Picks for the Week 1/24/08

While I'll confess that I haven't finished reading this week's comics (still got a couple to read) I think I've figured who the big standouts are, at least to my point of view. I do have to say that maybe one of them hasn't struck me as a downright great read... but that at least gave me a resurrected Zombie Captain America... and you've got to award bonus points for that.

I think the first stand-out is The Order. I know I just posted about this series going away, but this issue was just great. The main thrust of the issue is an interview between Anthem, head of The Order, and Namor as the King of Atlantis waits for a higher profile super-team to come and pick him up. And for an issue where the main action consists of two men sitting at a table, talking this was just great stuff. Matt Fraction's dialog, and the interspersed flashback panels do a lot to make this a very readable issue. I've read every issue of the Order to date, and the last two are no-brainer purchases. I mean seriously, the only excuse to not buy this book is to be sans brain. Not even Zombie Captain America has that excuse anymore!

Young Avengers Presents #1 was also a really good read. While the book does have a plot, and moves from beginning to end, the whole issue is really a character study of this young, angry black man who dresses up in the colors of the American flag, calls himself Patriot, and for the moment at least, isn't precisely sure why anymore. I've missed these characters in the Marvel Universe, and I'm glad to see them getting some attention. (It doesn't hurt that Matt Fraction will be writing the last issue of this mini-series.)

Lastly, I've got to continue to give the thumb's up to the Blue Beetle. Appearing not only in his own book this week, but also in the Teen Titans, just the character of Jaime Reyes is something that the DC Universe has needed for as long as I've read it. The Spider-Man parallels are all over the place... both are bug-themed, neither are terribly experienced or confident, and both frequently come out as being incredibly out of their depth, but like a young Peter Parker, Jaime's earnestness makes me love the character. Now Jaime's trying something pro-active and taking the fight to the Reach, the creepy aliens out to enslave Earth. John Rogers' writing has really made me a believer in this series, and I'm rooting for the bug as he takes on the Reach... I just hope that he's not overly successful. Part of the new Blue Beetle's charm is that he doesn't really know what he's doing any more than your or I would. I think that the character needs to stay in, just over his head... but I'm absolutely in love with the series.

I've still got a couple books to read. Maybe I'll have to post an ammendment if either She-Hulk #25 or Legion of Super-Heroes #38 beat out one of these three... but I think I'm probably pretty safe.