Top Five Fridays 3/21/08
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’s Top Five Books of the Moment
- Immortal Iron Fist
- Batman and the Outsiders
- Incredible Herc
- Batman: The Killing Joke HC
- Hack/Slash
Dave Farabee’s Top Five Books of the Moment
- Batman and the Outsiders
- Sandman Mystery Theatre V.6: The Hourman and The Python
- Incredible Herc
- Thor
- The Order
Dan Grendell’s Top Five Books of the Moment
- Sandman Mystery Theatre V.6: The Hourman and The Python
- Immortal Iron Fist
- Fables
- Hack/Slash
- Batman and the Outsiders
Randy Lander’s Top Five Books of the Moment
- Fables
- Immortal Iron Fist
- Batman And The Outsiders
- Incredible Hercules
- The Order
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I can’t believe the new Captain America got no love. That ending was great … though we all know it’s a trick of sorts. The last line in Immortal Iron Fist was classic as well.
1. Captain America
2. Immortal Iron Fist
3. The Order
4. Incredible Herc
5. Thor
21 Mar 2008 at 1:23 pm
QuoteOh, and Bob Gale’s latest Amazing Spider-Man was Clone Saga-awful … a crack-smoking animal/human monster? Oy!
21 Mar 2008 at 1:24 pm
Quote1. Immortal Iron Fist
2. Incredible Hercules
3. Ex Machina
4. Captain America
5. The Order
21 Mar 2008 at 1:24 pm
QuoteThis was a really good week, I thought. I’ve got honorable mentions for Angel with a solid issue and improving art, Brave & the Bold, which I hope Waid isn’t leaving and can’t wait to read the Megistus story as a whole, Captain America (’nuff said these days) and Incredible Herc (ditto).
1. Immortal Iron Fist Just everything I ever wanted in a comic book but either didn’t know or was afraid to expect. I pumped my fist and laughed out loud just for the last page.
2. Wasteland There’s so much to explore in Johnston & Mitten’s post-apocalyptic world and so far I’ve enjoyed every trip. This look at the sandeaters and the mythology they’ve made is proof to me that there’s much more to come.
3. Grendel: Behold the Devil The swerve into the supernatural is effective, Hunter’s reaction to it is note-perfect and I am scared for Lucas Ottoman. All in gorgeous back, white and red Wagner-vision.
4. The Order Curious if Fraction had been planning to wrap this story up this way or if it’s improvised…it’s damn good either way, but even more impressive if it’s the latter.
5. Hack/Slash A return to form for this book for mine - I wasn’t impressed with the Riverdale story and Tub Club never clicked for me. Really interested in the long-term stuff Seeley is building, though.
21 Mar 2008 at 1:32 pm
QuoteLots of agreement this week between Herc, Iron Fist and Batman. What is the sell on Herc and Batman?
I only bought Cap and B&TB this week. Brave and the Bold is underrated stuff. I don’t even really like the DCU, but this is how superhero comics should be. Carefree, and full of imagination and fun details.
21 Mar 2008 at 1:48 pm
Quote1. 100 Bullets
2. Fables
3. Thor
4. Captain America
5. Phoenix volume 12
21 Mar 2008 at 2:07 pm
Quote1. Batman: The Killing Joke HC - $18 for a recolored version of the classic and worth every penny. The original coloring never bothered me all that much until reading that Bolland hated it, and when comparing both versions I can see why. Bolland’s work looks 100 times better in this new version, and it already looked pretty good in the original. This is officially the definitive version of Killing Joke.
2. Fables - I remember Cinderella being cool in her previous appearances but I certainly don’t remember her being so badass. The revelation of the “package” was a cool moment as well. Can’t forget the gorgeous cover also, love the glass slipper on her button.
3. Immortal Iron Fist - The fill-in artist did a surprisingly good job even if David Aja’s few pages served to remind how perfect he is for the book. This one was all about that great last page though. Love the look on Xao’s face. Hopefully Aja will be back full time for the rest of the arc.
4. Invincible - Kirkman does a great job building tension and next month’s anniversary looks to really have big changes in store, as promised.
5. Order - The shared art duties are a little more noticeable this month but Fraction is doing such great work it’s only a minor drawback. Like s1rude I’m curious to see how Fraction is going to wrap up this great series.
Overall a really great week with Captain America, Thor, 100 Bullets, Grendel and Jason Aaron’s surprisingly good Ghost Rider all in contention for the top 5.
21 Mar 2008 at 2:20 pm
QuoteJust wondering…….what does the pantheon think of those Amalgam comics from the 90’s. You know where the DCU and Marvel U characters combine. I was going through my stash and found some issues, and the talent on those books was pretty impressive. They had Warren Ellis, Peter Milligan, Mark Wiad, John Romita, Ringo, Bryan Hitch, Barry Kitson, Dave Gibbons, Bill Sienkiwiez(Don’t know if thats right), Cary Nord, and I am sure a few other people I am forgetting. I remember liking them when I was 8…………..but I also like Spawn, wildcats, and knightfall when I was 8….so that really isn’t saying much.
21 Mar 2008 at 4:04 pm
QuoteI don’t know about Batman, since I don’t read it, but Herc is a lot of fun. It expands upon the mythology, sort of like Thor used to. And the art has been terrific (where is Khoi Pham going?) …
21 Mar 2008 at 4:49 pm
QuoteI’m actually interviewing Fraction soon for my paper … he’s coming to Utah for a store signing in May. So I’ll have to ask him. I believe things in The Order are definitely leading into his new Invincible Iron Man book, though. I hope some of the same characters appear in it.
21 Mar 2008 at 4:51 pm
QuoteKhoi Pham is off to Mighty Avengers. Shame really, as Incredible Herc is a much better title than any Avengers book at the moment. Any chance Pak & Van Lente can go with him too?
Bob, that last line you just used to describe Brave & Bold is exactly what Incredible Herc is with added humor, fantastic character development and the best new character of the decade in Amadeus Cho.
As for The Order, really enjoying it going out with a bang. Fraction is really on fire at the moment and hopefully he’ll bring some of that creativity, energy and (dare I say it) magic to Uncanny X-Men this summer. That’s not to say that it’s bad at the moment, it isn’t, but a guy like Fraction with all his ideas should be a great fit.
Immortal Iron Fist had the best line of last year with the “Less Talking. More Kicking” moment in issue 6, and it already has a contender for best line of this year with the final line of this issue.
21 Mar 2008 at 6:05 pm
Quotegot a package with subscription books/GNs this week so lots more to read.
1. excel saga vol. 17
2. batman and the outsiders
3. checkmate
4. fables
5. order
hercules, buffy and robin were cool. also happy to get the justice league international HC in the mail.
21 Mar 2008 at 6:12 pm
Quote1. Bodyworld
2. The Pro (yes the one written by Garth Ennis)
I don’t want to hear from any dickslaps complaining that the humor was too low-brow.
I planned on finally picking up the Shazam hardcover but I suffered a serious case of sticker shock. If I recall correctly the series consists of only four issues yet the price was thirty bucks?
22 Mar 2008 at 12:06 am
QuoteI’m afraid I may actually be going off Brubaker’s non-crime work. The whole “villains win, heroes mope” thing is getting old to me, even when a book is as well-written and well-drawn as Captain America or Daredevil.
But that Iron Fist last page was a thing of beauty. Despite the rotating artists weakening it a bit, this was one of my favorite issues of the series thus far.
You know, that description *should* be an *awesome* villain. But instead, it’s just bizarre at best, awful at worst. Gale has some weird as hell storytelling sensibilities, because it seems like he was playing Freak stopping for meth in mid-fight *serious* instead of for laughs.
I haven’t re-read Amalgam in a while, and my ’90s tastes are likewise potentially suspect, but I believe that it’s a rare bright spot from the era. It was an uneven batch, as I recall, but there were a few (like Spider-Boy) that were really fun, and most were at least readable fun.
OK, first, The Pro *is* low-brow. C’mon.
But that doesn’t make it bad. I laughed out loud several times at that book, and Amanda Connor is such a great artist for a book with this kind of tone that it’s actually one of my favorite Ennis projects. Sick, wrong, very funny.
As for Shazam, it was four issues, but they were prestige format, and I think clocked in at something like 50 pages each, so it’s really the equivalent of a six issue mini at least. The original issues were at least $6 each, so it’s not quite the huge price disparity it might seem, especially when you consider the oversized hardcover production values. That said, it ain’t cheap, and if you’re not a format whore like me or a Jeff Smith diehard, you might want to wait on a trade, which will probably settle in the $25 range instead.
1. Fables #71 - Damn, but Cinderella is a badass. I’ve been looking forward to this story as I love secret agent Cinderella, and the creators didn’t disappoint. *Love* that ending, and I love that Willingham seems to be moving into an endgame type of story that will fundamentally change the book.
2. Immortal Iron Fist #13 - Another great final page this issue, plus a great culmination of all the build-up that has been going on in this arc. Wish the art was a little more consistent rather than using multiple artists, but at least they’re multiple good artists.
3. Batman And The Outsiders #5 - I must confess, one of the reasons this particular issue is on my list is because of a great use of Show ▼
, but as for the general appeal? It’s a solid team book with interesting characters, gorgeous art and none of the weepy woe is me or brutal “look how badass we are” poserisms infecting so much of DC/Marvel superheroes these days. Just a good, solid superhero team book.
4. Incredible Hercules #115 - Ares and Hercules standing on the deck of the Helicarrier once used to hunt Godzilla throwing missiles at each other. I don’t know what else I can possibly offer that would be a better selling point.
5. Order #9 - Still disappointed that one of my favorite superhero books of last year is going away, but they do seem to be headed toward a doozy of an ending.
6. Grendel Behold The Devil #5 - s1rude pretty much nailed it. Nice addition of the supernatural to the mix, real sense of danger for the poor reporter who has learned Hunter Rose’s secret. And gorgeous art, as usual.
7. Hack Slash Series #10 - I love seeing more of Cassie’s father, and I like that Seeley is taking advantage of an ongoing series to build deeper subplots and relationships as well as continuing the strong story arc plots he had on the one-shots and miniseries.
8. Invincible #49 - Unfortunately, seeing the cover to #50 in ads and solicits wrecked the surprises in this issue, but I still thought it was an interesting development for the character. I am starting to wish, however, that Kirkman would focus things a bit more, rather than having this sprawling dozens of characters and subplots thing going. There are a lot of threads in the air right now, and I don’t always remember what has gone before when it shows up to move forward three or four issues later.
9. Brave And The Bold #11 - Really enjoyed the first half of this book, with the Ultraman/Superman (and clever take on an alternate dimension imp), but I’m soooo bored and uninterested in the Megistus stuff. Waid was at his best on this book when he was doing more or less self-contained team-up issues… the twelve-issue long story arc to give it a spine is a snoozer.
22 Mar 2008 at 11:13 am
Quoteloved Amalgam - the pick for me was Challengers of the Fantastic
22 Mar 2008 at 12:14 pm
Quote1) Iron Fist- Obviously. The ending was great, as has been noted, but some great character moments between the Thunderer and his son, between the legendary warriors of the 7 Cities, and ongoing fun with the old Heroes for Hire. “Four most terrifying words in the English language.” C’mon!
2) Fables- Cinderella was outstanding. I like her outfit at the end, too. Interesting change of events in Fabletown. This being only issue 71, I assume we have 29 issues until this is really “resolved’ though. Big ol’ issue 100 blowout and all of that. Or do you think Willingham won’t care and will be looking to end the big story when it needs to be ended?
3) Ex Machina- Odd little one-shot in the series. I still liked it and some of the implications of their discussions and it is timely considering all the Obama flack this week but it still didn’t resolve anything in the character about racial issues.
That’s it for me. Slim week but all good to great reads. If Iron Fist gets any better, I am quitting my job and fighting crime with a mask on. Period.
22 Mar 2008 at 2:14 pm
QuoteDexter Morgan’s Top Five Books of the Moment
1. Captain America
2. Immortal Iron Fist
3. Incredible Hercules
4. Robin
5. The Order
Honourable Mentions: FX, Ghost Rider, Superman/Batman Annual #2, War is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom, and … Peter David’s Incredible Hulk; I’m going through my longbox and re-reading David’s run from the beginning because I miss the Hulk and can’t stand what Loeb is currently doing. I don’t like the Ultimate version, either.
Overall, an enjoyable — and expensive — week for me.
22 Mar 2008 at 7:23 pm
Quote1. WetWorks Book 2 (seriously)
2. Dark Ivory
3. The Immortal Iron Fist
4. Ghost Rider
5. Tales of the TMNT
22 Mar 2008 at 8:49 pm
QuoteOh, how I wish Pak and Van Lente would write an Avengers book! We’re only a couple of issues into “Incredible Herc” and it’s always a favorite.
And while I agree to a degree about the criticisms that Ed Brubaker is getting too dark mopey with his heroes (”Daredevil”), the character moments in “Captain America” (ALL the Bucky stuff in particular) are golden. Still, he and Fraction mesh well on “Immortal Iron Fist.” Why aren’t more people buying the book? And it actually makes me look forward to an X-book that ISN’T Jeff Parker’s “X-Men: First Class.” I may be buying “Uncanny” when Fraction comes aboard. Go figure.
22 Mar 2008 at 11:13 pm
QuoteAnd no offense to Ed Brubaker, but I’m getting the impression all of our favorite stuff … well, most of it … is coming from Matt Fraction. His stuff has its own unique voice. Also makes me look forward to his “Invincible Iron Man.” I definitely get the impression that some of the material in “The Order” … and some characters … will be returning there.
22 Mar 2008 at 11:15 pm
QuoteIt’s already been said ad nauseum on this post, but in regards to Iron Fist –
best. final page. ever.
24 Mar 2008 at 3:01 pm
QuoteStrangely, I didn’t think Iron Fist was as strong as previous issues. And I also found myself enjoying Countdown for the first time in God knows how long. Maybe I’m coming down with something?
Anway:
1. Captain America
2. Thor
3. Iron Man
4. Incredible Hercules
5. Bodha Te
24 Mar 2008 at 4:30 pm
Quote