Worst to First: 3/28/07


Look at me. I’m posting reviews on time. Now, before you get excited, you should know that I’m just getting this out of the way so that I can take this week’s batch and move them far from sight. Just a very forgettable week. All six titles I picked up failed to meet expectations (I split it 4-2 in favor of DC). So, let’s get this over with.

Six: Wonder Woman #6

I’ll be writing more about this later, but novelist Jodi Picoult takes over the reins from Allen “Tired Joke” Heinberg and takes the book in a sort of new direction. I’m left curious what the heck happened to Donna, the new WW. Maybe that was tied up in the previous arc (but I gave up on that after seven months and two issues). There’s an interesting concept here, but it’s a long ways from where it needs to be.

Five: Fantastic Four #544

This books falls down toward the bottom of the pile if only for the Michael Turner cover. Balls to that. There’s plenty more to complain about, but I’ll save it for Saturday, since this is our Book of Doom this week.

Four: 52 #47

For a full recap, check Doom DeLuise’s latest in his weekly reviews. I think this issue bothered me as much as it did because we’re finally seeing a glimpse of what happened to some of the most important characters in the “missing year,” but all it really reveals is how little correlation we’re seeing in 52 and the beginning arcs of One Year Later. Also, I really, really didn’t care at all for the art. Not sure if it was Giuseppe Camuncoli’s pencils or Lorenzo Ruggiero’s ink, or if they just didn’t work well together, but this was a weak effort.

Three: Batman #664

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I said I was done buying this. And I probably should be. But after the last joke of an issue (get it? it was about the Joker), I flipped through this one. And while it’s nothing exceptional, it at least starts interestingly enough. I like this playboy Bruce Wayne stuff. Fun all the way around. It’s just that once it goes back to Gotham City that I asked myself, “What in the holy hell is going on here?” There’s another Batman (Danny Rand sure gets around), crooked cops, some silly whores and a big bad dressed up as Bane and Batman. Wha-huh?

Two: Daredevil #95

I have absolutely no reason to doubt Ed Brubaker, and I’m sure this arc will work into something cool, but this issue’s a bit of an uneven opening. I dug all the parts of Matt trying to regain an edge in the Kitchen, but the diversions into the Melvin Potter mystery didn’t pull me in, mainly because I don’t read DD for the personal travails of some D-List villain. That said, I imagine that in another few issues I’ll be shouting, “OMG I FREAKING LOVE MELVIN POTTER AND DD AND ED BRUBAKER.” It’s tough having a man crush.

One: Superman Confidential #4

While this wouldn’t have reached the top of the list in a lot of weeks, here it beats a light field. Still, I continue to be fully on board for the Tim Sale and Darwyn Cooke action. These guys ooze classic comics goodness. And this issue firmly pushes aside any worries that they’d be drawing out their storylines. We get a big fight, Clark doubting his abilities, background on Gallo, Luthor fighting back and a cliffhanger straight from the Silver Ages. A good ride, beginning to end.