The Longbox Short-List - Week of August 19, 2015

Welcome back to Critical Blast’s weekly look at what new comics you should check out each week.   Just a warning, I make these picks pretty much a week BEFORE I actually get to read any of these comics, so if something is a stinker, I take no blame on that.  Let's get to it! 

Comics shipping this week

ARCHIE #2 – I was so happy that the Archie relaunch lived up to my very high expectations. There have been many times where I’ve seen big names take over a project that didn’t quite live up to the hype, but Waid and Staples were the perfect fit here. This was exactly what I was hoping for, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

MEGA MAN #52 – WORLDS UNITE has been a little slow at times, but it’s been a fun ride seeing all the Capcom and Sega heroes and villains working together. With Mega Man going on hiatus, I am really hoping for some kind of anthology featuring many of the characters that appeared in WORLDS UNITE. I would definitely be a customer for that.

ASTRO CITY #26 – In this 20th anniversary issue, Busiek revisits the very first issue of ASTRO CITY from 1995. That issue asked “What does Samaritan (a Superman homage) dream about?” It’s time to check back in with Samaritan and see how these dreams may have changed over the last 20 years. I have been a huge ASTRO CITY fan for a while. One the most consistently good comics I have ever read.

DOOMED #3 – The best work Lobdell has done in a real long time. This definitely is the perfect book for him to get his mojo back. I was disappointed by his work on RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS and TEEN TITANS, but he’s done a great job here. I was not expecting much from this one, but it has quickly become one of my favorite DC books.

GREEN LANTERN: THE LOST ARMY #3 – I had stopped reading GREEN LANTERN soon after New 52 started. It just felt like it was going through the motions. Every few months was another galaxy-shattering crossover. I was reminded a little of Morrison’s JLA towards the end, where the stories kept having to get bigger and bigger to top what came before them. For GREEN LANTERN, it was always “a threat from the Guardian’s past has returned and will now destroy everything. Unless the various color Lanterns can set aside their differences and unite. And of course they do. And we’ll be doing it again in six months.” LOST ARMY seems to be putting a slightly new spin on GREEN LANTERN, similar to the original LEGION LOST by Abnett and Lanning. So far, GREEN LANTERN: THE LOST ARMY has been a real solid book. It’s not one of my top books, but I still enjoy it.

ROBIN: SON OF BATMAN #3 – Seeing Damian working to redeem to the dark actions of his past has been a great new angle for the character. BATMAN AND ROBIN was one of my favorite comics, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one. It has been very different, but still very good.

SECRET SIX #5 – SECRET SIX has been so well-written, though it does tend to bounce around a lot. Some of that is likely because of the delayed release schedule. Last issue basically ignored the shock reveals we got at the end of issue 3, and I really suspect it is because the issues had to be released out of order. I hope we finally get some more answers on what is really going on here. Otherwise, like LOST, this book is going to start getting real frustrating real fast.

NEW VAMPIRELLA #13 – Nancy Collins has been amazing on VAMPIRELLA. It is a shame she’s wrapping up her run, but she seems on to bigger and better things. I wish her nothing but luck. Whatever her next project is, I will be there as a customer.

SWORDS OF SORROW: VAMPIRELLA/JENNIFER BLOOD #4 – Another Nancy Collins book. She not only writers a great Vampirella, but her Jennifer Blood is brilliant too. Definitely worth grabbing. SWORDS OF SORROW has been great, especially this mini.

STRANGE NATION – STRANGE NATION was a digital-first series Monkeybrain Comics put out. IDW is giving a print home (like they did with D4VE, another Monkeybrain series). STRANGE NATION tells the story of a disgraced journalist working on a supermarket tabloid, which puts her right in the heart of an alien conspiracy. I loved this series! BUY THIS!

SAVAGE DRAGON #206 – I have just gotten in to SAVAGE DRAGON in the last few months. Admittingly, it has been a little awkward to read lately. Malcolm Dragon has managed to impregnate his girlfriend, his stepsister, and another girl after an impromptu foursome. It almost feels like an after school special here! But aside from that, SAVAGE DRAGON is still a great superhero comic, and you have to give Larsen credit for writing and drawing every issue.

SECRET WARS – Another real big of SECRET WARS comics. A bunch of new titles like HOUSE OF M and HOWARD THE HUMAN. I am also looking forward to the next issues of 1872, AGE OF ULTRON VS MARVEL ZOMBIES, CAPTAIN BRITIAN AND THE MIGHTY DEFENDERS, SPIDER-VERSE, and WEIRDWORLD.

STAR WARS #8 – Issue 6 ended on a hell of a cliffhanger (HAN IS MARRIED?), but issue 7 told a flashback story about Obi-Wan on Tatooine. Typically that would annoy me, but the interlude was a terrific story. I was reminded of STARMAN’s Time Past issues…except this one was actually real good. But now, back to the main story. HAN, YOU SLUT!!

THE BLACKLIST #2 – The first issue was a real nice surprise. Licensed comics can be hit or miss. This was a very good one. It’s been great to see aspects of the characters the show didn’t get to spend much time on. If you like the show, you really need to buy this comic. Though I will warn you, the art on this comic isn’t that good.

BOOK OF DEATH #2 – Master Darque! Nuff said! Valiant’s most legendary villain is finally making his presence felt and it looks like the entire Valiant Universe might be in some serious trouble.