Quick Hit Reviews – Week of February 23, 2011

Sometimes there are soooo many comics published in a given week (ahem….I’m looking at you Marvel) that despite the heroic efforts of the WCBR writing staff, we simply can’t give every comic a complete review.  Thus, the Quick Hit Reviews…

New York Five #2 – Wow is Ryan Kelly a great artist!  The story here is solid, slice of life stuff as we follow our four college freshmen as they adapt to life in NYC, but the star of this issue is Kelly’s art.  His character work is really strong as young ladies are all cute and express appropriate emotion, but his attention to the city around them in just incredible.  The city just feels alive. I really need to track down New York Four and I encourage everyone to check out this Vertigo series.  Kelly and Tommy Lee Edwards (on Turf) made a LOT of artist’s backgrounds look like dog food this week.  Grade: A-  — Dean Stell

X-Men: To Serve and Protect #4 – All I ask of an anthology series is to give me one really memorable story.  I almost don’t care if 3/4 of the issue is crap as long as I get that one stellar tale.  This issue has a BIG mission accomplished for Jed MacKay and Sheldon Vella’s story of Dazzler, Misty Knight & Colleen Wing engaged in roller derby death match involved a really wacky version of MODOK (Mental Organism Designed Only for Roller Derby!!).  Vella’s art and colors are just amazing.  Toss in a good finale to the Rockslide/Anole story that has woven through this anthology series and you’ve got a winner.  I love the X-office continues to publish these anthologies.  Grade: B+  — Dean Stell

Weekly Comic Book Review’s Top Picks

Dean’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Thunderbolts #153 – Loved the way the Tbolts came together as a team to pound Hyperion while their handlers were kinda looking the other way.  I want Jeff Parker to get his paws on an in-continuity X-book asap.  The guy really knows how to handle a team book!

Most Anticipated: Scalped #46 – After a bunch of one-shot type issues, Jason Aaron got his next big Scalped story cranked up last week.  This will be a highly anticipated comic for a long time.

Other Picks: Detective Comics #874, American Vampire #12, Morning Glories #7, Turf #4, Amazing Spider-Man #655, Who is Jake Ellis #2

Alex’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: S.H.I.E.L.D. #6 – The worst thing about SHIELD #6?  The fact that we won’t be getting any more for a while as the series goes on hiatus.  That said, it goes out with a bang.  This is epic craziness unleashed with absolutely mind-blowing art and a ridiculously huge scope.  There’s no book like it and SHIELD #6 is, for me, one of the best issues thus far.

Most Anticipated: Iron Man 2.0 #1 – In a week so packed with quality releases, you’d think picking what I’m looking forward to most would be hard.  But it’s actually pretty easy.  Nick Spencer is on absolute fire right now and a smart, high-tech book like this new War Machine title seems right about his alley.  I’m really curious to see how Spencer fairs in the Marvel Universe and the short preview we got in Invincible Iron Man #500 certainly has my hopes up.

Other Picks: Fantastic Four #588, Detective Comics #874, Action Comics #898, Morning Glories #7, Amazing Spider-Man #655, Thor #620, American Vampire #12, Avengers #10, Secret Avengers #10, Captain America #615, Invincible Iron Man #501, Scalped #46