Comic Pull List Part 2: Wildstorm/Vertigo

Having covered DC Comics, it's time to move onto two of DC's imprints. This is going to be a fairly short post.

Wildstorm was founded by Jim Lee in 1992, and helped to form Image Comics. DC bought Wildstorm in 1999. Wildstorm mainly publishes superhero comics with different sort of vibe than mainstream superhero comics. They also publish titles not set in any continuity, stand-alone stories, or movie tie-ins like Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street. They also published a Supernatural prequel miniseries.

But I only get one title from Wildstorm.

Ex Machina - This is a stand alone series written by Brian K. Vaughn. The premise is that the only superhero in the world, after successfully saving one of the towers of the World Trade Center on September 11th, runs for mayor of New York City. And wins.

The hero is called The Great Machine and he has an awesome superpower. He can talk to machines. He can tell a gun to misfire, he can tell a video camera to shut off, and he can tell a plane to land on a freeway. But as mayor of New York, he's not a superhero anymore.

The book takes place during his term as mayor, but we get glimpses of his past as a superhero which helps him to make his decisions as mayor in the present. So yes, this book is mainly about politics, less about superheroes, and I love it. It's also a mature title so it's got all the profanity and violence and nudity one desires but it doesn't go overboard with it.

This is a smart book by one of my favorite writers with great artwork, and one I could easily recommend to a non-comic book reader.


That's it for Wildstorm. Hey, I said this would be short. On to Vertigo!


Vertigo Comics is DC Comics' mature-title imprint. It's also the imprint that published both V for Vendetta and Watchmen. There used to be a couple of titles set in the main DC universe, like Animal Man and Swamp Thing, but that is not the case anymore.

Y: The Last Man - I get this series in trade paperback format, only because I jumped into this series late and it fits nicely on my bookshelf. This series is also written by Brian K. Vaughn (love that guy!) and is about a man and his monkey. Seriously. Okay there's a lot more to it than that. Basically, something caused the male gender of every mammal on Earth to die, except for a man named Yorick and his pet monkey, Ampersand. What's a guy to do? Not what you expect, to be sure, and that's why I love this book.

Yorick wants to find his fiancee. But the world is an unsafe place for the last man on Earth. So the government, in the shape it's in right now, assigns Agent 355 to protect him, as they search for a way to save the human race.

This is another smart book that poses a lot of questions and brings up a lot of issues, just like Ex Machina. I could give the first trade to just about anyone and they'll be intrigued. Actually, the last issue is due to come out soon, bringing an end to a magnificent story.

DMZ - This comic takes place in the near future, during a civil war between the United States and the Free States of America, with Manhattan Island as a DMZ. It follows a young photojournalist as he documents the story unfolding between the front lines. This is a book that comments on the current state of the union, and the world, and the press, and terrorism. It's pretty depressing, but a good read.

Army @ Love - This is a satire book. Like, extreme satire. In the near future, the US Military is having trouble recruiting troops for their various wars across the globe. So they turn to the cooperations, and they decide to rebrand the war as a thrilling, sexy, adrenaline-filled experience for young people. It works. Recruitment is at an all-time high, but discipline is at an all-time low.

I'm on the fence about this book. It's funny, but for all the wrong reasons. Sex during a firefight? The military holding orgies to boost morale? I'm all for war being satired, but I'm not too sure what to make of this. I'll stick with it, just to see how far they go.


That's it for now. Next time, Marvel Comics!

Comic Pull List Part 1: DC Comics

First off, I want to say thanks to all of my friends who helped me get through some tough times. You guys are the best.

But now I think it's time to get back on track. I was going to list the TV shows I've been watching this season, but I'll save that for later since Mike and Paul both did that not too long ago. (I was gonna do it first, but ah well.) Instead, I'm going to list the comics I currently buy and read, and my reasoning for buying each one. It will be split into several parts: DC Comics, Marvel Comics, then independent comics. This will be long (that's what he said...ZOW!) so bear with me.

First up, DC Comics. I find myself buying more DC books than Marvel. I'll explain why when I get to Marvel.

Booster Gold - I usually like to save the best for last, but I enjoy this title so much that I need to tell you about it NOW. Some background may be necessary.

Michael Jon Carter was a failed football player-turned-museum janitor in the 25th century. Desperate to regain his fame and fortune, he stole some superhero gear from the museum and traveled back to the 20th century to become a superhero...for a profit. Taking the name Booster Gold, he would sign endorsement deals and advertise products while he was punching the bad guys or pulling cats out of trees. Eventually, he was invited to join the Justice League (not the one with Superman or Wonder Woman), but no one took him seriously. Except his best friend Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle. After Ted was killed by a former ally threatening all of the world's heroes in a huge conspiracy, Booster helped avenge his death and save the world. Then in 52, with the world believing Booster was an incompetent jerk, he saved the multiverse, but no one knew he did.

Which brings us to this new series. Basically, Booster Gold is recruited by Rip Hunter, whom he help in 52, to repair anomalies in the time stream. And since the world already believes Booster is an idiot, he's perfect for the job. No one can know he's doing this so his enemies won't go back in time (or forward in time) to kill him in his crib, undoing all the work he's done. He agrees to do this on one condition: Rip has to help Booster go back in time and save his best friend, the Blue Beetle.

This title works in so many ways. Booster shunning his greedy ways, being a real hero to save his best friend, and allowing no one to know about it, makes Booster a VERY likable character. The possibilities of storytelling are limitless, because he can go anywhere in the DC Comics timeline. Already he's encountered Sinestro when he was still a Green Lantern and Jonah Hex in the old west. And on top of that, it's action packed, dramatic, and funny! What more could you want in a comic book? Oh, and it's being penciled by Booster Gold's creator, Dan Jurgens. Solid work here, and my favorite title being published right now.

Superman titles (Action Comics, Superman, Superman/Batman, and Superman Confidential) - I really don't think I need to explain my reasoning for buying these. But I'll mention a few things. Action Comics is being co-written off and on by Richard Donner, the director of the first two Superman movies. Naturally, he brought General Zod with him. Superman is written by Kurt Busiek, and he's doing a fine job. Superman/Batman is a team-up book, but seems to be lacking direction so I may stop reading it. Same goes with Superman Confidential, a book about the "untold" stories of Superman's past. I don't read Supergirl because she gets on my nerves.

Batman/Detective Comics - Batman can get so monotonous. Villain escapes from jail, villain causes chaos throughout Gotham, Batman fights villain, Batman throws villain back in jail. Repeat. But Batman is currently being written by Grant Morrison, and I loved his work on X-Men, so I'm reading this because of the new spin he puts on things. Detective Comics is being written by Paul Dini, one of the guys responsible for Batman: The Animated Series, which is my favorite interpretation of Batman. Also, there's actually, you know, detective work involved! Go figure.

Nightwing - One could call this a Batman title but it's really not. I've always had a soft spot for Dick Grayson so it's great to see him as his own hero apart from Batman. This former Robin is one of the few old-school characters to have a significant change in his life. The title itself could use some work (an immortal bride and groom sucking the youth out of people? Please..) but I have faith.

Justice League of America - Naturally. Good, sometimes cheesecake art and written by Dwayne McDuffie, one of the architects of Justice League Unlimited. Fairly standard stuff but enjoyable nonetheless.

Justice Society of America - If the Justice League is a team, the Justice Society is a family. I'm actually liking this better than the Justice League right now. It's good to see heroes being so ...friendly. The older generation of heroes like the original Flash and Green Lantern teamed with new rookie heroes to set the example, it's heart-warming. Good stuff.

All-Star Superman - I didn't list this one with the other Superman titles for a reason. This book is really REALLY good. Written by Grant Morrison (see Batman above), each issue is a done in one story that blends the fun of the Silver Age with the sensibilities and drama of the Modern Age. This book is in it's own continuity so it can do whatever it wants. It's about what makes the character of Superman great. It's only published once every three months but it's okay with me because the art is gorgeous and each issue reminds me of why I love comics.

As a side note, the other All-Star title, All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, is the biggest piece of shit that's not actually real shit I have ever laid my eyes on. Frank Miller writes it, and so what if he's written some good Batman comics in the past, and has a few successful movies like Sin City and 300? This comic is freaking dreadful. While All-Star Superman exemplifies everything I like about Superman, All-Star Batman just gives me reasons to REALLY HATE Batman. Frank Miller can shit out a bunch of diarrhea, but it doesn't mean I have to eat it.


Crime Bible: The Five Lessons of Blood - This is actually a spin-off miniseries of 52. It stars the new Question, detective Renee Montoya, who made her debut in Batman: The Animated Series. The original Question died, but before he did he took Renee in as a pupil, so she could fill his shoes. This is good noir stuff, like a good pulp comic of old. Also, she's a lesbian, but that has no bearing on why I read the comic. Just throwing that out there.

Countdown to Adventure - The title leads you to believe this book ties into DC's big crossover event, Countdown (more on that later) but it really doesn't. It's more like another spin-off miniseries of 52, starring the "space heroes" of the book, Animal Man, Starfire, and Adam Strange. It's good adventurous fun with nice art. (The book also has back-up strips that do tie into Countdown, but they suck, so I'm ignoring it)


Green Lantern - This title is the bomb. A solid superhero comic with plenty of action and a few character moments. There are a lot of Green Lanterns, but this title mainly follows Hal Jordan, the most well known of the GLs, and his partner, John Stewart, who was brought back in the spotlight after the Justice League cartoon. It's sister title, Green Lantern Corps, shows us how the Corps works and is also a solid title. Currently the two titles are in a storyline called The Sinestro Corps War and it's quite possibly my favorite crossover of the year.

Countdown to Final Crisis - And then there's this. This is the reason I had to tell you all about 52 in a previous post, because it's hard not to compare Countdown to 52. The first issue was even numbered #51! (Followed by #50, then #49, and so on...) After the success of 52, DC Comics wanted to follow up with another weekly series. But unlike 52, which had it's own playground in which it can do whatever it wants, Countdown ties into a bunch of other titles. And it stars characters I really don't care about. Jimmy Olsen? Pied Piper? Harley Quinn out of costume? The Monitors? Monarch? Ugh. Also, nothing much happens in each issue. At least, nothing much SEEMS to happen. The title does show promise once in a while, especially the story following Donna Troy, Kyle Rayner and the formally dead Robin, Jason Todd. But if there is a point to the storyline, it's taking forever to get there. If I don't like it, why am I getting it, you ask? Because I'm a sucker for big events. It' s counting down to SOMETHING big, and I don't want to be confused when it 's here. It could be a lot better, and I expected more out of head writer Paul Dini.


The following books I get in a collected trade paperback format, which are about 6 issues a book. Because I like the titles, but can wait to read it:

Blue Beetle - This follows the third Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes (Ted Kord was the second). It reminds me of the fun of reading a young Spider-man, a hero learning to be a hero. And that costume rocks.

Teen Titans - Good superhero team book.


I think that's enough for now. Thanks for reading this far! Next time I'll go over Wildstorm and Vertigo titles, publishing imprints of DC. I don't think it would fit with the titles listed here. I wouldn't want to confuse you...