New Comic Book Day Megathread

[Colin YNWA]

Middling haul this one with the full gamut of comics from poor to great... maybe I need to cut back so I can get back to great. I picked up 25 comics (excluding those from Tharg's might garden of thrillpower) and that really is at the upper end of my tolerance. So maybe I need to be looking at this haul closely for possible cuts. So here goes.

Storm and Daredevil and Echo 2 both improve from poor opening, marginally and it was a pretty low benchmark. So for the cop... except they are both minis so we'll see how they go. Barely worth cutting loose.

Alien 3 is just so average after a great opening, but I figure this will be like predator and done in an arc and I do kinda want to see what happens, so it can stay for now.

Josif 1957 1 about an ape in a spacesuit. I made a comic once called Ape in a Spacesuit so this is close to my heart, however bonks it is and however sometimes the storytelling slips. Only one more issue so its going to get a pass...

Dead Romans 4 back to some dodge, unclear storytelling, but with an couple to go will make it asit has been very good at times.

Chicken Devils 4 only an issue to go and its good fun. No chance of letting this go.

Roachmill 2 I've read this out of order as I've picked up issues as I can find them. I'm so impressed with its old school skill at making each issue work on its own while telling a large form story. Great old skool fun and a keeper, if it keeps going that is!

Venom 21 everytime I'm about to let this one go it has a great issue like this. I mean its all a bit fighty - I worry Immortal Hulk will be similar on re-read and I miss Ram-V on the title but there's always just enough to keep me going so I have the lot to do a re-read when its done. Hangin' in there.

The Expanse - Dragon Tooth 3 better than more than half the telly show. Really good stuff so well safe.   

Time Before Time 24 fantastic issue of a great series that will be better when done and read as one I strongly suspect so not even close to the chop.

Wild's End 1 I mean its first issue of a six issue mini so going nowhere. is by Dabnett and INJ Culbard  on top of their game so at no risk. Is absolutely chuffin' amazin' so so faer from the chop its untrue. A book of the haul as good as this and you know its going to get all 6 issues regardless already. Superb.

So that... well an excuse for everything, be they rubbish or wonderful. Damnit this is why my pull list is stacking up so much!

[Colin YNWA]

I've missed a few hauls, but rather than try to catch up I'm just going to crack on and except this gap in my little reading diary.

A few ending first and to be honest most of them aren't great.

Daredevil and Echo 4 - only 4 issues and still a trial to get to the end. I doubt a re-read will save it.

Dead Romans 6 decent stuff but problems with murky art work has held it back. I re-read might help.

Planet of the Apes 5 really disappointed with the way this series developed after such a strong start. The two storylines way to short. Nothing given anywhere near the room it needed to develop, plot, characters, nothing. Maybe this is set up for things to come, but this series is over and I'm not sure if these storylines will continue. I'd welcome either back as both have potential if given the space they deserve. What a wasted opportunity.

King Kong - The Great War 3 and in much the same vein this one has stuff happens but nothing is done to make me care about any of this and its just a string of event with cool beasties. Vapid.

Storm 4 arh Ann Nocenti your Daredevil run has earnt you so many passes but this is using up another!

Weird Work 3 pretty straight expositiony police story elevated by Shaky Kanes visual genius.

Alice in Neverland 2 pretty good, but no more than that.

Rocketeer in the Den of Thieves 2 this is pretty good but having a character as good as The Rocketeer elevates it a bit beyond that and the art is great this time.

Scrapper 1 + 2 I got this for Alex De Campi. I'll stay for the fun cybo-dog action. Fun, but a shame the original artist wasn't available past the first issue.

The Penguin 1 I came Tom King, I be staying as it was chuffin' superb!

Venom 24 this series annoys me, just as I think I might be about to drop this it goes and has another brilliant issue like this. Venom and Doom are funny together.

Peacemaker Tries Harder 5 is just flipping hilarious brilliant stuff and Steve Pugh is just perfect for it. When Kyle Starks is good he is very, very good ... or when he is bad actually... anyway...

Time before Time 26 this series is almost done. Its been really good lately and I'm left to wonder how its going to pull everything together, but really looking forward to finding out.

[Colin YNWA]

My latest is a haul about some very interesting first issues, and I'll get to those, but there was more.

Venom 25 was a bit blotted to be honest, maybe on a re-read it will hang together better? Oh and my LCS threw Venom Annual 1 into a bag - uh that was rough. Danger Street 9 felt similr (to Venom 25) with the most dialogue heavy sword fight I have ever seen as character is explored and I'm not sure it works. Again a re-read might reveal more.

Caught up on Titans 2 and 3 and Taylor + Scott provide some fun, beautifully drawn superheroes, little more but enjoyed this. As I did Scrapper 3, nothing exceptional. The Enfield Gang Massacrse 2 is a fine comic.

Two books nearing their end well are Travelling to Mars 8 and Time before Time 27 both solid and building to conclusion well.

But this haul is all about openings and there are some fine ones.

Avengers Inc 1 sees Al Ewing and Leonard Kirk sets up Jan Van Dyne (The Wasp) as superhero detective really well and drops in a bigger mystery at the end.

Rumpus Room 1 more high concept satire by the brilliant Mark Russell, typically brilliant stuff.

Then we get two classic character relaunched by new writers. Daredevil 1 sees Saladin Ahmed  and Aaron Kuder give Matt a very fresh take, having lost his memory coming back to life and living as a priest. It effectively and quickly moves thing on from that basis - which is a bit of a shame as there was much to be played with there - but it moves it really well and its great stuff. As is Wonder Woman 1 by Tom King and Daniel Sampere which unlike DD keeps the lead in the background but sets up a very interesting scenario before punching Diana in with great effect. Great, fresh set up to characters I read so many times and lovely to see such fresh takes. Excellent.

Black Hammer - The End 1 really effectively sets up the end of the story. Its great stuff.

For all those great comics its probably Si Spurrier and Lee Carbett's Uncanny Spider-man 1 that is best. Its such breezey, sharp fun as Kurt Wagner, Nightcrawler lays low as a new Spidey. The coversation between Peter Parker and Kurt is wonderful and the whole thing a blast and given the convoluted background it gets that set but in a way that doesn't weigh down the fun.

Brilliant set ups the trick is how all of these carry that forward.

[Link Prime]

Uncanny Spider-man 1 that is best. Its such breezey, sharp fun as Kurt Wagner, Nightcrawler lays low as a new Spidey.

There's a not 0% chance I'll wake up tomorrow to discover I'm Spider-Man.

[Colin YNWA]

In some ways are we not all Spider-man?

Just without a cool powers alas... damnit...

[Link Prime]

In some ways are we not all Spider-man?

You can be the Scouser Spider-Man from Earth 80085 - taking on the unrestrained might of US private equity firms.

[karlos]

What's the verdict on Danger Street so far?

I'm waiting for the collected editions, but just wondered if it's as good as it looks

[BadlyDrawnKano]

Black Hammer - The End 1 really effectively sets up the end of the story. Its great stuff.

I have so many mixed feelings about Black Hammer, I'm a huge fan of Jeff Lemire (his run on Animal Man especially), and I loved the first two series but was disappointing by how it ended, as I presumed at the time there wasn't going to be any more. Since then I've read a couple of the spin-off's and enjoyed them a lot, and the Black Hammer / Justice League crossover, which was enormous fun until the very predictable ending.

After that I'm not sure how many issues I'm behind, but when it is over for good I'll try and track down a trade reading order, and maybe even start from the very beginning so I can really sink my teeth in to it.

[Colin YNWA]

What's the verdict on Danger Street so far?

I'm waiting for the collected editions, but just wondered if it's as good as it looks

Sorry somehow conspired to miss this. Its... interesting. I'm really enjoying it but there are a ot of moving part, as you'd expect witht he concept. I think it will work better read as one and its not as immediate as Human Target for me.

[karlos]

Thanks, Colin. I'm looking forward to sitting down and reading it in it's entirety.

[Colin YNWA]

Big ol' haul this time.

Some rough stuff. Why am I still getting Venom (26) Al Ewing is joined by Torunn Gronbekk who I now know from issue 5 of Battle Action as it goes as his tag team writer. And as Black Widow joins the Venom circus I'm giving this a couple of issues to give me something. Its just so there for all the STUFF its throwing at us.

Storm 5 ends this series and I need to make this the last time I get a comic just cos if Ann Nocenti's name. Its been a long, long time since she impressed me at all.

Then another host of 1. Alien Annual 1 a largely silent and a little unnecessary explanation of how the Aliens and the white alien things got trapped and their antagonism... its okay. Space Usagi 1 and its just a regular Usagi story read by someone in a future. I mean regular Usagi is of course a good thing but expected this to offer something a little different. Maybe next time? And speaking of regular Usagi Yojimbo we get Ice and Snow 1. Like a warm snug blanket of a comic is so nice to have this back. Brilliant.

Next we get my other return to a DC character I love cos of a writer (it was Wonder Woman last time) with Si Spurrier's Flash 1. Not keen on the art by Mike Deodato Jr is heavy and cluttered and drags things down in a comics that of course should be light of foot. Still there's some good stuff here so I have hope.

We get some 2s too. Black Hammer The End 2 is solid but more setting things up. Not at its best yet. The Penguin 2 seems set to offer us clear evidence that The Penguin still got it... it being a horrible ability to do horrible things to get what he wants. The thing is I never doubted that and its all a bit ... horrid. Still we'll give this another issue or two as Tom King tends not to let me down.

Speaking of Tom King Danger Street 10 starts to bring all the threads together BUT I need to re-read for that to have a sense of importance I think.

Roachmill 5 and 6 there's something about its late 80s wonkyness that I like. I mean these are not great comics but I'm enjoying them.

Some nice issue 3 as well. Alice Never After 3 is pretty good but will benefit from a total re-read I suspect. Rocketeer Den of Thieves 3 has Cliff and Betty fighting Nazis, what more could you want? The Enfield Gang Massacre 3 remains superb, as good as That Texas Blood (which is better than Criminal - there I've said it!).

What's the furtherest place from here 14 boy this is getting trippy. Good stuff. As is Expanse 5... well its not trippy at all but it does the telly shows earnst sci-fi really well with a strong focus on our leads here. Wild's End 4 has a solid episode. Does feel a little like that 3rd episode of an old Doctor Who where they have a caper that does really move things on but just fills the space. I mean going to the man with the explosives was always going to be the easiest option!

The best of the haul goes to two conclusions Peacemaker Tries Hard 6 is just immense fun, with a bit of a punch in it as well amongst the giggles. BUT Second Coming Trinity 6 is all about the gut punch but with the satire sharping that edge not blunting it. Just superb and I'm very pleased to hear that there's more to come.

[Colin YNWA]

And another big ol' haul, why am I getting so many comics. I'm trying to cut down on my floppies and yet I've just ordered more from the latest Previews... DAMNIT.

Anyway Venom 27 might help that. Its got the next Al Ewing arc or to REALLY improve or this is gone.

Now a bunch of Marvel comics in the their early days. Uncanny Spidey 2 so disappointing compared to the great first issue. Too much and then this and then that. Shame. Daredevil 2another one not as good as 1, but not as much of a drop. Still work for this one to do. Avengers Inc 2 pretty good but still not knockin' it out the park.

New DCs fare a little better. I enjoyed Penguin 3 much more than 2, decent but still not King's best. Flash 2 damn I don't get on with the art and so hard to get engaged with the story alas. This one needs to grab me and quickly or its gone. Wonder Woman 2 pretty good, conflicting conflict - good, not great. Titans 4 is really good if solid superheroing, probably the best of either the DC and Marvel stuff.

Scrapper 4 pretty good, but far from great. Rumpus Room 2 not Russell's best (as we'll see later) not sure its pushing him anyway Billionaire Island hasn't already. Black Hammer The End 3 still not as good as the rest of Black Hammer to date. Let's see how this progresses.

Time before Time 28 explosions and action to set up what I figure will be a more emotional final issue. Wrapping things up well. What's the Furthest Place from Here 15 still crazy after all these years! Wild's End 5 building to a dramatic conclusion good stuff. Alice never After 4 likewise with quite different drama.

As one Shaky Kane story finishes with a satisfying conclusion in Weird Work 4 so another starts with a satisfying start to The Man from Maybe 1.

Top of the pile. The Expanse 6 still really good. Usagi Yojimbo Ice and Snow 2 just superb. Very top though goes to Travelling to Mars 9 took a wee while to really hit it this series but this issue just nails it and pulls the whole series to date together. Brilliant, even if the art still isn't quite there.

[Colin YNWA]

So interesting haul nothing bad but also nothing blew me away. A steady haul.

Lower tier = Scrapper 5 just isn't the story I was hopin' it fine.  Daredevil 3 better than last issue, still not what the first promised in the main I suspect as we have a fill in artist already and to be frank their art is poor compared to Aaron Kuber's stuff. Rocketeer 4 had some serious 'what the???' moments and at times though the art is easy on the eye the storytelling really struggled.

Middle tier = Danger Street 11 nears its end with a great episode but really this needs to be read again to pull the pieces together. Alien 1 you know wasn't going to get this but its still Declan Shalvey and it turned up and was actually a pretty good development coming out of the previous series... but then so was the first issue of that and that drifted! Man from Maybe 2 is full of good ideas still.

Upper tier = Uncanny Spider-man 3 okay this is weird this one is back up being almost as much fun as issue 1 after a pretty poor issue 2... go figure??? The Enfield Gang Massacre 4 well it was never going to be easy with a title like that but ouch! Time before Time 29 was the epilogue I was expecting. I think it will read more power when the series is re-read. Rumpus Road 3 see this one really kick in as Mark Russell cuts a path he knows well as well as ever!

[Colin YNWA]

Lots of ending this time. But also a beginning.

Anyone who reads my nonsense here knows what a fan of David Lapham I am so it will be no surprise that I picked up Underheist 1. Decent start, a LOT of ground covered, need to see how it develops.

Declan Shalvey's Alien 2 continues his story and it... solidly okay.

And so to the endings. Scrapper 6 end this series as it gone. Its fine, nothing more.

Danger Street 12, well its an intereting ending, I need to re-read the whole thing to see if its a satisfying ending though.

The Man from Maybe 3 another one that needs a bit more of a revisit to unpick quite how successful it is.

The real class comes from the comics that are still going. Rumpus Room 4 typically brilliant Mark Russell.

The Enfield Gang Massacre 5 horribly brilliant as this one shots to its grizzley end. Brilliant as the main series (That Texas Blood).

Best comic of the lot is defo not the saccharine sweet I mean there's no way I'd fall for such a cheap trick of Tom King showing us how compassionate Wonder Woman is, taking a day to give something to a terminally ill young fan, while the forces marshally against her make big cynical moves. I mean come on even though this is exquistitely executed and absolutely superb I'm far to long in the tooth to fall for a simple trick like that aren't I... BLUB no - this was absolutely beautiful and the perfect examination of what makes Wonder Woman the character she is...

[Colin YNWA]

Bit behind on my write ups here so this will be a quicky.

Having said that, what is it with Tom King. He's become a go to writer and I'm beginning to question why. Love Everlasting 11 well that is great to have back and a comic like no other I read, so I get that. The Penguin 5 hmmm less interested in this but it building to something so we'll see. Weakest of his output by far but still drawn me in. Animal Pound 1 I bought kinda by mistake after seeing someone say it was great and... well it kinda is. So I guess I go to cos he's so good.

Pine & Merrimac 1 Kyle Starks is another go to but that's dropping off as I'm not enjoying his stuff as much as before. This one reads good in principle but having such a loved up detective couple might actually be dull judging by issue 1. We'll see.

Venom 29 just looking to a good time to drop this now I think. Unless the next arc is a doozy I'm done.

Usagi Yojimbo - Ice and Snow 4 - as good as ever.

The Expanse 8 - great but needs a re-read.

Zorro - Man of the Dead 1 - looks great see my entry in my top 100 about having a lot a rubbish Zorro I've let go. Is this another? Looks great though.

Beware the Planet of the Apes 1 = well the Marvel Ape comics aren't Boom! are they!

Titans 6 - just fun superheroes,

The Flash 4 too interesting to drop, not fun enough to keep?

Avengers Inc. 4 Shame this one is bailing so soon.

Pakalis 0 - well you can tell why this was a comic about how he learnt!