There is a lot to cover on Wednesdays. We should know, as collectively, we read an insane amount of comics. Even with a large review staff, it’s hard to get to everything. With that in mind, we’re back with Wrapping Wednesday, where we look at some of the books we missed in what was another great week of comics.
Let’s get this party started.
Animal Man #22
Written by Jeff Lemire
Illustrated by Steve Pugh & Francis Portella
Review by: Vince Ostrowski
Jeff Lemire puts the Bakers in yet another seemingly hopeless set of circumstances, as Maxine tries to bring her brother back by traveling to the Red and Buddy takes on a group of sadistic animal mutilators. Pugh takes on the Buddy scenes, lending his ability to depict the grotesque to some truly disgusting character designs. Portella gets the Maxine scenes, lending sadness to the idea that getting Cliff back isn’t going to be easy, even if you’re the avatar of the Red. Both of these give Pugh & Portella plenty of opportunities to gross the reader out. It might even be overdoing it, but bringing back the body-horror aspects that made the ‘New 52’ debut of “Animal Man” so interesting to begin with is definitely a welcome occurrence.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy
Batman ’66 #3
Written by Jeff Parker
Illustrated by Jonathan Case
Review by: Brandon Burpee
Holy digital dimension Batman! As someone who was introduced to Batman at a small age through Batman 66′ episodes I gotta say this has everything I could have dreamed of from a comic version. From the way it leaves off at the end (except it is missing the iconic “The Same Bat-Time Same Bat-Channel” message!!!) to the way it throws in the soundeffects this comic wears the show almost as well as Julie Newmar wore that Catwoman costume. Wellllll…….nothing really gets that close, but you get my point. Overall, this issue was the best of the bunch so far and added Cat-Zam to my lexicon so i’m a happy Bat Camper.
Final Verdict: 9.0
Batwoman #22
Written by J.H. Williams III & W. Haden Blackman
Illustrated by Trevor McCarthy
Review by: Vince Ostrowski
McCarthy continues to make smart art choices, following in between the footsteps of the J.H. Williams arcs. Those art choices make him a welcome visitor any time his turn comes around, but he’s also quite in-sync with the storytelling that Williams and Blackman lay down. He has a way of finding an ironic moment in the narration to play off of and a sense of pacing that makes an overly wordy script go down pretty smoothly. Williams and Blackman continue to carve out their own little corner of Gotham by adding to the cast of characters and pitting Batwoman against some of Batman’s villains in surprising ways. It’s a slow-moving book, but it remains one of DC’s best, because it never feels like it conforms to expectations.
Final Verdict: 8.3 – Buy
Deadpool #13
Written by Brian Posehn & Gerry Duggan
Illustrated by Scott Koblish
Review by: Brandon Burpee
This issue flashes back to the 70’s and gives us Deadpool rocking the Deadfro and getting called a Jive Turkey by Luke Cage. That’s all! Along with the previous flashback issue this ish does a great job of taking the book back to an aesthetic that matches the era in which it’s spoofing. Even down to the little markers at the bottom of the page that notify you the story continues after your Hostess Marvel Comic Ad. Minus the Hostess Marvel Comic Ad though I suppose. Anyway, this issue is full of laughs and even gets into the real reason so much bad shit happens to May Parker! This issue was Ace!
Final Verdict: 8.8
FF #9
Written by Matt Fraction
Illustrated by Joe Quinones
Review by: David Harper
This book continues to be the one that most consistently gets the Fantastic Four of yesteryear right out of any iteration in recent memory. As much as I love Hickman’s stuff – and it’s my favorite ever – Fraction on this book is just pure fun, letting the Future Foundation be good and the adults be the ones who worry about them and their future (naturally). I love the relationships between all of the kids, the alien who was Julius Caesar, the teenage mustache, Bentley-23 trying to be Werner Herzog, the Uhari admitting they want to rule everyone…everything. And taking Mike Allred off the book would be a big deal if they didn’t have Joe Quinones involved, a guy who made the pool party’s fun palpable and sold moments like when John Storm remembered Charles Cotta (the once Julius Caesar). This book is just damn fun, and a pool party is the perfect place for it.
Continued belowFinal Verdict: 9.0 – Fun in the sun!
Thor: God of Thunder #10
Written by Jason Aaron
Illustrated by Esad Ribic
Review by: David Harper
Full disclosure: this has been my favorite comic of the year so far. Aaron and Ribic have been crushing it since day one, and now that we’re nearing the end of the first mega arc, things are getting crazy! I don’t think you could have a better example of pitch perfect, synchronized storytelling than the moment Gorr turned on his own wife. The way Aaron and Ribic roll that scene out – her passion for her husband, her fateful words, his turn with “What did you say?” – that is Gorr’s big moment as a villain more than anything else. He is his hatred, and nothing can get in his way to make it all go away.
Ribic continues to render this world in a scale that can only be described as godlike, and with the Godbomb potentially having gone off (not likely, of course), I can only imagine what the two of them have in store for us. If you haven’t been reading this book, I envy your ability to read this in trade when it’s done. One of the best Thor stories ever.
Final Verdict: 9.5 – I’d hit it…with a hammer
