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Yeesh. Sorry guys. Things have been…things.

But Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky’s cover to Sex Criminals #1 from Image is enough to rouse even the dead:

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See?

Anyway, to be honest, there’s nothing from the Marvel/DC side really worthy of cover of the week. I like the Young Avengers cover, it came the closest, but it’s just not quite there. DC is utter crap in covers as we FINALLY emerge from “Villains Month” from here on out known as “Hell Month” or maybe “Utter Waste of Time & Money Month”…you get the picture.

Anyway, more Sex Criminals covers please! :)

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Yes! Super on time!

Rules: one cover from the “mainstream” (i.e. DC/Marvel) and one cover from the “indies” (i.e. anything NOT DC/Marvel).

In the mainstream corner we have one of the best covers I’ve seen from DC since the reboot in 2011 – Batman & Catwoman #22 by Patrick Gleason (Mick Gray on inks and John Kalisz on colors). I still wish they’d be a little more innovative (and less fussy) with their title design/placement/what-have-you, but this is a GORGEOUS illustration. Fantastic color choices, positive and negative space, movement, composition graphic shapes, it’s got it all. Oh, and a gorgeously rendered Catwoman. Yes!

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In the independent corner we have a fantastic Skottie Young cover for Revival #12. On the surface you wouldn’t think those two things would go together so well, but Skottie Young is a genius, so he makes it work – it’s both adorable and creepy – and somehow captures the essence of Revival without ever “not being a Skottie Young cover”. Impressive. I’m a big fan of tons of white on a cover when used well and this is a great example. Again, bonus points to Young and Image for being bold with title integration, credits, numbering, etc.  Two great picks for SDCC week!

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I read some great damn comic books this week and got to review some of the best of them for CBR:

Saga #2

“Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples “Saga” #2 by some miracle manages to live up to and possibly outdo the fantastic double-sized first issue. Equal parts divine character development and brisk plotting, this book continues to remind me that so many of my other comics are really unremarkable…”

Glory #25

“Joe Keatinge and Ross Campbell deliver a pleasantly surprising third issue in “Glory” #25, subverting what many readers might have expected and cranking the stakes up dramatically.  While Campbell’s powerful and unflinching visuals remain the star of this book, Keatinge’s story is taking a nicely unexpected turn, propelling us 500 years into the future (in a prophetic dream) and then yanking us back to the present with a doozy of a plot twist. The opening notes of a “new” superhero series are critical and it’s unfortunate that so many takes (and executions) feel so stale, but this is bold and unapologetic in the things it says about our characters and the paths they find themselves on…”

Northlanders #50

“Brian Wood’s grand saga “Northlanders,” set in the Viking Age, comes to an end with this month’s “Northlanders” #50. Bringing to a close his 9-part “Icelandic Trilogy” with art by Danijel Zezelj and colors by Dave McCraig, Wood delivers the same monumental and yet incredibly relatable stories he has brought throughout this series and it’s a loss to readers everywhere that is has all come to an end…”

As always, likes and retweets are much appreciated and you can read all of my CBR reviews thus far here.

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I’ve got to give it to Fiona Staples gorgeous (and for some reason controversial…what planet am I living on?!) Saga #1:

Honorable Mentions to Ross Campbell’s Glory #24, a super hardcover cover that’s also a fantastic example of the split screen cover…which most artist screw up:

I also have to give major props to Phil Noto who nails his representations of Buffy and Spike, but then twists it into a very conservative/suburban situation that’s hilarious but works at the same time on the Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season Nine #7 cover:

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I wrote an advance review of Saga #1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples for Lit Reactor.

Head on over and check it out. Please retweet, comment, and like as if there’s no tomorrow! :)

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Been just swamped over here, folks, but wanted to link to the last two weeks of CBR Reviews.

Friends With Boys

“Faith Erin Hicks’ “Friends With Boys” is her best work to date, an engaging beautifully illustrated black and white coming of age story about a girl going to her first year of public school after years of home schooling and the recent disappearance of her mother. Hicks story is surprisingly bold. While on the surface it’s a simple story of a girl named Maggie, her three older brothers and their strange family situation (her mother has just left them), there’s a bizarre supernatural element that pays off in unexpected ways…”

Fairest #1

“Fairest,” Bill Willingham’s latest “Fables” spinoff series with art by Phil Jimenez promises a lot of beautiful ladies with its title and Adam Hughes cover, but what you’ll find inside is a bit surprising. While the title and the cover suggest this issue will be focused on Briar Rose, we spend most of the issue meeting Ali Baba (Prince of Theives) and his non-genie of the lamp, Jonah…”

Green Wake #10

“Although “Green Wake” #10 unfortunately brings the series to a close, Kurtis Wiebe does an excellent job of making it feel as if this was his plan all along. Morley gets to the heart of Green Wake quite literally in this final issue and makes a risky decision with ramifications for all the citizens of Green Wake, past, present and future.  Wiebe has a very specific vision for “Green Wake” and you can feel his uncompromising devotion to it as his tale draws to its conclusion. He unravels his mysteries nicely but rarely says anything outright — both a strength and a weakness…”

Supurbia #1

“Grace Randolph and Russell Dauterman’s “Supurbia” #1 is very interesting. It’s hard to know if it can deliver on all its promise, but this first issue is a bizarrely intriguing blend of traditional superhero comics and “The Stepford Wives,” with a dash of “The Real Housewives” series from Bravo thrown in for modern flavor.  Randolph’s idea is lots of fun, focusing on the “women behind the supermen.” If they were less interesting women it could have been a disaster, but Randolph chooses her cast well, which helps to offset the idea that these women (and one man) are not the actual superheroes of the story, even if they are the stars…”

Avengers Academy #27

“Christos Gage and Karl Moline wrestle with a massive roster of characters as the entire “Runaways” cast guest stars in “Avengers Academy” #27. Looking for help locating Old Lace, their lost dinosaur, The Runaways come knocking at Avengers Academy and quite naturally get into a fight. The fighting scene is expected; given superheroes too frequently default to fists first to settle disagreements. Plus, The Runaways have been treated poorly by the superhero community in the past and the Avengers Academy students aren’t the most level-headed group out there…”

Angel & Faith #7

“Angel & Faith” #7 is the first issue of the series that hasn’t really hit the mark for me. It’s still a solid book, but it’s just not ringing true enough to give it the emotional punch of the first arc. Christos Gage has a good handle on both Angel and Faith’s voices and personalities, enough so it was clear to readers something was going on with Angel’s personality and that continues here. However, on the plotting front this feels a bit weak. The second installment of this new arc, titled “Daddy Issues” is set up to parallel both Angel and Faith’s relationships to or as fathers…”

Avengers #23

“Avengers” #23 is not a bad comic book, but given the stakes and the players on the field it should be so much more. In this issue, The Avengers attempt to escape the clutches of Norman Osborne’s H.A.M.M.E.R. while Viper negotiates with the U.S. Government, using the kidnapped Avengers as their bargaining chip. Brian Michael Bendis finds some great funny moments for his characters in this issue, the kind of good chuckles that make comics fun. Unfortunately, beyond those funny moments and a decent escape scene toward the end, there is so much missed opportunity and the issue is ultimately disappointing…”

As always likes and retweets are much appreciated and you can read all my CBR Reviews here!

So after breaking the internet two weeks ago with my “No, It’s Not Equal” post, I’m recommending some great books that you should be reading that don’t fall into any of the “No, It’s Not Equal” traps. So let’s break the internet with PRAISE this time and SUPPORT THE GOOD!

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Easy win last week for Ross Campbell’s Glory #23 which is a thousand kinds of awesome:

Honorable mentions to both absolutely gorgeous covers of B.P.R.D. Hell On Earth: The Long Death #1, the first by Duncan Fegredo:

And the variant by Mike Mignola:

Additional Honorable Mention to Cliff Chiang’s gorgeous Wonder Woman #6.  This is perhaps my favorite Chiang Wonder Woman yet!

 

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Some CBR Reviews from last week’s comics in case you missed them!

The Walking Dead #93

“Like a great song building towards a powerful crescendo, “The Walking Dead” has always had an impressive ebb and flow when taken on the whole. But sometimes, with a long month between issues, the ebb can feel a bit too long, so it’s nice when even an issue with a lot of ebb still resonates so powerfully.

In this issue, a stranger has come to the community and offers a lifeline in the form of introducing Rick’s community to a larger network of communities which could include trade routes and who knows what else…”

Voodoo #5

“With new writer Joshua Williamson on board for “Voodoo” #5, I decided to give the book another try.

In “Voodoo” #5, Voodoo is on the verge of completing her mission when she’s intercepted by a Daemonite in disguise.  Williamson throws a lot of what amounts to Daemonite racism and bravado around with little actual action. The result is that Voodoo is able to easily kill him.  As she moves to complete her mission (and prove herself to the disbelievers that felt a half breed such as herself couldn’t be trusted) she notices a file with her name on it and, curiosity being what it is, she opens it up.  Meanwhile Agent Fallon and Black Jack head to an underground lab because Agent Fallon has had an idea we’re not privy to. In the last pages, it’s revealed that the Voodoo we’ve been following is a clone, and another Voodoo (it’s unclear if she’s the original) is prisoner in a basement lab somewhere.  Clone Voodoo is shocked, as clones usually are.
..”

I, Vampire #5

“I, Vampire” continues to be a unique offering of the new DCU, and the way that its vampire war ties in to the universe at large has great potential. Seeing the book effortlessly work in Batman this month should leave readers even more excited about what’s to come. 
In this issue, Batman finally learns of the vampire war and ends up confronting Bennett, John Troughton and Tig as they try to chase down Mary Queen of Blood and save a series of her latest victims before it’s too late…”

As always, likes and retweets are much appreciated and you can read all of my CBR Reviews here.

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Very cool, very creepy offering, and a great illustration all around from Sean Phillips for Image’s new Fatale #1:

 

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