Pick of the week review: Superior Spider-Man #2

Superior Spider-Man #2
Story by Dan Slott
Art by Ryan Stegman
Cover by Ryan Stegman & Ed McGuinness

I'll admit I was one of those fans who had their panties in a twist over the way my beloved Peter Parker was disposed of in such a draconian manner in Amazing Spider-Man #700. And while I stand by the fact that it wasn't a great issue in its own right, and the first issue of the Superior Spider-Man wasn't much better, this issue had me laughing and enjoying myself; and that at the end of the day is what Spider-Man is all about.

Dan Slott has written one of the best runs on Spider-Man to date, after the fiasco that was "One More Day" and the test tube era of "Brand New Day" Slott was handed the reins and boy did he run with it. Spider Island was the kind of crossover fans dream about and the art team of Ramos, Caselli and Camuncoli have been outstanding. Now Caselli is on Avengers Assemble and we have Ryan Stegman as his replacement. 

Stegman was born to draw Spider-Man. His work on the title is exciting, fluid and just a little over the top. One complaint is that I think someone else should take over inking duties as the line work tends to get a little dark when he is inking himself, but this is a small complaint.

What makes the book so much fun is the little attentions to detail, Doc Ock Spider-Man sees his dates with Mary Jane as experiments and he even gives his dates with MJ titles like "Lunch with the Watson Woman". And the best part is the dialogue he uses, when I opened the book and started reading I thought to myself "Spider-Man would never inner monologue that", but Doctor Octopus would. Also fascinating is how Doc Ock is able to streamline the Spider-Man process through his genius, a great touch which could have lasting implications for Spider-Man when he takes back his body.

One thing that I am leery of is the inclusion of Peter's ghost so early in the piece, I wonder if it will get old too quickly. Having said that, I am on board with Mr Slott 100% and I look forward to seeing how things will return to the former status quo.

4 out of 5 Stars

New Comics for the Week of January 30 2013

Here are the comics I'll be reading tomorrow.

• Aquaman #16
• Avengers #4 
• Batman Inc. #7
• Hawkeye #7
• Journey Into Mystery #648
• Superior Spider-Man #2

A comparatively small amount of books this week, check back for my pick of the week tomorrow along with some other reviews.

X-Statix Omnibus Review

X-Statix Omnibus
Story by Peter Milligan
Art by Mike Allred, Darwyn Cooke, Philip Bond, Paul Pope, Nick Dragotta, Sean Phillips and Marcos Martin
Cover by Mike Allred

I wasn't reading comics in the early part of the twenty-first century so after getting back into comics a few years ago I quickly realised that I had missed out on some truly amazing runs. One area of particular interest to me was what was happening at Marvel and the change-ups they were implementing in their X-titles. Grant Morrison had jumped across from DC to take on the X-men with his New X-men which would be followed by Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men and around the same time Peter David was starting his second run on X-Factor. But the biggest shake-up by far was what was happening to X-Force.

Peter Milligan was approached by Axel Alonso to take over the book and his initial response was "No. Never. Impossible." Milligan didn't want to wade through the byzantine minutiae of X-continuity and so he said no. Then he and Alonso started talking about what they could do with the book, a book to the side of continuity where Milligan could explore the mutant world through the lens of celebrity and vice versa.

X-Force #116 sees the utter decimation of the team and by the next issue a new team of mutants filled its ranks. Milligan had a clean slate and he quickly went about poking fun at our celebrity obsessed culture while plumbing some impressive depths on what mutants would really be like in our world; self-obsessed celebrities who care nothing for heroics or the greater good but only for their wallets and fame.

The book is drenched in satire and is genuinely funny at points, Milligan is an intelligent writer and his mastery of language shines through in this book, it's an erudite read which deals with a lot of issues which still maintain a topical flavour to this day, after all, many of the conflicts that X-Force and X-Statix as they become known are sent to are set in Afghanistan.

Milligan also writes great characters and dialogue, by the end of this impressive thousand page plus tome I was truly invested in the struggles of these characters , especially the Orphan and U Go Girl. I was genuinely upset by the loss of a beloved character early in the series.

And then there is the art. While New X-Men was a great run because of Morrison's take on the characters and the new direction he struck, the art was a hit and miss affair, Igor Kordey's issues in particular were a real let down for the series. Where New X-Men suffered X-Force and X-Statix thrived, Mike Allred, Darwyn Cooke, Nick Dragotta, Paul Pope, Sean Philips and Marcos Martin all gave the love to Milligan's scripts and the result is beautiful.

Mike Allred is the books regular artist and his pop art style fits the book like a glove. His clean lines accented by wife Laura Allred's incredibly vivacious colouring is a match made in comic heaven. I can't remember the last time I read a book that made my eyeballs so pleased.

After reading this book I am dogged by a feeling of melancholy to think that a book like this may never be made again but I think that Marvel had a book which may be X-Statix's successor and it is once again drawn by Mike Allred, of course I'm talking about FF by Matt Fraction and Allred. While the crazy heights of X-Statix may never be truly reached again I am glad that I got a taste of all the madness in this beautiful edition from Marvel.


5 out of 5 Stars

Comics Review: Special Avengers Edition

Avengers #3
Story by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Jerome Opeña
Cover by Dustin Weaver, Daniel Acuña, Adi Granov, & Esad Ribic

Uncanny Avengers #3
Story by Rick Remender
Art by John Cassaday
Colors by Laura Martin
Letters by Chris Eliopoulos
Cover by John Cassaday, Laura Martin, & Simone Bianchi

Young Avengers #1
Story by Kieron Gillen
Art by Jamie McKelvie & Mike Norton
Colors by Matthew Wilson
Cover by Jamie McKelvie, Skottie Young, & Bryan Lee O'Malley

So as a change of pace this week I have decided to give my thoughts on the three Avengers titles released this week under the Marvel NOW! banner. 

First off Avengers #3. Jonathan Hickman picks up from the anti-climactic end of issue two and drops the hammer. The first issue was a perfect opening story with action and intrigue and small character moments in between, issue two was all about the set up and now with issue three Hickman gives us the payoff. It's what an Avengers book should be, Hulk brainwashed and fighting against the newly recruited Hyperion, Thor released from his shackles by Wolverine and laying a smack-down on God-like "villains", and Avengers, for the first time I can remember, acting like soldiers, setting up a perimeter and using tactics.

Hickman is all about the cosmic, grand canvas and with the Avengers that's exactly what you need. This particular iteration of the team has some heavy hitters and Hickman's biggest challenge will be finding ways to challenge such might. The story he is weaving promises to be epic and his ability to weave intrigue, to bounce around in time and always have the end goal in sight is one that I think will work out to an epic Avengers run. It's a great method, one which Hickman employed in Fantastic Four to great effect, I'm hooked.

Uncanny Avengers #3 surprised me. Rick Remender is a real talent and I've known this since I started reading FEAR Agent, but even knowing what a talent he is couldn't prepare me for such awesomeness. The Red Skull, an old Captain America villain has been given a breath of fresh air by Remender who has escalated him to an Avengers level threat by giving him the brain of the world's most powerful psychic, the recently deceased (and exhumed and autopsied) Professor Xavier.

The Red Skull is the perfect villain for this new Avengers/X-Men hybrid, he brings his Nazism of the 1950's (where he is from, comics!) and simply applies it to the modern world, pitting man against mutant with his formidable psychic powers and ragtag band of villains, including my favourite new villain, Honest John the Living Propaganda.

This book is at once bombastic and poignant, and while full of action, Remender is still able to weave delicate character moments between the beatings and genocide. My pick of the week was almost assured after I read Avengers but then I read Uncanny Avengers and I changed my mind. I mean come on, Red Skull was drinking whiskey served by his underling during genocide in New York! Brilliant!

Young Avengers is the latest collaboration between Phonogram creators Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie and as Gillen says himself, the boots of series creators Allan Heinberg and Jimmy Cheung are big indeed. While I'm not sure Gillen pulled off a great first issue I am interested in the characters he is playing with here.

Young Loki is of particular interest, after reading Gillen's Journey Into Mystery arc where he turned the much maligned villain into a Godling of such character and humour it was hard not to love the little scamp and it will be interesting to see how Loki bounces off the other members being assembled for this book.

Of course it wouldn't be right if I didn't mention Jamie McKelvie's art. The guy is one of a kind and a true treasure, pop art doesn't come any finer and this book will continue to be on my pull list as long as McKelvie is drawing it. 

After years of Brian Michael Bendis controlling the Avengers realm it is such a treat to have three new writers taking the reins and hitting for the fences. Jonathan Hickman is crafting a story in his Avengers and New Avengers titles which has me completely enthralled. Rick Remender is focusing his Uncanny Avengers on shaky human/mutant relationships following the events of Avengers VS X-Men using the Red Skull in a way that blows my mind and from what I understand we have Kang (my favourite villain of all time) and Apocalypse to look forward to in upcoming arcs, exciting. And Kieron Gillen has taken his Young Loki to the Young Avengers who are finding out what it means to be adult heroes (or so Gillen said in his letter at the back of the book).

Marvel are stacking their premiere, billion dollar movie making, Avengers titles with their star talent and I feel like a lot of things are being done right in The Avengers office. Avengers itself has a rotating art roster of Jerome Opeña, Adam Kubert, Dustin Weaver and Mike Deodato, while I'm not a fan of Deodato I am hugely impressed by the work of Opeña and Weaver. Uncanny Avengers has been plagued by John Cassaday's turtle like speed on interiors but this will soon be remedied by the introduction of Daniel Acuña as the regular artist and Young Avengers has Jamie McKelvie, nuff said.

With this crop of books it is a good time to be an Avengers fan.

New comics for the week of 23 January 2013

This week's list

• The Answer #1
• Batwoman #16
• Green Lantern #16
• Justice League #16
• Nightwing #16
• Wonder Woman #16
• Prophet #33
• A + X #4
• Avengers #3
• FF #3
• Uncanny Avengers #3
• Winter Soldier #14
• Wolverine and the X-Men #24
• Young Avengers #1

What a week of great comics, really looking forward to Gillen and McKelvie's Young Avengers and Mike Norton's The Answer.

So check back Thursday night for some reviews.

Comic Review: Conan the Barbarian #12

Conan the Barbarian #12
Writer: Brian Wood
Artist: Declan Shalvey
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Cover Artist: Massimo Carnevale 

Conan the Barbarian #12 is the latest entry in writer Brian Wood's masterful exploration of a young Conan and his lover Bêlit as they navigate the high seas and the pitfalls and pains that come with young love. Wood captured the essence of that passionate burning love in the first few arcs, now Wood examines the tragedy which can strike from a clear sky as Conan and Bêlit deal with the hardship of a miscarriage.

 Wood's examination is not saccharine or trite but heartfelt and told through imagery more so than dialogue or narration. The double page splash of Conan slumped and bloodied against the door behind which Bêlit lies dying is powerful stuff, and that's just the first of a handful of emotionally charged pages as Conan deals with the after effects of "the Death". 

This is such a fantastic series and if you haven't yet plunged into the fray I would highly recommend starting at issue one and reading Brian Wood's entire run so far, it is an impressive exploration of a relationships ups and downs set against the rich tapestry of Conan lore.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Comic Review: Batman #16

Batman #16
Written by Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV
Art by Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, & Jock
Cover by Greg Capullo
Variant Cover by Aaron Kuder

What can I say about Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Batman that hasn't been said already? It is without doubt one of the most consistently great series being published at the moment and by far the best book being published by DC. It also stands as an example of what a fresh new writer can bring to a character who is decades old.

 Snyder is crafting a truly terrifying Joker story, one that is dripping old school horror movie suspense. The Joker assumes the role of court jester for the Death of the Family story arc , and it is this character that leads the story through some great pieces of action as the King, Batman, returns to his castle at Arkham Asylum to find and stop his jester.

 After dealing with a flaming horse (how awesome is that!) and a mob of thugs, Batman confronts the Joker and the rest of his "court" only to find that the Joker has already beaten the rest of the Bat-family and has Batman on the ropes before he even enters the building. Throughout the issue Batman is telling himself to hurry, that there is still time to stop the Joker's plans and all the while the reader knows if Batman needs to telling himself there's still a chance, he has already lost.

 The great thing about Snyder's writing is that he gets inside the heads of his characters so well. The Joker is like a scalpel blade dissecting every part of Batman's life with cutting precision, the scene between the Joker and Two-Face is particularly inspired as the Joker unloads his full disdain on poor Harvey Dent.

 And then there is the art. Not only do we get the incredible action art of Greg Capullo, we also get the incomparably spooky Jock drawing the back-up feature. It really is an abundance of riches and I can't believe that Capullo has put up such consistently good art for 15 out of 16 issues for this series, the guy is a machine.

 Another great issue in a series which has been so great for so long, it won't disappoint.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Comic Review: New Avengers #2

New Avengers #2
Story by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Steve Epting
Cover by Jock & Simone Bianchi

What a fantastic mind Jonathan Hickman has, the more I think about what he is setting up with this issue the more I want this book double shipping so I can get more. The first month double ship was essential for this book as the first issue left many with some head scratching, but fear not, a lot of my questions from the first issue were answered here and I found myself trying to predict what story beats Hickman would be exploring in the future.

 While this story is all about setting up the direction of the series it offers some great intense moments to keep the plot thumping along. The confrontation between T'Challa and Namor is particularly sharp and even though I could see the next panel I thought T'Challa was going to rip Namor's smug head off his shoulders at every moment.  And how can you not enjoy a round table meeting including all the members of the Illuminati talking about how they plan to hunt down the last infinity gem and change the world for the better. Truly mythic stuff. 

The design of the book also deserves mention, from the masterfully handled recap page to the simple diagram explanation of why the Illuminati has been drawn back together, the latter is so skillfully illustrated that even the slowest of readers can quickly and easily register the threat facing the "New Avengers". And that threat is huge, the end of everything, a suitable threat for Earth's mightiest heroes.

 I think that New Avengers and Avengers are my most anticipated books at the moment and I can't wait to see what Hickman has in store for us in what I'm hoping will be a classic run in the making.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Comic Review: Captain America #3

Captain America #3

Story by Rick Remender
Art by John Romita Jr. & Klaus Janson
Colors by Dean White
Cover by John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson, Dean White, & Alex Maleev

I can't believe John Romita Jr is able to get away with this art. I'm not one of his haters, I grew up reading his Amazing Spider-man work and it informed me as a young reader on different styles of art in comics. This latest material seems to be from a different artist, a lazy artist. The clearest sore thumb in this issue is the flashback art where Steve Rogers appears to have been a bobble head in his youth, his gigantic head swiveling from side to side on his pencil thin neck as he gets beaten up, again, by surly depression era youths.

 And as much as it pains me to say it, this isn't the same Rick Remender who I've grown to love through Uncanny X-Force, Venom and FEAR Agent. The flashback story in this issue is trite and frankly quite boring and the current timeline story is just as unoriginal and downright silly. The reveal at the end I imagine was meant to inspire a "whoa" of surprise, all it got was an eye roll and one less subscriber.

 Maybe in the hands of another artist this book could have worked but as long as Romita Jr. keeps phoning in this horrible art I won't be reading.

1.5 out of 5 stars

Comic Review: Avengers Assemble #11

Avengers Assemble #9

Story by Kelly Sue DeConnick
Art by Stefano Caselli
Colors by Rain Beredo
Letters by Clayton Cowles
Cover by Mico Suayan, Jesus Aburtov, & Stephanie Perger

This book has been the breath of fresh air needed in the often dark and heavy assortment of Avengers books we have been getting from Jonathan Hickman and Rick Remender. While I'm a huge fan of those books it's nice to see an Avengers book on the shelves which doesn't take itself too seriously.

 Kelly Sue DeConnick started slowly with issue nine of Avengers Assemble and I was contemplating passing on issue ten but I'm glad I stuck around. The opening arc gets closed in this issue and it is a funny character piece which doesn't make the mistakes of Bendis' latter run by ignoring plot for the sake of extended dialogue. DeConnick keeps the plot rolling while exploring the interactions between the Avengers, especially Tony Stark and Bruce Banner's relationship as the eterna optimist/futurist and the grouchy pessimist/pragmatist respectively. What would have been a six issue Bendis arc is neatly contained within three issues by DeConnick.

 Artist Stefano Caselli is a great fit for the book, adding some great cartoon style facial expressions, the reader is never in doubt as to what the characters are feeling at any moment as it's painted broadly across their faces with verve by the Italian artist.

 If you're looking for some light-hearted adventure with the Avengers team while still getting quality action and great art look no further.

4 out of 5 stars

Comic Review: All New X-Men #6

All New X-Men #6
Story by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by David Marquez
Colors by Marte Gracia
Letters by Cory Petit
Cover by Stuart Immonen, Wade Von Grawbadger, Marte Gracia, Chris Bachalo, & Tim Townsend

All New X-men launched in November and we already have six issues as Marvel pumps out an issue a week, or so it seems. While your wallet may be groaning with this books $3.99 price tag and fortnightly frequency I think that  if there is any book on the market that benefits from the double shipping which is so prevalent at Marvel it is this one.

 Writer Brian Michael Bendis is infamous for his talking heads and character moments and while this issue may seem slow it is all in the service of building relationships. This aspect of Bendis' writing works so well for the X-Men and their family dynamic that I'm surprised he wasn't pulled of the Avengers titles years ago so that he could write these characters.

 Action is sparse but I didn't really mind, the young Cyclops/Wolverine clash was inevitable and those pages dedicated to the fight were satisfyingly drawn by David Marquez. Marquez has the unenviable task of filling in for Stuart Immonen on the book and While Marquez is no Immonen he does a fine job of maintaining the look and feel of the book, if not with the same panache as Immonen.

 A good entry into what is shaping up to be a great character book which could do with an injection of plot progression and Stuart Immonen being chained to his drawing table for the entirety of this run.

4 out of 5 stars

Comic Review: Savage Wolverine #1

Savage Wolverine #1

Story by Frank Cho
Art by Frank Cho
Colors by Jason Keith
Cover by Frank Cho, Jason Keith, Joe Quesda, & Skottie Young

My expectations for this issue were not particularly high and on that level writer artist Frank Cho delivered. The issue was a slog to say the least, I have always seen the Savage Land as a place where good comics go to die and this bizarre addition to the Marvel NOW! schedule (would it not have been better as a mini-series?) proves no different.

 Maybe I've just been spoiled by the recent Jason Aaron Wolverine title or maybe it's just that Frank Cho isn't a particularly skilled writer because this issue felt at once extremely dense and also painfully fluffy and light. Cho writes mountains of narration where I would like to see a more laconic approach for Wolverine as he has always seemed like the kind of guy who acts more on instinct than talking things out inside his own head.

 Cho's failing on this issue isn't isolated to his writing, his art also suffers. In a comic like Savage Wolverine I was expecting to see jagged panels and dynamic layouts as Wolverine carved across the page, sadly Cho opted for entirely boxy panels and static page layouts, he actually seemed to be trying to suck the dynamism off the page. The only memorable layouts Cho acheived were those where he went for his standard cheesecake option and had a full figured, half dressed Shanna the she-devil telling us all her problems, in excruciatingly verbose style.

 If you're after cheesecake there are better places to find it, if you're after good Wolverine stories there is Wolverine and the X-Men, if you're after good comics for $3.99 I would look elsewhere.

2 out of 5 stars

The digital debate: Australian version

Perhaps the hottest topic when it comes to all forms of print media at the moment is the effect that digital is having on its traditional forms.

 Newspapers are on a steady and rapid decline and if you're an Australian you would lament the falling standards and number of great journalists at Fairfax media as they continue to wipe jobs and credibility from their slate (bad tablet pun) on a seemingly monthly basis. But while newspaper sales and standards plummet the introduction of tablet computers with glossy ten inch graphics, a wide range of day and date content being released to online vendors such as Comixology, and the ability for small independent publishers and individuals to bypass costly publishing hurdles, the digital revolution has been, in my mind, a complete success for the comic book industry.

 Now let me put this in some context for you as I'm not saying that digital isn't without its flaws, what I am saying is that I think it is an overwhelming force for good in comics.

 Firstly, if you read my blog you may know that I am from Australia and at the moment I live outside a major capital city. The thing about Australia is that if you live outside a capital city then you don't have a local comic book shop, period. I lived in Sydney for the past few years and still get a few choice titles from Kings Comics in Pitt St, (the premiere store on the east coast of Australia by the way) and while it's okay to wait for them to ship the comics to my door for those few titles I still collect in tangible print form, I am very much on board with the instant gratification of digital downloads.

 This instantaneous phenomenon is part of the reason digital is a success in my view. The Gen Y kids who publishers want to start picking up books and developing a comic habit are fickle beings. If they see The Avengers and want more Thor they will pick up their tablets or smartphones and start searching, they are tech savvy and because of this understanding they feel the need for instantaneous gratification. The introduction of day and date digital releases in 2011 have provided a platform on which Gen Y can access the site or app and instantly begin purchasing and downloading comics.


 This point of accessibility is true even in the United States I'm sure but especially true in Australia, the great open land with no comic shops. Hell even if you do live in the States and you live next door to a comic shop, you no longer need to brave the cold of winter to get your comic fix you can simply download it.

 The second point for digital which is at once a blessing and a curse is price point. Australians get royally screwed when it comes to comics on the shop stand. And while I know it must be difficult to run a comic shop in a comic backwater like Australia it does at some point come down to price for the punter. If I can get a $2.99 comic for $2.80 from Comixology or spend $4.50 at a comic shop the choice becomes a simple one. This isn't even taking into account the cost of bags, boards and boxes to store said comics (another plus for digital being it's space saving appeal). While I'm a horrible person for not supporting local business I will say that  after years of saying the weak Australian dollar is to blame for high comic prices I notice when comic shops don't drop those prices when the Australian dollar is sitting high against the green back.

 While I'm on the point of pricing I'd also like to say that my habit of trawling through back issue bins at comic stores is officially over. While in Brisbane a week ago I visited Comics etc. and had a brief look at their back issue bins. $4 for this $5 for that. I pulled out my phone, jumped on Comixology and found the same issues for $1.99 USD. On top of this Comixology regularly has sales on classic runs for 99 cents, (just this week it was Peter David's second X-Factor run) and while I lament the loss of the great past-time of bin diving at a comic shop, I think I'll be okay with my 99 cent back issues, thank you very much.

 And here is where I'll finish, the changing of my reading and collecting habits. I have always been a story guy, and now that it's not essential to buy the physical copy, I won't. There is little money to be made reselling comics, more like a lottery than a business and if I can read a few more titles a month by buying digital then there is no question as to where my preferences lie. 

But that's me, you may be a collector, a hobbyist or just someone who likes the feel of a floppy comic in your hand, I'd really love to get your opinions on this big issue facing comic readers, creators and retailers. Sound off in the comments section.

Good Reads: Punk Rock Jesus

I have just finished Sean Murphy's excellent Punk Rock Jesus limited series and I am reeling. This guy is the genuine article, a great talent and one of a few artists who I think actually looks better in black and white than in colour.

 If you haven't picked it up yet I highly recommend you give it a shot, I had heard from some that they were not enjoying the series on a month to month basis and I can see how this might be the case from a story point of view, I just read all six issues back to back and it reads really well in this fashion.

 It is a fantastic premise and Murphy's interweaving of the main character Thomas' IRA past with the present day are sewn together nicely and his exploration of Catholic guilt are spot on. The story can be a little choppy in parts and some of the dialogue could have done with some tightening but these are minor gripes on what was an overall fantastic series.

 I first took notice of Sean Murphy when he teamed with Grant Morrison on Joe the Barbarian and was satisfied with what I saw, it did however leave me wanting a little more. Next up was his work with Scott Snyder on American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest and this work was where Murphy hit his stride, he is the one artist to work the American Vampire series who hasn't left me wanting to see what Rafael Alberquerque would have done in his place.

 Murphy's art is so hyper detailed, not a scrap of wasted space can be seen in any of his panels. His art style is one of cartoony kinetic realism, if that makes any sense, and his character models are just gorgeous. I hope he sticks with black and white for whatever project he has coming up next.

New comics for the week of 16 January 2013

This week's list

• All New X-men #6
• Avengers Assemble #11
• Batman #16
• Black Beetle #1 
• Captain America #3
• Captain Marvel #9
• Conan the Barbarian #12
• Daredevil #22
• Indestructible Hulk #3
• New Avengers #2
• Saga #9
• Savage Wolverine #1

 Every week I will put up the list of books I plan to read for the week. This is a particularly heavy week of Marvel titles but that's what you should come to expect as Marvel is where I get most of my books.

 My prediction for pick of the week is Conan the Barbarian #12, I have been loving this series and Declan Shalvey on art is a plus. Close contenders will be Saga and Batman and my pick for dud of the week is Savage Wolverine.

 Check back on Thursday evening Australian time for a full list of reviews.

 If you have any recommendations for the week ahead feel free to leave a comment.

Best single issue of 2012

Best single issue of 2012

2012 marked my first full year of new comics Wednesday comic book reading. With a full year to reminisce on it can be hard to select only five from what was a bumper year for comics in general. But with the thought in mind that memory is parallax let's have a look at my picks for best single issues of 2012.

Number five- Conan the Barbarian #5

The adventures of young Conan and his pirate queen Bêlit have never looked so good. James Harren's art sky-rocketed this issue onto my top five of the year, while the series itself has been excellent thanks to scribe Brian Wood's storytelling and character moments, Harren's art pushed this issue into the stratosphere. If you are not familiar with Harren's work pick this issue up and prepare to be swept away by the raw kineticism of his art, in particular the splash page where Conan beheads Messantia's champion is gorgeously brutal.

Number four- Spider-Men #4

I know that a lot of people were not impressed with the prospect of Marvel and writer Brian Michael Bendis performing this little crossover stunt between their regular and Ultimate universes. And while the premise was contrived, and to some unnecessary, it still gave me issue four of Spider-Men. This is why you crossover the universes, so you can explore the differences of each universe in a cute and funny way which plays against the backdrop of great sadness. Peter's sadness at seeing his old dead girlfriend Gwen alive and well. Gwen and May and Mary Jane's sadness at seeing an adult Peter alive and well. Bendis is right at home with these types of moments and the three issues to set it up were well and truly worth it for this great issue.

Number three- Action Comics #9

Grant Morrison hits on all levels with this issue, Action Comics #9 is at face value a rollicking alternate universe story about an African American Superman from Earth 23 who uses his powers to right the wrongs of the world when diplomacy fails. In the issue Super-Obama comes up against the Superman of the corporate brand "the smug fascist bully boy" Superman who seeks to enslave all of the many DC multiverses to his brand fad. A fun enough story in it's own right. Dig just a little bit deeper and you find Morrison's investigation into what it mean to juggle the pressures of working for a media giant like Warner Bros. while maintaining one's artistic integrity and what a fine balance that must be. A great issue which delivers on both levels, at once thought provoking and bombastic. 

Number two- Saga #1

Brian "Y:The Last Man, Ex Machina, Pride of Baghdad, Runaways" K. Vaughan's triumphant return to comics after years in Hollywood. Not only can Vaughan still tell a ripping comic book yarn, it's that he tells it with such heart and soul. A story of star crossed lovers, newly minted parents finding their feet set against a massive Star Wars style universe. Vaughan eases us into this immense and enticing world step by step but astute readers will recognise that Vaughan has so much material at his finger tips that he could be writing Saga well into the next decade. Drawn by relative newcomer Fiona Staples, this book has a unique look and feel, complete with Staples' own handwriting for the narration. And the first issue was double sized! For $3.50! You can't get better value for money than that!

Number one- Hawkeye #3

Hawkeye has been the late highlight of 2012. The combination of Matt Fraction's low key yet innovative writing with David Aja's simply gorgeous Mazzucchelli-esque art makes this series a must read. The third issue in the series was essentially an extended car chase scene which rivals The French Connection for it's awesomeness. Superhero comics are often tone deaf and occupied by cut out archetypes, with Hawkeye Fraction creates compelling and exciting drama with interesting and memorable characters, a worthy issue for pick of the year.

A little about me

Getting to know me

 I love comics, I grew up reading comics pulled from my local newsagent bought with the little pocket money I could gather from my parents. I quite literally spent all of my money on the medium, feeding my bottomless hunger for more.

 The first comic I remember reading was a reprint of Batman #251, written by Denny O'Neill with art by Neal Adams, not a bad start. It was in a collection of the best Joker stories ever told which my older brother got for Christmas. As soon as the book left his hands I grabbed it and read it and didn't put it down for a long time. The book was literally disemboweled from reading. 

 Marvel was my publisher of choice as a young lad partly because often it was the only choice, my local newsman was always well stocked with Amazing Spider-man and Uncanny X-men so naturally I gravitated toward books I could get a semblance of continuity with. The only other comic which was regularly stocked was Lee Falk's The Phantom of which I have many fond black and white memories.

 After a decade long hiatus due to high school, university and the pursuit of girls, I have come back to comics with a renewed vigour. And what a time to come back! A veritable golden age of comics is upon us and it has never been better to be a comics fan.

Introductions

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to my all new comics blog!

 My name is Thomas Warrick and I am from the antipodean island of Australia. My location is of particular interest as Australia is somewhat of a backwater when it comes to talking about comics, my nearest shop at the time of writing is in the order of 200 kilometres from my front door and while digital has removed the need to physically visit a store you cannot talk to your tablet about what's good for the week.

 That's where The Comics Pull comes in.

 The idea is this, every week I will pull as many books as I can read and review them. The pick of the week will be my favourite comic of the week and I will dedicate a larger space to this issue to go in depth on why it was so good.

 On top of the weekly pull I will be adding stories ranging from breaking news analysis, top fives,  etc. The first series of these will be a look at what has come before in a review of the year that was 2012 where I will look at best single issue, best ongoing series, best original graphic novel, best artist and best writer.

 Lastly I would like to say that if you are reading this, thank you! and please stick around, if you like what you see on the site let me know, comment, don't be a stranger, the whole point of this site is to foster conversation about the medium that we both share a love for.

With great comics comes great blogging,
Tom