Well my old computer finally bit the dust. It was over eight years old and was slowing down. I had a computer company try to revive it. That was a waste of money as two months later the computer had more virus then Reed Richard’s lab. So I bit the bullet and now have a new computer. Of course that means getting use to the updated programs and the new keyboard, but I’m sure the adjustment period will be short as I have always adapted easily to change, but right now I’m missing my old keyboard.
Of course it happens with a huge week of books.
Let’s start with the others as what has become a smash hit from Image has a new issue coming out, Chew #8. I sing the praises of certain books because they deliver on the promises of what a comic book can be. Chew is fun, well written, great art, great characters and a story line that is progressing. While the absurdist nature of some of the premises sounds a little daunting, come on in the water is fine. 
We also have Sword #21, Irredeemable #10, Walking Dead #69, Echo #19 and GI Joe Cobra II #1. GI Joe Cobra never seems like a good fit for what I get because I’m not a GI Joe fan, but I was pushed to read the last series. After reading Part 1 I was sold on this book. The book is truly a surprise as it is more of a story of Chuckles who infiltrated the organization and a story of the leader of Cobra. Not a full out action epic as a much as a character study and what being undercover is and showing how the leader of Cobra is so crazy. 
DC has a ton of books coming in for me this week. From the Wildstorm side of DC we have Astro City The Dark Age Book Four #1 (of 4), Victorian Undead #3(of 6) and Wildcats #19. This is the last chapter of the Dark Age from Astro City and while I have enjoyed it, the spread out publishing schedule has blunted the impact of this story. This will definitely read better as a two trades or hard covers collection. Astro City is a very strong series, but the nature of the story telling style makes the pace slower and therefore works better when read in larger chunks. Hard to believe how much of Astro City has been published over the years and I for one would love a deluxe format reprinting of the material to start being issued with volume numbers! 
Vertigo brings two books this week with Madame Xanadu #19 and Northlanders #24. I think both of these books are great series. Thomm loves Northlanders maybe more than I do, but Madame Xanadu has captured my heart. Not only is Amy Hadley and Richard Friend hitting home run after home run on the art, but I love how writer Matt Wagner continues to write a Vertigo story but remain in the regular DCU. This issue does have a guest artist, but Joelle Jones is a good artist to fill in. If you are not trying out either of these series then you are doing yourselves a disservice. 
Blackest Night continues to reward us with great material and this week we have Green Lantern #50, Blackest Night JSA #2 (of 3) and Atom and Hawkman #46. The one thing that continues to impress me is how well done so many of the additional titles for January have been. I thought these were all throw away books trying to tread water between issues of the main series, but many have been excellent. Starman from last week is a prime example.
Next up we have the Batman family of titles well represented this week with Batman and Robin #7, Detective Comics #861 and Gotham City Sirens #8. The Batman and Robin series has been some of Grant Morrison’s best work. When you start to look back at Grant’s body of work you start to realize that he maybe the best writer in comics ever. I know there is plenty of room to debate that point, but look at what he has done and tell m
e the man is not an idea machine. We have plenty of Justice this week from DC with Justice League Cry for Justice #6 (of 7), Justice League of America #41 and Justice Society of America #35. The JLA side of the DCU is slowly coming into focus and it looks like it should be getting a lot better as the year progresses. It is funny that the JSA has become the better series over the years and is more consistent. Of course they leave the JSA membership alone and editorial is always mucking with the JLA.
The rest of DC this week is Supergirl #49, Superman #696, Superman Secret Origin #4 (of 6), The Web #5, Wonder Woman #40 and World’s Finest #4 (of 4). The Secret Origin book has been very good and it is fine if the publishing schedule for that book is relaxed as it is apparently just resetting Superman’s background and each issue stands on its own. Therefore I have no issue with Johns and Frank taking their time on that book. 
Marvel rounds out my week as we have Captain America Reborn #6 (of 6), Daredevil #504, Fantastic Four #575, Guardians of the Galaxy #22, Hulk Visionaries Peter David Volume #7, New Avengers #61, Secret Warriors #12, Thor #606 and X-Factor #201. The whole Captain America Reborn thing just drives me nuts. I now know I should have skipped the whole darn thing as it really appears to have no impact to anything and was just a way to underwrite a book Marvel will be selling in bookstores. On the plus side I’m glad to see Marvel moving to the Heroic Age thing as it will give me a chance to reassess most of what I get from Marvel. I have found myself enjoying the stand alone titles, but many of the regular series I’m questioning right now. A fresh start is not only a good jumping on point for readers but a good jumping off point also. That’s it for this week and more than enough to read for a week.
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