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Why I Love Comics - The Written Edition!

Welcome to a very special edition of the Why I Love Comics column where we return to our old format. We are currently working on ways to improve the podcast for Brant and Chuck. But for now it is I, Eric Ratcliffe returning once again to our slightly old format where I go over two weeks' worth of books and tell you my readers: What's worth your time and what you can leave on the shelf!

Independents:

Doctor Who ongoing #5 (IDW): I really have to commend the creative team here as each issue of the book continues to read like an extended episode of the latest series with Tennant's doctor. Though with the current price tag and how long this arc has been I sadly have to suggest waiting for the trade.

Angel #27 (IDW): Brian Lynch's last issue on the main series (He's heading off to do the Spike spin off which should prove to be awesome). Remember that episode of Buffy where whatever costume everyone was wearing they would become that? Well magnify that with a San Diego convention hall full of people and you have most of this issue. Plus Spike's spot on impression of how Angel acts at moments. Honestly this was a fun 2-parter to end his run on the title, but it was also a precursor to how I'm assuming Spike will start. So I am going to say that your best bet is to wait for Spike to come out and jump on here when Bill Willingham takes over next issue.

Hellboy: The Wild Hunt #8 (Dark Horse): Well here it is, the end of the latest Hellboy series that packs one hell of a punch. Hellboy's status quo really is forever altered and all the players move into place for what happens next. Plus Hellboy has a new toy...which I won't spoil for anyone. This was a good 8 issue series that I definitely suggest picking up the trade!

BPRD 1947 #5 (Dark Horse): This ends the beautiful series which truly leaves the men we've been following changed forever as it looks like the professor has learned a horrible lesson. It's great to go back into the past and see just how things can change for our characters early on with hints towards the bigger mythology. Definitely another book that will look excellent on anyone's shelf.

The Anchor #2 (BOOM): So, umm, this got better. I mean I loved the first issue but this one was just packed with awesomeness. We get a new character and forces moving against our lead. I really loved the interactions in this issue. Phil really has something unique on his hands. This stays a buy.

Dr. Horrible one shot (Dark Horse): Book of the week #1! Ever want to know what drove Billy to become a supervillian? How he first met Captain Hammer? Or his first interaction with Penny? It's all right here in a fun one shot that if you didn't already love this universe, this will pull you right in. Billy is his usual self and it's great to see what drove him to become who he is. Hammer has some great one liners and of course seeing Doc's old pal Moist is always a highlight. Zack Whedon's script is awesome and Joelle Jones artwork perfectly fits the universe and its characters. Pick this up!

Witchblade #132 (Top Cow): New story arc which follows Sarah and Patrick as they try to take a little time away from the chaos that was last arc. Sadly it doesn't seem to work out as there is a missing child that Sarah offers to help find and runs into a very big and angry looking creature. It's going to take me a while to get used to the art here. It's not bad by any means but it's just not very strong in the faces so far. Sejic changed up his style I guess? Or they got a new colorist. It's a good hopping on point, highly recommended.

The Unwritten #7 (Vertigo): So incredibly madly in love with this book it's not even funny. This issue, all the players are finally being moved into place; we find the truth out about Tom's roommate and whether or not he knows exactly who he is himself. Plus...more of Frankenstein's monster. Mike Carey is writing the hell out of this and Peter Gross' artwork just gets stronger every issue. Hunt down the first 6 issues and jump on now!

Victorian Undead #1 (Wildstorm): Sherlock Holmes comes face to face with zombies and a robotic man all in this great first issue. Holmes and Watson are perfectly in character and having the Queen's men shut down his investigation opens things up to fun levels. I really don't know where they are going to go with this but I for one am excited to see what Edginton pulls out of his bag of tricks. Definitely a buy.

Invincible #68 (Image): We finally return to earth to some interesting changes to our hero and his supporting cast. Mark has changed a lot, Kid Omni Man's costume changes and dinner with Eve's parents turns awkward real fast. I really love this book and its unpredictability. Something incredibly interesting was watching Eve make sure Mark kept his job and how much Oliver has grown up. I love his new costume. Definitely a buy.

Cowboy Ninja Viking #2 (Image): We get to the action pretty fast here as we get some more hints to Duncan's past and some really fun moments between the characters that makes them become more likable to the readership. I really, really love Duncan as a character and his 3 very distinct personalities. The other really cool thing about the book is the Golden Age size, which completely shows off Riley's beautiful artwork. Definitely stays a buy.

Echo #16 (Abstract Studios): I think I may have missed an issue embarrassingly enough as our male lead has disappeared and Julie and the others arrive at Ivy's place to meet a very special little girl who July may or may not be able to help. Terry really has a strong feel for all his characters and it's the small little moments that help push the book forward. I'm looking forward to seeing the payoff between July and Annie in the long run. Hunt down the first trade though as this is not a good jumping on point at all.

DC:

Batman/Doc Savage Special #1: So this was interesting. We get a Bruce Wayne who is cocky and adventurous and nothing like his main DCU counterpart. This is the prelude to the new imprint that Brian Azzarello is setting up for DC, which has the Blackhawks, Batman, The Spirit, Doc and Black Canary. I mean I enjoyed it for what it was but there was no real resolution by the end of it in my opinion. I give it a hesitant buy to see if you like what they are setting up in this world and whether or not you'll try it.

Red Robin #6: By the end of the issue Tim and his new allies are hit very hard where they don't expect to be. Pru gets herself injured once again and we get some cool fights. My only issue right now is that for the tagline "the search continues" there doesn't seem to be anything about Tim searching for Bruce here. I have to give Yost a lot of credit for talking about Tim just coming back from Gotham via Blackest Night, though, which was definitely good to read. I say sadly it's a skip.

Batman and Robin #6: I read somewhere on the internet a couple days ago a really intelligent post. I think it was at 4th Letter where Jason has become Dick's Joker. The way it was pointed out made a lot of sense and this issue definitely nails that. Rose leaves town and the boys help Jason Todd learn not to cross the Batman. Sadly, though, this is the weakest Philip Tan artwork I've viewed in a long time and it was too gritty for the book in my opinion. I'd say this arc stays a skip. Next month should be a good jumping on point though!

Batgirl #4: Stephanie is adorable as Batgirl. There, I said it. I am really enjoying what they are doing with the book; an almost Batman Beyond vibe. There are some really fun moments like the fight at the end between Steph and Livewire and Steph flirting with her new cop friend was really adorable. This is a definite buy and has a lot going for it. I really, really like this book.

Action Comics #883: NightWing and Flamebird go on the hunt for another of the missing kryptonian sleeper agents but sadly it looks like he's found them as poor Chris ages faster than ever. Greg continues to make you care for these two as they do their best to handle their current situation and get new costumes to try and show that they really are heroes. The backup finally has Captain Atom escaping the other dimension and landing right in front of Mon-El who is probably there to help him. Hopefully it starts to get stronger now that he's back to the character he was before the whole monarch ordeal.

Green Lantern Corps #42: Kyle Raynor is not dead, anyone that thinks that does not know how this event is going down. Kyle manages to save the power battery on Oa from the Black Lanterns as our Indigo arrives on the scene to help our heroes detract the evil undead Lanterns. There are some really strong moments here that just add to the insanity that has been blackest night so far. So you people out there better be reading both Green Lantern books right now!

REBELS #10: Well, the universe just officially got more screwed as Brainiac 3 is reborn under the control of Starro. Vril and the team attempt to run towards Earth for help but are soon stopped by a very unhappy dead ex-wife of Vril's and soon their ship is torn apart by that angry ex and as a Yellow Lantern dies, the ring finds a home with a very familiar face. I really love this book more as each issue comes out. It's great seeing the large cast interact and the threats get bigger and bigger. Definitely stays a buy.

Outsiders #24: Continues from right after the Blackest night: Teen Titans mini as Terra comes to her big brother for help. I really like the history lessons we are being given at the beginning of each of these issues as I think they add a lot to what's going on inside the issue. As usual, I also really enjoy Owlman and was surprised to see that this Terra might just want to die; it's a new take on one of the Black Lanterns that I hope doesn't turn into a spin. It's a buy.

Supergirl #47: This issue is a buy alone just for those last few pages. I don't think Kara's mom is evil and kind of side with what she's doing as the man certainly deserves it. Though if either Kara or Clark find out...it won't be pretty. I love how Sterling wrote the issue with all the flashbacks and it was stronger for them. I really have no clue how all this Krypton stuff is going to end but with all the titles heating up and getting stronger I certainly cannot complain.

Brave and the Bold # 29: This was an interesting issue as JMS continues to write strong done in one stories for the most part. I'm enjoying all the odd team ups and really can't wait to see what else he does. This issue itself though is mostly skippable except for those last few pages which I really enjoyed.

Adventure Comics #4: It's Superboy Prime vs. the undead Alexander Luthor on our Earth, which is very odd to type. It's interesting to see how Geoff wrote this one. I say that because it's an odd mixed bag of breaking the fourth wall and actual great character study that makes me like Prime as a character even more. The Legion backup stole the issue for me though and I hope we get more of that in the near future.

Batman: Streets of Gotham: I really hope we see that priest again someday because I enjoyed him a lot. The big character moments between Huntress and Man-Bat were incredibly strong here and the invisible villain was an added plus that the issue had going for it. Seriously, though, the priest - awesome character. You'll see. Kate also continues to battle Two-Face in the backup. Some really great stuff.

Flash Rebirth #5: Book of the week #2! Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver that are one of those awesome teams that really just go to the extreme lengths that you know you'll get a quality story (If you ever get the chance, ask him about the actual equation for the speed force. Such a great story). This hit on every point, especially when Wally manages to get everyone into new costumes that really fit each character. The Liberty Belle costume will make a lot of fans smile. That was another thing I loved about the issue: the female characters stepping out of the background and becoming major players again. Not to mention the big reveal with exactly what a certain villain had planned. Cannot wait for next issue!

Booster Gold #26: Another Blackest Night tie in and a really interesting one. Dan brings us back to the day of Ted's funeral as Booster tortures himself trying to find the right words as in the present Jamie is pulled into the action by Skeets as they and Supernova soon find out that an old friend has been brought back and is out for blood. It's an incredibly strong issue of the series that morphs the back up into a full-fledged part of the main book. Definitely a buy!

Marvel:

Cable #20: Sadly a skip for me as it was a pretty boring paint by the numbers issue. Looking forward to next arc as we seem to be finally going somewhere again.

Moon Knight #3: So happy that this book got good again. Bushwacker makes an army with the hoods help as Jake does his best to survive his new mission statement. I'm really enjoying the book overall and love how it's turning out.

X-force #21: So things look pretty bad for the X-Men right now, especially due to the fact that it looks like Genosha is about to be alive again real soon. I love how things broke down in the issue as a certain Doctor once again steals the show from everyone else in the issue.

Dark X-Men #1: Mystique takes a certain form to tick the X-Men off; Dark Beast is recognized; and half of the team is taken out right off the bat. And of course Nate Grey is back!

Nomad: Girl Without a World #3: Nomad finds herself in some trouble real fast as her identity is compromised and she comes face to face with the big bad of the miniseries. This has been a great read since issue #1 and I cannot wait for it to become the backup in Cap, not sure if that's permanent or not. I say wait for the trade though.

Wolverine Weapon X #7: This book continues to get stronger as Jason Aaron plays with a lot in the 22 pages he's given. Really loved seeing Logan pop his claws at the right moments as well. There was a lot of tension and nail biting suspense built up here. The Doc is a great new creepy character and what he did to one of the inmates of the asylum was really disturbing. All in all another great read from the new Wolverine ongoing.

Thunderbolts #138: Jeff Parker's first issue and he seems to understand his new characters right off the bat. Ghost gets Mister X wound up and he soon gets the team embroiled in a fight with some mercenaries in the woods. It has some great character moments from each member of our cast and it's really great to see the team starting to work successfully together.

Dark Avengers #11: So, uh, apparently instead of being intimidating, Molecule Man is just a lonely guy who wants to be left alone. I mean he's powerful and all but ugh. I enjoyed seeing the confrontation with Norman, which was great. I also enjoyed Hand's past as it makes the character a little more likable. Also great to see Greg Horn's fantastic pages here during some of those scenes. Great issue of the series.

Incredible Hulk #604: Has our merry band of outcasts bonding a little by playing some football. I still have to get used to seeing Rick like that but this issue was a lot of fun. Interesting to see how things are shaping up here as The Leader is very slowly worming his way into the book.

The List: Amazing Spider-Man: Finally someone turns Norman's plays of power against him and he didn't even have to be wearing his costume! Peter steals files from Norman to show the world the monster he really is and then Norman tries to chase him down throughout the city and almost succeeds until Peter plays the ultimate play out of costume. Probably one of my top 3 for the list specials.

Spider-Woman #3: Poor Jessica continues to be dragged through the mud as Madam Hydra pays her a visit. The thing to know about Madam Hydra is that she is off her rocker and has more than a few screws loose. Maleev's artwork continues to be beautiful and the series itself has plenty of twists and turns to keep anyone interested.

Mighty Avengers #31: Book of the Week #3! There is a lot to love about this issue. From Clint Barton's man crush on Hank to Bucky and Clint helping Cassie get onto the Unspoken's ship. Even the recap page is fun. The book to me is very classic Avengers and gets better with each new issue.

Punisher #11: Frankencastle, which sounds stupid as an idea, had a very awesome debut as Morbius brings Frank back into the land of the living. Tony Moore's artwork is fantastic and definitely lives up to all the hype. I liked seeing the way Frank woke up as if he really was the monster that he could become. It's a blast reading the issue and I cannot wait to see where the team takes us the rest of the arc.

Realm of Kings: Book of the Week #4! Quasar goes off into the Fault to find some answers and instead ends up in the cthulu version of the Marvel Universe. It's a creepy place filled with some very scary things. Our heroes are basically monsters in this universe and the design on the cover is nothing compared to what's inside. I love seeing the little coalition that was put together to check out problems in the Fault as I think they are a pretty strong group. It sadly looks like our Quasar didn't get out completely not impacted, so we'll see where that's followed up on. It was a good issue though and I can't wait to see how everything else ties in.

Sword #1: Book of the Week #5! Everyone knows my love of cosmic marvel, it's no secret. But I'm not so sure everyone knows my love of Ms. Abigail Brand and SWORD. Probably one of my favorite things Joss has ever done. So reading through this was a real pleasure for me. My only complaint is that Beast looks like a horse. It's fun, plenty of action and some major revelations into our humbled commanders past. Sadly it looks like Gyrich has just tricked the governments of the world into agreeing to do something stupid. Oh and Lockheed downing a whole bottle of whatever he was drinking was pretty classic. There's also a chance that Kitty Pryde could be coming back!

Deadpool #17: I love when Deadpool thinks he's helping people...it never works out in his favor. Deadpool attempts to kill the father of an X-girl who's causing nothing but problems for the heroes. From the newly promoted HAMMER agents to the rooster in front of Domino there was a lot to love about this book. Sadly though it doesn't beat its sister book.

Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth #5: Book of the week #6! Do not, and I repeat, do not ever bring up the prequels to Wade Wilson. I seriously have not laughed that hard at any comic book in a long time. Each page got better and better, from Wade tricking Hydra to everything that slipped out of new sidekick Bill's mouth. This issue really had everything you should love about a book with the Merc with a Mouth.

Well, that's it for this week's edition, dear readers. I promise we'll be back with the podcast very soon and next week something shall have the spotlight put on it! See you then!

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 DVDs, 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!