This Week In Comics Or: Campaign For Crotch Starts Here

Due to my new Campaign For Crotch, I've added some new aspects to the superhero comics I'm reviewing: Crotch Shot and Ass Shot counters. I'm debating a Rack Shot as well, but we'll see. Also added is Gems, which are just specific wonderfuls from an issue I liked.



I'm going to start off with Locke & Key #6 because it was everything a final issue should be. Which is spectacular when you bring in the fact that this winter, it's back (24 issues I think?) with Locke & Key: Head Games. Gabriel Rodriguez banged the art out on this one--he can match Joe Hill's writing so perfectly, keep the creepy coming and the character's expressions are always dead on to the dialogue (see a bad example of this in Ms. Marvel, page 14, I believe).

Jay Fotos on color can't be ignored either, as he does an excellent job with finishing the art and keeping the mood as well.

But the real prize here is the story--this is one of the best final issues I've read in a while, it keeps the suspense and the mysteries up for just the right amount of time and involving every one of the Locke family members in rescuing them from uncertain, scar-faced peril made me immensely happy. And the last three pages just make it rock. A very, very nice 'It isn't over yet, see us in the winter' smack without undoing the resolution we get from the previous pages.

Gems: A 30 Days Of Night poster on in one of the kid's bedrooms. Utter confirmation that girls in wells are still immensely creepy. Little boys seeing the evil no one else does. Best ghostly images ever. Magical Key sex changes are the awesome.

Recommendation: It's too late now, isn't it? So make sure you order the trade and put Locke & Key: Head Games on your pull lists for the winter.



Ms. Marvel #29: I added this one to my grab list because I was so completely rocked by her awesomeness in #28 that I was compelled to see how awesome she was again. Greg Horn's cover aside, I wasn't disappointed. Brian Reed writing, Adriana Melo penciling the first ten pages and Paulo Siquera taking over pages 11 through 16.

I really, really liked the art, but it's clear I like Melo and not Siquera. There's this panel on what I think is page 14--if my counting skills are decent--where she and Agent Sum are talking on the street and suddenly there's a Lord Of The Rings style mob of Skrulls heading towards them. What she's saying is, "And right now, I'd like an easily defensible position" with some Skrully Language Text above the bubble, but her and Agent Sum's expressions look like they're surprised.

Um. Dude, she just spent the better part of two issues kicking a ton of Skrull ass. I'm pretty sure at this point a huge mob isn't going to get her to open-mouth shock. She looks childishly surprised and it does not match what she's saying at all.

Way to strike a pet peeve there. Gragh.

Ms. Marvel's fucking bad--she would've narrowed her eyes, squared herself off and and taken them on. Just saying.

Other than that, though, I really liked this issue. Especially the extremely creepy last three pages. Ritualistic killing = creepy love.

Gems: First page, Ms. Marvel telling everyone to run as the Big Ass Skrull closes in--she looks fucking bad ass. Lightning eyes coming through smoke/rubble. "Alright you gigantic Skrull &%$#". All her thoughts. "Welcome to New York." Wanting to have a Skrull bonfire. Crazy Skrull doing ritualistic killings.

Ass Shots: Ms. Marvel: 9

Crotch Shots: Skrull: 3

Recommendation: I'm adding it to my pull list--over all this is a really well-written female superhero comic with a few art bumps that I can forgive, only for Reed's writing.



Blue Beetle #29: Well, Rogers is credited on the cover, but don't let that fool you, because it's actually Matthew Sturges writing with Rafael Albuquerque doing the art as well as the terrific, terrific cover.

This is Sturges first issue and aside from a few little bumps--only one that really stuck with me, which was just that the Scarab didn't seem to have the same vibe with Jaime as before--I really, really took to his writing well.

Great issue, keeping him funny and clever and as immensely loveable as he's always been.

Teenagers should always be written like this, so I hope another teenager writer is paying attention here.

This issue is kicking off another arc, Boundaries, where Jaime learns what a title fight is and then runs into some border jumpers, gets suckered by a pretty girl's sob story and he ends up needing to track down the guys who have Steroid Super-Juice (not Deathstroke's, they're boys and the Evil Man Juice is Girls Only). This is a wonderful set-up issue and a really good jumping on point if you haven't been keeping up with this book.

The one-liners in this issue were outstanding. Let me say it again: outstanding. Sturges can give lessons on them.

Gems: "Whoa--there are some people who should just not attempt a Power Girl costume"-Nadia. Anything Peacemaker says--all of it can just go right onto a t-shirt as far as I'm concerned. Title fights: when a villain dies and two guys fight for the name. "No way man, I already got the tattoo!" Anything Peacemaker says. Anything. Teenage boys saying, "I don't actually understand what's happening here." Jaime making his own sound effects. Jaime still be excited about having a secret identity. Jaime sucking at being on TV. Jaime. "Magnetist".

Crotch Shots: Peacemaker: 1
Jaime: 1
Some Fat Guy: 1 (also? underbelly. ew.)

Recommendation: Awesome. Add it to your list if it wasn't there already. I was really, really pleased with Sturges and he should be quite pleased with himself for knocking out a great issue.



Pilot Season: The Core #1. If you haven't read by The Nightly News by Jonathon Hickman yet, how about you get to that this week? Or now.

He does it again and this time it's a sci-fi story. He throws you right into a world that is clearly well-defined (or seems very well-defined), so everything is very believable when offered up.

We're following a human, Asimov Dedeken, as he tries out for Selection to become part of an elite military team, Red Sector and all the way through to the end of his first mission.

Dedeken is immediately likeable--and delicious, ladies--as are the members of his team. As are the mysteries surrounding an intergalactic federation. As is everything about this story, but I'm determined not to get too spoilery.

This is awesome and that's what you need to know. It's all the way awesome and gives me heavy, heavy voting conflict with Jay Faerber's Urban Myths. Basically, I'll vote twice for each and leave it at that. Hopefully no matter how this goes, we can get more from The Core, because I'm outrageously curious--maybe . . . yes, Hickman earns the extra vote because I'm just so damn curious. Fantastic teaser issue--Hickman lays out the world for us with disgusting ease, brings the reader right in and ties it all together with a letter to home but still digging his hooks in so we want more, more, more.

The art by Kenneth Rocafort is gorgeous and perfectly my taste and the center page listing populations and descriptions of part of the core areas is fascinating. His panel work, the way he makes them flow together is just great. Exceptional colors brought to us by Dave McCaig and Nathan Fairbairn.

Gems: All of it. No, really. This book blew me away. Especially Kryssun'Duldin-Wamul, who is a gorgeous non-human female with plenty of attitude and sharp looks. I love sharp girls.

Recommendation: Get it. Then vote for him in August. Hot damn.


I'll post the rest tomorrow morning, as there's a reorder sitting here with my name on it. The rest being, Green Lantern, Joker's Asylum: Two Face, Skaar Son of Hulk, Narcopolis, Huntress and Reign In Hell.

Comment away!