Thursday is here and it is time for another installment of Thursday Morning Superhero. Another solid week of comics as we are nearing the end of 2012. You know you are in for a fun week of reading when Deadpool and Hawkeye drop in the same week. Two extremely different comics intended for two very different audiences that put a smile on my face while I turn the pages. Oh yeah, and John Layman got into the "Death in the Family" event with Batman Detective Comics. Good, good week.
The Best:
Hawkeye #5 - Matt Fraction's take on Hawkeye is quickly becoming one of my favorite reads. The mini-story, "The Tape", concluded this week and it is just a pleasure to read this book. Clint Barton's inner monologue is one of my favorite things in comics today. My favorite was his "quote" from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It went like this: "Hey, Sundance, don't jump out of windows tied up to chairs when ninjas are chasing you because you fall alone." Fraction's unique humor that has been present throughout really carries this title. Throw that in with the light feel that it has and Hawkeye is just plain fun. This is quickly climbing my charts as one of the best of 2012.
Runner-up:
Deadpool #3 - Deadpool continues his quest to kill the remaining undead presidents with the help of Ben Franklin's ghost. You read that correctly. It is one of the reason's that I am so pleased that Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn are the current Deadpool scribes. The duo maintains a good pace of violence, cheesy one-timers and presidential humor. Richard "Tricky Dick" Nixon gets his in this issue which also featured an Arrested Development reference, "an illusionist Michael", and a request to Google a comedians name that provided no results for me. Dan Travalena. Maybe you will fare better. Well, if you haven't already picked this book up what are you waiting for? Didn't you hear that it involves Ben Franklin's ghost helping Deadpool kill undead presidents?
The Not So Good:
Avengers #1 - The Jonathan Hickan era of the Avengers began this week and I can't say I was too impressed. It wasn't bad per se, but didn't really wow me. The Avengers go to Mars to take on Ex Nihilo only to be defeated handily. Captain America is captured and returned to earth to form a new Avengers. That is about it for this one.
The Rest:
Batman Detective Comics #15 - John Layman and his current run with Detective Comics has its intro into the "Death in the Family" event with a bang. The issue opens with Poison Ivy, fresh from her eco-terrorism against Penguin's empire, being buried alive. Clayface has been duped by Ivy into thinking the two of them are in love. The method that Ivy employs to gain control of Clayface is genius. Batman intervenes and straighten things out, but Clayface is not a happy camper and Joker is taking Penguin to Arkham. The end story alone is worth the purchase of this book and it looks like it might be the best title in the "Death of the Family" event.
Stumptown #4 - After reading the praise of this Oni Press title I decided to give it a go. I must say that this felt like a good issue to jump in on as it was basically one giant car chase. I am ok with this. The action starts fast and heavy and is carried through till the conclusion. The little things really add to the comic experience. Stumptown utilizes forcing the reader to turn the page sideways and back based on the action on the page. A gimmick that I feel works and brings me more into the story. I am guessing there is more to the guitar they refer to as "Baby". For the above mentioned reasons, I am in for issue #5.
