Best to Worst of Last Week

Another big week of books that held a lot of surprises for me. Mixed in with some really excellent books were few of my favorite series having some weaker issues and three ongoing books finally bit the dust and were cut from my list. All in all a good week of books, but I’m looking forward to slower weeks ahead after the multiple weeks of an inordinate amount of books even for me.

Left on Mission #4 (of 5) – I have lauded this book a lot, but it deserves it. If the ending is as good as the rest of it, it should have the best mini-series of 2007 locked up in my view.
All Star Batman and Robin The Boy Wonder #7 – This book is just getting better and better. I have gone from thinking this is a lousy book, to now enjoying each and every issue. It is a totally mad version of Batman, but done so well that you can not help but enjoy it. Sign me up for the absolute edition.
Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #1 (of 8) – This week DC had a lot of group comics show-up, JLA, Titans, Legion and this one. Great start and focusing on Red Bee was a nice touch. The art by Arlem was fantastic and the overall story drew me in and has me waiting for issue #2.
Green Arrow Year One #5 (of 6) – Wish this had continued its bi-weekly pace, but it is a high quality mini-series and easily one of the best mini-series of the year.
Iron Fist #9 – This has just been an excellent series with some terrific artwork by David Aja. I think we are building up too many mysteries, but this is a great book to look at and read.
Blue Beetle #19 – Flat out one of the better ongoing series on the stands and right up there with Invincible of watching a young hero growing up and learning what it means to be a hero.
The Fours Horsemen #2 (of 6) – What a great series. Giffen is doing some terrific work with the dialogue between Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman and really thematically following up with 52.
Crossing Midnight #11 – This book just continues to impress. The strange trails and tribulations the twins are going through are fascinating and I look forward to every issue.
Teen Titans #51 – Sean McKeever kicks off his run with a follow-up to “The Titans of Tomorrow” story line and I’m always a sucker for future version of characters. Great story and a nice ending with Robin’s unique solution to trying to stop himself from becoming a rather harsh version of Batman in the future.
JLA #13 – The injustice gang, part of the JLA getting captured, loads of adventure, action and little dialogue bits makes the JLA a great team book again. Nice to see the flag ship DC team book get it right again thanks to writer Dwayne McDuffie.
American Virgin #19 - A very strong series and if the ending is a prelude to what is about to happen the title of the book may need to change.
Killing Girl #2 (of 5) – Really good mini-series about a mafia hit man who is just now discovering her past and has apparently and accidentally killed her own sister.
Supergirl and The Legion of Super Heroes #34 – Strong issue and really enjoyed seeing this Legion’s version of Wildfire. Atom Girl was played to be very cool.
Annihilation Conquest: Starlord #3 (of 4) – Great issue, Giffen’s dialogue is great with this group, especially between Rocket Raccoon and Groot. No members lost this issue as the “Dirty Dozen” type group continues trying to impact the Phalanax.
Fall of Cthulhu #6 - Starting a new arc and this issue was very well done with some subtle and not so subtle horror elements all done very well. A series that has been below the radar, but deserves some spotlight time as it is a good horror series.
_____________________________________________________
X-Men First Class #4 – Just a flat out fun book. Lighter reading then the angst of most books. A nice modernization of the first X-Men.
Countdown to Adventure #2 (of 8) – Good issue and since both Earth and Rann have signs of a plague starting I see how they are going to bring Animal Man, Starfire and Adam Strange back together. The Forerunner back-up series was also well done.
Ultimate Spider-Man #114 – A good issue, not up to last issues very high standards, but still a good issue focusing on Spider-Man clearing out his loved ones to get ready for the Green Goblin.
Iron Man #22 – Good story arc, but this had a “shock” ending that was meaning less for me as I’m not absorbed into the minutia of every book that I read (or it was bad writing).
Astro City The Dark Age Book Two #4 (of 4) – Good wrap up to this part of the overall story. The gaps between issues impact my overall enjoyment of the book, but still a well done story and excellent series.
Sub-Mariner #4 (of 6) – Namor is getting backed into a corner. So far this has been a good series, but the ending will be key to its ultimate success as a story.
Iron Fist Annual #1 – Same writing team as the regular series, different artists (Howard Chaykin and Dan Breteton sp?). This issue explored the prior Iron Fist’s past and they tried to make him too much of almost a Doc Savage type pulp fiction character with his band of assistants and fantastic traveling methods. Way too derivative with no sense of any new twist put into the story.
Brit #2 – Another book just starting to find its rhythm. A Robert Kirkman creation that he is just acting as editor on.
Superman Confidential #6 – New story, still waiting for the end of the first story. A story about Lori Lemaris and all sorts of crazy stuff as Metropolis is turned into Mer-troplois. I treat the Confidential line as Elseworld stories and they worked better that way as opposed to trying to fit it into continuity. A nice start to this issue and great little cliff-hanger.
Astounding Wolf-Man #3 – This book is just finding its footing, some nice plot twist, weak art, but it has potential.
Batman #669 - JH Williams art really saved this story. Not that it was a bad story, I just felt too many different characters being introduced for a three issue arc and I lost track of who was who. Should read better as a trade.
___________________________________________________
X-Men #203 – Ramos’ art is just too loose or something and there are way too many characters floating around in this book. After the next “event” crap I’ll probably drop this book.
Criminal #9 – Another strong series with a weak issue. It felt like everything fell about for Tracy in one issue, a weak issue in an otherwise very strong series.
JSA Classified#30 – Decent story and I keep thinking that Alex Sanchez has great potential, but he is very uneven currently. The book is focused on Mr. Terrific, who I believe is one of the best 2nd generation heroes ever created.
Spirit #10 – Weak issue of this book. The bar has been set very high for this book and last issue was a cliff hanger ending and now we get a biting attack on the media (which I enjoy), but the book was over written and not up to snuff.
JLA Classified #43 – An okay story, but has no real hook for it and is not really providing any new insight into the Martian Manhunter.
Wetworks #13 – The art fell off from prior issues and did not fit the tone the writers were trying to establish. I’m losing interest in this book.
Countdown #31 – Relatively boring issue and so much with the Crime Syndicate World, that I think it may have ruined any interest the “Search for Ray Palmer : Crime Synidcate World” special would have held for me.
Wonder Woman Annual #1 – We never needed to see the end of this story. The back story with Gary Frank’s art was serviceable.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #46 – Okay ending, good art, they just never made me believe this was a version of the Fantastic Four that I could buy into or care about. Cancelled.
Deathblow # 7 – Way too convoluted, way too slow in coming out. Cancelled!
Avengers Initiative #6 – A really poor issue, cartoonish artwork, making Slapstick a killer, bleech! Off my list.

Wow, a lot of book made it below the bottom line this week, but it was a huge week and sometimes a book suffers due to the competition. I dropped three ongoing series this week, after I let a couple books off the hook last week. My vote for best book you are not reading this week is Fall of Cthulhu, a well done horror series that has a creepy and eerie vibe to it, that can make your skin crawl.