What Comic Books Have You Read Today?

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

Report what comic books you have read today--and tell us a little something about it while you're here!

[Travis Herrick (Modular Mod)]

Moon Knight Bendis & Maleev: The Complete Collection - I've been pretty critical of Bendis lately, so I bought this based on my affinity for Moon Knight, and Bendis/Maleev's earlier run on Daredevil. I really liked this. I think street level characters is what Bendis excels at, even if the main villain is decidedly not street level. The big baddie was surprising though, and that is another thing I liked about it. In that there were numerous surprises. I really liked it, and this was their entire 12 issue run.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

SPIDER-MAN #91: Two chapters of "Beyond" to go. This issue is a good example of the two Spider-Men working together, but the art for the series overall has been inconsistent. I'm looking forward to the return of J.R., Jr.

SHE-HULK #2: This issue features Jack of Hearts, not one of my favorite characters. Rainbow Rowell brings a definite female perspective to She-Hulk, such as "Chubby Hubby," which is apparently a kind of ice cream. (I Googled it.) 

ONE-STAR SQUADRON #4: Recommended.

THE WRONG EARTH: TRAPPED ON TEEN PLANET: "Capitalism can overlook good products, but it won't let you succeed with good intentions. You need to exploit something or somebody. You need to create a relationship with an audience and find ways to devalue it for short-term gain. At very least, you need to pull off a blatant cash grab now and then. What's big right now? Multiverses! Fine. We got that covered. Covered! That's it! We need multiple covers! Multiverses and multicovers." 

To that end, this is the first of five one-shots, each by a different creative team. Dragonfly, the dystopian hero of Earth-Omega, has been trapped on the utopian world of Dragonflyman's Earth-Alpha. In this issue, Dragonfly, Stinger and Deuce are transported to the Archie-like world of Sun Valley. Dragonfly used to read comics featuring "Sandy, America's Favorite Boy" growing up. but will this innocent world soften him, or will his violent methods poison it? My "Pick of the Week."

[Jeff of Earth-J]

FLASH GORDON - AUSTIN BRIGGS DAILIES (1940-1942): I just happened to be reading the first of two slim volumes,  published by Kitchen Sink Press, reprinting Austin Briggs Flash Gordon dailies when the new hardcover published by Titan Comics shipped. I was able to transition over, and just today I got to the story which begins on August 18, 1941, in which Dr. Zarkov intercepts a news broadcast from Earth about "The Dictator's" armies sweeping over Europe and threatening America. Flash, Zarkov and Dale immediately fly back to Earth to fight against him. They land in Scandinavia and begin helping the refugees and join the resistance.

Not to make light of a serious situation but, sound familiar? 

[Jeff of Earth-J]

This was a really light week so I ended up buying some stuff I wouldn't've normally... and ended up regretting it.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #92: This is the only one I would've bought anyway. I've been reading the "Beyond" story (only one issue to go!) and I'm about ready for it to be over.

TIMELESS: This is the third printing of that Kang the Conqueror one-shot that shipped a couple of weeks ago. I finally decided to buy it because the new cover prominently featured Miracleman. I may not have read any Kang appearances since the Kurt Busiek days, but I've read every one before that. Maybe this Kang is in character with how he's been depicted since, but he's certainly unrecognizable to me.

X-MEN LEGENDS #12: I dropped this series just a couple of issues back, but slow week, blah, blah, blah. It features and Alan Davis cover and the story is a lead-in to Excalibur Special Edition (1987). It was the "Fall of the Mutants" story that drove me away from X-Men for good, but I did read Excalibur for a while. Because I wasn't reading X-Men at the time, Excalibur started kind of "abruptly" for me, so I thought this issue might fill the gaps (plus, slow week). But it ended up being more "Fall of the Mutants" than Excaliur and I didn't couldn't even finish it. 

[The Baron]

Batgirls #4:  I picked up this series on a whim, but it's turned out to be better than I thought.

Hawkeye: Kaye Bishop #5: An OK ending to this series.  It felt a bit rushed.

Spider-Gwen: Gwenverse #1:  I was interested in seeing Gwen meet other versionsnof herself, but i was kind underwhelmed by this.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

WORLD'S FINEST #1: Disappointing. The only reason I bought this one is because Mark Waid wrote it. But I buy comics by Mark Waid expecting, for example, The Brave & the Bold (2007). But DC has so thoroughly dismantled its universe over the course of the last decade or so, it is no longer even possible for that kind of comic to even be written anymore. World's Finest #1 could have been written by anyone. 

BLUE AND GOLD #7: Good but unremarkable.

THE MARVELS #9: There are few writers in the field today even capable of writing the kind of story I expect from Mark Waid. Luckily, Kurt Busiek is one of them.

FICTIONAUTS #2: Quite simply the best new series of 2022.

[JD DeLuzio]

I've been hearing very good things about Fictionauts.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

I liked World's Finest quite a bit. For one thing, it's great to see Dick Grayson as Robin again -- we don't get to see that nearly enough, and when we do, it's often a flashback to a story that explains why he left and became Nightwing. Here, it's all crimefighting fun.

But also, I'm just happy to see Bruce and Clark working together without a running monologue about how they're different or similar or whatever. MAN, that innovation got tedious fast.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

I'm wearing a "boot" on my foot which renders me unable to drive, so I was unable to make it to my LCS this week. (Have no fear; Tracy has promised to drive me tomorrow.) I have had several light weeks in a row, and it occurs to me that not a single one of my Marvel pre-orders (seven of them) has shipped in 2022. (I'm talking hardcover collections here.) Pre-pandemic, Marvel was pretty good about shipping product on the solicit date, but they've never been up to three months behind.

[Richard Willis]

Did you break your ankle?

[Jeff of Earth-J]

No, just a minor surgical procedure (outpatient), no big deal. 

Thanks for asking.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

One of the seven Marvel collections I pre-ordered shipped today. All of them were solicited to have shipped already, but the owner of my LCS assures me there's nothing in particular that putting Marvel behind, it's just their distribution chain. (Other collections have shipped in 2022, just nothing I pre-ordered.) 

BEN REILLY: SPIDER-MAN #3: The good news: "old school" Spider-Man by J.M DeMatteis. the bad news: the story is tied pretty heavily to 30-year-old continuity.

MAESTRO: WORLD WAR M #2: Maestro follows the (original) Human Torch to an underwater city in the Pacific Ocean. the Sub-Mariner suggests they become allies once again. Maestro kills Namor's wife and son. The Abomination joins the fray. The Abomination, Torch and subby are teleported away by Doctor Doom. Doom is wearing his armor, but walks with a cane, twists his ankle, falls flat on his face in front of them, "Okay," asks the Torch, "Who the hell is this?"

MY BAD #5: The last issue (of the first series). I got my first laugh inside the front cover, which listed everything needed to be read to enjoy #5, then said: " Once you have completed the prerequisite reading, you are thereby empowered to appreciate the magnificently complex narrative unfolding before you." The first interior page was a (faux) warning from the Comics Code Authority. I already got two laughs and the story hadn't even started yet. As always, my Pick of the Week every week it ships.