Top Five Fridays 04/13/07
Some of you may have noticed on the sidebar, we have our “Top Five of the Moment” listed. These are the five books that are most clicking with each Pants writer. It may or may not represent the best books we’ve read all month, year, or just what we’re digging that week. We generally try to update it with books from that week, but there are no hard and fast rules. Inspired by an email from one of our readers, we’re going to post every Friday with the most recent Top Five from each member of the Panteon, and hope for your comments on our lists, or maybe even your own “Top Five of the Moment.”
Also, just as the Wednesday Number Ones feature is generally our spot for folks to talk about the comics of the week, we hope that Top Five Fridays is where you’ll come to talk about what’s going on in comics in general. News in the comics world, thoughts on comics you’ve recently read, talk about comic-related movies that release this weekend and more are welcome in the comments thread for Top Five Fridays.
This week, the Top Five Books of the Moment are:
Nick Budd
- Nova
- Madman Atomic Comics
- All-Star Superman
- 52
- Dynamo 5
Dave Farabee
- All-Star Superman
- Kafka (TPB)
- Marvel Illustrated: The Jungle Book
- Fables
- Dynamo 5
Dan Grendell
- Nova
- Sandman Mystery Theatre Vol. 5: Dr. Death
- Fables
- Fell
- 52
Randy Lander
- Sandman Mystery Theatre Vol. 5: Dr. Death
- Fell
- Fables
- BPRD: Garden of Souls
- 2 Guns
David Martindale (D3)
- Nova
- Dynamo 5
- 2 Guns
- Fables
- 52
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It was difficult to decide what to exclude from my top 5 this week. There were several books that were just as good as the books that I included, but I went with a couple of lesser known books (Dynamo 5 and 2 Guns) to try and give ‘em a bit more attention. I could have made a top 10 this week, and I shall:
1. Nova
2. Dynamo 5
3. 2 Guns
4. Fables
5. 52
6. All-Star Superman (HC & issue)
7. Iron Man
8. Thunderbolts
9. Uncanny X-Men
10. G.I. Joe Declassified (TPB)
13 Apr 2007 at 3:44 pm
Quote1. All Star Superman
2. Fables
3. Punisher War Journal
4. Thunderbolts
5. 52
Does the panteon have an opinion on Stuart Immnen taking over art on Ultimate Spider-Man? Just curious.
13 Apr 2007 at 7:20 pm
QuoteI can’t speak for the entire Panteon, but I am at least intrigued. I haven’t really been that onboard Ultimate Spidey from a writing perspective, and I don’t expect that to change. Immonen is kind of favorite of mine, so I expect to give it at least a flip through on that basis alone. I don’t expect to read, just flip through it.
13 Apr 2007 at 7:27 pm
Quote1. Giant Robot Warriors - awesome. Thanks for the tip Randy.
2. All Star Superman HC - a new classic, but what’s with the poor paper quality? Not cool.
3. Punisher MK HC - own all the singles, but Dillon’s looks amazing in oversized format.
4. Testament - lots of cool ideas and delightful colors from Jamie Grant. One to keep an eye on.
5. Deadman vol 1 - incoherent scripts, but a lot of potential. It gets a spot here because of John Watkiss’ moody art.
13 Apr 2007 at 8:13 pm
QuoteI like seeing all the Dynamo 5 love from the Panteon!
And just to contribute, my Top 5 of the moment (but not this specific week, because I’m way behind) are:
INVINCIBLE (the best in independent super-heroes)
MAGNITUDE (a great new entry in the indie super-hero field, this book is brimming with new characters and ideas)
CRIMINAL (I love crime thrillers, I love Ed Brubaker, and I love Sean Phillips — this book’s got me dead to rights)
EX MACHINA (my favorite Vaughan book)
~ Jay
13 Apr 2007 at 8:42 pm
QuoteHello all, I know you are dying to find out what my top 5 are this week. Actually there was a lot of crap in my Marvel Universe this week so my top 5 is just about the same as last week. Or at least what I remember what my top 5 was from last week as I am too lazy too check.
1.Nova: I love all things cosmic here of late. This guy started out as kind of a wuss in his Annihilation prologue, but has turned into the space version of the Captain (long live the Cap!!!) I really dig the sense of urgency in this book as he goes from fight to fight in like two pages.
2. Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness: I kept this up here cause I enjoyed it so much last week I can’t bear to knock it off.
3. Manhunter TPB 1 and 2: Again I kept these up because these are so good and I felt they deserved another week in my top 5. That and because Shadow Thief is so creepy.
4. Thunderbolts: Although not as action packed as the previous few issues, I loved watching all the scheming behind the scenes. I can’t wait till Norman Osborne goes nuts and starts eating peoples brains (hmm…maybe that won’t happen, but it should!!!) Anyway I am really enjoying watching Osborne’s slow burn into crazyville.
5. Invincible Tpb’s: I finally finished all the trades. What can I say, I love the art, story and dialogue. This is definately my fave super hero book right now.
No honorable mentions this week. Well maybe Punisher War Journal #4, which is like two months old. Good luck finding that one.
13 Apr 2007 at 9:34 pm
Quote1. Nova: It all has been said before but more is always better. Count me in with the folks loving the idea of him pasting Tony Stark from one end of the globe to the other…and then getting out of Dodge in time for Hulk to take over.
2. Fables: Still groovy.
3. DMZ: collecting but not reading as they play better in collected format, I think. Contiually inventive storytelling, setting and character development.
4. Annihilation: Heralds of Galactus: Anything Annihilation has been the only consistent thing coming from the MU of late. Well, that and Runaways but there you go.
5. The Loners: Speaking of Runaways, this spin-off (?) of that book plays out very nicely. Good mix of charcter development, fist-to-cuffs and story. I liked the art a lot, too. Will make for a nice companion piece to Runaways and that style of superhero group, the kind of grouping not reliant on government regulations, mansions, superheadquarters, etc. A superhero group that loses all the cliches.
13 Apr 2007 at 10:34 pm
QuoteI seem to be the only member of the panteon really digging Iron Man, and I’ve been asked elsewhere what I like about the title so much. I figured this was as good a place as any to address the question. It’s a combination of factors that taken alone, wouldn’t be enough to take the book from ok to good, but the total is greater than the sum of the parts.
The clash in leadership styles between Dugan and Stark is intriguing for me as a military brat that is well versed in military leadership philosophy. The cultural rift between the civilian world and the world of the military is an interesting device for both plotting and characterization. Speaking of characterization, the dialogue is great.
I also find the privatization aspect interesting because it parallels a hot topic in politics over the last few years, the growing privatization of government services. The book manages to address the topic without preaching from the left or the right.
I’m also digging the idea of the Mandarin escaping from a Chinese prison. It’s just a cool idea. The art is well above average too. The artist does an especially good job with Mandarin; he’s looking extra sinister.
It does have some pacing issues. The point in the story we are currently at could have been reached in half an issue rather than two issues.
14 Apr 2007 at 12:09 pm
QuoteSo what is 2 guns? Can I get the summarization (if possible could you use Casablanca as a metaphor?) Ha! Also there appears to be some Dynamo 5 love going on as well. What is going on with that book?
14 Apr 2007 at 10:49 pm
QuoteUh, nevermind about Dynamo 5. It appears NIck answered my questions about it and got me craving melted cheese at the same time. I say well done sir!
14 Apr 2007 at 10:58 pm
Quote1. Fables- So great to see Buckingham back and so excitied for this new story arc. I can already see this storyline possibly being one of the two or three best of the series. This issue just strengthens my feelings on why it’s the best monthly out there.
2. Dynamo 5- Two issues in and this is already without a doubt one of my favorite books out there. I plan to be on it for a good long while. I think this is the best team book out there right now.
3. All Star Superman- This book continues strong for me and hasn’t let me down once so far. This issue almost felt like a Superman movie to me or what I would like to see me be like with the epic scope of the story. I just wish it would come out more often then it does.
4. Spider-Man/Fantastic Four- This book was just pure fun from start to finish. I’m so happy Ringo is getting a project like this. His Fantastic Four are in my opinion the best ever and his Spider-Man is pretty damn good as well. He deserves to be on a monthly Spidey title. Parker gets the dialogue and humor of Spidey just right. He has the perfect name for writing the character as well.
5.Conan and the Midnight God/2 Guns
14 Apr 2007 at 11:00 pm
QuoteMy top 5 from last week:
1.) Fables – After the diversions of the last few issues, it’s nice to see a return to the regular plotlines.
2.) All Star Superman – A two-part story? Nooooooo!!! Here’s hoping the next issue comes out on a timely basis.
3.) Newuniversal- Still keeping me interested, but I wish Ellis wouldn’t spend so much of each issue re-explaining the story concepts. I’m all for creating accessible comics, but let’s move things along already.
4.) The Loners – This one, on the other hand, could’ve used a bit more of recap when it came to the characters’ powers. I have only vague memories of what Darkhawk’s amulet thing does, so it would’ve been nice to see at least a brief explanation.
5.) 52 – I didn’t really care for the last several issues of this series, but this one had some great moments. Go, tiny Metal Men, go! I’ve pretty much given up hope that DC is going to pull off any kind of satisfying conclusion to this series, but there’s nothing to do at this point but wait and see.
15 Apr 2007 at 6:28 am
QuoteNext issue of ASS(All Star Superman..hmm never noticed if you shortened the name into letters it formed that word) isn’t until June 20th. I’m not sure I can wait that long.
15 Apr 2007 at 8:46 am
QuoteMy general comments on my Top Five this week:
1. Sandman Mystery Theatre Vol. 5: Dr. Death (a fantastic mystery/ romance/period piece from Vertigo’s early days gets another collection… highly recommended stuff)
2. Fell (My favorite issue of the series, and one of my favorite things Warren Ellis has ever written. The photo motif was a clever storytelling device, it made a nice capper of sorts for the series thus far and Templesmith’s art looks great)
3. Fables (After a few disappointing one-offs, Fables is back on track with the regular artist team and the story of the recently re-memoried Frog Prince Ambrose)
4. BPRD: Garden of Souls (A great book that is equal parts superhero action and supernatural mystery, with amazing art by Guy Davis… if you’re not reading BPRD, drop something else to pick up the trades… it’s that good)
5. 2 Guns (Explanation below, but suffice to say, it’s good action/crime drama stuff)
My general opinion of Ultimate Spider-Man is rather low these days, so I mostly feel like it’s a waste of a really good artist. That said, Immonen is always good, usually great, and I expect his USM work will be no different.
Nick scooped the Dynamo 5 review before I could write it… I’m definitely enjoying the book, and it looks like it’s going over pretty well, given the sold out and reprinted first issue.
OK, Jay, you’ve stumped me… I’ve never heard of MAGNITUDE… got any more info? Publisher, creators, etc.?
This was a really good first issue. It was number six on my top five. Terrific art, an interesting take on Nova and great action. I’m not as big into the cosmic stuff as Nick and D3, and my preferred take on Nova is actually the take very few people seem to like, the early New Warriors version, but I’m digging this series so far.
2 Guns is a Boom! Studios title, written by CBR columnist and long-time comic book writer Steven Grant. It’s about a couple guys planning a bank robbery in a small town. But there’s a twist involving one of the guys, which I won’t give away here. And then, at the end, there’s another twist involving another character. Really good popcorn style crime fiction.
15 Apr 2007 at 7:30 pm
Quote>
Man, they really need to get the word out if even someone pretty dialed in, like you, hasn’t heard of this book. Anyway, here’s the scoop —
MAGNITUDE is a 5-issue mini-series published by Ape Entertainment. It’s created, written, inked, colored, and lettered by Greg Waller (who does a lot of indie coloring — particularly for Avatar — as Nimbus Studios) and pencilled by Axel Gimenez. Issue #3 just came this month.
The book concerns a beloved hero, The Combatant, who suddenly goes rogue. He’s sort of a Green Lantern-type, in that he’s been assigned to Earth by some alien masters. When there’s a regime change on his alien homeworld, the Combatant is ordered to enslave Earth, instead of just protecting it. And he does. His former teammates are a super-hero group called The Allegiance, who are trying to make heads or tails of what’s happening when they meet Magnitude, a young hero sent from the far future to defeat the Combatant before he can establish full control of Earth.
The book’s a little rough around the edges. The font Greg uses for lettering isn’t great, and his digital inks are a bit rough. But the book’s exciting, it’s got an interesting premise, and it’s full of bright, original super-heroes operating in their own, fully realized universe.
You can see some colored previews here, on the Ape forum:
http://www.ape-entertainment.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=29;t=000012
Greg’s own website is: http://www.voltagecomics.com
Check it out … after you’ve bought the first two issues of Dynamo 5, of course.
~ Jay
15 Apr 2007 at 8:14 pm
QuoteLast week might’ve been my favorite overall week for comics this year. Better comics might’ve hit other weeks, but last week had a preponderance of quality and happy surprises that made it especially endearing.
Justifying my list:
1) All-Star Superman - Though Morrison occasionally ticks me off with his eccentricity, his work with the King of All Icons continues to mesmerize. This book is, simply put, the total package. Wild writing, brilliantly eccentric art, and gorgeous, gorgeous coloring. Couldn’t ask for a more appealing overall team. How great did Bizarro World look?
2) Kafka (TPB) - Happy surprise #1 this week is this biography of famed novelist, Franz Kafka, with profuse illustrations by R. Crumb. It’s like some kind of self-loathing Marvel Team-Up! Great context for one of the weirdest writers of the 20th century, and Crumb’s Reader’s Digest versions of Kafka’s most famous stories are appropriately unnerving. There are certainly deeper looks at Kafka out there, but this one plays out as would a smart documentary, emphasizing how his life created the context for his stories.
3) Marvel Illustrated: The Jungle Book - Happy surprise #2. Much as I love Disney’s musical take on Kipling’s jungle mythology, it’s always nice to return to the harsher, nobler source material. Gil Kane on art, P. Craig Russell on inks, nice fidelity to the stories. Excellent.
4) Fables - I’m always happy when we get an issue laden with plot and subplot for the main ensemble, and the latest Fables delivers all the quality I’ve come to expect.
5) Dynamo 5 - Happy surprise #3. I loves me my comic diversity, but I will always, always have a love of superheroes. Dynamo 5 was just what I needed after a long series of disappointing superhero reads, and even though I’m putting it at #5 in the ol’ list, it’s the comic that’s lingered most in my head this week. I really want to read the next issue.
Like D3, I could’ve made a Top Ten this week, and if the numbers had continued, they’d have gone like this:
6) Nova - Might’ve ranked higher, but I have a feeling this one’s gonna buck me off at some point; possibly next issue when it touches on Civil War)
7) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - For a book that’s usually very swashbucklery, this was a pretty heavy issue. And a very good one.
9) Conan and the Midnight God - I still haven’t gotten around to the post-Busiek, regular Conan book, but I think it’d be hard-pressed to live up to the dark, imaginative tidings of Midnight God.
10) Xombie Reanimated - Lightweight-yet-fun zombie-fightin’ action in a futuristic setting. Nice art.
I also might’ve slipped Optic Nerve somewhere in there. It’s self-obsession isn’t my thing, but I always admire the craft and bleak humor. And had the store not sold out of the Wasteland TPB and the latest Spider-Man loves Mary Jane, they might well have made the list as well. Haven’t had a chance to read the latest Sandman Mystery Theatre trade, but having loved that series during its original run, I’m sure it would’ve ranked high.
Really a damn good week.
16 Apr 2007 at 4:08 am
QuoteMy Top 5:
1. Thunderbolts- not quite as good as last issue, but still a good bit of fun. Seeing Osborn acting like Captain Sensible in one scene and outright loony when confronted with a Spider character is great. Ellis also took what Nicieza established with the Swordsman and maximized its weirdness. Of course, the whole thing could still collapse like Ellis usually does.
2. 2 Guns- Like Damned and Badlands, this is another slightly off-center, yet grounded in reality, twisty crime thriller. It’s about a bank robbery… but I can’t say anymore, for fear of spoiling it.
3. Nova- SPACE WORHAMMAH! WHAT IF… Kyle Rayner wasn’t written by a soulless, unimaginative hack? Sure, Ron Marz and DC editorial deserve a hefty royalty from Abnett and Lanning, but I defy you to find a more awesome, action packed issue of Marz’s run that dealt with a similar plot. Guru EFX’s coloring is too dark for Sean Chen’s art but otherwise this is a great kickoff to what may finally be the Nova series that makes it past issue #25.
4. Secret Six: Six Degrees of Devastation- The plot isn’t nearly as twisty as Villains United, and Brad Walker’s Gulacy/Skroce-esque artwork can be really weak at points (and very strong in others) but the focus on Scandal Savage trying to hold her screwy “family” together works quite well. Some really amusing, fun stuff, with a very emotional core. If Scandal isn’t one of your favorite DCU characters by story’s end, I’ll be very surprised.
5. Loners- the idea of “superhero rehab” sounds like the worst kind of meta-fictional self-loathing that gets trotted out in the post-Ellis era- hell, DC built a damn crossover around how not good it was to be superheroes no more- but C.B. Cebulski isn’t out to settle scores, just tell a good story, and that he does with excellent Karl Moline art. The heroes’ justification for quitting- and falling off the wagon- works well. Here’s hoping Cebulski can sustain his momentum, and Moline can keep up the kickass artwork.
16 Apr 2007 at 9:00 am
QuoteI like the premise, and the preview art looks interesting enough to check out… sadly, a quick check of Diamond shows that none of the issues are in stock for ordering… guess it’ll have to go on my shopping list for San Diego. Thanks for the tip, Jay!
16 Apr 2007 at 11:14 am
QuoteThis just in: Marvel needs new lawyers. or to pay attention, one of the two.
“So – Marvel’s coming out with a new Champions series in July, written by Matt Fraction, with art by Barry Kitson, right?
Kinda.
As Heroic Publishing President Dennis Mallonee has been quietly pointing out, Marvel doesn’t own the trademark to a comic book that can be called “Champions.†Heroic Publishing, Inc. in fact, does.”
Complete story at Newsarama.
17 Apr 2007 at 1:21 pm
Quotehttp://www.google.com
http://www.yahoo.com
http://www.msn.com
15 Dec 2007 at 8:58 am
Quote