Comic Related - If It's Comic Related, You'll Find It Here!

Why I Love Marvel, DC and More!

Welcome back ladies, gentleman and giant spiders. What? They have lots of eyes and enjoy reading these columns....someone told me this. Anyway, welcome to a new edition of Why I Love Comics covering two weeks worth of books. We have a nice independent section, some Marvel highlights and a little Blackest Night for you. So let's jump right into the stack!

Marvel:

Marvel Zombies Return #1 and #2 are very appropriately named and I'm sure many, many people missed this on their pull lists because of the full solicits for this month never being re-released with stuff like this. Anyway, the original zombies are back! Not viewed since Volume 2, it's been a very big mystery as to where exactly everyone's favorite cosmic powered zombies disappeared off to.

The first issue focused on the zombie Spider-man coming into a world in the Multiverse (which apparently isn't just DC anymore) and being watched rather creepily by a very fat Watcher. Fred Van Lente returns to show just how screwed up of a story he can craft, showing a very unique new form of web shooters and showing that with great hunger comes...well, you'd have to read the issue to find out exactly what I'm talking about.

The second issue focuses on the Giant Man zombie deciding to go to Earth in search of a device currently owned by a very drunk Tony Stark. After the last few years, it was surprising to see Tony like this. Not sure exactly how to react to be honest but he manages to go out a hero as Rhodey becomes the new Iron Man. Here's hoping this might feed into the next 3 issues.

Verdict: This is not for the squeamish...at all. If you love horror books, zombies or just insane storytelling this is for you. I dug both issues and it will be interesting to see how the next 3 pan out.

My first Book of the Week for the two weeks goes to none other then a new anthology series from Marvel called Strange Tales in which several indie creators get their hands on some of the biggest icons at Marvel. For those that don't know, I'm a sucker for anthologies. The highlight for this first issue for me was the Doctor Strange story, the Spider-man story and the Punisher story which were all extremely unique and fun reads.

Now being the clueless guy I am, I think I only knew 1 or 2 of the creators but it's still fun reading their takes on characters they obviously love. It reminds me a lot of the Bizarro Comics trade that DC put out a few years ago.

Verdict: An anthology series full of fun stories? Definitely a buy!

Cable #18 has Cable and Hope begrudgingly reunited as they do their best to fight against Bishop and his forces. The boy who fell in love with Hope follows with Gambit and when he learns the truth he does his best to honor hope and help save the day.

The book lost some steam a while back but it's great to see that it's still alive and kicking as this new story arc fleshes out. The last page should make Classic X-Men fans very, very happy.

Verdict: I'm going to say wait for trade as this is only the 3rd issue in the arc which I believe is around 6 issues. Hope is growing up fast though!

Exiles #6 ends our merry time traveling band's adventures for now in a very awesome ending. Speaking of which, the long awaited Exiles spotlight is coming very soon, just have to finish writing it. Jeff Parker does his best to bring everything to a close in a satisfying and shocking way that is both smart and fun. We have a few fan favorites returning as well as our new team getting answers to all the questions they've been asking.

Sadly with the cancellation of the book, we don't get to see where Jeff would have gone from here which I think was a perfect mix of Judd and Tony's runs on the title. I really loved the new characters and thought they all shined and it was good to see exactly who was in charge of everything officially.

Verdict: It was Sliders meets Quantum Leap meets 52 and was always a great read (unless Claremont was on it) I highly recommend picking up the trade of Jeff's run on the book.

Ultimate Comics Spider-man #2 continues right where last issue ended off. We have the over looming mystery of exactly where Johnny Storm has been, Pete and Gwen have some cute couple time and Peter meets the bombshell mother and daughter team.

All in all I'd say this was more fun than the first issue and great to read. Lafuente's art is as beautiful as ever and Brian Weeve's story beats into interesting things that make you come back for more.

Verdict: One of the best books on the stands every month just continues to stay strong under it's new art team and under the relaunch.

Ultimate Comics Avengers #2 shows us the origin story to our very screwed up Ultimate Red Skull which shows that Steve was always a good man. Sadly it shows that the government was a bunch of idiots who held a poor little boy under their power for years and got exactly what they deserved. Of course, in the present, Danvers, Fury and Clint do their best to plan their next move and by the last page we get introduced to Tony's older brother who is already more arrogant then his younger brother.

All in all the book is back to being fun and I'm glad Millar's back. It feels like a giant action movie throughout both issues so far and Pacheco has been drawing the hell out of it.

Verdict: Stays in the buy category and it's a constant treat.

Invincible Iron Man #17 in which Tony Stark manages to screw over three people because of just one email. It's obviously not his fault because of what he's been going through with his mental status but things just continue to get worse as Mariah and Tasha are kidnapped as Bucky has to watch from the shadows.

It's great seeing cold and calculating Osborn here as well as the fact that Hammer proves why it stinks as an organization as compared to shield. I honestly really love Matt Fraction's year long opus that this has turned into as it's been one of the bigger stories told in Dark Reign. You have to feel bad for Tony thanks to his ultimate plan but just like Captain America I believe that if Tony were to die, the title could live with its supporting characters for as long as it needed to.

Verdict: It's almost over and will make a beautiful hardcover on your shelf to suggest to any of your friends to check out. Buy it!

Deadpool #15 has Wade getting even more bored then he's been. He has a conversation with a few inanimate objects that turn him in the right direction where he heads for San Francisco to help his fellow X-Men as he's always wanted to be one. Except for the cover no X-Men appear in the issue. It's mostly Wade just being his crazy self.

Of course Way gets a lot of points for having Wade walk into the sailors bar and pick the fight that he does. It made me laugh pretty hard as he started the fight with one line. You can tell just how great of a fighter the character is.

Verdict: Another sell out for the series means you'd be insane to ignore the Merc with a Mouth who now has three ongoing series.

Thunderbolts #135 has us following Tasha and Songbird as they do their best to escape the Thunderbolts and of course run into the Fury LMD that is waiting for them at the undisclosed location. But sadly it was all an elaborate set up and the girls are soon in the hands of Norman Osborn who needs them for his own means, revealing a very big secret to Natasha that should leave all the fans pretty much in shock.

Ghost and Scourge get the most play time in the issue as the mystery of who the man is continues to grow as well as ghost continuously playing both sides.

Verdict: Just a really, really great book that I enjoy which I'd compare to Secret Six in quality and kind of tone.

Second Book of the Week is none other than War of Kings Who Will Rule one shot. DNA once again weave the tale even tighter. Pay very close to that cover as the new leader of the Sh'iar is on it. We get some beautiful moments with Crystal and Gladiator separately and both characters really shine here.

Maximus steals some of the issue with his few lines and over all there is a lot of good in here, especially the last two pages with another big reveal which Chris Powell will not be happy about. I love Cosmic Marvel and each month I look forward to its offering. I also love Gladiator's new costume and hope it sticks.

Verdict: If you love Cosmic Marvel this keeps it up. Definitely a buy.

Incredible Hercules #134 continues Herc and his father's adventure through pretending to be Thor, which is as amusing as it sounds. Really loving what Greg and Fred have been doing with the book over all. Zeus being a constant pain is pretty funny and Herc's interactions with the trolls as well as going through the tests are both worth the $2.99 alone.

Of course by the end of the issue, poor Herc has screwed up majorly as usual and without Amadeus he is really screwed because it seems Zeus won't help him. Oh and that last page? Best tease ever and makes me laugh very, very hard.

Verdict: Always entertaining and still one of marvel's best books.

Finally we end our Marvel week on Dark Reign: The List Avengers one shot. Totally too long a name, don't you think? Anyway, this is the start of the List one shots where Norman puts his evil plans into full gear while Clint tries to convince the Avengers that they need to kill him before it is too late. And Bucky killed Hitler apparently...yeah...it was way out of left field for me too.

The best stuff about this issue was Clint's conversation on the roof with Bobbi as well as raiding the Avengers compound which was full of great moments. We finally got Clint and Bullseye one on one about the costume which made me smile a lot. Bendis is a fan of Busiek's Thunderbolts as he has Karla and Clint talked while he's storming the castle. Sadly Clint didn't see Ares coming so he's now been captured.

Verdict: it's a fun book that forgot to tell you where to follow the story which you can read about in New Avengers Annual #3!

DC

Justice League Cry for Justice #3 has Prometheus putting his plans into full effect, the roster getting fleshed out a little more and The Shade appearing for the first time in a long time under the man that made the character awesome. All right I'll admit that it's not the best book on the stands but I'll be damned if people don't admit Prometheus's full speech and actions in the issue weren't awesome. That is a great super villain.

But like I mentioned The Shade is in this issue! The Shade is awesome in his few pages but definitely the highlight of the whole book. Mikaal and Bill have a conversation as the rest of the team meets with a fake Prometheus that leads to a very surprising moment. All in all I'm looking forward to next issue.

Verdict: This is going to make a beautiful collection for the art alone. Looking forward to seeing where things head next.

Blackest Night Batman #2 where Deadman steals the show by a lot, the Graysons and the Drakes make some surprising moves and Gordon may or may not now know the identity of Batman and Barbara's past, nice move Boston. Tomasi really, really knows how to write. There is a lot of suspense here as the ring power grows as well as the fact that the Black Lanterns are all disturbing and really creepy.

When Tim finally shows up to save the day you can't help but smile as the full bat cast is reunited. Having Jim there too was just an added plus and it should be painfully obvious to him by now just who the men under those cowls are. Which I think will help in the future actually.

Verdict: Plenty of twists and turns which is making it into a very great miniseries.

Red Robin #4 where Tim finally finds the proof he's been craving, we find out some of the back story to our new supporting cast and Dick tries to talk Tim out of his recent actions. I really find myself loving this book more and more every month. Having Ra's become a twisted Alfred for Tim is really kind of a cool concept and seeing Tim smile under that cowl is a little bit creepy.

The proof he found? Tim found the cave that Bruce found himself in at the end of Final Crisis. That puts this as the head Bat Family book by miles because of how huge it is.

Verdict: Officially the Bat book to read, do not miss an issue as Tim does his best to find Bruce.

Green Lantern Corps #40 continues right where we left last issue off as the Black Lanterns continue making their play against the Green Lanterns. Of course when Jade tries to pull that stunt on Kyle, he is not buying into it and soon goes into attack mode.

The clear highlight of the issue came when the guardians were missing and the Alpha's tried to take command. Salaak laid down the law quoting Guy Gardner and stated exactly who was going to be in charge. It's chilling to see the Alpha's slowly turning into Manhunters and shows just how much the Guardians keep screwing up.

Verdict: The Blackest Night is in full gear and no prisoners are being taken. I'm really curious where things are going next.

Adventure Comics #2 is our date issue where Cassie comes to town to fill in Connor on exactly what he's missed. It's a really touching issue with some great material in it showing exactly how a teen couple in comics can be healthy and forgiving without the unnecessary and forced drama. It is going to be really interesting to see how Tim interacts with Connor next issue with his new costume and all and the fact that he tried cloning him.

I really loved everything with Krypto this issue as well. Cassie has been painted as a strong character lately and it's great to see that continue here.

Verdict: It's really great to see them back together and a confirmation of Connor rejoining the Titans if I read that right. He and Bart will be great to play off of Static and Jaimie.

Booster Gold #24 has Booster, Raven and Rip continue fighting her father in the future with a little new help. It was great to see Lex used the way he was here as well as Booster changing his wardrobe once again. The book manages to infuse humor and action in a perfect balance never managing to force anything and the mystery of the Black Beetle continues to be a highlight.

In the Blue Beetle back up, the Black Beetle comes to town and ticks Jaimie and the Scarab off enough to kind of morph the two of them together into what seems like a killing machine against him. There is still a little humor to be had here but I'm really curious exactly what the Beetle is up to and if this leads right into Ted going after both Booster and Jaimie.

Verdict: A great issue that ends one arc and starts a new one. It's full of great art and fun storytelling.

Secret Six #13 has Catman switch sides, Jeanette look into her past and Grendel making a power play. The book continues to be a strong outing every single month and it's great to be surprised by everything that happens. There is a shock towards the end where the six question if they are on the right side of the fight and Ragdoll does his usual creepy best.

Verdict: I honestly can't say enough positive things about the book and it just gets better and better in my mind. It's great to see a certain person from scandal's personal life again and hope to see her more soon.

Others

Our last Book of the Week is none other then Jeff Lemire's Sweet Tooth which is wrote and drawn by Jeff himself. We follow a young boy named Gus who has antlers. He's a very curious young teenage boy who does his best to take care of his father in his dying days. The book does a good job of building suspense and drama until the great last page which looks to be the beginning of a very weird adventure story.

Verdict: Such a great book with killer art and the first issue is only a dollar!

Chew #4 by John Layman and Rob Guillory continues to be one of the best independent books on the stands and is a fun read every month. We follow Tony and his partner on a pro bono job to investigate a mystery that needs solving after someone turns up dead. I love the more we see of Tony's partner and how Tony's life keeps sprawling out to all this weirdness that seems to be attracted to him. We are very obviously building to a larger story so I'll be curious to see where we go from here.

Verdict: Chew is awesome, go buy it!

Kick Ass #7 has been long awaited but definitely delivered on all points. Dave, Hit Girl and Big Daddy are betrayed and it looks like we lose Hit Girl early on. The shocking truth about Big Daddy's true origin is revealed as Dave watches on in horror. Really a lot happens in this issue and John's pencils are as beautiful as ever. Mark's dialogue is right on point and you can't help but cheer for our two young heroes by issues end. It's going to be really curious to see how things end next issue and when exactly we get next issue. Hopefully some point very soon.

Verdict: This one is a wait for trade as the release dates have been way too sporadic. It's a great story with beautiful artwork but I can't recommend picking it up when I have no idea when the next issue will hit.

Well that's it for this week folks but I have a minor complaint with our friends at Diamond. My shop got shorted on both the Unwritten (which we all know has become my favorite vertigo book) and the end of the Utopia crossover. Really not cool Diamond, this isn't the first time either. TJ's collectibles in Milford, MA is awesome and Dave is a really cool guy that treats me right as a subscriber. We'll hopefully be recording next week (though looking at my work schedule...probably not.) so might be in print form for a little while here folks. See you in 7!

Eric Ratcliffe is a young writer/pop culture journalist/interviewer currently working on pitching a project named the Hunter chronicles. When not reading his weekly stack Eric can be found watching dvd's, playing on his 360 (gamertag: Zack Hunter) or just surfing online trying to find a scoop or two. Brand new to the Comic Related family, Eric is a fun new voice. Eric shops at TJ's Collectibles. Visit them on the web at www.tjcollect.com!