DC is gearing up for its next New52 September gimmick… though it did release Grant Morrison’s long awaited Multiversity (a trade wait for me). They also debuted their new digital first – Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman.
Marvel is still plugging away on Original Sins – and like DC, they are gearing up for several changes in the status quo in coming months.
Even Image was a bit off -- not fatally so, and they did release a new title from Ed Brubaker – but they didn’t offer up as many 5-star reads as usual. (It didn’t help that East of West and Velvet were not published)
So August was in a bit of a holding pattern. And there was no Wonder Woman from Azz (his final issues will be released in Oct.) which -shock of shocks- meant DC placed no books in my top 10! That’s a first. (Monkeybrain filled the gap left by DCs absence)
Written by Cullen Bunn
Art by Javier Fernandez * Colors by Dan Brown
This ish finally opens things up a bit and gives us something beyond the 'Magneto seeks bloody revenge' angle. He still does that - still confronts some humans and waxes philosophic. But Bunn thankfully widens his lens by adding a confrontation with SHIELD and revealing a goal for the master of magnetism (and it's not as altruistic as you'd expect... given the way he's acted and talked throughout this series).
Written by D.J. Kirkbride & Adam P. Knave
Art by Nick Brokenshire * Colors by Ruiz Moreno
Monsters attack and all hell breaks loose, and to stop it Amelia has to team up with the man who tried to kill her in the first arc. Good blend of humor, action and character. But in the end, it’s our plucky protagonist that makes this series shine
Written by Scott Snyder & Gerry Dugan
Art by Matteo Scalera * Colors by Lee Loughridge
The bloated Zero Year is finally over, thank God, and Batman gets back to being the Batman I like best. This is a more intimate story, there are no big flashy villains, no bombastic conflict. It's a detective, hunting down an elusive serial killer to protect the average Gotham citizen. It reminds us -following on the heals of the large scale event type adventure- that everybody matters to Bruce. That he's still the street level hero fighting to keep us safe. The story is violent, the art gritty, the message very much welcome.
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by Michael Lark * Colors by Santi Arcas
If you though Malcolm Carlyle was a piece of work, wait till you meet the nightmare that is Jakob Hock. This sets up the next arc, and what a painful but brilliant read… to see Jonah come to realize that he can offer nothing, is nothing… and that he just stepped through the gates of hell, is hard to watch, but so brilliantly scripted and drawn.
Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick
Art by David Lopez * Colors by Lee Loughridge
Rock solid art and colors, a smart script…. It’s everything you want and have come to expect from this comic. DeConnick’s Danvers is a true hero in every sense of the word. And oh how I loved seeing J’son embarrassed and out maneuvered.
Written by Warren Ellis
Art by Declan Shalvey * Colors by Jordie Bellaire
It all comes full circle in Ellis and Shalvey’s final issue. This is just a beautifully scripted and drawn comic, which shows us the making of a villain, and contrasting that with the qualities that make Marc good at his job. And as expected, it closes with yet another classic punch line.
Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov
Art and Colors by Gabo
Jude, aided by his new pal Ernest Hemingway explores purgatory and decides to make some changes, and the higher ups aren't happy about it. This comic continues to amaze. It has quickly gone down a different path than I expected. But the story really speaks to me.
Written by Warren Ellis
Art and Colors by Tula Lotay
Trippy, baffling and brainy: Ellis’s language is beautiful, the script challenging. It’s something to scrutinize, but also something you simply sit back, breathe in and experience. Likewise, Tula Lotay is a dream weaver, illustrating pages that are rich with details you need to pay attention to and crafting an otherworldly reality that has lingered in my mind all week. Plot wise, you’ll want to bone up on your Supreme history or you’ll be hopelessly lost.
Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Sean Phillips * Colors by Elizabeth Breitweiser
The only début on my August charts is this crisp Hollywood pulp from the team who just closed the brilliant Fatale. At first blush It is not really saying or doing anything different with the genre - from "In A Lonely Place" to "L.A. Confidential" we've seen this material before. But the talent behind this comic guarantees a quality read. If you dig Hollywood Noir set in the 40s, with a colorful ensemble cast and a dark mystery, this is one you’ll want to sample.
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Sarah Pichelli * Colors by
We got two from All-New this month, with this one the slightly better. The issue settles into a warm, sometimes contentious, and ever humorous look at the relationships and bonds that are developing between teammates. I delighted in Bendis’ dialog and characterization, as well as the art from Sarah Pichelli (who is well suited to character studies like this.)
Written by Jonathan Luna & Sarah Vaughn
Art and Colors by Jonathan Luna
Ada and Grandma have a heart to heart, and later, while Alex says the right things, his actions speak volumes… and that’s heartbreaking. This thoughtful comic continues to touch the heart and mind.
Written by Paul Tobin
Art and Colors by Colleen Coover
With Wonder Woman, Thor, East of West and Velvet missing, who would step into my top spot? How about Bandette? It’s doesn’t publish often, but when it does it’s always a treat. I love the lead character. She is such a free spirited kook; even in the direst situations she never loses her smile, or the non-sequiturs, as when she humiliates a grim assassin by placing a pig on his head (see panel below). Colleen Coover’s water colored art is fantastic, I like how she employs distinct movement for each figure… everyone has their own body language.
Honorable Mentions
DC: Batman ’66
Marvel: She Hulk #7 * Ms Marvel #7 * Storm #2 * Cyclops #4 * All-New X-Men #31
Image: Spread #2 * Trees #4 * The Wicked + The Divine #3 * Revival #23
Others: Red Sonja #11 (Dynamite) * RoboCop #2 (Boom) * Steed and Mrs. Peel: We’re Needed #2 (Boom)
All-Star Artist of the Month
Rose is a singular comic experience and Lotay (aka Lisa Wood) who pencils, inks and colors the book, is a big reason for that. You don’t just brush past her panels casually, you need to pay attention to it, soak in the details and ambience. It’s like looking at a dream, it’s like reality is unraveling and reforming right before your eyes. The scene in the second issue where Chelsea fades and her future self comes into focus is a prime example of this. It’s overall beautiful, haunting and distinct.
All-Star Writer of the Month
I know, I sound like a broken record, but I can’t help it: there’s Ellis… and then there is everyone else. He has elevated his writing -- maybe it was his foray into Novels, maybe that honed or broadened his already impressive skills. Whatever it is, he has entered into ‘experimental, art house, literary genius mode’ that suits him well and sets him above every writer in this business.
Art Panel of the Month
Drawn and colored by Colleen Coover: Bandette kills me. Her off key humor is the source of great amusement, and nothing made me howl as much as the thief stopping to place a piglet (her new ally in this caper) atop the head of a vicious killer during their epic confrontation. It makes no sense, but that’s our Bandette.
Head Writer, wide awake nightmare... bids you salutations citizens of Earth!
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