![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
I get really excited about new-solicit Monday, often more excited than about the prospect of *reading* the comics themselves. Covers are fun to look at. Well. Usually.
However, none of the covers for August stuck me as very interesting, so I actually bothered to go through and read all the blurbs instead.
________________________
DETECTIVE COMICS #822
When a young socialite is murdered, her grief-stricken uncle turns to the newly reformed Riddler to find her killer. No longer the villain of old, the Riddler has turned his brilliant brain to crime-solving, and to the surprise of both the police and Batman, he's actually good at it. Has Gotham's most pernicious puzzler turned over a new leaf, or is it all a cover for a darker scheme?
Do I get a guess?
ACTION COMICS #842
Part 2 of the stunning, DCU-spanning 3-part story written by Kurt Busiek & Fabian Nicieza with art by Pete Woods (CATWOMAN) and a cover by Dave Gibbons (WATCHMEN, THE ORIGINALS)! An alien race is collecting unique specimens from Earth, and Superman's on the list! When tossed in with heroes and villains alike, it'll be up to the Man of Steel to lead the charge against their interstellar jailers! Guest-starring Nightwing, Firestorm, Aquaman and more!
What kind of Alien Menace kidnaps Superman and, according to the cover, *Catman*, is what I want to know. He’s a human inna catsuit (unless Gail Simone did something interesting to him when I wasn’t looking)! This is not actually a unique trademark, unless Catwoman and Wildcat and probably some other people as well all forgot to fill out their census forms.
SUPERGIRL #9
Don't miss a turning point in Kara's life as some of the missing time from One Year Later is revealed! When Kara returned from space, she found Paradise Island gone, Superboy dead and Superman powerless. Feeling very much alone, she found romance with someone that no hero will condone. Who is Supergirl's boyfriend?
[Poll #731682]
*Okay, I’ll admit. This one isn’t canon.
BLUE BEETLE #6
A jaw-dropping secret about the Beetle's armor is revealed in this can't-miss issue!
It feels like I *should* be able to make a innuendo out of this, but it doesn’t quite work.
GREEN ARROW #65
Part 1 of the new story "Away Game" - a 3-part flashback explaining what happened to Ollie a year ago after he was left for dead with Mia and Connor. After making it to a desert island, the three lick their wounds and plan a return to full power!
This one, on the other hand… They make it *too* easy. It would feel unsporting even if my fandom didn’t have a scar fetish.
MANHUNTER #25
The solo adventures of Kate Spencer come to a stunning conclusion - but her new life as a dark hero has only just begun! Final issue.
I know there will be a lot of sad people at this news, but despite a brief moment of concern, I’m not one of them. It was a good, well written series, but I mostly just read it because it was there. There was never any moment of fannish connection.
If they cancelled Marvel’s Runaways tomorrow, I would probably feel exactly the same amount of regret.
OUTSIDERS #39
For these heroes, being an Outsider is in their DNA. But so are a few other things, as the team's about to learn!
I Can’t Believe It’s Not The Silver Age! I’m way too amused that Winick seems to be doing an entire storyline around the epic love between a monkey and a brain in a jar.
SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #21
The Legion struggles against the mighty giants of Colossal Boy's hometown! And with Brainiac's resurrection plan in action, can the Legion trust him to play god?
I can’t help but mentally sound the last line in my mother’s voice: Can I trust you to take out the garbage?
“Look, Brainy, we’ve off to fight robots for a bit. Can you raise the dead while we’re gone? And then maybe turn some water into wine and prepare extra loaves of bread for dinner.”
“… Why not. It appears to be inconceivable among you primates that someone with my mental capabilities might have something better to do with their time.”
“Good man. Just don’t forget like last time.”
“I don’t *forget* anything. The University of Phydas II required my assistance with—”
“Oh, and Ayla says she’s getting a bit tired of fish. How about replicating some beef or, like, bald eagle meat instead.”
SHADOWPACT #4
A special issue featuring guest art by Steve Scott (JLA) spotlighting a night in the life of Blue Devil! Demons have tracked Blue Devil to his hometown, and the resultant battle may leave it in shambles! It's wild action from writer Bill Willingham (FABLES)!
I notice how they didn’t add “Robin” to Willingham’s list of accomplishments. That is all.
LOONEY TUNES #141
Porky takes Sylvester in for a dental check-up, not suspecting that he's meeting a doctor who believes all toothaches can be cured by brain removal!
That is not, y’know, *wrong* thinking there. I bet there are studies that show it is true – remove the brain, and the patient stops screaming. Success!
There’s no possible universe in which I don’t need this story.
THE AMERICAN WAY #7
Open combat has erupted in the ranks of the Civil Defense Force, and the New American is at the center of it! With America's super-heroes fighting before television cameras, the President makes a difficult decision about America's super-hero civil war!
Could that be a jibe at Marvel there, at the end? Just maybe?
EX MACHINA #23
Part 3 of the 4-part "Smoke Smoke." In the past, the super-heroic Great Machine pursues a drug dealer in a high-speed chase, while in the present, Mayor Mitchell Hundred struggles with crime and punishment in the arena of New York's marijuana laws.
Judging from the series so far, we are meant to infer flashbacks and not that this is part three of a time travel story. That’s kind of sad, as Ex Machina could probably do a really cool arc with time travel.
But there is still something inherently silly about “Meanwhile, a few years later…”
OTHERWORLD BOOK ONE TP
Hot off his work on INFINITE CRISIS, writer/artist Phil Jimenez delivers an epic saga - combining the dramatic setup and ensemble cast of Lost with the fantasy of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and mind-bending technology of The Matrix. BOOK ONE of OTHERWORLD takes readers on an exciting adventure filled with widescreen action that's sexy, smart and unlike anything Vertigo has done before!
Okay, if this book *actually has* the ensemble cast of Lost, it might be the best thing ever. (And yes. The polar bear counts as cast. You need to ask?)
"The good news: We are off the %$*#& island! The bad news: We might be needing to pick up some enchanted swords."
"Well. Crap."
ETA: Ahh! LJ. What are you doing?
However, none of the covers for August stuck me as very interesting, so I actually bothered to go through and read all the blurbs instead.
________________________
DETECTIVE COMICS #822
When a young socialite is murdered, her grief-stricken uncle turns to the newly reformed Riddler to find her killer. No longer the villain of old, the Riddler has turned his brilliant brain to crime-solving, and to the surprise of both the police and Batman, he's actually good at it. Has Gotham's most pernicious puzzler turned over a new leaf, or is it all a cover for a darker scheme?
Do I get a guess?
ACTION COMICS #842
Part 2 of the stunning, DCU-spanning 3-part story written by Kurt Busiek & Fabian Nicieza with art by Pete Woods (CATWOMAN) and a cover by Dave Gibbons (WATCHMEN, THE ORIGINALS)! An alien race is collecting unique specimens from Earth, and Superman's on the list! When tossed in with heroes and villains alike, it'll be up to the Man of Steel to lead the charge against their interstellar jailers! Guest-starring Nightwing, Firestorm, Aquaman and more!
What kind of Alien Menace kidnaps Superman and, according to the cover, *Catman*, is what I want to know. He’s a human inna catsuit (unless Gail Simone did something interesting to him when I wasn’t looking)! This is not actually a unique trademark, unless Catwoman and Wildcat and probably some other people as well all forgot to fill out their census forms.
SUPERGIRL #9
Don't miss a turning point in Kara's life as some of the missing time from One Year Later is revealed! When Kara returned from space, she found Paradise Island gone, Superboy dead and Superman powerless. Feeling very much alone, she found romance with someone that no hero will condone. Who is Supergirl's boyfriend?
[Poll #731682]
*Okay, I’ll admit. This one isn’t canon.
BLUE BEETLE #6
A jaw-dropping secret about the Beetle's armor is revealed in this can't-miss issue!
It feels like I *should* be able to make a innuendo out of this, but it doesn’t quite work.
GREEN ARROW #65
Part 1 of the new story "Away Game" - a 3-part flashback explaining what happened to Ollie a year ago after he was left for dead with Mia and Connor. After making it to a desert island, the three lick their wounds and plan a return to full power!
This one, on the other hand… They make it *too* easy. It would feel unsporting even if my fandom didn’t have a scar fetish.
MANHUNTER #25
The solo adventures of Kate Spencer come to a stunning conclusion - but her new life as a dark hero has only just begun! Final issue.
I know there will be a lot of sad people at this news, but despite a brief moment of concern, I’m not one of them. It was a good, well written series, but I mostly just read it because it was there. There was never any moment of fannish connection.
If they cancelled Marvel’s Runaways tomorrow, I would probably feel exactly the same amount of regret.
OUTSIDERS #39
For these heroes, being an Outsider is in their DNA. But so are a few other things, as the team's about to learn!
I Can’t Believe It’s Not The Silver Age! I’m way too amused that Winick seems to be doing an entire storyline around the epic love between a monkey and a brain in a jar.
SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #21
The Legion struggles against the mighty giants of Colossal Boy's hometown! And with Brainiac's resurrection plan in action, can the Legion trust him to play god?
I can’t help but mentally sound the last line in my mother’s voice: Can I trust you to take out the garbage?
“Look, Brainy, we’ve off to fight robots for a bit. Can you raise the dead while we’re gone? And then maybe turn some water into wine and prepare extra loaves of bread for dinner.”
“… Why not. It appears to be inconceivable among you primates that someone with my mental capabilities might have something better to do with their time.”
“Good man. Just don’t forget like last time.”
“I don’t *forget* anything. The University of Phydas II required my assistance with—”
“Oh, and Ayla says she’s getting a bit tired of fish. How about replicating some beef or, like, bald eagle meat instead.”
SHADOWPACT #4
A special issue featuring guest art by Steve Scott (JLA) spotlighting a night in the life of Blue Devil! Demons have tracked Blue Devil to his hometown, and the resultant battle may leave it in shambles! It's wild action from writer Bill Willingham (FABLES)!
I notice how they didn’t add “Robin” to Willingham’s list of accomplishments. That is all.
LOONEY TUNES #141
Porky takes Sylvester in for a dental check-up, not suspecting that he's meeting a doctor who believes all toothaches can be cured by brain removal!
That is not, y’know, *wrong* thinking there. I bet there are studies that show it is true – remove the brain, and the patient stops screaming. Success!
There’s no possible universe in which I don’t need this story.
THE AMERICAN WAY #7
Open combat has erupted in the ranks of the Civil Defense Force, and the New American is at the center of it! With America's super-heroes fighting before television cameras, the President makes a difficult decision about America's super-hero civil war!
Could that be a jibe at Marvel there, at the end? Just maybe?
EX MACHINA #23
Part 3 of the 4-part "Smoke Smoke." In the past, the super-heroic Great Machine pursues a drug dealer in a high-speed chase, while in the present, Mayor Mitchell Hundred struggles with crime and punishment in the arena of New York's marijuana laws.
Judging from the series so far, we are meant to infer flashbacks and not that this is part three of a time travel story. That’s kind of sad, as Ex Machina could probably do a really cool arc with time travel.
But there is still something inherently silly about “Meanwhile, a few years later…”
OTHERWORLD BOOK ONE TP
Hot off his work on INFINITE CRISIS, writer/artist Phil Jimenez delivers an epic saga - combining the dramatic setup and ensemble cast of Lost with the fantasy of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and mind-bending technology of The Matrix. BOOK ONE of OTHERWORLD takes readers on an exciting adventure filled with widescreen action that's sexy, smart and unlike anything Vertigo has done before!
Okay, if this book *actually has* the ensemble cast of Lost, it might be the best thing ever. (And yes. The polar bear counts as cast. You need to ask?)
"The good news: We are off the %$*#& island! The bad news: We might be needing to pick up some enchanted swords."
"Well. Crap."
ETA: Ahh! LJ. What are you doing?
Tags:
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
From:
no subject
I pretty much gave up on superhero titles in general, aside from what I can read from my library, but I would buy something if it was self-contained and written by Busiek only. Or I'd think about it a lot more, at least. Astro City was one of the things that got me into comic books, and Kurt Busiek is still very dear to my heart. Until he really lets me down, at least.
Comics Should Be Good does a pretty good job (http://goodcomics.blogspot.com/2006/05/judging-dcs-august-books-by-their.html) of making fun of the solicited covers every month, by the way. It's more entertaining than Newsarama, at least!
From:
no subject
Yep! I check in on that blog fairly often. The cover-posts tend to be a bit more dependant on knowing the cover artists than I can claim, however, so a lot of the comments go over my head.
Wait, after the big crossover thing between the two Superman titles with Geoff Johns, Busiek is still co-writing and doing some sort of other crossover thing?
Yeah. I don't know, really. (Personally, I want Busiek to take over both Superman titles forever, but this may not be a feasible request of the universe.)
But I've been really enjoying the current Superman run. It's not genius awesomeness (such as Astro City is), but it's good. And fun. And well written. The problem with calling something a "good superhero story" is that everyone hears it as an insult, but that's what it is.
From:
no subject
From:
no subject