Comics I bought this week: February 1, 2007

Finally a week where some of my regular comics come out. I got four new ones this week:

Usagi Jojimbo 100. It looks like a jam issue with a whole bunch of cartoonists paying tribute to Usagi.

Ex Machina 26

Strangers in Paradise 87. It looks like someone messed up the computer file on the cover of this one. There are jpeg artifacts all over the place. I'm guessing someone accidentally printed the low res file. Oops.

Walking Dead 34

Last week I also sat down and read a whole bunch of comics in a row. I haven't done that in years but it sure was fun. I read Sleeper Season 1 issues 1-12, Sleeper Season 2 issues 1-12, and StormWatch Team Achilles issues 1-23 (and the script of 24 which is posted on the internet). It was over the weekend so I didn't actually read them all in one sitting but close to it. All three series are recommended.

Week Eight of my reviews of recent DC Comics.

Justice Society of America (2007) 1-2 - Super hero comics move so slowly these days that it is hard for a first issue to grab me. This one falls into that category. It's not bad but the first issue is like every other first issue of a team book. They introduced and gather up the new members of the team. Ho hum. The second issue gets things rolling a little more but not until the end when some villains show up and we get a glimpse of what the plot might be. Stay away unless you like slow pacing and character introductions.

The Midnighter 2-3 - Y'know what? I'm better off without the first issue. The story doesn't seem to miss it. Midnighter was captured by a bad guy (that's what must have happened in the first issue) and forced to go back in time and try to kill Hitler. I haven't read a comic with Midnighter in it since the first volume of The Authority and later StormWatch: Team Achilles. I have read that DC has had some problems with Midnighter and Apollo since they are gay, over the top violent versions of Batman and Superman. I also read that DC forced Wildstorm to tone them down. Boy, have they. This is written by Mr. Over the Top himself, Garth Ennis, but even in the midst of the trenches of WWI Midnighter isn't killing anyone. He seems quite the generic super hero here. Solid art but a pretty pedestrian story all around. Being it's a time travel story it will probably not make much sense in the end (as is the case with most time travel stories) but so far it's holding together. Check it out only if you have faith that Ennis and Sprouse can turn it into something interesting.

Omac 5-7 - I can barely review this book. It made almost no impact on me. There's nothing new here. Maybe if I read the multi part Omac crossover story that happened a while ago I might care but I doubt it. On the positive side I had no problem following the story not having read all the other Omac stuff. Once again it's not a horribly crafted book. The people that made it have some talent I just found it derivative and dull.