Writer: Ed Brubaker * Artist: Steve Epting
The super team of Brubaker, Epting and Breitweiser give us more cinematic spy games. Velvet is becoming one of the more complex and compelling female characters in comics. Here we see her frustrations, a glimpse of her good heart and how that gets her in trouble.
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis * Artist: Chris Bachalo
Erik is at war with himself: who does he stand with, where does he belong? Is there a place for him even among his own people, whose wants seem so at conflict with his own? This is a set-up for the upcoming Magneto series, but it is so well written by Bendis that I don’t mind the detour.
Writer: Jason Aaron * Artist: Das Pastoras
This book rebounds after the so/so Malekith arc with this tale of young Thor and a dragon. Aaron draws parallels between the two: both are brash, immature, and are at odds with their fathers -- and both eventually give into their true natures, own up to their birthrights if you will. The art was a bit rough for my tastes, but the story was warm, sad, funny and gross (there’s plenty of puke. Blech)
Writer: Ales Kot * Artist: Will Tempest
Zero has been an incisive, dark espionage tale about power and control, and what the cost of obtaining that has on the bodies, minds and souls of the organizations agents. And this chapter really upped the ante. I knew this story was strange, but it just became even bigger and stranger than I could have anticipated.
Writer: Mike Carey * Artist: Elena Casagrande
Wow, this was a game changer as Leo takes down the entire Nightmare Scenario, and it looks like he might have lost himself in the process. Simply a stunner of a story!
Writers: Johnathan Luna & Sarah Vaughn * Artist: Johnathan Luna
This series gets stronger and stronger. I like the questions it’s raising and exploring, about the nature of humanity and relationships. In this issue Alex is not happy with Ada as she is, and goes looking for ways of expanding her horizons.
Writer: Brian Azzarello * Artist: Cliff Chiang
Chiang is back and he's rocks it (I like that small sly smile he gives Diana after the battle with Moon). Azz is in peak form. In that exchange between Artemis and Diana, I got a kick out of the nod to Marston (loving submission). And in the smartly scripted scene where she comforts and tries to give Hera a boost, I think it says a lot about her character… giving advice, especially after visiting her mother on the Island, and knowing Hera was responsible for that. .
Writer: Tim Seeley * Artist: Mike Norton
Secrets are revealed, but many secrets remain (and are added on top of them). So we are still tangled up in a mystery. That might frustrate some readers, but I find it gripping. Good showcase for the sister’s Cypress.
Writer: Johnathan Hickman * Artist: Nick Dragotta
I’m not big on politics, but Hickman manages to draw me into this web of intrigue. This issue moves its lens off Death (though he is present, in a very creepy sequence) and turns the attention on another character, who is embroiled in the government/religious plot that surrounds the series.
Writer: Paul Tobin * Artist: Colleen Coover
It has been ages since we last saw our lovely cat burglar in action - how nice to have her return on the first comic book week of 2014. And she is as captivating as ever: her humor and playfulness and intelligence… all of this is captured beautifully in both the dialog and the art.
Writer: Kelly Sue DeConnick * Artist: Emma Rios
This title is becoming my perennial #1. DeConnick, Rio and Bellaire offer up another stunner. While the book has a certain abstract narrative and can be enigmatic, I am completely enthralled with it. The violence is like a dance. You can see that in this issue as 2 characters war with words and bodies. There are some wonderful character moments here; and we learn a bit more about Sissy and her role.
Honorable Mentions:
Black Widow #1 (Marvel)
High Crimes #5 (Monkeybrain)
Drumhellar #3 (Image)
Action Comics #27 (DC)
Aquaman #27 (DC)
Animal Man #27 (DC)
Rat Queens #4 (Image)
Edison Rex #13 (Monkeybrain)
All-New X-Men #21 (Marvel)
To February 2014
Back to Dec 2013
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