365 Comics...142: Godzilla: The Half-Century War tpb (2013)

I will have a longer, more formal review of this ready for tomorrow's Thor's Comic Column (next week at latest) but I had to just say ''wow" over this, because... wow.

I'm not a die hard Gojira buff but I, like most nerds, have a soft spot for the king of all monsters... and as much as I enjoy him in a silly way it's always great to see him used well in a serious context and as a serious threat.

This book I can only hope is the template for Pacific Rim (yes I'm aware the production timelines overlap and that they're definitely independent productions) since James Stokoe provides jaw dropping imagery of kaiju rampages and giant robots fighting them.  It's not the sole focus of the book but its plenty awesome.

This is way up there as one of the best Godzilla stories I have read/watched... it transcends most of the films for sure.

365 Comics...141: Batman Incorporated #11 (2013)

This is one of those old-timey "gotcha" filler issues the publishers put out because they know most of the readers will buy it anyway... whether it's because they're completists or because they're not paying attention they know it's going to sell, if not as well than close enough.

Batman Incorporated is Grant Morrison's book, and frankly it doesn't need filler.  We know Morrison is going to be late at some point, he always is. But with Batman Inc. so on the fringes of the Bat Universe (despite the impact Damian's death is having) it's not a big deal to wait for Grant's next issue, especially since we're so close to the end of his Bat-run. This is just a frivolous aside and had I been paying closer attention I wouldn't have bought it (fair warning though, as it wasn't like this fill-in was unplanned and noted accross many blogs).

Had Batman Inc. been more of a Batman Family title each month, perhaps an anthology at twice the size or having a back-up feature with other Inc characters in the spotlight this issue wouldn't stick out and irk me so much.  But they didn't do that and here we are with an exceptionally average (despite a lady with tiger-heads for hands) and unnecessary entry in an otherwise grand-scale series. 

After Morrison wraps up there will be a Morrison-less coda and an extra-sized special which seems commercially exploitative rather than  creatively necessary.
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365 Comics...140: Non-Humans #3 (2013)

It's been a bit of a wait since last issue but it's worth it.  It's a dense read, and even though it clocks in at 26 pages (more than your average DC or Marvel book) it feels even more substantial than that.  I really enjoy this world that Glen Brunswick and Whilce Portacio continue to build.  In fact I like the world building (and character building) so much that it feels almost like the main story is getting in way of a great hypothetical societal drama.  With the opening few pages focusing on Detective Aimes' son, his non-human girlfriend and their non-human "family" it almost seemed we moved past the NH killer but I'm also glad we didn't.  There's a revolt brewing and it's devious and dastardly and actually quite serious (kind of a Conquest of the Planet of the Apes vibe only somewhat less sympathetic given the distinction between freedom fighting and casual genocide), and where before we were shown the world's shades of grey, here we quite clearly are seeing its blacks and whites (it's a gradient metaphor not a racial one).  Also, Portacio's art makes the NH's feel extremely NH... they kind of creep me the eff out.  It's very effective given the heavy subject matter.

I've forgotten already... this is a 4-issue series, right?  Man, I want there to be a follow-up... it doesn't even need to be the same cast.  I  just want to explore this world more.

365 Comics... 139: Avengers Academy vol.2: Will We Use This In The Real World? (2011)

When I get into something I tend to want to just plow right through it, Consume Consume Consume.  So it goes with Avengers Academy whose first volume I just read and loved last week (365 comics #135).  I didn't love this volume as much, mainly because for a series starring a cast of newcomers the focus here was a little too much on the established cast... primarily Dr Pym/Giant Man and Tigra.  We've established of late that I'm historically not much of an Avengers buff so the ongoing drama of Hank Pym (whom it would seem has about 50 years of over-the-top BS to deal with) is a real energy suck in this volume.  Likewise hearkening back to the Korvac saga for a 2 issue stint seemed like great fan service but to the uninitiated it was a sub-mediocre, ridiculous story that went a whole bunch of places illogically (the whole putting the Academy kids into their adult bodies from potential future timelines still makes little sense).

The few things that did click well though were:
-Quicksilver (I'm not convinced his being used properly but every scene he's in is intriguing)
-Speedball's power ramp-up.
-Finesse and Taskmaster, a particularly fascinating meeting
-Hazmat and Mettle getting closer (I know what's coming...)
-Hazmat's day out with Leech
-The young heroes dance (there better be a rivalry with some other hero training school that culminates in a series of friendly but spirited competitions at some point)

365 Comics...138: X-Factor #256 (2013)

Woah, I didn't see that coming at all.  Certainly not the end to the Hell on Earth War I was expecting. Not at all.  Brilliant but massive and complex and I just don't know that Peter David can wrap up all these characters' arcs in what few issues are remaining.  And the deaths this issue... we know one of them didn't actually happen but what about the rest?  Can that one guy even really die.  What'll happen to Jamie?  (Y'know I'm just not connecting with Polaris at all, as u leader or a character since she returned). Do we know why X-Factor is getting cancelled?  Was it sales? Trade sales?  Or did David want to move on?  I doubt that. (Was it Polaris?)  I really just don't want it to end... it's been a wonderful constant for ten years).

365 Comics...137: Batwoman #20 (2013)

Kate's sister is still alive but in DEO custody so in order to bring her home she needs to find out Batman's secret identity.  Yeah, good luck with that Kate.  The Batman I know would already know that this was happening and have some plan in place to deflect suspicion,or cause doubt or let the DEO know that he knows and also let them know he's none too happy about it.

Perhaps Kate just needs to hang around some kids... they tend to know who Batman its instinctively.

365 Comics...136: Ultimate Comics Spider-Man Vol 3

A few thoughts about UCS-Mv3:

-I was surprised after the build up in vol 2 that the Prowler / Spidey team-up resolved itself so quickly.  It seemed like it had a longer way to go then it actually did
- I was actually kind of saddened by the way that arc ended...an interesting supporting character / nemesis taken out of the equation
-the Spider-Man: Murderer public fallout of the story didn't really work for me. It would have been more interesting were Miles to feel responsible even though the media was on his side

-I stopped reading the Ultimates and Ultimate X-Men just before Divided We Fall since Hickman and Spencer left the books but given the fractured country and the Hydra separatists angle it looks like it turned out to be an interesting story.  I like that the Ultimate universe takes more chances and risks... it's not "our" world, but as Ultimate Spider-Man proves, its still filled with people.

-When I heard about Divided We fall, I wondered how it would fit in with Miles Morales' much more down-to-earth reality.  Turns out quite well. Bendis has been weaving universe-building stories for a decade or more so he knows how to incorporate a character into a crossover event

- Miles joining the Ultimates isn't my favourite thing and Cap (whose Ultimates iteration is kind of harsh, but I guess he's supposed to be more militaristic) is right about most of his reasons for not wanting Miles to join the team.

-I don't like the Ultimate spider-Woman's costume. At.All.  Bleh.

-David Marquez is a great sub for Sarah Pichelli on art.  Pepe Larraz is not as great a sub for Marquez.  Larraz draws Cap funny... not funny ha-ha

-why was Ultimate Spider-Man fighting Elasti-Girl from the Doom Patrol?

-Miles frequently doesn't seem all that concerned with keeping his face a secret.

-I really wonder if in the new Spider-Man fiIm series, which follows more the USM iteration then 616, if they will kill off Andrew Garfield and replace him with a young mixed race kid. It would be awesome but probably traumatic for young Spidey fans

- issues 11-18 for $19.99.  Yes Marvel thank you. Thats much better than the $20 for 5 you've been giving us.