Comics I Read this this Week (May 6, 2009)

Pickings were pretty slim this week, with only one regularly-pulled title (Agents of Atlas) waiting for me in my file and one new release that looked vaguely interesting. Luckily, the good gentlemen at Bellingham’s Comic Place saved a couple of Saturday’s Free Comic Book Day issues for me, as I didn’t manage to actually show up to the event until it was almost over. So without further adieu, here are my thoughts on this week’s pulls:

The Avengers, FCBD special issue

It’s hard to complain about anything written by Brian Michael Bendis. The guy could turn the Yellow Pages into a captivating read. A free comic by Bendis featuring all-new content written especially for FCBD is a pretty sweet deal. It’s not only a fun read (a simple plot about stealing a sword from an ice giant) with typical Bendis dialogue and wit, it’s a great jumping-on point for new readers. This issue, narrated by Spider-Man, features both the New Avengers (the good guys) and the Dark Avengers (the bad guys) as they are forced to team up and deal with a dietal snowman with a Napoleon complex. It provides new readers with a rundown of who’s who and the major plot lines concerning the teams, and it does so in a way that doesn’t make established readers feel like they’re wasting their time with filler. And a cameo by Thor certainly didn’t hurt things either. I’m still holding out for a Bendis-penned Sentry/Thor epic throw-down to see who’s the toughest long-haired blond dude in the Marvel Universe.

Blackest Night, FCBD special issue

This issue, while really good, is just one of many (MANY) other issues leading into “Blackest Night,” DC’s latest mini-event series which kicks off in July. Actually, come to think of it, wasn’t there a DC comic from last year’s FCBD that featured a “Blackest Night” buildup? Something about finding the black battery within the corpse of the Antimonitor? Oh well. Like I said, this comic is leading into this summer’s “Blackest Night” storyline, a (hopefully) epic storyline featuring the Green Lantern Corps as well as seven other color-coded, ringed intergalactic super groups as they vie to be the last ring-slingers standing. Or something like that. Each color ring represents a part of the emotional spectrum and has its own unique properties (although, as CBR’s Chad Nevett pointed out, two of the “emotions,” willpower and death, aren’t really emotions). This issue took a look at what the ranks of the heretofore unseen black lanterns, the Death Lanterns, could look like. Namely, dead heroes like Batman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, etc. reanimated and fighting as zombies. I’m eager to read “Blackest Night” when it does finally kick off in July, but christ. Enough with the teasers, already. The countdown to this series has been going on an annoyingly long time.

New Mutants #1

Okay, I’ll admit it. I broke one of my own comic book rules and bought the first issue of “New Mutants.” Not because I was ever a fan of the original New Mutants team (they were a bit before my time), but because I’d read somewhere that this issue featured the return of one of my all-time favorite characters, Professor Xavier’s bastard son and ultra-powerful schizophrenic, Legion. Sadly, while Legion did in fact appear, he did so only barely. Generally speaking, I tend to avoid books like these that try to cash in on fan-favorite lineups and eras and which focus more on nostalgic kitchiness by using established names (I’m talking about you, “Titans”) or retro uniforms to try and pull fans in. This new New Mutants team, comprised of the original New Mutants of 20-plus years ago (and therefore not really new in any sense whatsoever) is likeable for the most part, but pretty useless.
Tangent time: The whole premise of books like these kill me. “New Mutants,” “Titans,” and all the rest were books about teams of up-and-coming superheroes, like superhero high school. New Mutants members join, they train (or sometimes die), and then they graduate into the big leagues, like the Justice League or the X-Men or something. It makes no sense whatsoever for these original class members to reunite years later just because someone was feeling nostalgic. I hate it.
I’m not sure if it’s a miniseries or slated to be something bigger. Regardless, I can’t imagine it lasting more than six issues at the most. The only even remotely interesting aspect of this book is Legion. But the way this book is shaping up, I doubt writer Zeb Wells will even bother trying to explain how a character that died thirty years in the past is suddenly back alive and in the present day without his father, the world’s most powerful telepath, even noticing. I see this one ending in flames.

Agents of Atlas #4

“Agents of Atlas” is quickly becoming one of my favorite ongoing Marvel books. Everything about the book, from the characters to the pacing to the strange, sci-fi espionage feel is dead on. The Agents of Atlas are a motley collection of Silver Age characters from the Atlas days, reunited in a shiny flying saucer and pretending to be bad guys while actually saving the day on a regular basis. There’s a very Morrison-esque feel about these characters. They are the same characters from the 50s, there’s no denying that. But at the same time, they’ve been modernized and rejuvenated. The Asian FBI agent is now the defacto leader of the Yellow Claw terrorist syndicate, and is secretly trying to use his newfound power to change the world for the better. The interplanetary colonist with the magic headband is now a withdrawn guy named Bob who is much more powerful now but also much less human. The talking gorilla with a drinking problem and the robot killing machine with elongating arms are now… a talking gorilla with a drinking problem and a robot killing machine with elongating arms (if it ain’t broke...).
The plot is fast-paced and compelling, with flashbacks almost reminiscent of vintage Johnny Quest episodes. Writer Jeff Parker is doing a great job with weaving exposition, forward momentum and mandatory “Dark Reign” shit into a flowing, coherent, engaging read.

Best Comic of the Week: Agents of Atlas #4

Worst Comic of the Week: New Mutants #1

What did you guys think about this week's selections? Did I miss any gems out there? I heard the new League of Extraordinary Gentlemen came out, did anyone pick up a copy?