This Week's Comics Countdown

Each week, I plan to list what I bought that week, and provide a "Top 5" listing my favorite books that week. I'll also try to single out the worst book I picked up, as well as give a word or two on any other book I found noteworthy for any reason. So, without further ado, lets begin with:

The Dog of the Week - Ultimatum # 4.

You know how some people enjoy going to see movies, like Plan 9 From Outer Space, because they're just so bad it's good. Well, I was going to say that Ultimatum # 4 is like that, but there is really nothing that is enjoyable about this book, even in a campy way. The best way I can describe the book is a sequence of events happen -- there is no reason given why you should care that these things are happening, and most of the things are gratuitously grisly. Unless you are particularly inclined to watch someone's head explode just 'cause the writer/artist thought it would be cool to explode said cranium, you should probably skip this one.

Other stuff I bought: Amazing Spiderman #596, The Boys #31, Mighty Avengers # 25, Captain Britain and MI13 Annual #1 (I fully expected Captain Britain to make the Top 5, but the annual, while not bad, did not live up to the high standards set by the monthly issues).

Honorable Mention: Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Tales of the Vampires. Before going into this one, I need to confess something - I never really got into Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I like a lot of Joss Whedon's other work, and I always thought Buffy would be something I'd enjoy, but I missed the boat on the series when it first started airing, and just never found a good jumping on point. I picked up this issue on the strength of Becky Cloonan and Vasilis Lolos past work, and it turned out to be a very good comic that required no real knowledge of the Buffy-verse to enjoy. Cloonan's "slice of vampire life" story really draws you in and has you very engaged with the main character by the end, and Lolos' art is wonderfully expressive as always. This book is what a one-shot should be - it told a very complete story in relatively few pages, and required no prior knowledge for full enjoyment. Recommended.

# 5. Irredeemable #3. Peter Krause's art is good, but Mark Waid's story is the reason to pick up this book. Waid seems to be taking a sadistic glee in this exploration of what happens when an extremely powerful superhero (the Plutonian, a clear Superman analogue) goes bad, and that glee really comes across in the book. Seeing the Plutonian's former friends and enemies trying to figure out how to deal with this madman is just plain fun. Unlike Ultimatum, which features pointless ultra-violence, the destruction dealt by the Plutonian here is very much in service of the story and always feels consequential and entirely in character.

# 4. Dark Avengers # 5. I get that not everyone enjoys Bendis' approach to superhero comics, but I still do. While its true that not a lot happens in this issue, Bendis' dialogue always draws me into the story and probably rings truer than almost any other writer. I've been thoroughly enjoying his run on this book, which is basically Ellis' Thunderbolts elevated to Avengers status. Bendis really seems to be having a lot of fun with Osborn, and he is also setting up some nice things with the other "Dark Avengers," where half of the team seem irredeemably evil, while the other half seem to have heroic potential. A solid issue of a very solid series.

# 3. War of Kings # 4. Now we're cooking with gas. Up until this issue, I've found War of Kings to be an enjoyable event, but a bit middle of the road. This issue took it to the next level, with things escalating on a number of fronts in the war between the Shiar and the Kree, led by the Inhumans. I was especially impressed by the fact that Abnett and Lanning actually talk about tactics and strategy of war, rather than just showing unconnected fight scene after fight scene. This is space opera at its best, illustrated wonderfully by Paul Pelletier. And while I won't spoil the ending, its a shocker that I didn't see coming, but is a perfectly sensible development. If you aren't into Dark Reign, you could do worse than immersing yourself in Marvel's cosmic characters for a while, starting with this series.

# 2. Batman and Robin # 1. On probably almost any other week, this would be the # 1 issue. Really, Dick Grayson says it best: "Batman and Robin. Together again for the first time." (The drippingly sarcastic "crime is doomed" is also a good one). Morrison and Quitely (the Lennon and McCartney of modern comics) hit this one out of the park, pulling off the trick of presenting a quintessentially classic Batman and Robin story without Bruce Wayne. (Yes, Bruce Wayne is no longer Batman - get over it). Everything about this issue feels exciting and fresh, with new heroes (or at least heroes new to their roles), a new Batmobile, and new villains, while at the same time staying true to the tone and feel of what a Batman story should be. A comic so close to perfection can only be trumped by. . . .

# 1. Seaguy - Slaves of Mickey Eye # 3. "Time to Sell! Time to Buy! Here Comes Mickey Eye!" "1/2 an Animal on a Stick." Its an ironic that a book so unabashedly absurd is probably also the most meaningful and moving comic of the year. Cameron Stewart's art here is perfectly tailored to fit the story, conveying depths of feeling (especially in the final fight/love scene between Seaguy and She-Beard) and heights of absurdity with equal proficiency. Morrison's story here continues the complex exploration of corporate culture at large (and mainstream comics in particular, I suspect), and what it really means to rebel against the system. Even if you win, you're still a slave of Mickey Eye. Hey, maybe in the end, we all secretly want to be lulled into complacency by reality TV while a mindless parasite "gives our brain a lick." I have a lot more to say about this issue, and the series as a whole, than could really fit in this write-up, so I'll try to get a piece up next week with an in-depth analysis of the whole thing.