the drink last issue and something tells me that the slow-burn of the survivors’ stay in the enclave outside of D.C. is about to get exciting (in a bad way).

Other Top Picks: Amazing Spider-Man #638, Neonomicon #1, New Mutants #15, Avengers #3, Thunderbolts #146

Alex’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Invincible Iron Man #28 – While nothing awe-inspiring or groundbreaking, this was the sort of quieter issue that made realize how much I love Fraction’s cast of characters and the corner he’s carved out for himself.  Great dialogue and a good build-up make this my pick.

Most Anticipated: New Avengers #2 – Last month’s debut totally took me by surprise with its general awesomeness and I’ve been hankering for more ever since.  Will New Avengers #2 once again make Bendis’ main Avengers series look like fodder in comparison?  We shall see, particularly since both are coming out in the same week.

Other Picks: Zatanna #3, Avengers #3, Legion of Super-Heroes #3, Brightest Day #6

Joe’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: X-Force: Sex+Violence #1 – Like I’d pick anything else?  My unabashed love of all things X-Force has been well-documented on this site, but this first issue would be deserving of my praise despite that.  Del’Otto’s painted artwork makes this a beautiful rollercoaster ride, and what a ride it is thanks to the fun, blockbuster-styled plot from scribes Kyle and Yost.

Most Anticipated: Scott Pilgrim Volume 6: Scott Pigrim’s Finest Hour – Really, is there any other choice this week?!  Bryan Lee O’Malley’s magnum opus has scratched every itch in my entertainment-loving brain, from romance to music to action to comedy to Ninja Gaiden and Super Mario Bros. homages.  The most magnificent treat from these annual visits with Mr. Pilgrim?  They keep getting better every time!  Alas, this is the end of the journey and it looks to be a blast.  I, for one, cannot wait.

Other Top Picks: Amazing Spider-Man #638, Darkwing Duck #2, Pale Horse #2, Brightest Day #6, Supergirl #54, The Walking Dead #75, Avengers #3, Marvelous Land of Oz #8, New Avengers #2, New Mutants #15, Thunderbolts #146