Top Five Fridays 5/11/07
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
- The Killer
- Y The Last Man
- DMZ
- Criminal Vol. 1 (TPB)
- Countdown
Dave Farabee
- The Killer
- DMZ
- Criminal Vol. 1 (TPB)
- Hulk and Power Pack
- Hack/Slash: The Series
Dan Grendell
- Essential Fantastic Four V.6
- Criminal V.1
- Immortal Iron Fist
- Spider-Man and Fantastic Four
- Nova
Randy Lander
- Y The Last Man
- DMZ
- The Killer
- Jack of Fables
- Thunderbolts
David Martindale (D3)
- DMZ
- The Killer
- Y The Last Man
- Nova
- Countdown
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My comic highlights of this week has been:
Roger Stern Amazing Spider-Man comics (from #238, the first Hobgoblin appearance trough #245, great stuff), Incredible Hulk #108 (first World War Hulk, liked the art and story but thought Doc Samson was off and I do like the character).
I also read the last couple of issues of the Kang arc from Busiek’s Avengers run. It was, IMO, not Busiek’s best Avengers work and I wasn’t impressed overall, but it had some good moments.
This is the second time some of you list Nova. I’ve seen and read some preview pages of this new title and it does indeed seem like fun. I haven’t read Annihilation, only the prequel one-shot, and I’m not to familiar with the Nova character. With that in mind, is this a series I could step into and still enjoy without being overly confused?
DMZ still scores good with most of you, but the second trade mostly turned me away from the series. Especially the last two chapters with the Zee(?) solo story (tough it had nice art) and the sort of map/magazine tour with Brain Wood’s art. The first trade I found overall to be nice. Not great, not bad and a bit better than okay.
11 May 2007 at 11:49 am
QuoteMy Top Five This Week:
1. Y The Last Man - Wow. I just reread the stories in the latest Y trade (which includes the unfortunately bungled “how it all happened” explanation and *almost* put me off the book), but I was still drawn back in by the latest issue, which features a huge, huge payoff.
2. DMZ - If not for Y, this would otherwise have been my pick of the week, the second issue of the best story DMZ has offered up yet. A fantastic line-up of guest artists assist Burchielli with flashback sequences, the Rashomon-style look at a massacre during the days of the war is fascinating story material and as always, Wood just writes the hell out of the character moments.
3. The Killer - Another book that, in a lesser week, could have been my pick of the week. Another great issue in the story of a professional killer who is cracking up on the verge of retirement, as he faces up to betrayal from someone he trusted
4. Jack of Fables - The conclusion of Jack’s adventures in Vegas. Just plain fun.
5. Thunderbolts - Surprised by how much I’m digging this book. But the art by Deodato is amazing, and Ellis is actually doing right by these third-tier characters, even if they tend to meet grisly fates by the end. It’s a great superhero action book, too… there are some fantastic action sequences in this issue.
Actually, I could easily have made a Top 10 this week. The Criminal trade, Hack/Slash #1, Two Guns #2, Invincible #41 and Hellboy: Darkness Calls #1 (which I finally got to read when we got it restocked) would round it out.
11 May 2007 at 11:55 am
QuoteDue to a “shipping error” there was no delivery of comics this week to my local comic shop!!! Was really looking forward to Thunderbolts, Invincible and Iron Fist too.
On the brightside, it’s the perfect opportunity to re-read some trades and see well in advance what you guys are recommending this week. Think I’ll pick up The Killer #1 now (I’m on trades with Y and DMZ)
11 May 2007 at 12:49 pm
QuoteWell, I only got five this week, so my Top 3 are:
1) The Killer - disturbing and surprising.
2) Okko - gorgeous art and a spine-chilling payoff
3) Phongram - somewhat muted end to a great series.
12 May 2007 at 3:36 am
QuoteSo glad to see Killer, DMZ and Y on everyones list -well almost everyone. These are 3 of my favorites. Is anyone reading Scalped? It is also very good..
12 May 2007 at 10:47 am
Quotescalped is great. people should talk more about it!
12 May 2007 at 11:20 am
QuoteI fell behind on Scalped, but I’m going to check out the trade when it hits.
12 May 2007 at 2:55 pm
QuoteI started to read the first issue, but realized I just wasn’t in the mood for anything gritty at the moment and decided to hold off. Can you or anyone give me the skinny on it? That is, what is it about it that draws you?
12 May 2007 at 11:08 pm
QuoteI think it is starting now to get really good as characters are developing and storyline thickens. it is gritty though, yeah
13 May 2007 at 12:03 am
Quote1) Jack of Fables: Still the most consistent storytelling fun out there. It is neat to see how far Willingham has come as a writer, too. I read what I assume was an earlier work, the story called “Proposition Player.” While that contains some similar themes to what he is doing with Jack in Vegas, he has clearly matured.
2) Nova #2: Still a favorite this week (I know, it was last week’s book). I think this was a stealth book with the Marvel editorial board because in a few pages the writers tore into the whole Civil War mess as it should have been this time last year. AND, it is still a great comic book yarn, to boot. Hope it keeps up when he smotes the Thunderbolts AND, I would guess, will call Tony on the carpet for the decision to employ criminals, too. Sweet.
3) Y: I actually like the slow fade to the ending that is happening. Less of a dreadful build up to giant show down and more a walk into the sunset. The end of this issue was nifty, too.
4) Proposition Player: As noted, I haven’t read this yet but got it cheap at FCBD last week. Willingham’s weakest work, I think, but still brimming with ideas and concepts he would later refine. It isn’t nearly as strong as his work with the Sandman universe and not even close to the Fables work but still a great look at an author finding his voice.
That’s it. Nothing else jumped out at me this past week (though I clearly need to look into the Killer next week and hope they have some). I do get DMZ, but was waiting to collect a bunch in a row before reading (like waiting for the trade but just as slow and more expensive…yeesh).
4)
13 May 2007 at 12:45 am
Quote1.The Killer
2.Jack of Fables
3.Y:The Last Man
4.Criminal Volume 1
5.Spider-Man/Fantastic Four
13 May 2007 at 10:32 am
Quote