Friday, June 05, 2009

I Bought Comics: May becomes June

[Random thoughts, impressions, feelings... maybe I should spend this entire time discussing how these comics make me feel. Nah, just whatever I feel like saying. These aren't reviews, so please don't think of them as such.]

Final Crisis Aftermath: Run! #1

I read somewhere the idea that the Human Flame here is a stand-in for Dan DiDio and even that idea doesn't make this comic read any better. It's pretty fucking bad and pointless. I bought it for the Splash Page. Not sure it was worth it.

Captain America #50

I know this a big round number that's easily divisible by ten, is half of 100 and so on, but it didn't require the bigger price tag. The lead story is the normal 22 pages and the bonus material easily could have been shifted to this month's 600th issue. Other than that, a fairly mundane story about Bucky not having a birthday cake until the Avengers make him a birthday cake. Wow.

Ghost Rider #35

Once upon a time, I loved Ghost Rider. It was a mean, energetic grindhouse horror comic. It was messy and played loose, unafraid to be a bit crazy. Then, it became a very, very, very mediocre story about angels and a war in Heaven and the International Club of Ghost Riders and I was this close to dropping the book. Then, that story ended and Tony Moore came on board to do the art and, for the past three glorious issues, the book has returned to when it was one of the goddamn best books on the shelf. This was the last issue. Soon, there will be a mini-series that finishes up that heaven/angels/International Club of Ghost Riders plot. No justice in the world.

glamourpuss #7

I'm torn on what to think about this issue. The discussion of art isn't nearly as prominent as usual, but the fashion mag parody has been replaced with superheroine parodies. Ms. A? Both an homage to Ditko's Mr. A and a purposeful misinterpretation through 21st-century fashion celebrity. The other superheroines are rather entertaining, including Girl Flash (created apparently because the trademark on a female version of the Flash has lapsed) and Leather Cleavage.

Gødland #28

Holy shit is this issue jam-packed with content! EVERY PAGE BLEW MY MIND AND THEN SWALLOWED THE SWEET, SWEET BRAIN JUICES!

The Boys #31

Holy fuck. Holy fuck.

Dark Avengers #5

Why do I do it to myself? I'm buying this book, partly because Noh-Varr is in it -- and I can't fucking stand the way Bendis writes the character. Fuck. Otherwise, this issue was weak in a lot of spots. The Osborn TV interview was so fucking cliched and obvious. The Sentry stuff continues to be interesting, though, and Ares... Ares is the best thing about this comic.

Scalped #29

Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ.

Seaguy: Slaves of Mickey Eye #2

The best Morrison book of the week. Of course.

Strange Adventures #4

This book has hit its stride, which isn't amazing or anything, but it's pretty solid in quality. I never thought I'd say this, but Jim Starlin not doing any of the art helps. Maybe if Al Milgrom were inking him, but it seems that Ian Hunter gets that assignment most of the time these days and the art suffers considerably. The plot here reveals a larger pattern -- and there's a nice friendly jab at DC editorial here over the handling of the whole Hawkman dead/alive debacle.