Top Five Fridays 11/16/07
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
- Scott Pilgrim V.4
- LOEG: The Black Dossier HC
- Nova
- House of M Avengers
- Queen & Country Operation: Red Panda
Dave Farabee
- Scott Pilgrim V.4
- Nova
- All-Star Superman
- Batman and the Outsiders
- Fables
Dan Grendell
- Scott Pilgrim V.4
- Nova
- Wonder Woman
- Atomic Robo
- House of M Avengers
Randy Lander
- Scott Pilgrim V.4
- Nova
- House of M Avengers
- Atomic Robo
- Fables
David Martindale (D3)
- Nova
- Queen & Country Operation: Red Panda
- All-Star Superman
- House of M Avengers
- Wonder Woman
Loading ...
1. Avengers: Initiative
2. Criminal
3. Dynamo 5 (trade)
4. Iron Fist
5. Scott Pilgrim (once I read it)
little surprised A:I didn’t break into any top 5 lists. it was a great read.
All-Star Superman - I only occasionally read DC (I like the Spirit, thought Justice was fun for what it was) - but if/when I get some extra cash, I’m going to pick up the trade of this series. It sounds like it would be right up my alley.
16 Nov 2007 at 12:45 pm
QuoteIt was a great read. It didn’t make my list more because of the huge numbers of great books this week than because of anything else. This was a fantastic week for comics.
16 Nov 2007 at 12:55 pm
QuotePicked up Atomic Robo last night and really dug it! Fun stuff, no doubt about it.
Best,
Tom Waltz
Writer/Editor
IDW Publishing
Simmons Comics Group
http://www.idwpublishing.com
http://www.simmons-comics.com
16 Nov 2007 at 1:40 pm
Quote1. All Star Superman
2. Thor
3. Avengers: The Initiative
4. House Of M: Avengers
5. Scott Pilgrim Volume 1 (Yeah, I’m just a little behind the curve with this and I’ve only read about half so far hence number 5)
16 Nov 2007 at 1:52 pm
QuoteCoincidence that Gail Simone’s 1st issue of Wonder Woman hit on the day that the last issue (”for now”) of her Welcome to Tranquility came out. The latter has been a lot of fun, offering a quirky “Eureka with superheroes” feel with solid art from Neil Googe, though I’m sure it suffered for being set in the less-than-interesting Wildstorm universe. The Tranquility Armageddon special actually showed a character casting a spell to remove Tranquility to its own universe, in order to avoid being caught up in the most recent WS apocalypse. Seems like a little bit of self-referential humor there but with Christos Gage and not Simone writing the special, let’s chalk it up to unintentional irony.
16 Nov 2007 at 2:03 pm
Quote1. Scott Pilgrim Vol. 4
2. Avengers: Initiative
Nothing else really impressed me too much. Glad to see “Scott Pilgrim” getting so much love, but wondered about “A:I” as well. It actually made me look forward to Slott’s upcoming Spidey work.
Also, “Nova” for some reason gave me an awful “Marvel Zombies” aftertaste. I’m sooo done with that whole concept!
16 Nov 2007 at 3:35 pm
Quote1. Avengers: The Initiative
2. Suicide Squad: Raise the Flag
3. Punisher War Journal
4. Golgo 13 Vol. 11: The Wrong Man
5. Iron Man: Hypervelocity
16 Nov 2007 at 4:13 pm
Quote1. The Atheist (yes, it has been almost 2 years since the last issue but it sitll kicked ass)
2. Fables
3. DMZ
4. All Star Superman
5. Courtney Crumrin and the Fire Thief’s Tale
Hon Mention: 100 Bullets, Wonder Woman, Messiah Complex. Pretty solid week overall.
16 Nov 2007 at 5:07 pm
Quote1. Nova
2. Queen and Country Operation: Red Panda
3. All Star Superman
4. House of M: Avengers
5. Wonder Woman
6. Fables
7. Batman and the Outsiders
8. Thor
9. DMZ
10. The Sword
16 Nov 2007 at 5:56 pm
Quotei don’t know exactly what my top 5 would be but wonder woman and all star superman would be up there. probably fables too though the current arc isn’t exactly one of my favorites.
16 Nov 2007 at 9:54 pm
QuotePretty good week. My top 10:
1. Scott Pilgrim V.4 - I said why in my review, but basically, Scott Pilgrim is always awesome, and this was the best volume so far, which makes it super-mega-tacular awesome.
2. Nova - Show ▼
There is almost no way a comic fitting that description can’t be great. Best issue of the series thus far.
3. House of M Avengers - So good it almost makes a case for House of M being worthy of ever existing, a delightful ’70s riff on superheroes with a great cast, good writing and spectacular art
4. Atomic Robo - Jump to the present after last issue’s origin of Robo’s U.S. citizenship, and this is a really fun riff that reminds me in all the right ways of B.P.R.D. without feeling like a knockoff. Potentially the best new title of the year.
5. Fables - Damn, this Frog Prince story is great. Maybe even knocking Homelands off the list as my favorite Fables story.
6. All Star Superman - After a couple issues of Bizarro meanderings, Morrison and Quitely get back on track with this fun done-in-one take.
7. Avengers Initiative - Fantastic read for any Spider-Man fan, best issue of the Initiative so far.
8. Marvel Adventures Hulk - Dormammu possesses a monkey and fights the Hulk. Doctor Strange kicks out the magic jams like a badass. Chris Sims over at Invincible Super-Blog called it, Paul Benjamin and David Nakayama are the heir apparent to the Parker legacy of awesome Marvel Adventures stories.
9. Batman And The Outsiders - Surprisingly fun, beautiful art, reminds me that I really need to reread Dixon’s Birds of Prey stuff at some point.
STUFF THAT MIGHT HAVE MADE THE LIST, BUT I HAVEN’T READ IT YET:
Atheist #4 - Decided to just wait for the trade at this point
BPRD Killing Ground #4 - Been too busy to read this one
Courtney Crumrin And The Fire Thiefs Tale - Sold out… boo!
Ex Machina Vol 6 Power Down TP - Diamond shorted me more than half my order, and my customer service rep (an ironic name, it turns out) fucked up the emergency direct ship, so I have to wait until next week to read it. They also shorted my entire shipment of Black Adam, but I don’t care so much about that… as a reader, at least.
STUFF THAT NOTABLY DIDN’T MAKE THE LIST:
Wonder Woman - Some great moments, but they really needed to let Simone start over with a new #1 and a new status quo. The Heinberg/Picoult baggage is too much for anyone to carry, at least for me.
World War Hulk - I wasn’t disgusted with it or anything, but it was a bit of a letdown. However, I did enjoy seeing Sentry get punched repeatedly in the face. Someone should make some kind of animated gif of that.
DMZ - I’m just not a fan of Danijel Zezelj. I know a lot of folks love him, I really don’t like his art.
LOEG Black Dossier - Someone send out a search party! Alan Moore has officially disappeared up his own ass! Jesus, I didn’t think a book founded on a fun concept like “The 19th Century Justice League” could get more pretentious, but it did.
Salvation Run - Kinda bored, and they kept referring to the Rogues killing Flash, which turned off my interest
World of Warcraft - I was hoping for something that captured the world and maybe had a little either epic quest or fun, tongue-in-cheek RPG adventure feel. Instead I got decent (but not my thing) manga-style art and a dull story about slaves, gladiatorial arenas, yadda-yadda-yadda-snoooorrrre.
16 Nov 2007 at 10:07 pm
QuoteDid you just boo at being sold out of something at our store when you do all the ordering?
My head hurts now.
17 Nov 2007 at 12:38 am
Quote1. Scott Pilgrim V.4 - Nothing can stop Scott Pilgrim. There’s enough action, comedy, and just plain awesome ingrained upon these pages that nothing can stop it. It’s that good.
2, LOEG: The Black Dossier HC - Randy’s got a point that Alan Moore seems to have lost it a bit. This has most definitely taken place but still, this book was bizarrely fantastic to read. I will groan about how the text pieces almost drove me into a coma but Kevin O’Neil’s art is still striking and I’ll give any book props if they can make me wear a pair of 3-D glasses while sitting in a coffee shop. I got some strange looks from people but that in itself was a blast.
3. Nova - I Short Pantsed this one and I stand by everything that I said, and what the rest of the guys in the Panteon have said. This was a great issue. READ THIS BOOK.
4. House of M Avengers - Liked the story, loved the art. Glad to see more of Mike Perkins and I still think he should be used more. One of the best Misty Knights ever.
5. Queen & Country Operation: Red Panda - Final story arc? Possibly, but this was still a really good mini that stacks up well with the rest of them. Now, if we can only get a few more Declassified stories.
6. Avengers Initiative - Another good read, in a surprisingly good week for Marvel.
7. Wonder Woman - I like Gail Simone’s work and I’ve always thought that she’d do great stuff with WW. This one was probably the best issue since the book was relaunched but there are still quite a few problems. Some good work by Dodson though.
17 Nov 2007 at 12:42 am
QuoteTechnically, I suppose, I’m boo-ing myself for not guessing right on order numbers, yes.
17 Nov 2007 at 1:53 am
QuoteMine:
1. Nova
2. Thor
3. Black Adam: The Dark Age
4. Wonder Woman
5. Booster Gold
I’d like to add LOEG: Black Dossier to the list, but DC won’t let us read it in the UK!!
17 Nov 2007 at 1:54 pm
Quote1. Scalped (there’s a bloody good reason everyone’s raving about it!)
2. Vinland Saga (superb manga about Vikings - lets hope Northlanders is even half as good…)
3. 2000AD (the latest ‘Button Man’ rocks!)
4. Exterminators (and Tony Moore is back on art soon)
5. Captain America
17 Nov 2007 at 2:11 pm
Quote1. Thor: I’ve really been enjoying this so far, and its the first thing I’ve ever liked that JMS has written. I hope it keeps up.
2. All-Star Superman: What a beautiful book, with a fun story too.
3. House of M: Avengers: I would buy a Gage and Perkins ongoing, on pretty much any book. Mike Perkins has gone from a Steve Epting fill-in guy to an artist worthy of carrying his own book each month.
4. Nova: Good solid read, with incredible covers.
5. Batman and the Outsiders: Not a bad start. I’m intrigued enough to keep reading.
17 Nov 2007 at 4:46 pm
QuoteDoes this mean LOEG Black Dossier sucked? If so, damn, I was really looking forward to it. I will still get it, but damn…
18 Nov 2007 at 1:30 am
Quote1. Scott Pilgrim….half way through, but I’ve been waiting about a year for this, and it is not dissappointing me….obvious choice….
2. Spent the Weekend at the Dublin Comicon here in Ireland (they had Jim Lee! And I got a kick-ass coloured sketch of Kang from Carlos Pacheco! : ) and I picked up a ton of cheap trades, mostly 70’s Marvel reprints….aaaanyway, I have been mostly reading Champions Classic vol. 2, and it kicks ass! Not just for the obscure characters (Stilt-Man, The Stranger, and Black Goliath in a single issue!), but for the incredible lines of dialogue….a cheese-smothered masterpiece
3. Punisher War Journal….”Crackheads talk when a guy dressed up like a Rhino cops a squat in their crackhouse.”
Man, Matt Fraction either really loves the Rhino….or really hates him
4. Avengers: Initiative….I’ve grown to love this one…..just let all my doubts about ‘heroes’ doing questionable things evaporate in the glorious sunshine of wacky that radiates from this book
18 Nov 2007 at 3:39 pm
QuoteI’ll go on record as saying that it didn’t suck. Yes, Moore did go kind of insane-o with it at times, especially with the numerous texts pieces that resembled great big walls O’ text, but the core story was still fun and even had the same feel that the other two did. Is it a flawless victory (sorry about the bad Mortal Kombat reference)? Nope, but nor do I feel bad or cheated by picking it up. The entire LOEG story is probably my favorite Alan Moore creation and there was enough in this one for me to still think that.
18 Nov 2007 at 7:00 pm
Quote1.Fables
2.All Star Superman
3.Batman and the Outsiders
4.Wonder Woman
5.House of M Avengers
6.Suicide Squad
7.Salvation Run
8.Nightwing
9.Robin
10.Superman/Batman
11.Green Arrow/Black Canary
12.The Mice Templar
18 Nov 2007 at 11:02 pm
QuoteThat World of Warcraft launch was particularly uninspired. The setting is rich, if derivative, and the story could have played on that. Instead, the lore established by the series of games acted only as window dressing on a bland, done-a-thousand-times gladiator story.
I don’t know why I expected any more, though.
19 Nov 2007 at 9:24 am
QuoteTo Nick and/or Randy:
Do either of you plan on putting up a full review of Black Dossier? Since I live outside of the States, where the book can’t be sold, I’d just appreciate a little more coverage on it here.
19 Nov 2007 at 5:08 pm
QuoteI can’t speak for them, Martin, but I suspect it will be covered more fully in this month’s Fat Pants, as it’s a major graphic novel.
19 Nov 2007 at 9:08 pm
QuoteI finally got around the picking up the latest “Punisher War Journal” and couldn’t agree more. That wacky Matt Fraction …
20 Nov 2007 at 7:47 pm
Quote