Thursday Morning Superhero

Thursday morning is upon us and it is time for another recap of what comics I read this week.  That's right, it is time for Thursday Morning Superhero! My budget limited me from picking up some great comics this week, but I am quite pleased with my haul.  No real bad book in the bunch.

Pick of the Week:
 Chew #30 - Issue 30 of Chew is a landmark issue for multiple reasons.  It marks the half-way point in the series and the conclusion of the current Space Cakes arc.  This is a tough review to write because this issue features some of the humor that has sustained this excellent book, but also featured a very rare and dark moment that truly saddened me.  I can't say this book has evoked this type of emotion before, but I think it is testament to the characters and the world Layman has created.  I actually care about Tony Chu and his rag tag gang.  It appears that the path laid out ahead for Tony is going to be a rough one.  This book also featured a poster of a toilet seat at a hospital.  That is all.

Runner-up:

Uncanny Avengers #2 - Captain America and crew are still trying to deal with the aftermath of Avengers vs. X-men.  Cap wants to put together a new team that will have a strong mutant leader in an attempt to ease tensions on the homefront.  Meanwhile, Rogue, the Scarlett Witch and Professor X's body have been captured by Red Skull.  This book started a little slow, but I love me some Red Skull and his latest scheme didn't disappoint.  Really enjoying this series and can't wait for more Red Skull.

The Not so Good:
 Nowhere Men #1 - While this comic has me intrigued, I felt the story bounced around a bit too much for a first issue.  World Corp. is a group of four top scientists who are working on some pretty scary stuff, but I don't know what the true focus of the book will be.  It seems to be filled with good characters and an interesting premise, but it felt flat and didn't hook me.  This is one I will keep my eye on for future issues, but only if I hear good things.

The Rest:
FF #1 -Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four are leaving this dimension for a quest and need to find replacements to oversee FF for four minutes in their absence in case something happens.  She-hulk, Medusa, and Ms. Thing are quick to join, but Ant Man isn't so sure.  Interspersed with the kids' opinion about what FF is, Matt Fraction has a good balance of humor that keeps the pacing of the story fresh.  Something tells me that the four minutes with this crew in charge may be quite eventful.

Morning Glories #23 - More secrets are revealed about Morning Glories Academy and there are some hints about Hunter's origin.  Nick Spencer's world has grown a bit confusing with all of the flashbacks and the secrecy around MGA.  I am a happy reader as this book inspires me to reread this series from the beginning to see when the seeds were planted that lead to the payoffs in this issue.

Bedlam #2 - This issue continues the dark journey that was laid out in issue one.  We learn a little more about Mister Red, but there is a lot of mystery and intrigue surrounding this serial killer.  The police have their plan, but the demented mind of this killer keeps things very fresh and interesting.  If this series continues down the path that Spencer has laid out thus far, it will quickly become one of my favorite series. 

Thursday Morning Superhero

I hope you all had a chance to visit your local Comic Book Store and participate in Halloween ComicFest.  My children entered the costume contest at our local store and we picked up a handful of great comics that we enjoyed reading together.  Our highlights were Axe Cop, Cow Boy, and Johnny Boo.  Well, on to the weekly releases and as always, hit me up on twitter at @newhousebailey with any feedback.

Pick of the Week:

Bedlam #1 – Nick Spencer, the master behind Morning Glories and Infinite Vacation, takes a dark turn with Bedlam. Madder Red is a deeply disturbed serial killer who has baffled the police for years. This book opens with one of the most shocking and disturbing scenes I have read in some time. The art is equally disturbing and the character design is phenomenal. Bedlam grips you from the start and leaves you hanging on every word. Nick Spencer has another hit on his hands. Well done sir.

Runner-up:

Masters of the Universe: The Origin of Skeletor #1 – As someone who grew up a huge He-Man fan, I never knew what made Skeletor the villain that he was. In this book we learn the tragic figure that is Keldor and his quest for the throne of Eternia. It might be my nostalgic self taking over, but I enjoyed this book and the insight it provided to a franchise that meant so much to me as a child.








The Not as Good:

Happy #2 – It seems that Grant Morrison is either pure gold or something I don’t quite get. With Happy, I must say that I don’t quite get it. Nick escapes from the hospital from the help of his imaginary friend and begins to confront the mob. It is intriguing and I am left curious, but still don’t really get the overall picture. I will pass on the next two issues.

The Rest:

Hit Girl #4 – The ultra-violent series from Mark Millar continues as Hit Girl flirts with being caught after she swore to give up her role as superhero. While she is dealing with convincing her stepfather that she has hung up her cape, Ralphie Genovese makes a move to stick it to Detective Williams without realizing that he is holding Hit Girl at gunpoint!

Winter Soldier #12 –Bucky strives to get Black Widow back and must go through with an old Cold War mission to save her. With encounters with Wolverine and Daredevil, it is no wonder that this series is a success. Brubaker treats Bucky with the same care he gave Captain America for so long and it shows.

Lot 13 #1 – In a creepy tale of a family on the move, Steve Niles delivers an intriguing book filled with mystery and suspense. Not a whole lot of back story is provided, but enough is told that has me looking forward to the next creepy issue.

What I should have read:

American Vampire #32 – Scott Snyder continues his run on American Vampire along with Raphael Albuquerque in what continues to be a great book. The vampires are hiding amongst the Hollywood elite that is worth your time.

Fatale #9 – Brubaker continues his noir epic with another solid issue that I should have picked up. I have really enjoyed this series, but decided to move to trades a while back. Based on the success of issue #9 I might should have stuck with the singles.