My top five starts and ends with “The Immortal Iron Fist” this week. And maybe this puts me in the minority, but I absolutely HATED “Annihilation Conquest” #1. I’m even thinking of dropping the book from my store “hold” just based on the issue.

I’d be interested to hear what your issue with it was, and where you stood on the previous Annihilation stuff. I was pretty happy with the issue, though I’d maybe heard a little too much hype about the reveals for them to make a big impression on me.

I liked the previous “Annihilation” mini quite a bit, and am enjoying the “Nova” spin-off. But I thought all three “Conquest” minis were weak (outside of the “Starlord” art). And the Adam Warlock reboot, as well as the Ultron reveal, were the final straws for me. Seriously, there seems like there’s no consistency with continuity at Marvel anymore. Bendis does what he wants, regardless of other writers’ works, and vice-versa. Again, I will likely be dropping “Annihilation: Conquest” after the first issue …

1. Immortal Iron Fist
2. Criminal
3. Fantastic Four
4. Uncanny X-Men
5. Annihilation: Conquest

1. Criminal - I Loved Sleeper, and I love this.

2. Iron Fist - Frubaker!

3. Astonishing- People criticize this book, but I think that its been a blast to read, and its beautiful to look at. The trick is to never expect it and reread the last issue.

4. Modok’s 11

5. The Order - Fraction is really great right now. Where did this guy come from? Before a year and a half ago I had never heard of him. Now he’s writing 4 books and incredible.

6. Iron Man Enter the Mandarin : Havent read this yet, but I loved Casey’s last Iron Man mini. He should be writing the main book.

7. Buffy Season 8

Was disappointed with both Hellboy & Annihilation Conquest. They weren’t bad reads by any means but I was expecting more really. Hellboy will probably read better in trade and the final page reveal in Annihilation Conquest will keep me on board for at least another issue though.

got my mail order package and really loved empowered vol. 2 and checkmate. checkmate probably is one of my favorite series. i really like Greg Rucka’s work with DC characters even though it seems to me online a lot don’t. and checkmate just gets better and better for me. also the showcase teen titans. those old stories i find more fun then the current titans. in fact, i actually don’t care for this characters at all grown up but i like them here. got some Neal Adams and Nick Cardy art and i love their work.

Was Essential Moon Knight vol. 2 better than the first volume? I liked some stuff in vol. 1, but it was pretty scattershot until Moench and Sienkiewicz started their consistent run.

Sienkiewicz started with his experimentation stuff in the latter half of their collaboration, correct?

Correct. I’m still working my way through Volume 2 after having read Volume 1 fairly recently, and Volume 2 is *considerably* stronger than Volume 1.

It still has its rough spots, notably any of the issues when Moench and Sienkiewicz aren’t the team, but when those two are doing it, it’s surprisingly good modern pulp comics. Anyone who thinks Moon Knight is just “Marvel’s Batman” should read this work, he’s a lot more than that. He’s closer to Marvel’s “Shadow meets Mack Bolan meets The Destroyer” with a touch of the supernatural and even The Spirit thrown in for good measure.

2. Annihilation Conquest - Really enjoyed this, I’ll go on record as pro-new Adam Warlock costume (although I’ve never been a huge fan of the character, but it does make sense he’d be here) and I loved the last page reveal

3. Annihilation Conquest: Starlord - Great finale, I’d love to see more minis with these characters and this creative team.

4. Art Of Matt Wagners Grendel - Another amazing art book from Dark Horse, this doubles as a sort of chronology/primer of Grendel as well

5. Fantastic Four - I’m a sucker for alternate future stories, and I like what McDuffie and Pelletier are doing here

6. Criminal - Wow, has Brubaker *ever* written a happy ending? Despite the dour, hopeless nature of it (or maybe because of it), I did still really enjoy this Criminal arc, although on balance I guess the first arc slightly nudges this one in terms of favorites

7. Y The Last Man - A decent issue, but I have to say, going into the home stretch, that Y The Last Man lost me. Basically, ever since the Japan trip and the reveal of what killed all the men, it’s become clear I’m not on the same page as Vaughan

8. Buffy The Vampire Slayer #8 - Faith vs. Buffy. Faith being tempted in a just barely subtextual lesbian way by a slayer gone bad. Kicks to the face. Plummets from high castles. Nice.

9. Immortal Iron Fist #10 - Coming to realize that I like reading this more in larger chunks in trade, but I do still love it

10. Fearless #1 - Intriguing new superhero book from Image… has potential

Oh, and Dan Breretons Nocturnals Vol 1 hardcover would probably have been my #1 pick, had Diamond not screwed up and decided not to send the copies that Nick and I ordered. Lobster Johnson and Hellboy also might have made the list, if I’d had time to read them.

Hey Dan’s a Modesty Blaise fan! Always knew ya had taste.

Heh, I’ve gotten every volume of these Titan books reprinting the Modesty Blaise newspaper strips so far, and I love ‘em. Just great stuff. I dig the novels too.

My top five starts and ends with “The Immortal Iron Fist” this week. And maybe this puts me in the minority, but I absolutely HATED “Annihilation Conquest” #1. I’m even thinking of dropping the book from my store “hold” just based on the issue.

I’d be interested to hear what your issue with it was, and where you stood on the previous Annihilation stuff. I was pretty happy with the issue, though I’d maybe heard a little too much hype about the reveals for them to make a big impression on me.

2. The Transformers Spotlight: Ramjet

Y’know, I thought the incidental writing on this one was pretty good, but…well, maybe you’d know this, Dan: has Ramjet generally been portrayed as such a schemer/would-be-leader type? I don’t know older Transformers comics or the cartoons so well, but just going by his “tech specs”, he always sounded like a dumb brute. Which I actually think might’ve made for a more interesting story. This early in the IDW relaunch, it seemed weird to have him come so surprisingly close to staging a coup. It felt like he was stealing some of Starscream’s thunder.

And no mention of the excruciatingly dragged out Y the Last Man by anyone?

My Top 5 of the ‘mo:

1. Essential Moon Knight Vol. 2
2. The Transformers Spotlight: Ramjet
3. The Immortal Iron Fist
4. Midnighter
5. Welcome to Tranquility: Armageddon

Was Essential Moon Knight vol. 2 better than the first volume? I liked some stuff in vol. 1, but it was pretty scattershot until Moench and Sienkiewicz started their consistent run.

Sienkiewicz started with his experimentation stuff in the latter half of their collaboration, correct?

1. Essential Moon Knight Vol. 2
2. The Transformers Spotlight: Ramjet
3. The Immortal Iron Fist
4. Midnighter
5. Welcome to Tranquility: Armageddon