New Comic Book Day Megathread

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

They don't even look nice. Do people think they'll be worth something eventually? Is it like beanie babies or NFTs?

[CalHab]

Fantastic Four: Life Story #6 (Russell, Isaakse, Woodard, Caramagna). This series limps to an end with an aged and infirm FF facing off against their eternal foe. Inevitably, the old guard save the day (I don't think I'm giving away any spoilers with that), and the new heroes take a back seat. Russell's usual satirical wit is missing here and its a strangely by-the-numbers effort for him. Isaakse seems to struggle with the aged FF and, in some panels, they look very odd to my eyes. This issue also seems strangely unnecessary after the big battle in the previous issue. What should be an emotional coda to the FF story just falls a bit flat.

[Colin YNWA]

Fantastic Four: Life Story #6 (Russell, Isaakse, Woodard, Caramagna). This series limps to an end with an aged and infirm FF facing off against their eternal foe. Inevitably, the old guard save the day (I don't think I'm giving away any spoilers with that), and the new heroes take a back seat. Russell's usual satirical wit is missing here and its a strangely by-the-numbers effort for him. Isaakse seems to struggle with the aged FF and, in some panels, they look very odd to my eyes. This issue also seems strangely unnecessary after the big battle in the previous issue. What should be an emotional coda to the FF story just falls a bit flat.

All of this is true. I buy pretty much everything I see with Mark Russell's name on it - as readers of this thread no doubt know - as his is by far the weakest of his output. There were moment when you catch the Russellness... but they are fleeting. Its just not that interesting an idea to be honest.... and then onward to the rest of the haul.

[Colin YNWA]

And having said that I have to say my latest haul is quite weak overall.

Ant 2 - I give new comics a three issue try out to see how I get on with them. I'm really tempted to bail on this one here! I read this like 2 days ago and I really can't remember a thing about it!

Ka-Zar Lord of the Savage Land 5 - maybe this will be better on re-read. The art is stunning.

Venom 4 - loved issues 3 and 4, this one however just doesn't really do anything that interesting. Its fine.

Time before time 9 could do with a re-read - its good and all but there a lot of folks, lots of different times and I fear I need to get on top of it all.

Frontiersman I love this comics EXCEPT I don't get on with the art, and I have to say the colouring in this issue in particular is a big part of that. I struggled with the storytelling this time. Fine when I went back and re-read bits, but it should need that and cuts into the flow and wit of the writing. Still we get Nicolo Assirelli of The Returner fame, coloured by Eva De Le Cruz for 2 months on a fill-in, WELL INTO THAT!

[Colin YNWA]

And now the full post - since I ran out of 'modify' time when finishing - luckily (for whom?) I thought I might so a copy and pasted saved us!

And having said that I have to say my latest haul is quite weak overall.

Ant 2 - I give new comics a three issue try out to see how I get on with them. I'm really tempted to bail on this one here! I read this like 2 days ago and I really can't remember a thing about it!

Ka-Zar Lord of the Savage Land 5 - maybe this will be better on re-read. The art is stunning.

Venom 4 - loved issues 3 and 4, this one however just doesn't really do anything that interesting. Its fine.

Time before time 9 could do with a re-read - its good and all but there a lot of folks, lots of different times and I fear I need to get on top of it all.

Frontiersman I love this comics EXCEPT I don't get on with the art, and I have to say the colouring in this issue in particular is a big part of that. I struggled with the storytelling this time. Fine when I went back and re-read bits, but it should need that and cuts into the flow and wit of the writing. Still we get Nicolo Assirelli of The Returner fame, coloured by Eva De Le Cruz for 2 months on a fill-in, WELL INTO THAT!

Thing 3 and 4 there is a LOT going on here and it has two issues to pull it all together... that will be some cool trick if it pulls it off. First we get The Champion and a FIGHT, then we go to the Blue Area of the moon for ... reasons and FIGHT and then Terrax and some folks show up for a FIGHT... all the while the interesting stuff with Alicia, her new love, Moll and Ben's new companions bubbles away in the back ground not really getting the space it deserves. Still looks stunning mind.

One-star Squadron 3 Mark Russell doing what Mark Russell does best with lovely art - success at last.

Usagi Yojimbo - Lone Goat and Kid 1 doing what Stan Sakai does best - success continued!

Black Hammer 8 - doing the Colonel Weird does best - we're on a run.

Which is continued in Echolands 6 the crash leads our fleers to Horror Hill and that goes about as well as you'd expect. Tributastic.

Chicken Devil 4 ends well after last months twisty twist and ends with another wonderful twisty twist and a promise of more, which I'll get.

The X-Cellent 1 wonderfully continues Michael Allred and Pete Milligan's X-Statix story with a scary reminder of how much the world has changed since that run ended. Sharp opener.

Book of the haul is The Human Target 4 an absolute treat for the eyes and the story still holds really nicely. Though word of warning it needs to move from the single issue character portrait (this time Blue Beetle) inching the central plot forward thing soon but it runs out of rope.

[CalHab]

Ka-Zar Lord of the Savage Land 5 - maybe this will be better on re-read. The art is stunning.

Agreed. I persisted with this, but I can't say that it was doing much for me by the end.

I'd bet that, despite saying they've changed the Savage Land forever, we never hear of the cyborg-animals again.

[Colin YNWA]

Ka-Zar Lord of the Savage Land 5 - maybe this will be better on re-read. The art is stunning.

Agreed. I persisted with this, but I can't say that it was doing much for me by the end.

I'd bet that, despite saying they've changed the Savage Land forever, we never hear of the cyborg-animals again.

Yeah like so much with the Savage Land a concept burns bright (or at least burns) and then flickers out never to be seen again. How many reimagining of the the Savage Land, its origins and purpose do we need. Its a land with f**kin' dinosaurs and prehistoric beast and tribes in, just leave it at that - that's cool enough! Tell good tales there!

[CalHab]

Devil's Reign #3 (Zdarsky, Checchetto, Menyz, Cowles). Trying to write the core series in these "events" must be a challenge. You've got to assume that the reader hasn't read all the intervening issues, but still tie them all together and move the plot along. The result, as in this case, is usually less satisfying than simply following one character through the plot. Anyway, this issue features everyone and their dog. Luke Cage continues in his run as mayor against Wilson Fisk, who is using the Purple Man's powers to influence the election. Some long-standing Daredevil plots look like being tied up, which keeps me interested. I'm not sure this would work if I didn't have that investment.

[CalHab]

Fantastic Four: Life Story #6 (Russell, Isaakse, Woodard, Caramagna).

All of this is true. I buy pretty much everything I see with Mark Russell's name on it - as readers of this thread no doubt know - as his is by far the weakest of his output. There were moment when you catch the Russellness... but they are fleeting. Its just not that interesting an idea to be honest.... and then onward to the rest of the haul.

You're definitely right about it being the weakest Mark Russell series.

The "Life Story" idea worked very well with Spider-Man and I imagine Marvel has plans to try it again. I just think this may be a case of the wrong writer for the job?

[CalHab]

Crossover #11 (Cates, Cunniffe, Shaw, Hill). More post-modern shenanigans as Ellie meets her maker, and the killer of comic creators is revealed. These kind of things always make me think of Morrison's Animal Man, which made a big impression on my adolescent brain. I think I'll come back to this series once it finishes and enjoy it again, and maybe pick up more of the references.

[CalHab]

Darkhold: Black Bolt (Russell, Cutler, Poggi, Milla, Cowles). Not quite a new comic book, as I found this book from a couple of months ago in the "to read" pile. I know very little about the Inhumans, the Darkhold crossover (which I think was some kind of heroes-turning-into-zombies thing), or Black Bolt (whose real name, brilliantly, is Blackagar Boltagon). Anyway, none of that really matters to this story. Black Bolt wakes up on a prison planet, unsure of how he got there. Mark Russell drip-feeds information as Black Bolt tries to get himself rescued, revealing that all is not necessarily as it seems. There's more than a whiff of the early Alan Moore one-offs on Green Lantern etc, which must have been an inspiration. This is very good stuff indeed. Well worth checking out if you see a copy.

[CalHab]

Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #1&2 (Zdarsky, De Latorre, Blee, Cowles). Elektra battles with Daredevil's moral code, and with Kingpin's machinations. These tie into the Devil's Reign crossover, which is becoming hugely enjoyable. Zdarsky can write a good Daredevil.

Apache Delivery Service #1 (Kindt, Jenkins, Jenkins). I do love a good war comic, so this is right up my street. A young Diné conscript is acting as a scout in Vietnam, observing the North Vietnamese and facing racism from his own side. The sequences in Vietnam are dripping in atmosphere and there are flashbacks to childhood. I think I'll stick with this after a strong first issue.

[Colin YNWA]

Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #1&2 (Zdarsky, De Latorre, Blee, Cowles). Elektra battles with Daredevil's moral code, and with Kingpin's machinations. These tie into the Devil's Reign crossover, which is becoming hugely enjoyable. Zdarsky can write a good Daredevil.

How's Devil's Reign going. I was regretting not getting on board with this DD run (I'll catch up in digital when they get to the top of the pile)) from the off. Then I saw it was running into a big crossover event at which point I was relieved as these rarely come to much use (I still shudder at Shadowlands the last night DD centric event). So I've decided to jump on when the series relaunches after that. Its been a LONG time since I got DD monthly.

[CalHab]

I'm enjoying it. Briefly, it's Kingpin's second run to be mayor. He's persecuting heroes (ho hum) and empowering villains. It's well done, though. I particularly enjoyed the X-Men issue, which I didn't expect since I normally find X-books incomprehensible.

I would recommend catching up with Zdarsky Daredevil at some point. It's consistently been one of Marvel's best books.

[SmallBlueThing(Reborn)]

Totally agree re Zdarsky's Daredevil, the Devil's Reign Event, the Elektra mini and the X-Men issue (was it a one off, I forget) in particular.

I'm not one for crossovers in general, and the last time I tried to follow "all" of one it turned into the excruciating Secret Wars thing from a couple of years back. However, Dark Reign is wonderful so far (if overly familiar in parts- it's basically Dark Reign crossed with Civil War isn't it?) and the X-Men issue was unexpectedly a) understandable and b) entertaining. Two words I didn't expect to ever say about an X-book again. The only tie-in I've not enjoyed so far has been the Superior Four, with the four alt.Ottos, which should have been a joy but so far very much isn't.

SBT