Comics didn’t hit the stores until Thursday. So…what’d’ja get?
PAD
18 comments on “Stash Wednesday, Plus Two”
My wife told me to not pick up anything from my pull list this month because it could be a possible Christmas gift for me, but with all the hooplah over “Fall of the Hulks: Alpha”, I snuck off and grabbed one anyway.
Outstanding issue.
Paul Pellitier’s art was fabulous!
Jeff Parker neatly (or as close to it as possible) tied up A LOT of loose threads and plotholes and weaved a very nice story. There’s a suitable replacement for Loeb when he leaves “Hulk”…
I was pleased with the recent batch of Avengers stuff. Nothing stellar, nothing horrible (although the Luke Cage thing is dragging on way too long for my taste). I continue to be disappointed with the “art” (tracing?) on Uncanny X-Men. If I weren’t such an overly dedicated X-Men fan I would have dropped it long ago. My problem, I know.
New Mutants 7 had the characters doing some strange dithering that came off as poor writing. “Hey let’s leave Cypher and go check in with Cyclops. OK, NOW let’s go back and get him when we could have done that in the first place!” REALLY?
The Deadpool story in the back of the X-Force annual was the first Deadpool story I’ve laughed at in a long time. Quite funny.
Blackest Night 5 (maybe from last week?) was the weakest chapter thus far, I think. The way Batman was used just struck me as lame.
After travelling into NYC from Nassau County, Long Island for the new releases on Wednesday only to repeat the trip on Friday (delayed a day because of a holiday on the previous week? really?), I picked up KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #156 and it was… okay. The whole of the Knights strips were devoted to Nitro’s simulation of D-Day — not bad, but not as good as normal. Hopefully in an issue or two they’ll leave GaryCon and head back to the tables and dice.
(For me, the highlight of the week had to be the now-annual hour-long CBS commercial that is the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Shameless plus: See my review (and photos, naturally) at http://thearmchaircritic.blogspot.com/ )
Hey, PAD! Just read Wolverine: First Class from last week, and it reminded me…what’s up with the book? It hasn’t been solicited in the last few months, and I don’t recall any sort of announcement about it being canceled.
Loved the issue too, good fun, and a pretty clever premise.
Thanks!
J
I dunno what to tell you. I was only contracted to write up to #21.
.
PAD
Iron Man 20 – Wow! I have every issue of Iron Man since about #78. This is at the very top of the list. This issue is Iron Man at it’s best — and this is with Tony basically all but dead! Oh well.
.
Here is what I appreciated: Matt Fraction has pulled together the story line since the Extremis “reboot” and created a character who is flawed yet still a hero (unlike how he has been portrayed in other places). Matt doesn’t have Tony suddenly change his mind about what he has done, yet he acknowledges the pain he has caused. By the end Matt redeemed the idiocy of much of the last few years.
.
This is not an action issue. It is virtually all talking heads telling a story — yet is gripping. (And it makes me want to see if Matt has written any novels.) The way he portrays the characters is spot on.
.
Iron Man rules! I hope Matt Fraction continues to write Iron Man for a very long time. And, like PAD, he is consistently on time. I don’t think any of his Iron Man issues have been late or delayed, unlike during the Extremis reboot. I realize that may have been because of the art, but it wasn’t worth it to wait that long for that short of a story.
.
Makes me hope the next Iron Man movie is even 10% as good as this book!
.
Iowa Jim
I have a pull list at my local comic shop so i usually end up getting there every 2-3 months or so. It helps me avoid impulse buys and just stick with the comics that i follow monthly. Here are the ones that i got that were my favs:
X-Factor 48,49,50
Really loving the title and the interconnectivity of the characters lives I think its working really well. And the thing that hit me with issue 50 is that for the most part X-Factor has been away from the rest of the marvel universe since the beginning. I’m excited that the book is getting to play with some of the Marvel big boy characters (Fantastic 4) and that it could definately offer a different perspective on Marvel’s first family.
Atomika
It doesn’t come out often, but I just love the unique premise of the title and the style. So unique. I mean who thinks of stuff like that. Russia creates a God with science to go out and kill all the other gods in the world to make mother russia proud. Crazy, but very cool!!!
Conclusion to Old Man Logan
Liked it. It’s like a whopper. You eat it enjoy the empty calories and its always exactly what you expect.
Marvels Project w. Angel
I’m loving that Marvel is going back to its roots and dealing with characters from the beginning of the company. Still waiting for the Twelve to finish up.
My best friend was with me (PAD you’d remember him as the guy who kept writing into Incredible Hulk wanting a Rick Jones trading card) and bought alot of DC’s blackest night as he’s on a DC binge currently.
I’m going to town tomorrow, so I should probably wait until then to answer, but…
I’ve got an old-fashioned mail subscription to Amazing Spider-Man (subscriptions DO still exist). I got it shortly after it went to three issues a month, because that’s the only way I can be sure to get every issue. Anyway, I hadn’t received an issue in nearly a month and I was starting to get worried, but this week I got the three most recent issues (but not in the proper order). I really liked the Deadpool story, although I hated the art (and the art on the back-up Black Cat story was much worse). I’d only read one Deadpool story before, and that was X-Force #2, long before Deadpool became Deadpool. When I started reading stuff about comic books a year or so ago, I couldn’t understand why people raved about him. Gradually, I heard stuff about what the character had turned into, but this is the first time I’d actually read a story.
I like silliness.
A few months back I had some extra money, so I subscribed to New Avengers and Uncanny X-Men as well. By coincidence I got both of those this week, too. I’m still not sure if those subscriptions were a good idea or not.
I might subscribe to Daredevil or X-Factor next. I’m still not sure.
Mary, this is typical of the postal service. Subscriptions are sent third class, I believe. Someone can correct that if they know differently. That means is there is other mail to deliver, the other mail gets priority. The subscriptions wait. I had this very problem with delivery of the weekly Comics Buyer’s Guide years ago. 3 issues arrived in the same week, and not in order.
.
Nothing can be done to fix this. CBG tried.
Most magazine subscriptions are sent second-class. I’ve had other subscriptions that tend to be more regular, so I don’t know if it is the Post Office’s fault.
Mary,
It’s rare that I usually loathe part of a book. I usually can find something positive to say. But I HATE the current art on “New Avengers”. looks beyond cartoony and nowhere near the epic scope the stories should have.
“X-Factor” is naturally a good read and “Daredevil” has been nothing short of amazing for a while now. Can’t go wrong with either of those, in my opinion.
I don’t see what’s so bad about the current art on New Avengers. It’s not great, but it’s a lot better than some of the art they’ve had before (Leinil Yu, for instance).
I did notice in the newest issue, though, that Iron Fist was in two places at the same time. I figure it was the artist’s fault.
still loving ultimate spider-man, Echo, Usagi Yojimbo and everything Blackest Night
Well, I hope you’re not upset with me, Peter. (Am I supposed to call you PAD? That just sounds weird.) I came very close to getting X-Factor #50 today, but I didn’t. I ended up getting Web Of Spider-Man #2, and I just couldn’t force myself to buy two four-dollar books. It’s hard enough buying one. (That’s why I subscribed to New Avengers and Uncanny X-Men. The subscription price is the same as other titles.) I might still get it the next time I’m there, or I might get #200. I promise I’ll try to get one of them at least.
The Hastings bookstore still has all those back issues for 99 cents, just like they did three weeks ago. I wasn’t expecting that. In fact, they seemed to have all the books I considered buying last time. I’m wondering if anybody else bought anything in all this time. I got some old Excaliburs and some X-Men, and I actually got an issue of Incredible Hercules (it says ‘second printing’ on it, but hey… it’s cheap, right?), so now I can finally see what the big deal is. I still have trouble believing that any book starring Hercules can be very good, but everyone insists that it is. I guess I’ll find out pretty soon.
If “Wolverine: First Class” is done, that is a shame. I was really enjoying the fin adventures that didn’t have to have buckets of blood and severed limbs to be entertaining, especially PAD’s. These are the types of books I wish there were more of and that I wish there was more publicity for.
Obviously, meant to type “fun” instead of “fin” in my previous post.
Not so obviously … I thought you meant “fine.”
.
Doesn’t change the meaning too much, and it certainly doesn’t make it a negative, but the calrification was nice.
Last week I picked up Essential X-Factor. But there was no stash post for the week before and that week I got something a lot more exciting to me: the latest Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe hardcover with a considerably expanded Spidey entry.
• 
My wife told me to not pick up anything from my pull list this month because it could be a possible Christmas gift for me, but with all the hooplah over “Fall of the Hulks: Alpha”, I snuck off and grabbed one anyway.
Outstanding issue.
Paul Pellitier’s art was fabulous!
Jeff Parker neatly (or as close to it as possible) tied up A LOT of loose threads and plotholes and weaved a very nice story. There’s a suitable replacement for Loeb when he leaves “Hulk”…
I was pleased with the recent batch of Avengers stuff. Nothing stellar, nothing horrible (although the Luke Cage thing is dragging on way too long for my taste). I continue to be disappointed with the “art” (tracing?) on Uncanny X-Men. If I weren’t such an overly dedicated X-Men fan I would have dropped it long ago. My problem, I know.
New Mutants 7 had the characters doing some strange dithering that came off as poor writing. “Hey let’s leave Cypher and go check in with Cyclops. OK, NOW let’s go back and get him when we could have done that in the first place!” REALLY?
The Deadpool story in the back of the X-Force annual was the first Deadpool story I’ve laughed at in a long time. Quite funny.
Blackest Night 5 (maybe from last week?) was the weakest chapter thus far, I think. The way Batman was used just struck me as lame.
After travelling into NYC from Nassau County, Long Island for the new releases on Wednesday only to repeat the trip on Friday (delayed a day because of a holiday on the previous week? really?), I picked up KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #156 and it was… okay. The whole of the Knights strips were devoted to Nitro’s simulation of D-Day — not bad, but not as good as normal. Hopefully in an issue or two they’ll leave GaryCon and head back to the tables and dice.
(For me, the highlight of the week had to be the now-annual hour-long CBS commercial that is the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Shameless plus: See my review (and photos, naturally) at http://thearmchaircritic.blogspot.com/ )
Hey, PAD! Just read Wolverine: First Class from last week, and it reminded me…what’s up with the book? It hasn’t been solicited in the last few months, and I don’t recall any sort of announcement about it being canceled.
Loved the issue too, good fun, and a pretty clever premise.
Thanks!
J
I dunno what to tell you. I was only contracted to write up to #21.
.
PAD
Iron Man 20 – Wow! I have every issue of Iron Man since about #78. This is at the very top of the list. This issue is Iron Man at it’s best — and this is with Tony basically all but dead! Oh well.
.
Here is what I appreciated: Matt Fraction has pulled together the story line since the Extremis “reboot” and created a character who is flawed yet still a hero (unlike how he has been portrayed in other places). Matt doesn’t have Tony suddenly change his mind about what he has done, yet he acknowledges the pain he has caused. By the end Matt redeemed the idiocy of much of the last few years.
.
This is not an action issue. It is virtually all talking heads telling a story — yet is gripping. (And it makes me want to see if Matt has written any novels.) The way he portrays the characters is spot on.
.
Iron Man rules! I hope Matt Fraction continues to write Iron Man for a very long time. And, like PAD, he is consistently on time. I don’t think any of his Iron Man issues have been late or delayed, unlike during the Extremis reboot. I realize that may have been because of the art, but it wasn’t worth it to wait that long for that short of a story.
.
Makes me hope the next Iron Man movie is even 10% as good as this book!
.
Iowa Jim
I have a pull list at my local comic shop so i usually end up getting there every 2-3 months or so. It helps me avoid impulse buys and just stick with the comics that i follow monthly. Here are the ones that i got that were my favs:
X-Factor 48,49,50
Really loving the title and the interconnectivity of the characters lives I think its working really well. And the thing that hit me with issue 50 is that for the most part X-Factor has been away from the rest of the marvel universe since the beginning. I’m excited that the book is getting to play with some of the Marvel big boy characters (Fantastic 4) and that it could definately offer a different perspective on Marvel’s first family.
Atomika
It doesn’t come out often, but I just love the unique premise of the title and the style. So unique. I mean who thinks of stuff like that. Russia creates a God with science to go out and kill all the other gods in the world to make mother russia proud. Crazy, but very cool!!!
Conclusion to Old Man Logan
Liked it. It’s like a whopper. You eat it enjoy the empty calories and its always exactly what you expect.
Marvels Project w. Angel
I’m loving that Marvel is going back to its roots and dealing with characters from the beginning of the company. Still waiting for the Twelve to finish up.
My best friend was with me (PAD you’d remember him as the guy who kept writing into Incredible Hulk wanting a Rick Jones trading card) and bought alot of DC’s blackest night as he’s on a DC binge currently.
I’m going to town tomorrow, so I should probably wait until then to answer, but…
I’ve got an old-fashioned mail subscription to Amazing Spider-Man (subscriptions DO still exist). I got it shortly after it went to three issues a month, because that’s the only way I can be sure to get every issue. Anyway, I hadn’t received an issue in nearly a month and I was starting to get worried, but this week I got the three most recent issues (but not in the proper order). I really liked the Deadpool story, although I hated the art (and the art on the back-up Black Cat story was much worse). I’d only read one Deadpool story before, and that was X-Force #2, long before Deadpool became Deadpool. When I started reading stuff about comic books a year or so ago, I couldn’t understand why people raved about him. Gradually, I heard stuff about what the character had turned into, but this is the first time I’d actually read a story.
I like silliness.
A few months back I had some extra money, so I subscribed to New Avengers and Uncanny X-Men as well. By coincidence I got both of those this week, too. I’m still not sure if those subscriptions were a good idea or not.
I might subscribe to Daredevil or X-Factor next. I’m still not sure.
Mary, this is typical of the postal service. Subscriptions are sent third class, I believe. Someone can correct that if they know differently. That means is there is other mail to deliver, the other mail gets priority. The subscriptions wait. I had this very problem with delivery of the weekly Comics Buyer’s Guide years ago. 3 issues arrived in the same week, and not in order.
.
Nothing can be done to fix this. CBG tried.
Most magazine subscriptions are sent second-class. I’ve had other subscriptions that tend to be more regular, so I don’t know if it is the Post Office’s fault.
Mary,
It’s rare that I usually loathe part of a book. I usually can find something positive to say. But I HATE the current art on “New Avengers”. looks beyond cartoony and nowhere near the epic scope the stories should have.
“X-Factor” is naturally a good read and “Daredevil” has been nothing short of amazing for a while now. Can’t go wrong with either of those, in my opinion.
I don’t see what’s so bad about the current art on New Avengers. It’s not great, but it’s a lot better than some of the art they’ve had before (Leinil Yu, for instance).
I did notice in the newest issue, though, that Iron Fist was in two places at the same time. I figure it was the artist’s fault.
still loving ultimate spider-man, Echo, Usagi Yojimbo and everything Blackest Night
Well, I hope you’re not upset with me, Peter. (Am I supposed to call you PAD? That just sounds weird.) I came very close to getting X-Factor #50 today, but I didn’t. I ended up getting Web Of Spider-Man #2, and I just couldn’t force myself to buy two four-dollar books. It’s hard enough buying one. (That’s why I subscribed to New Avengers and Uncanny X-Men. The subscription price is the same as other titles.) I might still get it the next time I’m there, or I might get #200. I promise I’ll try to get one of them at least.
The Hastings bookstore still has all those back issues for 99 cents, just like they did three weeks ago. I wasn’t expecting that. In fact, they seemed to have all the books I considered buying last time. I’m wondering if anybody else bought anything in all this time. I got some old Excaliburs and some X-Men, and I actually got an issue of Incredible Hercules (it says ‘second printing’ on it, but hey… it’s cheap, right?), so now I can finally see what the big deal is. I still have trouble believing that any book starring Hercules can be very good, but everyone insists that it is. I guess I’ll find out pretty soon.
If “Wolverine: First Class” is done, that is a shame. I was really enjoying the fin adventures that didn’t have to have buckets of blood and severed limbs to be entertaining, especially PAD’s. These are the types of books I wish there were more of and that I wish there was more publicity for.
Obviously, meant to type “fun” instead of “fin” in my previous post.
Not so obviously … I thought you meant “fine.”
.
Doesn’t change the meaning too much, and it certainly doesn’t make it a negative, but the calrification was nice.
Last week I picked up Essential X-Factor. But there was no stash post for the week before and that week I got something a lot more exciting to me: the latest Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe hardcover with a considerably expanded Spidey entry.