You know, I have no idea why these guys are wearing crazy Chinese demon masks with their business suits…

…but it’s exactly the kind of fashion statement that adds a bit of joi de vivre to a good ol’ fashioned facekick.

Anyway, enough with the clothes! After all, there’s plenty of time for that nonsense after we get through yet another installment of the Internet’s Most Pugilistic Comics Reviews! Here’s what I got this week…

…And here’s what I thought about ’em.

Comics

Amazing Spider-Man #547: Given the speed that it made the rounds on the comics internet, you’ve probably all heard about this one already, but on the off chance that you haven’t, here’s what Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada had to say in a recent interview that made it to CNN:

“When we first did it, the reaction was, ‘How could you do this? This is a terrible thing to do.’ But with the first issue of ‘Brand New Day,’ our letters very quickly changed to people saying, ‘This is fantastic. This is the Spider-Man we remembered. We didn’t know what we’d been missing.’

Okay, look: I’m not J. Michael Straczynski, so it’s not my job to sit here and argue with Joe Quesada about why “One More Day” is absolutely godawful in just about every sense of the word, and besides, I went through all that last week. I will, however, say this: As much as I’ve liked both parts of Brand New Day that have hit shelves so far, there’s nothing I like about them that couldn’t have been done with a married Spider-Man, and in fact, having to pretend like the guy I’m reading about didn’t just literally make a deal with the Devil last week is the biggest detriment to my enjoyment that the book has.

I mean really, what’s Dan Slott brought to the table that’s so fun? New villains? A desperate Peter Parker going back to work for an equally desperate Daily Bugle? The Spider-Mugger? All told, they make for a really fun read, and I’m glad to have them, but when you get right down to it, the only thing that makes the book different than it was two years ago is that now, it’s actually being written well. That’s what people wanted from the Spider-Man books, and the fact that it wasn’t happening when Peter and MJ were married says a lot more about the guys writing the stories than the characters that were in them.

But again, complaining about it now doesn’t solve anything. What’s done is done–until it’s undone at least; this is comics we’re talking about–but if we could get by without pretending like two good issues somehow make the bad ones any better, that’d be swell.

Atomic Robo #4: The awkward ending of the last issue aside, I think I’ve made my feelings on Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener’s tale of Robot Action Science pretty clear, but even if you missed my discussions of the earlier issues, the fact that all three words in the description I used are things that I love to see in my comic books, you’ve probably already been hipped to the fact that I like it a lot. It’s the kind of comic that just starts from a premise so brilliant that it was last seen in luchadore cinema–that being the timeless conflict of Robot vs. Mummy–and does it with such undeniable fun that even a backup story that seems to crib a bit from The Five Fists of Science doesn’t slow it down.

That said, it takes a special kind of comic to not only feature a robot in a disco medallion, but also create and explore a bitter spacefaring rivalry between the main character and Professor Stephen Hawking. Clearly, this is a comic we should all be reading.

Birds of Prey #114: You know, I just realized that right now, I’ve been reading Birds of Prey longer than I’ve been reading any other current comic book. I originally jumped on with #19 for a crossover with Nightwing and while I’ve hopped on and off virtually every other comic I read (not counting the ones that have been relaunched), I’ve stuck with BOP every month since for almost a hundred issues.

From this, we can learn two things: One, I am getting perilously old, and two, while I rarely have an occasion to recommend it over anything else I’m enjoying, the fact that I’ve stuck with it for ninety-four issues does speak well of its consistency and, with the exception of the issues between the end of Dixon’s run and the start of Gail Simone’s–the only parts of the run I’ve since gotten rid of–a baseline level of quality that runs through the series.

As for how I came to this conclusion, well, I’ve been thinking of dropping the book. Like I said before, it’s enjoyable enough at its high points, but it’s never really been one that’s wowed me on a regular basis, and right now, it seems pretty precariously balanced between “fun to read” and “buying out of habit.” On the one hand, you’ve got Sean “Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane” McKeever writing the book now, and at least one of the plots he’s exploring dates back to a Blackhawk story from the ’60s by one of the Two Great Bobs that saw Lady Blackhawk brainwashed into becoming Queen Killer Shark.

On the other hand, the main plot of his run thus far has led to a scene where Barbara Gordon breaks Misfit’s ankle, and even if it’s healed in the next panel, that seems pretty wildly out of character no matter what the end results of her “experiment” turn out to be. It’s not enough to make me drop the book at this point, but if it doesn’t pick back up in the next couple of issues, well, a habit can only keep a guy buying so long.

Booster Gold #6: You know, if you told me last year that I was going to see Jack Knight make a one-panel appearance in the pages of Booster Gold, and that I’d be happy about it, I would’ve thought you were out of your freakin’ mind.

But then again, Booster Gold‘s a book that’s full of surprises, and while it’s not often that I’ll admit to being wrong here on the ISB–mostly because, you know, I’m not–now that the first story arc is all said and done, I’ll cop to completely misjuding this one back when it was solicited, and if anything, this issue seals the deal even more than the ones before it. After all, for a comics reader, I’m a pretty big fan of characters who die actually staying dead, but an issue that sees Booster saving Ted Kord from getting shot in the head without negating anything about his story is a good sign, right down to the fun bits of pseudo-science (you know, the “chronal wave” that “breaks up” the “solidified time”) that flow through it. It’s good stuff, and seriously? I’m excited as heck for next month’s Zero Hour tie in, and nobody’s said that in fifteen years.

If they even said it then, I mean.

Checkmate #22: You know, the thing that really stuck out to me in this issue was the opening scene, where the Mademoiselle Marie of 1944–which is presumably the one we were already familiar with–is executed by firing squad in Nazi-occupied France. It’s something that I’d never really thought about before, but it’s a completely appropriate end for the character. Kanigher, after all, was fond of saying in his later years that Sgt. Rock dies at the end of the War as a victim of the last bullet, and it makes perfect sense that Marie–with whom Rock was in love, which he intended to follow up on once they’d gotten rid of the rather pressing concern of, you know, World War II–would meet a similar fate.

It’s an idea that’s always appealed to me. I mean, I like Sgt. Rock and Mlle Marie an awful lot, and while it’d be nice to reward their years of bare-knuckled Nazi-punching with a long and peaceful retirement, they belong to World War II. And unlike, say, Jeb Stuart and the Haunted Tank, who had a great, fun return in the pages of Garth Ennis’s Demon, they just don’t seem like they’d work outside of that specific idiom. It’s not what you’d call a happy ending, but it’s just as right to see them give themselves to the defense of their countries, right down to the very en–

Huh? This issue? Oh, Josephine beats a guy to death with a claw hammer. It’s totally awesome.

Flash #236: So, you guys remember how I was really apprehensive about Mark Waid coming back to the Flash, because I was worried about him falling far, far short of an incredible run that pretty much defined the character?

Turns out I was right. Go figure.

Immortal Iron Fist #12: Okay, true story: Halfway through reading this issue, I had to actually put it down and go find someone to talk to about how hard Davos just got his ass kicked. And brother, if there’s any better sign that you’re reading an awesome fight comic, I’d like to hear it.

Actually, come to think of it, I got interrupted when I was reading this one and ended up skipping the last bit until I went back to look through it tonight, presumably because the first sixteen pages had enough awesome for a full twenty-two. But anyway, at this point, we all know how I feel about Iron Fist and why, for my money, it’s the best comic Marvel’s putting out, but it always bears repeating that Brubaker and Fraction are doing things perfectly with it. The setup of the Tournament alone, with Danny going out in the first round and Davos utterly destroying his competition and then being thoroughly wrecked in turn by a man that turns into green lightning? It’s amazing, and David Aja’s art on the fight sequences flows with a pacing that makes it look like the greatest kung fu movie ever made.

It’s awesome. Read it.

Incredible Hercules #113: Long-time ISB readers might recall that I have an intense and abiding hatred of Wonder Man, so believe me when I say that seeing Hercules drop a Quinjet on him was quite possibly the highlight of my week. Especially since he dropped it right on his stupid face with his stupid glasses and his stupid jacket and I hate you so much Wonder Ma–

Er, sorry. Got a little distracted there. Point is, Greg Pak’s responsible for the most enjoyable Hulk stories in recent memory, and now that he and Fred Van Lente have shifted the book’s focus over to everyone’s favorite punch-drunk immortal, the way that they’re blending mythology and the Marvel Universe is downright Simonsonian. And believe me, that’s not an easy label to live up to.

And yet, they seem to be pulling it off with ease, and a lot of it, I suspect, comes from the great combination of characters. But really, who would’ve thought that the surly super-genius teenager with a pet coyote and the Avenger that’s only ever been really good when he’s drunk and/or punching out other super-heroes would work so well? Well, I suppose Van Lente and Pak did, obviously, seeing as they’ve given us a story where Amadeus Cho can be as surly as humanly possible, and Hercules can be completely justified in going crazy and punching out other alleged “good guys.”

Good guys like Wonder Man. Stupid, stupid Wonder Man. It’s a win-win!

Robin #170: So, Chuck Dixon’s back on Robin with this issue, and in case you couldn’t tell from the reliable ol’ Fight Scene – Exposition – Set Piece Fight Scene – Development – Cliffhanger story structure that he patented back in ’94, the fact that there’s a reference to Sundollars Coffee on Page 9 should’ve been a pretty big tipoff. This is, after all, the man who showed us the difference between Zesti and Soder Cola, and made sure we all knew that Curtains ’98 was an unreliable operating system.

I kid Dixon, of course, but to be honest, his use of stand-in products has always really appealed to the minutia-oriented section of my brain, and while I’m not sure why, they’ve always had a strong appeal for me. But alas, the return of Sundollars to the DC Universe isn’t the alleged “big” draw here, as that spot’s occupied by the possible return of the Spoiler (or at least Tim Drake sitting around thinking about the possible return of the Spoiler for the next few issues), which pretty much just boils down to pandering to the Internet.

Now don’t get me wrong: I’m usually well up for a good bit of pandering to the Internet, but it might help if this issue was actually, you know, any good. The whole thing starts off with Batman claiming that he accepts his losses and moves on, and while that’s pretty good general advice, the fact that it’s coming from a guy in his thirties who’s dressed like a giant bat-demon so that he can avenge his dead parents makes it ring a little hollow. Admittedly, Robin solving his problems with the aid of a giant bowling ball is a high point, but it doesn’t make up for what essentially amounts to a bland, boring read about a narcoleptic vigilante and his dead ex-girlfriend.

And that’s the week! If you have any questions or comments on something that I read or skipped over this week–like, say, throwing out some possible theories on why Matt Wagner’s such a freakin’ genius or whatever–feel free to leave a comment below.

Man, it seems like a month since I’ve done one of these things. Heck, I’m not even sure how to get started!

Oh wait, that’s right:

Ahh, and it all comes rushing back.

So strap yourselves in for 2008’s first installment of the Internet’s Most Explosive comics reviews! Here’s what I got this week…

…now let’s see which ones kicked the year off right, and which ones I’ll be resolving to drop!

Comics

Amazing Spider-Man #546: Okay, let’s get this out of the way right up front: As you no doubt already know, “One More Day” was terrible. Just godawful, to the point where the two guys who actually made the thing have been publicly arguing about whose fault it was that it was so bad. It’s wrong-headed in just about every way, completely unnecessary, and incredibly poorly done, born out of the same irrational lust for nostalgia that causes comics to stagnate and die.

And to top it all off, the thing’s incredibly sloppy, doing a lot more harm in creating problems than the good it does by fixing the imaginary one it was meant to: If nobody knows who Spider-Man is anymore–including guys like Daredevil and the Human Torch, who finds out in Amazing Spider-Man writer Dan Slott’s own mini-series–then what about Mary Jane, who’s known he was Spider-Man since before her first appearance (Untold Tales of Spider-Man #16)? If the marriage was just a “stitch in time” that isn’t going to affect anything else, then why is Harry Osborn back from the dead? And again, if nobody knows, then why did the Green Goblin kill Gwen Stacy? I mean really: The first two might be on the nitpick side–and not nearly enough people have read Untold Tales anyway–but that last one’s a pretty huge element of the character’s backstory, and if that doesn’t make sense, then nothing does. It’s bad storytelling on every possible level.

That said, the new issue’s actually pretty awesome.

To be honest, I’ve been wanting to see more of Dan Slott on Spider-Man since the aforementioned and fantastic Spider-Man/Human Torch, and despite the fact that the I disagree with the direction, the issue itself is highly enjoyable. It’s full of the same great blend of action and humor that Slott’s brought to his other stuff, and with a character that’s built on that formula, it works beautifully, right down to the great punchline to Peter’s perfectly justified act of selfishness at the end. A lot of it, I think, has to do with the way Slott writes the supporting cast; he does a great Aunt May and a great Jonah Jameson, and as much as I’m gritting my teeth at the latest revision, it was nice to see Betty Brant again. There are problems, no doubt–like why the heck Peter’s wearing his costume under his street clothes when he hasn’t done anything as Spider-Man in a hundred days, or, for that matter, why Peter doesn’t realize that he already tried to give up being Spider-Man back in ASM #50–but I was surprised at how much I ended up liking it.

As to whether or not it’s going to hold up, I wouldn’t even venture to say. But this one’s good, and like Sterling says, we all know that there’s no way that Marvel’s going to be changing it back anytime soon, as that would be tantamount to admitting they made a mistake, so what the heck. Might as well enjoy it if you can.

Bat Lash #2: When the preview pages for this issue hit Newsarama last week and revealed that Dominique stabs the crap out of her would-be rapist with a giant iron nail, there were a couple of people that gave the impression that complaints about the first issue were therefore unfounded. This, I think, misses the point, and while I’ll agree that Dominique fighting off her attacker is definitely a better outcome for the story than the alternative–although why she hits him with the gun instead of just taking it and shooting him is well beyond me–the fact is that a rape (in this case, the threat of rape) was still used as a plot point in a medium, and thanks to Palmiotti and Gray’s Jonah Hex, a genre that’s seen it played out and thoroughly trivialized.

Beyond that pretty major gripe, though, the second issue was a perfectly fine comic, although I’ll confess to being curious as to why Aragones & Co. picked up on my most hated part of the aesthetic behind Jonah Hex and not the one that I like the most, the single-issue story format. Still, here’s hoping it all comes together a little better before the whole thing ends.

The Goon #20: So, just to clarify here, when Eisner Award-winner Eric Powell sat down to draw his return to the now-monthly Goon series after the thoroughly incredible Chinatown graphic novel, he thought it would be a good idea to have a real-live hot burlesque dancer to model for him, and was then able to convince one to do just that while he drew a comic about a guy who punches out no fewer than two animals per issue.

I hate you so much, Eric Powell.

But I love your product.

You’re like HeadOn that way.

Nova #10: Shock #1 – This issue finds the Human Rocket and his ex-girlfriend, the space-assassin Kirkbait known as Gamora, fighting their way out of what is literally a giant space vagina while discussing their relationship for twenty-two pages.

Shock #2 – Like every issue of the series thus far, it’s really good. The fact that Abnett and Lanning are able to do something so enjoyable with a premise like that speaks better of them than anything I could say here, but the real surprise (for me at least) was the art of Anita Blake: The First Death‘s Wellinton Alves, who does a pretty good job with the issue. Admittedly, the cheesecake factor is about as high as you’d expect from an Anita Blake alumnus, but considering that Gamora’s walking around in stiletto heels and what is essentially an extremely high-waisted thong to begin with, that’s probably pretty unavoidable.

The Spirit #12: This marks Darwyn Cooke’s last issue of The Spirit, and brother, does he go out strong with an issue adapting two of Eisner’s classic stories revolving around the Spirit’s typographical love interest, Sand Seref. As usual, it’s an absolutely beautiful comic, but what struck me about this issue specifically was the way Cooke’s able to go from stuff like the stark, two-page title spread to the twelve-panel flashback pages and back again with effortless skill that just makes it as much a joy to look at as it is to read.

It’s excellent stuff, and while I’m actually pretty optimistic for the upcoming issues by Sergio Aragones, Mark Evanier and Mike Ploog–even with my feelings about Bat Lash–they’ve got a heck of an act to follow. Cooke’s run is just excellent, and really, if you haven’t already, give it a read. You won’t be sorry.

Except for the parts Jeph Loeb wrote, I mean. But you can just look at the pictures and be fine with that.

Teen Titans: The Lost Annual: You know, it’s not every day that you get a new Bob Haney comic, and I’m not saying that this one hit shelves directly because I demanded it, but I am the guy who stood up at HeroesCon and asked Dan DiDio if he was ever going to get around to publishing the guy’s last work that he’s had completed and sitting in a drawer somewhere for the past three years. So yeah: You’re welcome.

I’m kidding, of course, but the fact remains that this is the kind of thing that doesn’t come along often, and as a pretty big fan of Haney’s work, I was absolutely thrilled to see this one finally come out, and believe me, it lives up to every expectation I had.

Which means, of course, that it is completely insane, but with a story that revolves around President Kennedy being kidnapped by aliens and replaced with a shape-shifting doppelganger so that he can help them win a war against sword-wielding, Kraven-esque Lotharios, it’d be a disappointment if it did make any sense. Throw in the bright, kinetic artwork by Jay Stephens and Mike and Laura Allred that manages to go from the flat, cartoonish fun of Dick Sprang to the more psychedelic action sequences that mark Allred’s own work, and this thing pretty much speaks for itself, although it’s speaking so fast and so strangely that you might not be able to catch a single word.

Make no mistake, pals: This is a weird one. It starts off strange and just gets stranger, and the last three pages might be the strangest I’ve ever read, but it’s the kind of oddness that you can’t help but read with a smile on your face if you have any sort of love whatsoever for fun.

In short, it’s everything you love about Bob Haney, thrown together and cranked up as high as it’ll go, and the only thing I don’t like about it is that it was Haney’s last work, and that means we won’t be getting any more.

Trades

Cover Girl: I don’t know if you guys have ever been hit with a baseball bat by boozehound and bon vivant Kevin Church, but the blinding flash of pain that’s immediately preceded by a statement like “Cthulhu Tales wasn’t Pick of the Week, Sims!” is not an experience that I’d like to repeat. So for those of you who haven’t picked it up already, Kevin, Andrew Cosby, and Mateus Santolouco’s darn fine tale of intrigue and action in Hollywood is out in trade, and since I value the fingers I use to type, here’s a handy Amazon link.

Seriously, though, I picked up the trade to support Kevin (and by extension, the idea that the people who create these fine comic book weblogs of ours should be given the chance to actually write the darn things) and because it features a rare appearance of my name in print, but I honestly meant every nice thing I said about it while the issues were coming out. It’s a fun, zippy read with some great character work, and while the art’s a little rough in a couple of places, Santolouco does a great job on bits that would fall flat without the right facial expression to carry them through. It’s well worth it, and if you get a chance, you really ought to give it a read.

And maybe then I can finally get the antidote.

Savage Sword of Conan v.1: I think I made my feelings on the content of this one–that being Conan with more wenches and less clothing–pretty clear last night, but given the one-star review on the ol’ Amazon page that decried the printing of the book, I thought some clarification might be in order.

I can’t speak for the reviewer, and it’s entirely possible that my standards for black and white reprint books are lower than the average reader’s, and I’ll freely admit that I haven’t sat down with it for more than twenty minutes or so, but I’ll roundly disagree with the statement that the book’s ruined by poor printing. Admittedly, there are sections where the art is definitely not up to the standards of a Showcase or an Essential, and there are places where fine linework and detail are completely lost; often on backgrounds but occasionally on something as important as, say, Red Sonja’s face.

There are, however, just as many sections, if not more, that come through beautifully. I had some time to kill at work today and ended up reading through Red Nails in Savage Sword side-by-side with the recolored version that was printed in Chronicles of Conan v.4 just to see how they stacked up against each other, and they both had their definite strengths.

Could it have been done better? Yes. But for my tastes, the printing job’s perfectly accurate, and depending on your feelings about having 544 pages of two-fisted barbarian action in an easily portable format–an idea of which I am very fond–there’s a good chance it might be just fine for you too.

And that’s it for a surprisingly light week! As always, if you have any questions or comments on something I read or skipped–and yes, I know that She-Hulk punched a bear in Hulk and it was very pretty, but short of ROM Spaceknight coming back and throwing a car battery at Batroc, there’s nothing that’ll make me pick up a comic by Jeph Loeb these days–feel free to leave a comment on the first Week in Ink of the new year. It’s good luck!

Normally, I like to let these things speak for themselves, but the setup for this one is just too good to leave out:

Well-done, Kirkman & Co. Well done indeed.

As for the rest of the comics this week, well, it just wouldn’t be the Internet’s Jolliest Comics Reviews if I got my opinions out of the way right here in the introduction, would it? Of course not! So then, here’s the frankly ridiculous list of what I picked up this week…

…now, let’s find out which ones kept me Grinchy, and which ones caused my heart to grow three sizes today!

Comics

Bat Lash #1: The irony here is astounding.

For those of you who haven’t read it yet, I’ll explain: Aside from the fact that I really like both Sergio Aragones and John Severin (and have no opinion whatsoever on co-writer Peter Brandvold), one of the major reasons that I was excited about the new Bat Lash series when it was announced was that I was hoping it could take the place of Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray’s Jonah Hex, which I dropped for an infuriating over-reliance on rape as a plot point. And yet, here we are with Bat Lash #1, which ends with Lash’s lady-friend in iminent danger of sexual violence from the story’s villain.

What the hell, man?

It’s an incredibly disappointing development, and was only made worse by the high expectations I had for the book to begin with. Still, I’m planning on sticking with the title for the next issue or so, and while that might be hypocritical of me given what I’ve already said and my frustrations with Jonah Hex over the very same issue, but I’ve got to think that Aragones at least is a good enough creator that he ought to be given a chance to do something entertaining with the title, rather than just beating the same old plot point into the ground.

Booster Gold #5: One of the most interesting things about writing a daily comics blog is that I often find myself writing out sentences that, five years ago, I never thought I’d ever actually use. Like, say, “No, really: US1 is actually really good!” Well, prepare to check another one off the list, friends:

Man, this week’s issue of Booster Gold was awesome.

Yeah, I know, it feels weird for me to say it, too. Anyway, as you can probably tell from the cover, this issue finds the time-traveling hero heading back to the events of The Killing Joke in an effort to keep Barbara Gordon from being crippled by the Joker, and needless to say, it doesn’t work out so well. But the stort itself works out beautifully: As much as it’s part of the whole overwritten super-seriousness that surrounded Infinite Crisis, the best moment we’ve gotten for the character in recent years has been the scene where it’s mentioned that Booster knew full well what he was getting into when he tried to take on Doomsday, but that he did it anyway hoping that he could save Superman.

It’s a good little character bit, and it’s that theme that Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz are using to propel the story here, and it’s great. Obviously, it’s a pretty huge departure from the hijinks of the recent issues that saw Booster getting drunk and crashing the Time Sphere, but seeing him throw himself relentlessly against the world’s most dangerous madman when he’s got the concept time itself stacked against him is just fantastic, and as he gets more and more determined with each brutal failure, it turns into an incredible show of heroism. It’s awesome, and along with Catwoman and Blue Beetle, Booster Gold might just be one of the best comics DC’s putting out.

…And that’s another one I thought I’d never say.

The Engineer #1: You might remember that I was pretty excited about this one back when it was solicited, owing to the fact that it can be accurately described as a comic about a guy with a cosmic pipe organ, and to say the least, that’s right up my alley. Even better, he uses said cosmic pipe organ to search for what appears to be a gear-filled Fabergé egg crafted for the sole purpose of saving the universe.

Just based on the concept, this thing should be freakin’ radical.

Unfortunately, a good idea can only take you so far, and while there’s nothing I’d call bad–or even “not very good”–about this issue, it doesn’t quite live up to the potential of its premise. To be fair, the first two pages are darn near perfect, and deliver the setup in a fun manner with a great punchline, and the last few pages are great, but the stuff in the middle just doesn’t quite hit. Seeing as it takes place on a planet populated by alien cavemen–again, a great concept–the opening action sequence doesn’t give anyone for the Engineer’s weak shots at witty banter to bounce off of, and when understandable characters do appear–in this case, the specters–the dialogue doesn’t mesh more often than it does.

It’s tricky to pull off, and the end result isn’t a bad comic so much as one that’s a little rougher around the edges than it ought to be. That said, there are a few scenes where it breaks through its shortcomings, and with the challenge of setting things up that a first issue provides out of the way, I’m thinking that it can’t help but improve from here.

Fantastic Four #552: I’ve mentioned my enjoyment of Dwayne McDuffie and Paul Pelletier’s run on FF more than a few times over the past few months, and really, other than the issue where Black Panther puts on the Astro Harness to fight the Silver Surfer in Outer Spaaaaace, there hasn’t been one that quite captures what I like about like this one does.

And it’s not just because there’s a sequence where the Thing just wails on Dr. Doom while explaining his friendship for the best friend that got him turned into an orange rock monster, although I assure you: That makes for some excellent comics. No, the single instant that just encapsulates the strength McDuffie brings to the title is where Reed, right after the rest of the team finally figures out that he just blew the head off of one of Doom’s robots and not the real Sub-Mariner, spins around with a shocked, scandalized look on his face and says “You didn’t think I’d actually killed T’Challa and Namor?!” That’s a guy who thinks so fast that it doesn’t even occur to him to explain why he’s doing something crazy, and doesn’t bother because he knows he’s got the trust of his family, and if that’s not the Reed Richards we all like–rather than, say, Mark Millar’s smarmy know-it-all fascist–then I don’t know what is. Great stuff.

Invincible #47: And speaking of great little moments in this week’s books, there’s one in this one that I just loved. And believe it or not, it’s not the kick to the face that tonight’s post led with, either. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I did like that one an awful lot, but I’m thinking here of the scene where Tether Tyrant and Magmaniac–which, really, have got to be the comic-bookiest super-villain names of all time–are robbing a bank, and Invincible shows up to stop them, saying “You guys?! Where have you been? I missed you.”

Ryan Ottley puts a half-smirk on Invincible’s face when he says it, and there’s no doubt that it’s your standard fight-opening tough-guy dialogue, but it’s played in such a way that I can’t help but think that there’s meant to be a little sincerity in there. One of Invincible’s defining moments, after all, is when he meets Allen the Alien and actually tries talking to him instead of just getting in another high-orbit dustup, so it’s not a stretch to imagine Mark Grayson sitting around one day at lunch and wondering whatever happened to those two goofy guys he beat up, and there’s something undeniably appealing about a character who has a certain fondness for his low-rent adversaries, even when they’re standing in front of him waiting to get punched.

Now, there’s a good chance that I’m reading way too much into what essentially amounts to a throwaway line, but for me, it’s yet another great small moment in a book that never stops delivering ’em.

Marvel Adventures Hulk #6: I don’t say this often, but man: Paul Benjamin just gets it.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned the Marvel Adventures Hulk title before, and how it sort of blindsided me by being way better than I expected it to, but for six solid months, Benjamin’s hit on all cylinders with everything I love about the whole MA line: Much like ISB Favorite Jeff Parker, who used the format to tell the best Avengers story ever, Benjamin’s creating his own idealized Marvel universe with stories where Bruce Banner, Rick Jones and their pet monkey seek out the help of other heroes in attempts to cure himself, and it’s fantastic.

Admittedly, the fact that every issue other than the first one has been about the Hulk teaming up with another Marvel Super-Hero might turn a few readers off, but I think the record will show that my affection for Marvel Two-In-One leads me to think that that’s just a swell idea. Regardless, in this issue, Banner stands trial in Atlantis, and any thoughts about the lack of Hulk stories that are actually about the Hulk rather than the Hulk’s Special Guest should be put to the side once you find out that there’s a scene here where the Hulk and Namor fight gamma sharks.

Yep: Gamma Sharks. No more need be said.

Nova #9: There were a couple of people who were surprised last month when I didn’t mention Nova in the ISB’s weekly reviews, but really: What the heck am I supposed to add to a story where Nova and a telepathic talking cosmonaut dog fight space zombies in a city built in the hollowed-out head of a dead Celestial?

Seriously. You tell me what else I need to say about that, other than the fact that it’s highly enjoyable–much like every issue of what’s definitely one of Marvel’s best new series of 2007–and I’ll say it. Promise.

Thanks, Guys Who Wrote Teenage Future Space Teens!

Punisher War Journal #14: So if you’re like me–a pretty terrifying prospect, I know–you’ve often found yourself wondering what that one J. Michael Straczynski Spider-Man story where the guy’s going around killing super-types with animal powers would be like if it was less about mystical totems and more about good ol’ fashioned Marvel-style ass-kicking, and if that’s the case, then rest easy: Matt Fraction’s done the work for you.

Of course, that’s old news, as this is the second part of the story where Fraction–along with Atomic Robo‘s Scott Wegener, filling in for Cory Walker–pits Frank against Kraven Jr., but there is some new information that I feel compelled to pass along, and that is this: The last two caption boxes in this issue come awfully close to equalling Goin’ Out West‘s immortal “I need to steal a car. I’m gonna drive to Mexico and shoot that guy in the face,” as seen in as the most fun things the Punisher’s said in this run.

Ah, sharkpunching. You never fail to please.

Wonder Woman #15: I know I joke around a lot here, but I’m gonna be real with you guys for a second, and I hope there’s someone at DC listening:

I would totally buy a monthly Gail Simone comic that was nothing but Captain Nazi getting the living crap kicked out of him by various super-heroes. Seriously. Heck, you could probably put out a trade–or at least a Prestige Format book–with just the stuff she’s done already!

Anyway, it’s Simone’s second issue of Wonder Woman, and despite a) the complete lack of Wonder Woman’s famed Gorillaplex, and b) the continuing trend of casting Nemesis as the Worst Secret Agent On Earth, it’s even better than her first. I think you can lay the credit here squarely at the feet of another clever, brutal defeat of Captain Nazi, because as I said above, I could just read about that guy being smacked around all day and never get tired of it, but the way Simone’s fleshing out the plot of the imprisoned Amazon Royal Guard is doing a lot to cast them in a far more sinister light than I’d originally expected. And, of course, it doesn’t hurt that the whole thing’s being drawn by Terry and Rachel Dodson, who pull off everything from faces smacking into walls to frizzy-haired pre-battle Amazon coif-maintenance with equal, fantastic ability that makes me feel like it might be time to finally forgive them for Trouble.

…But then again…

And that’s the week! As always, etc., questions and comments, leave ’em, you guys know how it works by now, right?

Right!