5 Comics To Watch

All New X-Men #14 (Marvel) – One of the biggest and most popular of the Marvel NOW! books, All New X-Men is really beginning to pick up steam and the ‘original’ X-Men are now settled into our time period, and are beginning to figure out where they fit in…or don’t.  Brian Michael Bendis seems to be having a lot of fun writing this series, especially as it pertains to Jean Grey.  This issue in particular could be the beginning of something big!

 

Avengers #16 (Marvel) – So far this ‘prelude’ to Infinity has been two for two, with this being the third issue leading up to the Jonathan Hickman Summer Marvel Event.  I’ve been following both Avengers and New Avengers since the beginning…and to see the seeds planted in those books now bearing fruit has been great to witness!  And if the sold out back issues of both series are any indication, others are feeling the same way.  Trust in Hickman and ye shall be rewarded!

 

 

Batman ’66 #1 (D.C.) – Nana-nana-nana-BATMAN!  If you’re of a certain age, you grew up with the old Batman TV Show as quite possibly your first exposure to the (not so) Dark Knight.  The fact that this colourful, comically tinged series is getting its own comic book is just too enticing a proposition to pass up…even for the most jaded of comic book fans.  Will we see any Bat shark repellant in this series?  Will The Joker still have a semi-visible moustache?  Will Egghead make a return?  This one should be a lot of fun!

 

Deadpool #13 (Marvel) – Speaking of fun…there is nothing wrong with a book that tries to put the ‘fun’ back in comic books.  Like Batman ’66, Deadpool certainly qualifies as such a book.  Take this month’s issue for example.  A retro ‘one shot’ where Deadpool sports an afro in a Blaxploitation style story with the tagline ‘Talking jive and Taking Lives’.  Sold.

 

 

Thor: God of Thunder #10 (Marvel) – Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic’s epic 3 Thor’s vs. Gorr the God Butcher storyline comes to its penultimate chapter as the ‘Godbomb’ is close to being ignited.  This book is easily my favourite Marvel NOW! book, and has been nothing short of incredible from a writing and artistic standpoint since issue #1.

 

 

 Hidden Gems

 

Batwoman #22 (D.C.) – One of my personal favourite books month after month.  Kate Kane continues to cut a new path for the Bat franchise as she is now tasked with unmasking the Dark Knight himself for the Gotham D.E.O.  Throw in a new baddie for this issue, and it looks like things are going to get even dicey-er for Batwoman and Co.  Always top-notch art, and a new perspective on Gotham make this one a winner in my opinion.

 

 

 

Also Out This Week

 

D.C. has Animal Man #22, Batman and Catwoman #22, Birds of Prey #22, Green Lantern New Guardians #22, Legion of Superheroes #22, Supergirl #22, and Wonder Woman #22.

 

Marvel has A+X #10 NOW!, Avengers Assemble #17 NOW!, Cable and X-Force #7 NOW!, Fantastic Four #10 NOW!, FF #9 NOW!, Iron Man #13 NOW!, Nova #6 NOW!, Savage Wolverine #7 NOW!, Superior Carnage #1 NOW!, Thanos Rising #4, Thunderbolts #13 NOW!, Uncanny X-Force #8 NOW!, What If AVX #2, Wolverine MAX #9 and Ultimate Spider-Man #25.

There’s also 100 Bullets: Brother Lono #2, Fables #131, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #4, Scarlet #7, Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #4, Conan the Barbarian #18, X-Files Season 10 #2, TMNT Villain Micro #4, Revival #12, Prophet #37 and Artifacts #29.

 

 

Trade Watch

There’s the finale to Rick Remender’s Uncanny X-Force Vol 7 TP, Deadpool Vol 1 TP, Ed Brubaker’s Captain America Vol 4 TP, Wolverine MAX Vol 1 TP, recent multiple Harvey Award Nominee Revival Vol 2 TP, Think Tank Vol 2 TP and Batman The Dark Knight Vol 1 TP and Vol 2 HC.