Super Science and The Eight Year Commitment
The Pull List:
Batman Annual #1 - DC
Animal Man Annual #1 - DC
The Walking Dead #98 - Image
Also Read:
America's Got Powers #2 - Image
The Manhattan Projects #1-3 - Image
Ravagers #1 - DC
Green River Killer: A True Detective Story - Dark Horse
A couple of quick notes before I dive into this weeks readings. I made the comment last week that Marvel and DC were trying to make June a very gay month. I then realized that June is Pride month, which means that the big two are probably pandering just a bit. I'm actually curious if they planned that all out in advance. It also looks as though my prediction on DC's new gay character is spot on with the golden age Green Lantern, Alan Scott coming out next month in James Robinson's Earth 2 #2. So next week we should have confirmation of that.
The second thing, you all saw correctly, there are no Marvel books at all this week. Not only didn't they get any dollars, but they also didn't get any of my attention. Admittedly, this was a fifth Wednesday, which traditionally has very few releases, but the only thing that really struck my attention was the new Wolverine and the X-Men. This is a great title and the writing and art have been top notch, but I haven't read the last two issues yet, they have all been Avengers VS. X-Men tie ins, so I skipped this one as well. I know this is beating a dead horse here, but the sooner this crossover is done, the better. Anyway, enough notes, we need to get into the books that I actually read this week.
Knowing that this would probably be a light week, I decided to catch up on some comics that I haven't been able to get around to. I specifically wanted to get outside of the superhero genre, and that meant reading The Manhattan Projects. The Manhattan Projects falls into what I call the Super Science genre of comics. This is a genre that focuses on the fringes of scientific theory being a reality. Warren Ellis is kind of the father of this stuff. The Manhattan Projects look at the actual Manhattan Project, the group of scientists that invented the atomic bomb, and supposes the idea that the bomb was actually a cover, they were working on things far crazier. Einstein is locked in a room staring at a strange obelisk and Oppenheimer is fighting robots pouring through a Japanese death buddhist teleportation gate. I just love this stuff. I think the term I learned for it in school was Histiographic Metafiction, but Super Science works for me. I also love a book that makes me go to the internet to find out how much is factual. This is the type of comic that gets me asking odd out of context questions to my girlfriend (who is much more science minded than I am).
"Amanda, How much do you know about Oppenheimer?"
"Not much."
"Do you know if he had a serial killer twin brother?"
"What?"
And off I go to the internet. Added bonus, she puts up with these questions.
The Manhattan Projects is three issues in and I can't wait to see where it is going.
Though speaking of serial killers, Green River Killer is both an interesting take and perspective on the true crime story. Jeff Jensen, the writer, is the son of the main investigator who spent most of his career trying to catch the killer who murdered over 48 women in the Seattle area. Jensen offers certain levels of depth with his dad being a primary source of information. However, you don't get the fine tooth comb examination of who the serial killer is and why he did it, this looks more at the rot that emanates from his actions and how they effect the people who have to deal with what he leaves behind. There is a poignant moment when Jensen's mom admits that finding out the Green River Killer was married at the same chapel that she and her husband has some how tainted her wedding day. Jensen captures a vibe that is creepy and scary even though the killer isn't usually present in panel for the majority of the book. Why are serial killers so fascinating? Documentaries, books, we really do spend a fair amount of time looking at these people. Green River Killer, in it's own way, looks at the odd obsession, the needing-to-know-why that they stir in us. At the end of years of trying to put closure to these deaths, Jensen's dad asks that very question, but the answer isn't satisfying, but I don't think it ever could be. What answer could they give us that would makes us happy or feel safe at night?
On a lighter note, this week we have the second issue of Jonathan Ross' America's Got Talent. Okay, maybe not that much lighter. The basic story is that one day a crystal drops out of the sky into San Francisco and causes every pregnant woman in the bay area to give birth simultaneously, without complication, and all the children develop superpowers. The story doesn't stay that simple, pretty soon the government gets envolved, riots ensue, and the kids are put in a special camp and encouraged to battle on live tv for a spot on the government sanctioned superteam. At the end of the first issue I thought I had the direction of the story already figured out, but Ross yanked things in a different direction. I'll be honest, the main reason I started picking up this book was because of Ross. Ross is probably best know for his work as a friday night talk show host on the BBC, his wife is also the producer on such comic oriented films as Kick Ass and X-Men: First Class. Ross has actually been called the British king of comics, a title I hope to usurp from him in the near future (Sorry Jonathan, I just need to do it.), and since he has started to write comics (His previous mini series was the alien gangster series Turf) I've been interested to see what he is doing. Well, I came to the comic to learn about my nemesis, and left with a pretty engaging comic.
I do realize that there is a certain percentage of the people who will probably be reading this that are fans of The Walking Dead, so I'm going to avoid talking about any specifics of this issue, no hints at who is dead and who isn't. What I will say is that Kirkman is still writing one of the best comics, period. The thing that really did strike me with this issue though, was the reminder that issue 100 will be hitting stores the same time as San Diego Comic Con in July. That is a lot of issues, and a lot of time I have committed to a single series. I tried to do the math this morning while I was in the shower (I seem to be able to do math better there) and realized I've been reading The Walking Dead for almost 8 years. I dont' say this in the hipster "I was into it way before you" sort of way. I don't want anyone to feel belittled or deterred from trying to start the series because of the popular tv show or a recommendation, come on board, stay spoiler free, it is a wonderful series. What I am getting at is the fact that my relationship with The Walking Dead and its characters has lasted longer than any dating relationship I've ever had (and is probably more intimate than a couple I can name). This realization made me think about the other series I have had long commitments to: Y: The Last Man and DMZ. It just goes to prove, give me an incredible writer, great artist, and a killer complete story, and you have a fan for at least half a decade. Now, for those of you not reading this series: Why the hell not? It is really great and worth every minute you put into it. I look back at all the time I've put into this series and do not regret a single bit of it (Again, can't say that about a couple of relationships I've been in. Totally should have dumped one of them for The Walking Dead. Is that legal in Utah?).
The Ravagers will not be one of those series, by the way. With the new relaunch over at DC, they broke down a lot of their titles into sub groups. There's the Superman family books, Batman books, and some interesting ones like, The Dark, or Young Justice. I have been reading lots of The Dark titles, but have had no interest in the Young Justice stuff, so I thought I would try with this new number one. And next month I will still be reading no Young Justice. I couldn't really get into the story and all I really walked away with was the thought "Man, there are a lot of boobs in this book." and by boobs I mean cleavage, and by a lot I mean enough to choke a musk ox, I mean, welcome to my dissertation, but not in the good way.
I actually wasn't expecting Batman and Animal Man this week, but the annuals were a big surprise. If you haven't been following Animal Man or Swamp Thing that particular annual won't make much sense to you, but, as I said last week, Lemire is amazing and this will lead into the crossover between Animal Man and Swamp Thing (See, I'm not completely filled with crossover hate.). The Batman book does tie, very loosely I should note, into the Night of the Owls thing going on in the Bat books, but you can enjoy it without having read that stuff. It's actually a look at the new version of Mr. Freeze, and I love it. One thing that the relaunch has done really well is depth with villains (side note: in my studies I have to write the word villains a lot, so why do I always initially misspell it? It's A before I damn it!). I've always enjoyed a good villain: Darth Vader, The Governor, the Aliens, and DC is finally giving me that in spades. One of their first miniseries was Penguin: Pain and Prejudice that made the Penguin as a character scary that only Danny Devito had done for my young mind. Scott Snyder does this with Mr. Freeze here as well. I should just point out right now though, Scott Snyder is my hero. He has officially taken his place on my hero mantel next to my dad, Hawkeye Pierce, Neil Gaiman, and Batman himself. The guy is a creative writer, an English teacher, and now writes great Batman comics. I mean, come on. Scott, if you're ever in the Utah area, please let me know, I would really like to take you out to dinner. Not in an awkward way...well, the first five minutes will be awkward, but I think that is printed in my DNA (This offer is also good for Mr. Ross, nemesis or not).
I should give you all a heads up, next week may be interesting. Next week is the official beginning of DC's summer event Before Watchmen. For those of you that don't know, DC is publishing some series about the characters from Alan Moore's Watchmen that take place before that seminal work. I still don't know how I necessarily feel about this, but I feel obligated to at least check some of it out, and that may occupy a lot of my reading and critical thinking time. So, be warned.
Batman Annual #1 - DC
Animal Man Annual #1 - DC
The Walking Dead #98 - Image
Also Read:
America's Got Powers #2 - Image
The Manhattan Projects #1-3 - Image
Ravagers #1 - DC
Green River Killer: A True Detective Story - Dark Horse
A couple of quick notes before I dive into this weeks readings. I made the comment last week that Marvel and DC were trying to make June a very gay month. I then realized that June is Pride month, which means that the big two are probably pandering just a bit. I'm actually curious if they planned that all out in advance. It also looks as though my prediction on DC's new gay character is spot on with the golden age Green Lantern, Alan Scott coming out next month in James Robinson's Earth 2 #2. So next week we should have confirmation of that.The second thing, you all saw correctly, there are no Marvel books at all this week. Not only didn't they get any dollars, but they also didn't get any of my attention. Admittedly, this was a fifth Wednesday, which traditionally has very few releases, but the only thing that really struck my attention was the new Wolverine and the X-Men. This is a great title and the writing and art have been top notch, but I haven't read the last two issues yet, they have all been Avengers VS. X-Men tie ins, so I skipped this one as well. I know this is beating a dead horse here, but the sooner this crossover is done, the better. Anyway, enough notes, we need to get into the books that I actually read this week.
"Amanda, How much do you know about Oppenheimer?"
"Not much."
"Do you know if he had a serial killer twin brother?"
"What?"
And off I go to the internet. Added bonus, she puts up with these questions.
The Manhattan Projects is three issues in and I can't wait to see where it is going.
Though speaking of serial killers, Green River Killer is both an interesting take and perspective on the true crime story. Jeff Jensen, the writer, is the son of the main investigator who spent most of his career trying to catch the killer who murdered over 48 women in the Seattle area. Jensen offers certain levels of depth with his dad being a primary source of information. However, you don't get the fine tooth comb examination of who the serial killer is and why he did it, this looks more at the rot that emanates from his actions and how they effect the people who have to deal with what he leaves behind. There is a poignant moment when Jensen's mom admits that finding out the Green River Killer was married at the same chapel that she and her husband has some how tainted her wedding day. Jensen captures a vibe that is creepy and scary even though the killer isn't usually present in panel for the majority of the book. Why are serial killers so fascinating? Documentaries, books, we really do spend a fair amount of time looking at these people. Green River Killer, in it's own way, looks at the odd obsession, the needing-to-know-why that they stir in us. At the end of years of trying to put closure to these deaths, Jensen's dad asks that very question, but the answer isn't satisfying, but I don't think it ever could be. What answer could they give us that would makes us happy or feel safe at night?
I do realize that there is a certain percentage of the people who will probably be reading this that are fans of The Walking Dead, so I'm going to avoid talking about any specifics of this issue, no hints at who is dead and who isn't. What I will say is that Kirkman is still writing one of the best comics, period. The thing that really did strike me with this issue though, was the reminder that issue 100 will be hitting stores the same time as San Diego Comic Con in July. That is a lot of issues, and a lot of time I have committed to a single series. I tried to do the math this morning while I was in the shower (I seem to be able to do math better there) and realized I've been reading The Walking Dead for almost 8 years. I dont' say this in the hipster "I was into it way before you" sort of way. I don't want anyone to feel belittled or deterred from trying to start the series because of the popular tv show or a recommendation, come on board, stay spoiler free, it is a wonderful series. What I am getting at is the fact that my relationship with The Walking Dead and its characters has lasted longer than any dating relationship I've ever had (and is probably more intimate than a couple I can name). This realization made me think about the other series I have had long commitments to: Y: The Last Man and DMZ. It just goes to prove, give me an incredible writer, great artist, and a killer complete story, and you have a fan for at least half a decade. Now, for those of you not reading this series: Why the hell not? It is really great and worth every minute you put into it. I look back at all the time I've put into this series and do not regret a single bit of it (Again, can't say that about a couple of relationships I've been in. Totally should have dumped one of them for The Walking Dead. Is that legal in Utah?).The Ravagers will not be one of those series, by the way. With the new relaunch over at DC, they broke down a lot of their titles into sub groups. There's the Superman family books, Batman books, and some interesting ones like, The Dark, or Young Justice. I have been reading lots of The Dark titles, but have had no interest in the Young Justice stuff, so I thought I would try with this new number one. And next month I will still be reading no Young Justice. I couldn't really get into the story and all I really walked away with was the thought "Man, there are a lot of boobs in this book." and by boobs I mean cleavage, and by a lot I mean enough to choke a musk ox, I mean, welcome to my dissertation, but not in the good way.
I actually wasn't expecting Batman and Animal Man this week, but the annuals were a big surprise. If you haven't been following Animal Man or Swamp Thing that particular annual won't make much sense to you, but, as I said last week, Lemire is amazing and this will lead into the crossover between Animal Man and Swamp Thing (See, I'm not completely filled with crossover hate.). The Batman book does tie, very loosely I should note, into the Night of the Owls thing going on in the Bat books, but you can enjoy it without having read that stuff. It's actually a look at the new version of Mr. Freeze, and I love it. One thing that the relaunch has done really well is depth with villains (side note: in my studies I have to write the word villains a lot, so why do I always initially misspell it? It's A before I damn it!). I've always enjoyed a good villain: Darth Vader, The Governor, the Aliens, and DC is finally giving me that in spades. One of their first miniseries was Penguin: Pain and Prejudice that made the Penguin as a character scary that only Danny Devito had done for my young mind. Scott Snyder does this with Mr. Freeze here as well. I should just point out right now though, Scott Snyder is my hero. He has officially taken his place on my hero mantel next to my dad, Hawkeye Pierce, Neil Gaiman, and Batman himself. The guy is a creative writer, an English teacher, and now writes great Batman comics. I mean, come on. Scott, if you're ever in the Utah area, please let me know, I would really like to take you out to dinner. Not in an awkward way...well, the first five minutes will be awkward, but I think that is printed in my DNA (This offer is also good for Mr. Ross, nemesis or not).
I should give you all a heads up, next week may be interesting. Next week is the official beginning of DC's summer event Before Watchmen. For those of you that don't know, DC is publishing some series about the characters from Alan Moore's Watchmen that take place before that seminal work. I still don't know how I necessarily feel about this, but I feel obligated to at least check some of it out, and that may occupy a lot of my reading and critical thinking time. So, be warned.
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