Top Five Fridays 12/7/07
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
- Annihilation Conquest
- Northlanders
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Dynamo 5
- Resurrection
Dave Farabee
- Popeye Vol. 2 HC
- The Order
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Northlanders
- Annihilation Conquest
Dan Grendell
- Revoltech Yotsuba Koiwai AF
- Kabuki
- Northlanders
- Atomic Robo
- Annihilation Conquest
Randy Lander
- Resurrection
- Overman
- Infinite Horizon
- The Order
- Annihilation Conquest
David Martindale (D3)
- Northlanders
- Annihilation: Conquest
- Uncanny X-Men
- Dynamo 5
- House of M: Avengers
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1. Revoltech Yotsuba Koiwai AF
Okay, so I cheated and put an action figure on here. Who cares! This figure of Yotsuba, from Yotsuba&!, is awesome. Super-articulated, cute as hell, it comes with her normal extra-happy face and an extra head that has her rare annoyed/angry face, plus a water gun and a chocolate ice cream bar.
2. Kabuki
The finale of the Alchemy story. I’m not sure if Mack will do any more, as this pretty much closes the circle begun with Circle of Blood, but if he does, I’ll be there. Plus, my full review of issue 8 is reprinted in the letters column, so, hey.
3. Northlanders
A promising start to a cool new series. The protagonist is kind of a jerk, and that’s always an interesting way to go. I’m curious to see where Wood takes this. The art is great, too.
4. Atomic Robo
I’m loving this mini-series. Witty, fun, and clever, with action and flair, this issue features mummies and a pyramid powered by steam with Archimedes inspired lasers. Awesome.
5. Annihilation Conquest
Still really digging this series. Cool cosmic action, fun characters, and awesome visuals. Great stuff.
07 Dec 2007 at 2:29 pm
QuoteIt was a relatively poor week for me but another visit to my LCS today fixed that a bit
1. World War Hulk Aftersmash
2. Uncanny X-Men
3. Northlanders
4. House Of M Avengers
5. Avengers Initiative Annual
No time for much reading this weekend, have my 5 disc Blade Runner Final Cut DVD to watch…
07 Dec 2007 at 5:26 pm
Quote1. Northlanders
2. Annihilation: Conquest
3. Uncanny X-Men
4. Dynamo 5
5. House of M: Avengers
6. Resurrection
7. The Overman
8. The Order
9. World War Hulk Aftersmash
07 Dec 2007 at 7:13 pm
QuoteD’oh
07 Dec 2007 at 8:28 pm
QuoteHuh, I’m a little surprised at all the love for Annihilation Conquest. I liked it okay, and Raney’s pencils looks really sharp, but it isn’t blowing me away. Different strokes and all that I guess, glad folks are digging it.
1. Buffy I’m sad to see BKV go, and am much more interested in the further adventures of Faith & Rupert than anything else going on in the book. Great arc that really reminded me of what I loved about the show at it’s peak.
2. WWH Aftersmash
3. The Order Khari Evans pencils & Victor Olazabel look so good over Kitson’s layouts - they add a layer of expressiveness that I sometimes find lacking in Kitson’s work. Fraction has done an amazing job of making these new characters feel familiar. My only complaint is that it doesn’t come out faster so that each team member could have had their spotlight issue already.
4. Black Summer Takes a turn for towards traditional superheroics this issue, but that’s fine - I prefer Ellis’ mad ideas when they’re populating a strong story with an established structure.
5. Uncanny X-Men Can’t believe I’m buying an X-crossover, and really can’t believe that I’m loving it. If they can get me to follow the adventures of the new “team” launched in this issue, I might pass out.
Honorable mention: The original digest Wonton Soup from Oni was a blast. James Stokoe has a great semi-cartoony style and his “what if Grant Morrison wrote Iron Wok Jan for Heavy Metal” story is absorbing and fun.
07 Dec 2007 at 8:31 pm
QuoteI just googled the name to see the figure and I love it. You got me hooked on yotsuba and this is perfect
(by the way, the revoltech transformers figures are very nice)
08 Dec 2007 at 10:59 pm
Quote1. Annihilation Conquest - This one continues to impress me. Abnett and Lanning don’t let up and the action, suspense, superb character work, and solid artwork makes you sit up and take notice.
2. Northlanders - Covered why I liked it in Wednesday Number Ones. In short, Brian Wood writes vikings. It’s complex, original and downright fun with a whole heck of a lot of promise packed into the pages.
3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Love Vaughan on this book. I know that I’m probably in the minority, but Faith was always a character that was just okay. Sure Eliza Dushku is hot and all…I just never cared that much. Vaughan makes you care. His meticulous and interesting twists on the characters make all the difference and this finale ends rather nicely.
4. Dynamo 5 - Faerber’s still churning out the awesome. If you haven’t read it the first ten or fifteen times, this is probably the best new superhero book on the market. Take a gander and find out why.
5. Resurrection - I’m digging the Walking Dead like vibe that this one has going for it, yet the story is definitely its own thing and not some cookie cutter cut out that plays out similarly. Guggenheim’s characters really pop and Dumeer’s impressive art, and his knack for clever storytelling, makes me think that this book has a lot of good story to tell.
6. House of M Avengers - Can’t believe that a House of M book is actually good, and yet this one has yet to dissapoint and Perkins’ art is all kinds of awesome.
7. Atomic Robo - Robot beating up on a mobile Egyptian Pyramid? Okay, you’ve sold me. Add to that upbeat, odd, and hilariously funny sense of adventure a great artist in Wegener and you’ve got a book that is downright addictive.
8. Storm Shadow - The last issue was a little bit of a letdown but with this one, the series feels back on track as we see the title character take on Red Ninjas, Night Creepers and Russian mobsters. Solid fun.
9. Uncanny X-Men - Not sure that I dug the last couple of pages from this issue but other than that, I can honestly say that I haven’t had this much fun from a big X Crossover in many a moon.
10. World War Hulk Aftersmash - Like D3 said, this really was WW Hulk #7. Call it what you like, that’s what it was, and what it was was a fufilling ending to a fun series.
08 Dec 2007 at 11:24 pm
QuoteAs the resident Transformers toy nut, I will certainly agree with you that the Revoltech line is extremely cool, though I do hope that they continue to expand on it.
08 Dec 2007 at 11:26 pm
QuoteThis month’s previews has a Revoltech Miura in the Cardbo (Danbo if you read the Japanese version) suit from V.5. It’s supposed to have light up eyes.
That’s just cool.
08 Dec 2007 at 11:37 pm
QuoteHas D3 answered yet what #6 was? Maybe you know, Nick. I’m hoping it was an issue I missed where they explain what the hell happened at the end of #5.
08 Dec 2007 at 11:41 pm
Quote1.Transformers Optimus Prime Bust-I saw Dan put a AF at the top of his list and I guess I’ll be just as shameless and put this at the top of mine. I couldn’t have been happier with how it turned out. I probably would have had the Mouse Guard PVC here or at number two had I bought it. My $ runneth low.
2.Dynamo 5-Month in and month out this book delivers. People put down the garbage(mostly) that Marvel and DC put out and give this book a try.
3.Northlanders-I love me some Vikings action. Especially when it’s smart and sharply done with awesome action.
4.Buffy the Vampire Slayer- Sad to see BKV and Faith go. I say give them both a new book.
5.Marvel Adventures Hulk Volume 1:Misunderstood Monster-Ah here is the Hulk I wanna see. Smash away Hulk. Smash away.
6.Storm Shadow
7.Justice Society of America
8.Batman and the Outsiders(last week)
08 Dec 2007 at 11:59 pm
QuoteNick : Next up (about March/April) are Rodimus and Starscream
Dan : I haven’t read volume 5 but i laughed alot when I saw a figure of a giant box monster with light up eyes
09 Dec 2007 at 12:09 am
QuoteThat’s the one where Hulk kills all those hobos, right? Or was it the one where he outright smooshes The Sentry’s head and the people of the world throw him a Hulk-sized parade? Damn, I’m always confusing them.
Anyways, yeah, I don’t know why I thought WW Hulk was a 6 issue mini. I blame the Hypno Hustler.
09 Dec 2007 at 1:16 am
QuoteI must have this.
It’s funny you mention this, as Yotsuba Vol. 5 is my top five this week. The book itself is great. The concept, characters, and comic timing simply don’t get old.
(But if I may put on my rare annoyed/angry face)
I pre-ordered the book 6 weeks before its release, and Diamond (or whoever) failed to ship it to meet the release date. And then delayed it and delayed it, until my LCS manager finally called me and said “just buy it at Borders.” That’s why I just got it now.
Similar things happened when I pre-ordered Vol. 3 and 4, only in those cases my LCS just got it maybe 3 weeks later than Borders. This time, they didn’t get it at all. This happened with another book as well, I forget which. But I am officially done buying manga through the direct market. What’s going on here?
09 Dec 2007 at 10:17 am
QuoteI really couldn’t tell you, Bob. I know our store got each volume as they hit, and I’ve had volume 5 for quite a while now. I don’t know who your LCS was ordering from. We get ours from Diamond, and look to book distributors sometimes if Diamond is out. Sometimes manga volumes are sold out and in a new printing cycle, but if you pre-ordered and the book is just arriving, that shouldn’t be the case.
I’m seeing two likely explanations, really. Either there’s an issue at the distribution level, which is weird but not unheard of if it’s Diamond; or, and I hesitate to cast any aspersions here because I don’t know your LCS, and if you think it’s a good shop then you can ignore this one, the issue may be on the shop’s end.
Either way, glad to hear you are enjoying the series.
09 Dec 2007 at 3:22 pm
QuoteWell, I live in New Mexico so I’m guessing we use the same Diamond warehouse as you (you guys are in Austin, right?). But our warehouse could be in Colorado, too. I don’t know off the top of my head.
It could be the store, but they’ve gotten me everything else I’ve pre-ordered just fine. Yotsuba and one other manga book have been the problems.
Thanks for the explanation.
09 Dec 2007 at 5:28 pm
QuoteI’ll say this… we have, on occasion at my store, gotten a manga anywhere from a week to (rarely) three weeks later than it’s release in bookstores. Every time it happens, I would like to murder those responsible, but that would mean taking out a publisher and the distributor of all comics in North America, and who has that kind of time?
Which is to say, thanks to the clout the bookstores have (lots) and the relative clout of the comic book stores (almost none), manga sometimes gets shipped to the bookstores first, and the direct market gets no say in it. Which sucks.
But then again, the direct market stores that carry manga tend to have a wider selection and better product knowledge than the bookstores. Although I will cop to being kind of amazed at the depth of selection at the local Borders. They can’t match us for the smaller, unusual stuff (I don’t remember seeing anything non-Tokyopop/Viz and *maybe* Del Rey), but damn if they don’t stock deep and pretty wide.
It’s been killing me that on one of my favorite weeks in comics in a while, I haven’t had time to comment, so I’ll jump in late. Let me just say that if you eliminated my Top 5 entirely from this week, my 6-10 are all good enough that they’d be an excellent Top 5 as well… that’s a damn good week.
1. Resurrection - Very promising first issue, if the book can stay on a monthly schedule and build from this base, it could easily become a favorite
2. Overman - As I said in the Wednesday Number Ones, what are the odds of two great new sci-fi books in the same week? Overman is ambitious, beautifully drawn and interesting.
3. Infinite Horizon - Dug this one more than Dave F., owing to a greater love for Phil Noto’s art and a huge interest in a modern updating of The Odyssey, one of my favorite Greek myths that I read in high school and college.
4. The Order - Not as good as last issue (which might be my favorite of an impressive run), but still damned good. I may be in the minority in preferring Barry Kitson solo to Kitson doing layouts for Khari Evans, though.
5. Annihilation Conquest - Kickass cosmic action, plus evil robots, aloof man-gods who tinker with DNA and gorgeous art by Tom Raney.
6. Dynamo 5 - Another great issue, another interesting new pair of villains and nice to see the Gage story wrapped quickly rather than dragging on.
7. House Of M Avengers - Sweet Christmas, I love this book. Call it Marvel: The ’70s, make it an ongoing and I’m a happy man. Even though poor Tigra just seems to be taking it on the chin (or more correctly, on the tits) at Marvel these days. I love the way Gage/Perkins clue in that Misty Knight has “gone native,” too.
8. Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Great finale for Vaughan, love the Giles/Faith partnership. I always found Faith more interesting than Buffy, wish that spinoff for Eliza Dushku had happened instead of her going on to the forgettable Tru Calling.
9. Northlanders - Talked about this one in my full review. Not great, in my estimation, but very good with potential for greatness. Weirdly, I *loved* it when I first read it, so I don’t know if I just lost some enthusiasm on a reread or if I was over-enthusiastic with my first read-through. I do know that after DMZ, Local, Demo, etc., I have faith in Brian Wood.
10. Atomic Robo - Crazy action, great art, fun book. Although I do wish the artist wasn’t out there telling fans that the book is available at direct market retailers when in fact it is sold out at Diamond.
11. Justice League Of America - Pretty good finale to the arc, and I don’t have the issues a lot of folks had with it. In fact, most of the problems I have with this book can be laid at the feet of the artist, who I feel is in no way capable of doing justice (no pun intended) to McDuffie’s scripts. Put on a Paul Pelletier or a Mike McKone and you’d really have something spectacular. As is, there were a lot of nice moments ruined by unclear, ass-focused art.
12. Invincible - Very much in ramping up mode, but it’s interesting ramping up, and that cliffhanger ending is a doozy for anyone who’s been reading the book a while.
13. Avengers Initiative Annual - Some interesting revelations, I keep *wanting* to like this book more than I do but there’s always enough to keep me reading.
14. World War Hulk Aftersmash - Interesting epilogue, although I’m still a touch letdown by the whimper, not bang, finale of World War Hulk. *Love* the new Foster, though, and thrilled to see a setup for Dwayne McDuffie to write Damage Control again.
10 Dec 2007 at 1:30 am
Quote1. The Sword - The first couple issue were good but this one was surprisingly great.
2. The Order - Marvel’s best ongoing?
3. Won Ton Soup - Very much in the same vein as Multiple Warheads, which was great also.
4. Northlanders - Anything by Brian Wood is gold.
5. Messiah Complex - Kind of a down issue but still loving the crossover a lot more than I thought I would.
10 Dec 2007 at 2:25 am
QuoteMy pics are going to match Randy’s fairly closely. Although I’m still enjoying a lot of the Marvel stuff and a few DC titles (especially Blue Beetle), right now a lot of the smaller publishers are putting out some interesting books.
1. Resurrection
I really liked this for an issue one. It has quite the Walking Dead feel to me. I get the feeling this is going to be particularly good in trade if some wanted to wait but I’m also hoping for on time delivery so I can keep this as a monthly pull.
2. Invincible
This book is consistently good. You almost always have a WTF? moment on the last page and the numerous storylines going on at the same time really gives a feel that something is always happening.
3. Dynamo 5
Since the first issue, I have been looking forward to each “next” issue.
4. Atomic Robo
I am really enjoying this book. It reads a lot like Hellboy and BPRD in that each issue so far has been a self-contained story. To me, the art is quirky but enjoyable with a somewhat clean but distinctive style that fits the book. The interaction between Robo and the supporting cast makes for some humorous dialogue without necessarily trying to be a comedy. I’ll recommend the first 3 issues to anyone that can find them on a shelf.
5. Overman
This was issue number 1 and it is off to a good start. There were quite a few teasers in the book and a lot of questions were left unanswered. However, it moved more quickly the further you got into the book and left you at the end wanting to see the what happens next.
I haven’t been as much of a fan of The Order as some. However, I do think the series has been getting better for some reason, I get vibe that the story/characters/general concept is in flux. This could almost be a book about a corporate sponsored sports team with behavior clauses, emphasis on Public Relations, etc. I’m still a little on the fence on wanting that in a superhero book.
House of M Avengers gets a nod. I had not previously read House of M (finished the main mini last night) and read the first issue knowing only what is in the Wiki. I enjoyed it quite a bit and the second issue moved things along nicely. It just didn’t seem to edge out some of the other stuff I picked up.
Overall, it was a really good week for me.
10 Dec 2007 at 12:14 pm
QuoteEnjoyed Resurrection #1, been waiting for that one since it was solicited. One bone to pick, Walking Dead wasn’t the first post-apocalyptic story ever told, must everyone compare Resurrection to that series? — if only b/c I hope Resurrection will feature less meandering storylines than Walking Dead. That’s not to mention that Kirkman has explicitly said he never really intends to explore the world-at-large in WD, while Resurrection seems to be about bigger issues rather than one group of survivors. Thus it’s not even that apt of a comparison, unless WD has changed a bit in the months since I stopped buying it. Perhaps Y the Last Man would be more appropriate? Anyway, an encouraging #1 from Oni, one of my favorite publishers, glad to see others have enjoyed it as well…
10 Dec 2007 at 9:00 pm
QuoteI can’t speak for everyone, but for me, comparing it to Walking Dead is not a way of diminishing it, but a way of letting readers of one of the most popular smaller press books there is know that this is something else they might like. Regardless of whether you’re a WD fan or not (whether I am depends on the most recent issue, usually), it’s hard to argue with the success it’s had in gaining readers. And I truly believe that anyone who liked WD, past or present, will like the vibe of Resurrection.
Even though I’m quite sure it’s not the same thing, and is going to go in different directions. Indeed, if it were just a carbon copy of WD #1, I wouldn’t have liked it as much as I did. But there’s a certain similar vibe that’s a *good* thing.
Y The Last Man #1 had a completely different energy. It was all about setting up the world that was before the bait and switch shocker of what was going to be the series. Walking Dead drops you right in the middle of things, and then slowly adds more characters and more plots. Resurrection #1 feels more like the latter, to me.
11 Dec 2007 at 12:40 am
Quote11. Justice League Of America - Pretty good finale to the arc, and I don’t have the issues a lot of folks had with it. In fact, most of the problems I have with this book can be laid at the feet of the artist, who I feel is in no way capable of doing justice (no pun intended) to McDuffie’s scripts. Put on a Paul Pelletier or a Mike McKone and you’d really have something spectacular. As is, there were a lot of nice moments ruined by unclear, ass-focused art.
Gosh and I though he had lots of that before. I counted eight to twelve pretty ass-focused shots. I suppose if you count in the men you might have more.
11 Dec 2007 at 11:00 pm
Quote