Weekly Spinner Picks for 07/23/2014
Weekly Spinner Picks is all about the hot comics of the week and getting to know the tastes of the writers at Comics: The Gathering. Each week the CTG contributors spotlight which comics they are most looking forward to on Wednesday and how those picks got to the top of their to-read piles. Let us know if you agree or not with our picks and most importantly don’t forget to add your list!I’m up first with the comics that I may just have to read before I make it out of the parking lot of my comic book shop!
100th Anniversary Special #1 Avengers: I’ve perused the other 100th Anniversary Specials Marvel has been putting out the last couple of weeks and decided to pass on all of them. I actually figured I wouldn’t be picking up any of them since I don’t tend to buy Annuals, Specials, etc. I just don’t find them all that satisfying and definitely not worth their higher price tags. That all changed when I found out who would be writing and more importantly drawing this issue....JAMES STOKOE! I discovered Stokoe’s art last year in Godzilla: The Half-Century War and completely fell in love with his style. You’d be hard-pressed to find another artist who packs so much detail into his work. It is truly something special to feast your eyeballs on.
Groo VS Conan #1 (of 4): This 4 issue mini-series is being touted as the crossover that had to happen. The world’s most heroic hero meets the stupidest! Who will come out on top in this epic showdown? I can’t wait to find out. It’s written by Mark Evanier and the legendary Sergio Aragones. It is also drawn by Aragones with Thomas Yeates lending a hand. I’ll definitely be rooting for Groo!
Transformers VS G.I. Joe #1: Transformers VS G.I. Joe #0 was by far my favorite release of this year’s Free Comic Book Day. Since then I’ve been eagerly awaiting the debut. My patience pays off this Wednesday with the release of this blockbuster first issue. Written by Scioli and John Barber with Scioli also doing the interior art and published by IDW. This promises to be Transformers and Joes like we’ve never seen them before! I also have to mention several of the covers look amazing. I think I’ll get the original Scioli one and try and hunt down either the Liefeld or Stokoe variant.
Afterlife with Archie #6: The finest Archie series I’ve ever read continues this month with issue #6. If you haven’t checked this out I highly recommend picking up the first trade which contains #1-5. This is one series that I guarantee lives up to all the hype it has received. Pick it up and enjoy!
Over at Fantagraphics, Dash Shaw is at it again with the new issue of Cosplayers. Cosplayers #2 continues the adventures of the kids we met in issue one, and even though I haven't been keeping up with this series, I find it fascinating that a guy who's oher works are massive, sprawling books with no regard to pacing has chosen to go the episodic route.
Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting launch the second arc of Velvet this week at Image. The first five issues have been a hoot, and hopefully the creative team is charged up for more action after their month or two break. Brubaker is great at writing lengthy espionage yarns that get more intersting the deeper they go. Quick, brutal spy action at it's best.
Wonder Woman #33 -- It's the first issue of the last arc of Azzarello and Chiang's run! They've done wonders with the title so far so I'm sure they're going to make their bit end with a bang!
Undertow #6 -- The series conclusion of a fairly enjoyable pulp read, so it'll be nice to see how it ends.
I have to agree with Stephen on this one. Sure, we've had our spoonfuls of zombie apocalypse tales before but writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and artist Francesco Francavilla brings the scenario to Riverdale with amazing results. They've managed to weave together two familiar yet separate worlds to create a horror story that is at times humorous yet richly poignant. I could not put volume 1 down for a second and this issue (I hope) promises the same kind of emotional energy that issues 1-5 had.
Velvet #6
I think Ed Brubaker was born to tell stories that are dark and secretive and Velvet is no exception. After the first arc, I'm excited for more espionage fun and for those secrets that've been hiding in the shadows to reveal themselves - classic Brubaker style.
Zero #9
Another great espionage series with a non linear narrative and a bit of a sci-fi vibe. I'm a sucker for the spy genre or anything about assassins - partially because I've always fantasized about wearing a tight black spandex onesie, sneaking around cloaked amidst the shadows and just overall being a badass. Realistically, that will probably never happen but series like Zero keep that fire burning. I'm amazed on how many different artists have contributed their work each issue without altering the overall feel of the series. The panels are fantastically executed that even the fight sequences are more brutal and intense. After the events in the last issue, I'm very curious as to what writer Ales Kot has in store for agent Zero. This is a series I picked up on a whim and I'm glad I did.
Monomyth #1 by OSSM comics. The classic good vs evil story retold and remixed. The story’s handled by Siike Donnelly and art is handled by Eric Ninaltowski. This is going to be a tough one to track too but it’ll be well worth the gas!
Storm #1 by Marvel Comics. Marvel continues to put the ladies up front and center where they belong. And no X-Woman is as fierce as Storm!
Supreme Blue Rose #1 by Image Comics. Probably the most cryptic description I have ever seen on Previews. But it hooked me, and its’ art is fantastic!
Undertow #6 by Image Comics. It's finally coming to an end and like Toribee, I can't wait to see how things are gonna go down. This had to have been my favorite series so far. If the rumors are true, its' universe will be getting an expansion.
Batman #33: This is it, the last issue of Zero Year. I'm conflicted. On one hand I'm glad it's over because as a monthly read it was a bit of a slog, but on the other hand, as one continuous read it's great and features some of the teams best work. Either way, I'm hoping for an exciting and emotional ending.
Saga #21: I expect waterworks. I will cry like a baby by the end of this arc.