What's going on in comics?

I haven’t blogged in a bunch of days. I’ve been busy drawing comics and preparing for teaching this Fall.

Anyway… I like drawing comics and I like reading them. Well, some of them, anyway. And I like to keep up with the latest news in comics. So, what is going on in comics? (Mind you, there are some spoilers.)

Well, the San Diego Comic-Con International came and went. I didn’t go. But, all the news I’ve read and heard from the Con just seemed like a bunch of uninteresting hype. How can such an enormous amount of non-news be new news? (Although, I was waiting to hear about what was going on with the revised First Comics and E-Man, but I heard no news about that.)

Is it really news when a publisher is renumbering or rebooting their titles? Is it really news when a publisher is going to tell the same sort of stories over and over again? Count me out.



Above: Artwork from Frank Miller’s HOLY TERROR.

Now, Frank Miller’s HOLY TERROR looks interesting. It’s nice to see creators address important issues like (as in this case) terrorism.



Above: No one escapes Steve Bissette’s the Fury.

The great Steve Bissette is bringing back THE FURY! I can’t wait for this one.

From srbissette.com:

It’s official: I’ve now signed contracts with a publisher for a return to color comics of… The Fury!

As far as reading comics, I picked up X-MEN: SCHISM #2. I really do enjoy Frank Cho’s artwork, but this issue was very dull, even the art. (I miss LIBERTY MEADOWS.)

Oh no! The Sentinels have been reactivated (again), and are about to stomp all over those poor mutants (again). Oh no! Cyclops and Wolverine are gonna argue (again). Can anyone in the X-offices come up with some new story ideas?

But, (and I liked this part) Kitty Pride tells Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad where to go…



Above: Artwork from X-MEN: SCHISM #2 by Frank Cho. Colors by Jason Keith.

The best line from X-MEN: SCHISM #2 was: "Liberals are nothing if not predictable." I thought that that was funny. One doesn’t customarily see Liberalism mocked in the comics industry.

I give X-MEN: SCHISM #2 two out of five NM’s:




Above: Partial artwork from the cover to INVINCIBLE #81 by Ryan Ottley.

I don’t often say this sort of thing, but INVINCIBLE #81 was kinda dull, too. FCO Plascencia has got to come back to coloring INVINCIBLE. The previous issue was quite awesome, though.

In this issue’s letter column (Penvincipals), I found it interesting reading the letters concerning abortion. (See INVINCIBLE #79 about why.)

I give INVINCIBLE #81 three out of five NM’s:




Above: Chris Bachalo’s artwork from AVENGERS #15. (Don't know who inked this, though.)

AVENGERS #15 is excellent! For the last several years, I haven’t been much of a Marvel Comics reader, but I really dig Chris Bachalo’s AVENGERS. Brian Michael Bendis’ writing reminds me of why I loved the Avengers as a kid. In AVENGERS #15, some of the Avengers fight the hammer-wielding Asgardian Hulk. Plus, Hawkeye and Spider-Woman make smoochies.

I give AVENGERS #15 four and a half out of five NM’s: