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!

[Jeff of Earth-J]

I somehow drifted away from Wednesday Comics. (It happens.) I don't generally let multiple new issues of a given title pile up, but last night I read the four most recent issues of Astro City. My "projects" have resolved themselves to...

MMW Sub-Mariner - V2

The Phantom - Gold Key V2

MMW Not Brand Echh!

[ClarkKent_DC]

I just read The Adventures of Superhero Girl, which is apparently a collection of a indie web comic. Lots of lighthearted fun. Superhero Girl (she is never referred to by any other name) is much like the new Ms. Marvel or the New 52 Batgirl or the post-Convergence Black Canary -- a late-teen/early 20's kid out on her own, feeling her way through life. 

So Superhero Girl sometimes forgets to remove her domino mask when she goes to the library in her civilian guise ... she cuts short a battle with ninja because she has a job interview ... the ninja leader applies for the same job just to taunt her ... her more famous, more accomplished, more cool brother makes her feel inadequate ... a neighbor tells her she's not a real superhero because she doesn't have an angsty "MY PARENTS ARE DEEAAAAD!" origin ...  and so on. 

I enjoyed it, lots. 

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

I read Justice League #42, which I thought was pretty great. Darkseid, the Anti-Monitor, Darkseid's former lover, his daughter, with the Justice League in the middle of it all. It's a blast to read.

Then, I read Big Man Plans #4. This was...ugh, well, it definitely wasn't fun. This was by Eric Powell and Tim Wiesch. This was darn brutal. Doggone it, was it ever brutal. I am a huge fan of The Goon, and while that book can get really down sometimes, this was like some serious baggage being unloaded onto the page. This was harsh. Some of the pages look like they've been handled by bloody fingers, which is a nice and appropriate touch. But man, if you're going to read this one, make sure you're not depressed before you read it, and make sure you're not about to go to sleep, because I can't imagine what it would be like to do that.

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

This morning I read Archie Vs. Predator #4. This was darkly hilarious, especially at the end.

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

I also ended up reading Archie Vs. Sharknado yesterday. It was another funny story that made sense in the same kind of way that the Sharknado movies make sense. This was a one-shot, so I also like that it's self-contained.

Today I read:

Batman #42 by Snyder and Capullo: I really hope DC goes at least one year before returning Bruce to the Bat-suit. That's about how long it takes for us to get used to a new guy in the suit (as has been done with Batman a couple times already, and Spider-Man at least once). I like the bunny-eared Batman, and I want to read plenty of stories about him.

Dead Drop #3 by Ales Kot and Adam Gorham: I know I may be the one and only person in the United States who is reading this book, but I'm having fun with it. Unlike issue one, which featured X-O Manowar, and issue two, which featured Archer, I have no idea who the character of Beta-Max, who starred in this issue. Nonetheless, the story proceeded apace with our half-human half-robot doing his part in chasing the alien virus around the city. This story concludes next issue--looking forward to seeing how it all wraps up.

Deathstroke #8 by Tony Daniel and James Bonny: Deathstroke has been hired to assassinate Hephastus, which brings Wonder Woman into the picture. He has unwittingly gotten the attention of a real bad baddie by the name of Lapetus. I like that, even though Deathstroke is the protagonist of this book, Wonder Woman wasn't written in a way that allowed him to best her. Also, she used the golden lasso to get information out of him, and he wasn't able to resist it in the least. I'm enjoying this book. Call it a guilty pleasure if you will.

[Mark Sullivan (Vertiginous Mod)]

Started with the first three issues from Nailbiter Volume 1: There Will Be Blood, which has been sitting on my Kindle for awhile. It's about a small town that seems to create serial killers. I liked the immediate personal mystery it set up, which sent the story in an unexpected direction.

Read the entire Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer Vol. 1 (I've got the collected edition on the Kindle). I was expecting to break it up into two sittings, but it just zoomed right along. Very enjoyable, despite the seemingly silly premise. I met Van Jensen when he was first promoting the book. I liked him, but I was too put off by the premise to try the book. He used to bring a terrific giant Pinocchio prop to cons, complete with a stake for a nose.

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

SHIELD #7 by Mark Waid and Greg Smallwood: This was okay. I'm a big fan of Mark Waid, but it's my understanding from online that there were more than a few winks and nods to the TV show, which I haven't really watched. Agent Coulsen calls Daisy 'Quake' Johnson "Skye" (the name of a character from the show that they want to help bridge over to the comic) because "She spends most of her mission time these days in outer space," which might make sense if there wasn't an 'e' on the end of it.

Hawkeye #22 by Matt Fraction and David Aja: The series finally concludes, a few months after the follow-up series began. It had a satisfying finish. I have to add that I read this one after uploading it onto my iPad, and it was really nice to read those last few panels like you were watching a movie.

Fantastic Four #645 by James Robinson and Leonard Kirk: I turned away from this run because it took such a dark turn. I can at least say that in this, the final issue of the series, it does at long last take an optimistic turn. Heroes and villains alike turn up to help the FF battle against the forces of the Quiet Man. For some reason, any time I read any dialog from Sleepwalker, I hear the voice of Sideshow Mel from The Simpsons.

[Mark Sullivan (Vertiginous Mod)]

Finished Nailbiter, which I enjoyed. I like the pacing. In five issues the series manages to resolve one major question--so there's some closure--while opening up several others. 

Also read about half of Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer Vol. 2: The Great Puppet Theater, which enlarges the cast with a whole ensemble of sentient puppets. Their origin is a mystery, which I expect will get resolved in this volume. Also, Pinocchio becomes a real boy! Each one of these installments got longer than the one before, and the storytelling gets just a bit more assured.

[Richard Willis]

Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man said:

SHIELD #7 by Mark Waid and Greg Smallwood: This was okay. I'm a big fan of Mark Waid, but it's my understanding from online that there were more than a few winks and nods to the TV show, which I haven't really watched. Agent Coulsen calls Daisy 'Quake' Johnson "Skye" (the name of a character from the show that they want to help bridge over to the comic) because "She spends most of her mission time these days in outer space," which might make sense if there wasn't an 'e' on the end of it.

In the TV show, her identity as Daisy Johnson is unknown to her well into the second season. She is known as Skye up until that point, and is still called Skye by everyone except her father. Since Coulson originated in the Marvel movies and continued into the TV show I don't see the need to over-explain why she is called Skye.

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

Does she have the same powers as Quake on the show?

Richard Willis said:

In the TV show, her identity as Daisy Johnson is unknown to her well into the second season. She is known as Skye up until that point, and is still called Skye by everyone except her father. Since Coulson originated in the Marvel movies and continued into the TV show I don't see the need to over-explain why she is called Skye.

[Richard Willis]

Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man said:

Does she have the same powers as Quake on the show?

Her Quake powers (so far they don't call her that) manifested when she was exposed to mists of Kree origin. The mists either turn a person into an Inhuman or turn a person to dust. I don't know how this squares with her comic book origin. Her father, Cal, is obviously Mister Hyde, including his chemical-induced origin. He's not called Mister Hyde on the show.

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

I rarely re-read any comics ever, unfortunately. But today I was compelled to pull down my collected edition of World's Finest, the three issue miniseries written by Dave Gibbons and drawn by Steve Rude. I love a Superman and Batman story that leaves the reader feeling good and optimistic!