WCBR’s Picks Of The Week

Ray’s Top Picks

Best of the Past Week: Sweet Tooth #3 – Jeff Lemire’s haunting, bizarre apocalyptic tale continues to make a strong campaign for best new series of the year.

Most Anticipated: Batman and Robin #6 – The legit Batman book is finally here, and it’s too bad we’re only getting treated to one good Batman read a month. It’s the conclusion to “The Revenge of the Red Hood,” and I’m expecting Grant Morrison to deliver.

Other Top Picks: Unwritten #7, Deadpool #17, Strange #1, Sword #1, Red Robin #6, The  Walking Dead #67, Green Lantern Corps #42

Kyle’s Top Picks

Best of the Past Week: The Marvelous Land of Oz #1 – While it doesn’t quite have the “Wow factor” that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #1 had, the first chapter of The Marvelous Land of Oz is one heck of a success regardless.   I’d say more, but Joe’s review about the book is absolutely spot on, so be sure to check it out if you haven’t already.

Most Anticipated: Sky Doll: Doll Factory #1 – The first Sky-Doll mini-series is one of my favorite minis of all time.  Its vibrant visuals and sharp social commentary left me dying for more.  Now, months later, more has finally arrived.  To say I have high hopes for Doll Factory would be quite the understatement.

Other Top Picks: Batman and Robin #6, Unwritten #7, Deadpool #17, Strange #1, Sword #1, Vengence of Moon Knight #3, X-Force #21, Tracker #1, The Walking Dead #67, and Witchblade #132

DS’ Top Picks

Best of the Past Week: Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural #2 – This was a week packed with good books, but Doctor Voodoo #2 took the title. Marvel sorcery, Daimon Hellstorm and magical conspiracies made for a fantastic followup to the first issue.

Most Anticipated: Strange #1 – Stephan Strange has always been one of the most powerful, compelling figures in the Marvel Universe. Now that he’s no longer Sorcerer Supreme, what does he do? I can’t wait to see! Close second/third: Batman and Robin #6 – Batman against the Red Hood and Batgirl #4 – new costume, new arc, surprise hit!

Other Top Picks: Daredevil #502, The Flash: Rebirth #5, Red Robin #6, Titans #19

Alex’s Top Picks

Best of the Past Week: Sweet Tooth #3 – Jeff Lemire hits a home run in an issue that’s substantially better than last month’s.  The bond between man and boy is strengthened and the horror of the devastated, post-apocalyptic setting is put in the forefront.  Nonetheless, despite the intensity, Lemire’s trademark sparseness and minimalism is maintained.  A fantastic, dark, and emotionally significant book.Most Anticipated: Punisher MAX #1 – Jason Aaron is one of the best writers in comics today and, thus far, everything he’s touched has been gold.  This Wednesday, he tries to fill the shoes of Garth Ennis, bringing along Ennis’ old partner in crime, Steve Dillon.  If you’ve checked out the preview, Dillon’s work here looks like we’ve stepped into a time machine and jumped back to his work in the 90s, and that certainly conjures a great deal of nostalgia on my part.  I love Punisher MAX, I love Ennis, I love Aaron, I love Dillon.  Bring it on.

Other Picks: Hellboy: Wild Hunt #8, The Unwritten #7, Daredevil #502, Fables #90, Batman & Robin #6, DMZ #47, The  Walking Dead #67, Green Lantern Corps #42

Joe’s Top Picks

Best of the Past Week: Marvelous Land of Oz #1 – Skottie Young and Eric Shanower continue their beautiful, fun adaptation of Frank L. Baum’s Oz series.  I read this comic book twice: once for the story, and once again to drool over the artwork.  This is a perfect comic for adults and children alike.

Most Anticipated: X-Force #21 – There’s really no contest as to what I’m most excited about this coming Wednesday.  X-Force is without a doubt the best X-Title on the stands, and with the Necrosha event in full swing, there’s no better time to be reading this series.

Other Top Picks: Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai HC, Batman and Robin #6, Booster Gold #26, Green Lantern Corps #42, REBELS #10, Red Robin #6, Fables #90, Unwritten #7, Angel #27, Walking Dead #67, Amazing Spider-Man #611, Daredevil #502, Cable #20, S.W.O.R.D. #1, Realm of Kings Imperial Guard #1, Strange #1, Dark X-Men #1, Punisher MAX #1, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly #5

WCBR’s Top Picks

Kyle’s Top Picks

Best of the Past Week: Secret Warriors #6 – Incredible artwork, fantastic dialogue, and plot twists that hook like none other…Secret Warriors is without a doubt the best thing to come out of that whole Secret Invasion thing.

Most Anticipated: Pax Romana TPB and Invincible Iron Man #16 (Tie) – I’ve heard nothing but good things about Jonathan Hickman’s Pax Romana so it easily gets a spot in the “Most Anticipated” column.  Invincible Iron Man scores a spot because the thrilling “World’s Most Wanted” arc has yet to let me down.

Other Top Picks: Hack/Slash #24, Exiles #5 (you will be missed), Agents of Atlas #9, Destroyer #5, Wednesday Comics

Rob G’s Top Picks

Pick of the Week: Detective Comics #855- Good story with great character and great, great art. Williams has replaced Quietley, in my opinion, as being the best artist on a book right now.

Most Anticipated: War of Kings #6 – The conclusion of what has been the best event of the year and one of the best comics on the stands every month.

Other Picks: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #601; CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #2; DESTROYER #5; HULK #13; INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #16; IRREDEEMABLE #5; RED CIRCLE THE HANGMAN #1; THE GOOD THE BAD & THE UGLY #2; WAR OF KINGS WARRIORS #2; WEDNESDAY COMICS #5

Tony’s Picks

Best of the Past Week: Iron Man vol 2: World’s Most Wanted HC – I am just amazed at how this continues to be one of the finest monthly comics being produced right now.  Riding high off the incredibly dull event storyline that is “Dark Reign”, Fraction severely depowers Stark, alienates him from everything and everyone he ever cared about, and gives him a fascinating new villain in the form of Norman Osborn.  Strongly recommended.

Most Anticipated for this Week: Although I am looking forward to seeing what Warren Ellis’s original graphic novel Frankenstein’s Womb has to offer, I’m most excited to get my hands on Agents of Atlas vol 1, another title that has managed to delight and entertain with every issue.

Other Top Picks: Wednesday Comics #5, Doom Patrol #1

Alex’s Top Picks

Best of the Week: Northlanders #19 – One of the best comics on the stands, the Shield Maidens two-parter has been absolutely fantastic.  Blending real world history with myth in a way that feels entirely fresh and uniquely whole, this is great stuff.

Most Anticipated: Agents of Atlas #9 – Agents of Atlas has been at its best when pursuing their own distinct, fringe storylines and I expect that trend to continue this issue.  No Avengers, no Captain America, just kooky, retro action.

Other Picks: Captain America: Reborn #2, Greek Street #2, The Destroyer #5

Invincible Iron Man #13 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Matt Fraction (Writer), Salvador Larroca (Artist), and Frank D’Armata (Colorist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Invincible Iron Man is easily one of the best Marvel monthlies. Matt Fraction writes one hell of a Tony Stark and his handling of Stark’s inner circle (which includes Mariah Hill and Pepper Potts) has been absolutely brilliant.

The Story: Tony Stark hits up a technology fair in order to find parts that can be used to downgrade the Iron Man into a form that he can more easily build. He also finds out that having a target on your back brings all sorts of people out of the woodwork. Mariah Hill fights to resist The Controller and finds a way out of Futurepharm. Meanwhile, Norman Osborn interrogates Pepper Potts about the whereabouts of Tony Stark.

What’s Good: The noose around Stark and his friends tightens as Matt Fraction continues to make great use of the Dark Reign scenario that is dominating the Marvel universe. In other words, it’s business as usual in Invincible Iron Man. The writing is absolutely fantastic and I really couldn’t be much more pleased with how “America’s Most Wanted” is progressing. Don’t let the fact that the entire issue is dedicated to setting up bigger and better things for the next month stop you from checking it out.

What’s Not So Good: Salvador Larroca continues to be an extremely bad fit for this arc because of the trouble he has in doing the artwork for human beings. While his artwork for technology looks absolutely fantastic, the people in Iron Man look either something close to awful or, at best, terribly inconsistent. I wouldn’t mind Larroca’s work as much if there was more Iron Man stuff going on, but Fraction’s story is more about the person within it and the people surrounding it as opposed to the suit itself.

Conclusion: Great writing and disappointing artwork is pretty much par for the course when talking about Invincible Iron Man. In that respect, I.I.M. #13 hits par. But it’s not like that’s a bad thing when talking about a series that’s so damn strong.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny