New Comic Day 11/14/07

Okay, okay... between work, and my sudden desire to talk about Marvel's digital distribution initiative I didn't get around to saying what I planned to purchase this week. So instead, I'll talk about what I actually did. Here's the high-level score card.

DC: 4 Books
Marvel: 6 Books
Slave Labor Graphics (SLG): 1 Book?
Vertigo: 1 Book

DC saw a decent week with:

• All Star Superman
• Nightwing
• Batman And the Outsiders
• Titans East Special

My thoughts about DC this week mainly consist of an immense relief that they killed off Power Boy. His Supergirl fetish was seriously over the line as far as being 'apropriate'. A super-hero who's also an obsessed stalker? Great idea, guys! (And yeah, I 'spoiled' it. If you couldn't tell he was getting the axe, then you don't know why he deserved it.)

I thought Fabian Nicieza was an interesting fit for Nightwing, but I have to confess I'm not especially taken with the Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul. I think the biggest reason I'll read it is that it's going to run entirely in books I'm subscribed to.

Batman & The Outsiders was redeemed at the last minute by the simple fact that Tony Bedard isn't writing it. I like me some Chuck Dixon, and at least in the first issue Batman manages to be all business without being a paranoid jerk. So good on you, Chuck.

Marvel was definitely the highlight of my week with:

• Avengers: The Initiative
• New Avengers
• Punisher War Journal
• Thor
• World War Hulk
• X-Factor

I do think I have to ask though... does Marvel pay Bendis specifically to stretch his stories out to a ludicrous extreme? I mean, I feel like there was only half a comic to New Avengers this month. Granted, I think that's actually better than some of the previous issues. And then there's the fact that we've seen more of the Mighty Avengers (aka Tony's Team) in New Avengers than we have in their own title. Pity it seems to only be published quarterly or something.

Punisher War Journal was a blast. Matt Fraction's got a really neat take on Kraven's son, and it's something that's so obvious I have to wonder why nobody thought of it until now. (Unless of course they did, which makes me look a bit foolish.)

World War Hulk wrapped up far better than it had any right to, meaning it's the first current Marvel 'event' comic that I simply can't poke any holes in. It's gamma-powered hide is just too tough and awesome. If you're not checking out World War Hulk (and for that matter, the preceding Planet Hulk) Hulk will SMASH puny humans! (Seriously, it's great stuff.)

Somehow another copy of SLG's Gargoyles #6 worked it's way into my subs. I actually bought this comic about a month ago. I'm guessing it actually sold out or something, requiring another order. But since SLG's titles cross the desk so seldom, I can forgive Ye Olde Comic Shoppe for thinking it's a new release. (It's really my fault for not having paid more attention.) At least this one seems to have corrected the artwork goofs present in the first batch.

And with that, I think I'm heading to bed. It's actually a chill night in South Carolina, and some time under a down comforter is sounding pretty good right now.