Well now. It seems like I've forgotten to lay out the entire month of November. Whoops. No matter, here is this week's haul.
Animal Man #4 and Swamp Thing #4
I'm lumping these two together this week for a couple of reasons. First, the thematic link between these two books--and the characters of Buddy Baker and Alec Holland--becomes explicit. Each are implicated as major warriors for their elemental powers versus The Rot. Second, the art in both of these books is phenomenal. Seriously. Both Paquette and Foreman are at the top of their respective games, and these two books once again have earned their top spot on my theoretical hierarchy of new-release comic books.
Stormwatch #4
The art in this book is fantastic as well. It always surprises me how much detail a skilled artist can fit onto one page. The rendering of the monster, of Apollo's crash-landing, and the emergence of the buried city are all jaw-droppingly stunning. The story, too, is alright, although I feel like I would have a better handle of what's going on if I had peeked back at the previous 3 issues of this rum and/or read any previous runs of Stormwatch. No doubt, though, this is one damn fine book.
Spaceman #2
(This book came out last week, but I didn't read it until today) I love the feel of the pulpy paper in this book. It lends itself to the story, itself pulpy, grainy, and decidedly non-glossy. The events of this issue make sense of the first one and provide more of a background to Orson's story and the future-world Azarello conjures. There's also a hint I feel to the forthcoming overarching plot that will tie this mini together, and that feeling is exciting.
The Defenders #1
I saved this one for last because it's the only Marvel entry into my monthly comics haul. Defenders was actually the only other Marvel book I remember buying monthly, back in 2005 or so. It's a team book, consisting of Dr Strange, Hulk, Silver Surfer, and Namor (usually) and here they toss in Red She Hulk (I guess that's her name?) and Iron Fist. I have no real opinion of Namor or RSH, but I do kind of like Hulk. Dr Strange I feel is a fascinating Marvel character. He is, in my limited knowledge of the Marvel universe, the only blatant magic-user. Other "magical" types are usually classified as mutants (like Scarlet Witch) and therefore have some sort of pseudo-scientific underpinning. Stephen Strange though, is a straight-up occultist (and a cad at that) and as such, a total black sheep. He reminds me a lot of many DC magic users, and I do love me some DC magic-types (Zatanna, Madame Xanadu, John Constantine--basically anyone in JL:D or the Shadowpact books). Silver Surfer was my most favorite character as a kid, hands down. For a while, he and Gambit shared the throne, but SS is still the king. Iron Fist is a recent addition to my list of Marvel faves, largely because of Matt Fraction's run on the Immortal Iron Fist. Oh lookee here: Fraction is also writing Defenders. This is also a major reason why I'm picking up this book, even though the events of the plot flow from the Fear Itself event that I know absolutely nothing about. But, the issue was alright, and I have to give it at least 3 issues to see if it'll shape up into something awesome.
Other books this week: Huntress, Action Comics (featuring a Steel backup), Batwing
Here are this week's covers:
Happy reading! Don't forget to support your local comic shops.
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