Another week has passed, and again a stack of awesome comics hit the racks at the local comic stores. Gongonzabar and I were there bright and early to pick up our stacks. Now we’ll tell you about a couple of our favorites.

Read on, merry readers!

Green Arrow/Black Canary #5

[Gongonzabar Farbin]

I only started reading comics about two years ago and I’ve found that is harder for me to get into DC titles than it is with Marvel titles. One of the biggest reasons is because of all these crises and different parallel Earths and third Superman and second Batman, all of that. Heck, there is even another Crisis title coming up! Sure, there are similar plot devices in Marvel, but it seems that I can understand their titles with more ease. However, one of the DC titles I have gotten into recently is Green Arrow / Black Canary. A few months ago these two lovebirds got married, but it turns out that some things have happened that, in a way, nullified the whole marriage (see Green Arrow Black Canary Wedding Special). Both lame and ambiguous, I know!

Jump to a few months later, at the end of one of the duo’s latest adventures. Ollie’s son, Connor Hawke, got shot and was mortally wounded. With the help of other DC superheroes, Green Arrow was able to save Connor’s life but was not able to save him from lapsing into a coma. For most of the book, Green Arrow is in a hospital sitting by Connor’s bed thinking of how he came to be and his troublesome relationship with his son throughout the years. However, by the end of the book, both Green Arrow and Black Canary get off their butts and are ready to do some major ass kicking! One of the things this book has been missing the past few issues is both Green Arrow and Black Canary teaming up and going out to kick butt together. All in all, this issue was a great jumping on point for the Green Arrow / Black Canary storyline for anybody else that has been intimidated by DC as I have. Give it a shot, and if you don’t like it, you can blame it on me and send me your bank account number so I can deposit $5 in there for all of your troubles *wink* *wink*.

New Avengers #38

[Greg]

Brian Michael Bendis writes some of the smartest comics out there. High-brow plots (especially for superhero comics) and snappy dialogue is pretty much the norm. You know that you’ve got a great writer when he not only makes Luke Cage interesting, but actually makes you care about him. The latest issue of New Avengers was one of the most powerful comics that I’ve read in ages.

I admit, I’ve been a fan of Luke and Jessica’s relationship since the underrated Alias. Things have been pretty crappy for the team lately. They’ve spent months on the run from the law. Supervillains destroyed their home. It’s no wonder that Jessica split, seeking shelter with the registered heroes. It’s also no surprise that Luke flipped out when he learned of her defection. The subsequent fight and breakup made for one of the most emotional comics that I’ve ever read. Bendis’ skill as a writer really shines through here, a comic where two characters argue for three quarters of the issue. My only complaint, and it’s a pretty consistent one, is the artwork. Marvel has some amazing artists working for the company, but they just can’t seem to find a good one for this series.

Between the emotional turmoil and the paralyzing threat of the Skrull invasion, I can’t wait to see what happens next. No matter what happens, I’m pretty sure that Bendis will deliver.

Spooks #1

[Gongonzabar Farbin]

Werewolves, Vampires, and the Frankenstein monster, Oh My! Spooks is a new comic book from Devil’s Due Publishing focusing on the things that go bump in the night. In the world of Spooks, different types of classic monsters exist in a modern world unseen to human eyes, silently subverting and feasting on the world we know today. When a powerful witch leader calls out to the monsters of the world, they form an alliance and start marching towards America in an attempt to *gasp* rule the world! The only thing in their way is a top secret US agency designed to handle occult occurrences with the utmost violence and bloodshed. Of course, they have the usual troubles of “convincing” witnesses that everything was normal and that werewolf they just saw was a “rabid dog.”

This book is new, but it has a promising premise. One of the things that attracted me to this book is that one of the authors is R.A. Salvatore. I’ve long been a fan of his work and grabbed this book on a whim because of his name. Upon closer inspection, there seem to be three other authors working on this as well. The book has the writing split between Salvatore (handling all the classic monsters) while author Larry Hama takes care of the military portion of the book. Assisting them are Ryan Schifrin and Geno Salvatore. Art is being taken care of by Adam Archer and Jonny Rench. Hopefully this title turns out well; when I get the second and third book in a month or two, I’ll let you rebels know if it actually does! Until then, this first issue looks promising, check it out!

X-Force #1

[Greg]

So, I’ve got a joke for you guys. Cable kidnaps a baby and hits the road. Cyclops decides that it’s time to form a black ops team for those situations where moral lines need to be crossed. What does he do? He gathers together every mutant with claws and/or giant knives and calls the team X-Force. That’s right, Cyclops calls the team X-Force and sends them after Cable (who founded the original X-Force). I think there are some pretty serious father-son issues there.

I wasn’t really sold on the concept. Come on, teams of antiheroes with huge claws were a tired concept in 1990, much less 2008. I didn’t even intend to pick up this issue. For some reason, I decided to pick it up and give it a try. Color me pleasantly surprised. X-Force is actually pretty damn good.

Sure, we’ve seen Wolverine and Cyclops argue about morality a few hundred times now. Sure, it is a bunch of people with claws slicing the crap out of other people (there’s a parental advisory on the cover for a reason). Decent writing and phenomenal art really save what would otherwise be a ridiculous concept. This isn’t just a team full of people who like violence, the downfall of the antihero fad. Each character understands that they fall in a moral gray area. They wrestle with the gravity of their situation.

X-Force genuinely surprised me. If you’re looking for a sober, mature take on Marvel’s mutants, give it a try. I’m definitely sold.

Coming Up Next Week

Here’s what we’re buying next week:

[Greg]

Amazing Spider-Man #551
Angel: After the Fall #4
Hulk #2
Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death
The Order #8
Runaways #29 (about time)

[Gongonzabar Farbin]

Birds of Prey #115
Checkmate #23
Justice League of America #18
Spirit #14
Runaways #29
Mighty Avengers #9
Amazing Spider-Man #551

Do you have a particular comic that you want us to cover? Do you want to share your opinions on what you bought this week? Tell us in the comments section below!

Greg gets his comics from Gary’s Comics and More. Farbin buys his at Acadiana Book and Comic Shop. To find a comic dealer near you, call 1-888-COMIC-BOOK. Shipping lists can be found at Diamond Comics.