What I’m Getting Wednesday March 10

This week is a very light week for me. Inevitably it seems to cost me more then what my list is because I will use the lighter week as an excuse to pick up some other trade or book I have had my eye on but could not justify the extra expense when my list is bigger.

Marvel has next to nothing on my list with only PunisherMax #5, Criminal Sinners #5 and The Twelve: Spearhead One Shot. That is an amazingly short list when you think about it. The X-verse and Spider-Man side of the MU are all basically off my list so when those things dominate the new releases I’m free and clear. The Twelve Spearhead is a one shot by the artist Chris Weston, who is also the writer. I have read The Twelve, which stopped after issue #8, has been completed by writer JMS and hopefully we will get to see the completed series. The Twelve was a great examination of time lost heroes and I very glad to hear that I will get to see it brought to a conclusion.

The other category has twice the number of books as Marvel with Jersey Gods #11, BPRD King of Fear #3 (of 5), Solomon Kane Death’s Black Riders#3 (of 4), Escape from Wonderland #5 (of 6), Farscape Dargo’s Quest #4 (of 4) and Ghoul #3 (of 3). The indy category is always the biggest surprise every week as the other publishers are usually right as rain with the slate of books that they have due to come out. This is not disparaging the independent publishing schedule as most are on time, just that finding the information on their websites is less user friendly. Ghoul has been a blast, but when you add Steve Niles and Bernie Wrightson together what you end up with is me buying the collected edition as well as the regular series. Bernie is a great artist and Steve Niles has been supplying stories that use Bernie’s skills to the max. Jersey Gods is another series that I’m always glad to see and as we start the third arc I’m hoping with get some hard cover collection of this book down the road, but I doubt it. I have read that issue #12 is the end of Jersey Gods for now, with hopes they may one day do some mini-series down the road. Bummer as this comic is a real blast!

So apparently every grouping doubles in size from the prior group as counting all the books under the DC Entertainment banner and I’m getting 12 from that side of the world. Vertigo leads it off with Daytripper #4 (of 10), DMZ #51 (which I’m trying to get back into) and House of Mystery #23. Daytripper is one of those books where I feel like I run out of the right superlatives to say to try and generate interest in the book. Needless to say it is a very good book and bordering on great. Each issue stands on its own with the whole probably being greater than the sum of its parts. Buy it, read it and enjoy it.

The Batman family of titles is well represented with Batgirl #8, Batman and Robin #10, and Red Robin #10. The Batgirl and Red Robin story is a cross over as the Bat titles continue to build momentum. I know a lot of what is going on is building to the return of Bruce Wayne, but I have to tell you I’m not looking forward to a return to the old status quo. The current crew under the masks is working really well and I hope Bruce Wayne’s return marks the start of two Batmen running around or something else a little different. The torch has been passed this time and going backwards would be the wrong move at this point.

The rest of DC this week is Action Comics #887, Doom Patrol #8, Justice League Rise and Fall Special, REBELS #14, Secret Six #19 and Superman Last Stand of New Krypton #1 (of 3). The Rise and Fall storyline that is running through this special, Green Arrow and an Arsenal mini-series has some real potential. Green Arrow has killed a bad guy and he had valid reason for doing so. The problem is he killed him without letting other heroes know what he did and he hunted him down and killed him, it was not self defense it was revenge pure and simple. Justified revenge in my mind, but it does get at the heart of the question of is it right to kill someone. I read a book called Buddhism Plain and Simple and it clarified the point for me that morality is a situational thing. Absolutes maybe the way systems of laws are set up, but circumstances and common sense can override laws. At least I hope that is one the themes they will explore because I think it would make a good story. The other book I want to mention is Superman Last Stand as I know this leads into the five part weekly event in May called “War of Supermen”, but it also marks that Superman is getting back into action and we are building to the Legion getting their own book again, both good things in my mind.

Finally a bit of news came out that Gail Simone is leaving Wonder Woman which has caused me to not cancel the title. That sounds a little mean, but Gail has confounded me on this title as I was constantly lost as to what was happening from issue to issue. This is the first time Gail’s work has failed to connect with me and it bummed me out as I love Secret Six and I’m sure I will again love Birds of Prey. So many great creators have tried Wonder Woman and the book never seems to work exactly right. This proves Wonder Woman is the hardest character in comics to write. Good luck to the next writer and I will give them a few issues to try and get it right.