Howdy Inter-webbers, Matt Cohen here, and welcome to the day after. I’m reporting from the new headquarters of “Comics & Comics” in sunny southern California. If you’re anything like me (if you are, please email me… I need some friends) Wednesday is the biggest day of your week. Us few, us proud, us unashamed and loyal Wednesday Warriors make treks to our respective shops, brave the lines, try to select choice copies of our favorite books and snag all the variants that strike our collective fancy. It’s a tough gig, but someone’s got to do it. So if you’re a fellow diehard, here is the column to see if other fans vibe with your opinions. If you’re new to the world of funny books, Ill try and provide a bit of a primer to the good, the bad, and the ugly (Chris Claremont anyone?). So strap in, lock on, and get ready to rock and roll.

Oh, and spoiler warning.

Comics for the week of 2/26/08

DC

Countdown # 9: 8 weeks away, and I cant wait! Not because I’m excited for the finale, but because I’m excited to stop buying this book. Somewhere around issue 30, Countdown became almost unbearably bad, but after that much of a committal, who would drop the series? Damn you D.C, you clever tricksters. And speaking of Tricksters, his and Pipers storyline will go down as being the only worthwhile thing Countdown had to offer. I really don’t even know what to say at this point, the story is so disjointed and confusing. All I know is, at some point, Karate Kid became the main character in the series, Brother Eye came back and Jason Todd became the Red Robin (which is actually kinda cool). Everyone somehow got to Apokolips, and its obvious the grand showdown is forthcoming, but I for one, don’t really care. The art is mediocre, the writing is pretty bad, all in all this series is pretty terrible. 8 weeks till I’m free (to start buying the next monthly, like the mark I am)

Allstar Batman and Robin # 9: Color me surprised, but I actually really enjoyed this issue! It’s such a shock, because the previous eight issues have been painfully horrible in my not so humble opinion. Not the art, mind you. Jim Lee is at the top of his form. Rather, Miller’s writing has been like a bad parody of his own work. Don’t even get me started on “I’m the Freaking Batman, you retard” or the excessive usage of the phrase “Little Snot”. Terrible. So imagine how pleased I was to find myself laughing and smiling from panel one. The entire issue is basically a stand off between Miller’s versions of Bats and Hal Jordan, with Robin providing hilarious quips in the background. Even the concept for the issue is great. Batman and Robin paint the Batcave yellow, thereby rendering Hal powerless. Batman and Robin proceed to basically bully Hal around for an entire issue, and honestly, its one of the more fun books I’ve read in a long time. Lee’s art is, as always, perfect, but the yellow tint to the entire issue makes this book take on almost an abstract art quality, something I found very cool. Yes, the rest of the series pretty much blows, but by some random play of fate, Issue 9 is freaking awesome… If you dropped the book, pick this one up, and if you never read it in the first place, this may be a good place to start. Lets hope this wasn’t a one-time fluke, and maybe this series will finally become worth reading.

JSA #13: The first issue in a new arc does not disappoint. In fact, JSA has surpassed Justice League, in my opinion, as being the best “big” team book at D.C. Yes; the roster is almost laughably large and each week is pretty much a crap shoot in regards to who will be starring in the books, but month after month this is one of the most consistently great reads at any company. The inclusion of the Kingdom Come Superman in particular is one of the more intriguing and exciting plot ideas I’ve read in a long while. Speaking of Kingdom Come, Mogo makes his triumphant return in this issue to cause havoc on Earth 3 like he did the K.C Earth. This issue is mostly told from Superman Come’s perspective, and personally, I find the character endearing and fresh, and in particular whenever he talks with our Supes, I get geek goose bumps. The crossover between the mainstay DCU and Kingdom Come could’ve been disastrous or even worse, gimmicky, rather the meeting of these characters seems organic and logical, and it makes for exciting storytelling. This issue is a solid introductory take to what seems to be shaping up to be a great arc. Check it out.

Teen Titans # 56: Since its conception, the Teen Titans, like any other big family, have had their squabbles (Terra, anyone?). The newest incarnation of the team is no different. Though they’ve been through a lot together, there is still a large amount of distrust running through the team’s ranks. This week, that dissension comes to a head, with a great issue that puts Kid Devil (the “outsider” Titan) in the spotlight. Eddie has never been the smartest or most skilled Titan, but what he lacks in experience he usually makes up for with heart. His lack of experience got the better of him this week, when he caused a villain to escape, creating a rift between him and his teammates. (You don’t want Robin pissed at you…). When things cant seem to get any worse for Eddie, he decides to invite a group of fans to Titans Island, for an impromptu party. (When the Titans are away, Kid Devil will play). Needless to say, stuff gets crazy pretty quick, and Eddie begins to question who he really is, hero or demon in waiting. Just when things seem to be at their most dire, it goes from bad to worse, with the introduction of the team’s newest foes, the cleverly named “Terror Titans”. After a quick battle, Eddie is down and Ravager is next up. Seems like its going to be a fun arc, with far reaching ramifications, so if you are a Titan fan, definitely consider picking this one up.

Notable: Blue Beetle V.7 #24, Batman #674, Action Comics #862

Marvel

Captain America # 35: So, about four issues into the arc, and Bucky has quickly proved himself to be a worthy successor to Steve Rogers. I can’t help but get psyched when I see the new costume, complete with gun holster and utility packs. It’s like Captain America for the new generation. I know that sounds cliché, and I do miss Steve, but in my opinion the character grew stagnant long ago, which is a shame considering Cap’s pedigree. With Bucky’s ascension to the shield, new life has been breathed into the series and I find myself actually excited to read a Captain America book for the first time in a long time. Brubaker’s previous run was good and all, but it was still pretty tame compared to the other hero’s of the Marvel Universe. Now, Captain America is back at the top of the heap, as he very well should be. Red Skull and the Baron continue to make trouble for all involved, but Bucky’s getting closer, and you know the inevitable showdown will be forty-six kinds of awesome. There is also a last panel surprise that is too good to mention here, and quite frankly worth the price of admission alone. A new Captain for a new America…. I like.

Marvel Zombies 2 # 5: Robert Kirkman returns, with the sequel to the bestselling (and great) mini, Marvel Zombies. This time around, Kirkman can’t manage to pack the same punch he did with his first effort. I know the first run sold like hot cakes, and anything Zombie related is pretty much guaranteed to move product, but maybe Marvel should’ve waited until they had a unique story idea, as opposed to basically rehashing everything that happened in the first series. Still, you read these books for the horror and humor, and like its predecessor, Marvel Zombies 2 is full of both. The biggest disappointment to the series is the ending, or in particular, the last 2 pages or so. The series wasn’t great, but the ending was flat out terrible. A random deus ex machina does not make fans happy, as Marvel should’ve learned by now, and though well inevitably see Marvel Zombies 3, lets hope the guys over there put some thought into it first, this time around. (Also, Sydham’s covers are extremely missed).

Thor # 6: This book has been more about Asgard and its mid western neighbors, then the lightning god himself, and I for one am fine with that. JMS has hit upon a unique and intriguing approach to resurrecting the fallen of Ragnarok. For some reason, this book reminds me of a TV show, one of those high concept action/comedy/drama/epics that the networks have been pumping out the last few seasons. The pacing, the humor, the absurdist/sci fi storyline. It reads like a “big” comic, and that’s pretty impressive considering there hasn’t even been a battle yet. Donald Blake remains likable as always, and the new interaction he has with Thor himself makes for some pretty interesting comic reading. Sooner or later, you know lightning will fly and hammers will strike, but until then enjoy what may be the only time in the Thor books history where it could be described as “quirky”. I’m sure most Thor fans are already picking up this title, but I think people who haven’t read the adventures of the Blonde bombshell, or people who stopped reading them long ago should give the book a chance. It’s definitely a fun read.

Thunderbolts International Incident: In this one shot, the Thunderbolts team is called to deal with seminal Marvel baddie, Arnim Zola, but the real crux of the issue is Radioactive Man, and his status as a Thunderbolt. The book is a decent one-shot, but really nothing spectacular. It does read very much like an issue of Radioactive Man comics though, not enough Penance, too much talking and no Venom eating people to make it feel like a true Thunderbolts book. I’ve been reading the Thunderbolts one shots, because I like the characters, but this issue is unfortunately, not a must read. Consider for true fans only.

Notable: X-Men Legacy #208, DareDevil V.2 #105, X-Men First Class V.2 #9

Indy

Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash # 5: I’ll put it out there on Front Street, I’m not that big into horror comics. Sure, I read a few Zombie titles every now and again, and Ill pick up a random book if it looks interesting but for the most part it is a genre that goes largely ignored by yours truly. I am a huge horror novel buff, and love horror movies, but for some reason that don’t typically extend into comicdom. Being such a horror movie buff though, it was hard for me to ignore a series that featured three of my favorite all time horror characters (in the freaking title, none the less), and for the most part, I’m glad I decided to give it a chance. The most successful aspect of the mini is that Jeff Katz has managed to find a voice for Ash, the hero of the tale, which keeps very much in theme with the Ashley Williams we know and love from the Evil Dead trilogy. And though this issue doesn’t go much into the way of storyline progression, it’s a fun read that sets up what looks to be a pretty exciting finale, to be released soon in part 6 of the mini. If you are a fan of the flicks, check out the book. I think you’ll enjoy what you find.

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Check back soon for my angry missive entitled “One More Month: Or why Marvel has 30 days before I quit Spider-Man”. As always, Ill be back next week for a comedy report on all things live/stand up. Should be fun… So much fun, your brain will fall out of your head, land on the floor and start dancing its little brain legs off! Catch ya on the Flip Wilson.
And as always,

“Keep ’em bagged and boarded”

–Matt Cohen is currently redecorating his new apartment as the Savage Land. His tiger is on back-order

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