Comics du jour
My comics arrive in semi-monthly packs from Westfield. Today brought the latest box, and it's a light, odd mix:
JSA #58 The penultimate issue in the "Black Reign" story arc. The concluding piece will be in Hawkman #25, which I've ordered. (That'll likely be the last issue of that series I get, as this latest incarnation of Hawkman is almost completely uninteresting to me.) This story arc's a good one, as a momentarily reformed villain (Black Adam) has shown his true colors as a hero from another age, one of eye for an eye justice and pre-emptive action involving deadly force. That he's recruited a variety of others, including some heroes of one stripe or another, has made it a family matter for the Justice Society.
Thor #74/576: I'm a couple issues behind on this arc, wanting to let them build up. The current arc (a long one), wherein Thor has ascended to the throne of Asgard and has imposed a benevolent but chafing rule on Earth, continues to interest me.
In their fashion the driving themes of each of these storylines is similar: Heroes deciding that their powers demand they use them to act rather than wait and react. How much of this is a trend begun by such titles as The Authority and Planetary, and how much a reflection of sensibilities in a post 9/11/01 world is open to debate.
That's two comics. Two. Those were the only standard-form comics in this order. As noted in a previous entry I've been cutting most of my mainstream material back to collected editions. True to that, everything else in the box was a trade paperback or magazine.
The Flash: Crossfire collects issues 183-191, and Flash Secret Files. I'm buying this on the strength of Geoff Johns' writing, which I'm hoping is strong enough to overcome the irritatingly stylized artwork of Scott Kolins.
Birds of Prey: Of Like Minds collects issues 56-61 of the series, and will give me a chance to see these character in the hands of Gail Simone.
Essential Punisher. Sure, he's an over-hyped, highly derivative, usually ill-handled character, and I have all these issues in my collection, but these thick, inexpensive, black and white reprint volumes are simply too handy and fun to skip. Besides, if all else fails they scan/copy easily and cleanly, making it easy to white out the dialogue balloons and make a party game out of it...
Back Issue #2 I don't recall what it was in the promo material that made this one stand out, but I decided to give it a try. If it makes a strong enough impression on me I'll make a point of recommending or damning it in a later entry.
Alter Ego #33 A terriffic fan magazine put out by pros who never had the "fan" beaten out of them. Thick with history of the medium. This issue spotlights Mike Sekowsky and Valerie Barclay. Once I've read this issue I'll know who Valerie Barclay is...
aaaaand...
The Comics Journal #258 I pick this up irregularly, depending upon the features. I ordered this one based on "The Elusive Art and Ideology of Steve Ditko." While a quick flip through the issue shows me there's a variety of interesting material in it, I did pick it up primarily for the Ditko piece - he's such an odd bird in many respects, but I know that I've only seen part of the story - and seeing that that article doesn't begin until page 89 is a little disheartening. It goes on through page 120, though, so that's something.
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