Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

👎 – Skip, read at your own risk
👌 – Okay, not great, not bad, you might find something to like here
💪 – Great, highly recommended

A lot of great reads this past week, most of which weren’t from the big 2 publishers.

DC

DC’s Rebirth takes a week off but we did see the continuation of Action Comics and Detective Comics, as well as #1’s of Aquaman, The Flash, and Wonder Woman. All these stories are solid but none of them have earned must-read status.

👌 Action Comics #958
This is perhaps the most intimidating book if you are new to the DC Universe. We have a new Superman, a Lex Luthor Superman, and a Clark Kent who apparently isn’t a Superman. However, not a lot of that matters this issue because it’s mostly one great big battle with Doomsday!

👎 Detective Comics #935
In my opinion, this is the least interesting of DC’s new offerings. This book in particular starts out with something super exciting but then pulls the carpet out from beneath us and leaves us with a relatively uninteresting story that is struggling to find any identity.

👌 Aquaman #1
This may be my favourite of DC’s releases this week. Walker’s art on this is stellar. I was worried an Aquaman title could get weighed down by too much politics but so far Abnett is balancing the politics with equal parts action. The action sequences at the end of this issue were gorgeous, as the characters battle isn’t separated by panels but by the way the water flows.

👌 The Flash #1
This may also be my favourite of DC’s releases this week, I just can’t decide! Williamson is really focusing on the theme of despite the Flash’s speed, he isn’t able to be everywhere at once, and therefore can’t help everyone. For me this premise is interesting enough to explore for a few issues, but much like last week’s Batman #1, this book takes a twist at the end that leaves me wondering what the heck is going to happen next!

👎 Wonder Woman #1
It may not be a popular opinion but for whatever reason, this book just hasn’t worked for me yet. I don’t think it’s any fault of the creators, Rucka and Sharp, I think it’s just my unfamiliarity with the character of Wonder Woman. There are times during this issue where I feel completely lost and the story isn’t interesting enough to drive me to do any further research.

Marvel

More Civil Snore…

👎 Captain America – Sam Wilson #10
Another title that I read because of the Civil War II stamp on it, another title that I’m let down by. Aside from Rhode’s funeral, I’m unsure how this ties in at all. Don’t spend your time reading Spencer’s Marvel stuff, checkout The Fix instead!

👎 Civil War II – Choosing Sides #1
This book isn’t worth your money. I don’t have anything else to say.

💪 Power Man and Iron Fist #5
Is it any coincidence that one of Marvel’s only books that isn’t a part of Civil War II is awesome? The fifth issue serves as more of a transition from the last arc to the next one. If you didn’t read this issue, you wouldn’t miss much but there are enough laughs in here to make it worth while.

Archie Comics

💪 Archie #9
If a comic book has Mark Waid’s name on it, you ain’t going to regret reading it. I’ve discussed how great Archie is in previous Weekly Reads and the series continues to gain momentum. Archie Comics is doing such a great job with it’s IP right now, I don’t think they’re making anything that isn’t awesome!

Dark Horse

💪 Dept. H #3
Another title I’ve gushed over previously. The comic is as good as ever. This is a must read if you’re looking for a non superhero comic. Instead of gushing over the issue, I’ll talk about how awesome of a moment it was to see Cullen Bunn (writer of Harrow County, Uncanny X-Men) wrote into the letter page. Note: I only read the letter page of books that I love. Guys, what else do I have to say, this book is a must read! Matt’s writing is awesome, his love for comics comes through the pages, Sharlene’s watercolours are unlike anything else I’ve seen in comics. Love, love, love this book!

BOOM! Studios

💪 Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers #4
This series is better than I ever could have imagined. Perhaps I shouldn’t be giving it strong status because if you aren’t a Power Rangers fan this might not be up your alley, but I think you’d be surprised. Sure, this is a Power Rangers story but the themes of team building, trust, insecurity are something anyone can relate to. If you’re a Power Rangers fan, this book is a no brainer, if not, I think you still might be able to find something to love here.