And we’re back again covering a skip week with a a lot of lackluster books as well as a regular week.  I had forgotten the slim pickings on the skip weeks.  But let’s see what we had and pick out the good stuff, here at:

66. Spandex and Capes #52
June 26th, 2016

Previously

  • Divided We Stand: Well, the latest tease of Marvel’s newest status quo is here… and I’m not that excited.  I’ll check out some of the titles, but in general I’m past tired of the constant relaunches.  I was kind of hoping the “All-New, All-Different” would stick around for at least two years.
  • Netflix and the CW: The good news is the CW will be on Netflix a lot faster.  The bad news?  I have no idea what these means for Hulu.
  • Champions: I like the idea of this (though just how young is Cyclops?) – and I like it better than these guys on the Avengers.  So yeah, I’ll check this out.  Also I wonder why Champions and not Young Avengers?
  • Great Lake Avengers: God damn it.  Just let it DIE.
  • Invincible Iron Man: So Riri Williams – who got her first action as a superhero this week – has been announced as the new Iron Man after Civil War II.  My problem with this is simple – it’s like fan fiction.  The writer has created a new character to take over for the established character because this new character is “so much better and smarter” than the original.  Sounds like the beginning of every bad fanfic out there.  And it’s not that I don’t want Tony replaced – I just think it’s kind of stupid that they’ve made this new character to take over.  In my opinion, better choices would have been Jim Rhodes (again), Pepper Potts (again), Mary Jane Watson (because why the hell not?), Misty Knight (already tech savvy and would compliment Sam Wilson), etc, etc.  You get the idea.  The worst is – everything from here on out in Invincible Iron Man will be to put this in play and will feel forced because the readers know the outcome.  And didn’t we JUST get new number ones?  It’s issue 11 this week, but with the Marvel shipping schedule that could mean anything.  I’m not sure what I’m going to do with this one yet.
  • Infamous Iron Man: This on the other hand (which broke as I was writing) could be fantastic.  I’ve long held that Dr. Doom would make for an amazing hero.  I hope that he brings some magic to go with that armor.
  • The Unworthy Thor: This is something that sounds good.  And honestly, while the adventure sounds cool – I’m more interested in what made Thor Unworthy in the first place.
  • Barrowman: This could be really, really cool.  Meryln could be a great bad to hit all of the CW shows.

 

SolicitationsAfterShock Comics
Archie Comics
Oni Press

 

CapesFuture Quest #2
By Jeff Parker with art by Evan “Doc” Shaner, Ron Randall, Jonathan Case, and Jordie Bellaire
Mr. Parker and crew proves that issues one wasn’t a fluke by hitting it out of the park with their second issue.  Easily the best of the Hanna-Barbera comics – Future Quest introduces us to the Herculods (haven’t even thought of those guys in years) and the blink-and-you’ll-miss-them Galaxy Trio (who I forgot were connected to Birdman).  The action is great too, though a little stiff at places.  I’m hoping we’ll soon seen my favorite Hanna-Barbera character: Blue Falcon and (the hopefully renamed) Dynomutt.  I love those characters as a kid and I can’t wait to see Mr. Parker get his hands on them.

 

CatchphrasesBatman #2 (DC): Gotham and Gotham Girl aren’t as sinister as I thought they were going to be.  A strange turn of events.

The Flintstones #1 (DC): This book made me slightly depressed.  And I don’t know if that’s good or bad.  It made me think at the least and was surprising, so I’ll go in for issue two.

Green Arrow #2 (DC): This was a really good issue and looks like it’s building to a great story – but haven’t we done this dance before?

Justice League Rebirth #1 (DC): Well, to borrow a phrase from the Boy Wonder… I was whelmed.  Nothing stood out.  And that’s not good when you’re talking about what supposed to be your Flagship book.

Kingpin #1 (Marvel): Look Marvel remember it has villains and good ones too.  And they’re in a good book.  You should take a look at this one.

Superman #2 (DC): Thank God the cat thing didn’t stick around for long.  Though I’m sorry we didn’t get to see Lois’s reaction to having her cat roasted.

Vote Loki #2 (Marvel): This is a fantastic book.  And for the record, with the election season going the way it is, Loki’s got my vote.

 

ResignsAquaman #2 (DC); Black Panther #3 (Marvel); Bloodlines #4 (DC); Darth Vader #22 (Marvel); Empress #4 (Marvel); Ghostbusters International #6 (Image); Grayson Annual #3 (DC); Green Lanterns #2 (DC); Kim & Kim #1 (Black Mask); Mockingbird #4 (Marvel); Moon Knight #4 (Marvel); Silver Surfer #5 (Marvel); Spider-Woman #9 (Marvel); SuperZero #6 (AfterShock); The Totally Awesome Hulk #8 (Marvel)

 

ArmoredBatman Beyond #14 (DC); Captain Marvel #6 (Marvel); The Coming of the Supermen #6 (DC); Goldie Vance #3 (Boom!); Invincible Iron Man #11 (Marvel); Spider-Man #5 (Marvel)

 

ClassicAmazing Spider-Man #15 (Marvel); Bounty #1 (Image); Han Solo #2 (Marvel); Jackpot #3 (AfterShock); Poe Dameron #4 (Marvel); Spider-Man 2099 #12 (Marvel); Spidey #8 (Marvel); The Fix #4 (Image); The Haunted Mansion #4 (Marvel)

 

Drop PointRenato Jones: The One % (Image)
This has gotten to the point where I feel like I’m reading a bad Frank Miller book.  I’m out on this one.

Symmetry (Top Cow)
I have no idea what’s happening.  I had to go back and reread the last issue because I couldn’t remember anything about it.  That’s a bad sign.

The Woods (Boom!)
This was a really good series at first.  Then I lost track of what was going on.  I might start grabbing it in trades.

The Wrath of the Eternal Warrior (Valiant)
Honestly, I forgot about this book.  It’s not on my pull list and I just missed like four issues.  I’m guessing if I didn’t think about it – it wasn’t that good.

Uncanny X-Men (Marvel)
Civil War II: X-Men (Marvel)
It feels like more and more, Marvel does not care about the once mighty mutants.  And after reading these… I can kind of see why.

 

Final IssuesGrayson (DC)
20 Issues plus three annuals and a special
Tim Seeley, Tom King, Mikel Janin, Jeromy Cox, Stephen Mooney, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Roge Antonio, Geraldo Borges, Hugo Petrus, Alvaro Martinez, Raul Fernandez, Javier Fernandez, Natasha Alterici, Christian Duce, Flaviano, Mat Lopes, Chris Sotomoyer