I'm back again, and ready to provide part 2 of this week's massive Comics Countdown post. Last night I shared a look at five of my picks for the best 10 issues of the last two weeks (hope you weren't told there would be no math). Now I'm back with the cream of the cream of the crop, rising to the top in 3... 2... 1... NOW:
5. Young Liars # 16. This series blows my mind in a way that no other comic being published right now even approaches. Series writer/artist Lapham is constantly shifting the status quo and revealing everything we thought we knew to be, well... a lie. With so many shifts of perspective and reversals of reality, the fact that Lapham has us caring at all about any of these characters is a major feat. This issue, he pulls back a little and focuses on the story of a bit character we've never seen before (or perhaps only seen briefly, I'm not sure). It seems like it could be a throw-away, but instead it ends up being a tightly narrated, dense tale focusing on duality - from the main character's obsession with yin and yang, to the case of mistaken identity that lifts him up from nothing and eventually brings him crashing back down, to the cruel twist of a town called "Freedom" being remade in the image of a faceless mega-big-box corporation (think Wal-Mart on steroids). I often find these little slice of life tales interspersed within a larger, mind-warping narrative to be particularly effective, and this one is no exception.
4. Incognito # 4. Brubaker. Phillips. Pulp. This would probably be higher if this didn't have the super-hero stuff thrown in (I really miss Criminal), but its still really good stuff, just as you would expect from these guys. I don't really have much more to say about this particular issue - except get it, or at least pick up the trade when it gets collected.
3. Uncanny X-Men # 512. I have found Matt Fraction's run on Uncanny X-Men to be enjoyable overall, yet markedly uneven. I don't completely blame Fraction for this, as much of the unevenness is the result of the rotating artists on the book, and probably to some extent to the inevitable editorial meddling that has to occur with a flagship title like UXM. But if the overall output of this book has been uneven, this issue stands as the absolute pinnacle of Fraction's run so far. Beast's X-Club of scientists, along with Psylocke and Angel, travel back to 1912 to get a sample of DNA from Dr. Nemesis' parents. Once they get there, they have to square off against both an early iteration of the Hellfire Club and a proto-Sentinel. It may sound like goofy action, but it is goofy action carried off with style and wit, with a little pathos mixed in for good measure in the form of some revelations concerning Dr. Nemesis' upbringing. In other words, its got everything you could possibly want from an issue of Uncanny X-Men, and then some. If a meandering and poorly rendered arc about the umpteenth resurrection of one of Scott Summers' wives is the price we have to pay to have Fraction turned loose on a story like this, then I say it was well worth it.
2. Captain America # 600. The brilliance of this issue was diminished greatly by the hype surrounding it. The early release, combined with the supposed "big news" from Marvel that was met with a resounding sigh from everyone inside the comics community, and not a whit of interest whatsoever from those outside it, made this issue feel like a bit of a let-down on first read. And that's a damn shame, as this issue continues the great pacing and wonderful character work that is the hallmark of Brubaker's run on Captain America, no matter who is in the costume. This is an anniversary issue not just because of the number on the cover, but because it truly is a look back at Captain America in his various incarnations, as Brubaker checks in on a lot of supporting cast members from past, present, and even alternative realities (the "Girl Bucky"). The result of these perspectives is a wonderful gestalt showing, not telling, why both the concept of Captain America and the life of Steve Rogers should be celebrated. The back-up pieces included here are nice as well, as Roger Stern contributes a story about characters from an era of Cap's history I am not too familiar with, and Mark Waid provides a really well-told story about a collector of Captain America memorabilia who sells his collection in order to prevent Cap's good name from being besmirched by an obnoxious publisher. Finally, we get a repring of a golden-age story where Cap and Bucky take on the Red Skull. In other words, a ton of content, all of it good, some of it truly great.
1. Detective Comics # 854. The writing is good, but nothing special. Nothing spectacular. But the art.... well, the art is phenomenal. This is bar none the best-looking comic, superhero or otherwise, that has been released so far this year. J.H. Williams work is nothing short of stunning. The only downside is that after this arc is done, I can't imagine that anyone else who draws Batwoman will be able to live up to the ridiculously high standards set by Williams. The action pops off the page. The page layout and design is innovative yet easy to read and straight-forward. The figures are beautifully rendered. A captivating artistic performance that leaves you wanting to read it again immediately because it is just that beautiful. Head and shoulders above anything else on the shelves.
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