Comic Pull List Part 4: Independent Comics

St. Me Day is just winding down so what do I decide to do? Finally finish my comic pull list posts! It's been a long time coming so when I finish this I can get back to what really pulls you guys in to read this thing.

Anyway, comics not published by Marvel and DC may not be as popular, but there are some hidden gems among them. I only recently got into these after I started working at a comic store, being more aware of them. Here are the ones I currently read.

Gargoyles published by Slave Labor Graphics: I know what you're thinking. "Gargoyles? That Disney Cartoon from the 90s?" Yep. This is the official continuation of the series. Season Three, if you will. The series starts right after the end of Season Two, and ignores The Goliath Chronicles completely. It's written by Greg Weisman, the creator of the series, and carries on the series as he originally intended. With storylines involving Thailog, The Quarrymen, the Illuminati, and Goliath and Elisa's relationship, this is a must read for any Gargoyles fan. The only thing that annoys me is that the series is bimonthly. I want to read it more often! The first trade was recently released, so I suggest checking it out. As a side note, a spin-off miniseries, Gargoyles: Bad Guys, is also being published. It follows several "bad guys" from the series, like Dingo, Matrix, and others, and is again written by Greg Weisman.

Walking Dead published by Image Comics: For those of you who like zombie stories, this one is for you. Written by Robert Kirkman, it's an ongoing zombie survival horror comic. It follows a group of people in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. What's interesting about it is, the zombies aren't the real threat of the comic. The real danger are the other survivors in this zombie filled world. The book is more about relationships and human emotion than it is about the walking dead, and that's what I like about it. That, and you have NO IDEA what's going to happen next. The writer plans on sticking around for quite a while, so I don't see any end in sight for now. Pick up the first trade, and you'll be hooked. Guaranteed.

Hero by Night published by Platinum Studios: This is a nice superhero title written and illustrated by D J Coffman. It's about a guy whose father makes him the landlord of a down-trodden apartment building, and finds the secret lair of a superhero from long ago. His first idea was to make a fortune selling this old stuff but what he didn't count on was the old hero's arch nemesis still being alive! This title is just good plain fun, and there's just not enough of it in today's comics.

Black Summer published by Avatar Comics: This is a weird but compelling miniseries. What if the biggest superhero in the world finally took matters into his own hands and killed the President of the United States and his Cabinet for crimes against the world? And what happens to those other superheroes he fought with for years? Written by Warren Ellis, it's more than a political commentary, it's balls-out action and thrills.

Megas published by Virgin Comics: This miniseries is written by the guy who directed Terminator 3 and U-571, as part of Virgin Comics' Directors Cut line of comics. What if the founding fathers of the US didn't create a democracy, but instead founded a monarchy? It's an interesting idea, and this series deals with a murder that must be solved in this alternate present. I think what I like most about the series is the strikingly white hair of the Megas, that is, those with power and linked to the monarchy. Look it up, you may be surprised.

Drafted published by Devil's Due Publishing: In this ongoing series written by Mark Powers, the human race is drafted into an interplanetary war between two alien races. Okay, it may sound cheesy, but it's really really good. It's less about the aliens than it is about the relationships drawn between people who are suddenly on even ground again. What happens to a President who no longer has any hold over people? Or a doctor who was cured of cancer only to fight in a deadly war? Or an Israeli forced to fight alongside a Palestinian?

Those are the main independent comics I pick up. I'll occasionally pick up a miniseries or graphic novel, but those are better left for individual posts. What I like about independent comics is that there's a lot of talent there that no one knows about. And If I ever publish my own graphic novel or comic or whatever, it will be through one of those publishers, or my own company. There's good things out there if you look hard enough.

Now that I finally finished my pull list, I can get back to writing about other things. I hope you enjoyed my reasoning into buying the comics I do. And again, if you have any questions about any of these books, feel free to ask me.

Out.

Comic Pull List Part 3: Marvel Comics

I've been a little preoccupied lately, which is the reason for the late posting of this long overdue Part 3. Between the holidays and weddings and Rock Band and everything like such as, I found it hard to find the time to sit down and type up a post that I really don't think too many people I know are interested in. But whatever, I said I'd do it so I'm doing it.

*My rant on the first entry ran a little long, so I'm breezing through the rest. You want more info about a title, ask me*

Amazing Spider-man - No doubt many of you have heard about the controversy about a recent storyline in the Spider-Man titles. Spider-man is no longer married to Mary Jane Watson. It's not so much the fact that Spider-man is single again that angers people. He didn't get a divorce and Mary Jane didn't die. Rather, Spider-man made a deal with the devil to save his dying Aunt May. Yes, you've read right. The "every-man" of Marvel Comics made a deal with the devil.

I have a problem with this for several reasons, but one of the biggest ones is that it doesn't ring true. Spider-man, or Peter Parker, is one of the smartest men in the Marvel Universe. For him to make a deal with the devil is stupid, because he'd have to know there was a catch. And there was. Also, Aunt May is old. She's lived a full life and most of you are already saying to yourself, "Didn't she die already?" The answer is yes, she did. For Peter to throw away a happy potentially life-long marriage so his Aunt May could live a few more years is just bad logic. It's not an even trade-off in the slightest. So why would he make a decision like that?? It's not true to the character of Peter Parker and it certainly doesn't bode well for your flagship character making deals with the devil.

And the best part? They're not just not married anymore. They never were. That's right, everyone conveniently forgot that Spider-man was ever married. Even Peter and Mary Jane themselves. I wish that was all I hate about it. The editors, Joe Quesada in particular, as it was him pushing for this, decided to change MORE things. Things not even related to the marriage.

-Peter no longer has organic webs like in the movies, so he's back to using mechanical webshooters. So that storyline that gave him the organic webs? Never happened. Go rip up your back issues, they don't matter. Was this part of the deal? No, but what the hell?

-The new powers Spider-man got over the years? He never got them. That four month storyline that encompassed 16 issues? Put them in the shredder, never happened.

-Remember when Peter revealed his secret identity on national TV during Civil War, a year ago, that brought all that real-life media attention? Well he still did it, but, um, no one remembers who was under the mask, just that he unmasked. WHAT??? Now that just makes no sense whatsoever. People are going to remember something like that, and if it was on TV, there are tapes. So take that issue of Civil War and rub your genitalia on it, it's neutered and worthless.

-Aunt May doesn't know Peter is Spider-man anymore. Take that issue and, I don't know, donate it. Oh, and he lives with her again.

-Harry Osbourne is alive. He died in the 90s. He's back. For NO reason. Turns out he was in Europe all this time. Right.... I guess he was crowding up Hell so the devil threw him in the deal. That issue where he CLEARLY died, take it and make a paper mache goblin out of it.

Does all this sound familiar? If so, that's because that's how Spider-man was over 20 years ago. Yes, they reset Spider-man's status quo back over TWENTY YEARS. Way to progress, Quesada. Not only is that annoying on it's own, but how does this effect the rest of the Marvel Universe? God only knows! Continuity is important, but Quesada just blew it all to Hell. Maybe the devil can bring it back!

What also angers me is the way it was handled. The writer wanted his name taken off the issues in question, because "It's magic, it doesn't have to be explained" was not good enough for him. If the writer of the book for the last six years doesn't like it, it must be shit. Also, was there really a need to undo the marriage anyway? It may be a writing crutch, makes Spider-man unrelatable and what not, but if that's the case, get better writers. Also, there are two ongoing books out right now that have an unmarried Spider-man, and they're doing just fine. What's the problem?

So with all that, I shouldn't even be picking up this book in protest. But I am, because I suck.

The book is shipping three times a month now, so there's only one Spider-man book (not counting miniseries and specials) on the shelves to keep track of. I think it's a neat idea. And it's got some top-notch talent on board. So I'm reluctantly keeping this book, but I wonder how the people who read Spider-man twenty years ago feel about the book now. Been there, done that?

Astonishing X-Men - This, on the other hand, is the best book Marvel is publishing right now. It's a shame it only ships every three months or so. You've heard me gush about this title many times before so I'll keep it brief. Great writing and gorgeous art makes this title a win. It also establishes Cyclops' new and improved character. Must read, for anyone, even if you don't know much about the X-Men.

Punisher - This is published under Marvel's mature imprint so it has all the violence and cursing you want out of a Punisher comic. It's also written by one of my favorite writers, Garth Ennis. He kills bad guys, and that's awesome. You don't see any other Marvel heroes or villians in this one, it's in a world all it's own.

Punisher War Journal - The lighter side of the Punisher. This one is not a mature title, it's more centered in the Marvel Universe proper so other heroes appear. The Punisher still goes after the villains though. Smart writing with a little bit of black humor make this title a keeper.

Avengers Initiative - Want to know how things are done after Civil War, and not centered on the main heroes of the Marvel Universe, but on second and third stringers? Then this title is for you. It's probably the most important title in the Marvel U that no one is reading. The art is stylish and the writing keeps you in suspense, but has fun with the title too. More titles should be like this one.

Mighty Avengers - I started picking up this title because of the artist, Frank Cho. He's an Elkridge, MD native and he knows how to draw beautiful full-figured women. But now that he's off the title I'm not sure if I'll keep picking this up. Basically it follows Iron Man's hand-picked team of Avengers after Civil War.

New Avengers - And this is their counterparts. This book follows the heroes who fought Iron Man during Civil War and refuse to obey Iron Man's orders. I pick this up in trade format because I was late in the game due to protesting the idea of Wolverine in yet another book.

X-Men titles - No explaination needed. Good stuff going on right now. Cyclops kicks ass. Google "Messiah Complex"

I think that's it. I mentioned before that I pick up more DC Comics titles than Marvel titles. Why? Because DC Comics' books are fun. Marvel, on the other hand, makes me want to kill myself because a majority of their books are so depressing. Stop writing stories about death, betrayal, extinction, devils, and drugs. Stop making your art so dark and dreary. Use some color for cripe's sake.

That's it for now. The final part of the Comic Pull List covers the independent titles, and that's the one I'm looking forward to.

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...