What Joe bought at the comic shop on June 23rd:
AVENGERS #2
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS, Penciled by JOHN ROMITA JR., Inked by KLAUS JANSON, Colored by DEAN WHITE, Lettered by VC’S CORY PETIT, Edited by TOM BREVOORT
I’m going to be honest right here and say that I am really disappointed by this latest Avengers relaunch. It is by far the weakest of the new Avengers books (Secret Avengers being the coolest, just so you know where I stand). Essentially, issue two is structured just like the first one, everyone stands around and talks, there is a brief fight (with Wonder Man…what?) and a surprise reveal on the last page. No new information is gleaned from the story here, in fact it is nearly a recap of the previous issue. I had hoped that this bright new day in the Marvel Universe would have brought more dynamic storytelling and that Bendis was ready to pull out all the stops. This is the bloody AVENGERS for crying out loud! Instead, it appears we will be getting more of the same padded storylines that drag on d=for six or more issues. I’ll be back for issue three, but if it doesn’t move the story forward significantly, it may be my last.
LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #2
Written by PAUL LEVITZ, Penciled by YILDIRAY CINAR and FRANCIS PORTELA, Inked by WAYNE FAUCHER and FRANCIS PORTELA, Colored by HI-FI, Lettered by SAL CIPRIANO, Edited by BRIAN CUNNINGHAM
Tyroc is back, apparently full time, and that’s all you really need to know about this issue. OK, not really, but damn if that isn’t the coolest thing in a long time. Tyroc is pretty awesome and even if he is no longer sporting that awesome fro, it is still fantastic to have him back in the Legion. The Legion is playing damage control after the destruction of Titan last issue when in waltzes Saturn Queen to rock their world and turn Ultra Boy against the team. With Saturn Queen present, can the full Legion of Super-Villains be far behind? I sure hope not. All that, plus more intrigue with Earth-Man and his new Green Lantern ring make this a solid comic and my favorite of the week. The only thing that doesn’t sit well with me is Levitz’s depiction of Braniac 5. Brainy has always been a pompous jerk, but in this new series he’s uncharacteristically cold and distant. I’m hoping that there is more to it and not just the way Levitz has decided Brainy is going to be.
FANTASTIC FOUR #580
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN, Penciled by NEIL EDWARDS, Inked by ANDREW CURRIE, Colored by PAUL MOUNTS, Lettered by VC’S RUSS WOOTEN, Edited by TOM BREVOORT
I’ve said it before in private conversations, but it bears repeating here: Jonathan Hickman may just be writing the best Fantastic Four stories since Stan Lee. Really, his handling of Marvel’s First Family is that good. Hickman writes the perfect mix of trippy, high-concept science fiction and family drama while having a firm grasp on the personalities of each character. Each issue just has that sense of new and wonderful excitement that I felt the first time I read Stan and Jack’s FF stories. Plus, Hickman has nice spins on returning characters and villains. This book seemed to be treading water for many years, but it seems all fresh and fun again. If you aren’t reading the Fantastic Four you are definitely missing out and I highly recommend adding this to your pull list and hunting down all the issues since Hickman took over.
SUPERMAN #700
Written by JAMES ROBINSON, DAN JURGENS and J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI, Penciled by BERNARD CHANG, DAN JURGENS and EDDY BARROWS, Inked by BERNARD CHANG, NORM RAPMUND and J. P. MAYER, Colored by BLOND, PETE PANTAZIS and ROD REIS, Lettered by JOHN J. HILL, Edited by MATT IDELSON
Being an anniversary issue, Superman #700 is extra-sized and brings us three stories in one issue. We get a look at Superman present, past and future, in that order. First up is Superman’s return to Earth and, more importantly, his wife, Lois Lane, in the aftermath of resolution of the “New Krypton” storyline. I’m glad to see that the previous storyline with carry forward some emotional repercussions for Supes, but monumentally disappointed that New Krypton and all its characters and concepts have essentially been swept under the rug and done away with. It seemed like a whole lot of world building for basically nothing. That being said, I am pleased to see Superman back on Earth doing what he does best. In the story set in the past, we get a look at Robin on an adventure with Superman. I think showing that Batman was not the only influence on young Dick Grayson speaks volumes for the type of man, and Batman, that he later became. Finally, we get a look at what incoming creative team J. Michael Straczynski and Eddy Barrows have in store for the Man of Steel starting next month in issue #701. I don’t know about having Superman walking across America for twelve issues, but since it is jms, I will give it a try. Honestly, though, in the Superman family of books I am much more intrigued by Paul Cornell’s Lex Luthor centric Action Comics than any other book, but more on that next week.