WCBR’s Top Picks

Dean’s Top Picks

Best of the past week: Sweet Tooth #39 – Easy call.  This was the cherry on top of Lemire’s story about fathers and sons and redemption.  There’s nothing I can really add here that isn’t in my review, so just go read the issue and the review.

Most anticipated this week: Wow….your pull list can get long even when you hardly read any Big 2 books!  Good stuff this week!

1). The Walking Dead #104 – It’s sad, but the death of _______  brought back the “nobody’s safe” atmosphere from the early parts of the series.  For some reason, it was important to see Kirkman kill one of the OG survivors just to make us know that he could/would do it.  That sense of danger has rocketed TWD to an almost automatic spot at the top of my list whenever it comes out.

2). Saga #7 – Welcome back!  Don’t ever leave me again!  After a few months hiatus, we get a new issue of Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples’ budding masterpiece.  I hate to call a comic that only has one story arc under it’s belt “the best”, but it is certainly a contender.  If you like science-fiction and rich characters, check this out.  They’re making a lot of other comic books look really pedestrian.

3). Punk Rock Jesus #5 – Last issue of this series really took things to a new level and we got to see Chris make the transition from clone of Jesus to Punk Rock Jesus.  The amount of complexity that Sean Murphy is weaving into this tale is very impressive for a first-time writer and we all know that he can draw like a MF-er.

4). Batman #14 – Even though I don’t like classic villains, it’s hard to argue with what Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo and team did last issue.  They created a Joker that was horrifying and threatening.  Don’t ever stray from these horror roots, guys!

5). Fantastic Four #1 – Big shoes to fill, Matt Fraction!  I’m bracing for disappointment after the departure of Jonathan Hickman and the arrival of a writer who I don’t like as much and an artist I’m not typically fond of.  But, hey!  I could be wrong.

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Alex’s Top Picks

Pick of the Week:  Sweet Tooth #39 – Damn, that was one hell of an issue.  Nobody does tragedy and downright sadness quite like Jeff Lemire does, both in writing and in art.  This was a real gutwrencher of an issue and, in many ways, THIS is the final issue.  Next month is just going to be picking up the pieces after this month’s wreckage.  Heavy stuff and one that’s somewhere between treat and torture for long-time readers.

Most Anticipated:  Thor: God of Thunder #1 – This next week is a BIG one for Marvel.  There are no fewer than four Marvel NOW titles out this Wednesday, three of them brand new series.  Of the lot, Thor is the one I’m most looking forward to.  What can I say, I love Thor and Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic are two of my favourite creative talents.  The art previews for this one have been nothing less than jaw-dropping and Aaron’s concept for the series is unbelievably epic and ambitious.  This one’s gonna be a keeper, even if it’s also going to be grim as hell.

Fantastic Four #1 – Another Marvel NOW title that I’ll be picking up.  If Matt Fraction’s time at Marvel has shown anything, it’s that there are some books that play to his style and others that do not.  I’m reasonably confident that the cosmic craziness of Marvel’s First Family will suit his strengths.  Big ideas with a sense of humour are right up Fraction’s alley and if I could put him anywhere at Marvel, it’d be with the Fantastic Four.  Having Bagley drawing the big superheroics doesn’t hurt either.

All-New X-Men #1 – Yeah, the critics have already been pouring in the hate for this one long before it hits shelves.  At the risk of getting flayed, I actually really like the concept for this series and think it’ll lead to some really interesting character dynamics.  Also, the previews have shown some really, really great Stuart Immonen artwork.  Hopefully All-New X-Men starts as strong as New Avengers did.

Batman #14 – I absolute LOVED the first issue of Death of the Family.  Snyder’s Joker is a very different beast.  He’s intimidating and downright horrifying.  I am so happy that this story-arc exists and can’t wait to get another fix.  Great stuff here!

Saga #7 – As if there weren’t enough high quality comics coming out this week, Saga has to make an appearance.  There’s not even much more to be said for this book – it’s awesome, the characters are awesome, and for a series that’s only had 6 issues, the book’s universe is so realized and expansive.  It’s a must-have and will pretty much always make my top picks.

WCBR’s Top Picks

Dean’s Top Picks

Best of the past week: American Vampire #32 – What a great issue.  Snyder & Albuquerque put the allegory away and just told a story of betrayal and hatred.  Both the story and art are hitting on all cylinders with this series.  I’m still sad that it is going on hiatus, but know that the next couple issues should be explosive.  Runner-up: Bedlam #1

Most anticipated this week: 1) The Manhattan Projects #7 – Is it just me, or does this series not come out often enough?  This series feels to me like all the really good ideas that Hickman had during this outstanding run on FF.  I love all the oddball characters: Parallel Universe Einsteins, Cannibal Oppenheimers and other assorted crazy scientists we’re being introduced to.  When does the story begin though?

2). Sweet Tooth #39 – Next to last issue.  By the end of this issue, we should have some answers to who lives and who dies since I anticipate that the finale will be devoted to some kinda “aftermath” story.  With Jeff Lemire getting a deservedly higher profile at DC as a writer, we should enjoy these issues as it may be a long time before we get 40 issues of ongoing comic that is written and drawn by Lemire.

3). Storm Dogs #1 – The story sounds very science fiction: scientists arrive on strange alien planet to investigate alien civilizations.  I’ll check that out to see if it’s any good.

4). Uncanny X-Force #33 – Even though UXF has fallen off a LOT since the first 10 issue and even though it feels like it exists in a Marvel universe that has moved on, I’m still kinda curious to see how Remender wraps up his run on the title.

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Alex’s Top Picks

Pick of the Week:  Fatale #9 – There were several good books this week, but nothing truly blew me away.  So I’ll go with Fatale, which has proven to be one of the “old reliables” of my stack.  High quality, polished creator-owned comics by two creators doing what they do best.  Nothing to dislike here.

Most Anticipated:  The Manhattan Projects #7 – And so it begins…Marvel NOW!  And yet, it’s an Image book that takes my most anticipated slot this week.  Go figure.  As much as I wanted to put a certain Marvel book here, I can’t deny my love for Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra’s Manhattan Projects and the delay between issues has only served to make the heart grow fonder.  I love this book and you should too.

Iron Man #1 – This is my only Marvel NOW book of the week, but I’m looking forward to it.  Giving Kieron Gillen a quick-witted, roguish character with a silver tongue is a recipe for success and we need to look no further than Journey into Mystery to see that.  Gillen, master of dialogue and character-work that he is, is at his very best when he can sink his teeth into a multi-faceted, single protagonist with a strong personality and that’s exactly what he’ll get in Iron Man.  My only cause for hesitation with this book?  Greg Land.  Gillen seems better able to work around Land’s limitations than most writers but still….it’s Greg Land.  Hopefully most of the issue sees Tony in the suit because while Land can’t draw facial expressions to save his life, at least the suit looks cool, judging from the previews.

Action Comics #14 – I’ve not been the biggest fan of Grant Morrison’s Action run for the most part, as it’s been far more mediocre and subdued than a Morrison comic should be but…seriously look at that cover.  It looks like Superman is going to be fighting a horde of raging…angels?!  Alright Morrison, you’ve hooked me, now give me some of that trademark crazy.

Defenders #12 – Another good book bites the dust.  While the first arc, admittedly, sucked, this book ended up being a lot of fun after that, even if it occasionally suffered from never gaining a regular artist.  That said, I’m more interested in this issue out of morbid curiosity than anything else:  the story Fraction has created is so huge that I have no idea how the hell he’s going to finish it in one standard sized issue.

Animal Man #14/Swamp Thing #14 – The crossover between two of my favourite properties by two of my favourite writers continues.  Yippee.  Swampy and A-Man are two of my top 5 DC comics so picking these up is a given.  Also, apparently all the zombified heroes in Lemire’s Animal Man are characters Rob Liefeld has written in his last stint at DC prior to his public flame-out (which included initiating a bizarre war of words with Lemire’s buddy Scott Snyder), which is pretty funny.